Improvement Noise Insulation Performance of Polycarbonate Pane using Sandwich Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Min; Nagamura, Kazuteru; Nakagawa, Noritoshi; Okamura, Masaharu

Polycarbonate (PC) laminates offer the possibility of designing strong and light weight panes application in automobile. However, the noise insulation performance of PC pane is worse than glass pane because of its high rate of stiffness to low weight. In this work, a new ultra-thin(less than 10mm) sandwich pane is proposed to obtain high transmission loss(TL). The sandwich structure consists of two thin laminates plates of the same PC material and a thin lightweight damping core bonded between those plates. Then TL is predicted using decoupled equations representing symmetric and anti-symmetric motions for a sandwich PC pane. The effects of various structural and material parameters on noise insulation performance are investigated with numerical examples. Numerical results show that the shear rigidity has evident effect on coincidence frequency and proposed structure has better noise insulation properties than single layer PC pane of equivalent thickness.

Soy Protein Isolate-Phosphatidylcholine Nanoemulsions Prepared Using High-Pressure Homogenization

PubMed Central

Li, Yang; Liu, Jun; Zhu, Ying; Zhang, Xiao-Yuan; Jiang, Lian-Zhou; Qi, Bao-Kun; Zhang, Xiao-Nan; Wang, Zhong-Jiang; Teng, Fei

2018-01-01

The nanoemulsions of soy protein isolate-phosphatidylcholine (SPI-PC) with different emulsion conditions were studied. Homogenization pressure and homogenization cycle times were varied, along with SPI and PC concentration. Evaluations included turbidity, particle size, ζ-potential, particle distribution index, and turbiscan stability index (TSI). The nanoemulsions had the best stability when SPI was at 1.5%, PC was at 0.22%, the homogenization pressure was 100 MPa and homogenization was performed 4 times. The average particle size of the SPI-PC nanoemulsions was 217 nm, the TSI was 3.02 and the emulsification yield was 93.4% of nanoemulsions. PMID:29735918

Soy Protein Isolate-Phosphatidylcholine Nanoemulsions Prepared Using High-Pressure Homogenization.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Wu, Chang-Ling; Liu, Jun; Zhu, Ying; Zhang, Xiao-Yuan; Jiang, Lian-Zhou; Qi, Bao-Kun; Zhang, Xiao-Nan; Wang, Zhong-Jiang; Teng, Fei

2018-05-07

The nanoemulsions of soy protein isolate-phosphatidylcholine (SPI-PC) with different emulsion conditions were studied. Homogenization pressure and homogenization cycle times were varied, along with SPI and PC concentration. Evaluations included turbidity, particle size, ζ-potential, particle distribution index, and turbiscan stability index (TSI). The nanoemulsions had the best stability when SPI was at 1.5%, PC was at 0.22%, the homogenization pressure was 100 MPa and homogenization was performed 4 times. The average particle size of the SPI-PC nanoemulsions was 217 nm, the TSI was 3.02 and the emulsification yield was 93.4% of nanoemulsions.

Fabrication of genetically engineered polypeptide@quantum dots hybrid nanogels for targeted imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jie; Yao, Ming-Hao; Zhao, Dong-Hui; Zhang, Xiao-Shuai; Jin, Rui-Mei; Zhao, Yuan-Di; Liu, Bo

2017-08-01

Nanogels have been widely used as multifunctional drug delivery carriers because of high water content, biocompatibility, and high loading capability. We designed and biosynthesized two triblock artificial polypeptides PC10A and PC10ARGD as vehicles for encapsulating hydrophobic materials. These polypeptides can form nanogels by self-assembly when the concentration is below 2% ( w/ v). The physical properties of nanogels, including size, surface potential, and targeting domain, are able to be tuned. Hydrophobic materials from molecular size to nano-size can be loaded into the polypeptide nanogels to form hybrid nanogels. Hydrophobic quantum dots CdSe@ZnS below 10 nM were loaded into the polypeptide nanogels by ultrasonic treatment. Encapsulation endows hydrophobic QDs with good tunability of size, water solubility, stability, targeting, and biocompatibility. PC10ARGD nanogels and PC10ARGD@QDs hybrid nanogels showed excellent biocompatibility, which the cellular viabilities of HeLa and MCF-7 cells treated with 1% PC10ARGD nanogels and PC10ARGD@QDs hybrid nanogels contained 20 nM QDs were above 90 and 80%, respectively. PC10ARGD@QDs hybrid nanogels with an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid motif present efficient receptor-mediated endocytosis in α v β 3 overexpressing HeLa cells but not in the control MCF-7 cells as analyzed by confocal microscopy. These results demonstrate that such polypeptide nanogels as nanocarriers are expected to have great potential applications in biomedicine.

Study of relation between Pc 3 micropulsations and magnetosheath fluctuations, and multisatellite investigation of earth's bow shock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenstadt, E. W.

1975-01-01

The validity is investigated of a suggested model according to which Pc 3 and/or Pc 4 micropulsations are excited by magnetosheath field (and plasma) fluctuations arising in the quasi-parallel structure of the subsolar bow shock. The influence of solar wind plasma parameters on local shock structure and on the configuration of the entire bow shock system is included. Simultaneous data from two or more spacecraft and from multiple diagnostics is used to evaluate the geometrical factor, field-to-shock normal angle, or its B-X equivalent, and the principal plasma parameters. Results are presented and discussed.

Toward scatter-free phosphors in white phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes

PubMed Central

Park, Hoo Keun; Oh, Ji Hye; Rag Do, Young

2012-01-01

Scatter-free phosphors promise to suppress the scattering loss of conventional micro-size powder phosphors in white phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs). Large micro-size cube phosphors (~100 μm) are newly designed and prepared as scatter-free phosphors, combining the two scatter-free conditions of particles based on Mie’s scattering theory; the grain size or grain boundary was smaller than 50 nm and the particle size was larger than 30 μm. A careful evaluation of the conversion efficiency and packaging efficiency of the large micro-size cube phosphor-based white pc-LED demonstrated that large micro-size cube phosphors are an outstanding potential candidate for scatter-free phosphors in white pc-LEDs. The luminous efficacy and packaging efficiency of the Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ large micro-size cube phosphor-based pc-LEDs were 123.0 lm/W and 0.87 at 4300 K under 300 mA, which are 17% and 34% higher than those of commercial powder phosphor-based white LEDs (104.8 lm/W and 0.65), respectively. In addition, the introduction of large micro-size cube phosphors can reduce the wide variation in optical properties as a function of both the ambient temperature and applied current compared with those of conventional powder phosphor-based white LEDs. PMID:22535113

Genome-wide association analysis of host genotype and plastic wing morphological variation of an endoparasitoid wasp Asobara japonica (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

PubMed

Yamashita, Shinpei; Takigahira, Tomohiro; Takahashi, Kazuo H

2018-06-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that genotype of host insects influences the development of koinobiont endoparasitoids. Although there are many potential genetic variations that lead to the internal body environmental variations of host insects, association between the host genotype and the parasitoid development has not been examined in a genome-wide manner. In the present study, we used highly inbred whole genome sequenced strains of Drosophila melanogaster to associate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of host flies with morphological traits of Asobara japonica, a larval-pupal parasitoid wasp that infected those hosts. We quantified the outline shape of the forewings of A. japonica with two major principal components (PC1 and PC2) calculated from Fourier coefficients obtained from elliptic Fourier analysis. We also quantified wing size and estimated wasp survival. We then examined the association between the PC scores, wing size and 1,798,561 SNPs and  the association between the estimated wasp survival and 1,790,544 SNPs. As a result, we obtained 22, 24 and 14 SNPs for PC1, PC2 and wing size and four SNPs for the estimated survival with P values smaller than 10 -5 . Based on the location of the SNPs, 12, 17, 11 and five protein coding genes were identified as potential candidates for PC1, PC2, wing size and the estimated survival, respectively. Based on the function of the candidate genes, it is suggested that the host genetic variation associated with the cell growth and morphogenesis may influence the wasp's morphogenetic variation.

Response of MG63 osteoblast-like cells onto polycarbonate membrane surfaces with different micropore sizes.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Jin; Choi, Jin San; Park, Ki Suk; Khang, Gilson; Lee, Young Moo; Lee, Hai Bang

2004-08-01

Response of different types of cells on materials is important for the applications of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It is recognized that the behavior of the cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation on materials depends largely on surface characteristics such as wettability, chemistry, charge, rigidity, and roughness. In this study, we examined the behavior of MG63 osteoblast-like cells cultured on a polycarbonate (PC) membrane surfaces with different micropore sizes (0.2-8.0 microm in diameter). Cell adhesion and proliferation to the PC membrane surfaces were determined by cell counting and MTT assay. The effect of surface micropore on the MG63 cells was evaluated by cell morphology, protein content, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) specific activity. It seems that the cell adhesion and proliferation were progressively inhibited as the PC membranes had micropores with increasing size, probably due to surface discontinuities produced by track-etched pores. Increasing micropore size of the PC membrane results in improved protein synthesis and ALP specific activity in isolated cells. There was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) between different micropore sizes. The MG63 cells also maintained their phenotype under conditions that support a round cell shape. RT-PCR analysis further confirmed the osteogenic phenotype of the MG63 cells onto the PC membranes with different micropore sizes. In results, as micropore size is getting larger, cell number is reduced and cell differentiation and matrix production is increased. This study demonstrated that the surface topography plays an important role for phenotypic expression of the MG63 osteoblast-like cells.

Systems Analysis of Life Support for Long-Duration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drysdale, Alan E.; Maxwell, Sabrina; Ewert, Michael K.; Hanford, Anthony J.

2000-01-01

Work defining advanced life support (ALS) technologies and evaluating their applicability to various long-duration missions has continued. Time-dependent and time-invariant costs have been estimated for a variety of life support technology options, including International Space Station (ISS) environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) technologies and improved options under development by the ALS Project. These advanced options include physicochemical (PC) and bioregenerative (BIO) technologies, and may in the future include in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) in an attempt to reduce both logistics costs and dependence on supply from Earth. PC and bioregenerative technologies both provide possibilities for reducing mission equivalent system mass (ESM). PC technologies are most advantageous for missions of up to several years in length, while bioregenerative options are most appropriate for longer missions. ISRU can be synergistic with both PC and bioregenerative options.

Acute administration of vitamin C abrogates protection from ischemic preconditioning in rabbits.

PubMed

Tsovolas, Konstantinos; Iliodromitis, Efstathios K; Andreadou, Ioanna; Zoga, Anastasia; Demopoulou, Maritina; Iliodromitis, Konstantinos E; Manolaki, Theodora; Markantonis, Sophia L; Kremastinos, Dimitrios Th

2008-04-01

Vitamin C is considered to be an antioxidant agent that is broadly used. Free radicals are involved in the protective mechanism of preconditioning (PC), but some antioxidant compounds abolish this benefit. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin C on the protective effect of PC with respect to infarct size and oxidative stress in anesthetized rabbits. Male rabbits were randomly divided into six groups and subjected to 30 min of myocardial ischemia and 3h of reperfusion with the following interventions per group: (1) Control (no intervention), (2) Vit C 150 group (i.v. vitamin C at a total dose of 150 mg/kg for 75 min, starting 40 min before the onset of long ischemia and lasting up to the 5th min of reperfusion), (3) Vit C 300 group (i.v. vitamin C at a total dose of 300 mg/kg as previously described), (4) PC group (two cycles of 5 min ischemia and 10 min reperfusion), (5) combined PC-Vit C 150 group and (6) combined PC-Vit C 300 group. Blood samples were taken at different time points for malondialdehyde (MDA) assessment as a lipid peroxidation marker and for superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. At the end of the experiment the infarct size was determined. Vitamin C, at both doses, did not reduce the infarct size (35.5+/-4.1%, 38.3+/-7.0% vs. 44.9+/-3.3% in the control group) and diminished the protection afforded by PC (32.0+/-2.7%, 43.8+/-3.3% vs. 15.7+/-2.9% in the PC group, P<0.05). At reperfusion there was an elevation of circulating MDA levels in the control and PC groups while in both vitamin C groups the levels were decreased. SOD activity was enhanced in the PC group compared to the controls; vitamin C did not change SOD activity during ischemia-reperfusion. Vitamin C abrogates the beneficial effect of ischemic PC on infarct size and elicits antioxidant properties during ischemia-reperfusion.

Preparation and characterization of a new lipid nano-emulsion containing two cosurfactants, sodium palmitate for droplet size reduction and sucrose palmitate for stability enhancement.

PubMed

Takegami, Shigehiko; Kitamura, Keisuke; Kawada, Hiroto; Matsumoto, Yu; Kitade, Tatsuya; Ishida, Hiroharu; Nagata, Chieyo

2008-08-01

A new lipid nano-emulsion (LNE) was prepared from soybean oil and phosphatidylcholine (PC) employing two cosurfactants, sodium palmitate (PA) for reduced droplet size and sucrose palmitate (SP) for stability enhancement. The mean droplet size of LNEs prepared at a PA/PC (w/w) ratio of larger than 1/10 was found to be ca. 50 nm by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy. However, during the 12-month storage, the PA/PC (1/10)-LNE showed an increase in mean droplet size and broadening of the droplet size distribution due to coalescence of the LNE particles. In a saline solution, the coalescence proceeded very rapidly, i.e., the mean droplet size increased to more than 150 nm within 0.5 h. To suppress the coalescence of LNE particles, four sucrose fatty acid esters of different chain lengths were examined as candidate cosurfactants. The results showed that PA/SP/PC (1/4/10)-LNE could maintain a mean droplet size around 50 nm for 12 months. In a saline solution, the mean droplet size could be maintained within 100 nm even after 24 h. Slight formation of flocculation in the LNEs depending on the storage period was suggested by measurement of the 31P nuclear magnetic resonance line width of the LNEs.

Enhanced contraception of canine zona pellucida 3 DNA vaccine via targeting DEC-205 in mice.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Zhang, Beibei; Li, Jinyao; Aipire, Adila; Li, Yijie; Zhang, Fuchun

2018-06-01

Zona pellucida 3 (ZP3) is a potential antigen for the development of contraceptive vaccines to control animal population. In this study, we designed a canine ZP3 (CZP3) DNA vaccine through targeting DEC-205 (named as pcD-scFv-CZP3c) and investigated its contraceptive effect in mice. Female BALB/c mice were intramuscularly immunized 3 times at 2 weeks intervals. After immunization, humoral and cellular immune responses were detected by ELISA and flow cytometry. The results showed that pcD-CZP3 and pcD-scFv-CZP3c induced CZP3-specific antibody (Ab) responses both in serum and vaginal secretions compared to pcDNA3.1. Additionally, compared to pcD-CZP3, pcD-scFv-CZP3c increased the levels of CZP3-specific Abs after a third immunization. Abs induced by these two DNA vaccines could bind with mice and dogs oocytes. Moreover, pcD-scFv-CZP3c enhanced the activation of CD4 + T cells characterized by the increased frequencies of CD4 + CD44 + T cells. Finally, the contraceptive effect was evaluated in the immunized mice. These two DNA vaccines significantly decreased a mean litter size of mice compared to pcDNA3.1, but pcD-scFv-CZP3c group showed the smallest mean litter size. The mean litter size of pcD-scFv-CZP3 were 3.2 ± 0.742 and 4.6 ± 1.118 in two mating tests, which were significantly lower than pcDNA3.1(P < 0.001 and P < 0.05). Our results suggest that the CZP3 DNA vaccine targeted with DEC-205 may be a potential strategy for developing a contraceptive DNA vaccine. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interactions of the marine phosphorus and carbon cycles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Froelich, P. N.

1984-01-01

About 30 to 50% of the fluvial P-input to the oceans derives from release of reactive-P from particles during their passage through estuaries. The input is matched by P-removal into three approximately equivalent sink: (1) burial in phosphorites on productive shelves; (2) burial with (org) in the deep-sea; and (3) burial with biogenic calcite in the deep-sea. The P/C burial ratio in these three phases is very different: P/C (org) approximately .004; P/C (CaCO3) approximately .001; and P/C (PHOS) approximately .03. The removal mechanisms are all coupled to primary production in the surface ocean, but the details of the feedback mechanisms controlling the steady-state nutrient and carbon budgets in the sea are doscured by lack of knowledge of how the P/C ratios in the sinks adjust, and how shifts in oceanic nutrients affect oceanic ecology and the relative fraction of biogenic CaCO3 and (org) production.

Dog sperm head morphometry: its diversity and evolution.

PubMed

Soler, Carles; Alambiaga, Ana; Martí, Maria A; García-Molina, Almudena; Valverde, Anthony; Contell, Jesús; Campos, Marcos

2017-01-01

Dogs have been under strong artificial selection as a consequence of their relationship with man. Differences between breeds are evident that could be reflected in seminal characteristics. The present study was to evaluate differences in sperm head morphometry between seven well-defined breeds of dog: the British Bulldog, Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Spanish Mastiff, Staffordshire Terrier, and Valencian Rat Hunting dog. Semen samples were obtained by masturbation and smears stained with Diff-Quik. Morphometric analysis (CASA-Morph) produced four size and four shape parameters. Length, Ellipticity, and Elongation showed higher differences between breeds. MANOVA revealed differences among all breeds. Considering the whole dataset, principal component analysis (PCA) showed that PC1 was related to head shape and PC2 to size. Procluster analysis showed the British Bulldog to be the most isolated breed, followed by the German Shepherd. The PCA breed by breed showed the Chihuahua, Labrador Retriever, Spanish Mastiff, and Staffordshire Terrier to have PC1 related to shape and PC2 to size, whereas the British Bulldog, Valencia Rat Hunting dog, and German Shepherd had PC1 related to size and PC2 to shape. The dendrogram for cluster groupings and the distance between them showed the British Bulldog to be separated from the rest of the breeds. Future work on dog semen must take into account the large differences in the breeds' sperm characteristics. The results provide a base for future work on phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of dogs, based on their seminal characteristics.

Dog sperm head morphometry: its diversity and evolution

PubMed Central

Soler, Carles; Alambiaga, Ana; Martí, Maria A; García-Molina, Almudena; Valverde, Anthony; Contell, Jesús; Campos, Marcos

2017-01-01

Dogs have been under strong artificial selection as a consequence of their relationship with man. Differences between breeds are evident that could be reflected in seminal characteristics. The present study was to evaluate differences in sperm head morphometry between seven well-defined breeds of dog: the British Bulldog, Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Spanish Mastiff, Staffordshire Terrier, and Valencian Rat Hunting dog. Semen samples were obtained by masturbation and smears stained with Diff-Quik. Morphometric analysis (CASA-Morph) produced four size and four shape parameters. Length, Ellipticity, and Elongation showed higher differences between breeds. MANOVA revealed differences among all breeds. Considering the whole dataset, principal component analysis (PCA) showed that PC1 was related to head shape and PC2 to size. Procluster analysis showed the British Bulldog to be the most isolated breed, followed by the German Shepherd. The PCA breed by breed showed the Chihuahua, Labrador Retriever, Spanish Mastiff, and Staffordshire Terrier to have PC1 related to shape and PC2 to size, whereas the British Bulldog, Valencia Rat Hunting dog, and German Shepherd had PC1 related to size and PC2 to shape. The dendrogram for cluster groupings and the distance between them showed the British Bulldog to be separated from the rest of the breeds. Future work on dog semen must take into account the large differences in the breeds’ sperm characteristics. The results provide a base for future work on phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of dogs, based on their seminal characteristics. PMID:27751991

Protection from AMP 579 can be added to that from either cariporide or ischemic preconditioning in ischemic rabbit heart.

PubMed

Xu, Zhelong; Jiao, Zhe; Cohen, Michael V; Downey, James M

2002-10-01

AMP 579, an adenosine A /A receptor agonist, is cardioprotective when administered at reperfusion. Pretreatment with the Na /H exchanger inhibitor cariporide or ischemic preconditioning (PC) also limits infarct size. To gain insight into the mechanism of AMP 579 we investigated whether its protection could be added to that from either cariporide or PC. rabbit hearts were subjected to 45 min of regional ischemia followed by 3 h of reperfusion. Infarct size in the control group was 55.8 +/- 3.9% of the risk zone. PC significantly reduced infarct size to 26.0 +/- 6.7% (p<0.05). AMP 579 (30 micro g/kg) given just before reperfusion followed by 3 micro g/kg/min infusion for 70 min also limited infarct size (32.1 +/- 1.8%,) but the combination of AMP 579 and PC showed a significantly greater limitation of infarct size (5.5 +/- 2.7%, p < 0.05). Because cariporide pretreatment was so protective (8.5 +/- 3.7% infarction), we had to increase the ischemic insult to 60 min to test for any additive effect of the combination of AMP 579 + cariporide. Infarct size in the untreated group was 66.0 +/- 4.9% of the risk zone. Cariporide (0.5 mg/kg) 5 min prior to ischemia significantly reduced infarct size to 41.5 +/- 7.7%. When cariporide pre-treatment was combined with AMP 579 at reperfusion, infarction was further limited (14.2 +/- 4.5%). Because AMP 579's protection can be added to that of either cariporide or PC, AMP 579's mechanism of protection probably differs from either of them. The combination of AMP 579 + cariporide was particularly efficacious and could be useful in the surgical setting.

Neuroprotective effect of caffeoylquinic acids from Artemisia princeps Pampanini against oxidative stress-induced toxicity in PC-12 cells.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Gil; Lee, Hyungjae; Nam, Tae Gyu; Eom, Seok Hyun; Heo, Ho Jin; Lee, Chang Yong; Kim, Dae-Ok

2011-03-01

Phenolics in dry Artemisia princeps Pampanini, an herbal plant traditionally consumed as food ingredients in Korea was extracted, fractionated, and quantified as well as evaluated for its neuroprotection for PC-12 cells. Whole extract had 5,852 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g of total phenolics and 6,274 mg and 9,698 mg vitamin C equivalents/100 g of antioxidant capacities assayed by DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively. The fraction extracted with n-butanol had the highest levels of total phenolics and antioxidant capacity than the other fractions (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water). Using a reversed-phase HPLC system, caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) and its derivatives such as 3-CQA, 4-CQA, 5-CQA, 1,5-diCQA, 3,4-diCQA, 3,5-diCQA, and 4,5-diCQA were isolated and quantified. The whole extract and its n-butanol fraction yielded 3,5-diCQA with the highest amount, which consisted of approximately 36.8% and 33.5%, respectively. The whole extract, the n-butanol fraction, and 3,5-diCQA showed neuroprotective effect on PC-12 cells under the insult of amyloid ß peptide in a dose-dependent manner. Treatments of the whole extract and the n-butanol fraction for PC-12 cells under oxidative stress increased approximately 1.6 and 2.4 times higher cell viability, compared with the control without treatments. For PC-12 cells treated with 3,5-diCQA, intracellular oxidative stress decreased by 51.3% and cell viability increased up to 2.8 times compared to the control with oxidative insult of amyloid ß peptide only. These results indicate that phenolics from A. princeps Pampanini alleviated the oxidative stress and enhanced the viability of PC-12 cells, suggesting that it may be applied as a dietary antineurodegenerative agent in functional foods.

All n-3 PUFA are not the same: MD simulations reveal differences in membrane organization for EPA, DHA and DPA.

PubMed

Leng, Xiaoling; Kinnun, Jacob J; Cavazos, Andres T; Canner, Samuel W; Shaikh, Saame Raza; Feller, Scott E; Wassall, Stephen R

2018-05-01

Eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5), docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6) and docosapentaenoic (DPA, 22:5) acids are omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) obtained from dietary consumption of fish oils that potentially alleviate the symptoms of a range of chronic diseases. We focus here on the plasma membrane as a site of action and investigate how they affect molecular organization when taken up into a phospholipid. All atom MD simulations were performed to compare 1-stearoyl-2-eicosapentaenoylphosphatylcholine (EPA-PC, 18:0-20:5PC), 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoylphosphatylcholine (DHA-PC, 18:0-22:6PC), 1-stearoyl-2-docosapentaenoylphosphatylcholine (DPA-PC, 18:0-22:5PC) and, as a monounsaturated control, 1-stearoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (OA-PC, 18:0-18:1PC) bilayers. They were run in the absence and presence of 20mol% cholesterol. Multiple double bonds confer high disorder on all three n-3 PUFA. The different number of double bonds and chain length for each n-3 PUFA moderates the reduction in membrane order exerted (compared to OA-PC, S¯ CD =0.152). EPA-PC (S¯ CD =0.131) is most disordered, while DPA-PC (S¯ CD =0.140) is least disordered. DHA-PC (S¯ CD =0.139) is, within uncertainty, the same as DPA-PC. Following the addition of cholesterol, order in EPA-PC (S¯ CD =0.169), DHA-PC (S¯ CD =0.178) and DPA-PC (S¯ CD =0.182) is increased less than in OA-PC (S¯ CD =0.214). The high disorder of n-3 PUFA is responsible, preventing the n-3 PUFA-containing phospholipids from packing as close to the rigid sterol as the monounsaturated control. Our findings establish that EPA, DHA and DPA are not equivalent in their interactions within membranes, which possibly contributes to differences in clinical efficacy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antineurodegenerative effect of phenolic extracts and caffeic acid derivatives in romaine lettuce on neuron-like PC-12 cells.

PubMed

Im, Sung-Eun; Yoon, Hyungeun; Nam, Tae-Gyu; Heo, Ho Jin; Lee, Chang Yong; Kim, Dae-Ok

2010-08-01

In recent decades, romaine lettuce has been one of the fastest growing vegetables with respect to its consumption and production. An understanding is needed of the effect of major phenolic phytochemicals from romaine lettuce on biological protection for neuron-like PC-12 cells. Phenolics in fresh romaine lettuce were extracted, and then its total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity were measured spectrophotometrically. Neuroprotective effects of phenolic extract of romaine lettuce and its pure caffeic acid derivatives (caffeic, chicoric, chlorogenic, and isochlorogenic acids) in PC-12 cells were evaluated using two different in vitro methods: lactate dehydrogenase release and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction assays. Total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity of 100 g of fresh romaine lettuce averaged 22.7 mg of gallic acid equivalents and 31.0 mg of vitamin C equivalents, respectively. The phenolic extract of romaine lettuce protected PC-12 cells against oxidative stress caused by H(2)O(2) in a dose-dependent manner. Isochlorogenic acid, one of the phenolics in romaine lettuce, showed stronger neuroprotection than the other three caffeic acid derivatives also found in the lettuce. Although romaine lettuce had lower levels of phenolics and antioxidant capacity compared to other common vegetables, its contribution to total antioxidant capacity and antineurodegenerative effect in human diets would be higher because of higher amounts of its daily per capita consumption compared to other common vegetables.

ELIPGRID-PC: A PC program for calculating hot spot probabilities

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

Davidson, J.R.

1994-10-01

ELIPGRID-PC, a new personal computer program has been developed to provide easy access to Singer`s 1972 ELIPGRID algorithm for hot-spot detection probabilities. Three features of the program are the ability to determine: (1) the grid size required for specified conditions, (2) the smallest hot spot that can be sampled with a given probability, and (3) the approximate grid size resulting from specified conditions and sampling cost. ELIPGRID-PC also provides probability of hit versus cost data for graphing with spread-sheets or graphics software. The program has been successfully tested using Singer`s published ELIPGRID results. An apparent error in the original ELIPGRIDmore » code has been uncovered and an appropriate modification incorporated into the new program.« less

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: RECORD-BREAKING COMPACT STELLAR SYSTEMS IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

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

Sandoval, Michael A.; Vo, Richard P.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.

2015-07-20

Motivated by the recent, serendipitous discovery of the densest known galaxy, M60-UCD1, we present two initial findings from a follow-up search, using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Subaru/Suprime-Cam, and Hubble Space Telescope imaging, and SOuthern Astrophysical Research (SOAR)/Goodman spectroscopy. The first object discovered, M59-UCD3, has a similar size to M60-UCD1 (half-light radius of r{sub h} ∼ 20 pc) but is 40% more luminous (M{sub V} ∼ −14.6), making it the new densest-known galaxy. The second, M85-HCC1, has a size like a typical globular cluster (GC; r{sub h} ∼ 1.8 pc) but is much more luminous (M{sub V} ∼ −12.5). Thismore » hypercompact cluster is by far the densest confirmed free-floating stellar system, and is equivalent to the densest known nuclear star clusters. From spectroscopy, we find that both objects are relatively young (∼9 and ∼3 Gyr, respectively), with metal-abundances that resemble those of galaxy centers. Their host galaxies show clear signs of large-scale disturbances, and we conclude that these dense objects are the remnant nuclei of recently accreted galaxies. M59-UCD3 is an ideal target for follow-up with high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy to search for an overweight central supermassive black hole as was discovered in M60-UCD1. These findings also emphasize the potential value of ultra-compact dwarfs and massive GCs as tracers of the assembly histories of galaxies.« less

Integrated Micro-scale Power Conversion

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

Micro Power Converters (μPC) Loads: Sources: μ-Power Converter (μPC) Thin-film battery Solar Cell Micro- fuel Cell Vibration Harvester...passive size • Hybrid integration with MEMS passives, particularly inductors Hybrid integration ARL focus Bubble Size = Volume [mm3] Industry Focus...Power converters survey Compiled by Bedair, Bashirullah Switched inductor (SI) Switched capacitor (SC) Resonant Resonat piezo Hybrid - SI / SC

Effect of protein corona magnetite nanoparticles derived from bread in vitro digestion on Caco-2 cells morphology and uptake.

PubMed

Di Silvio, Desirè; Rigby, Neil; Bajka, Balazs; Mackie, Alan; Baldelli Bombelli, Francesca

2016-06-01

Nanoparticles (NPs) in biological fluids immediately interact with proteins forming a biomolecular corona (PC) that imparts their biological identity. While several studies on the formation of the PC in human plasma have been reported, the PC of orally administrated NPs has been less investigated, mostly in the presence of a food matrix. In fact, food matrixes when digested are subject of several dynamic changes that will certainly affect the PC formed on the NPs. The lack of studies on this topic is clearly related to the difficulty in isolating representative PC NPs from such a complex environment. In this work magnetite NPs were added to in vitro simulated digestion simultaneously with bread and PC NPs were isolated after gastric and duodenal phases by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation (UC). The PC NPs were characterized in terms of size and protein composition. Translocation studies were then performed on Caco-2 monolayers in a serum free environment and cell morphology was characterized by confocal microscopy. PC NPs isolated from gastric and duodenal phases were different in size, surface charge and protein corona composition. NP cellular uptake was enhanced by the digestive PC inducing morphology changes in the cell monolayer. Overall, in this work we were able to isolate PC NPs from digested fluids in the presence of a food matrix and study their biological response on Caco-2 cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of gamma-oryzanol-loaded liposome formulations for topical use.

PubMed

Viriyaroj, Amornrat; Ngawhirunpat, Tanasait; Sukma, Monrudee; Akkaramongkolporn, Prasert; Ruktanonchai, Uracha; Opanasopit, Praneet

2009-01-01

The objective of this study is to prepare the gamma-oryzanol-loaded liposomes and investigate their physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity intended for cosmetic applications. Liposomes, Composing phosphatidylCholine (PC) and Cholesterol (Chol), CHAPS or sodium taurocholate (NaTC) were prepared by sonication method. Gamma-oryzanol-loaded liposomes were prepared by using 3, 5 and 10% gamma-oryzanol as an initial concentration. The formulation factors in a particular type and composition of lipid and initial drug loading on the physicochemical properties (i.e., particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, drug release) and antioxidant activity were studied. The particle sizes of bare liposomes were in nanometer range. The gamma-oryzanol-loaded liposomes in formulations of PC/CHAPS and PC/NaTC liposomes were smaller than PC/Chol liposomes. The incorporation efficiency of 10% gamma-oryzanol-loaded PC/Chol liposomes was less than gamma-oryzanol-loaded PC/CHAPS liposomes and PC/NaTC liposomes allowing higher in vitro release rate due to higher free gamma-oryzanol in buffer solution. The antioxidant activity of gamma-oryzanol-loaded liposomes was not different from pure gamma-oryzanol. Both gamma-oryzanol-loaded PC/CHAPS liposomes and PC/NaTC liposomes were showed to enhance the antioxidant activity in NHF cells. gamma-oryzanol-loaded PC/Chol liposomes demonstrated the lowest cytotoxicity in NHF cells. It was conceivably concluded that liposomes prepared in this study are suitable for gamma-oryzanol incorporation without loss of antioxidant activity.

Morphine-Induced Preconditioning: Involvement of Protein Kinase A and Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore

PubMed Central

Dorsch, Marianne; Behmenburg, Friederike; Raible, Miriam; Blase, Dominic; Grievink, Hilbert; Hollmann, Markus W.; Heinen, André; Huhn, Ragnar

2016-01-01

Background Morphine induces myocardial preconditioning (M-PC) via activation of mitochondrial large conductance Ca2+-sensitive potassium (mKCa) channels. An upstream regulator of mKCa channels is protein kinase A (PKA). Furthermore, mKCa channel activation regulates mitochondrial bioenergetics and thereby prevents opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Here, we investigated in the rat heart in vivo whether 1) M-PC is mediated by activation of PKA, and 2) pharmacological opening of the mPTP abolishes the cardioprotective effect of M-PC and 3) M-PC is critically dependent on STAT3 activation, which is located upstream of mPTP within the signalling pathway. Methods Male Wistar rats were randomised to six groups (each n = 6). All animals underwent 25 minutes of regional myocardial ischemia and 120 minutes of reperfusion. Control animals (Con) were not further treated. Morphine preconditioning was initiated by intravenous administration of 0.3 mg/kg morphine (M-PC). The PKA blocker H-89 (10 μg/kg) was investigated with and without morphine (H-89+M-PC, H-89). We determined the effect of mPTP opening with atractyloside (5 mg/kg) with and without morphine (Atr+M-PC, Atr). Furthermore, the effect of morphine on PKA activity was tested in isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes. In further experiments in isolated hearts we tested the protective properties of morphine in the presence of STAT3 inhibition, and whether pharmacological prevention of the mPTP-opening by cyclosporine A (CsA) is cardioprotective in the presence of STAT3 inhibition. Results Morphine reduced infarct size from 64±5% to 39±9% (P<0.05 vs. Con). H-89 completely blocked preconditioning by morphine (64±9%; P<0.05 vs. M-PC), but H-89 itself had not effect on infarct size (61±10%; P>0.05 vs. Con). Also, atractyloside abolished infarct size reduction of morphine completely (65±9%; P<0.05 vs. M-PC) but had no influence on infarct size itself (64±5%; P>0.05 vs. Con). In isolated hearts STAT3 inhibitor Stattic completely abolished morphine-induced preconditioning. Administration of Stattic and mPTP inhibitor cyclosporine A reduced infarct size to 31±6% (Stat+CsA, P<0.05 vs. Con). Cyclosporine A alone reduced infarct size to 26±7% (CsA P<0.05 vs. Con). In cardiomyocytes, PKA activity was increased by morphine. Conclusion Our data suggest that morphine-induced cardioprotection is mediated by STAT3-activation and inhibition of mPTP, with STA3 located upstream of mPTP. There is some evidence that protein kinase A is involved within the signalling pathway. PMID:26968004

Multivariate analysis of sexual size dimorphism in local turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ajayi, Oyeyemi O; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Jayeola, Oluwaseun O; Imumorin, Ikhide G; Takeet, Michael I; Ozoje, Michael O; Ikeobi, Christian O N; Peters, Sunday O

2012-06-01

Sexual size dimorphism is a key evolutionary feature that can lead to important biological insights. To improve methods of sexing live birds in the field, we assessed sexual size dimorphism in Nigerian local turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) using multivariate techniques. Measurements were taken on 125 twenty-week-old birds reared under the intensive management system. The body parameters measured were body weight, body length, breast girth, thigh length, shank length, keel length, wing length and wing span. Univariate analysis revealed that toms (males) had significantly (P < 0.05) higher mean values than hens (females) in all the measured traits. Positive phenotypic correlations between body weight and body measurements ranged from 0.445 to 0.821 in toms and 0.053-0.660 in hens, respectively. Three principal components (PC1, PC2 and PC3) were extracted in toms, each accounting for 63.70%, 19.42% and 5.72% of the total variance, respectively. However, four principal components (PC1, PC2, PC3 and PC4) were extracted in hens, which explained 54.03%, 15.29%, 11.68% and 6.95%, respectively of the generalised variance. A stepwise discriminant function analysis of the eight morphological traits indicated that body weight, body length, tail length and wing span were the most discriminating variables in separating the sexes. The single discriminant function obtained was able to correctly classify 100% of the birds into their source population. The results obtained from the present study could aid future management decisions, ecological studies and conservation of local turkeys in a developing economy.

Revisiting PC1/3 Mutants: Dominant-Negative Effect of Endoplasmic Reticulum-Retained Mutants.

PubMed

Blanco, Elias H; Ramos-Molina, Bruno; Lindberg, Iris

2015-10-01

Prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3), encoded by the gene PCSK1, is critical for peptide hormone synthesis. An increasing number of studies have shown that inactivating mutations in PCSK1 are correlated with endocrine pathologies ranging from intestinal dysfunction to morbid obesity, whereas the common nonsynonymous polymorphisms rs6232 (N221D) and rs6234-rs6235 (Q665E-S690T) are highly associated with obesity risk. In this report, we revisited the biochemical and cellular properties of PC1/3 variants in the context of a wild-type PC1/3 background instead of the S357G hypermorph background used for all previous studies. In the wild-type background the PC1/3 N221D variant exhibited 30% lower enzymatic activity in a fluorogenic assay than wild-type PC1/3; this inhibition was greater than that detected in an equivalent experiment using the PC1/3 S357G background. A PC1/3 variant with the linked carboxyl-terminal polymorphisms Q665E-S690T did not show this difference. We also analyzed the biochemical properties of 2 PC1/3 mutants, G209R and G593R, which are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and studied their effects on wild-type PC1/3. The expression of ER-retained mutants induced ER stress markers and also resulted in dominant-negative blockade of wild-type PC1/3 prodomain cleavage and decreased expression of wild-type PC1/3, suggesting facilitation of the entry of wild-type protein to a degradative proteasomal pathway. Dominant-negative effects of PC1/3 mutations on the expression and maturation of wild-type protein, with consequential effects on PC1/3 availability, add a new element which must be considered in population and clinical studies of this gene.

Clinical and radiological analysis of a series of periapical cysts and periapical granulomas diagnosed in a Brazilian population.

PubMed

Tavares, Daniel-Petitet; Rodrigues, Janderson-Teixeira; Dos Santos, Teresa-Cristina-Ribeiro-Bartholomeu; Armada, Luciana; Pires, Fábio-Ramôa

2017-01-01

Periapical cysts (PC) and periapical granulomas (PG) are the two most common chronic inflammatory periapical diseases, but their clinicoradiological characteristics can vary depending on the methods employed in each study. The aim of the present work was to analyze the clinical and radiological profile of a series of PC and PG diagnosed in a Brazilian population. The files of two Oral Pathology laboratories were reviewed and all cases diagnosed as PG and PC were selected for the study. Clinical and radiological information were retrieved and data were tabulated and descriptively and comparatively analyzed. Final sample was composed by 647 inflammatory periapical lesions, including 244 PG (38%) and 403 PC (62%). The number of women affected by PG was significantly higher than the number of women affected by PC ( p =0.037). Anterior region of the maxilla was the most common affected area for both entities (39% of the cases), but the most common anatomical location of PG (anterior maxilla and posterior maxilla) was different from PC (anterior maxilla and posterior mandible) ( p <0.0001). Upper lateral incisor was the most affected tooth. The mean radiological size of the PC was larger than the mean radiological size of the PG ( p <0.0001) and PC showed well-defined radiological images more frequently than PG ( p <0.0001). PC were more common than PG, both showed predilection for adult females, most lesions affected predominantly the anterior maxilla and PC presented larger mean radiological diameter and well-defined images when compared with PG. Key words: Periapical granuloma, periapical cyst, radicular cyst, diagnosis, Oral Pathology.

Infrared spectra of phthalocyanine and naphthalocyanine in sandwich-type (na)phthalocyaninato and porphyrinato rare earth complexes. Part 3. The effects of substituents and molecular symmetry on the infrared characteristics of phthalocyanine in bis(phthalocyaninato) rare earth complexes.

PubMed

Lu, Fanli; Bao, Meng; Ma, Changqin; Zhang, Xianxi; Arnold, Dennis P; Jiang, Jianzhuang

2003-12-01

The infra-red (IR) spectroscopic data for a series of 45 homoleptic unsubstituted and substituted bis(phthalocyaninato) rare earth complexes M(Pc)2 and M(Pc*)2 [M=Y, La...Lu except Pm; H2Pc=phthalocyanine; H2Pc*=2,3,9,10,16,17,24,25-octakis(octyloxy)phthalocyanine (H2OOPc) and 2(3),9(10),16(17),24(25)-tetra(tert-butyl)phthalocyanine (H2TBPc)] have been collected with resolution of 2 cm(-1). The IR spectra for M(Pc)2 and M(OOPc)2 are much simpler than those of M(TBPc)2, revealing the relatively higher symmetry of the former two compounds. For M(Pc)2 the Pc-* marker band at 1312-1323 cm(-1), attributed to the pyrrole stretching, and the isoindole stretching band at 1439-1454 cm(-1) are found to be dependent on the central rare earth size, shifting slightly to the higher energy along with the decrease of rare earth radius. The frequency of the vibration at 876-887 cm(-1) is also dependent on the rare earth ionic size. The metal size-sensitivity of this band and theoretical studies render it possible to re-assign it to the coupling of isoindole deformation and aza vibration. The nature of another metal-sensitive vibration mode at 1110-1116 cm(-1), which was previously assigned to the C-H bending, is now re-assigned as an isoindole breathing mode with some small contribution also from C-H in-plane bending. These assignments are supported by comparative studies of the IR spectra of substituted bis(phthalocyaninato) analogues M(OOPc)2 and M(TBPc)2. By comparison between the IR spectra of unsubstituted and substituted bis(phthalocyaninato) rare earth analogues and according to the IR characteristics of alkyl groups, some characteristic vibrational fundamentals due to the Pc rings and the substituents can be separately identified. In conclusion, all the metal size-dependent IR absorptions are composed primarily of the vibrations of pyrrole or isoindole stretching, breathing or deformation or aza stretching of the Pc ring.

Characteristics of fly ashes from full-scale coal-fired power plants and their relationship to mercury adsorption

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Y.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Chang, R.; Richardson, C.; Paradis, J.

2007-01-01

Nine fly ash samples were collected from the particulate collection devices (baghouse or electrostatic precipitator) of four full-scale pulverized coal (PC) utility boilers burning eastern bituminous coals (EB-PC ashes) and three cyclone utility boilers burning either Powder River Basin (PRB) coals or PRB blends,(PRB-CYC ashes). As-received fly ash samples were mechanically sieved to obtain six size fractions. Unburned carbon (UBC) content, mercury content, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)-N2 surface areas of as-received fly ashes and their size fractions were measured. In addition, UBC particles were examined by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission microscopy, and thermogravimetry to obtain information on their surface morphology, structure, and oxidation reactivity. It was found that the UBC particles contained amorphous carbon, ribbon-shaped graphitic carbon, and highly ordered graphite structures. The mercury contents of the UBCs (Hg/UBC, in ppm) in raw ash samples were comparable to those of the UBC-enriched samples, indicating that mercury was mainly adsorbed on the UBC in fly ash. The UBC content decreased with a decreasing particle size range for all nine ashes. There was no correlation between the mercury and UBC contents of different size fractions of as-received ashes. The mercury content of the UBCs in each size fraction, however, generally increased with a decreasing particle size for the nine ashes. The mercury contents and surface areas of the UBCs in the PRB-CYC ashes were about 8 and 3 times higher than UBCs in the EB-PC ashes, respectively. It appeared that both the particle size and surface area of UBC could contribute to mercury capture. The particle size of the UBC in PRB-CYC ash and thus the external mass transfer was found to be the major factor impacting the mercury adsorption. Both the particle size and surface reactivity of the UBC in EB-PC ash, which generally had a lower carbon oxidation reactivity than the PRB-PC ashes, appeared to be important for the mercury adsorption. ?? 2007 American Chemical Society.

Nonideal mixing of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine in the fluid lamellar phase.

PubMed Central

Huang, J; Swanson, J E; Dibble, A R; Hinderliter, A K; Feigenson, G W

1993-01-01

The mixing of phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in fluid bilayer model membranes was studied by measuring binding of aqueous Ca2+ ions. The measured [Ca2+]aq was used to derive the activity coefficient for PS, gamma PS, in the lipid mixture. For (16:0, 18:1) PS in binary mixtures with either (16:0, 18:1)PC, (14:1, 14:1)PC, or (18:1, 18:1)PC, gamma PS > 1; i.e., mixing is nonideal, with PS and PC clustered rather than randomly distributed, despite the electrostatic repulsion between PS headgroups. To understand better this mixing behavior, Monte Carlo simulations of the PS/PC distributions were performed, using Kawasaki relaxation. The excess energy was divided into an electrostatic term Uel and one adjustable term including all other nonideal energy contributions, delta Em. Uel was calculated using a discrete charge theory. Kirkwood's coupling parameter method was used to calculate the excess free energy of mixing, delta GEmix, hence In gamma PS,calc. The values of In gamma PS,calc were equalized by adjusting delta Em in order to find the simulated PS/PC distribution that corresponded to the experimental results. We were thus able to compare the smeared charge calculation of [Ca2+]surf with a calculation ("masked evaluation method") that recognized clustering of the negatively charged PS: clustering was found to have a modest effect on [Ca2+]surf, relative to the smeared charge model. Even though both PS and PC tend to cluster, the long-range nature of the electrostatic repulsion reduces the extent of PS clustering at low PS mole fraction compared to PC clustering at an equivalent low PC mole fraction. PMID:8457667

Nonideal mixing of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine in the fluid lamellar phase.

PubMed

Huang, J; Swanson, J E; Dibble, A R; Hinderliter, A K; Feigenson, G W

1993-02-01

The mixing of phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in fluid bilayer model membranes was studied by measuring binding of aqueous Ca2+ ions. The measured [Ca2+]aq was used to derive the activity coefficient for PS, gamma PS, in the lipid mixture. For (16:0, 18:1) PS in binary mixtures with either (16:0, 18:1)PC, (14:1, 14:1)PC, or (18:1, 18:1)PC, gamma PS > 1; i.e., mixing is nonideal, with PS and PC clustered rather than randomly distributed, despite the electrostatic repulsion between PS headgroups. To understand better this mixing behavior, Monte Carlo simulations of the PS/PC distributions were performed, using Kawasaki relaxation. The excess energy was divided into an electrostatic term Uel and one adjustable term including all other nonideal energy contributions, delta Em. Uel was calculated using a discrete charge theory. Kirkwood's coupling parameter method was used to calculate the excess free energy of mixing, delta GEmix, hence In gamma PS,calc. The values of In gamma PS,calc were equalized by adjusting delta Em in order to find the simulated PS/PC distribution that corresponded to the experimental results. We were thus able to compare the smeared charge calculation of [Ca2+]surf with a calculation ("masked evaluation method") that recognized clustering of the negatively charged PS: clustering was found to have a modest effect on [Ca2+]surf, relative to the smeared charge model. Even though both PS and PC tend to cluster, the long-range nature of the electrostatic repulsion reduces the extent of PS clustering at low PS mole fraction compared to PC clustering at an equivalent low PC mole fraction.

Sperm kinematic, head morphometric and kinetic-morphometric subpopulations in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus).

PubMed

Soler, Carles; Contell, Jesús; Bori, Lorena; Sancho, María; García-Molina, Almudena; Valverde, Anthony; Segarvall, Jan

2017-01-01

This work provides information on the blue fox ejaculated sperm quality needed for seminal dose calculations. Twenty semen samples, obtained by masturbation, were analyzed for kinematic and morphometric parameters by using CASA-Mot and CASA-Morph system and principal component (PC) analysis. For motility, eight kinematic parameters were evaluated, which were reduced to PC1, related to linear variables, and PC2, related to oscillatory movement. The whole population was divided into three independent subpopulations: SP1, fast cells with linear movement; SP2, slow cells and nonoscillatory motility; and SP3, medium speed cells and oscillatory movement. In almost all cases, the subpopulation distribution by animal was significantly different. Head morphology analysis generated four size and four shape parameters, which were reduced to PC1, related to size, and PC2, related to shape of the cells. Three morphometric subpopulations existed: SP1: large oval cells; SP2: medium size elongated cells; and SP3: small and short cells. The subpopulation distribution differed between animals. Combining the kinematic and morphometric datasets produced PC1, related to morphometric parameters, and PC2, related to kinematics, which generated four sperm subpopulations - SP1: high oscillatory motility, large and short heads; SP2: medium velocity with small and short heads; SP3: slow motion small and elongated cells; and SP4: high linear speed and large elongated cells. Subpopulation distribution was different in all animals. The establishment of sperm subpopulations from kinematic, morphometric, and combined variables not only improves the well-defined fox semen characteristics and offers a good conceptual basis for fertility and sperm preservation techniques in this species, but also opens the door to use this approach in other species, included humans.

Sperm kinematic, head morphometric and kinetic-morphometric subpopulations in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus)

PubMed Central

Soler, Carles; Contell, Jesús; Bori, Lorena; Sancho, María; García-Molina, Almudena; Valverde, Anthony; Segarvall, Jan

2017-01-01

This work provides information on the blue fox ejaculated sperm quality needed for seminal dose calculations. Twenty semen samples, obtained by masturbation, were analyzed for kinematic and morphometric parameters by using CASA-Mot and CASA-Morph system and principal component (PC) analysis. For motility, eight kinematic parameters were evaluated, which were reduced to PC1, related to linear variables, and PC2, related to oscillatory movement. The whole population was divided into three independent subpopulations: SP1, fast cells with linear movement; SP2, slow cells and nonoscillatory motility; and SP3, medium speed cells and oscillatory movement. In almost all cases, the subpopulation distribution by animal was significantly different. Head morphology analysis generated four size and four shape parameters, which were reduced to PC1, related to size, and PC2, related to shape of the cells. Three morphometric subpopulations existed: SP1: large oval cells; SP2: medium size elongated cells; and SP3: small and short cells. The subpopulation distribution differed between animals. Combining the kinematic and morphometric datasets produced PC1, related to morphometric parameters, and PC2, related to kinematics, which generated four sperm subpopulations – SP1: high oscillatory motility, large and short heads; SP2: medium velocity with small and short heads; SP3: slow motion small and elongated cells; and SP4: high linear speed and large elongated cells. Subpopulation distribution was different in all animals. The establishment of sperm subpopulations from kinematic, morphometric, and combined variables not only improves the well-defined fox semen characteristics and offers a good conceptual basis for fertility and sperm preservation techniques in this species, but also opens the door to use this approach in other species, included humans. PMID:27751987

CARA Risk Assessment Thresholds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hejduk, M. D.

2016-01-01

Warning remediation threshold (Red threshold): Pc level at which warnings are issued, and active remediation considered and usually executed. Analysis threshold (Green to Yellow threshold): Pc level at which analysis of event is indicated, including seeking additional information if warranted. Post-remediation threshold: Pc level to which remediation maneuvers are sized in order to achieve event remediation and obviate any need for immediate follow-up maneuvers. Maneuver screening threshold: Pc compliance level for routine maneuver screenings (more demanding than regular Red threshold due to additional maneuver uncertainty).

Differential Metabolic Impact of Gastric Bypass Surgery Versus Dietary Intervention in Obese Diabetic Subjects Despite Identical Weight Loss

PubMed Central

Laferrère, Blandine; Reilly, David; Arias, Sara; Swerdlow, Nicholas; Gorroochurn, Prakash; Bawa, Baani; Bose, Mousumi; Teixeira, Julio; Stevens, Robert D.; Wenner, Brett R.; Bain, James R.; Muehlbauer, Michael J.; Haqq, Andrea; Lien, Lillian; Shah, Svati H.; Svetkey, Laura P.; Newgard, Christopher B.

2013-01-01

Glycemic control is improved more after gastric bypass surgery (GBP) than after equivalent diet-induced weight loss in patients with morbid obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We applied metabolomic profiling to understand the mechanisms of this better metabolic response after GBP. Circulating amino acids (AAs) and acylcarnitines (ACs) were measured in plasma from fasted subjects by targeted tandem mass spectrometry before and after a matched 10-kilogram weight loss induced by GBP or diet. Total AAs and branched-chain AAs (BCAAs) decreased after GBP, but not after dietary intervention. Metabolites derived from BCAA oxidation also decreased only after GBP. Principal components (PC) analysis identified two major PCs, one composed almost exclusively of ACs (PC1) and another with BCAAs and their metabolites as major contributors (PC2). PC1 and PC2 were inversely correlated with pro-insulin concentrations, the C-peptide response to oral glucose, and the insulin sensitivity index after weight loss, whereas PC2 was uniquely correlated with levels of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). These data suggest that the enhanced decrease in circulating AAs after GBP occurs by mechanisms other than weight loss and may contribute to the better improvement in glucose homeostasis observed with the surgical intervention. PMID:21525399

Learning Effects in the Block Design Task: A Stimulus Parameter-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Joseph C.; Ruthig, Joelle C.; Bradley, April R.; Wise, Richard A.; Pedersen, Heather A.; Ellison, Jo M.

2009-01-01

Learning effects were assessed for the block design (BD) task, on the basis of variation in 2 stimulus parameters: perceptual cohesiveness (PC) and set size uncertainty (U). Thirty-one nonclinical undergraduate students (19 female) each completed 3 designs for each of 4 varied sets of the stimulus parameters (high-PC/high-U, high-PC/low-U,…

Genome-wide profiling of PRC1 and PRC2 Polycomb chromatin binding in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Tolhuis, Bas; de Wit, Elzo; Muijrers, Inhua; Teunissen, Hans; Talhout, Wendy; van Steensel, Bas; van Lohuizen, Maarten

2006-06-01

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins maintain transcriptional repression of developmentally important genes and have been implicated in cell proliferation and stem cell self-renewal. We used a genome-wide approach to map binding patterns of PcG proteins (Pc, esc and Sce) in Drosophila melanogaster Kc cells. We found that Pc associates with large genomic regions of up to approximately 150 kb in size, hereafter referred to as 'Pc domains'. Sce and esc accompany Pc in most of these domains. PcG-bound chromatin is trimethylated at histone H3 Lys27 and is generally transcriptionally silent. Furthermore, PcG proteins preferentially bind to developmental genes. Many of these encode transcriptional regulators and key components of signal transduction pathways, including Wingless, Hedgehog, Notch and Delta. We also identify several new putative functions of PcG proteins, such as in steroid hormone biosynthesis. These results highlight the extensive involvement of PcG proteins in the coordination of development through the formation of large repressive chromatin domains.

Clinical and radiological analysis of a series of periapical cysts and periapical granulomas diagnosed in a Brazilian population

PubMed Central

Tavares, Daniel-Petitet; Rodrigues, Janderson-Teixeira; dos Santos, Teresa-Cristina-Ribeiro-Bartholomeu; Armada, Luciana

2017-01-01

Background Periapical cysts (PC) and periapical granulomas (PG) are the two most common chronic inflammatory periapical diseases, but their clinicoradiological characteristics can vary depending on the methods employed in each study. The aim of the present work was to analyze the clinical and radiological profile of a series of PC and PG diagnosed in a Brazilian population. Material and Methods The files of two Oral Pathology laboratories were reviewed and all cases diagnosed as PG and PC were selected for the study. Clinical and radiological information were retrieved and data were tabulated and descriptively and comparatively analyzed. Results Final sample was composed by 647 inflammatory periapical lesions, including 244 PG (38%) and 403 PC (62%). The number of women affected by PG was significantly higher than the number of women affected by PC (p=0.037). Anterior region of the maxilla was the most common affected area for both entities (39% of the cases), but the most common anatomical location of PG (anterior maxilla and posterior maxilla) was different from PC (anterior maxilla and posterior mandible) (p<0.0001). Upper lateral incisor was the most affected tooth. The mean radiological size of the PC was larger than the mean radiological size of the PG (p<0.0001) and PC showed well-defined radiological images more frequently than PG (p<0.0001). Conclusions PC were more common than PG, both showed predilection for adult females, most lesions affected predominantly the anterior maxilla and PC presented larger mean radiological diameter and well-defined images when compared with PG. Key words:Periapical granuloma, periapical cyst, radicular cyst, diagnosis, Oral Pathology. PMID:28149477

Hybridization bandgap induced by an electrical resonance in piezoelectric metamaterial plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kherraz, N.; Haumesser, L.; Levassort, F.; Benard, P.; Morvan, B.

2018-03-01

We demonstrate numerically and experimentally the opening of a locally resonant bandgap in an active phononic crystal (PC) made of a homogeneous piezoelectric plate covered by a 1D periodic array of thin electrodes connected to inductive shunts. The application of periodic electrical boundary conditions (EBCs) enables an at will tailoring of the dispersion properties of the PC plate, thus leading to a control of the dispersion of the propagating guided elastic waves in the plate. Depending on the nature of the EBCs, several bandgaps open up, the most important being a Hybridization Bandgap (HBG) in the subwavelength regime. The PC behaves as a locally resonant metamaterial. The HBG originates from the interaction of propagating elastic waves (Lamb modes) with an electrical resonant mode whose dispersion can be effectively described through an equivalent transmission line model.

Phase modification of copper phthalocyanine semiconductor by converting powder to thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, Xiaowei; Lin, Jiaxin; Chang, Yufang; Zhou, Lianqun; Zhang, Xianmin; Qin, Gaowu

2018-01-01

Thin films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) semiconductor were deposited on glass substrates by a thermal evaporation system using the CuPc powder in a high vacuum. The crystal structures of both the films and the powder were measured by the X-ray diffraction spectroscopy technique. It is observed that CuPc films only show one peak at 6.84°, indicating a high texture of α phase along (200) orientation. In comparison, CuPc powder shows a series of peaks, which are confirmed from the mixture of both α and β phases. The effects of substrate anneal temperature on the film structure, grain size and optical absorption property of CuPc films were also investigated. All the films are of α phase and the full width of half maximum for (200) diffraction peak becomes narrow with increasing the substrate temperatures. The average grain size calculated by the Scherrer's formula is 33.63 nm for the film without anneal, which is increased up to 58.29 nm for the film annealed at 200 °C. Scanning electron microscope was further measured to prove the growth of crystalline grain and to characterize the morphologies of CuPc films. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra were employed to study the structure effect on the optical properties of both CuPc films and powder. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the crystalline nature of both CuPc powder and film.

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles stabilized with C-phycocyanin and for fluorimetric detection of copper ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Nana; Hou, Yanhua; Lu, Zongbao; Yu, Huatong; Wang, Quanfu

2018-01-01

In this study, C-phycocyanin as protective agent, AgNO3 as raw material and NaBH4 as reducing agent synthesized C-phycocyanin-Ag nanoparticles (PC-AgNPs). The synthesis conditions of PC-AgNPs were determined by optimization. The maximum UV absorption peak of PC-AgNPs at 400 nm. The fluorescence excitation wavelength was 580 nm and the emission wavelength was 625 nm. PC-AgNPs was spherical in transmission electron microscope and the particles sizes were about 10-25 nm. In addition, fluorescence quenching was observed after adding copper ions to PC-AgNPs, which indicated that PC-AgNPs has potential applications in the detection of copper ions in diverse water environment.

Mixed micelles loaded with silybin-polyene phosphatidylcholine complex improve drug solubility

PubMed Central

Duan, Rui-ling; Sun, Xun; Liu, Jie; Gong, Tao; Zhang, Zhi-rong

2011-01-01

Aim: To prepare a novel formulation of phosphatidylcholine (PC)-bile salts (BS)-mixed micelles (MMs) loaded with silybin (SLB)-PC complex for parenteral applications. Methods: SLB-PC-BS-MMs were prepared using the co-precipitation method. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis was used to confirm the formation of the complex and several parameters were optimized to obtain a high quality formulation. The water-solubility, drug loading, particle size, zeta potential, morphology and in vivo properties of the SLB-PC-BS-MMs were determined. Results: The solubility of SLB in water was increased from 40.83±1.18 μg/mL to 10.14±0.36 mg/mL with a high drug loading (DL) of 14.43%±0.44% under optimized conditions. The SLB-PC-BS-MMs were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and showed spherical shapes. The particle size and zeta potential, as measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), were about 30±4.8 nm and −39±5.0 mV, respectively. In vivo studies showed that incorporation of the SLB-PC complex into PC-BS-MMs led to a prolonged circulation time of the drug. Conclusion: This novel formulation appears to be a good candidate for drug substances that exhibit poor solubility for parenteral administration. PMID:21170082

Simulation of light-induced degradation of μc-Si in a-Si/μc-Si tandem solar cells by the diode equivalent circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weicht, J. A.; Hamelmann, F. U.; Behrens, G.

2016-02-01

Silicon-based thin film tandem solar cells consist of one amorphous (a-Si) and one microcrystalline (μc-Si) silicon solar cell. The Staebler - Wronski effect describes the light- induced degradation and temperature-dependent healing of defects of silicon-based solar thin film cells. The solar cell degradation depends strongly on operation temperature. Until now, only the light-induced degradation (LID) of the amorphous layer was examined in a-Si/μc-Si solar cells. The LID is also observed in pc-Si single function solar cells. In our work we show the influence of the light-induced degradation of the μc-Si layer on the diode equivalent circuit. The current-voltage-curves (I-V-curves) for the initial state of a-Si/pc-Si modules are measured. Afterwards the cells are degraded under controlled conditions at constant temperature and constant irradiation. At fixed times the modules are measured at standard test conditions (STC) (AM1.5, 25°C cell temperature, 1000 W/m2) for controlling the status of LID. After the degradation the modules are annealed at dark conditions for several hours at 120°C. After the annealing the dangling bonds in the amorphous layer are healed, while the degradation of the pc-Si is still present, because the healing of defects in pc-Si solar cells needs longer time or higher temperatures. The solar cells are measured again at STC. With this laboratory measured I-V-curves we are able to separate the values of the diode model: series Rs and parallel resistance Rp, saturation current Is and diode factor n.

High fidelity computational characterization of the mechanical response of thermally aged polycarbonate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zesheng; Zhang, Lili; Jasa, John; Li, Wenlong; Gazonas, George; Negahban, Mehrdad

2017-07-01

A representative all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) system of polycarbonate (PC) is built and conditioned to capture and predict the behaviours of PC in response to a broad range of thermo-mechanical loadings for various thermal aging. The PC system is constructed to have a distribution of molecular weights comparable to a widely used commercial PC (LEXAN 9034), and thermally conditioned to produce models for aged and unaged PC. The MD responses of these models are evaluated through comparisons to existing experimental results carried out at much lower loading rates, but done over a broad range of temperatures and loading modes. These experiments include monotonic extension/compression/shear, unilaterally and bilaterally confined compression, and load-reversal during shear. It is shown that the MD simulations show both qualitative and quantitative similarity with the experimental response. The quantitative similarity is evaluated by comparing the dilatational response under bilaterally confined compression, the shear flow viscosity and the equivalent yield stress. The consistency of the in silico response to real laboratory experiments strongly suggests that the current PC models are physically and mechanically relevant and potentially can be used to investigate thermo-mechanical response to loading conditions that would not easily be possible. These MD models may provide valuable insight into the molecular sources of certain observations, and could possibly offer new perspectives on how to develop constitutive models that are based on better understanding the response of PC under complex loadings. To this latter end, the models are used to predict the response of PC to complex loading modes that would normally be difficult to do or that include characteristics that would be difficult to measure. These include the responses of unaged and aged PC to unilaterally confined extension/compression, cyclic uniaxial/shear loadings, and saw-tooth extension/compression/shear.

Multiple-decker phthalocyaninato dinuclear lanthanoid(III) single-molecule magnets with dual-magnetic relaxation processes.

PubMed

Katoh, Keiichi; Horii, Yoji; Yasuda, Nobuhiro; Wernsdorfer, Wolfgang; Toriumi, Koshiro; Breedlove, Brian K; Yamashita, Masahiro

2012-11-28

The SMM behaviour of dinuclear Ln(III)-Pc multiple-decker complexes (Ln = Tb(3+) and Dy(3+)) with energy barriers and slow-relaxation behaviour were explained by using X-ray crystallography and static and dynamic susceptibility measurements. In particular, interactions among the 4f electrons of several dinuclear Ln(III)-Pc type SMMs have never been discussed on the basis of the crystal structure. For dinuclear Tb(III)-Pc complexes, a dual magnetic relaxation process was observed. The relaxation processes are due to the anisotropic centres. Our results clearly show that the two Tb(3+) ion sites are equivalent and are consistent with the crystal structure. On the other hand, the mononuclear Tb(III)-Pc complex exhibited only a single magnetic relaxation process. This is clear evidence that the magnetic relaxation mechanism depends heavily on the dipole-dipole (f-f) interactions between the Tb(3+) ions in the dinuclear systems. Furthermore, the SMM behaviour of dinuclear Dy(III)-Pc type SMMs with smaller energy barriers compared with that of Tb(III)-Pc and slow-relaxation behaviour was explained. Dinuclear Dy(III)-Pc SMMs exhibited single-component magnetic relaxation behaviour. The results indicate that the magnetic relaxation properties of dinuclear Ln(III)-Pc multiple-decker complexes are affected by the local molecular symmetry and are extremely sensitive to tiny distortions in the coordination geometry. In other words, the spatial arrangement of the Ln(3+) ions (f-f interactions) in the crystal is important. Our work shows that the SMM properties can be fine-tuned by introducing weak intermolecular magnetic interactions in a controlled SMM spatial arrangement.

Structure and polymorphism of the mouse prion protein gene.

PubMed Central

Westaway, D; Cooper, C; Turner, S; Da Costa, M; Carlson, G A; Prusiner, S B

1994-01-01

Missense mutations in the prion protein (PrP) gene, overexpression of the cellular isoform of PrP (PrPC), and infection with prions containing the scrapie isoform of PrP (PrPSc) all cause neurodegenerative disease. To understand better the physiology and expression of PrPC, we retrieved mouse PrP gene (Prn-p) yeast artificial chromosome (YAC), cosmid, phage, and cDNA clones. Physical mapping positions Prn-p approximately 300 kb from ecotropic virus integration site number 4 (Evi-4), compatible with failure to detect recombination between Prn-p and Evi-4 in genetic crosses. The Prn-pa allele encompasses three exons, with exons 1 and 2 encoding the mRNA 5' untranslated region. Exon 2 has no equivalent in the Syrian hamster and human PrP genes. The Prn-pb gene shares this intron/exon structure but harbors an approximately 6-kb deletion within intron 2. While the Prn-pb open reading frame encodes two amino acid substitutions linked to prolonged scrapie incubation periods, a deletion of intron 2 sequences also characterizes inbred strains such as RIII/S and MOLF/Ei with shorter incubation periods, making a relationship between intron 2 size and scrapie pathogenesis unlikely. The promoter regions of a and b Prn-p alleles include consensus Sp1 and AP-1 sites, as well as other conserved motifs which may represent binding sites for as yet unidentified transcription factors. Images PMID:7912827

Experimental study on pore structure and performance of sintered porous wick

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Da; Wang, Shufan; Liu, Rutie; Wang, Zhubo; Xiong, Xiang; Zou, Jianpeng

2018-02-01

Porous wicks were prepared via powder metallurgy using NH4HCO3 powders as pore-forming agent. The pore-forming agent particle size was varied to control the pore structure and equivalent pore size distribution feature of porous wick. The effect of pore-forming agent particle size on the porosity, pore structures, equivalent pore size distribution and capillary pumping performance were investigated. Results show that with the particle size of pore-forming agent decrease, the green density and the volume shrinkage of the porous wicks gradually increase and the porosity reduces slightly. There are two types of pores inside the porous wick, large-sized prefabricated pores and small-sized gap pores. With the particle size of pore-forming agent decrease, the size of the prefabricated pores becomes smaller and the distribution tends to be uniform. Gap pores and prefabricated pores inside the wick can make up different types of pore channels. The equivalent pore size of wick is closely related to the structure of pore channels. Furthermore, the equivalent pore size distribution of wick shows an obvious double-peak feature when the pore-forming agent particle size is large. With the particle size of pore-forming agent decrease, the two peaks of equivalent pore size distribution approach gradually to each other, resulting in a single-peak feature. Porous wick with single-peak feature equivalent pore size distribution possesses the better capillary pumping performances.

A new electrode design for ambipolar injection in organic semiconductors.

PubMed

Kanagasekaran, Thangavel; Shimotani, Hidekazu; Shimizu, Ryota; Hitosugi, Taro; Tanigaki, Katsumi

2017-10-17

Organic semiconductors have attracted much attention for low-cost, flexible and human-friendly optoelectronics. However, achieving high electron-injection efficiency is difficult from air-stable electrodes and cannot be equivalent to that of holes. Here, we present a novel concept of electrode composed of a bilayer of tetratetracontane (TTC) and polycrystalline organic semiconductors (pc-OSC) covered by a metal layer. Field-effect transistors of single-crystal organic semiconductors with the new electrodes of M/pc-OSC/TTC (M: Ca or Au) show both highly efficient electron and hole injection. Contact resistance for electron injection from Au/pc-OSC/TTC and hole injection from Ca/pc-OSC/TTC are comparable to those for electron injection from Ca and hole injection from Au, respectively. Furthermore, the highest field-effect mobilities of holes (22 cm 2  V -1  s -1 ) and electrons (5.0 cm 2  V -1  s -1 ) are observed in rubrene among field-effect transistors with electrodes so far proposed by employing Ca/pc-OSC/TTC and Au/pc-OSC/TTC electrodes for electron and hole injection, respectively.One of technological challenges building organic electronics is efficient injection of electrons at metal-semiconductor interfaces compared to that of holes. The authors show an air-stable electrode design with induced gap states, which support Fermi level pinning and thus ambipolar carrier injection.

Naproxen-PC: a GI safe and highly effective anti-inflammatory.

PubMed

Lichtenberger, L M; Romero, J J; Dial, E J; Moore, J E

2009-02-01

We have been developing a family of phosphatidylcholine (PC)-associated NSAIDs, which appear to have improved GI safety and therapeutic efficacy in both rodent model systems and pilot clinical trials. As naproxen has been demonstrated to be associated with the lowest cardiovascular adverse events in comparison with both COX-2 selective inhibitors and conventional NSAIDs, we have been developing a Naproxen-PC formulation for evaluation in animal models and clinical trials. We have determined that an oil-based formulation of naproxen and triple strength soy lecithin provides excellent GI protection in both: 1) an acute NSAID-induced intestinal bleeding model in rats pretreated with L-NAME that are intragastrically administered a single dose of naproxen (at a dose of 50 mg/kg) vs the equivalent dose of Naproxen-PC; and 2) a more chronic model (at a naproxen dose of 25 mg/kg BID) in rats that have pre-existing hindpaw inflammation (induced with a intradermal injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant/CFA). Both models demonstrate the superior GI safety of Naproxen-PC vs naproxen while this novel formulation had significant anti-inflammatory efficacy to reduce hindpaw edema and the generation of PGE(2) in the collected joint synovial fluid. Naproxen-PC appears to induce significantly less GI injury and bleeding in two rodent model systems while maintaining anti-inflammatory and COX-inhibitory activity.

SIMP: A Near-Infrared Proper Motion Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artigau, Étienne; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, René; Albert, Loïc; Robert, Jasmin; Malo, Lison

2009-02-01

SIMP is a proper motion (PM) survey made with the Observatoire du Mont Mégantic (OMM) wide-field near-infrared camera CPAPIR at the CTIO 1.5 m and OMM 1.6 m telescopes. The SIMP observations were initiated in early 2005, are still ongoing and, to date, have covered 28% of the sky at high galactic latitudes. The PMs of the sources detected are determined by comparing their measured positions with those listed in the 2MASS point source catalog, giving a time baseline of 4 to 10 years. The 5 σ uncertainty on the relative SIMP and 2MASS astrometry is 1'', equivalent to a PM lower limit of 0.125-0.250''/yr, or a tangential velocity limit of 15-30 km/s at 25 pc. Up to the 2MASS magnitude limit (J~16.5), T dwarfs are found out to ~25 pc, while L dwarfs may be found as far as 100 pc away.

Spectroscopy of an unusual emission line M star

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Donald P.; Greenstein, Jesse L.; Schmidt, Maarten; Gunn, James E.

1991-01-01

Moderate-resolution spectroscopy of an unusual late-type faint emission-line star, PC 0025 + 0047, is reported. A very strong (greater than 250 A equivalent width) an H-alpha emission line was detected by the present automated line search algorithm. The spectrum was found to have two unresolved emission lines (H-alpha and H-beta) near zero velocity, superposed on the absorption spectrum of a very red M dwarf which has strong K I, and relatively weak bands of TiO. From the weakness of the subordinate lines of Na I (8192 A) and other spectral features, it is inferred that it is definitely a cooler, and probably fainter, analog of LHS 2924. The strength of the emission lines indicates that PC 0025 + 0447 is very young and may be a fading predecessor brown drawf at an estimated M(bol) approaching 14m at a distance of about 60 pc.

Discrimination against RNA Backbones by a ssDNA Binding Protein.

PubMed

Lloyd, Neil R; Wuttke, Deborah S

2018-05-01

Pot1 is the shelterin component responsible for the protection of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) overhang at telomeres in nearly all eukaryotic organisms. The C-terminal domain of the DNA-binding domain, Pot1pC, exhibits non-specific ssDNA recognition, achieved through thermodynamically equivalent alternative binding conformations. Given this flexibility, it is unclear how specificity for ssDNA over RNA, an activity required for biological function, is achieved. Examination of the ribose-position specificity of Pot1pC shows that ssDNA specificity is additive but not uniformly distributed across the ligand. High-resolution structures of several Pot1pC complexes with RNA-DNA chimeric ligands reveal Pot1pC discriminates against RNA by utilizing non-compensatory binding modes that feature significant rearrangement of the binding interface. These alternative conformations, accessed through both ligand and protein flexibility, recover much, but not all, of the binding energy, leading to the observed reduction in affinities. These findings suggest that intermolecular interfaces are remarkably sophisticated in their tuning of specificity toward flexible ligands. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects and interaction, of cariporide and preconditioning on cardiac arrhythmias and infarction in rat in vivo

PubMed Central

Aye, Nu Nu; Komori, Sadayoshi; Hashimoto, Keitaro

1999-01-01

Although Na+-H+ exchange (NHE) inhibitors are reported to protect the myocardium against ischaemic injury, NHE activation has also been proposed as a potential mechanism of ischaemic preconditioning-induced protection. This study was performed to test any modifiable effect of cariporide, an NHE inhibitor, on cardioprotective effects of preconditioning.Anaesthetized rats were subjected to 30 min of coronary artery occlusion and 150 min of reperfusion. The preconditioning (PC) was induced by 3 min of ischaemia and 10 min of reperfusion (1PC) or three episodes of 3 min ischaemia and 5 min reperfusion (3PC). Cariporide (0.3 mg kg−1) an NHE inhibitor, was administered 30 min (cari(30)) or 45 min (cari(45)) before coronary ligation (n=8–11 for each group).Ventricular arrhythmias during 30 min ischaemia and infarct size (measured by triphenyltetrazolium (TTC) and expressed as a per cent area at risk (%AAR)) were determined. Cari(30) reduced ventricular fibrillation (VF) incidence and infarct size (from 45 to 0% and 34±4 to 9±2%; each P<0.05), whereas cari(45) did not. Likewise, 3PC reduced these variables (to 0% and 10±2%; P<0.05 in each case) whereas 1PC did not. Moreover, subthreshold preconditioning (1PC) and cariporide (cari(45)), when combined, reduced VF incidence and infarct size (to 0% and 15+3%; each P<0.05).In conclusion, changes in NHE activity do not seem to be responsible for the cardioprotective action of ischaemic preconditioning. Protective effects of NHE inhibition and subthreshold preconditioning appear to act additively. PMID:10433514

Separation of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene waste plastics by froth flotation combined with ammonia pretreatment.

PubMed

Wang, Chong-Qing; Wang, Hui; Liu, Qun; Fu, Jian-Gang; Liu, You-Nian

2014-12-01

The objective of this research is flotation separation of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) waste plastics combined with ammonia pretreatment. The PC and ABS plastics show similar hydrophobicity, and ammonia treatment changes selectively floatability of PC plastic while ABS is insensitive to ammonia treatment. The contact angle measurement indicates the dropping of flotation recovery of PC is ascribed to a decline of contact angle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates reactions occur on PC surface, which makes PC surface more hydrophilic. Separation of PC and ABS waste plastics was conducted based on the flotation behavior of single plastic. At different temperatures, PC and ABS mixtures were separated efficiently through froth flotation with ammonia pretreatment for different time (13 min at 23 °C, 18 min at 18 °C and 30 min at 23 °C). For both PC and ABS, the purity and recovery is more than 95.31% and 95.35%, respectively; the purity of PC and ABS is up to 99.72% and 99.23%, respectively. PC and ABS mixtures with different particle sizes were separated effectively, implying that ammonia treatment possesses superior applicability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emission characteristics and size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from coke production in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Ling; Peng, Lin; Liu, Xiaofeng; He, Qiusheng; Bai, Huiling; Yan, Yulong; Li, Yinghui

2017-11-01

Coking is regarded as a major source of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but few researches have been conducted on the emission characteristics of PAHs from coke production. In this study, emissions of size-segregated particulate matter (PM) and particle-bound PAHs emitted from charging of coal (CC) and pushing of coke (PC) in four typical coke plants were determined. The emission factors on average, sums of CC and PC, were 4.65 mg/kg, 5.96 mg/kg, 19.18 μg/kg and 20.69 μg/kg of coal charged for PM2.1 (≤ 2.1 μm), PM, PAHs in PM2.1 and total-PAHs, respectively. PM and PAHs emission from plants using stamp charging were significantly more than those using top charging. The profile of PAHs in PM with size ≤ 1.4 μm (PM1.4) emitted from CC process were similar with that from PC, however, it revealed obviously different tendency for PAHs in PM with size > 1.4 μm, indicating the different formation mechanism for coarse particles emitted from CC and PC. Size distributions of PM and PAHs indicated that they were primarily connected with PM1.4, and the contributions of PM1.4 to PM and PAHs emitted from the plants using stamp charging were higher than those using top charging. Some improved technology in air-pollution control devices should be considered in coke production in future based on the considerable impacts of PM1.4 and PAHs on human health and ambient air quality.

NEURODEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY AND METABOLISM OF THE FLAME RETARDANT, TRIS (1,3-DICHLORO-2-PROPYL) PHOSPHATE

EPA Science Inventory

In the PC12 cell studies, it was found that exposure to an equimolar concentration of TDCPP resulted in deficits equivalent to or greater than that of CPF on measures of cellular replication and cell number, without affecting cell viability. TDCPP also altered the pattern o...

Detection and quantification of unbound phytochelatin 2 in plant extracts of Brassica napus grown with different levels of mercury.

PubMed

Iglesia-Turiño, Santiago; Febrero, Anna; Jauregui, Olga; Caldelas, Cristina; Araus, Jose Luis; Bort, Jordi

2006-10-01

The mercury (Hg) accumulation mechanism was studied in rape (Brassica napus) plants grown under a Hg concentration gradient (0 microm-1,000 microm). Hg mainly accumulated in roots. Therefore, the presence of phytochelatins (PCs) was studied in the roots of the plants. The high stability of the PC-Hg multicomplexes (mPC-nHg) seems to be the main reason for the lack of previous Hg-PC characterization studies. We propose a modification of the method to detect and quantify unbound PC of Hg in plant extracts via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in parallel. We separated the PC from the Hg by adding the chelating agent sodium 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonate monohydrate. We only detected the presence of PC after the addition of the chelating agent. Some multicomplexes mPC-nHg could be formed but, due to their large sizes, could not be detected. In this study, only PC(2) was observed in plant samples. Hg accumulation was correlated with PC(2) concentration (r(2) = 0.98).

Processing method and corn cultivar affected anthocyanin concentration from dried distillers grains with solubles.

PubMed

Dia, Vermont P; Wang, Zhaoqin; West, Megan; Singh, Vijay; West, Leslie; de Mejia, Elvira Gonzalez

2015-04-01

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments with health benefits and potential use as food colorants. The objectives of this work were to (1) determine optimum parameters for the extraction of anthocyanins from dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS), (2) develop a method of anthocyanin extraction from DDGS, (3) quantify and identify the extracted anthocyanins, and (4) determine the effect of processing methods and corn cultivars on anthocyanin concentration. DDGS samples were prepared from purple (PC) and dark (DC) corn and processed using conventional enzymes (C) and granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes (GC). Three independent variables (ethanol concentration (0, 12.5, and 25%); liquid-to-solid ratio (30:1, 40:1, 50:1 mL/g); and extraction temperature (4, 22, and 40 °C)) and two dependent variables (anthocyanin concentration and a-value (redness)) were used. Results showed that dark corn DDGS gave anthocyanin concentration higher than that of purple corn. The GC process showed total anthocyanin concentration higher than that of the conventional method of DDGS production. The maximum anthocyanin concentration was obtained at 12.5% ethanol, 40:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, and 22 °C for C-PC [321.0 ± 37.3 μg cyanidin-3 glucoside (C3G) equivalent/g DDGS]. For GC-PC, 25% ethanol, 30:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, and 22 °C gave 741.4 ± 12.8 μg C3G equivalent/g DDGS. For GC-DC, 12.5% ethanol, 40:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, and 40 °C extraction gave 1573.4 ± 84.0 μg C3G equivalent/g DDGS. LC/MS-MS analysis showed that the major anthocyanins were cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-(6″-malonyl) glucoside, and peonidin-3-(6″malonyl) glucoside. In conclusion, anthocyanin extraction from colored corn DDGS can be optimized using 12.5% ethanol, 40:1 mL/g ratio, and 22 °C.

Detection of Post-Therapeutic Effects in Breast Carcinoma Using Hard X-Ray Index of Refraction Computed Tomography - A Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Grandl, Susanne; Sztrókay-Gaul, Anikó; Mittone, Alberto; Gasilov, Sergey; Brun, Emmanuel; Bravin, Alberto; Mayr, Doris; Auweter, Sigrid D; Hellerhoff, Karin; Reiser, Maximilian; Coan, Paola

2016-01-01

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the state-of-the-art treatment in advanced breast cancer. A correct visualization of the post-therapeutic tumor size is of high prognostic relevance. X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PC-CT) has been shown to provide improved soft-tissue contrast at a resolution formerly restricted to histopathology, at low doses. This study aimed at assessing ex-vivo the potential use of PC-CT for visualizing the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on breast carcinoma. The analysis was performed on two ex-vivo formalin-fixed mastectomy samples containing an invasive carcinoma removed from two patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Images were matched with corresponding histological slices. The visibility of typical post-therapeutic tissue changes was assessed and compared to results obtained with conventional clinical imaging modalities. PC-CT depicted the different tissue types with an excellent correlation to histopathology. Post-therapeutic tissue changes were correctly visualized and the residual tumor mass could be detected. PC-CT outperformed clinical imaging modalities in the detection of chemotherapy-induced tissue alterations including post-therapeutic tumor size. PC-CT might become a unique diagnostic tool in the prediction of tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. PC-CT might be used to assist during histopathological diagnosis, offering a high-resolution and high-contrast virtual histological tool for the accurate delineation of tumor boundaries.

Preoperative chemotherapy for operable breast cancer is associated with better compliance with adjuvant therapy in matched stage II and IIIA patients.

PubMed

Komenaka, Ian K; Hsu, Chiu-Hsieh; Martinez, Maria Elena; Bouton, Marcia E; Low, Boo Ghee; Salganick, Jason A; Nodora, Jesse; Hibbard, Michael L; Jha, Chandra

2011-01-01

Preoperative chemotherapy (PC) for operable breast cancer has shown significant benefits in prospective trials. Many patients are treated in the community setting and some may question the applicability of PC outside the university setting. Retrospective review was performed of stage II and IIIA breast cancer patients treated from January 2002 to July 2009. Fifty-three of 57 patients who underwent PC were matched based on age, tumor size, and hormone receptor status with 53 patients who did not undergo PC. Differences in patient compliance with physician recommendations for all types of adjuvant therapy were evaluated. Crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios derived from conditional logistic regression models were calculated. There were 106 patients included. Patient compliance with chemotherapy was better in the PC group than in the adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) group (100% versus 70%; p = .0001). Similarly, more patients in the PC group completed radiation therapy (96% versus 65%; p = .0003) and initiated hormonal therapy (100% versus 62%; p = .0001). Conditional logistic regression revealed that higher pathologic stage and current cigarette smoking were associated with poorer compliance with chemotherapy. For radiation therapy, the univariate model revealed that compliance with chemotherapy and being employed were associated with completion of radiation, whereas current cigarette smoking and larger pathologic size were associated with poorer compliance with radiation. For hormonal therapy, current cigarette smokers were more likely to be noncompliant with initiation of hormonal therapy. PC for operable breast cancer can improve patient compliance with chemotherapy. Current cigarette smokers were more likely to be noncompliant with all types of adjuvant therapy.

Quantitative perfusion analysis in pancreatic contrast enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US): a promising tool for the differentiation between autoimmune pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Vitali, F; Pfeifer, L; Janson, C; Goertz, R S; Neurath, M F; Strobel, D; Wildner, D

2015-10-01

In the work-up of focal pancreatic lesions autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a rare differential diagnosis to pancreatic cancer (PC) with similar clinical constellations. The aim of our study was to compare differences between proven AIP and PC using transabdominal dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US). Therefore we recorded 3-minute-clips of CEUS examinations and analyzed perfusion parameters with VueBox®-quantification software. To obtain DCE-US Parameters, Regions-of-Interest were selected within the lesions and the surrounding pancreas parenchyma, serving as reference tissue. We compared 3 patients with AIP (mean age: 58 years; lesion mean size: 40 mm) to 17 patients with PC (mean age: 68 years; lesion mean size: 35.9 mm). Significant differences between PC and parenchyma could be found in the following parameters: Peak-Enhancement (PE), Wash-in-and-Wash-out-AUC, Wash-in Perfusion-Index. PE of AIP was comparable to normal parenchyma. The relation of PE between parenchyma and lesion (ΔPE) AIP and PC was significantly different [AIP: 0.21 (±0.06); PC: 0.81 (±0.1); p<0.01]. PE of neoplastic lesions was significantly lower as AIP and normal parenchyma (p<0.01). Therefore perfusion analysis in DCE-US can help to differentiate hypovascular PC from AIP presenting nearly isovascular time intensity curves. Diagnostic accuracy of DCE-US in this setting has to be validated in future prospective studies in comparison to CT and MRI. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Fluorination of Metal Phthalocyanines: Single-Crystal Growth, Efficient N-Channel Organic Field-Effect Transistors, and Structure-Property Relationships

PubMed Central

Jiang, Hui; Ye, Jun; Hu, Peng; Wei, Fengxia; Du, Kezhao; Wang, Ning; Ba, Te; Feng, Shuanglong; Kloc, Christian

2014-01-01

The fluorination of p-type metal phthalocyanines produces n-type semiconductors, allowing the design of organic electronic circuits that contain inexpensive heterojunctions made from chemically and thermally stable p- and n-type organic semiconductors. For the evaluation of close to intrinsic transport properties, high-quality centimeter-sized single crystals of F16CuPc, F16CoPc and F16ZnPc have been grown. New crystal structures of F16CuPc, F16CoPc and F16ZnPc have been determined. Organic single-crystal field-effect transistors have been fabricated to study the effects of the central metal atom on their charge transport properties. The F16ZnPc has the highest electron mobility (~1.1 cm2 V−1 s−1). Theoretical calculations indicate that the crystal structure and electronic structure of the central metal atom determine the transport properties of fluorinated metal phthalocyanines. PMID:25524460

76 FR 45831 - Prescription Drug User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-01

... annual change in cost, per FDA full time equivalent (FTE), of all personnel compensation and benefits... and benefits per FTE over the previous 5 of the most recent 6 FYs (FY 2006 through FY 2010). The data... percent. Table 1--FDA Personnel Compensation and Benefits (PC&B) Each Year and Percent Change Annual...

Microstructural and electrical properties of Al/n-type Si Schottky diodes with Au-CuPc nanocomposite films as interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, P. R. Sekhar; Janardhanam, V.; Jyothi, I.; Chang, Han-Soo; Lee, Sung-Nam; Lee, Myung Sun; Reddy, V. Rajagopal; Choi, Chel-Jong

2017-11-01

Au-CuPc nanocomposite films were prepared by simultaneous evaporation of Au and CuPc with various Au and CuPc concentrations. Microstructural analysis of Au-CuPc films revealed elongated Au cluster formation from isolated Au nanoclusters with increasing Au concentration associated with coalescence of Au clusters. Au-CuPc films with different compositions were employed as interlayer in Al/n-Si Schottky diode. Barrier height and series resistance of the Al/n-Si Schottky diode with Au-CuPc interlayer decreased with increasing Au concentration. This could be associated with the enhancement of electron tunneling between neighboring clusters due to decrease in spacing of Au clusters and formation of conducting paths through the composite material. Interface state density of the Al/n-Si Schottky diode with Au-CuPc interlayer increased with increasing Au concentration. This might be because the inclusion of metal decreases the crystallinity and crystal size of the polymer matrix accompanied by the formation of local defect sites at the places of metal nucleation.

Numerical investigation of diffraction of acoustic waves by phononic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moiseyenko, Rayisa P.; Declercq, Nico F.; Laude, Vincent

2012-05-01

Diffraction as well as transmission of acoustic waves by two-dimensional phononic crystals (PCs) composed of steel rods in water are investigated in this paper. The finite element simulations were performed in order to compute pressure fields generated by a line source that are incident on a finite size PC. Such field maps are analyzed based on the complex band structure for the infinite periodic PC. Finite size computations indicate that the exponential decrease of the transmission at deaf frequencies is much stronger than that in Bragg band gaps.

Detection and Quantification of Unbound Phytochelatin 2 in Plant Extracts of Brassica napus Grown with Different Levels of Mercury1

PubMed Central

Iglesia-Turiño, Santiago; Febrero, Anna; Jauregui, Olga; Caldelas, Cristina; Araus, Jose Luis; Bort, Jordi

2006-01-01

The mercury (Hg) accumulation mechanism was studied in rape (Brassica napus) plants grown under a Hg concentration gradient (0 μm–1,000 μm). Hg mainly accumulated in roots. Therefore, the presence of phytochelatins (PCs) was studied in the roots of the plants. The high stability of the PC-Hg multicomplexes (mPC-nHg) seems to be the main reason for the lack of previous Hg-PC characterization studies. We propose a modification of the method to detect and quantify unbound PC of Hg in plant extracts via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in parallel. We separated the PC from the Hg by adding the chelating agent sodium 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonate monohydrate. We only detected the presence of PC after the addition of the chelating agent. Some multicomplexes mPC-nHg could be formed but, due to their large sizes, could not be detected. In this study, only PC2 was observed in plant samples. Hg accumulation was correlated with PC2 concentration (r2 = 0.98). PMID:16920879

Covariance Manipulation for Conjunction Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hejduk, M. D.

2016-01-01

The manipulation of space object covariances to try to provide additional or improved information to conjunction risk assessment is not an uncommon practice. Types of manipulation include fabricating a covariance when it is missing or unreliable to force the probability of collision (Pc) to a maximum value ('PcMax'), scaling a covariance to try to improve its realism or see the effect of covariance volatility on the calculated Pc, and constructing the equivalent of an epoch covariance at a convenient future point in the event ('covariance forecasting'). In bringing these methods to bear for Conjunction Assessment (CA) operations, however, some do not remain fully consistent with best practices for conducting risk management, some seem to be of relatively low utility, and some require additional information before they can contribute fully to risk analysis. This study describes some basic principles of modern risk management (following the Kaplan construct) and then examines the PcMax and covariance forecasting paradigms for alignment with these principles; it then further examines the expected utility of these methods in the modern CA framework. Both paradigms are found to be not without utility, but only in situations that are somewhat carefully circumscribed.

Shape Analysis of 3D Head Scan Data for U.S. Respirator Users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Ziqing; Slice, DennisE; Benson, Stacey; Lynch, Stephanie; Viscusi, DennisJ

2010-12-01

In 2003, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a head-and-face anthropometric survey of diverse, civilian respirator users. Of the 3,997 subjects measured using traditional anthropometric techniques, surface scans and 26 three-dimensional (3D) landmark locations were collected for 947 subjects. The objective of this study was to report the size and shape variation of the survey participants using the 3D data. Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA) was conducted to standardize configurations of landmarks associated with individuals into a common coordinate system. The superimposed coordinates for each individual were used as commensurate variables that describe individual shape and were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify population variation. The first four principal components (PC) account for 49% of the total sample variation. The first PC indicates that overall size is an important component of facial variability. The second PC accounts for long and narrow or short and wide faces. Longer narrow orbits versus shorter wider orbits can be described by PC3, and PC4 represents variation in the degree of ortho/prognathism. Geometric Morphometrics provides a detailed and interpretable assessment of morphological variation that may be useful in assessing respirators and devising new test and certification standards.

Reconstruction of sediment transport pathways in modern microtidal sand flat by multiple classification analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, S.; Nakajo, T.; Naruse, H.

2009-12-01

In this study, we statistically classified the grain size distribution of the bottom surface sediment on a microtidal sand flat to analyze the depositional processes of the sediment. Multiple classification analysis revealed that two types of sediment populations exist in the bottom surface sediment. Then, we employed the sediment trend model developed by Gao and Collins (1992) for the estimation of sediment transport pathways. As a result, we found that statistical discrimination of the bottom surface sediment provides useful information for the sediment trend model while dealing with various types of sediment transport processes. The microtidal sand flat along the Kushida River estuary, Ise Bay, central Japan, was investigated, and 102 bottom surface sediment samples were obtained. Then, their grain size distribution patterns were measured by the settling tube method, and each grain size distribution parameter (mud and gravel contents, mean grain size, coefficient of variance (CV), skewness, kurtosis, 5, 25, 50, 75, and 95 percentile) was calculated. Here, CV is the normalized sorting value divided by the mean grain size. Two classical statistical methods—principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy cluster analysis—were applied. The results of PCA showed that the bottom surface sediment of the study area is mainly characterized by grain size (mean grain size and 5-95 percentile) and the CV value, indicating predominantly large absolute values of factor loadings in primal component (PC) 1. PC1 is interpreted as being indicative of the grain-size trend, in which a finer grain-size distribution indicates better size sorting. The frequency distribution of PC1 has a bimodal shape and suggests the existence of two types of sediment populations. Therefore, we applied fuzzy cluster analysis, the results of which revealed two groupings of the sediment (Cluster 1 and Cluster 2). Cluster 1 shows a lower value of PC1, indicating coarse and poorly sorted sediments. Cluster 1 sediments are distributed around the branched channel from Kushida River and show an expanding distribution from the river mouth toward the northeast direction. Cluster 2 shows a higher value of PC1, indicating fine and well-sorted sediments; this cluster is distributed in a distant area from the river mouth, including the offshore region. Therefore, Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 are interpreted as being deposited by fluvial and wave processes, respectively. Finally, on the basis of this distribution pattern, the sediment trend model was applied in areas dominated separately by fluvial and wave processes. Resultant sediment transport patterns showed good agreement with those obtained by field observations. The results of this study provide an important insight into the numerical models of sediment transport.

Humidity and illumination organic semiconductor copper phthalocyanine sensor for environmental monitoring.

PubMed

Karimov, K S; Qazi, I; Khan, T A; Draper, P H; Khalid, F A; Mahroof-Tahir, M

2008-06-01

In this investigation properties of organic semiconductor copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) capacitive humidity and illumination sensors were studied. Organic thin film was deposited by vacuum evaporation on a glass substrate with silver surface-type electrodes to form the Ag/CuPc/Ag sensor. The capacitance of the samples was evaluated at room temperature in the relative humidity range of 35-92%. It was observed that capacitance of the Ag/CuPc/Ag sensor increases with increase in humidity. The ratio of the relative capacitance to relative humidity was about 200. It is assumed that in general the capacitive response of the sensor is associated with polarization due to absorption of water molecules and transfer of charges (electrons and holes). It was observed that under filament lamp illumination of up to 1,000 lx the capacitance of the Ag/CuPc/Ag photo capacitive detectors increased continuously by 20% as compared to dark condition. It is assumed that photo capacitive response of the sensor is associated with polarization due to transfer of photo-generated electrons and holes. An equivalent circuit of the Ag/CuPc/Ag capacitive humidity and illumination sensor was developed. Humidity and illumination dependent capacitance properties of this sensor make it attractive for use in humidity and illumination multi-meters. The sensor may be used in instruments for environmental monitoring of humidity and illumination.

Erythropoietin affords additional cardioprotection to preconditioned hearts by enhanced phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta.

PubMed

Nishihara, Masahiro; Miura, Tetsuji; Miki, Takayuki; Sakamoto, Jun; Tanno, Masaya; Kobayashi, Hironori; Ikeda, Yoshihiro; Ohori, Katsuhiko; Takahashi, Akari; Shimamoto, Kazuaki

2006-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether erythropoietin (EPO) affords additional cardioprotection to the preconditioned myocardium by enhanced phosphorylation of Akt, STAT3, or glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3 beta). Preconditioning (PC) with 5-min ischemia/5-min reperfusion and EPO (5,000 U/kg iv) reduced infarct size (as % of area at risk, %IS/AR) after 20-min ischemia in rat hearts in situ from 56.5 +/- 1.8% to 25.2 +/- 2.1% and to 36.2 +/- 2.8%, respectively. PC-induced protection was significantly inhibited by a protein kinase C inhibitor, chelerythrine (5 mg/kg), and slightly blunted by a phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin (15 microg/kg). The opposite pattern of inhibition was observed for EPO-induced protection. The combination of PC and EPO further reduced %IS/AR to 8.9 +/- 1.9%, and this protection was inhibited by chelerythrine and wortmannin. The additive effects of PC and EPO on infarct size were mirrored by their effects on the level of phosphorylated GSK-3 beta at 5 min after reperfusion but not their effects on the level of phospho-Akt or phospho-STAT3. To mimic phosphorylation-induced inhibition of GSK-3 beta activity, SB-216763 (SB), a GSK-3 beta inhibitor, was administered before ischemia or 5 min before reperfusion. Infarct size was significantly reduced by preischemic injection (%IS/AR = 40.4 +/- 2.2% by 0.6 mg/kg SB and 34.0 +/- 1.8% by 1.2 mg/kg SB) and also by prereperfusion injection (%IS/AR = 32.0 +/- 2.0% by 1.2 mg/kg SB). These results suggest that EPO and PC afford additive infarct size-limiting effects by additive phosphorylation of GSK-3beta at the time of reperfusion by Akt-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

A Principal Component Analysis of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands

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

Ensor, T.; Cami, J.; Bhatt, N. H.

2017-02-20

We present a principal component (PC) analysis of 23 line-of-sight parameters (including the strengths of 16 diffuse interstellar bands, DIBs) for a well-chosen sample of single-cloud sightlines representing a broad range of environmental conditions. Our analysis indicates that the majority (∼93%) of the variations in the measurements can be captured by only four parameters The main driver (i.e., the first PC) is the amount of DIB-producing material in the line of sight, a quantity that is extremely well traced by the equivalent width of the λ 5797 DIB. The second PC is the amount of UV radiation, which correlates wellmore » with the λ 5797/ λ 5780 DIB strength ratio. The remaining two PCs are more difficult to interpret, but are likely related to the properties of dust in the line of sight (e.g., the gas-to-dust ratio). With our PCA results, the DIBs can then be used to estimate these line-of-sight parameters.« less

Dust near luminous ultraviolet stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henry, Richard C.

1992-01-01

More than 700 luminous stars in the infrared astronomical satellite (IRAS) Skyflux plates were examined for the presence of dust heated by a nearby star. This dust may be distinguished from the ubiquitous cool cirrus by its higher temperature and thus enhanced 60 micron emission. More than 120 dust clouds were found around only 106 of the stars with a volume filling factor of 0.006 and an intercloud separation of 46 pc. A region of dust smoothly distributed through the volume of space heated by the star could not be found and hence an upper limit of 0.05 cm(exp -3) is placed on the equivalent gas density in the intercloud regions. The clouds have an average density of 0.22 cm(exp -3) and a radius of 1.9 pc, albeit with wide variations in their properties. Two different scale heights of 140 and 540 pc were found. This was interpreted as evidence for different distributions of dust in and out of the galactic disk.

Porous photonic crystal external cavity laser biosensor

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

Huang, Qinglan; Peh, Jessie; Hergenrother, Paul J.

2016-08-15

We report the design, fabrication, and testing of a photonic crystal (PC) biosensor structure that incorporates a porous high refractive index TiO{sub 2} dielectric film that enables immobilization of capture proteins within an enhanced surface-area volume that spatially overlaps with the regions of resonant electromagnetic fields where biomolecular binding can produce the greatest shifts in photonic crystal resonant wavelength. Despite the nanoscale porosity of the sensor structure, the PC slab exhibits narrowband and high efficiency resonant reflection, enabling the structure to serve as a wavelength-tunable element of an external cavity laser. In the context of sensing small molecule interactions withmore » much larger immobilized proteins, we demonstrate that the porous structure provides 3.7× larger biosensor signals than an equivalent nonporous structure, while the external cavity laser (ECL) detection method provides capability for sensing picometer-scale shifts in the PC resonant wavelength caused by small molecule binding. The porous ECL achieves a record high figure of merit for label-free optical biosensors.« less

Single-Event Upset and Scaling Trends in New Generation of the Commercial SOI PowerPC Microprocessors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irom, Farokh; Farmanesh, Farhad; Kouba, Coy K.

2006-01-01

SEU from heavy-ions is measured for SOI PowerPC microprocessors. Results for 0.13 micron PowerPC with 1.1V core voltages increases over 1.3V versions. This suggests that improvement in SEU for scaled devices may be reversed. In recent years there has been interest in the possible use of unhardened commercial microprocessors in space because of their superior performance compared to hardened processors. However, unhardened devices are susceptible to upset from radiation space. More information is needed on how they respond to radiation before they can be used in space. Only a limited number of advanced microprocessors have been subjected to radiation tests, which are designed with lower clock frequencies and higher internal core voltage voltages than recent devices [1-6]. However the trend for commercial Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) microprocessors is to reduce feature size and internal core voltage and increase the clock frequency. Commercial microprocessors with the PowerPC architecture are now available that use partially depleted SOI processes with feature size of 90 nm and internal core voltage as low as 1.0 V and clock frequency in the GHz range. Previously, we reported SEU measurements for SOI commercial PowerPCs with feature size of 0.18 and 0.13 m [7, 8]. The results showed an order of magnitude reduction in saturated cross section compared to CMOS bulk counterparts. This paper examines SEUs in advanced commercial SOI microprocessors, focusing on SEU sensitivity of D-Cache and hangs with feature size and internal core voltage. Results are presented for the Motorola SOI processor with feature sizes of 0.13 microns and internal core voltages of 1.3 and 1.1 V. These results are compared with results for the Motorola SOI processors with feature size of 0.18 microns and internal core voltage of 1.6 and 1.3 V.

Tablet PC as a mobil PACS terminal using wireless LAN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsao, Bo-Shen; Ching, Yu-Tai; Lee, Wen-Jeng; Chen, Shyh-Jye; Chang, Chia-Hung; Chen, Chien-Jung; Yen, York; Lee, Yuan-Ten

2003-05-01

A PACS mobile terminal has applications in ward round, emergency room and remote teleradiology consultation. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have the highest mobility and are used for many medical applications. However, their roles are limited in the field of radiology due to small screen size. In this study, we built a wireless PACS terminal using a hand-held tablet-PC. A tablet PC (X-pilot, LEO systems, Taiwan) running the WinCE operating systems was used as our mobile PACS terminal. This device is equipped with 800×600 resolution 10.4 inch TFT monitor. The network connection between the tablet PC and the server was linked via wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b).

Estimation of the REV Size and Equivalent Permeability Coefficient of Fractured Rock Masses with an Emphasis on Comparing the Radial and Unidirectional Flow Configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhechao; Li, Wei; Bi, Liping; Qiao, Liping; Liu, Richeng; Liu, Jie

2018-05-01

A method to estimate the representative elementary volume (REV) size for the permeability and equivalent permeability coefficient of rock mass with a radial flow configuration was developed. The estimations of the REV size and equivalent permeability for the rock mass around an underground oil storage facility using a radial flow configuration were compared with those using a unidirectional flow configuration. The REV sizes estimated using the unidirectional flow configuration are much higher than those estimated using the radial flow configuration. The equivalent permeability coefficient estimated using the radial flow configuration is unique, while those estimated using the unidirectional flow configuration depend on the boundary conditions and flow directions. The influences of the fracture trace length, spacing and gap on the REV size and equivalent permeability coefficient were investigated. The REV size for the permeability of fractured rock mass increases with increasing the mean trace length and fracture spacing. The influence of the fracture gap length on the REV size is insignificant. The equivalent permeability coefficient decreases with the fracture spacing, while the influences of the fracture trace length and gap length are not determinate. The applicability of the proposed method to the prediction of groundwater inflow into rock caverns was verified using the measured groundwater inflow into the facility. The permeability coefficient estimated using the radial flow configuration is more similar to the representative equivalent permeability coefficient than those estimated with different boundary conditions using the unidirectional flow configuration.

Phytosome-hyaluronic acid systems for ocular delivery of L-carnosine

PubMed Central

Abdelkader, Hamdy; Longman, Michael R; Alany, Raid G; Pierscionek, Barbara

2016-01-01

This study reports on L-carnosine phytosomes as an alternative for the prodrug N-acetyl-L-carnosine as a novel delivery system to the lens. L-carnosine was loaded into lipid-based phytosomes and hyaluronic acid (HA)-dispersed phytosomes. L-carnosine-phospholipid complexes (PC) of different molar ratios, 1:1 and 1:2, were prepared by the solvent evaporation method. These complexes were characterized with thermal and spectral analyses. PC were dispersed in either phosphate buffered saline pH 7.4 or HA (0.1% w/v) in phosphate buffered saline to form phytosomes PC1:1, PC1:2, and PC1:2 HA, respectively. These phytosomal formulations were studied for size, zeta potential, morphology, contact angle, spreading coefficient, viscosity, ex vivo transcorneal permeation, and cytotoxicity using primary human corneal cells. L-carnosine-phospholipid formed a complex at a 1:2 molar ratio and phytosomes were in the size range of 380–450 nm, polydispersity index of 0.12–0.2. The viscosity of PC1:2 HA increased by 2.4 to 5-fold compared with HA solution and PC 1:2, respectively; significantly lower surface tension, contact angle, and greater spreading ability for phytosomes were also recorded. Ex vivo transcorneal permeation parameters showed significantly controlled corneal permeation of L-carnosine with the novel carrier systems without any significant impact on primary human corneal cell viability. Ex vivo porcine lenses incubated in high sugar media without and with L-carnosine showed concentration-dependent marked inhibition of lens brunescence indicative of the potential for delaying changes that underlie cataractogenesis that may be linked to diabetic processes. PMID:27366062

Gelled oil particles: a new approach to encapsulate a hydrophobic metallophthalocyanine.

PubMed

Siqueira-Moura, Marigilson P; Franceschi-Messant, Sophie; Blanzat, Muriel; Ré, Maria Inês; Perez, Emile; Rico-Lattes, Isabelle; Lattes, Armand; Tedesco, Antonio C

2013-07-01

Chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) is a promising sensitizer molecule for photodynamic therapy, but its hydrophobicity makes it difficult to formulate. In this study, we have efficiently encapsulated ClAlPc into gelled soybean oil particles dispersed in water. 12-Hydroxystearic acid (HSA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were the gelling and stabilizing agents, respectively. The preparation process involved hot emulsification above the gelation temperature (Tgel), followed by cooling to room temperature, which gave a colloidal dispersion of gelled particles of oil in aqueous medium. The gelled particles containing ClAlPc had a medium diameter of 280 nm, homogeneous size distribution (polydispersity index ≈0.3) and large positive zeta potential (about +50 mV) and showed a spherical morphology. The gelled oil particle formulations exhibited good physical stability over a 6-month period. ClAlPc interfered with the HSA self-assembly only slightly, and decreased the gelation temperature to a small extent; however it did not affect gelation process of the oil droplets. The amounts of PEI and HSA employed during the preparation allowed us to control particle size and the dispersion stability, a phenomenon that results from complex electrostatic interactions between the positively charged PEI and the negatively charged HSA fibers present on the gelled particles surface. In summary, by using the right ClAlPc, HSA, and PEI proportions, we prepared very stable dispersions of gelled soybean oil particles with excellent ClAlPc encapsulation efficiency. The obtained colloidal formulation of gelled oil particles loaded with ClAlPc shall be very useful for photodynamic therapy protocols. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preoperative Chemotherapy for Operable Breast Cancer Is Associated with Better Compliance with Adjuvant Therapy in Matched Stage II and IIIA Patients

PubMed Central

Hsu, Chiu-Hsieh; Martinez, Maria Elena; Bouton, Marcia E.; Low, Boo Ghee; Salganick, Jason A.; Nodora, Jesse; Hibbard, Michael L.; Jha, Chandra

2011-01-01

Introduction. Preoperative chemotherapy (PC) for operable breast cancer has shown significant benefits in prospective trials. Many patients are treated in the community setting and some may question the applicability of PC outside the university setting. Methods. Retrospective review was performed of stage II and IIIA breast cancer patients treated from January 2002 to July 2009. Fifty-three of 57 patients who underwent PC were matched based on age, tumor size, and hormone receptor status with 53 patients who did not undergo PC. Differences in patient compliance with physician recommendations for all types of adjuvant therapy were evaluated. Crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios derived from conditional logistic regression models were calculated. Results. There were 106 patients included. Patient compliance with chemotherapy was better in the PC group than in the adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) group (100% versus 70%; p = .0001). Similarly, more patients in the PC group completed radiation therapy (96% versus 65%; p = .0003) and initiated hormonal therapy (100% versus 62%; p = .0001). Conditional logistic regression revealed that higher pathologic stage and current cigarette smoking were associated with poorer compliance with chemotherapy. For radiation therapy, the univariate model revealed that compliance with chemotherapy and being employed were associated with completion of radiation, whereas current cigarette smoking and larger pathologic size were associated with poorer compliance with radiation. For hormonal therapy, current cigarette smokers were more likely to be noncompliant with initiation of hormonal therapy. Conclusions. PC for operable breast cancer can improve patient compliance with chemotherapy. Current cigarette smokers were more likely to be noncompliant with all types of adjuvant therapy. PMID:21558134

16 CFR 1120.3 - Products deemed to be substantial product hazards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... equivalent to sizes 2T to 16: (i) Garments in girls' size Large (L) and boys' size Large (L) are equivalent to girls' or boys' size 12, respectively. Garments in girls' and boys' sizes smaller than Large (L... range of 2T to 12. (ii) Garments in girls' size Extra-Large (XL) and boys' size Extra-Large (XL) are...

16 CFR § 1120.3 - Products deemed to be substantial product hazards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... equivalent to sizes 2T to 16: (i) Garments in girls' size Large (L) and boys' size Large (L) are equivalent to girls' or boys' size 12, respectively. Garments in girls' and boys' sizes smaller than Large (L... range of 2T to 12. (ii) Garments in girls' size Extra-Large (XL) and boys' size Extra-Large (XL) are...

16 CFR 1120.3 - Products deemed to be substantial product hazards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... equivalent to sizes 2T to 16: (i) Garments in girls' size Large (L) and boys' size Large (L) are equivalent to girls' or boys' size 12, respectively. Garments in girls' and boys' sizes smaller than Large (L... range of 2T to 12. (ii) Garments in girls' size Extra-Large (XL) and boys' size Extra-Large (XL) are...

Heat-acclimatization and pre-cooling: a further boost for endurance performance?

PubMed

Schmit, C; Le Meur, Y; Duffield, R; Robach, P; Oussedik, N; Coutts, A J; Hausswirth, C

2017-01-01

To determine if pre-cooling (PC) following heat-acclimatization (HA) can further improve self-paced endurance performance in the heat, 13 male triathletes performed two 20-km cycling time-trials (TT) at 35 °C, 50% relative humidity, before and after an 8-day training camp, each time with (PC) or without (control) ice vest PC. Pacing strategies, physiological and perceptual responses were assessed during each TT. PC and HA induced moderate (+10 ± 18 W; effect size [ES] 4.4 ± 4.6%) and very large (+28 ± 19 W; ES 11.7 ± 4.1%) increases in power output (PO), respectively. The overall PC effect became unclear after HA (+4 ± 14 W; ES 1.4 ± 3.0%). However, pacing analysis revealed that PC remained transiently beneficial post-HA, i.e., during the first half of the TT. Both HA and PC pre-HA were characterized by an enhanced PO without increased cardio-thermoregulatory or perceptual disturbances, while post-HA PC only improved thermal comfort. PC improved 20-km TT performance in unacclimatized athletes, but an 8-day HA period attenuated the magnitude of this effect. The respective converging physiological responses to HA and PC may explain the blunting of PC effectiveness. However, perceptual benefits from PC can still account for the small alterations to pacing noted post-HA. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distribution and Kinematics of Ionized Gas in the central 500pc of Seyfert Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyland, Ella; Hicks, Erin K. S.; Kade, Kiana

2018-06-01

We have characterized the spatial distribution and kinematics of the ionized hydrogen gas in a sample of 40 Seyfert galaxies as part of the KONA (Keck OSIRIS Nearby AGN) survey. An analysis of the narrow Brackett Gamma emission (2.16 microns) in the central 500 pc of these local AGN will be presented. Measurements include the azimuthal averages of the flux distribution, velocity dispersion, and emission line equivalent width. In addition, the excitation of the Brackett Gamma emission is considered using the ratio of its flux with that of molecular hydrogen (2.12 microns) as a diagnostic. A comparison of the circumnuclear narrow Brackett Gamma emission characteristics in the Seyfert type 1 and type 2 subsamples will also be presented.

Surface chemistry of gold nanoparticles determines the biocorona composition impacting cellular uptake, toxicity and gene expression profiles in human endothelial cells.

PubMed

Chandran, Parwathy; Riviere, Jim E; Monteiro-Riviere, Nancy A

2017-05-01

This study investigated the role of nanoparticle size and surface chemistry on biocorona composition and its effect on uptake, toxicity and cellular responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), employing 40 and 80 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNP) with branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI), lipoic acid (LA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) coatings. Proteomic analysis identified 59 hard corona proteins among the various AuNP, revealing largely surface chemistry-dependent signature adsorbomes exhibiting human serum albumin (HSA) abundance. Size distribution analysis revealed the relative instability and aggregation inducing potential of bare and corona-bound BPEI-AuNP, over LA- and PEG-AuNP. Circular dichroism analysis showed surface chemistry-dependent conformational changes of proteins binding to AuNP. Time-dependent uptake of bare, plasma corona (PC) and HSA corona-bound AuNP (HSA-AuNP) showed significant reduction in uptake with PC formation. Cell viability studies demonstrated dose-dependent toxicity of BPEI-AuNP. Transcriptional profiling studies revealed 126 genes, from 13 biological pathways, to be differentially regulated by 40 nm bare and PC-bound BPEI-AuNP (PC-BPEI-AuNP). Furthermore, PC formation relieved the toxicity of cationic BPEI-AuNP by modulating expression of genes involved in DNA damage and repair, heat shock response, mitochondrial energy metabolism, oxidative stress and antioxidant response, and ER stress and unfolded protein response cascades, which were aberrantly expressed in bare BPEI-AuNP-treated cells. NP surface chemistry is shown to play the dominant role over size in determining the biocorona composition, which in turn modulates cell uptake, and biological responses, consequently defining the potential safety and efficacy of nanoformulations.

Solvent-Polarity-Induced Active Layer Morphology Control in Crystalline Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Low Band Gap Polymer Photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferdous, Sunzida; Liu, Feng; Wang, Dong; Russell, Thomas

2014-03-01

The effects of various processing solvents on the morphology of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based low band gap polymer (PDPPBT) and phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) blends are studied. The quality of the processing solvents was varied systematically using a mixture of a non-aromatic polar primary solvent with high boiling point secondary solvents of increasing polarities. An unfavorable solvent-PC71BM interaction affects the growth process of polymer crystallites inside the blend. When non-aromatic polar solvent was used, large PC71BM aggregates were formed that increase in size with the addition of non-polar secondary solvents. When polar solvents were instead used as the secondary solvents, the size scales of the aggregates decrease markedly, creating a percolated fibrillar network. Power conversion efficiencies of 0.03% to 5% are obtained, depending on the solvent system used.

The Antibacterial Cell Division Inhibitor PC190723 Is an FtsZ Polymer-stabilizing Agent That Induces Filament Assembly and Condensation*

PubMed Central

Andreu, José M.; Schaffner-Barbero, Claudia; Huecas, Sonia; Alonso, Dulce; Lopez-Rodriguez, María L.; Ruiz-Avila, Laura B.; Núñez-Ramírez, Rafael; Llorca, Oscar; Martín-Galiano, Antonio J.

2010-01-01

Cell division protein FtsZ can form single-stranded filaments with a cooperative behavior by self-switching assembly. Subsequent condensation and bending of FtsZ filaments are important for the formation and constriction of the cytokinetic ring. PC190723 is an effective bactericidal cell division inhibitor that targets FtsZ in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and does not affect Escherichia coli cells, which apparently binds to a zone equivalent to the binding site of the antitumor drug taxol in tubulin (Haydon, D. J., Stokes, N. R., Ure, R., Galbraith, G., Bennett, J. M., Brown, D. R., Baker, P. J., Barynin, V. V., Rice, D. W., Sedelnikova, S. E., Heal, J. R., Sheridan, J. M., Aiwale, S. T., Chauhan, P. K., Srivastava, A., Taneja, A., Collins, I., Errington, J., and Czaplewski, L. G. (2008) Science 312, 1673–1675). We have found that the benzamide derivative PC190723 is an FtsZ polymer-stabilizing agent. PC190723 induced nucleated assembly of Bs-FtsZ into single-stranded coiled protofilaments and polymorphic condensates, including bundles, coils, and toroids, whose formation could be modulated with different solution conditions. Under conditions for reversible assembly of Bs-FtsZ, PC190723 binding reduced the GTPase activity and induced the formation of straight bundles and ribbons, which was also observed with Sa-FtsZ but not with nonsusceptible Ec-FtsZ. The fragment 2,6-difluoro-3-methoxybenzamide also induced Bs-FtsZ bundling. We propose that polymer stabilization by PC190723 suppresses in vivo FtsZ polymer dynamics and bacterial division. The biochemical action of PC190723 on FtsZ parallels that of the microtubule-stabilizing agent taxol on the eukaryotic structural homologue tubulin. Both taxol and PC190723 stabilize polymers against disassembly by preferential binding to each assembled protein. It is yet to be investigated whether both ligands target structurally related assembly switches. PMID:20212044

Influence of the morphology of the copper(II) phthalocyanine thin film on the performance of organic field-effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jing; Liu, Xueqiang; Wang, Hailong; Hou, Wenlong; Zhao, Lele; Zhang, Haiquan

2017-01-01

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with high crystallization copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) active layers were fabricated. The performance of CuPc OTFTs was studied without and with treatment by Solvent Vapor Annealing on CuPc film. The values of the threshold voltage without and with solvent-vapor annealing are -17 V and -10.5 V respectively. The field-effect mobility values in saturation region of CuPc thin-film transistors without and with Solvent Vapor Annealing are 0.00027 cm2/V s and 0.0025 cm2/V s respectively. Meanwhile, the high crystallization of the CuPc film with a larger grain size and less grain boundaries can be observed by investigating the morphology of the CuPc active layer through scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The experimental results showed the decreased of the resistance of the conducting channel, that led to a performance improvement of the OTFTs.

Change spectroscopic studies and optimization electrical properties of PVP/PEO doped copper phthalocyanines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragab, H. M.; Ahmad, F.; Radwan, Sh. N.

2016-12-01

Composite films of polyvinyl pyrrolidone and Polyethylene oxide (PVP/PEO) blend doped with 1, 4 and 12 wt% of copper Phthalocyanines (CuPc) were prepared by casting method. The samples were studied using different techniques. The X-ray (XRD) revealed average crystallite size and X-ray intensity decrease at 1 CuPc %; this implies to an increase on the degree of amorphousity, then increase at CuPc >1%. The change in both the intensity and position of some absorption peaks of the blend with CuPc content were observed in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy suggest the complexation of polymer blend. The UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed that the optical band gap decreases as well as band tail width increases with increasing CuPc concentration. It may be reflect the role of CuPc in modifying the electronic structure of the polymeric matrix. The charge carrier concentration is responsible for conductivity improvement in electrolytes rather than the mobility.

Role of overexpressed CFA/I fimbriae in bacterial swimming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ling; Suo, Zhiyong; Lim, Timothy; Jun, SangMu; Deliorman, Muhammedin; Riccardi, Carol; Kellerman, Laura; Avci, Recep; Yang, Xinghong

2012-06-01

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli CFA/I is a protective antigen and has been overexpressed in bacterial vectors, such as Salmonella Typhimurium H683, to generate vaccines. Effects that overexpressed CFA/I may engender on the bacterial host remain largely unexplored. To investigate, we constructed a high CFA/I expression strain, H683-pC2, and compared it to a low CFA/I expression strain, H683-pC, and to a non-CFA/I expression strain, H683-pY. The results showed that H683-pC2 was less able to migrate into semisolid agar (0.35%) than either H683-pC or H683-pY. Bacteria that migrated showed motility halo sizes of H683-pC2 < H683-pC < H683-pY. In the liquid culture media, H683-pC2 cells precipitated to the bottom of the tube, while those of H683-pY did not. In situ imaging revealed that H683-pC2 bacilli tended to auto-agglutinate within the semisolid agar, while H683-pY bacilli did not. When the cfaBE fimbrial fiber encoding genes were deleted from pC2, the new plasmid, pC2(-), significantly recovered bacterial swimming capability. Our study highlights the negative impact of overexpressed CFA/I fimbriae on bacterial swimming motility.

Role of overexpressed CFA/I fimbriae in bacterial swimming.

PubMed

Cao, Ling; Suo, Zhiyong; Lim, Timothy; Jun, Sangmu; Deliorman, Muhammedin; Riccardi, Carol; Kellerman, Laura; Avci, Recep; Yang, Xinghong

2012-06-01

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli CFA/I is a protective antigen and has been overexpressed in bacterial vectors, such as Salmonella Typhimurium H683, to generate vaccines. Effects that overexpressed CFA/I may engender on the bacterial host remain largely unexplored. To investigate, we constructed a high CFA/I expression strain, H683-pC2, and compared it to a low CFA/I expression strain, H683-pC, and to a non-CFA/I expression strain, H683-pY. The results showed that H683-pC2 was less able to migrate into semisolid agar (0.35%) than either H683-pC or H683-pY. Bacteria that migrated showed motility halo sizes of H683-pC2 < H683-pC < H683-pY. In the liquid culture media, H683-pC2 cells precipitated to the bottom of the tube, while those of H683-pY did not. In situ imaging revealed that H683-pC2 bacilli tended to auto-agglutinate within the semisolid agar, while H683-pY bacilli did not. When the cfaBE fimbrial fiber encoding genes were deleted from pC2, the new plasmid, pC2(-), significantly recovered bacterial swimming capability. Our study highlights the negative impact of overexpressed CFA/I fimbriae on bacterial swimming motility.

Unraveling the Sex Chromosome Heteromorphism of the Paradoxical Frog Pseudis tocantins

PubMed Central

Gatto, Kaleb Pretto; Busin, Carmen Silvia; Lourenço, Luciana Bolsoni

2016-01-01

The paradoxical frog Pseudis tocantins is the only species in the Hylidae family with known heteromorphic Z and W sex chromosomes. The Z chromosome is metacentric and presents an interstitial nucleolar organizer region (NOR) on the long arm that is adjacent to a pericentromeric heterochromatic band. In contrast, the submetacentric W chromosome carries a pericentromeric NOR on the long arm, which is adjacent to a clearly evident heterochromatic band that is larger than the band found on the Z chromosome and justify the size difference observed between these chromosomes. Here, we provide evidence that the non-centromeric heterochromatic bands in Zq and Wq differ not only in size and location but also in composition, based on comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and an analysis of the anuran PcP190 satellite DNA. The finding of PcP190 sequences in P. tocantins extends the presence of this satellite DNA, which was previously detected among Leptodactylidae and Hylodidae, suggesting that this family of repetitive DNA is even older than it was formerly considered. Seven groups of PcP190 sequences were recognized in the genome of P. tocantins. PcP190 probes mapped to the heterochromatic band in Wq, and a Southern blot analysis indicated the accumulation of PcP190 in the female genome of P. tocantins, which suggests the involvement of this satellite DNA in the evolution of the sex chromosomes of this species. PMID:27214234

Translating and testing the ENABLE: CHF-PC concurrent palliative care model for older adults with heart failure and their family caregivers.

PubMed

Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Kono, Alan; Frost, Jennifer; Jackson, Lisa; Ellis, Daphne; Ahmed, Ali; Azuero, Andres; Bakitas, Marie

2014-09-01

Heart failure (HF) and palliative care (PC) organizations recommend early PC to improve the quality of life of patients living with HF. We conducted a two-phase formative evaluation study to translate a cancer-focused concurrent PC intervention into one that would be appropriate for rural-dwelling adults with New York Heart Association Class III-IV HF and their primary caregivers. Phase I: We tailored the intervention for an HF population via literature review, expert consultation, and clinician (N=15) small group interviews. Phase II: We enrolled 11 patient/caregiver dyads to assess intervention feasibility and satisfaction. We assessed participants' experiences and satisfaction after session/week three and session/week six via digitally recorded interviews. Clinician and participant interviews were transcribed and content analyzed. Outcome measures were evaluated for completion rates and effect sizes. Phase I: Clinicians described barriers to initiating PC in HF, triggers for initiating PC, and suggestions for intervention improvement. Phase II: Participants were able to complete the majority of study sessions, measures, and interviews. Satisfaction interviews revealed the content to be relevant and comprehensive in addressing HF patient and caregiver primary concerns; however, participants unanimously suggested making the intervention available earlier in the illness trajectory. Efficacy measures demonstrated small to medium effect sizes. We tailored and demonstrated feasibility of providing an early, concurrent palliative care intervention to patients with advanced HF and their caregivers. Based on this experience we are now conducting an efficacy trial in a racially diverse sample.

Dietary inflammatory index and prostate cancer risk in a case-control study in Mexico.

PubMed

Vázquez-Salas, Ruth A; Shivappa, Nitin; Galván-Portillo, Marcia; López-Carrillo, Lizbeth; Hébert, James R; Torres-Sánchez, Luisa

2016-12-01

Recent evidence suggests that a pro-inflammatory diet could be associated with prostate cancer (PC) risk. To evaluate the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and PC risk as well as aggressiveness, we conducted a case-control study in Mexico City. Cases were 394 individuals with incident, histologically confirmed PC, who were matched by age (±5 years) with 794 population controls. Dietary information was obtained through a semi-quantitative FFQ with a 3-year frame of reference before diagnosis, for cases, or interview, for controls. On the basis of twenty-eight food parameters, we estimated the energy-adjusted DII (E-DII). According to the Gleason score at diagnosis, PC cases were categorised as high (≥8), moderate (=7) and low (≤6) PC risk. Independent, unconditional logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate PC risk and PC aggressiveness. There were no significant associations between overall PC risk and E-DII (OR3rd v. 1st tertile 1·18; 95 % CI 0·85, 1·63; P=0·33) or among men with high-risk PC (Gleason≥8) (OR 1·46; 95 % CI 0·88, 2·42; P=0·14). These results do not support the hypothesis that a pro-inflammatory diet is related to PC risk and PC aggressiveness. However, further studies with larger sample sizes, with sufficient statistical power and of varying designs should be conducted to address this hypothesis.

Use of equivalent spheres to model the relation between radar reflectivity and optical extinction of ice cloud particles.

PubMed

Donovan, David Patrick; Quante, Markus; Schlimme, Ingo; Macke, Andreas

2004-09-01

The effect of ice crystal size and shape on the relation between radar reflectivity and optical extinction is examined. Discrete-dipole approximation calculations of 95-GHz radar reflectivity and ray-tracing calculations are applied to ice crystals of various habits and sizes. Ray tracing was used primarily to calculate optical extinction and to provide approximate information on the lidar backscatter cross section. The results of the combined calculations are compared with Mie calculations applied to collections of different types of equivalent spheres. Various equivalent sphere formulations are considered, including equivalent radar-lidar spheres; equivalent maximum dimension spheres; equivalent area spheres, and equivalent volume and equivalent effective radius spheres. Marked differences are found with respect to the accuracy of different formulations, and certain types of equivalent spheres can be used for useful prediction of both the radar reflectivity at 95 GHz and the optical extinction (but not lidar backscatter cross section) over a wide range of particle sizes. The implications of these results on combined lidar-radar ice cloud remote sensing are discussed.

Formation of ferromagnetic molecular thin films from blends by annealing

PubMed Central

Robaschik, Peter; Ma, Ye; Din, Salahud

2017-01-01

We report on a new approach for the fabrication of ferromagnetic molecular thin films. Co-evaporated films of manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) have been produced by organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) on rigid (glass, silicon) and flexible (Kapton) substrates kept at room temperature. The MnPc:TCNQ films are found to be entirely amorphous due to the size mismatch of the molecules. However, by annealing while covering the samples highly crystalline MnPc films in the β-polymorph can be obtained at 60 °C lower than when starting with pure MnPc films. The resulting films exhibit substantial coercivity (13 mT) at 2 K and a Curie temperature of 11.5 K. PMID:28900600

Sb-Te Phase-change Materials under Nanoscale Confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihalawela, Chandrasiri A.

Size, speed and efficiency are the major challenges of next generation nonvolatile memory (NVM), and phase-change memory (PCM) has captured a great attention due to its promising features. The key for PCM is rapid and reversible switching between amorphous and crystalline phases with optical or electrical excitation. The structural transition is associated with significant contrast in material properties which can be utilized in optical (CD, DVD, BD) and electronic (PCRAM) memory applications. Importantly, both the functionality and the success of PCM technology significantly depend on the core material and its properties. So investigating PC materials is crucial for the development of PCM technology to realized enhanced solutions. In regards to PC materials, Sb-Te binary plays a significant role as a basis to the well-known Ge-Sb-Te system. Unlike the conventional deposition methods (sputtering, evaporation), electrochemical deposition method is used due to its multiple advantages, such as conformality, via filling capability, etc. First, the controllable synthesis of Sb-Te thin films was studied for a wide range of compositions using this novel deposition method. Secondly, the solid electrolytic nature of stoichiometric Sb2Te3 was studied with respect to precious metals. With the understanding of 2D thin film synthesis, Sb-Te 1D nanowires (18 - 220 nm) were synthesized using templated electrodeposition, where nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) was used as a template for the growth of nanowires. In order to gain the controllability over the deposition in high aspect ratio structures, growth mechanisms of both the thin films and nanowires were investigated. Systematic understanding gained thorough previous studies helped to formulate the ultimate goal of this dissertation. In this dissertation, the main objective is to understand the size effect of PC materials on their phase transition properties. The reduction of effective memory cell size in conjunction with multilevel cells could be promising to achieve high data densities. However the size reduction may result in changes in material properties. If phase transition properties of the materials are also tunable with respect to the size, then more attractive solutions could be realized. So we have reported the size effect on crystallization temperature of prototypical Sb2Te3 nanowires synthesized in AAO templates. Moreover, we have found that the reduction of nanowire size can elevate the crystallization temperature, which is crucial for data retention in PCM technology. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and electrical resistivity measurements were used to characterize the composition, structure, morphology, and phase transition properties of the materials. We believe that this dissertation will provide new insights into the size effect of PC materials in addition to the controllable synthesis of PC thin films and nanowires through the novel electrochemical method.

The Faintest WISE Debris Disks: Enhanced Methods for Detection and Verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Rahul I.; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Heinze, Aren; Trollo, Joseph

2017-02-01

In an earlier study, we reported nearly 100 previously unknown dusty debris disks around Hipparcos main-sequence stars within 75 pc by selecting stars with excesses in individual WISE colors. Here, we further scrutinize the Hipparcos 75 pc sample to (1) gain sensitivity to previously undetected, fainter mid-IR excesses and (2) remove spurious excesses contaminated by previously unidentified blended sources. We improve on our previous method by adopting a more accurate measure of the confidence threshold for excess detection and by adding an optimally weighted color average that incorporates all shorter-wavelength WISE photometry, rather than using only individual WISE colors. The latter is equivalent to spectral energy distribution fitting, but only over WISE bandpasses. In addition, we leverage the higher-resolution WISE images available through the unWISE.me image service to identify contaminated WISE excesses based on photocenter offsets among the W3- and W4-band images. Altogether, we identify 19 previously unreported candidate debris disks. Combined with the results from our earlier study, we have found a total of 107 new debris disks around 75 pc Hipparcos main-sequence stars using precisely calibrated WISE photometry. This expands the 75 pc debris disk sample by 22% around Hipparcos main-sequence stars and by 20% overall (including non-main-sequence and non-Hipparcos stars).

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

Patel, Rahul I.; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Trollo, Joseph

In an earlier study, we reported nearly 100 previously unknown dusty debris disks around Hipparcos main-sequence stars within 75 pc by selecting stars with excesses in individual WISE colors. Here, we further scrutinize the Hipparcos  75 pc sample to (1) gain sensitivity to previously undetected, fainter mid-IR excesses and (2) remove spurious excesses contaminated by previously unidentified blended sources. We improve on our previous method by adopting a more accurate measure of the confidence threshold for excess detection and by adding an optimally weighted color average that incorporates all shorter-wavelength WISE photometry, rather than using only individual WISE colors. Themore » latter is equivalent to spectral energy distribution fitting, but only over WISE bandpasses. In addition, we leverage the higher-resolution WISE images available through the unWISE.me image service to identify contaminated WISE excesses based on photocenter offsets among the W 3- and W 4-band images. Altogether, we identify 19 previously unreported candidate debris disks. Combined with the results from our earlier study, we have found a total of 107 new debris disks around 75 pc Hipparcos main-sequence stars using precisely calibrated WISE photometry. This expands the 75 pc debris disk sample by 22% around Hipparcos main-sequence stars and by 20% overall (including non-main-sequence and non- Hipparcos stars).« less

Grating-based phase contrast tomosynthesis imaging: Proof-of-concept experimental studies

PubMed Central

Li, Ke; Ge, Yongshuai; Garrett, John; Bevins, Nicholas; Zambelli, Joseph; Chen, Guang-Hong

2014-01-01

Purpose: This paper concerns the feasibility of x-ray differential phase contrast (DPC) tomosynthesis imaging using a grating-based DPC benchtop experimental system, which is equipped with a commercial digital flat-panel detector and a medical-grade rotating-anode x-ray tube. An extensive system characterization was performed to quantify its imaging performance. Methods: The major components of the benchtop system include a diagnostic x-ray tube with a 1.0 mm nominal focal spot size, a flat-panel detector with 96 μm pixel pitch, a sample stage that rotates within a limited angular span of ±30°, and a Talbot-Lau interferometer with three x-ray gratings. A total of 21 projection views acquired with 3° increments were used to reconstruct three sets of tomosynthetic image volumes, including the conventional absorption contrast tomosynthesis image volume (AC-tomo) reconstructed using the filtered-backprojection (FBP) algorithm with the ramp kernel, the phase contrast tomosynthesis image volume (PC-tomo) reconstructed using FBP with a Hilbert kernel, and the differential phase contrast tomosynthesis image volume (DPC-tomo) reconstructed using the shift-and-add algorithm. Three inhouse physical phantoms containing tissue-surrogate materials were used to characterize the signal linearity, the signal difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR), the three-dimensional noise power spectrum (3D NPS), and the through-plane artifact spread function (ASF). Results: While DPC-tomo highlights edges and interfaces in the image object, PC-tomo removes the differential nature of the DPC projection data and its pixel values are linearly related to the decrement of the real part of the x-ray refractive index. The SDNR values of polyoxymethylene in water and polystyrene in oil are 1.5 and 1.0, respectively, in AC-tomo, and the values were improved to 3.0 and 2.0, respectively, in PC-tomo. PC-tomo and AC-tomo demonstrate equivalent ASF, but their noise characteristics quantified by the 3D NPS were found to be different due to the difference in the tomosynthesis image reconstruction algorithms. Conclusions: It is feasible to simultaneously generate x-ray differential phase contrast, phase contrast, and absorption contrast tomosynthesis images using a grating-based data acquisition setup. The method shows promise in improving the visibility of several low-density materials and therefore merits further investigation. PMID:24387511

Direct characterization of the energy level alignments and molecular components in an organic hetero-junction by integrated photoemission spectroscopy and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis.

PubMed

Yun, Dong-Jin; Shin, Weon-Ho; Bulliard, Xavier; Park, Jong Hwan; Kim, Seyun; Chung, Jae Gwan; Kim, Yongsu; Heo, Sung; Kim, Seong Heon

2016-08-26

A novel, direct method for the characterization of the energy level alignments at bulk-heterojunction (BHJ)/electrode interfaces on the basis of electronic spectroscopy measurements is proposed. The home-made in situ photoemission system is used to perform x-ray/ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (XPS/UPS), reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) and inverse photoemission spectroscopy of organic-semiconductors (OSCs) deposited onto a Au substrate. Through this analysis system, we are able to obtain the electronic structures of a boron subphthalocyanine chloride:fullerene (SubPC:C60) BHJ and those of the separate OSC/electrode structures (SubPC/Au and C60/Au). Morphology and chemical composition analyses confirm that the original SubPC and C60 electronic structures remain unchanged in the electrodes prepared. Using this technique, we ascertain that the position and area of the nearest peak to the Fermi energy (EF = 0 eV) in the UPS (REELS) spectra of SubPC:C60 BHJ provide information on the highest occupied molecular orbital level (optical band gap) and combination ratio of the materials, respectively. Thus, extracting the adjusted spectrum from the corresponding SubPC:C60 BHJ UPS (REELS) spectrum reveals its electronic structure, equivalent to that of the C60 materials. This novel analytical approach allows complete energy-level determination for each combination ratio by separating its electronic structure information from the BHJ spectrum.

Achieving an Accurate Surface Profile of a Photonic Crystal for Near-Unity Solar Absorption in a Super Thin-Film Architecture.

PubMed

Kuang, Ping; Eyderman, Sergey; Hsieh, Mei-Li; Post, Anthony; John, Sajeev; Lin, Shawn-Yu

2016-06-28

In this work, a teepee-like photonic crystal (PC) structure on crystalline silicon (c-Si) is experimentally demonstrated, which fulfills two critical criteria in solar energy harvesting by (i) its Gaussian-type gradient-index profile for excellent antireflection and (ii) near-orthogonal energy flow and vortex-like field concentration via the parallel-to-interface refraction effect inside the structure for enhanced light trapping. For the PC structure on 500-μm-thick c-Si, the average reflection is only ∼0.7% for λ = 400-1000 nm. For the same structure on a much thinner c-Si ( t = 10 μm), the absorption is near unity (A ∼ 99%) for visible wavelengths, while the absorption in the weakly absorbing range (λ ∼ 1000 nm) is significantly increased to 79%, comparing to only 6% absorption for a 10-μm-thick planar c-Si. In addition, the average absorption (∼94.7%) of the PC structure on 10 μm c-Si for λ = 400-1000 nm is only ∼3.8% less than the average absorption (∼98.5%) of the PC structure on 500 μm c-Si, while the equivalent silicon solid content is reduced by 50 times. Furthermore, the angular dependence measurements show that the high absorption is sustained over a wide angle range (θinc = 0-60°) for teepee-like PC structure on both 500 and 10-μm-thick c-Si.

Identification of Biomarkers for PKD1 Using Urinary Exosomes

PubMed Central

Hogan, Marie C.; Bakeberg, Jason L.; Gainullin, Vladimir G.; Irazabal, Maria V.; Harmon, Amber J.; Lieske, John C.; Charlesworth, M. Cristine; Johnson, Kenneth L.; Madden, Benjamin J.; Zenka, Roman M.; McCormick, Daniel J.; Sundsbak, Jamie L.; Heyer, Christina M.; Torres, Vicente E.; Harris, Peter C.

2015-01-01

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common cause of ESRD. Affected individuals inherit a defective copy of either PKD1 or PKD2, which encode polycystin-1 (PC1) or polycystin-2 (PC2), respectively. PC1 and PC2 are secreted on urinary exosome-like vesicles (ELVs) (100-nm diameter vesicles), in which PC1 is present in a cleaved form and may be complexed with PC2. Here, label-free quantitative proteomic studies of urine ELVs in an initial discovery cohort (13 individuals with PKD1 mutations and 18 normal controls) revealed that of 2008 ELV proteins, 9 (0.32%) were expressed at significantly different levels in samples from individuals with PKD1 mutations compared to controls (P<0.03). In samples from individuals with PKD1 mutations, levels of PC1 and PC2 were reduced to 54% (P<0.02) and 53% (P<0.001), respectively. Transmembrane protein 2 (TMEM2), a protein with homology to fibrocystin, was 2.1-fold higher in individuals with PKD1 mutations (P<0.03). The PC1/TMEM2 ratio correlated inversely with height-adjusted total kidney volume in the discovery cohort, and the ratio of PC1/TMEM2 or PC2/TMEM2 could be used to distinguish individuals with PKD1 mutations from controls in a confirmation cohort. In summary, results of this study suggest that a test measuring the urine exosomal PC1/TMEM2 or PC2/TMEM2 ratio may have utility in diagnosis and monitoring of polycystic kidney disease. Future studies will focus on increasing sample size and confirming these studies. The data were deposited in the ProteomeXchange (identifier PXD001075). PMID:25475747

SU-E-I-46: Sample-Size Dependence of Model Observers for Estimating Low-Contrast Detection Performance From CT Images

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

Reiser, I; Lu, Z

2014-06-01

Purpose: Recently, task-based assessment of diagnostic CT systems has attracted much attention. Detection task performance can be estimated using human observers, or mathematical observer models. While most models are well established, considerable bias can be introduced when performance is estimated from a limited number of image samples. Thus, the purpose of this work was to assess the effect of sample size on bias and uncertainty of two channelized Hotelling observers and a template-matching observer. Methods: The image data used for this study consisted of 100 signal-present and 100 signal-absent regions-of-interest, which were extracted from CT slices. The experimental conditions includedmore » two signal sizes and five different x-ray beam current settings (mAs). Human observer performance for these images was determined in 2-alternative forced choice experiments. These data were provided by the Mayo clinic in Rochester, MN. Detection performance was estimated from three observer models, including channelized Hotelling observers (CHO) with Gabor or Laguerre-Gauss (LG) channels, and a template-matching observer (TM). Different sample sizes were generated by randomly selecting a subset of image pairs, (N=20,40,60,80). Observer performance was quantified as proportion of correct responses (PC). Bias was quantified as the relative difference of PC for 20 and 80 image pairs. Results: For n=100, all observer models predicted human performance across mAs and signal sizes. Bias was 23% for CHO (Gabor), 7% for CHO (LG), and 3% for TM. The relative standard deviation, σ(PC)/PC at N=20 was highest for the TM observer (11%) and lowest for the CHO (Gabor) observer (5%). Conclusion: In order to make image quality assessment feasible in the clinical practice, a statistically efficient observer model, that can predict performance from few samples, is needed. Our results identified two observer models that may be suited for this task.« less

True external diameter better predicts hemodynamic performance of bioprosthetic aortic valves than the manufacturers' stated size.

PubMed

Cevasco, Marisa; Mick, Stephanie L; Kwon, Michael; Lee, Lawrence S; Chen, Edward P; Chen, Frederick Y

2013-05-01

Currently, there is no universal standard for sizing bioprosthetic aortic valves. Hence, a standardized comparison was performed to clarify this issue. Every size of four commercially available bioprosthetic aortic valves marketed in the United States (Biocor Supra; Mosaic Ultra; Magna Ease; Mitroflow) was obtained. Subsequently, custom sizers were created that were accurate to 0.0025 mm to represent aortic roots 18 mm through 32 mm, and these were used to measure the external diameter of each valve. Using the effective orifice area (EOA) and transvalvular pressure gradient (TPG) data submitted to the FDA, a comparison was made between the hemodynamic properties of valves with equivalent manufacturer stated sizes and valves with equivalent measured external diameters. Based on manufacturer size alone, the valves at first seemed to be hemodynamically different from each other, with Mitroflow valves appearing to be hemodynamically superior, having a large EOA and equivalent or superior TPG (p < 0.05). However, Mitroflow valves had a larger measured external diameter than the other valves of a given numerical manufacturer size. Valves with equivalent external diameters were then compared, regardless of the stated manufacturer sizes. For truly equivalently sized valves (i.e., by measured external diameter) there was no clear hemodynamic difference. There was no statistical difference in the EOAs between the Biocor Supra, Mosaic Ultra, and Mitroflow valves, and the Magna Ease valve had a statistically smaller EOA (p < 0.05). On comparing the mean TPG, the Biocor Supra and Mitroflow valves had statistically equivalent gradients to each other, as did the Mosaic Ultra and Magna Ease valves. When comparing valves of the same numerical manufacturer size, there appears to be a difference in hemodynamic performance across different manufacturers' valves according to FDA data. However, comparing equivalently measured valves eliminates the differences between valves produced by different manufacturers.

Relationship of the actual thick intraocular lens optic to the thin lens equivalent.

PubMed

Holladay, J T; Maverick, K J

1998-09-01

To theoretically derive and empirically validate the relationship between the actual thick intraocular lens and the thin lens equivalent. Included in the study were 12 consecutive adult patients ranging in age from 54 to 84 years (mean +/- SD, 73.5 +/- 9.4 years) with best-corrected visual acuity better than 20/40 in each eye. Each patient had bilateral intraocular lens implants of the same style, placed in the same location (bag or sulcus) by the same surgeon. Preoperatively, axial length, keratometry, refraction, and vertex distance were measured. Postoperatively, keratometry, refraction, vertex distance, and the distance from the vertex of the cornea to the anterior vertex of the intraocular lens (AV(PC1)) were measured. Alternatively, the distance (AV(PC1)) was then back-calculated from the vergence formula used for intraocular lens power calculations. The average (+/-SD) of the absolute difference in the two methods was 0.23 +/- 0.18 mm, which would translate to approximately 0.46 diopters. There was no statistical difference between the measured and calculated values; the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient from linear regression was 0.85 (r2 = .72, F = 56). The average intereye difference was -0.030 mm (SD, 0.141 mm; SEM, 0.043 mm) using the measurement method and +0.124 mm (SD, 0.412 mm; SEM, 0.124 mm) using the calculation method. The relationship between the actual thick intraocular lens and the thin lens equivalent has been determined theoretically and demonstrated empirically. This validation provides the manufacturer and surgeon additional confidence and utility for lens constants used in intraocular lens power calculations.

DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL GAS PRESSURIZED STRIPPING (GPS)-BASED TECHNOLOGY FOR CO 2 CAPTURE FROM POST-COMBUSTION FLUE GASES Topical Report: Techno-Economic Analysis of GPS-based Technology for CO 2 Capture

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

Chen, Shiaoguo

This topical report presents the techno-economic analysis, conducted by Carbon Capture Scientific, LLC (CCS) and Nexant, for a nominal 550 MWe supercritical pulverized coal (PC) power plant utilizing CCS patented Gas Pressurized Stripping (GPS) technology for post-combustion carbon capture (PCC). Illinois No. 6 coal is used as fuel. Because of the difference in performance between the GPS-based PCC and the MEA-based CO2 absorption technology, the net power output of this plant is not exactly 550 MWe. DOE/NETL Case 11 supercritical PC plant without CO2 capture and Case 12 supercritical PC plant with benchmark MEA-based CO2 capture are chosen as references.more » In order to include CO2 compression process for the baseline case, CCS independently evaluated the generic 30 wt% MEA-based PCC process together with the CO2 compression section. The net power produced in the supercritical PC plant with GPS-based PCC is 647 MW, greater than the MEA-based design. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) over a 20-year period is adopted to assess techno-economic performance. The LCOE for the supercritical PC plant with GPS-based PCC, not considering CO2 transport, storage and monitoring (TS&M), is 97.4 mills/kWh, or 152% of the Case 11 supercritical PC plant without CO2 capture, equivalent to $39.6/tonne for the cost of CO2 capture. GPS-based PCC is also significantly superior to the generic MEA-based PCC with CO2 compression section, whose LCOE is as high as 109.6 mills/kWh.« less

Integrated Solution for Physical Activity Monitoring Based on Mobile Phone and PC.

PubMed

Lee, Mi Hee; Kim, Jungchae; Jee, Sun Ha; Yoo, Sun Kook

2011-03-01

This study is part of the ongoing development of treatment methods for metabolic syndrome (MS) project, which involves monitoring daily physical activity. In this study, we have focused on detecting walking activity from subjects which includes many other physical activities such as standing, sitting, lying, walking, running, and falling. Specially, we implemented an integrated solution for various physical activities monitoring using a mobile phone and PC. We put the iPod touch has built in a tri-axial accelerometer on the waist of the subjects, and measured change in acceleration signal according to change in ambulatory movement and physical activities. First, we developed of programs that are aware of step counts, velocity of walking, energy consumptions, and metabolic equivalents based on iPod. Second, we have developed the activity recognition program based on PC. iPod synchronization with PC to transmit measured data using iPhoneBrowser program. Using the implemented system, we analyzed change in acceleration signal according to the change of six activity patterns. We compared results of the step counting algorithm with different positions. The mean accuracy across these tests was 99.6 ± 0.61%, 99.1 ± 0.87% (right waist location, right pants pocket). Moreover, six activities recognition was performed using Fuzzy c means classification algorithm recognized over 98% accuracy. In addition we developed of programs that synchronization of data between PC and iPod for long-term physical activity monitoring. This study will provide evidence on using mobile phone and PC for monitoring various activities in everyday life. The next step in our system will be addition of a standard value of various physical activities in everyday life such as household duties and a health guideline how to select and plan exercise considering one's physical characteristics and condition.

Impact of Treatment Subsidies and Cash Payouts on Treatment Choices at the End of Life.

PubMed

Finkelstein, Eric; Malhotra, Chetna; Chay, Junxing; Ozdemir, Semra; Chopra, Akhil; Kanesvaran, Ravindran

To examine the extent to which financial assistance, in the form of subsidies for life-extending treatments (LETs) or cash payouts, distorts the demand for end-of-life treatments. A discrete choice experiment was administered to 290 patients with cancer in Singapore to elicit preferences for LETs and only palliative care (PC). Responses were fitted to a latent class conditional logistic regression model. We also quantified patients' willingness to pay to avoid and willingness to accept a less effective LET or PC-only. We then simulated the effects of various LET subsidy and cash payout policies on treatment choices. We identified three classes of patients according to their preferences. The first class (26.1% of the sample) had a strong preference for PC and were willing to give up life expectancy gains and even pay for receiving only PC. The second class (29.8% of the sample) had a strong preference for LETs and preferred to extend life regardless of cost or quality of life. The final class (44.1% of the sample) preferred LETs to PC, but actively traded off costs and length and quality of life when making end-of-life treatment choices. Policy simulations showed that LET subsidies increase demand for LETs at the expense of demand for PC, but an equivalent cash payout was not shown to distort demand. Patients with cancer have heterogeneous end-of-life preferences. LET subsidies and cash payouts have differing effects on the use of LETs. Policymakers should be mindful of these differences when designing health care financing schemes for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Prostate cancer risk prediction based on complete prostate cancer family history.

PubMed

Albright, Frederick; Stephenson, Robert A; Agarwal, Neeraj; Teerlink, Craig C; Lowrance, William T; Farnham, James M; Albright, Lisa A Cannon

2015-03-01

Prostate cancer (PC) relative risks (RRs) are typically estimated based on status of close relatives or presence of any affected relatives. This study provides RR estimates using extensive and specific PC family history. A retrospective population-based study was undertaken to estimate RRs for PC based on complete family history of PC. A total of 635,443 males, all with ancestral genealogy data, were analyzed. RRs for PC were determined based upon PC rates estimated from males with no PC family history (without PC in first, second, or third degree relatives). RRs were determined for a variety of constellations, for example, number of first through third degree relatives; named (grandfather, father, uncle, cousins, brothers); maternal, paternal relationships, and age of onset. In the 635,443 males analyzed, 18,105 had PC. First-degree RRs ranged from 2.46 (=1 first-degree relative affected, CI = 2.39-2.53) to 7.65 (=4 first-degree relatives affected, CI = 6.28-9.23). Second-degree RRs for probands with 0 affected first-degree relatives ranged from 1.51 (≥1 second-degree relative affected, CI = 1.47-1.56) to 3.09 (≥5 second-degree relatives affected, CI = 2.32-4.03). Third-degree RRs with 0 affected first- and 0 affected second-degree relatives ranged from 1.15 (≥1 affected third-degree relative, CI = 1.12-1.19) to 1.50 (≥5 affected third-degree relatives, CI = 1.35-1.66). RRs based on age at diagnosis were higher for earlier age at diagnoses; for example, RR = 5.54 for ≥1 first-degree relative diagnosed before age 50 years (CI = 1.12-1.19) and RR = 1.78 for >1 second-degree relative diagnosed before age 50 years, CI = 1.33, 2.33. RRs for equivalent maternal versus paternal family history were not significantly different. A more complete PC family history using close and distant relatives and age at diagnosis results in a wider range of estimates of individual RR that are potentially more accurate than RRs estimated from summary family history. The presence of PC in second- and even third-degree relatives contributes significantly to risk. Maternal family history is just as significant as paternal family history. PC RRs based on a proband's complete constellation of affected relatives will allow patients and care providers to make more informed screening, monitoring, and treatment decisions. © 2014 The Authors. The Prostate Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

C-phycocyanin protects against low fertility by inhibiting reactive oxygen species in aging mice

PubMed Central

Li, Yan-Jiao; Han, Zhe; Ge, Lei; Zhou, Cheng-Jie; Zhao, Yue-Fang; Wang, Dong-Hui; Ren, Jing; Niu, Xin-Xin; Liang, Cheng-Guang

2016-01-01

Women over 35 have higher rates of infertility, largely due to deterioration of oocyte quality characterized by fragmentation, abnormal meiotic spindle-chromosome complexes, and oxidative stress. C-phycocyanin (PC) is a biliprotein enriched in Spirulina platensis that is known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and radical-scavenging properties. D-galactose-induced aging acceleration in mice has been extensively used to study aging mechanisms and for pharmaceutical screening. In this study, adult female B6D2F/1 mice injected with D-galactose were used as a model to test the age-reversing effects of PC on degenerated reproductive ability. Our results show that PC can prevent oocyte fragmentation and aneuploidy by maintaining cytoskeletal integrity. Moreover, PC can reverse the expression of antioxidant genes, increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decrease methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) content, and normalize mitochondria distribution. PC exerts its benefit by inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which decreases apoptosis. Finally, we observe a significant increase in litter size after PC administration to D-galactose-induced aging mice. Our study demonstrates for the first time that D-galactose-induced impaired female reproductive capability can be partially rescued by the antioxidant effects of PC. PMID:27008700

Sample size determination for a three-arm equivalence trial of Poisson and negative binomial responses.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Wei; Tsong, Yi; Zhao, Zhigen

2017-01-01

Assessing equivalence or similarity has drawn much attention recently as many drug products have lost or will lose their patents in the next few years, especially certain best-selling biologics. To claim equivalence between the test treatment and the reference treatment when assay sensitivity is well established from historical data, one has to demonstrate both superiority of the test treatment over placebo and equivalence between the test treatment and the reference treatment. Thus, there is urgency for practitioners to derive a practical way to calculate sample size for a three-arm equivalence trial. The primary endpoints of a clinical trial may not always be continuous, but may be discrete. In this paper, the authors derive power function and discuss sample size requirement for a three-arm equivalence trial with Poisson and negative binomial clinical endpoints. In addition, the authors examine the effect of the dispersion parameter on the power and the sample size by varying its coefficient from small to large. In extensive numerical studies, the authors demonstrate that required sample size heavily depends on the dispersion parameter. Therefore, misusing a Poisson model for negative binomial data may easily lose power up to 20%, depending on the value of the dispersion parameter.

Dynamical equivalence, the origin of the Galactic field stellar and binary population, and the initial radius-mass relation of embedded clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belloni, Diogo; Kroupa, Pavel; Rocha-Pinto, Helio J.; Giersz, Mirek

2018-03-01

In order to allow a better understanding of the origin of Galactic field populations, dynamical equivalence of stellar-dynamical systems has been postulated by Kroupa and Belloni et al. to allow mapping of solutions of the initial conditions of embedded clusters such that they yield, after a period of dynamical processing, the Galactic field population. Dynamically equivalent systems are defined to initially and finally have the same distribution functions of periods, mass ratios and eccentricities of binary stars. Here, we search for dynamically equivalent clusters using the MOCCA code. The simulations confirm that dynamically equivalent solutions indeed exist. The result is that the solution space is next to identical to the radius-mass relation of Marks & Kroupa, ( r_h/pc )= 0.1^{+0.07}_{-0.04} ( M_ecl/M_{⊙} )^{0.13± 0.04}. This relation is in good agreement with the oIMF. This is achieved by applying a similar procedurebserved density of molecular cloud clumps. According to the solutions, the time-scale to reach dynamical equivalence is about 0.5 Myr which is, interestingly, consistent with the lifetime of ultra-compact H II regions and the time-scale needed for gas expulsion to be active in observed very young clusters as based on their dynamical modelling.

Pregnancy alters choline dynamics: results of a randomized trial using stable isotope methodology in pregnant and nonpregnant women.

PubMed

Yan, Jian; Jiang, Xinyin; West, Allyson A; Perry, Cydne A; Malysheva, Olga V; Brenna, J Thomas; Stabler, Sally P; Allen, Robert H; Gregory, Jesse F; Caudill, Marie A

2013-12-01

Although biomarkers of choline metabolism are altered by pregnancy, little is known about the influence of human pregnancy on the dynamics of choline-related metabolic processes. This study used stable isotope methodology to examine the effects of pregnancy on choline partitioning and the metabolic activity of choline-related pathways. Healthy third-trimester pregnant (n = 26; initially week 27 of gestation) and nonpregnant (n = 21) women consumed 22% of their total choline intake (480 or 930 mg/d) as methyl-d9-choline for the final 6 wk of a 12-wk feeding study. Plasma d9-betaine:d9-phosphatidylcholine (PC) was lower (P ≤ 0.04) in pregnant than in nonpregnant women, suggesting greater partitioning of choline into the cytidine diphosphate-choline (CDP-choline) PC biosynthetic pathway relative to betaine synthesis during pregnancy. Pregnant women also used more choline-derived methyl groups for PC synthesis via phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) as indicated by comparable increases in PEMT-PC enrichment in pregnant and nonpregnant women despite unequal (pregnant > nonpregnant; P < 0.001) PC pool sizes. Pregnancy enhanced the hydrolysis of PEMT-PC to free choline as shown by greater (P < 0.001) plasma d3-choline:d3-PC. Notably, d3-PC enrichment increased (P ≤ 0.011) incrementally from maternal to placental to fetal compartments, signifying the selective transfer of PEMT-PC to the fetus. The enhanced use of choline for PC production via both the CDP-choline and PEMT pathways shows the substantial demand for choline during late pregnancy. Selective partitioning of PEMT-PC to the fetal compartment may imply a unique requirement of PEMT-PC by the developing fetus.

Enhanced tumor targeting of cRGD peptide-conjugated albumin nanoparticles in the BxPC-3 cell line.

PubMed

Yu, Xinzhe; Song, Yunlong; Di, Yang; He, Hang; Fu, Deliang; Jin, Chen

2016-08-12

The emerging albumin nanoparticle brings new hope for the delivery of antitumor drugs. However, a lack of robust tumor targeting greatly limits its application. In this paper, cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic-conjugated, gemcitabine-loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles (cRGD-Gem-HSA-NPs) were successfully prepared, characterized, and tested in vitro in the BxPC-3 cell line. Initially, 4-N-myristoyl-gemcitabine (Gem-C14) was formed by conjugating myristoyl to the 4-amino group of gemcitabine. Then, cRGD-HSA was synthesized using sulfosuccinimidyl-(4-N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (Sulfo-SMCC) cross-linkers. Finally, cRGD-Gem-HSA-NPs were formulated based on the nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab) technology. The resulting NPs were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, and drug loading efficiency. In vitro cellular uptake and inhibition studies were conducted to compare Gem-HSA-NPs and cRGD-Gem-HSA-NPs in a human pancreatic cancer cell line (BxPC-3). The cRGD-Gem-HSA-NPs exhibited an average particle size of 160 ± 23 nm. The encapsulation rate and drug loading rate were approximately 83 ± 5.6% and 11 ± 4.2%, respectively. In vitro, the cRGD-anchored NPs exhibited a significantly greater affinity for the BxPC-3 cells compared to non-targeted NPs and free drug. The cRGD-Gem-HSA-NPs also showed the strongest inhibitory effect in the BxPC-3 cells among all the analyzed groups. The improved efficacy of cRGD-Gem-HSA-NPs in the BxPC-3 cell line warrants further in vivo investigations.

COPII-coated membranes function as transport carriers of intracellular procollagen I

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

Gorur, Amita; Yuan, Lin; Kenny, Samuel J.

The coat protein complex II (COPII) is essential for the transport of large cargo, such as 300-nm procollagen I (PC1) molecules, from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi. Previous work has shown that the CUL3-KLHL12 complex increases the size of COPII vesicles at ER exit sites to more than 300 nm in diameter and accelerates the secretion of PC1. However, the role of large COPII vesicles as PC1 transport carriers was not unambiguously demonstrated. In this study, using stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, correlated light electron microscopy, and live-cell imaging, we demonstrate the existence of mobile COPII-coated vesicles that completelymore » encapsulate the cargo PC1 and are physically separated from ER. We also developed a cell-free COPII vesicle budding reaction that reconstitutes the capture of PC1 into large COPII vesicles. This process requires COPII proteins and the GTPase activity of the COPII subunit SAR1. We conclude that large COPII vesicles are bona fide carriers of PC1.« less

COPII-coated membranes function as transport carriers of intracellular procollagen I

DOE PAGES

Gorur, Amita; Yuan, Lin; Kenny, Samuel J.; ...

2017-04-20

The coat protein complex II (COPII) is essential for the transport of large cargo, such as 300-nm procollagen I (PC1) molecules, from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi. Previous work has shown that the CUL3-KLHL12 complex increases the size of COPII vesicles at ER exit sites to more than 300 nm in diameter and accelerates the secretion of PC1. However, the role of large COPII vesicles as PC1 transport carriers was not unambiguously demonstrated. In this study, using stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, correlated light electron microscopy, and live-cell imaging, we demonstrate the existence of mobile COPII-coated vesicles that completelymore » encapsulate the cargo PC1 and are physically separated from ER. We also developed a cell-free COPII vesicle budding reaction that reconstitutes the capture of PC1 into large COPII vesicles. This process requires COPII proteins and the GTPase activity of the COPII subunit SAR1. We conclude that large COPII vesicles are bona fide carriers of PC1.« less

SU-E-T-353: Verification of Water Equivalent Thickness (WET) and Water Equivalent Spreadness (WES) of Proton Beam

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

Demez, N; Lee, T; Keppel, Cynthia

Purpose: To verify calculated water equivalent thickness (WET) and water equivalent spreadness (WES) in various tissue equivalent media for proton therapy Methods: Water equivalent thicknesses (WET) of tissue equivalent materials have been calculated using the Bragg-Kleeman rule. Lateral spreadness and fluence reduction of proton beams both in those media were calculated using proton loss model (PLM) algorithm. In addition, we calculated lateral spreadness ratios with respect to that in water at the same WET depth and so the WES was defined. The WETs of those media for different proton beam energies were measured using MLIC (Multi-Layered Ionization Chamber). Also, fluencemore » and field sizes in those materials of various thicknesses were measured with ionization chambers and films Results: Calculated WETs are in agreement with measured WETs within 0.5%. We found that water equivalent spreadness (WES) is constant and the fluence and field size measurements verify that fluence can be estimated using the concept of WES. Conclusions: Calculation of WET based on the Bragg-Kleeman rule as well as the constant WES of proton beams for tissue equivalent phantoms can be used to predict fluence and field sizes at the depths of interest both in tissue equivalent media accurately for clinically available protonenergies.« less

STAR FORMATION AT Z = 2.481 IN THE LENSED GALAXY SDSS J1110+6459: STAR FORMATION DOWN TO 30 PARSEC SCALES.

PubMed

Johnson, Traci L; Rigby, Jane R; Sharon, Keren; Gladders, Michael D; Florian, Michael; Bayliss, Matthew B; Wuyts, Eva; Whitaker, Katherine E; Livermore, Rachael; Murray, Katherine T

2017-07-10

We present measurements of the surface density of star formation, the star-forming clump luminosity function, and the clump size distribution function, for the lensed galaxy SGAS J111020.0+645950.8 at a redshift of z =2.481. The physical size scales that we probe, radii r = 30-50 pc, are considerably smaller scales than have yet been studied at these redshifts. The star formation surface density we find within these small clumps is consistent with surface densities measured previously for other lensed galaxies at similar redshift. Twenty-two percent of the rest-frame ultraviolet light in this lensed galaxy arises from small clumps, with r <100 pc. Within the range of overlap, the clump luminosity function measured for this lensed galaxy is remarkably similar to those of z ∼ 0 galaxies. In this galaxy, star-forming regions smaller than 100 pc-physical scales not usually resolved at these redshifts by current telescopes-are important locations of star formation in the distant universe. If this galaxy is representative, this may contradict the theoretical picture in which the critical size scale for star formation in the distant universe is of order 1 kiloparsec. Instead, our results suggest that current telescopes have not yet resolved the critical size scales of star-forming activity in galaxies over most of cosmic time.

Inferring consistent functional interaction patterns from natural stimulus FMRI data

PubMed Central

Sun, Jiehuan; Hu, Xintao; Huang, Xiu; Liu, Yang; Li, Kaiming; Li, Xiang; Han, Junwei; Guo, Lei

2014-01-01

There has been increasing interest in how the human brain responds to natural stimulus such as video watching in the neuroimaging field. Along this direction, this paper presents our effort in inferring consistent and reproducible functional interaction patterns under natural stimulus of video watching among known functional brain regions identified by task-based fMRI. Then, we applied and compared four statistical approaches, including Bayesian network modeling with searching algorithms: greedy equivalence search (GES), Peter and Clark (PC) analysis, independent multiple greedy equivalence search (IMaGES), and the commonly used Granger causality analysis (GCA), to infer consistent and reproducible functional interaction patterns among these brain regions. It is interesting that a number of reliable and consistent functional interaction patterns were identified by the GES, PC and IMaGES algorithms in different participating subjects when they watched multiple video shots of the same semantic category. These interaction patterns are meaningful given current neuroscience knowledge and are reasonably reproducible across different brains and video shots. In particular, these consistent functional interaction patterns are supported by structural connections derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data, suggesting the structural underpinnings of consistent functional interactions. Our work demonstrates that specific consistent patterns of functional interactions among relevant brain regions might reflect the brain's fundamental mechanisms of online processing and comprehension of video messages. PMID:22440644

The VMC Survey. XXII. Hierarchical Star Formation in the 30 Doradus-N158-N159-N160 Star-forming Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Ning-Chen; de Grijs, Richard; Subramanian, Smitha; Cioni, Maria-Rosa L.; Rubele, Stefano; Bekki, Kenji; Ivanov, Valentin D.; Piatti, Andrés E.; Ripepi, Vincenzo

2017-02-01

We study the hierarchical stellar structures in a ˜1.5 deg2 area covering the 30 Doradus-N158-N159-N160 star-forming complex with the VISTA Survey of Magellanic Clouds. Based on the young upper main-sequence stars, we find that the surface densities cover a wide range of values, from log({{Σ }}\\cdot pc2) ≲ -2.0 to log({{Σ }}\\cdot pc2) ≳ 0.0. Their distributions are highly non-uniform, showing groups that frequently have subgroups inside. The sizes of the stellar groups do not exhibit characteristic values, and range continuously from several parsecs to more than 100 pc the cumulative size distribution can be well described by a single power law, with the power-law index indicating a projected fractal dimension D2 = 1.6 ± 0.3. We suggest that the phenomena revealed here support a scenario of hierarchical star formation. Comparisons with other star-forming regions and galaxies are also discussed.

Influence of beam efficiency through the patient-specific collimator on secondary neutron dose equivalent in double scattering and uniform scanning modes of proton therapy.

PubMed

Hecksel, D; Anferov, V; Fitzek, M; Shahnazi, K

2010-06-01

Conventional proton therapy facilities use double scattering nozzles, which are optimized for delivery of a few fixed field sizes. Similarly, uniform scanning nozzles are commissioned for a limited number of field sizes. However, cases invariably occur where the treatment field is significantly different from these fixed field sizes. The purpose of this work was to determine the impact of the radiation field conformity to the patient-specific collimator on the secondary neutron dose equivalent. Using a WENDI-II neutron detector, the authors experimentally investigated how the neutron dose equivalent at a particular point of interest varied with different collimator sizes, while the beam spreading was kept constant. The measurements were performed for different modes of dose delivery in proton therapy, all of which are available at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute (MPRI): Double scattering, uniform scanning delivering rectangular fields, and uniform scanning delivering circular fields. The authors also studied how the neutron dose equivalent changes when one changes the amplitudes of the scanned field for a fixed collimator size. The secondary neutron dose equivalent was found to decrease linearly with the collimator area for all methods of dose delivery. The relative values of the neutron dose equivalent for a collimator with a 5 cm diameter opening using 88 MeV protons were 1.0 for the double scattering field, 0.76 for rectangular uniform field, and 0.6 for the circular uniform field. Furthermore, when a single circle wobbling was optimized for delivery of a uniform field 5 cm in diameter, the secondary neutron dose equivalent was reduced by a factor of 6 compared to the double scattering nozzle. Additionally, when the collimator size was kept constant, the neutron dose equivalent at the given point of interest increased linearly with the area of the scanned proton beam. The results of these experiments suggest that the patient-specific collimator is a significant contributor to the secondary neutron dose equivalent to a distant organ at risk. Improving conformity of the radiation field to the patient-specific collimator can significantly reduce secondary neutron dose equivalent to the patient. Therefore, it is important to increase the number of available generic field sizes in double scattering systems as well as in uniform scanning nozzles.

Multiple patterns of polymer gels in microspheres due to the interplay among phase separation, wetting, and gelation.

PubMed

Yanagisawa, Miho; Nigorikawa, Shinpei; Sakaue, Takahiro; Fujiwara, Kei; Tokita, Masayuki

2014-11-11

We report the spontaneous patterning of polymer microgels by confining a polymer blend within microspheres. A poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and gelatin solution was confined inside water-in-oil (W/O) microdroplets coated with a layer of zwitterionic lipids: dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (PC). The droplet confinement affected the kinetics of the phase separation, wetting, and gelation after a temperature quench, which determined the final microgel pattern. The gelatin-rich phase completely wetted to the PE membrane and formed a hollow microcapsule as a stable state in the PE droplets. Gelation during phase separation varied the relation between the droplet size and thickness of the capsule wall. In the case of the PC droplets, phase separation was completed only for the smaller droplets, wherein the microgel partially wetted the PC membrane and had a hemisphere shape. In addition, the temperature decrease below the gelation point increased the interfacial tension between the PEG/gelatin phases and triggered a dewetting transition. Interestingly, the accompanying shape deformation to minimize the interfacial area was only observed for the smaller PC droplets. The critical size decreased as the gelatin concentration increased, indicating the role of the gel elasticity as an inhibitor of the deformation. Furthermore, variously patterned microgels with spherically asymmetric shapes, such as discs and stars, were produced as kinetically trapped states by regulating the incubation time, polymer composition, and droplet size. These findings demonstrate a way to regulate the complex shapes of microgels using the interplay among phase separation, wetting, and gelation of confined polymer blends in microdroplets.

Differential Responses to a Visual Self-Motion Signal in Human Medial Cortical Regions Revealed by Wide-View Stimulation

PubMed Central

Wada, Atsushi; Sakano, Yuichi; Ando, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Vision is important for estimating self-motion, which is thought to involve optic-flow processing. Here, we investigated the fMRI response profiles in visual area V6, the precuneus motion area (PcM), and the cingulate sulcus visual area (CSv)—three medial brain regions recently shown to be sensitive to optic-flow. We used wide-view stereoscopic stimulation to induce robust self-motion processing. Stimuli included static, randomly moving, and coherently moving dots (simulating forward self-motion). We varied the stimulus size and the presence of stereoscopic information. A combination of univariate and multi-voxel pattern analyses (MVPA) revealed that fMRI responses in the three regions differed from each other. The univariate analysis identified optic-flow selectivity and an effect of stimulus size in V6, PcM, and CSv, among which only CSv showed a significantly lower response to random motion stimuli compared with static conditions. Furthermore, MVPA revealed an optic-flow specific multi-voxel pattern in the PcM and CSv, where the discrimination of coherent motion from both random motion and static conditions showed above-chance prediction accuracy, but that of random motion from static conditions did not. Additionally, while area V6 successfully classified different stimulus sizes regardless of motion pattern, this classification was only partial in PcM and was absent in CSv. This may reflect the known retinotopic representation in V6 and the absence of such clear visuospatial representation in CSv. We also found significant correlations between the strength of subjective self-motion and univariate activation in all examined regions except for primary visual cortex (V1). This neuro-perceptual correlation was significantly higher for V6, PcM, and CSv when compared with V1, and higher for CSv when compared with the visual motion area hMT+. Our convergent results suggest the significant involvement of CSv in self-motion processing, which may give rise to its percept. PMID:26973588

Standard and inverse bond percolation of straight rigid rods on square lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, L. S.; Centres, P. M.; Ramirez-Pastor, A. J.

2018-04-01

Numerical simulations and finite-size scaling analysis have been carried out to study standard and inverse bond percolation of straight rigid rods on square lattices. In the case of standard percolation, the lattice is initially empty. Then, linear bond k -mers (sets of k linear nearest-neighbor bonds) are randomly and sequentially deposited on the lattice. Jamming coverage pj ,k and percolation threshold pc ,k are determined for a wide range of k (1 ≤k ≤120 ). pj ,k and pc ,k exhibit a decreasing behavior with increasing k , pj ,k →∞=0.7476 (1 ) and pc ,k →∞=0.0033 (9 ) being the limit values for large k -mer sizes. pj ,k is always greater than pc ,k, and consequently, the percolation phase transition occurs for all values of k . In the case of inverse percolation, the process starts with an initial configuration where all lattice bonds are occupied and, given that periodic boundary conditions are used, the opposite sides of the lattice are connected by nearest-neighbor occupied bonds. Then, the system is diluted by randomly removing linear bond k -mers from the lattice. The central idea here is based on finding the maximum concentration of occupied bonds (minimum concentration of empty bonds) for which connectivity disappears. This particular value of concentration is called the inverse percolation threshold pc,k i, and determines a geometrical phase transition in the system. On the other hand, the inverse jamming coverage pj,k i is the coverage of the limit state, in which no more objects can be removed from the lattice due to the absence of linear clusters of nearest-neighbor bonds of appropriate size. It is easy to understand that pj,k i=1 -pj ,k . The obtained results for pc,k i show that the inverse percolation threshold is a decreasing function of k in the range 1 ≤k ≤18 . For k >18 , all jammed configurations are percolating states, and consequently, there is no nonpercolating phase. In other words, the lattice remains connected even when the highest allowed concentration of removed bonds pj,k i is reached. In terms of network attacks, this striking behavior indicates that random attacks on single nodes (k =1 ) are much more effective than correlated attacks on groups of close nodes (large k 's). Finally, the accurate determination of critical exponents reveals that standard and inverse bond percolation models on square lattices belong to the same universality class as the random percolation, regardless of the size k considered.

Basic study of healing of injuries to the myometrium and amniotic membrane using photocrosslinkable chitosan.

PubMed

Suzuki, Keitaro; Shinya, Masaru; Kitagawa, Michihiro

2006-04-01

We performed in vivo and in vitro adhesion experiments on the use of photocrosslinkable chitosan (PC) for healing of the myometrium and the amniotic membrane to test its usefulness in the perinatal field. To determine the adhesion conditions of PC in the healing of the myometrium and amniotic membrane, we applied two concentrations (30 and 50 mg/mL) of PC to the postpartum amniotic membrane, and radiated it with ultraviolet (UV) light for 10, 20, 30 or 60 s. Next, we created incisions of three sizes (pinhole, 5 mm and 10 mm), and performed PC adhesion followed by pressure application experiments. Subsequently, we laparotomized 12-day-pregnant rats under anesthesia, created a 5-mm incision, applied PC and closed the abdomen. We removed the uterus at 20 days of pregnancy, and histologically examined the site of PC application. The optimal adhesion conditions of PC were 50 mg/mL, and the optimal time of UV irradiation was 30 s or longer. In pressure application experiments, the bonding strength of PC was so high that even 10-mm incisions withstood a mean pressure of 92 mmH2O. The bonding strength of PC was significantly higher than that of fibrin glue that was tested in parallel. Histological examination of the rat myometrium showed a mild foreign body reaction with no inflammatory findings, confirming the usefulness of PC. PC is a wound-healing drug, an improvement on the naturally occurring polysaccharide chitosan, and is safer and has a higher bonding strength than biological adhesives including fibrin, making it promising for fetal surgical and perinatal applications.

Does long time spending on the electronic devices affect the reading abilities? A cross-sectional study among Chinese school-aged children.

PubMed

He, Zhen; Shao, Shanshan; Zhou, Jie; Ke, Juntao; Kong, Rui; Guo, Shengnan; Zhang, Jiajia; Song, Ranran

2014-12-01

Home literacy environment (HLE) is one of most important modifiable risk factors to dyslexia. With the development in technology, we include the electronic devices usage at home, such as computers and televisions, to the definition of HLE and investigate its impact on dyslexia based on the on-going project of Tongji's Reading Environment and Dyslexia Study. The data include 5063 children, primary school students (grade 3-grade 6), from a middle-sized city in China. We apply the principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the large dimension of variables in HLE, and find the first three components, denoted as PC1, PC2 and PC3, can explain 95.45% of HLE information. PC1 and PC2 demonstrate strong positive association with 'total time spending on electronic devices' and 'literacy-related activity', respectively. PC3 demonstrates strong negative association with 'restrictions on using electronic devices'. From the generalized linear model, we find that PC1 significantly increases the risk of dyslexia (OR = 1.043, 95% CI: 1.018-1.070), while PC2 significantly decreases the risk of dyslexia (OR = 0.839, 95% CI: 0.795-0.886). Therefore, reducing the total time spending on electronic devices and increasing the literacy-related activity would be the potential protective factors for dyslexic children in China. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficiency of Sampling and Analysis of Asbestos Fibers on Filter Media: Implications for Exposure Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

To measure airborne asbestos and other fibers, an air sample must represent the actual number and size of fibers. Typically, mixed cellulose ester (MCE, 0.45 or 0.8 µm pore size) and to a much lesser extent, capillary-pore polycarbonate (PC, 0.4 µm pore size) membrane filters are...

ALMA Maps of Dust and Warm Dense Gas Emission in the Starburst Galaxy IC 5179

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

Zhao Yinghe; Lu, Nanyao; Xu, C. Kevin

We present our high-resolution (0.″15 × 0.″13, ∼34 pc) observations of the CO (6−5) line emission, which probes the warm and dense molecular gas, and the 434 μ m dust continuum emission in the nuclear region of the starburst galaxy IC 5179, conducted with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). The CO (6−5) emission is spatially distributed in filamentary structures with many dense cores and shows a velocity field that is characteristic of a circumnuclear rotating gas disk, with 90% of the rotation speed arising within a radius of ≲150 pc. At the scale of our spatial resolution, the COmore » (6−5) and dust emission peaks do not always coincide, with their surface brightness ratio varying by a factor of ∼10. This result suggests that their excitation mechanisms are likely different, as further evidenced by the southwest to northeast spatial gradient of both CO-to-dust continuum ratio and Pa- α equivalent width. Within the nuclear region (radius ∼ 300 pc) and with a resolution of ∼34 pc, the CO line flux (dust flux density) detected in our ALMA observations is 180 ± 18 Jy km s{sup −1} (71 ± 7 mJy), which accounts for 22% (2.4%) of the total value measured by Herschel .« less

Observing the Sun with micro-interferometric devices: a didactic experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defrère, D.; Absil, O.; Hanot, C.; Riaud, P.; Magette, A.; Marion, L.; Wertz, O.; Finet, F.; Steenackers, M.; Habraken, S.; Surdej, A.; Surdej, J.

2014-04-01

Measuring the angular diameter of celestial bodies has long been the main purpose of stellar interferometry and was its historical motivation. Nowadays, stellar interferometry is widely used for various other scientific purposes that require very high angular resolution measurements. In terms of angular spatial scales probed, observing distant stars located 10 to 100~pc away with a large hectometric interferometer is equivalent to observing our Sun with a micrometric baseline. Based on this idea, we have manufactured a set of micro-interferometric devices and tested them on the sky. The micro-interferometers consist of a chrome layer deposited on a glass plate that has been drilled by laser lithography to produce micron-sized holes with configurations corresponding to proposed interferometer projects such as CARLINA, ELSA, KEOPS, and OVLA. In this paper, we describe these interferometric devices and present interferometric observations of the Sun made in the framework of Astrophysics lectures being taught at the Liège University. By means of a simple photographic camera placed behind a micro-interferometric device, we observed the Sun and derived its angular size. This experiment provides a very didactic way to easily obtain fringe patterns similar to those that will be obtained with future large imaging arrays. A program written in C also allows to reproduce the various point spread functions and fringe patterns observed with the micro-interferometric devices for different types of sources, including the Sun.

HYPERSAMP - HYPERGEOMETRIC ATTRIBUTE SAMPLING SYSTEM BASED ON RISK AND FRACTION DEFECTIVE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De, Salvo L. J.

1994-01-01

HYPERSAMP is a demonstration of an attribute sampling system developed to determine the minimum sample size required for any preselected value for consumer's risk and fraction of nonconforming. This statistical method can be used in place of MIL-STD-105E sampling plans when a minimum sample size is desirable, such as when tests are destructive or expensive. HYPERSAMP utilizes the Hypergeometric Distribution and can be used for any fraction nonconforming. The program employs an iterative technique that circumvents the obstacle presented by the factorial of a non-whole number. HYPERSAMP provides the required Hypergeometric sample size for any equivalent real number of nonconformances in the lot or batch under evaluation. Many currently used sampling systems, such as the MIL-STD-105E, utilize the Binomial or the Poisson equations as an estimate of the Hypergeometric when performing inspection by attributes. However, this is primarily because of the difficulty in calculation of the factorials required by the Hypergeometric. Sampling plans based on the Binomial or Poisson equations will result in the maximum sample size possible with the Hypergeometric. The difference in the sample sizes between the Poisson or Binomial and the Hypergeometric can be significant. For example, a lot size of 400 devices with an error rate of 1.0% and a confidence of 99% would require a sample size of 400 (all units would need to be inspected) for the Binomial sampling plan and only 273 for a Hypergeometric sampling plan. The Hypergeometric results in a savings of 127 units, a significant reduction in the required sample size. HYPERSAMP is a demonstration program and is limited to sampling plans with zero defectives in the sample (acceptance number of zero). Since it is only a demonstration program, the sample size determination is limited to sample sizes of 1500 or less. The Hypergeometric Attribute Sampling System demonstration code is a spreadsheet program written for IBM PC compatible computers running DOS and Lotus 1-2-3 or Quattro Pro. This program is distributed on a 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette, and the program price includes documentation. This statistical method was developed in 1992.

Non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the two-stage fragmentation model for cluster formation

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

Bailey, Nicole D.; Basu, Shantanu, E-mail: N.Bailey@leeds.ac.uk, E-mail: basu@uwo.ca

2014-01-01

We model molecular cloud fragmentation with thin-disk, non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations that include ambipolar diffusion and partial ionization that transitions from primarily ultraviolet-dominated to cosmic-ray-dominated regimes. These simulations are used to determine the conditions required for star clusters to form through a two-stage fragmentation scenario. Recent linear analyses have shown that the fragmentation length scales and timescales can undergo a dramatic drop across the column density boundary that separates the ultraviolet- and cosmic-ray-dominated ionization regimes. As found in earlier studies, the absence of an ionization drop and regular perturbations leads to a single-stage fragmentation on pc scales in transcritical clouds, somore » that the nonlinear evolution yields the same fragment sizes as predicted by linear theory. However, we find that a combination of initial transcritical mass-to-flux ratio, evolution through a column density regime in which the ionization drop takes place, and regular small perturbations to the mass-to-flux ratio is sufficient to cause a second stage of fragmentation during the nonlinear evolution. Cores of size ∼0.1 pc are formed within an initial fragment of ∼pc size. Regular perturbations to the mass-to-flux ratio also accelerate the onset of runaway collapse.« less

Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant Activities, and Neuroprotective Properties of Mulberry (Morus atropurpurea Roxb.) Fruit Extracts from Different Ripening Stages.

PubMed

Yang, Jiufang; Liu, Xuanjun; Zhang, Xiaoxu; Jin, Qing; Li, Jingming

2016-10-01

The present work investigated the phenolic profiles (including nonanthocyanin and anthocyanin phenolics), antioxidant activities, and neuroprotective potential of mulberry fruit (MF) (Morus atropurpurea Roxb.) grown in China at different ripening stages. High-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds. The antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total monomeric anthocyanin content (TAC) were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The neuroprotective effects of MFs at different ripening stages were investigated using Aβ 25-35 -treated PC12 cells as the cellular model of Alzheimer's disease. Of the 19 phenolic compounds characterized from the MF extracts, the contents of rutin and anthocyanins increased and that of chlorogenic acid decreased significantly with maturity. At the fully ripened stage, MF extracts showed the highest amounts of TPC (11.23 mg gallic acid equivalents/g fresh weight), TFC (15.1 mg rutin equivalents/g fresh weight), and TAC (1177 mg cyanidin 3-O-glucoside equivalents/100 g fresh weight). Meanwhile, antioxidant activity of MF extracts at this stage was highest according to ABTS (an IC50 value of 4.11 μg/mL) and DPPH (an IC50 value of 10.08 μg/mL) assays. Cellular assays revealed increased cell viability in cells treated with the ripe MF extracts; compared with the control groups, the ripening fruits also increased the antioxidant enzyme levels in PC12 cells. Together, these results suggest that the antioxidant activities and neuroprotective properties of ripening MFs are related to the contents and types of phenolic compounds that are present in the fruits. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Prostate cancer risk prediction based on complete prostate cancer family history

PubMed Central

Albright, Frederick; Stephenson, Robert A; Agarwal, Neeraj; Teerlink, Craig C; Lowrance, William T; Farnham, James M; Albright, Lisa A Cannon

2015-01-01

Background Prostate cancer (PC) relative risks (RRs) are typically estimated based on status of close relatives or presence of any affected relatives. This study provides RR estimates using extensive and specific PC family history. Methods A retrospective population-based study was undertaken to estimate RRs for PC based on complete family history of PC. A total of 635,443 males, all with ancestral genealogy data, were analyzed. RRs for PC were determined based upon PC rates estimated from males with no PC family history (without PC in first, second, or third degree relatives). RRs were determined for a variety of constellations, for example, number of first through third degree relatives; named (grandfather, father, uncle, cousins, brothers); maternal, paternal relationships, and age of onset. Results In the 635,443 males analyzed, 18,105 had PC. First-degree RRs ranged from 2.46 (=1 first-degree relative affected, CI = 2.39–2.53) to 7.65 (=4 first-degree relatives affected, CI = 6.28–9.23). Second-degree RRs for probands with 0 affected first-degree relatives ranged from 1.51 (≥1 second-degree relative affected, CI = 1.47–1.56) to 3.09 (≥5 second-degree relatives affected, CI = 2.32–4.03). Third-degree RRs with 0 affected first- and 0 affected second-degree relatives ranged from 1.15 (≥1 affected third-degree relative, CI = 1.12–1.19) to 1.50 (≥5 affected third-degree relatives, CI = 1.35–1.66). RRs based on age at diagnosis were higher for earlier age at diagnoses; for example, RR = 5.54 for ≥1 first-degree relative diagnosed before age 50 years (CI = 1.12–1.19) and RR = 1.78 for >1 second-degree relative diagnosed before age 50 years, CI = 1.33, 2.33. RRs for equivalent maternal versus paternal family history were not significantly different. Conclusions A more complete PC family history using close and distant relatives and age at diagnosis results in a wider range of estimates of individual RR that are potentially more accurate than RRs estimated from summary family history. The presence of PC in second- and even third-degree relatives contributes significantly to risk. Maternal family history is just as significant as paternal family history. PC RRs based on a proband's complete constellation of affected relatives will allow patients and care providers to make more informed screening, monitoring, and treatment decisions. Prostate 75:390–398, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:25408531

Development of a Nanotechnology Platform for Prostate Cancer Gene Therapy

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON USAMRMC a. REPORT U b . ABSTRACT U c. THIS PAGE U UU 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include...condense pDNA into nano-size particles (nanocarriers), b ) a PC-3 specific targeting motif (TM) to target prostate cancer cells, c) an endosome...particles (nanocarriers), b ) a PC-3 specific targeting motif (TM) to target prostate cancer cells, c) an endosome disrupting motif (EDM) to disrupt

pc8.1, a major QTL for pigment content in pepper fruit, is associated with variation in plastid compartment size.

PubMed

Brand, Arnon; Borovsky, Yelena; Meir, Sagit; Rogachev, Ilana; Aharoni, Asaph; Paran, Ilan

2012-03-01

Studies on the genetic control of pigment content in pepper fruit have focused mainly on monogenic mutations leading to changes in fruit color. In addition to the qualitative variation in fruit color, quantitative variation in pigment content and color intensity exists in pepper giving rise to a range of color intensities. However, the genetic basis for this variation is poorly understood, hindering the development of peppers that are rich in these beneficial compounds. In this paper, quantitative variation in pigment content was studied in a cross between a dark-green Capsicum annuum pepper and a light-green C. chinense pepper. Two major pigment content QTLs that control chlorophyll content were identified, pc8.1 and pc10.1. The major QTL pc8.1, also affected carotenoid content in the ripe fruit. However, additional analyses in subsequent generations did not reveal a consistent effect of this QTL on carotenoid content in ripe fruit. Confocal microscopy analyses of green immature fruits of the parents and of near-isogenic lines for pc8.1 indicated that the QTL exerts its effect via increasing chloroplast compartment size in the dark-green genotypes, predominantly in a fruit-specific manner. Metabolic analyses indicated that in addition to chlorophyll, chloroplast-associated tocopherols and carotenoids are also elevated. Future identification of the genes controlling pigment content QTLs in pepper will provide a better understanding of this important trait and new opportunities for breeding peppers and other Solanaceae species with enhanced nutritional value.

Hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine by hepatic lipase in discoidal and spheroidal recombinant high-density lipoprotein.

PubMed

Tansey, J T; Thuren, T Y; Jerome, W G; Hantgan, R R; Grant, K; Waite, M

1997-10-07

Hepatic lipase (HL) hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) was studied in recombinant high-density lipoprotein particles (r-HDL). r-HDL were made from cholate mixed micelles that contained PC, apo AI, and, in some cases, unesterified cholesterol. r-HDL were characterized using chemical composition, nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The r-HDL were found to be discoidal and in the size range of native HDL. Upon treatment of cholesterol-containing r-HDL with lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), to form cholesteryl ester, the discoidal r-HDL became spheroidal. The effects of r-HDL morphology and size on HL activity were studied on r-HDL made of palmitoyloleoyl-PC, unesterified cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, and apolipoprotein AI. Spheroidal r-HDL were hydrolyzed at a faster rate than discoidal r-HDL. Protein-poor r-HDL were hydrolyzed by HL at a faster rate than protein rich r-HDL. Unesterified cholesterol had no apparent effect on particle PC hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of different species of PC [dipalmitoyl (DPPC), dioleoyl(DOPC), palmitoylarachidonoyl (PAPC), and palmitoyloleoyl (POPC)] in r-HDL was also investigated. In discoidal r-HDL, we found that POPC >/= DOPC = PAPC/DPPC. However, in LCAT-treated spheroidal r-HDL, POPC = DOPC > PAPC/DPPC. In both discoidal and spheroidal rHDL, DPPC containing r-HDL were not hydrolyzed to a significant extent. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that the physico-chemical properties of particles (such as phospholipid packing and phospholipid acyl composition) play a significant role in hydrolysis of HDL phospholipid by HL and, therefore, in reverse cholesterol transport.

Spiro-(1,1‧)-bipyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate salt as high voltage electrolyte for electric double layer capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xuewen; Ruan, Dianbo; Wu, Changcheng; Wang, Jing; Shi, Zhiqiang

2014-11-01

A novel quaternary ammonium salt based on spiro-(1,1‧)-bipyrolidinium tetrafluoroborate (SBP-BF4) has been synthesized and dissolved in propylene carbonate (PC) with 1.5 mol L-1 (M) concentration for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). The physic-chemical properties and electrochemical performance of SBP-BF4/PC electrolyte are investigated. Compared with the standard electrolyte 1.5 M TEMA-BF4 in PC, the novel SBP-BF4/PC electrolyte exhibited much better electrochemical performance due to its smaller cation size, lower viscosity and higher conductivity. The specific discharge capacitance of activated carbon electrode based EDLCs using SBP-BF4/PC electrolyte is 120 F g-1, the energy density and power density can reach 31 kW kg-1 and 6938 W kg-1, respectively, when the working voltage is 2.7 V and current density is 50 mA g-1. The withstand voltage of activated carbon based EDLCs with SBP-BF4/PC electrolyte can reach to 3.2 V, where the stable discharge capacitance and energy density are 121 F g-1 and 43 Wh kg-1, respectively.

Prohormone convertase 1 (PC1) when expressed with pro cholecystokinin (pro CCK) in L cells performs three endoproteolytic cleavages which are observed in rat brain and in CCK-expressing endocrine cells in culture, including the production of glycine and arginine extended CCK8.

PubMed

Wang, W; Birch, N P; Beinfeld, M C

1998-07-30

Pro CCK was expressed in an L cell line engineered to express PC1 and the products secreted into the media were characterized by a combination of RIA, gel filtration and HPLC. PC1 released from L cells, cleaved pro CCK generating the amino terminal pro peptide. PC1 also generated a peptide which after carboxypeptidase B treatment, was detected with an antiserum specific for CCK Gly. Neither of these peptides was found in media from L cells expressing pro CCK alone. This CCK Gly immunoreactive peptide was similar in size to CCK 8, and after treatment with arylsulfatase and carboxypeptidase B, it co-eluted on HPLC with unsulfated CCK 8 Gly. These results agree with previous studies which support a role for PC1 in generation of CCK 8. This is the first demonstration that PC1 acting alone is able to cleave pro CCK liberating the amino terminal pro peptide and a glycine and arginine extended CCK 8 which is the immediate precursor of CCK 8 amide.

Purification and characterization of selenium-containing phycocyanin from selenium-enriched Spirulina platensis.

PubMed

Chen, Tianfeng; Wong, Yum-Shing; Zheng, Wenjie

2006-11-01

A fast protein liquid chromatographic method for purification of selenium-containing phycocyanin (Se-PC) from selenium-enriched Spirulina platensis was described in this study. The purification procedures involved fractionation by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography and Sephacry S-300 size exclusion chromatography. The purity ratio (A620/A280) and the separation factor (A620/A655) of the purified Se-PC were 5.12 and 7.92, respectively. The Se concentration of purified Se-PC was 496.5 microg g(-1) protein, as determined by ICP-AES analysis. The purity of the Se-PC was further characterized by UV-VIS and fluorescence spectrometry, SDS-PAGE, RP-HPLC and gel filtration HPLC. The apparent molecular mass of the native Se-PC determined by gel filtration HPLC was 109 kDa, indicating that the protein existed as a trimer. SDS-PAGE of the purified Se-PC yielded two major bands corresponding to the alpha and beta subunits. A better separation of these two subunits was obtained by RP-HPLC. Identification of the alpha and beta subunits separated by SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC was achieved by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) using MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry.

ALMA RESOLVES 30 DORADUS: SUB-PARSEC MOLECULAR CLOUD STRUCTURE NEAR THE CLOSEST SUPER STAR CLUSTER

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

Indebetouw, Remy; Brogan, Crystal; Leroy, Adam

2013-09-01

We present Atacama Large (sub)Millimeter Array observations of 30 Doradus-the highest resolution view of molecular gas in an extragalactic star formation region to date ({approx}0.4 pc Multiplication-Sign 0.6 pc). The 30Dor-10 cloud north of R136 was mapped in {sup 12}CO 2-1, {sup 13}CO 2-1, C{sup 18}O 2-1, 1.3 mm continuum, the H30{alpha} recombination line, and two H{sub 2}CO 3-2 transitions. Most {sup 12}CO emission is associated with small filaments and clumps ({approx}<1 pc, {approx}10{sup 3} M{sub Sun} at the current resolution). Some clumps are associated with protostars, including ''pillars of creation'' photoablated by intense radiation from R136. Emission from molecularmore » clouds is often analyzed by decomposition into approximately beam-sized clumps. Such clumps in 30 Doradus follow similar trends in size, linewidth, and surface density to Milky Way clumps. The 30 Doradus clumps have somewhat larger linewidths for a given size than predicted by Larson's scaling relation, consistent with pressure confinement. They extend to a higher surface density at a given size and linewidth compared to clouds studied at 10 pc resolution. These trends are also true of clumps in Galactic infrared-dark clouds; higher resolution observations of both environments are required. Consistency of clump masses calculated from dust continuum, CO, and the virial theorem reveals that the CO abundance in 30 Doradus clumps is not significantly different from the Large Magellanic Cloud mean, but the dust abundance may be reduced by {approx}2. There are no strong trends in clump properties with distance from R136; dense clumps are not strongly affected by the external radiation field, but there is a modest trend toward lower dense clump filling fraction deeper in the cloud.« less

Droplet size in flow: Theoretical model and application to polymer blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortelný, Ivan; Jůza, Josef

2017-05-01

The paper is focused on prediction of the average droplet radius, R, in flowing polymer blends where the droplet size is determined by dynamic equilibrium between the droplet breakup and coalescence. Expressions for the droplet breakup frequency in systems with low and high contents of the dispersed phase are derived using available theoretical and experimental results for model blends. Dependences of the coalescence probability, Pc, on system parameters, following from recent theories, is considered and approximate equation for Pc in a system with a low polydispersity in the droplet size is proposed. Equations for R in systems with low and high contents of the dispersed phase are derived. Combination of these equations predicts realistic dependence of R on the volume fraction of dispersed droplets, φ. Theoretical prediction of the ratio of R to the critical droplet radius at breakup agrees fairly well with experimental values for steadily mixed polymer blends.

Anti-fibrillogenic properties of phthalocyanines: effect of the out-of-plane ligands.

PubMed

Kovalska, V; Cherepanov, V; Losytskyy, M; Chernii, S; Senenko, A; Chernii, V; Tretyakova, I; Yarmoluk, S; Volkov, S

2014-12-15

The axially-coordinated phthalocyanines were previously reported as agents possessing strong anti-fibrillogenic properties. In the presented study we used the atomic force microscopy to investigate the intermediates and the products of insulin aggregation reaction formed in the presence of Zr and Hf phthalocyanine complexes that contain out-of-plane ligands of different size and nature. It is shown that while phthalocyanine-free insulin generated mostly amyloid fibrils with a diameter of 2-8nm and a length of up to 5μm, the presence of phthalocyanines with spatial bulky ligands (PcZrDbm2) leads to the redirection of the fibrillization reaction to the formation of the spherical oligomer aggregates with a diameter of 4-12nm. At the same time the phthalocyanine complex PcHfCl2 having the small-volume ligands induces the formation of large size insulin aggregates with a height of about 100nm that are supposed to be amorphous species. The study of the aggregation intermediates showed the certain similarity of the reaction passing for phthalocyanine-free insulin and insulin in the presence of PcZrDbm2. The large-size amorphous species were observed at the beginning of reaction, later they dissociated, leading to the formation and growth of the smaller size particles. The amyloid-sensitive cyanine dye 7519 demonstrates the strong fluorescent response both in the presence of fibrils and spherical oligomers, while it is non-sensitive to amorphous aggregates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The proprotein convertase PC2 is involved in the maturation of prosomatostatin to somatostatin-14 but not in the somatostatin deficit in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Winsky-Sommerer, R; Grouselle, D; Rougeot, C; Laurent, V; David, J-P; Delacourte, A; Dournaud, P; Seidah, N G; Lindberg, I; Trottier, S; Epelbaum, J

2003-01-01

A somatostatin deficit occurs in the cerebral cortex of Alzheimer's disease patients without a major loss in somatostatin-containing neurons. This deficit could be related to a reduction in the rate of proteolytic processing of peptide precursors. Since the two proprotein convertases (PC)1 and PC2 are responsible for the processing of neuropeptide precursors directed to the regulated secretory pathway, we examined whether they are involved first in the proteolytic processing of prosomatostatin in mouse and human brain and secondly in somatostatin defect associated with Alzheimer's disease. By size exclusion chromatography, the cleavage of prosomatostatin to somatostatin-14 is almost totally abolished in the cortex of PC2 null mice, while the proportions of prosomatostatin and somatostatin-28 are increased. By immunohistochemistry, PC1 and PC2 were localized in many neuronal elements in human frontal and temporal cortex. The convertases levels were quantified by Western blot, as well as the protein 7B2 which is required for the production of active PC2. No significant change in PC1 levels was observed in Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, a marked decrease in the ratio of the PC2 precursor to the total enzymatic pool was observed in the frontal cortex of Alzheimer patients. This decrease coincides with an increase in the binding protein 7B2. However, the content and enzymatic activity of the PC2 mature form were similar in Alzheimer patients and controls. Therefore, the cortical somatostatin defect is not due to convertase alteration occuring during Alzheimer's disease. Further studies will be needed to assess the mechanisms involved in somatostatin deficiency in Alzheimer's disease.

Nutraceutical phycocyanin nanoformulation for efficient drug delivery of paclitaxel in human glioblastoma U87MG cell line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Madhunika; Yadav, Sanjeev Kumar; Agrawal, Satyam Kumar; Karmakar, Surajit

2017-08-01

To enhance the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy on glioblastoma U87MG cell line, paclitaxel-loaded phycocyanin nanoparticles (PTX-PcNPs) were prepared by modified desolvation process. PTX-PcNPs were characterised in terms of size, zeta potential, drug loading efficiency and drug release. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed PTX-PcNPs could be internalised by U87MG cells. The anti-cancer activity was investigated in vitro by 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay with and without photodynamic therapy. It was observed that formulation could significantly inhibit growth of U87MG cells as compared to PTX alone and also induced apoptosis, which was evidenced by presence of apoptotic bodies and nuclear fragmentation in treated cells. The present study suggests that PTX-PcNPs can act as a promising drug delivery system for cancer treatment. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Optically thin hybrid cavity for terahertz photo-conductive detectors

DOE PAGES

Thompson, Robert J.; Siday, T.; Glass, S.; ...

2017-01-23

Here, the efficiency of photoconductive (PC) devices, including terahertz detectors, is constrained by the bulk optical constants of PC materials. Here, we show that optical absorption in a PC layer can be modified substantially within a hybrid cavity containing nanoantennas and a Distributed Bragg Reflector. We find that a hybrid cavity, consisting of a GaAs PC layer of just 50 nm, can be used to absorb >75% of incident photons by trapping the light within the cavity. We provide an intuitive model, which describes the dependence of the optimum operation wavelength on the cavity thickness. We also find that themore » nanoantenna size is a critical parameter, small variations of which lead to both wavelength shifting and reduced absorption in the cavity, suggesting that impedance matching is key for achieving efficient absorption in the optically thin hybrid cavities.« less

Evaluation of increasing levels of a microbial phytase in phosphorus deficient broiler diets via live broiler performance, tibia bone ash, apparent metabolizable energy, and amino acid digestibility.

PubMed

Pieniazek, J; Smith, K A; Williams, M P; Manangi, M K; Vazquez-Anon, M; Solbak, A; Miller, M; Lee, J T

2017-02-01

The objective was to investigate increasing concentrations of an evolved microbial phytase on male broiler performance, tibia bone ash, AME, and amino acid digestibility when fed diets deficient in available phosphorus (aP). Experiment 1 evaluated the effects of phytase during a 21 d battery cage study and Experiment 2 was a 42 d grow-out. Experiment 1 included six treatments; negative control (NC) with an aP level of 0.23% (starter) and 0.19% (grower), two positive controls (PC) consisting of an additional 0.12% and 0.22% aP (PC 1 and PC 2), and the NC supplemented with three levels of phytase (250, 500, and 2,000 U/kg). The NC diet reduced (P < 0.05) FC, BW, and bone ash. Phytase increased (P < 0.05) BW with 2,000 U/kg phytase yielding similar results to the PC2, and improved FCR and increased bone ash was observed at all phytase levels. Amino acid digestibility coefficients were increased (P < 0.05) with phytase at 250 U/kg. Phytase at all rates increased (P < 0.05) AME to levels similar level as PC diets. Linear regression analysis indicated average P equivalency values for BW and bone ash of 0.137, 0.147, and 0.226 for phytase inclusion of 250, 500, and 2000 U/kg, respectively. Experiment 2 included a PC consisting of 0.45%, 0.41%, and 0.38% aP for the starter, grower, and finisher, respectively; NC with reduced aP of 0.17%; and phytase at 500 and 2,000 U/kg. Phytase increased BW (P < 0.05) compared to the NC as 2,000 U/kg phytase resulted in further BW increases compared to the PC (starter and grower). Phytase improved FCR to levels comparable to the PC, with supplementation at 2,000 U/kg resulting in improvements beyond the PC in the starter phase. Amino acid digestibility coefficients were increased with phytase at 2,000 U/kg to levels comparable to that of the PC. These data confirm that the inclusion of phytase improves broiler performance and bone mineralization in aP reduced diets and levels beyond the traditional 500 U/kg can result in further improvements. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

A comparative appraisal of two equivalence tests for multiple standardized effects.

PubMed

Shieh, Gwowen

2016-04-01

Equivalence testing is recommended as a better alternative to the traditional difference-based methods for demonstrating the comparability of two or more treatment effects. Although equivalent tests of two groups are widely discussed, the natural extensions for assessing equivalence between several groups have not been well examined. This article provides a detailed and schematic comparison of the ANOVA F and the studentized range tests for evaluating the comparability of several standardized effects. Power and sample size appraisals of the two grossly distinct approaches are conducted in terms of a constraint on the range of the standardized means when the standard deviation of the standardized means is fixed. Although neither method is uniformly more powerful, the studentized range test has a clear advantage in sample size requirements necessary to achieve a given power when the underlying effect configurations are close to the priori minimum difference for determining equivalence. For actual application of equivalence tests and advance planning of equivalence studies, both SAS and R computer codes are available as supplementary files to implement the calculations of critical values, p-values, power levels, and sample sizes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of embedded real-time and high-speed vision platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Zhenxing; Dong, Yimin; Yang, Hua

2015-12-01

Currently, high-speed vision platforms are widely used in many applications, such as robotics and automation industry. However, a personal computer (PC) whose over-large size is not suitable and applicable in compact systems is an indispensable component for human-computer interaction in traditional high-speed vision platforms. Therefore, this paper develops an embedded real-time and high-speed vision platform, ER-HVP Vision which is able to work completely out of PC. In this new platform, an embedded CPU-based board is designed as substitution for PC and a DSP and FPGA board is developed for implementing image parallel algorithms in FPGA and image sequential algorithms in DSP. Hence, the capability of ER-HVP Vision with size of 320mm x 250mm x 87mm can be presented in more compact condition. Experimental results are also given to indicate that the real-time detection and counting of the moving target at a frame rate of 200 fps at 512 x 512 pixels under the operation of this newly developed vision platform are feasible.

Sample size determination for equivalence assessment with multiple endpoints.

PubMed

Sun, Anna; Dong, Xiaoyu; Tsong, Yi

2014-01-01

Equivalence assessment between a reference and test treatment is often conducted by two one-sided tests (TOST). The corresponding power function and sample size determination can be derived from a joint distribution of the sample mean and sample variance. When an equivalence trial is designed with multiple endpoints, it often involves several sets of two one-sided tests. A naive approach for sample size determination in this case would select the largest sample size required for each endpoint. However, such a method ignores the correlation among endpoints. With the objective to reject all endpoints and when the endpoints are uncorrelated, the power function is the production of all power functions for individual endpoints. With correlated endpoints, the sample size and power should be adjusted for such a correlation. In this article, we propose the exact power function for the equivalence test with multiple endpoints adjusted for correlation under both crossover and parallel designs. We further discuss the differences in sample size for the naive method without and with correlation adjusted methods and illustrate with an in vivo bioequivalence crossover study with area under the curve (AUC) and maximum concentration (Cmax) as the two endpoints.

Western State Hospital: implementing a MUMPS-based PC network.

PubMed

Russ, D C

1991-06-01

Western State Hospital, a state-administered 1,200-bed mental health institution near Tacoma, Wash., confronted the challenge of automating its large campus through the application of the Healthcare Integrated Information System (HIIS). It is the first adaptation of the Veterans Administration's Decentralized Hospital Computer Program software in a mental health institution of this size, and the first DHCP application to be installed on a PC client/server network in a large U.S. hospital.

Nanoscale Morphology of PTB7 Based Organic Photovoltaics as a Function of Fullerene Size

DOE PAGES

Roehling, John D.; Baran, Derya; Sit, Joseph; ...

2016-08-08

High efficiency polymer:fullerene photovoltaic device layers self-assemble with hierarchical features from ångströms to 100’s of nanometers. The feature size, shape, composition, orientation, and order all contribute to device efficiency and are simultaneously difficult to study due to poor contrast between carbon based materials. This study seeks to increase device efficiency and simplify morphology measurements by replacing the typical fullerene acceptor with endohedral fullerene Lu 3N@PC 80BEH. The metal atoms give excellent scattering contrast for electron beam and x-ray experiments. Additionally, Lu 3N@PC 80BEH has a lower electron affinity than standard fullerenes, which can raise the open circuit voltage of photovoltaicmore » devices. Electron microscopy techniques are used to produce a detailed account of morphology evolution in mixtures of Lu 3N@PC 80BEH with the record breaking donor polymer, PTB7 and coated using solvent mixtures. We demonstrate that common solvent additives like 1,8-diiodooctane or chloronapthalene do not improve the morphology of endohedral fullerene devices as expected. The poor device performance is attributed to the lack of mutual miscibility between this particular polymer:fullerene combination and to co-crystallization of Lu 3N@PC 80BEH with 1,8-diiodooctane. This negative result explains why solvent additives mixtures are not necessarily a morphology cure-all.« less

Nanoscale Morphology of PTB7 Based Organic Photovoltaics as a Function of Fullerene Size

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

Roehling, John D.; Baran, Derya; Sit, Joseph

High efficiency polymer:fullerene photovoltaic device layers self-assemble with hierarchical features from ångströms to 100’s of nanometers. The feature size, shape, composition, orientation, and order all contribute to device efficiency and are simultaneously difficult to study due to poor contrast between carbon based materials. This study seeks to increase device efficiency and simplify morphology measurements by replacing the typical fullerene acceptor with endohedral fullerene Lu 3N@PC 80BEH. The metal atoms give excellent scattering contrast for electron beam and x-ray experiments. Additionally, Lu 3N@PC 80BEH has a lower electron affinity than standard fullerenes, which can raise the open circuit voltage of photovoltaicmore » devices. Electron microscopy techniques are used to produce a detailed account of morphology evolution in mixtures of Lu 3N@PC 80BEH with the record breaking donor polymer, PTB7 and coated using solvent mixtures. We demonstrate that common solvent additives like 1,8-diiodooctane or chloronapthalene do not improve the morphology of endohedral fullerene devices as expected. The poor device performance is attributed to the lack of mutual miscibility between this particular polymer:fullerene combination and to co-crystallization of Lu 3N@PC 80BEH with 1,8-diiodooctane. This negative result explains why solvent additives mixtures are not necessarily a morphology cure-all.« less

Low-cost mm-wave Doppler/FMCW transceivers for ground surveillance applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, H. J.; Lindop, R. W.; Majstorovic, D.

2005-12-01

A 35 GHz Doppler CW/FMCW transceiver (Equivalent Radiated Power ERP=30dBm) has been assembled and its operation described. Both instantaneous beat signals (relating to range in FMCW mode) and Doppler signals (relating to targets moving at ~1.5 ms -1) exhibit audio frequencies. Consequently, the radar processing is provided by laptop PC using its inbuilt video-audio media system with appropriate MathWorks software. The implications of radar-on-chip developments are addressed.

The Types and Nature of Questions vis-à-vis Students' Test-Taking Skills as Significant Indicators of Second Language Examinees? Performance on the TOEFL-ITP Reading Comprehension Sub-Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez-Amurao, Analiza

2011-01-01

This study examines the reading performance of selected students at the Pre-College program of the Mahidol University International College (PC-MUIC) as they are required to attain a score of 520 in the TOEFL-ITP (or equivalent performance in IELTS) to enter MUIC. Specifically, this research aims to evaluate whether the reading skills that…

Dynamic relationships between body size, species richness, abundance, and energy use in a shallow marine epibenthic faunal community

PubMed Central

Labra, Fabio A; Hernández-Miranda, Eduardo; Quiñones, Renato A

2015-01-01

We study the temporal variation in the empirical relationships among body size (S), species richness (R), and abundance (A) in a shallow marine epibenthic faunal community in Coliumo Bay, Chile. We also extend previous analyses by calculating individual energy use (E) and test whether its bivariate and trivariate relationships with S and R are in agreement with expectations derived from the energetic equivalence rule. Carnivorous and scavenger species representing over 95% of sample abundance and biomass were studied. For each individual, body size (g) was measured and E was estimated following published allometric relationships. Data for each sample were tabulated into exponential body size bins, comparing species-averaged values with individual-based estimates which allow species to potentially occupy multiple size classes. For individual-based data, both the number of individuals and species across body size classes are fit by a Weibull function rather than by a power law scaling. Species richness is also a power law of the number of individuals. Energy use shows a piecewise scaling relationship with body size, with energetic equivalence holding true only for size classes above the modal abundance class. Species-based data showed either weak linear or no significant patterns, likely due to the decrease in the number of data points across body size classes. Hence, for individual-based size spectra, the SRA relationship seems to be general despite seasonal forcing and strong disturbances in Coliumo Bay. The unimodal abundance distribution results in a piecewise energy scaling relationship, with small individuals showing a positive scaling and large individuals showing energetic equivalence. Hence, strict energetic equivalence should not be expected for unimodal abundance distributions. On the other hand, while species-based data do not show unimodal SRA relationships, energy use across body size classes did not show significant trends, supporting energetic equivalence. PMID:25691966

Widespread differential maternal and paternal genome effects on fetal bone phenotype at mid-gestation.

PubMed

Xiang, Ruidong; Lee, Alice M C; Eindorf, Tanja; Javadmanesh, Ali; Ghanipoor-Samami, Mani; Gugger, Madeleine; Fitzsimmons, Carolyn J; Kruk, Zbigniew A; Pitchford, Wayne S; Leviton, Alison J; Thomsen, Dana A; Beckman, Ian; Anderson, Gail I; Burns, Brian M; Rutley, David L; Xian, Cory J; Hiendleder, Stefan

2014-11-01

Parent-of-origin-dependent (epi)genetic factors are important determinants of prenatal development that program adult phenotype. However, data on magnitude and specificity of maternal and paternal genome effects on fetal bone are lacking. We used an outbred bovine model to dissect and quantify effects of parental genomes, fetal sex, and nongenetic maternal effects on the fetal skeleton and analyzed phenotypic and molecular relationships between fetal muscle and bone. Analysis of 51 bone morphometric and weight parameters from 72 fetuses recovered at day 153 gestation (54% term) identified six principal components (PC1-6) that explained 80% of the variation in skeletal parameters. Parental genomes accounted for most of the variation in bone wet weight (PC1, 72.1%), limb ossification (PC2, 99.8%), flat bone size (PC4, 99.7%), and axial skeletal growth (PC5, 96.9%). Limb length showed lesser effects of parental genomes (PC3, 40.8%) and a significant nongenetic maternal effect (gestational weight gain, 29%). Fetal sex affected bone wet weight (PC1, p < 0.0001) and limb length (PC3, p < 0.05). Partitioning of variation explained by parental genomes revealed strong maternal genome effects on bone wet weight (74.1%, p < 0.0001) and axial skeletal growth (93.5%, p < 0.001), whereas paternal genome controlled limb ossification (95.1%, p < 0.0001). Histomorphometric data revealed strong maternal genome effects on growth plate height (98.6%, p < 0.0001) and trabecular thickness (85.5%, p < 0.0001) in distal femur. Parental genome effects on fetal bone were mirrored by maternal genome effects on fetal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (96.9%, p < 0.001) and paternal genome effects on alkaline phosphatase (90.0%, p < 0.001) and their correlations with maternally controlled bone wet weight and paternally controlled limb ossification, respectively. Bone wet weight and flat bone size correlated positively with muscle weight (r = 0.84 and 0.77, p < 0.0001) and negatively with muscle H19 expression (r = -0.34 and -0.31, p < 0.01). Because imprinted maternally expressed H19 regulates growth factors by miRNA interference, this suggests muscle-bone interaction via epigenetic factors. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Procyanidins-crosslinked aortic elastin scaffolds with distinctive anti-calcification and biological properties.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoya; Zhai, Wanyin; Wu, Chengtie; Ma, Bing; Zhang, Jiamin; Zhang, Hongfeng; Zhu, Ziyan; Chang, Jiang

2015-04-01

Elastin, a main component of decellularized extracellular matrices and elastin-containing materials, has been used for tissue engineering applications due to their excellent biocompatibility. However, elastin is easily calcified, leading to the decrease of life span for elastin-based substitutes. How to inhibit the calcification of elastin-based scaffolds, but maintain their good biocompatibility, still remains significantly challenging. Procyanidins (PC) are a type of natural polyphenols with crosslinking ability. To investigate whether pure elastin could be crosslinked by PC with anti-calcification effect, PC was first used to crosslink aortic elastin. Results show that PC can crosslink elastin and effectively inhibit elastin-initiated calcification. Further experiments reveal the possible mechanisms for the anti-calcification of PC crosslinking including (1) inhibiting inflammation cell attachment, and secretion of inflammatory factors such as MMPs and TNF-α, (2) preventing elastin degradation by elastase, and (3) direct inhibition of mineral nucleation in elastin. Moreover, the PC-crosslinked aortic elastin maintains natural structure with high pore volume (1111 μL/g), large pore size (10-300 μm) and high porosity (75.1%) which facilitates recellularization of scaffolds in vivo, and displays excellent hemocompatibility, anti-thrombus and anti-inflammatory potential. The advantages of PC-crosslinked porous aortic elastin suggested that it can serve as a promising scaffold for tissue engineering. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

I Am So Tired… How Fatigue May Exacerbate Stress Reactions to Psychological Contract Breach

PubMed Central

Achnak, Safâa; Griep, Yannick; Vantilborgh, Tim

2018-01-01

Previous research showed that perceptions of psychological contract (PC) breach have undesirable individual and organizational consequences. Surprisingly, the PC literature has paid little to no attention to the relationship between PC breach perceptions and stress. A better understanding of how PC breach may elicit stress seems crucial, given that stress plays a key role in employees' physical and mental well-being. Based on Conservation of Resources Theory, we suggest that PC breach perceptions represent a perceived loss of valued resources, subsequently leading employees to experience higher stress levels resulting from emerging negative emotions. Moreover, we suggest that this mediated relationship is moderated by initial levels of fatigue, due to fatigue lowering the personal resources necessary to cope with breach events. To tests our hypotheses, we analyzed the multilevel data we obtained from two experience sampling designs (Study 1: 51 Belgian employees; Study 2: 53 US employees). Note that the unit of analysis is “observations” rather than “respondents,” resulting in an effective sample size of 730 (Study 1) and 374 (Study 2) observations. In both studies, we found evidence for the mediating role of negative emotions in the PC breach—stress relationship. In the second study, we also found evidence for the moderating role of fatigue in the mediated PC breach—stress relationship. Implications for research and practice are discussed. PMID:29559935

I Am So Tired… How Fatigue May Exacerbate Stress Reactions to Psychological Contract Breach.

PubMed

Achnak, Safâa; Griep, Yannick; Vantilborgh, Tim

2018-01-01

Previous research showed that perceptions of psychological contract (PC) breach have undesirable individual and organizational consequences. Surprisingly, the PC literature has paid little to no attention to the relationship between PC breach perceptions and stress. A better understanding of how PC breach may elicit stress seems crucial, given that stress plays a key role in employees' physical and mental well-being. Based on Conservation of Resources Theory, we suggest that PC breach perceptions represent a perceived loss of valued resources, subsequently leading employees to experience higher stress levels resulting from emerging negative emotions. Moreover, we suggest that this mediated relationship is moderated by initial levels of fatigue, due to fatigue lowering the personal resources necessary to cope with breach events. To tests our hypotheses, we analyzed the multilevel data we obtained from two experience sampling designs (Study 1: 51 Belgian employees; Study 2: 53 US employees). Note that the unit of analysis is "observations" rather than "respondents," resulting in an effective sample size of 730 (Study 1) and 374 (Study 2) observations. In both studies, we found evidence for the mediating role of negative emotions in the PC breach-stress relationship. In the second study, we also found evidence for the moderating role of fatigue in the mediated PC breach-stress relationship. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

A Kennicutt-Schmidt relation at molecular cloud scales and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoperskov, Sergey A.; Vasiliev, Evgenii O.

2017-06-01

Using N-body/gasdynamic simulations of a Milky Way-like galaxy, we analyse a Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relation, Σ _SFR ∝ Σ _gas^N, at different spatial scales. We simulate synthetic observations in CO lines and ultraviolet (UV) band. We adopt the star formation rate (SFR) defined in two ways: based on free fall collapse of a molecular cloud - ΣSFR, cl, and calculated by using a UV flux calibration - ΣSFR,UV. We study a KS relation for spatially smoothed maps with effective spatial resolution from molecular cloud scales to several hundred parsecs. We find that for spatially and kinematically resolved molecular clouds the Σ _{SFR, cl} ∝ σ _{gas}^N relation follows the power law with index N ≈ 1.4. Using UV flux as SFR calibrator, we confirm a systematic offset between the ΣSFR,UV and Σgas distributions on scales compared to molecular cloud sizes. Degrading resolution of our simulated maps for surface densities of gas and SFRs, we establish that there is no relation ΣSFR,UV -Σgas below the resolution ˜50 pc. We find a transition range around scales ˜50-120 pc, where the power-law index N increases from 0 to 1-1.8 and saturates for scales larger ˜120 pc. A value of the index saturated depends on a surface gas density threshold and it becomes steeper for higher Σgas threshold. Averaging over scales with size of ≳ 150 pc the power-law index N equals 1.3-1.4 for surface gas density threshold ˜5 M⊙ pc-2. At scales ≳ 120 pc surface SFR densities determined by using CO data and UV flux, ΣSFR,UV/SFR, cl, demonstrate a discrepancy about a factor of 3. We argue that this may be originated from overestimating (constant) values of conversion factor, star formation efficiency or UV calibration used in our analysis.

Novel theranostic zinc phthalocyanine-phospholipid complex self-assembled nanoparticles for imaging-guided targeted photodynamic treatment with controllable ROS production and shape-assisted enhanced cellular uptake.

PubMed

Ma, Jinyuan; Li, Yang; Liu, Guihua; Li, Ai; Chen, Yilin; Zhou, Xinyi; Chen, Dengyue; Hou, Zhenqing; Zhu, Xuan

2018-02-01

The novel drug delivery system based on self-assembly of zinc phthalocyanine-soybean phosphatidylcholine (ZnPc-SPC) complex was developed by a co-solvent method followed by a nanoprecipitaion technique. DSPE-PEG-methotrexate (DSPE-PEG-MTX) was introduced on the surface of ZnPc-SPC self-assembled nanoparticles (ZS) to endow them with folate receptor-targeting property. NMR, XRD, FTIR, and UV-vis-NIR analysis demonstrated the weak molecular interaction between ZnPc and SPC. The ZS functionalized with DSPE-PEG-MTX (ZSPM) was successfully constructed with an average particle size of ∼170nm, a narrow size distribution, and could remain physiologically stable for at least 7days. In vitro cellular uptake and cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that ZSPM exhibited stronger cellular uptake efficacy and photodynamic cytotoxicity against HeLa and MCF-7 cells than ZS functionalized with DSPE-mPEG (ZSP) and free ZnPc. More importantly, ZSPM showed the enhanced accumulation effect at the tumor region compared with ZSP by the active-plus-passive targeting via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and folate receptor-mediated endocytosis. Furthermore, in vivo antitumor effect and histological analysis demonstrated the superior tumor growth inhibition effect of ZSPM. In addition, the needle-shape ZSP (ZSPN) exhibited better in vitro cellular uptake and in vivo tumor accumulation compared with ZSP due to the shape-assisted effect. Moreover, the interesting off-on switch effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of ZnPc-SPC complex-based nanoparticles was discovered to achieve photodynamic treatment in a controllable way. These findings suggested that the ZnPc-SPC complex-based self-assembled nanoparticles could serve as a promising and effective formulation to achieve tumor-targeting fluorescence imaging and enhanced photodynamic treatment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of illumination on the dielectrical properties of P3HT:PC70BM nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamza, Saidi; Mhamdi, Asya; Aloui, Walid; Bouazizi, Abdelaziz; Khirouni, Kamel

2017-05-01

In this work, the effects of light-generated carriers on the dielectric properties of the structure ITO/PEDOT: PSS/P3HT:PC70BM/Al were carried out. Impedance spectroscopy was performed at an applied bias equal to the open-circuit. From the real and imaginary part of the impedance, a dipolar relaxation type was observed, which decreased in the presence of light due to an increase in the electron mobility. The Cole-Cole diagram fit using a parallel model R-CPE equivalent circuit leads to the comparison of parallel resistances (R p) and capacitance (CPE) in dark and under illumination. The decrease of R p is related to the increases in the photo-generated charge carrier density. The increase in the capacitance is related to the enhancement of the P3HT/PCBM interface homogeneity.

75 FR 27497 - Determination That Children's Upper Outerwear in Sizes 2T to 12 With Neck or Hood Drawstrings and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... outerwear garments in sizes 2T to 12 or the equivalent that have neck or hood drawstrings, and in sizes 2T to 16 or the equivalent that have waist or bottom drawstrings that do not meet specified criteria... percent. The corresponding reduction in the annual average number of reported non-fatal entrapments is 91...

Stimulation of surfactant phospholipid biosynthesis in the lungs of rats treated with silica.

PubMed Central

Miller, B E; Hook, G E

1988-01-01

The effects of intratracheally instilled silica (10 mg/rat) on the biosynthesis of surfactant phospholipids was investigated in the lungs of rats. The sizes of the intracellular and extracellular pools of surfactant phospholipids were measured 7, 14 and 28 days after silica exposure. The ability of lung slices to incorporate [14C]choline and [3H]palmitate into surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PC) and disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) was also investigated. Both intra- and extra-cellular pools of surfactant phospholipids were increased by silica treatment. The intracellular pool increased linearly over the 28-day time period, ultimately reaching a size 62-fold greater than controls. The extracellular pool also increased, but showed a pattern different from that of the intracellular pool. The extracellular pool increased non-linearly up to 14 days, and then declined. At its maximum, the extracellular pool was increased 16-fold over the control. The ability of lung slices to incorporate phospholipid precursors into surfactant-associated PC and DSPC was elevated at all time periods. The rate of incorporation of [14C]choline into surfactant PC and DSPC was maximal at 14 days and was nearly 3-fold greater than the rate in controls. The rate of incorporation of [3H]palmitate was also maximal at 14 days, approx. 5-fold above controls for PC and 3-fold for DSPC. At this same time point, the microsomal activity of cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase was increased 4.5-fold above controls, but cytosolic activity was not significantly affected by silica treatment. These data indicate that biosynthesis of surfactant PC is elevated after treatment of lungs with silica and that this increased biosynthesis probably underlies the expansion of the intra- and extra-cellular pools of surfactant phospholipids. PMID:2845927

Complex roles of hybrid lipids in the composition, order, and size of lipid membrane domains.

PubMed

Hassan-Zadeh, Ebrahim; Baykal-Caglar, Eda; Alwarawrah, Mohammad; Huang, Juyang

2014-02-11

Hybrid lipids (HL) are phospholipids with one saturated chain and one unsaturated chain. HL are hypothesized to act as linactants (i.e., 2D surfactants) in cell membranes, reducing line tension and creating nanoscopic lipid domains. Here we compare three hybrid lipids of different chain unsaturation (16:0-18:1PC (POPC), 16:0-18:2PC (PLPC), and 16:0-20:4PC (PAPC)) in their abilities to alter the composition, line tension, order, and compactness of lipid domains. We found that the liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) lipid domains in PAPC/di18:0PC(DSPC)/cholesterol and PLPC/DSPC/cholesterol mixtures are micrometer-sized, and only the POPC/DSPC/cholesterol system has nanoscopic domains. The results indicate that some HLs with polyunsaturated chains are not linactants, and the monounsaturated POPC displays both properties of weak linactants and "Ld-phase" lipids such as di18:1PC (DOPC). The obtained phase boundaries from giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) show that both POPC and PLPC partition well in the Lo phases. Our MD simulations reveal that these hybrid lipids decrease the order and compactness of Lo domains. Thus, hybrid lipids distinguish themselves from other lipid groups in this combined "partitioning and loosening" ability, which could explain why the Lo domains of GUVs, which often do not contain HL, are more compact than the raft domains in cell membranes. Our line tension measurement and Monte Carlo simulation both show that even the monounsaturated POPC is a weak linactant with only modest ability to occupy domain boundaries and reduce line tension. A more important property of HLs is that they can reduce physical property differences of Lo and Ld bulk domains, which also reduces line tension at domain boundaries.

Detection and quantification of Plectosphaerella cucumerina, a potential biological control agent of potato cyst nematodes, by using conventional PCR, real-time PCR, selective media, and baiting.

PubMed

Atkins, S D; Clark, I M; Sosnowska, D; Hirsch, P R; Kerry, B R

2003-08-01

Potato cyst nematodes (PCN) are serious pests in commercial potato production, causing yield losses valued at approximately $300 million in the European Community. The nematophagous fungus Plectosphaerella cucumerina has demonstrated its potential as a biological control agent against PCN populations by reducing field populations by up to 60% in trials. The use of biological control agents in the field requires the development of specific techniques to monitor the release, population size, spread or decline, and pathogenicity against its host. A range of methods have therefore been developed to monitor P. cucumerina. A species-specific PCR primer set (PcCF1-PcCR1) was designed that was able to detect the presence of P. cucumerina in soil, root, and nematode samples. PCR was combined with a bait method to identify P. cucumerina from infected nematode eggs, confirming the parasitic ability of the fungus. A selective medium was adapted to isolate the fungus from root and soil samples and was used to quantify the fungus from field sites. A second P. cucumerina-specific primer set (PcRTF1-PcRTR1) and a Taqman probe (PcRTP1) were designed for real-time PCR quantification of the fungus and provided a very sensitive means of detecting the fungus from soil. PCR, bait, and culture methods were combined to investigate the presence and abundance of P. cucumerina from two field sites in the United Kingdom where PCN populations were naturally declining. All methods enabled differences in the activity of P. cucumerina to be detected, and the results demonstrated the importance of using a combination of methods to investigate population size and activity of fungi.

ALMA Maps of Dust and Warm Dense Gas Emission in the Starburst Galaxy IC 5179

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yinghe; Lu, Nanyao; Díaz-Santos, Tanio; Xu, C. Kevin; Gao, Yu; Charmandaris, Vassilis; van der Werf, Paul; Zhang, Zhi-Yu; Cao, Chen

2017-08-01

We present our high-resolution (0.″15 × 0.″13, ˜34 pc) observations of the CO (6-5) line emission, which probes the warm and dense molecular gas, and the 434 μm dust continuum emission in the nuclear region of the starburst galaxy IC 5179, conducted with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). The CO (6-5) emission is spatially distributed in filamentary structures with many dense cores and shows a velocity field that is characteristic of a circumnuclear rotating gas disk, with 90% of the rotation speed arising within a radius of ≲150 pc. At the scale of our spatial resolution, the CO (6-5) and dust emission peaks do not always coincide, with their surface brightness ratio varying by a factor of ˜10. This result suggests that their excitation mechanisms are likely different, as further evidenced by the southwest to northeast spatial gradient of both CO-to-dust continuum ratio and Pa-α equivalent width. Within the nuclear region (radius ˜ 300 pc) and with a resolution of ˜34 pc, the CO line flux (dust flux density) detected in our ALMA observations is 180 ± 18 Jy km s-1 (71 ± 7 mJy), which accounts for 22% (2.4%) of the total value measured by Herschel. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Quantitative evaluation of changes in eyeball shape in emmetropization and myopic changes based on elliptic fourier descriptors.

PubMed

Ishii, Kotaro; Iwata, Hiroyoshi; Oshika, Tetsuro

2011-11-04

To evaluate changes in eyeball shape in emmetropization and myopic changes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and elliptic Fourier descriptors (EFDs). The subjects were 105 patients (age range, 1 month-19 years) who underwent head MRI. The refractive error was determined in 30 patients, and eyeball shape was expressed numerically by principal components analysis of standardized EFDs. In the first principal component (PC1; the oblate-to-prolate change), the proportion of variance/total variance in the development of the eyeball shape was 76%. In all subjects, PC1 showed a significant correlation with age (Pearson r = -0.314; P = 0.001), axial length (AL, r = -0.378; P < 0.001), width (r = -0.200, P = 0.0401), oblateness (r = 0.657, P < 0.001), and spherical equivalent refraction (SER, r = 0.438; P = 0.0146; n = 30). In the group containing patients aged 1 month to 6 years (n = 49), PC1 showed a significant correlation with age (r = -0.366; P = 0.0093). In the group containing patients aged 7 to 19 years (n = 56), PC1 showed a significant correlation with SER (r = 0.640; P = 0.0063). The main deformation pattern in the development of the eyeball shape from oblate to prolate was clarified by quantitative analysis based on EFDs. The results showed clear differences between age groups with regard to changes in the shape of the eyeball, the correlation between these changes, and refractive status changes.

Experience With Direct-to-Patient Recruitment for Enrollment Into a Clinical Trial in a Rare Disease: A Web-Based Study

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background The target sample size for clinical trials often necessitates a multicenter (center of excellence, CoE) approach with associated added complexity, cost, and regulatory requirements. Alternative recruitment strategies need to be tested against this standard model. Objectives The aim of our study was to test whether a Web-based direct recruitment approach (patient-centric, PC) using social marketing strategies provides a viable option to the CoE recruitment method. Methods PC recruitment and Web-based informed consent was compared with CoE recruitment for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of continuing versus stopping low-dose prednisone for maintenance of remission of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). Results The PC approach was not as successful as the CoE approach. Enrollment of those confirmed eligible by their physician was 10 of 13 (77%) and 49 of 51 (96%) in the PC and CoE arms, respectively (P=.05). The two approaches were not significantly different in terms of eligibility with 34% of potential participants in the CoE found to be ineligible as compared with 22% in the PC arm (P=.11) nor in provider acceptance, 22% versus 26% (P=.78). There was no difference in the understanding of the trial as reflected in the knowledge surveys of individuals in the PC and CoE arms. Conclusions PC recruitment was substantially less successful than that achieved by the CoE approach. However, the PC approach was good at confirming eligibility and was as acceptable to providers and as understandable to patients as the CoE approach. The PC approach should be evaluated in other clinical settings to get a better sense of its potential. PMID:28246067

Insights into the Morphological Instability of Bulk Heterojunction PTB7-Th/PCBM Solar Cells upon High-Temperature Aging

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

Hsieh, Yen-Ju; Huang, Yu-Ching; Liu, Wei-Shin

The impact of the morphological stability of the donor/acceptor mixture under thermal stress on the photovoltaic properties of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells based on the poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b']-di-thiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2 ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]-thiophene)-2-carboxylate-2,6-diyl]/phenyl-C61-butyric acid methylester (PTB7-Th/PC61BM) blend is extensively investigated. Both optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy micrographs show that long-term high-temperature aging stimulates the formation of microscale clusters, the size of which, however, is about 1 order of magnitude smaller than those observed in thermally annealed poly(3hexylthiophene)/PC61BM composite film. The multilength-scale evolution of the morphology of PTB7-Th/PC61BM film from the scattering profiles of grazing incidence small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering indicates the PC61BM moleculesmore » spatially confine the self-organization of polymer chains into large domains during cast drying and upon thermal activation. Moreover, some PC61BM molecules accumulate into ~30-40 nm clusters, the number of which increases with heating time. Therefore, the hole mobility in the active layer decays much more rapidly than the electron mobility, leading to unbalanced charge transport and degraded cell performance. Importantly, the three-component blend that is formed by replacing a small amount of PC61BM in the active layer with the bis-adduct of PC61BM (bis-P61M) exhibits robust morphology against thermal stress. Accordingly, the PTB7-Th/PC61BM:bis-PC61BM (8 wt %) device has an extremely stable power conversion efficiency.« less

Pleiotropy between genetic markers of obesity and risk of prostate cancer

PubMed Central

Edwards, Todd L.; Giri, Ayush; Motley, Saundra; Duong, Wynne; Fowke, Jay H.

2013-01-01

Background To address inconsistent findings of obesity and prostate cancer risk, we analyzed the association between prostate cancer (PC) and genetic markers of obesity and metabolism. Methods Analyses included 176,520 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with 23 metabolic traits. We examined the association between SNPs and PC in 871 cases and 906 controls, including 427 high-grade cases with Gleason ≥7. Genetic risk scores (GRSs) for body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were also created by summing alleles associated with increasing BMI or WHR. Results PC was associated with 5 loci, including cyclin M2, with p-values less than 1×10−4. In addition, the WHR GRS was associated with high-grade PC versus controls (OR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00 – 1.11, p-value = 0.048), and high-grade PC versus low-grade PC (OR: 1.07, 95% CI 1.01 – 1.13, p-value = 0.03). None of these findings exceed the threshold for significance after correction for multiple testing. Conclusions Variants in genes known to be associated with metabolism and obesity may be associated with PC. We show evidence for pleiotropy between WHR GRS and PC grade. This finding is consistent with the function of several WHR genes, and previously described relationships with cancer traits. Impact Limitations in standard obesity measures suggest alternative characterizations of obesity may be needed to understand the role of metabolic dysregulation in PC. The underlying genetics of WHR or other Metabochip SNPs, while not statistically significant beyond multiple testing thresholds within our sample size, support the metabolic hypothesis of prostate carcinogenesis and warrant further investigation in independent samples. PMID:23810916

Chemical sensing of copper phthalocyanine sol-gel glass through organic vapors

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

Ridhi, R.; Gawri, Isha; Abbas, Saeed J.

2015-05-15

The sensitivities of metallophthalocyanine to vapor phase electron donors has gained significance in many areas and disciplines due to their sensing properties and ease of operation. In the present study the interaction mechanism of organic vapors in Copper Phthalocyanine (CuPc) sol-gel glass has been studied. The interaction mechanism is affected by many factors like morphology, electrical or optical properties of film. CuPc sol-gel glass has been synthesized using chemical route sol-gel method. Its structural characterization was conducted using XRD and the amorphous nature of the silicate glass was observed with characteristic α polymorph phase of CuPc at around 6.64° withmore » 13.30Å interplanar spacing. The size of the particle as determined using Debbye Scherre’s formula comes out around 15.5 nm. The presence of α phase of CuPc was confirmed using FTIR with the appearance of crystal parameter marker band at 787 cm-1. Apart from this A2u and Eu symmetry bands of CuPc have also been observed. The UV absorption spectrum of CuPc exhibits absorption peaks owing to π→ π* and n→ π* transitions. A blue shift in the prepared CuPc glass has been observed as compared to the dopant CuPc salt indicating increase of band gap. A split in B (Soret) band and Q band appears as observed with the help of Lorentzian fitting. CuPc sol gel glass has been exposed with chemical vapors of Methanol, Benzene and Bromine individually and the electrical measurements have been carried out. These measurements show the variation in conductivity and the interaction mechanism has been analyzed.« less

Enhanced Photocurrent of Transparent CuFeO2 Photocathodes by Self-Light-Harvesting Architecture.

PubMed

Oh, Yunjung; Yang, Wooseok; Kim, Jimin; Jeong, Sunho; Moon, Jooho

2017-04-26

Efficient sunlight-driven water-splitting devices can be achieved by using an optically and energetically well-matched pair of photoelectrodes in a tandem configuration. The key for maximizing the photoelectrochemical efficiency is the use of a highly transparent front photoelectrode with a band gap below 2.0 eV. Herein, we propose two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) structures consisting of a CuFeO 2 -decorated microsphere monolayer, which serve as self-light-harvesting architectures allowing for amplified light absorption and high transparency. The photocurrent densities are evaluated for three CuFeO 2 2D PC-based photoelectrodes with microspheres of different sizes. The optical analysis confirmed the presence of a photonic stop band that generates slow light and at the same time amplifies the absorption of light. The 410 nm sized CuFeO 2 -decorated microsphere 2D PC photocathode shows an exceptionally high visible light transmittance of 76.4% and a relatively high photocurrent of 0.2 mA cm -2 at 0.6 V vs a reversible hydrogen electrode. The effect of the microsphere size on the carrier collection efficiency was analyzed by in situ conductive atomic force microscopy observation under illumination. Our novel synthetic method to produce self-light-harvesting nanostructures provides a promising approach for the effective use of solar energy by highly transparent photocathodes.

Comparison of direct and indirect methods of measuring airborne chrysotile fibre concentration.

PubMed

Eypert-Blaison, Celine; Veissiere, Sylvie; Rastoix, Olivier; Kauffer, Edmond

2010-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy observations most frequently form a basis for estimating asbestos fibre concentration in the environment and in buildings with asbestos-containing materials. Sampled fibres can be transferred to microscope grids by applying either a direct [ISO (1995) Draft International ISO/DIS 10312. Ambient air. Determination of asbestos fibres. Direct transfer transmission electron microscopy procedure. Geneva, Switzerland: International Standardization Organization] or an indirect [AFNOR (1996) Détermination de la concentration en fibres d'amiante par microscopie électronique à transmission-Méthode indirecte. Cedex, France: AFNOR, p. 42; ISO (1997) Draft International ISO/DIS 13794. Ambient air. Determination of asbestos fibres. Indirect-transfer transmission electron microscopy procedure. Geneva, Switzerland: International Standardization Organization] method. In the latter case, ISO Standard 13794 recommends filtering calcination residues either on a polycarbonate (PC) filter (PC indirect method) or on a cellulose ester (CE) membrane (CE indirect method). The PC indirect method requires that fibres deposited on a PC filter be covered by a carbon layer, whereas in the CE indirect method, the CE membrane has to be directly processed using a method described in ISO Standard 10312. The purpose of this study was to compare results obtained using, on the one hand, direct preparation methods and, on the other hand, PC indirect or CE indirect methods, for counting asbestos fibres deposited on filters as a result of liquid filtration or air sampling. In direct method-based preparation, we observed that an etching time of 6-14 min does not affect the measured densities, except for fibres <1 microm deposited by liquid filtration. Moreover, in all cases, the direct method gives higher densities than the PC indirect method because of possible fibre disappearance when using the carbon evaporator implemented in the PC indirect method. The CE membrane used for sample preparation in the CE indirect method is collapsed prior to passing it through the carbon evaporator, so the fibres are less likely to disappear at this stage. We then note that the resulting fibre densities for chrysotile-loaded filters prepared using the direct method are close to those obtained with filters prepared using the CE indirect method. Our study therefore shows that, under the implemented experimental conditions, the PC and CE indirect preparation methods described in ISO Standard 13794 are not equivalent.

Impact-induced fracture mechanisms of immiscible PC/ABS (50/50) blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machmud, M. N.; Omiya, M.; Inoue, H.; Kishimoto, K.

2018-03-01

This paper presents a study on fracture mechanisms of polycarbonate (PC)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) (50/50) blends with different ABS types under a drop weight impact test (DWIT) using a circular sheet specimen. Formation of secondary crack indicated by a stress-whitening layer on the mid-plane of scattered specimens and secondary surface of fracture perpendicular to primary fracture surface were captured under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Although the both blends finally failed in brittle modes, SEM observation showed that their secondary fracture mechanisms were completely different. Observation through the thickness of the etched PC/ABS specimen samples using SEM also clearly showed that PC and ABS were immiscible. The immiscibility between PC and ABS was indicated by presence of their layer structures through the thickness of the blends. It was revealed that layer of ABS structure was influenced by size of rubber particle and this latter parameter then affected microstructure and fracture mechanisms of the blends. Impact-induced fracture mechanisms of the blends due to such microstructures are discussed in this paper. It was also pointed out that the secondary cracking was likely caused by interface delamination between PC and ABS layers in the core due to transverse shear stress generated during the impact test.

Comparison of velocity patterns in an AComA aneurysm measured with 2D phase contrast MRI and simulated with CFD.

PubMed

Karmonik, Christof; Klucznik, Richard; Benndorf, Goetz

2008-01-01

Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) is increasingly being used for modeling hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysms. While CFD techniques are well established, need for validation of the results remains. By quantifying features in velocity patterns measured with 2D phase contrast magnetic resonance (pcMRI) in vivo and simulated with CFD, the role of pcMRI for providing reference data for the CFD simulation is explored. Unsteady CFD simulations were performed with inflow boundary conditions obtained from 2D pcMRI measurements of an aneurysm of the anterior communication artery. Intra-aneurysmal velocity profiles were recorded with 2D pcMRI and calculated with CFD. Relative areas of positive and negative velocity were calculated in these profiles for maximum and minimum inflow. Areas of positive and of negative velocity similar in shape were found in the velocity profiles obtained with both methods. Relative difference in size of the relative areas for the whole cardiac cycle ranged from 1%-25% (average 12%). 2D pcMRI is able to record velocity profiles in an aneurysm of the anterior commuting artery in vivo. These velocity profiles can serve as reference data for validation of CFD simulations. Further studies are needed to explore the role of pcMRI in the context of CFD simulations.

Adapting PC104Plus for Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Larry; Cox, Gary; Nguyen, Hai

2000-01-01

This article addresses the issues associated with adapting the commercial PC104Plus standard and its associated architecture to the requirements of space applications. In general, space applications exhibit extreme constraints on power, weight, and volume. EMI and EMC are also issues of significant concern. Additionally, space applications have to survive high radiation environment. Finally, NASA is always concerned about achieving cost effective solutions that are compatible with safety and launch constraints. Weight and volume constraints are directly related to high launch cost. Power on the other hand is not only related to the high launch costs, but are related to the problem of dissipating the resulting heat once in space. The article addresses why PC104Plus is an appropriate solution for the weight and volume issues. The article also addresses what NASA did electrically to reduce power consumption and mechanically dissipate the associated heat in a microgravity and vacuum environment, and how these solutions allow NASA to integrate various sizes of ruggedized custom PC104 boards with COTS, PC104 complaint boards for space applications. In addition to the mechanical changes to deal with thermal dissipation NASA also made changes to minimize EMI. Finally, radiation issues are addressed as well as the architectural and testing solutions and the implications for use of COTS PC104Plus boards.

Adiabaticity and gravity theory independent conservation laws for cosmological perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romano, Antonio Enea; Mooij, Sander; Sasaki, Misao

2016-04-01

We carefully study the implications of adiabaticity for the behavior of cosmological perturbations. There are essentially three similar but different definitions of non-adiabaticity: one is appropriate for a thermodynamic fluid δPnad, another is for a general matter field δPc,nad, and the last one is valid only on superhorizon scales. The first two definitions coincide if cs2 = cw2 where cs is the propagation speed of the perturbation, while cw2 = P ˙ / ρ ˙ . Assuming the adiabaticity in the general sense, δPc,nad = 0, we derive a relation between the lapse function in the comoving slicing Ac and δPnad valid for arbitrary matter field in any theory of gravity, by using only momentum conservation. The relation implies that as long as cs ≠cw, the uniform density, comoving and the proper-time slicings coincide approximately for any gravity theory and for any matter field if δPnad = 0 approximately. In the case of general relativity this gives the equivalence between the comoving curvature perturbation Rc and the uniform density curvature perturbation ζ on superhorizon scales, and their conservation. This is realized on superhorizon scales in standard slow-roll inflation. We then consider an example in which cw =cs, where δPnad = δPc,nad = 0 exactly, but the equivalence between Rc and ζ no longer holds. Namely we consider the so-called ultra slow-roll inflation. In this case both Rc and ζ are not conserved. In particular, as for ζ, we find that it is crucial to take into account the next-to-leading order term in ζ's spatial gradient expansion to show its non-conservation, even on superhorizon scales. This is an example of the fact that adiabaticity (in the thermodynamic sense) is not always enough to ensure the conservation of Rc or ζ.

On the Number of Non-equivalent Ancestral Configurations for Matching Gene Trees and Species Trees.

PubMed

Disanto, Filippo; Rosenberg, Noah A

2017-09-14

An ancestral configuration is one of the combinatorially distinct sets of gene lineages that, for a given gene tree, can reach a given node of a specified species tree. Ancestral configurations have appeared in recursive algebraic computations of the conditional probability that a gene tree topology is produced under the multispecies coalescent model for a given species tree. For matching gene trees and species trees, we study the number of ancestral configurations, considered up to an equivalence relation introduced by Wu (Evolution 66:763-775, 2012) to reduce the complexity of the recursive probability computation. We examine the largest number of non-equivalent ancestral configurations possible for a given tree size n. Whereas the smallest number of non-equivalent ancestral configurations increases polynomially with n, we show that the largest number increases with [Formula: see text], where k is a constant that satisfies [Formula: see text]. Under a uniform distribution on the set of binary labeled trees with a given size n, the mean number of non-equivalent ancestral configurations grows exponentially with n. The results refine an earlier analysis of the number of ancestral configurations considered without applying the equivalence relation, showing that use of the equivalence relation does not alter the exponential nature of the increase with tree size.

Ventilation-induced release of phosphatidylcholine from neonatal-rat lungs in vitro.

PubMed Central

Nijjar, M S

1984-01-01

Factors regulating the release of phosphatidylcholine (PC) from neonatal-rat lungs were investigated. The results show that the release of prelabelled PC from the newborn-rat lung was augmented by air ventilation at the onset of breathing. This response was mimicked in lungs of pups delivered 1 day before term and allowed to breathe for different time intervals. Anoxia further augmented the ventilation-enhanced PC release from the newborn-rat lungs. The ventilation-induced release of PC was not abolished by the prior treatment of pups in utero or mothers in vivo with phenoxybenzamine, propranolol or atropine, suggesting the lack of receptor stimulation in the ventilation-enhanced PC release at birth. The results also show that ventilation stimulated [methyl-14C]choline incorporation into lung PC, presumably to replenish the depleted surfactant stores. The ratio of adenylate cyclase/cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities, which reflects cyclic AMP levels in the developing rat lungs, did not change during the 120 min of air ventilation when the release of PC was much enhanced, implying that cyclic AMP may not be involved. This confirms our conclusion that stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptor was not involved in the air-ventilation-enhanced release of PC. Since the cell number or size did not change during 120 min of ventilation when the alveolar-cell surface was maximally distended, it is suggested that distension of alveolar wall by air ventilation at the onset of breathing may bring the lamellar bodies containing surfactant close to the luminal surface of alveolar type II cells, thereby enhancing their fusion and extrusion by exocytosis. PMID:6477485

On-line monitoring of the crystallization process: relationship between crystal size and electrical impedance spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yanlin; Yao, Jun; Wang, Mi

2016-07-01

On-line monitoring of crystal size in the crystallization process is crucial to many pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industrial applications. In this paper, a novel method is proposed for the on-line monitoring of the cooling crystallization process of L-glutamic acid (LGA) using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS method can be used to monitor the growth of crystal particles relying on the presence of an electrical double layer on the charged particle surface and the polarization of double layer under the excitation of alternating electrical field. The electrical impedance spectra and crystal size were measured on-line simultaneously by an impedance analyzer and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM), respectively. The impedance spectra were analyzed using the equivalent circuit model and the equivalent circuit elements in the model can be obtained by fitting the experimental data. Two equivalent circuit elements, including capacitance (C 2) and resistance (R 2) from the dielectric polarization of the LGA solution and crystal particle/solution interface, are in relation with the crystal size. The mathematical relationship between the crystal size and the equivalent circuit elements can be obtained by a non-linear fitting method. The function can be used to predict the change of crystal size during the crystallization process.

A pH-sensitive micelle composed of heparin, phospholipids, and histidine as the carrier of photosensitizers: Application to enhance photodynamic therapy of cancer.

PubMed

Debele, Tilahun Ayane; Mekuria, Shewaye Lakew; Tsai, Hsieh-Chih

2017-05-01

In this study, we describe the synthesis of a stable, pH-sensitive micelle composed of heparin, 1, 2-distearoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoethanolamine, and l-histidine (HDH) through 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) chemistry. 1 H-Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses confirmed the formation of HDH copolymers and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements indicated a particle size of 111.57±12.36nm and zeta potential of -59.8±5.2mV for the nanoparticles. The drug-loading and encapsulation efficiency of the micelles were 14.52±1.2% and 65.47±1.87%, respectively. Drug release studies showed approximately 91% zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) release from micelles in acidic conditions (pH 5.0) in comparison with 63% in physiological conditions (pH 7.4) after 96h of incubation. Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) detection revealed that the micelles prevented ZnPc aggregation and enhanced 1 O 2 generation. Cellular uptake of ZnPc-loaded micelles (ZnPc-HDH) was observed using confocal microscopy. Phototoxicity experiments in HeLa cells showed that ZnPc-loaded micelles had higher toxicity than that shown by the same concentration of free ZnPc. Hence, pH-sensitive HDH micelles are a promising carrier for hydrophobic ZnPc and improving PDT efficacy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tungsten carbide/porous carbon composite as superior support for platinum catalyst toward methanol electro-oxidation

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

Jiang, Liming; Fu, Honggang, E-mail: fuhg@vip.sina.com; Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: The WC nanoparticles are well dispersed in the carbon matrix. The size of WC nanoparticles is about 30 nm. It can be concluded that tungsten carbide and carbon composite was successfully prepared by the present synthesis conditions. - Highlights: • The WC/PC composite with high specific surface area was prepared by a simple way. • The Pt/WC/PC catalyst has superior performance toward methanol electro-oxidation. • The current density for methanol electro-oxidation is as high as 595.93 A g{sup −1} Pt. • The Pt/WC/PC catalyst shows better durability and stronger CO electro-oxidation. • The performance of Pt/WC/PC is superiormore » to the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. - Abstract: Tungsten carbide/porous carbon (WC/PC) composites have been successfully synthesized through a surfactant assisted evaporation-induced-assembly method, followed by a thermal treatment process. In particular, WC/PC-35-1000 composite with tungsten content of 35% synthesized at the carbonized temperature of 1000 °C, exhibited a specific surface area (S{sub BET}) of 457.92 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. After loading Pt nanoparticles (NPs), the obtained Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst exhibits the highest unit mass electroactivity (595.93 A g{sup −1} Pt) toward methanol electro-oxidation, which is about 2.6 times as that of the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. Furthermore, the Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst displays much stronger resistance to CO poisoning and better durability toward methanol electrooxidation compared with the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. The high electrocatalytic activity, strong poison-resistivity and good stability of Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst are attributed to the porous structures and high specific surface area of WC/PC support could facilitate the rapid mass transportation. Moreover, synergistic effect between WC and Pt NPs is favorable to the higher catalytic performance.« less

[Synthesis of a supermolecular nanoparticle γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox and its antitumor activity].

PubMed

Li, Yong-bin; Wang, Kai; Hu, Tian-nan; Wang, Qi-wen; Hu, Qi-da; Zhou, Jun; Hu, Xiu-rong; Tang, Gu-ping

2012-11-01

To synthesize a (2-Hydroxypropyl)-γ-cyclodextrin-polyethylenimine/adamantane-conjugated doxorubicin (γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox) based supramolecular nanoparticle with host-guest interaction and to identify its physicochemical characterizations and antitumor effect. A novel non-viral gene delivery vector γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox was synthesized based on host-guest interaction. 1H-NMR, NOESY, UV-Vis, XRD and TGA were used to confirm the structure of the vector. The DNA condensing ability of complexes was investigated by particle size, zeta potential and gel retardation assay. Cytotoxicity of complexes was determined by MTT assay in BEL-7402 and SMMC-7721 cells. Cell wound healing assay was performed in HEK293 and BEL-7404 cells. The transfection efficiency was investigated in HEK293 cells. H/E staining and cell uptake assay was performed in BEL-7402 cells. The structure of γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox was characterized by 1H-NMR, NOESY, UV-Vis, XRD, TGA. The drug loading was 0.5% and 5.5%. Gel retardation assay showed that γ-hy-PC was able to completely condense DNA at N/P ratio of 2; 0.5% and 5.5% γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox was able to completely condense DNA at N/P ratio of 3 and 4,respectively. The cytotoxicity of polymers was lower than that of PEI25KDa. The transfection efficiency of γ-hy-PC was higher than that of γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox at N/P ratio of 30 in HEK293 cells; and the transfection efficiency was decreasing when Ada-Dox loading was increasing. Cell uptake assay showed that γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox was able to carry drug and FAM-siRNA into cells. The novel vector γ-hy-PC/Ada-Dox has been developed successfully, which has certain transfection efficiency and antitumor activity.

In vivo digestion of bovine milk fat globules: effect of processing and interfacial structural changes. I. Gastric digestion.

PubMed

Gallier, Sophie; Cui, Jack; Olson, Trent D; Rutherfurd, Shane M; Ye, Aiqian; Moughan, Paul J; Singh, Harjinder

2013-12-01

The aim was to study the in vivo gastric digestion of fat globules in bovine cream from raw, pasteurised or pasteurised and homogenised milk. Fasted rats were gavaged once and chyme samples were collected after 30, 120 and 180 min post-gavage. Proteins from raw (RC) and pasteurised (PC) creams appeared to be digested faster and to a greater extent. Free fatty acids (FAs) increased throughout the 3h postprandial period. Short and medium chain FAs were released more rapidly than long chain FAs which were hydrolysed to a greater degree from PC. The size of the fat globules of all creams increased in the stomach. Protein aggregates were observed in pasteurised and homogenised cream chyme. Protrusions, probably caused by the accumulation of insoluble lipolytic products, appeared at the surface of the globules in RC and PC chyme. Overall, PC proteins and lipids appeared to be digested to a greater extent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals that Small Amyloid-β1–42 Oligomers Interact with the Cellular Prion Protein (PrPC)

PubMed Central

Ganzinger, Kristina A; Narayan, Priyanka; Qamar, Seema S; Weimann, Laura; Ranasinghe, Rohan T; Aguzzi, Adriano; Dobson, Christopher M; McColl, James; St George-Hyslop, Peter; Klenerman, David

2014-01-01

Oligomers of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and have been suggested to induce neurotoxicity by binding to a plethora of cell-surface receptors. However, the heterogeneous mixtures of oligomers of varying sizes and conformations formed by Aβ42 have obscured the nature of the oligomeric species that bind to a given receptor. Here, we have used single-molecule imaging to characterize Aβ42 oligomers (oAβ42) and to confirm the controversial interaction of oAβ42 with the cellular prion protein (PrPC) on live neuronal cells. Our results show that, at nanomolar concentrations, oAβ42 interacts with PrPC and that the species bound to PrPC are predominantly small oligomers (dimers and trimers). Single-molecule biophysical studies can thus aid in deciphering the mechanisms that underlie receptor-mediated oAβ-induced neurotoxicity, and ultimately facilitate the discovery of novel inhibitors of these pathways. PMID:25294384

Controllable fabrication of copper phthalocyanine nanostructure crystals.

PubMed

Liu, Fangmei; Sun, Jia; Xiao, Si; Huang, Wenglong; Tao, Shaohua; Zhang, Yi; Gao, Yongli; Yang, Junliang

2015-06-05

Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) nanostructure crystals, including nanoflower, nanoribbon, and nanowire, were controllably fabricated by temperature gradient physical vapor deposition (TG-PVD) through controlling the growth parameters. In a controllable growth system with carrier gas N2, nanoflower, nanoribbon, and nanowire crystals were formed in a high-temperature zone, medium-temperature zone, and low-temperature zone, respectively. They were proved to be β-phase, coexist of α-phase and β-phase, and α-phase respectively based on x-ray diffraction results. Furthermore, ultralong CuPc nanowires up to several millimeters could be fabricated by TG-PVD without carrier gas, and they were well-aligned to form large-area CuPc nanowire crystal arrays by the Langmuir-Blodgett method. The nanostructure crystals showed unusual optical absorption spectra from the ultraviolet-visible to near-infrared range, which was explained by the diffraction and scattering caused by the wavelength-sized nanostructures. These CuPc nanostructure crystals show potential applications in organic electronic and optoelectronic devices.

The general utilization of scrapped PC board.

PubMed

Liu, Robert; Shieh, R S; Yeh, Ruth Y L; Lin, C H

2009-11-01

The traditional burning process is used to recover copper from scrapped PC board (printed circuit board) but it causes serious environmental problems. In this research a new process was developed which not only prevents pollution problems, but also maximizes the utility of all the materials on the waste board. First, the scrapped PC board was crushed and grounded, then placed in the NH3/NH5CO3 solution with aeration in order to dissolve copper. After distilling the copper NH3/NH5CO3 solution and then heating the distilled residue of copper carbonate, pure copper oxide was obtained with particle size of about 0.2 microm and the shape elliptical. The remaining solid residue after copper removal was then leached with 6N hydrochloric acid to remove tin and lead. The last residue was used as a filler in PVC plastics. The PVC plastics with PC board powder as filling material was found to have the same tensile strength as unfilled plastics, but had higher elastic modulus, higher abrasion resistance, and was cheaper.

ALMA Imaging of HCN, CS, and Dust in Arp 220 and NGC 6240

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scoville, Nick; Sheth, Kartik; Walter, Fabian; Manohar, Swarnima; Zschaechner, Laura; Yun, Min; Koda, Jin; Sanders, David; Murchikova, Lena; Thompson, Todd; Robertson, Brant; Genzel, Reinhard; Hernquist, Lars; Tacconi, Linda; Brown, Robert; Narayanan, Desika; Hayward, Christopher C.; Barnes, Joshua; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan; Davies, Richard; van der Werf, Paul; Fomalont, Edward

2015-02-01

We report ALMA Band 7 (350 GHz) imaging at 0.''4-0.''6 resolution and Band 9 (696 GHz) at ~0.''25 resolution of the luminous IR galaxies Arp 220 and NGC 6240. The long wavelength dust continuum is used to estimate interstellar medium masses for Arp 220 east and west and NGC 6240 of 1.9, 4.2, and 1.6 × 109 M ⊙within radii of 69, 65, and 190 pc. The HCN emission was modeled to derive the emissivity distribution as a function of radius and the kinematics of each nuclear disk, yielding dynamical masses consistent with the masses and sizes derived from the dust emission. In Arp 220, the major dust and gas concentrations are at radii less than 50 pc in both counter-rotating nuclear disks. The thickness of the disks in Arp 220 estimated from the velocity dispersion and rotation velocities are 10-20 pc and the mean gas densities are nH_2 ˜ 10^5 cm-3 at R <50 pc. We develop an analytic treatment for the molecular excitation (including photon trapping), yielding volume densities for both the HCN and CS emission with n H2 ~ 2 × 105 cm-3. The agreement of the mean density from the total mass and size with that required for excitation suggests that the volume is essentially filled with dense gas, i.e., it is not cloudy or like swiss cheese.

Next-Generation Sequencing of Protein-Coding and Long Non-protein-Coding RNAs in Two Types of Exosomes Derived from Human Whole Saliva.

PubMed

Ogawa, Yuko; Tsujimoto, Masafumi; Yanoshita, Ryohei

2016-01-01

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles containing microRNAs and mRNAs that are produced by various types of cells. We previously used ultrafiltration and size-exclusion chromatography to isolate two types of human salivary exosomes (exosomes I, II) that are different in size and proteomes. We showed that salivary exosomes contain large repertoires of small RNAs. However, precise information regarding long RNAs in salivary exosomes has not been fully determined. In this study, we investigated the compositions of protein-coding RNAs (pcRNAs) and long non-protein-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) of exosome I, exosome II and whole saliva (WS) by next-generation sequencing technology. Although 11% of all RNAs were commonly detected among the three samples, the compositions of reads mapping to known RNAs were similar. The most abundant pcRNA is ribosomal RNA protein, and pcRNAs of some salivary proteins such as S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (protein S100-A8) were present in salivary exosomes. Interestingly, lncRNAs of pseudogenes (presumably, processed pseudogenes) were abundant in exosome I, exosome II and WS. Translationally controlled tumor protein gene, which plays an important role in cell proliferation, cell death and immune responses, was highly expressed as pcRNA and pseudogenes in salivary exosomes. Our results show that salivary exosomes contain various types of RNAs such as pseudogenes and small RNAs, and may mediate intercellular communication by transferring these RNAs to target cells as gene expression regulators.

Dense clumps of ionized gas near Pi Scorpii, as revealed by the fine-structure excitation of N II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertoldi, Frank; Jenkins, Edward B.

1992-01-01

The column density and the emission of the ionized gas along the line of sight toward the B1 V + B2 V binary star Pi Sco are measured on the basis of the fine-structure absorption lines of the ground state N II. It is found that the bulk of this ionized gas must be clumped on a length scale of 0.025 pc, which is far smaller than the observed size of the diffuse H II region surrounding Pi Sco of about 6 pc. The observed column density of S III toward Pi Sco yields an upper limit on the distance of the absorbing, clumped gas from the star of less than about 0.02 pc, assuming that both the N II and S III absorption arise from the same gas. The possibility that the ionized gas originates from a photoevaporating circumstellar disk directly surrounding Pi Sco is excluded, since such a disk would have an unusual size of order 0.025 pc and would have had to survive for the estimated age of Pi Sco of 5-8 Myr. The derived mean density of the clumped gas is of order 40/cu cm, so that the gas is at a pressure that far exceeds the mean pressure in the H II region. It is concluded that the ionized gas could originate from evaporation flows off a cluster of compact neutral objects that evaporate due to the ionizing radiation of Pi Sco.

Interleukin 4 receptor signaling in human monocytes and U937 cells involves the activation of a phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C: a comparison with chemotactic peptide, FMLP, phospholipase D, and sphingomyelinase

PubMed Central

1994-01-01

Interleukin 4 (IL-4) diminishes cytokine activation of human macrophage. IL-4 binding to monocyte IL-4R is associated with protein kinase C (PKC) translocation to a nuclear fraction. The cleavage of diacyglycerol (DAG), an activator of PKC, from membrane phospholipids was investigated to define the proximal events of IL-4R signaling. IL-4 induced a statistically significant time-and dose-dependent generation of DAG. The IL-4-triggered production of DAG was not derived from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis, since neither cytosolic calcium flux nor liberation of inositol phosphates was detected in response to IL-4. Experiments were performed using [14C- methyl]choline-labeled U937 cells and monocytes to determine whether IL- 4R activated phospholipase C (PLC), PLD, or PLA2 to use membrane phosphatidylcholine (PC) to form DAG. IL-4 induced a time- and dose- dependent increase of phosphocholine (pchol) with concomitant degradation of membrane PC (p < 0.05 compared with control). The finding that the peak reduction of PC was equivalent to peak production of pchol suggested that IL-4R signaling involved the activation of a PC- specific PLC. Changes in choline (chol) or lyso-PC and glycerolphosphocholine, the respective products of PC cleavage by PLD or PLA2, were not detected in IL-4-treated cells. In contrast, exogenous PLD induced an increase in chol and concomitant loss of membrane PC. Additional investigation suggested that IL-4R signaling does not involve PLD. In cells labeled with L-lyso-3-PC 1-[1- 14C]palmitoyl, PLD but not IL-4, increased the production of phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidyl-ethanol when pretreated with ethanol. Propranolol, an inhibitor of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase, and calyculin A, a phosphatase 1 and 2A inhibitor, blocked DAG production in response to FMLP but not to IL-4. In propranolol pretreated cells, PMA but not IL-4 triggered the production of PA and lowered the amount of DAG. Evidence that PLA2 is not coupled to IL-4R is the detection of arachidonate production in response to FMLP but not to IL-4. Furthermore, IL-4R is not coupled to sphingomyelinase (SMase) since IL-4, unlike exogenous SMase, did not generate ceramide but induced the hydrolysis of PC to pchol that was comparable to exogenous PLC. In summary, IL-4R signaling in monocytes and U937 cells involves PLC and not PLD, PLA2, or SMase, and it uses PC and not PIP2 to form DAG. PMID:7931078

Orthotopic Patient-Derived Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts Engraft Into the Pancreatic Parenchyma, Metastasize, and Induce Muscle Wasting to Recapitulate the Human Disease.

PubMed

Go, Kristina L; Delitto, Daniel; Judge, Sarah M; Gerber, Michael H; George, Thomas J; Behrns, Kevin E; Hughes, Steven J; Judge, Andrew R; Trevino, Jose G

2017-07-01

Limitations associated with current animal models serve as a major obstacle to reliable preclinical evaluation of therapies in pancreatic cancer (PC). In an effort to develop more reliable preclinical models, we have recently established a subcutaneous patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. However, critical aspects of PC responsible for its highly lethal nature, such as the development of distant metastasis and cancer cachexia, remain underrepresented in the flank PDX model. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which an orthotopic PDX model of PC recapitulates these aspects of the human disease. Human PDX-derived PC tumors were implanted directly into the pancreas of NOD.Cg-Prkdc Il2rg/SzJ mice. Tumor growth, metastasis, and muscle wasting were then evaluated. Orthotopically implanted PDX-derived tumors consistently incorporated into the murine pancreatic parenchyma, metastasized to both the liver and lungs and induced muscle wasting directly proportional to the size of the tumor, consistent of the cancer cachexia syndrome. Through the orthotopic implantation technique described, we demonstrate a highly reproducible model that recapitulates both local and systemic aspects of human PC.

Adsorption heights and bonding strength of organic molecules on a Pb-Ag surface alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stadtmüller, Benjamin; Haag, Norman; Seidel, Johannes; van Straaten, Gerben; Franke, Markus; Kumpf, Christian; Cinchetti, Mirko; Aeschlimann, Martin

2016-12-01

The understanding of the fundamental geometric and electronic properties of metal-organic hybrid interfaces is a key issue on the way to improving the performance of organic electronic and spintronic devices. Here, we studied the adsorption heights of copper-II-phthalocyanine (CuPc) and 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride (PTCDA) on a Pb1Ag2 surface alloy on Ag(111) using the normal-incidence x-ray standing waves technique. We find a significantly larger adsorption height of both molecules on the Pb-Ag surface alloy compared to the bare Ag(111) surface which is caused by the larger size of Pb. This increased adsorption height suppresses the partial chemical interaction of both molecules with Ag surface atoms. Instead, CuPc and PTCDA molecules bond only to the Pb atoms with different interaction strength ranging from a van der Waals-like interaction for CuPc to a weak chemical interaction with additional local bonds for PTCDA. The different adsorption heights for CuPc and PTCDA on Pb1Ag2 are the result of local site-specific molecule-surface bonds mediated by functional molecular groups and the different charge donating and accepting character of CuPc and PTCDA.

GENETIC BACKGROUND, GENDER, AGE, BODY TEMPERATURE, AND ARTERIAL BLOOD pH HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON MYOCARDIAL INFARCT SIZE IN THE MOUSE AND NEED TO BE CAREFULLY MEASURED AND/OR TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT: RESULTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF DETERMINANTS OF INFARCT SIZE IN 1074 MICE

PubMed Central

Guo, Yiru; Flaherty, Michael P.; Wu, Wen-Jian; Tan, Wei; Zhu, Xiaoping; Li, Qianhong; Bolli, Roberto

2013-01-01

To determine whether the myocardial response to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury varies depending on genetic background, gender, age, body temperature, and arterial blood pH, we studied 1074 mice from 19 strains (including 129S6/SvEvTac (129S6), B6/129P2-Ptgs2tm1Unc, B6/129SvF2/J, B6/129/D2, B6/CBAF1, B6/DBA/1JNcr, BALB/c, BPH2/J, C57BL/6/J (B6/J), C3H/DBA, C3H/FB/FF, C3H/HeJ-Pde6brd1, FVB/N/J [FVB/N], FVB/B6, FVB/ICR and Crl:ICR/H [ICR]) and distributed them into 69 groups depending on strain and: (i) two phases of ischemic preconditioning (PC); (ii) coronary artery occlusion (O) time; (iii) gender; (iv) age; (v) blood transfusion; (vi) core body temperature; and (vii) arterial blood pH. Mice underwent O either without (non-preconditioned [naïve]) or with prior cyclic O/reperfusion (R) (PC stimulus) consisting of six 4-min O/4-min R cycles 10 min (early PC, EPC) or 24 h (late PC, LPC) prior to 30 or 45-min O and 24 h R. In B6/J and B6/129/D2 mice, almost the entire risk region was infarcted after a 60-min O. Of the naïve mouse hearts, B6/ecSODWT and FVB/N mice had infarct sizes significantly smaller than those of the other mice. All strains except FVB/N benefited from the cardioprotection afforded by the early phase of PC; in contrast, development of LPC was inconsistent amongst groups and was strain-dependent. Female gender (i) was associated with reduced infarct size in ICR mice, (ii) determined whether LPC developed in ICR mice, and (iii) limited the protection afforded by EPC in 129S6 mice. Importantly, mild hypothermia (1 °C decrease in core temperature) and mild acidosis (0.18 decrease in blood pH) resulted in a striking cardioprotective effect in ICR mice: 67.5% and 43.0% decrease in infarct size, respectively. Replacing blood losses with crystalloid fluids (instead of blood) during surgery also reduced infarct size. To our knowledge, this is the largest analysis of the determinants of infarct size in mice ever published. The results demonstrate that genetic background, gender, age (but not in ICR), body temperature and arterial blood pH have a major impact on infarct size, and thus need to be carefully measured and/or taken into account when designing a study of myocardial infarction in mice; failure to do so makes results uninterpretable. For example, core temperature and blood pH need to be measured, respiratory acidosis (or alkalosis) and hypothermia (or hyperthermia) must be avoided, and comparisons cannot be made between mouse strains or genders that exhibit different susceptibility to I/R injury (e.g., FVB/N male mice and ICR female mice are inherently protected against I/R injury). PMID:22864681

Approaches to Evaluating Probability of Collision Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hejduk, Matthew D.; Johnson, Lauren C.

2016-01-01

While the two-dimensional probability of collision (Pc) calculation has served as the main input to conjunction analysis risk assessment for over a decade, it has done this mostly as a point estimate, with relatively little effort made to produce confidence intervals on the Pc value based on the uncertainties in the inputs. The present effort seeks to try to carry these uncertainties through the calculation in order to generate a probability density of Pc results rather than a single average value. Methods for assessing uncertainty in the primary and secondary objects' physical sizes and state estimate covariances, as well as a resampling approach to reveal the natural variability in the calculation, are presented; and an initial proposal for operationally-useful display and interpretation of these data for a particular conjunction is given.

Antiradical and cytotoxic activity of different Helichrysum plicatum flower extracts.

PubMed

Bigović, Dubravka; Savikin, Katarina; Janković, Teodora; Menković, Nebojsa; Zdunić, Gordana; Stanojković, Tatjana; Djurić, Zorica

2011-06-01

Flowers of Helichrysum plicatum were extracted under different experimental conditions, and their antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH radical scavenging assay. Extracts obtained with higher concentration of ethyl acetate (90% or 100%) were found to contain the greatest amount of total phenolics (> 250 mg gallic acid equivalents/g of dried extract), and high correlation between total phenolic content and antiradical activity was observed (r = -0.79). Based on the total phenolic content and antiradical activity, some extracts were selected for investigation of cytotoxic activity toward PC3, HeLa and K562 human cancer cell lines in vitro. All tested extracts exhibited moderate activity against HeLa cells (41.9-42.1 microg/mL), whereas the extract obtained with 100% ethyl acetate was the most active against K562 and PC3 cell lines (25.9 and 39.2 microg/mL, respectively). Statistical analysis revealed significant correlation between total phenolic content and cytotoxic activity against PC3 and K562 cells. HPLC identification of phenolic compounds from the extracts indicated the presence of apigenin, naringenin and kaempferol as free aglycones, and glycosides of apigenin, naringenin, quercetin and kaempferol. Among aglycones, kaempferol displayed moderate cytostatic activity against all cell lines (24.8-64.7 microM).

THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. XXVI. AP Col: THE CLOSEST (8.4 pc) PRE-MAIN-SEQUENCE STAR

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

Riedel, Adric R.; Henry, Todd J.; Jao, Wei-Chun

2011-10-15

We present the results of a multi-technique investigation of the M4.5Ve flare star AP Col, which we discover to be the nearest pre-main-sequence star. These include astrometric data from the CTIO 0.9 m, from which we derive a proper motion of 342.0 {+-} 0.5 mas yr{sup -1}, a trigonometric parallax of 119.21 {+-} 0.98 mas (8.39 {+-} 0.07 pc), and photometry and photometric variability at optical wavelengths. We also provide spectroscopic data, including radial velocity (22.4 {+-} 0.3 km s{sup -1}), lithium equivalent width (EW) (0.28 {+-} 0.02 A), H{alpha} EW (-6.0 to -35 A), vsin i (11 {+-} 1more » km s{sup -1}), and gravity indicators from the Siding Spring 2.3 m WiFeS, Lick 3 m Hamilton echelle, and Keck-I HIRES echelle spectrographs. The combined observations demonstrate that AP Col is the closer of only two known systems within 10 pc of the Sun younger than 100 Myr. Given its space motion and apparent age of 12-50 Myr, AP Col is likely a member of the recently proposed {approx}40 Myr old Argus/IC 2391 Association.« less

Use of 8-methoxypsoralen and long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation for decontamination of platelet concentrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corash, Laurence; Lin, Lily; Wiesehahn, Gary; Cimino, George

1992-06-01

Transmission of viral diseases through blood products remains a problem in transfusion medicine. A number of methods have been developed to inactivate viral pathogens in plasma and plasma fractions, including: dry heating, wet heating, solvent-detergent treatment, and immunoaffinity purification. While some of these methods successfully inactivate pathogenic viruses, inactivation may be incomplete or result in damage to labile plasma proteins and cells. We have developed a photochemical decontamination system (PCD) for platelet concentrates (PC) utilizing treatment with long wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UVA, 320 - 400 nm) and 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP). This system is capable of inactivating 25 - 30 logs/hr of bacteria E. coli or S. aureus, 6 logs/hr of bacteriophage fd, 0.9 log/hr of bacteriophage R17 and 1.1 logs/hr of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in PC. Immediately following 6 hrs of PCD treatment, platelet integrity and function of PCD treated and control PC were equivalent. After overnight storage PCD treated and control PC platelet properties were equal, but there was a slight reduction in TXB-2 production of PCD treated PC compared to controls. Following PCD treatment, PC were stored for 48 to 96 hrs. Platelet counts, morphology scores, extracellular LDH levels, aggregation response, dense body (db) content, and alpha granule ((alpha) g) content of PCD treated and control PC were comparable. We assessed the ability of the PCD technique to inactivate intracellular and extracellular virus, quantified the degree of DNA adduct formation in contaminating lymphocytes, and measured the inhibition of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mediated amplification of intracellular DNA. High titers of cell-free murine cytomegalovirus added to human platelet concentrates (final concentration 106) were inactivated by PCD within 30 min. Cat renal fibroblasts infected at high levels with feline rhinotracheitis virus (FeRTV) were seeded into PC followed by PCD treatment with inactivation of 4.8 logs of FeRTV within 10 minutes. Purified human lymphocytes were seeded into PC and treated with PCD in the presence of 3H 8-MOP. Six hours of PCD treatment resulted in the formation of 9.3 to 12.8 8-MOP adducts per 1000 base pairs (bp) of DNA. PCR amplification of a 242 bp segment at the HLA-DQ(alpha) locus was examined. Inhibition of PCR DNA amplification was dependent on the numbers of 8-MOP adducts formed, and no amplification was present when greater than 12 adducts per 1000 bp were formed. These studies indicate that PCD can effectively inactivate high titers of cell-associated and cell-free virus seeded into standard human PC. The efficiency of DNA adduct formation can be quantitated, and the level of 8-MOP adduct formation in lymphocytes contaminating PC is comparable to the level of adduct formation in cellular DNA reported in the absence of platelets.

Buffer-induced swelling and vesicle budding in binary lipid mixtures of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine:dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine:lysophosphatidylcholine using small-angle X-ray scattering and ³¹P static NMR.

PubMed

Barriga, Hanna M G; Bazin, Richard; Templer, Richard H; Law, Robert V; Ces, Oscar

2015-03-17

A large variety of data exists on lipid phase behavior; however, it is mostly in nonbuffered systems over nonbiological temperature ranges. We present biophysical data on lipid mixtures of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), and lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) examining their behaviors in excess water and buffer systems over the temperature range 4-34 °C. These mixtures are commonly used to investigate the effects of spontaneous curvature on integral membrane proteins. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and (31)P NMR, we observed lamellar and vesicle phases, with the buffer causing an increase in the layer spacing. Increasing amounts of DOPE in a DOPC bilayer decreased the layer spacing of the mesophase, while the opposite trend was observed for increasing amounts of LysoPC. (31)P static NMR was used to analyze the DOPC:LysoPC samples to investigate the vesicle sizes present, with evidence of vesicle budding observed at LysoPC concentrations above 30 mol %. NMR line shapes were fitted using an adapted program accounting for the distortion of the lipids within the magnetic field. The distortion of the vesicle, because of magnetic susceptibility, varied with LysoPC content, and a discontinuity was found in both the water and buffer samples. Generally, the distortion increased with LysoPC content; however, at a ratio of DOPC:LysoPC 60:40, the sample showed a level of distortion of the vesicle similar to that of pure DOPC. This implies an increased flexibility in the membrane at this point. Commonly, the assumption is that for increasing LysoPC concentration there is a reduction in membrane tension, implying that estimations of membrane tension based on spontaneous curvature assumptions may not be accurate.

The critical role of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine metabolism in health and disease.

PubMed

van der Veen, Jelske N; Kennelly, John P; Wan, Sereana; Vance, Jean E; Vance, Dennis E; Jacobs, René L

2017-09-01

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) are the most abundant phospholipids in all mammalian cell membranes. In the 1950s, Eugene Kennedy and co-workers performed groundbreaking research that established the general outline of many of the pathways of phospholipid biosynthesis. In recent years, the importance of phospholipid metabolism in regulating lipid, lipoprotein and whole-body energy metabolism has been demonstrated in numerous dietary studies and knockout animal models. The purpose of this review is to highlight the unappreciated impact of phospholipid metabolism on health and disease. Abnormally high, and abnormally low, cellular PC/PE molar ratios in various tissues can influence energy metabolism and have been linked to disease progression. For example, inhibition of hepatic PC synthesis impairs very low density lipoprotein secretion and changes in hepatic phospholipid composition have been linked to fatty liver disease and impaired liver regeneration after surgery. The relative abundance of PC and PE regulates the size and dynamics of lipid droplets. In mitochondria, changes in the PC/PE molar ratio affect energy production. We highlight data showing that changes in the PC and/or PE content of various tissues are implicated in metabolic disorders such as atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and obesity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Lipid Therapy: Drugs Targeting Biomembranes edited by Pablo V. Escribá. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Circumnuclear star formation in Mrk 42 mapped with Gemini Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennig, Moiré G.; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Dors, O. L.; Riffel, Rogerio; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Colina, Luis

2018-06-01

We present Gemini Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) observations of the inner 1.5 × 1.5 kpc2 of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 42 at a spatial resolution of 60 pc and spectral resolution of 40 km s^{-1}. The emission-line flux and equivalent width maps clearly show a ring of circumnuclear star formation regions surrounding the nucleus with radius of ˜500 pc. The spectra of some of these regions show molecular absorption features which are probably of CN, TiO, or VO, indicating the presence of massive evolved stars in the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch phase. The gas kinematics of the ring is dominated by rotation in the plane of the galaxy, following the large-scale disc geometry, while at the nucleus an additional outflowing component is detected blueshifted by 300-500 km s^{-1}, relative to the systemic velocity of the galaxy. Based on the equivalent width of Br γ we find pieces of evidence of gradients in the age of H II regions along the ring of Mrk 42, favouring the pearls on a string scenario of star formation. The broad component of Pa β emission line presents a Full Width at Half Maximum of ˜1480 km s^{-1}, implying in a mass of ˜2.5 × 106 M⊙ for the central supermassive black hole. Based on emission-line ratios we conclude that besides the active galactic nucleus, Mrk 42 presents nuclear Starburst activity.

Star Formation at z = 2.481 in the Lensed Galaxy SDSS J1110+6459: Star Formation Down to 30 pc Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Traci L.; Rigby, Jane R.; Sharon, Keren; Gladders, Michael D.; Florian, Michael; Bayliss, Matthew B.; Wuyts, Eva; Whitaker, Katherine E.; Livermore, Rachael; Murray, Katherine T.

2017-07-01

We present measurements of the surface density of star formation, the star-forming clump luminosity function, and the clump size distribution function, for the lensed galaxy SGAS J111020.0+645950.8 at a redshift of z = 2.481. The physical size scales that we probe, radii r = 30-50 pc, are considerably smaller scales than have yet been studied at these redshifts. The star formation surface density we find within these small clumps is consistent with surface densities measured previously for other lensed galaxies at similar redshift. Twenty-two percent of the rest-frame ultraviolet light in this lensed galaxy arises from small clumps, with r< 100 pc. Within the range of overlap, the clump luminosity function measured for this lensed galaxy is remarkably similar to those of z˜ 0 galaxies. In this galaxy, star-forming regions smaller than 100 pc—physical scales not usually resolved at these redshifts by current telescopes—are important locations of star formation in the distant universe. If this galaxy is representative, this may contradict the theoretical picture in which the critical size scale for star formation in the distant universe is of the order of 1 kpc. Instead, our results suggest that current telescopes have not yet resolved the critical size scales of star-forming activity in galaxies over most of cosmic time. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with program #13003.

The integrated proactive surveillance system for prostate cancer.

PubMed

Wang, Haibin; Yatawara, Mahendra; Huang, Shao-Chi; Dudley, Kevin; Szekely, Christine; Holden, Stuart; Piantadosi, Steven

2012-01-01

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of the integrated proactive surveillance system for prostate cancer (PASS-PC). The integrated PASS-PC is a multi-institutional web-based system aimed at collecting a variety of data on prostate cancer patients in a standardized and efficient way. The integrated PASS-PC was commissioned by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and built through the joint of efforts by a group of experts in medical oncology, genetics, pathology, nutrition, and cancer research informatics. Their main goal is facilitating the efficient and uniform collection of critical demographic, lifestyle, nutritional, dietary and clinical information to be used in developing new strategies in diagnosing, preventing and treating prostate cancer.The integrated PASS-PC is designed based on common industry standards - a three tiered architecture and a Service- Oriented Architecture (SOA). It utilizes open source software and programming languages such as HTML, PHP, CSS, JQuery, Drupal and MySQL. We also use a commercial database management system - Oracle 11g. The integrated PASS-PC project uses a "confederation model" that encourages participation of any interested center, irrespective of its size or location. The integrated PASS-PC utilizes a standardized approach to data collection and reporting, and uses extensive validation procedures to prevent entering erroneous data. The integrated PASS-PC controlled vocabulary is harmonized with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Thesaurus. Currently, two cancer centers in the USA are participating in the integrated PASS-PC project.THE FINAL SYSTEM HAS THREE MAIN COMPONENTS: 1. National Prostate Surveillance Network (NPSN) website; 2. NPSN myConnect portal; 3. Proactive Surveillance System for Prostate Cancer (PASS-PC). PASS-PC is a cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) compatible product. The integrated PASS-PC provides a foundation for collaborative prostate cancer research. It has been built to meet the short term goal of gathering prostate cancer related data, but also with the prerequisites in place for future evolution into a cancer research informatics platform. In the future this will be vital for successful prostate cancer studies, care and treatment.

The Integrated Proactive Surveillance System for Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Wang, Haibin; Yatawara, Mahendra; Huang, Shao-Chi; Dudley, Kevin; Szekely, Christine; Holden, Stuart; Piantadosi, Steven

2012-01-01

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of the integrated proactive surveillance system for prostate cancer (PASS-PC). The integrated PASS-PC is a multi-institutional web-based system aimed at collecting a variety of data on prostate cancer patients in a standardized and efficient way. The integrated PASS-PC was commissioned by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and built through the joint of efforts by a group of experts in medical oncology, genetics, pathology, nutrition, and cancer research informatics. Their main goal is facilitating the efficient and uniform collection of critical demographic, lifestyle, nutritional, dietary and clinical information to be used in developing new strategies in diagnosing, preventing and treating prostate cancer. The integrated PASS-PC is designed based on common industry standards – a three tiered architecture and a Service- Oriented Architecture (SOA). It utilizes open source software and programming languages such as HTML, PHP, CSS, JQuery, Drupal and MySQL. We also use a commercial database management system – Oracle 11g. The integrated PASS-PC project uses a “confederation model” that encourages participation of any interested center, irrespective of its size or location. The integrated PASS-PC utilizes a standardized approach to data collection and reporting, and uses extensive validation procedures to prevent entering erroneous data. The integrated PASS-PC controlled vocabulary is harmonized with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Thesaurus. Currently, two cancer centers in the USA are participating in the integrated PASS-PC project. The final system has three main components: 1. National Prostate Surveillance Network (NPSN) website; 2. NPSN myConnect portal; 3. Proactive Surveillance System for Prostate Cancer (PASS-PC). PASS-PC is a cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) compatible product. The integrated PASS-PC provides a foundation for collaborative prostate cancer research. It has been built to meet the short term goal of gathering prostate cancer related data, but also with the prerequisites in place for future evolution into a cancer research informatics platform. In the future this will be vital for successful prostate cancer studies, care and treatment. PMID:22505956

Organic Photonics: Toward a New Generation of Thin Film Photovoltaics and Lasers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-07

plane. 39 Both electron and x - ray diffraction confirm the existence of crystalline domains of CuPc and C60. Crystalline domain sizes range from 5...nanocrystalline domains indicated by white curves that locate the domain boundaries. Scale bar=5 nm. b, X - ray diffraction pattern of an OVPD grown A... ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), as shown in Fig. 8. A cross-sectional TEM image of [CuPc(6.1nm)/C60(6.1nm)]10 is shown in

The Effects of Organic Solvents on the Physicochemical Properties of Human Serum Albumin Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Mohammad-Beigi, Hossein; Shojaosadati, Seyed Abbas; Morshedi, Dina; Mirzazadeh, Negar; Arpanaei, Ayyoob

2016-03-01

Recently, applications of albumin nanoparticles as drug delivery carriers have increased. Most toxicology studies have shown that surface chemistry and size of nanoparticles play an important role in biocompatibility and toxicity. The effect of desolvating agents with different chemical properties on the size of synthesized HSA NPs was investigated. Acetone, ethanol, methanol, and acetonitrile were used to synthesize HSA NPs with controllable size by desolvation method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and circular dichroism (CD) were employed to characterize produced particles. Finally, the toxicity of HSA NPs synthesized under different conditions was evaluated on PC-12 cells. The sizes of synthesized particles differed according to the different solvents used. The sizes were 275.3 nm, 155.3 nm, 100.11 nm, and 66.2 nm for acetonitrile, ethanol, acetone, and methanol, respectively. CD showed that larger NPs had more changes in the secondary structures. Finally, the toxicity monitored on the cultured PC-12 cells showed no significant toxic effect through treating with these NPs at different concentrations (0-500 μg.mL -1 ). The size of HSA NPs has a strong dependency on the desolvating agent. The mechanism in which the desolvating agent affects the size of HSA NPs is complex. Various factors such as dielectric constant, polarity, functional groups, and hydrogen bonding of the solvents have the potential to affect the size and structure of HSA NPs. CD analysis suggested that the solvent denaturing capability had a critical effect on the HSA particle size. The stronger denaturing capability of the solvent resulted in the larger HSA particle size.

Antioxidant and neuroprotector effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) methanol leaf extract against 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA)-induced toxicity in PC12 cells.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Huamán, Ángel; Casimiro-Gonzales, Sandra; Chávez-Pérez, Jorge Antonio; Gonzales-Arimborgo, Carla; Cisneros-Fernández, Richard; Aguilar-Mendoza, Luis Ángel; Gonzales, Gustavo F

2017-05-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are normally produced during cell metabolism, there is strong evidence to suggest that ROS produced in excess impair the cell and may be etiologically related to various neurodegenerative diseases. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) methanol leaf extract on neurotoxicity in PC12 cell exposed to 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Fresh samples of "maca" leaves were processed in order to obtain foliar extracts and to evaluate the neurobiological activity on PC12 cells, subjected to the cytotoxic effect of 6-OHDA through the determination of the capacity antioxidant, cell viability and cytotoxicity assays on PC12 cells. The results of the tests of antioxidant activity, showed maximum values of 2262.37 and 1305.36 expressed in Trolox equivalents (TEAC), for the methanolic and aqueous fractions respectively. Cell viability assays at a dose of 10 μg extract showed an increase of 31% and 60% at 6 and 12 h of pretreatment, respectively. Cytotoxicity assays at the same dose and exposure time showed a 31.4% and 47.8% reduction in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The results allow us to affirm that the methanolic foliar extract of "maca" presents in vitro neurobiological activity of antioxidant protection, increase in cell viability and reduction of cytotoxicity against oxidative stress generated by 6-OHDA. In conclusion, the present study shows a protective role for Lepidium meyenii leaf extract on 6-OHDA-induced toxicity by an antioxidant effect.

46 CFR 175.540 - Equivalents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... safety management system is in place on board a vessel. The Commandant will consider the size and corporate structure of a vessel's company when determining the acceptability of an equivalent system... require engineering evaluations and tests to demonstrate the equivalence of the substitute. (b) The...

Clinical characteristics and disposition kinetics of the hepatomegaly associated with acute, uncomplicated, Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children.

PubMed

Sowunmi, A; Adedeji, A A; Sowunmi, C O; Falade, C O; Falade, A G; Ohaeri, B; Happi, T C; Oduola, A M

2001-01-01

The clinical characteristics and the kinetics of the disposition of the hepatomegaly associated with acute, uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria were investigated in 162 children in an endemic area of Nigeria. Hepatomegaly was significantly more common in the younger than in the older children. Complete resolution occurred in 48% following antimalarial chemotherapy. In the children in whom hepatomegaly did not resolve, a reduction in liver size of < 17% by the time parasitaemia was cleared (usually on day 3) was associated with non-resolution of hepatomegaly by days 7 or 14 of follow-up. An increase in liver size to at least 125% of the baseline value by day 4 or 5 was associated with a lack of therapeutic response, providing the child involved was aged < 5 years. In the children who had complete clearance of parasitaemia and resolution of hepatomegaly, there was no significant relationship between the parasitaemia-derived conventional indices of therapeutic response [i.e. time to clearance of 50% (PC50) or 90% (PC90) of the parasitaemia, and the parasite-clearance time (PCT)] and the corresponding parameters derived from measurement of liver size [i.e. time for resolution of 50% (HR50) or 90% (HR90) of the hepatomegaly and the hepatomegaly-resolution time (HRT)] in the same patients. However, as the HR50:PC50, HR90:PC90 and HRT:PCT ratios were similar (range = 1.6-2.1), the liver parameters may have therapeutic application. In the children with drug-sensitive P. falciparum infections and in whom hepatomegaly completely resolved, the area produced by plotting liver size against time (i.e. the area under the curve of hepatomegaly v. time, or AUChp) increased in proportion to the liver size below the costal margin (P = 0.02, from analysis of variance), but there was no significant difference in the half-lives of hepatomegaly (t1/2hp) or in the ratios of liver size to AUChp, indicating that the kinetics of the resolution of hepatomegaly were linear in the range examined. Comparison of the kinetic indices of hepatomegaly and parasitaemia showed that, although the half-lives of parasitaemia and hepatomegaly and the corresponding clearance values were similar, there was no correlation between these parameters among those in whom hepatomegaly completely resolved and parasitaemia completely cleared. These results indicate that routine clinical measurement of the liver size in children with hepatomegaly during acute, uncomplicated, P. falciparum malaria may have some use in evaluating and monitoring the therapeutic responses of infections. The resolution of hepatomegaly, a reflection of pathological changes, lags behind clearance of parasitaemia in children with P. falciparum malaria, and supports the use of the liver 'rate' as a malariometric index for assessing the intensity of transmission in endemic areas.

Improving drug accumulation and photothermal efficacy in tumor depending on size of ICG loaded lipid-polymer nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zhao, Pengfei; Zheng, Mingbin; Yue, Caixia; Luo, Zhenyu; Gong, Ping; Gao, Guanhui; Sheng, Zonghai; Zheng, Cuifang; Cai, Lintao

2014-07-01

A key challenge to strengthen anti-tumor efficacy is to improve drug accumulation in tumors through size control. To explore the biodistribution and tumor accumulation of nanoparticles, we developed indocyanine green (ICG) loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) -lecithin-polyethylene glycol (PEG) core-shell nanoparticles (INPs) with 39 nm, 68 nm and 116 nm via single-step nanoprecipitation. These INPs exhibited good monodispersity, excellent fluorescence and size stability, and enhanced temperature response after laser irradiation. Through cell uptake and photothermal efficiency in vitro, we demonstrated that 39 nm INPs were more easily be absorbed by pancreatic carcinoma tumor cells (BxPC-3) and showed better photothermal damage than that of 68 nm and 116 nm size of INPs. Simultaneously, the fluorescence of INPs offered a real-time imaging monitor for subcellular locating and in vivo metabolic distribution. Near-infrared imaging in vivo and photothermal therapy illustrated that 68 nm INPs showed the strongest efficiency to suppress tumor growth due to abundant accumulation in BxPC-3 xenograft tumor model. The findings revealed that a nontoxic, size-dependent, theranostic INPs model was built for in vivo cancer imaging and photothermal therapy without adverse effect. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size distributions and aerodynamic equivalence of metal chondrules and silicate chondrules in Acfer 059

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, William R.; Leenhouts, James M.

1993-01-01

The CR2 chondrite Acfer 059 is unusual in that the original droplet shapes of metal chondrules are well preserved. We determined separate size distributions for metal chondrules and silicate chondrules; the two types are well sorted and have similar size distributions about their respective mean diameters of 0.74 mm and 1.44 mm. These mean values are aerodynamically equivalent for the contrasting densities, as shown by calculated terminal settling velocities in a model solar nebula. Aerodynamic equivalence and similarity of size distributions suggest that metal and silicate fractions experienced the same sorting process before they were accreted onto the parent body. These characteristics, together with depletion of iron in Acfer 059 and essentially all other chondrites relative to primitive CI compositions, strongly suggest that sorting in the solar nebula involved a radial aerodynamic component and that sorting and siderophile depletion in chondrites are closely related.

Primary cutaneous perivascular epithelioid cell tumor: a clinicopathological and molecular reappraisal.

PubMed

Charli-Joseph, Yann; Saggini, Andrea; Vemula, Swapna; Weier, Jingly; Mirza, Sonia; LeBoit, Philip E

2014-12-01

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is a rare neoplasm of uncertain histogenesis with a mixed myomelanocytic immunophenotype, rarely arising in the skin (primary cutaneous PEComa [pcPEComa]). We analyzed the clinicopathological features of 8 pcPEComas, assayed for DNA copy number changes and for initiating mutations common in melanocytic neoplasms. pcPEComas were evaluated using immunohistochemistry, comparative genomic hybridization, and DNA sequencing. pcPEComas were erythematous nodules, mostly in the lower extremities of women (5/8), composed of large pale-staining epithelioid cells. The patient's age range was 26 to 67 (mean 46) years. The percentages of tumors staining positively were as follows: micro-ophthalmia-associated transcription factor, NKI/C3, bcl-1, E-cadherin, and cathepsin K (100%); HMB-45, 4E-binding protein 1, and CD68 (88%); smooth muscle actin and muscle-specific actin (40%); S100 (38%); calponin (20%); desmin (13%); and melan-A, SOX10, and keratin (0%). No chromosomal copy number changes or initiating mutations were identified. Small sample size is a limitation. pcPEComas have a different molecular signature than extracutaneous tumors and are unrelated to tuberous sclerosis. However, the common expression of 4E-binding protein 1 points to a role of the mTOR pathway in their pathogenesis. Because pcPEComas are diagnostically challenging, we propose that micro-ophthalmia-associated transcription factor, NKIC3, smooth muscle actin, desmin, bcl-1, cathepsin K, and 4E-binding protein 1 can be used when evaluating a possible pcPEComa. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synergistic effect of topography, surface chemistry and conductivity of the electrospun nanofibrous scaffold on cellular response of PC12 cells.

PubMed

Tian, Lingling; Prabhakaran, Molamma P; Hu, Jue; Chen, Menglin; Besenbacher, Flemming; Ramakrishna, Seeram

2016-09-01

Electrospun nanofibrous nerve implants is a promising therapy for peripheral nerve injury, and its performance can be tailored by chemical cues, topographical features as well as electrical properties. In this paper, a surface modified, electrically conductive, aligned nanofibrous scaffold composed of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polypyrrole (Ppy), referred to as o-PLAPpy_A, was fabricated for nerve regeneration. The morphology, surface chemistry and hydrophilicity of nanofibers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle, respectively. The effects of these nanofibers on neuronal differentiation using PC12 cells were evaluated. A hydrophilic surface was created by Poly-ornithine coating, which was able to provide a better environment for cell attachment, and furthermore aligned fibers were proved to be able to guide PC12 cells grow along the fiber direction and be beneficial for neurite outgrowth. The cellular response of PC12 cells to pulsed electrical stimulation was evaluated by NF 200 and alpha tubulin expression, indicating that electrical stimulation with a voltage of 40mV could enhance the neurite outgrowth. The PC12 cells stimulated with electrical shock showed greater level of neurite outgrowth and smaller cell body size. Moreover, the PC12 cells under electrical stimulation showed better viability. In summary, the o-PLAPpy_A nanofibrous scaffold supported the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of PC12 cells in the absence of electrical stimulation, which could be potential candidate for nerve regeneration applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diverse Nuclear Star-forming Activities in the Heart of NGC 253 Resolved with 10-pc-scale ALMA Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ando, Ryo; Nakanishi, Kouichiro; Kohno, Kotaro; Izumi, Takuma; Martín, Sergio; Harada, Nanase; Takano, Shuro; Kuno, Nario; Nakai, Naomasa; Sugai, Hajime; Sorai, Kazuo; Tosaki, Tomoka; Matsubayashi, Kazuya; Nakajima, Taku; Nishimura, Yuri; Tamura, Yoichi

2017-11-01

We present an 8 pc × 5 pc resolution view of the central ˜200 pc region of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253, based on ALMA Band 7 (λ ≃ 0.85 {mm} or ν ˜ 350 GHz) observations covering 11 GHz. We resolve the nuclear starburst of NGC 253 into eight dusty star-forming clumps, 10 pc in scale, for the first time. These clumps, each of which contains (4-10) × {10}4 {M}⊙ of dust (assuming that the dust temperature is 25 K) and up to 6× {10}2 massive (O5V) stars, appear to be aligned in two parallel ridges, while they have been blended in previous studies. Despite the similarities in sizes and dust masses of these clumps, their line spectra vary drastically from clump to clump, although they are separated by only ˜10 pc. Specifically, one of the clumps, Clump 1, exhibits line-confusion-limited spectra with at least 36 emission lines from 19 molecules (including CH3OH, HNCO, H2CO, CH3CCH, H2CS, and H3O+) and a hydrogen recombination line (H26α), while far fewer kinds of molecular lines are detected in some other clumps where fragile species, such as complex organic molecules and HNCO, completely disappear from their spectra. We demonstrate the existence of hot molecular gas ({T}{rot}({{SO}}2)=90+/- 11 K) in the former clump, which suggests that the hot and chemically rich environments are localized within a 10-pc-scale star-forming clump.

Attenuation-based size metric for estimating organ dose to patients undergoing tube current modulated CT exams

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

Bostani, Maryam, E-mail: mbostani@mednet.ucla.edu; McMillan, Kyle; Lu, Peiyun

2015-02-15

Purpose: Task Group 204 introduced effective diameter (ED) as the patient size metric used to correlate size-specific-dose-estimates. However, this size metric fails to account for patient attenuation properties and has been suggested to be replaced by an attenuation-based size metric, water equivalent diameter (D{sub W}). The purpose of this study is to investigate different size metrics, effective diameter, and water equivalent diameter, in combination with regional descriptions of scanner output to establish the most appropriate size metric to be used as a predictor for organ dose in tube current modulated CT exams. Methods: 101 thoracic and 82 abdomen/pelvis scans frommore » clinically indicated CT exams were collected retrospectively from a multidetector row CT (Sensation 64, Siemens Healthcare) with Institutional Review Board approval to generate voxelized patient models. Fully irradiated organs (lung and breasts in thoracic scans and liver, kidneys, and spleen in abdominal scans) were segmented and used as tally regions in Monte Carlo simulations for reporting organ dose. Along with image data, raw projection data were collected to obtain tube current information for simulating tube current modulation scans using Monte Carlo methods. Additionally, previously described patient size metrics [ED, D{sub W}, and approximated water equivalent diameter (D{sub Wa})] were calculated for each patient and reported in three different ways: a single value averaged over the entire scan, a single value averaged over the region of interest, and a single value from a location in the middle of the scan volume. Organ doses were normalized by an appropriate mAs weighted CTDI{sub vol} to reflect regional variation of tube current. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between normalized organ doses and each size metric. Results: For the abdominal organs, the correlations between normalized organ dose and size metric were overall slightly higher for all three differently (global, regional, and middle slice) reported D{sub W} and D{sub Wa} than they were for ED, but the differences were not statistically significant. However, for lung dose, computed correlations using water equivalent diameter calculated in the middle of the image data (D{sub W,middle}) and averaged over the low attenuating region of lung (D{sub W,regional}) were statistically significantly higher than correlations of normalized lung dose with ED. Conclusions: To conclude, effective diameter and water equivalent diameter are very similar in abdominal regions; however, their difference becomes noticeable in lungs. Water equivalent diameter, specifically reported as a regional average and middle of scan volume, was shown to be better predictors of lung dose. Therefore, an attenuation-based size metric (water equivalent diameter) is recommended because it is more robust across different anatomic regions. Additionally, it was observed that the regional size metric reported as a single value averaged over a region of interest and the size metric calculated from a single slice/image chosen from the middle of the scan volume are highly correlated for these specific patient models and scan types.« less

Estimation of turbulent kinetic energy using 4D phase-contrast MRI: Effect of scan parameters and target vessel size.

PubMed

Ha, Hojin; Hwang, Dongha; Kim, Guk Bae; Kweon, Jihoon; Lee, Sang Joon; Baek, Jehyun; Kim, Young-Hak; Kim, Namkug; Yang, Dong Hyun

2016-07-01

Quantifying turbulence velocity fluctuation is important because it indicates the fluid energy dissipation of the blood flow, which is closely related to the pressure drop along the blood vessel. This study aims to evaluate the effects of scan parameters and the target vessel size of 4D phase-contrast (PC)-MRI on quantification of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). Comprehensive 4D PC-MRI measurements with various velocity-encoding (VENC), echo time (TE), and voxel size values were carried out to estimate TKE distribution in stenotic flow. The total TKE (TKEsum), maximum TKE (TKEmax), and background noise level (TKEnoise) were compared for each scan parameter. The feasibility of TKE estimation in small vessels was also investigated. Results show that the optimum VENC for stenotic flow with a peak velocity of 125cm/s was 70cm/s. Higher VENC values overestimated the TKEsum by up to six-fold due to increased TKEnoise, whereas lower VENC values (30cm/s) underestimated it by 57.1%. TE and voxel size did not significantly influence the TKEsum and TKEnoise, although the TKEmax significantly increased as the voxel size increased. TKE quantification in small-sized vessels (3-5-mm diameter) was feasible unless high-velocity turbulence caused severe phase dispersion in the reference image. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antiandrogenic activities of diesel exhaust particle extracts in PC3/AR human prostate carcinoma cells.

PubMed

Kizu, Ryoichi; Okamura, Kazumasa; Toriba, Akira; Mizokami, Atsushi; Burnstein, Kerry L; Klinge, Carolyn M; Hayakawa, Kazuichi

2003-12-01

We collected diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) emitted from three diesel-engine vehicles--a car, a bus, and a truck--in daily use, and prepared DEP extracts (DEPEs), designated as EC, EB, or ET, respectively. The androgenic and antiandrogenic effects of the DEPE samples were examined by a luciferase reporter assay in human prostate carcinoma PC3/AR cells transiently transfected with a prostate specific antigen gene promoter-driven luciferase expression vector pGLPSA5.8. PC3/AR is a subline of human prostate carcinoma PC3 transformed to stably express wild-type human androgen receptor (AR). While DEPE samples did not exhibit any androgenic effect, they exerted antiandrogenic effect, inhibiting dihydrotestosterone (10 pM) -induced luciferase activity by 24 to 52% at an extract concentration of 10 microg/ml. The antiandrogenic effect was greater in the following order: ET > EB > EC. Co-treatment of PC3/AR cells with SKF-525A, a nonselective inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, enhanced the antiandrogenic effect, indicating that the antiandrogenic effect is caused by intact species of DEPE constituents. The antiandrogenic effect of DEPE samples was reversed by alpha-naphthoflavone, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) antagonist. The antiandrogenic activity of a DEPE sample correlated with its AhR agonist activity assayed in PC3/AR cells transiently transfected with CYP1A1 gene promoter-driven luciferase expression vector pLUC1A1. Equimolar mixtures of ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) having four or more rings, structures found in the DEPEs, showed significant antiandrogenic effects and AhR agonist activity at concentrations equivalent to those found in DEPE samples. Further, DEPE samples elicited only antiandrogenic effects in recombinant yeast cells, which express beta-galactosidase in response to androgen. A competitive AR binding assay showed that AR-binding constituents exist in DEPE samples, indicating that greater part of AR-binding constituents in DEPEs are AR antagonists. All these findings show that DEPE samples exhibit significant antiandrogenic effect in cell-based transcription assay and that this effect is due in part to the constituents with AhR agonist activity including PAHs and to the constituents with AR antagonist activity.

WE-F-16A-01: Commissioning and Clinical Use of PC-ISO for Customized, 3D Printed, Gynecological Brachytherapy Applicators

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

Cunha, J; Sethi, R; Mellis, K

Purpose: (1) Evaluate the safety and radiation attenuation properties of PCISO, a bio-compatible, sterilizable 3D printing material by Stratasys, (2) establish a method for commissioning customized multi- and single-use 3D printed applicators, (3) report on use of customized vaginal cylinders used to treat a series of serous endometrial cancer patient. Methods: A custom film dosimetry apparatus was designed to hold a Gafchromic radio film segment between two blocks of PC-ISO and 3D-printed using a Fortus 400mc (StrataSys). A dose plan was computed using 13 dwell positions at 2.5 mm spacing and normalized to 1500 cGy at 1 cm. Film exposuremore » was compared to control tests in only air and only water. The average Hounsfield Unit (HU) was computed and used to verify water equivalency. For the clinical use cases, the physician specifies the dimensions and geometry of a custom applicator from which a CAD model is designed and printed. Results: The doses measured from the PC-ISO Gafchromic film test were within 1% of the dose measured in only water between 1cm and 6cm from the channel. Doses increased 7–4% measured in only air. HU range was 11–43. The applicators were sterilized using the Sterrad system multiple times without damage. As of submission 3 unique cylinders have been designed, printed, and used in the clinic. A standardizable workflow for commissioning custom 3D printed applicators was codified and will be reported. Conclusions: Quality assurance (QA) evaluation of the PC-ISO 3D-printing material showed that PC-ISO is a suitable material for a gynecological brachytherapy vaginal cylinder in a clinical setting. With the material commissioning completed, if the physician determines that a better treatment would Result, a customized design is fabricated with limited additional QA necessary. Although this study was specific to PC-ISO, the same setup can be used to evaluate other 3D-printing materials.« less

Spark Ignition of Monodisperse Fuel Sprays. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danis, Allen M.; Cernansky, Nicholas P.; Namer, Izak

1987-01-01

A study of spark ignition energy requirements was conducted with a monodisperse spray system allowing independent control of droplet size, equivalent ratio, and fuel type. Minimum ignition energies were measured for n-heptane and methanol sprays characterized at the spark gap in terms of droplet diameter, equivalence ratio (number density) and extent of prevaporization. In addition to sprays, minimum ignition energies were measured for completely prevaporized mixtures of the same fuels over a range of equivalence ratios to provide data at the lower limit of droplet size. Results showed that spray ignition was enhanced with decreasing droplet size and increasing equivalence ratio over the ranges of the parameters studied. By comparing spray and prevaporized ignition results, the existence of an optimum droplet size for ignition was indicated for both fuels. Fuel volatility was seen to be a critical factor in spray ignition. The spray ignition results were analyzed using two different empirical ignition models for quiescent mixtures. Both models accurately predicted the experimental ignition energies for the majority of the spray conditions. Spray ignition was observed to be probabilistic in nature, and ignition was quantified in terms of an ignition frequency for a given spark energy. A model was developed to predict ignition frequencies based on the variation in spark energy and equivalence ratio in the spark gap. The resulting ignition frequency simulations were nearly identical to the experimentally observed values.

Improving accuracy of portion-size estimations through a stimulus equivalence paradigm.

PubMed

Hausman, Nicole L; Borrero, John C; Fisher, Alyssa; Kahng, SungWoo

2014-01-01

The prevalence of obesity continues to increase in the United States (Gordon-Larsen, The, & Adair, 2010). Obesity can be attributed, in part, to overconsumption of energy-dense foods. Given that overeating plays a role in the development of obesity, interventions that teach individuals to identify and consume appropriate portion sizes are warranted. Specifically, interventions that teach individuals to estimate portion sizes correctly without the use of aids may be critical to the success of nutrition education programs. The current study evaluated the use of a stimulus equivalence paradigm to teach 9 undergraduate students to estimate portion size accurately. Results suggested that the stimulus equivalence paradigm was effective in teaching participants to make accurate portion size estimations without aids, and improved accuracy was observed in maintenance sessions that were conducted 1 week after training. Furthermore, 5 of 7 participants estimated the target portion size of novel foods during extension sessions. These data extend existing research on teaching accurate portion-size estimations and may be applicable to populations who seek treatment (e.g., overweight or obese children and adults) to teach healthier eating habits. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Distribution of hot stars and hydrogen in the Large Magellanic Cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Page, T.; Carruthers, G. R.

1981-01-01

Imagery of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), in the wavelength ranges 1050 to 1600 A and 1250 to 1600 A, was obtained by the S201 far ultraviolet camera during the Apollo 16 mission. These images were reduced to absolute far-UV intensity distributions over the area of the LMC, with 3 to 5 arc min angular resolution. Comparison of these far-UV measurements in the LMC with H sub alpha and 21 cm surveys reveals that interstellar hydrogen in the LMC is often concentrated in 100 pc clouds within 500 pc clouds. Furthermore, at least 25 associations of O-B stars in the LMC are outside the interstellar hydrogen clouds; four of them appear to be on the far side. Far-UV and mid-UV spectra were obtained of stars in 12 of these associations, using the International Ultraviolet Explorer. Equivalent widths of L alpha and six other lines, and relative intensities of the continuum at seven wavelength from 1300 A to 2900 A, were measured. These spectra are also discussed.

Digital staining for histopathology multispectral images by the combined application of spectral enhancement and spectral transformation.

PubMed

Bautista, Pinky A; Yagi, Yukako

2011-01-01

In this paper we introduced a digital staining method for histopathology images captured with an n-band multispectral camera. The method consisted of two major processes: enhancement of the original spectral transmittance and the transformation of the enhanced transmittance to its target spectral configuration. Enhancement is accomplished by shifting the original transmittance with the scaled difference between the original transmittance and the transmittance estimated with m dominant principal component (PC) vectors;the m-PC vectors were determined from the transmittance samples of the background image. Transformation of the enhanced transmittance to the target spectral configuration was done using an nxn transformation matrix, which was derived by applying a least square method to the enhanced and target spectral training data samples of the different tissue components. Experimental results on the digital conversion of a hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained multispectral image to its Masson's trichrome stained (MT) equivalent shows the viability of the method.

Effects of Phos-Chek G75-F and Silv-Ex on developing northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus).

PubMed

Buscemi, D M; Hoffman, D J; Vyas, N B; Spann, J W; Kuenzel, W J

2002-10-01

Eggs of nesting birds situated in peripheral areas serving as fire breaks are at risk of being sprayed with fire control chemicals. Acute toxicity tests were conducted by immersing northern bobwhite quail eggs for 10 s in different water-based concentrations of Silv-Ex(R) (SE), a foam-suppressant chemical, and Phos-Chek(R) G75-F (PC), a fire retardant chemical, on day 4 or day 11 of incubation. An attempt was made to relate the treatment concentrations to the actual field application levels. Mortality appeared higher in most groups exposed on day 11 than on day 4, suggesting that on day 11 the extensive chorioallantoic vascular network permitted greater uptake of chemical. Only 24-60% of the embryos survived to hatch at exposure concentrations of 202, 269, and 454 g/L PC when treated on incubation day 11. At higher concentrations including 681956, and 1211 g/L PC, the compound did not completely dissolve in water and clumped on eggshells, resulting in greater hatching success. Exposures to SE at 100 g/L on incubation day 11 did not significantly affect hatching success of embryos but did significantly reduce the percent hematocrit in blood compared with controls. Incubation day 11 exposure to 202 and 1211 g/L PC led to a significant increase in plasma aspartate aminotransferase, and day 4 exposure to 1211 g/L PC resulted in a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase. In addition to elevated liver enzymes, these treatments resulted in a decrease in the number of hepatocyte profiles (1211 g/L PC at day 4 and day 11) and an increase in hepatocyte size (202 and 1211 g/L PC at day 11) in hatchlings. A combination of SE and PC was synergistic (202 g/L PC and 50 g/L SE) at day 11 of incubation with respect to decreased hatching success and reduced bone lengths. However, lower concentrations of SE (10 g/L or 30 g/L) combined with 202 g/L of PC appeared antagonistic. This may be due to SE, as a surfactant, altering the ability of PC to penetrate the egg. Our results show fewer adverse effects following exposure to SE than to PC; therefore application of SE may be less harmful to breeding bird populations.

Effects of Phos-Chek G75-F and Silv-Ex on developing Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buscemi, D.M.; Hoffman, D.J.; Vyas, N.B.; Spann, J.W.; Kuenzel, W.J.

2002-01-01

Eggs of nesting birds situated in peripheral areas serving as fire breaks are at risk of being sprayed with fire control chemicals. Acute toxicity tests were conducted by immersing northern bobwhite quail eggs for 10 s in different water-based concentrations of Silv-Ex? (SE), a foam-suppressant chemical, and Phos-Chek? G75-F (PC), a fire retardant chemical, on day 4 or day 11 of incubation. An attempt was made to relate the treatment concentrations to the actual field application levels. Mortality appeared higher in most groups exposed on day 11 than on day 4, suggesting that on day 11 the extensive chorioallantoic vascular network permitted greater uptake of chemical. Only 24-60% of the embryos survived to hatch at exposure concentrations of 202, 269, and 454 g/L, PC when treated on incubation day 11. At higher concentrations including 681, 956, and 1,211 g/L PC, the compound did not completely dissolve in water and clumped on eggshells, resulting in greater hatching success. Exposures to SE at 100 g/L on incubation day 11 did not significantly affect hatching success of embryos but did significantly reduce the percent hematocrit in blood compared with controls. Incubation day 11 exposure to 202 and 1,211 g/L PC led to a significant increase in plasma aspartate aminotransferase, and day 4 exposure to 1,211 g/L PC resulted in a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase. In addition to elevated liver enzymes, these treatments resulted in a decrease in the number of hepatocyte profiles (1,211 g/L PC at day 4 and day 11) and an increase in hepatocyte size (202 and 1,211 g/L PC at day 11) in hatchlings. A combination of SE and PC was synergistic (202 g/L PC and 50 g/L SE) at day 11 of incubation with respect to decreased hatching success and reduced bone lengths. However, lower concentrations of SE (10 g/L or 30 g/L) combined with 202 g/L of PC appeared antagonistic. This may be due to SE, as a surfactant, altering the ability of PC to penetrate the egg. Our results show fewer adverse effects following exposure to SE than to PC; therefore application of SE may be less harmful to breeding bird populations.

Comparing the Ecological Stoichiometry in Green and Brown Food Webs - A Review and Meta-analysis of Freshwater Food Webs.

PubMed

Evans-White, Michelle A; Halvorson, Halvor M

2017-01-01

The framework of ecological stoichiometry was developed primarily within the context of "green" autotroph-based food webs. While stoichiometric principles also apply in "brown" detritus-based systems, these systems have been historically understudied and differ from green ones in several important aspects including carbon (C) quality and the nutrient [nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)] contents of food resources for consumers. In this paper, we review work over the last decade that has advanced the application of ecological stoichiometry from green to brown food webs, focusing on freshwater ecosystems. We first review three focal areas where green and brown food webs differ: (1) bottom-up controls by light and nutrient availability, (2) stoichiometric constraints on consumer growth and nutritional regulation, and (3) patterns in consumer-driven nutrient dynamics. Our review highlights the need for further study of how light and nutrient availability affect autotroph-heterotroph interactions on detritus and the subsequent effects on consumer feeding and growth. To complement this conceptual review, we formally quantified differences in stoichiometric principles between green and brown food webs using a meta-analysis across feeding studies of freshwater benthic invertebrates. From 257 datasets collated across 46 publications and several unpublished studies, we compared effect sizes (Pearson's r) of resource N:C and P:C on growth, consumption, excretion, and egestion between herbivorous and detritivorous consumers. The meta-analysis revealed that both herbivore and detritivore growth are limited by resource N:C and P:C contents, but effect sizes only among detritivores were significantly above zero. Consumption effect sizes were negative among herbivores but positive for detritivores in the case of both N:C and P:C, indicating distinct compensatory feeding responses across resource stoichiometry gradients. Herbivore P excretion rates responded significantly positively to resource P:C, whereas detritivore N and P excretion did not respond; detritivore N and P egestion responded positively to resource N:C and P:C, respectively. Our meta-analysis highlights resource N and P contents as broadly limiting in brown and green benthic food webs, but indicates contrasting mechanisms of limitation owing to differing consumer regulation. We suggest that green and brown food webs share fundamental stoichiometric principles, while identifying specific differences toward applying ecological stoichiometry across ecosystems.

Comparing the Ecological Stoichiometry in Green and Brown Food Webs – A Review and Meta-analysis of Freshwater Food Webs

PubMed Central

Evans-White, Michelle A.; Halvorson, Halvor M.

2017-01-01

The framework of ecological stoichiometry was developed primarily within the context of “green” autotroph-based food webs. While stoichiometric principles also apply in “brown” detritus-based systems, these systems have been historically understudied and differ from green ones in several important aspects including carbon (C) quality and the nutrient [nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)] contents of food resources for consumers. In this paper, we review work over the last decade that has advanced the application of ecological stoichiometry from green to brown food webs, focusing on freshwater ecosystems. We first review three focal areas where green and brown food webs differ: (1) bottom–up controls by light and nutrient availability, (2) stoichiometric constraints on consumer growth and nutritional regulation, and (3) patterns in consumer-driven nutrient dynamics. Our review highlights the need for further study of how light and nutrient availability affect autotroph–heterotroph interactions on detritus and the subsequent effects on consumer feeding and growth. To complement this conceptual review, we formally quantified differences in stoichiometric principles between green and brown food webs using a meta-analysis across feeding studies of freshwater benthic invertebrates. From 257 datasets collated across 46 publications and several unpublished studies, we compared effect sizes (Pearson’s r) of resource N:C and P:C on growth, consumption, excretion, and egestion between herbivorous and detritivorous consumers. The meta-analysis revealed that both herbivore and detritivore growth are limited by resource N:C and P:C contents, but effect sizes only among detritivores were significantly above zero. Consumption effect sizes were negative among herbivores but positive for detritivores in the case of both N:C and P:C, indicating distinct compensatory feeding responses across resource stoichiometry gradients. Herbivore P excretion rates responded significantly positively to resource P:C, whereas detritivore N and P excretion did not respond; detritivore N and P egestion responded positively to resource N:C and P:C, respectively. Our meta-analysis highlights resource N and P contents as broadly limiting in brown and green benthic food webs, but indicates contrasting mechanisms of limitation owing to differing consumer regulation. We suggest that green and brown food webs share fundamental stoichiometric principles, while identifying specific differences toward applying ecological stoichiometry across ecosystems. PMID:28706509

ALMA IMAGING OF HCN, CS, AND DUST IN ARP 220 AND NGC 6240

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

Scoville, Nick; Manohar, Swarnima; Murchikova, Lena

We report ALMA Band 7 (350 GHz) imaging at 0.''4-0.''6 resolution and Band 9 (696 GHz) at ∼0.''25 resolution of the luminous IR galaxies Arp 220 and NGC 6240. The long wavelength dust continuum is used to estimate interstellar medium masses for Arp 220 east and west and NGC 6240 of 1.9, 4.2, and 1.6 × 10{sup 9} M {sub ☉}within radii of 69, 65, and 190 pc. The HCN emission was modeled to derive the emissivity distribution as a function of radius and the kinematics of each nuclear disk, yielding dynamical masses consistent with the masses and sizes derived from the dustmore » emission. In Arp 220, the major dust and gas concentrations are at radii less than 50 pc in both counter-rotating nuclear disks. The thickness of the disks in Arp 220 estimated from the velocity dispersion and rotation velocities are 10-20 pc and the mean gas densities are n{sub H{sub 2}}∼10{sup 5} cm{sup –3} at R <50 pc. We develop an analytic treatment for the molecular excitation (including photon trapping), yielding volume densities for both the HCN and CS emission with n {sub H2} ∼ 2 × 10{sup 5} cm{sup –3}. The agreement of the mean density from the total mass and size with that required for excitation suggests that the volume is essentially filled with dense gas, i.e., it is not cloudy or like swiss cheese.« less

Translation of Atherosclerotic Plaque Phase-Contrast CT Imaging from Synchrotron Radiation to a Conventional Lab-Based X-Ray Source

PubMed Central

Saam, Tobias; Herzen, Julia; Hetterich, Holger; Fill, Sandra; Willner, Marian; Stockmar, Marco; Achterhold, Klaus; Zanette, Irene; Weitkamp, Timm; Schüller, Ulrich; Auweter, Sigrid; Adam-Neumair, Silvia; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Bamberg, Fabian

2013-01-01

Objectives Phase-contrast imaging is a novel X-ray based technique that provides enhanced soft tissue contrast. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of visualizing human carotid arteries by grating-based phase-contrast tomography (PC-CT) at two different experimental set-ups: (i) applying synchrotron radiation and (ii) using a conventional X-ray tube. Materials and Methods Five ex-vivo carotid artery specimens were examined with PC-CT either at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility using a monochromatic X-ray beam (2 specimens; 23 keV; pixel size 5.4 µm), or at a laboratory set-up on a conventional X-ray tube (3 specimens; 35-40 kVp; 70 mA; pixel size 100 µm). Tomographic images were reconstructed and compared to histopathology. Two independent readers determined vessel dimensions and one reader determined signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) between PC-CT and absorption images. Results In total, 51 sections were included in the analysis. Images from both set-ups provided sufficient contrast to differentiate individual vessel layers. All PCI-based measurements strongly predicted but significantly overestimated lumen, intima and vessel wall area for both the synchrotron and the laboratory-based measurements as compared with histology (all p<0.001 with slope >0.53 per mm2, 95%-CI: 0.35 to 0.70). Although synchrotron-based images were characterized by higher SNRs than laboratory-based images; both PC-CT set-ups had superior SNRs compared to corresponding conventional absorption-based images (p<0.001). Inter-reader reproducibility was excellent (ICCs >0.98 and >0.84 for synchrotron and for laboratory-based measurements; respectively). Conclusion Experimental PC-CT of carotid specimens is feasible with both synchrotron and conventional X-ray sources, producing high-resolution images suitable for vessel characterization and atherosclerosis research. PMID:24039969

Light-induced crosslinkable semiconducting polymer dots† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthesis and characterization of monomers and polymers, preparation and characterization of thin film and Pdots, optical property measurements and flow cytometry is available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4sc03959a Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yue; Ye, Fangmao; Sun, Wei; Yu, Jiangbo; Wu, I-Che; Rong, Yu; Zhang, Yong

2015-01-01

This paper describes a synthetic approach for photocrosslinkable polyfluorene (pc-PFO) semiconducting polymer dots, and demonstrates their superior ability to crosslink and form 3-D intermolecular polymer networks. The crosslinked pc-PFO Pdots are equipped with excellent encapsulating ability of functional small molecules. Optimum conditions of light irradiation on pc-PFO Pdots were investigated and clarified by using polymer thin films as a model. By employing the optimal light irradiation conditions, we successfully crosslinked pc-PFO Pdots and studied their particle sizes, photophysical, and colloidal properties. Single-particle imaging and dynamic-light-scattering measurements were conducted to understand the behaviors of photocrosslinked Pdots. Our results indicate pc-PFO Pdots can be easily photocrosslinked and the crosslinked species have excellent colloidal stability, physical and chemical stability, fluorescence brightness, and specific binding properties for cellular labeling. Considering that optical stimulus can work remotely, cleanly, and non-invasively, this study should pave the way for a promising approach to further develop stimuli-responsive ultrabright and versatile Pdot probes for biomedical imaging. PMID:25709806

Revealing Transient Interactions between Phosphatidylinositol-specific Phospholipase C and Phosphatidylcholine--Rich Lipid Vesicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Boqian; He, Tao; Grauffel, Cédric; Reuter, Nathalie; Roberts, Mary; Gershenson, Anne

2013-03-01

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) enzymes transiently interact with target membranes. Previous fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) experiments showed that Bacillus thuringiensis PI-PLC specifically binds to phosphatidylcholine (PC)-rich membranes and preferentially interacts with unilamellar vesicles that show larger curvature. Mutagenesis studies combined with FCS measurements of binding affinity highlighted the importance of interfacial PI-PLC tyrosines in the PC specificity. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of PI-PLC performed in the presence of a PC membrane indicate these tyrosines are involved in specific cation-pi interactions with choline headgroups. To further understand those transient interactions between PI-PLC and PC-rich vesicles, we monitor single fluorescently labeled PI-PLC proteins as they cycle on and off surface-tethered small unilamellar vesicles using total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy. The residence times on vesicles along with vesicle size information, based on vesicle fluorescence intensity, reveal the time scales of PI-PLC membrane interactions as well as the curvature dependence. The PC specificity and the vesicle curvature dependence of this PI-PLC/membrane interaction provide insight into how the interface modulates protein-membrane interactions. This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Science of the National Institutes of Health (R01GM060418).

Activation of calcineurin by phosphotidylserine containing vesicles

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

Politino, M.; King, M.M.

1986-05-01

Calcineurin (CaN) is a Ca/sup 2 +/- and calmodulin-regulated phosphatase. Recent findings suggested an association of CaN with biological membranes and prompted the present investigation into the interactions of the phosphatase with phospholipids in vitro. In the absence of calmodulin, sonicated preparations of phosphatidylserine (PS) provided a five-fold activation of the Ni- and Mn-supported activities of CaN towards (/sup 32/P) histone Hl; activation in the presence of calmodulin was much less pronounced. Half-maximal activation in the absence of calmodulin required approximately 0.1 mg/ml of PS. Activation of CaN was also observed with mixed vesicles of phosphatidylcholine (PC) containing 20% PSmore » but not with PC alone, or with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Molecular sieve chromatography on Ultrogel AcA 34 provided further evidence that CaN associates with phospholipid vesicles composed of PS, or PC containing 20% PS, but not with vesicles of PC or PE. Complete association with medium sized vesicles of PS and PC/PS required Ca/sup 2 +/ ions; in the absence of the metal ion at least 60% of the enzyme failed to interact with the lipids while the remainder preferentially migrated with larger vesicles. These results suggest a role for Ca/sup 2 +/ in regulating CaN's interaction with phospholipids.« less

Prevalence of bacterial contamination in platelet concentrates at the National Center of Blood Transfusion (Mexico).

PubMed

Ibáñez-Cervantes, G; Bello-López, J M; Fernández-Sánchez, V; Domínguez-Mendoza, C A; Acevedo-Alfaro, L I

2017-06-01

Most common bacterial sepsis associated with transfusion is caused by contaminated Platelet Concentrates (PC). The screening of PC to detect bacterial contamination is obligatory in Mexico, and it is carried out in quality control programs. In Mexico, the identification and molecular characterization of bacterial contaminants to detect contamination sources have not been implemented due to high costs; however, it is an actual current need. One hundred PC were randomly selected and microbiologically analyzed. This sample size corresponds to 1% of the PC obtained by the National Center of Blood Transfusion (NCBT) in Mexico City according to the Official Mexican Standard NOM-253-SSA1-2012. Additionally, molecular biology tests were implemented in order to identify the possible contamination sources. Nine of the 100 PC analyzed (9%) showed bacterial contamination; analysis of the nucleotide sequences revealed the presence of characteristic microbiota from donor skin and soil. Diverse clonal relationship between the strains was identified in Staphylococcus epidermidis. Detection of contaminants associated with environmental and skin flora, shows the need to implement measures in the process of disinfecting skin at the site of phlebotomy and cleaning each of the areas involved in blood collection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Settling equivalence of detrital minerals and grain-size dependence of sediment composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garzanti, Eduardo; Andò, Sergio; Vezzoli, Giovanni

2008-08-01

This study discusses the laws which govern sediment deposition, and consequently determine size-dependent compositional variability. A theoretical approach is substantiated by robust datasets on major Alpine, Himalayan, and African sedimentary systems. Integrated (bulk-petrography, heavy-mineral, X-ray powder diffraction) multiple-window analyses at 0.25ϕ to 0.50ϕ sieve interval of eighty-five fluvial, beach, and eolian-dune samples, ranging from very fine silt to coarse sand, document homologous intrasample compositional trends, revealed by systematic concentration of denser grains in finer-grained fractions (“size-density sorting”). These trends are explained by the settling-equivalence principle, stating that detrital minerals are deposited together if their settling velocity is the same. Settling of silt is chiefly resisted by fluid viscosity, and Stokes' law predicts that size differences between detrital minerals in ϕ units (“size shifts”) are half the difference between the logarithms of their submerged densities. Settling of pebbles is chiefly resisted by turbulence effects, and the Impact law predicts double size shifts than Stokes' law. Settling of sand is resisted by both viscosity and turbulence, the settling-equivalence formula is complex, and size shifts increase - with increasing settling velocity and grain size - from those predicted by Stokes' law to those predicted by the Impact law. In wind-laid sands, size shifts match those predicted by the Impact law; size-density sorting is thus greater than in water-laid fine sands. New analytical, graphical, and statistical techniques for rigorous settling-equivalence analysis of terrigenous sediments are illustrated. Deviations associated with non-spherical shape, density anomalies, inheritance from source rocks, or mixing of detrital species with contrasting provenance and different size distribution are also tentatively assessed. Such integrated theoretical and experimental approach allows us to mathematically predict intrasample compositional variability of water-laid and wind-laid sediments, once the density of detrital components is known.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Tumati, Shankar; Martens, Sander; Aleman, André

2013-12-01

Research using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can potentially elucidate metabolite changes representing early degeneration in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), an early stage of dementia. We integrated the published literature using meta-analysis to identify patterns of metabolite changes in MCI. 29 MRS studies (with a total of 607 MCI patients and 862 healthy controls) were classified according to brain regions. Hedges' g was used as effect size in a random effects model. N-Acetyl Aspartate (NAA) measures were consistently reduced in posterior cingulate (PC), hippocampus, and the paratrigonal white matter (PWM). Creatine (Cr) concentration was reduced in the hippocampus and PWM. Choline (Cho) concentration was reduced in the hippocampus while Cho/Cr ratio was raised in the PC. Myo-inositol (mI) concentration was raised in the PC and mI/Cr ratio was raised in the hippocampus. NAA/mI ratio was reduced in the PC. NAA may be the most reliable marker of brain dysfunction in MCI though mI, Cho, and Cr may also contribute towards this. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dust color temperature distribution of two FIR cavities at IRIS and AKARI maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, A. K.; Aryal, B.

2018-04-01

By systematically searching the region of far infrared loops, we found a number of huge cavity-like dust structures at 60 μ m and 100 μ m IRIS maps. By checking these with AKARI maps (90 μ m and 140 μ m), two new cavity-like structures (sizes ˜ 2.7 pc × 0.8 pc and ˜ 1.8 pc × 1 pc) located at R.A. (J2000)=14h41m23s and Dec. (J2000)=-64°04^' }17^' }' }} and R.A. (J2000)=05h05m35s and Dec. (J2000)=- 69°35^' } 25^' }' }} were selected for the study. The difference in the average dust color temperatures calculated using IRIS and AKARI maps of the cavity candidates were found to be 3.2± 0.9 K and 4.1± 1.2 K, respectively. Interestingly, the longer wavelength AKARI map gives larger values of dust color temperature than that of the shorter wavelength IRIS maps. Possible explanation of the results will be presented.

Photonic crystals: emerging biosensors and their promise for point-of-care applications.

PubMed

Inan, Hakan; Poyraz, Muhammet; Inci, Fatih; Lifson, Mark A; Baday, Murat; Cunningham, Brian T; Demirci, Utkan

2017-01-23

Biosensors are extensively employed for diagnosing a broad array of diseases and disorders in clinical settings worldwide. The implementation of biosensors at the point-of-care (POC), such as at primary clinics or the bedside, faces impediments because they may require highly trained personnel, have long assay times, large sizes, and high instrumental cost. Thus, there exists a need to develop inexpensive, reliable, user-friendly, and compact biosensing systems at the POC. Biosensors incorporated with photonic crystal (PC) structures hold promise to address many of the aforementioned challenges facing the development of new POC diagnostics. Currently, PC-based biosensors have been employed for detecting a variety of biotargets, such as cells, pathogens, proteins, antibodies, and nucleic acids, with high efficiency and selectivity. In this review, we provide a broad overview of PCs by explaining their structures, fabrication techniques, and sensing principles. Furthermore, we discuss recent applications of PC-based biosensors incorporated with emerging technologies, including telemedicine, flexible and wearable sensing, smart materials and metamaterials. Finally, we discuss current challenges associated with existing biosensors, and provide an outlook for PC-based biosensors and their promise at the POC.

Effect of Graphite Nanoplate Morphology on the Dispersion and Physical Properties of Polycarbonate Based Composites.

PubMed

Müller, Michael Thomas; Hilarius, Konrad; Liebscher, Marco; Lellinger, Dirk; Alig, Ingo; Pötschke, Petra

2017-05-18

The influence of the morphology of industrial graphite nanoplate (GNP) materials on their dispersion in polycarbonate (PC) is studied. Three GNP morphology types were identified, namely lamellar, fragmented or compact structure. The dispersion evolution of all GNP types in PC is similar with varying melt temperature, screw speed, or mixing time during melt mixing. Increased shear stress reduces the size of GNP primary structures, whereby the GNP aspect ratio decreases. A significant GNP exfoliation to individual or few graphene layers could not be achieved under the selected melt mixing conditions. The resulting GNP macrodispersion depends on the individual GNP morphology, particle sizes and bulk density and is clearly reflected in the composite's electrical, thermal, mechanical, and gas barrier properties. Based on a comparison with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon black (CB), CNT are recommended in regard to electrical conductivity, whereas, for thermal conductive or gas barrier application, GNP is preferred.

Investigation on the structural characterization of pulsed p-type porous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahab, N. H. Abd; Rahim, A. F. Abd; Mahmood, A.; Yusof, Y.

2017-08-01

P-type Porous silicon (PS) was sucessfully formed by using an electrochemical pulse etching (PC) and conventional direct current (DC) etching techniques. The PS was etched in the Hydrofluoric (HF) based solution at a current density of J = 10 mA/cm2 for 30 minutes from a crystalline silicon wafer with (100) orientation. For the PC process, the current was supplied through a pulse generator with 14 ms cycle time (T) with 10 ms on time (Ton) and pause time (Toff) of 4 ms respectively. FESEM, EDX, AFM, and XRD have been used to characterize the morphological properties of the PS. FESEM images showed that pulse PS (PPC) sample produces more uniform circular structures with estimated average pore sizes of 42.14 nm compared to DC porous (PDC) sample with estimated average size of 16.37nm respectively. The EDX spectrum for both samples showed higher Si content with minimal presence of oxide.

A Tool for Medical Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

California Measurements, Inc.'s PC-2 Aerosol Particle Analyzer, developed by William Chiang, a former Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineer, was used in a study to measure the size of particles in the medical environment. Chiang has a NASA license for the JPL crystal oscillator technology and originally built the instrument for atmospheric research. In the operating room, it enabled researchers from the University of California to obtain multiple sets of data repeatedly and accurately. The study concluded that significant amounts of aerosols are generated during surgery when power tools are employed, and most of these are in the respirable size. Almost all contain blood and are small enough to pass through surgical masks. Research on the presence of blood aerosols during oral surgery had similar results. Further studies are planned to determine the possibility of HIV transmission during surgery, and the PC-2H will be used to quantify blood aerosols.

Impact of Radiation Hardness and Operating Temperatures of Silicon Carbide Electronics on Space Power System Mass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juhasz, Albert J.; Tew, Roy C.; Schwarze, Gene E.

1998-01-01

The effect of silicon carbide (SiC) electronics operating temperatures on Power Management and Distribution (PMAD), or Power Conditioning (PC), subsystem radiator size and mass requirements was evaluated for three power output levels (100 kW(e) , 1 MW(e), and 10 MW(e)) for near term technology ( i.e. 1500 K turbine inlet temperature) Closed Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power systems with a High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) heat source. The study was conducted for assumed PC radiator temperatures ranging from 370 to 845 K and for three scenarios of electrical energy to heat conversion levels which needed to be rejected to space by means of the PC radiator. In addition, during part of the study the radiation hardness of the PC electronics was varied at a fixed separation distance to estimate its effect on the mass of the instrument rated reactor shadow shield. With both the PC radiator and the conical shadow shield representing major components of the overall power system the influence of the above on total power system mass was also determined. As expected, results show that the greatest actual mass savings achieved by the use of SiC electronics occur with high capacity power systems. Moreover, raising the PC radiator temperature above 600 K yields only small additional system mass savings. The effect of increased radiation hardness on total system mass is to reduce system mass by virtue of lowering the shield mass.

Chitosan derivatives for gene transfer: effect of phosphorylcholine and diethylaminoethyl grafts on the in vitro transfection efficiency.

PubMed

Picola, Isadora Pfeifer Dalla; Shi, Qin; Fernandes, Júlio Cesar; Petrônio, Maicon Segalla; Lima, Aline Margarete Furuyama; de Oliveira Tiera, Vera Aparecida; Tiera, Marcio José

2016-11-01

The purpose of this work was to improve the functional properties of chitosan for gene transfer by inserting phosphorylcholine (PC) and diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) groups into the main chain. A series of derivatives containing increasing contents of DEAE and a fixed content of PC groups were synthesized and characterized, aiming to evaluate the effect of these groups on the nanoparticles' properties and the in vitro transfection efficiency. The derivatives were soluble at physiological pH levels and all derivatives were less cytotoxic than the control, the lipid lipofectamine. The obtained derivatives complexed pDNA into nanoparticles with smaller sizes and higher zeta potentials than plain chitosan. The in vitro transfection was performed with nanoparticles prepared at pH 6.3 and 7.4 and the results showed that nanoparticles prepared with derivatives containing 20% of PC groups (PC18-CH) and high degrees of substitution by DEAE (PC20-CH-DEAE100, CH-DEAE80, CH-DEAE100) displayed the better transfection efficiencies in HeLa cells, reaching relative values comparable to lipofectamine. The most effective derivative, PC18CH, was selected for complexation with siRNA and its complexes demonstrated an in vitro knockdown efficiency highly dependent on the N/P ratio. Our combined results indicated that, by means of controlled modifications, the limitations of chitosan can be overcome to obtain more effective carriers based on chitosan, and the derivatives here studied hold potential for in vivo studies.

Conical Lipids in Flat Bilayers Induce Packing Defects Similar to that Induced by Positive Curvature

PubMed Central

Vamparys, Lydie; Gautier, Romain; Vanni, Stefano; Bennett, W.F. Drew; Tieleman, D. Peter; Antonny, Bruno; Etchebest, Catherine; Fuchs, Patrick F.J.

2013-01-01

In biological membranes, changes in lipid composition or mechanical deformations produce defects in the geometrical arrangement of lipids, thus allowing the adsorption of certain peripheral proteins. Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations on bilayers containing a cylindrical lipid (PC) and a conical lipid (DOG). Profiles of atomic density and lateral pressure across the bilayer show differences in the acyl chain region due to deeper partitioning of DOG compared to PC. However, such analyses are less informative for the interfacial region where peripheral proteins adsorb. To circumvent this limitation, we develop, to our knowledge, a new method of membrane surface analysis. This method allows the identification of chemical defects, where hydrocarbon chains are accessible to the solvent, and geometrical defects, i.e., voids deeper than the glycerol backbone. The size and number of both types of defects increase with the number of monounsaturated acyl chains in PC and with the introduction of DOG, although the defects do not colocalize with the conical lipid. Interestingly, the size and probability of the defects promoted by DOG resemble those induced by positive curvature, thus explaining why conical lipids and positive curvature can both drive the adsorption of peripheral proteins that use hydrophobic residues as membrane anchors. PMID:23442909

[Effects of xenon preconditioning against ischemia/reperfusion injury and oxidative stress in immature heart].

PubMed

Li, Qian; Lian, Chun-Wei; Fang, Li-Qun; Liu, Bin; Yang, Bo

2014-09-01

To investigate whether xenon preconditioning (PC) could protect immature myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in a dose-dependent manner and clarify the role of xenon PC on oxidative stress. Forty-eight isolated perfused immature rabbit hearts were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12): The sham group had the hearts perfused continuously for 300 min. In I/R group, the hearts were subjected to 60 min perfusion followed by 60 min ischemia and 180 min reperfusion. In 1 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and 0.5 MAC xenon PC groups, the hearts were preconditioned with 1 MAC or 0.5 MAC xenon respectively, following 60 min ischemia and 180 min reperfusion. The cardiac function, myocardial infarct size, mitochondrial structure, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in each group were determined after reperfusion. Compared with I/R group, both 1 MAC and 0. 5 MAC xenon preconditioning significantly improved cardiac function (P < 0.01), reduced myocardial infarct size (P < 0.01) and mitochondrial damage, increased SOD activity and decreased MDA level (P < 0.01). There were no differences between 1 MAC group and 0.5 MAC xenon group (P > 0.05). Xenon preconditioning at 0. 5 and 1 MAC produce similar cardioprotective effects against I/R injury in isolated perfused immature heart.

Preparation of coenzyme Q10 liposomes using supercritical anti-solvent technique.

PubMed

Xia, Fei; Jin, Heyang; Zhao, Yaping; Guo, Xinqiu

2012-01-01

Coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) proliposomes were prepared using the supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) technique to encapsulate CoQ(10). The mixture of cholesterol and soya bean phosphatidylcholine (PC) was chosen as wall materials. The effects of operation conditions (temperature, pressure and components) on the recovery of CoQ(10) and the CoQ(10) loading in CoQ(10) proliposomes were studied. At the optimum conditions of pressure of 8.0 MPa, temperature of 35°C, the weight ratio of 1/10 between CoQ(10) and PC, and the weight ratio of 1/3 between cholesterol and PC, the CoQ(10) loading reached 8.92%. CoQ(10) liposomes were obtained by hydrating CoQ(10) proliposomes and the entrapment efficiency of CoQ(10) reached 82.28%. The morphologies of CoQ(10) proliposomes were characterized by scanning electron microscope, and their solid states were characterized by X-ray diffractometer. The structures of CoQ(10) liposomes were characterized by transmission electron microscope. The particle size distribution of CoQ(10) liposomes was determined by dynamic light scattering instrument. The results indicate that CoQ(10) liposomes with particle sizes about 50 nm can be easily obtained from hydrating CoQ(10) proliposomes prepared by SAS technique.

THESIS-ABSTRACT Supplementation levels of exogenous alpha-amylase in broilers diets.

PubMed

Oliveira, H B; Silva, M I A; Mesquita, F R

2017-08-17

This study aimed to evaluate the supplementation levels of an exogenous alpha-amylase in broilers diets and compare two indicators in determining the diets energy. The experiment was divided into two parallel evaluations, being one of performance and the other of metabolism. In performance assay, 1,700 one-day-old Cobb-500 male chicks were used. The animals were distributed in 50 experimental plots and evaluated five treatments with ten replicates in a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatments were: a positive control (PC), a negative control (NC) and three alpha-amylase supplementation levels 200, 400 and 600 g/t, and the NC was formulated with 50 and 90 kcal of energy reduction in relation to the PC to the phases from 1 to 21 days and from 22 to 42 days, respectively. In the metabolism assay were used 240 animals, 150 birds for stage from 14 to 21 days and 90 birds to stage from 35 to 42 days of age and the treatments were the same as the performance assay, with six replicates per treatment in CRD. All diets of metabolism test contained the digestibility indicators Lipe ® (eucalyptus purified lignin) and chromic oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ), in concentrations of 0.05 and 1.0%, respectively. In the period from 1 to 21 days old, no significant differences were observed in weight gain (WG) (P > 0.05), however, feed intake (FI) was found higher by using 200 ppm of enzyme (P < 0.05) and better feed conversion (FC) with the PC (P < 0.05). From 22 to 42 days, no significant differences were observed on the WG (P > 0.05), but were observed lower FI and better FC to PC treatment (P < 0.05). In the period from 1 to 42 days of age, significant differences were also not observed on the WG (P > 0.05), but there was lower FI and better FC for the PC treatment (P < 0.05). The AMEn (apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance), determined using the total collection, reaffirmed the values ​​calculated for the PC and NC with intermediate data obtained from the enzyme use (200, 400 and 600 ppm). Comparing the total collection using Lipe ® and Cr 2 O 3 , a correlation was observed only for the PC results, that were always higher, and for the NC results, that were lower for the three methodologies. For IDE (ileal digestible energy), determined by Cr 2 O 3, significant differences were observed (P < 0.05) and it presented higher values in the PC treatment and lower values in the NC. In IDE determining by Lipe ® , significant was observed (P < 0.05), showing higher value in the PC treatment. It is concluded that in the metabolism assessments, exogenous alpha-amylase tested was effective in increasing the metabolizable energy (ME), however, not enough to be equivalent to the ME of PC treatment, a result that was better expressed in the total collection, AMEn by Lipe ® and IDE by Lipe ® methodologies. The performance results reflect the superiority of PC treatment, pointing enzyme limitation to supply the energy deficit practiced in this work.

The Effects of Organic Solvents on the Physicochemical Properties of Human Serum Albumin Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Mohammad-Beigi, Hossein; Shojaosadati, Seyed Abbas; Morshedi, Dina; Mirzazadeh, Negar; Arpanaei, Ayyoob

2016-01-01

Background Recently, applications of albumin nanoparticles as drug delivery carriers have increased. Most toxicology studies have shown that surface chemistry and size of nanoparticles play an important role in biocompatibility and toxicity. Objective The effect of desolvating agents with different chemical properties on the size of synthesized HSA NPs was investigated. Materials and Methods Acetone, ethanol, methanol, and acetonitrile were used to synthesize HSA NPs with controllable size by desolvation method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and circular dichroism (CD) were employed to characterize produced particles. Finally, the toxicity of HSA NPs synthesized under different conditions was evaluated on PC-12 cells. Results The sizes of synthesized particles differed according to the different solvents used. The sizes were 275.3 nm, 155.3 nm, 100.11 nm, and 66.2 nm for acetonitrile, ethanol, acetone, and methanol, respectively. CD showed that larger NPs had more changes in the secondary structures. Finally, the toxicity monitored on the cultured PC-12 cells showed no significant toxic effect through treating with these NPs at different concentrations (0-500 μg.mL-1). Conclusions The size of HSA NPs has a strong dependency on the desolvating agent. The mechanism in which the desolvating agent affects the size of HSA NPs is complex. Various factors such as dielectric constant, polarity, functional groups, and hydrogen bonding of the solvents have the potential to affect the size and structure of HSA NPs. CD analysis suggested that the solvent denaturing capability had a critical effect on the HSA particle size. The stronger denaturing capability of the solvent resulted in the larger HSA particle size. PMID:28959317

Microsolvation of phthalocyanine molecules in superfluid helium nanodroplets as revealed by the optical line shape at electronic origin.

PubMed

Fuchs, S; Fischer, J; Slenczka, A; Karra, M; Friedrich, B

2018-04-14

We investigate the solvent shift of phthalocyanine (Pc) doped into superfluid helium droplets and probed by optical spectroscopy at the electronic origin. Our present work complements extant studies and provides results that in part contradict previous conclusions. In particular, the solvent shift does not increase monotonously with droplet radius all the way up to the bulk limit, but exhibits just the reverse dependence instead. Moreover, a substructure is resolved, whose characteristics depend on the droplet size. This behavior can hardly be reconciled with that of a freely rotating Pc-helium complex.

Characterization and utilization of cement kiln dusts (CKDs) as partial replacements of Portland cement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanna, Om Shervan

The characteristics of cement kiln dusts (CKDs) and their effects as partial replacement of Portland Cement (PC) were studied in this research program. The cement industry is currently under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and solid by-products in the form of CKDs. The use of CKDs in concrete has the potential to substantially reduce the environmental impact of their disposal and create significant cost and energy savings to the cement industry. Studies have shown that CKDs can be used as a partial substitute of PC in a range of 5--15%, by mass. Although the use of CKDs is promising, there is very little understanding of their effects in CKD-PC blends. Previous studies provide variable and often conflicting results. The reasons for the inconsistent results are not obvious due to a lack of material characterization data. The characteristics of a CKD must be well-defined in order to understand its potential impact in concrete. The materials used in this study were two different types of PC (normal and moderate sulfate resistant) and seven CKDs. The CKDs used in this study were selected to provide a representation of those available in North America from the three major types of cement manufacturing processes: wet, long-dry, and preheater/precalciner. The CKDs have a wide range of chemical and physical composition based on different raw material sources and technologies. Two fillers (limestone powder and quartz powder) were also used to compare their effects to that of CKDs at an equivalent replacement of PC. The first objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive composition analysis of CKDs and compare their characteristics to PC. CKDs are unique materials that must be analyzed differently from PC for accurate chemical and physical analysis. The present study identifies the chemical and physical analytical methods that should be used for CKDs. The study also introduced a method to quantify the relative abundance of the different mineralogical phases within CKDs. It was found that CKDs can contain significant amounts of amorphous material (>30%) and clinker compounds (>20%) and small amounts of slag and/or flyash (<5%) and calcium langbeinite (<5%). The dissolution of ionic species and composition of the liquid phase play an important role in PC hydration. The dissolved ion contributions from CKDs were compared to PC using dilute stirred suspensions at 10 minutes and it was found that the ion contributions from CKDs are qualitatively the same as the ion contributions from PC, with the exception of chloride ions. The second objective was to utilize the material characterization analysis to determine the relationships among the composition properties of CKD-PC blends and their effects on fresh and hardened properties. The study found that CKDs from preheater/precalciner kilns have different effects on workability and heat evolution than CKDs from wet and long-dry kilns due to the presence of very reactive and high free lime contents (>20%). The blends with the two CKDs from preheater/precalciner plants had higher paste water demand, lower mortar flows, and higher heat generation during initial hydrolysis in comparison to all other CKD-PC blends and control cements. The hardened properties of CKD as a partial substitute of PC appear to be governed by the sulfate content of the CKD-PC blend (the form of the CKD sulfate is not significant). According to analysis of the ASTM expansion in limewater test results, the CKD-PC blend sulfate content should be less than ˜0.40% above the optimum sulfate content of the PC. It was also found that the sulfate contribution of CKD behaves similar to gypsum. Therefore, CKD-PC blends could be optimized for sulfate content by using CKD as a partial substitute of gypsum during the grinding process to control the early hydration of C3A. The wet and long-dry kiln CKDs contain significant amounts of calcium carbonate (>20%) which could also be used as partial replacement of limestone filler in PC.

The outer envelopes of globular clusters. II. NGC 1851, NGC 5824 and NGC 1261*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzma, P. B.; Da Costa, G. S.; Mackey, A. D.

2018-01-01

We present a second set of results from a wide-field photometric survey of the environs of Milky Way globular clusters. The clusters studied are NGC 1261, NGC 1851 and NGC 5824: all have data from the Dark Energy Camera on the Blanco 4 m telescope. NGC 5824 also has data from the Magellan Clay telescope with MegaCam. We confirm the existence of a large diffuse stellar envelope surrounding NGC 1851 of size at least 240 pc in radius. The radial density profile of the envelope follows a power-law decline with index γ = -1.5 ± 0.2 and the projected shape is slightly elliptical. For NGC 5824, there is no strong detection of a diffuse stellar envelope, but we find the cluster is remarkably extended and is similar in size (at least 230 pc in radius) to the envelope of NGC 1851. A stellar envelope is also revealed around NGC 1261. However, it is notably smaller in size with radius ∼105 pc. The radial density profile of the envelope is also much steeper with γ = -3.8 ± 0.2. We discuss the possible nature of the diffuse stellar envelopes, but are unable to draw definitive conclusions based on the current data. NGC 1851, and potentially NGC 5824, could be stripped dwarf galaxy nuclei, akin to the cases of ω Cen, M54 and M2. On the other hand, the different characteristics of the NGC 1261 envelope suggest that it may be the product of dynamical evolution of the cluster.

The effects of emulsifying agents on disposition of lipid-soluble drugs included in fat emulsion.

PubMed

Suzuki, Yasuyuki; Masumitsu, Yasushi; Okudaira, Kazuho; Hayashi, Masahiro

2004-02-01

The uses for drug delivery systems of two soybean oil fat emulsions prepared with an emulsifying agent, phosphatidyl choline (PC) or Pluronic F-127 (PLU), were examined comparatively in vivo and in vitro. In the presence of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in vitro, the mean particle size of the PLU emulsion changed less than that of the PC emulsion. The production of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) from the PLU emulsion in the presence of LPL was smaller than that from the PC emulsion. These in vitro results indicate that the PLU emulsion is more stable than the PC emulsion. Plasma NEFA concentration following intravenous administration of the emulsions decreased with time for the PC emulsion, but was kept lower and constant for the PLU emulsion, supporting the in vitro stability data. The order of plasma cyclosporine A (CsA) concentration following intravenous administration in the above two emulsions and the mixed solution of polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG) and dimethylamide (DMA) in rats was PLU emulsion>PC emulsion>PEG/DMA solution. The plasma concentration was maintained higher and tissue distribution lower for the PLU emulsion than for other formulations. The uptake of oil violet (OV) into the rat parenchymal cells from the PLU emulsion was approximately half that from the PC emulsion, but the uptake into the Kupffer cells was almost equal in both emulsions. In conclusion, these emulsifying agents can control plasma elimination and tissue distribution of lipophilic drugs included in the emulsion. The use of the emulsion formulation makes it possible to avoid side effects through the reduction of drug uptake into non-targeted tissues.

Disruption in the cecal microbiota of chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens and other factors was alleviated by Bacillus licheniformis supplementation.

PubMed

Lin, Yicen; Xu, Shuai; Zeng, Dong; Ni, Xueqin; Zhou, Mengjia; Zeng, Yan; Wang, Hesong; Zhou, Yi; Zhu, Hui; Pan, Kangcheng; Li, Guangyao

2017-01-01

Clostridium perfringens can induce necrotic enteritis of chickens, which causes large economic losses every year. Bacillus licheniformis, a probiotic, can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, thereby improving the health status of chickens. However, from a microbial ecology perspective, the mechanisms by which alterations to the gut microbiota improve health remain unknown. In this study, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to investigate the cecal microbiota of a negative control group (NC), a C. perfringens and Eimeria challenge group with fishmeal supplementation (PC), a group supplemented with fishmeal and infected with coccidia (FC), and group PC with B. licheniformis supplementation (BL). We found that the health status of C. perfringens-challenged chickens was compromised, and that B. licheniformis improved the growth of the chickens challenged with pathogens. Microbial diversity analysis and taxonomic profiling of groups NC, PC, and FC revealed a disturbed cecal microflora of the birds with C. perfringens. We also characterized the microbiota of the chickens in the BL group using several methods. Principal coordinate analysis demonstrated that, compared with group PC, the bacterial community structure of group BL was more similar to that of group NC. Linear discriminant analysis with effect size revealed less differentially represented bacterial taxa between groups BL and NC than between groups PC and NC. In addition, groups BL and NC appeared to have similar overrepresented microbial taxa (such as Bacteroides, Helicobacter, Megamonas, and Akkermansia) compared with group PC. Finally, a phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states analysis indicated that large differences existed between group PC and groups NC and BL. In conclusion, pre-treatment with B. licheniformis reduced the disturbance of the cecal microbiome induced by challenge with C. perfringens and other factors in broiler chickens.

Novel associations of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B gene variants with prostate cancer risk in a multiethnic study.

PubMed

Vidal, Adriana C; Tucker, Cocoa; Schildkraut, Joellen M; Richardson, Ricardo M; McPhail, Megan; Freedland, Stephen J; Hoyo, Cathrine; Grant, Delores J

2013-11-22

We have previously shown that a functional polymorphism of the UGT2B15 gene (rs1902023) was associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (PC). Novel functional polymorphisms of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes have been recently characterized by in vitro assays but have not been evaluated in epidemiologic studies. Fifteen functional SNPs of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes, including cis-acting UGT2B gene SNPs, were genotyped in African American and Caucasian men (233 PC cases and 342 controls). Regression models were used to analyze the association between SNPs and PC risk. After adjusting for race, age and BMI, we found that six UGT2B15 SNPs (rs4148269, rs3100, rs9994887, rs13112099, rs7686914 and rs7696472) were associated with an increased risk of PC in log-additive models (p < 0.05). A SNP cis-acting on UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 expression (rs17147338) was also associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.00-2.70); while a stronger association among men with high Gleason sum was observed for SNPs rs4148269 and rs3100. Although small sample size limits inference, we report novel associations between UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 variants and PC risk. These associations with PC risk in men with high Gleason sum, more frequently found in African American men, support the relevance of genetic differences in the androgen metabolism pathway, which could explain, in part, the high incidence of PC among African American men. Larger studies are required.

Novel associations of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B gene variants with prostate cancer risk in a multiethnic study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background We have previously shown that a functional polymorphism of the UGT2B15 gene (rs1902023) was associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (PC). Novel functional polymorphisms of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes have been recently characterized by in vitro assays but have not been evaluated in epidemiologic studies. Methods Fifteen functional SNPs of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes, including cis-acting UGT2B gene SNPs, were genotyped in African American and Caucasian men (233 PC cases and 342 controls). Regression models were used to analyze the association between SNPs and PC risk. Results After adjusting for race, age and BMI, we found that six UGT2B15 SNPs (rs4148269, rs3100, rs9994887, rs13112099, rs7686914 and rs7696472) were associated with an increased risk of PC in log-additive models (p < 0.05). A SNP cis-acting on UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 expression (rs17147338) was also associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.00-2.70); while a stronger association among men with high Gleason sum was observed for SNPs rs4148269 and rs3100. Conclusions Although small sample size limits inference, we report novel associations between UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 variants and PC risk. These associations with PC risk in men with high Gleason sum, more frequently found in African American men, support the relevance of genetic differences in the androgen metabolism pathway, which could explain, in part, the high incidence of PC among African American men. Larger studies are required. PMID:24267955

Design optimization of large-size format edge-lit light guide units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastanin, J.; Lenaerts, C.; Fleury-Frenette, K.

2016-04-01

In this paper, we present an original method of dot pattern generation dedicated to large-size format light guide plate (LGP) design optimization, such as photo-bioreactors, the number of dots greatly exceeds the maximum allowable number of optical objects supported by most common ray-tracing software. In the proposed method, in order to simplify the computational problem, the original optical system is replaced by an equivalent one. Accordingly, an original dot pattern is splitted into multiple small sections, inside which the dot size variation is less than the ink dots printing typical resolution. Then, these sections are replaced by equivalent cells with continuous diffusing film. After that, we adjust the TIS (Total Integrated Scatter) two-dimensional distribution over the grid of equivalent cells, using an iterative optimization procedure. Finally, the obtained optimal TIS distribution is converted into the dot size distribution by applying an appropriate conversion rule. An original semi-empirical equation dedicated to rectangular large-size LGPs is proposed for the initial guess of TIS distribution. It allows significantly reduce the total time needed to dot pattern optimization.

Shielding Effect of Lead Glasses on Radiologists' Eye Lens Exposure in Interventional Procedures.

PubMed

Hu, Panpan; Kong, Yan; Chen, Bo; Liu, Qianqian; Zhuo, Weihai; Liu, Haikuan

2017-04-20

To study the shielding effect of radiologists' eye lens with lead glasses of different equivalent thicknesses and sizes in interventional radiology procedures. Using the human voxel phantom with a more accurate model of the eye and MCNPX software, eye lens doses of the radiologists who wearing different kinds of lead glasses were simulated, different beam projections were taken into consideration during the simulation. Measurements were also performed with the physical model to verify simulation results. Simulation results showed that the eye lens doses were reduced by a factor from 3 to 9 when wearing a 20 cm2-sized lead glasses with the equivalent thickness ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 mm Pb. The increase of dose reduction factor (DRF) was not significant whenever increase the lead equivalent of glasses of which larger than 0.35 mm. Furthermore, the DRF was proportional to the size of glass lens from 6 to 30 cm2 with the same lead equivalent. The simulation results were in well agreements with the measured ones. For more reasonable and effective protection of the eye lens of interventional radiologists, a pair of glasses with a lead equivalent of 0.5 mm Pb and large-sized (at least 27 cm2 per glass) lens are recommended. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pomegranate seed oil: Effect on 3-nitropropionic acid-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells and elucidation of unsaturated fatty acids composition.

PubMed

Al-Sabahi, Bushra N; Fatope, Majekodunmi O; Essa, Musthafa Mohamed; Subash, Selvaraju; Al-Busafi, Saleh N; Al-Kusaibi, Fatma S M; Manivasagam, Thamilarasan

2017-01-01

Seed oils are used as cosmetics or topical treatment for wounds, allergy, dandruff, and other purposes. Natural antioxidants from plants were recently reported to delay the onset or progress of various neurodegenerative conditions. Over one thousand cultivars of Punica granatum (Punicaceae) are known and some are traditionally used to treat various ailments. The effect of pomegranate oil on 3-nitropropionic acid- (3-NP) induced cytotoxicity in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) neuronal cells was analyzed in this study. Furthermore, the analysis of unsaturated fatty acid composition of the seed oil of pomegranate by gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was done. GC-MS study showed the presence of 6,9-octadecadiynoic acid (C18:2(6,9)) as a major component (60%) as 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivative. The total extractable oil with light petroleum ether by Soxhlet from the dry seed of P. granatum was 4-6%. The oil analyzed for 48.90 ± 1.50 mg gallic acid equivalents/g of oil, and demonstrated radical-scavenging-linked antioxidant activities in various in vitro assays like the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl, % IP = 35.2 ± 0.9%), ABTS (2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), % IP 2.2 ± 0.1%), and β-carotene bleaching assay (% IP = 26 ± 3%), respectively, which could be due the possible role of one methylene interrupted diynoic acid system for its radical-scavenging/antioxidant properties of oil. The oil also reduced lipid peroxidation, suppressed reactive oxygen species, extracellular nitric oxide, lactate/pyruvate ratio, and lactase dehydrogenase generated by 3-NP- (100 mM) induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, and enhanced the levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants at 40 μg of gallic acid equivalents. The protective effect of pomegranate seed oil might be due to the ability of an oil to neutralize ROS or enhance the expression of antioxidant gene and the exact mechanism of action yet to be elucidated.

3D-HST Grism Spectroscopy of a Gravitationally Lensed, Low-metallicity Starburst Galaxy at z = 1.847

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brammer, Gabriel B.; Sánchez-Janssen, Rubén; Labbé, Ivo; da Cunha, Elisabete; Erb, Dawn K.; Franx, Marijn; Fumagalli, Mattia; Lundgren, Britt; Marchesini, Danilo; Momcheva, Ivelina; Nelson, Erica; Patel, Shannon; Quadri, Ryan; Rix, Hans-Walter; Skelton, Rosalind E.; Schmidt, Kasper B.; van der Wel, Arjen; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Wake, David A.; Whitaker, Katherine E.

2012-10-01

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and spectroscopy of the gravitational lens SL2SJ02176-0513, a cusp arc at z = 1.847. The UV continuum of the lensed galaxy is very blue, which is seemingly at odds with its redder optical colors. The 3D-HST WFC3/G141 near-infrared spectrum of the lens reveals the source of this discrepancy to be extremely strong [O III] λ5007 and Hβ emission lines with rest-frame equivalent widths of 2000 ± 100 and 520 ± 40 Å, respectively. The source has a stellar mass ~108 M ⊙, sSFR ~ 100 Gyr-1, and detection of [O III] λ4363 yields a metallicity of 12 + log (O/H) = 7.5 ± 0.2. We identify local blue compact dwarf analogs to SL2SJ02176-0513, which are among the most metal-poor galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The local analogs resemble the lensed galaxy in many ways, including UV/optical spectral energy distribution, spatial morphology, and emission line equivalent widths and ratios. Common to SL2SJ02176-0513 and its local counterparts is an upturn at mid-IR wavelengths likely arising from hot dust heated by starbursts. The emission lines of SL2SJ02176-0513 are spatially resolved owing to the combination of the lens and the high spatial resolution of HST. The lensed galaxy is composed of two clumps with combined size re ~300 pc, and we resolve significant differences in UV color and emission line equivalent width between them. Though it has characteristics occasionally attributed to active galactic nuclei, we conclude that SL2SJ02176-0513 is a low-metallicity star-bursting dwarf galaxy. Such galaxies will be found in significant numbers in the full 3D-HST grism survey. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, program 12328, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

Morphological and genetic divergence in Swedish postglacial stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) populations

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background An important objective of evolutionary biology is to understand the processes that govern phenotypic variation in natural populations. We assessed patterns of morphological and genetic divergence among coastal and inland lake populations of nine-spined stickleback in northern Sweden. Coastal populations are either from the Baltic coast (n = 5) or from nearby coastal lakes (n = 3) that became isolated from the Baltic Sea (< 100 years before present, ybp). Inland populations are from freshwater lakes that became isolated from the Baltic approximately 10,000 ybp; either single species lakes without predators (n = 5), or lakes with a recent history of predation (n = 5) from stocking of salmonid predators (~50 ybp). Results Coastal populations showed little variation in 11 morphological traits and had longer spines per unit of body length than inland populations. Inland populations were larger, on average, and showed greater morphological variation than coastal populations. A principal component analysis (PCA) across all populations revealed two major morphological axes related to spine length (PC1, 47.7% variation) and body size (PC2, 32.9% variation). Analysis of PCA scores showed marked similarity in coastal (Baltic coast and coastal lake) populations. PCA scores indicate that inland populations with predators have higher within-group variance in spine length and lower within-group variance in body size than inland populations without predators. Estimates of within-group PST (a proxy for QST) from PCA scores are similar to estimates of FST for coastal lake populations but PST >FST for Baltic coast populations. PST >FST for PC1 and PC2 for inland predator and inland no predator populations, with the exception that PST

A hammerhead ribozyme allows synthesis of a new form of the Tetrahymena ribozyme homogeneous in length with a 3' end blocked for transesterification.

PubMed Central

Grosshans, C A; Cech, T R

1991-01-01

The L-21 Scal form of the Tetrahymena ribozyme acts as a sequence-specific endonuclease. This ribozyme has a homogeneous 5' end but a somewhat heterogeneous 3' end, as is typical of RNA synthesized by transcription in vitro. To produce a more homogeneous ribozyme for both structural and enzymological studies, a hammerhead ribozyme was inserted at the 3' end of the Tetrahymena ribozyme. During transcription the hammerhead moiety self-cleaves to produce the L-21 A Tetrahymena ribozyme, which ends at A410 with a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate terminus. The new ribozyme has endoribonuclease activity equivalent to that of L-21 Scal under conditions where binding of substrate is rate-limiting, as well as under conditions where chemical cleavage by guanosine is rate-limiting. However, the L-21 A has lost activity in oligo(C) disproportionation (e.g., 2 pC5----pC4 + pC6), consistent with the previous proposal that this reaction occurs predominantly through a covalent ribozyme-substrate intermediate involving the 3'-terminal hydroxyl group of the ribozyme. Formation of such an intermediate would be prevented by the 2',3'-cyclic phosphate terminus. Thus the L-21 A ribozyme has simplified enzymatic activity, being fully active as an endonuclease but blocked for disproportionation. Images PMID:1650453

A Black Phosphorus Carbide Infrared Phototransistor.

PubMed

Tan, Wee Chong; Huang, Li; Ng, Rui Jie; Wang, Lin; Hasan, Dihan Md Nuruddin; Duffin, Thorin Jake; Kumar, Karuppannan Senthil; Nijhuis, Christian A; Lee, Chengkuo; Ang, Kah-Wee

2018-02-01

Photodetectors with broadband detection capability are desirable for sensing applications in the coming age of the internet-of-things. Although 2D layered materials (2DMs) have been actively pursued due to their unique optical properties, by far only graphene and black arsenic phosphorus have the wide absorption spectrum that covers most molecular vibrational fingerprints. However, their reported responsivity and response time are falling short of the requirements needed for enabling simultaneous weak-signal and high-speed detections. Here, a novel 2DM, black phosphorous carbide (b-PC) with a wide absorption spectrum up to 8000 nm is synthesized and a b-PC phototransistor with a tunable responsivity and response time at an excitation wavelength of 2004 nm is demonstrated. The b-PC phototransistor achieves a peak responsivity of 2163 A W -1 and a shot noise equivalent power of 1.3 fW Hz -1/2 at 2004 nm. In addition, it is shown that a response time of 0.7 ns is tunable by the gating effect, which renders it versatile for high-speed applications. Under the same signal strength (i.e., excitation power), its performance in responsivity and detectivity in room temperature condition is currently ahead of recent top-performing photodetectors based on 2DMs that operate with a small bias voltage of 0.2 V. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Salt-induced effects on natural and inverse DPPC lipid membranes: Molecular dynamics simulation.

PubMed

Rezaei Sani, Seyed Mojtaba; Akhavan, Mojdeh; Jalili, Seifollah

2018-08-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer and its neutral inverse-phosphocholine equivalent (DPCPe) were performed to find salt-induced effects on their surface structure and the nature of ion-lipid interactions. We found that the area per lipid is not considerably affected by the inversion, but the deuterium order parameter of carbon atoms in the region of carbonyl carbons changes dramatically. MD simulations indicate that Ca 2+ ions can bind to the surface of both DPPC and DPCPe membranes, but K + ions do not bind to them. In the case of Na + , however, the ions can bind to natural lipids but not to the inverse ones. Also, our results demonstrate that the hydration level of CPe bilayers is substantially lower than PC bilayers and the averaged orientation of water dipoles in the region of CPe headgroups is effectively inverted compared to PC lipids. This might be important in the interaction of the bilayer with its biological environment. Furthermore, it was found for the CPe bilayers that the enhanced peaks of the electrostatic potential profiles shift further away from the bilayer center relative to those of PC bilayers. This behavior makes the penetration of cations into the bilayer more difficult and possibly explains the experimentally observed enhanced release rates of anionic compounds in the CPe membrane. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic efficiency analysis and cycle optimization of deeply precooled combined cycle engine in the air-breathing mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianqiang; Wang, Zhenguo; Li, Qinglian

2017-09-01

The efficiency calculation and cycle optimization were carried out for the Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) with deeply precooled combined cycle. A component-level model was developed for the engine, and exergy efficiency analysis based on the model was carried out. The methods to improve cycle efficiency have been proposed. The results indicate cycle efficiency of SABRE is between 29.7% and 41.7% along the flight trajectory, and most of the wasted exergy is occupied by the unburned hydrogen in exit gas. Exergy loss exists in each engine component, and the sum losses of main combustion chamber(CC), pre-burner(PB), precooler(PC) and 3# heat exchanger(HX3) are greater than 71.3% of the total loss. Equivalence ratio is the main influencing factor of cycle, and it can be regulated by adjusting parameters of helium loop. Increase the maximum helium outlet temperature of PC by 50 K, the total assumption of hydrogen will be saved by 4.8%, and the cycle efficiency is advanced by 3% averagely in the trajectory. Helium recirculation scheme introduces a helium recirculation loop to increase local helium flow rate of PC. It turns out the total assumption of hydrogen will be saved by 9%, that's about 1740 kg, and the cycle efficiency is advanced by 5.6% averagely.

Kinematics and subpopulations' structure definition of blue fox (Alopex lagopus) sperm motility using the ISAS® V1 CASA system.

PubMed

Soler, C; García, A; Contell, J; Segervall, J; Sancho, M

2014-08-01

Over recent years, technological advances have brought innovation in assisted reproduction to the agriculture. Fox species are of great economical interest in some countries, but their semen characteristics have not been studied enough. To advance the knowledge of function of fox spermatozoa, five samples were obtained by masturbation, in the breeding season. Kinetic analysis was performed using ISAS® v1 system. Usual kinematic parameters (VCL, VSL, VAP, LIN, STR, WOB, ALH and BCF) were considered. To establish the standardization for the analysis of samples, the minimum number of cells to analyse and the minimum number of fields to capture were defined. In the second step, the presence of subpopulations in blue fox semen was analysed. The minimum number of cells to test was 30, because kinematic parameters remained constant along the groups of analysis. Also, the effectiveness of ISAS® D4C20 counting chamber was studied, showing that the first five squares presented equivalent results, while in the squares six and seven, the kinematic parameters showed a reduction in all of them, but not in the concentration or motility percentage. Kinematic variables were grouped into two principal components (PC). A linear movement characterized PC1, while PC2 showed an oscillatory movement. Three subpopulations were found, varying in structure among different animals. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Polymorphism of POPE/cholesterol system: a 2H nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopic investigation.

PubMed Central

Paré, C; Lafleur, M

1998-01-01

It is well established that cholesterol induces the formation of a liquid-ordered phase in phosphatidylcholine (PC) bilayers. The goal of this work is to examine the influence of cholesterol on phosphatidylethanolamine polymorphism. The behavior of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (POPE)/cholesterol mixtures was characterized using infrared and 2H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (using POPE bearing a perdeuterated palmitoyl chain in the latter case). Our results reveal that cholesterol induces the formation of a liquid-ordered phase in POPE membranes, similar to those observed for various PC/cholesterol systems. However, the coexistence region of the gel and the liquid-ordered phases is different from that proposed for PC/cholesterol systems. The results indicate a progressive broadening of the gel-to-fluid phase transition, suggesting the absence of an eutectic. In addition, there is a progressive downshift of the end of the transition for cholesterol content higher than 10 mol %. Cholesterol has an ordering effect on the acyl chains of POPE, but it is less pronounced than for the PC equivalent. This study also shows that the cholesterol effect on the lamellar-to-hexagonal (L(alpha)-H(II)) phase transition is not monotonous. It shifts the transition toward the low temperatures between 0 and 30 mol % cholesterol but shifts it toward the high temperatures when cholesterol content is higher than 30 mol %. The change in conformational order of the lipid acyl chains, as probed by the shift of the symmetric methylene C-H stretching, shows concerted variations. Finally, we show that cholesterol maintains its chain ordering effect in the hexagonal phase. PMID:9533701

The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: L-Band Data Recovery and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lifset, Noah

2018-01-01

Breakthrough Listen is a next generation SETI project conducted under the leadership of UC Berkeley. In January 2016, it began collecting data with the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. It started a targeted campaign of stars within 50 pc with the L-band receiver (1.1-1.9 GHz). Enriquez et al. (2017) analyzed two thirds of this data comprising an homogeneous sample. The remaining one third of the L-band data taken since then is incomplete in some way, and thus required a different analysis. This project identified all possible issues with this data, and classified it based on its ability to be analyzed. Seven issues were found, and six are able to be accounted for with adapted analysis techniques. The data set consisted of observations of 366 stars within 50 pc, with 297 able to be analyzed and 69 needing to be re-observed. The Breakthrough Listen observation strategy uses 6 five minute observations per target star alternating between ON-target and OFF-target in the form ABACAD, which allows for easier radio-frequency interference identification. The analysis techniques, called turboSETI, search for a narrowband signal with a drifting doppler shift. For this data, a maximum drift rate of 4 Hz/s was chosen, which corresponds to an ET emitter on a planet three times the size of earth rotating three times as fast. An SNR threshold for signal detection of 15 was chosen, which allows for detection of signals with an EIRP (Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power) of 9.72 x109 W for an emitter at a distance of 10 Ly. A total of 10 candidates signals were found, which were all determined to be either a satellite or another type of RFI. We can infer an upper limit of ~ 5 x108 stars in the milky way transmitting continuously towards earth in the L-band with a EIRP of 1012 W or greater.

Spectral and spatial resolving of photoelectric property of femtosecond laser drilled holes of GaSb(1-x)Bi(x).

PubMed

Pan, C B; Zha, F X; Song, Y X; Shao, J; Dai, Y; Chen, X R; Ye, J Y; Wang, S M

2015-07-15

Femtosecond laser drilled holes of GaSbBi were characterized by the joint measurements of photoconductivity (PC) spectroscopy and laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) mapping. The excitation light in PC was focused down to 60 μm presenting the spectral information of local electronic property of individual holes. A redshift of energy band edge of about 6-8 meV was observed by the PC measurement when the excitation light irradiated on the laser drilled holes. The spatial resolving of photoelectric property was achieved by the LBIC mapping which shows "pseudo-holes" with much larger dimensions than the geometric sizes of the holes. The reduced LBIC current with the pseudo-holes is associated with the redshift effect indicating that the electronic property of the rim areas of the holes is modified by the femtosecond laser drilling.

Enhanced light output from a nitride-based power chip of green light-emitting diodes with nano-rough surface using nanoimprint lithography.

PubMed

Huang, H W; Lin, C H; Yu, C C; Lee, B D; Chiu, C H; Lai, C F; Kuo, H C; Leung, K M; Lu, T C; Wang, S C

2008-05-07

Enhanced light extraction from a GaN-based power chip (PC) of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a rough p-GaN surface using nanoimprint lithography is presented. At a driving current of 350 mA and with a chip size of 1 mm × 1 mm packaged on transistor outline (TO)-cans, the light output power of the green PC LEDs with nano-rough p-GaN surface is enhanced by 48% when compared with the same device without a rough p-GaN surface. In addition, by examining the radiation patterns, the green PC LED with nano-rough p-GaN surface shows stronger light extraction with a wider view angle. These results offer promising potential to enhance the light output powers of commercial light-emitting devices by using the technique of nanoimprint lithography under suitable nanopattern design.

Evolution of nanodot morphology on polycarbonate (PC) surfaces by 40 keV Ar{sup +}

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

Goyal, Meetika, E-mail: meetika89@gmail.com; Chawla, Mahak; Gupta, Divya

In the present paper we have discussed the effect of 40 keV Ar{sup +} ions irradiation on nanoscale surface morphology of Polycarbonate (PC) substrate. Specimens were sputtered at off normal incidences of 30°, 40° and 50° with the fluence of 1 × 10{sup 16} Ar{sup +}cm{sup −2}. The topographical behaviour of specimens was studied by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technique. AFM study demonstrates the evolution of nano dot morphology on PC specimens on irradiating with 1 × 10{sup 16} Ar{sup +}cm{sup −2}. Average size of dots varied from 37-95 nm in this specified range of incidence while density of dotsmore » varied from 0.17-3.0 × 107 dotscm{sup −2}. Such variations in morphological features have been supported by estimation of ion range and sputtering yield through SRIM simulations.« less

Inhibition of human prostate cancer (PC-3) cells and targeting of PC-3-derived prostate cancer stem cells with koenimbin, a natural dietary compound from Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng.

PubMed

Kamalidehghan, Behnam; Ghafouri-Fard, Soudeh; Motevaseli, Elahe; Ahmadipour, Fatemeh

2018-01-01

Inhibition of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) is an efficient curative maintenance protocol for the prevention of prostate cancer. The objectives of this study were to assess the efficiency of koenimbin, a major biologically active component of Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng, in the suppression of PC-3 cells and to target PC-3-derived cancer stem cells (CSCs) through apoptotic and CSC signaling pathways in vitro. The antiproliferative activity of koenimbin was examined using MTT, and the apoptotic detection was carried out by acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) double-staining and multiparametric high-content screening (HCS) assays. Caspase bioluminescence assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and immunoblotting were conducted to confirm the expression of apoptotic-associated proteins. Cell cycle analysis was investigated using flow cytometry. Involvement of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was analyzed using HCS assay. Aldefluor™ and prostasphere formation examinations were used to evaluate the impact of koenimbin on PC-3 CSCs in vitro. Koenimbin remarkably inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Koenimbin induced nuclear condensation, formation of apoptotic bodies, and G 0 /G 1 phase arrest of PC-3 cells. Koenimbin triggered the activation of caspase-3/7 and caspase-9 and the release of cytochrome c , decreased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and HSP70 proteins, increased pro-apoptotic Bax proteins, and inhibited NF-κB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, leading to the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Koenimbin significantly ( P <0.05) reduced the aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cell population of PC-3 CSCs and the size and number of PC-3 CSCs in primary, secondary, and tertiary prostaspheres in vitro. Koenimbin has chemotherapeutic potential that may be employed for future treatment through decreasing the recurrence of cancer, resulting in the improvement of cancer management strategies and patient survival.

Estimating equivalence with quantile regression

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cade, B.S.

2011-01-01

Equivalence testing and corresponding confidence interval estimates are used to provide more enlightened statistical statements about parameter estimates by relating them to intervals of effect sizes deemed to be of scientific or practical importance rather than just to an effect size of zero. Equivalence tests and confidence interval estimates are based on a null hypothesis that a parameter estimate is either outside (inequivalence hypothesis) or inside (equivalence hypothesis) an equivalence region, depending on the question of interest and assignment of risk. The former approach, often referred to as bioequivalence testing, is often used in regulatory settings because it reverses the burden of proof compared to a standard test of significance, following a precautionary principle for environmental protection. Unfortunately, many applications of equivalence testing focus on establishing average equivalence by estimating differences in means of distributions that do not have homogeneous variances. I discuss how to compare equivalence across quantiles of distributions using confidence intervals on quantile regression estimates that detect differences in heterogeneous distributions missed by focusing on means. I used one-tailed confidence intervals based on inequivalence hypotheses in a two-group treatment-control design for estimating bioequivalence of arsenic concentrations in soils at an old ammunition testing site and bioequivalence of vegetation biomass at a reclaimed mining site. Two-tailed confidence intervals based both on inequivalence and equivalence hypotheses were used to examine quantile equivalence for negligible trends over time for a continuous exponential model of amphibian abundance. ?? 2011 by the Ecological Society of America.

Development and evaluation of a time-dependent radiographic technology by using a muon read out module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusagaya, T.; Uchida, T.; Tanaka, H. K. M.; Tanaka, M.

2012-04-01

We will present a real-time monitoring system for cosmic-ray muon radiography as an application of a readout module developed by T. Uchida et al [1,2]. The readout module was developed originally for probing the internal structure of volcanoes in 2008 [3]. Its features are small in size, low power consumption, and the capability to access remotely via Ethernet. The current statistics data of cosmic-ray muons can be read from a PC placed far from the module at anytime. By using this feature, we constructed a real-time monitoring system. As a test experiment, we observed fluid movement in a cylinder with a diameter of 112 meters water equivalent. In this work, we succeeded to resolve the fluid movement in the cylinder. We varied the fluid level inside the cylinder and measured the muon intensity. We found that the muon intensity correlates inversely with the fluid level: the muon intensity increases for the lower fluid level and decreases for the higher fluid level. Although the time resolution of muon radiography was sufficient to resolve changes in the fluid level, an adequate time window has to be chosen for different operating conditions. We anticipate that this system will be applicable to exploring high-speed phenomena in a gigantic object.

Computer vision camera with embedded FPGA processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lecerf, Antoine; Ouellet, Denis; Arias-Estrada, Miguel

2000-03-01

Traditional computer vision is based on a camera-computer system in which the image understanding algorithms are embedded in the computer. To circumvent the computational load of vision algorithms, low-level processing and imaging hardware can be integrated in a single compact module where a dedicated architecture is implemented. This paper presents a Computer Vision Camera based on an open architecture implemented in an FPGA. The system is targeted to real-time computer vision tasks where low level processing and feature extraction tasks can be implemented in the FPGA device. The camera integrates a CMOS image sensor, an FPGA device, two memory banks, and an embedded PC for communication and control tasks. The FPGA device is a medium size one equivalent to 25,000 logic gates. The device is connected to two high speed memory banks, an IS interface, and an imager interface. The camera can be accessed for architecture programming, data transfer, and control through an Ethernet link from a remote computer. A hardware architecture can be defined in a Hardware Description Language (like VHDL), simulated and synthesized into digital structures that can be programmed into the FPGA and tested on the camera. The architecture of a classical multi-scale edge detection algorithm based on a Laplacian of Gaussian convolution has been developed to show the capabilities of the system.

Net energy and protein requirements for pregnancy differ between goats and sheep.

PubMed

Härter, C J; Ellis, J L; France, J; Resende, K T; Teixeira, I A M A

2016-06-01

Current feeding systems for goats estimate the energy and protein requirements for pregnancy using data from sheep. The objective of this study was to predict the NE and net protein requirements for pregnancy in goats carrying single and twin fetuses and to compare these requirements with those of sheep. Data were compiled from 2 studies with dairy goats and 3 studies with sheep. These studies measured the energy content (EC) and protein content (PC) of the gravid uterus and of the mammary gland using the comparative slaughter technique. The current study was performed as a meta-analysis using an exponential model, comparing species (sheep versus goats) and litter size (single versus twin) from 50 to 140 d of pregnancy. Total EC and total PC in the gravid uterus were similar in goats and sheep carrying a single fetus. Energy and protein contents of the gravid uterus of sheep carrying twins were, on average, 29% greater than that of goats with twins from 80 to 140 d of pregnancy. During pregnancy, EC and PC of the mammary gland in goats carrying singles and twins were, on average, greater than those of sheep by 9 and 24%, respectively, for EC and by 25% for PC for both litter sizes. In conclusion, the gravid uterus and the mammary gland of goats and sheep require different amounts of energy and protein. Sheep carrying twins have the greatest daily NE and net protein requirements for pregnancy followed by goats carrying twins and both species carrying a single fetus. Therefore, it is inappropriate to adopt data from sheep to predict the net pregnancy requirements of goats, and the results found in this study could be relevant to the nutritional management of dairy goats.

Effects of transplantation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells on prostate tumor.

PubMed

Lin, Guiting; Yang, Rong; Banie, Lia; Wang, Guifang; Ning, Hongxiu; Li, Long-Cheng; Lue, Tom F; Lin, Ching-Shwun

2010-07-01

Obesity is a risk factor for prostate cancer development, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. The present study tested the hypothesis that stromal cells of the adipose tissue might be recruited by cancer cells to help tumor growth. PC3 prostate cancer cells were transplanted into the subcutaneous space of the right flank of athymic mice. One week later, adipose tissue-derived stromal or stem cells (ADSC) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, as control) was transplanted similarly to the left flank. Tumor size was monitored for the next 34 days; afterwards, the mice were sacrificed and their tumors harvested for histological examination. The ability of PC3 cells to attract ADSC was tested by migration assay. The involvement of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis was tested by migration assay in the presence of a specific inhibitor AMD3100. Throughout the entire course, the average size of PC3 tumors in ADSC-treated mice was larger than in PBS-treated mice. ADSC were identified inside the tumors of ADSC-treated mice; CXCR4 expression was also detected. Migration assay indicated the involvement of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in the migration of ADSC toward PC3 cells. Capillary density was twice as high in the tumors of ADSC-treated mice than in the tumors of PBS-treated mice. VEGF expression was similar but FGF2 expression was significantly higher in tumors of ADSC-treated mice than in the tumors of PBS-tread mice. Prostate cancer cells recruited ADSC by the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. ADSC helps tumor growth by increasing tumor vascularity, and which was mediated by FGF2.

Sex determination by three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of the palate and cranial base.

PubMed

Chovalopoulou, Maria-Eleni; Valakos, Efstratios D; Manolis, Sotiris K

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to assess sexual dimorphism in the palate and base of adult crania using three-dimensional geometric morphometric methods. The study sample consisted of 176 crania of known sex (94 males, 82 females) belonging to individuals who lived during the 20th century in Greece. The three-dimensional co-ordinates of 30 ectocranial landmarks were digitized using a MicroScribe 3DX contact digitizer. Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA) was used to obtain size and shape variables for statistical analysis. Three discriminant function analyses were carried out: (1) using PC scores from Procrustes shape space, (2) centroid size alone, and (3) PC scores of GPA residuals which includes InCS for analysis in Procrustes form space. Results indicate that there are shape differences between sexes. In males, the palate is deepest and more elongated; the cranial base is shortened. Sex-specific shape differences for the cross-validated data give better classification results in the cranial base (77.2%) compared with the palate (68.9%). Size alone yielded better results for cranial base (82%) in opposition to palate (63.1%). As anticipated, the classification accuracy improves when both size and shape are combined (90.4% for cranial base, and 74.8% for palate).

Life Origination Hydrate Theory (LOH-Theory) and Mitosis and Replication Hydrate Theory (MRH-Theory): three-dimensional PC validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadyshevich, E. A.; Dzyabchenko, A. V.; Ostrovskii, V. E.

2014-04-01

Size compatibility of the CH4-hydrate structure II and multi-component DNA fragments is confirmed by three-dimensional simulation; it is validation of the Life Origination Hydrate Theory (LOH-Theory).

Experience With Direct-to-Patient Recruitment for Enrollment Into a Clinical Trial in a Rare Disease: A Web-Based Study.

PubMed

Krischer, Jeffrey; Cronholm, Peter F; Burroughs, Cristina; McAlear, Carol A; Borchin, Renee; Easley, Ebony; Davis, Trocon; Kullman, Joyce; Carette, Simon; Khalidi, Nader; Koening, Curry; Langford, Carol A; Monach, Paul; Moreland, Larry; Pagnoux, Christian; Specks, Ulrich; Sreih, Antoine G; Ytterberg, Steven; Merkel, Peter A

2017-02-28

The target sample size for clinical trials often necessitates a multicenter (center of excellence, CoE) approach with associated added complexity, cost, and regulatory requirements. Alternative recruitment strategies need to be tested against this standard model. The aim of our study was to test whether a Web-based direct recruitment approach (patient-centric, PC) using social marketing strategies provides a viable option to the CoE recruitment method. PC recruitment and Web-based informed consent was compared with CoE recruitment for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of continuing versus stopping low-dose prednisone for maintenance of remission of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). The PC approach was not as successful as the CoE approach. Enrollment of those confirmed eligible by their physician was 10 of 13 (77%) and 49 of 51 (96%) in the PC and CoE arms, respectively (P=.05). The two approaches were not significantly different in terms of eligibility with 34% of potential participants in the CoE found to be ineligible as compared with 22% in the PC arm (P=.11) nor in provider acceptance, 22% versus 26% (P=.78). There was no difference in the understanding of the trial as reflected in the knowledge surveys of individuals in the PC and CoE arms. PC recruitment was substantially less successful than that achieved by the CoE approach. However, the PC approach was good at confirming eligibility and was as acceptable to providers and as understandable to patients as the CoE approach. The PC approach should be evaluated in other clinical settings to get a better sense of its potential. ©Jeffrey Krischer, Peter F Cronholm, Cristina Burroughs, Carol A McAlear, Renee Borchin, Ebony Easley, Trocon Davis, Joyce Kullman, Simon Carette, Nader Khalidi, Curry Koening, Carol A Langford, Paul Monach, Larry Moreland, Christian Pagnoux, Ulrich Specks, Antoine G Sreih, Steven Ytterberg, Peter A Merkel, Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 28.02.2017.

7 CFR 51.1216 - Size requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) The numerical count or a count-size based on equivalent tray pack size designations or the minimum... numerical count is not shown the minimum diameter shall be plainly stamped, stenciled, or otherwise marked...

7 CFR 51.1216 - Size requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) The numerical count or a count-size based on equivalent tray pack size designations or the minimum... numerical count is not shown the minimum diameter shall be plainly stamped, stenciled, or otherwise marked...

Tuning exchange interactions in organometallic semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawat, Naveen; Manning, Lane W.; Hua, Kim-Ngan; Headrick, Randall L.; Cherian, Judy G.; Bishop, Michael M.; McGill, Stephen A.; Furis, Madalina I.

2015-09-01

Organic semiconductors are emerging as a leading area of research as they are expected to overcome limitations of inorganic semiconductor devices for certain applications where low cost manufacturing, device transparency in the visible range or mechanical flexibility are more important than fast switching times. Solution processing methods produce thin films with millimeter sized crystalline grains at very low cost manufacturing prices, ideally suited for optical spectroscopy investigations of long range many-body effects in organic systems. To this end, we synthesized an entire family of organosoluble 3-d transition metal Pc's and successfully employed a novel solution-based pen-writing deposition technique to fabricate long range ordered thin films of mixtures of metal-free (H2Pc) molecule and organometallic phthalocyanines (MPc's). Our previous studies on the parent MPc crystalline thin films identified different electronic states mediating exchange interactions in these materials. This understanding of spin-dependent exchange interaction between delocalized π-electrons with unpaired d spins enabled the further tuning of these interactions by mixing CoPc and H2Pc in different ratios ranging from 1:1 to 1000:1 H2Pc:MPc. The magnitude of the exchange is also tunable as a function of the average distance between unpaired spins in these materials. Furthermore, high magnetic field (B < 25T) MCD and magneto-photoluminescence show evidence of spin-polarized band-edge excitons in the same materials.

Failure to comply with NCCN guidelines for the management of pancreatic cancer compromises outcomes

PubMed Central

Visser, Brendan C; Ma, Yifei; Zak, Yulia; Poultsides, George A; Norton, Jeffrey A; Rhoads, Kim F

2012-01-01

Introduction There are little data available regarding compliance with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. We investigated variation in the management of pancreatic cancer (PC) among large hospitals in California, USA, specifically to evaluate whether compliance with NCCN guidelines correlates with patient outcomes. Methods The California Cancer Registry was used to identify patients treated for PC from 2001 to 2006. Only hospitals with ≥ 400 beds were included to limit evaluation to centres possessing resources to provide multimodality care (n= 50). Risk-adjusted multivariable models evaluated predictors of adherence to stage-specific NCCN guidelines for PC and mortality. Results In all, 3706 patients were treated for PC in large hospitals during the study period. Compliance with NCCN guidelines was only 34.5%. Patients were less likely to get recommended therapy with advanced age and low socioeconomic status (SES). Using multilevel analysis, controlling for patient factors (including demographics and comorbidities), hospital factors (e.g. size, academic affiliation and case volume), compliance with NCCN guidelines was associated with a reduced risk of mortality [odds ratio (OR) for death 0.64 (0.53–0.77, P < 0.0001)]. Conclusions There is relatively poor overall compliance with the NCCN PC guidelines in California's large hospitals. Higher compliance rates are correlated with improved survival. Compliance is an important potential measure of the quality of care. PMID:22762402

[Construction and functional identification of eukaryotic expression vector carrying Sprague-Dawley rat MSX-2 gene].

PubMed

Yang, Xian-Xian; Zhang, Mei; Yan, Zhao-Wen; Zhang, Ru-Hong; Mu, Xiong-Zheng

2008-01-01

To construct a high effective eukaryotic expressing plasmid PcDNA 3.1-MSX-2 encoding Sprague-Dawley rat MSX-2 gene for the further study of MSX-2 gene function. The full length SD rat MSX-2 gene was amplified by PCR, and the full length DNA was inserted in the PMD1 8-T vector. It was isolated by restriction enzyme digest with BamHI and Xhol, then ligated into the cloning site of the PcDNA3.1 expression plasmid. The positive recombinant was identified by PCR analysis, restriction endonudease analysis and sequence analysis. Expression of RNA and protein was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis in PcDNA3.1-MSX-2 transfected HEK293 cells. Sequence analysis and restriction endonudease analysis of PcDNA3.1-MSX-2 demonstrated that the position and size of MSX-2 cDNA insertion were consistent with the design. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed specific expression of mRNA and protein of MSX-2 in the transfected HEK293 cells. The high effective eukaryotic expression plasmid PcDNA3.1-MSX-2 encoding Sprague-Dawley Rat MSX-2 gene which is related to craniofacial development can be successfully reconstructed. It may serve as the basis for the further study of MSX-2 gene function.

Failure to comply with NCCN guidelines for the management of pancreatic cancer compromises outcomes.

PubMed

Visser, Brendan C; Ma, Yifei; Zak, Yulia; Poultsides, George A; Norton, Jeffrey A; Rhoads, Kim F

2012-08-01

There are little data available regarding compliance with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. We investigated variation in the management of pancreatic cancer (PC) among large hospitals in California, USA, specifically to evaluate whether compliance with NCCN guidelines correlates with patient outcomes. The California Cancer Registry was used to identify patients treated for PC from 2001 to 2006. Only hospitals with ≥ 400 beds were included to limit evaluation to centres possessing resources to provide multimodality care (n= 50). Risk-adjusted multivariable models evaluated predictors of adherence to stage-specific NCCN guidelines for PC and mortality. In all, 3706 patients were treated for PC in large hospitals during the study period. Compliance with NCCN guidelines was only 34.5%. Patients were less likely to get recommended therapy with advanced age and low socioeconomic status (SES). Using multilevel analysis, controlling for patient factors (including demographics and comorbidities), hospital factors (e.g. size, academic affiliation and case volume), compliance with NCCN guidelines was associated with a reduced risk of mortality [odds ratio (OR) for death 0.64 (0.53-0.77, P < 0.0001)]. There is relatively poor overall compliance with the NCCN PC guidelines in California's large hospitals. Higher compliance rates are correlated with improved survival. Compliance is an important potential measure of the quality of care. © 2012 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

Safety and efficacy of percutaneous cecostomy/colostomy for treatment of large bowel obstruction in adults with cancer.

PubMed

Tewari, Sanjit O; Getrajdman, George I; Petre, Elena N; Sofocleous, Constantinos T; Siegelbaum, Robert H; Erinjeri, Joseph P; Weiser, Martin R; Thornton, Raymond H

2015-02-01

To assess the safety and efficacy of image-guided percutaneous cecostomy/colostomy (PC) in the management of colonic obstruction in patients with cancer. Twenty-seven consecutive patients underwent image-guided PC to relieve large bowel obstruction at a single institution between 2000 and 2012. Colonic obstruction was the common indication. Patient demographics, diagnosis, procedural details, and outcomes including maximum colonic distension (MCD; ie, greatest transverse measurement of the colon on radiograph or scout computed tomography image) were recorded and retrospectively analyzed. Following PC, no patient experienced colonic perforation; pain was relieved in 24 of 27 patients (89%). Catheters with tip position in luminal gas rather than mixed stool/gas or stool were associated with greater decrease in MCD (-40%, -12%, and -16%, respectively), with the difference reaching statistical significance (P = .002 and P = .013, respectively). Catheter size was not associated with change in MCD (P = .978). Catheters were successfully removed from six of nine patients (67%) with functional obstructions and two of 18 patients (11%) with mechanical obstructions. One patient underwent endoscopic stent placement after catheter removal. Three patients required diverting colostomy after PC, and their catheters were removed at the time of surgery. One major complication (3.7%; subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and sepsis) occurred 8 days after PC and was successfully treated with cecostomy exchange, soft-tissue drainage, and intravenous antibiotic therapy. Image-guided PC is safe and effective for management of functional and mechanical bowel obstruction in patients with cancer. For optimal efficacy, catheters should terminate within luminal gas. Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Partial wave spectroscopic microscopy can predict prostate cancer progression and mitigate over-treatment (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Di; Graff, Taylor; Crawford, Susan; Subramanian, Hariharan; Thompson, Sebastian; Derbas, Justin R.; Lyengar, Radha; Roy, Hemant K.; Brendler, Charles B.; Backman, Vadim

2016-02-01

Prostate Cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men. While prostate specific antigen (PSA) test has been widely used for screening PC, >60% of the PSA detected cancers are indolent, leading to unnecessary clinical interventions. An alternative approach, active surveillance (AS), also suffer from high expense, discomfort and complications associated with repeat biopsies (every 1-3 years), limiting its acceptance. Hence, a technique that can differentiate indolent from aggressive PC would attenuate the harms from over-treatment. Combining microscopy with spectroscopy, our group has developed partial wave spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy, which can quantify intracellular nanoscale organizations (e.g. chromatin structures) that are not accessible by conventional microscopy. PWS microscopy has previously been shown to predict the risk of cancer in seven different organs (N ~ 800 patients). Herein we use PWS measurement of label-free histologically-normal prostatic epithelium to distinguish indolent from aggressive PC and predict PC risk. Our results from 38 men with low-grade PC indicated that there is a significant increase in progressors compared to non-progressors (p=0.002, effect size=110%, AUC=0.80, sensitivity=88% and specificity=72%), while the baseline clinical characteristics were not significantly different. We further improved the diagnostic power by performing nuclei-specific measurements using an automated system that separates in real-time the cell nuclei from the remaining prostate epithelium. In the long term, we envision that the PWS based prognostication can be coupled with AS without any change to the current procedure to mitigate the harms caused by over-treatment.

Principal component and clustering analysis on molecular dynamics data of the ribosomal L11·23S subdomain.

PubMed

Wolf, Antje; Kirschner, Karl N

2013-02-01

With improvements in computer speed and algorithm efficiency, MD simulations are sampling larger amounts of molecular and biomolecular conformations. Being able to qualitatively and quantitatively sift these conformations into meaningful groups is a difficult and important task, especially when considering the structure-activity paradigm. Here we present a study that combines two popular techniques, principal component (PC) analysis and clustering, for revealing major conformational changes that occur in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Specifically, we explored how clustering different PC subspaces effects the resulting clusters versus clustering the complete trajectory data. As a case example, we used the trajectory data from an explicitly solvated simulation of a bacteria's L11·23S ribosomal subdomain, which is a target of thiopeptide antibiotics. Clustering was performed, using K-means and average-linkage algorithms, on data involving the first two to the first five PC subspace dimensions. For the average-linkage algorithm we found that data-point membership, cluster shape, and cluster size depended on the selected PC subspace data. In contrast, K-means provided very consistent results regardless of the selected subspace. Since we present results on a single model system, generalization concerning the clustering of different PC subspaces of other molecular systems is currently premature. However, our hope is that this study illustrates a) the complexities in selecting the appropriate clustering algorithm, b) the complexities in interpreting and validating their results, and c) by combining PC analysis with subsequent clustering valuable dynamic and conformational information can be obtained.

Defining Equivalence in Medical Education Evaluation and Research: Does a Distribution-Based Approach Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rusticus, Shayna A.; Eva, Kevin W.

2016-01-01

Educators often seek to demonstrate the equivalence of groups, such as whether or not students achieve comparable success regardless of the site at which they trained. A methodological consideration that is often underappreciated is how to operationalize equivalence. This study examined whether a distribution-based approach, based on effect size,…

Optimal Sample Size Determinations for the Heteroscedastic Two One-Sided Tests of Mean Equivalence: Design Schemes and Software Implementations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jan, Show-Li; Shieh, Gwowen

2017-01-01

Equivalence assessment is becoming an increasingly important topic in many application areas including behavioral and social sciences research. Although there exist more powerful tests, the two one-sided tests (TOST) procedure is a technically transparent and widely accepted method for establishing statistical equivalence. Alternatively, a direct…

Changes in the Indian summer monsoon intensity in Sri Lanka during the last 30 ky - A multiproxy record from a marine sediment core.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranasinghage, P. N.; Nanayakkara, N. U.; Kodithuwakku, S.; Siriwardana, S.; Luo, C.; Fenghua, Z.

2016-12-01

Indian monsoon plays a vital role in determining climate events happening in the Asian region. There is no sufficient work in Sri Lanka to fully understand how the summer monsoonal variability affected Sri Lanka during the quaternary. Sri Lanka is situated at an ideal location with a unique geography to isolate Indian summer monsoon record from iris counterpart, Indian winter monsoon. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate its variability and understand the forcing factors. For this purpose a 1.82 m long gravity core, extracted from western continental shelf off Colombo, Sri Lanka by Shiyan 1 research vessel, was used. Particle size, chemical composition and colour reflectance were measured using laser particle size analyzer at 2 cm resolution, X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) at 2 cm resolution, and color spectrophotometer at 1 cm resolution respectively. Radio carbon dating of foraminifera tests by gas bench technique yielded the sediment age. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) of XRF and color reflectance (DSR) data was performed to identify groups of correlating elements and mineralogical composition of sediments. Particle size results indicate that Increasing temperature and strengthening monsoonal rainfall after around 18000 yrs BP, at the end of last glacial period, enhanced chemical weathering over physical weathering. Proxies for terrestrial influx (XRF PC1, DSR PC1) and upwelling and nutrient supply driven marine productivity (XRF PC3 and DSR PC2) indicate that strengthening of summer monsoon started around 15000 yrs BP and maximized around 8000-10000 yrs BP after a short period of weakening during Younger Dryas (around 11000 yrs BP). The 8.2 cold event was recorded as a period of low terrestrial influx indicating weakening of rainfall. After that terrestrial input was low till around 2000 yrs BP indicating decrease in rainfall. However, marine productivity remained increasing throughout the Holocene indicating an increase in monsoonal driven upwelling. Authors recorded similar increase in monsoonal wind strength during the late Holocene, with no increase in rainfall in another sediment core extracted from the western continental shelf of Sri Lanka.

Single-Event Upset and Scaling Trends in New Generation of the Commercial SOI PowerPC Microprocessors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irom, Farokh; Farmanesh, Farhad; Kouba, Coy K.

2006-01-01

Single-event upset effects from heavy ions are measured for Motorola silicon-on-insulator (SOI) microprocessor with 90 nm feature sizes. The results are compared with previous results for SOI microprocessors with feature sizes of 130 and 180 nm. The cross section of the 90 nm SOI processors is smaller than results for 130 and 180 nm counterparts, but the threshold is about the same. The scaling of the cross section with reduction of feature size and core voltage for SOI microprocessors is discussed.

Capital Budgeting Decisions with Post-Audit Information

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-08

estimates that were used during project selection. In similar fashion, this research introduces the equivalent sample size concept that permits the... equivalent sample size is extended to include the user’s prior beliefs. 4. For a management tool, the concepts for Cash Flow Control Charts are...Acoxxting Research , vol. 7, no. 2, Autumn 1969, pp. 215-244. [9] Gaynor, Edwin W., "Use of Control Charts in Cost Control ", National Association of Cost

Optical search for extraterrestrial intelligence with Air Cerenkov telescopes.

PubMed

Eichler, D; Beskin, G

2001-01-01

We propose using large Air Cerenkov telescopes (ACTs) to search for optical, pulsed signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. Such dishes collect tens of photons from a nanosecond-scale pulse of isotropic equivalent power of tens of solar luminosities at a distance of 100 pc. The field of view for giant ACTs can be on the order of 10 square degrees, and they will be able to monitor 10-100 stars simultaneously for nanosecond pulses of about 6th magnitude or brighter. Using the Earth's diameter as a baseline, orbital motion of the planet could be detected by timing the pulse arrivals.

Estimation of sample size and testing power (Part 3).

PubMed

Hu, Liang-ping; Bao, Xiao-lei; Guan, Xue; Zhou, Shi-guo

2011-12-01

This article introduces the definition and sample size estimation of three special tests (namely, non-inferiority test, equivalence test and superiority test) for qualitative data with the design of one factor with two levels having a binary response variable. Non-inferiority test refers to the research design of which the objective is to verify that the efficacy of the experimental drug is not clinically inferior to that of the positive control drug. Equivalence test refers to the research design of which the objective is to verify that the experimental drug and the control drug have clinically equivalent efficacy. Superiority test refers to the research design of which the objective is to verify that the efficacy of the experimental drug is clinically superior to that of the control drug. By specific examples, this article introduces formulas of sample size estimation for the three special tests, and their SAS realization in detail.

A model of olfactory associative learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavoni, Gaia; Balasubramanian, Vijay

We propose a mechanism, rooted in the known anatomy and physiology of the vertebrate olfactory system, by which presentations of rewarded and unrewarded odors lead to formation of odor-valence associations between piriform cortex (PC) and anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) which, in concert with neuromodulators release in the bulb, entrains a direct feedback from the AON representation of valence to a group of mitral cells (MCs). The model makes several predictions concerning MC activity during and after associative learning: (a) AON feedback produces synchronous divergent responses in a localized subset of MCs; (b) such divergence propagates to other MCs by lateral inhibition; (c) after learning, MC responses reconverge; (d) recall of the newly formed associations in the PC increases feedback inhibition in the MCs. These predictions have been confirmed in disparate experiments which we now explain in a unified framework. For cortex, our model further predicts that the response divergence developed during learning reshapes odor representations in the PC, with the effects of (a) decorrelating PC representations of odors with different valences, (b) increasing the size and reliability of those representations, and enabling recall correction and redundancy reduction after learning. Simons Foundation for Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems.

Effect of substrates on the molecular orientation of silicon phthalocyanine dichloride thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Juzhi; Baba, Yuji; Sekiguchi, Tetsuhiro; Hirao, Norie; Honda, Mitsunori

2007-05-01

Molecular orientations of silicon phthalocyanine dichloride (SiPcCl2) thin films deposited on three different substrates have been measured by near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy using linearly polarized synchrotron radiation. The substrates investigated were highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG), polycrystalline gold and indium tin oxide (ITO). For thin films of about five monolayers, the polarization dependences of the Si K-edge NEXAFS spectra showed that the molecular planes of SiPcCl2 on three substrates were nearly parallel to the surface. Quantitative analyses of the polarization dependences revealed that the tilted angle on HOPG was only 2°, which is interpreted by the perfect flatness of the HOPG surface. On the other hand, the tilted angle on ITO was 26°. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) observation of the ITO surface showed that the periodicity of the horizontal roughness is of the order of a few nanometres, which is larger than the molecular size of SiPcCl2. It is concluded that the morphology of the top surface layer of the substrate affects the molecular orientation of SiPcCl2 molecules not only for mono-layered adsorbates but also for multi-layered thin films.

Ultra-directional source of longitudinal acoustic waves based on a two-dimensional solid/solid phononic crystal

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

Morvan, B.; Tinel, A.; Sainidou, R.

2014-12-07

Phononic crystals (PC) can be used to control the dispersion properties of acoustic waves, which are essential to direct their propagation. We use a PC-based two-dimensional solid/solid composite to demonstrate experimentally and theoretically the spatial filtering of a monochromatic non-directional wave source and its emission in a surrounding water medium as an ultra-directional beam with narrow angular distribution. The phenomenon relies on square-shaped equifrequency contours (EFC) enabling self-collimation of acoustic waves within the phononic crystal. Additionally, the angular width of collimated beams is controlled via the EFC size-shrinking when increasing frequency.

A macroevolutionary explanation for energy equivalence in the scaling of body size and population density.

PubMed

Damuth, John

2007-05-01

Across a wide array of animal species, mean population densities decline with species body mass such that the rate of energy use of local populations is approximately independent of body size. This "energetic equivalence" is particularly evident when ecological population densities are plotted across several or more orders of magnitude in body mass and is supported by a considerable body of evidence. Nevertheless, interpretation of the data has remained controversial, largely because of the difficulty of explaining the origin and maintenance of such a size-abundance relationship in terms of purely ecological processes. Here I describe results of a simulation model suggesting that an extremely simple mechanism operating over evolutionary time can explain the major features of the empirical data. The model specifies only the size scaling of metabolism and a process where randomly chosen species evolve to take resource energy from other species. This process of energy exchange among particular species is distinct from a random walk of species abundances and creates a situation in which species populations using relatively low amounts of energy at any body size have an elevated extinction risk. Selective extinction of such species rapidly drives size-abundance allometry in faunas toward approximate energetic equivalence and maintains it there.

Ternary Blend Composed of Two Organic Donors and One Acceptor for Active Layer of High-Performance Organic Solar Cells.

PubMed

Lee, Jong Won; Choi, Yoon Suk; Ahn, Hyungju; Jo, Won Ho

2016-05-04

Ternary blends composed of two donor absorbers with complementary absorptions provide an opportunity to enhance the short-circuit current and thus the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells. In addition to complementary absorption of two donors, ternary blends may exhibit favorable morphology for high-performance solar cells when one chooses properly the donor pair. For this purpose, we develop a ternary blend with two donors (diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymer (PTDPP2T) and small molecule ((TDPP)2Ph)) and one acceptor (PC71BM). The solar cell made of a ternary blend with 10 wt % (TDPP)2Ph exhibits higher PCE of 7.49% as compared with the solar cells with binary blends, PTDPP2T:PC71BM (6.58%) and (TDPP)2Ph:PC71BM (3.21%). The higher PCE of the ternary blend solar cell is attributed mainly to complementary absorption of two donors. However, a further increase in (TDPP)2Ph content in the ternary blend (>10 wt %) decreases the PCE. The ternary blend with 10 wt % (TDPP)2Ph exhibits well-developed morphology with narrow-sized fibrils while the blend with 15 wt % (TDPP)2Ph shows phase separation with large-sized domains, demonstrating that the phase morphology and compatibility of ternary blend are important factors to achieve a high-performance solar cell made of ternary blends.

POX 186: A Dwarf Galaxy Under Construction?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbin, M. R.; Vacca, W. D.

2000-12-01

We have obtained deep images of the ultracompact ( ~ 3'') blue compact dwarf galaxy POX 186 in the F336W, F555W, and F814W filters of the Planetary Camera of the Hubble Space Telescope. We have additionally obtained a low-resolution near ultraviolet spectrum of the object with STIS and combine this with a ground-based spectrum covering the visible continuum and emission lines. Our images confirm this object to be highly compact, with a maximum projected size of only ~ 240 pc, making it one of the smallest galaxies known. We also confirm that the outer regions of the galaxy consist of an evolved stellar population, ruling out earlier speculations that POX 186 is a protogalaxy. However, the PC images reveal the galaxy to have a highly irregular morphology, with a pronounced tidal arm on its western side. This morphology is strongly suggestive of a recent collision between two smaller components which has in turn triggered the central starburst. The F336W image also shows that the material in this tidal stream is actively star forming. Given the very small ( ~ 100 pc) sizes of the colliding components, POX 186 may be a dwarf galaxy in the early stages of formation, which would be consistent with current ``downsizing'' models of galaxy formation in which the least massive objects are the last to form. This work is supported by NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

MOVPE prepared InAs/GaAs quantum dots covered by GaAsSb layer with long wavelength emission at 1.8 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zíková, Markéta; Hospodková, Alice; Pangrác, Jiří; Oswald, Jiří; Krčil, Pavel; Hulicius, Eduard; Komninou, Philomela; Kioseoglou, Joseph

2015-03-01

Preparation and properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) prepared by the MOVPE technology covered by GaAsSb strain reducing layer (SRL) with extremely long emission wavelength at 1.8 μm will be presented. Increase of the emission wavelength was achieved by the introduction of GaAsSb SRL with Sb content of about 30% in the solid phase. The high Sb concentration in the SRL causes the preservation of QD size, which is about 15 nm wide at the base and 5 nm high. Increased QD size increases the photoluminescence (PL) wavelength. Furthermore, high content of antimony leads to a creation of type II heterostructure for which a redshift of the PL wavelength and decrease of the PL intensity are typical. Low PL intensity may complicate light emitting applications; however fast separation of carriers in the type II structure is an advantage for detector or solar cell application, especially with the long working wavelength. With respect to the perspective application of this structure, the photocurrent (PC) measurement was chosen as the complementary characterization method. A depression of PC for quantum well wavelength region (approximately 900-1200 nm) was observed for positive bias, while the PC from QDs (over 1200 nm) is not sensitive to the electric field orientation at all. An explanation of this unexpected phenomenon is suggested.

Charge carrier relaxation in InGaAs-GaAs quantum wire modulation-doped heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondratenko, S. V.; Iliash, S. A.; Mazur, Yu I.; Kunets, V. P.; Benamara, M.; Salamo, G. J.

2017-09-01

The time dependencies of the carrier relaxation in modulation-doped InGaAs-GaAs low-dimensional structures with quantum wires have been studied as functions of temperature and light excitation levels. The photoconductivity (PC) relaxation follows a stretched exponent with decay constant, which depends on the morphology of InGaAs epitaxial layers, presence of deep traps, and energy disorder due to inhomogeneous distribution of size and composition. A hopping model, where electron tunnels between bands of localized states, gives appropriate interpretation for temperature-independent PC decay across the temperature range 150-290 K. At low temperatures (T < 150 K), multiple trapping-retrapping via 1D states of InGaAs quantum wires (QWRs), sub-bands of two-dimensional electron gas of modulation-doped n-GaAs spacers, as well as defect states in the GaAs environment are the dominant relaxation mechanism. The PC and photoluminescence transients for samples with different morphologies of the InGaAs nanostructures are compared. The relaxation rates are found to be largely dependent on energy disorder due to inhomogeneous distribution of strain, nanostructure size and composition, and piezoelectric fields in and around nanostructures, which have a strong impact on efficiency of carrier exchange between bands of the InGaAs QWRs, GaAs spacers, or wetting layers; presence of local electric fields; and deep traps.

Lecithin/TPGS-based spray-dried self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems: In vitro pulmonary deposition and cytotoxicity.

PubMed

Ishak, Rania A H; Osman, Rihab

2015-05-15

The aim of the present work was to develop a new solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) for the pulmonary delivery of the poorly water-soluble anti-cancer drug atorvastatin (AVT). Microemulsion (ME) was first developed using isopropyl myristate (IPM), a combination of 2 biocompatible surfactants: lecithin/d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) and ethanol as co-surfactant. Two types of lecithin with different phosphatidylcholine (PC) contents were compared. Phase diagram, physico-chemical characterization and stability studies were used to investigate ME region. Solid SMEDDS were then prepared by spray-drying the selected ME using a combination of carriers composed of sugars, leucine as dispersibility enhancer with or without polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000. Yield, flow properties, particle size and in vitro pulmonary deposition were used to characterize the spray-dried powders. Reconstituted MEs were characterized in terms of morphology, particle size and size distribution. In vitro cytotoxicity study was undertaken on lung cancer cell line for the selected MEs and SD-SMEDDS formulae. Results showed that the most satisfactory MEs properties were obtained with 1:3 lecithin/TPGS, 1:1 lecithin/oil and 1:1 surfactant/co-surfactant ratios. A larger ME area was obtained with lecithin containing 100% PC compared to the less expensive lecithin containing 20% PC. By manipulating spray drying parameters, carrier composition and ratio of ME lipids to carrier, microparticles with more than 70% of respirable fraction could be prepared. The ME was efficiently recovered in simulated lung fluid even after removal of alcohol. The concurrent delivery of AVT with TPGS in solid SMEDDS greatly enhanced the cytotoxic activity on lung cancer cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Exploratory Study of the Effect of Screen Size and Resolution on the Legibility of Graphics in Automated Job Performance Aids. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwyer, Daniel J.

Designed to assess the effect of alternative display (CRT) screen sizes and resolution levels on user ability to identify and locate printed circuit (PC) board points, this study is the first in a protracted research program on the legibility of graphics in computer-based job aids. Air Force maintenance training pipeline students (35 male and 1…

LACEwING: A New Moving Group Analysis Code

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

Riedel, Adric R.; Blunt, Sarah C.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.

We present a new nearby young moving group (NYMG) kinematic membership analysis code, LocAting Constituent mEmbers In Nearby Groups (LACEwING), a new Catalog of Suspected Nearby Young Stars, a new list of bona fide members of moving groups, and a kinematic traceback code. LACEwING is a convergence-style algorithm with carefully vetted membership statistics based on a large numerical simulation of the Solar Neighborhood. Given spatial and kinematic information on stars, LACEwING calculates membership probabilities in 13 NYMGs and three open clusters within 100 pc. In addition to describing the inputs, methods, and products of the code, we provide comparisons ofmore » LACEwING to other popular kinematic moving group membership identification codes. As a proof of concept, we use LACEwING to reconsider the membership of 930 stellar systems in the Solar Neighborhood (within 100 pc) that have reported measurable lithium equivalent widths. We quantify the evidence in support of a population of young stars not attached to any NYMGs, which is a possible sign of new as-yet-undiscovered groups or of a field population of young stars.« less

Two-dimensional plasmons in the random impedance network model of disordered thin film nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olekhno, N. A.; Beltukov, Y. M.

2018-05-01

Random impedance networks are widely used as a model to describe plasmon resonances in disordered metal-dielectric nanocomposites. Two-dimensional networks are applied when considering thin films despite the fact that such networks correspond to the two-dimensional electrodynamics [Clerc et al., J. Phys. A 29, 4781 (1996), 10.1088/0305-4470/29/16/006]. In the present work, we propose a model of two-dimensional systems with the three-dimensional Coulomb interaction and show that this model is equivalent to the planar network with long-range capacitive links between distant sites. In the case of a metallic film, we obtain the well-known dispersion of two-dimensional plasmons ω ∝√{k } . We study the evolution of resonances with a decrease in the metal filling factor within the framework of the proposed model. In the subcritical region with the metal filling p lower than the percolation threshold pc, we observe a gap with Lifshitz tails in the spectral density of states (DOS). In the supercritical region p >pc , the DOS demonstrates a crossover between plane-wave two-dimensional plasmons and resonances of finite clusters.

Impact of Sample Size and Variability on the Power and Type I Error Rates of Equivalence Tests: A Simulation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rusticus, Shayna A.; Lovato, Chris Y.

2014-01-01

The question of equivalence between two or more groups is frequently of interest to many applied researchers. Equivalence testing is a statistical method designed to provide evidence that groups are comparable by demonstrating that the mean differences found between groups are small enough that they are considered practically unimportant. Few…

Gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in exosomes as a potential marker for prostate cancer.

PubMed

Kawakami, Kyojiro; Fujita, Yasunori; Matsuda, Yoko; Arai, Tomio; Horie, Kengo; Kameyama, Koji; Kato, Taku; Masunaga, Koichi; Kasuya, Yutaka; Tanaka, Masashi; Mizutani, Kosuke; Deguchi, Takashi; Ito, Masafumi

2017-05-05

Exosomes or extracellular vesicles have the potential as a diagnostic marker for various diseases including cancer. In order to identify novel exosomal markers for prostate cancer (PC), we performed proteomic analysis of exosomes isolated from PC cell lines and examined the usefulness of the marker in patients. Exosomes isolated by differential centrifugation from the culture medium of androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cell line and its sublines of partially androgen-independent C4, androgen-independent C4-2 and bone metastatic C4-2B were subjected to iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis. Exosomes were also isolated by immunocapture and separated by size exclusion chromatography and density gradient centrifugation. Protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis. GGT activity was measured using a fluorescent probe, γ-glutamyl hydroxymethyl rhodamine green (gGlu-HMRG). Immunohistochemical analysis of tissues was performed using anti-GGT1 antibody. Among proteins upregulated in C4-2 and C4-2B cells than in LNCaP cells, we focused on gamma-glutamyltransferase 1 (GGT1), a cell-surface enzyme that regulates the catabolism of extracellular glutathione. The levels of both GGT1 large and small subunits were elevated in exosomes isolated from C4-2 and C4-2B cells by differential centrifugation and by immunocapture with anti-CD9 or -prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) antibody. In cell lysates and exosomes, GGT1 expression correlated with GGT activity. Size exclusion chromatography of human serum demonstrated the presence of GGT activity and GGT1 subunits in fractions positive for CD9. Density gradient centrifugation revealed the co-presence of GGT1 subunits with CD9 in exosomes isolated by differential centrifugation from human serum. Since GGT activity correlated with GGT1 expression in serum exosomes isolated by differential centrifugation, we measured serum exosomal GGT activity in patients. Unexpectedly, we found that serum exosomal GGT activity was significantly higher in PC patients than in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients. In support of this finding, immunohistochemical analysis showed increased GGT1 expression in PC tissues compared with BPH tissues. Our results suggest that serum exosomal GGT activity could be a useful biomarker for PC.

Using resonant x-ray scattering to determine how structure controls the charge generation process in PCPDTBT:PC70BM solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Michael; Waldrip, Matthew; Ferron, Thomas; Collins, Brian

Increased solar power conversion efficiencies to 12% in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPVs) continue to brighten their prospects as an economically viable source of solar energy. It is known that OPV performance can be enhanced through processing additives that change the nanostructure. We track these critical structure-property relationships in the OPV system PCPDTBT:PC70BM while varying the amount of DIO additive. Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering reveals domain purity, domain size, and molecular orientation to highlight the system's complex dependence on DIO concentration. We will show the effect the resulting structure has on charge generation and recombination via in-situ transient and steady state optoelectronic measurements. By measuring structure, excited state dynamics and device performance all on the same sample enables direct relationships to be measured. We show that the appropriate balance of crystallinity, domain size and domain purity are important for optimized excited state dynamics and device performance.

Effect of Graphite Nanoplate Morphology on the Dispersion and Physical Properties of Polycarbonate Based Composites

PubMed Central

Müller, Michael Thomas; Hilarius, Konrad; Liebscher, Marco; Lellinger, Dirk; Alig, Ingo; Pötschke, Petra

2017-01-01

The influence of the morphology of industrial graphite nanoplate (GNP) materials on their dispersion in polycarbonate (PC) is studied. Three GNP morphology types were identified, namely lamellar, fragmented or compact structure. The dispersion evolution of all GNP types in PC is similar with varying melt temperature, screw speed, or mixing time during melt mixing. Increased shear stress reduces the size of GNP primary structures, whereby the GNP aspect ratio decreases. A significant GNP exfoliation to individual or few graphene layers could not be achieved under the selected melt mixing conditions. The resulting GNP macrodispersion depends on the individual GNP morphology, particle sizes and bulk density and is clearly reflected in the composite’s electrical, thermal, mechanical, and gas barrier properties. Based on a comparison with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon black (CB), CNT are recommended in regard to electrical conductivity, whereas, for thermal conductive or gas barrier application, GNP is preferred. PMID:28772907

Puma (Puma concolor) epididymal sperm morphometry

PubMed Central

Cucho, Hernán; Alarcón, Virgilio; Ordóñez, César; Ampuero, Enrique; Meza, Aydee; Soler, Carles

2016-01-01

The Andean puma (Puma concolor) has not been widely studied, particularly in reference to its semen characteristics. The aim of the present study was to define the morphometry of puma sperm heads and classify their subpopulations by cluster analysis. Samples were recovered postmortem from two epididymides from one animal and prepared for morphological observation after staining with the Hemacolor kit. Morphometric data were obtained from 581 spermatozoa using a CASA-Morph system, rendering 13 morphometric parameters. The principal component (PC) analysis was performed followed by cluster analysis for the establishment of subpopulations. Two PC components were obtained, the first related to size and the second to shape. Three subpopulations were observed, corresponding to elongated and intermediate-size sperm heads and acrosomes, to large heads with large acrosomes, and to small heads with short acrosomes. In conclusion, puma spermatozoa showed no uniform sperm morphology but three clear subpopulations. These results should be used for future work in the establishment of an adequate germplasm bank of this species. PMID:27678466

Puma (Puma concolor) epididymal sperm morphometry.

PubMed

Cucho, Hernán; Alarcón, Virgilio; Ordóñez, César; Ampuero, Enrique; Meza, Aydee; Soler, Carles

2016-01-01

The Andean puma (Puma concolor) has not been widely studied, particularly in reference to its semen characteristics. The aim of the present study was to define the morphometry of puma sperm heads and classify their subpopulations by cluster analysis. Samples were recovered postmortem from two epididymides from one animal and prepared for morphological observation after staining with the Hemacolor kit. Morphometric data were obtained from 581 spermatozoa using a CASA-Morph system, rendering 13 morphometric parameters. The principal component (PC) analysis was performed followed by cluster analysis for the establishment of subpopulations. Two PC components were obtained, the first related to size and the second to shape. Three subpopulations were observed, corresponding to elongated and intermediate-size sperm heads and acrosomes, to large heads with large acrosomes, and to small heads with short acrosomes. In conclusion, puma spermatozoa showed no uniform sperm morphology but three clear subpopulations. These results should be used for future work in the establishment of an adequate germplasm bank of this species.

MCNP5 evaluation of photoneutron production from the Alexandria University 15 MV Elekta Precise medical LINAC.

PubMed

Abou-Taleb, W M; Hassan, M H; El Mallah, E A; Kotb, S M

2018-05-01

Photoneutron production, and the dose equivalent, in the head assembly of the 15 MV Elekta Precise medical linac; operating in the faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University were estimated with the MCNP5 code. Photoneutron spectra were calculated in air and inside a water phantom to different depths as a function of the radiation field sizes. The maximum neutron fluence is 3.346×10 -9 n/cm 2 -e for a 30×30 cm 2 field size to 2-4 cm-depth in the phantom. The dose equivalent due to fast neutron increases as the field size increases, being a maximum of 0.912 ± 0.05 mSv/Gy at depth between 2 and 4 cm in the water phantom for 40×40 cm 2 field size. Photoneutron fluence and dose equivalent are larger to 100 cm from the isocenter than to 35 cm from the treatment room wall. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Equivalence Testing of Complex Particle Size Distribution Profiles Based on Earth Mover's Distance.

PubMed

Hu, Meng; Jiang, Xiaohui; Absar, Mohammad; Choi, Stephanie; Kozak, Darby; Shen, Meiyu; Weng, Yu-Ting; Zhao, Liang; Lionberger, Robert

2018-04-12

Particle size distribution (PSD) is an important property of particulates in drug products. In the evaluation of generic drug products formulated as suspensions, emulsions, and liposomes, the PSD comparisons between a test product and the branded product can provide useful information regarding in vitro and in vivo performance. Historically, the FDA has recommended the population bioequivalence (PBE) statistical approach to compare the PSD descriptors D50 and SPAN from test and reference products to support product equivalence. In this study, the earth mover's distance (EMD) is proposed as a new metric for comparing PSD particularly when the PSD profile exhibits complex distribution (e.g., multiple peaks) that is not accurately described by the D50 and SPAN descriptor. EMD is a statistical metric that measures the discrepancy (distance) between size distribution profiles without a prior assumption of the distribution. PBE is then adopted to perform statistical test to establish equivalence based on the calculated EMD distances. Simulations show that proposed EMD-based approach is effective in comparing test and reference profiles for equivalence testing and is superior compared to commonly used distance measures, e.g., Euclidean and Kolmogorov-Smirnov distances. The proposed approach was demonstrated by evaluating equivalence of cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion PSDs that were manufactured under different conditions. Our results show that proposed approach can effectively pass an equivalent product (e.g., reference product against itself) and reject an inequivalent product (e.g., reference product against negative control), thus suggesting its usefulness in supporting bioequivalence determination of a test product to the reference product which both possess multimodal PSDs.

Scattering Properties of Needle-Like and plate-like Ice Spheroids with Moderate Size Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zakharova, Nadia T.; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We use the current advanced version of the T-matrix method to compute the optical cross sections, the asymmetry parameter of the phase function, and the scattering matrix elements of ice spheroids with aspect ratios up to 20 and surface-equivalent-sphere size parameters up to 12. We demonstrate that plate-like and needle-like particles with moderate size parameters possess unique scattering properties: their asymmetry parameters and phase functions are similar to those of surface-equivalent spheres, whereas all other elements of the scattering matrix are typical of particles much smaller than the wavelength (Rayleigh scatterers). This result may have important implications for optical particle sizing and remote sensing of the terrestrial and planetary atmospheres.

Targeting DNA repair with PNKP inhibition sensitizes radioresistant prostate cancer cells to high LET radiation

PubMed Central

Srivastava, Pallavi; Sarma, Asitikantha

2018-01-01

High linear energy transfer (LET) radiation or heavy ion such as carbon ion radiation is used as a method for advanced radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer. It has many advantages over the conventional photon based radiotherapy using Co-60 gamma or high energy X-rays from a Linear Accelerator. However, charged particle therapy is very costly. One way to reduce the cost as well as irradiation effects on normal cells is to reduce the dose of radiation by enhancing the radiation sensitivity through the use of a radiomodulator. PNKP (polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase) is an enzyme which plays important role in the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway. It is expected that inhibition of PNKP activity may enhance the efficacy of the charged particle irradiation in the radioresistant prostate cancer cell line PC-3. To test this hypothesis, we investigated cellular radiosensitivity by clonogenic cell survival assay in PC-3 cells.12Carbon ion beam of62 MeVenergy (equivalent 5.16 MeV/nucleon) and with an entrance LET of 287 kev/μm was used for the present study. Apoptotic parameters such as nuclear fragmentation and caspase-3 activity were measured by DAPI staining, nuclear ladder assay and colorimetric caspase-3method. Cell cycle arrest was determined by FACS analysis. Cell death was enhanced when carbon ion irradiation is combined with PNKPi (PNKP inhibitor) to treat cells as compared to that seen for PNKPi untreated cells. A low concentration (10μM) of PNKPi effectively radiosensitized the PC-3 cells in terms of reduction of dose in achieving the same survival fraction. PC-3 cells underwent significant apoptosis and cell cycle arrest too was enhanced at G2/M phase when carbon ion irradiation was combined with PNKPi treatment. Our findings suggest that combined treatment of carbon ion irradiation and PNKP inhibition could enhance cellular radiosensitivity in a radioresistant prostate cancer cell line PC-3. The synergistic effect of PNKPi and carbon ion irradiation could be used as a promising method for carbon-ion therapy in radioresistant cells. PMID:29320576

Quality of life in adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia relates to glucocorticoid treatment, adiposity and insulin resistance: United Kingdom Congenital adrenal Hyperplasia Adult Study Executive (CaHASE)

PubMed Central

Han, Thang S; Krone, Nils; Willis, Debbie S; Conway, Gerard S; Hahner, Stefanie; Rees, D Aled; Stimson, Roland H; Walker, Brian R; Arlt, Wiebke; Ross, Richard J

2013-01-01

Context Quality of life (QoL) has been variously reported as normal or impaired in adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). To explore the reasons for this discrepancy we investigated the relationship between QoL, glucocorticoid treatment and other health outcomes in CAH adults. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of 151 adults with 21-hydroxylase deficiency aged 18–69 years in whom QoL (assessed using the Short Form Health Survey), glucocorticoid regimen, anthropometric and metabolic measures were recorded. Relationships were examined between QoL, type of glucocorticoid (hydrocortisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone) and dose of glucocorticoid expressed as prednisolone dose equivalent (PreDEq). QoL was expressed as z-scores calculated from matched controls (14 430 subjects from UK population). Principal components analysis (PCA) was undertaken to identify clusters of associated clinical and biochemical features and the principal component (PC) scores used in regression analysis as predictor of QoL. Results QoL scores were associated with type of glucocorticoid treatment for vitality (P=0.002) and mental health (P=0.011), with higher z-scores indicating better QoL in patients on hydrocortisone monotherapy (P<0.05). QoL did not relate to PreDEq or mutation severity. PCA identified three PCs (PC1, disease control; PC2, adiposity and insulin resistance and PC3, blood pressure and mutations) that explained 61% of the variance in observed variables. Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that PC2, reflecting adiposity and insulin resistance (waist circumference, serum triglycerides, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and HDL-cholesterol), related to QoL scores, specifically impaired physical functioning, bodily pain, general health, Physical Component Summary Score (P<0.001) and vitality (P=0.002). Conclusions Increased adiposity, insulin resistance and use of prednisolone or dexamethasone are associated with impaired QoL in adults with CAH. Intervention trials are required to establish whether choice of glucocorticoid treatment and/or weight loss can improve QoL in CAH adults. PMID:23520247

Residual stress analysis for oxide thin film deposition on flexible substrate using finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsi-Chao; Huang, Chen-Yu; Lin, Ssu-Fan; Chen, Sheng-Hui

2011-09-01

Residual or internal stresses directly affect a variety of phenomena including adhesion, generation of crystalline defects, perfection of epitaxial layers and formation of film surface growths such as hillocks and whiskers. Sputtering oxide films with high density promote high compressive stress, and it offers researchers a reference if the value of residual stress could be analyzed directly. Since, the study of residual stress of SiO2 and Nb2O5 thin film deposited by DC magnetron sputtered on hard substrate (BK7) and flexible substrate (PET and PC). A finite element method (FEM) with an equivalent-reference-temperature (ERT) technique had been proposed and used to model and evaluate the intrinsic strains of layered structures. The research has improved the equivalent reference temperature (ERT) technique of the simulation of intrinsic strain for oxygen film. The results have also generalized two models connecting to the lattice volume to predict the residual stress of hard substrate and flexible substrate with error of 3% and 6%, respectively.

FRET-Mediated Long-Range Wavelength Transformation by Photoconvertible Fluorescent Proteins as an Efficient Mechanism to Generate Orange-Red Light in Symbiotic Deep Water Corals.

PubMed

Bollati, Elena; Plimmer, Daniel; D'Angelo, Cecilia; Wiedenmann, Jörg

2017-07-04

Photoconvertible fluorescent proteins (pcRFPs) are a group of fluorophores that undergo an irreversible green-to-red shift in emission colour upon irradiation with near-ultraviolet (near-UV) light. Despite their wide application in biotechnology, the high-level expression of pcRFPs in mesophotic and depth-generalist coral species currently lacks a biological explanation. Additionally, reduced penetration of near-UV wavelengths in water poses the question whether light-driven photoconversion is relevant in the mesophotic zone, or whether a different mechanism is involved in the post-translational pigment modification in vivo. Here, we show in a long-term mesocosm experiment that photoconversion in vivo is entirely dependent on near-UV wavelengths. However, a near-UV intensity equivalent to the mesophotic underwater light field at 80 m depth is sufficient to drive the process in vitro, suggesting that photoconversion can occur near the lower distribution limits of these corals. Furthermore, live coral colonies showed evidence of efficient Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). Our simulated mesophotic light field maintained the pcRFP pool in a partially photoconverted state in vivo, maximising intra-tetrameric FRET and creating a long-range wavelength conversion system with higher quantum yield than other native RFPs. We hypothesise that efficient conversion of blue wavelengths, abundant at depth, into orange-red light could constitute an adaptation of corals to life in light-limited environments.

FRET-Mediated Long-Range Wavelength Transformation by Photoconvertible Fluorescent Proteins as an Efficient Mechanism to Generate Orange-Red Light in Symbiotic Deep Water Corals

PubMed Central

Bollati, Elena; Plimmer, Daniel; D’Angelo, Cecilia; Wiedenmann, Jörg

2017-01-01

Photoconvertible fluorescent proteins (pcRFPs) are a group of fluorophores that undergo an irreversible green-to-red shift in emission colour upon irradiation with near-ultraviolet (near-UV) light. Despite their wide application in biotechnology, the high-level expression of pcRFPs in mesophotic and depth-generalist coral species currently lacks a biological explanation. Additionally, reduced penetration of near-UV wavelengths in water poses the question whether light-driven photoconversion is relevant in the mesophotic zone, or whether a different mechanism is involved in the post-translational pigment modification in vivo. Here, we show in a long-term mesocosm experiment that photoconversion in vivo is entirely dependent on near-UV wavelengths. However, a near-UV intensity equivalent to the mesophotic underwater light field at 80 m depth is sufficient to drive the process in vitro, suggesting that photoconversion can occur near the lower distribution limits of these corals. Furthermore, live coral colonies showed evidence of efficient Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). Our simulated mesophotic light field maintained the pcRFP pool in a partially photoconverted state in vivo, maximising intra-tetrameric FRET and creating a long-range wavelength conversion system with higher quantum yield than other native RFPs. We hypothesise that efficient conversion of blue wavelengths, abundant at depth, into orange-red light could constitute an adaptation of corals to life in light-limited environments. PMID:28677653

Motivation and short-term memory in visual search: Attention's accelerator revisited.

PubMed

Schneider, Daniel; Bonmassar, Claudia; Hickey, Clayton

2018-05-01

A cue indicating the possibility of cash reward will cause participants to perform memory-based visual search more efficiently. A recent study has suggested that this performance benefit might reflect the use of multiple memory systems: when needed, participants may maintain the to-be-remembered object in both long-term and short-term visual memory, with this redundancy benefitting target identification during search (Reinhart, McClenahan & Woodman, 2016). Here we test this compelling hypothesis. We had participants complete a memory-based visual search task involving a reward cue that either preceded presentation of the to-be-remembered target (pre-cue) or followed it (retro-cue). Following earlier work, we tracked memory representation using two components of the event-related potential (ERP): the contralateral delay activity (CDA), reflecting short-term visual memory, and the anterior P170, reflecting long-term storage. We additionally tracked attentional preparation and deployment in the contingent negative variation (CNV) and N2pc, respectively. Results show that only the reward pre-cue impacted our ERP indices of memory. However, both types of cue elicited a robust CNV, reflecting an influence on task preparation, both had equivalent impact on deployment of attention to the target, as indexed in the N2pc, and both had equivalent impact on visual search behavior. Reward prospect thus has an influence on memory-guided visual search, but this does not appear to be necessarily mediated by a change in the visual memory representations indexed by CDA. Our results demonstrate that the impact of motivation on search is not a simple product of improved memory for target templates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between pineal cyst size and aqueductal CSF flow measured by phase contrast MRI.

PubMed

Bezuidenhout, Abraham F; Kasper, Ekkehard M; Baledent, Olivier; Rojas, Rafael; Bhadelia, Rafeeque A

2018-02-23

Most patients with pineal cysts referred for neurosurgical consultation have no specific symptoms or objective findings except for pineal cyst size to help in management decisions. Our purpose was to assess the relationship between pineal cyst size and aqueductal CSF flow using PC-MRI. Eleven adult patients with pineal cysts (> 1-cm in size) referred for neurosurgical consultations were included. Cyst volume was calculated using 3D T1 images. PC-MRI in axial plane with velocity encoding of 5 cm/sec was used to quantitatively assess CSF flow through the cerebral aqueduct to determine the aqueductal stroke volume, which was then correlated to cyst size using Pearson's correlation. Pineal cysts were grouped by size into small (6/11) and large (5/11) using the median value to compare aqueductal stroke volume using Mann-Whitney test. Patients were 39 ± 13 years (mean ± SD) of age, and 10/11 (91%) were female. There was significant negative correlation between cyst volume and aqueductal stroke volume (r=0.74; p=0.009). Volume of small cysts (4954±2157 mm3) was significantly different compared to large cysts (13752±3738 mm3; p= 0.008). The aqueductal stroke volume of patients harboring large cysts 33±8 μL/cardiac cycle was significantly lower than that of patients with small cysts 96±29 μL/cardiac cycle (p=0.008). Aqueductal CSF flow appears to decrease with increasing pineal cyst size. Our preliminary results provide first evidence that even in the absence of objective neurological findings or hydrocephalus; larger pineal cysts already display decreased CSF flow through the cerebral aqueduct.

Structural properties and UV to NIR absorption spectra of metal-free phthalocyanine (H2Pc) thin films P. B. Thakor, P. N. Gajjar and A. R. Jani: Different reference systems in the study of structural properties of some simple liquid metals Shazia Bashir, M. S. Rafique, M. Khaleeq-ur-Rahman, Faizan-ul-Haq and B. R. Alvina: CO2 and Nd:YAG laser radiation induced damage in aluminium Smail Bougouffa: The study of atomic transitions by use of Numerov technique in schematic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Nahass, M. M.; Farid, A. M.; Attia, A. A.; Ali, H. A. M.

The structural properties and absorption spectra of H2Pc thin films have been studied. The films used in these studies were thermally evaporated on glass/quartz substrates with thickness ranging from 60 to 460 nm. The XRD studies of H2Pc thin films showed that the as-deposited films have a-form with monoclinic system. The mean crystallite size (L), the dislocation density (d) and the strain (x) were evaluated. The molecular structure of H2Pc thin films is confirmed by analysis of (FTIR) spectra. The surface morphology of H2Pc thin films was examined by scanning electron microscope. The absorption spectra of H2Pc recorded in the UV - VIS - IR region for the as-deposited and the annealed thin films of different thickness have been analyzed. The spectra showed two absorption bands namely the Q-band and the Soret (B)-band. The Q-band shows its characteristic splitting (Davydove splitting) with DQ = 0.21 eV. Values of some important optical parameters, namely optical absorption coefficient (a¢), molar extinction coefficient (emolar), half-band-width (Dl), electronic dipole strength (q2) and oscillator strength (f) were calculated. The fundamental and the onset of the indirect energy gaps were also determined as 2.47 and 1.4 eV, respectively.

Electron transport properties in fluorinated copper-phthalocyanine films: importance of vibrational reorganization energy and molecular microstructure.

PubMed

Wu, Fu-Chiao; Cheng, Horng-Long; Yen, Chen-Hsiang; Lin, Jyu-Wun; Liu, Shyh-Jiun; Chou, Wei-Yang; Tang, Fu-Ching

2010-03-07

Electron transport (ET) properties of a series of fluorinated copper-phthalocyanine (F(16)CuPc) thin films, which were deposited at different substrate temperatures (T(sub)) ranging from 30 to 150 degrees C, have been investigated by quantum mechanical calculations of the reorganization energy (lambda(reorg)), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and microRaman spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations were used to predict the vibrational frequencies, normal mode displacement vectors, and electron-vibrational lambda(reorg) for the F(16)CuPc molecule. The electron mobilities (mu(e)) of F(16)CuPc thin films are strongly dependent on the T(sub), and the value of mu(e) increases with increasing T(sub) from 30 to 120 degrees C, at which point it reaches its maximum value. The importance of electron-vibrational coupling and molecular microstructures for ET properties in F(16)CuPc thin films are discussed on the basis of theoretical vibrational lambda(reorg) calculations and experimental observations of resonance Raman spectra. We observed a good correlation between mu(e) and the full-width-at-half-maximum of the vibrational bands, which greatly contributed to lambda(reorg) and/or which reflects the molecular microstructural quality of the active channel. In contrast, the crystal size analysis by XRD and surface grain morphology by AFM did not reveal a clear correlation with the ET behaviours for these different F(16)CuPc thin films. Therefore, we suggest that for organic films with weak intermolecular interactions, such as F(16)CuPc, optimized microscopic molecular-scale parameters are highly important for efficient long-range charge transport in the macroscopic devices.

Sensitive Detection of Protein and miRNA Cancer Biomarkers using Silicon-Based Photonic Crystals and A Resonance Coupling Laser Scanning Platform

PubMed Central

George, Sherine; Chaudhery, Vikram; Lu, Meng; Takagi, Miki; Amro, Nabil; Pokhriyal, Anusha; Tan, Yafang; Ferreira, Placid; Cunningham, Brian T.

2013-01-01

Enhancement of the fluorescent output of surface-based fluorescence assays by performing them upon nanostructured photonic crystal (PC) surfaces has been demonstrated to increase signal intensities by >8000×. Using the multiplicative effects of optical resonant coupling to the PC in increasing the electric field intensity experienced by fluorescent labels (“enhanced excitation”) and the spatially biased funneling of fluorophore emissions through coupling to PC resonances (“enhanced extraction”), PC enhanced fluorescence (PCEF) can be adapted to reduce the limits of detection of disease biomarker assays, and to reduce the size and cost of high sensitivity detection instrumentation. In this work, we demonstrate the first silicon-based PCEF detection platform for multiplexed biomarker assay. The sensor in this platform is a silicon-based PC structure, comprised of a SiO2 grating that is overcoated with a thin film of high refractive index TiO2 and is produced in a semiconductor foundry for low cost, uniform, and reproducible manufacturing. The compact detection instrument that completes this platform was designed to efficiently couples fluorescence excitation from a semiconductor laser to the resonant optical modes of the PC, resulting in elevated electric field strength that is highly concentrated within the region <100 nm from the PC surface. This instrument utilizes a cylindrically focused line to scan a microarray in <1 minute. To demonstrate the capabilities of this sensor-detector platform, microspot fluorescent sandwich immunoassays using secondary antibodies labeled with Cy5 for two cancer biomarkers (TNF-α and IL-3) were performed. Biomarkers were detected at concentrations as low as 0.1 pM. In a fluorescent microarray for detection of a breast cancer miRNA biomarker miR-21, the miRNA was detectable at a concentration of 0.6 pM. PMID:23963502

Biochemical adaptation of phytoplankton to salinity and nutrient gradients in a coastal solar saltern, Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abid, Olfa; Sellami-Kammoun, Alya; Ayadi, Habib; Drira, Zaher; Bouain, Abderrahmen; Aleya, Lotfi

2008-11-01

The distribution of protein and carbohydrate concentrations of the particulate matter (size fraction: 0.45-160 μm) was studied, from 22 January 2003 to 02 December 2003, in three ponds of increasing salinity in the Sfax solar saltern (Tunisia). The coupling of N/P: DIN (DIN = NO 2- + NO 3- + NH 4+) to DIP (DIP = PO 43-) with P/C: protein/carbohydrates ratios along salinity gradient allowed the discrimination of three types of ecosystems. Pond A1 (mean salinity: 45.0 ± 5.4) having marine characteristics showed enhanced P/C ratios during a diatom bloom. N/P and P/C ratios were closely coupled throughout the sampling period, suggesting that the nutritional status is important in determining the seasonal change in the phytoplankton community in pond A1. In pond A16 (mean salinity: 78.7 ± 8.8), despite the high nitrate load, P/C ratios were overall lower than in pond A1. This may be explained by the fact that dinoflagellates, which were the most abundant phytoplankton in pond A16 might be strict heterotrophs and/or mixotrophs, and so they may have not contributed strongly to anabolic processes. Also, N/P and P/C ratios were uncoupled, suggesting that cells in pond A16 were stressed due to the increased salinity caused by water evaporation, and so cells synthesized reserve products such as carbohydrates. In pond M2 (mean salinity: 189.0 ± 13.8), P/C levels were higher than those recorded in either pond A1 or A16. N/P and P/C were more coupled than in pond A16. Species in the hypersaline pond seemed paradoxally less stressed than in pond A16, suggesting that salt-tolerant extremophile species overcome hypersaline constraints and react metabolically by synthesizing carbohydrates and proteins.

Inflammation polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk in Jamaican men: Role of obesity/body size.

PubMed

Dubey, Bhawna; Jackson, Maria D; Zeigler-Johnson, Charnita; Devarajan, Karthik; Flores-Obando, Rafael E; McFarlane-Anderson, Norma; Tulloch-Reid, Marshall K; Aiken, William; Kimbro, Kevin; Jones, Dominique Z; Kidd, LaCreis R; Ragin, Camille

2017-12-15

African ancestry and obesity are associated with higher risk of prostate cancer (PC). In a pilot study, we explored interactions between obesity (as measured by waist to hip ratio (WHR)) and inflammatory SNPs in relation to PC risk among Jamaican men. This study evaluated 87 chemokine and cytokine associated SNPs in obese and normal weight cases (N=109) and controls (N=102) using a stepwise penalized logistic regression approach in multivariable analyses. Upon stratification by WHR (normal weight (WHR<0.90) or obese (WHR≥0.90)), inheritance of CCR6 rs2023305 AG+GG (OR=1.75, p=0.007), CCR9 rs7613548 AG+GG (OR=1.71, p=0.012) and IL10ra rs2229113 AG+GG (OR=1.45, p=0.01) genotypes was associated with increase in overall or low grade (Gleason score<7) PC risk among normal weight men. These odds were elevated among obese men who possessed the CCR5 rs1799987 AG+GG (OR=1.95, p=0.003) and RNASEL rs12135247 CT+TT genotypes (OR=1.59, p=0.05). CCR7 rs3136685 AG+GG (p=0.032) was associated with a 1.52-1.70 fold increase in the risk of high grade cancer (Gleason score≥7) among obese men. CCR7 variant emerged as an important factor associated with high grade PC risk among obese men in our analyses. Overall, genetic loci found significant in normal weight men were not significant in obese men and vice-versa, partially explaining the role of obesity on PC risk among black men. Also, older age was an important risk factor both in normal weight and obese men but only with regard to low grade PC. Associations of inflammatory SNPs with obesity are suggestive and require further validation in larger cohorts to help develop an understanding of PC risk among obese and non-obese men of African descent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Fossil Nuclear Outflow in the Central 30 pc of the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Pei-Ying; Ho, Paul T. P.; Hwang, Chorng-Yuan; Shimajiri, Yoshito; Matsushita, Satoki; Koch, Patrick M.; Iono, Daisuke

2016-11-01

We report a new 1 pc (30″) resolution CS(J=2-1) line map of the central 30 pc of the Galactic center (GC), made with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. We revisit our previous study of an extraplanar feature called the polar arc (PA), which is a molecular cloud located above SgrA*, with a velocity gradient perpendicular to the galactic plane. We find that the PA can be traced back to the galactic disk. This provides clues to the launching point of the PA, roughly 6 × 106 years ago. Implications of the dynamical timescale of the PA might be related to the Galactic center lobe at parsec scale. Our results suggest that, in the central 30 pc of the GC, the feedback from past explosions could alter the orbital path of molecular gas down to the central tenth of a parsec. In the follow-up work of our new CS(J=2-1) map, we also find that, near systemic velocity, the molecular gas shows an extraplanar hourglass-shaped feature (HG-feature) with a size of ˜13 pc. The latitude-velocity diagrams show that the eastern edge of the HG-feature is associated with an expanding bubble B1, ˜7 pc away from SgrA*. The dynamical timescale of this bubble is ˜3 × 105 years. This bubble is interacting with the 50 km s-1 cloud. Part of the molecular gas from the 50 km s-1 cloud was swept away by the bubble to b=-0\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} 2. The western edge of the HG-feature seems to be molecular gas entrained from the 20 km s-1 cloud toward the north of the galactic disk. Our results suggest a fossil explosion in the central 30 pc of the GC, a few 105 years ago.

Disruption in the cecal microbiota of chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens and other factors was alleviated by Bacillus licheniformis supplementation

PubMed Central

Ni, Xueqin; Zhou, Mengjia; Zeng, Yan; Wang, Hesong; Zhou, Yi; Zhu, Hui; Pan, Kangcheng; Li, Guangyao

2017-01-01

Clostridium perfringens can induce necrotic enteritis of chickens, which causes large economic losses every year. Bacillus licheniformis, a probiotic, can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, thereby improving the health status of chickens. However, from a microbial ecology perspective, the mechanisms by which alterations to the gut microbiota improve health remain unknown. In this study, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to investigate the cecal microbiota of a negative control group (NC), a C. perfringens and Eimeria challenge group with fishmeal supplementation (PC), a group supplemented with fishmeal and infected with coccidia (FC), and group PC with B. licheniformis supplementation (BL). We found that the health status of C. perfringens-challenged chickens was compromised, and that B. licheniformis improved the growth of the chickens challenged with pathogens. Microbial diversity analysis and taxonomic profiling of groups NC, PC, and FC revealed a disturbed cecal microflora of the birds with C. perfringens. We also characterized the microbiota of the chickens in the BL group using several methods. Principal coordinate analysis demonstrated that, compared with group PC, the bacterial community structure of group BL was more similar to that of group NC. Linear discriminant analysis with effect size revealed less differentially represented bacterial taxa between groups BL and NC than between groups PC and NC. In addition, groups BL and NC appeared to have similar overrepresented microbial taxa (such as Bacteroides, Helicobacter, Megamonas, and Akkermansia) compared with group PC. Finally, a phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states analysis indicated that large differences existed between group PC and groups NC and BL. In conclusion, pre-treatment with B. licheniformis reduced the disturbance of the cecal microbiome induced by challenge with C. perfringens and other factors in broiler chickens. PMID:28771569

Ultrasensitive Sensing Material Based on Opal Photonic Crystal for Label-Free Monitoring of Transferrin.

PubMed

Wu, Enqi; Peng, Yuan; Zhang, Xihao; Bai, Jialei; Song, Yanqiu; He, Houluo; Fan, Longxing; Qu, Xiaochen; Gao, Zhixian; Liu, Ying; Ning, Baoan

2017-02-22

A new opal photonic crystal (PC) sensing material, allowing label-free detection of transferrin (TRF), is proposed in the current study. This photonic crystal was prepared via a vertical convective self-assembly method with monodisperse microspheres polymerized by methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid (AAPBA). FTIR, TG, and DLS were used to characterize the components and particle size of the monodisperse microspheres. SEM was used to observe the morphology of the PC. The diffraction peak intensity decreases as the TRF concentration increase. This was due to the combination of TRF to the boronic acid group of the photonic crystal. After condition optimization, a standard curve was obtained and the linear range of TRF concentration was from 2 × 10 -3 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL. Measurement of TRF concentration in simulated urine sample was also investigated using the sensing material. The results indicated that the PC provided a cheap, label-free, and easy-to-use alternative for TRF determination in clinical diagnostics.

MOLECULAR DESIGNER: an interactive program for the display of protein structure on the IBM-PC.

PubMed

Hannon, G J; Jentoft, J E

1985-09-01

A BASIC interactive graphics program has been developed for the IBM-PC which utilizes the graphics capabilities of that computer to display and manipulate protein structure from coordinates. Structures may be generated from typed files, or from Brookhaven National Laboratories' Protein Data Bank data tapes. Once displayed, images may be rotated, translated and expanded to any desired size. Figures may be viewed as ball-and-stick or space-filling models. Calculated multiple-point perspective may also be added to the display. Docking manipulations are possible since more than a single figure may be displayed and manipulated simultaneously. Further, stereo images and red/blue three-dimensional images may be generated using the accompanying DESIPLOT program and an HP-7475A plotter. A version of the program is also currently available for the Apple Macintosh. Full implementation on the Macintosh requires 512 K and at least one disk drive. Otherwise this version is essentially identical to the IBM-PC version described herein.

Analytical issues in the evaluation of food deprivation and sucrose concentration effects on the microstructure of licking behavior in the rat.

PubMed

Spector, A C; Klumpp, P A; Kaplan, J M

1998-06-01

A microstructural analysis of licking behavior in nondeprived and 23-hr food-deprived rats (n = 15) presented with various sucrose solutions (0.03-1.0 M) in daily single-bottle, 1-hr sessions was conducted. Food deprivation and concentration interacted to increase total licks. The effects of food deprivation and concentration on burst size (BS), burst number (BN), and other parameters varied as a function of the pause criterion (PC; 0.3-100 s) used to define licking bursts. A rationale for selecting a 1-s PC for further analysis is presented. Despite the lack of correlations between temporally contiguous burst and pause combinations, mean BS decreased and pause duration increased as meals progressed. At the 1-s PC, BS increased linearly with concentration, implying that this microstructural parameter is influenced in part by taste. Food deprivation did not affect BS but rather increased BN and proportionally extended the meal duration.

Invasion percolation between two sites in two, three, and four dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang Bub

2009-06-01

The mass distribution of invaded clusters in non-trapping invasion percolation between an injection site and an extraction site has been studied, in two, three, and four dimensions. This study is an extension of the recent study focused on two dimensions by Araújo et al. [A.D. Araújo, T.F. Vasconcelos, A.A. Moreira, L.S. Lucena, J.S. Andrade Jr., Phys. Rev. E 72 (2005) 041404] with respect to higher dimensions. The mass distribution exhibits a power-law behavior, P(m)∝m. It has been found that the index α for pe

Exploring the kinetics of gelation and final architecture of enzymatically cross-linked chitosan/gelatin gels.

PubMed

da Silva, Marcelo A; Bode, Franziska; Grillo, Isabelle; Dreiss, Cécile A

2015-04-13

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to characterize the nanoscale structure of enzymatically cross-linked chitosan/gelatin hydrogels obtained from two protocols: a pure chemical cross-linking process (C), which uses the natural enzyme microbial transglutaminase, and a physical-co-chemical (PC) hybrid process, where covalent cross-linking is combined with the temperature-triggered gelation of gelatin, occurring through the formation of triple-helices. SANS measurements on the final and evolving networks provide a correlation length (ξ), which reflects the average size of expanding clusters. Their growth in PC gels is restricted by the triple-helices (ξ ∼ 10s of Å), while ξ in pure chemical gels increases with cross-linker concentration (∼100s of Å). In addition, the shear elastic modulus in PC gels is higher than in pure C gels. Our results thus demonstrate that gelatin triple helices provide a template to guide the cross-linking process; overall, this work provides important structural insight to improve the design of biopolymer-based gels.

The control of attentional target selection in a colour/colour conjunction task.

PubMed

Berggren, Nick; Eimer, Martin

2016-11-01

To investigate the time course of attentional object selection processes in visual search tasks where targets are defined by a combination of features from the same dimension, we measured the N2pc component as an electrophysiological marker of attentional object selection during colour/colour conjunction search. In Experiment 1, participants searched for targets defined by a combination of two colours, while ignoring distractor objects that matched only one of these colours. Reliable N2pc components were triggered by targets and also by partially matching distractors, even when these distractors were accompanied by a target in the same display. The target N2pc was initially equal in size to the sum of the two N2pc components to the two different types of partially matching distractors and became superadditive from approximately 250 ms after search display onset. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the superadditivity of the target N2pc was not due to a selective disengagement of attention from task-irrelevant partially matching distractors. These results indicate that attention was initially deployed separately and in parallel to all target-matching colours, before attentional allocation processes became sensitive to the presence of both matching colours within the same object. They suggest that attention can be controlled simultaneously and independently by multiple features from the same dimension and that feature-guided attentional selection processes operate in parallel for different target-matching objects in the visual field.

A Phase 2 Study of Flavopiridol (Alvocidib) in Combination with Docetaxel in Refractory, Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer (NCI#6366)

PubMed Central

Carvajal, Richard D.; Tse, Archie; Shah, Manish A.; Lefkowitz, Robert A.; Gonen, Mithat; Gilman-Rosen, Lisa; Kortmansky, Jeremy; Kelsen, David P.; Schwartz, Gary K.; O'Reilly, Eileen M.

2014-01-01

Background/Aims Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) harbors frequent alterations of p16, resulting in cell cycle dysregulation. A phase I study of docetaxel and flavopiridol, a pan-cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor, demonstrated encouraging clinical activity in PC. This phase II study was designed to further define the efficacy and toxicity of this regimen in patients with previously treated PC. Methods Patients with gemcitabine-refractory, metastatic PC were treated with docetaxel 35 mg/m2 followed by flavopiridol 80 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28 day cycle. Tumor measurements were performed every two cycles. A Simon two-stage design was used to evaluate the primary endpoint of response. Results Ten patients were enrolled; nine were evaluable for response. No objective responses were observed; however, three patients (33%) achieved transient stable disease, with one of these patients achieving a 20% reduction in tumor size. Median survival was 4.2 months, with no patients alive at the time of analysis. Adverse events were significant, with seven patients (78%) requiring ≥1 dose reduction for transaminitis (11%), grade 4 neutropenia (33%), grade 3 fatigue (44%), and grade 3 diarrhea (22%) Conclusions The combination of flavopiridol and docetaxel has minimal activity and significant toxicity in this patient population. These results reflect the challenges of treating patients with PC in a second-line setting where the risk/benefit equation is tightly balanced. PMID:19451750

Immunological response to nitroglycerin-loaded shear-responsive liposomes in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Buscema, Marzia; Matviykiv, Sofiya; Mészáros, Tamás; Gerganova, Gabriela; Weinberger, Andreas; Mettal, Ute; Mueller, Dennis; Neuhaus, Frederik; Stalder, Etienne; Ishikawa, Takashi; Urbanics, Rudolf; Saxer, Till; Pfohl, Thomas; Szebeni, János; Zumbuehl, Andreas; Müller, Bert

2017-10-28

Liposomes formulated from the 1,3-diamidophospholipid Pad-PC-Pad are shear-responsive and thus promising nano-containers to specifically release a vasodilator at stenotic arteries. The recommended preclinical safety tests for therapeutic liposomes of nanometer size include the in vitro assessment of complement activation and the evaluation of the associated risk of complement activation-related pseudo-allergy (CARPA) in vivo. For this reason, we measured complement activation by Pad-PC-Pad formulations in human and porcine sera, along with the nanopharmaceutical-mediated cardiopulmonary responses in pigs. The evaluated formulations comprised of Pad-PC-Pad liposomes, with and without polyethylene glycol on the surface of the liposomes, and nitroglycerin as a model vasodilator. The nitroglycerin incorporation efficiency ranged from 25% to 50%. In human sera, liposome formulations with 20mg/mL phospholipid gave rise to complement activation, mainly via the alternative pathway, as reflected by the rises in SC5b-9 and Bb protein complex concentrations. Formulations having a factor of ten lower phospholipid content did not result in measurable complement activation. The weak complement activation induced by Pad-PC-Pad liposomal formulations was confirmed by the results obtained by performing an in vivo study in a porcine model, where hemodynamic parameters were monitored continuously. Our study suggests that, compared to FDA-approved liposomal drugs, Pad-PC-Pad exhibits less or similar risks of CARPA. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of NSAIDs activity in COX-2 expressing and non-expressing 2D and 3D pancreatic cancer cell cultures

PubMed Central

Čeponytė, Ugnė; Paškevičiūtė, Miglė; Petrikaitė, Vilma

2018-01-01

Purpose In this study, we evaluated the anticancer activity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cell cultures. Methods To test the effect of compounds on the viability of cells, the MTT assay was used. The activity of NSAIDs in 3D cell cultures was evaluated by measuring the size change of spheroids. The type of cell death was identified by cell staining with Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide. To evaluate the effect on the colony-forming ability of cancer cells, the clonogenic assay was used. Results Five out of seven tested NSAIDs reduced the viability of BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2 cancer cells. Fenamates were more active against cyclooxygenase-2 expressing BxPC-3 than cyclooxygenase-2 non-expressing MIA PaCa-2 cell line. Fenamates and coxibs exerted higher activity in monolayer cultured cells, whereas salicylates were more active in 3D cultures. Fenamates and coxibs induced dose-dependent apoptosis and necrosis. NSAIDs also inhibited the colony-forming ability of cancer cells. Meclofenamic acid, niflumic acid, and parecoxib possessed higher activity on BxPC-3, and celecoxib possessed higher activity on MIA PaCa-2 cell colony formation. Conclusion Our results show that fenamates, coxibs, and salicylates possess anticancer activity on human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2 cell cultures. PMID:29942156

Influence of deposition substrate temperature on the morphology and molecular orientation of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine films as well the performance of organic photovoltaic cells.

PubMed

Zheng, Yan-Qiong; Zhang, Jing; Yang, Fang; Komino, Takeshi; Wei, Bin; Zhang, Jianhua; Wang, Zixing; Pu, Wenhong; Yang, Changzhu; Adachi, Chihaya

2015-10-09

The dependence of the morphology of neat chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) films on substrate temperature (Tsub) during deposition is investigated by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to obtain detailed information about the molecular orientation, phase separation, and crystallinity. AFM images indicate that both grain size and root mean square (RMS) roughness noticeably increase with Tsub both in neat and blend films. Increasing Tsub from room temperature to 420 K increases the horizontal orientation of the ClAlPc molecules with an increase of the mean molecular tilt angle from 60.13° (300 K) to 65.86° (420 K). The UV-vis absorption band of the corresponding films increases and the peak wavelength slightly red shifts with the Tsub increase. XRD patterns show a clear diffraction peak at Tsub over 390 K, implying the π-stacking of interconnected ClAlPc molecules at high Tsub. Planar and bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic cells containing pristine ClAlPc films and ClAlPc:C60 blend films fabricated at Tsub of 390 K show increases in the power conversion efficiency (ηPCE) of 28% (ηPCE = 3.12%) and 36% (ηPCE = 3.58%), respectively, relative to devices as-deposited at room temperature. The maximum short circuit current in BHJs is obtained at 390 K in the Tsub range from 300 K to 450 K.

Characterization of fly ashes from circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) boilers cofiring coal and petroleum coke

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

Feihu Li; Jianping Zhai; Xiaoru Fu

2006-08-15

The chemistry, mineralogy, morphology, and particle size distribution were investigated in fly ashes from the burning of Datong (ShanXi, China) bituminous coal and the cofiring of Mideast high-sulfur petroleum coke (PC) with 30:70 (cal %) and 50:50 (cal %) blends of Datong bituminous coal in two commercial CFBC boilers. With the exception of CaO, the amounts of major oxides in the fly ashes from cofiring PC and coal were close to those of the common coal fly ashes. The PC-coal fly ashes were enriched in Ni, V, and Mo, implying these trace elements were mainly derived from PC. Ni andmore » V, along with several other elements, such as Cr, Cu, Se, Pb, U, Th, and possibly As and Cd, increased in content with a decrease in temperature of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP). The results of chemistry, mineralogy, and morphology studies suggested that the desulfurization rate of the CFBC boilers at current conditions was low, and the PC tends to coarsen the fly ash particles and increase the loss on ignition (LOI) values, making these fly ashes unsuitable for use as a cement additive or a mineral admixture in concrete. Further studies on the combustion status of the CFBC boilers are needed if we want to be able to increase the desulfurization rate and produce high-quality fly ashes for broader and full utilization. 22 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Performance of (CoPC)n catalyst in active lithium-thionyl chloride cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Pinakin M.

1990-01-01

An experimental study was conducted with anode limited D size cells to characterize the performance of an active lithium-thionyl chloride (Li/SOCl2) system using the polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine, (CoPC)n, catalyst in carbon cathodes. The author describes the results of this experiment with respect to initial voltage delays, operating voltages, and capacities. The effectiveness of the preconditioning methods evolved to alleviate passivation effects on storage are also discussed. The results clearly demonstrated the superior high rate capability of cells with the catalyst. The catalyst did not adversely impact the performance of cells after active storage for up to 6 months, while retaining its beneficial influences.

Non-vascular interventional procedures: effective dose to patient and equivalent dose to abdominal organs by means of DICOM images and Monte Carlo simulation.

PubMed

Longo, Mariaconcetta; Marchioni, Chiara; Insero, Teresa; Donnarumma, Raffaella; D'Adamo, Alessandro; Lucatelli, Pierleone; Fanelli, Fabrizio; Salvatori, Filippo Maria; Cannavale, Alessandro; Di Castro, Elisabetta

2016-03-01

This study evaluates X-ray exposure in patient undergoing abdominal extra-vascular interventional procedures by means of Digital Imaging and COmmunications in Medicine (DICOM) image headers and Monte Carlo simulation. The main aim was to assess the effective and equivalent doses, under the hypothesis of their correlation with the dose area product (DAP) measured during each examination. This allows to collect dosimetric information about each patient and to evaluate associated risks without resorting to in vivo dosimetry. The dose calculation was performed in 79 procedures through the Monte Carlo simulator PCXMC (A PC-based Monte Carlo program for calculating patient doses in medical X-ray examinations), by using the real geometrical and dosimetric irradiation conditions, automatically extracted from DICOM headers. The DAP measurements were also validated by using thermoluminescent dosemeters on an anthropomorphic phantom. The expected linear correlation between effective doses and DAP was confirmed with an R(2) of 0.974. Moreover, in order to easily calculate patient doses, conversion coefficients that relate equivalent doses to measurable quantities, such as DAP, were obtained. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Luminous, pc-scale CO 6-5 emission in the obscured nucleus of NGC 1377

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalto, S.; Muller, S.; Costagliola, F.; Sakamoto, K.; Gallagher, J. S.; Falstad, N.; König, S.; Dasyra, K.; Wada, K.; Combes, F.; García-Burillo, S.; Kristensen, L. E.; Martín, S.; van der Werf, P.; Evans, A. S.; Kotilainen, J.

2017-12-01

High-resolution submillimeter line and continuum observations are important in probing the morphology, column density, and dynamics of the molecular gas and dust around obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs). With high-resolution (0.̋06 × 0.̋05 (6 × 5 pc)) ALMA 690 GHz observations we have found bright (TB > 80 K) and compact (full width half maximum size (FWHM) size of 10 × 7 pc) CO 6-5 line emission in the nuclear region of the extremely radio-quiet galaxy NGC 1377. The CO 6-5 intensity is partially aligned with the previously discovered jet/outflow of NGC 1377 and is tracing dense (n > 104cm-3) hot molecular gas at the base of the outflow. The velocity structure is complex and shifts across the jet/outflow are discussed in terms of separate overlapping kinematical components or rotation. High-velocity gas (Δv ± 145km s-1) is detected inside r < 2-3 pc and we suggest that it is emerging from an inclined rotating disk or torus of position angle PA = 140° ± 20° with a dynamical mass of 3 × 106M⊙. This mass is consistent with that of a supermassive black hole (SMBH), as inferred from the M-σ relation. The gas mass of the proposed disk/torus constitutes <3% of the dynamical mass inside a radius of 3 pc. In contrast to the intense CO 6-5 line emission, we do not detect 690 GHz dust continuum in the nuclear region of NGC 1377. The upper limit of S(690 GHz) ≲ 2 mJy implies an H2 column density N(H2) < 3 × 1023cm-2 (averaged in the central 6 × 5 pc beam). This is inconsistent with a Compton thick (CT) source and we discuss the possibility that CT obscuration may instead be occurring on smaller subparsec scales or in a larger foreground structure. From SED fitting we suggest that half of the IR emission of NGC 1377 is nuclear and the rest, mostly the far-infrared (FIR), is emerging from larger scales. The extreme radio quietness, and the lack of emission from other star formation tracers, raise questions on the origin of the FIR emission. We discuss the possibility that it arises from AGN-heated dust along the minor axis. The reduced datacube is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/608/A22

Multiple-User Microcomputer Technology and Its Application to the Library Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Cathleen D.

1987-01-01

Demonstrates the ways in which multiuser and multitasking microcomputer systems can be used for the automation of small- to medium-sized library operations. The possibilities afforded by the IBM-PC AT microcomputer are discussed and a sample configuration with estimated cost projections is provided. (EM)

A TinyOS-enabled MICA2-based wireless neural interface.

PubMed

Farshchi, Shahin; Nuyujukian, Paul H; Pesterev, Aleksey; Mody, Istvan; Judy, Jack W

2006-07-01

Existing approaches used to develop compact low-power multichannel wireless neural recording systems range from creating custom-integrated circuits to assembling commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) PC-based components. Custom-integrated-circuit designs yield extremely compact and low-power devices at the expense of high development and upgrade costs and turn-around times, while assembling COTS-PC-technology yields high performance at the expense of large system size and increased power consumption. To achieve a balance between implementing an ultra-compact custom-fabricated neural transceiver and assembling COTS-PC-technology, an overlay of a neural interface upon the TinyOS-based MICA2 platform is described. The system amplifies, digitally encodes, and transmits neural signals real-time at a rate of 9.6 kbps, while consuming less than 66 mW of power. The neural signals are received and forwarded to a client PC over a serial connection. This data rate can be divided for recording on up to 6 channels, with a resolution of 8 bits/sample. This work demonstrates the strengths and limitations of the TinyOS-based sensor technology as a foundation for chronic remote biological monitoring applications and, thus, provides an opportunity to create a system that can leverage from the frequent networking and communications advancements being made by the global TinyOS-development community.

Optimization of gatifloxacin liposomal hydrogel for enhanced transcorneal permeation.

PubMed

Hosny, Khaled Mohamed

2010-03-01

The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize a topically effective prolonged-release ophthalmic gatifloxacin liposomal hydrogel formulation. Reverse-phase evaporation was used for the preparation of liposomes consisting of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol (CH). The effect of PC:CH molar ratio on the percentage of drug encapsulated was investigated. The effect of additives, such as stearylamine (SA) or dicetyl phosphate (DP), as positive and negative charge inducers, respectively, was studied. Morphology, mean size, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release of gatifloxacin from liposomes were evaluated. For hydrogel preparation, carbopol 940 was applied. In vitro transcorneal permeation through excised albino rabbit cornea was also determined. Optimal encapsulation efficiency was found at the 5:3 PC:CH molar ratio; by increasing CH content above this limit, the encapsulation efficiency decreased. Positively charged liposomes showed superior entrapment efficiency over other liposomes. Hydrogel-containing liposomes with lipid content PC, CH, and SA in a molar ratio of 5:3:1, respectively, showed best release and transcorneal permeation. These results suggest that the encapsulation of gatifloxacin into liposomes prolonged the in vitro release, depending on composition of the vesicles. In addition, the polymer hydrogel used in the preparation ensured steady, prolonged transcorneal permeation. In conclusion, gatifloxacin liposomal hydrogel is a suitable delivery system for the improvement of the ocular bioavailability of gatifloxacin.

Generation and measurement of velocity bunched ultrashort bunch of pC charge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, X. H.; Tang, C. X.; Li, R. K.; To, H.; Andonian, G.; Musumeci, P.

2015-03-01

In this paper, we discuss the velocity compression in a short rf linac of an electron bunch from a rf photoinjector operated in the blowout regime. Particle tracking simulations shows that with a beam charge of 2 pC an ultrashort bunch duration of 16 fs can be obtained at a tight longitudinal focus downstream of the linac. A simplified coherent transition radiation (CTR) spectrum method is developed to enable the measurement of ultrashort (sub-50 fs) bunches at low bunch energy (5 MeV) and low bunch charges (<10 pC ). In this method, the ratio of the radiation energy selected by two narrow bandwidth filters is used to estimate the bunch length. The contribution to the coherent form factor of the large transverse size of the bunch suppresses the radiation signal significantly and is included in the analysis. The experiment was performed at the UCLA Pegasus photoinjector laboratory. The measurement results show bunches of sub-40 fs with 2 pC of charge well consistent with the simulation using actual experimental conditions. These results open the way to the generation of ultrashort bunches with time-duration below 10 fs once some of the limitations of the setup (rf phase jitter, amplitude instability and low field in the gun limited by breakdown) are corrected.

Spectral Profiler Probe for In Situ Snow Grain Size and Composition Stratigraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berisford, Daniel F.; Molotch, Noah P.; Painter, Thomas

2012-01-01

An ultimate goal of the climate change, snow science, and hydrology communities is to measure snow water equivalent (SWE) from satellite measurements. Seasonal SWE is highly sensitive to climate change and provides fresh water for much of the world population. Snowmelt from mountainous regions represents the dominant water source for 60 million people in the United States and over one billion people globally. Determination of snow grain sizes comprising mountain snowpack is critical for predicting snow meltwater runoff, understanding physical properties and radiation balance, and providing necessary input for interpreting satellite measurements. Both microwave emission and radar backscatter from the snow are dominated by the snow grain size stratigraphy. As a result, retrieval algorithms for measuring snow water equivalents from orbiting satellites is largely hindered by inadequate knowledge of grain size.

Determination of an Optimal Commercial Data Bus Architecture for a Flight Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawford, Kevin; Johnson, Martin; Humphries, Rick (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is continually looking for methods to reduce cost and schedule while keeping the quality of work high. MSFC is NASA's lead center for space transportation and microgravity research. When supporting NASA's programs several decisions concerning the avionics system must be made. Usually many trade studies must be conducted to determine the best ways to meet the customer's requirements. When deciding the flight data system, one of the first trade studies normally conducted is the determination of the data bus architecture. The schedule, cost, reliability, and environments are some of the factors that are reviewed in the determination of the data bus architecture. Based on the studies, the data bus architecture could result in a proprietary data bus or a commercial data bus. The cost factor usually removes the proprietary data bus from consideration. The commercial data bus's range from Versa Module Eurocard (VME) to Compact PCI to STD 32 to PC 104. If cost, schedule and size are prime factors, VME is usually not considered. If the prime factors are cost, schedule, and size then Compact PCI, STD 32 and PC104 are the choices for the data bus architecture. MSFC's center director has funded a study from his discretionary fund to determine an optimal low cost commercial data bus architecture. The goal of the study is to functionally and environmentally test Compact PCI, STD 32 and PC 104 data bus architectures. This paper will summarize the results of the data bus architecture study.

Dentary Morphological Variation in Clevosaurus brasiliensis (Rhynchocephalia, Clevosauridae) from the Upper Triassic of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

PubMed Central

Romo de Vivar Martínez, Paula Rosario; Bento Soares, Marina

2015-01-01

Clevosaurus was a cosmopolitan rhynchocephalian genus, known from the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic. In South America this genus is represented by C. brasiliensis, an important component of the Linha São Luiz taphocoenosis, on the top of the Norian Santa Maria 2 Sequence of Southern Brazil. The best preserved and most abundant bone elements of C. brasiliensis are dentaries, in which variations of shape and size are observed. The aim of this study is to describe and evaluate the variation, using geometric morphometrics methods. Geometric morphometric analysis of 10 specimens highlights variations in relative size of the dentary. Most of the variation observed for PC1 (83.3%) is likely related to ontogeny, and PC2 (10.0%) is likely related to taphonomic signatures. The development patterns observed, such as the growth of the dentary, consists of differential growth in length between the posterior portion of the dentary, that grows at a higher rate, regarding the anterior portion of the element. This allometric growth is similar to what is observed in other rhynchocephalians and is accompanied by the allometric skull growth, similar to the trend exhibited by clevosaurs. The taphocoenosis is bimodal (juveniles and adults) with a bias towards adult preservation. Some diagenetic influence is reflected in deformed skulls and this is observed in the tangent-plot. Finally, a strong correlation was detected between the taphonomic signatures and the PC2, regarding specially disarticulation and degree of fragmentation. PMID:25793754

The Spatial Distribution of Resolved Young Stars in Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, K.; Crone, M. M.

2002-12-01

We present the first results from a survey of the distribution of resolved young stars in Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies. In order to identify the dominant physical processes driving star formation in these puzzling galaxies, we use a multi-scale cluster-finding algorithm to quantify the characteristic scales and properties of star-forming regions, from sizes smaller than 10 pc up to the size of each entire galaxy. This project was partially funded by the Lubin Chair at Skidmore College.

Attenuated phase-shift mask (PSM) blanks for flat panel display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kageyama, Kagehiro; Mochizuki, Satoru; Yamakawa, Hiroyuki; Uchida, Shigeru

2015-10-01

The fine pattern exposure techniques are required for Flat Panel display applications as smart phone, tablet PC recently. The attenuated phase shift masks (PSM) are being used for ArF and KrF photomask lithography technique for high end pattern Semiconductor applications. We developed CrOx based large size PSM blanks that has good uniformity on optical characteristics for FPD applications. We report the basic optical characteristics and uniformity, stability data of large sized CrOx PSM blanks.

Why the Long Face? The Mechanics of Mandibular Symphysis Proportions in Crocodiles

PubMed Central

Walmsley, Christopher W.; Smits, Peter D.; Quayle, Michelle R.; McCurry, Matthew R.; Richards, Heather S.; Oldfield, Christopher C.; Wroe, Stephen; Clausen, Phillip D.; McHenry, Colin R.

2013-01-01

Background Crocodilians exhibit a spectrum of rostral shape from long snouted (longirostrine), through to short snouted (brevirostrine) morphologies. The proportional length of the mandibular symphysis correlates consistently with rostral shape, forming as much as 50% of the mandible’s length in longirostrine forms, but 10% in brevirostrine crocodilians. Here we analyse the structural consequences of an elongate mandibular symphysis in relation to feeding behaviours. Methods/Principal Findings Simple beam and high resolution Finite Element (FE) models of seven species of crocodile were analysed under loads simulating biting, shaking and twisting. Using beam theory, we statistically compared multiple hypotheses of which morphological variables should control the biomechanical response. Brevi- and mesorostrine morphologies were found to consistently outperform longirostrine types when subject to equivalent biting, shaking and twisting loads. The best predictors of performance for biting and twisting loads in FE models were overall length and symphyseal length respectively; for shaking loads symphyseal length and a multivariate measurement of shape (PC1– which is strongly but not exclusively correlated with symphyseal length) were equally good predictors. Linear measurements were better predictors than multivariate measurements of shape in biting and twisting loads. For both biting and shaking loads but not for twisting, simple beam models agree with best performance predictors in FE models. Conclusions/Significance Combining beam and FE modelling allows a priori hypotheses about the importance of morphological traits on biomechanics to be statistically tested. Short mandibular symphyses perform well under loads used for feeding upon large prey, but elongate symphyses incur high strains under equivalent loads, underlining the structural constraints to prey size in the longirostrine morphotype. The biomechanics of the crocodilian mandible are largely consistent with beam theory and can be predicted from simple morphological measurements, suggesting that crocodilians are a useful model for investigating the palaeobiomechanics of other aquatic tetrapods. PMID:23342027

A NEARLY VOLUME-COMPLETE SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF THE CLOSESTMID-TO-LATE M DWARFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winters, Jennifer; Irwin, Jonathan; Newton, Elisabeth; Charbonneau, David; Latham, David W.; Mink, Jessica; Esquerdo, Gil; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Mike

2018-01-01

Recent results from Kepler estimate that M dwarfs harbor 2.5 planets per star. Yet, we will understand our exoplanet discoveries only as well as we understand their host stars, and much remains unknown about our low-mass stellar neighbors, such as their kinematics, ages, and multiplicity. A nearly volume-complete sample of M dwarfs lies within 15 pc of the Sun, and it is only for planets orbiting these nearest and smallest stars that thorough follow-up work for characterization will be possible. Unfortunately, more than half of this sample have only low-resolution (R < 19,000) spectroscopic measurements available from the literature, while ten percent have no published spectrum at all.We have undertaken a multi-epoch, high-resolution (R ~ 44,000) spectroscopic survey of the mid-to-late M dwarfs that lie within 15 pc via acurate trigonometric parallaxes. Observations with the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES) on the 1.5m telescope at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) on Mt. Hopkins, AZ, are currently underway. We will shortly begin the southern part of this survey with CHIRON at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory / Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System (CTIO/SMARTS) 1.5m. We present here results from year one of our TRES survey. We have measured radial velocities, rotational broadening, and H-alpha equivalent widths for 305 mid-to-late M dwarfs. We have discovered five new spectroscopic binaries, one of which is a rare M dwarf - (likely) brown dwarf binary within 10 pc, for which we have determined the orbit.Our survey more than doubles the number of mid-M dwarfs within 15 pc with complete high-resolution spectroscopic and trigonometric characterization. We hope to provide a legacy dataset for the use of future generations of astronomers.This work is being supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation.

Enhanced UV photoresponse of KrF-laser-synthesized single-wall carbon nanotubes/n-silicon hybrid photovoltaic devices.

PubMed

Le Borgne, V; Gautier, L A; Castrucci, P; Del Gobbo, S; De Crescenzi, M; El Khakani, M A

2012-06-01

We report on the KrF-laser ablation synthesis, purification and photocurrent generation properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The thermally purified SWCNTs are integrated into hybrid photovoltaic (PV) devices by spin-coating them onto n-Si substrates. These novel SWCNTs/n-Si hybrid devices are shown to generate significant photocurrent (PC) over the entire 250-1050 nm light spectrum with external quantum efficiencies (EQE) reaching up to ~23%. Our SWCNTs/n-Si hybrid devices are not only photoactive in the traditional spectral range of Si solar cells, but generate also significant PC in the UV domain (below 400 nm). This wider spectral response is believed to be the result of PC generation from both the SWCNTs themselves and the tremendous number of local p-n junctions created at the nanotubes/Si interface. To assess the prevalence of these two contributions, the EQE spectra and J-V characteristics of these hybrid devices were investigated in both planar and top-down configurations, as a function of SWCNTs' film thickness. A sizable increase in EQE in the near UV with respect to the silicon is observed in both configurations, with a more pronounced UV photoresponse in the planar mode, confirming thereby the role of SWCNTs in the photogeneration process. The PC generation is found to reach its maximum for an optimal the SWCNT film thickness, which is shown to correspond to the best trade-off between lowest electrical resistance and highest optical transparency. Finally, by analyzing the J-V characteristics of our SWCNTs/n-Si devices with an equivalent circuit model, we were able to point out the contribution of the various electrical components involved in the photogeneration process. The SWCNTs-based devices demonstrated here open up the prospect for their use in highly effective photovoltaics and/or UV-light sensors.

Kinetics of phloretin binding to phosphatidylcholine vesicle membranes

PubMed Central

1980-01-01

The submillisecond kinetics for phloretin binding to unilamellar phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles was investigated using the temperature-jump technique. Spectrophotometric studies of the equilibrium binding performed at 328 nm demonstrated that phloretin binds to a single set of independent, equivalent sites on the vesicle with a dissociation constant of 8.0 microM and a lipid/site ratio of 4.0. The temperature of the phloretin-vesicle solution was jumped by 4 degrees C within 4 microseconds producing a monoexponential, concentration-dependent relaxation process with time constants in the 30--200-microseconds time range. An analysis of the concentration dependence of relaxation time constants at pH 7.30 and 24 degrees C yielded a binding rate constant of 2.7 X 10(8) M-1 s-1 and an unbinding constant of 2,900 s-1; approximately 66 percent of total binding sites are exposed at the outer vesicle surface. The value of the binding rate constant and three additional observations suggest that the binding kinetics are diffusion limited. The phloretin analogue, naringenin, which has a diffusion coefficient similar to phloretin yet a dissociation constant equal to 24 microM, bound to PC vesicle with the same rate constant as phloretin did. In addition, the phloretin-PC system was studied in buffers made one to six times more viscous than water by addition of sucrose or glycerol to the differ. The equilibrium affinity for phloretin binding to PC vesicles is independent of viscosity, yet the binding rate constant decreases with the expected dependence (kappa binding alpha 1/viscosity) for diffusion-limited processes. Thus, the binding rate constant is not altered by differences in binding affinity, yet depends upon the diffusion coefficient in buffer. Finally, studies of the pH dependence of the binding rate constant showed a dependence (kappa binding alpha [1 + 10pH-pK]) consistent with the diffusion-limited binding of a weak acid. PMID:7391812

Overcoming double-step CO2 adsorption and minimizing water co-adsorption in bulky diamine-appended variants of Mg2(dobpdc).

PubMed

Milner, Phillip J; Martell, Jeffrey D; Siegelman, Rebecca L; Gygi, David; Weston, Simon C; Long, Jeffrey R

2018-01-07

Alkyldiamine-functionalized variants of the metal-organic framework Mg 2 (dobpdc) (dobpdc 4- = 4,4'-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3'-dicarboxylate) are promising for CO 2 capture applications owing to their unique step-shaped CO 2 adsorption profiles resulting from the cooperative formation of ammonium carbamate chains. Primary , secondary (1°,2°) alkylethylenediamine-appended variants are of particular interest because of their low CO 2 step pressures (≤1 mbar at 40 °C), minimal adsorption/desorption hysteresis, and high thermal stability. Herein, we demonstrate that further increasing the size of the alkyl group on the secondary amine affords enhanced stability against diamine volatilization, but also leads to surprising two-step CO 2 adsorption/desorption profiles. This two-step behavior likely results from steric interactions between ammonium carbamate chains induced by the asymmetrical hexagonal pores of Mg 2 (dobpdc) and leads to decreased CO 2 working capacities and increased water co-adsorption under humid conditions. To minimize these unfavorable steric interactions, we targeted diamine-appended variants of the isoreticularly expanded framework Mg 2 (dotpdc) (dotpdc 4- = 4,4''-dioxido-[1,1':4',1''-terphenyl]-3,3''-dicarboxylate), reported here for the first time, and the previously reported isomeric framework Mg-IRMOF-74-II or Mg 2 (pc-dobpdc) (pc-dobpdc 4- = 3,3'-dioxidobiphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate, pc = para -carboxylate), which, in contrast to Mg 2 (dobpdc), possesses uniformally hexagonal pores. By minimizing the steric interactions between ammonium carbamate chains, these frameworks enable a single CO 2 adsorption/desorption step in all cases, as well as decreased water co-adsorption and increased stability to diamine loss. Functionalization of Mg 2 (pc-dobpdc) with large diamines such as N -( n -heptyl)ethylenediamine results in optimal adsorption behavior, highlighting the advantage of tuning both the pore shape and the diamine size for the development of new adsorbents for carbon capture applications.

Broad absorption line disappearance and emergence using multiple-epoch spectroscopy from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGraw, S. M.; Brandt, W. N.; Grier, C. J.; Filiz Ak, N.; Hall, P. B.; Schneider, D. P.; Anderson, S. F.; Green, P. J.; Hutchinson, T. A.; Macleod, C. L.; Vivek, M.

2017-08-01

We investigate broad absorption line (BAL) disappearance and emergence using a 470 BAL-quasar sample over ≤0.10-5.25 rest-frame years with at least three spectroscopic epochs for each quasar from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We identify 14 disappearing BALs over ≤1.73-4.62 rest-frame years and 18 emerging BALs over ≤1.46-3.66 rest-frame years associated with the C IV λλ1548,1550 and/or Si IV λλ1393,1402 doublets, and report on their variability behaviour. BAL quasars in our data set exhibit disappearing/emerging C IV BALs at a rate of 2.3^{+0.9}_{-0.7} and 3.0^{+1.0}_{-0.8} per cent, respectively, and the frequency for BAL to non-BAL quasar transitions is 1.7^{+0.8}_{-0.6} per cent. We detect four re-emerging BALs over ≤3.88 rest-frame years on average and three re-disappearing BALs over ≤4.15 rest-frame years on average, the first reported cases of these types. We infer BAL lifetimes along the line of sight to be nominally ≲ 100-1000 yr using disappearing C IV BALs in our sample. Interpretations of (re-)emerging and (re-)disappearing BALs reveal evidence that collectively supports both transverse-motion and ionization-change scenarios to explain BAL variations. We constrain a nominal C IV/Si IV BAL-outflow location of ≲ 100 pc from the central source and a radial size of ≳ 1× 10-7 pc (0.02 au) using the ionization-change scenario, and constrain a nominal outflow location of ≲ 0.5 pc and a transverse size of ˜0.01 pc using the transverse-motion scenario. Our findings are consistent with previous work, and provide evidence in support of BALs tracing compact flow geometries with small filling factors.

Overcoming double-step CO 2 adsorption and minimizing water co-adsorption in bulky diamine-appended variants of Mg 2(dobpdc)

DOE PAGES

Milner, Phillip J.; Martell, Jeffrey D.; Siegelman, Rebecca L.; ...

2017-10-26

Alkyldiamine-functionalized variants of the metal–organic framework Mg 2(dobpdc) (dobpdc 4- = 4,4'-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3'-dicarboxylate) are promising for CO 2 capture applications owing to their unique step-shaped CO 2 adsorption profiles resulting from the cooperative formation of ammonium carbamate chains. Primary,secondary (1°,2°) alkylethylenediamine-appended variants are of particular interest because of their low CO 2 step pressures (≤1 mbar at 40 °C), minimal adsorption/desorption hysteresis, and high thermal stability. Herein, we demonstrate that further increasing the size of the alkyl group on the secondary amine affords enhanced stability against diamine volatilization, but also leads to surprising two-step CO 2 adsorption/desorption profiles. This two-step behaviormore » likely results from steric interactions between ammonium carbamate chains induced by the asymmetrical hexagonal pores of Mg 2(dobpdc) and leads to decreased CO 2 working capacities and increased water co-adsorption under humid conditions. To minimize these unfavorable steric interactions, we targeted diamine-appended variants of the isoreticularly expanded framework Mg 2(dotpdc) (dotpdc 4- = 4,4''-dioxido-[1,1':4',1''-terphenyl]-3,3''-dicarboxylate), reported here for the first time, and the previously reported isomeric framework Mg-IRMOF-74-II or Mg 2(pc-dobpdc) (pc-dobpdc 4- = 3,3'-dioxidobiphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate, pc = para-carboxylate), which, in contrast to Mg 2(dobpdc), possesses uniformally hexagonal pores. By minimizing the steric interactions between ammonium carbamate chains, these frameworks enable a single CO 2 adsorption/desorption step in all cases, as well as decreased water co-adsorption and increased stability to diamine loss. Functionalization of Mg 2(pc-dobpdc) with large diamines such as N-(n-heptyl)ethylenediamine results in optimal adsorption behavior, highlighting the advantage of tuning both the pore shape and the diamine size for the development of new adsorbents for carbon capture applications.« less

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

Milner, Phillip J.; Martell, Jeffrey D.; Siegelman, Rebecca L.

Alkyldiamine-functionalized variants of the metal–organic framework Mg 2(dobpdc) (dobpdc 4- = 4,4'-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3'-dicarboxylate) are promising for CO 2 capture applications owing to their unique step-shaped CO 2 adsorption profiles resulting from the cooperative formation of ammonium carbamate chains. Primary,secondary (1°,2°) alkylethylenediamine-appended variants are of particular interest because of their low CO 2 step pressures (≤1 mbar at 40 °C), minimal adsorption/desorption hysteresis, and high thermal stability. Herein, we demonstrate that further increasing the size of the alkyl group on the secondary amine affords enhanced stability against diamine volatilization, but also leads to surprising two-step CO 2 adsorption/desorption profiles. This two-step behaviormore » likely results from steric interactions between ammonium carbamate chains induced by the asymmetrical hexagonal pores of Mg 2(dobpdc) and leads to decreased CO 2 working capacities and increased water co-adsorption under humid conditions. To minimize these unfavorable steric interactions, we targeted diamine-appended variants of the isoreticularly expanded framework Mg 2(dotpdc) (dotpdc 4- = 4,4''-dioxido-[1,1':4',1''-terphenyl]-3,3''-dicarboxylate), reported here for the first time, and the previously reported isomeric framework Mg-IRMOF-74-II or Mg 2(pc-dobpdc) (pc-dobpdc 4- = 3,3'-dioxidobiphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate, pc = para-carboxylate), which, in contrast to Mg 2(dobpdc), possesses uniformally hexagonal pores. By minimizing the steric interactions between ammonium carbamate chains, these frameworks enable a single CO 2 adsorption/desorption step in all cases, as well as decreased water co-adsorption and increased stability to diamine loss. Functionalization of Mg 2(pc-dobpdc) with large diamines such as N-(n-heptyl)ethylenediamine results in optimal adsorption behavior, highlighting the advantage of tuning both the pore shape and the diamine size for the development of new adsorbents for carbon capture applications.« less

Solar particle event organ doses and dose equivalents for interplanetary crews: variations due to body size

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapp, E. N.; Townsend, L. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2002-01-01

Proper assessments of spacecraft shielding requirements and concomitant estimates of risk to critical body organs of spacecraft crews from energetic space radiation require accurate, quantitative methods of characterizing the compositional changes in these radiation fields as they pass through the spacecraft and overlying tissue. When estimating astronaut radiation organ doses and dose equivalents it is customary to use the Computerized Anatomical Man (CAM) model of human geometry to account for body self-shielding. Usually, the distribution for the 50th percentile man (175 cm height; 70 kg mass) is used. Most male members of the U.S. astronaut corps are taller and nearly all have heights that deviate from the 175 cm mean. In this work, estimates of critical organ doses and dose equivalents for interplanetary crews exposed to an event similar to the October 1989 solar particle event are presented for male body sizes that vary from the 5th to the 95th percentiles. Overall the results suggest that calculations of organ dose and dose equivalent may vary by as much as approximately 15% as body size is varied from the 5th to the 95th percentile in the population used to derive the CAM model data. c2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

Interstellar communication. II. Application to the solar gravitational lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hippke, Michael

2018-01-01

We have shown in paper I of this series [1] that interstellar communication to nearby (pc) stars is possible at data rates of bits per second per Watt between a 1 m sized probe and a large receiving telescope (E-ELT, 39 m), when optimizing all parameters such as frequency at 300-400 nm. We now apply our framework of interstellar extinction and quantum state calculations for photon encoding to the solar gravitational lens (SGL), which enlarges the aperture (and thus the photon flux) of the receiving telescope by a factor of >109 . For the first time, we show that the use of the SGL for communication purposes is possible. This was previously unclear because the Einstein ring is placed inside the solar coronal noise, and contributing factors are difficult to determine. We calculate point-spread functions, aperture sizes, heliocentric distance, and optimum communication frequency. The best wavelength for nearby (< 100 pc) interstellar communication is limited by current technology to the UV and optical band. To suppress coronal noise, an advanced coronograph is required, alternatively an occulter could be used which would require a second spacecraft in formation flight 78 km from the receiver, and ≈ 10 m in size. Data rates scale approximately linear with the SGL telescope size and with heliocentric distance. Achievable (receiving) data rates from α Cen are of order 10 Mbits per second per Watt for a pair of meter-sized telescopes, an improvement of 107 compared to using the same receiving telescope without the SGL. A 1 m telescope in the SGL can receive data at rates comparable to a km-class "normal" telescope.

Perspective Space as a Model for Distance and Size Perception.

PubMed

Erkelens, Casper J

2017-01-01

In the literature, perspective space has been introduced as a model of visual space. Perspective space is grounded on the perspective nature of visual space during both binocular and monocular vision. A single parameter, that is, the distance of the vanishing point, transforms the geometry of physical space into that of perspective space. The perspective-space model predicts perceived angles, distances, and sizes. The model is compared with other models for distance and size perception. Perspective space predicts that perceived distance and size as a function of physical distance are described by hyperbolic functions. Alternatively, power functions have been widely used to describe perceived distance and size. Comparison of power and hyperbolic functions shows that both functions are equivalent within the range of distances that have been judged in experiments. Two models describing perceived distance on the ground plane appear to be equivalent with the perspective-space model too. The conclusion is that perspective space unifies a number of models of distance and size perception.

Perspective Space as a Model for Distance and Size Perception

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In the literature, perspective space has been introduced as a model of visual space. Perspective space is grounded on the perspective nature of visual space during both binocular and monocular vision. A single parameter, that is, the distance of the vanishing point, transforms the geometry of physical space into that of perspective space. The perspective-space model predicts perceived angles, distances, and sizes. The model is compared with other models for distance and size perception. Perspective space predicts that perceived distance and size as a function of physical distance are described by hyperbolic functions. Alternatively, power functions have been widely used to describe perceived distance and size. Comparison of power and hyperbolic functions shows that both functions are equivalent within the range of distances that have been judged in experiments. Two models describing perceived distance on the ground plane appear to be equivalent with the perspective-space model too. The conclusion is that perspective space unifies a number of models of distance and size perception. PMID:29225765

Application of the modified chi-square ratio statistic in a stepwise procedure for cascade impactor equivalence testing.

PubMed

Weber, Benjamin; Lee, Sau L; Delvadia, Renishkumar; Lionberger, Robert; Li, Bing V; Tsong, Yi; Hochhaus, Guenther

2015-03-01

Equivalence testing of aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) through multi-stage cascade impactors (CIs) is important for establishing bioequivalence of orally inhaled drug products. Recent work demonstrated that the median of the modified chi-square ratio statistic (MmCSRS) is a promising metric for APSD equivalence testing of test (T) and reference (R) products as it can be applied to a reduced number of CI sites that are more relevant for lung deposition. This metric is also less sensitive to the increased variability often observed for low-deposition sites. A method to establish critical values for the MmCSRS is described here. This method considers the variability of the R product by employing a reference variance scaling approach that allows definition of critical values as a function of the observed variability of the R product. A stepwise CI equivalence test is proposed that integrates the MmCSRS as a method for comparing the relative shapes of CI profiles and incorporates statistical tests for assessing equivalence of single actuation content and impactor sized mass. This stepwise CI equivalence test was applied to 55 published CI profile scenarios, which were classified as equivalent or inequivalent by members of the Product Quality Research Institute working group (PQRI WG). The results of the stepwise CI equivalence test using a 25% difference in MmCSRS as an acceptance criterion provided the best matching with those of the PQRI WG as decisions of both methods agreed in 75% of the 55 CI profile scenarios.

Study on Locally Confined Deposition of Si Nanocrystals in High-Aspect-Ratio Si Nano-Pillar Arrays for Nano-Electronic and Nano-Photonic Applications II

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-03

photoluminescence characteristics of equivalent-size controlled silicon quantum dots by employing a nano-porous aluminum oxide membrane as the template for growing...synthesis of Si quantum dots (Si-QDs) embedded in low-temperature (500oC) annealed Si-rich SiOx nano-rod deposited in nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide ...characteristics of the equivalent-size controlled Si-QDs by employing the nano-porous AAO membrane as the template for growing Si-rich SiOx nano-rods

Absorption and scattering by fractal aggregates and by their equivalent coated spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandilian, Razmig; Heng, Ri-Liang; Pilon, Laurent

2015-01-01

This paper demonstrates that the absorption and scattering cross-sections and the asymmetry factor of randomly oriented fractal aggregates of spherical monomers can be rapidly estimated as those of coated spheres with equivalent volume and average projected area. This was established for fractal aggregates with fractal dimension ranging from 2.0 to 3.0 and composed of up to 1000 monodisperse or polydisperse monomers with a wide range of size parameter and relative complex index of refraction. This equivalent coated sphere approximation was able to capture the effects of both multiple scattering and shading among constituent monomers on the integral radiation characteristics of the aggregates. It was shown to be superior to the Rayleigh-Debye-Gans approximation and to the equivalent coated sphere approximation proposed by Latimer. However, the scattering matrix element ratios of equivalent coated spheres featured large angular oscillations caused by internal reflection in the coating which were not observed in those of the corresponding fractal aggregates. Finally, the scattering phase function and the scattering matrix elements of aggregates with large monomer size parameter were found to have unique features that could be used in remote sensing applications.

Target objects defined by a conjunction of colour and shape can be selected independently and in parallel.

PubMed

Jenkins, Michael; Grubert, Anna; Eimer, Martin

2017-11-01

It is generally assumed that during search for targets defined by a feature conjunction, attention is allocated sequentially to individual objects. We tested this hypothesis by tracking the time course of attentional processing biases with the N2pc component in tasks where observers searched for two targets defined by a colour/shape conjunction. In Experiment 1, two displays presented in rapid succession (100 ms or 10 ms SOA) each contained a target and a colour-matching or shape-matching distractor on opposite sides. Target objects in both displays elicited N2pc components of similar size that overlapped in time when the SOA was 10 ms, suggesting that attention was allocated in parallel to both targets. Analogous results were found in Experiment 2, where targets and partially matching distractors were both accompanied by an object without target-matching features. Colour-matching and shape-matching distractors also elicited N2pc components, and the target N2pc was initially identical to the sum of the two distractor N2pcs, suggesting that the initial phase of attentional object selection was guided independently by feature templates for target colour and shape. Beyond 230 ms after display onset, the target N2pc became superadditive, indicating that attentional selection processes now started to be sensitive to the presence of feature conjunctions. Results show that independent attentional selection processes can be activated in parallel by two target objects in situations where these objects are defined by a feature conjunction.

Construction of AgBr nano-cakes decorated Ti3+ self-doped TiO2 nanorods/nanosheets photoelectrode and its enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xiaoyong; Zhang, Huixuan; Guo, Ruonan; Cheng, Xiuwen; Cheng, Qingfeng

2018-05-01

In the study, AgBr nano-cakes decorated Ti3+ self-doped TiO2 nanorods/nanosheets (AgBr-Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs) photoelectrode with enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic (PC) and photoelectrochemical (PECH) performance has been successfully fabricated by hydrothermal reaction, followed by sodium borohydride reduction and then successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) treatment. Afterwards, series of characterizations were conducted to study the physicochemical properties of AgBr-Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs photoelectrode. Results indicated that AgBr nano-cakes with sizes varying from 110 to 180 nm were uniformly decorated on the surface of Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs to form AgBr-Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs photoelectrode. Moreover, PC activity of AgBr-Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs photoelectrode was measured by degradation of methylene blue (MB). It was found that AgBr-Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs photoelectrode exhibited higher PC activity (98.7%) than that of other samples within 150 min visible light illumination, owing to the enhancement of visible light harvesting and effective separation of photoproduced charges. Thus, AgBr nano-cakes and Ti3+ exerted a huge influence on the PC and PECH properties of AgBr-Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs photoelectrode. Furthermore, the possible enhanced visible light driven PC mechanism of AgBr-Ti3+/TiO2 NRs/NSs was proposed and confirmed.

Dependence of Relative Expression of NTR1 and EGFR on Cell Density and Extracellular pH in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines

PubMed Central

Olszewski-Hamilton, Ulrike; Hamilton, Gerhard

2011-01-01

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a devastating disease characterized by early dissemination and poor prognosis. These solid tumors express receptors for neuropeptides like neurotensin (NT) or epidermal growth factor (EGF) and exhibit acidic regions when grown beyond a certain size. We previously demonstrated increases in intracellular Ca2+ levels, intracellular pH and interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells in response to a stable NT analog. The present study aimed at investigation of the dependence of the relative expression of NT receptor 1 (NTR1) and EGFR in BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2 cells on cell density and extracellular pH (pHe). MTT assays revealed the NTR1 inhibitor SR 142948-sensitive Lys8-ψ-Lys9NT (8–13)-induced proliferation in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells. Confluent cultures of BxPC3 and HT-29 lines exhibited highest expression of NTR1 and lowest of EGFR and expression of NTR1 was maximal at slightly acidic pHe. IL-8 production was stimulated by Lys8-ψ-Lys9NT (8–13) and even enhanced at both acidic and alkaline pHe in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells. In conclusion, our in vitro study suggests that one contributing factor to the minor responses obtained with EGFR-directed therapy may be downregulation of this receptor in tumor cell aggregates, possibly resulting in acquisition of a more aggressive phenotype via other growth factor receptors like NTR1. PMID:24212612

Curcumin-loaded mixed micelles: preparation, optimization, physicochemical properties and cytotoxicity in vitro.

PubMed

Duan, Yuwei; Wang, Juan; Yang, Xiaoye; Du, Hongliang; Xi, Yanwei; Zhai, Guangxi

2015-01-01

Although curcumin (CUR) can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of tumors, the poor water solubility restricted its clinical application. The aim of this study was to improve the aqueous solubility of CUR and make more favorable changes to bioactivity by preparing curcumin-loaded phospholipid-sodium deoxycholate-mixed micelles (CUR-PC-SDC-MMs). CUR-PC-SDC-MMs were prepared by the thin-film dispersion method. Based on the results of single factor exploration, the preparation technology was optimized using the central composite design-response surface methodology with drug loading and entrapment efficiency (EE%) as indicators. The images of transmission electron microscopy showed that the optimized CUR-PC-SDC-MMs were spherical and well dispersed. The average size of the mixed micelles was 66.5 nm, the zeta potential was about -26.96 mV and critical micelle concentration was 0.0087 g/l. CUR was encapsulated in PC-SDC-MMs with loading capacity of 13.12%, EE% of 87.58%, and the solubility of CUR in water was 3.14 mg/ml. The release results in vitro showed that the mixed micelles presented sustained release behavior compared to the propylene glycol solution of CUR. The IC50 values of CUR-loaded micelles and free drug in human breast carcinoma cell lines were 4.10 μg/ml and 6.93 µg/ml, respectively. It could be concluded from the above results that the CUR-PC-SDC-MMs system might serve as a promising nanocarrier to improve the solubility and bioactivity of CUR.

Primary Care-Mental Health Integration in the Veterans Affairs Health System: Program Characteristics and Performance.

PubMed

Cornwell, Brittany L; Brockmann, Laurie M; Lasky, Elaine C; Mach, Jennifer; McCarthy, John F

2018-06-01

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has achieved substantial national implementation of primary care-mental health integration (PC-MHI) services. However, little is known regarding program characteristics, variation in characteristics across settings, or associations between program fidelity and performance. This study identified core elements of PC-MHI services and evaluated their associations with program characteristics and performance. A principal-components analysis (PCA) of reports from 349 sites identified factors associated with PC-MHI fidelity. Analyses assessed the correlation among factors and between each factor and facility type (medical center or community-based outpatient clinic), primary care population size, and performance indicators (receipt of PC-MHI services, same-day access to mental health and primary care services, and extended duration of services). PCA identified seven factors: core implementation, care management (CM) assessments and supervision, CM supervision receipt, colocated collaborative care (CCC) by prescribing providers, CCC by behavioral health providers, participation in patient aligned care teams (PACTs) for special populations, and treatment of complex mental health conditions. Sites serving larger populations had greater core implementation scores. Medical centers and sites serving larger populations had greater scores for CCC by prescribing providers, CM assessments and supervision, and participation in PACTs. Greater core implementation scores were associated with greater same-day access. Sites with greater scores for CM assessments and supervision had lower scores for treatment of complex conditions. Outpatient clinics and sites serving smaller populations experienced challenges in integrated care implementation. To enhance same-day access, VHA should continue to prioritize PC-MHI implementation. Providing brief, problem-focused care may enhance CM implementation.

Creep of quartz by dislocation and grain boundary processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, J. I.; Holyoke, C. W., III; Kronenberg, A. K.

2015-12-01

Wet polycrystalline quartz aggregates deformed at temperatures T of 600°-900°C and strain rates of 10-4-10-6 s-1 at a confining pressure Pc of 1.5 GPa exhibit plasticity at low T, governed by dislocation glide and limited recovery, and grain size-sensitive creep at high T, governed by diffusion and sliding at grain boundaries. Quartz aggregates were HIP-synthesized, subjecting natural milky quartz powder to T=900°C and Pc=1.5 GPa, and grain sizes (2 to 25 mm) were varied by annealing at these conditions for up to 10 days. Infrared absorption spectra exhibit a broad OH band at 3400 cm-1 due to molecular water inclusions with a calculated OH content (~4000 ppm, H/106Si) that is unchanged by deformation. Rate-stepping experiments reveal different stress-strain rate functions at different temperatures and grain sizes, which correspond to differing stress-temperature sensitivities. At 600-700°C and grain sizes of 5-10 mm, flow law parameters compare favorably with those for basal plasticity and dislocation creep of wet quartzites (effective stress exponents n of 3 to 6 and activation enthalpy H* ~150 kJ/mol). Deformed samples show undulatory extinction, limited recrystallization, and c-axis maxima parallel to the shortening direction. Similarly fine-grained samples deformed at 800°-900°C exhibit flow parameters n=1.3-2.0 and H*=135-200 kJ/mol corresponding to grain size-sensitive Newtonian creep. Deformed samples show some undulatory extinction and grain sizes change by recrystallization; however, grain boundary deformation processes are indicated by the low value of n. Our experimental results for grain size-sensitive creep can be compared with models of grain boundary diffusion and grain boundary sliding using measured rates of silicon grain boundary diffusion. While many quartz mylonites show microstructural and textural evidence for dislocation creep, results for grain size-sensitive creep may apply to very fine-grained (<10 mm) quartz mylonites.

50 CFR 697.25 - Adjustment to management measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... escape vent size, decreases in the lobster trap size, closed areas, closed seasons, landing limits, trip... equivalency for American lobster that are formally submitted to him/her in writing by the ASMFC. These...

50 CFR 697.25 - Adjustment to management measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... escape vent size, decreases in the lobster trap size, closed areas, closed seasons, landing limits, trip... equivalency for American lobster that are formally submitted to him/her in writing by the ASMFC. These...

Comparison of ultrasonic energy, bipolar thermal energy, and vascular clips for the hemostasis of small-, medium-, and large-sized arteries.

PubMed

Harold, K L; Pollinger, H; Matthews, B D; Kercher, K W; Sing, R F; Heniford, B T

2003-08-01

Advanced laparoscopic procedures have necessitated the development of new technology for vascular control. Suture ligation can be time-consuming and cumbersome during laparoscopic dissection. Titanium clips have been used for hemostasis, and recently plastic clips and energy sources such as ultrasonic coagulating shears and bipolar thermal energy devices have become popular. The purpose of this study was to compare the bursting pressure of arteries sealed with ultrasonic coagulating shears (UCS), electrothermal bipolar vessel sealer (EBVS), titanium laparoscopic clips (LCs), and plastic laparoscopic clips (PCs). In addition, the spread of thermal injury from the UCS and the EBVS was compared. Arteries in three size groups (2-3, 4-5 and 6-7 mm) were harvested from freshly euthanized pigs. Each of the four devices was used to seal 16 specimens from each size group for burst testing. A 5-Fr catheter was placed into the open end of the specimen and secured with a purse-string suture. The catheter was connected to a pressure monitor and saline was infused until there was leakage from the sealed end. This defined the bursting pressure in mmHg. The ultrasonic shears and bipolar thermal device were used to seal an additional 8 vessels in each size group, which were sent for histologic examination. These were examined with hematoxylin and eosin stains, and the extent of thermal injury, defined by coagulation necrosis, was measured in millimeters. Analysis of variance was performed and, where appropriate, a Tukey's test was also performed. The EBVS's mean burst pressure was statistically higher than that of the UCS at 4 or 5 mm (601 vs 205 mmHg) and 6 or 7 mm (442 vs 175 mmHg). EBVS had higher burst pressures for the 4 or 5-mm group (601 mmHg) and 6 or 7-mm group (442 mmHg) compared with its pressure at 2 or 3 mm (128 mmHg) ( p = 0.0001). The burst pressures of the UCS and EBVS at 2 or 3 mm were not significantly different. Both clips were statistically stronger than the thermal devices except at 4 or 5 mm, in which case the EBVS was as strong as the LC (601 vs 593 mmHg). The PC and LC were similar except at 4 or 5 mm, where the PC was superior (854 vs 593 mmHg). The PC burst pressure for 4 or 5 mm (854 mmHg) was statistically higher than that for vessels 2 or 3 mm (737 mmHg) but not different from the 6 or 7 mm pressure (767 mmHg). Thermal spread was not statistically different when comparing EBVS and UCS at any size (EBVS mean = 2.57 mm vs UCS mean = 2.18 mm). Both the PC and LC secured all vessel sizes to well above physiologic levels. The EBVS can be used confidently in vessels up to 7 mm. There is no difference in the thermal spread of the LigaSure vessel sealer and the UCS.

InfoQUEST: An Online Catalog for Small Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Bonnie

1984-01-01

InfoQUEST is a microcomputer-based online public access catalog, designed for the small library handling file sizes up to 25,000 records. Based on the IBM-PC, or compatible machines, the system will accept downloading, in batch mode, of records from the library's file on the UTLAS Catalog Support System. (Author/EJS)

Buying Your Next (or First) PC: What Matters Now?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Walt

1993-01-01

Discussion of factors to consider in purchasing a personal computer covers present and future needs, computing environments, memory, processing performance, disk size, and display quality. Issues such as bundled systems, where and when to purchase, and vendor support are addressed; and an annotated bibliography of 28 recent articles is included.…

Bench-top soldering aid for PC boards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manton, N. R.; Schroff, R. A.

1978-01-01

Multiple-board rack allows technician to insert components into several boards, flip them all in single motion, and then systematically solder leads on reverse side. Two adjustable crossbars allow boards of any size up to 10 by 24 inches. Operator can rotate racks and adjust angle of boards from standing or sitting position.

Establishment of an equivalence acceptance criterion for accelerated stability studies.

PubMed

Burdick, Richard K; Sidor, Leslie

2013-01-01

In this article, the use of statistical equivalence testing for providing evidence of process comparability in an accelerated stability study is advocated over the use of a test of differences. The objective of such a study is to demonstrate comparability by showing that the stability profiles under nonrecommended storage conditions of two processes are equivalent. Because it is difficult at accelerated conditions to find a direct link to product specifications, and hence product safety and efficacy, an equivalence acceptance criterion is proposed that is based on the statistical concept of effect size. As with all statistical tests of equivalence, it is important to collect input from appropriate subject-matter experts when defining the acceptance criterion.

Optical equivalence of isotropic ensembles of ellipsoidal particles in the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye and anomalous diffraction approximations and its consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paramonov, L. E.

2012-05-01

Light scattering by isotropic ensembles of ellipsoidal particles is considered in the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye approximation. It is proved that randomly oriented ellipsoidal particles are optically equivalent to polydisperse randomly oriented spheroidal particles and polydisperse spherical particles. Density functions of the shape and size distributions for equivalent ensembles of spheroidal and spherical particles are presented. In the anomalous diffraction approximation, equivalent ensembles of particles are shown to also have equal extinction, scattering, and absorption coefficients. Consequences of optical equivalence are considered. The results are illustrated by numerical calculations of the angular dependence of the scattering phase function using the T-matrix method and the Mie theory.

Quantum dynamics of the vibrations of helium bound to the nanosurface of a large planar organic molecule: phthalocyanine . He van der Waals complex.

PubMed

Gibbons, Brittney R; Xu, Minzhong; Bacić, Zlatko

2009-04-23

We report rigorous quantum three-dimensional calculations of highly excited intermolecular vibrational states of the van der Waals (vdW) complex phthalocyanine.He (Pc.He). The Pc molecule was treated as rigid and the intermolecular potential energy surface (IPES) was represented as a sum of atom-atom Lennard-Jones pair potentials. The IPES has four equivalent global minima on the diagonals of the square-shaped Pc, inside its five-membered rings, and four slightly shallower local minima between them, creating a distinctive corrugation pattern of the molecular nanosurface. The vdW vibrational states analyzed in this work extend to about two-thirds of the well depth of the IPES. For the assignment of the in-plane (xy) vdW vibrational excitations it was necessary to resort to two sets of quantum numbers, the Cartesian quantum numbers [nu(x), nu(y)] and the quantum numbers (v, l) of the 2D isotropic oscillator, depending on the nodal structure and the symmetry of the wave functions. The delocalization of the He atom parallel to the molecular surface is large already in the ground vdW state. It increases rapidly with the number of quanta in the in-plane vdW vibrations, with the maximum root-mean-square amplitudes Deltax and Deltay of about 7 au at the excitation energies around 40 cm(-1). The wave functions of the highly excited states tend to be delocalized over the entire nanosurface and often have a square shape, reflecting that of the substrate.

A hepatic metabolomics-based diagnostic approach to assess lethal toxicity of dithiocarbamate fungicide polycarbamate in three marine fish species.

PubMed

Hano, Takeshi; Ohkubo, Nobuyuki; Mochida, Kazuhiko

2017-04-01

The present study was performed to evaluate the toxic effect of the dithiocarbamate fungicide polycarbamate (PC) on the hepatic metabolic profiles of three marine fish species, red sea bream (Pagrus major), spotted halibut (Verasper variegatus), and marbled flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae). First, juvenile fish were exposed to graded concentrations of PC for 96h; the 96-h LC 50 values obtained were 22-29, 239-553, and 301-364µgL -1 for red sea bream, spotted halibut, and marbled flounder, respectively, indicating that red sea bream possessed higher sensitivity to PC than the two benthic species. Second, the fish were exposed to lethal-equivalent concentration (H group) or sub-lethal (one-tenth of the H group concentrations; L group) for 24 and 96h and gas-chromatography based metabolomics approach was employed to explore the crucial biomarker metabolite associated with lethal toxicity. Of the 53 metabolites identified, only reduced glutathione (GSH) was consistently elevated in the H group for the three fish species at 96h. The calculated cut-off value of GSH (mM) based on receiver operating curve analysis between H group and the other treatment groups (control, solvent control, and L group) was obtained at 0.56mM, which allowed to distinguish between the groups with high confidence for the three fish species. These results are the first to demonstrate the potential of using GSH as a possible biomarker metabolite and its usefulness of threshold cut-off value for diagnosing life-threatening health conditions of fish. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of the design of a high resolution all-reflection Michelson interferometer for atmospheric spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, Scott M.

1993-06-01

The design of a high resolution plane grating all-reflection Michelson interferometer for ionospheric spectroscopy was analyzed using ray tracing techniques. This interferometer produces an interference pattern whose spatial frequency is wavelength dependent. The instrument is intended for remote observations of the atomic oxygen triplet emission line profile at 1304 A in the thermosphere from sounding rocket or satellite platforms. The device was modeled using the PC-based ray tracing application, DART, and results analyzed through fourier techniques using the PC with Windows version of the Interactive Data Language (IDL). Through these methods, instrument resolution, resolving power, and bandpass were determined. An analysis of the effects of aperture size and shape on instrument performance was also conducted.

Photonic crystal active and passive device components in III-V semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabarinathan, Jayshri

Photonic crystals (PC's) are emerging as potentially important candidates in propelling the development in planar photonic integrated circuits, high capacity optical fibers and nanoscopic lasers. Photonic crystals are expected to play a role analogous to that played by crystalline semiconductors in the development of electronic circuits. What makes these photonic crystals more interesting is that introducing "defects"---a missing period or phase slip, in the PC lattice introduces defect modes that lie within the bandgap of the PC. In this investigation, both two dimensional and three dimensional photonic crystals have been fabricated and studied using III-V compound semiconductors which are presently the most useful material systems for integrating with existing optoelectronic technology. A novel single step epitaxial technique to fabricate GaAs-based 3D photonic crystals with sub-micron feature size has been developed employing MBE growth on patterned substrates, ebeam and optical lithography, and lateral wet oxidation of AlGaAs. Transmission characteristics of the fabricated 3D PCs have been measured revealing a 10dB stopband centered at 1 mum for the smallest feature sizes. Electrically injected 2D photonic crystal defect microcavities were designed and fabricated to realize low threshold vertically emitting light sources. The electroluminescent devices were fabricated with GaAs- and InP-based quantum wells heterostructures with emission wavelengths at 0.94mum and 1.55 mum respectively. The light-current, spectral, near- and far-field characteristics of these devices have been studied in detail. The processing and high-aspect ratio etch techniques were carefully developed to create the 2D PCs embedded in the electrically injected apertures. Quantum dots with emission wavelength of 1.04 mum were incorporated into electrically injected 2D PC microcavities to study the electrical and optical confinement simultaneously provided in this configuration. Weak microcavity effects were observed in the fabricated devices. Passive 2D PC's with linear defects, which act as efficient waveguides to confine and channel light even around very sharp bends, have also been investigated. A novel microfluidic sensor using 2D GaAs-based photonic crystal waveguides to detect one or more fluids on the basis of their refractive index properties have been designed, fabricated and demonstrated for the first time.

Lattice study of planar equivalence: The quark condensate

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

Armoni, Adi; Lucini, Biagio; Patella, Agostino

2008-08-15

We study quenched SU(N) gauge theories with fermions in the two-index symmetric, antisymmetric and the adjoint representations. Our main motivation is to check whether at large number of colors those theories become nonperturbatively equivalent. We prove the equivalence assuming that the charge-conjugation symmetry is not broken in pure Yang-Mills theory. We then carry out a quenched lattice simulation of the quark condensate in the symmetric, antisymmetric and the adjoint representations for SU(2), SU(3), SU(4), SU(6), and SU(8). We show that the data support the equivalence and discuss the size of subleading corrections.

RESOLVING GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS IN NGC 300: A FIRST LOOK WITH THE SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY

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

Faesi, Christopher M.; Lada, Charles J.; Forbrich, Jan

2016-04-20

We present the first high angular resolution study of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 300, based on observations from the Submillimeter Array (SMA). We target eleven 500 pc sized regions of active star formation within the galaxy in the {sup 12}CO( J = 2-1) line at 40 pc spatial and 1 km s{sup −1} spectral resolution and identify 45 individual GMCs. We characterize the physical properties of these GMCs, and find that they are similar to GMCs in the disks of the Milky Way and other nearby spiral galaxies. For example, the GMC mass spectrummore » in our sample has a slope of 1.80 ± 0.07. Twelve clouds are spatially resolved by our observations, of which ten have virial mass estimates that agree to within a factor of two with mass estimates derived directly from {sup 12}CO integrated intensity, suggesting that the majority of these GMCs are bound. The resolved clouds show consistency with Larson’s fundamental relations between size, linewidth, and mass observed in the Milky Way. We find that the linewidth scales with the size as Δ V ∝ R {sup 0.52±0.20}, and the median surface density in the subsample is 54 M {sub ⊙} pc{sup −2}. We detect {sup 13}CO in four GMCs and find a mean {sup 12}CO/{sup 13}CO flux ratio of 6.2. Our interferometric observations recover between 30% and 100% of the integrated intensity from the APEX single dish {sup 12}CO observations of Faesi et al., suggesting the presence of low-mass GMCs and/or diffuse gas below our sensitivity limit. The fraction of APEX emission recovered increases with the SMA total intensity, as well as with the star formation rate.« less

Tetrabutylammonium Salts of Aluminum(III) and Gallium(III) Phthalocyanine Radical Anions Bonded with Fluoren-9-olato- Anions and Indium(III) Phthalocyanine Bromide Radical Anions.

PubMed

Konarev, Dmitri V; Khasanov, Salavat S; Ishikawa, Manabu; Nakano, Yoshiaki; Otsuka, Akihiro; Yamochi, Hideki; Saito, Gunzi; Lyubovskaya, Rimma N

2017-04-18

Reduction of aluminum(III), gallium(III), and indium(III) phthalocyanine chlorides by sodium fluorenone ketyl in the presence of tetrabutylammonium cations yielded crystalline salts of the type (Bu 4 N + ) 2 [M III (HFl-O - )(Pc .3- )] .- (Br - )⋅1.5 C 6 H 4 Cl 2 [M=Al (1), Ga (2); HFl-O - =fluoren-9-olato - anion; Pc=phthalocyanine] and (Bu 4 N + ) [In III Br(Pc .3- )] .- ⋅0.875 C 6 H 4 Cl 2 ⋅0.125 C 6 H 14 (3). The salts were found to contain Pc .3- radical anions with negatively charged phthalocyanine macrocycles, as evidenced by the presence of intense bands of Pc .3- in the near-IR region and a noticeable blueshift in both the Q and Soret bands of phthalocyanine. The metal(III) atoms coordinate HFl-O - anions in 1 and 2 with short Al-O and Ga-O bond lengths of 1.749(2) and 1.836(6) Å, respectively. The C-O bonds [1.402(3) and 1.391(11) Å in 1 and 2, respectively] in the HFl-O - anions are longer than the same bond in the fluorenone ketyl (1.27-1.31 Å). Salts 1-3 show effective magnetic moments of 1.72, 1.66, and 1.79 μ B at 300 K, respectively, owing to the presence of unpaired S=1/2 spins on Pc .3- . These spins are coupled antiferromagnetically with Weiss temperatures of -22, -14, and -30 K for 1-3, respectively. Coupling can occur in the corrugated two-dimensional phthalocyanine layers of 1 and 2 with an exchange interaction of J/k B =-0.9 and -1.1 K, respectively, and in the π-stacking {[In III Br(Pc .3- )] .- } 2 dimers of 3 with an exchange interaction of J/k B =-10.8 K. The salts show intense electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals attributed to Pc .3- . It was found that increasing the size of the central metal atom strongly broadened these EPR signals. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Band gap in tubular pillar phononic crystal plate.

PubMed

Shu, Fengfeng; Liu, Yongshun; Wu, Junfeng; Wu, Yihui

2016-09-01

In this paper, a phononic crystal (PC) plate with tubular pillars is presented and investigated. The band structures and mode displacement profiles are calculated by using finite element method. The result shows that a complete band gap opens when the ratio of the pillar height to the plate thickness is about 1.6. However, for classic cylinder pillar structures, a band gap opens when the ratio is equal or greater than 3. A tubular pillar design with a void room in it enhances acoustic multiple scattering and gives rise to the opening of the band gap. In order to verify it, a PC structure with double tubular pillars different in size (one within the other) is introduced and a more than 2times band gap enlargement is observed. Furthermore, the coupling between the resonant mode and the plate mode around the band gap is characterized, as well as the effect of the geometrical parameters on the band gap. The behavior of such structure could be utilized to design a pillar PC with stronger structural stability and to enlarge band gaps. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rotordynamics on the PC: Further Capabilities of ARDS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, David P.

1997-01-01

Rotordynamics codes for personal computers are now becoming available. One of the most capable codes is Analysis of RotorDynamic Systems (ARDS) which uses the component mode synthesis method to analyze a system of up to 5 rotating shafts. ARDS was originally written for a mainframe computer but has been successfully ported to a PC; its basic capabilities for steady-state and transient analysis were reported in an earlier paper. Additional functions have now been added to the PC version of ARDS. These functions include: 1) Estimation of the peak response following blade loss without resorting to a full transient analysis; 2) Calculation of response sensitivity to input parameters; 3) Formulation of optimum rotor and damper designs to place critical speeds in desirable ranges or minimize bearing loads; 4) Production of Poincard plots so the presence of chaotic motion can be ascertained. ARDS produces printed and plotted output. The executable code uses the full array sizes of the mainframe version and fits on a high density floppy disc. Examples of all program capabilities are presented and discussed.

Terahertz Sensor Using Photonic Crystal Cavity and Resonant Tunneling Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Kazuma; Tsuruda, Kazuisao; Diebold, Sebastian; Hisatake, Shintaro; Fujita, Masayuki; Nagatsuma, Tadao

2017-09-01

In this paper, we report on a terahertz (THz) sensing system. Compared to previously reported systems, it has increased system sensitivity and reduced size. Both are achieved by using a photonic crystal (PC) cavity as a resonator and compact resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) as signal source and as detector. The measured quality factor of the PC cavity is higher than 10,000, and its resonant frequency is 318 GHz. To demonstrate the operation of the refractive index sensing system, dielectric tapes of various thicknesses are attached to the PC cavity and the change in the resonator's refractive index is measured. The figure of merit of refractive index sensing using the developed system is one order higher than that of previous studies, which used metallic metamaterial resonators. The frequency of the RTD-based source can be swept from 316 to 321 GHz by varying the RTD direct current voltage. This effect is used to realize a compact frequency tunable signal source. Measurements using a commercial signal source and detector are carried out to verify the accuracy of the data obtained using RTDs as a signal source and as a detector.

Reassessing regime shifts in the North Pacific: incremental climate change and commercial fishing are necessary for explaining decadal-scale biological variability.

PubMed

Litzow, Michael A; Mueter, Franz J; Hobday, Alistair J

2014-01-01

In areas of the North Pacific that are largely free of overfishing, climate regime shifts - abrupt changes in modes of low-frequency climate variability - are seen as the dominant drivers of decadal-scale ecological variability. We assessed the ability of leading modes of climate variability [Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), Arctic Oscillation (AO), Pacific-North American Pattern (PNA), North Pacific Index (NPI), El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)] to explain decadal-scale (1965-2008) patterns of climatic and biological variability across two North Pacific ecosystems (Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea). Our response variables were the first principle component (PC1) of four regional climate parameters [sea surface temperature (SST), sea level pressure (SLP), freshwater input, ice cover], and PCs 1-2 of 36 biological time series [production or abundance for populations of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), groundfish, herring (Clupea pallasii), shrimp, and jellyfish]. We found that the climate modes alone could not explain ecological variability in the study region. Both linear models (for climate PC1) and generalized additive models (for biology PC1-2) invoking only the climate modes produced residuals with significant temporal trends, indicating that the models failed to capture coherent patterns of ecological variability. However, when the residual climate trend and a time series of commercial fishery catches were used as additional candidate variables, resulting models of biology PC1-2 satisfied assumptions of independent residuals and out-performed models constructed from the climate modes alone in terms of predictive power. As measured by effect size and Akaike weights, the residual climate trend was the most important variable for explaining biology PC1 variability, and commercial catch the most important variable for biology PC2. Patterns of climate sensitivity and exploitation history for taxa strongly associated with biology PC1-2 suggest plausible mechanistic explanations for these modeling results. Our findings suggest that, even in the absence of overfishing and in areas strongly influenced by internal climate variability, climate regime shift effects can only be understood in the context of other ecosystem perturbations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association between pancreatitis and subsequent risk of pancreatic cancer: a systematic review of epidemiological studies.

PubMed

Tong, Gui-Xian; Geng, Qing-Qing; Chai, Jing; Cheng, Jing; Chen, Peng-Lai; Liang, Han; Shen, Xing-Rong; Wang, De-Bin

2014-01-01

This study aimed to summarize published epidemiological evidence for the relationship between pancreatitis and subsequent risk of pancreatic cancer (PC). We searched Medline and Embase for epidemiological studies published by February 5th, 2014 examining the risk of PC in pancreatitis patients using highly inclusive algorithms. Information about first author, year of publication, country of study, recruitment period, type of pancreatitis, study design, sample size, source of controls and attained age of subjects were extracted by two researchers and Stata 11.0 was used to perform the statistical analyses and examine publication bias. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with the random effects model. A total of 17 articles documenting 3 cohort and 14 case-control studies containing 14,667 PC cases and 17,587 pancreatitis cases were included in this study. The pooled OR between pancreatitis and PC risk was 7.05 (95%CI: 6.42-7.75). However, the pooled ORs of case-control and cohort studies were 4.62 (95%CI: 4.08-5.22) and 16.3 (95%CI: 14.3-18.6) respectively. The risk of PC was the highest in patients with chronic pancreatitis (pooled OR=10.35; 95%CI: 9.13-11.75), followed by unspecified type of pancreatitis (pooled OR=6.41; 95%CI: 4.93-8.34), both acute and chronic pancreatitis (pooled OR=6.13; 95%CI: 5.00-7.52), and acute pancreatitis (pooled OR=2.12; 95%CI: 1.59-2.83). The pooled OR of PC in pancreatitis cases diagnosed within 1 year was the highest (pooled OR=23.3; 95%CI: 14.0-38.9); and the risk in subjects diagnosed with pancreatitis for no less than 2, 5 and 10 years were 3.03 (95%CI: 2.41-3.81), 2.82 (95%CI: 2.12-3.76) and 2.25 (95%CI: 1.59-3.19) respectively. Pancreatitis, especially chronic pancreatitis, was associated with a significantly increased risk of PC; and the risk decreased with increasing duration since diagnosis of pancreatitis.

Evaluation of Efficacy of Radioimmunotherapy with 90Y-Labeled Fully Human Anti-Transferrin Receptor Monoclonal Antibody in Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Models

PubMed Central

Sugyo, Aya; Tsuji, Atsushi B.; Sudo, Hitomi; Okada, Maki; Koizumi, Mitsuru; Satoh, Hirokazu; Kurosawa, Gene; Kurosawa, Yoshikazu; Saga, Tsuneo

2015-01-01

Objective Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive tumor and the prognosis remains poor. Therefore, development of more effective therapy is needed. We previously reported that 89Zr-labeled TSP-A01, an antibody against transferrin receptor (TfR), is highly accumulated in a pancreatic cancer xenograft, but not in major normal organs. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with 90Y-TSP-A01 in pancreatic cancer mouse models. Methods TfR expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3, MIAPaCa-2) was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. 111In-labeled anti-TfR antibodies (TSP-A01, TSP-A02) were evaluated in vitro by cell binding assay with the three cell lines and by competitive inhibition assay with MIAPaCa-2. In vivo biodistribution was evaluated in mice bearing BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 xenografts. Tumor volumes of BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 were sequentially measured after 90Y-TSP-A01 injection and histological analysis of tumors was conducted. Results MIAPaCa-2 cells showed the highest TfR expression, followed by AsPC-1 and BxPC-3 cells. 111In-TSP-A01 and 111In-TSP-A02 bound specifically to the three cell lines according to TfR expression. The dissociation constants for TSP-A01, DOTA-TSP-A01, TSP-A02, and DOTA-TSP-A02 were 0.22, 0.28, 0.17, and 0.22 nM, respectively. 111In-TSP-A01 was highly accumulated in tumors, especially in MIAPaCa-2, but this was not true of 111In-TSP-A02. The absorbed dose for 90Y-TSP-A01 was estimated to be 8.3 Gy/MBq to BxPC-3 and 12.4 Gy/MBq to MIAPaCa-2. MIAPaCa-2 tumors treated with 3.7 MBq of 90Y-TSP-A01 had almost completely disappeared around 3 weeks after injection and regrowth was not observed. Growth of BxPC-3 tumors was inhibited by 3.7 MBq of 90Y-TSP-A01, but the tumor size was not reduced. Conclusion 90Y-TSP-A01 treatment achieved an almost complete response in MIAPaCa-2 tumors, whereas it merely inhibited the growth of BxPC-3 tumors. 90Y-TSP-A01 is a promising RIT agent for pancreatic cancer, although further investigation is necessary to improve the efficacy for the radioresistant types like BxPC-3. PMID:25893775

Generation and measurement of velocity bunched ultrashort bunch of pC charge

DOE PAGES

Lu, X.  H.; Tang, C.  X.; Li, R.  K.; ...

2015-03-01

In this paper, we discuss the velocity compression in a short rf linac of an electron bunch from a rf photoinjector operated in the blowout regime. Particle tracking simulations shows that with a beam charge of 2 pC an ultrashort bunch duration of 16 fs can be obtained at a tight longitudinal focus downstream of the linac. A simplified coherent transition radiation (CTR) spectrum method is developed to enable the measurement of ultrashort (sub-50 fs) bunches at low bunch energy (5 MeV) and low bunch charges (<10 pC). In this method, the ratio of the radiation energy selected by twomore » narrow bandwidth filters is used to estimate the bunch length. The contribution to the coherent form factor of the large transverse size of the bunch suppresses the radiation signal significantly and is included in the analysis. The experiment was performed at the UCLA Pegasus photoinjector laboratory. The measurement results show bunches of sub-40 fs with 2 pC of charge well consistent with the simulation using actual experimental conditions. These results open the way to the generation of ultrashort bunches with time-duration below 10 fs once some of the limitations of the setup (rf phase jitter, amplitude instability and low field in the gun limited by breakdown) are corrected.« less

[Prokaryotic expression of recombinant prochymosin gene and its antiserum preparation].

PubMed

Li, Xin-ping; Liu, Huan-huan; Pu, Yan; Zhang, Fu-chun; Li, Yi-jie

2012-07-01

To optimize the prochymosin (pCHY) gene codons and express the gene in Escherichia coli (E.coli), and to prepare its antiserum and detect chymosin protein specifically. According to codon usage bias of E.coli, prochymosin gene sequence was synthesized based on the conserved sequences of prochymosin gene from bovine, lamb and camel, and then cloned into the plasmid pET-30a and pcDNA3-AAT-COMP-C3d3 (pcD-ACC), respectively. pET-30a-pCHY was expressed, as the detected antigen, in E.coli BL21(DE3) after IPTG induction. RT-PCR was used to detect prochymosin mRNA expression in liver from the mice injected pcDNA3-AAT-COMP-pCHY-C3d3(pACCC) by hydrodynamics-based transfection method. To prepare the antiserum of prochymosin, pACCC and GST-pCHY proteins were used to immunize New Zealand rabbits in accordance with DNA prime-protein boost strategy. Antibody levels were tested by ELISA. Western blotting showed the molecular weight of His-pCHY protein was about 55 000, similar to the expected molecular size. ELISA demonstrated that the titer level of prochymosin antiserum was high. Based on the codon optimization, we have obtained high-titer prochymosin antiserum through DNA vaccine vector pcD-ACC combined with DNA prime-protein boost strategy, similar to that by protein vaccine.

Constraints on the Location of γ-Ray Sample of Blazars with Radio Core-shift Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Linhui; Wu, Qingwen; Yan, Dahai; Chen, Liang; Fan, Xuliang

2018-01-01

We model simultaneous or quasi-simultaneous multi-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a sample of 25 blazars that have radio core-shift measurements, where a one-zone leptonic model and Markov chain Monte Carlo technique are adopted. In the SED fitting for 23 low-synchrotron-peaked (LSP) blazars, the seed photons from the broad-line (BLR) and molecular torus are considered respectively in the external Compton process. We find that the SED fitting with the seed photons from the torus are better than those utilizing BLR photons, which suggest that the γ-ray emitting region may be located outside the BLR. Assuming the magnetic field strength in the γ-ray emitting region as constrained from the SED fitting follows the magnetic field distribution as derived from the radio core-shift measurements (i.e., B{(R)≃ {B}1{pc}(R/1{pc})}-1, where R is the distance from the central engine and {B}1{pc} is the magnetic field strength at 1 pc), we further calculate the location of the γ-ray emitting region, {R}γ , for these blazars. We find that {R}γ ∼ 2× {10}4{R}{{S}}≃ 10 {R}{BLR} ({R}{{S}} is the Schwarzschild radius and {R}{BLR} is the BLR size), where {R}{BLR} is estimated from the broad-line luminosities using the empirical correlations obtained using the reverberation mapping methods.

Analysis of Triplet Exciton Loss Pathways in PTB7:PC71BM Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, Hannes; Heiber, Michael C.; Väth, Stefan; Kern, Julia; Deibel, Carsten; Sperlich, Andreas; Dyakonov, Vladimir

2016-07-01

A strategy for increasing the conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaics has been to increase the VOC by tuning the energy levels of donor and acceptor components. However, this opens up a new loss pathway from an interfacial charge transfer state to a triplet exciton (TE) state called electron back transfer (EBT), which is detrimental to device performance. To test this hypothesis, we study triplet formation in the high performing PTB7:PC71BM blend system and determine the impact of the morphology-optimizing additive 1,8-diiodoctane (DIO). Using photoluminescence and spin-sensitive optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) measurements at low temperature, we find that TEs form on PC71BM via intersystem crossing from singlet excitons and on PTB7 via EBT mechanism. For DIO blends with smaller fullerene domains, an increased density of PTB7 TEs is observed. The EBT process is found to be significant only at very low temperature. At 300 K, no triplets are detected via ODMR, and electrically detected magnetic resonance on optimized solar cells indicates that TEs are only present on the fullerenes. We conclude that in PTB7:PC71BM devices, TE formation via EBT is impacted by fullerene domain size at low temperature, but at room temperature, EBT does not represent a dominant loss pathway.

ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells.

PubMed

Komaragiri, Shravan Kumar; Bostanthirige, Dhanushka H; Morton, Derrick J; Patel, Divya; Joshi, Jugal; Upadhyay, Sunil; Chaudhary, Jaideep

2016-09-09

Deregulation of tumor suppressor genes is associated with tumorigenesis and the development of cancer. In prostate cancer, ID4 is epigenetically silenced and acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal prostate epithelial cells, ID4 collaborates with androgen receptor (AR) and p53 to exert its tumor suppressor activity. Previous studies have shown that ID4 promotes tumor suppressive function of AR whereas loss of ID4 results in tumor promoter activity of AR. Previous study from our lab showed that ectopic ID4 expression in DU145 attenuates proliferation and promotes AR expression suggesting that ID4 dependent AR activity is tumor suppressive. In this study, we examined the effect of ectopic expression of ID4 on highly malignant prostate cancer cell, PC3. Here we show that stable overexpression of ID4 in PC3 cells leads to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and migration. In addition, in vivo studies showed a decrease in tumor size and volume of ID4 overexpressing PC3 cells, in nude mice. At the molecular level, these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, and AR dependent FKBP51 expression. At the mechanistic level, ID4 may regulate the expression or function of AR through specific but yet unknown AR co-regulators that may determine the final outcome of AR function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new coated nitinol occluder for transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defects in a canine model.

PubMed

Zhou, Yong; Chen, Feng; Huang, Xinmiao; Zhao, Xianxian; Wu, Hong; Bai, Yuan; Qin, Yongwen

2013-01-01

This study evaluated feasibility and safety of implanting the polyester-coated nitinol ventricular septal defect occluder (pcVSDO) in the canine model. VSD models were successfully established by transseptal ventricular septal puncture via the right jugular vein in 15 out of 18 canines. Two types of VSDOs were implanted, either with pcVSDOs (n = 8) as the new type occluder group or with the commercial ventricular septal defect occluders (VSDOs, n = 7, Shanghai Sharp Memory Alloy Co. Ltd.) as the control group. Sheath size was 10 French (10 Fr) in two groups. Then the general state of the canines was observed after implantation. ECG and TTE were performed, respectively, at 7, 30, 90 days of follow-up. The canines were sacrificed at these time points for pathological and scanning electron microscopy examination. The devices were successfully implanted in all 15 canines and were retrievable and repositionable. There was no thrombus formation on the device or occurrence of complete heart block. The pcVSDO surface implanted at day 7 was already covered with neotissue by gross examination, and it completed endothelialization at day 30, while the commercial VSDO was covered with the neotissue in 30th day and the complete endothelialization in 90th day. The study shows that pcVSDO is feasible and safe to close canine VSD model and has good biocompatibility and shorter time of endothelialization.

Achievement of High-Response Organic Field-Effect Transistor NO₂ Sensor by Using the Synergistic Effect of ZnO/PMMA Hybrid Dielectric and CuPc/Pentacene Heterojunction.

PubMed

Han, Shijiao; Cheng, Jiang; Fan, Huidong; Yu, Junsheng; Li, Lu

2016-10-21

High-response organic field-effect transistor (OFET)-based NO₂ sensors were fabricated using the synergistic effect the synergistic effect of zinc oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) (ZnO/PMMA) hybrid dielectric and CuPc/Pentacene heterojunction. Compared with the OFET sensors without synergistic effect, the fabricated OFET sensors showed a remarkable shift of saturation current, field-effect mobility and threshold voltage when exposed to various concentrations of NO₂ analyte. Moreover, after being stored in atmosphere for 30 days, the variation of saturation current increased more than 10 folds at 0.5 ppm NO₂. By analyzing the electrical characteristics, and the morphologies of organic semiconductor films of the OFET-based sensors, the performance enhancement was ascribed to the synergistic effect of the dielectric and organic semiconductor. The ZnO nanoparticles on PMMA dielectric surface decreased the grain size of pentacene formed on hybrid dielectric, facilitating the diffusion of CuPc molecules into the grain boundary of pentacene and the approach towards the conducting channel of OFET. Hence, NO₂ molecules could interact with CuPc and ZnO nanoparticles at the interface of dielectric and organic semiconductor. Our results provided a promising strategy for the design of high performance OFET-based NO₂ sensors in future electronic nose and environment monitoring.

Achievement of High-Response Organic Field-Effect Transistor NO2 Sensor by Using the Synergistic Effect of ZnO/PMMA Hybrid Dielectric and CuPc/Pentacene Heterojunction

PubMed Central

Han, Shijiao; Cheng, Jiang; Fan, Huidong; Yu, Junsheng; Li, Lu

2016-01-01

High-response organic field-effect transistor (OFET)-based NO2 sensors were fabricated using the synergistic effect the synergistic effect of zinc oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) (ZnO/PMMA) hybrid dielectric and CuPc/Pentacene heterojunction. Compared with the OFET sensors without synergistic effect, the fabricated OFET sensors showed a remarkable shift of saturation current, field-effect mobility and threshold voltage when exposed to various concentrations of NO2 analyte. Moreover, after being stored in atmosphere for 30 days, the variation of saturation current increased more than 10 folds at 0.5 ppm NO2. By analyzing the electrical characteristics, and the morphologies of organic semiconductor films of the OFET-based sensors, the performance enhancement was ascribed to the synergistic effect of the dielectric and organic semiconductor. The ZnO nanoparticles on PMMA dielectric surface decreased the grain size of pentacene formed on hybrid dielectric, facilitating the diffusion of CuPc molecules into the grain boundary of pentacene and the approach towards the conducting channel of OFET. Hence, NO2 molecules could interact with CuPc and ZnO nanoparticles at the interface of dielectric and organic semiconductor. Our results provided a promising strategy for the design of high performance OFET-based NO2 sensors in future electronic nose and environment monitoring. PMID:27775653

The canonical Wnt pathway regulates the metastasis-promoting mucin MUC4 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Pai, Priya; Rachagani, Satyanarayana; Lakshmanan, Imayavaramban; Macha, Muzafar A; Sheinin, Yuri; Smith, Lynette M; Ponnusamy, Moorthy P; Batra, Surinder K

2016-02-01

Aberrant Wnt signaling frequently occurs in pancreatic cancer (PC) and contributes to disease progression/metastases. Likewise, the transmembrane-mucin MUC4 is expressed de novo in early pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs) and incrementally increases with PC progression, contributing to metastasis. To determine the mechanism of MUC4 upregulation in PC, we examined factors deregulated in early PC progression, such as Wnt/β-catenin signaling. MUC4 promoter analysis revealed the presence of three putative TCF/LEF-binding sites, leading us to hypothesize that MUC4 can be regulated by β-catenin. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of rapid autopsy PC tissues showed a correlation between MUC4 and cytosolic/nuclear β-catenin expression. Knock down (KD) of β-catenin in CD18/HPAF and T3M4 cell lines resulted in decreased MUC4 transcript and protein. Three MUC4 promoter luciferase constructs, p3778, p3000, and p2700, were generated. The construct p3778, encompassing the entire MUC4 promoter, elicited increased luciferase activity in the presence of stabilized β-catenin. Mutation of the TCF/LEF site closest to the transcription start site (i.e., -2629/-2612) and furthest from the start site (i.e., -3425/-3408) reduced MUC4 promoter luciferase activity. Transfection with dominant negative TCF4 decreased MUC4 transcript and protein levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed enrichment of β-catenin on -2629/-2612 and -3425/-3408 of the MUC4 promoter in CD18/HPAF. Functionally, CD18/HPAF and T3M4 β-catenin KD cells showed decreased migration and decreased Vimentin, N-cadherin, and pERK1/2 expression. Tumorigenicity studies in athymic nude mice showed CD18/HPAF β-catenin KD cells significantly reduced primary tumor sizes and metastases compared to scrambled control cells. We show for the first time that β-catenin directly governs MUC4 in PC. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Different postconditioning cycles affect prognosis of aged patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Xin; Cui, Yuqi; Ferdous, Misbahul; Cui, Lianqun; Zhao, Peng

2017-07-17

Postconditioning can affect the infarct size in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, few studies show an effect of different postconditioning cycles on AMI aged patients. This study sought to assess the effect of different postconditioning cycles on prognosis in aged patients with AMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). 74 aged patients were randomly assigned to three groups. Control group; PC-1 group accepted postconditioning 4 cycles of 30 s inflation and 30 s deflation; PC-2 group accepted postconditioning 4 cycles of 60 s. Creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), troponin I (cTnI), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and corrected Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) frame counts (CTFC) were analyzed before andafter treatment. All patients received an echocardiographic examination for whole heart function, wall motion score index (WMSI) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) examination at 7 days and 6 months after treatment. S: The peak of CK-MB, postoperative 72 h cTnI and CTFC were significantly attenuated by postconditioning when compared with the control group. The hs-CRP of the postconditioning group was lower than the control group 24 h postoperative. No difference was observed between PC-1 and PC-2 group about the effect described above. At 7 days, heart function in the postconditioning group was improved when compared with the control group. At 6 months, the WMSI and SPECT score significantly reduced in the PC-2 group compared with the control and PC-1 groups, but there was no difference among the three groups about echo data except the left ventricular end-systolic diameter. Postconditioning is significantly beneficial to prognosis in aged patients with AMI. The cardiac protective effect of 4 cycles of 60 s procedure was observed in WMSI and SPECT. It is favorable to implement this procedure in aged patients with AMI in clinic.

Performance, litter quality and gaseous odour emissions of broilers fed phytase supplemented diets.

PubMed

Sharma, Nishchal K; Choct, Mingan; Wu, Shu-Biao; Smillie, Robert; Morgan, Natalie; Omar, Amal S; Sharma, Nisha; Swick, Robert A

2016-12-01

The effect of graded levels of phytase on performance, bone characteristics, excreta/litter quality and odorant emissions was examined using 720 Ross 308 male d-old broilers. A 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments was employed with 6 replicates of 15 birds per pen. Factors were: diets-positive and negative control (PC, NC); phytase - 0, 500, 1,000, 1,500 FTU/kg. The PC was formulated to meet the 2014 Ross 308 nutrient specifications, whereas the NC was formulated with lower Ca (-1.4 g/kg), available P (-1.5 g/kg), Na (-0.3 g/kg), dLys (-0.2 g/kg) and MEn (-0.28 MJ/kg) equivalent to nutrient matrix values for 500 FTU/kg phytase in the starter, grower and finisher periods (i.e., downspec diet). On d 24, phytase decreased FCR by 1.6, 4.3 and 4.6 points at inclusion levels of 500, 1,000 and 1,500 FTU/kg, respectively ( P  < 0.01) across all diets. Phytase by diet interactions on BW gain were observed on d 24 and 35 ( P  < 0.01). The effect of phytase was much more pronounced in the NC diet as compared with the PC diet. On d 24, phytase increased BW gain by 37, 55 and 68 g in the PC and 127, 233 and 173 g in the NC at 500, 1,000 and 1,500 FTU/kg, respectively. Diet by phytase interactions were also observed for tibia ash, litter quality and water to feed intake ratio ( P  < 0.01) with higher phytase effect in NC as compared with PC. Neither diet nor phytase impacted excreta moisture content on d 18 or 21 ( P  > 0.05). Solid phase micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) analysis of gaseous emissions on d 39 indicated no difference in the emission of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, volatile fatty acids and phenols between treatments ( P  > 0.05). The results indicate that phytase has greater benefits when formulated using nutrient matrix values as compared with adding it over the top in an already nutrient sufficient diet. The later method would be expected to increase feed costs without concomitant performance benefits.

Formulation of curcumin delivery with functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes: characteristics and anticancer effects in vitro.

PubMed

Li, Haixia; Zhang, Nan; Hao, Yongwei; Wang, Yali; Jia, Shasha; Zhang, Hongling; Zhang, Yun; Zhang, Zhenzhong

2014-08-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), an important class of artificial nanomaterials with unique physicochemical properties, were used as novel carriers of curcumin. Formulation and evaluation of curcumin-loaded SWCNTs systems for utilizing the curcumin's anticancer potential by circumventing conventional limitations of extremely low aqueous solubility and instability under physiological conditions, and combining SWCNTs photothermal therapy enabled by the strong optical absorbance of SWCNTs in the 0.8-1.4 μm resulting in excessive local heating. After functionalized SWCNTs were confirmed, they were conjugated with curcumin (SWCNT-Cur). Subsequently, the formulation was analyzed for size, zeta-potential and morphology. And the solubility, stability and release of curcumin were assessed using spectrofluorometer, and the solid state of the curcumin was determined using X-ray diffraction and UV spectroscopy. Furthermore, in PC-3 cells, photothermal response was further determined by irradiating laser after the antitumor effect of SWCNT-Cur was evaluated. SWCNTs were functionalized, and subsequent SWCNT-Cur conjugates were found to possess an average size of 170.4 nm, a zeta potential of -12.5 mV and to significantly enhance the solubility and stability of curcumin, overcoming the barriers to adequate curcumin delivery. Moreover, curcumin in SWCNT-Cur was in an amorphous form and could be rapidly released. In PC-3 cells, improved inhibition efficacy was achieved by SWCNT-Cur compared with native curcumin. Meanwhile, the SWCNTs in SWCNT-Cur served not only as scaffolds but also as thermal ablation agents, further inhibiting PC-3 cell growth. SWCNT-Cur assemblies may provide a promising delivery system for curcumin for use in cancer therapy.

A novel transdermal nanoethosomal gel of betahistine dihydrochloride for weight gain control: in-vitro and in-vivo characterization

PubMed Central

El-Menshawe, Shahira F; Ali, Adel Ahmed; Halawa, Abdelkhalk Ali; Srag El-Din, Ahmed SG

2017-01-01

Background Betahistine dihydrochloride (BDH) is a histamine analog used to control weight gain, with short elimination half-life and gastric irritation as side effects. Objective The aim of the current investigation is to formulate and optimize a topical BDH ethosomal gel for weight gain control. Materials and methods Box–Behnken design was applied to study the effect of independent variables: phosphatidylcholine (PC), propylene glycol (PG), and ethanol on vesicle size; entrapment efficiency; % drug release; and flux. The morphology and zeta potential of the optimized formulation were evaluated. The % drug release, flux, and pharmacodynamics of the optimized formulation gel were studied. Results The size and entrapment efficiency percent had a direct positive relationship with the concentration of PC and negative relationship with ethanol and PG. The % drug release and flux decreased with increasing PC and PG, while ethanol enhanced both responses. Regression modeling indicated a good correlation between dependent and independent variables, where F16 was chosen as the optimized formulation. F16 showed well-defined spherical vesicles and zeta potential of −24 mV, and % release from the gel exceeded 99.5% over 16 h with the flux of 0.28 mg/cm2/h. Food intake and weight gain of rats were significantly decreased after transdermal application of the BDH ethosomal gel when compared with control, placebo, and BDH gel. The histopathological findings proved the absence of inflammation and decrease in adipose tissue. Conclusion Results obtained showed a significant, sustained transdermal absorption of BDH ethosomal gel and, consequently, a decrease in food intake and weight gain. PMID:29238164

Strategies for reducing large fMRI data sets for independent component analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Ze; Wang, Jiongjiong; Calhoun, Vince; Rao, Hengyi; Detre, John A; Childress, Anna R

2006-06-01

In independent component analysis (ICA), principal component analysis (PCA) is generally used to reduce the raw data to a few principal components (PCs) through eigenvector decomposition (EVD) on the data covariance matrix. Although this works for spatial ICA (sICA) on moderately sized fMRI data, it is intractable for temporal ICA (tICA), since typical fMRI data have a high spatial dimension, resulting in an unmanageable data covariance matrix. To solve this problem, two practical data reduction methods are presented in this paper. The first solution is to calculate the PCs of tICA from the PCs of sICA. This approach works well for moderately sized fMRI data; however, it is highly computationally intensive, even intractable, when the number of scans increases. The second solution proposed is to perform PCA decomposition via a cascade recursive least squared (CRLS) network, which provides a uniform data reduction solution for both sICA and tICA. Without the need to calculate the covariance matrix, CRLS extracts PCs directly from the raw data, and the PC extraction can be terminated after computing an arbitrary number of PCs without the need to estimate the whole set of PCs. Moreover, when the whole data set becomes too large to be loaded into the machine memory, CRLS-PCA can save data retrieval time by reading the data once, while the conventional PCA requires numerous data retrieval steps for both covariance matrix calculation and PC extractions. Real fMRI data were used to evaluate the PC extraction precision, computational expense, and memory usage of the presented methods.

Classic electrocardiogram-based and mobile technology derived approaches to heart rate variability are not equivalent.

PubMed

Guzik, Przemyslaw; Piekos, Caroline; Pierog, Olivia; Fenech, Naiman; Krauze, Tomasz; Piskorski, Jaroslaw; Wykretowicz, Andrzej

2018-05-01

We compared classic ECG-derived versus a mobile approach to heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. 29 young adult healthy volunteers underwent a simultaneous recording of heart rate using an ECG and a chest heart rate monitor at supine rest, during mental stress and active standing. Mean RR interval, Standard Deviation of Normal-to-Normal (SDNN) of RR intervals, and Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences (RMSSD) between RR intervals were computed in 168 pairs of 5-minute epochs by in-house software on a PC (only sinus beats) and by mobile application "ELITEHRV" on a smartphone (no beat type identification). ECG analysis showed that 33.9% of the recordings contained at least one non-sinus beat or artefact, the mobile app did not report this. The mean RR intervals were significantly longer (p = 0.0378), while SDNN (p = 0.0001) and RMSSD (p = 0.0199) were smaller for the mobile approach. Measures of identical HRV parameters by ECG-based and mobile approaches are not equivalent. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ON THE COMPACT H II GALAXY UM 408 AS SEEN BY GMOS-IFU: PHYSICAL CONDITIONS

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

Lagos, Patricio; Telles, Eduardo; Munoz-Tunon, Casiana

2009-06-15

We present Integral Field Unit GMOS-IFU data of the compact H II galaxy UM 408, obtained at the Gemini South telescope, in order to derive the spatial distribution of emission lines and line ratios, kinematics, plasma parameters, and oxygen abundances as well the integrated properties over an area of 3''x4.''4 equivalent with {approx}750 pc x 1100 pc located in the central part of the galaxy. The starburst in this area is resolved into two giant regions of about 1.''5 and 1'' ({approx}375 and {approx}250 pc) diameter, respectively and separated 1.5-2'' ({approx}500 pc). The extinction distribution concentrate its highest values closemore » but not coincident with the maxima of H{alpha} emission around each one of the detected regions. This indicates that the dust has been displaced from the exciting clusters by the action of their stellar winds. The ages of these two regions, estimated using H{beta} equivalent widths, suggest that they are coeval events of {approx}5 Myr with stellar masses of {approx}10{sup 4} M {sub sun}. We have also used [O III]/H{beta} and [S II]/H{alpha} ratio maps to explore the excitation mechanisms in this galaxy. Comparing the data points with theoretical diagnostic models, we found that all of them are consistent with excitation by photoionization by massive stars. The H{alpha} emission line was used to measure the radial velocity and velocity dispersion. The heliocentric radial velocity shows an apparent systemic motion where the east part of the galaxy is blueshifted, while the west part is redshifted, with a relative motion of {approx}10 km s{sup -1}. The velocity dispersion map shows supersonic values typical for extragalactic H II regions. We derived an integrated oxygen abundance of 12+log(O/H) = 7.87 summing over all spaxels in our field of view. An average value of 12+log(O/H) = 7.77 and a difference of {delta}(O/H) = 0.47 between the minimum and maximum values (7.58 {+-} 0.06-8.05 {+-} 0.04) were found, considering all data points where the oxygen abundance was measured. The spatial distribution of oxygen abundance does not show any significant gradient across the galaxy. On the other hand, the bulk of data points are lying in a region of {+-}2{sigma} dispersion (with {sigma} = 0.1 dex) around the average value, confirming that this compact H II galaxy, like other previously studied dwarf irregular galaxies, is chemically homogeneous. Therefore, the new metals processed and injected by the current star formation episode are possibly not observed and reside in the hot gas phase, whereas the metals from previous events are well mixed and homogeneously distributed through the whole extent of the galaxy.« less

Regression Verification Using Impact Summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backes, John; Person, Suzette J.; Rungta, Neha; Thachuk, Oksana

2013-01-01

Regression verification techniques are used to prove equivalence of syntactically similar programs. Checking equivalence of large programs, however, can be computationally expensive. Existing regression verification techniques rely on abstraction and decomposition techniques to reduce the computational effort of checking equivalence of the entire program. These techniques are sound but not complete. In this work, we propose a novel approach to improve scalability of regression verification by classifying the program behaviors generated during symbolic execution as either impacted or unimpacted. Our technique uses a combination of static analysis and symbolic execution to generate summaries of impacted program behaviors. The impact summaries are then checked for equivalence using an o-the-shelf decision procedure. We prove that our approach is both sound and complete for sequential programs, with respect to the depth bound of symbolic execution. Our evaluation on a set of sequential C artifacts shows that reducing the size of the summaries can help reduce the cost of software equivalence checking. Various reduction, abstraction, and compositional techniques have been developed to help scale software verification techniques to industrial-sized systems. Although such techniques have greatly increased the size and complexity of systems that can be checked, analysis of large software systems remains costly. Regression analysis techniques, e.g., regression testing [16], regression model checking [22], and regression verification [19], restrict the scope of the analysis by leveraging the differences between program versions. These techniques are based on the idea that if code is checked early in development, then subsequent versions can be checked against a prior (checked) version, leveraging the results of the previous analysis to reduce analysis cost of the current version. Regression verification addresses the problem of proving equivalence of closely related program versions [19]. These techniques compare two programs with a large degree of syntactic similarity to prove that portions of one program version are equivalent to the other. Regression verification can be used for guaranteeing backward compatibility, and for showing behavioral equivalence in programs with syntactic differences, e.g., when a program is refactored to improve its performance, maintainability, or readability. Existing regression verification techniques leverage similarities between program versions by using abstraction and decomposition techniques to improve scalability of the analysis [10, 12, 19]. The abstractions and decomposition in the these techniques, e.g., summaries of unchanged code [12] or semantically equivalent methods [19], compute an over-approximation of the program behaviors. The equivalence checking results of these techniques are sound but not complete-they may characterize programs as not functionally equivalent when, in fact, they are equivalent. In this work we describe a novel approach that leverages the impact of the differences between two programs for scaling regression verification. We partition program behaviors of each version into (a) behaviors impacted by the changes and (b) behaviors not impacted (unimpacted) by the changes. Only the impacted program behaviors are used during equivalence checking. We then prove that checking equivalence of the impacted program behaviors is equivalent to checking equivalence of all program behaviors for a given depth bound. In this work we use symbolic execution to generate the program behaviors and leverage control- and data-dependence information to facilitate the partitioning of program behaviors. The impacted program behaviors are termed as impact summaries. The dependence analyses that facilitate the generation of the impact summaries, we believe, could be used in conjunction with other abstraction and decomposition based approaches, [10, 12], as a complementary reduction technique. An evaluation of our regression verification technique shows that our approach is capable of leveraging similarities between program versions to reduce the size of the queries and the time required to check for logical equivalence. The main contributions of this work are: - A regression verification technique to generate impact summaries that can be checked for functional equivalence using an off-the-shelf decision procedure. - A proof that our approach is sound and complete with respect to the depth bound of symbolic execution. - An implementation of our technique using the LLVMcompiler infrastructure, the klee Symbolic Virtual Machine [4], and a variety of Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) solvers, e.g., STP [7] and Z3 [6]. - An empirical evaluation on a set of C artifacts which shows that the use of impact summaries can reduce the cost of regression verification.

Tension Strength, Failure Prediction and Damage Mechanisms in 2D Triaxial Braided Composites with Notch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Timothy L.; Anglin, Colin

1995-01-01

The unnotched and notched (open hole) tensile strength and failure mechanisms of two-dimensional (2D) triaxial braided composites were examined. The effect of notch size and notch position were investigated. Damage initiation and propagation in notched and unnotched coupons were also examined. Theory developed to predict the normal stress distribution near an open hole and failure for tape laminated composites was evaluated for its applicability to 2D triaxial braided textile composite materials. Four different fiber architectures were considered; braid angle, yarn and braider size, percentage of longitudinal yarns and braider angle varied. Tape laminates equivalent to textile composites were also constructed for comparison. Unnotched tape equivalents were stronger than braided textiles but exhibited greater notch sensitivity. Notched textiles and tape equivalents have roughly the same strength at large notch sizes. Two common damage mechanisms were found: braider yarn cracking and near notch longitudinal yarn splitting. Cracking was found to initiate in braider yarns in unnotched and notched coupons, and propagate in the direction of the braider yarns until failure. Damage initiation stress decreased with increasing braid angle. No significant differences in prediction of near notch strain between textile and tape equivalents could be detected for small braid angle, but the correlations were weak for textiles with large braid angle. Notch strength could not be predicted using existing anisotropic theory for braided textiles due to their insensitivity to notch.

Neuroprotective Effects of Korean Red Pine(Pinus densiflora) Bark Extract and Its Phenolics.

PubMed

Kim, Ji-Won; Im, Sungbin; Jeong, Ha-Ram; Jung, Young-Seung; Lee, Inil; Kim, Kwan Joong; Park, Seung Kook; Kim, Dae-Ok

2018-03-15

Korean red pine ( Pinus densiflora ) is one of the major Pinus species in Korea. Red pine barkis removed prior to the chipping process in the wood industry and discarded aswaste. However, red pine bark contains a considerable amount of naturally occurring phenolics including flavonoids and therefore may have a variety of biological effects. In this study, we investigated if Korean red pine bark extract (KRPBE) could protect neuronal PC-12 cells from oxidative stress and inhibit cholinesterase activity.Analysis of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography results revealed four phenolics in KRPBE:vanillin, protocatechuic acid, catechin and taxifolin.Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of KRPBE were 397.9 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight (DW) and 248.7 mg catechin equivalents/g DW, respectively. Antioxidant capacities of KRPBE measured using ABTS, DPPH, and ORAC assays were 697.3, 521.8, and 2,627.7 mg vitamin C equivalents/g DW, respectively. KRPBE and its identified phenolics protected against H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, which degrade the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to terminate neurotransmission in synaptic clefts, were inhibited by treatment with KRPBE and its identified phenolics. Taken together, these results suggest that KRPBE and its constituent antioxidative phenolics are potent neuroprotective agents that can maintain cell viability in the context of oxidative stress and inhibit cholinesterase activity.

Effect Size Indices for Analyses of Measurement Equivalence: Understanding the Practical Importance of Differences between Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nye, Christopher D.; Drasgow, Fritz

2011-01-01

Because of the practical, theoretical, and legal implications of differential item functioning (DIF) for organizational assessments, studies of measurement equivalence are a necessary first step before scores can be compared across individuals from different groups. However, commonly recommended criteria for evaluating results from these analyses…

BILEX: A New Tool Measuring Bilingual Children's Lexicons and Translational Equivalents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gampe, Anja; Kurthen, Ira; Daum, Moritz M.

2018-01-01

The current study describes the development and validation of a novel scale (BILEX) designed to assess young bilingual children's receptive vocabulary in both languages, their conceptual vocabulary, and translational equivalents. BILEX was developed to facilitate the assessment of vocabulary size for both of the children's languages within one…

The unbearable opaqueness of Arp220

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín, S.; Aalto, S.; Sakamoto, K.; González-Alfonso, E.; Muller, S.; Henkel, C.; García-Burillo, S.; Aladro, R.; Costagliola, F.; Harada, N.; Krips, M.; Martín-Pintado, J.; Mühle, S.; van der Werf, P.; Viti, S.

2016-05-01

Context. The origin of the enormous luminosities of the two opaque nuclei of Arp 220, the prototypical ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, remains a mystery because we lack observational tools to explore the innermost regions around the nuclei. Aims: We explore the potential of imaging vibrationally excited molecular emission at high angular resolution to better understand the morphology and physical structure of the dense gas in Arp 220 and to gain insight into the nature of the nuclear powering sources. Methods: The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provided simultaneous observations of HCN, HCO+, and vibrationally excited HCN v2 = 1f emission. Their J = 4-3 and 3-2 transitions were observed at a matching resolution of ~0.5'', which allows us to isolate the emission from the two nuclei. Results: The HCN and HCO+ lines within the ground-vibrational state poorly describe the central ~100 pc region around the nuclei because there are strong effects of cool absorbing gas in the foreground and severe line blending that is due to the prolific molecular emission of Arp 220. Vibrationally excited emission of HCN is detected in both nuclei with a very high ratio relative to the total LFIR, higher than in any other observed galaxy and well above what is observed in Galactic hot cores. HCN v2 = 1f is observed to be marginally resolved in ~60 × 50 pc regions inside the dusty ~100 pc sized nuclear cores. Its emission is centered on our derived individual nuclear velocities based on HCO+ emission (VWN = 5342 ± 4 and VEN = 5454 ± 8 km s-1, for the western and eastern nucleus, respectively). With virial masses within r ~ 25-30 pc based on the HCN v2 = 1f line widths, we estimate gas surface densities (gas fraction fg = 0.1) of 3 ± 0.3 × 104 M⊙ pc-2 (WN) and 1.1 ± 0.1 × 104 M⊙ pc-2 (EN). The 4-3/3-2 flux density ratio could be consistent with optically thick emission, which would further constrain the size of the emitting region to >15 pc (EN) and >22 pc (WN). The absorption systems that may hide up to 70% of the HCN and HCO+ emission are found at velocities of -50 km s-1 (EN) and 6, -140, and -575 km s-1 (WN) relative to velocities of the nuclei. Blueshifted absorptions are the evidence of outflowing motions from both nuclei. Conclusions: Although vibrationally excited molecular transitions could also be affected by opacity, they may be our best tool to peer into the central few tens of parsecs around compact obscured nuclei like those of Arp 220. The bright vibrational emission implies the existence of a hot dust region radiatively pumping these transitions. We find evidence of a strong temperature gradient that would be responsible for both the HCN v2 pumping and the absorbed profiles from the vibrational ground state as a result of both continuum and self-absorption by cooler foreground gas. The reduced datacubes (FITS files) are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/590/A25

A Microcomputer-Based Software Package for Eye-Monitoring Research. Technical Report No. 434.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConkie, George W.; And Others

A software package is described that collects and reduces eye behavior data (eye position and pupil size) using an IBM-PC compatible computer. Written in C language for speed and portability, it includes several features: (1) data can be simultaneously collected from other sources (such as electroencephalography and electromyography); (2)…

Nature of size effects in compact models of field effect transistors

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

Torkhov, N. A., E-mail: trkf@mail.ru; Scientific-Research Institute of Semiconductor Devices, Tomsk 634050; Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, Tomsk 634050

Investigations have shown that in the local approximation (for sizes L < 100 μm), AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures satisfy to all properties of chaotic systems and can be described in the language of fractal geometry of fractional dimensions. For such objects, values of their electrophysical characteristics depend on the linear sizes of the examined regions, which explain the presence of the so-called size effects—dependences of the electrophysical and instrumental characteristics on the linear sizes of the active elements of semiconductor devices. In the present work, a relationship has been established for the linear model parameters of themore » equivalent circuit elements of internal transistors with fractal geometry of the heteroepitaxial structure manifested through a dependence of its relative electrophysical characteristics on the linear sizes of the examined surface areas. For the HEMTs, this implies dependences of their relative static (A/mm, mA/V/mm, Ω/mm, etc.) and microwave characteristics (W/mm) on the width d of the sink-source channel and on the number of sections n that leads to a nonlinear dependence of the retrieved parameter values of equivalent circuit elements of linear internal transistor models on n and d. Thus, it has been demonstrated that the size effects in semiconductors determined by the fractal geometry must be taken into account when investigating the properties of semiconductor objects on the levels less than the local approximation limit and designing and manufacturing field effect transistors. In general, the suggested approach allows a complex of problems to be solved on designing, optimizing, and retrieving the parameters of equivalent circuits of linear and nonlinear models of not only field effect transistors but also any arbitrary semiconductor devices with nonlinear instrumental characteristics.« less

Effect of safety issues with HIV drugs on the approval process of other drugs in the same class: an analysis of European Public Assessment Reports.

PubMed

Arnardottir, Arna H; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M; Straus, Sabine M J; de Graeff, Pieter A; Mol, Peter G M

2011-11-01

Knowledge on the safety of new medicines is limited at the time of market entry. Nearly half of all drugs used to treat HIV registered in the EU required ≥1 Direct Healthcare Professional Communication (DHPC) in the past 10 years for safety issues identified post-approval. The aim was to evaluate the extent to which regulators and industry have addressed the risk of safety issues for HIV drugs based on prior experience with other drugs in the same class and whether doing so impacts development time of these drugs. HIV drugs receiving ≥1 DHPC in the Netherlands between January 1999 and December 2008 were identified. Each drug with a DHPC ('index' drug) was paired with subsequently approved HIV drug(s) in the same class (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical [ATC] 4th level) ['follow-on' drugs]. Characteristics of safety issues were extracted from the DHPCs of the 'index' drugs. European Public Assessment Reports (EPARs) were reviewed regarding whether the safety issues had been considered during development and approval. Consideration of previously identified safety issues in 'follow-on' drug applications was assessed regarding attention paid to adverse drug reaction (ADR) symptoms in pre-marketing studies, Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and postmarketing commitments, and whether size of the safety population was in accordance with Regulatory guidelines. 'Index' drugs were also paired with drugs in the same class already on the market ('older' drugs). For 'older' drugs, we identified whether the safety issue led to appropriate changes in the current SmPC (January 2011) compared with the SmPC at the time of marketing authorization. Clinical development time was assessed using time from first patent application to market authorization as proxy, and comparison was made between 'index' and 'follow-on' drugs. For 9 (43%) of the 21 centrally authorized HIV drugs, 11 serious safety issues that required a DHPC were identified. Two drugs were excluded from our analysis (DHPCs related to contamination/medication error). Six 'index' drugs were paired, each with one to six 'follow-on' drugs. Three concerned drug-drug interactions (DDIs); the other three were intracranial haemorrhage, neuromuscular weakness and severe skin/hepatic reactions. All but one 'follow-on' drug had information in the EPAR on that specific ADR (i.e. attention was paid to the ADR). The DDIs were addressed in pre-marketing studies and/or the SmPC. Two of the other ADRs were addressed by postmarketing surveillance commitments; intracranial haemorrhage was not addressed. Three safety issues for two 'index' drugs could not be paired with a 'follow-on' drug as no drug in the same class was approved after the corresponding DHPCs were issued. Five of the nine safety issues were added to at least one of the current SmPCs for the 'older' drugs already on the market at the time of DHPC issue. Two safety issues were already in the SmPC of the 'older' drugs at time of market approval and two were not introduced into the SmPC of 'older' drugs. Population size to assess short-term safety complied with the guidelines for four 'index', seven 'follow-on' and three 'older' drugs; population size to assess long-term safety complied for one, three and two drugs, respectively. For five drugs, EPARs did not provide adequate information on population size. No statistically significant difference in development time between 'index' and 'follow-on' drugs was found. Generally, safety issues were taken into account in the approval process of other drugs in the class. The approaches were different and determined by the nature of the ADR. Taking safety issues into account in the approval process did not seem to impact on the time taken to perform the pre-approval clinical programme.

Methacholine and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) responsiveness, and the presence and degree of atopy in children with asthma.

PubMed

Suh, Dong I; Lee, Ju K; Kim, Chang K; Koh, Young Y

2011-02-01

The relationship between atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), both key features of asthma, remains to be clarified. BHR is commonly evaluated by bronchial challenges using direct and indirect stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of BHR to methacholine (direct stimulus) and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) (indirect stimulus) according to the presence and degree of atopy in children with asthma. We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 120 children presenting with a diagnosis of asthma. These children were characterized by skin-prick tests (SPTs), spirometry and bronchial challenges with methacholine and AMP. Atopy was defined by at least one positive reaction to SPTs, and its degree was measured using serum total IgE levels, number of positive SPTs and atopic scores (sum of graded wheal size). A provocative concentration causing a 20% decline in FEV(1) (PC(20) ) was determined for each challenge. Patients with atopy(n=94) had a significantly lower AMP PC(20) than non-atopic patients (n=26), whereas methacholine PC(20) was not different between the two groups. Among the patients with atopy, there was no association between methacholine PC(20) and any atopy parameter. In contrast, a significant association was found between AMP PC(20) and the degree of atopy reflected in serum total IgE, number of positive SPTs and atopic scores (anova trend test, p=0.002, 0.001, 0.003, respectively). AMP responsiveness was associated with the presence and degree of atopy, whereas such a relationship was not observed for methacholine responsiveness. These findings suggest that atopic status may be better reflected by bronchial responsiveness assessed by AMP than by methacholine. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Cost and performance of coal-based energy in Brazil

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

Temchin, J.; DeLallo, M.R.

1998-07-01

As part of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) efforts to establish the strategic benefits of Clean Coal Technologies (CCT), there is a need to evaluate the specific market potential where coal is a viable option. One such market is Brazil, where significant growth in economic development requires innovative and reliable technologies to support the use of domestic coal. While coal is Brazil's most abundant and economic fossil energy resource, it is presently under utilized in the production of electrical power. This report presents conceptual design for pulverized coal (PC) and circulating fluidized-bed combustion (CFBC) options with resulting capital, operatingmore » and financial parameters based on Brazil application conditions. Recent PC and CFBC plant capital costs have dropped with competition in the generation market and have established a competitive position in power generation. Key issues addressed in this study include: Application of market based design approach for FBC and PC, which is competitive within the current domestic, and international power generation markets. Design, fabrication, purchase, and construction methods which reduce capital investment while maintaining equipment quality and plant availability. Impact on coast and performance from application of Brazilian coals, foreign trade and tax policies, construction logistics, and labor requirements. Nominal production values of 200 MWe and 400 MWe were selected for the CFBC power plant and 400 MWe for the PC. The 400 MWe size was chosen to be consistent with the two largest Brazilian PC units. Fluidized bed technology, with limited experience in single units over 200 MW, would consist of two 200 MWe circulating fluidized bed boilers supplying steam to one steam turbine for the 400 MWe capacity. A 200 MWe capacity unit was also developed for CFBC option to support opportunities in re-powering and where specific site or other infrastructure constraints limit production.« less

ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells

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

Komaragiri, Shravan Kumar; Bostanthirige, Dhanushka H.; Morton, Derrick J.

Deregulation of tumor suppressor genes is associated with tumorigenesis and the development of cancer. In prostate cancer, ID4 is epigenetically silenced and acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal prostate epithelial cells, ID4 collaborates with androgen receptor (AR) and p53 to exert its tumor suppressor activity. Previous studies have shown that ID4 promotes tumor suppressive function of AR whereas loss of ID4 results in tumor promoter activity of AR. Previous study from our lab showed that ectopic ID4 expression in DU145 attenuates proliferation and promotes AR expression suggesting that ID4 dependent AR activity is tumor suppressive. In this study, wemore » examined the effect of ectopic expression of ID4 on highly malignant prostate cancer cell, PC3. Here we show that stable overexpression of ID4 in PC3 cells leads to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and migration. In addition, in vivo studies showed a decrease in tumor size and volume of ID4 overexpressing PC3 cells, in nude mice. At the molecular level, these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, and AR dependent FKBP51 expression. At the mechanistic level, ID4 may regulate the expression or function of AR through specific but yet unknown AR co-regulators that may determine the final outcome of AR function. - Highlights: • ID4 expression induces AR expression in PC3 cells, which generally lack AR. • ID4 expression increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and invasion. • Overexpression of ID4 reduces tumor growth of subcutaneous xenografts in vivo. • ID4 induces p21 and FKBP51 expression- co-factors of AR tumor suppressor activity.« less

A Census of Large-scale (≥10 PC), Velocity-coherent, Dense Filaments in the Northern Galactic Plane: Automated Identification Using Minimum Spanning Tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ke; Testi, Leonardo; Burkert, Andreas; Walmsley, C. Malcolm; Beuther, Henrik; Henning, Thomas

2016-09-01

Large-scale gaseous filaments with lengths up to the order of 100 pc are on the upper end of the filamentary hierarchy of the Galactic interstellar medium (ISM). Their association with respect to the Galactic structure and their role in Galactic star formation are of great interest from both an observational and theoretical point of view. Previous “by-eye” searches, combined together, have started to uncover the Galactic distribution of large filaments, yet inherent bias and small sample size limit conclusive statistical results from being drawn. Here, we present (1) a new, automated method for identifying large-scale velocity-coherent dense filaments, and (2) the first statistics and the Galactic distribution of these filaments. We use a customized minimum spanning tree algorithm to identify filaments by connecting voxels in the position-position-velocity space, using the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey spectroscopic catalog. In the range of 7\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} 5≤slant l≤slant 194^\\circ , we have identified 54 large-scale filaments and derived mass (˜ {10}3{--}{10}5 {M}⊙ ), length (10-276 pc), linear mass density (54-8625 {M}⊙ pc-1), aspect ratio, linearity, velocity gradient, temperature, fragmentation, Galactic location, and orientation angle. The filaments concentrate along major spiral arms. They are widely distributed across the Galactic disk, with 50% located within ±20 pc from the Galactic mid-plane and 27% run in the center of spiral arms. An order of 1% of the molecular ISM is confined in large filaments. Massive star formation is more favorable in large filaments compared to elsewhere. This is the first comprehensive catalog of large filaments that can be useful for a quantitative comparison with spiral structures and numerical simulations.

Restoring sensitivity to oxaliplatin by a novel approach in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Sanjeev; Kong, Dejuan; Azmi, Asfar S.; Wang, Zhiwei; Ahmad, Aamir; Sethi, Seema; Sarkar, Fazlul H.

2011-01-01

Oxaliplatin (OxP) has been used in combination therapy with gemcitabine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer (PC), but the beneficial effect was marginal, which is believed to be due to de novo and acquired drug resistance of PC. Here, we report our in vitro and in vivo preclinical evidence in support of chemosensitization of drug-resistant cells by a nontoxic chemopreventive agent (genistein). Genistein pretreatment together with low concentration of OxP showed significant reduction in cell viability and colony formation concomitant with increased apoptosis (p < 0.01), which was highly synergistic. Drug resistance of PC is allegedly linked with both constitutive and OxP-induced activation of NF-κB, and we found that inactivation of (nuclear factor kappa B) NF-κB by genistein before treatment of cells with OxP was required for cell killing, which was consistent with the downregulation of NF-κB and its downstream antiapoptotic genes (Bcl-2, XIAPs and survivin). Most importantly, our in vivo experiments using orthotopic mouse model showed significant reduction in tumor size (p < 0.01) and reduction of locoregional lymph node metastasis by combination treatment. These results were also consistent with inactivation of NF-κB and the downregulation of NF-κB downstream genes, decreased proliferation marker (Ki-67) and increased apoptosis (TUNEL) in tumor remnants, all of which was consistent with in vitro findings. From these results, we conclude that genistein sensitizes drug-resistant PC to OxP, which is mechanistically linked with inactivation of NF-κB signaling, resulting in greater antitumor effects, and thus our data suggest that this approach could be useful in improving the treatment outcome for patients diagnosed with PC. PMID:20824697

3, 3′- DIINDOLYLMETHANE ENHANCES CHEMOSENSITIVITY OF MULTIPLE CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS IN PANCREATIC CANCER

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Sanjeev; Wang, Zhiwei; Kong, Dejuan; Sarkar, Fazlul H.

2009-01-01

Clinical management of pancreatic cancer (PC) is a major problem, which is in part due to both de novo and acquired resistance to conventional therapeutics. Here, we present in vitro and in vivo preclinical evidence in support of chemo-sensitization of PC cells by DIM, a natural compound that can be easily obtained by consuming cruciferous vegetables. DIM pretreatment of PC cells led to a significantly increased apoptosis (p<0.01) with suboptimal concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin, gemcitabine and oxaliplatin) compared to monotherapy. It is known that resistance to chemotherapy in PC is associated with constitutively activated NF-κB, which becomes further activated by chemotherapeutic drugs. Our data provide mechanistic evidence for the first time showing that DIM potentiates the killing of PC cells by down-regulation of constitutive as well as drug induced activation of NF-κB and its downstream genes (Bcl-xL, XIAP, c-IAP, survivin). Most importantly, using an orthotopic animal model, we found reduction in tumor size (p<0.001) when DIM was given in combination with oxaliplatin compared to monotherapy. This was accompanied by loss of phospho p-65, down-regulation of NF-κB activity and its downstream genes (Bcl-xL, survivin and XIAP), which correlated with reduced cell proliferation (as assessed by Ki-67 immunostaining of tumor specimens) and evidence of apoptosis (as assessed by PARP cleavage and TUNEL staining). These results provide strong in vivo evidence in support of our hypothesis that DIM could abrogate chemotherapeutic drug (cisplatin, gemcitabine and/or oxaliplatin) induced activation of NF-κB, resulting in the chemo-sensitization of pancreatic tumors to conventional therapeutics. PMID:19531648

SU-G-BRA-15: Dosimetric Evaluation of Dynamic Tumor Tracking Radiation Therapy Using Digital Phantom: A Study On Margin and Desired Accuracy of Tracking

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

Uchida, T; Osanai, M; Homma, N

2016-06-15

Purpose: Dynamic tumor tracking radiation therapy can potentially reduce internal margin without prolongation of irradiation time. However, dynamic tumor tracking technique requires an extra margin (tracking margin, TM) for the uncertainty of tumor localization, prediction, and beam repositioning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a dosimetric impact caused by TM. Methods: We used 4D XCAT to create 9 digital phantom datasets of different tumor size and motion range: tumor diameter TD=(1, 3, 5) cm and motion range MR=(1, 2, 3) cm. For each dataset, respiratory gating (30%–70% phase) and tumor tracking treatment plans were created using 8-field 3D-CRTmore » by 4D dose calculation implemented in RayStation. The dose constraint was based on RTOG0618. For the tracking plan, TMs of (0, 2.5, 5) mm were considered by surrounding a normal setup margin: SM=5 mm. We calculated V20 of normal lung to evaluate the dosimetric impact for each case, and estimated an equivalent TM that affects the same impact on V20 obtained by the gated plan. Results: The equivalent TMs for (TD=1 cm, MR=2 cm), (TD=1 cm, MR=3 cm), (TD=5 cm, MR=2 cm), and (TD=5 cm, MR=3 cm) were estimated as 1.47 mm, 3.95 mm, 1.04 mm, and 2.13 mm, respectively. The larger the tumor size, the equivalent TM became smaller. On the other hand, the larger the motion range, the equivalent TM was found to be increased. Conclusion: Our results showed the equivalent TM changes depending on tumor size and motion range. The tracking plan with TM less than the equivalent TM achieves a dosimetric impact better than the gated plan in less treatment time. This study was partially supported by JSPS Kakenhi and Varian Medical Systems.« less

Identifying lipidic emulsomes for improved oxcarbazepine brain targeting: In vitro and rat in vivo studies.

PubMed

El-Zaafarany, Ghada M; Soliman, Mahmoud E; Mansour, Samar; Awad, Gehanne A S

2016-04-30

Lipid-based nanovectors offer effective carriers for brain delivery by improving drug potency and reducing off-target effects. Emulsomes are nano-triglyceride (TG) carriers formed of lipid cores supported by at least one phospholipid (PC) sheath. Due to their surface active properties, PC forms bilayers at the aqueous interface, thereby enabling encapsulated drug to benefit from better bioavailability and stability. Emulsomes of oxcarbazepine (OX) were prepared, aimed to offer nanocarriers for nasal delivery for brain targeting. Different TG cores (Compritol(®), tripalmitin, tristearin and triolein) and soya phosphatidylcholine in different amounts and ratios were used for emulsomal preparation. Particles were modulated to generate nanocarriers with suitable size, charge, encapsulation efficiency and prolonged release. Cytotoxicity and pharmacokinetic studies were also implemented. Nano-spherical OX-emulsomes with maximal encapsulation of 96.75% were generated. Stability studies showed changes within 30.6% and 11.2% in the size and EE% after 3 months. MTT assay proved a decrease in drug toxicity by its encapsulation in emulsomes. Incorporation of OX into emulsomes resulted in stable nanoformulations. Tailoring emulsomes properties by modulating the surface charge and particle size produced a stable system for the lipophilic drug with a prolonged release profile and mean residence time and proved direct nose-to-brain transport in rats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of polymer-metal nanocomposites by pulsed laser deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Röder, Johanna; Faupel, Jörg; Krebs, Hans-Ulrich

2008-12-01

Complex polymer-metal nanocomposites have a wide range of applications, e.g. as flexible displays and packaging materials. Pulsed laser deposition was applied to form nanostructured materials consisting of metal clusters (Ag, Au, Pd and Cu) embedded in a polymer (polycarbonate, PC) matrix. The size and amount of the metal clusters are controlled by the number of laser pulses hitting the respective targets. For Cu and Pd, smaller clusters and higher cluster densities are obtained as in the cases of Ag and Au due to a stronger reactivity with the polymers and thus a lower diffusivity. Implantation effects, differences in metal diffusivity and reactivity on the polymer surfaces, and the coalescence properties are discussed with respect to the observed microstructures on PC and compared to the metal growth on poly (methyl methacrylate), PMMA.

Organic Light Emitting Diodes with Opal Photonic Crystal Layer and Carbon Nanotube Anode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovalle Robles, Raquel; Del Rocio Nava, Maria; Williams, Christopher; Zhang, Mei; Fang, Shaoli; Lee, Sergey; Baughman, Ray; Zakhidov, Anvar

2007-03-01

We report electroluminescence intensity and spectral changes in light emission from organic light emitting diode (OLEDs) structures, which have thin transparent films of opal photonic crystal (PC). The anode in such PC-OLED is laminated on opal layer from free standing optically transparent multiwall carbon nanotubes (T-CNT) sheets made by dry spinning from CVD grown forests. Silica and polystyrene opal films were grown on glass substrates by vertical sedimentation in colloids in thermal baths and the particle size of opal spheres ranges from 300 nm to 450 nm. The use of T-CNTs, (coated by PEDOT-PSS to avoid shorting) as hole injector, allows to eliminate the use of vacuum deposition of metals and permits to achieve tunneling hole injection regime from CNT tips into Alq^3 emission layer

Visualization of Hierarchical Nanodomains in Polymer/Fullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

DOE PAGES

Wen, Jianguo; Miller, Dean J.; Chen, Wei; ...

2014-06-20

Here, traditional electron microscopy techniques such as bright-field imaging provide poor contrast for organic films and identification of structures in amorphous material can be problematic, particularly in high-performance organic solar cells. By combining energy-filtered corrected transmission electron microscopy, together with electron energy loss and X-ray energy-dispersive hyperspectral imaging, we have imaged PTB7/ PC 61BM blended polymer optical photovoltaic films, and were able to identify domains ranging in size from several hundred nanometers to several nanometers in extent. This work verifies that microstructural domains exist in bulk heterojunctions in PTB7/PC 61BM polymeric solar cells at multiple length scales and expands ourmore » understanding of optimal device performance providing insight for the design of even higher performance cells.« less

Optimum structural sizing of conventional cantilever and joined wing configurations using equivalent beam models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hajela, P.; Chen, J. L.

1986-01-01

The present paper describes an approach for the optimum sizing of single and joined wing structures that is based on representing the built-up finite element model of the structure by an equivalent beam model. The low order beam model is computationally more efficient in an environment that requires repetitive analysis of several trial designs. The design procedure is implemented in a computer program that requires geometry and loading data typically available from an aerodynamic synthesis program, to create the finite element model of the lifting surface and an equivalent beam model. A fully stressed design procedure is used to obtain rapid estimates of the optimum structural weight for the beam model for a given geometry, and a qualitative description of the material distribution over the wing structure. The synthesis procedure is demonstrated for representative single wing and joined wing structures.

Similar reliability and equivalent performance of female and male mice in the open field and water‐maze place navigation task

PubMed Central

Fritz, Ann‐Kristina; Amrein, Irmgard

2017-01-01

Although most nervous system diseases affect women and men differentially, most behavioral studies using mouse models do not include subjects of both sexes. Many researchers worry that data of female mice may be unreliable due to the estrous cycle. Here, we retrospectively evaluated sex effects on coefficient of variation (CV) in 5,311 mice which had performed the same place navigation protocol in the water‐maze and in 4,554 mice tested in the same open field arena. Confidence intervals for Cohen's d as measure of effect size were computed and tested for equivalence with 0.2 as equivalence margin. Despite the large sample size, only few behavioral parameters showed a significant sex effect on CV. Confidence intervals of effect size indicated that CV was either equivalent or showed a small sex difference at most, accounting for less than 2% of total group to group variation of CV. While female mice were potentially slightly more variable in water‐maze acquisition and in the open field, males tended to perform less reliably in the water‐maze probe trial. In addition to evaluating variability, we also directly compared mean performance of female and male mice and found them to be equivalent in both water‐maze place navigation and open field exploration. Our data confirm and extend other large scale studies in demonstrating that including female mice in experiments does not cause a relevant increase of data variability. Our results make a strong case for including mice of both sexes whenever open field or water‐maze are used in preclinical research. PMID:28654717

Similar reliability and equivalent performance of female and male mice in the open field and water-maze place navigation task.

PubMed

Fritz, Ann-Kristina; Amrein, Irmgard; Wolfer, David P

2017-09-01

Although most nervous system diseases affect women and men differentially, most behavioral studies using mouse models do not include subjects of both sexes. Many researchers worry that data of female mice may be unreliable due to the estrous cycle. Here, we retrospectively evaluated sex effects on coefficient of variation (CV) in 5,311 mice which had performed the same place navigation protocol in the water-maze and in 4,554 mice tested in the same open field arena. Confidence intervals for Cohen's d as measure of effect size were computed and tested for equivalence with 0.2 as equivalence margin. Despite the large sample size, only few behavioral parameters showed a significant sex effect on CV. Confidence intervals of effect size indicated that CV was either equivalent or showed a small sex difference at most, accounting for less than 2% of total group to group variation of CV. While female mice were potentially slightly more variable in water-maze acquisition and in the open field, males tended to perform less reliably in the water-maze probe trial. In addition to evaluating variability, we also directly compared mean performance of female and male mice and found them to be equivalent in both water-maze place navigation and open field exploration. Our data confirm and extend other large scale studies in demonstrating that including female mice in experiments does not cause a relevant increase of data variability. Our results make a strong case for including mice of both sexes whenever open field or water-maze are used in preclinical research. © 2017 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Computer simulations and models for the performance characteristics of spectrally equivalent X-ray beams in medical diagnostic radiology

PubMed Central

Okunade, Akintunde A.

2007-01-01

In order to achieve uniformity in radiological imaging, it is recommended that the concept of equivalence in shape (quality) and size (quantity) of clinical Xray beams should be used for carrying out the comparative evaluation of image and patient dose. When used under the same irradiation geometry, X-ray beams that are strictly or relatively equivalent in terms of shape and size will produce identical or relatively identical image quality and patient dose. Simple mathematical models and software program EQSPECT.FOR were developed for the comparative evaluation of the performance characteristics in terms of contrast (C), contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and figure-of-merit (FOM = CNR2/DOSE) for spectrally equivalent beams transmitted through filter materials referred to as conventional and k-edged. At the same value of operating potential (kVp), results show that spectrally equivalent beam transmitted through conventional filter with higher atomic number (Z-value) in comparison with that transmitted through conventional filter with lower Z-value resulted in the same value of C and FOM. However, in comparison with the spectrally equivalent beam transmitted through filter of lower Z-value, the beam through filter of higher Z-value produced higher value of CNR and DOSE at equal tube loading (mAs) and kVp. Under the condition of equivalence of spectrum, at scaled (or reduced) tube loading and same kVp, filter materials of higher Z-value can produce the same values of C, CNR, DOSE and FOM as filter materials of lower Z-value. Unlike the case of comparison of spectrally equivalent beam transmitted through one conventional filter and that through another conventional filter, it is not possible to derive simple mathematical formulations for the relative performance of spectrally equivalent beam transmitted through a given conventional filter material and that through kedge filter material. PMID:21224928

A simple approach to power and sample size calculations in logistic regression and Cox regression models.

PubMed

Vaeth, Michael; Skovlund, Eva

2004-06-15

For a given regression problem it is possible to identify a suitably defined equivalent two-sample problem such that the power or sample size obtained for the two-sample problem also applies to the regression problem. For a standard linear regression model the equivalent two-sample problem is easily identified, but for generalized linear models and for Cox regression models the situation is more complicated. An approximately equivalent two-sample problem may, however, also be identified here. In particular, we show that for logistic regression and Cox regression models the equivalent two-sample problem is obtained by selecting two equally sized samples for which the parameters differ by a value equal to the slope times twice the standard deviation of the independent variable and further requiring that the overall expected number of events is unchanged. In a simulation study we examine the validity of this approach to power calculations in logistic regression and Cox regression models. Several different covariate distributions are considered for selected values of the overall response probability and a range of alternatives. For the Cox regression model we consider both constant and non-constant hazard rates. The results show that in general the approach is remarkably accurate even in relatively small samples. Some discrepancies are, however, found in small samples with few events and a highly skewed covariate distribution. Comparison with results based on alternative methods for logistic regression models with a single continuous covariate indicates that the proposed method is at least as good as its competitors. The method is easy to implement and therefore provides a simple way to extend the range of problems that can be covered by the usual formulas for power and sample size determination. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of exercise-induced dehydration on circulatory markers of oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity.

PubMed

Georgescu, Vincent P; de Souza Junior, Tacito P; Behrens, Christian; Barros, Marcelo P; Bueno, Carlos Alves; Utter, Alan C; McAnulty, Lisa S; McAnulty, Steven R

2017-07-01

Dehydration is a common event associated with exercise. However, few studies have examined the effects of dehydration on plasma redox status in humans. Eighty-two athletes were recruited and baseline anthropometrics and blood samples were obtained. Athletes then engaged in a dehydration protocol, training until 3% of preweight body mass was lost. Athletes returned to the lab and had postdehydration blood collected. Athletes then consumed an isotonic drink until pre-exercise body weight was reestablished. Blood was then recollected (1 h post full rehydration (PFR)). Samples were centrifuged and the plasma snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 °C. Lipid and protein oxidative stress was determined by measuring F 2 -isoprostanes and protein carbonyls (PC), respectively. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. Plasma osmolality was determined using an osmometer. Statistical analysis utilized a 1-way ANOVA with posthoc testing. Values are reported as mean ± SD. Plasma osmolality was significantly elevated immediately postdehydration (p ≤ 0.001) but decreased to baseline at PFR. Plasma TEAC increased immediately postdehydration and at PFR (p ≤ 0.001). FRAP increased immediately postdehydration (p ≤ 0.001) and decreased to below baseline at PFR (p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, F 2 -isoprostanes declined significantly from baseline to immediately postdehydration and then significantly rose at PFR (p ≤ 0.001), whereas PC declined at PFR (p ≤ 0.01). This study indicates that dehydration and exercise cause a significant increase in plasma osmolality and antioxidant potential immediately postexercise. We propose dehydration significantly elevates antioxidant concentration which suppresses F 2 -isoprostanes and PC.

An Improved Small-Molecule Inhibitor of FtsZ with Superior In Vitro Potency, Drug-Like Properties, and In Vivo Efficacy

PubMed Central

Baker, Nicola; Bennett, James M.; Berry, Joanne; Collins, Ian; Czaplewski, Lloyd G.; Logan, Alastair; Macdonald, Rebecca; MacLeod, Leanne; Peasley, Hilary; Mitchell, Jeffrey P.; Nayal, Narendra; Yadav, Anju; Srivastava, Anil; Haydon, David J.

2013-01-01

The bacterial cell division protein FtsZ is an attractive target for small-molecule antibacterial drug discovery. Derivatives of 3-methoxybenzamide, including compound PC190723, have been reported to be potent and selective antistaphylococcal agents which exert their effects through the disruption of intracellular FtsZ function. Here, we report the further optimization of 3-methoxybenzamide derivatives towards a drug candidate. The in vitro and in vivo characterization of a more advanced lead compound, designated compound 1, is described. Compound 1 was potently antibacterial, with an average MIC of 0.12 μg/ml against all staphylococcal species, including methicillin- and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Compound 1 inhibited an S. aureus strain carrying the G196A mutation in FtsZ, which confers resistance to PC190723. Like PC190723, compound 1 acted on whole bacterial cells by blocking cytokinesis. No interactions between compound 1 and a diverse panel of antibiotics were measured in checkerboard experiments. Compound 1 displayed suitable in vitro pharmaceutical properties and a favorable in vivo pharmacokinetic profile following intravenous and oral administration, with a calculated bioavailability of 82.0% in mice. Compound 1 demonstrated efficacy in a murine model of systemic S. aureus infection and caused a significant decrease in the bacterial load in the thigh infection model. A greater reduction in the number of S. aureus cells recovered from infected thighs, equivalent to 3.68 log units, than in those recovered from controls was achieved using a succinate prodrug of compound 1, which was designated compound 2. In summary, optimized derivatives of 3-methoxybenzamide may yield a first-in-class FtsZ inhibitor for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant staphylococcal infections. PMID:23114779

Study and development of label-free optical biosensors for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Charles J.

For the majority of assays currently performed, fluorescent or colorimetric chemical labels are commonly attached to the molecules under study so that they may be readily visualized. The methods of using labels to track biomolecular binding events are very sensitive and effective, and are employed as standardized assay protocol across research labs worldwide. However, using labels induces experimental uncertainties due to the effect of the label on molecular conformation, active binding sites, or inability to find an appropriate label that functions equivalently for all molecules in an experiment. Therefore, the ability to perform highly sensitive biochemical detection without the use of fluorescent labels would further simplify assay protocols and would provide quantitative kinetic data, while removing experimental artifacts from fluorescent quenching, shelf-life, and background fluorescence phenomena. In view of the advantages mentioned above, the study and development of optical label-free sensor technologies have been undertaken here. In general, label-free photonic crystal (PC) biosensors and metal nanodome array surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, both of which are fabricated by nanoreplica molding process, have been used as the method to attack the problem. Chapter 1 shows the work on PC label-free biosensor incorporated microfluidic network for bioassay performance enhancement and kinetic reaction rate constant determination. Chapter 2 describes the work on theoretical and experimental comparison of label-free biosensing in microplate, microfluidic, and spot-based affinity capture assays. Chapter 3 shows the work on integration of PC biosensor with actuate-to-open valve microfluidic chip for pL-volume combinatorial mixing and screening application. In Chapter 4, the development and characterization of SERS nanodome array is shown. Lastly, Chapter 5 describes SERS nanodome sensor incorporated tubing for point-of-care monitoring of intravenous drugs and metabolites.

Preparation and evaluation of 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-[Lys 3]-bombesin for imaging gastrin-releasing peptide receptor-positive tumours.

PubMed

Ferro-Flores, Guillermina; Arteaga de Murphy, Consuelo; Rodriguez-Cortés, Jeanette; Pedraza-López, Martha; Ramírez-Iglesias, María Teresa

2006-04-01

Bombesin is a peptide that was initially isolated from frog skin and which belongs to a large group of neuropeptides with many biological functions. The human equivalent is gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), whose receptors are over-expressed in a variety of malignant tumours. To prepare a HYNIC-[Lys 3]-bombesin analogue that could be easily labelled with 99mTc from lyophilized kit formulations and to evaluate its potential as an imaging agent for GRP receptor-positive tumours. HYNIC was conjugated to the epsilon-amino group of Lys 3 residue at the N-terminal region of bombesin via succinimidyl-N-Boc-HYNIC at pH 9.0. 99mTc labelling was performed by addition of sodium pertechnetate solution and 0.2 M phosphate buffer pH 7.0 to a lyophilized formulation. Stability studies were carried out by reversed phase HPLC and ITLC-SG analyses in serum and cysteine solutions. In-vitro internalization was tested using human prostate cancer PC-3 cells with blocked and non-blocked receptors. Biodistribution and tumour uptake were determined in PC-3 tumour-bearing nude mice. 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-[Lys 3]-bombesin was obtained with radiochemical purities >93% and high specific activity ( approximately 0.1 GBq.nmol). Results of in-vitro studies demonstrated a high stability in serum and cysteine solutions, specific cell receptor binding and rapid internalization. Biodistribution data showed a rapid blood clearance, with predominantly renal excretion and specific binding towards GRP receptor-positive tissues such as pancreas and PC-3 tumours. 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-[Lys 3]-bombesin obtained from lyophilized kit formulations has promising characteristics for the diagnosis of malignant tumours that over-express the GRP receptor.

Determination of multiple sclerosis plaque size with diffusion-tensor MR Imaging: comparison study with healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Kealey, Susan M; Kim, Youngjoo; Whiting, Wythe L; Madden, David J; Provenzale, James M

2005-08-01

To use diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to measure involvement of normal-appearing white matter (WM) immediately adjacent to multiple sclerosis (MS) plaques and thus redefine actual plaque size on diffusion-tensor images through comparison with T2-weighted images of equivalent areas in healthy volunteers. Informed consent was not required given the retrospective nature of the study on an anonymized database. The study complied with requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Twelve patients with MS (four men, eight women; mean age, 35 years) and 14 healthy volunteers (six men, eight women; mean age, 25 years) were studied. The authors obtained fractional anisotropy (FA) values in MS plaques and in the adjacent normal-appearing WM in patients with MS and in equivalent areas in healthy volunteers. They placed regions of interest (ROIs) around the periphery of plaques and defined the total ROIs (ie, plaques plus peripheral ROIs) as abnormal if their mean FA values were at least 2 standard deviations below those of equivalent ROIs within equivalent regions in healthy volunteers. The combined area of the plaque and the peripheral ROI was compared with the area of the plaque seen on T2-weighted MR images by means of a Student paired t test (P = .05). The mean plaque size on T2-weighted images was 72 mm2 +/- 21 (standard deviation). The mean plaque FA value was 0.285 +/- 0.088 (0.447 +/- 0.069 in healthy volunteers [P < .001]; mean percentage reduction in FA in MS plaques, 37%). The mean plaque size on FA maps was 91 mm2 +/- 35, a mean increase of 127% compared with the size of the original plaque on T2-weighted images (P = .03). A significant increase in plaque size was seen when normal-appearing WM was interrogated with diffusion-tensor MR imaging. This imaging technique may represent a more sensitive method of assessing disease burden and may have a future role in determining disease burden and activity.

77 FR 19061 - Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-30

... directive (AD) for Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC- 6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2- H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1... rudder hinge bolts on a PC-6 aeroplane has been reported. The results of the investigations indicate that...

77 FR 2238 - Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-17

... (AD) for Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/ 350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1- H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1-H2... a PC-6 aeroplane has been reported. The results of the investigations indicate that the elevator and...

Alendronate decreases orthotopic PC-3 prostate tumor growth and metastasis to prostate-draining lymph nodes in nude mice

PubMed Central

Tuomela, Johanna M; Valta, Maija P; Väänänen, Kalervo; Härkönen, Pirkko L

2008-01-01

Background Metastatic prostate cancer is associated with a high morbidity and mortality but the spreading mechanisms are still poorly understood. The aminobisphosphonate alendronate, used to reduce bone loss, has also been shown to inhibit the invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells in vitro. We used a modified orthotopic PC-3 nude mouse tumor model of human prostate cancer to study whether alendronate affects prostate tumor growth and metastasis. Methods PC-3 cells (5 × 105) were implanted in the prostates of nude mice and the mice were treated with alendronate (0.5 mg/kg/day in PBS, s.c.) or vehicle for 4 weeks. After sacrifice, the sizes of tumor-bearing prostates were measured and the tumors and prostate-draining regional iliac and sacral lymph nodes were excised for studies on markers of proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, using histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry. Results Tumor occurrence in the prostate was 73% in the alendronate-treated group and 81% in the control group. Mean tumor size (218 mm3, range: 96–485 mm3, n = 11) in the alendronate-treated mice was 41% of that in the control mice (513 mm3, range: 209–1350 mm3, n = 13) (p < 0.05). In the iliac and sacral lymph nodes of alendronate-treated mice, the proportion of metastatic area was only about 10% of that in control mice (p < 0.001). Immunohistochemical staining of tumor sections showed that alendronate treatment caused a marked decrease in the number of CD34-positive endothelial cells in tumors (p < 0.001) and an increase in that of ISEL positive apoptotic cells in tumors as well as in lymph node metastases (p < 0.05) compared with those in the vehicle-treated mice. The density of m-LYVE-1-stained lymphatic capillaries was not changed. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that alendronate treatment opposes growth of orthotopic PC-3 tumors and decreases tumor metastasis to prostate-draining lymph nodes. This effect could be at least partly explained by decreased angiogenesis and increased apoptosis. The results suggest that bisphosphonates have anti-tumoral and anti-invasive effects on primary prostate cancer. PMID:18371232

Seasonal adaptation of dwarf hamsters (Genus Phodopus): differences between species and their geographic origin.

PubMed

Müller, D; Hauer, J; Schöttner, K; Fritzsche, P; Weinert, D

2015-12-01

The genus Phodopus consists of three species--P. campbelli (Pc), P. sungorus (Ps), and P. roborovskii (Pr). They inhabit steppes, semi-deserts, and deserts in continental Asia with a climate changing from a moderate to a hard Continental one with extreme daily and seasonal variations. These different environmental challenges are likely to have consequences for hamsters' morphology, physiology, and behavior. Hamsters of all three species were investigated during the course of the year in the laboratory though using natural lighting and temperature conditions. Motor activity and body temperature were measured continuously, and body mass, testes size, and fur coloration every 1-2 weeks. With regard to the pattern of activity, nearly twice as many Pc as Ps hamsters (25 vs. 14%) failed to respond to changes of photoperiod, whereas all Pr hamsters did. Body mass and testes size were high in summer and low in winter, with the biggest relative change in Ps and the lowest in Pr hamsters. Changes of fur coloration were found in Ps hamsters only. All responding animals (that is excluding Pr), exhibited regular torpor bouts during the short winter days. In autumn, seasonal changes started considerably earlier in Ps hamsters. To investigate the putative causes of these different time courses, a further experiment was performed, to identify the critical photoperiod. Hamsters were kept for 10 weeks under different photoperiods, changing from 16 to 8 h light per day. Motor activity was recorded continuously, to identify responding and non-responding animals. Body mass was measured at the beginning and the end of the experiment, testes mass only at the end. The critical photoperiod was found to be similar in all three species. Though in a further experiment, Pc and Pr hamsters showed a delayed response, whereas the changes in Ps hamsters started immediately following transfer to short-day conditions. The results show that interspecific differences in seasonal adaptation exist, even between the closely related Ps and Pc hamsters, possibly due to different conditions in their natural habitat. Also, the impact of environmental factors like climatic conditions and food resources may differ between species.

Massive star clusters in a z=1 star-forming galaxy seen at a 100 pc scale thanks to strong gravitational lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dessauges-Zavadsky, Miroslava; Cava, Antonio; Richard, Johan; Schaerer, Daniel; Egami, Eiichi

2015-08-01

Deep and high-resolution imaging has revealed clumpy, rest-frame UV morphologies among z=1-3 galaxies. The majority of these galaxies has been shown to be dominated by ordered disk rotation, which led to the conclusion that the observed giant clumps, resolved on kpc-scales, are generated from disk fragmentation due to gravitational instability. State-of-the-art numerical simulations show that they may occupy a relevant role in galaxy evolution, contributing to the galactic bulge formation. Despite the high resolution attained by the most advanced ground- and space-based facilities, as well as in numerical simulations, the intrinsic typical masses and scale sizes of these star-forming clumps remain unconstrained, since they are barely resolved at z=1-3.Thanks to the amplification and stretching power provided by strong gravitational lensing, we are likely to reach the spatial resolving power for unveiling the physics of these star-forming regions. We report on the study of clumpy star formation observed in the Cosmic Snake, a strongly lensed galaxy at z=1, representative of the typical star-forming population close to the peak of Universe activity. About 20 clumps are identified in the HST images. Benefiting from extreme amplification factors up to 100, they are resolved down to an intrinsic scale of 100 pc, never reached before at z=1.The HST multi-wavelength analysis of these individual star clusters allows us to determine their intrinsic physical properties, showing stellar masses (Ms) from 106 to 108.3 Msun, sizes from 100 to 400 pc, and ages from 106 to 108.5 yr. The masses we find are in line with the new, very high resolution numerical simulations, which also suggest that the massive giant clumps previously observed at high redshift with Ms as high as 109-10 Msun may suffer from low resolution effects, being unresolved conglomerates of less massive star clusters. We also compare our results with those of massive young clusters in nearby galaxies. Our approved ALMA observations will reach the same 100 pc scale, which is essential for the study of associated giant molecular clouds in this galaxy.

Organic–inorganic binary mixture matrix for comprehensive laser-desorption ionization mass spectrometric analysis and imaging of medium-size molecules including phospholipids, glycerolipids, and oligosaccharides

DOE PAGES

Feenstra, Adam D.; Ames Lab., Ames, IA; O'Neill, Kelly C.; ...

2016-10-13

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is a widely adopted, versatile technique, especially in high-throughput analysis and imaging. However, matrix-dependent selectivity of analytes is often a severe limitation. In this work, a mixture of organic 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and inorganic Fe 3O 4 nanoparticles is developed as a binary MALDI matrix to alleviate the well-known issue of triacylglycerol (TG) ion suppression by phosphatidylcholine (PC). In application to lipid standards and maize seed cross-sections, the binary matrix not only dramatically reduced the ion suppression of TG, but also efficiently desorbed and ionized a wide variety of lipids such as cationic PC, anionicmore » phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylinositol (PI), and neutral digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG). The binary matrix was also very efficient for large polysaccharides, which were not detected by either of the individual matrices. As a result, the usefulness of the binary matrix is demonstrated in MS imaging of maize seed sections, successfully visualizing diverse medium-size molecules and acquiring high-quality MS/MS spectra for these compounds.« less

Poly(styrene)-b-poly(DL-lactide) copolymer-based nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery

PubMed Central

Lee, Jae-Young; Kim, Jung Sun; Cho, Hyun-Jong; Kim, Dae-Duk

2014-01-01

Poly(styrene)-b-poly(DL-lactide) (PS-PDLLA) copolymer-based nanoparticles (NPs) of a narrow size distribution, negative zeta potential, and spherical shape were fabricated for the delivery of docetaxel (DCT). The particle size was consistently maintained in serum for 24 hours and a sustained drug release pattern was observed for 10 days in the tested formulations. The cytotoxicity of the developed blank NPs was negligible in prostate cancer (PC-3) cells. Cellular uptake and distribution of the constructed NPs containing a hydrophobic fluorescent dye was monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for 24 hours. Anti-tumor efficacy of the PS-PDLLA/DCT NPs in PC-3 cells was significantly more potent than that of the group treated with commercially available DCT, Taxotere® (P<0.05). Blood biochemistry tests showed that no serious toxicity was observed with the blank NPs in the liver and kidney. In a pharmacokinetic study of DCT in rats, in vivo clearance of PS-PDLLA/DCT NPs decreased while the half-life in blood increased compared to the Taxotere-treated group (P<0.05). The PS-PDLLA NPs are expected to be a biocompatible and efficient nano-delivery system for anticancer drugs. PMID:24940058

SAD-Based Stereo Vision Machine on a System-on-Programmable-Chip (SoPC)

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiang; Chen, Zhangwei

2013-01-01

This paper, proposes a novel solution for a stereo vision machine based on the System-on-Programmable-Chip (SoPC) architecture. The SOPC technology provides great convenience for accessing many hardware devices such as DDRII, SSRAM, Flash, etc., by IP reuse. The system hardware is implemented in a single FPGA chip involving a 32-bit Nios II microprocessor, which is a configurable soft IP core in charge of managing the image buffer and users' configuration data. The Sum of Absolute Differences (SAD) algorithm is used for dense disparity map computation. The circuits of the algorithmic module are modeled by the Matlab-based DSP Builder. With a set of configuration interfaces, the machine can process many different sizes of stereo pair images. The maximum image size is up to 512 K pixels. This machine is designed to focus on real time stereo vision applications. The stereo vision machine offers good performance and high efficiency in real time. Considering a hardware FPGA clock of 90 MHz, 23 frames of 640 × 480 disparity maps can be obtained in one second with 5 × 5 matching window and maximum 64 disparity pixels. PMID:23459385

Small area estimation (SAE) model: Case study of poverty in West Java Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhartini, Titin; Sadik, Kusman; Indahwati

2016-02-01

This paper showed the comparative of direct estimation and indirect/Small Area Estimation (SAE) model. Model selection included resolve multicollinearity problem in auxiliary variable, such as choosing only variable non-multicollinearity and implemented principal component (PC). Concern parameters in this paper were the proportion of agricultural venture poor households and agricultural poor households area level in West Java Province. The approach for estimating these parameters could be performed based on direct estimation and SAE. The problem of direct estimation, three area even zero and could not be conducted by directly estimation, because small sample size. The proportion of agricultural venture poor households showed 19.22% and agricultural poor households showed 46.79%. The best model from agricultural venture poor households by choosing only variable non-multicollinearity and the best model from agricultural poor households by implemented PC. The best estimator showed SAE better then direct estimation both of the proportion of agricultural venture poor households and agricultural poor households area level in West Java Province. The solution overcame small sample size and obtained estimation for small area was implemented small area estimation method for evidence higher accuracy and better precision improved direct estimator.

Process optimisation for anion exchange monolithic chromatography of 4.2kbp plasmid vaccine (pcDNA3F).

PubMed

Ongkudon, Clarence M; Danquah, Michael K

2010-10-15

Anion exchange monolithic chromatography is increasingly becoming a prominent tool for plasmid DNA purification but no generic protocol is available to purify all types of plasmid DNA. In this work, we established a simple framework and used it to specifically purify a plasmid DNA model from a clarified alkaline-lysed plasmid-containing cell lysate. The framework involved optimising ligand functionalisation temperature (30-80°C), mobile phase flow rate (0.1-1.8mL/min), monolith pore size (done by changing the porogen content in the polymerisation reaction by 50-80%), buffer pH (6-10), ionic strength of binding buffer (0.3-0.7M) and buffer gradient elution slope (1-10% buffer B/min). We concluded that preferential pcDNA3F adsorption and optimum resolution could be achieved within the tested conditions by loading the clarified cell lysate into 400nm pore size of monolith in 0.7M NaCl (pH 6) of binding buffer followed by increasing the NaCl concentration to 1.0M at 3%B/min. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydro-mechanically coupled finite-element analysis of the stability of a fractured-rock slope using the equivalent continuum approach: a case study of planned reservoir banks in Blaubeuren, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jie; Dong, Mei; Koltuk, Serdar; Hu, Hui; Zhang, Luqing; Azzam, Rafig

2018-05-01

Construction works associated with the building of reservoirs in mountain areas can damage the stability of adjacent valley slopes. Seepage processes caused by the filling and drawdown operations of reservoirs also affect the stability of the reservoir banks over time. The presented study investigates the stability of a fractured-rock slope subjected to seepage forces in the lower basin of a planned pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) plant in Blaubeuren, Germany. The investigation uses a hydro-mechanically coupled finite-element analyses. For this purpose, an equivalent continuum model is developed by using a representative elementary volume (REV) approach. To determine the minimum required REV size, a large number of discrete fracture networks are generated using Monte Carlo simulations. These analyses give a REV size of 28 × 28 m, which is sufficient to represent the equivalent hydraulic and mechanical properties of the investigated fractured-rock mass. The hydro-mechanically coupled analyses performed using this REV size show that the reservoir operations in the examined PSH plant have negligible effect on the adjacent valley slope.

Effect of open hole on tensile failure properties of 2D triaxial braided textile composites and tape equivalents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Timothy L.; Anglin, Colin; Gaskin, David; Patrick, Mike

1995-01-01

The unnotched and notched (open hole) tensile strength and failure mechanisms of two-dimensional (2D) triaxial braided composites were examined. The effect of notch size and notch position were investigated. Damage initiation and propagation in notched and unnotched coupons were also examined. Theory developed to predict the normal stress distribution near an open hole and failure for tape laminated composites was evaluated for its applicability to triaxial braided textile composite materials. Four fiber architectures were considered with different combinations of braid angle, longitudinal and braider yam size, and percentage of longitudinal yarns. Tape laminates equivalent to textile composites were also constructed for comparison. Unnotched tape equivalents were stronger than braided textiles but exhibited greater notch sensitivity. Notched textiles and tape equivalents have roughly the same strength at large notch sizes. Two common damage mechanisms were found: braider yams cracking and near notch longitudinal yarn splitting. Cracking was found to initiate in braider yarns in unnotched and notched coupons, and propagate in the direction of the braider yarns until failure. Longitudinal yarn splitting occurred in three of four architectures that were longitudinally fiber dominated. Damage initiation stress decreased with increasing braid angle. No significant differences in prediction of near notch stress between measured and predicted stress were weak for textiles with large braid angle. Notch strength could not be predicted using existing anisotropic theory for braided textiles due to their insensitivity to notch.

Equivalent statistics and data interpretation.

PubMed

Francis, Gregory

2017-08-01

Recent reform efforts in psychological science have led to a plethora of choices for scientists to analyze their data. A scientist making an inference about their data must now decide whether to report a p value, summarize the data with a standardized effect size and its confidence interval, report a Bayes Factor, or use other model comparison methods. To make good choices among these options, it is necessary for researchers to understand the characteristics of the various statistics used by the different analysis frameworks. Toward that end, this paper makes two contributions. First, it shows that for the case of a two-sample t test with known sample sizes, many different summary statistics are mathematically equivalent in the sense that they are based on the very same information in the data set. When the sample sizes are known, the p value provides as much information about a data set as the confidence interval of Cohen's d or a JZS Bayes factor. Second, this equivalence means that different analysis methods differ only in their interpretation of the empirical data. At first glance, it might seem that mathematical equivalence of the statistics suggests that it does not matter much which statistic is reported, but the opposite is true because the appropriateness of a reported statistic is relative to the inference it promotes. Accordingly, scientists should choose an analysis method appropriate for their scientific investigation. A direct comparison of the different inferential frameworks provides some guidance for scientists to make good choices and improve scientific practice.

The Effects of Plyometric Type Neuromuscular Training on Postural Control Performance of Male Team Basketball Players.

PubMed

Asadi, Abbas; Saez de Villarreal, Eduardo; Arazi, Hamid

2015-07-01

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are common in basketball athletes; common preventive programs for decreasing these injures may be enhancing postural control (PC) or balance with plyometric training. This study investigated the efficiency of plyometric training program within basketball practice to improve PC performance in young basketball players. Sixteen players were recruited and assigned either to a plyometric + basketball training group (PT) or basketball training group (BT). All players trained twice per week, but the PT + BT followed a 6-week plyometric program implemented within basketball practice, whereas the BT followed regular practice. The star excursion balance test (SEBT) at 8 directions (anterior, A; anteromedial, AM; anterolateral, AL; medial, M; lateral, L; posterior, P; posteromedial, PM; and posterolateral, PL) was measured before and after the 6-week period. The PT group induced significant improvement (p ≤ 0.05) and small to moderate effect size in the SEBT (A = 0.95, AM = 0.62, AL = 0.61, M = 0.36, L = 0.47, P = 0.27, PM = 0.25, PL = 0.24). No significant improvements were found in the BT group. Also, there were significant differences between groups in all directions except PM and PL. An integrated plyometric program within the regular basketball practice can lead to significant improvements in SEBT and consequently PC. It can be recommended that strength and conditioning professionals use PT to enhance the athletes' joint awareness and PC to reduce possible future injuries in the lower extremity.

Antibiofilm properties of silver and gold incorporated PU, PCLm, PC and PMMA nanocomposites under two shear conditions.

PubMed

Sawant, Shilpa N; Selvaraj, Veerapandian; Prabhawathi, Veluchamy; Doble, Mukesh

2013-01-01

Silver and gold nanoparticles (of average size ∼20-27 nm) were incorporated in PU (Polyurethane), PCLm (Polycaprolactam), PC (polycarbonate) and PMMA (Polymethylmethaacrylate) by swelling and casting methods under ambient conditions. In the latter method the nanoparticle would be present not only on the surface, but also inside the polymer. These nanoparticles were prepared initially by using a cosolvent, THF. PU and PCLm were dissolved and swollen with THF. PC and PMMA were dissolved in CHCl₃ and here the cosolvent, THF, acted as an intermediate between water and CHCl₃. FTIR indicated that the interaction between the polymer and the nanoparticle was through the functional group in the polymer. The formation of E.coli biofilm on these nanocomposites under low (in a Drip flow biofilm reactor) and high shear (in a Shaker) conditions indicated that the biofilm growth was higher (twice) in the former than in the latter (ratio of shear force = 15). A positive correlation between the contact angle (of the virgin surface) and the number of colonies, carbohydrate and protein attached on it were observed. Ag nanocomposites exhibited better antibiofilm properties than Au. Bacterial attachment was highest on PC and least on PU nanocomposite. Casting method appeared to be better than swelling method in reducing the attachment (by a factor of 2). Composites reduced growth of organisms by six orders of magnitude, and protein and carbohydrate by 2-5 times. This study indicates that these nanocomposites may be suitable for implant applications.

Ciprofloxacin as ocular liposomal hydrogel.

PubMed

Hosny, Khaled Mohamed

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize an ocular effective prolonged-release liposomal hydrogel formulation containing ciprofloxacin. Reverse-phase evaporation was used for preparation of liposomes consisting of soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol (CH). The effect of PC/CH molar ratio on the percentage drug encapsulation was investigated. The effect of additives such as stearylamine (SA) or dicetyl phosphate (DP) as positive and negative charge inducers, respectively, were studied. Morphology, mean size, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release of ciprofloxacin from liposomes were evaluated. For hydrogel preparation, Carbopol 940 was applied. In vitro transcorneal permeation through excised albino rabbit cornea was also determined. Optimal encapsulation efficiency of 73.04 +/- 3.06% was obtained from liposomes formulated with PC/CH at molar ratio of 5:3 and by increasing CH content above this limit, the encapsulation decreased. Positively charged liposomes showed superior entrapment efficiency (82.01 +/- 0.52) over the negatively charged and the neutral liposomes. Hydrogel containing liposomes with lipid content PC, CH, and SA in molar ratio 5:3:1, respectively, showed the best release and transcorneal permeation with the percentage permeation of 30.6%. These results suggest that the degree of encapsulation of ciprofloxacin into liposomes and prolonged in vitro release depend on composition of the vesicles. In addition, the polymer hydrogel used in preparation ensure steady and prolonged transcorneal permeation. In conclusion, ciprofloxacin liposomal hydrogel is a suitable delivery system for improving the ocular bioavailability of ciprofloxacin.

Single Cell Profiling using Ionic Liquid Matrix-Enhanced Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry for Neuronal Cell Type Differentiation

PubMed Central

Do, Thanh D.; Comi, Troy J.; Dunham, Sage J. B.; Rubakhin, Stanislav S.; Sweedler, Jonathan V.

2017-01-01

A high-throughput single cell profiling method has been developed for matrix-enhanced secondary ion mass spectrometry (ME-SIMS) to investigate the lipid profiles of neuronal cells. Populations of cells are dispersed onto the substrate, their locations determined using optical microscopy, and the cell locations used to guide the acquisition of SIMS spectra from the cells. Up to 2,000 cells can be assayed in one experiment at a rate of 6 s per cell. Multiple saturated and unsaturated phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and their fragments are detected and verified with tandem mass spectrometry from individual cells when ionic liquids are employed as a matrix. Optically guided single cell profiling with ME-SIMS is suitable for a range of cell sizes, from Aplysia californica neurons larger than 75 μm to 7-μm rat cerebellar neurons. ME-SIMS analysis followed by t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding of peaks in the lipid molecular mass range (m/z 700–850) distinguishes several cell types from the rat central nervous system, largely based on the relative proportions of the four dominant lipids, PC(32:0), PC(34:1), PC(36:1), and PC(38:5). Furthermore, subpopulations within each cell type are tentatively classified consistent with their endogenous lipid ratios. The results illustrate the efficacy of a new approach to classify single cell populations and subpopulations using SIMS profiling of lipid and metabolite contents. These methods are broadly applicable for high throughput single cell chemical analyses. PMID:28194949

Transitioning EEG experiments away from the laboratory using a Raspberry Pi 2.

PubMed

Kuziek, Jonathan W P; Shienh, Axita; Mathewson, Kyle E

2017-02-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) experiments are typically performed in controlled laboratory settings to minimise noise and produce reliable measurements. These controlled conditions also reduce the applicability of the obtained results to more varied environments and may limit their relevance to everyday situations. Advances in computer portability may increase the mobility and applicability of EEG results while decreasing costs. In this experiment we show that stimulus presentation using a Raspberry Pi 2 computer provides a low cost, reliable alternative to a traditional desktop PC in the administration of EEG experimental tasks. Significant and reliable MMN and P3 activity, typical event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with an auditory oddball paradigm, were measured while experiments were administered using the Raspberry Pi 2. While latency differences in ERP triggering were observed between systems, these differences reduced power only marginally, likely due to the reduced processing power of the Raspberry Pi 2. An auditory oddball task administered using the Raspberry Pi 2 produced similar ERPs to those derived from a desktop PC in a laboratory setting. Despite temporal differences and slight increases in trials needed for similar statistical power, the Raspberry Pi 2 can be used to design and present auditory experiments comparable to a PC. Our results show that the Raspberry Pi 2 is a low cost alternative to the desktop PC when administering EEG experiments and, due to its small size and low power consumption, will enable mobile EEG experiments unconstrained by a traditional laboratory setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A New Coated Nitinol Occluder for Transcatheter Closure of Ventricular Septal Defects in a Canine Model

PubMed Central

Zhou, Yong; Chen, Feng; Huang, Xinmiao; Zhao, Xianxian; Wu, Hong; Bai, Yuan; Qin, Yongwen

2013-01-01

Aims. This study evaluated feasibility and safety of implanting the polyester-coated nitinol ventricular septal defect occluder (pcVSDO) in the canine model. Methods and Results. VSD models were successfully established by transseptal ventricular septal puncture via the right jugular vein in 15 out of 18 canines. Two types of VSDOs were implanted, either with pcVSDOs (n = 8) as the new type occluder group or with the commercial ventricular septal defect occluders (VSDOs, n = 7, Shanghai Sharp Memory Alloy Co. Ltd.) as the control group. Sheath size was 10 French (10 Fr) in two groups. Then the general state of the canines was observed after implantation. ECG and TTE were performed, respectively, at 7, 30, 90 days of follow-up. The canines were sacrificed at these time points for pathological and scanning electron microscopy examination. The devices were successfully implanted in all 15 canines and were retrievable and repositionable. There was no thrombus formation on the device or occurrence of complete heart block. The pcVSDO surface implanted at day 7 was already covered with neotissue by gross examination, and it completed endothelialization at day 30, while the commercial VSDO was covered with the neotissue in 30th day and the complete endothelialization in 90th day. Conclusion. The study shows that pcVSDO is feasible and safe to close canine VSD model and has good biocompatibility and shorter time of endothelialization. PMID:24066289

76 FR 42502 - Substantial Product Hazard List: Children's Upper Outerwear in Sizes 2T to 12 With Neck or Hood...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-19

... Resident Population by Sex and Five-Year Age Groups for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009... and Sex: 2010'' at http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age/age_sex_2010.html . No numerical... that garments in girls' size Large (L) and boys' size Large (L) are equivalent to size 12. Section 1120...

THE OCCURRENCE RATE OF SMALL PLANETS AROUND SMALL STARS

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

Dressing, Courtney D.; Charbonneau, David, E-mail: cdressing@cfa.harvard.edu

We use the optical and near-infrared photometry from the Kepler Input Catalog to provide improved estimates of the stellar characteristics of the smallest stars in the Kepler target list. We find 3897 dwarfs with temperatures below 4000 K, including 64 planet candidate host stars orbited by 95 transiting planet candidates. We refit the transit events in the Kepler light curves for these planet candidates and combine the revised planet/star radius ratios with our improved stellar radii to revise the radii of the planet candidates orbiting the cool target stars. We then compare the number of observed planet candidates to themore » number of stars around which such planets could have been detected in order to estimate the planet occurrence rate around cool stars. We find that the occurrence rate of 0.5-4 R{sub Circled-Plus} planets with orbital periods shorter than 50 days is 0.90{sup +0.04}{sub -0.03} planets per star. The occurrence rate of Earth-size (0.5-1.4 R{sub Circled-Plus }) planets is constant across the temperature range of our sample at 0.51{sub -0.05}{sup +0.06} Earth-size planets per star, but the occurrence of 1.4-4 R{sub Circled-Plus} planets decreases significantly at cooler temperatures. Our sample includes two Earth-size planet candidates in the habitable zone, allowing us to estimate that the mean number of Earth-size planets in the habitable zone is 0.15{sup +0.13}{sub -0.06} planets per cool star. Our 95% confidence lower limit on the occurrence rate of Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of cool stars is 0.04 planets per star. With 95% confidence, the nearest transiting Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of a cool star is within 21 pc. Moreover, the nearest non-transiting planet in the habitable zone is within 5 pc with 95% confidence.« less

A 33 GHz Survey of Local Major Mergers: Estimating the Sizes of the Energetically Dominant Regions from High-resolution Measurements of the Radio Continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barcos-Muñoz, L.; Leroy, A. K.; Evans, A. S.; Condon, J.; Privon, G. C.; Thompson, T. A.; Armus, L.; Díaz-Santos, T.; Mazzarella, J. M.; Meier, D. S.; Momjian, E.; Murphy, E. J.; Ott, J.; Sanders, D. B.; Schinnerer, E.; Stierwalt, S.; Surace, J. A.; Walter, F.

2017-07-01

We present Very Large Array observations of the 33 GHz radio continuum emission from 22 local ultraluminous and luminous infrared (IR) galaxies (U/LIRGs). These observations have spatial (angular) resolutions of 30-720 pc (0.″07-0.″67) in a part of the spectrum that is likely to be optically thin. This allows us to estimate the size of the energetically dominant regions. We find half-light radii from 30 pc to 1.7 kpc. The 33 GHz flux density correlates well with the IR emission, and we take these sizes as indicative of the size of the region that produces most of the energy. Combining our 33 GHz sizes with unresolved measurements, we estimate the IR luminosity and star formation rate per area and the molecular gas surface and volume densities. These quantities span a wide range (4 dex) and include some of the highest values measured for any galaxy (e.g., {{{Σ }}}{SFR}33 {GHz}≤slant {10}4.1 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1 {{kpc}}-2). At least 13 sources appear Compton thick ({N}{{H}}33 {GHz}≥slant {10}24 {{cm}}-2). Consistent with previous work, contrasting these data with observations of normal disk galaxies suggests a nonlinear and likely multivalued relation between star formation rate and molecular gas surface density, though this result depends on the adopted CO-to-H2 conversion factor and the assumption that our 33 GHz sizes apply to the gas. Eleven sources appear to exceed the luminosity surface density predicted for starbursts supported by radiation pressure and supernova feedback; however, we note the need for more detailed observations of the inner disk structure. U/LIRGs with higher surface brightness exhibit stronger [C II] 158 μm deficits, consistent with the suggestion that high energy densities drive this phenomenon.

Inverse grading and hydraulic equivalence in grain-flow deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sallenger, A. H.

1979-01-01

Inversely graded grain-flow deposits are characterized by a hydraulic equivalence that differs from that based on settling velocities or entrainment. Dispersive equivalence, derived from the dispersive pressure hypothesis on how inverse grading develops, was found to agree reasonably well with observed relationships between grain sizes and densities in grain-flow deposits. Furthermore, observed relationships in deposits formed in subaerial and subaqueous environments were found to be independent of fluid density as is required by dispersive equivalence. The results suggest that dispersive pressure controls the development of the inverse grading common to beach foreshore laminations, slip-face foreset strata, the basal parts of some coarse-grained turbidites, and other diverse deposits.

Nano-JASMINE: cosmic radiation degradation of CCD performance and centroid detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Yukiyasu; Shimura, Yuki; Niwa, Yoshito; Yano, Taihei; Gouda, Naoteru; Yamada, Yoshiyuki

2012-09-01

Nano-JASMINE (NJ) is a very small astrometry satellite project led by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. The satellite is ready for launch, and the launch is currently scheduled for late 2013 or early 2014. The satellite is equipped with a fully depleted CCD and is expected to perform astrometry observations for stars brighter than 9 mag in the zw-band (0.6 µm-1.0 µm). Distances of stars located within 100 pc of the Sun can be determined by using annual parallax measurements. The targeted accuracy for the position determination of stars brighter than 7.5 mag is 3 mas, which is equivalent to measuring the positions of stars with an accuracy of less than one five-hundredth of the CCD pixel size. The position measurements of stars are performed by centroiding the stellar images taken by the CCD that operates in the time and delay integration mode. The degradation of charge transfer performance due to cosmic radiation damage in orbit is proved experimentally. A method is then required to compensate for the effects of performance degradation. One of the most effective ways of achieving this is to simulate observed stellar outputs, including the effect of CCD degradation, and then formulate our centroiding algorithm and evaluate the accuracies of the measurements. We report here the planned procedure to simulate the outputs of the NJ observations. We also developed a CCD performance-measuring system and present preliminary results obtained using the system.

Particle size distributions by transmission electron microscopy: an interlaboratory comparison case study

PubMed Central

Rice, Stephen B; Chan, Christopher; Brown, Scott C; Eschbach, Peter; Han, Li; Ensor, David S; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B; Bonevich, John; Vladár, András E; Hight Walker, Angela R; Zheng, Jiwen; Starnes, Catherine; Stromberg, Arnold; Ye, Jia; Grulke, Eric A

2015-01-01

This paper reports an interlaboratory comparison that evaluated a protocol for measuring and analysing the particle size distribution of discrete, metallic, spheroidal nanoparticles using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The study was focused on automated image capture and automated particle analysis. NIST RM8012 gold nanoparticles (30 nm nominal diameter) were measured for area-equivalent diameter distributions by eight laboratories. Statistical analysis was used to (1) assess the data quality without using size distribution reference models, (2) determine reference model parameters for different size distribution reference models and non-linear regression fitting methods and (3) assess the measurement uncertainty of a size distribution parameter by using its coefficient of variation. The interlaboratory area-equivalent diameter mean, 27.6 nm ± 2.4 nm (computed based on a normal distribution), was quite similar to the area-equivalent diameter, 27.6 nm, assigned to NIST RM8012. The lognormal reference model was the preferred choice for these particle size distributions as, for all laboratories, its parameters had lower relative standard errors (RSEs) than the other size distribution reference models tested (normal, Weibull and Rosin–Rammler–Bennett). The RSEs for the fitted standard deviations were two orders of magnitude higher than those for the fitted means, suggesting that most of the parameter estimate errors were associated with estimating the breadth of the distributions. The coefficients of variation for the interlaboratory statistics also confirmed the lognormal reference model as the preferred choice. From quasi-linear plots, the typical range for good fits between the model and cumulative number-based distributions was 1.9 fitted standard deviations less than the mean to 2.3 fitted standard deviations above the mean. Automated image capture, automated particle analysis and statistical evaluation of the data and fitting coefficients provide a framework for assessing nanoparticle size distributions using TEM for image acquisition. PMID:26361398

77 FR 4699 - Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-31

... Register. That NPRM applies to certain Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC- 6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1-H2 airplanes. The Docket Number in the heading, in the Supplementary Information...

The WAIS Melt Monitor: An automated ice core melting system for meltwater sample handling and the collection of high resolution microparticle size distribution data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breton, D. J.; Koffman, B. G.; Kreutz, K. J.; Hamilton, G. S.

2010-12-01

Paleoclimate data are often extracted from ice cores by careful geochemical analysis of meltwater samples. The analysis of the microparticles found in ice cores can also yield unique clues about atmospheric dust loading and transport, dust provenance and past environmental conditions. Determination of microparticle concentration, size distribution and chemical makeup as a function of depth is especially difficult because the particle size measurement either consumes or contaminates the meltwater, preventing further geochemical analysis. Here we describe a microcontroller-based ice core melting system which allows the collection of separate microparticle and chemistry samples from the same depth intervals in the ice core, while logging and accurately depth-tagging real-time electrical conductivity and particle size distribution data. This system was designed specifically to support microparticle analysis of the WAIS Divide WDC06A deep ice core, but many of the subsystems are applicable to more general ice core melting operations. Major system components include: a rotary encoder to measure ice core melt displacement with 0.1 millimeter accuracy, a meltwater tracking system to assign core depths to conductivity, particle and sample vial data, an optical debubbler level control system to protect the Abakus laser particle counter from damage due to air bubbles, a Rabbit 3700 microcontroller which communicates with a host PC, collects encoder and optical sensor data and autonomously operates Gilson peristaltic pumps and fraction collectors to provide automatic sample handling, melt monitor control software operating on a standard PC allowing the user to control and view the status of the system, data logging software operating on the same PC to collect data from the melting, electrical conductivity and microparticle measurement systems. Because microparticle samples can easily be contaminated, we use optical air bubble sensors and high resolution ice core density profiles to guide the melting process. The combination of these data allow us to analyze melt head performance, minimize outer-to-inner fraction contamination and avoid melt head flooding. The WAIS Melt Monitor system allows the collection of real-time, sub-annual microparticle and electrical conductivity data while producing and storing enough sample for traditional Coulter-Counter particle measurements as well long term acid leaching of bioactive metals (e.g., Fe, Co, Cd, Cu, Zn) prior to chemical analysis.

The X CO Conversion Factor from Galactic Multiphase ISM Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Munan; Ostriker, Eve C.; Kim, Chang-Goo

2018-05-01

{CO}(J=1{--}0) line emission is a widely used observational tracer of molecular gas, rendering essential the X CO factor, which is applied to convert CO luminosity to {{{H}}}2 mass. We use numerical simulations to study how X CO depends on numerical resolution, non-steady-state chemistry, physical environment, and observational beam size. Our study employs 3D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations of galactic disks with solar neighborhood conditions, where star formation and the three-phase interstellar medium (ISM) are self-consistently regulated by gravity and stellar feedback. Synthetic CO maps are obtained by postprocessing the MHD simulations with chemistry and radiation transfer. We find that CO is only an approximate tracer of {{{H}}}2. On parsec scales, W CO is more fundamentally a measure of mass-weighted volume density, rather than {{{H}}}2 column density. Nevertheless, < {X}{{CO}} > =(0.7{\\textstyle {--}}1.0)× {10}20 {{{cm}}}-2 {{{K}}}-1 {{{km}}}-1 {{s}}, which is consistent with observations and insensitive to the evolutionary ISM state or radiation field strength if steady-state chemistry is assumed. Due to non-steady-state chemistry, younger molecular clouds have slightly lower < {X}CO}> and flatter profiles of X CO versus extinction than older ones. The {CO}-dark {{{H}}}2 fraction is 26%–79%, anticorrelated with the average extinction. As the observational beam size increases from 1 to 100 pc, < {X}CO}> increases by a factor of ∼2. Under solar neighborhood conditions, < {X}CO}> in molecular clouds is converged at a numerical resolution of 2 pc. However, the total CO abundance and luminosity are not converged even at the numerical resolution of 1 pc. Our simulations successfully reproduce the observed variations of X CO on parsec scales, as well as the dependence of X CO on extinction and the CO excitation temperature.

Comparison of HR MAS MR spectroscopic profiles of breast cancer tissue with clinical parameters.

PubMed

Sitter, Beathe; Lundgren, Steinar; Bathen, Tone F; Halgunset, Jostein; Fjosne, Hans E; Gribbestad, Ingrid S

2006-02-01

Breast cancer is the most frequent form of cancer in women and improved diagnostic methods are desirable. Malignant cells have altered metabolism and metabolic mapping might become a tool in cancer diagnostics. High-resolution magic angle spinning (HR MAS) MR spectroscopy of tissue biopsies provides detailed information on metabolic composition. The 600 MHz 1H HR MAS spectra were acquired of breast cancer tissue from 85 patients and adjacent non-involved tissue from 18 of these patients. Tissue specimens were investigated by microscopy after MR analysis. The resulting spectra were examined by three different approaches. Relative intensities of glycerophosphocholine (GPC), phosphocholine (PC) and choline were compared for cancerous and non-involved specimens. Eight metabolites, choline, creatine, beta-glucose, GPC, glycine, myo-inositol, PC and taurine, were quantified from the recorded spectra and compared with tumor histological type and size, patient's lymph node status and tissue composition of sample. The spectra were also compared with tumor histological type and size, lymph node status and tissue composition of samples using principal component analysis (PCA). Tumor samples could be distinguished from non-involved samples (82% sensitivity, 100% specificity) based on relative intensities of signals from GPC, PC and choline in 1H HR MAS spectra. Tissue concentrations of metabolites showed few differences between groups of samples, which can be caused by limitations in the quantification procedure. Choline and glycine concentrations were found to be significantly higher in tumors larger than 2 cm compared with smaller tumors. PCA of MAS spectra from patients with invasive ductal carcinomas indicated a possible prediction of spread to axillary lymph nodes. Metabolite estimates and PCA of MAS spectra were influenced by the percentage of tumor cells in the investigated specimens. 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Luminance level of a monitor: influence on detectability and detection rate of breast cancer in 2D mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bemelmans, Frédéric; Rashidnasab, Alaleh; Chesterman, Frédérique; Kimpe, Tom; Bosmans, Hilde

2016-03-01

Purpose: To evaluate lesion detectability and reading time as a function of luminance level of the monitor. Material and Methods: 3D mass models and microcalcification clusters were simulated into ROIs of for processing mammograms. Randomly selected ROIs were subdivided in three groups according to their background glandularity: high (>30%), medium (15-30%) and low (<15%). 6 non-spiculated masses (9 - 11mm), 6 spiculated masses (5 - 7mm) and 6 microcalcification clusters (2 - 4mm) were scaled in 3D to create a range of sizes. The linear attenuation coefficient (AC) of the masses was adjusted from 100% glandular tissue to 90%, 80%, 70%, to create different contrasts. Six physicists read the full database on Barco's Coronis Uniti monitor for four different luminance levels (300, 800, 1000 and 1200 Cd/m2), using a 4-AFC tool. Percentage correct (PC) and time were computed for all different conditions. A paired t-test was performed to evaluate the effect of luminance on PC and time. A multi-factorial analysis was performed using MANOVA.. Results: Paired t-test indicated a statistically significant difference for the average time per session between 300 and 1200; 800 and 1200; 1000 and 1200 Cd/m2, for all participants combined. There was no effect on PC. MANOVA denoted significantly lower reading times for high glandularity images at 1200 Cd/m2. Both types of masses were significantly faster detected at 1200 Cd/m2, for the contrast study. In the size study, microcalcification clusters and spiculated masses had a significantly higher detection rate at 1200 Cd/m2. Conclusion: These results demonstrate a significant decrease in reading time, while detectability remained constant.

The complexity of the coronal line region in AGNs: Gas-jet interactions and outflows revealed by NIR spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Ardila, Alberto; Prieto, Almudena; Mazzalay, Ximena

2016-08-01

Apart from the classical broad line region (BLR) at small core distances, and the extended classical narrow-line region (NLR), a subset of active galactic nuclei (AGN) show, in their spectra, lines from very highly ionised atoms, known as Coronal lines (CLs). The precise nature and origin of these CLs remain uncertain. Advances on this matter include the determination of the size and morphology of the CLR by means of optical HST and ground-based AO imaging/spectroscopy in a few AGNs. The results indicate CLRs with sizes varying from compact (~30 pc) to extended (~200 pc) emission and aligned preferentially with the direction of the lower ionisation cones seen in these sources. In this talk, we present results of a pioneering work aimed at studying the CLR in the near-infrared region on a selected sample of nearby AGNs. The excellent angular resolution of the data allowed us to resolve and map the extension of the coronal line gas and compare it to that emitting low- and mid-ionization lines. In most cases, the very good match between the radio emission and the CLR suggest that at least part of the high-ionization gas is jet-driven. Results from photoionization models where the central engine is the only source of energy input strongly fail at reproducing the observed line ratios, mainly at distances larger than 60 pc from the centre. We discuss here other processes that should be at work to enhance this energetic emission and suggest that the presence of coronal lines in AGNs is an unambiguous signature of feedback processes in these sources.

A Common Variation in EDAR Is a Genetic Determinant of Shovel-Shaped Incisors

PubMed Central

Kimura, Ryosuke; Yamaguchi, Tetsutaro; Takeda, Mayako; Kondo, Osamu; Toma, Takashi; Haneji, Kuniaki; Hanihara, Tsunehiko; Matsukusa, Hirotaka; Kawamura, Shoji; Maki, Koutaro; Osawa, Motoki; Ishida, Hajime; Oota, Hiroki

2009-01-01

Shovel shape of upper incisors is a common characteristic in Asian and Native American populations but is rare or absent in African and European populations. Like other common dental traits, genetic polymorphisms involved in the tooth shoveling have not yet been clarified. In ectodysplasin A receptor (EDAR), where dysfunctional mutations cause hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, there is a nonsynonymous-derived variant, 1540C (rs3827760), that has a geographic distribution similar to that of the tooth shoveling. This allele has been recently reported to be associated with Asian-specific hair thickness. We aimed to clarify whether EDAR 1540C is also associated with dental morphology. For this purpose, we measured crown diameters and tooth-shoveling grades and analyzed the correlations between the dental traits and EDAR genotypes in two Japanese populations, inhabitants around Tokyo and in Sakishima Islands. The number of EDAR 1540C alleles in an individual was strongly correlated with the tooth-shoveling grade (p = 7.7 × 10−10). The effect of the allele was additive and explained 18.9% of the total variance in the shoveling grade, which corresponds to about one-fourth of the heritability of the trait reported previously. For data reduction of individual-level metric data, we applied a principal-component analysis, which yielded PC1-4, corresponding to four patterns of tooth size; this result implies that multiple factors are involved in dental morphology. The 1540C allele also significantly affected PC1 (p = 4.9 × 10−3), which denotes overall tooth size, and PC2 (p = 2.6 × 10−3), which denotes the ratio of mesiodistal diameter to buccolingual diameter. PMID:19804850

A common variation in EDAR is a genetic determinant of shovel-shaped incisors.

PubMed

Kimura, Ryosuke; Yamaguchi, Tetsutaro; Takeda, Mayako; Kondo, Osamu; Toma, Takashi; Haneji, Kuniaki; Hanihara, Tsunehiko; Matsukusa, Hirotaka; Kawamura, Shoji; Maki, Koutaro; Osawa, Motoki; Ishida, Hajime; Oota, Hiroki

2009-10-01

Shovel shape of upper incisors is a common characteristic in Asian and Native American populations but is rare or absent in African and European populations. Like other common dental traits, genetic polymorphisms involved in the tooth shoveling have not yet been clarified. In ectodysplasin A receptor (EDAR), where dysfunctional mutations cause hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, there is a nonsynonymous-derived variant, 1540C (rs3827760), that has a geographic distribution similar to that of the tooth shoveling. This allele has been recently reported to be associated with Asian-specific hair thickness. We aimed to clarify whether EDAR 1540C is also associated with dental morphology. For this purpose, we measured crown diameters and tooth-shoveling grades and analyzed the correlations between the dental traits and EDAR genotypes in two Japanese populations, inhabitants around Tokyo and in Sakishima Islands. The number of EDAR 1540C alleles in an individual was strongly correlated with the tooth-shoveling grade (p = 7.7 x 10(-10)). The effect of the allele was additive and explained 18.9% of the total variance in the shoveling grade, which corresponds to about one-fourth of the heritability of the trait reported previously. For data reduction of individual-level metric data, we applied a principal-component analysis, which yielded PC1-4, corresponding to four patterns of tooth size; this result implies that multiple factors are involved in dental morphology. The 1540C allele also significantly affected PC1 (p = 4.9 x 10(-3)), which denotes overall tooth size, and PC2 (p = 2.6 x 10(-3)), which denotes the ratio of mesiodistal diameter to buccolingual diameter.

Blockade of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling in tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cells for therapy of androgen-independent human prostate cancer growing in the bone of nude mice.

PubMed

Kim, Sun-Jin; Uehara, Hisanori; Karashima, Takashi; Shepherd, David L; Killion, Jerald J; Fidler, Isaiah J

2003-03-01

We determined whether blockade of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) signaling pathway by oral administration of the EGF-R tyrosine kinase inhibitor (PKI 166) alone or in combination with injectable Taxol inhibits the growth of PC-3MM2 human prostate cancer cells in the bone of nude mice. Male nude mice implanted with PC-3MM2 cells in the tibia were treated with oral administrations of PKI 166 or PKI 166 plus injectable Taxol beginning 3 days after implantation. The incidence and size of bone tumors and destruction of bone were determined by digitalized radiography. Expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), EGF-R, and activated EGF-R in tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cells was determined by immunohistochemistry. Oral administration of PKI 166 or PKI 166 plus injectable Taxol reduced the incidence and size of bone tumors and destruction of bone. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that PC-3MM2 cells growing adjacent to the bone expressed high levels of EGF and activated EGF-R, whereas tumor cells in the adjacent musculature did not. Moreover, endothelial cells within the bone tumor lesions, but not in uninvolved bone or tumors in the muscle, expressed high levels of activated EGF-R. Treatment with PKI 166 and more so with PKI 166 plus Taxol significantly inhibited phosphorylation of EGF-R on tumor and endothelial cells and induced significant apoptosis and endothelial cells within tumor lesions. These data indicate that endothelial cells exposed to EGF produced by tumor cells express activated EGF-R and that targeting EGF-R can produce significant therapeutic effects against prostate cancer bone metastasis.

Improving image quality in laboratory x-ray phase-contrast imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Marco, F.; Marschner, M.; Birnbacher, L.; Viermetz, M.; Noël, P.; Herzen, J.; Pfeiffer, F.

2017-03-01

Grating-based X-ray phase-contrast (gbPC) is known to provide significant benefits for biomedical imaging. To investigate these benefits, a high-sensitivity gbPC micro-CT setup for small (≍ 5 cm) biological samples has been constructed. Unfortunately, high differential-phase sensitivity leads to an increased magnitude of data processing artifacts, limiting the quality of tomographic reconstructions. Most importantly, processing of phase-stepping data with incorrect stepping positions can introduce artifacts resembling Moiré fringes to the projections. Additionally, the focal spot size of the X-ray source limits resolution of tomograms. Here we present a set of algorithms to minimize artifacts, increase resolution and improve visual impression of projections and tomograms from the examined setup. We assessed two algorithms for artifact reduction: Firstly, a correction algorithm exploiting correlations of the artifacts and differential-phase data was developed and tested. Artifacts were reliably removed without compromising image data. Secondly, we implemented a new algorithm for flatfield selection, which was shown to exclude flat-fields with strong artifacts. Both procedures successfully improved image quality of projections and tomograms. Deconvolution of all projections of a CT scan can minimize blurring introduced by the finite size of the X-ray source focal spot. Application of the Richardson-Lucy deconvolution algorithm to gbPC-CT projections resulted in an improved resolution of phase-contrast tomograms. Additionally, we found that nearest-neighbor interpolation of projections can improve the visual impression of very small features in phase-contrast tomograms. In conclusion, we achieved an increase in image resolution and quality for the investigated setup, which may lead to an improved detection of very small sample features, thereby maximizing the setup's utility.

Measurement of absolute frequency of continuous-wave terahertz radiation in real time using a free-running, dual-wavelength mode-locked, erbium-doped fibre laser

PubMed Central

Hu, Guoqing; Mizuguchi, Tatsuya; Zhao, Xin; Minamikawa, Takeo; Mizuno, Takahiko; Yang, Yuli; Li, Cui; Bai, Ming; Zheng, Zheng; Yasui, Takeshi

2017-01-01

A single, free-running, dual-wavelength mode-locked, erbium-doped fibre laser was exploited to measure the absolute frequency of continuous-wave terahertz (CW-THz) radiation in real time using dual THz combs of photo-carriers (dual PC-THz combs). Two independent mode-locked laser beams with different wavelengths and different repetition frequencies were generated from this laser and were used to generate dual PC-THz combs having different frequency spacings in photoconductive antennae. Based on the dual PC-THz combs, the absolute frequency of CW-THz radiation was determined with a relative precision of 1.2 × 10−9 and a relative accuracy of 1.4 × 10−9 at a sampling rate of 100 Hz. Real-time determination of the absolute frequency of CW-THz radiation varying over a few tens of GHz was also demonstrated. Use of a single dual-wavelength mode-locked fibre laser, in place of dual mode-locked lasers, greatly reduced the size, complexity, and cost of the measurement system while maintaining the real-time capability and high measurement precision. PMID:28186148

Binary Hierarchical Porous Graphene/Pyrolytic Carbon Nanocomposite Matrix Loaded with Sulfur as a High-Performance Li-S Battery Cathode.

PubMed

Zhang, Hang; Gao, Qiuming; Qian, Weiwei; Xiao, Hong; Li, Zeyu; Ma, Li; Tian, Xuehui

2018-06-06

A N,O-codoped hierarchical porous nanocomposite consisting of binary reduced graphene oxide and pyrolytic carbon (rGO/PC) from chitosan is fabricated. The optimized rGO/PC possesses micropores with size distribution concentrated around 1.1 nm and plenty of meso/macropores. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area is 480.8 m 2 g -1 , and it possesses impressively large pore volume of 2.14 cm 3 g -1 . On the basis of the synergistic effects of the following main factors: (i) the confined space effect in the hierarchical porous binary carbonaceous matrix; (ii) the anchor effects by strong chemical bonds with codoped N and O atoms; and (iii) the good flexibility and conductivity of rGO, the rGO/PC/S holding 75 wt % S exhibits high performance as Li-S battery cathode. Specific capacity of 1625 mA h g -1 can be delivered at 0.1 C (1 C = 1675 mA g -1 ), whereas 848 mA h g -1 can be maintained after 300 cycles at 1 C. Even at high rate of 5 C, 412 mA h g -1 can be restrained after 1000 cycles.