Bartter and Gitelman syndromes: Spectrum of clinical manifestations caused by different mutations

PubMed Central

Al Shibli, Amar; Narchi, Hassib

2015-01-01

Bartter and Gitelman syndromes (BS and GS) are inherited disorders resulting in defects in renal tubular handling of sodium, potassium and chloride. Previously considered as genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneous diseases, recent evidence suggests that they constitute a spectrum of disease caused by different genetic mutations with the molecular defects of chloride reabsorption originating at different sites of the nephron in each condition. Although they share some characteristic metabolic abnormalities such as hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, hyperplasia of the juxtaglomerular apparatus with hyperreninemia, hyperaldosteronism, the clinical and laboratory manifestations may not always allow distinction between them. Diuretics tests, measuring the changes in urinary fractional excretion of chloride from baseline after administration of either hydrochlorothiazide or furosemide show very little change (< 2.3%) in the fractional excretion of chloride from baseline in GS when compared with BS, except when BS is associated with KCNJ1 mutations where a good response to both diuretics exists. The diuretic test is not recommended for infants or young children with suspected BS because of a higher risk of volume depletion in such children. Clinical symptoms and biochemical markers of GS and classic form of BS (type III) may overlap and thus genetic analysis may specify the real cause of symptoms. However, although genetic analysis is available, its use remains limited because of limited availability, large gene dimensions, lack of hot-spot mutations, heavy workup time and costs involved. Furthermore, considerable overlap exists between the different genotypes and phenotypes. Although BS and GS usually have distinct presentations and are associated with specific gene mutations, there remains considerable overlap between their phenotypes and genotypes. Thus, they are better described as a spectrum of clinical manifestations caused by different gene mutations. PMID:26140272

Bartter syndrome in two sisters with a novel mutation of the CLCNKB gene, one with deafness.

PubMed

Robitaille, Pierre; Merouani, Aicha; He, Ning; Pei, York

2011-09-01

This article describes two sisters with type III Bartter syndrome (BS) due to a novel missense variant of the CLCNKB gene. The phenotypic expression of the disease was very different in these two siblings. In one sister, the disease followed a very severe course, especially in the neonatal period and as a toddler. Both the classic symptoms and the biochemical features of the syndrome were striking. In addition, she presented with sensorineural deafness, a complication yet unreported in this subtype of BS In contrast, the least affected sister was symptom free and the biochemical features of the disease although present remained discrete throughout the prolonged follow-up. It is suggested that such a difference in the phenotypic expression of the disease is possibly secondary to the modifier effect of a gene and/or results from environmental factor(s).

Bartter syndrome type 3 in an elderly complicated with adrenocorticotropin-deficiency.

PubMed

Tamagawa, Eri; Inaba, Hidefumi; Ota, Takayuki; Ariyasu, Hiroyuki; Kawashima, Hiromichi; Wakasaki, Hisao; Furuta, Hiroto; Nishi, Masahiro; Nakao, Taisei; Kaito, Hiroshi; Iijima, Kazumoto; Nakanishi, Koichi; Yoshikawa, Norishige; Akamizu, Takashi

2014-01-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) is a disorder with normotensive hypokalemic alkalosis and hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronemia. BS affects infants or early childhood. Patients with BS type 3 harbor mutation in CLCNKB, Cl channel Kb. Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a disorder in childhood, with mutation in SLC12A3. Isolated adrenocorticotropin deficiency (IAD) causes secondary adrenal insufficiency. Neither elderly cases, nor cases with IAD were previously reported in BS. A 72-year-old man was admitted with acute adrenal crisis. He had been treated for IAD for 19 years. He had no trouble during perinatal period, delivery, and growth. After the recovery from adrenal crisis, laboratory tests revealed hypokalemia; 3.0 mEq/L (normal: 3.5-4.5), impaired renal function: eGFR; 37.6 mL/min/1.73 m2, normomagnesemia; 2.1 mg/dL (1.7-2.3), hyperreninemia; 59.4 ng/mL/h (0.2-2.7), hyperaldosteronemia; 23.5 ng/dL (3.0-15.9), and normal urinary ratio of calcium/creatinine. In diuretic tests, he showed a fine response to furosemide, and a mild response to thiazide. In genetic tests, no mutation of SLC12A3 was found and homozygous mutation: c.1830 G > A in CLCNKB was shown. Thus he was diagnosed as BS type 3. Current case presented with unusual features as BS type 3, 1) his late and mild clinical manifestation suggested GS rather than BS, 2) laboratory data and diuretics tests did not show typical features as BS, and 3) IAD and chronic renal failure altered electrolyte metabolism. In conclusion, current case implies that BS type 3 should be considered even in elderly cases with normotensive hypokalemia, and highlights importance of endocrinological and genetic examinations.

Permanganate/bisulfite (PM/BS) conditioning-horizontal electro-dewatering (HED) of activated sludge: Effect of reactive Mn(III) species.

PubMed

Guo, Xinxin; Wang, Yili; Wang, Dongsheng

2017-11-01

A novel activated sludge (AS) conditioning method through permanganate/bisulfate (PM/BS) process was proposed. The method involved a new conditioner of reactive Mn(III) intermediate. Moreover, a Mn(III) conditioning-horizontal electro-dewatering (Mn(III) C-HED) process was established to improve AS dewatering performance. Underlying mechanisms were unraveled by investigating changes in physicochemical characteristics, scanning electron microscope (SEM) morphology, and transformation of water and organic matters. The optimum dewatering conditions for Mn(III) C-HED process with the final water content of 86.94% were determined as the combination of KMnO 4 0.01 mol/L AS and NaHSO 3 0.05 mol/L AS at 20 V for 120 min. Results showed that Mn(III) C-HED process effectively reduced free water and bound water with the corresponding removal ratios of 51.68% and 87.62% at the anode-side as well as 36.55% and 85.08% at the cathode-side, respectively. During the PM/BS process, the produced Mn(III), Mn 2+ , and MnO 2 exerted chemical and physical effects on AS conditioning and dewatering. Mn(III) disintegrated extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) fractions and cells in AS, as well as induced partial bound water release. Additionally, flocculation effect induced by Mn 2+ and MnO 2 skeleton building also benefited AS dewatering. AS cells were further disrupted under the effect of a horizontal electric field. Accordingly, EPS within the AS matrix was solubilized, tightly bound (TB)-EPS or loosely bound (LB)-EPS was converted to their corresponding outer EPS fractions, and AS dewaterability improved. Additionally, changes in pH and temperature at HED stage damaged the AS cells and changed the floc properties, thereby leading to easy separation of liquid and AS particles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dimerization of the bacterial effector protein AvrBs3 in the plant cell cytoplasm prior to nuclear import.

PubMed

Gürlebeck, Doreen; Szurek, Boris; Bonas, Ulla

2005-04-01

The effector protein AvrBs3 from the bacterial phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is translocated into the plant cell where it specifically induces hypertrophy symptoms or the hypersensitive reaction. Activity of AvrBs3 depends on nuclear localization signals (NLSs) and an acidic activation domain, suggesting a role in regulation of plant transcription. Here, we show that AvrBs3 dimerizes in the plant cell prior to its nuclear import. AvrBs3 deletion derivatives were tested in the yeast two-hybrid system revealing that the repeat region, which confers specific recognition in resistant plants and is crucial for virulence function, is also essential for the self-interaction. GST pull-down assays showed that the AvrBs3-AvrBs3 interaction occurs independent of plant proteins. Coexpression of two different inactive mutant AvrBs3 derivatives in Bs3-resistant pepper plants resulted in 'trans-complementation', i.e., the induction of a hypersensitive reaction. This clearly indicates that AvrBs3-dimerization occurs in planta. Interestingly, 'trans-complementation' was not observed in susceptible plants suggesting that wild-type homodimers are needed for the AvrBs3 virulence function in plants. Furthermore, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion of AvrBs3 deleted in the NLSs (AvrBs3DeltaNLS-GFP), normally localized in the cytoplasm, was imported into the nucleus upon coexpression with wild-type AvrBs3 in Nicotiana benthamiana. Thus, AvrBs3 dimerization takes place in the cytoplasm of the plant cell prior to nuclear import. Given the fact that dimerization is a common feature of transcriptional regulators, our data are consistent with the idea that AvrBs3 manipulates expression of plant genes involved in the establishment of compatible and incompatible interactions.

Pre-steady-state kinetic studies of redox reactions catalysed by Bacillus subtilis ferredoxin-NADP(+) oxidoreductase with NADP(+)/NADPH and ferredoxin.

PubMed

Seo, Daisuke; Soeta, Takahiro; Sakurai, Hidehiro; Sétif, Pierre; Sakurai, Takeshi

2016-06-01

Ferredoxin-NADP(+) oxidoreductase ([EC1.18.1.2], FNR) from Bacillus subtilis (BsFNR) is a homodimeric flavoprotein sharing structural homology with bacterial NADPH-thioredoxin reductase. Pre-steady-state kinetics of the reactions of BsFNR with NADP(+), NADPH, NADPD (deuterated form) and B. subtilis ferredoxin (BsFd) using stopped-flow spectrophotometry were studied. Mixing BsFNR with NADP(+) and NADPH yielded two types of charge-transfer (CT) complexes, oxidized FNR (FNR(ox))-NADPH and reduced FNR (FNR(red))-NADP(+), both having CT absorption bands centered at approximately 600n m. After mixing BsFNR(ox) with about a 10-fold molar excess of NADPH (forward reaction), BsFNR was almost completely reduced at equilibrium. When BsFNR(red) was mixed with NADP(+), the amount of BsFNR(ox) increased with increasing NADP(+) concentration, but BsFNR(red) remained as the major species at equilibrium even with about 50-fold molar excess NADP(+). In both directions, the hydride-transfer was the rate-determining step, where the forward direction rate constant (~500 s(-1)) was much higher than the reverse one (<10 s(-1)). Mixing BsFd(red) with BsFNR(ox) induced rapid formation of a neutral semiquinone form. This process was almost completed within 1 ms. Subsequently the neutral semiquinone form was reduced to the hydroquinone form with an apparent rate constant of 50 to 70 s(-1) at 10°C, which increased as BsFd(red) increased from 40 to 120 μM. The reduction rate of BsFNR(ox) by BsFd(red) was markedly decreased by premixing BsFNR(ox) with BsFd(ox), indicating that the dissociation of BsFd(ox) from BsFNR(sq) is rate-limiting in the reaction. The characteristics of the BsFNR reactions with NADP(+)/NADPH were compared with those of other types of FNRs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determinants of Conflict in the Philippines

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

CONFLICT IN THE PHILIPPINES by Jesus P. Durante III June 2012 Thesis Co-Advisors Nancy Roberts Sean Everton Second Reader: Kristen...Jesus P. Durante III 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 8. PERFORMING...release, distribution is unlimited DETERMINANTS OF CONFLICT IN THE PHILIPPINES Jesus P. Durante III Lieutenant Colonel, Philippine Army B.S

Distribution of chromium species in a Cr-polluted soil: presence of Cr(III) in glomalin related protein fraction.

PubMed

Gil-Cardeza, María L; Ferri, Alejandro; Cornejo, Pablo; Gomez, Elena

2014-09-15

The accumulation of Cr in soil could be highly toxic to human health; therefore Cr soil distribution was studied in rhizosphere soils from Ricinus communis and Conium maculatum and bare soil (BS) from an industrial and urban area in Argentina. Total Cr, Cr(VI) and Cr(III) concentrations were determined in 3 soil fractions: total, extractable and associated to total-glomalin-related protein (T-GRSP). BS had the highest total Cr and total Cr(VI) concentrations. Total Cr(VI) concentration from both rhizosphere soils did not differ from the allowed value for residential area in Argentina (8 μg Cr(VI) g(-1) soil), while total Cr(VI) in BS was 1.8 times higher. Total Cr concentration in all the soils was higher than the allowed value (250 μg Cr g(-1) soil). Extractable and associated to T-GRSP Cr(VI) concentrations were below the detection limit. Cr(III) bound to T-GRSP was the highest in the BS. These findings are in agreement with a long term effect of glomalin in sequestrating Cr. In both plant species, total Cr was higher in root than in shoot and both species presented arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). As far as we know, this is the first study that reports the presence of Cr in T-GRSP fraction of soil organic matter. These findings suggest that Cr mycorrhizostabilization could be a predominant mechanism used by R. communis and C. maculatum to diminish Cr soil concentration. Nevertheless, further research is needed to clarify the contribution of native AMF isolated from R. communis and C. maculatum rhizosphere to the Cr phytoremediation process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Progressive sample processing of band selection for hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Keng-Hao; Chien, Hung-Chang; Chen, Shih-Yu

2017-10-01

Band selection (BS) is one of the most important topics in hyperspectral image (HSI) processing. The objective of BS is to find a set of representative bands that can represent the whole image with lower inter-band redundancy. Many types of BS algorithms were proposed in the past. However, most of them can be carried on in an off-line manner. It means that they can only be implemented on the pre-collected data. Those off-line based methods are sometime useless for those applications that are timeliness, particular in disaster prevention and target detection. To tackle this issue, a new concept, called progressive sample processing (PSP), was proposed recently. The PSP is an "on-line" framework where the specific type of algorithm can process the currently collected data during the data transmission under band-interleavedby-sample/pixel (BIS/BIP) protocol. This paper proposes an online BS method that integrates a sparse-based BS into PSP framework, called PSP-BS. In PSP-BS, the BS can be carried out by updating BS result recursively pixel by pixel in the same way that a Kalman filter does for updating data information in a recursive fashion. The sparse regression is solved by orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm, and the recursive equations of PSP-BS are derived by using matrix decomposition. The experiments conducted on a real hyperspectral image show that the PSP-BS can progressively output the BS status with very low computing time. The convergence of BS results during the transmission can be quickly achieved by using a rearranged pixel transmission sequence. This significant advantage allows BS to be implemented in a real time manner when the HSI data is transmitted pixel by pixel.

TAL effectors and the executor R genes

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junli; Yin, Zhongchao; White, Frank

2015-01-01

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors are bacterial type III secretion proteins that function as transcription factors in plants during Xanthomonas/plant interactions, conditioning either host susceptibility and/or host resistance. Three types of TAL effector associated resistance (R) genes have been characterized—recessive, dominant non-transcriptional, and dominant TAL effector-dependent transcriptional based resistance. Here, we discuss the last type of R genes, whose functions are dependent on direct TAL effector binding to discrete effector binding elements in the promoters. Only five of the so-called executor R genes have been cloned, and commonalities are not clear. We have placed the protein products in two groups for conceptual purposes. Group 1 consists solely of the protein from pepper, BS3, which is predicted to have catalytic function on the basis of homology to a large conserved protein family. Group 2 consists of BS4C-R, XA27, XA10, and XA23, all of which are relatively short proteins from pepper or rice with multiple potential transmembrane domains. Group 2 members have low sequence similarity to proteins of unknown function in closely related species. Firm predictions await further experimentation on these interesting new members to the R gene repertoire, which have potential broad application in new strategies for disease resistance. PMID:26347759

TAL effectors and the executor R genes.

PubMed

Zhang, Junli; Yin, Zhongchao; White, Frank

2015-01-01

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors are bacterial type III secretion proteins that function as transcription factors in plants during Xanthomonas/plant interactions, conditioning either host susceptibility and/or host resistance. Three types of TAL effector associated resistance (R) genes have been characterized-recessive, dominant non-transcriptional, and dominant TAL effector-dependent transcriptional based resistance. Here, we discuss the last type of R genes, whose functions are dependent on direct TAL effector binding to discrete effector binding elements in the promoters. Only five of the so-called executor R genes have been cloned, and commonalities are not clear. We have placed the protein products in two groups for conceptual purposes. Group 1 consists solely of the protein from pepper, BS3, which is predicted to have catalytic function on the basis of homology to a large conserved protein family. Group 2 consists of BS4C-R, XA27, XA10, and XA23, all of which are relatively short proteins from pepper or rice with multiple potential transmembrane domains. Group 2 members have low sequence similarity to proteins of unknown function in closely related species. Firm predictions await further experimentation on these interesting new members to the R gene repertoire, which have potential broad application in new strategies for disease resistance.

Identification of Anion Channels Responsible for Fluoride Resistance in Oral Streptococci

PubMed Central

Takeshita, Toru; Yamashita, Yoshihisa

2016-01-01

Recently, it has been reported that eriC and crcB are involved in bacterial fluoride resistance. However, the fluoride-resistance mechanism in oral streptococci remains unclear. BLAST studies showed that two types of eriCs (eriC1 and eriC2) and two types of crcBs (crcB1 and crcB2) are present across 18 oral streptococci, which were identified in ≥ 10% of 166 orally healthy subjects with ≥ 0.01% of the mean relative abundance. They were divided into three groups based on the distribution of these four genes: group I, only eriC1; group II, eriC1 and eriC2; and group III, eriC2, crcB1, and crcB2. Group I consisted of Streptococcus mutans, in which one of the two eriC1s predominantly affected fluoride resistance. Group II consisted of eight species, and eriC1 was responsible for fluoride resistance, but eriC2 was not, in Streptococcus anginosus as a representative species. Group III consisted of nine species, and both crcB1 and crcB2 were crucial for fluoride resistance, but eriC2 was not, in Streptococcus sanguinis as a representative species. Based on these results, either EriC1 or CrcBs play a role in fluoride resistance in oral streptococci. Complementation between S. mutans EriC1 and S. sanguinis CrcB1/CrcB2 was confirmed in both S. mutans and S. sanguinis. However, neither transfer of S. sanguinis CrcB1/CrcB2 into wild-type S. mutans nor S. mutans EriC1 into wild-type S. sanguinis increased the fluoride resistance of the wild-type strain. Co-existence of different F− channels (EriC and CrcB) did not cause the additive effect on fluoride resistance in oral Streptococcus species. PMID:27824896

One year in review 2016: Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Hatemi, Gulen; Seyahi, Emire; Fresko, Izzet; Talarico, Rosaria; Hamuryudan, Vedat

2016-01-01

Several articles highlighting the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, treatment modalities and disease assessment of Behçet's syndrome (BS) have been published during the last year. Clinical and radiological features of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis due to BS can be quite different than those found in thrombosis due to other causes; additionally, frequency of post-thrombotic syndrome is significantly increased in BS. Some clinical and colonoscopic features are useful in differentiating BS from Crohn's disease. Barkhof criteria may be helpful in differentiating neurologic involvement due to BS from multiple sclerosis. Anatomical localization of papulopustular lesions but not histology has been found to be helpful in differentiating papulopustular lesions of BS from those found in acne vulgaris. Several studies looked at the ovarian reserve with contradicting results. A population-based cohort study found higher risk of hematological malignancies only among female BS patients living in Taiwan. The role of genetic factors and environment is discussed and both autoimmune and autoinflammatory features are underlined in the pathogenesis of BS. New data on the epistatic interactions between ERAP and HLA B51 is available and information on the microbiome have started to appear. New uncontrolled data suggest beneficial effects of anti-TNFs for refractory extra-ocular complications of BS such as pulmonary artery, gastrointestinal and central nervous system involvement. Uncontrolled studies suggest promising results with interleukin-1 inhibition but gevokizumab, a humanised anti IL-1β antibody, failed to meet the primary endpoint of time to first ocular exacerbation in a phase III trial. The debate on anticoagulation continues with new observational data.

Bovine seminal ribonuclease triggers Beclin1-mediated autophagic cell death in pancreatic cancer cells.

PubMed

Fiorini, Claudia; Gotte, Giovanni; Donnarumma, Federica; Picone, Delia; Donadelli, Massimo

2014-05-01

Among the large number of variants belonging to the pancreatic-type secretory ribonuclease (RNase) superfamily, bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A) is the proto-type and bovine seminal RNase (BS-RNase) represents the unique natively dimeric member. In the present manuscript, we evaluate the anti-tumoral property of these RNases in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines and in nontumorigenic cells as normal control. We demonstrate that BS-RNase stimulates a strong anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect in cancer cells, while RNase A is largely ineffective. Notably, we reveal for the first time that BS-RNase triggers Beclin1-mediated autophagic cancer cell death, providing evidences that high proliferation rate of cancer cells may render them more susceptible to autophagy by BS-RNase treatment. Notably, to improve the autophagic response of cancer cells to BS-RNase we used two different strategies: the more basic (as compared to WT enzyme) G38K mutant of BS-RNase, known to interact more strongly than wt with the acidic membrane of cancer cells, or BS-RNase oligomerization (tetramerization or formation of larger oligomers). Both mutant BS-RNase and BS-RNase oligomers potentiated autophagic cell death as compared to WT native dimer of BS-RNase, while the various RNase A oligomers remained completely ineffective. Altogether, our results shed more light on the mechanisms lying at the basis of BS-RNase antiproliferative effect in cancer cells, and support its potential use to develop new anti-cancer strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear Stress Relaxation of ``Quasi-monodisperse'' Miscible Blends of cis-Polyisoprene and Poly(ptert-butylstyrene)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Matsumiya, Yumi

Viscoelastic relaxation was examined for entangled miscible blends of cis-polyisoprene (PI) and poly(ptert-butylstyrene) (PtBS). The terminal relaxation times of PI and PtBS therein, τPI and τPtBS, changed with the composition wPI and the molecular weights MPI and MPtBS. This ratio became unity when the wPI, MPI, and MPtBS values were chosen adequately. For example, in a blend with wPI = 0.75, MPI = 321k, and MPtBS = 91k at T = 40ûC, τPI/τPtBS = 1 and M/Me = 55 and 8.3 for PI and PtBS. Under small strains, this blend exhibited sharp, single-step terminal relaxation as similar to monodisperse homopolymers, thereby behaving as a ``quasi-monodisperse'' material. Under large step strains, the blend exhibited moderate nonlinear damping known as the type-A damping for entangled monodisperse homopolymers. Nevertheless, PI had M/Me = 55 in that blend, and homopolymers having such a large M/Me ratio exhibit very strong type-C damping. Thus, as compared to homopolymers, the nonlinearity was suppressed in the PI/PtBS blend having the large M/Me ratio. This suppression is discussed in relation to the slow Rouse retraction of the coexisting PtBS chains (having M/Me = 8.3 in the blend).

A new type of natural bispecific antibody with potential protective effect in Hashimoto thyroiditis.

PubMed

Li, Wenli; Fan, Gaowei; Chen, Lida; Zhang, Rui; Zhang, Kuo; Sun, Yu; Lin, Guigao; Xie, Jiehong; Wang, Lunan; Li, Jinming

2014-09-01

As a new antibody concept, natural bispecific antibodies (nBsAbs) have been detected in long-term passive immunization and some diseases, but their potential immunomodulatory role remains unclear. Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) appears to fulfill the condition for nBsAb production but has not yet been characterized. The objective of the study was to identify a new nBsAb against thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (Tg) in HT patients and to preliminarily explore its immunomodulatory role. Serum samples were obtained from 136 HT patients, 92 diseased controls, and 99 healthy controls for anti-TPO/Tg nBsAb detection. The relationship between anti-TPO/Tg nBsAb and other clinical parameters was also analyzed. The anti-TPO/Tg nBsAb was detected using a double-antigen sandwich ELISA. Higher nBsAb levels were found to be associated with decreased inflammation in HT patients. The prevalence of anti-TPO/Tg nBsAb in HT was 44.9% (61 of 136), significantly higher than that of diseased controls (2.2%, 2 of 92) (P < .0001) and healthy controls (0%, 0 of 99) (P < .0001). HT patients who were nBsAb positive were prone to have significantly lower levels of serum C-reactive protein and TNF-α compared with the nBsAb-negative individuals (P < .05). The serum amyloid A and interferon-γ levels also showed a similar trend in the two groups. The IgG subclass of anti-TPO/Tg nBsAb was IgG4. Further analysis showed a negative correlation between anti-TPO/Tg nBsAb and serum total IgG4 (r = -0.697, P = .025) in IgG4 thyroiditis patients. A new type of nBsAb against TPO and Tg in HT patients is identified. Our data also indicate a protective effect of anti-TPO/Tg nBsAb in the pathogenesis of HT and extend prior knowledge about nBsAb in diseases.

Amino Alcohol- (NPS-2143) and Quinazolinone-Derived Calcilytics (ATF936 and AXT914) Differentially Mitigate Excessive Signalling of Calcium-Sensing Receptor Mutants Causing Bartter Syndrome Type 5 and Autosomal Dominant Hypocalcemia

PubMed Central

Letz, Saskia; Haag, Christine; Schulze, Egbert; Frank-Raue, Karin; Raue, Friedhelm; Hofner, Benjamin; Mayr, Bernhard; Schöfl, Christof

2014-01-01

Introduction Activating calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) mutations cause autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (ADH) characterized by low serum calcium, inappropriately low PTH and relative hypercalciuria. Four activating CaSR mutations cause additional renal wasting of sodium, chloride and other salts, a condition called Bartter syndrome (BS) type 5. Until today there is no specific medical treatment for BS type 5 and ADH. We investigated the effects of different allosteric CaSR antagonists (calcilytics) on activating CaSR mutants. Methods All 4 known mutations causing BS type 5 and five ADH mutations were expressed in HEK 293T cells and receptor signalling was studied by measurement of intracellular free calcium in response to extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]o). To investigate the effect of calcilytics, cells were stimulated with 3 mM [Ca2+]o in the presence or absence of NPS-2143, ATF936 or AXT914. Results All BS type 5 and ADH mutants showed enhanced signalling activity to [Ca2+]o with left shifted dose response curves. In contrast to the amino alcohol NPS-2143, which was only partially effective, the quinazolinone calcilytics ATF936 and AXT914 significantly mitigated excessive cytosolic calcium signalling of all BS type 5 and ADH mutants studied. When these mutants were co-expressed with wild-type CaSR to approximate heterozygosity in patients, ATF936 and AXT914 were also effective on all mutants. Conclusion The calcilytics ATF936 and AXT914 are capable of attenuating enhanced cytosolic calcium signalling activity of CaSR mutations causing BS type 5 and ADH. Quinazolinone calcilytics might therefore offer a novel treatment option for patients with activating CaSR mutations. PMID:25506941

The B chromosomes in Brachycome.

PubMed

Leach, C R; Houben, A; Timmis, J N

2004-01-01

This review presents a historical account of studies of B chromosomes in the genus Brachycome Cass. (synonym: Brachyscome) from the earliest cytological investigations carried out in the late 1960s though to the most recent molecular analyses. Molecular analyses provide insights into the origin and evolution of the B chromosomes (Bs) of Brachycome dichromosomatica, a species which has Bs of two different sizes. The larger Bs are somatically stable whereas the smaller, or micro, Bs are somatically unstable. Both B types contain clusters of ribosomal RNA genes that have been shown unequivocally to be inactive in the case of the larger Bs. The large Bs carry a family of tandem repeat sequences (Bd49) that are located mainly at the centromere. Multiple copies of sequences related to this repeat are present on the A chromosomes (As) of related species, whereas only a few copies exist in the A chromosomes of B. dichromosomatica. The micro Bs share DNA sequences with the As and the larger Bs, and they also have B-specific repeats (Bdm29 and Bdm54). In some cases repeat sequences on the micro Bs have been shown to occur as clusters on the A chromosomes in a proportion of individuals within a population. It is clear that none of these B types originated by simple excision of segments from the A chromosomes. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

[A clinical and hereditary analysis of novel complex heterozygous KCNJ1 mutation in a Bartter syndrome type Ⅱ patient].

PubMed

Li, X Y; Jiang, Y; Xu, L J; Duan, L; Peng, X Y; Chen, L M; Xia, W B; Xing, X P

2017-10-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) is a hereditary condition transmitted as an autosomal recessive (Bartter type 1 to 4) or dominant trait (Bartter type 5). The disease associates hypokalemic alkalosis with varying degrees of hypercalciuria. Here we presented a case (BS type Ⅱ) of a 17 years old female presented with polyhydramnios, polyuria, nephrocalcinosis and hypokalemia, which was alleviated after treatment with celecoxib and vitamin D(3). DNA sequencing identified compound heterozygous KCNJ 1 gene mutations, c. 931C >T (p.R311W) and c. 445-446insCCTGAACAC (p.V149Afs, 150X), with the latter a novel mutation. Her father and mother were heterozygous carriers of c. 931C >T (p.R311W) and c. 445-446insCCTGAACAC (p.V149Afs, 150X), respectively. In conclusion, this case of BS type Ⅱ is caused by a novel compound heterozygous KCNJ 1 mutation. Further studies are needed to verify the effect of celecoxib in BS patients.

Diagnostic performance of a computer-assisted diagnosis system for bone scintigraphy of newly developed skeletal metastasis in prostate cancer patients: search for low-sensitivity subgroups.

PubMed

Koizumi, Mitsuru; Motegi, Kazuki; Koyama, Masamichi; Terauchi, Takashi; Yuasa, Takeshi; Yonese, Junji

2017-08-01

The computer-assisted diagnostic system for bone scintigraphy (BS) BONENAVI is used to evaluate skeletal metastasis. We investigated its diagnostic performance in prostate cancer patients with and without skeletal metastasis and searched for the problems. An artificial neural network (ANN) value was calculated in 226 prostate cancer patients (124 with skeletal metastasis and 101 without) using BS. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed and the sensitivity and specificity determined (cutoff ANN = 0.5). Patient's situation at the time of diagnosis of skeletal metastasis, computed tomography (CT) type, extent of disease (EOD), and BS uptake grade were analyzed. False-negative and false-positive results were recorded. BONENAVI showed 82% (102/124) of sensitivity and 83% (84/101) specificity for metastasis detection. There were no significant differences among CT types, although low EOD and faint BS uptake were associated with low ANN values and low sensitivity. Patients showed lower sensitivity during the follow-up period than staging work-up. False-negative lesions were often located in the pelvis or adjacent to it. They comprised not only solitary, faint BS lesions but also overlaying to urinary excretion. BONENAVI with BS has good sensitivity and specificity for detecting prostate cancer's osseous metastasis. Low EOD and faint BS uptake are associated with low sensitivity but not the CT type. Prostate cancer patients likely to have false-negative results during the follow-up period had a solitary lesion in the pelvis with faint BS uptake or lesions overlaying to urinary excretion.

Poly-γ-glutamic acid productivity of Bacillus subtilis BsE1 has positive function in motility and biocontrol against Fusarium graminearum.

PubMed

Wang, Luyao; Wang, Ning; Mi, Dandan; Luo, Yuming; Guo, Jianhua

2017-07-01

In this study, we investigate the relationship between γ-PGA productivity and biocontrol capacity of Bacillus subtilis BsE1; one bacterial isolate displayed 62.14% biocontrol efficacy against Fusarium root rot. The γ-PGA yield assay, motility assay, wheat root colonization assay, and biological control assay were analysed in different γ-PGA yield mutants of BsE1. The pgsB (PGA-synthase-CapB gene) deleted mutant of BsE1 reduced γ-PGA yield and exhibited apparent decline of in vitro motile ability. Deletion of pgsB impaired colonizing capacity of BsE1 on wheat root in 30 days, also lowered biocontrol efficacies from 62.08% (wild type BsE1) to 14.22% in greenhouse experiment against Fusarium root rot. The knockout of pgdS and ggt (genes relate to two γ-PGA degrading enzymes) on BsE1, leads to a considerable improvement in polymer yield and biocontrol efficacy, which attains higher level compared with wild type BsE1. Compared with ΔpgsB mutant, defense genes related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phytoalexin expressed changes by notable levels on wheat roots treated with BsE1, demonstrating the functional role γ-PGA plays in biocontrol against Fusarium root rot. γ-PGA is not only important to the motile and plant root colonization ability of BsE1, but also essential to the biological control performed by BsE1 against Fusarium root rot. Our goal in this study is to reveals a new perspective of BCAs screening on bacterial isolates, without good performance during pre-assays of antagonism ability.

Diagnostic performance of 11C-choline PET/CT and bone scintigraphy in the detection of bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer.

PubMed

Kitajima, Kazuhiro; Fukushima, Kazuhito; Yamamoto, Shingo; Kato, Takashi; Odawara, Soichi; Takaki, Haruyuki; Fujiwara, Masayuki; Yamakado, Koichiro; Nakanishi, Yukako; Kanematsu, Akihiro; Nojima, Michio; Hirota, Shozo

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare 11C-choline PET/CT and bone scintigraphy (BS) for detection of bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer. Twenty-one patients with histologically proven prostate cancer underwent 11C-choline PET/CT and BS before (n = 4) or after (n = 17) treatment. Patient-, region-, and lesion-based diagnostic performances of bone metastasis of both 11C-choline PET/CT and BS were evaluated using a five-point scale by two experienced readers. Bone metastases were present in 11 (52.4%) of 21 patients and 48 (32.7%) of 147 regions; 111 lesions were found to have bone metastases. Region-based analysis showed that the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curves (AUC) of 11C-choline PET/CT were 97.9%, 99.0%, 98.6%, and 0.9989, respectively; those of BS were 72.9%, 99.0%, 90.5%, and 0.8386, respectively. Sensitivity, accuracy, and AUC significantly differed between the two methods (McNemar test, p = 0.0015, p = 0.0015, and p < 0.0001, respectively). 11C-choline PET/CT detected 110/111 metastatic lesions (99.1%); BS detected 85 (76.6%) (p < 0.0001). According to the CT morphological type, the visualization rates of 11C-choline-PET/BS were 100%/90.3% for the blastic type, 91.7%/8.3% for the lytic type, 100%/100% for the mixed type, and 100%/53.3% for the invisible type, respectively. Significant differences in blastic, lytic, and invisible types were observed between the two methods (p = 0.013, p = 0.0044, and p = 0.023, respectively). In conclusion, 11C-choline PET/CT had greater sensitivity and accuracy than BS for detection of bone involvement in patients with prostate cancer.

Secretory expression of a heterologous protein, Aiio-AIO6BS, in Bacillus subtilis via a non-classical secretion pathway.

PubMed

Pan, Xingliang; Yang, Yalin; Liu, Xuewei; Li, Dong; Li, Juan; Guo, Xiaoze; Zhou, Zhigang

2016-09-16

The quenching enzyme AIO6 (AiiO-AIO6) has been reported as a feed additive preparation for application in aquaculture and biological control of pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila. We developed an economical strategy to express AIO6BS (AiiO-AIO6BS, codon optimized AIO6 in Bacillus subtilis) in Bacillus subtilis for facilitating its widespread application. Promoter p43 without the signal peptide was used for secretory expression of AIO6BS in B. subtilis. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that AIO6BS was successfully expressed and secreted into the cell culture. Expression analysis of AIO6BS in the single or double mutant of the lytC and lytD genes for cell autolysis in B. subtilis 1A751 and cell autolysis-resistant engineered strain LM2531 derived from the wild type 168 indicated that the release of the heterologous protein AIO6BS was not simply mediated by cell lysis. Expression level of AIO6BS did not change in the mutants of B. subtilis that harbored mutations in the secA, tatAC, or ecsA genes compared with that in the parent wild type strain. These results suggested the AIO6BS protein was likely secreted via a non-classical secretion pathway. The expression analysis of the various N- or C-terminal truncated gene products indicated that AIO6BS probably acts as an export signal to direct its self-secretion across the cell membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Christopher Kinchin | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Kinchin Photo of Christopher Kinchin Christopher Kinchin Researcher III-Chemical Engineering . Education B.S., Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of North

Evidence for Bs* Bs* production at the Gamma(5S) resonance.

PubMed

Artuso, M; Boulahouache, C; Blusk, S; Butt, J; Dorjkhaidav, O; Li, J; Menaa, N; Mountain, R; Nandakumar, R; Randrianarivony, K; Redjimi, R; Sia, R; Skwarnicki, T; Stone, S; Wang, J C; Zhang, K; Csorna, S E; Bonvicini, G; Cinabro, D; Dubrovin, M; Bornheim, A; Pappas, S P; Weinstein, A J; Briere, R A; Chen, G P; Chen, J; Ferguson, T; Tatishvili, G; Vogel, H; Watkins, M E; Rosner, J L; Adam, N E; Alexander, J P; Berkelman, K; Cassel, D G; Crede, V; Duboscq, J E; Ecklund, K M; Ehrlich, R; Fields, L; Galik, R S; Gibbons, L; Gittelman, B; Gray, R; Gray, S W; Hartill, D L; Heltsley, B K; Hertz, D; Jones, C D; Kandaswamy, J; Kreinick, D L; Kuznetsov, V E; Mahlke-Krüger, H; Meyer, T O; Onyisi, P U E; Patterson, J R; Peterson, D; Phillips, E A; Pivarski, J; Riley, D; Ryd, A; Sadoff, A J; Schwarthoff, H; Shi, X; Shepherd, M R; Stroiney, S; Sun, W M; Urner, D; Wilksen, T; Weaver, K M; Weinberger, M; Athar, S B; Avery, P; Breva-Newell, L; Patel, R; Potlia, V; Stoeck, H; Yelton, J; Rubin, P; Cawlfield, C; Eisenstein, B I; Gollin, G D; Karliner, I; Kim, D; Lowrey, N; Naik, P; Sedlack, C; Selen, M; White, E J; Williams, J; Wiss, J; Asner, D M; Edwards, K W; Besson, D; Pedlar, T K; Cronin-Hennessy, D; Gao, K Y; Gong, D T; Hietala, J; Kubota, Y; Klein, T; Lang, B W; Li, S Z; Poling, R; Scott, A W; Smith, A; Dobbs, S; Metreveli, Z; Seth, K K; Tomaradze, A; Zweber, P; Ernst, J; Arms, K; Severini, H; Dytman, S A; Love, W; Mehrabyan, S; Mueller, J A; Savinov, V; Li, Z; Lopez, A; Mendez, H; Ramirez, J; Huang, G S; Miller, D H; Pavlunin, V; Sanghi, B; Shipsey, I P J; Adams, G S; Cravey, M; Cummings, J P; Danko, I; Napolitano, J; He, Q; Muramatsu, H; Park, C S; Thorndike, E H; Coan, T E; Gao, Y S; Liu, F; Stroynowski, R

2005-12-31

We use data collected by the CLEO III detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring to measure the inclusive yields of D(s) mesons as B(Y(5S) --> D(s)X) = (44-7 +/- 4.2 +/- 9.9)% and B(Y(4S) --> D(s)X) = (18.1 +/- 0.5 +/- 2.8)%. From these measurements, we make a model dependent estimate of the ratio of B(s)*B(s)* to the total bb quark pair production of (16.0 +/- 2.6 +/- 5.8)% at the Y(5S) energy.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA. III. NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AND PIN-PRICK MEASURES

EPA Science Inventory

Health Effects of Chronic Exposure to Arsenic via Drinking Water in Inner Mongolia: III. Neurological Symptoms and Pin-prick Measures

Yanhong Li, M.D.,Yajuan.Xia, M.D., Kegong Wu, M.D., Inner Mongolia Center For Endemic Disease Control and Research, Ling Ling He, B.S., Zhi...

Fatigue is correlated with disease activity but not with the type of organ involvement in Behçet's syndrome: a comparative clinical survey.

PubMed

Buyuktas, Deram; Hatemi, Gulen; Yuksel-Findikoglu, Sukran; Ugurlu, Serdal; Yazici, Hasan; Yurdakul, Sebahattin

2015-01-01

Fatigue is an important problem in inflammatory diseases and affects the quality of life (QoL). We aimed to evaluate the severity and impact of fatigue in Behçet's syndrome (BS) and to determine its association with type of organ involvement and gender. One hundred and fifty-two BS, 51 rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 51 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 51 ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and 65 healthy controls were evaluated by the fatigue severity scale, fatigue impact scale, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), RAPID3, SF-36 and Behçet's syndrome activity scale (the latter only in BS patients). We also analysed subgroups of BS patients with predominantly eye, vascular, joint and mucocutaneous involvement and did an additional gender analysis. Fatigue severity and fatigue impact scores were similar among BS, RA, SLE and AS patients and significantly higher than that in healthy controls (F4df=8.51; p<0.001 and F4df=8.67; p<0.001, respectively). The fatigue severity and fatigue impact scores were similarly high in BS subgroups with different types of organ involvement, and in both genders. Fatigue is an important problem in BS, as it is in other inflammatory conditions. It is similarly severe in subgroups of patients with eye, vascular, joint and mucocutaneous involvement and in either gender. Fatigue is a candidate outcome measure for clinical trials, to assess the life impact of Behçet's syndrome.

Chemotaxis and adherence to fungal surfaces are key components of the behavioral response of Burkholderia terrae BS001 to two selected soil fungi.

PubMed

Haq, Irshad Ul; Calixto, Renata Oliveira da Rocha; Yang, Pu; Dos Santos, Giulia Maria Pires; Barreto-Bergter, Eliana; van Elsas, Jan Dirk

2016-11-01

Burkholderia terrae BS001 has previously been proposed to be a 'generalist' associate of soil fungi, but its strategies of interaction have been largely ignored. Here, we studied the chemotactic behavior of B. terrae BS001 towards Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten and Trichoderma asperellum 302 and the role of fungal surface molecules in their physical interaction with the bacteria. To assess the involvement of the type 3 secretion system (T3SS), wild-type strain BS001 and T3SS mutant strain BS001-ΔsctD were used in the experiments. First, the two fungi showed divergent behavior when confronted with B. terrae BS001 on soil extract agar medium. Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten revealed slow growth towards the bacterium, whereas T. asperellum 302 grew avidly over it. Both on soil extract and M9 agar, B. terrae BS001 and BS001-ΔsctD moved chemotactically towards the hyphae of both fungi, with a stronger response to Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten than to T. asperellum 302. The presence of a progressively increasing glycerol level in the M9 agar enhanced the level of movement. Different oxalic acid concentrations exerted varied effects, with a significantly raised chemotactic response at lower, and a subdued response at higher concentrations. Testing of the adherence of B. terrae BS001 and BS001-ΔsctD to Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten and to cell envelope-extracted ceramide monohexosides (CMHs) revealed that CMHs in both conidia and hyphae could bind strain BS001 cells. As BS001-ΔsctD adhered significantly less to the CMHs than BS001, the T3SS was presumed to have a role in the interaction. In contrast, such avid adherence was not detected with T. asperellum 302. Thus, B. terrae BS001 shows a behavior characterized by swimming towards Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten and T. asperellum 302 and attachment to the CMH moiety in the cell envelope, in particular of the former. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Type A and B behavior patterns and self-reported health symptoms and stress: examining individual and organizational fit.

PubMed

Matteson, M T; Ivancevich, J M

1982-08-01

This article describes a preliminary investigation of the proposition that organizations, as well as people, can be classified along a Type A and B behavior pattern dimension and that the resulting match or lack thereof between individual and organizational behavior patterns is related to various health indices. A sample of 315 medical technologists were classified as either Type As or Bs and as working in either Type A or B environments. Results supported the hypotheses that (1) Type Bs in B organizations report the fewest negative health symptoms; (2) Type As in A organizations report the most; and (3) Type Bs in A organizations and Type As in B organizations report an intermediate level of symptoms. The results are treated within the framework of a person-environment fit model and the implications of the findings are discussed.

Steroid plant hormones: effects outside plant kingdom.

PubMed

Zhabinskii, Vladimir N; Khripach, Natalia B; Khripach, Vladimir A

2015-05-01

Brassinosteroids (BS) are the first group of steroid-hormonal compounds isolated from and acting in plants. Among numerous physiological effects of BS growth stimulation and adaptogenic activities are especially remarkable. In this review, we provide evidence that BS possess similar types of activity also beyond plant kingdom at concentrations comparable with those for plants. This finding allows looking at steroids from a new point of view: how common are the mechanisms of steroid bioregulation in different types of organisms from protozoa to higher animals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Leveraging ITIL to Govern AOC Information Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

III, BS Major, USAF Approved: _____//Signed//_______________________ 5 Dec 05 Dr. Robert F. Mills (Chairman) Date...Signed//_______________________ 5 Dec 05 Maj Scott R. Graham (Member) Date _____//Signed//_______________________ 5 Dec 05 Dr. Michael R... 5 1.5 AOC IT Governance

Bleeding score in Type 1 von Willebrand disease patients using the ISTH-BAT questionnaire.

PubMed

Pathare, A; Al Omrani, S; Al Hajri, F; Al Obaidani, N; Al Balushi, B; Al Falahi, K

2018-04-01

Bleeding assessment tools have evolved in the last decade to standardize the assessment of the severity of bleeding symptom in a consistent way. In 2010, the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis-Bleeding Assessment Tool (ISTH-BAT) was developed and validated. Our aim was to administer ISTH-BAT questionnaire to the Omani patients with type 1 VWD and obtain the bleeding score (BS). We also studied the severity of their bleeding symptoms and correlated it with the BS as well as with the laboratory parameters. Forty-eight type I VWD index cases and 52 normal subjects were interviewed and the ISTH-BAT questionnaire administered. The BS was calculated based on a history of bleeding symptoms from 12 different sites according to the standard ISTH-BAT questionnaire. Laboratory parameters were obtained from patient's medical records. The mean age of this cohort was 27 years (range, 6-49) with 60% being females. The median time to administer this questionnaire was 10 minutes with an interquartile range (IQR) from 8 to 17 minutes. Overall, the median BS was 7 (IQR; 2,11) although individual scores ranged between 0 and 36. The BS was negatively correlated with VWF: Ag, VWF: RCo, and VWF: CB and the Spearman's correlation coefficient "rho" was, respectively, -0.15, -0.08, and -0.22. The ISTH-BAT BS is designed to reflect the severity of bleeding. Our results demonstrate the inherent variability of this bleeding pattern. We also found that the ISTH-BAT BS significantly correlated with VWF: Ag and VWF: CB. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Microbial Communities and Physicochemical Properties of Myeolchi Jeotgal (Anchovy Jeotgal) Prepared with Different Types of Salts.

PubMed

Shim, Jae Min; Lee, Kang Wook; Yao, Zhuang; Kim, Jeong A; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Kim, Jeong Hwan

2017-10-28

Myeolchi jeotgals (MJs) were prepared with purified salt (PS), solar salt aged for 1 year (SS), and bamboo salt (BS) melted 3 times at 10% and 20% (w/w) concentrations, and fermented for 28 weeks at 15°C. BS MJ showed higher pH and lower titratable acidities than the other samples because of the alkalinity of bamboo salt. Lactic acid bacteria counts increased until 4-6 weeks and then decreased gradually, and were not detected after 20 weeks from MJs with 10% salt. Yeast counts of PS MJs were higher than those of BS and SS MJs. Bacilli were detected in relatively higher numbers throughout the 28 weeks, like marine bacteria, but archae were detected in lower numbers during the first 10 weeks. When 16S rRNA genes were amplified from total DNA from PS MJ (10% salt) at 12 weeks, Tetragenococcus halophilus was the major species. However, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the dominant species for BS MJ at the same time point. In SS MJ, T. halophilus was the dominant species and S. epidermidis was the next dominant species. BS and SS MJs showed higher amino-type nitrogen, ammonia-type nitrogen, and volatile basic nitrogen contents than PS MJs. SS and BS were better than PS for the production of high-quality MJs.

The eighth fibronectin type III domain of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor J influences the formation of protein complexes and cell localization.

PubMed

Iuliano, Rodolfo; Raso, Cinzia; Quintiero, Alfina; Pera, Ilaria Le; Pichiorri, Flavia; Palumbo, Tiziana; Palmieri, Dario; Pattarozzi, Alessandra; Florio, Tullio; Viglietto, Giuseppe; Trapasso, Francesco; Croce, Carlo Maria; Fusco, Alfredo

2009-03-01

Regulation of receptor-type phosphatases can involve the formation of higher-order structures, but the exact role played in this process by protein domains is not well understood. In this study we show the formation of different higher-order structures of the receptor-type phosphatase PTPRJ, detected in HEK293A cells transfected with different PTPRJ expression constructs. In the plasma membrane PTPRJ forms dimers detectable by treatment with the cross-linking reagent BS(3) (bis[sulfosuccinimidyl]suberate). However, other PTPRJ complexes, dependent on the formation of disulfide bonds, are detected by treatment with the oxidant agent H(2)O(2) or by a mutation Asp872Cys, located in the eighth fibronectin type III domain of PTPRJ. A deletion in the eighth fibronectin domain of PTPRJ impairs its dimerization in the plasma membrane and increases the formation of PTPRJ complexes dependent on disulfide bonds that remain trapped in the cytoplasm. The deletion mutant maintains the catalytic activity but is unable to carry out inhibition of proliferation on HeLa cells, achieved by the wild type form, since it does not reach the plasma membrane. Therefore, the intact structure of the eighth fibronectin domain of PTPRJ is critical for its localization in plasma membrane and biological function.

Expanding the spectrum of genetic mutations in antenatal Bartter syndrome type II.

PubMed

Fretzayas, Andreas; Gole, Evangelia; Attilakos, Achilleas; Daskalaki, Anna; Nicolaidou, Polyxeni; Papadopoulou, Anna

2013-06-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) is a group of genetic disorders characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hyponatremia and elevated renin and aldosterone plasma concentrations. BS type II is caused by mutations in the KCNJ1 gene and usually presents with transient hyperkalemia. We report here a novel KCNJ1 mutation in a male neonate, prematurely born after a pregnancy complicated by polyhydramnios. The infant presented with typical clinical and laboratory findings of BS type II, such as hyponatremia, hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis, severe weight loss, elevated renin and aldosterone levels and transient hyperkalemia in the early postnatal period, which were later normalized. Molecular analysis revealed a compound heterozygous mutation in the KCNJ1 gene, consisting of a novel K76E and an already described V315G mutation, both affecting functional domains of the channel protein. Typical manifestations of antenatal BS in combination with hyperkalemia should prompt the clinician to search for mutations in the KCNJ1 gene first. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2013 Japan Pediatric Society.

Bleeding score in type 1 von Willebrand disease patients using the condensed MCMDM-1 vWD validated questionnaire.

PubMed

Pathare, A; Al Hajri, F; Al Omrani, S; Al Obaidani, N; Al Balushi, B; Al Falahi, K

2018-05-13

Assessment of the severity of bleeding symptom has led to the evolution of bleeding assessment tools which are now validated. To administer the condensed molecular and clinical markers for the diagnosis and management of type 1 von Willebrand disease VWD (MCMDM-1 vWD) questionnaire to the Omani type 1 vWD patients and correlate it with the laboratory parameters. Patients and controls were personally interviewed and the condensed MCMDM-1 vWD questionnaire administered by a single investigator. Bleeding score (BS) was calculated, based on the presence or absence of the bleeding symptoms according to a standard validated questionnaire in both the patients and the controls. The median age of the patient cohort was 27 (range, 7-49) years with 60.87% of females. The median time to administer condensed MCMDM-1 BS questionnaire was 11 minutes (interquartile range-IQR;7,16). Overall, bleeding from the oral cavity was the most predominant symptom (63%). The median BS was 5 (IQR;1,8) although individual scores ranged between 0 and 29. However, there was no statistically significant difference in BS between genders (males: median 4; IQR 1,6 and females: median 5, IQR 1,10) (P > .05, Kruskal-Wallis test) The Spearman's correlation value of BS was weak with FVIII:C levels and von Willebrand Ristocetin co-factor activity; very weak with von Willebrand Antigen level, and moderate with vonWillebrand Collagen Binding activity being -0.29, -0.28, -0.14 and -0.43, respectively. The BS reflects the severity of bleeding among the vWD patients. Although the BS was abnormal, it did not correlate significantly with the surrogate laboratory parameters [P > .05]. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Simultaneous biosynthesis of putrebactin, avaroferrin and bisucaberin by Shewanella putrefaciens and characterisation of complexes with iron(III), molybdenum(VI) or chromium(V).

PubMed

Soe, Cho Zin; Telfer, Thomas J; Levina, Aviva; Lay, Peter A; Codd, Rachel

2016-09-01

Cultures of Shewanella putrefaciens grown in medium containing 10mM 1,4-diamino-2-butanone (DBO) as an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase and 10mM 1,5-diaminopentane (cadaverine) showed the simultaneous biosynthesis of the macrocyclic dihydroxamic acids: putrebactin (pbH 2 ), avaroferrin (avH 2 ) and bisucaberin (bsH 2 ). The level of DBO did not completely repress the production of endogenous 1,4-diaminobutane (putrescine) as the native diamine substrate of pbH 2 . The relative concentration of pbH 2 :avH 2 :bsH 2 was 1:2:1, which correlated with the substrate selection of putrescine:cadaverine in a ratio of 1:1. The macrocycles were characterised using LC-MS as free ligands and as 1:1 complexes with Fe(III) of the form [Fe(pb)] + , [Fe(av)] + or [Fe(bs)] + , with labile ancillary ligands in six-coordinate complexes displaced during ESI-MS acquisition; or with Mo(VI) of the form [Mo(O) 2 (pb)], [Mo(O) 2 (av)] or [Mo(O) 2 (bs)]. Chromium(V) complexes of the form [CrO(pb)] + were detected from solutions of Cr(VI) and pbH 2 in DMF using X-band EPR spectroscopy. Supplementation of S. putrefaciens medium with DBO and 1,3-diaminopropane, 1,6-diaminohexane or 1,4-diamino-2(Z)-butene (Z-DBE) resulted only in the biosynthesis of pbH 2 . The work has identified a native system for the simultaneous biosynthesis of a suite of three macrocyclic dihydroxamic acid siderophores and highlights both the utility of precursor-directed biosynthesis for expanding the structural diversity of siderophores, and the breadth of their coordination chemistry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Revegetation of high zinc and lead tailings with municipal biosolids and lime: greenhouse study.

PubMed

Svendson, Alex; Henry, Chuck; Brown, Sally

2007-01-01

Acidic (pH 4.1) and high Cd, Pb, and Zn mine tailings (mean +/- SD: 17 +/- 0.4, 3800 +/- 100, and 3500 +/- 100 mg kg(-1), respectively) from an alluvial tailings deposit in Leadville, Colorado were amended with municipal biosolids (BS) (224 Mg ha(-1)) and different types of lime (calcium carbonate equivalent of 224 Mg ha(-1) CaCO3) in a greenhouse column study to test the ability of the amendments to neutralize surface and subsoil acidity and restore plant growth. The types of lime included coarse, agricultural, and fine-textured lime (CL, AL, and FL), sugar beet lime (SBL), and lime kiln dust (LK). The FL was also added alone. All treatments increased bulk pH in the amended horizon in comparison to the control, with the most significant increases observed in the FL, SBL+BS, and LK+BS treatments (7.33, 7.34, and 7.63, respectively). All treatments, excluding the FL, increased the pH in the horizon directly below the amended layer, with the most significant increases observed in the SBL+BS and LK+BS treatments (6.01 and 5.41, respectively). Significant decreases in 0.01 M Ca(NO3)2-extractable Zn and Cd were observed in the subsoil for all treatments that included BS, with the largest decrease in the SBL+BS treatment (344 and 3.9 versus 4 and 0.1 mg kg(-1) Zn and Cd, respectively). Plant growth of annual rye (Lolium multiflorum L.) was vigorous in all treatments that included BS with plant Zn, Cd, and Pb concentrations reduced over the control.

Overexpression of a SNARE protein AtBS14b alters BR response in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhong Xin; Ye, Hong Bo; Xuan, Yuan Hu; Yao, Da Nian

2014-12-01

N-ethyl-maleimide sensitive factor adaptor protein receptor (SNAREs) domain-containing proteins were known as key players in vesicle-associated membrane fusion. Genetic screening has revealed the function of SNAREs in different aspects of plant biology, but the role of many SNAREs are still unknown. In this study, we have characterized the role of Arabidopsis Qc-SNARE protein AtBS14b in brassinosteroids (BRs) signaling pathway. AtBS14b overexpression (AtBS14b ox) plants exhibited short hypocotyl and petioles lengths as well as insensitivity to exogenously supplied BR, while AtBS14b mutants did not show any visible BR-dependent morphological differences. BR biosynthesis enzyme BR6OX2 expression was slightly lower in AtBS14b ox than in wild type plants. Further BR-mediated repression of BR6OX2, CPD and DWF4 was inhibited in AtBS14b ox plants. AtBS14b-mCherry fusion protein localized in vesicular compartments surrounding plasma membrane in N. benthamiana leaves. In addition, isolation of AtBS14b-interacting BR signaling protein, which localized in plasma membrane, showed that AtBS14b directly interacted with membrane steroid binding protein 1 (MSBP1), but did not interact with BAK1 or BRI1. These data suggested that Qc-SNARE protein AtBS14b is the first SNARE protein identified that interacts with MSBP1, and the overexpression of AtBS14b modulates BR response in Arabidopsis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weissmann, Sarit; Ma, Fangfang; Furuyama, Koki

C 4 photosynthesis in grasses requires the coordinated movement of metabolites through two specialized leaf cell types, mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS), to concentrate CO 2 around Rubisco. Despite the importance of transporters in this process, few have been identified or rigorously characterized. In maize (Zea mays), DCT2 has been proposed to function as a plastid-localizedmalate transporter and is preferentially expressed in BS cells. Here, we characterized the role of DCT2 in maize leaves using Activator-tagged mutant alleles. Our results indicate that DCT2 enables the transport of malate into the BS chloroplast. Isotopic labeling experiments show that the lossmore » of DCT2 results in markedly different metabolic network operation and dramatically reduced biomass production. In the absence of a functioning malate shuttle, dct2 lines survive through the enhanced use of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase carbon shuttle pathway that in wild-type maize accounts for ;25% of the photosynthetic activity. The results emphasize the importance of malate transport during C 4 photosynthesis, define the role of a primary malate transporter in BS cells, and support a model for carbon exchange between BS and M cells in maize.« less

Performance of different theories for the angular distribution of bremsstrahlung produced by keV electrons incident upon a target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, Artur; Andreo, Pedro; Poludniowski, Gavin

2018-07-01

Different theories of the intrinsic bremsstrahlung angular distribution (i.e., the shape function) have been evaluated using Monte Carlo calculations for various target materials and incident electron energies between 20 keV and 300 keV. The shape functions considered were the plane-wave first Born approximation cross sections (i) 2BS [high-energy result, screened nucleus], (ii) 2BN [general result, bare nucleus], (iii) KM [2BS modified to emulate 2BN], and (iv) SIM [leading term of 2BN]; (v) expression based on partial-waves expansion, KQP; and (vi) a uniform spherical distribution, UNI [a common approximation in certain analytical models]. The shape function was found to have an important impact on the bremsstrahlung emerging from thin foil targets in which the incident electrons undergo few elastic scatterings before exiting the target material. For thick transmission and reflection targets the type of shape function had less importance, as the intrinsic bremsstrahlung angular distribution was masked by the diffuse directional distribution of multiple scattered electrons. Predictions made using the 2BN and KQP theories were generally in good agreement, suggesting that the effect of screening and the constraints of the Born approximation on the intrinsic angular distribution may be acceptable. The KM and SIM shape functions deviated notably from KQP for low electron energies (< 50 keV), while 2BS and UNI performed poorly over most of the energy range considered; the 2BS shape function was found to be too forward-focused in emission, while UNI was not forward-focused enough. The results obtained emphasize the importance of the intrinsic bremsstrahlung angular distribution for theoretical predictions of x-ray emission, which is relevant in various applied disciplines, including x-ray crystallography, electron-probe microanalysis, security and industrial inspection, medical imaging, as well as low- and medium (orthovoltage) energy radiotherapy.

Pepper pathogenesis-related protein 4c is a plasma membrane-localized cysteine protease inhibitor that is required for plant cell death and defense signaling.

PubMed

Kim, Nak Hyun; Hwang, Byung Kook

2015-01-01

Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) type III effector AvrBsT triggers programmed cell death (PCD) and activates the hypersensitive response (HR) in plants. Here, we isolated and identified the plasma membrane localized pathogenesis-related (PR) protein 4c gene (CaPR4c) from pepper (Capsicum annuum) leaves undergoing AvrBsT-triggered HR cell death. CaPR4c encodes a protein with a signal peptide and a Barwin domain. Recombinant CaPR4c protein expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited cysteine protease-inhibitor activity and ribonuclease (RNase) activity. Subcellular localization analyses revealed that CaPR4c localized to the plasma membrane in plant cells. CaPR4c expression was rapidly and specifically induced by avirulent Xcv (avrBsT) infection. Transient expression of CaPR4c caused HR cell death in pepper leaves, which was accompanied by enhanced accumulation of H2 O2 and significant induction of some defense-response genes. Deletion of the signal peptide from CaPR4c abolished the induction of HR cell death, indicating a requirement for plasma membrane localization of CaPR4c for HR cell death. CaPR4c silencing in pepper disrupted both basal and AvrBsT-triggered resistance responses, and enabled Xcv proliferation in infected leaves. H2 O2 accumulation, cell-death induction, and defense-response gene expression were distinctly reduced in CaPR4c-silenced pepper. CaPR4c overexpression in transgenic Arabidopsis plants conferred greater resistance against infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. These results collectively suggest that CaPR4c plays an important role in plant cell death and defense signaling. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gretchen Ohlhausen | NREL

Science.gov Websites

School of Mines studying Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, expected to graduate in 2019 lithium-ion and lithium sulfur batteries. Education B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines Gretchen Ohlhausen Photo of Gretchen Ohlhausen Gretchen Ohlhausen Undergraduate III-Mechanical

Late-onset Bartter syndrome type II.

PubMed

Gollasch, Benjamin; Anistan, Yoland-Marie; Canaan-Kühl, Sima; Gollasch, Maik

2017-10-01

Mutations in the ROMK1 potassium channel gene ( KCNJ1 ) cause antenatal/neonatal Bartter syndrome type II (aBS II), a renal disorder that begins in utero , accounting for the polyhydramnios and premature delivery that is typical in affected infants, who develop massive renal salt wasting, hypokalaemic metabolic alkalosis, secondary hyperreninaemic hyperaldosteronism, hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis. This BS type is believed to represent a disorder of the infancy, but not in adulthood. We herein describe a female patient with a remarkably late-onset and mild clinical manifestation of BS II with compound heterozygous KCNJ1 missense mutations, consisting of a novel c.197T > A (p.I66N) and a previously reported c.875G > A (p.R292Q) KCNJ1 mutation. We implemented and evaluated the performance of two different bioinformatics-based approaches of targeted massively parallel sequencing [next generation sequencing (NGS)] in defining the molecular diagnosis. Our results demonstrate that aBS II may be suspected in patients with a late-onset phenotype. Our experimental approach of NGS-based mutation screening combined with Sanger sequencing proved to be a reliable molecular approach for defining the clinical diagnosis in our patient, and results in important differential diagnostic and therapeutic implications for patients with BS. Our results could have a significant impact on the diagnosis and methodological approaches of genetic testing in other patients with clinical unclassified phenotypes of nephrocalcinosis and congenital renal electrolyte abnormalities.

Generation and validation of the Condensed MCMDM-1VWD Bleeding Questionnaire for von Willebrand disease.

PubMed

Bowman, M; Mundell, G; Grabell, J; Hopman, W M; Rapson, D; Lillicrap, D; James, P

2008-12-01

Given the challenges involved in obtaining accurate bleeding histories, attempts at standardization have occurred and the value of quantifying hemorrhagic symptoms has been recognized. An extensive validated bleeding questionnaire (MCMDM-1VWD) was condensed by eliminating all details that did not directly affect the bleeding score (BS) and the correlation between the two versions was tested. Additionally, the diagnostic utility of the condensed version was prospectively tested. Data on 259 individuals who were administered the questionnaire are presented here; 217 being prospectively investigated for von Willebrand disease (VWD) (group 1) and 42 previously known to have type 1, 2 or 3 VWD (group 2). Of the 217 prospectively investigated, 35 had positive BS (> or =4) and 182 had negative scores. Seven individuals (all with positive BS) had laboratory results consistent with type 1 VWD. This results in a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 87%. The positive predictive value is 0.20 and the negative predictive value is 1. The correlation between the full MCMDM-1VWD and condensed versions is excellent (Spearman's 0.97, P < 0.001, linear regression r(2) = 96.4). Inter-observer reliability for the condensed version is reasonable (Spearman's 0.72, P < 0.001 and intra-class correlation coefficient 0.805, P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in BS between subtypes of VWD, with type 3 > type 2 > type 1 VWD (anova P < 0.001). There is a strong inverse relationship between VWF:Ag level and BS (Spearman's -0.411, P < 0.001). The Condensed MCMDM-1VWD Bleeding Questionnaire is an efficient, effective tool in the evaluation of patients for VWD.

Cost effective technologies and renewable substrates for biosurfactants’ production

PubMed Central

Banat, Ibrahim M.; Satpute, Surekha K.; Cameotra, Swaranjit S.; Patil, Rajendra; Nyayanit, Narendra V.

2014-01-01

Diverse types of microbial surface active amphiphilic molecules are produced by a range of microbial communities. The extraordinary properties of biosurfactant/bioemulsifier (BS/BE) as surface active products allows them to have key roles in various field of applications such as bioremediation, biodegradation, enhanced oil recovery, pharmaceutics, food processing among many others. This leads to a vast number of potential applications of these BS/BE in different industrial sectors. Despite the huge number of reports and patents describing BS and BE applications and advantages, commercialization of these compounds remain difficult, costly and to a large extent irregular. This is mainly due to the usage of chemically synthesized media for growing producing microorganism and in turn the production of preferred quality products. It is important to note that although a number of developments have taken place in the field of BS industries, large scale production remains economically challenging for many types of these products. This is mainly due to the huge monetary difference between the investment and achievable productivity from the commercial point of view. This review discusses low cost, renewable raw substrates, and fermentation technology in BS/BE production processes and their role in reducing the production cost. PMID:25566213

On the 3He anomaly in hot subdwarf B stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, David; Irrgang, Andreas; Heber, Ulrich; Nieva, Maria F.; Przybilla, Norbert

2017-12-01

Decades ago, 3He isotope enrichment in helium-weak B-type main-sequence, in blue horizontal branch and in hot subdwarf B (sdB) stars, i.e., helium-core burning stars of the extreme horizontal branch, were discovered. Diffusion processes in the atmosphere of these stars lead to the observed abundance anomalies. Quantitative spectral analyses of high-resolution spectra to derive photospheric isotopic helium abundance ratios for known 3He sdBs have not been performed yet. We present preliminary results of high-resolution and high S/N spectra to determine the 3He and 4He abundances of nine known 3He sdBs. We used a hybrid local/non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE/NLTE) approach for B-type stars investigating multiple He i lines, including λ4922 Å and λ6678 Å, which show the strongest isotopic shifts in the optical spectral range.We also report the discovery of four new 3He sdBs from the ESO Supernova Progenitor survey. Most of the 3He sdBs cluster in a narrow temperature strip between ˜ 26000 K and ˜ 30000 K and have almost no atmospheric 4He at all. Interestingly, three 3He sdBs show evidence for vertical helium stratification.

One year in review 2017: Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Hatemi, Gulen; Seyahi, Emire; Fresko, Izzet; Talarico, Rosaria; Hamuryudan, Vedat

2017-01-01

A meta-analysis showed that methodological differences in prevalence studies such as a sample survey design or census design may be responsible for some of the variance in BS prevalence reported across countries, in addition to a true geographic variation. Efforts towards developing a data driven core set of outcome measures for clinical trials is continuing. Multimodal imaging using color fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography is essential in visualising diagnostic features, detecting structural changes, and monitoring disease activity and response to treatment in Behçet's uveitis. Haemoptysis could also be due to bronchial artery enlargement in BS patients with pulmonary artery involvement and can be effectively treated with embolisation. Recent studies shed light on the link between immune system and thrombosis: fibrin clots seemed to be structurally different and plasmin resistant in BS. Newer genetic associations using immunochip were determined, but HLA-B51 is still the principal genetic link. Various studies on micro-RNA's, important molecules of immune regulation were published and discussed. Anti-TNF agents are still the key biologics for the treatment of various manifestations of BS. Two Phase III trials enrolling a small number of BS patients have shown the efficacy of adalimumab in the treatment of non-infectious, non-anterior uveitis. Interferon-alpha was found to induce long-lasting drug free remissions in a retrospective study. Small observational studies with non-TNF biologics such as ustekinumab, anakinra and canakinumab report beneficial results which await confirmation with further studies.

Comparative cell-specific transcriptomics reveals differentiation of C4 photosynthesis pathways in switchgrass and other C4 lineages

PubMed Central

Rao, Xiaolan; Lu, Nan; Li, Guifen; Nakashima, Jin; Tang, Yuhong; Dixon, Richard A.

2016-01-01

Almost all C4 plants require the co-ordination of the adjacent and fully differentiated cell types, mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS). The C4 photosynthetic pathway operates through two distinct subtypes based on how malate is decarboxylated in BS cells; through NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME) or NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME). The diverse or unique cell-specific molecular features of M and BS cells from separate C4 subtypes of independent lineages remain to be determined. We here provide an M/BS cell type-specific transcriptome data set from the monocot NAD-ME subtype switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). A comparative transcriptomics approach was then applied to compare the M/BS mRNA profiles of switchgrass, monocot NADP-ME subtype C4 plants maize and Setaria viridis, and dicot NAD-ME subtype Cleome gynandra. We evaluated the convergence in the transcript abundance of core components in C4 photosynthesis and transcription factors to establish Kranz anatomy, as well as gene distribution of biological functions, in these four independent C4 lineages. We also estimated the divergence between NAD-ME and NADP-ME subtypes of C4 photosynthesis in the two cell types within C4 species, including differences in genes encoding decarboxylating enzymes, aminotransferases, and metabolite transporters, and differences in the cell-specific functional enrichment of RNA regulation and protein biogenesis/homeostasis. We suggest that C4 plants of independent lineages in both monocots and dicots underwent convergent evolution to establish C4 photosynthesis, while distinct C4 subtypes also underwent divergent processes for the optimization of M and BS cell co-ordination. The comprehensive data sets in our study provide a basis for further research on evolution of C4 species. PMID:26896851

Recreation and Natural Area Needs Assessment (GREAT III)

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

1970 The Pennsylvania State University: Research and Computer Technician for Dr. E. L. Bergman, Department of Horticulture . Education B.S. The...Publication 1974 Becker, R. H. and R. 0. Ray. "Accessibility: An Application of the New Technology." Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Vol. 8, No. 4. 1976 Becker

Genetic heterogeneity in patients with Bartter syndrome type 1

PubMed Central

Sun, Mingran; Ning, Jing; Xu, Weihong; Zhang, Han; Zhao, Kaishu; Li, Wenfu; Li, Guiying; Li, Shibo

2017-01-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) type 1 is an autosomal recessive kidney disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the solute carrier family 12 member 1 (SLC12A1) gene. To date, 72 BS type 1 patients harboring SLC12A1 mutations have been documented. Of these 144 alleles studied, 68 different disease-causing mutations have been detected in 129 alleles, and no mutation was detected in the remaining 15 alleles. The mutation types included missense/nonsense mutations, splicing mutations and small insertions and deletions ranging from 1 to 4 nucleotides. A large deletion encompassing a whole exon in the SLC12A1 gene has not yet been reported. The current study initially identified an undocumented homozygous frameshift mutation (c.1833delT) by Sanger sequencing analysis of a single infant with BS type 1. However, in a subsequent analysis, the mutation was detected only in the father's DNA. Upon further investigation using a next-generation sequencing approach, a deletion in exons 14 and 15 in both the patient and patient's mother was detected. The deletion was subsequently confirmed by use of a long-range polymerase chain reaction and was determined to be 3.16 kb in size based on sequencing of the junction fragment. The results of the present study demonstrated that pathogenic variants of SLC12A1 are heterogeneous. Large deletions appear to serve an etiological role in BS type 1, and may be more prevalent than previously thought. PMID:28000888

Genetic heterogeneity in patients with Bartter syndrome type 1.

PubMed

Sun, Mingran; Ning, Jing; Xu, Weihong; Zhang, Han; Zhao, Kaishu; Li, Wenfu; Li, Guiying; Li, Shibo

2017-02-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) type 1 is an autosomal recessive kidney disorder caused by loss‑of‑function mutations in the solute carrier family 12 member 1 (SLC12A1) gene. To date, 72 BS type 1 patients harboring SLC12A1 mutations have been documented. Of these 144 alleles studied, 68 different disease‑causing mutations have been detected in 129 alleles, and no mutation was detected in the remaining 15 alleles. The mutation types included missense/nonsense mutations, splicing mutations and small insertions and deletions ranging from 1 to 4 nucleotides. A large deletion encompassing a whole exon in the SLC12A1 gene has not yet been reported. The current study initially identified an undocumented homozygous frameshift mutation (c.1833delT) by Sanger sequencing analysis of a single infant with BS type 1. However, in a subsequent analysis, the mutation was detected only in the father's DNA. Upon further investigation using a next‑generation sequencing approach, a deletion in exons 14 and 15 in both the patient and patient's mother was detected. The deletion was subsequently confirmed by use of a long‑range polymerase chain reaction and was determined to be 3.16 kb in size based on sequencing of the junction fragment. The results of the present study demonstrated that pathogenic variants of SLC12A1 are heterogeneous. Large deletions appear to serve an etiological role in BS type 1, and may be more prevalent than previously thought.

Bloom syndrome in sibs: first reports of hepatocellular carcinoma and Wilms tumor with documented anaplasia and nephrogenic rests.

PubMed

Jain, D; Hui, P; McNamara, J; Schwartz, D; German, J; Reyes-Múgica, M

2001-01-01

The triad of small body size, immunodeficiency, and sun-sensitive facial erythema characterizes the phenotype Bloom syndrome (BS), a rare autosomal recessive disorder with a striking predisposition to multiple types of cancers that arise earlier than expected in the general population. Here we report two sibs with BS. The older, a 15-year-old-girl, developed a hepatocellular carcinoma, a neoplasm not yet reported in association with BS. Her younger brother developed an anaplastic Wilms tumor (WT) associated with nephrogenic rests at the age of 31/2 years, and this was followed by a myelodysplastic syndrome. Complex cytogenetic abnormalities were identified in all three neoplasms. These examples expand the spectrum of malignancies occurring in BS to include liver cell neoplasms, and confirm the association of nephrogenic rests with WT, even in the setting of BS.

The DNA Helicase Activity of BLM Is Necessary for the Correction of the Genomic Instability of Bloom Syndrome Cells

PubMed Central

Neff, Norma F.; Ellis, Nathan A.; Ye, Tian Zhang; Noonan, James; Huang, Kelly; Sanz, Maureen; Proytcheva, Maria

1999-01-01

Bloom syndrome (BS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by growth deficiency, immunodeficiency, genomic instability, and the early development of cancers of many types. BLM, the protein encoded by BLM, the gene mutated in BS, is localized in nuclear foci and absent from BS cells. BLM encodes a DNA helicase, and proteins from three missense alleles lack displacement activity. BLM transfected into BS cells reduces the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges and restores BLM in the nucleus. Missense alleles fail to reduce the sister chromatid exchanges in transfected BS cells or restore the normal nuclear pattern. BLM complements a phenotype of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae sgs1 top3 strain, and the missense alleles do not. This work demonstrates the importance of the enzymatic activity of BLM for its function and nuclear localization pattern. PMID:10069810

Combined DFT and BS study on the exchange coupling of dinuclear sandwich-type POM: comparison of different functionals and reliability of structure modeling.

PubMed

Yin, Bing; Xue, GangLin; Li, JianLi; Bai, Lu; Huang, YuanHe; Wen, ZhenYi; Jiang, ZhenYi

2012-05-01

The exchange coupling of a group of three dinuclear sandwich-type polyoxomolybdates [MM'(AsMo7O27)2](12-) with MM' = CrCr, FeFe, FeCr are theoretically predicted from combined DFT and broken-symmetry (BS) approach. Eight different XC functionals are utilized to calculate the exchange-coupling constant J from both the full crystalline structures and model structures of smaller size. The comparison between theoretical values and accurate experimental results supports the applicability of DFT-BS method in this new type of sandwich-type dinuclear polyoxomolybdates. However, a careful choice of functionals is necessary to achieve the desired accuracy. The encouraging results obtained from calculations on model structures highlight the great potential of application of structure modeling in theoretical study of POM. Structural modeling may not only reduce the computational cost of large POM species but also be able to take into account the external field effect arising from solvent molecules in solution or counterions in crystal.

Seven-Color Photometry and Classification of Stars in the Direction of Open Cluster M29 (NGC 6913) in Cygnus

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Spitzer, 2MASS , VVISE and IPHAS databases is acknowledged. The project is partly supported by the Research Council of Lithuania, grant No. MIP-061/2013...1304. YSO [WISE, IPHAS]; 1305. HD 19򒵺 (A), B5V [5], B8III [6]; 1306. G5III [5[; 1307. WDS 20243+3811 (sep ~ 1.9"); 1313. YSO [ 2MASS , Spitze... 2MASS , IPHAS); 1387. Fl III [!6[; 1391. HD 229261 (B9), BS [5,8], B6II [16], B5IV-V [17[; 1407. F2 [5[; 1408. B3 V [16[; 1419. A2IV [16[; 1427

Interactions of C 4 Subtype Metabolic Activities and Transport in Maize Are Revealed through the Characterization of DCT2 Mutants

DOE PAGES

Weissmann, Sarit; Ma, Fangfang; Furuyama, Koki; ...

2016-01-26

C 4 photosynthesis in grasses requires the coordinated movement of metabolites through two specialized leaf cell types, mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS), to concentrate CO 2 around Rubisco. Despite the importance of transporters in this process, few have been identified or rigorously characterized. In maize (Zea mays), DCT2 has been proposed to function as a plastid-localizedmalate transporter and is preferentially expressed in BS cells. Here, we characterized the role of DCT2 in maize leaves using Activator-tagged mutant alleles. Our results indicate that DCT2 enables the transport of malate into the BS chloroplast. Isotopic labeling experiments show that the lossmore » of DCT2 results in markedly different metabolic network operation and dramatically reduced biomass production. In the absence of a functioning malate shuttle, dct2 lines survive through the enhanced use of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase carbon shuttle pathway that in wild-type maize accounts for ;25% of the photosynthetic activity. The results emphasize the importance of malate transport during C 4 photosynthesis, define the role of a primary malate transporter in BS cells, and support a model for carbon exchange between BS and M cells in maize.« less

Characterizing regulatory and functional differentiation between maize mesophyll and bundle sheath cells by transcriptomic analysis.

PubMed

Chang, Yao-Ming; Liu, Wen-Yu; Shih, Arthur Chun-Chieh; Shen, Meng-Ni; Lu, Chen-Hua; Lu, Mei-Yeh Jade; Yang, Hui-Wen; Wang, Tzi-Yuan; Chen, Sean C-C; Chen, Stella Maris; Li, Wen-Hsiung; Ku, Maurice S B

2012-09-01

To study the regulatory and functional differentiation between the mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells of maize (Zea mays), we isolated large quantities of highly homogeneous M and BS cells from newly matured second leaves for transcriptome profiling by RNA sequencing. A total of 52,421 annotated genes with at least one read were found in the two transcriptomes. Defining a gene with more than one read per kilobase per million mapped reads as expressed, we identified 18,482 expressed genes; 14,972 were expressed in M cells, including 53 M-enriched transcription factor (TF) genes, whereas 17,269 were expressed in BS cells, including 214 BS-enriched TF genes. Interestingly, many TF gene families show a conspicuous BS preference in expression. Pathway analyses reveal differentiation between the two cell types in various functional categories, with the M cells playing more important roles in light reaction, protein synthesis and folding, tetrapyrrole synthesis, and RNA binding, while the BS cells specialize in transport, signaling, protein degradation and posttranslational modification, major carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen metabolism, cell division and organization, and development. Genes coding for several transporters involved in the shuttle of C(4) metabolites and BS cell wall development have been identified, to our knowledge, for the first time. This comprehensive data set will be useful for studying M/BS differentiation in regulation and function.

New type III effectors from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria trigger plant reactions dependent on a conserved N-myristoylation motif.

PubMed

Thieme, Frank; Szczesny, Robert; Urban, Alexander; Kirchner, Oliver; Hause, Gerd; Bonas, Ulla

2007-10-01

Pathogenicity of the gram-negative plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III secretion system, which translocates bacterial effector proteins into the plant cell. In this study, we identified two novel type III effectors, XopE1 and XopE2 (Xanthomonas outer proteins), using the AvrBs3 effector domain as reporter. XopE1 and XopE2 belong to the HopX family and possess a conserved putative N-myristoylation motif that is also present in the effector XopJ from X. campestris pv. vesicatoria 85-10. XopJ is a member of the YopJ/AvrRxv family of acetyltransferases. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and immunocytochemistry revealed that green fluorescent protein fusions of XopE1, XopE2, and XopJ localized to the plant cell plasma membrane. Targeting to the membrane is probably due to N-myristoylation, because a point mutation in the putative myristoylated glycine residue G2 in XopE1, XopE2, and XopJ resulted in cytoplasmic localization of the mutant proteins. Results of hydroxylamine treatments of XopE2 protein extracts suggest that the proteins are additionally anchored in the host cell plasma membrane by palmitoylation. The membrane localization of the effectors strongly influences the phenotypes they trigger in the plant. Agrobacterium-mediated expression of xopE1 and xopJ in Nicotiana benthamiana led to cell-death reactions that, for xopJ, were dependent on the N-myristoylation motif. In the case of xopE1(G2A), cell death was more pronounced with the mutant than with the wild-type protein. In addition, XopE2 has an avirulence activity in Solanum pseudocapsicum.

The effects of sufentanil added to low-dose hyperbaric bupivacaine in unilateral spinal anaesthesia for outpatients undergoing knee arthroscopy.

PubMed

Sertöz, Nezih; Aysel, İnan; Uyar, Meltem

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of sufentanil added to low-dose hyperbaric bupivacaine in unilateral spinal anaesthesia for outpatients undergoing knee arthroscopy. Sixty two patients (ASA I-II) aged 20 to 50 who were planning on undergoing a knee arthroscopy were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Unilateral spinal anaesthesia with 1ml 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine was administered to Group B (n=33); and unilateral spinal anaesthesia with 0.5ml (2.5µg) sufentanil added to 1ml hyperbaric bupivacaine was administered to Group BS (n=29). There were no statistically significant differences observed between the groups in terms of demographic data, hemodynamic parameters, maximum sensorial, sympathetic and motor block levels, time to motor block resolution, and time of discharge (p>0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of two segments regression time (Group B=52 min., Group BS=59 min.), ambulation time (Group B=147 min., Group BS=157 min.) and urination time (Group B=136 min., Group BS=149 min.) (p<0.05). In this study, no itching was observed in Group B, whereas seven patients in Group BS were observed as having postoperative itching (p<0.05). All patients were successfully given unilateral spinal anaesthesia with sufentanil added to low-dose hyperbaric bupivacaine for an outpatient knee arthroscopy, without affecting the time of discharge. However, for one-day interventions such as arthroscopy, it was concluded that administration of only low-dose hyperbaric bupivacaine was sufficient.

Biosurfactant production from marine hydrocarbon-degrading consortia and pure bacterial strains using crude oil as carbon source

PubMed Central

Antoniou, Eleftheria; Fodelianakis, Stilianos; Korkakaki, Emmanouela; Kalogerakis, Nicolas

2015-01-01

Biosurfactants (BSs) are “green” amphiphilic molecules produced by microorganisms during biodegradation, increasing the bioavailability of organic pollutants. In this work, the BS production yield of marine hydrocarbon degraders isolated from Elefsina bay in Eastern Mediterranean Sea has been investigated. The drop collapse test was used as a preliminary screening test to confirm BS producing strains or mixed consortia. The community structure of the best consortia based on the drop collapse test was determined by 16S-rDNA pyrotag screening. Subsequently, the effect of incubation time, temperature, substrate and supplementation with inorganic nutrients, on BS production, was examined. Two types of BS – lipid mixtures were extracted from the culture broth; the low molecular weight BS Rhamnolipids and Sophorolipids. Crude extracts were purified by silica gel column chromatography and then identified by thin layer chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results indicate that BS production yield remains constant and low while it is independent of the total culture biomass, carbon source, and temperature. A constant BS concentration in a culture broth with continuous degradation of crude oil (CO) implies that the BS producing microbes generate no more than the required amount of BSs that enables biodegradation of the CO. Isolated pure strains were found to have higher specific production yields than the complex microbial marine community-consortia. The heavy oil fraction of CO has emerged as a promising substrate for BS production (by marine BS producers) with fewer impurities in the final product. Furthermore, a particular strain isolated from sediments, Paracoccus marcusii, may be an optimal choice for bioremediation purposes as its biomass remains trapped in the hydrocarbon phase, not suffering from potential dilution effects by sea currents. PMID:25904907

Urinary exosomes in the diagnosis of Gitelman and Bartter syndromes.

PubMed

Corbetta, Samuele; Raimondo, Francesca; Tedeschi, Silvana; Syrèn, Marie-Louise; Rebora, Paola; Savoia, Andrea; Baldi, Lorenza; Bettinelli, Alberto; Pitto, Marina

2015-04-01

Gitelman syndrome (GS) and Bartter syndrome (BS) are hereditary salt-losing tubulopathies (SLTs) resulting from defects of renal proteins involved in electrolyte reabsorption, as for sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) and furosemide-sensitive sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter (NKCC2) cotransporters, affected in GS and BS Type 1 patients, respectively. Currently, definitive diagnosis is obtained through expensive and time-consuming genetic testing. Urinary exosomes (UE), nanovesicles released by every epithelial cell facing the urinary space, represent an ideal source of markers for renal dysfunction and injury, because UE molecular composition stands for the cell of origin. On these assumptions, the aim of this work is to evaluate the relevance of UE for the diagnosis of SLTs. UE were purified from second morning urines collected from 32 patients with genetically proven SLTs (GS, BS1, BS2 and BS3 patients), 4 with unclassified SLTs and 22 control subjects (age and sex matched). The levels of NCC and NKCC2 were evaluated in UE by SDS-PAGE/western blotting with specific antibodies. Due to their location on the luminal side of tubular cells, NCC and NKCC2 are well represented in UE proteome. The NCC signal is significantly decreased/absent in UE of Gitelman patients compared with control subjects (Mann-Whitney t-test, P < 0.001) and, similarly, the NKCC2 in those of Bartter type 1 (P < 0.001). The difference in the levels of the two proteins allows recognition of Gitelman and Bartter type 1 patients from controls and, combined with clinical data, from other Bartter patients. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis using UE NCC densitometric values showed a good discriminating power of the test comparing GS patients versus controls and BS patients (area under the curve value = 0.92; sensitivity 84.2% and specificity 88.6%). UE phenotyping may be useful in the diagnosis of GS and BS, thus providing an alternative/complementary, urine-based diagnostic tool for SLT patient recognition and a diagnostic guidance in complex cases. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Laparoscopic primary repair and isoperistaltic endoluminal drain for Boerhaave's Syndrome.

PubMed

Prete, Francesco; Pezzolla, Angela; Nitti, Paolo; Prete, Fernando

2015-01-01

Spontaneous oesophageal rupture, also known as Boerhaave syndrome (BS), is a rare and potentially lethal pathological condition. BS recognition is difficult, while rapidity of diagnosis, along with extension of the lesion, affects type and outcome of treatment. BS was classically treated by thoracotomy, but laparoscopic (LS), thoracoscopic (TS) surgery, and nonsurgical procedures as endoscopic stent positioning or use of glues have been described. Still, there is no model treatment, and selection of the most appropriate therapeutic procedure is complex in the absence of standardised criteria. We successfully managed a patient affected with BS by LS approach and present our experience along with a review of treatment options so far described. Our treatment integrated positioning of an oesophageal isoperistaltic endoluminal drain (IED), that we routinely use in oesophageal sutures at risk of leakage, and of which there is no previous report in the setting of BS. A 68 year old man presented to our attention with true BS, suspected on chest-abdominal CT scan and confirmed by upper GI contrast swallow test, showing leakage of hydro-soluble contrast from the lower third of the oesophagus. Of note, pleural cavities appeared intact. We performed an urgent laparoscopy 12 hours after the onset of symptoms. Laparoscopic toilet of the inferior mediastinum and dual layer oesophageal repair with pedicled omental flap were complemented by positioning of IED, feeding jejunostomy and two tubular drains. The patient had a slow but consistent recovery where IED played as a means of oesophageal suture protection, until he could be discharged home. We think that, when integrity of the pleura is documented, LS should be priority choice to avoid contamination of the pleural cavities. We have to consider every type of oesophageal repair in BS at risk of failure, and every means of protection of the suture is opportune. In our patient the oesophageal suture, covered with a flap of omentum isolated on a pedicle, has also been protected from excessive oesophageal endoluminal pressures by means of a multi-fenestrated two way endooesophageal drain (IED, two way tube type Salem). Oesophageal drain has the finality of relieving tension and monitoring the healing of the oesophageal repair.

Impact of US Brown Swiss genetics on milk quality from low-input herds in Switzerland: interactions with grazing intake and pasture type.

PubMed

Stergiadis, S; Bieber, A; Franceschin, E; Isensee, A; Eyre, M D; Maurer, V; Chatzidimitriou, E; Cozzi, G; Bapst, B; Stewart, G; Gordon, A; Butler, G

2015-05-15

This study investigated the effect of, and interactions between, contrasting crossbreed genetics (US Brown Swiss [BS] × Improved Braunvieh [BV] × Original Braunvieh [OB]) and feeding regimes (especially grazing intake and pasture type) on milk fatty acid (FA) profiles. Concentrations of total polyunsaturated FAs, total omega-3 FAs and trans palmitoleic, vaccenic, α-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids were higher in cows with a low proportion of BS genetics. Highest concentrations of the nutritionally desirable FAs, trans palmitoleic, vaccenic and eicosapentaenoic acids were found for cows with a low proportion of BS genetics (0-24% and/or 25-49%) on high grazing intake (75-100% of dry matter intake) diets. Multivariate analysis indicated that the proportion of OB genetics is a positive driver for nutritionally desirable monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FAs while BS genetics proportion was positive driver for total and undesirable individual saturated FAs. Significant genetics × feeding regime interactions were also detected for a range of FAs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Bartter syndrome, severe rare orphan kidney disease: a step towards therapy through pharmacogenetic and epidemiological studies].

PubMed

Conte, Elena; Imbrici, Paola; Sahbani, Dalila; Liantonio, Antonella; Conte, Diana

2018-05-01

Bartter syndromes (BS) types 1-5 are rare salt-losing tubulopathies presenting with overlapping clinical phenotypes including marked salt wasting and hypokalemia leading to polyuria, polydipsia, volume contraction, muscle weakness and growth retardation. These diseases are due to an impairment of sodium, potassium, chloride reabsorption caused by mutations in genes encoding for ion channel or transporters expressed in specific nephron tubule segments. Particularly, BS type 3 is a clinically heterogeneous form caused by mutations in CLCNKB gene which encodes the ClC-Kb chloride channel involved in NaCl reabsorption in the renal tubule. Specific therapy for BS is lacking and the only pharmacotherapy up today available is purely symptomatic and characterized by limiting side effects. The improvement of our understanding of the phenotype/genotype correlation and of the precise pathogenic mechanisms associated with BS type 3 as well as the pharmacological characterization of ClC-K chloride channels are fundamental to design therapies tailored upon patients' mutation. This mini review focused on recent studies representing relevant forward steps in the field as well as noteworthy examples of how basic and clinical research can cooperate to gain insight into the pathophysiology of this renal channelopathy, paving the way for a personalized therapy. Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome, Italy.

Dynamics of Disordered PI-PtBS Diblock Copolymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Hiroshi

2009-03-01

Viscoelastic (G^*) and dielectric (ɛ'') data were examined for a LCST-type diblock copolymer composed of polyisoprene (PI; M = 53K) and poly(p-tert- butyl styrene) (PtBS; M = 42K) blocks disordered at T <=120 C^o. Only PI had the type-A dipole parallel along the chain backbone. Thus, the ɛ'' data reflected the global motion of the PI block, while the G^* data detected the motion of the copolymer chain as a whole. Comparison of these data indicated that the PI block relaxed much faster than the PtBS block at low T and the dynamic heterogeneity due to PtBS was effectively quenched to give a frictional nonuniformity for the PI block relaxation. The ɛ'' data were thermo-rheologically complex at low T, partly due to this nonuniformity. However, the block connectivity could have also led to the complexity. For testing this effect, the ɛ'' data were reduced at the iso- frictional state defined with respect to bulk PI. In this state, the ɛ'' data of the copolymer at low and high T, respectively, were close to the data for the star-branched and linear bulk PI. Thus, the PI block appeared to be effectively tethered in space at low T thereby behaving similarly to the star arm while the PI block tended to move cooperatively with the PtBS block at high T to behave similarly to the linear PI, which led to the complexity of the ɛ'' data. The PtBS block also exhibited the complexity (noted from the G^* data), which was well correlated with the complexity of the PI block.

Effect of Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss breeds on quality of milk and cheese.

PubMed

De Marchi, M; Bittante, G; Dal Zotto, R; Dalvit, C; Cassandro, M

2008-10-01

In Italy, more than 75% of milk is used for cheese making. For this reason, milk composition and coagulation traits and cheese quality represent the most important tools for the economic development of the dairy sector. In particular, cheese quality varies in relation to cheese-making technology and breed of cow. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 3 types of milk, originating from Holstein-Friesian (HF), Brown Swiss (BS), and mixed of both breeds, on vat milk characteristics, cheese yield, and quality in 3 different typical Italian cheese-making conditions (Casolet, Vezzena, and Grana Trentino). One hundred forty-four cows (66 HF and 78 BS) were involved, and a total of 24 vats of milk were evaluated. At maturity, 30, 21, and 16 wheels of Casolet, Vezzena, and Grana Trentino cheese were analyzed. Brown Swiss cows yielded 9% less milk per day than HF cows, but milk showed greater contents of protein, casein, titratable acidity, and better rennet coagulation time and curd firmness than HF milk. The chemical composition and cholesterol content of the 3 types of cheese were similar between breeds, whereas the cheese made with BS milk showed greater contents of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Cheese made with BS milk had greater b* (yellow component) than HF. Cheese yield, recorded at different ripening times, demonstrated that BS milk yielded more cheese than HF. Mixed milk showed values, on average, intermediate to HF and BS milk characteristics, and this trend was confirmed in cheese yield at different ripening times.

Restoration of high zinc and lead tailings with municipal biosolids and lime: a field study.

PubMed

Brown, Sally; Svendsen, Alex; Henry, Chuck

2009-01-01

A field study was conducted to test the ability of biosolids (BS) and different types of lime to increase soil pH, neutralize subsoil acidity, and restore a vegetative cover to alluvial mine tailings in Leadville, CO. The tailings had soil pH of 5.2 and total Cd, Pb, and Zn of 75+/-20, 2600+/-1100, and 6700+/-1900 mg kg(-1). Types of lime included agricultural lime (AL), sugar beet lime (SBL), and lime kiln dust (LKD) applied at 224 Mg ha(-1) calcium carbonate equivalent. Plots were established in 2000 and monitored intermittently through 2007. All amendments increased pH in surface and subsurface depths, with LKD, LKD+BS, and SBL+BS being the most effective. Amendments also reduced 0.01 mol L(-1) Ca(NO3)2 extractable Zn and Cd compared to the control. Plant growth was sparse on all treatments with limited yield for three of four harvests. Poor growth may have been related to elevated electrical conductivity (EC). All amendments except LKD alone (5.79 dS m(-1)) increased EC compared to the control treatment (5.28 dS m(-1)). Electrical conductivity was highest in 2002 which had the lowest summer rainfall. In 2005 EC in all treatments except the SBL+BS was similar in the surface soil. Aboveground plant tissue concentrations of Zn and Cd were also elevated. Limited precipitation and high electrical conductivity may be responsible for poor plant growth. Higher rainfall for the last sampling period resulted in significant growth in the LKD+BS, SBL+BS, and LKD alone treatments.

Unique photosynthetic phenotypes in Portulaca (Portulacaceae): C3-C4 intermediates and NAD-ME C4 species with Pilosoid-type Kranz anatomy.

PubMed

Voznesenskaya, Elena V; Koteyeva, Nuria K; Edwards, Gerald E; Ocampo, Gilberto

2017-01-01

Portulacaceae is a family that has considerable diversity in photosynthetic phenotypes. It is one of 19 families of terrestrial plants where species having C 4 photosynthesis have been found. Most species in Portulaca are in the alternate-leaved (AL) lineage, which includes one clade (Cryptopetala) with taxa lacking C 4 photosynthesis and three clades having C 4 species (Oleracea, Umbraticola and Pilosa). All three species in the Cryptopetala clade lack Kranz anatomy, the leaves have C 3 -like carbon isotope composition and they have low levels of C 4 cycle enzymes. Anatomical, biochemical and physiological analyses show they are all C 3 -C 4 intermediates. They have intermediate CO 2 compensation points, enrichment of organelles in the centripetal position in bundle sheath (BS) cells, with selective localization of glycine decarboxylase in BS mitochondria. In the three C 4 clades there are differences in Kranz anatomy types and form of malic enzyme (ME) reported to function in C 4 (NAD-ME versus NADP-ME): Oleracea (Atriplicoid, NAD-ME), Umbraticola (Atriplicoid, NADP-ME) and Pilosa (Pilosoid, NADP-ME). Structural and biochemical analyses were performed on Pilosa clade representatives having Pilosoid-type leaf anatomy with Kranz tissue enclosing individual peripheral vascular bundles and water storage in the center of the leaf. In this clade, all species except P. elatior are NADP-ME-type C 4 species with grana-deficient BS chloroplasts and grana-enriched M chloroplasts. Surprisingly, P. elatior has BS chloroplasts enriched in grana and NAD-ME-type photosynthesis. The results suggest photosynthetic phenotypes were probably derived from an ancestor with NADP-ME-type C 4 , with two independent switches to NAD-ME type. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Communications Network Design, Simulation, and Analysis for an Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle System

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

of which type to use depends on the type of demands placed on the network. 1. Central Control Network Architecture Cell phones, the IEEE 802.11, and...distances that do not exceed the wireless transmission distances of the BS and SSs. This BS coverage region is sometimes referred to as a cell . To...In this manner, multiple cells can be connected together by connecting the cell BSs. In so doing, a large geographical area can be covered by a

A new proposal for a clinical-oriented subclassification of baboon syndrome and a review of baboon syndrome.

PubMed

Miyahara, Atsushi; Kawashima, Hisashi; Okubo, Yukari; Hoshika, Akinori

2011-06-01

To review baboon syndrome (BS). Date sources were obtained from PubMed and Google Scholar: Photographs of baboon syndrome were obtained from our patient. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched up to June 30, 2010. The search terms were "baboon syndrome", "SDRIFE" and "thimerosal allergy". Reverse references from relevant articles and Google Scholar were also used. As BS is a classical disease and cases of offending agents were relatively old, some references were more than five years old. In order to gather as many cases of offending agents as possible, more than 50 references were collected. We divided BS into as 4 groups; classical baboon syndrome, topical drug-induced baboon syndrome, systemic drug-induced baboon syndrome and symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE). The pathomechanism of BS is still unknown. A delayed type of hypersensitivity reaction, a recall phenomenon, pharmacologic interaction with immune-receptors and anatomical factors may be involved in the causation of BS.

A novel RNA binding protein affects rbcL gene expression and is specific to bundle sheath chloroplasts in C4 plants

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Plants that utilize the highly efficient C4 pathway of photosynthesis typically possess kranz-type leaf anatomy that consists of two morphologically and functionally distinct photosynthetic cell types, the bundle sheath (BS) and mesophyll (M) cells. These two cell types differentially express many genes that are required for C4 capability and function. In mature C4 leaves, the plastidic rbcL gene, encoding the large subunit of the primary CO2 fixation enzyme Rubisco, is expressed specifically within BS cells. Numerous studies have demonstrated that BS-specific rbcL gene expression is regulated predominantly at post-transcriptional levels, through the control of translation and mRNA stability. The identification of regulatory factors associated with C4 patterns of rbcL gene expression has been an elusive goal for many years. Results RLSB, encoded by the nuclear RLSB gene, is an S1-domain RNA binding protein purified from C4 chloroplasts based on its specific binding to plastid-encoded rbcL mRNA in vitro. Co-localized with LSU to chloroplasts, RLSB is highly conserved across many plant species. Most significantly, RLSB localizes specifically to leaf bundle sheath (BS) cells in C4 plants. Comparative analysis using maize (C4) and Arabidopsis (C3) reveals its tight association with rbcL gene expression in both plants. Reduced RLSB expression (through insertion mutation or RNA silencing, respectively) led to reductions in rbcL mRNA accumulation and LSU production. Additional developmental effects, such as virescent/yellow leaves, were likely associated with decreased photosynthetic function and disruption of associated signaling networks. Conclusions Reductions in RLSB expression, due to insertion mutation or gene silencing, are strictly correlated with reductions in rbcL gene expression in both maize and Arabidopsis. In both plants, accumulation of rbcL mRNA as well as synthesis of LSU protein were affected. These findings suggest that specific accumulation and binding of the RLSB binding protein to rbcL mRNA within BS chloroplasts may be one determinant leading to the characteristic cell type-specific localization of Rubisco in C4 plants. Evolutionary modification of RLSB expression, from a C3 “default” state to BS cell-specificity, could represent one mechanism by which rbcL expression has become restricted to only one cell type in C4 plants. PMID:24053212

Complete genome sequence of the Phaeobacter gallaeciensis type strain CIP 105210(T) (= DSM 26640(T) = BS107(T)).

PubMed

Frank, Oliver; Pradella, Silke; Rohde, Manfred; Scheuner, Carmen; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Göker, Markus; Petersen, Jörn

2014-06-15

Phaeobacter gallaeciensis CIP 105210(T) (= DSM 26640(T) = BS107(T)) is the type strain of the species Phaeobacter gallaeciensis. The genus Phaeobacter belongs to the marine Roseobacter group (Rhodobacteraceae, Alphaproteobacteria). Phaeobacter species are effective colonizers of marine surfaces, including frequent associations with eukaryotes. Strain BS107(T) was isolated from a rearing of the scallop Pecten maximus. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, comprising eight circular replicons with a total of 4,448 genes. In addition to a high number of extrachromosomal replicons, the genome contains six genomic island and three putative prophage regions, as well as a hybrid between a plasmid and a circular phage. Phylogenomic analyses confirm previous results, which indicated that the originally reported P. gallaeciensis type-strain deposit DSM 17395 belongs to P. inhibens and that CIP 105210(T) (= DSM 26640(T)) is the sole genome-sequenced representative of P. gallaeciensis.

Exploiting the aglycon promiscuity of glycosyltransferase Bs-YjiC from Bacillus subtilis and its application in synthesis of glycosides.

PubMed

Dai, Longhai; Li, Jiao; Yao, Peiyuan; Zhu, Yueming; Men, Yan; Zeng, Yan; Yang, Jiangang; Sun, Yuanxia

2017-04-20

Glycosylation is a prominent biological mechanism for structural and functional diversity of natural products. Uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferases with aglycon promiscuity are generally recognised as effective biocatalysts for glycodiversification of natural products for practical applications. In this study, the aglycon promiscuity of glycosyltransferase Bs-YjiC from Bacillus subtilis 168 was explored. Bs-YjiC, with uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) as sugar donor, exhibited robust capabilities to glycosylate 19 structurally diverse types of drug-like scaffolds with regio- and stereospecificities and form O-, N- and S-linkage glycosides. Twenty-four glycosides of 17 aglycons were purified from scale-up reactions using Bs-YjiC as a biocatalyst, and their structures were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Furthermore, a one-pot reaction by coupling Bs-YjiC to sucrose synthase from Arabidopsis thaliana was applied to glycosylate pterostilbene. Without adding the costly UDPG as sugar donor, 9mM (3.8g/L) pterostilbene 4'-O-β-glucoside was obtained by periodic feeding of pterostilbene. These results suggest the aglycon promiscuity of Bs-YjiC and demonstrate its significant application prospect in biosynthesis of valuable natural products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hybrid maize breeding with doubled haploids: II. Optimum type and number of testers in two-stage selection for general combining ability.

PubMed

Longin, C Friedrich H; Utz, H Friedrich; Melchinger, Albrecht E; Reif, Jochen C

2007-02-01

Optimum allocation of test resources is of crucial importance for the efficiency of breeding programs. Our objectives were to (1) determine the optimum allocation of the number of lines, test locations, as well as number and type of testers in hybrid maize breeding using doubled haploids with two breeding strategies for improvement of general combining ability (GCA), (2) compare the maximum selection gain (DeltaG) achievable under both strategies, and (3) give recommendations for the optimum implementation of doubled haploids in commercial hybrid maize breeding. We calculated DeltaG by numerical integration for two two-stage selection strategies with evaluation of (1) testcross performance in both stages (BS1) or (2) line per se performance in the first stage followed by testcross performance in the second stage (BS2). Different assumptions were made regarding the budget, variance components (VCs), and the correlation between line per se performance and GCA. Selection gain for GCA increased with a broader genetic base of the tester. Hence, testers combining a large number of divergent lines are advantageous. However, in applied breeding programs, the use of single- or double-cross testers in the first and inbred testers in the second selection stage may be a good compromise between theoretical and practical requirements. With a correlation between line per se performance and GCA of 0.50, DeltaG for BS1 is about 5% higher than for BS2, if an economic weight of line per se performance is neglected. With increasing economic weight of line per se performance, relative efficiency of BS2 increased rapidly resulting in a superiority of BS2 over BS1 already for an economic weight for line per se performance larger than 0.1. Considering the importance of an economic seed production, an economic weight larger than 0.1 seems realistic indicating the necessity of separate breeding strategies for seed and pollen parent heterotic groups.

Milk fatty acid profile of Peruvian Criollo and Brown Swiss cows in response to different diet qualities fed at low and high altitude.

PubMed

Bartl, Karin; Gomez, Carlos A; García, Miriam; Aufdermauer, Tony; Kreuzer, Michael; Hess, Hans Dieter; Wettstein, Hans-Rudolf

2008-12-01

Two identical experimental protocols were followed at 200 and 3,600 m above sea level (a.s.l.) determining the changes of the milk fatty acid (FA) profile of Brown Swiss (BS) and indigenous Peruvian Criollo cows (CR) as a response to diets which were designed to cover the variation in feed quality caused by season. At each site (altitude), six BS and six CR cows, adapted to > 3,500 m a.s.l., were fed three dietary treatments (DS, dry-season forage; RS rainy-season forage; OC, diet optimised to meet the cow's requirements) in a 2 x 2 x 3-factorial arrangement. Intakes of FA and milk yield increased from diet DS (low quality diet) to RS and OC (high quality diet) for both cow types. Milk fat proportions of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), C18:3 c9,c12,c15, total n-3 and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) were highest (p < 0.05) with diet OC and higher in the lowlands than in the highlands. Low intakes of diet DS obviously resulted in a ruminal energy deficiency and body lipid mobilisation. The ruminal energy deficiency with diet DS was especially pronounced in BS, apparently reducing biohydrogenation rate and leading to lower proportions of C18:0 and higher proportions of C18:3 c9,c12,c15 in milk fat (p < 0.05). Especially C18:3 c9,c12,c15 intake did not concur with its proportion in milk fat, suggesting a strong dependence on energy status. Milk yield and FA excretion with milk were higher for BS than for CR (p < 0.05) with all three diets although milk fat content was lower (p < 0.05) for BS than CR. Milk fat of BS was richer in CLA and PUFA than milk fat of CR (p < 0.05). The desaturase indices for 18 FA were also higher for BS than CR (p < 0.05), suggesting a slightly higher delta9-desaturase activity for BS, especially with diet DS. Milk fat content was generally higher at the high altitude than at the lowland site (p < 0.05), whereas the FA profile was unexpectedly similar across sites. Various interactions were found among diet type, cow type and altitude (site) indicating that a combination of these factors contributes to the characteristic FA profile of the respective milk.

Distribution of Different Biogeographical Tintinnids in Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xue; Li, Haibo; Zhao, Yuan; Zhao, Li; Dong, Yi; Zhang, Wuchang; Xiao, Tian

2018-04-01

There were different biogeographical tintinnids in the oceans. Knowledge of their distribution pattern and mixing was important to the understanding of ecosystem functions. Yellow Sea (YS) and Bohai Sea (BS) were semi-enclosed seas influenced by warm water intrusion and YS cold bottom water. The occurrence of tintinnids in YS and BS during two cruises (summer and winter) were investigated to find out: i) whether warm-water tintinnids appeared in YS and BS; ii) whether boreal tintinnids appeared in high summer; iii) the core area of neritic tintinnids and iv) how these different biogeographical tintinnids mixed. Our results showed that tintinnid community was dominated by neritic tintinnid. We confirmed the occurrence of warm-water tintinnids in summer and winter. In summer, they intruded into BS and mainly distributed in the upper 20 m where Yellow Sea Surface Warm Water (YSSWW) developed. In winter, they were limited in the surface water of central deep region (bottom depth >50 m) of YS where were affected by Yellow Sea Warm Water (YSWW). Boreal tintinnids occurred in YS in high summer (August) and in winter, while they were not observed in BS. In summer, the highest abundance of boreal tintinnids occurred in Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water, indicating the presence of an oversummering stock. In winter, they were concentrated in the north of YSWW. Vertically, neritic tintinnids abundance was high in the bottom layers. Horizontally, high neritic tintinnids abundance in bottom layers occurred along the 50 m isobath coinciding with the position of front systems. Front systems were the core distribution area of neritic tintinnids. High abundance areas of warm-water and boreal tintinnids were clearly separated vertically in summer, and horizontally in winter. High abundance of neritic tintinnids rarely overlapped with that of warm-water or boreal tintinnids.

Between-session intra-individual variability in sustained, selective, and integrational non-linguistic attention in aphasia.

PubMed

Villard, Sarah; Kiran, Swathi

2015-01-01

A number of studies have identified impairments in one or more types/aspects of attention processing in patients with aphasia (PWA) relative to healthy controls; person-to-person variability in performance on attention tasks within the PWA group has also been noted. Studies using non-linguistic stimuli have found evidence that attention is impaired in this population even in the absence of language processing demands. An underlying impairment in non-linguistic, or domain-general, attention processing could have implications for the ability of PWA to attend during therapy sessions, which in turn could impact long-term treatment outcomes. With this in mind, this study aimed to systematically examine the effect of task complexity on reaction time (RT) during a non-linguistic attention task, in both PWA and controls. Additional goals were to assess the effect of task complexity on between-session intra-individual variability (BS-IIV) in RT and to examine inter-individual differences in BS-IIV. Eighteen PWA and five age-matched neurologically healthy controls each completed a novel computerized non-linguistic attention task measuring five types of attention on each of four different non-consecutive days. A significant effect of task complexity on both RT and BS-IIV in RT was found for the PWA group, whereas the control group showed a significant effect of task complexity on RT but not on BS-IIV in RT. Finally, in addition to these group-level findings, it was noted that different patients exhibited different patterns of BS-IIV, indicating the existence of inter-individual variability in BS-IIV within the PWA group. Results may have implications for session-to-session fluctuations in attention during language testing and therapy for PWA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Pre-Surgery Information Online Lecture on Nutrition Knowledge and Anxiety Among Bariatric Surgery Candidates.

PubMed

Sherf-Dagan, Shiri; Hod, Keren; Mardy-Tilbor, Limor; Gliksman, Shir; Ben-Porat, Tair; Sakran, Nasser; Zelber-Sagi, Shira; Goitein, David; Raziel, Asnat

2018-02-17

Best practices for patient education in bariatric surgery (BS) remain undefined. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of an online lecture on nutrition knowledge, weight loss expectations, and anxiety among BS candidates and present a new tool to assess this knowledge before BS. An interventional non-randomized controlled trial on 200 BS candidates recruited while attending a pre-BS committee. The first 100 consecutive patients were assigned to the control group and the latter 100 consecutive patients to the intervention group and were instructed to watch an online lecture of 15-min 1-2 weeks prior to surgery. All participants completed a BS nutrition knowledge and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaires at the pre-BS committee and once again at the pre-surgery clinic. Body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, surgery type, marital status, and number of dietitian sessions were obtained from medical records. Data for paired study questionnaires scores were available for 128 patients (n = 69 and n = 59 for the control and intervention groups, respectively), with a mean age and BMI of 40.3 ± 11.4 years and 41.3 ± 4.9 kg/m 2 , respectively. The BS nutrition knowledge and the state anxiety scores increased for both study groups at the pre-surgery clinic as compared to the pre-BS committee (P ≤ 0.028), but the improvement in the nutrition knowledge score was significantly higher for the intervention group (P = 0.030). No within or between-group differences were found for the trait anxiety items score. The "dream" and "realistic" weight goals were lower than the expected weight loss according to 70% excess weight loss (EWL) for both study groups at both time-points (P < 0.001 for all). Education by an online lecture prior to the surgery improves BS nutrition knowledge, but not anxiety. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02857647.

Variants of Brugada Syndrome and Early Repolarization Syndrome: An Expanded Concept of J-Wave Syndrome.

PubMed

Kim, Sung-Hwan; Nam, Gi-Byoung; Yun, Sung-Cheol; Choi, Hyung Oh; Choi, Kee-Joon; Joung, Boyoung; Pak, Hui-Nam; Lee, Moon-Hyoung; Kim, Sung Soon; Park, Seung-Jung; On, Young Keun; Kim, June Soo; Oh, Il-Young; Choi, Eue-Keun; Oh, Seil; Choi, Yun-Shik; Choi, Jong Il; Park, Sang Weon; Kim, Young-Hoon; Oh, Yong-Seog; Lee, Man Young; Lim, Hong Euy; Lee, Young-Soo; Cho, Yongkeun; Kim, Jun; Rhee, Kyoung-Suk; Lee, Dong-Il; Cho, Dae Kyoung; Kim, You-Ho

2017-02-01

The role of J-waves in the pathogenesis of ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurring in structurally normal hearts is important. We evaluated 127 patients who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for Brugada syndrome (BS, n = 53), early repolarization syndrome (ERS, n = 24), and patients with unknown or deferred diagnosis (n = 50). Electrocardiography (ECG), clinical characteristics, and ICD data were analyzed. J-waves were found in 27/50 patients with VF of unknown/deferred diagnosis. The J-waves were reminiscent of those seen in BS or ERS, and this subgroup of patients was termed variants of ERS and BS (VEB). In 12 VEB patients, the J/ST/T-wave morphology was coved, although amplitudes were <0.2 mV. In 15 patients, noncoved-type J/ST/T-waves were present in the right precordial leads. In the remaining 23 patients, no J-waves were identified. VEB patients exhibited clinical characteristics similar to those of BS and ERS patients. Phenotypic transition and overlap were observed among patients with BS, ERS, and VEB. Twelve patients with BS had background inferolateral ER, while five ERS patients showed prominent right precordial J-waves. Patients with this transient phenotype overlap showed a significantly lower shock-free survival than the rest of the study patients. VEB patients demonstrate ECG phenotype similar to but distinct from those of BS and ERS. The spectral nature of J-wave morphology/distribution and phenotypic transition/overlap suggest a common pathophysiologic background in patients with VEB, BS, and ERS. Prognostic implication of these ECG variations requires further investigation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Behçet's syndrome in Iranian Azari people.

PubMed

Shahneh, Fatemeh Zare; Babaloo, Zohreh; Baradaran, Behzad; Hamzavi, Fatemeh; Bayazi, Babak; Bandehagh, Ali

2012-11-01

Behçet's Syndrome (BS) is a chronic recurrent multisystemic inflammatory disorder characterized by oral and genital ulcers, ocular inflammation. Behçet's syndrome has a complex genetic etiology. However, epidemiological studies recommend that genetic factors have a significant influence to its pathogenesis, alike to other autoinflammatory disorders. Epidemiological statistics, clinical records and HLA typing were studied in Iranian Azari patients with Behçet's syndrome. This investigation considered HLA associations with BS and HLA with certain clinical characteristics, age and sex in the (Tabriz) Iran which has an ethnically homogeneous population. HLA-A and HLA-B typing was performed in 290 BS patients, conforming to International Study Group criteria and in 300 blood donors, as controls. Patient records were retrospectively reviewed and patients reassessed clinically. HLA-B5, HLA-B35, HLA-51, HLA-B52 and HLA-CW4 presented significantly high frequencies in all patients. No other HLA type was associated. There was a significant HLA link with male sex in BS patients and Mean age (34 +/- 1.1) was determined. We present the frequency and correlation between Iranian Azari patients with Behçet's syndrome and particular HLA antigens. Ninety nine percent had mouth ulceration, 64% genital ulceration, 72% skin lesions and 52% ocular involvement. This study supports HLA-B5, HLA-B35, HLA-51, HLA-B52 and HLA-CW4 immunogenetic predisposition in an ethnically homogeneous (Iranian Azari) population.

Attentional modulation of cell-class specific gamma-band synchronization in awake monkey area V4

PubMed Central

Vinck, Martin; Womelsdorf, Thilo; Buffalo, Elizabeth A.; Desimone, Robert; Fries, Pascal

2013-01-01

Summary Selective visual attention is subserved by selective neuronal synchronization, entailing precise orchestration among excitatory and inhibitory cells. We tentatively identified these as broad (BS) and narrow spiking (NS) cells and analyzed their synchronization to the local field potential in two macaque monkeys performing a selective visual attention task. Across cells, gamma phases scattered widely but were unaffected by stimulation or attention. During stimulation, NS cells lagged BS cells on average by ~60° and gamma synchronized twice as strongly. Attention enhanced and reduced the gamma locking of strongly and weakly activated cells, respectively. During a pre-stimulus attentional cue period, BS cells showed weak gamma synchronization, while NS cells gamma synchronized as strongly as with visual stimulation. These analyses reveal the cell-type specific dynamics of the gamma cycle in macaque visual cortex and suggest that attention affects neurons differentially depending on cell type and activation level. PMID:24267656

Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Hatemi, Gulen; Yazici, Yusuf; Yazici, Hasan

2013-05-01

Behçet's syndrome (BS) shows a peculiar distribution, with a much higher prevalence in countries along the ancient Silk Road compared with rest of the world. BS also seems to follow a more severe course in ethnic groups with higher prevalence. Diagnosis depends on clinical findings. Criteria sets may not help in patients with less frequent types of involvement. Management strategies should be modified according to the age and sex of the patient and the organs involved. Being a serious health problem in endemic areas, BS also attracts global attention as a model to study inflammatory diseases of unknown cause. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome organization and DNA methylation patterns of B chromosomes in the red fox and Chinese raccoon dogs.

PubMed

Bugno-Poniewierska, Monika; Solek, Przemysław; Wronski, Mariusz; Potocki, Leszek; Jezewska-Witkowska, Grażyna; Wnuk, Maciej

2014-12-01

The molecular structure of B chromosomes (Bs) is relatively well studied. Previous research demonstrates that Bs of various species usually contain two types of repetitive DNA sequences, satellite DNA and ribosomal DNA, but Bs also contain genes encoding histone proteins and many others. However, many questions remain regarding the origin and function of these chromosomes. Here, we focused on the comparative cytogenetic characteristics of the red fox and Chinese raccoon dog B chromosomes with particular attention to the distribution of repetitive DNA sequences and their methylation status. We confirmed that the small Bs of the red fox show a typical fluorescent telomeric distal signal, whereas medium-sized Bs of the Chinese raccoon dog were characterized by clusters of telomeric sequences along their length. We also found different DNA methylation patterns for the B chromosomes of both species. Therefore, we concluded that DNA methylation may maintain the transcriptional inactivation of DNA sequences localized to B chromosomes and may prevent genetic unbalancing and several negative phenotypic effects. © 2014 The Authors.

Real-world operation conditions and on-road emissions of Beijing diesel buses measured by using portable emission measurement system and electric low-pressure impactor.

PubMed

Liu, Zhihua; Ge, Yunshan; Johnson, Kent C; Shah, Asad Naeem; Tan, Jianwei; Wang, Chu; Yu, Linxiao

2011-03-15

On-road measurement is an effective method to investigate real-world emissions generated from vehicles and estimate the difference between engine certification cycles and real-world operating conditions. This study presents the results of on-road measurements collected from urban buses which propelled by diesel engine in Beijing city. Two widely used Euro III emission level buses and two Euro IV emission level buses were chosen to perform on-road emission measurements using portable emission measurement system (PEMS) for gaseous pollutant and Electric Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) for particulate matter (PM) number emissions. The results indicate that considerable discrepancies of engine operating conditions between real-world driving cycles and engine certification cycles have been observed. Under real-world operating conditions, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions can easily meet their respective regulations limits, while brake specification nitrogen oxide (bsNO(x)) emissions present a significant deviation from its corresponding limit. Compared with standard limits, the real-world bsNO(x) emission of the two Euro III emission level buses approximately increased by 60% and 120% respectively, and bsNO(x) of two Euro IV buses nearly twice standard limits because Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system not active under low exhaust temperature. Particle mass were estimated via particle size distribution with the assumption that particle density and diameter is liner. The results demonstrate that nanometer size particulate matter make significant contribution to total particle number but play a minor role to total particle mass. It is suggested that specific certified cycle should be developed to regulate bus engines emissions on the test bench or use PEMS to control the bus emissions under real-world operating conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the red fox and the chinese raccoon dog.

PubMed

Kociucka, B; Sosnowski, J; Kubiak, A; Nowak, A; Pawlak, P; Szczerbal, I

2013-01-01

Great progress has been achieved over the last years in studies on chromosome arrangement in mammalian cell nuclei. Growing evidence indicates that the genome's spatial organization is of functional relevance. So far, no attention has been paid to the nuclear organization of B chromosomes (Bs). In this study we have examined nuclear positioning of Bs in 2 species from the Canidae family--the red fox and the Chinese raccoon dog. Using 2D and 3D fluorescence in situ hybridization and 2 gene-specific probes (C-KIT and PDGFRA), we analyzed the location of Bs in fibroblast nuclei. We found that small Bs of the red fox occupied mostly the interior of the nucleus, while medium-sized Bs of the Chinese raccoon dog were observed in the peripheral area of the nucleus as well as in intermediate and interior locations. The more uniform distribution of B chromosomes in the Chinese raccoon dog may be the result of differences in their size, since 3 morphological types of Bs are distinguished in this species. Our results indicate that 3D positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the 2 canid species is in agreement with the chromosome size-dependent theory. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Bertolotti syndrome: a diagnostic and management dilemma for pain physicians.

PubMed

Jain, Anuj; Agarwal, Anil; Jain, Suruchi; Shamshery, Chetna

2013-10-01

Bertolotti's syndrome (BS), a form of lumbago in lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, is an important cause of low back pain in young patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the etiology of low back pain and the efficacy of treatment offered to patients with BS. All patients of BS Castellvi type1a during a period of 6 months were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent interventional pain procedures for diagnosis and pain relief. Response to the therapy was assessed based on VAS and ODI scores. A 50% decrease in VAS score or a VAS score less than 3 would be considered adequate pain relief. All 20 patients diagnosed with BS during the 6-month observation period had scoliosis. Common causes of back pain were the ipsilateral L5-S1 facet joint, neoarticulation, the SI joint, and disc degeneration. Responses to various interventions for pain relief were different and inconsistent from patient to patient. In particular, responses to interventions for neoarticular pain were generally poor. Pain in patients with BS does not usually respond to interventional pain treatment. A very dynamic treatment approach must be pursued while managing BS patients, and the treatment plan must be individualized at various stages in order to obtain satisfactory pain relief.

Bertolotti Syndrome: A Diagnostic and Management Dilemma for Pain Physicians

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Anil; Jain, Suruchi; Shamshery, Chetna

2013-01-01

Background Bertolotti's syndrome (BS), a form of lumbago in lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, is an important cause of low back pain in young patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the etiology of low back pain and the efficacy of treatment offered to patients with BS. Methods All patients of BS Castellvi type1a during a period of 6 months were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent interventional pain procedures for diagnosis and pain relief. Response to the therapy was assessed based on VAS and ODI scores. A 50% decrease in VAS score or a VAS score less than 3 would be considered adequate pain relief. Results All 20 patients diagnosed with BS during the 6-month observation period had scoliosis. Common causes of back pain were the ipsilateral L5-S1 facet joint, neoarticulation, the SI joint, and disc degeneration. Responses to various interventions for pain relief were different and inconsistent from patient to patient. In particular, responses to interventions for neoarticular pain were generally poor. Conclusions Pain in patients with BS does not usually respond to interventional pain treatment. A very dynamic treatment approach must be pursued while managing BS patients, and the treatment plan must be individualized at various stages in order to obtain satisfactory pain relief. PMID:24156003

A Retrospective Analysis of Hemostatic Techniques in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: Traditional Electrocautery, Bipolar Sealer, and Argon Beam Coagulation.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Brett D; Haughom, Bryan D; Levine, Brett R

2016-01-01

In this retrospective cohort study of 280 primary total knee arthroplasties, clinical outcomes relevant to hemostasis were compared by electrocautery type: traditional electrocautery (TE), bipolar sealer (BS), and argon beam coagulation (ABC). Age, sex, and preoperative diagnosis were not significantly different among the TE, BS, and ABC cohorts. The 3 hemostasis systems were statistically equivalent with respect to estimated blood loss. Wound drainage during the first 48 hours after surgery was equivalent between the BS and ABC cohorts but less for the TE cohort. Transfusion requirements were not significantly different among the cohorts. The 3 hemostasis systems were statistically equivalent with respect to mean change in hemoglobin level during the early postoperative period (levels were measured on postoperative day 1 and on discharge). As BS and ABC are clinically equivalent to TE, their increased cost may not be justified.

Plumbagin inhibits cytokinesis in Bacillus subtilis by inhibiting FtsZ assembly--a mechanistic study of its antibacterial activity.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Anusri; Jindal, Bhavya; Singh, Parminder; Datta, Anindya; Panda, Dulal

2013-09-01

The assembly of FtsZ plays a central role in construction of the cytokinetic Z-ring that orchestrates bacterial cell division. A naturally occurring naphthoquinone, plumbagin, is known to exhibit antibacterial properties against several types of bacteria. In this study, plumbagin was found to perturb formation of the Z-ring in Bacillus subtilis 168 cells and to cause elongation of these cells without an apparent effect on nucleoid segregation, indicating that it may inhibit FtsZ assembly. Furthermore, it bound to purified B. subtilis FtsZ (BsFtsZ) with a dissociation constant of 20.7 ± 5.6 μM, and inhibited the assembly and GTPase activity of BsFtsZ in vitro. Interestingly, plumbagin did not inhibit either the assembly or GTPase activity of Escherichia coli FtsZ (EcFtsZ) in vitro. Using docking analysis, a putative plumbagin-binding site on BsFtsZ was identified, and the analysis indicated that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds predominate. Based on the in silico analysis, two variants of BsFtsZ, namely D199A and V307R, were constructed to explore the binding interaction of plumbagin and BsFtsZ. The effects of plumbagin on the assembly and GTPase activity of the variant BsFtsZ proteins in vitro indicated that the residues D199 and V307 may be involved in the binding of plumbagin to BsFtsZ. The results suggest that plumbagin inhibits bacterial proliferation by inhibiting the assembly of FtsZ, and provide insight into the binding site of plumbagin on BsFtsZ, which may help in the design of potent FtsZ-targeted antibacterial agents. © 2013 FEBS.

CCD time-series photometry of the globular cluster NGC 5053: RR Lyrae, Blue Stragglers and SX Phoenicis stars revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arellano Ferro, A.; Giridhar, Sunetra; Bramich, D. M.

2010-02-01

We report the results of CCD V, r and I time-series photometry of the globular cluster NGC 5053. New times of maximum light are given for the eight known RR Lyrae stars in the field of our images, and their periods are revised. Their V light curves were Fourier decomposed to estimate their physical parameters. A discussion on the accuracy of the Fourier-based iron abundances, temperatures, masses and radii is given. New periods are found for the five known SX Phe stars, and a critical discussion of their secular period changes is offered. The mean iron abundance for the RR Lyrae stars is found to be [Fe/H] ~ -1.97 +/- 0.16 and lower values are not supported by the present analysis. The absolute magnitude calibrations of the RR Lyrae stars yield an average true distance modulus of 16.12 +/- 0.04 or a distance of 16.7 +/- 0.3 kpc. Comparison of the observational colour magnitude diagram (CMD) with theoretical isochrones indicates an age of 12.5 +/- 2.0 Gyr for the cluster. A careful identification of all reported blue stragglers (BS) and their V, I magnitudes leads to the conclusion that BS12, BS22, BS23 and BS24 are not BS. On the other hand, three new BS are reported. Variability was found in seven BS, very likely of the SX Phe type in five of them, and in one red giant star. The new SX Phe stars follow established Period-Luminosity relationships and indicate a distance in agreement with the distance from the RR Lyrae stars. Based on observations collected at the Indian Astrophysical Observatory, Hanle, India. E-mail: armando@astroscu.unam.mx (AAF); giridhar@iiap.res.in (SG); dan.bramich@hotmail.co.uk (DMB)

What Is Known About the Correlates and Impact of Excess Skin After Bariatric Surgery: a Scoping Review.

PubMed

Baillot, Aurélie; Brais-Dussault, Elsa; Bastin, Anne; Cyr, Caroline; Brunet, Jennifer; Aimé, Annie; Romain, Ahmed J; Langlois, Marie-France; Bouchard, Stéphane; Tchernof, André; Rabasa-Lhoret, Rémi; Garneau, Pierre-Yves; Bernard, Paquito

2017-09-01

Although bariatric surgery (BS) improves health among adults with severe obesity, it results in excess skin in more than 70% of adults. The purpose of this study was to synthesize current knowledge on (1) the impact of excess skin experienced by adults after BS and (2) the correlates of excess skin quantity and inconveniences. PubMed, PsyArticles, and CINAHL databases were searched in May 2016 for relevant studies. Titles, abstracts, and full texts of studies retrieved were screened independently by two reviewers against inclusion criteria: (1) peer-reviewed primary research studies, (2) samples with adults who underwent BS, and (3) studies reporting the impact of excess skin and/or excess skin correlates. Thirteen quantitative and eleven qualitative studies met inclusion criteria. Negative physical, psychosocial, and daily life impacts of excess skin were reported in 67, 75, and 83% of studies, respectively. Women reported more excess skin and greater inconveniences of excess skin than did men. Based on the quantitative studies, pre-BS BMI, time since BS, and type of BS were not significantly associated with inconveniences of excess skin; findings were inconclusive for other correlates found (e.g. age, weight loss, BMI). Excess skin may adversely impact adults' physical and psychosocial functioning, as well as their activities of daily life after BS. However, evidence is lacking to determine which adults may be at heightened risk of developing or being negatively impacted by excess skin. More research on correlates of excess skill is needed to inform the development of tailored interventions in those more vulnerable to developing excess skin after BS to mitigate adverse consequences.

Maternal and perinatal outcomes after bariatric surgery: a Spanish multicenter study.

PubMed

González, Irene; Rubio, Miguel A; Cordido, Fernando; Bretón, Irene; Morales, María J; Vilarrasa, Nuria; Monereo, Susana; Lecube, Albert; Caixàs, Assumptas; Vinagre, Irene; Goday, Albert; García-Luna, Pedro P

2015-03-01

Bariatric surgery (BS) has become more frequent among women of child-bearing age. Data regarding the underlying maternal and perinatal risks are scarce. The objective of this nationwide study is to evaluate maternal and perinatal outcomes after BS. We performed a retrospective observational study of 168 pregnancies in 112 women who underwent BS in 10 tertiary hospitals in Spain over a 15-year period. Maternal and perinatal outcomes, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy-associated hypertensive disorders (PAHD), pre-term birth cesarean deliveries, small and large for gestational age births (SGA, LGA), still births, and neonatal deaths, were evaluated. Results were further compared according to the type of BS performed: restrictive techniques (vertical-banded gastroplasty, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and biliopancreatic diversion (BPD). GDM occurred in five (3 %) pregnancies and there were no cases of PAHD. Women whose pregnancies occurred before 1 year after BS had a higher pre-gestational body mass index (BMI) than those who got pregnant 1 year after BS (34.6 ± 7.7 vs 30.4 ± 5.3 kg/m(2), p = 0.007). In pregnancies occurring during the first year after BS, a higher rate of stillbirths was observed compared to pregnancies occurring after this period of time (35.5 vs 16.8 %, p = 0.03). Women who underwent BPD delivered a higher rate of SGA babies than women with RYGB or restrictive procedures (34.8, 12.7, and 8.3 %, respectively). Pregnancy should be scheduled at least 1 year after BS. Malabsorptive procedures are associated to a higher rate of SGA births.

Combined therapy using acupressure therapy, hypnotherapy, and transcendental meditation versus placebo in type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Bay, Roohallah; Bay, Fatemeh

2011-09-01

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases in the world. The main aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of combined therapy using acupressure therapy, hypnotherapy, and transcendental meditation (TM) on the blood sugar (BS) level in comparison with placebo in type 2 diabetic patients. We used "convenience sampling" for selection of patients with type 2 diabetes; 20 patients were recruited. For collection of data, we used an identical quasi-experimental design called "nonequivalent control group." Therapy sessions each lasting 60-90 min were carried out on 10 successive days. We prescribed 2 capsules (containing 3g of wheat flour each) for each member of the placebo group (one for evening and one for morning). Pre-tests, post-tests, and follow-up tests were conducted in a medical laboratory recognized by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. Mean BS level in the post-tests and follow-up tests for the experimental group was reduced significantly in comparison with the pre-tests whereas in the placebo group no changes were observed. Combined therapy including acupressure therapy, hypnotherapy, and TM reduced BS of type 2 diabetic patients and was more effective than placebo therapy on this parameter. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[The relationship between cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, coping and stress symptoms in the context of type A personality pattern].

PubMed

Hisli Sahin, Nesrin; Güler, Murat; Basim, H Nejat

2009-01-01

This study aimed to determine the relationships between cognitive and emotional intelligence, coping and stress symptoms in the context of Type A personality pattern. The Raven Progressive Matrices, Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, Ways of Coping Inventory, Stress Symptoms Scale, and Type A Personality Scale were administered to 271 university students. Two groups, Type As and Type Bs were created according to the Type A Personality Scale scores and were compared in terms of their scores on the other scales that were administered. Our analyses showed that stress symptoms were negatively correlated with effective coping, stress management, and general mood dimensions of the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. They were also positively correlated with ineffective coping and Type A behaviors. Being female also significantly predicted stress symptoms. When the participants were grouped according to Type A Personality Scale scores as Type As and Type Bs, the regression analysis showed that the stress symptoms of Type As were significantly predicted by the insufficient use of effective coping styles and deficiencies in the general mood component of emotional intelligence, whereas the stress symptoms of Type Bs were predicted by the insufficient use of effective coping styles, overuse of ineffective coping styles, and increase in the intrapersonal abilities component of emotional intelligence. Stress symptoms can be related to the variables associated with personality styles. It is suggested that stress management programs for Type As should include exercises that increase emotional intelligence, especially the components of drawing pleasure from their life situation, being more positive, hopeful and optimistic.

Caproiciproducens galactitolivorans gen. nov., sp. nov., a bacterium capable of producing caproic acid from galactitol, isolated from a wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Kim, Byung-Chun; Seung Jeon, Byoung; Kim, Seil; Kim, Hyunook; Um, Youngsoon; Sang, Byoung-In

2015-12-01

A strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated BS-1T, was isolated from an anaerobic digestion reactor during a study of bacteria utilizing galactitol as the carbon source. Its cells were 0.3-0.5 μm × 2-4 μm, and they grew at 35-45 °C and at pH 6.0-8.0. Strain BS-1T produced H2, CO2, ethanol, acetic acid, butyric acid and caproic acid as metabolic end products of anaerobic fermentation. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, showed that strain BS-1T represented a novel bacterial genus within the family Ruminococcaceae, Clostridium Cluster IV. The type strains that were most closely related to strain BS-1T were Clostridium sporosphaeroides KCTC 5598T (94.5 %), Clostridium leptum KCTC 5155T (94.3 %), Ruminococcus bromii ATCC 27255T (92.1 %) and Ethanoligenens harbinense YUAN-3T (91.9 %). Strain BS-1T had 17.6 % and 20.9 % DNA-DNA relatedness values with C. sporosphaeroides DSM 1294T and C. leptum DSM 753T, respectively. The major components of the cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0 dimethyl aldehyde (DMA) (22.1 %), C16 : 0 aldehyde (14.1 %) and summed feature 11 (iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and/or C18 : 2 DMA; 10.0 %). The genomic DNA G+C content was 50.0 mol%. Phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics allowed strain BS-1T to be clearly distinguished from other taxa of the genus Clostridium Cluster IV. On the basis of these data, the isolate is considered to represent a novel genus and novel species within Clostridium Cluster IV, for which the name Caproiciproducens galactitolivorans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type species is BS-1T ( = JCM 30532T and KCCM 43048T).

Neuro-Behçet syndrome.

PubMed

Saip, Sabahattin; Akman-Demir, Gulsen; Siva, Aksel

2014-01-01

Behçet syndrome (BS) is an idiopathic chronic relapsing multisystem vascular-inflammatory disease of unknown origin. As the disease affects many organs and systems and shows a wide range of clinical manifestations and presentations, it is prefereable to call Behçet's a syndrome (BS) rather than a disease. Nervous system involvement, known as "neuro-BS" (NBS), is seen in about 5-10% of all cases. Clinical and imaging evidence suggests that primary neurologic involvement in BS may be subclassified into two major forms: the first, which is seen in the majority of patients, may be characterized as a vascular-inflammatory central nervous system disease with focal or multifocal parenchymal involvement, mostly presenting with a subacute brainstem syndrome and hemiparesis (intra-axial NBS); the other, which has few symptoms and a better neurologic prognosis, may be caused by isolated cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and intracranial hypertension (extra-axial NBS), occurring in 10-20% of the cases. These two types are rarely seen in the same individual, and their pathogenesis is likely to be different. Isolated behavioral syndromes and peripheral nervous system involvement are rare, whereas a vascular type headache is relatively common and independent from neurologic involvement. Neurologic complications secondary to systemic involvement of BS, as well as neurologic complications related to BS treatments are considered as secondary neurologic involvement of the syndrome. The core histopathologic phenomenon seems to be a vasculitic involvement in some cases, and low-grade chronic nonspecific inflammation in others. As the neurologic involvement in this syndrome is so heterogeneous, it is difficult to predict its course and prognosis, and its response to treatment. Currently, treatment options for NBS are limited to attack therapies with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone followed by a prolonged oral taper, symptomatic management, and generally the use of azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, interferon-α and anti-TNF agents for long-term preventive treatment, although there no evidence for their efficacy. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the utility of the ISTH-BAT in haemophilia carriers: a multinational study.

PubMed

James, P D; Mahlangu, J; Bidlingmaier, C; Mingot-Castellano, M E; Chitlur, M; Fogarty, P F; Cuker, A; Mancuso, M E; Holme, P A; Grabell, J; Satkunam, N; Hopman, W M; Mathew, P

2016-11-01

There has been increasing recognition in recent years that female carriers of haemophilia manifest abnormal bleeding; however, data on the use of bleeding assessment tools in this population are lacking. Our objective was to validate the ISTH-BAT in haemophilia carriers to describe bleeding symptoms and allow for comparisons with factor levels and other patient groups. This was a prospective, observational, cross-sectional study performed by members of Global Emerging HEmostasis Panel (GEHEP). Unselected consecutive haemophilia carriers were recruited and a CRF and the ISTH-BAT were completed by study personnel. A total of 168 haemophilia carriers were enrolled: 155 haemophilia A and 13 haemophilia B. The mean age was 40 years (range: 20-82). Carriers had higher mean bleeding scores (BS) compared with age-matched controls (n = 46; 5.7 vs. 1.43; P < 0.0001) and Type 3 VWD OC (n = 32; 3.0; P = 0.009), but lower BS compared with women with Type 1 VWD (n = 83; 8.7; P < 0.0001). Fifteen carriers reported haemarthrosis, and of those six had normal FVIII/FIX levels. There was a significant but weak negative correlation between BS and factor level (Spearman's r 2  = -0.36, P < 0.001). Our results show that haemophilia carriers experience abnormal bleeding, including haemarthrosis. Overall, BS in women with Type 1 VWD > haemophilia carriers > Type 3 VWD OC > controls. Understanding the performance of the ISTH-BAT in this population is a critical step in future research aimed at investigating the underlying pathophysiology of abnormal bleeding, with the ultimate goal of optimizing treatment. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Observation of Bs production at the Y(5S) resonance.

PubMed

Bonvicini, G; Cinabro, D; Dubrovin, M; Lincoln, A; Bornheim, A; Pappas, S P; Weinstein, A J; Asner, D M; Edwards, K W; Briere, R A; Chen, G P; Chen, J; Ferguson, T; Tatishvili, G; Vogel, H; Watkins, M E; Rosner, J L; Adam, N E; Alexander, J P; Berkelman, K; Cassel, D G; Crede, V; Duboscq, J E; Ecklund, K M; Ehrlich, R; Fields, L; Gibbons, L; Gittelman, B; Gray, R; Gray, S W; Hartill, D L; Heltsley, B K; Hertz, D; Jones, C D; Kandaswamy, J; Kreinick, D L; Kuznetsov, V E; Mahlke-Krüger, H; Meyer, T O; Onyisi, P U E; Patterson, J R; Peterson, D; Phillips, E A; Pivarski, J; Riley, D; Ryd, A; Sadoff, A J; Schwarthoff, H; Shi, X; Shepherd, M R; Stroiney, S; Sun, W M; Urner, D; Wilksen, T; Weaver, K M; Weinberger, M; Athar, S B; Avery, P; Breva-Newell, L; Patel, R; Potlia, V; Stoeck, H; Yelton, J; Rubin, P; Cawlfield, C; Eisenstein, B I; Gollin, G D; Karliner, I; Kim, D; Lowrey, N; Naik, P; Sedlack, C; Selen, M; White, E J; Williams, J; Wiss, J; Besson, D; Pedlar, T K; Cronin-Hennessy, D; Gao, K Y; Gong, D T; Hietala, J; Kubota, Y; Klein, T; Lang, B W; Li, S Z; Poling, R; Scott, A W; Smith, A; Dobbs, S; Metreveli, Z; Seth, K K; Tomaradze, A; Zweber, P; Ernst, J; Arms, K; Severini, H; Dytman, S A; Love, W; Mehrabyan, S; Mueller, J A; Savinov, V; Li, Z; Lopez, A; Mendez, H; Ramirez, J; Huang, G S; Miller, D H; Pavlunin, V; Sanghi, B; Shipsey, I P J; Adams, G S; Anderson, M; Cummings, J P; Danko, I; Napolitano, J; He, Q; Muramatsu, H; Park, C S; Thorndike, E H; Coan, T E; Gao, Y S; Liu, F; Maravin, Y; Artuso, M; Boulahouache, C; Blusk, S; Butt, J; Dorjkhaidav, O; Li, J; Menaa, N; Mountain, R; Nandakumar, R; Randrianarivony, K; Redjimi, R; Sia, R; Skwarnicki, T; Stone, S; Wang, J C; Zhang, K; Csorna, S E

2006-01-20

Using the CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we have observed the Bs meson in e+e- annihilation at the Y(5S) resonance. We find 14 candidates consistent with Bs decays into final states with a J/psi or a Ds(*)- . The probability that we have observed a background fluctuation is less than 8 x 10(-10) . We have established that at the energy of the Y(5S) resonance Bs production proceeds predominantly through the creation of Bs*Bs* pairs. We find sigma(e+e- --> Bs*Bs*) = [0.11(-0.03))(+0.04)(stat) +/- 0.02(syst)]nb , and set the following limits: sigma(e+e- --> BsBs)/ sigma(e+ e- --> Bs*Bs*) <0.16 and [sigma(e+e- --> BsBs*) + sigma(e+e- --> Bs*Bs)]/sigma(e+e- -->Bs*Bs*) < 0.16 (90% C.L.). The mass of the Bs* meson is measured to be M(Bs*) = [5.414+/- 0.001(stat) +/- 0.003(syst)] GeV/c2 .

Final Environmental Assessment: Mental Health Clinic Hanscom Air Force Base Massachusetts

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-19

the environmental assessment. QAULITY ASSURANCE LEADER Cravedi, Gregory. 66 MSG/CE. B.S. in Management ; As an Environmental Protection...are insignificant and can be minimized further by using the best management practices described in this EA. iii There are positive impacts that...thus the total volume of storm water runoff from the site will be reduced. It is anticipated that the following best management practices would be

A new group in the Leptospirillum clade: cultivation-independent community genomics, proteomics and transcriptomics of the new species Leptospirillum group IV UBA BS.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goltsman, Daniela; Dasari, Mauna; Thomas, BC

Leptospirillum spp. are widespread members of acidophilic microbial communities that catalyze ferrous iron oxidation, thereby increasing sulfide mineral dissolution rates. These bacteria play important roles in environmental acidification and are harnessed for bioleaching-based metal recovery. Known members of the Leptospirillum clade of the Nitrospira phylum are Leptospirillum ferrooxidans (group I), Leptospirillum ferriphilum and Leptospirillum rubarum (group II), and Leptospirillum ferrodiazotrophum (group III). In the Richmond Mine acid mine drainage (AMD) system, biofilm formation is initiated by L. rubarum; L. ferrodiazotrophum appears in later developmental stages. Here we used community metagenomic data from unusual, thick floating biofilms to identify distinguishing metabolicmore » traits in a rare and uncultivated community member, the new species Leptospirillum group IV UBA BS. These biofilms typically also contain a variety of Archaea, Actinobacteria, and a few other Leptospirillum spp. The Leptospirillum group IV UBA BS species shares 98% 16S rRNA sequence identity and 70% average amino acid identity between orthologs with its closest relative, L. ferrodiazotrophum. The presence of nitrogen fixation and reverse tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle proteins suggest an autotrophic metabolism similar to that of L. ferrodiazotrophum, while hydrogenase proteins suggest anaerobic metabolism. Community transcriptomic and proteomic analyses demonstrate expression of a multicopper oxidase unique to this species, as well as hydrogenases and core metabolic genes. Results suggest that the Leptospirillum group IV UBA BS species might play important roles in carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, hydrogen metabolism, and iron oxidation in some acidic environments.« less

Experimental observation of chiral magnetic bobbers in B20-type FeGe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Fengshan; Rybakov, Filipp N.; Borisov, Aleksandr B.; Song, Dongsheng; Wang, Shasha; Li, Zi-An; Du, Haifeng; Kiselev, Nikolai S.; Caron, Jan; Kovács, András; Tian, Mingliang; Zhang, Yuheng; Blügel, Stefan; Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E.

2018-06-01

Chiral magnetic skyrmions1,2 are nanoscale vortex-like spin textures that form in the presence of an applied magnetic field in ferromagnets that support the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) because of strong spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry of the crystal3,4. In sharp contrast to other systems5,6 that allow for the formation of a variety of two-dimensional (2D) skyrmions, in chiral magnets the presence of the DMI commonly prevents the stability and coexistence of topological excitations of different types7. Recently, a new type of localized particle-like object—the chiral bobber (ChB)—was predicted theoretically in such materials8. However, its existence has not yet been verified experimentally. Here, we report the direct observation of ChBs in thin films of B20-type FeGe by means of quantitative off-axis electron holography (EH). We identify the part of the temperature-magnetic field phase diagram in which ChBs exist and distinguish two mechanisms for their nucleation. Furthermore, we show that ChBs are able to coexist with skyrmions over a wide range of parameters, which suggests their possible practical applications in novel magnetic solid-state memory devices, in which a stream of binary data bits can be encoded by a sequence of skyrmions and bobbers.

Transcriptionally Active Heterochromatin in Rye B Chromosomes[W

PubMed Central

Carchilan, Mariana; Delgado, Margarida; Ribeiro, Teresa; Costa-Nunes, Pedro; Caperta, Ana; Morais-Cecílio, Leonor; Jones, R. Neil; Viegas, Wanda; Houben, Andreas

2007-01-01

B chromosomes (Bs) are dispensable components of the genomes of numerous species. Thus far, there is a lack of evidence for any transcripts of Bs in plants, with the exception of some rDNA sequences. Here, we show that the Giemsa banding-positive heterochromatic subterminal domain of rye (Secale cereale) Bs undergoes decondensation during interphase. Contrary to the heterochromatic regions of A chromosomes, this domain is simultaneously marked by trimethylated H3K4 and by trimethylated H3K27, an unusual combination of apparently conflicting histone modifications. Notably, both types of B-specific high copy repeat families (E3900 and D1100) of the subterminal domain are transcriptionally active, although with different tissue type–dependent activity. No small RNAs were detected specifically for the presence of Bs. The lack of any significant open reading frame and the highly heterogeneous size of mainly polyadenylated transcripts indicate that the noncoding RNA may function as structural or catalytic RNA. PMID:17586652

Feasibility analysis of a hydrogen backup power system for Russian telecom market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borzenko, V. I.; Dunikov, D. O.

2017-11-01

We performed feasibility analysis of 10 kW hydrogen backup power system (H2BS) consisting of a water electrolyzer, a metal hydride hydrogen storage and a fuel cell. Capital investments in H2BS are mostly determined by the costs of the PEM electrolyzer, the fuel cell and solid state hydrogen storage materials, for single unit or small series manufacture the cost of AB5-type intermetallic compound can reach 50% of total system cost. Today the capital investments in H2BS are 3 times higher than in conventional lead-acid system of the same capacity. Wide distribution of fuel cell hydrogen vehicles, development of hydrogen infrastructure, and mass production of hydrogen power systems will for sure lower capital investments in fuel cell backup power. Operational expenditures for H2BS is only 15% from the expenditures for lead acid systems, and after 4-5 years of exploitation the total cost of ownership will become lower than for batteries.

The structural basis of the difference in sensitivity for PNGase F in the de-N-glycosylation of the native bovine pancreatic ribonucleases B and BS.

PubMed

Blanchard, Véronique; Frank, Martin; Leeflang, Bas R; Boelens, Rolf; Kamerling, Johannis P

2008-03-18

In glycoanalysis protocols, N-glycans from glycoproteins are most frequently released with peptide- N (4)-( N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F (PNGase F). As the enzyme is an amidase, it cleaves the NH-CO linkage between the Asn side chain and the Asn-bound GlcNAc residue. Usually, the enzyme has a low activity, or is not active at all, on native glycoproteins. A typical example is native bovine pancreatic ribonuclease B (RNase B) with oligomannose-type N-glycans at Asn-34. However, native RNase BS, generated by subtilisin digestion of native RNase B, which comprises amino acid residues 21-124 of RNase B, is sensitive to PNGase F digestion. The same holds for carboxymethylated RNase B (RNase B (cm)). In this study, NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling have been used to explain the differences in PNGase F activity for native RNase B, native RNase BS, and RNase B (cm). NMR analysis combined with literature data clearly indicated that the N-glycan at Asn-34 is more mobile in RNase BS than in RNase B. MD simulations showed that the region around Asn-34 in RNase B is not very flexible, whereby the alpha-helix of the amino acid residues 1-20 has a stabilizing effect. In RNase BS, the alpha-helix formed by amino acid residues 23-32 is significantly more flexible. Using these data, the possibilities for complex formation of both RNase B and RNase BS with PNGase F were studied, and a model for the RNase BS-PNGase F complex is proposed.

The association between the parenchymal neurological involvement and posterior uveitis in Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Bitik, Berivan; Tufan, Abdurrahman; Sahin, Kubilay; Sucullu Karadag, Yesim; Can Sandikci, Sevinc; Mercan, Ridvan; Ak, Fikri; Karaaslan, Yasar; Ozturk, Mehmet Akif; Goker, Berna; Haznedaroglu, Seminur

2016-01-01

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a systemic vasculitis, which may involve multiple organ systems simultaneously. Clinical findings in BS often fit into well-recognized patterns, such as the association between papulo-pustular skin lesions and arthritis. We have recently observed a distinct pattern, in which a subtype of neuro-Behçet's syndrome (NBS) is often preceded by specific ophthalmic manifestations of the disease process. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between the parenchymal subtype of NBS and posterior uveitis (PU). We have retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 295 patients with BS, who met the international classification criteria for BS, diagnosed at two major rheumatology clinics from 2010 to 2014. Patient demographics, ophthalmic examinations, clinical and radiologic patterns of neurological involvement were recorded. Manifestations of BS were classified as PU, NBS, vascular involvement, and arthritis. The association between clinical findings was analysed for statistical significance. Of the 295 patients, 100 had PU and 44 had NBS. 30 patients had parenchymal NBS and 14 had vascular NBS. Patients with PU were significantly more likely to have neurological involvement compared to those without PU (p<0.001; Odds Ratio: 3.924; 95% CI: 1.786-8.621). Rate of posterior uveitis was higher in patients with parenchymal NBS when compared to patients with vascular NBS, vascular BS or arthritis (63.3%, 21.4%, 22% and 4.2% respectively, p<0.001). Our findings suggest a clinically and statistically significant association between posterior uveitis and parenchymal type of neurologic involvement in BS. The development of posterior uveitis in a patient with previously diagnosed BS should be recognized as a "warning sign" for predisposition to neurologic involvement. These patients should be informed about the possible signs and symptoms of neurological involvement, which can cause very rapid and irreversible damage unless recognized and treated immediately.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) producing bacterial strains of municipal wastewater sludge: isolation, molecular identification, EPS characterization and performance for sludge settling and dewatering.

PubMed

Bala Subramanian, S; Yan, S; Tyagi, R D; Surampalli, R Y

2010-04-01

Wastewater treatment plants often face the problems of sludge settling mainly due to sludge bulking. Generally, synthetic organic polymer and/or inorganic coagulants (ferric chloride, alum and quick lime) are used for sludge settling. These chemicals are very expensive and further pollute the environment. Whereas, the bioflocculants are environment friendly and may be used to flocculate the sludge. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by sludge microorganisms play a definite role in sludge flocculation. In this study, 25 EPS producing strains were isolated from municipal wastewater treatment plant. Microorganisms were selected based on EPS production properties on solid agar medium. Three types of EPS (slime, capsular and bacterial broth mixture of both slime and capsular) were harvested and their characteristics were studied. EPS concentration (dry weight), viscosity and their charge (using a Zetaphoremeter) were also measured. Bioflocculability of obtained EPS was evaluated by measuring the kaolin clay flocculation activity. Six bacterial strains (BS2, BS8, BS9, BS11, BS15 and BS25) were selected based on the kaolin clay flocculation. The slime EPS was better for bioflocculation than capsular EPS and bacterial broth. Therefore, extracted slime EPS (partially purified) from six bacterial strains was studied in terms of sludge settling [sludge volume index (SVI)] and dewatering [capillary suction time (CST)]. Biopolymers produced by individual strains substantially improved dewaterability. The extracted slime EPS from six different strains were partially characterized. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical and Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Lower-extremity Vein Thrombosis in Behcet Syndrome: An Observational Study.

PubMed

Seyahi, Emire; Cakmak, Osman Serdal; Tutar, Burcin; Arslan, Caner; Dikici, Atilla Suleyman; Sut, Necdet; Kantarci, Fatih; Tuzun, Hasan; Melikoglu, Melike; Yazici, Hasan

2015-11-01

Vascular involvement can be seen in up to 40% of patients with Behcet syndrome (BS), the lower-extremity vein thrombosis (LEVT) being the most common type. The aim of the current study was to compare venous Doppler findings and clinical features between BS patients with LEVT and control patients diagnosed as having LEVT due to other causes.All consecutive 78 patients (71 men, 7 women; mean age 38.6 ± 10.3 years) with LEVT due to BS and 50 control patients (29 men, 21 women; mean age 42.0 ± 12.5 years) who had LEVT due to other causes, or idiopathic, were studied with the help of a Doppler ultrasonography after a detailed clinical examination. Patterns of venous disease were identified by cluster analyses. Clinical features of chronic venous disease were assessed using 2 classification systems. Venous claudication was also assessed.Patients with BS were more likely to be men, had significantly earlier age of onset of thrombosis, and were treated mainly with immunosuppressives and less frequently with anticoagulants. Furthermore, they had significantly more bilateral involvement, less complete recanalization, and more frequent collateral formation. While control patients had a disorganized pattern of venous involvement, BS patients had a contiguous and symmetric pattern, involving all deep and superficial veins of the lower extremities, with less affinity for crural veins. Clinical assessment, as measured by the 2 classification systems, also indicated a more severe disease among the BS patients. In line, 51% of the BS patients suffered from severe post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and 32% from venous claudication, whereas these were present in 8% and 12%, respectively, among the controls. Among BS patients, a longer duration of thrombosis, bilateral femoral vein involvement, and using no anticoagulation along with immunosuppressive treatment when first diagnosed were found to be associated independently with severe PTS.Lower-extremity vein thrombosis associated with BS, when compared to LEVT due to other causes, had distinctive demographic and ultrasonographic characteristics, and had clinically a more severe disease course.

Clinical and Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Lower-extremity Vein Thrombosis in Behcet Syndrome

PubMed Central

Seyahi, Emire; Cakmak, Osman Serdal; Tutar, Burcin; Arslan, Caner; Dikici, Atilla Suleyman; Sut, Necdet; Kantarci, Fatih; Tuzun, Hasan; Melikoglu, Melike; Yazici, Hasan

2015-01-01

Abstract Vascular involvement can be seen in up to 40% of patients with Behcet syndrome (BS), the lower-extremity vein thrombosis (LEVT) being the most common type. The aim of the current study was to compare venous Doppler findings and clinical features between BS patients with LEVT and control patients diagnosed as having LEVT due to other causes. All consecutive 78 patients (71 men, 7 women; mean age 38.6 ± 10.3 years) with LEVT due to BS and 50 control patients (29 men, 21 women; mean age 42.0 ± 12.5 years) who had LEVT due to other causes, or idiopathic, were studied with the help of a Doppler ultrasonography after a detailed clinical examination. Patterns of venous disease were identified by cluster analyses. Clinical features of chronic venous disease were assessed using 2 classification systems. Venous claudication was also assessed. Patients with BS were more likely to be men, had significantly earlier age of onset of thrombosis, and were treated mainly with immunosuppressives and less frequently with anticoagulants. Furthermore, they had significantly more bilateral involvement, less complete recanalization, and more frequent collateral formation. While control patients had a disorganized pattern of venous involvement, BS patients had a contiguous and symmetric pattern, involving all deep and superficial veins of the lower extremities, with less affinity for crural veins. Clinical assessment, as measured by the 2 classification systems, also indicated a more severe disease among the BS patients. In line, 51% of the BS patients suffered from severe post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and 32% from venous claudication, whereas these were present in 8% and 12%, respectively, among the controls. Among BS patients, a longer duration of thrombosis, bilateral femoral vein involvement, and using no anticoagulation along with immunosuppressive treatment when first diagnosed were found to be associated independently with severe PTS. Lower-extremity vein thrombosis associated with BS, when compared to LEVT due to other causes, had distinctive demographic and ultrasonographic characteristics, and had clinically a more severe disease course. PMID:26554787

Time resolved native ion-mobility mass spectrometry to monitor dynamics of IgG4 Fab arm exchange and "bispecific" monoclonal antibody formation.

PubMed

Debaene, François; Wagner-Rousset, Elsa; Colas, Olivier; Ayoub, Daniel; Corvaïa, Nathalie; Van Dorsselaer, Alain; Beck, Alain; Cianférani, Sarah

2013-10-15

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and derivatives such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) and bispecific antibodies (bsAb), are the fastest growing class of human therapeutics. Most of the therapeutic antibodies currently on the market and in clinical trials are chimeric, humanized, and human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1). An increasing number of IgG2s and IgG4s that have distinct structural and functional properties are also investigated to develop products that lack or have diminished antibody effector functions compared to IgG1. Importantly, wild type IgG4 has been shown to form half molecules (one heavy chain and one light chain) that lack interheavy chain disulfide bonds and form intrachain disulfide bonds. Moreover, IgG4 undergoes a process of Fab-arm exchange (FAE) in which the heavy chains of antibodies of different specificities can dissociate and recombine in bispecific antibodies both in vitro and in vivo. Here, native mass spectrometry (MS) and time-resolved traveling wave ion mobility MS (TWIM-MS) were used for the first time for online monitoring of FAE and bsAb formation using Hz6F4-2v3 and natalizumab, two humanized IgG4s which bind to human Junctional Adhesion Molecule-A (JAM-A) and alpha4 integrin, respectively. In addition, native MS analysis of bsAb/JAM-A immune complexes revealed that bsAb can bind up to two antigen molecules, confirming that the Hz6F4 family preferentially binds dimeric JAM-A. Our results illustrate how IM-MS can rapidly assess bsAb structural heterogeneity and be easily implemented into MS workflows for bsAb production follow up and bsAb/antigen complex characterization. Altogether, these results provide new MS-based methodologies for in-depth FAE and bsAb formation monitoring. Native MS and IM-MS will play an increasing role in next generation biopharmaceutical product characterization like bsAbs, antibody mixtures, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) as well as for biosimilar and biobetter antibodies.

Generation and Characterization of a Bispecific Antibody Targeting Both PD-1 and c-MET.

PubMed

Wu, Yi; Yu, Min; Sun, Zujun; Hou, Weihua; Wang, Yuxiong; Yuan, Qingyun; Mo, Wei

2018-02-08

Bispecific antibodies, BsAbs, are molecules with the ability to bind to two different epitopes on the same or different antigens. c-MET, cellular-mesenchymal to epithelial transition factor, is deregulated in many types of human malignancies. Abnormal c-MET activation in cancer correlates with poor prognosis. PD-1, programmed death-1, is an additional inhibitory receptor expressed by T cells. Blocking the interactions between PD-1 and PD-L1 has emerged as a promising immunotherapy for treating cancer. The goal of this study was to identify a novel bispecific antibody targeting both c-MET and PD-1 as an anti-cancer therapeutic candidate. The BsAb was produced using 293E expression system and purified by Protein A affinity chromatography. Then the binding specificity and affinity of the BsAb was examined by FACS and biolayer light interferometry. The ability of the BsAb to inhibit the proliferation of tuman cells was measured using the CellTiter 96 Aqueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay kit; the potential signaling pathway involved was identified by Western Blot. Cytokine secreted by PHA-L stimulated PBMC was measured by ELISA. Effects of BsAb on PBMC-mediated lysis of MKN45 cells was measured by LDH cytotoxicity assay. Based on the original sequences of PD-1 and c-MET mAb, a BsAb gene was designed, cloned into pCEP4 vector for expression in 293E cells. The BsAb was obtained after purification of the cell culture supernatant. It can bind to PD-1 and c-MET simultaneously, the calculated affinity was 11.5 nM for PD-1 and 9.09 nM for c-MET. The BsAb enhanced IFN-γ production over control IgG by 2-3 folds. It also inhibit the c-MET pathway activation and the proliferation of tumor cells significantly, comparable to JnJ-38877605. The BsAb showed dose-dependent cytotoxic activity against MKN45 cells. Our results indicated that a novel BsAb recognizing PD-1 and c-MET was successfully generated. It could redirect T cells to kill tumor cells, while retaining its inherent ability to restore T cells and inhibit tumor cells. With this potential, this BsAb could be developed as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of various solid tumors. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Entanglement Dynamics in Miscible Polyisoprene / Poly(p-tert-butyl styrene) Blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Hiroshi

2011-03-01

Viscoelastic and dielectric behavior was examined for well entangled, miscible blends of high- M cis-polyisoprene (PI) and poly(p-tert-butyl styrene) (PtBS). The dielectric data of the blends, reflecting the global motion of the PI chains having the type-A dipoles, indicated that PI and PtBS were the fast and slow components therein. At high temperatures T , the blends exhibited two-step entanglement plateau. The high frequency (ω) plateau height was well described by a simple mixing rule of the entanglement length based on the number fraction of the Kuhn segments. At low T , the blend exhibited the Rouse-like power-law behavior of storage and loss moduli, G ' = G ~ω0.5 , in the range of ω where the high- ω plateau was supposed to emerge. This lack of the high- ω plateau was attributed to retardation of the Rouse equilibration of the PI chain over the entanglement length due to the hindrance from the slow PtBS chains: The PI and PtBS chains were equilibrated cooperatively, and the retardation due to PtBS shortened the plateau for PI to a width not resolved experimentally. A simple model for this cooperative equilibration formulated on the basis of the dielectric data described the viscoelastic data surprisingly well.

Measuring Systems for Thermometer Calibration in Low-Temperature Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szmyrka-Grzebyk, A.; Lipiński, L.; Manuszkiewicz, H.; Kowal, A.; Grykałowska, A.; Jancewicz, D.

2011-12-01

The national temperature standard for the low-temperature range between 13.8033 K and 273.16 K has been established in Poland at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research (INTiBS). The standard consists of sealed cells for realization of six fixed points of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) in the low-temperature range, an adiabatic cryostat and Isotech water and mercury triple-point baths, capsule standard resistance thermometers (CSPRT), and AC and DC bridges with standard resistors for thermometers resistance measurements. INTiBS calibrates CSPRTs at the low-temperature fixed points with uncertainties less than 1 mK. In lower temperature range—between 2.5 K and about 25 K — rhodium-iron (RhFe) resistance thermometers are calibrated by comparison with a standard which participated in the EURAMET.T-K1.1 comparison. INTiBS offers a calibration service for industrial platinum resistance thermometers and for digital thermometers between 77 K and 273 K. These types of thermometers may be calibrated at INTiBS also in a higher temperature range up to 550°C. The Laboratory of Temperature Standard at INTiBS acquired an accreditation from the Polish Centre for Accreditation. A management system according to EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 was established at the Laboratory and presented on EURAMET QSM Forum.

Female breast symptoms in patients attended in the family medicine practice.

PubMed

González-Pérez, Brian; Salas-Flores, Ricardo; Sosa-López, María Lucero; Barrientos-Guerrero, Carlos Eduardo; Hernández-Aguilar, Claudia Magdalena; Gómez-Contreras, Diana Edith; Sánchez-Garza, Jorge Arturo

2013-01-01

there are few studies on breast symptoms (BS) in patients attended at primary care units in Mexico. The aim was to determine the frequency and types of BS overall and by age-group and establish which BS were related to diagnosis of breast cancer. data from all female patients with a breast-disease-related diagnosis, attended from 2006 to 2010, at the Family Medicine Unit 38, were collected. The frequencies of BS were determined by four age-groups (< 19, 20-49, 50-69, > 70 years) and likelihood ratios for breast cancer for each breast-related symptom patient, with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). the most frequent BS in the study population were lump/mass (71.7 %) and breast pain (67.7 %) of all breast complaints, and they were more noted in women age group of 20-49 years. Overall, 120 women had breast cancer diagnosed with a median age of 53.51 + 12.7 years. Breast lump/mass had positive likelihood ratios for breast cancer 4.53 (95 % CI = 2.51-8.17) and breast pain had increased negative LR = 1.08 (95 % CI = 1.05-1.11). breast lump/mass was the predominant presenting complaint among females with breast symptoms in our primary care unit, and it was associated with elevated positive likelihood of breast cancer.

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of L-lactate dehydrogenase and its H171C mutant from Bacillus subtilis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Yanfeng; Gao, Xiaoli

2012-08-31

L-Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is an important enzyme involved in the last step of glycolysis that catalyzes the reversible conversion of pyruvate to L-lactate with the simultaneous oxidation of NADH to NAD{sup +}. In this study, wild-type LDH from Bacillus subtilis (BsLDH-WT) and the H171C mutant (BsLDH-H171C) were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to near-homogeneity. BsLDH-WT was crystallized in the presence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) and NAD{sup +} and the crystal diffracted to 2.38 {angstrom} resolution. The crystal belonged to space group P3, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 171.04, c = 96.27 {angstrom}. BsLDH-H171C was also crystallized asmore » the apoenzyme and in complex with NAD{sup +}, and data sets were collected to 2.20 and 2.49 {angstrom} resolution, respectively. Both BsLDH-H171C crystals belonged to space group P3, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 133.41, c = 99.34 {angstrom} and a = b = 133.43, c = 99.09 {angstrom}, respectively. Tetramers were observed in the asymmetric units of all three crystals.« less

Identification of novel Xanthomonas euvesicatoria type III effector proteins by a machine-learning approach.

PubMed

Teper, Doron; Burstein, David; Salomon, Dor; Gershovitz, Michael; Pupko, Tal; Sessa, Guido

2016-04-01

The Gram-negative bacterium Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xcv) is the causal agent of bacterial spot disease in pepper and tomato. Xcv pathogenicity depends on a type III secretion (T3S) system that delivers effector proteins into host cells to suppress plant immunity and promote disease. The pool of known Xcv effectors includes approximately 30 proteins, most identified in the 85-10 strain by various experimental and computational techniques. To identify additional Xcv 85-10 effectors, we applied a genome-wide machine-learning approach, in which all open reading frames (ORFs) were scored according to their propensity to encode effectors. Scoring was based on a large set of features, including genomic organization, taxonomic dispersion, hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (hrp)-dependent expression, 5' regulatory sequences, amino acid composition bias and GC content. Thirty-six predicted effectors were tested for translocation into plant cells using the hypersensitive response (HR)-inducing domain of AvrBs2 as a reporter. Seven proteins (XopAU, XopAV, XopAW, XopAP, XopAX, XopAK and XopAD) harboured a functional translocation signal and their translocation relied on the HrpF translocon, indicating that they are bona fide T3S effectors. Remarkably, four belong to novel effector families. Inactivation of the xopAP gene reduced the severity of disease symptoms in infected plants. A decrease in cell death and chlorophyll content was observed in pepper leaves inoculated with the xopAP mutant when compared with the wild-type strain. However, populations of the xopAP mutant in infected leaves were similar in size to those of wild-type bacteria, suggesting that the reduction in virulence was not caused by impaired bacterial growth. © 2015 BSPP and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinical and laboratory variability in a cohort of patients diagnosed with type 1 VWD in the United States

PubMed Central

Christopherson, Pamela A.; Gill, Joan Cox; Friedman, Kenneth D.; Haberichter, Sandra L.; Bellissimo, Daniel B.; Udani, Rupa A.; Dasgupta, Mahua; Hoffmann, Raymond G.; Ragni, Margaret V.; Shapiro, Amy D.; Lusher, Jeanne M.; Lentz, Steven R.; Abshire, Thomas C.; Leissinger, Cindy; Hoots, W. Keith; Manco-Johnson, Marilyn J.; Gruppo, Ralph A.; Boggio, Lisa N.; Montgomery, Kate T.; Goodeve, Anne C.; James, Paula D.; Lillicrap, David; Peake, Ian R.; Montgomery, Robert R.

2016-01-01

von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, and type 1 VWD is the most common VWD variant. Despite its frequency, diagnosis of type 1 VWD remains the subject of debate. In order to study the spectrum of type 1 VWD in the United States, the Zimmerman Program enrolled 482 subjects with a previous diagnosis of type 1 VWD without stringent laboratory diagnostic criteria. von Willebrand factor (VWF) laboratory testing and full-length VWF gene sequencing was performed for all index cases and healthy control subjects in a central laboratory. Bleeding phenotype was characterized using the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis bleeding assessment tool. At study entry, 64% of subjects had VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) or VWF ristocetin cofactor activity below the lower limit of normal, whereas 36% had normal VWF levels. VWF sequence variations were most frequent in subjects with VWF:Ag <30 IU/dL (82%), whereas subjects with type 1 VWD and VWF:Ag ≥30 IU/dL had an intermediate frequency of variants (44%). Subjects whose VWF testing was normal at study entry had a similar rate of sequence variations as the healthy controls (14%). All subjects with severe type 1 VWD and VWF:Ag ≤5 IU/dL had an abnormal bleeding score (BS), but otherwise BS did not correlate with VWF:Ag. Subjects with a historical diagnosis of type 1 VWD had similar rates of abnormal BS compared with subjects with low VWF levels at study entry. Type 1 VWD in the United States is highly variable, and bleeding symptoms are frequent in this population. PMID:26862110

Clinical and laboratory variability in a cohort of patients diagnosed with type 1 VWD in the United States.

PubMed

Flood, Veronica H; Christopherson, Pamela A; Gill, Joan Cox; Friedman, Kenneth D; Haberichter, Sandra L; Bellissimo, Daniel B; Udani, Rupa A; Dasgupta, Mahua; Hoffmann, Raymond G; Ragni, Margaret V; Shapiro, Amy D; Lusher, Jeanne M; Lentz, Steven R; Abshire, Thomas C; Leissinger, Cindy; Hoots, W Keith; Manco-Johnson, Marilyn J; Gruppo, Ralph A; Boggio, Lisa N; Montgomery, Kate T; Goodeve, Anne C; James, Paula D; Lillicrap, David; Peake, Ian R; Montgomery, Robert R

2016-05-19

von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, and type 1 VWD is the most common VWD variant. Despite its frequency, diagnosis of type 1 VWD remains the subject of debate. In order to study the spectrum of type 1 VWD in the United States, the Zimmerman Program enrolled 482 subjects with a previous diagnosis of type 1 VWD without stringent laboratory diagnostic criteria. von Willebrand factor (VWF) laboratory testing and full-length VWF gene sequencing was performed for all index cases and healthy control subjects in a central laboratory. Bleeding phenotype was characterized using the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis bleeding assessment tool. At study entry, 64% of subjects had VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) or VWF ristocetin cofactor activity below the lower limit of normal, whereas 36% had normal VWF levels. VWF sequence variations were most frequent in subjects with VWF:Ag <30 IU/dL (82%), whereas subjects with type 1 VWD and VWF:Ag ≥30 IU/dL had an intermediate frequency of variants (44%). Subjects whose VWF testing was normal at study entry had a similar rate of sequence variations as the healthy controls (14%). All subjects with severe type 1 VWD and VWF:Ag ≤5 IU/dL had an abnormal bleeding score (BS), but otherwise BS did not correlate with VWF:Ag. Subjects with a historical diagnosis of type 1 VWD had similar rates of abnormal BS compared with subjects with low VWF levels at study entry. Type 1 VWD in the United States is highly variable, and bleeding symptoms are frequent in this population. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

Mission Assignment Model and Simulation Tool for Different Types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AAA Anti Aircraft Artillery ATO Air Tasking Order BDA Battle Damage Assessment DES Discrete Event Simulation...clock is advanced in small, fixed time steps. Since the value of simulated time is important in DES , an internal variable, called as simulation clock...VEHICLES Yücel Alver Captain, Turkish Air Force B.S., Turkish Air Force Academy, 2000 Murat Özdoğan 1st Lieutenant, Turkish Air Force B.S., Turkish

Spectral method for pricing options in illiquid markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pindza, Edson; Patidar, Kailash C.

2012-09-01

We present a robust numerical method to solve a problem of pricing options in illiquid markets. The governing equation is described by a nonlinear Black-Scholes partial differential equation (BS-PDE) of the reaction-diffusion-advection type. To discretise this BS-PDE numerically, we use a spectral method in the asset (spatial) direction and couple it with a fifth order RADAU method for the discretisation in the time direction. Numerical experiments illustrate that our approach is very efficient for pricing financial options in illiquid markets.

Loss of Type I Collagen Telopeptide Lysyl Hydroxylation Causes Musculoskeletal Abnormalities in a Zebrafish Model of Bruck Syndrome

PubMed Central

Gistelinck, Charlotte; Witten, Paul Eckhard; Huysseune, Ann; Symoens, Sofie; Malfait, Fransiska; Larionova, Daria; Simoens, Pascal; Dierick, Manuel; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; De Paepe, Anne; Kwon, Ronald Y; Weis, MaryAnn; Eyre, David R; Willaert, Andy; Coucke, Paul J

2017-01-01

Bruck syndrome (BS) is a disorder characterized by joint flexion contractures and skeletal dysplasia that shows strong clinical overlap with the brittle bone disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). BS is caused by bi-allelic mutations in either the FKBP10 or the PLOD2 gene. PLOD2 encodes the lysyl hydroxylase 2 (LH2) enzyme, which is responsible for the hydroxylation of lysine residues in fibrillar collagen telopeptides. This hydroxylation directs cross-linking of collagen fibrils in the extracellular matrix, which is necessary to provide stability and tensile integrity to the collagen fibrils. To further elucidate the function of LH2 in vertebrate skeletal development, we created a zebrafish model harboring a homozygous plod2 nonsense mutation resulting in reduced telopeptide hydroxylation and cross-linking of bone type I collagen. Adult plod2 mutants present with a shortened body axis and severe skeletal abnormalities with evidence of bone fragility and fractures. The vertebral column of plod2 mutants is short and scoliotic with compressed vertebrae that show excessive bone formation at the vertebral end plates, and increased tissue mineral density in the vertebral centra. The muscle fibers of mutant zebrafish have a reduced diameter near the horizontal myoseptum. The endomysium, a layer of connective tissue ensheathing the individual muscle fibers, is enlarged. Transmission electron microscopy of mutant vertebral bone shows type I collagen fibrils that are less organized with loss of the typical plywood-like structure. In conclusion, plod2 mutant zebrafish show molecular and tissue abnormalities in the musculoskeletal system that are concordant with clinical findings in BS patients. Therefore, the plod2 zebrafish mutant is a promising model for the elucidation of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms leading to BS and the development of novel therapeutic avenues in this syndrome. PMID:27541483

Strain-Specific V3 and CD4 Binding Site Autologous HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Select Neutralization-Resistant Viruses

DOE PAGES

Moody, M.  Anthony; Gao, Feng; Gurley, Thaddeus  C.; ...

2015-09-09

The third variable (V3) loop and the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) of the viral envelope are frequently targeted by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in HIV-1-infected individuals. In chronic infection, virus escape mutants repopulate the plasma and V3 and CD4bs nAbs emerge that can neutralize heterologous tier 1 easy-to-neutralize, but not tier 2 difficult-to-neutralize HIV-1 isolates. However, neutralization sensitivity of autologous plasma viruses to this type of nAb response has not been studied. We describe the development and evolution in vivo of antibodies distinguished by their target specificity for V3and CD4bs epitopes on autologous tier 2 viruses but not on heterologous tiermore » 2 viruses. A surprisingly high fraction of autologous circulating viruses was sensitive to these antibodies. These findings demonstrate a role for V3 and CD4bs antibodies in constraining the native envelope trimer in vivo to a neutralization-resistant phenotype, explaining why HIV-1 transmission generally occurs by tier 2 neutralization-resistant viruses.« less

Brugada syndrome: two decades of progress.

PubMed

Veerakul, Gumpanart; Nademanee, Koonlawee

2012-01-01

Two decades ago, a series of 8 idiopathic ventricular fibrillation patients who each had an abnormal ECG (right bundle branch block with coved-type ECG), but otherwise had normal hearts were described by Brugada and Brugada. Since then, the clinical entity has become known as Brugada syndrome (BS). Shortly thereafter, mutations of the SCN5A gene that encodes for the α-subunit of the sodium channel were found, galvanizing the field of ion channelopathies following in the footsteps of the breakthrough in long QT syndrome. Over the past 20 years, extensive research in this field has produced major progress toward better understanding of BS and the gaining of knowledge of the genetic background, pathophysiology and new management. Two consensus reports were published to help define the diagnostic criteria, risk stratification and management of BS patients. However, there are controversies. In this review, we will share our experiences of BS patients in Thailand and discuss advances in many aspects of the syndrome (ie, genetics and pathophysiology) and some of these pertinent controversies, as well as new treatment of the syndrome with catheter ablation.

Strain-Specific V3 and CD4 Binding Site Autologous HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Select Neutralization-Resistant Viruses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moody, M.  Anthony; Gao, Feng; Gurley, Thaddeus  C.

The third variable (V3) loop and the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) of the viral envelope are frequently targeted by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in HIV-1-infected individuals. In chronic infection, virus escape mutants repopulate the plasma and V3 and CD4bs nAbs emerge that can neutralize heterologous tier 1 easy-to-neutralize, but not tier 2 difficult-to-neutralize HIV-1 isolates. However, neutralization sensitivity of autologous plasma viruses to this type of nAb response has not been studied. We describe the development and evolution in vivo of antibodies distinguished by their target specificity for V3and CD4bs epitopes on autologous tier 2 viruses but not on heterologous tiermore » 2 viruses. A surprisingly high fraction of autologous circulating viruses was sensitive to these antibodies. These findings demonstrate a role for V3 and CD4bs antibodies in constraining the native envelope trimer in vivo to a neutralization-resistant phenotype, explaining why HIV-1 transmission generally occurs by tier 2 neutralization-resistant viruses.« less

Consequences of C4 differentiation for chloroplast membrane proteomes in maize mesophyll and bundle sheath cells.

PubMed

Majeran, Wojciech; Zybailov, Boris; Ytterberg, A Jimmy; Dunsmore, Jason; Sun, Qi; van Wijk, Klaas J

2008-09-01

Chloroplasts of maize leaves differentiate into specific bundle sheath (BS) and mesophyll (M) types to accommodate C(4) photosynthesis. Chloroplasts contain thylakoid and envelope membranes that contain the photosynthetic machineries and transporters but also proteins involved in e.g. protein homeostasis. These chloroplast membranes must be specialized within each cell type to accommodate C(4) photosynthesis and regulate metabolic fluxes and activities. This quantitative study determined the differentiated state of BS and M chloroplast thylakoid and envelope membrane proteomes and their oligomeric states using innovative gel-based and mass spectrometry-based protein quantifications. This included native gels, iTRAQ, and label-free quantification using an LTQ-Orbitrap. Subunits of Photosystems I and II, the cytochrome b(6)f, and ATP synthase complexes showed average BS/M accumulation ratios of 1.6, 0.45, 1.0, and 1.33, respectively, whereas ratios for the light-harvesting complex I and II families were 1.72 and 0.68, respectively. A 1000-kDa BS-specific NAD(P)H dehydrogenase complex with associated proteins of unknown function containing more than 15 proteins was observed; we speculate that this novel complex possibly functions in inorganic carbon concentration when carboxylation rates by ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase are lower than decarboxylation rates by malic enzyme. Differential accumulation of thylakoid proteases (Egy and DegP), state transition kinases (STN7,8), and Photosystem I and II assembly factors was observed, suggesting that cell-specific photosynthetic electron transport depends on post-translational regulatory mechanisms. BS/M ratios for inner envelope transporters phosphoenolpyruvate/P(i) translocator, Dit1, Dit2, and Mex1 were determined and reflect metabolic fluxes in carbon metabolism. A wide variety of hundreds of other proteins showed differential BS/M accumulation. Mass spectral information and functional annotations are available through the Plant Proteome Database. These data are integrated with previous data, resulting in a model for C(4) photosynthesis, thereby providing new rationales for metabolic engineering of C(4) pathways and targeted analysis of genetic networks that coordinate C(4) differentiation.

Black Stains: a microbiological analysis and a view on familiarity and susceptibility to tooth decay of patients in childhood.

PubMed

Tripodi, D; Martinelli, D; Pasini, M; Giuca, M R; D'Ercole, S

2016-12-01

Assess prevalence, familial predisposition and susceptibility to caries of Black Stains (BS). Evaluate the microbiological composition of BS, saliva and subgingival plaque. Sixty nine subjects with BS (test group) and 120 subjects without BS (control group) were analysed for oral status. For each BS-patient, a BS-deposit, 1 ml of saliva and subgingival plaque were collected and microbiologically analysed. Five deciduous teeth with BS were observed under SEM. This study showed a BS prevalence similar to that of the Mediterranean area and a familiality. The microbiological origin of BS was confirmed by SEM and culture method and the BS flora differ from that of supragingival plaque. Predominance in BS and saliva of Actinomycetes and the low salivary prevalence of S. mutans and L. acidophilus may be related with low caries incidence in BS patients. The high presence of Actinomyces spp can be a causative factor for BS.

Feeding of banana flower and pseudostem to diabetic rats results in modulation of renal GLUTs, TGFβ, PKC and extracellular matrix components.

PubMed

Jamuna, J B; Nandini, C D

2014-06-01

Sustained hyperglycemia as a result of diabetes mellitus results in over-expression of glucose transporters (GLUTs/SGLTs), protein kinase C-α (PKC-α) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in kidney which increases synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components leading to diabetic nephropathy. Previous results from our laboratory showed that banana flower (BF) and pseudostem (BS) ameliorated diabetic complications and reduced formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). In this study, attempts were made to delineate the changes observed in GLUTs and ECM components in kidney by feeding BF and BS at the molecular level. Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by injecting streptozotocin. Rats were fed with standard AIN-76 diet or diet supplemented with 5% BF or BS. Rats fed with diet supplemented with aminoguanidine (0.05%) were used as a positive control. Effect of BF and BS on expression of GLUTs/SGLTs, PKC and TGF β in kidney was evaluated by RT-PCR and accumulation of ECM components in kidney was quantitated by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. BF and BS modulated the over-expression of GLUT 1, 2, 5, SGLT 1, 2 and factors such as PKC-α and TGF-β to various extents. This impinged on the synthesis of ECM components like laminin, fibronectin and type-IV collagen. The results suggest that BF and BS reduce the diabetic nephropathy complications which are accompanied by changes at the molecular level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimum allocation of test resources and comparison of breeding strategies for hybrid wheat.

PubMed

Longin, C Friedrich H; Mi, Xuefei; Melchinger, Albrecht E; Reif, Jochen C; Würschum, Tobias

2014-10-01

The use of a breeding strategy combining the evaluation of line per se with testcross performance maximizes annual selection gain for hybrid wheat breeding. Recent experimental studies confirmed a high commercial potential for hybrid wheat requiring the design of optimum breeding strategies. Our objectives were to (1) determine the optimum allocation of the type and number of testers, the number of test locations and the number of doubled haploid lines for different breeding strategies, (2) identify the best breeding strategy and (3) elaborate key parameters for an efficient hybrid wheat breeding program. We performed model calculations using the selection gain for grain yield as target variable to optimize the number of lines, testers and test locations in four different breeding strategies. A breeding strategy (BS2) combining the evaluation of line per se performance and general combining ability (GCA) had a far larger annual selection gain across all considered scenarios than a breeding strategy (BS1) focusing only on GCA. In the combined strategy, the production of testcross seed conducted in parallel with the first yield trial for line per se performance (BS2rapid) resulted in a further increase of the annual selection gain. For the current situation in hybrid wheat, this relative superiority of the strategy BS2rapid amounted to 67 % in annual selection gain compared to BS1. Varying a large number of parameters, we identified the high costs for hybrid seed production and the low variance of GCA in hybrid wheat breeding as key parameters limiting selection gain in BS2rapid.

Ionospheric Response to Solar Flares Using an Improved Version of SAMI2

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION ...Reich III, AAS, B.S. Captain, USAF March 2008 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED AFrT/GAP/ENP/0&M08 Approved: IoNospHERrc RpspoxsE To...This region plays a key role in the absorption of HF-radio signals, especially very low frequency (VLF) signals used in military communications

Immunoglobulin Fc Heterodimer Platform Technology: From Design to Applications in Therapeutic Antibodies and Proteins.

PubMed

Ha, Ji-Hee; Kim, Jung-Eun; Kim, Yong-Sung

2016-01-01

The monospecific and bivalent characteristics of naturally occurring immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies depend on homodimerization of the fragment crystallizable (Fc) regions of two identical heavy chains (HCs) and the subsequent assembly of two identical light chains (LCs) via disulfide linkages between each HC and LC. Immunoglobulin Fc heterodimers have been engineered through modifications to the CH3 domain interface, with different mutations on each domain such that the engineered Fc fragments, carrying the CH3 variant pair, preferentially form heterodimers rather than homodimers. Many research groups have adopted different strategies to generate Fc heterodimers, with the goal of high heterodimerization yield, while retaining biophysical and biological properties of the wild-type Fc. Based on their ability to enforce heterodimerization between the two different HCs, the established Fc heterodimers have been extensively exploited as a scaffold to generate bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) in full-length IgG and IgG-like formats. These have many of the favorable properties of natural IgG antibodies, such as high stability, long serum half-life, low immunogenicity, and immune effector functions. As of July 2016, more than seven heterodimeric Fc-based IgG-format bsAbs are being evaluated in clinical trials. In addition to bsAbs, heterodimeric Fc technology is very promising for the generation of Fc-fused proteins and peptides, as well as cytokines (immunocytokines), which can present the fusion partners in the natural monomeric or heterodimeric form rather than the artificial homodimeric form with wild-type Fc. Here, we present relevant concepts and strategies for the generation of heterodimeric Fc proteins, and their application in the development of bsAbs in diverse formats for optimal biological activity. In addition, we describe wild-type Fc-fused monomeric and heterodimeric proteins, along with the difficulties associated with their preparations, and discuss the use of heterodimeric Fc as an alternative scaffold of wild-type Fc for naturally monomeric or heterodimeric proteins, to create Fc-fusion proteins with novel therapeutic modality.

Bundle Sheath Diffusive Resistance to CO2 and Effectiveness of C4 Photosynthesis and Refixation of Photorespired CO2 in a C4 Cycle Mutant and Wild-Type Amaranthus edulis1

PubMed Central

Kiirats, Olavi; Lea, Peter J.; Franceschi, Vincent R.; Edwards, Gerald E.

2002-01-01

A mutant of the NAD-malic enzyme-type C4 plant, Amaranthus edulis, which lacks phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in the mesophyll cells was studied. Analysis of CO2 response curves of photosynthesis of the mutant, which has normal Kranz anatomy but lacks a functional C4 cycle, provided a direct means of determining the liquid phase-diffusive resistance of atmospheric CO2 to sites of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylation inside bundle sheath (BS) chloroplasts (rbs) within intact plants. Comparisons were made with excised shoots of wild-type plants fed 3,3-dichloro-2-(dihydroxyphosphinoyl-methyl)-propenoate, an inhibitor of PEPC. Values of rbs in A. edulis were 70 to 180 m2 s−1 mol−1, increasing as the leaf matured. This is about 70-fold higher than the liquid phase resistance for diffusion of CO2 to Rubisco in mesophyll cells of C3 plants. The values of rbs in A. edulis are sufficient for C4 photosynthesis to elevate CO2 in BS cells and to minimize photorespiration. The calculated CO2 concentration in BS cells, which is dependent on input of rbs, was about 2,000 μbar under maximum rates of CO2 fixation, which is about six times the ambient level of CO2. High re-assimilation of photorespired CO2 was demonstrated in both mutant and wild-type plants at limiting CO2 concentrations, which can be explained by high rbs. Increasing O2 from near zero up to ambient levels under low CO2, resulted in an increase in the gross rate of O2 evolution measured by chlorophyll fluorescence analysis in the PEPC mutant; this increase was simulated from a Rubisco kinetic model, which indicates effective refixation of photorespired CO2 in BS cells. PMID:12376660

Vascular barrier protective effects of 3-N- or 3-O-cinnamoyl carbazole derivatives.

PubMed

Ku, Sae-Kwang; Lee, Jee-Hyun; O, Yuseok; Lee, Wonhwa; Song, Gyu-Yong; Bae, Jong-Sup

2015-10-01

In this Letter, we investigated the barrier protective effects of 3-N-(MeO)n-cinnamoyl carbazoles (BS 1; n=1, BS 2; n=2, BS 3; n=3) and 3-O-(MeO)3-cinnamoyl carbazole (BS 4) against high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)-mediated vascular disruptive responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in mice for the first time. Data showed that BS 2, BS 3, and BS 4, but not BS 1, inhibited HMGB1-mediated vascular disruptive responses and transendothelial migration of human neutrophils to HUVECs. BS 2, BS3, and BS 4 also suppressed HMGB1-induced hyperpermeability and leukocyte migration in mice. Interestingly, the barrier protective effects of BS 3 and BS 4 were better than those of BS 2. These results suggest that the number of methoxy groups substituted on the cinnamamide or cinnamate moiety of the 9H-3-carbazole derivative is an important pharmacophore for the barrier protective effects of these compounds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel biodegradable aliphatic poly(butylene succinate-co-cyclic carbonate)s bearing functionalizable carbonate building blocks: II. Enzymatic biodegradation and in vitro biocompatibility assay.

PubMed

Yang, Jing; Tian, Weisheng; Li, Qiaobo; Li, Yang; Cao, Amin

2004-01-01

In a previous study, we have reported chemical synthesis of novel aliphatic poly(butylene succinate-co-cyclic carbonate) P(BS-co-CC)s bearing various functionalizable carbonate building blocks, and this work will continue to present our new studies on their enzymatic degradation and in vitro cell biocompatibility assay. First, enzymatic degradation of the novel P(BS-co-CC) film samples was investigated with two enzymes of lipase B Candida Antartic (Novozyme 435) and lipase Porcine Pancreas PPL, and it was revealed that copolymerizing linear poly(butylene succinate) PBS with a functionalizable carbonate building block could remarkably accelerate the enzymatic degradation of a synthesized product P(BS-co-CC), and its biodegradation behavior was found to strongly depend on the overall impacts of several important factors as the cyclic carbonate (CC) comonomer structure and molar content, molar mass, thermal characteristics, morphology, the enzyme-substrate specificity, and so forth. Further, the biodegraded residual film samples and water-soluble enzymatic degradation products were allowed to be analyzed by means of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), gel permeation chromatograph (GPC), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), attenuated total reflection FTIR (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). On the experimental evidences, an exo-type mechanism of enzymatic chain hydrolysis preferentially occurring in the noncrystalline domains was suggested for the synthesized new P(BS-co-CC) film samples. With regard to their cell biocompatibilities, an assay with NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell was conducted using the novel synthesized P(BS-co-CC) films as substrates with respect to the cell adhesion and proliferation, and these new biodegradable P(BS-co-CC) samples were found to exhibit as low cell toxicity as the PLLA control, particularly the two samples of poly(butylene succinate-co-18.7 mol % dimethyl trimethylene carbonate) P(BS-co-18.7 mol % DMTMC) and poly(butylene succinate-co-21.9 mol % 5-benzyloxy trimethylene carbonate) P(BS-co-21.9 mol % BTMC) were interestingly found to show much better cell biocompatibilities than the PLLA reference.

Novel highly luminescent amine-functionalized bridged silsesquioxanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Rui F. P.; Nunes, Sílvia C.; Toquer, Guillaume; Cardoso, Marita A.; Valente, Artur J. M.; Ferro, Marta C.; Silva, Maria M.; Carlos, Luís D.; Ferreira, Rute A. S.; de Zea Bermudez, Verónica

2017-12-01

Amine-functionalized bridged silsesquioxanes were synthesized from bis[(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl] amine via a solvent-mediated route. BS-1 and BS-2 were obtained with neutral pH with sub- and stoichiometric amounts of water, respectively, and high tetrahydrofuran content. BS-3 was prepared with hyperstoichiometric water concentration, high tetrahydrofuran content and hydrochloric acid. BS-4 was synthesized with hyperstoichiometric water concentration, high ethanol content and sodium hydroxide. BS-1 and BS-2 were produced as transparent films, whereas BS-3 and BS-4 formed white powders. Face-to-face stacking of flat or folded lamellae yielded quasi-hydrophobic platelets with emission quantum yields of 0.05±0.01 (BS-1 and BS-2) or superhydrophilic onion-like nanoparticles with exciting emission quantum yields of 0.38±0.03 (BS-3) and 0.33±0.04 (BS-4), respectively. The latter two values are the largest ever reported for amine-functionalized siloxane-based hybrids lacking aromatic groups. Fast Grotthus proton hopping between =NH2+/=NH groups (BS-3) and =N-/=NH groups (BS-4), promoted by H+ and OH- ions, respectively, and aided by short amine-amine contacts provided by the onion-like morphology, account for this unique optical behavior.

Residual glass and crystalline phases in a barium disilicate glass–ceramic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Araujo, Marcel C.C.; Botta, Walter J.; Kaufmann, Michael J.

2015-12-15

Investigations about the presence of residual glass are scarce, despite its fundamental role in the crystallization kinetics and luminescent properties of barium disilicate glass–ceramics (BaO·2SiO{sub 2}–BS{sub 2}) with a quasi-stoichiometric composition. Non-isothermal (DTA/DSC) experiments have demonstrated that BS{sub 2} presents a polymorphic transformation, where the h-BS{sub 2} (monoclinic structure) phase is completely transformed in l-BS{sub 2} (orthorhombic structure) at temperatures higher than 1020 °C (10 °C/min). In this study, BS{sub 2} monolithic samples were heat-treated at 1000 °C (BS2-10) and 1100 °C (BS2-11) in a DSC furnace at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. In addition, the crystalline and amorphousmore » phases were characterized and quantified by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) experiments, respectively. Although the complete polymorphic transformation from h-BS2 to l-BS2 was achieved at 1100 °C, our results demonstrated that BS2-11 contains a minor, albeit not negligible, amount of residual glass. - Highlights: • The crystalline and amorphous phases in a barium disilicate glass were characterized and quantified by XRD and TEM. • The BS2-10 sample was constituted by two main crystalline phases, which consists of 2 polymorphic forms: h-BS2 and l-BS2. • The orthorhombic BS2 phase (l-BS2) was predominant at 1100 °C. • The complete polymorphic transformation from h-BS2 to l-BS2 was achieved at 1100 °C. • Nevertheless, our XRD and TEM results demonstrated that BS2-11 contains a minor amount of residual glass.« less

Observation of Bs(0)-Bs(0) oscillations.

PubMed

Abulencia, A; Adelman, J; Affolder, T; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Ambrose, D; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Anikeev, K; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Aoki, M; Apollinari, G; Arguin, J-F; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Bedeschi, F; Behari, S; Belforte, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Budroni, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carrillo, S; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, I; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciljak, M; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Coca, M; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cooper, B; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Crescioli, F; Almenar, C Cuenca; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Cyr, D; DaRonco, S; D'Auria, S; Davies, T; D'Onofrio, M; Dagenhart, D; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lentdecker, G; Dell'Orso, M; Delli Paoli, F; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; De Pedis, D; Derwent, P F; Di Giovanni, G P; Dionisi, C; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; DiTuro, P; Dörr, C; Donati, S; Donega, M; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Efron, J; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, I; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Foland, A; Forrester, S; Foster, G W; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Frisch, H J; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garcia, J E; Garberson, F; Garfinkel, A F; Gay, C; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Giagu, S; Giannetti, P; Gibson, A; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Giurgiu, G; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Goldstein, J; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Griffiths, M; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Group, R C; Grundler, U; da Costa, J Guimaraes; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Hamilton, A; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Holloway, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ishizawa, Y; Ivanov, A; Iyutin, B; James, E; Jang, D; Jayatilaka, B; Jeans, D; Jensen, H; Jeon, E J; Jindariani, S; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kemp, Y; Kephart, R; Kerzel, U; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Klute, M; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kovalev, A; Kraan, A C; Kraus, J; Kravchenko, I; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kubo, T; Kuhlmann, S E; Kuhr, T; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lai, S; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; LeCompte, T; Lee, J; Lee, J; Lee, Y J; Lee, S W; Lefèvre, R; Leonardo, N; Leone, S; Levy, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C; Lin, C S; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Liss, T M; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Loverre, P; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; MacQueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Manca, G; Margaroli, F; Marginean, R; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, M; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Masubuchi, T; Matsunaga, H; Mattson, M E; Mazini, R; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzemer, S; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Messina, A; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miles, J; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyamoto, A; Moed, S; Moggi, N; Mohr, B; Moore, R; Morello, M; Fernandez, P Movilla; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Nachtman, J; Nagano, A; Naganoma, J; Nahn, S; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nigmanov, T; Nodulman, L; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Oldeman, R; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prokoshin, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptochos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ranjan, N; Rappoccio, S; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Sabik, S; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Saltó, O; Saltzberg, D; Sánchez, C; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savard, P; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfyrla, A; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Sjolin, J; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spinella, F; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; Staveris-Polykalas, A; Denis, R St; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sun, H; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Takikawa, K; Tanaka, M; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tsuchiya, R; Tsuno, S; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Unverhau, T; Uozumi, S; Usynin, D; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Veramendi, G; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vollrath, I; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner, J; Wagner, W; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waschke, S; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, T; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zhang, X; Zhou, J; Zucchelli, S

2006-12-15

We report the observation of Bs(0)-Bs(0) oscillations from a time-dependent measurement of the Bs(0)-Bs(0) oscillation frequency Deltams. Using a data sample of 1 fb(-1) of pp collisions at square root of s=1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron, we find signals of 5600 fully reconstructed hadronic Bs decays, 3100 partially reconstructed hadronic Bs decays, and 61,500 partially reconstructed semileptonic Bs decays. We measure the probability as a function of proper decay time that the Bs decays with the same, or opposite, flavor as the flavor at production, and we find a signal for Bs(0)-Bs(0) oscillations. The probability that random fluctuations could produce a comparable signal is 8 x 10(-8), which exceeds 5sigma significance. We measure Deltams=17.77 +/- 0.10(stat) +/- 0.07(syst) ps(-1) and extract /V(td)/V(ts)/=0.2060+/-0.0007(Deltams)(-0.0060)(+0.008)(Deltamd+theor).

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

-default {border-left-color: #777;} .bs-callout-default h4 {color: #777;} .bs-callout-primary {border-left -color: #428bca;} .bs-callout-primary h4 {color: #428bca;} .bs-callout-success {border-left-color : #5cb85c;} .bs-callout-success h4 {color: #5cb85c;} .bs-callout-danger {border-left-color: #d9534f;} .bs

A score model to predict risk of events in patients with Brugada Syndrome.

PubMed

Sieira, Juan; Conte, Giulio; Ciconte, Giuseppe; Chierchia, Gian-Battista; Casado-Arroyo, Ruben; Baltogiannis, Giannis; Di Giovanni, Giacomo; Saitoh, Yukio; Juliá, Justo; Mugnai, Giacomo; La Meir, Mark; Wellens, Francis; Czapla, Jens; Pappaert, Gudrun; de Asmundis, Carlo; Brugada, Pedro

2017-06-07

Risk stratification in Brugada Syndrome (BS) remains challenging. Arrhythmic events can occur life-long and studies with long follow-ups are sparse. The aim of our study was to investigate long-term prognosis and risk stratification of BS patients. A single centre consecutive cohort of 400 BS patients was included and analysed. Mean age was 41.1 years, 78 patients (19.5%) had a spontaneous type I electrocardiogram (ECG). Clinical presentation was aborted sudden cardiac death (SCD) in 20 patients (5.0%), syncope in 111 (27.8%) and asymptomatic in 269 (67.3%). Familial antecedents of SCD were found in 184 individuals (46.0%), in 31 (7.8%) occurred in first-degree relatives younger than 35 years. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was placed in 176 (44.0%). During a mean follow-up of 80.7 months, 34 arrhythmic events occurred (event rate: 1.4% year). Variables significantly associated to events were: presentation as aborted SCD (Hazard risk [HR] 20.0), syncope (HR 3.7), spontaneous type I (HR 2.7), male gender (HR 2.7), early SCD in first-degree relatives (HR 2.9), SND (HR 5.0), inducible VA (HR 4.7) and proband status (HR 2.1). A score including ECG pattern, early familial SCD antecedents, inducible electrophysiological study, presentation as syncope or as aborted SCD and SND had a predictive performance of 0.82. A score greater than 2 conferred a 5-year event probability of 9.2%. BS patients remain at risk many years after diagnosis. Early SCD in first-degree relatives and SND are risk factors for arrhythmic events. A simple risk score might help in the stratification and management of BS patients. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Measurement of the Bs0-Bs0 oscillation frequency.

PubMed

Abulencia, A; Acosta, D; Adelman, J; Affolder, T; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Ambrose, D; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Anikeev, K; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Aoki, M; Apollinari, G; Arguin, J-F; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Bachacou, H; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Bedeschi, F; Behari, S; Belforte, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Ben Haim, E; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chapman, J; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, I; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Chu, P H; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciljak, M; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Coca, M; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cooper, B; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Crescioli, F; Cruz, A; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cyr, D; DaRonco, S; D'Auria, S; D'Onofrio, M; Dagenhart, D; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lentdecker, G; Dell'Orso, M; Delli Paoli, F; Demers, S; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; De Pedis, D; Derwent, P F; Di Giovanni, G P; Di Ruzza, B; Dionisi, C; Dittmann, J R; DiTuro, P; Dörr, C; Donati, S; Donega, M; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Ebina, K; Efron, J; Ehlers, J; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, I; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Flores-Castillo, L R; Foland, A; Forrester, S; Foster, G W; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Frisch, H J; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garcia, J E; Garcia Sciveres, M; Garfinkel, A F; Gay, C; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Giagu, S; Giannetti, P; Gibson, A; Gibson, K; Ginsburg, C; Giokaris, N; Giolo, K; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Giurgiu, G; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Goldstein, J; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Gotra, Y; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Griffiths, M; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Group, R C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, S R; Hahn, K; Halkiadakis, E; Hamilton, A; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Hays, C; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Herndon, M; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Holloway, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ishizawa, Y; Ivanov, A; Iyutin, B; James, E; Jang, D; Jayatilaka, B; Jeans, D; Jensen, H; Jeon, E J; Jindariani, S; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kang, J; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kemp, Y; Kephart, R; Kerzel, U; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Klute, M; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Kobayashi, H; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kovalev, A; Kraan, A; Kraus, J; Kravchenko, I; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kuhlmann, S E; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lai, S; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; LeCompte, T; Lee, J; Lee, J; Lee, Y J; Lee, S W; Lefèvre, R; Leonardo, N; Leone, S; Levy, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C; Lin, C S; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Liss, T M; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Loverre, P; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; MacQueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Manca, G; Margaroli, F; Marginean, R; Marino, C; Martin, A; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Matsunaga, H; Mattson, M E; Mazini, R; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Menzemer, S; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Messina, A; von der Mey, M; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miles, J; Miller, R; Miller, J S; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Miquel, R; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyamoto, A; Moggi, N; Mohr, B; Moore, R; Morello, M; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Nachtman, J; Naganoma, J; Nahn, S; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Naumov, D; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nigmanov, T; Nodulman, L; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Ogawa, T; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Okusawa, T; Oldeman, R; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Paoletti, R; Papadimitriou, V; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Rakitin, A; Rappoccio, S; Ratnikov, F; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; van Remortel, N; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robertson, W J; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Rott, C; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Sabik, S; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Saltó, O; Saltzberg, D; Sanchez, C; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savard, P; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfiligoi, I; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Sjolin, J; Skiba, A; Slaughter, A J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spezziga, M; Spinella, F; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; Staveris-Polykalas, A; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sumorok, K; Sun, H; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Takikawa, K; Tanaka, M; Tanaka, R; Tanimoto, N; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Tether, S; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Tönnesmann, M; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tsuchiya, R; Tsuno, S; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Unverhau, T; Uozumi, S; Usynin, D; Vaiciulis, A; Vallecorsa, S; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Velev, G; Veramendi, G; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vollrath, I; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner, W; Wallny, R; Walter, T; Wan, Z; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waschke, S; Waters, D; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, T; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zetti, F; Zhang, X; Zhou, J; Zucchelli, S

2006-08-11

We present the first precise measurement of the Bs0-Bs0 oscillation frequency Deltams. We use 1 fb-1 of data from pp collisions at sqrts=1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The sample contains signals of 3600 fully reconstructed hadronic Bs decays and 37,000 partially reconstructed semileptonic Bs decays. We measure the probability as a function of proper decay time that the Bs decays with the same, or opposite, flavor as the flavor at production, and we find a signal consistent with Bs0-Bs0 oscillations. The probability that random fluctuations could produce a comparable signal is 0.2%. Under the hypothesis that the signal is due to Bs0-Bs0 oscillations, we measure Deltams=17.31(-0.18)+0.33(stat)+/-0.07(syst) ps-1 and determine |Vtd/Vts|=0.208(-0.002)+0.001(expt)-0.006(+0.008)(theor).

Greece and Oman: Successful Anglo/American Counterinsurgencies Viewed from Current American Counterinsurgency Doctrine

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-12

MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE Military History by CLOYD A. SMITH JR., MAJOR, USA B.S., Education, Slippery Rock University, Slippery...THIS PAGE 19b. PHONE NUMBER (include area code) (U) (U) (U) (U) 143 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 iii MASTER OF...want to thank my mother who has encouraged me throughout my life to always do my best. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND

Confederate King of Battle: A Comparison of the Field Artillery Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-12

degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE Military History by WILLIAM JEFFREY DANIELS MAJOR USA B.S Excelsior College, Albany, NY...Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 iii MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Name of Candidate: WILLIAM...Daniels, and my wife, Lydia Daniels, for their support and encouragement during this year. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page MASTER OF MILITARY ART

Adaptation and Study of AIDS Viruses in Animal and Cell Culture Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-28

Cancer Res 1985;44,69-120. 23. Armstrong D, and Walzer P: Experimental infections in the nude mouse. In: The Nude Mouse in Experimental and Clinical...3558-3564. 42. Reka S, Borcich A, Cronin W, Kotler DP: Intestinal HIV infection in AIDS and ARC: correlation with tissue content of p24 and...Assistant II (28 Aug 1989-20 Feb 1990) 100% effort Otho (Sonny) Armstrong , B.S., Research Assistant III (16April 1990-6April 1991) 100% effort Ada

Major microbiota dysbiosis in severe obesity: fate after bariatric surgery.

PubMed

Aron-Wisnewsky, Judith; Prifti, Edi; Belda, Eugeni; Ichou, Farid; Kayser, Brandon D; Dao, Maria Carlota; Verger, Eric O; Hedjazi, Lyamine; Bouillot, Jean-Luc; Chevallier, Jean-Marc; Pons, Nicolas; Le Chatelier, Emmanuelle; Levenez, Florence; Ehrlich, Stanislav Dusko; Dore, Joel; Zucker, Jean-Daniel; Clément, Karine

2018-06-13

Decreased gut microbial gene richness (MGR) and compositional changes are associated with adverse metabolism in overweight or moderate obesity, but lack characterisation in severe obesity. Bariatric surgery (BS) improves metabolism and inflammation in severe obesity and is associated with gut microbiota modifications. Here, we characterised severe obesity-associated dysbiosis (ie, MGR, microbiota composition and functional characteristics) and assessed whether BS would rescue these changes. Sixty-one severely obese subjects, candidates for adjustable gastric banding (AGB, n=20) or Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass (RYGB, n=41), were enrolled. Twenty-four subjects were followed at 1, 3 and 12 months post-BS. Gut microbiota and serum metabolome were analysed using shotgun metagenomics and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Confirmation groups were included. Low gene richness (LGC) was present in 75% of patients and correlated with increased trunk-fat mass and comorbidities (type 2 diabetes, hypertension and severity). Seventy-eight metagenomic species were altered with LGC, among which 50% were associated with adverse body composition and metabolic phenotypes. Nine serum metabolites (including glutarate , 3-methoxyphenylacetic acid and L-histidine ) and functional modules containing protein families involved in their metabolism were strongly associated with low MGR. BS increased MGR 1 year postsurgery, but most RYGB patients remained with low MGR 1 year post-BS, despite greater metabolic improvement than AGB patients. We identified major gut microbiota alterations in severe obesity, which include decreased MGR and related functional pathways linked with metabolic deteriorations. The lack of full rescue post-BS calls for additional strategies to improve the gut microbiota ecosystem and microbiome-host interactions in severe obesity. NCT01454232. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Investigating backward scattered second harmonic generation from various mouse collagen tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Mengzhe; Tian, Yunxian; Chong, Shau Poh; Zhao, Jianhua; Zeng, Haishan; Tang, Shuo

2014-02-01

A confocal multiphoton microscopy system with various detection pinholes was used to differentiate backward scattered second harmonic generation (BS-SHG) from backward generated SHG (BG-SHG) based on the fact that BS-SHG is more scattered and therefore has a much bigger spot size than BG-SHG. BS-SHG is quantified from two types of mouse tissues, such as Achilles tendon, and skin, and at various focal depths. It is found that the BS-SHG contributes less to the total backward SHG for the skin than Achilles tendon with thicknesses of around three hundred micrometers. For tissue with larger F/B intensity ratio such as Achilles tendon, increasing the tissue thickness reduces it tremendously. However, for tissue with smaller F/B intensity ratio, tissue thickness increment does not alter it significantly. In addition, larger F/B intensity ratio might be related with a greater scattering coefficient from our Achilles tendon and skin comparison. When the focal point is moved deeper into tissue, the contribution of BS-SHG is found to decrease due to a reduced pass length of the forward propagated photons. On the contrary, when the tissue thickness increases, the contribution of the BS-SHG is increased. These observations for thicker skin tissues are related with our F/B intensity ratio measurement for thin mouse skin sample in terms of that the magnitude of backward generated SHG are dominant among the total backward SHG in mouse skin tissue. Considering the phase mismatching condition in the forward and backward directions, these results may indicate that quasi-phase matching originating from the regular structure of collagen could help with reducing the phase mismatch especially in the backward direction.

The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Thyroid Function and Medication Use in Patients with Hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Zendel, Alex; Abu-Ghanem, Yasmin; Dux, Joseph; Mor, Eyal; Zippel, Douglas; Goitein, David

2017-08-01

Bariatric surgery (BS) is effective in treating obesity and its associated comorbidities. However, there is a paucity of data on the effect of BS on thyroid function in hypothyroid patients, specifically in those treated with thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THR). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of BS on thyroid function and on THR dosage in patients with hypothyroidism. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of all hypothyroid patients who underwent BS between 2010 and 2014 was performed. Data collected included demographic and anthropometric measurements, as well as changes in thyroid hormone levels and THR dosage up to a year from surgery. During the study period, 93 hypothyroid patients (85 females, 91%), 83 of which treated with replacement thyroid hormone, underwent BS. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy was performed in 77 (82.8%) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 16 patients. Average age and body mass index (BMI) were 46.6 ± 11.2 years and 43.7 ± 6.4 kg/m 2 , respectively. Mean BMI and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) significantly deceased after 6 and 12 months following surgery whereas mean free T4 levels remained stable. TSH decrease was directly correlated to baseline TSH but not to BMI reduction. One year after surgery, 11 patients (13.2%) did not require THR, while the rest required a significantly lower average dose (P < 0.02). There is a favorable effect of BS on the hypothyroid bariatric population. This includes improvement of thyroid function and reduction of thyroid medication dosages. Further studies are required to evaluate an influence of THR absorption and compare different types of bariatric surgeries.

SUMO regulates p21Cip1 intracellular distribution and with p21Cip1 facilitates multiprotein complex formation in the nucleolus upon DNA damage.

PubMed

Brun, Sonia; Abella, Neus; Berciano, Maria T; Tapia, Olga; Jaumot, Montserrat; Freire, Raimundo; Lafarga, Miguel; Agell, Neus

2017-01-01

We previously showed that p21Cip1 transits through the nucleolus on its way from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and that DNA damage inhibits this transit and induces the formation of p21Cip1-containing intranucleolar bodies (INoBs). Here, we demonstrate that these INoBs also contain SUMO-1 and UBC9, the E2 SUMO-conjugating enzyme. Furthermore, whereas wild type SUMO-1 localized in INoBs, a SUMO-1 mutant, which is unable to conjugate with proteins, does not, suggesting the presence of SUMOylated proteins at INoBs. Moreover, depletion of the SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9 or the sumo hydrolase SENP2 changed p21Cip1 intracellular distribution. In addition to SUMO-1 and p21Cip1, cell cycle regulators and DNA damage checkpoint proteins, including Cdk2, Cyclin E, PCNA, p53 and Mdm2, and PML were also detected in INoBs. Importantly, depletion of UBC9 or p21Cip1 impacted INoB biogenesis and the nucleolar accumulation of the cell cycle regulators and DNA damage checkpoint proteins following DNA damage. The impact of p21Cip1 and SUMO-1 on the accumulation of proteins in INoBs extends also to CRM1, a nuclear exportin that is also important for protein translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleolus. Thus, SUMO and p21Cip1 regulate the transit of proteins through the nucleolus, and that disruption of nucleolar export by DNA damage induces SUMO and p21Cip1 to act as hub proteins to form a multiprotein complex in the nucleolus.

SUMO regulates p21Cip1 intracellular distribution and with p21Cip1 facilitates multiprotein complex formation in the nucleolus upon DNA damage

PubMed Central

Brun, Sonia; Abella, Neus; Berciano, Maria T.; Tapia, Olga; Jaumot, Montserrat; Freire, Raimundo; Lafarga, Miguel

2017-01-01

We previously showed that p21Cip1 transits through the nucleolus on its way from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and that DNA damage inhibits this transit and induces the formation of p21Cip1-containing intranucleolar bodies (INoBs). Here, we demonstrate that these INoBs also contain SUMO-1 and UBC9, the E2 SUMO-conjugating enzyme. Furthermore, whereas wild type SUMO-1 localized in INoBs, a SUMO-1 mutant, which is unable to conjugate with proteins, does not, suggesting the presence of SUMOylated proteins at INoBs. Moreover, depletion of the SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9 or the sumo hydrolase SENP2 changed p21Cip1 intracellular distribution. In addition to SUMO-1 and p21Cip1, cell cycle regulators and DNA damage checkpoint proteins, including Cdk2, Cyclin E, PCNA, p53 and Mdm2, and PML were also detected in INoBs. Importantly, depletion of UBC9 or p21Cip1 impacted INoB biogenesis and the nucleolar accumulation of the cell cycle regulators and DNA damage checkpoint proteins following DNA damage. The impact of p21Cip1 and SUMO-1 on the accumulation of proteins in INoBs extends also to CRM1, a nuclear exportin that is also important for protein translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleolus. Thus, SUMO and p21Cip1 regulate the transit of proteins through the nucleolus, and that disruption of nucleolar export by DNA damage induces SUMO and p21Cip1 to act as hub proteins to form a multiprotein complex in the nucleolus. PMID:28582471

Adenocarcinoma of the Right Colon in a Patient with Bloom Syndrome

PubMed Central

Rossi, Debora Helena; Ayrizono, Maria de Lourdes Setsuko; Leal, Raquel Franco; Coy, Cláudio Saddy Rodrigues

2016-01-01

Introduction. Bloom syndrome (BS) is an inherited disorder due to mutation in BLM gene. The diagnosis of BS should be considered in patients with growth retardation of prenatal onset, a photosensitive rash in a butterfly distribution over the cheeks, and an increased risk of cancer at an early age. Clinical manifestations also include short stature, dolichocephaly, prominent ears, micrognathia, malar hypoplasia and a high-pitched voice, immunodeficiency, type II diabetes, and hypogonadism associated with male infertility and female subfertility. The aim of this report is to describe case of patient with BS who developed adenocarcinoma of the cecum, successfully treated by right colectomy. Case Report. A 40-year-old man underwent colonoscopy to investigate the cause of his diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia. The patient knew that he was a carrier of BS diagnosed at young age. The colonoscopy showed an expansive and vegetating mass with 5.5 cm in diameter, located within the ascending colon. Histopathological analysis of tissue fragments collected during colonoscopy confirmed the presence of tubular adenocarcinoma, and he was referred for an oncological right colectomy. The procedure was performed without complications, and the patient was discharged on the fifth postoperative day. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the presence of a grade II tubular adenocarcinoma (stage IIA). The patient is currently well five years after surgery, without clinical or endoscopic signs of relapse in a multidisciplinary approach for the monitoring of comorbidities related to BS. Conclusion. Despite the development of colorectal cancer to be, a possibility rarely described the present case shows the need for early screening for colorectal cancer in all patients affected by BS. PMID:27597923

Adenocarcinoma of the Right Colon in a Patient with Bloom Syndrome.

PubMed

Martinez, Carlos Augusto Real; Pinheiro, Lilian Vital; Rossi, Debora Helena; Camargo, Michel Gardere; Ayrizono, Maria de Lourdes Setsuko; Leal, Raquel Franco; Coy, Cláudio Saddy Rodrigues

2016-01-01

Introduction. Bloom syndrome (BS) is an inherited disorder due to mutation in BLM gene. The diagnosis of BS should be considered in patients with growth retardation of prenatal onset, a photosensitive rash in a butterfly distribution over the cheeks, and an increased risk of cancer at an early age. Clinical manifestations also include short stature, dolichocephaly, prominent ears, micrognathia, malar hypoplasia and a high-pitched voice, immunodeficiency, type II diabetes, and hypogonadism associated with male infertility and female subfertility. The aim of this report is to describe case of patient with BS who developed adenocarcinoma of the cecum, successfully treated by right colectomy. Case Report. A 40-year-old man underwent colonoscopy to investigate the cause of his diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia. The patient knew that he was a carrier of BS diagnosed at young age. The colonoscopy showed an expansive and vegetating mass with 5.5 cm in diameter, located within the ascending colon. Histopathological analysis of tissue fragments collected during colonoscopy confirmed the presence of tubular adenocarcinoma, and he was referred for an oncological right colectomy. The procedure was performed without complications, and the patient was discharged on the fifth postoperative day. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the presence of a grade II tubular adenocarcinoma (stage IIA). The patient is currently well five years after surgery, without clinical or endoscopic signs of relapse in a multidisciplinary approach for the monitoring of comorbidities related to BS. Conclusion. Despite the development of colorectal cancer to be, a possibility rarely described the present case shows the need for early screening for colorectal cancer in all patients affected by BS.

Bartter Syndrome Type 1 Presenting as Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

PubMed Central

Fabbri, Elena; Pedini, Annalisa; Tedeschi, Silvana; Borsa, Niccolò

2018-01-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) type 1 (OMIM #601678) is a hereditary salt-losing renal tubular disorder characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, polyuria, recurrent vomiting, and growth retardation. It is caused by loss-of-function mutations of the SLC12A1 gene, encoding the furosemide-sensitive Na-K-Cl cotransporter. Recently, a phenotypic variability has been observed in patients with genetically determined BS, including absence of nephrocalcinosis, hypokalemia, and/or metabolic alkalosis in the first year of life as well as persistent metabolic acidosis mimicking distal renal tubular acidosis. We report the case of a child with a genetically determined diagnosis of Bartter syndrome type 1 who presented with a phenotype of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, with severe hypernatremia and urinary concentrating defect. In these atypical cases, molecular analysis is mandatory to define the diagnosis, in order to establish the correct clinical and therapeutic management. PMID:29527380

Bartter Syndrome Type 1 Presenting as Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus.

PubMed

Vergine, Gianluca; Fabbri, Elena; Pedini, Annalisa; Tedeschi, Silvana; Borsa, Niccolò

2018-01-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) type 1 (OMIM #601678) is a hereditary salt-losing renal tubular disorder characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, polyuria, recurrent vomiting, and growth retardation. It is caused by loss-of-function mutations of the SLC12A1 gene, encoding the furosemide-sensitive Na-K-Cl cotransporter. Recently, a phenotypic variability has been observed in patients with genetically determined BS, including absence of nephrocalcinosis, hypokalemia, and/or metabolic alkalosis in the first year of life as well as persistent metabolic acidosis mimicking distal renal tubular acidosis. We report the case of a child with a genetically determined diagnosis of Bartter syndrome type 1 who presented with a phenotype of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, with severe hypernatremia and urinary concentrating defect. In these atypical cases, molecular analysis is mandatory to define the diagnosis, in order to establish the correct clinical and therapeutic management.

Strain-Specific V3 and CD4 Binding Site Autologous HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Select Neutralization-Resistant Viruses.

PubMed

Moody, M Anthony; Gao, Feng; Gurley, Thaddeus C; Amos, Joshua D; Kumar, Amit; Hora, Bhavna; Marshall, Dawn J; Whitesides, John F; Xia, Shi-Mao; Parks, Robert; Lloyd, Krissey E; Hwang, Kwan-Ki; Lu, Xiaozhi; Bonsignori, Mattia; Finzi, Andrés; Vandergrift, Nathan A; Alam, S Munir; Ferrari, Guido; Shen, Xiaoying; Tomaras, Georgia D; Kamanga, Gift; Cohen, Myron S; Sam, Noel E; Kapiga, Saidi; Gray, Elin S; Tumba, Nancy L; Morris, Lynn; Zolla-Pazner, Susan; Gorny, Miroslaw K; Mascola, John R; Hahn, Beatrice H; Shaw, George M; Sodroski, Joseph G; Liao, Hua-Xin; Montefiori, David C; Hraber, Peter T; Korber, Bette T; Haynes, Barton F

2015-09-09

The third variable (V3) loop and the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) of the HIV-1 envelope are frequently targeted by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in infected individuals. In chronic infection, HIV-1 escape mutants repopulate the plasma, and V3 and CD4bs nAbs emerge that can neutralize heterologous tier 1 easy-to-neutralize but not tier 2 difficult-to-neutralize HIV-1 isolates. However, neutralization sensitivity of autologous plasma viruses to this type of nAb response has not been studied. We describe the development and evolution in vivo of antibodies distinguished by their target specificity for V3 and CD4bs epitopes on autologous tier 2 viruses but not on heterologous tier 2 viruses. A surprisingly high fraction of autologous circulating viruses was sensitive to these antibodies. These findings demonstrate a role for V3 and CD4bs antibodies in constraining the native envelope trimer in vivo to a neutralization-resistant phenotype, explaining why HIV-1 transmission generally occurs by tier 2 neutralization-resistant viruses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spin Contamination Error in Optimized Geometry of Singlet Carbene (1A1) by Broken-Symmetry Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitagawa, Yasutaka; Saito, Toru; Nakanishi, Yasuyuki; Kataoka, Yusuke; Matsui, Toru; Kawakami, Takashi; Okumura, Mitsutaka; Yamaguchi, Kizashi

2009-10-01

Spin contamination errors of a broken-symmetry (BS) method in optimized structural parameters of the singlet methylene (1A1) molecule are quantitatively estimated for the Hartree-Fock (HF) method, post-HF methods (CID, CCD, MP2, MP3, MP4(SDQ)), and a hybrid DFT (B3LYP) method. For the purpose, the optimized geometry by the BS method is compared with that of an approximate spin projection (AP) method. The difference between the BS and the AP methods is about 10-20° in the HCH angle. In order to examine the basis set dependency of the spin contamination error, calculated results by STO-3G, 6-31G*, and 6-311++G** are compared. The error depends on the basis sets, but the tendencies of each method are classified into two types. Calculated energy splitting values between the triplet and the singlet states (ST gap) indicate that the contamination of the stable triplet state makes the BS singlet solution stable and the ST gap becomes small. The energy order of the spin contamination error in the ST gap is estimated to be 10-1 eV.

Comparative analysis of COPD associated with tobacco smoking, biomass smoke exposure or both.

PubMed

Olloquequi, Jordi; Jaime, Sergio; Parra, Viviana; Cornejo-Córdova, Elizabeth; Valdivia, Gonzalo; Agustí, Àlvar; Silva O, Rafael

2018-01-18

Exposure to noxious gases and particles contained in both tobacco smoking (TS) and biomass smoke (BS) are well recognized environmental risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is characterized by an abnormal inflammatory response, both in the pulmonary and systemic compartments. The differential effects of TS, BS or their combined exposure have not been well characterized yet. This study sought to compare the lung function characteristics and systemic inflammatory response in COPD patients exposed to TS, BS or their combination. Sociodemographic, clinical and lung functional parameters were compared across 49 COPD patients with a history of smoking and no BS exposure (TS COPD), 31 never-smoker COPD patients with BS exposure (BS COPD), 46 COPD patients with a combined exposure (TS + BS COPD) and 52 healthy controls (HC) who have never been exposed neither to TS or BS. Blood cell counts, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were quantified in all four groups. TS + BS COPD patients exhibited significantly lower oxygen saturation than the rest of groups (p < 0.01). Spirometry and diffusing capacity were significantly higher in BS than in TS or TS + BS patients. CRP levels were significantly higher in TS COPD patients than in BS COPD group (p < 0.05), whereas fibrinogen was raised in COPD patients with a history of smoking (TS and TS + BS) when compared to control subjects (p < 0.01). Finally, COPD patients with BS exposure (BS and BS + TS groups) showed higher IgE levels than TS and HC (p < 0.05). There are significant physiological and inflammatory differences between COPD patients with TS, BS and TS + BS exposures. The latter had worse blood oxygenation, whereas the raised levels of IgE in BS exposed patients suggests a differential Th2 systemic inflammatory pattern triggered by this pollutant.

The lowest-metallicity type II supernova from the highest-mass red supergiant progenitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, J. P.; Dessart, L.; Gutiérrez, C. P.; Krühler, T.; Galbany, L.; Jerkstrand, A.; Smartt, S. J.; Contreras, C.; Morrell, N.; Phillips, M. M.; Stritzinger, M. D.; Hsiao, E. Y.; González-Gaitán, S.; Agliozzo, C.; Castellón, S.; Chambers, K. C.; Chen, T.-W.; Flewelling, H.; Gonzalez, C.; Hosseinzadeh, G.; Huber, M.; Fraser, M.; Inserra, C.; Kankare, E.; Mattila, S.; Magnier, E.; Maguire, K.; Lowe, T. B.; Sollerman, J.; Sullivan, M.; Young, D. R.; Valenti, S.

2018-05-01

Red supergiants have been confirmed as the progenitor stars of the majority of hydrogen-rich type II supernovae1. However, while such stars are observed with masses >25 M⊙ (ref. 2), detections of >18 M⊙ progenitors remain elusive1. Red supergiants are also expected to form at all metallicities, but discoveries of explosions from low-metallicity progenitors are scarce. Here, we report observations of the type II supernova, SN 2015bs, for which we infer a progenitor metallicity of ≤0.1 Z⊙ from comparison to photospheric-phase spectral models3, and a zero-age main-sequence mass of 17–25 M⊙ through comparison to nebular-phase spectral models4,5. SN 2015bs displays a normal ‘plateau’ light-curve morphology, and typical spectral properties, implying a red supergiant progenitor. This is the first example of such a high-mass progenitor for a ‘normal’ type II supernova, suggesting a link between high-mass red supergiant explosions and low-metallicity progenitors.

Migration of 75Se(IV) in crushed Beishan granite: Effects of the iron content.

PubMed

He, Jiangang; Ma, Bin; Kang, Mingliang; Wang, Chunli; Nie, Zhe; Liu, Chunli

2017-02-15

The diffusion of selenite (labeled with 75 Se) in compacted Beishan granite (BsG) was investigated using the in-diffusion capillary method at pH values from ∼2.0 to ∼11.0 under oxic and anoxic conditions. The results indicate that the apparent diffusion coefficient (D a ) values of selenite in BsG always reached the minimum at approximately pH 5. Unexpectedly, the D a values under oxic conditions are nearly one order of magnitude lower than those under the anoxic conditions. Further characterization reveals the existence of redox-sensitive Fe(II)-containing components, which can be responsible for the great difference in D a values. Fe(2p) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that more Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide coating is formed on the granite's surface under aerobic conditions than is formed under anaerobic conditions. Correspondingly, Se(3d) spectra indicate that more selenium is sorbed under oxic conditions, and the sorbed amount always reached the maximum at pH values from ∼4 to ∼5. A linear combination fit of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy data revealed that Se(0) was formed under anoxic condition and that selenite preferred to form inner-sphere complexes with Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide. Overall, this study indicates that natural Fe-bearing minerals can greatly attenuate selenite diffusion and the retardation would be enhanced under aerobic conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular and Biochemical Analyses of CbCel9A/Cel48A, a Highly Secreted Multi-Modular Cellulase by Caldicellulosiruptor bescii during Growth on Crystalline Cellulose

PubMed Central

Yi, Zhuolin; Su, Xiaoyun; Revindran, Vanessa; Mackie, Roderick I.; Cann, Isaac

2013-01-01

During growth on crystalline cellulose, the thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii secretes several cellulose-degrading enzymes. Among these enzymes is CelA (CbCel9A/Cel48A), which is reported as the most highly secreted cellulolytic enzyme in this bacterium. CbCel9A/Cel48A is a large multi-modular polypeptide, composed of an N-terminal catalytic glycoside hydrolase family 9 (GH9) module and a C-terminal GH48 catalytic module that are separated by a family 3c carbohydrate-binding module (CBM3c) and two identical CBM3bs. The wild-type CbCel9A/Cel48A and its truncational mutants were expressed in Bacillus megaterium and Escherichia coli, respectively. The wild-type polypeptide released twice the amount of glucose equivalents from Avicel than its truncational mutant that lacks the GH48 catalytic module. The truncational mutant harboring the GH9 module and the CBM3c was more thermostable than the wild-type protein, likely due to its compact structure. The main hydrolytic activity was present in the GH9 catalytic module, while the truncational mutant containing the GH48 module and the three CBMs was ineffective in degradation of either crystalline or amorphous cellulose. Interestingly, the GH9 and/or GH48 catalytic modules containing the CBM3bs form low-density particles during hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose. Moreover, TM3 (GH9/CBM3c) and TM2 (GH48 with three CBM3 modules) synergistically hydrolyze crystalline cellulose. Deletion of the CBM3bs or mutations that compromised their binding activity suggested that these CBMs are important during hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose. In agreement with this observation, seven of nine genes in a C. bescii gene cluster predicted to encode cellulose-degrading enzymes harbor CBM3bs. Based on our results, we hypothesize that C. bescii uses the GH48 module and the CBM3bs in CbCel9A/Cel48A to destabilize certain regions of crystalline cellulose for attack by the highly active GH9 module and other endoglucanases produced by this hyperthermophilic bacterium. PMID:24358340

Loss of Type I Collagen Telopeptide Lysyl Hydroxylation Causes Musculoskeletal Abnormalities in a Zebrafish Model of Bruck Syndrome.

PubMed

Gistelinck, Charlotte; Witten, Paul Eckhard; Huysseune, Ann; Symoens, Sofie; Malfait, Fransiska; Larionova, Daria; Simoens, Pascal; Dierick, Manuel; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; De Paepe, Anne; Kwon, Ronald Y; Weis, MaryAnn; Eyre, David R; Willaert, Andy; Coucke, Paul J

2016-11-01

Bruck syndrome (BS) is a disorder characterized by joint flexion contractures and skeletal dysplasia that shows strong clinical overlap with the brittle bone disease osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). BS is caused by biallelic mutations in either the FKBP10 or the PLOD2 gene. PLOD2 encodes the lysyl hydroxylase 2 (LH2) enzyme, which is responsible for the hydroxylation of lysine residues in fibrillar collagen telopeptides. This hydroxylation directs crosslinking of collagen fibrils in the extracellular matrix, which is necessary to provide stability and tensile integrity to the collagen fibrils. To further elucidate the function of LH2 in vertebrate skeletal development, we created a zebrafish model harboring a homozygous plod2 nonsense mutation resulting in reduced telopeptide hydroxylation and crosslinking of bone type I collagen. Adult plod2 mutants present with a shortened body axis and severe skeletal abnormalities with evidence of bone fragility and fractures. The vertebral column of plod2 mutants is short and scoliotic with compressed vertebrae that show excessive bone formation at the vertebral end plates, and increased tissue mineral density in the vertebral centra. The muscle fibers of mutant zebrafish have a reduced diameter near the horizontal myoseptum. The endomysium, a layer of connective tissue ensheathing the individual muscle fibers, is enlarged. Transmission electron microscopy of mutant vertebral bone shows type I collagen fibrils that are less organized with loss of the typical plywood-like structure. In conclusion, plod2 mutant zebrafish show molecular and tissue abnormalities in the musculoskeletal system that are concordant with clinical findings in BS patients. Therefore, the plod2 zebrafish mutant is a promising model for the elucidation of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms leading to BS and the development of novel therapeutic avenues in this syndrome. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

A chronology of ratios between black smoke and PM10 and PM2.5 in the context of comparison of air pollution epidemiology concentration-response functions.

PubMed

Heal, Mathew R; Beverland, Iain J

2017-05-03

For many air pollution epidemiological studies in Europe, 'black smoke' (BS) was the only measurement available to quantify ambient particulate matter (PM), particularly for exposures prior to the mid-1990s when quantification via the PM 10 and/or PM 2.5 metrics was introduced. The aim of this work was to review historic BS and PM measurements to allow comparison of health concentration-response functions (CRF) derived using BS as the measure of exposure with CRFs derived using PM 10 or PM 2.5 . The literature was searched for quantitative information on measured ratios of BS:PM 10 , BS:PM 2.5 , and chemical composition of PM; with specific focus on the United Kingdom (UK) between 1970 and the early 2000s when BS measurements were discontinued. The average BS:PM 10 ratio in urban background air was just below unity at the start of the 1970s, decreased rapidly to ≈ 0.7 in the mid-1970s and to ≈ 0.5 at the end of the 1970s, with continued smaller declines in the 1980s, and was within the range 0.2-0.4 by the end of the 1990s. The limited data for the BS:PM 2.5 ratio suggest it equalled or exceeded unity at the start of the 1970s, declined to ≈ 0.7 by the end of the 1970s, with slower decline thereafter to a range 0.4-0.65 by the end of the 1990s. For an epidemiological study that presents a CRF BS value, the corresponding CRF PM10 value can be estimated as R BS:PM10  × CRF BS where R BS:PM10 is the BS:PM 10 concentration ratio, if the toxicity of PM 10 is assumed due only to the component quantified by a BS measurement. In the general case of some (but unknown) contribution of toxicity from non-BS components of PM 10 then CRF PM10  > R BS:PM10  × CRF BS , with CRF PM10 exceeding CRF BS if the toxicity of the other components in PM 10 is greater than the toxicity of the component to which the BS metric is sensitive. Similar analyses were applied to relationships between CRF PM2.5 and CRF BS . Application of this analysis to example published CRF BS values for short and long-term health effects of PM suggest health effects from other components in the PM mixture in addition to the fine black particles characterised by BS.

Response to Dietary Oxalate after Bariatric Surgery

PubMed Central

Froeder, Leila; Arasaki, Carlos Haruo; Malheiros, Carlos Alberto; Baxmann, Alessandra Calábria

2012-01-01

Summary Background and objectives Bariatric surgery (BS) may be associated with increased oxalate excretion and a higher risk of nephrolithiasis. This study aimed to investigate urinary abnormalities and responses to an acute oxalate load as an indirect assessment of the intestinal absorption of oxalate in this population. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Twenty-four–hour urine specimens were collected from 61 patients a median of 48 months after BS (post-BS) as well as from 30 morbidly obese (MO) participants; dietary information was obtained through 24-hour food recalls. An oral oxalate load test (OLT), consisting of 2-hour urine samples after overnight fasting and 2, 4, and 6 hours after consuming 375 mg of oxalate (spinach juice), was performed on 21 MO and 22 post-BS patients 12 months after BS. Ten post-BS patients also underwent OLT before surgery (pre-BS). Results There was a higher percentage of low urinary volume (<1.5 L/d) in post-BS versus MO (P<0.001). Hypocitraturia and hyperoxaluria (P=0.13 and P=0.36, respectively) were more frequent in BS versus MO patients. The OLT showed intragroup (P<0.001 for all periods versus baseline) and intergroup differences (P<0.001 for post-BS versus MO; P=0.03for post-BS versus pre-BS). The total mean increment in oxaluria after 6 hours of load, expressed as area under the curve, was higher in both post-BS versus MO and in post-BS versus pre-BS participants (P<0.001 for both). Conclusions The mean oxaluric response to an oxalate load is markedly elevated in post-bariatric surgery patients, suggesting that increased intestinal absorption of dietary oxalate is a predisposing mechanism for enteric hyperoxaluria. PMID:23024163

WIYN OPEN CLUSTER STUDY. XLVIII. THE HARD-BINARY POPULATION OF NGC 188

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geller, Aaron M.; Mathieu, Robert D., E-mail: a-geller@northwestern.edu, E-mail: mathieu@astro.wisc.edu

2012-08-15

We present an in-depth study of the hard-binary population of the old (7 Gyr) open cluster NGC 188. Utilizing 85 spectroscopic binary orbits out of a complete sample of 129 detected binary members, we study the cluster binary frequency and the distributions of binary orbital elements among the main-sequence (MS), giant, and blue straggler (BS) populations. The results are derived from our ongoing radial velocity survey of the cluster, which spans in magnitude from the brightest stars in the cluster to V = 16.5 (about 1.1-0.9 M{sub Sun} ), and extends to a projected radius of 17 pc ({approx}13 coremore » radii). Our detectable binaries have periods ranging from a few days to of order 10{sup 4} days, and thus are hard binaries that dynamically power the cluster. The MS solar-type hard binaries in NGC 188 are nearly indistinguishable from similar binaries in the Galactic field. We observe a global solar-type MS hard-binary frequency in NGC 188 of 23% {+-} 2%, which when corrected for incompleteness results in a frequency of 29% {+-} 3% for binaries with periods less than 10{sup 4} days. For MS hard binaries in the cluster, we observe a log-period distribution that rises toward our detection limit, a roughly Gaussian eccentricity distribution centered on e = 0.35 (for binaries with periods longer than the circularization period), and a secondary-mass distribution that rises toward lower-mass companions. Importantly, the NGC 188 BS binaries show significantly different characteristics than the solar-type MS binaries in NGC 188. We observe a BS hard-binary frequency of 76% {+-} 19%, three times that of the MS. The excess of this binary frequency over the normal MS binary frequency is valid at the >99% confidence level. Furthermore, the BS binary eccentricity-log-period distribution is distinct from that of the MS at the 99% confidence level, with the majority of the BS binaries having periods of order 1000 days and lower eccentricities. The secondary-mass distribution for these long-period BS binaries is narrow and peaked with a mean value of about 0.5 M{sub Sun }. Predictions for mass-transfer products are most closely consistent with the binary properties of these NGC 188 BSs, which comprise two-thirds of the BS population. Additionally, we compare the NGC 188 binaries to those evolved within the sophisticated Hurley et al. (2005) N-body open cluster simulation. The MS hard-binary population predicted by the simulation is significantly different from the MS hard-binary population observed in NGC 188, in frequency and distributions of period and eccentricity. Many of these differences result from the adopted initial binary population, while others reflect on the physics used in the simulation (e.g., tidal circularization). Additional simulations with initial conditions that are better motivated by observations are necessary to properly investigate the dynamical evolution of a rich binary population in open clusters like NGC 188.« less

Herbal Supplement in a Buffer for Dry Eye Syndrome Treatment.

PubMed

Chen, Hung-Chang; Chen, Zhi-Yu; Wang, Tsung-Jen; Drew, Victor J; Tseng, Ching-Li; Fang, Hsu-Wei; Lin, Feng-Huei

2017-08-03

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is one of the most common types of ocular diseases. There is a major need to treat DES in a simple yet efficient way. Artificial tears (AT) are the most commonly used agents for treating DES, but are not very effective. Herbal extractions of ferulic acid (FA), an anti-oxidant agent, and kaempferol (KM), an anti-inflammatory reagent, were added to buffer solution (BS) to replace ATs for DES treatment. The cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory effects were examined in vitro by co-culture with human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) to obtain the optimal concentration of KM and FA for treating HCECs. Physical properties of BS, such as pH value, osmolality, and refractive index were also examined. Then, rabbits with DES were used for therapeutic evaluation. Tear production, corneal damage, and ocular irritation in rabbits' eyes were examined. The non-toxic concentrations of KM and FA for HCEC cultivation over 3 days were 1 µM and 100 µM, respectively. Live/dead stain results also show non-toxicity of KM and FA for treating HCECs. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated HCECs in inflammatory conditions treated with 100 µM FA and 1 µM KM (FA100/KM1) showed lower IL-1B , IL-6 , IL-8 , and TNFα expression when examined by real-time PCR. The BS with FA100/KM1 had neutral pH, and a similar osmolality and refractive index to human tears. Topical delivery of BS + FA100/KM1 showed no irritation to rabbit eyes. The corneal thickness in the BS + FA100/KM1 treated group was comparable to normal eyes. Results of DES rabbits treated with BS + FA100/KM1 showed less corneal epithelial damage and higher tear volume than the normal group. In conclusion, we showed that the combination of FA (100 µM) and KM (1 µM) towards treating inflamed HCECs had an anti-inflammatory effect, and it is effective in treating DES rabbits when BS is added in combination with these two herbal supplements and used as a topical eye drop.

Combination of an Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Yeast and Yeast Culture with a Direct-fed Microbial in the Feeds of Broiler Chickens

PubMed Central

Gómez, S.; Angeles, M. L.; Mojica, M. C.; Jalukar, S.

2012-01-01

A balance trial experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential relationship between an enzymatically hydrolyzed yeast (EHY) and yeast culture combined with a live Bacillus subtilis (Bs) on the productive parameters, ileal digestibility, retention of nutrient and energy and villus morphology in broilers. Seventy two 28 d old, Ross B308 male broilers were assigned to a factorial combination of 2 levels of EHY (0 and 1 kg/ton of feed) and 2 levels of Bs (0 and 125 g/ton of feed). The experiment lasted 2 weeks. Several treatment interactions were observed. EHY-fed broilers showed the lowest feed intake and feed conversion ratio whereas Bs-fed broilers showed the highest feed intake and intermediate feed conversion ratio (EHY and BS interaction, p<0.05). Also, EHY-fed broilers had greater ileal digestibility of dry matter (EHY and BS interaction, p<0.01) and energy (EHY and BS interaction, p<0.05) but these responses were counterbalanced by the combination of EHY and Bs. The thickness of the mucosa was similar between the control and EHY-fed broilers, but was lowest when Bs was added alone (EHY and BS interaction, p<0.01). The thickness of the villus was greater in EHY plus Bs-fed broilers, intermediate for the control and lower for Bs or EHY-fed broilers (EHY and BS interaction, p<0.05). The area of the villus was greater in the control and EHY plus Bs-fed broilers (EHY and BS interaction, p<0.05). In addition, EHY-fed broilers showed greater breast yield and nitrogen retention (p<0.01) and ashes digestibility (p<0.05). On the other hand, Bs-fed broilers had greater carcass and breast weight, nitrogen retention, energy excretion and villus height (p<0.05). In summary, EHY and Bs enhanced some growth, carcass and nutrient retention responses, but did not show any synergic relationship in these responses. Opposite to this, the results suggest that the positive effect of EHY on the feed conversion and digestibility of nutrients were counterbalanced by the addition of Bs. PMID:25049612

Behçet’s Syndrome and Thrombosis

PubMed Central

Seyahi, Emire; Yurdakul, Sebahattin

2011-01-01

Behçet syndrome (BS) is a multisystem vasculitis with unknown etiology and a unique geographic distribution. The disease course is characterized by exacerbations and remissions while abating as the years pass. The usual onset is in the third decade. Recurrent skin mucosa lesions and sight threatening panuveitis are the hallmark of the disease. Males are more severely affected than females. Vascular involvement can occur in up to 40% of cases. BS is unique among the vasculitides in that it may involve all sizes and types of vessels. It affects the veins more than the arteries. Lower extremity vein thrombosis is the most frequent manifestation of vascular involvement, followed by vena cava thrombosis, pulmonary artery aneurysms, Budd-Chiari syndrome, peripheral artery aneurysms, dural sinus thrombosis and abdominal aorta aneurysms. Vascular involvement is frequently associated with constitut onal symptoms and increased acute phase response and is the major cause of increased mortality. A predominantly neutrophilic vasculitis around the vaso vasorum is typical of BS. The thrombus is tightly adherent to the vessel wall which probably explains why thromboembolism is so rare despite the high frequency of venous disease. Thrombophilic factors do not seem to explain thrombotic tendency in BS. Immunosuppressive treatment is essential in suppression and preventing the attacks. PMID:21869912

High-quality-draft genome sequence of the fermenting bacterium Anaerobium acetethylicum type strain GluBS11T (DSM 29698)

DOE PAGES

Patil, Yogita; Müller, Nicolai; Schink, Bernhard; ...

2017-02-20

Anaerobium acetethylicum strain GluBS11 T belongs to the family Lachnospiraceae within the order Clostridiales. It is a Gram-positive, non-motile and strictly anaerobic bacterium isolated from biogas slurry that was originally enriched with gluconate as carbon source (Patil, et al., Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 65:3289-3296, 2015). Here we describe the draft genome sequence of strain GluBS11 T and provide a detailed insight into its physiological and metabolic features. The draft genome sequence generated 4,609,043 bp, distributed among 105 scaffolds assembled using the SPAdes genome assembler method. It comprises in total 4,132 genes, of which 4,008 were predicted to be proteinmore » coding genes, 124 RNA genes and 867 pseudogenes. The content was 43.51 mol %. The annotated genome of strain GluBS11 T contains putative genes coding for the pentose phosphate pathway, the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas pathway, the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The genome revealed the presence of most of the necessary genes required for the fermentation of glucose and gluconate to acetate, ethanol, and hydrogen gas. However, a candidate gene for production of formate was not identified.« less

High-quality-draft genome sequence of the fermenting bacterium Anaerobium acetethylicum type strain GluBS11T (DSM 29698)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patil, Yogita; Müller, Nicolai; Schink, Bernhard

Anaerobium acetethylicum strain GluBS11 T belongs to the family Lachnospiraceae within the order Clostridiales. It is a Gram-positive, non-motile and strictly anaerobic bacterium isolated from biogas slurry that was originally enriched with gluconate as carbon source (Patil, et al., Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 65:3289-3296, 2015). Here we describe the draft genome sequence of strain GluBS11 T and provide a detailed insight into its physiological and metabolic features. The draft genome sequence generated 4,609,043 bp, distributed among 105 scaffolds assembled using the SPAdes genome assembler method. It comprises in total 4,132 genes, of which 4,008 were predicted to be proteinmore » coding genes, 124 RNA genes and 867 pseudogenes. The content was 43.51 mol %. The annotated genome of strain GluBS11 T contains putative genes coding for the pentose phosphate pathway, the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas pathway, the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The genome revealed the presence of most of the necessary genes required for the fermentation of glucose and gluconate to acetate, ethanol, and hydrogen gas. However, a candidate gene for production of formate was not identified.« less

Functional Differentiation of Bundle Sheath and Mesophyll Maize Chloroplasts Determined by Comparative ProteomicsW⃞

PubMed Central

Majeran, Wojciech; Cai, Yang; Sun, Qi; van Wijk, Klaas J.

2005-01-01

Chloroplasts of maize (Zea mays) leaves differentiate into specific bundle sheath (BS) and mesophyll (M) types to accommodate C4 photosynthesis. Consequences for other plastid functions are not well understood but are addressed here through a quantitative comparative proteome analysis of purified M and BS chloroplast stroma. Three independent techniques were used, including cleavable stable isotope coded affinity tags. Enzymes involved in lipid biosynthesis, nitrogen import, and tetrapyrrole and isoprenoid biosynthesis are preferentially located in the M chloroplasts. By contrast, enzymes involved in starch synthesis and sulfur import preferentially accumulate in BS chloroplasts. The different soluble antioxidative systems, in particular peroxiredoxins, accumulate at higher levels in M chloroplasts. We also observed differential accumulation of proteins involved in expression of plastid-encoded proteins (e.g., EF-Tu, EF-G, and mRNA binding proteins) and thylakoid formation (VIPP1), whereas others were equally distributed. Enzymes related to the C4 shuttle, the carboxylation and regeneration phase of the Calvin cycle, and several regulators (e.g., CP12) distributed as expected. However, enzymes involved in triose phosphate reduction and triose phosphate isomerase are primarily located in the M chloroplasts, indicating that the M-localized triose phosphate shuttle should be viewed as part of the BS-localized Calvin cycle, rather than a parallel pathway. PMID:16243905

Genome-wide base-resolution mapping of DNA methylation in single cells using single-cell bisulfite sequencing (scBS-seq).

PubMed

Clark, Stephen J; Smallwood, Sébastien A; Lee, Heather J; Krueger, Felix; Reik, Wolf; Kelsey, Gavin

2017-03-01

DNA methylation (DNAme) is an important epigenetic mark in diverse species. Our current understanding of DNAme is based on measurements from bulk cell samples, which obscures intercellular differences and prevents analyses of rare cell types. Thus, the ability to measure DNAme in single cells has the potential to make important contributions to the understanding of several key biological processes, such as embryonic development, disease progression and aging. We have recently reported a method for generating genome-wide DNAme maps from single cells, using single-cell bisulfite sequencing (scBS-seq), allowing the quantitative measurement of DNAme at up to 50% of CpG dinucleotides throughout the mouse genome. Here we present a detailed protocol for scBS-seq that includes our most recent developments to optimize recovery of CpGs, mapping efficiency and success rate; reduce hands-on time; and increase sample throughput with the option of using an automated liquid handler. We provide step-by-step instructions for each stage of the method, comprising cell lysis and bisulfite (BS) conversion, preamplification and adaptor tagging, library amplification, sequencing and, lastly, alignment and methylation calling. An individual with relevant molecular biology expertise can complete library preparation within 3 d. Subsequent computational steps require 1-3 d for someone with bioinformatics expertise.

The relevance of mineralization lag time in the evaluation of histologic changes in renal osteodystrophy.

PubMed

Libbey, N P; Chazan, J A; London, M R; Pono, L; Abuelo, J G

1993-04-01

We examined bone biopsies from 47 patients on chronic hemodialysis, and analyzed the histomorphometric and biochemical findings and histologic quantitation of bone aluminium, looking primarily at mineralization lag time (Mlt) to evaluate its usefulness in categorization of renal osteodystrophy (ROD). The patients were categorized as having either relatively normal Mlt (< 35 days, n = 21 patients), moderately prolonged Mlt (35-100 days, n = 13 patients) or markedly prolonged Mlt (> 100 days, n = 13 patients). The group with relatively normal Mlt showed significantly higher C-terminal parathyroid hormone (PTHc) levels (26,141 +/- 19,270 vs 7,226 +/- 6,073 and 4,434 +/- 4,000 pg/ml) than the moderately or markedly prolonged Mlt groups (p < .01) and was associated with histologic characteristics of osteitis fibrosa or mild hyperparathyroidism (BFR/BS range 0.146-0.947 mcm3/mcm2/d). The group with markedly prolonged Mlt included one patient with classic and 11 with adynamic osteomalacia (BFR/BS range 0.009-0.099) and had greater bone aluminum (Al.S/OS 35.3 +/- 26.7% vs 7.2 +/- 9.0%) than the normal Mlt group (p < .01). The group with moderately prolonged Mlt included two patients with aplastic bone disease (Mlt 80.0 and 84.6 days, and Al.S/OS 100.0 and 72.3%) and 11 patients with features of hyperparathyroidism and osteomalacia (BFR/BS range 0.068-0.243) with variable but generally intermediate bone aluminum deposition (Al.S/OS 22.5 +/- 19.9%). Like BFR/BS and other dynamic parameters Mlt correlates with morphologic types of ROD which primarily reflect bone turnover, but it may also suggest varying degrees of mineralization impairment in a spectrum ranging from high to low turnover types of ROD. Its usefulness in this respect should not be overlooked.

Loss of GltB Inhibits Biofilm Formation and Biocontrol Efficiency of Bacillus subtilis Bs916 by Altering the Production of γ-Polyglutamate and Three Lipopeptides

PubMed Central

Luo, Chuping; Fang, Xianwen; Xiang, Yaping; Wang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Rongsheng; Chen, Zhiyi

2016-01-01

Aims This study examined the contribution of GltB on biofilm formation and biocontrol efficiency of B. subtilis Bs916. Methods and Results The gltB gene was identified through a biofilm phenotype screen and a bioinformatics analysis of serious biofilm formation defects, and then a gltB single knockout mutant was constructed using homologous recombination. This mutant demonstrated severe deficits in biofilm formation and colonisation along with significantly altered production ofγ-polyglutamate (γ-PGA) and three lipopeptide antibiotics (LPs) as measured by a transcriptional analysis of both the wild type B. subtilis Bs916 and the gltB mutant. Consequently, the mutant strain retained almost no antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani and exhibited decreased biocontrol efficiency against rice sheath blight. Very few gltB mutant cells colonised the rice stem, and they exhibited no significant nutrient chemotaxis compared to the wild type B. subtilis Bs916. The mechanism underlying these deficits in the gltB mutant appears to be decreased significantly in production of γ-PGA and a reduction in the production of both bacillomycin L and fengycin. Biofilm restoration of gltB mutant by additionγ-PGA in the EM medium demonstrated that biofilm formation was able to restore significantly at 20 g/L. Conclusions GltB regulates biofilm formation by altering the production ofγ-PGA, the LPs bacillomycin L and fengcin and influences bacterial colonisation on the rice stem, which consequently leads to poor biocontrol efficiency against rice sheath blight. Significance and Impact of Study This is the first report of a key regulatory protein (GltB) that is involved in biofilm regulation and its regulation mechanism and biocontrol efficiency by B. subtilis. PMID:27223617

Natively glycosylated HIV-1 Env structure reveals new mode for antibody recognition of the CD4-binding site

PubMed Central

West, Anthony P; Schamber, Michael; Gazumyan, Anna; Golijanin, Jovana; Seaman, Michael S; Fätkenheuer, Gerd; Klein, Florian; Nussenzweig, Michel C; Bjorkman, Pamela J

2016-01-01

HIV-1 vaccine design is informed by structural studies elucidating mechanisms by which broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) recognize and/or accommodate N-glycans on the trimeric envelope glycoprotein (Env). Variability in high-mannose and complex-type Env glycoforms leads to heterogeneity that usually precludes visualization of the native glycan shield. We present 3.5-Å- and 3.9-Å-resolution crystal structures of the HIV-1 Env trimer with fully processed and native glycosylation, revealing a glycan shield of high-mannose and complex-type N-glycans, which we used to define complete epitopes of two bNAbs. Env trimer was complexed with 10-1074 (against the V3-loop) and IOMA, a new CD4-binding site (CD4bs) antibody. Although IOMA derives from VH1-2*02, the germline gene of CD4bs-targeting VRC01-class bNAbs, its light chain lacks the short CDRL3 that defines VRC01-class bNAbs. Thus IOMA resembles 8ANC131-class/VH1-46–derived CD4bs bNAbs, which have normal-length CDRL3s. The existence of bNAbs that combine features of VRC01-class and 8ANC131-class antibodies has implications for immunization strategies targeting VRC01-like bNAbs. PMID:27617431

Application of Tactical Data Systems for Training. Volume III. Development of Courseware and Analysis of Results for MOS 11B40

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-01-02

Attack (deleted fron courseware development) TAIS 2017 TAIS 2018 TAIS 2019 Rifle Squad In Defense (deleted from courseware development) B...S) ENABLING OBJECTIVE(S) 2.1.7 Select from a list of actions why you should keep quiet: NOISE, SUCH AS TALKING, CAN BE PICKED UP BY ENEM ^ PATROLS...Assembly area (f, a, ct bt dt e) ) 2 January 1974 System Development Corporation B-267 TM-5261/002/OO TAIS No. 2018 MODULE MOS-T ^T RSA

Isolation and characterization of an oxidosqualene cyclase gene encoding a β-amyrin synthase involved in Polygala tenuifolia Willd. saponin biosynthesis.

PubMed

Jin, Mei Lan; Lee, Dae Young; Um, Yurry; Lee, Jeong Hoon; Park, Chun Geun; Jetter, Reinhard; Kim, Ok Tae

2014-03-01

Expression of PtBS (Polygala tenuifolia β-amyrin synthase) led to the production of β-amyrin as sole product. Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow is a rich source of triterpene saponins, onjisaponins and polygalasaponins, used as herbal medicine to treat phlegms and for detumescence in traditional Asian healing. The Polygala saponins share the oleanane backbone structure and are, therefore, likely synthesized via β-amyrin as a common precursor. We hypothesized that, in analogy to diverse other plant species, this central intermediate should be formed by a β-amyrin synthase catalyzing the complex cyclization of oxidosqualene. This member of the oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) family of enzymes is thus defining an important branch point between primary and secondary metabolisms, and playing a crucial role in the control of oleanane-type triterpene saponin biosynthesis. From P. tenuifolia roots, we isolated an OSC cDNA containing a reading frame of 2,289 bp nucleotides. The predicted protein of 763 amino acids (molecular weight 87.353 kDa) showed particularly high amino acid sequence identities to known β-amyrin synthases (85-87 %) and was, therefore, named PtBS. Expression of PtBS in the triterpenoid synthase-deficient yeast mutant GIL77 led to the production of β-amyrin as sole product. qRT-PCR analysis of various P. tenuifolia organs showed that PtBS transcript levels were highest in the roots, consistent with onjisaponin accumulation patterns. Therefore, we conclude that PtBS is the β-amyrin synthase enzyme catalyzing the first committed step in the biosynthesis of onjisaponins and polygalasaponins in P. tenuifolia.

Diagnosing pyogenic, brucella and tuberculous spondylitis using histopathology and MRI: A retrospective study.

PubMed

Li, Tao; Liu, Tao; Jiang, Zhensong; Cui, Xingang; Sun, Jianmin

2016-10-01

The present study examined the histopathological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of pyogenic, brucella and tuberculous spondylitis (PS, BS and TS, respectively). A total of 22 PS, 20 BS and 20 TS patients were included in the study. Histopathological examination was used to assess the lesion structure and composition, and the MRI observation identified the lesion location and signal features. The following histopathological and MRI features were identified significantly more in patients with PS than in patients with BS and TS: Predominant neutrophil infiltration, abnormal intervertebral disk signal, lesions on the ventral and lateral sides of the vertebral bodies, and thick and irregular abscess walls. The following histopathological and MRI features were identified significantly more in patients with BS than in patients with PS and TS: Predominant lymphocyte infiltration, new bone formation, epithelioid granuloma, lesions on the ventral sides of the vertebral bodies, no, or very mild, vertebral body deformation, no abnormal paraspinal soft tissue signal, no intraosseous or paraspinal abscesses, and thin and irregular abscess walls. The following histopathological and MRI features were identified significantly more in patients with TS than in patients with BS and PS: Sequestrum, Langerhans giant cells, caseous necrosis, lesions primarily in the thoracic region and on the lateral sides of the vertebral bodies, no obvious intervertebral disk damage, obvious vertebral body deformation, abnormal paraspinal soft tissue signal, intraosseous or paraspinal abscesses, and thin and smooth abscess walls. In conclusion, it can be suggested that these significant differences in histopathological and MRI features between the three different types of spondylitis may contribute towards the differential diagnosis of the diseases.

Comparison of different tree sap flow up-scaling procedures using Monte-Carlo simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatarinov, Fyodor; Preisler, Yakir; Roahtyn, Shani; Yakir, Dan

2015-04-01

An important task in determining forest ecosystem water balance is the estimation of stand transpiration, allowing separating evapotranspiration into transpiration and soil evaporation. This can be based on up-scaling measurements of sap flow in representative trees (SF), which can be done by different mathematical algorithms. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the error associated with different up-scaling algorithms under different conditions. Other types of errors (such as, measurement error, within tree SF variability, choice of sample plot etc.) were not considered here. A set of simulation experiments using Monte-Carlo technique was carried out and three up-scaling procedures were tested. (1) Multiplying mean stand sap flux density based on unit sapwood cross-section area (SFD) by total sapwood area (Klein et al, 2014); (2) deriving of linear dependence of tree sap flow on tree DBH and calculating SFstand using predicted SF by DBH classes and stand DBH distribution (Cermak et al., 2004); (3) same as method 2 but using non-linear dependency. Simulations were performed under different SFD(DBH) slope (bs, positive, negative, zero); different DBH and SFD standard deviations (Δd and Δs, respectively) and DBH class size. It was assumed that all trees in a unit area are measured and the total SF of all trees in the experimental plot was taken as the reference SFstand value. Under negative bs all models tend to overestimate SFstand and the error increases exponentially with decreasing bs. Under bs >0 all models tend to underestimate SFstand, but the error is much smaller than for bs

Structures of Arg- and Gln-type bacterial cysteine dioxygenase homologs: Arg- and Gln-type Bacterial CDO Homologs

DOE PAGES

Driggers, Camden M.; Hartman, Steven J.; Karplus, P. Andrew

2015-01-01

In some bacteria, cysteine is converted to cysteine sulfinic acid by cysteine dioxygenases (CDO) that are only ~15–30% identical in sequence to mammalian CDOs. Among bacterial proteins having this range of sequence similarity to mammalian CDO are some that conserve an active site Arg residue (“Arg-type” enzymes) and some having a Gln substituted for this Arg (“Gln-type” enzymes). Here, we describe a structure from each of these enzyme types by analyzing structures originally solved by structural genomics groups but not published: a Bacillus subtilis “Arg-type” enzyme that has cysteine dioxygenase activity (BsCDO), and a Ralstonia eutropha “Gln-type” CDO homolog ofmore » uncharacterized activity (ReCDOhom). The BsCDO active site is well conserved with mammalian CDO, and a cysteine complex captured in the active site confirms that the cysteine binding mode is also similar. The ReCDOhom structure reveals a new active site Arg residue that is hydrogen bonding to an iron-bound diatomic molecule we have interpreted as dioxygen. Notably, the Arg position is not compatible with the mode of Cys binding seen in both rat CDO and BsCDO. As sequence alignments show that this newly discovered active site Arg is well conserved among “Gln-type” CDO enzymes, we conclude that the “Gln-type” CDO homologs are not authentic CDOs but will have substrate specificity more similar to 3-mercaptopropionate dioxygenases.« less

Measurements of the exclusive decays of the upsilon(5S) to meson final states and improved B(s)* mass measurement.

PubMed

Aquines, O; Li, Z; Lopez, A; Mendez, H; Ramirez, J; Huang, G S; Miller, D H; Pavlunin, V; Sanghi, B; Shipsey, I P J; Xin, B; Adams, G S; Anderson, M; Cummings, J P; Danko, I; Napolitano, J; He, Q; Insler, J; Muramatsu, H; Park, C S; Thorndike, E H; Coan, T E; Gao, Y S; Liu, F; Stroynowski, R; Artuso, M; Blusk, S; Butt, J; Li, J; Menaa, N; Mountain, R; Nisar, S; Randrianarivony, K; Redjimi, R; Sia, R; Skwarnicki, T; Stone, S; Wang, J C; Zhang, K; Csorna, S E; Bonvicini, G; Cinabro, D; Dubrovin, M; Lincoln, A; Asner, D M; Edwards, K W; Briere, R A; Brock, I; Chen, J; Ferguson, T; Tatishvili, G; Vogel, H; Watkins, M E; Rosner, J L; Adam, N E; Alexander, J P; Berkelman, K; Cassel, D G; Duboscq, J E; Ecklund, K M; Ehrlich, R; Fields, L; Galik, R S; Gibbons, L; Gray, R; Gray, S W; Hartill, D L; Heltsley, B K; Hertz, D; Jones, C D; Kandaswamy, J; Kreinick, D L; Kuznetsov, V E; Mahlke-Krüger, H; Meyer, T O; Onyisi, P U E; Patterson, J R; Peterson, D; Phillips, E A; Pivarski, J; Riley, D; Ryd, A; Sadoff, A J; Schwarthoff, H; Shi, X; Stroiney, S; Sun, W M; Wilksen, T; Weinberger, M; Athar, S B; Avery, P; Breva-Newell, L; Patel, R; Potlia, V; Stoeck, H; Yelton, J; Rubin, P; Cawlfield, C; Eisenstein, B I; Karliner, I; Kim, D; Lowrey, N; Naik, P; Sedlack, C; Selen, M; White, E J; Wiss, J; Shepherd, M R; Besson, D; Pedlar, T K; Cronin-Hennessy, D; Gao, K Y; Gong, D T; Hietala, J; Kubota, Y; Klein, T; Lang, B W; Poling, R; Scott, A W; Smith, A; Dobbs, S; Metreveli, Z; Seth, K K; Tomaradze, A; Zweber, P; Ernst, J; Arms, K; Severini, H; Dytman, S A; Love, W; Mehrabyan, S; Savinov, V

2006-04-21

Using 420 pb(-1) of data collected on the upsilon(5S) resonance with the CLEO III detector, we reconstruct B mesons in 25 exclusive decay channels to measure or set upper limits on the decay rate of upsilon(5S) into B meson final states. We measure the inclusive B cross section to be sigma(upsilon(5S) --> BB(X)) = (0.177 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.016) nb and make the first measurements of the production rates of sigma(upsilon(5S) --> B*B*) = (0.131 +/- 0.025 +/- 0.014) nb and sigma(upsilon(5S) --> BB*) = (0.043 +/- 0.016 +/- 0.006) nb, respectively. We set 90% confidence level limits of sigma(upsilon(5S) -->BB) < 0.038 nb, sigma(upsilon(5S) --> B(*)B(*)pi) < 0.055 nb and sigma(upsilon(5S) --> BBpipi) < 0.024 nb. We also extract the most precise value of the B(s)* mass to date, M(B(s)*) = (5411.7 +/- 1.6 +/- 0.6) MeV/c2.

Free flux flow in two single crystals of V3Si with slightly different pinning strengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gafarov, O.; Gapud, A. A.; Moraes, S.; Thompson, J. R.; Christen, D. K.; Reyes, A. P.

2010-10-01

Results of recent measurements on two very clean, single-crystal samples of the A15 superconductor V3Si are presented. Magnetization and transport data already confirmed the ``clean'' quality of both samples, as manifested by: (i) high residual resistivity ratio, (ii) very low critical current densities, and (iii) a ``peak'' effect in the field dependence of critical current. The (H,T) phase line for this peak effect is shifted in the slightly ``dirtier'' sample, which consequently also has higher critical current density Jc(H). High-current Lorentz forces are applied on mixed-state vortices in order to induce the highly ordered free flux flow (FFF) phase, using the same methods as in previous work. A traditional model by Bardeen and Stephen (BS) predicts a simple field dependence of flux flow resistivity ρf(H), presuming a field-independent flux core size. A model by Kogan and Zelezhina (KZ) takes core size into account, and predict a clear deviation from BS. In this study, ρf(H) is confirmed to be consistent with predictions of KZ, as will be discussed.

Bacterial Metabolism of Arylsulfonates

PubMed Central

Ripin, Marilyn J.; Noon, Kerry F.; Cook, Thomas M.

1971-01-01

Pseudomonas testosteroni H-8 utilizes as sole carbon source benzene sulfonate (BS), p-toluene sulfonate (pTS), and ethylbenzene sulfonate (EBS) but not higher homologs. Growth on BS was rapid (generation time, 3 hr) and efficient (Y = 57), and resulted in accumulation of sulfate. As the culture is acid-sensitive, the medium must be heavily buffered to permit extensive growth. The BS oxidase system is inducible. Cells grown on BS, but not glutamate, oxidized BS, pTS, or EBS without lag (QO2 = 50 to 100). Oxygen uptake on BS is temperature-dependent and sensitive to cyanide. Complete oxidation of 1 μmole of BS consumed approximately 5.7 μmoles of oxygen. PMID:5553286

Effects of Supervised vs. Unsupervised Training Programs on Balance and Muscle Strength in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Lacroix, André; Hortobágyi, Tibor; Beurskens, Rainer; Granacher, Urs

2017-11-01

Balance and resistance training can improve healthy older adults' balance and muscle strength. Delivering such exercise programs at home without supervision may facilitate participation for older adults because they do not have to leave their homes. To date, no systematic literature analysis has been conducted to determine if supervision affects the effectiveness of these programs to improve healthy older adults' balance and muscle strength/power. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantify the effectiveness of supervised vs. unsupervised balance and/or resistance training programs on measures of balance and muscle strength/power in healthy older adults. In addition, the impact of supervision on training-induced adaptive processes was evaluated in the form of dose-response relationships by analyzing randomized controlled trials that compared supervised with unsupervised trials. A computerized systematic literature search was performed in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and SportDiscus to detect articles examining the role of supervision in balance and/or resistance training in older adults. The initially identified 6041 articles were systematically screened. Studies were included if they examined balance and/or resistance training in adults aged ≥65 years with no relevant diseases and registered at least one behavioral balance (e.g., time during single leg stance) and/or muscle strength/power outcome (e.g., time for 5-Times-Chair-Rise-Test). Finally, 11 studies were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. Weighted mean standardized mean differences between subjects (SMD bs ) of supervised vs. unsupervised balance/resistance training studies were calculated. The included studies were coded for the following variables: number of participants, sex, age, number and type of interventions, type of balance/strength tests, and change (%) from pre- to post-intervention values. Additionally, we coded training according to the following modalities: period, frequency, volume, modalities of supervision (i.e., number of supervised/unsupervised sessions within the supervised or unsupervised training groups, respectively). Heterogeneity was computed using I 2 and χ 2 statistics. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Our analyses revealed that in older adults, supervised balance/resistance training was superior compared with unsupervised balance/resistance training in improving measures of static steady-state balance (mean SMD bs  = 0.28, p = 0.39), dynamic steady-state balance (mean SMD bs  = 0.35, p = 0.02), proactive balance (mean SMD bs  = 0.24, p = 0.05), balance test batteries (mean SMD bs  = 0.53, p = 0.02), and measures of muscle strength/power (mean SMD bs  = 0.51, p = 0.04). Regarding the examined dose-response relationships, our analyses showed that a number of 10-29 additional supervised sessions in the supervised training groups compared with the unsupervised training groups resulted in the largest effects for static steady-state balance (mean SMD bs  = 0.35), dynamic steady-state balance (mean SMD bs  = 0.37), and muscle strength/power (mean SMD bs  = 1.12). Further, ≥30 additional supervised sessions in the supervised training groups were needed to produce the largest effects on proactive balance (mean SMD bs  = 0.30) and balance test batteries (mean SMD bs  = 0.77). Effects in favor of supervised programs were larger for studies that did not include any supervised sessions in their unsupervised programs (mean SMD bs : 0.28-1.24) compared with studies that implemented a few supervised sessions in their unsupervised programs (e.g., three supervised sessions throughout the entire intervention program; SMD bs : -0.06 to 0.41). The present findings have to be interpreted with caution because of the low number of eligible studies and the moderate methodological quality of the included studies, which is indicated by a median Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale score of 5. Furthermore, we indirectly compared dose-response relationships across studies and not from single controlled studies. Our analyses suggest that supervised balance and/or resistance training improved measures of balance and muscle strength/power to a greater extent than unsupervised programs in older adults. Owing to the small number of available studies, we were unable to establish a clear dose-response relationship with regard to the impact of supervision. However, the positive effects of supervised training are particularly prominent when compared with completely unsupervised training programs. It is therefore recommended to include supervised sessions (i.e., two out of three sessions/week) in balance/resistance training programs to effectively improve balance and muscle strength/power in older adults.

C4GEM, a Genome-Scale Metabolic Model to Study C4 Plant Metabolism1[W][OA

PubMed Central

de Oliveira Dal’Molin, Cristiana Gomes; Quek, Lake-Ee; Palfreyman, Robin William; Brumbley, Stevens Michael; Nielsen, Lars Keld

2010-01-01

Leaves of C4 grasses (such as maize [Zea mays], sugarcane [Saccharum officinarum], and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor]) form a classical Kranz leaf anatomy. Unlike C3 plants, where photosynthetic CO2 fixation proceeds in the mesophyll (M), the fixation process in C4 plants is distributed between two cell types, the M cell and the bundle sheath (BS) cell. Here, we develop a C4 genome-scale model (C4GEM) for the investigation of flux distribution in M and BS cells during C4 photosynthesis. C4GEM, to our knowledge, is the first large-scale metabolic model that encapsulates metabolic interactions between two different cell types. C4GEM is based on the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) model (AraGEM) but has been extended by adding reactions and transporters responsible to represent three different C4 subtypes (NADP-ME [for malic enzyme], NAD-ME, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase). C4GEM has been validated for its ability to synthesize 47 biomass components and consists of 1,588 unique reactions, 1,755 metabolites, 83 interorganelle transporters, and 29 external transporters (including transport through plasmodesmata). Reactions in the common C4 model have been associated with well-annotated C4 species (NADP-ME subtypes): 3,557 genes in sorghum, 11,623 genes in maize, and 3,881 genes in sugarcane. The number of essential reactions not assigned to genes is 131, 135, and 156 in sorghum, maize, and sugarcane, respectively. Flux balance analysis was used to assess the metabolic activity in M and BS cells during C4 photosynthesis. Our simulations were consistent with chloroplast proteomic studies, and C4GEM predicted the classical C4 photosynthesis pathway and its major effect in organelle function in M and BS. The model also highlights differences in metabolic activities around photosystem I and photosystem II for three different C4 subtypes. Effects of CO2 leakage were also explored. C4GEM is a viable framework for in silico analysis of cell cooperation between M and BS cells during photosynthesis and can be used to explore C4 plant metabolism. PMID:20974891

Anaerobium acetethylicum gen. nov., sp. nov., a strictly anaerobic, gluconate-fermenting bacterium isolated from a methanogenic bioreactor.

PubMed

Patil, Yogita; Junghare, Madan; Pester, Michael; Müller, Nicolai; Schink, Bernhard

2015-10-01

A novel strictly anaerobic, mesophilic bacterium was enriched and isolated with gluconate as sole substrate from a methanogenic sludge collected from a biogas reactor. Cells of strain GluBS11T stained Gram-positive and were non-motile, straight rods, measuring 3.0-4.5 × 0.8-1.2 μm. The temperature range for growth was 15-37 °C, with optimal growth at 30 °C, the pH range was 6.5-8.5, with optimal growth at pH 7, and the generation time under optimal conditions was 60 min. API Rapid 32A reactions were positive for α-galactosidase, α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase and negative for catalase and oxidase. A broad variety of substrates was utilized, including gluconate, glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, melezitose, melibiose, mannitol, erythritol, glycerol and aesculin. Products of gluconate fermentation were ethanol, acetate, formate, H2 and CO2. Neither sulfate nor nitrate served as an electron acceptor. Predominant cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were C14 : 0, C16 : 0, C16 : 1ω7c/iso-C15 : 0 2-OH and C18 : 1ω7c. The DNA G+C content of strain GluBS11T was 44.1 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data revealed that strain GluBS11T is a member of subcluster XIVa within the order Clostridiales. The closest cultured relatives are Clostridium herbivorans (93.1 % similarity to the type strain), Clostridium populeti (93.3 %), Eubacterium uniforme (92.4 %) and Clostridium polysaccharolyticum (91.5 %). Based on this 16S rRNA gene sequence divergence (>6.5 %) as well as on chemotaxonomic and phenotypic differences from these taxa, strain GluBS11T is considered to represent a novel genus and species, for which the name Anaerobium acetethylicum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Anaerobium acetethylicum is GluBS11T ( = LMG 28619T = KCTC 15450T = DSM 29698T).

Statistical models to predict type 2 diabetes remission after bariatric surgery.

PubMed

Ramos-Levi, Ana M; Matia, Pilar; Cabrerizo, Lucio; Barabash, Ana; Sanchez-Pernaute, Andres; Calle-Pascual, Alfonso L; Torres, Antonio J; Rubio, Miguel A

2014-09-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) remission may be achieved after bariatric surgery (BS), but rates vary according to patients' baseline characteristics. The present study evaluates the relevance of several preoperative factors and develops statistical models to predict T2D remission 1 year after BS. We retrospectively studied 141 patients (57.4% women), with a preoperative diagnosis of T2D, who underwent BS in a single center (2006-2011). Anthropometric and glucose metabolism parameters before surgery and at 1-year follow-up were recorded. Remission of T2D was defined according to consensus criteria: HbA1c <6%, fasting glucose (FG) <100 mg/dL, absence of pharmacologic treatment. The influence of several preoperative factors was explored and different statistical models to predict T2D remission were elaborated using logistic regression analysis. Three preoperative characteristics considered individually were identified as the most powerful predictors of T2D remission: C-peptide (R2  = 0.249; odds ratio [OR] 1.652, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.181-2.309; P = 0.003), T2D duration (R2  = 0.197; OR 0.869, 95% CI 0.808-0.935; P < 0.001), and previous insulin therapy (R2  = 0.165; OR 4.670, 95% CI 2.257-9.665; P < 0.001). High C-peptide levels, a shorter duration of T2D, and the absence of insulin therapy favored remission. Different multivariate logistic regression models were designed. When considering sex, T2D duration, and insulin treatment, remission was correctly predicted in 72.4% of cases. The model that included age, FG and C-peptide levels resulted in 83.7% correct classifications. When sex, FG, C-peptide, insulin treatment, and percentage weight loss were considered, correct classification of T2D remission was achieved in 95.9% of cases. Preoperative characteristics determine T2D remission rates after BS to different extents. The use of statistical models may help clinicians reliably predict T2D remission rates after BS. © 2014 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Search for the X (5568 ) State Decaying into Bs0π± in Proton-Proton Collisions at √{s }=8 TeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.; Ambrogi, F.; Asilar, E.; Bergauer, T.; Brandstetter, J.; Brondolin, E.; Dragicevic, M.; Erö, J.; Escalante Del Valle, A.; Flechl, M.; Friedl, M.; Frühwirth, R.; Ghete, V. M.; Grossmann, J.; Hrubec, J.; Jeitler, M.; König, A.; Krammer, N.; Krätschmer, I.; Liko, D.; Madlener, T.; Mikulec, I.; Pree, E.; Rad, N.; Rohringer, H.; Schieck, J.; Schöfbeck, R.; Spanring, M.; Spitzbart, D.; Waltenberger, W.; Wittmann, J.; Wulz, C.-E.; Zarucki, M.; Chekhovsky, V.; Mossolov, V.; Suarez Gonzalez, J.; De Wolf, E. A.; Di Croce, D.; Janssen, X.; Lauwers, J.; Van Haevermaet, H.; Van Mechelen, P.; Van Remortel, N.; Abu Zeid, S.; Blekman, F.; D'Hondt, J.; De Bruyn, I.; De Clercq, J.; Deroover, K.; Flouris, G.; Lontkovskyi, D.; Lowette, S.; Marchesini, I.; Moortgat, S.; Moreels, L.; Python, Q.; Skovpen, K.; Tavernier, S.; Van Doninck, W.; Van Mulders, P.; Van Parijs, I.; Beghin, D.; Bilin, B.; Brun, H.; Clerbaux, B.; De Lentdecker, G.; Delannoy, H.; Dorney, B.; Fasanella, G.; Favart, L.; Goldouzian, R.; Grebenyuk, A.; Kalsi, A. K.; Lenzi, T.; Luetic, J.; Maerschalk, T.; Marinov, A.; Seva, T.; Starling, E.; Vander Velde, C.; Vanlaer, P.; Vannerom, D.; Yonamine, R.; Zenoni, F.; Cornelis, T.; Dobur, D.; Fagot, A.; Gul, M.; Khvastunov, I.; Poyraz, D.; Roskas, C.; Salva, S.; Tytgat, M.; Verbeke, W.; Zaganidis, N.; Bakhshiansohi, H.; Bondu, O.; Brochet, S.; Bruno, G.; Caputo, C.; Caudron, A.; David, P.; De Visscher, S.; Delaere, C.; Delcourt, M.; Francois, B.; Giammanco, A.; Komm, M.; Krintiras, G.; Lemaitre, V.; Magitteri, A.; Mertens, A.; Musich, M.; Piotrzkowski, K.; Quertenmont, L.; Saggio, A.; Vidal Marono, M.; Wertz, S.; Zobec, J.; Aldá Júnior, W. L.; Alves, F. L.; Alves, G. A.; Brito, L.; Correa Martins Junior, M.; Hensel, C.; Moraes, A.; Pol, M. E.; Rebello Teles, P.; Belchior Batista Das Chagas, E.; Carvalho, W.; Chinellato, J.; Coelho, E.; Da Costa, E. M.; Da Silveira, G. G.; De Jesus Damiao, D.; Fonseca De Souza, S.; Huertas Guativa, L. M.; Malbouisson, H.; Melo De Almeida, M.; Mora Herrera, C.; Mundim, L.; Nogima, H.; Sanchez Rosas, L. J.; Santoro, A.; Sznajder, A.; Thiel, M.; Tonelli Manganote, E. J.; Torres Da Silva De Araujo, F.; Vilela Pereira, A.; Ahuja, S.; Bernardes, C. A.; Tomei, T. R. Fernandez Perez; Gregores, E. M.; Mercadante, P. G.; Novaes, S. F.; Padula, Sandra S.; Romero Abad, D.; Ruiz Vargas, J. C.; Aleksandrov, A.; Hadjiiska, R.; Iaydjiev, P.; Misheva, M.; Rodozov, M.; Shopova, M.; Sultanov, G.; Dimitrov, A.; Litov, L.; Pavlov, B.; Petkov, P.; Fang, W.; Gao, X.; Yuan, L.; Ahmad, M.; Bian, J. G.; Chen, G. M.; Chen, H. S.; Chen, M.; Chen, Y.; Jiang, C. H.; Leggat, D.; Liao, H.; Liu, Z.; Romeo, F.; Shaheen, S. M.; Spiezia, A.; Tao, J.; Wang, C.; Wang, Z.; Yazgan, E.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, S.; Zhao, J.; Ban, Y.; Chen, G.; Li, J.; Li, Q.; Liu, S.; Mao, Y.; Qian, S. J.; Wang, D.; Xu, Z.; Zhang, F.; Wang, Y.; Avila, C.; Cabrera, A.; Chaparro Sierra, L. F.; Florez, C.; González Hernández, C. F.; Ruiz Alvarez, J. D.; Segura Delgado, M. A.; Courbon, B.; Godinovic, N.; Lelas, D.; Puljak, I.; Ribeiro Cipriano, P. M.; Sculac, T.; Antunovic, Z.; Kovac, M.; Brigljevic, V.; Ferencek, D.; Kadija, K.; Mesic, B.; Starodumov, A.; Susa, T.; Ather, M. W.; Attikis, A.; Mavromanolakis, G.; Mousa, J.; Nicolaou, C.; Ptochos, F.; Razis, P. A.; Rykaczewski, H.; Finger, M.; Finger, M.; Carrera Jarrin, E.; El-khateeb, E.; Ellithi Kamel, A.; Mahrous, A.; Dewanjee, R. K.; Kadastik, M.; Perrini, L.; Raidal, M.; Tiko, A.; Veelken, C.; Eerola, P.; Kirschenmann, H.; Pekkanen, J.; Voutilainen, M.; Havukainen, J.; Heikkilä, J. K.; Järvinen, T.; Karimäki, V.; Kinnunen, R.; Lampén, T.; Lassila-Perini, K.; Laurila, S.; Lehti, S.; Lindén, T.; Luukka, P.; Siikonen, H.; Tuominen, E.; Tuominiemi, J.; Tuuva, T.; Besancon, M.; Couderc, F.; Dejardin, M.; Denegri, D.; Faure, J. L.; Ferri, F.; Ganjour, S.; Ghosh, S.; Gras, P.; Hamel de Monchenault, G.; Jarry, P.; Kucher, I.; Leloup, C.; Locci, E.; Machet, M.; Malcles, J.; Negro, G.; Rander, J.; Rosowsky, A.; Sahin, M. Ö.; Titov, M.; Abdulsalam, A.; Amendola, C.; Antropov, I.; Baffioni, S.; Beaudette, F.; Busson, P.; Cadamuro, L.; Charlot, C.; Granier de Cassagnac, R.; Jo, M.; Lisniak, S.; Lobanov, A.; Martin Blanco, J.; Nguyen, M.; Ochando, C.; Ortona, G.; Paganini, P.; Pigard, P.; Salerno, R.; Sauvan, J. B.; Sirois, Y.; Stahl Leiton, A. G.; Strebler, T.; Yilmaz, Y.; Zabi, A.; Zghiche, A.; Agram, J.-L.; Andrea, J.; Bloch, D.; Brom, J.-M.; Buttignol, M.; Chabert, E. C.; Chanon, N.; Collard, C.; Conte, E.; Coubez, X.; Fontaine, J.-C.; Gelé, D.; Goerlach, U.; Jansová, M.; Le Bihan, A.-C.; Tonon, N.; Van Hove, P.; Gadrat, S.; Beauceron, S.; Bernet, C.; Boudoul, G.; Chierici, R.; Contardo, D.; Depasse, P.; El Mamouni, H.; Fay, J.; Finco, L.; Gascon, S.; Gouzevitch, M.; Grenier, G.; Ille, B.; Lagarde, F.; Laktineh, I. B.; Lethuillier, M.; Mirabito, L.; Pequegnot, A. L.; Perries, S.; Popov, A.; Sordini, V.; Vander Donckt, M.; Viret, S.; Toriashvili, T.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Autermann, C.; Feld, L.; Kiesel, M. K.; Klein, K.; Lipinski, M.; Preuten, M.; Schomakers, C.; Schulz, J.; Teroerde, M.; Zhukov, V.; Albert, A.; Dietz-Laursonn, E.; Duchardt, D.; Endres, M.; Erdmann, M.; Erdweg, S.; Esch, T.; Fischer, R.; Güth, A.; Hamer, M.; Hebbeker, T.; Heidemann, C.; Hoepfner, K.; Knutzen, S.; Merschmeyer, M.; Meyer, A.; Millet, P.; Mukherjee, S.; Pook, T.; Radziej, M.; Reithler, H.; Rieger, M.; Scheuch, F.; Teyssier, D.; Thüer, S.; Flügge, G.; Kargoll, B.; Kress, T.; Künsken, A.; Müller, T.; Nehrkorn, A.; Nowack, A.; Pistone, C.; Pooth, O.; Stahl, A.; Aldaya Martin, M.; Arndt, T.; Asawatangtrakuldee, C.; Beernaert, K.; Behnke, O.; Behrens, U.; Bermúdez Martínez, A.; Bin Anuar, A. A.; Borras, K.; Botta, V.; Campbell, A.; Connor, P.; Contreras-Campana, C.; Costanza, F.; Diez Pardos, C.; Eckerlin, G.; Eckstein, D.; Eichhorn, T.; Eren, E.; Gallo, E.; Garay Garcia, J.; Geiser, A.; Grados Luyando, J. M.; Grohsjean, A.; Gunnellini, P.; Guthoff, M.; Harb, A.; Hauk, J.; Hempel, M.; Jung, H.; Kasemann, M.; Keaveney, J.; Kleinwort, C.; Korol, I.; Krücker, D.; Lange, W.; Lelek, A.; Lenz, T.; Leonard, J.; Lipka, K.; Lohmann, W.; Mankel, R.; Melzer-Pellmann, I.-A.; Meyer, A. B.; Mittag, G.; Mnich, J.; Mussgiller, A.; Ntomari, E.; Pitzl, D.; Raspereza, A.; Savitskyi, M.; Saxena, P.; Shevchenko, R.; Stefaniuk, N.; Van Onsem, G. P.; Walsh, R.; Wen, Y.; Wichmann, K.; Wissing, C.; Zenaiev, O.; Aggleton, R.; Bein, S.; Blobel, V.; Centis Vignali, M.; Dreyer, T.; Garutti, E.; Gonzalez, D.; Haller, J.; Hinzmann, A.; Hoffmann, M.; Karavdina, A.; Klanner, R.; Kogler, R.; Kovalchuk, N.; Kurz, S.; Lapsien, T.; Marconi, D.; Meyer, M.; Niedziela, M.; Nowatschin, D.; Pantaleo, F.; Peiffer, T.; Perieanu, A.; Scharf, C.; Schleper, P.; Schmidt, A.; Schumann, S.; Schwandt, J.; Sonneveld, J.; Stadie, H.; Steinbrück, G.; Stober, F. M.; Stöver, M.; Tholen, H.; Troendle, D.; Usai, E.; Vanhoefer, A.; Vormwald, B.; Akbiyik, M.; Barth, C.; Baselga, M.; Baur, S.; Butz, E.; Caspart, R.; Chwalek, T.; Colombo, F.; De Boer, W.; Dierlamm, A.; Faltermann, N.; Freund, B.; Friese, R.; Giffels, M.; Harrendorf, M. A.; Hartmann, F.; Heindl, S. M.; Husemann, U.; Kassel, F.; Kudella, S.; Mildner, H.; Mozer, M. U.; Müller, Th.; Plagge, M.; Quast, G.; Rabbertz, K.; Schröder, M.; Shvetsov, I.; Sieber, G.; Simonis, H. J.; Ulrich, R.; Wayand, S.; Weber, M.; Weiler, T.; Williamson, S.; Wöhrmann, C.; Wolf, R.; Anagnostou, G.; Daskalakis, G.; Geralis, T.; Kyriakis, A.; Loukas, D.; Topsis-Giotis, I.; Karathanasis, G.; Kesisoglou, S.; Panagiotou, A.; Saoulidou, N.; Kousouris, K.; Evangelou, I.; Foudas, C.; Gianneios, P.; Katsoulis, P.; Kokkas, P.; Mallios, S.; Manthos, N.; Papadopoulos, I.; Paradas, E.; Strologas, J.; Triantis, F. A.; Tsitsonis, D.; Csanad, M.; Filipovic, N.; Pasztor, G.; Surányi, O.; Veres, G. I.; Bencze, G.; Hajdu, C.; Horvath, D.; Hunyadi, Á.; Sikler, F.; Veszpremi, V.; Beni, N.; Czellar, S.; Karancsi, J.; Makovec, A.; Molnar, J.; Szillasi, Z.; Bartók, M.; Raics, P.; Trocsanyi, Z. L.; Ujvari, B.; Choudhury, S.; Komaragiri, J. R.; Bahinipati, S.; Bhowmik, S.; Mal, P.; Mandal, K.; Nayak, A.; Sahoo, D. K.; Sahoo, N.; Swain, S. K.; Bansal, S.; Beri, S. B.; Bhatnagar, V.; Chawla, R.; Dhingra, N.; Kaur, A.; Kaur, M.; Kaur, S.; Kumar, R.; Kumari, P.; Mehta, A.; Singh, J. B.; Walia, G.; Kumar, Ashok; Shah, Aashaq; Bhardwaj, A.; Chauhan, S.; Choudhary, B. C.; Garg, R. B.; Keshri, S.; Kumar, A.; Malhotra, S.; Naimuddin, M.; Ranjan, K.; Sharma, R.; Bhardwaj, R.; Bhattacharya, R.; Bhattacharya, S.; Bhawandeep, U.; Dey, S.; Dutt, S.; Dutta, S.; Ghosh, S.; Majumdar, N.; Modak, A.; Mondal, K.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Nandan, S.; Purohit, A.; Roy, A.; Roy Chowdhury, S.; Sarkar, S.; Sharan, M.; Thakur, S.; Behera, P. K.; Chudasama, R.; Dutta, D.; Jha, V.; Kumar, V.; Mohanty, A. K.; Netrakanti, P. K.; Pant, L. M.; Shukla, P.; Topkar, A.; Aziz, T.; Dugad, S.; Mahakud, B.; Mitra, S.; Mohanty, G. B.; Sur, N.; Sutar, B.; Banerjee, S.; Bhattacharya, S.; Chatterjee, S.; Das, P.; Guchait, M.; Jain, Sa.; Kumar, S.; Maity, M.; Majumder, G.; Mazumdar, K.; Sarkar, T.; Wickramage, N.; Chauhan, S.; Dube, S.; Hegde, V.; Kapoor, A.; Kothekar, K.; Pandey, S.; Rane, A.; Sharma, S.; Chenarani, S.; Eskandari Tadavani, E.; Etesami, S. M.; Khakzad, M.; Mohammadi Najafabadi, M.; Naseri, M.; Paktinat Mehdiabadi, S.; Rezaei Hosseinabadi, F.; Safarzadeh, B.; Zeinali, M.; Felcini, M.; Grunewald, M.; Abbrescia, M.; Calabria, C.; Colaleo, A.; Creanza, D.; Cristella, L.; De Filippis, N.; De Palma, M.; Errico, F.; Fiore, L.; Iaselli, G.; Lezki, S.; Maggi, G.; Maggi, M.; Miniello, G.; My, S.; Nuzzo, S.; Pompili, A.; Pugliese, G.; Radogna, R.; Ranieri, A.; Selvaggi, G.; Sharma, A.; Silvestris, L.; Venditti, R.; Verwilligen, P.; Abbiendi, G.; Battilana, C.; Bonacorsi, D.; Borgonovi, L.; Braibant-Giacomelli, S.; Campanini, R.; Capiluppi, P.; Castro, A.; Cavallo, F. R.; Chhibra, S. S.; Codispoti, G.; Cuffiani, M.; Dallavalle, G. M.; Fabbri, F.; Fanfani, A.; Fasanella, D.; Giacomelli, P.; Grandi, C.; Guiducci, L.; Marcellini, S.; Masetti, G.; Montanari, A.; Navarria, F. L.; Perrotta, A.; Rossi, A. M.; Rovelli, T.; Siroli, G. 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M.; Bhopatkar, V.; Colafranceschi, S.; Hohlmann, M.; Noonan, D.; Roy, T.; Yumiceva, F.; Adams, M. R.; Apanasevich, L.; Berry, D.; Betts, R. R.; Cavanaugh, R.; Chen, X.; Evdokimov, O.; Gerber, C. E.; Hangal, D. A.; Hofman, D. J.; Jung, K.; Kamin, J.; Sandoval Gonzalez, I. D.; Tonjes, M. B.; Trauger, H.; Varelas, N.; Wang, H.; Wu, Z.; Zhang, J.; Bilki, B.; Clarida, W.; Dilsiz, K.; Durgut, S.; Gandrajula, R. P.; Haytmyradov, M.; Khristenko, V.; Merlo, J.-P.; Mermerkaya, H.; Mestvirishvili, A.; Moeller, A.; Nachtman, J.; Ogul, H.; Onel, Y.; Ozok, F.; Penzo, A.; Snyder, C.; Tiras, E.; Wetzel, J.; Yi, K.; Blumenfeld, B.; Cocoros, A.; Eminizer, N.; Fehling, D.; Feng, L.; Gritsan, A. V.; Maksimovic, P.; Roskes, J.; Sarica, U.; Swartz, M.; Xiao, M.; You, C.; Al-bataineh, A.; Baringer, P.; Bean, A.; Boren, S.; Bowen, J.; Castle, J.; Khalil, S.; Kropivnitskaya, A.; Majumder, D.; Mcbrayer, W.; Murray, M.; Royon, C.; Sanders, S.; Schmitz, E.; Tapia Takaki, J. D.; Wang, Q.; Ivanov, A.; Kaadze, K.; Maravin, Y.; Mohammadi, A.; Saini, L. K.; Skhirtladze, N.; Rebassoo, F.; Wright, D.; Anelli, C.; Baden, A.; Baron, O.; Belloni, A.; Eno, S. C.; Feng, Y.; Ferraioli, C.; Hadley, N. J.; Jabeen, S.; Jeng, G. Y.; Kellogg, R. G.; Kunkle, J.; Mignerey, A. C.; Ricci-Tam, F.; Shin, Y. H.; Skuja, A.; Tonwar, S. C.; Abercrombie, D.; Allen, B.; Azzolini, V.; Barbieri, R.; Baty, A.; Bi, R.; Brandt, S.; Busza, W.; Cali, I. A.; D'Alfonso, M.; Demiragli, Z.; Gomez Ceballos, G.; Goncharov, M.; Hsu, D.; Hu, M.; Iiyama, Y.; Innocenti, G. M.; Klute, M.; Kovalskyi, D.; Lee, Y.-J.; Levin, A.; Luckey, P. D.; Maier, B.; Marini, A. C.; Mcginn, C.; Mironov, C.; Narayanan, S.; Niu, X.; Paus, C.; Roland, C.; Roland, G.; Salfeld-Nebgen, J.; Stephans, G. S. F.; Tatar, K.; Velicanu, D.; Wang, J.; Wang, T. W.; Wyslouch, B.; Benvenuti, A. C.; Chatterjee, R. M.; Evans, A.; Hansen, P.; Hiltbrand, J.; Kalafut, S.; Kubota, Y.; Lesko, Z.; Mans, J.; Nourbakhsh, S.; Ruckstuhl, N.; Rusack, R.; Turkewitz, J.; Wadud, M. A.; Acosta, J. G.; Oliveros, S.; Avdeeva, E.; Bloom, K.; Claes, D. R.; Fangmeier, C.; Golf, F.; Gonzalez Suarez, R.; Kamalieddin, R.; Kravchenko, I.; Monroy, J.; Siado, J. E.; Snow, G. R.; Stieger, B.; Dolen, J.; Godshalk, A.; Harrington, C.; Iashvili, I.; Nguyen, D.; Parker, A.; Rappoccio, S.; Roozbahani, B.; Alverson, G.; Barberis, E.; Freer, C.; Hortiangtham, A.; Massironi, A.; Morse, D. M.; Orimoto, T.; Teixeira De Lima, R.; Trocino, D.; Wamorkar, T.; Wang, B.; Wisecarver, A.; Wood, D.; Bhattacharya, S.; Charaf, O.; Hahn, K. A.; Mucia, N.; Odell, N.; Schmitt, M. H.; Sung, K.; Trovato, M.; Velasco, M.; Bucci, R.; Dev, N.; Hildreth, M.; Hurtado Anampa, K.; Jessop, C.; Karmgard, D. J.; Kellams, N.; Lannon, K.; Li, W.; Loukas, N.; Marinelli, N.; Meng, F.; Mueller, C.; Musienko, Y.; Planer, M.; Reinsvold, A.; Ruchti, R.; Siddireddy, P.; Smith, G.; Taroni, S.; Wayne, M.; Wightman, A.; Wolf, M.; Woodard, A.; Alimena, J.; Antonelli, L.; Bylsma, B.; Durkin, L. S.; Flowers, S.; Francis, B.; Hart, A.; Hill, C.; Ji, W.; Liu, B.; Luo, W.; Winer, B. L.; Wulsin, H. W.; Cooperstein, S.; Driga, O.; Elmer, P.; Hardenbrook, J.; Hebda, P.; Higginbotham, S.; Kalogeropoulos, A.; Lange, D.; Luo, J.; Marlow, D.; Mei, K.; Ojalvo, I.; Olsen, J.; Palmer, C.; Piroué, P.; Stickland, D.; Tully, C.; Malik, S.; Norberg, S.; Barker, A.; Barnes, V. E.; Das, S.; Folgueras, S.; Gutay, L.; Jha, M. K.; Jones, M.; Jung, A. W.; Khatiwada, A.; Miller, D. H.; Neumeister, N.; Peng, C. C.; Qiu, H.; Schulte, J. F.; Sun, J.; Wang, F.; Xiao, R.; Xie, W.; Cheng, T.; Parashar, N.; Stupak, J.; Chen, Z.; Ecklund, K. M.; Freed, S.; Geurts, F. J. M.; Guilbaud, M.; Kilpatrick, M.; Li, W.; Michlin, B.; Padley, B. P.; Roberts, J.; Rorie, J.; Shi, W.; Tu, Z.; Zabel, J.; Zhang, A.; Bodek, A.; de Barbaro, P.; Demina, R.; Duh, Y. t.; Ferbel, T.; Galanti, M.; Garcia-Bellido, A.; Han, J.; Hindrichs, O.; Khukhunaishvili, A.; Lo, K. H.; Tan, P.; Verzetti, M.; Ciesielski, R.; Goulianos, K.; Mesropian, C.; Agapitos, A.; Chou, J. P.; Gershtein, Y.; Gómez Espinosa, T. A.; Halkiadakis, E.; Heindl, M.; Hughes, E.; Kaplan, S.; Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, R.; Kyriacou, S.; Lath, A.; Montalvo, R.; Nash, K.; Osherson, M.; Saka, H.; Salur, S.; Schnetzer, S.; Sheffield, D.; Somalwar, S.; Stone, R.; Thomas, S.; Thomassen, P.; Walker, M.; Delannoy, A. G.; Heideman, J.; Riley, G.; Rose, K.; Spanier, S.; Thapa, K.; Bouhali, O.; Castaneda Hernandez, A.; Celik, A.; Dalchenko, M.; De Mattia, M.; Delgado, A.; Dildick, S.; Eusebi, R.; Gilmore, J.; Huang, T.; Kamon, T.; Mueller, R.; Pakhotin, Y.; Patel, R.; Perloff, A.; Perniè, L.; Rathjens, D.; Safonov, A.; Tatarinov, A.; Ulmer, K. A.; Akchurin, N.; Damgov, J.; De Guio, F.; Dudero, P. R.; Faulkner, J.; Gurpinar, E.; Kunori, S.; Lamichhane, K.; Lee, S. W.; Libeiro, T.; Mengke, T.; Muthumuni, S.; Peltola, T.; Undleeb, S.; Volobouev, I.; Wang, Z.; Greene, S.; Gurrola, A.; Janjam, R.; Johns, W.; Maguire, C.; Melo, A.; Ni, H.; Padeken, K.; Sheldon, P.; Tuo, S.; Velkovska, J.; Xu, Q.; Arenton, M. W.; Barria, P.; Cox, B.; Hirosky, R.; Joyce, M.; Ledovskoy, A.; Li, H.; Neu, C.; Sinthuprasith, T.; Wang, Y.; Wolfe, E.; Xia, F.; Harr, R.; Karchin, P. E.; Poudyal, N.; Sturdy, J.; Thapa, P.; Zaleski, S.; Brodski, M.; Buchanan, J.; Caillol, C.; Dasu, S.; Dodd, L.; Duric, S.; Gomber, B.; Grothe, M.; Herndon, M.; Hervé, A.; Hussain, U.; Klabbers, P.; Lanaro, A.; Levine, A.; Long, K.; Loveless, R.; Ruggles, T.; Savin, A.; Smith, N.; Smith, W. H.; Taylor, D.; Woods, N.; CMS Collaboration

2018-05-01

A search for resonancelike structures in the Bs0π± invariant mass spectrum is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at √{s }=8 TeV , corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb-1 . The Bs0 mesons are reconstructed in the decay chain Bs0→J /ψ ϕ , with J /ψ →μ+μ- and ϕ →K+K-. The Bs0π± invariant mass distribution shows no statistically significant peaks for different selection requirements on the reconstructed Bs0 and π± candidates. Upper limits are set on the relative production rates of the X (5568 ) and Bs0 states times the branching fraction of the decay X (5568 )±→Bs0π± . In addition, upper limits are obtained as a function of the mass and the natural width of possible exotic states decaying into Bs0π±.

Reliability of 3D laser-based anthropometry and comparison with classical anthropometry.

PubMed

Kuehnapfel, Andreas; Ahnert, Peter; Loeffler, Markus; Broda, Anja; Scholz, Markus

2016-05-26

Anthropometric quantities are widely used in epidemiologic research as possible confounders, risk factors, or outcomes. 3D laser-based body scans (BS) allow evaluation of dozens of quantities in short time with minimal physical contact between observers and probands. The aim of this study was to compare BS with classical manual anthropometric (CA) assessments with respect to feasibility, reliability, and validity. We performed a study on 108 individuals with multiple measurements of BS and CA to estimate intra- and inter-rater reliabilities for both. We suggested BS equivalents of CA measurements and determined validity of BS considering CA the gold standard. Throughout the study, the overall concordance correlation coefficient (OCCC) was chosen as indicator of agreement. BS was slightly more time consuming but better accepted than CA. For CA, OCCCs for intra- and inter-rater reliability were greater than 0.8 for all nine quantities studied. For BS, 9 of 154 quantities showed reliabilities below 0.7. BS proxies for CA measurements showed good agreement (minimum OCCC > 0.77) after offset correction. Thigh length showed higher reliability in BS while upper arm length showed higher reliability in CA. Except for these issues, reliabilities of CA measurements and their BS equivalents were comparable.

Monitoring Doppler patterns and clinical parameters may predict feeding tolerance in intrauterine growth-restricted infants.

PubMed

Bozzetti, Valentina; Paterlini, Giuseppe; Gazzolo, Diego; Van Bel, Frank; Visser, Gerard H A; Roncaglia, Nadia; Tagliabue, Paolo E

2013-11-01

To detect predictors of feeding tolerance in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) infants with or without brain-sparing effect (BS). We conducted a case-control study in 70 IUGR infants (35 IUGR with BS, matched for gestational age with 35 IUGR infants with no BS). BS was classified as pulsatility index (PI) ratio [umbilical artery (UAPI) to middle cerebral artery (MCAPI) (U/C ratio)] > 1. Clinical parameters of feeding tolerance - days to achieve full enteral feeding (FEF) - were compared between the IUGR with BS and IUGR without BS infants. Age at the start of minimal enteral feeding (MEF) was analysed. Achievement of FEF was significantly shorter in IUGR infants without BS than in IUGR with BS. IUGR with BS started MEF later than IUGR without BS infants. Significant correlation of MEF and FEF with UA PI, U/C ratio and CRIB score was found. Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant correlations with CRIB score and caffeine administration (MEF only), and sepsis (FEF only) and U/C ratio (for both). Impaired gut function can be early detected by monitoring Doppler patterns and clinical parameters. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Beta-Sitosterol: A Promising but Orphan Nutraceutical to Fight Against Cancer.

PubMed

Bin Sayeed, Muhammad Shahdaat; Ameen, Syeda Sadia

2015-01-01

All the currently available cancer therapeutic options are expensive but none of them are safe. However, traditional plant-derived medicines or compounds are relatively safe. One widely known such compound is beta-sitosterol (BS), a plant derived nutrient with anticancer properties against breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, and leukemia. Studies have shown that BS interfere with multiple cell signaling pathways, including cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation, survival, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis and inflammation. Most of the studies are incomplete partly due to the fact that BS is relatively less potent. But the fact that it is generally considered as nontoxic, the opposite of all currently available cancer chemo-therapeutics, is missed by almost all research communities. To offset the lower efficacy of BS, designing BS delivery for "cancer cell specific" therapy hold huge potential. Delivery of BS through liposome is one of such demonstrations that has shown to be highly promising. But further research did not progress neither in the field of drug delivery of BS nor in the field on how BS mediated anticancer activities could be improved, thus making BS an orphan nutraceutical. Therefore, extensive research with BS as potent anticancer nutraceutical is highly recommended.

Over-drainage and persistent shunt-dependency in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension treated with shunts and bariatric surgery.

PubMed

Roth, Jonathan; Constantini, Shlomi; Kesler, Anat

2015-01-01

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) may lead to visual impairment. Shunt surgery is indicated for refractory IIH-related symptoms that persist despite medical treatment, or those presenting with significant visual decline. Obesity is a risk factor for IIH; a reduction in weight has been shown to improve papilledema. Bariatric surgery (BS) has been suggested for treating IIH associated with morbid obesity. In this study, we describe a high rate of over-drainage (OD) seen in patients following shunts and BS. The study cohort includes 13 patients with IIH that underwent shunt surgery for treatment of the IIH-related symptoms. Six patients underwent BS in addition to the shunt surgery (but not concomitantly). Seven patients had only shunt surgeries with no BS. Data were collected retrospectively. BS effectively led to weight reduction (body mass index decreasing from 43 ± 4 to 28 ± 5). Patients undergoing BS had 1-6 (2.5 ± 1.9) shunt revisions for OD following BS, as opposed to 0-3 (1.4 ± 1.1) revisions prior to BS over similar time spans (statistically insignificant difference), and 0-6 (1.6 ± 2.5) revisions among the non-BS patients over a longer time span (statistically insignificant difference). Two patients in the BS group underwent shunt externalization and closure; however, they proved to be shunt-dependent. Patients with IIH that undergo shunt surgery and BS (not concomitantly) may suffer from OD symptoms, necessitating multiple shunt revisions, and valve upgrades. Despite BS being a valid primary treatment for some patients with IIH, among shunted patients, BS may not lead to resolution of IIH-related symptoms and patients may remain shunt-dependent.

Development of new multivalent-bispecific agents for pretargeting tumor localization and therapy.

PubMed

Rossi, Edmund A; Sharkey, Robert M; McBride, William; Karacay, Habibe; Zeng, Li; Hansen, Hans J; Goldenberg, David M; Chang, Chien-Hsing

2003-09-01

Two bispecific diabodies (BS1.5 and BS1.5H) and two bispecific trivalent proteins (BS6 and BS8) were produced and tested as potential agents for pretargeted delivery of radiolabeled bivalent haptens to tumors expressing carcinoembryonic antigen. Each of the four proteins was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified from the soluble fraction. BS1.5 and BS1.5H (a humanized version of BS1.5) were evaluated in the GW-39 human colonic tumor-nude mouse model using a di-HSG-1,4,7,10-tetra-azacyclododecane-N,N',N" N"'-tetraacetic acid peptide (IMP-241) radiolabeled with (111)In. The biodistribution and T/NT ratios were compared with those of hMN-14 x m679 (Fab' x Fab') prepared chemically. In animals, both BS1.5 and BS1.5H cleared more rapidly than hMN-14 x m679 and showed tumor to nontumor ratios far superior to those of hMN-14 x m679. For example, with BS1.5 injected 8 h before (111)In-IMP-241, the tumor uptake of (111)In was 10.3 +/- 2.7 and 6.3 +/- 2.2% ID/g at 3 and 24 h, respectively, with the tumor to blood ratios being 167 +/- 35 at 3 h and 631 +/- 231 at 24 h. In comparison, the tumor to blood ratios of (111)In observed for hMN-14 x m679 given 24 h earlier were 8 +/- 2 at 3 h and 16 +/- 3 at 24 h. These results indicate that BS1.5 and BS1.5H are promising candidates for use in a variety of pretargeting applications, including tumor therapy with radionuclides and drugs. BS6 and BS8 may be even more attractive because of their potential to achieve higher levels of tumor uptake because of divalent carcinoembryonic antigen binding.

Inducible expression of Bs2 R gene from Capsicum chacoense in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) confers enhanced resistance to citrus canker disease.

PubMed

Sendín, Lorena Noelia; Orce, Ingrid Georgina; Gómez, Rocío Liliana; Enrique, Ramón; Grellet Bournonville, Carlos Froilán; Noguera, Aldo Sergio; Vojnov, Adrián Alberto; Marano, María Rosa; Castagnaro, Atilio Pedro; Filippone, María Paula

2017-04-01

Transgenic expression of the pepper Bs2 gene confers resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) pathogenic strains which contain the avrBs2 avirulence gene in susceptible pepper and tomato varieties. The avrBs2 gene is highly conserved among members of the Xanthomonas genus, and the avrBs2 of Xcv shares 96% homology with the avrBs2 of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), the causal agent of citrus canker disease. A previous study showed that the transient expression of pepper Bs2 in lemon leaves reduced canker formation and induced plant defence mechanisms. In this work, the effect of the stable expression of Bs2 gene on citrus canker resistance was evaluated in transgenic plants of Citrus sinensis cv. Pineapple. Interestingly, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of epicotyls was unsuccessful when a constitutive promoter (2× CaMV 35S) was used in the plasmid construction, but seven transgenic lines were obtained with a genetic construction harbouring Bs2 under the control of a pathogen-inducible promoter, from glutathione S-transferase gene from potato. A reduction of disease symptoms of up to 70% was observed in transgenic lines expressing Bs2 with respect to non-transformed control plants. This reduction was directly dependent on the Xcc avrBs2 gene since no effect was observed when a mutant strain of Xcc with a disruption in avrBs2 gene was used for inoculations. Additionally, a canker symptom reduction was correlated with levels of the Bs2 expression in transgenic plants, as assessed by real-time qPCR, and accompanied by the production of reactive oxygen species. These results indicate that the pepper Bs2 resistance gene is also functional in a family other than the Solanaceae, and could be considered for canker control.

Hadronic production of Bs(*) at the Tevatron and LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jia-Wei; Fang, Zhen-Yun; Chang, Chao-Hsi; Wu, Xing-Gang; Zhong, Tao; Yu, Yao

2009-06-01

We study the hadronic production of Bs and Bs* mesons within the fixed-flavor-number scheme, in which the dominant gluon-gluon fusion mechanism is dealt with by using the complete αs4 approach. Main theoretical uncertainties for Bs and Bs* production at the Tevatron and LHC are presented. It is found that when ms increases by steps of 0.1 GeV, the integrated cross section of Bs(*) decreases by 80%-100%. When mb increases by steps of 0.1 GeV, it changes by ˜10%, while the uncertainties caused by the parton distribution function and the factorization scale vary within the region of (1)/(5) to (1)/(3). Considering a possible kinematic cut on the transverse momentum and the rapidity cut for the detectors at the Tevatron and LHC, we also make estimations on the Bs and Bs* production with various kinematic cuts.

Antitussive, antispasmodic, bronchodilating and cardiac inotropic effects of the essential oil from Blepharocalyx salicifolius leaves.

PubMed

Hernández, Jehison Jiménez; Ragone, María Inés; Bonazzola, Patricia; Bandoni, Arnaldo L; Consolini, Alicia E

2018-01-10

Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Kunth) O. Berg (Myrtaceae) is a tree native to Argentina and Uruguay that grows and is cultivated along the riverside of the Rio de la Plata. The leaves of this plant species, locally known as "anacahuita" are used in South America to prepare infusions for the empiric treatment of cough and bronchospasm, as well as diarrhoea and other intestinal disorders. Although previous phytochemical studies have been performed with the essential oil extracted from Blepharocalyx salicifolius, pharmacological evidence supporting its traditional use is still lacking. To experimentally evaluate the pharmacological properties of Blepharocalyx salicifolius based on its traditional use. The studies were performed with tincture (T-Bs) and essential oil (EO-Bs) prepared from its leaves, in isolated rat trachea, intestine and heart preparations. The ex-vivo effects of T-Bs and EO-Bs were evaluated with the agonists carbachol (CCh) and calcium chloride (Ca 2+ ) in the contractile concentration-response curves (CRC) of the isolated intestine. The muscle relaxant effect of EO-Bs was evaluated in the isolated trachea and compared with the effect achieved with papaverine as a positive control. The T-Bs and EO-Bs cardiac effects were analysed by perfusion of an isolated rat heart before a period of ischemia/reperfusion (stunning model). The antitussive effect of both T-Bs and EO-Bs was evaluated in mice exposed to ammonia using codeine as a positive control. Both T-Bs and EO-Bs induced a non-competitive inhibition of the CCh-CRC in the rat intestine, with IC 50 values of 170.3 ± 48.5µg T-Bs/mL (n = 6) and 5.9 ± 1.6µg EO-Bs/mL (n = 6), respectively. EO-Bs also inhibited non-competitively the Ca 2+ -CRC, with IC 50 value of 1.8 ± 0.3µg EO-Bs/mL (n = 8). A similar effect was obtained with the main active component of the EO-Bs 1,8-cineole. In isolated trachea, EO-Bs induced the relaxation of the CCh-contracted tissue (1.7 ± 0.2µg EO-Bs/mL, n = 11) up to a maximal relaxation that was 1.9 times higher than that of papaverine. In the isolated heart, EO-Bs induced a poor negative inotropic response, and did not improve the contractile and energetic recovery after ischemia and reperfusion. In the mouse cough model, EO-Bs (90mg/Kg) was as effective as codeine (30mg/Kg) in reducing cough frequency. The results indicate that the preparations from Blepharocalyx salicifolius leaves were effective as central antitussive, bronchodilating and antispasmodic agents, suggestive of a mechanism associated with the inhibition of Ca 2+ influx into smooth muscle. The EO-Bs displayed only a poor ability to reduce cardiac inotropism, and was devoid of any cardioprotective properties. Thus, the present study validates the traditional use of this South American plant for asthma, cough and bronchospasm, shedding new light into its potency and putative mechanism of action. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The pepper Bs4C proteins are localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and confer disease resistance to bacterial blight in transgenic rice.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Zeng, Xuan; Tian, Dongsheng; Yang, Xiaobei; Wang, Lanlan; Yin, Zhongchao

2018-03-30

Transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-dependent dominant disease resistance (R) genes in plants, also referred to as executor R genes, are induced on infection by phytopathogenic bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas harbouring the corresponding TALE genes. Unlike the traditional R proteins, the executor R proteins do not determine the resistance specificity and may function broadly in different plant species. The executor R gene Bs4C-R in the resistant genotype PI 235047 of the pepper species Capsicum pubescens (CpBs4C-R) confers disease resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) harbouring the TALE genes avrBsP/avrBs4. In this study, the synthetic genes of CpBs4C-R and two other Bs4C-like genes, the susceptible allele in the genotype PI585270 of C. pubescens (CpBs4C-S) and the CaBs4C-R homologue gene in the cultivar 'CM334' of Capsicum annum (CaBs4C), were characterized in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and rice (Oryza sativa). The Bs4C genes induced cell death in N. benthamiana. The functional Bs4C-eCFP fusion proteins were localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane in the leaf epidermal cells of N. benthamiana. The Xa10 promoter-Bs4C fusion genes in transgenic rice conferred strain-specific disease resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal agent of bacterial blight in rice, and were specifically induced by the Xa10-incompatible Xoo strain PXO99 A (pHM1avrXa10). The results indicate that the Bs4C proteins from pepper species function broadly in rice and the Bs4C protein-mediated cell death from the ER is conserved between dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants, which can be utilized to engineer novel and enhanced disease resistance in heterologous plants. © 2018 TEMASEK LIFE SCIENCES LABORATORY. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY © 2018 JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

Garnet-type solid-state fast Li ion conductors for Li batteries: critical review.

PubMed

Thangadurai, Venkataraman; Narayanan, Sumaletha; Pinzaru, Dana

2014-07-07

Batteries are electrochemical devices that store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy. Among known batteries, Li ion batteries (LiBs) provide the highest gravimetric and volumetric energy densities, making them ideal candidates for use in portable electronics and plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. Conventional LiBs use an organic polymer electrolyte, which exhibits several safety issues including leakage, poor chemical stability and flammability. The use of a solid-state (ceramic) electrolyte to produce all-solid-state LiBs can overcome all of the above issues. Also, solid-state Li batteries can operate at high voltage, thus, producing high power density. Various types of solid Li-ion electrolytes have been reported; this review is focused on the most promising solid Li-ion electrolytes based on garnet-type metal oxides. The first studied Li-stuffed garnet-type compounds are Li5La3M2O12 (M = Nb, Ta), which show a Li-ion conductivity of ∼10(-6) at 25 °C. La and M sites can be substituted by various metal ions leading to Li-rich garnet-type electrolytes, such as Li6ALa2M2O12, (A = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sr0.5Ba0.5) and Li7La3C2O12 (C = Zr, Sn). Among the known Li-stuffed garnets, Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 exhibits the highest bulk Li-ion conductivity of 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 25 °C with an activation energy of 0.35 eV, which is an order of magnitude lower than that of the currently used polymer, but is chemically stable at higher temperatures and voltages compared to polymer electrolytes. Here, we discuss the chemical composition-structure-ionic conductivity relationship of the Li-stuffed garnet-type oxides, as well as the Li ion conduction mechanism.

Expression of the Bs2 pepper gene confers resistance to bacterial spot disease in tomato

PubMed Central

Tai, Thomas H.; Dahlbeck, Douglas; Clark, Eszter T.; Gajiwala, Paresh; Pasion, Romela; Whalen, Maureen C.; Stall, Robert E.; Staskawicz, Brian J.

1999-01-01

The Bs2 resistance gene of pepper specifically recognizes and confers resistance to strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria that contain the corresponding bacterial avirulence gene, avrBs2. The involvement of avrBs2 in pathogen fitness and its prevalence in many X. campestris pathovars suggests that the Bs2 gene may be durable in the field and provide resistance when introduced into other plant species. Employing a positional cloning strategy, the Bs2 locus was isolated and the gene was identified by coexpression with avrBs2 in an Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay. A single candidate gene, predicted to encode motifs characteristic of the nucleotide binding site–leucine-rich repeat class of resistance genes, was identified. This gene specifically controlled the hypersensitive response when transiently expressed in susceptible pepper and tomato lines and in a nonhost species, Nicotiana benthamiana, and was designated as Bs2. Functional expression of Bs2 in stable transgenic tomatoes supports its use as a source of resistance in other Solanaceous plant species. PMID:10570214

Expression of the Bs2 pepper gene confers resistance to bacterial spot disease in tomato.

PubMed

Tai, T H; Dahlbeck, D; Clark, E T; Gajiwala, P; Pasion, R; Whalen, M C; Stall, R E; Staskawicz, B J

1999-11-23

The Bs2 resistance gene of pepper specifically recognizes and confers resistance to strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria that contain the corresponding bacterial avirulence gene, avrBs2. The involvement of avrBs2 in pathogen fitness and its prevalence in many X. campestris pathovars suggests that the Bs2 gene may be durable in the field and provide resistance when introduced into other plant species. Employing a positional cloning strategy, the Bs2 locus was isolated and the gene was identified by coexpression with avrBs2 in an Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay. A single candidate gene, predicted to encode motifs characteristic of the nucleotide binding site-leucine-rich repeat class of resistance genes, was identified. This gene specifically controlled the hypersensitive response when transiently expressed in susceptible pepper and tomato lines and in a nonhost species, Nicotiana benthamiana, and was designated as Bs2. Functional expression of Bs2 in stable transgenic tomatoes supports its use as a source of resistance in other Solanaceous plant species.

Comparison of different bronchial closure techniques following pneumonectomy in dogs

PubMed Central

Bayram, A. Sami; Ozyigit, Ozgur; Gebitekin, Cengiz; Gorgul, O. Sacit

2007-01-01

The comparison of the histologic healing and bronchopleural fistula (BPF) complications encountered with three different BS closure techniques (manual suture, stapler and manual suture plus tissue flab) after pneumonectomy in dogs was investigated for a one-month period. The dogs were separated into two groups: group I (GI) (n = 9) and group II (GII) (n = 9). Right and left pneumonectomies were performed on the animals in GI and GII, respectively. Each group was further divided into three subgroups according to BS closure technique: subgroup I (SGI) (n = 3), manual suture; subgroup II (SGII) (n = 3), stapler; and subgroup III (SGIII) (n = 3), manual suture plus tissue flab. The dogs were sacrificed after one month of observation, and the bronchial stumps were removed for histological examination. The complications observed during a one-month period following pneumonectomy in nine dogs (n = 9) were: BPF (n = 5), peri-operative cardiac arrest (n = 1), post-operative respiratory arrest (n = 1), post-operative cardiac failure (n = 1) and cardio-pulmonary failure (n = 1). Histological healing was classified as complete or incomplete healing. Histological healing and BPF complications in the subgroups were analyzed statistically. There was no significant difference in histological healing between SGI and SGIII (p = 1.00; p > 0.05), nor between SGII and SGIII (p = 1.00; p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference was observed between the subgroups in terms of BPF (p = 0.945; p > 0.05). The results of the statistical analysis indicated that manual suture, stapler or manual suture plus tissue flab could be alternative methods for BS closure following pneumonectomy in dogs. PMID:17993754

Comparison of different bronchial closure techniques following pneumonectomy in dogs.

PubMed

Salci, Hakan; Bayram, A Sami; Ozyigit, Ozgur; Gebitekin, Cengiz; Gorgul, O Sacit

2007-12-01

The comparison of the histologic healing and bronchopleural fistula (BPF) complications encountered with three different BS closure techniques (manual suture, stapler and manual suture plus tissue flab) after pneumonectomy in dogs was investigated for a one-month period. The dogs were separated into two groups: group I (GI) (n = 9) and group II (GII) (n = 9). Right and left pneumonectomies were performed on the animals in GI and GII, respectively. Each group was further divided into three subgroups according to BS closure technique: subgroup I (SGI) (n = 3), manual suture; subgroup II (SGII) (n = 3), stapler; and subgroup III (SGIII) (n = 3), manual suture plus tissue flab. The dogs were sacrificed after one month of observation, and the bronchial stumps were removed for histological examination. The complications observed during a one-month period following pneumonectomy in nine dogs (n = 9) were: BPF (n = 5), peri-operative cardiac arrest (n = 1), post-operative respiratory arrest (n = 1), post-operative cardiac failure (n = 1) and cardio-pulmonary failure (n = 1). Histological healing was classified as complete or incomplete healing. Histological healing and BPF complications in the subgroups were analyzed statistically. There was no significant difference in histological healing between SGI and SGIII (p = 1.00; p > 0.05), nor between SGII and SGIII (p = 1.00; p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference was observed between the subgroups in terms of BPF (p = 0.945; p > 0.05). The results of the statistical analysis indicated that manual suture, stapler or manual suture plus tissue flab could be alternative methods for BS closure following pneumonectomy in dogs.

Spores of two probiotic Bacillus species enhance cellular immunity in BALB/C mice.

PubMed

Gong, Li; Huang, Qin; Fu, Aikun; Wu, YanPing; Li, Yali; Xu, Xiaogang; Huang, Yi; Yu, Dongyou; Li, Weifen

2018-01-01

Previous studies found that Bacillus subtilis BS02 and B. subtilis subsp. natto BS04 isolated in our laboratory could activate the immune response of murine macrophages in vitro. This study aims to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Bacillus species spores on the systemic cellular immune response in BALB/C mice. Results showed that both B. subtilis BS02 and B. subtilis natto BS04 enhanced the phagocytic function of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) and the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells. In addition, B. subtilis BS02 could increase the respiratory burst activity of blood phagocytes. Furthermore, B. subtilis BS02 and B. subtilis natto BS04 increased the percentage of gamma-interferon-producing CD4 + cells and CD8 + T-cells, but only BS04 increased the percentage of CD3 + cells and CD3 +  CD4 + cells in splenocytes. However, there were no effects on other subsets of splenic lymphocytes and mitogen-induced splenic lymphocyte proliferation. All data suggested that oral administration of B. subtilis BS02 or B. subtilis natto BS04 could significantly enhance cellular immunity in BALB/C mice by increasing phagocytic activity of MPS and cytotoxic activity of NK cells in a strain-specific manner.

Antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential of biosurfactants isolated from lactobacilli against multi-drug-resistant pathogens

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Biosurfactants (BS) are amphiphilic compounds produced by microbes, either on the cell surface or secreted extracellularly. BS exhibit strong antimicrobial and anti-adhesive properties, making them good candidates for applications used to combat infections. In this study, our goal was to assess the in vitro antimicrobial, anti-adhesive and anti-biofilm abilities of BS produced by Lactobacillus jensenii and Lactobacillus rhamnosus against clinical Multidrug Resistant (MDR) strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Cell-bound BS from both L. jensenii and L. rhamnosus were extracted and isolated. The surface activities of crude BS samples were evaluated using an oil spreading assay. The antimicrobial, anti-adhesive and anti-biofilm activities of both BS against the above mentioned MDR pathogens were determined. Results Surface activities for both BS ranged from 6.25 to 25 mg/ml with clear zones observed between 7 and 11 cm. BS of both L. jensenii and L. rhamnosus showed antimicrobial activities against A. baumannii, E. coli and S. aureus at 25-50 mg/ml. Anti-adhesive and anti-biofilm activities were also observed for the aforementioned pathogens between 25 and 50 mg/ml. Finally, analysis by electron microscope indicated that the BS caused membrane damage for A. baumannii and pronounced cell wall damage in S. aureus. Conclusion Our results indicate that BS isolated from two Lactobacilli strains has antibacterial properties against MDR strains of A. baumannii, E. coli and MRSA. Both BS also displayed anti-adhesive and anti-biofilm abilities against A. baumannii, E. coli and S. aureus. Together, these capabilities may open up possibilities for BS as an alternative therapeutic approach for the prevention and/or treatment of hospital-acquired infections. PMID:25124936

A plasma-based biomatrix mixed with endothelial progenitor cells and keratinocytes promotes matrix formation, angiogenesis, and reepithelialization in full-thickness wounds.

PubMed

Vermeulen, Pieter; Dickens, Stijn; Degezelle, Karlien; Van den Berge, Stefaan; Hendrickx, Benoit; Vranckx, Jan Jeroen

2009-07-01

In search of an autologous vascularized skin substitute, we treated full-thickness wounds (FTWs) with autologous platelet-rich plasma gel (APG) in which we embedded endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and basal cell keratinocytes (KCs). We cultivated autologous KCs in low-serum conditions and expanded autologous EPCs from venous blood. FTWs (n = 55) were created on the backs of four pigs, covered with wound chambers, and randomly assigned to the following treatments: (1) APG, (2) APG + KCs, (3) APG + EPCs, (4) APG + KCs + EPCs, and (5) saline. All wounds were biopsied to measure neovascularization (lectin Bandeiraea Simplicifolia-1 (BS-1), alpha smooth muscle actin [alphaSMA], and membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP)), matrix deposition (fibronectin, collagen type I/III, and alphavbeta3), and reepithelialization. Wound fluids were analyzed for protein expression. All APG-treated wounds showed more vascular structures (p < 0.001), and the addition of EPCs further improved neovascularization, as confirmed by higher lectin, alphaSMA, and MT1-MMP. APG groups had higher collagen I/III (p < 0.05), alphavbeta3, and fibronectin content (p < 0.001), and they exhibited higher concentrations of platelet-derived growth factor subunit bb, basic fibroblast growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, insulin growth factor-1, transforming growth factor-beta1 and -beta3, matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -z9, and tissue-inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -2. Applying APG + KCs resulted in the highest reepithelialization rates (p < 0.001). No differences were found for wound contraction by planimetry. In this porcine FTW model, APG acts as a supportive biomatrix that, along with the embedded cells, improves extracellular matrix organization, promotes angiogenesis, and accelerates reepithelialization.

Safe single-dose administration of propofol in patients with established Brugada syndrome: a retrospective database analysis.

PubMed

Flamée, Panagiotis; De Asmundis, Carlo; Bhutia, Jigme T; Conte, Giulio; Beckers, Stefan; Umbrain, Vincent; Verborgh, Christian; Chierchia, Gian-Battista; Van Malderen, Sophie; Casado-Arroyo, Rubén; Sarkozy, Andrea; Brugada, Pedro; Poelaert, Jan

2013-12-01

Propofol is an anesthetic drug with a very attractive pharmacokinetic profile, which makes it the induction agent of choice, especially in day-case surgery. Data on its potential proarrhythmic effects in patients with Brugada syndrome (BS) patients are still lacking. The aim of our study was to investigate whether a single dose of propofol triggered any adverse events in consecutive high-risk patients with BS. All consecutive patients with BS having undergone an implantable cardiac defibrillator implantation under general anesthesia were eligible for this study. The anesthetic chart of each patient was reviewed, and the occurrence of malignant arrhythmic events as well as the need for defibrillation during induction and maintenance of anesthesia was investigated. Further monitoring of the patient comprised five-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), pulse oxymetry, and continuous carbon dioxide monitoring through side sampling from the ventilator tubes. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and sufentanyl. Injection of propofol occurred in a single-shot bolus-as often performed by most anesthetists-over a few seconds. Anesthesia was maintained with volatile anesthetics (sevoflurane or desflurane) in an oxygen-air mixture. From 1996 to 2011, 57 high-risk patients with BS (35 males; mean age: 43 ± 16 years) underwent an automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation at our center using propofol as induction drug of general anesthesia. Three patients had a history of spontaneous type I ECG, three had aborted sudden death, and 51 had a history of recurrent or unexplained syncope. The induction dose ranged between 0.8 mg/kg and 5.0 mg/kg (2.2 ± 0.7 mg/kg). Only one case received propofol to maintain anesthesia. The surgical procedure involved an anesthetic period of 75 ± 25 minutes. No patient developed a malignant rhythm during induction and maintenance of anesthesia. All patients were then safely discharged from the postanesthetic care unit after 1 hour. No adverse events were noticed during the recovery phase. In our study, administration of a single-dose propofol in patients with BS was safe. Nevertheless, extreme caution is still recommended when conducting general anesthesia in patients with BS, especially if BS patients are sedated with propofol for longer periods. ©2013, The Authors. Journal compilation ©2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influence of 2% chlorhexidine digluconate on bond strength of a glass-fibre post luted with resin or glass-ionomer based cement.

PubMed

de Araújo, Diana Ferreira Gadelha; Chaves, Larissa Pinceli; Bim, Odair; Pimentel Garcia, Fernanda Cristina; Ishikiriama, Sérgio Kiyoshi; Honório, Heitor Marques; Wang, Linda

2014-06-01

This study evaluated the influence of 2% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) on the bond strength (BS) of a glass-fibre post to the root canal, regarding the cements (dual-cured resin or resin-modified glass-ionomer cement), the root thirds and the time of storage. Eighty bovine roots were selected and endodontically treated, before being randomly assigned to the following groups according to the luting protocol: ARC (RelyX ARC); ARC+CHX; RL (RelyX Luting 2); and RL+CHX. After 24 h of luting, the roots were sliced to obtain 1 mm-thick slices. Half of each group was submitted to either 7-day or 6-month storage in artificial saliva (n=10). The specimens were subjected to push-out tests with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. The data were analysed with four-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (P≤0.05). The failure modes were analysed with a digital microscope (50× and 200×). ARC yielded a significantly higher BS compared to RL (P<0.001). Despite CHX exerted a significant effect; it depends on the interaction with the luting cement and time (P<0.001). Thus, CHX decreased the values of BS to those of ARC after 6 months (P<0.001). On the 7th day of storage, the ARC+CHX presented higher BS to the cervical and middle thirds compared to RL+CHX (P=0.012). Time solely was not a significant factor (P=0.081). Adhesive cement-dentine type and mixed failures were predominant modes for the ARC groups. For the RL groups, the main failures were adhesive cement-post and mixed modes. Glass-fibre posts luted with RelyX ARC dual-cure resin cement exhibited higher BS than those luted with RelyX Luting 2 resin-modified glass-ionomer cement. Furthermore, CHX was not effective to improve the BS and negatively affected the BS of RelyX ARC after 6 months of storage. The use of chlorhexidine solution seems not to improve the bond strength of fibre posts to root canals, disregarding the composition of the luting cement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An rbcL mRNA-binding protein is associated with C3 to C4 evolution and light-induced production of Rubisco in Flaveria.

PubMed

Yerramsetty, Pradeep; Agar, Erin M; Yim, Won C; Cushman, John C; Berry, James O

2017-07-20

Nuclear-encoded RLSB protein binds chloroplastic rbcL mRNA encoding the Rubisco large subunit. RLSB is highly conserved across all groups of land plants and is associated with positive post-transcriptional regulation of rbcL expression. In C3 leaves, RLSB and Rubisco occur in all chlorenchyma cell chloroplasts, while in C4 leaves these accumulate only within bundle sheath (BS) chloroplasts. RLSB's role in rbcL expression makes modification of its localization a likely prerequisite for the evolutionary restriction of Rubisco to BS cells. Taking advantage of evolutionarily conserved RLSB orthologs in several C3, C3-C4, C4-like, and C4 photosynthetic types within the genus Flaveria, we show that low level RLSB sequence divergence and modification to BS specificity coincided with ontogeny of Rubisco specificity and Kranz anatomy during C3 to C4 evolution. In both C3 and C4 species, Rubisco production reflected RLSB production in all cell types, tissues, and conditions examined. Co-localization occurred only in photosynthetic tissues, and both proteins were co-ordinately induced by light at post-transcriptional levels. RLSB is currently the only mRNA-binding protein to be associated with rbcL gene regulation in any plant, with variations in sequence and acquisition of cell type specificity reflecting the progression of C4 evolution within the genus Flaveria. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Comparative analysis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)-induced cellular responses and proteomes in Pseudomonas sp. HK-6 in two types of media.

PubMed

Cho, Yun-Seok; Lee, Bheong-Uk; Kahng, Hyung-Yeel; Oh, Kye-Heon

2009-04-01

TNT-induced cellular responses and proteomes in Pseudomonas sp. HK-6 were comparatively analyzed in two different media: basal salts (BS) and Luria broth (LB). HK-6 cells could not degrade more than 0.5 mM TNT with BS medium, while in LB medium, they exhibited the enhanced capability to degrade as much as 3.0 mM TNT. Analysis of total cellular fatty acids in HK-6 cells suggested that the relative abundance of several saturated or unsaturated fatty acids is altered under TNT-mediated stress conditions. Scanning electron microscopy showed the presence of perforations, irregular rod formations, and wrinkled extracellular surfaces in cells under TNT stress. Proteomic analysis of soluble protein fractions from HK-6 cultures grown with TNT as a substrate revealed 11 protein spots induced by TNT. Among these, seven proteins (including Alg8, AlgB, NirB, and the AhpC/Tsa family) were detected only in LB medium containing TNT. The proteins AspS, Tsf, and assimilatory nitrate reductase were increasingly expressed only in BS medium containing TNT. The protein dGTPase was found to be induced and expressed when cells were grown in either type of TNT-containing media. These results provide a better understanding of the cytotoxicity and survival mechanism used by Pseudomonas sp. HK-6 when placed under TNT stress conditions.

Heterogeneity of envelope molecules expressed on primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particles as probed by the binding of neutralizing and nonneutralizing antibodies.

PubMed

Poignard, Pascal; Moulard, Maxime; Golez, Edwin; Vivona, Veronique; Franti, Michael; Venturini, Sara; Wang, Meng; Parren, Paul W H I; Burton, Dennis R

2003-01-01

Virion capture assays, in which immobilized antibodies (Abs) capture virus particles, have been used to suggest that nonneutralizing Abs bind effectively to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) primary viruses. Here, we show that virion capture assays, under conditions commonly reported in the literature, give a poor indication of epitope expression on the surface of infectious primary HIV-1. First, estimation of primary HIV-1 capture by p24 measurements shows a very poor correlation with an estimation based on infectivity measurements. Second, virion capture appears to require relatively low Ab affinity for the virion, as shown by the ability of a monoclonal Ab to capture a wild-type and a neutralization escape variant virus equally well. Nevertheless, in a more interpretable competition format, it is shown that nonneutralizing anti-CD4 binding site (CD4bs) Abs compete with a neutralizing anti-CD4bs Ab (b12) for virus capture, suggesting that the nonneutralizing anti-CD4bs Abs are able to bind to the envelope species that is involved in virion capture in these experiments. However, the nonneutralizing anti-CD4bs Abs do not inhibit neutralization by b12 even at considerable excess. This suggests that the nonneutralizing Abs are unable to bind effectively to the envelope species required for virus infectivity. The results were obtained for three different primary virus envelopes. The explanation that we favor is that infectious HIV-1 primary virions can express two forms of gp120, an accessible nonfunctional form and a functional form with limited access. Binding to the nonfunctional form, which needs only to be present at relatively low density on the virion, permits capture but does not lead to neutralization. The expression of a nonfunctional but accessible form of gp120 on virions may contribute to the general failure of HIV-1 infection to elicit cross-neutralizing Abs and may represent a significant problem for vaccines based on viruses or virus-like particles.

Structure of the Apo Form of Bacillus stearothermophilus Phosphofructokinase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mosser, Rockann; Reddy, Manchi C.M.; Bruning, John B.

2012-02-08

The crystal structure of the unliganded form of Bacillus stearothermophilus phosphofructokinase (BsPFK) was determined using molecular replacement to 2.8 {angstrom} resolution (Protein Data Bank entry 3U39). The apo BsPFK structure serves as the basis for the interpretation of any structural changes seen in the binary or ternary complexes. When the apo BsPFK structure is compared with the previously published liganded structures of BsPFK, the structural impact that the binding of the ligands produces is revealed. This comparison shows that the apo form of BsPFK resembles the substrate-bound form of BsPFK, a finding that differs from previous predictions.

Nature and evolution of B chromosomes in plants: A non-coding but information-rich part of plant genomes.

PubMed

Puertas, M J

2002-01-01

This work reviews recent advances providing insights on the origin and evolution of B chromosomes (Bs) in representative plant species. Brachyome dichromosomatica has large and micro Bs. Both carry an inactive ribosomal gene cluster. The large Bs contain the B-specific Bd49 family, mainly located at the centromere. Multiple copies are present in the A chromosomes (As) of related species, whereas only a few copies exist in B. dichromosomatica As. The micro Bs share sequences with the As, the large Bs and have the B-specific repeats Bdm29 and Bdm54. It seems that the large and micro Bs are related in origin. It is very unlikely that the Bs originated by simple excision from the As. Rye Bs are composed of sequences predominantly shared with the As. B-specific sequences are located at the heterochromatic end of the long arm. Probably, they originated from the As after many rearrangements, with a tendency for duplication. The E3900 family derives from a Ty3 gypsy retrotransposon, but the D1100 family shows no evidence of genic origin. The overall composition of maize As and Bs is similar suggesting a common origin. Several B-specific sequences have been found, the most studied being pZmBs, which is located at the B centromere. It shows partial homology to the centromere of chromosome 4 and to the knobs. It is not known whether the B centromere derives from centromere 4, or whether both have a more distant common origin. The dynamics of Bs in populations depends on their non-Mendelian mechanisms of transmission, their effects on carrier fitness and on A genes modulating their parasitic properties. Three representative examples are reviewed. The Bs of Allium schoenoprassum are transmitted at a mean lower than Mendelian and adversely affect vigour and fertility. However, there is a differential selection operating in favour of B-containing seedlings. Rye Bs undergo strong drive, which is counteracted by harmful effects on fertility and instabilities at meiosis. Both nondisjunction and meiotic behaviour, and consequently the establishment of B polymorphisms, mainly depend on the Bs themselves. B nondisjunction in maize is controlled by the B, but the As control preferential fertilisation. Considering the non-equilibrium model, the Bs of Allium seem to have been neutralised by the A genome, the As of maize provide defence against B attack, whereas the Bs of rye are only slightly neutralized. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

β-Sitosterol enhances cellular glutathione redox cycling by reactive oxygen species generated from mitochondrial respiration: protection against oxidant injury in H9c2 cells and rat hearts.

PubMed

Wong, Hoi Shan; Chen, Na; Leong, Pou Kuan; Ko, Kam Ming

2014-07-01

Herba Cistanches (Cistanche deserticola Y. C. Ma) is a 'Yang-invigorating' tonic herb in Chinese medicine. Preliminary chemical analysis indicated that β-sitosterol (BS) is one of the chemical constituents in an active fraction of Herba Cistanches. To investigate whether BS is an active ingredient of Herba Cistanches, the effects of BS on H9c2 cells and rat hearts were examined. The results indicated that BS stimulated the mitochondrial ATP generation capacity in H9c2 cells, which was associated with the increased production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. BS also stimulated mitochondrial state 3 and state 4 respiration, with the resultant decrease in coupling efficiency. BS produced an up-regulation of cellular glutathione redox cycling and protected against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells. However, the protective effect of BS against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury was seen in female but not male rats ex vivo. The cardioprotection afforded by BS was likely mediated by an up-regulation of mitochondrial glutathione redox cycling in female rat hearts. In conclusion, the ensemble of results suggests that BS is an active ingredient of Herba Cistanches. The gender-dependent effect of BS on myocardial protection will further be investigated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Trunk muscle activation in the back and hack squat at the same relative loads.

PubMed

Clark, David R; Lambert, Michael I; Hunter, Angus M

2017-07-12

The hack squat (HS) is likely to produce a greater 1 repetition maximum (1RM) compared to the back squat (BS). This can be attributed to the support of the trunk during the HS compared to no support during BS. This support however, may compromise trunk muscle activation (TMA), therefore producing different training adaptations. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare 1RM in BS and HS and TMA at 4 relative loads, 65, 75, 85 and 95% of maximal system mass. Ten males completed 3 test sessions:1) BS and HS 1RM, 2) HS & BS neuromuscular test familiarization, and, 3) Neuromuscular test for 3 reps at 4 loads for BS and HS. BS TMA was significantly greater (p<0.05) than HS for all muscles and phases except rectus abdominus in concentric phase. TMA increased (p<0.05) with load in all muscles for both exercises and phases apart from lumbar sacral erector spinae in HS eccentric phase. Mean HS 1RM and submaximal loads were significantly (p<0.0001) higher than the equivalent BS loads. Duration of the eccentric phase was higher (p<0.01) in HS than BS but not different in concentric phase. Duration increased significantly (p<0.01) with load in both exercises and both phases. Despite higher absolute tests loads in HS, TMA was higher in BS. TMA is sensitive to load in both exercises. BS is more effective than HS in activating the muscles of the trunk and therefore arguably more effective in developing trunk strength and stability for dynamic athletic performance.

Heart rate variability and repolarization characteristics in symptomatic and asymptomatic Brugada syndrome.

PubMed

Behar, Nathalie; Petit, Bertrand; Probst, Vincent; Sacher, Frederic; Kervio, Gaelle; Mansourati, Jacques; Bru, Paul; Hernandez, Alfredo; Mabo, Philippe

2017-10-01

Modulation of ST-segment elevation (STE) and tachyarrhythmic events by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been reported in patients with Brugada syndrome (BS). This study examined and compared the autonomic characteristics and STE in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic patients with BS. We studied 40 symptomatic and 78 asymptomatic patients (mean age = 46.1 ± 13.7 years; 88 men) who underwent 24 h, 12-lead electrocardiograms, and exercise and a head-up tilt tests. Heart rate variability was examined and STE was measured at 5 points between 100 and 140 ms after the onset of 1 min averaged QRS complexes, and the type 1 Brugada pattern was automatically identified. 'Type 1 Brugada burden' was the percentage of averaged type 1 complexes. All measurements were made over 24 h, and during day and night times. During daytime, the variation coefficients of standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals were 39.0 ± 12.3 vs. 34.1 ± 14.5 ms (P< 0.05) and high frequency normalized units were 39.9 ± 16.9 vs. 33.9 ± 16.2% (P< 0.05) in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic patients, respectively. ST-segment elevation was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients at all time points. The type 1 Brugada burden in V2 was 38.7 ± 33.6% in the symptomatic vs. 24.3 ± 35.2% in the asymptomatic sample, a statistically non-significant difference. This analysis of ANS did not identify sensitive predictors of arrhythmic events in patients with BS. We observed, however, greater fluctuations in sinus node response to ANS in symptomatic patients. The type 1 Brugada electrocardiographic pattern was not as reliable a predictor of arrhythmic risk as previously reported. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melber, B.D.; Saari, L.M.; White, A.S.

This report assesses the job-relatedness of specialized educational programs for licensed nuclear reactor operators. The approach used involved systematically comparing the curriculum of specialized educational programs for college credit, to academic knowledge identified as necessary for carrying out the jobs of licenses reactor operators. A sample of eight programs, including A.S. degree, B.S. degree, and coursework programs were studied. Subject matter experts in the field of nuclear operations curriculum and training determined the extent to which individual program curricula covered the identified job-related academic knowledge. The major conclusions of the report are: There is a great deal of variation amongmore » individual programs, ranging from coverage of 15% to 65% of the job-related academic knowledge. Four schools cover at least half, and four schools cover less than one-third of this knowledge content; There is no systematic difference in the job-relatedness of the different types of specialized educational programs, A.S. degree, B.S. degree, and coursework; and Traditional B.S. degree programs in nuclear engineering cover as much job-related knowledge (about one-half of this knowledge content) as most of the specialized educational programs.« less

Search for the X(5568) state decaying into $$\\mathrm{B}^{0}_{\\mathrm{s}}\\pi^{\\pm}$$ in proton-proton collisions at $$\\sqrt{s} = $$ 8 TeV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sirunyan, Albert M; et al.

2018-05-19

A search for resonancelike structures in the Bs0π± invariant mass spectrum is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at s=8  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7  fb-1. The Bs0 mesons are reconstructed in the decay chain Bs0→J/ψϕ, with J/ψ→μ+μ- and ϕ→K+K-. The Bs0π± invariant mass distribution shows no statistically significant peaks for different selection requirements on the reconstructed Bs0 and π± candidates. Upper limits are set on the relative production rates of the X(5568) and Bs0 states times the branching fraction of the decay X(5568)±→Bs0π±. In addition, upper limits are obtained as amore » function of the mass and the natural width of possible exotic states decaying into Bs0π±.« less

[Effects of algicidal bacterium BS03 (Microbulbifer sp.) on the growth and antioxidant systems of Alexandrium tamarense].

PubMed

Fu, Lijun; Li, Dong; Wu, Chengji; Zheng, Tianling

2012-06-04

We studied the algicidal mechanism of extracellular substances of algicidal bacteria strain BS03 (Microbulbifer sp.) on photosynthetic characteristics, antioxident enzyme system and cysteine-dependent aspartate specific protease-3 (Caspase-3) of Alexandrium tamarense. We tested photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence efficiency, antioxidant systems and caspase-3 activity in the algae cells treated with 0.5%, 1.0% , 1.5% and 2.0% BS03 cell-free filtrate after 12, 24, 36 and 48 h. (1) The chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll fluorescence efficiency Fv/Fm decreased with the increase of BS03 cell-free filtrate and treatment time. Carotenoids contents of A. tamarense cells treated with low BS03 (0.5% and 1.0%) cell-free filtrate were higher than the control. (2) Antioxident enzyme activities varied as treatment time and concentration. Malodialdehyde (MDA) contents increased significantly with BS03 cell-free filtrate treatment. (3) Caspase-3 protease activities of algal cells increased by BS03 cell-free filtrate. BS03 inhibited the photosynthesis whereas enhanced the lipid peroxidation of the cellular membrane of Alexandrium tamarense, indicating its algicidal activity.

Search for the X(5568) State Decaying into B_{s}^{0}π^{±} in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=8  TeV.

PubMed

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Musella, P; Nessi-Tedaldi, F; Pandolfi, F; Pata, J; Pauss, F; Perrin, G; Perrozzi, L; Quittnat, M; Reichmann, M; Sanz Becerra, D A; Schönenberger, M; Shchutska, L; Tavolaro, V R; Theofilatos, K; Vesterbacka Olsson, M L; Wallny, R; Zhu, D H; Aarrestad, T K; Amsler, C; Canelli, M F; De Cosa, A; Del Burgo, R; Donato, S; Galloni, C; Hreus, T; Kilminster, B; Pinna, D; Rauco, G; Robmann, P; Salerno, D; Schweiger, K; Seitz, C; Takahashi, Y; Zucchetta, A; Candelise, V; Chang, Y H; Cheng, K Y; Doan, T H; Jain, Sh; Khurana, R; Kuo, C M; Lin, W; Pozdnyakov, A; Yu, S S; Kumar, Arun; Chang, P; Chao, Y; Chen, K F; Chen, P H; Fiori, F; Hou, W-S; Hsiung, Y; Liu, Y F; Lu, R-S; Paganis, E; Psallidas, A; Steen, A; Tsai, J F; Asavapibhop, B; Kovitanggoon, K; Singh, G; Srimanobhas, N; Bat, A; Boran, F; Cerci, S; Damarseckin, S; Demiroglu, Z S; Dozen, C; Dumanoglu, I; Girgis, S; Gokbulut, G; Guler, Y; Hos, I; Kangal, E E; Kara, O; Kayis Topaksu, A; Kiminsu, U; Oglakci, M; Onengut, G; Ozdemir, K; Sunar Cerci, D; 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Adams, M R; Apanasevich, L; Berry, D; Betts, R R; Cavanaugh, R; Chen, X; Evdokimov, O; Gerber, C E; Hangal, D A; Hofman, D J; Jung, K; Kamin, J; Sandoval Gonzalez, I D; Tonjes, M B; Trauger, H; Varelas, N; Wang, H; Wu, Z; Zhang, J; Bilki, B; Clarida, W; Dilsiz, K; Durgut, S; Gandrajula, R P; Haytmyradov, M; Khristenko, V; Merlo, J-P; Mermerkaya, H; Mestvirishvili, A; Moeller, A; Nachtman, J; Ogul, H; Onel, Y; Ozok, F; Penzo, A; Snyder, C; Tiras, E; Wetzel, J; Yi, K; Blumenfeld, B; Cocoros, A; Eminizer, N; Fehling, D; Feng, L; Gritsan, A V; Maksimovic, P; Roskes, J; Sarica, U; Swartz, M; Xiao, M; You, C; Al-Bataineh, A; Baringer, P; Bean, A; Boren, S; Bowen, J; Castle, J; Khalil, S; Kropivnitskaya, A; Majumder, D; Mcbrayer, W; Murray, M; Royon, C; Sanders, S; Schmitz, E; Tapia Takaki, J D; Wang, Q; Ivanov, A; Kaadze, K; Maravin, Y; Mohammadi, A; Saini, L K; Skhirtladze, N; Rebassoo, F; Wright, D; Anelli, C; Baden, A; Baron, O; Belloni, A; Eno, S C; Feng, Y; Ferraioli, C; Hadley, N J; Jabeen, S; Jeng, G Y; Kellogg, R G; Kunkle, J; Mignerey, A C; Ricci-Tam, F; Shin, Y H; Skuja, A; Tonwar, S C; Abercrombie, D; Allen, B; Azzolini, V; Barbieri, R; Baty, A; Bi, R; Brandt, S; Busza, W; Cali, I A; D'Alfonso, M; Demiragli, Z; Gomez Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; Hsu, D; Hu, M; Iiyama, Y; Innocenti, G M; Klute, M; Kovalskyi, D; Lee, Y-J; Levin, A; Luckey, P D; Maier, B; Marini, A C; Mcginn, C; Mironov, C; Narayanan, S; Niu, X; Paus, C; Roland, C; Roland, G; Salfeld-Nebgen, J; Stephans, G S F; Tatar, K; Velicanu, D; Wang, J; Wang, T W; Wyslouch, B; Benvenuti, A C; Chatterjee, R M; Evans, A; Hansen, P; Hiltbrand, J; Kalafut, S; Kubota, Y; Lesko, Z; Mans, J; Nourbakhsh, S; Ruckstuhl, N; Rusack, R; Turkewitz, J; Wadud, M A; Acosta, J G; Oliveros, S; Avdeeva, E; Bloom, K; Claes, D R; Fangmeier, C; Golf, F; Gonzalez Suarez, R; Kamalieddin, R; Kravchenko, I; Monroy, J; Siado, J E; Snow, G R; Stieger, B; Dolen, J; Godshalk, A; Harrington, C; Iashvili, I; Nguyen, D; Parker, A; Rappoccio, S; Roozbahani, B; 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Kamon, T; Mueller, R; Pakhotin, Y; Patel, R; Perloff, A; Perniè, L; Rathjens, D; Safonov, A; Tatarinov, A; Ulmer, K A; Akchurin, N; Damgov, J; De Guio, F; Dudero, P R; Faulkner, J; Gurpinar, E; Kunori, S; Lamichhane, K; Lee, S W; Libeiro, T; Mengke, T; Muthumuni, S; Peltola, T; Undleeb, S; Volobouev, I; Wang, Z; Greene, S; Gurrola, A; Janjam, R; Johns, W; Maguire, C; Melo, A; Ni, H; Padeken, K; Sheldon, P; Tuo, S; Velkovska, J; Xu, Q; Arenton, M W; Barria, P; Cox, B; Hirosky, R; Joyce, M; Ledovskoy, A; Li, H; Neu, C; Sinthuprasith, T; Wang, Y; Wolfe, E; Xia, F; Harr, R; Karchin, P E; Poudyal, N; Sturdy, J; Thapa, P; Zaleski, S; Brodski, M; Buchanan, J; Caillol, C; Dasu, S; Dodd, L; Duric, S; Gomber, B; Grothe, M; Herndon, M; Hervé, A; Hussain, U; Klabbers, P; Lanaro, A; Levine, A; Long, K; Loveless, R; Ruggles, T; Savin, A; Smith, N; Smith, W H; Taylor, D; Woods, N

2018-05-18

A search for resonancelike structures in the B_{s}^{0}π^{±} invariant mass spectrum is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at sqrt[s]=8  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7  fb^{-1}. The B_{s}^{0} mesons are reconstructed in the decay chain B_{s}^{0}→J/ψϕ, with J/ψ→μ^{+}μ^{-} and ϕ→K^{+}K^{-}. The B_{s}^{0}π^{±} invariant mass distribution shows no statistically significant peaks for different selection requirements on the reconstructed B_{s}^{0} and π^{±} candidates. Upper limits are set on the relative production rates of the X(5568) and B_{s}^{0} states times the branching fraction of the decay X(5568)^{±}→B_{s}^{0}π^{±}. In addition, upper limits are obtained as a function of the mass and the natural width of possible exotic states decaying into B_{s}^{0}π^{±}.

Soft magnetic characteristics of laminated magnetic block cores assembled with a high Bs nanocrystalline alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Atsushi; Inoue, Masaki; Tsukada, Kouhei; Fujisaki, Keisuke

2018-05-01

This paper focuses on an evaluation of core losses in laminated magnetic block cores assembled with a high Bs nanocrystalline alloy in high magnetic flux density region. To discuss the soft magnetic properties of the high Bs block cores, the comparison with amorphous (SA1) block cores is also performed. In the high Bs block core, both low core losses and high saturation flux densities Bs are satisfied in the low frequency region. Furthermore, in the laminated block core made of the high Bs alloy, the rate of increase of iron losses as a function of the magnetic flux density remains small up to around 1.6 T, which cannot be realized in conventional laminated block cores based on amorphous alloy. The block core made of the high Bs alloy exhibits comparable core loss with that of amorphous alloy core in the high-frequency region. Thus, it is expected that this laminated high Bs block core can achieve low core losses and high saturation flux densities in the high-frequency region.

Congenital chloride diarrhea needs to be distinguished from Bartter and Gitelman syndrome.

PubMed

Matsunoshita, Natsuki; Nozu, Kandai; Yoshikane, Masahide; Kawaguchi, Azusa; Fujita, Naoya; Morisada, Naoya; Ishimori, Shingo; Yamamura, Tomohiko; Minamikawa, Shogo; Horinouchi, Tomoko; Nakanishi, Keita; Fujimura, Junya; Ninchoji, Takeshi; Morioka, Ichiro; Nagase, Hiroaki; Taniguchi-Ikeda, Mariko; Kaito, Hiroshi; Iijima, Kazumoto

2018-05-30

Pseudo-Bartter/Gitelman syndrome (p-BS/GS) encompasses a clinically heterogeneous group of inherited or acquired disorders similar to Bartter syndrome (BS) or Gitelman syndrome (GS), both renal salt-losing tubulopathies. Phenotypic overlap frequently occurs between p-BS/GS and BS/GS, which are difficult to diagnose based on their clinical presentation and require genetic tests for accurate diagnosis. In addition, p-BS/GS can occur as a result of other inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis, autosomal dominant hypocalcemia, Dent disease, or congenital chloride diarrhea (CCD). However, the detection of the variants in genes other than known BS/GS-causing genes by conventional Sanger sequencing requires substantial time and resources. We studied 27 cases clinically diagnosed with BS/GS, but with negative genetic tests for known BS/GS genes. We conducted targeted sequencing for 22 genes including genes responsible for tubulopathies and other inherited diseases manifesting with p-BS/GS symptoms. We detected the SLC26A3 gene variants responsible for CCD in two patients. In Patient 1, we found the SLC26A3 compound heterozygous variants: c.354delC and c.1008insT. In Patient 2, we identified the compound heterozygous variants: c.877G > A, p.(Glu293Lys), and c.1008insT. Our results suggest that a comprehensive genetic screening system using targeted sequencing is useful for the diagnosis of patients with p-BS/GS with alternative genetic origins.

Probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 Improves Blood Parameters Related to Immunity in Broilers Experimentally Infected with Subclinical Necrotic Enteritis

PubMed Central

Wang, Hesong; Ni, Xueqin; Qing, Xiaodan; Liu, Lei; Xin, Jinge; Luo, Min; Khalique, Abdul; Dan, Yan; Pan, Kangcheng; Jing, Bo; Zeng, Dong

2018-01-01

The probiotic strain Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 could exert beneficial effects on growth performance, lipid metabolism, and intestinal microflora in healthy broilers and those afflicted with subclinical necrotic enteritis (SNE). In particular, BS15 prevents SNE by enhancing intestinal immunity. To further understand the immune regulatory mechanism of BS15, we evaluated its effects on the overall immunity of broilers by determining blood parameters in healthy and SNE broilers. In this study, two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 involved a 42-day experimental period and used 450 1-day-old male chicks. The chicks were randomly divided into three groups and fed with a basal diet with or without 1 × 105 or 106 colony-forming units (cfu) BS15/g as feed. Experiment 2 involved a 28-day experimental period and used 180 1-day-old male chicks. The chicks were randomly allotted into three groups and given with or without 1 × 106 cfu BS15/g BS15 as feed. SNE infection was treated in all broilers, except in those in the normal diet group. Antioxidant abilities, immunoglobulins, and cytokines in the serum were assessed. T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were also determined. The first experiment demonstrated that BS15 enhanced the antioxidant abilities; the serum levels of immunoglobulins, interleukin-2, and interferon-gamma; and CD3+CD4+ T-lymphocyte percentage in peripheral blood on day 21. However, limited significant changes were observed on day 42. The second experiment revealed that BS15 supplementation positively influenced the antioxidant abilities and increased the serum levels of immunoglobulins and cytokines that were affected by SNE. BS15 also positively affected T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood during SNE infection. These findings suggest that BS15 supplementation may prevent SNE in broilers by improving blood parameters related to immunity and enhancing intestinal immunity. Furthermore, BS15 supplementation can improve blood parameters in healthy broilers, especially at the starter phase. PMID:29441047

Probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 Improves Blood Parameters Related to Immunity in Broilers Experimentally Infected with Subclinical Necrotic Enteritis.

PubMed

Wang, Hesong; Ni, Xueqin; Qing, Xiaodan; Liu, Lei; Xin, Jinge; Luo, Min; Khalique, Abdul; Dan, Yan; Pan, Kangcheng; Jing, Bo; Zeng, Dong

2018-01-01

The probiotic strain Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 could exert beneficial effects on growth performance, lipid metabolism, and intestinal microflora in healthy broilers and those afflicted with subclinical necrotic enteritis (SNE). In particular, BS15 prevents SNE by enhancing intestinal immunity. To further understand the immune regulatory mechanism of BS15, we evaluated its effects on the overall immunity of broilers by determining blood parameters in healthy and SNE broilers. In this study, two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 involved a 42-day experimental period and used 450 1-day-old male chicks. The chicks were randomly divided into three groups and fed with a basal diet with or without 1 × 10 5 or 10 6 colony-forming units (cfu) BS15/g as feed. Experiment 2 involved a 28-day experimental period and used 180 1-day-old male chicks. The chicks were randomly allotted into three groups and given with or without 1 × 10 6 cfu BS15/g BS15 as feed. SNE infection was treated in all broilers, except in those in the normal diet group. Antioxidant abilities, immunoglobulins, and cytokines in the serum were assessed. T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were also determined. The first experiment demonstrated that BS15 enhanced the antioxidant abilities; the serum levels of immunoglobulins, interleukin-2, and interferon-gamma; and CD3 + CD4 + T-lymphocyte percentage in peripheral blood on day 21. However, limited significant changes were observed on day 42. The second experiment revealed that BS15 supplementation positively influenced the antioxidant abilities and increased the serum levels of immunoglobulins and cytokines that were affected by SNE. BS15 also positively affected T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood during SNE infection. These findings suggest that BS15 supplementation may prevent SNE in broilers by improving blood parameters related to immunity and enhancing intestinal immunity. Furthermore, BS15 supplementation can improve blood parameters in healthy broilers, especially at the starter phase.

Quantum Calculations of Electron Tunneling in Respiratory Complex III.

PubMed

Hagras, Muhammad A; Hayashi, Tomoyuki; Stuchebrukhov, Alexei A

2015-11-19

The most detailed and comprehensive to date study of electron transfer reactions in the respiratory complex III of aerobic cells, also known as bc1 complex, is reported. In the framework of the tunneling current theory, electron tunneling rates and atomistic tunneling pathways between different redox centers were investigated for all electron transfer reactions comprising different stages of the proton-motive Q-cycle. The calculations reveal that complex III is a smart nanomachine, which under certain conditions undergoes conformational changes gating electron transfer, or channeling electrons to specific pathways. One-electron tunneling approximation was adopted in the tunneling calculations, which were performed using hybrid Broken-Symmetry (BS) unrestricted DFT/ZINDO levels of theory. The tunneling orbitals were determined using an exact biorthogonalization scheme that uniquely separates pairs of tunneling orbitals with small overlaps out of the remaining Franck-Condon orbitals with significant overlap. Electron transfer rates in different redox pairs show exponential distance dependence, in agreement with the reported experimental data; some reactions involve coupled proton transfer. Proper treatment of a concerted two-electron bifurcated tunneling reaction at the Q(o) site is given.

Gitelman or Bartter type 3 syndrome? A case of distal convoluted tubulopathy caused by CLCNKB gene mutation

PubMed Central

Cruz, António José; Castro, Alexandra

2013-01-01

A 32-year-old woman with no significant medical history was sent to our consultation due to hypokalaemia (<3.0 mmol/l). Her main complaints were longstanding polyuria and nocturia. Physical examination was normal. Basic investigations showed normal renal function, low serum potassium (2.7 mmol/l) and magnesium (0.79 mmol/l), metabolic alkalosis (pH 7.54; bicarbonate 32.5 mmol/l), elevated urinary potassium (185 mmol/24 h) and normal urinary calcium (246 mg/24 h). Thiazide test revealed blunted response. Chronic vomiting and the abuse of diuretics were excluded. Genetic tests for SLC12A3 gene mutation described in Gitelman syndrome (GS) came negative. CLCNKB gene mutation analysis present in both GS and Bartter (BS) type 3 syndromes was positive. The patient is now being treated with potassium and magnesium oral supplements, ramipril and spironolactone with stable near-normal potassium and magnesium levels. This article presents the case of a patient with hypokalaemia caused by CLCNKB gene mutation hard to categorise as GS or BS type 3. PMID:23345488

Gitelman or Bartter type 3 syndrome? A case of distal convoluted tubulopathy caused by CLCNKB gene mutation.

PubMed

Cruz, António José; Castro, Alexandra

2013-01-22

A 32-year-old woman with no significant medical history was sent to our consultation due to hypokalaemia (<3.0 mmol/l). Her main complaints were longstanding polyuria and nocturia. Physical examination was normal. Basic investigations showed normal renal function, low serum potassium (2.7 mmol/l) and magnesium (0.79 mmol/l), metabolic alkalosis (pH 7.54; bicarbonate 32.5 mmol/l), elevated urinary potassium (185 mmol/24 h) and normal urinary calcium (246 mg/24 h). Thiazide test revealed blunted response. Chronic vomiting and the abuse of diuretics were excluded. Genetic tests for SLC12A3 gene mutation described in Gitelman syndrome (GS) came negative. CLCNKB gene mutation analysis present in both GS and Bartter (BS) type 3 syndromes was positive. The patient is now being treated with potassium and magnesium oral supplements, ramipril and spironolactone with stable near-normal potassium and magnesium levels. This article presents the case of a patient with hypokalaemia caused by CLCNKB gene mutation hard to categorise as GS or BS type 3.

Comparison of free flux flow in two single crystals of V3Si with slightly different pinning strengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gafarov, Ozarfar; Gapud, Albert A.; Moraes, Sunhee; Thompson, James R.; Christen, David K.; Reyes, Arneil P.

2011-03-01

Results of recent measurements on two very clean, single-crystal samples of the A15 superconductor V3 Si are presented. Magnetization and transport data confirm the ``clean'' quality of both samples, as manifested by: (i) high residual resistivity ratio, (ii) low critical current densities, and (iii) a ``peak'' effect in the field dependence of critical current. The (H,T) phase line for this peak effect is shifted in the slightly ``dirtier'' sample, which also has higher critical current density Jc (H). High-current Lorentz forces are applied on mixed-state vortices in order to induce the highly ordered free flux flow (FFF) phase, using the same methods as in previous work. A traditional model by Bardeen and Stephen (BS) predicts a simple field dependence of flux flow resistivity ρf (H), presuming a field-independent flux core size. A model by Kogan and Zelezhina (KZ) takes core size into account, and predicts a deviation from BS. In this study, ρf (H) is confirmed to be consistent with predictions of KZ, as will be discussed. Funded by Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation.

Shadows of Kerr Black Holes with Scalar Hair.

PubMed

Cunha, Pedro V P; Herdeiro, Carlos A R; Radu, Eugen; Rúnarsson, Helgi F

2015-11-20

Using backwards ray tracing, we study the shadows of Kerr black holes with scalar hair (KBHSH). KBHSH interpolate continuously between Kerr BHs and boson stars (BSs), so we start by investigating the lensing of light due to BSs. Moving from the weak to the strong gravity region, BSs-which by themselves have no shadows-are classified, according to the lensing produced, as (i) noncompact, which yield not multiple images, (ii) compact, which produce an increasing number of Einstein rings and multiple images of the whole celestial sphere, and (iii) ultracompact, which possess light rings, yielding an infinite number of images with (we conjecture) a self-similar structure. The shadows of KBHSH, for Kerr-like horizons and noncompact BS-like hair, are analogous to, but distinguishable from, those of comparable Kerr BHs. But for non-Kerr-like horizons and ultracompact BS-like hair, the shadows of KBHSH are drastically different: novel shapes arise, sizes are considerably smaller, and multiple shadows of a single BH become possible. Thus, KBHSH provide quantitatively and qualitatively new templates for ongoing (and future) very large baseline interferometry observations of BH shadows, such as those of the Event Horizon Telescope.

Free flux flow in two single crystals of V3Si with differing pinning strengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gafarov, O.; Gapud, A. A.; Moraes, S.; Thompson, J. R.; Christen, D. K.; Reyes, A. P.

2011-10-01

Results of measurements on two very clean, single-crystal samples of the A15 superconductor V3Si are presented. Magnetization and transport data have confirmed the ``clean'' quality of both samples, as manifested by: (i) high residual electrical resistivity ratio, (ii) very low critical current densities Jc, and (iii) a ``peak'' effect in the field dependence of critical current. The (H,T) phase line for this peak effect is shifted down for the slightly ``dirtier'' sample, which consequently also has higher critical current density Jc(H). Large Lorentz forces are applied on mixed-state vortices via large currents, in order to induce the highly ordered free flux flow (FFF) phase, using experimental methods developed previously. The traditional model by Bardeen and Stephen (BS) predicts a simple field dependence of flux flow resistivity ρf(H) ˜ H/Hc2, presuming a field-independent flux core size. A model by Kogan and Zelezhina (KZ) takes into account the effects of magnetic field on core size, and predict a clear deviation from the linear BS dependence. In this study, ρf(H) is confirmed to be consistent with predictions of KZ.

Characterization of Pollution Transport into Texas Using OMI and TES Satellite and In Situ data, and HYSPLIT Back Trajectory Analyses: implications for TCEQ State Implementation Plans and High School/Undergraduate STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boxe, C.; Bella, D.; Khaimova, J.; Culpepper, J.; Ahmed, N.; Belkalai, A.; Ealy, J.; Arroyo, I.; Lahoumh, M.; Jenkins, O.; Emmanuel, S.; Andrews, J.; Fu, D.; Wu, L.; Choi, Y.; Morris, G.; Osterman, G. B.; Johnson, L. P.; Austin, S. A.

2014-12-01

Using an online trajectory analysis tool NASA, ArcGIS, Satellite and EPA in situ data, we assess whether high pollution events in Texas are primarily sourced locally or remotely. We focus satellite data that exemplify high O3 and NO2 over Texas's lower troposphere. Four day back trajectory analyses of all dates show that upper-, mid-, and lower-tropospheric air over Texas, containing high O3, is transported from the Gulf of Mexico, Southeast USA, Midwest USA, Northeast USA, the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mexico, etc. Only day showed air at 1 km is sourced within Texas. Satellite data show O3 enhancements in the boundary layer and O3 and NO2 enhancements via tropospheric column profiles. These enhancements complement four-day trajectory analysis. This study provides a viable basis for more quantifiable and accurate information for developing effective air quality State Implementation Plans. STEM Impact: (i) D. Bella was an NSF-LSAMP undergraduate research mentee with me at Medgar Evers College-CUNY; she received a B.S. in Environmental Science (and a Chemistry Minor) and is now a Ph.D. graduate student at University at Albany's School of Public Health. (ii) J. Khaimova is an undergraduate Geology and Planetary Science B.S. major at Brooklyn College-CUNY. I have supported Jessica's summer internship in summer 2013 as a CUNY Summer Research Fellow, where she is currently an NSF-REU research mentee at Pennsylvania State University's Meteorology Department. (iii) J. Culpepper received his B.S. in Environmental Science from MEC-CUNY and will be a Ph.D. student, Fall 2014 at University of Iowa's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. (iv) S. Gentle was a high school researcher with me within ACS's Project SEED Program for high school students. S. Gentle will start her undergraduate career Fall 2014 at Pennsylvania State University and seeks to attain a B.S. in Chemistry. (v). All parties, including high school and undergraduate researchers seek to attend medical/graduate school to pursue an M.D/Ph.D. in a STEM-discipline.

Structural considerations for functional anti-EGFR × anti-CD3 bispecific diabodies in light of domain order and binding affinity.

PubMed

Asano, Ryutaro; Nagai, Keisuke; Makabe, Koki; Takahashi, Kento; Kumagai, Takashi; Kawaguchi, Hiroko; Ogata, Hiromi; Arai, Kyoko; Umetsu, Mitsuo; Kumagai, Izumi

2018-03-02

We previously reported a functional humanized bispecific diabody (bsDb) that targeted EGFR and CD3 (hEx3-Db) and enhancement of its cytotoxicity by rearranging the domain order in the V domain. Here, we further dissected the effect of domain order in bsDbs on their cross-linking ability and binding kinetics to elucidate general rules regarding the design of functional bsDbs. Using Ex3-Db as a model system, we first classified the four possible domain orders as anti-parallel (where both chimeric single-chain components are variable heavy domain (VH)-variable light domain (VL) or VL-VH order) and parallel types (both chimeric single-chain components are mixed with VH-VL and VL-VH order). Although anti-parallel Ex3-Dbs could cross-link the soluble target antigens, their cross-linking ability between soluble targets had no correlation with their growth inhibitory effects. In contrast, the binding affinity of one of the two constructs with a parallel-arrangement V domain was particularly low, and structural modeling supported this phenomenon. Similar results were observed with E2x3-Dbs, in which the V region of the anti-EGFR antibody clone in hEx3 was replaced with that of another anti-EGFR clone. Only anti-parallel types showed affinity-dependent cancer inhibitory effects in each molecule, and E2x3-LH (both components in VL-VH order) showed the most intense anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo . Our results showed that, in addition to rearranging the domain order of bsDbs, increasing their binding affinity may be an ideal strategy for enhancing the cytotoxicity of anti-parallel constructs and that E2x3-LH is particularly attractive as a candidate next-generation anti-cancer drug.

Security Operations Curriculum Package: BS in Global Security and Intelligence Studies, Security Operations Management Track, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ. BS in Security Operations Management, Model Curriculum

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-24

Operations Management Track in the established B.S. in Global Security and Intelligence Studies Degree offered at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University...and a model 4 -year college curriculum for a BS degree in Security Operations Management

Robust THP Transceiver Designs for Multiuser MIMO Downlink with Imperfect CSIT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ubaidulla, P.; Chockalingam, A.

2009-12-01

We present robust joint nonlinear transceiver designs for multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink in the presence of imperfections in the channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT). The base station (BS) is equipped with multiple transmit antennas, and each user terminal is equipped with one or more receive antennas. The BS employs Tomlinson-Harashima precoding (THP) for interuser interference precancellation at the transmitter. We consider robust transceiver designs that jointly optimize the transmit THP filters and receive filter for two models of CSIT errors. The first model is a stochastic error (SE) model, where the CSIT error is Gaussian-distributed. This model is applicable when the CSIT error is dominated by channel estimation error. In this case, the proposed robust transceiver design seeks to minimize a stochastic function of the sum mean square error (SMSE) under a constraint on the total BS transmit power. We propose an iterative algorithm to solve this problem. The other model we consider is a norm-bounded error (NBE) model, where the CSIT error can be specified by an uncertainty set. This model is applicable when the CSIT error is dominated by quantization errors. In this case, we consider a worst-case design. For this model, we consider robust (i) minimum SMSE, (ii) MSE-constrained, and (iii) MSE-balancing transceiver designs. We propose iterative algorithms to solve these problems, wherein each iteration involves a pair of semidefinite programs (SDPs). Further, we consider an extension of the proposed algorithm to the case with per-antenna power constraints. We evaluate the robustness of the proposed algorithms to imperfections in CSIT through simulation, and show that the proposed robust designs outperform nonrobust designs as well as robust linear transceiver designs reported in the recent literature.

Innovative application of ionic liquid to separate Al and cathode materials from spent high-power lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Zeng, Xianlai; Li, Jinhui

2014-04-30

Because of the increasing number of electric vehicles, there is an urgent need for effective recycling technologies to recapture the significant amount of valuable metals contained in spent lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). Previous studies have indicated, however, that Al and cathode materials were quite difficult to separate due to the strong binding force supplied by the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which was employed to bind cathode materials and Al foil. This research devoted to seek a new method of melting the PVDF binder with heated ionic liquid (IL) to separate Al foil and cathode materials from the spent high-power LiBs. Theoretical analysis based on Fourier's law was adopted to determine the heat transfer mechanism of cathode material and to examine the relationship between heating temperature and retention time. All the experimental and theoretic results show that peel-off rate of cathode materials from Al foil could reach 99% when major process parameters were controlled at 180°C heating temperature, 300 rpm agitator rotation, and 25 min retention time. The results further imply that the application of IL for recycling Al foil and cathode materials from spent high-power LiBs is highly efficient, regardless of the application source of the LiBs or the types of cathode material. This study endeavors to make a contribution to an environmentally sound and economically viable solution to the challenge of spent LiB recycling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Management of refractory esophageal stenosis in the pediatric age.

PubMed

Alberca de Las Parras, Fernando; Navalón Rubio, María; Egea Valenzuela, Juan

2016-10-01

Refractory esophageal stenosis (RES) is a major health problem in the pediatric population. Several techniques such as stent placement or C-mitomycin (CM) have been described as alternative treatments. We present our experience with both techniques, in our case with biodegradable stents (BS) and sometimes the association with stents and CM. Six patients have been included: 2 post-operative fistulas in patients with type I esophageal atresia; 1 operated atresia without fistula; and 3 caustic strictures. 5 BS were placed in 4 children: 3 of them in cases of atresia (2 prosthesis in one case) and the other one in a case of stricture. CM was used in 5 cases: in 2 of them from the beginning, and in the other 3 cases after failure of the stent. When placed in fistulas, BS were fully covered. One of them successfully treated the fistula, but the other one was not effective. One stenosis was successfully treated with SB (in the case of persistent fistula), but recurrence was observed in the other 2 cases. One of these was solved with CM, and the other one needed a second stent. In the remaining 2 cases (one atresia and one caustic stricture) CM was effective after 1 and 2 sessions respectively. Overall, 5 out of 6 stenosis have been successfully treated (83.3%), and 1 out of 2 fistulas (50%). Association of BS and CM has been effective in the management of RES in children.

Implementing the ban on smoking in Israeli pubs: measuring airborne nicotine and enforcement by local authorities.

PubMed

Satran, Carmit; Drach-Zahavy, Anat; Hammond, S Katharine; Baron-Epel, Orna

2014-06-01

In 2007 an amendment to the law restricting smoking in pubs and bars (P&Bs) was enacted in Israel. However, a year after the ban only slight decreases in airborne smoke in P&Bs in one city have been reported. We aimed to assess levels of airborne nicotine in Israeli P&Bs and to measure ifself-reported enforcement of the law by local officials was associated with levels of airborne nicotine in P&Bs. Airborne nicotine levels were measured in 72 P&Bs in 29 towns in Israel; this consisted of 90% of eligible towns. In addition, 73 local authority officials were interviewed in 25 of these towns. The officials were asked to assess the local authority's level of enforcement of the law banning smoking in P&Bs. The association of levels of airborne nicotine with the levels of enforcement of the law was calculated. Data were collected during 2009-2010 and analyzed in 2010-2011. Levels of airborne nicotine were comparatively high in P&Bs. No association was detected between levels of nicotine and the P&Bs' characteristics. In the larger towns, levels of airborne nicotine were higher. In 16% of towns the local authority officials reported high levels of law enforcement. Generally, levels of reported enforcement by local authorities were low and did not predict levels of airborne nicotine in the P&Bs. Self-reported local authorities' law enforcement was not associated with levels of airborne nicotine in P&Bs in these towns. There is a need to develop ways to increase law enforcement by the local authorities or other agencies.

The relation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and mean platelet volume with the presence and severity of Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Alan, Sevil; Tuna, Serpil; Türkoğlu, Elif Betül

2015-12-01

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is associated with chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Although there have been extensive investigations on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV) in many diseases, their roles in BS is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate NLR, PLR, and MPV levels in BS patients and explore their clinical significance. The study included 254 patients with BS and 173 healthy individuals. Age, sex, age of onset, duration of disease, smoking, Behçet activity score, total white blood counts, neutrophil, platelet, and T lymphocyte counts of the patients were recorded. White blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, platelet, NLR, and PLR were significantly higher in patients with BS when compared with healthy controls (all p < 0.001). Lymphocyte counts and MPVs of the BS group were not statistically different from healthy controls (all p > 0.05). In the BS group, PLR and MPV were significantly different among the three severity groups (p = 0.037 and p = 0.016, respectively). We showed that any laboratory markers were not associated with joint, eye, central nervous system, large vessel, or gastrointestinal involvement in BS. NLR was shown to be an independent factor for BS by multivariate analysis. We suggest that NLR can be considered to be a diagnostic criterion of BS given the support of the findings from larger prospective studies. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

Boswellia serrata resin extract alleviates azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon tumorigenesis.

PubMed

Chou, Ya-Chun; Suh, Joon Hyuk; Wang, Yu; Pahwa, Manoj; Badmaev, Vladimir; Ho, Chi-Tang; Pan, Min-Hsiung

2017-09-01

Boswellia serrata (BS) resin is a popular dietary supplement for joint nourishment. In this study, we investigated the chemopreventive effects of dietary BS extract and its impact of gut microbiota on azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS)-induced colitis-associated colon cancer in mice. Male ICR mice were injected with AOM and 2% DSS via drinking water. The mice were fed with 0.25 or 0.5% BS extract, and colonic tissue were collected at 15 weeks. The main effective components of BS supercritical CO 2 extraction were analyzed by LC-MS/MS are boswellic acids. We found that treatment with BS extract significantly reduce the colonic tumor formation. Western blot and histological analysis revealed that dietary BS extract could markedly reduce the inflammation associated protein levels expression. Furthermore, BS extract reduced cell proliferation via inhibiting phosphorylation level of protein kinase B (Akt), glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), and downregulation of cyclin D1. In addition, BS extract also altered the composition of gut microbiota by enhancing the proportion of Clostridiales and reducing the percentage of Bacteroidales. In summary, BS extract decreased the protein levels of inflammative enzymes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in colonic mucosa. It also mediated Akt/GSK3β/cyclin D1 signaling pathway and altered the composition of gut microbiota to alleviate tumor growth. Taken together, this study suggests that BS extract has great potential to suppress colon tumorigenesis. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Crystal structure of thermostable p-nitrophenylphosphatase from Bacillus Stearothermophilus (Bs-TpNPPase).

PubMed

Guo, Zheng; Wang, Fengbin; Shen, Tiantian; Huang, Jing; Wang, Yuandong; Ji, Chaoneng

2014-05-01

Thermostable p-nitrophenylphosphatase from Bacillus Stearothermophilus (Bs-TpNPPase) is involved in the Mg(2+)-dependent hydrolysis of the phosphoenzyme at an optimum reaction temperature of 55°C. Bs-TpNPPase has been cloned and overexpressed in the E.coli M15 strain. Based on the conserved active sites, the protein was suggested to be a member of the haloalkanoate dehalogenase (HAD) superfamily. Two site-specific point mutants of Bs-TpNPPase were prepared by changing the catalytic Asp10 and Thr43 to Ala10 and Ala43, respectively. The activity of the two mutants further confirms Bs-TpNPPase as a member of the HAD superfamily. HAD superfamily can be divided into the four subfamilies and play several biochemical roles such as DNA repair, signal transduction and secondary metabolism. To understand the relationship between structure and thermostability in HAD superfamily, Bs-TpNPPase from Bacillus Stearothermophilus was selected. The X-ray crystal structure of Bs-TpNPPase was determined at 1.5A resolution using the molecular replacement phasing method. The structure of Bs-TpNPPase has been deposited and the PDB code is 4KN8. Compared with Bsp, a mesophilic prokaryotic putative p-nitrophenyl phosphatase from Bacillus Subtilis, Bs- TpNPPase showed highly homology but variations in the level of leucine content, aromatic clusters, cation-Pi and hydrophobic interaction. These differences may affect the thermal stability of the protein. The crystal structure of Bs-TpNPPase described herein may serve as a guide to better understand the mechanism of thermostability and provide insights for further mutation work.

β-Sitosterol targets Trx/Trx1 reductase to induce apoptosis in A549 cells via ROS mediated mitochondrial dysregulation and p53 activation.

PubMed

Rajavel, Tamilselvam; Packiyaraj, Pandian; Suryanarayanan, Venkatesan; Singh, Sanjeev Kumar; Ruckmani, Kandasamy; Pandima Devi, Kasi

2018-02-01

β-Sitosterol (BS), a major bioactive constituent present in plants and vegetables has shown potent anticancer effect against many human cancer cells, but the underlying mechanism remain elusive on NSCLC cancers. We found that BS significantly inhibited the growth of A549 cells without harming normal human lung and PBMC cells. Further, BS treatment triggered apoptosis via ROS mediated mitochondrial dysregulation as evidenced by caspase-3 & 9 activation, Annexin-V/PI positive cells, PARP inactivation, loss of MMP, Bcl-2-Bax ratio alteration and cytochrome c release. Moreover, generation of ROS species and subsequent DNA stand break were found upon BS treatment which was reversed by addition of ROS scavenger (NAC). Indeed BS treatment increased p53 expression and its phosphorylation at Ser15, while silencing the p53 expression by pifithrin-α, BS induced apoptosis was reduced in A549 cells. Furthermore, BS induced apoptosis was also observed in NCI-H460 cells (p53 wild) but not in the NCI-H23 cells (p53 mutant). Down-regulation of Trx/Trx1 reductase contributed to the BS induced ROS accumulation and mitochondrial mediated apoptotic cell death in A549 and NCI-H460 cells. Taken together, our findings provide evidence for the novel anti-cancer mechanism of BS which could be developed as a promising chemotherapeutic drug against NSCLC cancers.

Draft Genome Sequences of Pseudomonas fluorescens BS2 and Pusillimonas noertemannii BS8, Soil Bacteria That Cooperate To Degrade the Poly-γ-d-Glutamic Acid Anthrax Capsule.

PubMed

Stabler, Richard A; Negus, David; Pain, Arnab; Taylor, Peter W

2013-01-01

A mixed culture of Pseudomonas fluorescens BS2 and Pusillimonas noertemannii BS8 degraded poly-γ-d-glutamic acid; when the 2 strains were cultured separately, no hydrolytic activity was apparent. Here we report the draft genome sequences of both soil isolates.

Probing new physics through Bs*→μ+μ- decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Dinesh; Saini, Jyoti; Gangal, Shireen; Das, Sanjeeda Bharati

2018-02-01

We perform a model independent analysis of new physics in Bs*→μ+μ- decay. We intend to identify new physics operator(s) which can provide large enhancement in the branching ratio of Bs*→μ+μ- above its standard model prediction. For this, we consider new physics in the form of vector, axial-vector, scalar and pseudoscalar operators. We find that scalar and pseudoscalar operators do not contribute to the branching ratio of Bs*→μ+μ- . We perform a global fit to all relevant b →s μ+μ- data for different new physics scenarios. For each of these scenarios, we predict Br (Bs*→μ+μ-) . We find that a significant enhancement in Br (Bs*→μ+μ-) is not allowed by any of these new physics operators. In fact, for all new physics scenarios providing a good fit to the data, the branching ratio of Bs*→μ+μ- is suppressed as compared to the standard model (SM) value. Hence the present b →s μ+μ- data indicates that the future measurement of Br (Bs*→μ+μ-) is expected to be suppressed in comparison to the standard model prediction.

Renal transplantation in a patient with Bartter syndrome and glomerulosclerosis

PubMed Central

Lee, Se Eun; Han, Kyoung Hee; Jung, Yun Hye; Lee, Hyun Kyung; Kang, Hee Gyung; Moon, Kyung Chul; Ha, Il Soo; Choi, Yong

2011-01-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited renal tube disorder characterized by renal salt wasting, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis and normotensive hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism. There have been several case reports of BS complicated by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Here, we have reported the case of a BS patient who developed FSGS and subsequent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and provided a brief literature review. The patient presented with classic BS at 3 months of age and developed proteinuria at 7 years. Renal biopsy performed at 11 years of age revealed a FSGS perihilar variant. Hemodialysis was initiated at 11 years of age, and kidney transplantation was performed at 16 years of age. The post-transplantation course has been uneventful for more than 3 years with complete disappearance of BS without the recurrence of FSGS. Genetic study revealed a homozygous p.Trp(TGG)610Stop(TGA) mutation in the CLCNKB gene. In summary, BS may be complicated by secondary FSGS due to the adaptive response to chronic salt-losing nephropathy, and FSGS may progress to ESRD in some patients. Renal transplantation in patients with BS and ESRD results in complete remission of BS. PMID:21359059

[Burnout syndrome in licensed nurses. Approaches for a debate].

PubMed

de los Ríos-Castillo, José Lauro; Barrios-Santiago, Pedro; Ocampo-Mancilla, Mariano; Avila-Rojas, Teresa Luzeldy

2007-01-01

The burnout syndrome (BS) is characterized by emotional fatigue, loss of personal identity and loss of personal realization feelings. BS is frequent among professionals that assist people (health care workers) and among those that have interpersonal contact; the occupational characteristics are among BS contributing factors. The objective was to ascertain BS prevalence among nurses affiliated to the San Luis Potosí General Hospital. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with a groups of nurses who gave their informed consent to participate. The Brief Questionnaire of Burnout version standardized for Mexico was used to collect the information. This version explores the following areas: emotional fatigue, loss of personal identity and personal realization. Also, participants answered three questionnaires about their socio-demographic characteristics, occupational satisfaction, family variables and emotional dysfunction. 70 licensed nurses participated. The BS was common among participants. Some variables related to BS were: age older than 30 years, being female, being married, housekeeping work, absenteeism due to illness, serious depression and occupational dissatisfaction. Nurses working at the emergency room and in critical care services had BS more often. The burnout syndrome has a high prevalence among licensed nurses. Interventions to decrease and to avert BS are needed.

Synthesis of dibenzothiophene-containing ladder polysilsesquioxane as a blue phosphorescent host material.

PubMed

Ren, Zhongjie; Sun, Dianming; Li, Huihui; Fu, Qiang; Ma, Dongge; Zhang, Jianming; Yan, Shouke

2012-03-26

A ladder polysilsesquioxanes with side chain of dibenzothiophene groups (BS-LPSQ) was successfully synthesized. The ladder structure of BS-LPSQ was characterized by MALDI-TOF MS, XRD, and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and spectroscopic analyses revealed that the BS-LPSQ has good film-forming ability, high thermal and morphological stability, and good miscibility to the dopant iridium bis(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridinato-N,C(2)-picolinate (FIrpic), high triplet energy, and a wide bandgap. In addition, compared with the ringed polysiloxane BS-PSQ phosphorescent host material reported previously, the ladder structure of BS-LPSQ has not only a higher thermal resistance, but also could prevent molecular aggregation and effectively avoid quenching of fluorescence. Thus, the BS-LPSQ may be used as a better host for the blue-light-emitting iridium complex FIrpic. The performance of the electrophosphorescent device, based on the ladder BS-LPSQ as the active layer, is superior to that of ringed BS-PSQ and any other polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based or polymer host materials. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Foraging behavior of two cattle breeds, a whole-year study: I. Heat production, activity, and energy costs.

PubMed

Aharoni, Y; Dolev, A; Henkin, Z; Yehuda, Y; Ezra, A; Ungar, E D; Shabtay, A; Brosh, A

2013-03-01

The foraging behavior and energy costs of activity of 19 large-frame Beefmaster × Simford (BS) cross mature cows and 14 small-frame Baladi (BA) mature cows was determined. Cows were allocated to the same paddock of a Mediterranean pasture and were monitored during 5 seasons throughout 2006 and 2007: spring (April 2006), summer (June 2006), autumn (September 2006), winter (February 2007), and early spring (March 2007). Cows were given poultry litter (25% CP, DM basis) as supplemental feed during autumn only. The cows were fitted for 3 to 4 d in each season with global positioning system (GPS) monitors, activity monitors attached to 1 of their hind legs, and heart rate (HR) monitors harnessed to their chests. Oxygen consumption per heart beat was determined for each cow during each season to enable conversion of the diurnal HR patterns to heat production (HP) units. All GPS data of cattle locations and activity and the HR and HP data were synchronized to produce simultaneous 5-min interval records; step length also was calculated for each record. These records provided summaries of partitioning among activities: lying down, standing, foraging, and walking without foraging as well as horizontal and vertical distances walked per day and number of steps taken per day. These attributes were analyzed using multiple regression models to relate these activities to HP and to estimate specific HP costs per unit of each activity. Accordingly, the daily energy costs of activity were calculated for the 2 cattle types in each season as the product of the specific activity and the number of units of each activity per day. The HP level of the large-frame BS cows was greater than that of the small-frame BA cows in winter and lower in spring (P < 0.001); however, the respective HP levels were much closer in summer and autumn, with BA cows having values greater by 3% than those of BS cows. The BA cows were more active than the BS cows during all seasons: they foraged for more hours per day (P < 0.001) and walked longer distances (P < 0.001). The mean specific costs of activity of BA cows were 20% less than those of BS cows (P < 0.001). The BA cows took longer steps during foraging and walking idle compared with BS cows despite their much smaller frame. The BA cows were more efficient in conditions of low herbage quality whereas metabolic rate of BS cows was greater in conditions of high herbage quality.

Stabilization Of Marine Clay Using Biomass Silica-Rubber Chips Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marto, Aminaton; Ridzuan Jahidin, Mohammed; Aziz, Norazirah Abdul; Kasim, Fauziah; Zurairahetty Mohd. Yunus, Nor

2016-11-01

Marine clay is found widely along the coastal area and had caused expensive solutions in the construction of coastal highways. Hence, soil stabilization was suggested by some consultant to increase the strength of this soil in order to meet the highway construction requirement and also to achieve the specification for the development. Biomass Silica (BS), particularly the SH85 as a non-traditional stabilisation method, has been gaining more interest from the engineers recently. Rubber chips (RC), derived from waste rubber tyres, are considered ‘green’ element and had been used previously in some geotechnical engineering works. This paper presents the effect of using BS and RC as a mixture (BS-RC mixture), to increase the strength of marine clay for highway construction. Samples of marine clay, obtained from the West Coast Expressway project at Teluk Intan, Perak, were oven dried and grind to fine-grained sized. The marine clay was mixed with 9 % by weight proportion of BS- RC; that were 8%-l% and 7%-2%, respectively. For comparison purposes the result of BS-RC was compared to the result of stabilization by using 9% BS only. Laboratory tests were then carried out to determine the Atterberg limits and compaction characteristics of the untreated and treated marine clay. The Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of the untreated and treated marine clays, compacted at the optimum moisture content was later obtained. The treated marine clay was tested at 0, 3 and 7 days curing periods. The results show that the Plasticity Index of BS-RC treated marine clay was lower than the untreated marine clay. From the UCS test results, it is shown that BS-RC mixtures had significantly improved the strength of marine clay. With the same percentage of 9% BS-RC, the increased of BS from 7% to 8% increased the UCS further to about six times more than untreated marine clay soils in 7 days curing period. The strength gained by using BS-RC at 8%-1% is slightly below the strength by using 9% BS only. From the experimental results, it is shown that BS, in the form of SH85, admixed with rubber chips could significantly improve the strength of marine clay soils.

High precision Al-Mg systematics of forsterite-bearing Type B CAIs from CV3 chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacPherson, G. J.; Bullock, E. S.; Tenner, T. J.; Nakashima, D.; Kita, N. T.; Ivanova, M. A.; Krot, A. N.; Petaev, M. I.; Jacobsen, S. B.

2017-03-01

In order to further elucidate possible temporal relationships between different varieties of calcium-, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), we measured the aluminum-magnesium isotopic systematics of seven examples of the rare type known as forsterite-bearing Type B (FoB) inclusions from four different CV3 carbonaceous chondrites: Allende, Efremovka, NWA 3118, and Vigarano. The primary phases (forsterite, Al-Ti-rich diopside, spinel, melilite, and anorthite) in each inclusion were analyzed in situ using high-precision secondary ion mass-spectrometry (SIMS). In all cases, minerals with low Al/Mg ratios (all except anorthite) yield well-defined internal Al-Mg isochrons, with a range of initial 26Al/27Al ratios [(26Al/27Al)0] ranging from (5.30 ± 0.22) × 10-5 down to (4.17 ± 0.43) × 10-5. Anorthite in all cases is significantly disturbed relative to the isochrons defined by the other phases in the same CAIs, and in several cases contains no resolved excesses of radiogenic 26Mg (δ26Mg∗) even at 27Al/24Mg ratios greater than 1000. The fact that some FoBs preserve (26Al/27Al)0 of ∼5.2 × 10-5, close to the canonical value of (5.23 ± 0.13) × 10-5 inferred from bulk magnesium-isotope measurements of CV CAIs (B. Jacobsen et al., 2008), demonstrates that FoBs began forming very early, contemporaneous with other more-refractory CAIs. The range of (26Al/27Al)0 values further shows that FoBs continued to be reprocessed over ∼200,000 years of nebular history, consistent with results obtained for other types of igneous CAIs in CV chondrites. The absence of any correlation between of CAI + FoB formation or reprocessing times with bulk composition or CAI type means that there is no temporal evolutionary sequence between the diverse CAI types. The initial δ26Mg∗ value in the most primitive FoB (SJ101) is significantly lower than the canonical solar system value of -0.040 ± 0.029‰.

Using Tryptophan Mutants To Probe the Structural and Functional Status of BsSCO, a Copper Binding, Cytochrome c Oxidase Assembly Protein from Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed

Hussain, Shina; Andrews, Diann; Hill, Bruce C

2017-12-05

The synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase protein from Bacillus subtilis (i.e., BsSCO) binds copper with picomolar affinity, which increases the protein's melting temperature (i.e., T M ) by 20 °C. Here two native tryptophans (i.e., W36 and W101) are identified as major contributors to BsSCO's structural form, and their contributions to the stability, intrinsic fluorescence, and copper binding properties of BsSCO are explored. Single mutations of tryptophan to phenylalanine decrease the T M by 10 °C and the folding free energy by 3-4 kcal/mol. A more severe change to alanine (i.e., W36A BsSCO) decreases the T M by 20 °C and the stability by 9 kcal/mol. However, these mutants bind copper with high affinity and assemble cytochrome c oxidase in vivo. Replacing phenylalanine at a position near (∼5 Å) the copper binding site with tryptophan (i.e., F42W) increases the T M of apo-BsSCO by 3 °C but diminishes the effect of copper binding. When both native tryptophans are changed to alanine, apo-BsSCO is unfolded in vitro and is not functional in cytochrome c oxidase assembly in vivo. A double-mutant of BsSCO in which W36A is combined with F42W exhibits a form of metastability. Apo-W36A/F42W BsSCO melts at 37 °C, which upon binding of copper shifts to 65 °C. B. subtilis expressing W36A/F42W BsSCO and grown at 37 °C does not assemble cytochrome c oxidase. However, when these cells are cooled to 25 °C, cytochrome c oxidase activity is recovered. Our results illustrate the subtle relationship between the structural stability and functional properties of BsSCO in the assembly of cytochrome c oxidase.

Mapping of Ppd-B1, a Major Candidate Gene for Late Heading on Wild Emmer Chromosome Arm 2BS and Assessment of Its Interactions with Early Heading QTLs on 3AL.

PubMed

Zhou, Wei; Wu, Shasha; Ding, Mingquan; Li, Jingjuan; Shi, Zhaobin; Wei, Wei; Guo, Jialian; Zhang, Hua; Jiang, Yurong; Rong, Junkang

2016-01-01

Wheat heading date is an important agronomic trait determining maturation time and yield. A set of common wheat (Triticum aestivum var. Chinese Spring; CS)-wild emmer (T. turgidum L. subsp. dicoccoides (TDIC)) chromosome arm substitution lines (CASLs) was used to identify and allocate QTLs conferring late or early spike emergence by examining heading date. Genetic loci accelerating heading were found on TDIC chromosome arms 3AL and 7BS, while loci delaying heading were located on 4AL and 2BS. To map QTLs conferring late heading on 2BS, F2 populations derived from two cross combinations of CASL2BS × CS and CASL3AL × CASL2BS were developed and each planted at two times, constituting four F2 mapping populations. Heading date varied continuously among individuals of these four populations, suggesting quantitative characteristics. A genetic map of 2BS, consisting of 23 SSR and one single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) marker(s), was constructed using these F2 populations. This map spanned a genetic length of 53.2 cM with average marker density of 2.3 cM. The photoperiod-sensitivity gene Ppd-B1 was mapped to chromosome arm 2BS as a SSCP molecular marker, and was validated as tightly linked to a major QTL governing late heading of CASL2BS in all mapping populations. A significant dominance by additive effect of Ppd-B1 with the LUX gene located on 3AL was also detected. CS had more copies of Ppd-B1 than CASL2BS, implying that increased copy number could elevate the expression of Ppd-1 in CS, also increasing expression of LUX and FT genes and causing CS to have an earlier heading date than CASL2BS in long days.

Mapping of Ppd-B1, a Major Candidate Gene for Late Heading on Wild Emmer Chromosome Arm 2BS and Assessment of Its Interactions with Early Heading QTLs on 3AL

PubMed Central

Ding, Mingquan; Li, Jingjuan; Shi, Zhaobin; Wei, Wei; Guo, Jialian; Zhang, Hua; Jiang, Yurong; Rong, Junkang

2016-01-01

Wheat heading date is an important agronomic trait determining maturation time and yield. A set of common wheat (Triticum aestivum var. Chinese Spring; CS)-wild emmer (T. turgidum L. subsp. dicoccoides (TDIC)) chromosome arm substitution lines (CASLs) was used to identify and allocate QTLs conferring late or early spike emergence by examining heading date. Genetic loci accelerating heading were found on TDIC chromosome arms 3AL and 7BS, while loci delaying heading were located on 4AL and 2BS. To map QTLs conferring late heading on 2BS, F2 populations derived from two cross combinations of CASL2BS × CS and CASL3AL × CASL2BS were developed and each planted at two times, constituting four F2 mapping populations. Heading date varied continuously among individuals of these four populations, suggesting quantitative characteristics. A genetic map of 2BS, consisting of 23 SSR and one single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) marker(s), was constructed using these F2 populations. This map spanned a genetic length of 53.2 cM with average marker density of 2.3 cM. The photoperiod-sensitivity gene Ppd-B1 was mapped to chromosome arm 2BS as a SSCP molecular marker, and was validated as tightly linked to a major QTL governing late heading of CASL2BS in all mapping populations. A significant dominance by additive effect of Ppd-B1 with the LUX gene located on 3AL was also detected. CS had more copies of Ppd-B1 than CASL2BS, implying that increased copy number could elevate the expression of Ppd-1 in CS, also increasing expression of LUX and FT genes and causing CS to have an earlier heading date than CASL2BS in long days. PMID:26848576

[Role of BoBs technology in early missed abortion chorionic villi].

PubMed

Li, Z Y; Liu, X Y; Peng, P; Chen, N; Ou, J; Hao, N; Zhou, J; Bian, X M

2018-05-25

Objective: To investigate the value of bacterial artificial chromosome-on-beads (BoBs) technology in the genetic analysis of early missed abortion chorionic villi. Methods: Early missed abortion chorionic villi were detected with both conventional karyotyping method and BoBs technology in Peking Union Medical Hospital from July 2014 to March 2015. Compared the results of BoBs with conventional karyotyping analysis to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of this new method. Results: (1) A total of 161 samples were tested successfully in the technology of BoBs, 131 samples were tested successfully in the method of conventional karyotyping. (2) All of the cases obtained from BoBs results in (2.7±0.6) days and obtained from conventional karyotyping results in (22.5±1.9) days. There was significant statistical difference between the two groups ( t= 123.315, P< 0.01) . (3) Out of 161 cases tested in BoBs, 85 (52.8%, 85/161) cases had the abnormal chromosomes, including 79 cases chromosome number abnormality, 4 cases were chromosome segment deletion, 2 cases mosaic. Out of 131 cases tested successfully in conventional karyotyping, 79 (60.3%, 79/131) cases had the abnormal chromosomes including 62 cases chromosome number abnormality, 17 cases other chromosome number abnormality, and the rate of chromosome abnormality between two methods was no significant differences ( P =0.198) . (4) Conventional karyotyping results were served as the gold standard, the accuracy of BoBs for abnormal chromosomes was 82.4% (108/131) , analysed the normal chromosomes (52 cases) and chromosome number abnormality (62 cases) tested in conventional karyotyping, the accuracy of BoBs for chromosome number abnormality was 94.7% (108/114) . Conclusion: BoBs is a rapid reliable and easily operated method to test early missed abortion chorionic villi chromosomal abnormalities.

The exaggerated inflammatory response in Behçet's syndrome: identification of dysfunctional post-transcriptional regulation of the IFN-γ/CXCL10 IP-10 pathway

PubMed Central

Ambrose, N; Khan, E; Ravindran, R; Lightstone, L; Abraham, S; Botto, M; Johns, M; Haskard, D O

2015-01-01

The mechanisms underlying the exaggerated inflammatory response in Behçet's syndrome (BS) remain poorly understood. We investigated the response of CD14+ blood monocytes to interferon (IFN)-γ, focusing on the chemokine CXCL10. Chemokine synthesis and release were analysed at a protein and mRNA level following stimulation with IFN-γ. Findings in BS patients were compared with 25 healthy controls (HC), 15 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 15 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease control patients. BS monocytes produced significantly more CXCL10 protein than HC monocytes from 2 h following IFN-γ stimulation, despite equivalent quantities of mRNA, suggesting more efficient translation. This was significantly more pronounced in BS with high disease activity and in those with ocular and neurological clinical manifestations. The imbalance between CXCL10 protein and mRNA expression was not observed in either RA or SLE patients, and was not seen with other chemokines studied (CXCL9, CXCL11 and CCL2). Furthermore, BS monocytes treated with an alternative stimulant (LPS) did not show abnormal tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α release. Sucrose density gradients to segregate monocyte CXCL10 mRNA into free RNA or polysome-associated RNA showed equal proportions in BS and HC samples, suggesting that the difference between BS and HC may be due to reduced negative control of CXCL10 translation in BS at a post-initiation level. We conclude that BS monocytes have dysfunctional post-transcriptional regulation of CXCL10 mRNA, resulting in over-expression of CXCL10 protein upon IFN-γ stimulation. As CXCL10 is a chemokine that recruits mononuclear cells, this abnormality may contribute to the exaggerated inflammatory responses that characterizes BS. PMID:25982097

The exaggerated inflammatory response in Behçet's syndrome: identification of dysfunctional post-transcriptional regulation of the IFN-γ/CXCL10 IP-10 pathway.

PubMed

Ambrose, N; Khan, E; Ravindran, R; Lightstone, L; Abraham, S; Botto, M; Johns, M; Haskard, D O

2015-09-01

The mechanisms underlying the exaggerated inflammatory response in Behçet's syndrome (BS) remain poorly understood. We investigated the response of CD14(+) blood monocytes to interferon (IFN)-γ, focusing on the chemokine CXCL10. Chemokine synthesis and release were analysed at a protein and mRNA level following stimulation with IFN-γ. Findings in BS patients were compared with 25 healthy controls (HC), 15 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 15 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease control patients. BS monocytes produced significantly more CXCL10 protein than HC monocytes from 2 h following IFN-γ stimulation, despite equivalent quantities of mRNA, suggesting more efficient translation. This was significantly more pronounced in BS with high disease activity and in those with ocular and neurological clinical manifestations. The imbalance between CXCL10 protein and mRNA expression was not observed in either RA or SLE patients, and was not seen with other chemokines studied (CXCL9, CXCL11 and CCL2). Furthermore, BS monocytes treated with an alternative stimulant (LPS) did not show abnormal tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α release. Sucrose density gradients to segregate monocyte CXCL10 mRNA into free RNA or polysome-associated RNA showed equal proportions in BS and HC samples, suggesting that the difference between BS and HC may be due to reduced negative control of CXCL10 translation in BS at a post-initiation level. We conclude that BS monocytes have dysfunctional post-transcriptional regulation of CXCL10 mRNA, resulting in over-expression of CXCL10 protein upon IFN-γ stimulation. As CXCL10 is a chemokine that recruits mononuclear cells, this abnormality may contribute to the exaggerated inflammatory responses that characterizes BS. © 2015 British Society for Immunology.

Epidemiology and management of neuropsychiatric disorders in Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Talarico, Rosaria; Palagini, Laura; d'Ascanio, Anna; Elefante, Elena; Ferrari, Claudia; Stagnaro, Chiara; Tani, Chiara; Gemignani, Angelo; Mauri, Mauro; Bombardieri, Stefano; Mosca, Marta

2015-03-01

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a systemic, chronic, relapsing vasculitis, typically characterized by recurrent orogenital ulcers, ocular inflammation and skin manifestations; articular, vascular, gastroenteric and neurological involvement may also occur. Besides the other clinical features of BS, it seems relatively frequent that patients with BS develop a neurobehavioural syndrome, characterized by euphoria, bipolar disorders and paranoid attitudes, loss of insight/disinhibition, and indifference to their disease, defined as 'neuro-psycho-BS'. To date, the pathogenetic mechanism underlying neuro-psycho-BS has not been determined. It may be secondary to organic neurological involvement, or it may be related to poor quality of life and the relapsing course of the disease. Another engaging theory suggests that it could be related to the frequent observation of psychiatric symptoms during relapses or, in some cases, in the phases preceding reactivation of the disease; these elements suggest that psychiatric disorders in BS could represent a crucial element, whether a psychiatric subset or a distinct clinical feature of the disease. Moreover, it has been reported that cognitive impairment in BS can be seen with or without central nervous system involvement. Globally, psychiatric symptoms have been described as being multifaceted, ranging from anxiety disorders to depressive-bipolar disorders or to psychotic ones. In addition, some psychological characteristics of BS patients seem to predispose them to maladaptive stress management, which may lead to stress-related disorders, including anxiety and depression. Therefore, the aims of this review are to explore the epidemiology of neuro-psycho-BS by evaluating the relationship between the stress system and the multifaceted psychiatric manifestations in BS, and to summarize the therapeutic strategy used.

Bioleached sludge composting drastically reducing ammonia volatilization as well as decreasing bulking agent dosage and improving compost quality: A case study.

PubMed

Hu, Weitong; Zheng, Guanyu; Fang, Di; Cui, Chunhong; Liang, Jianru; Zhou, Lixiang

2015-10-01

Sludge bioleaching technology with Acidithiobacillus species has been commercially adopted for improving advanced dewatering of sludge in China since 2010. However, up to now, little information on bioleached dewatered sludge (BS) composting is available. Here, we report the changes of physicochemical and biological properties in BS composting and evaluate compost product quality compared to conventional dewatered sludge (CS) composting in an engineering scale composting facility. The results showed that the amount of bulking agents required in BS composting was only about 10% of CS composting to obtain optimum moisture content, reducing about 700 kg bulking agents per ton fresh sludge. pH of BS composting mixture was slightly lower consistently by about 0.2-0.3 pH units than that in CS mixture in the first 30 days. Organic matter biodegradation in BS system mainly occurred in the first 9 days of composting. In spite of higher content of NH4(+)-N was found in BS mixture in related to CS mixture; unexpectedly the cumulative ammonia volatilization in the former was only 51% of the latter, indicating that BS composting drastically reduced nitrogen loss. Compared to CS composting system, the relative lower pH, the higher intensity of microbial assimilation, and the presence of water soluble Fe in BS system might jointly reduce ammonia volatilization. Consequently, BS compost product exhibited higher fertilizer values (N+P2O5+K2O=8.38%) as well as lower heavy metal levels due to the solubilization of sludge-borne heavy metals during bioleaching process. Therefore, composting of BS possesses more advantages over the CS composting process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence for the decay B0→J/ψω and measurement of the relative branching fractions of Bs0 meson decays to J/ψη and J/ψη‧

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LHCb Collaboration; Aaij, R.; Abellan Beteta, C.; Adametz, A.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Adrover, C.; Affolder, A.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Albrecht, J.; Alessio, F.; Alexander, M.; Ali, S.; Alkhazov, G.; Alvarez Cartelle, P.; Alves, A. A.; Amato, S.; Amhis, Y.; Anderlini, L.; Anderson, J.; Appleby, R. B.; Aquines Gutierrez, O.; Archilli, F.; Artamonov, A.; Artuso, M.; Aslanides, E.; Auriemma, G.; Bachmann, S.; Back, J. J.; Baesso, C.; Balagura, V.; Baldini, W.; Barlow, R. J.; Barschel, C.; Barsuk, S.; Barter, W.; Bates, A.; Bauer, Th.; Bay, A.; Beddow, J.; Bediaga, I.; Belogurov, S.; Belous, K.; Belyaev, I.; Ben-Haim, E.; Benayoun, M.; Bencivenni, G.; Benson, S.; Benton, J.; Berezhnoy, A.; Bernet, R.; Bettler, M.-O.; van Beuzekom, M.; Bien, A.; Bifani, S.; Bird, T.; Bizzeti, A.; Bjørnstad, P. M.; Blake, T.; Blanc, F.; Blanks, C.; Blouw, J.; Blusk, S.; Bobrov, A.; Bocci, V.; Bondar, A.; Bondar, N.; Bonivento, W.; Borghi, S.; Borgia, A.; Bowcock, T. J. V.; Bozzi, C.; Brambach, T.; van den Brand, J.; Bressieux, J.; Brett, D.; Britsch, M.; Britton, T.; Brook, N. H.; Brown, H.; Büchler-Germann, A.; Burducea, I.; Bursche, A.; Buytaert, J.; Cadeddu, S.; Callot, O.; Calvi, M.; Calvo Gomez, M.; Camboni, A.; Campana, P.; Carbone, A.; Carboni, G.; Cardinale, R.; Cardini, A.; Carson, L.; Carvalho Akiba, K.; Casse, G.; Cattaneo, M.; Cauet, Ch.; Charles, M.; Charpentier, Ph.; Chen, P.; Chiapolini, N.; Chrzaszcz, M.; Ciba, K.; Cid Vidal, X.; Ciezarek, G.; Clarke, P. E. L.; Clemencic, M.; Cliff, H. V.; Closier, J.; Coca, C.; Coco, V.; Cogan, J.; Cogneras, E.; Collins, P.; Comerma-Montells, A.; Contu, A.; Cook, A.; Coombes, M.; Corti, G.; Couturier, B.; Cowan, G. A.; Craik, D.; Cunliffe, S.; Currie, R.; D'Ambrosio, C.; David, P.; David, P. N. Y.; De Bonis, I.; De Bruyn, K.; De Capua, S.; De Cian, M.; De Miranda, J. M.; De Paula, L.; De Simone, P.; Decamp, D.; Deckenhoff, M.; Degaudenzi, H.; Del Buono, L.; Deplano, C.; Derkach, D.; Deschamps, O.; Dettori, F.; Dickens, J.; Dijkstra, H.; Diniz Batista, P.; Domingo Bonal, F.; Donleavy, S.; Dordei, F.; Dosil Suárez, A.; Dossett, D.; Dovbnya, A.; Dupertuis, F.; Dzhelyadin, R.; Dziurda, A.; Dzyuba, A.; Easo, S.; Egede, U.; Egorychev, V.; Eidelman, S.; van Eijk, D.; Eisele, F.; Eisenhardt, S.; Ekelhof, R.; Eklund, L.; El Rifai, I.; Elsasser, Ch.; Elsby, D.; Esperante Pereira, D.; Falabella, A.; Färber, C.; Fardell, G.; Farinelli, C.; Farry, S.; Fave, V.; Fernandez Albor, V.; Ferreira Rodrigues, F.; Ferro-Luzzi, M.; Filippov, S.; Fitzpatrick, C.; Fontana, M.; Fontanelli, F.; Forty, R.; Francisco, O.; Frank, M.; Frei, C.; Frosini, M.; Furcas, S.; Gallas Torreira, A.; Galli, D.; Gandelman, M.; Gandini, P.; Gao, Y.; Garnier, J.-C.; Garofoli, J.; Garra Tico, J.; Garrido, L.; Gaspar, C.; Gauld, R.; Gersabeck, E.; Gersabeck, M.; Gershon, T.; Ghez, Ph.; Gibson, V.; Gligorov, V. V.; Göbel, C.; Golubkov, D.; Golutvin, A.; Gomes, A.; Gordon, H.; Grabalosa Gándara, M.; Graciani Diaz, R.; Granado Cardoso, L. A.; Graugés, E.; Graziani, G.; Grecu, A.; Greening, E.; Gregson, S.; Grünberg, O.; Gui, B.; Gushchin, E.; Guz, Yu.; Gys, T.; Hadjivasiliou, C.; Haefeli, G.; Haen, C.; Haines, S. C.; Hall, S.; Hampson, T.; Hansmann-Menzemer, S.; Harnew, N.; Harnew, S. T.; Harrison, J.; Harrison, P. F.; Hartmann, T.; He, J.; Heijne, V.; Hennessy, K.; Henrard, P.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; van Herwijnen, E.; Hicks, E.; Hill, D.; Hoballah, M.; Hopchev, P.; Hulsbergen, W.; Hunt, P.; Huse, T.; Hussain, N.; Huston, R. S.; Hutchcroft, D.; Hynds, D.; Iakovenko, V.; Ilten, P.; Imong, J.; Jacobsson, R.; Jaeger, A.; Jahjah Hussein, M.; Jans, E.; Jansen, F.; Jaton, P.; Jean-Marie, B.; Jing, F.; John, M.; Johnson, D.; Jones, C. R.; Jost, B.; Kaballo, M.; Kandybei, S.; Karacson, M.; Karbach, M.; Keaveney, J.; Kenyon, I. R.; Kerzel, U.; Ketel, T.; Keune, A.; Khanji, B.; Kim, Y. M.; Kochebina, O.; Komarov, I.; Komarov, V.; Koopman, R. F.; Koppenburg, P.; Korolev, M.; Kozlinskiy, A.; Kravchuk, L.; Kreplin, K.; Kreps, M.; Krocker, G.; Krokovny, P.; Kruse, F.; Kucharczyk, M.; Kudryavtsev, V.; Kvaratskheliya, T.; La Thi, V. N.; Lacarrere, D.; Lafferty, G.; Lai, A.; Lambert, D.; Lambert, R. W.; Lanciotti, E.; Lanfranchi, G.; Langenbruch, C.; Latham, T.; Lazzeroni, C.; Le Gac, R.; van Leerdam, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefèvre, R.; Leflat, A.; Lefrançois, J.; Leroy, O.; Lesiak, T.; Li, L.; Li, Y.; Li Gioi, L.; Liles, M.; Lindner, R.; Linn, C.; Liu, B.; Liu, G.; von Loeben, J.; Lopes, J. H.; Lopez Asamar, E.; Lopez-March, N.; Lu, H.; Luisier, J.; Mac Raighne, A.; Machefert, F.; Machikhiliyan, I. V.; Maciuc, F.; Maev, O.; Magnin, J.; Maino, M.; Malde, S.; Manca, G.; Mancinelli, G.; Mangiafave, N.; Marconi, U.; Märki, R.; Marks, J.; Martellotti, G.; Martens, A.; Martin, L.; Martín Sánchez, A.; Martinelli, M.; Martinez Santos, D.; Massafferri, A.; Mathe, Z.; Matteuzzi, C.; Matveev, M.; Maurice, E.; Mazurov, A.; McCarthy, J.; McGregor, G.; McNulty, R.; Meissner, M.; Merk, M.; Merkel, J.; Milanes, D. A.; Minard, M.-N.; Molina Rodriguez, J.; Monteil, S.; Moran, D.; Morawski, P.; Mountain, R.; Mous, I.; Muheim, F.; Müller, K.; Muresan, R.; Muryn, B.; Muster, B.; Mylroie-Smith, J.; Naik, P.; Nakada, T.; Nandakumar, R.; Nasteva, I.; Needham, M.; Neufeld, N.; Nguyen, A. D.; Nguyen-Mau, C.; Nicol, M.; Niess, V.; Nikitin, N.; Nikodem, T.; Nomerotski, A.; Novoselov, A.; Oblakowska-Mucha, A.; Obraztsov, V.; Oggero, S.; Ogilvy, S.; Okhrimenko, O.; Oldeman, R.; Orlandea, M.; Otalora Goicochea, J. M.; Owen, P.; Pal, B. K.; Palano, A.; Palutan, M.; Panman, J.; Papanestis, A.; Pappagallo, M.; Parkes, C.; Parkinson, C. J.; Passaleva, G.; Patel, G. D.; Patel, M.; Patrick, G. N.; Patrignani, C.; Pavel-Nicorescu, C.; Pazos Alvarez, A.; Pellegrino, A.; Penso, G.; Pepe Altarelli, M.; Perazzini, S.; Perego, D. L.; Perez Trigo, E.; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Perret, P.; Perrin-Terrin, M.; Pessina, G.; Petridis, K.; Petrolini, A.; Phan, A.; Picatoste Olloqui, E.; Pie Valls, B.; Pietrzyk, B.; Pilař, T.; Pinci, D.; Playfer, S.; Plo Casasus, M.; Polci, F.; Polok, G.; Poluektov, A.; Polycarpo, E.; Popov, D.; Popovici, B.; Potterat, C.; Powell, A.; Prisciandaro, J.; Pugatch, V.; Puig Navarro, A.; Qian, W.; Rademacker, J. H.; Rakotomiaramanana, B.; Rangel, M. S.; Raniuk, I.; Rauschmayr, N.; Raven, G.; Redford, S.; Reid, M. M.; dos Reis, A. C.; Ricciardi, S.; Richards, A.; Rinnert, K.; Rives Molina, V.; Roa Romero, D. A.; Robbe, P.; Rodrigues, E.; Rodriguez Perez, P.; Rogers, G. J.; Roiser, S.; Romanovsky, V.; Romero Vidal, A.; Rouvinet, J.; Ruf, T.; Ruiz, H.; Sabatino, G.; Saborido Silva, J. J.; Sagidova, N.; Sail, P.; Saitta, B.; Salzmann, C.; Sanmartin Sedes, B.; Sannino, M.; Santacesaria, R.; Santamarina Rios, C.; Santinelli, R.; Santovetti, E.; Sapunov, M.; Sarti, A.; Satriano, C.; Satta, A.; Savrie, M.; Savrina, D.; Schaack, P.; Schiller, M.; Schindler, H.; Schleich, S.; Schlupp, M.; Schmelling, M.; Schmidt, B.; Schneider, O.; Schopper, A.; Schune, M.-H.; Schwemmer, R.; Sciascia, B.; Sciubba, A.; Seco, M.; Semennikov, A.; Senderowska, K.; Sepp, I.; Serra, N.; Serrano, J.; Seyfert, P.; Shapkin, M.; Shapoval, I.; Shatalov, P.; Shcheglov, Y.; Shears, T.; Shekhtman, L.; Shevchenko, O.; Shevchenko, V.; Shires, A.; Silva Coutinho, R.; Skwarnicki, T.; Smith, N. A.; Smith, E.; Smith, M.; Sobczak, K.; Soler, F. J. P.; Solomin, A.; Soomro, F.; Souza, D.; Souza De Paula, B.; Spaan, B.; Sparkes, A.; Spradlin, P.; Stagni, F.; Stahl, S.; Steinkamp, O.; Stoica, S.; Stone, S.; Storaci, B.; Straticiuc, M.; Straumann, U.; Subbiah, V. K.; Swientek, S.; Szczekowski, M.; Szczypka, P.; Szumlak, T.; T'Jampens, S.; Teklishyn, M.; Teodorescu, E.; Teubert, F.; Thomas, C.; Thomas, E.; van Tilburg, J.; Tisserand, V.; Tobin, M.; Tolk, S.; Topp-Joergensen, S.; Torr, N.; Tournefier, E.; Tourneur, S.; Tran, M. T.; Tsaregorodtsev, A.; Tuning, N.; Ubeda Garcia, M.; Ukleja, A.; Urner, D.; Uwer, U.; Vagnoni, V.; Valenti, G.; Vazquez Gomez, R.; Vazquez Regueiro, P.; Vecchi, S.; Velthuis, J. J.; Veltri, M.; Veneziano, G.; Vesterinen, M.; Viaud, B.; Videau, I.; Vieira, D.; Vilasis-Cardona, X.; Visniakov, J.; Vollhardt, A.; Volyanskyy, D.; Voong, D.; Vorobyev, A.; Vorobyev, V.; Voss, H.; Voß, C.; Waldi, R.; Wallace, R.; Wandernoth, S.; Wang, J.; Ward, D. R.; Watson, N. K.; Webber, A. D.; Websdale, D.; Whitehead, M.; Wicht, J.; Wiedner, D.; Wiggers, L.; Wilkinson, G.; Williams, M. P.; Williams, M.; Wilson, F. F.; Wishahi, J.; Witek, M.; Witzeling, W.; Wotton, S. A.; Wright, S.; Wu, S.; Wyllie, K.; Xie, Y.; Xing, F.; Xing, Z.; Yang, Z.; Young, R.; Yuan, X.; Yushchenko, O.; Zangoli, M.; Zavertyaev, M.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, W. C.; Zhang, Y.; Zhelezov, A.; Zhong, L.; Zvyagin, A.

2013-02-01

First evidence of the B0→J/ψω decay is found and the Bs0→J/ψη and Bs0→J/ψη‧ decays are studied using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb-1 collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s=7 TeV. The branching fractions of these decays are measured relative to that of the B0→J/ψρ0 decay:B(B0→J/ψω)B(B0→J/ψρ0)=0.89±0.19(stat)-0.13+0.07(syst), B(Bs0→J/ψη)B(B0→J/ψρ0)=14.0±1.2(stat)-1.5+1.1(syst)-1.0+1.1(fdfs), B(Bs0→J/ψη‧)B(B0→J/ψρ0)=12.7±1.1(stat)-1.3+0.5(syst)-0.9+1.0(fdfs), where the last uncertainty is due to the knowledge of fd/fs, the ratio of b-quark hadronization factors that accounts for the different production rate of B0 and Bs0 mesons. The ratio of the branching fractions of Bs0→J/ψη‧ and Bs0→J/ψη decays is measured to beB(Bs0→J/ψη‧)B(Bs0→J/ψη)=0.90±0.09(stat)-0.02+0.06(syst).

Influence of Biliopancreatic Diversion on Pregnancy Outcomes in Comparison to Other Bariatric Surgery Procedures.

PubMed

De Carolis, S; Botta, A; Del Sordo, Gelsomina; Guerrisi, R; Salvi, S; De Carolis, M P; Iaconelli, A; Giustacchini, P; Raffaelli, M; Lanzone, A

2018-06-16

Pregnancy after bariatric surgery (BS) has an increased risk for small-for-gestational-age infants (SGA), shorter length of gestation, and probably perinatal mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate if biliopancreatic diversion could impair pregnancy outcomes in comparison to other bariatric surgery procedures. We conducted a cohort retrospective single-center study in 65 women before and after BS. Thirty-one pregnancies occurred before BS, while 109 after BS, amongst which n = 51 after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) and n = 58 after non-malabsorptive procedures. The pregnancy outcomes after BS in comparison with those before BS resulted less affected by diabetes, hypertensive disorders, macrosomia, and large-for-gestational-age (LGA), but more complicated by preterm births (14.5 versus 4.0%) and low birth weight (LBW) infants (28.9 versus 0%). Moreover, mean birth weight resulted lower after BS than before BS (p < 0.001). In pregnancies after BPD in comparison to those before BS, the LBW rate (42.5%) resulted a drastic increase (p < 0.001), and mean birth weight (p < 0.001) and mean birth weight centile (p < 0.001) were lower after BPD. When pregnancy outcomes after BPD were compared with those after non-malabsorptive procedures, the rate of congenital anomalies, preterm births, LBW, and SGA resulted an increase (p = 0.002, 0.008, 0.032, and < 0.001, respectively). BPD drastically reduced diabetes, hypertensive disorders, macrosomia, and LGA; however, it was associated with the poorest pregnancy outcomes in comparison to those observed after other BS procedures. On the basis of the present study, we recommend a cautious multidisciplinary selection of severely obese patients for BPD during the fertile age.

Dental caries and microbiota in children with black stain and non-discoloured dental plaque.

PubMed

Heinrich-Weltzien, R; Bartsch, B; Eick, S

2014-01-01

We aimed to assess caries experience and microbiota in systemically healthy children with black stain (BS) and non-discoloured plaque. Forty-six children with BS and 47 counterparts with non-discoloured plaque aged 7.9 ± 1.3 years were clinically examined. Dental caries was scored using WHO criteria. Samples of BS and non-discoloured dental plaque were collected from tooth surfaces. The DNA of the samples was extracted and real-time PCR was performed to determine the total number of bacteria and the species Streptococcus mutans, S. sobrinus, Lactobacillus sp., Actinomyces naeslundii, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Children with BS had lower DMFT (p = 0.013), lower DT values (p = 0.005) and a tendency to lower caries prevalence (p = 0.061) than children with non-discoloured plaque. Plaque samples of the BS group contained higher numbers of A. naeslundii (p = 0.005) and lower numbers of F. nucleatum (p = 0.001) and Lactobacillus sp. (p = 0.001) compared to the non-discoloured plaque samples of the control group. Comparing the children with BS and non-discoloured plaque, higher counts for A. naeslundii (p = 0.013) were observed in caries-free children with BS while in caries-affected children with BS, lower counts of F. nucleatum (p = 0.007) were found. Counts of Lactobacillus sp. were higher in non-discoloured plaque samples than in BS of caries-free and caries-affected children. Results suggest that the different microbial composition of BS might be associated with the lower caries experience in affected subjects. The role of black-pigmented bacteria associated with periodontitis needs further studies.

Bak-Sneppen model: Local equilibrium and critical value.

PubMed

Fraiman, Daniel

2018-04-01

The Bak-Sneppen (BS) model is a very simple model that exhibits all the richness of self-organized criticality theory. At the thermodynamic limit, the BS model converges to a situation where all particles have a fitness that is uniformly distributed between a critical value p_{c} and 1. The p_{c} value is unknown, as are the variables that influence and determine this value. Here we study the BS model in the case in which the lowest fitness particle interacts with an arbitrary even number of m nearest neighbors. We show that p_{c} verifies a simple local equilibrium relation. Based on this relation, we can determine bounds for p_{c} of the BS model and exact results for some BS-like models. Finally, we show how transformations of the original BS model can be done without altering the model's complex dynamics.

Bak-Sneppen model: Local equilibrium and critical value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraiman, Daniel

2018-04-01

The Bak-Sneppen (BS) model is a very simple model that exhibits all the richness of self-organized criticality theory. At the thermodynamic limit, the BS model converges to a situation where all particles have a fitness that is uniformly distributed between a critical value pc and 1. The pc value is unknown, as are the variables that influence and determine this value. Here we study the BS model in the case in which the lowest fitness particle interacts with an arbitrary even number of m nearest neighbors. We show that pc verifies a simple local equilibrium relation. Based on this relation, we can determine bounds for pc of the BS model and exact results for some BS-like models. Finally, we show how transformations of the original BS model can be done without altering the model's complex dynamics.

Pulmonary artery aneurysms in Behçet's syndrome: a review of the literature with emphasis on geographical differences.

PubMed

Celik, Selda; Yazici, Yusuf; Sut, Necdet; Yazici, Hasan

2015-01-01

To investigate the frequency of Behçet's syndrome (BS) with pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAA) publications, the most lethal complication of BS, as reported from different countries and to provide a review of diagnostic techniques, treatment approaches and prognosis. Countries from each continent with a population of 4 million and over were chosen (n=128). A PubMed search for "BS, PAA and the country name" was conducted and 23 countries with BS and PAA were identified. The full texts of articles (n=91) were analysed for data including gender, age, accompanying vascular findings, diagnostic techniques, treatment modalities and mortality rates. A total of 207 (183 males, 24 females) patients with BS and PAA were reported in 91 articles originating from 23 countries. As expected there was a significant correlation (r=0.88, p<0.001) between the total number of articles about BS (n=4431) and those related to PAA and BS. In a simple linear regression analysis the number of BS and PAA articles from Japan was significantly below the identity line while in Turkey there was a propensity to publish more articles related to PAA than expected. One hundred and sixteen patients (56%) were treated with immunosuppressive therapy. Biologics were used only in 5 patients (2%). Of the 207 patients, 62 (30%) died. PAA is mostly reported as case reports from countries where BS is common. PAA might be uncommon in Japan. The prognosis of PAA could be getting better.

Characterization of biochemical properties of Bacillus subtilis RecQ helicase.

PubMed

Qin, Wei; Liu, Na-Nv; Wang, Lijun; Zhou, Min; Ren, Hua; Bugnard, Elisabeth; Liu, Jie-Lin; Zhang, Lin-Hu; Vendôme, Jeremie; Hu, Jin-Shan; Xi, Xu Guang

2014-12-01

RecQ family helicases function as safeguards of the genome. Unlike Escherichia coli, the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacterium possesses two RecQ-like homologues, RecQ[Bs] and RecS, which are required for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. RecQ[Bs] also binds to the forked DNA to ensure a smooth progression of the cell cycle. Here we present the first biochemical analysis of recombinant RecQ[Bs]. RecQ[Bs] binds weakly to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and blunt-ended double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) but strongly to forked dsDNA. The protein exhibits a DNA-stimulated ATPase activity and ATP- and Mg(2+)-dependent DNA helicase activity with a 3' → 5' polarity. Molecular modeling shows that RecQ[Bs] shares high sequence and structure similarity with E. coli RecQ. Surprisingly, RecQ[Bs] resembles the truncated Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sgs1 and human RecQ helicases more than RecQ[Ec] with regard to its enzymatic activities. Specifically, RecQ[Bs] unwinds forked dsDNA and DNA duplexes with a 3'-overhang but is inactive on blunt-ended dsDNA and 5'-overhung duplexes. Interestingly, RecQ[Bs] unwinds blunt-ended DNA with structural features, including nicks, gaps, 5'-flaps, Kappa joints, synthetic replication forks, and Holliday junctions. We discuss these findings in the context of RecQ[Bs]'s possible functions in preserving genomic stability. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Dentine bond strength and antimicrobial activity evaluation of adhesive systems.

PubMed

André, Carolina Bosso; Gomes, Brenda Paula Figueiredo Almeida; Duque, Thais Mageste; Stipp, Rafael Nobrega; Chan, Daniel Chi Ngai; Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria Bovi; Giannini, Marcelo

2015-04-01

This study evaluated the dentine bond strength (BS) and the antibacterial activity (AA) of six adhesives against strict anaerobic and facultative bacteria. Three adhesives containing antibacterial components (Gluma 2Bond (glutaraldehyde)/G2B, Clearfil SE Protect (MDPB)/CSP and Peak Universal Bond (PUB)/chlorhexidine) and the same adhesive versions without antibacterial agents (Gluma Comfort Bond/GCB, Clearfil SE Bond/CSB and Peak LC Bond/PLB) were tested. The AA of adhesives and control groups was evaluated by direct contact method against four strict anaerobic and four facultative bacteria. After incubation, according to the appropriate periods of time for each microorganism, the time to kill microorganisms was measured. For BS, the adhesives were applied according to manufacturers' recommendations and teeth restored with composite. Teeth (n=10) were sectioned to obtain bonded beams specimens, which were tested after artificial saliva storage for one week and one year. BS data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey test. Saliva storage for one year reduces the BS only for GCB. In general G2B and GCB required at least 24h for killing microorganisms. PUB and PLB killed only strict anaerobic microorganisms after 24h. For CSP the average time to eliminate the Streptococcus mutans and strict anaerobic oral pathogens was 30 min. CSB showed no AA against facultative bacteria, but had AA against some strict anaerobic microorganisms. Storage time had no effect on the BS for most of the adhesives. The time required to kill bacteria depended on the type of adhesive and never was less than 10 min. Most of the adhesives showed stable bond strength after one year and the Clearfil SE Protect may be a good alternative in restorative procedures performed on dentine, considering its adequate bond strength and better antibacterial activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unusual interaction of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) with abasic sites via the Schiff-base-dependent mechanism.

PubMed

Ilina, Ekaterina S; Khodyreva, Svetlana N; Lavrik, Olga I

2018-05-03

Clustered apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites are more cytotoxic than isolated AP lesions because double strand breaks (DSB) can be formed during repair of closely positioned bistranded AP sites. Formation of DSB due to simultaneous cleavage of bistranded AP sites may be regulated by proteins specifically interacting with this complex lesion. A set of AP DNA duplexes containing AP sites in both strands in different mutual orientation (BS-AP DNAs) was used for search in the extracts of human cells proteins specifically recognizing clustered AP sites. A protein, which formed the Schiff-base-dependent covalent products having an apparent molecular mass of 50 kDa with the subset of BS-AP DNAs, was identified by mass spectrometry as apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1). The identity of trapped protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis with anti-APE1 antibodies. Purified recombinant human APE1 is also capable of forming the 50 kDa-adducts with efficiency of BS-AP DNAs cross-linking to APE1 being dependent on the mutual orientation of AP sites. In spite of formation of the Schiff-base-dependent intermediate, which is prerequisite for the β-elimination mechanism, APE1 is unable to cleave AP sites. APE1 lacking the first 34 amino acids at the N-terminus, unlike wild type enzyme, is unable to form cross-links with BS-AP DNAs that testifies to the involvement of disordered N-terminal extension, which is enriched in lysine residues, in the interaction with AP sites. The yield of APE1-AP DNA cross-links was found to correlate with the enzyme amount in the extracts estimated by the immunochemical approach; therefore the BS-AP DNA-probes can be useful for comparative analysis of APE1 content in cell extracts. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Massilia sp. BS-1, a novel violacein-producing bacterium isolated from soil.

PubMed

Agematu, Hitosi; Suzuki, Kazuya; Tsuya, Hiroaki

2011-01-01

A novel bacterium, Massilia sp. BS-1, producing violacein and deoxyviolacein was isolated from a soil sample collected from Akita Prefecture, Japan. The 16S ribosomal DNA of strain BS-1 displayed 93% homology with its nearest violacein-producing neighbor, Janthinobacterium lividum. Strain BS-1 grew well in a synthetic medium, but required both L-tryptophan and a small amount of L-histidine to produce violacein.

Comparative Evaluation of Background Subtraction Algorithms in Remote Scene Videos Captured by MWIR Sensors

PubMed Central

Yao, Guangle; Lei, Tao; Zhong, Jiandan; Jiang, Ping; Jia, Wenwu

2017-01-01

Background subtraction (BS) is one of the most commonly encountered tasks in video analysis and tracking systems. It distinguishes the foreground (moving objects) from the video sequences captured by static imaging sensors. Background subtraction in remote scene infrared (IR) video is important and common to lots of fields. This paper provides a Remote Scene IR Dataset captured by our designed medium-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor. Each video sequence in this dataset is identified with specific BS challenges and the pixel-wise ground truth of foreground (FG) for each frame is also provided. A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate BS algorithms on this proposed dataset. The overall performance of BS algorithms and the processor/memory requirements were compared. Proper evaluation metrics or criteria were employed to evaluate the capability of each BS algorithm to handle different kinds of BS challenges represented in this dataset. The results and conclusions in this paper provide valid references to develop new BS algorithm for remote scene IR video sequence, and some of them are not only limited to remote scene or IR video sequence but also generic for background subtraction. The Remote Scene IR dataset and the foreground masks detected by each evaluated BS algorithm are available online: https://github.com/JerryYaoGl/BSEvaluationRemoteSceneIR. PMID:28837112

Theoretical study of the magnetic exchange coupling behavior substituting Cr(III) with Mo(III) in cyano-bridged transition metal complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi-Quan; Luo, Cheng-Lin

Molecular magnetism in a series of cyano-bridged first and second transition metal complexes has been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) combined with the broken-symmetry (BS) approach. Several exchange-correlation (XC) functionals in the ADF package were used to investigate complexes I [-(Me3tacn)2(cyclam)NiMo2(CN)6]2+, II [-(Me3tacn)2(cyclam)Ni-Cr2(CN)6]2+, III [(Me3tacn)6MnMo6(CN)18]2+, and IV [(Me3tacn)6MnCr6(CN)18]2+ (Me3tacn = N,N?,N‴-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane). For models A (the molded structure of complex I) and B (the modeled structure of complex II), all the XCs given qualitatively reasonable results and predict ferromagnetic coupling character between M (M = MoIII for A or CrIII for B) and NiII in coincidence with the experimental results (see Tables and ). The calculated using Operdew, OPBE, O3LYP, and B3LYP functionals and experimental J values show that substituting CrIII with MoIII will enhance the ferromagnetic exchange coupling interactions. But VWN, PW91, PBE, VSXC, and tau-HCTH functionals have no way to differentiate the relative strength of the intramolecular magnetic exchange coupling interactions of A and B correctly. For models C (the modeled structure of complex III) and D (the modeled structure of complex IV), all the XCs in ADF and B3LYP in Gaussian 03 with several basis sets show that substituting CrIII with MoIII will enhance the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling interactions. From the above calculations, the substitution of CrIII by MoIII will enhance the magnetic coupling interactions, whether the magnetic coupling interactions are ferro- or antiferromagnetic. Moreover, Kahn's model was applied to investigate the above facts.

Fine organization of genomic regions tagged to the 5S rDNA locus of the bread wheat 5B chromosome.

PubMed

Sergeeva, Ekaterina M; Shcherban, Andrey B; Adonina, Irina G; Nesterov, Michail A; Beletsky, Alexey V; Rakitin, Andrey L; Mardanov, Andrey V; Ravin, Nikolai V; Salina, Elena A

2017-11-14

The multigene family encoding the 5S rRNA, one of the most important structurally-functional part of the large ribosomal subunit, is an obligate component of all eukaryotic genomes. 5S rDNA has long been a favored target for cytological and phylogenetic studies due to the inherent peculiarities of its structural organization, such as the tandem arrays of repetitive units and their high interspecific divergence. The complex polyploid nature of the genome of bread wheat, Triticum aestivum, and the technically difficult task of sequencing clusters of tandem repeats mean that the detailed organization of extended genomic regions containing 5S rRNA genes remains unclear. This is despite the recent progress made in wheat genomic sequencing. Using pyrosequencing of BAC clones, in this work we studied the organization of two distinct 5S rDNA-tagged regions of the 5BS chromosome of bread wheat. Three BAC-clones containing 5S rDNA were identified in the 5BS chromosome-specific BAC-library of Triticum aestivum. Using the results of pyrosequencing and assembling, we obtained six 5S rDNA- containing contigs with a total length of 140,417 bp, and two sets (pools) of individual 5S rDNA sequences belonging to separate, but closely located genomic regions on the 5BS chromosome. Both regions are characterized by the presence of approximately 70-80 copies of 5S rDNA, however, they are completely different in their structural organization. The first region contained highly diverged short-type 5S rDNA units that were disrupted by multiple insertions of transposable elements. The second region contained the more conserved long-type 5S rDNA, organized as a single tandem array. FISH using probes specific to both 5S rDNA unit types showed differences in the distribution and intensity of signals on the chromosomes of polyploid wheat species and their diploid progenitors. A detailed structural organization of two closely located 5S rDNA-tagged genomic regions on the 5BS chromosome of bread wheat has been established. These two regions differ in the organization of both 5S rDNA and the neighboring sequences comprised of transposable elements, implying different modes of evolution for these regions.

Bloom’s Syndrome: Why Not Premature Aging? A comparison of the BLM and WRN helicases

PubMed Central

de Renty, Christelle; Ellis, Nathan A.

2016-01-01

Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer and aging. Premature aging (progeroid) syndromes are often caused by mutations in genes whose function is to ensure genomic integrity. The RecQ family of DNA helicases is highly conserved and plays crucial roles as genome caretakers. In human, mutations in three RecQ genes — BLM, WRN, and RECQL4 — give rise to Bloom’s syndrome (BS), Werner syndrome (WS), and Rothmund-Thomson’s syndrome (RTS), respectively. WS is a prototypic premature aging disorder; however, the clinical features present in BS and RTS do not indicate accelerated aging. The BLM helicase has pivotal functions at the crossroads of DNA replication, recombination, and repair. BS cells exhibit a characteristic form of genomic instability that includes excessive recombination. The excessive homologous recombination drives the development of the many types of cancers that affect persons in the normal population. Replication delay and slower cell turnover rates have been proposed to explain many features of Bloom’s syndrome, such as short stature. More recently, aberrant transcriptional regulation of growth and survival genes has been proposed as a hypothesis. PMID:27238185

Deimos: A featureless asteroid-like spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grundy, W. M.; Fink, Uwe

1991-01-01

High quality CCD spectra were obtained of Deimos from 0.5 to 1.0 micron at a spectral resolution of 15A at the time of the 1988 Mars opposition. The data acquisition and reduction methods allowed the quantitative prevention of scattered light from Mars contaminating the spectra. Solar analog stars BS560, BS2007, and BS8931 were observed the same night to allow removal of telluric absorptions. The ratio spectrum of Deimos has a red slope, increasing in reflectance by a factor of approx. 50 pct. over the one octave wavelength interval observed. Other than this slope, the spectrum is remarkably featureless. The absence of absorption bands in the spectrum of Deimos is in marked contrast with the spectra of Martian surface materials. No trace of the Fe(2+) charge transfer absorption band around 1 micron is observed, which rules out the presence of significant quantities of minerals such as the pyroxenes or olivine at the surface of Deimos. The featureless red spectrum of Deimos appears to be consistent with a surface composition of fine grained carbonaceous chondrite type material. An analysis is presented of the spectrum of Deimos which makes use of the Hapke scattering surface model.

Evaluation of Optimum Moisture Content for Composting of Beef Manure and Bedding Material Mixtures Using Oxygen Uptake Measurement.

PubMed

Kim, Eunjong; Lee, Dong-Hyun; Won, Seunggun; Ahn, Heekwon

2016-05-01

Moisture content influences physiological characteristics of microbes and physical structure of solid matrices during composting of animal manure. If moisture content is maintained at a proper level, aerobic microorganisms show more active oxygen consumption during composting due to increased microbial activity. In this study, optimum moisture levels for composting of two bedding materials (sawdust, rice hull) and two different mixtures of bedding and beef manure (BS, Beef cattle manure+sawdust; BR, Beef cattle manure+rice hull) were determined based on oxygen uptake rate measured by a pressure sensor method. A broad range of oxygen uptake rates (0.3 to 33.3 mg O2/g VS d) were monitored as a function of moisture level and composting feedstock type. The maximum oxygen consumption of each material was observed near the saturated condition, which ranged from 75% to 98% of water holding capacity. The optimum moisture content of BS and BR were 70% and 57% on a wet basis, respectively. Although BS's optimum moisture content was near saturated state, its free air space kept a favorable level (above 30%) for aerobic composting due to the sawdust's coarse particle size and bulking effect.

Thermal Adaptation of Dihydrofolate Reductase from the Moderate Thermophile Geobacillus stearothermophilus

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The thermal melting temperature of dihydrofolate reductase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus (BsDHFR) is ∼30 °C higher than that of its homologue from the psychrophile Moritella profunda. Additional proline residues in the loop regions of BsDHFR have been proposed to enhance the thermostability of BsDHFR, but site-directed mutagenesis studies reveal that these proline residues contribute only minimally. Instead, the high thermal stability of BsDHFR is partly due to removal of water-accessible thermolabile residues such as glutamine and methionine, which are prone to hydrolysis or oxidation at high temperatures. The extra thermostability of BsDHFR can be obtained by ligand binding, or in the presence of salts or cosolvents such as glycerol and sucrose. The sum of all these incremental factors allows BsDHFR to function efficiently in the natural habitat of G. stearothermophilus, which is characterized by temperatures that can reach 75 °C. PMID:24730604

On the origin of a phosphate enriched interval in the Chattanooga Shale (Upper Devonian) of Tennessee-A combined sedimentologic, petrographic, and geochemical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yifan; Schieber, Juergen

2015-11-01

The Devonian Chattanooga Shale contains an uppermost black shale interval with dispersed phosphate nodules. This interval extends from Tennessee to correlative strata in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio and represents a significant period of marine phosphate fixation during the Late Devonian of North America. It overlies black shales that lack phosphate nodules but otherwise look very similar in outcrop. The purpose of this study is to examine what sets these two shales apart and what this difference tells us about the sedimentary history of the uppermost Chattanooga Shale. In thin section, the lower black shales (PBS) show pyrite enriched laminae and compositional banding. The overlying phosphatic black shales (PhBS) are characterized by phosbioclasts, have a general banded to homogenized texture with reworked layers, and show well defined horizons of phosphate nodules that are reworked and transported. In the PhBS, up to 8000 particles of P-debris per cm2 occur in reworked beds, whereas the background black shale shows between 37-88 particles per cm2. In the PBS, the shale matrix contains between 8-16 phosphatic particles per cm2. The shale matrix in the PhBS contains 5.6% inertinite, whereas just 1% inertinite occurs in the PBS. The shale matrix in both units is characterized by flat REE patterns (shale-normalized), whereas Phosbioclast-rich layers in the PhBS show high concentrations of REEs and enrichment of MREEs. Negative Ce-anomalies are common to all samples, but are best developed in association with Phosbioclasts. Redox-sensitive elements (Co, U, Mo) are more strongly enriched in the PBS when compared to the PhBS. Trace elements associated with organic matter (Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni) show an inverse trend of enrichment. Deposited atop a sequence boundary that separates the two shale units, the PhBS unit represents a transgressive systems tract and probably was deposited in shallower water than the underlying PBS interval. The higher phosphate content in the PhBS is interpreted as the result of a combination of lower sedimentation rates with reworking/winnowing episodes. Three types of phosphatic beds that reflect different degrees of reworking intensity are observed. Strong negative Ce anomalies and abundant secondary marcasite formation in the PhBS suggests improved aeration of the water column, and improved downward diffusion of oxygen into the sediment. The associated oxidation of previously formed pyrite resulted in a lowering of pore water pH and forced dissolution of biogenic phosphate. Phosphate dissolution was followed by formation of secondary marcasite and phosphate. Repeated, episodic reworking caused repetitive cycles of phosphatic dissolution and reprecipitation, enriching MREEs in reprecipitated apatite. A generally "deeper" seated redox boundary favored P-remineralization within the sediment matrix, and multiple repeats of this process in combination with wave and current reworking at the seabed led to the formation of larger phosphatic aggregates and concentration of phosphate nodules in discrete horizons.

Current Status, Goals, and Research Agenda for Outcome Measures Development in Behçet Syndrome: Report from OMERACT 2014.

PubMed

Hatemi, Gulen; Ozguler, Yesim; Direskeneli, Haner; Mahr, Alfred; Gul, Ahmet; Levi, Virna; Aydin, Sibel Z; Mumcu, Gonca; Sertel-Berk, Ozlem; Stevens, Randall M; Yazici, Hasan; Merkel, Peter A

2015-12-01

There is an unmet need for reliable, validated, and widely accepted outcomes and outcome measures for use in clinical trials in Behçet syndrome (BS). Our report summarizes initial steps taken by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) vasculitis working group toward developing a core set of outcome measures for BS according to the OMERACT methodology, including the OMERACT Filter 2.0, and discussions during the first meeting of the BS working group held during OMERACT 12 (2014). During OMERACT 12, some of the important challenges in developing outcomes for BS were outlined and discussed, and a research agenda was drafted. Among topics discussed were the advantages and disadvantages of a composite measure for BS that evaluates several organs/organ systems; bringing patients and physicians together for discussions about how to assess disease activity; use of organ-specific measures developed for other diseases; and the inclusion of generic, disease-specific, or organ-specific measures. The importance of incorporating patients' perspectives, concerns, and ideas into outcome measure development was emphasized. The planned research agenda includes conducting a Delphi exercise among physicians from different specialties that are involved in the care of patients with BS and among patients with BS, with the aim of identifying candidate domains and subdomains to be assessed in randomized clinical trials of BS, and candidate items for a composite measure. The ultimate goal of the group is to develop a validated and widely accepted core set of outcomes and outcome measures for use in clinical trials in BS.

Acute effects of heavy-load squats on consecutive squat jump performance.

PubMed

Weber, Kurt R; Brown, Lee E; Coburn, Jared W; Zinder, Steven M

2008-05-01

Postactivation potentiation (PAP) and complex training have generated interest within the strength and conditioning community in recent years, but much of the research to date has produced confounding results. The purpose of this study was to observe the acute effects of a heavy-load back squat [85% 1 repetition maximum (1RM)] condition on consecutive squat jump performance. Twelve in-season Division I male track-and-field athletes participated in two randomized testing conditions: a five-repetition back squat at 85% 1RM (BS) and a five-repetition squat jump (SJ). The BS condition consisted of seven consecutive squat jumps (BS-PRE), followed by five repetitions of the BS at 85% 1RM, followed by another set of seven consecutive squat jumps (BS-POST). The SJ condition was exactly the same as the BS condition except that five consecutive SJs replaced the five BSs, with 3 minutes' rest between each set. BS-PRE, BS-POST, SJ-PRE, and SJ-POST were analyzed and compared for mean and peak jump height, as well as mean and peak ground reaction force (GRF). The BS condition's mean and peak jump height and peak GRF increased 5.8% +/- 4.8%, 4.7% +/- 4.8%, and 4.6% +/- 7.4%, respectively, whereas the SJ condition's mean and peak jump height and peak GRF decreased 2.7% +/- 5.0%, 4.0% +/- 4.9%, and 1.3% +/- 7.5%, respectively. The results indicate that performing a heavy-load back squat before a set of consecutive SJs may enhance acute performance in average and peak jump height, as well as peak GRF.

NMR Studies on Structure and Dynamics of the Monomeric Derivative of BS-RNase: New Insights for 3D Domain Swapping

PubMed Central

Spadaccini, Roberta; Ercole, Carmine; Gentile, Maria A.; Sanfelice, Domenico; Boelens, Rolf; Wechselberger, Rainer; Batta, Gyula; Bernini, Andrea; Niccolai, Neri; Picone, Delia

2012-01-01

Three-dimensional domain swapping is a common phenomenon in pancreatic-like ribonucleases. In the aggregated state, these proteins acquire new biological functions, including selective cytotoxicity against tumour cells. RNase A is able to dislocate both N- and C-termini, but usually this process requires denaturing conditions. In contrast, bovine seminal ribonuclease (BS-RNase), which is a homo-dimeric protein sharing 80% of sequence identity with RNase A, occurs natively as a mixture of swapped and unswapped isoforms. The presence of two disulfides bridging the subunits, indeed, ensures a dimeric structure also to the unswapped molecule. In vitro, the two BS-RNase isoforms interconvert under physiological conditions. Since the tendency to swap is often related to the instability of the monomeric proteins, in these paper we have analysed in detail the stability in solution of the monomeric derivative of BS-RNase (mBS) by a combination of NMR studies and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. The refinement of NMR structure and relaxation data indicate a close similarity with RNase A, without any evidence of aggregation or partial opening. The high compactness of mBS structure is confirmed also by H/D exchange, urea denaturation, and TEMPOL mapping of the protein surface. The present extensive structural and dynamic investigation of (monomeric) mBS did not show any experimental evidence that could explain the known differences in swapping between BS-RNase and RNase A. Hence, we conclude that the swapping in BS-RNase must be influenced by the distinct features of the dimers, suggesting a prominent role for the interchain disulfide bridges. PMID:22253705

The costs and benefits of sexism: resistance to influence during relationship conflict.

PubMed

Overall, Nickola C; Sibley, Chris G; Tan, Rosabel

2011-08-01

This study tested whether men's and women's hostile sexism (HS) and benevolent sexism (BS) were associated with resistance to influence in couples' conflict interactions. Ninety-one heterosexual couples were recorded while trying to produce desired changes in each other. Participants reviewed their discussions and rated how open they were to their partner's perspective. Objective coders also rated the extent to which each partner exhibited hostile communication. We tested key principles arising from ambivalent sexism theory (Glick & Fiske, 1996). First, BS is necessary because mutual interdependence reduces the power of HS to influence women within intimate relationships. We found that the more men endorsed HS, the less open and more hostile both partners were, and the less successful their discussions were in producing desired change. Second, BS reduces the threat of women's dyadic power by revering and respecting women's interpersonal roles while restricting women's influence outside the relationship domain. We found that men who expressed higher agreement with BS were more open to their partners' influence and behaved with less hostility, and their discussions were more successful. These relationship benefits illustrate why BS is effective at disarming women's resistance to wider inequalities. These benefits, however, were contingent on men adopting BS attitudes. When women strongly endorsed BS but their male partner did not, women were less open, behaved with greater hostility, and perceived their discussions as less successful. These results indicate that, because BS increases the stakes within the relationship domain, women who endorse BS will react more negatively when their expectations are not realized.

Current Status, Goals, and Research Agenda for Outcome Measures Development in Behçet Syndrome: Report from OMERACT 2014

PubMed Central

Hatemi, Gulen; Ozguler, Yesim; Direskeneli, Haner; Mahr, Alfred; Gul, Ahmet; Levi, Virna; Aydin, Sibel Z.; Mumcu, Gonca; Sertel-Berk, Ozlem; Stevens, Randall M.; Yazici, Hasan; Merkel, Peter A.

2016-01-01

Objective There is an unmet need for reliable, validated, and widely accepted outcomes and outcome measures for use in clinical trials in Behçet syndrome (BS). Our report summarizes initial steps taken by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) vasculitis working group toward developing a core set of outcome measures for BS according to the OMERACT methodology, including the OMERACT Filter 2.0, and discussions during the first meeting of the BS working group held during OMERACT 12 (2014). Methods During OMERACT 12, some of the important challenges in developing outcomes for BS were outlined and discussed, and a research agenda was drafted. Results Among topics discussed were the advantages and disadvantages of a composite measure for BS that evaluates several organs/organ systems; bringing patients and physicians together for discussions about how to assess disease activity; use of organ-specific measures developed for other diseases; and the inclusion of generic, disease-specific, or organ-specific measures. The importance of incorporating patients’ perspectives, concerns, and ideas into outcome measure development was emphasized. Conclusion The planned research agenda includes conducting a Delphi exercise among physicians from different specialties that are involved in the care of patients with BS and among patients with BS, with the aim of identifying candidate domains and subdomains to be assessed in randomized clinical trials of BS, and candidate items for a composite measure. The ultimate goal of the group is to develop a validated and widely accepted core set of outcomes and outcome measures for use in clinical trials in BS. PMID:26373563

Evaluating Gaia performances on eclipsing binaries. IV. Orbits and stellar parameters for SV Cam, BS Dra and HP Dra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milone, E. F.; Munari, U.; Marrese, P. M.; Williams, M. D.; Zwitter, T.; Kallrath, J.; Tomov, T.

2005-10-01

This is the fourth in a series of papers that aim both to provide reasonable orbits for a number of eclipsing binaries and to evaluate the expected performance of Gaia of these objects and the accuracy that is achievable in the determination of such fundamental stellar parameters as mass and radius. In this paper, we attempt to derive the orbits and physical parameters for three eclipsing binaries in the mid-F to mid-G spectral range. As for previous papers, only the H_P, V_T, BT photometry from the Hipparcos/Tycho mission and ground-based radial velocities from spectroscopy in the region 8480-8740 Å are used in the analyses. These data sets simulate the photometric and spectroscopic data that are expected to be obtained by Gaia, the approved ESA Cornerstone mission to be launched in 2011. The systems targeted in this paper are SV Cam, BS Dra and HP Dra. SV Cam and BS Dra have been studied previously, allowing comparisons of the derived parameters with those from full scale and devoted ground-based investigations. HP Dra has no published orbital solution. SV Cam has a β Lyrae type light curve and the others have Algol-like light curves. SV Cam has the complication of light curve anomalies, usually attributed to spots; BS Dra has non-solar metallicity, and HP Dra appears to have a small eccentricity and a sizeable time derivative in the argument of the periastron. Thus all three provide interesting and different test cases.

Unloading-induced bone loss was suppressed in gold-thioglucose treated mice.

PubMed

Hino, K; Nifuji, A; Morinobu, M; Tsuji, K; Ezura, Y; Nakashima, K; Yamamoto, H; Noda, M

2006-10-15

Loss of mechanical stress causes bone loss. However, the mechanisms underlying the unloading-induced bone loss are largely unknown. Here, we examined the effects of gold-thioglucose (GTG) treatment, which destroys ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), on unloading-induced bone loss. Unloading reduced bone volume in control (saline-treated) mice. Treatment with GTG-reduced bone mass and in these GTG-treated mice, unloading-induced reduction in bone mass levels was not observed. Unloading reduced the levels of bone formation rate (BFR) and mineral apposition rate (MAR). GTG treatment also reduced these parameters and under this condition, unloading did not further reduce the levels of BFR and MAR. Unloading increased the levels of osteoclast number (Oc.N/BS) and osteoclast surface (Oc.S/BS). GTG treatment did not alter the basal levels of these bone resorption parameters. In contrast to control, GTG treatment suppressed unloading-induced increase in the levels of Oc.N/BS and Oc.S/BS. Unloading reduced the levels of mRNA expression of the genes encoding osteocalcin, type I collagen and Cbfa1 in bone. In contrast, GTG treatment suppressed such unloading-induced reduction of mRNA expression. Unloading also enhanced the levels of fat mass in bone marrow and mRNA expression of the genes encoding PPARgamma2, C/EBPalpha, and C/EBPbeta in bone. In GTG-treated mice, unloading did not increase fat mass and the levels of fat-related mRNA expression. These results indicated that GTG treatment suppressed unloading-induced alteration in bone loss. 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Physiochemical Characteristics and Molecular Structures for Digestible Carbohydrates of Silages.

PubMed

Refat, Basim; Prates, Luciana L; Khan, Nazir A; Lei, Yaogeng; Christensen, David A; McKinnon, John J; Yu, Peiqiang

2017-10-18

The main objectives of this study were (1) to assess the magnitude of differences among new barley silage varieties (BS) selected for varying rates of in vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (ivNDFD; Cowboy BS with higher ivNDFD, Copeland BS with intermediate ivNDFD, and Xena BS with lower ivNDFD) with regard to their carbohydrate (CHO) molecular makeup, CHO chemical fractions, and rumen degradability in dairy cows in comparison with a new corn silage hybrid (Pioneer 7213R) and (2) to quantify the strength and pattern of association between the molecular structures and digestibility of carbohydrates. The carbohydrate-related molecular structure spectral data was measured using advanced vibrational molecular spectroscopy (FT/IR). In comparison to BS, corn silage showed a significantly (P < 0.05) higher level of starch and energy content and higher degradation of dry matter (DM). Cowboy BS had lower feeding value (higher indigestible fiber content and lower starch content) and lower DM degradation in the rumen compared to other BS varieties (P < 0.05). The spectral intensities of carbohydrates were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with digestible carbohydrate content of the silages. In conclusion, the univariate approach with only one-factor consideration (ivNDFD) might not be a satisfactory method for evaluating and ranking BS quality. FT/IR molecular spectroscopy can be used to evaluate silage quality rapidly, particularly the digestible fiber content.

Electrostatic dust collectors compared to inhalable samplers for measuring endotoxin concentrations in farm homes

PubMed Central

Kilburg-Basnyat, Brita; Peters, Thomas M.; Perry, Sarah S.; Thorne, Peter S.

2016-01-01

Paired electrostatic dust collectors (EDCs) and daily, inhalable button samplers (BS) were used concurrently to sample endotoxin in 10 farm homes during 7-day periods in summer and winter. Winter sampling included an optical particle counter (OPC) to measure PM2.5 and PM2.5-10. Electrostatic dust collectors and BS filters were analyzed for endotoxin using the kinetic chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. Optical particle counter particulate matter (PM) data were divided into two PM categories. In summer, geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) endotoxin concentrations were 0.82 EU/m3 (2.7) measured with the BS and 737 EU/m2 (1.9) measured with the EDC. Winter values were 0.52 EU/m3 (3.1) for BS and 538 EU/m2 (3.0) for EDCs. Seven day endotoxin values of EDCs were highly correlated with the 7-day BS sampling averages (r=0.70; p<0.001). Analysis of variance indicated a 2.4-fold increase in EDC endotoxin concentrations for each unit increase of the ratio of PM2.5 to PM2.5-10. There was also a significant correlation between BS and EDCs endotoxin concentrations for winter (r=0.67; p<0.05) and summer(r=0.75; p<0.05). Thus, EDCs sample comparable endotoxin concentrations to BS, making EDCs a feasible, easy to use alternative to BS for endotoxin sampling. PMID:26296624

Silibinin as a potential therapeutic for sulfur mustard injuries.

PubMed

Balszuweit, Frank; John, Harald; Schmidt, Annette; Kehe, Kai; Thiermann, Horst; Steinritz, Dirk

2013-12-05

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a vesicating chemical warfare agent causing skin blistering, ulceration, impaired wound healing, prolonged hospitalization and permanent lesions. Silibinin, the lead compound from Silybum marianum, has also been discussed as a potential antidote to SM poisoning. However, its efficacy has been demonstrated only with regard to nitrogen mustards. Moreover, there are no data on the efficacy of the water-soluble prodrug silibinin-bis-succinat (silibinin-BS). We investigated the effect of SIL-BS treatment against SM toxicity in HaCaT cells with regard to potential reduction of necrosis, apoptosis and inflammation including dose-dependency of any protective effects. We also demonstrated the biotransformation of the prodrug into free silibinin. HaCaT cells were exposed to SM (30, 100, and 300μM) for 30min and treated thereafter with SIL-BS (10, 50, and 100μM) for 24h. Necrosis and apoptosis were quantified using the ToxiLight BioAssay and the nucleosome ELISA (CDDE). Pro-inflammatory interleukins-6 and -8 were determined by ELISA. HaCaT cells, incubated with silibinin-BS were lysed and investigated by LC-ESI MS/MS. LC-ESI MS/MS results suggest that SIL-BS is absorbed by HaCaT cells and biotransformed into free silibinin. SIL-BS dose-dependently reduced SM cytotoxicity, even after 300μM exposure. Doses of 50-100μM silibinin-BS were required for significant protection. Apoptosis and interleukin production remained largely unchanged by 10-50μM silibinin-BS but increased after 100μM treatment. Observed reductions of SM cytotoxicity by post-exposure treatment with SIL-BS suggest this as a promising approach for treatment of SM injuries. While 100μM SIL-BS is most effective to reduce necrosis, 50μM may be safer to avoid pro-inflammatory effects. Pro-apoptotic effects after high doses of SIL-BS are in agreement with findings in literature and might even be useful to eliminate cells irreversibly damaged by SM. Further investigations will focus on the protective mechanism of silibinin and its prodrug and should establish an optimum concentration for treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relation between atrial septal defect shape, diameter, and area using three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography and balloon sizing during percutaneous closure in children.

PubMed

Hascoet, Sébastien; Hadeed, Khaled; Marchal, Pauline; Dulac, Yves; Alacoque, Xavier; Heitz, Francois; Acar, Philippe

2015-07-01

A trans-catheter closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD) is efficient. Balloon sizing (BS) during the catheterization leads to an overestimation of ASD size. Three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) allows the ASD morphology to be assessed comprehensively. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between the shape and the measurements of ASDs by 2D-, 3D-TEE, and BS in children. Thirty children who underwent percutaneous closures of a single ASD were enrolled. ASD diameters were measured by 2D-transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), 2D-TEE, 3D-TEE and compared with BS. The ASD area was measured on 3D-TEE images after multi-planar reconstruction. ASD was estimated as round or oval on 3D-TEE 'en-face' view. 2D-TTE, 2D-TEE, and 3D-TEE(max) ASD diameters were well correlated with BS (r = 0.75; 0.80, and 0.85, respectively). Mean diameters were all significantly smaller than the mean BS. The mean difference between the balloon area and 3D-TEE area was 1.6 ± 1.4 cm(2) (P < 0.0001). The mean difference between BS and 3D-TEE(max) diameters was higher in round ASDs than in oval ASDs (4.0 ± 3.3 vs. 1.1 ± 3.3, P = 0.02). With multivariate linear regression analysis, two formulas were built to predict BS. The first model was BS = 1.07 × 3D-TEE(max)- 3.1 × ASDshape + 3. The ASD shape was 0 for round and 1 for oval ASDs. A second model was BS = 4.5 × ASDarea + 11.5. The ASD shape is accurately estimated by 3D-TEE and influences the relationship between echocardiographic measurements and BS. The ASD shape, its maximal diameter and the area assessed by 3D-TEE may be sufficient to determine the device size without BS in children. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparative analyses of Xanthomonas and Xylella complete genomes.

PubMed

Moreira, Leandro M; De Souza, Robson F; Digiampietri, Luciano A; Da Silva, Ana C R; Setubal, João C

2005-01-01

Computational analyses of four bacterial genomes of the Xanthomonadaceae family reveal new unique genes that may be involved in adaptation, pathogenicity, and host specificity. The Xanthomonas genus presents 3636 unique genes distributed in 1470 families, while Xylella genus presents 1026 unique genes distributed in 375 families. Among Xanthomonas-specific genes, we highlight a large number of cell wall degrading enzymes, proteases, and iron receptors, a set of energy metabolism genes, second copy of the type II secretion system, type III secretion system, flagella and chemotactic machinery, and the xanthomonadin synthesis gene cluster. Important genes unique to the Xylella genus are an additional copy of a type IV pili gene cluster and the complete machinery of colicin V synthesis and secretion. Intersections of gene sets from both genera reveal a cluster of genes homologous to Salmonella's SPI-7 island in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri and Xylella fastidiosa 9a5c, which might be involved in host specificity. Each genome also presents important unique genes, such as an HMS cluster, the kdgT gene, and O-antigen in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri; a number of avrBS genes and a distinct O-antigen in Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris, a type I restriction-modification system and a nickase gene in Xylella fastidiosa 9a5c, and a type II restriction-modification system and two genes related to peptidoglycan biosynthesis in Xylella fastidiosa temecula 1. All these differences imply a considerable number of gene gains and losses during the divergence of the four lineages, and are associated with structural genome modifications that may have a direct relation with the mode of transmission, adaptation to specific environments and pathogenicity of each organism.

Molecular and phenotypic analyses reveal the non-identity of the Phaeobacter gallaeciensis type strain deposits CIP 105210T and DSM 17395.

PubMed

Buddruhs, Nora; Pradella, Silke; Göker, Markus; Päuker, Orsola; Pukall, Rüdiger; Spröer, Cathrin; Schumann, Peter; Petersen, Jörn; Brinkhoff, Thorsten

2013-11-01

The marine genus Phaeobacter currently comprises six species, some of which were intensively studied mainly due to their ability to produce secondary metabolites. The type strain of the type species, Phaeobacter gallaeciensis BS107(T), has been deposited at several public culture collections worldwide. Based on differences in plasmid profiles, we detected that the alleged P. gallaeciensis type strains deposited at the Collection Institute Pasteur (CIP; Paris, France) as CIP 105210 and at the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ; Braunschweig, Germany) as DSM 17395 are not identical. To determine the identity of these strains, we conducted DNA-DNA hybridization, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analyses, as well as physiological experiments. Based on the detailed 16S rRNA gene reanalysis we showed that strain CIP 105210 most likely corresponds to the original P. gallaeciensis type strain BS107(T). In contrast, the Phaeobacter strain DSM 17395 exhibits a much closer affiliation to Phaeobacter inhibens DSM 16374(T) ( = T5(T)) and should thus be allocated to this species. The detection of the dissimilarity of strains CIP 105210(T) and DSM 17395 will influence future comparative studies within the genus Phaeobacter.

Molecular genetics of biosurfactant synthesis in microorganisms.

PubMed

Satpute, Surekha K; Bhuyan, Smita S; Pardesi, Karishma R; Mujumdar, Shilpa S; Dhakephalkar, Prashant K; Shete, Ashvini M; Chopade, Balu A

2010-01-01

Biosurfactant (BS)/bioemulsifier (BE) produced by varied microorganisms exemplify immense structural/functional diversity and consequently signify the involvement of particular molecular machinery in their biosynthesis. The present chapter aims to compile information on molecular genetics of BS/BE production in microorganisms. Polymer synthesis in Acinetobacter species is controlled by an intricate operon system and its further excretion being controlled by enzymes. Quorum sensing system (QSS) plays a fundamental role in rhamnolipid and surfactin synthesis. Depending upon the cell density, signal molecules (autoinducers) of regulatory pathways accomplish the biosynthesis of BS. The regulation of serrawettin production by Serratia is believed to be through non ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) encoded by QSS located on mobile transposon. This regulation is under positive as well as negative control of QSS operon products. In case of yeast and fungi, glycolipid precursor production is catalyzed by genes that encode enzyme cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. BS/BE production is dictated by genes present on the chromosomes. This chapter also gives a glimpse of recent biotechnological developments which helped to realize molecular genetics of BS/BE production in microorganisms. Hyper-producing recombinants as well as mutant strains have been constructed successfully to improve the yield and quality of BS/BE. Thus promising biotechnological advances have expanded the applicability of BS/BE in therapeutics, cosmetics, agriculture, food, beverages and bioremediation etc. In brief, our knowledge on genetics of BS/BE production in prokaryotes is extensive as compared to yeast and fungi. Meticulous and concerted study will lead to an understanding of the molecular phenomena in unexplored microbes. In addition to this, recent promising advances will facilitate in broadening applications of BS/BE to diverse fields. Over the decades, valuable information on molecular genetics of BS/BE has been generated and this strong foundation would facilitate application oriented output of the surfactant industry and broaden its use in diverse fields. To accomplish our objectives, interaction among experts from diverse fields likes microbiology, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics is indispensable.

Biofabricated Silver Nanoparticles Act as a Strong Fungicide against Bipolaris sorokiniana Causing Spot Blotch Disease in Wheat

PubMed Central

Singh, Akanksha; Keswani, Chetan; Naqvi, Alim H.; Singh, H. B.

2014-01-01

The present study is focused on the extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using culture supernatant of an agriculturally important bacterium, Serratia sp. BHU-S4 and demonstrates its effective application for the management of spot blotch disease in wheat. The biosynthesis of AgNPs by Serratia sp. BHU-S4 (denoted as bsAgNPs) was monitored by UV–visible spectrum that showed the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 410 nm, an important characteristic of AgNPs. Furthermore, the structural, morphological, elemental, functional and thermal characterization of bsAgNPs was carried out using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron and atomic microscopies, energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) spectrometer, FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), respectively. The bsAgNPs were spherical in shape with size range of ∼10 to 20 nm. The XRD and EDAX analysis confirmed successful biosynthesis and crystalline nature of AgNPs. The bsAgNPs exhibited strong antifungal activity against Bipolaris sorokiniana, the spot blotch pathogen of wheat. Interestingly, 2, 4 and 10 µg/ml concentrations of bsAgNPs accounted for complete inhibition of conidial germination, whereas in the absence of bsAgNPs, conidial germination was 100%. A detached leaf bioassay revealed prominent conidial germination on wheat leaves infected with B. sorokiniana conidial suspension alone, while the germination of conidia was totally inhibited when the leaves were treated with bsAgNPs. The results were further authenticated under green house conditions, where application of bsAgNPs significantly reduced B. sorokiniana infection in wheat plants. Histochemical staining revealed a significant role of bsAgNPs treatment in inducing lignin deposition in vascular bundles. In summary, our findings represent the efficient application of bsAgNPs in plant disease management, indicating the exciting possibilities of nanofungicide employing agriculturally important bacteria. PMID:24840186

Identification of calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK): A multi-functional gene family in Rafflesia cantleyi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amini, Safoora; Goh, Hoe-Han; Wan, Kiew-Lian

2016-11-01

Rafflesia, a parasitic plant that belongs to the Rafflesiaceae family, is notable for producing the largest flowers in the world. This study focused on identification of Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) due to their vital roles in plant growth and development, biotic and abiotic stress responses, and hormone signaling. RNA-seq data generated from three bud stages of Rafflesia cantleyi ie BS1, BS2, and BS3 and were assembled. Based on the BLAST searches of Rafflesia unique transcripts (UTs) to Arabidopsis TAIR database, a total of 14 unique transcripts (UTs) were identified as CDPK1 to CDPK5, CDPK7 to CDPK11, CDPK16, CDPK18, CDPK19, and CDPK28. These genes are expressed at all three bud stages of R. cantleyi with up-regulation pattern at BS1 vs. BS2 and BS2 vs. BS3. This result shows that the expression of CDPK gene family increases by developmental progress in Rafflesia in order to regulate biochemical and molecular changes at the cellular level in response to exposure to environmental changes. However, CDPKs functions in plants growth and defense process still need more experimental evidence to deeply understand their biological roles in R. cantleyi.

The right posterior bile duct anatomy of the donor is important in biliary complications of the recipients after living-donor liver transplantation.

PubMed

Jeon, Young Min; Lee, Kwang-Woong; Yi, Nam-Joon; Lee, Jeong Min; Hong, Geun; Choi, Youngrok; Park, Min-Soo; Kim, Hyeyoung; Suh, Kyung-Suk

2013-04-01

To evaluate the influence of the anatomy of the right posterior bile duct (RPBD) of the donor on biliary complications in the recipients after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using right hemi-liver grafts. During living-donor right hepatectomy, the RPBD was often exposed to the dissection plane. We hypothesized that biliary complications after anastomosis were increased in these cases because of potential injury to the RPBD. A total of 169 LDLTs using right hemi-liver grafts, with type I (typical) and type II (trifurcation) anatomy in conventional biliary classification, were retrospectively investigated. The patients were newly classified based on the confluence pattern of the RPBD. The patients were firstly divided into infraportal (IP, n = 12) and supraportal (SP, n = 157) types. SP type was subdivided into 3 groups: type A [ultrashort right bile duct (RBD), n = 20], type B (short RBD, n = 128), and type C (long RBD, n = 9). Type B was further subdivided into B-S (short caudal segment of the RPBD, n = 109) and B-L (long caudal segment of the RPBD, n = 19). The biliary complication rate was 0% in type IP and type C, 40% in type A, 17.6% in type B-S, and 52.6% in type B-L (P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, a new grouping of the RBD was a significant risk factor for biliary complications in LDLT. The anatomy of the RPBD of the donor influenced the biliary outcome in the recipients. A short RBD and a long caudal segment of the RPBD of the donor were significant risk factors for biliary complications in LDLT.

Adhesion of multimode adhesives to enamel and dentin after one year of water storage.

PubMed

Vermelho, Paulo Moreira; Reis, André Figueiredo; Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria Bovi; Giannini, Marcelo

2017-06-01

This study aimed to evaluate the ultramorphological characteristics of tooth-resin interfaces and the bond strength (BS) of multimode adhesive systems to enamel and dentin. Multimode adhesives (Scotchbond Universal (SBU) and All-Bond Universal) were tested in both self-etch and etch-and-rinse modes and compared to control groups (Optibond FL and Clearfil SE Bond (CSB)). Adhesives were applied to human molars and composite blocks were incrementally built up. Teeth were sectioned to obtain specimens for microtensile BS and TEM analysis. Specimens were tested after storage for either 24 h or 1 year. SEM analyses were performed to classify the failure pattern of beam specimens after BS testing. Etching increased the enamel BS of multimode adhesives; however, BS decreased after storage for 1 year. No significant differences in dentin BS were noted between multimode and control in either evaluation period. Storage for 1 year only reduced the dentin BS for SBU in self-etch mode. TEM analysis identified hybridization and interaction zones in dentin and enamel for all adhesives. Silver impregnation was detected on dentin-resin interfaces after storage of specimens for 1 year only with the SBU and CSB. Storage for 1 year reduced enamel BS when adhesives are applied on etched surface; however, BS of multimode adhesives did not differ from those of the control group. In dentin, no significant difference was noted between the multimode and control group adhesives, regardless of etching mode. In general, multimode adhesives showed similar behavior when compared to traditional adhesive techniques. Multimode adhesives are one-step self-etching adhesives that can also be used after enamel/dentin phosphoric acid etching, but each product may work better in specific conditions.

B.S. Chemists: Experience and prospects in a changing scientific and technical environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, T.; Burrelli, J.S.

1995-12-31

The men and women who hold a Bachelor`s degree in chemistry as their highest academic degree are an important for chemistry as their highest academic degree are an important for chemistry and science generally. {open_quotes}BS chemists{close_quotes} are the pool of U.S. residents from which future chemistry Ph.D.s (80 percent of them) and MDs (9 percent of the 1990 medical school class) are recruited and the basic pool of scientific and technical manpower for chemical and related industries. BS chemists are the most heterogeneous of all chemist groups and the most mobile: even at graduation, two-thirds of them intend to bemore » something else -- a Ph.D., MD, MBA, etc. -- in the near future. The mobility of many BS chemists is more to other careers, and hence the diffusion of chemical knowledge throughout the occupational spectrum, is primarily an outflow of BS holders utilizing their scientific training in other fields. This talk describes the past and present circumstances of BS chemists and makes some forecasts about these people about these people and those who will be the graduate of four-year chemistry programs in the future. A number of private and federal agencies collect data on chemists, but to chart the situation of the BS graduate, this paper draws on data sets maintained by the National Science Foundation and the National Research Council, both on BS and, for comparison, Ph.D. holders. For clarity, this analysis will not deal with the situation of MS chemists who, on most indicators fall as intuition would tell us, between the BS and Ph.D. groups. We also draw heavily on ACS Comprehensive Member Surveys and the Starting Salary Surveys of new graduates so identified by their academic departments.« less

The use of the Bethesda terminology in thyroid fine-needle aspiration results in a lower rate of surgery for nonmalignant nodules: a report from a reference center in Turkey.

PubMed

Ozluk, Yasemin; Pehlivan, Esmehan; Gulluoglu, Mine G; Poyanli, Arzu; Salmaslioglu, Artur; Colak, Nese; Kapran, Yersu; Yilmazbayhan, Dilek

2011-12-01

The Bethesda system (BS) for reporting thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA), which classifies nodules as nondiagnostic (ND), benign (B), atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS), suspicious for follicular neoplasm (SFN/FN), suspicious for malignancy (SFM), or malignant (M), uses clinically valuable management guidelines. The authors employed a similar in-house classification system (IS) for thyroid FNAs, using the categories of ND, B, suspicious follicular cells (SFC), follicular lesion/neoplasm (FL/FN), SFM, and M. The authors compared IS and BS, and assessed the utility of BS in clinical practice. A total of 581 nodules with cytological/histological follow-up were examined and indeterminate lesions by BS were reclassified. The sensitivity and specificity for malignancy using IS were similar to that of BS (77% vs 99%). However, when SFN/FN and SFM were both considered positive, the results for IS and BS were as follows: sensitivity, 85% versus 85%; specificity, 87% versus 94%; and diagnostic accuracy, 86% versus 90%, respectively. Discrepancies between cytological and histological data were evident in 35 cases among all categories of BS except AUS/FLUS. The rate of surgery for nonmalignant nodules was lesser (20% vs 9%) by BS. Among 34 AUS/FLUS cases with follow-up data, hypocellularity was the case in 11 (46%) nonneoplastic and 10 (100%) neoplastic nodules. The use of BS results in a lower rate of surgery for nonmalignant nodules even though patients with borderline cytopathologic features are still encountered. AUS/FLUS category can be separated into subgroups according to the factors causing difficulties in the interpretation. There is a need of accumulation of AUS/FLUS cases to do further evaluations and studies.

Preventing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 by attenuating inflammation and mitochondrial injury and improving gut environment in obese mice.

PubMed

Xin, Jinge; Zeng, Dong; Wang, Hesong; Ni, Xueqin; Yi, Dan; Pan, Kangcheng; Jing, Bo

2014-08-01

The increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide is associated with a parallel increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To investigate the effect of Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 on NAFLD, 120 male ICR mice were randomly divided into four groups and administrated with BS15 (2 × 10(7) cfu/0.2 mL or 2 × 10(8) cfu/0.2 mL) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) throughout a 17-week experimental period. The mice were fed with normal chow diet (NCD) 5 weeks before the experimental period. Afterward, with the exception of the PBS group, NCD was changed into high-fat diet (HFD) for the remaining experimental period. Results showed that BS15-treated HFD mice were protected from hepatic steatosis and hepatocyte apoptosis. BS15 exhibited a positive effect on liver lipid peroxidation through an anti-oxidative stress activity by enhancing the liver antioxidant defense system. In addition, BS15 inhibited the insulin resistance; decreased the mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, fatty acid synthase, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ; and increased the expression of the fasting-induced adipose factor in livers. Meanwhile, BS15 attenuated mitochondria abnormalities when the content of uncoupling protein-2 decreased and cytochrome c increased in NAFLD mice. BS15 also reduced the level of serum lipopolysaccharide in NAFLD mice by lowering the intestinal permeability and adjusting gut flora, followed by the downregulation of the TNFα mRNA level in liver and the serum level of C-reactive protein. These findings suggest that BS15 may be effective in preventing NAFLD induced by HFD.

First observation of the decay Bs0-->Ds-Ds+ and measurement of its branching ratio.

PubMed

Aaltonen, T; Adelman, J; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Alvarez González, B; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Aoki, M; Apollinari, G; Apresyan, A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Beauchemin, P-H; Bedeschi, F; Bednar, P; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bizjak, I; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bridgeman, A; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Buzatu, A; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cooper, B; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Crescioli, F; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Dagenhart, D; Datta, M; Davies, T; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lentdecker, G; De Lorenzo, G; Dell'Orso, M; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; De Pedis, D; Derwent, P F; Di Giovanni, G P; Dionisi, C; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; D'Onofrio, M; Donati, S; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Efron, J; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Ferrazza, C; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Forrest, R; Forrester, S; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garberson, F; Garcia, J E; Garfinkel, A F; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Giagu, S; Giakoumopolou, V; Giannetti, P; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Hamilton, A; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, D; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Hays, C; Heck, M; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hewamanage, S; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; Iyutin, B; James, E; Jayatilaka, B; Jeans, D; Jeon, E J; Jindariani, S; Johnson, W; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kar, D; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kephart, R; Kerzel, U; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Klute, M; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Koay, S A; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kraus, J; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kubo, T; Kuhlmann, S E; Kuhr, T; Kulkarni, N P; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lai, S; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; Lecompte, T; Lee, J; Lee, J; Lee, Y J; Lee, S W; Lefèvre, R; Leonardo, N; Leone, S; Levy, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C; Lin, C S; Linacre, J; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Lovas, L; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lueck, J; Luci, C; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; Macqueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, M; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Martínez-Ballarín, R; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Masubuchi, T; Mattson, M E; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzemer, S; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Messina, A; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miles, J; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyake, H; Moed, S; Moggi, N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Nagano, A; Naganoma, J; Nakamura, K; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nodulman, L; Norman, M; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Oldeman, R; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagan Griso, S; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Papaikonomou, A; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ramakrishnan, V; Ranjan, N; Redondo, I; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Roy, P; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Saltó, O; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M A; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfyria, A; Shalhout, S Z; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spinella, F; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sun, H; Suslov, I; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thompson, G A; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tu, Y; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Uozumi, S; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, M; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vogel, M; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner-Kuhr, J; Wagner, W; Wakisaka, T; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, T; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zhang, X; Zheng, Y; Zucchelli, S

2008-01-18

We report the observation of the exclusive decay Bs0-->Ds-Ds+ at the 7.5 standard deviation level using 355 pb(-1) of data collected by the CDF II detector in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron. We measure the relative branching ratio B(Bs0-->Ds-Ds+)/B(B0-->D-Ds+)=1.44(-0.44)(+0.48). Using the world average value for B(B0-->D-Ds+), we find B(Bs0-->Ds-Ds+)=(9.4(-4.2)(+4.4))x10(-3). This provides a lower bound DeltaGammasCP/Gammas>or=2B(Bs0-->Ds-Ds+)>1.2x10(-2) at 95% C.L.

Probing new physics via the B(s)0→μ(+)μ- effective lifetime.

PubMed

De Bruyn, Kristof; Fleischer, Robert; Knegjens, Robert; Koppenburg, Patrick; Merk, Marcel; Pellegrino, Antonio; Tuning, Niels

2012-07-27

We have recently seen new upper bounds for B(s)(0)→μ(+)μ(-), a key decay to search for physics beyond the standard model. Furthermore a nonvanishing decay width difference ΔΓ(s) of the B(s) system has been measured. We show that ΔΓ(s) affects the extraction of the B(s)(0)→μ(+)μ(-) branching ratio and the resulting constraints on the new physics parameter space and give formulas for including this effect. Moreover, we point out that ΔΓ(s) provides a new observable, the effective B(s)(0)→μ(+)μ(-) lifetime τ(μ(+)μ(-)), which offers a theoretically clean probe for new physics searches that is complementary to the branching ratio. Should the B(s)(0)→μ(+)μ(-) branching ratio agree with the standard model, the measurement of τ(μ(+)μ(-)), which appears feasible at upgrades of the Large Hadron Collider experiments, may still reveal large new physics effects.

Insertion of scFv into the hinge domain of full-length IgG1 monoclonal antibody results in tetravalent bispecific molecule with robust properties.

PubMed

Bezabeh, Binyam; Fleming, Ryan; Fazenbaker, Christine; Zhong, Haihong; Coffman, Karen; Yu, Xiang-Qing; Leow, Ching Ching; Gibson, Nerea; Wilson, Susan; Stover, C Kendall; Wu, Herren; Gao, Changshou; Dimasi, Nazzareno

By simultaneous binding two disease mediators, bispecific antibodies offer the opportunity to broaden the utility of antibody-based therapies. Herein, we describe the design and characterization of Bs4Ab, an innovative and generic bispecific tetravalent antibody platform. The Bs4Ab format comprises a full-length IgG1 monoclonal antibody with a scFv inserted into the hinge domain. The Bs4Ab design demonstrates robust manufacturability as evidenced by MEDI3902, which is currently in clinical development. To further demonstrate the applicability of the Bs4Ab technology, we describe the molecular engineering, biochemical, biophysical, and in vivo characterization of a bispecific tetravalent Bs4Ab that, by simultaneously binding vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-2, inhibits their function. We also demonstrate that the Bs4Ab platform allows Fc-engineering similar to that achieved with IgG1 antibodies, such as mutations to extend half-life or modulate effector functions.

Bs0 - Bbars0 oscillations as a new tool to explore CP violation in Ds± decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleischer, Robert; Vos, K. Keri

2017-07-01

CP violation in Bs0 - Bbars0 oscillations is expected at the 10-5 level in the Standard Model but could be enhanced by New Physics. Using Bs0 → Ds- ℓ+νℓ decays, LHCb has recently reported the new result (0.39 ± 0.33) ×10-2 of the corresponding observable asls. We point out that other current B decay data imply asls = (0.004 ± 0.075) ×10-2. In view of this strong constraint, we propose to use Bs0 → Ds- ℓ+νℓ and similar flavor-specific decays as a new tool to determine both the production asymmetry between Bs0 and Bbars0 mesons, and the CP asymmetry in the subsequent Ds± decays. The former serves as input for analyses of CP violation in Bs0 channels, with significant room for improvement, while the latter offers an exciting laboratory for New Physics.

Benevolent Sexism, Attitudes Toward Motherhood, and Reproductive Rights: A Multi-Study Longitudinal Examination of Abortion Attitudes.

PubMed

Huang, Yanshu; Davies, Paul G; Sibley, Chris G; Osborne, Danny

2016-07-01

Although Benevolent Sexism (BS)-an ideology that highly reveres women who conform to traditional gender roles-is cloaked in a superficially positive tone, being placed upon a pedestal is inherently restrictive. Accordingly, because the paternalistic beliefs associated with BS are based on the idealization of traditional gender roles (which include motherhood), BS should predict people's attitudes toward women's reproductive rights. Using data from a nationwide longitudinal panel study (N = 12,299), Study 1 showed that BS (but not Hostile Sexism) had cross-lagged effects on opposition to both elective and traumatic abortion. Study 2 (N = 309) extended these findings by showing that the relationship between BS and support for abortion was fully mediated by attitudes toward motherhood. These results highlight the pernicious nature of BS by demonstrating that the idealization of women-and motherhood, in particular-comes at a substantial cost (namely, the restriction of women's reproductive rights). © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

A Fast and Robust Beamspace Adaptive Beamformer for Medical Ultrasound Imaging.

PubMed

Mohades Deylami, Ali; Mohammadzadeh Asl, Babak

2017-06-01

Minimum variance beamformer (MVB) increases the resolution and contrast of medical ultrasound imaging compared with nonadaptive beamformers. These advantages come at the expense of high computational complexity that prevents this adaptive beamformer to be applied in a real-time imaging system. A new beamspace (BS) based on discrete cosine transform is proposed in which the medical ultrasound signals can be represented with less dimensions compared with the standard BS. This is because of symmetric beampattern of the beams in the proposed BS compared with the asymmetric ones in the standard BS. This lets us decrease the dimensions of data to two, so a high complex algorithm, such as the MVB, can be applied faster in this BS. The results indicated that by keeping only two beams, the MVB in the proposed BS provides very similar resolution and also better contrast compared with the standard MVB (SMVB) with only 0.44% of needed flops. Also, this beamformer is more robust against sound speed estimation errors than the SMVB.

Identification and Classification of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) Signals Used in Next Generation Wireless Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

advanced antenna systems AMC adaptive modulation and coding AWGN additive white Gaussian noise BPSK binary phase shift keying BS base station BTC ...QAM-16, and QAM-64, and coding types include convolutional coding (CC), convolutional turbo coding (CTC), block turbo coding ( BTC ), zero-terminating

Core–shell grain structures and ferroelectric properties of Na0.5K0.5NbO3–LiTaO3–BiScO3 piezoelectric ceramics

PubMed Central

Zhu, Fangyuan; Ward, Michael B.; Li, Jing-Feng; Milne, Steven J.

2015-01-01

Legislation arising from health and environmental concerns has intensified research into finding suitable alternatives to lead-based piezoceramics. Recently, solid solutions based on sodium potassium niobate (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) have become one of the globally-important lead-free counterparts, due to their favourable dielectric and piezoelectric properties. This data article provides information on the ferroelectric properties and core–shell grain structures for the system, (1−y)[(1−x)Na0.5K0.5NbO3 – xLiTaO3] – yBiScO3 (x=0–0.1, y=0.02, abbreviated as KNN–xLT–2BS). We show elemental analysis with aid of TEM spot-EDX to identify three-type grain-types in the KNN–LT–BS ternary system. Melting behaviour has been assessed using a tube furnace with build-in camera. Details for the ferroelectric properties and core–shell chemical segregation are illustrated. PMID:26217758

A Dubious Distinction? The BA versus the BS in Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfund, Rory A.; Norcross, John C.; Hailstorks, Robin; Aiken, Leona S.; Stamm, Karen E.; Christidis, Peggy

2016-01-01

Previous studies have documented small differences between the bachelor of arts (BA) and the bachelor of science (BS) psychology degrees in their general education core requirements, particularly mathematics and science courses. But are there differences between the BA and BS degrees within the psychology curriculum? Using data from the…

4Bs or Not 4Bs: Bricks, Bytes, Brains, and Bandwidth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treat, Tod

2011-01-01

The effective integration of planning to include bricks, bytes, brains, and bandwidth (the 4Bs) represents an opportunity for community colleges to extend their capacity as knowledge-intensive organizations, coupling knowledge, technology, and learning. Integration is important to ensure that the interplay among organizations, agents within them,…

Broadband infrared beam splitter for spaceborne interferometric infrared sounder.

PubMed

Yu, Tianyan; Liu, Dingquan; Qin, Yang

2014-10-01

A broadband infrared beam splitter (BS) on ZnSe substrate used for the spaceborne interferometric infrared sounder (SIIRS) is studied in the spectral range of 4.44-15 μm. Both broadband antireflection coating and broadband beam-splitter coating in this BS are designed and tested. To optimize the optical properties and the stability of the BS, suitable infrared materials were selected, and improved deposition techniques were applied. The designed structures matched experimental data well, and the properties of the BS met the application specification of SIIRS.

Obtaining edaphic biostimulants/biofertilizers from sewage sludge using fermentative processes. Short-time effects on soil biochemical properties.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Morgado, Bruno; Caballero, Pablo; Paneque, Patricia; Gómez, Isidoro; Parrado, Juan; Tejada, Manuel

2017-10-28

In this manuscript, we study the manufacture and effect on soils of different edaphic biostimulants/biofertilizers (BS) obtained from sewage sludge using Bacillus licheniformis as biological tool. These BS consist of different combinations of organic matter, bacteria and enzymes that were subjected to several treatments. These BS were applied in soil in order to observe their influence on the biochemical properties (enzymatic activities and ergosterol content). Dehydrogenase, urease, β-glucosidase, phosphatase activities and ergosterol content were measured at different incubation days. Only dehydrogenase activity and ergosterol content were significantly stimulated after the application of BS1 and BS4. Rest of the extracellular activities were not stimulated probably because B. licheniformis practically has digested all organic substrates during fermentation process.

Measurement of the CP-violating phase ϕ(s) in the decay B(s)(0) → J/ψϕ.

PubMed

Aaij, R; Abellan Beteta, C; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Adrover, C; Affolder, A; Ajaltouni, Z; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves, A A; Amato, S; Amhis, Y; Anderson, J; Appleby, R B; Aquines Gutierrez, O; Archilli, F; Arrabito, L; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Bailey, D S; Balagura, V; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Bates, A; Bauer, C; Bauer, Th; Bay, A; Bediaga, I; Belogurov, S; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Benayoun, M; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Benton, J; Bernet, R; Bettler, M-O; van Beuzekom, M; Bien, A; Bifani, S; Bird, T; Bizzeti, A; Bjørnstad, P M; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blanks, C; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bobrov, A; Bocci, V; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Borghi, S; Borgia, A; Bowcock, T J V; Bozzi, C; Brambach, T; van den Brand, J; Bressieux, J; Brett, D; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brook, N H; Brown, H; Büchler-Germann, A; Burducea, I; Bursche, A; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Callot, O; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Camboni, A; Campana, P; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Cattaneo, M; Cauet, Ch; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chiapolini, N; Ciba, K; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coca, C; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Constantin, F; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coombes, M; Corti, G; Cowan, G A; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; David, P; David, P N Y; De Bonis, I; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Lorenzi, F; De Miranda, J M; De Paula, L; De Simone, P; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Degaudenzi, H; Del Buono, L; Deplano, C; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Dickens, J; Dijkstra, H; Diniz Batista, P; Bonal, F; Domingo Donleavy, S; Dordei, F; Dosil Suárez, A; Dossett, D; Dovbnya, A; Dupertuis, F; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Easo, S; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; van Eijk, D; Eisele, F; Eisenhardt, S; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; Elsasser, Ch; Elsby, D; Esperante Pereira, D; Estève, L; Falabella, A; Fanchini, E; Färber, C; Fardell, G; Farinelli, C; Farry, S; Fave, V; Fernandez Albor, V; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fitzpatrick, C; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forty, R; Frank, M; Frei, C; Frosini, M; Furcas, S; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; Garnier, J-C; Garofoli, J; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Gascon, D; Gaspar, C; Gauvin, N; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gibson, V; Gligorov, V V; Göbel, C; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gordon, H; Grabalosa Gándara, M; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Greening, E; Gregson, S; Gui, B; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hampson, T; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harji, R; Harnew, N; Harrison, J; Harrison, P F; Hartmann, T; He, J; Heijne, V; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Hernando Morata, J A; van Herwijnen, E; Hicks, E; Holubyev, K; Hopchev, P; Hulsbergen, W; Hunt, P; Huse, T; Huston, R S; Hutchcroft, D; Hynds, D; Iakovenko, V; Ilten, P; Imong, J; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jahjah Hussein, M; Jans, E; Jansen, F; Jaton, P; Jean-Marie, B; Jing, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Jost, B; Kaballo, M; Kandybei, S; Karacson, M; Karbach, T M; Keaveney, J; Kenyon, I R; Kerzel, U; Ketel, T; Keune, A; Khanji, B; Kim, Y M; Knecht, M; Koppenburg, P; Kozlinskiy, A; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krocker, G; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Kruzelecki, K; Kucharczyk, M; Kvaratskheliya, T; La Thi, V N; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lambert, D; Lambert, R W; Lanciotti, E; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Lees, J-P; Lefèvre, R; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Leroy, O; Lesiak, T; Li, L; Li Gioi, L; Lieng, M; Liles, M; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Liu, B; Liu, G; von Loeben, J; Lopes, J H; Lopez Asamar, E; Lopez-March, N; Lu, H; Luisier, J; Mac Raighne, A; Machefert, F; Machikhiliyan, I V; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Magnin, J; Malde, S; Mamunur, R M D; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Mangiafave, N; Marconi, U; Märki, R; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martens, A; Martin, L; Martín Sánchez, A; Martinez Santos, D; Massafferri, A; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Matveev, M; Maurice, E; Maynard, B; Mazurov, A; McGregor, G; McNulty, R; Meissner, M; Merk, M; Merkel, J; Messi, R; Miglioranzi, S; Milanes, D A; Minard, M-N; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monteil, S; Moran, D; Morawski, P; Mountain, R; Mous, I; Muheim, F; Müller, K; Muresan, R; Muryn, B; Muster, B; Musy, M; Mylroie-Smith, J; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nasteva, I; Nedos, M; Needham, M; Neufeld, N; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nicol, M; Niess, V; Nikitin, N; Nomerotski, A; Novoselov, A; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Oggero, S; Ogilvy, S; Okhrimenko, O; Oldeman, R; Orlandea, M; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Owen, P; Pal, K; Palacios, J; Palano, A; Palutan, M; Panman, J; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Parkes, C; Parkinson, C J; Passaleva, G; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Paterson, S K; Patrick, G N; Patrignani, C; Pavel-Nicorescu, C; Pazos Alvarez, A; Pellegrino, A; Penso, G; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perego, D L; Perez Trigo, E; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A; Perret, P; Perrin-Terrin, M; Pessina, G; Petrella, A; Petrolini, A; Phan, A; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pie Valls, B; Pietrzyk, B; Pilař, T; Pinci, D; Plackett, R; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Polok, G; Poluektov, A; Polycarpo, E; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Potterat, C; Powell, A; Prisciandaro, J; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Qian, W; Rademacker, J H; Rakotomiaramanana, B; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Raven, G; Redford, S; Reid, M M; dos Reis, A C; Ricciardi, S; Rinnert, K; Roa Romero, D A; Robbe, P; Rodrigues, E; Rodrigues, F; Rodriguez Perez, P; Rogers, G J; Roiser, S; Romanovsky, V; Rosello, M; Rouvinet, J; Ruf, T; Ruiz, H; Sabatino, G; Saborido Silva, J J; Sagidova, N; Sail, P; Saitta, B; Salzmann, C; Sannino, M; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santinelli, R; Santovetti, E; Sapunov, M; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Savrie, M; Savrina, D; Schaack, P; Schiller, M; Schleich, S; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schune, M-H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Seco, M; Semennikov, A; Senderowska, K; Sepp, I; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shatalov, P; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, O; Shevchenko, V; Shires, A; Silva Coutinho, R; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, A C; Smith, N A; Smith, E; Sobczak, K; Soler, F J P; Solomin, A; Soomro, F; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Sparkes, A; Spradlin, P; Stagni, F; Stahl, S; Steinkamp, O; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Subbiah, V K; Swientek, S; Szczekowski, M; Szczypka, P; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Teodorescu, E; Teubert, F; Thomas, C; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Topp-Joergensen, S; Torr, N; Tournefier, E; Tran, M T; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tuning, N; Ubeda Garcia, M; Ukleja, A; Urquijo, P; Uwer, U; Vagnoni, V; Valenti, G; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vecchi, S; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Viaud, B; Videau, I; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Visniakov, J; Vollhardt, A; Volyanskyy, D; Voong, D; Vorobyev, A; Voss, H; Wandernoth, S; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Watson, N K; Webber, A D; Websdale, D; Whitehead, M; Wiedner, D; Wiggers, L; Wilkinson, G; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Wilson, F F; Wishahi, J; Witek, M; Witzeling, W; Wotton, S A; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, F; Xing, Z; Yang, Z; Young, R; Yushchenko, O; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, F; Zhang, L; Zhang, W C; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zhong, L; Zverev, E; Zvyagin, A

2012-03-09

We present a measurement of the time-dependent CP-violating asymmetry in B(s)(0) → J/ψϕ decays, using data collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The decay time distribution of B(s)(0) → J/ψϕ is characterized by the decay widths Γ(H) and Γ(L) of the heavy and light mass eigenstates, respectively, of the B(s)(0) - B(s)(0) system and by a CP-violating phase ϕ(s). In a sample of about 8500 B(s)(0) → J/ψϕ events isolated from 0.37  fb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 7  TeV, we measure ϕ(s) = 0.15 ± 0.18(stat) ± 0.06(syst)  rad. We also find an average B(s)(0) decay width Γ(s) ≡ (Γ(L) + Γ(H))/2 = 0.657 ± 0.009(stat) ± 0.008(syst)  ps(-1) and a decay width difference ΔΓ(s) ≡ Γ(L) - Γ(H) = 0.123 ± 0.029(stat) ± 0.011(syst)  ps(-1). Our measurement is insensitive to the transformation (ϕ(s),ΔΓ(s)) ↦ (π - ϕ(s), -ΔΓ(s)).

Spectroscopy, decay properties and Regge trajectories of the B and Bs mesons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kher, Virendrasinh; Devlani, Nayneshkumar; Rai, Ajay Kumar

2017-09-01

A Gaussian wave function is used for detailed study of the mass spectra of the B and BS mesons using a Cornell potential incorporated with a 𝒪(1/m) correction in the potential energy term and expansion of the kinetic energy term up to 𝒪(p10) for relativistic correction of the Hamiltonian. The predicted excited states for the B and Bs mesons are in very good agreement with results obtained by experiment. We assign B2(5747) and Bs2(5840) as the 13P2 state, B1(5721) and Bs1(5830) as the 1P1 state, B0(5732) as the 13P0 state, Bs1(5850) as the state and B(5970) as the 23S1 state. We investigate the Regge trajectories in the (J,M2) and (nr,M2) planes with their corresponding parameters. The branching ratios for leptonic and radiative-leptonic decays are estimated for the B and BS mesons. Our results are in good agreement with experimental observations as well as outcomes of other theoretical models. A. K. Rai acknowledges the financial support extended by the Department of Science of Technology, India under SERB fast track scheme SR/FTP /PS-152/2012

A critical Examination of the Phenomenon of Bonding Area - Bonding Strength Interplay in Powder Tableting.

PubMed

Osei-Yeboah, Frederick; Chang, Shao-Yu; Sun, Changquan Calvin

2016-05-01

Although the bonding area (BA) and bonding strength (BS) interplay is used to explain complex tableting behaviors, it has never been experimentally proven. The purpose of this study is to unambiguously establish the distinct contributions of each by decoupling the contributions from BA and BS. To modulate BA, a Soluplus® powder was compressed into tablets at different temperatures and then broken following equilibration at 25°C. To modulate BS, tablets were equilibrated at different temperatures. To simultaneously modulate BA and BS, both powder compression and tablet breaking test were carried out at different temperatures. Lower tablet tensile strength is observed when the powder is compressed at a lower temperature but broken at 25°C. This is consistent with the increased resistance to polymer deformation at lower temperatures. When equilibrated at different temperatures, the tensile strength of tablets prepared under identical conditions increases with decreasing storage temperature, indicating that BS is higher at a lower temperature. When powder compression and tablet breaking are carried out at the same temperature, the profile with a maximum tensile strength at 4°C is observed due to the BA-BS interplay. By systematically varying temperature during tablet compression and breaking, we have experimentally demonstrated the phenomenon of BA-BS interplay in tableting.

Universal model of bias-stress-induced instability in inkjet-printed carbon nanotube networks field-effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Haesun; Choi, Sungju; Jang, Jun Tae; Yoon, Jinsu; Lee, Juhee; Lee, Yongwoo; Rhee, Jihyun; Ahn, Geumho; Yu, Hye Ri; Kim, Dong Myong; Choi, Sung-Jin; Kim, Dae Hwan

2018-02-01

We propose a universal model for bias-stress (BS)-induced instability in the inkjet-printed carbon nanotube (CNT) networks used in field-effect transistors (FETs). By combining two experimental methods, i.e., a comparison between air and vacuum BS tests and interface trap extraction, BS instability is explained regardless of either the BS polarity or ambient condition, using a single platform constituted by four key factors: OH- adsorption/desorption followed by a change in carrier concentration, electron concentration in CNT channel corroborated with H2O/O2 molecules in ambient, charge trapping/detrapping, and interface trap generation. Under negative BS (NBS), the negative threshold voltage shift (ΔVT) is dominated by OH- desorption, which is followed by hole trapping in the interface and/or gate insulator. Under positive BS (PBS), the positive ΔVT is dominated by OH- adsorption, which is followed by electron trapping in the interface and/or gate insulator. This instability is compensated by interface trap extraction; PBS instability is slightly more complicated than NBS instability. Furthermore, our model is verified using device simulation, which gives insights on how much each mechanism contributes to BS instability. Our result is potentially useful for the design of highly stable CNT-based flexible circuits in the Internet of Things wearable healthcare era.

Bundle sheath lignification mediates the linkage of leaf hydraulics and venation.

PubMed

Ohtsuka, Akihiro; Sack, Lawren; Taneda, Haruhiko

2018-02-01

The lignification of the leaf vein bundle sheath (BS) has been observed in many species and would reduce conductance from xylem to mesophyll. We hypothesized that lignification of the BS in lower-order veins would provide benefits for water delivery through the vein hierarchy but that the lignification of higher-order veins would limit transport capacity from xylem to mesophyll and leaf hydraulic conductance (K leaf ). We further hypothesized that BS lignification would mediate the relationship of K leaf to vein length per area. We analysed the dependence of K leaf , and its light response, on the lignification of the BS across vein orders for 11 angiosperm tree species. Eight of 11 species had lignin deposits in the BS of the midrib, and two species additionally only in their secondary veins, and for six species up to their minor veins. Species with lignification of minor veins had a lower hydraulic conductance of xylem and outside-xylem pathways and lower K leaf . K leaf could be strongly predicted by vein length per area and highest lignified vein order (R 2  = .69). The light-response of K leaf was statistically independent of BS lignification. The lignification of the BS is an important determinant of species variation in leaf and thus whole plant water transport. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparative Evaluation of the Implementation of the Deficit Reduction Act within the Department of Defense.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

critical pieces o Con dressionSal le islat ion crece- in- thie Deficit e u A c t, i wci o c u se o n thie efforts of Con ;res3 to sr control over federal...personnel turnover thiat cz 50,- iii .~ areas -,er six -.:onthi -eriod. .ost of t.i2 critical andt -,anual Jo.bs are h.el.d )y personnel in ~. Jra Jes wno...lsz u Per: orm a critical f o"Ition of cort ification of o~ :.tr 1’. or 3,erv~c; are nba -nr~ ZJ tircirtific~tib1 1 -t or not, or cw ,-r n r r L) all

Information literacy skills of occupational therapy graduates: promoting evidence-based practice in the MOT curriculum.

PubMed

Powell, Carol A; Case-Smith, Jane

2010-10-01

Are Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) graduates more successful than BS graduates in accessing and analyzing research literature? This retrospective cohort study used a survey sent to Ohio State University MOT graduates, asking why they need information for their practice, what types of information they seek, and how they search for and use it. Results suggest that the MOT program has fostered higher-level skills than did the BS program in independent writing, a greater focus on evidence-based practice, and the use of bibliographic databases. The MOT graduates report high confidence in their ability to apply research to practice and high satisfaction with the lifelong learning skills they learned. The survey findings support the importance of collaboration between Occupational Therapy faculty and medical librarians in developing MOT educational programs.

Improving thermal and detergent stability of Bacillus stearothermophilus neopullulanase by rational enzyme design.

PubMed

Ece, Selin; Evran, Serap; Janda, Jan-Oliver; Merkl, Rainer; Sterner, Reinhard

2015-06-01

Neopullulanase, a glycosyl hydrolase from Bacillus stearothermophilus (bsNpl), is a potentially valuable enzyme for starch and detergent industries. However, as the protein is not active at elevated temperatures and high surfactant concentrations, we aimed to increase its stability by rational enzyme design. Nine potentially destabilizing cavities were identified in the crystal structure of the enzyme. Based on computational predictions, these cavities were filled by residues with bulkier side chains. The five Asp46Glu, Val239Leu, Val404Leu, Ser407Thr and Ala566Leu exchanges resulted in a drastic stabilization of bsNpl against inactivation by heat and detergents. The catalytic activity of the variants was identical to the wild-type enzyme. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Path Loss Prediction Formula in Urban Area for the Fourth-Generation Mobile Communication Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitao, Koshiro; Ichitsubo, Shinichi

A site-general type prediction formula is created based on the measurement results in an urban area in Japan assuming that the prediction frequency range required for Fourth-Generation (4G) Mobile Communication Systems is from 3 to 6GHz, the distance range is 0.1 to 3km, and the base station (BS) height range is from 10 to 100m. Based on the measurement results, the path loss (dB) is found to be proportional to the logarithm of the distance (m), the logarithm of the BS height (m), and the logarithm of the frequency (GHz). Furthermore, we examine the extension of existing formulae such as the Okumura-Hata, Walfisch-Ikegami, and Sakagami formulae for 4G systems and propose a prediction formula based on the Extended Sakagami formula.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duenas, Maria Emilia; Klein, Adam T.; Alexander, Liza E.

Metabolism in plants is compartmentalized among different tissues, cells and subcellular organelles. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has recently advanced to allow for the visualization of metabolites at single-cell resolution. Here we applied 5- and 10 μm high spatial resolution MALDI-MSI to the asymmetric Kranz anatomy of Zea mays (maize) leaves to study the differential localization of two major anionic lipids in thylakoid membranes, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerols (PG). The quantification and localization of SQDG and PG molecular species, among mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells, are compared across the leaf developmental gradient frommore » four maize genotypes (the inbreds B73 and Mo17, and the reciprocal hybrids B73 × Mo17 and Mo17 × B73). SQDG species are uniformly distributed in both photosynthetic cell types, regardless of leaf development or genotype; however, PG shows photosynthetic cell-specific differential localization depending on the genotype and the fatty acyl chain constituent. Overall, 16:1-containing PGs primarily contribute to the thylakoid membranes of M cells, whereas BS chloroplasts are mostly composed of 16:0-containing PGs. Furthermore, PG 32:0 shows genotype-specific differences in cellular distribution, with preferential localization in BS cells for B73, but more uniform distribution between BS and M cells in Mo17. Maternal inheritance is exhibited within the hybrids, such that the localization of PG 32:0 in B73 × Mo17 is similar to the distribution in the B73 parental inbred, whereas that of Mo17 × B73 resembles the Mo17 parent. As a result, this study demonstrates the power of MALDI-MSI to reveal unprecedented insights on metabolic outcomes in multicellular organisms at single-cell resolution.« less

Sleeve Gastrectomy in Morbidly Obese HIV Patients: Focus on Anti-retroviral Treatment Absorption After Surgery.

PubMed

Amouyal, Chloé; Buyse, Marion; Lucas-Martini, Lea; Hirt, Déborah; Genser, Laurent; Torcivia, Adriana; Bouillot, Jean-Luc; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Aron-Wisnewsky, Judith

2018-05-20

Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) dramatically reduced AIDS development, thus enabling patients to live as long as the general population. New challenges have emerged particularly cardiometabolic diseases and weight gain, with some HIV patients seeking bariatric surgery (BS). However, BS outcomes during HIV remain poorly described, with scarce data on ART pharmacokinetic post-BS. Describing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) results in HIV patients in terms of ART pharmacokinetic, HIV control, weight loss, and metabolic outcomes. Prospective study of HIV patients undergoing SG in a referral academic center, with at least 6 months follow-up. Clinical and biological parameters, HIV medical history, and ART pharmacokinetics were gathered before and post-SG. Seventeen patients (mean BMI = 44.2 ± 5.7 kg m -2 ) and major obesity-related diseases (47% type-2 diabetes, 64% obstructive sleep apnea, 70% hypertension) underwent SG during a mean 2 years of follow-up. They displayed an average of 20% reduction of initial BMI and improved body composition, similarly to obese non-HIV patients. SG improved metabolic status. All patients had undetectable viral load before BS. Upon HIV follow-up, 12 patients had undetectable viral load with correct ART kinetic parameters (3 and 6 months); 4 displayed detectable viral load along with significant decrease in raltegravir and atazanavir treatment exposure, leading to ART change with subsequent undetectable viral load; and 1 had persistent detectable viral load despite ART change. SG seems effective and safe in obese HIV patients. However, ART treatment should be monitored post-SG to control HIV infection. We suggest that some ART should be adapted before SG conjoints with infectious disease specialists.

The effects of yellow soybean, black soybean, and sword bean on lipid levels and oxidative stress in ovariectomized rats.

PubMed

Byun, Jae Soon; Han, Young Sun; Lee, Sang Sun

2010-04-01

Soy isoflavones have been reported to decrease the risk of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. However, the effects of dietary consumption of soybean have not been explored. In this study, we evaluated the effects of consuming yellow soybeans, black soybeans (Glycine max), or sword beans (Canavalia gladiate) on lipid and oxidative stress levels in an ovariectomized rat model. Forty-seven nine-week-old female rats were ovariectomized, randomly divided into four groups, and fed one of the following diets for 10 weeks: a diet supplemented with casein (NC, n = 12), a diet supplemented with yellow soybean (YS, n = 12), a diet supplemented with black soybean (BS, n = 12), or a diet supplemented with sword bean (SB, n = 11). Plasma triglyceride (TG) levels in the BS and SB groups were significantly lower than that in the NC group. Notably, the BS group had significantly lower plasma total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels than the other groups. Hepatic total lipid levels were significantly lower in the YS and SB groups, and cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the SB group than in the NC group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly higher in the groups fed beans compared to the NC group. Hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were also significantly lower in the BS and SB groups than the NC group. In conclusion, our results suggest that consumption of various types of beans may inhibit oxidative stress in postmenopausal women by increasing antioxidant activity and improving lipid profiles. Notably, intake of black soybean resulted in the greatest improvement in risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

Behçet's syndrome: a critical digest of the 2014-2015 literature.

PubMed

Hatemi, Gulen; Seyahi, Emire; Fresko, Izzet; Talarico, Rosaria; Hamuryudan, Vedat

2015-01-01

Several studies were published last year which focused on the epidemiology, immunopathogenesis, genetics, clinical manifestations and management of Behçet's syndrome. Recent epidemiologic studies support the earlier contention that the frequency of BS increases from North to South in Europe, BS is rare in Sub-Saharan Africa, it follows a more severe course among young men, especially if the disease onset is at a young age and that in European countries, the frequency is higher among immigrants from BS prevalent countries compared to locals living in the same environment. The relationship between HLA-B51 and Behçet's was re-emphasised and a functional role affecting cellular cytotoxicity was proposed. Innate immunity was explored and TLR7 copy number variations and nucleic acid sensors of varying inflammasome pathways were studied. Vascular relapse risk is decreased when BS patients are treated with immunosuppressives with or without anti-coagulation rather than anti-coagulation alone. Although rare in the Far East, the clinical picture of the vascular involvement was quite similar to the previously published reports. Interestingly a female predominance among those with cerebral vein thrombosis was noted. Venous claudication is a frequent and severe symptom among BS patients with lower extremity DVT. Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with BS is usually associated with IVC thrombosis. Silent cases exist and have a better prognosis. The mortality rate among the patients symptomatic for liver disease remains high. Methotrexate seems to be effective in the treatment of chronic progressive neuro-Behçet's disease. Renal involvement is an uncommon disorder in BS. Suicidal thoughts are increased among BS patients with severe organ involvement. Work-related disability in BS is high and under-appreciated. Apremilast, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-4, was effective in a phase 2, double blind, placebo-controlled study. Adalimumab seems to be effective in severe uveitis of BS even after failure of infliximab. New cytokine inhibitors targeting IL-1 and IL-6 appear to be effective especially for uveitis and CNS involvement refractory to anti TNF agents.

Effects of fire and three fire-fighting chemicals on main soil properties, plant nutrient content and vegetation growth and cover after 10 years.

PubMed

Fernández-Fernández, M; Gómez-Rey, M X; González-Prieto, S J

2015-05-15

The study addresses a knowledge-gap in the long-term ecological consequences of fire and fire-fighting chemicals. Ten years after a prescribed fire and the application of three fire-fighting chemicals, their effects on the soil-plant system were evaluated. Five treatments were established: unburnt soils (US) and burnt soils treated with water alone (BS), foaming agent (BS+Fo), Firesorb (BS+Fi) and ammonium polyphosphate (BS+Ap). Soils (0-2 cm depth) and foliar material of shrubs (Erica umbellata, Pterospartum tridentatum and Ulex micranthus) and trees (Pinus pinaster) were analysed for total N, δ(15)N, and soil-available and plant total macronutrients and trace elements. Soil pH, NH₄(+)-N and NO₃(-)-N; pine basal diameter and height; and shrub cover and height were also measured. Compared with US plots, burnt soils had less nitrates and more Mo. Although differences were not always significant, BS+Ap had the highest levels of soil available P, Na and Al. Plants from BS+Ap plots had higher values of δ(15)N (P. pinaster and E. umbellata), P (all species), Na (P. tridentatum and U. micranthus) and Mg (E. umbellata and P. tridentatum) than other treatments; while K in plants from BS+Ap plots was the highest among treatments for P. pinaster and the lowest for the shrubs. Pines in US plots were higher and wider than in burnt treatments, except for BS+Ap, where the tallest and widest trees were found, although half of them were either dead (the second highest mortality after BS+Fi) or had a distorted trunk. BS+Ap was the treatment with strongest effects on plants, showing E. umbellata the lowest coverage and height, P. tridentatum the highest coverage, U. micranthus one of the lowest coverages and being the only treatment where Genista triacanthos was absent. Consequently, it is concluded that both fire and ammonium polyphosphate application had significant effects on the soil-plant system after 10 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antidepressant-like effect of Butea superba in mice exposed to chronic mild stress and its possible mechanism of action.

PubMed

Mizuki, Daishu; Matsumoto, Kinzo; Tanaka, Ken; Thi Le, Xoan; Fujiwara, Hironori; Ishikawa, Tsutomu; Higuchi, Yoshihiro

2014-10-28

Butea superba (BS) is a Thai medicinal plant that has been used as a folk medicine to improve physical and mental conditions and to prevent impaired sexual performance in middle-aged or elderly males. We have previously reported that this plant extract could improve cognitive deficits and depression-like behavior in olfactory bulbectomized mice, an animal model of dementia and depression. In this study we examined the effect of BS on depression-like behavior in mice subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) to clarify the antidepressant-like activity of BS and the molecular mechanism underlying this effect. UCMS mice were administered BS daily (300 mg of dried herb weight/kg, p.o.) or a reference drug, imipramine (IMP, 10 mg/kg, i.p.), 1 week after starting the UCMS procedure. We employed the sucrose preference test and the tail suspension test to analyze anhedonia and depression-like behavior of mice, respectively. Serum and brain tissues of mice were used for neurochemical and immunohistochemical studies. The UCMS procedure induced anhedonia and depression-like behavior, and BS treatment, as well as IMP treatment, attenuated these symptoms. UCMS caused an elevation of serum corticosterone level, an index of hyper-activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, in a manner attenuated by BS and IMP treatment. BS treatment also attenuated UCMS-induced decrease in the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA, cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) and a phosphorylated form of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit NR1, synaptic plasticity-related signaling proteins. Moreover, the UCMS procedure reduced doublecortin-positive cells in the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus. BS administration reversed these UCMS-induced neurochemical and histological abnormalities. These results suggest that BS can ameliorate chronic stress-induced depression-like symptoms and that the effects of BS are mediated by restoring dysfunctions of the HPA axis and synaptic plasticity-related signaling systems and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

CENTERA: A Centralized Trust-Based Efficient Routing Protocol with Authentication for Wireless Sensor Networks †

PubMed Central

Tajeddine, Ayman; Kayssi, Ayman; Chehab, Ali; Elhajj, Imad; Itani, Wassim

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present CENTERA, a CENtralized Trust-based Efficient Routing protocol with an appropriate authentication scheme for wireless sensor networks (WSN). CENTERA utilizes the more powerful base station (BS) to gather minimal neighbor trust information from nodes and calculate the best routes after isolating different types of “bad” nodes. By periodically accumulating these simple local observations and approximating the nodes' battery lives, the BS draws a global view of the network, calculates three quality metrics—maliciousness, cooperation, and compatibility—and evaluates the Data Trust and Forwarding Trust values of each node. Based on these metrics, the BS isolates “bad”, “misbehaving” or malicious nodes for a certain period, and put some nodes on probation. CENTERA increases the node's bad/probation level with repeated “bad” behavior, and decreases it otherwise. Then it uses a very efficient method to distribute the routing information to “good” nodes. Based on its target environment, and if required, CENTERA uses an authentication scheme suitable for severely constrained nodes, ranging from the symmetric RC5 for safe environments under close administration, to pairing-based cryptography (PBC) for hostile environments with a strong attacker model. We simulate CENTERA using TOSSIM and verify its correctness and show some energy calculations. PMID:25648712

CENTERA: a centralized trust-based efficient routing protocol with authentication for wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Tajeddine, Ayman; Kayssi, Ayman; Chehab, Ali; Elhajj, Imad; Itani, Wassim

2015-02-02

In this paper, we present CENTERA, a CENtralized Trust-based Efficient Routing protocol with an appropriate authentication scheme for wireless sensor networks (WSN). CENTERA utilizes the more powerful base station (BS) to gather minimal neighbor trust information from nodes and calculate the best routes after isolating different types of "bad" nodes. By periodically accumulating these simple local observations and approximating the nodes' battery lives, the BS draws a global view of the network, calculates three quality metrics-maliciousness, cooperation, and compatibility-and evaluates the Data Trust and Forwarding Trust values of each node. Based on these metrics, the BS isolates "bad", "misbehaving" or malicious nodes for a certain period, and put some nodes on probation. CENTERA increases the node's bad/probation level with repeated "bad" behavior, and decreases it otherwise. Then it uses a very efficient method to distribute the routing information to "good" nodes. Based on its target environment, and if required, CENTERA uses an authentication scheme suitable for severely constrained nodes, ranging from the symmetric RC5 for safe environments under close administration, to pairing-based cryptography (PBC) for hostile environments with a strong attacker model. We simulate CENTERA using TOSSIM and verify its correctness and show some energy calculations.

Accelerated degradation of PAHs using edaphic biostimulants obtained from sewage sludge and chicken feathers.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Morgado, Bruno; Gómez, Isidoro; Parrado, Juan; García, Carlos; Hernández, Teresa; Tejada, Manuel

2015-12-30

We studied in the laboratory the bioremediation effects over a 100-day period of three edaphic biostimulants (BS) obtained from sewage sludge (SS) and from two different types of chicken feathers (CF1 and CF2), in a soil polluted with three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (phenanthrene, Phe; pyrene, Py; and benzo(a)pyrene, BaP), at a concentration of 100 mg kg(-1) soil. We determined their effects on enzymatic activities and on soil microbial community. Those BS with larger amounts of proteins and a higher proportion of peptides (<300 daltons), exerted a greater stimulation on the soil biochemical properties and microbial community, possibly because low molecular weight proteins can be easily assimilated by soil microorganisms. The soil dehydrogenase, urease, β-glucosidase and phosphatase activities and microbial community decreased in PAH-polluted soil. This decrease was more pronounced in soils contaminated with BaP than with Py and Phe. The application of the BS to PAH-polluted soils decreased the inhibition of the soil biological properties, principally at 7 days into the experiment. This decrease was more pronounced in soils contaminated with BaP than with Py and Phe and was higher in polluted soils amended with CF2, followed by SS and CF1, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystal structural analysis of protein–protein interactions drastically destabilized by a single mutation

PubMed Central

Urakubo, Yoshiaki; Ikura, Teikichi; Ito, Nobutoshi

2008-01-01

The complex of barnase (bn) and barstar (bs), which has been widely studied as a model for quantitative analysis of protein–protein interactions, is significantly destabilized by a single mutation, namely, bs Asp39 → Ala, which corresponds to a change of 7.7 kcal·mol−1 in the free energy of binding. However, there has been no structural information available to explain such a drastic destabilization. In the present study, we determined the structure of the mutant complex at 1.58 Å resolution by X-ray crystallography. The complex was similar to the wild-type complex in terms of overall and interface structures; however, the hydrogen bond network mediated by water molecules at the interface was significantly different. Several water molecules filled the cavity created by the mutation and consequently caused rearrangement of the hydrated water molecules at the interface. The water molecules were redistributed into a channel-like structure that penetrated into the complex. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations showed that the mutation increased the mobility of water molecules at the interface. Since such a drastic change in hydration was not observed in other mutant complexes of bn and bs, the significant destabilization of the interaction may be due to this channel-like structure of hydrated water molecules. PMID:18441234

Tolerance to wood preservatives by copper-tolerant wood-rot fungi native to south-central Chile.

PubMed

Guillén, Yudith; Navias, David; Machuca, Angela

2009-02-01

Understanding the effect of heavy metals and wood preservatives on the growth of wood-rot fungi native to a certain region may improve reliability in determining the effectiveness of antifungal products, particularly when dealing with new formulations. In this investigation, strains of copper-tolerant wood-rot fungi native to south-central Chile were evaluated against two preservatives: commercial chromated copper arsenate type C (CCA-C) and a new formulation with boron and silicon (BS). Thirteen native strains, mainly white-rot fungi, were selected for their high growth rates in solid medium containing 3 mM of copper. A short-term test was then carried out, consisting of adding cellulose disks impregnated with different concentrations of preservatives to solid culture media inoculated with selected copper tolerant strains. There was a great variability in interspecific and intraspecific responses to the presence of copper and preservatives in culture media. Among the native and commercial strains evaluated, the white-rot fungi Trametes versicolor 38 and mainly Ganoderma australe 100 were notable for their tolerance to all the CCA-C and BS concentrations. The brown-rot fungus Wolfiporia cocos, used as reference strain, showed a high tolerance to CCA-C, but not to BS preservative. T. versicolor 38 and G. australe 100 were selected for subsequent studies on preserved wood degradation.

Shame, trauma, temperament and psychopathology: Construct validity of the Experience of Shame Scale.

PubMed

Vizin, Gabriella; Urbán, Róbert; Unoka, Zsolt

2016-12-30

Although Experience of Shame Scale (ESS) is used in clinical research and it covers psychiatrically relevant dimensions of chronic shame, characterological (CS), behavioral (BS) and bodily (BoS) respectively, its factor structures were not confirmed on clinical sample. The goals of our research were to examine the factor structure of the Hungarian version of ESS, in addition, to analyze the associations between factors of ESS and different types of predictors, such as clinical status, gender, age, school years, early abuse history, general psychopathology (GSI), and temperament dimensions by using a series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) with covariates in a large clinical and matched healthy sample. Psychiatric inpatients (N=148) and healthy control subjects (N=148) participated in this cross-sectional questionnaire study. In both samples, the degree of fit was adequate. The final CFA with covariates model showed significant and positive associations between CS and clinical status and education respectively, between CS, BS, BoS and frequency of verbal abuse, between CS and BoS and GSI and between CS and BS and harm avoidance and in addition we found negative associations between each of the shame factors and age. Our results support the psychiatric validity of the ESS construct. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical characterisation and long-term prognosis of women with Brugada syndrome.

PubMed

Sieira, Juan; Conte, Giulio; Ciconte, Giuseppe; de Asmundis, Carlo; Chierchia, Gian-Battista; Baltogiannis, Giannis; Di Giovanni, Giacomo; Saitoh, Yukio; Irfan, Ghazala; Casado-Arroyo, Ruben; Juliá, Justo; La Meir, Mark; Wellens, Francis; Wauters, Kristel; Pappaert, Gudrun; Brugada, Pedro

2016-03-01

Brugada syndrome (BS) in women is considered an infrequent condition with a more favourable prognosis than in men. Nevertheless, arrhythmic events and sudden cardiac death (SCD) also occur in this population. Long-term follow-up data of this group are sparse. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of women with BS. A consecutive cohort of 228 women presenting with spontaneous or drug-induced Brugada type I ECG at our institution were included and compared with 314 men with the same diagnosis. Mean age was 41.5±17.3 years. Clinical presentation was SCD in 6 (2.6%), syncope in 51 (22.4%) and the remaining 171 (75.0%) were asymptomatic. As compared with men, spontaneous type I ECG was less common (7.9% vs 23.2%, p<0.01) and less ventricular arrhythmias were induced during programmed electrical stimulation (5.5% vs 22.3%, p<0.01). An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was implanted in 64 women (28.1%). During a mean follow-up of 73.2±56.2 months, seven patients developed arrhythmic events, constituting an event rate of 0.7% per year (as compared with 1.9% per year in men, p=0.02). Presentation as SCD or sinus node dysfunction (SND) was risk factor significantly associated with arrhythmic events (hazard risk (HR) 25.4 and 9.1). BS is common in women, representing 42% of patients in our database. Clinical presentation is less severe than men, with more asymptomatic status and less spontaneous type I ECG and prognosis is more favourable, with an event rate of 0.7% year. However, women with SCD or previous SND are at higher risk of arrhythmic events. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Design and Characterization of a Peptide Mimotope of the HIV-1 gp120 Bridging Sheet

PubMed Central

Schiavone, Marco; Fiume, Giuseppe; Caivano, Antonella; de Laurentiis, Annamaria; Falcone, Cristina; Masci, Francesca Fasanella; Iaccino, Enrico; Mimmi, Selena; Palmieri, Camillo; Pisano, Antonio; Pontoriero, Marilena; Rossi, Annalisa; Scialdone, Annarita; Vecchio, Eleonora; Andreozzi, Concetta; Trovato, Maria; Rafay, Jan; Ferko, Boris; Montefiori, David; Lombardi, Angela; Morsica, Giulia; Poli, Guido; Quinto, Ileana; Pavone, Vincenzo; de Berardinis, Piergiuseppe; Scala, Giuseppe

2012-01-01

The Bridging Sheet domain of HIV-1 gp120 is highly conserved among the HIV-1 strains and allows HIV-1 binding to host cells via the HIV-1 coreceptors. Further, the bridging sheet domain is a major target to neutralize HIV-1 infection. We rationally designed four linear peptide epitopes that mimic the three-dimensional structure of bridging sheet by using molecular modeling. Chemically synthesized peptides BS3 and BS4 showed a fair degree of antigenicity when tested in ELISA with IgG purified from HIV+ broadly neutralizing sera while the production of synthetic peptides BS1 and BS2 failed due to their high degree of hydrophobicity. To overcome this limitation, we linked all four BS peptides to the COOH-terminus of GST protein to test both their antigenicity and immunogenicity. Only the BS1 peptide showed good antigenicity; however, no envelope specific antibodies were elicited upon mice immunization. Therefore we performed further analyses by linking BS1 peptide to the NH2-terminus of the E2 scaffold from the Geobacillus Stearothermophylus PDH complex. The E2-BS1 fusion peptide showed good antigenic results, however only one immunized rabbit elicited good antibody titers towards both the monomeric and oligomeric viral envelope glycoprotein (Env). In addition, moderate neutralizing antibodies response was elicited against two HIV-1 clade B and one clade C primary isolates. These preliminary data validate the peptide mimotope approach as a promising tool to obtain an effective HIV-1 vaccine. PMID:22754323

Chemopreventive effect of selenium and Chinese medicinal herbs on N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in Syrian hamsters.

PubMed

Lee, Chang-Yin; Hsu, Yi-Chao; Wang, Jir-You; Chen, Chien-Chih; Chiu, Jen-Hwey

2008-07-01

Oxidative DNA damage by reactive oxygen species is involved in the process of liver carcinogenesis. To test the hypothesis that a remedy containing Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Sb) and Bupleurum scorzonerifolfium Willd (Bs) (Sb/Bs remedy) modulates hepatic neoplastic growth, BOP (N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine)-induced liver cancers in hamsters were established. Parameters such as survival rate, tumour area, tumour foci, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), caspase-3, transforming growth factor (TGF-beta1) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured after Sb/Bs remedy treatment during BOP-induced carcinogenesis. The results showed that the Sb/Bs remedy and its constituents Sb and Bs suppressed the tumour area in BOP-induced liver tumours. Because selenium (Sel) is toxic at a high dose (10 mg/kg), with a low survival rate (0%), the combination of Sb/Bs remedy and low-dose Sel (1 mg/kg) was found to decrease the tumour area and the number of tumour foci while increasing serum TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1, but not IL-6 levels. Besides, the Sb/Bs remedy, when combined with low-dose Sel, not only decreased the expression of 8-OHdG and increased caspase-3 expression within the glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive tumour foci but also increased tumour apoptosis in BOP-induced hamsters. We conclude that low-dose Sel has a chemoprevention effect on BOP-induced liver tumours and such an effect was more enhanced when combined with Sb/Bs treatment.

Fab-based bispecific antibody formats with robust biophysical properties and biological activity.

PubMed

Wu, Xiufeng; Sereno, Arlene J; Huang, Flora; Lewis, Steven M; Lieu, Ricky L; Weldon, Caroline; Torres, Carina; Fine, Cody; Batt, Micheal A; Fitchett, Jonathan R; Glasebrook, Andrew L; Kuhlman, Brian; Demarest, Stephen J

2015-01-01

A myriad of innovative bispecific antibody (BsAb) platforms have been reported. Most require significant protein engineering to be viable from a development and manufacturing perspective. Single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) and diabodies that consist only of antibody variable domains have been used as building blocks for making BsAbs for decades. The drawback with Fv-only moieties is that they lack the native-like interactions with CH1/CL domains that make antibody Fab regions stable and soluble. Here, we utilize a redesigned Fab interface to explore 2 novel Fab-based BsAbs platforms. The redesigned Fab interface designs limit heavy and light chain mixing when 2 Fabs are co-expressed simultaneously, thus allowing the use of 2 different Fabs within a BsAb construct without the requirement of one or more scFvs. We describe the stability and activity of a HER2×HER2 IgG-Fab BsAb, and compare its biophysical and activity properties with those of an IgG-scFv that utilizes the variable domains of the same parental antibodies. We also generated an EGFR × CD3 tandem Fab protein with a similar format to a tandem scFv (otherwise known as a bispecific T cell engager or BiTE). We show that the Fab-based BsAbs have superior biophysical properties compared to the scFv-based BsAbs. Additionally, the Fab-based BsAbs do not simply recapitulate the activity of their scFv counterparts, but are shown to possess unique biological activity.

Fab-based bispecific antibody formats with robust biophysical properties and biological activity

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiufeng; Sereno, Arlene J; Huang, Flora; Lewis, Steven M; Lieu, Ricky L; Weldon, Caroline; Torres, Carina; Fine, Cody; Batt, Micheal A; Fitchett, Jonathan R; Glasebrook, Andrew L; Kuhlman, Brian; Demarest, Stephen J

2015-01-01

A myriad of innovative bispecific antibody (BsAb) platforms have been reported. Most require significant protein engineering to be viable from a development and manufacturing perspective. Single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) and diabodies that consist only of antibody variable domains have been used as building blocks for making BsAbs for decades. The drawback with Fv-only moieties is that they lack the native-like interactions with CH1/CL domains that make antibody Fab regions stable and soluble. Here, we utilize a redesigned Fab interface to explore 2 novel Fab-based BsAbs platforms. The redesigned Fab interface designs limit heavy and light chain mixing when 2 Fabs are co-expressed simultaneously, thus allowing the use of 2 different Fabs within a BsAb construct without the requirement of one or more scFvs. We describe the stability and activity of a HER2×HER2 IgG-Fab BsAb, and compare its biophysical and activity properties with those of an IgG-scFv that utilizes the variable domains of the same parental antibodies. We also generated an EGFR × CD3 tandem Fab protein with a similar format to a tandem scFv (otherwise known as a bispecific T cell engager or BiTE). We show that the Fab-based BsAbs have superior biophysical properties compared to the scFv-based BsAbs. Additionally, the Fab-based BsAbs do not simply recapitulate the activity of their scFv counterparts, but are shown to possess unique biological activity. PMID:25774965

Electrostatic dust collectors compared to inhalable samplers for measuring endotoxin concentrations in farm homes.

PubMed

Kilburg-Basnyat, B; Peters, T M; Perry, S S; Thorne, P S

2016-10-01

Paired electrostatic dust collectors (EDCs) and daily, inhalable button samplers (BS) were used concurrently to sample endotoxin in 10 farm homes during 7-day periods in summer and winter. Winter sampling included an optical particle counter (OPC) to measure PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 . Electrostatic dust collectors and BS filters were analyzed for endotoxin using the kinetic chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. Optical particle counter particulate matter (PM) data were divided into two PM categories. In summer, geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) endotoxin concentrations were 0.82 EU/m(3) (2.7) measured with the BS and 737 EU/m(2) (1.9) measured with the EDC. Winter values were 0.52 EU/m(3) (3.1) for BS and 538 EU/m(2) (3.0) for EDCs. Seven-day endotoxin values of EDCs were highly correlated with the 7-day BS sampling averages (r = 0.70; P < 0.001). Analysis of variance indicated a 2.4-fold increase in EDC endotoxin concentrations for each unit increase of the ratio of PM2.5 to PM2.5-10 . There was also a significant correlation between BS and EDCs endotoxin concentrations for winter (r = 0.67; P < 0.05) and summer (r = 0.75; P < 0.05). Thus, EDCs sample comparable endotoxin concentrations to BS, making EDCs a feasible, easy to use alternative to BS for endotoxin sampling. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Glyphosate biodegradation and potential soil bioremediation by Bacillus subtilis strain Bs-15.

PubMed

Yu, X M; Yu, T; Yin, G H; Dong, Q L; An, M; Wang, H R; Ai, C X

2015-11-23

Glyphosate and glyphosate-containing herbicides have an adverse effect on mammals, humans, and soil microbial ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to develop methods for enhancing glyphosate degradation in soil through bioremediation. We investigated the potential of glyphosate degradation and bioremediation in soil by Bacillus subtilis Bs-15. Bs-15 grew well at high concentrations of glyphosate; the maximum concentration tolerated by Bs-15 reached 40,000 mg/L. The optimal conditions for bacterial growth and glyphosate degradation were less than 10,000 mg/L glyphosate, with a temperature of 35°C and a pH of 8.0. Optimal fermentation occurred at 180 rpm for 60 h with an inoculum ratio of 4%. Bs-15 degraded 17.65% (12 h) to 66.97% (96 h) of glyphosate in sterile soil and 19.01% (12 h) to 71.57% (96 h) in unsterilized soil. Using a BIOLOG ECO plate test, we observed no significant difference in average well color development values between the soil inoculated with Bs-15 and the control soil before 72 h, although there was a significant difference (P < 0.01) after 72 h. In the presence of Bs-15, the 5 functional diversity indices (Shannon index, Shannon uniformity, Simpson index, McIntosh index, and McIntosh uniformity) were greater (P < 0.01) compared with the control soil. These results indicate that Bs-15 could be used to alleviate contamination from glyphosate-containing herbicides, increasing the microbial functional diversity in glyphosate-contaminated soils and thus enhancing the bioremediation of glyphosate-contaminated soils.

The effect of bariatric surgery on direct-acting oral anticoagulant drug levels.

PubMed

Rottenstreich, Amihai; Barkai, Aviv; Arad, Ariela; Raccah, Bruria Hirsh; Kalish, Yosef

2018-03-01

To determine direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC) blood levels in post-bariatric surgery (BS) patients treated with long-term anticoagulation therapy. We identified from medical records patients who underwent BS during 2005-2016 and who were treated with DOACs. We offered testing DOAC blood levels to these patients and to age, sex, body mass index, and serum creatinine-matched individuals treated by DOACs who did not undergo BS. Overall, 36 individuals were enrolled, 18 post-BS patients and 18 control subjects. Of the post-BS patients, 12 underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, 4 laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and 2 laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Median time lapsed from surgery until study inclusion was 4.9years. Five post-BS patients had peak drug levels below expected levels compared to none of the control subjects (P=0.05). For patients who used apixaban (n=9) and dabigatran (n=2), peak drug levels were within the expected range. In contrast, for the 7 patients who used rivaroxaban, levels were below the expected range in 5, including all four who underwent sleeve gastrectomy and one following adjustable gastric banding. Peak rivaroxaban levels were significantly lower in the post-BS than the control group (P=0.02). This preliminary study suggests that all DOACs, particularly rivaroxaban, be cautiously used following BS, if used at all. Given that vitamin-K antagonists can be easily monitored, they may be a better choice, until more data on DOAC use in this patient population are available. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preventing subclinical necrotic enteritis through Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 by ameliorating lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Qing, Xiaodan; Zeng, Dong; Wang, Hesong; Ni, Xueqin; Liu, Lei; Lai, Jing; Khalique, Abdul; Pan, Kangcheng; Jing, Bo

2017-12-01

Increasing studies have focused on the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus johnsonii in certain diseases. Here, we studied the prevention ability of a probiotic strain, L. johnsonii BS15 on subclinical necrotic enteritis (SNE), and its underlying mechanism. 180 male Cobb 500 chicks were randomly allotted into three groups and administrated with BS15 (1 × 10 6 cfu/g) or Man Rogosa Sharpe liquid medium throughout a 28-day experimental period. With the exception of the normal group, SNE infection was treated for the remaining experimental period after the chicks were fed with normal diet 14 days. Results showed that BS15 notably suppressed the SNE-induced loss of average daily gain and liver functional abnormality. Additionally, BS15 facilitated lipid metabolism of SNE boilers when the contents of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ and adipose triglyceride lipase in adipose tissue and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased. BS15 also attenuated the hepatic lipid accumulation of stricken chicks by suppressing the genes expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c as well as stimulating the genes expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1. Moreover, BS15 enhanced the development of SNE gut by improving the intestinal development and digestion as well as adjusting the gut microflora. Therefore, BS15 may provide a promising natural preventative strategy against SNE, which may be contributed to the amelioration of lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora.

Abrupt drainage cycles of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet

PubMed Central

Soulet, Guillaume; Ménot, Guillemette; Bayon, Germain; Rostek, Frauke; Ponzevera, Emmanuel; Toucanne, Samuel; Lericolais, Gilles; Bard, Edouard

2013-01-01

Continental ice sheets are a key component of the Earth’s climate system, but their internal dynamics need to be further studied. Since the last deglaciation, the northern Eurasian Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS) has been connected to the Black Sea (BS) watershed, making this basin a suitable location to investigate former ice-sheet dynamics. Here, from a core retrieved in the BS, we combine the use of neodymium isotopes, high-resolution elemental analysis, and biomarkers to trace changes in sediment provenance and river runoff. We reveal cyclic releases of meltwater originating from Lake Disna, a proglacial lake linked to the FIS during Heinrich Stadial 1. Regional interactions within the climate–lake–FIS system, linked to changes in the availability of subglacial water, led to abrupt drainage cycles of the FIS into the BS watershed. This phenomenon raised the BS water level by ∼100 m until the sill of the Bosphorus Strait was reached, flooding the vast northwestern BS shelf and deeply affecting the hydrology and circulation of the BS and, probably, of the Marmara and Aegean Seas. PMID:23569264

Target tracking and 3D trajectory acquisition of cabbage butterfly (P. rapae) based on the KCF-BS algorithm.

PubMed

Guo, Yang-Yang; He, Dong-Jian; Liu, Cong

2018-06-25

Insect behaviour is an important research topic in plant protection. To study insect behaviour accurately, it is necessary to observe and record their flight trajectory quantitatively and precisely in three dimensions (3D). The goal of this research was to analyse frames extracted from videos using Kernelized Correlation Filters (KCF) and Background Subtraction (BS) (KCF-BS) to plot the 3D trajectory of cabbage butterfly (P. rapae). Considering the experimental environment with a wind tunnel, a quadrature binocular vision insect video capture system was designed and applied in this study. The KCF-BS algorithm was used to track the butterfly in video frames and obtain coordinates of the target centroid in two videos. Finally the 3D trajectory was calculated according to the matching relationship in the corresponding frames of two angles in the video. To verify the validity of the KCF-BS algorithm, Compressive Tracking (CT) and Spatio-Temporal Context Learning (STC) algorithms were performed. The results revealed that the KCF-BS tracking algorithm performed more favourably than CT and STC in terms of accuracy and robustness.

Anticancer and antioxidant activity of bread enriched with broccoli sprouts.

PubMed

Gawlik-Dziki, Urszula; Świeca, Michał; Dziki, Dariusz; Sęczyk, Łukasz; Złotek, Urszula; Różyło, Renata; Kaszuba, Kinga; Ryszawy, Damian; Czyż, Jarosław

2014-01-01

This study is focused on antioxidant and anticancer capacity of bread enriched with broccoli sprouts (BS) in the light of their potential bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Generally, bread supplementation elevated antioxidant potential of product (both nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant capacities); however, the increase was not correlated with the percent of BS. A replacement up to 2% of BS gives satisfactory overall consumers acceptability and desirable elevation of antioxidant potential. High activity was especially found for extracts obtained after simulated digestion, which allows assuming their protective effect for upper gastrointestinal tract; thus, the anticancer activity against human stomach cancer cells (AGS) was evaluated. A prominent cytostatic response paralleled by the inhibition of AGS motility in the presence of potentially mastication-extractable phytochemicals indicates that phenolic compounds of BS retain their biological activity in bread. Importantly, the efficient phenolics concentration was about 12 μM for buffer extract, 13 μM for extracts after digestion in vitro, and 7 μM for extract after absorption in vitro. Our data confirm chemopreventive potential of bread enriched with BS and indicate that BS comprise valuable food supplement for stomach cancer chemoprevention.

Study of the X±(5568 ) state with semileptonic decays of the Bs0 meson

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abazov, V. M.; Abbott, B.; Acharya, B. S.; Adams, M.; Adams, T.; Agnew, J. P.; Alexeev, G. D.; Alkhazov, G.; Alton, A.; Askew, A.; Atkins, S.; Augsten, K.; Aushev, V.; Aushev, Y.; Avila, C.; Badaud, F.; Bagby, L.; Baldin, B.; Bandurin, D. V.; Banerjee, S.; Barberis, E.; Baringer, P.; Bartlett, J. F.; Bassler, U.; Bazterra, V.; Bean, A.; Begalli, M.; Bellantoni, L.; Beri, S. B.; Bernardi, G.; Bernhard, R.; Bertram, I.; Besançon, M.; Beuselinck, R.; Bhat, P. C.; Bhatia, S.; Bhatnagar, V.; Blazey, G.; Blessing, S.; Bloom, K.; Boehnlein, A.; Boline, D.; Boos, E. E.; Borissov, G.; Borysova, M.; Brandt, A.; Brandt, O.; Brochmann, M.; Brock, R.; Bross, A.; Brown, D.; Bu, X. B.; Buehler, M.; Buescher, V.; Bunichev, V.; Burdin, S.; Buszello, C. P.; Camacho-Pérez, E.; Casey, B. C. K.; Castilla-Valdez, H.; Caughron, S.; Chakrabarti, S.; Chan, K. M.; Chandra, A.; Chapon, E.; Chen, G.; Cho, S. W.; Choi, S.; Choudhary, B.; Cihangir, S.; Claes, D.; Clutter, J.; Cooke, M.; Cooper, W. E.; Corcoran, M.; Couderc, F.; Cousinou, M.-C.; Cuth, J.; Cutts, D.; Das, A.; Davies, G.; de Jong, S. J.; De La Cruz-Burelo, E.; Déliot, F.; Demina, R.; Denisov, D.; Denisov, S. P.; Desai, S.; Deterre, C.; DeVaughan, K.; Diehl, H. T.; Diesburg, M.; Ding, P. F.; Dominguez, A.; Drutskoy, A.; Dubey, A.; Dudko, L. V.; Duperrin, A.; Dutt, S.; Eads, M.; Edmunds, D.; Ellison, J.; Elvira, V. D.; Enari, Y.; Evans, H.; Evdokimov, A.; Evdokimov, V. N.; Fauré, A.; Feng, L.; Ferbel, T.; Fiedler, F.; Filthaut, F.; Fisher, W.; Fisk, H. E.; Fortner, M.; Fox, H.; Franc, J.; Fuess, S.; Garbincius, P. H.; Garcia-Bellido, A.; García-González, J. A.; Gavrilov, V.; Geng, W.; Gerber, C. E.; Gershtein, Y.; Ginther, G.; Gogota, O.; Golovanov, G.; Grannis, P. D.; Greder, S.; Greenlee, H.; Grenier, G.; Gris, Ph.; Grivaz, J.-F.; Grohsjean, A.; Grünendahl, S.; Grünewald, M. W.; Guillemin, T.; Gutierrez, G.; Gutierrez, P.; Haley, J.; Han, L.; Harder, K.; Harel, A.; Hauptman, J. M.; Hays, J.; Head, T.; Hebbeker, T.; Hedin, D.; Hegab, H.; Heinson, A. P.; Heintz, U.; Hensel, C.; Heredia-De La Cruz, I.; Herner, K.; Hesketh, G.; Hildreth, M. D.; Hirosky, R.; Hoang, T.; Hobbs, J. D.; Hoeneisen, B.; Hogan, J.; Hohlfeld, M.; Holzbauer, J. L.; Howley, I.; Hubacek, Z.; Hynek, V.; Iashvili, I.; Ilchenko, Y.; Illingworth, R.; Ito, A. S.; Jabeen, S.; Jaffré, M.; Jayasinghe, A.; Jeong, M. S.; Jesik, R.; Jiang, P.; Johns, K.; Johnson, E.; Johnson, M.; Jonckheere, A.; Jonsson, P.; Joshi, J.; Jung, A. W.; Juste, A.; Kajfasz, E.; Karmanov, D.; Katsanos, I.; Kaur, M.; Kehoe, R.; Kermiche, S.; Khalatyan, N.; Khanov, A.; Kharchilava, A.; Kharzheev, Y. N.; Kiselevich, I.; Kohli, J. M.; Kozelov, A. V.; Kraus, J.; Kumar, A.; Kupco, A.; Kurča, T.; Kuzmin, V. A.; Lammers, S.; Lebrun, P.; Lee, H. S.; Lee, S. W.; Lee, W. M.; Lei, X.; Lellouch, J.; Li, D.; Li, H.; Li, L.; Li, Q. Z.; Lim, J. K.; Lincoln, D.; Linnemann, J.; Lipaev, V. V.; Lipton, R.; Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Lobodenko, A.; Lokajicek, M.; Lopes de Sa, R.; Luna-Garcia, R.; Lyon, A. L.; Maciel, A. K. A.; Madar, R.; Magaña-Villalba, R.; Malik, S.; Malyshev, V. L.; Mansour, J.; Martínez-Ortega, J.; McCarthy, R.; McGivern, C. L.; Meijer, M. M.; Melnitchouk, A.; Menezes, D.; Mercadante, P. G.; Merkin, M.; Meyer, A.; Meyer, J.; Miconi, F.; Mondal, N. K.; Mulhearn, M.; Nagy, E.; Narain, M.; Nayyar, R.; Neal, H. A.; Negret, J. P.; Neustroev, P.; Nguyen, H. T.; Nunnemann, T.; Orduna, J.; Osman, N.; Pal, A.; Parashar, N.; Parihar, V.; Park, S. K.; Partridge, R.; Parua, N.; Patwa, A.; Penning, B.; Perfilov, M.; Peters, Y.; Petridis, K.; Petrillo, G.; Pétroff, P.; Pleier, M.-A.; Podstavkov, V. M.; Popov, A. V.; Prewitt, M.; Price, D.; Prokopenko, N.; Qian, J.; Quadt, A.; Quinn, B.; Ratoff, P. N.; Razumov, I.; Ripp-Baudot, I.; Rizatdinova, F.; Rominsky, M.; Ross, A.; Royon, C.; Rubinov, P.; Ruchti, R.; Sajot, G.; Sánchez-Hernández, A.; Sanders, M. P.; Santos, A. S.; Savage, G.; Savitskyi, M.; Sawyer, L.; Scanlon, T.; Schamberger, R. D.; Scheglov, Y.; Schellman, H.; Schott, M.; Schwanenberger, C.; Schwienhorst, R.; Sekaric, J.; Severini, H.; Shabalina, E.; Shary, V.; Shaw, S.; Shchukin, A. A.; Shkola, O.; Simak, V.; Skubic, P.; Slattery, P.; Snow, G. R.; Snow, J.; Snyder, S.; Söldner-Rembold, S.; Sonnenschein, L.; Soustruznik, K.; Stark, J.; Stefaniuk, N.; Stoyanova, D. A.; Strauss, M.; Suter, L.; Svoisky, P.; Titov, M.; Tokmenin, V. V.; Tsai, Y.-T.; Tsybychev, D.; Tuchming, B.; Tully, C.; Uvarov, L.; Uvarov, S.; Uzunyan, S.; Van Kooten, R.; van Leeuwen, W. M.; Varelas, N.; Varnes, E. W.; Vasilyev, I. A.; Verkheev, A. Y.; Vertogradov, L. S.; Verzocchi, M.; Vesterinen, M.; Vilanova, D.; Vokac, P.; Wahl, H. D.; Wang, M. H. L. S.; Warchol, J.; Watts, G.; Wayne, M.; Weichert, J.; Welty-Rieger, L.; Williams, M. R. J.; Wilson, G. W.; Wobisch, M.; Wood, D. R.; Wyatt, T. R.; Xie, Y.; Yamada, R.; Yang, S.; Yasuda, T.; Yatsunenko, Y. A.; Ye, W.; Ye, Z.; Yin, H.; Yip, K.; Youn, S. W.; Yu, J. M.; Zennamo, J.; Zhao, T. G.; Zhou, B.; Zhu, J.; Zielinski, M.; Zieminska, D.; Zivkovic, L.; D0 Collaboration

2018-05-01

We present a study of the X±(5568 ) using semileptonic decays of the Bs0 meson using the full run II integrated luminosity of 10.4 fb-1 in proton-antiproton collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We report evidence for a narrow structure, X±(5568 ), in the decay sequence X±(5568 )→Bs0π± where Bs0→μ∓Ds±X , Ds±→ϕ π± which is consistent with the previous measurement by the D0 Collaboration in the hadronic decay mode, X±(5568 )→Bs0π± where Bs0→J /ψ ϕ . The mass and width of this state are measured using a combined fit of the hadronic and semileptonic data, yielding m =5566.9-3.1+3.2(stat)-1.2 +0.6(syst ) MeV /c2 , Γ =18.6-6.1+7.9(stat)-3.8 +3.5(syst ) MeV /c2 with a significance of 6.7 σ .

Search for a Structure in the Bs0π± Invariant Mass Spectrum with the ATLAS Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aaboud, M.; Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdinov, O.; Abeloos, B.; Abidi, S. H.; Abouzeid, O. S.; Abraham, N. L.; Abramowicz, H.; Abreu, H.; Abulaiti, Y.; Acharya, B. S.; Adachi, S.; Adamczyk, L.; Adelman, J.; Adersberger, M.; Adye, T.; Affolder, A. A.; Afik, Y.; Agheorghiesei, C.; Aguilar-Saavedra, J. A.; Ahlen, S. P.; Ahmadov, F.; Aielli, G.; Akatsuka, S.; Akerstedt, H.; Åkesson, T. P. A.; Akilli, E.; Akimov, A. V.; Alberghi, G. L.; Albert, J.; Albicocco, P.; Alconada Verzini, M. J.; Alderweireldt, S.; Aleksa, M.; Aleksandrov, I. N.; Alexa, C.; Alexander, G.; Alexopoulos, T.; Alhroob, M.; Ali, B.; Aliev, M.; Alimonti, G.; Alison, J.; Alkire, S. P.; Allbrooke, B. M. M.; Allen, B. W.; Allport, P. P.; Aloisio, A.; Alonso, A.; Alonso, F.; Alpigiani, C.; Alshehri, A. A.; Alstaty, M. I.; Alvarez Gonzalez, B.; Álvarez Piqueras, D.; Alviggi, M. G.; Amadio, B. T.; Amaral Coutinho, Y.; Amelung, C.; Amidei, D.; Amor Dos Santos, S. P.; Amoroso, S.; Anastopoulos, C.; Ancu, L. S.; Andari, N.; Andeen, T.; Anders, C. F.; Anders, J. K.; Anderson, K. J.; Andreazza, A.; Andrei, V.; Angelidakis, S.; Angelozzi, I.; Angerami, A.; Anisenkov, A. V.; Anjos, N.; Annovi, A.; Antel, C.; Antonelli, M.; Antonov, A.; Antrim, D. J.; Anulli, F.; Aoki, M.; Aperio Bella, L.; Arabidze, G.; Arai, Y.; Araque, J. P.; Araujo Ferraz, V.; Arce, A. T. H.; Ardell, R. E.; Arduh, F. A.; Arguin, J.-F.; Argyropoulos, S.; Arik, M.; Armbruster, A. J.; Armitage, L. J.; Arnaez, O.; Arnold, H.; Arratia, M.; Arslan, O.; Artamonov, A.; Artoni, G.; Artz, S.; Asai, S.; Asbah, N.; Ashkenazi, A.; Asquith, L.; Assamagan, K.; Astalos, R.; Atkinson, M.; Atlay, N. B.; Augsten, K.; Avolio, G.; Axen, B.; Ayoub, M. K.; Azuelos, G.; Baas, A. E.; Baca, M. J.; Bachacou, H.; Bachas, K.; Backes, M.; Bagnaia, P.; Bahmani, M.; Bahrasemani, H.; Baines, J. T.; Bajic, M.; Baker, O. K.; Bakker, P. J.; Bakshi Gupta, D.; Baldin, E. M.; Balek, P.; Balli, F.; Balunas, W. K.; Banas, E.; Bandyopadhyay, A.; Banerjee, Sw.; Bannoura, A. A. E.; Barak, L.; Barberio, E. L.; Barberis, D.; Barbero, M.; Barillari, T.; Barisits, M.-S.; Barkeloo, J. T.; Barklow, T.; Barlow, N.; Barnes, S. L.; Barnett, B. M.; Barnett, R. M.; Barnovska-Blenessy, Z.; Baroncelli, A.; Barone, G.; Barr, A. J.; Barranco Navarro, L.; Barreiro, F.; Barreiro Guimarães da Costa, J.; Bartoldus, R.; Barton, A. E.; Bartos, P.; Basalaev, A.; Bassalat, A.; Bates, R. L.; Batista, S. J.; Batley, J. R.; Battaglia, M.; Bauce, M.; Bauer, F.; Bauer, K. T.; Bawa, H. S.; Beacham, J. B.; Beattie, M. D.; Beau, T.; Beauchemin, P. H.; Bechtle, P.; Beck, H. P.; Beck, H. C.; Becker, K.; Becker, M.; Becot, C.; Beddall, A. J.; Beddall, A.; Bednyakov, V. A.; Bedognetti, M.; Bee, C. P.; Beermann, T. A.; Begalli, M.; Begel, M.; Behr, J. K.; Bell, A. S.; Bella, G.; Bellagamba, L.; Bellerive, A.; Bellomo, M.; Belotskiy, K.; Beltramello, O.; Belyaev, N. L.; Benary, O.; Benchekroun, D.; Bender, M.; Benekos, N.; Benhammou, Y.; Benhar Noccioli, E.; Benitez, J.; Benjamin, D. P.; Benoit, M.; Bensinger, J. R.; Bentvelsen, S.; Beresford, L.; Beretta, M.; Berge, D.; Bergeaas Kuutmann, E.; Berger, N.; Bergsten, L. J.; Beringer, J.; Berlendis, S.; Bernard, N. R.; Bernardi, G.; Bernius, C.; Bernlochner, F. U.; Berry, T.; Berta, P.; Bertella, C.; Bertoli, G.; Bertram, I. A.; Bertsche, C.; Besjes, G. J.; Bessidskaia Bylund, O.; Bessner, M.; Besson, N.; Bethani, A.; Bethke, S.; Betti, A.; Bevan, A. J.; Beyer, J.; Bianchi, R. M.; Biebel, O.; Biedermann, D.; Bielski, R.; Bierwagen, K.; Biesuz, N. V.; Biglietti, M.; Billoud, T. R. V.; Bilokon, H.; Bindi, M.; Bingul, A.; Bini, C.; Biondi, S.; Bisanz, T.; Bittrich, C.; Bjergaard, D. M.; Black, J. E.; Black, K. M.; Blair, R. E.; Blazek, T.; Bloch, I.; Blocker, C.; Blue, A.; Blumenschein, U.; Blunier, Dr.; Bobbink, G. J.; Bobrovnikov, V. S.; Bocchetta, S. S.; Bocci, A.; Bock, C.; Boehler, M.; Boerner, D.; Bogavac, D.; Bogdanchikov, A. G.; Bohm, C.; Boisvert, V.; Bokan, P.; Bold, T.; Boldyrev, A. S.; Bolz, A. E.; Bomben, M.; Bona, M.; Bonilla, J. S.; Boonekamp, M.; Borisov, A.; Borissov, G.; Bortfeldt, J.; Bortoletto, D.; Bortolotto, V.; Boscherini, D.; Bosman, M.; Bossio Sola, J. D.; Boudreau, J.; Bouhova-Thacker, E. V.; Boumediene, D.; Bourdarios, C.; Boutle, S. K.; Boveia, A.; Boyd, J.; Boyko, I. R.; Bozson, A. J.; Bracinik, J.; Brandt, A.; Brandt, G.; Brandt, O.; Braren, F.; Bratzler, U.; Brau, B.; Brau, J. E.; Breaden Madden, W. D.; Brendlinger, K.; Brennan, A. J.; Brenner, L.; Brenner, R.; Bressler, S.; Briglin, D. L.; Bristow, T. M.; Britton, D.; Britzger, D.; Brock, I.; Brock, R.; Brooijmans, G.; Brooks, T.; Brooks, W. K.; Brost, E.; Broughton, J. H.; Bruckman de Renstrom, P. A.; Bruncko, D.; Bruni, A.; Bruni, G.; Bruni, L. S.; Bruno, S.; Brunt, Bh; Bruschi, M.; Bruscino, N.; Bryant, P.; Bryngemark, L.; Buanes, T.; Buat, Q.; Buchholz, P.; Buckley, A. G.; Budagov, I. A.; Buehrer, F.; Bugge, M. K.; Bulekov, O.; Bullock, D.; Burch, T. J.; Burdin, S.; Burgard, C. D.; Burger, A. M.; Burghgrave, B.; Burka, K.; Burke, S.; Burmeister, I.; Burr, J. T. P.; Büscher, D.; Büscher, V.; Buschmann, E.; Bussey, P.; Butler, J. M.; Buttar, C. M.; Butterworth, J. M.; Butti, P.; Buttinger, W.; Buzatu, A.; Buzykaev, A. R.; Cabrera Urbán, S.; Caforio, D.; Cai, H.; Cairo, V. M. M.; Cakir, O.; Calace, N.; Calafiura, P.; Calandri, A.; Calderini, G.; Calfayan, P.; Callea, G.; Caloba, L. P.; Calvente Lopez, S.; Calvet, D.; Calvet, S.; Calvet, T. P.; Camacho Toro, R.; Camarda, S.; Camarri, P.; Cameron, D.; Caminal Armadans, R.; Camincher, C.; Campana, S.; Campanelli, M.; Camplani, A.; Campoverde, A.; Canale, V.; Cano Bret, M.; Cantero, J.; Cao, T.; Capeans Garrido, M. D. M.; Caprini, I.; Caprini, M.; Capua, M.; Carbone, R. M.; Cardarelli, R.; Cardillo, F.; Carli, I.; Carli, T.; Carlino, G.; Carlson, B. T.; Carminati, L.; Carney, R. M. D.; Caron, S.; Carquin, E.; Carrá, S.; Carrillo-Montoya, G. D.; Casadei, D.; Casado, M. P.; Casha, A. F.; Casolino, M.; Casper, D. W.; Castelijn, R.; Castillo Gimenez, V.; Castro, N. F.; Catinaccio, A.; Catmore, J. R.; Cattai, A.; Caudron, J.; Cavaliere, V.; Cavallaro, E.; Cavalli, D.; Cavalli-Sforza, M.; Cavasinni, V.; Celebi, E.; Ceradini, F.; Cerda Alberich, L.; Cerqueira, A. S.; Cerri, A.; Cerrito, L.; Cerutti, F.; Cervelli, A.; Cetin, S. A.; Chafaq, A.; Chakraborty, D.; Chan, S. K.; Chan, W. S.; Chan, Y. L.; Chang, P.; Chapman, J. D.; Charlton, D. G.; Chau, C. C.; Chavez Barajas, C. A.; Che, S.; Cheatham, S.; Chegwidden, A.; Chekanov, S.; Chekulaev, S. V.; Chelkov, G. A.; Chelstowska, M. A.; Chen, C.; Chen, C.; Chen, H.; Chen, J.; Chen, J.; Chen, S.; Chen, S.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, H. C.; Cheng, H. J.; Cheplakov, A.; Cheremushkina, E.; Cherkaoui El Moursli, R.; Cheu, E.; Cheung, K.; Chevalier, L.; Chiarella, V.; Chiarelli, G.; Chiodini, G.; Chisholm, A. S.; Chitan, A.; Chiu, Y. H.; Chizhov, M. V.; Choi, K.; Chomont, A. R.; Chouridou, S.; Chow, Y. S.; Christodoulou, V.; Chu, M. C.; Chudoba, J.; Chuinard, A. J.; Chwastowski, J. J.; Chytka, L.; Ciftci, A. K.; Cinca, D.; Cindro, V.; Cioarǎ, I. A.; Ciocio, A.; Cirotto, F.; Citron, Z. H.; Citterio, M.; Ciubancan, M.; Clark, A.; Clark, M. R.; Clark, P. J.; Clarke, R. N.; Clement, C.; Coadou, Y.; Cobal, M.; Coccaro, A.; Cochran, J.; Colasurdo, L.; Cole, B.; Colijn, A. P.; Collot, J.; Conde Muiño, P.; Coniavitis, E.; Connell, S. H.; Connelly, I. A.; Constantinescu, S.; Conti, G.; Conventi, F.; Cooper-Sarkar, A. M.; Cormier, F.; Cormier, K. J. R.; Corradi, M.; Corrigan, E. E.; Corriveau, F.; Cortes-Gonzalez, A.; Costa, M. J.; Costanzo, D.; Cottin, G.; Cowan, G.; Cox, B. E.; Cranmer, K.; Crawley, S. J.; Creager, R. A.; Cree, G.; Crépé-Renaudin, S.; Crescioli, F.; Cribbs, W. A.; Cristinziani, M.; Croft, V.; Crosetti, G.; Cueto, A.; Cuhadar Donszelmann, T.; Cukierman, A. R.; Cummings, J.; Curatolo, M.; Cúth, J.; Czekierda, S.; Czodrowski, P.; D'Amen, G.; D'Auria, S.; D'Eramo, L.; D'Onofrio, M.; da Cunha Sargedas de Sousa, M. J.; da Via, C.; Dabrowski, W.; Dado, T.; Dahbi, S.; Dai, T.; Dale, O.; Dallaire, F.; Dallapiccola, C.; Dam, M.; Dandoy, J. R.; Daneri, M. F.; Dang, N. P.; Dann, N. S.; Danninger, M.; Dano Hoffmann, M.; Dao, V.; Darbo, G.; Darmora, S.; Dassoulas, J.; Dattagupta, A.; Daubney, T.; Davey, W.; David, C.; Davidek, T.; Davis, D. R.; Davison, P.; Dawe, E.; Dawson, I.; de, K.; de Asmundis, R.; de Benedetti, A.; de Castro, S.; de Cecco, S.; de Groot, N.; de Jong, P.; de la Torre, H.; de Lorenzi, F.; de Maria, A.; de Pedis, D.; de Salvo, A.; de Sanctis, U.; de Santo, A.; de Vasconcelos Corga, K.; de Vivie de Regie, J. B.; Debbe, R.; Debenedetti, C.; Dedovich, D. V.; Dehghanian, N.; Deigaard, I.; Del Gaudio, M.; Del Peso, J.; Delgove, D.; Deliot, F.; Delitzsch, C. M.; Dell'Acqua, A.; Dell'Asta, L.; Della Pietra, M.; Della Volpe, D.; Delmastro, M.; Delporte, C.; Delsart, P. A.; Demarco, D. A.; Demers, S.; Demichev, M.; Demilly, A.; Denisov, S. P.; Denysiuk, D.; Derendarz, D.; Derkaoui, J. E.; Derue, F.; Dervan, P.; Desch, K.; Deterre, C.; Dette, K.; Devesa, M. R.; Deviveiros, P. O.; Dewhurst, A.; Dhaliwal, S.; di Bello, F. A.; di Ciaccio, A.; di Ciaccio, L.; di Clemente, W. K.; di Donato, C.; di Girolamo, A.; di Girolamo, B.; di Micco, B.; di Nardo, R.; di Petrillo, K. F.; di Simone, A.; di Sipio, R.; di Valentino, D.; Diaconu, C.; Diamond, M.; Dias, F. A.; Diaz, M. A.; Dickinson, J.; Diehl, E. B.; Dietrich, J.; Díez Cornell, S.; Dimitrievska, A.; Dingfelder, J.; Dita, P.; Dita, S.; Dittus, F.; Djama, F.; Djobava, T.; Djuvsland, J. I.; Do Vale, M. A. B.; Dobre, M.; Dodsworth, D.; Doglioni, C.; Dolejsi, J.; Dolezal, Z.; Donadelli, M.; Donati, S.; Donini, J.; Dopke, J.; Doria, A.; Dova, M. T.; Doyle, A. T.; Drechsler, E.; Dris, M.; Du, Y.; Duarte-Campderros, J.; Dubinin, F.; Dubreuil, A.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Ducourthial, A.; Ducu, O. A.; Duda, D.; Dudarev, A.; Dudder, A. Chr.; Duffield, E. M.; Duflot, L.; Dührssen, M.; Dulsen, C.; Dumancic, M.; Dumitriu, A. E.; Duncan, A. K.; Dunford, M.; Duperrin, A.; Duran Yildiz, H.; Düren, M.; Durglishvili, A.; Duschinger, D.; Dutta, B.; Duvnjak, D.; Dyndal, M.; Dziedzic, B. S.; Eckardt, C.; Ecker, K. M.; Edgar, R. C.; Eifert, T.; Eigen, G.; Einsweiler, K.; Ekelof, T.; El Kacimi, M.; El Kosseifi, R.; Ellajosyula, V.; Ellert, M.; Elles, S.; Ellinghaus, F.; Elliot, A. A.; Ellis, N.; Elmsheuser, J.; Elsing, M.; Emeliyanov, D.; Enari, Y.; Ennis, J. S.; Epland, M. B.; Erdmann, J.; Ereditato, A.; Ernst, M.; Errede, S.; Escalier, M.; Escobar, C.; Esposito, B.; Estrada Pastor, O.; Etienvre, A. 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D.; Morvaj, L.; Moschovakos, P.; Mosidze, M.; Moss, H. J.; Moss, J.; Motohashi, K.; Mount, R.; Mountricha, E.; Moyse, E. J. W.; Muanza, S.; Mueller, F.; Mueller, J.; Mueller, R. S. P.; Muenstermann, D.; Mullen, P.; Mullier, G. A.; Munoz Sanchez, F. J.; Murray, W. J.; Musheghyan, H.; Muškinja, M.; Mwewa, C.; Myagkov, A. G.; Myers, J.; Myska, M.; Nachman, B. P.; Nackenhorst, O.; Nagai, K.; Nagai, R.; Nagano, K.; Nagasaka, Y.; Nagata, K.; Nagel, M.; Nagy, E.; Nairz, A. M.; Nakahama, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Nakamura, T.; Nakano, I.; Naranjo Garcia, R. F.; Narayan, R.; Narrias Villar, D. I.; Naryshkin, I.; Naumann, T.; Navarro, G.; Nayyar, R.; Neal, H. A.; Nechaeva, P. Yu.; Neep, T. J.; Negri, A.; Negrini, M.; Nektarijevic, S.; Nellist, C.; Nelson, A.; Nelson, M. E.; Nemecek, S.; Nemethy, P.; Nessi, M.; Neubauer, M. S.; Neumann, M.; Newman, P. R.; Ng, T. Y.; Ng, Y. S.; Nguyen Manh, T.; Nickerson, R. 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S.; Osculati, B.; Ospanov, R.; Otero Y Garzon, G.; Otono, H.; Ouchrif, M.; Ould-Saada, F.; Ouraou, A.; Oussoren, K. P.; Ouyang, Q.; Owen, M.; Owen, R. E.; Ozcan, V. E.; Ozturk, N.; Pachal, K.; Pacheco Pages, A.; Pacheco Rodriguez, L.; Padilla Aranda, C.; Pagan Griso, S.; Paganini, M.; Paige, F.; Palacino, G.; Palazzo, S.; Palestini, S.; Palka, M.; Pallin, D.; Panagiotopoulou, E. St.; Panagoulias, I.; Pandini, C. E.; Panduro Vazquez, J. G.; Pani, P.; Panitkin, S.; Pantea, D.; Paolozzi, L.; Papadopoulou, Th. D.; Papageorgiou, K.; Paramonov, A.; Paredes Hernandez, D.; Parker, A. J.; Parker, M. A.; Parker, K. A.; Parodi, F.; Parsons, J. A.; Parzefall, U.; Pascuzzi, V. R.; Pasner, J. M.; Pasqualucci, E.; Passaggio, S.; Pastore, Fr.; Pataraia, S.; Pater, J. R.; Pauly, T.; Pearson, B.; Pedraza Lopez, S.; Pedro, R.; Peleganchuk, S. V.; Penc, O.; Peng, C.; Peng, H.; Penwell, J.; Peralva, B. S.; Perego, M. M.; Perepelitsa, D. V.; Peri, F.; Perini, L.; Pernegger, H.; Perrella, S.; Peschke, R.; Peshekhonov, V. D.; Peters, K.; Peters, R. F. Y.; Petersen, B. A.; Petersen, T. C.; Petit, E.; Petridis, A.; Petridou, C.; Petroff, P.; Petrolo, E.; Petrov, M.; Petrucci, F.; Pettersson, N. E.; Peyaud, A.; Pezoa, R.; Pham, T.; Phillips, F. H.; Phillips, P. W.; Piacquadio, G.; Pianori, E.; Picazio, A.; Pickering, M. A.; Piegaia, R.; Pilcher, J. E.; Pilkington, A. D.; Pinamonti, M.; Pinfold, J. L.; Pirumov, H.; Pitt, M.; Pleier, M.-A.; Pleskot, V.; Plotnikova, E.; Pluth, D.; Podberezko, P.; Poettgen, R.; Poggi, R.; Poggioli, L.; Pogrebnyak, I.; Pohl, D.; Pokharel, I.; Polesello, G.; Poley, A.; Policicchio, A.; Polifka, R.; Polini, A.; Pollard, C. S.; Polychronakos, V.; Pommès, K.; Ponomarenko, D.; Pontecorvo, L.; Popeneciu, G. A.; Portillo Quintero, D. M.; Pospisil, S.; Potamianos, K.; Potrap, I. N.; Potter, C. J.; Potti, H.; Poulsen, T.; Poveda, J.; Pozo Astigarraga, M. 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F.; Sabato, G.; Sacerdoti, S.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Sadykov, R.; Safai Tehrani, F.; Saha, P.; Sahinsoy, M.; Saimpert, M.; Saito, M.; Saito, T.; Sakamoto, H.; Sakurai, Y.; Salamanna, G.; Salazar Loyola, J. E.; Salek, D.; Sales de Bruin, P. H.; Salihagic, D.; Salnikov, A.; Salt, J.; Salvatore, D.; Salvatore, F.; Salvucci, A.; Salzburger, A.; Sammel, D.; Sampsonidis, D.; Sampsonidou, D.; Sánchez, J.; Sanchez Pineda, A.; Sandaker, H.; Sandbach, R. L.; Sander, C. O.; Sandhoff, M.; Sandoval, C.; Sankey, D. P. C.; Sannino, M.; Sano, Y.; Sansoni, A.; Santoni, C.; Santos, H.; Santoyo Castillo, I.; Sapronov, A.; Saraiva, J. G.; Sasaki, O.; Sato, K.; Sauvan, E.; Savage, G.; Savard, P.; Savic, N.; Sawada, R.; Sawyer, C.; Sawyer, L.; Sbarra, C.; Sbrizzi, A.; Scanlon, T.; Scannicchio, D. A.; Schaarschmidt, J.; Schacht, P.; Schachtner, B. M.; Schaefer, D.; Schaefer, L.; Schaeffer, J.; Schaepe, S.; Schäfer, U.; Schaffer, A. C.; Schaile, D.; Schamberger, R. D.; Schegelsky, V. A.; Scheirich, D.; Schenck, F.; Schernau, M.; Schiavi, C.; Schier, S.; Schildgen, L. K.; Schillo, C.; Schioppa, E. J.; Schioppa, M.; Schlenker, S.; Schmidt-Sommerfeld, K. R.; Schmieden, K.; Schmitt, C.; Schmitt, S.; Schmitz, S.; Schnoor, U.; Schoeffel, L.; Schoening, A.; Schoenrock, B. D.; Schopf, E.; Schott, M.; Schouwenberg, J. F. P.; Schovancova, J.; Schramm, S.; Schuh, N.; Schulte, A.; Schultens, M. J.; Schultz-Coulon, H.-C.; Schumacher, M.; Schumm, B. A.; Schune, Ph.; Schwartzman, A.; Schwarz, T. A.; Schweiger, H.; Schwemling, Ph.; Schwienhorst, R.; Schwindling, J.; Sciandra, A.; Sciolla, G.; Scornajenghi, M.; Scuri, F.; Scutti, F.; Searcy, J.; Seema, P.; Seidel, S. C.; Seiden, A.; Seixas, J. M.; Sekhniaidze, G.; Sekhon, K.; Sekula, S. J.; Semprini-Cesari, N.; Senkin, S.; Serfon, C.; Serin, L.; Serkin, L.; Sessa, M.; Seuster, R.; Severini, H.; Šfiligoj, T.; Sforza, F.; Sfyrla, A.; Shabalina, E.; Shaikh, N. W.; Shan, L. Y.; Shang, R.; Shank, J. T.; Shapiro, M.; Shatalov, P. 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M.; Snyder, S.; Sobie, R.; Socher, F.; Soffa, A. M.; Soffer, A.; Søgaard, A.; Soh, D. A.; Sokhrannyi, G.; Solans Sanchez, C. A.; Solar, M.; Soldatov, E. Yu.; Soldevila, U.; Solodkov, A. A.; Soloshenko, A.; Solovyanov, O. V.; Solovyev, V.; Sommer, P.; Son, H.; Song, W.; Sopczak, A.; Sosa, D.; Sotiropoulou, C. L.; Sottocornola, S.; Soualah, R.; Soukharev, A. M.; South, D.; Sowden, B. C.; Spagnolo, S.; Spalla, M.; Spangenberg, M.; Spanò, F.; Sperlich, D.; Spettel, F.; Spieker, T. M.; Spighi, R.; Spigo, G.; Spiller, L. A.; Spousta, M.; St. Denis, R. D.; Stabile, A.; Stamen, R.; Stamm, S.; Stanecka, E.; Stanek, R. W.; Stanescu, C.; Stanitzki, M. M.; Stapf, B. S.; Stapnes, S.; Starchenko, E. A.; Stark, G. H.; Stark, J.; Stark, S. H.; Staroba, P.; Starovoitov, P.; Stärz, S.; Staszewski, R.; Stegler, M.; Steinberg, P.; Stelzer, B.; Stelzer, H. J.; Stelzer-Chilton, O.; Stenzel, H.; Stevenson, T. J.; Stewart, G. A.; Stockton, M. C.; Stoebe, M.; Stoicea, G.; Stolte, P.; Stonjek, S.; Stradling, A. R.; Straessner, A.; Stramaglia, M. E.; Strandberg, J.; Strandberg, S.; Strauss, M.; Strizenec, P.; Ströhmer, R.; Strom, D. M.; Stroynowski, R.; Strubig, A.; Stucci, S. A.; Stugu, B.; Styles, N. A.; Su, D.; Su, J.; Suchek, S.; Sugaya, Y.; Suk, M.; Sulin, V. V.; Sultan, Dms; Sultansoy, S.; Sumida, T.; Sun, S.; Sun, X.; Suruliz, K.; Suster, C. J. E.; Sutton, M. R.; Suzuki, S.; Svatos, M.; Swiatlowski, M.; Swift, S. P.; Sydorenko, A.; Sykora, I.; Sykora, T.; Ta, D.; Tackmann, K.; Taenzer, J.; Taffard, A.; Tafirout, R.; Tahirovic, E.; Taiblum, N.; Takai, H.; Takashima, R.; Takasugi, E. H.; Takeda, K.; Takeshita, T.; Takubo, Y.; Talby, M.; Talyshev, A. A.; Tanaka, J.; Tanaka, M.; Tanaka, R.; Tanioka, R.; Tannenwald, B. B.; Tapia Araya, S.; Tapprogge, S.; Tarem, S.; Tartarelli, G. F.; Tas, P.; Tasevsky, M.; Tashiro, T.; Tassi, E.; Tavares Delgado, A.; Tayalati, Y.; Taylor, A. C.; Taylor, A. J.; Taylor, G. N.; Taylor, P. T. E.; Taylor, W.; Teixeira-Dias, P.; Temple, D.; Ten Kate, H.; Teng, P. K.; Teoh, J. J.; Tepel, F.; Terada, S.; Terashi, K.; Terron, J.; Terzo, S.; Testa, M.; Teuscher, R. J.; Thais, S. J.; Theveneaux-Pelzer, T.; Thiele, F.; Thomas, J. P.; Thomas-Wilsker, J.; Thompson, P. D.; Thompson, A. S.; Thomsen, L. A.; Thomson, E.; Tian, Y.; Ticse Torres, R. E.; Tikhomirov, V. O.; Tikhonov, Yu. A.; Timoshenko, S.; Tipton, P.; Tisserant, S.; Todome, K.; Todorova-Nova, S.; Todt, S.; Tojo, J.; Tokár, S.; Tokushuku, K.; Tolley, E.; Tomlinson, L.; Tomoto, M.; Tompkins, L.; Toms, K.; Tong, B.; Tornambe, P.; Torrence, E.; Torres, H.; Torró Pastor, E.; Toth, J.; Touchard, F.; Tovey, D. R.; Treado, C. J.; Trefzger, T.; Tresoldi, F.; Tricoli, A.; Trigger, I. M.; Trincaz-Duvoid, S.; Tripiana, M. F.; Trischuk, W.; Trocmé, B.; Trofymov, A.; Troncon, C.; Trovatelli, M.; Truong, L.; Trzebinski, M.; Trzupek, A.; Tsang, K. W.; Tseng, J. C.-L.; Tsiareshka, P. V.; Tsirintanis, N.; Tsiskaridze, S.; Tsiskaridze, V.; Tskhadadze, E. G.; Tsukerman, I. I.; Tsulaia, V.; Tsuno, S.; Tsybychev, D.; Tu, Y.; Tudorache, A.; Tudorache, V.; Tulbure, T. T.; Tuna, A. N.; Turchikhin, S.; Turgeman, D.; Turk Cakir, I.; Turra, R.; Tuts, P. M.; Ucchielli, G.; Ueda, I.; Ughetto, M.; Ukegawa, F.; Unal, G.; Undrus, A.; Unel, G.; Ungaro, F. C.; Unno, Y.; Uno, K.; Urban, J.; Urquijo, P.; Urrejola, P.; Usai, G.; Usui, J.; Vacavant, L.; Vacek, V.; Vachon, B.; Vadla, K. O. H.; Vaidya, A.; Valderanis, C.; Valdes Santurio, E.; Valente, M.; Valentinetti, S.; Valero, A.; Valéry, L.; Vallier, A.; Valls Ferrer, J. A.; van den Wollenberg, W.; van der Graaf, H.; van Gemmeren, P.; van Nieuwkoop, J.; van Vulpen, I.; van Woerden, M. C.; Vanadia, M.; Vandelli, W.; Vaniachine, A.; Vankov, P.; Vardanyan, G.; Vari, R.; Varnes, E. W.; Varni, C.; Varol, T.; Varouchas, D.; Vartapetian, A.; Varvell, K. E.; Vasquez, J. G.; Vasquez, G. A.; Vazeille, F.; Vazquez Furelos, D.; Vazquez Schroeder, T.; Veatch, J.; Veeraraghavan, V.; Veloce, L. M.; Veloso, F.; Veneziano, S.; Ventura, A.; Venturi, M.; Venturi, N.; Vercesi, V.; Verducci, M.; Verkerke, W.; Vermeulen, A. T.; Vermeulen, J. C.; Vetterli, M. C.; Viaux Maira, N.; Viazlo, O.; Vichou, I.; Vickey, T.; Vickey Boeriu, O. E.; Viehhauser, G. H. A.; Viel, S.; Vigani, L.; Villa, M.; Villaplana Perez, M.; Vilucchi, E.; Vincter, M. G.; Vinogradov, V. B.; Vishwakarma, A.; Vittori, C.; Vivarelli, I.; Vlachos, S.; Vogel, M.; Vokac, P.; Volpi, G.; von Buddenbrock, S. E.; von der Schmitt, H.; von Toerne, E.; Vorobel, V.; Vorobev, K.; Vos, M.; Voss, R.; Vossebeld, J. H.; Vranjes, N.; Vranjes Milosavljevic, M.; Vrba, V.; Vreeswijk, M.; Vuillermet, R.; Vukotic, I.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, W.; Wagner-Kuhr, J.; Wahlberg, H.; Wahrmund, S.; Wakamiya, K.; Walder, J.; Walker, R.; Walkowiak, W.; Wallangen, V.; Wang, A. M.; Wang, C.; Wang, F.; Wang, H.; Wang, H.; Wang, J.; Wang, J.; Wang, Q.; Wang, R.-J.; Wang, R.; Wang, S. M.; Wang, T.; Wang, W.; Wang, W.; Wang, Z.; Wanotayaroj, C.; Warburton, A.; Ward, C. P.; Wardrope, D. R.; Washbrook, A.; Watkins, P. M.; Watson, A. T.; Watson, M. F.; Watts, G.; Watts, S.; Waugh, B. M.; Webb, A. F.; Webb, S.; Weber, M. S.; Weber, S. M.; Weber, S. A.; Webster, J. S.; Weidberg, A. R.; Weinert, B.; Weingarten, J.; Weirich, M.; Weiser, C.; Wells, P. S.; Wenaus, T.; Wengler, T.; Wenig, S.; Wermes, N.; Werner, M. D.; Werner, P.; Wessels, M.; Weston, T. D.; Whalen, K.; Whallon, N. L.; Wharton, A. M.; White, A. S.; White, A.; White, M. J.; White, R.; Whiteson, D.; Whitmore, B. W.; Wickens, F. J.; Wiedenmann, W.; Wielers, M.; Wiglesworth, C.; Wiik-Fuchs, L. A. M.; Wildauer, A.; Wilk, F.; Wilkens, H. G.; Williams, H. H.; Williams, S.; Willis, C.; Willocq, S.; Wilson, J. A.; Wingerter-Seez, I.; Winkels, E.; Winklmeier, F.; Winston, O. J.; Winter, B. T.; Wittgen, M.; Wobisch, M.; Wolf, A.; Wolf, T. M. H.; Wolff, R.; Wolter, M. W.; Wolters, H.; Wong, V. W. S.; Woods, N. L.; Worm, S. D.; Wosiek, B. K.; Wotschack, J.; Wozniak, K. W.; Wu, M.; Wu, S. L.; Wu, X.; Wu, Y.; Wyatt, T. R.; Wynne, B. M.; Xella, S.; Xi, Z.; Xia, L.; Xu, D.; Xu, L.; Xu, T.; Xu, W.; Yabsley, B.; Yacoob, S.; Yajima, K.; Yallup, D. P.; Yamaguchi, D.; Yamaguchi, Y.; Yamamoto, A.; Yamanaka, T.; Yamane, F.; Yamatani, M.; Yamazaki, T.; Yamazaki, Y.; Yan, Z.; Yang, H.; Yang, H.; Yang, S.; Yang, Y.; Yang, Z.; Yao, W.-M.; Yap, Y. C.; Yasu, Y.; Yatsenko, E.; Yau Wong, K. H.; Ye, J.; Ye, S.; Yeletskikh, I.; Yigitbasi, E.; Yildirim, E.; Yorita, K.; Yoshihara, K.; Young, C.; Young, C. J. S.; Yu, J.; Yu, J.; Yuen, S. P. Y.; Yusuff, I.; Zabinski, B.; Zacharis, G.; Zaidan, R.; Zaitsev, A. M.; Zakharchuk, N.; Zalieckas, J.; Zaman, A.; Zambito, S.; Zanzi, D.; Zeitnitz, C.; Zemaityte, G.; Zeng, J. C.; Zeng, Q.; Zenin, O.; Ženiš, T.; Zerwas, D.; Zhang, D.; Zhang, D.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, G.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, P.; Zhang, R.; Zhang, R.; Zhang, X.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, X.; Zhao, Y.; Zhao, Z.; Zhemchugov, A.; Zhou, B.; Zhou, C.; Zhou, L.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, N.; Zhou, Y.; Zhu, C. G.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, J.; Zhu, Y.; Zhuang, X.; Zhukov, K.; Zibell, A.; Zieminska, D.; Zimine, N. I.; Zimmermann, S.; Zinonos, Z.; Zinser, M.; Ziolkowski, M.; Živković, L.; Zobernig, G.; Zoccoli, A.; Zou, R.; Zur Nedden, M.; Zwalinski, L.; Atlas Collaboration

2018-05-01

A search for the narrow structure, X (5568 ), reported by the D0 Collaboration in the decay sequence X →Bs0π±, Bs0→J /ψ ϕ , is presented. The analysis is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC corresponding to 4.9 fb-1 of p p collisions at 7 TeV and 19.5 fb-1 at 8 TeV. No significant signal was found. Upper limits on the number of signal events, with properties corresponding to those reported by D0, and on the X production rate relative to Bs0 mesons, ρX, were determined at 95% confidence level. The results are N (X )<382 and ρX<0.015 for Bs0 mesons with transverse momenta above 10 GeV, and N (X )<356 and ρX<0.016 for transverse momenta above 15 GeV. Limits are also set for potential Bs0π± resonances in the mass range 5550 to 5700 MeV.

Fatty-binding protein and galectin of Baylisascaris schroederi: Prokaryotic expression and preliminary evaluation of serodiagnostic potential

PubMed Central

Sun, Ying; Li, Yu; Wu, Yiran; Xiong, Lang; Li, Caiwu; Wang, Chengdong; Li, Desheng; Lan, Jingchao; Zhang, Zhihe; Jing, Bo; Gu, Xiaobing; Xie, Yue; Lai, Weimin; Peng, Xuerong

2017-01-01

Baylisascaris schroederi is a common parasite of captive giant pandas. The diagnosis of this ascariasis is normally carried out by a sedimentation-floatation method or PCR to detect eggs in feces, but neither method is suitable for early diagnosis. Fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) and galectin (GAL) exist in various animals and participate in important biology of parasites. Because of their good immunogenicity, they are seen as potential antigens for the diagnosis of parasitic diseases. In this study, we cloned and expressed recombinant FABP and GAL from B. schroederi (rBs-FABP and rBs-GAL) and developed indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to evaluate their potential for diagnosing ascariasis in giant pandas. Immunolocalization showed that Bs-FABP and Bs-GAL were widely distributed in adult worms. The ELISA based on rBs-FABP showed sensitivity of 95.8% (23/24) and specificity of 100% (12/12), and that based on rBs-GAL had sensitivity of 91.7% (22/24) and specificity of 100% (12/12). PMID:28750056

Editing of misaligned 3'-termini by an intrinsic 3'-5' exonuclease activity residing in the PHP domain of a family X DNA polymerase.

PubMed

Baños, Benito; Lázaro, José M; Villar, Laurentino; Salas, Margarita; de Vega, Miguel

2008-10-01

Bacillus subtilis gene yshC encodes a family X DNA polymerase (PolX(Bs)), whose biochemical features suggest that it plays a role during DNA repair processes. Here, we show that, in addition to the polymerization activity, PolX(Bs) possesses an intrinsic 3'-5' exonuclease activity specialized in resecting unannealed 3'-termini in a gapped DNA substrate. Biochemical analysis of a PolX(Bs) deletion mutant lacking the C-terminal polymerase histidinol phosphatase (PHP) domain, present in most of the bacterial/archaeal PolXs, as well as of this separately expressed protein region, allow us to state that the 3'-5' exonuclease activity of PolX(Bs) resides in its PHP domain. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis of PolX(Bs) His339 and His341 residues, evolutionary conserved in the PHP superfamily members, demonstrated that the predicted metal binding site is directly involved in catalysis of the exonucleolytic reaction. The implications of the unannealed 3'-termini resection by the 3'-5' exonuclease activity of PolX(Bs) in the DNA repair context are discussed.

Novel One-pot Fabrication of Lab-on-a-Bubble@Ag Substrate without Coupling-agent for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Jizhou; Ou-Yang, Lei; Zhu, Lihua; Zou, Jing; Tang, Heqing

2014-02-01

Through in-situ reduction of silver nitrate without using any coupling-agent, a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was prepared by coating silver on hollow buoyant silica microspheres as a lab on a bubble (LoB). The silver coated LoBs (LoBs@Ag) floated on surface of a solution could provide a very convenient platform for the detection of target molecules in the solution. The LoBs@Ag substrate not only immobilized well-distributed Ag nanoparticles on the surface LoBs, but excluded the interference of coupling agents. This yielded high-resolution SERS spectra with excellent reproducibility. The adsorption of crystal violet (CV) on the LoBs@Ag substrate was investigated by means of SERS combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The LoBs@Ag substrate exhibited a remarkable Raman enhancement effect for CV with an enhancement factor of 6.9 × 108 and wide adaptability from dye, pesticide to bio-molecules. On the basis of this substrate, a simple and sensitive SERS method was proposed for the determination of trace organic pollutants or bio-molecules.

Abrupt drainage cycles of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet.

PubMed

Soulet, Guillaume; Ménot, Guillemette; Bayon, Germain; Rostek, Frauke; Ponzevera, Emmanuel; Toucanne, Samuel; Lericolais, Gilles; Bard, Edouard

2013-04-23

Continental ice sheets are a key component of the Earth's climate system, but their internal dynamics need to be further studied. Since the last deglaciation, the northern Eurasian Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS) has been connected to the Black Sea (BS) watershed, making this basin a suitable location to investigate former ice-sheet dynamics. Here, from a core retrieved in the BS, we combine the use of neodymium isotopes, high-resolution elemental analysis, and biomarkers to trace changes in sediment provenance and river runoff. We reveal cyclic releases of meltwater originating from Lake Disna, a proglacial lake linked to the FIS during Heinrich Stadial 1. Regional interactions within the climate-lake-FIS system, linked to changes in the availability of subglacial water, led to abrupt drainage cycles of the FIS into the BS watershed. This phenomenon raised the BS water level by ∼100 m until the sill of the Bosphorus Strait was reached, flooding the vast northwestern BS shelf and deeply affecting the hydrology and circulation of the BS and, probably, of the Marmara and Aegean Seas.

Synthesis of water-soluble polyamine derivatives effective as N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists.

PubMed

Masuko, Takashi; Yoshida, Shuhei; Metori, Koichi; Kizawa, Yasuo; Kusama, Tadashi; Miyake, Muneharu

2010-06-01

The novel water-soluble N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, N-{4-[4-(4-Guanidinobutylamino)butylamino]butyl}-p-toluenesulfonamide trihydrochloride (1a, TsHSPMG), N-{4-[4-(4-Guanidinobutylamino)butylamino]butyl}butane-1-sulfonamide trihydrochloride (1b, BsHSPMG), N-{3-[4-(3-Guanidinopropylamino)butylamino]propyl}-p-toluenesulfonamide trihydrochroride (2a, TsSPMG) and N-{3-[4-(3-Guanidinopropylamino)butylamino]propyl}butane-1-sulfonamide trihydrochroride (2b, BsSPMG), were synthesized, and the effects of these polyamine derivatives on NMDA receptors were studied using voltage-clamp recordings of recombinant NMDA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Although spermine potentiates 153% and 310% of NMDA (NR1A/NR2B) receptors in the presence of saturated and unsaturated glycine, respectively, all the novel polyamine derivatives, TsHSPMG (1a), BsHSPMG (1b), TsSPMG (2a) and BsSPMG (2b), significantly inhibited NR1A/NR2B receptors in both conditions. The degree of NMDA receptor inhibition by TsHSPMG (1a) and BsHSPMG (1b) was stronger than that by TsSPMG (2a) and BsSPMG (2b).

First observation of B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+/-)K(-/+) and measurement of the ratio of branching fractions B(B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+/-)K(-/+)/B(B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+)pi(-)).

PubMed

Aaltonen, T; Adelman, J; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Alvarez González, B; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Apollinari, G; Apresyan, A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Azzurri, P; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Beauchemin, P-H; Bedeschi, F; Bednar, P; Beecher, D; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bizjak, I; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bridgeman, A; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Buzatu, A; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Calancha, C; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavaliere, V; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Cox, D J; Crescioli, F; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Dagenhart, D; Datta, M; Davies, T; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lorenzo, G; Dell'Orso, M; Deluca, C; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; Derwent, P F; di Giovanni, G P; Dionisi, C; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; D'Onofrio, M; Donati, S; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Efron, J; Elagin, A; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Ferrazza, C; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Forrest, R; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garberson, F; Garcia, J E; Garfinkel, A F; Genser, K; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Gessler, A; Giagu, S; Giakoumopoulou, V; Giannetti, P; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Giurgiu, G; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Group, R C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, D; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Hays, C; Heck, M; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hewamanage, S; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; James, E; Jayatilaka, B; Jeon, E J; Jha, M K; Jindariani, S; Johnson, W; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kar, D; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kephart, R; Keung, J; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Koay, S A; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krop, D; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kubo, T; Kuhr, T; Kulkarni, N P; Kurata, M; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; LeCompte, T; Lee, E; Lee, H S; Lee, S W; Leone, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C S; Linacre, J; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, C; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Lovas, L; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lueck, J; Luci, C; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; MacQueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis-Katsikakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Martínez-Ballarín, R; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Masubuchi, T; Mattson, M E; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyake, H; Moggi, N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M J; Morlok, J; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Nagano, A; Naganoma, J; Nakamura, K; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nodulman, L; Norman, M; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oakes, L; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagan Griso, S; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Papaikonomou, A; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Pianori, E; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Pueschel, E; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ramakrishnan, V; Ranjan, N; Redondo, I; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rodriguez, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Roy, P; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Saltó, O; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, A; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M A; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfyrla, A; Shalhout, S Z; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shiraishi, S; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Suslov, I; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thompson, G A; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Totaro, P; Tourneur, S; Tu, Y; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, M; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vogel, M; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner-Kuhr, J; Wagner, W; Wakisaka, T; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Xie, S; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zhang, X; Zheng, Y; Zucchelli, S

2009-11-06

A combined mass and particle identification fit is used to make the first observation of the decay B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+/-)K(-/+) and measure the branching fraction of B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+/-)K(-/+) relative to B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+)pi(-). This analysis uses 1.2 fb(-1) integrated luminosity of pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. We observe a B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+/-)K(-/+) signal with a statistical significance of 8.1 sigma and measure B(B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+/-)K(-/+) /B(B(s)(0) --> D(s)(+)pi(-) 0.097+/-0.018(stat) +/- 0.009(syst).

Radiocurability by Targeting Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha} Using a Bispecific Antibody in Carcinoembryonic Antigen Transgenic Mice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larbouret, Christel; Robert, Bruno; Linard, Christine

2007-11-15

Purpose: Tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) enhances radiotherapy (RT) killing of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. To overcome systemic side effects, we used a bispecific antibody (BsAb) directed against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and TNF-{alpha} to target this cytokine in a CEA-expressing colon carcinoma. We report the evaluation of this strategy in immunocompetent CEA-transgenic mice. Methods and Materials: The murine CEA-transfected colon carcinoma MC-38 was used for all experiments. In vitro, clonogenic assays were performed after RT alone, TNF-{alpha} alone, and RT plus TNF-{alpha}. In vivo, the mice were randomly assigned to treatment groups: control, TNF-{alpha}, BsAb, BsAb plus TNF-{alpha},more » RT, RT plus TNF-{alpha}, and RT plus BsAb plus TNF-{alpha}. Measurements of endogenous TNF-{alpha} mRNA levels and evaluation of necrosis (histologic evaluation) were assessed per treatment group. Results: In vitro, combined RT plus TNF-{alpha} resulted in a significant decrease in the survival fraction at 2 Gy compared with RT alone (p < 0.00001). In vivo, we observed a complete response in 5 (50%) of 10, 2 (20%) of 10, 2 (18.2%) of 11, and 0 (0%) of 12 treated mice in the RT plus BsAb plus TNF-{alpha}, RT plus TNF-{alpha}, RT alone, and control groups, respectively. This difference was statistically significant when TNF-{alpha} was targeted with the BsAb (p = 0.03). The addition of exogenous TNF-{alpha} to RT significantly increased the endogenous TNF-{alpha} mRNA level, particularly when TNF-{alpha} was targeted with BsAb (p < 0.01). The percentages of necrotic area were significantly augmented in the RT plus BsAb plus TNF-{alpha} group. Conclusion: These results suggest that targeting TNF-{alpha} with the BsAb provokes RT curability in a CEA-expressing digestive tumor syngenic model and could be considered as a solid rationale for clinical trials.« less

Is there any significance of lung cancer histology to compare the diagnostic accuracies of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and (99m)Tc-MDP BS for the detection of bone metastases in advanced NSCLC?

PubMed

Inal, Ali; Kaplan, Muhammed Ali; Kucukoner, Mehmet; Urakcı, Zuhat; Dostbil, Zeki; Komek, Hail; Onder, Hakan; Tasdemir, Bekir; Isıkdogan, Abdurrahman

2014-01-01

Bone scintigraphy (BS) and fluorine-18 deoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) are widely used for the detection of bone involvement. The optimal imaging modality for the detection of bone metastases in histological subgroups of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains ambiguous. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of (18)F-FDG-PET/C and 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate ((99m)Tc-MDP) BS in the detection of bone metastases of patients in NSCLC. Specifically, we compared the diagnostic accuracies of these imaging techniques evaluating bone metastasis in histological subgroups of NSCLC. Fifty-three patients with advanced NSCLC, who had undergone both (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and BS and were eventually diagnosed as having bone metastasis, were enrolled in this retrospective study. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and BS were 90.4%, 99.4%, 98.1%, 96.6%, 97.0% and 84.6%, 93.1%, 82.5%, 93.2, 90.8%, respectively. The κ statistics were calculated for (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and BS. The κ-value was 0.67 between (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and BS in all patients. On the other hand, the κ-value was 0.65 in adenocarcinoma, and 0.61 in squamous cell carcinoma between (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and BS. The κ-values suggested excellent agreement between all patients and histological subgroups of NSCLC. (18)F-FDG-PET/CT was more favorable than BS in the screening of metastatic bone lesions, but the trend did not reach statistical significance in all patients and histological subgroups of NSCLC. Our results need to be validated in prospective and larger study clinical trials to further clarify this topic.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on production performance, immune characteristics, antioxidant status, and intestinal microflora of bursin-immunized broilers.

PubMed

Shen, Xuejiao; Yi, Dan; Ni, Xueqin; Zeng, Dong; Jing, Bo; Lei, Mingxia; Bian, Zhengrong; Zeng, Yan; Li, Tao; Xin, Jinge

2014-04-01

Examples of probiotics that can promote host health by improving its intestinal microbial balance and intestinal immunity belong to the genus Lactobacillus. Bursin (BS) is a peptide isolated from the bursa of Fabricius for use as an adjuvant for a variety of immunogens. To investigate the synergistic effects of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) dietary supplementation and BS immunization on production performance, immune characteristics, antioxidant status, and intestinal microflora in broilers, we randomly allocated 200 1-day-old broilers of mixed sex into 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (LP-/BS-, LP-/BS+, LP+/BS-, LP+/BS+) for 42 days. BS immunization enhanced immune response by increasing serum total immunoglobulin G concentration and interleukin-6 concentration, promoted antioxidant capacity by increasing catalase activities in serum and liver and by decreasing serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content at 42 days of age (DOA), and enriched intestinal microflora diversity. LP supplementation enhanced immune response by increasing interleukin-2 concentration at 42 DOA; promoted antioxidant capacity by increasing liver catalase activities, increasing glutathione peroxidase activities in serum and liver at 21 DOA, and decreasing serum MDA content at 42 DOA; promoted intestinal microflora composition by decreasing total aerobes and Escherichia coli counts at 21 DOA, by increasing total anaerobes count at 21 DOA, and by increasing Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. counts at both 21 and 42 DOA. The interactions between BS and LP had a significant effect on daily body mass gain and feed conversion ratio in the starter period (1-21 DOA); on interleukin-2 concentration and liver MDA content at 21 DOA; and on thymus index, peripheral lymphocyte proliferation, and E. coli counts at 42 DOA. Overall, these data suggest that the combination of LP dietary supplementation and BS immunization promoted the production performance, immune characteristics, antioxidant status, and intestinal microflora of broilers.

Estimation of confidence limits for descriptive indexes derived from autoregressive analysis of time series: Methods and application to heart rate variability.

PubMed

Beda, Alessandro; Simpson, David M; Faes, Luca

2017-01-01

The growing interest in personalized medicine requires making inferences from descriptive indexes estimated from individual recordings of physiological signals, with statistical analyses focused on individual differences between/within subjects, rather than comparing supposedly homogeneous cohorts. To this end, methods to compute confidence limits of individual estimates of descriptive indexes are needed. This study introduces numerical methods to compute such confidence limits and perform statistical comparisons between indexes derived from autoregressive (AR) modeling of individual time series. Analytical approaches are generally not viable, because the indexes are usually nonlinear functions of the AR parameters. We exploit Monte Carlo (MC) and Bootstrap (BS) methods to reproduce the sampling distribution of the AR parameters and indexes computed from them. Here, these methods are implemented for spectral and information-theoretic indexes of heart-rate variability (HRV) estimated from AR models of heart-period time series. First, the MS and BC methods are tested in a wide range of synthetic HRV time series, showing good agreement with a gold-standard approach (i.e. multiple realizations of the "true" process driving the simulation). Then, real HRV time series measured from volunteers performing cognitive tasks are considered, documenting (i) the strong variability of confidence limits' width across recordings, (ii) the diversity of individual responses to the same task, and (iii) frequent disagreement between the cohort-average response and that of many individuals. We conclude that MC and BS methods are robust in estimating confidence limits of these AR-based indexes and thus recommended for short-term HRV analysis. Moreover, the strong inter-individual differences in the response to tasks shown by AR-based indexes evidence the need of individual-by-individual assessments of HRV features. Given their generality, MC and BS methods are promising for applications in biomedical signal processing and beyond, providing a powerful new tool for assessing the confidence limits of indexes estimated from individual recordings.

Estimation of confidence limits for descriptive indexes derived from autoregressive analysis of time series: Methods and application to heart rate variability

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The growing interest in personalized medicine requires making inferences from descriptive indexes estimated from individual recordings of physiological signals, with statistical analyses focused on individual differences between/within subjects, rather than comparing supposedly homogeneous cohorts. To this end, methods to compute confidence limits of individual estimates of descriptive indexes are needed. This study introduces numerical methods to compute such confidence limits and perform statistical comparisons between indexes derived from autoregressive (AR) modeling of individual time series. Analytical approaches are generally not viable, because the indexes are usually nonlinear functions of the AR parameters. We exploit Monte Carlo (MC) and Bootstrap (BS) methods to reproduce the sampling distribution of the AR parameters and indexes computed from them. Here, these methods are implemented for spectral and information-theoretic indexes of heart-rate variability (HRV) estimated from AR models of heart-period time series. First, the MS and BC methods are tested in a wide range of synthetic HRV time series, showing good agreement with a gold-standard approach (i.e. multiple realizations of the "true" process driving the simulation). Then, real HRV time series measured from volunteers performing cognitive tasks are considered, documenting (i) the strong variability of confidence limits' width across recordings, (ii) the diversity of individual responses to the same task, and (iii) frequent disagreement between the cohort-average response and that of many individuals. We conclude that MC and BS methods are robust in estimating confidence limits of these AR-based indexes and thus recommended for short-term HRV analysis. Moreover, the strong inter-individual differences in the response to tasks shown by AR-based indexes evidence the need of individual-by-individual assessments of HRV features. Given their generality, MC and BS methods are promising for applications in biomedical signal processing and beyond, providing a powerful new tool for assessing the confidence limits of indexes estimated from individual recordings. PMID:28968394

Techniques for the stabilization and assessment of treated copper-, chromium-, and arsenic-contaminated soil.

PubMed

Maurice, Christian; Lidelöw, Sofia; Gustavsson, Björn; Lättström, Anders; Ragnvaldsson, Daniel; Leffler, Per; Lövgren, Lars; Tesfalidet, Solomon; Kumpiene, Jurate

2007-09-01

Remediation mainly based on excavation and burial of the contaminated soil is impractical with regard to the large numbers of sites identified as being in need of remediation. Therefore, alternative methods are needed for brownfield remediation. This study was conducted to assess a chemical stabilization procedure of CCA-contaminated soil using iron (Fe)-containing blaster sand (BS) or oxygen-scarfing granulate (OSG). The stabilization technique was assessed with regard to the feasibility of mixing ameliorants at an industrial scale and the efficiency of the stabilization under different redox conditions. The stability was investigated under natural conditions in 1-m3 lysimeters in a field experiment, and the effect of redox conditions was assessed in a laboratory experiment (10 L). The treatments with high additions of ameliorant (8% and 17%) were more successful in both the laboratory and field experiments, even though there was enough Fe on a stochiometric basis even at the lowest addition rates (0.1% and 1%). The particle size of the Fe and the mixing influenced the stabilization efficiency. The development of anaerobic conditions, simulated by water saturation, increases the fraction of arsenic (AsIII) and, consequently, As mobility. The use of high concentrations of OSG under aerobic conditions increased the concentrations of nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) in the pore water. However, under anaerobic conditions, it decreased the As leaching compared with the untreated soil, and Ni and Cu leaching was not critical. The final destination of the treated soil should govern the amendment choice, that is, an OSG concentration of approximately 10% may be suitable if the soil is to be landfilled under anaerobic conditions. Alternatively, the soil mixed with 1% BS could be kept under aerobic conditions in a landfill cover or in situ at a brownfield site. In addition, the treatment with BS appeared to produce better effects in the long term than treatment with OSG.

Constraining the thermal structure beneath Lusi: insights from temperature record in erupted clasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malvoisin, Benjamin; Mazzini, Adriano; Miller, Stephen

2016-04-01

Sedimentary units beneath Lusi from surface to depth are the Pucangan formation, the Upper Kalibeng formation where shales and then volcanoclastic clasts are found, the Kujung-Propuh-Tuban formation composed of carbonates and the Ngimbang formation composed of shales. Water and gas geochemistry as well as surface deformation indicate that Lusi is a hydrothermal system rooted at >4 km depth. However, the thermal structure beneath Lusi is still poorly constrained whereas it has first-order impacts on the physical and chemical processes observed during the eruption. In the framework of the Lusi Lab project (ERC grant n° 308126) and of a project of the Swiss National Science Foundation (n°160050) we studied erupted clasts collected at the crater site to determine their source and temperature record. Three types of clasts were studied based on morphological and mineralogical basis. The first type is limestones mainly composed of Ca- and Fe-bearing carbonates. The clasts of the second type are light grey shales (LGS) containing carbonaceous matter, illite/smectite mixture, plagioclase and quartz. The third type is also a shale with a black colour containing hydrocarbons (black shales, BS) and with the additional presence of Na-rich plagioclase, biotite and chlorite. The presence of these latter minerals indicates hydrothermal activity at relatively high temperature. Better constraints on temperature were obtained by using both Raman spectroscopic carbonaceous material thermometry (RSCM) and chlorite geothermometry. Temperatures below 200°C were determined for the LGS with RSCM. BS recorded two temperatures. The first one, around 170°C, is rather consistent with an extrapolation of the geothermal gradient measured before the eruption up to 4,000 m depth. Combined with mineralogical observations, this suggests that BS originate from the Ngimbang formation. The second recorded higher temperature around 250°C indicates heating, probably through interaction with high temperature hydrothermal fluids. Calculations performed for such a heating indicate that associated clay dehydration is sufficient to provide the water released during the eruption and that heating-induced overpressure could favor fluid ascent. These results confirm the hydrothermal scenario in which Lusi eruption is fed by high temperature fluid circulation from the neighboring Arjuno-Welirang volcanic complex.

Dietary Probiotic Bacillus subtilis Strain fmbj Increases Antioxidant Capacity and Oxidative Stability of Chicken Breast Meat during Storage

PubMed Central

Bai, Wen Kai; Zhang, Fei Jing; He, Tian Jin; Su, Peng Wei; Ying, Xiong Zhi; Zhang, Li Li; Wang, Tian

2016-01-01

This study was aimed to measure the dietary effects of probiotic Bacillus subtilis strain fmbj (BS fmbj) on antioxidant capacity and oxidative stability of chicken breast meat during storage. Treatment groups were fed the basal diet with BS fmbj at 0 g/kg (CON), 0.2 g/kg (BS-1), 0.3 g/kg (BS-2), or 0.4 g/kg (BS-3) doses without antibiotics. During 8 days of storage at 4°C, BS-2 group showed a significant improvement (P < 0.05) on meat quality (pH, Drip loss, Cooking loss, Shear force, color L*, a*, b*), free radical scavenging activity (DPPH, ABTS+, H2O2), tissues antioxidant enzyme capacity (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GSH, T-SH), mitochondria antioxidant enzyme capacity (MnSOD, GPx, GSH), mRNA expression of antioxidant genes (Nrf2, HO-1, SOD, CAT, GSH-Px) and mitochondrial function genes (avUCP, NRF1, NRF2, TFAM, PGC-1α), oxidative damage index (MDA, ROS, PC, 8-OHdG), and MMP level in chicken breast meat as compared to the CON group. These results indicate that dietary BS fmbj in broiler diets can protect breast meat against the storage-induced oxidative stress by improving their free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity during 8 days of storage at 4°C. PMID:27907152

Measurement of Bs0 and Ds- Meson Lifetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aaij, R.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Akar, S.; Albrecht, J.; Alessio, F.; Alexander, M.; Ali, S.; Alkhazov, G.; Alvarez Cartelle, P.; Alves, A. A.; Amato, S.; Amerio, S.; Amhis, Y.; An, L.; Anderlini, L.; Andreassi, G.; Andreotti, M.; Andrews, J. E.; Appleby, R. B.; Archilli, F.; d'Argent, P.; Arnau Romeu, J.; Artamonov, A.; Artuso, M.; Aslanides, E.; Auriemma, G.; Baalouch, M.; Babuschkin, I.; Bachmann, S.; Back, J. J.; Badalov, A.; Baesso, C.; Baker, S.; Balagura, V.; Baldini, W.; Baranov, A.; Barlow, R. J.; Barschel, C.; Barsuk, S.; Barter, W.; Baryshnikov, F.; Baszczyk, M.; Batozskaya, V.; Batsukh, B.; Battista, V.; Bay, A.; Beaucourt, L.; Beddow, J.; Bedeschi, F.; Bediaga, I.; Beiter, A.; Bel, L. J.; Bellee, V.; Belloli, N.; Belous, K.; Belyaev, I.; Ben-Haim, E.; Bencivenni, G.; Benson, S.; Beranek, S.; Berezhnoy, A.; Bernet, R.; Bertolin, A.; Betancourt, C.; Betti, F.; Bettler, M.-O.; van Beuzekom, M.; Bezshyiko, Ia.; Bifani, S.; Billoir, P.; Birnkraut, A.; Bitadze, A.; Bizzeti, A.; Blake, T.; Blanc, F.; Blouw, J.; Blusk, S.; Bocci, V.; Boettcher, T.; Bondar, A.; Bondar, N.; Bonivento, W.; Bordyuzhin, I.; Borgheresi, A.; Borghi, S.; Borisyak, M.; Borsato, M.; Bossu, F.; Boubdir, M.; Bowcock, T. J. V.; Bowen, E.; Bozzi, C.; Braun, S.; Britton, T.; Brodzicka, J.; Buchanan, E.; Burr, C.; Bursche, A.; Buytaert, J.; Cadeddu, S.; Calabrese, R.; Calvi, M.; Calvo Gomez, M.; Camboni, A.; Campana, P.; Campora Perez, D. H.; Capriotti, L.; Carbone, A.; Carboni, G.; Cardinale, R.; Cardini, A.; Carniti, P.; Carson, L.; Carvalho Akiba, K.; Casse, G.; Cassina, L.; Castillo Garcia, L.; Cattaneo, M.; Cavallero, G.; Cenci, R.; Chamont, D.; Charles, M.; Charpentier, Ph.; Chatzikonstantinidis, G.; Chefdeville, M.; Chen, S.; Cheung, S.-F.; Chobanova, V.; Chrzaszcz, M.; Chubykin, A.; Cid Vidal, X.; Ciezarek, G.; Clarke, P. E. L.; Clemencic, M.; Cliff, H. V.; Closier, J.; Coco, V.; Cogan, J.; Cogneras, E.; Cogoni, V.; Cojocariu, L.; Collins, P.; Comerma-Montells, A.; Contu, A.; Cook, A.; Coombs, G.; Coquereau, S.; Corti, G.; Corvo, M.; Costa Sobral, C. M.; Couturier, B.; Cowan, G. A.; Craik, D. C.; Crocombe, A.; Cruz Torres, M.; Cunliffe, S.; Currie, R.; D'Ambrosio, C.; Da Cunha Marinho, F.; Dall'Occo, E.; Dalseno, J.; David, P. N. Y.; Davis, A.; De Bruyn, K.; De Capua, S.; De Cian, M.; De Miranda, J. M.; De Paula, L.; De Serio, M.; De Simone, P.; Dean, C. T.; Decamp, D.; Deckenhoff, M.; Del Buono, L.; Dembinski, H.-P.; Demmer, M.; Dendek, A.; Derkach, D.; Deschamps, O.; Dettori, F.; Dey, B.; Di Canto, A.; Di Nezza, P.; Dijkstra, H.; Dordei, F.; Dorigo, M.; Dosil Suárez, A.; Dovbnya, A.; Dreimanis, K.; Dufour, L.; Dujany, G.; Dungs, K.; Durante, P.; Dzhelyadin, R.; Dziewiecki, M.; Dziurda, A.; Dzyuba, A.; Déléage, N.; Easo, S.; Ebert, M.; Egede, U.; Egorychev, V.; Eidelman, S.; Eisenhardt, S.; Eitschberger, U.; Ekelhof, R.; Eklund, L.; Ely, S.; Esen, S.; Evans, H. M.; Evans, T.; Falabella, A.; Farley, N.; Farry, S.; Fay, R.; Fazzini, D.; Ferguson, D.; Fernandez, G.; Fernandez Prieto, A.; Ferrari, F.; Ferreira Rodrigues, F.; Ferro-Luzzi, M.; Filippov, S.; Fini, R. A.; Fiore, M.; Fiorini, M.; Firlej, M.; Fitzpatrick, C.; Fiutowski, T.; Fleuret, F.; Fohl, K.; Fontana, M.; Fontanelli, F.; Forshaw, D. C.; Forty, R.; Franco Lima, V.; Frank, M.; Frei, C.; Fu, J.; Funk, W.; Furfaro, E.; Färber, C.; Gallas Torreira, A.; Galli, D.; Gallorini, S.; Gambetta, S.; Gandelman, M.; Gandini, P.; Gao, Y.; Garcia Martin, L. M.; García Pardiñas, J.; Garra Tico, J.; Garrido, L.; Garsed, P. J.; Gascon, D.; Gaspar, C.; Gavardi, L.; Gazzoni, G.; Gerick, D.; Gersabeck, E.; Gersabeck, M.; Gershon, T.; Ghez, Ph.; Gianı, S.; Gibson, V.; Girard, O. G.; Giubega, L.; Gizdov, K.; Gligorov, V. V.; Golubkov, D.; Golutvin, A.; Gomes, A.; Gorelov, I. V.; Gotti, C.; Govorkova, E.; Graciani Diaz, R.; Granado Cardoso, L. A.; Graugés, E.; Graverini, E.; Graziani, G.; Grecu, A.; Greim, R.; Griffith, P.; Grillo, L.; Gruberg Cazon, B. R.; Grünberg, O.; Gushchin, E.; Guz, Yu.; Gys, T.; Göbel, C.; Hadavizadeh, T.; Hadjivasiliou, C.; Haefeli, G.; Haen, C.; Haines, S. C.; Hamilton, B.; Han, X.; Hansmann-Menzemer, S.; Harnew, N.; Harnew, S. T.; Harrison, J.; Hatch, M.; He, J.; Head, T.; Heister, A.; Hennessy, K.; Henrard, P.; Henry, L.; van Herwijnen, E.; Heß, M.; Hicheur, A.; Hill, D.; Hombach, C.; Hopchev, H.; Huard, Z.-C.; Hulsbergen, W.; Humair, T.; Hushchyn, M.; Hutchcroft, D.; Idzik, M.; Ilten, P.; Jacobsson, R.; Jalocha, J.; Jans, E.; Jawahery, A.; Jiang, F.; John, M.; Johnson, D.; Jones, C. R.; Joram, C.; Jost, B.; Jurik, N.; Kandybei, S.; Karacson, M.; Kariuki, J. M.; Karodia, S.; Kecke, M.; Kelsey, M.; Kenzie, M.; Ketel, T.; Khairullin, E.; Khanji, B.; Khurewathanakul, C.; Kirn, T.; Klaver, S.; Klimaszewski, K.; Klimkovich, T.; Koliiev, S.; Kolpin, M.; Komarov, I.; Kopecna, R.; Koppenburg, P.; Kosmyntseva, A.; Kotriakhova, S.; Kozachuk, A.; Kozeiha, M.; Kravchuk, L.; Kreps, M.; Krokovny, P.; Kruse, F.; Krzemien, W.; Kucewicz, W.; Kucharczyk, M.; Kudryavtsev, V.; Kuonen, A. K.; Kurek, K.; Kvaratskheliya, T.; Lacarrere, D.; Lafferty, G.; Lai, A.; Lanfranchi, G.; Langenbruch, C.; Latham, T.; Lazzeroni, C.; Le Gac, R.; van Leerdam, J.; Leflat, A.; Lefrançois, J.; Lefèvre, R.; Lemaitre, F.; Lemos Cid, E.; Leroy, O.; Lesiak, T.; Leverington, B.; Li, T.; Li, Y.; Li, Z.; Likhomanenko, T.; Lindner, R.; Lionetto, F.; Liu, X.; Loh, D.; Longstaff, I.; Lopes, J. H.; Lucchesi, D.; Lucio Martinez, M.; Luo, H.; Lupato, A.; Luppi, E.; Lupton, O.; Lusiani, A.; Lyu, X.; Machefert, F.; Maciuc, F.; Maev, O.; Maguire, K.; Malde, S.; Malinin, A.; Maltsev, T.; Manca, G.; Mancinelli, G.; Manning, P.; Maratas, J.; Marchand, J. F.; Marconi, U.; Marin Benito, C.; Marinangeli, M.; Marino, P.; Marks, J.; Martellotti, G.; Martin, M.; Martinelli, M.; Martinez Santos, D.; Martinez Vidal, F.; Martins Tostes, D.; Massacrier, L. M.; Massafferri, A.; Matev, R.; Mathad, A.; Mathe, Z.; Matteuzzi, C.; Mauri, A.; Maurice, E.; Maurin, B.; Mazurov, A.; McCann, M.; McNab, A.; McNulty, R.; Meadows, B.; Meier, F.; Melnychuk, D.; Merk, M.; Merli, A.; Michielin, E.; Milanes, D. A.; Minard, M.-N.; Mitzel, D. S.; Mogini, A.; Molina Rodriguez, J.; Monroy, I. A.; Monteil, S.; Morandin, M.; Morello, M. J.; Morgunova, O.; Moron, J.; Morris, A. B.; Mountain, R.; Muheim, F.; Mulder, M.; Mussini, M.; Müller, D.; Müller, J.; Müller, K.; Müller, V.; Naik, P.; Nakada, T.; Nandakumar, R.; Nandi, A.; Nasteva, I.; Needham, M.; Neri, N.; Neubert, S.; Neufeld, N.; Neuner, M.; Nguyen, T. D.; Nguyen-Mau, C.; Nieswand, S.; Niet, R.; Nikitin, N.; Nikodem, T.; Nogay, A.; Novoselov, A.; O'Hanlon, D. P.; Oblakowska-Mucha, A.; Obraztsov, V.; Ogilvy, S.; Oldeman, R.; Onderwater, C. J. G.; Ossowska, A.; Otalora Goicochea, J. M.; Owen, P.; Oyanguren, A.; Pais, P. R.; Palano, A.; Palutan, M.; Papanestis, A.; Pappagallo, M.; Pappalardo, L. L.; Pappenheimer, C.; Parker, W.; Parkes, C.; Passaleva, G.; Pastore, A.; Patel, M.; Patrignani, C.; Pearce, A.; Pellegrino, A.; Penso, G.; Pepe Altarelli, M.; Perazzini, S.; Perret, P.; Pescatore, L.; Petridis, K.; Petrolini, A.; Petrov, A.; Petruzzo, M.; Picatoste Olloqui, E.; Pietrzyk, B.; Pikies, M.; Pinci, D.; Pistone, A.; Piucci, A.; Placinta, V.; Playfer, S.; Plo Casasus, M.; Poikela, T.; Polci, F.; Poli Lener, M.; Poluektov, A.; Polyakov, I.; Polycarpo, E.; Pomery, G. J.; Ponce, S.; Popov, A.; Popov, D.; Popovici, B.; Poslavskii, S.; Potterat, C.; Price, E.; Prisciandaro, J.; Prouve, C.; Pugatch, V.; Puig Navarro, A.; Punzi, G.; Qian, C.; Qian, W.; Quagliani, R.; Rachwal, B.; Rademacker, J. H.; Rama, M.; Ramos Pernas, M.; Rangel, M. S.; Raniuk, I.; Ratnikov, F.; Raven, G.; Redi, F.; Reichert, S.; dos Reis, A. C.; Remon Alepuz, C.; Renaudin, V.; Ricciardi, S.; Richards, S.; Rihl, M.; Rinnert, K.; Rives Molina, V.; Robbe, P.; Rodrigues, A. B.; Rodrigues, E.; Rodriguez Lopez, J. A.; Rodriguez Perez, P.; Rogozhnikov, A.; Roiser, S.; Rollings, A.; Romanovskiy, V.; Romero Vidal, A.; Ronayne, J. W.; Rotondo, M.; Rudolph, M. S.; Ruf, T.; Ruiz Valls, P.; Saborido Silva, J. J.; Sadykhov, E.; Sagidova, N.; Saitta, B.; Salustino Guimaraes, V.; Sanchez Gonzalo, D.; Sanchez Mayordomo, C.; Sanmartin Sedes, B.; Santacesaria, R.; Santamarina Rios, C.; Santimaria, M.; Santovetti, E.; Sarti, A.; Satriano, C.; Satta, A.; Saunders, D. M.; Savrina, D.; Schael, S.; Schellenberg, M.; Schiller, M.; Schindler, H.; Schlupp, M.; Schmelling, M.; Schmelzer, T.; Schmidt, B.; Schneider, O.; Schopper, A.; Schreiner, H. F.; Schubert, K.; Schubiger, M.; Schune, M.-H.; Schwemmer, R.; Sciascia, B.; Sciubba, A.; Semennikov, A.; Sergi, A.; Serra, N.; Serrano, J.; Sestini, L.; Seyfert, P.; Shapkin, M.; Shapoval, I.; Shcheglov, Y.; Shears, T.; Shekhtman, L.; Shevchenko, V.; Siddi, B. G.; Silva Coutinho, R.; Silva de Oliveira, L.; Simi, G.; Simone, S.; Sirendi, M.; Skidmore, N.; Skwarnicki, T.; Smith, E.; Smith, I. T.; Smith, J.; Smith, M.; Soares Lavra, l.; Sokoloff, M. D.; Soler, F. J. P.; Souza De Paula, B.; Spaan, B.; Spradlin, P.; Sridharan, S.; Stagni, F.; Stahl, M.; Stahl, S.; Stefko, P.; Stefkova, S.; Steinkamp, O.; Stemmle, S.; Stenyakin, O.; Stevens, H.; Stoica, S.; Stone, S.; Storaci, B.; Stracka, S.; Stramaglia, M. E.; Straticiuc, M.; Straumann, U.; Sun, L.; Sutcliffe, W.; Swientek, K.; Syropoulos, V.; Szczekowski, M.; Szumlak, T.; T'Jampens, S.; Tayduganov, A.; Tekampe, T.; Tellarini, G.; Teubert, F.; Thomas, E.; van Tilburg, J.; Tilley, M. J.; Tisserand, V.; Tobin, M.; Tolk, S.; Tomassetti, L.; Tonelli, D.; Topp-Joergensen, S.; Toriello, F.; Tourinho Jadallah Aoude, R.; Tournefier, E.; Tourneur, S.; Trabelsi, K.; Traill, M.; Tran, M. T.; Tresch, M.; Trisovic, A.; Tsaregorodtsev, A.; Tsopelas, P.; Tully, A.; Tuning, N.; Ukleja, A.; Ustyuzhanin, A.; Uwer, U.; Vacca, C.; Vagnoni, V.; Valassi, A.; Valat, S.; Valenti, G.; Vazquez Gomez, R.; Vazquez Regueiro, P.; Vecchi, S.; van Veghel, M.; Velthuis, J. J.; Veltri, M.; Veneziano, G.; Venkateswaran, A.; Verlage, T. A.; Vernet, M.; Vesterinen, M.; Viana Barbosa, J. V.; Viaud, B.; Vieira, D.; Vieites Diaz, M.; Viemann, H.; Vilasis-Cardona, X.; Vitti, M.; Volkov, V.; Vollhardt, A.; Voneki, B.; Vorobyev, A.; Vorobyev, V.; Voß, C.; de Vries, J. A.; Vázquez Sierra, C.; Waldi, R.; Wallace, C.; Wallace, R.; Walsh, J.; Wang, J.; Ward, D. R.; Wark, H. M.; Watson, N. K.; Websdale, D.; Weiden, A.; Whitehead, M.; Wicht, J.; Wilkinson, G.; Wilkinson, M.; Williams, M.; Williams, M. P.; Williams, M.; Williams, T.; Wilson, F. F.; Wimberley, J.; Winn, M. A.; Wishahi, J.; Wislicki, W.; Witek, M.; Wormser, G.; Wotton, S. A.; Wraight, K.; Wyllie, K.; Xie, Y.; Xing, Z.; Xu, Z.; Yang, Z.; Yang, Z.; Yao, Y.; Yin, H.; Yu, J.; Yuan, X.; Yushchenko, O.; Zarebski, K. A.; Zavertyaev, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Y.; Zhelezov, A.; Zheng, Y.; Zhu, X.; Zhukov, V.; Zucchelli, S.; LHCb Collaboration

2017-09-01

We report on a measurement of the flavor-specific Bs0 lifetime and of the Ds- lifetime using proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to 3.0 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. Approximately 407 000 Bs0→Ds(*)-μ+νμ decays are partially reconstructed in the K+K-π-μ+ final state. The Bs0 and Ds- natural widths are determined using, as a reference, kinematically similar B0→D(*)-μ+νμ decays reconstructed in the same final state. The resulting differences between widths of Bs0 and B0 mesons and of Ds- and D- mesons are ΔΓ(B )=-0.0115 ±0.0053 (stat ) ±0.0041 (syst ) ps-1 and ΔΓ(D )=1.0131 ±0.0117 (stat ) ±0.0065 (syst ) ps-1, respectively. Combined with the known B0 and D- lifetimes, these yield the flavor-specific Bs0 lifetime, τBs 0 fs =1.547 ±0.013 (stat ) ±0.010 (syst ) ±0.004 (τB) ps and the Ds- lifetime, τDs-=0.5064 ±0.0030 (stat ) ±0.0017 (syst ) ±0.0017 (τD) ps . The last uncertainties originate from the limited knowledge of the B0 and D- lifetimes. The results improve upon current determinations.

Do Food Preferences Change After Bariatric Surgery?

PubMed

Gero, Daniel; Steinert, Robert E; le Roux, Carel W; Bueter, Marco

2017-09-01

Insights into physiological mechanisms responsible for weight loss after bariatric surgery (BS) have challenged the traditional view that mechanical restriction and caloric malabsorption are major drivers of weight loss and health benefits after BS. Altered diet selection with an increased postoperative preference for low-sugar and low-fat food has also been implicated as a potential mechanism beyond mere reduction of calorie intake. However, the empirical support for this phenomenon is not uniform and evidence is largely based on indirect measurements, such as self-reported food intake data, which are prone to inaccuracy due to their subjective character. Most studies indicate that patients not only reduce their caloric intake after BS, but also show a reduced preference of food with high sugar and high fat content. So far, standard behavioral tests to directly measure changes in food intake behavior after BS have been mainly used in animal models. It remains unclear whether there are fundamental shifts in the palatability of high-fat and sugary foods after BS or simply a decrease in the appetitive drive to ingest them. Studies of appetitive behavior in humans after BS have produced equivocal results. Learning processes may play a role as changes in diet selection seem to progress with time after surgery. So far, direct measures of altered food selection in humans after BS are rare and the durability of altered food selection as well as the role of learning remains elusive.

Cytomegalovirus infection of the BS-1 human stroma cell line: effect on murine hemopoiesis.

PubMed

Steinberg, H N; Anderson, J; Lim, B; Chatis, P A

1993-10-01

BS-1, a stromal cell line derived from human bone marrow, can support the growth of murine erythroid (BFU-E), granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), and megakaryocyte (CFU-M) progenitor cells in a short term in vitro coculture system. Exposure of BS-1 cells to cytomegalovirus (CMV) for 3 hr prior to coculture results in a marked reduction in the stroma cell's ability to support murine hemopoiesis. CMV's effect on the BS-1 cell's hematopoietic support function is dependent on the multiplicity of infection with total suppression of BFU-E observed at a 1:1 ratio of virus to bone marrow cells. A 50% loss in the ability of BS-1 cells to support BFU-E is observed at a 0.1:1 ratio. No effect of CMV is observed with further log dilutions of virus. CMV infection of BS-1 cells affects its support of erythroid progenitor cell growth to a greater extent than its influence on the development of granulocyte-macrophage colonies. Antibody to CMV or heat inactivation of the virus reverses the inhibitory affect on BS-1 cells. The results suggest that CMV can infect a cell that constitutes one of the cellular elements of the normal bone marrow microenvironment causing a decrease in the stroma's ability to support the growth and development of normal progenitor cells.

Regulation of osteoarthritis by omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids in a naturally occurring model of disease

PubMed Central

Knott, L.; Avery, N.C.; Hollander, A.P.; Tarlton, J.F.

2011-01-01

Summary Objective To examine effects of high omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) diets on development of osteoarthritis (OA) in a spontaneous guinea pig model, and to further characterise pathogenesis in this model. Modern diets low in n-3 PUFAs have been linked with increases in inflammatory disorders, possibly including OA. However, n-3 is also thought to increases bone density, which is a possible contributing factor in OA. Therefore we aim to determine the net influence of n-3 in disease development. Method OA-prone Dunkin-Hartley (DH) Guinea pigs were compared with OA-resistant Bristol Strain-2s (BS2) each fed a standard or an n-3 diet from 10 to 30 weeks (10/group). We examined cartilage and subchondral bone pathology by histology, and biochemistry, including collagen cross-links, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), alkaline phosphatase, glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and denatured type II collagen. Results Dietary n-3 reduced disease in OA-prone animals. Most cartilage parameters were modified by n-3 diet towards those seen in the non-pathological BS2 strain – significantly active MMP-2, lysyl-pyridinoline and total collagen cross-links – the only exception being pro MMP-9 which was lower in the BS2, yet increased with n-3. GAG content was higher and denatured type II lower in the n-3 group. Subchondral bone parameters in the DH n-3 group also changed towards those seen in the non-pathological strain, significantly calcium:phosphate ratios and epiphyseal bone density. Conclusion Dietary n-3 PUFA reduced OA in the prone strain, and most disease markers were modified towards those of the non-OA strain, though not all significantly so. Omega-3 did not increase markers of pathology in either strain. PMID:21723952

Rubisco small subunit, chlorophyll a/b-binding protein and sucrose:fructan-6-fructosyl transferase gene expression and sugar status in single barley leaf cells in situ. Cell type specificity and induction by light.

PubMed

Lu, Chungui; Koroleva, Olga A; Farrar, John F; Gallagher, Joe; Pollock, Chris J; Tomos, A Deri

2002-11-01

We describe a highly efficient two-step single-cell reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique for analyzing gene expression at the single-cell level. Good reproducibility and a linear dose response indicated that the technique has high specificity and sensitivity for detection and quantification of rare RNA. Actin could be used as an internal standard. The expression of message for Rubisco small subunit (RbcS), chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (Cab), sucrose (Suc):fructan-6-fructosyl transferase (6-SFT), and Actin were measured in individual photosynthetic cells of the barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaf. Only Actin was found in the non-photosynthetic epidermal cells. Cab, RbcS, and 6-SFT genes were expressed at a low level in mesophyll and parenchymatous bundle sheath (BS) cells when sampled from plants held in dark for 40 h. Expression increased considerably after illumination. The amount of 6-SFT, Cab, and RbcS transcript increased more in mesophyll cells than in the parenchymatous BS cells. The difference may be caused by different chloroplast structure and posttranscriptional control in mesophyll and BS cells. When similar single-cell samples were assayed for Suc, glucose, and fructan, there was high correlation between 6-SFT gene expression and Suc and glucose concentrations. This is consistent with Suc concentration being the trigger for transcription. Together with earlier demonstrations that the mesophyll cells have a higher sugar threshold for fructan polymerization, our data may indicate separate control of transcription and enzyme activity. Values for the sugar concentrations of the individual cell types are reported.

On the use of faults and background seismicity in Seismic Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis (SPTHA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selva, Jacopo; Lorito, Stefano; Basili, Roberto; Tonini, Roberto; Tiberti, Mara Monica; Romano, Fabrizio; Perfetti, Paolo; Volpe, Manuela

2017-04-01

Most of the SPTHA studies and applications rely on several working assumptions: i) the - mostly offshore - tsunamigenic faults are sufficiently well known; ii) the subduction zone earthquakes dominate the hazard; iii) and their location and geometry is sufficiently well constrained. Hence, a probabilistic model is constructed as regards the magnitude-frequency distribution and sometimes the slip distribution of earthquakes occurring on assumed known faults. Then, tsunami scenarios are usually constructed for all earthquakes location, sizes, and slip distributions included in the probabilistic model, through deterministic numerical modelling of tsunami generation, propagation and impact on realistic bathymetries. Here, we adopt a different approach (Selva et al., GJI, 2016) that releases some of the above assumptions, considering that i) also non-subduction earthquakes may contribute significantly to SPTHA, depending on the local tectonic context; ii) that not all the offshore faults are known or sufficiently well constrained; iii) and that the faulting mechanism of future earthquakes cannot be considered strictly predictable. This approach uses as much as possible information from known faults which, depending on the amount of available information and on the local tectonic complexity, among other things, are either modelled as Predominant Seismicity (PS) or as Background Seismicity (BS). PS is used when it is possible to assume sufficiently known geometry and mechanism (e.g. for the main subduction zones). Conversely, within the BS approach information on faults is merged with that on past seismicity, dominant stress regime, and tectonic characterisation, to determine a probability density function for the faulting mechanism. To illustrate the methodology and its impact on the hazard estimates, we present an application in the NEAM region (Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas), initially designed during the ASTARTE project and now applied for the regional-scale SPTHA in the TSUMAPS-NEAM project funded by DG-ECHO.

Suicidal ideation among patients with Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Saygin, Caner; Uzunaslan, Didem; Hatemi, Gulen; Hamuryudan, Vedat

2015-01-01

To evaluate the frequency of suicidal ideation among Behçet's syndrome (BS) patients compared to healthy and diseased controls and to delineate possible factors predicting an increase in suicidal ideation. We included consecutive BS patients attending our outpatient clinic, patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and healthy hospital staff as controls. Suicidal ideation was assessed by a standard questionnaire. Linear regression was used to identify the factors associated with suicidal ideation, such as demographic and clinical features, drugs, disease activity assessed using the Behçet's disease current activity form (BDCAF) for BS patients and BASDAI for AS patients, Behçet's disease quality of life (BDQoL) and Beck depression inventory (BDI) score. We surveyed 303 BS patients, 52 AS patients and 106 healthy controls. Suicidal thoughts, as reflected by a positive response to the first three items of the questionnaire, were higher among BS patients with major organ involvement (42%) than those with mucocutaneous involvement (35%) and the control groups. There were significantly more BS patients with active major organ involvement who had thought to terminate their lives without plans within the last year (25.5%) compared to those with active mucocutaneous involvement (8.7%) and active AS patients (10%) (p=0.012). Patient-reported joint pain (β=-0.155, p=0.046), BDQoL (β=0.176, p=0.032), and BDI (β=0.017, p<0.0001) scores, suicidal thoughts before the onset of BS (β=-0.124, p=0.043), neurologic involvement (β=0.119, p=0.047) and past prednisone use (β=0.212, p=0.005) were independent predictors of suicidal thoughts. BS patients with major organ involvement have increased thoughts of suicide during the active stages of their disease. A number of risk factors could help physicians to identify patients with increased suicidal thoughts.

Structural flexibility at a major conserved antibody target on hepatitis C virus E2 antigen.

PubMed

Kong, Leopold; Lee, David E; Kadam, Rameshwar U; Liu, Tong; Giang, Erick; Nieusma, Travis; Garces, Fernando; Tzarum, Netanel; Woods, Virgil L; Ward, Andrew B; Li, Sheng; Wilson, Ian A; Law, Mansun

2016-10-24

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease, affecting over 2% of the world's population. The HCV envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 mediate viral entry, with E2 being the main target of neutralizing antibody responses. Structural investigations of E2 have produced templates for vaccine design, including the conserved CD81 receptor-binding site (CD81bs) that is a key target of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). Unfortunately, immunization with recombinant E2 and E1E2 rarely elicits sufficient levels of bNAbs for protection. To understand the challenges for eliciting bNAb responses against the CD81bs, we investigated the E2 CD81bs by electron microscopy (EM), hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX), molecular dynamics (MD), and calorimetry. By EM, we observed that HCV1, a bNAb recognizing the N-terminal region of the CD81bs, bound a soluble E2 core construct from multiple angles of approach, suggesting components of the CD81bs are flexible. HDX of multiple E2 constructs consistently indicated the entire CD81bs was flexible relative to the rest of the E2 protein, which was further confirmed by MD simulations. However, E2 has a high melting temperature of 84.8 °C, which is more akin to proteins from thermophilic organisms. Thus, recombinant E2 is a highly stable protein overall, but with an exceptionally flexible CD81bs. Such flexibility may promote induction of nonneutralizing antibodies over bNAbs to E2 CD81bs, underscoring the necessity of rigidifying this antigenic region as a target for rational vaccine design.

Tetravalent anti-CD20/CD3 bispecific antibody for the treatment of B cell lymphoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Chia-Yen; Chen, Gregory J.; Tai, Pei-Han

Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) are second generation antibodies for therapeutic application in immunotherapy. One of the major strategies of the bsAb platform is the recruitment of immune effector T cells by incorporating an anti-CD3 domain. A bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE), with one end having an affinity for CD3 and the other end with affinity for CD19, has been approved in the US and Europe for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, due to their small size and lack of Fc region, these single-chain variable fragment (scFv) bsAbs have short half-lives in vivo. Additionally, poor solubility, structural instability, and low production yieldsmore » have also become major challenges in the bulk production process. To overcome these challenges, we have engineered a tetravalent bsAb with bivalent binding specificity for the CD20 and CD3 antigen in an immunoglobulin G (IgG) format. The fusion of the anti-CD3 scFvs to the CD20 antibody via a linker-hinge domain (LHD) results in improved antibody stabilization and properties. Here we demonstrate this antibody's highly efficient cancer cell elimination in a dose-dependent manner in a CD20-expressing B lymphoblastoid cell line in vitro. Our data suggest the potential clinical application of this bsAb for the treatment of CD20-expressing B cell malignancies. - Highlights: • A bispecific antibody (bsAb) can increase immunotherapeutic efficacy. • A tetravalent bsAb with binding specificity for the CD20 and CD3 antigens is proposed. • A linker-hinge domain (LHD) within the bsAb results in improved antibody properties.« less

Mindset and Communication Barriers in the Diffusion of Bariatric Surgery.

PubMed

Gero, Daniel; Hulesch, Bors; Bueter, Marco

2018-05-21

Cumulating evidence is available to demonstrate the efficacy of bariatric surgery (BS) in achieving weight loss and optimizing comorbidities. However, currently, only a minority of eligible patients approaches bariatric centers. The underuse of BS can no longer be explained by the lack of evidence supporting its beneficial outcomes along with its favorable safety-profile, rather, by the supporting infrastructure, insurance coverage, and mindset of society, including potential patients and allied healthcare professionals. As a framework to approach mindset barriers in the diffusion of BS, we used the Rogers' levels of the innovation adoption process: (1) knowledge, (2) persuasion, (3) decision, (4) implementation, and (5) confirmation. Knowledge: people tend to believe that obesity is a result of lack of willpower and they have difficulties in differentiating BS from cosmetic surgery. Eligible patients often do not assess themselves as being morbidly obese and are unaware that they would qualify for BS. Persuasion: majority of BS candidates search health information online, with the aim of getting information about surgical techniques and other patients' experiences. Decision: metabolically more compromised patients are more likely to opt for BS. general practitioners who already referred patients for BS seem to be more confident to refer again, to tackle obesity and manage postoperative follow-up. Confirmation: postbariatric patients seem to be more self-confident and more productive at work; however, their stigmatization might prevail related to the way they have achieved weight loss. Dissemination of balanced and corroborative information seems to be the main instrument to combat mindset barriers. The integration of general practitioners under the umbrella of bariatric centers has a great potential to increase referrals. Social media may represent a helpful tool to be used by medical professionals and patient-role models to improve confident decision-making of bariatric candidates.

Toronto Bariatric Interprofessional Psychosocial Assessment Suitability Scale: Evaluating A New Clinical Assessment Tool for Bariatric Surgery Candidates.

PubMed

Thiara, Gurneet; Yanofksy, Richard; Abdul-Kader, Sayed; Santiago, Vincent A; Cassin, Stephanie; Okrainec, Allan; Jackson, Timothy; Hawa, Raed; Sockalingam, Sanjeev

2016-01-01

Patients who are referred for possible bariatric surgery (BS) intervention undergo a series of assessments conducted by an interdisciplinary health care team to determine suitability for surgery. Herein, we report the initial validation and reliability studies of the Bariatric Interprofessional Psychosocial Assessment Suitability Scale (BIPASS) and its relationship to interdisciplinary psychosocial assessment practices for BS. This study was conducted at the Toronto Western Hospital, a Level 1A BS center of excellence accredited by the American College of Surgeons. Phase I: a total of 4 blinded raters applied the BIPASS to 31 randomly selected BS cases referred to our program to establish interrater reliability. Phase II: in all, 3 raters with clinical experience in bariatric psychosocial care applied the BIPASS to 54 randomly selected BS cases. In total, 46 of 54 (85.1%) patients were women. The median age of all patient cases was 49 years (range: 21-74). Raters׳ BIPASS scores ranged from 4-52 (median = 19.24, standard deviation =10.38). BIPASS scores were highly predictive of the BS psychosocial outcome (area under curve = 0.915; 95% CI: 0.844-0.985; p < 0.001). A BIPASS score of ≥16 was chosen as the cutoff score for further clinical assessment before proceeding with surgical evaluation based on a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (sensitivity = 0.839; specificity = 0.783). The instrument has very good interrater reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.847) even among novice raters. The findings show that the BIPASS is a comprehensive screening tool in the psychosocial assessment of BS candidates, which standardizes the evaluation process and systematically identify at-risk patients for negative outcomes after BS. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Behçet’s syndrome: providing integrated care

PubMed Central

Esatoglu, Sinem Nihal; Kutlubay, Zekayi; Ucar, Didar; Hatemi, Ibrahim; Uygunoglu, Ugur; Siva, Aksel; Hatemi, Gulen

2017-01-01

Behçet’s syndrome (BS) is a multisystem vasculitis that presents with a variety of mucocutaneous manifestations such as oral and genital ulcers, papulopustular lesions and erythema nodosum as well as ocular, vascular, gastrointestinal and nervous system involvement. Although it occurs worldwide, it is especially prevalent in the Far East and around the Mediterranean Sea. Male gender and younger age at disease onset are associated with a more severe disease course. The management of BS depends on the severity of symptoms. If untreated, morbidity and mortality are considerably high in patients with major organ involvement. Multidisciplinary patient care is essential for the management of BS, as it is for other multisystem diseases. Rheumatologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, cardiovascular surgeons and gastroenterologists are members of the multidisciplinary team. In this study, we reviewed the epidemiology, etiology, diagnostic criteria sets, clinical findings and treatment of BS and highlighted the importance of the multidisciplinary team in the management of BS. PMID:28860798

First Observation of a Baryonic Bs0 Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aaij, R.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Akar, S.; Albrecht, J.; Alessio, F.; Alexander, M.; Ali, S.; Alkhazov, G.; Alvarez Cartelle, P.; Alves, A. A.; Amato, S.; Amerio, S.; Amhis, Y.; An, L.; Anderlini, L.; Andreassi, G.; Andreotti, M.; Andrews, J. E.; Appleby, R. B.; Archilli, F.; d'Argent, P.; Arnau Romeu, J.; Artamonov, A.; Artuso, M.; Aslanides, E.; Auriemma, G.; Baalouch, M.; Babuschkin, I.; Bachmann, S.; Back, J. J.; Badalov, A.; Baesso, C.; Baker, S.; Balagura, V.; Baldini, W.; Baranov, A.; Barlow, R. J.; Barschel, C.; Barsuk, S.; Barter, W.; Baryshnikov, F.; Baszczyk, M.; Batozskaya, V.; Battista, V.; Bay, A.; Beaucourt, L.; Beddow, J.; Bedeschi, F.; Bediaga, I.; Beiter, A.; Bel, L. J.; Bellee, V.; Belloli, N.; Belous, K.; Belyaev, I.; Ben-Haim, E.; Bencivenni, G.; Benson, S.; Beranek, S.; Berezhnoy, A.; Bernet, R.; Bertolin, A.; Betancourt, C.; Betti, F.; Bettler, M.-O.; van Beuzekom, M.; Bezshyiko, Ia.; Bifani, S.; Billoir, P.; Birnkraut, A.; Bitadze, A.; Bizzeti, A.; Blake, T.; Blanc, F.; Blouw, J.; Blusk, S.; Bocci, V.; Boettcher, T.; Bondar, A.; Bondar, N.; Bonivento, W.; Bordyuzhin, I.; Borgheresi, A.; Borghi, S.; Borisyak, M.; Borsato, M.; Bossu, F.; Boubdir, M.; Bowcock, T. J. V.; Bowen, E.; Bozzi, C.; Braun, S.; Britton, T.; Brodzicka, J.; Buchanan, E.; Burr, C.; Bursche, A.; Buytaert, J.; Cadeddu, S.; Calabrese, R.; Calvi, M.; Calvo Gomez, M.; Camboni, A.; Campana, P.; Campora Perez, D. H.; Capriotti, L.; Carbone, A.; Carboni, G.; Cardinale, R.; Cardini, A.; Carniti, P.; Carson, L.; Carvalho Akiba, K.; Casse, G.; Cassina, L.; Castillo Garcia, L.; Cattaneo, M.; Cavallero, G.; Cenci, R.; Chamont, D.; Charles, M.; Charpentier, Ph.; Chatzikonstantinidis, G.; Chefdeville, M.; Chen, S.; Cheung, S. F.; Chobanova, V.; Chrzaszcz, M.; Chubykin, A.; Cid Vidal, X.; Ciezarek, G.; Clarke, P. E. L.; Clemencic, M.; Cliff, H. V.; Closier, J.; Coco, V.; Cogan, J.; Cogneras, E.; Cogoni, V.; Cojocariu, L.; Collins, P.; Comerma-Montells, A.; Contu, A.; Cook, A.; Coombs, G.; Coquereau, S.; Corti, G.; Corvo, M.; Costa Sobral, C. M.; Couturier, B.; Cowan, G. A.; Craik, D. C.; Crocombe, A.; Cruz Torres, M.; Cunliffe, S.; Currie, R.; D'Ambrosio, C.; Da Cunha Marinho, F.; Dall'Occo, E.; Dalseno, J.; Davis, A.; De Aguiar Francisco, O.; De Bruyn, K.; De Capua, S.; De Cian, M.; De Miranda, J. M.; De Paula, L.; De Serio, M.; De Simone, P.; Dean, C. T.; Decamp, D.; Deckenhoff, M.; Del Buono, L.; Dembinski, H.-P.; Demmer, M.; Dendek, A.; Derkach, D.; Deschamps, O.; Dettori, F.; Dey, B.; Di Canto, A.; Di Nezza, P.; Dijkstra, H.; Dordei, F.; Dorigo, M.; Dosil Suárez, A.; Dovbnya, A.; Dreimanis, K.; Dufour, L.; Dujany, G.; Dungs, K.; Durante, P.; Dzhelyadin, R.; Dziewiecki, M.; Dziurda, A.; Dzyuba, A.; Déléage, N.; Easo, S.; Ebert, M.; Egede, U.; Egorychev, V.; Eidelman, S.; Eisenhardt, S.; Eitschberger, U.; Ekelhof, R.; Eklund, L.; Ely, S.; Esen, S.; Evans, H. M.; Evans, T.; Falabella, A.; Farley, N.; Farry, S.; Fay, R.; Fazzini, D.; Ferguson, D.; Fernandez, G.; Fernandez Prieto, A.; Ferrari, F.; Ferreira Rodrigues, F.; Ferro-Luzzi, M.; Filippov, S.; Fini, R. A.; Fiore, M.; Fiorini, M.; Firlej, M.; Fitzpatrick, C.; Fiutowski, T.; Fleuret, F.; Fohl, K.; Fontana, M.; Fontanelli, F.; Forshaw, D. C.; Forty, R.; Franco Lima, V.; Frank, M.; Frei, C.; Fu, J.; Funk, W.; Furfaro, E.; Färber, C.; Gabriel, E.; Gallas Torreira, A.; Galli, D.; Gallorini, S.; Gambetta, S.; Gandelman, M.; Gandini, P.; Gao, Y.; Garcia Martin, L. M.; García Pardiñas, J.; Garra Tico, J.; Garrido, L.; Garsed, P. J.; Gascon, D.; Gaspar, C.; Gavardi, L.; Gazzoni, G.; Gerick, D.; Gersabeck, E.; Gersabeck, M.; Gershon, T.; Ghez, Ph.; Gianı, S.; Gibson, V.; Girard, O. G.; Giubega, L.; Gizdov, K.; Gligorov, V. V.; Golubkov, D.; Golutvin, A.; Gomes, A.; Gorelov, I. V.; Gotti, C.; Govorkova, E.; Graciani Diaz, R.; Granado Cardoso, L. A.; Graugés, E.; Graverini, E.; Graziani, G.; Grecu, A.; Greim, R.; Griffith, P.; Grillo, L.; Gruber, L.; Gruberg Cazon, B. R.; Grünberg, O.; Gushchin, E.; Guz, Yu.; Gys, T.; Göbel, C.; Hadavizadeh, T.; Hadjivasiliou, C.; Haefeli, G.; Haen, C.; Haines, S. C.; Hamilton, B.; Han, X.; Hansmann-Menzemer, S.; Harnew, N.; Harnew, S. T.; Harrison, J.; Hatch, M.; He, J.; Head, T.; Heister, A.; Hennessy, K.; Henrard, P.; Henry, L.; van Herwijnen, E.; Heß, M.; Hicheur, A.; Hill, D.; Hombach, C.; Hopchev, P. H.; Huard, Z.-C.; Hulsbergen, W.; Humair, T.; Hushchyn, M.; Hutchcroft, D.; Idzik, M.; Ilten, P.; Jacobsson, R.; Jalocha, J.; Jans, E.; Jawahery, A.; Jiang, F.; John, M.; Johnson, D.; Jones, C. R.; Joram, C.; Jost, B.; Jurik, N.; Kandybei, S.; Karacson, M.; Kariuki, J. M.; Karodia, S.; Kecke, M.; Kelsey, M.; Kenzie, M.; Ketel, T.; Khairullin, E.; Khanji, B.; Khurewathanakul, C.; Kirn, T.; Klaver, S.; Klimaszewski, K.; Klimkovich, T.; Koliiev, S.; Kolpin, M.; Komarov, I.; Kopecna, R.; Koppenburg, P.; Kosmyntseva, A.; Kotriakhova, S.; Kozeiha, M.; Kravchuk, L.; Kreps, M.; Krokovny, P.; Kruse, F.; Krzemien, W.; Kucewicz, W.; Kucharczyk, M.; Kudryavtsev, V.; Kuonen, A. K.; Kurek, K.; Kvaratskheliya, T.; Lacarrere, D.; Lafferty, G.; Lai, A.; Lanfranchi, G.; Langenbruch, C.; Latham, T.; Lazzeroni, C.; Le Gac, R.; van Leerdam, J.; Leflat, A.; Lefrançois, J.; Lefèvre, R.; Lemaitre, F.; Lemos Cid, E.; Leroy, O.; Lesiak, T.; Leverington, B.; Li, T.; Li, Y.; Li, Z.; Likhomanenko, T.; Lindner, R.; Lionetto, F.; Liu, X.; Loh, D.; Longstaff, I.; Lopes, J. H.; Lucchesi, D.; Lucio Martinez, M.; Luo, H.; Lupato, A.; Luppi, E.; Lupton, O.; Lusiani, A.; Lyu, X.; Machefert, F.; Maciuc, F.; Maddock, B.; Maev, O.; Maguire, K.; Malde, S.; Malinin, A.; Maltsev, T.; Manca, G.; Mancinelli, G.; Manning, P.; Maratas, J.; Marchand, J. F.; Marconi, U.; Marin Benito, C.; Marinangeli, M.; Marino, P.; Marks, J.; Martellotti, G.; Martin, M.; Martinelli, M.; Martinez Santos, D.; Martinez Vidal, F.; Martins Tostes, D.; Massacrier, L. M.; Massafferri, A.; Matev, R.; Mathad, A.; Mathe, Z.; Matteuzzi, C.; Mauri, A.; Maurice, E.; Maurin, B.; Mazurov, A.; McCann, M.; McNab, A.; McNulty, R.; Meadows, B.; Meier, F.; Melnychuk, D.; Merk, M.; Merli, A.; Michielin, E.; Milanes, D. A.; Minard, M.-N.; Mitzel, D. S.; Mogini, A.; Molina Rodriguez, J.; Monroy, I. A.; Monteil, S.; Morandin, M.; Morello, M. J.; Morgunova, O.; Moron, J.; Morris, A. B.; Mountain, R.; Muheim, F.; Mulder, M.; Mussini, M.; Müller, D.; Müller, J.; Müller, K.; Müller, V.; Naik, P.; Nakada, T.; Nandakumar, R.; Nandi, A.; Nasteva, I.; Needham, M.; Neri, N.; Neubert, S.; Neufeld, N.; Neuner, M.; Nguyen, T. D.; Nguyen-Mau, C.; Nieswand, S.; Niet, R.; Nikitin, N.; Nikodem, T.; Nogay, A.; O'Hanlon, D. P.; Oblakowska-Mucha, A.; Obraztsov, V.; Ogilvy, S.; Oldeman, R.; Onderwater, C. J. G.; Ossowska, A.; Otalora Goicochea, J. M.; Owen, P.; Oyanguren, A.; Pais, P. R.; Palano, A.; Palutan, M.; Papanestis, A.; Pappagallo, M.; Pappalardo, L. L.; Pappenheimer, C.; Parker, W.; Parkes, C.; Passaleva, G.; Pastore, A.; Patel, M.; Patrignani, C.; Pearce, A.; Pellegrino, A.; Penso, G.; Pepe Altarelli, M.; Perazzini, S.; Perret, P.; Pescatore, L.; Petridis, K.; Petrolini, A.; Petrov, A.; Petruzzo, M.; Picatoste Olloqui, E.; Pietrzyk, B.; Pikies, M.; Pinci, D.; Pistone, A.; Piucci, A.; Placinta, V.; Playfer, S.; Plo Casasus, M.; Poikela, T.; Polci, F.; Poli Lener, M.; Poluektov, A.; Polyakov, I.; Polycarpo, E.; Pomery, G. J.; Ponce, S.; Popov, A.; Popov, D.; Popovici, B.; Poslavskii, S.; Potterat, C.; Price, E.; Prisciandaro, J.; Prouve, C.; Pugatch, V.; Puig Navarro, A.; Punzi, G.; Qian, C.; Qian, W.; Quagliani, R.; Rachwal, B.; Rademacker, J. H.; Rama, M.; Ramos Pernas, M.; Rangel, M. S.; Raniuk, I.; Ratnikov, F.; Raven, G.; Ravonel Salzgeber, M.; Reboud, M.; Redi, F.; Reichert, S.; dos Reis, A. C.; Remon Alepuz, C.; Renaudin, V.; Ricciardi, S.; Richards, S.; Rihl, M.; Rinnert, K.; Rives Molina, V.; Robbe, P.; Rodrigues, A. B.; Rodrigues, E.; Rodriguez Lopez, J. A.; Rodriguez Perez, P.; Rogozhnikov, A.; Roiser, S.; Rollings, A.; Romanovskiy, V.; Romero Vidal, A.; Ronayne, J. W.; Rotondo, M.; Rudolph, M. S.; Ruf, T.; Ruiz Valls, P.; Saborido Silva, J. J.; Sadykhov, E.; Sagidova, N.; Saitta, B.; Salustino Guimaraes, V.; Sanchez Gonzalo, D.; Sanchez Mayordomo, C.; Sanmartin Sedes, B.; Santacesaria, R.; Santamarina Rios, C.; Santimaria, M.; Santovetti, E.; Sarti, A.; Satriano, C.; Satta, A.; Saunders, D. M.; Savrina, D.; Schael, S.; Schellenberg, M.; Schiller, M.; Schindler, H.; Schlupp, M.; Schmelling, M.; Schmelzer, T.; Schmidt, B.; Schneider, O.; Schopper, A.; Schreiner, H. F.; Schubert, K.; Schubiger, M.; Schune, M.-H.; Schwemmer, R.; Sciascia, B.; Sciubba, A.; Semennikov, A.; Sergi, A.; Serra, N.; Serrano, J.; Sestini, L.; Seyfert, P.; Shapkin, M.; Shapoval, I.; Shcheglov, Y.; Shears, T.; Shekhtman, L.; Shevchenko, V.; Siddi, B. G.; Silva Coutinho, R.; Silva de Oliveira, L.; Simi, G.; Simone, S.; Sirendi, M.; Skidmore, N.; Skwarnicki, T.; Smith, E.; Smith, I. T.; Smith, J.; Smith, M.; Soares Lavra, l.; Sokoloff, M. D.; Soler, F. J. P.; Souza De Paula, B.; Spaan, B.; Spradlin, P.; Sridharan, S.; Stagni, F.; Stahl, M.; Stahl, S.; Stefko, P.; Stefkova, S.; Steinkamp, O.; Stemmle, S.; Stenyakin, O.; Stevens, H.; Stoica, S.; Stone, S.; Storaci, B.; Stracka, S.; Stramaglia, M. E.; Straticiuc, M.; Straumann, U.; Sun, L.; Sutcliffe, W.; Swientek, K.; Syropoulos, V.; Szczekowski, M.; Szumlak, T.; T'Jampens, S.; Tayduganov, A.; Tekampe, T.; Tellarini, G.; Teubert, F.; Thomas, E.; van Tilburg, J.; Tilley, M. J.; Tisserand, V.; Tobin, M.; Tolk, S.; Tomassetti, L.; Tonelli, D.; Topp-Joergensen, S.; Toriello, F.; Tourinho Jadallah Aoude, R.; Tournefier, E.; Tourneur, S.; Trabelsi, K.; Traill, M.; Tran, M. T.; Tresch, M.; Trisovic, A.; Tsaregorodtsev, A.; Tsopelas, P.; Tully, A.; Tuning, N.; Ukleja, A.; Ustyuzhanin, A.; Uwer, U.; Vacca, C.; Vagner, A.; Vagnoni, V.; Valassi, A.; Valat, S.; Valenti, G.; Vazquez Gomez, R.; Vazquez Regueiro, P.; Vecchi, S.; van Veghel, M.; Velthuis, J. J.; Veltri, M.; Veneziano, G.; Venkateswaran, A.; Verlage, T. A.; Vernet, M.; Vesterinen, M.; Viana Barbosa, J. V.; Viaud, B.; Vieira, D.; Vieites Diaz, M.; Viemann, H.; Vilasis-Cardona, X.; Vitti, M.; Volkov, V.; Vollhardt, A.; Voneki, B.; Vorobyev, A.; Vorobyev, V.; Voß, C.; de Vries, J. A.; Vázquez Sierra, C.; Waldi, R.; Wallace, C.; Wallace, R.; Walsh, J.; Wang, J.; Ward, D. R.; Wark, H. M.; Watson, N. K.; Websdale, D.; Weiden, A.; Whitehead, M.; Wicht, J.; Wilkinson, G.; Wilkinson, M.; Williams, M.; Williams, M. P.; Williams, M.; Williams, T.; Wilson, F. F.; Wimberley, J.; Winn, M. A.; Wishahi, J.; Wislicki, W.; Witek, M.; Wormser, G.; Wotton, S. A.; Wraight, K.; Wyllie, K.; Xie, Y.; Xu, Z.; Yang, Z.; Yang, Z.; Yao, Y.; Yin, H.; Yu, J.; Yuan, X.; Yushchenko, O.; Zarebski, K. A.; Zavertyaev, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Y.; Zhelezov, A.; Zheng, Y.; Zhu, X.; Zhukov, V.; Zonneveld, J. B.; Zucchelli, S.; LHCb Collaboration

2017-07-01

We report the first observation of a baryonic Bs0 decay, Bs0→p Λ ¯K- , using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb-1. The branching fraction is measured to be B (Bs0→p Λ ¯ K- )+B (Bs0→p ¯ Λ K+ )=[5.46 ±0.61 ±0.57 ±0.50 (B )±0.32 (fs/fd)] ×10-6 , where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic, the third uncertainty accounts for the experimental uncertainty on the branching fraction of the B0→p Λ ¯π- decay used for normalization, and the fourth uncertainty relates to the knowledge of the ratio of b -quark hadronization probabilities fs/fd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clausen, Drew; Wade, Richard A., E-mail: dclausen@astro.psu.edu, E-mail: wade@astro.psu.edu

Many hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are in close binaries, and the favored formation channels for subdwarfs rely on mass transfer in a binary system to strip a core He-burning star of its envelope. However, these channels cannot account for sdBs that have been observed in long-period binaries nor the narrow mass distribution of isolated (or 'singleton') sdBs. We propose a new formation channel involving the merger of a helium white dwarf and a low-mass, hydrogen-burning star, which addresses these issues. Hierarchical triples whose inner binaries merge and form sdBs by this process could explain the observed long-period subdwarf+main-sequence binaries.more » This process would also naturally explain the observed slow rotational speeds of singleton sdBs. We also briefly discuss the implications of this formation channel for extreme horizontal branch morphology in globular clusters and the UV upturn in elliptical galaxies.« less

New strategy to explore C P violation with Bs0→K-K+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleischer, Robert; Jaarsma, Ruben; Vos, K. Keri

2016-12-01

The U -spin symmetry provides a powerful tool to extract the angle γ of the Unitarity Triangle and the Bs0- B¯s 0 mixing phase ϕs from C P violation in the Bs0→K-K+, Bd0→π-π+ system. LHCb has obtained first results with uncertainties at the 7° level. Due to U -spin-breaking corrections, it will be challenging to reduce the uncertainty below O (5 ° ) at Belle II and the LHCb upgrade. We propose a new strategy, using γ as input and utilizing Bs0→K-ℓ+νℓ,Bd0→π -ℓ+νℓ decays, which allows an extraction of ϕs with a future theoretical precision of up to O (0.5 ° ), thereby matching the experimental prospects. Since Bs0→K -K+ is dominated by penguin topologies, new sources of C P violation may be revealed.

Characterization of RbmD (glycosyltransferase in ribostamycin gene cluster) through neomycin production reconstituted from the engineered Streptomyces fradiae BS1.

PubMed

Nepal, Keshav Kumar; Oh, Tae-Jin; Subba, Bimala; Yoo, Jin Cheol; Sohng, Jae Kyung

2009-01-31

Amino acid homology analysis predicted that rbmD, a putative glycosyltransferase from Streptomyces ribosidificus ATCC 21294, has the highest homology with neoD in neomycin biosynthesis. S. fradiae BS1, in which the production of neomycin was abolished, was generated by disruption of the neoD gene in the neomycin producer S. fradiae. The restoration of neomycin by self complementation suggested that there was no polar effect in the mutant. In addition, S. fradiae BS6 was created with complementation by rbmD in S. fradiae BS1, and secondary metabolite analysis by ESI/MS, LC/MS and MS/MS showed the restoration of neomycin production in S. fradiae BS6. These gene inactivation and complementation studies suggested that, like neoD, rbmD functions as a 2-N-acetlyglucosaminyltransferase and demonstrated the potential for the generation of novel aminoglycoside antibiotics using glycosyltransferases in vivo.

Search for Structure in the B_{s}^{0}π^{±} Invariant Mass Spectrum.

PubMed

Aaij, R; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Ajaltouni, Z; Akar, S; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Ali, S; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves, A A; Amato, S; Amerio, S; Amhis, Y; An, L; Anderlini, L; Andreassi, G; Andreotti, M; Andrews, J E; Appleby, R B; Aquines Gutierrez, O; Archilli, F; d'Argent, P; Arnau Romeu, J; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Baalouch, M; Babuschkin, I; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Badalov, A; Baesso, C; Baker, S; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Batozskaya, V; Batsukh, B; Battista, V; Bay, A; Beaucourt, L; Beddow, J; Bedeschi, F; Bediaga, I; Bel, L J; Bellee, V; Belloli, N; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Benton, J; Berezhnoy, A; Bernet, R; Bertolin, A; Betti, F; Bettler, M-O; van Beuzekom, M; Bezshyiko, I; Bifani, S; Billoir, P; Bird, T; Birnkraut, A; Bitadze, A; Bizzeti, A; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bocci, V; Boettcher, T; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Borgheresi, A; Borghi, S; Borisyak, M; Borsato, M; Bossu, F; Boubdir, M; Bowcock, T J V; Bowen, E; Bozzi, C; Braun, S; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brodzicka, J; Buchanan, E; Burr, C; Bursche, A; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Calabrese, R; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Camboni, A; Campana, P; Campora Perez, D; Campora Perez, D H; Capriotti, L; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carniti, P; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Cassina, L; Castillo Garcia, L; Cattaneo, M; Cauet, Ch; Cavallero, G; Cenci, R; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chatzikonstantinidis, G; Chefdeville, M; Chen, S; Cheung, S-F; Chobanova, V; Chrzaszcz, M; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Cogneras, E; Cogoni, V; Cojocariu, L; Collazuol, G; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coquereau, S; Corti, G; Corvo, M; Costa Sobral, C M; Couturier, B; Cowan, G A; Craik, D C; Crocombe, A; Cruz Torres, M; Cunliffe, S; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; Da Cunha Marinho, F; Dall'Occo, E; Dalseno, J; David, P N Y; Davis, A; De Aguiar Francisco, O; De Bruyn, K; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Miranda, J M; De Paula, L; De Serio, M; De Simone, P; Dean, C-T; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Del Buono, L; Demmer, M; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Dey, B; Di Canto, A; Dijkstra, H; Dordei, F; Dorigo, M; Dosil Suárez, A; Dovbnya, A; Dreimanis, K; Dufour, L; Dujany, G; Dungs, K; Durante, P; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Dzyuba, A; Déléage, N; Easo, S; Ebert, M; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; Eisenhardt, S; Eitschberger, U; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; Elsasser, Ch; Ely, S; Esen, S; Evans, H M; Evans, T; Falabella, A; Farley, N; Farry, S; Fay, R; Fazzini, D; Ferguson, D; Fernandez Albor, V; Fernandez Prieto, A; Ferrari, F; Ferreira Rodrigues, F; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fini, R A; Fiore, M; Fiorini, M; Firlej, M; Fitzpatrick, C; Fiutowski, T; Fleuret, F; Fohl, K; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forshaw, D C; Forty, R; Franco Lima, V; Frank, M; Frei, C; Fu, J; Furfaro, E; Färber, C; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gallorini, S; Gambetta, S; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; Garcia Martin, L M; García Pardiñas, J; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Garsed, P J; Gascon, D; Gaspar, C; Gavardi, L; Gazzoni, G; Gerick, D; Gersabeck, E; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gianì, S; Gibson, V; Girard, O G; Giubega, L; Gizdov, K; Gligorov, V V; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gorelov, I V; Gotti, C; Grabalosa Gándara, M; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graverini, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Griffith, P; Grillo, L; Gruberg Cazon, B R; Grünberg, O; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Göbel, C; Hadavizadeh, T; Hadjivasiliou, C; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hall, S; Hamilton, B; Han, X; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harnew, N; Harnew, S T; Harrison, J; Hatch, M; He, J; Head, T; Heister, A; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Henry, L; Hernando Morata, J A; van Herwijnen, E; Heß, M; Hicheur, A; Hill, D; Hombach, C; Hulsbergen, W; Humair, T; Hushchyn, M; Hussain, N; Hutchcroft, D; Idzik, M; Ilten, P; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jalocha, J; Jans, E; Jawahery, A; Jiang, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Joram, C; Jost, B; Jurik, N; Kandybei, S; Kanso, W; Karacson, M; Kariuki, J M; Karodia, S; Kecke, M; Kelsey, M; Kenyon, I R; Kenzie, M; Ketel, T; Khairullin, E; Khanji, B; Khurewathanakul, C; Kirn, T; Klaver, S; Klimaszewski, K; Koliiev, S; Kolpin, M; Komarov, I; Koopman, R F; Koppenburg, P; Kozachuk, A; Kozeiha, M; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Krzemien, W; Kucewicz, W; Kucharczyk, M; Kudryavtsev, V; Kuonen, A K; Kurek, K; Kvaratskheliya, T; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lambert, D; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Lees, J-P; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Lefèvre, R; Lemaitre, F; Lemos Cid, E; Leroy, O; Lesiak, T; Leverington, B; Li, Y; Likhomanenko, T; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Lionetto, F; Liu, B; Liu, X; Loh, D; Longstaff, I; Lopes, J H; Lucchesi, D; Lucio Martinez, M; Luo, H; Lupato, A; Luppi, E; Lupton, O; Lusiani, A; Lyu, X; Machefert, F; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Maguire, K; Malde, S; Malinin, A; Maltsev, T; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Manning, P; Maratas, J; Marchand, J F; Marconi, U; Marin Benito, C; Marino, P; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martin, M; Martinelli, M; Martinez Santos, D; Martinez Vidal, F; Martins Tostes, D; Massacrier, L M; Massafferri, A; Matev, R; Mathad, A; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Mauri, A; Maurin, B; Mazurov, A; McCann, M; McCarthy, J; McNab, A; McNulty, R; Meadows, B; Meier, F; Meissner, M; Melnychuk, D; Merk, M; Merli, A; Michielin, E; Milanes, D A; Minard, M-N; Mitzel, D S; Mogini, A; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monroy, I A; Monteil, S; Morandin, M; Morawski, P; Mordà, A; Morello, M J; Moron, J; Morris, A B; Mountain, R; Muheim, F; Mulder, M; Mussini, M; Müller, D; Müller, J; Müller, K; Müller, V; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nandi, A; Nasteva, I; Needham, M; Neri, N; Neubert, S; Neufeld, N; Neuner, M; Nguyen, A D; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nieswand, S; Niet, R; Nikitin, N; Nikodem, T; Novoselov, A; O'Hanlon, D P; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Ogilvy, S; Oldeman, R; Onderwater, C J G; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Otto, A; Owen, P; Oyanguren, A; Pais, P R; Palano, A; Palombo, F; Palutan, M; Panman, J; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Pappalardo, L L; Parker, W; Parkes, C; Passaleva, G; Pastore, A; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Patrignani, C; Pearce, A; Pellegrino, A; Penso, G; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perret, P; Pescatore, L; Petridis, K; Petrolini, A; Petrov, A; Petruzzo, M; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pietrzyk, B; Pikies, M; Pinci, D; Pistone, A; Piucci, A; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Poikela, T; Polci, F; Poluektov, A; Polyakov, I; Polycarpo, E; Pomery, G J; Popov, A; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Poslavskii, S; Potterat, C; Price, E; Price, J D; Prisciandaro, J; Pritchard, A; Prouve, C; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Punzi, G; Qian, W; Quagliani, R; Rachwal, B; Rademacker, J H; Rama, M; Ramos Pernas, M; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Raven, G; Redi, F; Reichert, S; Dos Reis, A C; Remon Alepuz, C; Renaudin, V; Ricciardi, S; Richards, S; Rihl, M; Rinnert, K; Rives Molina, V; Robbe, P; Rodrigues, A B; Rodrigues, E; Rodriguez Lopez, J A; Rodriguez Perez, P; Rogozhnikov, A; Roiser, S; Romanovskiy, V; Romero Vidal, A; Ronayne, J W; Rotondo, M; Rudolph, M S; Ruf, T; Ruiz Valls, P; Saborido Silva, J J; Sadykhov, E; Sagidova, N; Saitta, B; Salustino Guimaraes, V; Sanchez Mayordomo, C; Sanmartin Sedes, B; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santimaria, M; Santovetti, E; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Saunders, D M; Savrina, D; Schael, S; Schellenberg, M; Schiller, M; Schindler, H; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmelzer, T; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schubert, K; Schubiger, M; Schune, M-H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Semennikov, A; Sergi, A; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Sestini, L; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, V; Shires, A; Siddi, B G; Silva Coutinho, R; Silva de Oliveira, L; Simi, G; Simone, S; Sirendi, M; Skidmore, N; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, E; Smith, I T; Smith, J; Smith, M; Snoek, H; Sokoloff, M D; Soler, F J P; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Spradlin, P; Sridharan, S; Stagni, F; Stahl, M; Stahl, S; Stefko, P; Stefkova, S; Steinkamp, O; Stemmle, S; Stenyakin, O; Stevenson, S; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Stracka, S; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Sun, L; Sutcliffe, W; Swientek, K; Syropoulos, V; Szczekowski, M; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Tayduganov, A; Tekampe, T; Tellarini, G; Teubert, F; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tilley, M J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Tolk, S; Tomassetti, L; Tonelli, D; Topp-Joergensen, S; Toriello, F; Tournefier, E; Tourneur, S; Trabelsi, K; Traill, M; Tran, M T; Tresch, M; Trisovic, A; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tsopelas, P; Tully, A; Tuning, N; Ukleja, A; Ustyuzhanin, A; Uwer, U; Vacca, C; Vagnoni, V; Valat, S; Valenti, G; Vallier, A; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vecchi, S; van Veghel, M; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Veneziano, G; Venkateswaran, A; Vernet, M; Vesterinen, M; Viaud, B; Vieira, D; Vieites Diaz, M; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Volkov, V; Vollhardt, A; Voneki, B; Voong, D; Vorobyev, A; Vorobyev, V; Voß, C; de Vries, J A; Vázquez Sierra, C; Waldi, R; Wallace, C; Wallace, R; Walsh, J; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Wark, H M; Watson, N K; Websdale, D; Weiden, A; Whitehead, M; Wicht, J; Wilkinson, G; Wilkinson, M; Williams, M; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Williams, T; Wilson, F F; Wimberley, J; Wishahi, J; Wislicki, W; Witek, M; Wormser, G; Wotton, S A; Wraight, K; Wright, S; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, Z; Xu, Z; Yang, Z; Yin, H; Yu, J; Yuan, X; Yushchenko, O; Zarebski, K A; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, L; Zhang, Y; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zheng, Y; Zhokhov, A; Zhu, X; Zhukov, V; Zucchelli, S

2016-10-07

The B_{s}^{0}π^{±} invariant mass distribution is investigated in order to search for possible exotic meson states. The analysis is based on a data sample recorded with the LHCb detector corresponding to 3  fb^{-1} of pp collision data at sqrt[s]=7 and 8 TeV. No significant excess is found, and upper limits are set on the production rate of the claimed X(5568) state within the LHCb acceptance. Upper limits are also set as a function of the mass and width of a possible exotic meson decaying to the B_{s}^{0}π^{±} final state. The same limits also apply to a possible exotic meson decaying through the chain B_{s}^{*0}π^{±}, B_{s}^{*0}→B_{s}^{0}γ where the photon is excluded from the reconstructed decays.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA: IV. DISTRIBUTION OF ARSENIC CONCENTRATIONS IN WELLS

EPA Science Inventory

HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC VIA DRINKING WATER IN INNER MONGOLIA:
IV. DISTRIBUTION OF ARSENIC CONCENTRATIONS IN WELLS

Zhixiong Ning, B.S., Zhiyi Liu,B.S., Shiying Zhang, B.S., Chenglong Ma, B.S., Inner Mongolia Ba Men Anti-epidemic Station, Michael Ri...

Manual Activity and Onset of First Words in Babies Exposed and Not Exposed to Baby Signing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seal, Brenda C.; DePaolis, Rory A.

2014-01-01

Support for baby signing (BS) with hearing infants tends to converge toward three camps or positions. Those who advocate BS to advance infant language, literacy, behavioral, and cognitive development rely heavily on anecdotal evidence and social media to support their claims. Those who advocate BS as an introduction to another language, such as…

Construction and Characterization of Broad-Spectrum Promoters for Synthetic Biology.

PubMed

Yang, Sen; Liu, Qingtao; Zhang, Yunfeng; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian; Kang, Zhen

2018-01-19

Characterization of genetic circuits and biosynthetic pathways in different hosts always requires promoter substitution and redesigning. Here, a strong, broad-spectrum promoter, P bs , for Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was constructed, and it was incorporated into the minimal E. coli-B. subtilis-S. cerevisiae shuttle plasmid pEBS (5.8 kb). By applying a random mutation strategy, three broad-spectrum promoters P bs1 , P bs2 , and P bs3 , with different strengths were generated and characterized. These broad-spectrum promoters will expand the synthetic biology toolbox for E. coli, B. subtilis, and S. cerevisiae.

Proteomic Analysis of Albumins and Globulins from Wheat Variety Chinese Spring and Its Fine Deletion Line 3BS-8

PubMed Central

Ma, Chao-Ying; Gao, Li-Yan; Li, Ning; Li, Xiao-Hui; Ma, Wu-Jun; Appels, Rudi; Yan, Yue-Ming

2012-01-01

The relationship between chromosome deletion in wheat and protein expression were investigated using Chinese Spring and fine deletion line 3BS-8. Through 2-DE (2-D electrophoresis) analysis, no differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were found in leaf samples; however, 47 DEPs showed at least two-fold abundance variation (p < 0.05) in matured wheat grains and 21 spots were identified by tandem MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. Among the identified spots, four were cultivar-specific, including three (spots B15, B16, and B21) in Chinese Spring and one in 3BS-8 (spot B10). Among variety-different DEPs between Chinese Spring and 3BS-8, most spots showed a higher express profile in CS; only four spots showed up-regulated expression tendency in 3BS-8. An interesting observation was that more than half of the identified protein spots were involved in storage proteins, of which 11 spots were identified as globulins. According to these results, we can presume that the encoded genes of protein spots B15, B16, and B21 were located on the chromosome segment deleted in 3BS-8. PMID:23202959

New therapeutic solutions for Behçet's syndrome.

PubMed

Vitale, Antonio; Rigante, Donato; Lopalco, Giuseppe; Emmi, Giacomo; Bianco, Maria Teresa; Galeazzi, Mauro; Iannone, Florenzo; Cantarini, Luca

2016-07-01

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by a wide range of potential clinical manifestations with no gold-standard therapy. However, the recent classification of BS at a crossroads between autoimmune and autoinflammatory syndromes has paved the way to new further therapeutic opportunities in addition to anti-tumor necrosis factor agents. This review provides a digest of all current experience and evidence about pharmacological agents recently described as having a role in the treatment of BS, including interleukin (IL)-1 inhibitors, tocilizumab, rituximab, alemtuzumab, ustekinumab, interferon-alpha-2a, and apremilast. IL-1 inhibitors currently represent the most studied agents among the latest treatment options for BS, proving to be effective, safe and with an acceptable retention on treatment. However, since BS is a peculiar disorder with clinical features responding to certain treatments that in turn can worsen other manifestations, identifying new treatment options for patients unresponsive to the current drug armamentarium is of great relevance. A number of agents have been studied in the last decade showing changing fortunes in some cases and promising results in others. The latter will potentially provide their contribution for better clinical management of BS, improving patients' quality of life and long-term outcome.

Anticancer and Antioxidant Activity of Bread Enriched with Broccoli Sprouts

PubMed Central

Gawlik-Dziki, Urszula; Świeca, Michał; Dziki, Dariusz; Sęczyk, Łukasz; Złotek, Urszula; Różyło, Renata; Kaszuba, Kinga; Ryszawy, Damian; Czyż, Jarosław

2014-01-01

This study is focused on antioxidant and anticancer capacity of bread enriched with broccoli sprouts (BS) in the light of their potential bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Generally, bread supplementation elevated antioxidant potential of product (both nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant capacities); however, the increase was not correlated with the percent of BS. A replacement up to 2% of BS gives satisfactory overall consumers acceptability and desirable elevation of antioxidant potential. High activity was especially found for extracts obtained after simulated digestion, which allows assuming their protective effect for upper gastrointestinal tract; thus, the anticancer activity against human stomach cancer cells (AGS) was evaluated. A prominent cytostatic response paralleled by the inhibition of AGS motility in the presence of potentially mastication-extractable phytochemicals indicates that phenolic compounds of BS retain their biological activity in bread. Importantly, the efficient phenolics concentration was about 12 μM for buffer extract, 13 μM for extracts after digestion in vitro, and 7 μM for extract after absorption in vitro. Our data confirm chemopreventive potential of bread enriched with BS and indicate that BS comprise valuable food supplement for stomach cancer chemoprevention. PMID:25050366

A fermented barley and soybean formula enhances skin hydration.

PubMed

Lee, Sein; Kim, Jong-Eun; Suk, Sujin; Kwon, Oh Wook; Park, Gaeun; Lim, Tae-Gyu; Seo, Sang Gwon; Kim, Jong Rhan; Kim, Dae Eung; Lee, Miyeong; Chung, Dae Kyun; Jeon, Jong Eun; Cho, Dong Woon; Hurh, Byung Serk; Kim, Sun Yeou; Lee, Ki Won

2015-09-01

Skin hydration is one of the primary aims of beauty and anti-aging treatments. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and soybean (Glycine max) are major food crops, but can also be used as ingredients for the maintenance of skin health. We developed a natural product-based skin treatment using a barley and soybean formula (BS) incorporating yeast fermentation, and evaluated its skin hydration effects as a dietary supplement in a clinical study. Participants ingested a placebo- (n = 33) or BS- (3 g/day) containing drink (n = 32) for 8 weeks. A significant increase in hydration in the BS group as compared to the placebo group was observed on the faces of subjects after 4 and 8 weeks, and on the forearm after 4 weeks. Decreases in stratum corneum (SC) thickness were also observed on the face and forearm. BS enhanced hyaluronan (HA) and skin barrier function in vitro and reduced Hyal2 expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). BS also recovered ultraviolet (UV) B-induced downregulation of HA in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that BS has promising potential for development as a health functional food to enhance skin health.

A fermented barley and soybean formula enhances skin hydration

PubMed Central

Lee, Sein; Kim, Jong-Eun; Suk, Sujin; Kwon, Oh Wook; Park, Gaeun; Lim, Tae-gyu; Seo, Sang Gwon; Kim, Jong Rhan; Kim, Dae Eung; Lee, Miyeong; Chung, Dae Kyun; Jeon, Jong Eun; Cho, Dong Woon; Hurh, Byung Serk; Kim, Sun Yeou; Lee, Ki Won

2015-01-01

Skin hydration is one of the primary aims of beauty and anti-aging treatments. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and soybean (Glycine max) are major food crops, but can also be used as ingredients for the maintenance of skin health. We developed a natural product-based skin treatment using a barley and soybean formula (BS) incorporating yeast fermentation, and evaluated its skin hydration effects as a dietary supplement in a clinical study. Participants ingested a placebo- (n = 33) or BS- (3 g/day) containing drink (n = 32) for 8 weeks. A significant increase in hydration in the BS group as compared to the placebo group was observed on the faces of subjects after 4 and 8 weeks, and on the forearm after 4 weeks. Decreases in stratum corneum (SC) thickness were also observed on the face and forearm. BS enhanced hyaluronan (HA) and skin barrier function in vitro and reduced Hyal2 expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). BS also recovered ultraviolet (UV) B-induced downregulation of HA in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that BS has promising potential for development as a health functional food to enhance skin health. PMID:26388675

Using spatio-temporal modeling to predict long-term exposure to black smoke at fine spatial and temporal scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dadvand, Payam; Rushton, Stephen; Diggle, Peter J.; Goffe, Louis; Rankin, Judith; Pless-Mulloli, Tanja

2011-01-01

Whilst exposure to air pollution is linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes, assessing levels of this exposure has remained a challenge. This study reports a modeling approach for the estimation of weekly levels of ambient black smoke (BS) at residential postcodes across Northeast England (2055 km 2) over a 12 year period (1985-1996). A two-stage modeling strategy was developed using monitoring data on BS together with a range of covariates including data on traffic, population density, industrial activity, land cover (remote sensing), and meteorology. The first stage separates the temporal trend in BS for the region as a whole from within-region spatial variation and the second stage is a linear model which predicts BS levels at all locations in the region using spatially referenced covariate data as predictors and the regional predicted temporal trend as an offset. Traffic and land cover predictors were included in the final model, which predicted 70% of the spatio-temporal variation in BS across the study region over the study period. This modeling approach appears to provide a robust way of estimating exposure to BS at an inter-urban scale.

Study of the $${X^\\pm(5568)}$$ state with semileptonic decays of the $${B_s^0}$$ meson

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abazov, Victor Mukhamedovich; et al.

2018-05-19

We present a study of the X±(5568) using semileptonic decays of the Bs0 meson using the full run II integrated luminosity of 10.4  fb-1 in proton-antiproton collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We report evidence for a narrow structure, X±(5568), in the decay sequence X±(5568)→Bs0π± where Bs0→μ∓Ds±X, Ds±→ϕπ± which is consistent with the previous measurement by the D0 Collaboration in the hadronic decay mode, X±(5568)→Bs0π± where Bs0→J/ψϕ. The mass and width of this state are measured using a combined fit of the hadronic and semileptonic data, yielding m=5566.9-3.1+3.2(stat)-1.2+0.6(syst)  MeV/c2,more » Γ=18.6-6.1+7.9(stat)-3.8+3.5(syst)  MeV/c2 with a significance of 6.7σ.« less

Tensile properties of cooked meat sausages and their correlation with texture profile analysis (TPA) parameters and physico-chemical characteristics.

PubMed

Herrero, A M; de la Hoz, L; Ordóñez, J A; Herranz, B; Romero de Ávila, M D; Cambero, M I

2008-11-01

The possibilities of using breaking strength (BS) and energy to fracture (EF) for monitoring textural properties of some cooked meat sausages (chopped, mortadella and galantines) were studied. Texture profile analysis (TPA), folding test and physico-chemical measurements were also performed. Principal component analysis enabled these meat products to be grouped into three textural profiles which showed significant (p<0.05) differences mainly for BS, hardness, adhesiveness and cohesiveness. Multivariate analysis indicated that BS, EF and TPA parameters were correlated (p<0.05) for every individual meat product (chopped, mortadella and galantines) and all products together. On the basis of these results, TPA parameters could be used for constructing regression models to predict BS. The resulting regression model for all cooked meat products was BS=-0.160+6.600∗cohesiveness-1.255∗adhesiveness+0.048∗hardness-506.31∗springiness (R(2)=0.745, p<0.00005). Simple linear regression analysis showed significant coefficients of determination between BS (R(2)=0.586, p<0.0001) versus folding test grade (FG) and EF versus FG (R(2)=0.564, p<0.0001).

How many bootstrap replicates are necessary?

PubMed

Pattengale, Nicholas D; Alipour, Masoud; Bininda-Emonds, Olaf R P; Moret, Bernard M E; Stamatakis, Alexandros

2010-03-01

Phylogenetic bootstrapping (BS) is a standard technique for inferring confidence values on phylogenetic trees that is based on reconstructing many trees from minor variations of the input data, trees called replicates. BS is used with all phylogenetic reconstruction approaches, but we focus here on one of the most popular, maximum likelihood (ML). Because ML inference is so computationally demanding, it has proved too expensive to date to assess the impact of the number of replicates used in BS on the relative accuracy of the support values. For the same reason, a rather small number (typically 100) of BS replicates are computed in real-world studies. Stamatakis et al. recently introduced a BS algorithm that is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude faster than previous techniques, while yielding qualitatively comparable support values, making an experimental study possible. In this article, we propose stopping criteria--that is, thresholds computed at runtime to determine when enough replicates have been generated--and we report on the first large-scale experimental study to assess the effect of the number of replicates on the quality of support values, including the performance of our proposed criteria. We run our tests on 17 diverse real-world DNA--single-gene as well as multi-gene--datasets, which include 125-2,554 taxa. We find that our stopping criteria typically stop computations after 100-500 replicates (although the most conservative criterion may continue for several thousand replicates) while producing support values that correlate at better than 99.5% with the reference values on the best ML trees. Significantly, we also find that the stopping criteria can recommend very different numbers of replicates for different datasets of comparable sizes. Our results are thus twofold: (i) they give the first experimental assessment of the effect of the number of BS replicates on the quality of support values returned through BS, and (ii) they validate our proposals for stopping criteria. Practitioners will no longer have to enter a guess nor worry about the quality of support values; moreover, with most counts of replicates in the 100-500 range, robust BS under ML inference becomes computationally practical for most datasets. The complete test suite is available at http://lcbb.epfl.ch/BS.tar.bz2, and BS with our stopping criteria is included in the latest release of RAxML v7.2.5, available at http://wwwkramer.in.tum.de/exelixis/software.html.

Ras-Directed N-Glycoproteins Are Novel Early Biomarkers for Tumorigenesis and Malignant Transformation and Therapeutic Targets of Neurofibromatosis Type 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

phosphorylates Ser192 in MGAT5B in MPNST cells. Moreover, wild type MGAT5B protein locates in the Golgi apparatus whereas mutated MGAT5BS192A protein...to the Golgi apparatus to attenuate MGAT5B-mediated glycosylation and phosphorylation of kinase receptors. Targeting MGAT5-mediated glycosylation of...tumorigenesis in Nf1+/-;p53+/- mice (bottom). Because proteins travelling to the Golgi apparatus for the consequent steps of glycosylation must be

Multi-Energy Processing for Novel Coating Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-18

tungsten carbide (WC) substrate (BS-6S, Basic Carbide Corp.) with a dimension of 25.4 x 25.4 x 1.6 mm^ and a cobalt composition of 6% was placed on a...as dopant sources. (a) No NH3 + No laser (b) NH3 added, No laser (c) 10.591 ^m Figure 4.4 SEM micrographs of the diamond films deposited using...typed 37 diamond. Nitrogen was widely used as n-typed dopant . Nitrogen-containing additives in CVD diamond growth led to severe deterioration of the

Why solidification has an S-shaped history

PubMed Central

Bejan, A.; Lorente, S.; Yilbas, B. S.; Sahin, A. Z.

2013-01-01

Here we show theoretically that the history of solid growth during “rapid” solidification must be S-shaped, in accord with the constructal law of design in nature. In the beginning the rate of solidification increases and after reaching a maximum it decreases monotonically as the volume of solid tends toward a plateau. The S-history is a consequence of four configurations for the flow of heat from the solidification front to the subcooled surroundings, in this chronological order: solid spheres centered at nucleation sites, needles that invade longitudinally, radial growth by conduction, and finally radial lateral conduction to interstices that are warming up. The solid volume (Bs) vs time (t) is an S-curve because it is a power law of type Bs ~ tn where the exponent n first increases and then decreases in time (n = 3/2, 2, 1, …). The initial portion of the S curve is not an exponential.

Human RecQL4 helicase plays multifaceted roles in the genomic stability of normal and cancer cells.

PubMed

Mo, Dongliang; Zhao, Yongliang; Balajee, Adayabalam S

2018-01-28

Human RecQ helicases that share homology with E. coli RecQ helicase play critical roles in diverse biological activities such as DNA replication, transcription, recombination and repair. Mutations in three of the five human RecQ helicases (RecQ1, WRN, BLM, RecQL4 and RecQ5) result in autosomal recessive syndromes characterized by accelerated aging symptoms and cancer incidence. Mutational inactivation of Werner (WRN) and Bloom (BLM) genes results in Werner syndrome (WS) and Bloom syndrome (BS) respectively. However, mutations in RecQL4 result in three human disorders: (I) Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS), (II) RAPADILINO and (III) Baller-Gerold syndrome (BGS). Cells from WS, BS and RTS are characterized by a unique chromosomal anomaly indicating that each of the RecQ helicases performs specialized function(s) in a non-redundant manner. Elucidating the biological functions of RecQ helicases will enable us to understand not only the aging process but also to determine the cause for age-associated human diseases. Recent biochemical and molecular studies have given new insights into the multifaceted roles of RecQL4 that range from genomic stability to carcinogenesis and beyond. This review summarizes some of the existing and emerging knowledge on diverse biological functions of RecQL4 and its significance as a potential molecular target for cancer therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exacerbation of Behçet's syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever with menstruation.

PubMed

Guzelant, Gul; Ozguler, Yesim; Esatoglu, Sinem Nihal; Karatemiz, Guzin; Ozdogan, Huri; Yurdakul, Sebahattin; Yazici, Hasan; Seyahi, Emire

2017-01-01

Menstruation triggers several conditions such as migraine, recurrent aphthous stomatitis and acne vulgaris in healthy individuals. There is evidence that Behçet's syndrome (BS) and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) may exacerbate during menstruation. The aim is to assess whether BS and FMF patients experience menstrual flares. Females of reproductive age with BS and FMF seen consecutively at the outpatient clinic of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty at Istanbul, as well as apparently healthy hospital workers were studied using a standardised questionnaire. BS patients were asked whether they experienced increased skin-mucosa lesions during the menstrual period. A similar questionnaire assessing this time the frequency of abdominal pain, chest pain and fever attacks was given to the patients with FMF. The healthy controls received both questionnaires. A total of 200 BS patients, 240 FMF patients and 250 healthy controls were studied. The most commonly reported symptom among both BS patients (51%) and healthy controls (62%) was the acneiform lesion. At least 79% patients with FMF reported attacks with menstruation, notably abdominal pain which, majority thought, could be differentiated from dysmenorrhea. Additionally, 76% of healthy controls reported having abdominal pain consistent most probably with dysmenorrhea. This survey showed that, in 68% of the patients with BS at least one skin mucosa lesion was exacerbated with menstruation, this was most commonly acneiform lesion. Menstruation had a slightly stronger effect on FMF, triggering at least one symptom in 79%. The main limitation of the study was the self-reported assessment methodology.

Relationship between Burnout and Body Mass Index in Senior and Middle Managers from the Mexican Manufacturing Industry

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This research relates Burnout Syndrome (BS) with the Body Mass Index (BMI) among middle and senior managers of the Mexican manufacturing industry. Even though BS incidence is high in the Mexican industrial population, few systematic studies have explored BS and its relationship with other health problems, such as obesity. The goal of this research is to determine the relationship between BS and the BMI in employees with normal weight, overweight, and obesity. We present three structural equation models to relate BS and the BMI. The BMI ranges were determined according to the parameters (normal weight, overweight, and obesity) proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The sample includes 361 employees that voluntarily answered a 31-item questionnaire. We measure the levels of BS using the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey (MBI-GS) and analyze anthropometric and sociodemographic data from the participants. Then, we determine the relationships between the variables through structural equation models and estimate the direct, indirect, and total effects in the three models, which show acceptable reliability. As main findings, the normal weight model has a larger explanatory power than the overweight and obesity models. The same research hypotheses were tested and the effects of BS on the BMI differ across the three models. Such results are presented by taking into account that obesity and overweight require additional factors, such as genetic factors and personal eating habits, to be better explained. PMID:29562619

Burnout syndrome and weekly workload of on-call physicians: cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Barbosa, Fabiano Timbó; Leão, Bruna Acioly; Tavares, Gisélia Maria Sales; Santos, João Gustavo Rocha Peixoto dos

2012-01-01

Burnout syndrome (BS) is characterized by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal fulfillment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate a possible association between BS and weekly workload, and to describe the prevalence of BS and the sociodemographic and occupational profile of on-call physicians in Maceió. Cross-sectional study in intensive care units (ICU) at public and private hospitals in Maceió. A self-administered form was used to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics and BS through the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) among 67 on-call physicians at ICUs in Maceió. Pearson's R correlation test was used to compare workload and emotional exhaustion. For other dimensions, Spearman's S test was used (P < 0.05). Other variables were represented by simple frequencies. The 95% confidence interval was calculated for each variable. Among the physicians studied, 55.22% were female and the mean age was 43.9 ± 8.95 years. The mean weekly workload on call was 43.85 ± 24.49 hours. The frequency of high scores in at least one of the three dimensions of MBI was 70.14%. Despite the high prevalence of BS, especially among physicians who did not practice regular physical activity, our data did not indicate any significant correlation between weekly workload and any of the three dimensions of BS in this sample. The high prevalence of BS draws attention to the importance of investigating other possible causes, in order to prevent and adequately treat it.

Evaluation of effect of laser etching on shear bond strength between maxillofacial silicone and acrylic resin subjected to accelerated aging process.

PubMed

Rhea, Antonette; Ahila, S C; Kumar, B Muthu

2017-01-01

Maxillofacial prosthesis are supported by implants, require a retentive matrix to retain the suprastructure. The retentive matrix is made up of acrylic resin to which the silicone prostheses are anchored by micro-mechanical bond. The delamination of silicone away from the retentive matrix is a persisting problem in implant-supported maxillofacial prosthesis. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of laser etching on the shear bond strength (BS) between acrylic resin and maxillofacial silicone, after 24 h of fabrication and after 200 h of accelerated aging. The samples were prepared according to ISO/TR 11405:1994 in maxillofacial silicone and polymethyl methacrylate resin. The untreated samples were Group A (control), Group B (silicon carbide [SiC] paper abrasion 80 grit size), and Group C (erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser etching). Then, the samples were coated with primer and bonded to maxillofacial silicone. The samples were subjected to shear BS test in an universal testing machine after 24 h of fabrication and after 200 h of accelerated aging. The results were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD post hoc test. The shear BS test after 24 h of fabrication showed better BS in SiC paper abrasion. The shear BS test after 200 h of accelerated aging showed better BS in laser etching compared to SiC abrasion. Laser etching produced better shear BS compared to conventional SiC paper abrasion after 200 h of accelerated aging process.

Impact of anatomical traits of maize (Zea mays L.) leaf as affected by nitrogen supply and leaf age on bundle sheath conductance.

PubMed

Retta, Moges; Yin, Xinyou; van der Putten, Peter E L; Cantre, Denis; Berghuijs, Herman N C; Ho, Quang Tri; Verboven, Pieter; Struik, Paul C; Nicolaï, Bart M

2016-11-01

The mechanism of photosynthesis in C 4 crops depends on the archetypal Kranz-anatomy. To examine how the leaf anatomy, as altered by nitrogen supply and leaf age, affects the bundle sheath conductance (g bs ), maize (Zea mays L.) plants were grown under three contrasting nitrogen levels. Combined gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were done on fully grown leaves at two leaf ages. The measured data were analysed using a biochemical model of C 4 photosynthesis to estimate g bs . The leaf microstructure and ultrastructure were quantified using images obtained from micro-computed tomography and microscopy. There was a strong positive correlation between g bs and leaf nitrogen content (LNC) while old leaves had lower g bs than young leaves. Leaf thickness, bundle sheath cell wall thickness and surface area of bundle sheath cells per unit leaf area (S b ) correlated well with g bs although they were not significantly affected by LNC. As a result, the increase of g bs with LNC was little explained by the alteration of leaf anatomy. In contrast, the combined effect of LNC and leaf age on S b was responsible for differences in g bs between young leaves and old leaves. Future investigations should consider changes at the level of plasmodesmata and membranes along the CO 2 leakage pathway to unravel LNC and age effects further. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between Burnout and Body Mass Index in Senior and Middle Managers from the Mexican Manufacturing Industry.

PubMed

Armenta-Hernández, Oziely Daniela; Maldonado-Macías, Aidé; García-Alcaraz, Jorge; Avelar-Sosa, Liliana; Realyvasquez-Vargas, Arturo; Serrano-Rosa, Miguel Angel

2018-03-17

This research relates Burnout Syndrome (BS) with the Body Mass Index (BMI) among middle and senior managers of the Mexican manufacturing industry. Even though BS incidence is high in the Mexican industrial population, few systematic studies have explored BS and its relationship with other health problems, such as obesity. The goal of this research is to determine the relationship between BS and the BMI in employees with normal weight, overweight, and obesity. We present three structural equation models to relate BS and the BMI. The BMI ranges were determined according to the parameters (normal weight, overweight, and obesity) proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The sample includes 361 employees that voluntarily answered a 31-item questionnaire. We measure the levels of BS using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and analyze anthropometric and sociodemographic data from the participants. Then, we determine the relationships between the variables through structural equation models and estimate the direct, indirect, and total effects in the three models, which show acceptable reliability. As main findings, the normal weight model has a larger explanatory power than the overweight and obesity models. The same research hypotheses were tested and the effects of BS on the BMI differ across the three models. Such results are presented by taking into account that obesity and overweight require additional factors, such as genetic factors and personal eating habits, to be better explained.

Mechanisms of humic substances degradation by fungi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Hadar, Y.; Grinhut, T.

2012-04-01

Humic substances (HS) are formed by secondary synthesis reactions (humification) during the decay process and transformation of biomolecules originating from plants and other dead organisms. In nature, HS are extremely resistant to biological degradation. Thus, these substances are major components in the C cycle and in the biosphere and therefore, the understanding of the process leading to their formation and transformation and degradation is vital. Fungi active in the decomposition process of HS include mainly ascomycetes and basidiomycetes that are common in the upper layer of forest and grassland soils. Many basidiomycetes belong to the white-rot fungi (WRF) and litter-decomposing fungi (LDF). These fungi are considered to be the most efficient lignin degraders due to their nonspecific oxidizing enzymes: manganese peroxidase (MnP), lignin peroxidase (LiP) and laccase. Although bacteria dominate compost and participate in the turnover of HS, their ability to degrade stable macromolecules such as lignin and HS is limited. The overall objectives of this research were to corroborate biodegradation processes of HS by WRF. The specific objectives were: (i) To isolate, identify and characterize HS degrading WRF from biosolids (BS) compost; (ii) To study the biodegradation process of three types of HS, which differ in their structure, by WRF isolated from BS compost; and (iii) To investigate the mechanisms of HA degradation by WRF using two main approaches: (a) Study the physical and chemical analyses of the organic compounds obtained from direct fungal degradation of HA as well as elucidation of the relevant enzymatic reactions; and (b) Study the enzymatic and biochemical mechanisms involved during HA degradation. In order to study the capability of fungi to degrade HS, seventy fungal strains were isolated from biosolids (BS) compost. Two of the most active fungal species were identified based on rDNA sequences and designated Trametes sp. M23 and Phanerochaetesp., Y6. These strains were used throughout this study. This research shows that WRF are able to degrade different HA and under different culture conditions. We found that significant degradation occurred in high C/N media - conditions which are commonly present in the natural habitats of WRF. We suggest that in addition to lignin, these fungi play a crucial role during HS degradation in the environment. This work raises additional questions that are worth investigating in the future: what is the role of these fungi in dissolved organic matter degradation and its relationship to HA degradation? What is the detailed mechanism of iron reduction in Trametes sp. M23 as well as in other WRF? What is the exact involvement of hydroxyl radicals during degradation and what are the mechanisms of H2O2 production in Trametes sp. M23?

Chronic shin splints. Classification and management of medial tibial stress syndrome.

PubMed

Detmer, D E

1986-01-01

A clinical classification and treatment programme has been developed for chronic medial tibial stress syndrome. Medial tibial stress syndrome has been reported to be either tibial stress fracture or microfracture, tibial periostitis, or distal deep posterior chronic compartment syndrome. Three chronic types exist and may coexist: Type I (tibial microfracture, bone stress reaction or cortical fracture); type II (periostalgia from chronic avulsion of the periosteum at the periosteal-fascial junction); and type III (chronic compartment syndrome syndrome). Type I disease is treated nonoperatively. Operations for resistant types II and III medial tibial stress syndrome were performed in 41 patients. Bilaterality was common (type II, 50% type III, 88%). Seven had coexistent type II/III; one had type I/II. Preoperative symptoms averaged 24 months in type II, 6 months in type III, and 33 months in types II/III. Mean age was 22 years (15 to 51). Resting compartment pressures were normal in type II (mean 12 mm Hg) and elevated in type III and type II/III (mean 23 mm Hg). Type II and type II/III patients received fasciotomy plus periosteal cauterisation. Type III patients had fasciotomy only. All procedures were performed on an outpatient basis using local anaesthesia. Follow up was complete and averaged 6 months (2 to 14 months). Improved performance was as follows: type II, 93%, type III, 100%; type II/III, 86%. Complete cures were as follows: type II, 78%; type III, 75%; and type II/III, 57%. This experience suggests that with precise diagnosis and treatment involving minimal risk and cost the athlete has a reasonable chance of return to full activity.

DO ACUTE PHASE PROTEINS REFLECT SEVERITY OF INFLAMMATION IN RAT MODELS OF POLLUTANT-INDUCED LUNG INJURY?

EPA Science Inventory

Title: DO ACUTE PHASE PROTEINS REFLECT THE SEVERITY OF INFLAMMATION IN RAT MODELS OF POLLUTANT-INDUCED LUNG INJURY?

M. C. Schladweiler, BS 1, P. S. Gilmour, PhD 2, D. L. Andrews, BS 1, D. L. Costa, ScD 1, A. D. Ledbetter, BS 1, K. E. Pinkerton, PhD 3 and U. P. Kodavanti, ...

Brain Potentials and Personality: A New Look at Stress Susceptibility.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

disinhibition (Dis) measures a hedonistic , extraverted lifestyle including drinking, parties, sex, and gambling; boredom susceptibility (BS) indicates an...adventure seeking; ES = Experience seeking; Dis = Disinhibition; BS = Boredom susceptibility. 1 14 I N i*5’ Table 4 Correlation of Auditory Evoked...20. aTAS = Thrill and adventure seeking; ES = Experience seeking; Dis = Disinhibition; BS = Boredom susceptibility. < .05. 15 I The present study

A Theoretical Approach to Selection of a Biologically Active Substance in Ultra-Low Doses for Effective Action on a Biological System.

PubMed

Boldyreva, Liudmila Borisovna

2018-05-01

 An approach is offered to selecting a biologically active substance (BAS) in ultra-low dose for effective action on a biological system (BS). The technique is based on the assumption that BAS in ultra-low doses exerts action on BS by means of spin supercurrent emerging between the spin structure created by BAS, on the one hand, and the spin structure created by BS, on the other hand. According to modern quantum-mechanical concepts, these spin structures may be virtual particles pairs having precessing spin (that is, be essentially spin vortices in the physical vacuum) and created by the quantum entities that BAS and BS consist of. The action is effective provided there is equality of precession frequencies of spins in these spin structures.  In this work, some methods are considered for determining the precession frequencies of spins in virtual particles pairs: (1) determination of energy levels of quantum entities that BS and BAS consist of; (2) the use of spin-flip effect of the virtual particles pair spin, the effect being initiated by action of magnetic vector potential (the spin-flip effect takes place when the varied frequency of the magnetic vector potential equals the precession frequency of the spin); (3) determining the frequencies of photons effectively acting on BS.  It is shown that the effect of BAS in ultra-low doses on BS can be replaced by the effect of a beam of low-intensity photons, if the frequency of photons equals the precession frequency of spin in spin structures created by BS. Consequently, the color of bodies placed near a biological system is able to exert an effective action on the biological system: that is "color therapy" is possible. It is also supposed that the spin-flip effect may be used not only for determining the precession frequency of spin in spin structures created by BS but also for therapeutic action on biological systems. The Faculty of Homeopathy.

Plastid structure and carotenogenic gene expression in red- and white-fleshed loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) fruits

PubMed Central

Fu, Xiumin; Kong, Wenbin; Peng, Gang; Zhou, Jingyi; Azam, Muhammad; Xu, Changjie; Grierson, Don; Chen, Kunsong

2012-01-01

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) can be sorted into red- and white-fleshed cultivars. The flesh of Luoyangqing (LYQ, red-fleshed) appears red-orange because of a high content of carotenoids while the flesh of Baisha (BS, white-fleshed) appears ivory white due to a lack of carotenoid accumulation. The carotenoid content in the peel and flesh of LYQ was approximately 68 μg g−1 and 13 μg g−1 fresh weight (FW), respectively, and for BS 19 μg g−1 and 0.27 μg g−1 FW. The mRNA levels of 15 carotenogenesis-related genes were analysed during fruit development and ripening. After the breaker stage (S4), the mRNA levels of phytoene synthase 1 (PSY1) and chromoplast-specific lycopene β-cyclase (CYCB) were higher in the peel, and CYCB and β-carotene hydroxylase (BCH) mRNAs were higher in the flesh of LYQ, compared with BS. Plastid morphogenesis during fruit ripening was also studied. The ultrastructure of plastids in the peel of BS changed less than in LYQ during fruit development. Two different chromoplast shapes were observed in the cells of LYQ peel and flesh at the fully ripe stage. Carotenoids were incorporated in the globules in chromoplasts of LYQ and BS peel but were in a crystalline form in the chromoplasts of LYQ flesh. However, no chromoplast structure was found in the cells of fully ripe BS fruit flesh. The mRNA level of plastid lipid-associated protein (PAP) in the peel and flesh of LYQ was over five times higher than in BS peel and flesh. In conclusion, the lower carotenoid content in BS fruit was associated with the lower mRNA levels of PSY1, CYCB, and BCH; however, the failure to develop normal chromoplasts in BS flesh is the most convincing explanation for the lack of carotenoid accumulation. The expression of PAP was well correlated with chromoplast numbers and carotenoid accumulation, suggesting its possible role in chromoplast biogenesis or interconversion of loquat fruit. PMID:21994170

Effects of alcoholism typology on response to naltrexone in the COMBINE study

PubMed Central

Bogenschutz, Michael P.; Tonigan, J. Scott; Pettinati, Helen M.

2008-01-01

Background This study investigated whether subgroups of alcohol dependent patients responded differently to naltrexone vs. placebo in the NIAAA COMBINE study. In particular, the A vs. B and the Early Onset vs. Late Onset typologies were examined. Relative to Type A alcoholics, Type Bs are characterized by greater severity, earlier onset, stronger family history, more childhood risk factors (e.g., conduct disorder), and greater frequency of comorbid psychiatric and substance use disorders. Methods COMBINE study participants were categorized as Type A or Type B using k-means cluster analysis and variables from 5 domains that have been shown to replicate the original Babor typology efficiently. Early Onset was defined as alcohol dependence beginning before age 25. For the planned analyses, the sample was reduced to the 618 participants receiving naltrexone alone or placebo, either with medical management (MM) alone or with MM plus the Combined Behavioral Intervention (CBI). The a priori primary outcome was percent heavy drinking days during treatment in the groups receiving MM without CBI. Results Among those receiving MM without CBI, Type A alcoholics had better drinking outcomes with naltrexone than placebo, whereas medication condition did not influence outcomes significantly in the Type Bs. Age of onset was not significantly related to outcome. For those receiving CBI, no significant effects were found for either typology. Conclusions In this sample, the beneficial effects of opioid antagonism were limited to Type A alcoholics receiving treatment in a medical management model. Future studies should investigate the relationship between clinically relevant genotypes, phenotypes such as typologies, and treatment response. More work is also needed to develop practical algorithms for phenotypic assignment. PMID:18828797

An Improved Quantum Information Hiding Protocol Based on Entanglement Swapping of χ-type Quantum States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Shu-Jiang; Chen, Xiu-Bo; Wang, Lian-Hai; Ding, Qing-Yan; Zhang, Shu-Hui

2016-06-01

In 2011, Qu et al. proposed a quantum information hiding protocol based on the entanglement swapping of χ-type quantum states. Because a χ-type state can be described by the 4-particle cat states which have good symmetry, the possible output results of the entanglement swapping between a given χ-type state and all of the 16 χ-type states are divided into 8 groups instead of 16 groups of different results when the global phase is not considered. So it is difficult to read out the secret messages since each result occurs twice in each line (column) of the secret messages encoding rule for the original protocol. In fact, a 3-bit instead of a 4-bit secret message can be encoded by performing two unitary transformations on 2 particles of a χ-type quantum state in the original protocol. To overcome this defect, we propose an improved quantum information hiding protocol based on the general term formulas of the entanglement swapping among χ-type states. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 61572297, 61303199, 61272514, and 61373131, the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. ZR2013FM025, ZR2013FQ001, ZR2014FM003, and ZY2015YL018, the Shandong Provincial Outstanding Research Award Fund for Young Scientists of China under Grant Nos. BS2015DX006 and BS2014DX007, the National Development Foundation for Cryptological Research, China under Grant No. MMJJ201401012, the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions and Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center on Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology Funds, and the Shandong Academy of Sciences Youth Fund Project, China under Grant Nos. 2015QN003 and 2013QN007

Bering Strait as a Cenozoic check valve with changes in sea level: What we know about the stability of the -52 m sill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brigham-Grette, J.

2016-12-01

The Cenozoic history of the Bering Strait (BS) region includes GIA, dynamic topography and regional tectonics. Assuming outright, that the BS has been at minus 52 m for the last few million years seems rather simplified. Raymo and Mitrovica (2011) looked at stage 11 terrace elevations and concluded eustatic sea level rose 6-13m asl. Yet the Prism group argues that the BS had to have been closed to ocean circulation 3.2 Ma to explain extreme pan-Arctic warmth. Extralimital boreal mollusks found in Pliocene sites on Ellesmere Island today are limited to coastal Norway. During the PIiocene, if the Arctic was warm, there was no summer sea ice, and probably no Greenland ice sheet — why was BS closed? If it was closed, this poses implications for records from places like Lake El'gygytgyn record too due to implied changes in continentally, etc. Marine terraces from Nome to Barrow, Alaska, record the stratigraphic evidence for high sea level events around 3.2 Ma and perhaps associated with MIS 103, MIS31, MIS 11, MIS 5e and MIS 5a, most of these associated with super interglacials at Lake El'gygytgyn. The Bering Strait was first submerged about 5.5 Ma (Gladenkov et al 2004). This coincides with the rotation of the Bering Sea plate nudged by the northward movement of the N. Pacific plate. BS was open during MIS 5a — allowing whales to migrate to the Beaufort Sea for calving based on bone findings in the Flaxman Formation. The oldest Pliocene shorelines (Colvillan and Bigbendian) are warped in the BS so that the highest elevation with an age of 2.6 Ma is now = to the top of the Diomede Islands at 350 to 363 m asl in BS (a marine wave cut platform) — that shoreline projects eastward into the Alaskan side of BS and dives below modern SL in the area of Teller, Alaska. Thus Pliocene shorelines are warped with the BS raising upward over time. And the 5 e shoreline goes below SL inland of the Alaska mainland. The Clarence Rift trending E-W south of BS has a lot of throw on it probably due to the rotation of the Bering plate. Nearby LGM moraines have as much as 3 meters of throw on them in the Kigluaik Mts. parallel to the rift. Knudson and Ravelo (2015) treat the BS as a stable place with a sill depth of -50 m for 1 Myrs and argue about North Pacific Intermediate water generation vs AMOC strength. But can this be correct given active tectonics?

Interactions of C4 subtype metabolic activities and transport in maize are revealed through the characterization of DCT2 mutants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

C4 photosynthesis is an elaborate set of metabolic pathways that utilize specialized anatomical and biochemical adaptations to concentrate CO2 around RuBisCO. The activities of the C4 pathways are coordinated between two specialized leaf cell types, mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS), and rely hea...

Murine remote preconditioning increases glucose uptake and suppresses gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes via a brain-liver neurocircuit, leading to counteracting glucose intolerance.

PubMed

Kurabayashi, Atsushi; Tanaka, Chiharu; Matsumoto, Waka; Naganuma, Seiji; Furihata, Mutsuo; Inoue, Keiji; Kakinuma, Yoshihiko

2018-05-01

Our previous study revealed that cyclic hindlimb ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) activates cardiac acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis through the cholinergic nervous system and cell-derived ACh accelerates glucose uptake. However, the mechanisms regulating glucose metabolism in vivo remain unknown. We investigated the effects and mechanisms of IR in mice under pathophysiological conditions. Using IR-subjected male C57BL/6J mice, the effects of IR on blood sugar (BS), glucose uptake, central parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity, hepatic gluconeogenic enzyme expression and those of ACh on hepatocellular glucose uptake were assessed. IR decreased BS levels by 20% and increased c-fos immunoreactivity in the center of the PNS (the solitary tract and the dorsal motor vagal nucleus). IR specifically downregulated hepatic gluconeogenic enzyme expression and activities (glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) and accelerated hepatic glucose uptake. Transection of a hepatic vagus nerve branch decreased this uptake and reversed BS decrease. Suppressed gluconeogenic enzyme expression was reversed by intra-cerebroventricular administration of a choline acetyltransferase inhibitor. Moreover, IR significantly attenuated hyperglycaemia in murine model of type I and II diabetes mellitus. IR provides another insight into a therapeutic modality for diabetes mellitus due to regulating gluconeogenesis and glucose-uptake and advocates an adjunctive mode rectifying disturbed glucose metabolism. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SIRT1 protects rat lung tissue against severe burn-induced remote ALI by attenuating the apoptosis of PMVECs via p38 MAPK signaling

PubMed Central

Bai, Xiaozhi; Fan, Lei; He, Ting; Jia, Wenbin; Yang, Longlong; Zhang, Jun; Liu, Yang; Shi, Jihong; Su, Linlin; Hu, Dahai

2015-01-01

Silent information regulator type-1 (SIRT1) has been reported to be involved in the cardiopulmonary protection. However, its role in the pathogenesis of burn-induced remote acute lung injury (ALI) is currently unknown. The present study aims to investigate the role of SIRT1 in burn-induced remote ALI and the involved signaling pathway. We observed that SIRT1 expression in rat lung tissue after burn injury appeared an increasing trend after a short period of suppression. The upregulation of SIRT1 stimulated by resveratrol exhibited remission of histopathologic changes, reduction of cell apoptosis, and downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat pulmonary tissues suffering from severe burn. We next used primary pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) challenged by burn serum (BS) to simulate in vivo rat lung tissue after burn injury, and found that BS significantly suppressed SIRT1 expression, increased cell apoptosis, and activated p38 MAPK signaling. The use of resveratrol reversed these effects, while knockdown of SIRT1 by shRNA further augmented BS-induced increase of cell apoptosis and activation of p38 MAPK. Taken together, these results indicate that SIRT1 might protect lung tissue against burn-induced remote ALI by attenuating PMVEC apoptosis via p38 MAPK signaling, suggesting its potential therapeutic effects on the treatment of ALI. PMID:25992481

Enhanced Actuation Performance and Reduced Heat Generation in Shear-Bending Mode Actuator at High Temperature.

PubMed

Chen, Jianguo; Liu, Guoxi; Cheng, Jinrong; Dong, Shuxiang

2016-08-01

The actuation performance, strain hysteresis, and heat generation of the shear-bending mode actuators based on soft and hard BiScO3-PbTiO3 (BS-PT) ceramics were investigated under different thermal (from room temperature to 300 °C) and electrical loadings (from 2 to 10 kV/cm and from 1 to 1000 Hz). The actuator based on both soft and hard BS-PT ceramics worked stably at the temperature as high as 300 °C. The maximum working temperature of this shear-bending actuators is 150 °C higher than those of the traditional piezoelectric actuators based on commercial Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 materials. Furthermore, although the piezoelectric properties of soft-type ceramics based on BS-PT ceramics were superior to those of hard ceramics, the maximum displacement of the actuator based on hard ceramics was larger than that fabricated by soft ceramics at high temperature. The maximum displacement of the actuator based on hard ceramics was [Formula: see text] under an applied electric field of 10 kV/cm at 300 °C. The strain hysteresis and heat generation of the actuator based on hard ceramics was smaller than those of the actuator based on soft ceramics in the wide temperature range. These results indicated that the shear-bending actuator based on hard piezoelectric ceramics was more suitable for high-temperature piezoelectric applications.

A multilevel analysis of health-related physical fitness. The Portuguese sibling study on growth, fitness, lifestyle and health

PubMed Central

Pereira, Sara; Todd Katzmarzyk, Peter; Gomes, Thayse Natacha; Souza, Michele; Chaves, Raquel Nichele; dos Santos, Fernanda Karina; Santos, Daniel; Hedeker, Donald; Maia, José

2017-01-01

This study investigates biological, behavioural and sociodemographic correlates of intra-pair similarities, and estimates sibling resemblance in health-related physical fitness (PF). The sample comprises 1101 biological siblings (525 females) aged 9–20 years. PF components and markers were: morphological [waist circumference (WC) and %body fat (%BF)], muscular [handgrip strength (GS) and standing long jump (SLJ)], motor [50-yard dash (50YD) and shuttle run (SR)], and cardiorespiratory (1-mile run). Biological maturation was assessed; physical activity (PA), TV viewing and socioeconomic status (SES) information was obtained. On average, older and more mature subjects are better performers in all PF components; PA was negatively associated with SR, while SES was negatively associated with SLJ and SR. A pattern was observed in the intraclass correlations (ρ) wherein same sex siblings demonstrate greater resemblance for most PF components (sister-sister: 0.35≤ ρ≤0.55; brother-brother: (0.25≤ρ≤0.60) than brother-sister pairs (BS) (0≤ρ≤0.15), except for %BF (ρBB>ρSS>ρBS), and the 1-mile run (ρSS>ρBS>ρBB). In conclusion, behavioural and sociodemographic correlates play different roles in siblings PF expression. Further, a significant familial PF resemblance was observed with different trends in different sibling types, probably due to variations in shared genetic factors and sociodemographic conditions. PMID:28187195

Search for Bs0 oscillations using inclusive lepton events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ALEPH Collaboration; Barate, R.; et al.

1999-03-01

A search for Bs0 oscillations is performed using a sample of semileptonic b-hadron decays collected by the ALEPH experiment during 1991-95. Compared to previous inclusive lepton analyses, the proper time resolution and b-flavour mistag rate are significantly improved. Additional sensitivity to Bs0 mixing is obtained by identifying subsamples of events having a Bs0 purity which is higher than the average for the whole data sample. Unbinned maximum likelihood amplitude fits are performed to derive a lower limit of Δ m s > 9.5 ps-1 at the 95% confidence limit (95% CL). Combining with the ALEPH Ds--based analyses yields Δ m s > 9.6 ps-1 at 95% CL.

A Long Term Study of the Water Content Changes in Three Types of Hydrogel Contact Lenses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-05-01

7RD-R1BS 579 A LONG TERM STUDY OF THE HATER CONTENT CHANGES IN THREE 1/2 TYPES OF HYDROGEL ..(U) AIR FORCE INST OF TECH URIGHT-PATTERSON AFI OH L 0...The Water Content Changes THESIS/Dl$$XF$T$77q Ln ~In Three Types Of Hydrogel Contact Lenses G EFRIGI EOTNME IO 7. AUTHOR(.) S. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER...SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE ("o~tn Date Entered) ABSTRACT A" Sufficient oxygen is required to pass through a hydrogel contact lens for proper

Benevolent Ideology and Women's Economic Decision-Making: When Sexism Is Hurting Men's Wallet.

PubMed

Silvestre, Aude; Sarlet, Marie; Huart, Johanne; Dardenne, Benoit

2016-01-01

Can ideology, as a widespread "expectation creator," impact economic decisions? In two studies we investigated the influence of the Benevolent Sexism (BS) ideology (which dictates that men should provide for passive and nurtured women) on women's economic decision-making. In Study 1, using a Dictator Game in which women decided how to share amounts of money with men, results of a Generalized Linear Mixed Model analysis show that higher endorsement of BS and contextual expectations of benevolence were associated with more very unequal offers. Similarly, in an Ultimatum Game in which women received monetary offers from men, Study 2's Generalized Linear Mixed Model's results revealed that BS led women to reject more very unequal offers. If women's endorsement of BS ideology and expectations of benevolence prove contrary to reality, they may strike back at men. These findings show that BS ideology creates expectations that shape male-female relationships in a way that could be prejudicial to men.

Benevolent Ideology and Women’s Economic Decision-Making: When Sexism Is Hurting Men’s Wallet

PubMed Central

Silvestre, Aude; Sarlet, Marie; Huart, Johanne; Dardenne, Benoit

2016-01-01

Can ideology, as a widespread “expectation creator,” impact economic decisions? In two studies we investigated the influence of the Benevolent Sexism (BS) ideology (which dictates that men should provide for passive and nurtured women) on women’s economic decision-making. In Study 1, using a Dictator Game in which women decided how to share amounts of money with men, results of a Generalized Linear Mixed Model analysis show that higher endorsement of BS and contextual expectations of benevolence were associated with more very unequal offers. Similarly, in an Ultimatum Game in which women received monetary offers from men, Study 2’s Generalized Linear Mixed Model’s results revealed that BS led women to reject more very unequal offers. If women’s endorsement of BS ideology and expectations of benevolence prove contrary to reality, they may strike back at men. These findings show that BS ideology creates expectations that shape male-female relationships in a way that could be prejudicial to men. PMID:26870955

Methanol-enhanced removal and metabolic conversion of formaldehyde by a black soybean from formaldehyde solutions.

PubMed

Tan, Hao; Xiong, Yun; Li, Kun-Zhi; Chen, Li-Mei

2017-02-01

Methanol regulation of some biochemical and physiological characteristics in plants has been documented in several references. This study showed that the pretreatment of methanol with an appropriate concentration could stimulate the HCHO uptake by black soybean (BS) plants. The process of methanol-stimulated HCHO uptake by BS plants was optimized using the Central Composite Design and response surface methodology for the three variables, methanol concentration, HCHO concentration, and treatment time. Under optimized conditions, the best stimulation effect of methanol on HCHO uptake was obtained. 13 C-NMR analysis indicated that the H 13 CHO metabolism produced H 13 COOH, [2- 13 C]Gly, and [3- 13 C]Ser in BS plant roots. Methanol pretreatment enhanced the metabolic conversion of H 13 CHO in BS plant roots, which consequently increased HCHO uptake by BS plants. Therefore, methanol pretreatment might be used to increase HCHO uptake by plants in the phytoremediation of HCHO-polluted solutions.

A guide to the Harvard referencing system.

PubMed

Dwyer, M

This article explains how to reference an academic work using the Harvard system. Instructions comply with the relevant British standards, i.e. BS 5605:1990, BS 1629:1989 and BS 6371:1983. The importance of referencing in an approved manner is discussed and problem areas such as joint authors, corporate authorship and unpublished works are examined. The issue of second-hand references that are not addressed by the standards is also explained.

Production of sophorolipid glycolipid biosurfactants from sugarcane molasses using Starmerella bombicola NBRC 10243.

PubMed

Takahashi, Makoto; Morita, Tomotake; Wada, Koji; Hirose, Naoto; Fukuoka, Tokuma; Imura, Tomohiro; Kitamoto, Dai

2011-01-01

Biosurfactants (BS) are produced by a variety of microorganisms from renewable resources, and have unique properties compared to chemical surfactants. In order to attain efficient production of BS from low-cost materials, we focused our attention on the use of sugarcane molasses. Fifteen yeast strains that are known as BS producers were examined for BS productivity from a culture medium consisting of only molasses and water. Among the strains tested, only Starmerella bombicola NBRC 10243 produced sophorolipids (SL), which are glycolipid BS. The culture conditions for the yeast were then investigated in a shake-flask culture. SL production was significantly affected by the pH of the medium and was highly accelerated at pH 6. Under the optimum conditions, the amount of SL reached 14.4 g/L after 120 h from a medium containing 150 g/L of total sugars. We tried to improve the production of SL further by feeding the molasses using a jar fermentor. Interestingly, the amount of SL increased up to 22.8 g/L after 120 h; the production rate was 1.6-fold higher than that in the shake-flask culture. These results suggest that the present yeast should have great potential for the low-cost production of SL, and facilitate the application of BS in various fields.

Behçet syndrome: is it one condition?

PubMed

Yazici, H; Ugurlu, S; Seyahi, E

2012-12-01

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a disease of unknown etiology, and as such, there have been efforts to classify BS within the popular nosological identities of the times such as seronegative spondarthritides, autoimmune, and more recently autoinflammatory diseases. Current evidence suggests that BS does not easily fit into any one of these lumps, while on occasion, it might be impossible to tell BS from Crohn's disease, especially when the main clinical presentation is intestinal ulceration. There are distinct regional differences in disease expression of BS with fewer cases of intestinal disease in the Mediterranean basin and less severe eye disease and less frequent skin pathergy among patients reported from northern Europe or America. The clustering of symptoms, especially with the recently described increased frequency of the acne/arthritis cluster in familial cases, suggests that more than one pathological pathway is involved in what we call BS today. Supportive evidence for this contention also comes from the observations that (a) the genetic component is very complex with perhaps different genetic modes of inheritance in the adult and in the pediatric patients; and (b) there are differing organ responses to one same drug. For example, the anti-TNF agents successfully control the oral ulcers while they have no effect on the pathergy reaction.

Bile salts-containing vesicles: promising pharmaceutical carriers for oral delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs and peptide/protein-based therapeutics or vaccines.

PubMed

Aburahma, Mona Hassan

2016-07-01

Most of the new drugs, biological therapeutics (proteins/peptides) and vaccines have poor performance after oral administration due to poor solubility or degradation in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Though, vesicular carriers exemplified by liposomes or niosomes can protect the entrapped agent to a certain extent from degradation. Nevertheless, the harsh GIT environment exemplified by low pH, presence of bile salts and enzymes limits their capabilities by destabilizing them. In response to that, more resistant bile salts-containing vesicles (BS-vesicles) were developed by inclusion of bile salts into lipid bilayers constructs. The effectiveness of orally administrated BS-vesicles in improving the performance of vesicles has been demonstrated in researches. Yet, these attempts did not gain considerable attention. This is the first review that provides a comprehensive overview of utilizing BS-vesicles as a promising pharmaceutical carrier with a special focus on their successful applications in oral delivery of therapeutic macromolecules and vaccines. Insights on the possible mechanisms by which BS-vesicles improve the oral bioavailability of the encapsulated drug or immunological response of entrapped vaccine are explained. In addition, methods adopted to prepare and characterize BS-vesicles are described. Finally, the gap in the scientific researches tackling BS-vesicles that needs to be addressed is highlighted.

Passive exercise of the lower limbs and trunk alleviates decreased intestinal motility in patients in the intensive care unit after cardiovascular surgery.

PubMed

Morisawa, Tomoyuki; Takahashi, Tetsuya; Sasanuma, Naoki; Mabuchi, Satoshi; Takeda, Kenta; Hori, Naoto; Ohashi, Naotsugu; Ide, Takeshi; Domen, Kazuhisa; Nishi, Shinichi

2017-02-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of passive exercise of the lower limbs and trunk (PELT) in ICU patients after cardiovascular surgery with decreased bowel motility. [Subjects and Methods] Ten ICU patients with clinically-apparent decreased bowel motility during the period of April to July 2016 were enrolled this study. Bowel sounds (BS) for 5 minutes at rest and 5 minutes after PELT were recorded through an electronic stethoscope. A frequency analysis was performed and the BS before and after PELT were compared. In addition, the percent change in BS before and after PELT was determined, and the relationship between the percent change in BS and individual parameters (invasiveness of surgery, inflammation, nutrition, renal function) was examined. [Results] Average BS (integral value) for 5 minutes before and after PELT were 63.1 ± 41.3 mVsec and 115.0 ± 57.8 mVsec, respectively; therefore, BS was significantly increased by PELT. When compared to patients at rest, a significant increase was found 0-4 minutes after PELT. None of the individual parameters was significantly correlated with the percent change. [Conclusion] PELT can increase the bowel motility of ICU patients with decreased bowel motility.

Doxycycline hyclate-loaded bleached shellac in situ forming microparticle for intraperiodontal pocket local delivery.

PubMed

Phaechamud, Thawatchai; Chanyaboonsub, Nuttapong; Setthajindalert, Orn

2016-10-10

Bleached shellac (BS) is a water-insoluble polyester resin made up of sesquiterpenoid acids esterified with hydroxy aliphatic acids. In this study, BS dissolved in N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 2-pyrrolidone was used as the internal phase of oil in oil emulsion using olive oil emulsified with glyceryl monostearate (GMS) as the external phase of in situ forming microparticles (ISM). Doxycycline hyclate (DH)-loaded BS ISMs were tested for emulsion stability, viscosity, rheology, transformation into microparticles, syringeability, drug release, surface topography, in vitro degradation and antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis. All emulsions exhibited pseudoplastic flow and notably low syringeability force. Slower transformation from emulsion into microparticles of ISM prepared with 2-pyrrolidone was owing to slower solvent exchange of this solvent which promoted less porous structure of obtained BS matrix microparticles. The system containing 2-pyrrolidone exhibited a higher degradability than that prepared with DMSO. Developed DH-loaded BS ISMs exhibited a sustainable drug release for 47days with Fickian diffusion and effectively inhibited P. gingivalis, S. mutans and S. aureus. Therefore a DH-loaded BS ISM using olive oil containing GMS as the external phase and 2-pyrrolidone as a solvent was a suitable formulation for periodontitis treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Intergenerational connection of sexism: influence of family variables].

PubMed

Garaigordobil, Maite; Aliri, Jone

2011-08-01

The purpose of this study is three-fold: 1) to analyze the relations between parents' hostile sexism (HS), benevolent sexism (BS), and ambivalent sexism (AS) and that of their sons-daughters; 2) to study the relation between the mothers' and the fathers' sexism; and 3) to appraise whether the family socio-economic level-cultural is related to sexism. The sample included 2,867 participants, 1,455 adolescents (768 girls, 687 boys) and their parents (764 mothers, 648 fathers). The results revealed positive correlations between the mothers' sexism (HS-BS-AS) and the BS of their sons, and with the HS, BS, and AS of their daughters. Positive correlations were found between the fathers' sexism (BS-AS) and their sons' sexism (HS-BS-AS-Neosexism); however, no relation was found with their daughters' sexism. The intergenerational connection of sexism in the family was confirmed: from mothers to sons and daughters and from fathers to sons. The mother emerged as a very influential figure, although a higher connection was confirmed between the mothers' and the daughters' sexism and between the fathers' and the sons' sexism. Positive correlations were also found between both parents' sexism, and negative correlations between the socio-economic-cultural level of the family and sexism in the parents and in the adolescents.

Measurement of carotid pulse wave velocity using ultrafast ultrasound imaging in hypertensive patients.

PubMed

Li, Xiaopeng; Jiang, Jue; Zhang, Hong; Wang, Hua; Han, Donggang; Zhou, Qi; Gao, Ya; Yu, Shanshan; Qi, Yanhua

2017-04-01

The study aimed to assess the utility of ultrafast ultrasound imaging for evaluation of carotid pulse wave velocity (PWV) in newly diagnosed hypertension patients. This prospective non-randomized study enrolled 90 hypertensive patients in our hospital from September to December 2013 as a hypertension group. An age- and sex-matched cohort of 50 healthy adults in our hospital from September to December 2013 was also included in the study as a control group. Carotid PWV at the beginning and at the end of systole (PWV-BS and PWV-ES, respectively) and intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured by ultrafast ultrasound imaging technology. The associations of PWV-BS, PWV-ES, and IMT with hypertension stage were evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis. PWV-BS and PWV-ES in the hypertension group were significantly elevated compared with those in control group. Different hypertension stages significantly differed in PWV-BS and PWV-ES. PWV-BS and PWV-ES appeared to increase with the hypertension stage. Moreover, IMT, PWV-BS, and PWV-ES were positively correlated with the hypertension stage in hypertensive patients. Ultrafast ultrasound imaging was a valid and convenient method for the measurement of carotid PWV in hypertensive patients. Ultrafast ultrasound imaging might be recommended as a promising alternative method for early detection of arterial abnormality in clinical practice.

Evaluation of the treatment of pectus carinatum with compressive orthotic bracing using three dimensional body scans.

PubMed

Wong, Kaitlyn E; Gorton, George E; Tashjian, David B; Tirabassi, Michael V; Moriarty, Kevin P

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of compressive orthotic brace therapy for the treatment of pectus carinatum using an adjusted Haller Index (HI) measurement calculated from 3D body scan (BS) images. Pediatric patients with pectus carinatum were treated with either compressive orthotic bracing or observation. An adjusted BS Haller index (HI) was calculated from serial 3D BS images obtained on all patients. Medical records were evaluated to determine treatment with bracing and brace compliance more than 12hours daily. Compliant patient measurements were compared to non-compliant and non-brace groups. Forty patients underwent compressive orthotic bracing, while ten were observed. Twenty-three patients were compliant with bracing, and seventeen patients were non-compliant. Compliant patients exhibited an 8.2% increase, non-compliant patients had a 1.5% increase, and non-brace patients exhibited a 2.5% increase in BS HI. The change in BS HI of compliant patients was significantly different compared to non-brace patients (p=0.004) and non-compliant patients (p<0.001). Three dimensional BS is an effective, radiation free, and objective means to evaluate patients treated with compressive orthotic bracing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early diagnosis and treatment of steroid-induced diabetes mellitus in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other connective tissue diseases.

PubMed

Ito, Satoshi; Ogishima, Hiroshi; Kondo, Yuya; Sugihara, Makoto; Hayashi, Taichi; Chino, Yusuke; Goto, Daisuke; Matsumoto, Isao; Sumida, Takayuki

2014-01-01

To reveal how often patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or any of other connective tissue diseases (CTDs) who take prednisolone (PSL) manifest postprandial hyperglycemia, and to evaluate the effects of divided daily dose administration of PSL, and of acarbose and nateglinide, on RA patients. The blood sugar (BS) levels of the patients were measured after meals. For in-patients who showed postprandial hyperglycemia, the daily dose of PSL was divided and nateglinide and/or acarbose were/was added if their BS levels did not improve sufficiently. The patients with BS levels that were well controlled for three months were compared with the patients with poorly controlled BS levels. The BS levels of 78 patients, including 16 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), were measured after meals, and 27 of them were newly diagnosed with DM. Five of 14 patients who took a steady dose of PSL showed high BS levels after lunch (over 200 mg/dl) without elevated HbA1c. The combination therapy of divided-dose PSL and nateglinide and/or acarbose improved postprandial hyperglycemia significantly. The period from the start of PSL administration to intervention was significantly longer in patients with good control at three months than the corresponding period in those with poor control. The prevalence of postprandial hyperglycemia was high in patients with RA/CTD taking PSL; accordingly, measurement of the BS level after each meal was valuable. Combination therapy of divided-dose PSL and nateglinide and/or acarbose improved postprandial hyperglycemia.

A Particle Batch Smoother Approach to Snow Water Equivalent Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Margulis, Steven A.; Girotto, Manuela; Cortes, Gonzalo; Durand, Michael

2015-01-01

This paper presents a newly proposed data assimilation method for historical snow water equivalent SWE estimation using remotely sensed fractional snow-covered area fSCA. The newly proposed approach consists of a particle batch smoother (PBS), which is compared to a previously applied Kalman-based ensemble batch smoother (EnBS) approach. The methods were applied over the 27-yr Landsat 5 record at snow pillow and snow course in situ verification sites in the American River basin in the Sierra Nevada (United States). This basin is more densely vegetated and thus more challenging for SWE estimation than the previous applications of the EnBS. Both data assimilation methods provided significant improvement over the prior (modeling only) estimates, with both able to significantly reduce prior SWE biases. The prior RMSE values at the snow pillow and snow course sites were reduced by 68%-82% and 60%-68%, respectively, when applying the data assimilation methods. This result is encouraging for a basin like the American where the moderate to high forest cover will necessarily obscure more of the snow-covered ground surface than in previously examined, less-vegetated basins. The PBS generally outperformed the EnBS: for snow pillows the PBSRMSE was approx.54%of that seen in the EnBS, while for snow courses the PBSRMSE was approx.79%of the EnBS. Sensitivity tests show relative insensitivity for both the PBS and EnBS results to ensemble size and fSCA measurement error, but a higher sensitivity for the EnBS to the mean prior precipitation input, especially in the case where significant prior biases exist.

Small lung cancers: improved detection by use of bone suppression imaging--comparison with dual-energy subtraction chest radiography.

PubMed

Li, Feng; Engelmann, Roger; Pesce, Lorenzo L; Doi, Kunio; Metz, Charles E; Macmahon, Heber

2011-12-01

To determine whether use of bone suppression (BS) imaging, used together with a standard radiograph, could improve radiologists' performance for detection of small lung cancers compared with use of standard chest radiographs alone and whether BS imaging would provide accuracy equivalent to that of dual-energy subtraction (DES) radiography. Institutional review board approval was obtained. The requirement for informed consent was waived. The study was HIPAA compliant. Standard and DES chest radiographs of 50 patients with 55 confirmed primary nodular cancers (mean diameter, 20 mm) as well as 30 patients without cancers were included in the observer study. A new BS imaging processing system that can suppress the conspicuity of bones was applied to the standard radiographs to create corresponding BS images. Ten observers, including six experienced radiologists and four radiology residents, indicated their confidence levels regarding the presence or absence of a lung cancer for each lung, first by using a standard image, then a BS image, and finally DES soft-tissue and bone images. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate observer performance. The average area under the ROC curve (AUC) for all observers was significantly improved from 0.807 to 0.867 with BS imaging and to 0.916 with DES (both P < .001). The average AUC for the six experienced radiologists was significantly improved from 0.846 with standard images to 0.894 with BS images (P < .001) and from 0.894 to 0.945 with DES images (P = .001). Use of BS imaging together with a standard radiograph can improve radiologists' accuracy for detection of small lung cancers on chest radiographs. Further improvements can be achieved by use of DES radiography but with the requirement for special equipment and a potential small increase in radiation dose. © RSNA, 2011.

Safety of falciparum malaria diagnostic strategy based on rapid diagnostic tests in returning travellers and migrants: a retrospective study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria (RDTs) allow accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment. Validation of their usefulness in travellers with fever was needed. The safety of a strategy to diagnose falciparum malaria based on RDT followed by immediate or delayed microscopy reading at first attendance was evaluated in one referral hospital in Switzerland. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in the outpatient clinic and emergency ward of University Hospital, covering a period of eight years (1999–2007). The study was conducted in the outpatient clinic and emergency ward of University Hospital. All adults suspected of malaria with a diagnostic test performed were included. RDT and microscopy as immediate tests were performed during working hours, and RDT as immediate test and delayed microscopy reading out of laboratory working hours. The main outcome measure was occurrence of specific complications in RDT negative and RDT positive adults. Results 2,139 patients were recruited. 1987 had both initial RDT and blood smear (BS) result negative. Among those, 2/1987 (0.1%) developed uncomplicated malaria with both RDT and BS positive on day 1 and day 6 respectively. Among the 152 patients initially malaria positive, 137 had both RDT and BS positive, four only BS positive and five only RDT positive (PCR confirmed) (six had only one test performed). None of the four initially RDT negative/BS positive and none of the five initially BS negative/RDT positive developed severe malaria while 6/137 of both RDT and BS positive did so. The use of RDT allowed a reduction of a median of 2.1 hours to get a first malaria test result. Conclusions A malaria diagnostic strategy based on RDTs and a delayed BS is safe in non-immune populations, and shortens the time to first malaria test result. PMID:23158019

Comparison of Spot Sign, Blend Sign and Black Hole Sign for Outcome Prediction in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage

PubMed Central

Sporns, Peter B.; Schwake, Michael; Kemmling, André; Minnerup, Jens; Schwindt, Wolfram; Niederstadt, Thomas; Schmidt, Rene; Hanning, Uta

2017-01-01

Background and Purpose Blend sign (BS) and black hole sign (BHS) on non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) and spot sign (SS) on CT-angiography (CTA) are indicators of early hematoma expansion in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, their independent contributions to outcome have not been well explored. Methods In this retrospective study, inclusion criteria were: 1) spontaneous ICH and 2) NCCT and CTA performed on admission within 6 hours after onset of symptoms. Discharge outcome was dichotomized as good (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 0-3) and poor (mRS 4-6) outcomes. The impacts of BHS, BS and SS on outcome were assessed in univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Results Of 182 patients with spontaneous ICH, 26 (14.3%) presented with BHS, 37 (20.3%) with BS and 39 (21.4%) with SS. There was a substantial correlation between SS and BS (κ=0.701) and a moderate correlation between SS and BHS (κ=0.424). In univariable logistic regression, higher baseline hematoma volume (P<0.001), intraventricular hemorrhage (P=0.002) and the presence of BHS/BS/SS (all P<0.001) on admission CT scan were associated with poor outcome. Multivariable analysis identified intraventricular haemorrhage (odds ratio [OR] 2.22 per mL, P=0.022), baseline hematoma volume (OR 1.03 per mL, P<0.001) and SS on CTA (OR 11.43, P<0.001) as independent predictors of poor outcome, showing that SS compared to BS and BHS was more powerful to predict poor outcome. Conclusions The NCCT BHS and BS are correlated with the CTA SS and are reliable predictors of poor outcome in patients with ICH. Of the CT variables indicating early hematoma expansion, SS on CTA was the most reliable outcome predictor. However, given their correlation with SS on CTA, BS and BHS on NCCT can be useful for predicting outcome if CTA is not obtainable. PMID:29037015

Comparison of Spot Sign, Blend Sign and Black Hole Sign for Outcome Prediction in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

PubMed

Sporns, Peter B; Schwake, Michael; Kemmling, André; Minnerup, Jens; Schwindt, Wolfram; Niederstadt, Thomas; Schmidt, Rene; Hanning, Uta

2017-09-01

Blend sign (BS) and black hole sign (BHS) on non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) and spot sign (SS) on CT-angiography (CTA) are indicators of early hematoma expansion in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, their independent contributions to outcome have not been well explored. In this retrospective study, inclusion criteria were: 1) spontaneous ICH and 2) NCCT and CTA performed on admission within 6 hours after onset of symptoms. Discharge outcome was dichotomized as good (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 0-3) and poor (mRS 4-6) outcomes. The impacts of BHS, BS and SS on outcome were assessed in univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Of 182 patients with spontaneous ICH, 26 (14.3%) presented with BHS, 37 (20.3%) with BS and 39 (21.4%) with SS. There was a substantial correlation between SS and BS (κ=0.701) and a moderate correlation between SS and BHS (κ=0.424). In univariable logistic regression, higher baseline hematoma volume ( P <0.001), intraventricular hemorrhage ( P =0.002) and the presence of BHS/BS/SS (all P <0.001) on admission CT scan were associated with poor outcome. Multivariable analysis identified intraventricular haemorrhage (odds ratio [OR] 2.22 per mL, P =0.022), baseline hematoma volume (OR 1.03 per mL, P <0.001) and SS on CTA (OR 11.43, P <0.001) as independent predictors of poor outcome, showing that SS compared to BS and BHS was more powerful to predict poor outcome. The NCCT BHS and BS are correlated with the CTA SS and are reliable predictors of poor outcome in patients with ICH. Of the CT variables indicating early hematoma expansion, SS on CTA was the most reliable outcome predictor. However, given their correlation with SS on CTA, BS and BHS on NCCT can be useful for predicting outcome if CTA is not obtainable.

The addition of a protein-rich breakfast and its effects on acute appetite control and food intake in 'breakfast-skipping' adolescents.

PubMed

Leidy, H J; Racki, E M

2010-07-01

Breakfast skipping (BS) is closely associated with overeating (in the evening), weight gain and obesity. It is unclear whether the addition of breakfast, with emphasis on dietary protein, leads to better appetite and energy intake regulation in adolescents. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of addition of a normal-protein (PN) breakfast vs protein-rich (PR) breakfast on appetite and food intake in 'breakfast-skipping' adolescents. A total of 13 adolescents (age 14.3+/-0.3 years; body mass index percentile 79+/-4 percentile; skipped breakfast 5+/-1 x per week) randomly completed 3 testing days that included a PN (18+/-1 g protein), PR (48+/-2 g protein) or BS. Breakfast was 24% of estimated daily energy needs. Appetite, satiety and hormonal responses were collected over 5 h followed by an ad libitum lunch and 24-h food intake assessments. Perceived appetite was not different following PN vs BS; PR led to greater reductions vs BS (P<0.01) and PN (P<0.001). Fullness was greater following both breakfast meals vs BS (P<0.01) but was not different between meals. Ghrelin was not different among treatments. Greater PYY concentrations were observed following both breakfast meals vs BS (P<0.01) but was not different between meals. Lunch energy intake was not different following PN vs BS; PR led to fewer kcal consumed vs BS (P<0.01) and PN (P<0.005). Daily food intake was not different among treatments. Breakfast led to increased satiety through increased fullness and PYY concentrations in 'breakfast skipping' adolescents. A breakfast rich in dietary protein provides additional benefits through reductions in appetite and energy intake. These findings suggest that the addition of a protein-rich breakfast might be an effective strategy to improve appetite control in young people.

Antidepressant-like Effect of Bacopaside I in Mice Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress by Modulating the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function and Activating BDNF Signaling Pathway.

PubMed

Zu, Xianpeng; Zhang, Mingjian; Li, Wencai; Xie, Haisheng; Lin, Zhang; Yang, Niao; Liu, Xinru; Zhang, Weidong

2017-11-01

Preliminary studies conducted in our laboratory have confirmed that Bacopaside I (BS-I), a saponin compound isolated from Bacopa monnieri, displayed antidepressant-like activity in the mouse behavioral despair model. The present investigation aimed to verify the antidepressant-like action of BS-I using a mouse model of behavioral deficits induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and further probe its underlying mechanism of action. Mice were exposed to CUMS for a period of 5 consecutive weeks to induce depression-like behavior. Then, oral gavage administrations with vehicle (model group), fluoxetine (12 mg/kg, positive group) or BS-I (5, 15, 45 mg/kg, treated group) once daily were started during the last two weeks of CUMS procedure. The results showed that BS-I significantly ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice, as characterized by an elevated sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test and reduced immobility time without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity in the forced swimming test, tail suspension test and open field test. It was also found that BS-I treatment reversed the increased level of plasma corticosterone and decreased mRNA and protein expressions of glucocorticoid receptor induced by CUMS exposure, indicating that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity of CUMS-exposed mice was restored by BS-I treatment. Furthermore, chronic administration of BS-I elevated expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (mRNA and protein) and activated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and cAMP response element-binding protein in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in mice subjected to CUMS procedure. Taken together, these results indicated that BS-I exhibited an obvious antidepressant-like effect in mouse model of CUMS-induced depression that was mediated, at least in part, by modulating HPA hyperactivity and activating BDNF signaling pathway.

No effect of different bariatric surgery procedures on LINE-1 DNA methylation in diabetic and nondiabetic morbidly obese patients.

PubMed

Martín-Núñez, G M; Cabrera-Mulero, A; Alcaide-Torres, J; García-Fuentes, E; Tinahones, F J; Morcillo, S

2017-03-01

Bariatric surgery (BS) is proposed as a highly effective therapy for reducing weight and improving obesity-related co-morbidities. The molecular mechanisms involved in the metabolic improvement after BS are not completely resolved. Epigenetic modifications could have an important role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different BS procedures (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy) on global DNA methylation (long interspersed nucleotide element 1 [LINE-1]) in a group of nondiabetic and diabetic severely obese patients. University hospital, Spain. This study included 60 patients (30 nondiabetic and 30 diabetic severely obese patients) undergoing BS: 31 patients underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and 29 underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Before and 6 months post-BS, anthropometric data, blood pressure, and metabolic parameters were determined. LINE-1 DNA methylation was quantified by pyrosequencing. We used the methylation levels of tumor necrosis factor-α as a control gene promoter. There were no differences between LINE-1 methylation levels at baseline and at 6 months after surgery (66.3±1.6 versus 66.2±2.06). Likewise, there was no statistically significant difference on LINE-1 methylation levels when we stratified according to metabolic status (diabetic versus nondiabetic), nor was there regarding the BS procedure. A strong correlation was shown between LINE-1 methylation levels and weight at baseline both in diabetic and nondiabetic obese patients (r = .486; P<.001). Tumor necrosis factor-α methylation levels increased significantly after BS in the group of diabetic obese patients. After BS, global LINE-1 methylation is not modified in the short term. More studies are required to determine if LINE-1 is a stable epigenetic marker, or, on the contrary, if it is susceptible to modification by external factors such as changes in lifestyle or a surgical intervention. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thyroid transcriptome analysis reveals different adaptive responses to cold environmental conditions between two chicken breeds

PubMed Central

Yang, Xukai; Wang, Dehe; Zhu, Feng; Yang, Ning; Hou, Zhuocheng; Ning, Zhonghua

2018-01-01

Selection for cold tolerance in chickens is important for improving production performance and animal welfare. The identification of chicken breeds with higher cold tolerance and production performance will help to target candidates for the selection. The thyroid gland plays important roles in thermal adaptation, and its function is influenced by breed differences and transcriptional plasticity, both of which remain largely unknown in the chicken thyroid transcriptome. In this study, we subjected Bashang Long-tail (BS) and Rhode Island Red (RIR) chickens to either cold or warm environments for 21 weeks and investigated egg production performance, body weight changes, serum thyroid hormone concentrations, and thyroid gland transcriptome profiles. RIR chickens had higher egg production than BS chickens under warm conditions, but BS chickens produced more eggs than RIRs under cold conditions. Furthermore, BS chickens showed stable body weight gain under cold conditions while RIRs did not. These results suggested that BS breed is a preferable candidate for cold-tolerance selection and that the cold adaptability of RIRs should be improved in the future. BS chickens had higher serum thyroid hormone concentrations than RIRs under both environments. RNA-Seq generated 344.3 million paired-end reads from 16 sequencing libraries, and about 90% of the processed reads were concordantly mapped to the chicken reference genome. Differential expression analysis identified 46–1,211 genes in the respective comparisons. With regard to breed differences in the thyroid transcriptome, BS chickens showed higher cell replication and development, and immune response-related activity, while RIR chickens showed higher carbohydrate and protein metabolism activity. The cold environment reduced breed differences in the thyroid transcriptome compared with the warm environment. Transcriptional plasticity analysis revealed different adaptive responses in BS and RIR chickens to cope with the cold, and showed higher responsiveness in BS compared with RIR chickens, suggesting greater adaptability of the thyroid in BS chickens. Moreover, 10,053 differential splicing events were revealed among the groups, with RNA splicing and processing, gene expression, transport, and metabolism being the main affected biological processes, identifying a valuable alternative splicing repertoire for the chicken thyroid. A short isoform of TPO (encoding thyroid peroxidase) containing multiple open reading frames was generated in both breeds by skipping exons 4 and 5 in the cold environment. These findings provide novel clues for future studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying cold adaptation and/or acclimation in chickens. PMID:29320582

Thyroid transcriptome analysis reveals different adaptive responses to cold environmental conditions between two chicken breeds.

PubMed

Xie, Shanshan; Yang, Xukai; Wang, Dehe; Zhu, Feng; Yang, Ning; Hou, Zhuocheng; Ning, Zhonghua

2018-01-01

Selection for cold tolerance in chickens is important for improving production performance and animal welfare. The identification of chicken breeds with higher cold tolerance and production performance will help to target candidates for the selection. The thyroid gland plays important roles in thermal adaptation, and its function is influenced by breed differences and transcriptional plasticity, both of which remain largely unknown in the chicken thyroid transcriptome. In this study, we subjected Bashang Long-tail (BS) and Rhode Island Red (RIR) chickens to either cold or warm environments for 21 weeks and investigated egg production performance, body weight changes, serum thyroid hormone concentrations, and thyroid gland transcriptome profiles. RIR chickens had higher egg production than BS chickens under warm conditions, but BS chickens produced more eggs than RIRs under cold conditions. Furthermore, BS chickens showed stable body weight gain under cold conditions while RIRs did not. These results suggested that BS breed is a preferable candidate for cold-tolerance selection and that the cold adaptability of RIRs should be improved in the future. BS chickens had higher serum thyroid hormone concentrations than RIRs under both environments. RNA-Seq generated 344.3 million paired-end reads from 16 sequencing libraries, and about 90% of the processed reads were concordantly mapped to the chicken reference genome. Differential expression analysis identified 46-1,211 genes in the respective comparisons. With regard to breed differences in the thyroid transcriptome, BS chickens showed higher cell replication and development, and immune response-related activity, while RIR chickens showed higher carbohydrate and protein metabolism activity. The cold environment reduced breed differences in the thyroid transcriptome compared with the warm environment. Transcriptional plasticity analysis revealed different adaptive responses in BS and RIR chickens to cope with the cold, and showed higher responsiveness in BS compared with RIR chickens, suggesting greater adaptability of the thyroid in BS chickens. Moreover, 10,053 differential splicing events were revealed among the groups, with RNA splicing and processing, gene expression, transport, and metabolism being the main affected biological processes, identifying a valuable alternative splicing repertoire for the chicken thyroid. A short isoform of TPO (encoding thyroid peroxidase) containing multiple open reading frames was generated in both breeds by skipping exons 4 and 5 in the cold environment. These findings provide novel clues for future studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying cold adaptation and/or acclimation in chickens.

Renal dysfunction and barttin expression in Bartter syndrome Type IV associated with a G47R mutation in BSND in a family.

PubMed

Park, C W; Lim, J H; Youn, D-Y; Chung, S; Lim, M-H; Kim, Y K; Chang, Y S; Lee, J-H

2011-02-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) Type IV, associated with a G47R mutation in the BSND gene, is known to result in a mild renal phenotype. However, we report here on three brothers with varying degrees of renal dysfunction from mild to end-stage renal disease associated with renal barttin and ClC-K expression. The brothers had histories of polyhydramnios, prematurity, polyuria, deafness, and small body size. Laboratory findings showed hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, normotensive hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism, and an increased urinary excretion of sodium, potassium and chloride, consistent with BS Type IV. Microscopic examination of renal tissue showed hyperplasia of cells at the juxtaglomerular apparatus with dilated atrophic tubules and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. A weak barttin signal related to CIC-K expression in the cytoplasm of tubule cells, but not the basement membrane, was noted. A sequence analysis of the BSND gene showed that the affected males were homozygous for a missense G47R mutation in exon 1 of BSND. These findings suggest that the G47R mutation results in a dramatic decrease in barttin expression, which appears to be related to the location of CIC-K being changed from the basement membrane to the cytoplasm in the tubule and might have varying effects on renal function associated with factors other than this gene.

Decerebrate posture

MedlinePlus

... posture; Decorticate posture - decerebrate posture References Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Neurologic system. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. ...

Hypermobile joints

MedlinePlus

... Hypermobility syndrome Images Hypermobile joints References Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Musculoskeletal system. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. ...

Employment Trends in High-Technology Occupations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-07-01

Projected Growth as a Percentage of 1980 Employment, 1981-1985 .......... 10 7. Projected Employment in Magnetic Fusion Energy Occupations Funded by the...demand in a particular industry, personnel demand for a special activity--magnetic fusion energy (Finn, Hansen, & Harr, 1981)--was examined by Oak Ridge...Magnetic Fusion Energy Occupations Funded by the Department of Energy 1981-2000 Full-Time Person-Years 1981 1990 2000 Occupation BS/MS PhD BS/MS PhD BS/MS

Analysis of the phase solubility diagram of a phenacetin/competitor/beta-cyclodextrin ternary system, involving competitive inclusion complexation.

PubMed

Ono, N; Hirayama, F; Arima, H; Uekama, K

2001-01-01

The competitive inclusion complexations in the ternary phenacetin/competitors/beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CyD) systems were investigated by the solubility method, where m-bromobenzoic acid (m-BBA) and o-toluic acid (o-TA) were used as competitors. The solubility changes of the drug and competitors as a function of beta-CyD concentration in the ternary systems were formulated using their stability constants and intrinsic solubilities. The decrease in solubility of phenacetin by the addition of competitors could be quantitatively simulated by the formulation, when both drug and competitor give A(L) type solubility diagrams. On the other hand, when one of the guests gives a B(S) type solubility diagram, its solubility change was clearly reflected in that of the another guest, i.e., phenacetin gave an A(L) type solubility diagram in the binary phenacetin/beta-CyD system and o-TA gave a B(S) type diagram in the binary o-TA/beta-CyD system, but in the ternary phenacetin/o-TA/beta-CyD system, a new plateau region appeared in the original A(L) type diagram of phenacetin. This was explained by the solubilization theory of Higuchi and Connors. The solubility analysis of the ternary drug/competitor/CyD systems may be particularly useful for determination of the stability constant of a drug whose physicochemical and spectroscopic analyses are difficult, because they can be calculated by monitoring the solubility change of a competitor, without monitoring that of a drug. Furthermore, the present results suggest that attention should be paid to the type of the phase solubility diagram, as well as the magnitude of the stability constant and the solubility of the complex, for a rational formulation design of CyD complexes.

Transillumination

MedlinePlus

... test References Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Examination techniques and equipment. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Seidel's Guide to Physical ...

Bioremediation of a tropical clay soil contaminated with diesel oil.

PubMed

Chagas-Spinelli, Alessandra C O; Kato, Mario T; de Lima, Edmilson S; Gavazza, Savia

2012-12-30

The removal of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in tropical clay soil contaminated with diesel oil was evaluated. Three bioremediation treatments were used: landfarming (LF), biostimulation (BS) and biostimulation with bioaugmentation (BSBA). The treatment removal efficiency for the total PAHs differed from the efficiencies for the removal of individual PAH compounds. In the case of total PAHs, the removal values obtained at the end of the 129-day experimental period were 87%, 89% and 87% for LF, BS and BSBA, respectively. Thus, the efficiency was not improved by the addition of nutrients and microorganisms. Typically, two distinct phases were observed. A higher removal rate occurred in the first 17 days (P-I) and a lower rate occurred in the last 112 days (P-II). In phase P-I, the zero-order kinetic parameter (μg PAH g(-1) soil d(-1)) values were similar (about 4.6) for all the three treatments. In P-II, values were also similar but much lower (about 0.14). P-I was characterized by a sharp pH decrease to less than 5.0 for the BS and BSBA treatments, while the pH remained near 6.5 for LF. Concerning the 16 individual priority PAH compounds, the results varied depending on the bioremediation treatment used and on the PAH species of interest. In general, compounds with fewer aromatic rings were better removed by BS or BSBA, while those with 4 or more rings were most effectively removed by LF. The biphasic removal behavior was observed only for some compounds. In the case of naphthalene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene, removal occurred mostly in the P-I phase. Therefore, the best degradation process for total or individual PAHs should be selected considering the target compounds and the local conditions, such as native microbiota and soil type. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First principle calculations of effective exchange integrals: Comparison between SR (BS) and MR computational results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Kizashi; Nishihara, Satomichi; Saito, Toru; Yamanaka, Shusuke; Kitagawa, Yasutaka; Kawakami, Takashi; Yamada, Satoru; Isobe, Hiroshi; Okumura, Mitsutaka

2015-01-01

First principle calculations of effective exchange integrals (J) in the Heisenberg model for diradical species were performed by both symmetry-adapted (SA) multi-reference (MR) and broken-symmetry (BS) single reference (SR) methods. Mukherjee-type (Mk) state specific (SS) MR coupled-cluster (CC) calculations by the use of natural orbital (NO) references of ROHF, UHF, UDFT and CASSCF solutions were carried out to elucidate J values for di- and poly-radical species. Spin-unrestricted Hartree Fock (UHF) based coupled-cluster (CC) computations were also performed to these species. Comparison between UHF-NO(UNO)-MkMRCC and BS UHF-CC computational results indicated that spin-contamination of UHF-CC solutions still remains at the SD level. In order to eliminate the spin contamination, approximate spin-projection (AP) scheme was applied for UCC, and the AP procedure indeed corrected the error to yield good agreement with MkMRCC in energy. The CC double with spin-unrestricted Brueckner's orbital (UBD) was furthermore employed for these species, showing that spin-contamination involved in UHF solutions is largely suppressed, and therefore AP scheme for UBCCD removed easily the rest of spin-contamination. We also performed spin-unrestricted pure- and hybrid-density functional theory (UDFT) calculations of diradical and polyradical species. Three different computational schemes for total spin angular momentums were examined for the AP correction of the hybrid (H) UDFT. HUDFT calculations followed by AP, HUDFT(AP), yielded the S-T gaps that were qualitatively in good agreement with those of MkMRCCSD, UHF-CC(AP) and UB-CC(AP). Thus a systematic comparison among MkMRCCSD, UCC(AP) UBD(AP) and UDFT(AP) was performed concerning with the first principle calculations of J values in di- and poly-radical species. It was found that BS (AP) methods reproduce MkMRCCSD results, indicating their applicability to large exchange coupled systems.

High spatial resolution mass spectrometry imaging reveals the genetically programmed, developmental modification of the distribution of thylakoid membrane lipids among individual cells of maize leaf

DOE PAGES

Duenas, Maria Emilia; Klein, Adam T.; Alexander, Liza E.; ...

2016-11-17

Metabolism in plants is compartmentalized among different tissues, cells and subcellular organelles. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has recently advanced to allow for the visualization of metabolites at single-cell resolution. Here we applied 5- and 10 μm high spatial resolution MALDI-MSI to the asymmetric Kranz anatomy of Zea mays (maize) leaves to study the differential localization of two major anionic lipids in thylakoid membranes, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerols (PG). The quantification and localization of SQDG and PG molecular species, among mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells, are compared across the leaf developmental gradient frommore » four maize genotypes (the inbreds B73 and Mo17, and the reciprocal hybrids B73 × Mo17 and Mo17 × B73). SQDG species are uniformly distributed in both photosynthetic cell types, regardless of leaf development or genotype; however, PG shows photosynthetic cell-specific differential localization depending on the genotype and the fatty acyl chain constituent. Overall, 16:1-containing PGs primarily contribute to the thylakoid membranes of M cells, whereas BS chloroplasts are mostly composed of 16:0-containing PGs. Furthermore, PG 32:0 shows genotype-specific differences in cellular distribution, with preferential localization in BS cells for B73, but more uniform distribution between BS and M cells in Mo17. Maternal inheritance is exhibited within the hybrids, such that the localization of PG 32:0 in B73 × Mo17 is similar to the distribution in the B73 parental inbred, whereas that of Mo17 × B73 resembles the Mo17 parent. As a result, this study demonstrates the power of MALDI-MSI to reveal unprecedented insights on metabolic outcomes in multicellular organisms at single-cell resolution.« less

Effect of increasing the level of alfalfa hay in finishing beef heifer diets on intake, sorting, and feeding behavior.

PubMed

Madruga, A; González, L A; Mainau, E; Ruíz de la Torre, J L; Rodríguez-Prado, M; Manteca, X; Ferret, A

2018-02-15

Eight rumen cannulated Simmental heifers (BW = 281.4 ± 7.28 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental treatments in a 4 × 4 replicated Latin square design to ascertain the effects of increasing levels of alfalfa hay on intake, sorting, and feeding behavior in comparison to barley straw as forage source. Treatments tested were four total mixed rations with: 1) 10% barley straw (10BS) with 7.0% NDF from forage, 2) 13% alfalfa hay (13AH) and less NDF from forage (5.7%) than 10BS, 3) 16% alfalfa hay (16AH) and the same NDF from forage (7.0%) as 10BS, and 4) 19% alfalfa hay (19AH) and more NDF from forage (8.3%) than 10BS. Each experimental period consisted of 3 wk for adaptation and 1 wk for sampling. Increasing the proportion of alfalfa hay in the diet linearly increased (P < 0.05) total DMI, CP intake, water consumption, intake of long, medium and fine particle size, extent of sorting of fine particle size, and time spent rumination, but linearly decreased (P < 0.05) extent of sorting of short particle size. Intake of DM was higher in heifers fed 16AH and 19AH than in heifers fed 10BS (P < 0.001). Intake of NDF and physically effective NDF (peNDF) was greater in 13AH, 16AH, and 19AH than in 10BS (P < 0.01). The DMI of medium and short particle size was greater in 13AH, 16AH, and 19AH than in 10BS (P < 0.05), whereas DMI of long particle size was greater in 16AH and 19AH compared to 10BS (P < 0.001). Heifers fed 13AH, 16AH, and 19AH diets sorted against fine particle size and sorted for or tended to sort for short, medium, and long particle sizes. Meal length was greater in heifers fed 16AH and 19AH than 10BS (P < 0.05). Time spent eating was not affected by diet but time spent ruminating was greater in heifers fed 19AH than in 10BS (P < 0.05). Results indicate that the inclusion of alfalfa hay at 19% of incorporation caused an increase in DM, NDF, and peNDF intake, in comparison to the 10BS diet. In the same way, intake of long, medium, and short particle size was greater in this diet. Moreover, heifers fed 19AH sorted for medium particle size and tended to sort for long and short particles size, and against fine particle size. Sorting behavior and meal length increased in the 19AH diet, which leads us to think that sorting feed ingredients requires time and therefore lengthens the meal. Time spent ruminating was greater in heifers fed 19AH, thus reducing the risk of ruminal acidosis when animals are fed high concentrate diets.

Seasonal aspects of reproductive physiology in captive male maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger 1815).

PubMed

Teodoro, L O; Melo-Junior, A A; Spercoski, K M; Morais, R N; Souza, F F

2012-12-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the seasonality of andrological characteristics and hormonal profile of captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger 1811). Three adult males were evaluated from the Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração Scientific Breeding Center in Araxá, MG, Brazil, over 13 months. Semen was collected 2-3 times weekly and analysed. Scrotal circumference, biometrics and testicular volume were measured. Stool samples were collected 2-3 times weekly to analyse corticosteroid and testosterone metabolite concentrations. A success rate of 100% was achieved in the collection attempts during the breeding season (BS) and 77.8% during the non-breeding season (NBS). The interval to achieve penile erection was 1-5 min in the BS and 6-10 in the NBS (p < 0.001). Of the ejaculates collected, 80.0% contained sperm during BS, while 28.6% did during the NBS. The ejaculate had only one fraction, was odourless, predominantly translucent (72.4%), with a watery appearance, pH 6.7 and osmolarity of 352.8 mOsmol. Seasonal influences were seen in ejaculate volume (1.3 ml vs 0.4 ml), number of spermatozoa per ejaculate (73.9 × 10(6) vs 6.1 × 10(6) ) and percentage of live sperm (82.0% vs 66.1%) between the BS and NBS (p < 0.05), respectively. A high percentage of major sperm defects were observed in both seasons (50.1% in BS; 65.7% in NBS). Testicular volume was larger (p < 0.05; right testicles 13.1 cm(3) in BS vs 4.0 cm(3) in NBS, while left testicles 12.9 cm(3) in BS vs 5.3 cm(3) in NBS) and testicular consistency increased in the BS. No difference was seen in the basal faecal metabolite concentrations of testosterone; however, the corticosteroid concentrations were higher in the BS. Based on these results, it is possible to conclude that the collection of semen is feasible in captive maned wolves without compromising libido, seminal characteristics and reproductive behaviour and that sperm production is influenced by seasonality; however, it appears that there is no seasonal influence on basal testosterone concentrations. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Features of the organization of bread wheat chromosome 5BS based on physical mapping.

PubMed

Salina, Elena A; Nesterov, Mikhail A; Frenkel, Zeev; Kiseleva, Antonina A; Timonova, Ekaterina M; Magni, Federica; Vrána, Jan; Šafář, Jan; Šimková, Hana; Doležel, Jaroslav; Korol, Abraham; Sergeeva, Ekaterina M

2018-02-09

The IWGSC strategy for construction of the reference sequence of the bread wheat genome is based on first obtaining physical maps of the individual chromosomes. Our aim is to develop and use the physical map for analysis of the organization of the short arm of wheat chromosome 5B (5BS) which bears a number of agronomically important genes, including genes conferring resistance to fungal diseases. A physical map of the 5BS arm (290 Mbp) was constructed using restriction fingerprinting and LTC software for contig assembly of 43,776 BAC clones. The resulting physical map covered ~ 99% of the 5BS chromosome arm (111 scaffolds, N50 = 3.078 Mb). SSR, ISBP and zipper markers were employed for anchoring the BAC clones, and from these 722 novel markers were developed based on previously obtained data from partial sequencing of 5BS. The markers were mapped using a set of Chinese Spring (CS) deletion lines, and F2 and RICL populations from a cross of CS and CS-5B dicoccoides. Three approaches have been used for anchoring BAC contigs on the 5BS chromosome, including clone-by-clone screening of BACs, GenomeZipper analysis, and comparison of BAC-fingerprints with in silico fingerprinting of 5B pseudomolecules of T. dicoccoides. These approaches allowed us to reach a high level of BAC contig anchoring: 96% of 5BS BAC contigs were located on 5BS. An interesting pattern was revealed in the distribution of contigs along the chromosome. Short contigs (200-999 kb) containing markers for the regions interrupted by tandem repeats, were mainly localized to the 5BS subtelomeric block; whereas the distribution of larger 1000-3500 kb contigs along the chromosome better correlated with the distribution of the regions syntenic to rice, Brachypodium, and sorghum, as detected by the Zipper approach. The high fingerprinting quality, LTC software and large number of BAC clones selected by the informative markers in screening of the 43,776 clones allowed us to significantly increase the BAC scaffold length when compared with the published physical maps for other wheat chromosomes. The genetic and bioinformatics resources developed in this study provide new possibilities for exploring chromosome organization and for breeding applications.

Identification of HMX1 target genes: A predictive promoter model approach

PubMed Central

Boulling, Arnaud; Wicht, Linda

2013-01-01

Purpose A homozygous mutation in the H6 family homeobox 1 (HMX1) gene is responsible for a new oculoauricular defect leading to eye and auricular developmental abnormalities as well as early retinal degeneration (MIM 612109). However, the HMX1 pathway remains poorly understood, and in the first approach to better understand the pathway’s function, we sought to identify the target genes. Methods We developed a predictive promoter model (PPM) approach using a comparative transcriptomic analysis in the retina at P15 of a mouse model lacking functional Hmx1 (dmbo mouse) and its respective wild-type. This PPM was based on the hypothesis that HMX1 binding site (HMX1-BS) clusters should be more represented in promoters of HMX1 target genes. The most differentially expressed genes in the microarray experiment that contained HMX1-BS clusters were used to generate the PPM, which was then statistically validated. Finally, we developed two genome-wide target prediction methods: one that focused on conserving PPM features in human and mouse and one that was based on the co-occurrence of HMX1-BS pairs fitting the PPM, in human or in mouse, independently. Results The PPM construction revealed that sarcoglycan, gamma (35kDa dystrophin-associated glycoprotein) (Sgcg), teashirt zinc finger homeobox 2 (Tshz2), and solute carrier family 6 (neurotransmitter transporter, glycine) (Slc6a9) genes represented Hmx1 targets in the mouse retina at P15. Moreover, the genome-wide target prediction revealed that mouse genes belonging to the retinal axon guidance pathway were targeted by Hmx1. Expression of these three genes was experimentally validated using a quantitative reverse transcription PCR approach. The inhibitory activity of Hmx1 on Sgcg, as well as protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, O (Ptpro) and Sema3f, two targets identified by the PPM, were validated with luciferase assay. Conclusions Gene expression analysis between wild-type and dmbo mice allowed us to develop a PPM that identified the first target genes of Hmx1. PMID:23946633

A Novel Rice Cytochrome P450 Gene, CYP72A31, Confers Tolerance to Acetolactate Synthase-Inhibiting Herbicides in Rice and Arabidopsis1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Saika, Hiroaki; Horita, Junko; Taguchi-Shiobara, Fumio; Nonaka, Satoko; Nishizawa-Yokoi, Ayako; Iwakami, Satoshi; Hori, Kiyosumi; Matsumoto, Takashi; Tanaka, Tsuyoshi; Itoh, Takeshi; Yano, Masahiro; Kaku, Koichiro; Shimizu, Tsutomu; Toki, Seiichi

2014-01-01

Target-site and non-target-site herbicide tolerance are caused by the prevention of herbicide binding to the target enzyme and the reduction to a nonlethal dose of herbicide reaching the target enzyme, respectively. There is little information on the molecular mechanisms involved in non-target-site herbicide tolerance, although it poses the greater threat in the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds and could potentially be useful for the production of herbicide-tolerant crops because it is often involved in tolerance to multiherbicides. Bispyribac sodium (BS) is an herbicide that inhibits the activity of acetolactate synthase. Rice (Oryza sativa) of the indica variety show BS tolerance, while japonica rice varieties are BS sensitive. Map-based cloning and complementation tests revealed that a novel cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, CYP72A31, is involved in BS tolerance. Interestingly, BS tolerance was correlated with CYP72A31 messenger RNA levels in transgenic plants of rice and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Moreover, Arabidopsis overexpressing CYP72A31 showed tolerance to bensulfuron-methyl (BSM), which belongs to a different class of acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides, suggesting that CYP72A31 can metabolize BS and BSM to a compound with reduced phytotoxicity. On the other hand, we showed that the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP81A6, which has been reported to confer BSM tolerance, is barely involved, if at all, in BS tolerance, suggesting that the CYP72A31 enzyme has different herbicide specificities compared with CYP81A6. Thus, the CYP72A31 gene is a potentially useful genetic resource in the fields of weed control, herbicide development, and molecular breeding in a broad range of crop species. PMID:24406793

Evolutionary Convergence of Cell-Specific Gene Expression in Independent Lineages of C4 Grasses1[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

John, Christopher R.; Smith-Unna, Richard D.; Woodfield, Helen; Covshoff, Sarah; Hibberd, Julian M.

2014-01-01

Leaves of almost all C4 lineages separate the reactions of photosynthesis into the mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS). The extent to which messenger RNA profiles of M and BS cells from independent C4 lineages resemble each other is not known. To address this, we conducted deep sequencing of RNA isolated from the M and BS of Setaria viridis and compared these data with publicly available information from maize (Zea mays). This revealed a high correlation (r = 0.89) between the relative abundance of transcripts encoding proteins of the core C4 pathway in M and BS cells in these species, indicating significant convergence in transcript accumulation in these evolutionarily independent C4 lineages. We also found that the vast majority of genes encoding proteins of the C4 cycle in S. viridis are syntenic to homologs used by maize. In both lineages, 122 and 212 homologous transcription factors were preferentially expressed in the M and BS, respectively. Sixteen shared regulators of chloroplast biogenesis were identified, 14 of which were syntenic homologs in maize and S. viridis. In sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), a third C4 grass, we found that 82% of these trans-factors were also differentially expressed in either M or BS cells. Taken together, these data provide, to our knowledge, the first quantification of convergence in transcript abundance in the M and BS cells from independent lineages of C4 grasses. Furthermore, the repeated recruitment of syntenic homologs from large gene families strongly implies that parallel evolution of both structural genes and trans-factors underpins the polyphyletic evolution of this highly complex trait in the monocotyledons. PMID:24676859

Experimental study on lateral strength of wall-slab joint subjected to lateral cyclic load

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masrom, Mohd Asha'ari; Mohamad, Mohd Elfie; Hamid, Nor Hayati Abdul; Yusuff, Amer

2017-10-01

Tunnel form building has been utilised in building construction since 1960 in Malaysia. This method of construction has been applied extensively in the construction of high rise residential house (multistory building) such as condominium and apartment. Most of the tunnel form buildings have been designed according to British standard (BS) whereby there is no provision for seismic loading. The high-rise tunnel form buildings are vulnerable to seismic loading. The connections between slab and shear walls in the tunnel-form building constitute an essential link in the lateral load resisting mechanism. Malaysia is undergoing a shifting process from BS code to Eurocode (EC) for building construction since the country has realised the safety threats of earthquake. Hence, this study is intended to compare the performance of the interior wall slab joint for a tunnel form structure designed based on Euro and British codes. The experiment included a full scale test of the wall slab joint sub-assemblages under reversible lateral cyclic loading. Two sub-assemblage specimens of the wall slab joint were designed and constructed based on both codes. Each specimen was tested using lateral displacement control (drift control). The specimen designed by using Eurocode was found could survive up to 3.0% drift while BS specimen could last to 1.5% drift. The analysis results indicated that the BS specimen was governed by brittle failure modes with Ductility Class Low (DCL) while the EC specimen behaved in a ductile manner with Ductility Class Medium (DCM). The low ductility recorded in BS specimen was resulted from insufficient reinforcement provided in the BS code specimen. Consequently, the BS specimen could not absorb energy efficiently (low energy dissipation) and further sustain under inelastic deformation.

Pretargeting of carcinoembryonic antigen-expressing cancers with a trivalent bispecific fusion protein produced in myeloma cells.

PubMed

Rossi, Edmund A; Chang, Chien-Hsing; Losman, Michele J; Sharkey, Robert M; Karacay, Habibe; McBride, William; Cardillo, Thomas M; Hansen, Hans J; Qu, Zhengxing; Horak, Ivan D; Goldenberg, David M

2005-10-01

To characterize a novel trivalent bispecific fusion protein and evaluate its potential utility for pretargeted delivery of radionuclides to tumors. hBS14, a recombinant fusion protein that binds bispecifically to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the hapten, histamine-succinyl-glycine (HSG), was produced by transgenic myeloma cells and purified to near homogeneity in a single step using a novel HSG-based affinity chromatography system. Biochemical characterization included size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC), SDS-PAGE, and isoelectric focusing. Functional characterization was provided by BIAcore and SE-HPLC. The efficacy of hBS14 for tumor pretargeting was evaluated in CEA-expressing GW-39 human colon tumor-bearing nude mice using a bivalent HSG hapten (IMP-241) labeled with (111)In. Biochemical analysis showed that single-step affinity chromatography provided highly purified material. SE-HPLC shows a single protein peak consistent with the predicted molecular size of hBS14. SDS-PAGE analysis shows only two polypeptide bands, which are consistent with the calculated molecular weights of the hBS14 polypeptides. BIAcore showed the bispecific binding properties and suggested that hBS14 possesses two functional CEA-binding sites. This was supported by SE-HPLC immunoreactivity experiments. All of the data suggest that the structure of hBS14 is an 80 kDa heterodimer with one HSG and two CEA binding sites. Pretargeting experiments in the mouse model showed high uptake of radiopeptide in the tumor, with favorable tumor-to-nontumor ratios as early as 3 hours postinjection. The results indicate that hBS14 is an attractive candidate for use in a variety of pretargeting applications, particularly tumor therapy with radionuclides and drugs.

Robust, Brillouin Active Embedded Fiber-Is-The-Sensor System in Smart Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Chung

1996-01-01

Extensive review of our proposed sensing scheme, based mainly on the forward Guided Acoustic Wave Brillouin Scattering (GAWBS) with backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (sBs) as an auxiliary scheme for system fault tolerance has been completed during this project period. This preliminary study is conducted for a number of reasons. The most significant reasons lie in the essential capability of the system to measure temperature and pressure. These two measurands have been proposed to be sensed by sBs in our proposal. Temperature and pressure/strain are important measurands in structural monitoring, so that the effectiveness of sensing by sBs needs to be further examined. It has been pointed out initially that sBs shift will be dependent on temperature and pressure/strain simultaneously. The shift versus temperature or strain is linear. Now, the question is how can these two measurands be separated when sBs is used to sense an environment, in which both temperature and strain are changing simultaneously. Typical sBs shift plotted versus strain and varying temperature is shown in Fig. 1. As is clear, a fiber initially stressed will relax with rising temperature. This is verified by a displacement to the right with rising temperature of the sBs shift vs strain curves in the figure. A way to circumvent this ambiguity is by employing two fibers, one pre-stressed and the other is a free fiber. The latter will measure temperature and subtracting data in the latter fiber from those of the former will give us net strain readings. This is a laborious approach, since it involves the use of two identical fibers, and this is hard to accomplish, especially when many sensors are needed. Additional multiplexing of the data stream for data subtraction becomes a necessity.

Antigen-Presenting Intratumoral B Cells Affect CD4+ TIL Phenotypes in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Bruno, Tullia C; Ebner, Peggy J; Moore, Brandon L; Squalls, Olivia G; Waugh, Katherine A; Eruslanov, Evgeniy B; Singhal, Sunil; Mitchell, John D; Franklin, Wilbur A; Merrick, Daniel T; McCarter, Martin D; Palmer, Brent E; Kern, Jeffrey A; Slansky, Jill E

2017-10-01

Effective immunotherapy options for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are becoming increasingly available. The immunotherapy focus has been on tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs); however, tumor-infiltrating B cells (TIL-Bs) have also been reported to correlate with NSCLC patient survival. The function of TIL-Bs in human cancer has been understudied, with little focus on their role as antigen-presenting cells and their influence on CD4 + TILs. Compared with other immune subsets detected in freshly isolated primary tumors from NSCLC patients, we observed increased numbers of intratumoral B cells relative to B cells from tumor-adjacent tissues. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TIL-Bs can efficiently present antigen to CD4 + TILs and alter the CD4 + TIL phenotype using an in vitro antigen-presentation assay. Specifically, we identified three CD4 + TIL responses to TIL-Bs, which we categorized as activated, antigen-associated, and nonresponsive. Within the activated and antigen-associated CD4 + TIL population, activated TIL-Bs (CD19 + CD20 + CD69 + CD27 + CD21 + ) were associated with an effector T-cell response (IFNγ + CD4 + TILs). Alternatively, exhausted TIL-Bs (CD19 + CD20 + CD69 + CD27 - CD21 - ) were associated with a regulatory T-cell phenotype (FoxP3 + CD4 + TILs). Our results demonstrate a new role for TIL-Bs in NSCLC tumors in their interplay with CD4 + TILs in the tumor microenvironment, establishing them as a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(10); 898-907. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

The physical map of wheat chromosome 1BS provides insights into its gene space organization and evolution

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The wheat genome sequence is an essential tool for advanced genomic research and improvements. The generation of a high-quality wheat genome sequence is challenging due to its complex 17 Gb polyploid genome. To overcome these difficulties, sequencing through the construction of BAC-based physical maps of individual chromosomes is employed by the wheat genomics community. Here, we present the construction of the first comprehensive physical map of chromosome 1BS, and illustrate its unique gene space organization and evolution. Results Fingerprinted BAC clones were assembled into 57 long scaffolds, anchored and ordered with 2,438 markers, covering 83% of chromosome 1BS. The BAC-based chromosome 1BS physical map and gene order of the orthologous regions of model grass species were consistent, providing strong support for the reliability of the chromosome 1BS assembly. The gene space for chromosome 1BS spans the entire length of the chromosome arm, with 76% of the genes organized in small gene islands, accompanied by a two-fold increase in gene density from the centromere to the telomere. Conclusions This study provides new evidence on common and chromosome-specific features in the organization and evolution of the wheat genome, including a non-uniform distribution of gene density along the centromere-telomere axis, abundance of non-syntenic genes, the degree of colinearity with other grass genomes and a non-uniform size expansion along the centromere-telomere axis compared with other model cereal genomes. The high-quality physical map constructed in this study provides a solid basis for the assembly of a reference sequence of chromosome 1BS and for breeding applications. PMID:24359668

Evidence for the decay B0→J/ψω and measurement of the relative branching fractions of Bs0 meson decays to J/ψη and J/ψη'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aaij, R.; Abellan Beteta, C.; Adametz, A.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Adrover, C.; Affolder, A.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Albrecht, J.; Alessio, F.; Alexander, M.; Ali, S.; Alkhazov, G.; Alvarez Cartelle, P.; Alves, A. A.; Amato, S.; Amhis, Y.; Anderlini, L.; Anderson, J.; Appleby, R. B.; Aquines Gutierrez, O.; Archilli, F.; Artamonov, A.; Artuso, M.; Aslanides, E.; Auriemma, G.; Bachmann, S.; Back, J. J.; Baesso, C.; Balagura, V.; Baldini, W.; Barlow, R. J.; Barschel, C.; Barsuk, S.; Barter, W.; Bates, A.; Bauer, Th.; Bay, A.; Beddow, J.; Bediaga, I.; Belogurov, S.; Belous, K.; Belyaev, I.; Ben-Haim, E.; Benayoun, M.; Bencivenni, G.; Benson, S.; Benton, J.; Berezhnoy, A.; Bernet, R.; Bettler, M.-O.; van Beuzekom, M.; Bien, A.; Bifani, S.; Bird, T.; Bizzeti, A.; Bjørnstad, P. M.; Blake, T.; Blanc, F.; Blanks, C.; Blouw, J.; Blusk, S.; Bobrov, A.; Bocci, V.; Bondar, A.; Bondar, N.; Bonivento, W.; Borghi, S.; Borgia, A.; Bowcock, T. J. V.; Bozzi, C.; Brambach, T.; van den Brand, J.; Bressieux, J.; Brett, D.; Britsch, M.; Britton, T.; Brook, N. H.; Brown, H.; Büchler-Germann, A.; Burducea, I.; Bursche, A.; Buytaert, J.; Cadeddu, S.; Callot, O.; Calvi, M.; Calvo Gomez, M.; Camboni, A.; Campana, P.; Carbone, A.; Carboni, G.; Cardinale, R.; Cardini, A.; Carson, L.; Carvalho Akiba, K.; Casse, G.; Cattaneo, M.; Cauet, Ch.; Charles, M.; Charpentier, Ph.; Chen, P.; Chiapolini, N.; Chrzaszcz, M.; Ciba, K.; Cid Vidal, X.; Ciezarek, G.; Clarke, P. E. L.; Clemencic, M.; Cliff, H. V.; Closier, J.; Coca, C.; Coco, V.; Cogan, J.; Cogneras, E.; Collins, P.; Comerma-Montells, A.; Contu, A.; Cook, A.; Coombes, M.; Corti, G.; Couturier, B.; Cowan, G. A.; Craik, D.; Cunliffe, S.; Currie, R.; D'Ambrosio, C.; David, P.; David, P. N. Y.; De Bonis, I.; De Bruyn, K.; De Capua, S.; De Cian, M.; De Miranda, J. M.; De Paula, L.; De Simone, P.; Decamp, D.; Deckenhoff, M.; Degaudenzi, H.; Del Buono, L.; Deplano, C.; Derkach, D.; Deschamps, O.; Dettori, F.; Dickens, J.; Dijkstra, H.; Diniz Batista, P.; Domingo Bonal, F.; Donleavy, S.; Dordei, F.; Dosil Suárez, A.; Dossett, D.; Dovbnya, A.; Dupertuis, F.; Dzhelyadin, R.; Dziurda, A.; Dzyuba, A.; Easo, S.; Egede, U.; Egorychev, V.; Eidelman, S.; van Eijk, D.; Eisele, F.; Eisenhardt, S.; Ekelhof, R.; Eklund, L.; El Rifai, I.; Elsasser, Ch.; Elsby, D.; Esperante Pereira, D.; Falabella, A.; Färber, C.; Fardell, G.; Farinelli, C.; Farry, S.; Fave, V.; Fernandez Albor, V.; Ferreira Rodrigues, F.; Ferro-Luzzi, M.; Filippov, S.; Fitzpatrick, C.; Fontana, M.; Fontanelli, F.; Forty, R.; Francisco, O.; Frank, M.; Frei, C.; Frosini, M.; Furcas, S.; Gallas Torreira, A.; Galli, D.; Gandelman, M.; Gandini, P.; Gao, Y.; Garnier, J.-C.; Garofoli, J.; Garra Tico, J.; Garrido, L.; Gaspar, C.; Gauld, R.; Gersabeck, E.; Gersabeck, M.; Gershon, T.; Ghez, Ph.; Gibson, V.; Gligorov, V. V.; Göbel, C.; Golubkov, D.; Golutvin, A.; Gomes, A.; Gordon, H.; Grabalosa Gándara, M.; Graciani Diaz, R.; Granado Cardoso, L. A.; Graugés, E.; Graziani, G.; Grecu, A.; Greening, E.; Gregson, S.; Grünberg, O.; Gui, B.; Gushchin, E.; Guz, Yu.; Gys, T.; Hadjivasiliou, C.; Haefeli, G.; Haen, C.; Haines, S. C.; Hall, S.; Hampson, T.; Hansmann-Menzemer, S.; Harnew, N.; Harnew, S. T.; Harrison, J.; Harrison, P. F.; Hartmann, T.; He, J.; Heijne, V.; Hennessy, K.; Henrard, P.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; van Herwijnen, E.; Hicks, E.; Hill, D.; Hoballah, M.; Hopchev, P.; Hulsbergen, W.; Hunt, P.; Huse, T.; Hussain, N.; Huston, R. S.; Hutchcroft, D.; Hynds, D.; Iakovenko, V.; Ilten, P.; Imong, J.; Jacobsson, R.; Jaeger, A.; Jahjah Hussein, M.; Jans, E.; Jansen, F.; Jaton, P.; Jean-Marie, B.; Jing, F.; John, M.; Johnson, D.; Jones, C. R.; Jost, B.; Kaballo, M.; Kandybei, S.; Karacson, M.; Karbach, M.; Keaveney, J.; Kenyon, I. R.; Kerzel, U.; Ketel, T.; Keune, A.; Khanji, B.; Kim, Y. M.; Kochebina, O.; Komarov, I.; Komarov, V.; Koopman, R. F.; Koppenburg, P.; Korolev, M.; Kozlinskiy, A.; Kravchuk, L.; Kreplin, K.; Kreps, M.; Krocker, G.; Krokovny, P.; Kruse, F.; Kucharczyk, M.; Kudryavtsev, V.; Kvaratskheliya, T.; La Thi, V. N.; Lacarrere, D.; Lafferty, G.; Lai, A.; Lambert, D.; Lambert, R. W.; Lanciotti, E.; Lanfranchi, G.; Langenbruch, C.; Latham, T.; Lazzeroni, C.; Le Gac, R.; van Leerdam, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefèvre, R.; Leflat, A.; Lefrançois, J.; Leroy, O.; Lesiak, T.; Li, L.; Li, Y.; Li Gioi, L.; Liles, M.; Lindner, R.; Linn, C.; Liu, B.; Liu, G.; von Loeben, J.; Lopes, J. H.; Lopez Asamar, E.; Lopez-March, N.; Lu, H.; Luisier, J.; Mac Raighne, A.; Machefert, F.; Machikhiliyan, I. V.; Maciuc, F.; Maev, O.; Magnin, J.; Maino, M.; Malde, S.; Manca, G.; Mancinelli, G.; Mangiafave, N.; Marconi, U.; Märki, R.; Marks, J.; Martellotti, G.; Martens, A.; Martin, L.; Martín Sánchez, A.; Martinelli, M.; Martinez Santos, D.; Massafferri, A.; Mathe, Z.; Matteuzzi, C.; Matveev, M.; Maurice, E.; Mazurov, A.; McCarthy, J.; McGregor, G.; McNulty, R.; Meissner, M.; Merk, M.; Merkel, J.; Milanes, D. A.; Minard, M.-N.; Molina Rodriguez, J.; Monteil, S.; Moran, D.; Morawski, P.; Mountain, R.; Mous, I.; Muheim, F.; Müller, K.; Muresan, R.; Muryn, B.; Muster, B.; Mylroie-Smith, J.; Naik, P.; Nakada, T.; Nandakumar, R.; Nasteva, I.; Needham, M.; Neufeld, N.; Nguyen, A. D.; Nguyen-Mau, C.; Nicol, M.; Niess, V.; Nikitin, N.; Nikodem, T.; Nomerotski, A.; Novoselov, A.; Oblakowska-Mucha, A.; Obraztsov, V.; Oggero, S.; Ogilvy, S.; Okhrimenko, O.; Oldeman, R.; Orlandea, M.; Otalora Goicochea, J. M.; Owen, P.; Pal, B. K.; Palano, A.; Palutan, M.; Panman, J.; Papanestis, A.; Pappagallo, M.; Parkes, C.; Parkinson, C. J.; Passaleva, G.; Patel, G. D.; Patel, M.; Patrick, G. N.; Patrignani, C.; Pavel-Nicorescu, C.; Pazos Alvarez, A.; Pellegrino, A.; Penso, G.; Pepe Altarelli, M.; Perazzini, S.; Perego, D. L.; Perez Trigo, E.; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Perret, P.; Perrin-Terrin, M.; Pessina, G.; Petridis, K.; Petrolini, A.; Phan, A.; Picatoste Olloqui, E.; Pie Valls, B.; Pietrzyk, B.; Pilař, T.; Pinci, D.; Playfer, S.; Plo Casasus, M.; Polci, F.; Polok, G.; Poluektov, A.; Polycarpo, E.; Popov, D.; Popovici, B.; Potterat, C.; Powell, A.; Prisciandaro, J.; Pugatch, V.; Puig Navarro, A.; Qian, W.; Rademacker, J. H.; Rakotomiaramanana, B.; Rangel, M. S.; Raniuk, I.; Rauschmayr, N.; Raven, G.; Redford, S.; Reid, M. M.; dos Reis, A. C.; Ricciardi, S.; Richards, A.; Rinnert, K.; Rives Molina, V.; Roa Romero, D. A.; Robbe, P.; Rodrigues, E.; Rodriguez Perez, P.; Rogers, G. J.; Roiser, S.; Romanovsky, V.; Romero Vidal, A.; Rouvinet, J.; Ruf, T.; Ruiz, H.; Sabatino, G.; Saborido Silva, J. J.; Sagidova, N.; Sail, P.; Saitta, B.; Salzmann, C.; Sanmartin Sedes, B.; Sannino, M.; Santacesaria, R.; Santamarina Rios, C.; Santinelli, R.; Santovetti, E.; Sapunov, M.; Sarti, A.; Satriano, C.; Satta, A.; Savrie, M.; Savrina, D.; Schaack, P.; Schiller, M.; Schindler, H.; Schleich, S.; Schlupp, M.; Schmelling, M.; Schmidt, B.; Schneider, O.; Schopper, A.; Schune, M.-H.; Schwemmer, R.; Sciascia, B.; Sciubba, A.; Seco, M.; Semennikov, A.; Senderowska, K.; Sepp, I.; Serra, N.; Serrano, J.; Seyfert, P.; Shapkin, M.; Shapoval, I.; Shatalov, P.; Shcheglov, Y.; Shears, T.; Shekhtman, L.; Shevchenko, O.; Shevchenko, V.; Shires, A.; Silva Coutinho, R.; Skwarnicki, T.; Smith, N. A.; Smith, E.; Smith, M.; Sobczak, K.; Soler, F. J. P.; Solomin, A.; Soomro, F.; Souza, D.; Souza De Paula, B.; Spaan, B.; Sparkes, A.; Spradlin, P.; Stagni, F.; Stahl, S.; Steinkamp, O.; Stoica, S.; Stone, S.; Storaci, B.; Straticiuc, M.; Straumann, U.; Subbiah, V. K.; Swientek, S.; Szczekowski, M.; Szczypka, P.; Szumlak, T.; T'Jampens, S.; Teklishyn, M.; Teodorescu, E.; Teubert, F.; Thomas, C.; Thomas, E.; van Tilburg, J.; Tisserand, V.; Tobin, M.; Tolk, S.; Topp-Joergensen, S.; Torr, N.; Tournefier, E.; Tourneur, S.; Tran, M. T.; Tsaregorodtsev, A.; Tuning, N.; Ubeda Garcia, M.; Ukleja, A.; Urner, D.; Uwer, U.; Vagnoni, V.; Valenti, G.; Vazquez Gomez, R.; Vazquez Regueiro, P.; Vecchi, S.; Velthuis, J. J.; Veltri, M.; Veneziano, G.; Vesterinen, M.; Viaud, B.; Videau, I.; Vieira, D.; Vilasis-Cardona, X.; Visniakov, J.; Vollhardt, A.; Volyanskyy, D.; Voong, D.; Vorobyev, A.; Vorobyev, V.; Voss, H.; Voß, C.; Waldi, R.; Wallace, R.; Wandernoth, S.; Wang, J.; Ward, D. R.; Watson, N. K.; Webber, A. D.; Websdale, D.; Whitehead, M.; Wicht, J.; Wiedner, D.; Wiggers, L.; Wilkinson, G.; Williams, M. P.; Williams, M.; Wilson, F. F.; Wishahi, J.; Witek, M.; Witzeling, W.; Wotton, S. A.; Wright, S.; Wu, S.; Wyllie, K.; Xie, Y.; Xing, F.; Xing, Z.; Yang, Z.; Young, R.; Yuan, X.; Yushchenko, O.; Zangoli, M.; Zavertyaev, M.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, W. C.; Zhang, Y.; Zhelezov, A.; Zhong, L.; Zvyagin, A.; LHCb Collaboration

2013-02-01

First evidence of the B0→J/ψω decay is found and the Bs0→J/ψη and Bs0→J/ψη' decays are studied using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb-1 collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √{s}=7 TeV. The branching fractions of these decays are measured relative to that of the B0→J/ψρ0 decay: {B(B0→J/ψω)}/{B(B0→J/ψρ0)}=0.89±0.19(stat)-0.13+0.07(syst), {B(B}/{s0→J/ψη)B(B0→J/ψρ0)}=14.0±1.2(stat)-1.5+1.1(syst)-1.0+1.1(fd/fs), {B(B}/{s0→J/ψη')B(B0→J/ψρ0)}=12.7±1.1(stat)-1.3+0.5(syst)-0.9+1.0(fd/fs), where the last uncertainty is due to the knowledge of fd/fs, the ratio of b-quark hadronization factors that accounts for the different production rate of B0 and Bs0 mesons. The ratio of the branching fractions of Bs0→J/ψη' and Bs0→J/ψη decays is measured to be {B(B}/{s0→J/ψη')B(Bs0→J/ψη)}=0.90±0.09(stat)-0.02+0.06(syst).

Behçet's syndrome and health-related quality of life: influence of symptoms, lifestyle and employment status.

PubMed

Senusi, Amal A; Ola, Dennis; Mather, Jan; Mather, John; Fortune, Farida

2017-01-01

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a chronic multisystemic disorder. The complex pattern of BS symptoms can effect negatively on patients' quality of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of BS symptoms, oral health related lifestyles and employment status on Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). A questionnaire was mailed to a cohort of 641 adult members of the Behçet's Syndrome Society (BSS) and patients attending a Behçet's syndrome centre in the UK. Respondents gave information on socio-demographic characteristics, disease duration, current symptoms, symptom control, health related lifestyle, diet, smoking and alcohol, employment status and quality of life (the EQ-5D index). 315 out of 426 BS participants (Males: Females=136:179) were recruited. BS symptoms and EQ-5D score model (R=0.67 and R2=0.45) and standardised coefficients for symptoms were; arthropathy (-0.336), headache (-0.227), neurological problems (-0.135), pathergy reaction (-0.119) and skin lesions (-0.107) in decreasing order. This finding was similar to a 2009 study of the same cohort. Regression analysis of tobacco consumption revealed that tobacco use was a risk factor for decreasing the EQ-5D score (beta value = - 0.72, p=0.001). Using an effective mouthwash has a positive impact on HRQoL (beta value= 0.149 and p=0.012). The mean EQ-5D in patients who continued in employment and who were not receiving benefits was better compared to other sub groups. BS symptoms, employment status, a healthy lifestyle combined with a good oral health have a significant impact on the HRQoL of BS patients.

Junior doctor strike model of care: Reduced access block and predominant Fellow of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine staffing improve emergency department performance.

PubMed

Thornton, Vanessa; Hazell, Wayne

2008-10-01

To describe the response and analyse ED performance during a 5-day junior doctor strike. Data were collected via the patient information management computer system. Key performance indicators included percentage seen within maximum waiting times per triage category (TC), ED length of stay, emergency medicine patients who did not wait to be seen, hospital bed occupancy and access block percentage. Comparisons were made for the same 5 days before the strike (BS), during the strike (S) and after the strike. Total doctor's shifts BS were 78.66 with 25% of these shifts being Fellow of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM) shifts. FACEM shifts were more common during the S period at 75% (P < 0.001). Total attendances (BS 631 vs S 596, P = 0.22) and TC percentages (P-values for TC 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, respectively, 1.0, 0.55, 0.88, 0.97, 0.46) in the BS, S and after-the-strike periods were not significantly different. Despite fewer total doctor shifts, the FACEM predominant model of care during the strike resulted in better percentages seen within the maximum waiting times for TC3 (66%), TC4 (78%) and TC5 (86%) (all P < 0.001). There was a reduction in patients who did not wait to be seen (28 BS vs 5 S, P < 0.001), ED length of stay (admissions: BS 451 min vs S 258 min, P < 0.001; discharges: BS 233 min vs S 144 min, P < 0.02) and referrals to inpatient services (P = 0.02). This occurred with reduced bed point occupancy of 66% and a consequent reduction in access block. FACEM staffing and reduced access block were significant factors in improved ED performance.

Pseudomonas rhizophila S211, a New Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium with Potential in Pesticide-Bioremediation

PubMed Central

Hassen, Wafa; Neifar, Mohamed; Cherif, Hanene; Najjari, Afef; Chouchane, Habib; Driouich, Rim C.; Salah, Asma; Naili, Fatma; Mosbah, Amor; Souissi, Yasmine; Raddadi, Noura; Ouzari, Hadda I.; Fava, Fabio; Cherif, Ameur

2018-01-01

A number of Pseudomonas strains function as inoculants for biocontrol, biofertilization, and phytostimulation, avoiding the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Here, we present a new metabolically versatile plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, Pseudomonas rhizophila S211, isolated from a pesticide contaminated artichoke field that shows biofertilization, biocontrol and bioremediation potentialities. The S211 genome was sequenced, annotated and key genomic elements related to plant growth promotion and biosurfactant (BS) synthesis were elucidated. S211 genome comprises 5,948,515 bp with 60.4% G+C content, 5306 coding genes and 215 RNA genes. The genome sequence analysis confirmed the presence of genes involved in plant-growth promoting and remediation activities such as the synthesis of ACC deaminase, putative dioxygenases, auxin, pyroverdin, exopolysaccharide levan and rhamnolipid BS. BS production by P. rhizophila S211 grown on olive mill wastewater based media was effectively optimized using a central-composite experimental design and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions for maximum BS production yield (720.80 ± 55.90 mg/L) were: 0.5% (v/v) inoculum size, 15% (v/v) olive oil mill wastewater (OMWW) and 40°C incubation temperature at pH 6.0 for 8 days incubation period. Biochemical and structural characterization of S211 BS by chromatography and spectroscopy studies suggested the glycolipid nature of the BS. P. rhizophila rhamnolipid was stable over a wide range of temperature (40–90°C), pH (6–10), and salt concentration (up to 300 mM NaCl). Due to its low-cost production, emulsification activities and high performance in solubilization enhancement of chemical pesticides, the indigenous BS-producing PGPR S211 could be used as a promising agent for environmental bioremediation of pesticide-contaminated agricultural soils. PMID:29527191

A novel MADS-box gene subfamily with a sister-group relationship to class B floral homeotic genes.

PubMed

Becker, A; Kaufmann, K; Freialdenhoven, A; Vincent, C; Li, M-A; Saedler, H; Theissen, G

2002-02-01

Class B floral homeotic genes specify the identity of petals and stamens during the development of angiosperm flowers. Recently, putative orthologs of these genes have been identified in different gymnosperms. Together, these genes constitute a clade, termed B genes. Here we report that diverse seed plants also contain members of a hitherto unknown sister clade of the B genes, termed B(sister) (B(s)) genes. We have isolated members of the B(s) clade from the gymnosperm Gnetum gnemon, the monocotyledonous angiosperm Zea mays and the eudicots Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus. In addition, MADS-box genes from the basal angiosperm Asarum europaeum and the eudicot Petunia hybrida were identified as B(s) genes. Comprehensive expression studies revealed that B(s) genes are mainly transcribed in female reproductive organs (ovules and carpel walls). This is in clear contrast to the B genes, which are predominantly expressed in male reproductive organs (and in angiosperm petals). Our data suggest that the B(s) genes played an important role during the evolution of the reproductive structures in seed plants. The establishment of distinct B and B(s) gene lineages after duplication of an ancestral gene may have accompanied the evolution of male microsporophylls and female megasporophylls 400-300 million years ago. During flower evolution, expression of B(s) genes diversified, but the focus of expression remained in female reproductive organs. Our findings imply that a clade of highly conserved close relatives of class B floral homeotic genes has been completely overlooked until recently and awaits further evaluation of its developmental and evolutionary importance. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer Link server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00438-001-0615-8.

Brain stem/brain stem occipital bone ratio and the four-line view in nuchal translucency images of fetuses with open spina bifida.

PubMed

Iuculano, Ambra; Zoppi, Maria Angelica; Piras, Alessandra; Arras, Maurizio; Monni, Giovanni

2014-09-10

Abstract Objective: Brain stem depth/brain stem occipital bone distance (BS/BSOB ratio) and the four-line view, in images obtained for nuchal translucency (NT) screening in fetuses with open spina bifida (OSB). Methods: Single center, retrospective study based on the assessment of NT screening images of fetuses with OSB. A ratio between the BS depth and the BSOB distance was calculated (BS/BSOB ratio) and the four-line view observed, and the sensitivity for a BS/BSOB ratio superior/equal to 1, and for the lack of detection of the four-line view were calculated. Results: There were 17 cases of prenatal diagnosis OSB. In six cases, the suspicion on OSB was raised during NT screening, in six cases, the diagnosis was made before 20 weeks and in five cases during anomaly scan. The BS/BSOB ratio was superior/equal to 1 in all 17 cases, and three lines, were visualized in 15/17 images of the OSB cases, being the sensitivity 100% (95% CI, 81 to 100%) and 88% (95% CI, 65 to 96%). Conclusion: Assessment of BS/BSOB ratio and four-line view in NT images is feasible detecting affected by OSB with high sensitivity. The presence of associated anomalies or of an enlarged NT enhances the early detection.

New roles in hemicellulosic sugar fermentation for the uncultivated Bacteroidetes family BS11

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Solden, Lindsey M.; Hoyt, David W.; Collins, William B.

Ruminants have co-evolved with their gastrointestinal microbial communities that aid in the digestion of plant materials, providing energy for the host. The ability of this microbiome to adapt to altered host diets may dramatically impact the survival of wild ruminant populations, especially under future climate change scenarios. To identify microorganisms capable of degrading climatedriven increases in woody biomass in arctic and boreal regions, we sampled rumen fluids from Alaskan moose foraging along a seasonal lignocellulose gradient. Winter diets with increased hemicellulose and lignin enriched for BS11, a Bacteroidetes family lacking cultivated or genomically sampled representatives. Our findings show that themore » BS11 are cosmopolitan host-associated bacteria prevalent in gastrointestinal tracts of ruminants and other mammals, including humans. Metagenomic reconstruction yielded the first five BS11 genomes, phylogenetically resolving two genera within this taxonomically undefined family. Genome-enabled metabolic analyses uncovered multiple pathways for degrading hemicellulose sugars to short-chain fatty acids, metabolites vital for ruminant energy. Active hemicellulosic fermentation, as well as butyrate and acetate production, were validated by shotgun proteomics and rumen metabolite detection using NMR, illuminating the vital role BS11 play in carbon transformations within the rumen. These results demonstrate that woody biomass selects for BS11 members, providing arctic herbivores with metabolic redundancy to sustain energy generation in a changing vegetative environment.« less

Bladder stone management: an update.

PubMed

Cicione, Antonio; DE Nunzio, Cosimo; Manno, Stefano; Damiano, Rocco; Posti, Alessandro; Lima, Estevao; Tubaro, Andrea; Balloni, Filippo

2018-02-01

Bladder stone (BS) is a rare disease curable with several options. Herein, we reviewed the specific literature in order to update the current BS management. A comprehensive systematic MEDLINE search was performed for English language reports published before April 2017 using the BS related terms, i.e. bladder-vesical calculi, lithotripsy. Then manuscripts references were screened to identify unfounded studies. Studies regarding BS in children were excluded. Retrieved studies were classified according to their main item as: etiology, diagnosis, treatment, treatment in specific illnesses and advances in BS management. Treatment option was mainly related to stone size and number as well as concomitant causative disease. However, stone nature was not analyzed in all the retrieved studies. Both trans-urethral and percutaneous lithotripsy were efficacy for stone fragmentation although the last one was suggested to avoid urethral injuries. Holmiun:Yag laser lithotripsy has made stone fragmentation feasible by using local anesthesia however in selected patients only. The urological dogma to perform concomitant prostate surgery in men with BS has been recently questioned by some observational case-series studies however, the lack of randomization and long follow up preserve that knowledge. Bladder stone is a rare and ancient disease. Nowadays new technologies have been developed in the effort to make less invasive stone treatment. The retrieved studies show that stone fragmentation can be archived by using several surgical approaches and devices whereas comparative randomized studies are still unavailable to identify the best option.

Bile acid composition of gallbladder contents in dogs with gallbladder mucocele and biliary sludge.

PubMed

Kakimoto, Toshiaki; Kanemoto, Hideyuki; Fukushima, Kenjiro; Ohno, Koichi; Tsujimoto, Hajime

2017-02-01

OBJECTIVE To examine bile acid composition of gallbladder contents in dogs with gallbladder mucocele and biliary sludge. ANIMALS 18 dogs with gallbladder mucocele (GBM group), 8 dogs with immobile biliary sludge (i-BS group), 17 dogs with mobile biliary sludge (m-BS group), and 14 healthy dogs (control group). PROCEDURES Samples of gallbladder contents were obtained by use of percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis or during cholecystectomy or necropsy. Concentrations of 15 bile acids were determined by use of highperformance liquid chromatography, and a bile acid compositional ratio was calculated for each group. RESULTS Concentrations of most bile acids in the GBM group were significantly lower than those in the control and m-BS groups. Compositional ratio of taurodeoxycholic acid, which is 1 of 3 major bile acids in dogs, was significantly lower in the GBM and i-BS groups, compared with ratios for the control and m-BS groups. The compositional ratio of taurocholic acid was significantly higher and that of taurochenodeoxycholic acid significantly lower in the i-BS group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In this study, concentrations and fractions of bile acids in gallbladder contents were significantly different in dogs with gallbladder mucocele or immobile biliary sludge, compared with results for healthy control dogs. Studies are needed to determine whether changes in bile acid composition are primary or secondary events of gallbladder abnormalities.

Biodegradation of bispyribac sodium by a novel bacterial consortium BDAM: Optimization of degradation conditions using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Ahmad, Fiaz; Anwar, Samina; Firdous, Sadiqa; Da-Chuan, Yin; Iqbal, Samina

2018-05-05

Bispyribac sodium (BS), is a selective, systemic and post emergent herbicide used to eradicate grasses and broad leaf weeds. Extensive use of this herbicide has engendered serious environmental concerns. Hence it is important to develop strategies for bioremediation of BS in a cost effective and environment friendly way. In this study a bacterial consortium named BDAM, comprising three novel isolates Achromobacter xylosoxidans (BD1), Achromobacter pulmonis (BA2), and Ochrobactrum intermedium (BM2), was developed by virtue of its potential for degradation of BS. Different culture conditions (temperature, pH and inoculum size) were optimized for degradation of BS by the consortium BDAM and the mutual interactions of these parameters were analysed using a 2 3 full factorial central composite design (CCD) based on Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimal values for temperature, pH and inoculum size were found to be 40 °C, 8 and 0.4 g/L respectively to achieve maximum degradation of BS (85.6%). Moreover, the interactive effects of these parameters were investigated using three dimensional surface plots in terms of maximum fitness function. Importantly, it was concluded that the newly developed consortium is a potential candidate for biodegradation of BS in a safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rye B chromosomes encode a functional Argonaute-like protein with in vitro slicer activities similar to its A chromosome paralog.

PubMed

Ma, Wei; Gabriel, Tobias Sebastian; Martis, Mihaela Maria; Gursinsky, Torsten; Schubert, Veit; Vrána, Jan; Doležel, Jaroslav; Grundlach, Heidrun; Altschmied, Lothar; Scholz, Uwe; Himmelbach, Axel; Behrens, Sven-Erik; Banaei-Moghaddam, Ali Mohammad; Houben, Andreas

2017-01-01

B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary, dispensable parts of the nuclear genome, which appear in many different species of eukaryote. So far, Bs have been considered to be genetically inert elements without any functional genes. Our comparative transcriptome analysis and the detection of active RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in the proximity of B chromatin demonstrate that the Bs of rye (Secale cereale) contribute to the transcriptome. In total, 1954 and 1218 B-derived transcripts with an open reading frame were expressed in generative and vegetative tissues, respectively. In addition to B-derived transposable element transcripts, a high percentage of short transcripts without detectable similarity to known proteins and gene fragments from A chromosomes (As) were found, suggesting an ongoing gene erosion process. In vitro analysis of the A- and B-encoded AGO4B protein variants demonstrated that both possess RNA slicer activity. These data demonstrate unambiguously the presence of a functional AGO4B gene on Bs and that these Bs carry both functional protein coding genes and pseudogene copies. Thus, B-encoded genes may provide an additional level of gene control and complexity in combination with their related A-located genes. Hence, physiological effects, associated with the presence of Bs, may partly be explained by the activity of B-located (pseudo)genes. © 2016 IPK Gatersleben. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Synthesis and radiolabeling of a somatostatin analog for multimodal imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, W. Barry; Liang, Kexian; Xu, Baogang; Anderson, Carolyn J.; Achilefu, Samuel

2006-02-01

A new multimodal imaging agent for imaging the somatostatin receptor has been synthesized and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. A somatostatin analog, conjugated to both 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraaceticacid (DOTA) and cypate (BS-296), was synthesized entirely on the solid phase (Fmoc) and purified by RP-HPLC. DOTA was added as a ligand for radiometals such as 64Cu or 177Lu for either radio-imaging or radiotherapy respectively. Cytate, a cypatesomatostatin analog conjugate, has previously demonstrated the ability to visualize somatostatin receptor rich tumor xenografts and natural organs by optical imaging techniques. BS-296 exhibited low nanomolar inhibitory capacity toward the binding of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs in cell membranes enriched in the somatostatin receptor, demonstrating the high affinity of this multimodal imaging peptide and indicating its potential as a molecular imaging agent. 64Cu, an isotope for diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy, was selected as the isotope for radiolabeling BS-296. BS-296 was radiolabeled with 64Cu in high specific activity (200 μCi/μg) in 90% radiochemical yield. Addition of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (gentisic acid) prevented radiolysis of the sample, allowing for study of the 64Cu -BS-296 the day following radiolabeling. Furthermore, inclusion of DMSO at a level of 20% was found not to interfere with radiolabeling yields and prevented the adherence of 64Cu -BS-296 to the walls of the reaction vessel.

Identification of Pseudomonas mosselii BS011 gene clusters required for suppression of Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

PubMed

Wu, Lijuan; Xiao, Wei; Chen, Guoqing; Song, Dawei; Khaskheli, Maqsood Ahmed; Li, Pei; Zhang, Shiying; Feng, Guozhong

2018-04-25

Pseudomonas is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria. Many members of this genus displayed remarkable physiological and metabolic activity against different plant pathogens. However, Pseudomonas mosselii has not yet been characterized in biocontrol against plant disease. Here we isolated a strain of P. mosselii BS011 from the rhizosphere soil of rice plants, and the isolate showed strong inhibitory activity against the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Further we sequenced the complete genome of BS011, which consist of 5.75 Mb with a circular chromosome, 5,170 protein-coding genes, 23 rRNA and 78 tRNA operons. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that seven gene clusters may be involved in the biosynthesis of metabolites. Gene deletion experiments demonstrated that the gene cluster c-xtl is required for inhibitory activity against M. oryzae. Bioassay showed that the crude extract from BS011 fermentation sample significantly inhibited the development of M. oryzae at a concentration of 10 μg/ml. Besides, we illustrated that the crude extract of BS011 impaired the appressorial formation in a dose dependent manner. Collectively our results revealed that P. mosselii BS011 is a promising biocontrol agent and the gene cluster c-xtl is essential for inhibiting the development of M. oryzae. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ventilation/Perfusion distribution abnormalities in morbidly obese subjects before and after bariatric surgery.

PubMed

Rivas, Eva; Arismendi, Ebymar; Agustí, Alvar; Sanchez, Marcelo; Delgado, Salvadora; Gistau, Concepción; Wagner, Peter D; Rodriguez-Roisin, Roberto

2015-04-01

Obesity is a global and growing public health problem. Bariatric surgery (BS) is indicated in patients with morbid obesity. To our knowledge, the effects of morbid obesity and BS on ventilation/perfusion (V.a/Q.) ratio distributions using the multiple inert gas elimination technique have never before been explored. We compared respiratory and inert gas (V.a/Q. ratio distributions) pulmonary gas exchange, breathing both ambient air and 100% oxygen, in 19 morbidly obese women (BMI, 45 kg/m2), both before and 1 year after BS, and in eight normal-weight, never smoker, age-matched, healthy women. Before BS, morbidly obese individuals had reduced arterial Po2 (76 ± 2 mm Hg) and an increased alveolar-arterial Po2 difference (27 ± 2 mm Hg) caused by small amounts of shunt (4.3% ± 1.1% of cardiac output), along with abnormally broadly unimodal blood flow dispersion (0.83 ± 0.06). During 100% oxygen breathing, shunt increased twofold in parallel with a reduction of blood flow to low V.a/Q. units, suggesting the development of reabsorption atelectasis without reversion of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. After BS, body weight was reduced significantly (BMI, 31 kg/m2), and pulmonary gas exchange abnormalities were decreased. Morbid obesity is associated with mild to moderate shunt and V.a/Q. imbalance. These abnormalities are reduced after BS.

Blood pressure measurement

MedlinePlus

... pubmed/27979896 . Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Examination techniques and equipment. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Seidel's Guide to Physical ...

Electric stimulus duration alters network-mediated responses depending on retinal ganglion cell type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Im, Maesoon; Werginz, Paul; Fried, Shelley I.

2018-06-01

Objective. To improve the quality of artificial vision that arises from retinal prostheses, it is important to bring electrically-elicited neural activity more in line with the physiological signaling patterns that arise normally in the healthy retina. Our previous study reported that indirect activation produces a closer match to physiological responses in ON retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) than in OFF cells (Im and Fried 2015 J. Physiol. 593 3677-96). This suggests that a preferential activation of ON RGCs would shape the overall retinal response closer to natural signaling. Recently, we found that changes to the rate at which stimulation was delivered could bias responses towards a stronger ON component (Im and Fried 2016a J. Neural Eng. 13 025002), raising the possibility that changes to other stimulus parameters can similarly bias towards stronger ON responses. Here, we explore the effects of changing stimulus duration on the responses in ON and OFF types of brisk transient (BT) and brisk sustained (BS) RGCs. Approach. We used cell-attached patch clamp to record RGC spiking in the isolated rabbit retina. Targeted RGCs were first classified as ON or OFF type by their light responses, and further sub-classified as BT or BS types by their responses to both light and electric stimuli. Spiking in targeted RGCs was recorded in response to electric pulses with durations varying from 5 to100 ms. Stimulus amplitude was adjusted at each duration to hold total charge constant for all experiments. Main results. We found that varying stimulus durations modulated responses differentially for ON versus OFF cells: in ON cells, spike counts decreased significantly with increasing stimulus duration while in OFF cells the changes were more modest. The maximum ratio of ON versus OFF responses occurred at a duration of ~10 ms. The difference in response strength for BT versus BS cells was much larger in ON cells than in OFF cells. Significance. The stimulation rates preferred by subjects during clinical trials are similar to the rates that maximize the ON/OFF response ratio in in vitro testing (Im and Fried 2016a J. Neural Eng. 13 025002). Here, we determine the stimulus duration that produces the strongest bias towards ON responses and speculate that it will further enhance clinical effectiveness.

JAK2 (V617F) mutation is not associated with thrombosis in Behcet syndrome.

PubMed

Ar, M Cem; Hatemi, Gülen; Ekizoğlu, Seda; Bilgen, Hülya; Saçli, Sevgi; Buyru, A Nur; Soysal, Teoman; Ülkü, Birsen; Yazici, Hasan

2012-07-01

The Janus kinase 2(V617F) (JAK2 (V617F)) mutation is an acquired genetic defect that is considered to enhance thrombosis in Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Thrombosis is also a well-defined component of Behcet syndrome (BS). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of JAK2 ( V617F ) mutation in BS-associated thrombosis. A total of 152 patients with BS (62 with thrombosis and 90 without thrombosis) were enrolled. An additional 186 patients with MPNs and 107 healthy blood donors were included to serve as diseased and healthy controls, respectively. None of the patients with BS and healthy controls carried the JAK2 (V617F) mutation, whereas 67% of patients with MPNs were positive for JAK2 ( V617F ). The frequency of thrombosis in patients with MPNs was not statistically different between carriers and non-carriers of JAK2 ( V617F ) mutation. Our data suggest that JAK2 (V617F) is not directly related to thrombosis in MPNs and in other thrombotic entities, such as BS.

Cortisol responses on the dexamethasone suppression test among women with Bulimia-spectrum eating disorders: associations with clinical symptoms.

PubMed

Bruce, Kenneth R; Steiger, Howard; Israël, Mimi; Groleau, Patricia; Ng Ying Kin, N M K; Ouellette, Anne-Sophie; Sycz, Lindsay; Badawi, Ghislaine

2012-08-07

Evidence associates Bulimia Nervosa (BN) with altered functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, but the clinical implications of such alterations need to be better understood. We contrasted cortisol responses to the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in bulimic and non-eating disordered women and examined relationships among DST cortisol responses, eating symptoms and co-morbid disturbances. Sixty women with Bulimia Spectrum (BS) Disorders (either BN or normal weight Eating Disorder NOS with regular binge eating or purging) and 54 non-eating disordered women of similar age and body mass index participated in a 0.5 mg DST, and completed interviews and questionnaires assessing eating symptoms and co-morbid psychopathology. Compared with the normal-eater group, the BS women demonstrated significantly less DST suppression. Among BS women, DST non-suppression was associated with more severe depression, anxiety and eating preoccupations. Our findings show BS women to show less DST suppression compared to normal eater women, and results link extent of non-suppression, in BS individuals, to severity of depression, anxiety and eating preoccupations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of the surface magnetic field of a cylindrical permanent magnet on the maximum levitation force in high-Tc superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xian-Feng; Liu, Yuan

2006-06-01

In this paper we present the dependence of the maximum levitation force (FzMax) of a high-Tc superconductor on the surface magnetic field (Bs) of a cylindrical permanent magnet, based on the Bean critical state model and Ampère's law. A transition point of Bs is found at which the relation between FzMax and Bs changes: while the surface magnetic field is less than the transition point the dependence is subjected to a nonlinear function, otherwise it is a linear one. The two different relations are estimated to correspond to partial penetration of the shielding currents in the interior of the superconductor below the transition point and complete penetration above it, respectively. Furthermore, the influence of the geometrical properties of superconductors on the transition point of Bs is discussed, which shows a quadratic polynomial function between the transition points and the radii and the thickness of superconductors. Some optimum contours of the transition point of Bs are presented in order to achieve large levitation forces.

Measurement of the ratio B (Bs0 → J / ψf0 (980)) / B (Bs0 → J / ψϕ (1020)) in pp collisions at √{ s} = 7 TeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khachatryan, V.; Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.; Bergauer, T.; Dragicevic, M.; Erö, J.; Friedl, M.; Frühwirth, R.; Ghete, V. M.; Hartl, C.; Hörmann, N.; Hrubec, J.; Jeitler, M.; Kiesenhofer, W.; Knünz, V.; Krammer, M.; Krätschmer, I.; Liko, D.; Mikulec, I.; Rabady, D.; Rahbaran, B.; Rohringer, H.; Schöfbeck, R.; Strauss, J.; Treberer-Treberspurg, W.; Waltenberger, W.; Wulz, C.-E.; Mossolov, V.; Shumeiko, N.; Suarez Gonzalez, J.; Alderweireldt, S.; Bansal, S.; Cornelis, T.; De Wolf, E. A.; Janssen, X.; Knutsson, A.; Lauwers, J.; Luyckx, S.; Ochesanu, S.; Rougny, R.; Van De Klundert, M.; Van Haevermaet, H.; Van Mechelen, P.; Van Remortel, N.; Van Spilbeeck, A.; Blekman, F.; Blyweert, S.; D'Hondt, J.; Daci, N.; Heracleous, N.; Keaveney, J.; Lowette, S.; Maes, M.; Olbrechts, A.; Python, Q.; Strom, D.; Tavernier, S.; Van Doninck, W.; Van Mulders, P.; Van Onsem, G. P.; Villella, I.; Caillol, C.; Clerbaux, B.; De Lentdecker, G.; Dobur, D.; Favart, L.; Gay, A. P. R.; Grebenyuk, A.; Léonard, A.; Mohammadi, A.; Perniè, L.; Randle-conde, A.; Reis, T.; Seva, T.; Thomas, L.; Vander Velde, C.; Vanlaer, P.; Wang, J.; Zenoni, F.; Adler, V.; Beernaert, K.; Benucci, L.; Cimmino, A.; Costantini, S.; Crucy, S.; Fagot, A.; Garcia, G.; Mccartin, J.; Ocampo Rios, A. A.; Poyraz, D.; Ryckbosch, D.; Salva Diblen, S.; Sigamani, M.; Strobbe, N.; Thyssen, F.; Tytgat, M.; Yazgan, E.; Zaganidis, N.; Basegmez, S.; Beluffi, C.; Bruno, G.; Castello, R.; Caudron, A.; Ceard, L.; Da Silveira, G. G.; Delaere, C.; du Pree, T.; Favart, D.; Forthomme, L.; Giammanco, A.; Hollar, J.; Jafari, A.; Jez, P.; Komm, M.; Lemaitre, V.; Nuttens, C.; Pagano, D.; Perrini, L.; Pin, A.; Piotrzkowski, K.; Popov, A.; Quertenmont, L.; Selvaggi, M.; Vidal Marono, M.; Vizan Garcia, J. M.; Beliy, N.; Caebergs, T.; Daubie, E.; Hammad, G. H.; Aldá Júnior, W. L.; Alves, G. A.; Brito, L.; Correa Martins Junior, M.; Dos Reis Martins, T.; Molina, J.; Mora Herrera, C.; Pol, M. 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A.; Chasserat, J.; Chierici, R.; Contardo, D.; Courbon, B.; Depasse, P.; El Mamouni, H.; Fan, J.; Fay, J.; Gascon, S.; Gouzevitch, M.; Ille, B.; Kurca, T.; Lethuillier, M.; Mirabito, L.; Pequegnot, A. L.; Perries, S.; Ruiz Alvarez, J. D.; Sabes, D.; Sgandurra, L.; Sordini, V.; Vander Donckt, M.; Verdier, P.; Viret, S.; Xiao, H.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Autermann, C.; Beranek, S.; Bontenackels, M.; Edelhoff, M.; Feld, L.; Heister, A.; Klein, K.; Lipinski, M.; Ostapchuk, A.; Preuten, M.; Raupach, F.; Sammet, J.; Schael, S.; Schulte, J. F.; Weber, H.; Wittmer, B.; Zhukov, V.; Ata, M.; Brodski, M.; Dietz-Laursonn, E.; Duchardt, D.; Erdmann, M.; Fischer, R.; Güth, A.; Hebbeker, T.; Heidemann, C.; Hoepfner, K.; Klingebiel, D.; Knutzen, S.; Kreuzer, P.; Merschmeyer, M.; Meyer, A.; Millet, P.; Olschewski, M.; Padeken, K.; Papacz, P.; Reithler, H.; Schmitz, S. 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B.; Mittag, G.; Mnich, J.; Mussgiller, A.; Naumann-Emme, S.; Nayak, A.; Ntomari, E.; Perrey, H.; Pitzl, D.; Placakyte, R.; Raspereza, A.; Ribeiro Cipriano, P. M.; Roland, B.; Ron, E.; Sahin, M. Ö.; Salfeld-Nebgen, J.; Saxena, P.; Schoerner-Sadenius, T.; Schröder, M.; Seitz, C.; Spannagel, S.; Vargas Trevino, A. D. R.; Walsh, R.; Wissing, C.; Blobel, V.; Centis Vignali, M.; Draeger, A. R.; Erfle, J.; Garutti, E.; Goebel, K.; Görner, M.; Haller, J.; Hoffmann, M.; Höing, R. S.; Junkes, A.; Kirschenmann, H.; Klanner, R.; Kogler, R.; Lapsien, T.; Lenz, T.; Marchesini, I.; Marconi, D.; Ott, J.; Peiffer, T.; Perieanu, A.; Pietsch, N.; Poehlsen, J.; Poehlsen, T.; Rathjens, D.; Sander, C.; Schettler, H.; Schleper, P.; Schlieckau, E.; Schmidt, A.; Seidel, M.; Sola, V.; Stadie, H.; Steinbrück, G.; Troendle, D.; Usai, E.; Vanelderen, L.; Vanhoefer, A.; Barth, C.; Baus, C.; Berger, J.; Böser, C.; Butz, E.; Chwalek, T.; De Boer, W.; Descroix, A.; Dierlamm, A.; Feindt, M.; Frensch, F.; Giffels, M.; Gilbert, A.; Hartmann, F.; Hauth, T.; Husemann, U.; Katkov, I.; Kornmayer, A.; Lobelle Pardo, P.; Mozer, M. U.; Müller, T.; Müller, Th.; Nürnberg, A.; Quast, G.; Rabbertz, K.; Röcker, S.; Simonis, H. J.; Stober, F. M.; Ulrich, R.; Wagner-Kuhr, J.; Wayand, S.; Weiler, T.; Wolf, R.; Anagnostou, G.; Daskalakis, G.; Geralis, T.; Giakoumopoulou, V. 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S.; Colaleo, A.; Creanza, D.; Cristella, L.; De Filippis, N.; De Palma, M.; Fiore, L.; Iaselli, G.; Maggi, G.; Maggi, M.; My, S.; Nuzzo, S.; Pompili, A.; Pugliese, G.; Radogna, R.; Selvaggi, G.; Sharma, A.; Silvestris, L.; Venditti, R.; Verwilligen, P.; Abbiendi, G.; Benvenuti, A. C.; Bonacorsi, D.; Braibant-Giacomelli, S.; Brigliadori, L.; Campanini, R.; Capiluppi, P.; Castro, A.; Cavallo, F. R.; Codispoti, G.; Cuffiani, M.; Dallavalle, G. M.; Fabbri, F.; Fanfani, A.; Fasanella, D.; Giacomelli, P.; Grandi, C.; Guiducci, L.; Marcellini, S.; Masetti, G.; Montanari, A.; Navarria, F. L.; Perrotta, A.; Rossi, A. M.; Rovelli, T.; Siroli, G. P.; Tosi, N.; Travaglini, R.; Albergo, S.; Cappello, G.; Chiorboli, M.; Costa, S.; Giordano, F.; Potenza, R.; Tricomi, A.; Tuve, C.; Barbagli, G.; Ciulli, V.; Civinini, C.; D'Alessandro, R.; Focardi, E.; Gallo, E.; Gonzi, S.; Gori, V.; Lenzi, P.; Meschini, M.; Paoletti, S.; Sguazzoni, G.; Tropiano, A.; Benussi, L.; Bianco, S.; Fabbri, F.; Piccolo, D.; Ferretti, R.; Ferro, F.; Lo Vetere, M.; Robutti, E.; Tosi, S.; Dinardo, M. E.; Fiorendi, S.; Gennai, S.; Gerosa, R.; Ghezzi, A.; Govoni, P.; Lucchini, M. T.; Malvezzi, S.; Manzoni, R. A.; Martelli, A.; Marzocchi, B.; Menasce, D.; Moroni, L.; Paganoni, M.; Pedrini, D.; Ragazzi, S.; Redaelli, N.; Tabarelli de Fatis, T.; Buontempo, S.; Cavallo, N.; Di Guida, S.; Fabozzi, F.; Iorio, A. O. M.; Lista, L.; Meola, S.; Merola, M.; Paolucci, P.; Azzi, P.; Bacchetta, N.; Bisello, D.; Carlin, R.; Checchia, P.; Dall'Osso, M.; Dorigo, T.; Gasparini, F.; Gasparini, U.; Gozzelino, A.; Gulmini, M.; Kanishchev, K.; Lacaprara, S.; Margoni, M.; Meneguzzo, A. T.; Passaseo, M.; Pazzini, J.; Pozzobon, N.; Ronchese, P.; Simonetto, F.; Torassa, E.; Tosi, M.; Zotto, P.; Zucchetta, A.; Zumerle, G.; Gabusi, M.; Ratti, S. P.; Re, V.; Riccardi, C.; Salvini, P.; Vitulo, P.; Biasini, M.; Bilei, G. M.; Ciangottini, D.; Fanò, L.; Lariccia, P.; Mantovani, G.; Menichelli, M.; Saha, A.; Santocchia, A.; Spiezia, A.; Androsov, K.; Azzurri, P.; Bagliesi, G.; Bernardini, J.; Boccali, T.; Broccolo, G.; Castaldi, R.; Ciocci, M. A.; Dell'Orso, R.; Donato, S.; Fedi, G.; Fiori, F.; Foà, L.; Giassi, A.; Grippo, M. T.; Ligabue, F.; Lomtadze, T.; Martini, L.; Messineo, A.; Moon, C. S.; Palla, F.; Rizzi, A.; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Serban, A. T.; Spagnolo, P.; Squillacioti, P.; Tenchini, R.; Tonelli, G.; Venturi, A.; Verdini, P. G.; Vernieri, C.; Barone, L.; Cavallari, F.; D'imperio, G.; Del Re, D.; Diemoz, M.; Jorda, C.; Longo, E.; Margaroli, F.; Meridiani, P.; Micheli, F.; Organtini, G.; Paramatti, R.; Rahatlou, S.; Rovelli, C.; Santanastasio, F.; Soffi, L.; Traczyk, P.; Amapane, N.; Arcidiacono, R.; Argiro, S.; Arneodo, M.; Bellan, R.; Biino, C.; Cartiglia, N.; Casasso, S.; Costa, M.; Covarelli, R.; Degano, A.; Demaria, N.; Finco, L.; Mariotti, C.; Maselli, S.; Migliore, E.; Monaco, V.; Musich, M.; Obertino, M. M.; Pacher, L.; Pastrone, N.; Pelliccioni, M.; Pinna Angioni, G. L.; Potenza, A.; Romero, A.; Ruspa, M.; Sacchi, R.; Solano, A.; Staiano, A.; Tamponi, U.; Belforte, S.; Candelise, V.; Casarsa, M.; Cossutti, F.; Della Ricca, G.; Gobbo, B.; La Licata, C.; Marone, M.; Schizzi, A.; Umer, T.; Zanetti, A.; Chang, S.; Kropivnitskaya, A.; Nam, S. K.; Kim, D. H.; Kim, G. N.; Kim, M. S.; Kong, D. J.; Lee, S.; Oh, Y. D.; Park, H.; Sakharov, A.; Son, D. C.; Kim, T. J.; Ryu, M. S.; Kim, J. Y.; Moon, D. H.; Song, S.; Choi, S.; Gyun, D.; Hong, B.; Jo, M.; Kim, H.; Kim, Y.; Lee, B.; Lee, K. S.; Park, S. K.; Roh, Y.; Yoo, H. D.; Choi, M.; Kim, J. H.; Park, I. C.; Ryu, G.; Choi, Y.; Choi, Y. K.; Goh, J.; Kim, D.; Kwon, E.; Lee, J.; Yu, I.; Juodagalvis, A.; Komaragiri, J. R.; Md Ali, M. A. B.; Wan Abdullah, W. A. T.; Casimiro Linares, E.; Castilla-Valdez, H.; De La Cruz-Burelo, E.; Heredia-de La Cruz, I.; Hernandez-Almada, A.; Lopez-Fernandez, R.; Sanchez-Hernandez, A.; Carrillo Moreno, S.; Vazquez Valencia, F.; Pedraza, I.; Salazar Ibarguen, H. A.; Morelos Pineda, A.; Krofcheck, D.; Butler, P. H.; Reucroft, S.; Ahmad, A.; Ahmad, M.; Hassan, Q.; Hoorani, H. R.; Khan, W. A.; Khurshid, T.; Shoaib, M.; Bialkowska, H.; Bluj, M.; Boimska, B.; Frueboes, T.; Górski, M.; Kazana, M.; Nawrocki, K.; Romanowska-Rybinska, K.; Szleper, M.; Zalewski, P.; Brona, G.; Bunkowski, K.; Cwiok, M.; Dominik, W.; Doroba, K.; Kalinowski, A.; Konecki, M.; Krolikowski, J.; Misiura, M.; Olszewski, M.; Bargassa, P.; Beirão Da Cruz E Silva, C.; Faccioli, P.; Ferreira Parracho, P. G.; Gallinaro, M.; Lloret Iglesias, L.; Nguyen, F.; Rodrigues Antunes, J.; Seixas, J.; Varela, J.; Vischia, P.; Gavrilenko, M.; Golutvin, I.; Kamenev, A.; Karjavin, V.; Konoplyanikov, V.; Korenkov, V.; Kozlov, G.; Lanev, A.; Malakhov, A.; Matveev, V.; Mitsyn, V. V.; Moisenz, P.; Palichik, V.; Perelygin, V.; Shmatov, S.; Smirnov, V.; Tikhonenko, E.; Zarubin, A.; Golovtsov, V.; Ivanov, Y.; Kim, V.; Kuznetsova, E.; Levchenko, P.; Murzin, V.; Oreshkin, V.; Smirnov, I.; Sulimov, V.; Uvarov, L.; Vavilov, S.; Vorobyev, A.; Vorobyev, An.; Andreev, Yu.; Dermenev, A.; Gninenko, S.; Golubev, N.; Kirsanov, M.; Krasnikov, N.; Pashenkov, A.; Tlisov, D.; Toropin, A.; Epshteyn, V.; Gavrilov, V.; Lychkovskaya, N.; Popov, V.; Pozdnyakov, I.; Safronov, G.; Semenov, S.; Spiridonov, A.; Stolin, V.; Vlasov, E.; Zhokin, A.; Andreev, V.; Azarkin, M.; Dremin, I.; Kirakosyan, M.; Leonidov, A.; Mesyats, G.; Rusakov, S. V.; Vinogradov, A.; Belyaev, A.; Boos, E.; Dubinin, M.; Dudko, L.; Ershov, A.; Gribushin, A.; Klyukhin, V.; Kodolova, O.; Lokhtin, I.; Obraztsov, S.; Petrushanko, S.; Savrin, V.; Snigirev, A.; Azhgirey, I.; Bayshev, I.; Bitioukov, S.; Kachanov, V.; Kalinin, A.; Konstantinov, D.; Krychkine, V.; Petrov, V.; Ryutin, R.; Sobol, A.; Tourtchanovitch, L.; Troshin, S.; Tyurin, N.; Uzunian, A.; Volkov, A.; Adzic, P.; Ekmedzic, M.; Milosevic, J.; Rekovic, V.; Alcaraz Maestre, J.; Battilana, C.; Calvo, E.; Cerrada, M.; Chamizo Llatas, M.; Colino, N.; De La Cruz, B.; Delgado Peris, A.; Domínguez Vázquez, D.; Escalante Del Valle, A.; Fernandez Bedoya, C.; Fernández Ramos, J. P.; Flix, J.; Fouz, M. C.; Garcia-Abia, P.; Gonzalez Lopez, O.; Goy Lopez, S.; Hernandez, J. M.; Josa, M. I.; Navarro De Martino, E.; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Puerta Pelayo, J.; Quintario Olmeda, A.; Redondo, I.; Romero, L.; Soares, M. S.; Albajar, C.; de Trocóniz, J. F.; Missiroli, M.; Moran, D.; Brun, H.; Cuevas, J.; Fernandez Menendez, J.; Folgueras, S.; Gonzalez Caballero, I.; Brochero Cifuentes, J. A.; Cabrillo, I. J.; Calderon, A.; Duarte Campderros, J.; Fernandez, M.; Gomez, G.; Graziano, A.; Lopez Virto, A.; Marco, J.; Marco, R.; Martinez Rivero, C.; Matorras, F.; Munoz Sanchez, F. J.; Piedra Gomez, J.; Rodrigo, T.; Rodríguez-Marrero, A. Y.; Ruiz-Jimeno, A.; Scodellaro, L.; Vila, I.; Vilar Cortabitarte, R.; Abbaneo, D.; Auffray, E.; Auzinger, G.; Bachtis, M.; Baillon, P.; Ball, A. H.; Barney, D.; Benaglia, A.; Bendavid, J.; Benhabib, L.; Benitez, J. F.; Bloch, P.; Bocci, A.; Bonato, A.; Bondu, O.; Botta, C.; Breuker, H.; Camporesi, T.; Cerminara, G.; Colafranceschi, S.; D'Alfonso, M.; d'Enterria, D.; Dabrowski, A.; David, A.; De Guio, F.; De Roeck, A.; De Visscher, S.; Di Marco, E.; Dobson, M.; Dordevic, M.; Dorney, B.; Dupont-Sagorin, N.; Elliott-Peisert, A.; Franzoni, G.; Funk, W.; Gigi, D.; Gill, K.; Giordano, D.; Girone, M.; Glege, F.; Guida, R.; Gundacker, S.; Guthoff, M.; Hammer, J.; Hansen, M.; Harris, P.; Hegeman, J.; Innocente, V.; Janot, P.; Kousouris, K.; Krajczar, K.; Lecoq, P.; Lourenço, C.; Magini, N.; Malgeri, L.; Mannelli, M.; Marrouche, J.; Masetti, L.; Meijers, F.; Mersi, S.; Meschi, E.; Moortgat, F.; Morovic, S.; Mulders, M.; Orsini, L.; Pape, L.; Perez, E.; Petrilli, A.; Petrucciani, G.; Pfeiffer, A.; Pimiä, M.; Piparo, D.; Plagge, M.; Racz, A.; Rolandi, G.; Rovere, M.; Sakulin, H.; Schäfer, C.; Schwick, C.; Sharma, A.; Siegrist, P.; Silva, P.; Simon, M.; Sphicas, P.; Spiga, D.; Steggemann, J.; Stieger, B.; Stoye, M.; Takahashi, Y.; Treille, D.; Tsirou, A.; Veres, G. I.; Wardle, N.; Wöhri, H. K.; Wollny, H.; Zeuner, W. D.; Bertl, W.; Deiters, K.; Erdmann, W.; Horisberger, R.; Ingram, Q.; Kaestli, H. C.; Kotlinski, D.; Langenegger, U.; Renker, D.; Rohe, T.; Bachmair, F.; Bäni, L.; Bianchini, L.; Buchmann, M. A.; Casal, B.; Chanon, N.; Dissertori, G.; Dittmar, M.; Donegà, M.; Dünser, M.; Eller, P.; Grab, C.; Hits, D.; Hoss, J.; Kasieczka, G.; Lustermann, W.; Mangano, B.; Marini, A. C.; Marionneau, M.; Martinez Ruiz del Arbol, P.; Masciovecchio, M.; Meister, D.; Mohr, N.; Musella, P.; Nägeli, C.; Nessi-Tedaldi, F.; Pandolfi, F.; Pauss, F.; Perrozzi, L.; Peruzzi, M.; Quittnat, M.; Rebane, L.; Rossini, M.; Starodumov, A.; Takahashi, M.; Theofilatos, K.; Wallny, R.; Weber, H. A.; Amsler, C.; Canelli, M. F.; Chiochia, V.; De Cosa, A.; Hinzmann, A.; Hreus, T.; Kilminster, B.; Lange, C.; Ngadiuba, J.; Pinna, D.; Robmann, P.; Ronga, F. J.; Taroni, S.; Yang, Y.; Cardaci, M.; Chen, K. H.; Ferro, C.; Kuo, C. M.; Lin, W.; Lu, Y. J.; Volpe, R.; Yu, S. S.; Chang, P.; Chang, Y. H.; Chao, Y.; Chen, K. F.; Chen, P. H.; Dietz, C.; Grundler, U.; Hou, W.-S.; Liu, Y. F.; Lu, R.-S.; Miñano Moya, M.; Petrakou, E.; Tzeng, Y. M.; Wilken, R.; Asavapibhop, B.; Singh, G.; Srimanobhas, N.; Suwonjandee, N.; Adiguzel, A.; Bakirci, M. N.; Cerci, S.; Dozen, C.; Dumanoglu, I.; Eskut, E.; Girgis, S.; Gokbulut, G.; Guler, Y.; Gurpinar, E.; Hos, I.; Kangal, E. E.; Kayis Topaksu, A.; Onengut, G.; Ozdemir, K.; Ozturk, S.; Polatoz, A.; Sunar Cerci, D.; Tali, B.; Topakli, H.; Vergili, M.; Zorbilmez, C.; Akin, I. V.; Bilin, B.; Bilmis, S.; Gamsizkan, H.; Isildak, B.; Karapinar, G.; Ocalan, K.; Sekmen, S.; Surat, U. E.; Yalvac, M.; Zeyrek, M.; Albayrak, E. A.; Gülmez, E.; Kaya, M.; Kaya, O.; Yetkin, T.; Cankocak, K.; Vardarlı, F. I.; Levchuk, L.; Sorokin, P.; Brooke, J. J.; Clement, E.; Cussans, D.; Flacher, H.; Goldstein, J.; Grimes, M.; Heath, G. P.; Heath, H. F.; Jacob, J.; Kreczko, L.; Lucas, C.; Meng, Z.; Newbold, D. M.; Paramesvaran, S.; Poll, A.; Sakuma, T.; Seif El Nasr-storey, S.; Senkin, S.; Smith, V. J.; Bell, K. W.; Belyaev, A.; Brew, C.; Brown, R. M.; Cockerill, D. J. A.; Coughlan, J. A.; Harder, K.; Harper, S.; Olaiya, E.; Petyt, D.; Shepherd-Themistocleous, C. H.; Thea, A.; Tomalin, I. R.; Williams, T.; Womersley, W. J.; Worm, S. D.; Baber, M.; Bainbridge, R.; Buchmuller, O.; Burton, D.; Colling, D.; Cripps, N.; Dauncey, P.; Davies, G.; Della Negra, M.; Dunne, P.; Elwood, A.; Ferguson, W.; Fulcher, J.; Futyan, D.; Hall, G.; Iles, G.; Jarvis, M.; Karapostoli, G.; Kenzie, M.; Lane, R.; Lucas, R.; Lyons, L.; Magnan, A.-M.; Malik, S.; Mathias, B.; Nash, J.; Nikitenko, A.; Pela, J.; Pesaresi, M.; Petridis, K.; Raymond, D. M.; Rogerson, S.; Rose, A.; Seez, C.; Sharp, P.; Tapper, A.; Vazquez Acosta, M.; Virdee, T.; Zenz, S. C.; Cole, J. E.; Hobson, P. R.; Khan, A.; Kyberd, P.; Leggat, D.; Leslie, D.; Reid, I. D.; Symonds, P.; Teodorescu, L.; Turner, M.; Dittmann, J.; Hatakeyama, K.; Kasmi, A.; Liu, H.; Pastika, N.; Scarborough, T.; Wu, Z.; Charaf, O.; Cooper, S. I.; Henderson, C.; Rumerio, P.; Avetisyan, A.; Bose, T.; Fantasia, C.; Lawson, P.; Richardson, C.; Rohlf, J.; St. John, J.; Sulak, L.; Alimena, J.; Berry, E.; Bhattacharya, S.; Christopher, G.; Cutts, D.; Demiragli, Z.; Dhingra, N.; Ferapontov, A.; Garabedian, A.; Heintz, U.; Laird, E.; Landsberg, G.; Mao, Z.; Narain, M.; Sagir, S.; Sinthuprasith, T.; Speer, T.; Swanson, J.; Breedon, R.; Breto, G.; Calderon De La Barca Sanchez, M.; Chauhan, S.; Chertok, M.; Conway, J.; Conway, R.; Cox, P. T.; Erbacher, R.; Gardner, M.; Ko, W.; Lander, R.; Mulhearn, M.; Pellett, D.; Pilot, J.; Ricci-Tam, F.; Shalhout, S.; Smith, J.; Squires, M.; Stolp, D.; Tripathi, M.; Wilbur, S.; Yohay, R.; Cousins, R.; Everaerts, P.; Farrell, C.; Hauser, J.; Ignatenko, M.; Rakness, G.; Takasugi, E.; Valuev, V.; Weber, M.; Burt, K.; Clare, R.; Ellison, J.; Gary, J. W.; Hanson, G.; Heilman, J.; Ivova Rikova, M.; Jandir, P.; Kennedy, E.; Lacroix, F.; Long, O. R.; Luthra, A.; Malberti, M.; Olmedo Negrete, M.; Shrinivas, A.; Sumowidagdo, S.; Wimpenny, S.; Branson, J. G.; Cerati, G. B.; Cittolin, S.; D'Agnolo, R. T.; Holzner, A.; Kelley, R.; Klein, D.; Letts, J.; Macneill, I.; Olivito, D.; Padhi, S.; Palmer, C.; Pieri, M.; Sani, M.; Sharma, V.; Simon, S.; Tadel, M.; Tu, Y.; Vartak, A.; Welke, C.; Würthwein, F.; Yagil, A.; Zevi Della Porta, G.; Barge, D.; Bradmiller-Feld, J.; Campagnari, C.; Danielson, T.; Dishaw, A.; Dutta, V.; Flowers, K.; Franco Sevilla, M.; Geffert, P.; George, C.; Golf, F.; Gouskos, L.; Incandela, J.; Justus, C.; Mccoll, N.; Mullin, S. D.; Richman, J.; Stuart, D.; To, W.; West, C.; Yoo, J.; Apresyan, A.; Bornheim, A.; Bunn, J.; Chen, Y.; Duarte, J.; Mott, A.; Newman, H. B.; Pena, C.; Pierini, M.; Spiropulu, M.; Vlimant, J. R.; Wilkinson, R.; Xie, S.; Zhu, R. Y.; Azzolini, V.; Calamba, A.; Carlson, B.; Ferguson, T.; Iiyama, Y.; Paulini, M.; Russ, J.; Vogel, H.; Vorobiev, I.; Cumalat, J. P.; Ford, W. T.; Gaz, A.; Krohn, M.; Luiggi Lopez, E.; Nauenberg, U.; Smith, J. G.; Stenson, K.; Wagner, S. R.; Alexander, J.; Chatterjee, A.; Chaves, J.; Chu, J.; Dittmer, S.; Eggert, N.; Mirman, N.; Nicolas Kaufman, G.; Patterson, J. R.; Ryd, A.; Salvati, E.; Skinnari, L.; Sun, W.; Teo, W. D.; Thom, J.; Thompson, J.; Tucker, J.; Weng, Y.; Winstrom, L.; Wittich, P.; Winn, D.; Abdullin, S.; Albrow, M.; Anderson, J.; Apollinari, G.; Bauerdick, L. A. T.; Beretvas, A.; Berryhill, J.; Bhat, P. C.; Bolla, G.; Burkett, K.; Butler, J. N.; Cheung, H. W. K.; Chlebana, F.; Cihangir, S.; Elvira, V. D.; Fisk, I.; Freeman, J.; Gottschalk, E.; Gray, L.; Green, D.; Grünendahl, S.; Gutsche, O.; Hanlon, J.; Hare, D.; Harris, R. M.; Hirschauer, J.; Hooberman, B.; Jindariani, S.; Johnson, M.; Joshi, U.; Klima, B.; Kreis, B.; Kwan, S.; Linacre, J.; Lincoln, D.; Lipton, R.; Liu, T.; Lopes De Sá, R.; Lykken, J.; Maeshima, K.; Marraffino, J. M.; Martinez Outschoorn, V. I.; Maruyama, S.; Mason, D.; McBride, P.; Merkel, P.; Mishra, K.; Mrenna, S.; Nahn, S.; Newman-Holmes, C.; O'Dell, V.; Prokofyev, O.; Sexton-Kennedy, E.; Soha, A.; Spalding, W. J.; Spiegel, L.; Taylor, L.; Tkaczyk, S.; Tran, N. V.; Uplegger, L.; Vaandering, E. W.; Vidal, R.; Whitbeck, A.; Whitmore, J.; Yang, F.; Acosta, D.; Avery, P.; Bortignon, P.; Bourilkov, D.; Carver, M.; Curry, D.; Das, S.; De Gruttola, M.; Di Giovanni, G. P.; Field, R. D.; Fisher, M.; Furic, I. K.; Hugon, J.; Konigsberg, J.; Korytov, A.; Kypreos, T.; Low, J. F.; Matchev, K.; Mei, H.; Milenovic, P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Muniz, L.; Rinkevicius, A.; Shchutska, L.; Snowball, M.; Sperka, D.; Yelton, J.; Zakaria, M.; Hewamanage, S.; Linn, S.; Markowitz, P.; Martinez, G.; Rodriguez, J. L.; Adams, J. R.; Adams, T.; Askew, A.; Bochenek, J.; Diamond, B.; Haas, J.; Hagopian, S.; Hagopian, V.; Johnson, K. F.; Prosper, H.; Veeraraghavan, V.; Weinberg, M.; Baarmand, M. M.; Hohlmann, M.; Kalakhety, H.; Yumiceva, F.; Adams, M. R.; Apanasevich, L.; Berry, D.; Betts, R. R.; Bucinskaite, I.; Cavanaugh, R.; Evdokimov, O.; Gauthier, L.; Gerber, C. E.; Hofman, D. J.; Kurt, P.; O'Brien, C.; Sandoval Gonzalez, I. D.; Silkworth, C.; Turner, P.; Varelas, N.; Bilki, B.; Clarida, W.; Dilsiz, K.; Haytmyradov, M.; Merlo, J.-P.; Mermerkaya, H.; Mestvirishvili, A.; Moeller, A.; Nachtman, J.; Ogul, H.; Onel, Y.; Ozok, F.; Penzo, A.; Rahmat, R.; Sen, S.; Tan, P.; Tiras, E.; Wetzel, J.; Yi, K.; Anderson, I.; Barnett, B. A.; Blumenfeld, B.; Bolognesi, S.; Fehling, D.; Gritsan, A. V.; Maksimovic, P.; Martin, C.; Swartz, M.; Xiao, M.; Baringer, P.; Bean, A.; Benelli, G.; Bruner, C.; Gray, J.; Kenny, R. P., III; Majumder, D.; Malek, M.; Murray, M.; Noonan, D.; Sanders, S.; Sekaric, J.; Stringer, R.; Wang, Q.; Wood, J. S.; Chakaberia, I.; Ivanov, A.; Kaadze, K.; Khalil, S.; Makouski, M.; Maravin, Y.; Saini, L. K.; Skhirtladze, N.; Svintradze, I.; Gronberg, J.; Lange, D.; Rebassoo, F.; Wright, D.; Baden, A.; Belloni, A.; Calvert, B.; Eno, S. C.; Gomez, J. A.; Hadley, N. J.; Jabeen, S.; Kellogg, R. G.; Kolberg, T.; Lu, Y.; Mignerey, A. C.; Pedro, K.; Skuja, A.; Tonjes, M. B.; Tonwar, S. C.; Apyan, A.; Barbieri, R.; Bierwagen, K.; Busza, W.; Cali, I. A.; Di Matteo, L.; Gomez Ceballos, G.; Goncharov, M.; Gulhan, D.; Klute, M.; Lai, Y. S.; Lee, Y.-J.; Levin, A.; Luckey, P. D.; Paus, C.; Ralph, D.; Roland, C.; Roland, G.; Stephans, G. S. F.; Sumorok, K.; Velicanu, D.; Veverka, J.; Wyslouch, B.; Yang, M.; Zanetti, M.; Zhukova, V.; Dahmes, B.; Gude, A.; Kao, S. C.; Klapoetke, K.; Kubota, Y.; Mans, J.; Nourbakhsh, S.; Rusack, R.; Singovsky, A.; Tambe, N.; Turkewitz, J.; Acosta, J. G.; Oliveros, S.; Avdeeva, E.; Bloom, K.; Bose, S.; Claes, D. R.; Dominguez, A.; Gonzalez Suarez, R.; Keller, J.; Knowlton, D.; Kravchenko, I.; Lazo-Flores, J.; Meier, F.; Ratnikov, F.; Snow, G. R.; Zvada, M.; Dolen, J.; Godshalk, A.; Iashvili, I.; Kharchilava, A.; Kumar, A.; Rappoccio, S.; Alverson, G.; Barberis, E.; Baumgartel, D.; Chasco, M.; Massironi, A.; Morse, D. M.; Nash, D.; Orimoto, T.; Trocino, D.; Wang, R.-J.; Wood, D.; Zhang, J.; Hahn, K. A.; Kubik, A.; Mucia, N.; Odell, N.; Pollack, B.; Pozdnyakov, A.; Schmitt, M.; Stoynev, S.; Sung, K.; Velasco, M.; Won, S.; Brinkerhoff, A.; Chan, K. M.; Drozdetskiy, A.; Hildreth, M.; Jessop, C.; Karmgard, D. J.; Kellams, N.; Lannon, K.; Lynch, S.; Marinelli, N.; Musienko, Y.; Pearson, T.; Planer, M.; Ruchti, R.; Smith, G.; Valls, N.; Wayne, M.; Wolf, M.; Woodard, A.; Antonelli, L.; Brinson, J.; Bylsma, B.; Durkin, L. S.; Flowers, S.; Hart, A.; Hill, C.; Hughes, R.; Kotov, K.; Ling, T. Y.; Luo, W.; Puigh, D.; Rodenburg, M.; Winer, B. L.; Wolfe, H.; Wulsin, H. W.; Driga, O.; Elmer, P.; Hardenbrook, J.; Hebda, P.; Koay, S. A.; Lujan, P.; Marlow, D.; Medvedeva, T.; Mooney, M.; Olsen, J.; Piroué, P.; Quan, X.; Saka, H.; Stickland, D.; Tully, C.; Werner, J. S.; Zuranski, A.; Brownson, E.; Malik, S.; Mendez, H.; Ramirez Vargas, J. E.; Barnes, V. E.; Benedetti, D.; Bortoletto, D.; De Mattia, M.; Gutay, L.; Hu, Z.; Jha, M. K.; Jones, M.; Jung, K.; Kress, M.; Leonardo, N.; Miller, D. H.; Neumeister, N.; Primavera, F.; Radburn-Smith, B. C.; Shi, X.; Shipsey, I.; Silvers, D.; Svyatkovskiy, A.; Wang, F.; Xie, W.; Xu, L.; Zablocki, J.; Parashar, N.; Stupak, J.; Adair, A.; Akgun, B.; Ecklund, K. M.; Geurts, F. J. M.; Li, W.; Michlin, B.; Padley, B. P.; Redjimi, R.; Roberts, J.; Zabel, J.; Betchart, B.; Bodek, A.; de Barbaro, P.; Demina, R.; Eshaq, Y.; Ferbel, T.; Galanti, M.; Garcia-Bellido, A.; Goldenzweig, P.; Han, J.; Harel, A.; Hindrichs, O.; Khukhunaishvili, A.; Korjenevski, S.; Petrillo, G.; Verzetti, M.; Vishnevskiy, D.; Ciesielski, R.; Demortier, L.; Goulianos, K.; Mesropian, C.; Arora, S.; Barker, A.; Chou, J. P.; Contreras-Campana, C.; Contreras-Campana, E.; Duggan, D.; Ferencek, D.; Gershtein, Y.; Gray, R.; Halkiadakis, E.; Hidas, D.; Kaplan, S.; Lath, A.; Panwalkar, S.; Park, M.; Salur, S.; Schnetzer, S.; Sheffield, D.; Somalwar, S.; Stone, R.; Thomas, S.; Thomassen, P.; Walker, M.; Rose, K.; Spanier, S.; York, A.; Bouhali, O.; Castaneda Hernandez, A.; Dildick, S.; Eusebi, R.; Flanagan, W.; Gilmore, J.; Kamon, T.; Khotilovich, V.; Krutelyov, V.; Montalvo, R.; Osipenkov, I.; Pakhotin, Y.; Patel, R.; Perloff, A.; Roe, J.; Rose, A.; Safonov, A.; Suarez, I.; Tatarinov, A.; Ulmer, K. A.; Akchurin, N.; Cowden, C.; Damgov, J.; Dragoiu, C.; Dudero, P. R.; Faulkner, J.; Kovitanggoon, K.; Kunori, S.; Lee, S. W.; Libeiro, T.; Volobouev, I.; Appelt, E.; Delannoy, A. G.; Greene, S.; Gurrola, A.; Johns, W.; Maguire, C.; Mao, Y.; Melo, A.; Sharma, M.; Sheldon, P.; Snook, B.; Tuo, S.; Velkovska, J.; Arenton, M. W.; Boutle, S.; Cox, B.; Francis, B.; Goodell, J.; Hirosky, R.; Ledovskoy, A.; Li, H.; Lin, C.; Neu, C.; Wolfe, E.; Wood, J.; Clarke, C.; Harr, R.; Karchin, P. E.; Kottachchi Kankanamge Don, C.; Lamichhane, P.; Sturdy, J.; Belknap, D. A.; Carlsmith, D.; Cepeda, M.; Dasu, S.; Dodd, L.; Duric, S.; Friis, E.; Hall-Wilton, R.; Herndon, M.; Hervé, A.; Klabbers, P.; Lanaro, A.; Lazaridis, C.; Levine, A.; Loveless, R.; Mohapatra, A.; Ojalvo, I.; Perry, T.; Pierro, G. A.; Polese, G.; Ross, I.; Sarangi, T.; Savin, A.; Smith, W. H.; Taylor, D.; Vuosalo, C.; Woods, N.; CMS Collaboration

2016-05-01

A measurement of the ratio of the branching fractions of the Bs0 meson to J / ψf0 (980) and to J / ψϕ (1020) is presented. The J / ψ, f0 (980), and ϕ (1020) are observed through their decays to μ+μ-, π+π-, and K+K-, respectively. The f0 and the ϕ are identified by requiring |Mπ+π- - 974 MeV | < 50 MeV and |MK+K- - 1020 MeV | < 10 MeV. The analysis is based on a data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.3 fb-1. The measured ratio is B(Bs0 → J / ψf0) B (f0 →π+π-)/ B (Bs0 → J / ψϕ) B (ϕ →K+K-) = 0.140 ± 0.008 (stat) ± 0.023 (syst), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.

Impact of scalar mesons on the rare B-decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Issadykov, Aidos; Ivanov, Mikhail A.; Sakhiyev, Sayabek K.

2015-11-01

In the wake of exploring uncertainty in the full angular distribution of the B → Kπ + μ+μ- caused by the presence of the intermediate scalar K0∗ meson, we perform the straightforward calculation of the B(Bs) → S (S is a scalar meson) transition form factors in the full kinematical region within the covariant quark model. We restrict ourselves by the scalar mesons below 1 GeV: a0(980),f0(500),f0(980),K0∗(800). As an application of the obtained results we calculate the widths of the semileptonic and rare decays B(Bs) → Sℓν¯, B(Bs) → Sℓℓ¯ and B(Bs) → Sνν¯. We compare our results with those obtained in other approaches.

Algicidal effects of a novel marine actinomycete on the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense.

PubMed

Bai, Shijie J; Huang, Liping P; Su, Jianqiang Q; Tian, Yun; Zheng, Tianling L

2011-06-01

A marine actinomycete strain BS01 with algicidal activity to the toxic dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamarense, was isolated from Xiamen Bay, China. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA demonstrates that BS01 is closely related to the genus Brevibacterium of Actinomycetales. BS01 exhibited algicidal activity in an indirect manner. Additional organic nutrients, but not algal-derived dissolved organic matter, were necessary for the synthesis of yet unidentified algicidal compounds (molecular weight less than 100), which were heat tolerant, a stable in acidic or alkali conditions, and exhibited a wide range of algicidal activity. This is the first report of an actinomycete algicide to the toxic dinoflagellate A. tamarense. Our results indicate that BS01 could be a potential bio-agent for controlling harmful algal blooms.

Modic changes in lumbar spine: prevalence and distribution patterns of end plate oedema and end plate sclerosis.

PubMed

Xu, Lei; Chu, Bin; Feng, Yang; Xu, Feng; Zou, Yue-Fen

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the distribution of end plate oedema in different types of Modic change especially in mixed type and to analyze the presence of end plate sclerosis in various types of Modic change. 276 patients with low back pain were scanned with 1.5-T MRI. Three radiologists assessed the MR images by T1 weighted, T2 weighted and fat-saturation T2 weighted sequences and classified them according to the Modic changes. Pure oedematous end plate signal changes were classified as Modic Type I; pure fatty end plate changes were classified as Modic Type II; and pure sclerotic end plate changes as Modic Type III. A mixed feature of both Types I and II with predominant oedematous signal change is classified as Modic I-II, and a mixture of Types I and II with predominant fatty change is classified as Modic II-I. Thus, the mixed types can further be subdivided into seven subtypes: Types I-II, Types II-I, Types I-III, Types III-I, Types II-III, Types III-II and Types I-III. During the same period, 52 of 276 patients who underwent CT and MRI were retrospectively reviewed to determine end plate sclerosis. (1) End plate oedema: of the 2760 end plates (276 patients) examined, 302 end plates showed Modic changes, of which 82 end plates showed mixed Modic changes. The mixed Modic changes contain 92.7% of oedematous changes. The mixed types especially Types I-II and Types II-I made up the majority of end plate oedematous changes. (2) End plate sclerosis: 52 of 276 patients were examined by both MRI and CT. Of the 520 end plates, 93 end plates showed Modic changes, of which 34 end plates have shown sclerotic changes in CT images. 11.8% of 34 end plates have shown Modic Type I, 20.6% of 34 end plates have shown Modic Type II, 2.9% of 34 end plates have shown Modic Type III and 64.7% of 34 end plates have shown mixed Modic type. End plate oedema makes up the majority of mixed types especially Types I-II and Types II-I. The end plate sclerosis on CT images may not just mean Modic Type III but does exist in all types of Modic changes, especially in mixed Modic types, and may reflect vertebral body mineralization rather than change in the bone marrow. End plate oedema and end plate sclerosis are present in a large proportion of mixed types.

Studies of Tissue Perfusion Failure at LAC+USCMC and the Incorporation of the Results into a National Trauma Database

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

Context Link] 29. Gibson JG, Seligman AM, Peacock WC, et al: The circulating red cell and plasma volume and the distribution of blood in large and...BS; Gandhi, Ashutosh BS; Chien, Li-Chien MD; Lu, Kevin MD; Martin, Matthew J. MD; Chan, Linda S. PhD; Demetriades, Demetrios MD, PhD; Ahmadpour...Physicians Outcome Prediction of Emergency Patients by Noninvasive Hemodynamic Monitoring* William C. Shoemaker, MD; Charles C. J. Wo, BS; Linda

[The Brugada Syndrome in a Teenager].

PubMed

Miklashevich, I M; Kuleshova, E V; Termosesov, S A; Shkolnikova, M A

2017-02-01

The Brugada syndrome (BS) belongs to the group of hereditary channelopathies associated with elevated risk of sudden death (SD) in the absence of structural heart diseases. The disorder phenotypically manifests by specific electrocardiographic pattern, associated with ventricular tachycardia (VT). VT can be accompanied by loss of conscience, and after transformation to ventricular fibrillation result in SD. BS is extremely rare among children and adolescents. We present here a clinical case of teenager (age 17 years) with BS manifested by syncopal state at the background of fever.

Classification VIA Information-Theoretic Fusion of Vector-Magnetic and Acoustic Sensor Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

10) where tBsBtBsBtBsBtsB zzyyxx, . (11) The operation in (10) may be viewed as a vector matched- filter on to estimate )(tB CPARv . In summary...choosing to maximize the classification information in Y are described in Section 3.2. A 3.2. Maximum mutual information ( MMI ) features We begin with a...review of several desirable properties of features that maximize a mutual information ( MMI ) criterion. Then we review a particular algorithm [2

Search for Bs0→μ+μ- decays at D0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abazov, V. M.; Abbott, B.; Abolins, M.; Acharya, B. S.; Adams, M.; Adams, T.; Aguilo, E.; Ahn, S. H.; Ahsan, M.; Alexeev, G. D.; Alkhazov, G.; Alton, A.; Alverson, G.; Alves, G. A.; Anastasoaie, M.; Ancu, L. S.; Andeen, T.; Anderson, S.; Andrieu, B.; Anzelc, M. S.; Arnoud, Y.; Arov, M.; Arthaud, M.; Askew, A.; Åsman, B.; Jesus, A. C. S. Assis; Atramentov, O.; Autermann, C.; Avila, C.; Ay, C.; Badaud, F.; Baden, A.; Bagby, L.; Baldin, B.; Bandurin, D. V.; Banerjee, S.; Banerjee, P.; Barberis, E.; Barfuss, A.-F.; Bargassa, P.; Baringer, P.; Barreto, J.; Bartlett, J. F.; Bassler, U.; Bauer, D.; Beale, S.; Bean, A.; Begalli, M.; Begel, M.; Belanger-Champagne, C.; Bellantoni, L.; Bellavance, A.; Benitez, J. A.; Beri, S. B.; Bernardi, G.; Bernhard, R.; Berntzon, L.; Bertram, I.; Besançon, M.; Beuselinck, R.; Bezzubov, V. A.; Bhat, P. C.; Bhatnagar, V.; Biscarat, C.; Blazey, G.; Blekman, F.; Blessing, S.; Bloch, D.; Bloom, K.; Boehnlein, A.; Boline, D.; Bolton, T. A.; Borissov, G.; Bos, K.; Bose, T.; Brandt, A.; Brock, R.; Brooijmans, G.; Bross, A.; Brown, D.; Buchanan, N. J.; Buchholz, D.; Buehler, M.; Buescher, V.; Burdin, S.; Burke, S.; Burnett, T. H.; Buszello, C. P.; Butler, J. M.; Calfayan, P.; Calvet, S.; Cammin, J.; Caron, S.; Carvalho, W.; Casey, B. C. K.; Cason, N. M.; Castilla-Valdez, H.; Chakrabarti, S.; Chakraborty, D.; Chan, K. M.; Chan, K.; Chandra, A.; Charles, F.; Cheu, E.; Chevallier, F.; Cho, D. K.; Choi, S.; Choudhary, B.; Christofek, L.; Christoudias, T.; Cihangir, S.; Claes, D.; Clément, B.; Coadou, Y.; Cooke, M.; Cooper, W. E.; Corcoran, M.; Couderc, F.; Cousinou, M.-C.; Crépé-Renaudin, S.; Cutts, D.; Ćwiok, M.; da Motta, H.; Das, A.; Davies, G.; de, K.; de Jong, S. J.; de Jong, P.; de La Cruz-Burelo, E.; de Oliveira Martins, C.; Degenhardt, J. D.; Déliot, F.; Demarteau, M.; Demina, R.; Denisov, D.; Denisov, S. P.; Desai, S.; Diehl, H. T.; Diesburg, M.; Dominguez, A.; Dong, H.; Dudko, L. V.; Duflot, L.; Dugad, S. R.; Duggan, D.; Duperrin, A.; Dyer, J.; Dyshkant, A.; Eads, M.; Edmunds, D.; Ellison, J.; Elvira, V. D.; Enari, Y.; Eno, S.; Ermolov, P.; Evans, H.; Evdokimov, A.; Evdokimov, V. N.; Ferapontov, A. V.; Ferbel, T.; Fiedler, F.; Filthaut, F.; Fisher, W.; Fisk, H. E.; Ford, M.; Fortner, M.; Fox, H.; Fu, S.; Fuess, S.; Gadfort, T.; Galea, C. F.; Gallas, E.; Galyaev, E.; Garcia, C.; Garcia-Bellido, A.; Gavrilov, V.; Gay, P.; Geist, W.; Gelé, D.; Gerber, C. E.; Gershtein, Y.; Gillberg, D.; Ginther, G.; Gollub, N.; Gómez, B.; Goussiou, A.; Grannis, P. D.; Greenlee, H.; Greenwood, Z. D.; Gregores, E. M.; Grenier, G.; Gris, Ph.; Grivaz, J.-F.; Grohsjean, A.; Grünendahl, S.; Grünewald, M. W.; Guo, J.; Guo, F.; Gutierrez, P.; Gutierrez, G.; Haas, A.; Hadley, N. J.; Haefner, P.; Hagopian, S.; Haley, J.; Hall, I.; Hall, R. E.; Han, L.; Hanagaki, K.; Hansson, P.; Harder, K.; Harel, A.; Harrington, R.; Hauptman, J. M.; Hauser, R.; Hays, J.; Hebbeker, T.; Hedin, D.; Hegeman, J. G.; Heinmiller, J. M.; Heinson, A. P.; Heintz, U.; Hensel, C.; Herner, K.; Hesketh, G.; Hildreth, M. D.; Hirosky, R.; Hobbs, J. D.; Hoeneisen, B.; Hoeth, H.; Hohlfeld, M.; Hong, S. J.; Hooper, R.; Hossain, S.; Houben, P.; Hu, Y.; Hubacek, Z.; Hynek, V.; Iashvili, I.; Illingworth, R.; Ito, A. S.; Jabeen, S.; Jaffré, M.; Jain, S.; Jakobs, K.; Jarvis, C.; Jesik, R.; Johns, K.; Johnson, C.; Johnson, M.; Jonckheere, A.; Jonsson, P.; Juste, A.; Käfer, D.; Kahn, S.; Kajfasz, E.; Kalinin, A. M.; Kalk, J. R.; Kalk, J. M.; Kappler, S.; Karmanov, D.; Kasper, J.; Kasper, P.; Katsanos, I.; Kau, D.; Kaur, R.; Kaushik, V.; Kehoe, R.; Kermiche, S.; Khalatyan, N.; Khanov, A.; Kharchilava, A.; Kharzheev, Y. M.; Khatidze, D.; Kim, H.; Kim, T. J.; Kirby, M. H.; Kirsch, M.; Klima, B.; Kohli, J. M.; Konrath, J.-P.; Kopal, M.; Korablev, V. M.; Kozelov, A. V.; Krop, D.; Kryemadhi, A.; Kuhl, T.; Kumar, A.; Kunori, S.; Kupco, A.; Kurča, T.; Kvita, J.; Lacroix, F.; Lam, D.; Lammers, S.; Landsberg, G.; Lazoflores, J.; Lebrun, P.; Lee, W. M.; Leflat, A.; Lehner, F.; Lellouch, J.; Leveque, J.; Lewis, P.; Li, J.; Li, Q. Z.; Li, L.; Lietti, S. M.; Lima, J. G. R.; Lincoln, D.; Linnemann, J.; Lipaev, V. V.; Lipton, R.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lobo, L.; Lobodenko, A.; Lokajicek, M.; Lounis, A.; Love, P.; Lubatti, H. J.; Lyon, A. L.; Maciel, A. K. A.; Mackin, D.; Madaras, R. J.; Mättig, P.; Magass, C.; Magerkurth, A.; Makovec, N.; Mal, P. K.; Malbouisson, H. B.; Malik, S.; Malyshev, V. L.; Mao, H. S.; Maravin, Y.; Martin, B.; McCarthy, R.; Melnitchouk, A.; Mendes, A.; Mendoza, L.; Mercadante, P. G.; Merkin, M.; Merritt, K. W.; Meyer, J.; Meyer, A.; Michaut, M.; Millet, T.; Mitrevski, J.; Molina, J.; Mommsen, R. K.; Mondal, N. K.; Moore, R. W.; Moulik, T.; Muanza, G. S.; Mulders, M.; Mulhearn, M.; Mundal, O.; Mundim, L.; Nagy, E.; Naimuddin, M.; Narain, M.; Naumann, N. A.; Neal, H. A.; Negret, J. P.; Neustroev, P.; Nilsen, H.; Nomerotski, A.; Novaes, S. F.; Nunnemann, T.; O'Dell, V.; O'Neil, D. C.; Obrant, G.; Ochando, C.; Onoprienko, D.; Oshima, N.; Osta, J.; Otec, R.; Y Garzón, G. J. Otero; Owen, M.; Padley, P.; Pangilinan, M.; Parashar, N.; Park, S.-J.; Park, S. K.; Parsons, J.; Partridge, R.; Parua, N.; Patwa, A.; Pawloski, G.; Penning, B.; Peters, K.; Peters, Y.; Pétroff, P.; Petteni, M.; Piegaia, R.; Piper, J.; Pleier, M.-A.; Podesta-Lerma, P. L. M.; Podstavkov, V. M.; Pogorelov, Y.; Pol, M.-E.; Polozov, P.; Pompoš, A.; Pope, B. G.; Popov, A. V.; Potter, C.; da Silva, W. L. Prado; Prosper, H. B.; Protopopescu, S.; Qian, J.; Quadt, A.; Quinn, B.; Rakitine, A.; Rangel, M. S.; Ranjan, K.; Ratoff, P. N.; Renkel, P.; Reucroft, S.; Rich, P.; Rijssenbeek, M.; Ripp-Baudot, I.; Rizatdinova, F.; Robinson, S.; Rodrigues, R. F.; Royon, C.; Rubinov, P.; Ruchti, R.; Safronov, G.; Sajot, G.; Sánchez-Hernández, A.; Sanders, M. P.; Santoro, A.; Savage, G.; Sawyer, L.; Scanlon, T.; Schaile, D.; Schamberger, R. D.; Scheglov, Y.; Schellman, H.; Schieferdecker, P.; Schliephake, T.; Schwanenberger, C.; Schwartzman, A.; Schwienhorst, R.; Sekaric, J.; Sengupta, S.; Severini, H.; Shabalina, E.; Shamim, M.; Shary, V.; Shchukin, A. A.; Shivpuri, R. K.; Shpakov, D.; Siccardi, V.; Simak, V.; Sirotenko, V.; Skubic, P.; Slattery, P.; Smirnov, D.; Snow, J.; Snow, G. R.; Snyder, S.; Söldner-Rembold, S.; Sonnenschein, L.; Sopczak, A.; Sosebee, M.; Soustruznik, K.; Souza, M.; Spurlock, B.; Stark, J.; Steele, J.; Stolin, V.; Stone, A.; Stoyanova, D. A.; Strandberg, J.; Strandberg, S.; Strang, M. A.; Strauss, M.; Strauss, E.; Ströhmer, R.; Strom, D.; Stutte, L.; Sumowidagdo, S.; Svoisky, P.; Sznajder, A.; Talby, M.; Tamburello, P.; Tanasijczuk, A.; Taylor, W.; Telford, P.; Temple, J.; Tiller, B.; Tissandier, F.; Titov, M.; Tokmenin, V. V.; Toole, T.; Torchiani, I.; Trefzger, T.; Tsybychev, D.; Tuchming, B.; Tully, C.; Tuts, P. M.; Unalan, R.; Uvarov, S.; Uvarov, L.; Uzunyan, S.; Vachon, B.; van den Berg, P. J.; van Eijk, B.; van Kooten, R.; van Leeuwen, W. M.; Varelas, N.; Varnes, E. W.; Vasilyev, I. A.; Vaupel, M.; Verdier, P.; Vertogradov, L. S.; Verzocchi, M.; Villeneuve-Seguier, F.; Vint, P.; Vokac, P.; von Toerne, E.; Voutilainen, M.; Vreeswijk, M.; Wagner, R.; Wahl, H. D.; Wang, L.; Wang, M. H. L. S.; Warchol, J.; Watts, G.; Wayne, M.; Weber, M.; Weber, G.; Wenger, A.; Wermes, N.; Wetstein, M.; White, A.; Wicke, D.; Wilson, G. W.; Wimpenny, S. J.; Wobisch, M.; Wood, D. R.; Wyatt, T. R.; Xie, Y.; Yacoob, S.; Yamada, R.; Yan, M.; Yasuda, T.; Yatsunenko, Y. A.; Yip, K.; Yoo, H. D.; Youn, S. W.; Yu, J.; Zatserklyaniy, A.; Zeitnitz, C.; Zhang, D.; Zhao, T.; Zhou, B.; Zhu, J.; Zielinski, M.; Zieminska, D.; Zieminski, A.; Zivkovic, L.; Zutshi, V.; Zverev, E. G.

2007-11-01

We report results from a search for the decay Bs0→μ+μ- using 1.3fb-1 of pp¯ collisions at s=1.96TeV collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We find two candidate events, consistent with the expected background of 1.24±0.99, and set an upper limit on the branching fraction of B(Bs0→μ+μ-)<1.2×10-7 at the 95% C.L.

Soil biological attributes in arsenic-contaminated gold mining sites after revegetation.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Jessé Valentim; de Melo Rangel, Wesley; Azarias Guimarães, Amanda; Duque Jaramillo, Paula Marcela; Rufini, Márcia; Marra, Leandro Marciano; Varón López, Maryeimy; Pereira da Silva, Michele Aparecida; Fonsêca Sousa Soares, Cláudio Roberto; de Souza Moreira, Fatima Maria

2013-12-01

Recovery of arsenic contaminated areas is a challenge society faces throughout the world. Revegetation associated with microbial activity can play an essential role in this process. This work investigated biological attributes in a gold mining area with different arsenic contents at different sites under two types of extant revegetation associated with cover layers of the soil: BS, Brachiaria sp. and Stizolobium sp., and LEGS, Acacia crassicarpa, A. holosericea, A. mangium, Sesbania virgata, Albizia lebbeck and Pseudosamanea guachapele. References were also evaluated, comprising the following three sites: B1, weathered sulfide substrate without revegetation; BM, barren material after gold extraction and PRNH (private reserve of natural heritage), an uncontaminated forest site near the mining area. The organic and microbial biomass carbon contents and substrate-induced respiration rates for these sites from highest to lowest were: PRNH > LEGS > BS > B1 and BM. These attributes were negatively correlated with soluble and total arsenic concentration in the soil. The sites that have undergone revegetation (LEGS and BS) had higher densities of bacteria, fungi, phosphate solubilizers and ammonium oxidizers than the sites without vegetation. Principal component analysis showed that the LEGS site grouped with PRNH, indicating that the use of leguminous species associated with an uncontaminated soil cover layer contributed to the improvement of the biological attributes. With the exception of acid phosphatase, all the biological attributes were indicators of soil recovery, particularly the following: microbial carbon, substrate-induced respiration, density of culturable bacteria, fungi and actinobacteria, phosphate solubilizers and metabolic quotient.

Comparison of Quality Traits of Meat from Korean Native Chickens and Broilers Used in Two Different Traditional Korean Cuisines

PubMed Central

Jayasena, Dinesh D.; Jung, Samooel; Kim, Hyun Joo; Bae, Young Sik; Yong, Hae In; Lee, Jun Heon; Kim, Jong Geun; Jo, Cheorun

2013-01-01

With the aim of investigating the differences in the quality traits between Korean native chicken (Hanhyup, KNC) and broilers commonly used in two different traditional Korean cuisines, the chemical composition and sensory properties of breast and thigh meat from the two chicken strains were assessed. KNC for baeksuk (chicken meat braised in soup with various Oriental medicinal plants; KNL), KNC for samgyetang (similar to baeksuk but young chickens and ginseng are used; KNS), broiler for baeksuk (BL), and broiler for samgyetang (BS) were used as treatments in this study. KNL and KNS contained higher protein but lower fat content than BL and BS. The L* values of breast and thigh meat, but not the a* values, were significantly different between KNS and BS, whereas significant differences in both values were observed between KNL and BL. Compared to the other three types of chickens, KNS contained the highest total and insoluble collagen content, and KNL and BL showed higher inosine-5’-monophosphate content in their meat. Overall, KNL and KNS contributed darker, less tender meat with higher protein and less fat content together with more n-3 fatty acids, as opposed to their counterparts used for the same cuisines. Based on the results of the sensory analysis, even though there are some differences in physiochemical traits, different chicken sources do not differ in overall sensory quality. This information can help consumers to understand better the meat available for their preferred traditional cuisines. PMID:25049883

Comparison study of portable bladder scanner versus cone-beam CT scan for measuring bladder volumes in post-prostatectomy patients undergoing radiotherapy.

PubMed

Ung, K A; White, R; Mathlum, M; Mak-Hau, V; Lynch, R

2014-01-01

In post-prostatectomy radiotherapy to the prostatic bed, consistent bladder volume is essential to maintain the position of treatment target volume. We assessed the differences between bladder volume readings from a portable bladder scanner (BS-V) and those obtained from planning CT (CT-V) or cone-beam CT (CBCT-V). Interfraction bladder volume variation was also determined. BS-V was recorded before and after planning CT or CBCT. The percentage differences between the readings using the two imaging modalities, standard deviations and 95% confidence intervals were determined. Data were analysed for the whole patient cohort and separately for the older BladderScan™ BVI3000 and newer BVI9400 model. Interfraction bladder volume variation was determined from the percentage difference between the CT-V and CBCT-V. Treatment duration, incorporating the time needed for BS and CBCT, was recorded. Fourteen patients were enrolled, producing 133 data sets for analysis. BS-V was taken using the BVI9400 in four patients (43 data sets). The mean BS-V was 253.2 mL, and the mean CT-V or CBCT-V was 199 cm(3). The mean percentage difference between the two modalities was 19.7% (SD 42.2; 95%CI 12.4 to 26.9). The BVI9400 model produced more consistent readings, with a mean percentage difference of -6.2% (SD 27.8; 95% CI -14.7 to -2.4%). The mean percentage difference between CT-V and CBCT-V was 31.3% (range -48% to 199.4%). Treatment duration from time of first BS reading to CBCT was, on average, 12 min (range 6-27). The BS produces bladder volume readings of an average 19.7% difference from CT-V or CBCT-V and can potentially be used to screen for large interfraction bladder volume variations in radiotherapy to prostatic bed. The observed interfraction bladder volume variation suggests the need to improve bladder volume consistency. Incorporating the BS into practice is feasible. © 2014 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.