A novel mode of regulation of the Staphylococcus aureus catabolite control protein A (CcpA) mediated by Stk1 protein phosphorylation.

PubMed

Leiba, Jade; Hartmann, Torsten; Cluzel, Marie-Eve; Cohen-Gonsaud, Martin; Delolme, Frédéric; Bischoff, Markus; Molle, Virginie

2012-12-21

The Staphylococcus aureus serine/threonine protein kinase Stk1 (also known as PknB) affects different key pathways such as cell wall metabolism, antibiotic susceptibility, and regulation of virulence. Here we report that the catabolite control protein A (CcpA), a highly conserved regulator of carbon catabolite repression and virulence in a number of gram-positive pathogens, was efficiently phosphorylated in vitro and in vivo by Stk1 in S. aureus, whereas the CcpA homologues of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis were not affected by the Stk1 orthologue PrkC. Mass spectrometry and mutational analyses identified Thr-18 and Thr-33 as the phosphoacceptors; both are located in the DNA binding domain of this protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that the CcpA DNA binding activity was completely abrogated for the phosphorylated CcpA. The physiological relevance of CcpA phosphorylation was assessed by generating CcpA phosphoablative (T18A/T33A) or phosphomimetic (T18D/T33D) mutants. In contrast to the wild-type and phosphoablative ccpA alleles, introduction of the phosphomimetic ccpA allele in a ΔccpA mutant failed to restore the parental biofilm formation profile and the transcription of citZ and hla to levels seen with the wild type. The strong up regulation of ccpA transcripts and CcpA level in the ccpA mutant trans-complemented with the phosphomimetic CcpA variant suggest furthermore that CcpA acts as a negative regulator of its own expression. Together, these findings demonstrate that Stk1-driven phosphorylation of CcpA inhibits its DNA binding activity toward its regulon in S. aureus, representing a novel regulatory mechanism of CcpA activity in addition to the well known regulation via HprKP/Hpr in this clinically important pathogen.

A Novel Mode of Regulation of the Staphylococcus aureus Catabolite Control Protein A (CcpA) Mediated by Stk1 Protein Phosphorylation*

PubMed Central

Leiba, Jade; Hartmann, Torsten; Cluzel, Marie-Eve; Cohen-Gonsaud, Martin; Delolme, Frédéric; Bischoff, Markus; Molle, Virginie

2012-01-01

The Staphylococcus aureus serine/threonine protein kinase Stk1 (also known as PknB) affects different key pathways such as cell wall metabolism, antibiotic susceptibility, and regulation of virulence. Here we report that the catabolite control protein A (CcpA), a highly conserved regulator of carbon catabolite repression and virulence in a number of Gram-positive pathogens, was efficiently phosphorylated in vitro and in vivo by Stk1 in S. aureus, whereas the CcpA homologues of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis were not affected by the Stk1 orthologue PrkC. Mass spectrometry and mutational analyses identified Thr-18 and Thr-33 as the phosphoacceptors; both are located in the DNA binding domain of this protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that the CcpA DNA binding activity was completely abrogated for the phosphorylated CcpA. The physiological relevance of CcpA phosphorylation was assessed by generating CcpA phosphoablative (T18A/T33A) or phosphomimetic (T18D/T33D) mutants. In contrast to the wild-type and phosphoablative ccpA alleles, introduction of the phosphomimetic ccpA allele in a ΔccpA mutant failed to restore the parental biofilm formation profile and the transcription of citZ and hla to levels seen with the wild type. The strong up regulation of ccpA transcripts and CcpA level in the ccpA mutant trans-complemented with the phosphomimetic CcpA variant suggest furthermore that CcpA acts as a negative regulator of its own expression. Together, these findings demonstrate that Stk1-driven phosphorylation of CcpA inhibits its DNA binding activity toward its regulon in S. aureus, representing a novel regulatory mechanism of CcpA activity in addition to the well known regulation via HprKP/Hpr in this clinically important pathogen. PMID:23132867

Modeling RF Fields in Hot Plasmas with Parallel Full Wave Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, Andrew; Svidzinski, Vladimir; Zhao, Liangji; Galkin, Sergei; Kim, Jin-Soo

2016-10-01

FAR-TECH, Inc. is developing a suite of full wave RF plasma codes. It is based on a meshless formulation in configuration space with adapted cloud of computational points (CCP) capability and using the hot plasma conductivity kernel to model the nonlocal plasma dielectric response. The conductivity kernel is calculated by numerically integrating the linearized Vlasov equation along unperturbed particle trajectories. Work has been done on the following calculations: 1) the conductivity kernel in hot plasmas, 2) a monitor function based on analytic solutions of the cold-plasma dispersion relation, 3) an adaptive CCP based on the monitor function, 4) stencils to approximate the wave equations on the CCP, 5) the solution to the full wave equations in the cold-plasma model in tokamak geometry for ECRH and ICRH range of frequencies, and 6) the solution to the wave equations using the calculated hot plasma conductivity kernel. We will present results on using a meshless formulation on adaptive CCP to solve the wave equations and on implementing the non-local hot plasma dielectric response to the wave equations. The presentation will include numerical results of wave propagation and absorption in the cold and hot tokamak plasma RF models, using DIII-D geometry and plasma parameters. Work is supported by the U.S. DOE SBIR program.

CCP Billing Alternatives Study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-04-01

On behalf of DoD, the Defense Logistics Agency operates consolidation and containerization points (CCPs) at Defense Depot Susquehanna, PA and at Defense Depot San Joaquin, CA. These CCPs receive freight from other defense depots and consolidate it in...

Imaging of the Main Himalayan Thrust and Moho beneath Satluj Valley, Northwest Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadhawan, M.; Hazarika, D.; Paul, A.; Kumar, N.

2016-12-01

The ongoing continental collision between India and Eurasia gave rise to the formation of the great Himalayan fold-thrust belt. Satluj valley is found to be well exposed from foreland to Higher Himalayan Crystalline series along the Satluj River. Receiver function method has been utilized to image crustal features using Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacking beneath Satluj valley recorded by a seismological array of 18 broadband seismometers. The seismological stations cover the geotectonic units starting from the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) in the south to the Tethyan Himalaya (TH) to the north. The study inferred gentle northward dipping nature of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) between Sub Himalaya (SH) and Higher Himalaya (HH) in the study area rather than flat-ramp-flat geometry as reported in Nepal Himalaya and Garhwal Himalaya. The depth of the MHT obtained from CCP image and inversion of receiver functions shows that it varies from 16 km in the SH to 27 km near the STD which further increases up to 38 km beneath the TH. The absence of both large and moderate magnitude earthquakes in the Himalayan Seismic Belt (HSB) straddling northern Lesser Himalaya and southern Higher Himalaya in Satluj valley is correlated with absence of ramp structure in this part of HSB. The CCP image has mapped the Moho discontinuity at 44 km depth near the HFT which has increased to 62 km beneath the TH. An extremely low shear wave velocity ranging between 0.8 and 1.8 km s-1 is estimated at stations near the HFT, in the upper most 3-4 km of the crust which indicates the effect of sedimentary column of Indo-Gangetic plains. An intra crustal low velocity layer (IC-LVL) is observed beneath the study profile and inferred as partial melt and/or aqueous fluid at mid-crustal depth beneath the TH. The H-K stacking is applied and average Poisson's ratio is observed to be higher in the TH as compared to the stations to the south of STD.

Catabolite repression in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 is mediated by CcpA.

PubMed Central

Monedero, V; Gosalbes, M J; Pérez-Martínez, G

1997-01-01

The chromosomal ccpA gene from Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 has been cloned and sequenced. It encodes the CcpA protein, a central catabolite regulator belonging to the LacI-GalR family of bacterial repressors, and shows 54% identity with CcpA proteins from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium. The L. casei ccpA gene was able to complement a B. subtilis ccpA mutant. An L. casei ccpA mutant showed increased doubling times and a relief of the catabolite repression of some enzymatic activities, such as N-acetylglucosaminidase and phospho-beta-galactosidase. Detailed analysis of CcpA activity was performed by using the promoter region of the L. casei chromosomal lacTEGF operon which is subject to catabolite repression and contains a catabolite responsive element (cre) consensus sequence. Deletion of this cre site or the presence of the ccpA mutation abolished the catabolite repression of a lacp::gusA fusion. These data support the role of CcpA as a common regulatory element mediating catabolite repression in low-GC-content gram-positive bacteria. PMID:9352913

Differential Expression of Three Members of the Multidomain Adhesion CCp Family in Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis and Theileria equi

PubMed Central

Bastos, Reginaldo G.; Suarez, Carlos E.; Laughery, Jacob M.; Johnson, Wendell C.; Ueti, Massaro W.; Knowles, Donald P.

2013-01-01

Members of the CCp protein family have been previously described to be expressed on gametocytes of apicomplexan Plasmodium parasites. Knocking out Plasmodium CCp genes blocks the development of the parasite in the mosquito vector, making the CCp proteins potential targets for the development of a transmission-blocking vaccine. Apicomplexans Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina are the causative agents of bovine babesiosis, and apicomplexan Theileria equi causes equine piroplasmosis. Bovine babesiosis and equine piroplasmosis are the most economically important parasite diseases that affect worldwide cattle and equine industries, respectively. The recent sequencing of the B. bovis and T. equi genomes has provided the opportunity to identify novel genes involved in parasite biology. Here we characterize three members of the CCp family, named CCp1, CCp2 and CCp3, in B. bigemina, B. bovis and T. equi. Using B. bigemina as an in vitro model, expression of all three CCp genes and proteins was demonstrated in temperature-induced sexual stages. Transcripts for all three CCp genes were found in vivo in blood stages of T. equi, and transcripts for CCp3 were detected in vivo in blood stages of B. bovis. However, no protein expression was detected in T. equi blood stages or B. bovis blood stages or B. bovis tick stages. Collectively, the data demonstrated a differential pattern of expression of three orthologous genes of the multidomain adhesion CCp family by B. bigemina, B. bovis and T. equi. The novel CCp members represent potential targets for innovative approaches to control bovine babesiosis and equine piroplasmosis. PMID:23844089

Engineering Ascorbate Peroxidase Activity Into Cytochrome C Peroxidase

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

Meharenna, Y.T.; Oertel, P.; Bhaskar, B.

2009-05-26

Cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) have very similar structures, and yet neither CCP nor APX exhibits each others activities with respect to reducing substrates. APX has a unique substrate binding site near the heme propionates where ascorbate H-bonds with a surface Arg and one heme propionate (Sharp et al. (2003) Nat. Struct. Biol. 10, 303--307). The corresponding region in CCP has a much longer surface loop, and the critical Arg residue that is required for ascorbate binding in APX is Asn in CCP. In order to convert CCP into an APX, the ascorbate-binding loop and critical argininemore » were engineered into CCP to give the CCP2APX mutant. The mutant crystal structure shows that the engineered site is nearly identical to that found in APX. While wild-type CCP shows no APX activity, CCP2APX catalyzes the peroxidation of ascorbate at a rate of {approx}12 min{sup -1}, indicating that the engineered ascorbate-binding loop can bind ascorbate.« less

The Catabolite Control Protein E (CcpE) Affects Virulence Determinant Production and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus*

PubMed Central

Hartmann, Torsten; Baronian, Grégory; Nippe, Nadine; Voss, Meike; Schulthess, Bettina; Wolz, Christiane; Eisenbeis, Janina; Schmidt-Hohagen, Kerstin; Gaupp, Rosmarie; Sunderkötter, Cord; Beisswenger, Christoph; Bals, Robert; Somerville, Greg A.; Herrmann, Mathias; Molle, Virginie; Bischoff, Markus

2014-01-01

Carbon metabolism and virulence determinant production are often linked in pathogenic bacteria, and several regulatory elements have been reported to mediate this linkage in Staphylococcus aureus. Previously, we described a novel protein, catabolite control protein E (CcpE) that functions as a regulator of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Here we demonstrate that CcpE also regulates virulence determinant biosynthesis and pathogenesis. Specifically, deletion of ccpE in S. aureus strain Newman revealed that CcpE affects transcription of virulence factors such as capA, the first gene in the capsule biosynthetic operon; hla, encoding α-toxin; and psmα, encoding the phenol-soluble modulin cluster α. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that CcpE binds to the hla promoter. Mice challenged with S. aureus strain Newman or its isogenic ΔccpE derivative revealed increased disease severity in the ΔccpE mutant using two animal models; an acute lung infection model and a skin infection model. Complementation of the mutant with the ccpE wild-type allele restored all phenotypes, demonstrating that CcpE is negative regulator of virulence in S. aureus. PMID:25193664

Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies are associated with neutrophil extracellular traps in the sputum in relatives of rheumatoid arthritis patients

PubMed Central

Demoruelle, M. Kristen; Harrall, Kylie K.; Ho, Linh; Purmalek, Monica M.; Seto, Nickie L.; Rothfuss, Heather M.; Weisman, Michael H.; Solomon, Joshua J.; Fischer, Aryeh; Okamoto, Yuko; Kelmenson, Lindsay B.; Parish, Mark C.; Feser, Marie; Fleischer, Chelsie; Anderson, Courtney; Mahler, Michael; Norris, Jill M.; Kaplan, Mariana J.; Cherrington, Brian D.; Holers, V. Michael; Deane, Kevin D.

2017-01-01

Objectives Studies suggest that rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related autoimmunity is initiated at a mucosal site. However, the factors associated with the mucosal generation of this autoimmunity are unknown, especially in individuals who are at-risk for future RA. Therefore, we tested anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies in the sputum of RA-free first-degree relatives (FDRs) of RA patients and patients with classifiable RA. Methods We evaluated induced sputum and serum from 67 FDRs and 20 RA subjects for anti-CCP-IgA and anti-CCP-IgG, with cut-off levels for positivity determined in a control population. Sputum was also evaluated for cell counts, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) using sandwich ELISAs for protein/nucleic acid complexes, and total citrulline. Results Sputum anti-CCP-IgA and/or anti-CCP-IgG was positive in 17/67 (25%) FDRs and 14/20 (70%) RA subjects, including a portion of FDRs who were serum anti-CCP negative. In FDRs, elevations of sputum anti-CCP-IgA and anti-CCP-IgG were associated with elevated sputum cell counts and levels of NET complexes. Anti-CCP-IgA was associated with ever-smoking and elevated sputum citrulline levels. Conclusions Anti-CCP is elevated in the sputum of FDRs, including seronegative FDRs, suggesting the lung may be one site of anti-CCP generation in this population. The association of anti-CCP with elevated cell counts and NET levels in FDRs supports a hypothesis that local airway inflammation and NET formation may drive anti-CCP production in the lung and may promote the early stages of RA development. Longitudinal studies are needed to follow the evolution of these processes relative to the development of systemic autoimmunity and articular RA. PMID:28182854

Quantitative interdependence of coeffectors, CcpA and cre in carbon catabolite regulation of Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed

Seidel, Gerald; Diel, Marco; Fuchsbauer, Norbert; Hillen, Wolfgang

2005-05-01

The phosphoproteins HPrSerP and CrhP are the main effectors for CcpA-mediated carbon catabolite regulation (CCR) in Bacillus subtilis. Complexes of CcpA with HPrSerP or CrhP regulate genes by binding to the catabolite responsive elements (cre). We present a quantitative analysis of HPrSerP and CrhP interaction with CcpA by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) revealing small and similar equilibrium constants of 4.8 +/- 0.4 microm for HPrSerP-CcpA and 19.1 +/- 2.5 microm for CrhP-CcpA complex dissociation. Forty millimolar fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) or glucose-6-phosphate (Glc6-P) increases the affinity of HPrSerP to CcpA at least twofold, but have no effect on CrhP-CcpA binding. Saturation of binding of CcpA to cre as studied by fluorescence and SPR is dependent on 50 microm of HPrSerP or > 200 microm CrhP. The rate constants of HPrSerP-CcpA-cre complex formation are k(a) = 3 +/- 1 x 10(6) m(-1).s(-1) and k(d) = 2.0 +/- 0.4 x 10(-3).s(-1), resulting in a K(D) of 0.6 +/- 0.3 nm. FBP and Glc6-P stimulate CcpA-HPrSerP but not CcpA-CrhP binding to cre. Maximal HPrSerP-CcpA-cre complex formation in the presence of 10 mm FBP requires about 10-fold less HPrSerP. These data suggest a specific role for FBP and Glc6-P in enhancing only HPrSerP-mediated CCR.

Membrane tension regulates clathrin-coated pit dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Allen

2014-03-01

Intracellular organization depends on close communication between the extracellular environment and a network of cytoskeleton filaments. The interactions between cytoskeletal filaments and the plasma membrane lead to changes in membrane tension that in turns help regulate biological processes. Endocytosis is thought to be stimulated by low membrane tension and the removal of membrane increases membrane tension. While it is appreciated that the opposing effects of exocytosis and endocytosis have on keeping plasma membrane tension to a set point, it is not clear how membrane tension affects the dynamics of clathrin-coated pits (CCPs), the individual functional units of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Furthermore, although it was recently shown that actin dynamics counteracts membrane tension during CCP formation, it is not clear what roles plasma membrane tension plays during CCP initiation. Based on the notion that plasma membrane tension is increased when the membrane area increases during cell spreading, we designed micro-patterned surfaces of different sizes to control the cell spreading sizes. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy of living cells and high content image analysis were used to quantify the dynamics of CCPs. We found that there is an increased proportion of CCPs with short (<20s) lifetime for cells on larger patterns. Interestingly, cells on larger patterns have higher CCP initiation density, an effect unexpected based on the conventional view of decreasing endocytosis with increasing membrane tension. Furthermore, by analyzing the intensity profiles of CCPs that were longer-lived, we found CCP intensity decreases with increasing cell size, indicating that the CCPs are smaller with increasing membrane tension. Finally, disruption of actin dynamics significantly increased the number of short-lived CCPs, but also decreased CCP initiation rate. Together, our study reveals new mechanistic insights into how plasma membrane tension regulates the dynamics of CCPs.

[The significance of visual analyzer in controlling the standing posture in individuals with the spastic form of child cerebral paralysis while wearing "Adel" suit].

PubMed

Sologubov, E G; Iavorskii, A B; Kobrin, V I

1996-01-01

The paper discussed the results of stabilographic examination of the children suffered from the spastic form of child cerebral paralysis (CCP) treated by means of graded wearing of "Adel" suit which is a modification of the "Penguin" spacesuit. There has been studied the state of 30 children before treatment with the use of "Adel" suit and after the treatment as well as following the several courses of wearing the suit. Besides the patients, eleven healthy volunteer subjects (control group) were examined. There have been obtained the results pointing to the fact that in the healthy persons when they try to achieve the standing posture the leading role pertains to visual analyzer, at the same time, in the patients with spastic form of CCP the realization of standing posture depends upon the severity of the motor function disorders. When in the process of control stabilographic examination the patients suffered from spastic form of CCP demonstrate the significant role of the visual analyzer in achieving the standing posture, the use of the "Adel" suit is most desirable. The use of the "Adel" suit in the CCP patients with a decreased role of visual analyzer in achieving the standing pose as it was found under control examination enhances its significance in controlling the position of the center of gravity of the body.

CcpA Ensures Optimal Metabolic Fitness of Streptococcus pneumoniae

PubMed Central

Kuipers, Oscar P.; Neves, Ana Rute

2011-01-01

In Gram-positive bacteria, the transcriptional regulator CcpA is at the core of catabolite control mechanisms. In the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, links between CcpA and virulence have been established, but its role as a master regulator in different nutritional environments remains to be elucidated. Thus, we performed whole-transcriptome and metabolic analyses of S. pneumoniae D39 and its isogenic ccpA mutant during growth on glucose or galactose, rapidly and slowly metabolized carbohydrates presumably encountered by the bacterium in different host niches. CcpA affected the expression of up to 19% of the genome covering multiple cellular processes, including virulence, regulatory networks and central metabolism. Its prevalent function as a repressor was observed on glucose, but unexpectedly also on galactose. Carbohydrate-dependent CcpA regulation was also observed, as for the tagatose 6-phosphate pathway genes, which were activated by galactose and repressed by glucose. Metabolite analyses revealed that two pathways for galactose catabolism are functionally active, despite repression of the Leloir genes by CcpA. Surprisingly, galactose-induced mixed-acid fermentation apparently required CcpA, since genes involved in this type of metabolism were mostly under CcpA-repression. These findings indicate that the role of CcpA extends beyond transcriptional regulation, which seemingly is overlaid by other regulatory mechanisms. In agreement, CcpA influenced the level of many intracellular metabolites potentially involved in metabolic regulation. Our data strengthen the view that a true understanding of cell physiology demands thorough analyses at different cellular levels. Moreover, integration of transcriptional and metabolic data uncovered a link between CcpA and the association of surface molecules (e.g. capsule) to the cell wall. Hence, CcpA may play a key role in mediating the interaction of S. pneumoniae with its host. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that S. pneumoniae optimizes basic metabolic processes, likely enhancing in vivo fitness, in a CcpA-mediated manner. PMID:22039538

Respiration triggers heme transfer from cytochrome c peroxidase to catalase in yeast mitochondria

PubMed Central

Kathiresan, Meena; Martins, Dorival; English, Ann M.

2014-01-01

In exponentially growing yeast, the heme enzyme, cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) is targeted to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. When the fermentable source (glucose) is depleted, cells switch to respiration and mitochondrial H2O2 levels rise. It has long been assumed that CCP activity detoxifies mitochondrial H2O2 because of the efficiency of this activity in vitro. However, we find that a large pool of Ccp1 exits the mitochondria of respiring cells. We detect no extramitochondrial CCP activity because Ccp1 crosses the outer mitochondrial membrane as the heme-free protein. In parallel with apoCcp1 export, cells exhibit increased activity of catalase A (Cta1), the mitochondrial and peroxisomal catalase isoform in yeast. This identifies Cta1 as a likely recipient of Ccp1 heme, which is supported by low Cta1 activity in ccp1Δ cells and the accumulation of holoCcp1 in cta1Δ mitochondria. We hypothesized that Ccp1’s heme is labilized by hyperoxidation of the protein during the burst in H2O2 production as cells begin to respire. To test this hypothesis, recombinant Ccp1 was hyperoxidized with excess H2O2 in vitro, which accelerated heme transfer to apomyoglobin added as a surrogate heme acceptor. Furthermore, the proximal heme Fe ligand, His175, was found to be ∼85% oxidized to oxo-histidine in extramitochondrial Ccp1 isolated from 7-d cells, indicating that heme labilization results from oxidation of this ligand. We conclude that Ccp1 responds to respiration-derived H2O2 via a previously unidentified mechanism involving H2O2-activated heme transfer to apoCta1. Subsequently, the catalase activity of Cta1, not CCP activity, contributes to mitochondrial H2O2 detoxification. PMID:25422453

Respiration triggers heme transfer from cytochrome c peroxidase to catalase in yeast mitochondria.

PubMed

Kathiresan, Meena; Martins, Dorival; English, Ann M

2014-12-09

In exponentially growing yeast, the heme enzyme, cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) is targeted to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. When the fermentable source (glucose) is depleted, cells switch to respiration and mitochondrial H2O2 levels rise. It has long been assumed that CCP activity detoxifies mitochondrial H2O2 because of the efficiency of this activity in vitro. However, we find that a large pool of Ccp1 exits the mitochondria of respiring cells. We detect no extramitochondrial CCP activity because Ccp1 crosses the outer mitochondrial membrane as the heme-free protein. In parallel with apoCcp1 export, cells exhibit increased activity of catalase A (Cta1), the mitochondrial and peroxisomal catalase isoform in yeast. This identifies Cta1 as a likely recipient of Ccp1 heme, which is supported by low Cta1 activity in ccp1Δ cells and the accumulation of holoCcp1 in cta1Δ mitochondria. We hypothesized that Ccp1's heme is labilized by hyperoxidation of the protein during the burst in H2O2 production as cells begin to respire. To test this hypothesis, recombinant Ccp1 was hyperoxidized with excess H2O2 in vitro, which accelerated heme transfer to apomyoglobin added as a surrogate heme acceptor. Furthermore, the proximal heme Fe ligand, His175, was found to be ∼ 85% oxidized to oxo-histidine in extramitochondrial Ccp1 isolated from 7-d cells, indicating that heme labilization results from oxidation of this ligand. We conclude that Ccp1 responds to respiration-derived H2O2 via a previously unidentified mechanism involving H2O2-activated heme transfer to apoCta1. Subsequently, the catalase activity of Cta1, not CCP activity, contributes to mitochondrial H2O2 detoxification.

Mantle Earthquakes in Thinned Proterozoic Lithosphere: Harrat Lunayyir, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanchette, A. R.; Klemperer, S. L.; Mooney, W. D.; Zahran, H. M.

2017-12-01

Harrat Lunayyir is an active volcanic field located in the western Arabian Shield 100 km outside of the Red Sea rift margin. We use common conversion point (CCP) stacking of P-wave receiver functions (PRFs) to show that the Moho is at 38 km depth, close to the 40 km crustal thickness measured in the center of the craton, whereas the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is at 60 km, far shallower than the 150 km furthest in the craton. We locate 67 high-frequency earthquakes with mL ≤ 2.5 at depths of 40-50 km below the surface, located clearly within the mantle lid. The occurrence of earthquakes within the lithospheric mantle requires a geothermal temperature profile that is below equilibrium. The lithosphere cannot have thinned to its present thickness earlier than 15 Ma, either during an extended period of rifting possibly beginning 24 Ma or, more likely, as part of the second stage of rifting following collision between Arabia and Eurasia.

Progress on the development of FullWave, a Hot and Cold Plasma Parallel Full Wave Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, J. Andrew; Svidzinski, Vladimir; Zhao, Liangji; Kim, Jin-Soo

2017-10-01

FullWave is being developed at FAR-TECH, Inc. to simulate RF waves in hot inhomogeneous magnetized plasmas without making small orbit approximations. FullWave is based on a meshless formulation in configuration space on non-uniform clouds of computational points (CCP) adapted to better resolve plasma resonances, antenna structures and complex boundaries. The linear frequency domain wave equation is formulated using two approaches: for cold plasmas the local cold plasma dielectric tensor is used (resolving resonances by particle collisions), while for hot plasmas the conductivity kernel is calculated. The details of FullWave and some preliminary results will be presented, including: 1) a monitor function based on analytic solutions of the cold-plasma dispersion relation; 2) an adaptive CCP based on the monitor function; 3) construction of the finite differences for approximation of derivatives on adaptive CCP; 4) results of 2-D full wave simulations in the cold plasma model in tokamak geometry using the formulated approach for ECRH, ICRH and Lower Hybrid range of frequencies. Work is supported by the U.S. DOE SBIR program.

NanI Sialidase, CcpA, and CodY Work Together To Regulate Epsilon Toxin Production by Clostridium perfringens Type D Strain CN3718.

PubMed

Li, Jihong; Freedman, John C; McClane, Bruce A

2015-10-01

Clostridium perfringens type D strains are usually associated with diseases of livestock, and their virulence requires the production of epsilon toxin (ETX). We previously showed (J. Li, S. Sayeed, S. Robertson, J. Chen, and B. A. McClane, PLoS Pathog 7:e1002429, 2011, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1002429) that BMC202, a nanI null mutant of type D strain CN3718, produces less ETX than wild-type CN3718 does. The current study proved that the lower ETX production by strain BMC202 is due to nanI gene disruption, since both genetic and physical (NanI or sialic acid) complementation increased ETX production by BMC202. Furthermore, a sialidase inhibitor that interfered with NanI activity also reduced ETX production by wild-type CN3718. The NanI effect on ETX production was shown to involve reductions in codY and ccpA gene transcription levels in BMC202 versus wild-type CN3718. Similar to CodY, CcpA was found to positively control ETX production. A double codY ccpA null mutant produced even less ETX than a codY or ccpA single null mutant. CcpA bound directly to sequences upstream of the etx or codY start codon, and bioinformatics identified putative CcpA-binding cre sites immediately upstream of both the codY and etx start codons, suggesting possible direct CcpA regulatory effects. A ccpA mutation also decreased codY transcription, suggesting that CcpA effects on ETX production can be both direct and indirect, including effects on codY transcription. Collectively, these results suggest that NanI, CcpA, and CodY work together to regulate ETX production, with NanI-generated sialic acid from the intestines possibly signaling type D strains to upregulate their ETX production and induce disease. Clostridium perfringens NanI was previously shown to increase ETX binding to, and cytotoxicity for, MDCK host cells. The current study demonstrates that NanI also regulates ETX production via increased transcription of genes encoding the CodY and CcpA global regulators. Results obtained using single ccpA or codY null mutants and a ccpA codY double null mutant showed that codY and ccpA regulate ETX production independently of one another but that ccpA also affects codY transcription. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and bioinformatic analyses suggest that both CodY and CcpA may directly regulate etx transcription. Collectively, results of this study suggest that sialic acid generated by NanI from intestinal sources signals ETX-producing C. perfringens strains, via CcpA and CodY, to upregulate ETX production and cause disease. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Serum levels of anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein are associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness: a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients without cardiovascular risk factors.

PubMed

Vázquez-Del Mercado, Mónica; Nuñez-Atahualpa, Lourdes; Figueroa-Sánchez, Mauricio; Gómez-Bañuelos, Eduardo; Rocha-Muñoz, Alberto Daniel; Martín-Márquez, Beatriz Teresita; Corona-Sanchez, Esther Guadalupe; Martínez-García, Erika Aurora; Macias-Reyes, Héctor; Gonzalez-Lopez, Laura; Gamez-Nava, Jorge Ivan; Navarro-Hernandez, Rosa Elena; Nuñez-Atahualpa, María Alejandra; Andrade-Garduño, Javier

2015-01-01

The main cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is cardiovascular events. We evaluated the relationship of anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody levels with increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in RA patients. Forty-five anti-CCP positive and 37 anti-CCP negative RA patients, and 62 healthy controls (HC) were studied. All groups were assessed for atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and cIMT. Anti-CCP, C-reactive protein (CRP), and levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The anti-CCP positive RA patients showed increased cIMT compared to HC and anti-CCP negative (P < 0.001). Anti-CCP positive versus anti-CCP negative RA patients, had increased AIP, TNFα and IL-6 (P < 0.01), and lower levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (P = 0.02). The cIMT correlated with levels of anti-CCP (r = 0.513, P = 0.001), CRP (r = 0.799, P < 0.001), TNFα (r = 0.642, P = 0.001), and IL-6 (r = 0.751, P < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, cIMT was associated with CRP (P < 0.001) and anti-CCP levels (P = 0.03). Levels of anti-CCP and CRP are associated with increased cIMT and cardiovascular risk supporting a clinical role of the measurement of cIMT in RA in predicting and preventing cardiovascular events.

9 CFR 417.8 - Agency verification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

....8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEMS § 417.8 Agency verification. FSIS will verify the... plan or system; (f) Direct observation or measurement at a CCP; (g) Sample collection and analysis to...

9 CFR 417.8 - Agency verification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

....8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEMS § 417.8 Agency verification. FSIS will verify the... plan or system; (f) Direct observation or measurement at a CCP; (g) Sample collection and analysis to...

9 CFR 417.8 - Agency verification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

....8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEMS § 417.8 Agency verification. FSIS will verify the... plan or system; (f) Direct observation or measurement at a CCP; (g) Sample collection and analysis to...

9 CFR 417.8 - Agency verification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

....8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEMS § 417.8 Agency verification. FSIS will verify the... plan or system; (f) Direct observation or measurement at a CCP; (g) Sample collection and analysis to...

9 CFR 417.8 - Agency verification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

....8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEMS § 417.8 Agency verification. FSIS will verify the... plan or system; (f) Direct observation or measurement at a CCP; (g) Sample collection and analysis to...

Insights into ionic transport and structural changes in magnetite during multiple-electron transfer reactions

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Wei; Bock, David C.; Pelliccione, Christopher J.; ...

2016-03-08

Metal oxides, such as Fe 3O 4, hold promise for future battery applications due to their abundance, low cost, and opportunity for high lithium storage capacity. In order to better understand the mechanisms of multiple-electron transfer reactions leading to high capacity in Fe 3O 4, a comprehensive investigation on local ionic transport and ordering is made by probing site occupancies of anions (O 2–) and cations (Li +, Fe 3+/Fe 2+) using multiple synchrotron X-ray and electron-beam techniques, in combination with ab-initio calculations. Results from this study provide the first experimental evidence that the cubic-close-packed (ccp) O-anion array in Femore » 3O 4 is sustained throughout the lithiation and delithiation processes, thereby enabling multiple lithium intercalation and conversion reactions. Cation displacement/reordering occurs within the ccp O-anion framework, which leads to a series of phase transformations, starting from the inverse spinel phase and turning into intermediate rock-salt-like phases (Li xFe 3O 4; 0 < x < 2), then into a cation-segregated phase (Li 2O•FeO), and finally converting into metallic Fe and Li 2O. Subsequent delithiation and lithiation processes involve interconversion between metallic Fe and FeO-like phases. Lastly, these results may offer new insights into the structure-determined ionic transport and electrochemical reactions in metal oxides, and those of other compounds sharing a ccp anion framework, reminiscent of magnetite.« less

Ratio of Circulating IFNγ (+) "Th17 Cells" in Memory Th Cells Is Inversely Correlated with the Titer of Anti-CCP Antibodies in Early-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Based on Flow Cytometry Methods of the Human Immunology Project.

PubMed

Kotake, Shigeru; Nanke, Yuki; Yago, Toru; Kawamoto, Manabu; Kobashigawa, Tsuyoshi; Yamanaka, Hisashi

2016-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with chronic joint inflammation characterized by activated T cells. IL-17 and Th17 cells play important roles in the pathogenesis of RA. Recently, plasticity in helper T cells has been demonstrated; Th17 cells can convert to Th1 cells. However, it remains to be elucidated whether this conversion occurs in the early phase of RA. Here, we validated the methods of the Human Immunology Project using only the cell-surface marker through measuring the actual expression of IL-17 and IFNγ. We also evaluated the expression of CD161 in human Th17 cells. We then tried to identify Th17 cells, IL-17(+)Th17 cells, and IFNγ (+)Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of early-onset RA patients using the standardized method of the Human Immunology Project. Our findings validated the method and the expression of CD161. The ratio of IFNγ (+)Th17 cells in memory T cells was inversely correlated to the titers of anti-CCP antibodies in the early-onset RA patients. These findings suggest that Th17 cells play important roles in the early phase of RA and that anti-IL-17 antibodies should be administered to patients with early phase RA, especially those with high titers of CCP antibodies.

Ratio of Circulating IFNγ + “Th17 Cells” in Memory Th Cells Is Inversely Correlated with the Titer of Anti-CCP Antibodies in Early-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Based on Flow Cytometry Methods of the Human Immunology Project

PubMed Central

Kotake, Shigeru; Nanke, Yuki; Yago, Toru; Kawamoto, Manabu; Kobashigawa, Tsuyoshi; Yamanaka, Hisashi

2016-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with chronic joint inflammation characterized by activated T cells. IL-17 and Th17 cells play important roles in the pathogenesis of RA. Recently, plasticity in helper T cells has been demonstrated; Th17 cells can convert to Th1 cells. However, it remains to be elucidated whether this conversion occurs in the early phase of RA. Here, we validated the methods of the Human Immunology Project using only the cell-surface marker through measuring the actual expression of IL-17 and IFNγ. We also evaluated the expression of CD161 in human Th17 cells. We then tried to identify Th17 cells, IL-17+Th17 cells, and IFNγ +Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of early-onset RA patients using the standardized method of the Human Immunology Project. Our findings validated the method and the expression of CD161. The ratio of IFNγ +Th17 cells in memory T cells was inversely correlated to the titers of anti-CCP antibodies in the early-onset RA patients. These findings suggest that Th17 cells play important roles in the early phase of RA and that anti-IL-17 antibodies should be administered to patients with early phase RA, especially those with high titers of CCP antibodies. PMID:27294146

Serum Levels of Anticyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies, Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and C-Reactive Protein Are Associated with Increased Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a Cohort of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients without Cardiovascular Risk Factors

PubMed Central

Vázquez-Del Mercado, Mónica; Nuñez-Atahualpa, Lourdes; Figueroa-Sánchez, Mauricio; Gómez-Bañuelos, Eduardo; Rocha-Muñoz, Alberto Daniel; Martín-Márquez, Beatriz Teresita; Martínez-García, Erika Aurora; Macias-Reyes, Héctor; Gamez-Nava, Jorge Ivan; Navarro-Hernandez, Rosa Elena; Nuñez-Atahualpa, María Alejandra; Andrade-Garduño, Javier

2015-01-01

The main cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is cardiovascular events. We evaluated the relationship of anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody levels with increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in RA patients. Methods. Forty-five anti-CCP positive and 37 anti-CCP negative RA patients, and 62 healthy controls (HC) were studied. All groups were assessed for atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and cIMT. Anti-CCP, C-reactive protein (CRP), and levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results. The anti-CCP positive RA patients showed increased cIMT compared to HC and anti-CCP negative (P < 0.001). Anti-CCP positive versus anti-CCP negative RA patients, had increased AIP, TNFα and IL-6 (P < 0.01), and lower levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (P = 0.02). The cIMT correlated with levels of anti-CCP (r = 0.513, P = 0.001), CRP (r = 0.799, P < 0.001), TNFα (r = 0.642, P = 0.001), and IL-6 (r = 0.751, P < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, cIMT was associated with CRP (P < 0.001) and anti-CCP levels (P = 0.03). Conclusions. Levels of anti-CCP and CRP are associated with increased cIMT and cardiovascular risk supporting a clinical role of the measurement of cIMT in RA in predicting and preventing cardiovascular events. PMID:25821796

Prognostic Utility of Cell Cycle Progression Score in Men With Prostate Cancer After Primary External Beam Radiation Therapy

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

Freedland, Stephen J., E-mail: steve.freedland@duke.edu; Department of Surgery; Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic utility of the cell cycle progression (CCP) score, a RNA signature based on the average expression level of 31 CCP genes, for predicting biochemical recurrence (BCR) in men with prostate cancer treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) as their primary curative therapy. Methods and Materials: The CCP score was derived retrospectively from diagnostic biopsy specimens of men diagnosed with prostate cancer from 1991 to 2006 (n=141). All patients were treated with definitive EBRT; approximately half of the cohort was African American. Outcome was time from EBRT to BCR using the Phoenix definition. Median follow-upmore » for patients without BCR was 4.8 years. Association with outcome was evaluated by Cox proportional hazards survival analysis and likelihood ratio tests. Results: Of 141 patients, 19 (13%) had BCR. The median CCP score for patient samples was 0.12. In univariable analysis, CCP score significantly predicted BCR (P=.0017). The hazard ratio for BCR was 2.55 for 1-unit increase in CCP score (equivalent to a doubling of gene expression). In a multivariable analysis that included Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen, percent positive cores, and androgen deprivation therapy, the hazard ratio for CCP changed only marginally and remained significant (P=.034), indicating that CCP provides prognostic information that is not provided by standard clinical parameters. With 10-year censoring, the CCP score was associated with prostate cancer-specific mortality (P=.013). There was no evidence for interaction between CCP and any clinical variable, including ethnicity. Conclusions: Among men treated with EBRT, the CCP score significantly predicted outcome and provided greater prognostic information than was available with clinical parameters. If validated in a larger cohort, CCP score could identify high-risk men undergoing EBRT who may need more aggressive therapy.« less

CCP4i2: the new graphical user interface to the CCP4 program suite.

PubMed

Potterton, Liz; Agirre, Jon; Ballard, Charles; Cowtan, Kevin; Dodson, Eleanor; Evans, Phil R; Jenkins, Huw T; Keegan, Ronan; Krissinel, Eugene; Stevenson, Kyle; Lebedev, Andrey; McNicholas, Stuart J; Nicholls, Robert A; Noble, Martin; Pannu, Navraj S; Roth, Christian; Sheldrick, George; Skubak, Pavol; Turkenburg, Johan; Uski, Ville; von Delft, Frank; Waterman, David; Wilson, Keith; Winn, Martyn; Wojdyr, Marcin

2018-02-01

The CCP4 (Collaborative Computational Project, Number 4) software suite for macromolecular structure determination by X-ray crystallography groups brings together many programs and libraries that, by means of well established conventions, interoperate effectively without adhering to strict design guidelines. Because of this inherent flexibility, users are often presented with diverse, even divergent, choices for solving every type of problem. Recently, CCP4 introduced CCP4i2, a modern graphical interface designed to help structural biologists to navigate the process of structure determination, with an emphasis on pipelining and the streamlined presentation of results. In addition, CCP4i2 provides a framework for writing structure-solution scripts that can be built up incrementally to create increasingly automatic procedures.

77 FR 75700 - Illinois Railway, L.L.C., Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company and Dakota, Minnesota...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-21

... & Eastern Railroad Corporation d/b/a Canadian Pacific (CP) (collectively, applicants) jointly filed a... rights from CC&P over CC&P's trackage between CCP milepost 85.75 and the connection with CP's trackage at... rights will allow IR to use the CC&P route across the Rock River and existing rights over CP's line to...

The cytosolic carboxypeptidases CCP2 and CCP3 catalyze posttranslational removal of acidic amino acids

PubMed Central

Tort, Olivia; Tanco, Sebastián; Rocha, Cecilia; Bièche, Ivan; Seixas, Cecilia; Bosc, Christophe; Andrieux, Annie; Moutin, Marie-Jo; Avilés, Francesc Xavier; Lorenzo, Julia; Janke, Carsten

2014-01-01

The posttranslational modification of carboxy-terminal tails of tubulin plays an important role in the regulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Enzymes responsible for deglutamylating tubulin have been discovered within a novel family of mammalian cytosolic carboxypeptidases. The discovery of these enzymes also revealed the existence of a range of other substrates that are enzymatically deglutamylated. Only four of six mammalian cytosolic carboxypeptidases had been enzymatically characterized. Here we complete the functional characterization of this protein family by demonstrating that CCP2 and CCP3 are deglutamylases, with CCP3 being able to hydrolyze aspartic acids with similar efficiency. Deaspartylation is a novel posttranslational modification that could, in conjunction with deglutamylation, broaden the range of potential substrates that undergo carboxy-terminal processing. In addition, we show that CCP2 and CCP3 are highly regulated proteins confined to ciliated tissues. The characterization of two novel enzymes for carboxy-terminal protein modification provides novel insights into the broadness of this barely studied process. PMID:25103237

The Chemical Characteristics and Immune-Modulating Activity of Polysaccharides Isolated from Cold-Brew Coffee.

PubMed

Shin, Kwang-Soon

2017-06-01

To elucidate new biological ingredients in cold-brew coffee extracted with cold water, crude polysaccharide (CCP-0) was isolated by ethanol precipitation, and its immune-stimulating activities were assayed. CCP-0 mainly comprised galactose (53.6%), mannose (15.7%), arabinose (11.9%), and uronic acid (12.4%), suggesting that it might exist as a mixture of galactomannan and arabinogalactan. CCP-0 significantly increased cell proliferation on both murine peritoneal macrophages and splenocytes in a dose dependent manner. CCP-0 also significantly augmented nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species production by murine peritoneal macrophages. In addition, macrophages stimulated by CCP-0 enhanced production of various cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12. In an in vitro assay for intestinal immune-modulating activity, CCP-0 showed higher bone-marrow cell-proliferation activity through Peyer's patch cells at 100 μg/mL than the negative control. These results suggest that CCP-0 may potentially enhance macrophage functions and the intestinal immune system.

The mitochondrial cytochrome c peroxidase Ccp1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is involved in conveying an oxidative stress signal to the transcription factor Pos9 (Skn7).

PubMed

Charizanis, C; Juhnke, H; Krems, B; Entian, K D

1999-10-01

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae two transcription factors, Pos9 (Skn7) and Yap1, are involved in the response to oxidative stress. Fusion of the Pos9 response-regulator domain to the Gal4 DNA-binding domain results in a transcription factor which renders the expression of a GAL1-lacZ reporter gene dependent on oxidative stress. To identify genes which are involved in the oxygen-dependent activation of the Gal4-Pos9 hybrid protein we screened for mutants that failed to induce the heterologous test system upon oxidative stress (fap mutants for factors activating Pos9). We isolated several respiration-deficient and some respiration-competent mutants by this means. We selected for further characterization only those mutants which also displayed an oxidative-stress-sensitive phenotype. One of the respiration-deficient mutants (complementation groupfap6) could be complemented by the ISM1 gene, which encodes mitochondrial isoleucyl tRNA synthetase, suggesting that respiration competence was important for signalling of oxidative stress. In accordance with this notion a rho0 strain and a wild-type strain in which respiration had been blocked (by treatment with antimycin A or with cyanide) also failed to activate Gal4-Pos9 upon imposition of oxidative stress. Another mutant, fap24, which was respiration-competent, could be complemented by CCP1, which encodes the mitochondrial cytochrome c peroxidase. Mitochondrial cytochrome c peroxidase degrades reactive oxygen species within the mitochondria. This suggested a possible sensor function for the enzyme in the oxidative stress response. To test this we used the previously described point mutant ccp1 W191F, which is characterized by a 10(4)-fold decrease in electron flux between cytochrome c and cytochrome c peroxidase. The Ccp1W191F mutant was still capable of activating the Pos9 transcriptional activation domain, suggesting that the signalling function of Ccp1 is independent of electron flux rates.

CCP4i2: the new graphical user interface to the CCP4 program suite

PubMed Central

Potterton, Liz; Ballard, Charles; Dodson, Eleanor; Evans, Phil R.; Keegan, Ronan; Krissinel, Eugene; Stevenson, Kyle; Lebedev, Andrey; McNicholas, Stuart J.; Noble, Martin; Pannu, Navraj S.; Roth, Christian; Sheldrick, George; Skubak, Pavol; Uski, Ville

2018-01-01

The CCP4 (Collaborative Computational Project, Number 4) software suite for macromolecular structure determination by X-ray crystallography groups brings together many programs and libraries that, by means of well established conventions, interoperate effectively without adhering to strict design guidelines. Because of this inherent flexibility, users are often presented with diverse, even divergent, choices for solving every type of problem. Recently, CCP4 introduced CCP4i2, a modern graphical interface designed to help structural biologists to navigate the process of structure determination, with an emphasis on pipelining and the streamlined presentation of results. In addition, CCP4i2 provides a framework for writing structure-solution scripts that can be built up incrementally to create increasingly automatic procedures. PMID:29533233

Peroxynitrite and hydrogen peroxide elicit similar cellular stress responses mediated by the Ccp1 sensor protein.

PubMed

Martins, Dorival; Bakas, Iolie; McIntosh, Kelly; English, Ann M

2015-08-01

Peroxynitrite [ONOO(H)] is an oxidant associated with deleterious effects in cells. Because it is an inorganic peroxide that reacts rapidly with peroxidases, we speculated that cells may respond to ONOO(H) and H2O2 challenge in a similar manner. We exposed yeast cells to SIN-1, a well-characterized ONOO(H) generator, and observed stimulation of catalase and peroxiredoxin (Prx) activities. Previously, we reported that H2O2 challenge increases these activities in wild-type cells and in cells producing the hyperactive mutant H2O2 sensor Ccp1(W191F) but not in Ccp1-knockout cells (ccp1Δ). We find here that the response of ccp1Δ and ccp1(W191F) cells to SIN-1 mirrors that to H2O2, identifying Ccp1 as a sensor of both peroxides. SIN-1 simultaneously releases (•)NO and O2(•-), which react to form ONOO(H), but exposure of the three strains separately to an (•)NO donor (spermine-NONOate) or an O2(•-) generator (paraquat) mainly depresses catalase or Prx activity, whereas co-challenge with the NONOate and paraquat stimulates these activities. Because Ccp1 appears to sense ONOO(H) in cells, we examined its reaction with ONOO(H) in vitro and found that peroxynitrous acid (ONOOH) rapidly (k2>10(6)M(-1)s(-1)) oxidizes purified Ccp1 to an intermediate with spectral and ferrocytochrome-oxidizing properties indistinguishable from those of its well-characterized compound I formed with H2O2. Importantly, the nitrite released from ONOOH is not oxidized to (•)NO2 by Ccp1(׳)s compound I, unlike peroxidases involved in immune defense. Overall, our results reveal that yeast cells mount a common antioxidant response to ONOO(H) and H2O2, with Ccp1 playing a pivotal role as an inorganic peroxide sensor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technical and economic feasibility of development innovative technological solutions for expansion the adjustment range of high-power CCP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arakelyan, E. K.; Andryushin, A. V.; Burtsev, S. Y.; Andryushin, K. A.

2017-11-01

The analysis of technical and parametric constraints on the adjustment range of highpower CCP and recommended technological solutions in the technical literature for their elimination. Established that in the conditions of toughening the requirements for economy, reliability and maneuverability on the part of the system operator with the participation of CCP in control the frequency and power in the power system, existing methods do not ensure the fulfillment of these requirements. The current situation in the energy sector — the lack of highly manoeuvrable power equipment leads to the need participate in control of power consumption diagrams for all types of power plants, including CCP, although initially they were intended primarily for basic loads. Large-scale research conducted at the department of Automated control systems of technological processes, showed the possibility of a significant expansion of the adjustment range of CCP when it operating in the condensing mode and in the heating mode. The report presents the main results of these research for example the CCP-450 and CCP-450T. Various technological solutions are considered: when CCP in the condensation mode — the use of bypass steam distribution schemes, the transfer of a part of the steam turbine into a low-steam mode; when CCP operation in the heating mode — bypass steam distribution and the transfer CCP to gas turbine unit — power heating plants mode with the transfer the steam turbine to the motor mode. Data on the evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed innovative technological solutions are presented in comparison with the methods used to solve this problem, which are used in practice, such as passing through the failures of the electric load graphs by transferring the CCP to the mode of operation with incomplete equipment. When comparing, both the economics, and the maneuverability and reliability of the equipment are considered.

Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Assays Differ in Subjects at Elevated Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Subjects with Established Disease

PubMed Central

Demoruelle, M. Kristen; Parish, Mark C.; Derber, Lezlie A.; Kolfenbach, Jason R.; Hughes-Austin, Jan M.; Weisman, Michael H.; Gilliland, William; Edison, Jess D.; Buckner, Jane H.; Mikuls, Ted R.; O’Dell, James R.; Keating, Richard M.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Norris, Jill M.; Holers, V. Michael; Deane, Kevin D.

2013-01-01

Objective To compare commonly-available tests for antibodies to citrullinated protein antigens (ACPAs) for diagnostic accuracy and assay agreement in established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and subjects at elevated risk for RA. Methods ELISA testing for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies was performed using CCP2 (Axis-Shield) and CCP3.1 (IgA/IgG INOVA) in the following subjects: 1) probands with established RA (N=340) from the Studies of the Etiology of RA (SERA), 2) first degree relatives (FDRs) without RA (family members of SERA RA probands; N=681), 3) Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) RA cases with pre-diagnosis samples (N=83; 47/83 also had post-diagnosis samples), and 4) blood-donor and DoDSR controls (N=283). Results In established RA, CCP2 was more specific (99.2% vs. 93.1%, p<0.01), but less sensitive (58.7% vs. 67.4%, p=0.01) than CCP3.1, with specificity of CCP3.1 increasing to 97.2% if levels ≥3 times the standard cut-off level were considered. In all subjects, at standard cut-off levels, CCP3.1 positivity was more prevalent. In DoDSR cases, CCP2 was more specific than CCP3.1 for a future diagnosis of RA, and higher CCP levels trended towards greater specificity for disease onset within 2 years. At standard cut-off levels, assay agreement was good in established RA (kappa=0.76), but poor in FDRs without inflammatory arthritis (kappa=0.25). Conclusion Anti-CCP assays differ to an extent that may be meaningful in diagnosing RA in patients with inflammatory arthritis, and in evaluating the natural history of RA development in subjects at-risk for future RA. Mechanisms underlying these differences in test performance need further investigation. PMID:23686569

KSC-2012-2646

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Twitter page of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program CCP buzzes with activity as program manager, Ed Mango, hosts a virtual conversation, called a Tweet Chat, with followers from around the world. Those who follow www.twitter.com/commercial_crew had an hour-long opportunity to ask Mango questions about NASA’s efforts to get astronauts to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station aboard American rockets and spacecraft. Mango stuck to the social networking service's 140 character limit and answered dozens of questions. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under the program’s second round of development, called Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2), including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Gianni Woods

CcpN Controls Central Carbon Fluxes in Bacillus subtilis▿ ‡

PubMed Central

Tännler, Simon; Fischer, Eliane; Le Coq, Dominique; Doan, Thierry; Jamet, Emmanuel; Sauer, Uwe; Aymerich, Stéphane

2008-01-01

The transcriptional regulator CcpN of Bacillus subtilis has been recently characterized as a repressor of two gluconeogenic genes, gapB and pckA, and of a small noncoding regulatory RNA, sr1, involved in arginine catabolism. Deletion of ccpN impairs growth on glucose and strongly alters the distribution of intracellular fluxes, rerouting the main glucose catabolism from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate (PP) pathway. Using transcriptome analysis, we show that during growth on glucose, gapB and pckA are the only protein-coding genes directly repressed by CcpN. By quantifying intracellular fluxes in deletion mutants, we demonstrate that derepression of pckA under glycolytic condition causes the growth defect observed in the ccpN mutant due to extensive futile cycling through the pyruvate carboxylase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and pyruvate kinase. Beyond ATP dissipation via this cycle, PckA activity causes a drain on tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, which we show to be the main reason for the reduced growth of a ccpN mutant. The high flux through the PP pathway in the ccpN mutant is modulated by the flux through the alternative glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases, GapA and GapB. Strongly increased concentrations of intermediates in upper glycolysis indicate that GapB overexpression causes a metabolic jamming of this pathway and, consequently, increases the relative flux through the PP pathway. In contrast, derepression of sr1, the third known target of CcpN, plays only a marginal role in ccpN mutant phenotypes. PMID:18586936

Highly sensitive immunoassay of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide marker using surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chon, H.; Lee, S.; Wang, R.; Bang, S.-Y.; Lee, H.-S.; Bae, S.-C.; Hong, S. H.; Yoon, Y. H.; Lim, D.; Choo, J.

2015-07-01

We report a highly sensitive anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) detection method for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based immunoassay. Herein, cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP)-conjugated magnetic beads and anti-human IgG-conjugated hollow gold nanospheres (HGNs) were used as substrates and SERS nano-tags, respectively. First, its detection sensitivity was evaluated using anti-CCP standard solutions. Then quantitative anti-CCP levels, determined by the SERS-based assay, were compared with those obtained from three commercially available anti-CCP assay kits (Immunoscan CCPlus, ImmunnLisa™ CCP and BioPlex™ 2200) to assess its potential utility as a clinical tool. Finally, clinical samples from 20 RA patients were investigated using them. In the SERS-based assay, the anti-CCP level in human serum was successfully determined by monitoring the characteristic Raman peak intensity of SERS nano-tags. The diagnostic performance of our SERS-based immunoassay for clinical samples shows a good agreement with those measured by three commercial anti-CCP kits. In addition, our SERS-based assay results are more consistent in the low concentration range (0-25 U/mL) than those achieved by the commercial kits. Accordingly, it is estimated that the SERS-based assay is a potentially useful diagnostic tool for early diagnosis of RA.

Water-Chemistry and Its Utility Systems in CCP Power Units (Review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larin, B. M.

2018-01-01

Damageability of heat transfer surfaces of waste heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) of combined- cycle plants (CCP) can be reduced due to an increase in the quality of make-up and feed water, the use of phosphate-alkaline or amino compound water chemistry (WC), and improved chemical quality control of the heat carrier and make-up water preparation techniques. Temporary quality standards for the heat medium developed by the All-Russia Thermal Engineering institute (VTI) for CCP power units are presented in comparison with the IAPWS standards; preferences for the choice of a WC type for some power units commissioned in Russia in the first decade of this century are shown; and operational data on the quality of feed, boiler water, and steam for two large CCP-450 and CCP-425 power units are given. The state and prospects for the development of chemical-technological monitoring systems and CCP water treatment plants are noted. Estimability of some CCP diagnostic parameters by measuring specific electric conductivity and pH is shown. An extensive bibliography on this topic is given.

Software Assurance Challenges for the Commercial Crew Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuyno, Patrick; Malnick, Kathy D.; Schaeffer, Chad E.

2015-01-01

This paper will provide a description of some of the challenges NASA is facing in providing software assurance within the new commercial space services paradigm, namely with the Commercial Crew Program (CCP). The CCP will establish safe, reliable, and affordable access to the International Space Station (ISS) by purchasing a ride from commercial companies. The CCP providers have varying experience with software development in safety-critical space systems. NASA's role in providing effective software assurance support to the CCP providers is critical to the success of CCP. These challenges include funding multiple vehicles that execute in parallel and have different rules of engagement, multiple providers with unique proprietary concerns, providing equivalent guidance to all providers, permitting alternates to NASA standards, and a large number of diverse stakeholders. It is expected that these challenges will exist in future programs, especially if the CCP paradigm proves successful. The proposed CCP approach to address these challenges includes a risk-based assessment with varying degrees of engagement and a distributed assurance model. This presentation will describe NASA IV&V Program's software assurance support and responses to these challenges.

A Flexible Binding Site Architecture Provides New Insights into CcpA Global Regulation in Gram-Positive Bacteria.

PubMed

Yang, Yunpeng; Zhang, Lu; Huang, He; Yang, Chen; Yang, Sheng; Gu, Yang; Jiang, Weihong

2017-01-24

Catabolite control protein A (CcpA) is the master regulator in Gram-positive bacteria that mediates carbon catabolite repression (CCR) and carbon catabolite activation (CCA), two fundamental regulatory mechanisms that enable competitive advantages in carbon catabolism. It is generally regarded that CcpA exerts its regulatory role by binding to a typical 14- to 16-nucleotide (nt) consensus site that is called a catabolite response element (cre) within the target regions. However, here we report a previously unknown noncanonical flexible architecture of the CcpA-binding site in solventogenic clostridia, providing new mechanistic insights into catabolite regulation. This novel CcpA-binding site, named cre var , has a unique architecture that consists of two inverted repeats and an intervening spacer, all of which are variable in nucleotide composition and length, except for a 6-bp core palindromic sequence (TGTAAA/TTTACA). It was found that the length of the intervening spacer of cre var can affect CcpA binding affinity, and moreover, the core palindromic sequence of cre var is the key structure for regulation. Such a variable architecture of cre var shows potential importance for CcpA's diverse and fine regulation. A total of 103 potential cre var sites were discovered in solventogenic Clostridium acetobutylicum, of which 42 sites were picked out for electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), and 30 sites were confirmed to be bound by CcpA. These 30 cre var sites are associated with 27 genes involved in many important pathways. Also of significance, the cre var sites are found to be widespread and function in a great number of taxonomically different Gram-positive bacteria, including pathogens, suggesting their global role in Gram-positive bacteria. In Gram-positive bacteria, the global regulator CcpA controls a large number of important physiological and metabolic processes. Although a typical consensus CcpA-binding site, cre, has been identified, it remains poorly explored for the diversity of CcpA-mediated catabolite regulation. Here, we discovered a novel flexible CcpA-binding site architecture (cre var ) that is highly variable in both length and base composition but follows certain principles, providing new insights into how CcpA can differentially recognize a variety of target genes to form a complicated regulatory network. A comprehensive search further revealed the wide distribution of cre var sites in Gram-positive bacteria, indicating it may have a universal function. This finding is the first to characterize such a highly flexible transcription factor-binding site architecture, which would be valuable for deeper understanding of CcpA-mediated global catabolite regulation in bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Yang et al.

Determination of molecular weight of a purified fraction of colloidal calcium phosphate derived from the casein micelles of bovine milk.

PubMed

Choi, J; Horne, D S; Lucey, J A

2011-07-01

Colloidal calcium phosphate (CCP) plays a key role in the formation and integrity of casein (CN) micelles. However, limited information is available on the molecular weight (M(w)) of CCP. Recently, we theoretically derived the M(w) of CCP and the objectives of this study were to experimentally determine the M(w) of CCP. We used 2 methods to prepare CCP fractions: skim milk was enzymatically digested with either trypsin or a combination of papain and proteinase enzymes to remove most CN. The CN phosphopeptides are resistant to trypsin hydrolysis. Digestion was carried out in a membrane tube that was dialyzed against the same bulk milk used in sample preparation to remove small peptides and to minimize perturbation of CCP. After digestion, the protein contents of the enzyme-treated milks were 0.92 and 0.36% for the trypsin and papain-proteinase treatments, respectively. Size-exclusion chromatography, coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering, was used to separate the CCP-phosphopeptide fraction from the digested mixture. Simulated milk ultrafiltrate was used as a mobile phase during size-exclusion chromatography separation to try to preserve the integrity of CCP. Size-exclusion chromatography peaks, which had higher Ca and P contents than the baseline, were identified as the likely fractions containing the phosphopeptide-stabilized CCP; this peak eluted with retention times of 100 to approximately 110 min for trypsinated samples. The papain-proteinase treatment caused excessive loss of CN that were needed to stabilize CCP, which resulted in no obvious peak that had elevated Ca and P contents. Debye plots at these retention times indicated that the weight-average M(w) for the fraction prepared by trypsin was 17,450 g/mol. Attempts to estimate the M(w) of the phosphopeptides associated with CCP using sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE were not successful, as we did not observe any peptide bands in these gels, presumably because of their low concentration in the isolated, unconcentrated fraction. Assuming that 4 CN phosphopeptides stabilized each CCP and if the M(w) of each of these phosphopeptides was about 2,500 g/mol, then the M(w) of CCP would be around 7,450 g/mol. This experimental value was close to the theoretically-derived M(w) of 4,897 and 9,757 g/mol for tetrahedron and bi-pyramid shaped objects, respectively, when using the brushite form of calcium phosphate. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Elucidating the Role of the Complement Control Protein in Monkeypox Pathogenicity

PubMed Central

Hudson, Paul N.; Self, Joshua; Weiss, Sonja; Braden, Zachary; Xiao, Yuhong; Girgis, Natasha M.; Emerson, Ginny; Hughes, Christine; Sammons, Scott A.; Isaacs, Stuart N.; Damon, Inger K.; Olson, Victoria A.

2012-01-01

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) causes a smallpox-like disease in humans. Clinical and epidemiological studies provide evidence of pathogenicity differences between two geographically distinct monkeypox virus clades: the West African and Congo Basin. Genomic analysis of strains from both clades identified a ∼10 kbp deletion in the less virulent West African isolates sequenced to date. One absent open reading frame encodes the monkeypox virus homologue of the complement control protein (CCP). This modulatory protein prevents the initiation of both the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation. In monkeypox virus, CCP, also known as MOPICE, is a ∼24 kDa secretory protein with sequence homology to this superfamily of proteins. Here we investigate CCP expression and its role in monkeypox virulence and pathogenesis. CCP was incorporated into the West African strain and removed from the Congo Basin strain by homologous recombination. CCP expression phenotypes were confirmed for both wild type and recombinant monkeypox viruses and CCP activity was confirmed using a C4b binding assay. To characterize the disease, prairie dogs were intranasally infected and disease progression was monitored for 30 days. Removal of CCP from the Congo Basin strain reduced monkeypox disease morbidity and mortality, but did not significantly decrease viral load. The inclusion of CCP in the West African strain produced changes in disease manifestation, but had no apparent effect on disease-associated mortality. This study identifies CCP as an important immuno-modulatory protein in monkeypox pathogenesis but not solely responsible for the increased virulence seen within the Congo Basin clade of monkeypox virus. PMID:22496894

Fulfillment of GMP standard, halal standard, and applying HACCP for production process of beef floss (Case study: Ksatria enterprise)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

A'diat, Arkan Addien Al; Liquiddanu, Eko; Laksono, Pringgo Widyo; Sutopo, Wahyudi; Suletra, I. Wayan

2018-02-01

Along with the increasing number of the modern retail business in Indonesia, give an opportunity to small and medium enterprise (SME) to sell its products through the modern retailer. There are some obstacles faced by the SMEs, one of them is about product standard. Product standard that must be owned by SMEs are GMP standard and halal standard. This research was conducted to know the fulfillment by the beef floss enterprise in jagalan in fulfilling the GMP standard and halal. In addition, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system was applied to analyze the process. HACCP which used in this research was based on the seven principles in SNI (Indonesian National Standard) 01-4852-1998. The seven principles included hazard analysis, critical control point (CCP) determination, critical limit establishment, CCP monitor system establishment, corrective action establishment, verification, and also documentation establishment that must be applied in preparing HACCP plan. Based on this case study, it is concluded that there were 5 CCPs : the boiling process, roasting process, frying process, the beef floss draining process, and the packaging process.

[Design of a HACCP Plan for the Gouda-type cheesemaking process in a milk processing plant].

PubMed

Dávila, Jacqueline; Reyes, Genara; Corzo, Otoniel

2006-03-01

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a preventive and systematic method used to identify, assess and control of the hazards related with raw material, ingredients, processing, marketing and intended consumer in order to assure the safety of the food. The aim of this study was to design a HACCP plan for implementing in a Gouda-type cheese-making process in a dairy processing plant. The used methodology was based in the application of the seven principles of the HACCP, the information from the plant about the compliment of the pre-requisite programs (70-80%), the experience of the HACCP team and the sequence of stages settles down by the COVENIN standard 3802 for implementing the HACCP system. A HACCP plan was proposed with the scope, the selection of HACCP team, the description of the product and the intended use, the flow diagram of the process, the hazard analysis and the control table of the plan with the critical control points (CCP). The following CCP were identified in the process: pasteurization, coagulation and ripening.

KSC-2012-5609

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, hosts a pre-proposal conference to inform prospective companies about the recently released request for contract proposals and updates to the certification requirements for crewed missions to the International Space Station, or ISS. The two-phase certification process, called Certification Products Contract, or CPC, will enable NASA to eventually purchase service missions to fly astronauts to and from the ISS. From left, Ed Mango, CCP's program manager Steve Janney, CPC contracting officer Maria Collura, CCP certification manager Tom Simon, CPC Evaluation Team chair Brent Jett, CCP deputy program manager and Kathy Lueders, manager of the ISS Transportation Integration Office. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-5603

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, hosts a pre-proposal conference to inform prospective companies about the recently released request for contract proposals and updates to the certification requirements for crewed missions to the International Space Station, or ISS. The two-phase certification process, called Certification Products Contract, or CPC, will enable NASA to eventually purchase service missions to fly astronauts to and from the ISS. From left, Ed Mango, CCP's program manager Steve Janney, CPC contracting officer Maria Collura, CCP certification manager Tom Simon, CPC Evaluation Team chair Brent Jett, CCP deputy program manager and Kathy Lueders, manager of the ISS Transportation Integration Office. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

Cost-benefit analysis of avian influenza control in Nepal.

PubMed

Karki, S; Lupiani, B; Budke, C M; Karki, N P S; Rushton, J; Ivanek, R

2015-12-01

Numerous outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza A strain H5N1 have occurred in Nepal since 2009 despite implementation of a national programme to control the disease through surveillance and culling of infected poultry flocks. The objective of the study was to use cost-benefit analysis to compare the current control programme (CCP) with the possible alternatives of: i) no intervention (i.e., absence of control measures [ACM]) and ii) vaccinating 60% of the national poultry flock twice a year. In terms of the benefit-cost ratio, findings indicate a return of US $1.94 for every dollar spent in the CCP compared with ACM. The net present value of the CCP versus ACM, i.e., the amount of money saved by implementing the CCP rather than ACM, is US $861,507 (the benefits of CCP [prevented losses which would have occurred under ACM] minus the cost of CCP). The vaccination programme yields a return of US $2.32 for every dollar spent when compared with the CCR The net present value of vaccination versus the CCP is approximately US $12 million. Sensitivity analysis indicated thatthe findings were robust to different rates of discounting, whereas results were sensitive to the assumed market loss and the number of birds affected in the outbreaks under the ACM and vaccination options. Overall, the findings of the study indicate that the CCP is economically superior to ACM, but that vaccination could give greater economic returns and may be a better control strategy. Future research should be directed towards evaluating the financial feasibility and social acceptability of the CCP and of vaccination, with an emphasis on evaluating market reaction to the presence of H5N1 infection in the country.

[Analysis of chondroitin sulfate content of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum with different processing methods and different parts].

PubMed

Gong, Rui-Ze; Wang, Yan-Hua; Sun, Yin-Shi

2018-02-01

The differences and the variations of chondroitin sulfate content in different parts of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum(CCP) with different processing methods were investigated. The chondroitin sulfate from velvet was extracted by dilute alkali-concentrated salt method. Next， the chondroitin sulfate was digested by chondroitinase ABC.The contents of total chondroitin sulfate and chondroitin sulfate A， B and C in the samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP with freeze-drying processing is 14.13，11.99，1.74，0.32 g·kg⁻¹， respectively. The content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP with boiling processing is 10.71，8.97，2.21，1.40 g·kg⁻¹， respectively. The content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP without blood is 12.47，9.47，2.64，0.07 g·kg⁻¹， respectively. And the content of chondroitin sulfate in wax，powder，gauze，bone slices of CCP with blood is 8.22，4.39，0.87，0.28 g·kg⁻¹ respectively. The results indicated that the chondroitin sulfate content in different processing methods was significantly different.The content of chondroitin sulfate in CCP with freeze-drying is higher than that in CCP with boiling processing.The content of chondroitin sulfate in CCP without blood is higher than that in CCP with blood. The chondroitin sulfate content in differerent paris of the velvet with the same processing methods was arranged from high to low as： wax slices， powder， gauze slices， bone slices. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

A comparative analysis of conventional cytopreparatory and liquid based cytological techniques (Sure Path) in evaluation of serous effusion fluids.

PubMed

Dadhich, Hrishikesh; Toi, Pampa Ch; Siddaraju, Neelaiah; Sevvanthi, Kalidas

2016-11-01

Clinically, detection of malignant cells in serous body fluids is critical, as their presence implies the upstaging of the disease. Cytology of body cavity fluids serves as an important tool when other diagnostic tests cannot be performed. In most laboratories, currently, the effusion fluid samples are analysed chiefly by the conventional cytopreparatory (CCP) technique. Although, there are several studies comparing the liquid-based cytology (LBC), with CCP technique in the field of cervicovaginal cytology; the literature on such comparison with respect to serous body fluid examination is sparse. One hundred samples of serous body fluids were processed by both CCP and LBC techniques. Slides prepared by these techniques were studied using six parameters. A comparative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques in detection of malignant cells was carried out with appropriate statistical tests. The samples comprised 52 pleural, 44 peritoneal and four pericardial fluids. No statistically significant difference was noted with respect to cellularity (P values = 0.22), cell distribution (P values = 0.39) and diagnosis of malignancy (P values = 0.20). As for the remaining parameters, LBC provided statistically significant clearer smear background (P values < 0.0001) and shorter screening time (P values < 0.0001), while CPP technique provided a significantly better staining quality (P values 0.01) and sharper cytomorphologic features (P values 0.05). Although, a reduced screening time and clearer smear background are the two major advantages of LBC; the CCP technique provides the better staining quality with sharper cytomorphologic features which is more critical from the cytologic interpretation point of view. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:874-879. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies and Severity of Interstitial Lung Disease in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis

PubMed Central

Ponce-Guarneros, Manuel; Mejía, Mayra; Juárez-Contreras, Pablo; Corona-Sánchez, Esther Guadalupe; Rodríguez-Hernández, Tania Marlen; Salazar-Páramo, Mario; Cardona-Muñoz, Ernesto German; Celis, Alfredo; González-Lopez, Laura

2015-01-01

Objective. To evaluate whether serum titers of second-generation anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP2) are associated with the severity and extent of interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD). Methods. In across-sectional study, 39 RA-ILD patients confirmed by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were compared with 42 RA without lung involvement (RA only). Characteristics related to RA-ILD were assessed in all of the patients and serum anti-CCP2 titers quantified. Results. Higher anti-CCP2 titers were found in RA-ILD compared with RA only (medians 77.9 versus 30.2 U/mL, P < 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, disease duration (DD), smoke exposure, disease activity, functioning, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and methotrexate (MTX) treatment duration, the characteristics associated with RA-ILD were higher anti-CCP2 titers (P = 0.003) and + RF (P = 0.002). In multivariate linear regression, the variables associated with severity of ground-glass score were anti-CCP2 titers (P = 0.02) and with fibrosis score DD (P = 0.01), anti-CCP2 titers (P < 0.001), and MTX treatment duration (P < 0.001). Conclusions. Anti-CCP2 antibodies are markers of severity and extent of RA-ILD in HRCT. Further longitudinal studies are required to identify if higher anti-CCP2 titers are associated with worst prognosis in RA-ILD. PMID:26090479

Diagnostic Challenges in Chronic Constrictive Pericarditis.

PubMed

Braga, Ana; Oliveira, Afonso; Domingues, Kevin; Andrade, Maria João; Abecacis, Miguel; Neves, José Pedro

2017-01-01

Chronic constrictive pericarditis (CCP) is a disease that has multiple possible causes and is associated with variable clinical findings, depending on its severity. It develops insidiously, and in many cases, particularly in developed countries, no antecedent diagnosis can be found. These cases are termed idiopathic. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of constrictive pericarditis in developing nations but represents only a small minority in developed countries. Here the authors describe two different case reports where tuberculosis was the probable cause of CCP. A 21-year-old man born in Cape Verde living in Europe for 4 years and a 24-year-old man born in Guiné Bissau were both admitted due to intense precordial pain and syncope after exertion. Interestingly both had fatigability, dyspnea, chest discomfort and palpitations on exertion, as well as progressive involuntary weight loss and decubitus cough. On physical examination they had tachycardia, jaundice, cachexia, elevated jugular venous pressure, hepatomegaly and ascites. Both electrocardiograms showed prominent P waves and chest X-ray showed bilateral pulmonary interstitial infiltrates and enlargement of the right cavities. Analytically, elevated bilirubin, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia was also found in both. Echocardiography revealed findings, in both cases, compatible with CCP including less common signs as annulus reversus and annulus paradoxus. Thoraco-abdomino-pelvic CT from both patients revealed chronic liver disease with congestion, pleural effusion, pericardial calcifications, ascites and massive mediastinal and abdominal adenopathies. Blood cultures and IGRA test were negative. However, given the presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), anti-TB therapy was started. Despite the diagnosis of "end-stage" CCP with very high operative risk multidisciplinary team decided after informed consent, to perform total anterior pericardiectomy, that occurred without complications. Pericardial and mediastinal biopsies, pericardial/pleural fluid cultures/ immune-phenotyping were inconclusive. Anti- tuberculosis therapy was maintained. After surgery, the patients had a remarkable clinical improvement (NYHA I) that persisted in 6- month follow-up. These two case reports illustrate that despite the markedly elevated operative risk of pericardiectomy in "end-stage" forms of disease after patients informed consent must be a considered option. The other point to consider is that, despite rare, tuberculosis still is a possible diagnosis to consider in CCP in Portugal.

CPP-GMR films with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer (CCP-NOL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuzawa, Hideaki; Yuasa, Hiromi; Iwasaki, Hitoshi

2007-03-01

We investigated the film performance and nanostructure of current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) spin-valve film with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer (CCP-NOL). By applying ion-assisted oxidation (IAO) for the CCP-NOL formation, we enhanced the MR ratio to 5.4% at a small RA value of 500 mΩ µm2 for conventional Co90Fe10 layers. Furthermore, the use of bcc-Fe50Co50 also increased the MR ratio to 8.2% at a small RA value of 580 mΩ µm2. A modified Valet-Fert model for the CCP-NOL showed that the MR enhancement by the IAO is due to the improvement in resistivity of the CCP, and that by Fe50Co50 is due to a larger spin-dependent interface scattering effect. Analysis by cross-sectional TEM and three-dimensional atom probe confirmed the formation of the CCP-NOL structure. A reliability test for test element devices showed almost no change even under acceleration stress. The CPP-GMR spin-valve film with the CCP-NOL is extendable to future high-density recording heads due to its potential for a higher MR ratio at a small value of RA.

Impact of preacidification of milk and fermentation time on the properties of yogurt.

PubMed

Peng, Y; Horne, D S; Lucey, J A

2009-07-01

Casein interactions play an important role in the textural properties of yogurt. The objective of this study was to investigate how the concentration of insoluble calcium phosphate (CCP) that is associated with casein particles and the length of fermentation time influence properties of yogurt gels. A central composite experimental design was used. The initial milk pH was varied by preacidification with glucono-delta-lactone (GDL), and fermentation time (time to reach pH 4.6 from the initial pH) was altered by varying the inoculum level. We hypothesized that by varying the initial milk pH value, the amount of CCP would be modified and that by varying the length of the fermentation time we would influence the rate and extent of solubilization of CCP during any subsequent gelation process. We believe that both of these factors could influence casein interactions and thereby alter gel properties. Milks were preacidified to pH values from 6.55 to 5.65 at 40 degrees C using GDL and equilibrated for 4 h before inoculation. Fermentation time was varied from 250 to 500 min by adding various amounts of culture at 40 degrees C. Gelation properties were monitored using dynamic oscillatory rheology, and microstructure was studied using fluorescence microscopy. Whey separation and permeability were analyzed at pH 4.6. The preacidification pH value significantly affected the solubilization of CCP. Storage modulus values at pH 4.6 were positively influenced by the preacidification pH value and negatively affected by fermentation time. The value for the loss tangent maximum during gelation was positively affected by the preacidification pH value. Fermentation time positively affected whey separation and significantly influenced the rate of CCP dissolution during fermentation, as CCP dissolution was a slow process. Longer fermentation times resulted in greater loss of CCP at the pH of gelation. At the end of fermentation (pH approximately 4.6), virtually all CCP was dissolved. Preacidification of milk increased the solubilization of CCP, increased the early loss of CCP crosslinks, and produced weak gels. Long fermentation times allowed more time for solubilization of CCP during the critical gelation stage of the process and increased the possibility of greater casein rearrangements; both could have contributed to the increase in whey separation.

Aroclor misidentification in environmental samples: how do we communicate more effectively between the laboratory and the data user?

PubMed

Erickson, Mitchell D

2018-06-01

Disposal of carbonless copy paper (CCP) paper sludge during the 1960s contaminated a site in the USA with PCBs. Despite historic records of CCP sludge disposal and absence of evidence of any other disposal, a dispute arose among the parties over the source of the PCBs. Aroclor 1242 is well documented as the PCB mixture used in CCP, yet Aroclors 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260 were reported by the analytical laboratory. How could the PCBs at a single, small site be reported as four different Aroclors? Some claimed that there had to be at least four Aroclors source inputs to the site. Disposal of four different Aroclors at this site would simply defy logic and the historic record. Weathering of the mixtures is part of the story. A larger issue is the conflict between the intent of the USEPA 8082 method to determine the total PCB content in environmental samples to facilitate environmental cleanup and disposal decisions within a regulatory context versus the data users' intent to identify the PCB sources. This inappropriate extension of the data leads to erroneous conclusions. To mitigate problems like this, laboratory analysis requests need to be matched to the intended data usage; conversely, the data must not be over-interpreted beyond the limits of the method. The PCB analysis community needs to develop a better articulation of the limits of Aroclor identification for the broader community that may naïvely assume that if the laboratory reports "Aroclor 1248," then someone must have placed Aroclor 1248 at the site. After all, when a laboratory reports "lead" or "chloroform," those identifications are never in question.

A Study on the Transient Behavior of Pulse Modulated Dual-Frequency Capacitive Discharges based on Circuit Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, Byungkeun; Bae, Inshik; Park, Gi Jung; Chang, Hong-Young

2016-09-01

Multi-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) has been studied to independently control the ion energy and the ion flux; pulsing technique is used to reduce the electron temperature and finally the charging effects. The use of these techniques is a key to high aspect ratio contact (HARC) etching in the recent semiconductor processing. In this study, the characteristics of pulsed dual frequency (DF) CCP is investigated. Two separate powers of 3 MHz and 40 MHz are delivered to the powered electrode of an asymmetric CCP, and each frequency is modulated by an external 1 kHz pulse. Due to the complexity of the RF compensation in DF CCP, the characteristics of the plasma and the sheath are analyzed by high speed impedance measurement. The transient behavior of pulse modulated DF CCP is analyzed based on the result of continuous wave (CW) DF CCP. The optimized experimental condition for high ion energy will be presented. The difference between electronegative oxygen plasma and electropositive argon plasma is discussed as well.

Generating Poetry Title Based on Semantic Relevance with Convolutional Neural Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Niu, K.; He, Z. Q.

2017-09-01

Several approaches have been proposed to automatically generate Chinese classical poetry (CCP) in the past few years, but automatically generating the title of CCP is still a difficult problem. The difficulties are mainly reflected in two aspects. First, the words used in CCP are very different from modern Chinese words and there are no valid word segmentation tools. Second, the semantic relevance of characters in CCP not only exists in one sentence but also exists between the same positions of adjacent sentences, which is hard to grasp by the traditional text summarization models. In this paper, we propose an encoder-decoder model for generating the title of CCP. Our model encoder is a convolutional neural network (CNN) with two kinds of filters. To capture the commonly used words in one sentence, one kind of filters covers two characters horizontally at each step. The other covers two characters vertically at each step and can grasp the semantic relevance of characters between adjacent sentences. Experimental results show that our model is better than several other related models and can capture the semantic relevance of CCP more accurately.

The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) gate: a time-resolved study.

PubMed

Xu, Qing-Hua; Wang, Shu; Korystov, Dmitry; Mikhailovsky, Alexander; Bazan, Guillermo C; Moses, Daniel; Heeger, Alan J

2005-01-18

The two-step energy-transfer process in a self-assembled complex comprising a cationic conjugated polymer (CCP) and a dsDNA is investigated by using pump-dump-emission spectroscopy and time-correlated single-photon counting; energy is transferred from the CCP to an ethidium bromide (EB) molecule intercalated into the dsDNA through a fluorescein molecule linked to one terminus of the DNA. Time-dependent anisotropy measurements indicate that the inefficient direct energy transfer from the CCP to the intercalated EB results from the near orthogonality of their transition moments. These measurements also show that the transition moment of the fluorescein spans a range of angular distributions and lies between that of the CCP and EB. Consequently, the fluorescein acts as a fluorescence resonance energy-transfer gate to relay the excitation energy from the CCP to the EB.

The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) gate: A time-resolved study

PubMed Central

Xu, Qing-Hua; Wang, Shu; Korystov, Dmitry; Mikhailovsky, Alexander; Bazan, Guillermo C.; Moses, Daniel; Heeger, Alan J.

2005-01-01

The two-step energy-transfer process in a self-assembled complex comprising a cationic conjugated polymer (CCP) and a dsDNA is investigated by using pump-dump-emission spectroscopy and time-correlated single-photon counting; energy is transferred from the CCP to an ethidium bromide (EB) molecule intercalated into the dsDNA through a fluorescein molecule linked to one terminus of the DNA. Time-dependent anisotropy measurements indicate that the inefficient direct energy transfer from the CCP to the intercalated EB results from the near orthogonality of their transition moments. These measurements also show that the transition moment of the fluorescein spans a range of angular distributions and lies between that of the CCP and EB. Consequently, the fluorescein acts as a fluorescence resonance energy-transfer gate to relay the excitation energy from the CCP to the EB. PMID:15642946

A Web 2.0 Personal Learning Environment for Classical Chinese Poetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yiwei; Klamma, Ralf; Gao, Yan; Lau, Rynson W. H.; Jarke, Matthias

Classical Chinese Poetry (CCP) is a valuable but almost locked treasure chest of human wisdom and civilization since 2000 years. With the advent of the Web 2.0 a renaissance of CCP is possible even outside Chinese-speaking communities world-wide. With mobile technologies and educational games we can address new learning communities for CCP and open the chest again. In this paper, we introduce a Web 2.0 personal learning environment for CCP. We have developed a generic and interoperable data model for CCP we utilize not only for mobile learning scenarios but also for educational gaming with different levels of difficulty. Learners are empowered to learn Chinese poetry, language, history, and culture. This research work shows how modern information technologies assist users to diffuse knowledge across the borderlines of communities and societies.

CCP Receiver-Function Imaging of the Moho beneath Volcanic Fields in Western Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanchette, A. R.; Mooney, W. D.; Klemperer, S. L.; Zahran, H. M.; El-Hadidy, S. Y.

2015-12-01

We are searching for structural complexity in the crust and upper mantle beneath the Neogene volcanic fields ('harrats') of western Saudi Arabia. We determined P-wave seismic receiver functions for 50 broadband seismographic stations located within or adjacent to three volcanic fields: Harrats Lunayyir, Rahat, and Khaybar. There are 18 seismographic stations within Lunayyir, 11 in Khaybar, and 15 in Rahat with average interstation spacing of 10 km, 30km, and 50 km. For each station we calculated 300 to 600 receiver functions with an iterative time-domain deconvolution; noisy receiver functions (outliers) were rejected by cross correlating each receiver function with a station stack; we only accepted those with a cross correlation coefficient ≥ 0.6. We used these receiver functions to create a common-conversion point (CCP) image of the crust and upper mantle. The Moho and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) are clearly imaged, particularly beneath Lunayyir, and have average depths of about 38 km and 60 km. We do not find any evidence for structural disruption of the Moho within our ~70 km x 70 km image of the Moho beneath Lunayyir. We image a clear crust-mantle boundary beneath Rahat and Khaybar also at ~38 km, 2-3 km deeper than anticipated from prior receiver function results outside of the harrats. Mid-crustal low velocity zones seen locally beneath all three harrats, most commonly at 10-15 km or 15-20 km in depth, may more likely represent silicic Precambrian basement than accumulations of magma. Estimates of up to ~0.5 km3 of magma erupted during each eruptive episode are consistent with the lack of a disrupted Moho. However, the total erupted volume of magma, e.g. > 1000 km3 at Rahat, together with associated intrusions from the mantle, is consistent with crustal thickening of ~2 km beneath the harrats.

The Capricorn Orogen Passive source Array (COPA) in Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gessner, K.; Yuan, H.; Murdie, R.; Dentith, M. C.; Johnson, S.; Brett, J.

2015-12-01

COPA is the passive source component of a multi-method geophysical program aimed at assessing the mineral deposits potential of the Proterozoic Capricorn Orogen. Previous results from the active source surveys, receiver functions and magnetotelluric studies show reworked orogenic crust in the orogen that contrasts with more simple crust in the neighbouring Archean cratons, suggesting progressive and punctuated collisional processes during the final amalgamation of the Western Australian craton. Previous seismic studies are all based on line deployment or single station analyses; therefore it is essential to develop 3D seismic images to test whether these observations are representative for the whole orogen. With a careful design that takes advantage of previous passive source surveys, the current long-term and short-term deployments span an area of approximately 500 x 500 km. The 36-month total deployment can guarantee enough data recording for 3D structure imaging using body wave tomography, ambient noise surface wave tomography and P- and S-wave receiver function Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacking techniques. A successive instrument loan from the ANSIR national instrument pool, provided 34 broadband seismometers that have been deployed in the western half of the orogen since March 2014. We expect approximately 40-km lateral resolution near the surface for the techniques we propose, which due to low frequency nature of earthquake waves will degrade to about 100 km near the base of the cratonic lithosphere, which is expected at depths between 200 to 250 km. Preliminary results from the first half of the COPA deployment will be presented in the light of the hypotheses that 1) distinct crustal blocks can be detected continuously throughout the orogen (using ambient noise/body wave tomography); 2) distinct lithologies are present in the crust and upper mantle across the orogen (using receiver function CCP images); and 3) crustal and lithosphere deformation along craton margins in general follows the "wedge" tectonic model (e.g. subduction of Juvenile blocks under the craton mantle as represented by craton-ward dipping sutures.

Translational Mini-Review Series on Complement Factor H: Structural and functional correlations for factor H

PubMed Central

Schmidt, C Q; Herbert, A P; Hocking, H G; Uhrín, D; Barlow, P N

2008-01-01

The 155-kDa glycoprotein, complement factor H (CFH), is a regulator of complement activation that is abundant in human plasma. Three-dimensional structures of over half the 20 complement control protein (CCP) modules in CFH have been solved in the context of single-, double- and triple-module segments. Proven binding sites for C3b occupy the N and C termini of this elongated molecule and may be brought together by a bend in CFH mediated by its central CCP modules. The C-terminal CCP 20 is key to the ability of the molecule to adhere to polyanionic markers on self-surfaces where CFH acts to regulate amplification of the alternative pathway of complement. The surface patch on CCP 20 that binds to model glycosaminoglycans has been mapped using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as has a second glycosaminoglycan-binding patch on CCP 7. These patches include many of the residue positions at which sequence variations have been linked to three complement-mediated disorders: dense deposit disease, age-related macular degeneration and atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome. In one plausible model, CCP 20 anchors CFH to self-surfaces via a C3b/polyanion composite binding site, CCP 7 acts as a ‘proof-reader’ to help discriminate self- from non-self patterns of sulphation, and CCPs 1–4 disrupt C3/C5 convertase formation and stability. PMID:18081691

Immobilization of Trypsin in Lignocellulosic Waste Material to Produce Peptides with Bioactive Potential from Whey Protein

PubMed Central

Bassan, Juliana Cristina; de Souza Bezerra, Thaís Milena; Peixoto, Guilherme; da Cruz, Clariana Zanutto Paulino; Galán, Julián Paul Martínez; Vaz, Aline Buda dos Santos; Garrido, Saulo Santesso; Filice, Marco; Monti, Rubens

2016-01-01

In this study, trypsin (Enzyme Comission 3.4.21.4) was immobilized in a low cost, lignocellulosic support (corn cob powder—CCP) with the goal of obtaining peptides with bioactive potential from cheese whey. The pretreated support was activated with glyoxyl groups, glutaraldehyde and IDA-glyoxyl. The immobilization yields of the derivatives were higher than 83%, and the retention of catalytic activity was higher than 74%. The trypsin-glyoxyl-CCP derivative was thermally stable at 65 °C, a value that was 1090-fold higher than that obtained with the free enzyme. The trypsin-IDA-glyoxyl-CCP and trypsin-glutaraldehyde-CCP derivatives had thermal stabilities that were 883- and five-fold higher, respectively, then those obtained with the free enzyme. In the batch experiments, trypsin-IDA-glyoxyl-CCP retained 91% of its activity and had a degree of hydrolysis of 12.49%, while the values for trypsin-glyoxyl-CCP were 87% and 15.46%, respectively. The stabilized derivative trypsin-glyoxyl-CCP was also tested in an upflow packed-bed reactor. The hydrodynamic characterization of this reactor was a plug flow pattern, and the kinetics of this system provided a relative activity of 3.04 ± 0.01 U·g−1 and an average degree of hydrolysis of 23%, which were suitable for the production of potentially bioactive peptides. PMID:28773482

Influence of childcare practices on nutritional status of Ghanaian children: a regression analysis of the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys

PubMed Central

Amugsi, Dickson A; Mittelmark, Maurice B; Lartey, Anna; Matanda, Dennis J; Urke, Helga B

2014-01-01

Objectives Guided by the UNICEF framework for childcare, this study examined the association of childcare practices (CCP) with infant and young children's growth (height-for-age Z-scores, HAZ), and investigated whether care practices are more important to growth in some sociodemographic subgroups of children. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Urban and rural Ghana. Participants The study sample comprised 1187 dyads of mothers aged 15–49 years and their youngest child (aged 6–36 months). Results The results showed that CCP was a significant predictor of HAZ, after controlling for covariates/confounders at child, maternal and household levels. Children with higher CCP scores had higher HAZ. A 1-unit increase in the CCP score was associated with a 0.17-unit increase in HAZ. Child's and mother's age, number of children under 5 years, place of residence, maternal weight and wealth index were also significantly associated with HAZ. Statistical interaction analyses revealed no subgroup differences in the CCP/HAZ relationship. Conclusions This study found a significant, positive association between CCP and child growth, after accounting for other important determinants of child growth at maternal and household levels. This calls for research into the effects on growth of various CCP components, with longitudinal cohort study designs that can disentangle causal relationships. PMID:25366675

77 FR 16058 - Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, Pacific County, WA; Record of Decision for Final Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-19

... National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management... implementation. Alternative 2 is the foundation of our CCP. The CCP will guide our management and administration... management issues in our Draft and Final CCP/EIS. To address these issues, we developed and evaluated three...

A new method of measuring the stiffness of corpus cavernosum penis with ShearWave™ Elastography

PubMed Central

Zhang, J-J; Qiao, X-H; Gao, F; Li, F; Bai, M; Zhang, H-P; Liu, Y; Du, L-F

2015-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of measuring the stiffness of corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) with ShearWave™ Elastography (SWE; SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France). Methods: 40 healthy volunteers with ages ranging from 19 to 81 years (mean, 36 years; standard deviation, 17 years) were selected in this study. The ultrafast ultrasound device Aixplorer® (SuperSonic Imagine) was used for the research and the probe selected was SuperLinear™ SL15-4 (SuperSonic Imagine). The shear wave stiffness (SWS) of CCP was measured using SWE images. The measurement indexes of SWS included (1) SWS of CCP measured in the transverse section (SWS-T), (2) SWS of CCP measured in the longitudinal section (SWS-L) and (3) mean of SWS-T and SWS-L (SWS-M). The interval between hormone test and SWE examination of each subject was less than 7 days. The paired t-test was used to analyse the differences between SWS-T and SWS-L. The Pearson correlation was used to analyse the correlation of SWS of CCP with age as well as with sex hormone levels. Results: There was no significant difference between SWS-T and SWS-L (p > 0.05). SWS (SWS-T, SWS-L, SWS-M) was negatively correlated with age and oestradiol value, and SWS (SWS-T, SWS-L, SWS-M) was positively correlated with testosterone value. Conclusion: SWE could serve as a new non-invasive method of evaluating the stiffness of CCP. Advances in knowledge: It is the first time that we have discussed the feasibility of measuring the stiffness of CCP with SWE and analysed the correlation of SWS of CCP with age as well as with sex hormone levels. PMID:25694260

A new method of measuring the stiffness of corpus cavernosum penis with ShearWave™ Elastography.

PubMed

Zhang, J-J; Qiao, X-H; Gao, F; Li, F; Bai, M; Zhang, H-P; Liu, Y; Du, L-F; Xing, J-F

2015-04-01

To evaluate the feasibility of measuring the stiffness of corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) with ShearWave™ Elastography (SWE; SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France). 40 healthy volunteers with ages ranging from 19 to 81 years (mean, 36 years; standard deviation, 17 years) were selected in this study. The ultrafast ultrasound device Aixplorer(®) (SuperSonic Imagine) was used for the research and the probe selected was SuperLinear™ SL15-4 (SuperSonic Imagine). The shear wave stiffness (SWS) of CCP was measured using SWE images. The measurement indexes of SWS included (1) SWS of CCP measured in the transverse section (SWS-T), (2) SWS of CCP measured in the longitudinal section (SWS-L) and (3) mean of SWS-T and SWS-L (SWS-M). The interval between hormone test and SWE examination of each subject was less than 7 days. The paired t-test was used to analyse the differences between SWS-T and SWS-L. The Pearson correlation was used to analyse the correlation of SWS of CCP with age as well as with sex hormone levels. There was no significant difference between SWS-T and SWS-L (p > 0.05). SWS (SWS-T, SWS-L, SWS-M) was negatively correlated with age and oestradiol value, and SWS (SWS-T, SWS-L, SWS-M) was positively correlated with testosterone value. SWE could serve as a new non-invasive method of evaluating the stiffness of CCP. It is the first time that we have discussed the feasibility of measuring the stiffness of CCP with SWE and analysed the correlation of SWS of CCP with age as well as with sex hormone levels.

Comparative study of the diagnostic and prognostic value of antibodies against chimeric citrullinated synthetic peptides and CCP3/CCP3.1 assays.

PubMed

Gómara, María J; Rodríguez, Javier; Bleda, María J; Salvador, Juan P; Sanmartí, Raimon; Haro, Isabel

2018-01-26

The objective of the study was to compare the diagnostic yield of home-made ELISA tests based on synthetic chimeric fibrin/filaggrin citrullinated peptides (CFFCPs) with CCP3 and CCP3.1 commercial tests to detect anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPAs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The prognostic value is also studied in a cohort of patients with early RA. Moreover, we transfer immunological assays from microtiter plates to microarray formats to allow the simultaneous analysis of several peptide sequences and reduce the volume of serum from patients. The diagnostic study includes: 100 RA patients who fulfilled the 1987 ACR criteria; 100 healthy blood donors; 35 patients with SLE according ACR criteria; 35 patients with PsA fulfilling the Wright and Moll criteria and 30 patients with HCV infection. The prognostic value study includes 50 patients with early RA with follow-up data available. All samples are from outpatients attending the Rheumatology Department of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Similar sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for the diagnosis of RA of CCFCPs compared to CCP3/CCP3.1 were obtained. Although a high concordance is observed between anti-CFFCPs and anti-CCP3/CCP3.1 in the early patients that rendered Larsen radiographic progression, CFFCPs could be a better marker of radiographic outcome. Strong correlations between the microarray and ELISA results were found for individual CFFCPs peptides. The development of multiplexing techniques combining a different spectrum of markers in a single analysis, including CFFCP peptides, could allow a more detailed analysis of the autoantibodies reactivity found in the sera of patients suffering of this heterogeneous disease.

Multi-Mode 3D Kirchhoff Migration of Receiver Functions at Continental Scale With Applications to USArray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millet, F.; Bodin, T.; Rondenay, S.

2017-12-01

The teleseismic scattered seismic wavefield contains valuable information about heterogeneities and discontinuities inside the Earth. By using fast Receiver Function (RF) migration techniques such as classic Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacks, one can easily interpret structural features down to a few hundred kilometers in the mantle. However, strong simplifying 1D assumptions limit the scope of these methods to structures that are relatively planar and sub-horizontal at local-to-regional scales, such as the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary and the Mantle Transition Zone discontinuities. Other more robust 2D and 2.5D methods rely on fewer assumptions but require considerable, sometime prohibitive, computation time. Following the ideas of Cheng (2017), we have implemented a simple fully 3D Prestack Kirchhoff RF migration scheme which uses the FM3D fast Eikonal solver to compute travel times and scattering angles. The method accounts for 3D elastic point scattering and includes free surface multiples, resulting in enhanced images of laterally varying dipping structures, such as subducted slabs. The method is tested for subduction structures using 2.5D synthetics generated with Raysum and 3D synthetics generated with specfem3D. Results show that dip angles, depths and lateral variations can be recovered almost perfectly. The approach is ideally suited for applications to dense regional datasets, including those collected across the Cascadia and Alaska subduction zones by USArray.

Effect of increasing the colloidal calcium phosphate of milk on the texture and microstructure of yogurt.

PubMed

Ozcan, T; Horne, D; Lucey, J A

2011-11-01

The effect of increasing the colloidal calcium phosphate (CCP) content on the physical, rheological, and microstructural properties of yogurt was investigated. The CCP content of heated (85°C for 30 min) milk was increased by increasing the pH by the addition of alkali (NaOH). Alkalized milk was dialyzed against pasteurized skim milk at approximately 4°C for 72 h to attempt to restore the original pH and soluble Ca content. By adjustment of the milk to pH values 7.45, 8.84, 10.06, and 10.73, the CCP content was increased to approximately 107, 116, 123, and 128%, respectively, relative to the concentration in heated milk. During fermentation of milk, the storage modulus (G') and loss tangent values of yogurts were measured using dynamic oscillatory rheology. Large deformation rheological properties were also measured. The microstructure of yogurt was observed using fluorescence microscopy, and whey separation was determined. Acid-base titration was used to evaluate changes in the CCP content in milk. Total Ca and casein-bound Ca increased with an increase in the pH value of alkalization. During acidification, elevated buffering occurred in milk between pH values 6.7 to 5.2 with an increase in the pH of alkalization. When acidified milk was titrated with alkali, elevated buffering occurred in milk between pH values 5.6 to 6.4 with an increase in the pH of alkalization. The high residual pH of milk after dialysis could be responsible for the decreased contents of soluble Ca in these milks. The pH of gelation was higher in all dialyzed samples compared with the heated control milk, and the gelation pH was higher with an increase in CCP content. The sample with highest CCP content (128%) exhibited gelation at very high pH (6.3), which could be due to alkali-induced CN micellar disruption. The G' values at pH 4.6 were similar in gels with CCP levels up to 116%; at higher CCP levels, the G' values at pH 4.6 greatly decreased. Loss tangent values at pH 5.1 were similar in all samples except in gels with a CCP level of 128%. For dialyzed milk, the whey separation levels were similar in gels made from milk with up to 107% CCP but increased at higher CCP levels. Microstructure of yogurt gels made from milk with 100 to 107% CCP was similar but very large clusters were observed in gels made from milk with higher CCP levels. By dialyzing heated milk against pasteurized milk, we may have retained some heat-induced Ca phosphate on micelles that normally dissolves on cooling because, during dialysis, pasteurized milk provided soluble Ca ions to the heated milk system. Yogurt texture was significantly affected by increasing the casein-bound Ca (and total Ca) content of milk as well as by the alkalization procedure involved in that approach. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Properties of carbon composite paper derived from coconut coir as a function of polytetrafluoroethylene content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destyorini, Fredina; Indriyati; Indayaningsih, Nanik; Prihandoko, Bambang; Zulfia Syahrial, Anne

2018-03-01

The carbon composite papers were produced by utilizing carbon materials from coconut coir. In the present work, carbon composite papers (CCP) were prepared by mixing carbon materials in the form of powder and fibre with polymer (ethylene vinyl acetate and polyethylene glycol) in xylene at 100°C. Then, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with different content was used to treat the surface of CCP. The properties of PTFE-coated CCP were analysed by means of contact angle measurement, tensile testing, porosity, density, and electrical conductivity measurements. As expected, all CCP’s surfaces treated with PTFE were found to be hydrophobic with contact angle >120° and relatively constant during 60 minutes measurement. Furthermore, water contact angle, density, and mechanical properties of CCP generally increase with increasing PTFE content. However, the porosity and electrical conductivity of CCP decrease slightly as the PTFE content increased from 0 wt% to 30 wt%. Based on the observation and analysis, the optimum PTFE content on CCP was 20 %, in which the mechanical properties and hydrophobicity behaviour were improved significantly, but it was only caused a very small drop in porosity and electrical conductivity

Influence of childcare practices on nutritional status of Ghanaian children: a regression analysis of the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys.

PubMed

Amugsi, Dickson A; Mittelmark, Maurice B; Lartey, Anna; Matanda, Dennis J; Urke, Helga B

2014-11-03

Guided by the UNICEF framework for childcare, this study examined the association of childcare practices (CCP) with infant and young children's growth (height-for-age Z-scores, HAZ), and investigated whether care practices are more important to growth in some sociodemographic subgroups of children. Cross-sectional survey. Urban and rural Ghana. The study sample comprised 1187 dyads of mothers aged 15-49 years and their youngest child (aged 6-36 months). The results showed that CCP was a significant predictor of HAZ, after controlling for covariates/confounders at child, maternal and household levels. Children with higher CCP scores had higher HAZ. A 1-unit increase in the CCP score was associated with a 0.17-unit increase in HAZ. Child's and mother's age, number of children under 5 years, place of residence, maternal weight and wealth index were also significantly associated with HAZ. Statistical interaction analyses revealed no subgroup differences in the CCP/HAZ relationship. This study found a significant, positive association between CCP and child growth, after accounting for other important determinants of child growth at maternal and household levels. This calls for research into the effects on growth of various CCP components, with longitudinal cohort study designs that can disentangle causal relationships. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Comparison of analytical protein separation characteristics for three amine-based capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) stationary phases.

PubMed

Jiang, Liuwei; Marcus, R Kenneth

2016-02-01

Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fiber stationary phases are finding utility in the realms of protein analytics as well as downstream processing. We have recently described the modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) C-CP fibers to affect amine-rich phases for the weak anion-exchange (WAX) separation of proteins. Polyethylenimine (PEI) is covalently coupled to the PET surface, with subsequent cross-linking imparted by treatment with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BUDGE). These modifications yield vastly improved dynamic binding capacities over the unmodified fibers. We have also previously employed native (unmodified) nylon 6 C-CP fibers as weak anion/cation-exchange (mixed-mode) and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) phases for protein separations. Polyamide, nylon 6, consists of amide groups along the polymer backbone, with primary amines and carboxylic acid end groups. The analytical separation characteristics of these three amine-based C-CP fiber phases are compared here. Each of the C-CP fiber columns in this study was shown to be able to separate a bovine serum albumin/hemoglobin/lysozyme mixture at high mobile phase linear velocity (∼70 mm s(-1)) but with different elution characteristics. These differences reflect the types of protein-surface interactions that are occurring, based on the active group composition of the fiber surfaces. This study provides important fundamental understanding for the development of surface-modified C-CP fiber columns for protein separation.

Emergy assessment of three home courtyard agriculture production systems in Tibet Autonomous Region, China*

PubMed Central

Guan, Fa-chun; Sha, Zhi-peng; Zhang, Yu-yang; Wang, Jun-feng; Wang, Chao

2016-01-01

Home courtyard agriculture is an important model of agricultural production on the Tibetan plateau. Because of the sensitive and fragile plateau environment, it needs to have optimal performance characteristics, including high sustainability, low environmental pressure, and high economic benefit. Emergy analysis is a promising tool for evaluation of the environmental-economic performance of these production systems. In this study, emergy analysis was used to evaluate three courtyard agricultural production models: Raising Geese in Corn Fields (RGICF), Conventional Corn Planting (CCP), and Pea-Wheat Rotation (PWR). The results showed that the RGICF model produced greater economic benefits, and had higher sustainability, lower environmental pressure, and higher product safety than the CCP and PWR models. The emergy yield ratio (EYR) and emergy self-support ratio (ESR) of RGICF were 0.66 and 0.11, respectively, lower than those of the CCP production model, and 0.99 and 0.08, respectively, lower than those of the PWR production model. The impact of RGICF (1.45) on the environment was lower than that of CCP (2.26) and PWR (2.46). The emergy sustainable indices (ESIs) of RGICF were 1.07 and 1.02 times higher than those of CCP and PWR, respectively. With regard to the emergy index of product safety (EIPS), RGICF had a higher safety index than those of CCP and PWR. Overall, our results suggest that the RGICF model is advantageous and provides higher environmental benefits than the CCP and PWR systems. PMID:27487808

Emergy assessment of three home courtyard agriculture production systems in Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

PubMed

Guan, Fa-Chun; Sha, Zhi-Peng; Zhang, Yu-Yang; Wang, Jun-Feng; Wang, Chao

2016-08-01

Home courtyard agriculture is an important model of agricultural production on the Tibetan plateau. Because of the sensitive and fragile plateau environment, it needs to have optimal performance characteristics, including high sustainability, low environmental pressure, and high economic benefit. Emergy analysis is a promising tool for evaluation of the environmental-economic performance of these production systems. In this study, emergy analysis was used to evaluate three courtyard agricultural production models: Raising Geese in Corn Fields (RGICF), Conventional Corn Planting (CCP), and Pea-Wheat Rotation (PWR). The results showed that the RGICF model produced greater economic benefits, and had higher sustainability, lower environmental pressure, and higher product safety than the CCP and PWR models. The emergy yield ratio (EYR) and emergy self-support ratio (ESR) of RGICF were 0.66 and 0.11, respectively, lower than those of the CCP production model, and 0.99 and 0.08, respectively, lower than those of the PWR production model. The impact of RGICF (1.45) on the environment was lower than that of CCP (2.26) and PWR (2.46). The emergy sustainable indices (ESIs) of RGICF were 1.07 and 1.02 times higher than those of CCP and PWR, respectively. With regard to the emergy index of product safety (EIPS), RGICF had a higher safety index than those of CCP and PWR. Overall, our results suggest that the RGICF model is advantageous and provides higher environmental benefits than the CCP and PWR systems.

Participation of a coordinating center pharmacy in a multicenter international study.

PubMed

Jeon, Jihyun Esther; Mighty, Janet; Lane, Karen; McBee, Nichol; Majkowski, Ryan; Mayo, Steven; Hanley, Daniel

2016-11-15

The activities of a coordinating center pharmacy (CCP) supporting a multicenter, international clinical trial are described. Serving in a research support role comparable to that of a commercial clinical trial supply company, a CCP within the Johns Hopkins Hospital Investigational Drug Service (JHH IDS) uses its management expertise and infrastructure to support multicenter trials, such as the recently completed Clot Lysis: Evaluating Accelerated Resolution of Intraventricular Hemorrhage, Phase III (CLEAR III) trial. The role of the CCP staff in supporting the CLEAR III trial was overall investigational product (IP) management through coordination of IP-related operations to ensure high-quality care for study participants at study sites in the United States and abroad. For the CLEAR III trial, the CCP coordinated IP supply activities; provided education to site pharmacists; developed study-specific documents, including pharmacy manuals; communicated with trial stakeholders, including third-party IP distributors; monitored treatment assignments; and performed quality assurance monitoring to ensure compliance with institutional, state, federal, and international regulations regarding IP procurement and storage. Acting as a CCP for a multicenter international study poses a number of operational challenges while providing opportunities for the CCP to contribute to research of global importance and enrich the skill sets of its personnel. The development and implementation of the CCP at JHH IDS for the CLEAR III trial included several responsibilities, such as IP supply management, communication, and database, regulatory, and finance management. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of Commercial Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) Parts in NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalex, Oscar

2012-01-01

NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program (CCP) is stimulating efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation capabilities. One initiative involves investigating the use of commercial electronic parts. NASA's CCP asked the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to collect data to help frame the technical, cost, and schedule risk trades associated with electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) parts selection and specifically expressed desire of some of the CCP partners to employ EEE parts of a lower grade than traditionally used in most NASA safety-critical applications. This document contains the outcome from the NESC's review and analyses.

Research on sludge-fly ash ceramic particles (SFCP) for synthetic and municipal wastewater treatment in biological aerated filter (BAF).

PubMed

Zhao, Yaqin; Yue, Qinyan; Li, Renbo; Yue, Min; Han, Shuxin; Gao, Baoyu; Li, Qian; Yu, Hui

2009-11-01

Sludge-fly ash ceramic particles (SFCP) and clay ceramic particles (CCP) were employed in two lab-scale up-flow biological aerated filters (BAF) for wastewater treatment to investigate the availability of SFCP used as biofilm support compared with CCP. For synthetic wastewater, under the selected hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 1.5, 0.75 and 0.37 h, respectively, the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD(Cr)) and ammonium nitrogen (NH(4)(+)-N) in SFCP reactor were all higher than those of CCP reactor all through the media height. Moreover, better capabilities responding to loading shock and faster recovery after short intermittence were observed in the SFCP reactor compared with the CCP reactor. For municipal wastewater treatment, which was carried out under HRT of 0.75 h, air-liquid ratio of 7.5 and backwashing period of 48 h, the SFCP reactor also performed better than the CCP reactor, especially for the removal of NH(4)(+)-N.

Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (Anti-CCP) and Anti-Mutated Citrullinated Vimentin (Anti-MCV) Relation with Extra-Articular Manifestations in Rheumatoid Arthritis

PubMed Central

Gonzalez-Lopez, Laura; Rocha-Muñoz, Alberto Daniel; Ponce-Guarneros, Manuel; Flores-Chavez, Alejandra; Salazar-Paramo, Mario; Cardona-Muñoz, Ernesto German; Fajardo-Robledo, Nicte Selene; Zavaleta-Muñiz, Soraya Amali; Garcia-Cobian, Teresa; Gamez-Nava, Jorge Ivan

2014-01-01

We evaluated the association between anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) and anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin antibodies (anti-MCV) with the presence of extra-articular (ExRA) manifestations in 225 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Ninety-five patients had ExRA and 130 had no ExRA. There was no association of anti-CCP and anti-MCV levels with the presence of ExRA as total group (P = 0.40 and P = 0.91, resp.). Making an analysis of individual manifestations, rheumatoid nodules were associated with positivity for rheumatoid factor (RF); (P = 0.01), anti-CCP (P = 0.048), and anti-MCV (P = 0.02). Instead, RF, anti-CCP, or anti-MCV were not associated with SS, chronic anemia, or peripheral neuropathy. Levels of anti-CCP correlated with the score of the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-Di) (r = 0.154, P = 0.03), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); (r = 0.155, P = 0.03), and RF (P = 0.254, P < 0.001), whereas anti-MCV titres only correlated with RF (r = 0.169, P = 0.02). On adjusted analysis, ExRA was associated with longer age (P = 0.015), longer disease duration (P = 0.007), higher DAS-28 score (P = 0.002), and higher HAQ-DI score (P = 0.007), but serum levels of anti-CCP and anti-MCV were not associated. These findings show the need to strengthen the evaluation of the pathogenic mechanisms implied in each specific ExRA manifestation. PMID:24804270

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis: multivariate analysis of biomarkers.

PubMed

Wild, Norbert; Karl, Johann; Grunert, Veit P; Schmitt, Raluca I; Garczarek, Ursula; Krause, Friedemann; Hasler, Fritz; van Riel, Piet L C M; Bayer, Peter M; Thun, Matthias; Mattey, Derek L; Sharif, Mohammed; Zolg, Werner

2008-02-01

To test if a combination of biomarkers can increase the classification power of autoantibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) depending on the diagnostic situation. Biomarkers were subject to three inclusion/exclusion criteria (discrimination between RA patients and healthy blood donors, ability to identify anti-CCP-negative RA patients, specificity in a panel with major non-rheumatological diseases) before univariate ranking and multivariate analysis was carried out using a modelling panel (n = 906). To enable the evaluation of the classification power in different diagnostic settings the disease controls (n = 542) were weighted according to the admission rates in rheumatology clinics modelling a clinic panel or according to the relative prevalences of musculoskeletal disorders in the general population seen by general practitioners modelling a GP panel. Out of 131 biomarkers considered originally, we evaluated 32 biomarkers in this study, of which only seven passed the three inclusion/exclusion criteria and were combined by multivariate analysis using four different mathematical models. In the modelled clinic panel, anti-CCP was the lead marker with a sensitivity of 75.8% and a specificity of 94.0%. Due to the lack in specificity of the markers other than anti-CCP in this diagnostic setting, any gain in sensitivity by any marker combination is off-set by a corresponding loss in specificity. In the modelled GP panel, the best marker combination of anti-CCP and interleukin (IL)-6 resulted in a sensitivity gain of 7.6% (85.9% vs. 78.3%) at a minor loss in specificity of 1.6% (90.3% vs. 91.9%) compared with anti-CCP as the best single marker. Depending on the composition of the sample panel, anti-CCP alone or anti-CCP in combination with IL-6 has the highest classification power for the diagnosis of established RA.

Apolar Distal Pocket Mutants of Yeast Cytochrome c Peroxidase: Hydrogen Peroxide Reactivity and Cyanide Binding of the TriAla, TriVal, and TriLeu Variants

PubMed Central

Bidwai, Anil K.; Meyen, Cassandra; Kilheeney, Heather; Wroblewski, Damian; Vitello, Lidia B.; Erman, James E.

2012-01-01

Three yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) variants with apolar distal heme pockets have been constructed. The CcP variants have Arg48, Trp51, and His52 mutated to either all alanines, CcP(triAla), all valines, CcP(triVal), or all leucines, CcP(triLeu). The triple mutants have detectable enzymatic activity at pH 6 but the activity is less than 0.02% that of wild-type CcP. The activity loss is primarily due to the decreased rate of reaction between the triple mutants and H2O2 compared to wild-type CcP. Spectroscopic properties and cyanide binding characteristics of the triple mutants have been investigated over the pH stability region of CcP, pH 4 to 8. The absorption spectra indicate that the CcP triple mutants have hemes that are predominantly five-coordinate, high-spin at pH 5 and six-coordinate, low-spin at pH 8. Cyanide binding to the triple mutants is biphasic indicating that the triple mutants have two slowly-exchanging conformational states with different cyanide affinities. The binding affinity for cyanide is reduced at least two orders of magnitude in the triple mutants compared to wild-type CcP and the rate of cyanide binding is reduced by four to five orders of magnitude. Correlation of the reaction rates of CcP and 12 distal pocket mutants with H2O2 and HCN suggests that both reactions require ionization of the reactants within the distal heme pocket allowing the anion to bind the heme iron. Distal pocket features that promote substrate ionization (basic residues involved in base-catalyzed substrate ionization or polar residues that can stabilize substrate anions) increase the overall rate of reaction with H2O2 and HCN while features that inhibit substrate ionization slow the reactions. PMID:23022490

Crustal Thickness and Structure in Southern Chile: Patagonia plate assembly structures and continental arc modifications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, E. E.; Russo, R. M.

2016-12-01

Crustal structure is the product of the processes that operated during a region's tectonic history. For Patagonia, these tectonic processes include its early Paleozoic assembly and accretion to the South America portion of Gondwana, Triassic rifting of Gondwana, and a long history as the upper plate during oceanic subduction since the Mesozoic. To assess the crustal structure and glean insight into how these tectonic processes affected the region, we combined data from two seismic networks, the Chile Ridge Subduction Project and Seismic Experiment of Aisen Chile - yielding a total of 77 broadband seismic stations - deployed from 2004 to 2007. The stations were concentrated 300 km inboard of the Chile trench, above structures unlikely to have been affected by ongoing Chile Ridge subduction. Events suitable for receiver function (RF) analyses (M > 5.9, of various backazimuths, epicentral distances of 30 - 90°) yielded 995 radial RFs, constructed using iterative time deconvolution (Ligorria and Ammon, 1999). We estimated crustal thicknesses and compressional to shear wave velocity ratios (Vp/Vs) using the H-k grid search method (Zhu and Kanamori, 2000); common conversion point (CCP) stacking (Zhu, et al., 2006) allowed imaging of crustal structure. Results limit crustal thicknesses to between 30 and 45 km. The crust varies smoothly from 30 km at the N margin of our study area ( 43°S) to a max depth of 45 km at 44.75°S, shallowing to 30 km at 49°S. On E-W CCP sections north of 46°S, the Moho dips westward, from a depth of 35 at 71°W to 45 km at its deepest near 72.75°W. Beneath the active Southern Volcanic Zone, which is bounded to the west by the Liquiñe-Ofqui fault, the Moho is ambiguous, producing unclear Ps phases possibly reflecting a lack of sharp impedance contrast or poor conversion efficiency at the base of the crust, perhaps due to deep-seated volcanic arc processes. The proximity of the Liquiñe-Ofqui strike-slip fault may also complicate the expected velocity discontinuity at the Moho by juxtaposing crustal blocks of different thicknesses. We also observe an extensive, undulating mid-crustal converter between 12-20 km depth. Peaks and troughs of this surface strike E-W, implying that the surface may have formed during N-S crustal shortening. If so, this surface likely formed during Paleozoic assembly of Patagonia.

High-frequency piezopolymer transducers with a copper-clad polyimide backing layer

PubMed Central

Ketterling, Jeffrey A.; Aristizábal, Orlando; Turnbull, Daniel H.

2006-01-01

The effect of a copper-clad polyimide (CCP) backing layer on piezopolymer transducer performance is evaluated. High-frequency, spherically curved polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transducers with and without a CCP backing layer are electrically and acoustically tested. The results showed very similar operating characteristics. B-mode in vivo images of a mouse embryo also showed no qualitative differences indicating the CCP backing layer does not effect transducer performance. PMID:16889345

Coptis chinensis Polysaccharides Inhibit Advanced Glycation End Product Formation.

PubMed

Yang, Ye; Li, Yun; Yin, Dengke; Chen, Song; Gao, Xiangdong

2016-06-01

Coptis chinensis Franch (Huanglian) is commonly used to treat diabetes in China. In this study, the effects of the C. chinensis Franch polysaccharides (CCP) on advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation in vitro and in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice were investigated. CCP significantly inhibited all the three periods of nonenzymatic protein glycation in vitro, including Amadori product, dicarbonyl compound, and AGE formation (P < .01). In diabetic mice, the administration of CCP not only improved both bodyweight and serum insulin and decreased fasting blood glucose and glycated serum protein concentrations but also decreased the AGE accumulations and morphological abnormalities in pancreas and liver. The inhibitory effects of CCP on AGE formation afford a potential therapeutic use in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Modeling bubble dynamics and radical kinetics in ultrasound induced microalgal cell disruption.

PubMed

Wang, Meng; Yuan, Wenqiao

2016-01-01

Microalgal cell disruption induced by acoustic cavitation was simulated through solving the bubble dynamics in an acoustical field and their radial kinetics (chemical kinetics of radical species) occurring in the bubble during its oscillation, as well as calculating the bubble wall pressure at the collapse point. Modeling results indicated that increasing ultrasonic intensity led to a substantial increase in the number of bubbles formed during acoustic cavitation, however, the pressure generated when the bubbles collapsed decreased. Therefore, cumulative collapse pressure (CCP) of bubbles was used to quantify acoustic disruption of a freshwater alga, Scenedesmus dimorphus, and a marine alga, Nannochloropsis oculata and compare with experimental results. The strong correlations between CCP and the intracellular lipid fluorescence density, chlorophyll-a fluorescence density, and cell particle/debris concentration were found, which suggests that the developed models could accurately predict acoustic cell disruption, and can be utilized in the scale up and optimization of the process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health-related quality of life in gastroesophageal reflux patients with noncardiac chest pain: Emphasis on the role of psychological distress

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lei; Tu, Lei; Chen, Jie; Song, Jun; Bai, Tao; Xiang, Xue-Lian; Wang, Rui-Yun; Hou, Xiao-Hua

2017-01-01

AIM To investigate the effects of depression and anxiety on health-related quality of life (QoL) in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients and those suffering from cardiac (CCP) and noncardiac (NCCP) chest pain in Wuhan, China. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, a total of 358 consecutive patients with GERD were enrolled in Wuhan, China, of which 176 subjects had complaints of chest pain. Those with chest pain underwent coronary angiography and were divided into a CCP group (52 cases) and NCCP group (124 cases). Validated GERD questionnaires were completed, and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey and Hospital Anxiety/Depression Scale were used for evaluation of QoL and psychological symptoms, respectively. RESULTS There were similar ratios and levels of depression and anxiety in GERD with NCCP and CCP. However, the QoL was obviously lower in GERD with CCP than NCCP (48.34 ± 17.68 vs 60.21 ± 20.27, P < 0.01). In the GERD-NCCP group, rather than the GERD-CCP group, the physical and mental QoL were much poorer in subjects with depression and/or anxiety than those without anxiety or depression. Anxiety and depression had strong negative correlations with both physical and mental health in GERD-NCCP (all P < 0.01), but only a weak relationship with mental components of QoL in GERD-CCP. CONCLUSION High levels of anxiety and depression may be more related to the poorer QoL in GERD patients with NCCP than those with CCP. This highlights the importance of evaluation and management of psychological impact for improving QoL in GERD-NCCP patients. PMID:28104988

Health-related quality of life in gastroesophageal reflux patients with noncardiac chest pain: Emphasis on the role of psychological distress.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Tu, Lei; Chen, Jie; Song, Jun; Bai, Tao; Xiang, Xue-Lian; Wang, Rui-Yun; Hou, Xiao-Hua

2017-01-07

To investigate the effects of depression and anxiety on health-related quality of life (QoL) in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients and those suffering from cardiac (CCP) and noncardiac (NCCP) chest pain in Wuhan, China. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 358 consecutive patients with GERD were enrolled in Wuhan, China, of which 176 subjects had complaints of chest pain. Those with chest pain underwent coronary angiography and were divided into a CCP group (52 cases) and NCCP group (124 cases). Validated GERD questionnaires were completed, and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey and Hospital Anxiety/Depression Scale were used for evaluation of QoL and psychological symptoms, respectively. There were similar ratios and levels of depression and anxiety in GERD with NCCP and CCP. However, the QoL was obviously lower in GERD with CCP than NCCP (48.34 ± 17.68 vs 60.21 ± 20.27, P < 0.01). In the GERD-NCCP group, rather than the GERD-CCP group, the physical and mental QoL were much poorer in subjects with depression and/or anxiety than those without anxiety or depression. Anxiety and depression had strong negative correlations with both physical and mental health in GERD-NCCP (all P < 0.01), but only a weak relationship with mental components of QoL in GERD-CCP. High levels of anxiety and depression may be more related to the poorer QoL in GERD patients with NCCP than those with CCP. This highlights the importance of evaluation and management of psychological impact for improving QoL in GERD-NCCP patients.

Comparison of cell cycle progression score with two immunohistochemical markers (PTEN and Ki-67) for predicting outcome in prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Léon, Priscilla; Cancel-Tassin, Geraldine; Drouin, Sara; Audouin, Marie; Varinot, Justine; Comperat, Eva; Cathelineau, Xavier; Rozet, François; Vaessens, Christophe; Stone, Steven; Reid, Julia; Sangale, Zaina; Korman, Patrick; Rouprêt, Morgan; Fromond-Hankard, Gaelle; Cussenot, Olivier

2018-04-20

Previous studies of the cell cycle progression (CCP) score in surgical specimens of prostate cancer (PCa) in patients treated by radical prostatectomy (RP) demonstrated significant association with time to biochemical recurrence (BCR). In this study, we compared the ability of the CCP score and the expression of PTEN or Ki-67 to predict BCR in a cohort of patients treated by RP. Finally, we constructed the best predictive model for BCR, incorporating biomarkers and relevant clinical variables. The study population consisted of 652 PCa patients enrolled in a retrospective cohort and who had RP surgery in French urological centers from 2000 to 2007. Among the 652 patients with CCP scores and complete clinical data, BCR events occurred in 41%, and the median time from surgery to the last follow-up among BCR-free patients was 72 months. In univariate Cox analysis, the continuous CCP score and positive Ki-67 predicted recurrence with a HR of 1.44 (95% CI 1.17-1.75; p = 5.3 × 10 -4 ) and 1.89 (95% CI 1.38-2.57; p = 1.6 × 10 -4 ), respectively. In contrast, PTEN expression was not associated with BCR risk. Of the three biomarkers, only the CCP score remained significantly associated in a multivariable Cox model (p = 0.026). The best model incorporated CAPRA-S and CCP scores as predictors, with HRs of 1.32 and 1.24, respectively. The CCP score was superior to the two IHC markers (PTEN and Ki-67) for predicting outcome in PCa after RP.

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Anti-CCP Positivity, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in the Women’s Health Initiative

PubMed Central

Mackey, Rachel H.; Kuller, Lewis H.; Deane, Kevin D.; Walitt, Brian T.; Chang, Yuefang F.; Holers, V. Michael; Robinson, William H.; Tracy, Russell P.; Hlatky, Mark A.; Eaton, Charles; Liu, Simin; Freiberg, Matthew S.; Talabi, Mehret Birru; Schelbert, Erik B.; Moreland, Larry W.

2015-01-01

Objective This report evaluates incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality over 10 years among the >160,000 postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) in relation to self-reported RA, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) use, anti-CCP+, RF+, CVD risk factors, joint pain, and inflammation (white blood cell (WBC) count and IL-6.) Methods Anti-CCP and RF were measured on a sample (n=9,988) of WHI participants with self-reported RA. RA was classified as self-reported RA plus anti-CCP+ positivity and/or use of DMARDs. Self-reported RA that was both anti-CCP− and DMARD− was classified as “unverified RA.” Results Age-adjusted rates of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, CVD, fatal CVD and total mortality were higher for women with RA vs. no RA, with multivariable-adjusted HR(95%CI) of 1.46(1.17, 1.83) for CHD, and 2.55(1.86, 3.51) for fatal CVD. Within RA, anti-CCP+ and RF+ were not significantly associated with higher risk of any outcomes, despite slightly higher risk of fatal CVD and death for anti-CCP+ vs. anti-CCP− RA. Joint pain severity and CVD risk factors were strongly associated with CVD risk, even for women with no RA. CVD incidence was increased for RA vs. no RA at almost all risk factor levels, except low levels of joint pain or inflammation. Within RA, inflammation was more strongly associated with fatal CVD and total mortality than CHD or CVD. Conclusion Among postmenopausal women, RA was associated with 1.5-2.5 higher CVD risk, strongly associated with CV risk factors, joint pain severity, and inflammation, but similar for anti-CCP+ and RF+. Clinical Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00000611 PMID:25988241

A Systematic Review of Serum Biomarkers Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide and Rheumatoid Factor as Tests for Rheumatoid Arthritis

PubMed Central

Taylor, Peter; Gartemann, Juliane; Hsieh, Jeanie; Creeden, James

2011-01-01

This systematic review assesses the current status of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) tests in the diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We reviewed publications on tests and biomarkers for early diagnosis of RA from English-language MEDLINE-indexed journals and non-MEDLINE-indexed sources. 85 publications were identified and reviewed, including 68 studies from MEDLINE and 17 non-MEDLINE sources. Anti-CCP2 assays provide improved sensitivity over anti-CCP assays and RF, but anti-CCP2 and RF assays in combination demonstrate a positive predictive value (PPV) nearing 100%, greater than the PPV of either of the tests alone. The combination also appears to be able to distinguish between patients whose disease course is expected to be more severe and both tests are incorporated in the 2010 ACR Rheumatoid Arthritis Classification Criteria. While the clinical value of anti-CCP tests has been established, differences in cut-off values, sensitivities and specificities exist between first-, second- and third-generation tests and harmonization efforts are under way. Anti-CCP and RF are clinically valuable biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of RA patients. The combination of the two biomarkers in conjunction with other clinical measures is an important tool for the diagnosis and management of RA patients. PMID:21915375

Evaluation of different agricultural wastes for the production of fruiting bodies and bioactive compounds by medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris.

PubMed

Lin, Qunying; Long, Liangkun; Wu, Liangliang; Zhang, Fenglun; Wu, Shuling; Zhang, Weiming; Sun, Xiaoming

2017-08-01

In commercial production of Cordyceps militaris (a famous Chinese medicine), cereal grains are usually utilized as cultivation substrates. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of agricultural wastes as substitute materials in the low-cost production of C. militaris. Cottonseed shells (CS), corn cob particles (CCP), Italian poplar sawdusts (IPS) and substrates spent by Flammulina velutipes (SS) were employed to cultivate C. militaris, using rice medium as control. CS and CCP were suitable for fruit body formation of C. militaris, with yields of 22 and 20 g per bottle respectively. Fruit bodies grown on CCP showed the highest levels of cordycepin and adenosine, up to 9.45 and 5.86 mg g -1 respectively. The content of d-mannitol in fruit bodies obtained on CS was 120 mg g -1 (80% of the control group), followed by that on CCP, 100 mg g -1 . Fruit bodies cultivated on CCP displayed a high crude polysaccharide level of 26.9 mg g -1 , which was the closest to that of the control group (34.5 mg g -1 ). CS and CCP are effective substrates for the production of fruit bodies and bioactive compounds by C. militaris. This study provides a new approach to decreasing the cost of C. militaris cultivation and dealing with these agricultural wastes. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pancreatic Calculus Causing Biliary Obstruction: Endoscopic Therapy for a Rare Initial Presentation of Chronic Pancreatitis.

PubMed

Shetty, Anurag J; Pai, C Ganesh; Shetty, Shiran; Balaraju, Girisha

2015-09-01

Biliary obstruction in chronic calcific pancreatitis (CCP) is often caused by inflammatory or fibrotic strictures of the bile duct, carcinoma of head of pancreas or less commonly by compression from pseudocysts. Pancreatic calculi causing ampullary obstruction and leading to obstructive jaundice is extremely rare. The medical records of all patients with CCP or biliary obstruction who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) over 4 years between 2010-2014 at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal were analyzed. Five patients of CCP with impacted pancreatic calculi at the ampulla demonstrated during ERCP were identified. All 5 presented with biliary obstruction and were incidentally detected to have CCP when evaluated for the same; 3 patients had features of cholangitis. All the patients were managed successfully by endoscopic papillotomy and extraction of pancreatic calculi from the ampulla with resolution of biliary obstruction. Pancreatic calculus causing ampullary obstruction, though very rare, should be considered as a possibility in patients with CCP complicated by biliary obstruction. Endoscopic therapy is affective in the resolution of biliary obstruction in such patients.

Computational Modeling and Simulations of Bioparticle Internalization Through Clathrin-mediated Endocytosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Hua; Dutta, Prashanta; Liu, Jin

2016-11-01

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is one of the most important endocytic pathways for the internalization of bioparticles at lipid membrane of cells, which plays crucial roles in fundamental understanding of viral infections and interacellular/transcelluar targeted drug delivery. During CME, highly dynamic clathrin-coated pit (CCP), formed by the growth of ordered clathrin lattices, is the key scaffolding component that drives the deformation of plasma membrane. Experimental studies have shown that CCP alone can provide sufficient membrane curvature for facilitating membrane invagination. However, currently there is no computational model that could couple cargo receptor binding with membrane invagination process, nor simulations of the dynamic growing process of CCP. We develop a stochastic computational model for the clathrin-mediated endocytosis based on Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations. In our model, the energetic costs of bending membrane and CCP are linked with antigen-antibody interactions. The assembly of clathrin lattices is a dynamic process that correlates with antigen-antibody bond formation. This model helps study the membrane deformation and the effects of CCP during functionalized bioparticles internalization through CME. This work is supported by NSF Grants: CBET-1250107 and CBET-1604211.

Comprehensive Care Plan Development Using Resident Assessment Instrument Framework: Past, Present, and Future Practices

PubMed Central

Dellefield, Mary Ellen; Corazzini, Kirsten

2015-01-01

Development of the comprehensive care plan (CCP) is a requirement for nursing homes participating in the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs, referred to as skilled nursing facilities. The plan must be developed within the context of the comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment framework—the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI). Consistent compliance with this requirement has been difficult to achieve. To improve the quality of CCP development within this framework, an increased understanding of complex factors contributing to inconsistent compliance is required. In this commentary, we examine the history of the comprehensive care plan; its development within the RAI framework; linkages between the RAI and registered nurse staffing; empirical evidence of the CCP’s efficacy; and the limitations of extant standards of practices in CCP development. Because of the registered nurse’s educational preparation, professional practice standards, and licensure obligations, the essential contributions of professional nurses in CCP development are emphasized. Recommendations for evidence-based micro and macro level practice changes with the potential to improve the quality of CCP development and regulatory compliance are presented. Suggestions for future research are given. PMID:27417811

Fluorescence Visual Detection of Herbal Product Substitutions at Terminal Herbal Markets by CCP-based FRET technique.

PubMed

Jiang, Chao; Yuan, Yuan; Yang, Guang; Jin, Yan; Liu, Libing; Zhao, Yuyang; Huang, Luqi

2016-10-21

Inaccurate labeling of materials used in herbal products may compromise the therapeutic efficacy and may pose a threat to medicinal safety. In this paper, a rapid (within 3 h), sensitive and visual colorimetric method for identifying substitutions in terminal market products was developed using cationic conjugated polymer-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (CCP-based FRET). Chinese medicinal materials with similar morphology and chemical composition were clearly distinguished by the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping method. Assays using CCP-based FRET technology showed a high frequency of adulterants in Lu-Rong (52.83%) and Chuan-Bei-Mu (67.8%) decoction pieces, and patented Chinese drugs (71.4%, 5/7) containing Chuan-Bei-Mu ingredients were detected in the terminal herbal market. In comparison with DNA sequencing, this protocol simplifies procedures by eliminating the cumbersome workups and sophisticated instruments, and only a trace amount of DNA is required. The CCP-based method is particularly attractive because it can detect adulterants in admixture samples with high sensitivity. Therefore, the CCP-based detection system shows great potential for routine terminal market checks and drug safety controls.

Antibody against mutated citrullinated vimentin: a new sensitive marker in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Wagner, Ernst; Skoumal, M; Bayer, P M; Klaushofer, K

2009-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine the performance of antibodies against mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) in comparison with antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Serum levels of anti-MCV and anti-CCP were determined in 193 patients with RA and 332 controls, and sensitivity and specificity were calculated. In a separate analysis of 86 patients, the anti-MCV levels were compared to disease activity. Sensitivity of anti-MCV versus anti-CCP was 71.5 and 69.4%, specificity was 81.3 and 97.6%, respectively. The ROC curves showed higher specificity and an advantage of anti-CCP. In seronegative RA patients the sensitivity of anti-MCV was superior over anti-CCP. Anti-MCV positivities also occurred in systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjoegren's syndrome. In a subgroup of 86 RA patients we found a significant correlation between anti-MCV and disease activity. Anti-MCV appears to be an important marker for the diagnosis of RA, and correlates also with disease activity.

Prolaris Cell Cycle Progression Test for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Health Technology Assessment

PubMed Central

Schaink, Alexis; Li, Chunmei; Wells, David; Holubowich, Corinne

2017-01-01

Background Prostate cancer is very common and many localized tumours are non-aggressive. Determining which cancers are aggressive is important for choosing the most appropriate treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation, active surveillance). Current clinical risk stratification is reliable in forecasting the prognosis of groups of men with similar clinical and pathologic characteristics, but there is residual uncertainty at the individual level. The Prolaris cell cycle progression (CCP) test, a genomic test that estimates how fast tumour cells are proliferating, could potentially be used to improve the accuracy of individual risk assessment. This health technology assessment sought to determine the clinical utility, economic impact, and patients' perceptions of the value of the CCP test in low- and intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the clinical and economic evidence of the CCP test in low-and intermediate-risk, localized prostate cancer. Medical and health economic databases were searched from 2010 to June or July 2016. The critical appraisal of the clinical evidence included risk of bias and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group criteria. We also analyzed the potential budget impact of adding the CCP test into current practice, from the perspective the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Finally, we conducted qualitative interviews with men with prostate cancer, on the factors that influenced their treatment decision-making. Results For the review of clinical effectiveness, we screened 3,021 citations, and two before–after studies met our inclusion criteria. In one study, the results of the CCP test appeared to change the treatment plan (from initial to final plan) in 64.9% of cases overall (GRADE rating of the quality of evidence: Very low). In the other study, the CCP test changed the treatment received in nearly half of cases overall, compared with the initial plan (GRADE: Very low). No evidence was available on clinical outcomes of patients whose treatment was informed by CCP results. For the review of cost-effectiveness, 100 citations were identified and screened. No studies met the inclusion criteria. In our economic evaluation, we estimated that publicly funding the CCP test would result in a total net budget impact of $41.3 million in the first 5 years, mostly due to the cost of the CCP test. In our model, the relatively small cost savings ($7.3 million) due to treatment change (increased use of active surveillance and decreased use of interventional treatment) was not large enough to offset the high cost of the test. Patients viewed the test as potentially helpful but, due to the complexity of treatment decision-making, were unsure the test would ultimately change their treatment choices. Conclusions We found no evidence to demonstrate the impact of the Prolaris CCP test on patient-important clinical outcomes. The limited evidence available shows that the test appears to provide information that, when considered in addition to clinical risk stratification, may change the treatment plan or actual treatment for some low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. As a result, there is insufficient data to inform the cost-effectiveness of the CCP test. Publicly funding the CCP test would result in a large incremental cost to the provincial budget. PMID:28572867

Association of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, anti-citrullin antibodies, and IgM and IgA rheumatoid factors with serological parameters of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Greiner, Alexander; Plischke, Herbert; Kellner, Herbert; Gruber, Rudolf

2005-06-01

We evaluated the association of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody titers with serological markers of disease activity. We also compared three different anti-CCP antibody ELISAs with an anti-citrullin ELISA and the IgM and the IgA rheumatoid factor (RF) in their performance of discriminating between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other rheumatic diseases. Sera from 333 consecutive patients of the Rheumaeinheit der Medizinischen Poliklinik Munchen, an outpatient clinic for rheumatic diseases, were collected and tested. Anti-CCP antibodies were assayed with three different commercially available ELISAs. Antifilaggrin antibodies were tested with a commercially available ELISA using in vitro deiminated recombinant rat filaggrin. IgA-RF was analyzed with an ELISA, whereas IgM-RF was measured by latex-enhanced turbidimetry. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was diagnosed in 87 patients according to the revised classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), probable RA was diagnosed in 23 patients in an early phase not (yet) fulfilling the ACR criteria, and 223 patients had other rheumatic diseases. Differences in sensitivity and specificity were calculated using McNemar's test. A measure of agreement (kappa statistic) was used to examine whether the tests tended to identify the same patients as positive or negative. Correlations between CCP titers and other tests were analyzed by Spearman nonparametric rank correlation. No significant differences in sensitivity and specificity were found between the tested CCP assays (80.0-80.9% and 97.3-98.1%, respectively). All three CCP tests were slightly but not significantly more sensitive and specific than the anti-citrullin assay (77% and 92%, respectively), comparably sensitive but significantly more specific compared with the IgM-RF (86% and 82%, respectively), and significantly more sensitive but comparably specific compared with the IgA-RF (63% and 94.4%, respectively) in detecting the patients with RA. There was no significant correlation between anti-CCP, anti-citrullin, or IgM-RF or IgA-RF antibody titers and C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or white blood cell count. A weak but significant linear correlation was found between anti-CCP titers and IgM-RF titers (r = 0.2, P = 0.03). We could not find a significant difference between the three tested anti-CCP assays and the anti-citrullin test in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Compared with the IgM-RF, all the anti-CCP assays were superior in specificity and comparable in sensitivity. Compared with the IgA-RF, they were more sensitive and comparably specific in the discrimination of patients with RA from other rheumatic diseases. No correlation of any tested autoantibody titer with serological parameters of inflammation was found.

Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and rheumatoid factor in Sjögren's syndrome.

PubMed

Barcelos, Filipe; Abreu, Isabel; Patto, José Vaz; Trindade, Hélder; Teixeira, Ana

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP-Abs), IgM and IgA rheumatoid factors (RFs) in primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS). We compared clinical and serological characteristics of 31 pSS and 31 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. Both, anti-CCP-Abs and RFs (IgM, IgA) directed against Fc determinants of IgG from humans and rabbit were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We included 31 blood donors as control group for the evaluation of RFs and anti-CCP-Abs. Nine (29%) pSS patients presented arthritis, and 10 (32,3%) RA patients also had secondary Sjögren's syndrome (sSS) RESULTS: IgM and IgA RFs prevalence was similar in pSS and RA, whichever the antigene (Human or Rabbit IgG) used. However, RA patients with sSS showed a tendency to present more often RF positivity, longer disease duration and higher ESR and CRP when compared with pSS patients with arthritis. Anti-CCP-Abs were detected in 64,5% of RA patients and in only 6,9% of pSS patients (p<0,0005). Anti-CCP-Abs were more often positive in RA patients with sSS (RA/sSS) (8 patients, 80%) than in RA patients without sSS (18 patients, 58,1%), and were absent in pSS patients with arthritis. RF-positive pSS patients presented more often pulmonary involvement and higher inflammatory parameters, and less often neuropathy compared to RF-negative patients. In controls, anti-CCP-Abs were absent and RFs were negligible. Anti-CCP-Abs were detected in only a few pSS patients, none of whom presented arthritis, which contrasts with the high frequency of these antibodies in RA/sSS. These results suggest that anti-CCP-Abs could be useful in the distinction between pSS and RA with sSS. Although not useful for the differential diagnosis between RA and pSS, RFs may have a prognostic role in pSS.

Promoting a positive transition to parenthood: a randomized clinical trial of couple relationship education.

PubMed

Halford, W Kim; Petch, Jemima; Creedy, Debra K

2010-03-01

The transition to parenthood is often associated with a decline in couple relationship adjustment. Couples (n = 71) expecting their first child were randomly assigned to either: (a) Becoming a Parent (BAP), a maternal parenting education program; or (b) Couple CARE for Parents (CCP), a couple relationship and parenting education program. Couples were assessed pre-intervention (last trimester of pregnancy), post-intervention (5 months postpartum), and follow-up (12 months postpartum). Relative to BAP, CCP reduced negative couple communication from pre- to post-intervention, and prevented erosion of relationship adjustment and self-regulation in women but not men from pre-intervention to follow-up. Mean parenting stress reflected positive adjustment to parenthood with no differences between BAP and CCP. CCP shows promise as a brief program that can enhance couple communication and women's adjustment to parenthood.

Women with rheumatoid arthritis negative for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide and rheumatoid factor are more likely to improve during pregnancy, whereas in autoantibody-positive women autoantibody levels are not influenced by pregnancy.

PubMed

de Man, Y A; Bakker-Jonges, L E; Goorbergh, C M Dufour-van den; Tillemans, S P R; Hooijkaas, H; Hazes, J M W; Dolhain, R J E M

2010-02-01

To determine whether changes in levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) are associated with the spontaneous improvement of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during pregnancy and with the subsequent flare post partum. Disease activity scores from the Pregnancy-induced Amelioration of Rheumatoid Arthritis (PARA) study of 118 patients were available for analysis. Before conception (if applicable), at each trimester and at 6, 12 and 26 weeks post partum, levels of the autoantibodies anti-CCP, IgM-RF, IgG-RF and IgA-RF were determined. Responses in disease activity were classified according to European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria during pregnancy and post partum, and associated with the presence or absence of autoantibodies. The median levels of anti-CCP and all subclasses of RF during pregnancy were stable, whereas post partum the levels of anti-CCP, IgM-RF and IgA-RF declined. A significantly higher percentage of women without autoantibodies (negative for anti-CCP and RF) improved compared with women positive for either or both autoantibodies (75% vs 39%, p = 0.01). The occurrence of a flare post partum was comparable between these groups. Improvement of disease activity of RA during pregnancy was not associated with changes in levels of autoantibodies during pregnancy, however, improvement may occur more frequently in the absence of anti-CCP and RF.

Metabolic sensor governing bacterial virulence in Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Ding, Yue; Liu, Xing; Chen, Feifei; Di, Hongxia; Xu, Bin; Zhou, Lu; Deng, Xin; Wu, Min; Yang, Cai-Guang; Lan, Lefu

2014-11-18

An effective metabolism is essential to all living organisms, including the important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. To establish successful infection, S. aureus must scavenge nutrients and coordinate its metabolism for proliferation. Meanwhile, it also must produce an array of virulence factors to interfere with host defenses. However, the ways in which S. aureus ties its metabolic state to its virulence regulation remain largely unknown. Here we show that citrate, the first intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, binds to and activates the catabolite control protein E (CcpE) of S. aureus. Using structural and site-directed mutagenesis studies, we demonstrate that two arginine residues (Arg145 and Arg256) within the putative inducer-binding cavity of CcpE are important for its allosteric activation by citrate. Microarray analysis reveals that CcpE tunes the expression of 126 genes that comprise about 4.7% of the S. aureus genome. Intriguingly, although CcpE is a major positive regulator of the TCA-cycle activity, its regulon consists predominantly of genes involved in the pathogenesis of S. aureus. Moreover, inactivation of CcpE results in increased staphyloxanthin production, improved ability to acquire iron, increased resistance to whole-blood-mediated killing, and enhanced bacterial virulence in a mouse model of systemic infection. This study reveals CcpE as an important metabolic sensor that allows S. aureus to sense and adjust its metabolic state and subsequently to coordinate the expression of virulence factors and bacterial virulence.

Protective Effect of Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) Skin Collagen Peptides on Acetic Acid-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats.

PubMed

Niu, Huina; Wang, Zhicong; Hou, Hu; Zhang, Zhaohui; Li, Bafang

2016-07-01

This research was performed to explore the protective effect of cod skin collagen peptides (CCP) on gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid. The CCP were fractionated into low molecular CCP (LMCCP, Mw < 3 kDa) and high molecular CCP (HMCCP, Mw > 3 kDa). In HMCCP and LMCCP, glycine of accounted for about one-third of the total amino acids without cysteine and tryptophan, and hydrophobic amino acids accounted for about 50%. After 21 d CCP treatment (60 or 300 mg/kg, p.o./daily), the healing effects on acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers were evaluated by macroscopic measure, microscopic measure, and immune histochemistry. Moreover, the expression levels of the growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), and the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was detected. The results showed that both LMCCP and HMCCP could significantly decrease the ulcer areas and promote the healing of the lesions. They also could improve the levels of hexosamine, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, and reduce the content of malondialdehyde and inducible nitric oxide synthase. In addition, the expression level of TGFβ1 gene and HSP70 mRNA was significantly improved by the treatment. It suggested that CCP could be able to improve symptoms of gastric ulcer and probably be used in the treatment of gastric ulcer. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Lateral Variations of the Mantle Transition Zone Structure beneath the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by P-wave Receiver Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Y.; Ai, Y.; Jiang, M.; He, Y.; Chen, Q.

2017-12-01

The deep structure of the southeastern Tibetan plateau is of great scientific importance to a better understanding of the India-Eurasia collision as well as the evolution of the magnificent Tibetan plateau. In this study, we collected 566 permanent and temporary seismic stations deployed in SE Tibet, with a total of 77853 high quality P-wave receiver functions been extracted by maximum entropy deconvolution method. On the basis of the Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacking technique, we mapped the topography of the 410km and 660km discontinuities (hereinafter called the `410' and the `660'), and further investigated the lateral variation of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) thickness beneath this region. The background velocity model deduced from H-κ stacking results and a previous body-wave tomographic research was applied for the correction of the crustal and upper mantle heterogeneities beneath SE Tibet for CCP stacking. Our results reveal two significantly thickened MTZ anomalies aligned nearly in the south-north direction. The magnitude of both anomalies are 30km above the global average of 250km. The southern anomaly located beneath the Dianzhong sub-block and the Indo-China block is characterized by a slightly deeper `410' and a greater-than-normal `660', while the northern anomaly beneath western Sichuan has an uplifted `410' and a depressed `660'. Combining with previous studies in the adjacent region, we suggest that slab break-off may occurred during the eastward subduction of the Burma plate, with the lower part of the cold slab penetrated into the MTZ and stagnated at the bottom of the `660' which may cause the southern anomaly in our receiver function images. The origin of the Tengchong volcano is probably connected to the upwelling of the asthenospheric material caused by the slab break-off or to the ascending of the hot and wet material triggered by the dehydration of stagnant slab in the MTZ. The anomaly in the north, on the other hand, might be the consequence of the delamination of the overlying lithosphere sinking into the MTZ. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 41474040, 41125015 and 41274002).

A receiver function investigation of the Lithosphere beneath Southern California using Wavefield Iterative Deconvolution(WID)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ainiwaer, A.; Gurrola, H.

2017-12-01

In traditional Ps receiver functions (RFs) imaging, PPs and PSs phases from the shallow layers (near surface and crust) can be miss stacked as Ps phases or interfere with deeper Ps phases. To overcome interference between phases, we developed a method to produce phase specific Ps, PPs and PSs receiver functions (wavefield iterative deconvolution or WID). Rather than preforming a separate deconvolution of each seismogram recorded at a station, WID processes all the seismograms from a seismic station in a single run. Each iteration of WID identifies the most prominent phase remaining in the data set, based on the shape of its wavefield (or moveout curve), and then places this phase on the appropriate phase specific RF. As a result, we produce PsRFs that are free of PPs and PSs phase; and reverberations thereof. We also produce phase specific PPsRFs and PSsRFs but moveout curves for these phases and their higher order reverberations are not as distinct from one another. So the PPsRFs and the PSsRFs are not as clean as the PsRFs. These phase specific RFs can be stacked to image 2-D or 3-D Earth structure using common conversion point (CCP) stacking or migration. We applied WID to 524 Southern California seismic stations to construct 3-D PsRF image of lithosphere beneath southern California. These CCP images exhibit a Ps phases from the Moho and the lithosphere asthenosphere boundary (LAB) that are free of interference from the crustal reverberations. The Moho and LAB were found to be deepest beneath the Sierra Nevada, Tansverse Range and Peninsular Range. Shallow Moho and Lab is apparent beneath the Inner Borderland and Salton Trough. The LAB depth that we estimate is in close agreement to recent published results that used Sp imaging (Lekic et al., 2011). We also found complicated structure beneath Mojave Block where mid crustal features are apparent and anomalous Ps phases at 60 km depth are observed beneath Western Mojave dessert.

Lithospheric discontinuities beneath the U.S. Midcontinent - signatures of Proterozoic terrane accretion and failed rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chen; Gilbert, Hersh; Fischer, Karen M.; Andronicos, Christopher L.; Pavlis, Gary L.; Hamburger, Michael W.; Marshak, Stephen; Larson, Timothy; Yang, Xiaotao

2018-01-01

Seismic discontinuities between the Moho and the inferred lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) are known as mid-lithospheric discontinuities (MLDs) and have been ascribed to a variety of phenomena that are critical to understanding lithospheric growth and evolution. In this study, we used S-to-P converted waves recorded by the USArray Transportable Array and the OIINK (Ozarks-Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky) Flexible Array to investigate lithospheric structure beneath the central U.S. This region, a portion of North America's cratonic platform, provides an opportunity to explore how terrane accretion, cratonization, and subsequent rifting may have influenced lithospheric structure. The 3D common conversion point (CCP) volume produced by stacking back-projected Sp receiver functions reveals a general absence of negative converted phases at the depths of the LAB across much of the central U.S. This observation suggests a gradual velocity decrease between the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Within the lithosphere, the CCP stacks display negative arrivals at depths between 65 km and 125 km. We interpret these as MLDs resulting from the top of a layer of crystallized melts (sill-like igneous intrusions) or otherwise chemically modified lithosphere that is enriched in water and/or hydrous minerals. Chemical modification in this manner would cause a weak layer in the lithosphere that marks the MLDs. The depth and amplitude of negative MLD phases vary significantly both within and between the physiographic provinces of the midcontinent. Double, or overlapping, MLDs can be seen along Precambrian terrane boundaries and appear to result from stacked or imbricated lithospheric blocks. A prominent negative Sp phase can be clearly identified at 80 km depth within the Reelfoot Rift. This arrival aligns with the top of a zone of low shear-wave velocities, which suggests that it marks an unusually shallow seismic LAB for the midcontinent. This boundary would correspond to the top of a region of mechanically and chemically rejuvenated mantle that was likely emplaced during late Precambrian/early Cambrian rifting. These observations suggest that the lithospheric structure beneath the Reelfoot Rift may be an example of a global phenomenon in which MLDs act as weak zones that facilitate the removal of cratonic lithosphere that lies beneath.

KSC-2012-1011

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable poster with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) logo. CCP is leading NASA's effort of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station by investing in the design and development of the aerospace industry's crew transportation systems. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1010

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable poster with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) logo. CCP is leading NASA's effort of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station by investing in the design and development of the aerospace industry's crew transportation systems. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

WIPP Waste Information Systems (WWIS)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA approved the INL-CCP and ANL-CCP RH TRU WC programs based on a demonstration of the sites’ capabilities, with conditions and limitations as documented in the INL Baseline Final Inspection Report and the ANL Baseline Final Inspection Report.

The effects of composting on the nutritional composition of fibrous bio-regenerative life support systems (BLSS) plant waste residues and its impact on the growth of Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzales, John M.; Lowry, Brett A.; Brown, Paul B.; Beyl, Caula A.; Nyochemberg, Leopold

2009-04-01

Utilization of bio-regenerative life support systems (BLSS) plant waste residues as a nutritional source by Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) has proven problematic as a result of high concentrations of fibrous compounds in the plant waste residues. Nutritional improvement of plant waste residues by composting with the oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus), and the effects on growth and nutrient utilization of Nile tilapia fed such residues were evaluated. Five Nile tilapia (mean weight = 70.9 ± 3.1 g) were stocked in triplicate aquaria and fed one of two experimental diets, cowpea (CP) and composted cowpea (CCP), twice daily for a period of 8 weeks. Composting of cowpea residue resulted in reduced concentrations of nitrogen-free extract, hemi-cellulose and trypsin inhibitor activity, though trypsin inhibitor activity remained high. Composting did not reduce crude fiber, lignin, or cellulose concentrations in the diet. No significant differences ( P < 0.05) were observed in weight gain, specific growth rate, survival rate, daily consumption, and food conversion ratio between tilapia fed CP and CCP. These results suggest that P. ostreatus is not a suitable candidate for culture in conjunction with the culture of Nile tilapia. Additional work is needed to determine what, if any, benefit can be obtained from incorporating composted residue as feed for Nile tilapia.

Lower omega-3 fatty acids are associated with the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies in a population at risk for future rheumatoid arthritis: a nested case-control study

PubMed Central

Gan, Ryan W.; Young, Kendra A.; Zerbe, Gary O.; Demoruelle, M. Kristen; Weisman, Michael H.; Buckner, Jane H.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Mikuls, Ted R.; O’Dell, James R.; Keating, Richard M.; Clare-Salzler, Michael J.; Deane, Kevin D.; Holers, V. Michael

2016-01-01

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate omega-3 fatty acid (FA) supplement use and omega-3 FAs in erythrocyte membranes [omega-3 FA % in erythrocyte membranes (RBC)] and their association with anti-CCP autoantibodies in a population without RA, but who are at genetic risk for RA. Methods. The multicentre Studies of the Etiology of RA (SERA) cohort includes RA-free subjects who are first-degree relatives of RA probands or are enriched with the HLA-DR4 allele. In a nested case-control study, 30 SERA cases were identified who were anti-CCP2 antibody positive. We further identified 47 autoantibody negative controls, frequency matched to cases on age at study visit, sex, race and study site. Anti-CCP2 status, self-reported omega-3 FA supplement use and omega-3 FA % in RBCs were obtained from a single visit. Results. Anti-CCP2 positive cases were less likely than controls to report omega-3 FA supplement use (odds ratio: 0.14; 95% CI 0.03, 0.68). In addition, the likelihood of anti-CCP2 positivity was inversely associated with total omega-3 FA % in RBCs (odds ratio: 0.47; 95% CI 0.24, 0.92, for a s.d. increase). Conclusion. The inverse association between anti-CCP2 positivity and self-reported omega-3 FA supplement use and omega-3 FA % in RBCs suggests that omega-3 FAs may protect against the development of RA-related autoimmunity in pre-clinical RA. PMID:26370400

A direct link between carbohydrate utilization and virulence in the major human pathogen group A Streptococcus.

PubMed

Shelburne, Samuel A; Keith, David; Horstmann, Nicola; Sumby, Paul; Davenport, Michael T; Graviss, Edward A; Brennan, Richard G; Musser, James M

2008-02-05

Although central to pathogenesis, the molecular mechanisms used by microbes to regulate virulence factor production in specific environments during host-pathogen interaction are poorly defined. Several recent ex vivo and in vivo studies have found that the level of group A Streptococcus (GAS) virulence factor gene transcripts is temporally related to altered expression of genes encoding carbohydrate utilization proteins. These findings stimulated us to analyze the role in pathogenesis of catabolite control protein A (CcpA), a GAS ortholog of a key global regulator of carbohydrate metabolism in Bacillus subtilis. Inasmuch as the genomewide effects of CcpA in a human pathogen are unknown, we analyzed the transcriptome of a DeltaccpA isogenic mutant strain grown in nutrient-rich medium. CcpA influences the transcript levels of many carbohydrate utilization genes and several well characterized GAS virulence factors, including the potent cytolysin streptolysin S. Compared with the wild-type parental strain, the DeltaccpA isogenic mutant strain was significantly less virulent in a mouse model of invasive infection. Moreover, the isogenic mutant strain was significantly impaired in ability to colonize the mouse oropharynx. When grown in human saliva, a nutrient-limited environment, CcpA influenced production of several key virulence factors not influenced during growth in nutrient-rich medium. Purified recombinant CcpA bound to the promoter region of the gene encoding streptolysin S. Our discovery that GAS virulence and complex carbohydrate utilization are directly linked through CcpA provides enhanced understanding of a mechanism used by a Gram-positive pathogen to modulate virulence factor production in specific environments.

[Painless course of chronic calcificated pancreatitis manifesting as hyperglycemia].

PubMed

Chernyshova, I V; Vinokurova, L V; Efremov, L I

2011-01-01

The clinical case of chronic calcifying pancreas (CCP) was described. It was reveal that obligate sign CCP as a painful syndrome can disappeared in some circumstances, in particular when the patient refused of smoking and alcohol intake.

KSC-2013-3161

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, talks to media following the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, Pre-Proposal Conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CCtCap will be the next phase of certification efforts for CCP mission to the International Space Station. The purpose of the conference was to involve aerospace industry representatives in the CCtCap draft Request for Proposal, or RFP, process and provide a greater understanding for both parties before the official RFP is released in the fall of 2013. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2013-3158

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, makes opening remarks at the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, Pre-Proposal Conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CCtCap will be the next phase of certification efforts for CCP mission to the International Space Station. The purpose of the conference was to involve aerospace industry representatives in the CCtCap draft Request for Proposal, or RFP, process and provide a greater understanding for both parties before the official RFP is released in the fall of 2013. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2013-3157

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, makes opening remarks at the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, Pre-Proposal Conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CCtCap will be the next phase of certification efforts for CCP mission to the International Space Station. The purpose of the conference was to involve aerospace industry representatives in the CCtCap draft Request for Proposal, or RFP, process and provide a greater understanding for both parties before the official RFP is released in the fall of 2013. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Anti-citrullinated protein antibody and rheumatoid factor in patients with end-stage renal disease.

PubMed

Romic, Zeljko; Unic, Adriana; Derek, Lovorka; Zivkovic, Marcela; Marijancevic, Domagoj; Kes, Petar; Pehar, Mario

2009-01-01

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and on hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as a result of defective immunity. Our aim was to examine if ESRD and the length of HD treatment impact the clinical utility of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) as diagnostic tools for RA. We included 94 subjects in our study: 37 healthy volunteers and 57 patients with ESRD who had been undergoing HD for 1-12 years, and without confirmed RA. In order to test our hypothesis, we measured and correlated anti-CCP and RF as laboratory markers of RA. Our study showed that there is no significant difference between values for anti-CCP (p=0.11) and RF (p=0.98) in control subjects as well as in patients undergoing HD, regardless of the length of time that patients had been undergoing HD treatment. Our study indicates that HD does not impair the specificity of anti-CCP and RF for RA in patients where the disease has not yet developed. Future prospective studies may show whether there is any use in determinating RF, and especially anti-CCP, as early predictors of RA in patients with ESRD who are at greater risk of developing this condition.

Quantifying the Dynamic Interactions Between a Clathrin-Coated Pit and Cargo Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, Aubrey; Tamkun, Michael; Krapf, Diego

2014-03-01

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a major pathway of internalization of cargo in eukaryotic cells. This process involves the recruitment of cargo molecules into a growing clathrin-coated pit (CCP). However, cargo-CCP interactions are difficult to study because CCPs display a large degree of lifetime heterogeneity and the interactions with cargo molecules evolve over time. We use single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, in combination with automatic detection and tracking algorithms, to directly visualize the recruitment of individual voltage-gated potassium channels into forming CCPs in living cells. Contrary to widespread ideas, cargo often escapes from a pit before abortive CCP termination or endocytic vesicle production. By measuring tens of thousands of capturing events, we build the distribution of capture times and the times that cargo remains confined to a CCP. An analytical stochastic model is developed and compared to the measured distributions. Due to the dynamic nature of the pit, the model is non-Markovian and it displays long-tail power law statistics. Our findings identify one source of the large heterogeneities observed in CCP maturation and provide a mechanism for the anomalous diffusion of proteins in the plasma membrane. This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant PHY-0956714.

XXV IUPAP Conference on Computational Physics (CCP2013): Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-05-01

XXV IUPAP Conference on Computational Physics (CCP2013) was held from 20-24 August 2013 at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Russia. The annual Conferences on Computational Physics (CCP) present an overview of the most recent developments and opportunities in computational physics across a broad range of topical areas. The CCP series aims to draw computational scientists from around the world and to stimulate interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration by putting together researchers interested in various fields of computational science. It is organized under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and has been in existence since 1989. The CCP series alternates between Europe, America and Asia-Pacific. The conferences are traditionally supported by European Physical Society and American Physical Society. This year the Conference host was Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics. The Conference contained 142 presentations, and, in particular, 11 plenary talks with comprehensive reviews from airbursts to many-electron systems. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors: International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), European Physical Society (EPS), Division of Computational Physics of American Physical Society (DCOMP/APS), Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Department of Physical Sciences of Russian Academy of Sciences, RSC Group company. Further conference information and images from the conference are available in the pdf.

Structure of the apo form of the catabolite control protein A (CcpA) from Bacillus megaterium with a DNA-binding domain

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

Singh, Rajesh Kumar; Palm, Gottfried J.; Panjikar, Santosh

2007-04-01

Crystal structure analysis of the apo form of catabolite control protein A reveals the three-helix bundle of the DNA-binding domain. In the crystal packing, this domain interacts with the binding site for the corepressor protein. Crystal structure determination of catabolite control protein A (CcpA) at 2.6 Å resolution reveals for the first time the structure of a full-length apo-form LacI-GalR family repressor protein. In the crystal structures of these transcription regulators, the three-helix bundle of the DNA-binding domain has only been observed in cognate DNA complexes; it has not been observed in other crystal structures owing to its mobility. Inmore » the crystal packing of apo-CcpA, the protein–protein contacts between the N-terminal three-helix bundle and the core domain consisted of interactions between the homodimers that were similar to those between the corepressor protein HPr and the CcpA N-subdomain in the ternary DNA complex. In contrast to the DNA complex, the apo-CcpA structure reveals large subdomain movements in the core, resulting in a complete loss of contacts between the N-subdomains of the homodimer.« less

CcpA and CodY Coordinate Acetate Metabolism in Streptococcus mutans.

PubMed

Kim, Jeong Nam; Burne, Robert A

2017-04-01

In the dental caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans , phosphotransacetylase (Pta) and acetate kinase (Ack) convert pyruvate into acetate with the concomitant generation of ATP. The genes for this pathway are tightly regulated by multiple environmental and intracellular inputs, but the basis for differential expression of the genes for Pta and Ack in S. mutans had not been investigated. Here, we show that inactivation in S. mutans of ccpA or codY reduced the activity of the ackA promoter, whereas a ccpA mutant displayed elevated pta promoter activity. The interactions of CcpA with the promoter regions of both genes were observed using electrophoretic mobility shift and DNase protection assays. CodY bound to the ackA promoter region but only in the presence of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). DNase footprinting revealed that the upstream region of both genes contains two catabolite-responsive elements ( cre1 and cre2 ) that can be bound by CcpA. Notably, the cre2 site of ackA overlaps with a CodY-binding site. The CcpA- and CodY-binding sites in the promoter region of both genes were further defined by site-directed mutagenesis. Some differences between the reported consensus CodY binding site and the region protected by S. mutans CodY were noted. Transcription of the pta and ackA genes in the ccpA mutant strain was markedly different at low pH relative to transcription at neutral pH. Thus, CcpA and CodY are direct regulators of transcription of ackA and pta in S. mutans that optimize acetate metabolism in response to carbohydrate, amino acid availability, and environmental pH. IMPORTANCE The human dental caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans is remarkably adept at coping with extended periods of carbohydrate limitation during fasting periods. The phosphotransacetylase-acetate kinase (Pta-Ack) pathway in S. mutans modulates carbohydrate flux and fine-tunes the ability of the organisms to cope with stressors that are commonly encountered in the oral cavity. Here, we show that CcpA controls transcription of the pta and ackA genes via direct interaction with the promoter regions of both genes and that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), particularly isoleucine, enhance the ability of CodY to bind to the promoter region of the ackA gene. A working model is proposed to explain how regulation of pta and ackA genes by these allosterically controlled regulatory proteins facilitates proper carbon flow and energy production, which are essential functions during infection and pathogenesis as carbohydrate and amino acid availability continually fluctuate. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

High titers of both rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies at baseline in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are associated with increased circulating baseline TNF level, low drug levels, and reduced clinical responses: a post hoc analysis of the RISING study.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Tsutomu; Miyasaka, Nobuyuki; Inui, Takashi; Yano, Toshiro; Yoshinari, Toru; Abe, Tohru; Koike, Takao

2017-09-02

Although both rheumatoid factor (RF) and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) are useful for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the impact of these autoantibodies on the efficacy of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors has been controversial. The aim of this post hoc analysis of a randomized double-blind study (the RISING study) was to investigate the influences of RF and anti-CCP on the clinical response to infliximab in patients with RA. Methotrexate-refractory patients with RA received 3 mg/kg of infliximab from weeks 0 to 6 and then 3, 6, or 10 mg/kg every 8 weeks from weeks 14 to 46. In this post hoc analysis, patients were stratified into three classes on the basis of baseline RF/anti-CCP titers: "low/low-C" (RF < 55 IU/ml, anti-CCP < 42 U/ml), "high/high-C" (RF ≥ 160 IU/ml, anti-CCP ≥ 100 U/ml), and "middle-C" (neither low/low-C nor high/high-C). Baseline plasma TNF level, serum infliximab level, and disease activity were compared between the three classes. Baseline RF and anti-CCP titers showed significant correlations with baseline TNF and infliximab levels in weeks 2-14. Comparison of the three classes showed that baseline TNF level was lowest in the low/low-C group and highest in the high/high-C group (median 0.73 versus 1.15 pg/ml), that infliximab levels at week 14 were highest in the low/low-C group and lowest in the high/high-C group (median 1.0 versus 0.1 μg/ml), and that Disease Activity Score in 28 joints based on C-reactive protein at week 14 was lowest in the low/low-C group and highest in the high/high-C group (median 3.17 versus 3.82). A similar correlation was observed at week 54 in the 3 mg/kg dosing group, but not in the 6 or 10 mg/kg group. Significant decreases in both RF and anti-CCP were observed during infliximab treatment. RF/anti-CCP titers correlated with TNF level. This might explain the association of RF/anti-CCP with infliximab level and clinical response in patients with RA. Baseline RF/anti-CCP titers may serve as indices that aid infliximab treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00691028 . Retrospectively registered on 3 June 2008.

Imaging Canary Island hotspot material beneath the lithosphere of Morocco and southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Meghan S.; O'Driscoll, Leland J.; Butcher, Amber J.; Thomas, Christine

2015-12-01

The westernmost Mediterranean has developed into its present day tectonic configuration as a result of complex interactions between late stage subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, continental collision of Africa and Eurasia, and the Canary Island mantle plume. This study utilizes S receiver functions (SRFs) from over 360 broadband seismic stations to seismically image the lithosphere and uppermost mantle from southern Spain through Morocco and the Canary Islands. The lithospheric thickness ranges from ∼65 km beneath the Atlas Mountains and the active volcanic islands to over ∼210 km beneath the cratonic lithosphere in southern Morocco. The common conversion point (CCP) volume of the SRFs indicates that thinned lithosphere extends from beneath the Canary Islands offshore southwestern Morocco, to beneath the continental lithosphere of the Atlas Mountains, and then thickens abruptly at the West African craton. Beneath thin lithosphere between the Canary hot spot and southern Spain, including below the Atlas Mountains and the Alboran Sea, there are distinct pockets of low velocity material, as inferred from high amplitude positive, sub-lithospheric conversions in the SRFs. These regions of low seismic velocity at the base of the lithosphere extend beneath the areas of Pliocene-Quaternary magmatism, which has been linked to a Canary hotspot source via geochemical signatures. However, we find that this volume of low velocity material is discontinuous along strike and occurs only in areas of recent volcanism and where asthenospheric mantle flow is identified with shear wave splitting analyses. We propose that the low velocity structure beneath the lithosphere is material flowing sub-horizontally northeastwards beneath Morocco from the tilted Canary Island plume, and the small, localized volcanoes are the result of small-scale upwellings from this material.

Carotid Consensus Panel duplex criteria can replace modified University of Washington criteria without affecting accuracy.

PubMed

Kim, Ann H; Augustin, Gener; Shevitz, Andrew; Kim, Hannah; Trivonovich, Michael R; Powell, Alexis R; Kumins, Norman; Tarr, Robert; Kashyap, Vikram S

2018-04-01

The decision to intervene for internal carotid stenosis often depends on the degree of stenosis seen on duplex ultrasound (US). The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of two criteria: modified University of Washington (UW) and 2003 Carotid Consensus Panel (CCP). All patients undergoing US in an accredited (IAC) vascular laboratory from January 2010 to June 2015 were reviewed ( n=18,772 US exams). Patients receiving a neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) within 6 months of the US were included in the study ( n=254). The degree of stenosis was determined by UW/CCP criteria and confirmed on CTA images using North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET)/European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) schema. Kappa analysis with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to determine duplex-CTA agreement. A total of 417 carotid arteries from 221 patients were assessed in this study. The modified UW criteria accurately classified 266 (63.9%, kappa = 0.321, 95% CI 0.255 to 0.386) cases according to NASCET-derived measurements. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy at ≥ 60% stenosis were 65.7%, 81.3%, and 81.9%. The CCP criteria resulted in 296 (70.9%) accurate diagnoses (kappa = 0.359, 95% CI 0.280 to 0.437). At ≥ 70% stenosis, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 38.8%, 91.6%, and 87.1% for NASCET. Comparison of the duplex results to ECST-derived CTA measurements revealed a similar trend (UW 53.1%, κ = 0.301 vs CCP 62.1%, κ = 0.315). The CCP criteria demonstrate a higher concordance rate with measurements taken from CTAs. The CCP criteria may be more sensitive in classifying clinically significant degrees of stenosis without a loss in diagnostic accuracy.

Effect of the human leukocyte antigen HLA-DRB1 and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide on the outcome of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

PubMed

Farouk, H M; Mansour, H E; Rahman, S A; Mostafa, A A; Shamy, H A; Zarouk, W A

2009-09-01

Our objective was to determine whether the presence of the human leukocyte antigen HLA-DRB1 locus is associated with production of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP Abs) and to what extent they are associated with increased susceptibility to and severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Egyptian patients. Twenty-nine RA patients gave informed consent to participate in a case-control study that was approved by the Ain Shams University Medical Ethics Committee. RA disease activity and severity were determined using the simplified disease activity index and Larsen scores, respectively. We used a wide scale national study on the pattern of HLA typing in normal Egyptians as a control study. Anti-CCP Abs and HLA-DRB1 typing were determined for all subjects. The alleles most strongly associated with RA were HLA-DRB1 [*01 , *04 and *06] (41.4%). RA patients with serum anti-CCP Ab titers above 60 U/mL had a significantly higher frequency of HLA-DRB1*01 (58.3%) and HLA-DRB1*04 alleles (83.3%). Significant positive correlations were found between serum and synovial anti-CCP Ab titer, RA disease activity, and severity (r = 0.87, 0.66 and 0.63, respectively; P < 0.05). HLA-DRB1 SE+ alleles [*01 and *04] were highly expressed among Egyptian RA patients. The presence of these alleles was associated with higher anti-CCP Ab titer, active and severe RA disease. Early determination of HLA-DRB1 SE+ alleles and serum anti-CCP Ab could facilitate the prediction of the clinical course and prognosis of RA when first evaluated leading to better disease control.

Evidence for new C-terminally truncated variants of α- and β-tubulins

PubMed Central

Aillaud, Chrystelle; Bosc, Christophe; Saoudi, Yasmina; Denarier, Eric; Peris, Leticia; Sago, Laila; Taulet, Nicolas; Cieren, Adeline; Tort, Olivia; Magiera, Maria M.; Janke, Carsten; Redeker, Virginie; Andrieux, Annie; Moutin, Marie-Jo

2016-01-01

Cellular α-tubulin can bear various carboxy-terminal sequences: full-length tubulin arising from gene neosynthesis is tyrosinated, and two truncated variants, corresponding to detyrosinated and Δ2 α‑tubulin, result from the sequential cleavage of one or two C-terminal residues, respectively. Here, by using a novel antibody named 3EG that is highly specific to the –EEEG C-terminal sequence, we demonstrate the occurrence in neuronal tissues of a new αΔ3‑tubulin variant corresponding to α1A/B‑tubulin deleted of its last three residues (EEY). αΔ3‑tubulin has a specific distribution pattern: its quantity in the brain is similar to that of αΔ2-tubulin around birth but is much lower in adult tissue. This truncated α1A/B-tubulin variant can be generated from αΔ2-tubulin by the deglutamylases CCP1, CCP4, CCP5, and CCP6 but not by CCP2 and CCP3. Moreover, using 3EG antibody, we identify a C‑terminally truncated β-tubulin form with the same –EEEG C-terminal sequence. Using mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that β2A/B-tubulin is modified by truncation of the four C-terminal residues (EDEA). We show that this newly identified βΔ4-tubulin is ubiquitously present in cells and tissues and that its level is constant throughout the cell cycle. These new C-terminally truncated α- and β-tubulin variants, both ending with –EEEG sequence, are expected to regulate microtubule physiology. Of interest, the αΔ3-tubulin seems to be related to dynamic microtubules, resembling tyrosinated-tubulin rather than the other truncated variants, and may have critical function(s) in neuronal development. PMID:26739754

Antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides in patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis before and after infliximab treatment.

PubMed

Caramaschi, Paola; Biasi, Domenico; Tonolli, Elisabetta; Pieropan, Sara; Martinelli, Nicola; Carletto, Antonio; Volpe, Alessandro; Bambara, Lisa Maria

2005-11-01

To evaluate antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) together with rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and C-reactive protein (CRP), in patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA), before and after infliximab treatment. Twenty-seven patients (five men and 22 women, mean age of 51.9 years, mean duration of disease 12.6 years) affected by RA, refractory to conventional DMARDs, were treated with infliximab, at the conventional dosage. Before starting infliximab and after 22 weeks, on the occasion of the fifth infusion, anti-CCP antibodies were tested by ELISA method. At the same time IgM RF, ANA and CRP level were measured. Before infliximab therapy, anti-CCP antibodies resulted positive in 23 patients (85.1%); the serum level did not change after infliximab treatment; only one case negative at baseline became slightly positive after treatment. Before and after therapy RF resulted positive in 22 cases (81.4%) and 21 cases (77.7%) respectively; comparing values at baseline with those after 22 weeks of treatment with infliximab, RF levels significantly decreased, as well as CRP values. In contrast to both anti-CCP antibodies, which remained stable, and to RF, which fell after infliximab, ANA were positive > or = 1: 160 in four cases at baseline and in 12 after treatment. The titre of anti-CCP antibodies did not significantly change after anti-TNFalpha blocker administration; instead the positivity of RF significantly decreased. As opposed to antinuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies, which may appear or increase in titre during infliximab treatment, the typical autoantibodies detectable in RA show a different trend; in fact, anti-CCP antibodies remained stable and RF decreased.

Development of the CCP-200 mathematical model for Syzran CHPP using the Thermolib software package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usov, S. V.; Kudinov, A. A.

2016-04-01

Simplified cycle diagram of the CCP-200 power generating unit of Syzran CHPP containing two gas turbines PG6111FA with generators, two steam recovery boilers KUP-110/15-8.0/0.7-540/200, and one steam turbine Siemens SST-600 (one-cylinder with two variable heat extraction units of 60/75 MW in heatextraction and condensing modes, accordingly) with S-GEN5-100 generators was presented. Results of experimental guarantee tests of the CCP-200 steam-gas unit are given. Brief description of the Thermolib application for the MatLab Simulink software package is given. Basic equations used in Thermolib for modeling thermo-technical processes are given. Mathematical models of gas-turbine plant, heat-recovery steam generator, steam turbine and integrated plant for power generating unit CCP-200 of Syzran CHPP were developed with the help of MatLab Simulink and Thermolib. The simulation technique at different ambient temperature values was used in order to get characteristics of the developed mathematical model. Graphic comparison of some characteristics of the CCP-200 simulation model (gas temperature behind gas turbine, gas turbine and combined cycle plant capacity, high and low pressure steam consumption and feed water consumption for high and low pressure economizers) with actual characteristics of the steam-gas unit received at experimental (field) guarantee tests at different ambient temperature are shown. It is shown that the chosen degrees of complexity, characteristics of the CCP-200 simulation model, developed by Thermolib, adequately correspond to the actual characteristics of the steam-gas unit received at experimental (field) guarantee tests; this allows considering the developed mathematical model as adequate and acceptable it for further work.

The Military Dimensions of U.S.-China Security Cooperation: Retrospective and Future Prospects

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

the island a focal point of their attention.17 The PLA’s renewed focus on Taiwan was endorsed, if not driven, by the top leadership of the CCP. On 13...34incidents." The ,0 For details of this incident from an American perspective, see John Keefe , Anatomy of the EP-3 Incident, April 2001 (Alexandria, VA...relationship been subjected to this on-again-off- again cycle? One reason is that both sides have perceived the costs of suspending military contacts

Towards a Cyber-Constructivist Perspective (CCP) of Educational Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luppicini, Rocci

2003-01-01

This theoretical paper uses cybernetic-based approaches and communications theory to advance knowledge of constructivist learning. Explores a cyber-constructivist perspective (CCP) as a tool for increasing awareness of factors that may contribute to effective constructivist educational design within learning communities, and discusses advantages…

KSC-2012-4207

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announces the newest partners of NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP from Operations Support Building 2 OSB II at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At left, is Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana, and at right, is Commercial Crew Program CCP Manager Ed Mango. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4206

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announces the newest partners of NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP from Operations Support Building 2 OSB II at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At left, is Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana and at right, is Commercial Crew Program CCP Manager Ed Mango. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

LC-MS/MS suggests that hole hopping in cytochrome c peroxidase protects its heme from oxidative modification by excess H2O2 † †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc03125k Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Kathiresan, Meena

2017-01-01

We recently reported that cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) functions as a H2O2 sensor protein when H2O2 levels rise in respiring yeast. The availability of its reducing substrate, ferrocytochrome c (CycII), determines whether Ccp1 acts as a H2O2 sensor or peroxidase. For H2O2 to serve as a signal it must modify its receptor so we employed high-performance LC-MS/MS to investigate in detail the oxidation of Ccp1 by 1, 5 and 10 M eq. of H2O2 in the absence of CycII to prevent peroxidase activity. We observe strictly heme-mediated oxidation, implicating sequential cycles of binding and reduction of H2O2 at Ccp1's heme. This results in the incorporation of ∼20 oxygen atoms predominantly at methionine and tryptophan residues. Extensive intramolecular dityrosine crosslinking involving neighboring residues was uncovered by LC-MS/MS sequencing of the crosslinked peptides. The proximal heme ligand, H175, is converted to oxo-histidine, which labilizes the heme but irreversible heme oxidation is avoided by hole hopping to the polypeptide until oxidation of the catalytic distal H52 in Ccp1 treated with 10 M eq. of H2O2 shuts down heterolytic cleavage of H2O2 at the heme. Mapping of the 24 oxidized residues in Ccp1 reveals that hole hopping from the heme is directed to three polypeptide zones rich in redox-active residues. This unprecedented analysis unveils the remarkable capacity of a polypeptide to direct hole hopping away from its active site, consistent with heme labilization being a key outcome of Ccp1-mediated H2O2 signaling. LC-MS/MS identification of the oxidized residues also exposes the bias of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) detection toward transient radicals with low O2 reactivity. PMID:28451256

Evaluation of rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies in relation to rheumatological manifestations in patients with leprosy from Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Dionello, Carla Fontoura; Rosa Utiyama, Shirley Ramos; Radominski, Sebastião Cézar; Stahlke, Ewalda; Stinghen, Servio Tulio; de Messias-Reason, Iara Jose

2016-10-01

Leprosy patients may present several osteoarticular complaints, which require further evaluation of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, an adequate clinical assessment in addition to testing for rheumatoid factors (RF) and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), can be useful in order to establish the correct diagnosis. In this study, the relation of RF and anti-CCP with rheumatological manifestations was evaluated in 97 leprosy patients from Southern Brazil. The results were compared to RA patients and healthy controls from the same geographical area and ethnic background. Neuropathy was observed in 71.1% and arthritis in 35.1% of the leprosy patients. A high frequency of RF positivity was observed among the leprosy patients (41.2%, 40/97), with RF immunoglobulin A (IgA) significantly associated with arthritis (OR = 7.9, 95% CI = 1.5-40.6 P = 0.008). Anti-CCP was observed in 9.3% (9/97) of the patients, with anti-CCP2 being the most frequent subtype. Only 4.1% (4/97) of the patients were RF and anti-CCP concomitantly positive. RF IgM showed a significant association with leprosy when compared to healthy controls (P < 0.0001) whereas for anti-CCP2 no significant results were observed (P = 0.0585). However, both biomarkers showed a strong association with RA when compared to leprosy in patients from the same geographical area and ethnic background (anti-CCP2 OR = 38.6; 95% CI = 16.49-90.26; P < 0.0001 and RF IgM OR = 4.51; 95% CI = 2.62-7.77; P < 0.0001). Due to the similarity of some rheumatological manifestations in leprosy with other inflammatory diseases, such as RA, clinical and laboratorial evaluation of affected patients must be carefully assessed in order to achieve proper diagnosis and treatment. © 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Collaborative Care for Patients With Severe Personality Disorders: Preliminary Results and Active Ingredients From a Pilot Study (Part I).

PubMed

Stringer, Barbara; van Meijel, Berno; Karman, Pieter; Koekkoek, Bauke; Hoogendoorn, Adriaan W; Kerkhof, Ad J F M; Beekman, Aartjan T F

2015-07-01

To test if a collaborative care program (CCP) with nurses in a coordinating position is beneficial for patients with severe personality disorders. A pilot study with a comparative multiple case study design using mixed methods investigating active ingredients and preliminary results. Most patients, their informal caregivers, and nurses value (parts of) the CCP positively; preliminary results show a significant decrease in severity of borderline symptoms. With the CCP, we may expand the supply of available treatments for patients with (severe) personality disorders, but a larger randomized controlled trial is warranted to confirm our preliminary results. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Blood Versus Crystalloid Cardioplegia in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Mylonas, Konstantinos S; Tzani, Aspasia; Metaxas, Panagiotis; Schizas, Dimitrios; Boikou, Vasileios; Economopoulos, Konstantinos P

2017-12-01

The benefit of blood cardioplegia (BCP) compared to crystalloid cardioplegia (CCP) is still debatable. Our aim was to systematically review and synthesize all available evidence on the use of BCP and CCP to assess if any modality provides superior outcomes in pediatric cardiac surgery. A systematic literature search of the PubMed and Cochrane databases was performed with respect to the PRISMA statement (end-of-search date: January 30th, 2017). We extracted data on study design, demographics, cardioplegia regimens, and perioperative outcomes as well as relevant biochemical markers, namely cardiac troponin I (cTnI), lactate, and ATP levels at baseline, after reperfusion and postoperatively at 1, 4, 12, and 24 h as applicable. Data were appropriately pooled using random and mixed effects models. Our systematic review includes 56 studies reporting on a total of 7711 pediatric patients. A meta-analysis of the 10 eligible studies directly comparing BCP (n = 416) to CCP (n = 281) was also performed. There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to cTnI and Lac at any measured time point, ATP levels after reperfusion, length of intensive care unit stay (WMD: -0.08, 95% CI -1.52 to 1.36), length of hospital stay (WMD: 0.13, 95% CI -0.85 to 1.12), and 30-day mortality (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.43-2.88). Only cTnI levels at 4 h postoperatively were significantly lower with BCP (WMD: -1.62, 95% CI -2.07 to -1.18). Based on the available data, neither cardioplegia modality seems to be superior in terms of clinical outcomes, ischemia severity, and overall functional recovery.

A Critical Examination of Communication Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanasono, Lisa K.

2018-01-01

Courses: This single-class teaching activity was designed for courses on critical communication pedagogy (CCP), gender and race, communication education, research methods, and visual communication. Objectives: By completing this activity, students should be able to (1) describe the principles of CCP, (2) examine critically how race and gender are…

The Comprehensive Competencies Program Reference Manual. Volume I. Introduction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taggart, Robert

Chapter 1 of this reference manual is a summary of the comprehensive competencies program (CCP). It describes this system for organizing, implementing, managing, and efficiently delivering individualized self-paced instruction, combined with group and experience-based learning activities, using computer-assisted instruction. (The CCP covers not…

Tocilizumab treatment leads to improvement in disease activity regardless of CCP status in rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Cappelli, Laura C; Palmer, Judy Lynn; Kremer, Joel; Bingham, Clifton O

2017-10-01

Autoantibodies can be useful in predicting response to certain treatments in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to evaluate initial response to tocilizumab (TCZ) by change in physician and patient-reported outcomes and laboratory parameters in a real-world cohort of patients with RA. We analyzed the data by autoantibody status to determine whether patients with seronegative RA had improved response to tocilizumab when compared to their seropositive counterparts. Data from the CORRONA RA registry were analyzed. Patients were included if they were started on TCZ and had data from a follow-up visit 4-8 months after initiation, as well as having information on serologic status. Serologic status was determined by presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies. Changes in disease activity measures from baseline to follow-up visit were evaluated. Both CCP-negative and -positive groups had statistically significant improvement in physician-reported measurements (physician rating of disease activity and joint counts), patient-reported measures (disease activity, pain, and fatigue), and acute phase reactants after 4-8 months of treatment with tocilizumab. The magnitude of improvement, however, did not differ significantly by CCP status. Tocilizumab led to statistically significant improvement in all patient- and physician-reported measures of disease activity evaluated in this cohort of patient with RA. The response to tocilizumab did not differ by CCP status. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hydrodynamic flow in capillary-channel fiber columns for liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Stanelle, Rayman D; Sander, Lane C; Marcus, R Kenneth

2005-12-23

The flow characteristics of capillary-channel polymer (C-CP) fiber liquid chromatographic (LC) columns have been investigated. The C-CP fibers are manufactured with eight longitudinal grooves (capillary channels) extending the length of the fibers. Three C-CP fiber examples were studied, with fiber dimensions ranging from approximately 35 microm to 65 microm, and capillary-channel dimensions ranging from approximately 6 microm to 35 microm. The influence of fiber packing density and column inner diameter on peak asymmetry, peak width, and run-to-run reproducibility have been studied for stainless steel LC columns packed with polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) C-CP fibers. The van Deemter A-term was evaluated as a function of fiber packing density (approximately 0.3 g/cm(3)-0.75 g/cm(3)) for columns of 4.6 mm inner diameter (i.d.) and at constant packing densities for 1.5 mm, 3.2 mm, 4.6 mm, and 7.7 mm i.d. columns. Although column diameter had little influence on the eluting peak widths, peak asymmetry increased with increasing column diameter. The A-terms for the C-CP fiber packed columns are somewhat larger than current commercial, microparticulate-packed columns, and means for improvement are discussed. Applications in the area of protein (macromolecule) separations appear the most promising at this stage of the system development.

75 FR 54631 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Transuranic Waste Characterization...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-08

... Central Characterization Project's Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at the Hanford Site AGENCY...) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at the Hanford... characterization of TRU debris waste from Hanford-CCP during an inspection conducted on April 27-29, 2010. Using...

The ZCPR2 System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conn, Richard

1983-01-01

The two-part ZCPR2 System (system itself and related utilities) runs in place of CP/M 2.2 CCP. These public domain programs provide functions similar to those provided by CCP, but offer many enhancements. ZCPR2 programs, features, documentation, and uses are discussed. Problems in using ZCPR2 are also discussed. (JN)

77 FR 8890 - Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, KY; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-15

...-FF04R02000] Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, KY; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and... availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Clarks... (telephone). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Introduction With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Clarks...

77 FR 63326 - Huron Wetland Management District, Madison Wetland Management District, and Sand Lake Wetland...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-16

... FXRS1265066CCP0] Huron Wetland Management District, Madison Wetland Management District, and Sand Lake Wetland... assessment (EA) involving Huron, Madison, and Sand Lake Wetland Management Districts (Districts). In this..., Madison Wetland Management District, Sand Lake Wetland Management District final CCP'' in the subject line...

Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland (chief cell-predominant type): A review of endoscopic and clinicopathological features

PubMed Central

Miyazawa, Masaki; Matsuda, Mitsuru; Yano, Masaaki; Hara, Yasumasa; Arihara, Fumitaka; Horita, Yosuke; Matsuda, Koichiro; Sakai, Akito; Noda, Yatsugi

2016-01-01

Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland (chief cell-predominant type, GA-FG-CCP) is a rare variant of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, and has been proposed to be a novel disease entity. GA-FG-CCP originates from the gastric mucosa of the fundic gland region without chronic gastritis or intestinal metaplasia. The majority of GA-FG-CCPs exhibit either a submucosal tumor-like superficial elevated shape or a flat shape on macroscopic examination. Narrow-band imaging with endoscopic magnification may reveal a regular or an irregular microvascular pattern, depending on the degree of tumor exposure to the mucosal surface. Pathological analysis of GA-FG-CCPs is characterized by a high frequency of submucosal invasion, rare occurrences of lymphatic and venous invasion, and low-grade malignancy. Detection of diffuse positivity for pepsinogen-I by immunohistochemistry is specific for GA-FG-CCP. Careful endoscopic examination and detailed pathological evaluation are essential for early and accurate diagnosis of GA-FG-CCP. Nearly all GA-FG-CCPs are treated by endoscopic resection due to their small tumor size and low risk of recurrence or metastasis. PMID:28082804

Transcriptional analysis of exopolysaccharides biosynthesis gene clusters in Lactobacillus plantarum.

PubMed

Vastano, Valeria; Perrone, Filomena; Marasco, Rosangela; Sacco, Margherita; Muscariello, Lidia

2016-04-01

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) from lactic acid bacteria contribute to specific rheology and texture of fermented milk products and find applications also in non-dairy foods and in therapeutics. Recently, four clusters of genes (cps) associated with surface polysaccharide production have been identified in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1, a probiotic and food-associated lactobacillus. These clusters are involved in cell surface architecture and probably in release and/or exposure of immunomodulating bacterial molecules. Here we show a transcriptional analysis of these clusters. Indeed, RT-PCR experiments revealed that the cps loci are organized in five operons. Moreover, by reverse transcription-qPCR analysis performed on L. plantarum WCFS1 (wild type) and WCFS1-2 (ΔccpA), we demonstrated that expression of three cps clusters is under the control of the global regulator CcpA. These results, together with the identification of putative CcpA target sequences (catabolite responsive element CRE) in the regulatory region of four out of five transcriptional units, strongly suggest for the first time a role of the master regulator CcpA in EPS gene transcription among lactobacilli.

Columbus Closure Project Released without Radiological Restrictions

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

Henderson, G.

2007-07-01

The Columbus Closure Project (CCP), a historic radiological research complex, was cleaned up for future use without radiological restriction in 2006. The CCP research and development site contributed to national defense, nuclear fuel fabrication, and the development of safe nuclear reactors in the United States until 1988 when research activities were concluded for site decommissioning. In November of 2003, the Ohio Field Office of the U.S. Department of Energy contracted ECC/E2 Closure Services, LLC (Closure Services) to complete the removal of radioactive contamination from of a 1955 era nuclear sciences area consisting of a large hot cell facility, research reactormore » building and underground piping. The project known as the Columbus Closure Project (CCP) was completed in 27 months and brought to a close 16 years of D and D in Columbus, Ohio. This paper examines the project innovations and challenges presented during the Columbus Closure Project. The examination of the CCP includes the project regulatory environment, the CS safety program, accelerated clean up innovation, project execution strategies and management of project waste issues and the regulatory approach to site release 'without radiological restrictions'. (authors)« less

Library Screen Identifies Enterococcus faecalis CcpA, the Catabolite Control Protein A, as an Effector of Ace, a Collagen Adhesion Protein Linked to Virulence

PubMed Central

Gao, Peng; Pinkston, Kenneth L.; Bourgogne, Agathe; Cruz, Melissa R.; Garsin, Danielle A.; Murray, Barbara E.

2013-01-01

The Enterococcus faecalis cell wall-anchored protein Ace is an important virulence factor involved in cell adhesion and infection. Expression of Ace on the cell surface is affected by many factors, including stage of growth, culture temperature, and environmental components, such as serum, urine, and collagen. However, the mechanisms that regulate or modulate Ace display are not well understood. With interest in identifying genes associated with Ace expression, we utilized a whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based screening method to identify mutants from a transposon insertion mutant library which exhibited distinct Ace surface expression profiles. We identified a ccpA insertion mutant which showed significantly decreased levels of Ace surface expression at early growth phase versus those of wild-type OG1RF. Confirmation of the observation was achieved through flow cytometry and complementation analysis. Compared to the wild type, the E. faecalis ccpA mutant had an impaired ability to adhere to collagen when grown to early exponential phase, consistent with the lack of Ace expression in the early growth phase. As a key component of carbon catabolite regulation, CcpA has been previously reported to play a critical role in regulating expression of proteins involved in E. faecalis carbohydrate uptake and utilization. Our discovery is the first to associate CcpA with the production of a major E. faecalis virulence factor, providing new insights into the regulation of E. faecalis pathogenesis. PMID:23974022

Flight motor set 360L002 (STS-27R). Volume 5: Nozzle component

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, S. A.

1990-01-01

A review of the performance and post-flight condition of the STS-27 Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) nozzles is presented. Thermal/Structural instrumentation data is reviewed, and applicable Discrepancy Reports (DRs) and Process Departures (PDs) are presented. The Nozzle Component Program Team (NCPT) performance evaluation and the Redesign Program Review Board (RPRB) assessment is included. The STS-27 nozzle assemblies were flown on the RSRM Second Flight (Space Shuttle Atlantis) on 2 December 1988. The nozzles were a partially submerged convergent and/or divergent movable design with an aft pivot point flexible bearing. The nozzle assemblies incorporated the following features: RSRM forward exit cone with snubber assembly, RSRM fixed housing, Structural backup Outer Boot Ring (OBR), RSRM cowl ring, RSRM nose inlet assembly, RSRM throat assembly, RSRM aft exit cone assembly with Linear-Shaped Charge (LSC), RTV backfill in Joints 1, 3, and 4, Use of EA913 NA adhesive in place of EA913 adhesive, Redesigned nozzle plug, and Carbon Cloth Phenolic (CCP) with 750 ppm sodium content. The CCP material usage for the STS-27 forward nozzle and aft exit cone assemblies is shown.

Improving Tracheostomy Care Delivery: Instituting Clinical Care Pathways and Nursing Education to Improve Patient Outcomes.

PubMed

Colandrea, Maria; Eckardt, Patricia

2016-01-01

The complication rates for tracheostomy patients could be serious and life threatening. As a result, length of stay (LOS) increases and patient outcomes can be negatively impacted. Examples of complications include accidental decannulation, bleeding and total occlusion. Studies suggest there is an inconsistency in tracheostomy care among providers and institutions. Other studies suggest stronger patient outcomes can result from improved staff training and appropriate protocols. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a clinical care pathway (CCP) and nursing education program to improve tracheostomy patient outcomes. The use of a CCP and nursing education program at a tertiary VA Medical Center will: decrease length of stay (LOS). decrease 30 day tracheostomy readmissions. increase patient's readiness for discharge. increase nurses' comfort level with performing tracheostomy care. increase nurses' overall competence with performing tracheostomy care. A quasi-experimental pilot study examining the effect of a CCP compared LOS and complication rates of tracheostomy patients from admission to discharge. The population included veterans from a mid-Atlantic VA Medical Center. This study involved three phases. Phase 1: Administer the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) to tracheostomy patients' preintervention. Phase 2: Provide nurses with an educational program pre and post test assessment. Phase 3: Implement the CCP and evaluate patients' readiness for discharge. Comparing the pre-intervention sample of veterans (n = 10) to the post-intervention sample (n = 6), there was an increase in LOS by 1 day. There was a 15 point increase in RHDS from 165 (SD 25.8) to 180 (SD 14.42). This pilot was underpowered with an n = 6, so there was no significant difference in LOS and 30 day readmission rates. Bootstrapping of sample resulted in RHDS p = . 039 and readmission p = .007. A paired-samples t-test was conducted to assess nurses' competence in performing tracheostomy care and nursing comfort level in regards to providing tracheostomy care and discharge education. There was a significant increase in the post-test scores, nursing comfort level providing tracheostomy care and nurses' comfort level providing patient tracheostomy discharge education. The significance of this project improved overall tracheostomy care offered at a mid-Atlantic VA Medical Center. Standardizing tracheostomy care and properly educating nurses and patients, increased patients readiness for hospital discharge and decreased their readmission rates related to tracheostomies.

Association of the Shared Epitope, Smoking and the Interaction Between the Two With the Presence of Autoantibodies (Anti-CCP and FR) in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Hospital in Seville, Spain.

PubMed

García de Veas Silva, José Luis; González Rodríguez, Concepción; Hernández Cruz, Blanca

2017-11-01

To evaluate the association of shared epitope, smoking and their interaction on the presence of autoantibodies (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide [CCP] antibodies and rheumatoid factor) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in our geographical area. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in a cohort of 106 patients diagnosed with RA. Odds ratios (OR) for antibody development were calculated for shared epitope, tobacco exposure and smoking dose. Statistical analysis was performed with univariate and multivariate statistics using ordinal logistic regression. Odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and a value of P<.05 was considered significant. In univariate analysis, shared epitope (OR=2.68; 95% CI: 1.11-6.46), tobacco exposure (OR=2.79; 95% CI: 1.12-6.97) and heavy smoker (>20 packs/year) (OR=8.93; 95% CI: 1.95-40.82) were associated with the presence of anti-CCP antibodies. For rheumatoid factor, the association was only significant for tobacco exposure (OR=3.89; 95% CI: 1.06-14.28) and smoking dose (OR=8.33; 95% CI: 1.05-66.22). By ordinal logistic regression analysis, an association with high titers of anti-CCP (>200U/mL) was identified with South American mestizos, patients with homozygous shared epitope, positive FR and heavy smokers. Being a South American mestizo, having a shared epitope, rheumatoid factor positivity and a smoking dose>20 packs/year are independent risk factors for the development of rheumatoid arthritis with a high titer of anti-CCP (>200U/mL). In shared epitope-positive rheumatoid arthritis patients, the intensity of smoking is more strongly associated than tobacco exposure with an increased risk of positive anti-CCP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Cells with impaired mitochondrial H2O2 sensing generate less •OH radicals and live longer.

PubMed

Martins, Dorival; Titorenko, Vladimir I; English, Ann M

2014-10-01

Mitochondria are major sites of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and adaptive mitochondrial ROS signaling extends longevity. We aim at linking the genetic manipulation of mitochondrial H2O2 sensing in live cells to mechanisms driving aging in the model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To this end, we compare in vivo ROS (O2(•-), H2O2 and (•)OH) accumulation, antioxidant enzyme activities, labile iron levels, GSH depletion, and protein oxidative damage during the chronological aging of three yeast strains: ccp1Δ that does not produce the mitochondrial H2O2 sensor protein, cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1); ccp1(W191F) that produces a hyperactive variant of this sensor protein (Ccp1(W191F)); and the isogenic wild-type strain. Since they possess elevated manganese superoxide dismutase (Sod2) activity, young ccp1Δ cells accumulate low mitochondrial superoxide (O2(•-)) levels but high H2O2 levels. These cells exhibit stable aconitase activity and contain low amounts of labile iron and hydroxyl radicals ((•)OH). Furthermore, they undergo late glutathione (GSH) depletion, less mitochondrial protein oxidative damage and live longer than wild-type cells. In contrast, young ccp1(W191F) cells accumulate little H2O2, possess depressed Sod2 activity, enabling their O2(•-) level to spike and deactivate aconitase, which, ultimately, leads to greater mitochondrial oxidative damage, early GSH depletion, and a shorter lifespan than wild-type cells. Modulation of mitochondrial H2O2 sensing offers a novel interventional approach to alter mitochondrial H2O2 levels in live cells and probe the pro- versus anti-aging effects of ROS. The strength of mitochondrial H2O2 sensing modulates adaptive mitochondrial ROS signaling and, hence, lifespan.

Anti-MCV antibodies predict radiographic progression in Greek patients with very early (<3 months duration) rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Barouta, Georgia; Katsiari, Christina G; Alexiou, Ioannis; Liaskos, Christos; Varna, Areti; Bogdanos, Dimitrios P; Germenis, Anastasios E; Sakkas, Lazaros I

2017-04-01

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) antibodies in very early rheumatoid arthritis (VERA) and in established rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Seventy-one patients with undifferentiated arthritis (UA) of <3 months duration, 141 with established RA, 53 with other rheumatic diseases, and 40 healthy individuals were included in the study. Anti-MCV, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies, and rheumatoid factor (RF) were determined and hand radiographs were recorded. Patients were assessed prospectively for 2 years, and hand radiographs were repeated. Diagnostic performance of anti-MCV was studied with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and evaluation of sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios. Forty-six percent of UA patients progressed to RA at 2 years. In VERA patients, sensitivity of anti-MCV was 52 %, compared to 44 % of anti-CCP and 37 % of RF, while specificity was 91 %, compared to 91 % of RF and 84 % of anti-CCP. Anti-MCV were detected in 25 % of VERA patients negative for both anti-CCP and RF. In established RA, anti-MCV did not sustain its diagnostic performance. By multivariable analysis, anti-MCV, but not anti-CCP or RF, showed significant correlation with radiographic progression in VERA patients. In established RA, anti-MCV, anti-CCP, and RF were associated with active disease (p ≤ 0.03) and joint damage (p ≤ 0.004). By multivariate analysis, the strongest factors for radiographic damage were disease duration (p = 0.000), HAQ score (p = 0.000), and RF (p = 0.002). In conclusion, in patients with very early UA, anti-MCV predict both progression to RA and radiological damage, and therefore, anti-MCV antibody testing may be useful in every day practice.

Anti-type II collagen antibodies, anti-CCP, IgA RF and IgM RF are associated with joint damage, assessed eight years after onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Early appearance of antibodies specific for native human type II collagen (anti-CII) characterizes an early inflammatory and destructive phenotype in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of anti-CII, IgM RF, IgA RF and anti-CCP in serum samples obtained early after diagnosis, and to relate the occurrence of autoantibodies to outcome after eight years of disease in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods The Nordic JIA database prospectively included JIA patients followed for eight years with data on remission and joint damage. From this database, serum samples collected from 192 patients, at a median of four months after disease onset, were analysed for IgG anti-CII, IgM RF, IgA RF and IgG anti-CCP. Joint damage was assessed based on Juvenile Arthritis Damage Index for Articular damage (JADI-A), a validated clinical instrument for joint damage. Results Elevated serum levels of anti-CII occurred in 3.1%, IgM RF in 3.6%, IgA RF in 3.1% and anti-CCP in 2.6% of the patients. Occurrence of RF and anti-CCP did to some extent overlap, but rarely with anti-CII. The polyarticular and oligoarticular extended categories were overrepresented in patients with two or more autoantibodies. Anti-CII occurred in younger children, usually without overlap with the other autoantibodies and was associated with high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) early in the disease course. All four autoantibodies were significantly associated with joint damage, but not with active disease at the eight-year follow up. Conclusions Anti-CII, anti-CCP, IgA RF and IgM RF detected early in the disease course predicted joint damage when assessed after eight years of disease. The role of anti-CII in JIA should be further studied. PMID:24944545

76 FR 16634 - Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, Orange County, CA; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-24

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R8-R-2010-N272; 81683-1265-0000-S3] Seal... comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Seal Beach National Wildlife....gov . Include ``Seal Beach CCP'' in the subject line of the message. Fax: Attn: Victoria Touchstone...

Receiver function analysis of the Texas Gulf Coast to better understand the Ouachita Orogeny, opening of the Gulf of Mexico, and current state of the southern margin of North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knuppel, M.; Pratt, K. W.; Evanzia, D.; Gurrola, H.; Pulliam, J.

2012-12-01

For the past two years, Texas Tech and Baylor universities have been operating 21 broadband seismic stations extending from Matagorda Island, crossing the Gulf Coast plain and Balcones fault, ending in the middle of the Llano Uplift at Johnson City, Texas. The goal of this project is to image the basement to better understand the opening of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and the stabilization of the southern lithosphere of North America. In this presentation we will present preliminary results of receiver function analysis of data recorded by our broadband array. Using 18 months' of data we performed common conversion point (CCP) stack imaging of the crust and lithosphere along the profile and have produced a cross section showing receiver function derived Vp/Vs ratios along the profile. The strongest phase on the CCP stack is the Ps phase from the base of a 15 to 20-km-deep (at the shoreline) sedimentary basin that shallows to approximately 1 km deep at the Balcones fault. Vp/Vs analysis shows that this sedimentary unit has Vp/Vs ratios between 1.9 and 2.0. This unusually high Vp/Vs ratio is consistent with the basin being dominated by poorly consolidated, relatively young clastic sediment. This layer pinches out to the northwest. No clear Ps phase is observed from base of the Mesozoic carbonates and Ouachita-related sediments that we believe is several kilometers thick, based on observed Vp/Vs ratios of 1.85 to 1.9 (which is more consistent with carbonate rock than granitic basement). The pattern of Vp/Vs implies near-vertical, crust-wide displacement along the Balcones Fault. The Moho appears to be 15 to 20 km deep near the ocean but descends to more than 40 km beneath the Llano uplift. There is a strong Ps phase from about 70 km depth near the coastline that we interpret as remnant depleted mantle from the rifting of the GOM. The region between this P70s phase and the Moho appear to have a low Vp/Vs ratio (~1.75), which would be consistent with mantle depleted in iron as a result of rifting during the opening of the Gulf of Mexico.

Lithospheric Deformation Along the Southern and Western Suture Zones of the Wyoming Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuyen, C.; Porritt, R. W.; O'Driscoll, L.

2014-12-01

The Wyoming Province is an Archean craton that played an early role in the construction and growth of the North American continent. This region, which encompasses the majority of modern day Wyoming and southern Montana, initially collided with other Archean blocks in the Paleoproterozoic (2.0-1.8 Ga), creating the Canadian Shield. From 1.8-1.68 Ga, the Yavapai Province crashed into the Wyoming Province, suturing the two together. The accretion of the Yavapai Province gave way to the Cheyenne Belt, a deformational zone that exists along the southern border of the Wyoming Province where earlier studies have found evidence for crustal imbrication and double a Moho. Current deformation within the Wyoming province is due to its interaction with the Yellowstone Hotspot, which is currently located in the northwest portion of the region. This study images the LAB along the western and southern borders of the Wyoming Province in order to understand how the region's Archean lithosphere has responded to deformation over time. These results shed light on the inherent strength of Archean cratonic lithosphere in general. We employ two methods for this study: common conversion point (CCP) stacking of S to P receiver functions and teleseismic and ambient Rayleigh wave dispersion. The former is used to image the LAB structure while the latter is used to create a velocity gradient for the region. Results from both of the methods reveal a notably shallower LAB depth to the west of the boundary. The shallower LAB west of the Wyoming Province is interpreted to be a result of lithospheric thinning due to the region's interaction with the Yellowstone Hotspot and post-Laramide deformation and extension of the western United States. We interpret the deeper LAB east of the boundary to be evidence for the Wyoming Province's resistance to lithospheric deformation from the hotspot and tectonic processes. CCP images across the Cheyenne Belt also reveal a shallower LAB under the western perimeter of the belt. We believe that this is a result of the LAB jumping up to a mid-lithospheric discontinuity (MLD) as the less stable lower lithosphere was thinned or removed. This same MLD appears above the intact LAB in the eastern portion of the Cheyenne Belt. This suggests that the western end of the Cheyenne Belt has undergone more deformation over time than the eastern end.

Malate-mediated carbon catabolite repression in Bacillus subtilis involves the HPrK/CcpA pathway.

PubMed

Meyer, Frederik M; Jules, Matthieu; Mehne, Felix M P; Le Coq, Dominique; Landmann, Jens J; Görke, Boris; Aymerich, Stéphane; Stülke, Jörg

2011-12-01

Most organisms can choose their preferred carbon source from a mixture of nutrients. This process is called carbon catabolite repression. The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses glucose as the preferred source of carbon and energy. Glucose-mediated catabolite repression is caused by binding of the CcpA transcription factor to the promoter regions of catabolic operons. CcpA binds DNA upon interaction with its cofactors HPr(Ser-P) and Crh(Ser-P). The formation of the cofactors is catalyzed by the metabolite-activated HPr kinase/phosphorylase. Recently, it has been shown that malate is a second preferred carbon source for B. subtilis that also causes catabolite repression. In this work, we addressed the mechanism by which malate causes catabolite repression. Genetic analyses revealed that malate-dependent catabolite repression requires CcpA and its cofactors. Moreover, we demonstrate that HPr(Ser-P) is present in malate-grown cells and that CcpA and HPr interact in vivo in the presence of glucose or malate but not in the absence of a repressing carbon source. The formation of the cofactor HPr(Ser-P) could be attributed to the concentrations of ATP and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate in cells growing with malate. Both metabolites are available at concentrations that are sufficient to stimulate HPr kinase activity. The adaptation of cells to environmental changes requires dynamic metabolic and regulatory adjustments. The repression strength of target promoters was similar to that observed in steady-state growth conditions, although it took somewhat longer to reach the second steady-state of expression when cells were shifted to malate.

Effect of the absence of the CcpA gene on growth, metabolic production, and stress tolerance in Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus.

PubMed

Li, C; Sun, J W; Zhang, G F; Liu, L B

2016-01-01

The catabolite control protein A (CcpA) is a kind of multi-effect regulatory protein. In the study, the effect of the inactivation of CcpA and aerobic conditions on the growth, metabolic production, and stress tolerance to heat, oxidative, and cold stresses in Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus was investigated. Results showed that inactivation of CcpA distinctly hindered growth. Total lactic acid concentration was significantly lower in aerobiosis for both strains and was lower for the mutant strain than L. bulgaricus. Acetic acid production from the mutant strain was higher than L. bulgaricus in aerobiosis compared with anaerobiosis. Enzyme activities, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), phosphate fructose kinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK), and pyruvic dehydrogenase (PDH), were significantly lower in the mutant strain than L. bulgaricus. The diameters of inhibition zone were 13.59 ± 0.02 mm and 9.76 ± 0.02 mm for L. bulgaricus in anaerobiosis and aerobiosis, respectively; and 8.12 ± 0.02 mm and 7.38 ± 0.02 mm for the mutant in anaerobiosis and aerobiosis, respectively. For both strains, cells grown under aerobic environment possess more stress tolerance. This is the first study in which the CcpA-negative mutant of L. bulgaricus is constructed and the effect of aerobic growth on stress tolerance of L. bulgaricus is evaluated. Although aerobic cultivation does not significantly improve growth, it does improve stress tolerance. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hormonal replacement therapy may reduce the risk for RA in women with early arthritis who carry HLA-DRB1 *01 and/or *04 alleles by protecting against the production of anti-CCP: results from the ESPOIR cohort.

PubMed

Salliot, Carine; Bombardier, Claire; Saraux, Alain; Combe, Bernard; Dougados, Maxime

2010-09-01

To assess the effect of reproductive factors, especially hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and its interaction with HLA-DRB1 *01 and/or *04 alleles on the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies in women included in the ESPOIR cohort (early arthritis cohort). 568 patients were included in the analyses, which were performed using logistic regression. HRT reduced the risk of RA due to the HLA-DRB1 *01 and/or *04 alleles from OR 1.88 (95% CI 1.32 to 2.68, p<0.000) for HLA-DRB1 *01 and/or *04 alleles alone to OR 1.07 (95% CI 0.51 to 2.26, p=0.85) in women with HLA-DRB1 *01 and/or *04 alleles who received HRT. One explanation might be the protective effect of HRT on the presence of anti-CCP antibodies (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.77, p<0.006). Other reproductive factors such as the number of pregnancies, menopause and age at menopause, age at menarche and a history of pregnancy with poor outcome were not associated with the diagnosis of RA and the presence of anti-CCP antibodies. HRT may reduce the risk of RA due to HLA-DRB1 *01 and/or *04 alleles by protecting against the production of anti-CCP antibodies.

Spectral analysis of crater central peak material (ccp)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galiano, A.; Palomba, E.; Longobardo, A.; De Sanctis, M. C.; Raponi, A.; Tosi, F.; Ammannito, E.; Raymond, C. A.; Russell, C. T.

2017-09-01

We spectrally investigated 32 ccp units, which stand out in geologic maps of Ceres as they exhibit a different color and morphology with respect to the surrounding floor. We focus our attention on spectral parameters related to Mg-phyllosilicates (2.7 μm band), ammoniated phyllosilicates (3.1 μm band) and carbonates (bands at about 3.4 and 4.0 μm).

75 FR 67095 - Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Montana

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-01

...] Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Montana AGENCY: Fish and... conservation plan (CCP) and environmental impact statement (EIS) for Charles M. Russell and UL Bend National... are extending the comment period for review of the draft CCP and EIS for Charles M. Russell NWR and UL...

77 FR 67829 - Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, MT...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-14

...-FXRS1266066CCP0S3-123] Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, MT... final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and final environmental impact statement (EIS) for Charles M....gov . Include ``Request copy of Charles M. Russell NWR ROD'' in the subject line of the message. U.S...

75 FR 21390 - Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Chicago, Central & Pacific...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

... trackage rights will allow EJ&E to interchange traffic with CCP at CCP's Hawthorne Yard, an intermediate... information, the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C 10502(d) may be..., a copy of each pleading must be served on Jeremy M. Berman, Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 N. Wacker...

You Mean I Have to Teach Sustainability Too? Initial Teacher Education Students' Perspectives on the Sustainability Cross-Curriculum Priority

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyment, Janet E.; Hill, Allen

2015-01-01

In this paper, we report on an investigation into initial teacher education students' (ITES) understandings of sustainability and the Australian National Curriculum Sustainability Cross Curricular Priority (CCP). We also explore their willingness and capacities to embed the CCP into their own teaching practices. The ITES (N = 392) completed a…

Convolution Comparison Pattern: An Efficient Local Image Descriptor for Fingerprint Liveness Detection

PubMed Central

Gottschlich, Carsten

2016-01-01

We present a new type of local image descriptor which yields binary patterns from small image patches. For the application to fingerprint liveness detection, we achieve rotation invariant image patches by taking the fingerprint segmentation and orientation field into account. We compute the discrete cosine transform (DCT) for these rotation invariant patches and attain binary patterns by comparing pairs of two DCT coefficients. These patterns are summarized into one or more histograms per image. Each histogram comprises the relative frequencies of pattern occurrences. Multiple histograms are concatenated and the resulting feature vector is used for image classification. We name this novel type of descriptor convolution comparison pattern (CCP). Experimental results show the usefulness of the proposed CCP descriptor for fingerprint liveness detection. CCP outperforms other local image descriptors such as LBP, LPQ and WLD on the LivDet 2013 benchmark. The CCP descriptor is a general type of local image descriptor which we expect to prove useful in areas beyond fingerprint liveness detection such as biological and medical image processing, texture recognition, face recognition and iris recognition, liveness detection for face and iris images, and machine vision for surface inspection and material classification. PMID:26844544

Recent developments in the CCP-EM software suite.

PubMed

Burnley, Tom; Palmer, Colin M; Winn, Martyn

2017-06-01

As part of its remit to provide computational support to the cryo-EM community, the Collaborative Computational Project for Electron cryo-Microscopy (CCP-EM) has produced a software framework which enables easy access to a range of programs and utilities. The resulting software suite incorporates contributions from different collaborators by encapsulating them in Python task wrappers, which are then made accessible via a user-friendly graphical user interface as well as a command-line interface suitable for scripting. The framework includes tools for project and data management. An overview of the design of the framework is given, together with a survey of the functionality at different levels. The current CCP-EM suite has particular strength in the building and refinement of atomic models into cryo-EM reconstructions, which is described in detail.

Recent developments in the CCP-EM software suite

PubMed Central

Burnley, Tom

2017-01-01

As part of its remit to provide computational support to the cryo-EM community, the Collaborative Computational Project for Electron cryo-Microscopy (CCP-EM) has produced a software framework which enables easy access to a range of programs and utilities. The resulting software suite incorporates contributions from different collaborators by encapsulating them in Python task wrappers, which are then made accessible via a user-friendly graphical user interface as well as a command-line interface suitable for scripting. The framework includes tools for project and data management. An overview of the design of the framework is given, together with a survey of the functionality at different levels. The current CCP-EM suite has particular strength in the building and refinement of atomic models into cryo-EM reconstructions, which is described in detail. PMID:28580908

78 FR 76169 - Patuxent Research Refuge, Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties, MD; Final Comprehensive...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-16

...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Patuxent Research Refuge (Patuxent RR, refuge), located in Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties, Maryland. In this final CCP, we describe how we will manage the refuge for the next 15 years.

76 FR 29782 - Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai‘i County, HI; Final Comprehensive Conservation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-23

... this final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years. ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the final CCP and FONSI by any of the following methods. You may request a... lava tubes and lava tube skylights. We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the...

SMAD3 rs17228212 Gene Polymorphism Is Associated with Reduced Risk to Cerebrovascular Accidents and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Anti-CCP Negative Spanish Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

PubMed Central

Genre, Fernanda; Castañeda, Santos; González-Juanatey, Carlos; Llorca, Javier; Corrales, Alfonso; Miranda-Filloy, José A.; Rueda-Gotor, Javier; Gómez-Vaquero, Carmen; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Luis; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Benjamín; Pascual-Salcedo, Dora; Balsa, Alejandro; López-Longo, Francisco J.; Carreira, Patricia; Blanco, Ricardo; González-Álvaro, Isidoro; Martín, Javier; González-Gay, Miguel A.

2013-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex polygenic inflammatory disease associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Previous genome-wide association studies have described SMAD3 rs17228212 polymorphism as an important signal associated with CV events. The aim of the present study was to evaluate for the first time the relationship between this gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to CV manifestations and its potential association with the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis assessed by the evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in patients with RA. Methods One thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven patients fulfilling classification criteria for RA were genotyped for SMAD3 rs17228212 gene polymorphism through TaqMan genotyping assay. Also, subclinical atherosclerosis determined by the assessment of cIMT was analyzed in a subgroup of these patients by carotid ultrasonography. Results No statistically significant differences were observed when allele frequencies of RA patients with or without CV events were compared. Nevertheless, when RA patients were stratified according to anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) status, we found that in RA patients who were negative for anti-CCP antibodies, the presence of C allele of SMAD3 rs17228212 polymorphism conferred a protective effect against the risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) after adjustment for demographic and classic CV risk factors (HR [95%CI]=0.36 [0.14–0.94], p=0.038) in a Cox regression model. Additionally, correlation between the presence of C allele of SMAD3 rs17228212 polymorphism and lower values of cIMT was found after adjustment for demographic and classic CV risk factors (p-value=0.0094) in the anti-CCP negative RA patients. Conclusions Our results revealed that SMAD3 rs17228212 gene variant is associated with lower risk of CVA and less severe subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients negative for anti-CCP antibodies. These findings may have importance to establish predictive models of CV disease in RA patients according to anti-CCP status. PMID:24204921

SMAD3 rs17228212 gene polymorphism is associated with reduced risk to cerebrovascular accidents and subclinical atherosclerosis in anti-CCP negative Spanish rheumatoid arthritis patients.

PubMed

García-Bermúdez, Mercedes; López-Mejías, Raquel; Genre, Fernanda; Castañeda, Santos; González-Juanatey, Carlos; Llorca, Javier; Corrales, Alfonso; Miranda-Filloy, José A; Rueda-Gotor, Javier; Gómez-Vaquero, Carmen; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Luis; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Benjamín; Pascual-Salcedo, Dora; Balsa, Alejandro; López-Longo, Francisco J; Carreira, Patricia; Blanco, Ricardo; González-Álvaro, Isidoro; Martín, Javier; González-Gay, Miguel A

2013-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex polygenic inflammatory disease associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Previous genome-wide association studies have described SMAD3 rs17228212 polymorphism as an important signal associated with CV events. The aim of the present study was to evaluate for the first time the relationship between this gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to CV manifestations and its potential association with the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis assessed by the evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in patients with RA. One thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven patients fulfilling classification criteria for RA were genotyped for SMAD3 rs17228212 gene polymorphism through TaqMan genotyping assay. Also, subclinical atherosclerosis determined by the assessment of cIMT was analyzed in a subgroup of these patients by carotid ultrasonography. No statistically significant differences were observed when allele frequencies of RA patients with or without CV events were compared. Nevertheless, when RA patients were stratified according to anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) status, we found that in RA patients who were negative for anti-CCP antibodies, the presence of C allele of SMAD3 rs17228212 polymorphism conferred a protective effect against the risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) after adjustment for demographic and classic CV risk factors (HR [95%CI]=0.36 [0.14-0.94], p=0.038) in a Cox regression model. Additionally, correlation between the presence of C allele of SMAD3 rs17228212 polymorphism and lower values of cIMT was found after adjustment for demographic and classic CV risk factors (p-value=0.0094) in the anti-CCP negative RA patients. Our results revealed that SMAD3 rs17228212 gene variant is associated with lower risk of CVA and less severe subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients negative for anti-CCP antibodies. These findings may have importance to establish predictive models of CV disease in RA patients according to anti-CCP status.

Evidence for new C-terminally truncated variants of α- and β-tubulins.

PubMed

Aillaud, Chrystelle; Bosc, Christophe; Saoudi, Yasmina; Denarier, Eric; Peris, Leticia; Sago, Laila; Taulet, Nicolas; Cieren, Adeline; Tort, Olivia; Magiera, Maria M; Janke, Carsten; Redeker, Virginie; Andrieux, Annie; Moutin, Marie-Jo

2016-02-15

Cellular α-tubulin can bear various carboxy-terminal sequences: full-length tubulin arising from gene neosynthesis is tyrosinated, and two truncated variants, corresponding to detyrosinated and Δ2 α‑tubulin, result from the sequential cleavage of one or two C-terminal residues, respectively. Here, by using a novel antibody named 3EG that is highly specific to the -EEEG C-terminal sequence, we demonstrate the occurrence in neuronal tissues of a new αΔ3‑tubulin variant corresponding to α1A/B‑tubulin deleted of its last three residues (EEY). αΔ3‑tubulin has a specific distribution pattern: its quantity in the brain is similar to that of αΔ2-tubulin around birth but is much lower in adult tissue. This truncated α1A/B-tubulin variant can be generated from αΔ2-tubulin by the deglutamylases CCP1, CCP4, CCP5, and CCP6 but not by CCP2 and CCP3. Moreover, using 3EG antibody, we identify a C‑terminally truncated β-tubulin form with the same -EEEG C-terminal sequence. Using mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that β2A/B-tubulin is modified by truncation of the four C-terminal residues (EDEA). We show that this newly identified βΔ4-tubulin is ubiquitously present in cells and tissues and that its level is constant throughout the cell cycle. These new C-terminally truncated α- and β-tubulin variants, both ending with -EEEG sequence, are expected to regulate microtubule physiology. Of interest, the αΔ3-tubulin seems to be related to dynamic microtubules, resembling tyrosinated-tubulin rather than the other truncated variants, and may have critical function(s) in neuronal development. © 2016 Aillaud et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Osteoprotegerin CGA Haplotype Protection against Cerebrovascular Complications in Anti-CCP Negative Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

PubMed Central

Castañeda, Santos; González-Juanatey, Carlos; Llorca, Javier; Corrales, Alfonso; Ubilla, Begoña; Miranda-Filloy, José A.; Pina, Trinitario; Gómez-Vaquero, Carmen; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Luis; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Benjamín; Balsa, Alejandro; Pascual-Salcedo, Dora; López-Longo, Francisco J.; Carreira, Patricia; Blanco, Ricardo; González-Álvaro, Isidoro; Martín, Javier; González-Gay, Miguel A.

2014-01-01

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease with high incidence of cardiovascular disease due to accelerated atherosclerosis. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) has been associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic disease in the general population. Several polymorphisms in the OPG gene with functional effects on cardiovascular disease in non-rheumatic individuals have been described. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the effect of three of these functional OPG polymorphisms on the risk of cardiovascular disease in a large and well-characterized cohort of Spanish patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods Three OPG gene variants (rs3134063, rs2073618 and rs3134069) were genotyped by TaqMan assays in 2027 Spanish patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody testing was positive in 997 of 1714 tested. Also, 18.3% of the whole series had experienced cardiovascular events, including 5.4% with cerebrovascular accidents. The relationship between OPG variants and cardiovascular events was assessed using Cox regression. Results No association between OPG gene variants and cardiovascular disease was observed in the whole group of rheumatoid arthritis patients or in anti-CCP positive patients. Nevertheless, a protective effect of CGA haplotype on the risk of cardiovascular disease in general, and specifically in the risk of cerebrovascular complications after adjusting for sex, age at disease diagnosis and traditional cardiovascular risk factors was disclosed in anti-CCP negative patients (HR = 0.54; 95%CI: 0.31–0.95; p = 0.032 and HR = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.04–0.78; p = 0.022, respectively). Conclusion Our results indicate a protective effect of the OPG CGA haplotype on cardiovascular risk, mainly due to a protective effect against cerebrovascular events in anti-CCP negative rheumatoid arthritis patients. PMID:25184828

Plant growth response in experimental soilless mixes prepared from coal combustion products and organic waste materials

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

Bardhan, S.; Watson, M.; Dick, W.A.

2008-07-15

Large quantities of organic materials such as animal manures, yard trimmings, and biosolids are produced each year. Beneficial use options for them are often limited, and composting has been proposed as a way to better manage these organic materials. Similarly, burning of coal created 125 million tons of coal combustion products (CCP) in the United States in 2006. An estimated 53 million tons of CCP were reused, whereas the remainder was deposited in landfills. By combining CCP and composted organic materials (COM), we were able to create soilless plant growth mixes with physicochemical conditions that can support excellent plant growth.more » An additional benefit is the conservation of natural raw materials, such as peat, which is generally used for making soilless mixes. Experimental mixes were formulated by combining CCP and COM at ratios ranging from 2:8 to 8:2 (vol/vol), respectively. Water content at saturation for the created mixes was 63% to 72%, whereas for the commercial control, it was 77%. pH values for the best performing mixes ranged between 5.9 and 6.8. Electrical conductivity and concentrations of required plant nutrient were also within plant growth recommendations for container media. Significantly (P < 0.0001) higher plant biomass growth (7%-130%) was observed in the experimental mixes compared with a commercial mix. No additional fertilizers were provided during the experiment, and reduced fertilization costs can thus accrue as an added benefit to the grower. In summary, combining CCP and COM, derived from source materials often viewed as wastes, can create highly productive plant growth mixes.« less

Identification of anticitrullinated protein antibody reactivities in a subset of anti-CCP-negative rheumatoid arthritis: association with cigarette smoking and HLA-DRB1 ‘shared epitope’ alleles

PubMed Central

Wagner, Catriona A; Sokolove, Jeremy; Lahey, Lauren J; Bengtsson, Camilla; Saevarsdottir, Saedis; Alfredsson, Lars; Delanoy, Michelle; Lindstrom, Tamsin M; Walker, Roger P; Bromberg, Reuven; Chandra, Piyanka E; Binder, Steven R; Klareskog, Lars; Robinson, William H

2015-01-01

Introduction A hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the development of autoantibodies targeting proteins that contain citrulline. Anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are currently detected by the commercial cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) assay, which uses a mix of cyclised citrullinated peptides as an artificial mimic of the true antigen(s). To increase the sensitivity of ACPA detection and dissect ACPA specificities, we developed a multiplex assay that profiles ACPAs by measuring their reactivity to the citrullinated peptides and proteins derived from RA joint tissue. Methods We created a bead-based, citrullinated antigen array to profile ACPAs. This custom array contains 16 citrullinated peptides and proteins detected in RA synovial tissues. We used the array to profile ACPAs in sera from a cohort of patients with RA and other non-inflammatory arthritides, as well as sera from an independent cohort of RA patients for whom data were available on carriage of HLA-DRB1 ‘shared epitope’ (SE) alleles and history of cigarette smoking. Results Our multiplex assay showed that at least 10% of RA patients who tested negative in the commercial CCP assay possessed ACPAs. Carriage of HLA-DRB1 SE alleles and a history of cigarette smoking were associated with an increase in ACPA reactivity—in anti-CCP+ RA and in a subset of anti-CCP− RA. Conclusions Our multiplex assay can identify ACPA-positive RA patients missed by the commercial CCP assay, thus enabling greater diagnostic sensitivity. Further, our findings suggest that cigarette smoking and possession of HLA-DRB1 SE alleles contribute to the development of ACPAs in anti-CCP− RA. PMID:24297382

Malate-Mediated Carbon Catabolite Repression in Bacillus subtilis Involves the HPrK/CcpA Pathway ▿ §

PubMed Central

Meyer, Frederik M.; Jules, Matthieu; Mehne, Felix M. P.; Le Coq, Dominique; Landmann, Jens J.; Görke, Boris; Aymerich, Stéphane; Stülke, Jörg

2011-01-01

Most organisms can choose their preferred carbon source from a mixture of nutrients. This process is called carbon catabolite repression. The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses glucose as the preferred source of carbon and energy. Glucose-mediated catabolite repression is caused by binding of the CcpA transcription factor to the promoter regions of catabolic operons. CcpA binds DNA upon interaction with its cofactors HPr(Ser-P) and Crh(Ser-P). The formation of the cofactors is catalyzed by the metabolite-activated HPr kinase/phosphorylase. Recently, it has been shown that malate is a second preferred carbon source for B. subtilis that also causes catabolite repression. In this work, we addressed the mechanism by which malate causes catabolite repression. Genetic analyses revealed that malate-dependent catabolite repression requires CcpA and its cofactors. Moreover, we demonstrate that HPr(Ser-P) is present in malate-grown cells and that CcpA and HPr interact in vivo in the presence of glucose or malate but not in the absence of a repressing carbon source. The formation of the cofactor HPr(Ser-P) could be attributed to the concentrations of ATP and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate in cells growing with malate. Both metabolites are available at concentrations that are sufficient to stimulate HPr kinase activity. The adaptation of cells to environmental changes requires dynamic metabolic and regulatory adjustments. The repression strength of target promoters was similar to that observed in steady-state growth conditions, although it took somewhat longer to reach the second steady-state of expression when cells were shifted to malate. PMID:22001508

Rheumatic disease among Oklahoma tribal populations: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Gaddy, Jasmine R; Vista, Evan S; Robertson, Julie M; Dedeke, Amy B; Roberts, Virginia C; Klein, Wendy S; Levin, Jeremy H; Mota, Fabio H; Cooper, Tina M; Grim, Gloria A; Khan, Sohail; James, Judith A

2012-10-01

Rheumatic diseases cause significant morbidity within American Indian populations. Clinical disease presentations, as well as historically associated autoantibodies, are not always useful in making a rapid diagnosis or assessing prognosis. The purpose of our study was to identify autoantibody associations among Oklahoma tribal populations with rheumatic disease. Oklahoma tribal members (110 patients with rheumatic disease and 110 controls) were enrolled at tribal-based clinics. Patients with rheumatic disease (suspected or confirmed diagnosis) were assessed by a rheumatologist for clinical features, disease criteria, and activity measures. Blood samples were collected and tested for common rheumatic disease autoantibodies [antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-Sm, anti-nRNP, anti-ribosomal P, anti-dsDNA, and anticardiolipins]. In patients with suspected systemic rheumatic diseases, 72% satisfied American College of Rheumatology classification criteria: 40 (36%) had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 16 (15%) systemic lupus erythematosus, 8 (7%) scleroderma, 8 (7%) osteoarthritis, 4 (4%) fibromyalgia, 2 (2%) seronegative spondyloarthropathy, 1 Sjögren's syndrome, and 1 sarcoidosis. Compared to controls, RA patient sera were more likely to contain anti-CCP (55% vs 2%; p < 0.001) or RF IgM antibodies (57% vs 10%; p < 0.001); however, the difference was greater for anti-CCP. Anti-CCP positivity conferred higher disease activity scores (DAS28 5.6 vs 4.45; p = 0.021) while RF positivity did not (DAS28 5.36 vs 4.64; p = 0.15). Anticardiolipin antibodies (25% of rheumatic disease patients vs 10% of controls; p = 0.0022) and ANA (63% vs 21%; p < 0.0001) were more common in rheumatic disease patients. Anti-CCP may serve as a more specific RA biomarker in American Indian patients, while the clinical significance of increased frequency of anticardiolipin antibodies needs further evaluation.

Zero-profile implant versus conventional cage-plate implant in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of degenerative cervical spondylosis: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Shao, Haiyu; Chen, Jinping; Ru, Bin; Yan, Feifei; Zhang, Jun; Xu, Shaonan; Huang, Yazeng

2015-09-17

Zero-profile implant has become more and more popular in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for the treatment of degenerative cervical spondylosis. However, there was no enough evidence judging its efficiency and safety. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zero-profile implant compared with conventional cage-plate (CCP) in ACDF. All studies directly comparing the outcomes between the Zero-profile implant and CCP implant in ACDF were included, and the search strategy followed the requirements of the Cochrane Library Handbook. Two of the authors extracted relevant data and checked the accuracy independently using standardized data collection form. Seven studies involving 560 patients were included, 262 in the Zero-profile group and 298 in the CCP group. Zero-profile implant had a lower rate of postoperative dysphagia at 2 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year (p = 0.0002, p = 0.008, and p = 0.001, respectively) than CCP implant. Zero-profile also reduced blood loss (p = 0.0001), while operation time and incidence of postoperative transient dysphagia had no statistical significance (p = 0.92, p = 0.42, respectively) between two groups. Based on the results of our analysis, the application of Zero-profile implant in ACDF had a lower rate of postoperative dysphagia at 2 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year than CCP implant. Zero-profile implant also had fewer blood loss during operation. More rigorous and adequately powered prospective randomized controlled trials with larger sample size are required to elucidate a more objective outcome.

CcpA-Dependent Carbon Catabolite Repression in Bacteria

PubMed Central

Warner, Jessica B.; Lolkema, Juke S.

2003-01-01

Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) by transcriptional regulators follows different mechanisms in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In gram-positive bacteria, CcpA-dependent CCR is mediated by phosphorylation of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system intermediate HPr at a serine residue at the expense of ATP. The reaction is catalyzed by HPr kinase, which is activated by glycolytic intermediates. In this review, the distribution of CcpA-dependent CCR among bacteria is investigated by searching the public databases for homologues of HPr kinase and HPr-like proteins throughout the bacterial kingdom and by analyzing their properties. Homologues of HPr kinase are commonly observed in the phylum Firmicutes but are also found in the phyla Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, Spirochaetes, and Chlorobi, suggesting that CcpA-dependent CCR is not restricted to gram-positive bacteria. In the α and β subdivisions of the Proteobacteria, the presence of HPr kinase appears to be common, while in the γ subdivision it is more of an exception. The genes coding for the HPr kinase homologues of the Proteobacteria are in a gene cluster together with an HPr-like protein, termed XPr, suggesting a functional relationship. Moreover, the XPr proteins contain the serine phosphorylation sequence motif. Remarkably, the analysis suggests a possible relation between CcpA-dependent gene regulation and the nitrogen regulation system (Ntr) found in the γ subdivision of the Proteobacteria. The relation is suggested by the clustering of CCR and Ntr components on the genome of members of the Proteobacteria and by the close phylogenetic relationship between XPr and NPr, the HPr-like protein in the Ntr system. In bacteria in the phylum Proteobacteria that contain HPr kinase and XPr, the latter may be at the center of a complex regulatory network involving both CCR and the Ntr system. PMID:14665673

Murine Vaginal Colonization Model for Investigating Asymptomatic Mucosal Carriage of Streptococcus pyogenes

PubMed Central

Watson, Michael E.; Nielsen, Hailyn V.; Hultgren, Scott J.

2013-01-01

While many virulence factors promoting Streptococcus pyogenes invasive disease have been described, specific streptococcal factors and host properties influencing asymptomatic mucosal carriage remain uncertain. To address the need for a refined model of prolonged S. pyogenes asymptomatic mucosal colonization, we have adapted a preestrogenized murine vaginal colonization model for S. pyogenes. In this model, derivatives of strains HSC5, SF370, JRS4, NZ131, and MEW123 established a reproducible, asymptomatic colonization of the vaginal mucosa over a period of typically 3 to 4 weeks' duration at a relatively high colonization efficiency. Prior treatment with estradiol prolonged streptococcal colonization and was associated with reduced inflammation in the colonized vaginal epithelium as well as a decreased leukocyte presence in vaginal fluid compared to the levels of inflammation and leukocyte presence in non-estradiol-treated control mice. The utility of our model for investigating S. pyogenes factors contributing to mucosal carriage was verified, as a mutant with a mutation in the transcriptional regulator catabolite control protein A (CcpA) demonstrated significant impairment in vaginal colonization. An assessment of in vivo transcriptional activity in the CcpA− strain for several known CcpA-regulated genes identified significantly elevated transcription of lactate oxidase (lctO) correlating with excessive generation of hydrogen peroxide to self-lethal levels. Deletion of lctO did not impair colonization, but deletion of lctO in a CcpA− strain prolonged carriage, exceeding even that of the wild-type strain. Thus, while LctO is not essential for vaginal colonization, its dysregulation is deleterious, highlighting the critical role of CcpA in promoting mucosal colonization. The vaginal colonization model should prove effective for future analyses of S. pyogenes mucosal colonization. PMID:23460515

Kinetic and equilibrium studies of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase and oxidation of acrylonitrile by cytochrome c peroxidase compound I.

PubMed

Chinchilla, Diana; Kilheeney, Heather; Vitello, Lidia B; Erman, James E

2014-01-03

Ferric heme proteins bind weakly basic ligands and the binding affinity is often pH dependent due to protonation of the ligand as well as the protein. In an effort to find a small, neutral ligand without significant acid/base properties to probe ligand binding reactions in ferric heme proteins we were led to consider the organonitriles. Although organonitriles are known to bind to transition metals, we have been unable to find any prior studies of nitrile binding to heme proteins. In this communication we report on the equilibrium and kinetic properties of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) as well as the oxidation of acrylonitrile by CcP compound I. Acrylonitrile binding to CcP is independent of pH between pH 4 and 8. The association and dissociation rate constants are 0.32±0.16 M(-1) s(-1) and 0.34±0.15 s(-1), respectively, and the independently measured equilibrium dissociation constant for the complex is 1.1±0.2 M. We have demonstrated for the first time that acrylonitrile can bind to a ferric heme protein. The binding mechanism appears to be a simple, one-step association of the ligand with the heme iron. We have also demonstrated that CcP can catalyze the oxidation of acrylonitrile, most likely to 2-cyanoethylene oxide in a "peroxygenase"-type reaction, with rates that are similar to rat liver microsomal cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of acrylonitrile in the monooxygenase reaction. CcP compound I oxidizes acrylonitrile with a maximum turnover number of 0.61 min(-1) at pH 6.0. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Calcium transient dynamics and the mechanisms of ventricular vulnerability to single premature electrical stimulation in Langendorff-perfused rabbit ventricles

PubMed Central

Hayashi, Hideki; Kamanu, Santosh Dora; Ono, Norihiko; Kawase, Ayaka; Chou, Chung-Chuan; Weiss, James N.; Karagueuzian, Hrayr S.; Lin, Shien-Fong; Chen, Peng-Sheng

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND Single strong premature electrical stimulation (S2) may induce figure-eight reentry. We hypothesize that Ca current-mediated slow-response action potentials (APs) play a key role in the propagation in the central common pathway (CCP) of the reentry. METHODS We simultaneously mapped optical membrane potential (Vm) and intracellular Ca (Cai) transients in isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit ventricles. Baseline pacing (S1) and a cathodal S2 (40 – 80 mA) were given at different epicardial sites with a coupling interval of 135 ± 20 ms. RESULTS In all 6 hearts, S2 induced graded responses around the S2 site. These graded responses propagated locally toward the S1 site and initiated fast APs from recovered tissues. The wavefront then circled around the refractory tissue near the site of S2. At the side of S2 opposite to the S1, the graded responses prolonged AP duration while the Cai continued to decline, resulting in a Cai sinkhole (an area of low Cai). The Cai in the sinkhole then spontaneously increased, followed by a slow Vm depolarization with a take-off potential of −40 ± 3.9 mV, which was confirmed with microelectrode recordings in 3 hearts. These slow-response APs then propagated through CCP to complete a figure-eight reentry. CONCLUSION We conclude that a strong premature stimulus can induce a Cai sinkhole at the entrance of the CCP. Spontaneous Cai elevation in the Cai sinkhole precedes the Vm depolarization, leading to Ca current-mediated slow propagation in the CCP. The slow propagation allows more time for tissues at the other side of CCP to recover and be excited to complete figure-eight reentry. PMID:18180025

Calcium transient dynamics and the mechanisms of ventricular vulnerability to single premature electrical stimulation in Langendorff-perfused rabbit ventricles.

PubMed

Hayashi, Hideki; Kamanu, Santosh Dora; Ono, Norihiko; Kawase, Ayaka; Chou, Chung-Chuan; Weiss, James N; Karagueuzian, Hrayr S; Lin, Shien-Fong; Chen, Peng-Sheng

2008-01-01

Single strong premature electrical stimulation (S(2)) may induce figure-eight reentry. We hypothesize that Ca current-mediated slow-response action potentials (APs) play a key role in the propagation in the central common pathway (CCP) of the reentry. We simultaneously mapped optical membrane potential (V(m)) and intracellular Ca (Ca(i)) transients in isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit ventricles. Baseline pacing (S(1)) and a cathodal S(2) (40-80 mA) were given at different epicardial sites with a coupling interval of 135 +/- 20 ms. In all 6 hearts, S(2) induced graded responses around the S(2) site. These graded responses propagated locally toward the S(1) site and initiated fast APs from recovered tissues. The wavefront then circled around the refractory tissue near the site of S(2). At the side of S(2) opposite to the S(1), the graded responses prolonged AP duration while the Ca(i) continued to decline, resulting in a Ca(i) sinkhole (an area of low Ca(i)). The Ca(i) in the sinkhole then spontaneously increased, followed by a slow V(m) depolarization with a take-off potential of -40 +/- 3.9 mV, which was confirmed with microelectrode recordings in 3 hearts. These slow-response APs then propagated through CCP to complete a figure-eight reentry. We conclude that a strong premature stimulus can induce a Ca(i) sinkhole at the entrance of the CCP. Spontaneous Ca(i) elevation in the Ca(i) sinkhole precedes the V(m) depolarization, leading to Ca current-mediated slow propagation in the CCP. The slow propagation allows more time for tissues at the other side of CCP to recover and be excited to complete figure-eight reentry.

Kinetic and equilibrium studies of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase and oxidation of acrylonitrile by cytochrome c peroxidase compound I

PubMed Central

Chinchilla, Diana; Kilheeney, Heather; Vitello, Lidia B.; Erman, James E.

2013-01-01

Ferric heme proteins bind weakly basic ligands and the binding affinity is often pH dependent due to protonation of the ligand as well as the protein. In an effort to find a small, neutral ligand without significant acid/base properties to probe ligand binding reactions in ferric heme proteins we were led to consider the organonitriles. Although organonitriles are known to bind to transition metals, we have been unable to find any prior studies of nitrile binding to heme proteins. In this communication we report on the equilibrium and kinetic properties of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) as well as the oxidation of acrylonitrile by CcP compound I. Acrylonitrile binding to CcP is independent of pH between pH 4 and 8. The association and dissociation rate constants are 0.32 ± 0.16 M−1s−1 and 0.34 ± 0.15 s−1, respectively, and the independently measured equilibrium dissociation constant for the complex is 1.1 ± 0.2 M. We have demonstrated for the first time that acrylonitrile can bind to a ferric heme protein. The binding mechanism appears to be a simple, one-step association of the ligand with the heme iron. We have also demonstrated that CcP can catalyze the oxidation of acrylonitrile, most likely to 2-cyanoethylene oxide in a “peroxygenase”-type reaction, with rates that are similar to rat liver microsomal cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of acrylonitrile in the monooxygenase reaction. CcP compound I oxidizes acrylonitrile with a maximum turnover number of 0.61 min−1 at pH 6.0. PMID:24291498

Thermostructural Analysis of Carbon Cloth Phenolics "Ply Lifting" and Correlation to LHMEL Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clayton, Louie

2004-01-01

This paper provides a discussion of the history of Carbon Cloth Phenolic (CCP) ply lifting in the Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) Program, a brief presentation of theoretical methods used for analytical evaluation, and results of parametric analyses of CCP material subject to test conditions of the Laser Hardened Material Evaluation Laboratory. CCP ply lift can occur in regions of the RSRM nozzle where ply angle to flame surface is generally less than about 20 degrees. There is a heat rate dependence on likelihood and severity of the condition with the higher heating rates generally producing more ply lift. The event occurs in-depth, near the heated surface, where the load necessary to mechanically separate the CCP plies is produced by the initial stages of pyrolysis gas generation due to the thermal decomposition of the phenolic resin matrix. Due to the shallow lay-up angle of the composite, normal components of the indepth mechanical load, due to "pore pressure", are imparted primarily as a cross-ply tensile force on the interlaminar ply boundaries. Tensile capability in the cross-ply (out of plane) direction is solely determined by the matrix material capability. The elevated temperature matrix material capabilities are overcome by pressure induced mechanical normal stress and ply-lift occurs. A theoretical model used for CCP in-depth temperature, pressure, and normal stress prediction, based on first principles, is briefly discussed followed by a parametric evaluation of response variables subject to boundary conditions typical of on-going test programs at the LHMEL facility. Model response demonstrates general trends observed in test and provides insight into the interactivity of material properties and constitutive relationships.

Crisis-counselor perceptions of job training, stress, and satisfaction during disaster recovery.

PubMed

Bellamy, Nikki D; Wang, Min Qi; McGee, Lori A; Liu, Julie S; Robinson, Maryann E

2018-05-03

The United States Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP; authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 1974/2013) aims to provide disaster-recovery support to communities following natural or human-caused disasters through outreach. Job satisfaction among the crisis counselors the CCP employs may affect the delivery of outreach services to survivors and their communities. The present study was conducted to gain insight into CCP crisis counselors' experiences with job training and work-related stress as predictors of job satisfaction. Data was collected from 47 CCP service-provider agencies, including 532 completed service-provider feedback surveys to examine the usefulness of the CCP training they had received, the support and supervision provided by program management, the workload and its duration, resources provided, and the stress experienced. Quantitative and qualitative data were examined, and a multiple linear regression was calculated to predict job satisfaction based on training usefulness, job stress, gender, age, race, full- or part-time status, highest level of education achieved, and supervisory position. The overall regression equation was significant, F(8, 341) = 8.428, p < .000. The regression coefficients indicated that the higher the job training was rated as useful (p < .001), the lower the job stress (p < .01), and the older the age of the respondents (p < .05), the greater the level of job satisfaction. Findings suggest that proper training and management of stress among crisis counselors are necessary for influencing levels of staff job satisfaction. Where self-care and stress management were not adequately emphasized, more stress was reported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Rheumatic Disease among Oklahoma Tribal Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Gaddy, Jasmine R.; Vista, Evan S.; Robertson, Julie M.; Dedeke, Amy B.; Roberts, Virginia C.; Klein, Wendy S.; Levin, Jeremy H.; Mota, Fabio H.; Cooper, Tina M.; Grim, Gloria A.; Khan, Sohail; James, Judith A.

2012-01-01

Objectives Rheumatic diseases cause significant morbidity within American Indian populations. Clinical disease presentations, as well as historically associated autoantibodies, are not always useful in making a rapid diagnosis or assessing prognosis. The purpose of this study is to identify autoantibody associations among Oklahoma tribal populations with rheumatic disease. Methods Oklahoma tribal members (110 rheumatic disease patients and 110 controls) were enrolled at tribal-based clinics. Rheumatic disease patients (suspected or confirmed diagnosis) were assessed by a rheumatologist for clinical features, disease criteria, and activity measures. Blood samples were collected and tested for common rheumatic disease autoantibodies (ANA, anti-CCP, anti-RF, anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-Sm, anti-nRNP, anti-Ribosomal P, anti-dsDNA, and anti-cardiolipins). Results In patients with suspected systemic rheumatic diseases, 72% satisfied ACR classification: 40 (36%) rheumatoid arthritis, 16 (15%) systemic lupus erythematosus, 8 (7%) scleroderma, 8 (7%) osteoarthritis, 4 (4%) fibromyalgia, 2 (2%) seronegative spondyloarthropathy, 1 Sjogrens syndrome, and 1 sarcoidosis. When compared to controls, RA patient sera were more likely to contain anti-CCP (55% vs 2%, p<0.001) or anti-RF IgM antibodies (57% vs 10%, p<0.001); however, the difference was greater for anti-CCP. Anti-CCP positivity conferred higher disease activity scores (DAS28 5.6 vs 4.45, p=0.021) while anti-RF positivity did not (DAS28 5.36 vs 4.64, p=0.15). Anticardiolipin antibodies (25% or rheumatic disease paitents vs 10% of contros,; p=0.0022) and ANA (63% vs 21%, p<0.0001) were more common in rheumatic disease patients. Conclusion Anti-CCP may serve as a better RA biomarker in AI patients, while the clinical significance of increased frequency of aCLs needs further evaluation. PMID:22896022

The anthroposphere as an anticipatory system: Open questions on steering the climate.

PubMed

Scolozzi, Rocco; Geneletti, Davide

2017-02-01

Climate change research and action counteracting it affect everyone and would involve cross-societal transformations reshaping the anthroposphere in its entirety. Scrutinizing climate-related science and policies, we recognize attempts to steer the evolution of climate according to expected (or modelled) futures. Such attempts would turn the anthroposphere into a large "anticipatory system", in which human society seeks to anticipate and, possibly, to govern climate dynamics. The chief aim of this discussion paper is to open a critical debate on the climate change paradigm (CCP) drawing on a strategic and systemic framework grounded in the concept of anticipatory system sensu Rosen (1991). The proposed scheme is ambitiously intended to turn an intricate issue into a complex but structured problem that is to say, to make such complexity clear and manageable. This framework emerges from concepts borrowed from different scientific fields (including future studies and system dynamics) and its background lies in a simple quantitative literature overview, relying upon a broad level of analysis. The proposed framework will assist researchers and policy makers in thinking of CCP in terms of an anticipatory system, and in disentangling its interrelated (and sometimes intricate) aspects. In point of fact, several strategic questions related to CCP were not subjected to an adequate transdisciplinary discussion: what are the interplays between physical processes and social-political interventions, who is the observer (what he/she is looking for), and which paradigm is being used (or who defines the desirable future). The proposed scheme allows to structure such various topics in an arrangement which is easier to communicate, highlighting the linkages in between, and making them intelligible and open to verification and discussion. Furthermore, ideally developments will help scientists and policy makers address the strategic gaps between the evidence-based climatological assessments and the plurality of possible answers as applied to the geopolitical contingencies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heat Resistance of Histidine Decarboxylase from Gram-Negative Histamine-Producing Bacteria in Seafood.

PubMed

Bjornsdottir-Butler, K; Bencsath, F A; McCarthy, S; Benner, R A

2017-08-01

Precooking of tuna is a potential critical control point (CCP) in the commercial manufacturing of canned tuna. To assess the efficacy of precooking as a CCP, an understanding of the thermal properties of histamine-producing bacteria (HPB) and their histidine decarboxylase (HDC) enzymes is required. The thermal properties of many HPB have been determined, but the thermal resistances of the HDC enzymes are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the D- and z-values of selected HDC enzymes to evaluate the CCP of precooking during the canning process and provide scientific data to support U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. HDC (hdc) genes from three strains each of Morganella morganii, Enterobacter aerogenes, Raoultella planticola, and Photobacterium damselae were cloned, expressed, and purified using the Champion pET Directional TOPO Expression System, pET100 cloning vector, and HisPur Cobalt resin. The heat resistances of all enzymes were compared at 50°C, and the D- and z-values from one strain of each HPB were determined at 50 to 60°C. To evaluate the heat inactivation of HDC enzymes during canned tuna processing, tuna tissue was inoculated with HDCs and heated to 60°C in a water bath set at 65 and 100°C. The D-values for the HDC enzymes from M. morganii, E. aerogenes, R. planticola, and P. damselae ranged from 1.6 to 4.1, 1.6 to 6.3, 1.9 to 4.3, and 1.6 to 2.9 min, respectively, at 50 to 60°C. The z-values for M. morganii, E. aerogenes, R. planticola, and P. damselae were 19.2, 18.0, 22.0, and 13.3°C, respectively. The HDCs from all HPB except E. aerogenes showed no significant activity after being heated to 60°C. The data generated in this study will help refine current guidelines for the thermal destruction of the HDC enzymes.

Photosynthesis and aboveground carbon allocation of two co-occurring poplar species in an urban brownfield.

PubMed

Radwanski, Diane; Gallagher, Frank; Vanderklein, Dirk W; Schäfer, Karina V R

2017-04-01

Phytoremediation, a technique used to reclaim heavy metal-contaminated soils, requires an understanding of plant physiological responses to heavy metals. However, the majority of studies documenting heavy metal impact on plant functioning have been performed in laboratory or greenhouse settings. We predicted that increased soil heavy metal concentrations reduce photosynthesis and biomass production in trees growing in metal contaminated soil in a naturally re-vegetated urban brownfield. Leaf gas exchange, leaf carbon and nitrogen concentration, and tree biomass were recorded and compared for Populus deltoides and Populus tremuloides growing in an urban brownfield. The CO 2 compensation point (CCP) differed significantly between soil metal concentrations and species, with P. deltoides displaying a greater CCP and P. tremuloides displaying a lower CCP as soil metal concentration increased, despite no changes in dark respiration for either species. In terms of biomass, only total branch weight (TBW) and leaf area (LA) differed significantly between soil metal concentrations, though the difference was largely attributable to variation in diameter at breast height (DBH). Furthermore, TBW and LA values for P. deltoides did not decrease with increasing soil metal concentration. Soil metal concentration, thus, had minimal effect on the relationship between tree age and DBH, and no effect on relationships of tree age and height or LA, respectively. Significant differences between soil metal concentrations and species were found for δ 15 N (isotopic nitrogen ratio) while leaf nitrogen content (% N) also differed significantly between species. Long-term water use efficiency derived from carbon isotope analysis (iWUE isotope ) differed significantly between trees grown on different soil metal concentrations and a significant species-metal concentration interaction was detected indicating that the two study species responded differentially to the soil metal concentrations. Specifically, P. tremuloides enhanced while P. deltoides reduced long-term iWUE isotope as soil metal concentration increased, further emphasizing the importance of species and possible genotype selection for phytoremediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KSC-2012-4214

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of Space Exploration Technologies', or SpaceX, crewed Dragon capsule atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket under development for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP. The integrated system was selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under a funded Space Act Agreement, or SAA, SpaceX will spend the next 21 months completing its design, conducting critical risk reduction testing on its spacecraft and launch vehicle, and showcasing how it would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for a future demonstration mission. To learn more about CCP, which is based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: SpaceX

KSC-2012-4212

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance ULA Atlas V rocket under development for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP. The integrated system was selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under a funded Space Act Agreement, or SAA, Boeing will spend the next 21 months completing its design, conducting critical risk reduction testing on its spacecraft and launch vehicle, and showcasing how it would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for a future demonstration mission. To learn more about CCP, which is based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Boeing

KSC-2012-6553

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-28

HOUSTON -- NASA Astronaut Lee Archambault performs an evaluation of reach and visibility of controls and displays during an end-of-year interior layout evaluation of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft. The evaluation at Boeing's Houston Product Support Center in Texas was part of the company's ongoing work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCP is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers to low-Earth orbit. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical research is taking place daily. For more information about CCP, go to http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Boeing

A New Potential Energy Surface for N+O2: Is There an NOO Minimum?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walch, Stephen P.

1995-01-01

We report a new calculation of the N+02 potential energy surface using complete active space self-consistent field internally contracted configuration interaction with the Dunning correlation consistent basis sets. The peroxy isomer of N02 is found to be a very shallow minimum separated from NO+O by a barrier of only 0.3 kcal/mol (excluding zero-point effects). The entrance channel barrier height is estimated to be 8.6 kcal/mol for ICCI+Q calculations correlating all but the Ols and N1s electrons with a cc-p VQZ basis set.

Quantitative Clinical Chemistry Proteomics (qCCP) using mass spectrometry: general characteristics and application.

PubMed

Lehmann, Sylvain; Hoofnagle, Andrew; Hochstrasser, Denis; Brede, Cato; Glueckmann, Matthias; Cocho, José A; Ceglarek, Uta; Lenz, Christof; Vialaret, Jérôme; Scherl, Alexander; Hirtz, Christophe

2013-05-01

Proteomics studies typically aim to exhaustively detect peptides/proteins in a given biological sample. Over the past decade, the number of publications using proteomics methodologies has exploded. This was made possible due to the availability of high-quality genomic data and many technological advances in the fields of microfluidics and mass spectrometry. Proteomics in biomedical research was initially used in 'functional' studies for the identification of proteins involved in pathophysiological processes, complexes and networks. Improved sensitivity of instrumentation facilitated the analysis of even more complex sample types, including human biological fluids. It is at that point the field of clinical proteomics was born, and its fundamental aim was the discovery and (ideally) validation of biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, or therapeutic monitoring of disease. Eventually, it was recognized that the technologies used in clinical proteomics studies [particularly liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)] could represent an alternative to classical immunochemical assays. Prior to deploying MS in the measurement of peptides/proteins in the clinical laboratory, it seems likely that traditional proteomics workflows and data management systems will need to adapt to the clinical environment and meet in vitro diagnostic (IVD) regulatory constraints. This defines a new field, as reviewed in this article, that we have termed quantitative Clinical Chemistry Proteomics (qCCP).

Chinese National Security Decisionmaking Under Stress

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

continue to create, paralysis in decisionmaking, thus delaying the ability of the CCP to react and potentially exacerbating any crisis. A Party Divided...Massacre, and the disruptions they caused in CCP political life directly contributed to the paralysis in decisionmaking at senior levels of the...PLA manned by workers on the second ring road in Beijing, near the Bell Tower. Two young men wore PLA ammunition bandoleers over their shoulders

Predictive value of autoantibody testing for validating self-reported diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis in the Women's Health Initiative.

PubMed

Walitt, Brian; Mackey, Rachel; Kuller, Lewis; Deane, Kevin D; Robinson, William; Holers, V Michael; Chang, Yue-Fang; Moreland, Larry

2013-05-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) research using large databases is limited by insufficient case validity. Of 161,808 postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative, 15,691 (10.2%) reported having RA, far higher than the expected 1% population prevalence. Since chart review for confirmation of an RA diagnosis is impractical in large cohort studies, the current study (2009-2011) tested the ability of baseline serum measurements of rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, second-generation assay (anti-CCP2), to identify physician-validated RA among the chart-review study participants with self-reported RA (n = 286). Anti-CCP2 positivity had the highest positive predictive value (PPV) (80.0%), and rheumatoid factor positivity the lowest (44.6%). Together, use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and anti-CCP2 positivity increased PPV to 100% but excluded all seronegative cases (approximately 15% of all RA cases). Case definitions inclusive of seronegative cases had PPVs between 59.6% and 63.6%. False-negative results were minimized in these test definitions, as evidenced by negative predictive values of approximately 90%. Serological measurements, particularly measurement of anti-CCP2, improved the test characteristics of RA case definitions in the Women's Health Initiative.

Comparative study of clinical and radiological outcomes of a zero-profile device concerning reduced postoperative Dysphagia after single level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

PubMed

Son, Doo Kyung; Son, Dong Wuk; Kim, Ho Sang; Sung, Soon Ki; Lee, Sang Weon; Song, Geun Sung

2014-08-01

This study analyzed clinical and radiological outcomes of a zero-profile anchored spacer (Zero-P) and conventional cage-plate (CCP) for single level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) to compare the incidence and difference of postoperative dysphagia with both devices. We retrospectively reviewed our experiences of single level ACDF with the CCP and Zero-P. From January 2011 to December 2013, 48 patients who had single level herniated intervertebral disc were operated on using ACDF, with CCP in 27 patients and Zero-P in 21 patients. Patients who received more than double-level ACDF or combined circumferential fusion were excluded. Age, operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL), pre-operative modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scores, post-operative mJOA scores, achieved mJOA scores and recovery rate of mJOA scores were assessed. Prevertebral soft tissue thickness and postoperative dysphagia were analyzed on the day of surgery, and 2 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. The Zero-P group showed same or favorable clinical and radiological outcomes compared with the CCP group. Postoperative dysphagia was significantly low in the Zero-P group. Application of Zero-P may achieve favorable outcomes and reduce postoperative dysphagia in single level ACDF.

Exploration of suitable dry etch technologies for directed self-assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, Fumiko; Nishimura, Eiichi; Yatsuda, Koichi; Mochiki, Hiromasa; Bannister, Julie

2012-03-01

Directed self-assembly (DSA) has shown the potential to replace traditional resist patterns and provide a lower cost alternative for sub-20-nm patterns. One of the possible roadblocks for DSA implementation is the ability to etch the polymers to produce quality masks for subsequent etch processes. We have studied the effects of RF frequency and etch chemistry for dry developing DSA patterns. The results of the study showed a capacitively-coupled plasma (CCP) reactor with very high frequency (VHF) had superior pattern development after the block co-polymer (BCP) etch. The VHF CCP demonstrated minimal BCP height loss and line edge roughness (LER)/line width roughness (LWR). The advantage of CCP over ICP is the low dissociation so the etch rate of BCP is maintained low enough for process control. Additionally, the advantage of VHF is the low electron energy with a tight ion energy distribution that enables removal of the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with good selectivity to polystyrene (PS) and minimal LER/LWR. Etch chemistries were evaluated on the VHF CCP to determine ability to treat the BCPs to increase etch resistance and feature resolution. The right combination of RF source frequencies and etch chemistry can help overcome the challenges of using DSA patterns to create good etch results.

Developments in the CCP4 molecular-graphics project.

PubMed

Potterton, Liz; McNicholas, Stuart; Krissinel, Eugene; Gruber, Jan; Cowtan, Kevin; Emsley, Paul; Murshudov, Garib N; Cohen, Serge; Perrakis, Anastassis; Noble, Martin

2004-12-01

Progress towards structure determination that is both high-throughput and high-value is dependent on the development of integrated and automatic tools for electron-density map interpretation and for the analysis of the resulting atomic models. Advances in map-interpretation algorithms are extending the resolution regime in which fully automatic tools can work reliably, but at present human intervention is required to interpret poor regions of macromolecular electron density, particularly where crystallographic data is only available to modest resolution [for example, I/sigma(I) < 2.0 for minimum resolution 2.5 A]. In such cases, a set of manual and semi-manual model-building molecular-graphics tools is needed. At the same time, converting the knowledge encapsulated in a molecular structure into understanding is dependent upon visualization tools, which must be able to communicate that understanding to others by means of both static and dynamic representations. CCP4 mg is a program designed to meet these needs in a way that is closely integrated with the ongoing development of CCP4 as a program suite suitable for both low- and high-intervention computational structural biology. As well as providing a carefully designed user interface to advanced algorithms of model building and analysis, CCP4 mg is intended to present a graphical toolkit to developers of novel algorithms in these fields.

Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-CP) Fibers as a Stationary Phase for Sample Clean-Up of Protein Solutions for Matrix-Assisted Laser/Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manard, Benjamin T.; Marcus, R. Kenneth

2012-08-01

Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers are employed in a micropipette tip format to affect a stationary phase for the solid phase extraction (SPE) of proteins from buffer solutions prior to MALDI-MS analysis. Proteins readily adsorb to the polypropylene (PP) C-CP fibers while buffer species are easily washed off the tips using DI-H2O. Elution of the solutes is achieved with an aliquot of 50:50 ACN:H2O, which is compatible with the subsequent spotting on the MALDI target with the matrix solution. Lysozyme and cytochrome c are used as test species, with a primary buffer composition of 100 mM Tris-HCl. In this case, direct MALDI-MS produces no discernible protein signals. SPE on the C-CP fibers yields high fidelity mass spectra for 1 μL sample volumes. Limits of detection for cytochrome c in 100 mM Tris-HCl are on the order of 40 nM. Extraction of cytochrome c from buffer concentrations of up to 1 M Tris-HCl, provides signal recoveries that are suppressed by only ~50 % versus neat protein solutions. Finally, extraction of 3.1 μM cytochrome c from a synthetic urine matrix exhibits excellent recovery.

Moho Depth and Geometry in the Illinois Basin Region Based on Gravity and Seismic Data from an EarthScope FlexArray Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curcio, D. D.; Pavlis, G. L.; Yang, X.; Hamburger, M. W.; Zhang, H.; Ravat, D.

2017-12-01

We present results from a combined analysis of seismic and gravity in the Illinois Basin region that demonstrate the presence of an unusually deep and highly variable Moho discontinuity. We construct a new, high-resolution image of the Earth's crust beneath the Illinois Basin using teleseismic P-wave receiver functions from the EarthScope OIINK (Ozarks, Illinois, INdiana, Kentucky) Flexible Array and the USArray Transportable Array. Our seismic analyses involved data from 143 OIINK stations and 80 USArray stations, using 3D plane-wave migration and common conversion point (CCP) stacking of P-to-S conversion data. Seismic interpretation has been done using the seismic exploration software package Petrel. One of the most surprising results is the anomalous depth of the Moho in this area, ranging from 41 to 63 km, with an average depth of 50 km. This thickened crust is unexpected in the Illinois Basin area, which has not been subject to convergence and mountain building processes in the last 900 Ma. This anomalously thick crust in combination with the minimal topography requires abnormally dense lower crust or unusually light upper mantle in order to retain gravitational equilibrium. Combining gravity modeling with the seismically identified Moho and a ubiquitous lower crustal boundary, we solve for the density variation of the middle and lower crust. We test the hypothesis that the anomalously thick crust and its high lower crustal layer observed in most of the central and southeastern Illinois Basin predates the formation and development of the current Illinois Basin. Post-formation tectonic activity, such as late Precambrian rifting or underplating are inferred to have modified the crustal thickness as well. The combination of high-resolution seismic data analysis and gravity modeling promises to provide additional insight into the geometry and composition of the lower crust in the Illinois Basin area.

Moho geometry along a north-south passive seismic transect through Central Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sippl, Christian

2016-04-01

Receiver functions from a temporary deployment of 25 broadband stations along a north-south transect through Central Australia are used to retrieve crustal and uppermost mantle structural constraints from a combination of different methods. Using H-K stacking as well as receiver function inversion, overall thick crust with significant thickness variation along the profile (40 to ≥ 55 km) is found. Bulk crustal vp/vs values are largely in the felsic to intermediate range, with the southernmost stations on the Gawler Craton exhibiting higher values in excess of 1.8. A common conversion point (CCP) stacking profile shows three major discontinuities of the crust-mantle boundary: (1) a two-sided Moho downwarp beneath the Musgrave Province, which has previously been associated with the Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian Petermann Orogeny, (2) a Moho offset along the Redbank Shear Zone further north attributed to the Middle to Late Paleozoic Alice Springs Orogeny, and (3) another Moho offset further north, located at the boundary between the Davenport and Warramunga Provinces, which has not been imaged before. In all cases, the difference in crustal thickness between the two sides of the offset is > 8-10 km. Unlike the two southern Moho offsets, the northernmost one does not coincide with a prominent gravity anomaly. Its location and the absence of known reactivation events in the region make it likely that it belongs to a Proterozoic suture zone that marks a previously unknown block boundary within the North Australian Craton.

Rocky Mountain evolution: Tying Continental Dynamics of the Rocky Mountains and Deep Probe seismic experiments with receiver functions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rumpfhuber, E.-M.; Keller, Gordon R.; Sandvol, E.; Velasco, A.A.; Wilson, D.C.

2009-01-01

In this study, we have determined the crustal structure using three different receiver function methods using data collected from the northern transect of the Continental Dynamics of the Rocky Mountains (CD-ROM) experiment. The resulting migrated image and crustal thickness determinations confirm and refine prior crustal thickness measurements based on the CD-ROM and Deep Probe experiment data sets. The new results show a very distinct and thick lower crustal layer beneath the Archean Wyoming province. In addition, we are able to show its termination at 42??N latitude, which provides a seismic tie between the CD-ROM and Deep Probe seismic experiments and thus completes a continuous north-south transect extending from New Mexico into Alberta, Canada. This new tie is particularly important because it occurs close to a major tectonic boundary, the Cheyenne belt, between an Archean craton and a Proterozoic terrane. We used two different stacking techniques, based on a similar concept but using two different ways to estimate uncertainties. Furthermore, we used receiver function migration and common conversion point (CCP) stacking techniques. The combined interpretation of all our results shows (1) crustal thinning in southern Wyoming, (2) strong northward crustal thickening beginning in central Wyoming, (3) the presence of an unusually thick and high-velocity lower crust beneath the Wyoming province, and (4) the abrupt termination of this lower crustal layer north of the Cheyenne belt at 42??N latitude. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Growth of the lower continental crust via the relamination of arc magma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Yumei; Zheng, Tianyu; Ai, Yinshuang; Hou, Guangbing; Chen, Qi-Fu

2018-01-01

How does continental crust transition from basaltic mantle-derived magmas into an andesitic composition? The relamination hypothesis has been presented as an alternative dynamical mechanism to classical delamination theory to explain new crust generation and has been supported by petrological and geochemical studies as well as by thermomechanical numerical modeling. However, direct evidence of this process from detailed seismic velocity structures is lacking. Here, we imaged the three-dimensional (3D) velocity structures of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the geologically stable Ordos terrane of the North China Craton (NCC). We identify a region of continental crust that exhibits extreme growth using teleseismic data and an imaging technique that models the Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacking profiles. Our results show an approximately 400 × 400 km2 wide growth zone that underlies the primitive crust at depths of 30-50 km and exhibits a gradual increase of velocity with depth. The upper layer of the growth zone has a shear wave velocity of 3.6-3.9 km/s (Vp = 6.2-6.8 km/s), indicating felsic material, and the lower layer has a shear wave velocity of 4.1-4.3 km/s (Vp = 7.2-7.5 km/s), which corresponds to mafic material. We suggest that this vertical evolution of the layered structure could be created by relamination and that the keel structure formed by relamination may be the root of the supernormal stability of the ancient Ordos terrane.

Subsurface signature of North Anatolian Fault Zone and its relation with old sutures: New insight from receiver function analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özacar, Arda A.; Abgarmi, Bizhan

2017-04-01

The North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) is an active continental transform plate boundary that accommodates the westward extrusion of the Anatolian plate. The central segment of NAFZ displays northward convex surface trace which coincides partly with the Paleo-Tethyan suture formed during the early Cenozoic. The depth extent and detailed structure of the actively deforming crust along the NAF is still under much debate and processes responsible from rapid uplift are enigmatic. In this study, over five thousand high quality P receiver functions are computed using teleseismic earthquakes recorded by permanent stations of national agencies and temporary North Anatolian Fault Passive Seismic experiment (2005-2008). In order to map the crustal thickness and Vp/Vs variations accurately, the study area is divided into grids with 20 km spacing and along each grid line Moho phase and its multiples are picked through constructed common conversion point (CCP) profiles. According to our results, nature of discontinuities and crustal thickness display sharp changes across the main strand of NAFZ supporting a lithospheric scale faulting that offsets Moho discontinuity. In the southern block, crust is relatively thin in the west ( 35 km) and becomes thicker gradually towards east ( 40 km). In contrast, the northern block displays a strong lateral change in crustal thickness reaching up to 10 km across a narrow roughly N-S oriented zone which is interpreted as the subsurface signature of the ambiguous boundary between Istanbul Block and Pontides located further west at the surface.

Photos of Kathleen O'Brady

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-07

Kathleen O'Brady reviews documents in her office at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As a certification systems engineer in the Commercial Crew Program’s (CCP's) Systems Engineering and Integration Office, she is responsible for defining an integrated plan for certification which is being executed by the agency's CCP partners Boeing and SpaceX. The two companies are developing spacecraft to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station and return them safely home.

Direct current dielectric barrier assistant discharge to get homogeneous plasma in capacitive coupled discharge

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

Du, Yinchang, E-mail: ycdu@mail.ustc.edu.cn; Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, D-85748 Garching; Li, Yangfang

In this paper, we propose a method to get more homogeneous plasma in the geometrically asymmetric capacitive coupled plasma (CCP) discharge. The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is used for the auxiliary discharge system to improve the homogeneity of the geometrically asymmetric CCP discharge. The single Langmuir probe measurement shows that the DBD can increase the electron density in the low density volume, where the DBD electrodes are mounted, when the pressure is higher than 5 Pa. By this manner, we are able to improve the homogeneity of the plasma production and increase the overall density in the target volume. At last,more » the finite element simulation results show that the DC bias, applied to the DBD electrodes, can increase the homogeneity of the electron density in the CCP discharge. The simulation results show a good agreement with the experiment results.« less

Higher-dimensional communication complexity problems: Classical protocols versus quantum ones based on Bell's theorem or prepare-transmit-measure schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavakoli, Armin; Żukowski, Marek

2017-04-01

Communication complexity problems (CCPs) are tasks in which separated parties attempt to compute a function whose inputs are distributed among the parties. Their communication is limited so that not all inputs can be sent. We show that broad classes of Bell inequalities can be mapped to CCPs and that a quantum violation of a Bell inequality is a necessary and sufficient condition for an enhancement of the related CCP beyond its classical limitation. However, one can implement CCPs by transmitting a quantum system, encoding no more information than is allowed in the CCP, and extracting information by performing measurements. We show that for a large class of Bell inequalities, the improvement of the CCP associated with a quantum violation of a Bell inequality can be no greater than the improvement obtained from quantum prepare-transmit-measure strategies.

KSC-2013-3511

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-04

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Engineers prepare a mock-up of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for the third and final series of simulated contingency water landing scenarios at Bigelow Aerospace's headquarters near Las Vegas. The CST-100 is designed for ground landings, but could splash down on the water, if necessary. The tests are part of the company’s ongoing work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCP is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers to low-Earth orbit. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical research is taking place daily. For more information about CCP, go to http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Boeing/Kelly George

KSC-2013-3513

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-04

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A mock-up of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft is prepared for the third and final series of simulated contingency water landing scenarios at Bigelow Aerospace's headquarters near Las Vegas. The CST-100 is designed for ground landings, but could splash down on the water, if necessary. The tests are part of the company’s ongoing work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCP is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers to low-Earth orbit. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical research is taking place daily. For more information about CCP, go to http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Boeing/Kelly George

KSC-2013-3510

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-04

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – An engineer prepares a mock-up of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for the third and final series of simulated contingency water landing scenarios at Bigelow Aerospace's headquarters near Las Vegas. The CST-100 is designed for ground landings, but could splash down on the water, if necessary. The tests are part of the company’s ongoing work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCP is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers to low-Earth orbit. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical research is taking place daily. For more information about CCP, go to http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Boeing/Kelly George

KSC-2013-3512

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-04

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A mock-up of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft floats following the third and final series of simulated contingency water landing scenarios at Bigelow Aerospace's headquarters near Las Vegas. The CST-100 is designed for ground landings, but could splash down on the water, if necessary. The tests are part of the company’s ongoing work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCP is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers to low-Earth orbit. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical research is taking place daily. For more information about CCP, go to http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Boeing/Kelly George

KSC-2012-4213

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space System's Dream Chaser spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance ULA Atlas V rocket under development for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP. The integrated system was selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under a funded Space Act Agreement, or SAA, SNC will spend the next 21 months completing its design, conducting critical risk reduction testing on its spacecraft and launch vehicle, and showcasing how it would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for a future demonstration mission. To learn more about CCP, which is based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: SNC

KSC-2012-4208

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announces the newest partners of NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP from Operations Support Building 2 OSB II at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4210

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA Commercial Crew Program CCP Manager Ed Mango discusses the program's newest partnerships from the Operations Support Building 2 OSB II at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4205

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana discusses the Commercial Crew Program's CCP newest partnerships from the center's Operations Support Building 2 OSB II. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under a funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

EDITORIAL: XXVI IUPAP Conference on Computational Physics (CCP2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandvik, A. W.; Campbell, D. K.; Coker, D. F.; Tang, Y.

2015-09-01

The 26th IUPAP Conference on Computational Physics, CCP2014, was held in Boston, Massachusetts, during August 11-14, 2014. Almost 400 participants from 38 countries convened at the George Sherman Union at Boston University for four days of plenary and parallel sessions spanning a broad range of topics in computational physics and related areas. The first meeting in the series that developed into the annual Conference on Computational Physics (CCP) was held in 1989, also on the campus of Boston University and chaired by our colleague Claudio Rebbi. The express purpose of that meeting was to discuss the progress, opportunities and challenges of common interest to physicists engaged in computational research. The conference having returned to the site of its inception, it is interesting to recect on the development of the field during the intervening years. Though 25 years is a short time for mankind, computational physics has taken giant leaps during these years, not only because of the enormous increases in computer power but especially because of the development of new methods and algorithms, and the growing awareness of the opportunities the new technologies and methods can offer. Computational physics now represents a ''third leg'' of research alongside analytical theory and experiments in almost all subfields of physics, and because of this there is also increasing specialization within the community of computational physicists. It is therefore a challenge to organize a meeting such as CCP, which must have suffcient depth in different areas to hold the interest of experts while at the same time being broad and accessible. Still, at a time when computational research continues to gain in importance, the CCP series is critical in the way it fosters cross-fertilization among fields, with many participants specifically attending in order to get exposure to new methods in fields outside their own. As organizers and editors of these Proceedings, we are very pleased with the high quality of the papers provided by the participants. These articles represent a good cross-section of what was presented at the meeting, and it is our hope that they will not only be useful individually for their specific scientific content but will also represent a historical snapshot of the state of computational physics that they represent collectively. The remainder of this Preface contains lists detailing the organizational structure of CCP2014, endorsers and sponsors of the meeting, plenary and invited talks, and a presentation of the 2014 IUPAP C20 Young Scientist Prize. We would like to take the opportunity to again thank all those who contributed to the success of CCP214, as organizers, sponsors, presenters, exhibitors, and participants. Anders Sandvik, David Campbell, David Coker, Ying Tang

Biological Effect of Cynara cardunculus on Kidney Status of Hypercholesterolemic Rats

PubMed Central

Alkushi, Abdullah Glil

2017-01-01

Context: Cynara cardunculus or artichoke thistle belongs to the sunflower family and has a variety of cultivable forms. Historically, it was cultivated as a vegetable, but more recently, it is being used in cheese and biofuel preparation. Artichoke leaf extracts are also known for its medicinal purposes, particularly in reducing the elevated cholesterol levels in blood. Hypercholesterolemia (HC) is also associated with other complications such as impaired renal function and diabetes mellitus. A remedy without major side effects for HC and its associated complications is highly desirable. Aims: We explored the effect of artichoke on the kidneys of hypercholesterolemic adult male Sprague–Dawley albino rats. Subjects and Methods: Oral administration of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) of C. cardunculus leaf extract (CCL) and C. cardunculus pulp extract (CCP) was made to male Sprague–Dawley albino hypercholesterolemic rats and investigated the levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, and urea in their blood. Results: We observed that both CCL and CCP significantly reduced the creatinine and uric acid levels in the blood in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Both CCL and CCP significantly reduced the blood glucose levels (P < 0.05). Further, the histopathological investigation of the kidney sections showed that CCL treatment resolved HC-associated kidney damage. Conclusion: CCL not only has cholesterol-reducing capacity but also reduces the blood glucose levels and repairs the impaired kidney functions and damages. These findings are significant particularly because HC results in further complications such as diabetes and kidney damage, both of which can be treated effectively with artichoke. SUMMARY C. cardunculus leaf extract (CCL) not only has cholesterol-reducing capacity but also reduces the blood glucose levels and repairs the impaired kidney functions and damages. This study evaluated the nephroprotective role of CCL and CCP in hypercholesterolemic rats and observed that both CCL and CCP significantly reduced the creatinine and uric acid levels in hypercholesterolemic rats in a dose-dependent manner. Abbreviations used: HC: Hypercholesterolemia, WHO: World Health Organization, BAS: Bile acid sequestrant, PCSK9: Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9, ALE: Artichoke leaf extract, CCL: Cynara cardunculus leaf extract, CCP: Cynara cardunculus pulp extract, BWG%: Body weight gain%, FER: Food-efficiency ratio. PMID:29142395

Interprocess Communication Protocols for Computer Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-12-01

this value without maintaining any state information about itp partner CCP. The receiving CCP returns a SYN giving its own ISN, or can reject...34Packet Arrival and Buffer Statistics in a Packet Switching Node," IBM Research Report RZ 594 {.s;Zni02),. September 1973. [Cochi73] B. J. Cochi...rwid 0. P. Karp, "Protocol for a Computer Netuork," IBM Sustem Journa! 12. 1, 1973, pp. 94-105. [ricKen2ie741 A. fl. McKenzie

Ultrahigh-rate supercapacitors with large capacitance based on edge oriented graphene coated carbonized cellulous paper as flexible freestanding electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Guofeng; Li, Shiqi; Fan, Zhao-Xia; Hoque, Md Nadim Ferdous; Fan, Zhaoyang

2016-09-01

Large-capacitance and ultrahigh-rate electrochemical supercapacitors (UECs) with frequency response up to kilohertz (kHz) range are reported using light, thin, and flexible freestanding electrodes. The electrode is formed by perpendicularly edge oriented multilayer graphene/thin-graphite (EOG) sheets grown radially around individual fibers in carbonized cellulous paper (CCP), with cellulous carbonization and EOG deposition implemented in one step. The resulted ∼10 μm thick EOG/CCP electrode is light and flexible. The oriented porous structure of EOG with large surface area, in conjunction with high conductivity of the electrode, ensures ultrahigh-rate performance of the fabricated cells, with large areal capacitance of 0.59 mF cm-2 and 0.53 mF cm-2 and large phase angle of -83° and -80° at 120 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. Particularly, the hierarchical EOG/CCP sheet structure allows multiple sheets stacked together for thick electrodes with almost linearly increased areal capacitance while maintaining the volumetric capacitance nearly no degradation, a critical merit for developing practical faraday-scale UECs. 3-layers of EOG/CCP electrode achieved an areal capacitance of 1.5 mF cm-2 and 1.4 mF cm-2 at 120 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. This demonstration moves a step closer to the goal of bridging the frequency/capacitance gap between supercapacitors and electrolytic capacitors.

PTPN22 -1123G>C polymorphism and anti-cyclic citrullinated protein antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Muñoz-Valle, José Francisco; Padilla-Gutiérrez, Jorge Ramón; Hernández-Bello, Jorge; Ruiz-Noa, Yeniley; Valle, Yeminia; Palafox-Sánchez, Claudia Azucena; Parra-Rojas, Isela; Gutiérrez-Ureña, Sergio Ramón; Rangel-Villalobos, Hector

2017-08-10

The protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene encodes an important negative regulator of T-cell activation, lymphoid-specific phosphatase -Lyp- and has been associated with different autoimmune disorders. The PTPN22 -1123G>C polymorphism appears to affect the transcriptional control of this gene, but to date, the biological significance of this polymorphisms on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk remains unknown. We evaluate the association of PTPN22 -1123G>C polymorphism with anti-cyclic citrullinated protein antibodies (anti-CCP) and risk for RA in population from Western Mexico. A transversal analytic study, which enrolled 300 RA patients classified according to ACR-EULAR criteria and 300 control subjects (CS) was conducted. The -1123 G>C polymorphism was genotyped by PCR-RFLP. The anti-CCP antibodies levels were quantified by ELISA kit. We found a higher prevalence of homozygous PTPN22 -1123CC genotype in CS than in RA patients (OR 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.24-0.71; P=.001), suggesting a potential protective effect against RA. Concerning anti-CCP levels, the CC genotype carriers showed the lowest median levels in RA (P<.05). The PTPN22 -1123CC genotype is a protector factor to RA in a Mexican-mestizo population and is associated with low anti-CCP antibodies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Genetic correlation between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease: the role of sex and IL-10.

PubMed

Azzi, L; Rania, S; Spadari, F; Vinci, R; Manfredini, M; Croveri, F; Boggio, A; Tettamanti, L; Tagliabue, A; Silvestre-Rangil, J; Bellintani, C

2017-01-01

The chronic stimulation of the immune system due to the presence of bacterial antigens within periodontal tissues has been associated with several autoimmune diseases, like diabetes mellitus, infective endocarditis or cardiovascular atherosclerosis. The current study aims at evaluating the correlation between Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Periodontal Disease (PD) with special attention to genetic polymorphisms in cytokine expression. A total number of 34 patients affected by RA were recruited. Each of them underwent haematochemical analysis and data were collected for Rheumatoid Factor (RF), Anti-Citrullinated Protein’s Antibody (CCP) and HLA-BDR1. DAS-28 questionnaire for disease activity was fulfilled by the rheumatologist, while a periodontal examination was carried out by the dental clinician and crevicular fluid samples were collected to evaluate the IL-6, IL-10 and VDR polymorphysms. A connection between CCP and IL-10 polymorphisms was found, with IL-10 expressing protecting tendency against periodontal disease when CCP are found in the bloodstream (p=0.0017). Finally, males mainly expressed IL-10 predisposing genes (p=0.046), while females showed a greater tendency to express RF (p=0.014) and CCP (p=0.050). This paper corroborates the idea of a correlation between sex, IL-10 polymorphisms and RA, which should be studied in depth, since recent papers have shown that IL-10 injected into joints seems to decrease inflammation.

Experimental study of a very high frequency, 162 MHz, segmented electrode, capacitively coupled plasma discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirse, Nishant; Harvey, Cleo; Gaman, Cezar; Ellingboe, Bert

2016-09-01

Radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) discharge operating at a very high frequency, 30-300 MHz, offers many advantages over standard 13.56 MHz CCP. However, there is a limited flexibility on the choice of driving frequency and substrate size due to plasma non-uniformity caused by the standing wave effect and edge effect. To overcome this issue segmented electrode CCP's are proposed and researched. Despite its numerous advantages the power coupling mechanism and plasma chemistry in this type of discharge are not fully understood due to lack of experimental data. In this paper, we present the experimental study of a segmented electrode, 3x4 tile array (10x10 cm square tile with 1 cm tile-to-tile separation), CCP discharge driven at 162 MHz. We measured plasma uniformity and gas temperature using hairpin probe and optical emission spectroscopy respectively. A homemade RF compensated Langmuir probe is employed to measure the Electron Energy Distribution Function (EEDF) by second harmonic technique. Energy resolved quadrupole mass spectrometer is utilized to measure the ion energy distribution. Discharge/plasma properties are investigated for several operating conditions and for power coupling mode in both washer board and checker board configuration. The experimental results show that the uniform plasma density can be maintained over a large area along with highly non-equilibrium condition to produce unique gas phase plasma chemistry.

The Direct Path To WIPP - 12471

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

Spoerner, M.T.; Burger, M.J.; Garcia, J.

2012-07-01

Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM), designated as a small quantity site (SQS) by the National TRU Program (NTP), generated contact-handled (CH) and remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste primarily from the decontamination and clean-out of glove boxes at the Hot Cell Facility (HCF) at Technical Area (TA) V. All of the waste required repackaging, with the CH TRU waste being repackaged from late 2007 through 2011. Three shipments of CH were completed in October 2011, which de-inventoried SNL/NM's legacy TRU waste. In FY11, RH TRU waste was repackaged at the Auxiliary Hot Cell Facility (AHCF) located in TAV with the supportmore » of the Central Characterization Project (CCP). The waste was originally packaged in SNL/NM fabricated casks, cement or lead-lined 55-gallon drums, or 30-gallon drums. The AHCF is a small hot cell, with access only through a roof port which presented challenges for inserting and removing waste from the hot cell. The CCP provided visual examination operators (VEOs) to observe and document each waste item repackaged, removal of prohibited items, and radiological sampling. Dose-to-Curie measurements were calculated by CCP after a radiological report was prepared using scaling factors determined by the analysis of swipe samples. Finally, headspace gas samples were taken and sent to the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) for analysis. Despite the challenges, the RH waste is on track to be shipped to WIPP in early FY12. The processes used and procedures developed to conduct the repackaging operations, the issues identified and mitigated were challenging but the cooperation between SNL/NM and the Central Characterization Program (CCP) enabled SNL/NM to complete the repackaging and support the characterization and shipment. An inventory list, identification of the campaigns, discussion of the challenges and mitigations, and the final loading of the RH 72-B casks at TA-V for direct shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) will be discussed. Lessons learned from the RH campaigns are: - Some containers that were originally identified as HC-3 have been re-evaluated and became < HC-3 due to the conservative estimates made by the original generators - Operators at the AHCF were not accustomed to the detail required by the VE operators. However, they worked well together and the repackaging was completed ahead of schedule. - The AK was not always accurate as was demonstrated by the solid waste found in the drum during the first visit by EPA. That waste has since been determined to be low-level. - Two drums originally thought to be RH turned out to be CH and arrangement for RTR had to be made quickly. - Six of the original RH repacked drums became low level. - Lessons learned from the CH campaigns were helpful in avoiding many issues. The RH repackaging effort has been a success due to the expertise of the AHCF operators, supervisor, and manager, the conscientious attention to detail of the CCP VE operators, the experience of the CCP DTC and headspace gas sampling staff, and the guidance and support from CCP and CBFO. Sometimes schedules had to be adjusted, processes updated, and issues discussed, but the communication between CCP and SNL/NM was good. SNL/NM hopes to have the legacy RH TRU waste shipped off-site by early 2012. (authors)« less

Validation of a Molecular and Pathological Model for Five-Year Mortality Risk in Patients with Early Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Bueno, Raphael; Hughes, Elisha; Wagner, Susanne; Gutin, Alexander S.; Lanchbury, Jerry S.; Zheng, Yifan; Archer, Michael A.; Gustafson, Corinne; Jones, Joshua T.; Rushton, Kristen; Saam, Jennifer; Kim, Edward; Barberis, Massimo; Wistuba, Ignacio; Wenstrup, Richard J.; Wallace, William A.; Harrison, David J.

2015-01-01

Introduction: The aim of this study was to validate a molecular expression signature [cell cycle progression (CCP) score] that identifies patients with a higher risk of cancer-related death after surgical resection of early stage (I-II) lung adenocarcinoma in a large patient cohort and evaluate the effectiveness of combining CCP score and pathological stage for predicting lung cancer mortality. Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgical tumor samples from 650 patients diagnosed with stage I and II adenocarcinoma who underwent definitive surgical treatment without adjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed for 31 proliferation genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The prognostic discrimination of the expression score was assessed by Cox proportional hazards analysis using 5-year lung cancer-specific death as primary outcome. Results: The CCP score was a significant predictor of lung cancer-specific mortality above clinical covariates [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.46 per interquartile range (95% confidence interval = 1.12–1.90; p = 0.0050)]. The prognostic score, a combination of CCP score and pathological stage, was a more significant indicator of lung cancer mortality risk than pathological stage in the full cohort (HR = 2.01; p = 2.8 × 10−11) and in stage I patients (HR = 1.67; p = 0.00027). Using the 85th percentile of the prognostic score as a threshold, there was a significant difference in lung cancer survival between low-risk and high-risk patient groups (p = 3.8 × 10−7). Conclusions: This study validates the CCP score and the prognostic score as independent predictors of lung cancer death in patients with early stage lung adenocarcinoma treated with surgery alone. Patients with resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma and a high prognostic score may be candidates for adjuvant therapy to reduce cancer-related mortality. PMID:25396679

Green biosynthesis of magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles using the aqueous extracts of food processing wastes under photo-catalyzed condition and investigation of their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Patra, Jayanta Kumar; Baek, Kwang-Hyun

2017-08-01

In this study, a simple, rapid, and eco-friendly green method was introduced to synthesize magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) using the aqueous extracts of two food processing wastes, namely silky hairs of corn (Zea mays L.) and outer leaves of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis). The boiled solutions of silky hairs (MH) and outer leaves of Chinese cabbage (CCP) were used to synthesize Fe 3 O 4 NPs under photo exposed condition. The MH-FeNPs and CCP-FeNPs synthesized via green route were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermogravimetric (TG/DTG) analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis. The UV-Visible spectra displayed two absorption bands at 325nm and 375mm for the MH-FeNPs, and 325mm and 365mm for the CCP-FeNPs, respectively. The estimated absolute crystallite sizes of the MH-FeNPs and CCP-FeNPs were calculated to be 84.81 and 48.91nm, respectively. VSM analysis revealed that both FeNPs were superparamagnetic in nature. Both FeNPs mixed with kanamycin and rifampicin displayed positive synergistic antibacterial activity against pathogenic foodborne bacteria (9.36-24.42mm inhibition zones), and those mixed with amphotericin b also exerted synergistic anticandidal activity against five different pathogenic Candida species (9.81-17.68mm inhibition zones). Both FeNPs exhibited strong antioxidant activities; therefore, all the properties of the green synthesized MH-FeNPs and CCP-FeNPs using food processing wastes could be beneficial for their potential applications in various fields such as drug delivery, antibacterial and anticandidal drugs, and biomedical fields. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Michurinist Biology in the People's Republic of China, 1948-1956.

PubMed

Schneider, Laurence

2012-01-01

Michurinist biology was introduced to China in 1948; granted a state supported monopoly in 1952; and reduced to parity with western genetics from 1956. The Soviets exported it through the propaganda agencies Sino Soviet Friendship Association (SSFA) and VOKS (Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries). China's Ministry of Agriculture achieved broad public awareness and acceptance of Michurinist biology through a translation, publication, and Soviet guest speakers campaign - all managed by a team of agriculturalists led by Luo Tianyu, a veteran CCP (Communist Party) cadre. The campaign grew exponentially, but did not affect university or Chinese Academy of Sciences biology. Luo Tianyu's failed attempt to force Michurinist biology on a Beijing university triggered its second stage: monopoly status and a ban on "Mendelist-Morganist" biology in teaching, research, and publication. The CCP Central Committee supported this policy believing that Michurinst biology would increase agricultural production for the forthcoming first Five Year Plan; whereas, western genetics had no practical value. Michurinist biology flourished at all levels of education, research, and science literature; Western genetics was completely shut down. This only began to change when the CCP Central Committee became wary of China's dependency on Soviet technical expertise and failure to fully utilize that of China. Change was further promoted by significant attacks on Michurinist biology by Soviet and East German biologists. Soon, these developments informed China's "genetics question," which became a test case for larger questions about the definition of science and the relationship between scientists and the state. Under the guidance of Lu Dingyi's Central Committee Propaganda Department, the CCP eventually decided that, henceforth, science controversies would only be resolved by the science community; and that monopolies or ideological orthodoxies would not be imposed on science. At the same time, the CCP rescinded Michurinist biology's monopoly and the ban on western genetics. By the mid-1960s western genetics had successfully restored itself, largely due to the leadership of C. C. Tan, a former student of Dobzhansky. Michurinist biology's presence shrank and it became marginalized.

The early and long-term outcomes of completion pneumonectomy: report of 56 cases.

PubMed

Pan, Xufeng; Fu, Shijie; Shi, Jianxin; Yang, Jun; Zhao, Heng

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the early and long-term results of completion pneumonectomy (CP). A retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent CP in the Shanghai Chest Hospital. Fifty-six CP were performed between January 2003 and July 2013. There were 45 conventional CP (CCP) and 11 rescue CP (RCP) cases. CCP was defined as resection of the remaining lung because of the occurrence of new lesions in patients with previous lung resection. RCP was defined as resection of the remaining lung because of severe complication after primary lung surgery. The mortality and morbidity rates of CCP were 4.4 and 33.3%, respectively. For CCP, the morbidity was significantly higher in benign cases than in malignant cases (80.0 vs 27.5%, P = 0.04). The mortality and morbidity rates of RCP were 27.3 and 90.9%, respectively. For RCP, advanced age (P = 0.046) and preoperative mechanical ventilation (P = 0.03) were related to higher postoperative mortality. The overall 5-year survival rate was 80% for benign cases, whereas for lung malignancy cases, it was 30%. Survival varied (median 60.0 vs 35.0 vs 10.0 months, I vs II vs III, P < 0.01) for different TNM stages and was better for a time interval (between primary surgery and occurrence of lesion) of >2 years (median 60.0 vs 18.0 months, P < 0.01). CP was an operation with high risk, especially for RCP. Advanced age and mechanical ventilation before the operation were related to higher mortality in RCP. CCP of benign cases was related to higher postoperative risk, but with good survival. For lung malignancy, survival was better for a time interval (between primary surgery and occurrence of lesion) of >2 years. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Cover cropping alters the diet of arthropods in a banana plantation: a metabarcoding approach.

PubMed

Mollot, Gregory; Duyck, Pierre-François; Lefeuvre, Pierre; Lescourret, Françoise; Martin, Jean-François; Piry, Sylvain; Canard, Elsa; Tixier, Philippe

2014-01-01

Plant diversification using cover crops may promote natural regulation of agricultural pests by supporting alternative prey that enable the increase of arthropod predator densities. However, the changes in the specific composition of predator diet induced by cover cropping are poorly understood. Here, we hypothesized that the cover crop can significantly alter the diet of predators in agroecosystems. The cover crop Brachiaria decumbens is increasingly used in banana plantations to control weeds and improve physical soil properties. In this paper, we used a DNA metabarcoding approach for the molecular analysis of the gut contents of predators (based on mini-COI) to identify 1) the DNA sequences of their prey, 2) the predators of Cosmopolites sordidus (a major pest of banana crops), and 3) the difference in the specific composition of predator diets between a bare soil plot (BSP) and a cover cropped plot (CCP) in a banana plantation. The earwig Euborellia caraibea, the carpenter ant Camponotus sexguttatus, and the fire ant Solenopsis geminata were found to contain C. sordidus DNA at frequencies ranging from 1 to 7%. While the frequencies of predators positive for C. sordidus DNA did not significantly differ between BSP and CCP, the frequency at which E. caraibea was positive for Diptera was 26% in BSP and 80% in CCP; the frequency at which C. sexguttatus was positive for Jalysus spinosus was 14% in BSP and 0% in CCP; and the frequency at which S. geminata was positive for Polytus mellerborgi was 21% in BSP and 3% in CCP. E. caraibea, C. sexguttatus and S. geminata were identified as possible biological agents for the regulation of C. sordidus. The detection of the diet changes of these predators when a cover crop is planted indicates the possible negative effects on pest regulation if predators switch to forage on alternative prey.

Cover Cropping Alters the Diet of Arthropods in a Banana Plantation: A Metabarcoding Approach

PubMed Central

Mollot, Gregory; Duyck, Pierre-François; Lefeuvre, Pierre; Lescourret, Françoise; Martin, Jean-François; Piry, Sylvain; Canard, Elsa; Tixier, Philippe

2014-01-01

Plant diversification using cover crops may promote natural regulation of agricultural pests by supporting alternative prey that enable the increase of arthropod predator densities. However, the changes in the specific composition of predator diet induced by cover cropping are poorly understood. Here, we hypothesized that the cover crop can significantly alter the diet of predators in agroecosystems. The cover crop Brachiaria decumbens is increasingly used in banana plantations to control weeds and improve physical soil properties. In this paper, we used a DNA metabarcoding approach for the molecular analysis of the gut contents of predators (based on mini-COI) to identify 1) the DNA sequences of their prey, 2) the predators of Cosmopolites sordidus (a major pest of banana crops), and 3) the difference in the specific composition of predator diets between a bare soil plot (BSP) and a cover cropped plot (CCP) in a banana plantation. The earwig Euborellia caraibea, the carpenter ant Camponotus sexguttatus, and the fire ant Solenopsis geminata were found to contain C. sordidus DNA at frequencies ranging from 1 to 7%. While the frequencies of predators positive for C. sordidus DNA did not significantly differ between BSP and CCP, the frequency at which E. caraibea was positive for Diptera was 26% in BSP and 80% in CCP; the frequency at which C. sexguttatus was positive for Jalysus spinosus was 14% in BSP and 0% in CCP; and the frequency at which S. geminata was positive for Polytus mellerborgi was 21% in BSP and 3% in CCP. E. caraibea, C. sexguttatus and S. geminata were identified as possible biological agents for the regulation of C. sordidus. The detection of the diet changes of these predators when a cover crop is planted indicates the possible negative effects on pest regulation if predators switch to forage on alternative prey. PMID:24695585

CO2 Capture Project: An Integrated, Collaborative Technology Development Project For CO2 Separation, Capture And Geologic Sequestration

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

Helen Kerr

2002-01-10

This report (which forms part of the requirements of the Statement of Work Task 0, subtask 0.4) records progress towards defining a detailed Work Plan for the CCP 30 days after contract initiation. It describes the studies planned, workscope development and technology provider bid evaluation status at that time. Business sensitive information is provided separately in Appendix 1. Contract negotiations are on hold pending award of patent waiver status to the CCP.

[Design of an HACCP program for a cocoa processing facility].

PubMed

López D'Sola, Patrizia; Sandia, María Gabriela; Bou Rached, Lizet; Hernández Serrano, Pilar

2012-12-01

The HACCP plan is a food safety management tool used to control physical, chemical and biological hazards associated to food processing through all the processing chain. The aim of this work is to design a HACCP Plan for a Venezuelan cocoa processing facility.The production of safe food products requires that the HACCP system be built upon a solid foundation of prerequisite programs such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP). The existence and effectiveness of these prerequisite programs were previously assessed.Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) audit to cocoa nibs suppliers were performed. To develop the HACCP plan, the five preliminary tasks and the seven HACCP principles were accomplished according to Codex Alimentarius procedures. Three Critical Control Points (CCP) were identified using a decision tree: winnowing (control of ochratoxin A), roasting (Salmonella control) and metallic particles detection. For each CCP, Critical limits were established, the Monitoring procedures, Corrective actions, Procedures for Verification and Documentation concerning all procedures and records appropriate to these principles and their application was established. To implement and maintain a HACCP plan for this processing plant is suggested. Recently OchratoxinA (OTA) has been related to cocoa beans. Although the shell separation from the nib has been reported as an effective measure to control this chemical hazard, ochratoxin prevalence study in cocoa beans produced in the country is recommended, and validate the winnowing step as well

Application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to the Cultivation Line of Mushroom and Other Cultivated Edible Fungi.

PubMed

Pardo, José E; de Figueirêdo, Vinícius Reis; Alvarez-Ortí, Manuel; Zied, Diego C; Peñaranda, Jesús A; Dias, Eustáquio Souza; Pardo-Giménez, Arturo

2013-09-01

The Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) is a preventive system which seeks to ensure food safety and security. It allows product protection and correction of errors, improves the costs derived from quality defects and reduces the final overcontrol. In this paper, the system is applied to the line of cultivation of mushrooms and other edible cultivated fungi. From all stages of the process, only the reception of covering materials (stage 1) and compost (stage 3), the pre-fruiting and induction (step 6) and the harvest (stage 7) have been considered as critical control point (CCP). The main hazards found were the presence of unauthorized phytosanitary products or above the permitted dose (stages 6 and 7), and the presence of pathogenic bacteria (stages 1 and 3) and/or heavy metals (stage 3). The implementation of this knowledge will allow the self-control of their productions based on the system HACCP to any plant dedicated to mushroom or other edible fungi cultivation.

KSC-2013-3067

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-08

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Boeing Company performed simulated contingency water landing scenarios with a mock-up CST-100 spacecraft at Bigelow Aerospace's headquarters near Las Vegas. The CST-100 is designed for ground landings, but could splash down on the water, if necessary. During the water tests, Department of Defense search-and-recovery personnel practiced pulling five Boeing engineers out of the capsule and to safety. The tests are part of the company’s ongoing work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCP is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers to low-Earth orbit. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical research is taking place daily. For more information about CCP, go to http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Boeing

"Measuring up" to ethical standards in service delivery to college students on the Autism Spectrum: A practical application of Powell's model for ethical practices in clinical phonetics and linguistics.

PubMed

Weiss, Amy L; Rohland, Pamela

2014-01-01

This paper examined an interdisciplinary college-based support programme, the Communication Coaching Program (CCP), designed for students diagnosed on the autism spectrum in light of six ethical constructs described by Powell. Collecting data to monitor the successes and ongoing needs of individual participants in the programme is of vital importance, of course, but only addresses a portion of the efficacy question. In addition, the authors, who co-direct the programme and represent different professional expertise and perspectives, recognize the importance of determining whether their evolving intervention model has also been successful in meeting the ethical standards of their respective professions. Careful review of the 4 years of the CCP's operation in terms of ethical constructs has yielded evidence that the CCP, although based on sound principles of theory and scholarship, should be further individualized to meet the particular needs of participants diagnosed with deficits in social communication and executive functioning skills.

KSC-2012-1804

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable version of NASA's "Same Crew, New Ride" poster depicting an artist's conception of NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP. The poster features a NASA astronaut in the foreground with a vehicle launching toward the International Space Station in the background. CCP is investing in the aerospace industry and helping multiple companies design and develop crew transportation systems that could be capable of flying to the space station and other low Earth orbit destinations. The program is meant to accelerate a United States-led capability to the station where critical scientific work is being performed for use in applications here on Earth. CCP is expected to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Poster designed by Kennedy Space Center Graphics Department/Greg Lee. Credit: NASA

KSC-2013-4198

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-20

VAN HORN, Texas – Blue Origin test fires a powerful new hydrogen- and oxygen-fueled American rocket engine at the company's West Texas facility. During the test, the BE-3 engine fired at full power for more than two minutes to simulate a launch, then paused for about four minutes, mimicking a coast through space before it re-ignited for a brief final burn. The last phase of the test covered the work the engine could perform in landing the booster back softly on Earth. Blue Origin, a partner of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, is developing its Orbital Launch Vehicle, which could eventually be used to launch the company's Space Vehicle into orbit to transport crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit. CCP is aiding in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the station and other low-Earth orbit destinations by the end of 2017. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Lauren Harnett

KSC-2013-4124

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-20

VAN HORN, Texas – Blue Origin test fires a powerful new hydrogen- and oxygen-fueled American rocket engine at the company's West Texas facility. During the test, the BE-3 engine fired at full power for more than two minutes to simulate a launch, then paused for about four minutes, mimicking a coast through space before it re-ignited for a brief final burn. The last phase of the test covered the work the engine could perform in landing the booster back softly on Earth. Blue Origin, a partner of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, is developing its Orbital Launch Vehicle, which could eventually be used to launch the company's Space Vehicle into orbit to transport crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit. CCP is aiding in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the station and other low-Earth orbit destinations by the end of 2017. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Blue Origin

KSC-2012-4204

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- From left, Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and Commercial Crew Program CCP, Manager Ed Mango announce the newest partners of NASA's Commercial Crew Program from Operations Support Building 2 OSB II at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4209

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA Commercial Crew Program CCP Manager Ed Mango discusses the program's newest partnerships from the Operations Support Building 2 OSB II at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left, are Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4211

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana discusses the Commercial Crew Program's CCP newest partnerships from the center's Operations Support Building 2 OSB II. To his right, is NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and to his far right, is Commercial Crew Program Manager Ed Mango. Three integrated systems were selected for CCP's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Proteomics approach reveals mechanism underlying susceptibility of loquat fruit to sunburn during color changing period.

PubMed

Jiang, Ji-Mou; Lin, Yong-Xiang; Chen, Yi-Yong; Deng, Chao-Jun; Gong, Hui-Wen; Xu, Qi-Zhi; Zheng, Shao-Quan; Chen, Wei

2015-06-01

The objective of this work was to investigate why loquat fruit peels are more sensitive to high temperature and strong sunlight, making them highly susceptible to sunburn, during the color changing period (CCP). Two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) of the fruit peel proteins was performed over three developmental periods, namely green fruit period (GFP), color changing period and yellow ripening period (YRP). Fifty-five protein spots with at least 2-fold differences in abundance were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF-TOF/MS. The identified proteins were divided into categories related to heat-shock response, stress response and defense, energy metabolism, photosynthesis and protein biosynthesis. The results showed that expression of proteins related to anaerobic respiration and photorespiration were increased while the proteins related to ROS scavenging, polyamine biosynthesis, defense pathogens and photosynthesis were decreased during CCP under heat stress. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of loquat fruit susceptible to sunburn during CCP. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Commercial Crew Program Crew Safety Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vassberg, Nathan; Stover, Billy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this presentation is to explain to our international partners (ESA and JAXA) how NASA is implementing crew safety onto our commercial partners under the Commercial Crew Program. It will show them the overall strategy of 1) how crew safety boundaries have been established; 2) how Human Rating requirements have been flown down into programmatic requirements and over into contracts and partner requirements; 3) how CCP SMA has assessed CCP Certification and CoFR strategies against Shuttle baselines; 4) Discuss how Risk Based Assessment (RBA) and Shared Assurance is used to accomplish these strategies.

Separated matter and antimatter domains with vanishing domain walls

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

Dolgov, A.D.; Godunov, S.I.; Rudenko, A.S.

2015-10-01

We present a model of spontaneous (or dynamical) C and CP violation where it is possible to generate domains of matter and antimatter separated by cosmologically large distances. Such C(CP) violation existed only in the early universe and later it disappeared with the only trace of generated baryonic and/or antibaryonic domains. So the problem of domain walls in this model does not exist. These features are achieved through a postulated form of interaction between inflaton and a new scalar field, realizing short time C(CP) violation.

Explicit Pore Pressure Material Model in Carbon-Cloth Phenolic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gutierrez-Lemini, Danton; Ehle, Curt

2003-01-01

An explicit material model that uses predicted pressure in the pores of a carbon-cloth phenolic (CCP) composite has been developed. This model is intended to be used within a finite-element model to predict phenomena specific to CCP components of solid-fuel-rocket nozzles subjected to high operating temperatures and to mechanical stresses that can be great enough to cause structural failures. Phenomena that can be predicted with the help of this model include failures of specimens in restrained-thermal-growth (RTG) tests, pocketing erosion, and ply lifting

Brigadier General Samuel B. Griffith II, USMC: Marine Translator and Interpreter of Chinese Military Thought

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-02

for taking a chance in allowing me to change my master’s thesis topic so late into the academic year. I know he had some very real and reasonable...October 1935. The CCP was founded in May 1921, and during the early years it was little more 11 that an academic group. Though the CCP was able to...piece with an observation he also made in “Some Chinese Thoughts on War”: “The Chairman has improved on Lenin’s plagiarization of Clausewitz to the

First Article Testing of the USMC Container Consolidation Pallet Manufactured by Grate Pallet Solutions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-28

posts use a small sliding “ latch ” to insure they remain in place (Appendix 2, Figure 4). AFPTEF Report No. 09-R-02 USMC CCP AFPTEF Project No. 09...A total of 8 inflated air bladders, measuring 30 in. x 30 in. before inflation, shall be wedged between the end panel and each shelf load, and the...sliding “ latch ”. AFPTEF Report No. 09-R-02 USMC CCP AFPTEF Project No. 09-P-104 25 Figure 5. Corner post indexing tab and lockable slide

Resolving plate structure across the seismogenic zone in Cascadia from onshore-offshore receiver function imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audet, P.; Schaeffer, A. J.

2017-12-01

Studies of the forearc structure in the Cascadia subduction zone using teleseismic P-wave receiver function have resolved structures associated with deep fluid cycling, such as the basalt-to-eclogite reaction and fluid overpressure within the subducting oceanic crust, as well as the serpentinization of the forearc mantle wedge. Unfortunately, the updip extent of the over-pressured zone, and therefore the possible control on the transition from episodic slow slip to seismic slip, occurs offshore and is not resolved in those studies. The Cascadia Initiative (CI) has provided an opportunity to extend this work to the locked zone using teleseismic receiver functions from the deployment of a dense line of ocean-bottom seismograph stations offshore of Washington State, from the trench to the coastline. Here we calculate P-wave receiver functions using data from offshore (CI) and onshore (CAFE) broadband seismic stations. These data clearly show the various scattered phases associated with a dipping low-velocity layer that was identified in previous studies as the downgoing oceanic crust. These signals are difficult to untangle offshore because they arrive at similar times. We process receiver functions using a modified common-conversion point (CCP) stacking technique that uses a coherency filter to optimally stack images obtained from the three main scattered phases. The resulting image shows along-dip variations in the character of the seismic discontinuities associated with the top and bottom of the low-velocity layer. Combined with focal depth information of regular and low-frequency earthquakes, these variations may reflect changes in the material properties of the megathrust across the seismogenic zone in Cascadia.

24th IUPAP Conference on Computational Physics (2012): Introduction, acknowledgements, program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baiotti, Luca; Takabe, Hideaki

2013-08-01

Welcome to CCP2012, held next to the K computer site in Kobe and in Japan's best season. The Conference on Computational Physics (CCP) is organized annually under the auspices of Commission 20 of the IUPAP (International Union of Pure and Applied Physics). This is the first time it has been held in Japan. I was asked to be the chairman about two and half years ago and when I accepted the request I decided to make the conference very unique and different from the traditional style of CCP. I was not satisfied when I attended big conferences where the parallel sessions are classified with the name of the research field. These days we have many opportunities to attend domestic and international conferences, where it is possible to listen to many talks on the same topics. If the topics are very new, then the conference is very useful for my research. However, I wanted to have a conference where I could listen to a variety of topics carried out with the same method. Computational science is very unique and it is easy to organize a new type of conference with the classification in the horizontal direction of the matrix made of the names of research fields and the name of numerical methods. You may be able to list the names of methods easily; finite difference, Monte Carlo, particle, molecular dynamics and so on. I was dissatisfied to find that most conferences focus solely on research fields and the method that brings to the scientific research is not highlighted as much. I wanted to listen to topics from fundamental physics to industrial science in a systematic way. In order to create such a conference, a small number of experts is not enough, so I asked for the help of more than 100 Japanese computer scientists, in a variety of fields. We called this group the Japan Advisory Board (JAB). I asked them to recommend a member of the International Advisory Board (IAB). Then, we could start making the list of plenary and invited speakers. This was almost the end of March last year. CCP2012 is organized also to celebrate the shared use of the K computer and we selected a venue next to it. Its use is of course open to the public and started on 28 September, one month earlier than had been scheduled. I hope you also enjoy the guided tour of the K computer. Throughout CCP2012, I hope new collaborations start among scientists in different fields. It would be also my great pleasure if such an inter-disciplinary conference encouraged young scientists (with their fresh energy and skills) to challenge new topics in different fields, particularly emerging ones like bio-computing, industrial applications, social sciences and so on. Finally, allow me to express my sincere thanks to all members of the local organizing committee (LOC). Twenty scientists from three universities and one institute voluntarily worked very hard to prepare CCP2012. Hideaki Takabe (Aki) The Chairman, CCP2012

[Effects of different water potentials on leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of cucumber during post-flowering growth stage].

PubMed

Lin, Lu; Tang, Yun; Zhang, Ji-tao; Yan, Wan-li; Xiao, Jian-hong; Ding, Chao; Dong, Chuan; Ji, Zeng-shun

2015-07-01

Impacts of different substrate water potentials (SWP) on leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of greenhouse cucumber during its post-flowering growth stage were analyzed in this study. The results demonstrated that -10 and -30 kPa were the critical values for initiating stomatal and non-stomatal limitation of drought stress, respectively. During the stage of no drought stress (-10 kPa < SWP ≤ 0 kPa), gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were not different significantly among treatments. During the stage of stomatal limitation of drought stress (-30 kPa

Color Discrimination Is Affected by Modulation of Luminance Noise in Pseudoisochromatic Stimuli

PubMed Central

Cormenzana Méndez, Iñaki; Martín, Andrés; Charmichael, Teaire L.; Jacob, Mellina M.; Lacerda, Eliza M. C. B.; Gomes, Bruno D.; Fitzgerald, Malinda E. C.; Ventura, Dora F.; Silveira, Luiz C. L.; O'Donell, Beatriz M.; Souza, Givago S.

2016-01-01

Pseudoisochromatic stimuli have been widely used to evaluate color discrimination and to identify color vision deficits. Luminance noise is one of the stimulus parameters used to ensure that subject's response is due to their ability to discriminate target stimulus from the background based solely on the hue between the colors that compose such stimuli. We studied the influence of contrast modulation of the stimulus luminance noise on threshold and reaction time color discrimination. We evaluated color discrimination thresholds using the Cambridge Color Test (CCT) at six different stimulus mean luminances. Each mean luminance condition was tested using two protocols: constant absolute difference between maximum and minimum luminance of the luminance noise (constant delta protocol, CDP), and constant contrast modulation of the luminance noise (constant contrast protocol, CCP). MacAdam ellipses were fitted to the color discrimination thresholds in the CIE 1976 color space to quantify the color discrimination ellipses at threshold level. The same CDP and CCP protocols were applied in the experiment measuring RTs at three levels of stimulus mean luminance. The color threshold measurements show that for the CDP, ellipse areas decreased as a function of the mean luminance and they were significantly larger at the two lowest mean luminances, 10 cd/m2 and 13 cd/m2, compared to the highest one, 25 cd/m2. For the CCP, the ellipses areas also decreased as a function of the mean luminance, but there was no significant difference between ellipses areas estimated at six stimulus mean luminances. The exponent of the decrease of ellipse areas as a function of stimulus mean luminance was steeper in the CDP than CCP. Further, reaction time increased linearly with the reciprocal of the length of the chromatic vectors varying along the four chromatic half-axes. It decreased as a function of stimulus mean luminance in the CDP but not in the CCP. The findings indicated that visual performance using pseudoisochromatic stimuli was dependent on the Weber's contrast of the luminance noise. Low Weber's contrast in the luminance noise is suggested to have a reduced effect on chromatic information and, hence, facilitate desegregation of the hue-defined target from the background. PMID:27458404

Influence of conversion on the location of points and lines: The change of location entropy and the probability of a vector point inside the converted grid point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Nan

2018-03-01

Conversion of points or lines from vector to grid format, or vice versa, is the first operation required for most spatial analysis. Conversion, however, usually causes the location of points or lines to change, which influences the reliability of the results of spatial analysis or even results in analysis errors. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the change of the location of points and lines during conversion using the concepts of probability and entropy. This paper shows that when a vector point is converted to a grid point, the vector point may be outside or inside the grid point. This paper deduces a formula for computing the probability that the vector point is inside the grid point. It was found that the probability increased with the side length of the grid and with the variances of the coordinates of the vector point. In addition, the location entropy of points and lines are defined in this paper. Formulae for computing the change of the location entropy during conversion are deduced. The probability mentioned above and the change of location entropy may be used to evaluate the location reliability of points and lines in Geographic Information Systems and may be used to choose an appropriate range of the side length of grids before conversion. The results of this study may help scientists and users to avoid mistakes caused by the change of location during conversion as well as in spatial decision and analysis.

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

Satterlee, J.D.; Erman, J.E.; Mauro, J.M.

Proton NMR spectra of cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) isolated from yeast (wild type) and two Escherichia coli expressed proteins, the parent expressed protein (CcP(MI)) and the site-directed mutant CcP(MI,D235N) (Asp-235 {yields} Asn-235), have been examined. At neutral pH and in the presence of only potassium phosphate buffer and potassium nitrate, wild-type Ccp and CcP(MI) demonstrate nearly identical spectra corresponding to normal (i.e., unaged) high-spin ferric peroxidase. In contrast, the mutant protein displays a spectrum characteristic of a low-spin form, probably a result of hydroxide ligation. Asp-235 is hydrogen-bonded to the proximal heme ligand, His-175. Changing Asp-235 to Asn results inmore » alteration of the pK for formation of the basic form of CcP. Thus, changes in proximal side structure mediate the chemistry of the distal ligand binding site. All three proteins bind F{sup {minus}}, N{sub 3}{sup {minus}}, and CN{sup {minus}} ions, although the affinity of the mutant protein (D235N) for fluoride ion appears to be much higher than that of the other two proteins. Analysis of proton NMR spectra of the cyanide ligated forms leads to the conclusion that the mutant protein (D235N) possesses a more neutral proximal histidine imidazole ring than does either wild-type CcP or CcP(MI). It confirms that an important feature of the cytochrome c peroxidase structure is at least partial, and probably full, imidazolate character for the proximal histidine (His-175).« less

NARC Rayon Replacement Program for the Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor Nozzle: Screening Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, R. V.; Fairbourn, M. W.; Wendel, G. M.

2000-01-01

Thiokol Corporation and NASA MSFC are jointly developing a replacement for North American Rayon Corporation (NARC) Aerospace Grade Rayon (1650/720 continuous filament), the precursor for the Carbon Cloth Phenolic (CCP) ablatives used in the Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) Nozzles. NARC discontinued production of Aerospace Grade Rayon in September 1997. NASA maintains a stockpile of NARC Rayon to support RSRM production through the summer of 2005. The program plan for selection and qualification of a replacement for NARC rayon was approved in August 1998. Screening activities began in February 1999. The intent of this paper is to provide a summary of the data generated during the screening phase of the NARC Rayon Replacement Program. Twelve cellulose based fibers (rayon and lyocell) were evaluated. These fibers were supplied by three independent vendors. Many of these fibers were carbonized by two independent carbonizers. Each candidate was tested according to standard acceptance test methods at each step of the manufacturing process. Additional testing was performed with the candidate CCPS, including hot fire tests, Process studies and mechanical and thermal characterization. Six of the twelve fiber candidates tested were dropped at the conclusion of Phase 1. The reasons for the elimination of these candidates included; difficulties in processing the material in the whitegoods, carbon and CCP forms; poor composite mechanical performance; and future availability concerns. The remaining six fibers demonstrated enough promise to merit continued evaluation and optimization of the CCP fabrication process. Note: Certain CCP data falls under the restrictions of US export laws, (ITAR, etc.) and will not be included in this paper.

Circulating immune complexes contain citrullinated fibrinogen in rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiaoyan; Okeke, Nwora Lance; Sharpe, Orr; Batliwalla, Franak M; Lee, Annette T; Ho, Peggy P; Tomooka, Beren H; Gregersen, Peter K; Robinson, William H

2008-01-01

Introduction There is increasing evidence that autoantibodies and immune complexes (ICs) contribute to synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), yet the autoantigens incorporated in ICs in RA remain incompletely characterised. Methods We used the C1q protein to capture ICs from plasma derived from human RA and control patients. Antibodies specific for immunoglobulin were used to detect ICs, and fibrinogen antibodies were used to detect fibrinogen-containing ICs. RA and control plasma were separated by liquid chromatography, and fractions then characterised by ELISA, immunoblotting and mass spectrometry. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on rheumatoid synovial tissue. Results C1q-immunoassays demonstrated increased levels of IgG (p = 0.01) and IgM (p = 0.0002) ICs in plasma derived from RA patients possessing anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP+) autoantibodies as compared with healthy controls. About one-half of the anti-CCP+ RA possessed circulating ICs containing fibrinogen (p = 0.0004). Fractionation of whole RA plasma revealed citrullinated fibrinogen in the high molecular weight fractions that contained ICs. Positive correlations were observed between fibrinogen-containing ICs and anti-citrullinated fibrinogen autoantibodies, anti-CCP antibody, rheumatoid factor and certain clinical characteristics. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated co-localisation of fibrinogen, immunoglobulin and complement component C3 in RA pannus tissue. Mass spectrometry analysis of immune complexes immunoprecipitated from RA pannus tissue lysates demonstrated the presence of citrullinated fibrinogen. Conclusion Circulating ICs containing citrullinated fibrinogen are present in one-half of anti-CCP+ RA patients, and these ICs co-localise with C3 in the rheumatoid synovium suggesting that they contribute to synovitis in a subset of RA patients. PMID:18710572

KSC-2011-7886

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media learn about the plans Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has to take NASA astronauts to the International Space Station at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX is working to make its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule safe for humans for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities. SpaceX already is developing these systems under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) Program to take supplies to the space station. Scott Henderson, director of SpaceX mission assurance, explained that the company is drafting designs to make the Dragon capsule crew-capable with life support systems while meeting CCP's safety requirements. One such option under discussion is a launch abort system that would push astronauts away from the launch pad in the event of an emergency, which is different than traditional pull systems. It's the freedom to develop innovative solutions such as this that CCP hopes will drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before. CCP, which is based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, partnered with seven aerospace companies to mature launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-7885

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media learn about the plans Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has to take NASA astronauts to the International Space Station at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX is working to make its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule safe for humans for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities. SpaceX already is developing these systems under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) Program to take supplies to the space station. Scott Henderson, director of SpaceX mission assurance, explained that the company is drafting designs to make the Dragon capsule crew-capable with life support systems while meeting CCP's safety requirements. One such option under discussion is a launch abort system that would push astronauts away from the launch pad in the event of an emergency, which is different than traditional pull systems. It's the freedom to develop innovative solutions such as this that CCP hopes will drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before. CCP, which is based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, partnered with seven aerospace companies to mature launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

Calcium Carbonate Precipitation by Bacillus and Sporosarcina Strains Isolated from Concrete and Analysis of the Bacterial Community of Concrete.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Jung; Eom, Hyo Jung; Park, Chulwoo; Jung, Jaejoon; Shin, Bora; Kim, Wook; Chung, Namhyun; Choi, In-Geol; Park, Woojun

2016-03-01

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (CCP) is a long-standing but re-emerging environmental engineering process for production of self-healing concrete, bioremediation, and long-term storage of CO2. CCP-capable bacteria, two Bacillus strains (JH3 and JH7) and one Sporosarcina strain (HYO08), were isolated from two samples of concrete and characterized phylogenetically. Calcium carbonate crystals precipitated by the three strains were morphologically distinct according to field emission scanning electron microscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry mapping confirmed biomineralization via extracellular calcium carbonate production. The three strains differed in their physiological characteristics: growth at alkali pH and high NaCl concentrations, and urease activity. Sporosarcina sp. HYO08 and Bacillus sp. JH7 were more alkali- and halotolerant, respectively. Analysis of the community from the same concrete samples using barcoded pyrosequencing revealed that the relative abundance of Bacillus and Sporosarcina species was low, which indicated low culturability of other dominant bacteria. This study suggests that calcium carbonate crystals with different properties can be produced by various CCP-capable strains, and other novel isolates await discovery.

Approach to Rapid Synthesis and Functionalization of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for High Gene Transfection.

PubMed

Stephen, Zachary R; Dayringer, Christopher J; Lim, Josh J; Revia, Richard A; Halbert, Mackenzie V; Jeon, Mike; Bakthavatsalam, Arvind; Ellenbogen, Richard G; Zhang, Miqin

2016-03-01

Surface functionalization of theranostic nanoparticles (NPs) typically relies on lengthy, aqueous postsynthesis labeling chemistries that have limited ability to fine-tune surface properties and can lead to NP heterogeneity. The need for a rapid, simple synthesis approach that can provide great control over the display of functional moieties on NP surfaces has led to increased use of highly selective bioorthoganol chemistries including metal-affinity coordination. Here we report a simple approach for rapid production of a superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs (SPIONs) with tunable functionality and high reproducibility under aqueous conditions. We utilize the high affinity complex formed between catechol and Fe((III)) as a means to dock well-defined catechol modified polymer modules on the surface of SPIONs during sonochemical coprecipitation synthesis. Polymer modules consisted of chitosan and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) copolymer (CP) modified with catechol (CCP), and CCP functionalized with cationic polyethylenimine (CCP-PEI) to facilitate binding and delivery of DNA for gene therapy. This rapid synthesis/functionalization approach provided excellent control over the extent of PEI labeling, improved SPION magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancement and produced an efficient transfection agent.

HpARI Protein Secreted by a Helminth Parasite Suppresses Interleukin-33.

PubMed

Osbourn, Megan; Soares, Dinesh C; Vacca, Francesco; Cohen, E Suzanne; Scott, Ian C; Gregory, William F; Smyth, Danielle J; Toivakka, Matilda; Kemter, Andrea M; le Bihan, Thierry; Wear, Martin; Hoving, Dennis; Filbey, Kara J; Hewitson, James P; Henderson, Holly; Gonzàlez-Cìscar, Andrea; Errington, Claire; Vermeren, Sonja; Astier, Anne L; Wallace, William A; Schwarze, Jürgen; Ivens, Alasdair C; Maizels, Rick M; McSorley, Henry J

2017-10-17

Infection by helminth parasites is associated with amelioration of allergic reactivity, but mechanistic insights into this association are lacking. Products secreted by the mouse parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus suppress type 2 (allergic) immune responses through interference in the interleukin-33 (IL-33) pathway. Here, we identified H. polygyrus Alarmin Release Inhibitor (HpARI), an IL-33-suppressive 26-kDa protein, containing three predicted complement control protein (CCP) modules. In vivo, recombinant HpARI abrogated IL-33, group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) and eosinophilic responses to Alternaria allergen administration, and diminished eosinophilic responses to Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, increasing parasite burden. HpARI bound directly to both mouse and human IL-33 (in the cytokine's activated state) and also to nuclear DNA via its N-terminal CCP module pair (CCP1/2), tethering active IL-33 within necrotic cells, preventing its release, and forestalling initiation of type 2 allergic responses. Thus, HpARI employs a novel molecular strategy to suppress type 2 immunity in both infection and allergy. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

KSC-2013-4164

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-20

VAN HORN, Texas – Blue Origin’s test stand, back right, is framed by a wind mill at the company’s West Texas facility. The company used this test stand to fire its powerful new hydrogen- and oxygen-fueled American rocket engine, the BE-3. The engine fired at full power for more than two minutes to simulate a launch, then paused for about four minutes, mimicking a coast through space before it re-ignited for a brief final burn. The last phase of the test covered the work the engine could perform in landing the booster back softly on Earth. Blue Origin, a partner of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, is developing its Orbital Launch Vehicle, which could eventually be used to launch the company's Space Vehicle into orbit to transport crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit. CCP is aiding in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the station and other low-Earth orbit destinations by the end of 2017. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Lauren Harnett

KSC-2013-4197

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-20

VAN HORN, Texas – The sun sets over a test stand at Blue Origin’s West Texas facility. The company used this test stand to fire its powerful new hydrogen- and oxygen-fueled American rocket engine, the BE-3, on Nov. 20. The BE-3 fired at full power for more than two minutes to simulate a launch, then paused for about four minutes, mimicking a coast through space before it re-ignited for a brief final burn. The last phase of the test covered the work the engine could perform in landing the booster back softly on Earth. Blue Origin, a partner of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, is developing its Orbital Launch Vehicle, which could eventually be used to launch the company's Space Vehicle into orbit to transport crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit. CCP is aiding in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the station and other low-Earth orbit destinations by the end of 2017. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Lauren Harnett

Protein Surface Mimetics: Understanding How Ruthenium Tris(Bipyridines) Interact with Proteins.

PubMed

Hewitt, Sarah H; Filby, Maria H; Hayes, Ed; Kuhn, Lars T; Kalverda, Arnout P; Webb, Michael E; Wilson, Andrew J

2017-01-17

Protein surface mimetics achieve high-affinity binding by exploiting a scaffold to project binding groups over a large area of solvent-exposed protein surface to make multiple cooperative noncovalent interactions. Such recognition is a prerequisite for competitive/orthosteric inhibition of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). This paper describes biophysical and structural studies on ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridine) surface mimetics that recognize cytochrome (cyt) c and inhibit the cyt c/cyt c peroxidase (CCP) PPI. Binding is electrostatically driven, with enhanced affinity achieved through enthalpic contributions thought to arise from the ability of the surface mimetics to make a greater number of noncovalent interactions than CCP with surface-exposed basic residues on cyt c. High-field natural abundance 1 H, 15 N HSQC NMR experiments are consistent with surface mimetics binding to cyt c in similar manner to CCP. This provides a framework for understanding recognition of proteins by supramolecular receptors and informing the design of ligands superior to the protein partners upon which they are inspired. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A pilot randomized, controlled trial of the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention on family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Leow, Mabel; Chan, Sally; Chan, Moon

2015-03-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention, the Caring for the Caregiver Programme (CCP).
 A pilot randomized, controlled trial, two-group pretest, and repeated post-tests.
 Four home hospice organizations and an outpatient clinic in Singapore.
 80 caregivers were randomized into experimental and standard care groups.
 Outcomes were measured at baseline, week 4, and week 8 after the intervention. The standard care group received routine home hospice care, and the intervention group received the CCP in addition to routine care.
 Quality of life (QOL), social support, stress and depression, self-efficacy in self-care, closeness with the patient, rewards, and knowledge.
 Compared to the standard care group, the intervention group reported significantly higher QOL, social support satisfaction and number of supported people, closeness with the patient, self-efficacy in self-care, rewards of caregiving, and knowledge, and lower stress and depression. 
 The CCP had positive effects on family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer. 
 A psychoeducational intervention potentially could help caregivers cope with the demands of caregiving. 


The performance of biological anaerobic filters packed with sludge-fly ash ceramic particles (SFCP) and commercial ceramic particles (CCP) during the restart period: effect of the C/N ratios and filter media.

PubMed

Yue, Qinyan; Han, Shuxin; Yue, Min; Gao, Baoyu; Li, Qian; Yu, Hui; Zhao, Yaqin; Qi, Yuanfeng

2009-11-01

Two lab-scale upflow biological anaerobic filters (BAF) packed with sludge-fly ash ceramic particles (SFCP) and commercial ceramic particles (CCP) were employed to investigate effects of the C/N ratios and filter media on the BAF performance during the restart period. The results indicated that BAF could be restarted normally after one-month cease. The C/N ratio of 4.0 was the thresholds of nitrate removal and nitrite accumulation. TN removal and phosphate uptake reached the maximum value at the same C/N ratio of 5.5. Ammonia formation was also found and excreted a negative influence on TN removal, especially when higher C/N ratios were applied. Nutrients were mainly degraded within the height of 25 cm from the bottom. In addition, SFCP, as novel filter media manufactured by wastes-dewatered sludge and fly ash, represented a better potential in inhibiting nitrite accumulation, TN removal and phosphate uptake due to their special characteristics in comparison with CCP.

Speciation and Attenuation of Arsenic and Selenium at Coal Combustion By-Product Management Facilities

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

K. Ladwig

2005-12-31

The overall objective of this project was to evaluate the impact of key constituents captured from power plant air streams (principally arsenic and selenium) on the disposal and utilization of coal combustion products (CCPs). Specific objectives of the project were: (1) to develop a comprehensive database of field leachate concentrations at a wide range of CCP management sites, including speciation of arsenic and selenium, and low-detection limit analyses for mercury; (2) to perform detailed evaluations of the release and attenuation of arsenic species at three CCP sites; and (3) to perform detailed evaluations of the release and attenuation of seleniummore » species at three CCP sites. Each of these objectives was accomplished using a combination of field sampling and laboratory analysis and experimentation. All of the methods used and results obtained are contained in this report. For ease of use, the report is subdivided into three parts. Volume 1 contains methods and results for the field leachate characterization. Volume 2 contains methods and results for arsenic adsorption. Volume 3 contains methods and results for selenium adsorption.« less

The XChemExplorer graphical workflow tool for routine or large-scale protein-ligand structure determination.

PubMed

Krojer, Tobias; Talon, Romain; Pearce, Nicholas; Collins, Patrick; Douangamath, Alice; Brandao-Neto, Jose; Dias, Alexandre; Marsden, Brian; von Delft, Frank

2017-03-01

XChemExplorer (XCE) is a data-management and workflow tool to support large-scale simultaneous analysis of protein-ligand complexes during structure-based ligand discovery (SBLD). The user interfaces of established crystallographic software packages such as CCP4 [Winn et al. (2011), Acta Cryst. D67, 235-242] or PHENIX [Adams et al. (2010), Acta Cryst. D66, 213-221] have entrenched the paradigm that a `project' is concerned with solving one structure. This does not hold for SBLD, where many almost identical structures need to be solved and analysed quickly in one batch of work. Functionality to track progress and annotate structures is essential. XCE provides an intuitive graphical user interface which guides the user from data processing, initial map calculation, ligand identification and refinement up until data dissemination. It provides multiple entry points depending on the need of each project, enables batch processing of multiple data sets and records metadata, progress and annotations in an SQLite database. XCE is freely available and works on any Linux and Mac OS X system, and the only dependency is to have the latest version of CCP4 installed. The design and usage of this tool are described here, and its usefulness is demonstrated in the context of fragment-screening campaigns at the Diamond Light Source. It is routinely used to analyse projects comprising 1000 data sets or more, and therefore scales well to even very large ligand-design projects.

The XChemExplorer graphical workflow tool for routine or large-scale protein–ligand structure determination

PubMed Central

Krojer, Tobias; Talon, Romain; Pearce, Nicholas; Douangamath, Alice; Brandao-Neto, Jose; Dias, Alexandre; Marsden, Brian

2017-01-01

XChemExplorer (XCE) is a data-management and workflow tool to support large-scale simultaneous analysis of protein–ligand complexes during structure-based ligand discovery (SBLD). The user interfaces of established crystallo­graphic software packages such as CCP4 [Winn et al. (2011 ▸), Acta Cryst. D67, 235–242] or PHENIX [Adams et al. (2010 ▸), Acta Cryst. D66, 213–221] have entrenched the paradigm that a ‘project’ is concerned with solving one structure. This does not hold for SBLD, where many almost identical structures need to be solved and analysed quickly in one batch of work. Functionality to track progress and annotate structures is essential. XCE provides an intuitive graphical user interface which guides the user from data processing, initial map calculation, ligand identification and refinement up until data dissemination. It provides multiple entry points depending on the need of each project, enables batch processing of multiple data sets and records metadata, progress and annotations in an SQLite database. XCE is freely available and works on any Linux and Mac OS X system, and the only dependency is to have the latest version of CCP4 installed. The design and usage of this tool are described here, and its usefulness is demonstrated in the context of fragment-screening campaigns at the Diamond Light Source. It is routinely used to analyse projects comprising 1000 data sets or more, and therefore scales well to even very large ligand-design projects. PMID:28291762

KSC-2013-2762

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel, prepares for a live interview with Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, in front of the Atlantis display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. During the interview, Mango explained the program is working with the commercial aerospace industry to return America's domestic capability to launch astronauts from U.S. soil to the International Space Station around the middle of the decade. He also discussed the program's role in helping NASA reach its deep-space exploration goals. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-2763

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel, performs a live interview with Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, in front of the Atlantis display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Mango explained the program is working with the commercial aerospace industry to return America's domestic capability to launch astronauts from U.S. soil to the International Space Station around the middle of the decade. He also discussed the program's role in helping NASA reach its deep-space exploration goals. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-3155

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana welcomes aerospace industry representatives to the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, Pre-Proposal Conference. CCtCap will be the next phase of certification efforts for the agency's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, missions to the International Space Station. The purpose of the conference was to involve industry in the CCtCap draft Request for Proposal, or RFP, process and provide a greater understanding for both parties before the official RFP is released in the fall of 2013. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2013-3159

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Panelists of the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, Pre-Proposal Conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida are, from left, Maria Collura, Brian Hinerth, Trip Healy and Lee Pagel. CCtCap will be the next phase of certification efforts for CCP mission to the International Space Station. The purpose of the conference was to involve aerospace industry representatives in the CCtCap draft Request for Proposal, or RFP, process and provide a greater understanding for both parties before the official RFP is released in the fall of 2013. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

One Methodology for Proving Compliance to the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) Abort Capability Requirement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Proud, Ryan; Adam, Jason

2011-01-01

As of Draft 4.0 of the CCT-REQ-1130 requirements document for CCP, ISS Crew Transportation and Services Requirements Document, specific language for the verification of the abort capability requirement, 3.3.1.4, was added. The abort capability requirement ensures that the CTS under dispersed conditions is always capable of aborting from a failed LV. The Integrated Aborts IPT was asked to author a memo for how this verification might be completed. The following memo dictates one way that this requirement and its verification could be met, but this is the not the only method.

Applications of DC-Self Bias in CCP Deposition Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keil, D. L.; Augustyniak, E.; Sakiyama, Y.

2013-09-01

In many commercial CCP plasma process systems the DC-self bias is available as a reported process parameter. Since commercial systems typically limit the number of onboard diagnostics, there is great incentive to understand how DC-self bias can be expected to respond to various system perturbations. This work reviews and examines DC self bias changes in response to tool aging, chamber film accumulation and wafer processing. The diagnostic value of the DC self bias response to transient and various steady state current draw schemes are examined. Theoretical models and measured experimental results are compared and contrasted.

Ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis and their correlation with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies.

PubMed

Vignesh, Ammapati Paul Pandian; Srinivasan, Renuka

2015-01-01

To study the ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis and to correlate the role of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP antibody) with the ocular manifestations. Three-hundred and ninety-two eyes of the 196 rheumatoid arthritis patients who attended the ophthalmology outpatient department underwent a detailed ocular examination using slit lamp biomicroscopy and ophthalmoscopy. The tear function of all the patients was assessed using Schirmer's test, tear film break-up time and ocular surface staining. The anti-CCP antibody titers for all the rheumatoid arthritis patients were estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests. Seventy-seven patients (135 eyes, 39%) out of the 196 patients studied had ocular manifestations typical of rheumatoid arthritis. Dry eye was the most common manifestation (28%, 54 patients). Of the patients, 78% was females (60 patients). The mean duration of rheumatoid arthritis in patients with ocular manifestations was 5.4±2.7 years and without ocular manifestations was 2.1±1.6years. Three percent of the patients had episcleritis (six patients). Scleritis was present in 2% of the patients (four patients). Peripheral ulcerative keratitis and sclerosing keratitis was present in 1% of the population each (two patients each). Eighty-five percent (66 patients) had bilateral manifestations 15% (eleven patients) had unilateral manifestations. There was a strong association between the presence of anti-CCP antibodies and ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis which was shown by the statistically significant P-value of <0.0001. Ocular manifestations are a significant part of the extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis. Dry eye was the most common ocular manifestation. There was a statistically significant association between the presence of anti-CCP antibodies specific to rheumatoid arthritis and the ocular manifestations.

Comparative effect of a stannous fluoride toothpaste and a sodium fluoride toothpaste on a multispecies biofilm.

PubMed

Cheng, Xingqun; Liu, Jinman; Li, Jiyao; Zhou, Xuedong; Wang, Lijiang; Liu, Jiquan; Xu, Xin

2017-02-01

This paper aimed to compare the mode of action of a stannous fluoride-containing toothpaste with a conventional sodium fluoride-containing toothpaste on anti-biofilm properties. A three-species biofilm model that consists of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis and Porphyromonas gingivalis was established to compare the anti-biofilm properties of a stannous fluoride-containing toothpaste (CPH), a conventional sodium fluoride-containing toothpaste (CCP) and a negative control (PBS). The 48h biofilms were subjected to two-minute episodes of treatment with test agents twice a day for 5 consecutive days. Crystal violet staining and XTT assays were used to evaluate the biomass and viability of the treated biofilm. Live/dead staining and bacteria/extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) double-staining were used to visualize the biofilm structure and to quantify microbial/extracellular components of the treated biofilms. Species-specific fluorescent in situ hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to analyze microbial composition of the biofilms after treatment. The biomass and viability of the biofilms were significantly reduced after CPH toothpaste treatment. The inhibitory effect was further confirmed by the live/dead staining. The EPS amounts of the three-species biofilm were significantly reduced by CCP and CPH treatments, and CPH toothpaste demonstrated significant inhibition on EPS production. More importantly, CPH toothpaste significantly suppressed S. mutans and P. gingvalis, and enriched S. sanguinis in the three-species biofilm. In all experiments CPH had a significantly greater effect than CCP (p<0.05) and CCP had a greater effect than PBS (p<0.05). Stannous fluoride-containing toothpaste not only showed better inhibitory effect against oral microbial biofilm, but was also able to modulate microbial composition within multi-species biofilm compared with conventional sodium fluoride-containing toothpaste. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sugar inhibits the production of the toxins that trigger clostridial gas gangrene.

PubMed

Méndez, M B; Goñi, A; Ramirez, W; Grau, R R

2012-01-01

Histotoxic strains of Clostridium perfringens cause human gas gangrene, a devastating infection during which potent tissue-degrading toxins are produced and secreted. Although this pathogen only grows in anaerobic-nutrient-rich habitats such as deep wounds, very little is known regarding how nutritional signals influence gas gangrene-related toxin production. We hypothesize that sugars, which have been used throughout history to prevent wound infection, may represent a nutritional signal against gas gangrene development. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that sugars (sucrose, glucose) inhibited the production of the main protein toxins, PLC (alpha-toxin) and PFO (theta-toxin), responsible for the onset and progression of gas gangrene. Transcription analysis experiments using plc-gusA and pfoA-gusA reporter fusions as well as RT-PCR analysis of mRNA transcripts confirmed that sugar represses plc and pfoA expression. In contrast an isogenic C. perfringens strain that is defective in CcpA, the master transcription factor involved in carbon catabolite response, was completely resistant to the sugar-mediated inhibition of PLC and PFO toxin production. Furthermore, the production of PLC and PFO toxins in the ccpA mutant strain was several-fold higher than the toxin production found in the wild type strain. Therefore, CcpA is the primary or unique regulatory protein responsible for the carbon catabolite (sugar) repression of toxin production of this pathogen. The present results are analyzed in the context of the role of CcpA for the development and aggressiveness of clostridial gas gangrene and the well-known, although poorly understood, anti-infective and wound healing effects of sugars and related substances. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Docking, Scoring and Assessing Protein-DNA Complexes in a Rigid-Body Framework

PubMed Central

Parisien, Marc; Freed, Karl F.; Sosnick, Tobin R.

2012-01-01

We consider the identification of interacting protein-nucleic acid partners using the rigid body docking method FTdock, which is systematic and exhaustive in the exploration of docking conformations. The accuracy of rigid body docking methods is tested using known protein-DNA complexes for which the docked and undocked structures are both available. Additional tests with large decoy sets probe the efficacy of two published statistically derived scoring functions that contain a huge number of parameters. In contrast, we demonstrate that state-of-the-art machine learning techniques can enormously reduce the number of parameters required, thereby identifying the relevant docking features using a miniscule fraction of the number of parameters in the prior works. The present machine learning study considers a 300 dimensional vector (dependent on only 15 parameters), termed the Chemical Context Profile (CCP), where each dimension reflects a specific type of protein amino acid-nucleic acid base interaction. The CCP is designed to capture the chemical complementarities of the interface and is well suited for machine learning techniques. Our objective function is the Chemical Context Discrepancy (CCD), which is defined as the angle between the native system's CCP vector and the decoy's vector and which serves as a substitute for the more commonly used root mean squared deviation (RMSD). We demonstrate that the CCP provides a useful scoring function when certain dimensions are properly weighted. Finally, we explore how the amino acids on a protein's surface can help guide DNA binding, first through long-range interactions, followed by direct contacts, according to specific preferences for either the major or minor grooves of the DNA. PMID:22393431

Recent developments in MrBUMP: better search-model preparation, graphical interaction with search models, and solution improvement and assessment.

PubMed

Keegan, Ronan M; McNicholas, Stuart J; Thomas, Jens M H; Simpkin, Adam J; Simkovic, Felix; Uski, Ville; Ballard, Charles C; Winn, Martyn D; Wilson, Keith S; Rigden, Daniel J

2018-03-01

Increasing sophistication in molecular-replacement (MR) software and the rapid expansion of the PDB in recent years have allowed the technique to become the dominant method for determining the phases of a target structure in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. In addition, improvements in bioinformatic techniques for finding suitable homologous structures for use as MR search models, combined with developments in refinement and model-building techniques, have pushed the applicability of MR to lower sequence identities and made weak MR solutions more amenable to refinement and improvement. MrBUMP is a CCP4 pipeline which automates all stages of the MR procedure. Its scope covers everything from the sourcing and preparation of suitable search models right through to rebuilding of the positioned search model. Recent improvements to the pipeline include the adoption of more sensitive bioinformatic tools for sourcing search models, enhanced model-preparation techniques including better ensembling of homologues, and the use of phase improvement and model building on the resulting solution. The pipeline has also been deployed as an online service through CCP4 online, which allows its users to exploit large bioinformatic databases and coarse-grained parallelism to speed up the determination of a possible solution. Finally, the molecular-graphics application CCP4mg has been combined with MrBUMP to provide an interactive visual aid to the user during the process of selecting and manipulating search models for use in MR. Here, these developments in MrBUMP are described with a case study to explore how some of the enhancements to the pipeline and to CCP4mg can help to solve a difficult case.

Corporate compliance: framework and implementation.

PubMed

Fowler, N

1999-01-01

The federal government has created numerous programs to combat fraud and abuse. The government now encourages healthcare facilities to have a corporate compliance program (CCP), a plan that reduces the chances that the facility will violate laws or regulations. A CCP is an organization-wide program comprised of a code of conduct and written policies, internal monitoring and auditing standards, employee training, feedback mechanisms and other features, all designed to prevent and detect violations of governmental laws, regulations and policies. It is a system or method ensuring that employees understand and will comply with laws that apply to what they do every day. Seven factors, based on federal sentencing guidelines, provide the framework for developing a CCP. First, a facility must establish rules that are reasonably capable of reducing criminal conduct. Second, high-level personnel must oversee the compliance effort. Third, a facility must use due care in delegating authority in the compliance initiative. Fourth, standards must be communicated effectively to employees, and fifth, a facility must take reasonable steps to achieve compliance. Sixth, standards must be enforced consistently across the organization and last, standards must be modified or changed for reported concerns, to ensure they are not repeated. PROMINA Health System, Inc. in Atlanta, Ga., designed a program to meet federal guidelines. It started with a self-assessment to define its areas or risk. Next, it created the internal structure and assigned organizational responsibility for running the CCP. PROMINA then developed standards of business and professional conduct, established vehicles of communication and trained employees on the standards. Finally, it continues to develop evidence of the program's effectiveness by monitoring and documenting its compliance activities.

Recent developments in MrBUMP: better search-model preparation, graphical interaction with search models, and solution improvement and assessment

PubMed Central

Keegan, Ronan M.; McNicholas, Stuart J.; Thomas, Jens M. H.; Simpkin, Adam J.; Uski, Ville; Ballard, Charles C.

2018-01-01

Increasing sophistication in molecular-replacement (MR) software and the rapid expansion of the PDB in recent years have allowed the technique to become the dominant method for determining the phases of a target structure in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. In addition, improvements in bioinformatic techniques for finding suitable homologous structures for use as MR search models, combined with developments in refinement and model-building techniques, have pushed the applicability of MR to lower sequence identities and made weak MR solutions more amenable to refinement and improvement. MrBUMP is a CCP4 pipeline which automates all stages of the MR procedure. Its scope covers everything from the sourcing and preparation of suitable search models right through to rebuilding of the positioned search model. Recent improvements to the pipeline include the adoption of more sensitive bioinformatic tools for sourcing search models, enhanced model-preparation techniques including better ensembling of homologues, and the use of phase improvement and model building on the resulting solution. The pipeline has also been deployed as an online service through CCP4 online, which allows its users to exploit large bioinformatic databases and coarse-grained parallelism to speed up the determination of a possible solution. Finally, the molecular-graphics application CCP4mg has been combined with MrBUMP to provide an interactive visual aid to the user during the process of selecting and manipulating search models for use in MR. Here, these developments in MrBUMP are described with a case study to explore how some of the enhancements to the pipeline and to CCP4mg can help to solve a difficult case. PMID:29533225

Detailed Northern Anatolian Fault Zone crustal structure from receiver functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornwell, D. G.; Kahraman, M.; Thompson, D. A.; Houseman, G. A.; Rost, S.; Turkelli, N.; Teoman, U.; Altuncu Poyraz, S.; Gülen, L.; Utkucu, M.

2013-12-01

We present high resolution images derived from receiver functions of the continental crust in Northern Turkey that is dissected by two fault strands of the Northern Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ). The NAFZ is a major continental strike-slip fault system that is comparable in length and slip rate to the San Andreas Fault Zone. Recent large earthquakes occurred towards the western end of the NAFZ in 1999 at Izmit (M7.5) and Düzce (M7.2). As part of the multi-disciplinary Faultlab project, we aim to develop a model of NAFZ crustal structure and locate deformation by constraining variations in seismic properties and anisotropy in the upper and lower crust. The crustal model will be an input to test deformation scenarios in order to match geodetic observations from different phases of the earthquake loading cycle. We calculated receiver functions from teleseismic earthquakes recorded by a rectangular seismometer array spanning the NAFZ with 66 stations at a nominal inter-station spacing of 7 km and 7 additional stations further afield. This Dense Array for North Anatolia (DANA) was deployed from May 2012 until September 2013 and we selected large events (Mw>5.5) from the high quality seismological dataset to analyze further. Receiver functions were calculated for different frequency bands then collected into regional stacks before being inverted for crustal S-wave velocity structure beneath the entire DANA array footprint. In addition, we applied common conversion point (CCP) migration using a regional velocity model to construct a migrated 3D volume of P-to-S converted and multiple energy in order to identify the major crustal features and layer boundaries. We also performed the CCP migration with transverse receiver functions in order to identify regions of anisotropy within the crustal layers. Our preliminary results show a heterogeneous crust above a flat Moho that is typically at a depth of 33 km. We do not observe a prominent step in the Moho beneath the surface locations at either of the NAFZ fault branches. We observe first-order differences in crustal structure between the crustal blocks that are separated by the faults. Each crustal block also contains regions of strong anisotropy at various depths that will be analyzed further with the full seismological dataset and compared to petrofabric analyses of exhumed fault segments. We will compare our results with other seismological imaging techniques to attempt to resolve the distribution of fault zone deformation with respect to depth. This information will be useful to other complementary Faultlab techniques that will add a detailed insight into the fault structure and dynamics of the NAFZ and contribute more broadly into ongoing research into major strike-slip fault zones.

KSC-2013-2646

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Adam Harris, vice president of government sales for Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, speaks to a crowd of spaceflight enthusiasts at the National Space Club Florida Committee's June meeting near the Kennedy Space Center. Harris was joined at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral, Fla., by Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, left, and representatives from The Boeing Company and Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC. All three CCP partner are planning to increase their commercial activities on Florida’s space coast to send astronauts to low-Earth orbit. To learn more about the Commercial Crew Program, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-2647

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, partner representatives participate in the National Space Club Florida Committee's June meeting near the Kennedy Space Center. From left are The Boeing Company's vice president and program manager of Commercial Programs John Mulholland, Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, Space Systems chief systems engineer Dan Ciccateri, and Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, vice president of government sales Adam Harris. CCP Program Manager Ed Mango and the partners talked about plans to increase commercial activities on Florida’s space coast to send astronauts to low-Earth orbit. To learn more about the Commercial Crew Program, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-3624

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-21

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – A thruster glows red during a hot-fire test for Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft orbital maneuvering and attitude control OMAC system. During the tests at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, N.M., Boeing and partner Aerojet Rocketdyne tested two thrusters to demonstrate stable combustion and performance in a vacuum, simulating a space environment. Two additional thrusters were tested in a vacuum to demonstrate long-duration mission survivability. The 24 thrusters that compose the CST-100’s OMAC system will be jettisoned with the service module after the deorbit burn, prior to re-entry. The tests completed Milestone 9 of the company's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCP is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers to low-Earth orbit. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical research is taking place daily. For more information about CCP, go to http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Boeing

[Safety and efficacy of a prothrombin complex concentrate in patients with coagulopathy and hemorrhage].

PubMed

Martínez-Calle, N; Marcos-Jubilar, M; Alfonso, A; Hernández, M; Hidalgo, F; Lecumberri, R; Páramo, Ja

2014-01-01

Prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC) are approved for urgent reversal of vitamin K antagonists (VKA). Recently, PCC have been used in the management of massive bleeding-associated coagulopathy. The present work evaluates safety and efficacy of PCC in a case series of both VKA reversal and massive bleeding. Retrospective review of cases treated with CCP (January 2010 to February 2013). Safety endpoints were infusion reactions and incidence of thromboembolic events. Efficacy endpoints were: 1) VKA reversal efficacy and 2) Massive bleeding coagulopathy reversal and 24h mortality. Thirty-one patients were included (22 male), median age 61 years (range 30-86). No infusion reactions were detected, and only 1 thrombotic episode was observed. VKA reversal was effective in 100% of patients (6/6), all of them with complete reversal of INR value. In massive bleeding, 24-hour survival was 64% (16/25). Invasive hemostatic procedures were required in 28% of patients (7/25). CCP use was correlated with bleeding control in 44% of cases (11/25), and also significantly associated with survival (p=0.01). CCP are safe and effective for the novel indication of adjuvant treatment in massive bleeding patients, as well as for traditional urgent reversal of VKA.

KSC-2012-1210

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-08

MCGREGOR, Texas -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completes a full-duration, full-thrust firing of its new SuperDraco engine prototype at the company’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. The firing was in preparation for the ninth milestone to be completed under SpaceX's funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). SpaceX is working with CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) in order to mature the design and development of its Dragon spacecraft with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. Eight SuperDracos would be built into the sidewalls of the Dragon capsule to carry astronauts to safety should an emergency occur during launch or ascent. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp. and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1208

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-08

MCGREGOR, Texas -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completes a full-duration, full-thrust firing of its new SuperDraco engine prototype at the company’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. The firing was in preparation for the ninth milestone to be completed under SpaceX's funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). SpaceX is working with CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) in order to mature the design and development of its Dragon spacecraft with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. Eight SuperDracos would be built into the sidewalls of the Dragon capsule to carry astronauts to safety should an emergency occur during launch or ascent. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp. and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1209

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-08

MCGREGOR, Texas -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completes a full-duration, full-thrust firing of its new SuperDraco engine prototype at the company’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. The firing was in preparation for the ninth milestone to be completed under SpaceX's funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). SpaceX is working with CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) in order to mature the design and development of its Dragon spacecraft with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. Eight SuperDracos would be built into the sidewalls of the Dragon capsule to carry astronauts to safety should an emergency occur during launch or ascent. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp. and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Parsimonious kernel extreme learning machine in primal via Cholesky factorization.

PubMed

Zhao, Yong-Ping

2016-08-01

Recently, extreme learning machine (ELM) has become a popular topic in machine learning community. By replacing the so-called ELM feature mappings with the nonlinear mappings induced by kernel functions, two kernel ELMs, i.e., P-KELM and D-KELM, are obtained from primal and dual perspectives, respectively. Unfortunately, both P-KELM and D-KELM possess the dense solutions in direct proportion to the number of training data. To this end, a constructive algorithm for P-KELM (CCP-KELM) is first proposed by virtue of Cholesky factorization, in which the training data incurring the largest reductions on the objective function are recruited as significant vectors. To reduce its training cost further, PCCP-KELM is then obtained with the application of a probabilistic speedup scheme into CCP-KELM. Corresponding to CCP-KELM, a destructive P-KELM (CDP-KELM) is presented using a partial Cholesky factorization strategy, where the training data incurring the smallest reductions on the objective function after their removals are pruned from the current set of significant vectors. Finally, to verify the efficacy and feasibility of the proposed algorithms in this paper, experiments on both small and large benchmark data sets are investigated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expression of the Inherently Autoreactive Idiotope 9G4 on Autoantibodies to Citrullinated Peptides and on Rheumatoid Factors in Patients with Early and Established Rheumatoid Arthritis

PubMed Central

Cambridge, Geraldine; Moura, Rita A.; Santos, Tania; Khawaja, Akif A.; Polido-Pereira, Joaquim; Canhão, Helena; Leandro, Maria J.; Fonseca, João E.

2014-01-01

Background The pre-symptomatic stage of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines and autoantibodies. High levels and epitope spread by Rheumatoid factors (RhF) and autoantibodies to citrullinated proteins signify progression towards disease expression. In established RA, the persistence of high autoantibody levels reflects production by both long-lived plasma cells and short-lived plasmablasts. Neither the relative contributions to pathogenesis by autoantibodies from either source, nor the factors responsible for deciding the fate of autoantigen specific ‘parent’ B-cells, is understood. Phenotypic markers identifying subsets of autoreactive B-cells are therefore of interest in understanding the origin and perpetuation of the autoimmune response in RA. One such phenotypic marker is the rat monoclonal antibody, 9G4, which recognises an idiotope on immunoglobuins derived from the inherently autoreactive VH-gene, VH4-34. We therefore investigated whether the 9G4 idiotope was expressed on autoantibodies in patients with RA. Methodology/Principal Findings Sera from 19 patients with established RA and those with <1year history of untreated polyarthritis either resolving into RA (n = 42) or non-RA diagnosis (n = 31) were included. Autoantibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCP), RhF and co-expression of the 9G4 idiotope were measured by ELISA. 9G4 recognised a population of anti-CCP antibodies in the majority of sera from patients with established disease and also in samples from patients with early disaese. 9G4+RhF levels were generally lower and not associated with positivity for, or levels of 9G4+CCP. Conclusions/Significance The persistence of 9G4+ immunoglobulins, of any isotype, in serum is rare. We describe here the novel finding of 9G4 expression on anti-CCP antibodies in patients from the earliest symptoms of RA through to established disease. Our results suggest that 9G4 expression on anti-CCP autoantibodies was not due to polyclonal expansion of VH4-34-encoded immunoglobulins. These studies may therefore provide a new focus for investigation into the evolution of the autoimmune response in RA patients. PMID:25222933

Anti-inflammatory activity of a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from an enzymatic digest of brown seaweed Sargassum horneri in RAW 264.7 cells.

PubMed

Sanjeewa, Kalu Kapuge Asanka; Fernando, Ilekkuttige Priyan Shanura; Kim, Eun-A; Ahn, Ginnae; Jee, Youngheun; Jeon, You-Jin

2017-02-01

Sargassum horneri is an edible brown alga that grows in the subtidal zone as an annual species along the coasts of South Korea, China, and Japan. Recently, an extreme amount of S. horneri moved into the coasts of Jeju Island from the east coast of China, which made huge economic and environmental loss to the Jeju Island. Thus, utilization of this biomass becomes a big issue with the local authorities. Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of crude polysaccharides (CPs) extracted from S. horneri China strain in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. CPs were precipitated from S. horneri digests prepared by enzyme assistant extraction using four food-grade enzymes (AMG, Celluclast, Viscozyme, and Alcalase). The production levels of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were measured by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were measured by using western blot. The IR spectrums of the CPs were recorded using a fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrometer. The polysaccharides from the Celluclast enzyme digest (CCP) showed the highest inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells (IC 50 value: 95.7 µg/mL). Also, CCP dose-dependently down-regulated the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 as well as the production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β, compared to the only LPS-treated cells. In addition, CCP inhibited the activation of NF-κB p50 and p65 and the phosphorylation of MAPKs, including p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, FT-IR analysis showed that the FT-IR spectrum of CCP is similar to that of commercial fucoidan. Our results suggest that CCP has anti-inflammatory activities and is a potential candidate for the formulation of a functional food ingredient or/and drug to treat inflammatory diseases.

Anti-inflammatory activity of a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from an enzymatic digest of brown seaweed Sargassum horneri in RAW 264.7 cells

PubMed Central

Sanjeewa, Kalu Kapuge Asanka; Fernando, Ilekkuttige Priyan Shanura; Kim, Eun-A; Jee, Youngheun

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Sargassum horneri is an edible brown alga that grows in the subtidal zone as an annual species along the coasts of South Korea, China, and Japan. Recently, an extreme amount of S. horneri moved into the coasts of Jeju Island from the east coast of China, which made huge economic and environmental loss to the Jeju Island. Thus, utilization of this biomass becomes a big issue with the local authorities. Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of crude polysaccharides (CPs) extracted from S. horneri China strain in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS CPs were precipitated from S. horneri digests prepared by enzyme assistant extraction using four food-grade enzymes (AMG, Celluclast, Viscozyme, and Alcalase). The production levels of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were measured by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were measured by using western blot. The IR spectrums of the CPs were recorded using a fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrometer. RESULTS The polysaccharides from the Celluclast enzyme digest (CCP) showed the highest inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells (IC50 value: 95.7 µg/mL). Also, CCP dose-dependently down-regulated the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 as well as the production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β, compared to the only LPS-treated cells. In addition, CCP inhibited the activation of NF-κB p50 and p65 and the phosphorylation of MAPKs, including p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, FT-IR analysis showed that the FT-IR spectrum of CCP is similar to that of commercial fucoidan. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that CCP has anti-inflammatory activities and is a potential candidate for the formulation of a functional food ingredient or/and drug to treat inflammatory diseases. PMID:28194259

Effective ways to modernize outdated coal heat power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suchkov, S. I.; Kotler, V. R.; Batorshin, V. A.

2016-12-01

An analysis of the state of equipment of 72 outdated coal HPP (heat power plants) of a total capacity 14.3 GW with steam parameters before the turbines p before ≤ 9 MPa, t before = 420-540°C was performed. The equipment is characterized by a considerably low efficiency factor, even if it were converted to burning the natural gas, and by increased release of harmful substances. However, on the most part of the considered HPP, the steam turbines, unlike the boilers, have thus far retained the operation applicability and satisfactory reliability of performance. The analysis has shown that it makes sense to effectively modernize the outdated coal HPP by transformation of their equipment into combined-cycle plant (CCP) with coal gasification, which has high economic and ecological indicators due to thermodynamic advantage of the combined cycle and simpler purification of the generator gas in the process under pressure. As the most rational way of this transformation, the one was recognized wherein—instead of the existing boiler (boilers) or parallel to it—a gasification and gas turbine system is installed with a boiler-utilizer (BU), from which steam is fed to the HPP main steam pipe. In doing this, the basic part of the power station equipment persists. In the world, this kind of reconstruction of steam power equipment is applied widely and successfully, but it is by use of natural gas for the most part. It is reasonable to use the technology developed at Heat Engineering Research Institute (HERI) of hearth-steam gasification of coal and high-temperature purification of the generator gas. The basic scheme and measures on implementation of this method for modernization of outdated coal HPP is creation of CCP with blast-furnace of coal on the basis of accessible and preserved HPP equipment. CCP power is 120 MW, input-output ratio (roughly) 44%, emissions of hazardous substances are 5 mg/MJ dust, 20-60 mg/MJ SO2, and 50-100 mg/MJ NO x . A considerable decrease of specific CCP cost is expected: down to approximately half compared to that of CCP with coal gasification created elsewhere abroad. Verification and debugging of accepted solutions can be carried out at a small-scale pilot plant.

A tissue engineering approach to anterior cruciate ligament regeneration using novel shaped capillary channel polymer fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinclair, Kristofer D.

2009-12-01

Ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are the most frequent of injuries to the knee due to its role in preventing anterior translation of the tibia. It is estimated that as many as 200,000 Americans per year will suffer from a ruptured ACL, resulting in management costs on the order of 5 billion dollars. Without treatment these patients are unable to return to normal activity, as a consequence of the joint instability found within the ACL deficient knee. Over the last thirty years, a variety of non-degradable, synthetic fibers have been evaluated for their use in ACL reconstruction; however, a widely accepted prosthesis has been unattainable due to differences in mechanical properties of the synthetic graft relative to the native tissue. Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field charged with the task of developing therapeutic solutions for tissue and organ failure by enhancing the natural wound healing process through the use of cellular transplants, biomaterials, and the delivery of bioactive molecules. The capillary channel polymer (CC-P) fibers used in this research were fabricated by melt extrusion from polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate. These fibers possess aligned micrometer scale surface channels that may serve as physical templates for tissue growth and regeneration. This inherent surface topography offers a unique and industrially viable approach for cellular contact guidance on three dimensional constructs. In this fundamental research the ability of these fiber channels to support the adhesion, alignment, and organization of fibroblasts was demonstrated and found to be superior to round fiber controls. The results demonstrated greater uniformity of seeding and accelerated formation of multi-layered three-dimensional biomass for the CC-P fibers relative to those with a circular cross-section. Furthermore, the CC-P geometry induced nuclear elongation consistent with that observed in native ACL tissue. Through the application of uniaxial cyclic strain the mechanical properties of the cell seeded CC-P fiber scaffold systems were shown to improve via the induction of increased cellular proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis. Finally, unlike many studies examining the effects of cyclic strain on cellular behavior, the CC-P fiber geometry displayed the ability to maintain cellular alignment in the presence of an applied uniaxial cyclic strain.

New Lithospheric Model of Taiwan based on the Receiver Function Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Zhu, L.; Chen, H.

2008-12-01

Taiwan is situated on the junction area between two subduction systems. The complex orogeny was developed by collision between the Eurasian continental plate and Philippine Sea plate and is still active in the present. Therefore, Taiwan provides unique opportunities for geophysical imaging of the ongoing process underneath. The TAiwan Integrated GEodynamics Research (TAIGER) combined a field program of active and passive seismology, which will undoubtedly be a major step forward in understanding mountain building process. In 2006, we developed a new crustal model of Taiwan from teleseismic waveforms by the receiver function method. We determined lateral variation of Moho discontinuity, crustal thickness (H), and Vp/Vs ratios (Kappa) for each permanent broadband station using all the available teleseismic data collected by BATS (Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology) and CWB (Central Weather Bureau). All the broadband stations are distributed uniformly over the whole Taiwan area so that we could delineate the Moho depth contour map. Recently, we concentrated on the three linear temporary arrays of the TAIGER project and obtained three high-resolution images of crustal structure across Taiwan along west-to-east direction from north to south by using the CCP (common-conversion-point) stacking of teleseismic P-to-S converted waves. Sharp impedance contrasts in these images clearly show the relief of each of seismic discontinuities in the crust and upper mantle. The preliminary results show that the Moho depth, 40 to 50 km of central Taiwan is deeper than in other parts of the island, which suggests crustal thickening due to collision. In addition, shallow part of western foothill area show highly acoustic impedance which probably results from thick sediment.

KSC-2013-3160

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Phil McAlister, director of Commercial Spaceflight Development at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., talks to media following the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, Pre-Proposal Conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CCtCap will be the next phase of certification efforts for the agency's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, missions to the International Space Station. The purpose of the conference was to involve aerospace industry representatives in the CCtCap draft Request for Proposal, or RFP, process and provide a greater understanding for both parties before the official RFP is released in the fall of 2013. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2013-3156

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Phil McAlister, director of Commercial Spaceflight Development at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., makes opening remarks at the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, Pre-Proposal Conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CCtCap will be the next phase of certification efforts for the agency's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, missions to the International Space Station. The purpose of the conference was to involve aerospace industry representatives in the CCtCap draft Request for Proposal, or RFP, process and provide a greater understanding for both parties before the official RFP is released in the fall of 2013. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2013-3069

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - The Boeing Company unveils its fully outfitted CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center in Texas. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is designed being to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Boeing is one of three aerospace industry partners working with CCP during its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3068

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - The Boeing Company unveils its fully outfitted CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center in Texas. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Boeing is one of three aerospace industry partners working with CCP during its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

A point-based tool to predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment to probable Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Barnes, Deborah E; Cenzer, Irena S; Yaffe, Kristine; Ritchie, Christine S; Lee, Sei J

2014-11-01

Our objective in this study was to develop a point-based tool to predict conversion from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). Subjects were participants in the first part of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify factors associated with development of AD, and a point score was created from predictors in the final model. The final point score could range from 0 to 9 (mean 4.8) and included: the Functional Assessment Questionnaire (2‒3 points); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) middle temporal cortical thinning (1 point); MRI hippocampal subcortical volume (1 point); Alzheimer's Disease Cognitive Scale-cognitive subscale (2‒3 points); and the Clock Test (1 point). Prognostic accuracy was good (Harrell's c = 0.78; 95% CI 0.75, 0.81); 3-year conversion rates were 6% (0‒3 points), 53% (4‒6 points), and 91% (7‒9 points). A point-based risk score combining functional dependence, cerebral MRI measures, and neuropsychological test scores provided good accuracy for prediction of conversion from amnestic MCI to AD. Copyright © 2014 The Alzheimer's Association. All rights reserved.

A numerical analysis of plasma non-uniformity in the parallel plate VHF-CCP and the comparison among various model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawada, Ikuo

2012-10-01

We measured the radial distribution of electron density in a 200 mm parallel plate CCP and compared it with results from numerical simulations. The experiments were conducted with pure Ar gas with pressures ranging from 15 to 100 mTorr and 60 MHz applied at the top electrode with powers from 500 to 2000W. The measured electron profile is peaked in the center, and the relative non-uniformity is higher at 100 mTorr than at 15 mTorr. We compare the experimental results with simulations with both HPEM and Monte-Carlo/PIC codes. In HPEM simulations, we used either fluid or electron Monte-Carlo module, and the Poisson or the Electromagnetic solver. None of the models were able to duplicate the experimental results quantitatively. However, HPEM with the electron Monte-Carlo module and PIC qualitatively matched the experimental results. We will discuss the results from these models and how they illuminate the mechanism of enhanced electron central peak.[4pt] [1] T. Oshita, M. Matsukuma, S.Y. Kang, I. Sawada: The effect of non-uniform RF voltage in a CCP discharge, The 57^th JSAP Spring Meeting 2010[4pt] [2] I. Sawada, K. Matsuzaki, S.Y. Kang, T. Ohshita, M. Kawakami, S. Segawa: 1-st IC-PLANTS, 2008

The NASA Commercial Crew Program (CCP) Mission Assurance Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canfield, Amy

2016-01-01

In 2010, NASA established the Commercial Crew Program in order to provide human access to the International Space Station and low earth orbit via the commercial (non-governmental) sector. A particular challenge to NASA has been how to determine the commercial providers transportation system complies with Programmatic safety requirements. The process used in this determination is the Safety Technical Review Board which reviews and approves provider submitted Hazard Reports. One significant product of the review is a set of hazard control verifications. In past NASA programs, 100 percent of these safety critical verifications were typically confirmed by NASA. The traditional Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) model does not support the nature of the Commercial Crew Program. To that end, NASA SMA is implementing a Risk Based Assurance (RBA) process to determine which hazard control verifications require NASA authentication. Additionally, a Shared Assurance Model is also being developed to efficiently use the available resources to execute the verifications. This paper will describe the evolution of the CCP Mission Assurance process from the beginning of the Program to its current incarnation. Topics to be covered include a short history of the CCP; the development of the Programmatic mission assurance requirements; the current safety review process; a description of the RBA process and its products and ending with a description of the Shared Assurance Model.

Effects of ploidy level and haplotype on variation of photosynthetic traits: Novel evidence from two Fragaria species

PubMed Central

Gao, Song; Yan, Qiaodi; Chen, Luxi; Song, Yaobin; Fu, Chengxin; Dong, Ming

2017-01-01

To reveal the effects of ploidy level and haplotype on photosynthetic traits, we chose 175 genotypes of wild strawberries belonging to two haplotypes at two types of ploidy levels (diploidy and tetraploidy) and measured photosynthetic traits. Our results revealed that ploidy significantly affected the characteristics of light-response curves, CO2-response curves, and leaf gas exchange parameters, except intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). Tetraploid species had a lower light saturation point (LSP) and CO2 saturation point (CSP), higher light compensation point (LCP), dark respiration (Rd), and CO2 compensation point (CCP) than diploid species. Furthermore, tetraploid species have lower photosynthetic capacity than diploid species, including net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductivity (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr). In addition, haplotype had a significant effect on LSP, CSP, Tr, and Ci as well as a significant interactive effect between ploidy and haplotype on the maximal photosynethic rate of the light-response curve and Rd. Most of the variance existed within haplotypes among individuals. These results suggest that polyploidization was the main driver for the evolution of photosynthesis with increasing ploidy level (i.e. from diploidy to tetraploidy in Fragaria species), while the origin of a chromosome could also affect the photosynthetic traits and the polyploidization effect on photosynthetic traits. PMID:28644876

Effects of ploidy level and haplotype on variation of photosynthetic traits: Novel evidence from two Fragaria species.

PubMed

Gao, Song; Yan, Qiaodi; Chen, Luxi; Song, Yaobin; Li, Junmin; Fu, Chengxin; Dong, Ming

2017-01-01

To reveal the effects of ploidy level and haplotype on photosynthetic traits, we chose 175 genotypes of wild strawberries belonging to two haplotypes at two types of ploidy levels (diploidy and tetraploidy) and measured photosynthetic traits. Our results revealed that ploidy significantly affected the characteristics of light-response curves, CO2-response curves, and leaf gas exchange parameters, except intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). Tetraploid species had a lower light saturation point (LSP) and CO2 saturation point (CSP), higher light compensation point (LCP), dark respiration (Rd), and CO2 compensation point (CCP) than diploid species. Furthermore, tetraploid species have lower photosynthetic capacity than diploid species, including net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductivity (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr). In addition, haplotype had a significant effect on LSP, CSP, Tr, and Ci as well as a significant interactive effect between ploidy and haplotype on the maximal photosynethic rate of the light-response curve and Rd. Most of the variance existed within haplotypes among individuals. These results suggest that polyploidization was the main driver for the evolution of photosynthesis with increasing ploidy level (i.e. from diploidy to tetraploidy in Fragaria species), while the origin of a chromosome could also affect the photosynthetic traits and the polyploidization effect on photosynthetic traits.

Critical control points of complementary food preparation and handling in eastern Nigeria.

PubMed Central

Ehiri, J. E.; Azubuike, M. C.; Ubbaonu, C. N.; Anyanwu, E. C.; Ibe, K. M.; Ogbonna, M. O.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate microbial contamination and critical control points (CCPs) in the preparation and handling of complementary foods in 120 households in Imo state, Nigeria. METHODS: The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach was used to investigate processes and procedures that contributed to microbial contamination, growth and survival, and to identify points where controls could be applied to prevent or eliminate these microbiological hazards or reduce them to acceptable levels. Food samples were collected and tested microbiologically at different stages of preparation and handling. FINDINGS: During cooking, all foods attained temperatures capable of destroying vegetative forms of food-borne pathogens. However, the risk of contamination increased by storage of food at ambient temperature, by using insufficiently high temperatures to reheat the food, and by adding contaminated ingredients such as dried ground crayfish and soybean powder at stages where no further heat treatment was applied. The purchasing of contaminated raw foodstuffs and ingredients, particularly raw akamu, from vendors in open markets is also a CCP. CONCLUSION: Although an unsafe environment poses many hazards for children's food, the hygienic quality of prepared food can be assured if basic food safety principles are observed. When many factors contribute to food contamination, identification of CCPs becomes particularly important and can facilitate appropriate targeting of resources and prevention efforts. PMID:11417038

Validation of acid washes as critical control points in hazard analysis and critical control point systems.

PubMed

Dormedy, E S; Brashears, M M; Cutter, C N; Burson, D E

2000-12-01

A 2% lactic acid wash used in a large meat-processing facility was validated as an effective critical control point (CCP) in a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) plan. We examined the microbial profiles of beef carcasses before the acid wash, beef carcasses immediately after the acid wash, beef carcasses 24 h after the acid wash, beef subprimal cuts from the acid-washed carcasses, and on ground beef made from acid-washed carcasses. Total mesophilic, psychrotrophic, coliforms, generic Escherichia coli, lactic acid bacteria, pseudomonads, and acid-tolerant microorganisms were enumerated on all samples. The presence of Salmonella spp. was also determined. Acid washing significantly reduced all counts except for pseudomonads that were present at very low numbers before acid washing. All other counts continued to stay significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those on pre-acid-washed carcasses throughout all processing steps. Total bacteria, coliforms, and generic E. coli enumerated on ground beef samples were more than 1 log cycle lower than those reported in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Baseline data. This study suggests that acid washes may be effective CCPs in HACCP plans and can significantly reduce the total number of microorganisms present on the carcass and during further processing.

Increased inflammation and disease activity among current cigarette smokers with rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional analysis of US veterans.

PubMed

Sokolove, Jeremy; Wagner, Catriona A; Lahey, Lauren J; Sayles, Harlan; Duryee, Michael J; Reimold, Andreas M; Kerr, Gail; Robinson, William H; Cannon, Grant W; Thiele, Geoffrey M; Mikuls, Ted R

2016-11-01

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for RA and has been associated with increased disease severity and lower rates of disease remission. We hypothesized that inflammation and disease activity would be associated with smoking status and this would be related to levels of ACPA. RA patients from the Veterans Affairs RA registry were studied (n = 1466): 76.9% anti-CCP2 positive, 89% male, median age 63 years (interquartile range 57-72), median disease duration 8.45 years (interquartile range 2.8-18). Baseline serum samples were evaluated for levels of anti-CCP2, RF, 19 distinct ACPAs and 17 cytokines. Smoking status at baseline was recorded as current, former or never. The association of smoking status with cytokines, autoantibodies and disease activity (DAS28) was evaluated. Among anti-CCP-positive RA patients, RA-associated cytokines (false-discovery rates q < 0.1%) and DAS28 (P < 0.01) were higher in current smokers compared with former or never smokers. DAS28 and cytokine levels were similar between former and never smokers. In contrast, ACPA concentrations were higher among both current and former smokers compared with never smokers, and levels of ACPA were not associated with DAS28 or cytokine levels. Among anti-CCP2-positive RA patients, current smoking status is associated with elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased RA disease activity. Similar levels of inflammation and disease activity among former and never smokers suggests that the detrimental effects of smoking could be ameliorated through tobacco cessation. The effect of tobacco cessation on RA disease activity should be evaluated prospectively. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

Evaluation of CP Chromo Select Agar for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens from water.

PubMed

Manafi, Mammad; Waldherr, Kerstin; Kundi, Michael

2013-10-01

The European Directive on drinking water quality has included mCP agar as the reference method for recovering Clostridium perfringens from drinking waters. In the present study, three media (mCP, TSCF and CP Chromo Select Agar) were evaluated for recovery of C. perfringens in different surface water samples. Out of 139 water samples, using a membrane filtration technique, 131 samples (94.2%) were found to be presumptively positive for C. perfringens in at least one of the culture media. Green colored colonies on CP Chromo Select Agar (CCP agar) were counted as presumptive C. perfringens isolates. Out of 483 green colonies on CCP agar, 96.3% (465 strains, indole negative) were identified as C. perfringens, and 15 strains (3.1%) were indole positive and were identified as Clostridium sordellii, Clostridium bifermentans or Clostridium tetani. Only 3 strains (0.6%) gave false positive results and were identified as Clostridium fallax, Clostridium botulinum, and Clostridium tertium. Variance analysis of the data obtained shows statistically no significant differences in the counts obtained between media employed in this work. The mCP method is very onerous for routine screening and bacterial colonies could not be used for further biochemical testing. The colonies on CCP and TSCF were easy to count and subculture for confirmation tests. TSCF detects sulfite-reducing clostridia, including species other than C. perfringens, and in some cases excessive blackening of the agar frustrated counting of the colonies. If the contamination was too high, TSCF did not consistently produce black colonies and as a consequence, the colonies were white and gave false negative results. On the other hand, the identification of typical and atypical colonies isolated from all media demonstrated that CCP agar was the most useful medium for C. perfringens recovery in water samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A noncanonical role for dynamin-1 in regulating early stages of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in non-neuronal cells

PubMed Central

Bhave, Madhura; Chen, Zhiming; Chen, Ping-Hung; Wang, Xinxin; Danuser, Gaudenz

2018-01-01

Dynamin Guanosine Triphosphate hydrolases (GTPases) are best studied for their role in the terminal membrane fission process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), but they have also been proposed to regulate earlier stages of CME. Although highly enriched in neurons, dynamin-1 (Dyn1) is, in fact, widely expressed along with Dyn2 but inactivated in non-neuronal cells via phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) kinase. Here, we study the differential, isoform-specific functions of Dyn1 and Dyn2 as regulators of CME. Endogenously expressed Dyn1 and Dyn2 were fluorescently tagged either separately or together in two cell lines with contrasting Dyn1 expression levels. By quantitative live cell dual- and triple-channel total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we find that Dyn2 is more efficiently recruited to clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) than Dyn1, and that Dyn2 but not Dyn1 exhibits a pronounced burst of assembly, presumably into supramolecular collar-like structures that drive membrane scission and clathrin-coated vesicle (CCV) formation. Activation of Dyn1 by acute inhibition of GSK3β results in more rapid endocytosis of transferrin receptors, increased rates of CCP initiation, and decreased CCP lifetimes but did not significantly affect the extent of Dyn1 recruitment to CCPs. Thus, activated Dyn1 can regulate early stages of CME that occur well upstream of fission, even when present at low, substoichiometric levels relative to Dyn2. Under physiological conditions, Dyn1 is activated downstream of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling to alter CCP dynamics. We identify sorting nexin 9 (SNX9) as a preferred binding partner to activated Dyn1 that is partially required for Dyn1-dependent effects on early stages of CCP maturation. Together, we decouple regulatory and scission functions of dynamins and report a scission-independent, isoform-specific regulatory role for Dyn1 in CME. PMID:29668686

Genetic Determinism of Sensitivity to Corynespora cassiicola Exudates in Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis).

PubMed

Tran, Dinh Minh; Clément-Demange, André; Déon, Marine; Garcia, Dominique; Le Guen, Vincent; Clément-Vidal, Anne; Soumahoro, Mouman; Masson, Aurélien; Label, Philippe; Le, Mau Tuy; Pujade-Renaud, Valérie

2016-01-01

An indirect phenotyping method was developed in order to estimate the susceptibility of rubber tree clonal varieties to Corynespora Leaf Fall (CLF) disease caused by the ascomycete Corynespora cassiicola. This method consists in quantifying the impact of fungal exudates on detached leaves by measuring the induced electrolyte leakage (EL%). The tested exudates were either crude culture filtrates from diverse C. cassiicola isolates or the purified cassiicolin (Cas1), a small secreted effector protein produced by the aggressive isolate CCP. The test was found to be quantitative, with the EL% response proportional to toxin concentration. For eight clones tested with two aggressive isolates, the EL% response to the filtrates positively correlated to the response induced by conidial inoculation. The toxicity test applied to 18 clones using 13 toxinic treatments evidenced an important variability among clones and treatments, with a significant additional clone x treatment interaction effect. A genetic linkage map was built using 306 microsatellite markers, from the F1 population of the PB260 x RRIM600 family. Phenotyping of the population for sensitivity to the purified Cas1 effector and to culture filtrates from seven C. cassiicola isolates revealed a polygenic determinism, with six QTL detected on five chromosomes and percentages of explained phenotypic variance varying from 11 to 17%. Two common QTL were identified for the CCP filtrate and the purified cassiicolin, suggesting that Cas1 may be the main effector of CCP filtrate toxicity. The CCP filtrate clearly contrasted with all other filtrates. The toxicity test based on Electrolyte Leakage Measurement offers the opportunity to assess the sensitivity of rubber genotypes to C. cassiicola exudates or purified effectors for genetic investigations and early selection, without risk of spreading the fungus in plantations. However, the power of this test for predicting field susceptibility of rubber clones to CLF will have to be further investigated.

Genetic Determinism of Sensitivity to Corynespora cassiicola Exudates in Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis)

PubMed Central

Tran, Dinh Minh; Clément-Demange, André; Déon, Marine; Garcia, Dominique; Le Guen, Vincent; Clément-Vidal, Anne; Soumahoro, Mouman; Masson, Aurélien; Label, Philippe; Le, Mau Tuy; Pujade-Renaud, Valérie

2016-01-01

An indirect phenotyping method was developed in order to estimate the susceptibility of rubber tree clonal varieties to Corynespora Leaf Fall (CLF) disease caused by the ascomycete Corynespora cassiicola. This method consists in quantifying the impact of fungal exudates on detached leaves by measuring the induced electrolyte leakage (EL%). The tested exudates were either crude culture filtrates from diverse C. cassiicola isolates or the purified cassiicolin (Cas1), a small secreted effector protein produced by the aggressive isolate CCP. The test was found to be quantitative, with the EL% response proportional to toxin concentration. For eight clones tested with two aggressive isolates, the EL% response to the filtrates positively correlated to the response induced by conidial inoculation. The toxicity test applied to 18 clones using 13 toxinic treatments evidenced an important variability among clones and treatments, with a significant additional clone x treatment interaction effect. A genetic linkage map was built using 306 microsatellite markers, from the F1 population of the PB260 x RRIM600 family. Phenotyping of the population for sensitivity to the purified Cas1 effector and to culture filtrates from seven C. cassiicola isolates revealed a polygenic determinism, with six QTL detected on five chromosomes and percentages of explained phenotypic variance varying from 11 to 17%. Two common QTL were identified for the CCP filtrate and the purified cassiicolin, suggesting that Cas1 may be the main effector of CCP filtrate toxicity. The CCP filtrate clearly contrasted with all other filtrates. The toxicity test based on Electrolyte Leakage Measurement offers the opportunity to assess the sensitivity of rubber genotypes to C. cassiicola exudates or purified effectors for genetic investigations and early selection, without risk of spreading the fungus in plantations. However, the power of this test for predicting field susceptibility of rubber clones to CLF will have to be further investigated. PMID:27736862

Safety Analysis of Soybean Processing for Advanced Life Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hentges, Dawn L.

1999-01-01

Soybeans (cv. Hoyt) is one of the crops planned for food production within the Advanced Life Support System Integration Testbed (ALSSIT), a proposed habitat simulation for long duration lunar/Mars missions. Soybeans may be processed into a variety of food products, including soymilk, tofu, and tempeh. Due to the closed environmental system and importance of crew health maintenance, food safety is a primary concern on long duration space missions. Identification of the food safety hazards and critical control points associated with the closed ALSSIT system is essential for the development of safe food processing techniques and equipment. A Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) model was developed to reflect proposed production and processing protocols for ALSSIT soybeans. Soybean processing was placed in the type III risk category. During the processing of ALSSIT-grown soybeans, critical control points were identified to control microbiological hazards, particularly mycotoxins, and chemical hazards from antinutrients. Critical limits were suggested at each CCP. Food safety recommendations regarding the hazards and risks associated with growing, harvesting, and processing soybeans; biomass management; and use of multifunctional equipment were made in consideration of the limitations and restraints of the closed ALSSIT.

Ultrasound findings predict progression to inflammatory arthritis in anti-CCP antibody-positive patients without clinical synovitis.

PubMed

Nam, Jackie L; Hensor, Elizabeth M A; Hunt, Laura; Conaghan, Philip G; Wakefield, Richard J; Emery, Paul

2016-12-01

To determine whether ultrasound can identify anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody-positive patients without clinical synovitis (CS) who progress to inflammatory arthritis (IA). In a prospective study, anti-CCP-positive patients without CS underwent ultrasound imaging of 32 joints (wrists, metacarpophalangeal joints, proximal interphalangeal joints and metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPs)) and were monitored for the development of IA. Associations between baseline ultrasound findings (grey scale (GS), power Doppler (PD) and erosions) and (1) progression to IA and (2) development of CS within an individual joint were measured. Consecutive anti-CCP-positive patients (n=136; mean age 51 years, 100 women) were followed up for median of 18.3 months (range 0.1-79.6). At baseline 96% had GS, 30% had PD and 21% had one or more erosions. IA developed in 57 patients (42%) after median of 8.6 months (range 0.1-52.4). Ultrasound abnormalities (GS ≥2, PD ≥1 or erosion ≥1) were found in 86% at baseline compared with 67% of non-progressors (χ 2 =6.3, p=0.012). Progression to IA was significantly higher in those with ultrasound findings in any joint (excluding MTPs for GS) (GS ≥2: 55% vs 24%, HR (95% CI) 2.3 (1.0 to 4.9), p=0.038; PD ≥2: 75% vs 32%, 3.7 (2.0 to 6.9), p<0.001 and erosion ≥1: 71% vs 34%, 2.9 (1.7 to 5.1), p<0.001). Furthermore, progression occurred earlier with PD ≥2 (median 7.1 vs 52.4 months) and erosion ≥1 (15.4 vs 46.5). At the individual joint level, the trend for progression to CS was more significant for GS and PD (GS ≥2: 26% vs 3%, 9.4 (5.1 to 17.5), p<0.001; PD ≥2: 55% vs 4%, 31.3 (15.6 to 62.9), p<0.001). Ultrasound features of joint inflammation may be detected in anti-CCP-positive patients without CS. Ultrasound findings predict progression (and rate of progression) to IA, with the risk of progression highest in those with PD signal. NCT02012764; Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Serum levels of anti-CCP antibodies, anti-MCV antibodies and RF IgA in the follow-up of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with rituximab.

PubMed

Fabris, Martina; De Vita, Salvatore; Blasone, Nadia; Visentini, Daniela; Pezzarini, Elena; Pontarini, Elena; Fabro, Cinzia; Quartuccio, Luca; Mazzolini, Saulle; Curcio, Francesco; Tonutti, Elio

2010-11-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by the presence of circulating rheumatoid factor (RF) and anticitrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA), which are positive in about 70-80% of patients. APCA have a higher specificity and therefore a higher diagnostic power than RF, but are less informative than RF in monitoring the course of the disease in patients under treatment. Recently, it has been reported that the anticitrullinated vimentin (a-MCV) antibody test can identify a particular subgroup of APCA that may be negative for anticyclic citrullinated peptide (a-CCP) antibodies. Concerning RF, the RF IgA isotype has been described as a more specific marker of erosive joint damage than total RF. The aim of our study was to monitor the levels of a-CCP, a-MCV, total RF and RF IgA in the follow-up of patients with RA treated with B-lymphocytedepletive rituximab (RTX), to detect any differences or peculiarities in patterns of these autoantibodies, especially in relation to their potential use as predictive markers of therapeutic response. We studied 30 patients with RA treated with RTX. All patients were previously unresponsive to at least 6 months of therapy with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs; methotrexate, leflunomide, cyclosporine, chloroquine) and/or at least 6 months of therapy with anti-TNF biologics. The evaluation of response to RTX was made at month +6 using the EULAR criteria (DAS28). a-CCP, a-MCV, total RF and RF IgA were determined at baseline (before the first infusion of RTX) and after 1, 3 and 6 months. In serum samples obtained before treatment two cytokines essential for Blymphocyte proliferation, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) were also determined. In all patients a significant and consistent reduction in all the tested antibodies was found during follow-up, with no differences in respect of the degree of response to RTX. Of note, at baseline, generally a higher titre of all autoantibodies was seen in patients who then showed a better response to RTX. Finally, there were no differences in serum concentrations of IL-6 and BLyS in patients in relation to the presence or absence of the autoantibodies investigated, nor was there any significant correlation between the serum concentrations of the cytokines and the titres of the autoantibodies. Thus, neither a-MCV compared to a- CCP, nor RF IgA compared to routine total RF, provided any additional predictive information in the follow-up of patients with RA treated with RTX.

KSC-2013-3092

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068344 - NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik gets into position in The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for a fit check evaluation at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Bresnik's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3088

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068317 - NASA astronaut Serena Aunon exits The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft following a fit check evaluation at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Aunon's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3080

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068269 - NASA astronaut Serena Aunon prepares to enter The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for a fit check evaluation at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Aunon's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3091

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068333 - NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik prepares to enter The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for a fit check evaluation at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Bresnik's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3078

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068260 - NASA astronaut Serena Aunon suits up for a fit check evaluation of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Aunon's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2012-1265

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Commercial Crew Program (CCP) Manager Ed Mango, left, and Deputy Program Manager Brent Jett host a Program Strategy Forum at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The forum was held to update industry partners about NASA's next phase of developing commercial space transportation system capabilities. CCP is helping to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of the program is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-3016

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-30

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-161-35 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle out to a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

KSC-2013-3022

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-31

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-164-34 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle out to a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

KSC-2013-3021

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-31

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-164-34 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle out to a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

KSC-2013-3025

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-27

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-0215-072 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle along a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

KSC-2013-3020

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-31

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-164-33 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle out to a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

KSC-2013-3019

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-31

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-164-32 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle out to a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

KSC-2013-3072

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068247 - The Boeing Company unveils its fully outfitted CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center in Texas. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is designed being to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Boeing is one of three aerospace industry partners working with CCP during its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3070

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068244 - The Boeing Company unveils the interior of its fully outfitted CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center in Texas. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Boeing is one of three aerospace industry partners working with CCP during its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3071

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068245 - The Boeing Company unveils the interior its fully outfitted CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center in Texas. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Boeing is one of three aerospace industry partners working with CCP during its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

Grid today, clouds on the horizon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiers, Jamie

2009-04-01

By the time of CCP 2008, the largest scientific machine in the world - the Large Hadron Collider - had been cooled down as scheduled to its operational temperature of below 2 degrees Kelvin and injection tests were starting. Collisions of proton beams at 5+5 TeV were expected within one to two months of the initial tests, with data taking at design energy ( 7+7 TeV) foreseen for 2009. In order to process the data from this world machine, we have put our "Higgs in one basket" - that of Grid computing [The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG), in: Proceedings of the Conference on Computational Physics 2006 (CCP 2006), vol. 177, 2007, pp. 219-223]. After many years of preparation, 2008 saw a final "Common Computing Readiness Challenge" (CCRC'08) - aimed at demonstrating full readiness for 2008 data taking, processing and analysis. By definition, this relied on a world-wide production Grid infrastructure. But change - as always - is on the horizon. The current funding model for Grids - which in Europe has been through 3 generations of EGEE projects, together with related projects in other parts of the world, including South America - is evolving towards a long-term, sustainable e-infrastructure, like the European Grid Initiative (EGI) [The European Grid Initiative Design Study, website at http://web.eu-egi.eu/]. At the same time, potentially new paradigms, such as that of "Cloud Computing" are emerging. This paper summarizes the results of CCRC'08 and discusses the potential impact of future Grid funding on both regional and international application communities. It contrasts Grid and Cloud computing models from both technical and sociological points of view. Finally, it discusses the requirements from production application communities, in terms of stability and continuity in the medium to long term.

75 FR 27119 - ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc., Plano, Texas; Approval of Conversion Application

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Thrift Supervision [AC-37: OTS No. H-47111] ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc., Plano, Texas; Approval of Conversion Application Notice is hereby given that on May 6, 2010, the Office of Thrift Supervision approved the application of ViewPoint MHC and ViewPoint Bank...

Oligomeric domain structure of human complement factor H by X-ray and neutron solution scattering

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

Perkins, S.J.; Nealis, A.S.; Sim, R.B.

1991-03-19

Factor H is a regulatory component of the complement system. It has a monomer M{sub r} of 150,000. Primary structure analysis shows that the polypeptide is divided into 20 homologous regions, each 60 amino acid residues long. These are independently folding domains and are termed short consensus repeats (SCRs) or complement control protein (CCP) repeats. High-flux synchrotron x-ray and neutron scatteriing studies were performed in order to define its solution structure in conditions close to physiological. The M{sub r} of factor H was determined as 250,000-320,000 to show that factor H is dimeric. The radius of gyration R{sub G} ofmore » native factor H by X-rays or by neutrons in 0% or 100% {sup 2}H{sub 2}O buffers is not measurable but is greater than 12.5 nm. Two cross-sectional radii of gyration R{sub XS-1} and R{sub XS-2} were determined as 3.0-3.1 and 1.8 nm, respectively. Analyses of the cross-sectional intensities show that factor H is composed of two distinct subunits. This model corresponds to an actual R{sub G} fo 21-23 nm. The separation between each SCR/CCP in factor H is close to 4 nm. In the solution structure of factor H, the SCR/CCP domains are in a highly extended conformation.« less

Nitrogen removal from wastewater through microbial electrolysis cells and cation exchange membrane.

PubMed

Haddadi, Sakineh; Nabi-Bidhendi, Gholamreza; Mehrdadi, Nasser

2014-02-17

Vulnerability of water resources to nutrients led to progressively stricter standards for wastewater effluents. Modification of the conventional procedures to meet the new standards is inevitable. New technologies should give a priority to nitrogen removal. In this paper, ammonium chloride and urine as nitrogen sources were used to investigate the capacity of a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) configured by cation exchange membrane (CEM) for electrochemical removal of nitrogen over open-and closed-circuit potentials (OCP and CCP) during biodegradation of organic matter. Results obtained from this study indicated that CEM was permeable to both organic and ammonium nitrogen over OCP. Power substantially mediated ammonium migration from anodic wastewater to the cathode, as well. With a urine rich wastewater in the anode, the maximum rate of ammonium intake into the cathode varied from 34.2 to 40.6 mg/L.h over CCP compared to 10.5-14.9 mg/L.h over OCP. Ammonium separation over CCP was directly related to current. For 1.46-2.12 mmol electron produced, 20.5-29.7 mg-N ammonium was removed. Current also increased cathodic pH up to 12, a desirable pH for changing ammonium ion to ammonia gas. Results emphasized the potential for MEC in control of ammonium through ammonium separation and ammonia volatilization provided that membrane characteristic is considered in their development.

Influence of the normal modes on the plasma uniformity in large scale CCP reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eremin, Denis; Brinkmann, Ralf Peter; Mussenbrock, Thomas; Lane, Barton; Matsukuma, Masaaki; Ventzek, Peter

2016-09-01

Large scale capacitively coupled plasmas (CCP) driven by sources with high frequency components often exhibit phenomena which are absent in relatively well understood small scale CCPs driven at low frequencies. Of particular interest are such phenomena which affect discharge parameters of direct relevance to the plasma processing applications. One of such parameters is plasma uniformity. By using a self-consistent 2d3v Particle-in-cell/Monte-Carlo (PIC/MCC) code parallelized on GPU we have been able to show that uniformity of the plasma generated is influenced predominantly by two factors, the ionization pattern caused by high-energy electrons and the average temperature of low-energy plasma electrons. The heating mechanisms for these two groups of electrons appear to be different leading to different transversal (radial) profiles of the corresponding factors, which is well captured by the kinetic PIC/MCC code. We find that the heating mechanisms are intrinsically connected with excitation of normal modes inherent to a plasma-filled CCP reactor. In this work we study the wave nature of these phenomena, such as their excitation, propagation, and interaction with electrons. Supported by SFB-TR 87 project of the German Research Foundation and by the ``Experimental and numerical analysis of very high frequency capacitively coupled plasma discharges'' mutual research project between RUB and Tokyo Electron Ltd.

Experimental studies of transplutonium metals and compounds under pressure

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

Peterson, J.R.; Haire, R.G.; Benedict, U.

1986-01-01

The structural behavior of the first four transplutonium metals and two Bk-Cf alloys as a function of pressure has been studied in diamond anvil cells via x-ray diffraction. The sequence of structures exhibited as pressure is increased is dhcp ..-->.. ccp ..-->.. orthorhombic. In addition a distorted ccp phase is observed in Am, Bk/sub 0.40/Cf/sub 0.60/, and Cf between the ccp and orthorhombic phases. Diamond anvil cells have also been used to contain AmI/sub 3/, CfBr/sub 3/, and CfCl/sub 3/ under pressure for investigation by absorption spectrophotometry. Both AmI/sub 3/ and CfBr/sub 3/ exhibit pressure-induced, irreversible phase transformations to themore » PuBr/sub 3/-type orthorhombic structure, a more dense form of these compounds. Thus the driving force for these transformations is more efficient crystal packing. Both hexagonal (to 22 GPa) and orthorhombic (to 35 GPa) CfCl/sub 3/ exhibit only reversible spectral changes with pressure. This probably reflects their nearly identical RTP unit cell volumes. In both cases the spectra obtained are consistent with a continuous alteration of the RTP structure with pressure; physical compression seems to make a given f-f transition easier. Additional data are being sought to elucidate more completely the behavior of CfCl/sub 3/ under pressure. 23 refs., 4 figs.« less

CCP

MedlinePlus

... Time and International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) PSEN1 Quantitative Immunoglobulins Red Blood Cell (RBC) Antibody Identification Red ... in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care & Research 64(5), 625-639. Taylor, P.C., Maini, ...

Disease-linked mutations in factor H reveal pivotal role of cofactor activity in self-surface-selective regulation of complement activation.

PubMed

Kerr, Heather; Wong, Edwin; Makou, Elisavet; Yang, Yi; Marchbank, Kevin; Kavanagh, David; Richards, Anna; Herbert, Andrew P; Barlow, Paul N

2017-08-11

Spontaneous activation enables the complement system to respond very rapidly to diverse threats. This activation is efficiently suppressed by complement factor H (CFH) on self-surfaces but not on foreign surfaces. The surface selectivity of CFH, a soluble protein containing 20 complement-control protein modules (CCPs 1-20), may be compromised by disease-linked mutations. However, which of the several functions of CFH drives this self-surface selectivity remains unknown. To address this, we expressed human CFH mutants in Pichia pastoris We found that recombinant I62-CFH (protective against age-related macular degeneration) and V62-CFH functioned equivalently, matching or outperforming plasma-derived CFH, whereas R53H-CFH, linked to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), was defective in C3bBb decay-accelerating activity (DAA) and factor I cofactor activity (CA). The aHUS-linked CCP 19 mutant D1119G-CFH had virtually no CA on (self-like) sheep erythrocytes ( E S ) but retained DAA. The aHUS-linked CCP 20 mutant S1191L/V1197A-CFH (LA-CFH) had dramatically reduced CA on E S but was less compromised in DAA. D1119G-CFH and LA-CFH both performed poorly at preventing complement-mediated hemolysis of E S PspCN, a CFH-binding Streptococcus pneumoniae protein domain, binds CFH tightly and increases accessibility of CCPs 19 and 20. PspCN did not improve the DAA of any CFH variant on E S Conversely, PspCN boosted the CA, on E S , of I62-CFH, R53H-CFH, and LA-CFH and also enhanced hemolysis protection by I62-CFH and LA-CFH. We conclude that CCPs 19 and 20 are critical for efficient CA on self-surfaces but less important for DAA. Exposing CCPs 19 and 20 with PspCN and thus enhancing CA on self-surfaces may reverse deficiencies of some CFH variants. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

KSC-2013-3076

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - NASA astronaut Serena Aunon puts on her orange launch-and-entry suit for a fit check evaluation of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Aunon's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3090

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068329 - NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik is interviewed by the media before he enters The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for a fit check evaluation at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Bresnik's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3079

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068264 - NASA astronaut Serena Aunon's boots are covered before she enters The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for a fit check evaluation at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Aunon's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-2357

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-15

EDWARDS, Calif. – ED13-0142-01: With its wings and tail structure removed and shrouded in plastic wrap for ground transport, Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, Space Systems' Dream Chaser engineering test article is hauled across the bed of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The Dream Chaser will begin its approach-and-landing flight test program in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program this summer. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

KSC-2013-2358

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-15

EDWARDS, Calif. – ED13-0142-03: Shrouded in plastic wrap with its wings and tail structure removed for ground transport, Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, Space Systems' Dream Chaser engineering test article is hauled across the bed of Rogers Dry Lake in front of the control tower at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The Dream Chaser will begin its flight test program in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program this summer. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

Enhancement of magnetoresistance by hydrogen ion treatment for current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistive films with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuasa, H.; Hara, M.; Murakami, S.; Fuji, Y.; Fukuzawa, H.; Zhang, K.; Li, M.; Schreck, E.; Wang, P.; Chen, M.

2010-09-01

We have enhanced magnetoresistance (MR) for current-perpendicular-to-plane giant-magnetoresistive (CPP-GMR) films with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer (CCP-NOL). In order to realize higher purity in Cu for CCPs, hydrogen ion treatment (HIT) was applied as the CuOx reduction process. By applying the HIT process, an MR ratio was increased to 27.4% even in the case of using conventional FeCo magnetic layer, from 13.0% for a reference without the HIT process. Atom probe tomography data confirmed oxygen reduction by the HIT process in the CCP-NOL. The relationship between oxygen counts and MR ratio indicates that further oxygen reduction would realize an MR ratio greater than 50%.

Formation of CCP-NOL in CPP-GMR spin valve structure for the enhancement of magnetoresistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Y. M.; Isogami, S.; Tsunoda, M.; Takahashi, M.; Yoo, S. I.

2007-03-01

For the MR enhancement in current perpendicular to plane-giant magetoresistance spin valve (CPP-GMR SV), a current-confined path—nano-oxide layer (CCP-NOL)—AlO x was formed on the Cu spacer of half SV structure. In order to form effective current-confining paths, an ultra-thin AlO x layer was deposited on a Cu spacer layer by O 2 reactive sputtering of Al with infra-red (IR) heat treatment on the substrate, and that enable to form an island-structured insulating AlO x layer having holes between AlO x islands. By controlling PO 2 and substrate temperature in the NOL deposition, AlO x layer formation without an oxidizing bottom layer could be achieved.

Recent advances in the CRANK software suite for experimental phasing

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

Pannu, Navraj S., E-mail: raj@chem.leidenuniv.nl; Waterreus, Willem-Jan; Skubák, Pavol

2011-04-01

Recent developments in the CRANK software suite for experimental phasing have led to many more structures being built automatically. For its first release in 2004, CRANK was shown to effectively detect and phase anomalous scatterers from single-wavelength anomalous diffraction data. Since then, CRANK has been significantly improved and many more structures can be built automatically with single- or multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction or single isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering data. Here, the new algorithms that have been developed that have led to these substantial improvements are discussed and CRANK’s performance on over 100 real data sets is shown. The latest versionmore » of CRANK is freely available for download at http://www.bfsc.leidenuniv.nl/software/crank/ and from CCP4 (http://www.ccp4.ac.uk/)« less

KSC-2012-1012

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable poster of the aerospace companies NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) entered into Space Act Agreements with during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in 2011 in order to mature the design and development of crew transportation systems with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. CCDev2 companies are Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1009

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable banner of the aerospace companies NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) entered into Space Act Agreements with during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in 2011 in order to mature the design and development of crew transportation systems with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. CCDev2 companies are Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Broadband 0.25-um Gallium Nitride (GaN) Power Amplifier Designs

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-14

CP pF RES ID=R1 R=RP Ohm PORT P=1 Z=50 Ohm RP=87.5ohm/mm... CP =-0.31pF/mm For 1.75mm, RP=50ohms, CP =0.54pf CP = 0.31 * size size=1.75 RP = 87.5 / size CAP ID=C1 C=CP1 pF RES ID=R1 R=RP Ohm IND ID=L1 L=LP1 nH CAP...ID=C2 C=Cser2 pF IND ID=L2 L=Lser2 nH IND ID=L3 L=LP1 nH CAP ID=C3 C=CP1 pF PORT P=1 Z=50 Ohm PORT P=2 Z=50 Ohm size=1.75 RP = 87.5 / size CP =

KSC-2013-3024

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-27

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-0215-024 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members prepare to tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle along a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

KSC-2013-3023

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-27

Edwards, Calif. – ED13-0215-016 - Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC Space Systems' team members prepare to tow the Dream Chaser flight vehicle along a concrete runway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California for range and taxi tow tests. The ground testing will validate the performance of the spacecraft's nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

Stakeholder Evaluation for Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge: Completion Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sexton, Natalie R.; Burkardt, Nina; Swann, Margaret Earlene; Stewart, Susan C.

2009-01-01

The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is the largest system of public lands in the world dedicated to wildlife conservation. There are over 545 national wildlife refuges nationwide, encompassing 95 million acres. As part of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, each refuge is developing 15-year comprehensive conservation plans (CCPs). Each CCP describes a vision and desired future condition for the refuge and outlines goals, objectives, and management strategies for each refuge's habitat and visitor service programs. The CCP process for Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) in Davis, West Virginia was initiated in 2006. This planning process provides a unique opportunity for public input and involvement. Public involvement is an important part of the CCP process. Participation by parties with a stake in the resource (stakeholders) has the potential to increase understanding and support and reduce conflicts. Additionally, meaningful public participation in a decision process may increase trust and provide satisfaction in terms of both process and outcome for management and the public. Public meetings are a common way to obtain input from community members, visitors, and potential visitors. An 'Issues Workbook' is another tool the FWS uses to obtain public input and participation early in the planning process. Sometimes, however, these traditional methods do not capture the full range of perspectives that exist. A stakeholder evaluation is a way to more fully understand community preferences and opinions related to key topics in refuge planning. It can also help refuge staff understand how changes in management affect individuals in terms of their preference for services and experiences. Secondarily, a process such as this can address 'social goals' such as fostering trust in regulating agencies and reducing conflict among stakeholders. As part of the CCP planning effort at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the FWS sponsored a stakeholder evaluation conducted by the Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch of U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center the winter of 2006-2007. The stakeholder evaluation was intended to answer the following questions: 1)Which Refuge management issues are most important, and to whom?, 2)How do opinions about what is most important to stakeholders overlap or conflict?, 3)Why do stakeholders emphasize specific issues, and what values are driving this?, and 4)What potential solutions do stakeholders have for addressing important issues? This information will be used by the Refuge to help guide development of their CCP as they strive to balance stakeholder desires with their charge to manage the unique wetlands and uplands of the Canaan Valley for wildlife conservation.

CCP Meetings with Kathy Lueders

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, listens to updates during a meeting with the staff at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

76 FR 12794 - Notice of Open Public Hearing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-08

... examine the various narratives emerging from China in regards to Chinese foreign and national security... into policy debates inside the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regarding China's relations with other...

Conversion of Deletions during Recombination in Pneumococcal Transformation

PubMed Central

Lefevre, J. C.; Mostachfi, P.; Gasc, A. M.; Guillot, E.; Pasta, F.; Sicard, M.

1989-01-01

Genetic analysis of 16 deletions obtained in the amiA locus of pneumococcus is described. When present on donor DNA, all deletions increased drastically the frequency of wild-type recombinants in two-point crosses. This effect was maximal for deletions longer than 200 bases. It was reduced for heterologies shorter than 76 bases and did not exist for very short deletions. In three-point crosses in which the deletion was localized between two point mutations, we demonstrated that this excess of wild-type recombinants was the result of a genetic conversion. This conversion extended over several scores of bases outside the deletion. Conversion takes place during the heteroduplex stage of recombination. Therefore, in pneumococcal transformation, long heterologies participated in this heteroduplex configuration. As this conversion did not require an active DNA polymerase A gene it is proposed that the mechanism of conversion is not a DNA repair synthesis but involves breakage and ligation between DNA molecules. Conversion of deletions did not require the Hex system of correction of mismatched bases. It differs also from localized conversion. It appears that it is a process that evolved to correct errors of replication which lead to long heterologies and which are not eliminated by other systems. PMID:2599365

KSC-2013-3081

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068284 - John Elbon, vice president for Space Exploration for The Boeing Company, addresses the media before the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3089

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068324 - Kathy Lueders, NASA deputy manager for the Commercial Crew Program, is interviewed by the media during the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3083

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068290 - Kathy Lueders, NASA deputy manager for the Commercial Crew Program, addresses the media before the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3084

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068296 - John Mulholland, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew, for The Boeing Company, addresses the media before the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3082

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068287 - John Elbon, vice president for Space Exploration for The Boeing Company, addresses the media before the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3077

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068259 - NASA astronaut Serena Aunon prepares for a fit check evaluation of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Assisting her is Andrea Gilkey, a human factors engineer with The Boeing Company. Aunon's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-2360

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-15

EDWARDS, Calif. – ED13-0142-10: The flatbed truck and trailer that transported Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, Space Systems' Dream Chaser engineering test article pauses on the aircraft ramp at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., upon arrival at the center. Following removal of the protective plastic wrap and reinstallation of its wings and tail structure, the Dream Chaser will begin ground tests in the next few weeks leading to approach and landing flight tests this summer. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

KSC-2013-2359

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-15

EDWARDS, Calif. – ED13-0142-08: The flatbed truck and trailer that transported Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, Space Systems' Dream Chaser engineering test article pauses behind Hangar 4802 on the aircraft ramp at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., upon arrival at the center. The vehicle was shrouded in protective plastic wrap with its wings and tail structure removed for its four-day overland transport from Sierra Nevada's facility in Louisville, Colo., to NASA Dryden. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

Large area in situ fabrication of poly(pyrrole)-nanowires on flexible thermoplastic films using nanocontact printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Cruz, Alvaro; Lee, Michael; Marote, Pedro; Zine, Nadia; Sigaud, Monique; Bonhomme, Anne; Pruna, Raquel; Lopez, Manuel; Bausells, Joan; Jaffrezic, Nicole; Errachid, Abdelhamid

2016-08-01

Highly efficient nano-engineering tools will certainly revolutionize the biomedical and sensing devices research and development in the years to come. Here, we present a novel high performance conducting poly(pyrrole) nanowires (PPy-NW) patterning technology on thermoplastic surfaces (poly(ethylene terephthalate (PETE), poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), and cyclic olefin copolymer) using nanocontact printing and controlled chemical polymerization (nCP-CCP) technique. The technique uses a commercial compact disk as a template to produce nanopatterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps. The PDMS nanopatterned stamp was applied to print the PPy-NWs and the developed technology of nCP-CCP produced 3D conducting nanostructures. This new and very promising nanopatterning technology was achieved in a single step and with a low cost of fabrication over large areas.

KSC-2013-2361

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-15

EDWARDS, Calif. – ED13-0142-11: The truck and trailer that transported the Dream Chaser engineering test article from Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, Space Systems facility in Louisville, Colo., arrives on the aircraft ramp at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., early in the morning. Based on NASA's HL-20 lifting body design, the Dream Chaser will begin its approach-and-landing flight test program in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program this summer. SNC is one of three companies working with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP and its industry partners, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

KSC-2013-1046

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-01-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At a news conference NASA officials and industry partners discuss progress of the agency's Commercial Crew Program CCP. Participating in the briefing, from the left are, Mike Curie, NASA Public Affairs, Ed Mango, NASA Commercial Crew Program manager, Phil McAlister, NASA Commercial Spaceflight Development director, Rob Meyerson, Blue Origin president and program manager, John Mulholland, The Boeing Company Commercial Programs Space Exploration vice president and program manager, Mark Sirangelo, Sierra Nevada Corp. vice president and SNC Space Systems chairman and Garrett Reisman, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX Commercial Crew project manager. Through CCP, NASA is facilitating the development of U.S. commercial crew space transportation capabilities to achieve safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from low-Earth orbit for potential future government and commercial customers. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-3073

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068248 - Chris Ferguson, director of Crew and Mission Operations for The Boeing Company, is interviewed by the media during the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Boeing is one of three aerospace industry partners working with CCP during its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

Visitor survey results for the Souris River Loop National Wildlife Refuges: Completion report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sexton, Natalie R.; Koontz, Lynne; Stewart, Susan C.

2005-01-01

In support of the CCP planning effort for the Souris River Loop Refuges, the Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch/Fort Collins Science Center (PASA) of the U.S. Geological Survey conducted visitor surveys at three refuges in North Dakota: Des Lacs, J. Clark Salyer, and Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuges. This research was conducted in order to assess visitor experience, perceptions, and preferences and visitor spending related to recreation on these public lands. This baseline information and input is needed by the refuges to inform their CCP process. Specifically, this survey research assesses the characteristics of visitors and their trips, the activities in which visitors engage while on the refuge, details regarding their trip experience, as well as their preferences and attitudes about various management features, including existing and future conditions. 

Study of dual radio frequency capacitively coupled plasma: an analytical treatment matched to an experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saikia, P.; Bhuyan, H.; Escalona, M.; Favre, M.; Wyndham, E.; Maze, J.; Schulze, J.

2018-01-01

The behavior of a dual frequency capacitively coupled plasma (2f CCP) driven by 2.26 and 13.56 MHz radio frequency (rf) source is investigated using an approach that integrates a theoretical model and experimental data. The basis of the theoretical analysis is a time dependent dual frequency analytical sheath model that casts the relation between the instantaneous sheath potential and plasma parameters. The parameters used in the model are obtained by operating the 2f CCP experiment (2.26 MHz + 13.56 MHz) in argon at a working pressure of 50 mTorr. Experimentally measured plasma parameters such as the electron density, electron temperature, as well as the rf current density ratios are the inputs of the theoretical model. Subsequently, a convenient analytical solution for the output sheath potential and sheath thickness was derived. A comparison of the present numerical results is done with the results obtained in another 2f CCP experiment conducted by Semmler et al (2007 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 16 839). A good quantitative correspondence is obtained. The numerical solution shows the variation of sheath potential with the low and high frequency (HF) rf powers. In the low pressure plasma, the sheath potential is a qualitative measure of DC self-bias which in turn determines the ion energy. Thus, using this analytical model, the measured values of the DC self-bias as a function of low and HF rf powers are explained in detail.

Reversals of national fortune, and social science methodologies.

PubMed

Diamond, Jared

2014-12-16

Among non-European regions colonized by Europeans, regions that were relatively richer five centuries ago (like Mexico, Peru, and India) tend to be poorer today, while regions that originally were relatively poorer (like the United States, Chile, and Australia) tend now to be richer. Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson (abbreviated AJR) established the generality of this reversal of fortune. Chanda, Cook, and Putterman (abbreviated CCP) have now reanalyzed it, taking as a unit of analysis populations rather than geographic regions. That is, India's population was Indian 500 y ago and is still overwhelmingly Indian today, whereas the United States' population was Native American 500 years ago but is overwhelmingly Old World (especially European) today. Reversals of fortune disappeared when CCP analyzed populations rather than geographic regions: for instance, the geographic region of the modern United States has become relatively richer since AD 1500, but the predominantly European population now occupying the United States was already relatively rich in AD 1500. Evidently, European colonists carried ingredients of wealth with them. I discuss the biological and cultural baggage transported by European immigrants and associated with wealth. Among that baggage, AJR emphasize institutions, CCP emphasize social capital, and I identify many different elements only loosely coupled to each other. This paper discusses the problem, especially acute in the social sciences, of "operationalizing" intuitive concepts (such as mass, temperature, wealth, and innovation) so that they can be measured. Basic concepts tend to be harder to define, operationalize, and measure in the social sciences than in the laboratory sciences.

Expression of the Agmatine Deiminase Pathway in Enterococcus faecalis Is Activated by the AguR Regulator and Repressed by CcpA and PTSMan Systems

PubMed Central

Blancato, Víctor S.; Magni, Christian

2013-01-01

Although the agmatine deiminase system (AgDI) has been investigated in Enterococcus faecalis, little information is available with respect to its gene regulation. In this study we demonstrate that the presence of exogenous agmatine induces the expression of agu genes in this bacterium. In contrast to the homologous and extensively characterized AgDI system of S. mutants, the aguBDAC operon in E. faecalis is not induced in response to low pH. In spite of this, agmatine catabolism in this bacterium contributes by neutralizing the external medium while enhancing bacterial growth. Our results indicate that carbon catabolic repression (CCR) operates on the AgDI system via a mechanism that involves interaction of CcpA and P-Ser-HPr with a cre site found in an unusual position considering the aguB promoter (55 nt upstream the +1 position). In addition, we found that components of the mannose phosphotransferase (PTSMan) system also contributed to CCR in E. faecalis since a complete relief of the PTS-sugars repressive effect was observed only in a PTSMan and CcpA double defective strain. Our gene context analysis revealed that aguR is present in oral and gastrointestinal microorganisms. Thus, regulation of the aguBDAC operon in E. faecalis seems to have evolved to obtain energy and resist low pH conditions in order to persist and colonize gastrointestinal niches. PMID:24155893

Remission of rheumatoid arthritis and potential determinants: a national multi-center cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Wang, Guan-Ying; Zhang, Sa-Li; Wang, Xiu-Ru; Feng, Min; Li, Chun; An, Yuan; Li, Xiao-Feng; Wang, Li-Zhi; Wang, Cai-Hong; Wang, Yong-Fu; Yang, Rong; Yan, Hui-Ming; Wang, Guo-Chun; Lu, Xin; Liu, Xia; Zhu, Ping; Chen, Li-Na; Jin, Hong-Tao; Liu, Jin-Ting; Guo, Hui-Fang; Chen, Hai-Ying; Xie, Jian-Li; Wei, Ping; Wang, Jun-Xiang; Liu, Xiang-Yuan; Sun, Lin; Cui, Liu-Fu; Shu, Rong; Liu, Bai-Lu; Yu, Ping; Zhang, Zhuo-Li; Li, Guang-Tao; Li, Zhen-Bin; Yang, Jing; Li, Jun-Fang; Jia, Bin; Zhang, Feng-Xiao; Tao, Jie-Mei; Lin, Jin-Ying; Wei, Mei-Qiu; Liu, Xiao-Min; Ke, Dan; Hu, Shao-Xian; Ye, Cong; Han, Shu-Ling; Yang, Xiu-Yan; Li, Hao; Huang, Ci-Bo; Gao, Ming; Lai, Bei; Cheng, Yong-Jing; Li, Xing-Fu; Song, Li-Jun; Yu, Xiao-Xia; Wang, Ai-Xue; Wu, Li-Jun; Wang, Yan-Hua; He, Lan; Sun, Wen-Wen; Gong, Lu; Wang, Xiao-Yuan; Wang, Yi; Zhao, Yi; Li, Xiao-Xia; Wang, Yan; Zhang, Yan; Su, Yin; Zhang, Chun-Fang; Mu, Rong; Li, Zhan-Guo

2015-02-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the remission rate of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China and identify its potential determinants. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2009 to January 2012. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews of the rheumatology outpatients in 28 tertiary hospitals in China. The remission rates were calculated in 486 RA patients according to different definitions of remission: the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), and the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) Boolean definition. Potential determinants of RA remission were assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. The remission rates of RA from this multi-center cohort were 8.6% (DAS28), 8.4% (SDAI), 8.2% (CDAI), and 6.8% (Boolean), respectively. Favorable factors associated with remission were: low Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score, absence of rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), and treatment of methotrexate (MTX) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Younger age was also predictive for the DAS28 and the Boolean remission. Multivariate analyses revealed a low HAQ score, the absence of anti-CCP, and the treatment with HCQ as independent determinants of remission. The clinical remission rate of RA patients was low in China. A low HAQ score, the absence of anti-CCP, and HCQ were significant independent determinants for RA remission.

Impact of managed care on the treatment, costs, and outcomes of fee-for-service Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Bundorf, M Kate; Schulman, Kevin A; Stafford, Judith A; Gaskin, Darrell; Jollis, James G; Escarce, José J

2004-02-01

To examine the effects of market-level managed care activity on the treatment, cost, and outcomes of care for Medicare fee-for-service acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. Patients from the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project (CCP), a sample of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from nonfederal acute-care hospitals with a primary discharge diagnosis of AMI from January 1994 to February 1996. We estimated models of patient treatment, costs, and outcomes using ordinary least squares and logistic regression. The independent variables of primary interest were market-area managed care penetration and competition. The models included controls for patient, hospital, and other market area characteristics. We merged the CCP data with Medicare claims and other data sources. The study sample included CCP patients aged 65 and older who were admitted during 1994 and 1995 with a confirmed AMI to a nonrural hospital. Rates of revascularization and cardiac catheterization for Medicare fee-for-service patients with AMI are lower in high-HMO penetration markets than in low-penetration ones. Patients admitted in high-HMO-competition markets, in contrast, are more likely to receive cardiac catheterization for treatment of their AMI and had higher treatment costs than those admitted in low-competition markets. The level of managed care activity in the health care market affects the process of care for Medicare fee-for-service AMI patients. Spillovers from managed care activity to patients with other types of insurance are more likely when managed care organizations have greater market power.

Comparison of Two Assays to Determine Anti-Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis in relation to Other Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: Assaying Anti-Modified Citrullinated Vimentin Antibodies Adds Value to Second-Generation Anti-Citrullinated Cyclic Peptides Testing

PubMed Central

Díaz-Toscano, Miriam Lizette; Olivas-Flores, Eva Maria; Zavaleta-Muñiz, Soraya Amali; Gamez-Nava, Jorge Ivan; Cardona-Muñoz, Ernesto German; Ponce-Guarneros, Manuel; Castro-Contreras, Uriel; Nava, Arnulfo; Salazar-Paramo, Mario; Celis, Alfredo; Fajardo-Robledo, Nicte Selene; Corona-Sanchez, Esther Guadalupe; Gonzalez-Lopez, Laura

2014-01-01

Determination of anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) plays a relevant role in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To date, it is still unclear if the use of several tests for these autoantibodies in the same patient offers additional value as compared to performing only one test. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of using two assays for ACPA: second-generation anti-citrullinated cyclic peptides antibodies (anti-CCP2) and anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) antibodies for the diagnosis of RA. We compared three groups: RA (n = 142), chronic inflammatory disease (CIRD, n = 86), and clinically healthy subjects (CHS, n = 56) to evaluate sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios (LR) of these two assays for the presence of RA. A lower frequency of positivity for anti-CCP2 was found in RA (66.2%) as compared with anti-MCV (81.0%). When comparing RA versus other CIRD, sensitivity increased when both assays were performed. This strategy of testing both assays had high specificity and LR+. We conclude that adding the assay of anti-MCV antibodies to the determination of anti-CCP2 increases the sensitivity for detecting seropositive RA. Therefore, we propose the use of both assays in the initial screening of RA in longitudinal studies, including early onset of undifferentiated arthritis. PMID:25025037

Floating-to-Fixed-Point Conversion for Digital Signal Processors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menard, Daniel; Chillet, Daniel; Sentieys, Olivier

2006-12-01

Digital signal processing applications are specified with floating-point data types but they are usually implemented in embedded systems with fixed-point arithmetic to minimise cost and power consumption. Thus, methodologies which establish automatically the fixed-point specification are required to reduce the application time-to-market. In this paper, a new methodology for the floating-to-fixed point conversion is proposed for software implementations. The aim of our approach is to determine the fixed-point specification which minimises the code execution time for a given accuracy constraint. Compared to previous methodologies, our approach takes into account the DSP architecture to optimise the fixed-point formats and the floating-to-fixed-point conversion process is coupled with the code generation process. The fixed-point data types and the position of the scaling operations are optimised to reduce the code execution time. To evaluate the fixed-point computation accuracy, an analytical approach is used to reduce the optimisation time compared to the existing methods based on simulation. The methodology stages are described and several experiment results are presented to underline the efficiency of this approach.

Glide of threading edge dislocations after basal plane dislocation conversion during 4H-SiC epitaxial growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadier, Mina; Song, Haizheng; Sudarshan, Tangali S.; Picard, Yoosuf N.; Skowronski, Marek

2015-05-01

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and KOH etching were used to analyze the motion of dislocations after the conversion of basal plane dislocations (BPDs) to threading edge dislocations (TEDs) during 4H-SiC epitaxy. The locations of TED etch pits on the epilayer surface were shifted compared to the original locations of BPD etch pits on the substrate surface. The shift of the TED etch pits was mostly along the BPD line directions towards the up-step direction. For converted screw type BPDs, the conversion points were located below the substrate/epilayer interface. The shift distances in the step-flow direction were proportional to the depths of the BPD-TED conversion points below the substrate/epilayer interface. For converted mixed type BPDs, the conversion points were exactly at the interface. Through TEM analysis, it was concluded that the dislocation shift is caused by a combined effect of H2 etching prior to growth and glide of the threading segments during high temperature epitaxy. The TED glide is only possible for converted pure screw type BPDs and could present a viable means for eliminating BPDs from the epilayer during growth by moving the conversion point below the substrate/epilayer interface.

The Impact of Mutation and Gene Conversion on the Local Diversification of Antigen Genes in African Trypanosomes

PubMed Central

Gjini, Erida; Haydon, Daniel T.; Barry, J. David; Cobbold, Christina A.

2012-01-01

Patterns of genetic diversity in parasite antigen gene families hold important information about their potential to generate antigenic variation within and between hosts. The evolution of such gene families is typically driven by gene duplication, followed by point mutation and gene conversion. There is great interest in estimating the rates of these processes from molecular sequences for understanding the evolution of the pathogen and its significance for infection processes. In this study, a series of models are constructed to investigate hypotheses about the nucleotide diversity patterns between closely related gene sequences from the antigen gene archive of the African trypanosome, the protozoan parasite causative of human sleeping sickness in Equatorial Africa. We use a hidden Markov model approach to identify two scales of diversification: clustering of sequence mismatches, a putative indicator of gene conversion events with other lower-identity donor genes in the archive, and at a sparser scale, isolated mismatches, likely arising from independent point mutations. In addition to quantifying the respective probabilities of occurrence of these two processes, our approach yields estimates for the gene conversion tract length distribution and the average diversity contributed locally by conversion events. Model fitting is conducted using a Bayesian framework. We find that diversifying gene conversion events with lower-identity partners occur at least five times less frequently than point mutations on variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) pairs, and the average imported conversion tract is between 14 and 25 nucleotides long. However, because of the high diversity introduced by gene conversion, the two processes have almost equal impact on the per-nucleotide rate of sequence diversification between VSG subfamily members. We are able to disentangle the most likely locations of point mutations and conversions on each aligned gene pair. PMID:22735079

P- and S-wave Receiver Function Imaging with Scattering Kernels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, S. M.; Schmandt, B.

2017-12-01

Full waveform inversion provides a flexible approach to the seismic parameter estimation problem and can account for the full physics of wave propagation using numeric simulations. However, this approach requires significant computational resources due to the demanding nature of solving the forward and adjoint problems. This issue is particularly acute for temporary passive-source seismic experiments (e.g. PASSCAL) that have traditionally relied on teleseismic earthquakes as sources resulting in a global scale forward problem. Various approximation strategies have been proposed to reduce the computational burden such as hybrid methods that embed a heterogeneous regional scale model in a 1D global model. In this study, we focus specifically on the problem of scattered wave imaging (migration) using both P- and S-wave receiver function data. The proposed method relies on body-wave scattering kernels that are derived from the adjoint data sensitivity kernels which are typically used for full waveform inversion. The forward problem is approximated using ray theory yielding a computationally efficient imaging algorithm that can resolve dipping and discontinuous velocity interfaces in 3D. From the imaging perspective, this approach is closely related to elastic reverse time migration. An energy stable finite-difference method is used to simulate elastic wave propagation in a 2D hypothetical subduction zone model. The resulting synthetic P- and S-wave receiver function datasets are used to validate the imaging method. The kernel images are compared with those generated by the Generalized Radon Transform (GRT) and Common Conversion Point stacking (CCP) methods. These results demonstrate the potential of the kernel imaging approach to constrain lithospheric structure in complex geologic environments with sufficiently dense recordings of teleseismic data. This is demonstrated using a receiver function dataset from the Central California Seismic Experiment which shows several dipping interfaces related to the tectonic assembly of this region. Figure 1. Scattering kernel examples for three receiver function phases. A) direct P-to-s (Ps), B) direct S-to-p and C) free-surface PP-to-s (PPs).

76 FR 61378 - Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Clallam County, WA; Comprehensive Conservation Plan and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... winter, including dabbling and diving ducks, shorebirds, and bald eagles. Dungeness Refuge also provides... wildlife and habitat in the CCP and environmental document? What research or monitoring studies are needed...

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge: 2009 Designing Greener Chemicals Award

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge 2009 award winners, Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) and Cook Composites and Polymers Co. (CCP), developed Chempol MPS resins and Sefose sucrose esters to enable high-performance low-VOC alkyd paints.

Creating Critical Objectives and Assessments Using a Critical Communication Pedagogical Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahl, David H., Jr.

2018-01-01

Courses: Instructional Communication, Graduate Teaching Assistant Training Programs. Objectives: Students will (1) understand critical communication pedagogy (CCP); (2) evaluate traditional and critical objectives and assessment procedures; and (3) create critical objectives and assessment procedures.

76 FR 60522 - Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, Kotzebue, AK; Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-29

... availability. SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, USFWS), announce the availability of our... available our draft CCP and Environmental Assessment (EA) and requested comments in a notice of availability...

KSC-2013-3086

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068304 - Chris Ferguson, director of Crew and Mission Operations for The Boeing Company and former NASA astronaut, is interviewed by the media during the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3087

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068310 - Chris Ferguson, director of Crew and Mission Operations for The Boeing Company and former NASA astronaut, discusses the fit check evaluation of the CST-100 mock-up with the media during its unveiling at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3074

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - NASA astronaut Serena Aunon and Andrea Gilkey, a human factors engineer with The Boeing Company, tag up before Aunon puts on her orange launch-and-entry suit for a fit check evaluation of the CST-100 spacecraft at the company's Houston Product Support Center. Aunon's fit check will help evaluate a crew's maneuverability in the spacecraft and test communications. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2013-3085

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-22

HOUSTON - JSC2013e068300 - Chris Ferguson, director of Crew and Mission Operations for The Boeing Company and former NASA astronaut, addresses the media before the unveiling of a CST-100 mock-up at the company's Houston Product Support Center. This test version is optimized to support five crew members and will allow the company to evaluate crew safety, interfaces, communications, maneuverability and ergonomics. Boeing's CST-100 is being designed to transport crew members or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth-orbit destinations. The evaluation is part of the ongoing work supporting Boeing's funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative. CCiCap is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers. To learn more about CCP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

KSC-2012-1014

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-21

BOULDER, Colo. – A Sierra Nevada Corp. team member examines the company's structural test article for the Dream Chaser spacecraft in the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology. The university is one of Sierra Nevada’s partners on the design and development of the Dream Chaser orbital crew vehicle. Dream Chaser is one of five systems NASA invested in during Commercial Crew Development Round 1 CCDev1 activities in order to aid in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit destinations. In 2011, NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP entered into another funded Space Act Agreement with Sierra Nevada for the second round of commercial crew development CCDev2) so the company could further develop its Dream Chaser spacecraft for NASA transportation services. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

Distributed computing for macromolecular crystallography

PubMed Central

Krissinel, Evgeny; Uski, Ville; Lebedev, Andrey; Ballard, Charles

2018-01-01

Modern crystallographic computing is characterized by the growing role of automated structure-solution pipelines, which represent complex expert systems utilizing a number of program components, decision makers and databases. They also require considerable computational resources and regular database maintenance, which is increasingly more difficult to provide at the level of individual desktop-based CCP4 setups. On the other hand, there is a significant growth in data processed in the field, which brings up the issue of centralized facilities for keeping both the data collected and structure-solution projects. The paradigm of distributed computing and data management offers a convenient approach to tackling these problems, which has become more attractive in recent years owing to the popularity of mobile devices such as tablets and ultra-portable laptops. In this article, an overview is given of developments by CCP4 aimed at bringing distributed crystallographic computations to a wide crystallographic community. PMID:29533240

Extravasation of paclitaxel into breast tissue from central catheter port.

PubMed

Barutca, Sabri; Kadikoylu, Gurhan; Bolaman, Zahit; Meydan, Nezih; Yavasoglu, Irfan

2002-10-01

A 53-year-old woman with advanced-stage ovarian cancer experienced extravasation of paclitaxel into the breast tissue as a result of inappropriate needle insertion and/or dislodgement; it came from a central catheter port (CCP) that was found to be intact under radiological examination with contrast material. The breast became tender and oedematous with erythema, and local warming was observed within a few hours. The patient improved in the next few days during nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication and close observation, and the breast healed with thickened and darkened skin and central scarring in the 6th month of follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, extravasation into breast tissue is rare in the literature. Extravasation of vesicant drugs from CCP can cause tissue necrosis; it is therefore essential that ports be carefully assessed and used by experienced staff to lessen the likelihood of such an unpleasant complication.

Distributed computing for macromolecular crystallography.

PubMed

Krissinel, Evgeny; Uski, Ville; Lebedev, Andrey; Winn, Martyn; Ballard, Charles

2018-02-01

Modern crystallographic computing is characterized by the growing role of automated structure-solution pipelines, which represent complex expert systems utilizing a number of program components, decision makers and databases. They also require considerable computational resources and regular database maintenance, which is increasingly more difficult to provide at the level of individual desktop-based CCP4 setups. On the other hand, there is a significant growth in data processed in the field, which brings up the issue of centralized facilities for keeping both the data collected and structure-solution projects. The paradigm of distributed computing and data management offers a convenient approach to tackling these problems, which has become more attractive in recent years owing to the popularity of mobile devices such as tablets and ultra-portable laptops. In this article, an overview is given of developments by CCP4 aimed at bringing distributed crystallographic computations to a wide crystallographic community.

KSC-2011-8117

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Dragon capsule under development by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected SpaceX during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Space Exploration Technologies

KSC-2012-1823

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Human Spacecraft being considered for NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP. In 2011, NASA and Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercialcrew Image credit: Excalibur Almaz Inc.

KSC-2011-8114

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the CST-100 under development by The Boeing Co. of Houston for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Boeing during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: The Boeing Co.

KSC-2011-8116

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Dream Chaser spacecraft under development by Sierra Nevada of Centennial, Colo., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Sierra Nevada during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

KSC-2011-8115

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Space Vehicle under development by Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Blue Origin during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Blue Origin

KSC-2012-4215

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of NASA's Commercial Crew Program or CCP, logo and low Earth orbit. The program is entering its third phase of development, called Commercial Crew integrated Capability, or CCiCap, to propel America's next human space transportation system to low Earth orbit forward. Operating under funded Space Act Agreements, or SAAs, The Boeing Co. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp., or SNC, Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, of Hawthorne, Calif., will spend the next 21 months completing their designs, conducting critical risk reduction testing on their spacecraft and launch vehicles, and showcasing how they would operate and manage missions from launch through orbit and landing, setting the stage for future demonstration missions. To learn more about CCP, which is based at Kennedy and supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Matthew Young

Implementation of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) in dried anchovy production process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Citraresmi, A. D. P.; Wahyuni, E. E.

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to inspect the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) for identification and prevention of potential hazards in the production process of dried anchovy at PT. Kelola Mina Laut (KML), Lobuk unit, Sumenep. Cold storage process is needed in each anchovy processing step in order to maintain its physical and chemical condition. In addition, the implementation of quality assurance system should be undertaken to maintain product quality. The research was conducted using a survey method, by following the whole process of making anchovy from the receiving raw materials to the packaging of final product. The method of data analysis used was descriptive analysis method. Implementation of HACCP at PT. KML, Lobuk unit, Sumenep was conducted by applying Pre Requisite Programs (PRP) and preparation stage consisting of 5 initial stages and 7 principles of HACCP. The results showed that CCP was found in boiling process flow with significant hazard of Listeria monocytogenesis bacteria and final sorting process with significant hazard of foreign material contamination in the product. Actions taken were controlling boiling temperature of 100 – 105°C for 3 - 5 minutes and training for sorting process employees.

Modulation of Electroosmotic Flow through Skin: Effect of Poly(Amidoamine) Dendrimers

PubMed Central

Kim, Hye Ji; Oh, Seaung Youl

2018-01-01

The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers on electroosmotic flow (EOF) through skin. The effect of size and concentration of dendrimer was studied, using generation 1, 4 and 7 dendrimer (G1, G4 and G7, respectively). As a marker molecule for the direction and magnitude of EOF, a neutral molecule, acetoaminophen (AAP) was used. The visualization of dendrimer permeation into the current conducting pore (CCP) of skin was made using G4–fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugate and confocal microscopy. Without dendrimer, anodal flux of AAP was much higher than cathodal or passive flux. When G1 dendrimer was added, anodal flux decreased, presumably due to the decrease in EOF by the association of G1 dendrimer with net negative charge in CCP. As the generation increased, larger decrease in anodal flux was observed, and the direction of EOF was reversed. Small amount of methanol used for the preparation of dendrimer solution also contributed to the decrease in anodal flux of AAP. Cross-sectional view perpendicular to the skin surface by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) study showed that G4 dendrimer-FITC conjugate (G4-FITC) can penetrate into the viable epidermis and dermis under anodal current. The permeation route seemed to be localized on hair follicle region. These results suggest that PAMAM dendrimers can permeate into CCP and change the magnitude and direction of EOF. Overall, we obtained a better understanding on the mechanistic insights into the electroosmosis phenomena and its role on flux during iontophoresis. PMID:29310428

Myosin Va Plays a Role in Nitrergic Smooth Muscle Relaxation in Gastric Fundus and Corpora Cavernosa of Penis

PubMed Central

Carew, Josephine A.; Goyal, Raj K.; Sullivan, Maryrose P.

2014-01-01

The intracellular motor protein myosin Va is involved in nitrergic neurotransmission possibly by trafficking of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) within the nerve terminals. In this study, we examined the role of myosin Va in the stomach and penis, proto-typical smooth muscle organs in which nitric oxide (NO) mediated relaxation is critical for function. We used confocal microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation of tissue from the gastric fundus (GF) and penile corpus cavernosum (CCP) to localize myosin Va with nNOS and demonstrate their molecular interaction. We utilized in vitro mechanical studies to test whether smooth muscle relaxations during nitrergic neuromuscular neurotransmission is altered in DBA (dilute, brown, non-agouti) mice which lack functional myosin Va. Myosin Va was localized in nNOS-positive nerve terminals and was co-immunoprecipitated with nNOS in both GF and CCP. In comparison to C57BL/6J wild type (WT) mice, electrical field stimulation (EFS) of precontracted smooth muscles of GF and CCP from DBA animals showed significant impairment of nitrergic relaxation. An NO donor, Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), caused comparable levels of relaxation in smooth muscles of WT and DBA mice. These normal postjunctional responses to SNP in DBA tissues suggest that impairment of smooth muscle relaxation resulted from inhibition of NO synthesis in prejunctional nerve terminals. Our results suggest that normal physiological processes of relaxation of gastric and cavernosal smooth muscles that facilitate food accommodation and penile erection, respectively, may be disrupted under conditions of myosin Va deficiency, resulting in complications like gastroparesis and erectile dysfunction. PMID:24516539

Reversals of national fortune, and social science methodologies

PubMed Central

Diamond, Jared

2014-01-01

Among non-European regions colonized by Europeans, regions that were relatively richer five centuries ago (like Mexico, Peru, and India) tend to be poorer today, while regions that originally were relatively poorer (like the United States, Chile, and Australia) tend now to be richer. Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson (abbreviated AJR) established the generality of this reversal of fortune. Chanda, Cook, and Putterman (abbreviated CCP) have now reanalyzed it, taking as a unit of analysis populations rather than geographic regions. That is, India's population was Indian 500 y ago and is still overwhelmingly Indian today, whereas the United States' population was Native American 500 years ago but is overwhelmingly Old World (especially European) today. Reversals of fortune disappeared when CCP analyzed populations rather than geographic regions: for instance, the geographic region of the modern United States has become relatively richer since AD 1500, but the predominantly European population now occupying the United States was already relatively rich in AD 1500. Evidently, European colonists carried ingredients of wealth with them. I discuss the biological and cultural baggage transported by European immigrants and associated with wealth. Among that baggage, AJR emphasize institutions, CCP emphasize social capital, and I identify many different elements only loosely coupled to each other. This paper discusses the problem, especially acute in the social sciences, of “operationalizing” intuitive concepts (such as mass, temperature, wealth, and innovation) so that they can be measured. Basic concepts tend to be harder to define, operationalize, and measure in the social sciences than in the laboratory sciences. PMID:25385597

KSC-2011-7887

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Andy Aldrin, director of business development for United Launch Alliance (ULA), talks to media about plans to launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ULA is working to make its Atlas V rocket safe for humans for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities. Part of those plans will be to design and test an emergency detection system and crew access capabilities. ULA also is working with other aerospace system providers developing spacecraft that would launch atop the company's Atlas V rocket, such as Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada and The Boeing Co. CCP, which is based at the adjacent NASA's Kennedy Space Center, is partnering with industry to take crews to the station or other low Earth orbit destinations. Aldrin explained that the goal of ULA will be to develop a human spaceflight capability without altering rocket's proven design and successful track record. It's the freedom to develop innovative solutions such as this that CCP hopes will drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

75 FR 4414 - Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Lanier County, GA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-27

... opportunities include wildlife observation and wildlife photography. The refuge hosts several listed species... CCP. The compatibility determinations for fishing; wildlife observation; wildlife photography..., photography, and interpretation; guided sport fishing; vegetation control on refuge shoreline by adjacent...

78 FR 66056 - Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Carlton Pond Waterfowl Production Area, Penobscot...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-04

... hiking, hunting, and fishing. Background The CCP Process The National Wildlife Refuge System... activities, such as wildlife observation, photography, hiking, snowmobiling, and hunting, would continue to... management (if warranted) to [[Page 66058

Bond strength of primer/cement systems to zirconia subjected to artificial aging.

PubMed

Zhao, Li; Jian, Yu-Tao; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Zhao, Ke

2016-11-01

Creating reliable and durable adhesion to the nonactive zirconia surface is difficult and has limited zirconia use. The introduction of functional monomers such as 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP) appears to have enhanced bond strength to zirconia. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the long-term bond strength of several MDP-containing primer/cement systems to zirconia. Zirconia blocks were divided into 6 groups (n=24) according to the 3 primers/cements to be bonded, as follows: Scotchbond Universal/RelyX Ultimate (SU/RU; consisting of MDP-containing primer/MDP-free cement); Clearfil ceramic primer/Panavia F (CCP/PAN; consisting ofMDP-containing/MDP-containing); and Z-Prime Plus/Duo-Link (ZP/DUO; consisting ofMDP-containing/MDP-free), which were compared with 3 nonprimed groups, RU, PAN, and DUO. After bonding, each group was further divided into 3 subgroups (n=8) according to the level of aging: 24-hour storage in water at 37°C (24H); 30-day storage at 37°C (30D); and 30-day storage at 37°C followed by 3000 thermal cycles (30D/TC). After aging, a shear bond strength test and failure mode analysis were performed. The data were analyzed using 2-way ANOVA (α=.05). After aging, nearly all primer/cement groups presented significantly higher bond strength than the related nonprimed groups for each level of aging (P<.05), except for CCP/PAN versus PAN with 24H (P=.741). SU/RU had the highest bond strength among the groups for all treatments (P<.05), except for CCP/PAN versus SU/RU with 30D/TC (P=.171). Among the nonprimed groups, only RU went through 30D/TC without premature debonding. With 24H and 30D, the failure modes in SU/RU and CCP/PAN were purely mixed, whereas those in the other groups were mainly adhesive, except for RU. The superiority of the initial bond strength in SU/RU may result from some functional components other than MDP. The presence of MDP in the cement did not appear to have a positive effect on long-term bond strength to zirconia. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social capital and health in China: exploring the mediating role of lifestyle.

PubMed

Xue, Xindong; Cheng, Mingmei

2017-11-06

Although social capital as a key determinant of health has been well established in various studies, little is known about how lifestyle factors mediate this relationship. Understanding the cross-relationships between social capital, health, and lifestyle factors is important if health promotion policies are to be effective. The purpose of this study is to explore whether different dimensions of social capital and lifestyle factors are related, and whether lifestyle factors mediate the association between social capital and self-rated health (SRH) and psychological well-being (PWB) in China. This study used nationally representative data from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies (n = 28,916). The data reported on three dimensions of individual-level social capital: social trust, social relationship and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) membership. Health was assessed using SRH and PWB. Five lifestyle indicators were recorded: healthy diet, physical activity, smoking, sleeping, and non-overweight status. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between social capital and lifestyle factors, and whether there was a mediating role of lifestyle. Odds ratios relating health status to social capital were reported before and after adjustment for lifestyle factors. Mediation analysis was then used to calculate the total, direct and indirect effects of social capital on SRH and PWB. The results show that social trust was significantly associated with all five lifestyle factors. Social relationship was significantly associated with four of the five: healthy diet, physical activity, sleeping and non-overweight. CCP membership was only significantly associated with two lifestyle factors: physical activity and non-overweight. Social trust and social relationship were significantly related to both SRH and PWB. CCP membership was only significantly related to SRH. Mediation analysis found modest evidence that lifestyle factors influenced the relationship between all three types of social capital and SRH. In contrast, only social trust and social relationship, but not CCP membership, were mediated by lifestyle factors with respect to PWB. This study is the first to explore the mediating role of lifestyle factors in the relationship between social capital and health in China. The overall findings suggest that lifestyle factors modestly mediate the association between social capital and health. The degree of mediating effect varies across different dimensions of social capital. Social capital-based health promotion policies would benefit from taking lifestyle factors into account.

Association of levels of antibodies against citrullinated cyclic peptides and citrullinated α-enolase in chronic and aggressive periodontitis as a risk factor of Rheumatoid arthritis: a case control study.

PubMed

Reichert, Stefan; Schlumberger, Wolfgang; Dähnrich, Cornelia; Hornig, Nora; Altermann, Wolfgang; Schaller, Hans-Günter; Schulz, Susanne

2015-08-29

Periodontal disease could be a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is assumed that the bacterial strain Porphyromonas gingivalis mediates citrullination of host peptides and thereby the generation of RA-associated autoantibodies in genetically predisposed individuals. For that reason non-RA individuals who suffered from generalized aggressive (GAgP, N = 51) and generalized chronic periodontitis (GChP, N = 50) were investigated regarding the occurrence of antibodies against citrullinated cyclic peptides (anti-CCP) and citrullinated α-enolase peptide-1 (anti-CEP-1) in comparison to non-RA non-periodontitis controls (N = 89). Furthermore, putative associations between infections with five periodontopathic bacteria or expression of certain human leucocyte antigens (HLA) to these autoantibodies were investigated. The presence of anti-CCP and anti-CEP-1 in plasma samples was conducted with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Subgingival plaque specimens were taken from the deepest pocket of each quadrant and pooled. For detection of DNA of five periodontopathic bacteria PCR with sequence specific oligonucleotides was carried out. Low resolution HLA typing was carried out with PCR with sequence specific primers. Differences between patients and controls were assessed using Chi square test with Yates correction or Fisher`s exact test if the expected number n in one group was <5. Two patients with GAgP (3.9%), no patient with GChP and two controls (2.2%, pFisher = 0.662) were positive for anti-CEP-1 whereas no study participant was anti-CCP positive. Individuals with P. gingivalis were slightly more often anti-CEP-1 positive in comparison to individuals without P. gingivalis (3.2 vs. 1.1%, pFisher = 0.366). Carrier of HLA-DQB1*06 or the HLA combination DRB1*13; DRB3*; DQB1*06 were slightly more anti-CEP-1 positive (6.1 and 4.3%) than no carriers (0.7 and 0%, pFisher 0.053). GAgP and GChP and the presence of periodontopathic bacteria are not associated with an increased risk for occurrence of anti-CCP and anti-CEP-1 autoantibodies. The putative relationship between periodontitis and RA should be investigated in further studies.

Regulation of the glv Operon in Bacillus subtilis: YfiA (GlvR) Is a Positive Regulator of the Operon That Is Repressed through CcpA and cre

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Hiroki; Serizawa, Masakuni; Thompson, John; Sekiguchi, Junichi

2001-01-01

Maltose metabolism and the regulation of the glv operon of Bacillus subtilis, comprising three genes, glvA (6-phospho-α-glucosidase), yfiA (now designated glvR), and glvC (EIICB transport protein), were investigated. Maltose dissimilation was dependent primarily upon the glv operon, and insertional inactivation of either glvA, glvR, or glvC markedly inhibited growth on the disaccharide. A second system (MalL) contributed to a minor extent to maltose metabolism. Northern blotting revealed two transcripts corresponding to a monocistronic mRNA of glvA and a polycistronic mRNA of glvA-glvR-glvC. Primer extension analysis showed that both transcripts started at the same base (G) located 26 bp upstream of the 5′ end of glvA. When glvR was placed under control of the spac promoter, expression of the glv operon was dependent upon the presence of isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). In regulatory studies, the promoter sequence of the glv operon was fused to lacZ and inserted into the amyE locus, and the resultant strain (AMGLV) was then transformed with a citrate-controlled glvR plasmid, pHYCM2VR. When cultured in Difco sporulation medium containing citrate, this transformant [AMGLV(pHYCM2VR)] expressed LacZ activity, but synthesis of LacZ was repressed by glucose. In an isogenic strain, [AMGLVCR(pHYCM2VR)], except for a mutation in the sequence of a catabolite-responsive element (cre), LacZ activity was expressed in the presence of citrate and glucose. Insertion of a citrate-controlled glvR plasmid at the amyE locus of ccpA+ and ccpA mutant organisms yielded strains AMCMVR and AMCMVRCC, respectively. In the presence of both glucose and citrate, AMCMVR failed to express the glv operon, whereas under the same conditions high-level expression of both mRNA transcripts was found in strain AMCMVRCC. Collectively, our findings suggest that GlvR (the product of the glvR gene) is a positive regulator of the glv operon and that glucose exerts its effect via catabolite repression requiring both CcpA and cre. PMID:11489864

[Significance of glucose-6-phosphate isomerase assay in early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis].

PubMed

Xu, J; Liu, J; Zhu, L; Zhang, X W; Li, Z G

2016-12-18

To explore the titer of glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) for early diagnosis of the outpatient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in real life, and to analyze its relationship with disease activity. In the study, 1 051 patients with arthritis were collected in the group who had joints tender and swelling, and 90 cases of healthy people as a control group. ELISA method was used to detect the serum level of GPI, and according to clinical features and laboratory test, all the patients including 525 RA patients, the other patients including osteoarthritis (OA), 134 cases of seronegative spine joint disease (SpA), 104 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 31 cases of primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS), 24 cases of gout arthritis (GA), 22 cases of other connective tissue diseases (including polymyalgia rheumatica, dermatomyositis, systemic sclerosis, adult Still disease) and 46 cases of other diseases (including 165 cases of osteoporosis, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, traumatic osteomyelitis, bone and joint disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, tumor). The diagnostic values of GPI were assessed, and the differences between the GPI positive and negative groups of the RA patients in clinical characteristics, disease activity, severity and inflammatory index analyzed. The positive rate of serum GPI in the patients with RA was 55.4%, contrasting to other autoimmune diseases (14.3%) and healthy controls (7.78%)(P<0.001). Compared with the OA and SpA patients, the RA group was increased more significantly, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The diagnostic value of GPI alone for RA was 0.39 mg/L, the sensitivity was 54.2%, and specificity was 87.3%. The positive rate of GPI in RF negative patients was 36.1%; the positive rate of GPI in anti-CCP antibody negative patients was 34.2%; the positive rate of GPI in RF and anti-CCP antibody negative patients was 24.1%. The level of GPI had positive correlation (P<0.05) with ESR, RF, anti-CCP antibody and HRF-IgG. GPI is sensitive in the patients with RA; GPI positive is important in the diagnosis of RA with anti-CCP antibody and/or RF negative patients. The titer of GPI is related with disease activity of RA.

Navy Stock Point Local Unique Computer Programs: An Analysis for Transition and Management Under the Stock Point ADP Replacement (SPAR) Project.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-01

Project (SPAR). An impor- tant issue of the replacement will be the conversion of existing co uter software to allow transition from the current... issue of the replacement will be the conversion of existing computer software to allow transition from the current hardware environment to the replacement...36 G. LOCAL PROGRAM C1/C2 CONVERSION CONTRACT . . . 38 5 H. LOCAL PROGRAM COMMONALITY ISSUES ....... 41 I. SUMMARY

A novel bedside test for ACPA: the CCPoint test is moving the laboratory to the rheumatologist's office.

PubMed

Zandman-Goddard, Gisele; Soriano, Alessandra; Gilburd, Boris; Lidar, Merav; Kivity, Shaye; Kopilov, Ron; Langevitz, Pnina; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Agmon-Levin, Nancy

2017-02-01

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune destructive joint disease affecting 1 % of the general population. In recent years, the benefits of identifying RA at an early stage and initiating therapy before joint damage occurs have been acknowledged. An elevated anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) level serves as a marker for the early diagnosis of RA. Often the diagnosis is delayed because conventional methods of antibody detection require referral to a specific laboratory. In the current study, we determined the diagnostic accuracy of a new lateral flow point-of-care kit available for ACPA detection in the rheumatologist office. The presence of ACPA was determined by the visually read, qualitative rapid CCPoint ® test (Euro-Diagnostica, Malmö, Sweden) compared to routinely used ELISA assays (Immunoscan CCPlus ® -Euro-Diagnostica, Sweden, and QuantLite ® CCP3-INOVA Diagnostics Inc., USA), in the sera of 184 patients: early RA(n = 38), established RA (n = 84), inflammatory arthritis(n = 34) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (n = 28). ACPA was detected in 18/38(47 %), 53/84(63 %), 2/34(6 %) and 2/28(7 %) of patients with early RA, established RA, inflammatory arthritis and SLE, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity, negative and positive predictive values of the CCPoint ® test were equivalent to the Immunoscan CCPlus ® and Quanta Lite ® CCP3 ELISA assays. Correlation between ACPA positive results detected in the different assays was 97 %, while negative agreement reached 98 %. Excellent correlation (100 %) was observed between CCPoint ® results obtained using capillary blood versus serum. CCPoint ® is a novel technology that allows for a rapid accurate analysis of ACPA and diagnosis during the patient's visit in the rheumatologist office.

Fuel feasibility study for Red River Army Depot boiler plant. Final report. [Economic breakeven points for conversion to fossil fuels

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

Ables, L.D.

This paper establishes economic breakeven points for the conversion to various fossil fuels as a function of time and pollution constraints for the main boiler plant at Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas. In carrying out the objectives of this paper, the author develops what he considers to be the basic conversion costs and operating costs for each fossil fuel under investigation. These costs are analyzed by the use of the present worth comparison method, and the minimum cost difference between the present fuel and the proposed fuel which would justify the conversion to the proposed fuel is calculated.more » These calculated breakeven points allow a fast and easy method of determining the feasibility of a fuel by merely knowing the relative price difference between the fuels under consideration. (GRA)« less

Commerical Crew Program (CCP) Astronauts Speak To Media

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-11

Astronauts selected to train for the flight tests of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program talked to members of the media at the News Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.

Commerical Crew Program (CCP) Astronauts Speak To Media

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-11

Astronauts selected to train for the flight tests of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program talked to members of the media at the News Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the discussion, astronaut Bob Behnken answers a question.

Commerical Crew Program (CCP) Astronauts Speak To Media

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-11

Astronauts selected to train for the flight tests of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program talked to members of the media at the News Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the discussion, astronaut Doug Hurley answers a question.

75 FR 30422 - Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Chariton County, MO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-01

... the next 15 years. Management includes conservation, restoration, and preservation but occurs...: Notice of availability: draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment; request for... comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and draft environmental assessment (EA) for Swan Lake National Wildlife...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hybrid and Plug-In Electric Vehicle

Science.gov Websites

components. In some cases, conversions can affect the vehicle's factory warranty. HEV conversions require which point the vehicle acts like an HEV. In some cases, conversions can affect the vehicle's factory

Mistaken Identifiers: Gene name errors can be introduced inadvertently when using Excel in bioinformatics

PubMed Central

Zeeberg, Barry R; Riss, Joseph; Kane, David W; Bussey, Kimberly J; Uchio, Edward; Linehan, W Marston; Barrett, J Carl; Weinstein, John N

2004-01-01

Background When processing microarray data sets, we recently noticed that some gene names were being changed inadvertently to non-gene names. Results A little detective work traced the problem to default date format conversions and floating-point format conversions in the very useful Excel program package. The date conversions affect at least 30 gene names; the floating-point conversions affect at least 2,000 if Riken identifiers are included. These conversions are irreversible; the original gene names cannot be recovered. Conclusions Users of Excel for analyses involving gene names should be aware of this problem, which can cause genes, including medically important ones, to be lost from view and which has contaminated even carefully curated public databases. We provide work-arounds and scripts for circumventing the problem. PMID:15214961

Cotton pest management practices and the selection of pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae population in northern Benin.

PubMed

Yadouleton, Anges; Martin, Thibaud; Padonou, Gil; Chandre, Fabrice; Asidi, Alex; Djogbenou, Luc; Dabiré, Roch; Aïkpon, Rock; Boko, Michel; Glitho, Isabelle; Akogbeto, Martin

2011-04-13

Pyrethroid insecticides, carbamate and organophosphate are the classes of insecticides commonly used in agriculture for crop protection in Benin. Pyrethroids remain the only class of insecticides recommended by the WHO for impregnation of bed nets. Unfortunately, the high level of pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae s.l., threatens to undermine the success of pyrethroid treated nets. This study focuses on the investigation of agricultural practices in cotton growing areas, and their direct impact on larval populations of An. gambiae in surrounding breeding sites. The protocol was based on the collection of agro-sociological data where farmers were subjected to semi-structured questionnaires based on the strategies used for crop protection. This was complemented by bioassay tests to assess the susceptibility of malaria vectors to various insecticides. Molecular analysis was performed to characterize the resistance genes and the molecular forms of An. gambiae. Insecticide residues in soil samples from breeding sites were investigated to determine major factors that can inhibit the normal growth of mosquito larvae by exposing susceptible and resistant laboratory strains. There is a common use by local farmers of mineral fertilizer NPK at 200 kg/ha and urea at 50 kg/hectare following insecticide treatments in both the Calendar Control Program (CCP) and the Targeted Intermittent Control Program (TICP). By contrast, no chemicals are involved in Biological Program (BP) where farmers use organic and natural fertilizers which include animal excreta.Susceptibility test results confirmed a high resistance to DDT. Mean mortality of An. gambiae collected from the farms practicing CCP, TICP and BP methods were 33%, 42% and 65% respectively. An. gambiae populations from areas using the CCP and TICP programs showed resistance to permethrin with mortality of 50% and 58% respectively. By contrast, bioassay test results of An. gambiae from BP areas gave a high level of susceptibility to permethrin with an average mortality of 94%.Molecular analysis identified An. gambiae s.s, and An. arabiensis with a high predominance of An. gambiae s.s (90%). The two molecular forms, M and S, were also determined with a high frequency of the S form (96%).The Kdr gene seemed the main target- site resistance mechanism detected in CCP, TICP, and BP areas at the rates ranging from 32 to 78%. The frequency of ace-1R gene was very low (< 0.1).The presence of inhibiting factors in soil samples under insecticide treatments were found and affected negatively in delaying the development of An. gambiae larval populations. This research shows that Kdr has spread widely in An. gambiae, mainly in CCP and TICP areas where pyrethroids are extensively used. To reduce the negative impact of pesticides use in cotton crop protection, the application of BP-like programs, which do not appear to select for vector resistance would be useful. These results could serve as scientific evidence of the spread of resistance due to a massive agricultural use of insecticides and contribute to the management of pesticides usage on cotton crops hence reducing the selection pressure of insecticides on An. gambiae populations.

76 FR 13427 - Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Santa Cruz County, CA; Final Comprehensive Conservation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

... Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, and currently supports 2 of the 20 known breeding populations of the salamander. We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the final CCP for Ellicott Slough...

CCP Astronauts at LC 39A and SpaceX Recovery Ship

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-28

Commercial Crew Astronauts Bob Behnken , Eric Boe, Doug Hurley, and Suni Williams survey SpaceX's progress at Launch Complex 39 A. The survey helped ensure the was familiar with the launch complex and recovery ship prior to missions to station.

75 FR 39038 - Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and Wetland Management District, Minnesota

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-07

... forest birds and their habitats. Alternative 4: Current Management Direction of Conservation, Restoration... Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability: draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental... availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and draft environmental assessment (EA) for...

78 FR 4430 - Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, FL; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-22

..., Florida. In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years. ADDRESSES.... Research will include a broader suite of species, as well as habitat studies to adaptively manage for...

Structural investigation of C4b-binding protein by molecular modeling: localization of putative binding sites.

PubMed

Villoutreix, B O; Härdig, Y; Wallqvist, A; Covell, D G; García de Frutos, P; Dahlbäck, B

1998-06-01

C4b-binding protein (C4BP) contributes to the regulation of the classical pathway of the complement system and plays an important role in blood coagulation. The main human C4BP isoform is composed of one beta-chain and seven alpha-chains essentially built from three and eight complement control protein (CCP) modules, respectively, followed by a nonrepeat carboxy-terminal region involved in polymerization of the chains. C4BP is known to interact with heparin, C4b, complement factor I, serum amyloid P component, streptococcal Arp and Sir proteins, and factor VIII/VIIIa via its alpha-chains and with protein S through its beta-chain. The principal aim of the present study was to localize regions of C4BP involved in the interaction with C4b, Arp, and heparin. For this purpose, a computer model of the 8 CCP modules of C4BP alpha-chain was constructed, taking into account data from previous electron microscopy (EM) studies. This structure was investigated in the context of known and/or new experimental data. Analysis of the alpha-chain model, together with monoclonal antibody studies and heparin binding experiments, suggests that a patch of positively charged residues, at the interface between the first and second CCP modules, plays an important role in the interaction between C4BP and C4b/Arp/Sir/heparin. Putative binding sites, secondary-structure prediction for the central core, and an overall reevaluation of the size of the C4BP molecule are also presented. An understanding of these intermolecular interactions should contribute to the rational design of potential therapeutic agents aiming at interfering specifically some of these protein-protein interactions.

Prevalence of Asymptomatic Arterial Hypertension and Its Correlation with Inflammatory Activity in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

PubMed

Bajraktari, Ismet H; Rexhepi, Sylejman; Berisha, Idriz; Lahu, Ali; Kryeziu, Avni; Durmishi, Bastri; Bajraktari, Halit; Bahtiri, Elton

2017-08-15

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that worsens during the course of the disease and can cause disability. Early RA refers to the onset of symptoms within the past 3 months. In RA, increased levels of mediators of inflammation may cause arterial stiffness consequently leading to arterial hypertension. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic arterial hypertension in early RA patients as well as the correlation with parameters of inflammation. One hundred and seventy-nine early RA patients diagnosed in agreement with ACR/EULAR (American College of Rheumatology/ European League against Rheumatism) 2010 criteria were consecutively included in the study. CRP (C-reactive protein) and anti CCP (Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides) serum levels, WBC (white blood cells) count and ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate), likewise DAS-28 (28-joint disease activity score) were determined in all included patients. Parametric tests were used to compare the characteristics of the groups and to test the correlation of the variables. Statistical data analysis revealed that a majority of the patients were females (n = 141; 78.7%); the mean age at RA onset was 49.13 ± 12.13 years. Overall prevalence of hypertension was 44.13 % (n = 79). In comparison with the normotensive patients, the hypertensive patients were older and had significantly higher values of CRP, ESR, anti-CCP and DAS-28. A highly significant positive correlation between all the study parameters and systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed. Presence of significantly higher values of CRP, ESR, anti-CCP and DAS-28 in hypertensive patients indicate that inflammation is associated with an increased risk of hypertension. In this context, early screening for arterial hypertension and adequate therapeutic measures should be considered in early RA patients.

An innovative carbonate coprecipitation process for the removal of zinc and manganese from mining impacted waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sibrell, P.L.; Chambers, M.A.; Deaguero, A.L.; Wildeman, T.R.; Reisman, D.J.

2007-01-01

Although mine drainage is usually thought of as acidic, there are many cases where the water is of neutral pH, but still contains metal species that can be harmful to human or aquatic animal health, such as manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). Typical treatment of mine drainage waters involves pH adjustment, but this often results in excessive sludge formation and removal of nontoxic species such as magnesium and calcium. Theoretical consideration of the stability of metal carbonate species suggests that the target metals could be removed from solution by coprecipitation with calcium carbonate. The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a limestone-based process for remediation of acid mine drainage that increases calcium carbonate saturation. This treatment could then be coupled with carbonate coprecipitation as an innovative method for removal of toxic metals from circumneutral mine drainage waters. The new process was termed the carbonate coprecipitation (CCP) process. The CCP process was tested at the laboratory scale using a synthetic mine water containing 50 mg/L each of Mn and Zn. Best results showed over 95% removal of both Mn and Zn in less than 2 h of contact in a limestone channel. The process was then tested on a sample of water from the Palmerton zinc superfund site, near Palmerton, Pennsylvania, containing over 300 mg/L Zn and 60 mg/L Mn. Treatment of this water resulted in removal of over 95% of the Zn and 40% of the Mn in the limestone channel configuration. Because of the potential economic advantages of the CCP process, further research is recommended for refinement of the process for the Palmerton water and for application to other mining impacted waters as well. ?? Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Cornu cervi pantotrichum Pharmacopuncture Solution Facilitate Hair Growth in C57BL/6 Mice

PubMed Central

Lee, Seon-Yong; Lee, Dong-Jin; Kwon, Kang; Lee, Chang-Hyun; Shin, Hyun Jong; Kim, Jai Eun; Ha, Ki-Tae; Jeong, Han-Sol

2016-01-01

Objectives: Cornu cervi pantotrichum (CCP) has been widely used in Korean and China, as an anti-fatigue, anti-aging, and tonic agent to enhance the functions of the reproductive and the immune systems. Because CCP has various growth factors that play important roles in the development of hair follicles, we examined whether CCP pharmacopuncture solution (CCPPS) was capable of promoting hair growth in an animal model. Methods: One day after hair depilation, CCPPS were topically applied to the dorsal skin of C57BL/6 mice once a day for 15 days. Hair growth activity was evaluated by using macro- and microscopic observations. Dorsal skin tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Expressions of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-7 were examined by using immunohistochemical staining. A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was also conducted to measure the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of FGF-7. Results: CCPPS induced more active hair growth than normal saline. Histologic analysis showed enlargement of the dermal papilla, elongation of the hair shaft, and expansion of hair thickness in CCPPS treated mice, indicating that CCPPS effectively induced the development of anagen. CCPPS treatment markedly increased the expressions of BrdU and PCNA in the hair follicles of C57BL/6 mice. In addition, CCPPS up regulated the expression of FGF-7, which plays an important role in the development of hair follicles. Conclusion: These results reveal that CCPPS facilitates hair re-growth by proliferation of hair follicular cells and up-regulation of FGF-7 and suggest that CCPPS can potentially be applied as an alternative treatment for patients with alopecia. PMID:27386145

IgA rheumatoid factor as a serological predictor of poor response to tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Sakthiswary, Rajalingham; Shaharir, Syahrul S; Mohd Said, Mohd S; Asrul, Abdul W; Shahril, Nor S

2014-11-01

The main objective of this study is to elucidate the role of immunoglobulin A (IgA) rheumatoid factor (RF) in predicting the clinical response to tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors (TNFi) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We recruited all patients with RA who were ever on TNFi for a minimum duration of 3 months at our centre. Based on the European League Against Rheumatism response criteria, subjects were further divided into responders and non-responders. Age-matched RA patients who were on conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and in remission were enrolled as controls. Subjects were tested for quantitative values of IgA, IgM, IgG RF and anti-citrulinated cyclic peptides (CCP). Further, all subjects were assessed for the disease activity score that includes 28 joints (DAS28) and Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) 8-item Disability Index (HAQ-DI). A total of 31 subjects with RA who had received TNFi and 15 controls were enrolled in this study. There was a trend for the non-responders (n = 10) to have higher levels of all isotypes of RF and anti-CCP. However, only the IgA RF and anti-CCP levels were significantly higher in the non-responder group compared to the responders and controls (P = 0.001, P = 0.034, respectively). On multivariate analysis, only the IgA RF remained significant (OR 0.989; 95% CI 0.980-0.999; P = 0.026). IgA RF is potentially a novel predictor of response to TNFi in RA patients. Testing for pretreatment IgA RF levels could be a reasonable consideration before commencement of TNFi. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Potential cost-effectiveness of universal access to modern contraceptives in Uganda.

PubMed

Babigumira, Joseph B; Stergachis, Andy; Veenstra, David L; Gardner, Jacqueline S; Ngonzi, Joseph; Mukasa-Kivunike, Peter; Garrison, Louis P

2012-01-01

Over two thirds of women who need contraception in Uganda lack access to modern effective methods. This study was conducted to estimate the potential cost-effectiveness of achieving universal access to modern contraceptives in Uganda by implementing a hypothetical new contraceptive program (NCP) from both societal and governmental (Ministry of Health (MoH)) perspectives. A Markov model was developed to compare the NCP to the status quo or current contraceptive program (CCP). The model followed a hypothetical cohort of 15-year old girls over a lifetime horizon. Data were obtained from the Uganda National Demographic and Health Survey and from published and unpublished sources. Costs, life expectancy, disability-adjusted life expectancy, pregnancies, fertility and incremental cost-effectiveness measured as cost per life-year (LY) gained, cost per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted, cost per pregnancy averted and cost per unit of fertility reduction were calculated. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of results. Mean discounted life expectancy and disability-adjusted life expectancy (DALE) were higher under the NCP vs. CCP (28.74 vs. 28.65 years and 27.38 vs. 27.01 respectively). Mean pregnancies and live births per woman were lower under the NCP (9.51 vs. 7.90 and 6.92 vs. 5.79 respectively). Mean lifetime societal costs per woman were lower for the NCP from the societal perspective ($1,949 vs. $1,987) and the MoH perspective ($636 vs. $685). In the incremental analysis, the NCP dominated the CCP, i.e. it was both less costly and more effective. The results were robust to univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Universal access to modern contraceptives in Uganda appears to be highly cost-effective. Increasing contraceptive coverage should be considered among Uganda's public health priorities.

Novel high-frequency energy-efficient pulsed-dc generator for capacitively coupled plasma discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamun, Md Abdullah Al; Furuta, Hiroshi; Hatta, Akimitsu

2018-03-01

The circuit design, assembly, and operating tests of a high-frequency and high-voltage (HV) pulsed dc generator (PDG) for capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) discharge inside a vacuum chamber are reported. For capacitive loads, it is challenging to obtain sharp rectangular pulses with fast rising and falling edges, requiring intense current for quick charging and discharging. The requirement of intense current generally limits the pulse operation frequency. In this study, we present a new type of PDG consisting of a pair of half-resonant converters and a constant current-controller circuit connected with HV solid-state power switches that can deliver almost rectangular high voltage pulses with fast rising and falling edges for CCP discharge. A prototype of the PDG is assembled to modulate from a high-voltage direct current (HVdc) input into a pulsed HVdc output, while following an input pulse signal and a set current level. The pulse rise time and fall time are less than 500 ns and 800 ns, respectively, and the minimum pulse width is 1 µs. The maximum voltage for a negative pulse is 1000 V, and the maximum repetition frequency is 500 kHz. During the pulse on time, the plasma discharge current is controlled steadily at the set value. The half-resonant converters in the PDG perform recovery of the remaining energy from the capacitive load at every termination of pulse discharge. The PDG performed with a high energy efficiency of 85% from the HVdc input to the pulsed dc output at a repetition rate of 1 kHz and with stable plasma operation in various discharge conditions. The results suggest that the developed PDG can be considered to be more efficient for plasma processing by CCP.

Novel high-frequency energy-efficient pulsed-dc generator for capacitively coupled plasma discharge.

PubMed

Mamun, Md Abdullah Al; Furuta, Hiroshi; Hatta, Akimitsu

2018-03-01

The circuit design, assembly, and operating tests of a high-frequency and high-voltage (HV) pulsed dc generator (PDG) for capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) discharge inside a vacuum chamber are reported. For capacitive loads, it is challenging to obtain sharp rectangular pulses with fast rising and falling edges, requiring intense current for quick charging and discharging. The requirement of intense current generally limits the pulse operation frequency. In this study, we present a new type of PDG consisting of a pair of half-resonant converters and a constant current-controller circuit connected with HV solid-state power switches that can deliver almost rectangular high voltage pulses with fast rising and falling edges for CCP discharge. A prototype of the PDG is assembled to modulate from a high-voltage direct current (HVdc) input into a pulsed HVdc output, while following an input pulse signal and a set current level. The pulse rise time and fall time are less than 500 ns and 800 ns, respectively, and the minimum pulse width is 1 µs. The maximum voltage for a negative pulse is 1000 V, and the maximum repetition frequency is 500 kHz. During the pulse on time, the plasma discharge current is controlled steadily at the set value. The half-resonant converters in the PDG perform recovery of the remaining energy from the capacitive load at every termination of pulse discharge. The PDG performed with a high energy efficiency of 85% from the HVdc input to the pulsed dc output at a repetition rate of 1 kHz and with stable plasma operation in various discharge conditions. The results suggest that the developed PDG can be considered to be more efficient for plasma processing by CCP.

Structural basis for activation of the complement system by component C4 cleavage

PubMed Central

Kidmose, Rune T.; Laursen, Nick S.; Dobó, József; Kjaer, Troels R.; Sirotkina, Sofia; Yatime, Laure; Sottrup-Jensen, Lars; Thiel, Steffen; Gál, Péter; Andersen, Gregers R.

2012-01-01

An essential aspect of innate immunity is recognition of molecular patterns on the surface of pathogens or altered self through the lectin and classical pathways, two of the three well-established activation pathways of the complement system. This recognition causes activation of the MASP-2 or the C1s serine proteases followed by cleavage of the protein C4. Here we present the crystal structures of the 203-kDa human C4 and the 245-kDa C4⋅MASP-2 substrate⋅enzyme complex. When C4 binds to MASP-2, substantial conformational changes in C4 are induced, and its scissile bond region becomes ordered and inserted into the protease catalytic site in a manner canonical to serine proteases. In MASP-2, an exosite located within the CCP domains recognizes the C4 C345C domain 60 Å from the scissile bond. Mutations in C4 and MASP-2 residues at the C345C–CCP interface inhibit the intermolecular interaction and C4 cleavage. The possible assembly of the huge in vivo enzyme–substrate complex consisting of glycan-bound mannan-binding lectin, MASP-2, and C4 is discussed. Our own and prior functional data suggest that C1s in the classical pathway of complement activated by, e.g., antigen–antibody complexes, also recognizes the C4 C345C domain through a CCP exosite. Our results provide a unified structural framework for understanding the early and essential step of C4 cleavage in the elimination of pathogens and altered self through two major pathways of complement activation. PMID:22949645

Human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2: tissular localization along the digestive tract and quantification in pancreatic juice using a specific ELISA.

PubMed

Eydoux, Cécilia; Aloulou, Ahmed; De Caro, Josiane; Grandval, Philippe; Laugier, René; Carrière, Frédéric; De Caro, Alain

2006-10-01

Human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 (HPLRP2) was previously found to be secreted by the exocrine pancreas. HPLRP2 shows a high level of activity on galactolipids, and might be involved in the digestion of these common vegetable lipids. Specific antibodies were raised in rabbits using a synthetic HPLRP2 peptide selected for its weak amino acid homology with the corresponding peptides of classical human pancreatic lipase (HPL) and human pancreatic lipase-related protein 1 (HPLRP1). ELISA and Western blotting data showed that these antibodies did not react with HPL or HPLRP1. Various tissues from the digestive tract were subjected to Western blotting analysis with the specific anti-peptide HPLRP2 antibody and the expression of HPLRP2 was detected in the pancreas and colon. An ELISA was developed for specifically measuring the HPLRP2 levels in pure pancreatic juice. This procedure was performed using the anti-peptide HPLRP2 antibody as the captor antibody and a biotinylated anti-HPLRP2 polyclonal antibody as the detector antibody. The lowest HPLRP2 quantification limit was found to be 50 microg/L and the reference range for the present assay was 50 microg-500 microg/L. HPL and HPLRP2 levels were measured using specific ELISAs in pancreatic juice from patients with and without pancreatic disorders. Patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis (CCP) had significantly lower levels of both HPL and HPLRP2 than the controls subjects. The mean HPLRP2 to HPL ratio was estimated to be 28.30% (w/w) and 23.96% (w/w) in controls subjects and CCP patients, respectively, and the difference was not significant. The levels of HPL and HPLRP2 are therefore similarly reduced in both healthy patients and CCP patients.

Molecular and Physiological Logics of the Pyruvate-Induced Response of a Novel Transporter in Bacillus subtilis

PubMed Central

Charbonnier, Teddy; Le Coq, Dominique; McGovern, Stephen; Calabre, Magali; Delumeau, Olivier; Aymerich, Stéphane

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT At the heart of central carbon metabolism, pyruvate is a pivotal metabolite in all living cells. Bacillus subtilis is able to excrete pyruvate as well as to use it as the sole carbon source. We herein reveal that ysbAB (renamed pftAB), the only operon specifically induced in pyruvate-grown B. subtilis cells, encodes a hetero-oligomeric membrane complex which operates as a facilitated transport system specific for pyruvate, thereby defining a novel class of transporter. We demonstrate that the LytST two-component system is responsible for the induction of pftAB in the presence of pyruvate by binding of the LytT response regulator to a palindromic region upstream of pftAB. We show that both glucose and malate, the preferred carbon sources for B. subtilis, trigger the binding of CcpA upstream of pftAB, which results in its catabolite repression. However, an additional CcpA-independent mechanism represses pftAB in the presence of malate. Screening a genome-wide transposon mutant library, we find that an active malic enzyme replenishing the pyruvate pool is required for this repression. We next reveal that the higher the influx of pyruvate, the stronger the CcpA-independent repression of pftAB, which suggests that intracellular pyruvate retroinhibits pftAB induction via LytST. Such a retroinhibition challenges the rational design of novel nature-inspired sensors and synthetic switches but undoubtedly offers new possibilities for the development of integrated sensor/controller circuitry. Overall, we provide evidence for a complete system of sensors, feed-forward and feedback controllers that play a major role in environmental growth of B. subtilis. PMID:28974613

Increased disease activity, severity and autoantibody positivity in rheumatoid arthritis patients with co-existent bronchiectasis.

PubMed

Perry, Elizabeth; Eggleton, Paul; De Soyza, Anthony; Hutchinson, David; Kelly, Clive

2017-12-01

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and co-existent bronchiectasis (BRRA) have a five-fold increased mortality compared to rheumatoid arthritis alone. Yet previous studies have found no difference in clinical and serological markers of RA disease severity between BRRA patients and RA alone. However, RA disease activity measures such as Disease Activity Score of 28 joints - C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) have not been studied, so we assessed these parameters in patients with BRRA and RA alone. BRRA patients (n = 53) had high-resolution computed tomography proven bronchiectasis without any interstitial lung disease and ≥ 2 respiratory infections/year. RA alone patients (n = 50) had no clinical or radiological evidence of lung disease. DAS28-CRP, rheumatoid factor (immunoglobulin M) and anti-CCP were measured in all patients, together with detailed clinical and radiology records. In BRRA, bronchiectasis predated RA in 58% of patients. BRRA patients had higher DAS28 scores (3.51 vs. 2.59), higher levels of anti-CCP (89% vs. 46%) and rheumatoid factor (79% vs. 52%) (P = 0.003) compared to RA alone. Where hand and foot radiology findings were recorded, 29/37 BRRA (78%) and 13/30 (43%) RA alone had evidence of erosive change (P = 0.003). There were no significant differences between groups in smoking history or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug/biologic therapy. Increased levels of RA disease activity, severity and RA autoantibodies are demonstrated in patients with RA and co-existent bronchiectasis compared to patients with RA alone, despite lower tobacco exposure. This study demonstrates that BRRA is a more severe systemic disease than RA alone. © 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Can the Metamorphic Basement of Northwestern Guatemala be Correlated with the Chuacús Complex?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cacao, N.; Martens, U.

2007-05-01

The Chuacús complex constitutes a northward concave metamorphic belt that stretches ca. 150 km south of the Cuilco-Chixoy-Polochic (CCP) fault system in central and central-eastern Guatemala. It represents the basement of the southern edge of the Maya block, being well exposed in the sierra de Chuacús and the sierra de Las Minas. It is composed of high-Al metapelites, amphibolites, quartzofeldspathic gneisses, and migmatites. In central Guatemala the Chuacús complex contains ubiquitous epidote-amphibolite mineral associations, and local relics of eclogite reveal a previous high-pressure metamorphic event. North of the CCP, in the Sierra de Los Cuchumatanes area of western Guatemala, metamorphic rocks have been considered the equivalent of the Chuacús complex and hence been given the name Western Chuacús group, These rocks, which were intruded by granitic rocks and later mylonitized, include chloritic schist and gneiss, biotite-garnet schist, migmatites, and amphibolites. No eclogitic relics have been found within metamorphic rocks in northwestern Guatemala. Petrographic analyses of garnet-biotite schist reveal abundant retrogression and the formation of abundant zeolite-bearing veins associated with intrusion. Although metamorphic conditions in the greenschist and amphibolite facies are similar to those in the sierra de Chuacús, the association with deformed intrusive granites is unique for western Guatemala. Hence a correlation with metasediments intruded by the Rabinal granite in the San Gabriel area of Baja Verapaz seems more feasible than a correlation with the Chuacús complex. This idea is supported by reintegration of the Cenozoic left-lateral displacement along the CCP, which would place the metamorphic basement of western Guatemala north of Baja Verapaz, adjacent to metasediments intruded by granites in the San Gabriel-Rabinal area.

Bonding of Resin Cement to Zirconia with High Pressure Primer Coating

PubMed Central

Wang, Ying-jie; Jiao, Kai; Liu, Yan; Zhou, Wei; Shen, Li-juan; Fang, Ming; Li, Meng; Zhang, Xiang; Tay, Franklin R.; Chen, Ji-hua

2014-01-01

Objectives To investigate the effect of air-drying pressure during ceramic primer coating on zirconia/resin bonding and the surface characteristics of the primed zirconia. Methods Two ceramic primers (Clearfil Ceramic Primer, CCP, Kuraray Medical Inc. and Z-Prime Plus, ZPP, Bisco Inc.) were applied on the surface of air-abraded zirconia (Katana zirconia, Noritake) and dried at 4 different air pressures (0.1–0.4 MPa). The primed zirconia ceramic specimens were bonded with a resin-based luting agent (SA Luting Cement, Kuraray). Micro-shear bond strengths of the bonded specimens were tested after 3 days of water storage or 5,000× thermocycling (n = 12). Failure modes of the fractured specimens were examined with scanning electron miscopy. The effects of air pressure on the thickness of the primer layers and the surface roughness (Sa) of primed zirconia were evaluated using spectroscopic ellipsometry (n = 6), optical profilometry and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) (n = 6), respectively. Results Clearfil Ceramic Primer air-dried at 0.3 and 0.4 MPa, yielding significantly higher µSBS than gentle air-drying subgroups (p<0.05). Compared to vigorous drying conditions, Z-Prime Plus air-dried at 0.2 MPa exhibited significantly higher µSBS (p<0.05). Increasing air-drying pressure reduced the film thickness for both primers. Profilometry measurements and ESEM showed rougher surfaces in the high pressure subgroups of CCP and intermediate pressure subgroup of ZPP. Conclusion Air-drying pressure influences resin/zirconia bond strength and durability significantly. Higher air-drying pressure (0.3-0.4 MPa) for CCP and intermediate pressure (0.2 MPa) for ZPP are recommended to produce strong, durable bonds between resin cement and zirconia ceramics. PMID:24992678

Connecting Online Learners with Diverse Local Practices: The Design of Effective Common Reference Points for Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend Wise, Alyssa; Padmanabhan, Poornima; Duffy, Thomas M.

2009-01-01

This mixed-methods study probed the effectiveness of three kinds of objects (video, theory, metaphor) as common reference points for conversations between online learners (student teachers). Individuals' degree of detail-focus was examined as a potentially interacting covariate and the outcome measure was learners' level of tacit knowledge related…

76 FR 62062 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-06

... Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at Sandia..., remote-handled (RH), transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This waste is...

76 FR 33277 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at Bettis... radioactive remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory (BAPL) in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. This waste...

Towards a Cyber-Constructivist Perspective (CCP) of Educational Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luppicini, Rocci

2003-01-01

This theoretical paper utilizes cybernetic-­based approaches (Bopry, 1999; Wiener, 1954) and communications theory (Habermas, 1984, 1990; Krippendorff, 1994) to advance knowledge of constructivist learning. I argue that past educational research literature on constructivist learning is partly responsible for limiting how educational designers…

The effects of market structure and payment rate on the entry of private health plans into the Medicare market.

PubMed

Frakt, Austin B; Pizer, Steven D; Feldman, Roger

2012-01-01

Private insurance firms participating in Medicare can offer up to three principal plan types: coordinated care plans (CCPs), prescription drug plans (PDPs), and private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans. Firms can make entry and marketing decisions separately across plan types and geographic regions. In this study, we estimate firm-level models of Medicare private plan entry using data from the years 2007 to 2009. Our models include a measure of market structure and separately identify CCP, PDP, and PFFS entry. We find evidence that entry barriers associated with CCP market concentration affect all three product types. We also find evidence of cross-product competition and common cost or demand factors that make entry with certain product combinations more likely. We predict that the market presence of CCPs and PFFS plans will decrease and that of PDPs will increase in response to payment reductions included in the new health reform law.

KSC-2012-2891

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-20

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – During NASA's Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities for the Commercial Crew Program CCP, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC built a Simulator and Avionics Laboratory to help engineers evaluate the Dream Chaser's characteristics during the piloted phases of flight. Located at Sierra Nevada’s Space Systems facility in Louisville, Colo., it consists of a physical cockpit and integrated simulation hardware and software. The simulator is linked to the Vehicle Avionics Integration Laboratory, or VAIL, which serves as a platform for Dream Chaser avionics development, engineering testing and integration. VAIL also will also be used for verification and validation of avionics and software. Sierra Nevada is one of seven companies NASA entered into Space Act Agreements SAAs with during CCDev2 to aid in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit destinations. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

KSC-2012-1015

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Dream Chaser spacecraft integrated with an Atlas V rocket. Dream Chaser is under development by Sierra Nevada of Centennial, Colo., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Sierra Nevada during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. United Launch Alliance's Atlas V also is being considered under CCDev2. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Five other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

KSC-2011-8113

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Liberty Launch Vehicle under development by Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA and ATK entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Alliant Techsystems Inc.

KSC-2012-1016

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of an Almaz capsule, the basis of Excalibur Almaz Inc.'s Human Spacecraft design. In 2011, NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP and the Houston-based company entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems ATK, Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Excalibur Almaz Limited

KSC-2011-8118

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket being considered for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA and ULA of Englewood, Colo., entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: United Launch Alliance

Structure simulation with calculated NMR parameters - integrating COSMOS into the CCPN framework.

PubMed

Schneider, Olaf; Fogh, Rasmus H; Sternberg, Ulrich; Klenin, Konstantin; Kondov, Ivan

2012-01-01

The Collaborative Computing Project for NMR (CCPN) has build a software framework consisting of the CCPN data model (with APIs) for NMR related data, the CcpNmr Analysis program and additional tools like CcpNmr FormatConverter. The open architecture allows for the integration of external software to extend the abilities of the CCPN framework with additional calculation methods. Recently, we have carried out the first steps for integrating our software Computer Simulation of Molecular Structures (COSMOS) into the CCPN framework. The COSMOS-NMR force field unites quantum chemical routines for the calculation of molecular properties with a molecular mechanics force field yielding the relative molecular energies. COSMOS-NMR allows introducing NMR parameters as constraints into molecular mechanics calculations. The resulting infrastructure will be made available for the NMR community. As a first application we have tested the evaluation of calculated protein structures using COSMOS-derived 13C Cα and Cβ chemical shifts. In this paper we give an overview of the methodology and a roadmap for future developments and applications.

The Evolution of the NASA Commercial Crew Program Mission Assurance Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canfield, Amy C.

2016-01-01

In 2010, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) established the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) in order to provide human access to the International Space Station and low Earth orbit via the commercial (non-governmental) sector. A particular challenge to NASA has been how to determine that the Commercial Provider's transportation system complies with programmatic safety requirements. The process used in this determination is the Safety Technical Review Board which reviews and approves provider submitted hazard reports. One significant product of the review is a set of hazard control verifications. In past NASA programs, 100% of these safety critical verifications were typically confirmed by NASA. The traditional Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) model does not support the nature of the CCP. To that end, NASA S&MA is implementing a Risk Based Assurance process to determine which hazard control verifications require NASA authentication. Additionally, a Shared Assurance Model is also being developed to efficiently use the available resources to execute the verifications.

Communications Contingency Plan: Planning for Crises and Controversy. Phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Treise, Deborah; Bernstein, Arla G.; Yates, Brad

1998-01-01

Interviews were conducted with a variety of Marshall Space Flight Center personnel and local media representatives in Huntsville, Alabama, in order to identify the current perceptions of these individuals regarding communication effectiveness between MSFC and the media. The purposes of the Phase One report are to (1) assess the need for a contingency plan for communicating in situations of crisis and controversy; (2) identify goals and objectives for the planning process; and (3) provide recommendations for future planning activities to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in Phase One. It is strongly recommended that MSFC personnel who are involved in communications with the media participate in a facilitated, strategic communications planning process in order to develop Phase Two of the Communications Contingency Plan (CCP). Phase Two will address (1) the categorizing, ranking and prioritizing of crises and controversies; (2) the development of action steps and implementation strategies for the CCP; and (3) the development of a monitoring and evaluation process for ongoing plan effectiveness.

Analysis of Tank 38H (HTF-38-15-119, 127) Surface, Subsurface and Tank 43H (HTF-43-15-116, 117 and 118) Surface, Feed Pump Suction and Jet Suction Subsurface Supernatant Samples in Support of Enrichment, Corrosion Control and Salt Batch Planning Programs

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

Oji, L.

Compositional feed limits have been established to ensure that a nuclear criticality event for the 2H and 3H Evaporators is not possible. The Enrichment Control Program (ECP) requires feed sampling to determine the equivalent enriched uranium content prior to transfer of waste other than recycle transfers (requires sampling to determine the equivalent enriched uranium at two locations in Tanks 38H and 43H every 26 weeks) The Corrosion Control Program (CCP) establishes concentration and temperature limits for key constituents and periodic sampling and analysis to confirm that waste supernate is within these limits. This report provides the results of analyses onmore » Tanks 38H and 43H surface and subsurface supernatant liquid samples in support of the ECP, the CCP, and the Salt Batch 10 Planning Program.« less

Shear bond strengths of an indirect composite layering material to a tribochemically silica-coated zirconia framework material.

PubMed

Iwasaki, Taro; Komine, Futoshi; Fushiki, Ryosuke; Kubochi, Kei; Shinohara, Mitsuyo; Matsumura, Hideo

2016-01-01

This study evaluated shear bond strengths of a layering indirect composite material to a zirconia framework material treated with tribochemical silica coating. Zirconia disks were divided into two groups: ZR-PRE (airborne-particle abrasion) and ZR-PLU (tribochemical silica coating). Indirect composite was bonded to zirconia treated with one of the following primers: Clearfil Ceramic Primer (CCP), Clearfil Mega Bond Primer with Clearfil Porcelain Bond Activator (MGP+Act), ESPE-Sil (SIL), Estenia Opaque Primer, MR. Bond, Super-Bond PZ Primer Liquid A with Liquid B (PZA+PZB), and Super-Bond PZ Primer Liquid B (PZB), or no treatment. Shear bond testing was performed at 0 and 20,000 thermocycles. Post-thermocycling shear bond strengths of ZR-PLU were higher than those of ZR-PRE in CCP, MGP+Act, SIL, PZA+PZB, and PZB groups. Application of silane yielded better durable bond strengths of a layering indirect composite material to a tribochemically silica-coated zirconia framework material.

Radiation-induced polymerization of glass forming systems. VI. Polymerization rate at higher conversion in binary systems

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

Kaetsu, I.; Ito, A.; Hayashi, K.

1973-08-01

The effect of temperature and composition on the inflection point in the time-conversion curve and the saturated conversion was investigated in the gamma -radio-induced radical polymerization of binary systems consisting of a glass- forming monomer and a solvent. In the polymerization of completely homogeneous systems such as glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) -triacetin and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) --propylene glycol systems, the time-conversion curve has an inflection point at polymerization temperatures between T/sub vm/(T/sub v/ of monomer system) and T/sub vp/ (T/sub v/ of polymer system). Such conversions at the inflection point changed monotonically between 0 and 100% in this temperature range. T/submore » v/ was found to be 30 to 50 deg C higher than T/sub g/ (glass transition temperature) and a monotonic function of composition (monomer -- polymer -- solvent). The acceleration effect continued to 100% conversion above T/sub vp/, and no acceleration effect was observed below T/sub vm/. The saturated conversion in homogeneous systems changed monotonically between 0 and 100% for polymerization temperatures between T/sub gm/ (T/sub g/ of monomer system) and T/sub gp/(T of polymer system). T/sub g/ was also a monotonic function of composition. No saturation in conversion was observed above T/sub gp/ , and no polymerization occurred below T/sub gm/. In the polymerization of completely heterogeneous systems such as HEMA-dioctyl phthalate, no acceleration effect was observed at any temperature and composition. The saturated conversion was 100% sbove T/sub g/ of pure HEMA, and no polymerization occurred below this temperature in this system. (auth)« less

Si-compatible cleaning process for graphene using low-density inductively coupled plasma.

PubMed

Lim, Yeong-Dae; Lee, Dae-Yeong; Shen, Tian-Zi; Ra, Chang-Ho; Choi, Jae-Young; Yoo, Won Jong

2012-05-22

We report a novel cleaning technique for few-layer graphene (FLG) by using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) of Ar with an extremely low plasma density of 3.5 × 10(8) cm(-3). It is known that conventional capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) treatments destroy the planar symmetry of FLG, giving rise to the generation of defects. However, ICP treatment with extremely low plasma density is able to remove polymer resist residues from FLG within 3 min at a room temperature of 300 K while retaining the carbon sp(2)-bonding of FLG. It is found that the carrier mobility and charge neutrality point of FLG are restored to their pristine defect-free state after the ICP treatment. Considering the application of graphene to silicon-based electronic devices, such a cleaning method can replace thermal vacuum annealing, electrical current annealing, and wet-chemical treatment due to its advantages of being a low-temperature, large-area, high-throughput, and Si-compatible process.

The Effect of a Guide Field on Local Energy Conversion During Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection: Particle-in-Cell Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassak, P. A.; Genestreti, K. J.; Burch, J. L.; Phan, T.-D.; Shay, M. A.; Swisdak, M.; Drake, J. F.; Price, L.; Eriksson, S.; Ergun, R. E.; Anderson, B. J.; Merkin, V. G.; Komar, C. M.

2017-11-01

We use theory and simulations to study how the out-of-plane (guide) magnetic field strength modifies the location where the energy conversion rate between the electric field and the plasma is appreciable during asymmetric magnetic reconnection, motivated by observations (Genestreti et al., 2017). For weak guide fields, energy conversion is maximum on the magnetospheric side of the X line, midway between the X line and electron stagnation point. As the guide field increases, the electron stagnation point gets closer to the X line, and energy conversion occurs closer to the electron stagnation point. We motivate one possible nonrigorous approach to extend the theory of the stagnation point location to include a guide field. The predictions are compared to two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations with vastly different guide fields. The simulations have upstream parameters corresponding to three events observed with Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS). The predictions agree reasonably well with the simulation results, capturing trends with the guide field. The theory correctly predicts that the X line and stagnation points approach each other as the guide field increases. The results are compared to MMS observations, Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) observations of each event, and a global resistive-magnetohydrodynamics simulation of the 16 October 2015 event. The PIC simulation results agree well with the global observations and simulation but differ in the strong electric fields and energy conversion rates found in MMS observations. The observational, theoretical, and numerical results suggest that the strong electric fields observed by MMS do not represent a steady global reconnection rate.

Environmental assessment of an aircraft conversion, Montana Air National Guard, Great Falls, Montana

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

Williams, G.; Policastro, A.; Krummel, J.

1986-08-01

It is proposed that the 120th Fighter Interceptor Group of the Montana Air National Guard convert from 18 F-106 to 18 F-16 aircraft. Associated with this conversion are building modifications, land acquisition, and facility construction. The environmental assessment determined that the primary impacts of the conversion would be positive. Noise modeling using the NOISEMAP methodology showed that the maximum noise reduction, resulting from the conversion, at any ground receptor point is about 5 dB on the L/sub dn/ scale. The noise reductions vary with the distance of a receptor point from the runways - the greater the distance, the smallermore » the noise reduction. Conversion to the F-16 prior to completion of a ''hush house'' would result in a temporary increase in noise to the southeast of the airport over a commercial and industrial area. In addition, total air pollutant emissions from aircraft operations would be reduced as a consequence of the conversion. No significant adverse impacts are predicted as a result of the conversion from F-106s to F-16s.« less

Modeling the free-radical polymerization of hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA): a molecular dynamics and graph theory approach.

PubMed

Torres-Knoop, Ariana; Kryven, Ivan; Schamboeck, Verena; Iedema, Piet D

2018-05-02

In the printing, coating and ink industries, photocurable systems are becoming increasingly popular and multi-functional acrylates are one of the most commonly used monomers due to their high reactivity (fast curing). In this paper, we use molecular dynamics and graph theory tools to investigate the thermo-mechanical properties and topology of hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) polymer networks. The gel point was determined as the point where a giant component was formed. For the conditions of our simulations, we found the gel point to be around 0.18 bond conversion. A detailed analysis of the network topology showed, unexpectedly, that the flexibility of the HDDA molecules plays an important role in increasing the conversion of double bonds, while delaying the gel point. This is due to a back-biting type of reaction mechanism that promotes the formation of small cycles. The glass transition temperature for several degrees of curing was obtained from the change in the thermal expansion coefficient. For a bond conversion close to experimental values we obtained a glass transition temperature around 400 K. For the same bond conversion we estimate a Young's modulus of 3 GPa. Both of these values are in good agreement with experiments.

Fully Convolutional Networks for Ground Classification from LIDAR Point Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizaldy, A.; Persello, C.; Gevaert, C. M.; Oude Elberink, S. J.

2018-05-01

Deep Learning has been massively used for image classification in recent years. The use of deep learning for ground classification from LIDAR point clouds has also been recently studied. However, point clouds need to be converted into an image in order to use Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). In state-of-the-art techniques, this conversion is slow because each point is converted into a separate image. This approach leads to highly redundant computation during conversion and classification. The goal of this study is to design a more efficient data conversion and ground classification. This goal is achieved by first converting the whole point cloud into a single image. The classification is then performed by a Fully Convolutional Network (FCN), a modified version of CNN designed for pixel-wise image classification. The proposed method is significantly faster than state-of-the-art techniques. On the ISPRS Filter Test dataset, it is 78 times faster for conversion and 16 times faster for classification. Our experimental analysis on the same dataset shows that the proposed method results in 5.22 % of total error, 4.10 % of type I error, and 15.07 % of type II error. Compared to the previous CNN-based technique and LAStools software, the proposed method reduces the total error and type I error (while type II error is slightly higher). The method was also tested on a very high point density LIDAR point clouds resulting in 4.02 % of total error, 2.15 % of type I error and 6.14 % of type II error.

Transfer Opportunities Program: Community College of Philadelphia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Dennis

The Transfer Opportunities Program (TOP) at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) has focused primarily on faculty development and curriculum design as the essential elements in improving the transfer prospects of students. Extensive faculty development activities were undertaken to forge collegial agreements about standards of literacy and…

Multicultural Ethnic Music Education in Communist China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Wenzhuo

2017-01-01

The Central Communist Party (CCP) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) describes China as a unified multinational country. National policies advocate cultural diversity in the educational system with particular emphasis on the notion that diverse ethnic minorities contribute to "zhonghua minzu"--a single united Chinese nationality.…

77 FR 11112 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at the...-handled (RH), transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization... Criteria, EPA evaluated the characterization of RH TRU debris waste from SRS-CCP during an inspection on...

Empowering Young Adults to Control Their Financial Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Cathy Faulcon; Jones, Heather M.

2006-01-01

Tomorrow's financial decision-makers need information and opportunities to build their personal financial management skills. Equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make rational financial decisions creates the opportunity to shape a more informed, confident citizenry. The Commonwealth Credit Project (CCP) was designed to…

Teachers' Attitudes to Including Indigenous Knowledges in the Australian Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baynes, Renee

2016-01-01

With the introduction of the Australian National Curriculum containing the "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures" Cross-Curriculum Priority (CCP) and "Intercultural Understanding" General Capability, there has been a renewed push to embed Indigenous content into secondary school subjects. This paper…

76 FR 71351 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-17

... with no or minimal interaction. Assessment and Referral Tool. This tool provides descriptive... crisis counselor. Participant Feedback. These surveys are completed by and collected from a sample of... Provider Feedback. These surveys are completed by and collected from the CCP service providers anonymously...

JV Task 120 - Coal Ash Resources Research Consortium Research

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

Debra Pflughoeft-Hassett; Loreal Heebink; David Hassett

2009-03-28

The Coal Ash Resources Research Consortium{reg_sign} (CARRC{reg_sign}, pronounced 'cars') is the core coal combustion product (CCP) research group at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). CARRC focuses on performing fundamental and applied scientific and engineering research emphasizing the environmentally safe, economical use of CCPs. CARRC member organizations, which include utilities and marketers, are key to developing industry-driven research in the area of CCP utilization and ensuring its successful application. The U.S. Department of Energy is a partner in CARRC through the EERC Jointly Sponsored Research Program, which provides matching funds for industrial member contributions and facilitates an increased levelmore » of effort in CARRC. CARRC tasks were designed to provide information on CCP performance, including environmental performance, engineering performance, favorable economics, and improved life cycle of products and projects. CARRC technical research tasks are developed based on member input and prioritization. CARRC special projects are developed with members and nonmembers to provide similar information and to support activities, including the assembly and interpretation of data, support for standards development and technology transfer, and facilitating product development and testing. CARRC activities from 2007 to 2009 included a range of research tasks, with primary work performed in laboratory tasks developed to answer specific questions or evaluate important fundamental properties of CCPs. The tasks were included in four categories: (1) Environmental Evaluations of CCPs; (2) Evaluation of Impacts on CCPs from Emission Controls; (3) Construction and Product-Related Activities; and (4) Technology Transfer and Maintenance Tasks. All tasks are designed to work toward achieving the CARRC overall goal and supporting objectives. The various tasks are coordinated in order to provide broad and useful technical data for CARRC members. Special projects provide an opportunity for non-CARRC members to sponsor specific research or technology transfer consistent with CARRC goals. This report covers CARRC activities from January 2007 through March 2009. These activities have been reported in CARRC Annual Reports and in member meetings over the past 2 years. CARRC continues to work with industry and various government agencies with its research, development, demonstration, and promotional activities nearing completion at the time of submission of this report. CARRC expects to continue its service to the coal ash industry in 2009 and beyond to work toward the common goal of advancing coal ash utilization by solving CCP-related technical issues and promoting the environmentally safe, technically sound, and economically viable management of these complex and changing materials.« less

Job embeddedness factors as a predictor of turnover intention among infection control nurses in Korea.

PubMed

Choi, Jeong Sil; Kim, Kyung Mi

2015-11-01

Job embeddedness indicates the degree to which an employee of an organization intends to remain in his or her position at that organization. This study examined how job embeddedness affects infection control nurses' turnover intention along with general characteristics, job satisfaction, and perceived job alternatives. We collected data from a total of 133 infection control nurses using self-reporting questionnaire methods. All questions were answered on a 5-point Likert scale. The average turnover intention was 3.01 ± 0.72 (100-point conversion, 60.2%), and average job satisfaction was 3.48 ± 0.79 (100-point conversion, 69.6%). The average perceived availability of job alternatives was 3.02 ± 0.78 (100-point conversion, 60.4%), and average job embeddedness was 3.33 ± 0.57 (100-point conversion, 66.6%). Predictors of turnover intention were monthly income, perceived availability of job alternatives, and job embeddedness. Job embeddedness among predictors has high explanatory power as a predictor of infection control nurses' turnover intention. Through this study we identified predictors of turnover intention and found that job embeddedness among predictors has high explanatory power as a predictor of infection control nurses' turnover intention. Strategies to enhance infection control nurses' job embeddedness are needed. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metrication -- A Construction Point of View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Joseph

1974-01-01

Random sampling of construction executives revealed a surprising lack of awareness concerning the proposed 10-year metric conversion recommendation made by the National Bureau of Standards in 1971. Explains attitudes on the desirability of conversion to the metric system and prognoses on the impact of conversion. (A paper presented at Building…

[Design of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan to assure the safety of a bologna product produced by a meat processing plant].

PubMed

Bou Rached, Lizet; Ascanio, Norelis; Hernández, Pilar

2004-03-01

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic integral program used to identify and estimate the hazards (microbiological, chemical and physical) and the risks generated during the primary production, processing, storage, distribution, expense and consumption of foods. To establish a program of HACCP has advantages, being some of them: to emphasize more in the prevention than in the detection, to diminish the costs, to minimize the risk of manufacturing faulty products, to allow bigger trust to the management, to strengthen the national and international competitiveness, among others. The present work is a proposal based on the design of an HACCP program to guarantee the safety of the Bologna Special Type elaborated by a meat products industry, through the determination of hazards (microbiological, chemical or physical), the identification of critical control points (CCP), the establishment of critical limits, plan corrective actions and the establishment of documentation and verification procedures. The used methodology was based in the application of the seven basic principles settled down by the Codex Alimentarius, obtaining the design of this program. In view of the fact that recently the meat products are linked with pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, these were contemplated as microbiological hazard for the establishment of the HACCP plan whose application will guarantee the obtaining of a safe product.

77 FR 11192 - Cedar River Railroad Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement,\\1\\ Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company (CCP) has agreed to grant nonexclusive overhead trackage rights to Cedar River Railroad Company (CEDR) over approximately 5...

Health Services for Michigan's Crippled Children, 1981-1982, 1982-1983, 1983-1984.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan State Dept. of Public Health, Lansing, MI. Div. of Services to Crippled Children.

The report describes Michigan's services to handicapped children provided under the Division of Services to Crippled Children of the Michigan Department of Public Health. The Crippled Children's Program (CCP) focuses on prevention, casefunding, diagnosis, medical care and treatment, and health care management. The program initiated the Locally…

75 FR 67763 - Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Washington and Yamhill Counties, OR

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-03

... National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management... information on the scope of issues to consider during the CCP planning process. DATES: To ensure consideration... comprehensive conservation planning for this refuge, and (2) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of...

77 FR 7172 - Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Sequoyah, Muskogee, and Haskell Counties, OK; Comprehensive...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-10

.... Scoping for the environmental assessment (EA) on use of specified genetically modified crops in... of genetically modified crops in association with the cooperative farming program was released on... assessment of using specified genetically modified crops into the CCP and determined that an environmental...

77 FR 18856 - Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, LA; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

... local, state, and regional newspapers, six online media outlets, and two local radio networks. Copies of... Atchafalaya; The Nature Conservancy; Gulf Restoration Network; Atchafalaya Basinkeeper; Louisiana Crawfish... Environmental Action Network; and local citizens. Selected Alternative The Draft CCP/EA identified and evaluated...

75 FR 65371 - Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Klamath County, OR

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... impact. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Klamath Marsh... rails, Oregon spotted frogs, red-naped sapsuckers, pygmy nuthatches, bald eagles, beaver, and red band...