The Verticillium-specific protein VdSCP7 localizes to the plant nucleus and modulates immunity to fungal infections.

PubMed

Zhang, Lisha; Ni, Hao; Du, Xuan; Wang, Sheng; Ma, Xiao-Wei; Nürnberger, Thorsten; Guo, Hui-Shan; Hua, Chenlei

2017-07-01

Fungal pathogens secrete effector proteins to suppress plant basal defense for successful colonization. Resistant plants, however, can recognize effectors by cognate R proteins to induce effector-triggered immunity (ETI). By analyzing secretomes of the vascular fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, we identified a novel secreted protein VdSCP7 that targets the plant nucleus. The green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged VdSCP7 gene with either a mutated nuclear localization signal motif or with additional nuclear export signal was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana, and investigated for induction of plant immunity. The role of VdSCP7 in V. dahliae pathogenicity was characterized by gene knockout and complementation, and GFP labeling. Expression of the VdSCP7 gene in N. benthamiana activated both salicylic acid and jasmonate signaling, and altered the plant's susceptibility to the pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Phytophthora capsici. The immune response activated by VdSCP7 was highly dependent on its initial extracellular secretion and subsequent nuclear localization in plants. Knockout of the VdSCP7 gene significantly enhanced V. dahliae aggressiveness on cotton. GFP-labeled VdSCP7 is secreted by V. dahliae and accumulates in the plant nucleus. We conclude that VdSCP7 is a novel effector protein that targets the host nucleus to modulate plant immunity, and suggest that plants can recognize VdSCP7 to activate ETI during fungal infection. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Brain self-regulation in criminal psychopaths.

PubMed

Konicar, Lilian; Veit, Ralf; Eisenbarth, Hedwig; Barth, Beatrix; Tonin, Paolo; Strehl, Ute; Birbaumer, Niels

2015-03-24

Psychopathic individuals are characterized by impaired affective processing, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, poor planning skills and heightened aggressiveness with poor self-regulation. Based on brain self-regulation studies using neurofeedback of Slow Cortical Potentials (SCPs) in disorders associated with a dysregulation of cortical activity thresholds and evidence of deficient cortical functioning in psychopathy, a neurobiological approach seems to be promising in the treatment of psychopathy. The results of our intensive brain regulation intervention demonstrate, that psychopathic offenders are able to gain control of their brain excitability over fronto-central brain areas. After SCP self-regulation training, we observed reduced aggression, impulsivity and behavioral approach tendencies, as well as improvements in behavioral-inhibition and increased cortical sensitivity for error-processing. This study demonstrates improvements on the neurophysiological, behavioral and subjective level in severe psychopathic offenders after SCP-neurofeedback training and could constitute a novel neurobiologically-based treatment for a seemingly change-resistant group of criminal psychopaths.

Serine carboxypeptidase 46 Regulates Grain Filling and Seed Germination in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

PubMed Central

Li, Zhiyong; Tang, Liqun; Qiu, Jiehua; Zhang, Wen; Wang, Yifeng; Tong, Xiaohong; Wei, Xiangjin; Hou, Yuxuan

2016-01-01

Serine carboxypeptidase (SCP) is one of the largest groups of enzymes catalyzing proteolysis for functional protein maturation. To date, little is known about the function of SCPs in rice. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of the gene structure and expression profile of 59 rice SCPs. SCP46 is dominantly expressed in developing seeds, particularly in embryo, endosperm and aleurone layers, and could be induced by ABA. Functional characterization revealed that knock-down of SCP46 resulted in smaller grain size and enhanced seed germination. Furthermore, scp46 seed germination became less sensitive to the ABA inhibition than the Wild-type did; suggesting SCP46 is involved in ABA signaling. As indicated by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analysis, numerous grain filling and seed dormancy related genes, such as SP, VP1 and AGPs were down-regulated in scp46. Yeast-two-hybrid assay also showed that SCP46 interacts with another ABA-inducible protein DI19-1. Taken together, we suggested that SCP46 is a master regulator of grain filling and seed germination, possibly via participating in the ABA signaling. The results of this study shed novel light into the roles of SCPs in rice. PMID:27448032

A survivorship care plan for breast cancer survivors: extended results of a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Boekhout, Annelies H; Maunsell, Elizabeth; Pond, Gregory R; Julian, Jim A; Coyle, Doug; Levine, Mark N; Grunfeld, Eva

2015-12-01

Prevailing wisdom suggests that implementation of a survivorship care plan (SCP) will address deficits in survivorship care planning and delivery for cancer patients. Here, we present 24-month results of a randomized clinical trial on health service and patient-reported outcomes among breast cancer patients transferred to their primary care physician for follow-up care. The 24-month assessments represent the long-term benefit and sustainability of the implantation of a SCP. In all, 408 patients with early-stage breast cancer were randomized to the SCP or control group. Patient self-completed questionnaires, supplemented with telephone interviews, during the 24-month study period assessed health service and patient-reported outcomes. The primary outcome was cancer-specific distress. Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life, patient satisfaction, continuity and coordination of care, and health service outcomes such as adherence to guidelines. Over the course of 24 months, there were no differences between both groups in health service and patient-reported outcomes. Women from Quebec compared to those from Western Canada (p < 0.001), women within 2 years of completion of primary treatment compared to a longer period (p = 0.013), and those with a higher SF-36 mental component score compared to a lower score (p = 0.044) were positively associated with adherence to guidelines. The implementation of a SCP in the transition of survivorship care from cancer center to primary care did not contribute to improved health service or patient-reported outcomes in this study population. Therefore, additional research is needed before widespread implementation of a SCP in clinical practice. The transition of survivorship care from cancer center to the primary care setting showed no negative effect on health service and patient-reported outcomes.

After Childhood Cancer: a Qualitative Study of Family Physician, Parent/Guardian, and Survivor Information Needs and Perspectives on Long-Term Follow-up and Survivorship Care Plans.

PubMed

Keats, Melanie R; Shea, Kelsey; Parker, Louise; Stewart, Samuel A; Flanders, Annette; Bernstein, Mark

2018-03-19

Despite support for the provision of a survivorship care plan (SCP) to every cancer survivor, there is a lack of understanding of the needs and preferences of key stakeholders. We examined perspectives of a novel personalized SCP for childhood cancer survivors (CCS), their family, and family physicians (FP). We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with a purposefully selected sample of CCS, parents/guardians, and FPs. Data included responses to stakeholder cancer care information needs, concerns with or gaps in communication, the perceived role of the FP in the long-term management of CCS care, utility of the SCP, preferred format, and suggestions for improvement. A deductive content analysis was conducted. Twenty-four participants including 8 CCS, 10 parents/guardians, and 6 FPs completed an interview. Four main and several sub-categories emerged. Core categories were coded as (1) informative reference, (2) coordination of follow-up, (3) barriers to follow-up care, and (4) suggestions for improvement and future implementation. The majority of participants preferred an electronic- or web-based format. Overall, the SCP was seen as an informative and concise resource. The SCP was thought to be a valuable tool to foster communication and empower CCSs to become more fully engaged in their own cancer-related health care. FPs viewed the SCP as a useful resource to facilitate and guide the long-term management of the CCS. In addition to the treatment summary, a comprehensive follow-up timeline, personalized lifestyle information, and details on how to access additional psychosocial support were highlighted as important components.

Impact of an Automatically Generated Cancer Survivorship Care Plan on Patient-Reported Outcomes in Routine Clinical Practice: Longitudinal Outcomes of a Pragmatic, Cluster Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Nicolaije, Kim A H; Ezendam, Nicole P M; Vos, M Caroline; Pijnenborg, Johanna M A; Boll, Dorry; Boss, Erik A; Hermans, Ralph H M; Engelhart, Karin C M; Haartsen, Joke E; Pijlman, Brenda M; van Loon-Baelemans, Ingrid E A M; Mertens, Helena J M M; Nolting, Willem E; van Beek, Johannes J; Roukema, Jan A; Zijlstra, Wobbe P; Kruitwagen, Roy F P M; van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V

2015-11-01

This study was conducted to longitudinally assess the impact of an automatically generated survivorship care plan (SCP) on patient-reported outcomes in routine clinical practice. Primary outcomes were patient satisfaction with information and care. Secondary outcomes included illness perceptions and health care use. Twelve hospitals were randomly assigned to SCP care or usual care in a pragmatic, cluster randomized trial. Newly diagnosed patients with endometrial cancer completed questionnaires after diagnosis (n = 221; 75% response), 6 months (n = 158), and 12 months (n = 147). An SCP application was built in the Web-based ROGY (Registration System Oncological Gynecology). By clicking the SCP button, a patient-tailored SCP was generated. In the SCP care arm, 74% of patients received an SCP. They reported receiving more information about their treatment (mean [M] = 57, standard deviation [SD] = 20 v M = 47, SD = 24; P = .03), other services (M = 35, SD = 22 v M = 25, SD = 22; P = .03), and different places of care (M = 27, SD = 25 v M = 23, SD = 26; P = .04) than the usual care arm (scales, 0 to 100). However, there were no differences regarding satisfaction with information or care. Patients in the SCP care arm experienced more symptoms (M = 3.3, SD = 2.0 v M = 2.6, SD = 1.6; P = .03), were more concerned about their illness (M = 4.4, SD = 2.3 v M = 3.9, SD = 2.1; P = .03), were more affected emotionally (M = 4.0, SD = 2.2 v M = 3.7, SD = 2.2; P = .046), and reported more cancer-related contact with their primary care physician (M = 1.8, SD = 2.0 v M = 1.1, SD = 0.9; P = .003) than those in the usual care arm (scale, 1 to 10). These effects did not differ over time. The present trial showed no evidence of a benefit of SCPs on satisfaction with information and care. Furthermore, SCPs increased patients' concerns, emotional impact, experienced symptoms, and the amount of cancer-related contact with the primary care physician. Whether this may ultimately lead to more empowered patients should be investigated further. © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Cd (II) and holodirected lead (II) 3D-supramolecular coordination polymers based on nicotinic acid: Structure, fluorescence property and photocatalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etaiw, Safaa El-din H.; Abd El-Aziz, Dina M.; Marie, Hassan; Ali, Elham

2018-05-01

Two new supramolecular coordination polymers namely {[Cd(NA)2(H2O)]}, SCP 1 and {[Pb(NA)2]}, SCP 2, (NA = nicotinate ligand) were synthesized by self-assembly method and structurally characterized by different analytical and spectroscopic methods. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction showed that SCP 1 extend in three dimensions containing bore structure where the 3D- network is constructed via interweaving zigzag chains. The Cd atom coordinates to (O4N2) atoms forming distorted-octahedral configuration. The structure of SCP 2 extend down the projection of the b-axis creating parallel zigzag 1D-chains connected by μ2-O2 atoms and H-bonds forming a holodirected lead (II) hexagonal bi-pyramid configuration. SCP 2 extend to 3D-network via coordinate and hydrogen bonds. The thermal stability, photoluminescence properties, photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue dye (MB) under UV-irradiation and sunlight irradiation were also studied.

SU-F-19A-03: Dosimetric Advantages in Critical Structure Dose Sparing by Using a Multichannel Cylinder in High Dose Rate Brachytherapy to Treat Vaginal Cuff Cancer

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

Syh, J; Syh, J; Patel, B

2014-06-15

Purpose: The multichannel cylindrical vaginal applicator is a variation of traditional single channel cylindrical vaginal applicator. The multichannel applicator has additional peripheral channels that provide more flexibility in the planning process. The dosimetric advantage is to reduce dose to adjacent organ at risk (OAR) such as bladder and rectum while maintaining target coverage with the dose optimization from additional channels. Methods: Vaginal HDR brachytherapy plans are all CT based. CT images were acquired in 2 mm thickness to keep integrity of cylinder contouring. The CTV of 5mm Rind with prescribed treatment length was reconstructed from 5mm expansion of inserted cylinder.more » The goal was 95% of CTV covered by 95% of prescribed dose in both single channel planning (SCP)and multichannel planning (MCP) before proceeding any further optimization for dose reduction to critical structures with emphasis on D2cc and V2Gy . Results: This study demonstrated noticeable dose reduction to OAR was apparent in multichannel plans. The D2cc of the rectum and bladder were showing the reduced dose for multichannel versus single channel. The V2Gy of the rectum was 93.72% and 83.79% (p=0.007) for single channel and multichannel respectively (Figure 1 and Table 1). To assure adequate coverage to target while reducing the dose to the OAR without any compromise is the main goal in using multichannel vaginal applicator in HDR brachytherapy. Conclusion: Multichannel plans were optimized using anatomical based inverse optimization algorithm of inverse planning simulation annealing. The optimization solution of the algorithm was to improve the clinical target volume dose coverage while reducing the dose to critical organs such as bladder, rectum and bowels. The comparison between SCP and MCP demonstrated MCP is superior to SCP where the dwell positions were based on geometric array only. It concluded that MCP is preferable and is able to provide certain features superior to SCP.« less

Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica to Simultaneously Produce Lipase and Single Cell Protein from Agro-industrial Wastes for Feed.

PubMed

Yan, Jinyong; Han, Bingnan; Gui, Xiaohua; Wang, Guilong; Xu, Li; Yan, Yunjun; Madzak, Catherine; Pan, Dujie; Wang, Yaofeng; Zha, Genhan; Jiao, Liangcheng

2018-01-15

Lipases are scarcely exploited as feed enzymes in hydrolysis of lipids for increasing energy supply and improving nutrient use efficiency. In this work, we performed homologous overexpression, in vitro characterization and in vivo assessment of a lipase from the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for feed purpose. Simultaneously, a large amount of yeast cell biomass was produced, for use as single cell protein, a potential protein-rich feed resource. Three kinds of low cost agro-industrial wastes were tested as substrates for simultaneous production of lipase and single cell protein (SCP) as feed additives: sugarcane molasses, waste cooking oil and crude glycerol from biodiesel production. Sugarcane molasses appeared as the most effective cheap medium, allowing production of 16420 U/ml of lipase and 151.2 g/L of single cell protein at 10 liter fermentation scale. In vitro characterization by mimicking a gastro-intestinal environment and determination of essential amino acids of the SCP, and in vivo oral feeding test on fish all revealed that lipase, SCP and their combination were excellent feed additives. Such simultaneous production of this lipase and SCP could address two main concerns of feed industry, poor utilization of lipid and shortage of protein resource at the same time.

Layer-by-layer structured polysaccharides-based multilayers on cellulose acetate membrane: Towards better hemocompatibility, antibacterial and antioxidant activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Lincai; Li, Hui; Meng, Yahong

2017-04-01

The development of multifunctional cellulose acetate (CA) membranes with enhanced hemocompatibility and antibacterial and antioxidant activities is extremely important for biomedical applications. In this work, significant improvements in hemocompatibility and antibacterial and antioxidant activities of cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were achieved via layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of chitosan (CS) and water-soluble heparin-mimicking polysaccharides (i.e., sulfated Cantharellus cibarius polysaccharides, SCP) onto their surface. The surface chemical compositions, growth manner, surface morphologies, and wetting ability of CS/SCP multilayer-modified CA membranes were characterized, respectively. The systematical evaluation of hemocompatibility revealed that CS/SCP multilayer-modified CA membranes significantly improved blood compatibility including resistance to non-specific protein adsorption, suppression of platelet adhesion and activation, prolongation of coagulation times, inhibition of complement activation, as well as reduction in blood hemolysis. Meanwhile, CS/SCP multilayer-modified CA membranes exhibited strong growth inhibition against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as high scavenging abilities against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. In summary, the CS/SCP multilayers could confer CA membranes with integrated hemocompatibility and antibacterial and antioxidant activities, which might have great potential application in the biomedical field.

Practical approaches for assessing local land use change and conservation priorities in the tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivas, Cassandra J.

Tropical areas typically support high biological diversity; however, many are experiencing rapid land-use change. The resulting loss, fragmentation, and degradation of habitats place biodiversity at risk. For these reasons, the tropics are frequently identified as global conservation hotspots. Safeguarding tropical biodiversity necessitates successful and efficient conservation planning and implementation at local scales, where land use decisions are made and enforced. Yet, despite considerable agreement on the need for improved practices, planning may be difficult due to limited resources, such as funding, data, and expertise, especially for small conservation organizations in tropical developing countries. My thesis aims to assist small, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), operating in tropical developing countries, in overcoming resource limitations by providing recommendations for improved conservation planning. Following a brief introduction in Chapter 1, I present a literature review of systematic conservation planning (SCP) projects in the developing tropics. Although SCP is considered an efficient, effective approach, it requires substantial data and expertise to conduct the analysis and may present challenges for implementation. I reviewed and synthesized the methods and results of 14 case studies to identify practical ways to implement and overcome limitations for employing SCP. I found that SCP studies in the peer-reviewed literature were primarily implemented by researchers in large organizations or institutions, as opposed to on-the-ground conservation planners. A variety of data types were used in the SCP analyses, many of which data are freely available. Few case studies involved stakeholders and intended to implement the assessment; instead, the case studies were carried out in the context of research and development, limiting local involvement and implementation. Nonetheless, the studies provided valuable strategies for employing each step of the SCP assessment and ways to overcome limitations. These included obtaining and using publicly available data resources, collaborating with institutions or organizations with resources, and using expertise to employ the analytical process. In conclusion, the local conservation organization should ultimately decide whether or not to use the SCP approach using reviews such as this one and the feasibility assessment model provided in this chapter. In Chapter 3, to support locally based conservation planning efforts in southwestern Nicaragua, I collaborated with a small NGO and produced valuable data products for conservation planning. I produced a land-use and land cover change (LULC) classification and identified hot and cold spots (i.e., high and low concentration) of land cover change between the years of 2000 - 2009. I used SPOT satellite imagery from 2009, ground referenced data, and manual training points to classify 10 LULC types using a regression tree algorithm. I employed a post-classification change detection analysis to compare my classification to one from the year of 2000, applied a cluster analysis to delineate hot and cold spots of change, and used the resulting data products to identify preliminary conservation and restoration priorities. The LULC classification accuracy was 87.9% and deforestation rates were approximately 5.6% per year. I observed that pasture was the most converted-to class, plantation was a proliferating class, and some regrowth succeeded into secondary forest. Hotspots and cold spots of change for conservation concern included areas converted from forest into pasture, which often occurred in areas of rugged terrain. Hotspots from forest to plantation occurred in the northern isthmus, while cold spots occurred in the south. These two trends revealed the vulnerability of remaining secondary forests, which are of primary importance to regional conservation efforts. Conservation priorities included remaining old secondary forest patches and succeeding forests occurring near them and should factor into future conservation planning.

Multi-objective optimization in systematic conservation planning and the representation of genetic variability among populations.

PubMed

Schlottfeldt, S; Walter, M E M T; Carvalho, A C P L F; Soares, T N; Telles, M P C; Loyola, R D; Diniz-Filho, J A F

2015-06-18

Biodiversity crises have led scientists to develop strategies for achieving conservation goals. The underlying principle of these strategies lies in systematic conservation planning (SCP), in which there are at least 2 conflicting objectives, making it a good candidate for multi-objective optimization. Although SCP is typically applied at the species level (or hierarchically higher), it can be used at lower hierarchical levels, such as using alleles as basic units for analysis, for conservation genetics. Here, we propose a method of SCP using a multi-objective approach. We used non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II in order to identify the smallest set of local populations of Dipteryx alata (baru) (a Brazilian Cerrado species) for conservation, representing the known genetic diversity and using allele frequency information associated with heterozygosity and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We worked in 3 variations for the problem. First, we reproduced a previous experiment, but using a multi-objective approach. We found that the smallest set of populations needed to represent all alleles under study was 7, corroborating the results of the previous study, but with more distinct solutions. In the 2nd and 3rd variations, we performed simultaneous optimization of 4 and 5 objectives, respectively. We found similar but refined results for 7 populations, and a larger portfolio considering intra-specific diversity and persistence with populations ranging from 8-22. This is the first study to apply multi-objective algorithms to an SCP problem using alleles at the population level as basic units for analysis.

Survivorship Care Plan Information Needs: Perspectives of Safety-Net Breast Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Burke, Nancy J; Napoles, Tessa M; Banks, Priscilla J; Orenstein, Fern S; Luce, Judith A; Joseph, Galen

2016-01-01

Despite the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) 2005 recommendation, few care organizations have instituted standard survivorship care plans (SCPs). Low health literacy and low English proficiency are important factors to consider in SCP development. Our study aimed to identify information needs and survivorship care plan preferences of low literacy, multi-lingual patients to support the transition from oncology to primary care and ongoing learning in survivorship. We conducted focus groups in five languages with African American, Latina, Russian, Filipina, White, and Chinese medically underserved breast cancer patients. Topics explored included the transition to primary care, access to information, knowledge of treatment history, and perspectives on SCPs. Analysis of focus group data identified three themes: 1) the need for information and education on the transition between "active treatment" and "survivorship"; 2) information needed (and often not obtained) from providers; and 3) perspectives on SCP content and delivery. Our data point to the need to develop a process as well as written information for medically underserved breast cancer patients. An SCP document will not replace direct communication with providers about treatment, symptom management and transition, a communication that is missing in participating safety-net patients' experiences of cancer care. Women turned to peer support and community-based organizations in the absence of information from providers. "Clear and effective" communication of survivorship care for safety-net patients requires dedicated staff trained to address wide-ranging information needs and uncertainties.

Health information needs and preferences in relation to survivorship care plans of long-term cancer survivors in the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-I.

PubMed

Playdon, Mary; Ferrucci, Leah M; McCorkle, Ruth; Stein, Kevin D; Cannady, Rachel; Sanft, Tara; Cartmel, Brenda

2016-08-01

Survivorship care plans (SCPs) provide cancer patients and health care providers with a treatment summary and outline of recommended medical follow-up. Few studies have investigated the information needs and preferred sources among long-term cancer survivors. Cancer survivors of the ten most common cancers enrolled in the longitudinal Study of Cancer Survivors-I (SCS-I) completed a survey 9 years post-diagnosis (n = 3138); at time of diagnosis of the SCS-I cohort, SCPs were not considered usual care. We assessed participants' current desire and preferred sources for information across ten SCP items and evaluated factors associated with information need 9 years after diagnosis. The proportion of long-term cancer survivors endorsing a need for cancer and health information 9 years post-diagnosis ranged from 43 % (cancer screening) to 9 % (consequences of cancer on ability to work). Print media and personalized reading materials were the most preferred information sources. Younger age, higher education, race other than non-Hispanic white, later cancer stage, having breast cancer, having ≥2 comorbidities, and self-reporting poor health were associated with greater informational need (p < 0.05). Long-term cancer survivors continue to report health information needs for most SCP items and would prefer a print format; however, level of need differs by socio-demographic and cancer characteristics. Cancer survivors who did not previously receive a SCP may still benefit from receiving SCP content, and strategies for enabling dissemination to long-term survivors warrant further investigation.

Physicochemical characterization of solid dispersions of carbamazepine formulated by supercritical carbon dioxide and conventional solvent evaporation method.

PubMed

Sethia, Sundeep; Squillante, Emilio

2002-09-01

Solid dispersions of carbamazepine (CBZ) were formulated by supercritical fluid processing (SCP) and conventional solvent evaporation in polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 with either Gelucire 44/14 or vitamin E TPGS NF (d-alpha-tocopheryl PEG 1000 succinate). Formulations were evaluated by dissolution, scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry, and excipient cytotoxicity in Caco-2 cells by MTS [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt] assay. CBZ release was enhanced from supercritical fluid-treated CBZ and the CBZ/PEG 8000 (1:5), CBZ/PEG 8000/TPGS or Gelucire 44/14 (1:4:1) solid dispersions. The radically altered morphologies of SCP samples seen by scanning electron microscopy suggested polymorphic change that was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Disappearance of the characteristic CBZ melting peak indicated that CBZ was dissolved inside the carrier system. Polymorphic change of CBZ during SCP led to faster dissolution. Therefore, SCP provides advantages over solid dispersions prepared by conventional processes. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss Inc.

LOSS OF L-FABP, SCP-2/SCP-X, OR BOTH INDUCES HEPATIC LIPID ACCUMULATION IN FEMALE MICE

PubMed Central

Martin, Gregory G.; Atshaves, Barbara P.; Landrock, Kerstin K.; Landrock, Danilo; Schroeder, Friedhelm; Kier, Ann B.

2015-01-01

Although roles for both sterol carrier protein-2/sterol carrier protein-x (SCP-2/SCP-x) and liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) have been proposed in hepatic lipid accumulation, individually ablating these genes has been complicated by concomitant alterations in the other gene product(s). For example, ablating SCP2/SCP-x induces upregulation of L-FABP in female mice. Therefore, the impact of ablating SCP-2/SCP-x (DKO) or L-FABP (LKO) individually or both together (TKO) was examined in female mice. Loss of SCP-2/SCP-x (DKO, TKO) more so than loss of L-FABP alone (LKO) increased hepatic total lipid and total cholesterol content, especially cholesteryl ester. Hepatic accumulation of nonesterified long chain fatty acids (LCFA) and phospholipids occurred only in DKO and TKO mice. Loss of SCP-2/SCP-x (DKO, TKO) increased serum total lipid primarily by increasing triglycerides. Altered hepatic level of proteins involved in cholesterol uptake, efflux, and/or secretion was observed, but did not compensate for the loss of L-FABP, SCP-2/SCP-x or both. However, synergistic responses were not seen with the combinatorial knock out animals—suggesting that inhibiting SCP-2/SCP-x is more correlative with hepatic dysfunction than L-FABP. The DKO- and TKO-induced hepatic accumulation of cholesterol and long chain fatty acids shared significant phenotypic similarities with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). PMID:26116377

Influence of meniscus on cartilage and subchondral bone features of knees from older individuals: A cadaver study

PubMed Central

Touraine, Sébastien; Bouhadoun, Hamid; Engelke, Klaus; Laredo, Jean Denis; Chappard, Christine

2017-01-01

Objective Cartilage and subchondral bone form a functional unit. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of meniscus coverage on the characteristics of this unit in knees of older individuals. Methods We assessed the hyaline cartilage, subchondral cortical plate (SCP), and subchondral trabecular bone in areas covered or uncovered by the meniscus from normal cadaver knees (without degeneration). Bone cores harvested from the medial tibial plateau at locations uncovered (central), partially covered (posterior), and completely covered (peripheral) by the meniscus were imaged by micro-CT. The following were measured on images: cartilage volume (Cart.Vol, mm3) and thickness (Cart.Th, mm); SCP thickness (SCP.Th, μm) and porosity (SCP.Por, %); bone volume to total volume fraction (BV/TV, %); trabecular thickness (Tb.Th, μm), spacing (Tb.Sp, μm), and number (Tb.N, 1/mm); structure model index (SMI); trabecular pattern factor (Tb.Pf); and degree of anisotropy (DA). Results Among the 28 specimens studied (18 females) from individuals with mean age 82.8±10.2 years, cartilage and SCP were thicker at the central site uncovered by the meniscus than the posterior and peripheral sites, and Cart.Vol was greater. SCP.Por was highest in posterior samples. In the upper 1–5 mm of subchondral bone, central samples were characterized by higher values for BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th, and connectivity (Tb.Pf), a more plate-like trabecular structure and lower anisotropy than with other samples. Deeper down, at 6–10 mm, the differences were slightly higher for Tb.Th centrally, DA peripherally and SMI posteriorly. Conclusions The coverage or not by meniscus in the knee of older individuals is significantly associated with Cart.Th, SCP.Th, SCP.Por and trabecular microarchitectural parameters in the most superficial 5 mm and to a lesser extent the deepest area of subchondral trabecular bone. These results suggest an effect of differences in local loading conditions. In subchondral bone uncovered by the meniscus, the trabecular architecture resembles that of highly loaded areas. PMID:28797093

Subchondroplasty for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Bone Marrow Lesions of the Medial Femoral Condyle in a Pre-Clinical Canine Model.

PubMed

Brimmo, Olubusola A; Bozynski, Chantelle C; Cook, Cristi R; Kuroki, Keiichi; Sherman, Seth L; Pfeiffer, Ferris M; Stoker, Aaron M; Cook, James L

2018-05-10

This study characterizes long-term outcomes associated with subchondroplasty (SCP) treatment for impact-induced subchondral bone marrow lesions (BML) using a validated pre-clinical canine model. With IACUC approval, purpose-bred research hounds (n = 16) underwent arthroscopic impact injury (40N) to both medial femoral condyles. At 3 months, functional assessments, arthroscopy and MRI were performed and knees (n = 32) were randomly assigned to SCP (3 mL fluoroscopically guided percutaneous injection of AccuFill BSM into BML bone defects) or sham injection (Control). Dogs were assessed at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment using functional assessments, radiographic evaluation, arthroscopy, and MRI. Dogs were humanely euthanatized at 3, 6, 12, or 24 months after treatment for gross, microCT, and histologic assessments. All knees had focal articular cartilage defects with associated subchondral BMLs, as well as clinical dysfunction, 3 months after injury. At the 3- and 6-months, SCP knees showed more functional impairment than Control knees, however, these differences were not statistically significant. At 1 and 2 years post-treatment, function in SCP knees was better than in Control knees with range of motion being significantly (p < 0.05) better for SCP. Radiographic, arthroscopic, MRI, gross, microCT, and histologic findings matched the functional assessments well with Control being associated with better results at the 2 early time points and SCP being associated with better results at 1 and 2 years. SCP treatment using calcium phosphate bone void filler was associated with an initial increase in pain and dysfunction followed by symptomatic benefits for up to 2 years after treatment for post-traumatic femoral condyle BMLs in a preclinical canine model. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Self-critical perfectionism, dependency, and symptomatic distress in patients with personality disorder during hospitalization-based psychodynamic treatment: A parallel process growth modeling approach.

PubMed

Lowyck, Benedicte; Luyten, Patrick; Vermote, Rudi; Verhaest, Yannic; Vansteelandt, Kristof

2017-07-01

There is growing evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy in patients with personality disorder (PD), but very little is known about the factors underlying these effects. Two-polarities models of personality development provide an empirically supported approach to studying therapeutic change. Briefly, these models argue that personality pathology is characterized by an imbalance between development of the capacity for self-definition and for relatedness, with an exaggerated emphasis on issues regarding self-definition and relatedness being expressed in high levels of self-critical perfectionism (SCP) and dependency, respectively. This study used data from a study of 111 patients with PD who received long-term hospitalization-based psychodynamic treatment to investigate whether (a) treatment was related to changes in SCP, dependency, and symptomatic distress; (b) these changes could be explained by pretreatment levels of SCP, dependency, and/or symptomatic distress; and (c) changes in these personality dimensions over time were associated with symptomatic improvement. SCP, dependency, and symptomatic distress were assessed at admission (baseline), at 12 and 24 weeks into treatment, and at discharge. Parallel process multilevel growth modeling showed that (a) treatment was associated with a significant decrease in levels of SCP, dependency, and symptomatic distress, whereas (b) pretreatment levels of each of these three factors did not predict the decreases observed, and (c) changes in SCP, but not dependency, were associated with the rate of decrease in symptomatic distress over time. Implications of these findings for our understanding of therapeutic change in the treatment of PD are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Regulation of the scp Genes in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803--What is New?

PubMed

Cheregi, Otilia; Funk, Christiane

2015-08-12

In the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 there are five genes encoding small CAB-like (SCP) proteins, which have been shown to be up-regulated under stress. Analyses of the promoter sequences of the scp genes revealed the existence of an NtcA binding motif in two scp genes, scpB and scpE. Binding of NtcA, the key transcriptional regulator during nitrogen stress, to the promoter regions was shown by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The metabolite 2-oxoglutarate did not increase the affinity of NtcA for binding to the promoters of scpB and scpE. A second motif, the HIP1 palindrome 5' GGCGATCGCC 3', was detected in the upstream regions of scpB and scpC. The transcription factor encoded by sll1130 has been suggested to recognize this motif to regulate heat-responsive genes. Our data suggest that HIP1 is not a regulatory element within the scp genes. Further, the presence of the high light regulatory (HLR1) motif was confirmed in scpB-E, in accordance to their induced transcriptions in cells exposed to high light. The HLR1 motif was newly discovered in eight additional genes.

Counseling About Skin Cancer Prevention Among Adolescents: What Do Parents Receive From Health Care Providers?

PubMed

McRee, Annie-Laurie; Mays, Darren; Kornides, Melanie L; Gilkey, Melissa B

2017-10-01

Adolescence is a high-risk period for ultraviolet radiation exposure, a primary cause of skin cancer later in life. We sought to characterize receipt of health care provider-delivered counseling about skin cancer prevention (SCP) among parents of adolescents. In 2016, we conducted an online survey with a national sample of parents of adolescents aged 11-17 years (n = 1,253). Multivariable logistic regression assessed correlates of receiving counseling from a health care provider about any of the six skin cancer prevention (SCP) topics. Only half (49%) of parents recalled discussing any SCP topic with their child's provider; the prevalence was highest for sunscreen (39%) and lowest for indoor tanning (3%). Parents had greater odds of receiving counseling if they had a child with more sun-reactive skin (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53); a family history of skin cancer (OR = 1.38); or a higher quality relationship with the provider (OR = 1.47; all p < .05). Greater attention to SCP counseling is needed, especially for exposures such as indoor tanning that remain prevalent among adolescents but are rarely addressed in clinical encounters. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ablating L-FABP in SCP-2/SCP-x null mice impairs bile acid metabolism and biliary HDL-cholesterol secretion

PubMed Central

Martin, Gregory G.; Atshaves, Barbara P.; Landrock, Kerstin K.; Landrock, Danilo; Storey, Stephen M.; Howles, Philip N.; Kier, Ann B.

2014-01-01

On the basis of their abilities to bind bile acids and/or cholesterol, the physiological role(s) of liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and sterol carrier protein (SCP) 2/SCP-x (SCP-2/SCP-x) gene products in biliary bile acid and cholesterol formation was examined in gene-ablated male mice. L-FABP (LKO) or L-FABP/SCP-2/SCP-x [triple-knockout (TKO)] ablation markedly decreased hepatic bile acid concentration, while SCP-2/SCP-x [double-knockout (DKO)] ablation alone had no effect. In contrast, LKO increased biliary bile acid, while DKO and TKO had no effect on biliary bile acid levels. LKO and DKO also altered biliary bile acid composition to increase bile acid hydrophobicity. Furthermore, LKO and TKO decreased hepatic uptake and biliary secretion of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-derived 22-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-23,24-bisnor-5-cholen-3β-ol (NBD-cholesterol), while DKO alone had no effect. Finally, LKO and, to a lesser extent, DKO decreased most indexes contributing to cholesterol solubility in biliary bile. These results suggest different, but complementary, roles for L-FABP and SCP-2/SCP-x in biliary bile acid and cholesterol formation. L-FABP appears to function more in hepatic retention of bile acids as well as hepatic uptake and biliary secretion of HDL-cholesterol. Conversely, SCP-2/SCP-x may function more in formation and biliary secretion of bile acid, with less impact on hepatic uptake or biliary secretion of HDL-cholesterol. PMID:25277800

All Candidates

Science.gov Websites

1.193 1.46 SN Ia c Y Y Y SCP06B3 Isabella 0.743 1.12 SN CC c Y Y SCP06B4 Michaela 1.116 1.12 Y SN CC c Y Y SCP06C0 Noa 1.092 0.97 SN Ia b,c Y Y SCP06C1 Midge 0.98 0.97 Y SN Ia a,c Y Y Y SCP06C7 0.61 0.97 SN CC c Y Y SCP06C50 0.97 SCP05D0 Frida 1.014 1.02 Y SN Ia a,b,c Y Y Y SCP05D6 Maggie 1.314 1.02 SN

Ablating L-FABP in SCP-2/SCP-x null mice impairs bile acid metabolism and biliary HDL-cholesterol secretion.

PubMed

Martin, Gregory G; Atshaves, Barbara P; Landrock, Kerstin K; Landrock, Danilo; Storey, Stephen M; Howles, Philip N; Kier, Ann B; Schroeder, Friedhelm

2014-12-01

On the basis of their abilities to bind bile acids and/or cholesterol, the physiological role(s) of liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and sterol carrier protein (SCP) 2/SCP-x (SCP-2/SCP-x) gene products in biliary bile acid and cholesterol formation was examined in gene-ablated male mice. L-FABP (LKO) or L-FABP/SCP-2/SCP-x [triple-knockout (TKO)] ablation markedly decreased hepatic bile acid concentration, while SCP-2/SCP-x [double-knockout (DKO)] ablation alone had no effect. In contrast, LKO increased biliary bile acid, while DKO and TKO had no effect on biliary bile acid levels. LKO and DKO also altered biliary bile acid composition to increase bile acid hydrophobicity. Furthermore, LKO and TKO decreased hepatic uptake and biliary secretion of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-derived 22-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-23,24-bisnor-5-cholen-3β-ol (NBD-cholesterol), while DKO alone had no effect. Finally, LKO and, to a lesser extent, DKO decreased most indexes contributing to cholesterol solubility in biliary bile. These results suggest different, but complementary, roles for L-FABP and SCP-2/SCP-x in biliary bile acid and cholesterol formation. L-FABP appears to function more in hepatic retention of bile acids as well as hepatic uptake and biliary secretion of HDL-cholesterol. Conversely, SCP-2/SCP-x may function more in formation and biliary secretion of bile acid, with less impact on hepatic uptake or biliary secretion of HDL-cholesterol. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Supernova Cosmology Project

Science.gov Websites

Filters Description SCP Nearby 99 Summary Table Description SCP Nearby 99 Lightcurves Description SCP Nearby 99 Filters Description SCP Perlmutter et al. (1999) Lightcurves Description Updated 12-27-11

Structure and Function of the Sterol Carrier Protein-2 N-Terminal Presequence†

PubMed Central

Martin, Gregory G.; Hostetler, Heather A.; McIntosh, Avery L.; Tichy, Shane E.; Williams, Brad J.; Russell, David H.; Berg, Jeremy M.; Spencer, Thomas A.; Ball, Judith; Kier, Ann B.; Schroeder, Friedhelm

2008-01-01

Although sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) is encoded as a precursor protein (proSCP-2), little is known regarding the structure and function of the 20-amino acid N-terminal presequence. As shown herein, the presequence contains significant secondary structure and alters SCP-2: (i) secondary structure (CD), (ii) tertiary structure (aqueous exposure of Trp shown by UV absorbance, fluorescence, fluorescence quenching), (iii) ligand binding site [Trp response to ligands, peptide cross-linked by photoactivatable free cholesterol (FCBP)], (iv) selectivity for interaction with anionic phospholipid-rich membranes, (v) interaction with a peroxisomal import protein [FRET studies of Pex5p(C) binding], the N-terminal presequence increased SCP-2’s affinity for Pex5p(C) by 10-fold, and (vi) intracellular targeting in living and fixed cells (confocal microscopy). Nearly 5-fold more SCP-2 than proSCP-2 colocalized with plasma membrane lipid rafts/caveolae (AF488-CTB), 2.8-fold more SCP-2 than proSCP-2 colocalized with a mitochondrial marker (Mitotracker), but nearly 2-fold less SCP-2 than proSCP-2 colocalized with peroxisomes (AF488-antibody to PMP70). These data indicate the importance of the N-terminal presequence in regulating SCP-2 structure, cholesterol localization within the ligand binding site, membrane association, and, potentially, intracellular targeting. PMID:18465878

Alberta CancerBridges development of a care plan evaluation measure

PubMed Central

Giese-Davis, J.; Sisler, J.; Zhong, L.; Brandelli, Y.; McCormick, J.L.; Railton, C.; Shirt, L.; Lau, H.; Hao, D.; Chobanuk, J.; Walley, B.; Joy, A.A.; Taylor, A.; Carlson, L.

2018-01-01

Background No standardized measures specifically assess cancer survivors’ and healthcare providers’ experience of Survivor Care Plans (scps). We sought to develop two care plan evaluation (cpe) measures, one for survivors (cpe-s) and one for healthcare providers (cpe-p), examine initial psychometric qualities in Alberta, and assess generalizability in Manitoba, Canada. Methods We developed the initial measures using convenience samples of breast (n = 35) and head and neck (n = 18) survivors who received scps at the end of active cancer-centre treatment. After assessing Alberta’s scp concordance with Institute of Medicine (iom) recommendations using a published coding scheme, we examined psychometric qualities for the cpe-s and cpe-p. We examined generalizability in Manitoba, Canada, with colorectal survivors discharged to primary care providers for follow-up (n = 75). Results We demonstrated acceptable internal consistency for the cpe-s and cpe-p subscales and total score after eliminating one item per subscale for cpe-s, two for cpe-p, resulting in revised scales with four 7-item and 6-item subscales, respectively. Subscale scores correlated highly indicating that for each measure the total score may be the most reliable and valid. We provide initial cpe-s discriminant, convergent, and predictive validity using the total score. Using the Manitoba sample, initial psychometrics similarly indicated good generalizability across differences in tumour groups, scp, and location. Conclusions We recommend the revised cpe-s and cpe-p for further use and development. Studies documenting the creation and standardization of scp evaluations are few, and we recommend further development of patient experience measures to improve both clinical practice and the specificity of research questions. PMID:29507497

Molecular cloning and functional expression of allergenic sarcoplasmic calcium-binding proteins from Penaeus shrimps.

PubMed

Mita, Hajime; Koketsu, Aiko; Ishizaki, Shoichiro; Shiomi, Kazuo

2013-05-01

Sarcoplasmic calcium-binding proteins (SCPs) have recently been identified as crustacean allergens. However, information on their primary structures is very limited and no recombinant SCP (rSCP) as an alternative of natural SCP (nSCP) is available. This study was aimed to elucidate primary structures of SCPs from two species of Penaeus shrimp (black tiger shrimp and kuruma shrimp) by cDNA cloning and to produce a black tiger shrimp rSCP preparation that is comparable in IgE reactivity to nSCP. The full-length cDNAs encoding black tiger shrimp and kuruma shrimp SCPs were successfully cloned. Both SCPs are composed of 193 amino acid residues and share more than 80% sequence identity with the known crustacean SCPs. The black tiger shrimp SCP was then expressed in Escherichia coli using the pFN6A (HQ) Flexi vector system. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and inhibition ELISA experiments demonstrated that rSCP has the same IgE reactivity as nSCP. Our results provide further evidence for the high sequence identity among crustacean SCPs. In addition, rSCP will be a useful tool in studying crustacean allergens and also in the diagnosis of crustacean allergy. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

WinSCP for Windows File Transfers | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

WinSCP for Windows File Transfers WinSCP for Windows File Transfers WinSCP for can used to securely transfer files between your local computer running Microsoft Windows and a remote computer running Linux

Comprehensive survivorship care with cost and revenue analysis.

PubMed

Rosales, Alicia R; Byrne, Dia; Burnham, Christa; Watts, Lori; Clifford, Kathleen; Zuckerman, Dan S; Beck, Thomas

2014-03-01

The 2015 Commission on Cancer standards require that cancer survivors receive an individualized survivorship care plan (SCP). To meet this new standard, St Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI), with support from the National Community Cancer Centers Program, implemented a successful survivorship model. At MSTI, the patient's SCP is prepared in the electronic health record by a registered health information technician. This document is reviewed during an appointment with a nurse practitioner and social worker. The provider's dictation is mailed to the primary care physician with the SCP. From August 2011 to Oct 2012, 118 patients with breast cancer were seen for survivorship appointments. Medical record audit and follow-up telephone call were completed to evaluate patient survivorship needs and satisfaction with the appointment. Patient accounts were reviewed for reimbursement. From medical record review, the most common patient concerns were weight management (35%), fatigue (30%), sexuality (27%), anxiety (23%), caregiver stress (17%), and depression (16%). Telephone calls showed high patient satisfaction and understanding. Patients rated the following statements on a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree): I understand my treatment summary and care plan (88% strongly agree or agree), and I feel the survivorship visit met my survivorship needs (86% strongly agree or agree). At 1 month, 80% of participants were still working on wellness goals. Patient accounts analysis showed revenue covered costs. Survivorship care at MSTI meets new standards, allows for patient engagement and satisfaction, and improves care coordination. Costs are covered by reimbursement.

Sterol carrier protein-2 functions in phosphatidylinositol transfer and signaling.

PubMed

Schroeder, Friedhelm; Zhou, Minglong; Swaggerty, Christina L; Atshaves, Barbara P; Petrescu, Anca D; Storey, Stephen M; Martin, Gregory G; Huang, Huan; Helmkamp, George M; Ball, Judith M

2003-03-25

Over 20 years ago, it was reported that liver cytosol contains at least two distinct proteins that transfer phosphatidylinositol in vitro, phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PITP) and a pH 5.1 supernatant fraction containing sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2). In contrast to PITP, there has been minimal progress on the structural and functional significance of SCP-2 in phosphatidylinositol transport. As shown herein, highly purified, recombinant SCP-2 stimulated up to 13-fold the rapid (s) transfer of radiolabeled phosphatidylinositol (PI) from microsomal donor membranes to highly curved acceptor membranes. SCP-2 bound to microsomes in vitro and overexpression of SCP-2 in transfected L-cells resulted in the following: (i) redistribution of phosphatidylinositols from intracellular membranes (mitochondria and microsomes) to the plasma membrane; (ii) enhancement of insulin-mediated inositol-triphosphate production; and (iii) 5.5-fold down regulation of PITP. Like PITP, SCP-2 binds two ligands required for vesicle budding from the Golgi, PI, and fatty acyl CoA. Double immunolabeling confocal microscopy showed SCP-2 significantly colocalized with caveolin-1 in the cytoplasm (punctate) and plasma membrane of SCP-2 overexpressing hepatoma cells (72%), HT-29 cells (58%), and SCP-2 overexpressing L-cells (37%). Taken together, these data show for the first time that SCP-2 plays a hitherto unrecognized role in intracellular phosphatidylinositol transfer, distribution, and signaling.

SCP4 Promotes Gluconeogenesis Through FoxO1/3a Dephosphorylation.

PubMed

Cao, Jin; Yu, Yi; Zhang, Zhengmao; Chen, Xi; Hu, Zhaoyong; Tong, Qiang; Chang, Jiang; Feng, Xin-Hua; Lin, Xia

2018-01-01

FoxO1 and FoxO3a (collectively FoxO1/3a) proteins regulate a wide array of cellular processes, including hepatic gluconeogenesis. Phosphorylation of FoxO1/3a is a key event that determines its subcellular location and transcriptional activity. During glucose synthesis, the activity of FoxO1/3a is negatively regulated by Akt-mediated phosphorylation, which leads to the cytoplasmic retention of FoxO1/3a. However, the nuclear phosphatase that directly regulates FoxO1/3a remains to be identified. In this study, we discovered a nuclear phosphatase, SCP4/CTDSPL2 (SCP4), that dephosphorylated FoxO1/3a and promoted FoxO1/3a transcription activity. We found that SCP4 enhanced the transcription of FoxO1/3a target genes encoding PEPCK1 and G6PC, key enzymes in hepatic gluconeogenesis. Ectopic expression of SCP4 increased, while knockdown of SCP4 inhibited, glucose production. Moreover, we demonstrated that gene ablation of SCP4 led to hypoglycemia in neonatal mice. Consistent with the positive role of SCP4 in gluconeogenesis, expression of SCP4 was regulated under pathophysiological conditions. SCP4 expression was induced by glucose deprivation in vitro and in vivo and was elevated in obese mice caused by genetic (A vy ) and dietary (high-fat) changes. Thus, our findings provided experimental evidence that SCP4 regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and could serve as a potential target for the prevention and treatment of diet-induced glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

Palmitoylated SCP1 is targeted to the plasma membrane and negatively regulates angiogenesis

PubMed Central

Liao, Peng; Wang, Weichao; Li, Yu; Wang, Rui; Jin, Jiali; Pang, Weijuan; Chen, Yunfei; Shen, Mingyue; Wang, Xinbo; Jiang, Dongyang; Pang, Jinjiang; Liu, Mingyao; Lin, Xia; Feng, Xin-Hua; Wang, Ping; Ge, Xin

2017-01-01

SCP1 as a nuclear transcriptional regulator acts globally to silence neuronal genes and to affect the dephosphorylation of RNA Pol ll. However, we report the first finding and description of SCP1 as a plasma membrane-localized protein in various cancer cells using EGFP- or other epitope-fused SCP1. Membrane-located SCP1 dephosphorylates AKT at serine 473, leading to the abolishment of serine 473 phosphorylation that results in suppressed angiogenesis and a decreased risk of tumorigenesis. Consistently, we observed increased AKT phosphorylation and angiogenesis followed by enhanced tumorigenesis in Ctdsp1 (which encodes SCP1) gene - knockout mice. Importantly, we discovered that the membrane localization of SCP1 is crucial for impeding angiogenesis and tumor growth, and this localization depends on palmitoylation of a conserved cysteine motif within its NH2 terminus. Thus, our study discovers a novel mechanism underlying SCP1 shuttling between the plasma membrane and nucleus, which constitutes a unique pathway in transducing AKT signaling that is closely linked to angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22058.001 PMID:28440748

Trypanosoma cruzi serinecarboxipeptidase is a sulfated glycoprotein and a minor antigen in human Chagas disease infection.

PubMed

Soprano, Luciana L; Parente, Juliana E; Landoni, Malena; Couto, Alicia S; Duschak, Vilma G

2018-04-01

In this work, the presence of sulfated N-glycans was studied in a high-mannose-type glycoprotein of Trypanosoma cruzi with serinecarboxipeptidase (TcSCP) activity. The immune cross-reactivity between purified SCP and Cruzipain (Cz) was evidenced using rabbit sera specific for both glycoproteins. Taking advantage that SCP co-purifies with Cz from Concanavalin-A affinity columns, the Cz-SCP mixture was desulfated, ascribing the cross-reactivity to the presence of sulfate groups in both molecules. Therefore, knowing that Cz is a sulfated glycoprotein, with antigenic sulfated epitopes (sulfotopes), SCP was excised from SDS-PAGE and the N-glycosydic chains were analyzed by UV-MALDI-TOF-MS, confirming the presence of short-sulfated high-mannose-type oligosaccharidic chains. Besides, the presence of sulfotopes was analyzed in lysates of the different parasite stages demonstrating that a band with apparent molecular weight similar to SCP was highly recognized in trypomastigotes. In addition, SCP was confronted with sera of infected people with different degrees of cardiac dysfunction. Although most sera recognized it in different groups, no statistical association was found between sera antibodies specific for SCP and the severity of the disease. In summary, our findings demonstrate (1) the presence of sulfate groups in the N-glycosidic short chains of native TcSCP, (2) the existence of immune cross-reactivity between Cz and SCP, purified from epimastigotes, (3) the presence of common sulfotopes between both parasite glycoproteins, and (4) the enhanced presence of sulfotopes in trypomastigotes, probably involved in parasite-host relationship and/or infection. Interestingly, we show for the first time that SCP is a minor antigen recognized by most of chronic Chagas disease patient's sera.

Comprehensive Survivorship Care With Cost and Revenue Analysis

PubMed Central

Rosales, Alicia R.; Byrne, Dia; Burnham, Christa; Watts, Lori; Clifford, Kathleen; Zuckerman, Dan S.; Beck, Thomas

2014-01-01

Purpose: The 2015 Commission on Cancer standards require that cancer survivors receive an individualized survivorship care plan (SCP). To meet this new standard, St Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI), with support from the National Community Cancer Centers Program, implemented a successful survivorship model. Patients and Methods: At MSTI, the patient's SCP is prepared in the electronic health record by a registered health information technician. This document is reviewed during an appointment with a nurse practitioner and social worker. The provider's dictation is mailed to the primary care physician with the SCP. From August 2011 to Oct 2012, 118 patients with breast cancer were seen for survivorship appointments. Medical record audit and follow-up telephone call were completed to evaluate patient survivorship needs and satisfaction with the appointment. Patient accounts were reviewed for reimbursement. Results: From medical record review, the most common patient concerns were weight management (35%), fatigue (30%), sexuality (27%), anxiety (23%), caregiver stress (17%), and depression (16%). Telephone calls showed high patient satisfaction and understanding. Patients rated the following statements on a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree): I understand my treatment summary and care plan (88% strongly agree or agree), and I feel the survivorship visit met my survivorship needs (86% strongly agree or agree). At 1 month, 80% of participants were still working on wellness goals. Patient accounts analysis showed revenue covered costs. Conclusion: Survivorship care at MSTI meets new standards, allows for patient engagement and satisfaction, and improves care coordination. Costs are covered by reimbursement. PMID:24065401

Hepatic kinetics of SCP-1 (N-[alpha-(1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-ona-1, 1-dioxide-2-yl)-acetyl]-p-aminophenol) compared with acetaminophen in isolated rat liver.

PubMed

González-Martin, G; Lyndon, C; Sunkel, C

1998-11-01

The hepatic disposition of a new analgesic, SCP-1, a derivative of acetaminophen, was studied in the isolated perfused rat liver using a recirculating system. The aim of this study was to compare the kinetic parameters of this molecule with those of acetaminophen. Sprague-Dawley rat (230-330 g) livers were perfused for 2 h with 250 ml Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer containing SCP-1 or acetaminophen, 0.07 mmol l(-1) (n=4), 0.28 mmol l(-1) (n=4), and 0.8 mmol l(-1) (n=4) (approximately one, four and ten times the therapeutic doses in man, respectively). Perfusate samples were collected from the efflux at various times. The SCP-1 and acetaminophen perfusate concentrations were assayed by a HPLC method. Pharmacokinetic analysis was carried out using a computer program. There were significant differences between the hepatic kinetics of SCP-1 and those of acetaminophen. Thus, SCP-1 elimination half-life (mean 14.8+/-10.0 min) was shorter than that of the acetaminophen (186.1+/-27.7 min) (t=11.6, P=0.0001). While the half-life of SCP-1 increases with concentration, the half-life of acetaminophen remains constant as the concentration increases. The hepatic clearance was higher for SCP-1 than acetaminophen (mean 19.01+/-14.5 ml min(-1) vs. 1.29+/-0.08 ml min(-1), respectively) (t=2.44, P<0.05), and it behaved according to dose-dependent kinetics. The SCP-1 extraction ratio was higher (mean 0.63+/-0.49) than for acetaminophen (0.04+/-0.01) (t=2.41, P<0.05) and this parameter tended to decrease as the perfusate concentrations of SCP-1 increased. It was concluded that the hepatic kinetics of SCP-1 behaved according to dose-dependent kinetics, and statistically significant differences were found between pharmacokinetics parameters of both drugs studied. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Optimization and Calibration of Slat Position for a SPECT With Slit-Slat Collimator and Pixelated Detector Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xiao; Ma, Tianyu; Lecomte, Roger; Yao, Rutao

2011-10-01

To expand the availability of SPECT for biomedical research, we developed a SPECT imaging system on an existing animal PET detector by adding a slit-slat collimator. As the detector crystals are pixelated, the relative slat-to-crystal position (SCP) in the axial direction affects the photon flux distribution onto the crystals. The accurate knowledge of SCP is important to the axial resolution and sensitivity of the system. This work presents a method for optimizing SCP in system design and for determining SCP in system geometrical calibration. The optimization was achieved by finding the SCP that provides higher spatial resolution in terms of average-root-mean-square (R̅M̅S̅) width of the axial point spread function (PSF) without loss of sensitivity. The calibration was based on the least-square-error method that minimizes the difference between the measured and modeled axial point spread projections. The uniqueness and accuracy of the calibration results were validated through a singular value decomposition (SVD) based approach. Both the optimization and calibration techniques were evaluated with Monte Carlo (MC) simulated data. We showed that the [R̅M̅S̅] was improved about 15% with the optimal SCP as compared to the least-optimal SCP, and system sensitivity was not affected by SCP. The SCP error achieved by the proposed calibration method was less than 0.04 mm. The calibrated SCP value was used in MC simulation to generate the system matrix which was used for image reconstruction. The images of simulated phantoms showed the expected resolution performance and were artifact free. We conclude that the proposed optimization and calibration method is effective for the slit-slat collimator based SPECT systems.

Low-income Euro-American mothers' perceptions of health and self-care practices.

PubMed

Mendias, Elnora P; Clark, Michele C; Guevara, Edilma B; Svrcek, Claire Y

2011-01-01

Health promotion activities may decrease preventable diseases and health system overuse. This study examined how low-income Euro-American mothers described their health/wellness, self-care practices (SCP), and SCP benefits, barriers, and interpersonal influences (norms, modeling, and social support) affecting their SCP. This descriptive qualitative study used a convenience sample of 10 low-income, English-speaking mothers, 25-43 years old, seeking women's/children's health services at a large urban Texas health clinic. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews, using a standardized semistructured interview guide; data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman's qualitative research methods. All participants primarily described themselves positively and as mothers and workers. Most viewed health and wellness as distinct but typically included physical and emotional well-being. Mothers valued health and SCP for personal and family reasons. All identified SCP benefits. Most identified SCP barriers. Women viewed themselves as vital to family function and well-being, learned SCP primarily from parents during childhood, and described limited support for SCP. The results provide a better understanding of participants' self-care decision making and are useful in designing appropriate clinical health promotions. Reducing health inequities in low-income women requires further study of the underlying causes and development of effective policies and measures to address them. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Supernova Cosmology Project

Science.gov Websites

in Presentations Ωm-ΩΛ with CMB, BAO, and SCP Union2 SN Constraints pdf | ppt Description Ωm-ΩΠ› with CMB, BAO, and SCP Union2 SN Constraints, including SN systematics pdf | ppt Description Ωm-w with CMB, BAO, and SCP Union2 SN Constraints pdf | ppt Description Ωm-w with CMB, BAO, and SCP Union2 SN

Single-cell isolation by a modular single-cell pipette for RNA-sequencing.

PubMed

Zhang, Kai; Gao, Min; Chong, Zechen; Li, Ying; Han, Xin; Chen, Rui; Qin, Lidong

2016-11-29

Single-cell transcriptome sequencing highly requires a convenient and reliable method to rapidly isolate a live cell into a specific container such as a PCR tube. Here, we report a modular single-cell pipette (mSCP) consisting of three modular components, a SCP-Tip, an air-displacement pipette (ADP), and ADP-Tips, that can be easily assembled, disassembled, and reassembled. By assembling the SCP-Tip containing a hydrodynamic trap, the mSCP can isolate single cells from 5-10 cells per μL of cell suspension. The mSCP is compatible with microscopic identification of captured single cells to finally achieve 100% single-cell isolation efficiency. The isolated live single cells are in submicroliter volumes and well suitable for single-cell PCR analysis and RNA-sequencing. The mSCP possesses merits of convenience, rapidness, and high efficiency, making it a powerful tool to isolate single cells for transcriptome analysis.

The Shuttle Cost and Price model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leary, Katherine; Stone, Barbara

1983-01-01

The Shuttle Cost and Price (SCP) model was developed as a tool to assist in evaluating major aspects of Shuttle operations that have direct and indirect economic consequences. It incorporates the major aspects of NASA Pricing Policy and corresponds to the NASA definition of STS operating costs. An overview of the SCP model is presented and the cost model portion of SCP is described in detail. Selected recent applications of the SCP model to NASA Pricing Policy issues are presented.

Effect of cement washout on loosening of abutment screws and vice versa in screw- and cement- retained implant-supported dental prosthesis

PubMed Central

Kim, Seok-Gyu; Son, Mee-Kyoung

2015-01-01

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the abutment screw stability of screw- and cement-retained implant-supported dental prosthesis (SCP) after simulated cement washout as well as the stability of SCP cements after complete loosening of abutment screws. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-six titanium CAD/CAM-made implant prostheses were fabricated on two implants placed in the resin models. Each prosthesis is a two-unit SCP: one screw-retained and the other cemented. After evaluating the passive fit of each prosthesis, all implant prostheses were randomly divided into 3 groups: screwed and cemented SCP (Control), screwed and noncemented SCP (Group 1), unscrewed and cemented SCP (Group 2). Each prosthesis in Control and Group 1 was screwed and/or cemented, and the preloading reverse torque value (RTV) was evaluated. SCP in Group 2 was screwed and cemented, and then unscrewed (RTV=0) after the cement was set. After cyclic loading was applied, the postloading RTV was measured. RTV loss and decementation ratios were calculated for statistical analysis. RESULTS There was no significant difference in RTV loss ratio between Control and Group 1 (P=.16). No decemented prosthesis was found among Control and Group 2. CONCLUSION Within the limits of this in vitro study, the stabilities of SCP abutment screws and cement were not significantly changed after simulated cement washout or screw loosening. PMID:26140172

The Ebola Spatial Care Path™: Accelerating point-of-care diagnosis, decision making, and community resilience in outbreaks.

PubMed

Kost, Gerald J; Ferguson, William J; Hoe, Jackie; Truong, Anh-Thu; Banpavichit, Arirat; Kongpila, Surin

2015-01-01

To present a vision where point-of-care testing (POCT) accelerates an Ebola Spatial Care Path™ (SCP) and future molecular diagnostics enable facilitated-access self-testing (FAST POC); to design an alternate care facility (ACF) for the SCP; to innovate an Ebola diagnostic center (DC); and to propel rapid POCT to the frontline to create resilience that stops future outbreaks. PubMed, literature, and web searches. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Medicine Without Frontiers, and World Health Organization (WHO) document analyses. Investigations in China, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States. Review of SE Asia, US, and West Africa isolation-treatment centers. Innovation of a SCP, ACF, and DC suitable for American and other communities. The authors designed an ACF and DC to integrate SCP principles for urgent Ebola care. FDA emergency use authorizations for Ebola molecular diagnostics were discovered, but no portable, handheld, or self-contained molecular POC instruments are yet available, although feasible. The WHO initiated design criteria and an acceptance protocol for testing. Financial investment in POCT will downsize Ebola outbreaks. POCT is facilitating global health. Now, global health problems are elevating POCT to new levels of importance for accelerating diagnosis and evidence-based decision making during disease outbreaks. Authorities concur that rapid diagnosis has potential to stop disease spread. With embedded POCT, strategic SCPs planned by communities fulfill CDC recommendations. POC devices should consolidate multiplex test clusters supporting patients with Ebola in isolation. The ultimate future solution is FAST POC. New technologies offer minimally significant risks. Diagnostic centers in ACFs and transportable formats also will optimize Ebola SCPs.

Effect of the Addition of Schisandra chinensis Powder on the Physico-chemical Characteristics of Sausage

PubMed Central

Jin, S. K.; Park, J. H.

2013-01-01

The individual and interactive effects of Schisandra chinensis powder (SCP) and sodium nitrite additions on color, pH, water holding capacity, residual nitrite, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), volatile basic nitrogen, texture properties, fatty acids, amino acids and sensory evaluation of cooked pork sausages were investigated after 20 d of storage at 4°C. The powders (0, 0.5 and 1.0%) were added to sausages either alone or in combination with nitrite (0 and 100 ppm). SCP added-sausages showed lower L* (lightness) and W (whiteness) values, and higher b* (yellowness) values than sausage containing no nitrite, and exhibited the highest a* values at a 0.5% addition (p<0.05). Residual nitrite and TBARS values were found to be significantly reduced as the addition levels of SCP increased (p<0.05). As the addition of SCP increased, the sausage showed gradually decreased brittleness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness, while adhesiveness increased. Polyunsaturated fatty acid, n-6 and n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio concentrations were significantly higher in sausages containing SCP (p<0.05). The addition of SCP to sausage significantly (p<0.05) increased the ammonia content (by 0.5% SCP) and aromatic amino acid concentrations (by 1.0% SCP) (p<0.05). Inclusion of SCP in sausage meat resulted in a significant deterioration in quality characteristics of flavor, springiness, juiciness and overall acceptability (p<0.05). As expected, the observed changes in a*, W, pH, shear force, texture property, TBARS, fatty acid, amino acid and sensory score of sausages, depended on the rate of addition of nitrite (p<0.05). These results suggest that SCP addition is not an effective way of improving the sensory evaluation of sausages, but may beneficially affect TBARS, nitrite scavenging activity, fatty acid and amino acid content in pork sausages. PMID:25049766

The plant-specific transcription factors CBP60g and SARD1 are targeted by a Verticillium secretory protein VdSCP41 to modulate immunity

PubMed Central

Qin, Jun; Wang, Kailun; Sun, Lifan; Xing, Haiying; Wang, Sheng; Li, Lin; Chen, She

2018-01-01

The vascular pathogen Verticillium dahliae infects the roots of plants to cause Verticillium wilt. The molecular mechanisms underlying V. dahliae virulence and host resistance remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a secretory protein, VdSCP41, functions as an intracellular effector that promotes V. dahliae virulence. The Arabidopsis master immune regulators CBP60g and SARD1 and cotton GhCBP60b are targeted by VdSCP41. VdSCP41 binds the C-terminal portion of CBP60g to inhibit its transcription factor activity. Further analyses reveal a transcription activation domain within CBP60g that is required for VdSCP41 targeting. Mutations in both CBP60g and SARD1 compromise Arabidopsis resistance against V. dahliae and partially impair VdSCP41-mediated virulence. Moreover, virus-induced silencing of GhCBP60b compromises cotton resistance to V. dahliae. This work uncovers a virulence strategy in which the V. dahliae secretory protein VdSCP41 directly targets plant transcription factors to inhibit immunity, and reveals CBP60g, SARD1 and GhCBP60b as crucial components governing V. dahliae resistance. PMID:29757140

Survivorship and the chronic cancer patient: Patterns in treatment-related effects, follow-up care, and use of survivorship care plans.

PubMed

Frick, Melissa A; Vachani, Carolyn C; Bach, Christina; Hampshire, Margaret K; Arnold-Korzeniowski, Karen; Metz, James M; Hill-Kayser, Christine E

2017-11-01

The survivorship needs of patients living with chronic cancer (CC) and their use of survivorship care plans (SCPs) have been overlooked and underappreciated. A convenience sample of 39,088 SCPs completed for cancer survivors with an Internet-based SCP tool was examined; it included 5847 CC survivors (15%; CC was defined as chronic leukemia and/or recurrent/metastatic cancer of another nature). Patient-reported treatment effects and follow-up care patterns were compared between CC survivors and survivors treated with curative intent (CI). Responses from a follow-up survey regarding SCP satisfaction and use were reviewed. CC survivors had greater odds of experiencing multiple treatment-related effects than survivors treated with CI; these effects included fatigue, cognitive changes, dyspnea, peripheral neuropathy, lymphedema, and erectile dysfunction. Nearly half of CC survivors were managed by an oncologist alone, and they were less likely than CI patients to be comanaged by a primary care provider and an oncologist. Fewer SCPs were generated by health care providers (HCPs) for CC survivors versus CI survivors. A smaller proportion of CC users versus CI users rated their experience and satisfaction with the SCP tool as very good or excellent, and CC users were less likely to share the HCP summary with their health care team. A substantial number of CC survivors, often considered incurable but treatable, seek survivorship support. Tools to facilitate participation, communication, and coordination of care are valuable for these patients, and future iterations of SCPs should be designed to address the particular circumstances of living with CC. Cancer 2017;123:4268-4276. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Survivorship after lower gastrointestinal cancer: Patient-reported outcomes and planning for care.

PubMed

Frick, Melissa A; Vachani, Carolyn C; Hampshire, Margaret K; Bach, Christina; Arnold-Korzeniowski, Karen; Metz, James M; Hill-Kayser, Christine E

2017-05-15

There is significant need for quality follow-up care to optimize long-term outcomes for the growing population of lower gastrointestinal (GI) cancer survivors. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide valuable information regarding late and long-term effects (LLTEs). A convenience sample from 1129 colon, rectal, and anal cancer survivors (n = 792; 218, and 119, respectively) who participated in an Internet-based survivorship care plan (SCP) tool between May 2010 and October 2014 was used to examine patient-reported demographics, treatment, and toxicity data. Responses from a follow-up survey were reviewed. The median age of diagnosis was 51 years, and 81% of survivors were Caucasian. The most commonly reported LLTEs for all survivors were neuropathy, fatigue, cognitive changes, changes in GI function, urogenital and sexual dysfunction, and dermatologic effects. The prevalence of these effects varied with time since diagnosis, treatment modality, and treatment center. Individuals who had survived anal cancer reported a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction and radiation-induced dermatologic effects. Over 87% of users reported satisfaction levels of good to excellent using the SCP tool, and 69% reported that they intend to share the SCP with their health care team. For lower GI cancer survivors, it is feasible to obtain PROs from an Internet-based survivorship tool. Survivors report a wide spectrum of LLTEs, and these can be used to inform counseling at the time of diagnosis and to help anticipate and respond to disease-related and treatment-related sequelae during follow-up. The authors are among the first to report on PROs in anal cancer survivors. Further investigation on the impact of SCPs on health care communication and use is needed. Cancer 2017;123:1860-1868. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Small C-terminal domain phosphatases dephosphorylate the regulatory linker regions of Smad2 and Smad3 to enhance transforming growth factor-beta signaling.

PubMed

Wrighton, Katharine H; Willis, Danielle; Long, Jianyin; Liu, Fang; Lin, Xia; Feng, Xin-Hua

2006-12-15

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) controls a diverse set of cellular processes, and its canonical signaling is mediated via TGF-beta-induced phosphorylation of receptor-activated Smads (2 and 3) at the C-terminal SXS motif. We recently discovered that PPM1A can dephosphorylate Smad2/3 at the C-terminal SXS motif, implicating a critical role for phosphatases in regulating TGF-beta signaling. Smad2/3 activity is also regulated by phosphorylation in the linker region (and N terminus) by a variety of intracellular kinases, making it a critical platform for cross-talk between TGF-beta and other signaling pathways. Using a functional genomic approach, we identified the small C-terminal domain phosphatase 1 (SCP1) as a specific phosphatase for Smad2/3 dephosphorylation in the linker and N terminus. A catalytically inactive SCP1 mutant (dnSCP1) had no effect on Smad2/3 phosphorylation in vitro or in vivo. Of the other FCP/SCP family members SCP2 and SCP3, but not FCP1, could also dephosphorylate Smad2/3 in the linker/N terminus. Depletion of SCP1/2/3 enhanced Smad2/3 linker phosphorylation. SCP1 increased TGF-beta-induced transcriptional activity in agreement with the idea that phosphorylation in the Smad2/3 linker must be removed for a full transcriptional response. SCP1 overexpression also counteracts the inhibitory effect of epidermal growth factor on TGF-beta-induced p15 expression. Taken together, this work identifies the first example of a Smad2/3 linker phosphatase(s) and reveals an important new substrate for SCPs.

Insight of Transmembrane Processes of Self-Assembling Nanotubes Based on a Cyclic Peptide Using Coarse Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

PubMed

Fu, Yankai; Yan, Tingxuan; Xu, Xia

2017-09-28

Transmembrane self-assembling cyclic peptide (SCP) nanotubes are promising candidates for delivering specific molecules through cell membranes. The detailed mechanisms behind the transmembrane processes, as well as stabilization factors of transmembrane structures, are difficult to elucidate through experiments. In this study, the effects of peptide sequence and oligomeric state on the transmembrane capabilities of SCP nanotubes and the perturbation of embedded SCP nanotubes acting on the membrane were investigated based on coarse grained molecular dynamics simulation. The simulation results reveal that hydrophilic SCP oligomers result in the elevation of the energy barrier while the oligomerization of hydrophobic SCPs causes the reduction of the energy barrier, further leading to membrane insertion. Once SCP nanotubes are embedded, membrane properties such as density, thickness, ordering state and lateral mobility are adjusted along the radial direction. This study provides insight into the transmembrane strategy of SCP nanotubes and sheds light on designing novel transport systems.

Cold hardiness of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) pupae

Treesearch

A.C. Morey; W.D. Hutchison; R.C. Venette; E.C. Burkness

2012-01-01

An insect's cold hardiness affects its potential to overwinter and outbreak in different geographic regions. In this study, we characterized the response of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) pupae to low temperatures by using controlled laboratory measurements of supercooling point (SCP), lower lethal temperature (LT50), and lower...

Importance of Considering the Middle Capillary Plexus on OCT Angiography in Diabetic Retinopathy.

PubMed

Onishi, Alex C; Nesper, Peter L; Roberts, Philipp K; Moharram, Ganna A; Chai, Haitao; Liu, Lei; Jampol, Lee M; Fawzi, Amani A

2018-04-01

To quantify microvasculature changes in the superficial (SCP), middle (MCP), and deep capillary plexuses (DCP) in diabetic retinopathy (DR). Retrospective cross-sectional study at a tertiary academic referral center, in which 26 controls (44 eyes), 27 diabetic subjects without retinopathy (44 eyes), 32 subjects with nonproliferative retinopathy (52 eyes), and 27 subjects with proliferative retinopathy (40 eyes) were imaged with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Outcome measures included parafoveal vessel density (VD), percentage area of nonperfusion (PAN), and adjusted flow index (AFI) at the different plexuses. MCP VD and MCP AFI decreased with worsening DR, while PAN increased, mirroring changes within the DCP. The fitted regression line for MCP and DCP AFI were significantly different than the SCP, while DCP PAN differed from SCP PAN with disease progression. Higher SCP AFI and PAN were different in eyes with diabetes without retinopathy compared with controls. Unexpectedly, sex was found to independently influence MCP VD and AFI with worsening disease. OCTA parameters in the MCP and DCP displayed parallel changes with DR progression, different from the SCP, emphasizing the importance of physiologic considerations in the retinal capillaries. Thus, segmentation protocols that include the MCP within the SCP may be confounded. A difference in DCP PAN with worsening DR was unmasked relative to a prior study that included the MCP with SCP. We confirm that SCP AFI and PAN may serve as early indicators of microvascular changes in DR and identify an interaction between sex and the MCP deserving further study.

Loss of intracellular lipid binding proteins differentially impacts saturated fatty acid uptake and nuclear targeting in mouse hepatocytes

PubMed Central

Storey, Stephen M.; McIntosh, Avery L.; Huang, Huan; Martin, Gregory G.; Landrock, Kerstin K.; Landrock, Danilo; Payne, H. Ross; Kier, Ann B.

2012-01-01

The liver expresses high levels of two proteins with high affinity for long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs): liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) and sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2). Real-time confocal microscopy of cultured primary hepatocytes from gene-ablated (L-FABP, SCP-2/SCP-x, and L-FABP/SCP-2/SCP-x null) mice showed that the loss of L-FABP reduced cellular uptake of 12-N-methyl-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazo)-aminostearic acid (a fluorescent-saturated LCFA analog) by ∼50%. Importantly, nuclear targeting of the LCFA was enhanced when L-FABP was upregulated (SCP-2/SCP-x null) but was significantly reduced when L-FABP was ablated (L-FABP null), thus impacting LCFA nuclear targeting. These effects were not associated with a net decrease in expression of key membrane proteins involved in LCFA or glucose transport. Since hepatic LCFA uptake and metabolism are closely linked to glucose uptake, the effect of glucose on L-FABP-mediated LCFA uptake and nuclear targeting was examined. Increasing concentrations of glucose decreased cellular LCFA uptake and even more extensively decreased LCFA nuclear targeting. Loss of L-FABP exacerbated the decrease in LCFA nuclear targeting, while loss of SCP-2 reduced the glucose effect, resulting in enhanced LCFA nuclear targeting compared with control. Simply, ablation of L-FABP decreases LCFA uptake and even more extensively decreases its nuclear targeting. PMID:22859366

Intracellular cholesterol-binding proteins enhance HDL-mediated cholesterol uptake in cultured primary mouse hepatocytes.

PubMed

Storey, Stephen M; McIntosh, Avery L; Huang, Huan; Landrock, Kerstin K; Martin, Gregory G; Landrock, Danilo; Payne, H Ross; Atshaves, Barbara P; Kier, Ann B; Schroeder, Friedhelm

2012-04-15

A major gap in our knowledge of rapid hepatic HDL cholesterol clearance is the role of key intracellular factors that influence this process. Although the reverse cholesterol transport pathway targets HDL to the liver for net elimination of free cholesterol from the body, molecular details governing cholesterol uptake into hepatocytes are not completely understood. Therefore, the effects of sterol carrier protein (SCP)-2 and liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), high-affinity cholesterol-binding proteins present in hepatocyte cytosol, on HDL-mediated free cholesterol uptake were examined using gene-targeted mouse models, cultured primary hepatocytes, and 22-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-amino]-23,24-bisnor-5-cholen-3β-ol (NBD-cholesterol). While SCP-2 overexpression enhanced NBD-cholesterol uptake, counterintuitively, SCP-2/SCP-x gene ablation also 1) enhanced the rapid molecular phase of free sterol uptake detectable in <1 min and initial rate and maximal uptake of HDL free cholesterol and 2) differentially enhanced free cholesterol uptake mediated by the HDL3, rather than the HDL2, subfraction. The increased HDL free cholesterol uptake was not due to increased expression or distribution of the HDL receptor [scavenger receptor B1 (SRB1)], proteins regulating SRB1 [postsynaptic density protein (PSD-95)/Drosophila disk large tumor suppressor (dlg)/tight junction protein (ZO1) and 17-kDa membrane-associated protein], or other intracellular cholesterol trafficking proteins (steroidogenic acute response protein D, Niemann Pick C, and oxysterol-binding protein-related proteins). However, expression of L-FABP, the single most prevalent hepatic cytosolic protein that binds cholesterol, was upregulated twofold in SCP-2/SCP-x null hepatocytes. Double-immunogold electron microscopy detected L-FABP sufficiently close to SRB1 for direct interaction, similar to SCP-2. These data suggest a role for L-FABP in HDL cholesterol uptake, a finding confirmed with SCP-2/SCP-x/L-FABP null mice and hepatocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that L-FABP, particularly in the absence of SCP-2, plays a significant role in HDL-mediated cholesterol uptake in cultured primary hepatocytes.

Anti-fatigue activity of sea cucumber peptides prepared from Stichopus japonicus in an endurance swimming rat model.

PubMed

Ye, Jing; Shen, Caihong; Huang, Yayan; Zhang, Xueqin; Xiao, Meitian

2017-10-01

Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) is a well-known nutritious and luxurious seafood in Asia which has attracted increasing attention because of its nutrition and bioactivities in recent years. In this study, the anti-fatigue activity of sea cucumber peptides (SCP) prepared from S. japonicus was evaluated in a load-induced endurance swimming model. The SCP prepared in this study was mainly made up of low-molecular-weight peptides (<2 kDa). The analysis result of amino acid composition revealed that SCP was rich in glycine, glutamic acid and proline. The endurance capability of rats to fatigue was significantly improved by SCP treatment. Meanwhile, the remarkable alterations of energy metabolic markers, antioxidant enzymes, antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress biomarkers were normalized. Moreover, administration of SCP could modulate alterations of inflammatory cytokines and downregulate the overexpression of TRL4 and NF-κB. SCP has anti-fatigue activity and it exerted its anti-fatigue effect probably through normalizing energy metabolism as well as alleviating oxidative damage and inflammatory responses. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficacy comparison of scopolamine (SCP) and diazepam (DZ) against soman-induced lethality in guinea pigs

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

Harris, L.W.; Gennings, C.; Carter, W.H.

1994-12-31

Diazepam (DZ) and scopolamine (SCP) are known to be beneficial when each is used in combination with atropine (AT) + oxime therapy against intoxication by soman, but the efficacy of each might be expected to vary with the dosage of AT. Thus, the therapeutic efficacy of SCP (5 doses; 0 - 0.86 mg/kg) versus DZ (5 doses; 0 - 5 mg/kg), when used in conjunction with AT (3 doses; 0.5 - S mg/kg) + 2-PAM (25 mg/kg) therapy, was tested in groups of pyridostigmine pretreated guinea pigs exposed to 1.6, 2.0, 2.5 or 3.2 LD5Os of soman. Response surface methodologymore » was employed to describe the relationship between lethality and the AT/DZ or AT/SCP dosages. Results show that within the indicated dose ranges used, the efficacy of SCP is not dependent on the presence of AT, whereas AT is needed for DZ to maintain the lowest probability of death. These findings suggest that in guinea pigs SCP could supplement AT or replace DZ as therapy against nerve agent intoxication.« less

PiSCP1 and PiCDPK2 Localize to Peroxisomes and Are Involved in Pollen Tube Growth in Petunia Inflata

PubMed Central

Guo, Feng; Yoon, Gyeong Mee; McCubbin, Andrew G.

2013-01-01

Petunia inflata small CDPK-interacting protein 1 (PiSCP1) was identified as a pollen expressed PiCDPK1 interacting protein using the yeast two hybrid system and the interaction confirmed using pull-down and phosphorylation assays. PiSCP1 is pollen specific and shares amino acid homology with uncharacterized proteins from diverse species of higher plants, but no protein of known function. Expression of PiSCP1-GFP in vivo inhibited pollen tube growth and was shown to localize to peroxisomes in growing pollen tubes. As PiCDPK1 is plasma membrane localized, we investigated the localization of a second isoform, PiCDPK2, and show that it co-localizes to peroxisomes with PiSCP1 and that the two proteins interact in the yeast 2 hybrid interaction assay, suggesting that interaction with the latter CDPK isoform is likely the one of biological relevance. Both PiCDPK2 and PiSCP1 affect pollen tube growth, presumably by mediating peroxisome function, however how they do so is currently not clear. PMID:27137367

SU-E-T-293: Simplifying Assumption for Determining Sc and Sp

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

King, R; Cheung, A; Anderson, R

Purpose: Scp(mlc,jaw) is a two-dimensional function of collimator field size and effective field size. Conventionally, Scp(mlc,jaw) is treated as separable into components Sc(jaw) and Sp(mlc). Scp(mlc=jaw) is measured in phantom and Sc(jaw) is measured in air with Sp=Scp/Sc. Ideally, Sc and Sp would be able to predict measured values of Scp(mlc,jaw) for all combinations of mlc and jaw. However, ideal Sc and Sp functions do not exist and a measured two-dimensional Scp dataset cannot be decomposed into a unique pair of one-dimensional functions.If the output functions Sc(jaw) and Sp(mlc) were equal to each other and thus each equal to Scp(mlc=jaw){supmore » 0.5}, this condition would lead to a simpler measurement process by eliminating the need for in-air measurements. Without the distorting effect of the buildup-cap, small-field measurement would be limited only by the dimensions of the detector and would thus be improved by this simplification of the output functions. The goal of the present study is to evaluate an assumption that Sc=Sp. Methods: For a 6 MV x-ray beam, Sc and Sp were determined both by the conventional method and as Scp(mlc=jaw){sup 0.5}. Square field benchmark values of Scp(mlc,jaw) were then measured across the range from 2×2 to 29×29. Both Sc and Sp functions were then evaluated as to their ability to predict these measurements. Results: Both methods produced qualitatively similar results with <4% error for all cases and >3% error in 1 case. The conventional method produced 2 cases with >2% error, while the squareroot method produced only 1 such case. Conclusion: Though it would need to be validated for any specific beam to which it might be applied, under the conditions studied, the simplifying assumption that Sc = Sp is justified.« less

Green Infrastructure Design Based on Spatial Conservation Prioritization and Modeling of Biodiversity Features and Ecosystem Services.

PubMed

Snäll, Tord; Lehtomäki, Joona; Arponen, Anni; Elith, Jane; Moilanen, Atte

2016-02-01

There is high-level political support for the use of green infrastructure (GI) across Europe, to maintain viable populations and to provide ecosystem services (ES). Even though GI is inherently a spatial concept, the modern tools for spatial planning have not been recognized, such as in the recent European Environment Agency (EEA) report. We outline a toolbox of methods useful for GI design that explicitly accounts for biodiversity and ES. Data on species occurrence, habitats, and environmental variables are increasingly available via open-access internet platforms. Such data can be synthesized by statistical species distribution modeling, producing maps of biodiversity features. These, together with maps of ES, can form the basis for GI design. We argue that spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) methods are effective tools for GI design, as the overall SCP goal is cost-effective allocation of conservation efforts. Corridors are currently promoted by the EEA as the means for implementing GI design, but they typically target the needs of only a subset of the regional species pool. SCP methods would help to ensure that GI provides a balanced solution for the requirements of many biodiversity features (e.g., species, habitat types) and ES simultaneously in a cost-effective manner. Such tools are necessary to make GI into an operational concept for combating biodiversity loss and promoting ES.

Green Infrastructure Design Based on Spatial Conservation Prioritization and Modeling of Biodiversity Features and Ecosystem Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snäll, Tord; Lehtomäki, Joona; Arponen, Anni; Elith, Jane; Moilanen, Atte

2016-02-01

There is high-level political support for the use of green infrastructure (GI) across Europe, to maintain viable populations and to provide ecosystem services (ES). Even though GI is inherently a spatial concept, the modern tools for spatial planning have not been recognized, such as in the recent European Environment Agency (EEA) report. We outline a toolbox of methods useful for GI design that explicitly accounts for biodiversity and ES. Data on species occurrence, habitats, and environmental variables are increasingly available via open-access internet platforms. Such data can be synthesized by statistical species distribution modeling, producing maps of biodiversity features. These, together with maps of ES, can form the basis for GI design. We argue that spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) methods are effective tools for GI design, as the overall SCP goal is cost-effective allocation of conservation efforts. Corridors are currently promoted by the EEA as the means for implementing GI design, but they typically target the needs of only a subset of the regional species pool. SCP methods would help to ensure that GI provides a balanced solution for the requirements of many biodiversity features (e.g., species, habitat types) and ES simultaneously in a cost-effective manner. Such tools are necessary to make GI into an operational concept for combating biodiversity loss and promoting ES.

The Farthest Supernova Yet for Measuring Cosmic History | Berkeley Lab

Science.gov Websites

expansion of the universe differently in different eras. With SN SCP-0401, we have the first example of a eventual confirmation of Supernova SCP-0401. (Photo NASA) The problem was solved when a different grism more official-sounding designation, SCP-0401. "To be able to directly compare different Type Ia

Optical coherence tomography angiography discerns preclinical diabetic retinopathy in eyes of patients with type 2 diabetes without clinical diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Cao, Dan; Yang, Dawei; Huang, Zhongning; Zeng, Yunkao; Wang, Jun; Hu, Yunyan; Zhang, Liang

2018-05-01

To investigate changes in retinal vascular plexuses and choriocapillaris in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) without diabetic retinopathy (DR) and healthy controls using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). A total of 71 DM2 and 67 healthy control subjects were included. All subjects underwent OCTA examination (RTVue-XR Avanti; Optovue, Fremont, CA, USA). Average vessel density in superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP) and choriocapillaris, parafoveal vessel density in SCP and DCP, FAZ area (mm 2 ) in SCP, microaneurysms and capillary nonperfusion were taken into analysis. Parafoveal vessel density in both SCP and DCP decreased in the eyes without clinical DR compared to normal controls (p < 0.001). Diabetic patients with no signs of DR also had a significant reduction in average vessel density of SCP, DCP and choriocapillaris (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). No significant difference was found in FAZ area of SCP between DM2 eyes and healthy controls (p = 0.253). The average vessel density of SCP and DCP is not correlated with HbA1c or serum creatinine in DM2 patients. Microaneurysms seen in OCTA but not in fundus examination were found in 8 out of the 71 (11.3%) diabetic eyes, and capillary nonperfusion was noted in 18 of 71 diabetic eyes. We demonstrated that OCTA can identify preclinical DR before the manifestation of clinically apparent retinopathy in diabetic eyes. DM2 patients without DR have SCP, DCP and choriocapillaris impairment. Our results suggested that OCTA might be a promising tool for regular screening of diabetic eyes for DR.

Extraction, Structural Characterization, and Potential Antioxidant Activity of the Polysaccharides from Four Seaweeds

PubMed Central

He, Jinzhe; Xu, Yaoyang; Chen, Hongbo; Sun, Peilong

2016-01-01

Four seaweed polysaccharides were extracted from Sarcodia ceylonensis, Ulva lactuca L., Gracilaria lemaneiformis, and Durvillaea antarctica, respectively, by microwave-assisted extraction. The effect of three significant variables (extraction time, extraction temperature, and the ratio of water to raw material) on the process for extracting polysaccharides was investigated, along with the optimization of the extraction using the response surface method (RSM) with a Box–Behnken design. The polysaccharide structure, monosaccharide composition, degree of sulfation, and molecular weight (MW) distribution were analyzed by infrared (IR) spectrometry, gas chromatography (GC), and high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). IR spectrometry showed that Sarcodia ceylonensis polysaccharide (SCP), Ulva lactuca L. polysaccharide (ULLP), and Durvillaea antarctica polysaccharide (DAP) were all sulfated polysaccharides and, except Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide (GLP), all belong to β-pyranosidic polysaccharides. The average molecular weight (MW) of SCP, ULLP, GLP, and DAP was 466, 404, 591, and 482 kDa, respectively. The quantitative and comparative results with external standards indicated that the main monosaccharide in SCP and ULLP was mannose; and GLP and DAP were mainly composed of galactose and glucose, respectively. Then the in vitro antioxidant activity of all of the polysaccharides was evaluated using different assays—2,2–azino –bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulfonate) (ABTS), hydroxyl radical, nitrite scavenging capacity, and reducing power—and the relationship between their antioxidant activity and chemical characteristics were also examined. ULLP presented the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity; ULLP, SCP and DAP also showed a strong effect on the ABTS radical scavenging activity. SCP and ULLP exhibited excellent hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, about 83.33% ± 2.31% and 80.07% ± 2.17%, respectively, at 4 mg/mL. The reducing power of DAP was relatively more pronounced than that of the three other polysaccharides. However, the nitrite scavenging activities of the four seaweed polysaccharides were weaker than other antioxidant activity (ABTS), hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, and reducing power. In addition, GLP exhibited lower activities than the other three samples in all of the tests for the antioxidant activity. PMID:27916796

Extraction, Structural Characterization, and Potential Antioxidant Activity of the Polysaccharides from Four Seaweeds.

PubMed

He, Jinzhe; Xu, Yaoyang; Chen, Hongbo; Sun, Peilong

2016-11-28

Four seaweed polysaccharides were extracted from Sarcodia ceylonensis , Ulva lactuca L., Gracilaria lemaneiformis , and Durvillaea antarctica , respectively, by microwave-assisted extraction. The effect of three significant variables (extraction time, extraction temperature, and the ratio of water to raw material) on the process for extracting polysaccharides was investigated, along with the optimization of the extraction using the response surface method (RSM) with a Box-Behnken design. The polysaccharide structure, monosaccharide composition, degree of sulfation, and molecular weight ( M W ) distribution were analyzed by infrared (IR) spectrometry, gas chromatography (GC), and high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). IR spectrometry showed that Sarcodia ceylonensis polysaccharide (SCP), Ulva lactuca L. polysaccharide (ULLP), and Durvillaea antarctica polysaccharide (DAP) were all sulfated polysaccharides and, except Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide (GLP), all belong to β-pyranosidic polysaccharides. The average molecular weight ( M W ) of SCP, ULLP, GLP, and DAP was 466, 404, 591, and 482 kDa, respectively. The quantitative and comparative results with external standards indicated that the main monosaccharide in SCP and ULLP was mannose; and GLP and DAP were mainly composed of galactose and glucose, respectively. Then the in vitro antioxidant activity of all of the polysaccharides was evaluated using different assays-2,2-azino -bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulfonate) (ABTS), hydroxyl radical, nitrite scavenging capacity, and reducing power-and the relationship between their antioxidant activity and chemical characteristics were also examined. ULLP presented the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity; ULLP, SCP and DAP also showed a strong effect on the ABTS radical scavenging activity. SCP and ULLP exhibited excellent hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, about 83.33% ± 2.31% and 80.07% ± 2.17%, respectively, at 4 mg/mL. The reducing power of DAP was relatively more pronounced than that of the three other polysaccharides. However, the nitrite scavenging activities of the four seaweed polysaccharides were weaker than other antioxidant activity (ABTS), hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, and reducing power. In addition, GLP exhibited lower activities than the other three samples in all of the tests for the antioxidant activity.

Soil cover patterns and dynamics impact on GHG fluxes in RF native and man-changed ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasenev, Ivan; Nesterova, Olga

2017-04-01

The increased soil spatial-temporal variability is mutual feature for most mature natural and particularly man-changed terrestrial ecosystems in Central and Far-East regions of Russia with soil cover strongly pronounced bioclimatic zoning and landscape-geomorphologic differentiation. Soil cover patterns (SCP) detailed morphogenetic analysis and typification is useful tool for soil forming and degradation processes quantitative evaluation, land ecological state and functional quality quantitative assessment. Quantitative analysis and functional-ecological interpretation of representative SCP spatial variability is especially important for environmentally friendly and demand-driven land-use planning and decision making. The carried out 33-years region- and local-scale researches of the wide zonal-provincial set of representative ecosystems and SCP with different types and history of land-use (forest, meadow-steppe, agricultural and recreational ones) give us the interregional multi-factorial matrix of elementary soil cover patterns (ESCP) with different land-use practices and history, soil-geomorphologic features, environmental and microclimate conditions. Succession process-based analysis of modern evolution of man-changed and natural soils and ESCP essentially increases accuracy of quantitative assessments of dominant soil forming and degradation processes rate and potential, their influence on land and soil cover quality and ecosystem services. Their results allow developing the regional and landscape adapted versions of automated land evaluation systems and land-use DSS. The validation and ranging of the limiting factors of ESCP regulation and develop¬ment, ecosystem principal services (with especial attention on greenhouse gases emissions, soil carbon dynamics and sequestration potential, biodiversity and productivity, hydrological regimes and geomorphologic stabilization), land functional qualities and agroecological state have been done for dominating and most dynamical components of ESCP regional-typological forms - with application of regional/local GIS, ESCP mapping, kriging, correlation tree models and adapted to region DSS. Key-site monitoring results and regional generalized data showed 1-1.5 % Corg lost during last 50 years period, active processes of CO2, CH4 and N2O emission (2-4-time variability in frame of one farm and of one vegetation season) and humus redistribution throw soil profile and soil cover patterns. Forest-steppe Chernozem ecosystems are usually characterized by more stable SCP than forest or steppe ones. The ratio between erosive and biological losses in humus supplies is estimated as fifty-fifty with strong spatial varia¬bility due to slope and land-use parameters. These problem agroecological situations can be essentially improved by climate-smart agriculture practice development with DSS-based landscape-adaptive land-use systems and organic farming stimulation with environmentally friendly technologies, adapted to conditions of concrete agrolandscapes in Central and Far-East Russia.

Unique players in the BMP pathway: Small C-terminal domain phosphatases dephosphorylate Smad1 to attenuate BMP signaling

PubMed Central

Knockaert, Marie; Sapkota, Gopal; Alarcón, Claudio; Massagué, Joan; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2006-01-01

Smad transcription factors are key signal transducers for the TGF-β/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of cytokines and morphogens. C-terminal serine phosphorylation by TGF-β and BMP membrane receptors drives Smads into the nucleus as transcriptional regulators. Dephosphorylation and recycling of activated Smads is an integral part of this process, which is critical for agonist sensing by the cell. However, the nuclear phosphatases involved have remained unknown. Here we provide functional, biochemical, and embryological evidence identifying the SCP (small C-terminal domain phosphatase) family of nuclear phosphatases as mediators of Smad1 dephosphorylation in the BMP signaling pathway in vertebrates. Xenopus SCP2/Os4 inhibits BMP activity in the presumptive ectoderm and leads to neuralization. In Xenopus embryos, SCP2/Os4 and human SCP1, 2, and 3 cause selective dephosphorylation of Smad1 compared with Smad2, inhibiting BMP- and Smad1-dependent transcription and leading to the induction of the secondary dorsal axis. In human cells, RNAi-mediated depletion of SCP1 and SCP2 increases the extent and duration of Smad1 phosphorylation in response to BMP, the transcriptional action of Smad1, and the strength of endogenous BMP gene responses. The present identification of the SCP family as Smad C-terminal phosphatases sheds light on the events that attenuate Smad signaling and reveals unexpected links to the essential phosphatases that control RNA polymerase II in eukaryotes. PMID:16882717

The comparison of antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities of Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide (CP) and sulfated CP.

PubMed

Liu, Cui; Chen, Jin; Li, Entao; Fan, Qiang; Wang, Deyun; Li, Peng; Li, Xiuping; Chen, Xingying; Qiu, Shulei; Gao, Zhenzhen; Li, Hongquan; Hu, Yuanliang

2015-02-01

Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide (CP) was extracted, purified and modified by chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine method to obtain a sulfated CP (sCP). Their antioxidative activities in vitro were compared through the free radical-scavenging test. The results demonstrated that the scavenging capabilities of sCP were significantly stronger than those of CP. In vivo test, the mice hepatic injury model was prepared by BCG/LPS method, then administrated respectively with sCP and CP at three dosages, the biochemical indexes in serum, antioxidative indexes in liver homogenate and histopathological change in liver of the mice were compared. The results showed that in high (200mg/kg) and middle (150mg/kg) dosages of sCP groups, the contents of ALT, AST and TNF-α in serum and MDA in liver homogenate were significantly lower than those in the model group and numerically lower than those in the CP groups, the activities of SOD and GSH-Px in liver homogenate were significantly higher than those in the model group and numerically higher than those in the CP groups. In the model group there were obvious pathological changes in the liver, while in the sCP groups were near normal. These results indicate that sCP and CP possess antioxidative activity in vitro and in vivo, the activity of sCP is stronger than that of CP and sulfation modification can enhance the antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities of Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of sexual coercion proclivity, insult and fantasy on emotional reactivity and appeal of sexual aggression.

PubMed

Thomas, Lindsey A; Gorzalka, Boris B

2012-08-01

Fifty-nine heterosexual university males were assessed for Sexual Coercion Proclivity (SCP) and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Insult/nonsexually coercive fantasy material; no insult/sexually coercive fantasy material; or, insult/sexually coercive fantasy material. Although not differing in terms of anger or anxiety, the high SCP became more frustrated than the low group, particularly when exposed to both insult and sexually coercive (SC) fantasy material. Changes in negative affect predicted anticipated likelihood of engaging in SC among the low SCP group and anticipated enjoyment of SC in the high SCP group. Acculturation accounted for differences observed between Caucasian and Chinese men.

Development of single cell protectors for sealed silver-zinc cells, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imamura, M. S.; Donovan, R. L.; Lear, J. W.; Murray, B.

1976-01-01

A single cell protector (SCP) assembly capable of protecting a single silver-zinc (Ag Zn) battery cell was designed, fabricated, and tested. The SCP provides cell-level protection against overcharge and overdischarge by a bypass circuit. The bypass circuit consists of a magnetic-latching relay that is controlled by the high and low-voltage limit comparators. Although designed specifically for secondary Ag-Zn cells, the SCP is flexible enough to be adapted to other rechargeable cells. Eighteen SCPs were used in life testing of an 18-cell battery. The cells were sealed Ag-Zn system with inorganic separators. For comparison, another 18-cell battery was subjected to identical life test conditions, but with battery-level protection rather than cell-level. An alternative approach to the SCP design in the form of a microprocessor-based system was conceptually designed. The comparison of SCP and microprocessor approaches is also presented and a preferred approach for Ag-Zn battery protection is discussed.

Home and Motivational Factors Related to Science-Career Pursuit: Gender differences and gender similarities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jongho; Lee, Hyunjoo; McCarthy-Donovan, Alexander; Hwang, Hyeyoung; Yim, Sonyoung; Seo, EunJin

2015-06-01

The purpose of the study was to examine whether gender differences exist in the mean levels of and relations between adolescents' home environments (parents' view of science, socio-economic status (SES)), motivations (intrinsic and instrumental motivations, self-beliefs), and pursuit of science careers. For the purpose, the Programmed for International Student Assessment 2006 data of Korean 15-year-old students were analysed. The results of the study showed that girls had lower levels of science intrinsic and instrumental motivations, self-beliefs, and science-career pursuit (SCP) as well as their parents' values in science less than boys. Gender similarities, rather than gender differences, existed in patterns of causal relationship among home environments, motivations, and SCP. The results showed positive effects for parents' higher value in science and SES on motivations, SCP, and for intrinsic and instrumental motivations on SCP for girls and boys. These results provide implications for educational interventions to decrease gender differences in science motivations and SCP, and to decrease adolescents' gender stereotypes.

Breast cancer survivorship and South Asian women: understanding about the follow-up care plan and perspectives and preferences for information post treatment

PubMed Central

Singh–Carlson, S.; Wong, F.; Martin, L.; Nguyen, S.K.A.

2013-01-01

Background and Objectives As more treatment options become available and supportive care improves, a larger number of people will survive after treatment for breast cancer. In the present study, we explored the experiences and concerns of female South Asian (sa) breast cancer survivors (bcss) from various age groups after treatment to determine their understanding of follow-up care and to better understand their preferences for a survivorship care plan (scp). Methods Patients were identified by name recognition from BC Cancer Agency records for sa patients who were 3–60 months post treatment, had no evidence of recurrence, and had been discharged from the cancer centre to follow-up. Three focus groups and eleven face-to-face semistructured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, cross-checked for accuracy, and analyzed using thematic and content analysis. Participants were asked about their survivorship experiences and their preferences for the content and format of a scp. Results Fatigue, cognitive changes, fear of recurrence, and depression were the most universal effects after treatment. “Quiet acceptance” was the major theme unique to sa women, with a unique cross-influence between faith and acceptance. Emphasis on a generalized scp with individualized content echoed the wide variation in breast cancer impacts for sa women. Younger women preferred information on depression and peer support. Conclusions For sa bcss, many of the psychological and physical impacts of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment may be experienced in common with bcss of other ethnic backgrounds, but the present study also suggests the presence of unique cultural nuances such as spiritual and language-specific support resource needs. The results provide direction for designing key content and format of scps, and information about elements of care that can be customized to individual patient needs. PMID:23559888

[Mass spectrometry identification and immune cross-reactivity of a minor shrimp allergen-sarcoplasmic calcium binding protein from Litopenaeus vannamei].

PubMed

Wang, Cai-xia; Huang, Jian-fang; Xiang, Jun-jian; Sun, Yi-fan; Lv, Si; Guo, Jie

2012-08-01

To identify sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein (SCP) as a minor shrimp allergen by mass spectrometry, and to analyze the immune cross-reactivity among crustacean SCPs. The M(r); 21 000 allergen from Litopenaeus vannamei was identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. BLAST and ClustalW were used to compare amino acid sequence identity of the allergen among crustaceans. The puritifed M(r); 21 000 allergen was injected subcutaneously in mice to produce the specific polyclonal antibodies to analyze immune cross-reactivity of the allergen with proteins from 8 other species of crustaceans by Western blotting. The M(r); 21 000 shrimp allergen was identified as SCP. Sequence comparison revealed that SCP had 81%-100% amino acid identity among crustaceans. Western blotting showed that the proteins with M(r); about 21 000, corresponding to SCP from Metapenaeus ensis, Penaeus monodon, Oratosquilla oratoria, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Procambarus clarkii, Portunus pelagicus, Charybdis feriatus, Eriocheir sinensis were recognized by polyclonal antibodies against SCP of Litopenaeus vannamei. SCP is a minor shrimp allergen, and SCPs have a high sequence homology and strong immune cross-reactivity among crustaceans, which can be used as detective, diagnostic and safe immunotherapeutic agents for subjects with shrimp allergy.

Evaluation of antitumor, immunomodulatory and free radical scavenging effects of a new herbal prescription seaweed complex preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xin; Shao, Changlun; Kong, Wenwen; Fang, Yuchun; Wang, Changyun

2013-09-01

Seaweed Complex Preparation (SCP) is a clinical traditional Chinese medicine preparation which is composed of seven traditional Chinese herbs, and it has been used for treatment of lung cancer, liver cancer and digestive cancer. However, little information is available about the pharmacodynamic basis. The antitumor, immunomodulatory and free radical scavenging effects of SCP were evaluated in this study. Transplanted tumor in vivo method was used to determine the antitumor effect. The effects on splenocyte proliferation and phagocytosis of macrophages in tumor-bearing mice were measured by the MTT method and the phagocytizing cock red blood cell (CRBC) method respectively. The scavenging activities of SCP on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals in vitro were investigated. It was found that the medium-dose and high-dose of SCP could significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted hepatic tumor of murine hepatocarcinoma cell line H22, and promote proliferation of splenocytes and phagocytosis of macrophages. SCP possessed noticeable scavenging activities on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. The antitumor effects of SCP might be achieved by improving immune system and scavenging free radicals, which is in accordance with the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine in promoting the body resistance and eliminating pathogenic factors for cancer treatment.

Microbial response to single-cell protein production and brewery wastewater treatment

PubMed Central

Lee, Jackson Z; Logan, Andrew; Terry, Seth; Spear, John R

2015-01-01

As global fisheries decline, microbial single-cell protein (SCP) produced from brewery process water has been highlighted as a potential source of protein for sustainable animal feed. However, biotechnological investigation of SCP is difficult because of the natural variation and complexity of microbial ecology in wastewater bioreactors. In this study, we investigate microbial response across a full-scale brewery wastewater treatment plant and a parallel pilot bioreactor modified to produce an SCP product. A pyrosequencing survey of the brewery treatment plant showed that each unit process selected for a unique microbial community. Notably, flow equalization basins were dominated by Prevotella, methanogenesis effluent had the highest levels of diversity, and clarifier wet-well samples were sources of sequences for the candidate bacterial phyla of TM7 and BD1-5. Next, the microbial response of a pilot bioreactor producing SCP was tracked over 1 year, showing that two different production trials produced two different communities originating from the same starting influent. However, SCP production resulted generally in enrichment of several clades of rhizospheric diazotrophs of Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria in the bioreactor and even more so in the final product. These diazotrophs are potentially useful as the basis of a SCP product for commercial feed production. PMID:24837420

Single Cell Protein—State-of-the-Art, Industrial Landscape and Patents 2001–2016

PubMed Central

Ritala, Anneli; Häkkinen, Suvi T.; Toivari, Mervi; Wiebe, Marilyn G.

2017-01-01

By 2050, the world would need to produce 1,250 million tonnes of meat and dairy per year to meet global demand for animal-derived protein at current consumption levels. However, growing demand for protein will not be met sustainably by increasing meat and dairy production because of the low efficiency of converting feed to meat and dairy products. New solutions are needed. Single cell protein (SCP), i.e., protein produced in microbial and algal cells, is an option with potential. Much of the recent interest in SCP has focused on the valorisation of side streams by using microorganisms to improve their protein content, which can then be used in animal feed. There is also increased use of mixed populations, rather than pure strains in the production of SCP. In addition, the use of methane as a carbon source for SCP is reaching commercial scales and more protein-rich products are being derived from algae for both food and feed. The following review addresses the latest developments in SCP production from various organisms, giving an overview of commercial exploitation, a review of recent advances in the patent landscape (2001–2016) and a list of industrial players in the SCP field. PMID:29081772

Poster — Thur Eve — 47: Monte Carlo Simulation of Scp, Sc and Sp

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

Zhan, Lixin; Jiang, Runqing; Osei, Ernest K.

The in-water output ratio (Scp), in-air output ratio (Sc), and phantom scattering factor (Sp) are important parameters for radiotherapy dose calculation. Experimentally, Scp is obtained by measuring the dose rate ratio in water phantom, and Sc the water Kerma rate ratio in air. There is no method that allows direct measurement of Sp. Monte Carlo (MC) method has been used to simulate Scp and Sc in literatures, similar to experimental setup, but no MC direct simulation of Sp available yet to the best of our knowledge. We propose in this report a method of performing direct MC simulation of Sp.more » Starting from the definition, we derived that Sp of a clinical photon beam can be approximated by the ratio of the dose rates contributed from the primary beam for a given field size to the reference field size. Since only the primary beam is used, any Linac head scattering should be excluded from the simulation, which can be realized by using the incident electron as a scoring parameter for MU. We performed MC simulations for Scp, Sc and Sp. Scp matches well with golden beam data. Sp obtained by the proposed method agrees well with what is obtained using the traditional method, Sp=Scp/Sc. Since the smaller the field size, the more the primary beam dominates, our Sp simulation method is accurate for small field. By analyzing the calculated data, we found that this method can be used with no problem for large fields. The difference it introduced is clinically insignificant.« less

Idiographic measurement of depressive thinking: development and preliminary validation of the Sentence Completion Test for Chronic Pain (SCP).

PubMed

Rusu, Adina C; Hallner, Dirk

2018-06-06

Depression is a common feature of chronic pain, but there is only limited research into the content and frequency of depressed cognitions in pain patients. This study describes the development of the Sentence Completion Test for Chronic Pain (SCP), an idiographic measure for assessing depressive thinking in chronic pain patients. The sentence completion task requires participants to finish incomplete sentences using their own words to a set of predefined stems that include negative, positive and neutral valenced self-referenced words. In addition, the stems include past, future and world stems, which reflect the theoretical negative triad typical to depression. Complete responses are coded by valence (negative, positive and neutral), pain and health-related content. A total of 89 participants were included in this study. Forty seven adult out-patients formed the depressed pain group and were compared to a non-clinical control sample of 42 healthy control participants. This study comprised several phases: (1) theory-driven generation of coding rules; (2) the development of a coding manual by a panel of experts (3) comparing reliability of coding by expert raters without the use of the coding manual and with the use of the coding manual; (4) preliminary analyses of the construct validity of the SCP. The internal consistency of the SCP was tested using the Kuder-Richardson coefficient (KR-20). Inter-rater agreement was assessed by intra-class correlations (ICC). The content and construct validity of the SCP was investigated by correlation coefficients between SCP negative completions, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) depression scores and the number of symptoms on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID). As predicted for content validity, the number of SCP negative statements was significantly greater in the depressed pain group and this group also produced significantly fewer positive statements, compared to the healthy control group. The number of negative pain completions and negative health completions was significantly greater in the depressed pain group. As expected, in the depressed pain group, the correlation between SCP negatives and the HADS Depression score was r=0.60 and the correlation between SCP negatives and the number of symptoms on the SCID was r=0.56. The SCP demonstrated good content validity, internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Uses for this measure, such as complementing questionnaire measures by an idiographic assessment of depressive thinking and generating hypotheses about key problems within a cognitive-behavioural case-formulation, are suggested.

Finite-Horizon H∞ Consensus Control of Time-Varying Multiagent Systems With Stochastic Communication Protocol.

PubMed

Zou, Lei; Wang, Zidong; Gao, Huijun; Alsaadi, Fuad E

2017-03-31

This paper is concerned with the distributed H∞ consensus control problem for a discrete time-varying multiagent system with the stochastic communication protocol (SCP). A directed graph is used to characterize the communication topology of the multiagent network. The data transmission between each agent and the neighboring ones is implemented via a constrained communication channel where only one neighboring agent is allowed to transmit data at each time instant. The SCP is applied to schedule the signal transmission of the multiagent system. A sequence of random variables is utilized to capture the scheduling behavior of the SCP. By using the mapping technology combined with the Hadamard product, the closed-loop multiagent system is modeled as a time-varying system with a stochastic parameter matrix. The purpose of the addressed problem is to design a cooperative controller for each agent such that, for all probabilistic scheduling behaviors, the H∞ consensus performance is achieved over a given finite horizon for the closed-loop multiagent system. A necessary and sufficient condition is derived to ensure the H∞ consensus performance based on the completing squares approach and the stochastic analysis technique. Then, the controller parameters are obtained by solving two coupled backward recursive Riccati difference equations. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller design scheme.

Historical atmospheric pollution trends in Southeast Asia inferred from lake sediment records.

PubMed

Engels, S; Fong, L S R Z; Chen, Q; Leng, M J; McGowan, S; Idris, M; Rose, N L; Ruslan, M S; Taylor, D; Yang, H

2018-04-01

Fossil fuel combustion leads to increased levels of air pollution, which negatively affects human health as well as the environment. Documented data for Southeast Asia (SEA) show a strong increase in fossil fuel consumption since 1980, but information on coal and oil combustion before 1980 is not widely available. Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) and heavy metals, such as mercury (Hg), are emitted as by-products of fossil fuel combustion and may accumulate in sediments following atmospheric fallout. Here we use sediment SCP and Hg records from several freshwater lentic ecosystems in SEA (Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore) to reconstruct long-term, region-wide variations in levels of these two key atmospheric pollution indicators. The age-depth models of Philippine sediment cores do not reach back far enough to date first SCP presence, but single SCP occurrences are first observed between 1925 and 1950 for a Malaysian site. Increasing SCP flux is observed at our sites from 1960 onward, although individual sites show minor differences in trends. SCP fluxes show a general decline after 2000 at each of our study sites. While the records show broadly similar temporal trends across SEA, absolute SCP fluxes differ between sites, with a record from Malaysia showing SCP fluxes that are two orders of magnitude lower than records from the Philippines. Similar trends in records from China and Japan represent the emergence of atmospheric pollution as a broadly-based inter-region environmental problem during the 20th century. Hg fluxes were relatively stable from the second half of the 20th century onward. As catchment soils are also contaminated with atmospheric Hg, future soil erosion can be expected to lead to enhanced Hg flux into surface waters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sterol Carrier Protein-2: Binding Protein for Endocannabinoids

PubMed Central

Liedhegner, Elizabeth Sabens; Vogt, Caleb D.; Sem, Daniel S.; Cunningham, Christopher W.

2015-01-01

The endocannabinoid (eCB) system, consisting of eCB ligands and the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R), subserves retrograde, activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the brain. eCB signaling occurs “on-demand,” thus the processes regulating synthesis, mobilization and degradation of eCBs are also primary mechanisms for the regulation of CB1R activity. The eCBs, N-arachidonylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), are poorly soluble in water. We hypothesize that their aqueous solubility, and, therefore, their intracellular and transcellular distribution, are facilitated by protein binding. Using in silico docking studies, we have identified the nonspecific lipid binding protein, sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP-2), as a potential AEA binding protein. The docking studies predict that AEA and AM404 associate with SCP-2 at a putative cholesterol binding pocket with ΔG values of −3.6 and −4.6 kcal/mol, respectively. These values are considerably higher than cholesterol (−6.62 kcal/mol) but consistent with a favorable binding interaction. In support of the docking studies, SCP-2-mediated transfer of cholesterol in vitro is inhibited by micromolar concentrations of AEA; and heterologous expression of SCP-2 in HEK 293 cells increases time-related accumulation of AEA in a temperature-dependent fashion. These results suggest that SCP-2 facilitates cellular uptake of AEA. However, there is no effect of SCP-2 transfection on the cellular accumulation of AEA determined at equilibrium or the IC50 values for AEA, AM404 or 2-AG to inhibit steady state accumulation of radiolabelled AEA. We conclude that SCP-2 is a low affinity binding protein for AEA that can facilitate its cellular uptake but does not contribute significantly to intracellular sequestration of AEA. PMID:24510313

Test-retest reliability of the Mandarin versions of the Hypertension Self-Care Profile instrument.

PubMed

Ngoh, Soh Heng Agnes; Lim, Hazel Wai Ling; Koh, Yi Ling Eileen; Tan, Ngiap Chuan

2017-11-01

Self-efficacy in essential hypertension can be measured using scales, such as the "Hypertension Self-Care Profile" (HTN-SCP) questionnaire. It assesses "Behavior", "Motivation", and "Self-efficacy" in 3 domains, respectively. This study aimed to validate the Mandarin version of HTN-SCP instrument (HTN-SCP-Mn) targeted at patients of Chinese ethnicity with hypertension.Our study recruited Chinese patients, aged 40 years and older, with essential hypertension from a public primary healthcare clinic in Singapore. The 60-item HTN-SCP-Mn questionnaire was completed online using a tablet or smartphone on enrolment. A retest was conducted 2 weeks after the initial test. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency and test-retest reliability using Cronbach alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Differences between the overall HTN-SCP-Mn scores of the patients and their self-reported self-management activities were also determined using independent t test.Of the 153 patients who completed the HTN-SCP-Mn during the initial test, 79 responded to the test-retest evaluation. Reliability of the 3 domains "Behavior", "Motivation", and "Self-efficacy" obtained high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.838, 0.929, and 0.927, respectively). The item total correlation ranged from 0.058 to 0.677 for Behavior, 0.374 to 0.798 for Motivation, and 0.326 to 0.767 for self-efficacy. The ICC indicated fair to good test-retest reliability with scores of 0.643, 0.579, and 0.710 for the respective domains.The results showed face validity of the HTN-SCP-Mn instrument, indicating its potential application in mandarin-proficient patients. Further study is needed to correlate its scores with objective demonstration of self-efficacy.

Macrostructural and Microstructural Brain Lesions Relate to Gait Pathology in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Meyns, Pieter; Van Gestel, Leen; Leunissen, Inge; De Cock, Paul; Sunaert, Stefan; Feys, Hilde; Duysens, Jacques; Desloovere, Kaat; Ortibus, Els

2016-10-01

Background Even though lower-limb motor disorders are core features of spastic cerebral palsy (sCP), the relationship with brain lesions remains unclear. Unraveling the relation between gait pathology, lower-limb function, and brain lesions in sCP is complex for several reasons; wide heterogeneity in brain lesions, ongoing brain maturation, and gait depends on a number of primary motor functions/deficits (eg, muscle strength, spasticity). Objective To use a comprehensive approach combining conventional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in children with sCP above 3 years old to relate quantitative parameters of brain lesions in multiple brain areas to gait performance. Methods A total of 50 children with sCP (25 bilateral, 25 unilateral involvement) were enrolled. The investigated neuroradiological parameters included the following: (1) volumetric measures of the corpus callosum (CC) and lateral ventricles (LVs), and (2) DTI parameters of the corticospinal tract (CST). Gait pathology and primary motor deficits, including muscle strength and spasticity, were evaluated by 3D gait analysis and clinical examination. Results In bilateral sCP (n = 25), volume of the LV and the subparts of the CC connecting frontal, (pre)motor, and sensory areas were most related to lower-limb functioning and gait pathology. DTI measures of the CST revealed additional relations with the primary motor deficits (n = 13). In contrast, in unilateral sCP, volumetric (n = 25) and diffusion measures (n = 14) were only correlated to lower-limb strength. Conclusions These results indicate that the combined influence of multiple brain lesions and their impact on the primary motor deficits might explain a large part of the gait pathology in sCP. © The Author(s) 2016.

Multi-functional mechanisms of immune evasion by the streptococcal complement inhibitor C5a peptidase

PubMed Central

Reglinski, Mark; Calay, Damien; Siggins, Matthew K.; Mason, Justin C.; Botto, Marina; Sriskandan, Shiranee

2017-01-01

The complement cascade is crucial for clearance and control of invading pathogens, and as such is a key target for pathogen mediated host modulation. C3 is the central molecule of the complement cascade, and plays a vital role in opsonization of bacteria and recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection. Streptococcal species have evolved multiple mechanisms to disrupt complement-mediated innate immunity, among which ScpA (C5a peptidase), a C5a inactivating enzyme, is widely conserved. Here we demonstrate for the first time that pyogenic streptococcal species are capable of cleaving C3, and identify C3 and C3a as novel substrates for the streptococcal ScpA, which are functionally inactivated as a result of cleavage 7 amino acids upstream of the natural C3 convertase. Cleavage of C3a by ScpA resulted in disruption of human neutrophil activation, phagocytosis and chemotaxis, while cleavage of C3 generated abnormally-sized C3a and C3b moieties with impaired function, in particular reducing C3 deposition on the bacterial surface. Despite clear effects on human complement, expression of ScpA reduced clearance of group A streptococci in vivo in wildtype and C5 deficient mice, and promoted systemic bacterial dissemination in mice that lacked both C3 and C5, suggesting an additional complement-independent role for ScpA in streptococcal pathogenesis. ScpA was shown to mediate streptococcal adhesion to both human epithelial and endothelial cells, consistent with a role in promoting bacterial invasion within the host. Taken together, these data show that ScpA is a multi-functional virulence factor with both complement-dependent and independent roles in streptococcal pathogenesis. PMID:28806402

Influence of Lower Extremity Muscle Size and Quality on Stair-Climb Performance in Career Firefighters.

PubMed

Kleinberg, Craig R; Ryan, Eric D; Tweedell, Andrew J; Barnette, Timothy J; Wagoner, Chad W

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of lower extremity muscular size and quality on stair-climb performance (SCP) in career firefighters. Forty-six male career firefighters (age = 37.0 ± 7.2 years; stature = 180.2 ± 6.9 cm; body mass = 108.0 ± 19.8 kg) volunteered for this study. Panoramic ultrasound images of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris were obtained to determine cross-sectional area (CSA) and echo intensity (EI) of each muscle. The CSA of each muscle was then summed together and normalized to body mass (CSA/BM [QCSA]). Additionally, EI was averaged across both muscles (QEI). Participants then performed a timed and weighted SCP assessment where they ascended and descended 26 stairs 4 times as quickly as possible while wearing a weighted vest (22.73 kg) to simulate the weight of their self-contained breathing apparatus and turnout gear. Bivariate correlations and stepwise regression analyses were used to examine the relationships among variables and the relative contributions of QCSA and QEI to SCP. Partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between QCSA and SCP and QEI and SCP while controlling for age and body mass index (BMI). The results indicated that QCSA and QEI were significantly related to SCP before (r = -0.492, p = 0.001; r = 0.363, p = 0.013, respectively) and after accounting for age and BMI (r = -0.324, p = 0.032; r = 0.413, p = 0.005, respectively). Both QCSA and QEI contributed significantly to the prediction of SCP (r = 0.560, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that lower extremity muscle size and quality are important contributors to critical firefighting tasks, which have been shown to be improved with resistance training.

Sampling Design and Procedures for Fixed Surface-Water Sites in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain Study Unit, 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

Station number Station drainage area (km2) Land resource province Land-use description Fixed-site type Altamaha River near Everett City, Ga . 02226160...Creek near Tallahassee, Fla. 02326838 27 SCP suburban indicator Little River near Ty Ty, Ga . 02317797 334 SCP agriculture (mixed row crops) indicator...Middle Prong St. Marys River near Taylor, Fla. 02229000 324 CFW silviculture indicator Tucsawhatchee Creek near Hawkinsville, Ga . 02215100 422 SCP

Self-critical perfectionism and its relationship to fatigue and pain in the daily flow of life in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

PubMed

Kempke, S; Luyten, P; Claes, S; Goossens, L; Bekaert, P; Van Wambeke, P; Van Houdenhove, B

2013-05-01

Research suggests that the personality factor of self-critical or maladaptive perfectionism may be implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, it is not clear whether self-critical perfectionism (SCP) also predicts daily symptoms in CFS. Method In the present study we investigated whether SCP predicted fatigue and pain over a 14-day period in a sample of 90 CFS patients using a diary method approach. After completing the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) as a measure of SCP, patients were asked each day for 14 days to complete Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) of fatigue, pain and severity of depression. Data were analysed using multilevel analysis. The results from unconditional models revealed considerable fluctuations in fatigue over the 14 days, suggesting strong temporal variability in fatigue. By contrast, pain was relatively stable over time but showed significant inter-individual differences. Congruent with expectations, fixed-effect models showed that SCP was prospectively associated with higher daily fatigue and pain levels over the 14-day period, even after controlling for levels of depression. This is the first study to show that SCP predicts both fatigue and pain symptoms in CFS in the daily course of life. Hence, therapeutic interventions aimed at targeting SCP should be considered in the treatment of CFS patients with such features.

Platelet-Derived Short-Chain Polyphosphates Enhance the Inactivation of Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor by Activated Coagulation Factor XI.

PubMed

Puy, Cristina; Tucker, Erik I; Ivanov, Ivan S; Gailani, David; Smith, Stephanie A; Morrissey, James H; Gruber, András; McCarty, Owen J T

2016-01-01

Factor (F) XI supports both normal human hemostasis and pathological thrombosis. Activated FXI (FXIa) promotes thrombin generation by enzymatic activation of FXI, FIX, FX, and FV, and inactivation of alpha tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPIα), in vitro. Some of these reactions are now known to be enhanced by short-chain polyphosphates (SCP) derived from activated platelets. These SCPs act as a cofactor for the activation of FXI and FV by thrombin and FXIa, respectively. Since SCPs have been shown to inhibit the anticoagulant function of TFPIα, we herein investigated whether SCPs could serve as cofactors for the proteolytic inactivation of TFPIα by FXIa, further promoting the efficiency of the extrinsic pathway of coagulation to generate thrombin. Purified soluble SCP was prepared by size-fractionation of sodium polyphosphate. TFPIα proteolysis was analyzed by western blot. TFPIα activity was measured as inhibition of FX activation and activity in coagulation and chromogenic assays. SCPs significantly accelerated the rate of inactivation of TFPIα by FXIa in both purified systems and in recalcified plasma. Moreover, platelet-derived SCP accelerated the rate of inactivation of platelet-derived TFPIα by FXIa. TFPIα activity was not affected by SCP in recalcified FXI-depleted plasma. Our data suggest that SCP is a cofactor for TFPIα inactivation by FXIa, thus, expanding the range of hemostatic FXIa substrates that may be affected by the cofactor functions of platelet-derived SCP.

Bat-Fruit Interactions Are More Specialized in Shaded-Coffee Plantations than in Tropical Mountain Cloud Forest Fragments

PubMed Central

Hernández-Montero, Jesús R.; Saldaña-Vázquez, Romeo A.; Galindo-González, Jorge; Sosa, Vinicio J.

2015-01-01

Forest disturbance causes specialization of plant-frugivore networks and jeopardizes mutualistic interactions through reduction of ecological redundancy. To evaluate how simplification of a forest into an agroecosystem affects plant-disperser mutualistic interactions, we compared bat-fruit interaction indexes of specialization in tropical montane cloud forest fragments (TMCF) and shaded-coffee plantations (SCP). Bat-fruit interactions were surveyed by collection of bat fecal samples. Bat-fruit interactions were more specialized in SCP (mean H2 ' = 0.55) compared to TMCF fragments (mean H2 ' = 0.27), and were negatively correlated to bat abundance in SCP (R = -0.35). The number of shared plant species was higher in the TMCF fragments (mean = 1) compared to the SCP (mean = 0.51) and this was positively correlated to the abundance of frugivorous bats (R= 0.79). The higher specialization in SCP could be explained by lower bat abundance and lower diet overlap among bats. Coffee farmers and conservation policy makers must increase the proportion of land assigned to TMCF within agroecosystem landscapes in order to conserve frugivorous bats and their invaluable seed dispersal service. PMID:25992550

Bat-fruit interactions are more specialized in shaded-coffee plantations than in tropical mountain cloud forest fragments.

PubMed

Hernández-Montero, Jesús R; Saldaña-Vázquez, Romeo A; Galindo-González, Jorge; Sosa, Vinicio J

2015-01-01

Forest disturbance causes specialization of plant-frugivore networks and jeopardizes mutualistic interactions through reduction of ecological redundancy. To evaluate how simplification of a forest into an agroecosystem affects plant-disperser mutualistic interactions, we compared bat-fruit interaction indexes of specialization in tropical montane cloud forest fragments (TMCF) and shaded-coffee plantations (SCP). Bat-fruit interactions were surveyed by collection of bat fecal samples. Bat-fruit interactions were more specialized in SCP (mean H2 ' = 0.55) compared to TMCF fragments (mean H2 ' = 0.27), and were negatively correlated to bat abundance in SCP (R = -0.35). The number of shared plant species was higher in the TMCF fragments (mean = 1) compared to the SCP (mean = 0.51) and this was positively correlated to the abundance of frugivorous bats (R= 0.79). The higher specialization in SCP could be explained by lower bat abundance and lower diet overlap among bats. Coffee farmers and conservation policy makers must increase the proportion of land assigned to TMCF within agroecosystem landscapes in order to conserve frugivorous bats and their invaluable seed dispersal service.

Control of Smc Coiled Coil Architecture by the ATPase Heads Facilitates Targeting to Chromosomal ParB/parS and Release onto Flanking DNA

PubMed Central

Minnen, Anita; Bürmann, Frank; Wilhelm, Larissa; Anchimiuk, Anna; Diebold-Durand, Marie-Laure; Gruber, Stephan

2016-01-01

Summary Smc/ScpAB promotes chromosome segregation in prokaryotes, presumably by compacting and resolving nascent sister chromosomes. The underlying mechanisms, however, are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of the Smc ATPase activity in the recruitment of Smc/ScpAB to the Bacillus subtilis chromosome. We demonstrate that targeting of Smc/ScpAB to ParB/parS loading sites is strictly dependent on engagement of Smc head domains and relies on an open organization of the Smc coiled coils. We find that dimerization of the Smc hinge domain stabilizes closed Smc rods and hinders head engagement as well as chromosomal targeting. Conversely, the ScpAB sub-complex promotes head engagement and Smc rod opening and thereby facilitates recruitment of Smc to parS sites. Upon ATP hydrolysis, Smc/ScpAB is released from loading sites and relocates within the chromosome—presumably through translocation along DNA double helices. Our findings define an intermediate state in the process of chromosome organization by Smc. PMID:26904953

A Message Passing Approach to Side Chain Positioning with Applications in Protein Docking Refinement *

PubMed Central

Moghadasi, Mohammad; Kozakov, Dima; Mamonov, Artem B.; Vakili, Pirooz; Vajda, Sandor; Paschalidis, Ioannis Ch.

2013-01-01

We introduce a message-passing algorithm to solve the Side Chain Positioning (SCP) problem. SCP is a crucial component of protein docking refinement, which is a key step of an important class of problems in computational structural biology called protein docking. We model SCP as a combinatorial optimization problem and formulate it as a Maximum Weighted Independent Set (MWIS) problem. We then employ a modified and convergent belief-propagation algorithm to solve a relaxation of MWIS and develop randomized estimation heuristics that use the relaxed solution to obtain an effective MWIS feasible solution. Using a benchmark set of protein complexes we demonstrate that our approach leads to more accurate docking predictions compared to a baseline algorithm that does not solve the SCP. PMID:23515575

Movement within foot and ankle joint in children with spastic cerebral palsy: a 3-dimensional ultrasound analysis of medial gastrocnemius length with correction for effects of foot deformation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In spastic cerebral palsy (SCP), a limited range of motion of the foot (ROM), limits gait and other activities. Assessment of this limitation of ROM and knowledge of active mechanisms is of crucial importance for clinical treatment. Methods For a comparison between spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) children and typically developing children (TD), medial gastrocnemius muscle-tendon complex length was assessed using 3-D ultrasound imaging techniques, while exerting externally standardized moments via a hand-held dynamometer. Exemplary X-ray imaging of ankle and foot was used to confirm possible TD-SCP differences in foot deformation. Results SCP and TD did not differ in normalized level of excitation (EMG) of muscles studied. For given moments exerted in SCP, foot plate angles were all more towards plantar flexion than in TD. However, foot plate angle proved to be an invalid estimator of talocrural joint angle, since at equal foot plate angles, GM muscle-tendon complex was shorter in SCP (corresponding to an equivalent of 1 cm). A substantial difference remained even after normalizing for individual differences in tibia length. X-ray imaging of ankle and foot of one SCP child and two typically developed adults, confirmed that in SCP that of total footplate angle changes (0-4 Nm: 15°), the contribution of foot deformation to changes in foot plate angle (8) were as big as the contribution of dorsal flexion at the talocrural joint (7°). In typically developed individuals there were relatively smaller contributions (10 -11%) by foot deformation to changes in foot plate angle, indicating that the contribution of talocrural angle changes was most important. Using a new estimate for position at the talocrural joint (the difference between GM muscle–tendon complex length and tibia length, GM relative length) removed this effect, thus allowing more fair comparison of SCP and TD data. On the basis of analysis of foot plate angle and GM relative length as a function of externally applied moments, it is concluded that foot plate angle measurements underestimate angular changes at the talocrural joint when moving in dorsal flexion direction and overestimate them when moving in plantar flexion direction, with concomitant effects on triceps surae lengths. Conclusions In SCP children diagnosed with decreased dorsal ROM of the ankle joint, the commonly used measure (i.e. range of foot plate angle), is not a good estimate of rotation at the talocrural joint. since a sizable part of the movement of the foot (or foot plate) derives from internal deformation of the foot. PMID:24364826

Prospective comparative study of brain protection in total aortic arch replacement: deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion or selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.

PubMed

Okita, Y; Minatoya, K; Tagusari, O; Ando, M; Nagatsuka, K; Kitamura, S

2001-07-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of total aortic arch replacement using two different methods of brain protection, particularly with respect to neurologic outcome. From June 1997, 60 consecutive patients who underwent total arch replacement through a midsternotomy were alternately allocated to one of two methods of brain protection: deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP: 30 patients) or with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SCP: 30 patients). Preoperative and postoperative (3 weeks) brain CT scan, neurological examination, and cognitive function tests were performed. Serum 100b protein was assayed before and after the cardiopulmonary bypass, as well as 24 hours and 48 hours after the operation. Hospital mortality occurred in 2 patients in the RCP group (6.6%) and 2 in the SCP group (6.6%). New strokes occurred in 1 (3.3%) of the RCP group and in 2 (6.6%) of the SCP group (p = 0.6). The incidence of transient brain dysfunction was significantly higher in the RCP group than in the SCP group (10, 33.3% vs 4, 13.3%, p = 0.05). Except in patients with strokes, S-100b values showed no significant differences in the two groups (RCP: SCP, prebypass 0.01+/-0.04: 0.05+/-0.16, postbypass 2.17+/-0.94: 1.97+/-1.00, 24 hours 0.61+/-0.36: 0.60+/-0.37, 48 hours 0.36+/-0.45: 0.46+/-0.40 microg/L, p = 0.7). There were no intergroup differences in the scores of memory decline (RCP 0.74+/-0.99; SCP 0.55+/-1.19, p = 0.6), orientation (RCP 1.11+/-1.29; SCP 0.50+/-0.76, p = 0.08), or intellectual function (RCP 1.21+/-1.27; SCP 1.05+/-1.15, p = 0.7). Both methods of brain protection for patients undergoing total arch replacement resulted in acceptable levels of mortality and morbidity. However, the prevalence of transient brain dysfunction was significantly higher in patients with the RCP.

Comparative clinical study between retrograde cerebral perfusion and selective cerebral perfusion in surgery for acute type A aortic dissection.

PubMed

Usui, A; Yasuura, K; Watanabe, T; Maseki, T

1999-05-01

Selection of a brain protection method is a primary concern for aortic arch surgery. We performed a retrospective study to compare the respective advantages and disadvantages of retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) and selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) in patients who underwent surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. The study reviewed 166 patients who underwent surgery at Nagoya University or its eight branch hospitals between January 1990 and August 1996. There were 91 patients who received SCP and 75 patients who underwent RCP. Results for these two groups were compared. There were no significant differences in age, gender, Marfan syndrome rate, DeBakey classification, or emergency operation rate. Rates of various preoperative complications were similar except for aortic valve regurgitation. Arch replacement was performed more often in SCP than in RCP patients (49% vs. 27%, P = 0.0028). There were no significant differences between groups in cardiac ischemic time or visceral organ ischemic time. However, RCP group showed shorter cardio-pulmonary bypass time (297+/-99 vs. 269+/-112 min, P = 0.013) and lower the lowest core temperature (21.6+/-3.1 degrees C vs. 18.7+/-2.1 degrees C, P = 0.0001). SCP duration was longer than RCP duration (103+/-56 vs. 54+/-24 min, P < 0.0001). Despite these differences, RCP patients were not significantly different from SCP patients with regard to any postoperative complication, neurological dysfunction (16 vs. 19%), or operative mortality (all deaths within the hospitalization; 24 vs. 21%). Regarding neurologic dysfunction, there were six cases of coma, six of motor paralysis, two of paraplegia and one of visual loss among SCP patients, and eight cases of coma, three of motor paralysis, and three of convulsion in the RCP group. The incidence of motor paralysis was higher in the SCP group, while the incidence of coma was higher in the RCP group. RCP can be performed without clamping or cannulation of the cervical arteries, which is an advantage in reducing the chances of arterial injury or cerebral embolization. RCP is comparable to SCP in terms of clinical outcome.

Group A Streptococcal Carriage and Seroepidemiology in Children up to 10 Years of Age in Australia.

PubMed

Marshall, Helen S; Richmond, Peter; Nissen, Michael; Lambert, Stephen; Booy, Robert; Reynolds, Graham; Sebastian, Shite; Pride, Michael; Jansen, Kathrin U; Anderson, Annaliesa S; Scully, Ingrid L

2015-08-01

Group A streptococci (GAS) and other β-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) cause pharyngitis, severe invasive disease and serious nonsuppurative sequelae including rheumatic heart disease and post streptococcal glomerulonephritis. The aim of this study was to assess carriage rates and anti-streptococcal C5a peptidase (anti-SCP) IgG levels and identify epidemiologic factors related to carriage or seropositivity in Australian children. A throat swab and blood sample were collected for microbiological and serological analysis (anti-SCP IgG) in 542 healthy children aged 0-10 years. Sequence analysis of the SCP gene was performed. Serological analysis used a competitive Luminex Immunoassay designed to preferentially detect functional antibody. GAS-positive culture prevalence in throat swabs was 5.0% (range 0-10%), with the highest rate in 5 and 9 years old children. The rate of non-GAS BHS carriage was low (<1%). The scp gene was present in all 22 isolates evaluated. As age of child increased, the rate of carriage increased; odds ratio, 1.14 (1.00, 1.29); P = 0.50. Geometric mean anti-SCP titers increased with each age-band from 2 to 7 years, then plateaued. Age, geographic location and number of children within the household were significantly associated with the presence of anti-SCP antibodies. Children are exposed to GAS and other BHS at a young age, which is important for determining the target age for vaccination to protect before the period of risk.

Interoperability in digital electrocardiography: harmonization of ISO/IEEE x73-PHD and SCP-ECG.

PubMed

Trigo, Jesús D; Chiarugi, Franco; Alesanco, Alvaro; Martínez-Espronceda, Miguel; Serrano, Luis; Chronaki, Catherine E; Escayola, Javier; Martínez, Ignacio; García, José

2010-11-01

The ISO/IEEE 11073 (x73) family of standards is a reference frame for medical device interoperability. A draft for an ECG device specialization (ISO/IEEE 11073-10406-d02) has already been presented to the Personal Health Device (PHD) Working Group, and the Standard Communications Protocol for Computer-Assisted ElectroCardioGraphy (SCP-ECG) Standard for short-term diagnostic ECGs (EN1064:2005+A1:2007) has recently been approved as part of the x73 family (ISO 11073-91064:2009). These factors suggest the coordinated use of these two standards in foreseeable telecardiology environments, and hence the need to harmonize them. Such harmonization is the subject of this paper. Thus, a mapping of the mandatory attributes defined in the second draft of the ISO/IEEE 11073-10406-d02 and the minimum SCP-ECG fields is presented, and various other capabilities of the SCP-ECG Standard (such as the messaging part) are also analyzed from an x73-PHD point of view. As a result, this paper addresses and analyzes the implications of some inconsistencies in the coordinated use of these two standards. Finally, a proof-of-concept implementation of the draft x73-PHD ECG device specialization is presented, along with the conversion from x73-PHD to SCP-ECG. This paper, therefore, provides recommendations for future implementations of telecardiology systems that are compliant with both x73-PHD and SCP-ECG.

"When I Needed It": Evaluation of the Use and Timing of Sharsheret's Thriving Again Program for Young Breast Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Rohan, Elizabeth A; Townsend, Julie S; Fleischmann, Adina; Stahl, Sharon; Shoretz, Rochelle

2017-02-08

Approximately 11% of all new breast cancer cases in the USA occur in women aged 45 years or younger. In 2011, CDC funded seven organizations to develop or enhance programs for young breast cancer survivors (YBCS). This paper analyzed program evaluation data collected by one of these organizations to gain a more nuanced understanding of how recipients used the newly developed program and resources for YBCS. Sharsheret's Thriving Again program was evaluated through a web-based survey of survivorship program participants. The evaluation asked questions about participant demographics, use of the kit's survivorship care plan (SCP), satisfaction with the timing of survivorship kit receipt, and factors related to survivors' use of additional Sharsheret programs. We conducted bivariate analyses of survey responses and calculated chi-square statistics for significance testing. Of the 163 women who responded to the survey, 43% were diagnosed with breast cancer at or before age 45 and 69% were of Jewish descent. The majority of women who used the SCP found it helpful to facilitate cancer treatment (94%), follow-up (85%), or discussions with providers (91%). A total of 75% of women who received the SCP kit while either recently diagnosed or undergoing treatment were satisfied with the timing of receipt. Survey respondents found the Thriving Again program and survivorship kit beneficial and indicated timing preferences for when to receive resources and support. Supporting the self-efficacy of cancer survivors may improve survivors' quality of life and is an important aspect of survivorship programs.

The cytochrome P450 gene CsCYP85A1 is a putative candidate for super compact-1 (scp-1) plant architecture mutation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The dwarf plant architecture is an important trait in plant breeding. A number of genes controlling plant height have been cloned and functionally characterized which often involve in biosynthesis or signaling of plant hormones such as brassinosteroids(BRs). No genes for plant height or vine length ...

A Coulomb-Like Off-Shell T-Matrix with the Correct Coulomb Phase Shift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oryu, Shinsho; Watanabe, Takashi; Hiratsuka, Yasuhisa; Togawa, Yoshio

2017-03-01

We confirm the reliability of the well-known Coulomb renormalization method (CRM). It is found that the CRM is only available for a very-long-range screened Coulomb potential (SCP). However, such an SCP calculation in momentum space is considerably difficult because of the cancelation of significant digits. In contrast to the CRM, we propose a new method by using an on-shell equivalent SCP and the rest term. The two-potential theory with r-space is introduced, which defines fully the off-shell Coulomb amplitude.

Prevention of anxiety and depression in Chinese: a randomized clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a stepped care program in primary care.

PubMed

Zhang, De Xing; Lewis, Glyn; Araya, Ricardo; Tang, Wai Kwong; Mak, Winnie Wing Sze; Cheung, Fanny Mui Ching; Mercer, Stewart William; Griffiths, Sian Meryl; Woo, Jean; Lee, Diana Tze Fan; Kung, Kenny; Lam, Augustine Tsan; Yip, Benjamin Hon Kei; Wong, Samuel Yeung Shan

2014-12-01

Despite empirical evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative stepped care program (SCP) in Western countries, such programs have not been evaluated in the east, which has a different services system structure and cultural nuances in seeking help for mental illness. Furthermore, only a few studies have used SCP for depression and anxiety prevention. We conducted a trial to test its effectiveness in preventing major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder among primary care patients with subthreshold depression and/or anxiety in Hong Kong. Subthreshold depression and/or anxiety patients were randomized into the SCP group (n=121) or care as usual (CAU) group (n=119). The SCP included watchful waiting, telephone counseling, problem solving therapy, and family doctor treatment within one year. The primary outcome was the onset of major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder in 15 months. The secondary outcomes were depressive and anxiety symptoms, quality of life and time absent from work due to any illness. Survival analysis showed no differences between the SCP and CAU groups (the cumulative probability of onset at 15 month was 23.1% in the SCP group and 20.5% in the CAU group; Hazard Ratio=1.62; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.82-3.18; p=0.16). No significant differences were found in secondary outcomes. Sample size might not have been large enough. SCP did not show beneficial effect on depression/anxiety prevention compared with CAU in Hong Kong primary care. As a large majority of patients improved overtime without any intervention, we are not able to exclude the possibility that the intervention might be effective. Future studies would need to have a larger sample size and conduct on patients with more severe symptoms or perform a second screening. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Jornet, N; Carrasco de Fez, P; Jordi, O

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy in total scatter factor (Sc,p) determination for small fields using commercial plastic scintillator detector (PSD). The manufacturer's spectral discrimination method to subtract Cerenkov light from the signal is discussed. Methods: Sc,p for field sizes ranging from 0.5 to 10 cm were measured using PSD Exradin (Standard Imaging) connected to two channel electrometer measuring the signals in two different spectral regions to subtract the Cerenkov signal from the PSD signal. A Pinpoint ionisation chamber 31006 (PTW) and a non-shielded semiconductor detector EFD (Scanditronix) were used for comparison. Measures were performed for a 6 MV X-ray beam.more » The Sc,p are measured at 10 cm depth in water for a SSD=100 cm and normalized to a 10'10 cm{sup 2} field size at the isocenter. All detectors were placed with their symmetry axis parallel to the beam axis.We followed the manufacturer's recommended calibration methodology to subtract the Cerenkov contribution to the signal as well as a modified method using smaller field sizes. The Sc,p calculated by using both calibration methodologies were compared. Results: Sc,p measured with the semiconductor and the PinPoint detectors agree, within 1.5%, for field sizes between 10'10 and 1'1 cm{sup 2}. Sc,p measured with the PSD using the manufacturer's calibration methodology were systematically 4% higher than those measured with the semiconductor detector for field sizes smaller than 5'5 cm{sup 2}. By using a modified calibration methodology for smalls fields and keeping the manufacturer calibration methodology for fields larger than 5'5cm{sup 2} field Sc,p matched semiconductor results within 2% field sizes larger than 1.5 cm. Conclusion: The calibration methodology proposed by the manufacturer is not appropriate for dose measurements in small fields. The calibration parameters are not independent of the incident radiation spectrum for this PSD. This work was partially financed by grant 2012 of Barcelona board of the AECC.« less

Use of prescribed smoking cessation pharmacotherapy following release from prison: a prospective data linkage study.

PubMed

Puljević, Cheneal; de Andrade, Dominique; Carroll, Megan; Spittal, Matthew J; Kinner, Stuart A

2017-08-28

A significant proportion of people who cycle through prisons express a desire to quit smoking, yet smoking rates in this population are two to four times higher than in the general community. Smoking cessation pharmacotherapy (SCP) is an important component of evidence-based cessation support, yet no studies have examined use of this pharmacotherapy after release from prison. We linked data from a survey of 971 smokers who were within 8 weeks of release from prison in Queensland, Australia, with federal Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) records for the 2 years after release, to identify subsidised use of SCP (varenicline, bupropion and nicotine patches). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to identify independent predictors of SCP use. According to PBS data, 86 participants (8.9%) accessed SCP in the 2 years following release from prison. Participants who were aged 25 years or older (HR 2.51, 95% CI 1.19 to 5.31), employed before prison (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.28), highly nicotine dependent at baseline (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.97) and using non-psychotropic medications in prison (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.24 to 4.22) were more likely to use subsidised SCP during follow-up. Despite a very high rate of tobacco use among people cycling through prisons and the very low cost of (subsidised) SCP in Australia, few ex-prisoners obtain pharmaceutical assistance with quitting smoking. Policy attention needs to focus on supporting former prisoners to access SCP, to reduce the high rate of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in this profoundly marginalised population. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Identification of an epitope derived from the cancer testis antigen HOM-TES-14/SCP1 and presented by dendritic cells to circulating CD4+ T cells.

PubMed

Neumann, Frank; Wagner, Claudia; Preuss, Klaus-Dieter; Kubuschok, Boris; Schormann, Claudia; Stevanovic, Stefan; Pfreundschuh, Michael

2005-11-01

Because of their frequent expression in a wide spectrum of malignant tumors but not in normal tissue except testis, cancer testis antigens are promising targets. However, except for HOM-TES-14/SCP1, their expression in malignant lymphomas is rare. SCP1 (synaptonemal complex protein 1) has been shown to elicit antibody responses in the autologous host, but no T-cell responses against HOM-TES-14/SCP1 have been reported. Using the SYFPEITHI algorithm, we selected peptides with a high binding affinity to major histocompatibility complex class 2 (MHC 2) molecules. The pentadecamer epitope p635-649 induced specific CD4+ T-cell responses that were shown to be restricted by HLA-DRB1*1401. The responses could be blocked by preincubation of T cells with anti-CD4 and antigen-presenting cells with anti-HLA-DR, respectively, proving the HLA-DR-restricted presentation of p635-649 and a CD4+ T-cell-mediated effector response. Responding CD4+ cells did not secrete interleukin-5 (IL-5), indicating that they belong to the T(H)1 subtype. The natural processing and presentation of p635-649 were demonstrated by pulsing autologous and allogeneic dendritic cells with a protein fragment covering p635-649. Thus, p635-649 is the first HOM-TES-14/SCP1-derived epitope to fulfill all prerequisites for use as a peptide vaccine in patients with HOM-TES-14/SCP1-expressing tumors, which is the case in two thirds of peripheral T-cell lymphomas.

Intracellular cholesterol transport proteins enhance hydrolysis of HDL-CEs and facilitate elimination of cholesterol into bile.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Bie, Jinghua; Ghosh, Shobha

2016-09-01

While HDL-associated unesterified or free cholesterol (FC) is thought to be rapidly secreted into the bile, the fate of HDL-associated cholesteryl esters (HDL-CEs) that represent >80% of HDL-cholesterol, is only beginning to be understood. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that intracellular cholesterol transport proteins [sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) and fatty acid binding protein-1 (FABP1)] not only facilitate CE hydrolase-mediated hydrolysis of HDL-CEs, but also enhance elimination of cholesterol into bile. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of FABP1 or SCP2 in primary hepatocytes significantly increased hydrolysis of HDL-[(3)H]CE, reduced resecretion of HDL-CE-derived FC as nascent HDL, and increased its secretion as bile acids. Consistently, the flux of [(3)H]cholesterol from HDL-[(3)H]CE to biliary bile acids was increased by overexpression of SCP2 or FABP1 in vivo and reduced in SCP2(-/-) mice. Increased flux of HDL-[(3)H]CE to biliary FC was noted with FABP1 overexpression and in SCP2(-/-) mice that have increased FABP1 expression. Lack of a significant decrease in the flux of HDL-[(3)H]CE to biliary FC or bile acids in FABP1(-/-) mice indicates the likely compensation of its function by an as yet unidentified mechanism. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that FABP1 and SCP2 facilitate the preferential movement of HDL-CEs to bile for final elimination. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Intracellular cholesterol transport proteins enhance hydrolysis of HDL-CEs and facilitate elimination of cholesterol into bile

PubMed Central

Wang, Jing; Bie, Jinghua; Ghosh, Shobha

2016-01-01

While HDL-associated unesterified or free cholesterol (FC) is thought to be rapidly secreted into the bile, the fate of HDL-associated cholesteryl esters (HDL-CEs) that represent >80% of HDL-cholesterol, is only beginning to be understood. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that intracellular cholesterol transport proteins [sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) and fatty acid binding protein-1 (FABP1)] not only facilitate CE hydrolase-mediated hydrolysis of HDL-CEs, but also enhance elimination of cholesterol into bile. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of FABP1 or SCP2 in primary hepatocytes significantly increased hydrolysis of HDL-[3H]CE, reduced resecretion of HDL-CE-derived FC as nascent HDL, and increased its secretion as bile acids. Consistently, the flux of [3H]cholesterol from HDL-[3H]CE to biliary bile acids was increased by overexpression of SCP2 or FABP1 in vivo and reduced in SCP2−/− mice. Increased flux of HDL-[3H]CE to biliary FC was noted with FABP1 overexpression and in SCP2−/− mice that have increased FABP1 expression. Lack of a significant decrease in the flux of HDL-[3H]CE to biliary FC or bile acids in FABP1−/− mice indicates the likely compensation of its function by an as yet unidentified mechanism. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that FABP1 and SCP2 facilitate the preferential movement of HDL-CEs to bile for final elimination. PMID:27381048

Staphopains Modulate Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Integrity

PubMed Central

Mootz, Joe M.; Malone, Cheryl L.; Shaw, Lindsey N.

2013-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a known cause of chronic biofilm infections that can reside on medical implants or host tissue. Recent studies have demonstrated an important role for proteinaceous material in the biofilm structure. The S. aureus genome encodes many secreted proteases, and there is growing evidence that these enzymes have self-cleavage properties that alter biofilm integrity. However, the specific contribution of each protease and mechanism of biofilm modulation is not clear. To address this issue, we utilized a sigma factor B (ΔsigB) mutant where protease activity results in a biofilm-negative phenotype, thereby creating a condition where the protease(s) responsible for the phenotype could be identified. Using a plasma-coated microtiter assay, biofilm formation was restored to the ΔsigB mutant through the addition of the cysteine protease inhibitor E-64 or by using Staphostatin inhibitors that specifically target the extracellular cysteine proteases SspB and ScpA (called Staphopains). Through construction of gene deletion mutants, we determined that an sspB scpA double mutant restored ΔsigB biofilm formation, and this recovery could be replicated in plasma-coated flow cell biofilms. Staphopain levels were also found to be decreased under biofilm-forming conditions, possibly allowing biofilm establishment. The treatment of S. aureus biofilms with purified SspB or ScpA enzyme inhibited their formation, and ScpA was also able to disperse an established biofilm. The antibiofilm properties of ScpA were conserved across S. aureus strain lineages. These findings suggest an underappreciated role of the SspB and ScpA cysteine proteases in modulating S. aureus biofilm architecture. PMID:23798534

Suppressing a Putative Sterol Carrier Gene Reduces Plasmodesmal Permeability and Activates Sucrose Transporter Genes during Cotton Fiber Elongation.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiyuan; Ruan, Yong-Ling; Zhou, Na; Wang, Fang; Guan, Xueying; Fang, Lei; Shang, Xiaoguang; Guo, Wangzhen; Zhu, Shuijin; Zhang, Tianzhen

2017-08-01

Plasmodesmata (PDs) play vital roles in cell-to-cell communication and plant development. Emerging evidence suggests that sterols are involved in PD activity during cytokinesis. However, whether sterols contribute to PD gating between established cells remains unknown. Here, we isolated GhSCP2D , a putative sterol carrier protein gene from elongating cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum ) fibers. In contrast to wild-type fiber PDs, which opened at 5 to 10 d postanthesis (DPA) and closed only at 15 to 25 DPA, plants with suppressed GhSCP2D expression had reduced sterol contents and closed PDs at 5 through 25 DPA The GhSCP2D- suppressed fibers exhibited callose deposition at the PDs, likely due to reduced expression of GhPdBG3-2A/D , which encodes a PD-targeting β-1,3-glucanase. Both GhPdBG3-2A/D expression and callose deposition were sensitive to a sterol biosynthesis inhibitor. Moreover, suppressing GhSCP2D upregulated a cohort of SUT and SWEET sucrose transporter genes in fiber cells. Collectively, our results indicate that (1) GhSCP2D is required for GhPdBG3-2A/D expression to degrade callose at the PD, thereby contributing to the establishment of the symplasmic pathway; and (2) blocking the symplasmic pathway by downregulating GhSCP2D activates or increases the expression of SUTs and SWEETs , leading to the switch from symplasmic to apoplasmic pathways. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

The Transcranial Doppler Sonography for Optimal Monitoring and Optimization of Cerebral Perfusion in Aortic Arch Surgery: A Case Series.

PubMed

Ghazy, Tamer; Darwisch, Ayham; Schmidt, Torsten; Nguyen, Phong; Elmihy, Sohaila; Fajfrova, Zuzana; Zickmüller, Claudia; Matschke, Klaus; Kappert, Utz

2017-06-16

To analyze the feasibility and advantages of transcranial doppler sonography (TCD) for monitoring and optimization of selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) in aortic arch surgery. From April 2013 to April 2014, nine patients with extensive aortic pathology underwent surgery under moderate hypothermic cardiac arrest with unilateral antegrade SCP under TCD monitoring in our institution. Adequate sonographic window and visualization of circle of Willis were to be confirmed. Intraoperatively, a cerebral cross-filling of the contralateral cerebral arteries on the unilateral SCP was to be confirmed with TCD. If no cross-filling was confirmed, an optimization of the SCP was performed via increasing cerebral flow and increasing PCO2. If not successful, the SCP was to be switched to bilateral perfusion. Air bubble hits were recorded at the termination of SCP. A sonographic window was confirmed in all patients. Procedural success was 100%. The mean operative time was 298 ± 89 minutes. Adequate cross-filling was confirmed in 8 patients. In 1 patient, inadequate cross-filling was detected by TCD and an optimization of cerebral flow was necessary, which was successfully confirmed by TCD. There was no conversion to bilateral perfusion. Extensive air bubble hits were confirmed in 1 patient, who suffered a postoperative stroke. The 30-day mortality rate was 0. Conclusion: The TCD is feasible for cerebral perfusion monitoring in aortic surgery. It enables a confirmation of adequacy of cerebral perfusion strategy or the need for its optimization. Documentation of calcific or air-bubble hits might add insight into patients suffering postoperative neurological deficits.

Primary fatty acid amide metabolism: conversion of fatty acids and an ethanolamine in N18TG2 and SCP cells.

PubMed

Farrell, Emma K; Chen, Yuden; Barazanji, Muna; Jeffries, Kristen A; Cameroamortegui, Felipe; Merkler, David J

2012-02-01

Primary fatty acid amides (PFAM) are important signaling molecules in the mammalian nervous system, binding to many drug receptors and demonstrating control over sleep, locomotion, angiogenesis, and many other processes. Oleamide is the best-studied of the primary fatty acid amides, whereas the other known PFAMs are significantly less studied. Herein, quantitative assays were used to examine the endogenous amounts of a panel of PFAMs, as well as the amounts produced after incubation of mouse neuroblastoma N(18)TG(2) and sheep choroid plexus (SCP) cells with the corresponding fatty acids or N-tridecanoylethanolamine. Although five endogenous primary amides were discovered in the N(18)TG(2) and SCP cells, a different pattern of relative amounts were found between the two cell lines. Higher amounts of primary amides were found in SCP cells, and the conversion of N-tridecanoylethanolamine to tridecanamide was observed in the two cell lines. The data reported here show that the N(18)TG(2) and SCP cells are excellent model systems for the study of PFAM metabolism. Furthermore, the data support a role for the N-acylethanolamines as precursors for the PFAMs and provide valuable new kinetic results useful in modeling the metabolic flux through the pathways for PFAM biosynthesis and degradation.

Primary fatty acid amide metabolism: conversion of fatty acids and an ethanolamine in N18TG2 and SCP cells1[S

PubMed Central

Farrell, Emma K.; Chen, Yuden; Barazanji, Muna; Jeffries, Kristen A.; Cameroamortegui, Felipe; Merkler, David J.

2012-01-01

Primary fatty acid amides (PFAM) are important signaling molecules in the mammalian nervous system, binding to many drug receptors and demonstrating control over sleep, locomotion, angiogenesis, and many other processes. Oleamide is the best-studied of the primary fatty acid amides, whereas the other known PFAMs are significantly less studied. Herein, quantitative assays were used to examine the endogenous amounts of a panel of PFAMs, as well as the amounts produced after incubation of mouse neuroblastoma N18TG2 and sheep choroid plexus (SCP) cells with the corresponding fatty acids or N-tridecanoylethanolamine. Although five endogenous primary amides were discovered in the N18TG2 and SCP cells, a different pattern of relative amounts were found between the two cell lines. Higher amounts of primary amides were found in SCP cells, and the conversion of N-tridecanoylethanolamine to tridecanamide was observed in the two cell lines. The data reported here show that the N18TG2 and SCP cells are excellent model systems for the study of PFAM metabolism. Furthermore, the data support a role for the N-acylethanolamines as precursors for the PFAMs and provide valuable new kinetic results useful in modeling the metabolic flux through the pathways for PFAM biosynthesis and degradation. PMID:22095832

Response of SCP-2L domain of human MFE-2 to ligand removal: binding site closure and burial of peroxisomal targeting signal.

PubMed

Lensink, M F; Haapalainen, A M; Hiltunen, J K; Glumoff, T; Juffer, A H

2002-10-11

In the study of the structure and function relationship of human MFE-2, we have investigated the dynamics of human MFE-2SCP-2L (hSCP-2L) and its response to ligand removal. A comparison was made with homologous rabbit SCP-2. Breathing and a closing motion are found, identifiable with an adjustment in size and a closing off of the binding pocket. Crucial residues for structural integrity have been identified. Particularly mobile areas of the protein are loop 1 that is connecting helices A and C in space, and helix D, next to the entrance of the pocket. In hSCP-2L, the binding pocket gets occupied by Phe93, which is making a tight hydrophobic contact with Trp36. In addition, it is found that the C-terminal peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS1) that is solvent exposed in the complexed structure becomes buried when no ligand is present. Moreover, an anti-correlation exists between burial of PTS1 and the size of the binding pocket. The results are in accordance with plant nsLTPs, where a similar accommodation of binding pocket size was found after ligand binding/removal. Furthermore, the calculations support the suggestion of a ligand-assisted targeting mechanism.

Paper-Based Survivorship Care Plans May be Less Helpful for Cancer Patients Who Search for Disease-Related Information on the Internet: Results of the Registrationsystem Oncological Gynecology (ROGY) Care Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Nicolaije, Kim Ah; Ezendam, Nicole Pm; Pijnenborg, Johanna Ma; Boll, Dorry; Vos, Maria Caroline; Kruitwagen, Roy Fpm; van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V

2016-07-08

The Institute of Medicine recommends Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) for all cancer survivors. However, it is unclear whether certain patient groups may or may not benefit from SCPs. The aim was to assess whether the effects of an automatically generated paper SCP on patients' satisfaction with information provision and care, illness perceptions, and health care utilization were moderated by disease-related Internet use. Twelve hospitals were randomized to either SCP care or usual care in the pragmatic cluster randomized Registrationsystem Oncological GYnecology (ROGY) Care trial. Newly diagnosed endometrial cancer patients completed questionnaires after diagnosis (N=221; response: 74.7%, 221/296), 6 months (n=158), and 12 months (n=147), including patients' satisfaction with information provision and care, illness perceptions, health care utilization (how many times patients visited a medical specialist or primary care physician about their cancer in the past 6 months), and disease-related Internet use (whether patients used the Internet to look for information about cancer). In total, 80 of 221 (36.2%) patients used the Internet to obtain disease-related information. Disease-related Internet use moderated the SCP care effect on the amount of information received about the disease (P=.03) and medical tests (P=.01), helpfulness of the information (P=.01), and how well patients understood their illness (P=.04). All stratified analyses were not statistically significant. However, it appeared that patients who did not seek disease-related information on the Internet in the SCP care arm reported receiving more information about their disease (mean 63.9, SD 20.1 vs mean 58.3, SD 23.7) and medical tests (mean 70.6, SD 23.5 vs mean 64.7, SD 24.9), finding the information more helpful (76.7, SD 22.9 vs mean 67.8, SD 27.2; scale 0-100), and understanding their illness better (mean 6.6, SD 3.0 vs mean 6.1, SD 3.2; scale 1-10) than patients in the usual care arm did. In addition, although all stratified analyses were not significant, patients who did seek disease-related information on the Internet in the SCP care arm appeared to receive less information about their disease (mean 65.7, SD 23.4 vs mean 67.1, SD 20.7) and medical tests (mean 72.4, SD 23.5 vs mean 75.3, SD 21.6), did not find the information more helpful (mean 78.6, SD 21.2 vs mean 76.0, SD 22.0), and reported less understanding of their illness (mean 6.3, SD 2.8 vs mean 7.1, SD 2.7) than patients in the usual care arm did. Paper SCPs appear to improve the amount of information received about the disease and medical tests, the helpfulness of the information, and understanding of the illness for patients who do not search for disease-related information on the Internet. In contrast, paper SCPs do not seem beneficial for patients who do seek disease-related information on the Internet. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01185626; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01185626 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6fpaMXsDn).

Paper-Based Survivorship Care Plans May be Less Helpful for Cancer Patients Who Search for Disease-Related Information on the Internet: Results of the Registrationsystem Oncological Gynecology (ROGY) Care Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Ezendam, Nicole PM; Pijnenborg, Johanna MA; Boll, Dorry; Vos, Maria Caroline; Kruitwagen, Roy FPM; van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V

2016-01-01

Background The Institute of Medicine recommends Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) for all cancer survivors. However, it is unclear whether certain patient groups may or may not benefit from SCPs. Objective The aim was to assess whether the effects of an automatically generated paper SCP on patients’ satisfaction with information provision and care, illness perceptions, and health care utilization were moderated by disease-related Internet use. Methods Twelve hospitals were randomized to either SCP care or usual care in the pragmatic cluster randomized Registrationsystem Oncological GYnecology (ROGY) Care trial. Newly diagnosed endometrial cancer patients completed questionnaires after diagnosis (N=221; response: 74.7%, 221/296), 6 months (n=158), and 12 months (n=147), including patients’ satisfaction with information provision and care, illness perceptions, health care utilization (how many times patients visited a medical specialist or primary care physician about their cancer in the past 6 months), and disease-related Internet use (whether patients used the Internet to look for information about cancer). Results In total, 80 of 221 (36.2%) patients used the Internet to obtain disease-related information. Disease-related Internet use moderated the SCP care effect on the amount of information received about the disease (P=.03) and medical tests (P=.01), helpfulness of the information (P=.01), and how well patients understood their illness (P=.04). All stratified analyses were not statistically significant. However, it appeared that patients who did not seek disease-related information on the Internet in the SCP care arm reported receiving more information about their disease (mean 63.9, SD 20.1 vs mean 58.3, SD 23.7) and medical tests (mean 70.6, SD 23.5 vs mean 64.7, SD 24.9), finding the information more helpful (76.7, SD 22.9 vs mean 67.8, SD 27.2; scale 0-100), and understanding their illness better (mean 6.6, SD 3.0 vs mean 6.1, SD 3.2; scale 1-10) than patients in the usual care arm did. In addition, although all stratified analyses were not significant, patients who did seek disease-related information on the Internet in the SCP care arm appeared to receive less information about their disease (mean 65.7, SD 23.4 vs mean 67.1, SD 20.7) and medical tests (mean 72.4, SD 23.5 vs mean 75.3, SD 21.6), did not find the information more helpful (mean 78.6, SD 21.2 vs mean 76.0, SD 22.0), and reported less understanding of their illness (mean 6.3, SD 2.8 vs mean 7.1, SD 2.7) than patients in the usual care arm did. Conclusions Paper SCPs appear to improve the amount of information received about the disease and medical tests, the helpfulness of the information, and understanding of the illness for patients who do not search for disease-related information on the Internet. In contrast, paper SCPs do not seem beneficial for patients who do seek disease-related information on the Internet. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01185626; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01185626 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6fpaMXsDn) PMID:27392550

Sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein: identification as a new allergen of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon.

PubMed

Shiomi, Kazuo; Sato, Yuichiro; Hamamoto, Shohei; Mita, Hajime; Shimakura, Kuniyoshi

2008-01-01

Tropomyosin and arginine kinase have been identified as crustacean allergens. During purification of arginine kinase from black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, we found a new allergen of 20-kDa. A 20-kDa allergen was purified from the abdominal muscle of black tiger shrimp by salting-out, anion-exchange HPLC and reverse-phase HPLC. Following digestion of the 20-kDa allergen with lysyl endopeptidase, peptide fragments were isolated by reverse-phase HPLC, and 2 of them were sequenced. The 20-kDa allergen, together with tropomyosin and arginine kinase purified from black tiger shrimp, was evaluated for IgE reactivity by ELISA. Five species of crustaceans (kuruma shrimp, American lobster, pink shrimp, king crab and snow crab) were surveyed for the 20-kDa allergen by immunoblotting. The 20-kDa allergen was purified from black tiger shrimp and identified as a sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein (SCP) based on the determined amino acid sequences of 2 enzymatic fragments. Of 16 sera from crustacean-allergic patients, 8 and 13 reacted to SCP and tropomyosin, respectively; the reactivity to arginine kinase was weakly recognized with 10 sera. In immunoblotting, an IgE-reactive 20-kDa protein was also detected in kuruma shrimp, American lobster and pink shrimp but not in 2 species of crab. Preadsorption of the sera with black tiger shrimp SCP abolished the IgE reactivity of the 20-kDa protein, suggesting the 20-kDa protein to be an SCP. SCP is a new crustacean allergen, and distribution of IgE-reactive SCP is probably limited to shrimp and crayfish. (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Scopolamine- and diazepam-induced amnesia are blocked by systemic and intraseptal administration of substance P and choline chloride.

PubMed

Costa, Joseane Carvalho; Costa, Kauê Machado; do Nascimento, José Luiz Martins

2010-09-01

Systemic (IP) and/or intraseptal (IS) administration of scopolamine (SCP) and diazepam (DZP) induce amnesia, whereas IP injection of the neuropeptide substance P (SP) and choline chloride (ChCl) produce memory facilitation. The septohippocampal cholinergic system has been pointed out as a possible site of SCP and DZP-induced amnesia as well as for the mnemonic effects induced by SP and ChCl. We performed a series of experiments in order to investigate the interactions between cholinergic and GABA/benzodiazepine (GABA/BZD) systems with the SPergic system on inhibitory avoidance retention. Male Wistar rats were trained and tested in a step-down inhibitory avoidance task (1.0 mA footshock). Animals received, pre-training, IP (1.0 mg/kg) or IS (1.0 nM/0.5 microl) injection of DZP, SCP (SCP; 1.0 mg/kg - IP or 0.5 microM/0.5 microl--IS) or vehicle (VEH). Immediately after training they received an IP or IS injections of SP 1-11 (50 microg/kg--IP or 1.0 nM/0.5 microl--IS), SP 1-7 (167 microg/kg--IP or 1.0 nM/0.5 microl--IS), ChCl (20 mg/kg--IP or 0.3 microM/0.5 microl--IS) or VEH. Rats pretreated with SCP and DZP showed amnesia. Post-trial treatments with SP 1-11, SP 1-7 or ChCl blocked the amnesic effects of SCP and DZP. These findings suggest an interaction between SPergic and cholinergic mechanisms with GABAergic systems in the modulation of inhibitory avoidance retention and that the effects of these treatments are mediated, at least in part, by interactions in the septohippocampal pathway. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The smallest capsid protein mediates binding of the essential tegument protein pp150 to stabilize DNA-containing capsids in human cytomegalovirus.

PubMed

Dai, Xinghong; Yu, Xuekui; Gong, Hao; Jiang, Xiaohong; Abenes, Gerrado; Liu, Hongrong; Shivakoti, Sakar; Britt, William J; Zhu, Hua; Liu, Fenyong; Zhou, Z Hong

2013-08-01

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that causes birth defects in newborns and life-threatening complications in immunocompromised individuals. Among all human herpesviruses, HCMV contains a much larger dsDNA genome within a similarly-sized capsid compared to the others, and it was proposed to require pp150, a tegument protein only found in cytomegaloviruses, to stabilize its genome-containing capsid. However, little is known about how pp150 interacts with the underlying capsid. Moreover, the smallest capsid protein (SCP), while dispensable in herpes simplex virus type 1, was shown to play essential, yet undefined, role in HCMV infection. Here, by cryo electron microscopy (cryoEM), we determine three-dimensional structures of HCMV capsid (no pp150) and virion (with pp150) at sub-nanometer resolution. Comparison of these two structures reveals that each pp150 tegument density is composed of two helix bundles connected by a long central helix. Correlation between the resolved helices and sequence-based secondary structure prediction maps the tegument density to the N-terminal half of pp150. The structures also show that SCP mediates interactions between the capsid and pp150 at the upper helix bundle of pp150. Consistent with this structural observation, ribozyme inhibition of SCP expression in HCMV-infected cells impairs the formation of DNA-containing viral particles and reduces viral yield by 10,000 fold. By cryoEM reconstruction of the resulting "SCP-deficient" viral particles, we further demonstrate that SCP is required for pp150 functionally binding to the capsid. Together, our structural and biochemical results point to a mechanism whereby SCP recruits pp150 to stabilize genome-containing capsid for the production of infectious HCMV virion.

The state of cancer survivorship programming in Commission on Cancer-accredited hospitals in Georgia.

PubMed

Kirsch, Logan J; Patterson, Angela; Lipscomb, Joseph

2015-03-01

In Georgia, there are more than 356,000 cancer survivors. Although many encounter challenges as a result of treatment, there is limited data on the availability of survivorship programming. This paper highlights findings from two surveys assessing survivorship care in Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited hospitals in Georgia. In 2010, 38 CoC-accredited hospitals were approached to complete a 36-item survey exploring knowledge of national standards and use of survivorship care plans (SCPs), treatment summaries (TSs), and psychosocial assessment tools. In 2012, 37 CoC-accredited hospitals were asked to complete a similar 21-item survey. Seventy-nine percent (n = 30) of cancer centers completed the 2010 survey. Sixty percent (n = 18) reported having a cancer survivorship program in place or in development. Forty-three percent (n = 13) provided survivors with a SCP and 40% (n = 12) a TS. Sixty percent (n = 18) reported either never or rarely using a psychosocial assessment tool. Sixty-two percent (n = 23) completed the 2012 survey. Ninety-six percent (n = 22) were aware of the new CoC guideline 3.3. Thirty-nine percent (n = 9) provided a SCP and/or TS. Eighty-seven percent (n = 20) stated they were very confident or somewhat confident their organization could implement a SCP and/or TS by 2015. The data indicated the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility for survivorship care. Broad implementation of SCPs and TSs can help address the late and long-term effects of treatment. Increasing knowledge on survivorship care is imperative as the Georgia oncology community engages oncologists and primary care providers to achieve higher quality of life for all survivors.

Production of single cell protein from agro-waste using Rhodococcus opacus.

PubMed

Mahan, Kristina M; Le, Rosemary K; Wells, Tyrone; Anderson, Seth; Yuan, Joshua S; Stoklosa, Ryan J; Bhalla, Aditya; Hodge, David B; Ragauskas, Arthur J

2018-06-18

Livestock and fish farming are rapidly growing industries facing the simultaneous pressure of increasing production demands and limited protein required to produce feed. Bacteria that can convert low-value non-food waste streams into singe cell protein (SCP) present an intriguing route for rapid protein production. The oleaginous bacterium Rhodococcus opacus serves as a model organism for understanding microbial lipid production. SCP production has not been explored using an organism from this genus. In the present research, R. opacus strains DSM 1069 and PD630 were fed three agro-waste streams: (1) orange pulp, juice, and peel; (2) lemon pulp, juice, and peel; and (3) corn stover effluent, to determine if these low-cost substrates would be suitable for producing a value-added product, SCP for aquafarming or livestock feed. Both strains used agro-waste carbon sources as a growth substrate to produce protein-rich cell biomass suggesting that that R. opacus can be used to produce SCP using agro-wastes as low-cost substrates.

It Takes Two: Sexual Communication Patterns and the Sexual and Relational Adjustment of Couples Coping With Provoked Vestibulodynia.

PubMed

Rancourt, Kate M; Flynn, Michelle; Bergeron, Sophie; Rosen, Natalie O

2017-03-01

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that is associated with sexual and relational consequences for women and their partners. Greater perceived quality of sexual communication has been associated with women's lower pain during intercourse and with couples' better sexual and relational well-being. Whether couples' collaborative (eg, expressing feelings or problem solving) and negative (eg, withdrawing or criticizing) sexual communication patterns (SCPs) are differentially associated with couples' adjustment to PVD is unknown. To examine associations between collaborative and negative SCPs and women's pain and the sexual and relationship adjustment of women with PVD and their partners. Women diagnosed with PVD (N = 87) and their partners completed the Sexual Communication Patterns Questionnaire and measurements of pain (women only), sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, sexual distress, and relationship satisfaction. (i) Numerical rating scale of pain during intercourse, (ii) Female Sexual Function Index and International Index of Erectile Function, (iii) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction, (iv) Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised, and (v) Couple Satisfaction Index. When women reported greater collaborative SCP, they also reported higher sexual and relationship satisfaction. When women reported greater negative SCP, they reported less relationship satisfaction and had partners who reported greater sexual distress. When partners reported greater collaborative SCP, they also reported higher relationship satisfaction and had female partners who were less sexually distressed. When partners reported higher negative SCP, they also reported less relationship satisfaction. There were no associations between SCP and women's or partners' sexual functioning or women's pain. Collaborative SCP may benefit couples' sexual and relational well-being, whereas negative SCP may impede sexual and relational adjustment to PVD. Findings provide preliminary support for the need to assess and target collaborative and negative SCPs in psychological interventions for couples affected by PVD. Rancourt KM, Flynn M, Bergeron S, Rosen NO. It Takes Two: Sexual Communication Patterns and the Sexual and Relational Adjustment of Couples Coping With Provoked Vestibulodynia. J Sex Med 2017;14:434-443. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Homogeneous Polysaccharide from Fructus Schisandra chinensis (Turz.) Baill Induces Mitochondrial Apoptosis through the Hsp90/AKT Signalling Pathway in HepG2 Cells.

PubMed

Chen, Yonglin; Shi, Songshan; Wang, Huijun; Li, Ning; Su, Juan; Chou, Guixin; Wang, Shunchun

2016-06-28

According to the potential anti-hepatoma therapeutic effect of Schisandra chinensis polysaccharides presented in previous studies, a bioactive constituent, homogeneous Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide-0-1 (SCP-0-1), molecular weight (MW) circa 69.980 kDa, was isolated and purified. We assessed the efficacy of SCP-0-1 against human hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells to investigate the effects of its antitumour activity and molecular mechanisms. Anticancer activity was evaluated using microscopy, 3-[4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, Hoechst 33258 staining, acridine orange (AO) staining, flow cytometry (FCM), and cell-cycle analysis. SCP-0-1 inhibited the HepG2 cells' growth via inducing apoptosis and second gap/mitosis (G2/M) arrest dose-dependently, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 479.63 µg/mL. Western blotting of key proteins revealed the apoptotic and autophagic potential of SCP-0-1. Besides, SCP-0-1 upregulated Bcl-2 Associated X Protein (Bax) and downregulated B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) in the HepG2 cells. The expression of caspase-3, -8, and -9; poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP); cytochrome c (Cyt C); tumor protein 53 (p53); survivin; sequestosome 1 (p62); microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain-3B (LC3B); mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 (p38); extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK); c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK); protein kinase B (AKT); and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) were evaluated using Western blotting. Our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism through which SCP-0-1 exerts its antiproliferative activity and induces mitochondrial apoptosis rather than autophagy. The induction of mitochondrial apoptosis was attributed to the inhibition of the Hsp90/AKT signalling pathway in an extracellular signal-regulated kinase-independent manner. The results also provide initial evidence on a molecular basis that SCP-0-1 can be used as an anti-hepatocellular carcinoma therapeutic agent in the future.

SU-E-T-414: Experimental Correction of High-Z Electrode Effect in Mini-Ionization Chambers for Small Beam Dosimetry

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

Larraga-Gutierrez, J

Purpose: To correct for the over-response of mini-ionization chambers with high-Z central electrodes. The hypothesis is that by applying a negative/reverse voltage, it is possible to suppress the signal generated in the high-Z central electrode by low-energy photons. Methods: The mini-ionization chambers used in the experiments were a PTW-31014, PTW-31006 and IBA-CC01. The PTW-31014 has an aluminum central electrode while the PTW-31006 and IBA-CC01 have a steel one. Total scatter factors (Scp) were measured for a 6 MV photon beam down to a square field size of 0.5 cm. The measurements were performed in water at 10 cm depth withmore » SAD of 100 cm. The Scp were measured with the dosimeters with +400V bias voltage. In the case of the PTW-31006 and IBA-CC01, the measurements were repeated with −400V bias voltage. Also, the field factors in water were calculated with Monte Carlo simulations for comparison. Results: The measured Scp at +400V with the PTW-31006 and IBA-CC01 detectors were in agreement within 0.2% down to a field size of 1.5 cm. Both dosimeters shown a systematic difference about 2.5% with the Scp measured with the PTW-31014 and the Monte Carlo calculated field factors. The measured Scp at −400V with the PTW-31006 and IBA-CC01 detectors were in close agreement with the PTW-31014 measured Scp and the field factors within 0.3 and 1.0%, respectively. In the case of the IBA-CC01 it was found a good agreement (1%) down to field size of 1.0 cm. All the dosimeters shown differences up to 17% between the measured Scp and the field factor for the 0.5 cm field size. Conclusion: By applying a negative/reverse voltage to the mini-ionization chambers with high-Z central electrode it was possible to correct for their over-response to low energy photons.« less

Survivorship care plans: are randomized controlled trials assessing outcomes that are relevant to stakeholders?

PubMed

Birken, Sarah A; Urquhart, Robin; Munoz-Plaza, Corrine; Zizzi, Alexandra R; Haines, Emily; Stover, Angela; Mayer, Deborah K; Hahn, Erin E

2018-03-23

The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes assessed in extant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to outcomes that stakeholders expect from survivorship care plans (SCPs). To facilitate the transition from active treatment to follow-up care for the 15.5 million US cancer survivors, many organizations require SCP use. However, results of several RCTs of SCPs' effectiveness have been null, possibly because they have evaluated outcomes on which SCPs should be expected to have limited influence. Stakeholders (e.g., survivors, oncologists) may expect outcomes that differ from RCTs' outcomes. We identified RCTs' outcomes using a PubMed literature review. We identified outcomes that stakeholders expect from SCPs using semistructured interviews with stakeholders in three healthcare systems in the USA and Canada. Finally, we mapped RCTs' outcomes onto stakeholder-identified outcomes. RCT outcomes did not fully address outcomes that stakeholders expected from SCPs, and RCTs assessed outcomes that stakeholders did not expect from SCPs. RCTs often assessed outcomes only from survivors' perspectives. RCTs of SCPs' effectiveness have not assessed outcomes that stakeholders expect. To better understand SCPs' effectiveness, future RCTs should assess outcomes of SCP use that are relevant from the perspective of multiple stakeholders. SCPs' effectiveness may be optimized when used with an eye toward outcomes that stakeholders expect from SCPs. For survivors, this means using SCPs as a map to guide them with respect to what kind of follow-up care they should seek, when they should seek it, and from whom they should seek it.

Synthesis and structural characterization of oaklin-catechins.

PubMed

Sousa, André; Fernandes, Ana; Mateus, Nuno; De Freitas, Victor

2012-02-15

Condensation reactions of procyanidin dimer B4 with two representative oak wood cinnamic aldehydes (coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde) were conducted in winelike model solutions. Coniferaldehyde led to the formation of guaiacylcatechin-pyrylium-catechin (GCP-catechin, 737 m/z), whereas sinapaldehyde led to the formation of syringylcatechin-pyrylium-catechin (SCP-catechin, 767 m/z). The former was also structurally characterized by 1D and 2D NMR, allowing an elucidation of the formation mechanism of these oaklin-catechin adducts and demonstrating the importance of procyanidins in the formation of colored compounds through the reaction with cinnamic aldehydes extracted from oaks during storage.

Outcomes assessment of a pharmacist-directed seamless care program in an ambulatory oncology clinic.

PubMed

Edwards, Scott J; Abbott, Rick; Edwards, Jonathan; LeBlanc, Michael; Dranitsaris, George; Donnan, Jennifer; Laing, Kara; Whelan, Maria A; MacKinnon, Neil J

2014-02-01

The primary goal of seamless care is improved patient outcomes and improved standards of care for patients with cancer. The pharmacy service of the Newfoundland Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation conducted a randomized control study that measured clinical and humanistic outcomes of a pharmacist-directed seamless care program in an ambulatory oncology clinic. This article focuses on the intervention group, particularly the identification of drug-related problems (DRPs) and utilization of health care services as well the satisfaction of 3 types of health professionals with the services provided by the pharmacist-directed seamless care program. Overall, the seamless care pharmacist (SCP) identified an average of 3.7 DRPs per intervention patient; the most common DRP reported was a patient not receiving or taking a drug therapy for which there is an indication. The SCP identified more DRPs in patients receiving adjuvant treatment compared to those receiving palliative treatment. On average, family physicians, oncology nurses, and hospital pharmacists were satisfied with the SCP intervention indicating that they agreed the information collected and distributed by the SCP was useful to them. Pharmacist-directed seamless care services in an ambulatory oncology clinic have a significant impact on clinical outcomes and processes of patient care. The presence of a SCP can help identify and resolve DRPs experienced by patients in an outpatient oncology clinic, ensuring that patients are receiving the highest standard of care.

Freezing induces a loss of freeze tolerance in an overwintering insect.

PubMed

Brown, C L; Bale, J S; Walters, K F A

2004-07-22

Cold-hardy insects overwinter by one of two main strategies: freeze tolerance and freeze avoidance by supercooling. As a general model, many freeze-tolerant species overwinter in extreme climates, freeze above -10 degrees C via induction by ice-nucleating agents, and once frozen, can survive at temperatures of up to 40 degrees C or more below the initial freezing temperature or supercooling point (SCP). It has been assumed that the SCP of freeze-tolerant insects is unaffected by the freezing process and that the freeze-tolerant state is therefore retained in winter though successive freeze-thaw cycles of the body tissues and fluids. Studies on the freeze-tolerant larva of the hoverfly Syrphus ribesii reveal this assumption to be untrue. When a sample with a mean 'first freeze' SCP of -7.6 degrees C (range of -5 degrees C to -9.5 degrees C) were cooled, either to -10 degrees C or to their individual SCP, on five occasions, the mean SCP was significantly depressed, with some larvae subsequently freezing as low as -28 degrees C. Only larvae that froze at the same consistently high temperature above -10 degrees C were alive after being frozen five times. The wider occurrence of this phenomenon would require a fundamental reassessment of the dynamics and distinctions of the freeze-tolerant and freeze-avoiding strategies of insect overwintering. Copyright 2004 The Royal Society

A flexible ontology for inference of emergent whole cell function from relationships between subcellular processes.

PubMed

Hansen, Jens; Meretzky, David; Woldesenbet, Simeneh; Stolovitzky, Gustavo; Iyengar, Ravi

2017-12-18

Whole cell responses arise from coordinated interactions between diverse human gene products functioning within various pathways underlying sub-cellular processes (SCP). Lower level SCPs interact to form higher level SCPs, often in a context specific manner to give rise to whole cell function. We sought to determine if capturing such relationships enables us to describe the emergence of whole cell functions from interacting SCPs. We developed the Molecular Biology of the Cell Ontology based on standard cell biology and biochemistry textbooks and review articles. Currently, our ontology contains 5,384 genes, 753 SCPs and 19,180 expertly curated gene-SCP associations. Our algorithm to populate the SCPs with genes enables extension of the ontology on demand and the adaption of the ontology to the continuously growing cell biological knowledge. Since whole cell responses most often arise from the coordinated activity of multiple SCPs, we developed a dynamic enrichment algorithm that flexibly predicts SCP-SCP relationships beyond the current taxonomy. This algorithm enables us to identify interactions between SCPs as a basis for higher order function in a context dependent manner, allowing us to provide a detailed description of how SCPs together can give rise to whole cell functions. We conclude that this ontology can, from omics data sets, enable the development of detailed SCP networks for predictive modeling of emergent whole cell functions.

Advanced Computer Aids in the Planning and Execution of Air Warfare and Ground Strike Operations: Conference Proceedings, Meeting of the Avionics Panels of AGARD (51st) Held in Kongsberg, Norway on 12-16 May 1986

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-01

the area of Artificial Intelligence (At). DARPA’s Strategic Computing Program 13 developing an At ýtchnology base upon which several applications...technologies with the Strategic Computing Program . In late 1983 the Strategic Computing Program (SCP) wes announced. The program was organizsd to develop...solving a resource allocation problem. The remainder of this paper will discuss the TEMPLAR progeam as it relates to the Strategic Computing Program

Using the surface charge profiler for in-line monitoring of doping concentration in silicon epitaxial wafer manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tower, Joshua P.; Kamieniecki, Emil; Nguyen, M. C.; Danel, Adrien

1999-08-01

The Surface Charge Profiler (SCP) has been introduced for monitoring and development of silicon epitaxial processes. The SCP measures the near-surface doping concentration and offers advantages that lead to yield enhancement in several ways. First, non-destructive measurement technology enables in-line process monitoring, eliminating the need to sacrifice production wafers for resistivity measurements. Additionally, the full-wafer mapping capability helps in development of improved epitaxial growth processes and early detection of reactor problems. As examples, we present the use of SCP to study the effects of susceptor degradation in barrel reactors and to study autodoping for development of improved dopant uniformity.

Supernova Cosmology Project

Science.gov Websites

<= Back to SCP Home Page Discovery of Unusual Optical Transient with the Hubble Space Telescope observations of SCP 06F6, an unusual optical transient discovered during the Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. The transient brightened over a period of ~100 days, reached a peak magnitude of ~21.0 in

Modeling cold tolerance in the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae

Treesearch

Jacques Regniere; Barbara Bentz

2007-01-01

Cold-induced mortality is a key factor driving mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, population dynamics. In this species, the supercooling point (SCP) is representative of mortality induced by acute cold exposure. Mountain pine beetle SCP and associated cold-induced mortality fluctuate throughout a generation, with the highest SCPs prior to and following...

Effects of Shuttlecock-Playing on Physical Fitness in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Tingran; Luo, Jiong

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the exercise intensity and the physical fitness effect of shuttlecock playing. 18 normal body weight college students voluntarily participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to shuttlecock playing (SCP) and control groups. The SCP underwent a 15-week shuttlecock-playing program, but the…

Democratising Turkey through Student-Centred Pedagogy: Opportunities and Pitfalls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altinyelken, Hülya Kosar

2015-01-01

Global reform talk on pedagogy has been converging around student-centred pedagogy (SCP) in recent decades. One of the significant appeals of this pedagogical model is its democratisation potentials. This article seeks to empirically study SCP's role in democratising learning and promoting social democratisation by taking the case of Turkey, a…

Minimising farm crop protection pressure supported by the multiple functionalities of the DISCUSS indicator set.

PubMed

Wustenberghs, Hilde; Fevery, Davina; Lauwers, Ludwig; Marchand, Fleur; Spanoghe, Pieter

2018-03-15

Sustainable crop protection (SCP) has many facets. Farmers may therefore perceive transition to SCP as very complex. The Dual Indicator Set for Crop Protection Sustainability (DISCUSS) can handle this complexity. To provide targeted support throughout the transition to SCP, complexity capture must be synchronised with the time course of on-farm decision-making. Tool use must be tuned to farmer awareness and appropriate level of data in consecutive stages. This paper thus explores the potential functionalities of DISCUSS in relation to both complexity and time. Results from apple and potato crop protection show three potential functions: DISCUSS can be used as (1) a simulation tool for communication and decision support, (2) an assessment and monitoring tool, and (3) a discussion support tool for farmer groups. Analysis of these functionalities using a framework for guiding on-farm sustainability assessment and strategic decision-making shows how each functionality can support the consecutive steps of transition to SCP, i.e. using the right tool functionality at the right time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the mechanism of zirconium nitride formation by zirconium, zirconia and yttria burning in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malikova, Ekaterina; Pautova, Julia; Gromov, Alexander; Monogarov, Konstantin; Larionov, Kirill; Teipel, Ulrich

2015-10-01

The combustion of Zr and (Zr+ZrO2) powdery mixtures in air was accompanied by major ZrN stabilization. The synthesis of cheap ZrN with the high yield in air was facile and utile. The influence of Y2O3 additive on the content of ZrN the solid combustion products (SCP) was investigated. The reagents and SCP were analyzed by BET, DTA-TGA, XRD, SEM and EDS. Burning temperature was measured by thermal imager. The yield of ZrN in the SCP has been varied by the time regulation of the combustion process. The burning samples were quenched at a certain time to avoid the re-oxidation of the obtained ZrN by oxygen. The quenching of the burned (Zr+ZrO2) samples with the Y2O3 additive was allowed increasing the ZrN yield in SCP up to 66 wt%. The chemical mechanism of ZrN formation in air was discussed and the probable source of ZrN massive formation is suggested.

Efficacy comparison of scopolamine and diazepam against soman-induced debilitation in guinea pigs

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

Anderson, D.R.; Gennings, C.; Carter, W.H.

1994-12-31

The efficacy of diazepam (DZ) and scopolamine (SCP), in combination with atropine (ATR) + oxime therapy, against soman-induced seizure/convulsive activity and associated brain damage has been demonstrated, but the efficacy of each against the incapacitating effects of soman has not been addressed. Thus, the therapeutic efficacies of SCP (5 doses; 0-0.86 mg/kg) and DZ (5 doses; 0-5 mg/kg), when each was used in conjunction with ATR (3 doses; 0.5-8 mg/kg) + 2-PAM (25 mg/kg) therapy, were compared in groups of pyridostigmine pretreated guinea pigs exposed to 1.6, 2.0, 2.5, or 3.2 LD5Os of soman. Response surface methodology was employed tomore » describe the relationship between soman-induced incapacitation and the ATR/DZ or ATRISCP dosages. Incapacitation was measured by toxicity scores assigned by three graders to test animals at 60 min postsoman. Results show that as the dosage of SCP increased, the mean toxicity scores decreased. Also, within the indicated dose ranges used, the efficacy of SCP was not dependent on the presence of ATR. In contrast, ATR alone was found to be more effective than when combined with DZ at any dose, and indicates that DZ might be temporarily contributing to soman-induced incapacitation. These findings suggest that in guinea pigs, SCP could replace ATR or DZ, or both, as therapy against soman-induced incapacitation.« less

Dephosphorylation of the linker regions of Smad1 and Smad2/3 by small C-terminal domain phosphatases has distinct outcomes for bone morphogenetic protein and transforming growth factor-beta pathways.

PubMed

Sapkota, Gopal; Knockaert, Marie; Alarcón, Claudio; Montalvo, Ermelinda; Brivanlou, Ali H; Massagué, Joan

2006-12-29

Smad proteins transduce bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) signals upon phosphorylation of their C-terminal SXS motif by receptor kinases. The activity of Smad1 in the BMP pathway and Smad2/3 in the TGFbeta pathway is restricted by pathway cross-talk and feedback through protein kinases, including MAPK, CDK2/4, p38MAPK, JNK, and others. These kinases phosphorylate Smads 1-3 at the region that links the N-terminal DNA-binding domain and the C-terminal transcriptional domain. Phosphatases that dephosphorylate the linker region are therefore likely to play an integral part in the regulation of Smad activity. We reported previously that small C-terminal domain phosphatases 1, 2, and 3 (SCP1-3) dephosphorylate Smad1 C-terminal tail, thereby attenuating BMP signaling. Here we provide evidence that SCP1-3 also dephosphorylate the linker regions of Smad1 and Smad2/3 in vitro, in mammalian cells and in Xenopus embryos. Overexpression of SCP 1, 2, or 3 decreased linker phosphorylation of Smads 1, 2 and 3. Moreover, RNA interference-mediated knockdown of SCP1/2 increased the BMP-dependent phosphorylation of the Smad1 linker region as well as the C terminus. In contrast, SCP1/2 knockdown increased the TGFbeta-dependent linker phosphorylation of Smad2/3 but not the C-terminal phosphorylation. Consequently, SCP1/2 knockdown inhibited TGFbeta transcriptional responses, but it enhanced BMP transcriptional responses. Thus, by dephosphorylating Smad2/3 at the linker (inhibitory) but not the C-terminal (activating) site, the SCPs enhance TGFbeta signaling, and by dephosphorylating Smad1 at both sites, the SCPs reset Smad1 to the basal unphosphorylated state.

Sustained availability of trimethoprim in drinking water to achieve higher plasma sulphonamide-trimethoprim antibacterial activity in broilers.

PubMed

Sumano, H; Hernandez, L; Gutierrez, L; Bernad-Bernad, M J

2005-02-01

(1) In order to make trimethoprim (TMP) available to broilers throughout the day, a sustained release formulation (SRF) of the drug in the form of granules was added to the water tank that supplies drinking water. (2) Broilers were initially dosed with sulphachloropiridazine-TMP (SCP-TMP 5:1) and then further medicated throughout the day, achieving in the end a dose of 30 mg/kg each of SCP and TMP (group A). Group B received a preparation with the same dose of SCP and TMP (1:1) as group A, but administered as a single dose without the SRF of TMP. Group C received the customary SCP-TMP 5:1 preparation (30 and 6 mg/kg, respectively). Water tanks were completely consumed in 3 to 4 h. (3) Broilers were bled at different times and concentration of antibacterial activity in serum determined by correlating the composite antibacterial activity of SCP and TMP with actual concentrations of these drugs by means of a microbiological agar diffusion assay. (4) Time vs serum concentrations of activity were higher in group B; the increments in the maximum serum concentration for group B over groups A and C being 39 and 67%, respectively. (5) However, the sustained concentration of activity over time, measured as the area under the cu)rve, was highest in group A. Group B had higher values for area under the curve than group C. (6) An additional dose of TMP to achieve 30 mg/kg of both SCP and TMP improves the serum concentration of this combination over the customary 5:1 proportion. The best values for sustaining antibacterial activity were obtained using a 1:1 ratio as in group A. The use of a SRF as in group A may translate into better clinical results.

Analyzing esophageal squamous cell papillomas for the presence of human papilloma virüs.

PubMed

Tiftikçi, Arzu; Kutsal, Eser; Altıok, Ender; İnce, Ümit; Çicek, Bahattin; Saruç, Murat; Türkel, Nurten; Ersoy, Özdal; Yenmiş, Güven; Tözün, Nurdan

2017-05-01

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection can be a predisposing condition for the development of squamous cell papilloma (SCP) of the esophagus, which can progress to dysplasia and to carcinoma as a result of chronic infection. The aim of the present study was to search for the presence of HPV in the esophageal SCP, and to genotype the detected HPV. Data from patients with definite diagnosis of SCP of the esophagus were identified from pathology records for two years period at different Hospitals. Slides from each patient were reviewed and samples with satisfactory papilloma tissues were submitted to molecular analysis. DNA has been isolated. DNA sequencing has been performed for genotyping HPV for all types. Our study group consisted of 21 women and 17 men (a total of 38 patients), mean age was 41 years (range 17-67 years). Most of the papillomas were located at mid-esophagus (68%). Eight out of 38 patients (21%) had associated erosive esophagitis, and fourteen patients (36.8%) had Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori). Of the 38 SCP analyzed, seven (19%) were positive for HPV DNA. Three of them were of genotype 6, whereas four were of genotype 16, 18, 31, 81 that are known as highly oncogenic. There were no correlations between the presence of HPV and the patient's age, the presence of reflux esophagitis or H. pylori, smoking habit and the location of the papillomas. The presence of high-risk type HPV in esophageal SCP may implicate a role of the virus in the pathogenesis of the esophageal tumor.

Aging Field Collected Aedes aegypti to Determine Their Capacity for Dengue Transmission in the Southwestern United States

PubMed Central

Joy, Teresa K.; Jeffrey Gutierrez, Eileen H.; Ernst, Kacey; Walker, Kathleen R.; Carriere, Yves; Torabi, Mohammad; Riehle, Michael A.

2012-01-01

Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of dengue virus, is well established throughout urban areas of the Southwestern US, including Tucson, AZ. Local transmission of the dengue virus, however, has not been reported in this area. Although many factors influence the distribution of the dengue virus, we hypothesize that one contributing factor is that the lifespan of female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in the Southwestern US is too short for the virus to complete development and be transmitted to a new host. To test this we utilized two age grading techniques. First, we determined parity by analyzing ovarian tracheation and found that only 40% of Ae. aegypti females collected in Tucson, AZ were parous. The second technique determined transcript levels of an age-associated gene, Sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein 1 (SCP-1). SCP-1 expression decreased in a predictable manner as the age of mosquitoes increased regardless of rearing conditions and reproductive status. We developed statistical models based on parity and SCP-1 expression to determine the age of individual, field collected mosquitoes within three age brackets: nonvectors (0–5 days post-emergence), unlikely vectors (6–14 days post-emergence), and potential vectors (15+ days post-emergence). The statistical models allowed us to accurately group individual wild mosquitoes into the three age brackets with high confidence. SCP-1 expression levels of individual, field collected mosquitoes were analyzed in conjunction with parity status. Based on SCP-1 transcript levels and parity data, 9% of collected mosquitoes survived more than 15 days post emergence. PMID:23077536

Co-Creating the Society of Counseling Psychology with Early Career Psychologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oh, Katharine Hahn

2012-01-01

This reaction article values the Major Contribution as an opportunity to hear the voices of ECPs who do not feel included in the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP) and to engage in dialogue about the SCP as an organization. This response employs Gestalt theories of field and dialogue to understand how all members and affiliates of the SCP…

A Retrospective Study of a Scientist in the Classroom Partnership Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ufnar, Jennifer A.; Bolger, Molly; Shepherd, Virginia L.

2017-01-01

The Scientist in the Classroom Partnership (SCP) is a unique, long-term program that partners STEM fellows with K-12 teachers. The SCP was adapted from the original NSF GK-12 model, with fellows and teachers working in the summer and academic year to build their partnership and design and coteach inquiry-based STEM curricula. The current study is…

Two-track virtual screening approach to identify both competitive and allosteric inhibitors of human small C-terminal domain phosphatase 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hwangseo; Lee, Hye Seon; Ku, Bonsu; Lee, Sang-Rae; Kim, Seung Jun

2017-08-01

Despite a wealth of persuasive evidence for the involvement of human small C-terminal domain phosphatase 1 (Scp1) in the impairment of neuronal differentiation and in Huntington's disease, small-molecule inhibitors of Scp1 have been rarely reported so far. This study aims to the discovery of both competitive and allosteric Scp1 inhibitors through the two-track virtual screening procedure. By virtue of the improvement of the scoring function by implementing a new molecular solvation energy term and by reoptimizing the atomic charges for the active-site Mg2+ ion cluster, we have been able to identify three allosteric and five competitive Scp1 inhibitors with low-micromolar inhibitory activity. Consistent with the results of kinetic studies on the inhibitory mechanisms, the allosteric inhibitors appear to be accommodated in the peripheral binding pocket through the hydrophobic interactions with the nonpolar residues whereas the competitive ones bind tightly in the active site with a direct coordination to the central Mg2+ ion. Some structural modifications to improve the biochemical potency of the newly identified inhibitors are proposed based on the binding modes estimated with docking simulations.

Relationship of white matter lesions and severity of pushing behavior after stroke.

PubMed

Fujino, Yuji; Amimoto, Kazu; Sugimoto, Satoshi; Fukata, Kazuhiro; Inoue, Masahide; Uchino, Akira; Takahashi, Hidetoshi; Makita, Shigeru

2017-12-01

[Purpose] The relationship between white matter lesions (WMLs) and pushing behavior (PB) is still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether damage from WMLs affects the functional outcome of PB after acute stroke. [Subjects and Methods] In total, 37 patients were included. PB was assessed using the standardized Scale for Contraversive Pushing (SCP). Stroke types were classified as total anterior circulation infarct (TACI), partial anterior circulation infarct (PACI), or lacunar syndrome using the Bamford classification. WML severity was categorized into four groups using the Fazekas visual scale. Thereafter, patients were divided into 4 groups according to the stroke type and/or presence of WMLs. The SCP, Trunk Control Test (TCT), Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS), and Barthel Index were the outcome measures. [Results] The SCP and TCT in patients with PACI without WMLs were better than those in patients with TACI with or without WMLs. Regarding SCP, TCT, and SIAS, patients with TACI had poorer values compared with PACI, regardless of WML severity. Barthel Index efficiency was not significantly different between the groups. [Conclusion] Our results suggest that moderate to severe WMLs and PACI had a relationship with PB severity and truncal balance.

Distribution of sulfonamides in liquid and solid anaerobic digestates: effects of hydraulic retention time and swine manure to rice straw ratio.

PubMed

Jin, Hongmei; Xu, Caiyun; Du, Jing; Wu, Huashan; Huang, Hongying; Chang, Zhizhou; Xu, Yueding; Zhou, Lixiang

2017-02-01

The effects of hydraulic retention time (20 and 15 days) and swine manure to rice straw ratios on distribution of sulfonamides (SAs) in liquid and solid anaerobic digestates were studied using bench-scale completely stirred tank reactors at (37 ± 1) °C. Results showed that anaerobic digestion (AD) treatment exhibited a good removal effect on sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfadimidine (SM2) and sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), especially at HRT = 20 days and co-digestion with swine manure and rice straw. The removal rates of SDZ and SM2 were more than 90%, but only 72.8% for SCP. The residual SAs were mainly remained in solid digestates, with residual rates ranging from 28.8% to 71.3%, 40.6% to 88.0, and 82.7% to 97.0% for SDZ, SM2 and SCP, respectively. Due to lower pKa and higher log K ow of SCP, its residue in solid digestates was far more than SDZ and SM2. Higher HRT and co-digestion could improve the degradation of SAs, which can also be put down to the occurrence of cometabolism of SAs and COD.

Comparison of virulence factors and capsular types of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from human and bovine infections.

PubMed

Emaneini, Mohammad; Khoramian, Babak; Jabalameli, Fereshteh; Abani, Samira; Dabiri, Hossein; Beigverdi, Reza

2016-02-01

Streptococcus agalactiae is a leading cause of human and bovine infections. A total of 194 S. agalactiae isolates, 55 isolates from bovines and 139 from humans, were analyzed for capsular types, virulence genes (scpB, hly, rib, bca and bac) and mobile genetic elements (IS1548 and GBSi1) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR. Capsular type III was predominant (61%), followed by types V, II, Ib, and IV. The scpB, hly, bca and bac virulence genes were only found among human isolates. Twelve and 2 distinct virulence gene profiles were identified among human and bovine isolates respectively. The virulence gene profiles scpB- hly- IS1548- rib-bca (51%) and scpB- hly- IS1548- bca (19%) were only predominant among human isolates. The rib gene was the most common virulence gene in both human and bovine isolates. The study showed a high prevalence of virulence genes in S. agalactiae strains isolated from human infections, these result can support the idea that S. agalactiae isolated from humans and bovines are generally unrelated and probably belonged to separate populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Expansion of secretory cells in the fallopian tubal epithelium in the early stages of the pathogenesis of ovarian serous carcinomas].

PubMed

Asaturova, A V; Ezhova, L S; Faizullina, N M; Adamyan, L V; Khabas, G N; Sannikova, M V

to investigate the frequency of the types of fallopian tubal secretory cell expansion (SCE) in diseases of the reproductive organs and to determine the immunophenotype and biological role of the cells in the early stages of the pathogenesis of high-grade ovarian serous carcinomas (HGOSC). The investigation enrolled 287 patients with extraovarian diseases and ovarian serous tumors varying in grade, whose fallopian tubes were morphologically and immunohistochemically examined using p53, Ki-67, PAX2, Bcl-2, beta-catenin, and ALDH1 markers. The material was statistically processed applying the Mann-Whitney test and χ2 test. The rate of secretory cell proliferation (SCP) (more than 10 consecutive secretory cells) and that of secretory cell overgrowth (SCO) (more than 30 consecutive secretory cells) increase with age in all investigated reproductive system diseases. The rate of SCP in the corpus fimbriatum of the patients with HGOSC was 5.9 times higher than that in those with extraovarian disease (p<0.01); when comparing the same patient groups, that of SCO was 3.4 times higher (p<0.05). The immunohistochemical characteristics of the investigated lesions (in scores) were as follows: PAX2 was expressed in the intact epithelium (2.8), in SCP (1.3), in SCO (1.2), in serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) (1.0), and in HGOSC (0.9); Bcl-2 was in the intact epithelium (2.2), in SCP (2.1), STIC (0.9), and in HGOSC (0.6), β-catenin was in the intact epithelium (0.5), in SCP (2.85), in SCO (2.95), in STIC (0.6), and in HGOSC (0.5); ALDH1 was in the intact epithelium (0.5), in SCP (2.91), in SCO (2.92), in STIC (1.2), and in HGOSC (0.6). There were statistically significant differences with a 95% confidence interval (p<0.05) for: 1) PAX2 between the intact epithelium and pathology (fallopian tube lesions and HGOSC); 2) Bcl-2 between the intact epithelium and SCE (SCP and SCO) and between SCE and HGOSC; 3) beta-catenin between the intact epithelium and SCE (SCP and SCO) and between SCE and HGOSC; 4) ALDH1 between the intact epithelium and SCE, between and SCE and STIC, and between STIC and HGOSC. SCE was shown to be an independent intraepithelial lesion. The incidence of this abnormality increased with age and significantly differed in the patients with fallopian tubal lesions in extraovarian diseases from that in those with malignant ovarian serous tumors (by 5.3 times), while these groups showed a three-fold difference in SCO. Thus, SCP may serve as a more sensitive marker for the early stages of the pathogenesis of ovarian serous carcinoma. The studied types of SCE demonstrated multiple molecular events (loss of PAX2 expression and increased Bcl-2, beta-catenin, and ALDH1 expressions), some of which underwent considerable changes, by increasing the severity of a pathological process (loss of ALDH1, and beta-catenin, and bcl-2 expressions). Thus, therapeutic exposure in the early stages of pathogenesis may have a few points of application and just several molecules can serve as independent markers for early pathological changes in the fallopian tubal epithelium.

Guide to the Vascular Flora of the Savannas and Flatwoods of Shaken Creek Preserve and Vicinity (Pender & Onslow Counties, North Carolina, U.S.A.)

PubMed Central

Krings, Alexander; Lindbo, David; Stucky, Jon

2014-01-01

Abstract Shaken Creek Preserve (“SCP”) is a 2,448 ha (6,050 ac) natural area in Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina (U.S.A). Best known for its high-quality longleaf pine savanna habitat, the site contains seven savanna or savanna-like plant community types (i.e., flatwoods or sandhills), three of which are globally critically imperiled (G1): Sandy Pine Savanna (Rush Featherling subtype), Wet Loamy Pine Savanna, and Very Wet Loamy Pine Savanna. SCP hosts three Federally Endangered plant species and six Federal Species of Concern. Formerly a private hunting club, the site was virtually unknown to scientists until the 1990s; consequently, few biological inventories of SCP have been conducted. In particular, no systematic floristic inventories of the species-rich savannas have been undertaken, despite the fact that floristic data is critical to the effective management of any natural area. The goals of this study were to (1) inventory the vascular flora of the savannas, flatwoods, and sandhill community types on site through the collection of voucher specimens; (2) provide a comprehensive checklist of the flora based on collections and reports made from the site and from the same or similar habitats in the vicinity (i.e., within 2 miles of SCP); and (3) create an illustrated guide based on the checklist. In order to increase the usefulness of the guide, taxa not currently known from SCP but collected or reported from the same or similar habitats within two miles of SCP, are included in the guide. Eighty-three families containing 450 taxa, including thirty-two Significantly Rare and thirty-eight Watch List taxa, were collected or reported from SCP; an additional seven families containing a total of 102 taxa, including eighteen Significantly Rare and seven Watch List taxa, were collected or reported from the vicinity. In total, ninety families containing 552 taxa, including fifty Significantly Rare and forty-five Watch List taxa, are treated in the guide. Dichotomous keys are provided to all vouchered or reported families, genera, and species. The following features are provided for all species and infraspecific taxa: flowering and fruiting phenology; synonymy with Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas, the Flora of North America, and Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States; relevant voucher information; and, for most taxa, line drawings and/or photographs. For taxa collected from SCP, community types in which the taxa occur and estimates of abundance on site are also provided. PMID:25057248

Using a Web-Based Approach to Assess Test-Retest Reliability of the "Hypertension Self-Care Profile" Tool in an Asian Population: A Validation Study.

PubMed

Koh, Yi Ling Eileen; Lua, Yi Hui Adela; Hong, Liyue; Bong, Huey Shin Shirley; Yeo, Ling Sui Jocelyn; Tsang, Li Ping Marianne; Ong, Kai Zhi; Wong, Sook Wai Samantha; Tan, Ngiap Chuan

2016-03-01

Essential hypertension often requires affected patients to self-manage their condition most of the time. Besides seeking regular medical review of their life-long condition to detect vascular complications, patients have to maintain healthy lifestyles in between physician consultations via diet and physical activity, and to take their medications according to their prescriptions. Their self-management ability is influenced by their self-efficacy capacity, which can be assessed using questionnaire-based tools. The "Hypertension Self-Care Profile" (HTN-SCP) is 1 such questionnaire assessing self-efficacy in the domains of "behavior," "motivation," and "self-efficacy." This study aims to determine the test-retest reliability of HTN-SCP in an English-literate Asian population using a web-based approach. Multiethnic Asian patients, aged 40 years and older, with essential hypertension were recruited from a typical public primary care clinic in Singapore. The investigators guided the patients to fill up the web-based 60-item HTN-SCP in English using a tablet or smartphone on the first visit and refilled the instrument 2 weeks later in the retest. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's Alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), respectively. The t test was used to determine the relationship between the overall HTN-SCP scores of the patients and their self-reported self-management activities. A total of 160 patients completed the HTN-SCP during the initial test, from which 71 test-retest responses were completed. No floor or ceiling effect was found for the scores for the 3 subscales. Cronbach's Alpha coefficients were 0.857, 0.948, and 0.931 for "behavior," "motivation," and "self-efficacy" domains respectively, indicating high internal consistency. The item-total correlation ranges for the 3 scales were from 0.105 to 0.656 for Behavior, 0.401 to 0.808 for Motivation, 0.349 to 0.789 for Self-efficacy. The corresponding ICC scores of 0.671, 0.762, and 0.720 for these respective domains showed good test-retest reliability. The correlation of the HTN-SCP scores and patients' reported self-management measures were significant, except for keeping their food diary. HTN-SCP showed satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability in an English literate Asian population. A web-based approach is feasible if similar studies are needed to validate its translated versions of the tool for wider application in the local multilingual population.

Firefighter hearing health: an informatics approach to screening, measurement, and research.

PubMed

Hong, OiSaeng; Monsen, Karen A; Kerr, Madeleine J; Chin, Dal Lae; Lytton, Amy B; Martin, Karen S

2012-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a standardized interface terminology, the Omaha System, with respect to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). A descriptive, correlational design was employed for this secondary analysis with the data from an ongoing hearing protection intervention study. A total of 346 firefighters were included. First, an evidence-based standardized care plan (EB-SCP) for hearing screening was developed and validated by clinical experts. Second, occupational health records were used to compute Omaha System Knowledge, Behavior, and Status outcomes. Third, research data were mapped to Omaha System rating scales. For Knowledge, the mean score was close to 'adequate' (3.7). For Behavior, the mean score was close to 'rarely appropriate' (2.2). For Status, the mean score was close to 'minimal sign/symptom' (4.4). Significant positive relationships were found between Knowledge and Behavior (Spearman's rho =.13, p =.01), and between Behavior and hearing Status (Spearman's rho =.12, p =.02). Findings support the validity of the new Knowledge, Behavior, and hearing Status. Informatics methods such as the standardized NIHL EB-SCP and outcome data sets will create opportunities for clinical decision support and data exchange across various health care settings, thus supporting population-based hearing health assessments and outcomes.

Disease progression among 446 children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes located in Scandinavia, Europe, and North America during the last 27 yr.

PubMed

Max Andersen, Marie Louise; Nielsen, Lotte B; Svensson, Jannet; Pörksen, Sven; Hougaard, Philip; Beam, Craig; Greenbaum, Carla; Becker, Dorothy; Petersen, Jacob S; Hansen, Lars; Mortensen, Henrik B

2014-08-01

To clarify whether the rate of decline in stimulated C-peptide (SCP) from 2 to 15 months after diagnosis has changed over an interval of 27 yr. The rate of decline in SCP levels at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 months after diagnosis was compared in four paediatric cohorts from Scandinavian and European countries including 446 children with new onset type 1 diabetes (T1D, 1982-2004). Findings were evaluated against 78 children (2004-2009) from the TrialNet studies. The mean rate of decline [%/month (±SEM)] in SCP for a 10-yr-old child was 7.7%/month (±1.5) in the 1982-1985 Cohort, 6.3%/month (±1.7) in the 1995-1998 Cohort, 7.8%/month (±0.7) in the 1999-2000 Cohort, and 10.7%/month (±0.9) in the latest 2004-2005 Cohort (p = 0.05). Including the TrialNet Cohort with a rate of decline in SCP of 10.0%/month (±0.9) the differences between the cohorts are still significant (p = 0.039). The rate of decline in SCP was negatively associated with age (p < 0.0001), insulin antibodies (IA) (p = 0.003), and glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD65A) (p = 0.03) initially with no statistically significant effect of body mass index (BMI) Z-score at 3 months. Also, at 3 months the time around partial remission, the effect of age on SCP was significantly greater in children ≤5 yr compared with older children (p ≤ 0.0001). During the past 27 yr, initial C-peptide as well as the rate of C-peptide decline seem to have increased. The rate of decline was affected significantly by age, GAD65A, and IA, but not BMI Z-score or initial C-peptide. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Defining the mechanical properties of a spring-hinged ankle foot orthosis to assess its potential use in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Kerkum, Yvette L; Brehm, Merel-Anne; Buizer, Annemieke I; van den Noort, Josien C; Becher, Jules G; Harlaar, Jaap

2014-12-01

A rigid ventral shelf ankle foot orthosis (AFO) may improve gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) whose gait is characterized by excessive knee flexion in stance. However, these AFOs can also impede ankle range of motion (ROM) and thereby inhibit push-off power. A more spring-like AFO can enhance push-off and may potentially reduce walking energy cost. The recent development of an adjustable spring-hinged AFO now allows adjustment of AFO stiffness, enabling tuning toward optimal gait performance. This study aims to quantify the mechanical properties of this spring-hinged AFO for each of its springs and settings. Using an AFO stiffness tester, two AFO hinges and their accompanying springs were measured. The springs showed a stiffness range of 0.01-1.82 N · m · deg(-1). The moment-threshold increased with increasing stiffness (1.13-12.1 N · m), while ROM decreased (4.91-16.5°). Energy was returned by all springs (11.5-116.3 J). These results suggest that the two stiffest available springs should improve joint kinematics and enhance push-off in children with SCP walking with excessive knee flexion.

Selective cerebral perfusion prevents abnormalities in glutamate cycling and neuronal apoptosis in a model of infant deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and reperfusion

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

Kajimoto, Masaki; Ledee, Dolena R.; Olson, Aaron K.

Rationale: Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) is often required for the repair of complex congenital cardiac defects in infants. However, DHCA induces neuroapoptosis associated with later development of neurocognitive abnormalities. Selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) theoretically provides superior neural protection possibly through modifications in cerebral substrate oxidation and closely integrated glutamate cycling. Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that SCP modulates glucose entry into the citric acid cycle, and ameliorates abnormalities in glutamate flux which occur in association neuroapoptosis during DHCA. Methods and Results: Eighteen male Yorkshire piglets (age 34-44 days) were assigned randomly to 2 groups of 7 (DHCA or DHCAmore » with SCP for 60 minutes at 18 °C) and 4 control pigs without cardiopulmonary bypass support. After the completion of rewarming from DHCA, 13-Carbon-labeled (13C) glucose as a metabolic tracer was infused. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance for metabolic analysis in the frontal cortex. Following 2.5 hours of cerebral reperfusion, we observed similar cerebral ATP levels, absolute levels of lactate and citric acid cycle intermediates, and 13C-enrichment. However, DHCA induced significant abnormalities in glutamate cycling resulting in reduced glutamate/glutamine and elevated γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/glutamate along with neuroapoptosis (TUNEL), which were all prevented by SCP. Conclusions: DHCA alone induces abnormalities in cycling of the major neurotransmitters in association with neuroapoptosis, but does not alter cerebral glucose utilization during reperfusion. The data suggest that SCP prevents these modifications in glutamate/glutamine/GABA cycling and protects the cerebral cortex from neuroapoptosis.« less

Patient satisfaction with the use of an enhanced recovery programme for primary arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Phillips, S; Parker, M; Carrannante, J; Hearth, MW

2013-01-01

Introduction Enhanced recovery programmes (ERPs) are increasingly being used for arthroplasty. One of the core aims of an ERP is to improve the quality of patient experience. However, there is currently no published evaluation of patient satisfaction in relation to this new programme of care within orthopaedic surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the ERP against the standard care programme (SCP) at one centre. Methods A satisfaction survey addressing patient opinions on the key objectives of the ERP was conducted by telephone, using a set script. Of the 226 patients contacted, 143 (63.3%) responded (69 from the ERP and 74 from the SCP). Of the respondents, 71 received a total hip arthroplasty and 72 a total knee arthroplasty. Patients were contacted at a mean time from operation to survey of 27.2 weeks. They were asked to rate satisfaction on a five-point scale and complete the EQ-5D™ health questionnaire (EuroQol, Rotterdam, Netherlands) to measure healthcare outcomes. Results The mean patient satisfaction score of 4.07 for speed of recovery in the ERP group was significantly higher than the SCP group’s score of 3.68 (p=0.037). Adjusting for the preoperative health score, the postoperative health score was higher for ERP patients at 74.1 compared with 64.7 for SCP patients (p=0.0029). Furthermore, the percentage of patients who had a better than expected recovery was significantly greater in the ERP group at 85.5% compared with 58.1% (p=0.0004) in the SCP group. Conclusions We believe that the previously established reduction in length of hospital stay delivered by ERPs is not achieved at the expense of the patient’s experience. PMID:24165340

Patient satisfaction with the use of an enhanced recovery programme for primary arthroplasty.

PubMed

Machin, J T; Phillips, S; Parker, M; Carrannante, J; Hearth, M W

2013-11-01

Enhanced recovery programmes (ErPs) are increasingly being used for arthroplasty. One of the core aims of an ErP is to improve the quality of patient experience. However, there is currently no published evaluation of patient satisfaction in relation to this new programme of care within orthopaedic surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the ErP against the standard care programme (SCP) at one centre. A satisfaction survey addressing patient opinions on the key objectives of the ErP was conducted by telephone, using a set script. Of the 226 patients contacted, 143 (63.3%) responded (69 from the ErP and 74 from the SCP). Of the respondents, 71 received a total hip arthroplasty and 72 a total knee arthroplasty. Patients were contacted at a mean time from operation to survey of 27.2 weeks. They were asked to rate satisfaction on a five-point scale and complete the EQ-5D™ health questionnaire (EuroQol, rotterdam, Netherlands) to measure healthcare outcomes. The mean patient satisfaction score of 4.07 for speed of recovery in the ErP group was significantly higher than the SCP group's score of 3.68 (p=0.037). Adjusting for the preoperative health score, the postoperative health score was higher for ErP patients at 74.1 compared with 64.7 for SCP patients (p=0.0029). Furthermore, the percentage of patients who had a better than expected recovery was significantly greater in the ErP group at 85.5% compared with 58.1% (p=0.0004) in the SCP group. We believe that the previously established reduction in length of hospital stay delivered by ErPs is not achieved at the expense of the patient's experience.

Strontium-Doped Calcium Phosphate and Hydroxyapatite Granules Promote Different Inflammatory and Bone Remodelling Responses in Normal and Ovariectomised Rats

PubMed Central

Xia, Wei; Emanuelsson, Lena; Norlindh, Birgitta; Omar, Omar; Thomsen, Peter

2013-01-01

The healing of bone defects may be hindered by systemic conditions such as osteoporosis. Calcium phosphates, with or without ion substitutions, may provide advantages for bone augmentation. However, the mechanism of bone formation with these materials is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the healing process in bone defects implanted with hydroxyapatite (HA) or strontium-doped calcium phosphate (SCP) granules, in non-ovariectomised (non-OVX) and ovariectomised (OVX) rats. After 0 (baseline), six and 28d, bone samples were harvested for gene expression analysis, histology and histomorphometry. Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), at six days, was higher in the HA, in non-OVX and OVX, whereas interleukin-6 (IL-6), at six and 28d, was higher in SCP, but only in non-OVX. Both materials produced a similar expression of the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL). Higher expression of osteoclastic markers, calcitonin receptor (CR) and cathepsin K (CatK), were detected in the HA group, irrespective of non-OVX or OVX. The overall bone formation was comparable between HA and SCP, but with topological differences. The bone area was higher in the defect centre of the HA group, mainly in the OVX, and in the defect periphery of the SCP group, in both non-OVX and OVX. It is concluded that HA and SCP granules result in comparable bone formation in trabecular bone defects. As judged by gene expression and histological analyses, the two materials induced different inflammatory and bone remodelling responses. The modulatory effects are associated with differences in the spatial distribution of the newly formed bone. PMID:24376855

Survival, Continence and Potency (SCP) recovery after radical retropubic prostatectomy: a long-term combined evaluation of surgical outcomes.

PubMed

Schiavina, R; Borghesi, M; Dababneh, H; Pultrone, C V; Chessa, F; Concetti, S; Gentile, G; Vagnoni, V; Romagnoli, D; Della Mora, L; Rizzi, S; Martorana, G; Brunocilla, E

2014-12-01

To offer a comprehensive account of surgical outcomes on a defined series of patients treated with radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for prostate cancer in a single European Center after 5-year minimum follow-up according to the Survival, Continence and Potency (SCP) system. We evaluated our Institutional database of patients who underwent RRP from November 1995 to September 2008. Oncological and functional outcomes were reported according to the recently proposed SCP system. The 5- and 10-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rates were 80.1% and 55.8%, respectively. At the end of follow-up, 611 (78.5%) patients were fully continent (C0), 107 (13.8%) used 1 pad for security (C1) and 60 (7.7%) patients were incontinent (C2). Of the 112 patients who underwent nerve-sparing RRP, 22 (19.6%) were fully potent without aids (P0), 13 (11.6%) were potent with assumption of PDE-5 inhibitors (P1) and 77 (68.8%) experienced erectile dysfunction (P2). The combined SCP outcomes were reported together only in 95 (12.2%) evaluable patients. In patients preoperatively continent and potent, who received a nerve-sparing and did not require adjuvant therapy, oncological and functional success was attained by 29 (30.5%) patients. In the subgroup of 508 patients not evaluable for potency recovery, oncological and continence outcomes were obtained in 357 patients (70.3%). Survival, Continence and Potency (SCP) classification offer a comprehensive report of surgical results, even in those patients who do not represent the best category, thus allowing to provide a much more accurate evaluation of outcomes after RP. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

27-Hydroxycholesterol increases Myc protein stability via suppressing PP2A, SCP1 and FBW7 transcription in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

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

Ma, Li-Ming; Liang, Zi-Rui; Zhou, Ke-Ren

27-hydroxycholesterol (27-HC), the most abundant metabolite of cholesterol, is a risk factor for breast cancer. It can increase the proliferation of breast cancer cells and promote the metastasis of breast tumours in mouse models. Myc is a critical oncoprotein overexpressed in breast cancer. However, whether 27-HC affects Myc expression has not been reported. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effects of 27-HC on Myc and the underlying mechanisms in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Our data demonstrated that 27-HC activated Myc via increasing its protein stability. Three key negative modulators of Myc protein stability, PP2A, SCP1 and FBW7,more » were suppressed by 27-HC at the transcriptional level. We performed a data-mining analysis of the chromatin immunoprecipitation with next-generation DNA sequencing (ChIP-Seq) data in the ChIPBase, and discovered that a number of putative transcription factors (TFs), including Myc itself, were involved in the transcriptional regulation of PP2A, SCP1 and FBW7. Our results provide a novel mechanistic insight into the activation of Myc by 27-HC via transcriptional repression of PP2A, SCP1 and FBW7 to increase Myc protein stability in breast cancer cells. - Highlights: • 27-Hydroxycholesterol (27-HC) activates Myc via increasing its protein stability. • 27-HC inhibits PP2A and SCP1 transcription to block pS62-Myc dephosphorylation. • 27-HC suppresses FBW7 transcription to prevent pT58-Myc degradation.« less

Assessment of capillary dropout in the superficial retinal capillary plexus by optical coherence tomography angiography in the early stage of diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Shen, Ceying; Yan, Shu; Du, Min; Zhao, Hong; Shao, Ling; Hu, Yibo

2018-05-08

To assess capillary dropout in the superficial retinal capillary plexus (SCP) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in the early stage of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study was a cross-sectional observational study. Patients that underwent OCTA examinations in our hospital between November 2015 and May 2016 were included in the study. The subjects were divided into two groups: A) normal controls (41 eyes of 41 subjects) and B) the DR patients (49 eyes of 49 patients with mild non-proliferative DR (NPDR)). The retinal thickness and SCP vessel density were analyzed using built-in software in nine sections of the macular area; whole scan area; fovea; parafovea; and sub-sections of the parafovea, superior-hemi, inferior-hemi, temporal, superior, nasal, and inferior. The correlation between vessel density and retinal thickness was also analyzed. The SCP density was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in mild NPDR patients than in normal controls in all areas, with the exception of the fovea (P > 0.05). In the parafovea, superior-hemi, inferior-hemi, temporal, and nasal sectors of group B, the SCP density was negatively correlated with the corresponding retinal thickness (P < 0.05). Specifically, as the SCP density decreased, retinal thickness increased. In the early stage of NPDR, retinal capillary dropout and retinal thickness changes can be clearly captured and analyzed by OCTA. The results confirm a negative correlation between vessel density and retinal thickness in diabetic patients. This noninvasive technique could be applied for DR detection and monitoring. Further study with a larger sample size is warranted.

Incidence of Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma (STIC) by Algorithm Classification in Serous Ovarian Tumor Associated with PAX8 Expression in Tubal Epithelia: A Study of Single Institution in Japan

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Toshiya

2015-01-01

Serous ovarian carcinoma is now hypothesized to originate from fallopian tube epithelium (FTE). We investigated the FTE abnormalities in the patients with epithelial ovarian tumors. Our study included 55 cases of serous tumors (24 carcinomas, 8 borderline tumors, and 23 adenomas), 14 mucinous carcinomas, 22 endometrioid carcinomas, 5 clear cell carcinomas, and 2 malignant Brenner tumors. FTE was diagnosed by the diagnostic algorithm, which combines the data of morphology, and p53, Ki-67 immunostaining, as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, serous tubal intraepithelial lesion, p53 signature, and normal/reactive. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, serous tubal intraepithelial lesion, p53 signature, and normal/reactive were observed in 5, 3, 0, and 16 cases in serous carcinoma; 0, 3, 0, and 5 cases in serous borderline tumor; 0, 1, 1, and 21 cases in serous adenoma; 0, 0, 1, and 13 cases in mucinous carcinoma; 0, 0, 3, and 19 cases in endometrioid carcinoma; 0, 0, 0, and 5 cases in clear cell carcinoma; and 0, 1, 0, and 1 case in malignant Brenner tumor. Among tumors of serous histology and between carcinomas, FTE abnormalities differed significantly (P<0.05). Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas were only found in serous carcinoma. The incidence of secretory cell proliferation (SCP) was examined by PAX8 expression. The rate of SCP was extremely high in serous carcinoma (96%). Among tumors of serous histology and between carcinomas, an incidence of SCP differed significantly (P<0.05). Patients with SCP were significantly older (P<0.0001). Our observations were concordant with the hypothesis of serous ovarian carcinogenesis. The SCP has a meaningful association with serous ovarian cancer. PMID:25473747

Topographic Macular Microvascular Changes and Correlation with Visual Loss in Chronic Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.

PubMed

Borrelli, Enrico; Balasubramanian, Siva; Triolo, Giacinto; Barboni, Piero; Sadda, SriniVas R; Sadun, Alfredo A

2018-06-06

To study the macular microvascular networks in patients affected by chronic Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and to quantify these changes in different macular sectors. Prospective cross-sectional study. Patients with a clinical and molecularly confirmed diagnosis of LHON (affected patients in the chronic stage) were enrolled from the neuro-ophthalmology clinic at the Doheny-UCLA. Patients and controls underwent a complete ophthalmologic evaluation, including imaging with OCTA. Twenty-nine eyes from 15 LHON patients (14 males) and 20 eyes from 20 healthy subjects (13 males) were included in the analysis. Mean age was 32.0±14.2 years [range 16-49 years] in the LHON group, and 34.2±10.1 years [range 23-48 years] in the control group (p=.552). In the parafoveal region, the vessel length density was lower in LHON patients, at both the SCP (9.1±0.5 % and 9.3±0.4 %, p=.041) and DCP (9.4±0.5 % and 9.8±0.3 %, p=.008) levels. In the sectorial analysis, vascular changes remained significant only in the parafoveal nasal and inferior regions. Univariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that the strongest associations with visual acuity were with parafoveal SCP perfusion density (R 2 =.276, p=.045) and parafoveal SCP vessel length density (R 2 =.277, p=.044). LHON eyes have SCP and DCP changes which are mainly confined to the nasal and inferior parafoveal sectors that correspond to the papillomacular bundle. Furthermore, visual loss is associated with the SCP flow impairment, but not with the OCT-detectable structural damage. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ursodeoxycholic acid lowers bile lithogenicity by regulating SCP2 expression in rabbit cholesterol gallstone models

PubMed Central

Cui, Yunfeng; Li, Zhonglian; Zhao, Erpeng; Zhang, Ju; Cui, Naiqiang

2012-01-01

Aims: We designed this study to get insight into the disorder of lipid metabolism during cholesterol gallstone formation and evaluate the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on the improvement of bile lithogenicity and on expression of lipid related genes. Methods: Rabbit cholesterol gallstone models were induced by high cholesterol diet. Bile, blood and liver tissues were obtained from rabbits after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks. Bile and blood lipids were measured enzymatically. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), cytochrome P450, family 7, subfamily A, polypeptide 1 (CYP7A1) and sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) mRNA expressions were detected by using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Cholesterol saturation index (CSI) was calculated by using Carey table to represent the bile lithogenicity. Results: Rates of gallstone formation of the 4 and 5 week treatment groups were 100 %, but that of the ursodeoxycholic acid treatment group was only 33.3 %. Expression of HMGCR and SCP2 mRNA in the 4 week group was upregulated and that of CYP7A1 mRNA decreased as compared with the 0 week group. Ursodeoxycholic acid could significantly extend nucleation time of bile and lower CSI. Ursodeoxycholic acid could reduce the expression of SCP2, but couldn't influence expression of HMGCR and CYP7A1. Conclusions: Abnormal expression of HMGCR, CYP7A1 and SCP2 might lead to high lithogenicity of bile. Ursodeoxycholic acid could improve bile lipids and lower bile lithogenicity, thereby reducing the incidence of gallstones. So it might be a good preventive drug for cholesterol gallstones. PMID:27847447

Changes in cholesterol kinetics following sugar cane policosanol supplementation: a randomized control trial

PubMed Central

Kassis, Amira N; Jones, Peter JH

2008-01-01

Background Sugar cane policosanols (SCP) have been shown to exert cholesterol-modulating properties in various studies conducted in Cuba by substantially reducing cholesterol synthesis. Independent research examining changes in cholesterol kinetics in response to SCP is limited to few studies, none of which was able to replicate findings of the original research. Moreover, no data are available on the effect of SCP on cholesterol absorption to date. The present study was undertaken to determine effects on cholesterol kinetics, namely synthesis and absorption, within hypercholesterolemic individuals consuming a SCP treatment. Twenty-one otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic subjects participated in a randomized double-blind crossover study where they received 10 mg/day of policosanols or a placebo incorporated in margarine as an evening snack for a period of 28 days. The last week of the study phase, subjects were given 13C labelled cholesterol and deuterated water for the measurement of cholesterol absorption and synthesis respectively. Blood was collected on the first two and last five days of the trial. Cholesterol absorption and synthesis were determined by measuring red cell cholesterol 13C and deuterium enrichment, respectively. Results There was no significant change in LDL cholesterol levels as compared to control. In addition, the area under the curve for red cell cholesterol 13C enrichment across 96 hours was not significantly different in the SCP group as compared to control. Similarly, no difference was observed in the fractional rate of cholesterol synthesis over the period of 24 hours between the two treatment groups. Conclusion The findings of the present study fail to support previous research concerning efficacy and mechanism of action for policosanols. PMID:18447941

The location of the second critical point of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanno, Hitoshi; Miyata, Kuniharu

2006-05-01

Based on the DTA data for homogeneous ice nucleation of emulsified liquid water at low temperatures and high pressures, the location of the second critical point (SCP) of water, which is expected to exist in addition to the normal liquid-vapor critical point, is estimated to be at 145 K < Tc2 < 175 K and Pc2 = ˜200 MPa ( Tc2: second critical temperature, Pc2: second critical pressure). It is shown that SCP is closely associated with the break point of the curve for the homogeneous ice nucleation temperature ( TH) of liquid water and with the transition between low density and high density amorphous solid water (LDA and HDA). Although the existence of SCP has become more realistic, the location seems to be less favorable to the water model of the second-critical-point interpretation.

Solving Set Cover with Pairs Problem using Quantum Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yudong; Jiang, Shuxian; Perouli, Debbie; Kais, Sabre

2016-09-01

Here we consider using quantum annealing to solve Set Cover with Pairs (SCP), an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem that plays an important role in networking, computational biology, and biochemistry. We show an explicit construction of Ising Hamiltonians whose ground states encode the solution of SCP instances. We numerically simulate the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in order to test the performance of quantum annealing for random instances and compare with that of simulated annealing. We also discuss explicit embedding strategies for realizing our Hamiltonian construction on the D-wave type restricted Ising Hamiltonian based on Chimera graphs. Our embedding on the Chimera graph preserves the structure of the original SCP instance and in particular, the embedding for general complete bipartite graphs and logical disjunctions may be of broader use than that the specific problem we deal with.

Joint Oil Analysis Program Spectrometer Standards SCP Science (Conostan) Qualification Report for D19-0, D3-100, and D12-XXX Series Standards

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-20

Joint Oil Analysis Program Spectrometer Standards SCP Science (Conostan) Qualification Report For D19-0, D3-100, and D12- XXX Series Standards NF...Candidate Type D19-0 ICP-AES Results ..................................................................... 4 Table V. Candidate Type D12- XXX ...Physical Property Results .................................................. 5 Table VI. Candidate Type D12- XXX Rotrode-AES Results

Surgical Treatment of Bone Marrow Lesion Associated with Recurrent Plantar Fasciitis: A Case Report Describing an Innovative Technique Using Subchondroplasty®.

PubMed

Bernhard, Kaitlyn; Ng, Alan; Kruse, Dustin; Stone, Paul A

2018-04-06

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common chief complaints seen in the foot and ankle clinic. With a relatively benign course, most cases are self-limiting or amendable to conservative therapy; ~90% of all plantar fasciitis cases will respond to these methods. When conservative treatment and time fail, surgical intervention can be necessary to improve outcomes. We present a novel method using Subchondroplasty ® (SCP ® ; Zimmer Holdings, Inc.; Warsaw, IN) and revision fasciotomy in a case in which initial fasciotomy had failed. After the patient had failed to improve, a worsening underlying bone marrow lesion was identified at the origin of the plantar fascia; thus, SCP ® was used with repeat fasciotomy. SCP ® involves injecting calcium phosphate into bone marrow lesions to stimulate long-term bone repair. At 10 months after SCP ® , the patient remained pain free and had returned to running at the final follow-up examination. This surgical treatment should be considered as an adjunctive procedure for those patients with plantar fasciitis, identifiable bone marrow lesions on magnetic resonance imaging, and continued pain when other treatment modalities have failed. Copyright © 2017 The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trichoderma Reesei single cell protein production from rice straw pulp in solid state fermentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaki, M.; Said, S. D.

2018-04-01

The dependency on fish meal as a major protein source for animal feed can lead toit priceinstability in line with the increasing in meat production and consumption in Indonesia. In order todeal with this problem, an effort to produce an alternative protein sources production is needed. This scenario is possible due to the abundantavailability of agricultural residues such as rice straw whichcould be utilized as substrate for production of single cell proteins as an alternative proteinsource. This work investigated the potential utilization of rice straw pulp and urea mixture as substrate for the production of local Trichoderma reesei single cell protein in solid state fermentation system. Some parameters have been analyzed to evaluate the effect of ratio of rice straw pulp to urea on mixed single cell protein biomass (mixed SCP biomass) composition, such as total crude protein (analyzed by kjedhal method) and lignin content (TAPPI method).The results showed that crude protein content in mixed SCP biomassincreases with the increasing in fermentation time, otherwise it decreases with the increasing insubstrate carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio. Residual lignin content in mixed SCP biomass decreases from 7% to 0.63% during fermentationproceeded of 21 days. The highest crude protein content in mixed SCP biomasswas obtained at substrate C/N ratio 20:1 of 25%.

[Effects of acupuncture on quality of life in children with spastic cerebral palsy].

PubMed

Liu, Zhen-huan; Pan, Pei-guang; Ma, Mei-mei

2007-03-01

To investigate the effect of acupuncture in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP). One hundred SCP children, 2 to 7 years old, were randomly assigned to two groups equally. The control group was treated with rehabilitation training using Bobath and Vojta physical training methods and the acupuncture group treated also with the same training but with acupuncture conducted additionally. The therapeutic course was 3-12 months arranged according to the state of illness. The total effective rate, development quotient (DQ), improvement rate of brain hypogenesis and atrophy showed by skull CT, and recovery rate of cerebral emission computed tomography (ECT) were all higher in the acupuncture group than those in the control group (all P < 0.01). Acupuncture obviously promotes the compensation of cerebral function and shows a favorable effect in improving quality of life of the children with SCP.

Generation of strongly coupled plasmas by high power excimer laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yongxiang; Liu, Jingru; Zhang, Yongsheng; Hu, Yun; Zhang, Jiyan; Zheng, Zhijian; Ye, Xisheng

2013-05-01

(ultraviolet). To generate strongly coupled plasmas (SCP) by high power excimer laser, an Au-CH-Al-CH target is used to make the Al sample reach the state of SCP, in which the Au layer transforms laser energy to X-ray that heating the sample by volume and the CH layers provides necessary constraints. With aid of the MULTI-1D code, we calculate the state of the Al sample and its relationship with peak intensity, width and wavelength of laser pulses. The calculated results suggest that an excimer laser with peak intensity of the magnitude of 1013W/cm2 and pulse width being 5ns - 10ns is suitable to generate SCP with the temperature being tens of eV and the density of electron being of the order of 1022/cm-3. Lasers with shorter wavelength, such as KrF laser, are preferable.

Protective properties of anticholera antibodies in human colostrum.

PubMed Central

Majumdar, A S; Ghose, A C

1982-01-01

A comparative immunological study between two colostrum pools of Indian and Swedish mothers was carried out to evaluate their protective properties against Vibrio cholerae. Antibacterial and antitoxin titers were significantly higher in the Indian colostrum pool (ICP) than in the Swedish colostrum pool (SCP). Antilipopolysaccharide as well as antitoxin antibodies belonged to secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgM classes as determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ICP could significantly inhibit the adherence of V. cholerae to intestinal slices in vitro, whereas such activity was virtually absent in SCP. Moreover, ICP could induce significant protection against live vibrio challenge in rabbit ileal loops, whereas only a weak protective activity was observed with SCP. A secretory IgA fraction was obtained from ICP by using gel filtration and immunoadsorbent techniques. Human secretory IgA thus obtained exhibited antiadherence as well as protective activities against V. cholerae. PMID:7095856

Production of single cell protein (SCP) from food and agricultural waste by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Gervasi, Teresa; Pellizzeri, Vito; Calabrese, Giorgio; Di Bella, Giuseppa; Cicero, Nicola; Dugo, Giacomo

2018-03-01

Food waste is the single-largest component of the waste stream, in order to protect and safeguard the public health, useful and innovative recycling methods are investigated. The conversion of food wastes in value-added products is becoming a more economically viable and interesting practice. Food waste, collected in the distribution sector and citrus industries, was characterised for its potential as a raw material to use in fermentation processes. In this study, the production of single-cell protein (SCP) using food waste as a substrate was investigated. The purpose of this study has been to produce SCP from mixtures of food waste using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The main fermentation test was carried out using a 25 l bioreactor. The utilisation of food waste can allow us to not only to reduce environmental pollution, but also to obtain value-added products such as protein supply for animal feed.

Modelling catchment areas for secondary care providers: a case study.

PubMed

Jones, Simon; Wardlaw, Jessica; Crouch, Susan; Carolan, Michelle

2011-09-01

Hospitals need to understand patient flows in an increasingly competitive health economy. New initiatives like Patient Choice and the Darzi Review further increase this demand. Essential to understanding patient flows are demographic and geographic profiles of health care service providers, known as 'catchment areas' and 'catchment populations'. This information helps Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to review how their populations are accessing services, measure inequalities and commission services; likewise it assists Secondary Care Providers (SCPs) to measure and assess potential gains in market share, redesign services, evaluate admission thresholds and plan financial budgets. Unlike PCTs, SCPs do not operate within fixed geographic boundaries. Traditionally, SCPs have used administrative boundaries or arbitrary drive times to model catchment areas. Neither approach satisfactorily represents current patient flows. Furthermore, these techniques are time-consuming and can be challenging for healthcare managers to exploit. This paper presents three different approaches to define catchment areas, each more detailed than the previous method. The first approach 'First Past the Post' defines catchment areas by allocating a dominant SCP to each Census Output Area (OA). The SCP with the highest proportion of activity within each OA is considered the dominant SCP. The second approach 'Proportional Flow' allocates activity proportionally to each OA. This approach allows for cross-boundary flows to be captured in a catchment area. The third and final approach uses a gravity model to define a catchment area, which incorporates drive or travel time into the analysis. Comparing approaches helps healthcare providers to understand whether using more traditional and simplistic approaches to define catchment areas and populations achieves the same or similar results as complex mathematical modelling. This paper has demonstrated, using a case study of Manchester, that when estimating the catchment area of a planned new hospital, the extra level of detail provided by the gravity model may prove necessary. However, in virtually all other applications, the Proportional Flow method produced the optimal model for catchment populations in Manchester, based on several criteria: it produced the smallest RMS error; it addressed cross-boundary flows; the data used to create the catchment was readily available to SCPs; and it was simpler to reproduce than the gravity model method. Further work is needed to address how the Proportional Flow method can be used to reflect service redesign and handle OAs with zero or low activity. A next step should be the rolling out of the method across England and looking at further drill downs of data such as catchment by Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) rather than specialty level.

The Field Artillery Battalion on the Nuclear Battlefield

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-06-06

flexibility of radio communications. The drawback to tactical wire communications is that the estao- lishment and maintenance of the system is time consuming ...Adjusted fires are a much simpler, though time consum - ing mission. Whatever the inaccuracies in target location, 16 . ■■■ ■’■"’ rgfimtm...SCP). The current practice of a separate SCP for the 8", SP battalion is both time consuming and illogical. Service support The application of the

Clinical phenotypes and the biological parameters of Congolese patients suffering from sickle cell anemia: A first report from Central Africa.

PubMed

Mikobi, Tite M; Lukusa Tshilobo, Prosper; Aloni, Michel N; Akilimali, Pierre Z; Mvumbi-Lelo, Georges; Mbuyi-Muamba, Jean Marie

2017-11-01

The influence of phenotype on the clinical course and laboratory features of sickle cell anemia (SCA) is rarely described in sub-Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa. A clinical phenotype score was built up. The following definitions were applied: asymptomatic clinical phenotype (ACP; score≤5), moderate clinical phenotype (MCP; score between 6 and 15), and severe clinical phenotype (SCP; score≥16). ANOVA test were used to compare differences among categorical variables. We have studied 140 patients. The mean body mass index (BMI) value of three groups was lower (<25 kg/m 2 ) than the limit defining overweight. BMI of the subjects with ACP was significantly higher than those of other phenotypes (P<.05). Sickle cell patients with ACP have a high mean steady-state hemoglobin concentration compared to those with MCP and SCP (P<.001). A significant elevated baseline leukocyte count is associated with SCP (P<.001). Fetal Hemoglobin (HbF) was significantly higher in ACP. Significant elevation of alpha 1 and alpha 2 globulins in SCP were observed. In our study, fetal hemoglobin has an influence on the clinical severity and the biological parameters of SCA. The study provides data concerning the sickle cell anemia clinical and biological variability in our midst. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Life cycle assessment of nutrient removal technologies for the treatment of anaerobic digestion supernatant and its integration in a wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Garcia, G; Frison, N; Vázquez-Padín, J R; Hospido, A; Garrido, J M; Fatone, F; Bolzonella, D; Moreira, M T; Feijoo, G

2014-08-15

The supernatant resulting from the anaerobic digestion of sludge generated by wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is an attractive flow for technologies such as partial nitritation-anammox (CANON), nitrite shortcut (NSC) and struvite crystallization processes (SCP). The high concentration of N and P and its low flow rate facilitate the removal of nutrients under more favorable conditions than in the main water line. Despite their operational and economic benefits, the environmental burdens of these technologies also need to be assessed to prove their feasibility under a more holistic perspective. The potential environmental implications of these technologies were assessed using life cycle assessment, first at pilot plant scale, later integrating them in a modeled full WWTP. Pilot plant results reported a much lower environmental impact for N removal technologies than SCP. Full-scale modeling, however, highlighted that the differences between technologies were not relevant once they are integrated in a WWTP. The impacts associated with the WWTP are slightly reduced in all categories except for eutrophication, where a substantial reduction was achieved using NSC, SCP, and especially when CANON and SCP were combined. This study emphasizes the need for assessing wastewater treatment technologies as part of a WWTP rather than as individual processes and the utility of modeling tools for doing so. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tracing the Evolutionary History of the CAP Superfamily of Proteins Using Amino Acid Sequence Homology and Conservation of Splice Sites.

PubMed

Abraham, Anup; Chandler, Douglas E

2017-10-01

Proteins of the CAP superfamily play numerous roles in reproduction, innate immune responses, cancer biology, and venom toxicology. Here we document the breadth of the CAP (Cysteine-RIch Secretory Protein (CRISP), Antigen 5, and Pathogenesis-Related) protein superfamily and trace the major events in its evolution using amino acid sequence homology and the positions of exon/intron borders within their genes. Seldom acknowledged in the literature, we find that many of the CAP subfamilies present in mammals, where they were originally characterized, have distinct homologues in the invertebrate phyla. Early eukaryotic CAP genes contained only one exon inherited from prokaryotic predecessors and as evolution progressed an increasing number of introns were inserted, reaching 2-5 in the invertebrate world and 5-15 in the vertebrate world. Focusing on the CRISP subfamily, we propose that these proteins evolved in three major steps: (1) origination of the CAP/PR/SCP domain in bacteria, (2) addition of a small Hinge domain to produce the two-domain SCP-like proteins found in roundworms and anthropoids, and (3) addition of an Ion Channel Regulatory domain, borrowed from invertebrate peptide toxins, to produce full length, three-domain CRISP proteins, first seen in insects and later to diversify into multiple subtypes in the vertebrate world.

Spiritual Counseling Program For Children with Anxiety Disorders: A multi-city experiment.

PubMed

Pandya, Samta P

2018-03-01

This article reports on a multi-city two-year long experiment on the effect of a spiritual counseling program (SCP) on children diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The two-year customized SCP was conducted with 1238 children from 20 private schools in five cities across five countries, with an equal number in a control group. Results showed that post-treatment self-reported and counselor-tested anxiety outcome measure scores were lower for the treatment group. Girls, children from more affluent cities, middle-class children, and those who had one stay-at-home parent and no siblings showed reduced anxiety disorders post-treatment. Children who voluntarily attended more SCP rounds than those prescribed and those who regularly self-practiced also showed lower anxiety symptoms post-treatment. Child-focused spiritual counseling intervention comprising components of connection with God within, recognizing and annihilating fear through introspection and breath control, stilling, centering, and consciousness seemed effective. Socio-cultural factors, parental involvement, and child's own engagement with the treatment were significant determinants of effectiveness.

Synthesis, purification and crystallographic studies of the C-terminal sterol carrier protein type 2 (SCP-2) domain of human hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-like protein 2.

PubMed

Cheng, Zhong; Li, Yao; Sui, Chun; Sun, Xiaobo; Xie, Yong

2015-07-01

Human hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-like protein 2 (HSDL2) is a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) subfamily of oxidoreductases and contains an N-terminal catalytic domain and a C-termianl sterol carrier protein type 2 (SCP-2) domain. In this study, the C-terminal SCP-2 domain of human HSDL2, including residues Lys318-Arg416, was produced in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.10 Å resolution. The crystal belonged to the trigonal space group P3(1)21 (or P3(2)21), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 70.4, c = 60.6 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. Two protein molecules are present in the asymmetric unit, resulting in a Matthews coefficient of 2.16 Å(3) Da(-1) and an approximate solvent content of 43%.

Effects of a Nintendo Wii exercise program on spasticity and static standing balance in spastic cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Gatica-Rojas, Valeska; Cartes-Velásquez, Ricardo; Méndez-Rebolledo, Guillermo; Guzman-Muñoz, Eduardo; Lizama, L Eduardo Cofré

2017-08-01

This study sought to evaluate the effects of a Nintendo Wii Balance Board (NWBB) intervention on ankle spasticity and static standing balance in young people with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP). Ten children and adolescents (aged 72-204 months) with SCP participated in an exercise program with NWBB. The intervention lasted 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week, 25 minutes for each session. Ankle spasticity was assessed using the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS), and static standing balance was quantified using posturographic measures (center-of-pressure [CoP] measures). Pre- and post-intervention measures were compared. Significant decreases of spasticity in the ankle plantar flexor muscles (p < 0.01). There was also a significant reduction in the CoP sway area (p = 0.04), CoP mediolateral velocity (p =0.03), and CoP anterior-posterior velocity (p = 0.03). A 6-session NWBB program reduces the spasticity at the ankle plantar flexors and improves the static standing balance in young people with SCP.

Articulated dental cast analysis of asymptomatic and symptomatic populations

PubMed Central

Cordray, Frank E

2016-01-01

Dental instrumentation has long provided insight into the mechanism of musculo-skeletal function of the gnathic system. While large population studies associate dental arch displacement (DAD), especially laterally, with symptoms, mandibular condyle displacement (CD) resulting from DAD has not been targeted as possibly etiologic in the production of common muscle contraction headache (CMCH) and temporo-mandibular dysfunction (TMD). The objective was to evaluate the three-dimensional nature of DAD and CD between the seated condylar position (SCP) and the intercuspal position (ICP) and to compare results derived from large deprogrammed asymptomatic and symptomatic populations. A total of 1 192 sets of dental casts collected from asymptomatic and symptomatic populations were articulated in the SCP. The initial occlusal contact, DAD, and condylar displacement were evaluated for frequency, direction, and magnitude of displacement between the SCP and ICP. The data revealed significant displacement between the SCP and ICP of the condyles (displaced most frequently inferior (down) and posterior (distal)) and substantially increased frequency and magnitude of displacement of the dental arches (with posterior premature occlusal contacts, increased overjet, decreased overbite, midline differences, and occlusal classification changes) in symptomatic subjects. These discrepancies were statistically significant and clinically significant. The data support the concept of increased DAD and CD with dysfunction. Transverse condylar displacement, commonly presenting with dental cross bite, may be associated with CMCH and TMD. Displacement of the mandibular condyle may be an etiologic factor in CMCH and dysfunction of the temporo-mandibular joint. PMID:27357324

Identification of genes associated with asexual reproduction in Phyllosticta citricarpa mutants obtained through Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation.

PubMed

Goulin, Eduardo Henrique; Savi, Daiani Cristina; Petters, Desirrê Alexia Lourenço; Kava, Vanessa; Galli-Terasawa, Lygia; Silva, Geraldo José; Glienke, Chirlei

2016-11-01

Phyllosticta citricarpa is the epidemiological agent of Citrus Black Spot (CBS) disease, which is responsible for large economic losses worldwide. CBS is characterized by the presence of spores (pycnidiospores) in dark lesions of fruit, which are also responsible for short distance dispersal of the disease. The identification of genes involved in asexual reproduction of P. citricarpa can be an alternative for directional disease control. We analyzed a library of mutants obtained through Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation system, looking for alterations in growth and reproductive structure formation. Two mutant strains were found to have lost the ability to form pycnidia. The flanking T-DNA insertion regions were identified on P. citricarpa genome by using blast analysis and further gene prediction. The predicted genes containing the T-DNA insertions were identified as Spindle Poison Sensitivity Scp3, Ion Transport protein, and Cullin Binding proteins. The Ion Transport and Cullin Binding proteins are known to be correlated with sexual and asexual reproduction in fungi; however, the exact mechanism by which these proteins act on spore formation in P. citricarpa needs to be better characterized. The Scp3 proteins are suggested here for the first time as being associated with asexual reproduction in fungus. This protein is associated with microtubule formation, and as microtubules play an essential role as spindle machinery for chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, insertions in this gene can lead to abnormal formations, such as that observed here in P. citricarpa. We suggest these genes as new targets for fungicide development and CBS disease control, by iRNA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Survivorship Care Planning for Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer Using a Couple-Focused mHealth Symptom Self-Management Program: Protocol for a Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Song, Lixin; Dunlap, Kaitlyn L; Tan, Xianming; Chen, Ronald C; Nielsen, Matthew E; Rabenberg, Rebecca L; Asafu-Adjei, Josephine K; Koontz, Bridget F; Birken, Sarah A; Northouse, Laurel L; Mayer, Deborah K

2018-02-26

This project explores a new model of care that enhances survivorship care planning and promotes health for men with localized prostate cancer transitioning to posttreatment self-management. Survivorship care planning is important for patients with prostate cancer because of its high incidence rate in the United States, the frequent occurrence of treatment-related side effects, and reduced quality of life (QOL) for both men and their partners. A key component of comprehensive survivorship care planning is survivorship care plans (SCPs), documents that summarize cancer diagnosis, treatment, and plans for follow-up care. However, research concerning the effectiveness of SCPs on patient outcomes or health service use has thus far been inconclusive. SCPs that are tailored to individual patients' needs for information and care may improve effectiveness. This study aims to examine the feasibility of an enhanced survivorship care plan (ESCP) that integrates a symptom self-management mHealth program called Prostate Cancer Education and Resources for Couples (PERC) into the existing standardized SCP. The specific aims are to (1) examine the feasibility of delivering ESCPs and (2) to estimate the magnitude of benefit of ESCPs. We will use a two-group randomized controlled pretest-posttest design and collect data at baseline (T1) and 4 months later (T2) among 50 patients completing initial treatment for localized prostate cancer and their partners. First, we will assess the feasibility of ESCP by recruitment, enrollment, and retention rates; program satisfaction with the ESCP; and perceived ease of use of the ESCP. To achieve the secondary aim, we will compare the ESCP users with the standardized SCP users and assess their primary outcomes of QOL (overall, physical, emotional, and social QOL); secondary outcomes (reduction in negative appraisals and improvement in self-efficacy, social support, and health behaviors to manage symptoms); and number of visits to posttreatment care services between T1 and T2. We will assess the primary and secondary outcomes using measurements with sound psychometrical properties. We will use a qualitative and quantitative mixed methods approach to achieve the research aims. This project is ongoing and will be completed by the end of 2018. The results from this study will help design a definitive randomized trial to test the efficacy of the ESCPs, a potentially scalable program, to enhance supportive care for prostate cancer patients and their families. ©Lixin Song, Kaitlyn L Dunlap, Xianming Tan, Ronald C Chen, Matthew E Nielsen, Rebecca L Rabenberg, Josephine K Asafu-Adjei, Bridget F Koontz, Sarah A Birken, Laurel L Northouse, Deborah K Mayer. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 26.02.2018.

Reporting combined outcomes with Trifecta and survival, continence, and potency (SCP) classification in 337 patients with prostate cancer treated with image-guided hypofractionated radiotherapy.

PubMed

Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara A; Zerini, Dario; Fodor, Cristiana; Santoro, Luigi; Maucieri, Andrea; Gerardi, Marianna A; Vischioni, Barbara; Cambria, Raffaella; Garibaldi, Cristina; Cattani, Federica; Vavassori, Andrea; Matei, Deliu V; Musi, Gennaro; De Cobelli, Ottavio; Orecchia, Roberto

2014-12-01

To report the image-guided hypofractionated radiotherapy (hypo-IGRT) outcome for patients with localised prostate cancer according to the new outcome models Trifecta (cancer control, urinary continence, and sexual potency) and SCP (failure-free survival, continence and potency). Between August 2006 and January 2011, 337 patients with cT1-T2N0M0 prostate cancer (median age 73 years) were eligible for a prospective longitudinal study on hypo-IGRT (70.2 Gy/26 fractions) in our Department. Patients completed four questionnaires before treatment, and during follow-up: the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer prostate-cancer-specific Quality of Life Questionnaires (QLQ) QLQ-PR25 and QLQ-C30. Baseline and follow-up patient data were analysed according to the Trifecta and SCP outcome models. Cancer control, continence and potency were defined respectively as no evidence of disease, score 1 or 2 for item 36 of the QLQ-PR25 questionnaire, and total score of >16 on the IIEF-5 questionnaire. Patients receiving androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) at any time were excluded. Trifecta criteria at baseline were met in 72 patients (42% of all ADT-free patients with completed questionnaires). Both at 12 and 24 months after hypo-IGRT, 57% of the Trifecta patients at baseline were still meeting the Trifecta criteria (both oncological and functional success according to the SCP model). The main reason for failing the Trifecta criteria during follow-up was erectile dysfunction: in 18 patients after 6 months follow-up, in 12 patients after 12 months follow-up, and in eight patients after 24 months. Actuarial 2-year Trifecta failure-free survival rate was 44% (95% confidence interval 27-60%). In multivariate analysis no predictors of Trifecta failure were identified. Missing questionnaires was the main limitation of the study. The Trifecta and SCP classifications can be used as tools to report RT outcome. © 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.

Social Exclusion Index-for Health Surveys (SEI-HS): a prospective nationwide study to extend and validate a multidimensional social exclusion questionnaire.

PubMed

van Bergen, Addi P L; Hoff, Stella J M; Schreurs, Hanneke; van Loon, Annelies; van Hemert, Albert M

2017-03-14

Social exclusion (SE) refers to the inability of certain groups or individuals to fully participate in society. SE is associated with socioeconomic inequalities in health, and its measurement in routine public health monitoring is considered key to designing effective health policies. In an earlier retrospective analysis we demonstrated that in all four major Dutch cities, SE could largely be measured with existing local public health monitoring data. The current prospective study is aimed at constructing and validating an extended national measure for SE that optimally employs available items. In 2012, a stratified general population sample of 258,928 Dutch adults completed a version of the Netherlands Public Health Monitor (PHM) questionnaire in which 9 items were added covering aspects of SE that were found to be missing in our previous research. Items were derived from the SCP social exclusion index, a well-constructed 15-item instrument developed by the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP). The dataset was randomly divided into a development sample (N =129,464) and a validation sample (N = 129,464). Canonical correlation analysis was conducted in the development sample. The psychometric properties were studied and compared with those of the original SCP index. All analyses were then replicated in the validation sample. The analysis yielded a four dimensional index, the Social Exclusion Index for Health Surveys (SEI-HS), containing 8 SCP items and 9 PHM items. The four dimensions: "lack of social participation", "material deprivation", "lack of normative integration" and "inadequate access to basic social rights", were each measured with 3 to 6 items. The SEI-HS showed adequate internal consistency for both the general index and for two of four dimension scales. The internal structure and construct validity of the SEI-HS were satisfactory and similar to the original SCP index. Replication of the SEI-HS in the validation sample confirmed its generalisability. This study demonstrates that the SEI-HS offers epidemiologists and public health researchers a uniform, reliable, valid and efficient means of assessing social exclusion and its underlying dimensions. The study also provides valuable insights in how to develop embedded measures for public health surveillance.

Nootropic, neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects of phloretin in scopolamine induced amnesia in mice.

PubMed

Ghumatkar, Priya J; Patil, Sachin P; Jain, Pankaj D; Tambe, Rufi M; Sathaye, Sadhana

2015-08-01

Phloretin (PHL), a dihydrochalcone flavonoid usually present in the roots and leaves of apple tree. In vitro study on GT1-7 immortalized hypothalamic neurons exposed to amyloid beta (25-35), demonstrated that PHL significantly influenced membrane fluidity and potential. PHL also significantly decreased excitotoxicity by restoring the calcium homeostasis in the same. Thus, PHL proves to be a promising therapeutic moiety which should be further screened in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the nootropic, neuroprotective and neurotrophic roles of PHL in the subacute scopolamine induced amnesia in mice. In this study, mice were pretreated with PHL 2.5mg/kg, 5mg/kg, 10mg/kg and Donepezil (DON) 1mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p) for 14days. The last 7days of treatment regimen included daily injection of SCP 1.5mg/kg to induce cognitive deficits. Mice were subjected to behavioral analysis. Biochemical estimation of the brain homogenates for acetylcholinesterase and oxidative stress biomarkers were conducted. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis for the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was carried out particularly in the hippocampus. PHL was found to significantly improve the performance of mice in Morris water maze test (P<0.001) and significantly decreased the acetylcholinesterase activity (P<0.001) at all doses compared to SCP treated mice. Also, PHL significantly elevated the activity of antioxidant enzymes viz. superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione levels (P<0.001) and decreased malonaldehyde levels (P<0.001) in comparison with the SCP group. Immunohistochemistry revealed that PHL treatment dose dependently improved BDNF levels in the hippocampus which were found to be significantly depleted (P<0.001) in the SCP group. Additionally, PHL (10mg/kg) significantly enhanced the spatial memory formation (P<0.05) and neurotrophicity (P<0.001) compared to DON (1mg/kg). The aforementioned research findings suggested that PHL has nootropic, neuroprotective and neurotrophic activities in SCP induced memory impaired mice and hence, is a promising therapeutic moiety in the treatment of AD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cold tolerance mechanisms of two arthropods from the Andean Range of Central Chile: Agathemera crassa (Insecta: Agathemeridae) and Euathlus condorito (Arachnida: Theraphosidae).

PubMed

Cubillos, Claudio; Cáceres, Juan Carlos; Villablanca, Cristopher; Villarreal, Pablo; Baeza, Marcelo; Cabrera, Ricardo; Graether, Steffen P; Veloso, Claudio

2018-05-01

Two strategies have been described for cold tolerance in arthropods: (1) freeze-tolerant organisms, which can survive the formation of ice crystals and (2) freeze-avoidant organisms, which prevent the ice crystal formation by super cooling their internal fluids. We studied two arthropods from the Andean Range in central Chile (2400 m a.s.l.), the stick insect Agathemera crassa commonly named as "Chinchemolle", and the tarantula spider Euathlus condorito commonly named as "Araña pollito", in order to evaluate how they respond to low temperatures at the physiological and molecular levels. We sampled the soil temperature during one year to track the temperature changes that these organisms must overcome. We found minimum temperatures around -6 °C in autumn, while the temperature were stable at 0 °C in winter due to the snow. The average field-cooling rate was 0.01 ± 0.006 °C min -1 . For both arthropods we determined the super cooling point (SCP) at a cooling rate of 1 °C min -1 and its subsequent survival, finding that A. crassa is a freezing tolerant organism with a SCP of -3.8 ± 1.8 °C and 100% survival, while E. condorito is a freezing avoidant organism with a SCP of -3.0 ± 1.3 °C and 0% survival. The SCP and survival were not affected by the season in which individuals were collected, the SCP was significantly affected by the cooling rate of the experiment. Both species had low molecular weight cryoprotective in their hemolymph that could explain their cold-tolerance behavior. Glucose, glycerol, and trehalose were found in A. crassa's hemolymph, only glucose and glycerol were found in E. condorito's. We analyzed the hemolymph proteins and found no seasonal differences in composition for either species and also we detected protein antifreeze activity in the hemolymph from both arthropods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Schistosoma mansoni venom allergen-like protein 4 (SmVAL4) is a novel lipid-binding SCP/TAPS protein that lacks the prototypical CAP motifs

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

Kelleher, Alan; Darwiche, Rabih; Rezende, Wanderson C.

2014-08-01

The first structure of an S. mansoni venom allergen-like protein is presented. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that affects over 200 million people. Vaccine candidates have been identified, including Schistosoma mansoni venom allergen-like proteins (SmVALs) from the SCP/TAPS (sperm-coating protein/Tpx/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1/Sc7) superfamily. The first SmVAL structure, SmVAL4, was refined to a resolution limit of 2.16 Å. SmVAL4 has a unique structure that could not be predicted from homologous structures, with longer loops and an unusual C-terminal extension. SmVAL4 has the characteristic α/β-sandwich and central SCP/TAPS cavity. Furthermore, SmVAL4 has only one of the signature CAP cavity tetrad amino-acid residuesmore » and is missing the histidines that coordinate divalent cations such as Zn{sup 2+} in other SCP/TAPS proteins. SmVAL4 has a cavity between α-helices 1 and 4 that was observed to bind lipids in tablysin-15, suggesting the ability to bind lipids. Subsequently, SmVAL4 was shown to bind cholesterol in vitro. Additionally, SmVAL4 was shown to complement the in vivo sterol-export phenotype of yeast mutants lacking their endogenous CAP proteins. Expression of SmVAL4 in yeast cells lacking endogenous CAP function restores the block in sterol export. These studies suggest an evolutionarily conserved lipid-binding function shared by CAP proteins such as SmVAL4 and yeast CAP proteins such as Pry1.« less

Microvascular changes after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling: an optical coherence tomography angiography study.

PubMed

Mastropasqua, Leonardo; Borrelli, Enrico; Carpineto, Paolo; Toto, Lisa; Di Antonio, Luca; Mattei, Peter A; Mastropasqua, Rodolfo

2017-06-19

To evaluate superficial capillary plexus (SCP) changes occurring after internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for the treatment of idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). A total of 15 eyes of 15 patients affected by idiopathic ERM (eight males and seven females; mean age 59.8 ± 9.6 years) were enrolled in the study. Patients were treated with pars plana vitrectomy followed by ERM and ILM peeling. Subjects were evaluated at baseline and at the week-1 and month-1 follow-up visits. At each visit, patients were evaluated with a complete ophthalmologic evaluation, which included imaging with optical coherence tomography angiography. Overall, the SCP vessel density was 43.0 ± 3.0% at baseline and was stable throughout the follow-up (40.0 ± 4.0% at week-1 and 41.0 ± 4.0% at month-1 follow-up visits; p = 0.087 and p = 0.426, respectively). Nevertheless, the SCP vessel density was reduced at week-1 visit in both the superior and inferior sectors. In these sectors, the superficial vessel density was still reduced at the month-1 follow-up visit. We observed a reduction in the SCP vessel density occurring after pars plana vitrectomy with ILM peeling. The reduction is referred to those areas where other changes (e.g., swelling of the arcuate nerve fiber layer) have been already described. In theory, superficial vessel density modifications may be due to the direct surgical trauma to the inner retina, where the superficial plexus is contained, during the ILM grasping.

Supportive communication with parents moderates the negative effects of electronic media use on life satisfaction during adolescence.

PubMed

Boniel-Nissim, Meyran; Tabak, Izabela; Mazur, Joanna; Borraccino, Alberto; Brooks, Fiona; Gommans, Rob; van der Sluijs, Winfried; Zsiros, Emese; Craig, Wendy; Harel-Fisch, Yossi; Finne, Emily

2015-02-01

To examine the impact of electronic media (EM) use on teenagers' life satisfaction (LS) and to assess the potential moderating effect of supportive communication with parents (SCP). Data were drawn from the cross-national Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study (2009/2010) in Canada, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Israel, The Netherlands, Poland and Scotland. Sample size: 53,973 students aged 11-15 years. More hours per day spent on the computer were associated with lower LS; more EM communication with friends with higher LS. This relationship became negative if EM use reached and exceeded a certain threshold. SCP moderated the effect of EM communication with friends, but not computer use for the total sample. SCP seems to be more important than computer use or EM communication with friends for LS and it seems to buffer negative effects of EM use. Communication with parents seems to buffer the negative effects of EM use on LS during adolescence. Higher computer use was related to lower LS, but "optimal" frequency of EM communication with friends was country specific.

Nonlinear Tracking Control of a Conductive Supercoiled Polymer Actuator.

PubMed

Luong, Tuan Anh; Cho, Kyeong Ho; Song, Min Geun; Koo, Ja Choon; Choi, Hyouk Ryeol; Moon, Hyungpil

2018-04-01

Artificial muscle actuators made from commercial nylon fishing lines have been recently introduced and shown as a new type of actuator with high performance. However, the actuators also exhibit significant nonlinearities, which make them difficult to control, especially in precise trajectory-tracking applications. In this article, we present a nonlinear mathematical model of a conductive supercoiled polymer (SCP) actuator driven by Joule heating for model-based feedback controls. Our efforts include modeling of the hysteresis behavior of the actuator. Based on nonlinear modeling, we design a sliding mode controller for SCP actuator-driven manipulators. The system with proposed control law is proven to be asymptotically stable using the Lyapunov theory. The control performance of the proposed method is evaluated experimentally and compared with that of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller through one-degree-of-freedom SCP actuator-driven manipulators. Experimental results show that the proposed controller's performance is superior to that of a PID controller, such as the tracking errors are nearly 10 times smaller compared with those of a PID controller, and it is more robust to external disturbances such as sensor noise and actuator modeling error.

Seasonal changes in antifreeze protein gene transcription and water content of beetle Microdera punctipennis (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) from Gurbantonggut desert in Central Asia.

PubMed

Hou, F; Ma, J; Liu, X; Wang, Y; Liu, X N; Zhang, F C

2010-01-01

Desert beetle Microdera punctipennis (Coleoptera: Tenebriondae) is a special species in Gurbantonggut Desert in Central Asia. To investigate the possible strategy it employs for cold survival, seasonal changes in supercooling point (SCP), body water content, haemolymph osmolality and antifreeze protein gene (Mpafp) expression were measured over 13 months. Our results show SCPs in M. punctipennis adults changed from -8.0°C in summer to -18.7°C in winter. During winter, adults endured modest water loss; total water decreased from 65.4 percent in summer to 55.9% in winter. Mpafp mRNAs level increased by 13.1 fold from summer to early winter, and haemolymph osmolality increased accordingly from 550 mOsm to 1486 mOsm. Correlation coefficient of Mpafp mRNAs level and SCP indicates that Mpafp mRNA explained 65.3 percent of the variation in SCPs. The correlation between Mpafp mRNA level and total water reflected an indirect influence of antifreeze protein on water content via reducing SCP.

Standard-compliant real-time transmission of ECGs: harmonization of ISO/IEEE 11073-PHD and SCP-ECG.

PubMed

Trigo, Jesús D; Chiarugi, Franco; Alesanco, Alvaro; Martínez-Espronceda, Miguel; Chronaki, Catherine E; Escayola, Javier; Martínez, Ignacio; García, José

2009-01-01

Ambient assisted living and integrated care in an aging society is based on the vision of the lifelong Electronic Health Record calling for HealthCare Information Systems and medical device interoperability. For medical devices this aim can be achieved by the consistent implementation of harmonized international interoperability standards. The ISO/IEEE 11073 (x73) family of standards is a reference standard for medical device interoperability. In its Personal Health Device (PHD) version several devices have been included, but an ECG device specialization is not yet available. On the other hand, the SCP-ECG standard for short-term diagnostic ECGs (EN1064) has been recently approved as an international standard ISO/IEEE 11073-91064:2009. In this paper, the relationships between a proposed x73-PHD model for an ECG device and the fields of the SCP-ECG standard are investigated. A proof-of-concept implementation of the proposed x73-PHD ECG model is also presented, identifying open issues to be addressed by standards development for the wider interoperability adoption of x73-PHD standards.

Greater epitope recognition of shrimp allergens by children than by adults suggests that shrimp sensitization decreases with age.

PubMed

Ayuso, Rosalía; Sánchez-Garcia, Silvia; Lin, Jing; Fu, Zhiyan; Ibáñez, María Dolores; Carrillo, Teresa; Blanco, Carlos; Goldis, Marina; Bardina, Ludmila; Sastre, Joaquín; Sampson, Hugh A

2010-06-01

Shellfish allergy is a long-lasting disorder typically affecting adults. Despite its high prevalence, there is limited information about allergenic shrimp proteins and the epitopes implicated in such allergic reactions. We sought to identify the IgE-binding epitopes of the 4 shrimp allergens and to characterize epitope recognition profiles of children and adults with shrimp allergy. Fifty-three subjects, 34 children and 19 adults, were selected with immediate allergic reactions to shrimp, increased shrimp-specific serum IgE levels, and positive immunoblot binding to shrimp. Study subjects and 7 nonatopic control subjects were tested by means of peptide microarray for IgE binding with synthetic overlapping peptides spanning the sequences of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp tropomyosin, arginine kinase (AK), myosin light chain (MLC), and sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein (SCP). The Wilcoxon test was used to determine significant differences in z scores between patients and control subjects. The median shrimp IgE level was 4-fold higher in children than in adults (47 vs 12.5 kU(A)/L). The frequency of allergen recognition was higher in children (tropomyosin, 81% [94% for children and 61% for adults]; MLC, 57% [70% for children and 31% for adults]; AK, 51% [67% for children and 21% for adults]; and SCP, 45% [59% for children and 21% for adults]), whereas control subjects showed negligible binding. Seven IgE-binding regions were identified in tropomyosin by means of peptide microarray, confirming previously identified shrimp epitopes. In addition, 3 new epitopes were identified in tropomyosin (epitopes 1, 3, and 5b-c), 5 epitopes were identified in MLC, 3 epitopes were identified in SCP, and 7 epitopes were identified in AK. Interestingly, frequency of individual epitope recognition, as well as intensity of IgE binding, was significantly greater in children than in adults for all 4 proteins. Children with shrimp allergy have greater shrimp-specific IgE antibody levels and show more intense binding to shrimp peptides and greater epitope diversity than adults. Copyright (c) 2010 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Advance care planning within survivorship care plans for older cancer survivors: A systematic review.

PubMed

O'Caoimh, Rónán; Cornally, Nicola; O'Sullivan, Ronan; Hally, Ruth; Weathers, Elizabeth; Lavan, Amanda H; Kearns, Tara; Coffey, Alice; McGlade, Ciara; Molloy, D William

2017-11-01

Advances in the medical treatment of cancer have increased the number of survivors, particularly among older adults, who now represent the majority of these. Survivorship care plans (SCPs) are documents that cancer patients receive summarising their care, usually at the end of treatment but preferably from initial diagnosis. These may increase patient satisfaction and represent an opportunity to initiate preventative strategies and address future care needs. Advance care planning (ACP), incorporating advance healthcare decision-making, including formal written directives, increases satisfaction and end-of-life care. This paper systematically reviews evaluations of ACP within SCPs among older (≥65 years) cancer survivors. No studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified by search strategies conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and the Cochrane databases. One paper examined cancer survivors' mainly positive views of ACP. Another discussed the use of a SCP supported by a 'distress inventory' that included an advance care directive (living will) as an issue, though no formal evaluation was reported. Although ACP is important for older adults, no study was found that evaluated its role within survivorship care planning. Despite the risk of recurrence and the potential for morbidity and mortality, especially among older cancer survivors, ACP is not yet a feature of SCPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sorption of selected veterinary antibiotics onto dairy farming soils of contrasting nature.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Prakash; Sarmah, Ajit K; Manley-Harris, Merilyn

2014-02-15

The sorption potential for three sulfonamides (SAs), sulfamethoxazole (SMO), sulfachloropyridazine (SCP) and sulfamethazine (SM) and a macrolide, tylosin tartrate (TT) was assessed on six New Zealand dairy farming soils of contrasting physico-chemical properties. Kinetics studies showed that the sorption was rapid in the first few hours of the contact time (0-2h for SA and 0-4h for TT) and thereafter apparent equilibrium was achieved. Batch sorption isotherm data revealed that the degree of isotherm linearity (N) for SCP and SM varied between 0.50 and 1.08 in the six soils. Isotherms of both TT and SMO were mostly non-linear with the degree of non-linearity for TT (N=0.38-0.71) being greater than for SMO (0.42-0.75) in all soils except Manawatu (TT) and Te Kowhai (SMO) where a linear pattern was observed. Concentration-dependent effective distribution coefficient (Kd(eff)) values for the SMO, SCP and SM antibiotics in the soils ranged from 0.85 to 16.35 L kg(-1), while that for TT was 1.6 to 1,042 L kg(-1). The sorption affinity for all soils followed an order: TT>SCP>SM>SMO. Remarkable high sorption for tylosin in Matawhero soil as compared to other soils was attributed to the presence of oxygen containing acidic polar functional groups as evident in the FT-IR spectra of the soil. Furthermore, it was hypothesised that sorption of TT onto soils was mostly driven by metal oxide-surface mediated transformations whereas for sulfonamides it was primarily due to hydrophobic interactions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MACULAR MICROVASCULAR NETWORKS IN HEALTHY PEDIATRIC SUBJECTS.

PubMed

Borrelli, Enrico; Lonngi, Marcela; Balasubramanian, Siva; Tepelus, Tudor C; Baghdasaryan, Elmira; Iafe, Nicholas A; Pineles, Stacy L; Velez, Federico G; Sarraf, David; Sadda, SriniVas R; Tsui, Irena

2018-02-22

To report optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) values in healthy pediatric eyes and to identify factors that may modify these values. In this prospective observational cross-sectional study, macular OCTA images were acquired from healthy pediatric patients. Main outcome measures were 1) foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area at the level of the superficial retinal capillary plexus (SCP); 2) SCP and deep retinal capillary plexus (DCP) perfusion density (based on the area of vessels); 3) SCP and DCP vessel density (based on a map with vessels of 1-pixel width); and 4) CC perfusion density. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of age, sex, ethnicity, refraction, and foveal macular thickness (FMT) on OCTA parameters. Seventy-seven eyes from 52 subjects (23 male and 29 female) were included in analysis. Mean age was 11.1 ± 3.3 years (range = 5.0-17.0 years). Twenty-nine (55.8%) subjects were white, 14 (27.0%) Hispanic, 8 (15.4%) Asian, and 1 (1.8%) African-American. Mean refraction was -0.1 ± 2.4 diopters (D) (range = -5.75 to +9.0 D). Mean FMT was 248.6 ± 18.6 μm. Larger FAZ area was significantly associated with older age (P = 0.014). Furthermore, larger FAZ area was associated with reduced FMT (P < 0.0001). Male sex was associated only with increased SCP perfusion density (P = 0.042). Increased CC perfusion density was associated with younger age (P = 0.022). We report data for pediatric OCTA parameters in healthy subjects. Several variables influence the density of macular microvascular networks, and these factors should be considered in the OCTA study of pediatric eye disorders.

Tracking the majority: households, older workers, and retirement during the Great Depression.

PubMed

Moen, J R; Gratton, B

2000-01-01

Well into the 20th century, elderly people relied on traditional means of support, such as children's financial contributions or continued labor force activity. After the institution of Social Security in the late 1930s, retirement--permanent withdrawal from the labor force with financial arrangements made for support--became an expected part of the life cycle of men 65 years and older in the United States. This research explores the extent of retirement and methods to finance it in the period just before Social Security became available. The 1935-1936 Study of Consumer Purchases (SCP) contains information on demographic and economic conditions for 5,975 households. The SCP is a rich but underutilized source of data on household behavior. The data allow two definitions of labor force activity to be constructed; descriptive statistics identify factors associated with retirement. Alternative sources of support, such as pensions and investment income, have been thought to be relatively insignificant before the 1940s. This article shows that retirement in the modern sense appeared before state provision of support for aged persons. SCP data indicate considerable reliance on such financial instruments, a particularly noteworthy result given Depression conditions. Pension and investment income also helps identify persons who might report a gainful occupation but appear to have withdrawn from labor force activity, meeting a modern definition of retirement. The SCP, collected just as Social Security was enacted, reveals that nonfamilial sources of income like pensions and investments had begun to underwrite retirement without dependence on family members. Many older persons relied on these instruments for support in old age, and many did not have children present in their households. These results constitute evidence for an independent, nonfamily-based retirement before governmental provision of assistance through Social Security.

Changes in Retinal Microvasculature and Visual Acuity After Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy in Retinal Vein Occlusion.

PubMed

Winegarner, Andrew; Wakabayashi, Taku; Fukushima, Yoko; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Hara-Ueno, Chikako; Busch, Caleb; Nishiyama, Issei; Shiraki, Nobuhiko; Sayanagi, Kaori; Nishida, Kentaro; Sakaguchi, Hirokazu; Nishida, Kohji

2018-06-01

To investigate the changes in the retinal microvasculature during the course of anti-VEGF therapy in eyes with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and their association with visual outcomes. The vessel density (VD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were quantitatively measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in 48 consecutive eyes with RVO before and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after anti-VEGF therapy. Anti-VEGF therapy was performed either with ranibizumab or aflibercept following a pro re nata (PRN) regimen. The correlation between post-treatment best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and changes in the retinal microvasculature evaluated by OCTA were assessed. The BCVA improved significantly at 12 months (P < 0.001). Better BCVA at 12 months was significantly associated with a better VD in the SCP and DCP both at baseline (R2 = 0.524, P < 0.001 and R2 = 0.457, P < 0.001, respectively) and at 12 months (R2 = 0.521, P < 0.001 and R2 = 0.662, P < 0.001, respectively). Overall, both VD and FAZ did not change significantly during the 12 months. However, the progression of nonperfusion was observed in the SCP in 6 (13%) eyes and in the DCP in 10 (21%) eyes. The number of macular edema recurrence was significantly associated with a decrease in the VD (P = 0.006 [SCP] and P < 0.001 [DCP]) and less visual gain (P = 0.02) after treatment. Anti-VEGF therapy maintains retinal perfusion in most patients with RVO. Preserving retinal perfusion is crucial for better visual outcomes.

Utilization of coal mine methane for methanol and SCP production. Topical report, May 5, 1995--March 4, 1996

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

NONE

1998-12-31

The feasibility of utilizing a biological process to reduce methane emissions from coal mines and to produce valuable single cell protein (SCP) and/or methanol as a product has been demonstrated. The quantities of coal mine methane from vent gas, gob wells, premining wells and abandoned mines have been determined in order to define the potential for utilizing mine gases as a resource. It is estimated that 300 MMCFD of methane is produced in the United States at a typical concentration of 0.2-0.6 percent in ventilation air. Of this total, almost 20 percent is produced from the four Jim Walter Resourcesmore » (JWR) mines, which are located in very gassy coal seams. Worldwide vent gas production is estimated at 1 BCFD. Gob gas methane production in the U.S. is estimated to be 38 MMCFD. Very little gob gas is produced outside the U.S. In addition, it is estimated that abandoned mines may generate as much as 90 MMCFD of methane. In order to make a significant impact on coal mine methane emissions, technology which is able to utilize dilute vent gases as a resource must be developed. Purification of the methane from the vent gases would be very expensive and impractical. Therefore, the process application must be able to use a dilute methane stream. Biological conversion of this dilute methane (as well as the more concentrated gob gases) to produce single cell protein (SCP) and/or methanol has been demonstrated in the Bioengineering Resources, Inc. (BRI) laboratories. SCP is used as an animal feed supplement, which commands a high price, about $0.11 per pound.« less

Cold Hardiness of the Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae).

PubMed

Spranghers, Thomas; Noyez, Annelies; Schildermans, Kristof; De Clercq, Patrick

2017-08-01

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.), shows potential as a resource for animal feed. However, industrial production in regions where the insect is not native, like northwestern Europe, could lead to permanent establishment, which might entail environmental risks. In temperate climates, establishment depends on the insect's ability to overwinter. This study assessed the insect's cold hardiness by determining the supercooling point (SCP) and lower lethal time at 5 °C (LTime10,50,90) for different life stages. As diet or acclimation can influence cold hardiness, prepupae reared on different substrates and acclimated prepupae were tested in separate experiments. The SCP ranged from -7.3 °C for late-instar larvae to -13.7 °C for pupae. Prepupae reared on a highly nutritional substrate had a lower SCP compared with a control diet composed of chicken feed (-14.1 °C vs. -12.4 °C, respectively), whereas the SCP was unaffected by acclimation. Based on the LTime, prepupae and pupae were the most cold hardy life stages. Acclimated prepupae were most cold tolerant, with a LTime50 of 23 d. Based on an empirical relationship between LTime50 and field survival of various arthropods, it was predicted that H. illucens would survive about 47 d in the field during northwestern European winters. The results from this laboratory study suggest that H. illucens is rather unlikely to overwinter in northwestern Europe. However, caution is warranted given that diet and acclimation can influence the insect's cold hardiness and in the field the insect may survive in a diapausing state or in protected hibernacula. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of injectable anticholinergic drugs on soman-induced lethality and convulsant/subconvulsant activity

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

Harris, L.W.; Anderson, D.R.; Lennox, W.J.

1993-05-13

FDA approved, injectable preparations of candidate compounds BENZTROPINE (BZT), 1.0 mg/ml; biperiden (BIP), 5.0 mg/ml; dicyclomine (DCL), 10 mg/ml; 1-hyoscyamine (HYO), 0.5 mg/ml; orphenadrine (ORP), 30 mg/ml; scopolamine (SCP), 1.0 mg/ml were tested in parallel with diazepam (DZ, the standard) in male guinea pigs against ongoing soman induced convulsive (CV)/sub-CV activity. Three trained graders concurrently assigned CV/sub-CV scores (12 - convulsions; 0 normal) to each animal. Animals received (im) pyridostigmine (PYR; 26 ug/kg) 30 min before soman (56 ug/kg; 2 LD50), atropine (2 mg/kg) admixed with 2-PAM (25 mg/kg) at one min after soman, and the candidate drug preparation atmore » 5.67 min post soman, a time when CV activity is assured. BIP and SCP demonstrated efficacy over dosage ranges between 10 and 0.3 and 1.0 and 0.13 mg/kg, respectively, while the other preparations were less effective at their respective maximum dosages. At optimal dosages of SCP (0.5 mg/kg) and BIP (10 mg/kg), the CV/sub-CV scores were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those of DZ.« less

Stiffness Customization and Patterning for Property Modulation of Silicone-Based Soft Pneumatic Actuators.

PubMed

Sun, Yi; Yap, Hong Kai; Liang, Xinquan; Guo, Jin; Qi, Peng; Ang, Marcelo H; Yeow, Chen-Hua

2017-09-01

Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs), as novel types of motion drivers for robotic devices, excel in many applications, such as rehabilitation and biomimicry, which demand compliance and softness. To further expand their scope of utilization, the SPAs should be customizable to meet the distinctive requirements of different applications. This article proposes a novel perspective on the SPA working mechanism based on stiffness distribution and then presents a versatile method called stiffness customization and patterning (SCP) for SPA body stiffness layout as a novel attempt to customize SPAs with distinctive properties. We fabricated a hybrid type of material combining unstretchable material and silicone with customizable aggregated elasticity. The tensile results showed that embedding unstretchable material directly increases the stiffness of the hybrid material sample, and our stress-strain model for SCP is able to adequately predict the elasticity of hybrid samples with specific material ratios. By applying this approach to bending-type SPAs, we are able to mitigate SPA buckling, a main failure mode of SPAs, and improve the SPA tip force by using hybrid material with globally increased stiffness. We also diversify bending modalities with different stiffness configurations in the hybrid material. SCP offers numerous ways to engineer SPAs for more applications.

Heterocellular interaction enhances recruitment of {alpha} and {beta}-catenins and ZO-2 into functional gap-junction complexes and induces gap junction-dependant differentiation of mammary epithelial cells

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

Talhouk, Rabih S.; Mroue, Rana; Mokalled, Mayssa

2008-11-01

Gap junctions (GJ) are required for mammary epithelial differentiation. Using epithelial (SCp2) and myoepithelial-like (SCg6) mouse-derived mammary cells, the role of heterocellular interaction in assembly of GJ complexes and functional differentiation ({beta}-casein expression) was evaluated. Heterocellular interaction is critical for {beta}-casein expression, independent of exogenous basement membrane or cell anchoring substrata. Functional differentiation of SCp2, co-cultured with SCg6, is more sensitive to GJ inhibition relative to homocellular SCp2 cultures differentiated by exogenous basement membrane. Connexin (Cx)32 and Cx43 levels were not regulated across culture conditions; however, GJ functionality was enhanced under differentiation-permissive conditions. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated association of junctional complexmore » components ({alpha}-catenin, {beta}-catenin and ZO-2) with Cx32 and Cx43, in differentiation conditions, and additionally with Cx30 in heterocellular cultures. Although {beta}-catenin did not shuttle between cadherin and GJ complexes, increased association between connexins and {beta}-catenin in heterocellular cultures was observed. This was concomitant with reduced nuclear {beta}-catenin, suggesting that differentiation in heterocellular cultures involves sequestration of {beta}-catenin in GJ complexes.« less

Is stair climb power a clinically relevant measure of leg power impairments in at-risk older adults?

PubMed

Bean, Jonathan F; Kiely, Dan K; LaRose, Sharon; Alian, Joda; Frontera, Walter R

2007-05-01

To test the clinical relevance of the stair climb power test (SCPT) as a measure of leg power impairments in mobility-limited older adults. Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from participants within a randomized controlled trial. Rehabilitation research gym. Community-dwelling older adults (N=138; mean age, 75.4 y) with mobility limitations as defined by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Not applicable. Leg power measures included the SCPT and double leg press power measured at 40% (DLP40) and 70% (DLP70) of the 1 repetition maximum. Mobility performance tests included the SPPB and its 3 components: gait speed, chair stand time, and standing balance. Stair climb power per kilogram (SCP/kg) had correlations of moderate strength (r=.47, r=.52) with DLP40/kg and DLP70/kg, respectively. All 3 leg power measures correlated with each of the mobility performance measures with the exception of DLP40/kg (r=.11, P=.27) and DLP70/kg (r=.11, P=.18) with standing balance. Magnitudes of association, as described by the Pearson correlation coefficient, did not differ substantively among the separate power measures as they related to SPPB performance overall. Separate adjusted multivariate models evaluating the relationship between leg power and SPPB performance were all statistically significant and described equivalent amounts of the total variance (R(2)) in SPPB performance (SCP/kg, R(2)=.30; DLP40, R(2)=.32; DLP70, R(2)=.31). Analyses of the components of the SPPB show that the SCPT had stronger associations than the other leg power impairment measures with models predicting chair stand (SCP/kg, R(2)=.25; DLP40, R(2)=.12; DLP70, R(2)=.13), whereas both types of leg press power testing had stronger associations with models predicting gait speed (SCP/kg, R(2)=.16; DLP40, R(2)=.34; DLP70, R(2)=.34). Stair climb power was the only power measure that was a significant component of models predicting standing balance (SCP/kg R(2)=.20). The SCPT is a clinically relevant measure of leg power impairments. It is associated with more complex modes of testing leg power impairments and is meaningfully associated with mobility performance, making it suitable for clinical settings in which impairment-mobility relationships are of interest.

An interactive portal to empower cancer survivors: a qualitative study on user expectations.

PubMed

Kuijpers, Wilma; Groen, Wim G; Loos, Romy; Oldenburg, Hester S A; Wouters, Michel W J M; Aaronson, Neil K; van Harten, Wim H

2015-09-01

Portals are increasingly used to improve patient empowerment, but are still uncommon in oncology. In this study, we explored cancer survivors' and health professionals' expectations of possible features of an interactive portal. We conducted three focus groups with breast cancer survivors (n = 21), two with lung cancer survivors (n = 14), and four with health professionals (n = 31). Drafts of possible features of an interactive portal were presented as static screenshots: survivorship care plan (SCP), access to electronic medical record (EMR), appointments, e-consultation, online patient community, patient reported outcomes (PROs) plus feedback, telemonitoring service, online rehabilitation program, and online psychosocial self-management program. This presentation was followed by an open discussion. Focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using content analysis. Important themes included fulfillment of information needs, communication, motivation, quality of feedback, and supervision. Cancer survivors were primarily interested in features that could fulfill their information needs: SCP, access to their EMR, and an overview of appointments. Health professionals considered PROs and telemonitoring as most useful features, as these provide relevant information about survivors' health status. We recommend to minimally include these features in an interactive portal for cancer survivors. This is the first study that evaluated the expectations of cancer survivors and health professionals concerning an interactive portal. Both groups were positive about the introduction of such a portal, although their preferences for the various features differed. These findings reflect their unique perspective and emphasize the importance of involving multiple stakeholders in the actual design process.

Poster — Thur Eve — 43: Monte Carlo Modeling of Flattening Filter Free Beams and Studies of Relative Output Factors

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

Zhan, Lixin; Jiang, Runqing; Osei, Ernest K.

2014-08-15

Flattening filter free (FFF) beams have been adopted by many clinics and used for patient treatment. However, compared to the traditional flattened beams, we have limited knowledge of FFF beams. In this study, we successfully modeled the 6 MV FFF beam for Varian TrueBeam accelerator with the Monte Carlo (MC) method. Both the percentage depth dose and profiles match well to the Golden Beam Data (GBD) from Varian. MC simulations were then performed to predict the relative output factors. The in-water output ratio, Scp, was simulated in water phantom and data obtained agrees well with GBD. The in-air output ratio,more » Sc, was obtained by analyzing the phase space placed at isocenter, in air, and computing the ratio of water Kerma rates for different field sizes. The phantom scattering factor, Sp, can then be obtained from the traditional way of taking the ratio of Scp and Sc. We also simulated Sp using a recently proposed method based on only the primary beam dose delivery in water phantom. Because there is no concern of lateral electronic disequilibrium, this method is more suitable for small fields. The results from both methods agree well with each other. The flattened 6 MV beam was simulated and compared to 6 MV FFF. The comparison confirms that 6 MV FFF has less scattering from the Linac head and less phantom scattering contribution to the central axis dose, which will be helpful for improving accuracy in beam modeling and dose calculation in treatment planning systems.« less

The SCP2-thiolase-like protein (SLP) of Trypanosoma brucei is an enzyme involved in lipid metabolism.

PubMed

Harijan, Rajesh K; Mazet, Muriel; Kiema, Tiila R; Bouyssou, Guillaume; Alexson, Stefan E H; Bergmann, Ulrich; Moreau, Patrick; Michels, Paul A M; Bringaud, Frédéric; Wierenga, Rik K

2016-08-01

Bioinformatics studies have shown that the genomes of trypanosomatid species each encode one SCP2-thiolase-like protein (SLP), which is characterized by having the YDCF thiolase sequence fingerprint of the Cβ2-Cα2 loop. SLPs are only encoded by the genomes of these parasitic protists and not by those of mammals, including human. Deletion of the Trypanosoma brucei SLP gene (TbSLP) increases the doubling time of procyclic T. brucei and causes a 5-fold reduction of de novo sterol biosynthesis from glucose- and acetate-derived acetyl-CoA. Fluorescence analyses of EGFP-tagged TbSLP expressed in the parasite located the TbSLP in the mitochondrion. The crystal structure of TbSLP (refined at 1.75 Å resolution) confirms that TbSLP has the canonical dimeric thiolase fold. In addition, the structures of the TbSLP-acetoacetyl-CoA (1.90 Å) and TbSLP-malonyl-CoA (2.30 Å) complexes reveal that the two oxyanion holes of the thiolase active site are preserved. TbSLP binds malonyl-CoA tightly (Kd 90 µM), acetoacetyl-CoA moderately (Kd 0.9 mM) and acetyl-CoA and CoA very weakly. TbSLP possesses low malonyl-CoA decarboxylase activity. Altogether, the data show that TbSLP is a mitochondrial enzyme involved in lipid metabolism. Proteins 2016; 84:1075-1096. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Submicron sized water-stable metal organic framework (bio-MOF-11) for catalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products.

PubMed

Azhar, Muhammad Rizwan; Vijay, Periasamy; Tadé, Moses O; Sun, Hongqi; Wang, Shaobin

2018-04-01

Water-stable and active metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are important materials for mitigation of water contaminants via adsorption and catalytic reactions. In this study, a highly water-stable Co-based MOF, namely bio-MOF-11-Co, was synthesized by a simplified benign method. Moreover, it was used as a catalyst in successful activation of peroxymonsulfate for catalytic degradation of sulfachloropyradazine (SCP) and para-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HBA) as representatives of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, respectively. The bio-MOF-11-Co showed rapid degradation of both p-HBA and SCP and could be reused multiple times without losing the activity by simply water washing. The effects of catalyst and PMS loadings as well as temperature were further studied, showing that high catalyst and PMS loadings as well as temperature produced faster kinetic degradation of p-HBA and SCP. The generation of highly reactive and HO radicals during the degradation was investigated by quenching tests and electron paramagnetic resonance. A plausible degradation mechanism was proposed based on the functionalities in the bio-MOF-11-Co. The availability of electron rich nucleobase adenine reinforced the reaction kinetics by electron donation along with cobalt atoms in the bio-MOF-11-Co structure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke tubers (Helianthus tuberosus). Using Kluyveromyces marxcianus and Saccharomyces rosei

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

Margaritis, A.; Bajpai, P.

1982-04-01

This article examines the potential of Jerusalem artichoke as a source for ethanol and single-cell protein SCP. In addition, experimental results are presented on batch fermentation kinetics employing two strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus and one strain of Saccharomyces rosei grown on the extract derived from the tubers of Jerusalem artichoke. Of the three cultures examined, Kluyveromyces marxianus UCD (FST) 55-82 was found to be the best producer of ethanol grown in a simple medium at 35 degrees C. The ethanol production was found to be growth-associated having a mu max = 0.41/h and the ethanol and biomass yields were determinedmore » to be Y p/s = 0.45 (88% of the theoretical) and Y x/s = 0.04 with 92% of the original sugars utilized. On the basis of carbohydrate yields of Jerusalem artichoke reported in the literature and these batch kinetic studies with Kluyveromyces marxianus, the calculated ethanol yields were found to range from 1400 kg ethanol/acre/yr to a maximum of 2700 kg ethanol/acre/yr. The SCP yields for Kluyveromyces marxianus were calculated to range between 130 to 250 kg dry wt cell/acre/yr. The potential for developing an integrated process to produce ethanol and SCP is also discussed. (Refs. 27).« less

Application of laser spot cutting on spring contact probe for semiconductor package inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dongkyoung; Cho, Jungdon; Kim, Chan Ho; Lee, Seung Hwan

2017-12-01

A packaged semiconductor has to be electrically tested to make sure they are free of any manufacturing defects. The test interface, typically employed between a Printed Circuit Board and the semiconductor devices, consists of densely populated Spring Contact Probe (SCP). A standard SCP typically consists of a plunger, a barrel, and an internal spring. Among these components, plungers are manufactured by a stamping process. After stamping, plunger connecting arms need to be cut into pieces. Currently, mechanical cutting has been used. However, it may damage to the body of plungers due to the mechanical force engaged at the cutting point. Therefore, laser spot cutting is considered to solve this problem. The plunger arm is in the shape of a rectangular beam, 50 μm (H) × 90 μm (W). The plunger material used for this research is gold coated beryllium copper. Laser parameters, such as power and elapsed time, have been selected to study laser spot cutting. Laser material interaction characteristics such as a crater size, material removal zone, ablation depth, ablation threshold, and full penetration are observed. Furthermore, a carefully chosen laser parameter (Etotal = 1000mJ) to test feasibility of laser spot cutting are applied. The result show that laser spot cutting can be applied to cut SCP.

A Universal Strategy To Prepare Sulfur-Containing Polymer Composites with Desired Morphologies for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

PubMed

Zeng, Shao-Zhong; Zeng, Xierong; Tu, Wenxuan; Huang, Haitao; Yu, Liang; Yao, Yuechao; Jin, Nengzhi; Zhang, Qi; Zou, Jizhao

2018-06-19

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are probably the most promising candidates for the next-generation batteries owing to their high energy density. However, Li-S batteries face severe technical problems where the dissolution of intermediate polysulfides is the biggest problem because it leads to the degradation of the cathode and the lithium anode, and finally the fast capacity decay. Compared with the composites of elemental sulfur and other matrices, sulfur-containing polymers (SCPs) have strong chemical bonds to sulfur and therefore show low dissolution of polysulfides. Unfortunately, most SCPs have very low electron conductivity and their morphologies can hardly be controlled, which undoubtedly depress the battery performances of SCPs. To overcome these two weaknesses of SCPs, a new strategy was developed for preparing SCP composites with enhanced conductivity and desired morphologies. With this strategy, macroporous SCP composites were successfully prepared from hierarchical porous carbon. The composites displayed discharge/charge capacities up to 1218/1139, 949/922, and 796/785 mA h g -1 at the current rates of 5, 10, and 15 C, respectively. Considering the universality of this strategy and the numerous morphologies of carbon materials, this strategy opens many opportunities for making carbon/SCP composites with novel morphologies.

Assembler: Efficient Discovery of Spatial Co-evolving Patterns in Massive Geo-sensory Data.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; Zheng, Yu; Ma, Xiuli; Han, Jiawei

2015-08-01

Recent years have witnessed the wide proliferation of geo-sensory applications wherein a bundle of sensors are deployed at different locations to cooperatively monitor the target condition. Given massive geo-sensory data, we study the problem of mining spatial co-evolving patterns (SCPs), i.e ., groups of sensors that are spatially correlated and co-evolve frequently in their readings. SCP mining is of great importance to various real-world applications, yet it is challenging because (1) the truly interesting evolutions are often flooded by numerous trivial fluctuations in the geo-sensory time series; and (2) the pattern search space is extremely large due to the spatiotemporal combinatorial nature of SCP. In this paper, we propose a two-stage method called Assembler. In the first stage, Assembler filters trivial fluctuations using wavelet transform and detects frequent evolutions for individual sensors via a segment-and-group approach. In the second stage, Assembler generates SCPs by assembling the frequent evolutions of individual sensors. Leveraging the spatial constraint, it conceptually organizes all the SCPs into a novel structure called the SCP search tree, which facilitates the effective pruning of the search space to generate SCPs efficiently. Our experiments on both real and synthetic data sets show that Assembler is effective, efficient, and scalable.

Effect of surgical periodontal treatment associated to antimicrobial photodynamic therapy on chronic periodontitis: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Martins, Sérgio H L; Novaes, Arthur B; Taba, Mario; Palioto, Daniela B; Messora, Michel R; Reino, Danilo M; Souza, Sérgio L S

2017-07-01

This randomized controlled clinical trial evaluated the effects of an adjunctive single application of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in Surgical Periodontal Treatment (ST) in patients with severe chronic periodontitis (SCP). In a split-mouth design, 20 patients with SCP were treated with aPDT+ST (Test Group, TG) or ST only (Control Group, CG). aPDT was applied in a single episode, using a diode laser and a phenothiazine photosensitizer. All patients were monitored until 90 days after surgical therapy. Levels of 40 subgingival species were measured by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization at baseline, 60 and 150 days. Clinical and microbiological parameters were evaluated. In deep periodontal pockets depth (PPD ≥5 mm), Test Group presented a significantly higher decrease in PPD than Control Group at 90 days after surgical therapy (p < .05). Test Group also demonstrated significantly less periodontal pathogens of red complex (Treponema denticola) (p < .05). A single episode of aPDT used in adjunct to open flap debridement of the root surface in the surgical treatment of SCP: i) significantly improved clinical periodontal parameters; ii) eliminates periodontal pathogens of the red complex more effectively (NCT02734784). © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transport and uptake effects of marine complex lipid liposomes in small intestinal epithelial cell models.

PubMed

Du, Lei; Yang, Yu-Hong; Xu, Jie; Wang, Yu-Ming; Xue, Chang-Hu; Kurihara, Hideyuki; Takahashi, Koretaro

2016-04-01

Nowadays, marine complex lipids, including starfish phospholipids (SFP) and cerebrosides (SFC) separated from Asterias amurensis as well as sea cucumber phospholipids (SCP) and cerebrosides (SCC) isolated from Cucumaria frondosa, have received much attention because of their potent biological activities. However, little information is known on the transport and uptake of these lipids in liposome forms in small intestinal cells. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of these complex lipid liposomes on transport and uptake in Caco-2 and M cell monolayer models. The results revealed that SFP and SCP contained 42% and 47.9% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), respectively. The average particle sizes of liposomes prepared in this study were from 169 to 189 nm. We found that the transport of the liposomes across the M cell monolayer model was much higher than the Caco-2 cell monolayer model. The liposomes consisting of SFP or SCP showed significantly higher transport and uptake than soy phospholipid (soy-PL) liposomes in both Caco-2 and M cell monolayer models. Our results also exhibited that treatment with 1 mM liposomes composed of SFP or SCP for 3 h tended to increase the EPA content in phospholipid fractions of both differentiated Caco-2 and M cells. Moreover, it was also found that the hybrid liposomes consisting of SFP/SFC/cholesterol (Chol) revealed higher transport and uptake across the M cell monolayer in comparison with other liposomes. Furthermore, treatment with SFP/SFC/Chol liposomes could notably decrease the trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) values of Caco-2 and M cell monolayers. The present data also showed that the cell viability of differentiated Caco-2 and M cells was not affected after the treatment with marine complex lipids or soy-PL liposomes. Based on the data in this study, it was suggested that marine complex lipid liposomes exhibit prominent transport and uptake in small intestinal epithelial cell models.

Reconstruction of 20th Century Atmospheric Deposition Rates in the Sierra Nevada (California) using Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heard, A.; Sickman, J. O.; Rose, N.

2012-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition is altering biogeochemical cycles and ecological processes in high-elevation aquatic ecosystems. A need for stricter standards based on measurable ecological effects has been identified as an important step towards their long-term protection. One of the challenges with identifying ecological thresholds is a lack of knowledge of background conditions (pre- industrial) and changes that may have occurred prior to extensive monitoring programs. However, this information can be obtained using paleolimnological approaches. We are investigating historic atmospheric deposition in the Sierra Nevada using spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) in lake sediments. SCPs are strong geochemical indicators of anthropogenic atmospheric deposition because they are only produced by industrial combustion of fossil fuels---there are no natural sources. We detected SCPs as early as 1870 at Moat Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada. SCP concentrations increased over time, peaking in the mid-1980's (2,399 gDM-1) while SCP accumulation rates peaked in the early 1920's (105 no, cm-2 yr-1) (Figure 1). Lakes along the western slope of the Sierra (Pear and Emerald) show similar patterns although differences vary by site and are likely explained by watershed characteristics and proximity to emission sources. SCP concentrations at Pear and Emerald lakes peak 10-15 years earlier than Moat. A consistent decrease was observed at Pear and Moat following the peak concentrations until present. Present day concentrations are 556 gDM-1 at Moat and 473 gDM-1 at Pear. At Emerald lake SCPs also initially decreased starting in 1964, but an increasing trend is observed from 1995 through present. These data improve our understanding of historic atmospheric deposition patterns and are being used to inform additional palaeolimnological research, including diatom analyses, with the broader objective of reconstructing historic nitrogen deposition and estimating critical loads for Sierra Nevada lakes.igure 1: SCP concentrations and accumulation rates from three Sierra Nevada Lake sediment cores (Moat, Pear, and Emerald Lakes).

V S30, slope, H 800 and f 0: performance of various site-condition proxies in reducing ground-motion aleatory variability and predicting nonlinear site response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derras, Boumédiène; Bard, Pierre-Yves; Cotton, Fabrice

2017-09-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate the ability of various site-condition proxies (SCPs) to reduce ground-motion aleatory variability and evaluate how SCPs capture nonlinearity site effects. The SCPs used here are time-averaged shear-wave velocity in the top 30 m ( V S30), the topographical slope (slope), the fundamental resonance frequency ( f 0) and the depth beyond which V s exceeds 800 m/s ( H 800). We considered first the performance of each SCP taken alone and then the combined performance of the 6 SCP pairs [ V S30- f 0], [ V S30- H 800], [ f 0-slope], [ H 800-slope], [ V S30-slope] and [ f 0- H 800]. This analysis is performed using a neural network approach including a random effect applied on a KiK-net subset for derivation of ground-motion prediction equations setting the relationship between various ground-motion parameters such as peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity and pseudo-spectral acceleration PSA ( T), and M w, R JB, focal depth and SCPs. While the choice of SCP is found to have almost no impact on the median ground-motion prediction, it does impact the level of aleatory uncertainty. V S30 is found to perform the best of single proxies at short periods ( T < 0.6 s), while f 0 and H 800 perform better at longer periods; considering SCP pairs leads to significant improvements, with particular emphasis on [ V S30- H 800] and [ f 0-slope] pairs. The results also indicate significant nonlinearity on the site terms for soft sites and that the most relevant loading parameter for characterising nonlinear site response is the "stiff" spectral ordinate at the considered period.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

High-Resolution Analysis Products to Support Severe Weather and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Threat Assessments over Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Jonathan; Spratt, Scott; Sharp, David

2006-01-01

The Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) located at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) implemented an operational configuration of the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS), as well as the ARPS numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. Operational, high-resolution ADAS analyses have been produced from this configuration at the National Weather Service in Melbourne, FL (NWS MLB) and the Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) over the past several years. Since that time, ADAS fields have become an integral part of forecast operations at both NWS MLB and SMG. To continue providing additional utility, the AMU has been tasked to implement visualization products to assess the potential for supercell thunderstorms and significant tornadoes, and to improve assessments of short-term cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning potential. This paper and presentation focuses on the visualization products developed by the AMU for the operational high-resolution ADAS and AR.PS at the NWS MLB and SMG. The two severe weather threat graphics implemented within ADAS/ARPS are the Supercell Composite Parameter (SCP) and Significant Tornado Parameter (SIP). The SCP was designed to identify areas with supercell thunderstorm potential through a combination of several instability and shear parameters. The SIP was designed to identify areas that favor supercells producing significant tornadoes (F2 or greater intensity) versus non-tornadic supercells. Both indices were developed by the NOAAINWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) and were normalized by key threshold values based on previous studies. The indices apply only to discrete storms, not other convective modes. In a post-analysis mode, the AMU calculated SCP and SIP for graphical output using an ADAS configuration similar to the operational set-ups at NWS MLB and SMG. Graphical images from ADAS were generated every 15 minutes for 13 August 2004, the day that Hurricane Charley approached and made landfall on the Florida peninsula. Several tornadoes struck the interior of the Florida peninsula in advance of Hurricane Charley's landfall during the daylight hours of 13 August. Since SPC had previously examined this case using SCP and SIP graphics generated from output of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) model, this day served as a good benchmark to compare and validate the high-resolution ADAS graphics against the smoother RUC analyses, which serves as background fields to the ADAS analyses. The ADAS-generated SCP and STP graphics have been integrated into the suite of products examined operationally by NWS MLB forecasters and are used to provide additional guidance for assessment of the near-storm environment during convective situations.

Use of inverse spatial conservation prioritization to avoid biological diversity loss outside protected areas.

PubMed

Kareksela, Santtu; Moilanen, Atte; Tuominen, Seppo; Kotiaho, Janne S

2013-12-01

Globally expanding human land use sets constantly increasing pressure for maintenance of biological diversity and functioning ecosystems. To fight the decline of biological diversity, conservation science has broken ground with methods such as the operational model of systematic conservation planning (SCP), which focuses on design and on-the-ground implementation of conservation areas. The most commonly used method in SCP is reserve selection that focuses on the spatial design of reserve networks and their expansion. We expanded these methods by introducing another form of spatial allocation of conservation effort relevant for land-use zoning at the landscape scale that avoids negative ecological effects of human land use outside protected areas. We call our method inverse spatial conservation prioritization. It can be used to identify areas suitable for economic development while simultaneously limiting total ecological and environmental effects of that development at the landscape level by identifying areas with highest economic but lowest ecological value. Our method is not based on a priori targets, and as such it is applicable to cases where the effects of land use on, for example, individual species or ecosystem types are relatively small and would not lead to violation of regional or national conservation targets. We applied our method to land-use allocation to peat mining. Our method identified a combination of profitable production areas that provides the needed area for peat production while retaining most of the landscape-level ecological value of the ecosystem. The results of this inverse spatial conservation prioritization are being used in land-use zoning in the province of Central Finland. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Population Structure of Phytophthora nicotianae Reveals Host-Specific Lineages on Brinjal, Ridge Gourd, and Tomato in South India.

PubMed

Chowdappa, P; Kumar, B J Nirmal; Kumar, S P Mohan; Madhura, S; Bhargavi, B Reddi; Lakshmi, M Jyothi

2016-12-01

Severe outbreaks of Phytophthora fruit rot on brinjal, ridge gourd, and tomato have been observed since 2011 in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu states of India. Therefore, 76 Phytophthora nicotianae isolates, recovered from brinjal (17), ridge gourd (40), and tomato (19) from different localities in these states during the June to December cropping season of 2012 and 2013, were characterized based on phenotypic and genotypic analyses and aggressiveness on brinjal, tomato, and ridge gourd. All brinjal and ridge gourd isolates were A2, while tomato isolates were both A1 (13) and A2 (6). All isolates were metalaxyl sensitive. In addition, isolates were genotyped for three mitochondrial (ribosomal protein L5-small subunit ribosomal RNA [rpl5-rns], small subunit ribosomal RNA-cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 [rns-cox2], and cox2+spacer) and three nuclear loci (hypothetical protein [hyp], scp-like extracellular protein [scp], and beta-tubulin [β-tub]). All regions were polymorphic but nuclear regions were more variable than mitochondrial regions. The network analysis of genotypes using the combined dataset of three nuclear regions revealed a host-specific association. However, the network generated using mitochondrial regions limited such host-specific groupings only to brinjal isolates. P. nicotianae isolates were highly aggressive and produced significantly (P ≤ 0.01) larger lesions on their respective host of origin than on other hosts. The results indicate significant genetic variation in the population of P. nicotianae, leading to identification of host-specific lineages responsible for severe outbreaks on brinjal, ridge gourd, and tomato.

Cold Tolerance of Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae): An Invasive Pest of Soybeans.

PubMed

Grant, Jessica I; Lamp, William O

2017-12-08

Kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria Fabricius (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), first discovered in the United States in 2009, is an invasive pest of soybeans. From 2013 to 2016, Maryland has been the northern limit of its distribution in the United States. We sought to determine the physiological cold temperature limits, timing of movement to overwintering locations, and to characterize overwintering microhabitat temperature. We measured supercooling point (SCP) on three populations from distinct USDA plant hardiness zones in Maryland and Virginia between October and December of 2015. The average SCP across all sample months and populations was -12.6°C and no consistent trend of month or population location were observed. Additionally, we assessed the lower lethal temperature to kill 50% of the population (LLT50) at the same population locations in October and November 2015. The average LLT50 over both months and all three population locations was -5.1°C. Again, no consistent trend based on population location was observed but we did find a modest depression in the LLT50 values between October and November. We observed that kudzu bug overwinters in leaf litter and begins to move into the litter in late November to early December. Leaf litter moderates day to night temperature differences and was warmer than ambient temperature by an average of 0.7°C. Evidence suggests that the cold tolerance of the kudzu bug limits its distribution north of Maryland. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke tubers (Helianthus tuberosus) using Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomyces rosei

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

Margaritis, A.; Bajpai, P.

1982-04-01

This article examines the potential of Jerusalem artichoke as a source for ethanol and single-cell protein SCP. In addition, experimental results are presented on batch fermentation kinetics employing two strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus and one strain of Saccharomyces rosei grown in the extract derived from the tubers of Jeusalem artichoke. Of the three cultures examined, Kluyveromyces marxianus UCD (EST) 55-82 was found to be the best producer of ethanol grown in a simple medium at 35/sup 0/C. The ethanol production was found to be growth-associated haveing a ..mu../sub max/ = 0.41 h/sup -1/ and the ethanol and biomass yields weremore » determined to be Y/sub p///sub = 0.45 (88% of the theoretical) and Y/sub x///sub s/ = 0.04 with 92% of the original sugars utilized. On the basis of carbohydrate yields of Jerusalem artichoke reported in the literature and these batch kinetic studies with K. marxianus, the calculated ethanol yields were found to range from 1400 kg ethanol acre/sup -1/ yr /sup -1/ to a maximum of 2700 kg ethanol acre/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/. The SCP yields for K. marxianus were calculated to range between 130 to 250 kg dry wt cell acre/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/. The potential for developing an integrated process to produce ethanol and SCP is also discussed.« less

In vivo assessment of macula in eyes of healthy children 8 to 16 years old using optical coherence tomography angiography.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengwei; Huang, Xiaoli; Meng, Xiaomei; Chen, Tiantian; Gu, Yan; Wu, Yan; Wu, Zhifeng

2017-08-21

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the vascular flow density (VD) of macular superficial (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillaris and the size of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area in healthy children using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). The potential associations of age, sex, intraocular pressure, body mass index, spherical equivalent, and axial length with OCTA parameters were also investigated. A total of 75 eyes from 75 healthy children were included for analysis, with the mean age 11.51 ± 1.91 years (range, 8-16 years). At the level of the SCP, mean VD and mean FAZ area were, respectively, 54.29 ± 2.25% and 0.290 ± 0.109 mm 2 . At the level of the DCP and choriocapillaris, mean VD were 60.19 ± 1.76% and 66.58 ± 1.33%, respectively. After adjustment on the signal strength index, there was no significant correlation between age and all OCTA parameters. Intra-observer repeatability was 0.91, 0.82, and 0.88 in the SCP, DCP and choriocapillaris, respectively. In healthy eyes of children, only sex has a significant influence on the FAZ area. OCTA may provide a noninvasive and reliable approach for evaluating macular perfusion in children, although sex-related variations should be considered.

The Scatterometer Climate Record Pathfinder: Tools for Climate Change Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, D. G.; Jensen, M. A.

2001-12-01

While originally designed for wind measurement over the ocean, scatterometers have proven to be very effective in monitoring land cover and ice conditions as well. Scatterometer data is being operationally used for iceberg tracking and sea ice extent mapping. The frequent, global measurements make the instrument particularly well suited for global monitoring and the long-time series of scatterometer measurements dating back to SASS provide a valuable baseline for studies of climate change. For this reason the NASA Scatterometer Climate Record Pathfinder (SCP) project is generating a climate data record from the series of historic and ongoing, and approved scatterometer missions. Selected data is currently available from the SCP at URL http://www.scp.byu.edu/ in the form of resolution-enhanced backscatter image time series. A variety of tools for analyzing the image time series have been developed. The application of QuikSCAT data to climate change in Greenland and sea ice motion in the Arctic is illustrated. By comparing QuikSCAT with NSCAT and SASS data, long-term scatterometer-observed changes in Greenland are related to annual variations in melt extent and snow accumulation. Qu ikSCAT sampling enables high spatial resolution evaluation of the diurnal melt cycle. We demonstrate the value of the scatterometer data to augment passive microwave measurements by using PCA. The scatterometer data plays a key role in helping to discriminate physical changes in the Greenland firn from surface temperature effects.

Neurofeedback as a nonpharmacological treatment for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Mayer, Kerstin; Wyckoff, Sarah Nicole; Fallgatter, Andreas J; Ehlis, Ann-Christine; Strehl, Ute

2015-04-18

Neurofeedback has been applied effectively in various areas, especially in the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study protocol is designed to investigate the effect of slow cortical potential (SCP) feedback and a new form of neurofeedback using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on symptomatology and neurophysiological parameters in an adult ADHD population. A comparison of SCP and NIRS feedback therapy methods has not been previously conducted and may yield valuable findings about alternative treatments for adult ADHD. The outcome of both neurofeedback techniques will be assessed over 30 treatment sessions and after a 6-month follow-up period, and then will be compared to a nonspecific biofeedback treatment. Furthermore, to investigate if treatment effects in this proof-of-principle study can be predicted by specific neurophysiological baseline parameters, regression models will be applied. Finally, a comparison with healthy controls will be conducted to evaluate deviant pretraining neurophysiological parameters, stability of assessment measures, and treatment outcome. To date, an investigation and comparison of SCP and NIRS feedback training to an active control has not been conducted; therefore, we hope to gain valuable insights in effects and differences of these types of treatment for ADHD in adults. This study is registered with the German Registry of Clinical Trials: DRKS00006767 , date of registration: 8 October 2014.

Development and Implementation of Tele-Savvy for Dementia Caregivers: A Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Demonstration Project.

PubMed

Griffiths, Patricia C; Whitney, M Kate; Kovaleva, Mariya; Hepburn, Kenneth

2016-02-01

To test fidelity and preliminary efficacy of Tele-Savvy, an internet-based version of the in-person, evidence-based psychoeducation Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP) for dementia caregivers. Tele-Savvy used synchronous (tele-conferences) and asynchronous components (video modules) to provide program access to caregivers in their homes. SCP experts were surveyed to evaluate Tele-Savvy's fidelity to SCP. A convenience sample of 30 dementia caregivers from the Atlanta VA Medical Center enrolled in the Tele-Savvy clinical demonstration program. Twenty-two caregivers completed both pre- and postprogram evaluations, which included measures of caregiver stress and competence and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Expert review confirmed Tele-Savvy's fidelity with and, in certain domains, improvement on the original. Participants demonstrated moderately high initial levels of burden, anxiety, and depressive symptoms all of which decreased significantly postprogram in an intention to treat analysis. Similar reductions were seen in care recipients' BPSD and caregivers' reactions to them. Marginally significant increases in caregiver competence were observed. Caregiver and expert panel evaluations of program quality were enthusiastic. An effective online caregiver psychoeducation program could provide greatly expanded access for caregivers who cannot attend in person for reasons of distance, transportation limitations, and caregiving responsibilities. Further testing in a controlled trial is needed to establish program efficacy. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America 2015.

Supercooling of aqueous dimethylsulfoxide solution at normal and high pressures: Evidence for the coexistence of phase-separated aqueous dimethylsulfoxide solutions of different water structures.

PubMed

Kanno, H; Kajiwara, K; Miyata, K

2010-05-21

Supercooling behavior of aqueous dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solution was investigated as a function of DMSO concentration and at high pressures. A linear relationship was observed for T(H) (homogeneous ice nucleation temperature) and T(m) (melting temperature) for the supercooling of aqueous DMSO solution at normal pressure. Analysis of the DTA (differential thermal analysis) traces for homogeneous ice crystallization in the bottom region of the T(H) curve for a DMSO solution of R=20 (R: moles of water/moles of DMSO) at high pressures supported the contention that the second critical point (SCP) of liquid water should exist at P(c2)= approximately 200 MPa and at T(c2)<-100 degrees C (P(c2): pressure of SCP, T(c2): temperature of SCP). The presence of two T(H) peaks for DMSO solutions (R=15, 12, and 10) suggests that phase separation occurs in aqueous DMSO solution (R

Dissolution of fine particle fraction from truncated Anderson cascade impactor with an enhancer cell.

PubMed

Tay, Justin Yong Soon; Liew, Celine Valeria; Heng, Paul Wan Sia

2018-04-22

Dissolution testing for inhalers were previously conducted either on unfractionated drug-carrier powders or drug of specific aerodynamic particle size. In this study, the collection of the full fine particle fraction (FPF) was attempted on a single stage. Capsules containing 30 mg of 2% salbutamol sulfate (SS) was tested to have a FPF of 9 ± 1% using the full set of Andersen cascade impactor (ACI) and a modified Rotahaler® capable of achieving 4.0 kPa pressure drop at 60 L/min air flow rate. A truncated ACI comprising the USP throat, pre-separator, stage 0, stage 4, stage F, polytetrafluoroethylene funnel (TF) and small collection plate (sCP) was found to be capable of achieving a FPF of 9% collected on TF and sCP. An adhesive tape was used to collect the FPF from the TF and sCP and held in place by an enhancer cell in a 200 mL round bottom vessel containing 50 mL Gamble's solution with 0.2 v/v, % Tween 80. Dissolution testing of SS and Seretide® showed burst release of SS and salmeterol while sustained release of fluticasone. This study demonstrated a reproducible method which may be used for evaluation of the full FPF of orally inhaled products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supercooling of aqueous dimethylsulfoxide solution at normal and high pressures: Evidence for the coexistence of phase-separated aqueous dimethylsulfoxide solutions of different water structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanno, H.; Kajiwara, K.; Miyata, K.

2010-05-01

Supercooling behavior of aqueous dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solution was investigated as a function of DMSO concentration and at high pressures. A linear relationship was observed for TH (homogeneous ice nucleation temperature) and Tm (melting temperature) for the supercooling of aqueous DMSO solution at normal pressure. Analysis of the DTA (differential thermal analysis) traces for homogeneous ice crystallization in the bottom region of the TH curve for a DMSO solution of R =20 (R: moles of water/moles of DMSO) at high pressures supported the contention that the second critical point (SCP) of liquid water should exist at Pc2=˜200 MPa and at Tc2<-100 °C (Pc2: pressure of SCP, Tc2: temperature of SCP). The presence of two TH peaks for DMSO solutions (R =15, 12, and 10) suggests that phase separation occurs in aqueous DMSO solution (R ≤15) at high pressures and low temperatures (<-90 °C). The pressure dependence of the two TH curves for DMSO solutions of R =10 and 12 indicates that the two phase-separated components in the DMSO solution of R =10 have different liquid water structures [LDL-like and HDL-like structures (LDL: low-density liquid water, HDL: high-density liquid water)] in the pressure range of 120-230 MPa.

Prevalence of sulfonamide resistance genes in bacterial isolates from manured agricultural soils and pig slurry in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Byrne-Bailey, K G; Gaze, W H; Kay, P; Boxall, A B A; Hawkey, P M; Wellington, E M H

2009-02-01

The prevalences of three sulfonamide resistance genes, sul1, sul2, and sul3 and sulfachloropyridazine (SCP) resistance were determined in bacteria isolated from manured agricultural clay soils and slurry samples in the United Kingdom over a 2-year period. Slurry from tylosin-fed pigs amended with SCP and oxytetracycline was used for manuring. Isolates positive for sul genes were further screened for the presence of class 1 and 2 integrons. Phenotypic resistance to SCP was significantly higher in isolates from pig slurry and postapplication soil than in those from preapplication soil. Of 531 isolates, 23% carried sul1, 18% sul2, and 9% sul3 only. Two percent of isolates contained all three sul genes. Class 1 and class 2 integrons were identified in 5% and 11.7%, respectively, of sul-positive isolates. In previous reports, sul1 was linked to class 1 integrons, but in this study only 8% of sul1-positive isolates carried the intI1 gene. Sulfonamide-resistant pathogens, including Shigella flexneri, Aerococcus spp., and Acinetobacter baumannii, were identified in slurry-amended soil and soil leachate, suggesting a potential environmental reservoir. Sulfonamide resistance in Psychrobacter, Enterococcus, and Bacillus spp. is reported for the first time, and this study also provides the first description of the genotypes sul1, sul2, and sul3 outside the Enterobacteriaceae and in the soil environment.

Evaluating the Economic Impact of Smart Care Platforms: Qualitative and Quantitative Results of a Case Study

PubMed Central

Van der Auwermeulen, Thomas; Van Ooteghem, Jan; Jacobs, An; Verbrugge, Sofie; Colle, Didier

2016-01-01

Background In response to the increasing pressure of the societal challenge because of a graying society, a gulf of new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) supported care services (eCare) can now be noticed. Their common goal is to increase the quality of care while decreasing its costs. Smart Care Platforms (SCPs), installed in the homes of care-dependent people, foster the interoperability of these services and offer a set of eCare services that are complementary on one platform. These eCare services could not only result in more quality care for care receivers, but they also offer opportunities to care providers to optimize their processes. Objective The objective of the study was to identify and describe the expected added values and impacts of integrating SCPs in current home care delivery processes for all actors. In addition, the potential economic impact of SCP deployment is quantified from the perspective of home care organizations. Methods Semistructured and informal interviews and focus groups and cocreation workshops with service providers, managers of home care organizations, and formal and informal care providers led to the identification of added values of SCP integration. In a second step, process breakdown analyses of home care provisioning allowed defining the operational impact for home care organization. Impacts on 2 different process steps of providing home care were quantified. After modeling the investment, an economic evaluation compared the business as usual (BAU) scenario versus the integrated SCP scenario. Results The added value of SCP integration for all actors involved in home care was identified. Most impacts were qualitative such as increase in peace of mind, better quality of care, strengthened involvement in care provisioning, and more transparent care communication. For home care organizations, integrating SCPs could lead to a decrease of 38% of the current annual expenses for two administrative process steps namely, care rescheduling and the billing for care provisioning. Conclusions Although integrating SCP in home care processes could affect both the quality of life of the care receiver and informal care giver, only scarce and weak evidence was found that supports this assumption. In contrast, there exists evidence that indicates the lack of the impact on quality of life of the care receiver while it increases the cost of care provisioning. However, our cost-benefit quantification model shows that integrating SCPs in home care provisioning could lead to a considerable decrease of costs for care administrative tasks. Because of this cost decreasing impact, we believe that the integration of SCPs will be driven by home care organizations instead of the care receivers themselves. PMID:27799137

Evaluating the Economic Impact of Smart Care Platforms: Qualitative and Quantitative Results of a Case Study.

PubMed

Vannieuwenborg, Frederic; Van der Auwermeulen, Thomas; Van Ooteghem, Jan; Jacobs, An; Verbrugge, Sofie; Colle, Didier

2016-10-31

In response to the increasing pressure of the societal challenge because of a graying society, a gulf of new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) supported care services (eCare) can now be noticed. Their common goal is to increase the quality of care while decreasing its costs. Smart Care Platforms (SCPs), installed in the homes of care-dependent people, foster the interoperability of these services and offer a set of eCare services that are complementary on one platform. These eCare services could not only result in more quality care for care receivers, but they also offer opportunities to care providers to optimize their processes. The objective of the study was to identify and describe the expected added values and impacts of integrating SCPs in current home care delivery processes for all actors. In addition, the potential economic impact of SCP deployment is quantified from the perspective of home care organizations. Semistructured and informal interviews and focus groups and cocreation workshops with service providers, managers of home care organizations, and formal and informal care providers led to the identification of added values of SCP integration. In a second step, process breakdown analyses of home care provisioning allowed defining the operational impact for home care organization. Impacts on 2 different process steps of providing home care were quantified. After modeling the investment, an economic evaluation compared the business as usual (BAU) scenario versus the integrated SCP scenario. The added value of SCP integration for all actors involved in home care was identified. Most impacts were qualitative such as increase in peace of mind, better quality of care, strengthened involvement in care provisioning, and more transparent care communication. For home care organizations, integrating SCPs could lead to a decrease of 38% of the current annual expenses for two administrative process steps namely, care rescheduling and the billing for care provisioning. Although integrating SCP in home care processes could affect both the quality of life of the care receiver and informal care giver, only scarce and weak evidence was found that supports this assumption. In contrast, there exists evidence that indicates the lack of the impact on quality of life of the care receiver while it increases the cost of care provisioning. However, our cost-benefit quantification model shows that integrating SCPs in home care provisioning could lead to a considerable decrease of costs for care administrative tasks. Because of this cost decreasing impact, we believe that the integration of SCPs will be driven by home care organizations instead of the care receivers themselves. ©Frederic Vannieuwenborg, Thomas Van der Auwermeulen, Jan Van Ooteghem, An Jacobs, Sofie Verbrugge, Didier Colle. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 31.10.2016.

Supernova Cosmology Project

Science.gov Websites

(note that the arXiv.org version lacks the full-resolution figures) The SCP "Union" SN Ia Matrix Description Covariance Matrix with Systematics Description Full Table of All SNe Description

Modeling the Buildup of Annular Pressure in Cased and Uncased Annuli of Faulty Wellbores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lackey, G.; Rajaram, H.

2017-12-01

Structurally sound wellbores are essential to oil and gas production, natural gas storage, and carbon dioxide sequestration operations. Wellbore integrity is easily assessed at the wellhead by the presence of pressure or gas flow in the outer annuli of a well, as it indicates the uncontrolled vertical migration of fluids outside the production casing. This phenomenon is typically referred to as sustained casing pressure (SCP), sustained annular pressure, or surface casing vent flow. Of particular concern is the buildup of pressure in the surface casing annulus. If the surface casing is sealed at the wellhead and cement is not brought into the bottom of the casing, annular pressure that builds induces gas migration when the fluid and entry pressure of the formation at the bottom of the surface casing is exceeded. Multiple incidents of stray gas migration from oil and gas operations have contaminated water wells in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Ohio through this mechanism. Natural gas escaping the #25 Standard Senson well at the Aliso Gas storage facility in California, the largest accidental release of greenhouse gases in US history, also followed this pathway. Previous studies have modeled the buildup of SCP in faulty wells with fully-cased annuli that are isolated from the surrounding formation. However, the majority of onshore oil and gas wells in the US are constructed with uncased outermost annuli that are hydraulically connected to the surrounding subsurface. In this study, we adapt current approaches of modeling SCP to include the regulation of annular liquid level by formation fluid pressure, dissolution of gas into the annular liquids, the transport of aqueous gas by crossflow into deep formations, and gas migration away from the well, when the entry pressure of the formations or fractures along the uncased annulus is exceeded, to compare the buildup behavior of SCP in both uncased and fully-cased annuli. We consider well construction and subsurface geology representative of the Wattenberg Field in Colorado and interpret observations of sustained casing pressure collected by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. We demonstrate that the potential negative consequences of integrity loss are much greater for an uncased well than for fully-cased well.

Audiological comparison between two different clips prostheses in stapes surgery.

PubMed

Potena, M; Portmann, D; Guindi, S

2015-01-01

To compare audiometric results and complications of stapes surgery with two different types of piston prosthesis, the Portmann Clip Piston (Medtronic) (PCP) and the Soft Clip Piston (Kurz) (SCP). Study conducted on 64 patients who underwent primary stapedotomy from 2008 to 2011. We matched for each case of stapedotomy with the PCP (Medtronic Xomed Inc. Portmann Clip Piston Stainless Steel/Fluoroplastic) a case with the SCP (Heinz Kurz GmbH Medizintechnik Soft Piston Clip Titanium). Each group consisted of 32 patients, and patients in both groups were matched with respect to gender, age, bilateral or unilateral otosclerosis, otological symptoms (tinnitus, vertigo or dizziness), family history, operated side and the Portmann grading for otosclerosis. The length of the prosthesis used was reported. Post-operative complications such as tinnitus, vertigo, hearing loss and altered taste were documented. Each patient was subjected to a preoperative and postoperative audiogram (follow-up at the second month after the surgery). We used the Student test for statistical analysis. Statistical significance was set at < 0.01. None of the patients experienced a post-operative hearing loss and none required a later revision surgery. No statistically significant difference was found between the two populations regarding demographic data (age, sex, side, bilaterality, family history, stage and lenght of piston) and hearing level (> 0.01) in the air, bone conduction and air-bone gap (ABG). Postoperative complications did not result to be significantly different between the two groups. Also, both groups showed a significant improvement (< 0.01) in the post-operative air, bone conduction and air-bone gap. There was no statistically significant difference (> 0.01) between the post-operative hearing results (bone conduction, air conduction, air-bone gap) using the two pistons. The mean ABG improvement was respectively 16.63 dB in the SCP group and 20.59 dB in the PCP group. The titanium Soft clip piston (SCP) is a good alternative to the Portmann clip piston (PCP). Nevertheless there are some differences in the surgical fixing of these two pistons in the correct position.

Transit signal priority research tools

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-05-01

This report presents the results of a research project that addresses Transit Signal Priority (TSP) deployment issues. The report reviews National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) 1211 Signal Control and Prioritization (SCP) sta...

Characterization of a sterol carrier protein 2/3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase from the cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis): a lepidopteran mechanism closer to that in mammals than that in dipterans

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

Numerous invertebrate species belonging to several phyla cannot synthesize sterols de novo and rely on a dietary source of the compound. SCPx (sterol carrier protein 2/3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase) is a protein involved in the trafficking of sterols and oxidation of branched-chain fatty acids. We have isolated SCPx protein from Spodoptera littoralis (cotton leafworm) and have subjected it to limited amino acid sequencing. A reverse-transcriptase PCR-based approach has been used to clone the cDNA (1.9 kb), which encodes a 57 kDa protein. Northern blotting detected two mRNA transcripts, one of 1.9 kb, encoding SCPx, and one of 0.95 kb, presumably encoding SCP2 (sterol carrier protein 2). The former mRNA was highly expressed in midgut and Malpighian tubules during the last larval instar. Furthermore, constitutive expression of the gene was detected in the prothoracic glands, which are the main tissue producing the insect moulting hormone. There was no significant change in the 1.9 kb mRNA in midgut throughout development, but slightly higher expression in the early stages. Conceptual translation of the cDNA and a database search revealed that the gene includes the SCP2 sequence and a putative peroxisomal targeting signal in the C-terminal region. Also a cysteine residue at the putative active site for the 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase is conserved. Southern blotting showed that SCPx is likely to be encoded by a single-copy gene. The mRNA expression pattern and the gene structure suggest that SCPx from S. littoralis (a lepidopteran) is evolutionarily closer to that of mammals than to that of dipterans. PMID:15149283

Background Noise Characteristics in the Western Part of Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grecu, B.; Neagoe, C.; Tataru, D.; Stuart, G.

2012-04-01

The seismological database of the western part of Romania increased significantly during the last years, when 33 broadband seismic stations provided by SEIS-UK (10 CMG 40 T's - 30 s, 9 CMG 3T's - 120 s, 14 CMG 6T's - 30 s) were deployed in the western part of the country in July 2009 to operate autonomously for two years. These stations were installed within a joint project (South Carpathian Project - SCP) between University of Leeds, UK and National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP), Romania that aimed at determining the lithospheric structure and geodynamical evolution of the South Carpathian Orogen. The characteristics of the background seismic noise recorded at the SCP broadband seismic network have been studied in order to identify the variations in background seismic noise as a function of time of day, season, and particular conditions at the stations. Power spectral densities (PSDs) and their corresponding probability density functions (PDFs) are used to characterize the background seismic noise. At high frequencies (> 1 Hz), seismic noise seems to have cultural origin, since notable variations between daytime and nighttime noise levels are observed at most of the stations. The seasonal variations are seen in the microseisms band. The noise levels increase during the winter and autumn months and decrease in summer and spring seasons, while the double-frequency peak shifts from lower periods in summer to longer periods in winter. The analysis of the probability density functions for stations located in different geologic conditions points out that the noise level is higher for stations sited on softer formations than those sited on hard rocks. Finally, the polarization analysis indicates that the main sources of secondary microseisms are found in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Biotechnological process for obtaining new fermented products from cashew apple fruit by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

PubMed

Araújo, Suzane Macêdo; Silva, Cristina Ferraz; Moreira, Jane Jesus Silveira; Narain, Narendra; Souza, Roberto Rodrigues

2011-09-01

In Brazil, the use of cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) to obtain new products by biotechnological process represents an important alternative to avoid wastage of a large quantity of this fruit, which reaches about 85% of the annual production of 1 million tons. This work focuses on the development of an alcoholic product obtained by the fermentation of cashew apple juice. The inoculation with two different strains of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae viz. SCP and SCT, were standardized to a concentration of 10(7 )cells ml(-1). Each inoculum was added to 1,500 ml of cashew must. Fermentation was performed at 28 ± 3°C and aliquots were withdrawn every 24 h to monitor soluble sugar concentrations, pH, and dry matter contents. The volatile compounds in fermented products were analyzed using the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system. After 6 days, the fermentation process was completed, cells removed by filtration and centrifugation, and the products were stabilized under refrigeration for a period of 20 days. The stabilized products were stored in glass bottles and pasteurized at 60 ± 5°C/30 min. Both fermented products contained ethanol concentration above 6% (v v(-1)) while methanol was not detected and total acidity was below 90 mEq l(-1), representing a pH of 3.8-3.9. The volatile compounds were characterized by the presence of aldehyde (butyl aldehyde diethyl acetal, 2,4-dimethyl-hepta-2,4-dienal, and 2-methyl-2-pentenal) and ester (ethyl α-methylbutyrate) representing fruity aroma. The strain SCT was found to be better and efficient and this produced 10% more alcohol over that of strain SCP.

Interleukin-6 and Cyclooxygenase-2 downregulation by fatty-acid fractions of Ranunculus constantinopolitanus

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Medicinal plants represent alternative means for the treatment of several chronic diseases, including inflammation. The genus Ranunculus, a representative of the Ranunculaceae family, has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic and antifungal activities, possibly due to the presence of anemonin and other. Different studies have shown the occurrence of unusual fatty acids (FAs) in Ranunculaceae; however, their therapeutic role has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to characterize potential anti-inflammatory bioactivities in Ranunculus constantinopolitanus D'Urv., traditionally used in Eastern Mediterranean folk medicine. Methods The aerial part of R. constantinopolitanus was subjected to methanol (MeOH) extraction and solvent fractionation. The bioactive fraction (I.2) was further fractionated using column chromatography, and the biologically active subfraction (Y2+3) was identified using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of I.2 and Y2+3 on cell viability were studied in mouse mammary epithelial SCp2 cells using trypan blue exclusion method. To study the anti-inflammatory activities of I.2 and Y2+3, their ability to reduce interleukin (IL)-6 levels was assessed in endotoxin (ET)-stimulated SCp2 cells using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, the ability of Y2+3 to reduce cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression was studied in IL-1-treated mouse intestinal epithelial Mode-K cells via western blotting. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK), Tukey HSD, two-sample t-test and Dunnett t-tests for multiple comparisons. Results The chloroform fraction (I.2) derived from crude MeOH extract of the plant, in addition to Y2+3, a FA mix isolated from this fraction and containing palmitic acid, C18:2 and C18:1 isomers and stearic acid (1:5:8:1 ratio), reduced ET-induced IL-6 levels in SCp2 cells without affecting cell viability or morphology. When compared to fish oil, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and to individual FAs as palmitic, linoleic, oleic and stearic acid or to a mix of these FAs (1:5:8:1 ratio), Y2+3 exhibited higher potency in reducing ET-induced IL-6 levels within a shorter period of time. Y2+3 also reduced COX-2 expression in IL-1-treated Mode-K cells. Conclusion Our studies demonstrate the existence of potential anti-inflammatory bioactivities in R. constantinopolitanus and attribute them to a FA mix in this plant. PMID:19917107

Interleukin-6 and Cyclooxygenase-2 downregulation by fatty-acid fractions of Ranunculus constantinopolitanus.

PubMed

Fostok, Sabreen F; Ezzeddine, Rima A; Homaidan, Fadia R; Al-Saghir, Jamal A; Salloum, Ralph G; Saliba, Najat A; Talhouk, Rabih S

2009-11-16

Medicinal plants represent alternative means for the treatment of several chronic diseases, including inflammation. The genus Ranunculus, a representative of the Ranunculaceae family, has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic and antifungal activities, possibly due to the presence of anemonin and other. Different studies have shown the occurrence of unusual fatty acids (FAs) in Ranunculaceae; however, their therapeutic role has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to characterize potential anti-inflammatory bioactivities in Ranunculus constantinopolitanus D'Urv., traditionally used in Eastern Mediterranean folk medicine. The aerial part of R. constantinopolitanus was subjected to methanol (MeOH) extraction and solvent fractionation. The bioactive fraction (I.2) was further fractionated using column chromatography, and the biologically active subfraction (Y2+3) was identified using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of I.2 and Y2+3 on cell viability were studied in mouse mammary epithelial SCp2 cells using trypan blue exclusion method. To study the anti-inflammatory activities of I.2 and Y2+3, their ability to reduce interleukin (IL)-6 levels was assessed in endotoxin (ET)-stimulated SCp2 cells using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, the ability of Y2+3 to reduce cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression was studied in IL-1-treated mouse intestinal epithelial Mode-K cells via western blotting. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK), Tukey HSD, two-sample t-test and Dunnett t-tests for multiple comparisons. The chloroform fraction (I.2) derived from crude MeOH extract of the plant, in addition to Y2+3, a FA mix isolated from this fraction and containing palmitic acid, C18:2 and C18:1 isomers and stearic acid (1:5:8:1 ratio), reduced ET-induced IL-6 levels in SCp2 cells without affecting cell viability or morphology. When compared to fish oil, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and to individual FAs as palmitic, linoleic, oleic and stearic acid or to a mix of these FAs (1:5:8:1 ratio), Y2+3 exhibited higher potency in reducing ET-induced IL-6 levels within a shorter period of time. Y2+3 also reduced COX-2 expression in IL-1-treated Mode-K cells. Our studies demonstrate the existence of potential anti-inflammatory bioactivities in R. constantinopolitanus and attribute them to a FA mix in this plant.

Beyond upgrading typologies - In search of a better deal for honey value chains in Brazil.

PubMed

Figueiredo Junior, Hugo S de; Meuwissen, Miranda P M; van der Lans, Ivo A; Oude Lansink, Alfons G J M

2017-01-01

Selection of value chain strategies by development practitioners and value chain participants themselves has been restricted to preset types of upgrading. This paper argues for an extension of the range of strategy solutions to value chains. An empirical application identifies successful strategies for honey value chains in Brazil for 2015-2020. Strategy and performance indicators were selected using the value chain Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) framework. Experts' opinion was elicited in a Delphi for business scenarios, and adaptive conjoint analysis was used to identify strategies for increasing production growth and local value-added. This study identifies important strategies beyond upgrading typologies, and finds that important strategies differ by performance goal and scenario. The value chain SCP allows searching for promising strategies towards performance-the "better deal"-in an integrated way.

Beyond upgrading typologies – In search of a better deal for honey value chains in Brazil

PubMed Central

Meuwissen, Miranda P. M.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Oude Lansink, Alfons G. J. M.

2017-01-01

Selection of value chain strategies by development practitioners and value chain participants themselves has been restricted to preset types of upgrading. This paper argues for an extension of the range of strategy solutions to value chains. An empirical application identifies successful strategies for honey value chains in Brazil for 2015–2020. Strategy and performance indicators were selected using the value chain Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) framework. Experts’ opinion was elicited in a Delphi for business scenarios, and adaptive conjoint analysis was used to identify strategies for increasing production growth and local value-added. This study identifies important strategies beyond upgrading typologies, and finds that important strategies differ by performance goal and scenario. The value chain SCP allows searching for promising strategies towards performance–the “better deal”–in an integrated way. PMID:28742804

Extinction and recovery of an avoidance memory impaired by scopolamine.

PubMed

Navarro, N M; Krawczyk, M C; Boccia, M M; Blake, M G

2017-03-15

Pre-training administration of scopolamine (SCP) resembles situations of cholinergic dysfunction, leading to memory impairment of mice trained in an inhibitory avoidance task. We suggest here that SCP does not impair memory formation, but acquisition is affected in a way that reduces the strength of the stored memory, thus making this memory less able to control behavior when tested. Hence, a memory trace is stored, but is poorly expressed during the test. Although weakly expressed, this memory shows extinction during successive tests, and can be strengthened by using a reminder. Our results indicate that memories stored under cholinergic dysfunction conditions seem absent or lost, but are in fact present and experience common memory processes, such as extinction, and could be even recovered by using appropriate protocols. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Semiempirical self-consistent polarization description of bulk water, the liquid-vapor interface, and cubic ice.

PubMed

Murdachaew, Garold; Mundy, Christopher J; Schenter, Gregory K; Laino, Teodoro; Hutter, Jürg

2011-06-16

We have applied an efficient electronic structure approach, the semiempirical self-consistent polarization neglect of diatomic differential overlap (SCP-NDDO) method, previously parametrized to reproduce properties of water clusters by Chang, Schenter, and Garrett [ J. Chem. Phys. 2008 , 128 , 164111 ] and now implemented in the CP2K package, to model ambient liquid water at 300 K (both the bulk and the liquid-vapor interface) and cubic ice at 15 and 250 K. The SCP-NDDO potential retains its transferability and good performance across the full range of conditions encountered in the clusters and the bulk phases of water. In particular, we obtain good results for the density, radial distribution functions, enthalpy of vaporization, self-diffusion coefficient, molecular dipole moment distribution, and hydrogen bond populations, in comparison to experimental measurements. © 2011 American Chemical Society

PI2GIS: processing image to geographical information systems, a learning tool for QGIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correia, R.; Teodoro, A.; Duarte, L.

2017-10-01

To perform an accurate interpretation of remote sensing images, it is necessary to extract information using different image processing techniques. Nowadays, it became usual to use image processing plugins to add new capabilities/functionalities integrated in Geographical Information System (GIS) software. The aim of this work was to develop an open source application to automatically process and classify remote sensing images from a set of satellite input data. The application was integrated in a GIS software (QGIS), automating several image processing steps. The use of QGIS for this purpose is justified since it is easy and quick to develop new plugins, using Python language. This plugin is inspired in the Semi-Automatic Classification Plugin (SCP) developed by Luca Congedo. SCP allows the supervised classification of remote sensing images, the calculation of vegetation indices such as NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) and other image processing operations. When analysing SCP, it was realized that a set of operations, that are very useful in teaching classes of remote sensing and image processing tasks, were lacking, such as the visualization of histograms, the application of filters, different image corrections, unsupervised classification and several environmental indices computation. The new set of operations included in the PI2GIS plugin can be divided into three groups: pre-processing, processing, and classification procedures. The application was tested consider an image from Landsat 8 OLI from a North area of Portugal.

Overwintering biology and limits of cold tolerance in larvae of pistachio twig borer, Kermania pistaciella.

PubMed

Mollaei, M; Izadi, H; Šimek, P; Koštál, V

2016-08-01

Pistachio twig borer, Kermania pistaciella is an important pest of pistachio trees. It has an univoltine life-cycle and its larvae tunnel and feed inside pistachio twigs for almost 10 months each year. The last larval instars overwinter inside the twigs. Survival/mortality associated with low temperatures during overwintering stage is currently unknown. We found that overwintering larvae of the Rafsanjan (Iran) population of K. pistaciella rely on maintaining a stably high supercooling capacity throughout the cold season. Their supercooling points (SCPs) ranged between -19.4 and -22.7°C from October to February. Larvae were able to survive 24 h exposures to -15°C anytime during the cold season. During December and January, larvae were undergoing quiescence type of dormancy caused probably by low ambient temperatures and/or changes in host tree physiology (tree dormancy). Larvae attain highest cold tolerance (high survival at -20°C) during dormancy, which offers them sufficient protection against geographically and ecologically relevant cold spells. High cold tolerance during dormancy was not associated with accumulation of any low-molecular mass cryoprotective substances. The SCP sets the limit of cold tolerance in pistachio twig borer, meaning that high mortality of overwintering populations can be expected only in the regions or years where or when the temperatures fall below the average larval SCP (i.e., below -20°C). Partial mortality can be expected also when temperatures repeatedly drop close to the SCP on a diurnal basis.

Neuroimaging findings in Joubert syndrome with C5orf42 gene mutations: A milder form of molar tooth sign and vermian hypoplasia.

PubMed

Enokizono, Mikako; Aida, Noriko; Niwa, Tetsu; Osaka, Hitoshi; Naruto, Takuya; Kurosawa, Kenji; Ohba, Chihiro; Suzuki, Toshifumi; Saitsu, Hirotomo; Goto, Tomohide; Matsumoto, Naomichi

2017-05-15

Little is known regarding neuroimaging-genotype correlations in Joubert syndrome (JBTS). To elucidate one of these correlations, we investigated the neuroimaging findings of JBTS patients with C5orf42 mutations. Neuroimaging findings in five JBTS patients with C5orf42 mutations were retrospectively assessed with regard to the infratentorial and supratentorial structures on T1-magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo (MPRAGE), T2-weighted images, and color-coded fractional anisotropy (FA) maps; the findings were compared to those in four JBTS patients with mutations in other genes (including three with AHI1 and one with TMEM67 mutations). In C5orf42-mutant patients, the infratentorial magnetic resonance (MR) images showed normal or minimally thickened and minimally elongated superior cerebellar peduncles (SCP), normal or minimally deepened interpeduncular fossa (IF), and mild vermian hypoplasia (VH). However, in other patients, all had severe abnormalities in the SCP and IF, and moderate to marked VH. Supratentorial abnormalities were found in one individual in other JBTS. In JBTS with all mutations, color-coded FA maps showed the absence of decussation of the SCP (DSCP). The morphological neuroimaging findings in C5orf42-mutant JBTS were distinctly mild and made diagnosis difficult. However, the absence of DSCP on color-coded FA maps may facilitate the diagnosis of JBTS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Sulfonamide Resistance Genes in Bacterial Isolates from Manured Agricultural Soils and Pig Slurry in the United Kingdom▿

PubMed Central

Byrne-Bailey, K. G.; Gaze, W. H.; Kay, P.; Boxall, A. B. A.; Hawkey, P. M.; Wellington, E. M. H.

2009-01-01

The prevalences of three sulfonamide resistance genes, sul1, sul2, and sul3 and sulfachloropyridazine (SCP) resistance were determined in bacteria isolated from manured agricultural clay soils and slurry samples in the United Kingdom over a 2-year period. Slurry from tylosin-fed pigs amended with SCP and oxytetracycline was used for manuring. Isolates positive for sul genes were further screened for the presence of class 1 and 2 integrons. Phenotypic resistance to SCP was significantly higher in isolates from pig slurry and postapplication soil than in those from preapplication soil. Of 531 isolates, 23% carried sul1, 18% sul2, and 9% sul3 only. Two percent of isolates contained all three sul genes. Class 1 and class 2 integrons were identified in 5% and 11.7%, respectively, of sul-positive isolates. In previous reports, sul1 was linked to class 1 integrons, but in this study only 8% of sul1-positive isolates carried the intI1 gene. Sulfonamide-resistant pathogens, including Shigella flexneri, Aerococcus spp., and Acinetobacter baumannii, were identified in slurry-amended soil and soil leachate, suggesting a potential environmental reservoir. Sulfonamide resistance in Psychrobacter, Enterococcus, and Bacillus spp. is reported for the first time, and this study also provides the first description of the genotypes sul1, sul2, and sul3 outside the Enterobacteriaceae and in the soil environment. PMID:19064898

47 CFR 52.21 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... NANC. (p) The term Registered Internet-based TRS User has the meaning set forth in 47 CFR 64.601. (q... part of the public switched network that, among other things: (1) Interconnects to an SCP and sends to...

45 CFR 2552.12 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... station that identifies project requirements, working relationships and mutual responsibilities. (m) National Senior Service Corps (NSSC). The collective name for the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP), the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the Senior Companion Program (SCP), and Demonstration...

10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

One of the important programmatic outcomes from the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) was the adoption of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP).

Work-based learning: supporting advanced perioperative practice.

PubMed

Quick, Julie

2010-07-01

The arrival of work-based learning awards in professional education offers an alternative route for healthcare professionals looking to undertake post-registration education. The unique way that work-based learning integrates individual learning needs with that of role requirements makes the award an ideal choice for the advanced perioperative practitioner (APP) who wishes to combine academic study with professional development. As an experienced and professionally qualified practitioner (Thatcher 2003) the APP will have an accumulation of knowledge, skills and experience that may go unrecognised in alternative awards. The term APP refers to a nurse, ODP or allied healthcare professional who undertakes a role that challenges the traditional boundaries of care within the perioperative environment (Radford 2004), such as that of a surgical care practitioner (SCP). Here Julie Quick, a SCP, examines the changes within post-registration education and in particular describes why work-based learning awards may be an appropriate choice for practitioners working at a higher level of practice.

A compositional origin to ultralow-velocity zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Samuel P.; Thorne, Michael S.; Miyagi, Lowell; Rost, Sebastian

2015-02-01

We analyzed vertical component short-period ScP waveforms for 26 earthquakes occurring in the Tonga-Fiji trench recorded at the Alice Springs Array in central Australia. These waveforms show strong precursory and postcursory seismic arrivals consistent with ultralow-velocity zone (ULVZ) layering beneath the Coral Sea. We used the Viterbi sparse spike detection method to measure differential travel times and amplitudes of the postcursor arrival ScSP and the precursor arrival SPcP relative to ScP. We compare our measurements to a database of 340,000 synthetic seismograms finding that these data are best fit by a ULVZ model with an S wave velocity reduction of 24%, a P wave velocity reduction of 23%, a thickness of 8.5 km, and a density increase of 6%. This 1:1 VS:VP velocity decrease is commensurate with a ULVZ compositional origin and is most consistent with highly iron enriched ferropericlase.

Effect of Intense Optical Excitation on Internal Electric Field Evolution in CdTe Gamma-Ray Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, K.; Ichinohe, Y.; Seto, S.

2018-03-01

The time-of-flight (TOF) transient currents in radiation detectors made of CdTe and Cd0.9Zn0.1Te (CZT) have been measured at several optical excitation intensities to investigate the effect of drifting carriers on the internal field. Both detectors show so-called space-charge-perturbed (SCP) current under intense optical excitation. A Monte Carlo (MC) simulation combined with an iterative solution of Poisson's equation is used to reproduce the observed currents under several bias voltages and excitation intensities. The SCP theory describes well the transient current in the CZT detector, whereas injection of holes from the anode and a corresponding reduction of the electron lifetime are further required to describe that in the CdTe detector. We visualize the temporal changes in the charge distribution and internal electric field profiles of both detectors.

COLD HARDINESS AND RANGE OF THE MYRIAPOD Angarozonium amurense (POLYZONIIDAE, DIPLOPODA, ARTHROPODA) IN PERMAFROST ENVIRONMENTS.

PubMed

Berman, D I; Meshcheryakova, E N; Mikhaljova, E V

2015-01-01

Angarozonium amurense (Gerstfeldt, 1859) is the only one out of more than a hundred diplopod species described in Siberia and the Far East that inhabits regions with solid permafrost. To evaluate the cold hardiness of A. amurense that allows this species to inhabit permafrost regions. The survival temperature thresholds and supercooling points (SCP) were measured. The temperature thresholds for adult animal survival are -8.5 C in summer and -27 C in winter. Average SCP decreases from -7.7 in summer to -16.9 in winter. Water content decreases from 55.7% in summer to 49.4% in winter. The cold hardiness of A. amurense sets the record in this class of animals. It allows it to overwinter in the upper 15 centimeters layer of soil in most biotopes of the coldest permafrost regions in North Asia.

Simulating the effect of muscle weakness and contracture on neuromuscular control of normal gait in children.

PubMed

Fox, Aaron S; Carty, Christopher P; Modenese, Luca; Barber, Lee A; Lichtwark, Glen A

2018-03-01

Altered neural control of movement and musculoskeletal deficiencies are common in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP), with muscle weakness and contracture commonly experienced. Both neural and musculoskeletal deficiencies are likely to contribute to abnormal gait, such as equinus gait (toe-walking), in children with SCP. However, it is not known whether the musculoskeletal deficiencies prevent normal gait or if neural control could be altered to achieve normal gait. This study examined the effect of simulated muscle weakness and contracture of the major plantarflexor/dorsiflexor muscles on the neuromuscular requirements for achieving normal walking gait in children. Initial muscle-driven simulations of walking with normal musculoskeletal properties by typically developing children were undertaken. Additional simulations with altered musculoskeletal properties were then undertaken; with muscle weakness and contracture simulated by reducing the maximum isometric force and tendon slack length, respectively, of selected muscles. Muscle activations and forces required across all simulations were then compared via waveform analysis. Maintenance of normal gait appeared robust to muscle weakness in isolation, with increased activation of weakened muscles the major compensatory strategy. With muscle contracture, reduced activation of the plantarflexors was required across the mid-portion of stance suggesting a greater contribution from passive forces. Increased activation and force during swing was also required from the tibialis anterior to counteract the increased passive forces from the simulated dorsiflexor muscle contracture. Improvements in plantarflexor and dorsiflexor motor function and muscle strength, concomitant with reductions in plantarflexor muscle stiffness may target the deficits associated with SCP that limit normal gait. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Vivo Functional Genomic Studies of Sterol Carrier Protein-2 Gene in the Yellow Fever Mosquito

PubMed Central

Peng, Rong; Maklokova, Vilena I.; Chandrashekhar, Jayadevi H.; Lan, Que

2011-01-01

A simple and efficient DNA delivery method to introduce extrachromosomal DNA into mosquito embryos would significantly aid functional genomic studies. The conventional method for delivery of DNA into insects is to inject the DNA directly into the embryos. Taking advantage of the unique aspects of mosquito reproductive physiology during vitellogenesis and an in vivo transfection reagent that mediates DNA uptake in cells via endocytosis, we have developed a new method to introduce DNA into mosquito embryos vertically via microinjection of DNA vectors in vitellogenic females without directly manipulating the embryos. Our method was able to introduce inducible gene expression vectors transiently into F0 mosquitoes to perform functional studies in vivo without transgenic lines. The high efficiency of expression knockdown was reproducible with more than 70% of the F0 individuals showed sufficient gene expression suppression (<30% of the controls' levels). At the cohort level, AeSCP-2 expression knockdown in early instar larvae resulted in detectable phenotypes of the expression deficiency such as high mortality, lowered fertility, and distorted sex ratio after induction of AeSCP-2 siRNA expression in vivo. The results further confirmed the important role of AeSCP-2 in the development and reproduction of A. aegypti. In this study, we proved that extrachromosaomal transient expression of an inducible gene from a DNA vector vertically delivered via vitellogenic females can be used to manipulate gene expression in F0 generation. This new method will be a simple and efficient tool for in vivo functional genomic studies in mosquitoes. PMID:21437205

Single-cell Protein and Xylitol Production by a Novel Yeast Strain Candida intermedia FL023 from Lignocellulosic Hydrolysates and Xylose.

PubMed

Wu, Jiaqiang; Hu, Jinlong; Zhao, Shumiao; He, Mingxiong; Hu, Guoquan; Ge, Xiangyang; Peng, Nan

2018-05-01

Yeasts are good candidates to utilize the hydrolysates of lignocellulose, the most abundant bioresource, for bioproducts. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiencies of single-cell protein (SCP) and xylitol production by a novel yeast strain, Candida intermedia FL023, from lignocellulosic hydrolysates and xylose. This strain efficiently assimilated hexose, pentose, and cellubiose for cell mass production with the crude protein content of 484.2 g kg -1 dry cell mass. SCP was produced by strain FL023 using corncob hydrolysate and urea as the carbon and nitrogen sources with the dry cell mass productivity 0.86 g L -1  h -1 and the yield of 0.40 g g -1 sugar. SCP was also produced using NaOH-pretreated Miscanthus sinensis straw and corn steep liquor as the carbon and nitrogen sources through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with the dry cell productivity of 0.23 g L -1  h -1 and yield of 0.17 g g -1 straw. C. intermedia FL023 was tolerant to 0.5 g L -1 furfural, acetic acid, and syringaldehyde in xylitol fermentation and produced 45.7 g L -1 xylitol from xylose with the productivity of 0.38 g L -1  h -1 and the yield of 0.57 g g -1 xylose. This study provides feasible methods for feed and food additive production from the abundant lignocellulosic bioresources.

Assessing the social and environmental determinants of pertussis epidemics in Queensland, Australia: a Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis.

PubMed

Huang, X; Lambert, S; Lau, C; Soares Magalhaes, R J; Marquess, J; Rajmokan, M; Milinovich, G; Hu, W

2017-04-01

Pertussis epidemics have displayed substantial spatial heterogeneity in countries with high socioeconomic conditions and high vaccine coverage. This study aims to investigate the relationship between pertussis risk and socio-environmental factors on the spatio-temporal variation underlying pertussis infection. We obtained daily case numbers of pertussis notifications from Queensland Health, Australia by postal area, for the period January 2006 to December 2012. A Bayesian spatio-temporal model was used to quantify the relationship between monthly pertussis incidence and socio-environmental factors. The socio-environmental factors included monthly mean minimum temperature (MIT), monthly mean vapour pressure (VAP), Queensland school calendar pattern (SCP), and socioeconomic index for area (SEIFA). An increase in pertussis incidence was observed from 2006 to 2010 and a slight decrease from 2011 to 2012. Spatial analyses showed pertussis incidence across Queensland postal area to be low and more spatially homogeneous during 2006-2008; incidence was higher and more spatially heterogeneous after 2009. The results also showed that the average decrease in monthly pertussis incidence was 3·1% [95% credible interval (CrI) 1·3-4·8] for each 1 °C increase in monthly MIT, while average increase in monthly pertussis incidences were 6·2% (95% CrI 0·4-12·4) and 2% (95% CrI 1-3) for SCP periods and for each 10-unit increase in SEIFA, respectively. This study demonstrated that pertussis transmission is significantly associated with MIT, SEIFA, and SCP. Mapping derived from this work highlights the potential for future investigation and areas for focusing future control strategies.

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) customers are eligible to receive a free JuiceNet-enabled EVSE from eMotorWerks eligible to receive a free JuicePlug (smart grid adapter) to convert to a JuiceNet-enabled EVSE. Customers

An environmentally friendly approach for mitigating cyanobacterial bloom and their toxins in hypereutrophic ponds: Potentiality of a newly developed granular hydrogen peroxide-based compound.

PubMed

Sinha, Amit Kumar; Eggleton, Michael A; Lochmann, Rebecca T

2018-05-10

Cyanobacterial blooms and their associated toxins are growing issues for many aquatic resources, and pose a major threat to human health and ecological welfare. To control cyanobacterial blooms and their toxins, the efficacy of a newly developed granular compound (sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate 'SCP', trade name 'PAK® 27' algaecide) containing hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as the active ingredient was investigated. First, the dose efficacy of the SCP that corresponded to 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 5.0 and 8.0 mg/L H 2 O 2 was tested for 10 days in small-scale tanks installed in 0.1-acre experimental hypereutrophic ponds dominated by blooms of the toxic cyanobacterium Planktothrix sp. SCP ranging from 2.5-4.0 mg/L H 2 O 2 selectively killed Planktothrix sp. without major impacts on either eukaryotic phytoplankton (e.g., diatom Synedra sp., green algae Spirogyra sp. and Cladophora sp.) or zooplankton (e.g., rotifers Brachionus sp. and cladocerans Daphnia sp.). Based on these results, SCP at 2.5 mg/L and 4.0 mg/L H 2 O 2 were homogeneously introduced into entire water volume of the experimental ponds in parallel with untreated control ponds. The dynamics of cyanobacterium Planktothrix sp., microcystins (commonly occurring cyanotoxins), eukaryotic phytoplankton, zooplankton, and water quality parameters were measured daily for 10 days and followed by a weekly sampling for 6 weeks. Temporal analysis indicated that Planktothrix sp. blooms collapsed remarkably in both 2.5 mg/L and 4.0 mg/L H 2 O 2 treatments. Both treatments also were accompanied by an overall reduction in the total microcystin concentration. At 2.5 mg/L H 2 O 2 , the growth of eukaryotic phytoplankton (Synedra and Cladophora sp.) increased, but these populations along with zooplankton (Brachionus and Daphnia sp.) were suppressed at 4.0 mg/L H 2 O 2 . The longevity of 2.5 and 4.0 mg/L H 2 O 2 treatment effects were up to 5 weeks. In addition, the added granular algaecide degraded within a few days, thereby leaving no long-term traces of H 2 O 2 in the environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sharing clinical decisions for multimorbidity case management using social network and open-source tools.

PubMed

Martínez-García, Alicia; Moreno-Conde, Alberto; Jódar-Sánchez, Francisco; Leal, Sandra; Parra, Carlos

2013-12-01

Social networks applied through Web 2.0 tools have gained importance in health domain, because they produce improvements on the communication and coordination capabilities among health professionals. This is highly relevant for multimorbidity patients care because there is a large number of health professionals in charge of patient care, and this requires to obtain clinical consensus in their decisions. Our objective is to develop a tool for collaborative work among health professionals for multimorbidity patient care. We describe the architecture to incorporate decision support functionalities in a social network tool to enable the adoption of shared decisions among health professionals from different care levels. As part of the first stage of the project, this paper describes the results obtained in a pilot study about acceptance and use of the social network component in our healthcare setting. At Virgen del Rocío University Hospital we have designed and developed the Shared Care Platform (SCP) to provide support in the continuity of care for multimorbidity patients. The SCP has two consecutively developed components: social network component, called Clinical Wall, and Clinical Decision Support (CDS) system. The Clinical Wall contains a record where health professionals are able to debate and define shared decisions. We conducted a pilot study to assess the use and acceptance of the SCP by healthcare professionals through questionnaire based on the theory of the Technology Acceptance Model. In March 2012 we released and deployed the SCP, but only with the social network component. The pilot project lasted 6 months in the hospital and 2 primary care centers. From March to September 2012 we created 16 records in the Clinical Wall, all with a high priority. A total of 10 professionals took part in the exchange of messages: 3 internists and 7 general practitioners generated 33 messages. 12 of the 16 record (75%) were answered by the destination health professionals. The professionals valued positively all the items in the questionnaire. As part of the SCP, opensource tools for CDS will be incorporated to provide recommendations for medication and problem interactions, as well as to calculate indexes or scales from validated questionnaires. They will receive the patient summary information provided by the regional Electronic Health Record system through a web service with the information defined according to the virtual Medical Record specification. Clinical Wall has been developed to allow communication and coordination between the healthcare professionals involved in multimorbidity patient care. Agreed decisions were about coordination for appointment changing, patient conditions, diagnosis tests, and prescription changes and renewal. The application of interoperability standards and open source software can bridge the gap between knowledge and clinical practice, while enabling interoperability and scalability. Open source with the social network encourages adoption and facilitates collaboration. Although the results obtained for use indicators are still not as high as it was expected, based on the promising results obtained in the acceptance questionnaire of SMP, we expect that the new CDS tools will increase the use by the health professionals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intersection decision support : evaluation of a violation warning system to mitigate straight crossing path collisions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

This project entailed the design, development, testing, and evaluation of intersection decision support (IDS) systems to address straight crossing path (SCP) intersection crashes. This type of intersection crash is responsible for more than 100,000 c...

Disparate effects of oxidation on plasma acyltransferase activities: inhibition of cholesterol esterification but stimulation of transesterification of oxidized phospholipids.

PubMed

Subbaiah, P V; Liu, M

1996-05-31

Oxidation of lipoproteins results in the formation of several polar phospholipids with pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic properties. To examine the possible role of lecithin/cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in the metabolism of these oxidized phospholipids, we oxidized whole plasma with either Cu(2+) or a free-radical generator, and determined the various activities of LCAT. Oxidation caused a reduction in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC), an increase in a short-chain polar PC (SCP-PC), and an inhibition of the transfer of long-chain acyl groups to cholesterol (LCAT activity) or to lyso PC (lysolecithin acyltransferase (LAT) I activity). However, the transfer of short-chain acyl groups from SCP-PC to lyso PCLAT II activity) was stimulated several fold, in direct correlation with the degree of oxidation. LAT II activity was not stimulated by oxidation in LCAT-deficient plasma, showing that it is carried out by LCAT. Oxidized normal plasma exhibited low LCAT activity even in the presence of exogenous proteoliposome substrate, indicating that the depletion of substrate PC was not responsible for the loss of activity. Oxidation of isolated LDL or HDL abolished their ability to support LCAT and LAT I activities of exogenous enzyme, but promoted the LAT II activity. Purified LCAT lost its LCAT and LAT I functions, but not its LAT II function, when oxidized in vitro. These results show that while oxidation of plasma causes a loss of LCAT's ability to transfer long-chain acyl groups, its ability to transfer short-chain acyl groups, from SCP-PC is retained, and even stimulated, suggesting that LCAT may have a physiological role in the metabolism of oxidized PC in plasma.

The Practical Obstacles of Data Transfer: Why researchers still love scp

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

Nam, Hai Ah; Hill, Jason J; Parete-Koon, Suzanne T

The importance of computing facilities is heralded every six months with the announcement of the new Top500 list, showcasing the world s fastest supercomputers. Unfortu- nately, with great computing capability does not come great long-term data storage capacity, which often means users must move their data to their local site archive, to remote sites where they may be doing future computation or anal- ysis, or back to their home institution, else face the dreaded data purge that most HPC centers employ to keep utiliza- tion of large parallel filesystems low to manage performance and capacity. At HPC centers, data transfermore » is crucial to the scientific workflow and will increase in importance as computing systems grow in size. The Energy Sciences Net- work (ESnet) recently launched its fifth generation network, a 100 Gbps high-performance, unclassified national network connecting more than 40 DOE research sites to support scientific research and collaboration. Despite the tenfold increase in bandwidth to DOE research sites amenable to multiple data transfer streams and high throughput, in prac- tice, researchers often under-utilize the network and resort to painfully-slow single stream transfer methods such as scp to avoid the complexity of using multiple stream tools such as GridFTP and bbcp, and contend with frustration from the lack of consistency of available tools between sites. In this study we survey and assess the data transfer methods pro- vided at several DOE supported computing facilities, includ- ing both leadership-computing facilities, connected through ESnet. We present observed transfer rates, suggested opti- mizations, and discuss the obstacles the tools must overcome to receive wide-spread adoption over scp.« less

Revisiting the Single Cell Protein Application of Cupriavidus necator H16 and Recovering Bioplastic Granules Simultaneously

PubMed Central

Kunasundari, Balakrishnan; Murugaiyah, Vikneswaran; Kaur, Gurjeet; Maurer, Frans H. J.; Sudesh, Kumar

2013-01-01

Cupriavidus necator H16 (formerly known as Hydrogenomonas eutropha) was famous as a potential single cell protein (SCP) in the 1970s. The drawback however was the undesirably efficient accumulation of non-nutritive polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) storage compound in the cytoplasm of this bacterium. Eventually, competition from soy-based protein resulted in SCP not receiving much attention. Nevertheless, C. necator H16 remained in the limelight as a producer of PHB, which is a material that resembles commodity plastics such as polypropylene. PHB is a 100% biobased and biodegradable polyester. Although tremendous achievements have been attained in the past 3 decades in the efficient production of PHB, this bioplastic is still costly. One of the main problems has been the recovery of PHB from the cell cytoplasm. In this study, we showed for the first time that kilogram quantities of PHB can be easily recovered in the laboratory without the use of any solvents and chemicals, just by using the cells as SCP. In addition, the present study also demonstrated the safety and tolerability of animal model used, Sprague Dawley given lyophilized cells of C. necator H16. The test animals readily produced fecal pellets that were whitish in color, as would be expected of PHB granules. The pellets were determined to contain about 82-97 wt% PHB and possessed molecular mass of around 930 kg/mol. The PHB granules recovered biologically possessed similar molecular mass compared to chloroform extracted PHB [950 kg/mol]. This method now allows the production and purification of substantial quantities of PHB for various experimental trials. The method reported here is easy, does not require expensive instrumentation, scalable and does not involve extensive use of solvents and strong chemicals. PMID:24205250

Neurofeedback in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)--a controlled multicenter study of a non-pharmacological treatment approach.

PubMed

Holtmann, Martin; Pniewski, Benjamin; Wachtlin, Daniel; Wörz, Sonja; Strehl, Ute

2014-08-13

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood and has often a chronic course persisting into adulthood. However, up to 30% of children treated with stimulants either fail to show an improvement or suffer adverse side effects, including decreased appetite, insomnia and irritability and there is no evidence of long term efficacy of stimulants for ADHD. A series of studies has shown that neurofeedback is an effective additional or alternative treatment for children with ADHD, leading to e.g. significant and stable improvement in behavior, attention and IQ. Significant treatment effects of neurofeedback have also been verified in meta-analyses. Most of the trials, however, have been criticized for methodological difficulties, particularly lacking appropriate control conditions and number of patients included. This randomized study examines the efficacy of slow cortical potentials (SCP) -neurofeedback, controlling unspecific effects of the setting by comparing two active treatment modalities. A total of 144 patients with ADHD, older than six and younger than ten years, in some cases with additional pharmacological treatment, are included in this trial. In five trial centres patients are treated either with SCP-feedback or electromyographic (EMG) -feedback in 25 sessions within 3 months. A comprehensive test battery is conducted before and after treatment and at follow-up 6 month later, to assess core symptoms of ADHD, general psychopathology, attentional performance, comorbid symptoms, intelligence, quality of life and cortical arousal. The efficacy of SCP-feedback training for children with ADHD is evaluated in this randomized controlled study. In addition to behavior ratings and psychometric tests neurophysiological parameters serve as dependent variables. Further, the choice of EMG-biofeedback as an active control condition is debated. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN76187185. Registered 5 February 2009.

Effect of commercial long-term extenders on metabolic activity and membrane integrity of boar spermatozoa stored at 17 degrees C.

PubMed

Dziekońska, A; Fraser, L; Majewska, A; Lecewicz, M; Zasiadczyk, Ł; Kordan, W

2013-01-01

This study was aimed to analyze the metabolic activity and membrane integrity of boar spermatozoa following storage in long-term semen extenders. Boar semen was diluted with Androhep EnduraGuard (AeG), DILU-Cell (DC), SafeCell Plus (SCP) and Vitasem LD (VLD) extenders and stored for 10 days at 17 degrees C. Parameters of the analyzed sperm metabolic activity included total motility (TMOT), progressive motility (PMOT), high mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP content, whereas those of the membrane integrity included plasma membrane integrity (PMI) and normal apical ridge (NAR) acrosome. Extender type was a significant (P < 0.05) source of variation in all the analyzed sperm parameters, except for ATP content. Furthermore, the storage time had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on the sperm metabolic activity and membrane integrity during semen storage. In all extenders the metabolic activity and membrane integrity of the stored spermatozoa decreased continuously over time. Among the four analyzed extenders, AeG and SCP showed the best performance in terms of TMOT and PMI on Days 5, 7 and 10 of storage. Marked differences in the proportions of spermatozoa with high MMP were observed between the extenders, particularly on Day 10 of storage. There were not any marked differences in sperm ATP content between the extenders, regardless of the storage time. Furthermore, the percentage of spermatozoa with NAR acrosomes decreased during prolonged storage, being markedly lower in DC-diluted semen compared with semen diluted with either AeG or SCP extender. The results of this study indicated that components of the long-term extenders have different effects on the sperm functionality and prolonged semen longevity by delaying the processes associated with sperm ageing during liquid storage.

Breast carcinoma cells modulate the chemoattractive activity of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells by interfering with CXCL12.

PubMed

Wobus, Manja; List, Catrin; Dittrich, Tobias; Dhawan, Abhishek; Duryagina, Regina; Arabanian, Laleh S; Kast, Karin; Wimberger, Pauline; Stiehler, Maik; Hofbauer, Lorenz C; Jakob, Franz; Ehninger, Gerhard; Anastassiadis, Konstantinos; Bornhäuser, Martin

2015-01-01

We investigated whether breast tumor cells can modulate the function of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with a special emphasis on their chemoattractive activity towards hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Primary MSCs as well as a MSC line (SCP-1) were cocultured with primary breast cancer cells, MCF-7, MDA-MB231 breast carcinoma or MCF-10A non-malignant breast epithelial cells or their conditioned medium. In addition, the frequency of circulating clonogenic hematopoietic progenitors was determined in 78 patients with breast cancer and compared with healthy controls. Gene expression analysis of SCP-1 cells cultured with MCF-7 medium revealed CXCL12 (SDF-1) as one of the most significantly downregulated genes. Supernatant from both MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 reduced the CXCL12 promoter activity in SCP-1 cells to 77% and 47%, respectively. Moreover, the CXCL12 mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced. As functional consequence of lower CXCL12 levels, we detected a decreased trans-well migration of HSPCs towards MSC/tumor cell cocultures or conditioned medium. The specificity of this effect was confirmed by blocking studies with the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100. Downregulation of SP1 and increased miR-23a levels in MSCs after contact with tumor cell medium as well as enhanced TGFβ1 expression were identified as potential molecular regulators of CXCL12 activity in MSCs. Moreover, we observed a significantly higher frequency of circulating colony-forming hematopoietic progenitors in patients with breast cancer compared with healthy controls. Our in vitro results propose a potential new mechanism by which disseminated tumor cells in the bone marrow may interfere with hematopoiesis by modulating CXCL12 in protected niches. © 2014 UICC.

Cerebellar peduncle injury predicts motor impairments in preterm infants: A quantitative tractography study at term-equivalent age.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Tatsuji; Yamada, Kei; Tozawa, Takenori; Chiyonobu, Tomohiro; Tokuda, Sachiko; Nishimura, Akira; Hosoi, Hajime; Morimoto, Masafumi

2018-05-15

Cerebellar injury is well established as an important finding in preterm infants with cerebral palsy (CP). In this study, we investigated associations between injury to the cerebellar peduncles and motor impairments in preterm infants using quantitative tractography at term-equivalent age, which represents an early phase before the onset of motor impairments. We studied 64 preterm infants who were born at <33 weeks gestational age. These infants were divided into three groups: CP, Non-CP (defined as infants with periventricular leukomalacia but having normal motor function), and a Normal group. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed at term-equivalent age and motor function was assessed no earlier than a corrected age of 2 years. Using tractography, we measured fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the superior cerebellar peduncles (SCP) and middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP), as well as the motor/sensory tracts. The infants in the CP group had significantly lower FA of the SCP and sensory tract than those in the other groups. There was no significant difference in FA and ADC of the motor tract among the three groups. Severity of CP had a significant correlation with FA of the MCP, but not with the FA of other white matter tracts. Our results suggested that the infants with CP had injuries of the ascending tracts (e.g. the SCP and sensory tract), and that additional MCP injury might increase the severity of CP. Quantitative tractography assessment at term-equivalent age may be useful for screening preterm infants for prediction of future motor impairments. Copyright © 2018 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multipinhole SPECT helical scan parameters and imaging volume

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

Yao, Rutao, E-mail: rutaoyao@buffalo.edu; Deng, Xiao; Wei, Qingyang

Purpose: The authors developed SPECT imaging capability on an animal PET scanner using a multiple-pinhole collimator and step-and-shoot helical data acquisition protocols. The objective of this work was to determine the preferred helical scan parameters, i.e., the angular and axial step sizes, and the imaging volume, that provide optimal imaging performance. Methods: The authors studied nine helical scan protocols formed by permuting three rotational and three axial step sizes. These step sizes were chosen around the reference values analytically calculated from the estimated spatial resolution of the SPECT system and the Nyquist sampling theorem. The nine helical protocols were evaluatedmore » by two figures-of-merit: the sampling completeness percentage (SCP) and the root-mean-square (RMS) resolution. SCP was an analytically calculated numerical index based on projection sampling. RMS resolution was derived from the reconstructed images of a sphere-grid phantom. Results: The RMS resolution results show that (1) the start and end pinhole planes of the helical scheme determine the axial extent of the effective field of view (EFOV), and (2) the diameter of the transverse EFOV is adequately calculated from the geometry of the pinhole opening, since the peripheral region beyond EFOV would introduce projection multiplexing and consequent effects. The RMS resolution results of the nine helical scan schemes show optimal resolution is achieved when the axial step size is the half, and the angular step size is about twice the corresponding values derived from the Nyquist theorem. The SCP results agree in general with that of RMS resolution but are less critical in assessing the effects of helical parameters and EFOV. Conclusions: The authors quantitatively validated the effective FOV of multiple pinhole helical scan protocols and proposed a simple method to calculate optimal helical scan parameters.« less

SU-F-T-267: A Clarkson-Based Independent Dose Verification for the Helical Tomotherapy

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

Nagata, H; Juntendo University, Hongo, Tokyo; Hongo, H

2016-06-15

Purpose: There have been few reports for independent dose verification for Tomotherapy. We evaluated the accuracy and the effectiveness of an independent dose verification system for the Tomotherapy. Methods: Simple MU Analysis (SMU, Triangle Product, Ishikawa, Japan) was used as the independent verification system and the system implemented a Clarkson-based dose calculation algorithm using CT image dataset. For dose calculation in the SMU, the Tomotherapy machine-specific dosimetric parameters (TMR, Scp, OAR and MLC transmission factor) were registered as the machine beam data. Dose calculation was performed after Tomotherapy sinogram from DICOM-RT plan information was converted to the information for MUmore » and MLC location at more segmented control points. The performance of the SMU was assessed by a point dose measurement in non-IMRT and IMRT plans (simple target and mock prostate plans). Subsequently, 30 patients’ treatment plans for prostate were compared. Results: From the comparison, dose differences between the SMU and the measurement were within 3% for all cases in non-IMRT plans. In the IMRT plan for the simple target, the differences (Average±1SD) were −0.70±1.10% (SMU vs. TPS), −0.40±0.10% (measurement vs. TPS) and −1.20±1.00% (measurement vs. SMU), respectively. For the mock prostate, the differences were −0.40±0.60% (SMU vs. TPS), −0.50±0.90% (measurement vs. TPS) and −0.90±0.60% (measurement vs. SMU), respectively. For patients’ plans, the difference was −0.50±2.10% (SMU vs. TPS). Conclusion: A Clarkson-based independent dose verification for the Tomotherapy can be clinically available as a secondary check with the similar tolerance level of AAPM Task group 114. This research is partially supported by Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)« less

Construction of monoenergetic neutron calibration fields using 45Sc(p, n)45Ti reaction at JAEA.

PubMed

Tanimura, Y; Saegusa, J; Shikaze, Y; Tsutsumi, M; Shimizu, S; Yoshizawa, M

2007-01-01

The 8 and 27 keV monoenergetic neutron calibration fields have been developed by using (45)Sc(p, n)(45)Ti reaction. Protons from a 4-MV Pelletron accelerator are used to bombard a thin scandium target evaporated onto a platinum disc. The proton energies are finely adjusted to the resonance to generate the 8 and 27 keV neutrons by applying a high voltage to the target assemblies. The neutron energies were measured using the time-of-flight method with a lithium glass scintillation detector. The neutron fluences at a calibration point located at 50 cm from the target were evaluated using Bonner spheres. A long counter was placed at 2.2 m from the target and at 60 degrees to the direction of the proton beam in order to monitor the fluence at the calibration point. Fluence and dose equivalent rates at the calibration point are sufficient to calibrate many types of the neutron survey metres.

Quaternary structure of human, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans MFE-2 in solution from synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering.

PubMed

Mehtälä, Maija L; Haataja, Tatu J K; Blanchet, Clément E; Hiltunen, J Kalervo; Svergun, Dmitri I; Glumoff, Tuomo

2013-02-14

Multifunctional enzyme type 2 (MFE-2) forms part of the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway in peroxisomes. MFE-2s from various species reveal proteins with structurally homologous functional domains assembled in different compilations. Crystal structures of all domain types are known. SAXS data from human, fruit fly and Caenorhabditiselegans MFE-2s and their constituent domains were collected, and both ab initio and rigid body models constructed. Location of the putative substrate binding helper domain SCP-2L (sterol carrier protein 2-like), which is not part of MFE-2 protein in every species and not seen as part of any previous MFE-2 structures, was determined. The obtained models of human and C. elegans MFE-2 lend a direct structural support to the idea of the biological role of SCP-2L. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A comparison of phantom scatter from flattened and flattening filter free high-energy photon beams.

PubMed

Richmond, Neil; Allen, Vince; Daniel, Jim; Dacey, Rob; Walker, Chris

2015-01-01

Flattening filter free (FFF) photon beams have different dosimetric properties from those of flattened beams. The aim of this work was to characterize the collimator scatter (Sc) and total scatter (Scp) from 3 FFF beams of differing quality indices and use the resulting mathematical fits to generate phantom scatter (Sp) data. The similarities and differences between Sp of flattened and FFF beams are described. Sc and Scp data were measured for 3 flattened and 3 FFF high-energy photon beams (Varian 6 and 10MV and Elekta 6MV). These data were fitted to logarithmic power law functions with 4 numerical coefficients. The agreement between our experimentally determined flattened beam Sp and published data was within ± 1.2% for all 3 beams investigated and all field sizes from 4 × 4 to 40 × 40cm(2). For the FFF beams, Sp was only within 1% of the same flattened beam published data for field sizes between 6 × 6 and 14 × 14cm(2). Outside this range, the differences were much greater, reaching - 3.2%, - 4.5%, and - 4.3% for the fields of 40 × 40cm(2) for the Varian 6-MV, Varian 10-MV, and Elekta 6-MV FFF beams, respectively. The FFF beam Sp increased more slowly with increasing field size than that of the published and measured flattened beam of a similar reference field size quality index, i.e., there is less Phantom Scatter than that found with flattened beams for a given field size. This difference can be explained when the fluence profiles of the flattened and FFF beams are considered. The FFF beam has greatly reduced fluence off axis, especially as field size increases, compared with the flattened beam profile; hence, less scatter is generated in the phantom reaching the central axis. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors Associated with School Counselors' Use of a Family Systems Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Dottie Marie

2013-01-01

Six hundred fifty-seven (657) members of the American School Counseling Association responded to the researcher-developed survey, the "School Counselors Perceptions of Family Systems Perspectives Questionnaire" (SCP-FSPQ). The instrument assessed school counselors' perceptions of preparedness, competency, importance and frequency of…

Alternative Sport Programmes and Social Inclusion in Norway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skille, Eivind Asrum; Waddington, Ivan

2006-01-01

This article examines the "alternative" sport and physical activities provided by the Sports City Programme (SCP) in Norway, which are designed to attract more young people (especially inactive young people) to take part in physical activities. In particular, it examines whether these "alternative" sports have been more…

78 FR 8497 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-06

... ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial... Senior Companion Program (SCP) grantees are required to uses these instruments to collect performance... whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of...

EVALUATION OF USFILTER CORPORATION'S RETEC® MODEL SCP-6 SEPARATED CELL PURIFICATION SYSTEM FOR CHROMIC ACID ANODIZE BATH SOLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA has created the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program to facilitate the deployment of innovative or improved environmental technologies through performance verification and dissemination of information. The ETV P2 Metal Finishing Technologies (ETV-MF) Prog...

Probabilistic Guidance of Swarms using Sequential Convex Programming

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

quadcopter fleet [24]. In this paper, sequential convex programming (SCP) [25] is implemented using model predictive control (MPC) to provide real-time...in order to make Problem 1 convex. The details for convexifying this problem can be found in [26]. The main steps are discretizing the problem using

One Size Fits All? Slow Cortical Potentials Neurofeedback: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Kerstin; Wyckoff, Sarah N.; Strehl, Ute

2013-01-01

Objective: The intent of this manuscript was to review all published studies on slow cortical potentials (SCP) neurofeedback for the treatment of ADHD, with emphasis on neurophysiological rationale, study design, protocol, outcomes, and limitations. Method: For review, PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, and Google Scholar searches identified six studies and…

Letters to a Young Psychologist: An Invitation to Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Israel, Tania

2012-01-01

In this response to the major contribution, "Voices of Early Career Psychologists in the Society of Counseling Psychology," the past president of the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP) expresses appreciation, describes aspects of her early career experience in light of the survey findings in the major contribution, offers reflections…

45 CFR 2551.111 - Under what conditions can an agency or organization sponsor a Senior Companion project without...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... organization sponsor a Senior Companion project without Corporation funding? 2551.111 Section 2551.111 Public... SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM Non-Corporation Funded SCP Projects § 2551.111 Under what conditions can an agency or organization sponsor a Senior Companion project without Corporation funding? An eligible agency...

Using Social Constructivist Pedagogy to Implement Liberal Learning in Business Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Jennifer D.; Teckchandani, Atul

2015-01-01

This article outlines how decision sciences instructors, by pairing Liberal Learning (LL) philosophy with Social Constructivist Pedagogy (SCP), can lead the way in transforming business education. It outlines how these educators can cultivate more critical thinking and creativity in their classrooms in order to prepare students for the "real…

76 FR 44907 - Cancellation of Pesticides for Non-Payment of Year 2011 Registration Maintenance Fees

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-27

.... 082542-00012 Abamectin 0.15ec T&o Insecticide/ miticide. 082542-00016 Technical Imidacloprid. 082542-00023 Solera Imidacloprid 2f Greenhouse/nursery Insecticide. 082542-00024 Solera Imidacloprid 2f T&O... MUP. 086722-00002 Syncide SCP. 086869-00001 Imidacloprid 75 WSP Select. 087099-00001 Greenstar Ag...

Data Storage and Transfer | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems. Photo of computer server wiring and lights, blurred to show data. WinSCP for Windows File Transfers Use to transfer files from a local computer to a remote computer. Robinhood for File Management Use this tool to manage your data files on Peregrine. Best

Predatory stem cells in the non-zebrafish chordate, Botryllus schlosseri.

PubMed

Laird, Diana J; De Tomaso, Anthony W

2005-01-01

Botryllus schlosseri is a primitive marine chordate which provides a new model organism to study stem cell biology for several reasons. First, B. schlosseri is a colonial organism that undergoes continuous and regular asexual development. Botryllus adults regenerate themselves, including all somatic tissues and the germline, every week. Second, under natural conditions the cells responsible can mobilize and transplant between two individuals. Once transplanted, these cells can proliferate, differentiate, and often completely replace the cells of the host in both the germline and/or somatic tissues. These processes are called germ cell parasitism (gcp), or somatic cell parasitism (scp), respectively, and we have shown that there are winners and losers in this process, implying that the competitive ability of stem cells is a genetically-determined trait. Fundamental characteristics of stem cell biology, such as self-renewal capacity, homing, or differentiation kinetics must underlie the ability of a stem cell of one genotype to out-compete a stem cell of another genotype, and we are using this system prospectively to isolate the cells responsible and to analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying gcp and scp phenotypes.

Development of nylon-based artificial muscles for the usage in robotic prosthetic limb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atikah, Nurul Anis; Weng, Leong Yeng; Anuar, Adzly; Fat, Chau Chien; Abidin, Izham Zainal; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed

2017-09-01

This paper describes the development of nylon-based artificial muscles that is intended to be used in prosthetic limb for young amputees. Prosthetic limbs are very expensive and this situation is further compounded for young amputees who are very quickly out-grow their prosthesis. The proposed artificial muscles are made of nylon fishing strings from various size such as 0.45mm, 0.55mm, 0.65mm and 1.00mm. These fishing strings were twisted into coils to create Super Coiled Polymers (SCP) and tested using hot air blower. These artificial muscles react counterintuitively, where when it is exposed to heat, contracts, and when cooled, expands. Peltier devices, when switched-on acts as heat pump, where one side is hot and the other is cold. This phenomenon, when affixed in between 2 SCP's, creates tandem motion similar to triceps and biceps. As initial study, the hot side of the Peltier module was tested using these artificial muscles. The string was measured for both its force production, length contraction, the initial results were promising.

Atomic structure of the human cytomegalovirus capsid with its securing tegument layer of pp150

PubMed Central

Yu, Xuekui; Jih, Jonathan; Jiang, Jiansen; Zhou, Z. Hong

2017-01-01

Herpesviruses possess a genome-pressurized capsid. The 235-kilobase genome of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is by far the largest of any herpesvirus, yet it has been unclear how its capsid, which is similar in size to those of other herpesviruses, is stabilized. Here we report a HCMV atomic structure consisting of the herpesvirus-conserved capsid proteins MCP, Tri1, Tri2, and SCP and the HCMV-specific tegument protein pp150—totaling ~4000 molecules and 62 different conformers. MCPs manifest as a complex of insertions around a bacteriophage HK97 gp5–like domain, which gives rise to three classes of capsid floor–defining interactions; triplexes, composed of two “embracing” Tri2 conformers and a “third-wheeling” Tri1, fasten the capsid floor. HCMV-specific strategies include using hexon channels to accommodate the genome and pp150 helix bundles to secure the capsid via cysteine tetrad–to-SCP interactions. Our structure should inform rational design of countermeasures against HCMV, other herpesviruses, and even HIV/AIDS. PMID:28663444

Gravity Effects on Combustion Synthesis of Glasses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yi, H. C.; Guigne, J. Y.; Moore, J. J.; Robinson, L. A.; Manerbino, A. R.; Schowengerdt, F. D.; Gokoglu, S. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Combustion Synthesis technique has been used to produce glasses based on B2O3-Al2O3-MgO and CaO-Al2O3. The combustion characteristics of these combustion synthesis reactions using both small cylindrical pellets (SCP) and large spherical pellets (LSP) are presented. Low density pellets (approx. 35% of their theoretical density) were used, which made synthesis of low exothermic combustion reactions possible. Microstructural analysis of reacted samples was carried out to identify the glass-forming compositions. The effects of gravity on the glass formation were studied aboard the KC-135 using SCP samples. Gravity seemed to have such obvious effects on the combustion characteristics that the wave velocity was lower and the Width of the combustion wave was larger under reduced gravity conditions. Samples produced under low gravity also had more enhanced vitrification than those on ground, while some systems also exhibited lower combustion temperatures. It was also found that the container significantly affects both the combustion characteristics and microstructure. Substantially more divitrification occurred at the area which was in contact with the support (container).

Can Winter-Active Bumblebees Survive the Cold? Assessing the Cold Tolerance of Bombus terrestris audax and the Effects of Pollen Feeding

PubMed Central

Owen, Emily L.; Bale, Jeffrey S.; Hayward, Scott A. L.

2013-01-01

There is now considerable evidence that climate change is disrupting the phenology of key pollinator species. The recently reported UK winter activity of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris brings a novel set of thermal challenges to bumblebee workers that would typically only be exposed to summer conditions. Here we assess the ability of workers to survive acute and chronic cold stress (via lower lethal temperatures and lower lethal times at 0°C), the capacity for rapid cold hardening (RCH) and the influence of diet (pollen versus nectar consumption) on supercooling points (SCP). Comparisons are made with chronic cold stress indices and SCPs in queen bumblebees. Results showed worker bees were able to survive acute temperatures likely to be experienced in a mild winter, with queens significantly more tolerant to chronic cold temperature stress. The first evidence of RCH in any Hymenoptera is shown. In addition, dietary manipulation indicated the consumption of pollen significantly increased SCP temperature. These results are discussed in the light of winter active bumblebees and climate change. PMID:24224036

The tolerance of the field slug Deroceras reticulatum to freezing temperatures.

PubMed

Cook, R T

2004-01-01

Cold hardiness of ectotherms has been widely studied in arthropods, but there is a more limited literature on the survival of molluscs at low temperatures. A number of intertidal species have been examined in detail, but terrestrial molluscs have largely been overlooked until recently. This paper reports results of laboratory experiments to evaluate the cold hardiness of the terrestrial slug, Deroceras reticulatum. The mean supercooling point (SCP) rose from -4.2 degree C in summer to -3.6 degree C in winter. The SCP that caused 50 percent mortality (LSCP50) remained constant at -4.7 to -4.8 degree C in both seasons, but slugs were able to survive the frozen state for longer in winter (LD50 of 31.8 minutes compared with 17.0 minutes in summer). Slug survival at freezing temperatures was prolonged to at least five hours when placed on a moist, absorbent substrate. D. reticulatum exhibits partial freeze tolerance, with an increased survival in winter. The results are discussed in relation to the natural environment of slugs.

Complex structure of the fission yeast SREBP-SCAP binding domains reveals an oligomeric organization.

PubMed

Gong, Xin; Qian, Hongwu; Shao, Wei; Li, Jingxian; Wu, Jianping; Liu, Jun-Jie; Li, Wenqi; Wang, Hong-Wei; Espenshade, Peter; Yan, Nieng

2016-11-01

Sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) transcription factors are master regulators of cellular lipid homeostasis in mammals and oxygen-responsive regulators of hypoxic adaptation in fungi. SREBP C-terminus binds to the WD40 domain of SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP), which confers sterol regulation by controlling the ER-to-Golgi transport of the SREBP-SCAP complex and access to the activating proteases in the Golgi. Here, we biochemically and structurally show that the carboxyl terminal domains (CTD) of Sre1 and Scp1, the fission yeast SREBP and SCAP, form a functional 4:4 oligomer and Sre1-CTD forms a dimer of dimers. The crystal structure of Sre1-CTD at 3.5 Å and cryo-EM structure of the complex at 5.4 Å together with in vitro biochemical evidence elucidate three distinct regions in Sre1-CTD required for Scp1 binding, Sre1-CTD dimerization and tetrameric formation. Finally, these structurally identified domains are validated in a cellular context, demonstrating that the proper 4:4 oligomeric complex formation is required for Sre1 activation.

The IL-8 Protease SpyCEP/ScpC of Group A Streptococcus Promotes Resistance to Neutrophil Killing

PubMed Central

Zinkernagel, Annelies S.; Timmer, Anjuli M.; Pence, Morgan A.; Locke, Jeffrey B.; Buchanan, John T.; Turner, Claire E.; Mishalian, Inbal; Sriskandan, Shiranee; Hanski, Emanuel; Nizet, Victor

2009-01-01

SUMMARY Interleukin-8 (IL-8) promotes neutrophil-mediated host defense through its chemoattractant and immunostimulatory activities. The Group A Streptococcus (GAS) protease SpyCEP (also called ScpC) cleaves IL-8, and SpyCEP expression is strongly upregulated in vivo in the M1T1 GAS strains associated with life-threatening systemic disease including necrotizing fasciitis. Coupling allelic replacement with heterologous gene expression, we show that SpyCEP is necessary and sufficient for IL-8 degradation. SpyCEP decreased IL-8-dependent neutrophil endothelial transmigration and bacterial killing, the latter by reducing neutrophil extracellular trap formation. The knockout mutant lacking SpyCEP was attenuated for virulence in murine infection models, and SpyCEP expression conferred protection to coinfecting bacteria. We also show that the zoonotic pathogen Streptococcus iniae possesses a functional homolog of SpyCEP (Cepl) that cleaves IL-8, promotes neutrophil resistance, and contributes to virulence. By inactivating the multifunctional host defense peptide IL-8, the SpyCEP protease impairs neutrophil clearance mechanisms, contributing to the pathogenesis of invasive streptococcal infection. PMID:18692776

Identifying conservation priorities and management strategies based on ecosystem services to improve urban sustainability in Harbin, China

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Rapid urbanization and agricultural development has resulted in the degradation of ecosystems, while also negatively impacting ecosystem services (ES) and urban sustainability. Identifying conservation priorities for ES and applying reasonable management strategies have been found to be effective methods for mitigating this phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to propose a comprehensive framework for identifying ES conservation priorities and associated management strategies for these planning areas. First, we incorporated 10 ES indicators within a systematic conservation planning (SCP) methodology in order to identify ES conservation priorities with high irreplaceability values based on conservation target goals associated with the potential distribution of ES indicators. Next, we assessed the efficiency of the ES conservation priorities for meeting the designated conservation target goals. Finally, ES conservation priorities were clustered into groups using a K-means clustering analysis in an effort to identify the dominant ES per location before formulating management strategies. We effectively identified 12 ES priorities to best represent conservation target goals for the ES indicators. These 12 priorities had a total areal coverage of 13,364 km2 representing 25.16% of the study area. The 12 priorities were further clustered into five significantly different groups (p-values between groups < 0.05), which helped to refine management strategies formulated to best enhance ES across the study area. The proposed method allows conservation and management plans to easily adapt to a wide variety of quantitative ES target goals within urban and agricultural areas, thereby preventing urban and agriculture sprawl and guiding sustainable urban development. PMID:29682412

Identifying conservation priorities and management strategies based on ecosystem services to improve urban sustainability in Harbin, China.

PubMed

Qu, Yi; Lu, Ming

2018-01-01

Rapid urbanization and agricultural development has resulted in the degradation of ecosystems, while also negatively impacting ecosystem services (ES) and urban sustainability. Identifying conservation priorities for ES and applying reasonable management strategies have been found to be effective methods for mitigating this phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to propose a comprehensive framework for identifying ES conservation priorities and associated management strategies for these planning areas. First, we incorporated 10 ES indicators within a systematic conservation planning (SCP) methodology in order to identify ES conservation priorities with high irreplaceability values based on conservation target goals associated with the potential distribution of ES indicators. Next, we assessed the efficiency of the ES conservation priorities for meeting the designated conservation target goals. Finally, ES conservation priorities were clustered into groups using a K-means clustering analysis in an effort to identify the dominant ES per location before formulating management strategies. We effectively identified 12 ES priorities to best represent conservation target goals for the ES indicators. These 12 priorities had a total areal coverage of 13,364 km 2 representing 25.16% of the study area. The 12 priorities were further clustered into five significantly different groups ( p -values between groups < 0.05), which helped to refine management strategies formulated to best enhance ES across the study area. The proposed method allows conservation and management plans to easily adapt to a wide variety of quantitative ES target goals within urban and agricultural areas, thereby preventing urban and agriculture sprawl and guiding sustainable urban development.

The ratios of pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokines in the serum of chronic periodontitis patients with and without type 2 diabetes and/or smoking habit.

PubMed

Miranda, Tamires Szeremeske; Heluy, Sílvia Lacerda; Cruz, Daniele Ferreira; da Silva, Hélio Doyle Pereira; Feres, Magda; Figueiredo, Luciene Cristina; Duarte, Poliana Mendes

2018-05-08

This study assessed the impact of chronic periodontitis (CP) and CP associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or smoking on the serum ratios of pro- to anti-inflammatory cytokines. Subjects were assigned into one of the following groups: control (n = 25, non-diabetic non-smokers with no history of periodontitis), CP (n = 26, non-diabetic non-smokers with CP), DMCP (n = 30, non-smokers with DM and CP), SCP (n = 27, non-diabetic smokers with CP), and SDMCP (n = 22, smokers with type 2 DM and CP). Serum levels of 18 cytokines were measured using multiplex immunoassays. Six ratios of pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokines were significantly higher in the CP group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Eleven, seventeen and nine ratios of pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokines were significantly higher in the DMCP, SCP and SDMCP groups than in the control group, respectively (p < 0.05). The SCP group presented higher serum ratios of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α/interleukin (IL)-4, TNF-α/IL-5, IL-17/IL-13 and IL-6/IL-13 (p < 0.05) than the CP group. Cluster analysis revealed a relevant cluster composed of ten cytokines (IL-17, IL-23, interferon-γ, IL-12, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-21, IL-6, IL-4 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF]) in the serum of subjects from the DMCP group. The ratios of pro- to anti-inflammatory cytokines shift to favor a pro-inflammatory status in the serum of patients with CP and even more when CP is associated with one or both risk factors. CP and CP associated with hyperglycemia and/or smoking might contribute to a systemic inflammatory burden and increased risk of systemic complications.

Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCPs) as Chronological Markers in Marine Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornalley, D.; Rose, N.; Oppo, D.

2016-12-01

Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) are a component of fly-ash, the particulate by-product of industrial high-temperature combustion of coal and fuel-oil that is released to the atmosphere with flue-gases. They are morphologically distinct and have no natural sources making them unambiguous markers of contamination from these anthropogenic sources. In naturally accumulating archives, SCPs may be used as a chronological tool as they provide a faithful record of industrial emissions and deposition. While the timing of the first presence of SCP in the 19th century, and the observed sub-surface peak are dependent on factors such as sediment accumulation rates and local industrial history, a rapid increase in SCP inputs in the mid-20thcentury appears to be a global signal corresponding to an acceleration in global electricity demand following the Second World War and the use of fuel-oil in electricity production at an industrial scale for the first time. While this approach has been widely used in lake sediments, it has not been applied to marine sediments, although there is great potential. Improved dating of 19th-20th century marine sediments has particular relevance for developing reconstructions of recent multi-decadal climate and ocean variability, and for studies that aim to place 20thcentury climate change within the context of the last millennium. Here, we present data from three sediment cores from the continental slope south of Iceland to demonstrate the temporal and spatial replicability of the SCP record in the marine environment and compare these data with cores taken from more contaminated areas off the coast of the eastern United States. The improved age model constraints provided by the analysis of SCPs has enabled a more accurate assessment of the timing of recent abrupt climate events recorded in these archives and has thus improved our understanding of likely causal climate mechanisms.

In vitro evaluation of reverse torque value of abutment screw and marginal opening in a screw- and cement-retained implant fixed partial denture design.

PubMed

Kim, Seok-Gyu; Park, Jae-Uk; Jeong, Jae-Heon; Bae, Chang; Bae, Tae-Soo; Chee, Winston

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of implant prostheses retained by screws and cement (SCPs) by examining the reverse torque values (RTVs) of the abutment screws and the marginal openings of the implant prostheses. Two implants (3.8 x 13 mm; Camlog Biotechnologies) were embedded in an acrylic resin block 5 mm apart. Eighteen copies of this resin specimen were fabricated and randomly divided into two groups. Two-unit implant prostheses with two different designs-purely cement-retained implant prostheses (group 1) and SCPs (group 2)-were made out of type IV gold alloy and placed on the implants. After tightening to about 30 Ncm, the preloading RTVs of the abutment screws were measured. After retightening the abutment screws or cementing the prostheses, followed by cyclic loading, the postloading RTVs of the abutment screws were examined. Also, the marginal openings of the prostheses in the two groups were measured under a stereomicroscope. These measurements were compared statistically. The postloading RTVs and their differences from the preloading RTVs of the abutment screws demonstrated no significant differences between groups (P > .05). Group 2 prostheses showed significantly smaller marginal openings than group 1 prostheses (P < .05). The forces generated when torquing the abutment screw of the SCP did not cause more loosening of the abutment screws than the purely cement-retained implant prosthesis. The SCP showed better marginal adaptation of the cement-retained part than the purely cement-retained implant prosthesis, possibly as a result of the screw-retained abutment seating the restoration. Within the limitations of this in vitro test, the SCP showed no significant difference in RTV of the abutment screw and a smaller marginal gap compared to a purely cement-retained implant prosthesis.

“Stealth cranioplasty:” A novel endeavor for symptomatic adult Chiari I patients with syringomyelia: Technical note, appraisal, and philosophical considerations

PubMed Central

Rahman, Asifur; Rana, Md. Sumon; Bhandari, Paawan Bahadur; Asif, Dewan Shamsul; Uddin, Abu Naim Wakil; Obaida, Abu Saleh Mohammad Abu; Rahman, Md. Atikur; Alam, Md. Shamsul

2017-01-01

Aim and Objective: In this article, we describe a novel technique of reconstruction of posterior fossa by cranioplasty with use of preshaped titanium mesh following posterior fossa decompression (PFD) for Chiari malformation type I (CMI) with syringomyelia (SM) in symptomatic adults. Materials and Methods: Eleven patients underwent limited PFD and expansive cranioplasty with preshaped titanium mesh, what we term as “Stealth Cranioplasty” (SCP), following arachnoid preserving duraplasty (APD) and hexagonal tenting of the duraplasty with the cranioplasty (HTDC) for the management of symptomatic adult CMI with SM. All these patients had syringes extending from 3 to >10 vertebral levels. Results: Seven male and four female symptomatic CMI adult patients, between age ranges of 22 and 44 years (mean 29.45 years), presented with different neurological symptoms related to CMI and SM for 6–84 months (mean 37.09 months). All the patients underwent PFD, APD followed by SCP and HTDC and were followed up for 7–54 months (mean 35.90 months). Of 11 patients, 8 patients improved according to the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale (CCOS) with score of 13–15 while 3 patients remained unchanged with CCOS of 12, and there was no worsening. There was no complication related to Chiari surgery in any of the patients. All the patients had good reestablishment of cisterna magna. Two patients had marked reduction of syrinx while eight patients had moderate-to-mild reduction and one patient had no change of syrinx. None of the patients needed redo surgery. Conclusion: SCP is an effective, fruitful, and cost-effective technique for the management of symptomatic adult CMI with SM. This technique has the advantages of preventing complications and recurrences in addition to the improvement of symptoms by addressing the basic pathology. PMID:29021676

Microbiological culture broth designed from food waste.

PubMed

Chalón, Miriam C; Terán, Victoria; Arena, Mario E; Oliszewki, Rubén; González, Silvia N

2013-01-30

The current trend of increasing air, water, and soil pollution is, in part, due to inadequate management of municipal solid waste (MSW). The relationship between public health and the collection, storage and improper disposal of solid waste has encouraged several studies and the results were attributed to the spread of over twenty human and animal diseases due to this interrelationship. The term "single cell protein" (SCP) refers to microbial biomass used as a dietary additive. It has high nutritional value because of its high content of vitamins, lipids, and proteins of biological quality (the presence of all essential amino acids) (Lal, 2005). The aim of this work was to design a culture media for microbiological assays and to produce SCP for animal feeding, using nutrients contained in organic waste. In order to compare the effectiveness of food waste (FW) and LAPTg media, different strains of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Shigella, Salmonella, Saccharomyces and Schizosaccharomyces were studied. In all cases, the growth obtained from FW and LAPTg culture media were not significantly different (p > 0.05). In addition, the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied in order to produce SCP for animal feeding. Comparative experiments involving molasses broth, FW broth, and basal broth were carried out. The biomass yield calculated at 24 h from FW broth was 13% lower than from molasses broth. The FW broth provided a significantly lower biomass yield; however, it can be very useful in areas where molasses are not available. FW broth can be elaborated at low cost, in any populated region of the world because its ingredients are wastes generated by humans. It has great versatility, allowing the development of a wide variety of microorganisms, both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria as well as yeasts. The production of safe protein additives, with high biological quality and low cost, is necessary due to the increasing global demand for food for humans and animals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The function of yeast CAP family proteins in lipid export, mating, and pathogen defense.

PubMed

Darwiche, Rabih; El Atab, Ola; Cottier, Stéphanie; Schneiter, Roger

2018-04-01

In their natural habitat, yeast cells are constantly challenged by changing environmental conditions and a fierce competition for limiting resources. To thrive under such conditions, cells need to adapt and divide quickly, and be able to neutralize the toxic compounds secreted by their neighbors. Proteins like the pathogen-related yeast, Pry proteins, which belong to the large CAP/SCP/TAPS superfamily, may have an important role in this function. CAP proteins are conserved from yeast to man and are characterized by a unique αβα sandwich fold. They are mostly secreted glycoproteins and have been implicated in many different physiological processes including pathogen defense, virulence, venom toxicity, and sperm maturation. Yeast members of this family bind and export sterols as well as fatty acids, and they render cells resistant to eugenol, an antimicrobial compound present in clove oil. CAP family members might thus exert their various physiological functions through binding, sequestration, and neutralization of such small hydrophobic compounds. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Secondary School Senior Capstone Projects: A Descriptive and Interpretive Case Study on Post-Secondary Students' Perspectives of Learning Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yasuda, Vanessa Applbaum

2017-01-01

This descriptive and interpretive case study investigates how 12 undergraduate college students perceived participation in their high school Senior Capstone Project (SCP) impacted their college academic experience. Learning transfer was explored from the learner's perspective. Data was collected using qualitative methods in three sequential phases…

45 CFR 2551.113 - What financial obligation does the Corporation incur for non-Corporation funded projects?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Non-Corporation Funded SCP Projects § 2551.113 What financial obligation does the Corporation incur... to a sponsor of a non-Corporation funded project, does not create a financial obligation on the part... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What financial obligation does the Corporation...

77 FR 1690 - Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-11

... & Alternative Energy Fund 11-C; Boralex Inc.; Riverstone/Carlyle Renewable & Alternative Energy Fund II-C... Holdings; Orchid Cellmark, Inc.; Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings 20120222 G SCP III MV One, L.P... 20120261 G The Williams Companies, Inc.; ASP V Alternative Investments, L.P.; The Williams Companies, Inc...

Are Augmented Reality Picture Books Magic or Real for Preschool Children Aged Five to Six?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Rabia M.; Kucuk, Sevda; Goktas, Yuksel

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine preschool children's attitudes towards augmented reality picture books (ARPB), their story comprehension performance (SCP) and the relationships between these variables. The sample consisted of 92 five- and six-year-olds (49 boys, 43 girls). An attitude form, story comprehension test and interview form were…

Military Hearing Conservation Workshop Director Handbook,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

r HaigCnerainDrctrHnbo (b*T scp -asgnetsorrspniblt.s -:.--3 .’..................................................................an. HSHB-OB November...Approved Hearing Protective Devices and Related Equipment. a. Nonstandard. (NOT APPROVED). (I) Fingers (bi-digital earplugs). - - (2) Palms . (3...a) Single-flange (5-10 percent have different sizes between ears): () extra small (white) - 5 percent (ii) small (green) - 25 percent . oil . 5-26 9

SCP4 Promotes gluconeogenesis through Fox01/3a dephosphorylation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

FoxO1 and FoxO3a (collectively FoxO1/3a) proteins regulate a wide array of cellular processes, including hepatic gluconeogenesis. Phosphorylation of FoxO1/3a is a key event that determines its subcellular location and transcriptional activity. During glucose synthesis, the activity of FoxO1/3a is ne...

European Congress on Biotechnology (3rd) Held at Munich (Germany, F.R.) on 10-14 September 1984,

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-21

FMDV ). tivity. SCP is important as an additive This virus causes a disease of domestic to improve the nutritive quality of livestock and prevention of... FMDV is of animal feed and is also of economic im- considerable economical importance. Vac- portance. Linde Co. has a long tradi- cines are produced

Soluble sugar composition of pond-cypress: a potential hydroecological indicator of ground water perturbations

Treesearch

Sydney T. Bacchus; Toshihide Hamazaki; Bruce L. Haines

2000-01-01

Pond-cypress, a deciduous conifer , is a dominant canopy species in depressional wetlands of the southeastern Coastal Plain (SCP). Extensive premature decline and death of pond-cypress trees in central Florida have been attributed to hydroperiod alterations due to excessive withdrawals of ground water from the Floridan aquifer. One factor identified in the decline...

Avionic Data Bus Integration Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

address the hardware-software interaction between a digital data bus and an avionic system. Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) ICs and multiversion ...the SCP. In 1984, the Sperry Corporation developed a fault tolerant system which employed multiversion programming, voting, and monitoring for error... MULTIVERSION PROGRAMMING. N-version programming. 226 N-VERSION PROGRAMMING. The independent coding of a number, N, of redundant computer programs that

Social Media Principles Applied to Critical Infrastructure Information Sharing

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

shooters. The DHS works throughout the year to build partnerships with industries across a wide spectrum, to include commercial facilities. They...security professionals , industry association and security organizations, emergency managers, and planners and architects. Each of these stakeholder sets... Project Report.126 The DARPA SCP fellows identified 14 factors that affected the performance of any one team. Notable among the collection were

A transdisciplinary approach to the initial validation of a single cell protein as an alternative protein source for use in aquafeeds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The human population is growing and, globally, we must meet the challenge of increased protein needs required to feed this population. Single cell proteins (SCP), when coupled to aquaculture production, offers a means to ensure future protein needs can be met without direct competition with food for...

Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Assessment and Program Evaluation CARD - Cost Analysis Requirements Description CDD - Capability Development Document CLIN - Contract Line Item Number CPD...Estimate RDT&E - Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation SAR - Selected Acquisition Report SCP - Service Cost Position TBD - To Be Determined TY - Then...BMDS December 2015 SAR March 23, 2016 16:29:09 UNCLASSIFIED 5 Mission and Description Mission and Description To develop, test, and field a layered

Perturbed rhythmic activation of signaling pathways in mice deficient for Sterol Carrier Protein 2-dependent diurnal lipid transport and metabolism

PubMed Central

Jouffe, Céline; Gobet, Cédric; Martin, Eva; Métairon, Sylviane; Morin-Rivron, Delphine; Masoodi, Mojgan; Gachon, Frédéric

2016-01-01

Through evolution, most of the living species have acquired a time keeping system to anticipate daily changes caused by the rotation of the Earth. In all of the systems this pacemaker is based on a molecular transcriptional/translational negative feedback loop able to generate rhythmic gene expression with a period close to 24 hours. Recent evidences suggest that post-transcriptional regulations activated mostly by systemic cues play a fundamental role in the process, fine tuning the time keeping system and linking it to animal physiology. Among these signals, we consider the role of lipid transport and metabolism regulated by SCP2. Mice harboring a deletion of the Scp2 locus present a modulated diurnal accumulation of lipids in the liver and a perturbed activation of several signaling pathways including PPARα, SREBP, LRH-1, TORC1 and its upstream regulators. This defect in signaling pathways activation feedbacks upon the clock by lengthening the circadian period of animals through post-translational regulation of core clock regulators, showing that rhythmic lipid transport is a major player in the establishment of rhythmic mRNA and protein expression landscape. PMID:27097688

Perturbed rhythmic activation of signaling pathways in mice deficient for Sterol Carrier Protein 2-dependent diurnal lipid transport and metabolism.

PubMed

Jouffe, Céline; Gobet, Cédric; Martin, Eva; Métairon, Sylviane; Morin-Rivron, Delphine; Masoodi, Mojgan; Gachon, Frédéric

2016-04-21

Through evolution, most of the living species have acquired a time keeping system to anticipate daily changes caused by the rotation of the Earth. In all of the systems this pacemaker is based on a molecular transcriptional/translational negative feedback loop able to generate rhythmic gene expression with a period close to 24 hours. Recent evidences suggest that post-transcriptional regulations activated mostly by systemic cues play a fundamental role in the process, fine tuning the time keeping system and linking it to animal physiology. Among these signals, we consider the role of lipid transport and metabolism regulated by SCP2. Mice harboring a deletion of the Scp2 locus present a modulated diurnal accumulation of lipids in the liver and a perturbed activation of several signaling pathways including PPARα, SREBP, LRH-1, TORC1 and its upstream regulators. This defect in signaling pathways activation feedbacks upon the clock by lengthening the circadian period of animals through post-translational regulation of core clock regulators, showing that rhythmic lipid transport is a major player in the establishment of rhythmic mRNA and protein expression landscape.

Space-ecology set covering problem for modeling Daiyun Mountain Reserve, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chih-Wei; Liu, Jinfu; Huang, Jiahang; Zhang, Huiguang; Lan, Siren; Hong, Wei; Li, Wenzhou

2018-02-01

Site selection is an important issue in designing the nature reserve that has been studied over the years. However, a well-balanced relationship between preservation of biodiversity and site selection is still challenging. Unlike the existing methods, we consider three critical components, the spatial continuity, spatial compactness and ecological information to address the problem of designing the reserve. In this paper, we propose a new mathematical model of set covering problem called Space-ecology Set Covering Problem (SeSCP) for designing a reserve network. First, we generate the ecological information by forest resource investigation. Then, we split the landscape into elementary cells and calculate the ecological score of each cell. Next, we associate the ecological information with the spatial properties to select a set of cells to form a nature reserve for improving the ability of protecting the biodiversity. Two spatial constraints, continuity and compactability, are given in SeSCP. The continuity is to ensure that any selected site has to be connected with adjacent sites and the compactability is to minimize the perimeter of the selected sites. In computational experiments, we take Daiyun Mountain as a study area to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model.

Detection of Impaired Cerebral Autoregulation Using Selected Correlation Analysis: A Validation Study

PubMed Central

Brawanski, Alexander

2017-01-01

Multimodal brain monitoring has been utilized to optimize treatment of patients with critical neurological diseases. However, the amount of data requires an integrative tool set to unmask pathological events in a timely fashion. Recently we have introduced a mathematical model allowing the simulation of pathophysiological conditions such as reduced intracranial compliance and impaired autoregulation. Utilizing a mathematical tool set called selected correlation analysis (sca), correlation patterns, which indicate impaired autoregulation, can be detected in patient data sets (scp). In this study we compared the results of the sca with the pressure reactivity index (PRx), an established marker for impaired autoregulation. Mean PRx values were significantly higher in time segments identified as scp compared to segments showing no selected correlations (nsc). The sca based approach predicted cerebral autoregulation failure with a sensitivity of 78.8% and a specificity of 62.6%. Autoregulation failure, as detected by the results of both analysis methods, was significantly correlated with poor outcome. Sca of brain monitoring data detects impaired autoregulation with high sensitivity and sufficient specificity. Since the sca approach allows the simultaneous detection of both major pathological conditions, disturbed autoregulation and reduced compliance, it may become a useful analysis tool for brain multimodal monitoring data. PMID:28255331

Detection of Impaired Cerebral Autoregulation Using Selected Correlation Analysis: A Validation Study.

PubMed

Proescholdt, Martin A; Faltermeier, Rupert; Bele, Sylvia; Brawanski, Alexander

2017-01-01

Multimodal brain monitoring has been utilized to optimize treatment of patients with critical neurological diseases. However, the amount of data requires an integrative tool set to unmask pathological events in a timely fashion. Recently we have introduced a mathematical model allowing the simulation of pathophysiological conditions such as reduced intracranial compliance and impaired autoregulation. Utilizing a mathematical tool set called selected correlation analysis (sca), correlation patterns, which indicate impaired autoregulation, can be detected in patient data sets (scp). In this study we compared the results of the sca with the pressure reactivity index (PRx), an established marker for impaired autoregulation. Mean PRx values were significantly higher in time segments identified as scp compared to segments showing no selected correlations (nsc). The sca based approach predicted cerebral autoregulation failure with a sensitivity of 78.8% and a specificity of 62.6%. Autoregulation failure, as detected by the results of both analysis methods, was significantly correlated with poor outcome. Sca of brain monitoring data detects impaired autoregulation with high sensitivity and sufficient specificity. Since the sca approach allows the simultaneous detection of both major pathological conditions, disturbed autoregulation and reduced compliance, it may become a useful analysis tool for brain multimodal monitoring data.

Parameter Optimization for Selected Correlation Analysis of Intracranial Pathophysiology.

PubMed

Faltermeier, Rupert; Proescholdt, Martin A; Bele, Sylvia; Brawanski, Alexander

2015-01-01

Recently we proposed a mathematical tool set, called selected correlation analysis, that reliably detects positive and negative correlations between arterial blood pressure (ABP) and intracranial pressure (ICP). Such correlations are associated with severe impairment of the cerebral autoregulation and intracranial compliance, as predicted by a mathematical model. The time resolved selected correlation analysis is based on a windowing technique combined with Fourier-based coherence calculations and therefore depends on several parameters. For real time application of this method at an ICU it is inevitable to adjust this mathematical tool for high sensitivity and distinct reliability. In this study, we will introduce a method to optimize the parameters of the selected correlation analysis by correlating an index, called selected correlation positive (SCP), with the outcome of the patients represented by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). For that purpose, the data of twenty-five patients were used to calculate the SCP value for each patient and multitude of feasible parameter sets of the selected correlation analysis. It could be shown that an optimized set of parameters is able to improve the sensitivity of the method by a factor greater than four in comparison to our first analyses.

Parameter Optimization for Selected Correlation Analysis of Intracranial Pathophysiology

PubMed Central

Faltermeier, Rupert; Proescholdt, Martin A.; Bele, Sylvia; Brawanski, Alexander

2015-01-01

Recently we proposed a mathematical tool set, called selected correlation analysis, that reliably detects positive and negative correlations between arterial blood pressure (ABP) and intracranial pressure (ICP). Such correlations are associated with severe impairment of the cerebral autoregulation and intracranial compliance, as predicted by a mathematical model. The time resolved selected correlation analysis is based on a windowing technique combined with Fourier-based coherence calculations and therefore depends on several parameters. For real time application of this method at an ICU it is inevitable to adjust this mathematical tool for high sensitivity and distinct reliability. In this study, we will introduce a method to optimize the parameters of the selected correlation analysis by correlating an index, called selected correlation positive (SCP), with the outcome of the patients represented by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). For that purpose, the data of twenty-five patients were used to calculate the SCP value for each patient and multitude of feasible parameter sets of the selected correlation analysis. It could be shown that an optimized set of parameters is able to improve the sensitivity of the method by a factor greater than four in comparison to our first analyses. PMID:26693250

Market structure and hospital-insurer bargaining in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Halbersma, R S; Mikkers, M C; Motchenkova, E; Seinen, I

2011-12-01

In 2005, competition was introduced in part of the hospital market in the Netherlands. Using a unique dataset of transactions and list prices between hospitals and insurers in the years 2005 and 2006, we estimate the influence of buyer and seller concentration on the negotiated prices. First, we use a traditional structure-conduct-performance model (SCP-model) along the lines of Melnick et al. (J Health Econ 11(3): 217-233, 1992) to estimate the effects of buyer and seller concentration on price-cost margins. Second, we model the interaction between hospitals and insurers in the context of a generalized bargaining model similar to Brooks et al. (J Health Econ 16: 417-434, 1997). In the SCP-model, we find that the market shares of hospitals (insurers) have a significantly positive (negative) impact on the hospital price-cost margin. In the bargaining model, we find a significant negative effect of insurer concentration, but no significant effect of hospital concentration. In both models, we find a significant impact of idiosyncratic effects on the market outcomes. This is consistent with the fact that the Dutch hospital sector is not yet in a long-run equilibrium.

Excellent performance of copper based metal organic framework in adsorptive removal of toxic sulfonamide antibiotics from wastewater.

PubMed

Azhar, Muhammad Rizwan; Abid, Hussein Rasool; Sun, Hongqi; Periasamy, Vijay; Tadé, Moses O; Wang, Shaobin

2016-09-15

The increasing concerns on toxicity of sulfonamide antibiotics in water require a prompt action to establish efficient wastewater treatment processes for their removal. In this study, adsorptive removal of a model sulfonamide antibiotic, sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), from wastewater is presented for the first time using a metal organic framework (MOF). A high surface area and thermally stable MOF, HKUST-1, was synthesized by a facile method. Batch adsorption studies were systematically carried out using HKUST-1. The high surface area and unsaturated metal sites resulted in a significant adsorption capacity with faster kinetics. Most of the SCP was removed in 15min and the kinetic data were best fitted with the pseudo second order model. Moreover, isothermal data were best fitted with the Langmuir model. The thermodynamic results showed that the adsorption is a spontaneous and endothermic process. The adsorption capacity of HKUST-1 is 384mg/g at 298K which is the highest compared to most of the materials for the antibiotics. The high adsorption capacity is attributed mainly to π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Final report : site reclassification investigation for Courtland, Kansas.

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

LaFreniere, L. M.; Dennis, C. B.; Environmental Science Division

2006-01-31

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), formerly operated a grain storage facility in Courtland, Kansas. Prior to 1986, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the grain industry to preserve stored grain. In 1999, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) identified the former CCC/USDA operation as the likely source of carbon tetrachloride found in groundwater east of the former CCC/USDA facility in Courtland. Sampling by the KDHE in April 1998 had found carbon tetrachloride in the Garman residence lawn and garden well at amore » concentration of 2.1 {micro}g/L and in the Hoard residence lawn and garden well at a concentration of 0.5 {micro}g/L. Subsequent soil and groundwater sampling by the KDHE at the former CCC/USDA facility found no indication of a continuing source, and subsequent sampling of the affected wells showed generally declining contaminant levels. At the request of the KDHE and the CCC/USDA, Argonne National Laboratory prepared a Work Plan for Groundwater Sampling for Potential Site Reclassification, Courtland, Kansas (Argonne 2004). The objective of the proposed work was to conduct a single groundwater monitoring event and collect information necessary to update the status of the previously detected groundwater contamination, in support of an evaluation of appropriate actions for reclassification of the status of this site from active to resolved, under the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). The reclassification would be in accordance with the KDHE's Reclassification Plan (Policy No. BERRS-024, online at http://www.kdhe.state.ks.us/pdf/ber/scp/reclass.pdf). The KDHE approved the Work Plan on August 8, 2005. Sampling was conducted on September 7, 2005.« less

Design of a 4D Printing System Using Thermal Sensitive Smart Materials and Photoactivated Shape Changing Polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leist, Steven Kyle

4D printing is an emerging additive manufacturing technology that combines 3D printing with smart materials. Current 3D printing technology can print objects with a multitude of materials; however, these objects are usually static, geometrically permanent, and not suitable for multi-functional use. The 4D printed objects can change their shape over time when exposed to different external stimuli such as heat, pressure, magnetic fields, or moisture. In this research, heat and light reactive smart materials are explored as a 4D printing materials. Synthetization of a material that actuates when exposed to stimulus can be a very difficult process, and merging that same material with the ability to be 3D printed can be further difficult. A common 3D printing thermoplastic, poly(lactic) acid (PLA), is used as a shape memory material that is 3D printed using a fused deposition machine (FDM) and combined with nylon fabric for the exploration of smart textiles. The research shows that post printed PLA possesses shape memory properties depending on the thickness of the 3D printed material and the activation temperature. PLA can be thermomechanically trained into temporary shapes and return to its original shape when exposed to high temperatures. PLA can be 3D printed onto nylon fabrics for the creation of the smart textiles. Additionally, a photoisomerable shape changing material is explored because light activation is wireless, controllable, focusable, abundant, causes rapid shape change of the smart material, and induces reversible shape change in the material. This study supports the fundamental research to generate knowledge needed for synthesis of a novel azobenzene shape changing polymer (SCP) and integrating this smart material into objects printed with a 4D printing process using syringe printing. Multiple versions of azobenzene SCP are synthesized that actuate when exposed to 365 nm and 455 nm light. Two SCPs, MeOABHx and DR1Hx, are selected for the 4D printing research because of their ability to photoisomerize at room temperature and 3D printability. The physical properties of these polymers are characterized, photomechanical bending tests are performed, and the photo-generated stress is measured using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). The SCPs are deposited onto a passive layer to create bilayer films in order to actuate. The photomechanical efficiency of bilayer films is evaluated depending on the thickness of the passive layer film, type of azobenzene SCP, wavelength of the light source, intensity of the light source, and distance between the light and films. 4D printing can be used to streamline the design and manufacturing process of actuating parts. Complex heavy parts can be removed from actuation systems such as onboard power storage, motors, sensors, and processors by embedding these capabilities into the material themselves. This reduces the amount of required parts, the amount of materials, and reduces the cost of producing these parts. 4D printed products possess the properties of programmability, reaction and adaption to their environment, and automation. Therefore, they can find wider applications including foldable unmanned aerial vehicles, artificial muscles, grippers, biomedical drug delivery systems, stents, and minimally invasive surgeries.

Use of Survivorship Care Plans and Analysis of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Multinational Patients With Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Berman, Abigail T; DeCesaris, Cristina M; Simone, Charles B; Vachani, Carolyn; DiLullo, Gloria; Hampshire, Margaret K; Metz, James; Hill-Kayser, Christine

2016-05-01

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and is a significant source of morbidity. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have been shown to be prognostic for survival. We have analyzed emerging patterns of longitudinal PROs collected in the development of survivorship care plans (SCPs). OncoLife and the LIVESTRONG Care Plans are Internet-based programs designed to generate unique SCPs. We selected SCPs from patients identifying as survivors of primary lung cancer. Patient-reported demographics and treatment and toxicity data were examined. Effects were categorized by the physiologic system that they affected. Six hundred eighty-nine plans were created for users self-identifying as survivors of primary lung cancer. Average time from diagnosis to reporting was 1.68 years (range, 0 to 24 years). Most were white (85.9%), well educated (61.1% "some college" or higher), and lived in the United States (90.7%). Patients underwent chemotherapy (75.8%), radiotherapy (54.7%), and surgery (54.4%). Neurocognitive symptoms (eg, fatigue, cognitive changes) were the most common (48.8%), especially among those receiving chemotherapy, followed by musculoskeletal/dermatologic symptoms (14.1%) and thoracic symptoms (13.5%). Only 11.2% were initially offered an SCP. Of those offered SCPs, 54.5% were offered by their health care provider, and most often were at a non-university-based cancer center (66.2%). For patients with lung cancer worldwide, it is feasible to obtain PROs and to create SCPs through an Internet-based program. As patients with lung cancer achieve improved survival, further attention should be paid to PROs. Surprisingly, neurocognitive symptoms seem to be the most common issues and therefore the most important to address. Increased effort should be made to provide SCPs, particularly in urban and university cancer center settings. Copyright © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The effects of yeast feed supplementaion on turkey performance and pathogen colonization in a transport stress/Escherichia coli challenge

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A commercial yeast culture feed supplement (Celmanax® SCP, Vi-COR, Mason City, IA, YC)was provided to turkeys throughout a 16 wk grow-out to determine if it would prevent the effects of stress on production and pathogen colonization. YC was provided either continuously at 100g/tonne (YC-CS) or inter...

Wartime Roles and Capabilities for the Unified Logistic Staffs

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

standard Army ammunition system SAPO Subarea Petroleum Office SCP service control point (fuels) SHAPE Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe SIDATH... SAPOs ). Communication exists between the operations and logistic staffs within the unified, component, Service, and JS levels. But between...daily. The JPOs/ SAPOs receive the short-term requirements and consoli- date them for resupply by submitting slates (how much, when, and where needed

Do Barriers to Crime Prevention Moderate the Effects of Situational Crime Prevention Policies on Violent Crime in High Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevigny, Eric L.; Zhang, Gary

2018-01-01

This study investigates how barriers to school-based crime prevention programming moderate the effects of situational crime prevention (SCP) policies on levels of violent crime in U.S. public high schools. Using data from the 2008 School Survey on Crime and Safety, we estimate a series of negative binomial regression models with interactions to…

From Dialogue to Governance: A Critical Analysis of the School Completion Programme in the Republic of Ireland 2002 to 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mc Kenna, Declan; Mooney Simmie, Geraldine

2017-01-01

The School Completion Programme (SCP) was first established in Ireland in 2002 with what appeared to resemble a "bottom up" model of support. The programme was based on authentic effort at partnership with schools, parents and relevant agencies through local management committees and enjoyed a fair share of autonomy in how they would…

Streptococcus iniae M-Like Protein Contributes to Virulence in Fish and Is a Target for Live Attenuated Vaccine Development

PubMed Central

Locke, Jeffrey B.; Aziz, Ramy K.; Vicknair, Mike R.; Nizet, Victor; Buchanan, John T.

2008-01-01

Background Streptococcus iniae is a significant pathogen in finfish aquaculture, though knowledge of virulence determinants is lacking. Through pyrosequencing of the S. iniae genome we have identified two gene homologues to classical surface-anchored streptococcal virulence factors: M-like protein (simA) and C5a peptidase (scpI). Methodology/Principal Findings S. iniae possesses a Mga-like locus containing simA and a divergently transcribed putative mga-like regulatory gene, mgx. In contrast to the Mga locus of group A Streptococcus (GAS, S. pyogenes), scpI is located distally in the chromosome. Comparative sequence analysis of the Mgx locus revealed only one significant variant, a strain with an insertion frameshift mutation in simA and a deletion mutation in a region downstream of mgx, generating an ORF which may encode a second putative mga-like gene, mgx2. Allelic exchange mutagenesis of simA and scpI was employed to investigate the potential role of these genes in S. iniae virulence. Our hybrid striped bass (HSB) and zebrafish models of infection revealed that M-like protein contributes significantly to S. iniae pathogenesis whereas C5a peptidase-like protein does not. Further, in vitro cell-based analyses indicate that SiMA, like other M family proteins, contributes to cellular adherence and invasion and provides resistance to phagocytic killing. Attenuation in our virulence models was also observed in the S. iniae isolate possessing a natural simA mutation. Vaccination of HSB with the ΔsimA mutant provided 100% protection against subsequent challenge with a lethal dose of wild-type (WT) S. iniae after 1,400 degree days, and shows promise as a target for live attenuated vaccine development. Conclusions/Significance Analysis of M-like protein and C5a peptidase through allelic replacement revealed that M-like protein plays a significant role in S. iniae virulence, and the Mga-like locus, which may regulate expression of this gene, has an unusual arrangement. The M-like protein mutant created in this research holds promise as live-attenuated vaccine. PMID:18665241

Comparison of the impact of six heat-load management strategies on thermal responses and milk production of feed-pad and pasture fed dairy cows in a subtropical environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davison, T. M.; Jonsson, N. N.; Mayer, D. G.; Gaughan, J. B.; Ehrlich, W. K.; McGowan, M. R.

2016-12-01

Exposure to hot environments affects milk yield (MY) and milk composition of pasture and feed-pad fed dairy cows in subtropical regions. This study was undertaken during summer to compare MY and physiology of cows exposed to six heat-load management treatments. Seventy-eight Holstein-Friesian cows were blocked by season of calving, parity, milk yield, BW, and milk protein (%) and milk fat (%) measured in 2 weeks prior to the start of the study. Within blocks, cows were randomly allocated to one of the following treatments: open-sided iron roofed day pen adjacent to dairy (CID) + sprinklers (SP); CID only; non-shaded pen adjacent to dairy + SP (NSD + SP); open-sided shade cloth roofed day pen adjacent to dairy (SCD); NSD + sprinkler (sprinkler on for 45 min at 1100 h if mean respiration rate >80 breaths per minute (NSD + WSP) ); open-sided shade cloth roofed structure over feed bunk in paddock + 1 km walk to and from the dairy (SCP + WLK). Sprinklers for CID + SP and NSD + SP cycled 2 min on, 12 min off when ambient temperature >26°C. The highest milk yields were in the CID + SP and CID treatments (23.9 L cow-1 day-1), intermediate for NSD + SP, SCD and SCP + WLK (22.4 L cow-1 day-1), and lowest for NSD + WSP (21.3 L cow-1 day-1) ( P < 0.05). The highest ( P < 0.05) feed intakes occurred in the CID + SP and CID treatments while intake was lowest ( P < 0.05) for NSD + WSP and SCP + WLK. Weather data were collected on site at 10-min intervals, and from these, THI was calculated. Nonlinear regression modelling of MY × THI and heat-load management treatment demonstrated that cows in CID + SP showed no decline in MY out to a THI break point value of 83.2, whereas the pooled MY of the other treatments declined when THI >80.7. A combination of iron roof shade plus water sprinkling throughout the day provided the most effective control of heat load.

Factors circulating in the blood of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients affect osteoblast maturation – Description of a novel in vitro model

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

Ehnert, Sabrina, E-mail: sabrina.ehnert@gmail.com; Freude, Thomas, E-mail: tfreude@bgu-tuebingen.de; Ihle, Christoph, E-mail: cihle@bgu-tuebingen.de

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most frequent metabolic disorders in industrialized countries. Among other complications, T2DM patients have an increased fracture risk and delayed fracture healing. We have demonstrated that supraphysiological glucose and insulin levels inhibit primary human osteoblasts' maturation. We aimed at developing a more physiologically relevant in vitro model to analyze T2DM-mediated osteoblast changes. Therefore, SCP-1-immortalized pre-osteoblasts were differentiated with T2DM or control (non-obese and obese) sera. Between both control groups, no significant changes were observed. Proliferation was significantly increased (1.69-fold), while AP activity and matrix mineralization was significantly reduced in the T2DM group.more » Expression levels of osteogenic marker genes and transcription factors were altered, e.g. down-regulation of RUNX2 and SP-7 or up-regulation of STAT1, in the T2DM group. Active TGF-β levels were significantly increased (1.46-fold) in T2DM patients' sera. SCP-1 cells treated with these sera showed significantly increased TGF-β signaling (2.47-fold). Signaling inhibition effectively restored osteoblast maturation in the T2DM group. Summarizing our data, SCP-1 cells differentiated in the presence of T2DM patients' serum exhibit reduced osteoblast function. Thus, this model has a high physiological impact, as it can identify circulating factors in T2DM patients' blood that may affect bone function, e.g. TGF-β. - Highlights: • We present here a physiologically relevant in vitro model for diabetic osteopathy. • Blood of T2DM patients contains factors that affect osteoblasts' function. • The model developed here can be used to identify these factors, e.g. TGF-β. • Blocking TGF-β signaling partly rescues the osteoblasts' function in the T2DM group. • The model is useful to demonstrate the role of single factors in diabetic osteopathy.« less

Microplasmas for chemical analysis: analytical tools or research toys?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karanassios, Vassili

2004-07-01

An overview of the activities of the research groups that have been involved in fabrication, development and characterization of microplasmas for chemical analysis over the last few years is presented. Microplasmas covered include: miniature inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs); capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs); microwave-induced plasmas (MIPs); a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD); microhollow cathode discharge (MCHD) or microstructure electrode (MSE) discharges, other microglow discharges (such as those formed between "liquid" electrodes); microplasmas formed in micrometer-diameter capillary tubes for gas chromatography (GC) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) applications, and a stabilized capacitive plasma (SCP) for GC applications. Sample introduction into microplasmas, in particular, into a microplasma device (MPD), battery operation of a MPD and of a mini- in-torch vaporization (ITV) microsample introduction system for MPDs, and questions of microplasma portability for use on site (e.g., in the field) are also briefly addressed using examples of current research. To emphasize the significance of sample introduction into microplasmas, some previously unpublished results from the author's laboratory have also been included. And an overall assessment of the state-of-the-art of analytical microplasma research is provided.

An Introduction to Intelligent Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-02-01

customers in particular) to "specify a different geographic location for the call to terminate at. depending on the location of the calling customer ...corporate and military alike), with the promise also that they support affordable and dynamic reconfiguration. For example, as a domestic customer . I... relationship has an SCP serving a distribution of SSP elements to pnride wupport for calls that invoke IN functionality. And is in turn coatrolied and

Supercooling as a Viable Non-Freezing Cell Preservation Method of Rat Hepatocytes

PubMed Central

Usta, O. Berk; Kim, Yeonhee; Ozer, Sinan; Bruinsma, Bote G.; Lee, Jungwoo; Demir, Esin; Berendsen, Tim A.; Puts, Catheleyne F.; Izamis, Maria-Louisa; Uygun, Korkut; Uygun, Basak E.; Yarmush, Martin L.

2013-01-01

Supercooling preservation holds the potential to drastically extend the preservation time of organs, tissues and engineered tissue products, and fragile cell types that do not lend themselves well to cryopreservation or vitrification. Here, we investigate the effects of supercooling preservation (SCP at -4oC) on primary rat hepatocytes stored in cryovials and compare its success (high viability and good functional characteristics) to that of static cold storage (CS at +4oC) and cryopreservation. We consider two prominent preservation solutions a) Hypothermosol (HTS-FRS) and b) University of Wisconsin solution (UW) and a range of preservation temperatures (-4 to -10 oC). We find that there exists an optimum temperature (-4oC) for SCP of rat hepatocytes which yields the highest viability; at this temperature HTS-FRS significantly outperforms UW solution in terms of viability and functional characteristics (secretions and enzymatic activity in suspension and plate culture). With the HTS-FRS solution we show that the cells can be stored for up to a week with high viability (~56%); moreover we also show that the preservation can be performed in large batches (50 million cells) with equal or better viability and no loss of functionality as compared to smaller batches (1.5 million cells) performed in cryovials. PMID:23874947

Pathogenic Streptomyces spp. abundance affected by potato cultivars.

PubMed

Nahar, Kamrun; Goyer, Claudia; Zebarth, Bernie J; Burton, David L; Whitney, Sean

2018-04-16

Potato cultivars vary in their tolerance to common scab (CS), however how they affect CS-causing Streptomyces spp. populations over time is poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of potato cultivar on pathogenic Streptomyces spp. abundance, measured using quantitative PCR, in three spatial locations in a CS-infested field: 1) soil close to the plant (SCP); 2) rhizosphere (RS); and 3) geocaulosphere (GS) soils. Two tolerant (Gold Rush, Hindenburg) and two susceptible cultivars (Green Mountain, Agria) were tested. The abundance of pathogenic Streptomyces spp. significantly increased in late August compared with other dates in RS of susceptible cultivars in both years. Abundance of pathogenic Streptomyces spp., when averaged over locations and time, was significantly greater in susceptible cultivars compared with tolerant cultivars in 2014. Principal coordinates analysis showed that SCP and RS soil properties (pH, organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations) explained 68% and 76% of total variation in Streptomyces spp. abundance among cultivars in 2013, respectively, suggesting that cultivars influenced CS pathogen growth conditions. The results suggested that the genetic background of potato cultivars influenced the abundance of pathogenic Streptomyces spp., with 5 to 6 times more abundant Streptomyces spp. in RS of susceptible cultivars compared with tolerant cultivars, which would result in substantially more inoculum left in the field after harvest.  .

Social Constraints are Associated with Negative Psychological and Physical Adjustment in Bereavement.

PubMed

Juth, Vanessa; Smyth, Joshua M; Carey, Michael P; Lepore, Stephen J

2015-07-01

Losing a loved one is a normative life event, yet there is great variability in subsequent interpersonal experiences and adjustment. The Social-Cognitive Processing (SCP) model suggests that social constraints (i.e. limited opportunities to disclose thoughts and feelings in a supportive context) impede emotional and cognitive processing of stressful life events, which may lead to maladjustment. This study investigates personal and loss-related correlates of social constraints during bereavement, the links between social constraints and post-loss adjustment, and whether social constraints moderate the relations between loss-related intrusive thoughts and adjustment. A community sample of bereaved individuals (n = 238) provided demographic and loss-related information and reported on their social constraints, loss-related intrusions, and psychological and physical adjustment. Women, younger people, and those with greater financial concerns reported more social constraints. Social constraints were significantly associated with more depressive symptoms, perceived stress, somatic symptoms, and worse global health. Individuals with high social constraints and high loss-related intrusions had the highest depressive symptoms and perceived life stress. Consistent with the SCP model, loss-related social constraints are associated with poorer adjustment, especially psychological adjustment. In particular, experiencing social constraints in conjunction with loss-related intrusions may heighten the risk for poor psychological health. © 2015 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

Control of non-linear actuator of artificial muscles for the use in low-cost robotics prosthetics limbs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anis Atikah, Nurul; Yeng Weng, Leong; Anuar, Adzly; Chien Fat, Chau; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed; Zainal Abidin, Izham

2017-10-01

Currently, the methods of actuating robotic-based prosthetic limbs are moving away from bulky actuators to more fluid materials such as artificial muscles. The main disadvantages of these artificial muscles are their high cost of manufacturing, low-force generation, cumbersome and complex controls. A recent discovery into using super coiled polymer (SCP) proved to have low manufacturing costs, high force generation, compact and simple controls. Nevertheless, the non-linear controls still exists due to the nature of heat-based actuation, which is hysteresis. This makes position control difficult. Using electrically conductive devices allows for very quick heating, but not quick cooling. This research tries to solve the problem by using peltier devices, which can effectively heat and cool the SCP, hence giving way to a more precise control. The peltier device does not actively introduce more energy to a volume of space, which the coiled heating does; instead, it acts as a heat pump. Experiments were conducted to test the feasibility of using peltier as an actuating method on different diameters of nylon fishing strings. Based on these experiments, the performance characteristics of the strings were plotted, which could be used to control the actuation of the string efficiently in the future.

Germline stem cells and neo-oogenesis in the adult human ovary.

PubMed

Liu, Yifei; Wu, Chao; Lyu, Qifeng; Yang, Dongzi; Albertini, David F; Keefe, David L; Liu, Lin

2007-06-01

It remains unclear whether neo-oogenesis occurs in postnatal ovaries of mammals, based on studies in mice. We thought to test whether adult human ovaries contain germline stem cells (GSCs) and undergo neo-oogenesis. Rather than using genetic manipulation which is unethical in humans, we took the approach of analyzing the expression of meiotic marker genes and genes for germ cell proliferation, which are required for neo-oogenesis, in adult human ovaries covering an age range from 28 to 53 years old, compared to testis and fetal ovaries served as positive controls. We show that active meiosis, neo-oogenesis and GSCs are unlikely to exist in normal, adult, human ovaries. No early meiotic-specific or oogenesis-associated mRNAs for SPO11, PRDM9, SCP1, TERT and NOBOX were detectable in adult human ovaries using RT-PCR, compared to fetal ovary and adult testis controls. These findings are further corroborated by the absence of early meiocytes and proliferating germ cells in adult human ovarian cortex probed with markers for meiosis (SCP3), oogonium (OCT3/4, c-KIT), and cell cycle progression (Ki-67, PCNA), in contrast to fetal ovary controls. If postnatal oogenesis is confirmed in mice, then this species would represent an exception to the rule that neo-oogenesis does not occur in adults.

Ceruloplasmin expression by human peripheral blood lymphocytes: a new link between immunity and iron metabolism.

PubMed

Banha, João; Marques, Liliana; Oliveira, Rita; Martins, Maria de Fátima; Paixão, Eleonora; Pereira, Dina; Malhó, Rui; Penque, Deborah; Costa, Luciana

2008-02-01

Ceruloplasmin (CP) is a multicopper oxidase involved in the acute phase reaction to stress. Although the physiological role of CP is uncertain, its role in iron (Fe) homeostasis and protection against free radical-initiated cell injury has been widely documented. Previous studies showed the existence of two molecular isoforms of CP: secreted CP (sCP) and a membrane glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored form of CP (GPI-CP). sCP is produced mainly by the liver and is abundant in human serum whereas GPI-CP is expressed in mammalian astrocytes, rat leptomeningeal cells, and Sertolli cells. Herein, we show using RT-PCR that human peripheral blood lymphocytes (huPBL) constitutively express the transcripts for both CP molecular isoforms previously reported. Also, expression of CP in huPBL is demonstrated by immunofluorescence with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry analysis using cells isolated from healthy blood donors with normal Fe status. Importantly, the results obtained show that natural killer cells have a significantly higher CP expression compared to all other major lymphocyte subsets. In this context, the involvement of lymphocyte-derived CP on host defense processes via its anti/prooxidant properties is proposed, giving further support for a close functional interaction between the immune system and the Fe metabolism.

From neural signatures of emotional modulation to social cognition: individual differences in healthy volunteers and psychiatric participants

PubMed Central

Aguado, Jaume; Baez, Sandra; Huepe, David; Lopez, Vladimir; Ortega, Rodrigo; Sigman, Mariano; Mikulan, Ezequiel; Lischinsky, Alicia; Torrente, Fernando; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Torralva, Teresa; Bekinschtein, Tristan; Manes, Facundo

2014-01-01

It is commonly assumed that early emotional signals provide relevant information for social cognition tasks. The goal of this study was to test the association between (a) cortical markers of face emotional processing and (b) social-cognitive measures, and also to build a model which can predict this association (a and b) in healthy volunteers as well as in different groups of psychiatric patients. Thus, we investigated the early cortical processing of emotional stimuli (N170, using a face and word valence task) and their relationship with the social-cognitive profiles (SCPs, indexed by measures of theory of mind, fluid intelligence, speed processing and executive functions). Group comparisons and individual differences were assessed among schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and their relatives, individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), individuals with euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy participants (educational level, handedness, age and gender matched). Our results provide evidence of emotional N170 impairments in the affected groups (SCZ and relatives, ADHD and BD) as well as subtle group differences. Importantly, cortical processing of emotional stimuli predicted the SCP, as evidenced by a structural equation model analysis. This is the first study to report an association model of brain markers of emotional processing and SCP. PMID:23685775

An energy-efficient rate adaptive media access protocol (RA-MAC) for long-lived sensor networks.

PubMed

Hu, Wen; Chen, Quanjun; Corke, Peter; O'Rourke, Damien

2010-01-01

We introduce an energy-efficient Rate Adaptive Media Access Control (RA-MAC) algorithm for long-lived Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Previous research shows that the dynamic and lossy nature of wireless communications is one of the major challenges to reliable data delivery in WSNs. RA-MAC achieves high link reliability in such situations by dynamically trading off data rate for channel gain. The extra gain that can be achieved reduces the packet loss rate which contributes to reduced energy expenditure through a reduced numbers of retransmissions. We achieve this at the expense of raw bit rate which generally far exceeds the application's link requirement. To minimize communication energy consumption, RA-MAC selects the optimal data rate based on the estimated link quality at each data rate and an analytical model of the energy consumption. Our model shows how the selected data rate depends on different channel conditions in order to minimize energy consumption. We have implemented RA-MAC in TinyOS for an off-the-shelf sensor platform (the TinyNode) on top of a state-of-the-art WSN Media Access Control Protocol, SCP-MAC, and evaluated its performance by comparing our implementation with the original SCP-MAC using both simulation and experiment.

Modeling Coherent Strategies for the Sustainable Development Goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, B.; Obersteiner, M.; Herrero, M.; Riahi, K.; Fritz, S.; van Vuuren, D.; Havlik, P.

2016-12-01

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for a comprehensive new approach to development rooted in planetary boundaries, equity and inclusivity. Societies have largely responded to this call with siloed strategies capable of making progress on selected subsets of these goals. However, agendas crafted specifically to alleviate poverty, hunger, deforestation, biodiversity loss, or other ills may doom the SDG agenda, as policies and strategies designed to accomplish one or several goals can impede and in some cases reverse progress toward others at national, regional, and global levels. We adopt a comprehensive modeling approach to understand the basis for tradeoffs among environmental conservation initiatives (goals 13-15) and food prices (goal 2). We show that such tradeoffs are manifestations of policy-driven pressure in land (i.e. agricultural and environmental) systems. By reducing total land system pressure, Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP, goal 12) policies minimize tradeoffs and should therefore be regarded as necessary conditions for achieving multiple SDGs. SDG strategies constructed around SCP policies escape problem-shifting, which has long placed global development and conservation agendas at odds. We expect that this and future systems analyses will allow policymakers to negotiate tradeoffs and exploit synergies as they assemble sustainable development strategies equal in scope to the ambition of the SDGs.

Evaluation of the California Safer Consumer Products Regulation and the impact on consumers and product manufacturers.

PubMed

Cowan, Dallas M; Kingsbury, Tony; Perez, Angela L; Woods, Tyler A; Kovochich, Michael; Hill, Denise S; Madl, Amy K; Paustenbach, Dennis J

2014-02-01

Chemistry enables more than 95% of products in the marketplace. Over the past 20 years, various entities began to generate inventories of chemicals ("chemical watch lists") potentially associated with human or environmental health risks. Some lists included thousands of chemicals, while others listed only a few chemistries with limited properties or toxicological endpoints (e.g., neurotoxicants). Enacted on October 1, 2013, the California Safer Consumer Products Regulation (SCP) utilized data from chemical inventory lists to create one master list. This paper aims to discuss the background and requirements of this regulation. Additionally, we wanted to understand the universe of Candidate Chemicals identified by the Regulation. Data from all 23 chemical lists identified in the SCP Regulation were entered into a database. The most prevalent chemicals among the ∼2900 chemicals are identified, including the most prevalent chemical, lead, appearing on 65% of lists, followed by DEHP (52%), perchloroethylene (48%), and benzene (48%). Our results indicated that the most prevalent Candidate Chemicals were either persistent, bioaccumulative, carcinogenic, or reprotoxic. This regulation will have wide-ranging impact in California and throughout the global supply chain, which is highlighted through selected examples and case studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[European Union Network for Patient Safety and Quality of Care (PASQ). Development and preliminary results in Europe and in the Spanish National Health System].

PubMed

Agra-Varela, Y; Fernández-Maíllo, M; Rivera-Ariza, S; Sáiz-Martínez-Acitorez, I; Casal-Gómez, J; Palanca-Sánchez, I; Bacou, J

2015-01-01

The joint action, European Union Network for Patient Safety and Quality of Care: PaSQ, aims to promote patient safety (PS) in the European Union (EU) and to facilitate the exchange of experiences among Member States (MS) and stakeholders on issues related to quality of care, PS, and patient involvement. The development and preliminary results are presented here, especially as regards the Spanish National Health System (SNHS). PaSQ is developed through 7 work packages, primarily aimed at sharing good practices (GP), which were identified using specific questionnaires and selected by means of explicit criteria, as well as to implement safe clinical practices (SCP) of proven effectiveness and agreed among MS. A total of 482 GP (39% provided by Spanish professionals) were identified. The 34 events organised in the EU, 11 including Spanish participation, facilitate sharing these practices. A total of 194 Health Care centres (49% in Spain) are implementing SCP (hand hygiene, safe surgery, medication reconciliation, and paediatric early warning scores) ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES: PaSQ is making it possible to strengthen collaboration between organizations and professionals at EU and SNHS level regarding PS and quality of care. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Residual veterinary antibiotics in pig excreta after oral administration of sulfonamides.

PubMed

Qiu, Jinrong; Zhao, Tao; Liu, Qingyun; He, Jinhua; He, Dechun; Wu, Genyi; Li, Yongtao; Jiang, Chengai; Xu, Zhencheng

2016-04-01

Sulfonamides (SAs) are applied widely as feed additives in the farming of livestock and poultry. It can lead to the excretion of large amounts of SAs in manure and result in persistent environmental pollution. We evaluated the fate of four SAs, sulfamerazine (SM1), sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), sulfadimoxine (SDM') and sulfaquinoxaline (SQ), from oral administration to excretion in urine and feces in pigs. The four SAs were added to homemade feed to make them reach the required concentration gradient, which were 0, 50 and 100 mg/kg (low, normal and high concentrations, respectively). In different treatments, excretions of the four SAs were 35.68-86.88 %. With regard to total excretion, the order was SQ > SCP > SM1 > SDM' for all treatments. The concentration of SAs in the feed had significant effects on the amount of the four SAs excreted every day. The concentration of SAs in feces and in the urine for different treatments was 15.03-26.55 and 14.54-69.22 %, respectively. In each treatment, excretions of SCP, SDM' and SQ in feces were lower than that in urine. The four SAs remained longer in urine than in feces. Excretions in urine and feces were lower if SAs were administered orally rather than by injection.

Development of an Electrochemical Surrogate for Copper, Lead, and Zinc Bioaccessibility in Aquatic Sediments

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

the need for new technologies to better determine metal bioavailability (18): how many environmental factors do we need to understand at a site to...sediment pore waters conform. A decade later, investigators determined that a new technique—stripping chronopotentiometry (SCP)—was not subject to signal...Contaminants in Soils and Sediments; Strategic Enviromental Research and Development Program: Arlington, VA, November 2008, 2008; p 186. 19. Town, R. M

X3D-Earth: Full Globe Coverage Utilizing Multiple Dataset

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

DtedNvtProcessor Class ..................................................128 Figure 63. Subversion Checkout in Netbeans ...to the Ant build.xml file within a NetBeans Project: <target name=“moveToHamming” depends=““> <scp todir=“user@hamming.uc.nps.edu:/work/user/DTED...This task was generated using the NetBeans IDE (can be downloaded at www.netbeans.org). The task was then executed within NetBeans . This type of

Mechanisms of Alcohol Induced Effects on Cellular Cholesterol Dynamics

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-09-01

intracellular heavy drinking (25 and 50 maM) significantly inhibited trafficking of cholesterol [26]. SCP-2 decreases the half- cholesterol efflux...at least 5-6 drinks contain more cholesterol as com- brane and other structures [10]. Chronic ethanol con- pared to moderate drinkers. Therefore...tetramer BODIPY TR ceramide, N-((4-(4,4-difluoro-5-(2-thienyl)-4- bora -3a,4a- (28), and such structural differences could alter the behavior of diaza-s

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Host galaxies of Superluminous Supernovae (Angus+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angus, C. R.; Levan, A. J.; Perley, D. A.; Tanvir, N. R.; Lyman, J. D.; Stanway, E. R.; Fruchter, A. S.

2016-11-01

Here we use nIR and rest-frame UV observations of a sample of 21 SLSN host galaxies, within a redshift range of 0.019 SCP 06F6). This HST sample (programme GO-13025; PI: Levan) comprised 21 targets, based on the sample of Neill et al. (2011ApJ...727...15N), supplemented with luminous SNe from the literature (up to 2012 Jan). (6 data files).

USEPA/USGS Sample Collection Protocol for Bacterial ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report/SOP This Sample Collection Procedure (SCP) describes the activities and considerations for the collection of bacterial pathogens from representative surface soil samples (0-5 cm). This sampling depth can be reached without the use of a drill rig, direct-push technology, or other mechanized equipment. Analizing soil samples for biothreat agents may, for instance, define the extent of contamination or determine whether the concentrations of contaminants present a risk to public health, welfare, or the environment.

Global Positioning System III (GPS III)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Vacuum (TVAC) testing on October 12, 2015, and successfully completed baseline TVAC testing on December 23, 2015 – a major system- level event...0.0 0.0 Total 4142.9 5285.2 N/A 5180.4 4269.8 5650.1 5557.4 Current APB Cost Estimate Reference SCP dated July 02, 2015 Confidence Level Confidence... Level of cost estimate for current APB: 60% The current APB is established at the 60% confidence level . This estimate is built upon the February 2015

A Study of Wall Jets and Tangentially Blown Wings

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

Blowing coefficient C Chapman’constant CFF Far field constant CL Lift coefficient SCp Pressure coefficient D Reduced exit height E Normalized stagnation...that the wave interactiop zone there is (6(4/ 3 ). 74 C3471A/jos Oil % Rockwell International Science Cenier SC5055.21FR TABLE 4 - PARAMETRIC SUIMMY OF...34Analysis of Embedded Shock Waves Calculated by Relaxation Methods," Proc. Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, Palm Springs, Calif., July 19-20, 1973, pp

Lagrangian Coherent Structures in Tropical Cyclone Intensification

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-21

the system -scale circulation.20 1For reference, the connection between the moist entropy (s) and θe is s=cp ln(θe), where cp is the specific heat of...of sensible heat, moisture, and momentum between the atmosphere and the ocean . The model calcu- lations were initialized using a convectively neutral...acpd-11-1-2011 © Author(s) 2011. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions This discussion paper is/has been under

Biological production of ethanol from waste gases with Clostridium ljungdahlii

DOEpatents

Gaddy, James L.

2000-01-01

A method and apparatus for converting waste gases from industrial processes such as oil refining, carbon black, coke, ammonia, and methanol production, into useful products is disclosed. The method includes introducing the waste gases into a bioreactor where they are fermented to various product, such as organic acids, alcohols H.sub.2, SCP, and salts of organic acids by anaerobic bacteria within the bioreactor. These valuable end products are then recovered, separated and purified.

Serotonergic and peptidergic modulation of the buccal mass protractor muscle (I2) in aplysia.

PubMed

Hurwitz, I; Cropper, E C; Vilim, F S; Alexeeva, V; Susswein, A J; Kupfermann, I; Weiss, K R

2000-12-01

Plasticity of Aplysia feeding has largely been measured by noting changes in radula protraction. On the basis of previous work, it has been suggested that peripheral modulation may contribute to behavioral plasticity. However, peripheral plasticity has not been demonstrated in the neuromuscular systems that participate in radula protraction. Therefore in this study we investigated whether contractions of a major radula protraction muscle (I2) are subject to modulation. We demonstrate, first, that an increase in the firing frequency of the cholinergic I2 motoneurons will increase the amplitude of the resulting muscle contraction but will not modulate its relaxation rate. We show, second, that neuronal processes on the I2 muscle are immunoreactive to myomodulin (MM), RFamide, and serotonin (5-HT), but not to small cardioactive peptide (SCP) or buccalin. The I2 motoneurons B31, B32, B61, and B62 are not immunoreactive to RFamide, 5-HT, SCP, or buccalin. However, all four cells are MM immunoreactive and are capable of synthesizing MMa. Third, we show that the bioactivity of the different modulators is somewhat different; while the MMs (i.e., MMa and MMb) and 5-HT increase I2 muscle relaxation rate, and potentiate muscle contraction amplitude, MMa, at high concentrations, depresses muscle contractions. Fourth, our data suggest that cAMP at least partially mediates effects of modulators on contraction amplitude and relaxation rate.

Spermatogenic Cell-Specific Gene Mutation in Mice via CRISPR-Cas9.

PubMed

Bai, Meizhu; Liang, Dan; Wang, Yinghua; Li, Qing; Wu, Yuxuan; Li, Jinsong

2016-05-20

Tissue-specific knockout technology enables the analysis of the gene function in specific tissues in adult mammals. However, conventional strategy for producing tissue-specific knockout mice is a time- and labor-consuming process, restricting rapid study of the gene function in vivo. CRISPR-Cas9 system from bacteria is a simple and efficient gene-editing technique, which has enabled rapid generation of gene knockout lines in mouse by direct injection of CRISPR-Cas9 into zygotes. Here, we demonstrate CRISPR-Cas9-mediated spermatogenic cell-specific disruption of Scp3 gene in testes in one step. We first generated transgenic mice by pronuclear injection of a plasmid containing Hspa2 promoter driving Cas9 expression and showed Cas9 specific expression in spermatogenic cells. We then produced transgenic mice carrying Hspa2 promoter driven Cas9 and constitutive expressed sgRNA targeting Scp3 gene. Male founders were infertile due to developmental arrest of spermatogenic cells while female founders could produce progeny normally. Consistently, male progeny from female founders were infertile and females could transmit the transgenes to the next generation. Our study establishes a CRISPR-Cas9-based one-step strategy to analyze the gene function in adult tissues by a temporal-spatial pattern. Copyright © 2016 Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Genetics Society of China. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of intrathecal baclofen treatment on activities of daily life in children and young adults with cerebral palsy and progressive neurological disorders.

PubMed

Bonouvrié, Laura; Becher, Jules; Soudant, Dan; Buizer, Annemieke; van Ouwerkerk, Willem; Vles, Georges; Vermeulen, R Jeroen

2016-07-01

Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) treatment is applied in patients with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP), dystonic cerebral palsy (DCP) and progressive neurological disease (PND). Our aim was to investigate whether ITB treatment has a different effect on activities of daily life (ADL) in these groups. A retrospective and cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire to assess the qualitative effect of ITB (Likert scale) on different domains of functioning (mobility, personal care, communication, comfort) and satisfaction with the results. Groups were compared using non-parametric statistics. Questionnaires were completed for 68 patients (39 SCP, 13 DCP, 16 PND). Satisfaction scores were relatively high in all groups (7-8) and the positive effect on personal care and communication was similar in all groups. The PND group had the shortest follow-up and scored significantly less favourably for the effect on mobility and comfort. This is the first study to show that ITB treatment has similar effects on personal care and communication in stable and progressive neurological disease. The decrease in mobility in the PND group is likely due to the progressive nature of the disease. The different effect on comfort between groups is mainly due to the smaller effect on startles in the PND group. Copyright © 2016 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-consistent phonons revisited. I. The role of thermal versus quantum fluctuations on structural transitions in large Lennard-Jones clusters.

PubMed

Georgescu, Ionuţ; Mandelshtam, Vladimir A

2012-10-14

The theory of self-consistent phonons (SCP) was originally developed to address the anharmonic effects in condensed matter systems. The method seeks a harmonic, temperature-dependent Hamiltonian that provides the "best fit" for the physical Hamiltonian, the "best fit" being defined as the one that optimizes the Helmholtz free energy at a fixed temperature. The present developments provide a scalable O(N) unified framework that accounts for anharmonic effects in a many-body system, when it is probed by either thermal (ℏ → 0) or quantum fluctuations (T → 0). In these important limits, the solution of the nonlinear SCP equations can be reached in a manner that requires only the multiplication of 3N × 3N matrices, with no need of diagonalization. For short range potentials, such as Lennard-Jones, the Hessian, and other related matrices are highly sparse, so that the scaling of the matrix multiplications can be reduced from O(N(3)) to ~O(N). We investigate the role of quantum effects by continuously varying the de-Boer quantum delocalization parameter Λ and report the N-Λ (T = 0), and also the classical N-T (Λ = 0) phase diagrams for sizes up to N ~ 10(4). Our results demonstrate that the harmonic approximation becomes inadequate already for such weakly quantum systems as neon clusters, or for classical systems much below the melting temperatures.

From neural signatures of emotional modulation to social cognition: individual differences in healthy volunteers and psychiatric participants.

PubMed

Ibáñez, Agustín; Aguado, Jaume; Baez, Sandra; Huepe, David; Lopez, Vladimir; Ortega, Rodrigo; Sigman, Mariano; Mikulan, Ezequiel; Lischinsky, Alicia; Torrente, Fernando; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Torralva, Teresa; Bekinschtein, Tristan; Manes, Facundo

2014-07-01

It is commonly assumed that early emotional signals provide relevant information for social cognition tasks. The goal of this study was to test the association between (a) cortical markers of face emotional processing and (b) social-cognitive measures, and also to build a model which can predict this association (a and b) in healthy volunteers as well as in different groups of psychiatric patients. Thus, we investigated the early cortical processing of emotional stimuli (N170, using a face and word valence task) and their relationship with the social-cognitive profiles (SCPs, indexed by measures of theory of mind, fluid intelligence, speed processing and executive functions). Group comparisons and individual differences were assessed among schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and their relatives, individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), individuals with euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy participants (educational level, handedness, age and gender matched). Our results provide evidence of emotional N170 impairments in the affected groups (SCZ and relatives, ADHD and BD) as well as subtle group differences. Importantly, cortical processing of emotional stimuli predicted the SCP, as evidenced by a structural equation model analysis. This is the first study to report an association model of brain markers of emotional processing and SCP. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Simultaneous determination of 17 sulfonamides and the potentiators ormetoprim and trimethoprim in salmon muscle by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection.

PubMed

Potter, Ross A; Burns, B Garth; van de Riet, Jeffrey M; North, David H; Darvesh, Rozina

2007-01-01

A simple, robust method using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of 17 sulfonamides [sulfanilamide (SNL), sulfacetamide (SAA), sulfaguanidine (SGD), sulfapyridine (SPY), sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), sulfamethoxazole (SOZ), sulfamoxole (SXL), sulfisoxazole (SXZ), sulfamethizole (SML), sulfamethazine (SMZ), sulfamethoxypyridazine (SMP), sulfamonomethoxine (SMM), sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), sulfaquinoxaline (SQX), and sulfadimethoxine (SDM)] and 2 potentiators [ormetoprim (OMP) and trimethoprim (TMP)] in fish tissue has been developed. The analytes were extracted from homogenized fish tissue with water-acetonitrile (50 + 50). The extract was clarified by centrifugation and a portion defatted with hexane. The analytes were partitioned into chloroform and evaporated to dryness. The redissolved residue was applied to a C18 reversed-phase column with a water-acetonitrile (0.1% acetic acid) gradient. All of the compounds were completely separated and detected in <10 min at 30 degrees C using LC/MS/MS. Standard curves were linear over the range of 0.02 to 5 ng injected. The limit of detection varied from 0.1 ng/g for SMZ and OMP to 0.9 ng/g for SXL and SOZ. Recoveries varied from 100% for SDM, SOZ, and SQX and 85% for SMR, OMP, and TMP to approximately 30% for SAA. Relative standard deviations for repeat analysis varied from 4% for SMZ and SCP to 23% for SAA.

Diffusion Tensor Tractography of the Cerebellar Peduncles in Prematurely Born 7-Year-Old Children.

PubMed

Shany, Eilon; Inder, Terrie E; Goshen, Sharon; Lee, Iris; Neil, Jeffrey J; Smyser, Christopher D; Doyle, Lex W; Anderson, Peter J; Shimony, Joshua S

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to correlate neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm-born children and their perinatal clinical and imaging characteristics with diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of the three cerebellar peduncles at age 7. Included in this prospective longitudinal study were 140 preterm-born children (<30 weeks gestation) who underwent neurodevelopmental assessment (IQ, motor, language, working memory) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at age 7 years. White matter tracts in the superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles were delineated using regions of interest drawn on T2-weighted images and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps. Diffusion measures (mean diffusivity (MD) and FA) and tract volumes were calculated. Linear regression was used to assess relationships with outcome. The severity of white matter injury in the neonatal period was associated with lower FA in the right superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) and lower tract volumes of both SCPs and middle cerebellar peduncles (MCPs). In the MCP, higher IQ was associated with lower MD in the whole group and higher FA in right-handed children. In the SCP, lower motor scores were associated with higher MD and higher language scores were associated with higher FA. These associations remained significant in multivariable models. This study adds to the body of literature detailing the importance of cerebellar involvement in cognitive function related to reciprocal connections with supratentorial structures.

Platyhelminth Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) proteins: revealing structural diversity, class-specific features and biological associations across the phylum

PubMed Central

CHALMERS, IAIN W.; HOFFMANN, KARL F.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY During platyhelminth infection, a cocktail of proteins is released by the parasite to aid invasion, initiate feeding, facilitate adaptation and mediate modulation of the host immune response. Included amongst these proteins is the Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) family, part of the larger sperm coating protein/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7 (SCP/TAPS) superfamily. To explore the significance of this protein family during Platyhelminthes development and host interactions, we systematically summarize all published proteomic, genomic and immunological investigations of the VAL protein family to date. By conducting new genomic and transcriptomic interrogations to identify over 200 VAL proteins (228) from species in all 4 traditional taxonomic classes (Trematoda, Cestoda, Monogenea and Turbellaria), we further expand our knowledge related to platyhelminth VAL diversity across the phylum. Subsequent phylogenetic and tertiary structural analyses reveal several class-specific VAL features, which likely indicate a range of roles mediated by this protein family. Our comprehensive analysis of platyhelminth VALs represents a unifying synopsis for understanding diversity within this protein family and a firm context in which to initiate future functional characterization of these enigmatic members. PMID:22717097

Direct mass spectrometric peptide profiling and sequencing of nervous tissues to identify peptides involved in male copulatory behavior in Lymnaea stagnalis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreisewerd, Klaus; Kingston, Robert; Geraerts, Wijnand P. M.; Li, Ka Wan

1997-12-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) was performed directly on a small piece of single penis nerve of the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, and reveals the presence of complex peptide profiles, including many hitherto undescribed peptides. Two of the peptides have molecular weights corresponding exactly to the previously described Lymnaea small cardioactive peptides (SCP) A and B. We confirmed their identities by structural characterization of the two peptides directly from a single penis nerve by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization high-energy collision tandem MS analysis. MALDI-MS of nervous tissues also demonstrates that a cluster of central neurons, which send their axons to the penis nerve, contain the two peptides. As the penis nerve is the nerve that innervates the penis complex, we propose that the peptides are involved in the modulation of male copulatory processes. A bioassay indeed showed that the peptides increase the contraction frequency of the vas deference in a dose-dependent manner. The results demonstrate the potential of direct MALDI-MS analysis of nervous tissue to complement or substitute conventional biochemical techniques for the identification and localization of neuropeptides.

Experience in the use of hyperspectral data for the detection of vegetation containing narcotic substances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedelnikov, V. P.; Lukashevich, E. L.; Karpukhina, O. A.

2014-12-01

This paper provides the characteristics of an experimental sample of a hyperspectral videospectrometer Sokol-SCP and presents examples of the hyperspectral data received as a result of flight tests. The results of the detection of vegetation containing narcotic substances by spectral attributes using the obtained hyperspectral information are considered. The opportunity for using the hyperspectral data for detection of cannabis and papaver sites, including those in mixed crops with masking vegetation, is confirmed.

A Historical Review of the Need for Military Toxicology and the U.S. Army’s Response

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

thorn apple. Datura stramonium, which contains belladona alkaloids. Be- cause of this incident, the thorn apple became known as the Jamestown weed...diesel motors were run under the sea . The internal environment of the submarine before the nuclear age was unpleasant Submariners described foul...Mucli Hang for the Buck ? Diicovei, pp. 50-63 (Scp- tenihei 19861. 30. Dtdton. B.A: Ci.hu: Monoxide 111 U.S. Army ’laencal Vehicles. Med. Bull. U.S

Internal Administrative Control: Its Applicability to the Marine Corps.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

activities and units, or ly regulatory and sulervisozy agencies. Ziautz contends that "internal auditing is a very effective source oil mcnitcring in many...to ccapare the perfcrmance cf a functional area with the standards set forth in the SOE, it should be determined if the SCP is 100 currezt and complies...SC 2990’ COMCABWEST El Toro CA 92709 CG Fourth MAW New Orleans LA 70146 CG MCB Camp Lejeune NC 28542 CG MCAGCC Twentynine Palms CA 92278 125

Providing written information increases patient satisfaction: a web-based questionnaire survey of Japanese cancer survivors.

PubMed

Sakai, Hitomi; Katsumata, Noriyuki; Takahashi, Miyako

2017-07-01

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the United States recommends that all cancer survivors be provided with a survivorship care plan (SCP), which includes a patient treatment summary and a follow-up care plan. However, SCPs have not been widely adopted in Japan. To provide basic data necessary for implementing SCPs in Japan, we aimed to investigate the forms of clinical and survivorship-related information that Japanese cancer survivors receive from their healthcare providers, and to examine whether written information increases their satisfaction. We performed a cross-sectional online survey of cancer survivors who underwent acute cancer treatment and had at least one follow-up with a physician in the past year. Cancer survivors provided the elements and forms (verbally and/or written) of information they received, as well as the degree of satisfaction with the information provided. Responses were obtained from 545 cancer survivors. Information elements such as surgical procedure (98.3%), surgical outcome (98.1%), and names of administered chemotherapy agents (97.8%) were commonly provided, whereas mental care resources and providers (29.7%), effects on marital relationship and sexual health (35.7%), and effects on fertility (43.4%) were less common. A large proportion of cancer survivors received verbal information only. For 18 of 20 elements, except for effects on fertility and duration of hormonal therapy, satisfaction was significantly higher when both forms of information were provided (P < 0.05). Providing written and verbal explanations of clinical and survivorship-related information can better meet the needs of Japanese cancer survivors. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) appears to have reduced the self-care role of the-pulmonary tuberculosis patient: evidence from a correlational study between personal health beliefs (PHB) and self-care practices (SCP).

PubMed

Gundani, Hv; Watyoka, H; Nyathi, C; Charumbira, A P

2010-01-01

To examine the relationship between personal health beliefs and self-care practices among 69 PTB patients aged 25 to 65 years at a tuberculosis clinic in Zimbabwe, in order to determine the role patients can play in self-care. Analysis of collected demographic data, personal health beliefs (PH B) and self-care practices (SCP) of PTB patients. Gwanda Provincial Hospital (GPH) Tuberculosis Clinic. PTB patients in the (GPH) register who were taking treatment. Key components of the study included administration of an interview schedule to 69 PTB patients on treatment, and the analysis and comparison of personal health beliefs and self-care practices. Scores of personal health beliefs, self-care practices, perceived self-efficacy, perceived threats, and cost-benefit analysis. Sixty- nine PTB patients with a median age of 38, screened during the month of March, 2009, showed a weak positive Pearson's correlational coefficient of (R2=0.177), indicating that personal health beliefs may have some influence on self-care practices. The regression analysis showed an association of 3.1%, thus health beliefs are responsible for self-care undertaken by 3.1 in a 100 PTB patients. Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) seems to have reduced the self-care practice of PTS patients. It seems the PTB patient has a potential role to play in the management of his own treatment.

Assessing the sorption and leaching behaviour of three sulfonamides in pasture soils through batch and column studies.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Prakash; Sarmah, Ajit K

2014-09-15

We investigated the sorption potential and transport behaviour of three sulfonamides, namely, sulfamethoxazole (SMO), sulfachloropyridazine (SCP) and sulfamethazine (SM), and a conservative bromide tracer (Br(-)) in two undisturbed soil columns collected from the dairy farming regions in the North Island of New Zealand. Based on the low log Koc values obtained from the sorption study, all three sulfonamides are likely to have high mobility, making them a potential threat to surface and ground water. Soil column studies also showed that the mobility of the sulfonamides varied among soils and antibiotic type. Sulfonamides exhibited a mobility pattern similar to that of conservative Br(-) tracer. Considerable retardation was observed for the Hamilton soil, and the delayed peak arrival time (or maxima) was due to the role of sorption-related retention processes under saturated flow conditions. Residual antibiotic concentrations for SMO and SCP were detected in all soil sections including at 18 cm depth, while no resident concentration of SM was detected at any depth in the entire length of the core for both soils. The deterministic, physical equilibrium model (CXTFIT) described the peak arrival time as well as the maximum concentration of the antibiotic breakthrough curves reasonably, but showed some underestimation at the advanced stages of the leaching process. There was a significant difference in the model estimated retardation factors obtained from column study and the experimental retardation factors obtained from the conventional batch sorption experiments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Production flush of Agaricus blazei on Brazilian casing layers

PubMed Central

Colauto, Nelson Barros; da Silveira, Adriano Reis; da Eira, Augusto Ferreira; Linde, Giani Andrea

2011-01-01

This study aimed to verify the biological efficiency and production flushes of Agaricus blazei strains on different casing layers during 90 cultivation days. Four casing layers were used: mixture of subsoil and charcoal (VCS), lime schist (LSC), São Paulo peat (SPP) and Santa Catarina peat (SCP); and two genetically distant A. blazei strains. The fungus was grown in composted substratum and, after total colonization, a pasteurized casing layer was added over the substratum, and fructification was induced. Mushrooms were picked up daily when the basidiocarp veil was stretched, but before the lamella were exposed. The biological efficiency (BE) was determined by the fresh basidiocarp mass divided by the substratum dry mass, expressed in percentage. The production flushes were also determined over time production. The BE and production flushes during 90 days were affected by the strains as well as by the casing layers. The ABL26 and LSC produced the best BE of 60.4%. Although VCS is the most used casing layer in Brazil, it is inferior to other casing layers, for all strains, throughout cultivation time. The strain, not the casing layer, is responsible for eventual variations of the average mushroom mass. In average, circa 50% of the mushroom production occurs around the first month, 30% in the second month, and 20% in third month. The casing layer water management depends on the casing layer type and the strain. Production flush responds better to water reposition, mainly with ABL26, and better porosity to LSC and SCP casing layers. PMID:24031673

Distress Intolerance during Smoking Cessation Treatment

PubMed Central

Farris, Samantha G.; Leyro, Teresa M.; Allan, Nicholas P.; Øverup, Camilla S.; Schmidt, Norman B.; Zvolensky, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Distress intolerance is a key vulnerability factor implicated in the maintenance and relapse of cigarette smoking. Yet, past work has not examined changes in these processes during smoking cessation treatment or their relation to smoking cessation outcomes. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of two smoking cessation interventions on changes in self-report and behavioral distress intolerance indices during treatment, and whether these changes are associated with smoking cessation outcomes. Treatment-seeking smokers (N = 384) were randomly assigned to one of two 4-session smoking cessation treatment programs: Standard Cessation Program (SCP) or Smoking Treatment and Anxiety Management Program (STAMP). Quit dates were scheduled to coincide with the final treatment session. Physical domains of distress intolerance were assessed at baseline and at each weekly session, via the Discomfort Intolerance Scale (DIS; higher scores indicate more intolerance for discomfort) and Breath Holding Duration Task (shorter durations indicate more intolerance for respiratory distress). The STAMP condition produced a greater rate of reduction in DIS scores than did the SCP condition. Changes in DIS scores during treatment mediated the effect of STAMP treatment on 7-day point prevalence abstinence at Month 3 post-quit attempt. There were no treatment conditions differences in changes in Breath-Holding duration. Data suggest self-reported distress intolerance is malleable in the context of stress sensitivity reduction treatment, but not standard smoking cessation treatment, and such reductions may result in promotion of smoking abstinence. PMID:27565398

Cholinergic and perfusion brain networks in Parkinson disease dementia.

PubMed

Colloby, Sean J; McKeith, Ian G; Burn, David J; Wyper, David J; O'Brien, John T; Taylor, John-Paul

2016-07-12

To investigate muscarinic M1/M4 cholinergic networks in Parkinson disease dementia (PDD) and their association with changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) after 12 weeks of treatment with donepezil. Forty-nine participants (25 PDD and 24 elderly controls) underwent (123)I-QNB and (99m)Tc-exametazime SPECT scanning. We implemented voxel principal components (PC) analysis, producing a series of PC images of patterns of interrelated voxels across individuals. Linear regression analyses derived specific M1/M4 and perfusion spatial covariance patterns (SCPs). We found an M1/M4 SCP of relative decreased binding in basal forebrain, temporal, striatum, insula, and anterior cingulate (F1,47 = 31.9, p < 0.001) in cholinesterase inhibitor-naive patients with PDD, implicating limbic-paralimbic and salience cholinergic networks. The corresponding regional cerebral blood flow SCP showed relative decreased uptake in temporoparietal and prefrontal areas (F1,47 = 177.5, p < 0.001) and nodes of the frontoparietal and default mode networks (DMN). The M1/M4 pattern that correlated with an improvement in MMSE (r = 0.58, p = 0.005) revealed relatively preserved/increased pre/medial/orbitofrontal, parietal, and posterior cingulate areas coinciding with the DMN and frontoparietal networks. Dysfunctional limbic-paralimbic and salience cholinergic networks were associated with PDD. Established cholinergic maintenance of the DMN and frontoparietal networks may be prerequisite for cognitive remediation following cholinergic treatment in this condition. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Cholinergic and perfusion brain networks in Parkinson disease dementia

PubMed Central

McKeith, Ian G.; Burn, David J.; Wyper, David J.; O'Brien, John T.; Taylor, John-Paul

2016-01-01

Objective: To investigate muscarinic M1/M4 cholinergic networks in Parkinson disease dementia (PDD) and their association with changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) after 12 weeks of treatment with donepezil. Methods: Forty-nine participants (25 PDD and 24 elderly controls) underwent 123I-QNB and 99mTc-exametazime SPECT scanning. We implemented voxel principal components (PC) analysis, producing a series of PC images of patterns of interrelated voxels across individuals. Linear regression analyses derived specific M1/M4 and perfusion spatial covariance patterns (SCPs). Results: We found an M1/M4 SCP of relative decreased binding in basal forebrain, temporal, striatum, insula, and anterior cingulate (F1,47 = 31.9, p < 0.001) in cholinesterase inhibitor–naive patients with PDD, implicating limbic-paralimbic and salience cholinergic networks. The corresponding regional cerebral blood flow SCP showed relative decreased uptake in temporoparietal and prefrontal areas (F1,47 = 177.5, p < 0.001) and nodes of the frontoparietal and default mode networks (DMN). The M1/M4 pattern that correlated with an improvement in MMSE (r = 0.58, p = 0.005) revealed relatively preserved/increased pre/medial/orbitofrontal, parietal, and posterior cingulate areas coinciding with the DMN and frontoparietal networks. Conclusion: Dysfunctional limbic-paralimbic and salience cholinergic networks were associated with PDD. Established cholinergic maintenance of the DMN and frontoparietal networks may be prerequisite for cognitive remediation following cholinergic treatment in this condition. PMID:27306636

Water quality of least-impaired lakes in eastern and southern Arkansas.

PubMed

Justus, Billy

2010-09-01

A three-phased study identified one least-impaired (reference) lake for each of four Arkansas lake classifications: three classifications in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) ecoregion and a fourth classification in the South Central Plains (SCP) ecoregion. Water quality at three of the least-impaired lakes generally was comparable and also was comparable to water quality from Kansas and Missouri reference lakes and Texas least-impaired lakes. Water quality of one least-impaired lake in the MAP ecoregion was not as good as water quality in other least-impaired lakes in Arkansas or in the three other states: a probable consequence of all lakes in that classification having a designated use as a source of irrigation water. Chemical and physical conditions for all four lake classifications were at times naturally harsh as limnological characteristics changed temporally. As a consequence of allochthonous organic material, oxbow lakes isolated within watersheds comprised of swamps were susceptible to low dissolved oxygen concentrations to the extent that conditions would be limiting to some aquatic biota. Also, pH in lakes in the SCP ecoregion was <6.0, a level exceeding current Arkansas water-quality standards but typical of black water systems. Water quality of the deepest lakes exceeded that of shallow lakes. N/P ratios and trophic state indices may be less effective for assessing water quality for shallow lakes (<2 m) than for deep lakes because there is an increased exposure of sediment (and associated phosphorus) to disturbance and light in the former.

Clinical, cognitive, and behavioural correlates of white matter damage in progressive supranuclear palsy.

PubMed

Agosta, Federica; Galantucci, Sebastiano; Svetel, Marina; Lukić, Milica Ječmenica; Copetti, Massimiliano; Davidovic, Kristina; Tomić, Aleksandra; Spinelli, Edoardo G; Kostić, Vladimir S; Filippi, Massimo

2014-05-01

White matter (WM) tract alterations were assessed in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) relative to healthy controls and patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) to explore the relationship of WM tract damage with clinical disease severity, performance on cognitive tests, and apathy. 37 PSP patients, 41 PD patients, and 34 healthy controls underwent an MRI scan and clinical testing to evaluate physical disability, cognitive impairment, and apathy. In PSP, the contribution of WM tract damage to global disease severity and cognitive and behavioural disturbances was assessed using Random Forest analysis. Relative to controls, PSP patients showed diffusion tensor (DT) MRI abnormalities of the corpus callosum, superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP), cingulum and uncinate fasciculus bilaterally, and right inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Corpus callosum and SCP DT MRI measures distinguished PSP from PD patients with high accuracy (area under the curve ranging from 0.89 to 0.72). In PSP, DT MRI metrics of the corpus callosum and superior cerebellar peduncles were the best predictors of global disease severity scale scores. DT MRI metrics of the corpus callosum, right superior longitudinal and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and left uncinate were the best predictors of executive dysfunction. In PSP, apathy severity was related to the damage to the corpus callosum, right superior longitudinal, and uncinate fasciculi. In conclusion, WM tract damage contributes to the motor, cognitive, and behavioural deficits in PSP. DT MRI offers markers for PSP diagnosis, assessment, and monitoring.

Relationship between metal speciation in soil solution and metal adsorption at the root surface of ryegrass.

PubMed

Kalis, Erwin J J; Temminghoff, Erwin J M; Town, Raewyn M; Unsworth, Emily R; van Riemsdijk, Willem H

2008-01-01

The total metal content of the soil or total metal concentration in the soil solution is not always a good indicator for metal availability to plants. Therefore, several speciation techniques have been developed that measure a defined fraction of the total metal concentration in the soil solution. In this study the Donnan Membrane Technique (DMT) was used to measure free metal ion concentrations in CaCl(2) extractions (to mimic the soil solution, and to work under standardized conditions) of 10 different soils, whereas diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) and scanning chronopotentiometry (SCP) were used to measure the sum of free and labile metal concentrations in the CaCl(2) extracts. The DGT device was also exposed directly to the (wetted) soil (soil-DGT). The metal concentrations measured with the speciation techniques are related to the metal adsorption at the root surface of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), to be able to subsequently predict metal uptake. In most cases the metal adsorption related pH-dependently to the metal concentrations measured by DMT, SCP, and DGT in the CaCl(2) extract. However, the relationship between metal adsorption at the root surface and the metal concentrations measured by the soil-DGT was not-or only slightly-pH dependent. The correlations between metal adsorption at the root surface and metal speciation detected by different speciation techniques allow discussion about rate limiting steps in biouptake and the contribution of metal complexes to metal bioavailability.

Altitude-dependent influence of snow cover on alpine land surface phenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Jing; Kneubühler, Mathias; Garonna, Irene; Notarnicola, Claudia; De Gregorio, Ludovica; De Jong, Rogier; Chimani, Barbara; Schaepman, Michael E.

2017-05-01

Snow cover impacts alpine land surface phenology in various ways, but our knowledge about the effect of snow cover on alpine land surface phenology is still limited. We studied this relationship in the European Alps using satellite-derived metrics of snow cover phenology (SCP), namely, first snow fall, last snow day, and snow cover duration (SCD), in combination with land surface phenology (LSP), namely, start of season (SOS), end of season, and length of season (LOS) for the period of 2003-2014. We tested the dependency of interannual differences (Δ) of SCP and LSP metrics with altitude (up to 3000 m above sea level) for seven natural vegetation types, four main climatic subregions, and four terrain expositions. We found that 25.3% of all pixels showed significant (p < 0.05) correlation between ΔSCD and ΔSOS and 15.3% between ΔSCD and ΔLOS across the entire study area. Correlations between ΔSCD and ΔSOS as well as ΔSCD and ΔLOS are more pronounced in the northern subregions of the Alps, at high altitudes, and on north and west facing terrain—or more generally, in regions with longer SCD. We conclude that snow cover has a greater effect on alpine phenology at higher than at lower altitudes, which may be attributed to the coupled influence of snow cover with underground conditions and air temperature. Alpine ecosystems may therefore be particularly sensitive to future change of snow cover at high altitudes under climate warming scenarios.

Durability of resin cement bond to aluminium oxide and zirconia ceramics after air abrasion and laser treatment.

PubMed

Foxton, Richard M; Cavalcanti, Andrea N; Nakajima, Masatoshi; Pilecki, Peter; Sherriff, Martyn; Melo, Luciana; Watson, Timothy F

2011-02-01

The erbium laser has been introduced for cutting enamel and dentin and may have an application in the surface modification of high-strength aluminum oxide and zirconia ceramics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the durability of the bond of conventional dual-cured resin cements to Procera Al(2)O(3) and zirconium oxide ceramics after surface treatment with air abrasion and erbium laser. One hundred twenty Al(2)O(3) and 120 zirconia specimens measuring 3 × 3 × 0.7 mm(3) were divided equally into three groups, and their surfaces treated as follows: either untreated (controls), air abraded with Al(2)O(3) particles, or erbium-laser-treated at a power setting of 200 mJ. The surface of each specimen was then primed and bonded with one of two dual-cured resin cements (either SCP-100 Ceramic Primer and NAC-100 or Monobond S and Variolink II) using a 1-mm thick Tygon tube mold with a 0.75-mm internal bore diameter. After 24 hours and 6 months of water storage at 37°C, a microshear bond strength test was performed at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. Surface morphology was examined using a confocal microscope, and failure modes were observed using an optical microscope. The data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier nonparametric survival analysis. In the case of zirconia, air abrasion and Erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser treatment of the ceramic surface resulted in a significant reduction in the bond strengths of both resin cements after 6 months water storage; however, when the zirconia surface was left untreated, the SCP-100/NAC-100 group did not significantly reduce in bond strength. In the case of alumina, no treatment, air abrasion and Er:YAG laser treatment of the surface led to no significant reduction in the bond strengths of the three SCP-100/NAC-100 groups after 6 months water storage, whereas all three Monobond S/Variolink II groups showed a significant reduction. Er:YAG laser treatment of the zirconia surface did not result in a durable resin cement/ceramic bond; however, a durable bond between a conventional dual-cured resin cement and Procera All Ceram and Procera All Zirkon was formed using a ceramic primer containing the phosphate monomer, MDP, without any additional surface treatment. © 2011 by The American College of Prosthodontists.

Predicting the solubility and lability of Zn, Cd, and Pb in soils from a minespoil-contaminated catchment by stable isotopic exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzouk, E. R.; Chenery, S. R.; Young, S. D.

2013-12-01

The Rookhope catchment of Weardale, England, has a diverse legacy of contaminated soils due to extensive lead mining activity over four centuries. We measured the isotopically exchangeable content of Pb, Cd and Zn (E-values) in a large representative subset of the catchment soils (n = 246) using stable isotope dilution. All three metals displayed a wide range of %E-values (c. 1-100%) but relative lability followed the sequence Cd > Pb > Zn. A refinement of the stable isotope dilution approach also enabled detection of non-reactive metal contained within suspended sub-micron (<0.22 μm) colloidal particles (SCP-metal). For most soils, the presence of non-labile SCP-metal caused only minor over-estimation of E-values (<2%) but the effect was greater for soils with particularly large humus or carbonate contents. Approximately 80%, 53% and 66% of the variability in Zn, Cd and Pb %E-values (respectively) could be explained by pH, loss on ignition and total metal content. E-values were affected by the presence of ore minerals at high metal contents leading to an inconsistent trend in the relationship between %E-value and soil metal concentration. Metal solubility, in the soil suspensions used to measure E-values, was predicted using the WHAM geochemical speciation model (versions VI and VII). The use of total and isotopically exchangeable metal as alternative input variables was compared; the latter provided significantly better predictions of solubility, especially in the case of Zn. Lead solubility was less well predicted by either version of WHAM, with over-prediction at low pH and under-prediction at high soil pH values. Quantify the isotopically exchangeable fractions of Zn, Cd and Pb (E-values), and assess their local and regional variability, using multi-element stable isotope dilution, in a diverse range of soil ecosystems within the catchment of an old Pb/Zn mining area. Assess the controlling influences of soil properties on metal lability and develop predictive algorithms for metal lability in the contaminated catchment based on simple soil properties (such as pH, organic matter (LOI), and total metal content). Examine the incidence of non-isotopically-exchangeable metal held within suspended colloidal particles (SCP-metal) in filtered soil solutions (<0.22 μm) by comparing E-values from isotopic abundance in solutions equilibrated with soil and in a resin phase equilibrated with the separated solution. Assess the ability of a geochemical speciation model, WHAM(VII), to predict metal solubility using isotopically exchangeable metal as an input variable.

SCP -- A Simple CCD Processing Package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, J. R.

This note describes a small set of programs, written at RGO, which deal with basic CCD frame processing (e.g. bias subtraction, flat fielding, trimming etc.). The need to process large numbers of CCD frames from devices such as FOS or ISIS in order to extract spectra has prompted the writing of routines which will do the basic hack-work with a minimal amount of interaction from the user. Although they were written with spectral data in mind, there are no ``spectrum-specific'' features in the software which means they can be applied to any CCD data.

B-2 Extremely High Frequency SATCOM and Computer Increment 1 (B-2 EHF Inc 1)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Confidence Level Confidence Level of cost estimate for current APB: 55% This APB reflects cost and funding data based on the B-2 EHF Increment I SCP...This cost estimate was quantified at the Mean (~55%) confidence level . Total Quantity Quantity SAR Baseline Production Estimate Current APB...Production Estimate Econ Qty Sch Eng Est Oth Spt Total 33.624 -0.350 1.381 0.375 0.000 -6.075 0.000 -0.620 -5.289 28.335 Current SAR Baseline to Current

10 CFR 60.16 - Site characterization plan required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Site characterization plan required. 60.16 Section 60.16 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Licenses Preapplication Review § 60.16 Site characterization plan required. Before proceeding to...

The role of Hurst exponent on cold field electron emission from conducting materials: from electric field distribution to Fowler-Nordheim plots

PubMed Central

de Assis, T. A.

2015-01-01

This work considers the effects of the Hurst exponent (H) on the local electric field distribution and the slope of the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plot when considering the cold field electron emission properties of rough Large-Area Conducting Field Emitter Surfaces (LACFESs). A LACFES is represented by a self-affine Weierstrass-Mandelbrot function in a given spatial direction. For 0.1 ≤ H < 0.5, the local electric field distribution exhibits two clear exponential regimes. Moreover, a scaling between the macroscopic current density () and the characteristic kernel current density (), , with an H-dependent exponent , has been found. This feature, which is less pronounced (but not absent) in the range where more smooth surfaces have been found (), is a consequence of the dependency between the area efficiency of emission of a LACFES and the macroscopic electric field, which is often neglected in the interpretation of cold field electron emission experiments. Considering the recent developments in orthodox field emission theory, we show that the exponent must be considered when calculating the slope characterization parameter (SCP) and thus provides a relevant method of more precisely extracting the characteristic field enhancement factor from the slope of the FN plot. PMID:26035290

"Self-critical perfectionism, daily stress, and disclosure of daily emotional events": Correction to Richardson and Rice (2015).

PubMed

2016-01-01

Reports an error in "Self-critical perfectionism, daily stress, and disclosure of daily emotional events" by Clarissa M. E. Richardson and Kenneth G. Rice (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2015[Oct], Vol 62[4], 694-702). In the article, the labels of the two lines in Figure 1 were inadvertently transposed. The dotted line should be labeled High SCP and the solid line should be labeled Low SCP. The correct version is present in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2015-30890-001.) Although disclosure of stressful events can alleviate distress, self-critical perfectionism may pose an especially strong impediment to disclosure during stress, likely contributing to poorer psychological well-being. In the current study, after completing a measure of self-critical perfectionism (the Discrepancy subscale of the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised; Slaney, Rice, Mobley, Trippi, & Ashby, 2001), 396 undergraduates completed measures of stress and disclosure at the end of each day for 1 week. Consistent with hypotheses and previous research, multilevel modeling results indicated significant intraindividual coupling of daily stress and daily disclosure where disclosure was more likely when experiencing high stress than low stress. As hypothesized, Discrepancy moderated the relationship between daily stress and daily disclosure. Individuals higher in self-critical perfectionism (Discrepancy) were less likely to engage in disclosure under high stress, when disclosure is often most beneficial, than those with lower Discrepancy scores. These results have implications for understanding the role of stress and coping in the daily lives of self-critical perfectionists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of Two Ultraluminous Supernovae at z ≈ 0.9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chomiuk, L.; Chornock, R.; Soderberg, A. M.; Berger, E.; Chevalier, R. A.; Foley, R. J.; Huber, M. E.; Narayan, G.; Rest, A.; Gezari, S.; Kirshner, R. P.; Riess, A.; Rodney, S. A.; Smartt, S. J.; Stubbs, C. W.; Tonry, J. L.; Wood-Vasey, W. M.; Burgett, W. S.; Chambers, K. C.; Czekala, I.; Flewelling, H.; Forster, K.; Kaiser, N.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Magnier, E. A.; Martin, D. C.; Morgan, J. S.; Neill, J. D.; Price, P. A.; Roth, K. C.; Sanders, N. E.; Wainscoat, R. J.

2011-12-01

We present the discovery of two ultraluminous supernovae (SNe) at z ≈ 0.9 with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey. These SNe, PS1-10ky and PS1-10awh, are among the most luminous SNe ever discovered, comparable to the unusual transients SN 2005ap and SCP 06F6. Like SN 2005ap and SCP 06F6, they show characteristic high luminosities (M bol ≈ -22.5 mag), blue spectra with a few broad absorption lines, and no evidence for H or He. We have constructed a full multi-color light curve sensitive to the peak of the spectral energy distribution in the rest-frame ultraviolet, and we have obtained time series spectroscopy for these SNe. Given the similarities between the SNe, we combine their light curves to estimate a total radiated energy over the course of explosion of (0.9-1.4) × 1051 erg. We find photospheric velocities of 12,000-19,000 km s-1 with no evidence for deceleration measured across ~3 rest-frame weeks around light curve peak, consistent with the expansion of an optically thick massive shell of material. We show that, consistent with findings for other ultraluminous SNe in this class, radioactive decay is not sufficient to power PS1-10ky, and we discuss two plausible origins for these events: the initial spin-down of a newborn magnetar in a core-collapse SN, or SN shock breakout from the dense circumstellar wind surrounding a Wolf-Rayet star.

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

Moradi, Hamid; Murugkar, Sangeeta; Ahmad, Abrar

Purpose: To improve classification by reducing batch effect in samples from the ovarian carcinoma cell lines A2780s (parental wild type) and A2780cp (cisplatin cross-radio-resistant), before, right after, and 24 hours after irradiation to 10Gy. Methods: Spectra were acquired with a home built confocal Raman microscope in 3 distinct runs of six samples: unirradiated s&cp (control pair), then 0h and 24h after irradiation. The Raman spectra were noise reduced, then background subtracted with SMIRF algorithm. ∼35 cell spectra were collected from each sample in 1024 channels from 700cm-1 to 1618cm-1. The spectra were analyzed by regularized multiclass LDA. For feature reductionmore » the spectra were grouped into 3 overlapping group pairs: s-cp, 0Gy–10Gy0h and 0Gy10–Gy24h. The three features, the three differences of the mean spectra were mapped to the analysis sub-space by the inverse regularized covariance matrix. The batch effect noticeably confounded the dose and time effect. Results: To remove the batch effect, the 2+2=4D subspace extended by the covariance matrix of the means of the 0Gy control groups was subtracted from the spectra of each sample. Repeating the analysis on the spectra with the control group variability removed, the batch effect was dramatically reduced in the dose and time directions enabling sharp linear discrimination. The cell type classification also improved. Conclusions: We identified a efficient batch effect removal technique crucial to the applicability of Raman microscopy to radiosensitivity studies both on cell cultures and potential clinical diagnostic applications.« less

Annotation: neurofeedback - train your brain to train behaviour.

PubMed

Heinrich, Hartmut; Gevensleben, Holger; Strehl, Ute

2007-01-01

Neurofeedback (NF) is a form of behavioural training aimed at developing skills for self-regulation of brain activity. Within the past decade, several NF studies have been published that tend to overcome the methodological shortcomings of earlier studies. This annotation describes the methodical basis of NF and reviews the evidence base for its clinical efficacy and effectiveness in neuropsychiatric disorders. In NF training, self-regulation of specific aspects of electrical brain activity is acquired by means of immediate feedback and positive reinforcement. In frequency training, activity in different EEG frequency bands has to be decreased or increased. Training of slow cortical potentials (SCPs) addresses the regulation of cortical excitability. NF studies revealed paradigm-specific effects on, e.g., attention and memory processes and performance improvements in real-life conditions, in healthy subjects as well as in patients. In several studies it was shown that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) improved behavioural and cognitive variables after frequency (e.g., theta/beta) training or SCP training. Neurophysiological effects could also be measured. However, specific and unspecific training effects could not be disentangled in these studies. For drug-resistant patients with epilepsy, significant and long-lasting decreases of seizure frequency and intensity through SCP training were documented in a series of studies. For other child psychiatric disorders (e.g., tic disorders, anxiety, and autism) only preliminary investigations are available. There is growing evidence for NF as a valuable treatment module in neuropsychiatric disorders. Further, controlled studies are necessary to establish clinical efficacy and effectiveness and to learn more about the mechanisms underlying successful training.

Water quality of least-impaired lakes in eastern and southern Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Justus, B.

2010-01-01

A three-phased study identified one least-impaired (reference) lake for each of four Arkansas lake classifications: three classifications in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) ecoregion and a fourth classification in the South Central Plains (SCP) ecoregion. Water quality at three of the least-impaired lakes generally was comparable and also was comparable to water quality from Kansas and Missouri reference lakes and Texas least-impaired lakes. Water quality of one least-impaired lake in the MAP ecoregion was not as good as water quality in other least-impaired lakes in Arkansas or in the three other states: a probable consequence of all lakes in that classification having a designated use as a source of irrigation water. Chemical and physical conditions for all four lake classifications were at times naturally harsh as limnological characteristics changed temporally. As a consequence of allochthonous organic material, oxbow lakes isolated within watersheds comprised of swamps were susceptible to low dissolved oxygen concentrations to the extent that conditions would be limiting to some aquatic biota. Also, pH in lakes in the SCP ecoregion was <6.0, a level exceeding current Arkansas water-quality standards but typical of black water systems. Water quality of the deepest lakes exceeded that of shallow lakes. N/P ratios and trophic state indices may be less effective for assessing water quality for shallow lakes (<2 m) than for deep lakes because there is an increased exposure of sediment (and associated phosphorus) to disturbance and light in the former. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Estimation of soil sorption coefficients of veterinary pharmaceuticals from soil properties.

PubMed

ter Laak, Thomas L; Gebbink, Wouter A; Tolls, Johannes

2006-04-01

Environmental exposure assessment of veterinary pharmaceuticals requires estimating the sorption to soil. Soil sorption coefficients of three common, ionizable, antimicrobial agents (oxytetracycline [OTC], tylosin [TYL], and sulfachloropyridazine [SCP]) were studied in relation to the soil properties of 11 different soils. The soil sorption coefficient at natural pH varied from 950 to 7,200, 10 to 370, and 0.4 to 35 L/kg for OTC, TYL, and SCP, respectively. The variation increased by almost two orders of magnitude for OTC and TYL when pH was artificially adjusted. Separate soil properties (pH, organic carbon content, clay content, cation-exchange capacity, aluminum oxyhydroxide content, and iron oxyhydroxide content) were not able to explain more than half the variation observed in soil sorption coefficients. This reflects the complexity of the sorbent-sorbate interactions. Partial-least-squares (PLS) models, integrating all the soil properties listed above, were able to explain as much as 78% of the variation in sorption coefficients. The PLS model was able to predict the sorption coefficient with an accuracy of a factor of six. Considering the pH-dependent speciation, species-specific PLS models were developed. These models were able to predict species-specific sorption coefficients with an accuracy of a factor of three to four. However, the species-specific sorption models did not improve the estimation of sorption coefficients of species mixtures, because these models were developed with a reduced data set at standardized aqueous concentrations. In conclusion, pragmatic approaches like PLS modeling might be suitable to estimate soil sorption for risk assessment purposes.

SMC condensation centers in Bacillus subtilis are dynamic structures.

PubMed

Kleine Borgmann, Luise A K; Hummel, Hanna; Ulbrich, Maximilian H; Graumann, Peter L

2013-05-01

SMC and MukB complexes consist of a central SMC dimer and two essential binding partners, ScpA and ScpB (MukE and MukF), and are crucial for correct chromosome compaction and segregation. The complexes form two bipolar assemblies on the chromosome, one in each cell half. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), we provide evidence that the SMC complex has high exchange rates. This depends to a considerable degree on de novo protein synthesis, revealing that the bacterial SMC complex has high on and off rates for binding to the chromosome. A mutation in SMC that affects ATPase activity and results in exaggerated DNA binding in vitro causes a strong segregation defect in vivo and affects the localization of the entire SMC complex, which localizes to many more sites in the cell than under normal conditions. These data indicate that ATP turnover is important for the function of Bacillus subtilis SMC. In contrast, the centromere protein Spo0J and DNA gyrase showed much less exchange between distinct binding sites on the chromosome than that seen with SMC. Binding of Spo0J to the origin regions was rather static and remained partially conserved until the next cell cycle. Our experiments reveal that the SMC complex has a high, condensin-like turnover rate and that an alteration of the ATPase cycle affects SMC function in vivo, while several nucleoid-associated proteins feature limited or slow exchange between different sites on the nucleoid, which may be the basis for epigenetic-like phenomena observed in bacteria.

Ask Pete, software planning and estimation through project characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtz, T.

2001-01-01

Ask Pete, was developed by NASA to provide a tool for integrating the estimation and planning activities for a software development effort. It incorporates COCOMO II estimating with NASA's software development practices and IV&V criteria to characterize a project. This characterization is then used to generate estimates and tailored planning documents.

Spin-polarized transport properties of a pyridinium-based molecular spintronics device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Xu, B.; Qin, Z.

2018-05-01

By applying a first-principles approach based on non-equilibrium Green's functions combined with density functional theory, the transport properties of a pyridinium-based "radical-π-radical" molecular spintronics device are investigated. The obvious negative differential resistance (NDR) and spin current polarization (SCP) effect, and abnormal magnetoresistance (MR) are obtained. Orbital reconstruction is responsible for novel transport properties such as that the MR increases with bias and then decreases and that the NDR being present for both parallel and antiparallel magnetization configurations, which may have future applications in the field of molecular spintronics.

Mechanisms and kinetics of cellulose fermentation for protein production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunlap, C. A.

1971-01-01

The development of a process (and ancillary processing and analytical techniques) to produce bacterial single-cell protein of good nutritional quality from waste cellulose is discussed. A fermentation pilot plant and laboratory were developed and have been in operation for about two years. Single-cell protein (SCP) can be produced from sugarcane bagasse--a typical agricultural cellulosic waste. The optimization and understanding of this process and its controlling variables are examined. Both batch and continuous fermentation runs have been made under controlled conditions in the 535 liter pilot plant vessel and in the laboratory 14-liter fermenters.

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

Moody, Mark; Sminchak, J.R.

Under this three year project, the condition of legacy oil and gas wells in the Midwest United States was evaluated through analysis of well records, well plugging information, CBL evaluation, sustained casing pressure (SCP) field testing, and analysis of hypothetical CO 2 test areas to provide a realistic description of wellbore integrity factors. The research included a state-wide review of oil and gas well records for Ohio and Michigan, along with more detailed testing of wells in Ohio. Results concluded that oil and gas wells are clustered along fields in areas. Well records vary in quality, and there may bemore » wells that have not been identified in records, but there are options for surveying unknown wells. Many of the deep saline formations being considered for CO 2 storage have few wells that penetrate the storage zone or confining layers. Research suggests that a variety of well construction and plugging approaches have been used over time in the region. The project concluded that wellbore integrity is an important issue for CO 2 storage applications in the Midwest United States. Realistic CO 2 storage projects may cover an area in the subsurface with several hundred legacy oil and gas wells. However, closer inspection may often establish that most of the wells do not penetrate the confining layers or storage zone. Therefore, addressing well integrity may be manageable. Field monitoring of SCP also indicated that tested wells provided zonal isolation of the reservoirs they were designed to isolate. Most of these wells appeared to exhibit gas pressure originating from intermediate zones. Based on these results, more flexibility in terms of cementing wells to surface, allowing well testing, and monitoring wells may aid operators in completing CO 2 storage project. Several useful products were developed under this project for examining wellbore integrity for CO 2 storage applications including, a database of over 4 million items on well integrity parameters in the study areas, a systematic CBL evaluation tool for rating cement in boreholes, SCP field testing procedures and analysis methodology, a process for summarizing well integrity at CO 2 storage fields, a statistical analysis of well integrity indicators, and an assessment of practical methods and costs necessary to repair/remediate typical wells in the region based on assessment of six test study areas. Project results may benefit both CO 2 storage and improved oil recovery applications. This study of wellbore integrity is a useful precursor to support development of geologic storage in the Midwest United States because it sheds more light on the actual well conditions (rather than the perceived condition) of historic oil and gas wells in the region.« less

Molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance of clinical Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Lu, Binghuai; Fang, Yujie; Huang, Lei; Diao, Baowei; Du, Xiaoli; Kan, Biao; Cui, Yanchao; Zhu, Fengxia; Li, Dong; Wang, Duochun

2016-06-01

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) is presently considered as a human pathogen associated with clinical infection. We characterized 56 SDSE isolates collected from two tertiary hospitals in Beijing, China. Sixteen distinct emm types/subtypes were detected, dominated by stG245.0 (32.1%), stG652.0 (10.7%), stG6.1 (10.7%) and stG485.0 (10.7%), and a novel stG840.0 variant type was identified. All isolates possessed virulence genes of sagA and scpA, and most carried slo (98.2%), ska (98.2%) and speG(dys) (35.7%). By multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis, 17 individual sequence types (STs) were distinguished, including 7 newly-identified STs (26.8% of isolates), of which ST127 (30.4%), ST7 (12.5%) and ST44 (10.7%) dominated. Meanwhile, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis revealed 33 pattern types (PTs), which were further combined into 16 pattern clusters (PCs), and 59.3% of isolates were distributed into 2 dominant PCs. Notably, emm types had both close relationship and consistency with STs and PFGE PCs. Furthermore, of 56 SDSE isolates, the predominant antibiotic resistances were erythromycin (71.4%), clindamycin (71.4%) and tetracycline (60.7%). Correspondingly, the prevalent resistance genes of macrolide and tetracycline were erm(B) (78.6%) and tet(M) (73.2%). In addition, multiple point mutations of parC, one of fluoroquinolone resistance genes, were observed (accounting for 75%), and were divided into 12 types, with parC 07 as the predominant type. Our data suggested the wide molecular diversity and distinctive regional features of SDSE from clinical infection in Beijing, China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pan-STARRS1 DISCOVERY OF TWO ULTRALUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE AT z Almost-Equal-To 0.9

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

Chomiuk, L.; Chornock, R.; Soderberg, A. M.

We present the discovery of two ultraluminous supernovae (SNe) at z Almost-Equal-To 0.9 with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey. These SNe, PS1-10ky and PS1-10awh, are among the most luminous SNe ever discovered, comparable to the unusual transients SN 2005ap and SCP 06F6. Like SN 2005ap and SCP 06F6, they show characteristic high luminosities (M{sub bol} Almost-Equal-To -22.5 mag), blue spectra with a few broad absorption lines, and no evidence for H or He. We have constructed a full multi-color light curve sensitive to the peak of the spectral energy distribution in the rest-frame ultraviolet, and we have obtained time seriesmore » spectroscopy for these SNe. Given the similarities between the SNe, we combine their light curves to estimate a total radiated energy over the course of explosion of (0.9-1.4) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 51} erg. We find photospheric velocities of 12,000-19,000 km s{sup -1} with no evidence for deceleration measured across {approx}3 rest-frame weeks around light curve peak, consistent with the expansion of an optically thick massive shell of material. We show that, consistent with findings for other ultraluminous SNe in this class, radioactive decay is not sufficient to power PS1-10ky, and we discuss two plausible origins for these events: the initial spin-down of a newborn magnetar in a core-collapse SN, or SN shock breakout from the dense circumstellar wind surrounding a Wolf-Rayet star.« less

Glial cell ceruloplasmin and hepcidin differentially regulate iron efflux from brain microvascular endothelial cells.

PubMed

McCarthy, Ryan C; Kosman, Daniel J

2014-01-01

We have used an in vitro model system to probe the iron transport pathway across the brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVEC) of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This model consists of human BMVEC (hBMVEC) and C6 glioma cells (as an astrocytic cell line) grown in a transwell, a cell culture system commonly used to quantify metabolite flux across a cell-derived barrier. We found that iron efflux from hBMVEC through the ferrous iron permease ferroportin (Fpn) was stimulated by secretion of the soluble form of the multi-copper ferroxidase, ceruloplasmin (sCp) from the co-cultured C6 cells. Reciprocally, expression of sCp mRNA in the C6 cells was increased by neighboring hBMVEC. In addition, data indicate that C6 cell-secreted hepcidin stimulates internalization of hBMVEC Fpn but only when the end-feet projections characteristic of this glia-derived cell line are proximal to the endothelial cells. This hepcidin-dependent loss of Fpn correlated with knock-down of iron efflux from the hBMVEC; this result was consistent with the mechanism by which hepcidin regulates iron efflux in mammalian cells. In summary, the data support a model of iron trafficking across the BBB in which the capillary endothelium induce the underlying astrocytes to produce the ferroxidase activity needed to support Fpn-mediated iron efflux. Reciprocally, astrocyte proximity modulates the effective concentration of hepcidin at the endothelial cell membrane and thus the surface expression of hBMVEC Fpn. These results are independent of the source of hBMVEC iron (transferrin or non-transferrin bound) indicating that the model developed here is broadly applicable to brain iron homeostasis.

Imaging White Matter in Human Brainstem

PubMed Central

Ford, Anastasia A.; Colon-Perez, Luis; Triplett, William T.; Gullett, Joseph M.; Mareci, Thomas H.; FitzGerald, David B.

2013-01-01

The human brainstem is critical for the control of many life-sustaining functions, such as consciousness, respiration, sleep, and transfer of sensory and motor information between the brain and the spinal cord. Most of our knowledge about structure and organization of white and gray matter within the brainstem is derived from ex vivo dissection and histology studies. However, these methods cannot be applied to study structural architecture in live human participants. Tractography from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may provide valuable insights about white matter organization within the brainstem in vivo. However, this method presents technical challenges in vivo due to susceptibility artifacts, functionally dense anatomy, as well as pulsatile and respiratory motion. To investigate the limits of MR tractography, we present results from high angular resolution diffusion imaging of an intact excised human brainstem performed at 11.1 T using isotropic resolution of 0.333, 1, and 2 mm, with the latter reflecting resolution currently used clinically. At the highest resolution, the dense fiber architecture of the brainstem is evident, but the definition of structures degrades as resolution decreases. In particular, the inferred corticopontine/corticospinal tracts (CPT/CST), superior (SCP) and middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), and medial lemniscus (ML) pathways are clearly discernable and follow known anatomical trajectories at the highest spatial resolution. At lower resolutions, the CST/CPT, SCP, and MCP pathways are artificially enlarged due to inclusion of collinear and crossing fibers not inherent to these three pathways. The inferred ML pathways appear smaller at lower resolutions, indicating insufficient spatial information to successfully resolve smaller fiber pathways. Our results suggest that white matter tractography maps derived from the excised brainstem can be used to guide the study of the brainstem architecture using diffusion MRI in vivo. PMID:23898254

The overwintering biology of the acorn weevil, Curculio glandium in southwestern Ontario.

PubMed

Udaka, Hiroko; Sinclair, Brent J

2014-08-01

The acorn weevil, Curculio glandium, is a widespread predator of acorns in eastern North America that overwinters in the soil as a larva. It is possible that low temperatures limit its northern geographic range, so we determined the cold tolerance strategy, seasonal variation in cold tolerance, and explored the physiological plasticity of overwintering larvae. Weevil larvae were collected from acorns of red and bur oak from Pelee Island, southwestern Ontario in fall 2010 and 2011. C. glandium larvae are freeze avoidant and larvae collected from bur oak acorns had lower supercooling points (SCPs: -7.6±0.36°C, LT50: -7.2°C) than those collected from red oak acorns (SCPs: -6.1±0.40°C, LT50: -6.1°C). In the winter of 2010-2011, SCPs and water content decreased, however these changes did not occur in 2011-2012, when winter soil temperatures fluctuated greatly in the absence of the buffering effect of snow. To examine whether larvae utilize cryoprotective dehydration, larvae from red oak acorns were exposed to -5°C in the presence of ice for seven days. These conditions decreased the SCP without affecting water content, suggesting that SCP and water content are not directly coupled. Finally, long-term acclimation at 0°C for six weeks slightly increased cold tolerance but also did not affect water content. Thus, although larval diet affects cold tolerance, there is limited plasticity after other treatments. The soil temperatures we observed were not close to lethal limits, although we speculate that soil temperatures in northerly habitats, or in years of reduced snow cover, has the potential to cause mortality in the field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Imaging white matter in human brainstem.

PubMed

Ford, Anastasia A; Colon-Perez, Luis; Triplett, William T; Gullett, Joseph M; Mareci, Thomas H; Fitzgerald, David B

2013-01-01

The human brainstem is critical for the control of many life-sustaining functions, such as consciousness, respiration, sleep, and transfer of sensory and motor information between the brain and the spinal cord. Most of our knowledge about structure and organization of white and gray matter within the brainstem is derived from ex vivo dissection and histology studies. However, these methods cannot be applied to study structural architecture in live human participants. Tractography from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may provide valuable insights about white matter organization within the brainstem in vivo. However, this method presents technical challenges in vivo due to susceptibility artifacts, functionally dense anatomy, as well as pulsatile and respiratory motion. To investigate the limits of MR tractography, we present results from high angular resolution diffusion imaging of an intact excised human brainstem performed at 11.1 T using isotropic resolution of 0.333, 1, and 2 mm, with the latter reflecting resolution currently used clinically. At the highest resolution, the dense fiber architecture of the brainstem is evident, but the definition of structures degrades as resolution decreases. In particular, the inferred corticopontine/corticospinal tracts (CPT/CST), superior (SCP) and middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), and medial lemniscus (ML) pathways are clearly discernable and follow known anatomical trajectories at the highest spatial resolution. At lower resolutions, the CST/CPT, SCP, and MCP pathways are artificially enlarged due to inclusion of collinear and crossing fibers not inherent to these three pathways. The inferred ML pathways appear smaller at lower resolutions, indicating insufficient spatial information to successfully resolve smaller fiber pathways. Our results suggest that white matter tractography maps derived from the excised brainstem can be used to guide the study of the brainstem architecture using diffusion MRI in vivo.

DETERMINING TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA HOST GALAXY EXTINCTION PROBABILITIES AND A STATISTICAL APPROACH TO ESTIMATING THE ABSORPTION-TO-REDDENING RATIO R{sub V}

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

Cikota, Aleksandar; Deustua, Susana; Marleau, Francine, E-mail: acikota@eso.org

We investigate limits on the extinction values of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) to statistically determine the most probable color excess, E(B – V), with galactocentric distance, and use these statistics to determine the absorption-to-reddening ratio, R{sub V}, for dust in the host galaxies. We determined pixel-based dust mass surface density maps for 59 galaxies from the Key Insight on Nearby Galaxies: a Far-infrared Survey with Herschel (KINGFISH). We use SN Ia spectral templates to develop a Monte Carlo simulation of color excess E(B – V) with R{sub V} = 3.1 and investigate the color excess probabilities E(B – V) with projected radial galaxymore » center distance. Additionally, we tested our model using observed spectra of SN 1989B, SN 2002bo, and SN 2006X, which occurred in three KINGFISH galaxies. Finally, we determined the most probable reddening for Sa–Sap, Sab–Sbp, Sbc–Scp, Scd–Sdm, S0, and irregular galaxy classes as a function of R/R{sub 25}. We find that the largest expected reddening probabilities are in Sab–Sb and Sbc–Sc galaxies, while S0 and irregular galaxies are very dust poor. We present a new approach for determining the absorption-to-reddening ratio R{sub V} using color excess probability functions and find values of R{sub V} = 2.71 ± 1.58 for 21 SNe Ia observed in Sab–Sbp galaxies, and R{sub V} = 1.70 ± 0.38, for 34 SNe Ia observed in Sbc–Scp galaxies.« less

Synchrotron X-Ray Visualisation of Ice Formation in Insects during Lethal and Non-Lethal Freezing

PubMed Central

Sinclair, Brent J.; Gibbs, Allen G.; Lee, Wah-Keat; Rajamohan, Arun; Roberts, Stephen P.; Socha, John J.

2009-01-01

Although the biochemical correlates of freeze tolerance in insects are becoming well-known, the process of ice formation in vivo is subject to speculation. We used synchrotron x-rays to directly visualise real-time ice formation at 3.3 Hz in intact insects. We observed freezing in diapausing 3rd instar larvae of Chymomyza amoena (Diptera: Drosophilidae), which survive freezing if it occurs above −14°C, and non-diapausing 3rd instar larvae of C. amoena and Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae), neither of which survive freezing. Freezing was readily observed in all larvae, and on one occasion the gut was seen to freeze separately from the haemocoel. There were no apparent qualitative differences in ice formation between freeze tolerant and non-freeze tolerant larvae. The time to complete freezing was positively related to temperature of nucleation (supercooling point, SCP), and SCP declined with decreasing body size, although this relationship was less strong in diapausing C. amoena. Nucleation generally occurred at a contact point with the thermocouple or chamber wall in non-diapausing larvae, but at random in diapausing larvae, suggesting that the latter have some control over ice nucleation. There were no apparent differences between freeze tolerant and non-freeze tolerant larvae in tracheal displacement or distension of the body during freezing, although there was markedly more distension in D. melanogaster than in C. amoena regardless of diapause state. We conclude that although control of ice nucleation appears to be important in freeze tolerant individuals, the physical ice formation process itself does not differ among larvae that can and cannot survive freezing. This suggests that a focus on cellular and biochemical mechanisms is appropriate and may reveal the primary adaptations allowing freeze tolerance in insects. PMID:20011523

Eicosapentaenoic Acid-Enriched Phosphatidylcholine Attenuated Hepatic Steatosis Through Regulation of Cholesterol Metabolism in Rats with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

PubMed

Liu, Yanjun; Shi, Di; Tian, Yingying; Liu, Yuntao; Zhan, Qiping; Xu, Jie; Wang, Jingfeng; Xue, Changhu

2017-02-01

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the world. Disturbed cholesterol metabolism plays a crucial role in the development of NAFLD. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of EPA-PC extracted from sea cucumber on liver steatosis and cholesterol metabolism in NAFLD. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups (normal control group, model group, lovastatin group, low- and high-dose EPA groups, and low- and high-dose EPA-PC groups). Model rats were established by administering a diet containing 1% orotic acid. To determine the possible cholesterol metabolism promoting mechanism of EPA-PC, we analyzed the transcription of key genes and transcriptional factors involved in hepatic cholesterol metabolism. EPA-PC dramatically alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation, reduced the serum TC concentration, and elevated HDLC levels in NAFLD rats. Fecal neutral cholesterol excretion was also promoted by EPA-PC administration. Additionally, EPA-PC decreased the mRNA expression of hydroxymethyl glutaric acid acyl (HMGR) and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A), and increased the transcription of sterol carrying protein 2 (SCP2). Moreover, EPA-PC stimulated the transcription of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα) and adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) as well as its modulators, liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase (CAMKK). Based on the results, the promoting effects of EPA-PC on NAFLD may be partly associated with the suppression of cholesterol synthesis via HMGR inhibition and the enhancement of fecal cholesterol excretion through increased SCP2 transcription. The underlying mechanism may involve stimulation of PPARα and AMPK.

Physiology of Hibernating Larvae of the Pistachio Twig Borer, Kermania pistaciella Amsel (Lepidoptera: Tineidae), Collected from Akbari Cultivar of Pistacia vera L.

PubMed

Mollaei, M; Izadi, H; Moharramipour, S; Behroozi Moghadam, E

2017-02-01

The pistachio twig borer, Kermania pistaciella Amsel (Lepidoptera: Tineidae), a key pest of pistachio trees, is a monovoltine pest living inside the feeding tunnel of pistachio twigs for almost 10 months in a year and overwinters there as last instar larvae. In this study, we measured some physiological parameters of overwintering field collected larvae of the pest. There were no changes in trehalose, glucose, and myo-inositol contents, but there were differences in the levels of total simple sugar and glycogen during overwintering. Total sugar content at the beginning of overwintering (October) was at the lowest level (24.13 mg/g body weight) and reached to the highest level (55.22 mg/g fresh body weight) in November whereas glycogen content was at the highest level (44.05 mg/g fresh body weight) in October and decreased to 18.42 mg/g fresh body weight in November. Decrease in lipid content during the overwintering period was not significant. The highest and lowest levels of protein content were recorded in January and February, respectively. Supercooling points (SCP) of the overwintering larvae were stable and low (ranged between -17.80 and -25.10°C) throughout the cold season and no larva survived after SCP determination. The lowest cold hardiness (60 and 0.0% survival following exposure to -10 and -20°C/24 h, respectively) was observed for in November-collected larvae. Overwintering larvae of the pistachio twig borer rely mostly on maintaining the high supercooling capacity throughout the overwintering to avoid freezing of their body fluid.

Effect of boar ejaculate fraction, extender type and time of storage on quality of spermatozoa.

PubMed

Dziekońska, A; Świąder, K; Koziorowska-Gilun, M; Mietelska, K; Zasiadczyk, Ł; Kordan, W

2017-03-28

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect the sperm-rich fraction (F1) and the post-F1 fraction (F2) on the quality of boar spermatozoa stored in a liquid state. Ejaculates were collected from three Polish Landrace boars. Each ejaculate fraction was diluted with BTS short-term extender and Safe-Cell Plus (SCP) long-term extender and stored for seven days (D1-D7) at 17°C. Analyses included sperm motility parameters, normal apical ridge (NAR) acrosomes and plasma membrane integrity (PMI). Prior to the dilution of fractions, marked changes (p<0.05) were noted between F1 and F2 in progressive motility (PMOT), velocity average pathway (VAP) and velocity straight line (VCL). After the ejaculate was diluted, the type of fraction and type of extender significantly affected (p<0.05) PMOT, being markedly higher (p<0.05) for F1 extended in BTS. No marked changes (p<0.05) were observed between F1 and F2 extended in SCP for any of the analyzed sperm quality parameters during seven days of storage. Significantly higher (p<0.05) values of sperm quality parameters were noted in F1 compared with F2 for BTS on D7 of storage. The results of the four-way ANOVA analysis indicate that boar, fraction of ejaculate, extender type and day of storage had significant effects on the quality of boar stored spermatozoa. The F1 was characterised by higher quality of spermatozoa during storage in comparison with F2 in the short-term extender. Using the long-term extender containing the proteins allowed for a better application of F2, which could be important for the pig industry.

Integrated assessments of green infrastructure for flood mitigation to support robust decision-making for sponge city construction in an urbanized watershed.

PubMed

Mei, Chao; Liu, Jiahong; Wang, Hao; Yang, Zhiyong; Ding, Xiangyi; Shao, Weiwei

2018-10-15

Green Infrastructure (GI) has become increasingly important in urban stormwater management because of the effects of climate change and urbanization. To mitigate severe urban water-related problems, China is implementing GI at the national scale under its Sponge City Program (SCP). The SCP is currently in a pilot period, however, little attention has been paid to the cost-effectiveness of GI implementation in China. In this study, an evaluation framework based on the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) was applied to undertake integrated assessments of the development of GI for flood mitigation, to support robust decision making regarding sponge city construction in urbanized watersheds. A baseline scenario and 15 GI scenarios under six design rainfall events with recurrence intervals ranging from 2-100 years were simulated and assessed. Model simulation results confirmed the effectiveness of GI for flood mitigation. Nevertheless, even under the most beneficial scenario, the results showed the hydrological performance of GI was incapable of eliminating flooding. Analysis indicated the bioretention cell (BC) plus vegetated swale (VS) scenario was the most cost-effective GI option for unit investment under all rainfall events. However, regarding the maximum potential of the implementation areas of all GI scenarios, the porous pavement plus BC + VS strategy was considered most reasonable for the study area. Although the optimal combinations are influenced by uncertainties in both the model and the GI parameters, the main trends and key insights derived remain unaffected; therefore, the conclusions are relevant regarding sponge city construction within the study area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differences in winter cold hardiness reflect the geographic range disjunction of Neophasia menapia and Neophasia terlooii (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).

PubMed

Halbritter, Dale A; Teets, Nicholas M; Williams, Caroline M; Daniels, Jaret C

Predicting how rapid climate change will affect terrestrial biota depends on a thorough understanding of an organism's biology and evolutionary history. Organisms at their range boundaries are particularly sensitive to climate change. As predominantly terrestrial poikilotherms, insects are often geographically limited by extremes in ambient temperatures. We compared the cold hardiness strategies of two geographically widespread butterflies, the pine white, Neophasia menapia, and the Mexican pine white, N. terlooii (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), at the near-contact zone of their range boundaries. Eggs are laid on pine needles and are exposed to harsh winter conditions. Eggs were collected from wild-caught butterflies, and we determined the supercooling point (SCP) and lower lethal temperature (LLT 50 ) of overwintering eggs. The SCP of Neophasia menapia eggs (-29.0 ± 0.6 °C) was significantly lower than that of N. terlooii eggs (-21.8 ± 0.7 °C). Both species were freeze-intolerant and capable of surviving down to their respective SCPs (LLT 50 of N. menapia between -30 and -31 °C, N. terlooii between -20 and -21 °C). Cold exposure time did not affect the survival of N. menapia, but N. terlooii experienced somewhat greater mortality at sub-freezing temperatures during longer exposures. Our results, coupled with an analysis of microclimate data, indicate that colder winters in northern Arizona may contribute to the northern range limit for N. terlooii. Furthermore, careful analysis of historical weather data indicates that mortality from freezing is unlikely in southern Arizona but possible in northern Arizona. Movements of Neophasia range boundaries could be monitored as potential biological responses to climate change. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Distributing File-Based Data to Remote Sites Within the BABAR Collaboration

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

Gowdy, Stephen J.

BABAR [1] uses two formats for its data: Objectivity database and root [2] files. This poster concerns the distribution of the latter--for Objectivity data see [3]. The BABAR analysis data is stored in root files--one per physics run and analysis selection channel--maintained in a large directory tree. Currently BABAR has more than 4.5 TBytes in 200,000 root files. This data is (mostly) produced at SLAC, but is required for analysis at universities and research centers throughout the us and Europe. Two basic problems confront us when we seek to import bulk data from slac to an institute's local storage viamore » the network. We must determine which files must be imported (depending on the local site requirements and which files have already been imported), and we must make the optimum use of the network when transferring the data. Basic ftp-like tools (ftp, scp, etc) do not attempt to solve the first problem. More sophisticated tools like rsync [4], the widely-used mirror/synchronization program, compare local and remote file systems, checking for changes (based on file date, size and, if desired, an elaborate checksum) in order to only copy new or modified files. However rsync allows for only limited file selection. Also when, as in BABAR, an extremely large directory structure must be scanned, rsync can take several hours just to determine which files need to be copied. Although rsync (and scp) provides on-the-fly compression, it does not allow us to optimize the network transfer by using multiple streams, adjusting the tcp window size, or separating encrypted authentication from unencrypted data channels.« less

Screening of soy protein-derived hypotriglyceridemic di-peptides in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Soy protein and soy peptides have attracted considerable attention because of their potentially beneficial biological properties, including antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, and hypolipidemic effects. Although soy protein isolate contains several bioactive peptides that have distinct physiological activities in lipid metabolism, it is not clear which peptide sequences are responsible for the triglyceride (TG)-lowering effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of soy protein-derived peptides on lipid metabolism, especially TG metabolism, in HepG2 cells and obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats. Results In the first experiment, we found that soy crude peptide (SCP)-LD3, which was prepared by hydrolyze of soy protein isolate with endo-type protease, showed hypolipidemic effects in HepG2 cells and OLETF rats. In the second experiment, we found that hydrophilic fraction, separated from SCP-LD3 with hydrophobic synthetic absorbent, revealed lipid-lowering effects in HepG2 cells and OLETF rats. In the third experiment, we found that Fraction-C (Frc-C) peptides, fractionated from hydrophilic peptides by gel permeation chromatography-high performance liquid chromatography, significantly reduced TG synthesis and apolipoprotein B (apoB) secretion in HepG2 cells. In the fourth experiment, we found that the fraction with 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid, isolated from Frc-C peptides by octadecylsilyl column chromatography, showed hypolipidemic effects in HepG2 cells. In the final experiment, we found that 3 di-peptides, Lys-Ala, Val-Lys, and Ser-Tyr, reduced TG synthesis, and Ser-Tyr additionally reduced apoB secretion in HepG2 cells. Conclusion Novel active peptides with TG-lowering effects from soy protein have been isolated. PMID:21600040

Investigating Ultra-low Velocity Zones beneath the Southwestern Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carson, S. E.; Hansen, S. E.; Garnero, E.

2017-12-01

The core mantle boundary (CMB), where the solid silicate mantle meets the liquid iron-nickel outer core, represents the largest density contrast on our planet, and it has long been recognized that the CMB is associated with significant structural heterogeneities. One CMB structure of particular interest are ultra low-velocity zones (ULVZs), laterally-varying, 5-50 km thick isolated patches seen in some locations just above the CMB that are associated with increased density and reduced seismic wave velocities. These variable characteristics have led to many questions regarding ULVZ origins, but less than 40% of the CMB has been surveyed for the presence of ULVZs given limited seismic coverage of the lowermost mantle. Therefore, investigations that sample the CMB with new geometries are critical to further our understanding of ULVZs and their potential connection to other deep Earth processes. The Transantarctic Mountains Northern Network (TAMNNET), a 15-station seismic array that was recently deployed in Antarctica, provides a unique dataset to further study ULVZ structure with new and unique path geometry. Core-reflected ScP and PcP phases from the TAMNNET dataset particularly well sample the CMB in the vicinity of New Zealand in the southwestern Pacific, providing coverage between an area to the north where ULVZ structure has been previously identified and another region to the south, which shows no ULVZ evidence. By identifying and modeling pre- and post-cursor ScP and PcP energy, we are exploring a new portion of the CMB with a goal of better understanding potential ULVZ origins. Our study area also crosses the southern boundary of the Pacific Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP); therefore, our investigations may allow us to examine the possible relationship between LLSVPs and ULVZs.

Clinical response to non-surgical periodontal treatment in patients with interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 polymorphisms

PubMed Central

Doufexi, Aikaterini-Ellisavet; Kouvatsi, Anastasia

2017-01-01

Background Genetic polymorphisms are commonly associated with altered transcriptional activity and possibly make individuals more susceptible to periodontal disease development, increased disease severity and poor treatment outcome. The study aimed to determine the effect of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) -572 G/C (rs1800796) and IL-10 -592 C/A (rs1800872) polymorphisms on the outcomes of non-surgical periodontal therapy in a Caucasian population. Material and Methods Sixty-eight patients with chronic periodontal disease were grouped according to their genotype: IL-6, IL-10, IL-6 and IL-10 susceptible (SCP) and non-susceptible (NSCP). All individuals were clinically evaluated at the first visit, and blood sample were collected from patients after checking the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. All patients received non-surgical periodontal therapy from a single-blinded periodontist. Clinical periodontal measurements were repeated 45 days after therapy. Results This population mean aged 47.63 years included 52.2% females and 58.2% non-smokers. Following DNA separation and genotyping, 65.7% of patients were homozygous carriers of the IL-6 - 572G; 49.3% were carriers of the IL-10 -592A- allele (AA and CA genotypes); and 35.8% carried SCP genotypes for both polymorphisms. The clinical parameters after therapy were not associated with the genotype status. The multiple logistic regression analysis did not show any statistically significant association between the genotypes and the variables tested. Conclusions Within the limitations of this longitudinal study, it can be suggested that IL-6 -572 G/C and IL-10 -592 C/A polymorphisms as well as their combination do not influence the outcome of nonsurgical periodontal therapy in Caucasian patients diagnosed with chronic periodontal disease. Key words:Gene polymorphism, genetics, interleukins, periodontal disease, treatment outcome. PMID:28624837

Lipid and fatty acid dynamics in mature female albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the western Indian Ocean

PubMed Central

Pethybridge, Heidi; Appadoo, Chandani; Bodin, Nathalie

2018-01-01

Lipid composition in the reproductive and somatic tissues were investigated for female albacore tuna, Thunnus alalunga, in the western Indian Ocean, between latitude 18–21°S and longitude 56–60°E, from January 2014 to March 2015. Highest total lipids (TL) were found in the gonads of spawning-capable females (SCP) (mainly phospholipids, PL, triacylglycerols, TAG and wax esters, WE) and in the liver of females in the late regressing and regenerating ovary phases (mainly TAG, PL and sterols, ST). Muscle TL was low but exhibited high inter-individual variability. Correlations between gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices with TL and the lipid classes in albacore gonads and liver describes a pattern of reallocation of energy from the liver to the gonads during SCP. Female albacore were also observed to pursue foraging activities even during this period. Therefore, female albacore can be considered as a capital-income breeder relying mostly on stored lipids before the onset of reproduction and to a lesser extent on energy derived from concurrent feeding during the spawning season. Overall, the three examined tissues had similar general fatty acid profiles with the dominance of 22:6ω3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1ω9. The proportions of fatty acids varied with maturity stage and ovary lobe, with the smaller lobe having significantly higher proportions of essential fatty acids, as well as 16:0 and 18:1n9, compared to the larger one. Our results provide new information on the life-history and energy allocation strategy of albacore which will assist fisheries managers. PMID:29608623

Control of water distribution networks with dynamic DMA topology using strictly feasible sequential convex programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Robert; Abraham, Edo; Parpas, Panos; Stoianov, Ivan

2015-12-01

The operation of water distribution networks (WDN) with a dynamic topology is a recently pioneered approach for the advanced management of District Metered Areas (DMAs) that integrates novel developments in hydraulic modeling, monitoring, optimization, and control. A common practice for leakage management is the sectorization of WDNs into small zones, called DMAs, by permanently closing isolation valves. This facilitates water companies to identify bursts and estimate leakage levels by measuring the inlet flow for each DMA. However, by permanently closing valves, a number of problems have been created including reduced resilience to failure and suboptimal pressure management. By introducing a dynamic topology to these zones, these disadvantages can be eliminated while still retaining the DMA structure for leakage monitoring. In this paper, a novel optimization method based on sequential convex programming (SCP) is outlined for the control of a dynamic topology with the objective of reducing average zone pressure (AZP). A key attribute for control optimization is reliable convergence. To achieve this, the SCP method we propose guarantees that each optimization step is strictly feasible, resulting in improved convergence properties. By using a null space algorithm for hydraulic analyses, the computations required are also significantly reduced. The optimized control is actuated on a real WDN operated with a dynamic topology. This unique experimental program incorporates a number of technologies set up with the objective of investigating pioneering developments in WDN management. Preliminary results indicate AZP reductions for a dynamic topology of up to 6.5% over optimally controlled fixed topology DMAs. This article was corrected on 12 JAN 2016. See the end of the full text for details.

Multiple enface image averaging for enhanced optical coherence tomography angiography imaging.

PubMed

Uji, Akihito; Balasubramanian, Siva; Lei, Jianqin; Baghdasaryan, Elmira; Al-Sheikh, Mayss; Borrelli, Enrico; Sadda, SriniVas R

2018-05-31

To investigate the effect of multiple enface image averaging on image quality of the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Twenty-one normal volunteers were enrolled in this study. For each subject, one eye was imaged with 3 × 3 mm scan protocol, and another eye was imaged with the 6 × 6 mm scan protocol centred on the fovea using the ZEISS Angioplex™ spectral-domain OCTA device. Eyes were repeatedly imaged to obtain nine OCTA cube scan sets, and nine superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were individually averaged after registration. Eighteen eyes with a 3 × 3 mm scan field and 14 eyes with a 6 × 6 mm scan field were studied. Averaged images showed more continuous vessels and less background noise in both the SCP and the DCP as the number of frames used for averaging increased, with both 3 × 3 and 6 × 6 mm scan protocols. The intensity histogram of the vessels dramatically changed after averaging. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and subjectively assessed image quality scores also increased as the number of frames used for averaging increased in all image types. However, the additional benefit in quality diminished when averaging more than five frames. Averaging only three frames achieved significant improvement in CNR and the score assigned by certified grades. Use of multiple image averaging in OCTA enface images was found to be both objectively and subjectively effective for enhancing image quality. These findings may of value for developing optimal OCTA imaging protocols for future studies. © 2018 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

US radiation oncology practice patterns for posttreatment survivor care.

PubMed

Koontz, Bridget F; Benda, Rashmi; De Los Santos, Jennifer; Hoffman, Karen E; Huq, M Saiful; Morrell, Rosalyn; Sims, Amber; Stevens, Stephanie; Yu, James B; Chen, Ronald C

2016-01-01

Increasing numbers of cancer survivors have driven a greater focus on care of cancer patients after treatment. Radiation oncologists have long considered follow-up of patients an integral part of practice. We sought to document current survivor-focused care patterns and identify barriers to meeting new regulatory commission guidelines for survivorship care plans (SCPs) and provide guidance for survivorship care. A 23-question electronic survey was e-mailed to all practicing US physician American Society of Radiation Oncology members. Responses were collected for 25 days in March 2014. Survey data were descriptively analyzed. A total of 574 eligible providers responded, for a response percentage of 14.7%. Almost all providers follow their patients after treatment (97%). Length of follow-up was frequently extensive: 17% followed up to 2 years, 40% for 3-5 years, 12% for 6-10 years, and 31% indefinitely. Ancillary services, particularly social work and nutrition services, are commonly available onsite to patients in follow-up. Fewer than half of respondents (40%) indicated that they currently use SCPs for curative intent patients and those who do generally use internally developed templates. SCPs typically go to patients (91%), but infrequently to primary care providers (22%). The top 3 barriers to implementation of SCPs were cost (57%), duplicative survivorship care plans provided by other physicians (43%), and lack of consensus or professional guidelines (40%). Eighty-seven percent indicated that SCPs built into an electronic medical record system would be useful. A significant part of radiation oncology practice includes the care of those in the surveillance of follow-up phase of care. SCPs may be beneficial in improving communication with the patient and other care but are not widely used within our field. This survey identified key barriers to use of SCPs and provides specialty guidance for important information to be included in a radiation oncology oriented SCP. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neighborhood resolved fiber orientation distributions (NRFOD) in automatic labeling of white matter fiber pathways.

PubMed

Ugurlu, Devran; Firat, Zeynep; Türe, Uğur; Unal, Gozde

2018-05-01

Accurate digital representation of major white matter bundles in the brain is an important goal in neuroscience image computing since the representations can be used for surgical planning, intra-patient longitudinal analysis and inter-subject population connectivity studies. Reconstructing desired fiber bundles generally involves manual selection of regions of interest by an expert, which is subject to user bias and fatigue, hence an automation is desirable. To that end, we first present a novel anatomical representation based on Neighborhood Resolved Fiber Orientation Distributions (NRFOD) along the fibers. The resolved fiber orientations are obtained by generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) and a subsequent diffusion decomposition method. A fiber-to-fiber distance measure between the proposed fiber representations is then used in a density-based clustering framework to select the clusters corresponding to the major pathways of interest. In addition, neuroanatomical priors are utilized to constrain the set of candidate fibers before density-based clustering. The proposed fiber clustering approach is exemplified on automation of the reconstruction of the major fiber pathways in the brainstem: corticospinal tract (CST); medial lemniscus (ML); middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP); inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP); superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP). Experimental results on Human Connectome Project (HCP)'s publicly available "WU-Minn 500 Subjects + MEG2 dataset" and expert evaluations demonstrate the potential of the proposed fiber clustering method in brainstem white matter structure analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Treatment summaries, follow-up care instructions, and patient navigation: could they be combined to improve cancer survivor's receipt of follow-up care?

PubMed

Jabson, Jennifer M

2015-12-01

Cancer survivors require follow-up care to ensure early detection of recurrence, management of late/long term effects, preventive screening for early detection of second primary malignancies, as well as other forms of preventive care. But not all survivors receive necessary follow-up care. Combining survivorship care plans and patient navigation may be a successful strategy to improve survivor's receipt of necessary follow-up care. Using data from the 2010 LIVESTRONG online survey of cancer survivors (N = 3854), this study tested associations between receipt of follow-up care instructions (FCI) and treatment summaries (TS) paired with patient navigation (PN), and survivor's receipt of cancer surveillance, preventive cancer screening, and attendance at regular medical appointments. Survivors who received FCI, TS, and patient navigation were the most likely to report attendance at all medical appointments (aOR 4.17, 95% CI 2.30, 7.57, p ≤ .001) and receipt of preventive cancer screening (aOR 3.56, 95% CI 2.28, 5.55, p ≤ .001). Likelihood of receiving follow-up care was greatest when survivors received FCI, TS, and PN. This pairing appeared to be most beneficial for survivor's attendance at medical appointments and receipt of preventive cancer screening. By improving attendance at medical appointments and prevention cancer screening, pairing SCP and PN could benefit survivors through reduced recurrence, earlier recurrence detection, and prevention of second primaries.

Analyses of the population structure in a global collection of Phytophthora nicotianae isolates inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.

PubMed

Mammella, Marco A; Martin, Frank N; Cacciola, Santa O; Coffey, Michael D; Faedda, Roberto; Schena, Leonardo

2013-06-01

Genetic variation within the heterothallic cosmopolitan plant pathogen Phytophthora nicotianae was determined in 96 isolates from a wide range of hosts and geographic locations by characterizing four mitochondrial (10% of the genome) and three nuclear loci. In all, 52 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (an average of 1 every 58 bp) and 313 sites with gaps representing 5,450 bases enabled the identification of 50 different multilocus mitochondrial haplotypes. Similarly, 24 SNPs (an average of 1 every 69 bp), with heterozygosity observed at each locus, were observed in three nuclear regions (hyp, scp, and β-tub) differentiating 40 multilocus nuclear genotypes. Both mitochondrial and nuclear markers revealed a high level of dispersal of isolates and an inconsistent geographic structuring of populations. However, a specific association was observed for host of origin and genetic grouping with both nuclear and mitochondrial sequences. In particular, the majority of citrus isolates from Italy, California, Florida, Syria, Albania, and the Philippines clustered in the same mitochondrial group and shared at least one nuclear allele. A similar association was also observed for isolates recovered from Nicotiana and Solanum spp. The present study suggests an important role of nursery populations in increasing genetic recombination within the species and the existence of extensive phenomena of migration of isolates that have been likely spread worldwide with infected plant material.

Strong tolerance to freezing is a major survival strategy in insects inhabiting central Yakutia (Sakha Republic, Russia), the coldest region on earth.

PubMed

Li, N G

2016-10-01

Yakutia is a part of eastern Siberia, located in north-eastern Russia. The climate of this area is very harsh even by Siberian standards, and is characterized by the absolute temperature minimum, which is below -64.4 °C, and a long period of low temperatures reaching to a range between -47 and -55 °C. Despite such a severe climate, the fauna and flora of Yakutia present a considerably rich biodiversity, suggesting a high adaptation potential of the organisms in this area. In this study, 30 local species of insects belonging to Coleoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera were selected to investigate cold adaptation. The identification of the cold adaptation strategy was based on the measurement of the insect body supercooling point (SCP) and hemolymph ice-nucleating activity. According to the data collected, there is a high incidence of freeze tolerant species among the insects found in Yakutsk area (Yakutsk, 62° latitude, 130° longitude): 93.3% of them were freeze tolerant, and only 6.7% were freeze avoiding. It is suggested that the evolution of cold hardiness in this region preferably develops for the selection of the strong freeze tolerance that allow the insects to survive extreme cold conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of aldose reductase from cataracted eye lenses by finger millet (Eleusine coracana) polyphenols.

PubMed

Chethan, S; Dharmesh, Shylaja M; Malleshi, Nagappa G

2008-12-01

Retinopathy is a major cause of blindness in the Western world, while cataract is one of the three major causes of blindness worldwide. Diabetes is one of the major risk factor in retinopathy and cataract. The prevalence of blindness in India is 15 per 1000 while cataract alone accounts for 80% of this blindness. Diabetes induced cataract is characterized by an accumulation of sorbitol which is mediated by the action of a key enzyme aldose reductase (AR). Non-enzymatic glycation (binding of glucose to protein molecule) induced during diabetes appear to be the key factor for AR mediated sugar-induced cataract. Finger millet polyphenols (FMP) being a major anti-diabetic and antioxidant component, we have evaluated them for AR inhibiting activity. Phenolic constituents in FMP such as gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxy benzoic, p-coumaric, vanillic, syringic, ferulic, trans-cinnamic acids and the quercetin inhibited cataract eye lens effectively, the latter was more potent with an IC(50) of 14.8nM. Structure function analysis revealed that phenolics with OH group at 4th position was important for aldose reductase inhibitory property. Also the presence of neighboring O-methyl group in phenolics denatured the AR activity. Finger millet seed coat polyphenols (SCP) has been found to inhibit AR reversibly by non-competitive inhibition. Results thus, provide a stronger evidence for the potentials of FMP in inhibiting cataractogenesis in humans.

Single Point vs. Mapping Approach for Spectral Cytopathology (SCP)

PubMed Central

Schubert, Jennifer M.; Mazur, Antonella I.; Bird, Benjamin; Miljković, Miloš; Diem, Max

2011-01-01

In this paper we describe the advantages of collecting infrared microspectral data in imaging mode opposed to point mode. Imaging data are processed using the PapMap algorithm, which co-adds pixel spectra that have been scrutinized for R-Mie scattering effects as well as other constraints. The signal-to-noise quality of PapMap spectra will be compared to point spectra for oral mucosa cells deposited onto low-e slides. Also the effects of software atmospheric correction will be discussed. Combined with the PapMap algorithm, data collection in imaging mode proves to be a superior method for spectral cytopathology. PMID:20449833

Toward a conceptual reexamination of the patient-physician relationship in the healthcare institution for the new millennium.

PubMed Central

Fredericks, Marcel; Odiet, Jeff A.; Miller, Steven I.; Fredericks, Janet

2006-01-01

There is a crisis in the patient-physician relationship. Mass media, managed care and malpractice are just a few factors that contribute to a lack of trust, understanding and loyalty in the patient-physician relationship. We have experienced some select concepts within the Society, Culture and Personality (SCP) model. In it, we explore how social class, age, race, ethnicity and family background of the patient impact upon the patient-physician relationships. The analysis of the sick role is most prominent, and in this interactive process empathy must be given to each person who seeks medical help. PMID:16573302

BetaSCPWeb: side-chain prediction for protein structures using Voronoi diagrams and geometry prioritization

PubMed Central

Ryu, Joonghyun; Lee, Mokwon; Cha, Jehyun; Laskowski, Roman A.; Ryu, Seong Eon; Kim, Deok-Soo

2016-01-01

Many applications, such as protein design, homology modeling, flexible docking, etc. require the prediction of a protein's optimal side-chain conformations from just its amino acid sequence and backbone structure. Side-chain prediction (SCP) is an NP-hard energy minimization problem. Here, we present BetaSCPWeb which efficiently computes a conformation close to optimal using a geometry-prioritization method based on the Voronoi diagram of spherical atoms. Its outputs are visual, textual and PDB file format. The web server is free and open to all users at http://voronoi.hanyang.ac.kr/betascpweb with no login requirement. PMID:27151195

Injury mitigation estimates for an intersection driver assistance system in straight crossing path crashes in the United States.

PubMed

Scanlon, John M; Sherony, Rini; Gabler, Hampton C

2017-05-29

Accounting for one fifth of all crashes and one sixth of all fatal crashes in the United States, intersection crashes are among the most frequent and fatal crash modes. Intersection advanced driver assistance systems (I-ADAS) are emerging vehicle-based active safety systems that aim to help drivers safely navigate intersections. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of crashes and number of vehicles with a seriously injured driver (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale [MAIS] 3+) that could be prevented or reduced if, for every straight crossing path (SCP) intersection crash, one of the vehicles had been equipped with an I-ADAS. This study retrospectively simulated 448 U.S. SCP crashes as if one of the vehicles had been equipped with I-ADAS. Crashes were reconstructed to determine the path and speeds traveled by the vehicles. Cases were then simulated with I-ADAS. A total of 30 variations of I-ADAS were considered in this study. These variations consisted of 5 separate activation timing thresholds, 3 separate computational latency times, and 2 different I-ADAS response modalities (i.e., a warning or autonomous braking). The likelihood of a serious driver injury was computed for every vehicle in every crash using impact delta-V. The results were then compiled across all crashes in order to estimate system effectiveness. The model predicted that an I-ADAS that delivers an alert to the driver has the potential to prevent 0-23% of SCP crashes and 0-25% of vehicles with a seriously injured driver. Conversely, an I-ADAS that autonomously brakes was found to have the potential to prevent 25-59% of crashes and 38-79% of vehicles with a seriously injured driver. I-ADAS effectiveness is a strong function of design. Increasing computational latency time from 0 to 0.5 s was found to reduce crash and injury prevention estimates by approximately one third. For an I-ADAS that delivers an alert, crash/injury prevention effectiveness was found to be very sensitive to changes in activation timing (warning delivered 1.0 to 3.0 s prior to impact). If autonomous braking was used, system effectiveness was found to largely plateau for activation timings greater than 1.5 s prior to impact. In general, the results of this study suggest that I-ADAS will be 2-3 times more effective if an autonomous braking system is utilized over a warning-based system. This study highlights the potential effectiveness of I-ADAS in the U.S. vehicle fleet, while also indicating the sensitivity of system effectiveness to design specifications. The results of this study should be considered by designers of I-ADAS and evaluators of this technology considering a future I-ADAS safety test.

Draft Plan for Characterizing Commercial Data Products in Support of Earth Science Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert E.; Terrie, Greg; Berglund, Judith

2006-01-01

This presentation introduces a draft plan for characterizing commercial data products for Earth science research. The general approach to the commercial product verification and validation includes focused selection of a readily available commercial remote sensing products that support Earth science research. Ongoing product verification and characterization will question whether the product meets specifications and will examine its fundamental properties, potential and limitations. Validation will encourage product evaluation for specific science research and applications. Specific commercial products included in the characterization plan include high-spatial-resolution multispectral (HSMS) imagery and LIDAR data products. Future efforts in this process will include briefing NASA headquarters and modifying plans based on feedback, increased engagement with the science community and refinement of details, coordination with commercial vendors and The Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) for HSMS satellite acquisitions, acquiring waveform LIDAR data and performing verification and validation.

A UML model for the description of different brain-computer interface systems.

PubMed

Quitadamo, Lucia Rita; Abbafati, Manuel; Saggio, Giovanni; Marciani, Maria Grazia; Cardarilli, Gian Carlo; Bianchi, Luigi

2008-01-01

BCI research lacks a universal descriptive language among labs and a unique standard model for the description of BCI systems. This results in a serious problem in comparing performances of different BCI processes and in unifying tools and resources. In such a view we implemented a Unified Modeling Language (UML) model for the description virtually of any BCI protocol and we demonstrated that it can be successfully applied to the most common ones such as P300, mu-rhythms, SCP, SSVEP, fMRI. Finally we illustrated the advantages in utilizing a standard terminology for BCIs and how the same basic structure can be successfully adopted for the implementation of new systems.

BetaSCPWeb: side-chain prediction for protein structures using Voronoi diagrams and geometry prioritization.

PubMed

Ryu, Joonghyun; Lee, Mokwon; Cha, Jehyun; Laskowski, Roman A; Ryu, Seong Eon; Kim, Deok-Soo

2016-07-08

Many applications, such as protein design, homology modeling, flexible docking, etc. require the prediction of a protein's optimal side-chain conformations from just its amino acid sequence and backbone structure. Side-chain prediction (SCP) is an NP-hard energy minimization problem. Here, we present BetaSCPWeb which efficiently computes a conformation close to optimal using a geometry-prioritization method based on the Voronoi diagram of spherical atoms. Its outputs are visual, textual and PDB file format. The web server is free and open to all users at http://voronoi.hanyang.ac.kr/betascpweb with no login requirement. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

[Biofeedback treatment for epilepsy].

PubMed

Nagai, Yoko

2014-05-01

Pharmacological treatment is the mainstay for the treatment of epilepsy. However concerns regarding long-term side effects of drugs are increasingly voiced. Behavioral treatments including biofeedback, represents an alternative management option for the control of epilepsy. Biofeedback is a non-invasive bio-behavioral procedure through which patients can learn to gain psychophysiological control over seizures. This article will first overview seizure precipitation from a psychological perspective, and then introduce three major biofeedback treatments. Sensory motor rhythm (SMR) and slow cortical potential(SCP) biofeedback uses electroencephalographic parameters and are categorized as neurofeedback. Electrodermal activity (EDA) biofeedback focuses on modulation of peripheral sympathetic tone. The neural mechanisms underlying biofeedback treatment will be discussed in relation to thalamo-cortical regulation(of neural excitability across brain networks).

Simulation of adsorber tube diameter's effect on new design silica gel-water adsorption chiller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasruddin, Taufan, A.; Manga, A.; Budiman, D.

2017-03-01

A new design of silica gel-water adsorption chiller is proposed. The design configuration is composed of two sorption chambers with compact fin tube heat exchangers as adsorber, condenser, and evaporator. Heat and mass recovery were adopted in order to increase the cooling capacity. Numerical modelling and calculation were used to show the performance of the chiller with different adsorber tube diameter. Under typical condition for hot water inlet/cooling water inlet/chilled water outlet temperatures are 90/30/7°C, respectively, the simulation results showed the best average value of COP, SCP, and cooling power are 0.19, 15.88 W/kg and 279.89 W using 3/8 inch tube.

The Genomic Basis of Parasitism in the Strongyloides Clade of Nematodes

PubMed Central

Hunt, Vicky L.; Tsai, Isheng J.; Coghlan, Avril; Reid, Adam J.; Holroyd, Nancy; Foth, Bernardo J.; Tracey, Alan; Cotton, James A.; Stanley, Eleanor J.; Beasley, Helen; Bennett, Hayley M.; Brooks, Karen; Harsha, Bhavana; Kajitani, Rei; Kulkarni, Arpita; Harbecke, Dorothee; Nagayasu, Eiji; Nichol, Sarah; Ogura, Yoshitoshi; Quail, Michael A.; Randle, Nadine; Xia, Dong; Brattig, Norbert W.; Soblik, Hanns; Ribeiro, Diogo M.; Sanchez-Flores, Alejandro; Hayashi, Tetsuya; Itoh, Takehiko; Denver, Dee R.; Grant, Warwick; Stoltzfus, Jonathan D.; Lok, James B.; Murayama, Haruhiko; Wastling, Jonathan; Streit, Adrian; Kikuchi, Taisei; Viney, Mark; Berriman, Matthew

2016-01-01

Soil transmitted nematodes, including Strongyloides, cause one of the most prevalent Neglected Tropical Diseases. Here we compare the genomes of four Strongyloides spp., including the human pathogen S. stercoralis, and their close relatives that are facultatively parasitic (Parastrongyloides trichosuri) and free-living (Rhabditophanes sp). A significant paralogous expansion of key gene families – astacin-like and SCP/TAPS coding gene families – is associated with the evolution of parasitism in this clade. Exploiting the unique Strongyloides life cycle we compare the transcriptome of its parasitic and free-living stages and find that these same genes are upregulated in the parasitic stages, underscoring their role in nematode parasitism. PMID:26829753

Spitzer Mission Operation System Planning for IRAC Warm-Instrument Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, Joseph C., Jr.; Sarrel, Marc A.; Mahoney, William A.

2010-01-01

This paper will describe how the Spitzer Mission Operations System planned and executed the characterization phase between Spitzer's cryogenic mission and its warm mission. To the largest extend possible, the execution of this phase was done with existing processing and procedures. The modifications that were made were in response to the differences of the characterization phase compared to normal phases before and after. The primary two categories of difference are: unknown date of execution due to uncertainty of knowledge of the date of helium depletion, and the short cycle time for data analysis and re-planning during execution. In addition, all of the planning and design had to be done in parallel with normal operations, and we had to transition smoothly back to normal operations following the transition. This paper will also describe the re-planning we had to do following an anomaly discovered in the first days after helium depletion.

Application of Neutron imaging in pore structure of hydrated wellbore cement: comparison of hydration of H20 with D2O based Portland cements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dussenova, D.; Bilheux, H.; Radonjic, M.

2012-12-01

Wellbore Cement studies have been ongoing for decades. The studies vary from efforts to reduce permeability and resistance to corrosive environment to issues with gas migration also known as Sustained Casing Pressure (SCP). These practical issues often lead to health and safety problems as well as huge economic loss in oil and gas industry. Several techniques have been employed to reduce the impact of gas leakage. In this study we purely focus on expandable liners, which are introduced as part of oil well reconstruction and work-overs and as well abandonment procedures that help in prevention of SCP. Expandable liner is a tube that after application of a certain tool can increase its diameter. The increase in diameter creates extra force on hydrated cement that results in reducing width of interface fractures and cement-tube de-bonding. Moreover, this also causes cement to change its microstructure and other porous medium properties, primarily hydraulic conductivity. In order to examine changes before and after operations, cement pore structure must be well characterized and correlated to cement slurry design as well as chemical and physical environmental conditions. As modern oil well pipes and tubes contain iron, it is difficult to perform X-ray tomography of a bulk measurement of the cement in its wellbore conditions, which are tube wall-cement-tube wall. Neutron imaging is a complementary technique to x-ray imaging and is well suited for detection of light elements imbedded in metallic containers. Thus, Neutron Imaging (NI) is investigated as a tool for the detection of pore structure of hydrated wellbore cement. Recent measurements were conducted at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) neutron imaging facility. NI is is highly sensitive to light elements such as Hydrogen (H). Oil well cements that have undergone a full hydration contain on average 30%-40% of free water in its pore structure. The unreacted water is the main storage of the hydrogen atom. In such case, neutron tomography does not give information of the pore structure as neutrons will strongly scatter of H and the data have low count and low statistics or low neutron transmission. Hence, as the comparison and the possible tuning technique, neutron tomography measurements are performed on a Deuterium Oxide (D2O) or heavy water samples the same dimensions, cement composition, cement/liquid content and hydration time as the H2O samples. The advantage of using heavy water is that the total neutron cross-section for Deuterium is approximately four times smaller than Hydrogen's and, thus, permits better neutron transmission, i.e. better statistics. D2O does not alter cement properties or its chemical composition; therefore, the samples are almost identical. Comparison of the measurements using water and heavy water samples and the preparation of the measurement cement samples are discussed in this

Identification of Male Gametogenesis Expressed Genes from the Scallop Nodipecten subnodosus by Suppressive Subtraction Hybridization and Pyrosequencing

PubMed Central

Llera-Herrera, Raúl; García-Gasca, Alejandra; Abreu-Goodger, Cei; Huvet, Arnaud; Ibarra, Ana M.

2013-01-01

Despite the great advances in sequencing technologies, genomic and transcriptomic information for marine non-model species with ecological, evolutionary, and economical interest is still scarce. In this work we aimed to identify genes expressed during spermatogenesis in the functional hermaphrodite scallop Nodipecten subnodosus (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Pectinidae), with the purpose of obtaining a panel of genes that would allow for the study of differentially transcribed genes between diploid and triploid scallops in the context of meiotic arrest and reproductive sterility. Because our aim was to isolate genes involved in meiosis and other testis maturation-related processes, we generated suppressive subtractive hybridization libraries of testis vs. inactive gonad. We obtained 352 and 177 ESTs by clone sequencing, and using pyrosequencing (454-Roche) we maximized the identified ESTs to 34,276 reads. A total of 1,153 genes from the testis library had a blastx hit and GO annotation, including genes specific for meiosis, spermatogenesis, sex-differentiation, and transposable elements. Some of the identified meiosis genes function in chromosome pairing (scp2, scp3), recombination and DNA repair (dmc1, rad51, ccnb1ip1/hei10), and meiotic checkpoints (rad1, hormad1, dtl/cdt2). Gene expression analyses in different gametogenic stages in both sexual regions of the gonad of meiosis genes confirmed that the expression was specific or increased towards the maturing testis. Spermatogenesis genes included known testis-specific ones (kelch-10, shippo1, adad1), with some of these known to be associated to sterility. Sex differentiation genes included one of the most conserved genes at the bottom of the sex-determination cascade (dmrt1). Transcript from transposable elements, reverse transcriptase, and transposases in this library evidenced that transposition is an active process during spermatogenesis in N. subnodosus. In relation to the inactive library, we identified 833 transcripts with functional annotation related to activation of the transcription and translation machinery, as well as to germline control and maintenance. PMID:24066034

Identification of tumor-restricted antigens NY-BR-1, SCP-1, and a new cancer/testis-like antigen NW-BR-3 by serological screening of a testicular library with breast cancer serum.

PubMed

Jäger, Dirk; Unkelbach, Marc; Frei, Claudia; Bert, Florian; Scanlan, Matthew J; Jäger, Elke; Old, Lloyd J; Chen, Yao-Tseng; Knuth, Alexander

2002-06-28

Serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries (SEREX) has led to the identification of several categories of new tumor antigens. We analyzed a testicular cDNA expression library with serum obtained from a breast cancer patient and isolated 13 genes designated NW-BR-1 through NW-BR-13. Of these, 3 showed tumor-restricted expression (NW-BR-1, -2 and -3), the others being expressed ubiquitously. NW-BR-3, representing 9 of 24 primary clones, showed tissue-restricted mRNA expression, being expressed in normal testis but not in 15 other normal tissues tested by Northern blotting. RT-PCR analysis showed strong NW-BR-3 expression in normal testis, weak expression in brain, kidney, trachea, uterus and normal prostate, and was negative in liver, heart, lung, colon, small intestine, bone marrow, breast, thymus, muscle, spleen, and stomach. NW-BR-3 mRNA expression was found in different tumor tissues and tumor cell lines by RT-PCR, thus showing a 'cancer/testis' (CT)-like mRNA expression pattern. NW-BR-3 shares 71% nucleotide and amino acid homology to a mouse gene cloned from mouse testicular tissue. Based on the mRNA expression pattern, NW-BR-3 represents a new candidate target gene for cancer immunotherapy. NW-BR-1 and NW-BR-2 also showed tumor-restricted mRNA expression. NW-BR-1 is a partial clone of the breast differentiation antigen NY-BR-1 previously identified by SEREX. NY-BR-1 is expressed in normal breast, testis and 80% of breast cancers. NW-BR-2 is identical to the CT antigen SCP-1, initially isolated by SEREX analysis of renal cancer. This study provides further evidence that SEREX is a powerful tool to identify new tumor antigens potentially relevant for immunotherapy approaches.

Role of Somatic Testicular Cells during Mouse Spermatogenesis in Three-Dimensional Collagen Gel Culture System

PubMed Central

Khajavi, Noushafarin; Akbari, Mohammad; Abolhassani, Farid; Dehpour, Ahmad Reza; Koruji, Morteza; Habibi Roudkenar, Mehryar

2014-01-01

Objective Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the only cell type that can restore fertility to an infertile recipient following transplantation. Much effort has been made to develop a protocol for differentiating isolated SSCs in vitro. Recently, three-dimensional (3D) culture system has been introduced as an appropriate microenvironment for clonal expansion and differentiation of SSCs. This system provides structural support and multiple options for several manipulation such as addition of different cells. Somatic cells have a critical role in stimulating spermatogenesis. They provide complex cell to cell interaction, transport proteins and produce enzymes and regulatory factors. This study aimed to optimize the culture condition by adding somatic testicular cells to the collagen gel culture system in order to induce spermatogenesis progression. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, the disassociation of SSCs was performed by using a two-step enzymatic digestion of type I collagenase, hyaluronidase and DNase. Somatic testicular cells including Sertoli cells and peritubular cells were obtained after the second digestion. SSCs were isolated by Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting (MACS) using GDNF family receptor alpha-1 (Gfrα-1) antibody. Two experimental designs were investigated. 1. Gfrα-1 positive SSCs were cultured in a collagen solution. 2. Somatic testicular cells were added to the Gfrα-1 positive SSCs in a collagen solution. Spermatogenesis progression was determined after three weeks by staining of synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3)-positive cells. Semi-quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR was undertaken for SCP3 as a meiotic marker and, Crem and Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF1) as post meiotic markers. For statistical analysis student t test was performed. Results Testicular supporter cells increased the expression of meiotic and post meiotic markers and had a positive effect on extensive colony formation. Conclusion Collagen gel culture system supported by somatic testicular cells provides a microenvironment that mimics seminiferous epithelium and induces spermatogenesis in vitro. PMID:24518977

Prolonged stretching of the ankle plantarflexors elicits muscle-tendon adaptations relevant to ankle gait kinetics in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Martín Lorenzo, Teresa; Rocon, Eduardo; Martínez Caballero, Ignacio; Ramírez Barragán, Ana; Lerma Lara, Sergio

2017-11-01

Tissue related ankle hyper-resistance has been reported to contribute to equinus gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Hence, ankle plantarflexor stretching programs have been developed in order to restore passive ankle dorsiflexion. Despite high quality evidence on the limited effects of stretching on passive joint mobility, further muscle-tendon adaptations have been reported which may impact gait performance. As such, children with spastic cerebral palsy subject to long-term manual static stretching achieved dorsiflexion gains through the reduction of muscle and fascicle strain whilst preserving tendon strain, and prolonged use of ankle-foot orthoses achieved similar dorsiflexion gains through increased tendon strain whilst preserving muscle and fascicle strain. The latter concurred with normalization of early stance plantarflexor moment yet reductions in push-off plantarflexor moment given the increase in tendon compliance. Therefore, similar limited gains in passive ankle joint mobility in response to stretching may be achieved either by preserving/restoring optimal muscle-tendon function, or at the expense of muscle-tendon function and thus contributing gait impairments. The largest increase in ankle passive joint mobility in children with SCP has been obtained through prolonged plantarflexor stretching through ankle casting combined with botulinum neurotoxin type A. However, to our knowledge, there are no published studies on muscle-tendinous adaptations to ankle casting combined with botulinum toxin type A and its effect on ankle joint gait kinetics. Therefore, we hypothesized that ankle casting elicits muscle-tendon adaptations which concur with altered ankle joint kinetics during the stance phase of gait in children with SCP. More information is needed about the relationships between muscle structure and function, and the effect of specific interventions designed to alter muscle properties and associated functional outcomes in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of post-graduate training effect on smoking cessation practice and attitudes of family physicians towards tobacco control.

PubMed

Turker, Yasemin; Aydin, Leyla Yilmaz; Baltaci, Davut; Erdem, Ozgur; Tanriverdi, Mehmet Halis; Sarigüzel, Yunus; Alasan, Fatih

2014-01-01

Family physicians (FPs) are cornerstone for tobacco control. It was aimed to compare the effect of training on their smoking cessation practice, knowledge level and attitudes towards smoking and tobacco control. The cross-sectional and multi-centered study was carried out using structured survey modified WHO based questionnaire. It was delivered to 1500 FPs randomly selected among approximately 23000 family physicians across the country. The study survey was self-reported by FPs, assessing their knowledge, attitudes, status of post-graduate training, and practice about tobacco control. Participants were assigned into two groups as non-trainee groups (Group 1) and post-graduate trainee (Group 2). The mean age was 38.4 ± 7.1 years-old. The percentage of male and female FPs in the study was 53.1% and 46.9%. The ratio of family physicians who participated in training program Group 2) was 26.5% (n = 327). The ratio of female FPs who participated the SCP training course was significantly higher than that of male FPs (27.3% versus 22.5%, p = 0.035). There was no significant difference for smoking status between groups (p = 0.686). When the number FPs whose consulted by the smokers over ≥ 5 a week was compared, the ratio of FPs was significantly higher in group 2 than group 1 (p < 0.001), but overall ratio of FPs (2.8%) who consulted within a week smokers was considerably lower Statements of Competence and confidence items stated by all FPs were 24.2% and 32.2%, respectively. Physicians who had attended post-graduate training on SCP were more competent and confident, compared to non-trained FPs (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001). Post-graduate training on tobacco control improved self-confidence and competence of FPs. With post-graduate training, significant improvement was seen in practical skills of physicians. A continuing training program should be introduced to FPs, to engage them for smoking cessation practice.

Software-Based Real-Time Acquisition and Processing of PET Detector Raw Data.

PubMed

Goldschmidt, Benjamin; Schug, David; Lerche, Christoph W; Salomon, André; Gebhardt, Pierre; Weissler, Bjoern; Wehner, Jakob; Dueppenbecker, Peter M; Kiessling, Fabian; Schulz, Volkmar

2016-02-01

In modern positron emission tomography (PET) readout architectures, the position and energy estimation of scintillation events (singles) and the detection of coincident events (coincidences) are typically carried out on highly integrated, programmable printed circuit boards. The implementation of advanced singles and coincidence processing (SCP) algorithms for these architectures is often limited by the strict constraints of hardware-based data processing. In this paper, we present a software-based data acquisition and processing architecture (DAPA) that offers a high degree of flexibility for advanced SCP algorithms through relaxed real-time constraints and an easily extendible data processing framework. The DAPA is designed to acquire detector raw data from independent (but synchronized) detector modules and process the data for singles and coincidences in real-time using a center-of-gravity (COG)-based, a least-squares (LS)-based, or a maximum-likelihood (ML)-based crystal position and energy estimation approach (CPEEA). To test the DAPA, we adapted it to a preclinical PET detector that outputs detector raw data from 60 independent digital silicon photomultiplier (dSiPM)-based detector stacks and evaluated it with a [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-filled hot-rod phantom. The DAPA is highly reliable with less than 0.1% of all detector raw data lost or corrupted. For high validation thresholds (37.1 ± 12.8 photons per pixel) of the dSiPM detector tiles, the DAPA is real time capable up to 55 MBq for the COG-based CPEEA, up to 31 MBq for the LS-based CPEEA, and up to 28 MBq for the ML-based CPEEA. Compared to the COG-based CPEEA, the rods in the image reconstruction of the hot-rod phantom are only slightly better separable and less blurred for the LS- and ML-based CPEEA. While the coincidence time resolution (∼ 500 ps) and energy resolution (∼12.3%) are comparable for all three CPEEA, the system sensitivity is up to 2.5 × higher for the LS- and ML-based CPEEA.

De novo biosynthesis of sterols and fatty acids in the Trypanosoma brucei procyclic form: Carbon source preferences and metabolic flux redistributions

PubMed Central

Bouyssou, Guillaume; Allmann, Stefan; Kiema, Tiila-Riikka; Biran, Marc; Plazolles, Nicolas; Dittrich-Domergue, Franziska; Crouzols, Aline; Wierenga, Rik K.; Rotureau, Brice; Moreau, Patrick

2018-01-01

De novo biosynthesis of lipids is essential for Trypanosoma brucei, a protist responsible for the sleeping sickness. Here, we demonstrate that the ketogenic carbon sources, threonine, acetate and glucose, are precursors for both fatty acid and sterol synthesis, while leucine only contributes to sterol production in the tsetse fly midgut stage of the parasite. Degradation of these carbon sources into lipids was investigated using a combination of reverse genetics and analysis of radio-labelled precursors incorporation into lipids. For instance, (i) deletion of the gene encoding isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase, involved in the leucine degradation pathway, abolished leucine incorporation into sterols, and (ii) RNAi-mediated down-regulation of the SCP2-thiolase gene expression abolished incorporation of the three ketogenic carbon sources into sterols. The SCP2-thiolase is part of a unidirectional two-step bridge between the fatty acid precursor, acetyl-CoA, and the precursor of the mevalonate pathway leading to sterol biosynthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA. Metabolic flux through this bridge is increased either in the isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase null mutant or when the degradation of the ketogenic carbon sources is affected. We also observed a preference for fatty acids synthesis from ketogenic carbon sources, since blocking acetyl-CoA production from both glucose and threonine abolished acetate incorporation into sterols, while incorporation of acetate into fatty acids was increased. Interestingly, the growth of the isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase null mutant, but not that of the parental cells, is interrupted in the absence of ketogenic carbon sources, including lipids, which demonstrates the essential role of the mevalonate pathway. We concluded that procyclic trypanosomes have a strong preference for fatty acid versus sterol biosynthesis from ketogenic carbon sources, and as a consequence, that leucine is likely to be the main source, if not the only one, used by trypanosomes in the infected insect vector digestive tract to feed the mevalonate pathway. PMID:29813135

Comparison of differentiation potential of male mouse adipose tissue and bone marrow derived-mesenchymal stem cells into germ cells

PubMed Central

Hosseinzadeh Shirzeily, Maryam; Pasbakhsh, Parichehr; Amidi, Fardin; Mehrannia, Kobra; Sobhani, Aligholi

2013-01-01

Background: Recent publications about differentiation of stem cells to germ cells have motivated researchers to make new approaches to infertility. In vitro production of germ cells improves understanding differentiation process of male and female germ cells. Due to the problem of using embryonic stem cells (ESC), it’s necessary the mentioned cells be replaced with some adult multi-potent stem cells in laboratories. Objective: The aim of this study was to obtain germ cells from appropriate source beyond ESC and compare differential potentials of adipocytes derived stem cells (ADMSCs) with bone marrow derived stem cells (BMMSCs). Materials and Methods: To find multi-potential entity, after providing purified ADMSCs and BMMSCs, differentiation to osteoblast and adipocyte was confirmed by using appropriate culture medium. To confirm mesenchymal lineage production superficial markers (expression of CD90 and CD44 and non-expression of CD45 and CD31) were investigated by flowcytometry. Then the cells were differentiated to germ cells in inductive medium containing retinoic acid for 7days. To evaluate germ cells characteristic markers [Dazl (Deleted in azoospermia-like), Mvh (Mouse vasa homolog gene), Stra8 (Stimulated by retinoic acid) and Scp3 (Synaptonemal complex protein 3)] flowcytometry, imunoflorescence and real time PCR were used. Results: Both types of cells were able to differentiate into osteoblast and adipocyte cells and presentation of stem cell superficial markers (CD90, CD44) and absence of endothelial and blood cell markers (CD31, CD45) were confirmative The flowcytometry, imunoflorescence and real time PCR results showed remarkable expression of germ cells characteristic markers (Mvh, Dazl, Stra8, and Scp3). Conclusion: It was found that although ADMSCs were attained easier and also cultured and differentiated rapidly, germ cell markers were expressed in BMMSCs significantly more than ADMSCs. This article extracted from M.Sc. thesis. (Maryam Hosseinzadeh Shirzeily) PMID:24639722

Correlation of virulence genes to clinical manifestations and outcome in patients with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis bacteremia.

PubMed

Tsai, Chia-Ta; Chi, Chih-Yu; Ho, Cheng-Mao; Lin, Po-Chang; Chou, Chia-Hui; Wang, Jen-Hsien; Wang, Jui-Hsing; Lin, Hsiao-Chuan; Tien, Ni; Lin, Kuo-Hsi; Ho, Mao-Wang; Lu, Jang-Jih

2014-12-01

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) is increasingly recognized as a human pathogen responsible for invasive infection and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). The pathogen possesses virulence genes that resemble those found in Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS). We analyzed the association between these specific toxic genes, clinical presentations, and outcome in patients with SDSE infections. Patients (older than 18 years) with community-acquired invasive bacteremia caused by SDSE bacteremia who were undergoing treatment at China Medical University Hospital from June 2007 to December 2010 were included in this study. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify virulence genes of the SDSE isolates. Demographic data, clinical presentations, and outcome in patients with SDSE infections were reviewed and analyzed. Forty patients with 41 episodes of SDSE bacteremia were reviewed. The median age of the patients with SDSE infection was 69.7 years; 55% were female and 78% had underlying diseases. Malignancy (13, 33%) and diabetes mellitus (13, 33%) were the most common comorbidities. The 30-day mortality rate was 12%. Compared with the survivors, the non-survivors had a higher rate of diabetes mellitus (80% vs. 26%), liver cirrhosis (60% vs.11%), shock (60% vs.17%), STSS (60% vs. 8%), and a high Pittsburgh bacteremia score >4 (40% vs. 6%). Most isolates had scpA, ska, saga, and slo genes, whereas speC, speG, speH, speI, speK, smez, and ssa genes were not detected. speA gene was identified only in one patient with STSS (1/6, 17%). All isolates were susceptible to penicillin, cefotaxime, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, vancomycin, and linezolid. In invasive SDSE infections, most isolates carry putative virulence genes, such as scpA, ska, saga, and slo. Clinical SDSE isolates in Taiwan remain susceptible to penicillin cefotaxime, and levofloxacin. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

10 CFR 60.17 - Contents of site characterization plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Licenses Preapplication Review § 60.17 Contents of site characterization plan. The... construction authorization for a geologic repository operations area; (4) Criteria, developed pursuant to... area for the location of a geologic repository; and (5) Any other information which the Commission, by...

State-of-the-art study of resource characterization and planning for underground coal mining. Final technical report as of June 30, 1980

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

Walton, D.; Ingham, W.; Kauffman, P.

With the rapid developments taking place in coal mining technology and due to high investment costs, optimization of the structure of underground coal mines is crucial to the success of the mining project. The structure of a mine, once it is developed, cannot be readily changed and has a decisive influence on the productivity, safety, economics, and production capacity of the mine. The Department of Energy desires to ensure that the resource characterization and planning activity for underground coal mining will focus on those areas that offer the most promise of being advanced. Thus, this project was undertaken by Managementmore » Engineers Incorporated to determine the status in all aspects of the resource characterization and planning activities for underground coal mining as presently performed in the industry. The study team conducted a comprehensive computerized literature search and reviewed the results. From this a selection of the particularly relevant sources were annotated and a reference list was prepared, catalogued by resource characterization and mine planning activity. From this data, and discussions with industry representatives, academia, and research groups, private and federal, an assessment and evaluation was made of the state-of-the-art of each element in the resource characterization and mine planning process. The results of this analysis lead to the identifcation of areas requiring research and, specifically, those areas where DOE research efforts may be focused.« less

The Consensus Plan: Dutchess Community College, 1984-85.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donsky, Aaron P.; And Others

This 1984-85 Consensus Plan for Dutchess Community College is the result of a comprehensive planning process characterized by three elements: (1) a cycle of departmental input directed by a voluntary planning committee and finalized by the deans and president; (2) an integrated process in which departmental plans reflect the major thrusts…

Components of Motor Deficiencies in ADHD and Possible Interventions.

PubMed

Dahan, Anat; Ryder, Chen Hanna; Reiner, Miriam

2018-05-15

There is a growing body of evidence pointing at several types of motor abnormalities found in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this article we review findings stemming from different paradigms, and suggest an interweaving approach to the different stages involved in the motor regulation process. We start by reviewing various aspects of motor abnormalities found in ADHD and related brain mechanisms. Then, we classify reported motor impairments associated with ADHD, into four classes of motor stages: Attention to the task, motion preparation, motion execution and motion monitoring. Motor abnormalities and corresponding neural activations are analyzed in the context of each of the four identified motor patterns, along with the interactions among them and with other systems. Given the specifications and models of the role of the four motor impairments in ADHD, we ask what treatments correspond to the identified motor impairments. We analyze therapeutic interventions targeting motor difficulties most commonly experienced among individuals with ADHD; first, Neurofeedback training and EMG-biofeedback. As some of the identified components of attention, planning and monitoring have been shown to be linked to abnormal oscillation patterns in the brain, we examine neurofeedback interventions aimed to address these types of oscillations: Theta/beta frequency training and SCP neurofeedback targeted at elevating the CNV component. Additionally we discuss EMG-Biofeedback interventions targeted at feedback on motor activity. Further we review physical activity and motor interventions aimed at improving motor difficulties, associated with ADHD. These kinds of interventions are shown to be helpful not only in aspects of physical ability, but also in enhancing cognition and executive functioning. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Twelve Middle-School Teachers' Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Deborah Sardo

1988-01-01

Case studies described 12 middle-school teachers' instructional yearly, unit, weekly, and daily planning on the basis of a background questionnaire, interview protocols, an analysis of written plans, think-aloud typescripts, and a questionnaire. A process model best characterized teachers long-term planning, while an agenda-formulation model fit…

Characterizing Computer Access Using a One-Channel EEG Wireless Sensor

PubMed Central

Guerrero-Cubero, Jaime; Gómez-González, Isabel M.; Merino-Monge, Manuel; Silva-Silva, Juan I.

2017-01-01

This work studies the feasibility of using mental attention to access a computer. Brain activity was measured with an electrode placed at the Fp1 position and the reference on the left ear; seven normally developed people and three subjects with cerebral palsy (CP) took part in the experimentation. They were asked to keep their attention high and low for as long as possible during several trials. We recorded attention levels and power bands conveyed by the sensor, but only the first was used for feedback purposes. All of the information was statistically analyzed to find the most significant parameters and a classifier based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was also set up. In addition, 60% of the participants were potential users of this technology with an accuracy of over 70%. Including power bands in the classifier did not improve the accuracy in discriminating between the two attentional states. For most people, the best results were obtained by using only the attention indicator in classification. Tiredness was higher in the group with disabilities (2.7 in a scale of 3) than in the other (1.5 in the same scale); and modulating the attention to access a communication board requires that it does not contain many pictograms (between 4 and 7) on screen and has a scanning period of a relatively high tscan≈ 10 s. The information transfer rate (ITR) is similar to the one obtained by other brain computer interfaces (BCI), like those based on sensorimotor rhythms (SMR) or slow cortical potentials (SCP), and makes it suitable as an eye-gaze independent BCI. PMID:28661425

Describing different brain computer interface systems through a unique model: a UML implementation.

PubMed

Quitadamo, Lucia Rita; Marciani, Maria Grazia; Cardarilli, Gian Carlo; Bianchi, Luigi

2008-01-01

All the protocols currently implemented in brain computer interface (BCI) experiments are characterized by different structural and temporal entities. Moreover, due to the lack of a unique descriptive model for BCI systems, there is not a standard way to define the structure and the timing of a BCI experimental session among different research groups and there is also great discordance on the meaning of the most common terms dealing with BCI, such as trial, run and session. The aim of this paper is to provide a unified modeling language (UML) implementation of BCI systems through a unique dynamic model which is able to describe the main protocols defined in the literature (P300, mu-rhythms, SCP, SSVEP, fMRI) and demonstrates to be reasonable and adjustable according to different requirements. This model includes a set of definitions of the typical entities encountered in a BCI, diagrams which explain the structural correlations among them and a detailed description of the timing of a trial. This last represents an innovation with respect to the models already proposed in the literature. The UML documentation and the possibility of adapting this model to the different BCI systems built to date, make it a basis for the implementation of new systems and a mean for the unification and dissemination of resources. The model with all the diagrams and definitions reported in the paper are the core of the body language framework, a free set of routines and tools for the implementation, optimization and delivery of cross-platform BCI systems.

Characterizing Computer Access Using a One-Channel EEG Wireless Sensor.

PubMed

Molina-Cantero, Alberto J; Guerrero-Cubero, Jaime; Gómez-González, Isabel M; Merino-Monge, Manuel; Silva-Silva, Juan I

2017-06-29

This work studies the feasibility of using mental attention to access a computer. Brain activity was measured with an electrode placed at the Fp1 position and the reference on the left ear; seven normally developed people and three subjects with cerebral palsy (CP) took part in the experimentation. They were asked to keep their attention high and low for as long as possible during several trials. We recorded attention levels and power bands conveyed by the sensor, but only the first was used for feedback purposes. All of the information was statistically analyzed to find the most significant parameters and a classifier based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was also set up. In addition, 60% of the participants were potential users of this technology with an accuracy of over 70%. Including power bands in the classifier did not improve the accuracy in discriminating between the two attentional states. For most people, the best results were obtained by using only the attention indicator in classification. Tiredness was higher in the group with disabilities (2.7 in a scale of 3) than in the other (1.5 in the same scale); and modulating the attention to access a communication board requires that it does not contain many pictograms (between 4 and 7) on screen and has a scanning period of a relatively high t s c a n ≈ 10 s. The information transfer rate (ITR) is similar to the one obtained by other brain computer interfaces (BCI), like those based on sensorimotor rhythms (SMR) or slow cortical potentials (SCP), and makes it suitable as an eye-gaze independent BCI.

Scale-Free Neural and Physiological Dynamics in Naturalistic Stimuli Processing

PubMed Central

Lin, Amy

2016-01-01

Abstract Neural activity recorded at multiple spatiotemporal scales is dominated by arrhythmic fluctuations without a characteristic temporal periodicity. Such activity often exhibits a 1/f-type power spectrum, in which power falls off with increasing frequency following a power-law function: P(f)∝1/fβ, which is indicative of scale-free dynamics. Two extensively studied forms of scale-free neural dynamics in the human brain are slow cortical potentials (SCPs)—the low-frequency (<5 Hz) component of brain field potentials—and the amplitude fluctuations of α oscillations, both of which have been shown to carry important functional roles. In addition, scale-free dynamics characterize normal human physiology such as heartbeat dynamics. However, the exact relationships among these scale-free neural and physiological dynamics remain unclear. We recorded simultaneous magnetoencephalography and electrocardiography in healthy subjects in the resting state and while performing a discrimination task on scale-free dynamical auditory stimuli that followed different scale-free statistics. We observed that long-range temporal correlation (captured by the power-law exponent β) in SCPs positively correlated with that of heartbeat dynamics across time within an individual and negatively correlated with that of α-amplitude fluctuations across individuals. In addition, across individuals, long-range temporal correlation of both SCP and α-oscillation amplitude predicted subjects’ discrimination performance in the auditory task, albeit through antagonistic relationships. These findings reveal interrelations among different scale-free neural and physiological dynamics and initial evidence for the involvement of scale-free neural dynamics in the processing of natural stimuli, which often exhibit scale-free dynamics. PMID:27822495

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence-related genes of Streptococcus obtained from dairy cows with mastitis in Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Ding, Yuexia; Zhao, Junli; He, Xiuling; Li, Man; Guan, Hong; Zhang, Ziying; Li, Peifeng

2016-01-01

Mastitis is the most expensive disease in the dairy cattle industry and results in decreased reproductive performance. Streptococcus, especially Streptococcus agalactiae, possesses a variety of virulence factors that contribute to pathogenicity. Streptococcus isolated from mastitis was tested to assess the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and distribution of antibiotic resistance- and virulence-related genes. Eighty-one Streptococcus isolates were phenotypically characterized for antimicrobial resistance against 15 antibiotics by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) using a micro-dilution method. Resistance- and virulence-related genes were detected by PCR. High percentage of resistance to β-lactams, along with tetracycline and erythromycin, was found. Resistance to three or more of seven antimicrobial agents was observed at 88.9%, with penicillin-tetracycline-erythromycin-clindamycin as the major profile in Streptococcus isolates. Resistant genes were detected by PCR, the result showed that 86.4, 86.4, 81.5, and 38.3% of isolates were mainly carrying the pbp2b, tetL, tetM, and ermB genes, respectively. Nine virulence genes were investigated. Genes cyl, glnA, cfb, hylB, and scaA were found to be in 50% of isolates, while 3.7, 21, and 4.9% of isolates were positive for bca, lmb, and scpB, genes, respectively. None of the isolates carried the bac gene. This study suggests the need for prudent use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary clinical medicine to avoid the increase and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance arising from the use of antimicrobial drugs in animals.

Regulation of virulence by a two-component system in group B streptococcus.

PubMed

Jiang, Sheng-Mei; Cieslewicz, Michael J; Kasper, Dennis L; Wessels, Michael R

2005-02-01

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is frequently carried in the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract as a commensal organism, yet it has the potential to cause life-threatening infection in newborn infants, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic illness. Regulation of virulence factor expression may affect whether GBS behaves as an asymptomatic colonizer or an invasive pathogen, but little is known about how such factors are controlled in GBS. We now report the characterization of a GBS locus that encodes a two-component regulatory system similar to CsrRS (or CovRS) in Streptococcus pyogenes. Inactivation of csrR, encoding the putative response regulator, in two unrelated wild-type strains of GBS resulted in a marked increase in production of beta-hemolysin/cytolysin and a striking decrease in production of CAMP factor, an unrelated cytolytic toxin. Quantitative RNA hybridization experiments revealed that these two phenotypes were associated with a marked increase and decrease in expression of the corresponding genes, cylE and cfb, respectively. The CsrR mutant strains also displayed increased expression of scpB encoding C5a peptidase. Similar, but less marked, changes in gene expression were observed in CsrS (putative sensor component) mutants, evidence that CsrR and CsrS constitute a functional two-component system. Experimental infection studies in mice demonstrated reduced virulence of both CsrR and CsrS mutant strains relative to the wild type. Together, these results indicate that CsrRS regulates expression of multiple GBS virulence determinants and is likely to play an important role in GBS pathogenesis.

20 CFR 632.255 - Program planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... that may be characterized as planning and design but not program operation. (c) Expenses incurred in... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Program planning. 632.255 Section 632.255... EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS Summer Youth Employment and Training Programs § 632.255 Program planning. (a...

Spectroscopic ellipsometric studies of the dielectric function of Cd1-x-yMnxFeyTe single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Younghun; Kim, Hyekyeong; Um, Youngho; Park, Hyoyeol

2004-06-01

Cd1-x-yMnxFeyTe single crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman method have been studied by measuring the complex dielectric function using spectroscopic ellipsometry in the 1.5 5.5 eV photon energy range at room temperature. The CP energy parameters of the E0, E1, E1 + 1, and E2 structures were determined by fitting the second-derivative spectra (d2/d2) with a theoretical model, i.e., the standard critical point (SCP) line shapes. The E1, E1 + 1, and E2 energies decreased with increasing Fe composition y, which is due to the hybridization effect of the valence and conduction bands in Cd1-xMnxTe with Fe 3d levels.

Site characterization report for the basalt waste isolation project. Volume II

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

None

1982-11-01

The reference location for a repository in basalt for the terminal storage of nuclear wastes on the Hanford Site and the candidate horizons within this reference repository location have been identified and the preliminary characterization work in support of the site screening process has been completed. Fifteen technical questions regarding the qualification of the site were identified to be addressed during the detailed site characterization phase of the US Department of Energy-National Waste Terminal Storage Program site selection process. Resolution of these questions will be provided in the final site characterization progress report, currently planned to be issued in 1987,more » and in the safety analysis report to be submitted with the License Application. The additional information needed to resolve these questions and the plans for obtaining the information have been identified. This Site Characterization Report documents the results of the site screening process, the preliminary site characterization data, the technical issues that need to be addressed, and the plans for resolving these issues. Volume 2 contains chapters 6 through 12: geochemistry; surface hydrology; climatology, meteorology, and air quality; environmental, land-use, and socioeconomic characteristics; repository design; waste package; and performance assessment.« less

Dynamics associated with spontaneous differentiation of ovarian stem cells in vitro

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Recent studies suggest that ovarian germ line stem cells replenish oocyte-pool in adult stage, and challenge the central doctrine of ‘fixed germ cell pool’ in mammalian reproductive biology. Two distinct populations of spherical stem cells with high nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio have been recently identified in the adult mammalian ovary surface epithelium (OSE) including nuclear OCT-4A positive very small embryonic-like (VSELs) and cytoplasmic OCT-4 expressing ovarian germ stem cells (OGSCs). Three weeks culture of scraped OSE cells results in spontaneous differentiation of the stem cells into oocyte-like, parthenote-like, embryoid body-like structures and also embryonic stem cell-like colonies whereas epithelial cells attach and transform into a bed of mesenchymal cells. Present study was undertaken, to further characterize ovarian stem cells and to comprehend better the process of spontaneous differentiation of ovarian stem cells into oocyte-like structures in vitro. Methods Ovarian stem cells were enriched by immunomagnetic sorting using SSEA-4 as a cell surface marker and were further characterized. Stem cells and clusters of OGSCs (reminiscent of germ cell nests in fetal ovaries), were characterized by immuno-localization for stem and germ cell specific markers and spontaneous differentiation in OSE cultures was studied by live cell imaging. Results Differential expression of markers specific for pluripotent VSELs (nuclear OCT-4A, SSEA-4, CD133), OGSCs (cytoplasmic OCT-4) primordial germ cells (FRAGILIS, STELLA, VASA) and germ cells (DAZL, GDF-9, SCP-3) were studied. Within one week of culture, stem cells became bigger in size, developed abundant cytoplasm, differentiated into germ cells, revealed presence of Balbiani body-like structure (mitochondrial cloud) and exhibited characteristic cytoplasmic streaming. Conclusions Presence of germ cell nests, Balbiani body-like structures and cytoplasmic streaming extensively described during fetal ovary development, are indeed well recapitulated during in vitro oogenesis in adult OSE cultures along with characteristic expression of stem/germ cell/oocyte markers. Further studies are required to assess the genetic integrity of in vitro derived oocytes before harnessing their clinical potential. Advance in our knowledge about germ cell differentiation from stem cells will enable researchers to design better in vitro strategies which in turn may have relevance to reproductive biology and regenerative medicine. PMID:24568237

Vapor Intrusion Characterization Report (Revision 1.0)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Vapor Intrusion Characterization Report (Revision 1) - February 5, 2015: This report, which was approved by the EPA on February 18, 2015, documents the results from implementation of the Final Vapor Intrusion Characterization Work Plan.

XML-BSPM: an XML format for storing Body Surface Potential Map recordings.

PubMed

Bond, Raymond R; Finlay, Dewar D; Nugent, Chris D; Moore, George

2010-05-14

The Body Surface Potential Map (BSPM) is an electrocardiographic method, for recording and displaying the electrical activity of the heart, from a spatial perspective. The BSPM has been deemed more accurate for assessing certain cardiac pathologies when compared to the 12-lead ECG. Nevertheless, the 12-lead ECG remains the most popular ECG acquisition method for non-invasively assessing the electrical activity of the heart. Although data from the 12-lead ECG can be stored and shared using open formats such as SCP-ECG, no open formats currently exist for storing and sharing the BSPM. As a result, an innovative format for storing BSPM datasets has been developed within this study. The XML vocabulary was chosen for implementation, as opposed to binary for the purpose of human readability. There are currently no standards to dictate the number of electrodes and electrode positions for recording a BSPM. In fact, there are at least 11 different BSPM electrode configurations in use today. Therefore, in order to support these BSPM variants, the XML-BSPM format was made versatile. Hence, the format supports the storage of custom torso diagrams using SVG graphics. This diagram can then be used in a 2D coordinate system for retaining electrode positions. This XML-BSPM format has been successfully used to store the Kornreich-117 BSPM dataset and the Lux-192 BSPM dataset. The resulting file sizes were in the region of 277 kilobytes for each BSPM recording and can be deemed suitable for example, for use with any telemonitoring application. Moreover, there is potential for file sizes to be further reduced using basic compression algorithms, i.e. the deflate algorithm. Finally, these BSPM files have been parsed and visualised within a convenient time period using a web based BSPM viewer. This format, if widely adopted could promote BSPM interoperability, knowledge sharing and data mining. This work could also be used to provide conceptual solutions and inspire existing formats such as DICOM, SCP-ECG and aECG to support the storage of BSPMs. In summary, this research provides initial ground work for creating a complete BSPM management system.

Viterbi sparse spike detection and a compositional origin to ultralow-velocity zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Samuel Paul

Accurate interpretation of seismic travel times and amplitudes in both the exploration and global scales is complicated by the band-limited nature of seismic data. We present a stochastic method, Viterbi sparse spike detection (VSSD), to reduce a seismic waveform into a most probable constituent spike train. Model waveforms are constructed from a set of candidate spike trains convolved with a source wavelet estimate. For each model waveform, a profile hidden Markov model (HMM) is constructed to represent the waveform as a stochastic generative model with a linear topology corresponding to a sequence of samples. The Viterbi algorithm is employed to simultaneously find the optimal nonlinear alignment between a model waveform and the seismic data, and to assign a score to each candidate spike train. The most probable travel times and amplitudes are inferred from the alignments of the highest scoring models. Our analyses show that the method can resolve closely spaced arrivals below traditional resolution limits and that travel time estimates are robust in the presence of random noise and source wavelet errors. We applied the VSSD method to constrain the elastic properties of a ultralow- velocity zone (ULVZ) at the core-mantle boundary beneath the Coral Sea. We analyzed vertical component short period ScP waveforms for 16 earthquakes occurring in the Tonga-Fiji trench recorded at the Alice Springs Array (ASAR) in central Australia. These waveforms show strong pre and postcursory seismic arrivals consistent with ULVZ layering. We used the VSSD method to measure differential travel-times and amplitudes of the post-cursor arrival ScSP and the precursor arrival SPcP relative to ScP. We compare our measurements to a database of approximately 340,000 synthetic seismograms finding that these data are best fit by a ULVZ model with an S-wave velocity reduction of 24%, a P-wave velocity reduction of 23%, a thickness of 8.5 km, and a density increase of 6%. We simultaneously constrain both P- and S-wave velocity reductions as a 1:1 ratio inside this ULVZ. This 1:1 ratio is not consistent with a partial melt origin to ULVZs. Rather, we demonstrate that a compositional origin is more likely.

The relationship between gut contents and supercooling capacity in hatchling painted turtles (Chrysemys picta).

PubMed

Packard, Gary C; Packard, Mary J

2006-05-01

Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) typically spend their first winter of life in a shallow, subterranean hibernaculum (the natal nest) where they seemingly withstand exposure to ice and cold by resisting freezing and becoming supercooled. However, turtles ingest soil and fragments of eggshell as they are hatching from their eggs, and the ingestate usually contains efficient nucleating agents that cause water to freeze at high subzero temperatures. Consequently, neonatal painted turtles have only a modest ability to undergo supercooling in the period immediately after hatching. We studied the limit for supercooling (SCP) in hatchlings that were acclimating to different thermal regimes and then related SCPs of the turtles to the amount of particulate matter in their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Turtles that were transferred directly from 26 degrees C (the incubation temperature) to 2 degrees C did not purge soil from their gut, and SCPs for these animals remained near -4 degrees C for the 60 days of the study. Animals that were held at 26 degrees C for the duration of the experiment usually cleared soil from their GI tract within 24 days, but SCPs for these turtles were only slightly lower after 60 days than they were at the outset of the experiment. Hatchlings that were acclimating slowly to 2 degrees C cleared soil from their gut within 24 days and realized a modest reduction in their SCP. However, the limit of supercooling in the slowly acclimating animals continued to decline even after all particulate material had been removed from their GI tract, thereby indicating that factors intrinsic to the nucleating agents themselves also may have been involved in the acclimation of hatchlings to low temperature. The lowest SCPs for turtles that were acclimating slowly to 2 degrees C were similar to SCPs recorded in an earlier study of animals taken from natural nests in late autumn, so the current findings affirm the importance of seasonally declining temperatures in preparing animals in the field to withstand conditions that they will encounter during winter.

MISR - Science Data Validation Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conel, J.; Ledeboer, W.; Ackerman, T.; Marchand, R.; Clothiaux, E.

2000-01-01

This Science Data Validation Plan describes the plans for validating a subset of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Level 2 algorithms and data products and supplying top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiances to the In-flight Radiometric Calibration and Characterization (IFRCC) subsystem for vicarious calibration.

OPTIMIZATION OF IN-SITU THERMAL REMEDIATION: THE LORING AFB STEAM INJECTION PROJECT EXAMPLE

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental remediation programs require that adequate planning be done before field work for characterization or remediation is undertaken. However, the heterogeneous nature of the subsurface can often thwart our best planning efforts. More recently, dynamic work plans which...

Chemical decontamination technical resources at Los Alamos National Laboratory (2008)

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

Moore, Murray E

This document supplies information resources for a person seeking to create planning or pre-planning documents for chemical decontamination operations. A building decontamination plan can be separated into four different sections: Pre-planning, Characterization, Decontamination (Initial response and also complete cleanup), and Clearance. Of the identified Los Alamos resources, they can be matched with these four sections: Pre-planning -- Dave Seidel, EO-EPP, Emergency Planning and Preparedness; David DeCroix and Bruce Letellier, D-3, Computational fluids modeling of structures; Murray E. Moore, RP-2, Aerosol sampling and ventilation engineering. Characterization (this can include development projects) -- Beth Perry, IAT-3, Nuclear Counterterrorism Response (SNIPER database); Fernandomore » Garzon, MPA-11, Sensors and Electrochemical Devices (development); George Havrilla, C-CDE, Chemical Diagnostics and Engineering; Kristen McCabe, B-7, Biosecurity and Public Health. Decontamination -- Adam Stively, EO-ER, Emergency Response; Dina Matz, IHS-IP, Industrial hygiene; Don Hickmott, EES-6, Chemical cleanup. Clearance (validation) -- Larry Ticknor, CCS-6, Statistical Sciences.« less

44 CFR 201.4 - Standard State Mitigation Plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... reduce risks from natural hazards and serves as a guide for State decision makers as they commit resources to reducing the effects of natural hazards. (b) Planning process. An effective planning process is... risk assessments must characterize and analyze natural hazards and risks to provide a statewide...

Rare-earth doped nanocomposites enable multiscale targeted short-wave infrared imaging of metastatic breast cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, Mark C.; Higgins, Laura M.; Ganapathy, Vidya; Kantamneni, Harini; Riman, Richard E.; Roth, Charles M.; Moghe, Prabhas V.

2017-02-01

We are investigating the ability of targeted rare earth (RE) doped nanocomposites to detect and track micrometastatic breast cancer lesions to distant sites in pre-clinical in vivo models. Functionalizing RE nanocomposites with AMD3100 promotes targeting to CXCR4, a recognized marker for highly metastatic disease. Mice were inoculated with SCP-28 (CXCR4 positive) and 4175 (CXCR4 negative) cell lines. Whole animal in vivo SWIR fluorescence imaging was performed after bioluminescence imaging confirmed tumor burden in the lungs. Line-scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy provided high-resolution imaging of RE nanocomposite uptake and native tissue autofluorescence in ex vivo lung specimens. Co-registered optical coherence tomography imaging allowed assessment of tissue microarchitecture. In conclusion, multiscale optical molecular imaging can be performed in pre-clinical models of metastatic breast cancer, using targeted RE-doped nanocomposites.

Practical Designs of Brain-Computer Interfaces Based on the Modulation of EEG Rhythms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yijun; Gao, Xiaorong; Hong, Bo; Gao, Shangkai

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a communication channel which does not depend on the brain's normal output pathways of peripheral nerves and muscles [1-3]. It supplies paralyzed patients with a new approach to communicate with the environment. Among various brain monitoring methods employed in current BCI research, electroencephalogram (EEG) is the main interest due to its advantages of low cost, convenient operation and non-invasiveness. In present-day EEG-based BCIs, the following signals have been paid much attention: visual evoked potential (VEP), sensorimotor mu/beta rhythms, P300 evoked potential, slow cortical potential (SCP), and movement-related cortical potential (MRCP). Details about these signals can be found in chapter "Brain Signals for Brain-Computer Interfaces". These systems offer some practical solutions (e.g., cursor movement and word processing) for patients with motor disabilities.

The presence of the recurrent veinlet in the Middle Jurassic Nymphidae (Neuroptera): a unique character condition in Myrmeleontoidea

PubMed Central

Makarkin, Vladimir N.; Yang, Qiang; Shi, Chaofan; Ren, Dong

2013-01-01

Abstract A well-developed recurrent veinlet is found in the forewing of two species of Nymphidae from the Middle Jurassic locality of Daohugou (Inner Mongolia, China), Liminympha makarkini Ren & Engel and Daonymphes bisulca gen. et sp. n. This is the first record of this trait in the clade comprised of the superfamilies Myrmeleontoidea and Chrysopoidea. We interpret the recurrent veinlet in these species as a remnant of the condition present more basally in the psychopsoid + ithonoid + chrysopoid + myrmeleontoid clade (i.e., as a plesiomorphy). Other venational character states of Daonymphes bisulca of interest include the configuration of subcosta anterior (ScA), which is very similar to that of extant Nymphidae. We consider the short ScA terminating on ScP to be an autapomorphy of Neuroptera. PMID:24003318

Development of single-cell protectors for sealed silver-zinc cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lear, J. W.; Donovan, R. L.; Imamura, M. S.

1978-01-01

Three design approaches to cell-level protection were developed, fabricated, and tested. These systems are referred to as the single-cell protector (SCP), multiplexed-cell protector(MCP). To evaluate the systems 18-cell battery packs without cell level control were subjected to cycle life test. A total of five batteries were subjected to simulate synchronous orbit cycling at 40% depth of discharge at 22C. Batteries without cell-level protection failed between 345 and 255 cycles. Cell failure in the cell level protected batteries occurred between 412 and 540. It was determined that the cell-level monitoring and protection is necessary to attain the long cycle life of a AgZn battery. The best method of providing control and protection of the AgZn cells depends on the specific application and capability of the user.

Effectiveness monitoring for the aquatic and riparian component of the Northwest Forest Plan: conceptual framework and options.

Treesearch

Gordon H. Reeves; David B. Hohler; David P. Larsen; David E. Busch; Kim Kratz; Keith Reynolds; Karl F. Stein; Thomas Atzet; Polly Hays; Michael Tehan

2004-01-01

An Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Plan (AREMP) for the Northwest Forest Plan is intended to characterize the ecological condition of watersheds and aquatic ecosystems. So to determine the effectiveness of the Northwest Forest Plan to meet relevant objectives, this report presents the conceptual foundation of options for use in pilot testing and...

What to Tell the Public? Information Design as Interpretation in Corridor Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebeaux, Pamela M.

2012-01-01

Providing information to the public is a widely recognized function of planning. Yet little attention has been paid to how expert information is characterized for citizens participating in a planning process. The text, maps and images used to tell the story in a planning process can help to bridge the divide between experts and citizens, or act to…

Landscape Hazards in Yukon Communities: Geological Mapping for Climate Change Adaptation Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, K.; Kinnear, L.

2010-12-01

Climate change is considered to be a significant challenge for northern communities where the effects of increased temperature and climate variability are beginning to affect infrastructure and livelihoods (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004). Planning for and adapting to ongoing and future changes in climate will require the identification and characterization of social, economic, cultural, political and biophysical vulnerabilities. This pilot project addresses physical landscape vulnerabilities in two communities in the Yukon Territory through community-scale landscape hazard mapping and focused investigations of community permafrost conditions. Landscape hazards are identified by combining pre-existing data from public utilities and private-sector consultants with new geophysical techniques (ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity), shallow drilling, surficial geological mapping, and permafrost characterization. Existing landscape vulnerabilities are evaluated based on their potential for hazard (low, medium or high) under current climate conditions, as well as under future climate scenarios. Detailed hazard maps and landscape characterizations for both communities will contribute to overall adaptation plans and allow for informed development, planning and mitigation of potentially threatening hazards in and around the communities.

Characterizing Cool Giant Planets in Reflected Light

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marley, Mark

2016-01-01

While the James Webb Space Telescope will detect and characterize extrasolar planets by transit and direct imaging, a new generation of telescopes will be required to detect and characterize extrasolar planets by reflected light imaging. NASA's WFIRST space telescope, now in development, will image dozens of cool giant planets at optical wavelengths and will obtain spectra for several of the best and brightest targets. This mission will pave the way for the detection and characterization of terrestrial planets by the planned LUVOIR or HabEx space telescopes. In my presentation I will discuss the challenges that arise in the interpretation of direct imaging data and present the results of our group's effort to develop methods for maximizing the science yield from these planned missions.

Plan EJ 2014: Science Tools Development

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Under Plan EJ 2014, EPA has committed to building a strong scientific foundation for supporting environmental justice and conducting disproportionate impact analysis, particularly methods to appropriately characterize and assess cumulative impacts.

40 CFR 63.11519 - What are my notification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., a brief characterization of the types of products (e.g., aerospace components, sports equipment, etc... of emissions opacity. (9) Site-specific Welding Emissions Management Plan reporting. You must submit...-Specific Welding Emissions Management Plan and any subsequent revisions to the plan pursuant to § 63.11516...

Phenotypic and Molecular Characteristics of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolates Recovered from Milk of Dairy Cows in Brazil

PubMed Central

Duarte, Rafael S.; Miranda, Otávio P.; Bellei, Bruna C.; Brito, Maria Aparecida V. P.; Teixeira, Lúcia M.

2004-01-01

Information on the characteristics of Streptococcus agalactiae obtained from bovine sources in Brazil is still very limited. The aim of this study was to assess the phenotypic and genotypic diversity among S. agalactiae isolates from milk of dairy cows presenting clinical or subclinical mastitis in the southeast region of Brazil. Phenotypic characterization was based on physiological and serological tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were carried out by the disk method. Genetic diversity was evaluated by using random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR (RAPD-PCR) (by using the primer 1254) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) (by using SmaI as the restriction enzyme) and by PCRs for detection of genes associated with resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline as well as PCRs for detection of genes coding for cell surface-associated proteins. According to the results of physiologic tests, 45 (52.9%) isolates showed beta-hemolysis and 44 (51.7%) were susceptible to bacitracin. Fourteen different biotypes were detected. The two most frequent biotypes comprised strains that were non-beta-hemolytic; fermented galactose, lactose, and salicin; produced protease; and were negative for DNase production. Serotype III was predominant (66 isolates [77.6%]), followed by serotypes II, Ia, Ib, and VI. Resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin was found in 38 (44.7%) and 9 (10.5%) isolates, respectively, with tet(O) (31.7%) and erm(B) (100%) being the most frequently occurring resistance genes. Three genes coding for surface proteins, bca, lmb, and scpB, were detected in 55 (64.7%), 7 (8.2%), and 43 (50.5%) isolates, respectively. In most cases, isolates from animals in the same herd presented closely related genetic profiles (determined by either RAPD-PCR or PFGE), which were distinct from those of isolates from different herds. PMID:15365014

Secretory pathway Ca2+/Mn2+-ATPase isoform 2 and lactation: specific localization of plasmalemmal and secretory pathway Ca2+ pump isoforms in the mammary gland

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

Faddy, Helen M.; Smart, Chanel E.; Xu, Ren

2008-04-09

The supply of calcium to the developing neonate via milk is an important physiological process. Until recently the mechanism for the enrichment of milk with calcium was thought to be almost entirely mediated via the secretory pathway. However, recent studies suggest that a specific isoform of the plasma membrane calcium ATPase, PMCA2, is the primary mechanism for calcium transport into milk, highlighting a major role for apical calcium transport. We compared the expression of the recently identified secretory calcium ATPase, SPCA2, and SPCA1, in the mouse mammary gland during different stages of development. SPCA2 levels increased over 35 fold duringmore » lactation, while SPCA1 increased only a modest two fold. The potential importance of SPCA2 in lactation was also highlighted by its localization to luminal secretory cells of the mammary gland during lactation, while SPCA1 was expressed throughout the cells of the mammary gland. We also observed major differences in the localization of PMCA2 and PMCA1 during lactation. Using the SCp2 mouse mammary epithelial cell 3D culture model, differences in the sub-cellular distribution of PMCA2 and PMCA1 were clear. These studies highlight the likely specific roles of PMCA2 and SPCA2 in lactation, and link the recently characterized SPCA2 calcium pump to the supply of calcium into milk and the regulation of Golgi resident enzymes important in lactation. They also indicate that calcium transport into milk is a complex interplay between apical and secretory pathways.« less

76 FR 61402 - Draft Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fiscal Year 2012-2016 Strategic Plan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... waste. The draft Strategic Plan also describes the agency's Organizational Excellence Objectives of Openness, Regulatory Effectiveness, and Operational Excellence, which characterize the manner in which the...

Putting people on the map through an approach that integrates social data in conservation planning.

PubMed

Stephanson, Sheri L; Mascia, Michael B

2014-10-01

Conservation planning is integral to strategic and effective operations of conservation organizations. Drawing upon biological sciences, conservation planning has historically made limited use of social data. We offer an approach for integrating data on social well-being into conservation planning that captures and places into context the spatial patterns and trends in human needs and capacities. This hierarchical approach provides a nested framework for characterizing and mapping data on social well-being in 5 domains: economic well-being, health, political empowerment, education, and culture. These 5 domains each have multiple attributes; each attribute may be characterized by one or more indicators. Through existing or novel data that display spatial and temporal heterogeneity in social well-being, conservation scientists, planners, and decision makers may measure, benchmark, map, and integrate these data within conservation planning processes. Selecting indicators and integrating these data into conservation planning is an iterative, participatory process tailored to the local context and planning goals. Social well-being data complement biophysical and threat-oriented social data within conservation planning processes to inform decisions regarding where and how to conserve biodiversity, provide a structure for exploring socioecological relationships, and to foster adaptive management. Building upon existing conservation planning methods and insights from multiple disciplines, this approach to putting people on the map can readily merge with current planning practices to facilitate more rigorous decision making. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Iraq liquid radioactive waste tanks maintenance and monitoring program plan.

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

Dennis, Matthew L.; Cochran, John Russell; Sol Shamsaldin, Emad

2011-10-01

The purpose of this report is to develop a project management plan for maintaining and monitoring liquid radioactive waste tanks at Iraq's Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center. Based on information from several sources, the Al-Tuwaitha site has approximately 30 waste tanks that contain varying amounts of liquid or sludge radioactive waste. All of the tanks have been non-operational for over 20 years and most have limited characterization. The program plan embodied in this document provides guidance on conducting radiological surveys, posting radiation control areas and controlling access, performing tank hazard assessments to remove debris and gain access, and conducting routine tankmore » inspections. This program plan provides general advice on how to sample and characterize tank contents, and how to prioritize tanks for soil sampling and borehole monitoring.« less