Underrepresented Minority High School and College Students Report STEM-Pipeline Sustaining Gains After Participating in the Loma Linda University Summer Health Disparities Research Program

PubMed Central

Salto, Lorena M.; Riggs, Matt L.; Delgado De Leon, Daisy; Casiano, Carlos A.; De Leon, Marino

2014-01-01

An urgent need exists for graduate and professional schools to establish evidence-based STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) pipeline programs to increase the diversity of the biomedical workforce. An untapped yet promising pool of willing participants are capable high school students that have a strong STEM interest but may lack the skills and the guided mentoring needed to succeed in competitive STEM fields. This study evaluates and compares the impact of the Loma Linda University (LLU) Summer Health Disparities Research Program on high school (HS) and undergraduate (UG) student participants. The primary focus of our summer research experience (SRE) is to enhance the research self-efficacy of the participants by actively involving them in a research project and by providing the students with personalized mentoring and targeted career development activities, including education on health disparities. The results of our study show that our SRE influenced terminal degree intent and increased participant willingness to incorporate research into future careers for both the HS and the UG groups. The quantitative data shows that both the HS and the UG participants reported large, statistically significant gains in self-assessed research skills and research self-efficacy. Both participant groups identified the hands-on research and the mentor experience as the most valuable aspects of our SRE and reported increased science skills, increased confidence in science ability and increased motivation and affirmation to pursue a science career. The follow-up data indicates that 67% of the HS participants and 90% of the UG participants graduated from college with a STEM degree; for those who enrolled in graduate education, 61% and 43% enrolled in LLU, respectively. We conclude that structured SREs can be highly effective STEM strengthening interventions for both UG and HS students and may be a way to measurably increase institutional and biomedical workforce diversity. PMID:25250695

Underrepresented minority high school and college students report STEM-pipeline sustaining gains after participating in the Loma Linda University Summer Health Disparities Research Program.

PubMed

Salto, Lorena M; Riggs, Matt L; Delgado De Leon, Daisy; Casiano, Carlos A; De Leon, Marino

2014-01-01

An urgent need exists for graduate and professional schools to establish evidence-based STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) pipeline programs to increase the diversity of the biomedical workforce. An untapped yet promising pool of willing participants are capable high school students that have a strong STEM interest but may lack the skills and the guided mentoring needed to succeed in competitive STEM fields. This study evaluates and compares the impact of the Loma Linda University (LLU) Summer Health Disparities Research Program on high school (HS) and undergraduate (UG) student participants. The primary focus of our summer research experience (SRE) is to enhance the research self-efficacy of the participants by actively involving them in a research project and by providing the students with personalized mentoring and targeted career development activities, including education on health disparities. The results of our study show that our SRE influenced terminal degree intent and increased participant willingness to incorporate research into future careers for both the HS and the UG groups. The quantitative data shows that both the HS and the UG participants reported large, statistically significant gains in self-assessed research skills and research self-efficacy. Both participant groups identified the hands-on research and the mentor experience as the most valuable aspects of our SRE and reported increased science skills, increased confidence in science ability and increased motivation and affirmation to pursue a science career. The follow-up data indicates that 67% of the HS participants and 90% of the UG participants graduated from college with a STEM degree; for those who enrolled in graduate education, 61% and 43% enrolled in LLU, respectively. We conclude that structured SREs can be highly effective STEM strengthening interventions for both UG and HS students and may be a way to measurably increase institutional and biomedical workforce diversity.

Extension of a dynamic headspace multi-volatile method to milliliter injection volumes with full sample evaporation: Application to green tea.

PubMed

Ochiai, Nobuo; Sasamoto, Kikuo; Tsunokawa, Jun; Hoffmann, Andreas; Okanoya, Kazunori; MacNamara, Kevin

2015-11-20

An extension of multi-volatile method (MVM) technology using the combination of a standard dynamic headspace (DHS) configuration, and a modified DHS configuration incorporating an additional vacuum module, was developed for milliliter injection volume of aqueous sample with full sample evaporation. A prior step involved investigation of water management by weighing of the water residue in the adsorbent trap. The extended MVM for 1 mL aqueous sample consists of five different DHS method parameter sets including choice of the replaceable adsorbent trap. An initial two DHS sampling sets at 25°C with the standard DHS configuration using a carbon-based adsorbent trap target very volatile solutes with high vapor pressure (>10 kPa) and volatile solutes with moderate vapor pressure (1-10 kPa). Subsequent three DHS sampling sets at 80°C with the modified DHS configuration using a Tenax TA trap target solutes with low vapor pressure (<1 kPa) and/or hydrophilic characteristics. After the five sequential DHS samplings using the same HS vial, the five traps are sequentially desorbed with thermal desorption in reverse order of the DHS sampling and the desorbed compounds are trapped and concentrated in a programmed temperature vaporizing (PTV) inlet and subsequently analyzed in a single GC-MS run. Recoveries of 21 test aroma compounds in 1 mL water for each separate DHS sampling and the combined MVM procedure were evaluated as a function of vapor pressure in the range of 0.000088-120 kPa. The MVM procedure provided high recoveries (>88%) for 17 test aroma compounds and moderate recoveries (44-71%) for 4 test compounds. The method showed good linearity (r(2)>0.9913) and high sensitivity (limit of detection: 0.1-0.5 ng mL(-1)) even with MS scan mode. The improved sensitivity of the method was demonstrated with analysis of a wide variety of aroma compounds in brewed green tea. Compared to the original 100 μL MVM procedure, this extension to 1 mL MVM allowed detection of nearly twice the number of aroma compounds, including 18 potent aroma compounds from top-note to base-note (e.g. 2,3-butanedione, coumarin, furaneol, guaiacol, cis-3-hexenol, linalool, maltol, methional, 3-methyl butanal, 2,3,5-trimethyl pyrazine, and vanillin). Sensitivity for 23 compounds improved by a factor of 3.4-15 under 1 mL MVM conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early events in xenograft development from the human embryonic stem cell line HS181--resemblance with an initial multiple epiblast formation.

PubMed

Gertow, Karin; Cedervall, Jessica; Jamil, Seema; Ali, Rouknuddin; Imreh, Marta P; Gulyas, Miklos; Sandstedt, Bengt; Ahrlund-Richter, Lars

2011-01-01

Xenografting is widely used for assessing in vivo pluripotency of human stem cell populations. Here, we report on early to late events in the development of mature experimental teratoma from a well-characterized human embryonic stem cell (HESC) line, HS181. The results show an embryonic process, increasingly chaotic. Active proliferation of the stem cell derived cellular progeny was detected already at day 5, and characterized by the appearance of multiple sites of engraftment, with structures of single or pseudostratified columnar epithelium surrounding small cavities. The striking histological resemblance to developing embryonic ectoderm, and the formation of epiblast-like structures was supported by the expression of the markers OCT4, NANOG, SSEA-4 and KLF4, but a lack of REX1. The early neural marker NESTIN was uniformly expressed, while markers linked to gastrulation, such as BMP-4, NODAL or BRACHYURY were not detected. Thus, observations on day 5 indicated differentiation comparable to the most early transient cell populations in human post implantation development. Confirming and expanding on previous findings from HS181 xenografts, these early events were followed by an increasingly chaotic development, incorporated in the formation of a benign teratoma with complex embryonic components. In the mature HS181 teratomas not all types of organs/tissues were detected, indicating a restricted differentiation, and a lack of adequate spatial developmental cues during the further teratoma formation. Uniquely, a kinetic alignment of rare complex structures was made to human embryos at diagnosed gestation stages, showing minor kinetic deviations between HS181 teratoma and the human counterpart.

Hybrid clone cells derived from human breast epithelial cells and human breast cancer cells exhibit properties of cancer stem/initiating cells.

PubMed

Gauck, Daria; Keil, Silvia; Niggemann, Bernd; Zänker, Kurt S; Dittmar, Thomas

2017-08-02

The biological phenomenon of cell fusion has been associated with cancer progression since it was determined that normal cell × tumor cell fusion-derived hybrid cells could exhibit novel properties, such as enhanced metastatogenic capacity or increased drug resistance, and even as a mechanism that could give rise to cancer stem/initiating cells (CS/ICs). CS/ICs have been proposed as cancer cells that exhibit stem cell properties, including the ability to (re)initiate tumor growth. Five M13HS hybrid clone cells, which originated from spontaneous cell fusion events between M13SV1-EGFP-Neo human breast epithelial cells and HS578T-Hyg human breast cancer cells, and their parental cells were analyzed for expression of stemness and EMT-related marker proteins by Western blot analysis and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The frequency of ALDH1-positive cells was determined by flow cytometry using AldeRed fluorescent dye. Concurrently, the cells' colony forming capabilities as well as the cells' abilities to form mammospheres were investigated. The migratory activity of the cells was analyzed using a 3D collagen matrix migration assay. M13HS hybrid clone cells co-expressed SOX9, SLUG, CK8 and CK14, which were differently expressed in parental cells. A variation in the ALDH1-positive putative stem cell population was observed among the five hybrids ranging from 1.44% (M13HS-7) to 13.68% (M13HS-2). In comparison to the parental cells, all five hybrid clone cells possessed increased but also unique colony formation and mammosphere formation capabilities. M13HS-4 hybrid clone cells exhibited the highest colony formation capacity and second highest mammosphere formation capacity of all hybrids, whereby the mean diameter of the mammospheres was comparable to the parental cells. In contrast, the largest mammospheres originated from the M13HS-2 hybrid clone cells, whereas these cells' mammosphere formation capacity was comparable to the parental breast cancer cells. All M13HS hybrid clones exhibited a mesenchymal phenotype and, with the exception of one hybrid clone, responded to EGF with an increased migratory activity. Fusion of human breast epithelial cells and human breast cancer cells can give rise to hybrid clone cells that possess certain CS/IC properties, suggesting that cell fusion might be a mechanism underlying how tumor cells exhibiting a CS/IC phenotype could originate.

A Role for SHIP in Stem Cell Biology and Transplantation

PubMed Central

Kerr, William G.

2008-01-01

Inositol phospholipid signaling pathways have begun to emerge as important players in stem cell biology and bone marrow transplantation [1–4]. The SH2-containing Inositol Phosphatase (SHIP) is among the enzymes that can modify endogenous mammalian phosphoinositides. SHIP encodes an isoform specific to pluripotent stem (PS) cells [5,6] plays a role in hematopoietic stem (HS) cell biology [7,8] and allogeneic bone marrow (BM) transplantation [1,2,9,10]. Here I discuss our current understanding of the cell and molecular pathways that SHIP regulates that influence PS/HS cell biology and BM transplantation. Genetic models of SHIP-deficiency indicate this enzyme is a potential molecular target to enhance both autologous and allogeneic BM transplantation. Thus, strategies to reversibly target SHIP expression and their potential application to stem cell therapies and allogeneic BMT are also discussed. PMID:18473876

3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate recognized by the antibody HS4C3 contributes [corrected] to the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells via fas signaling.

PubMed

Hirano, Kazumi; Sasaki, Norihiko; Ichimiya, Tomomi; Miura, Taichi; Van Kuppevelt, Toin H; Nishihara, Shoko

2012-01-01

Maintenance of self-renewal and pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is regulated by the balance between several extrinsic signaling pathways. Recently, we demonstrated that heparan sulfate (HS) chains play important roles in the maintenance and differentiation of mESCs by regulating extrinsic signaling. Sulfated HS structures are modified by various sulfotransferases during development. However, the significance of specific HS structures during development remains unclear. Here, we show that 3-O-sulfated HS structures synthesized by HS 3-O-sulfotransferases (3OSTs) and recognized by the antibody HS4C3 increase during differentiation of mESCs. Furthermore, expression of Fas on the cell surface of the differentiated cells also increased. Overexpression of the HS4C3-binding epitope in mESCs induced apoptosis and spontaneous differentiation even in the presence of LIF and serum. These data showed that the HS4C3-binding epitope was required for differentiation of mESCs. Up-regulation of the HS4C3-binding epitope resulted in the recruitment of Fas from the cytoplasm to lipid rafts on the cell surface followed by activation of Fas signaling. Indeed, the HS4C3-binding epitope interacted with a region that included the heparin-binding domain (KLRRRVH) of Fas. Reduced self-renewal capability in cells overexpressing 3OST resulted from the degradation of Nanog by activated caspase-3, which is downstream of Fas signaling, and was rescued by the inhibition of Fas signaling. We also found that knockdown of 3OST and inhibition of Fas signaling reduced the potential for differentiation into the three germ layers during embryoid body formation. This is the first demonstration that activation of Fas signaling is mediated by an increase in the HS4C3-binding epitope and indicates a novel signaling pathway for differentiation in mESCs.

3-O-Sulfated Heparan Sulfate Recognized by the Antibody HS4C3 Contribute to the Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells via Fas Signaling

PubMed Central

Hirano, Kazumi; Sasaki, Norihiko; Ichimiya, Tomomi; Miura, Taichi; Van Kuppevelt, Toin H.; Nishihara, Shoko

2012-01-01

Maintenance of self-renewal and pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is regulated by the balance between several extrinsic signaling pathways. Recently, we demonstrated that heparan sulfate (HS) chains play important roles in the maintenance and differentiation of mESCs by regulating extrinsic signaling. Sulfated HS structures are modified by various sulfotransferases during development. However, the significance of specific HS structures during development remains unclear. Here, we show that 3-O-sulfated HS structures synthesized by HS 3-O-sulfotransferases (3OSTs) and recognized by the antibody HS4C3 increase during differentiation of mESCs. Furthermore, expression of Fas on the cell surface of the differentiated cells also increased. Overexpression of the HS4C3-binding epitope in mESCs induced apoptosis and spontaneous differentiation even in the presence of LIF and serum. These data showed that the HS4C3-binding epitope was required for differentiation of mESCs. Up-regulation of the HS4C3-binding epitope resulted in the recruitment of Fas from the cytoplasm to lipid rafts on the cell surface followed by activation of Fas signaling. Indeed, the HS4C3-binding epitope interacted with a region that included the heparin-binding domain (KLRRRVH) of Fas. Reduced self-renewal capability in cells overexpressing 3OST resulted from the degradation of Nanog by activated caspase-3, which is downstream of Fas signaling, and was rescued by the inhibition of Fas signaling. We also found that knockdown of 3OST and inhibition of Fas signaling reduced the potential for differentiation into the three germ layers during embryoid body formation. This is the first demonstration that activation of Fas signaling is mediated by an increase in the HS4C3-binding epitope and indicates a novel signaling pathway for differentiation in mESCs. PMID:22916262

Collaborative gaming and competition for CS-STEM education using SPHERES Zero Robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nag, Sreeja; Katz, Jacob G.; Saenz-Otero, Alvar

2013-02-01

There is widespread investment of resources in the fields of Computer Science, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (CS-STEM) education to improve STEM interests and skills. This paper addresses the goal of revolutionizing student education using collaborative gaming and competition, both in virtual simulation environments and on real hardware in space. The concept is demonstrated using the SPHERES Zero Robotics (ZR) Program which is a robotics programming competition. The robots are miniature satellites called SPHERES—an experimental test bed developed by the MIT SSL on the International Space Station (ISS) to test navigation, formation flight and control algorithms in microgravity. The participants compete to win a technically challenging game by programming their strategies into the SPHERES satellites, completely from a web browser. The programs are demonstrated in simulation, on ground hardware and then in a final competition when an astronaut runs the student software aboard the ISS. ZR had a pilot event in 2009 with 10 High School (HS) students, a nationwide pilot tournament in 2010 with over 200 HS students from 19 US states, a summer tournament in 2010 with ˜150 middle school students and an open-registration tournament in 2011 with over 1000 HS students from USA and Europe. The influence of collaboration was investigated by (1) building new web infrastructure and an Integrated Development Environment where intensive inter-participant collaboration is possible, (2) designing and programming a game to solve a relevant formation flight problem, collaborative in nature—and (3) structuring a tournament such that inter-team collaboration is mandated. This paper introduces the ZR web tools, assesses the educational value delivered by the program using space and games and evaluates the utility of collaborative gaming within this framework. There were three types of collaborations as variables—within matches (to achieve game objectives), inter-team alliances and unstructured communication on online forums. Simulation competition scores, website usage statistics and post-competition surveys are used to evaluate educational impact and the effect of collaboration.

M-CSF improves protection against bacterial and fungal infections after hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell transplantation

PubMed Central

Sarrazin, Sandrine; Redelberger, David

2016-01-01

Myeloablative treatment preceding hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and progenitor cell (HS/PC) transplantation results in severe myeloid cytopenia and susceptibility to infections in the lag period before hematopoietic recovery. We have previously shown that macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1; M-CSF) directly instructed myeloid commitment in HSCs. In this study, we tested whether this effect had therapeutic benefit in improving protection against pathogens after HS/PC transplantation. M-CSF treatment resulted in an increased production of mature myeloid donor cells and an increased survival of recipient mice infected with lethal doses of clinically relevant opportunistic pathogens, namely the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. M-CSF treatment during engraftment or after infection efficiently protected from these pathogens as early as 3 days after transplantation and was effective as a single dose. It was more efficient than granulocyte CSF (G-CSF), a common treatment of severe neutropenia, which showed no protective effect under the tested conditions. M-CSF treatment showed no adverse effect on long-term lineage contribution or stem cell activity and, unlike G-CSF, did not impede recovery of HS/PCs, thrombocyte numbers, or glucose metabolism. These results encourage potential clinical applications of M-CSF to prevent severe infections after HS/PC transplantation. PMID:27811055

Bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells behavior with or without growth factors in trauma hemorrhagic shock

PubMed Central

Kumar, Manoj; Bhoi, Sanjeev; Mohanty, Sujata; Kamal, Vineet Kumar; Rao, D. N.; Mishra, Pravas; Galwankar, Sagar

2016-01-01

Background: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is the major leading cause of death after trauma. Up to 50% of early deaths are due to massive hemorrhage. Excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokine and hypercatecholamine induces hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) apoptosis, leading to multiorgan failure and death. However, still, result remains elusive for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) behavior in trauma HS (T/HS). Objectives: Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the in vitro HSCs behavior with or without recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), recombinant human granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF), recombinant human interleukin-3 (rhIL-3) alone, and combination with rhEPO + rhGM-CSF + rhIL-3 (EG3) in T/HS patients. Methodology: Bone marrow (BM) aspirates (n = 14) were collected from T/HS patients, those survived on day 3. BM cells were cultured for HPCs: Colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E), burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), and colony-forming unit-granulocyte, monocyte/macrophage colonies growth. HPCs were counted with or without rhEPO, rhGM-CSF, rhIL-3 alone, and combination with EG3 in T/HS patients. Results: BM HSCs growth significantly suppressed in T/HS when compared with control group (P < 0.05). In addition, CFU-E and BFU-E colony growth were increased with additional growth factor (AGF) (rhEPO, rhGM-CSF, and rhIL-3) as compared to baseline (without AGF) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Suppressed HPCs may be reactivated by addition of erythropoietin, GM-CSF, IL-3 alone and with combination in T/HS. PMID:27722113

Biochemical Defense Response: Characterizing the Plasticity of Source and Sink in Spring Wheat under Terminal Heat Stress.

PubMed

Kumar, Ranjeet R; Goswami, Suneha; Shamim, Mohammed; Mishra, Upama; Jain, Monika; Singh, Khushboo; Singh, Jyoti P; Dubey, Kavita; Singh, Shweta; Rai, Gyanendra K; Singh, Gyanendra P; Pathak, Himanshu; Chinnusamy, Viswanathan; Praveen, Shelly

2017-01-01

Wheat is highly prone to terminal heat stress (HS) under late-sown conditions. Delayed- sowing is one of the preferred methods to screen the genotypes for thermotolerance under open field conditions. We investigated the effect of terminal HS on the thermotolerance of four popular genotypes of wheat i.e. WR544, HD2967, HD2932, and HD2285 under field condition. We observed significant variations in the biochemical parameters like protein content, antioxidant activity, proline and total reducing sugar content in leaf, stem, and spike under normal (26 ± 2°C) and terminal HS (36 ± 2°C) conditions. Maximum protein, sugars and proline was observed in HD2967, as compared to other cultivars under terminal HS. Wheat cv. HD2967 showed more adaptability to the terminal HS. Differential protein-profiling in leaves, stem and spike of HD2967 under normal (26 ± 2°C) and terminal HS (36 ± 2°C) showed expression of some unique protein spots. MALDI-TOF/MS analysis showed the DEPs as RuBisCO (Rub), RuBisCO activase (Rca), oxygen evolving enhancer protein (OEEP), hypothetical proteins, etc. Expression analysis of genes associated with photosynthesis ( Rub and Rca ) and starch biosynthesis pathway ( AGPase, SSS and SBE ) showed significant variations in the expression under terminal HS. HD2967 showed better performance, as compared to other cultivars under terminal HS. SSS activity observed in HD2967 showed more stability under terminal HS, as compared with other cultivars. Triggering of different biochemical parameters in response to terminal HS was observed to modulate the plasticity of carbon assimilatory pathway. The identified DEPs will enrich the proteomic resources of wheat and will provide a potential biochemical marker for screening wheat germplasm for thermotolerance. The model hypothesized will help the researchers to work in a more focused way to develop terminal heat tolerant wheat without compromising with the quality and quantity of grains.

Transgene-free human induced pluripotent stem cell line (HS5-SV.hiPS) generated from cesarean scar-derived fibroblasts.

PubMed

Rungsiwiwut, Ruttachuk; Pavarajarn, Wipawee; Numchaisrika, Pranee; Virutamasen, Pramuan; Pruksananonda, Kamthorn

2016-01-01

Transgene-free human HS5-SV.hiPS line was generated from human cesarean scar-derived fibroblasts using temperature-sensitive Sendai virus vectors carrying Oct4, Sox2, cMyc and Klf4 exogenous transcriptional factors. The viral constructs were eliminated from HS5-SV.hiPS line through heat treatment. Transgene-free HS5-SV.hiPS cells expressed pluripotent associated transcription factors Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, Rex1 and surface markers SSEA-4, TRA-1-60 and OCT4. HS5-SV.hiPS cells formed embryoid bodies and differentiated into three embryonic germ layers in vivo. HS5-SV.hiPS cells maintained their normal karyotype (46, XX) after culture for extended period. HS5-SV.hiPS displayed the similar pattern of DNA fingerprinting to the parenteral scar-derived fibroblasts. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heparan sulfate niche for cell proliferation in the adult brain.

PubMed

Mercier, Frederic; Arikawa-Hirasawa, Eri

2012-02-29

In adulthood, new neurons and glial cells are generated from stem cells in restricted zones of the brain, namely the olfactory bulb (OB), rostral migratory stream (RMS), subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle, sub-callosum zone (SCZ) and sub-granular layer (SGL) of the dentate gyrus. What makes these zones germinal? We previously reported that N-sulfated heparan sulfates (N-sulfated HS) present in specialized extracellular matrix structures (fractones) and vascular basement membranes bind the neurogenic factor FGF-2 (fibroblast growth factor-2) next to stem cells in the anterior SVZ of the lateral ventricle, the most neurogenic zone in adulthood. To determine to which extent cell proliferation is associated with N-sulfated HS, we mapped N-sulfated HS and proliferating cells by immunohistochemistry throughout the adult mouse brain. We found that cell proliferation is associated with N-sulfated HS in the OB, RMS, the whole germinal SVZ, and the SCZ. Cell proliferation was weakly associated with N-sulfated HS in the SGL, but the SGL was directly connected to a sub-cortical N-sulfated HS+ extension of the meninges. The NS-sulfated HS+ structures were blood vessels in the OB, RMS and SCZ, and primarily fractones in the SVZ. N-sulfated HS+ fractones, blood vessels and meninges formed a continuum that coursed along the OB, SVZ, RMS, SCZ and SGL, challenging the view that these structures are independent germinal entities. These results support the possibility that a single anatomical system might be globally responsible for mitogenesis and ultimately the production of new neurons and glial cells in the adult brain. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cellular stress induces cancer stem-like cells through expression of DNAJB8 by activation of heat shock factor 1.

PubMed

Kusumoto, Hiroki; Hirohashi, Yoshihiko; Nishizawa, Satoshi; Yamashita, Masamichi; Yasuda, Kazuyo; Murai, Aiko; Takaya, Akari; Mori, Takashi; Kubo, Terufumi; Nakatsugawa, Munehide; Kanaseki, Takayuki; Tsukahara, Tomohide; Kondo, Toru; Sato, Noriyuki; Hara, Isao; Torigoe, Toshihiko

2018-03-01

In a previous study, we found that DNAJB8, a heat shock protein (HSP) 40 family member is expressed in kidney cancer stem-like cells (CSC)/cancer-initiating cells (CIC) and that it has a role in the maintenance of kidney CSC/CIC. Heat shock factor (HSF) 1 is a key transcription factor for responses to stress including heat shock, and it induces HSP family expression through activation by phosphorylation. In the present study, we therefore examined whether heat shock (HS) induces CSC/CIC. We treated the human kidney cancer cell line ACHN with HS, and found that HS increased side population (SP) cells. Western blot analysis and qRT-PCR showed that HS increased the expression of DNAJB8 and SOX2. Gene knockdown experiments using siRNAs showed that the increase in SOX2 expression and SP cell ratio depends on DNAJB8 and that the increase in DNAJB8 and SOX2 depend on HSF1. Furthermore, treatment with a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, temsirolimus, decreased the expression of DNAJB8 and SOX2 and the ratio of SP cells. Taken together, the results indicate that heat shock induces DNAJB8 by activation of HSF1 and induces cancer stem-like cells. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Secondary histiocytic sarcoma may cause apparent persistence or recurrence of minimal residual disease in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PubMed

Alten, Julia; Klapper, Wolfram; Leuschner, Ivo; Eckert, Cornelia; Beier, Rita; Vallo, Elisabeth; Krause, Martin; Claviez, Alexander; Vieth, Simon; Bleckmann, Kirsten; Möricke, Anja; Schrappe, Martin; Cario, Gunnar

2015-09-01

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a rare disease with poor prognosis which may develop subsequent to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Here we report two children treated within the AIEOP-BFM ALL 2009 trial: one patient succumbed to fulminant hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis triggered by HS during ALL maintenance therapy, the other patient had a smoldering course of HS for over 2 years, and subsequently died after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In both cases, HS and ALL were clonally related and apparent return of minimal residual disease (MRD) was detected by qPCR in bone marrow. Thus, HS should be considered in ALL when MRD appears to persist or reappear. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

76 FR 53763 - Immigration Benefits Business Transformation, Increment I

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-29

...The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations to enable U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to migrate from a paper file-based, non-integrated systems environment to an electronic customer-focused, centralized case management environment for benefit processing. This transformation process will allow USCIS to streamline benefit processing, eliminate the capture and processing of redundant data, and reduce the number of and automate its forms. This transformation process will be a phased multi-year initiative to restructure USCIS business processes and related information technology systems. DHS is removing references to form numbers, form titles, expired regulatory provisions, and descriptions of internal procedures, many of which will change during transformation. DHS is also finalizing interim rules that permitted submission of benefit requests with an electronic signature when such requests are submitted in an electronic format rather than on a paper form and that removed references to filing locations for immigration benefits. In addition, in this rule DHS is publishing the final rule for six other interim rules published during the past several years, most of which received no public comments.

Integrated Surveillance for the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Final Report of the Integrated Surveillance Study Team

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-31

Navigation Services Working Group Jan de Regt FAA Tony Richardson JPDO Technical Support James Roberts DoD AFFSA Eric Rolfe JPDO Air Navigation...Kirsch DHS Drew Kuepper DoD eragency Architecture and Engineering Division Jay Merkle JPDO Int Paul Polski DHS ing GroupElizabeth Lynn ye JPDO Air

Effects of Macromolecular Crowding on Human Adipose Stem Cell Culture in Fetal Bovine Serum, Human Serum, and Defined Xeno-Free/Serum-Free Conditions

PubMed Central

Lee, Michelle Hui Ching; Mäkinen, Laura; Ang, Xiu Min; Mannerström, Bettina; Raghunath, Michael; Miettinen, Susanna

2017-01-01

Microenvironment plays an important role for stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Macromolecular crowding (MMC) was recently shown to assist stem cells in forming their own matrix microenvironment in vitro. The ability of MMC to support adipose stem cell (ASC) proliferation, metabolism, and multilineage differentiation was studied under different conditions: fetal bovine serum- (FBS-) and human serum- (HS-) based media and xeno- and serum-free (XF/SF) media. Furthermore, the immunophenotype of ASCs under MMC was evaluated. The proliferative capacity of ASCs under MMC was attenuated in each condition. However, osteogenic differentiation was enhanced under MMC, shown by increased deposition of mineralized matrix in FBS and HS cultures. Likewise, significantly greater lipid droplet accumulation and increased collagen IV deposition indicated enhanced adipogenesis under MMC in FBS and HS cultures. In contrast, chondrogenic differentiation was attenuated in ASCs expanded under MMC. The ASC immunophenotype was maintained under MMC with significantly higher expression of CD54. However, MMC impaired metabolic activity and differentiation capacity of ASCs in XF/SF conditions. Both the supportive and inhibitory effects of MMC on ASC are culture condition dependent. In the presence of serum, MMC maintains ASC immunophenotype and enhances adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation at the cost of reduced proliferation. PMID:28465691

Effects of Macromolecular Crowding on Human Adipose Stem Cell Culture in Fetal Bovine Serum, Human Serum, and Defined Xeno-Free/Serum-Free Conditions.

PubMed

Patrikoski, Mimmi; Lee, Michelle Hui Ching; Mäkinen, Laura; Ang, Xiu Min; Mannerström, Bettina; Raghunath, Michael; Miettinen, Susanna

2017-01-01

Microenvironment plays an important role for stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Macromolecular crowding (MMC) was recently shown to assist stem cells in forming their own matrix microenvironment in vitro. The ability of MMC to support adipose stem cell (ASC) proliferation, metabolism, and multilineage differentiation was studied under different conditions: fetal bovine serum- (FBS-) and human serum- (HS-) based media and xeno- and serum-free (XF/SF) media. Furthermore, the immunophenotype of ASCs under MMC was evaluated. The proliferative capacity of ASCs under MMC was attenuated in each condition. However, osteogenic differentiation was enhanced under MMC, shown by increased deposition of mineralized matrix in FBS and HS cultures. Likewise, significantly greater lipid droplet accumulation and increased collagen IV deposition indicated enhanced adipogenesis under MMC in FBS and HS cultures. In contrast, chondrogenic differentiation was attenuated in ASCs expanded under MMC. The ASC immunophenotype was maintained under MMC with significantly higher expression of CD54. However, MMC impaired metabolic activity and differentiation capacity of ASCs in XF/SF conditions. Both the supportive and inhibitory effects of MMC on ASC are culture condition dependent. In the presence of serum, MMC maintains ASC immunophenotype and enhances adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation at the cost of reduced proliferation.

Wing-augmentation reduces femoral head cutting out of dynamic hip screw.

PubMed

Chen, Chih-Yu; Huang, Shu-Wei; Sun, Jui-Sheng; Lin, Shin-Yiing; Yu, Chih-Sheng; Pan, Hsu-Pin; Lin, Ping-Hung; Hsieh, Fan-Chun; Tsuang, Yang-Hwei; Lin, Feng-Huei; Yang, Rong-Sen; Cheng, Cheng-Kung

2017-06-01

The dynamic hip screw (DHS) is commonly used in the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fracture with high satisfactory results. However, post-operative failure does occur and result in poor prognosis. The most common failure is femoral head varus collapse, followed by lag screw cut-out through the femoral head. In this study, a novel-designed DHS with two supplemental horizontal blades was used to improve the fixation stability. In this study, nine convention DHS and 9 Orthopaedic Device Research Center (ODRC) DHSs were tested in this study. Each implant was fixed into cellular polyurethane rigid foam as a surrogate of osteoporotic femoral head. Under biaxial rocking motion, all constructs were loaded to failure point (12mm axial displacement) or up to 20,000 cycles of 1.45kN peak magnitude were achieved, whichever occurred first. The migration kinematics was continuously monitored and recorded. The final tip-to-apex distance, rotational angle and varus deformation were also recorded. The results showed that the ODRC DHS sustained significantly more loading cycles and exhibited less axial migration in comparison to the conventional DHS. The ODRC DHS showed a significantly smaller bending strain and larger torsional strain compared to the conventional DHS. The changes in tip-to-apex distance (TAD), post-study varus angle, post-study rotational angle of the ODRC DHS were all significantly less than that of the conventional DHS (p < 0.05). We concluded that the ODRC DHS augmented with two horizontal wings would increase the bone-implant interface contact surface, dissipate the load to the screw itself, which improves the migration resistance and increases the anti-rotational implant effect. In conclusion, the proposed ODRC DHS demonstrated significantly better migration resistance and anti-rotational effect in comparison to the conventional DHS construct. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 12269 - Minimum Standards for Driver's Licenses and Identification Cards Acceptable by Federal Agencies...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-07

... compliant on or before May 11, 2011. Id. At the time DHS promulgated the REAL ID final rule, DHS recognized... time to ensure that the documents they issue meet the security requirements of the REAL ID Act. Without.... SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Department of Homeland Security's REAL ID regulations, States must be in full...

A low-cost municipal sewage treatment system with a combination of UASB and the "fourth-generation" downflow hanging sponge reactors.

PubMed

Tandukar, M; Uemura, S; Machdar, I; Ohashi, A; Harada, H

2005-01-01

This paper presents an evaluation of the process performance of a pilot-scale "fourth generation" downflow hanging sponge (DHS) post-treatment system combined with a UASB pretreatment unit treating municipal wastewater. After the successful operation of the second- and third-generation DHS reactors, the fourth-generation DHS reactor was developed to overcome a few shortcomings of its predecessors. This reactor was designed to further enhance the treatment efficiency and simplify the construction process in real scale, especially for the application in developing countries. Configuration of the reactor was modified to enhance the dissolution of air into the wastewater and to avert the possible clogging of the reactor especially during sudden washout from the UASB reactor. The whole system was operated at a total hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 8 h (UASB: 6 h and DHS: 2 h) for a period of over 600 days. The combined system was able to remove 96% of unfiltered BOD with only 9 mg/L remaining in the final effluent. Likewise, F. coli were removed by 3.45 log with the final count of 10(3) to 10(4) MPN/100 ml. Nutrient removal by the system was also satisfactory.

Homosexuality via canalized sexual development: a testing protocol for a new epigenetic model.

PubMed

Rice, William R; Friberg, Urban; Gavrilets, Sergey

2013-09-01

We recently synthesized and reinterpreted published studies to advance an epigenetic model for the development of homosexuality (HS). The model is based on epigenetic marks laid down in response to the XX vs. XY karyotype in embryonic stem cells. These marks boost sensitivity to testosterone in XY fetuses and lower it in XX fetuses, thereby canalizing sexual development. Our model predicts that a subset of these canalizing epigenetic marks stochastically carry over across generations and lead to mosaicism for sexual development in opposite-sex offspring--the homosexual phenotype being one such outcome. Here, we begin by outlining why HS has been under-appreciated as a commonplace phenomenon in nature, and how this trend is currently being reversed in the field of neurobiology. We next briefly describe our epigenetic model of HS, develop a set of predictions, and describe how epigenetic profiles of human stem cells can provide for a strong test of the model. © 2013 The Authors. Bioessays published by WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Homosexuality via canalized sexual development: A testing protocol for a new epigenetic model

PubMed Central

Rice, William R; Friberg, Urban; Gavrilets, Sergey

2013-01-01

We recently synthesized and reinterpreted published studies to advance an epigenetic model for the development of homosexuality (HS). The model is based on epigenetic marks laid down in response to the XX vs. XY karyotype in embryonic stem cells. These marks boost sensitivity to testosterone in XY fetuses and lower it in XX fetuses, thereby canalizing sexual development. Our model predicts that a subset of these canalizing epigenetic marks stochastically carry over across generations and lead to mosaicism for sexual development in opposite-sex offspring – the homosexual phenotype being one such outcome. Here, we begin by outlining why HS has been under-appreciated as a commonplace phenomenon in nature, and how this trend is currently being reversed in the field of neurobiology. We next briefly describe our epigenetic model of HS, develop a set of predictions, and describe how epigenetic profiles of human stem cells can provide for a strong test of the model. PMID:23868698

Project Amistad (Friendship), a Joint Venture between DHS and Family Outreach. Final Report: Innovations in Protective Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dennis-Small, Lucretia

Conducted by the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), Project Amistad (Friendship) originally set out to recruit and train Black and Hispanic volunteers to conduct lay therapy sessions with Black and Hispanic families in which abuse and neglect of children had occurred. Start-up was significantly delayed due to personnel changes; as a result,…

78 FR 45938 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

...] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice. SUMMARY: Flood hazard determinations, which may include additions or modifications of Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, or...

78 FR 27 - Final Flood Elevation Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-02

...-2012-0003] Final Flood Elevation Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) and modified BFEs are made... effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program...

75 FR 78926 - Final Flood Elevation Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-17

...-2010-0003] Final Flood Elevation Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) and modified BFEs are made... effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program...

77 FR 74610 - Final Flood Elevation Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-17

...-2012-0003] Final Flood Elevation Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) and modified BFEs are made... effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program...

78 FR 52954 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 52953 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 29763 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-21

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 45938 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 20337 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 43905 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 48882 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-12

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 14576 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-06

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 5820 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 32678 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-31

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 14318 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 9406 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-08

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 43904 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 36216 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 64521 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 36220 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 32679 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-31

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 36219 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 29761 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-21

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

78 FR 14316 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2013-0002] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice... and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either...

Ordered to isotropic morphology transition in pattern-directed dewetting of polymer thin films on substrates with different feature heights.

PubMed

Roy, Sudeshna; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

2012-10-24

Controlled dewetting of a thin polymer film on a topographically patterned substrate is an interesting approach for aligning isotropic dewetted structures. In this article, we investigate the influence of substrate feature height (H(S)) on the dewetting pathway and final pattern morphology by studying the dewetting of polystyrene (PS) thin films on grating substrates with identical periodicity (λ(P) = 1.5 μm), but H(S) varying between 10 nm and 120 nm. We identify four distinct categories of final dewetted morphology, with different extent of ordering: (1) array of aligned droplets (H(S) ≈ 120 nm); (2) aligned undulating ribbons (H(S) ≈ 70-100 nm); (3) multilength scale structures with coexisting large droplets uncorrelated to the substrate and smaller droplets/ribbons aligned along the stripes (H(S) ≈ 40-60 nm); and (4) large droplets completely uncorrelated to the substrate (H(S) < 25 nm). The distinct morphologies across the categories are attributed to two major factors: (a) whether the as-cast film is continuous (H(S)≤ 80 nm) or discontinuous (H(S)≥ 100 nm) and (b) in case of a continuous film, whether the film ruptures along each substrate stripe (H(S)≥ 70 nm) or with nucleation of random holes that are not correlated to the substrate features (H(S)≤ 60 nm). While the ranges of H(S) values indicated in the parentheses are valid for PS films with an equivalent thickness (h(E)) ≈ 50.3 nm on a flat substrate, a change in h(E) merely alters the cut-off values of H(S), as the final dewetted morphologies and transition across categories remain generically unaltered. We finally show that the structures obtained by dewetting on different H(S) substrates exhibits different levels of hydrophobicity because of combined spatial variation of chemical and topographic contrast along the surface. Thus, the work reported in this article can find potential application in fabricating surfaces with controlled wettability.

Safety and efficacy of allogeneic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of dogs with inflammatory bowel disease: Endoscopic and histological outcomes.

PubMed

Pérez-Merino, E M; Usón-Casaús, J M; Duque-Carrasco, J; Zaragoza-Bayle, C; Mariñas-Pardo, L; Hermida-Prieto, M; Vilafranca-Compte, M; Barrera-Chacón, R; Gualtieri, M

2015-12-01

Systemic administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to be safe and efficacious in humans with Crohn's disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of an intravenous (IV) infusion of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) and to assess macroscopic and histological effects in the digestive tract of dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Eleven dogs with confirmed IBD received a single ASC infusion (2 × 10(6) cells/kg bodyweight). Full digestive endoscopic evaluation was performed pre-treatment and between 90 and 120 days post-treatment with mucosal changes being assessed using a fit-for-purpose endoscopic scale. Endoscopic biopsies from each digestive section were evaluated histologically according to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Gastrointestinal Standardization Group criteria. The pre- and post-treatment canine IBD endoscopic index (CIBDEI) and histological score (HS) were calculated and compared using the Wilcoxon test. Remission was defined as a reduction of >75% of the CIBDEI and HS compared with pre-treatment. No acute reactions to ASC infusion or side effects were reported in any dog. Significant differences between pre- and post-treatment were found in both the CIBDEI (P = 0.004) and HS (P = 0.004). Endoscopic remission occurred in 4/11 dogs with the remaining dogs showing decreased CIBDEI (44.8% to 73.3%). Histological remission was not achieved in any dog, with an average reduction of the pre-treatment HS of 27.2%. In conclusion, a single IV infusion of allogeneic ASCs improved gastrointestinal lesions as assessed macroscopically and slightly reduced gastrointestinal inflammation as evaluated by histopathology in dogs with IBD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 61619 - Safety Zone; IJSBA World Finals, Lower Colorado River, Lake Havasu, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-06

...-AA00 Safety Zone; IJSBA World Finals, Lower Colorado River, Lake Havasu, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) World Finals. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for... notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled Safety Zone; IJSBA World Finals in the Federal Register (75...

76 FR 61261 - Safety Zone; IJSBA World Finals; Lower Colorado River, Lake Havasu, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

...-AA00 Safety Zone; IJSBA World Finals; Lower Colorado River, Lake Havasu, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... Boating Association (IJSBA) World Finals. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the... The International Jet Sports Boating Association is sponsoring the IJSBA World Finals. The event will...

78 FR 29760 - Final Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-21

... accordance with section 110 of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, 42 U.S.C. 4104, and 44 CFR part 67...] Final Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final Notice. SUMMARY: Flood hazard determinations, which may include additions or modifications of Base Flood...

Combining UASB and the "fourth generation" down-flow hanging sponge reactor for municipal wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Tandukar, M; Uemura, S; Ohashi, A; Harada, H

2006-01-01

A "fourth generation" down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) Reactor has been developed and proposed as an improved variant of post-treatment system for UASB treating domestic wastewater. This paper evaluates the potential of the proposed combination of UASB and DHS as a sewage treatment system, especially for developing countries. A pilot-scale UASB (1.15 m3) and DHS (0.38 m3; volume of sponge) was installed in a municipal sewage treatment site and constantly monitored for 2 years. UASB was operated at an HRT of 6 h corresponding to an organic load of 2.15 kg-COD/m3 per day. Subsequently, the organic load in DHS was 2.35 kg-COD/m3 per day, operated at an HRT of 2 h. Organic removal by the whole system was satisfactory, accomplishing 96% of unfiltered BOD removal and 91% of unfiltered COD removal. However, nitrification decreased from 56% during the startup period to 28% afterwards. Investigation on DHS sludge was made by quantifying it and evaluating oxygen uptake rates with various substrates. Average concentration of trapped biomass was 26 g-VSS/L of sponge volume, increasing the SRT of the system to 100-125 d. Removal of coliforms obtained was 3-4 log10 with the final count of 10(3) to 10(4) MPN/100 ml in DHS effluent.

Assessment of UASB-DHS technology for sewage treatment: a comparative study from a sustainability perspective.

PubMed

Maharjan, Namita; Nomoto, Naoki; Tagawa, Tadashi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Uemura, Shigeki; Khalil, Nadeem; Hatamoto, Masashi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Harada, Hideki

2018-04-06

This paper assesses the technical and economic sustainability of a combined system of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)-down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) for sewage treatment. Additionally, this study compares UASB-DHS with current technologies in India like trickling filters (TF), sequencing batch reactor (SBR), moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), and other combinations of UASB with post-treatment systems such as final polishing ponds (FPU) and extended aeration sludge process (EASP). The sustainability of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) was evaluated using a composite indicator, which incorporated environmental, societal, and economic dimensions. In case of the individual sustainability indicator study, the results showed that UASB-FPU was the most economically sustainable system with a score of 0.512 and aeration systems such as MBBR, EASP, and SBR were environmentally sustainable, whereas UASB-DHS system was socially sustainable. However, the overall comparative analysis indicated that the UASB-DHS system scored the highest value of 2.619 on the global sustainability indicator followed by EASP and MBBR with scores of 2.322 and 2.279, respectively. The highlight of this study was that the most environmentally sustainable treatment plants were not economically and socially sustainable. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that five out of the seven scenarios tested, the UASB-DHS system showed good results amongst the treatment system.

Transplantation of Heterospheroids of Islet Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Effective Angiogenesis and Antiapoptosis

PubMed Central

Shin, Jung-Youn; Jeong, Jee-Heon; Han, Jin; Bhang, Suk Ho; Jeong, Gun-Jae; Haque, Muhammad R.; Al-Hilal, Taslim A.; Noh, Myungkyung

2015-01-01

Although islet transplantation has been suggested as an alternative therapy for type 1 diabetes, there are efficiency concerns that are attributed to poor engraftment of transplanted islets. Hypoxic condition and delayed vasculogenesis induce necrosis and apoptosis of the transplanted islets. To overcome these limitations in islet transplantation, heterospheroids (HSs), which consist of rat islet cells (ICs) and human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), were transplanted to the kidney and liver. The HSs cultured under the hypoxic condition system exhibited a significant increase in antiapoptotic gene expression in ICs. hMSCs in the HSs secreted angiogenic and antiapoptotic proteins. With the HS system, ICs and hMSCs were successfully located in the same area of the liver after transplantation of HSs through the portal vein, whereas the transplantation of islets and the dissociated hMSCs did not result in localization of transplanted ICs and hMSCs in the same area. HS transplantation resulted in an increase in angiogenesis at the transplantation area and a decrease in the apoptosis of transplanted ICs after transplantation into the kidney subcapsule compared with transplantation of islet cell clusters (ICCs). Insulin production levels of ICs were higher in the HS transplantation group compared with the ICC transplantation group. The HS system may be a more efficient transplantation method than the conventional methods for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. PMID:25344077

Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis for State and Local Emergency Planning and Response: Concept of Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

must be considered for each threat. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defined 15 National Planning Scenarios ( NPSs ), along with a...considered how to incorporate the 15 NPSs and the Target Capabilities List developed by DHS. Finally, we considered the work being done by Dr. Charles...suite of models and other tools hampers effective planning and re- sponse for all hazards, including the NPSs . The ES community has many meth- ods

75 FR 38754 - Safety Zone; IJSBA World Finals; Lower Colorado River, Lake Havasu, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

...-AA00 Safety Zone; IJSBA World Finals; Lower Colorado River, Lake Havasu, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... navigable waters of Lake Havasu on the lower Colorado River in support of the IJSBA World Finals. This... International Jet Sports Boating Association is sponsoring the IJSBA World Finals. The event will consist of 300...

Fractone-heparan sulphates mediate FGF-2 stimulation of cell proliferation in the adult subventricular zone.

PubMed

Douet, V; Kerever, A; Arikawa-Hirasawa, E; Mercier, F

2013-04-01

Fractones are extracellular matrix structures that form a niche for neural stem cells and their immediate progeny in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle (SVZa), the primary neurogenic zone in the adult brain. We have previously shown that heparan sulphates (HS) associated with fractones bind fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), a powerful mitotic growth factor in the SVZa. Here, our objective was to determine whether the binding of FGF-2 to fractone-HS is implicated in the mechanism leading to cell proliferation in the SVZa. Heparitinase-1 was intracerebroventricularly injected with FGF-2 to N-desulfate HS proteoglycans and determine whether the loss of HS and of FGF-2 binding to fractones modifies FGF-2 effect on cell proliferation. We also examined in vivo the binding of Alexa-Fluor-FGF-2 in relationship with the location of HS immunoreactivity in the SVZa. Heparatinase-1 drastically reduced the stimulatory effect of FGF-2 on cell proliferation in the SVZa. Alexa-Fluor-FGF-2 binding was strictly co-localized with HS immunoreactivity in fractones and adjacent vascular basement membranes in the SVZa. Our results demonstrate that FGF-2 requires HS to stimulate cell proliferation in the SVZa and suggest that HS associated with fractones and vascular basement membranes are responsible for activating FGF-2. Therefore, fractones and vascular basement membranes may function as a HS niche to drive cell proliferation in the adult neurogenic zone. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Heat shock alters the expression of schizophrenia and autism candidate genes in an induced pluripotent stem cell model of the human telencephalon.

PubMed

Lin, Mingyan; Zhao, Dejian; Hrabovsky, Anastasia; Pedrosa, Erika; Zheng, Deyou; Lachman, Herbert M

2014-01-01

Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorders, although environmental factors, such as maternal immune activation (MIA), play a role as well. Cytokines mediate the effects of MIA on neurogenesis and behavior in animal models. However, MIA stimulators can also induce a febrile reaction, which could have independent effects on neurogenesis through heat shock (HS)-regulated cellular stress pathways. However, this has not been well-studied. To help understand the role of fever in MIA, we used a recently described model of human brain development in which induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) differentiate into 3-dimensional neuronal aggregates that resemble a first trimester telencephalon. RNA-seq was carried out on aggregates that were heat shocked at 39°C for 24 hours, along with their control partners maintained at 37°C. 186 genes showed significant differences in expression following HS (p<0.05), including known HS-inducible genes, as expected, as well as those coding for NGFR and a number of SZ and ASD candidates, including SMARCA2, DPP10, ARNT2, AHI1 and ZNF804A. The degree to which the expression of these genes decrease or increase during HS is similar to that found in copy loss and copy gain copy number variants (CNVs), although the effects of HS are likely to be transient. The dramatic effect on the expression of some SZ and ASD genes places HS, and perhaps other cellular stressors, into a common conceptual framework with disease-causing genetic variants. The findings also suggest that some candidate genes that are assumed to have a relatively limited impact on SZ and ASD pathogenesis based on a small number of positive genetic findings, such as SMARCA2 and ARNT2, may in fact have a much more substantial role in these disorders - as targets of common environmental stressors.

The Influence of Predisposing, Enabling and Need Factors on Condom Use in Ivory Coast

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngamini Ngui, Andre

2010-01-01

The main objective of this study was to identify key determinants of condom use in Ivory Coast. Data stem from Ivory Coast Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted by ORC Macro in 2005 among a representative sample of 9,686 persons aged 15 - 49. Following the behavioral model, we use logistic regression to assess the effect of predisposing,…

A hollow sphere soft lithography approach for long-term hanging drop methods.

PubMed

Lee, Won Gu; Ortmann, Daniel; Hancock, Matthew J; Bae, Hojae; Khademhosseini, Ali

2010-04-01

In conventional hanging drop (HD) methods, embryonic stem cell aggregates or embryoid bodies (EBs) are often maintained in small inverted droplets. Gravity limits the volumes of these droplets to less than 50 microL, and hence such cell cultures can only be sustained for a few days without frequent media changes. Here we present a new approach to performing long-term HD methods (10-15 days) that can provide larger media reservoirs in a HD format to maintain more consistent culture media conditions. To implement this approach, we fabricated hollow sphere (HS) structures by injecting liquid drops into noncured poly(dimethylsiloxane) mixtures. These structures served as cell culture chambers with large media volumes (500 microL in each sphere) where EBs could grow without media depletion. The results showed that the sizes of the EBs cultured in the HS structures in a long-term HD format were approximately twice those of conventional HD methods after 10 days in culture. Further, HS cultures showed multilineage differentiation, similar to EBs cultured in the HD method. Due to its ease of fabrication and enhanced features, this approach may be of potential benefit as a stem cell culture method for regenerative medicine.

A Hollow Sphere Soft Lithography Approach for Long-Term Hanging Drop Methods

PubMed Central

Lee, Won Gu; Ortmann, Daniel; Hancock, Matthew J.; Bae, Hojae

2010-01-01

In conventional hanging drop (HD) methods, embryonic stem cell aggregates or embryoid bodies (EBs) are often maintained in small inverted droplets. Gravity limits the volumes of these droplets to less than 50 μL, and hence such cell cultures can only be sustained for a few days without frequent media changes. Here we present a new approach to performing long-term HD methods (10–15 days) that can provide larger media reservoirs in a HD format to maintain more consistent culture media conditions. To implement this approach, we fabricated hollow sphere (HS) structures by injecting liquid drops into noncured poly(dimethylsiloxane) mixtures. These structures served as cell culture chambers with large media volumes (500 μL in each sphere) where EBs could grow without media depletion. The results showed that the sizes of the EBs cultured in the HS structures in a long-term HD format were approximately twice those of conventional HD methods after 10 days in culture. Further, HS cultures showed multilineage differentiation, similar to EBs cultured in the HD method. Due to its ease of fabrication and enhanced features, this approach may be of potential benefit as a stem cell culture method for regenerative medicine. PMID:19505251

Association of stem cell factor and high-sensitivity C reactive protein concentrations in crevicular fluid and serum in patients with chronic periodontitis with and without type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Kalra, Nitish; Pradeep, Avani R; Priyanka, Ningappa; Kumari, Minal

2013-03-01

The aim of the present study was to clarify whether there is any correlation between the levels of high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and stem cell factor (SCF) in serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). A total of 40 subjects were divided into 3 groups: 10 periodontally healthy subjects (Group 1), 15 CP patients (Group 2), and 15 type 2 DM patients with CP (Group 3). Levels of hs-CRP and SCF in GCF and serum were quantified using different techniques. The clinical outcomes evaluated were gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL), and the correlations of the two inflammatory mediators with clinical parameters were evaluated. The levels of these inflammatory mediators increased continuously from group 1 to group 2, and to group 3. The serum levels of both hs-CRP and SCF were correlated with PD in patients with CP (P < 0.05). SCF levels were correlated with PD in Group 3 (P < 0.05). The fact that the levels of hs-CRP and SCF were highest in DM patients with CP suggests that the presence of a systemic condition has a profound effect on the levels of inflammatory mediators, both locally at sites of periodontal disease, and elsewhere.

76 FR 73475 - Immigration Benefits Business Transformation, Increment I; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-29

... to enable U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to transform its business processes. The... Transformation, Increment I; Correction AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS. ACTION: Final....S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 633 Third St. NW...

Determination of the volatile and semi-volatile secondary metabolites, and aristolochic acids in Aristolochia ringens Vahl.

PubMed

Stashenko, Elena E; Andrés Ordóñez, Sergio; Marín, Néstor Armando; Martínez, Jairo René

2009-10-01

Volatile and semi-volatile secondary metabolites, as well as aristolochic acids (AA), present in leaves, stems, and flowers of Aristolochia ringens were determined by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods, respectively. Metabolite isolation was performed using different extraction techniques: microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MWHD), supercritical fluid extraction, and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME). The chemical composition of the extracts and oils was established by GC-MS. The determinations of AAI and AAII were conducted by methanolic extraction of different plant parts followed by HPLC analysis. Essential oil yields from leaves and stems were 0.008 +/- 0.0022% and 0.047 +/- 0.0026%, respectively. Aristolochia ringens flowers did not yield essential oil under MWHD. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (66%) were the main compounds in the essential oil isolated from leaves whereas monoterpene hydrocarbons (73%) predominated in the stems essential oil. Yields of extracts isolated by SFE from leaves, stems, and flowers were 4 +/- 1.8%, 1.2 +/- 0.25%, and 4 +/- 1.8%, respectively. In vivo HS-SPME of flowers isolated compounds with known unpleasant smells such as volatile aldehydes and short-chain carboxylic acids. HPLC analysis detected the presence of AAII in the flowers of Aristolochia ringens at a concentration of 610 +/- 47 mg/kg of dried flower.

Chondroitin Sulfate Is Indispensable for Pluripotency and Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izumikawa, Tomomi; Sato, Ban; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans are present on the surfaces of virtually all cells and in the extracellular matrix and are required for cytokinesis at early developmental stages. Studies have shown that heparan sulfate (HS) is essential for maintaining mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that are primed for differentiation, whereas the function of CS has not yet been elucidated. To clarify the role of CS, we generated glucuronyltransferase-I-knockout ESCs lacking CS. We found that CS was required to maintain the pluripotency of ESCs and promoted initial ESC commitment to differentiation compared with HS. In addition, CS-A and CS-E polysaccharides, but not CS-C polysaccharides, bound to E-cadherin and enhanced ESC differentiation. Multiple-lineage differentiation was inhibited in chondroitinase ABC-digested wild-type ESCs. Collectively, these results suggest that CS is a novel determinant in controlling the functional integrity of ESCs via binding to E-cadherin.

75 FR 1704 - Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act-2009 Implementation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-13

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 27 [Docket No. USCG-2009-0891] RIN 1625-AB40 Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act--2009 Implementation AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule; correction. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is correcting a final rule that appeared in the...

Tuning Molecular Weights of Bombyx mori (B. mori) Silk Sericin to Modify Its Assembly Structures and Materials Formation

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk sericin is a protein with features desirable as a biomaterial, such as increased hydrophilicity and biodegradation, as well as resistance to oxidation, bacteria, and ultraviolet light. In contrast to other widely studied B. mori silk proteins such as fibroin, sericin is still unexplored as a building block for fabricating biomaterial, and thus a facile technique of processing it into a material is needed. Here, electrospinning technology was used to fabricate it into biomaterials from two forms of B. mori silk sericin with different molecular weights, one is a low (12.0 kDa) molecular sericin (LS) form and another is a high (66.0 kDa) molecular weight sericin (HS) form. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed that LS in hexafluoroacetone (HFA) solvent adopted a predominantly random coil conformation, whereas HS tended to form a β-sheet structure along with a large content of random coils. In addition, LS and HS in HFA solvent were found to form cylinder-like smaller nanoparticles and larger irregular aggregates before electrospinning, respectively. As a result, biomaterials based on microparticles and nanofibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning of LS and HS dissolved in HFA, respectively. The cell viability and differentiation assay indicated that nanofibers and microparticles improved cell adhesion, growth, and differentiation, proving that the scaffolds electrospun from sericin are biocompatible regardless of its molecular weight. The microparticles, not common in electrospinning of silk proteins reported previously, were found to promote the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in comparison to the nanofibers. This study suggested that molecular weight of sericin mediates its secondary structure and assembly structure, which in turn leads to a control of final morphology of the electrospun materials. The microparticles and nanofibers of sericin can be potentially used as building blocks for fabricating the scaffolds for tissue engineering. PMID:25050697

Tuning molecular weights of Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk sericin to modify its assembly structures and materials formation.

PubMed

Yang, Mingying; Shuai, Yajun; Zhou, Guanshan; Mandal, Namita; Zhu, Liangjun; Mao, Chuanbin

2014-08-27

Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk sericin is a protein with features desirable as a biomaterial, such as increased hydrophilicity and biodegradation, as well as resistance to oxidation, bacteria, and ultraviolet light. In contrast to other widely studied B. mori silk proteins such as fibroin, sericin is still unexplored as a building block for fabricating biomaterial, and thus a facile technique of processing it into a material is needed. Here, electrospinning technology was used to fabricate it into biomaterials from two forms of B. mori silk sericin with different molecular weights, one is a low (12.0 kDa) molecular sericin (LS) form and another is a high (66.0 kDa) molecular weight sericin (HS) form. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed that LS in hexafluoroacetone (HFA) solvent adopted a predominantly random coil conformation, whereas HS tended to form a β-sheet structure along with a large content of random coils. In addition, LS and HS in HFA solvent were found to form cylinder-like smaller nanoparticles and larger irregular aggregates before electrospinning, respectively. As a result, biomaterials based on microparticles and nanofibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning of LS and HS dissolved in HFA, respectively. The cell viability and differentiation assay indicated that nanofibers and microparticles improved cell adhesion, growth, and differentiation, proving that the scaffolds electrospun from sericin are biocompatible regardless of its molecular weight. The microparticles, not common in electrospinning of silk proteins reported previously, were found to promote the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in comparison to the nanofibers. This study suggested that molecular weight of sericin mediates its secondary structure and assembly structure, which in turn leads to a control of final morphology of the electrospun materials. The microparticles and nanofibers of sericin can be potentially used as building blocks for fabricating the scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Stemming the Flow of Improvised Explosive Device Making Materials through Global Export Control Regimes

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. IRB Protocol number ______N/A______. 12a. DISTRIBUTION...Warfare DHS Department of Homeland Security DoD Department of Defense DTMF Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal EU European...Organization JMTC Joint Multinational Training Command JTF Joint Task Force MANPADS Man Portable Air Defense Systems MERC Multilateral Export Control

Improved human endometrial stem cells differentiation into functional hepatocyte-like cells on a glycosaminoglycan/collagen-grafted polyethersulfone nanofibrous scaffold.

PubMed

Khademi, Farzaneh; Ai, Jafar; Soleimani, Masoud; Verdi, Javad; Mohammad Tavangar, Seyed; Sadroddiny, Esmaeil; Massumi, Mohammad; Mahmoud Hashemi, Seyed

2017-11-01

Liver tissue engineering (TE) is rapidly emerging as an effective technique which combines engineering and biological processes to compensate for the shortage of damaged or destroyed liver tissues. We examined the viability, differentiation, and integration of hepatocyte-like cells on an electrospun polyethersulfone (PES) scaffold, derived from human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs). Natural polymers were separately grafted on plasma-treated PES nanofibers, that is, collagen, heparan sulfate (HS) and collagen-HS. Galactosilated PES (PES-Gal) nanofibrous were created. The engineering and cell growth parameters were considered and compared with each sample. The cellular studies revealed increased cell survival, attachment, and normal morphology on the bioactive natural polymer-grafted scaffolds after 30 days of hepatic differentiation. The chemical and molecular assays displayed hepatocyte differentiation. These cells were also functional, showing glycogen storage, α-fetoprotein, and albumin secretion. The HS nanoparticle-grafted PES nanofibers demonstrated a high rate of cell proliferation, differentiation, and integration. Based on the observations mentioned above, engineered tissue is a good option in the future, for the commercial production of three-dimensional liver tissues for clinical purposes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2516-2529, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heparanase confers a growth advantage to differentiating murine embryonic stem cells, and enhances oligodendrocyte formation.

PubMed

Xiong, Anqi; Kundu, Soumi; Forsberg, Maud; Xiong, Yuyuan; Bergström, Tobias; Paavilainen, Tanja; Kjellén, Lena; Li, Jin-Ping; Forsberg-Nilsson, Karin

2017-10-01

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), ubiquitous components of mammalian cells, play important roles in development and homeostasis. These molecules are located primarily on the cell surface and in the pericellular matrix, where they interact with a multitude of macromolecules, including many growth factors. Manipulation of the enzymes involved in biosynthesis and modification of HSPG structures alters the properties of stem cells. Here, we focus on the involvement of heparanase (HPSE), the sole endo-glucuronidase capable of cleaving of HS, in differentiation of embryonic stem cells into the cells of the neural lineage. Embryonic stem (ES) cells overexpressing HPSE (Hpse-Tg) proliferated more rapidly than WT ES cells in culture and formed larger teratomas in vivo. In addition, differentiating Hpse-Tg ES cells also had a higher growth rate, and overexpression of HPSE in NSPCs enhanced Erk and Akt phosphorylation. Employing a two-step, monolayer differentiation, we observed an increase in HPSE as wild-type (WT) ES cells differentiated into neural stem and progenitor cells followed by down-regulation of HPSE as these NSPCs differentiated into mature cells of the neural lineage. Furthermore, NSPCs overexpressing HPSE gave rise to more oligodendrocytes than WT cultures, with a concomitant reduction in the number of neurons. Our present findings emphasize the importance of HS, in neural differentiation and suggest that by regulating the availability of growth factors and, or other macromolecules, HPSE promotes differentiation into oligodendrocytes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-speed atomic force microscopy coming of age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ando, Toshio

2012-02-01

High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is now materialized. It allows direct visualization of dynamic structural changes and dynamic processes of functioning biological molecules in physiological solutions, at high spatiotemporal resolution. Dynamic molecular events unselectively appear in detail in an AFM movie, facilitating our understanding of how biological molecules operate to function. This review describes a historical overview of technical development towards HS-AFM, summarizes elementary devices and techniques used in the current HS-AFM, and then highlights recent imaging studies. Finally, future challenges of HS-AFM studies are briefly discussed.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Increase T-Regulatory Cells and Improve Healing Following Trauma and Hemorrhagic Shock (MSCs Increase Tregs and Improve Healing After T/HS)

PubMed Central

Gore, Amy V.; Bible, Letitia E.; Song, Kimberly; Livingston, David H.; Mohr, Alicia M.; Sifri, Ziad C.

2015-01-01

Background Rodent lungs undergo full histologic recovery within one week following unilateral lung contusion (LC). However, when LC is followed by hemorrhagic shock (HS), healing is impaired. We hypothesize that the intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to animals undergoing combined LC followed by HS (LCHS) will improve wound healing. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=5-6/group) were subjected to LCHS with or without the injection of a single iv dose of 5 × 106 MSCs following return of shed blood after HS. Rats were sacrificed seven days following injury. Flow cytometry was used to determine the T regulatory (Treg) cell population in peripheral blood (PB). Lung histology was graded using a well-established lung injury score (LIS). Components of the LIS include average inflammatory cells/high power field (hpf) over 30 fields, interstitial edema, pulmonary edema, and alveolar integrity with total scores ranging from 0-11. Data analyzed by ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test, expressed as mean ± SD. p<0.05 considered significant. Results Seven days following isolated LC animals demonstrate lung healing with a LIS unchanged from naive. The addition of HS results in a persistently elevated LIS score, whereas addition of MSC to LCHS decreased the LIS score back to naïve levels. The change in LIS was driven by a significant decrease in edema scores. In rats undergoing LC alone, 10.5 ± 3.3% of CD4+ cells were Tregs. The addition of HS caused no significant change in Treg population (9.3±0.7%), whereas LCHS+MSC significantly increased the population to 18.2±6.8% in PB (p<0.05 vs LCHS). Conclusion Impaired wound healing following trauma and hemorrhagic shock is improved by a single dose of MSCs given immediately after injury. This enhanced healing is associated with an increase in the T regulatory cell population and a significant decrease in lung edema score as compared to animals undergoing LCHS. Further study into the role of Tregs in MSC-mediated wound healing is warranted. PMID:26091313

Repeated Evolution of the Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid–Mediated Defense System in Separate Angiosperm LineagesW⃞

PubMed Central

Reimann, Andreas; Nurhayati, Niknik; Backenköhler, Anita; Ober, Dietrich

2004-01-01

Species of several unrelated families within the angiosperms are able to constitutively produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids as a defense against herbivores. In pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) biosynthesis, homospermidine synthase (HSS) catalyzes the first specific step. HSS was recruited during angiosperm evolution from deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS), an enzyme involved in the posttranslational activation of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A. Phylogenetic analysis of 23 cDNA sequences coding for HSS and DHS of various angiosperm species revealed at least four independent recruitments of HSS from DHS: one within the Boraginaceae, one within the monocots, and two within the Asteraceae family. Furthermore, sequence analyses indicated elevated substitution rates within HSS-coding sequences after each gene duplication, with an increased level of nonsynonymous mutations. However, the contradiction between the polyphyletic origin of the first enzyme in PA biosynthesis and the structural identity of the final biosynthetic PA products needs clarification. PMID:15466410

Department of Homeland Security Summer Internship

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

Olsen, Erika J.

2010-07-30

My time at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences of my life. When I first applied for a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) internship I was concerned that my major in Mass Communications and Emergency Management would not be suited for the hard science environment. Thankfully DHS and my mentor, Brooke Buddemeier, demonstrated that the skills and knowledge I possess are critical for the successful integration of good science into Homeland Security and emergency response, and allowed me the opportunity to work on an exciting project. This paper intends to givemore » an overview of my experiences while at LLNL, explain the project I have been a part of, explain my specific role within that project, discuss my achievements, explain how my internship has changed where I plan to take my career path, and, finally, discuss how I believe DHS can enhance their future internship programs.« less

Comparison of saline infusion sonohysterography and hysteroscopy in diagnosis of premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding.

PubMed

Soguktas, Suna; Cogendez, Ebru; Kayatas, Semra Eser; Asoglu, Mehmet Resit; Selcuk, Selcuk; Ertekin, Aktug

2012-03-01

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic effectiveness of transvaginal sonography (TVS), saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS), and diagnostic hysteroscopy (HS), with the pathologic specimen as a gold standard diagnostic method, in detecting endometrial pathology in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding. This prospective cohort study was conducted at Zeynep Kamil Education and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, and included 89 premenopausal women. All participants were examined first by TVS, further investigated with SIS and HS, and finally dilatation and curettage was performed when needed. The results obtained from these three methods were compared with the pathologic diagnoses. The positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-) of TVS, SIS and HS were calculated by comparison with the final pathological diagnosis. In addition, area under the curve (AUC) values were also calculated. Polypoid lesion was the most common abnormal pathology. LR+ and LR- of TVS, SIS, and HS were 3.13 and 0.15, 9.83 and 0.07, 13.7 and 0.02 respectively in detection of any abnormal pathology, and the AUCs of TVS, SIS, and HS were 0.804, 0.920, and 0.954 respectively. When the three procedures were compared with each other separately, HS had the best diagnostic accuracy, and the diagnostic accuracy of HS and SIS was superior to TVS (p(1)=0.000, p(2)=0.000). For the detection of polypoid lesions, HS was the most accurate diagnostic procedure (AUC=0.947), followed by SIS (AUC=0.894) and TVS (AUC=0.778). HS provides the most accurate diagnosis and allows treatment in the same session in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

78 FR 69292 - TWIC Not Evidence of Resident Alien Status

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-19

...-AC09 TWIC Not Evidence of Resident Alien Status AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY... on the OCS to U.S. citizens or resident aliens. The TWIC reference incorrectly provides that a TWIC.... resident alien, as that term is defined. This rule clarifies the regulations. DATES: This final rule is...

78 FR 71495 - Regulated Navigation Area; Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, NH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-29

... rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during ongoing dive...: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area (RNA) on the Piscataqua River near Portsmouth, NH. This temporary final rule places speed...

78 FR 58986 - Dry Cargo Residue Discharges in the Great Lakes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-25

...-AA89 Dry Cargo Residue Discharges in the Great Lakes AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of... final rule to regulate discharges of dry cargo residue (DCR) in the Great Lakes. The Coast Guard... final rule to regulate discharges of dry cargo residue in the Great Lakes. In August 2008, the Coast...

Guided filter and principal component analysis hybrid method for hyperspectral pansharpening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Jiahui; Li, Yunsong; Dong, Wenqian

2018-01-01

Hyperspectral (HS) pansharpening aims to generate a fused HS image with high spectral and spatial resolution through integrating an HS image with a panchromatic (PAN) image. A guided filter (GF) and principal component analysis (PCA) hybrid HS pansharpening method is proposed. First, the HS image is interpolated and the PCA transformation is performed on the interpolated HS image. The first principal component (PC1) channel concentrates on the spatial information of the HS image. Different from the traditional PCA method, the proposed method sharpens the PAN image and utilizes the GF to obtain the spatial information difference between the HS image and the enhanced PAN image. Then, in order to reduce spectral and spatial distortion, an appropriate tradeoff parameter is defined and the spatial information difference is injected into the PC1 channel through multiplying by this tradeoff parameter. Once the new PC1 channel is obtained, the fused image is finally generated by the inverse PCA transformation. Experiments performed on both synthetic and real datasets show that the proposed method outperforms other several state-of-the-art HS pansharpening methods in both subjective and objective evaluations.

DHS Internship Final Report

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

House, Samantha

2014-09-01

This summer I worked on projects that involved RNA sequencing of pathogens after an infection of host cells. The goal of these projects was to continue developing pathogen enrichment strategies for transcriptomic analysis, and also to perform hostpathogen interaction studies.

Exploratory power of the harmony search algorithm: analysis and improvements for global numerical optimization.

PubMed

Das, Swagatam; Mukhopadhyay, Arpan; Roy, Anwit; Abraham, Ajith; Panigrahi, Bijaya K

2011-02-01

The theoretical analysis of evolutionary algorithms is believed to be very important for understanding their internal search mechanism and thus to develop more efficient algorithms. This paper presents a simple mathematical analysis of the explorative search behavior of a recently developed metaheuristic algorithm called harmony search (HS). HS is a derivative-free real parameter optimization algorithm, and it draws inspiration from the musical improvisation process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. This paper analyzes the evolution of the population-variance over successive generations in HS and thereby draws some important conclusions regarding the explorative power of HS. A simple but very useful modification to the classical HS has been proposed in light of the mathematical analysis undertaken here. A comparison with the most recently published variants of HS and four other state-of-the-art optimization algorithms over 15 unconstrained and five constrained benchmark functions reflects the efficiency of the modified HS in terms of final accuracy, convergence speed, and robustness.

Using mobile technology to improve healthcare service quality.

PubMed

Chao, Chia Chen; Jen, Wen Yuan; Li, Yu-Chuan; Chi, Y P; Chen, Chang-I; Feng, Chen Chjeh

2005-01-01

Improving healthcare service quality for illness of treatment, illness prevention and patient service is difficult for most hospitals because the hospitals are lack adequate resources and labor. In order to provide better healthcare service quality for patients, mobile technology can be used to manage healthcare in a way that provides the optimal healthcare service for patients. Pursuing utilization of mobile technology for better patient service, Taipei Medical University Municipal W. F. Teaching Hospital has implemented a mobile healthcare service (m-HS) system to increase healthcare service quality. The m-HS system improves the quality of medical care as well as healthcare service. The m-HS is a multi-functional healthcare management agent, meets the mobile tendency of the present society. This study seeks to discuss the m-HS architecture and workflow processes. We believe the m-HS does have the potential to improve healthcare service quality. Finally, the conclusions and suggestions for the m-HS are given.

The NOAO NEWFIRM Data Handling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zárate, N.; Fitzpatrick, M.

2008-08-01

The NOAO Extremely Wide-Field IR Mosaic (NEWFIRM) is a new 1-2.4 micron IR camera that is now being commissioned for the 4m Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak. The focal plane consists of a 2x2 mosaic of 2048x2048 arrays offerring a field-of-view of 27.6' on a side. The use of dual MONSOON array controllers permits very fast readout, a scripting interface allows for highly efficient observing modes. We describe the Data Handling System (DHS) for the NEWFIRM camera which is designed to meet the performance requirements of the instrument as well as the observing environment in which in operates. It is responsible for receiving the data stream from the detector and instrument software, rectifying the image geometry, presenting a real-time display of the image to the user, final assembly of a science-grade image with complete headers, as well as triggering automated pipeline and archival functions. The DHS uses an event-based messaging system to control multiple processes on a distributed network of machines. The asynchronous nature of this processing means the DHS operates independently from the camera readout and the design of the system is inherently scalable to larger focal planes that use a greater number of array controllers. Current status and future plans for the DHS are also discussed.

Biosynthesis of the Caenorhabditis elegans dauer pheromone.

PubMed

Butcher, Rebecca A; Ragains, Justin R; Li, Weiqing; Ruvkun, Gary; Clardy, Jon; Mak, Ho Yi

2009-02-10

To sense its population density and to trigger entry into the stress-resistant dauer larval stage, Caenorhabditis elegans uses the dauer pheromone, which consists of ascaroside derivatives with short, fatty acid-like side chains. Although the dauer pheromone has been studied for 25 years, its biosynthesis is completely uncharacterized. The daf-22 mutant is the only known mutant defective in dauer pheromone production. Here, we show that daf-22 encodes a homolog of human sterol carrier protein SCPx, which catalyzes the final step in peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation. We also show that dhs-28, which encodes a homolog of the human d-bifunctional protein that acts just upstream of SCPx, is also required for pheromone production. Long-term daf-22 and dhs-28 cultures develop dauer-inducing activity by accumulating less active, long-chain fatty acid ascaroside derivatives. Thus, daf-22 and dhs-28 are required for the biosynthesis of the short-chain fatty acid-derived side chains of the dauer pheromone and link dauer pheromone production to metabolic state.

Rapid rule out of acute myocardial infarction using undetectable levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin.

PubMed

Rubini Giménez, Maria; Hoeller, Rebeca; Reichlin, Tobias; Zellweger, Christa; Twerenbold, Raphael; Reiter, Miriam; Moehring, Berit; Wildi, Karin; Mosimann, Tamina; Mueller, Mira; Meller, Bernadette; Hochgruber, Thomas; Ziller, Ronny; Sou, Seoung Mann; Murray, Karsten; Sakarikos, Konstantin; Ernst, Susanne; Gea, Joaquim; Campodarve, Isabel; Vilaplana, Carles; Haaf, Philip; Steuer, Stephan; Minners, Jan; Osswald, Stefan; Mueller, Christian

2013-10-09

We examined whether undetectable levels of high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin (hs-cTn) can be used to rule out acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with a single blood draw at presentation to the emergency department (ED). In a prospective multicenter study we used 4 different hs-cTn assays (hs-cTnT Roche, and hs-cTnI Siemens, hs-cTnI Beckman Coulter and hs-cTnI Abbott) in consecutive patients presenting with acute chest pain. The final diagnosis of AMI was adjudicated by two independent cardiologists using all available data including serial hs-cTnT levels. Mean follow up was 24 months. Among 2072 consecutive patients with available hs-cTnT levels, 21% had an adjudicated diagnosis of AMI. Among AMI patients, 98.2% had initially detectable levels of hs-cTnT (sensitivity 98.2%, 95%CI 96.3%-99.2%, negative predictive value (NPV) 98.6%, 95%CI 97.0%-99.3%). Undetectable levels of hs-cTnT ruled out AMI in 26.5% of patients at presentation. The NPV was similar with the three hs-cTnI assays: among 1180 consecutive patients with available hs-cTnI (Siemens), the NPV was 98.8%; among 1151 consecutive patients with available hs-cTnI (Beckman Coulter), the NPV was 99.2%; among 1567 consecutive patients with available hs-cTnI (Abbott), the NPV was 100.0%. The percentage of patients with undetectable levels of hs-cTnI was similar among the three hs-cTnI assays and ranged from 11.4% to 13.9%. Undetectable levels of hs-cTn at presentation have a very high NPV and seem to allow the simple and rapid rule out of AMI. This criteria applies to much more patients with hs-TnT as compared to the investigated hs-cTnI assays. © 2013.

HS06 Benchmark for an ARM Server

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kluth, Stefan

2014-06-01

We benchmarked an ARM cortex-A9 based server system with a four-core CPU running at 1.1 GHz. The system used Ubuntu 12.04 as operating system and the HEPSPEC 2006 (HS06) benchmarking suite was compiled natively with gcc-4.4 on the system. The benchmark was run for various settings of the relevant gcc compiler options. We did not find significant influence from the compiler options on the benchmark result. The final HS06 benchmark result is 10.4.

77 FR 35839 - Special Local Regulation and Security Zone: War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration, Port of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... Commemoration, Port of Boston, MA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast..., MA. Recommendations to employ a similar pattern to that which was used during the Sail Boston 2009...

75 FR 26782 - Homeland Security Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-12

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2010-0039] Homeland Security Advisory Council... Meeting. SUMMARY: The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) will meet via teleconference for the purpose of reviewing the final report of the HSAC's Quadrennial (Homeland Security) Review Advisory...

Characterization of CaHsp70-1, a Pepper Heat-Shock Protein Gene in Response to Heat Stress and Some Regulation Exogenous Substances in Capsicum annuum L.

PubMed Central

Guo, Meng; Zhai, Yu-Fei; Lu, Jin-Ping; Chai, Lin; Chai, Wei-Guo; Gong, Zhen-Hui; Lu, Ming-Hui

2014-01-01

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is sensitive to heat stress (HS). Heat shock proteins 70 (Hsp70s) play a crucial role in protecting plant cells against HS and control varies characters in different plants. However, CaHsp70-1 gene was not well characterized in pepper. In this study, CaHsp70-1 was cloned from the pepper thermotolerant line R9, which encoded a protein of 652 amino acids, with a molecular weight of 71.54 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.20. CaHsp70-1 belongs to the cytosolic Hsp70 subgroup, and best matched with tomato SlHsp70. CaHsp70-1 was highly induced in root, stem, leaf and flower in R9 with HS treatment (40 °C for 2 h). In both thermosensitive line B6 and thermotolerant line R9, CaHsp70-1 significantly increased after 0.5 h of HS (40 °C), and maintained in a higher level after 4 h HS. The expression of CaHsp70-1 induced by CaCl2, H2O2 and putrescine (Put) under HS were difference between B6 and R9 lines. The different expression patterns may be related to the differences in promoters of CaHsp70-1 from the two lines. These results suggest that CaHsp70-1 as a member of cytosolic Hsp70 subgroup, may be involved in HS defense response via a signal transduction pathway contained Ca2+, H2O2 and Put. PMID:25356507

Defining Hand Stereotypies in Rett Syndrome: A Movement Disorders Perspective.

PubMed

Dy, Marisela E; Waugh, Jeff L; Sharma, Nutan; O'Leary, Heather; Kapur, Kush; D'Gama, Alissa M; Sahin, Mustafa; Urion, David K; Kaufmann, Walter E

2017-10-01

Hand stereotypies (HS) are a primary diagnostic criterion for Rett syndrome (RTT) but are difficult to characterize and quantify systematically. We collected video on 27 girls (2-12 years of age) with classic RTT who participated in a mecasermin trial. The present study focused exclusively on video analyses, by reviewing two five-minute windows per subject to identify the two most common HS. Three raters with expertise in movement disorders independently rated the five-minute windows using standardized terminology to determine the level of agreement. We iteratively refined the protocol in three stages to improve descriptive accuracy, categorizing HS as "central" or "peripheral," "simple" or "complex," scoring each hand separately. Inter-rater agreement was analyzed using Kappa statistics. In the initial protocol evaluating HS by video, inter-rater agreement was 20.7%. In the final protocol, inter-rater agreement for the two most frequent HS was higher than the initial protocol at 50%. Phenotypic variability makes standardized evaluation of HS in RTT a challenge; we achieved only 50% level of agreement and only for the most frequent HS. Therefore, objective measures are needed to evaluate HS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Profiling first-year students in STEM programs based on autonomous motivation and academic self-concept and relationship with academic achievement.

PubMed

Van Soom, Carolien; Donche, Vincent

2014-01-01

The low success rate of first-year college students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs has spurred many academic achievement studies in which explanatory factors are studied. In this study, we investigated from a person-oriented perspective whether different motivational and academic self-concept profiles could be discerned between male and female first-year college students in STEM and whether differences in early academic achievement were associated with these student groups. Data on autonomous motivation, academic self-concept, and early academic achievement of 1,400 first-year STEM college students were collected. Cluster analyses were used to distinguish motivational profiles based on the relative levels of autonomous motivation and academic self-concept for male and female students. Differences in early academic achievement of the various profiles were studied by means of ANCOVA. Four different motivational profiles were discerned based on the dimensions of autonomous motivation (A) and academic self-concept (S): students scoring high and respectively low on both dimensions (HA-HS or LA-LS), and students scoring high on one dimension and low on the other (HA-LS or LA-HS). Also gender differences were found in this study: male students with high levels of academic self-concept and autonomous motivation had higher academic achievement compared to male students with low levels on both motivational dimensions. For female students, motivational profiles were not associated with academic achievement. The findings partially confirm the internal and external validity of the motivational theories underpinning this study and extend the present insights on identifying subgroup(s) of at risk students in contemporary STEM programs at university level.

Profiling First-Year Students in STEM Programs Based on Autonomous Motivation and Academic Self-Concept and Relationship with Academic Achievement

PubMed Central

Van Soom, Carolien; Donche, Vincent

2014-01-01

The low success rate of first-year college students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs has spurred many academic achievement studies in which explanatory factors are studied. In this study, we investigated from a person-oriented perspective whether different motivational and academic self-concept profiles could be discerned between male and female first-year college students in STEM and whether differences in early academic achievement were associated with these student groups. Data on autonomous motivation, academic self-concept, and early academic achievement of 1,400 first-year STEM college students were collected. Cluster analyses were used to distinguish motivational profiles based on the relative levels of autonomous motivation and academic self-concept for male and female students. Differences in early academic achievement of the various profiles were studied by means of ANCOVA. Four different motivational profiles were discerned based on the dimensions of autonomous motivation (A) and academic self-concept (S): students scoring high and respectively low on both dimensions (HA-HS or LA-LS), and students scoring high on one dimension and low on the other (HA-LS or LA-HS). Also gender differences were found in this study: male students with high levels of academic self-concept and autonomous motivation had higher academic achievement compared to male students with low levels on both motivational dimensions. For female students, motivational profiles were not associated with academic achievement. The findings partially confirm the internal and external validity of the motivational theories underpinning this study and extend the present insights on identifying subgroup(s) of at risk students in contemporary STEM programs at university level. PMID:25390942

Innate immune responses of equine monocytes cultured in equine platelet lysate.

PubMed

Naskou, Maria C; Norton, Natalie A; Copland, Ian B; Galipeau, Jacques; Peroni, John F

2018-01-01

Platelet lysate (PL) has been extensively used for the laboratory expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in order to avoid fetal bovine serum (FBS) which has been associated with immune-mediated host reactions and transmission of bovine-origin microbial contaminants. Before suggesting the routine use of PL for MSC culture, we wanted to further investigate whether PL alone might trigger inflammatory responses when exposed to reactive white blood cells such as monocytes. Our objectives were to evaluate the inflammatory profile of equine monocytes cultured with equine PL (ePL) and to determine if ePL can modulate the expression of inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated monocytes. In a first experiment, equine monocytes were isolated and incubated with donor horse serum (DHS), FBS, six individual donors ePL or pooled ePL from all horses. In a second experiment, monocytes were stimulated with E. coli LPS in the presence of 1, 5 or 10% DHS and/or pooled ePL. After 6h of incubation, cell culture supernatants were assayed via ELISA for production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) as well as for the anti-inflammatory Interleukin 10 (IL-10). Equine monocytes incubated with pooled ePL produced significantly less TNF-α and significantly more IL-10 than monocytes incubated in FBS. A statistically significant difference was not identified for the production of IL-1β. The second experiment showed that pooled ePL added to LPS-stimulated equine monocytes resulted in a significant reduction in TNF-α and IL-1β production. IL-10 production was not significantly upregulated by the addition of ePL to LPS-stimulated monocytes. Finally, the addition of ePL to LPS-stimulated monocytes in the presence of various concentrations of DHS resulted to statistically significant decrease of TNF-α and IL-1β compared to the control groups. This is the first study to demonstrate that ePL suppresses the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from stimulated equine monocytes. These results encourage further exploration of PL as a homologous media substitute for FBS but also opens the possibility of investigating its use as means to suppress cell-mediated inflammation. Published by Elsevier B.V.

77 FR 41320 - Suspension of Community Eligibility

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-13

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency 44 CFR Part 64 [Docket ID FEMA-2012-0003; Internal Agency Docket No. FEMA-8237] Suspension of Community Eligibility AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule identifies communities where the...

76 FR 23498 - Suspension of Community Eligibility

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency 44 CFR Part 64 [Docket ID FEMA... Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule identifies communities, where the... floodplain management requirements of the program. If the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) receives...

77 FR 47544 - Approval of Classification Societies

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-09

...-AB35 Approval of Classification Societies AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: Federal law requires that classification societies conducting certain work in the United States be... that classification societies must meet in order to obtain approval by the Coast Guard. Through this...

78 FR 43899 - Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-22

..., ``Flood Insurance.'') Dated: July 2, 2013. Roy E. Wright, Deputy Associate Administrator for Mitigation...] Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final notice. SUMMARY: New or modified Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths...

AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX attenuates later-life epileptic seizures and autistic-like social deficits following neonatal seizures.

PubMed

Lippman-Bell, Jocelyn J; Rakhade, Sanjay N; Klein, Peter M; Obeid, Makram; Jackson, Michele C; Joseph, Annelise; Jensen, Frances E

2013-11-01

To determine whether AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonist NBQX can prevent early mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway activation and long-term sequelae following neonatal seizures in rats, including later-life spontaneous recurrent seizures, CA3 mossy fiber sprouting, and autistic-like social deficits. Long-Evans rats experienced hypoxia-induced neonatal seizures (HS) at postnatal day (P)10. NBQX (20 mg/kg) was administered immediately following HS (every 12 h × 4 doses). Twelve hours post-HS, we assessed mTOR activation marker phosphorylated p70-S6 kinase (p-p70S6K) in hippocampus and cortex of vehicle (HS + V) or NBQX-treated post-HS rats (HS + N) versus littermate controls (C + V). Spontaneous seizure activity was compared between groups by epidural cortical electroencephalography (EEG) at P70-100. Aberrant mossy fiber sprouting was measured using Timm staining. Finally, we assessed behavior between P30 and P38. Postseizure NBQX treatment significantly attenuated seizure-induced increases in p-p70S6K in the hippocampus (p < 0.01) and cortex (p < 0.001). Although spontaneous recurrent seizures increased in adulthood in HS + V rats compared to controls (3.22 ± 1 seizures/h; p = 0.03), NBQX significantly attenuated later-life seizures (0.14 ± 0.1 seizures/h; p = 0.046). HS + N rats showed less aberrant mossy fiber sprouting (115 ± 8.0%) than vehicle-treated post-HS rats (174 ± 10%, p = 0.004), compared to controls (normalized to 100%). Finally, NBQX treatment prevented alterations in later-life social behavior; post-HS rats showed significantly decreased preference for a novel over a familiar rat (71.0 ± 12 s) compared to controls (99.0 ± 15.6 s; p < 0.01), whereas HS + N rats showed social novelty preference similar to controls (114.3 ± 14.1 s). Brief NBQX administration during the 48 h postseizure in P10 Long-Evans rats suppresses transient mTOR pathway activation and attenuates spontaneous recurrent seizures, social preference deficits, and mossy fiber sprouting observed in vehicle-treated adult rats after early life seizures. These results suggest that acute AMPAR antagonist treatment during the latent period immediately following neonatal HS can modify seizure-induced activation of mTOR, reduce the frequency of later-life seizures, and protect against CA3 mossy fiber sprouting and autistic-like social deficits. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.

AMPA Receptor antagonist NBQX attenuates later-life epileptic seizures and autistic-like social deficits following neonatal seizures

PubMed Central

Lippman-Bell, Jocelyn J.; Rakhade, Sanjay N.; Klein, Peter M.; Obeid, Makram; Jackson, Michele C.; Joseph, Annelise; Jensen, Frances E.

2013-01-01

Summary Purpose To determine whether AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonist NBQX can prevent early mTOR pathway activation and long-term sequelae following neonatal seizures in rats, including later-life spontaneous recurrent seizures, CA3 mossy fiber sprouting, and autistic-like social deficits. Methods Long-Evans rats experienced hypoxia-induced neonatal seizures (HS) at postnatal day (P)10. NBQX (20 mg/kg) was administered immediately following HS (every 12h x 4 doses). 12h post-HS, we assessed mTOR activation marker phosphorylated p70-S6 kinase (p-p70S6K) in hippocampus and cortex of vehicle (HS+V) or NBQX-treated post-HS rats (HS+N) versus littermate controls (C+V). Spontaneous seizure activity was compared between groups by epidural cortical electroencephalography (EEG) at P70-100. Aberrant mossy fiber sprouting was measured using Timm staining. Finally, we assessed behavior between P30-38. Key findings Post-seizure NBQX treatment significantly attenuated seizure-induced increases in p-P70S6K in the hippocampus (p<0.01) and cortex (p<0.001). While spontaneous recurrent seizures increased in adulthood in HS+V rats compared to controls (3.22±1seizures/hour; p=0.03), NBQX significantly attenuated later-life seizures (0.14±0.1 seizures/hour; p=0.046). HS+N rats showed less aberrant mossy fiber sprouting (115±8.0%) than vehicle-treated post-HS rats (174±10%, p=0.004), compared to controls (normalized to 100%). Finally, NBQX treatment prevented alterations in later-life social behavior; post-HS rats showed significantly decreased preference for a novel over a familiar rat (71.0±12 sec) compared to controls (99.0±15.6 sec; p<0.01), while HS+N rats showed social novelty preference similar to controls (114.3±14.1 sec). Significance Brief NBQX administration during the 48 hours post-seizure in P10 Long-Evans rats suppresses transient mTOR pathway activation and attenuates spontaneous recurrent seizures, social preference deficits and mossy fiber sprouting observed in vehicle-treated adult rats after early-life seizures. These results suggest that acute AMPAR antagonist treatment during the latent period immediately following neonatal HS can modify seizure-induced activation of mTOR, reduce the frequency of later-life seizures, and protect against CA3 mossy fiber sprouting and autistic-like social deficits. PMID:24117347

Dietary enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. supplementation alleviates liver oxidative injury of broilers reared under high ambient temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Xiaoli; Zhang, Jingfei; He, Jintian; Bai, Kaiwen; Zhang, Lili; Wang, Tian

2017-09-01

Heat stress induced by high ambient temperature is a major concern in commercial broiler production. To evaluate the effects of dietary enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. (EA) supplementation on growth performance and liver oxidative injury of broilers reared under heat stress, a total of 320 22-day-old male broilers were randomly allotted into five groups with eight replicates of eight birds each. Broilers in the control group were housed at 22 ± 1 °C and fed the basal diet. Broilers in the HS, HS-EA1, HS-EA2, and HS-EA3 groups were fed basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 g/kg EA, respectively, and reared under cyclic high temperature (34 ± 1 °C for 8 h/day and 22 ± 1 °C for 16 h/day). Broilers fed EA diets had higher final body weight, average daily body weight gain, and average daily feed intake, as well as liver concentration of reduced glutathione, activities of antioxidant enzymes, abilities to inhibit hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical (HS-EA2 and HS-EA3), and lower liver concentrations of reactive oxygen metabolites, malondialdehyde, and protein carbonyl (HS-EA1, HS-EA2, and HS-EA3) than HS group ( P < 0.05). EA treatment downregulated the mRNA levels of heat shock proteins 70 and 90, upregulated the mRNA levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (HS-EA1, HS-EA2, and HS-EA3) and heme oxygenase 1 (HS-EA2 and HS-EA3) in liver of heat-treated broilers ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, EA alleviated heat stress-induced growth depression and liver oxidative injury in broilers, possibly through improving the antioxidant capacity and regulating the pertinent mRNA expression. The appropriate inclusion level of EA in broiler diet is 1.00-1.25 g/kg.

Imaging specific cellular glycan structures using glycosyltransferases via click chemistry.

PubMed

Wu, Zhengliang L; Person, Anthony D; Anderson, Matthew; Burroughs, Barbara; Tatge, Timothy; Khatri, Kshitij; Zou, Yonglong; Wang, Lianchun; Geders, Todd; Zaia, Joseph; Sackstein, Robert

2018-02-01

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a polysaccharide fundamentally important for biologically activities. T/Tn antigens are universal carbohydrate cancer markers. Here, we report the specific imaging of these carbohydrates using a mesenchymal stem cell line and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The staining specificities were demonstrated by comparing imaging of different glycans and validated by either removal of target glycans, which results in loss of signal, or installation of target glycans, which results in gain of signal. As controls, representative key glycans including O-GlcNAc, lactosaminyl glycans and hyaluronan were also imaged. HS staining revealed novel architectural features of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of HUVEC cells. Results from T/Tn antigen staining suggest that O-GalNAcylation is a rate-limiting step for O-glycan synthesis. Overall, these highly specific approaches for HS and T/Tn antigen imaging should greatly facilitate the detection and functional characterization of these biologically important glycans. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Viral and Cellular Determinants of the Hepatitis C Virus Envelope-Heparan Sulfate Interaction▿

PubMed Central

Barth, Heidi; Schnober, Eva K.; Zhang, Fuming; Linhardt, Robert J.; Depla, Erik; Boson, Bertrand; Cosset, Francois-Loic; Patel, Arvind H.; Blum, Hubert E.; Baumert, Thomas F.

2006-01-01

Cellular binding and entry of hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the first steps of viral infection and represent a major target for antiviral antibodies and novel therapeutic strategies. We have recently demonstrated that heparan sulfate (HS) plays a key role in the binding of HCV envelope glycoprotein E2 to target cells (Barth et al., J. Biol. Chem. 278:41003-41012, 2003). In this study, we characterized the HCV-HS interaction and analyzed its inhibition by antiviral host immune responses. Using recombinant envelope glycoproteins, virus-like particles, and HCV pseudoparticles as model systems for the early steps of viral infection, we mapped viral and cellular determinants of HCV-HS interaction. HCV-HS binding required a specific HS structure that included N-sulfo groups and a minimum of 10 to 14 saccharide subunits. HCV envelope binding to HS was mediated by four viral epitopes overlapping the E2 hypervariable region 1 and E2-CD81 binding domains. In functional studies using HCV pseudoparticles, we demonstrate that HCV binding and entry are specifically inhibited by highly sulfated HS. Finally, HCV-HS binding was markedly inhibited by antiviral antibodies derived from HCV-infected individuals. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that binding of the viral envelope to a specific HS configuration represents an important step for the initiation of viral infection and is a target of antiviral host immune responses in vivo. Mapping of viral and cellular determinants of HCV-HS interaction sets the stage for the development of novel HS-based antiviral strategies targeting viral attachment and entry. PMID:16928753

"Coding" and "Decoding": hypothesis for the regulatory mechanism involved in heparan sulfate biosynthesis.

PubMed

Zhang, Xu; Wang, Fengshan; Sheng, Juzheng

2016-06-16

Heparan sulfate (HS) is widely distributed in mammalian tissues in the form of HS proteoglycans, which play essential roles in various physiological and pathological processes. In contrast to the template-guided processes involved in the synthesis of DNA and proteins, HS biosynthesis is not believed to involve a template. However, it appears that the final structure of HS chains was strictly regulated. Herein, we report research based hypothesis that two major steps, namely "coding" and "decoding" steps, are involved in the biosynthesis of HS, which strictly regulate its chemical structure and biological activity. The "coding" process in this context is based on the distribution of sulfate moieties on the amino groups of the glucosamine residues in the HS chains. The sulfation of these amine groups is catalyzed by N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase, which has four isozymes. The composition and distribution of sulfate groups and iduronic acid residues on the glycan chains of HS are determined by several other modification enzymes, which can recognize these coding sequences (i.e., the "decoding" process). The degree and pattern of the sulfation and epimerization in the HS chains determines the extent of their interactions with several different protein factors, which further influences their biological activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deciphering the Role of Sulfonated Unit in Heparin-Mimicking Polymer to Promote Neural Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells.

PubMed

Lei, Jiehua; Yuan, Yuqi; Lyu, Zhonglin; Wang, Mengmeng; Liu, Qi; Wang, Hongwei; Yuan, Lin; Chen, Hong

2017-08-30

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), especially heparin and heparan sulfate (HS), hold great potential for inducing the neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and have brought new hope for the treatment of neurological diseases. However, the disadvantages of natural heparin/HS, such as difficulty in isolating them with a sufficient amount, highly heterogeneous structure, and the risk of immune responses, have limited their further therapeutic applications. Thus, there is a great demand for stable, controllable, and well-defined synthetic alternatives of heparin/HS with more effective biological functions. In this study, based upon a previously proposed unit-recombination strategy, several heparin-mimicking polymers were synthesized by integrating glucosamine-like 2-methacrylamido glucopyranose monomers (MAG) with three sulfonated units in different structural forms, and their effects on cell proliferation, the pluripotency, and the differentiation of ESCs were carefully studied. The results showed that all the copolymers had good cytocompatibility and displayed much better bioactivity in promoting the neural differentiation of ESCs as compared to natural heparin; copolymers with different sulfonated units exhibited different levels of promoting ability; among them, copolymer with 3-sulfopropyl acrylate (SPA) as a sulfonated unit was the most potent in promoting the neural differentiation of ESCs; the promoting effect is dependent on the molecular weight and concentration of P(MAG-co-SPA), with the highest levels occurring at the intermediate molecular weight and concentration. These results clearly demonstrated that the sulfonated unit in the copolymers played an important role in determining the promoting effect on ESCs' neural differentiation; SPA was identified as the most potent sulfonated unit for copolymer with the strongest promoting ability. The possible reason for sulfonated unit structure as a vital factor influencing the ability of the copolymers may be attributed to the difference in electrostatic and steric hindrance effect. The synthetic heparin-mimicking polymers obtained here can offer an effective alternative to heparin/HS and have great therapeutic potential for nervous system diseases.

Influence of education level and experience on detection of approximal caries in digital dental radiographs. An in vitro study.

PubMed

Hellén-Halme, Kristina; Petersson, Gunnel Hänsel

2010-01-01

This study evaluated whether variations in education level and experience among dental staff influence the diagnostic accuracy of carious lesions on digital radiographs. Three student groups and a fourth group of general practitioners (Dentists) with more than five years of clinical experience participated in this study.The student groups were (i) dental students in their final (tenth) semester (DS-10), (ii) dental students in the sixth semester (DS-6) who just finished dental radiology training, and (iii) dental hygiene students (DHS) in their final (fourth) semester. Seven observers from each group participated. Standard radiographs of 100 extracted teeth (premolars and molars) were taken. The 28 observers evaluated the images for approximal carious lesions on a standard monitor. All evaluations were made in ambient light below 50 lux. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to assess results. The standard criterion for healthy or carious lesions was a histological examination of sliced teeth. Kappa statistics evaluated intra-observer agreement. For carious lesions that had extended into the dentine, significant differences were found between (i) Dentists and all other groups, (ii) Dentists and DS-10 (p < 0.01), and (iii) Dentists and DS-6 and DHS (p < 0.001). Differences between DS-10 and DHS (p < or = 0.05) were also significant. In this study, education level and experience clearly influenced the diagnostic accuracy of approximal carious lesions that had extended into the dentine on digital radiographs.

77 FR 37305 - Navigation and Navigable Waters; Technical, Organizational, and Conforming Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-21

...: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule makes non-substantive changes throughout title... substantive effect on the regulated public. These changes are provided to coincide with the annual... comment rulemaking requirements because these changes involve rules of agency organization, procedure, or...

76 FR 64009 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Apponagansett River, Dartmouth, MA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 [Docket No. USCG-2011-0335] RIN 1625-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Apponagansett River, Dartmouth, MA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has changed the drawbridge operation regulations that govern...

Explosive detection systems data collection final report

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) project to develop standards for bomb squad operators. Under this effort, ARA was tasked with developing and...Collection (EDSDC) ................................................................ 5    DHS/NIST Support ( Bomb Squad Robotic Training Standards...Development ................................................................................................ 5  Figure 3. Layout of the Bomb Squad Test

78 FR 20336 - Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-04

...] Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Final... minimum that are required. They should not be construed to mean that the community must change any... flood insurance premium rates for new buildings, and for the contents in those buildings. The changes in...

76 FR 72431 - Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-23

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2008-0022... Preparedness Program Manual AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing two final guidance documents...

Effects of exercise on c-reactive protein in healthy patients and in patients with heart disease: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hammonds, Tracy L; Gathright, Emily C; Goldstein, Carly M; Penn, Marc S; Hughes, Joel W

2016-01-01

Decreases in circulating hsCRP have been associated with increased physical activity and exercise training, although the ability of exercise interventions to reduce hsCRP and which individuals benefit the most remains unclear. This meta-analysis evaluates the ability of exercise to reduce hsCRP levels in healthy individuals and in individuals with heart disease. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted that included exercise interventions trials from 1995 to 2012. Forty-three studies were included in the final analysis for a total of 3575 participants. Exercise interventions significantly reduced hsCRP (standardized mean difference -0.53 mg/L; 95% CI, -0.74 to -0.33). Results of sub-analysis revealed no significant difference in reductions in hsCRP between healthy adults and those with heart disease (p = .20). Heterogeneity between studies could not be attributed to age, gender, intervention length, intervention type, or inclusion of diet modification. Exercise interventions reduced hsCRP levels in adults irrespective of the presence of heart disease.​. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HSV-1 interaction to 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate in mouse-derived DRG explant and profiles of inflammatory markers during virus infection.

PubMed

Sharthiya, Harsh; Seng, Chanmoly; Van Kuppevelt, T H; Tiwari, Vaibhav; Fornaro, Michele

2017-06-01

The molecular mechanism of herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry and the associated inflammatory response in the nervous system remain poorly understood. Using mouse-derived ex vivo dorsal root ganglia (DRG) explant model and single cell neurons (SCNs), in this study, we provided a visual evidence for the expression of heparan sulfate (HS) and 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate (3-OS HS) followed by their interactions with HSV-1 glycoprotein B (gB) and glycoprotein D (gD) during cell entry. Upon heparanase treatment of DRG-derived SCN, a significant inhibition of HSV-1 entry was observed suggesting the involvement of HS role during viral entry. Finally, a cytokine array profile generated during HSV-1 infection in DRG explant indicated an enhanced expression of chemokines (LIX, TIMP-2, and M-CSF)-known regulators of HS. Taken together, these results highlight the significance of HS during HSV-1 entry in DRG explant. Further investigation is needed to understand which isoforms of 3-O-sulfotransferase (3-OST)-generated HS contributed during HSV-1 infection and associated cell damage.

75 FR 52769 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-27

... Committee meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on September 28, 2010, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS Data Privacy and... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2010-0060] DHS Data...

75 FR 8087 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

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2010-02-23

... Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on March 18, 2010, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS Data Privacy and... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2010-0009] DHS Data...

77 FR 37061 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2012-0014] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on July 17, 2012, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS...

76 FR 58524 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-21

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2011-0076] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on October 5, 2011, in Arlington, VA. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS...

76 FR 25361 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2011-0022] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet by teleconference on May 19, 2011. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS...

75 FR 25870 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-10

... Federal Advisory Committee meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on May 25, 2010, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS Data... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2010-0035] DHS Data...

76 FR 35459 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2011-0046] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on July 11, 2011, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS...

78 FR 7440 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for Review; Information Collection Extension...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-01

... (DHS Form 10008); (9) Application for SAFETY Act Certification (DHS Form 10007); (10) SAFETY Act Block Designation Application (DHS Form 10005); and (11) SAFETY Act Block Certification Application (DHS Form 10004... distribution chain. The Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) currently...

Early diagnosis of myocardial infarction using absolute and relative changes in cardiac troponin concentrations.

PubMed

Irfan, Affan; Reichlin, Tobias; Twerenbold, Raphael; Meister, Marc; Moehring, Berit; Wildi, Karin; Bassetti, Stefano; Zellweger, Christa; Gimenez, Maria Rubini; Hoeller, Rebeca; Murray, Karsten; Sou, Seoung Mann; Mueller, Mira; Mosimann, Tamina; Reiter, Miriam; Haaf, Philip; Ziller, Ronny; Freidank, Heike; Osswald, Stefan; Mueller, Christian

2013-09-01

Absolute changes in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) seem to have higher diagnostic accuracy in the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction compared with relative changes. It is unknown whether the same applies to high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assays and whether the combination of absolute and relative change might further increase accuracy. In a prospective, international multicenter study, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) was measured with 3 novel assays (hs-cTnT, Roche Diagnostics Corp, Indianapolis, Ind; hs-cTnI, Beckman Coulter Inc, Brea, Calif; hs-cTnI, Siemens, Munich, Germany) in a blinded fashion at presentation and after 1 and 2 hours in a blinded fashion in 830 unselected patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction. The final diagnosis was adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction was significantly higher for 1- and 2-hour absolute versus relative hs-cTn changes for all 3 assays (P < .001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the combination of 2-hour absolute and relative change (hs-cTnT 0.98 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.97-0.99]; hs-cTnI, Beckman Coulter Inc, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.96-0.99]; hs-cTnI, Siemens, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.93-0.99]) were high and provided some benefit compared with the use of absolute change alone for hs-cTnT, but not for the hs-cTnI assays. Reclassification analysis confirmed the superiority of absolute changes versus relative changes. Absolute changes seem to be the preferred metrics for both hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI in the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The combination of absolute and relative changes provides a small added value for hs-cTnT, but not for hs-cTnI. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multicenter Evaluation of a 0-Hour/1-Hour Algorithm in the Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction With High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T.

PubMed

Mueller, Christian; Giannitsis, Evangelos; Christ, Michael; Ordóñez-Llanos, Jorge; deFilippi, Christopher; McCord, James; Body, Richard; Panteghini, Mauro; Jernberg, Tomas; Plebani, Mario; Verschuren, Franck; French, John; Christenson, Robert; Weiser, Silvia; Bendig, Garnet; Dilba, Peter; Lindahl, Bertil

2016-07-01

We aim to prospectively validate the diagnostic accuracy of the recently developed 0-h/1-h algorithm, using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) for the early rule-out and rule-in of acute myocardial infarction. We enrolled patients presenting with suspected acute myocardial infarction and recent (<6 hours) onset of symptoms to the emergency department in a global multicenter diagnostic study. Hs-cTnT (Roche Diagnostics) and sensitive cardiac troponin I (Siemens Healthcare) were measured at presentation and after 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 to 14 hours in a central laboratory. Patient triage according to the predefined hs-cTnT 0-hour/1-hour algorithm (hs-cTnT below 12 ng/L and Δ1 hour below 3 ng/L to rule out; hs-cTnT at least 52 ng/L or Δ1 hour at least 5 ng/L to rule in; remaining patients to the "observational zone") was compared against a centrally adjudicated final diagnosis by 2 independent cardiologists (reference standard). The final diagnosis was based on all available information, including coronary angiography and echocardiography results, follow-up data, and serial measurements of sensitive cardiac troponin I, whereas adjudicators remained blinded to hs-cTnT. Among 1,282 patients enrolled, acute myocardial infarction was the final diagnosis for 213 (16.6%) patients. Applying the hs-cTnT 0-hour/1-hour algorithm, 813 (63.4%) patients were classified as rule out, 184 (14.4%) were classified as rule in, and 285 (22.2%) were triaged to the observational zone. This resulted in a negative predictive value and sensitivity for acute myocardial infarction of 99.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 98.2% to 99.7%) and 96.7% (95% CI 93.4% to 98.7%) in the rule-out zone (7 patients with false-negative results), a positive predictive value and specificity for acute myocardial infarction of 77.2% (95% CI 70.4% to 83.0%) and 96.1% (95% CI 94.7% to 97.2%) in the rule-in zone, and a prevalence of acute myocardial infarction of 22.5% in the observational zone. The hs-cTnT 0-hour/1-hour algorithm performs well for early rule-out and rule-in of acute myocardial infarction. Copyright © 2016 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging, a prevalent and high-morbidity brain disease

PubMed Central

Smith, Charles D.; Abner, Erin L.; Wilfred, Bernard J.; Wang, Wang-Xia; Neltner, Janna H.; Baker, Michael; Fardo, David W.; Kryscio, Richard J.; Scheff, Stephen W.; Jicha, Gregory A.; Jellinger, Kurt A.; Van Eldik, Linda J.; Schmitt, Frederick A.

2013-01-01

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) is a causative factor in a large proportion of elderly dementia cases. The current definition of HS-Aging rests on pathologic criteria: neuronal loss and gliosis in the hippocampal formation that is out of proportion to AD-type pathology. HS-Aging is also strongly associated with TDP-43 pathology. HS-Aging pathology appears to be most prevalent in the oldest-old: autopsy series indicate that 5–30 % of nonagenarians have HS-Aging pathology. Among prior studies, differences in study design have contributed to the study-to-study variability in reported disease prevalence. The presence of HS-Aging pathology correlates with significant cognitive impairment which is often misdiagnosed as AD clinically. The antemortem diagnosis is further confounded by other diseases linked to hippocampal atrophy including frontotemporal lobar degeneration and cerebrovascular pathologies. Recent advances characterizing the neurocognitive profile of HS-Aging patients have begun to provide clues that may help identify living individuals with HS-Aging pathology. Structural brain imaging studies of research subjects followed to autopsy reveal hippocampal atrophy that is substantially greater in people with eventual HS-Aging pathology, compared to those with AD pathology alone. Data are presented from individuals who were followed with neurocognitive and neuroradiologic measurements, followed by neuropathologic evaluation at the University of Kentucky. Finally, we discuss factors that are hypothesized to cause or modify the disease. We conclude that the published literature on HS-Aging provides strong evidence of an important and under-appreciated brain disease of aging. Unfortunately, there is no therapy or preventive strategy currently available. PMID:23864344

78 FR 63381 - Safety Zones; Hawaiian Island Commercial Harbors, HI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2013-0021] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zones; Hawaiian Island Commercial Harbors, HI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule... as follows: Sec. 165. 14-1414 Safety Zones; Hawaiian Islands Commercial Harbors; HI. (a) Location...

76 FR 31831 - Navigation and Navigable Waters; Technical, Organizational, and Conforming Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-02

..., DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule makes non-substantive changes throughout Title 33 of the... effect on the regulated public. These changes are provided to coincide with the annual recodification of... changes involve rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice. In addition, the Coast Guard finds...

75 FR 55973 - Salvage and Marine Firefighting Requirements; Vessel Response Plans for Oil

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

... and Marine Firefighting Requirements; Vessel Response Plans for Oil AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... the vessel response plan salvage and marine firefighting requirements for tank vessels carrying oil... Marine Firefighting Requirements; Vessel Response Plans for Oil'' (73 FR 80618). The final rule amended...

75 FR 51938 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Taunton River, Fall River and Somerset, MA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0234] RIN 1625-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Taunton River, Fall River and Somerset, MA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has changed the drawbridge operation regulations...

76 FR 52563 - Special Local Regulations; Sabine River, Orange, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-23

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; Sabine River, Orange, TX AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary Special Local Regulation on the Sabine River within the Port Arthur, TX Captain of the Port Zone. This Special Local Regulation is intended to...

75 FR 55968 - Special Local Regulations, Sabine River; Orange, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations, Sabine River; Orange, TX AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary Special Local Regulation in the Port Arthur Captain of the Port Zone on the Sabine River, Orange, Texas. This Special Local Regulation is...

75 FR 32661 - Special Local Regulation; Hydroplane Exhibition, Detroit River, Detroit, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-09

...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Hydroplane Exhibition, Detroit River, Detroit, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will enforce a temporary special local regulation on the Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan from June 18, 2010 to June 20, 2010. This special local...

77 FR 25075 - Special Local Regulation; Galveston Bay, Kemah, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Galveston Bay, Kemah, TX AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation in Galveston Bay in the vicinity of Kemah, Texas. This temporary special local regulation is necessary to provide...

76 FR 10205 - Department of Homeland Security Implementation of OMB Guidance on Drug-Free Workplace Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-24

... Guidance on Drug-Free Workplace Requirements AGENCY: Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ACTION: Final... consolidate all Federal regulations on drug-free workplace requirements for financial assistance into one...-wide common rule on drug-free workplace requirements for financial assistance, currently located within...

75 FR 8491 - Security Zones; Brazos River, Freeport, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-25

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2009-0501] RIN 1625-AA87 Security Zones; Brazos River, Freeport, TX AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has established four permanent security zones in the Brazos River in Freeport, Texas...

75 FR 28757 - Security Zone; Potomac River, Washington Channel, Washington, DC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-24

...-AA87 Security Zone; Potomac River, Washington Channel, Washington, DC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone in certain waters of Washington Channel on the Potomac River. The security zone is necessary to provide for the...

78 FR 48046 - Safety Zone; Kuoni Destination Management Fireworks; San Diego, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-07

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Kuoni Destination Management Fireworks; San Diego, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the navigable..., 2013. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew...

78 FR 54578 - Safety Zone, Tiki Swim; Oceanside Harbor, Oceanside, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-05

...-AA00 Safety Zone, Tiki Swim; Oceanside Harbor, Oceanside, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the navigable waters of..., 2013. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew...

77 FR 51471 - Safety Zone; Swim Around Charleston, Charleston, SC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-24

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Swim Around Charleston, Charleston, SC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone during the Swim Around Charleston, a swimming race occurring on waters of the Wando River, the Cooper River, Charleston...

75 FR 35968 - Safety Zone; Fireworks Display in Stevenson, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-24

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Fireworks Display in Stevenson, WA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... safety of the maritime public during the fireworks display and will do so by prohibiting all persons and... with fireworks displays on navigable waters. Such hazards include premature detonations, dangerous...

77 FR 22495 - Safety Zone; Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, LA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-16

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, LA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... from the South shores of Lake Pontchartrain adjacent to the East bank of the Lakefront Airport runways... proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled Safety Zone, Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, LA in the Federal...

78 FR 59821 - Safety Zone, Delaware River; Wilmington, DE

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Delaware River; Wilmington, DE AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... safety zone will encompass all waters of Deepwater Anchorage No. 6, Delaware River, Wilmington, DE from... navigable waters of Deepwater Point Anchorage No. 6, Delaware River, Wilmington, DE, the effect of this...

75 FR 7958 - 2010 Rates for Pilotage on the Great Lakes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-23

...-AB39 2010 Rates for Pilotage on the Great Lakes AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY... investment. This increase reflects an August 1, 2010, increase in benchmark contractual wages and benefits... designated waters, we approximate the master's compensation (first mates' wages multiplied by 150% plus...

77 FR 18716 - Transportation Security Administration Postal Zip Code Change; Technical Amendment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

... organizational changes and it has no substantive effect on the public. DATES: Effective March 28, 2012. FOR... No. 1572-9] Transportation Security Administration Postal Zip Code Change; Technical Amendment AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule is a technical change to...

78 FR 61937 - Safety Zone; Port of Galveston, Pelican Island Bridge Repair

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-07

... Zone; Port of Galveston, Pelican Island Bridge Repair AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... safety during the Pelican Island Bridge Repair Project. This action is necessary to protect public... barge will be placed under the Pelican Island Bridge; therefore immediate action is needed to protect...

75 FR 49408 - Navigation and Navigable Waters; Technical, Organizational, and Conforming Amendments, Bridges

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-13

... Conforming Amendments, Bridges AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule makes non... technical corrections to Coast Guard bridge and navigable waters regulations. This rule will have no... announces or gathers public opinion or other information regarding bridge matters, nor will it change the...

75 FR 69851 - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-16

...] RIN 1615-AB80 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule; Correction AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS. ACTION: Final rule; correction. SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland... Immigration Services Fee Schedule published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2010. DATES: This...

76 FR 8754 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-15

... Committee meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on March 9, 2011, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2011-0001] DHS Data...

Insulated Foamy Viral Vectors

PubMed Central

Browning, Diana L.; Collins, Casey P.; Hocum, Jonah D.; Leap, David J.; Rae, Dustin T.; Trobridge, Grant D.

2016-01-01

Retroviral vector-mediated gene therapy is promising, but genotoxicity has limited its use in the clinic. Genotoxicity is highly dependent on the retroviral vector used, and foamy viral (FV) vectors appear relatively safe. However, internal promoters may still potentially activate nearby genes. We developed insulated FV vectors, using four previously described insulators: a version of the well-studied chicken hypersensitivity site 4 insulator (650cHS4), two synthetic CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF)-based insulators, and an insulator based on the CCAAT box-binding transcription factor/nuclear factor I (7xCTF/NF1). We directly compared these insulators for enhancer-blocking activity, effect on FV vector titer, and fidelity of transfer to both proviral long terminal repeats. The synthetic CTCF-based insulators had the strongest insulating activity, but reduced titers significantly. The 7xCTF/NF1 insulator did not reduce titers but had weak insulating activity. The 650cHS4-insulated FV vector was identified as the overall most promising vector. Uninsulated and 650cHS4-insulated FV vectors were both significantly less genotoxic than gammaretroviral vectors. Integration sites were evaluated in cord blood CD34+ cells and the 650cHS4-insulated FV vector had fewer hotspots compared with an uninsulated FV vector. These data suggest that insulated FV vectors are promising for hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy. PMID:26715244

Kidney Transplantation Results in Very Highly Sensitized Patients Included in a Virtual Crossmatch Program: Analysis of Kidney Pairs.

PubMed

Mazuecos, A; Alvarez, A; Nieto, A; Gentil, M A; Cabello, M; Rodriguez-Benot, A; Gracia, C; Gonzalez, F; Castro, P; Alonso, M

2016-11-01

Kidney transplantation in highly-sensitized (HS) patients can improve with organ-exchange strategies based on virtual crossmatch (V-XM). Experience in very-HS patients is limited. In June 2012, Andalusia started a V-XM protocol for very-HS patients (calculated panel reactive antibodies ≥95%). After organ allocation a cytotoxic-XM performed immediately before transplantation had to be negative for surgery to proceed. We analyzed results up until December 2015. Whenever possible we also compared the course of the recipient (non-HS) of the other kidney from the same donor. Of the 57 grafts, 52 kidney transplantations were performed (the pretransplantation cytotoxic-XM was positive in 5; predictive value 91.3%). Five patients (9.6%) experienced acute rejection (4 antibody-mediated rejections [AMRs]; 7.6%). Donor-specific antibodies developed in 10 patients. No patient died. One-year graft survival was 98%. We compared the course of the non-HS recipient of the other kidney, excluding cases with no pair (n = 5), pairs who were children recipients (n = 3), pancreas-kidney recipients (n = 5), or pairs already included in the V-XM protocol (n = 4). Finally, 35 pairs were studied. More HS-patients developed donor-specific antibodies (P = .016). No significant differences were seen in acute rejection, but AMR was more common (P = .057). No deaths occurred in either group, and there were no differences in graft survival or renal function. Although a few patients still developed AMR, our V-XM based protocol with a final pretransplantation cytotoxic-XM achieved very satisfactory results. Although the number of patients was limited, the initial survival of these high-risk recipients was comparable to the controls. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

76 FR 10385 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Various Contract Related Forms That Will be Included in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-24

... Forms That Will be Included in the Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation, DHS FORM 0700-01, DHS FORM 0700-02, DHS FORM 0700-03, DHS FORM 0700-04 AGENCY: Office of Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisition..., Acquisition Policy and Legislation Office, DHS will submit the following information collection request (ICR...

One-electron redox processes in a cyclic selenide and a selenoxide: a pulse radiolysis study.

PubMed

Singh, Beena G; Thomas, Elizabeth; Kumakura, Fumio; Dedachi, Kenichi; Iwaoka, Michio; Priyadarsini, K Indira

2010-08-19

One-electron redox reactions of cyclic selenium compounds, DL-trans-3,4-dihydroxy-1-selenolane (DHS(red)), and DL-trans-3,4-dihydroxy-1-selenolane oxide (DHS(ox)) were carried out in aqueous solutions using nanosecond pulse radiolysis, and the resultant transients were detected by absorption spectroscopy. Both *OH radical and specific one-electron oxidant, Br(2)(*-) radical reacted with DHS(red) to form similar transients absorbing at 480 nm, which has been identified as a dimer radical cation (DHS(red))(2)(*+). Secondary electron transfer reactions of the (DHS(red))(2)(*+) were studied with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS(2-)) and superoxide (O(2)(*-)) radicals. The bimolecular rate constants for the electron transfer reaction between (DHS(red))(2)(*+) with ABTS(2-) was determined as 2.4 +/- 0.4 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). From this reaction, the yield of (DHS(red))(2)(*+) formed on reaction with *OH radical was estimated in the presence of varying phosphate concentrations. (DHS(red))(2)(*+) reacted with O(2)(*-) radical with a bimolecular rate constant of 2.7 +/- 0.1 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) at pH 7. From the same reaction, the positive charge on (DHS(red))(2)(*+) was confirmed by the kinetic salt effect. HPLC analysis of the products formed in the reaction of (DHS(red))(2)(*+) with O(2)(*-) radicals showed formation of the selenoxide, DHS(ox). In order to know if a similar mechanism operated during the reduction of DHS(ox), its reactions with e(aq)(-) were studied at pH 7. The rate constant for this reaction was determined as 5.6 +/- 0.9 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), and no transient absorption could be observed in the wavelength region from 280 to 700 nm. It is proposed that the radical anion (DHS(ox))(*-) formed by a one-electron reduction would get protonated to form a hydroxyl radical adduct, which in presence of proton donors, would undergo dehydration to form DHS(*+). Evidence for this mechanism was obtained by converting DHS(*+) to (DHS(red))(2)(*+) with the addition of DHS(red) to the same system. Quantum chemical calculations provided supporting evidence for some of the redox reactions.

Resveratrol Ameliorates the Maturation Process of β-Cell-Like Cells Obtained from an Optimized Differentiation Protocol of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Pezzolla, Daniela; López-Beas, Javier; Lachaud, Christian C.; Domínguez-Rodríguez, Alejandro; Smani, Tarik; Hmadcha, Abdelkrim; Soria, Bernat

2015-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) retain the extraordinary capacity to differentiate into different cell types of an adult organism, including pancreatic β-cells. For this particular lineage, although a lot of effort has been made in the last ten years to achieve an efficient and reproducible differentiation protocol, it was not until recently that this aim was roughly accomplished. Besides, several studies evidenced the impact of resveratrol (RSV) on insulin secretion, even though the mechanism by which this polyphenol potentiates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) is still not clear. The aim of this study was to optimize an efficient differentiation protocol that mimics in vivo pancreatic organogenesis and to investigate whether RSV may improve the final maturation step to obtain functional insulin-secreting cells. Our results indicate that treatment of hESCs (HS-181) with activin-A induced definitive endoderm differentiation as detected by the expression of SOX17 and FOXA2. Addition of retinoic acid (RA), Noggin and Cyclopamine promoted pancreatic differentiation as indicated by the expression of the early pancreatic progenitor markers ISL1, NGN3 and PDX1. Moreover, during maturation in suspension culture, differentiating cells assembled in islet-like clusters, which expressed specific endocrine markers such as PDX1, SST, GCG and INS. Similar results were confirmed with the human induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (hiPSC) line MSUH-001. Finally, differentiation protocols incorporating RSV treatment yielded numerous insulin-positive cells, induced significantly higher PDX1 expression and were able to transiently normalize glycaemia when transplanted in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic mice thus promoting its survival. In conclusion, our strategy allows the efficient differentiation of hESCs into pancreatic endoderm capable of generating β-cell-like cells and demonstrates that RSV improves the maturation process. PMID:25774684

The Descriptive Study of the Head Start Early Learning Mentor Coach Initiative, Volume 1: Final Report. OPRE Report 2014-05a

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Eboni C.; Rankin, Victoria E.; Fishman, Mike; Hawkinson, Laura E.; McGroder, Sharon M.; Helsel, Fiona K.; Farber, Jonathan; Tuchman, Ariana; Wille, Jessica

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the coaching that occurred at Head Start (HS) grantees as a result of the Early Learning Mentor Coach (ELMC) initiative. This provided a unique opportunity to describe the different dimensions of coaching within HS settings from the perspective of multiple stakeholders--administrators, coaches, and staff.…

Structure and epitope distribution of heparan sulfate is disrupted in experimental lung hypoplasia: a glycobiological epigenetic cause for malformation?

PubMed

Thompson, Sophie M; Connell, Marilyn G; van Kuppevelt, Toin H; Xu, Ruoyan; Turnbull, Jeremy E; Losty, Paul D; Fernig, David G; Jesudason, Edwin C

2011-06-14

Heparan sulfate (HS) is present on the surface of virtually all mammalian cells and is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), where it plays a pivotal role in cell-cell and cell-matrix cross-talk through its large interactome. Disruption of HS biosynthesis in mice results in neonatal death as a consequence of malformed lungs, indicating that HS is crucial for airway morphogenesis. Neonatal mortality (~50%) in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is principally associated with lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. Given the importance of HS for lung morphogenesis, we investigated developmental changes in HS structure in normal and hypoplastic lungs using the nitrofen rat model of CDH and semi-synthetic bacteriophage ('phage) display antibodies, which identify distinct HS structures. The pulmonary pattern of elaborated HS structures is developmentally regulated. For example, the HS4E4V epitope is highly expressed in sub-epithelial mesenchyme of E15.5 - E17.5 lungs and at a lower level in more distal mesenchyme. However, by E19.5, this epitope is expressed similarly throughout the lung mesenchyme.We also reveal abnormalities in HS fine structure and spatiotemporal distribution of HS epitopes in hypoplastic CDH lungs. These changes involve structures recognised by key growth factors, FGF2 and FGF9. For example, the EV3C3V epitope, which was abnormally distributed in the mesenchyme of hypoplastic lungs, is recognised by FGF2. The observed spatiotemporal changes in HS structure during normal lung development will likely reflect altered activities of many HS-binding proteins regulating lung morphogenesis. Abnormalities in HS structure and distribution in hypoplastic lungs can be expected to perturb HS:protein interactions, ECM microenvironments and crucial epithelial-mesenchyme communication, which may contribute to lung dysmorphogenesis. Indeed, a number of epitopes correlate with structures recognised by FGFs, suggesting a functional consequence of the observed changes in HS in these lungs. These results identify a novel, significant molecular defect in hypoplastic lungs and reveals HS as a potential contributor to hypoplastic lung development in CDH. Finally, these results afford the prospect that HS-mimetic therapeutics could repair defective signalling in hypoplastic lungs, improve lung growth, and reduce CDH mortality.

Structure and epitope distribution of heparan sulfate is disrupted in experimental lung hypoplasia: a glycobiological epigenetic cause for malformation?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Heparan sulfate (HS) is present on the surface of virtually all mammalian cells and is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), where it plays a pivotal role in cell-cell and cell-matrix cross-talk through its large interactome. Disruption of HS biosynthesis in mice results in neonatal death as a consequence of malformed lungs, indicating that HS is crucial for airway morphogenesis. Neonatal mortality (~50%) in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is principally associated with lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. Given the importance of HS for lung morphogenesis, we investigated developmental changes in HS structure in normal and hypoplastic lungs using the nitrofen rat model of CDH and semi-synthetic bacteriophage ('phage) display antibodies, which identify distinct HS structures. Results The pulmonary pattern of elaborated HS structures is developmentally regulated. For example, the HS4E4V epitope is highly expressed in sub-epithelial mesenchyme of E15.5 - E17.5 lungs and at a lower level in more distal mesenchyme. However, by E19.5, this epitope is expressed similarly throughout the lung mesenchyme. We also reveal abnormalities in HS fine structure and spatiotemporal distribution of HS epitopes in hypoplastic CDH lungs. These changes involve structures recognised by key growth factors, FGF2 and FGF9. For example, the EV3C3V epitope, which was abnormally distributed in the mesenchyme of hypoplastic lungs, is recognised by FGF2. Conclusions The observed spatiotemporal changes in HS structure during normal lung development will likely reflect altered activities of many HS-binding proteins regulating lung morphogenesis. Abnormalities in HS structure and distribution in hypoplastic lungs can be expected to perturb HS:protein interactions, ECM microenvironments and crucial epithelial-mesenchyme communication, which may contribute to lung dysmorphogenesis. Indeed, a number of epitopes correlate with structures recognised by FGFs, suggesting a functional consequence of the observed changes in HS in these lungs. These results identify a novel, significant molecular defect in hypoplastic lungs and reveals HS as a potential contributor to hypoplastic lung development in CDH. Finally, these results afford the prospect that HS-mimetic therapeutics could repair defective signalling in hypoplastic lungs, improve lung growth, and reduce CDH mortality. PMID:21672206

Novel heparan sulfate assay by using automated high-throughput mass spectrometry: application to monitoring and screening for mucopolysaccharidoses

PubMed Central

Shimada, Tsutomu; Kelly, Joan; LaMarr, William A; van Vlies, Naomi; Yasuda, Eriko; Mason, Robert W.; Mackenzie, William; Kubaski, Francyne; Giugliani, Roberto; Chinen, Yasutsugu; Yamaguchi, Seiji; Suzuki, Yasuyuki; Orii, Kenji E.; Fukao, Toshiyuki; Orii, Tadao; Tomatsu, Shunji

2014-01-01

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are caused by deficiency of one of a group of specific lysosomal enzymes, resulting in excessive accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). We previously developed GAG assay methods using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); however, it takes 4–5 min per sample for analysis. For the large numbers of samples in a screening program, a more rapid process is desirable. The automated high-throughput mass spectrometry (HT-MS/MS) system (RapidFire) integrates a solid phase extraction robot to concentrate and desalt samples prior to direction into the MS/MS without chromatographic separation; thereby allowing each sample to be processed within ten seconds (enabling screening of more than one million samples per year). The aim of this study was to develop a higher throughput system to assay heparan sulfate (HS) using HT-MS/MS, and to compare its reproducibility, sensitivity and specificity with conventional LC-MS/MS. HS levels were measured in blood (plasma and serum) from control subjects and patients with MPS II, III, or IV and in dried blood spots (DBS) from newborn controls and patients with MPS I, II, or III. Results obtained from HT-MS/MS showed 1) that there was a strong correlation of levels of disaccharides derived from HS in blood, between those calculated using conventional LC-MS/MS and HT-MS/MS, 2) that levels of HS in blood were significantly elevated in patients with MPS II and III, but not in MPS IVA, 3) that the level of HS in patients with a severe form of MPS II was higher than that in an attenuated form, 4) that reduction of blood HS level was observed in MPS II patients treated with enzyme replacement therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 5) that levels of HS in newborn DBS were elevated in patients with MPS I, II or III, compared to control newborns. In conclusion, HT-MS/MS provides much higher throughput than LC-MS/MS-based methods with similar sensitivity and specificity in an HS assay, indicating that HT-MS/MS may be feasible for diagnosis, monitoring, and newborn screening of MPS. PMID:25092413

Modified harmony search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, Najihah; Lutfi Amri Ramli, Ahmad; Majid, Ahmad Abd; Piah, Abd Rahni Mt

2017-09-01

A metaheuristic algorithm, called Harmony Search is quite highly applied in optimizing parameters in many areas. HS is a derivative-free real parameter optimization algorithm, and draws an inspiration from the musical improvisation process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. Propose in this paper Modified Harmony Search for solving optimization problems, which employs a concept from genetic algorithm method and particle swarm optimization for generating new solution vectors that enhances the performance of HS algorithm. The performances of MHS and HS are investigated on ten benchmark optimization problems in order to make a comparison to reflect the efficiency of the MHS in terms of final accuracy, convergence speed and robustness.

Development and Function of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Generated From Mouse Embryonic and Hematopoietic Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Zhou, Zuping; French, Deborah L.; Ma, Ge; Eisenstein, Samuel; Chen, Ying; Divino, Celia M.; Keller, Gordon; Chen, Shu-Hsia; Pan, Ping-Ying

2015-01-01

Emerging evidence suggests that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have great potential as a novel immune intervention modality in the fields of transplantation and autoimmune diseases. Thus far, efforts to develop MDSC-based therapeutic strategies have been hampered by the lack of a reliable source of MDSCs. Here we show that functional MDSCs can be efficiently generated from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and bone marrow hematopoietic stem (HS) cells. In vitro-derived MDSCs encompass two homogenous subpopulations: CD115+Ly-6C+ and CD115+Ly-6C− cells. The CD115+Ly-6C+ subset is equivalent to the monocytic Gr-1+CD115+F4/80+ MDSCs found in tumor-bearing mice. In contrast, the CD115+Ly-6C− cells, a previously unreported population of MDSCs, resemble the granulocyte/macrophage progenitors developmentally. In vitro, ES- and HS-MDSCs exhibit robust suppression against T-cell proliferation induced by polyclonal stimuli or alloantigens via multiple mechanisms involving nitric oxide synthase-mediated NO production and interleukin (IL)-10. Impressively, they display even stronger suppressive activity and significantly enhance ability to induce CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T-cell development compared with tumor-derived MDSCs. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of ES-MDSCs can effectively prevent alloreactive T-cell-mediated lethal graft-versus-host disease, leading to nearly 82% long-term survival among treated mice. The successful in vitro generation of MDSCs may represent a critical step toward potential clinical application of MDSCs. PMID:20073041

Sampling methods for the study of volatile profile of PDO wine vinegars. A comparison using multivariate data analysis.

PubMed

Ríos-Reina, Rocío; Morales, M Lourdes; García-González, Diego L; Amigo, José M; Callejón, Raquel M

2018-03-01

High-quality wine vinegars have been registered in Spain under protected designation of origin (PDO): "Vinagre de Jerez", "Vinagre de Condado de Huelva" and "Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles". The raw material, production and aging processes determine their quality and their aromatic composition. Vinegar volatile profile is usually analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), being necessary a previous extraction step. Thus, three different sampling methods (Headspace solid phase microextraction "HS-SPME", Headspace stir bar sorptive extraction "HSSE" and Dynamic headspace extraction "DHS") were studied for the analysis of the volatile composition of Spanish PDO wine vinegars. Multivariate curve resolution (MCR) was used to solve chromatographic problems, improving the results obtained. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that not all the sampling methods were equally suitable for the characterization and differentiation between PDOs and categories, being HSSE the technique that made able the best vinegar characterization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factor h and properdin recognize different epitopes on renal tubular epithelial heparan sulfate.

PubMed

Zaferani, Azadeh; Vivès, Romain R; van der Pol, Pieter; Navis, Gerjan J; Daha, Mohamed R; van Kooten, Cees; Lortat-Jacob, Hugues; Seelen, Marc A; van den Born, Jacob

2012-09-07

During proteinuria, renal tubular epithelial cells become exposed to ultrafiltrate-derived serum proteins, including complement factors. Recently, we showed that properdin binds to tubular heparan sulfates (HS). We now document that factor H also binds to tubular HS, although to a different epitope than properdin. Factor H was present on the urinary side of renal tubular cells in proteinuric, but not in normal renal tissues and colocalized with properdin in proteinuric kidneys. Factor H dose-dependently bound to proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) in vitro. Preincubation of factor H with exogenous heparin and pretreatment of PTECs with heparitinase abolished the binding to PTECs. Surface plasmon resonance experiments showed high affinity of factor H for heparin and HS (K(D) values of 32 and 93 nm, respectively). Using a library of HS-like polysaccharides, we showed that chain length and high sulfation density are the most important determinants for glycosaminoglycan-factor H interaction and clearly differ from properdin-heparinoid interaction. Coincubation of properdin and factor H did not hamper HS/heparin binding of one another, indicating recognition of different nonoverlapping epitopes on HS/heparin by factor H and properdin. Finally we showed that certain low anticoagulant heparinoids can inhibit properdin binding to tubular HS, with a minor effect on factor H binding to tubular HS. As a result, these heparinoids can control the alternative complement pathway. In conclusion, factor H and properdin interact with different HS epitopes of PTECs. These interactions can be manipulated with some low anticoagulant heparinoids, which can be important for preventing complement-derived tubular injury in proteinuric renal diseases.

[Relationship between highly sensitive cardiac troponin T and sepsis and outcome in critically ill patients].

PubMed

Wang, T T; Jiang, L

2017-10-01

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of highly sensitive cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTn T) for sepsis in critically ill patients. Methods: Patients estimated to stay in the ICU of Fuxing Hospital for more than 24h were enrolled at from March 2014 to December 2014. Serum hs-cTn T was tested within two hours. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to determine the association of variables with the hs-cTn T. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors of 28-day mortality. Results: A total of 125 patients were finally enrolled including 68 patients with sepsis and 57 without. The levels of hs-cTn T in sepsis and non-sepsis groups were significantly different[52.0(32.5, 87.5) ng/L vs 14.0(6.5, 29.0) ng/L respectively, P <0.001]. In sepsis group, hs-cTn T among common sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock were similar. Hs-cTn T was significantly higher in non-survivors than survivors [27(13, 52)ng/L vs 44.5(28.8, 83.5)ng/L, P <0.001]. Age, sepsis, serum creatinine were independent risk factors affecting hs-cTn T by multivariate linear regression analyses. But hs-cTn T was not a risk factor for death. Conclusion: Patients with sepsis had higher serum hs-cTn T than those without sepsis. but it was not found to be associated with the severity of sepsis.

78 FR 57061 - Special Local Regulation; Red Bull Flugtag Miami, Biscayne Bay; Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-17

.... The economic impact of this rule is not significant for the following reasons: (1) The special local... 1625-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Red Bull Flugtag Miami, Biscayne Bay; Miami, FL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a special local regulation...

76 FR 20524 - Anchorage Regulations; Port of New York

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

...-AA01 Anchorage Regulations; Port of New York AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The... Yunker, Coast Guard Sector New York, Waterways Management Division; telephone 718-354-4195, e-mail Jeff.M... New York in the Federal Register (74 FR 47906). We received one comment on the NPRM. No public meeting...

76 FR 53820 - Safety Zone; Missouri River From the Border Between Montana and North Dakota

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-30

..., DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule; change of effective period. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is extending... continued and uninterrupted protection of levees and personnel involved in ongoing high water response... personnel involved in ongoing high water response. Failing to extend the effective dates for this rule...

77 FR 42179 - Safety Zone; Fireworks Display, Potomac River, Charles County, Newburg, MD

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-18

...]30[sec] W, located at Newburg in Charles County, Maryland (NAD 1983). The temporary safety zone will... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Fireworks Display, Potomac River, Charles County, Newburg, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will establish a safety zone upon...

77 FR 24838 - Safety Zone; Magothy River, Sillery Bay, MD

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Magothy River, Sillery Bay, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone in certain waters of the Magothy River, in Sillery Bay... a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled ``Safety Zone; Magothy River, Sillery Bay, MD'' in...

75 FR 35299 - Safety Zone; Ship Repair in Penobscot Bay, ME

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0519] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Ship Repair in Penobscot Bay, ME AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... Safety zone; Ship repair in Penobscot Bay, ME. (a) Location. The following area is a safety zone: All...

76 FR 49664 - Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-11

...-AA00 Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... waters of the Columbia River surrounding the M/ V DAVY CROCKETT at approximate river mile 117. The... operations involving the M/ V DAVY CROCKETT. All persons and vessels are prohibited from entering or...

75 FR 54025 - Revision of LNG and LHG Waterfront Facility General Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-03

...-372-1410 or by e-mail at [email protected] . If you have questions on viewing or submitting... Revision of LNG and LHG Waterfront Facility General Requirements AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Rule; information collection approval. SUMMARY: In a final rule published May 26, 2010, the Coast Guard amended...

77 FR 22232 - Seagoing Barges

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-13

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 46 CFR Parts 2, 24, 30, 70, 90, 91, and 188 [Docket No. USCG-2011-0363] RIN 1625-AB71 Seagoing Barges AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Direct final rule... would have revised 46 CFR parts 2, 24, 30, 70, 90, 91, and 188 to exempt specified seagoing barges from...

78 FR 27416 - Notice of Availability of the Final Record of Decision for the Programmatic Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-10

... improved personal radiation detectors (PRD), RIDs, and NII tools, such as high-energy container scanners... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Notice of Availability of the... Border Activities AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border, Protection, DHS. ACTION: Notice of availability...

76 FR 30018 - Safety Zone; Marysville Days Fireworks, St. Clair River, Marysville, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-24

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Marysville Days Fireworks, St. Clair River, Marysville, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on St. Clair River, Marysville, MI. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of St. Clair River...

78 FR 43064 - Safety Zone; Maritime Heritage Festival Fireworks, St. Helens, OR

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-19

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Maritime Heritage Festival Fireworks, St. Helens, OR AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone in St. Helens, OR. This safety... associated with fireworks displays. As part of the Maritime Heritage Festival Fireworks in St. Helens, OR...

77 FR 29901 - Safety Zone; Marysville Days Fireworks, St. Clair River, Marysville, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-21

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Marysville Days Fireworks, St. Clair River, Marysville, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the St. Clair River, Marysville, Michigan. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the St...

76 FR 21253 - Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-15

...-AA00 Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard is extending and expanding the emergency safety zone established on... January 28, 2011. The safety zone is necessary to help ensure the safety of the response workers and...

76 FR 63202 - Security Zones; Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

...-AA87 Security Zones; Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: Based on a review of safety and security zones around critical infrastructure in the... Chicago Harbor & Burnham Park Harbor--Safety and Security Zone regulation and the Security Zones; Captain...

75 FR 18755 - Security Zone; Calcasieu River and Ship Channel, LA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-13

...-AA87 Security Zone; Calcasieu River and Ship Channel, LA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is disestablishing the permanent safety zone at Trunkline LNG in Lake Charles, LA and replacing it with a security zone with new boundaries. The Coast Guard is also establishing two...

76 FR 73511 - Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-29

...-AA00 Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard is extending the enforcement period of a safety zone established on... sight at approximate river mile 117. The original safety zone was established on January 28, 2011. The...

77 FR 62437 - Regulated Navigation Area; Columbus Day Weekend, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-15

...-AA11 Regulated Navigation Area; Columbus Day Weekend, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is amending the Columbus Day weekend regulated navigation area on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The amended regulated navigation area alters the boundaries of...

75 FR 47211 - Navigation and Navigable Waters; Technical, Organizational, and Conforming Amendments, Sector...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-05

... Puget Sound, WA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule makes non-substantive... technical corrections to reflect the renaming of Sector Seattle to Sector Puget Sound as part of the Coast... organizational structure. Sector Seattle has been disestablished and Sector Puget Sound has been established in...

77 FR 40521 - Security Zones, Seattle's Seafair Fleet Week Moving Vessels, Puget Sound, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

... 1625-AA87 Security Zones, Seattle's Seafair Fleet Week Moving Vessels, Puget Sound, WA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard is establishing security zones around designated participating vessels that are not protected by the Naval Vessel Protection Zone in Seattle's...

77 FR 19095 - Security Zone; USCGC STRATTON Commissioning Ceremony, Alameda, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-30

...-AA87 Security Zone; USCGC STRATTON Commissioning Ceremony, Alameda, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone in the navigable waters of the San Francisco Bay, Alameda, CA within the San Francisco Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone...

77 FR 30400 - Moving Security Zone Around Escorted Vessels on the Lower Mississippi River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-23

..., DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Captain of the Port of New Orleans (COTP New Orleans... temporary rule, call or email Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Kenneth Blair, Sector New Orleans, Coast Guard... interest. Additionally, the City of New Orleans will be hosting several high visibility events beginning in...

78 FR 51061 - Special Anchorage Areas; Port of New York, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-20

...-AA01 Special Anchorage Areas; Port of New York, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule...; revising the New York City Harbor Master phone number for Sheepshead Bay, NY; and disestablishing the Captain of the Port New York Commercial Mooring Buoy permit regulations and table displaying the mooring...

75 FR 16010 - Safety Zone; Red River, MN

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-31

...-AAOO Safety Zone; Red River, MN AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP), Marine Safety Unit Duluth, MN is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Red River, MN. This safety zone is being established to ensure the safety of...

76 FR 23485 - Safety Zone; Red River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-27

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Red River AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all waters of the Red River in the State of North..., extending the entire width of the river. This safety zone is needed to protect persons and vessels from...

75 FR 50846 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security/ALL-001...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-18

... INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions and privacy issues please contact: Mary Ellen Callahan (703-235...] Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security/ALL--001 Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Records System of Records AGENCY: Privacy Office, DHS. ACTION: Final rule...

75 FR 19250 - Safety Zone; BWRC Spring Classic, Parker, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-14

...-AA00 Safety Zone; BWRC Spring Classic, Parker, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... Spring Classic. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants... Water Resort and Casino Spring Classic, which is held on the Lake Moolvalya region on the Colorado River...

75 FR 18056 - Safety Zone; Fireworks Display, Patuxent River, Solomons Island Harbor, MD

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-09

..., DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone... necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during a fireworks display launched from... protect the maritime public in a portion of Solomons Island Harbor. DATES: This rule is effective from 7...

75 FR 52463 - Safety Zone; Raccoon Creek, Bridgeport, NJ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-26

... comment period would be contrary to the rule's objectives of ensuring safety of life on the navigable... required. This rule involves a limited-in-duration safety zone intended to protect life and property on the...-AA00 Safety Zone; Raccoon Creek, Bridgeport, NJ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule...

78 FR 39604 - Safety Zone; Northside Park Pier Fireworks Display, Assawoman Bay, Ocean City, MD

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

... Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety... protect the life and property of the maritime public and spectators from the hazards associated with...: If you have questions on this temporary rule, call or email LCDR Hector Cintron, Waterways Management...

78 FR 45059 - Safety Zone; Sherman Private Party Fireworks, Lake Michigan, Winnetka, IL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-26

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Sherman Private Party Fireworks, Lake Michigan, Winnetka, IL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake Michigan near Winnetka, IL. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake...

77 FR 62440 - Safety Zone; Wounded Warriors Benefit, Lake Erie, Huron, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-15

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Wounded Warriors Benefit, Lake Erie, Huron, OH AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Lake Erie, East Huron, Ohio. This regulation is intended to restrict vessels from portions of Lake Erie...

75 FR 19246 - Safety Zone; Desert Storm, Lake Havasu, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-14

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Desert Storm, Lake Havasu, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule... navigable waters of the Colorado River in Lake Havasu, Lake Havasu City, Arizona in support of the Desert.... Background and Purpose The Lake Racer LLC is sponsoring the Desert Storm Charity Poker Run and Exhibition Run...

77 FR 41686 - Safety Zone; Sheffield Lake Fireworks, Lake Erie, Sheffield Lake, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-16

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Sheffield Lake Fireworks, Lake Erie, Sheffield Lake, OH AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake Erie, Sheffield Lake, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie...

78 FR 21260 - Safety Zone; Lubbers Cup Regatta; Spring Lake, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-10

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Lubbers Cup Regatta; Spring Lake, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Spring Lake in Spring Lake, Michigan. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Spring Lake due to...

76 FR 38018 - Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

...-AA00 Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... the main span US 70/Morehead City-Newport River high rise bridge in Carteret County, NC. This safety...) entitled Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, North Carolina in the Federal Register (33 FR 165). We...

78 FR 34879 - Special Local Regulations for Marine Events, Atlantic City Offshore Race, Atlantic Ocean...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-11

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations for Marine Events, Atlantic City Offshore Race, Atlantic Ocean; Atlantic City, NJ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is..., held on the Atlantic Ocean, offshore of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The marine event formerly originated...

76 FR 29645 - Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-23

...-AA00 Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... the main span US 70/Morehead City--Newport River high rise bridge in Carteret County, NC. This safety... Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, North Carolina in the Federal Register (33 FR 165). We received no...

78 FR 36658 - Safety Zone; Delaware River Waterfront Corp. Fireworks Display, Delaware River; Camden, NJ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-19

... portion of the Delaware River from operating while a fireworks event is taking place. This temporary...-AA00 Safety Zone; Delaware River Waterfront Corp. Fireworks Display, Delaware River; Camden, NJ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary...

77 FR 31183 - Safety Zone, Temporary Change for Recurring Fireworks Display Within the Fifth Coast Guard...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-25

...-AA00 Safety Zone, Temporary Change for Recurring Fireworks Display Within the Fifth Coast Guard District, Pamlico River and Tar River; Washington, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... is intended to restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Pamlico River and Tar River near...

76 FR 69634 - Safety Zone; Temporary Change for Recurring Fireworks Display Within the Fifth Coast Guard...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-09

... position located on the east end of Bird Island, Wrightsville Beach, NC. * * * * * Dated: October 20, 2011... District, Wrightsville Beach, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast... recurring fireworks display event that takes place at Wrightsville Beach, NC. Safety zone regulations are...

Dissecting BMP signaling input into the gene regulatory networks driving specification of the blood stem cell lineage

PubMed Central

Kirmizitas, Arif; Meiklejohn, Stuart; Ciau-Uitz, Aldo; Stephenson, Rachel; Patient, Roger

2017-01-01

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that sustain lifelong blood production are created during embryogenesis. They emerge from a specialized endothelial population, termed hemogenic endothelium (HE), located in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta (DA). In Xenopus, we have been studying the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) required for the formation of HSCs, and critically found that the hemogenic potential is defined at an earlier time point when precursors to the DA express hematopoietic as well as endothelial genes, in the definitive hemangioblasts (DHs). The GRN for DH programming has been constructed and, here, we show that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is essential for the initiation of this GRN. BMP2, -4, and -7 are the principal ligands expressed in the lineage forming the HE. To investigate the requirement and timing of all BMP signaling in HSC ontogeny, we have used a transgenic line, which inducibly expresses an inhibitor of BMP signaling, Noggin, as well as a chemical inhibitor of BMP receptors, DMH1, and described the inputs from BMP signaling into the DH GRN and the HE, as well as into primitive hematopoiesis. BMP signaling is required in at least three points in DH programming: first to initiate the DH GRN through gata2 expression, then for kdr expression to enable the DH to respond to vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) ligand from the somites, and finally for gata2 expression in the DA, but is dispensable for HE specification after hemangioblasts have been formed. PMID:28584091

Overview of CEV Thermal Protection System Seal Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeMange, Jeff; Taylor, Shawn; Dunlap, Patrick; Steinetz, Bruce; Delgado, Irebert; Finkbeiner, Josh; Mayer, John

2009-01-01

NASA GRC supporting design, development, and implementation of numerous seal systems for the Orion CEV: a) HS-to-BS interface. b) Compression pad. HS-to-BS Interface Seal System: a) design has evolved as a result of changes with the CEV TPS. b) Seal system is currently under development/evaluation. Coupon level tests, Arc jet tests, and Validation test development. Compression Pad: a) Finalizing design options. b) Evaluating material candidates.

Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Tracking Progress in Health for Women and Children Using DHS and MICS Household Surveys

PubMed Central

Hancioglu, Attila; Arnold, Fred

2013-01-01

Household surveys are the primary data source of coverage indicators for children and women for most developing countries. Most of this information is generated by two global household survey programmes—the USAID-supported Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and the UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). In this review, we provide an overview of these two programmes, which cover a wide range of child and maternal health topics and provide estimates of many Millennium Development Goal indicators, as well as estimates of the indicators for the Countdown to 2015 initiative and the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health. MICS and DHS collaborate closely and work through interagency processes to ensure that survey tools are harmonized and comparable as far as possible, but we highlight differences between DHS and MICS in the population covered and the reference periods used to measure coverage. These differences need to be considered when comparing estimates of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health indicators across countries and over time and we discuss the implications of these differences for coverage measurement. Finally, we discuss the need for survey planners and consumers of survey results to understand the strengths, limitations, and constraints of coverage measurements generated through household surveys, and address some technical issues surrounding sampling and quality control. We conclude that, although much effort has been made to improve coverage measurement in household surveys, continuing efforts are needed, including further research to improve and refine survey methods and analytical techniques. PMID:23667333

Association of Elevated High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T(hs-cTnT) Levels with Hemorrhagic Transformation and 3-Month Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease in China

PubMed Central

Xiong, Yao; Liu, Bian; Hao, Zilong; Tao, Wendan; Liu, Ming

2016-01-01

Background and Objective Elevated levels of high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) occur in a substantial proportion of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and can predict poor outcome and mortality after stroke. Whether elevated hs-cTnT levels can also predict hemorrhagic transformation (HT) or prognosis in AIS patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains unclear. Methods Data from the Chengdu Stroke Registry on consecutive AIS patients with RHD admitted to West China Hospital within1 month of stroke onset from October 2011 to February 2014 were examined. Clinico-demographic characteristics, HT, functional outcomes and stroke recurrence were compared between patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels(≥14ng/L) and patients with normal hs-cTnT levels (<14ng/L). Results The final analysis involved 84 patients (31 males; mean age, 61.6±12.2years), of whom serum hs-cTnT levels were elevated in 58.3%. Renal impairment was independently associated with elevated hs-cTnT levels (OR 4.184, 95%CI 1.17 to 15.01, P = 0.028), and patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels were at significantly higher risk of HT, 3-month mortality and 3-month disability/mortality (all P≤0.029). After controlling for age, sex, hypertension, renal impairment and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission, the risk of HT and 3-month mortality was, respectively, 4.0- and 5.5-fold higher in patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels than in patients with normal hs-cTnT levels. Conclusion Elevated hs-cTnT levels are independently associated with HT and 3-month mortality in AIS patients with RHD. These results with a small cohort should be verified and extended in large studies. PMID:26849554

Association of Elevated High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T(hs-cTnT) Levels with Hemorrhagic Transformation and 3-Month Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease in China.

PubMed

Liu, Junfeng; Wang, Deren; Xiong, Yao; Liu, Bian; Hao, Zilong; Tao, Wendan; Liu, Ming

2016-01-01

Elevated levels of high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) occur in a substantial proportion of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and can predict poor outcome and mortality after stroke. Whether elevated hs-cTnT levels can also predict hemorrhagic transformation (HT) or prognosis in AIS patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains unclear. Data from the Chengdu Stroke Registry on consecutive AIS patients with RHD admitted to West China Hospital within 1 month of stroke onset from October 2011 to February 2014 were examined. Clinico-demographic characteristics, HT, functional outcomes and stroke recurrence were compared between patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels (≥14 ng/L) and patients with normal hs-cTnT levels (<14 ng/L). The final analysis involved 84 patients (31 males; mean age, 61.6±12.2 years), of whom serum hs-cTnT levels were elevated in 58.3%. Renal impairment was independently associated with elevated hs-cTnT levels (OR 4.184, 95%CI 1.17 to 15.01, P = 0.028), and patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels were at significantly higher risk of HT, 3-month mortality and 3-month disability/mortality (all P≤0.029). After controlling for age, sex, hypertension, renal impairment and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission, the risk of HT and 3-month mortality was, respectively, 4.0- and 5.5-fold higher in patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels than in patients with normal hs-cTnT levels. Elevated hs-cTnT levels are independently associated with HT and 3-month mortality in AIS patients with RHD. These results with a small cohort should be verified and extended in large studies.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reverse T/HS Induced Bone Marrow Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Gore, Amy V.; Bible, Letitia E.; Livingston, David H.; Mohr, Alicia M.; Sifri, Ziad C.

2015-01-01

Intro Lung contusion (LC) followed by hemorrhagic shock (HS) causes persistent bone marrow (BM) dysfunction lasting up to seven days after injury. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent cells that can hasten healing as well as exert protective immunomodulatory effects. We hypothesize that MSC can attenuate BM dysfunction following combined LCHS. Materials and Methods Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n=5-6/group) underwent LC+45 minutes of HS (MAP of 30-35). Allogeneic MSCs (5 × 106 cells) were injected IV following resuscitation. At seven days, BM was analyzed for cellularity and growth of hematopoetic progenitor cell (HPC) colonies (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-GEMM). Flow cytometry measured %HPCs in peripheral blood (PB); plasma G-CSF levels were measured via ELISA. Data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test. Results As previously shown, at seven days, LCHS resulted in 22, 30, and 24% decreases in CFU-GEMM, BFU-E and CFU-E colony growth respectively vs. naïve. Treatment with MSCs returned all BM parameters to naïve levels. There was no difference in %HPCs in PB between groups, however, G-CSF remained elevated up to seven days following LCHS. MSCs returned G-CSF to naïve levels. Plasma from animals receiving MSCs was not suppressive to the BM. Conclusion One week following injury, the persistent BM dysfunction seen in animals undergoing LCHS is reversed by treatment with MSCs with an associated return of plasma G-CSF levels to normal. Plasma from animals undergoing LCHS+MSCs was not suppressive to BM cells in vitro. Treatment with MSCs following injury and shock reverses BM suppression and returns plasma G-CSF levels to normal. PMID:26193832

Altered Expression of Genes in Signaling Pathways Regulating Proliferation of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Mice with Subchronic Benzene Exposure

PubMed Central

Sun, Rongli; Zhang, Juan; Xiong, Mengzhen; Wei, Haiyan; Tan, Kehong; Yin, Lihong; Pu, Yuepu

2015-01-01

Leukemias and hematopoietic disorders induced by benzene may arise from the toxicity of benzene to hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells (HS/PCs). Since there is a latency period between initial benzene exposure and the development of leukemia, subsequent impact of benzene on HS/PCs are crucial for a deeper understanding of the carcinogenicity and hematotoxicity in post-exposure stage. This study aims to explore the effects of benzene on HS/PCs and gene-expression in Wnt, Notch and Hh signaling pathways in post-exposure stage. The C3H/He mice were injected subcutaneously with benzene (0, 150, 300 mg/kg/day) for three months and were monitored for another 10 months post-exposure. The body weights were monitored, the relative organ weights, blood parameters and bone marrow smears were examined. Frequency of lineage- sca-1+ c-kit+ (LSK) cells, capability of colony forming and expression of genes in Wnt, Notch and Hedghog (Hh) signaling pathways were also analyzed. The colony formation of the progenitor cells for BFU-E, CFU-GEMM and CFU-GM was significantly decreased with increasing benzene exposure relative to controls, while no significant difference was observed in colonies for CFU-G and CFU-M. The mRNA level of cyclin D1 was increased and Notch1 and p53 were decreased in LSK cells in mice exposed to benzene but with no statistical significance. These results suggest that subsequent toxic effects of benzene on LSK cells and gene expression in Wnt, Notch and Hh signaling pathways persist in post-exposure stage and may play roles in benzene-induced hematotoxicity. PMID:26262635

Altered Expression of Genes in Signaling Pathways Regulating Proliferation of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Mice with Subchronic Benzene Exposure.

PubMed

Sun, Rongli; Zhang, Juan; Xiong, Mengzhen; Wei, Haiyan; Tan, Kehong; Yin, Lihong; Pu, Yuepu

2015-08-07

Leukemias and hematopoietic disorders induced by benzene may arise from the toxicity of benzene to hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells (HS/PCs). Since there is a latency period between initial benzene exposure and the development of leukemia, subsequent impact of benzene on HS/PCs are crucial for a deeper understanding of the carcinogenicity and hematotoxicity in post-exposure stage. This study aims to explore the effects of benzene on HS/PCs and gene-expression in Wnt, Notch and Hh signaling pathways in post-exposure stage. The C3H/He mice were injected subcutaneously with benzene (0, 150, 300 mg/kg/day) for three months and were monitored for another 10 months post-exposure. The body weights were monitored, the relative organ weights, blood parameters and bone marrow smears were examined. Frequency of lineage(-) sca-1(+) c-kit(+) (LSK) cells, capability of colony forming and expression of genes in Wnt, Notch and Hedghog (Hh) signaling pathways were also analyzed. The colony formation of the progenitor cells for BFU-E, CFU-GEMM and CFU-GM was significantly decreased with increasing benzene exposure relative to controls, while no significant difference was observed in colonies for CFU-G and CFU-M. The mRNA level of cyclin D1 was increased and Notch 1 and p53 were decreased in LSK cells in mice exposed to benzene but with no statistical significance. These results suggest that subsequent toxic effects of benzene on LSK cells and gene expression in Wnt, Notch and Hh signaling pathways persist in post-exposure stage and may play roles in benzene-induced hematotoxicity.

Advanced method optimization for volatile aroma profiling of beer using two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Stefanuto, Pierre-Hugues; Perrault, Katelynn A; Dubois, Lena M; L'Homme, Benjamin; Allen, Catherine; Loughnane, Caitriona; Ochiai, Nobuo; Focant, Jean-François

2017-07-21

The complex mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the headspace of Trappist and craft beers was studied to illustrate the efficiency of thermal desorption (TD) comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) for highlighting subtle differences between highly complex mixtures of VOCs. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), multiple (and classical) stir bar sorptive extraction (mSBSE), static headspace (SHS), and dynamic headspace (DHS) were compared for the extraction of a set of 21 representative flavor compounds of beer aroma. A Box-Behnken surface response methodology experimental design optimization (DOE) was used for convex hull calculation (Delaunay's triangulation algorithms) of peak dispersion in the chromatographic space. The predicted value of 0.5 for the ratio between the convex hull and the available space was 10% higher than the experimental value, demonstrating the usefulness of the approach to improve optimization of the GC×GC separation. Chemical variations amongst aligned chromatograms were studied by means of Fisher Ratio (FR) determination and F-distribution threshold filtration at different significance levels (α=0.05 and 0.01) and based on z-score normalized area for data reduction. Statistically significant compounds were highlighted following principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The dendrogram structure not only provided clear visual information about similarities between products but also permitted direct identification of the chemicals and their relative weight in clustering. The effective coupling of DHS-TD-GC×GC-TOFMS with PCA and HCA was able to highlight the differences and common typical VOC patterns among 24 samples of different Trappist and selected Canadian craft beers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Induction of gynogenetic and androgenetic haploid and doubled haploid development in the brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus 1758).

PubMed

Michalik, O; Dobosz, S; Zalewski, T; Sapota, M; Ocalewicz, K

2015-04-01

Gynogenetic and androgenetic brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus 1758) haploids (Hs) and doubled haploids (DHs) were produced in the present research. Haploid development was induced by radiation-induced genetic inactivation of spermatozoa (gynogenesis) or eggs (androgenesis) before insemination. To provide DHs, gynogenetic and androgenetic haploid zygotes were subjected to the high pressure shock to suppress the first mitotic cleavage. Among haploids, gynogenetic embryos were showing lower mortality when compared to the androgenetic embryos; however, most of them die before the first feeding stage. Gynogenetic doubled haploids provided in the course of the brown trout eggs activation performed by homologous and heterologous sperm (rainbow trout) were developing equally showing hatching rates of 14.76 ± 2.4% and 16.14 ± 2.90% and the survival rates at the first feeding stage of 10.48 ± 3.48% and 12.78 ± 2.18%, respectively. Significantly, lower survival rate was observed among androgenetic progenies from the diploid groups with only few specimens that survived to the first feeding stage. Cytogenetic survey showed that among embryos from the diploid variants of the research, only gynogenetic individuals possessed doubled sets of chromosomes. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that radiation employed for the genetic inactivation of the brown trout eggs misaligned mechanism responsible for the cell divisions and might have delayed or even arrested the first mitotic cleavage in the androgenetic brown trout zygotes. Moreover, protocol for the radiation-induced inactivation of the paternal and maternal genome should be adjusted as some of the cytogenetically surveyed gynogenetic and androgenetic embryos exhibited fragments of the irradiated chromosomes. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

77 FR 32655 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-01

... Officer, Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee, Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Lane..., DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee, Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Lane SW... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2012-0029] DHS Data...

Tissue engineering approaches for studying the effect of biochemical and physiological stimuli on cell behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez Vergara, Andrea Carolina

Tissue engineering (TE) approaches have emerged as an alternative to traditional tissue and organ replacements. The aim of this work was to contribute to the understanding of the effects of cell-material and endothelial cell (EC) paracrine signaling on cell responses using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels as a material platform. Three TE applications were explored. First, the effect of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) identity was evaluated for vocal fold restoration. Second, the influence of GAG identity was explored and a novel approach for stable endothelialization was developed for vascular graft applications. Finally, EC paracrine signaling in the presence of cyclic stretch, and hydrophobicity and inorganic content were studied for osteogenic applications. In terms of vocal fold restoration, it was found that vocal fold fibroblast (VFF) phenotype and extracellular matrix (ECM) production were impacted by GAG identity. VFF phenotype was preserved in long-term cultured hydrogels containing high molecular weight hyaluronan (HAHMW). Furthermore, collagen I deposition, fibronectin production and smooth muscle α-actin (SM-α-actin) expression in PEG-HA, PEG-chondroitin sulfate C and PEG-heparan sulfate (HS) gels suggest that CSC and HS may be undesirable for vocal fold implants. Regarding vascular graft applications, the impact of GAG identity on smooth muscle cell (SMC) foam cell formation was explored. Results support the increasing body of literature that suggests a critical role for dermatan sulfate (DS)-bearing proteoglycans in early atherosclerosis. In addition, an approach for fabricating bi-layered tissue engineering vascular grafts (TEVGs) with stable endothelialization was validated using PEGDA as an intercellular “cementing” agent between adjacent endothelial cells (ECs). Finally, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation toward osteogenic like cells was evaluated. ECM and cell phenotypic data showed that elevated scaffold inorganic content and hydrophobicity were indeed correlated with increased osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, the present results suggest that EC paracrine signaling enhances MSC osteogenesis in the presence of cyclic stretch.

Job satisfaction and job content in Dutch dental hygienists.

PubMed

Jerković-Ćosić, K; van Offenbeek, M A G; van der Schans, C P

2012-08-01

This study compares the scope of practice of Dutch dental hygienists (DHs) educated through a 2- or 3-year curriculum ('old-style DHs') with that of hygienists educated through a new extended 4-year curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree ('new-style DHs'), with the aim to investigate whether an extended scope of practice positively affects perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction. The questionnaires were obtained from old- and new-style DHs (n = 413, response 38%; n = 219, response 59%, respectively), in which respondents had recorded their dental tasks, perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction. T -tests were used to analyse differences between old- and new-style DHs, and regression analyses were performed to assess the relation between scope of practice and skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction. New-style DHs have a more extended scope of practice compared with old-style DHs. Despite their more complex jobs, which are theoretically related to higher job satisfaction, new-style DHs perceive lower autonomy and job satisfaction (P < 0.05). Skill variety is the strongest predictor for DHs' job satisfaction (β = 0.462), followed by autonomy (β = 0.202) and caries decisive tasks, the last affecting job satisfaction negatively (β = -0.149). Self-employment is the strongest significant predictor for autonomy (β = 0.272). The core business of DHs remains the prevention and periodontology services. New-style DHs combine these tasks with extended tasks in the caries field, which can lead to comparatively less job satisfaction, because of a lower experienced autonomy in performing these extended tasks. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

78 FR 51197 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2013-0055] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on September 12, 2013, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The...

77 FR 60131 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2012-0052] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on November 7, 2012, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The...

76 FR 70464 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-14

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2011-0105] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on December 6, 2011, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The...

78 FR 75930 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-13

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2013-0080] DHS Data... of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will meet on January 30, 2014, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The...

77 FR 60130 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for Review; Information Collection Extension...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-02

... SAFETY Act Certification (DHS Form 10007); (10) SAFETY Act Block Designation Application (DHS Form 10005); and (11) SAFETY Act Block Certification Application (DHS Form 10004). DATES: Comments are encouraged... chain. The Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) currently has...

Interactions of signaling proteins, growth factors and other proteins with heparan sulfate: mechanisms and mysteries.

PubMed

Billings, Paul C; Pacifici, Maurizio

2015-01-01

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a component of cell surface and matrix-associated proteoglycans (HSPGs) that, collectively, play crucial roles in many physiologic processes including cell differentiation, organ morphogenesis and cancer. A key function of HS is to bind and interact with signaling proteins, growth factors, plasma proteins, immune-modulators and other factors. In doing so, the HS chains and HSPGs are able to regulate protein distribution, bio-availability and action on target cells and can also serve as cell surface co-receptors, facilitating ligand-receptor interactions. These proteins contain an HS/heparin-binding domain (HBD) that mediates their association and contacts with HS. HBDs are highly diverse in sequence and predicted structure, contain clusters of basic amino acids (Lys and Arg) and possess an overall net positive charge, most often within a consensus Cardin-Weintraub (CW) motif. Interestingly, other domains and residues are now known to influence protein-HS interactions, as well as interactions with other glycosaminoglycans, such as chondroitin sulfate. In this review, we provide a description and analysis of HBDs in proteins including amphiregulin, fibroblast growth factor family members, heparanase, sclerostin and hedgehog protein family members. We discuss HBD structural and functional features and important roles carried out by other protein domains, and also provide novel conformational insights into the diversity of CW motifs present in Sonic, Indian and Desert hedgehogs. Finally, we review progress in understanding the pathogenesis of a rare pediatric skeletal disorder, Hereditary Multiple Exostoses (HME), characterized by HS deficiency and cartilage tumor formation. Advances in understanding protein-HS interactions will have broad implications for basic biology and translational medicine as well as for the development of HS-based therapeutics.

77 FR 56549 - Safety Zone; Blue Angels at Kaneohe Bay Air Show, Oahu, HI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-13

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket Number USCG-2012-0739] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Blue Angels at Kaneohe Bay Air Show, Oahu, HI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone while the U.S. Navy...

78 FR 54168 - Special Local Regulation, Cumberland River, Mile 157.0 to 159.0; Ashland City, TN

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-03

... local regulation will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities... Local Regulation, Cumberland River, Mile 157.0 to 159.0; Ashland City, TN AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local...

77 FR 63720 - Special Local Regulations; 2012 Ironman 70.3 Miami, Biscayne Bay; Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-17

.... The economic impact of this rule is not significant for the following reasons: (1) The special local...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; 2012 Ironman 70.3 Miami, Biscayne Bay; Miami, FL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a special local regulation...

77 FR 44259 - Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Record of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-27

... Decision for Northern Border Activities AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS. ACTION: Notice of... Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and Draft Record of Decision (ROD) for Northern Border Activities are now... Washington and 100 miles south of the U.S.-Canada Border. A Draft ROD announcing CBP's decision concerning...

75 FR 33999 - Safety Zone; Fourth of July Fireworks Event, Cape Charles City Harbor, Cape Charles, VA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-16

...: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a 420-foot..., and falling hot embers or other debris, vessel traffic will be temporarily restricted within 420 feet... navigable waters of the Cape Charles City Harbor within the area bounded by a 420-foot radius circle...

75 FR 34929 - Safety Zones: Neptune Deep Water Port, Atlantic Ocean, Boston, MA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-21

...-AA00 Safety Zones: Neptune Deep Water Port, Atlantic Ocean, Boston, MA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION..., Boston, MA; Final Rule (USCG-2009-0589), to protect vessels from the hazard posed by the presence of the... read as follows: Sec. 165.T01-0542 Safety Zones: Neptune Deepwater Port, Atlantic Ocean, Boston, MA. (a...

76 FR 35106 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-16

...-AA00 Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago..., DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a permanent safety zone from Brandon... Safety Zones; Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary...

77 FR 42649 - Safety Zone: Sea World San Diego Fireworks, Mission Bay; San Diego, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket Number USCG-2012-0497] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zone: Sea World San Diego Fireworks, Mission Bay; San Diego, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on...

77 FR 67563 - Regulated Navigation Area-New Haven Harbor, Quinnipiac River, Mill River, New Haven, CT; Pearl...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-13

...; Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (Interstate 95) Construction AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule... construction of the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, and which could be needed at other times as well. This..., call or email Petty Officer Joseph Graun, Prevention Department, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island...

77 FR 6954 - Special Local Regulations; Safety and Security Zones; Recurring Events in Captain of the Port...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-10

... Events in Captain of the Port Long Island Sound Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule... Sector Long Island Sound Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone. These limited access areas include special... Sector Long Island Sound, telephone 203-468- 4544, email [email protected] . If you have questions...

Improving the Current DHS Capabilities Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

80 4. Pros and Cons .....................................................................................80 5. Performance Measurement... pros and cons . The chapter also provides a graphic of the proposed framework. • Chapter V – “The Road Ahead.” This chapter discovers and suggests...wheels, tires, tire pattern, tire width, and height to complement achieving the outcome. Finally, Jim considered the pros and cons of his new

78 FR 24047 - Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program, Part 2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-24

... Employment and Training Administration 20 CFR Part 655 RIN 1205-AB69 Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H- 2B Program, Part 2 AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS. ACTION: Interim final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: The...

76 FR 20530 - Safety Zone; Boom Days, Buffalo Outer Harbor, Buffalo, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

...[deg]51'47.61'' W (NAD 83). (b) Effective period. This regulation will be effective and the safety zone...-AA00 Safety Zone; Boom Days, Buffalo Outer Harbor, Buffalo, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the Buffalo Outer...

76 FR 34862 - Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-15

...-AA00 Safety Zone; M/V DAVY CROCKETT, Columbia River AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard is extending the enforcement of a safety zone established on the... original safety zone was established on January 28, 2011. The safety zone is necessary to help ensure the...

76 FR 1521 - Security Zone: Fleet Industrial Supply Center Pier, San Diego, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0423] RIN 1625-AA87 Security Zone: Fleet Industrial Supply Center Pier, San Diego, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is removing a security zone on the navigable waters of San Diego...

78 FR 48609 - Safety Zone; James River; Newport News, VA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-09

...-AA00 Safety Zone; James River; Newport News, VA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule...-0670 to read as follows: Sec. 165.T05-0670 Safety Zone, James River, Newport News, VA. (a) Definitions...'11'' N longitude 076[deg]38'40'' W, located near Fort Eustis in Newport News, VA. (c) Regulations. (1...

77 FR 54813 - Safety Zone; Head of the Cuyahoga, U.S. Rowing Masters Head Race National Championship, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-06

... Dragon Boat Festival, Cuyahoga River, Cleveland, OH AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... Dragon Boat Festival. This safety zone is necessary to protect spectators, participants, and vessels from... conjunction with the HOTC, the Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival will take place just north of the Detroit...

77 FR 73334 - Adding International Energy Efficiency (IEE) Certificate to List of Certificates a Recognized...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-10

... Classification Society May Issue AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is...) Certificate to the list of certificates that a recognized classification society may issue on behalf of the... January 1, 2013. This rule will enable recognized classification societies to apply to the Coast Guard to...

77 FR 10960 - Security Zone, East River and Bronx Kill; Randalls and Wards Islands, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

...-AA87 Security Zone, East River and Bronx Kill; Randalls and Wards Islands, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone on the... security zone is necessary to ensure the safety of the President of the United States, members of his...

78 FR 39592 - Safety Zone, Tennessee River, Mile 625.5 to 626.5

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

... Zone, Tennessee River, Mile 625.5 to 626.5 AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the waters of the Tennessee River beginning at mile marker 625.5 and ending at mile marker 626.5, extending bank to bank. This zone is...

75 FR 43821 - Safety Zone; DEEPWATER HORIZON Response Staging Area in the Vicinity of Shell Beach, Hopedale, LA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-27

...: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The New Orleans Captain of the Port (COTP... rule, call or e-mail Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Marty Daniels, Sector New Orleans, Coast Guard... New Orleans. Small Entities Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612), we have...

77 FR 50376 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW); Wrightsville Beach, NC...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

...; Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear River; Wilmington, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule... Beach, NC; the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge across the Cape Fear River, mile 26.8; and the Isabel S. Holmes Bridge across the Northeast Cape Fear River, mile 1.0; both in Wilmington, NC. The modification will...

78 FR 36424 - Special Local Regulations for Summer Events; Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-18

... Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations for three summer events within the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone. This rule is intended to provide for the safety of life and property on navigable waters immediately prior to...

78 FR 33219 - Special Local Regulations; Swim Across the Potomac, Potomac River; National Harbor Access Channel...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-04

... Channel, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is... provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Potomac River during the event. DATES: This rule is...

78 FR 40391 - Special Local Regulations; Dinghy Poker Run, Middle River; Baltimore County, Essex, MD

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-05

... the rule is to ensure safety of life on navigable waters of the United States during the Dinghy Poker...: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish special... River. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable...

78 FR 36662 - Safety Zone; Fairport Harbor Mardi Gras, Lake Erie, Fairport, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-19

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Fairport Harbor Mardi Gras, Lake Erie, Fairport, OH AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake Erie, Fairport Harbor, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie during...

77 FR 39638 - Safety Zone; Barbara Harder Wedding Fireworks, Lake Erie, Lake View, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-05

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Barbara Harder Wedding Fireworks, Lake Erie, Lake View, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake Erie, Lake View, NY. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie...

77 FR 37321 - Safety Zone, Barrel Recovery, Lake Superior; Duluth, MN

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-21

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Barrel Recovery, Lake Superior; Duluth, MN AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... suspected to contain munitions waste materials which were dumped in the 1960's in a portion of Lake Superior... offshore in a portion of Lake Superior approximately 50 years ago. C. Discussion of the Final Rule The...

77 FR 62442 - Safety Zone; Oregon City Bridge Grand Opening Fireworks Display; Willamette River, Oregon City, OR

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-15

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Oregon City Bridge Grand Opening Fireworks Display; Willamette River, Oregon City, OR AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the Willamette River between the Oregon City Bridge and the Interstate 205 Bridge...

76 FR 67385 - Claims Procedures Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-01

...-AA03 Claims Procedures Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of... finalize a 1992 interim rule that set forth the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA'90) claims procedures and... Pollution Funds Center, U.S. Coast Guard, telephone (202) 493-6863, email [email protected] . If you...

76 FR 11254 - Submission for Review; Information Collection Extension Request for the DHS S&T First Responders...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2011-0008] Submission for Review; Information... Homeland Security (DHS) invites the general public to comment on the data collection form for the DHS... select authorized non-first responder users to facilitate networking and formation of online communities...

76 FR 61725 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Case Submission Form, Case Assistance Form; (Form DHS...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-05

..., Case Assistance Form; (Form DHS-7001), Online Ombudsman Form DHS-7001 AGENCY: Office of the Citizenship... System'' to ``Online Ombudsman Form DHS-7001''. The instructions have been updated to reflect the... Services Ombudsman--001 Virtual Ombudsman System (March 2010) to reflect the name change to Online...

Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of humic substances from a compost amended copper contaminated soil: main features and their potential effects on Cu immobilization.

PubMed

Medina, Jorge; Monreal, Carlos; Chabot, Denise; Meier, Sebastián; González, María Eugenia; Morales, Esteban; Parillo, Rita; Borie, Fernando; Cornejo, Pablo

2017-06-01

We characterized humic substances (HS) extracted from a Cu-contaminated soil without compost addition (C) or amended with a wheat straw-based compost (WSC) (H1), co-composted with Fe 2 O 3 (H2), or co-composted with an allophane-rich soil (H3). Extracted HS were characterized under electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (X-EDS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In addition, HS extracted from WSC (H4) were characterized at pH 4.0 and 8.0 with descriptive purposes. At pH 4.0, globular structures of H4 were observed, some of them aggregating within a large network. Contrariwise, at pH 8.0, long tubular and disaggregated structures prevailed. TEM microscopy suggests organo-mineral interactions at scales of 1 to 200 nm with iron oxide nanoparticles. HS extracted from soil-compost incubations showed interactions at nanoscale with minerals and crystal compounds into the organic matrix of HS. Bands associated to acidic functional groups of HS may suggest potential sorption interactions with transition metals. We conclude that metal ions and pH have an important role controlling the morphology and configuration of HS from WSC. Characterization of H4 extracted from WSC showed that physicochemical protection of HS could be present in composting systems treated with inorganic materials. Finally, the humified fractions obtained from compost-amended soils may have an important effect on metal-retention, supporting their potential use in metal-contaminated soils.

Four subunits that are shared by the three classes of RNA polymerase are functionally interchangeable between Homo sapiens and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed Central

Shpakovski, G V; Acker, J; Wintzerith, M; Lacroix, J F; Thuriaux, P; Vigneron, M

1995-01-01

Four cDNAs encoding human polypeptides hRPB7.0, hRPB7.6, hRPB17, and hRPB14.4 (referred to as Hs10 alpha, Hs10 beta, Hs8, and Hs6, respectively), homologous to the ABC10 alpha, ABC10 beta, ABC14.5, and ABC23 RNA polymerase subunits (referred to as Sc10 alpha, Sc10 beta, Sc8, and Sc6, respectively) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were cloned and characterized for their ability to complement defective yeast mutants. Hs10 alpha and the corresponding Sp10 alpha of Schizosaccharomyces pombe can complement an S. cerevisiae mutant (rpc10-delta::HIS3) defective in Sc10 alpha. The peptide sequences are highly conserved in their carboxy-terminal halves, with an invariant motif CX2CX12RCX2CGXR corresponding to a canonical zinc-binding domain. Hs10 beta, Sc10 beta, and the N subunit of archaeal RNA polymerase are homologous. An invariant CX2CGXnCCR motif presumably forms an atypical zinc-binding domain. Hs10 beta, but not the archaeal subunit, complemented an S. cerevisiae mutant (rpb10-delta 1::HIS3) lacking Sc10 beta. Hs8 complemented a yeast mutant (rpb8-delta 1::LYS2) defective in the corresponding Sc8 subunit, although with a strong thermosensitive phenotype. Interspecific complementation also occurred with Hs6 and with the corresponding Dm6 cDNA of Drosophila melanogaster. Hs6 cDNA and the Sp6 cDNA of S. pombe are dosage-dependent suppressors of rpo21-4, a mutation generating a slowly growing yeast defective in the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. Finally, a doubly chimeric S. cerevisiae strain bearing the Sp6 cDNA and the human Hs10 beta cDNA was also viable. No interspecific complementation was observed for the human hRPB25 (Hs5) homolog of the yeast ABC27 (Sc5) subunit. PMID:7651387

Trading Habitat Patches for the Red Cockaded Woodpecker: Incorporating the Role of Landscape Structure and Uncertainty in Decision Making

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-11

to 35 cm dbh 2b. basal area of pines 25.4 to 35 cm dbh between 0 and 9.2 m2/ha PS1, PS4 , PS12 Small Pines No. pine stems/ha < 25.4 cm dbh...1Model A p-value Adj R2 AIC Fit = 2.50 + 0.0079 PS1 – 0.036 PM1 – 0.0102 PS4 – 0.019 HS12 0.063 0.033 426 Parameter p-value t-value Intercept...0.0001 8.23 PS1 0.125 1.54 PM1 0.038 -2.10 PS4 0.107 -1.62 HS12 0.063 -1.88 Model A – Most Parsimonious p-value Adj R2 AIC Fit = 2.02 – 0.03 PM1

Trading Habitat Patches for the Red Cockaded Woodpecker: Incorporating the Role of Landscape Structure and Uncertainty in Decision Making

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-11

basal area of pines 25.4 to 35 cm dbh between 0 and 9.2 m2/ha PS1, PS4 , PS12 Small Pines No. pine stems/ha < 25.4 cm dbh NA HL1, HL4...value Adj R2 AIC Fit = 2.50 + 0.0079 PS1 – 0.036 PM1 – 0.0102 PS4 – 0.019 HS12 0.063 0.033 426 Parameter p-value t-value Intercept ɘ.0001 8.23 PS1...0.125 1.54 PM1 0.038 -2.10 PS4 0.107 -1.62 HS12 0.063 -1.88 Model A – Most Parsimonious p-value Adj R2 AIC Fit = 2.02 – 0.03 PM1 0.053 0.018 427

75 FR 69688 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Various Contract Related Forms That Will Be Included in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-15

... Forms That Will Be Included in the Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation, DHS Form 0700-01, DHS Form 0700-02, DHS Form 0700-03, DHS FORM 0700-04 AGENCY: Office of Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisition..., Acquisition Policy and Legislation Office, will submit the following Information Collection Request (ICR) to...

8 CFR 208.5 - Special duties toward aliens in custody of DHS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Special duties toward aliens in custody of DHS. 208.5 Section 208.5 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IMMIGRATION... duties toward aliens in custody of DHS. (a) General. When an alien in the custody of DHS requests asylum...

Additional diagnostic and prognostic value of copeptin ultra-sensitive for diagnosis of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction in older patients presenting to the emergency department.

PubMed

Bahrmann, Philipp; Bahrmann, Anke; Breithardt, Ole-A; Daniel, Werner G; Christ, Michael; Sieber, Cornel C; Bertsch, Thomas

2013-06-01

Identifying older patients with non-ST- elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) within the very large proportion with elevated high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) is a diagnostic challenge because they often present without clear symptoms or electrocardiographic features of acute coronary syndrome to the emergency department (ED). We prospectively investigated the diagnostic and prognostic performance of copeptin ultra-sensitive (copeptin-us) and hs-cTnT compared to hs-cTnT alone for NSTEMI at prespecified cut-offs in unselected older patients. We consecutively enrolled 306 non-surgical patients ≥70 years presenting to the ED. In addition to clinical examination, copeptin-us and hs-cTnT were measured at admission. Two cardiologists independently adjudicated the final diagnosis of NSTEMI after reviewing all available data. All patients were followed up for cardiovascular-related death within the following 12 months. NSTEMI was diagnosed in 38 (12%) patients (age 81±6 years). The combination of copeptin-us ≥14 pmol/L and hs-cTnT ≥0.014 µg/L compared to hs-cTnT ≥0.014 µg/L alone had a positive predictive value of 21% vs. 19% to rule in NSTEMI. The combination of copeptin-us <14 pmol/L and hs-cTnT <0.014 µg/L compared to hs-cTnT <0.014 µg/L alone had a negative predictive value of 100% vs. 99% to rule out NSTEMI. Hs-cTnT ≥0.014 µg/L alone was significantly associated with outcome. When copeptin-us ≥14 pmol/L was added, the net reclassification improvement for outcome was not significant (p=0.809). In unselected older patients presenting to the ED, the additional use of copeptin-us at predefined cut-offs may help to reliably rule out NSTEMI but may not help to increase predicted risk for outcome compared to hs-cTnT alone.

20 CFR 655.855 - What notice shall be given to the Employment and Training Administration and the DHS of the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... and the DHS of the decision regarding violations? (a) The Administrator shall notify the DHS and ETA... notify the DHS and ETA upon the earliest of the following events: (1) Where the Administrator determines....810(f). (d) ETA, upon receipt of the Administrator's notice pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section...

Severe pain as a possible cause of dropped head syndrome that was attenuated after amputation of an ischemic lower limb.

PubMed

Maki, Satoshi; Koda, Masao; Furuya, Takeo; Takahashi, Kazuhisa; Yamazaki, Masashi

2016-03-02

Dropped head syndrome (DHS) is defined as weakness of the neck extensor muscles causing a correctable chin-on-the-chest deformity. Here we report the case of a patient with severe pain from lower leg ischemia showing DHS whose symptoms were attenuated by pain relief after amputation of the severely ischemic lower leg. To our knowledge this is the first report indicating that severe pain can cause DHS. A 64-year-old Asian woman was referred to our department with a 1-month history of DHS. She also suffered from severe right foot pain because of limb ischemia. She began to complain of DHS as her gangrenous foot pain worsened. She had neck pain and difficulty with forward gaze. We found no clinical or laboratory findings of neuromuscular disorder or isolated neck extensor myopathy. We amputated her leg below the knee because of progressive foot gangrene. Her severe foot pain resolved after the surgery and her DHS was attenuated. Severe pain can cause DHS. If a patient with DHS has severe pain in another part of the body, we recommend considering aggressive pain relief as a treatment option.

Fetal Heart Sounds Detection Using Wavelet Transform and Fractal Dimension

PubMed Central

Koutsiana, Elisavet; Hadjileontiadis, Leontios J.; Chouvarda, Ioanna; Khandoker, Ahsan H.

2017-01-01

Phonocardiography is a non-invasive technique for the detection of fetal heart sounds (fHSs). In this study, analysis of fetal phonocardiograph (fPCG) signals, in order to achieve fetal heartbeat segmentation, is proposed. The proposed approach (namely WT–FD) is a wavelet transform (WT)-based method that combines fractal dimension (FD) analysis in the WT domain for the extraction of fHSs from the underlying noise. Its adoption in this field stems from its successful use in the fields of lung and bowel sounds de-noising analysis. The efficiency of the WT–FD method in fHS extraction has been evaluated with 19 simulated fHS signals, created for the present study, with additive noise up to (3 dB), along with the simulated fPCGs database available at PhysioBank. Results have shown promising performance in the identification of the correct location and morphology of the fHSs, reaching an overall accuracy of 89% justifying the efficacy of the method. The WT–FD approach effectively extracts the fHS signals from the noisy background, paving the way for testing it in real fHSs and clearly contributing to better evaluation of the fetal heart functionality. PMID:28944222

Hybrid maize breeding with doubled haploids: I. One-stage versus two-stage selection for testcross performance.

PubMed

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

2006-03-01

Optimum allocation of resources is of fundamental importance for the efficiency of breeding programs. The objectives of our study were to (1) determine the optimum allocation for the number of lines and test locations in hybrid maize breeding with doubled haploids (DHs) regarding two optimization criteria, the selection gain deltaG(k) and the probability P(k) of identifying superior genotypes, (2) compare both optimization criteria including their standard deviations (SDs), and (3) investigate the influence of production costs of DHs on the optimum allocation. For different budgets, number of finally selected lines, ratios of variance components, and production costs of DHs, the optimum allocation of test resources under one- and two-stage selection for testcross performance with a given tester was determined by using Monte Carlo simulations. In one-stage selection, lines are tested in field trials in a single year. In two-stage selection, optimum allocation of resources involves evaluation of (1) a large number of lines in a small number of test locations in the first year and (2) a small number of the selected superior lines in a large number of test locations in the second year, thereby maximizing both optimization criteria. Furthermore, to have a realistic chance of identifying a superior genotype, the probability P(k) of identifying superior genotypes should be greater than 75%. For budgets between 200 and 5,000 field plot equivalents, P(k) > 75% was reached only for genotypes belonging to the best 5% of the population. As the optimum allocation for P(k)(5%) was similar to that for deltaG(k), the choice of the optimization criterion was not crucial. The production costs of DHs had only a minor effect on the optimum number of locations and on values of the optimization criteria.

75 FR 38019 - Safety Zone; Fixed Mooring Balls, South of Barbers Pt. Harbor Channel, Oahu, HI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0457] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Fixed Mooring Balls, South of Barbers Pt. Harbor Channel, Oahu, HI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: Due to the placement of six fixed mooring balls in an...

75 FR 43823 - Safety Zone; He'eia Kea Small Boat Harbor, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, HI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0458] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; He'eia Kea Small Boat Harbor, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, HI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary Final Rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in He'eia Kea Small...

78 FR 29023 - Safety Zones; Annual Firework Displays Within the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound Area of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-17

... Responsibility AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is adding three new fireworks events and correcting the location of five existing events outlined in 33 CFR 165.1332 to ensure... also adds three new firework display locations, and changes the title of the rule to accurately reflect...

75 FR 53193 - Safety Zone; Mississippi River, Mile 427.3 to 427.5

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-31

... Zone; Mississippi River, Mile 427.3 to 427.5 AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule... River, Mile 427.3 to 427.5, extending the entire width of the river. This safety zone is needed to... 5, 2010 the City of Keithsburg will be conducting a fireworks display at mile 427.4 on the Upper...

77 FR 33094 - Safety Zone; International Bridge 50th Anniversary Celebration Fireworks, St. Mary's River, U.S...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-05

.... Army Corps of Engineers Locks, Sault Sainte Marie, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... Fireworks, St Mary's River, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Locks, Sault Sainte Marie, MI; in the Federal... celebration, fireworks will be launched from the northeast pier of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Soo Locks...

77 FR 49351 - Safety Zone; Port Huron Float-Down, St. Clair River, Port Huron, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-16

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Port Huron Float-Down, St. Clair River, Port Huron, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the St. Clair River, Port Huron, MI. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the St. Clair...

76 FR 23189 - Safety Zone; Pensacola Bay; Pensacola, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-26

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Pensacola Bay; Pensacola, FL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for a portion of Pensacola Bay including...[deg]17'20.31'' W, 30[deg]20'41.51'' N 087[deg]15'01.15'' W, and 30[deg]20'11.76'' N 087[deg]15'01.18...

77 FR 65816 - Safety Zone; Large Cruise Ships; Lower Mississippi River, Southwest Pass Sea Buoy to Mile Marker...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-31

... Marker 96.0; New Orleans, LA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is... the Port of New Orleans Cruise Ship Terminal, mile marker 96.0, and the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy. The... Commander (LCDR) Brandon Sullivan, Sector New Orleans, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 504-365-2280, email...

78 FR 261 - Moving Security Zone Around Escorted Vessels on the Lower Mississippi River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-03

... Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Captain of the Port of New Orleans (COTP New... of the COTP New Orleans or the on-scene Coast Guard or enforcement agency asset to enter the security... COTP New Orleans or the on-scene asset. The COTP New Orleans will inform the public of the existence or...

78 FR 48311 - Special Local Regulations; Regattas and Marine Parades in the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-08

... Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is amending special local regulations for annual regattas and marine parades in the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone. This rule is intended to provide for the safety of life and property on navigable waters immediately prior to, during...

77 FR 56115 - Safety Zone for Fireworks Display, Potomac River, National Harbor Access Channel; Oxon Hill, MD

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-12

..., MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a... safety of life on navigable waters during a fireworks display launched from a floating platform located... zone is intended to protect the maritime public in a portion of the Potomac River. DATES: This rule is...

76 FR 70647 - Safety Zone; Fireworks Display, Potomac River, National Harbor Access Channel, MD

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-15

... Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone upon specified waters of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on... maritime public in a portion of the Potomac River. DATES: This rule is effective from 6 p.m. on November 19...

76 FR 43124 - Safety Zones; July Fireworks Displays and Swim Events in the Captain of the Port New York Zone

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... York Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is... safety of life on navigable waters during the events. Entry into, transit through, mooring or anchoring within these zones is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP New York. DATES: This rule is effective...

78 FR 37710 - Safety Zone; Wicomico Community Fireworks Rain Date, Great Wicomico River, Heathsville, VA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

...: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary... event Rain Date. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during.... DATES: This rule is effective on July 7, 2013, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ADDRESSES: Documents indicated in...

78 FR 41844 - Safety Zone; Fairfield Estates Fireworks Display, Atlantic Ocean, Sagaponack, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety... fireworks display. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the... rule is effective from 8:30 p.m. August 1, 2013, until 10:30 p.m. on August 2, 2013. This rule will be...

75 FR 26648 - Safety Zones; May Fireworks Displays Within the Captain of the Port Puget Sound Area of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-12

... traffic is necessary to protect life, property and the environment. Discussion of Rule The U.S. Coast... Responsibility (AOR) AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S Coast Guard is... necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the fireworks displays. Entry into...

76 FR 61263 - Safety Zones; Annual Firework Displays Within the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound Area of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... coordinates for four of the fireworks displays. This rule changes the coordinates listed for four displays to...-AA00 Safety Zones; Annual Firework Displays Within the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound Area of Responsibility AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is amending our regulations...

Heat Shock Enhances the Expression of the Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type-I (HTLV-I) Trans-Activator (Tax) Antigen in Human HTLV-I Infected Primary and Cultured T Cells.

PubMed

Kunihiro, Marie; Fujii, Hideki; Miyagi, Takuya; Takahashi, Yoshiaki; Tanaka, Reiko; Fukushima, Takuya; Ansari, Aftab A; Tanaka, Yuetsu

2016-07-11

The environmental factors that lead to the reactivation of human T cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-I) in latently infected T cells in vivo remain unknown. It has been previously shown that heat shock (HS) is a potent inducer of HTLV-I viral protein expression in long-term cultured cell lines. However, the precise HTLV-I protein(s) and mechanisms by which HS induces its effect remain ill-defined. We initiated these studies by first monitoring the levels of the trans-activator (Tax) protein induced by exposure of the HTLV-I infected cell line to HS. HS treatment at 43 °C for 30 min for 24 h led to marked increases in the level of Tax antigen expression in all HTLV-I-infected T cell lines tested including a number of HTLV-I-naturally infected T cell lines. HS also increased the expression of functional HTLV-I envelope gp46 antigen, as shown by increased syncytium formation activity. Interestingly, the enhancing effect of HS was partially inhibited by the addition of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70)-inhibitor pifithlin-μ (PFT). In contrast, the HSP 70-inducer zerumbone (ZER) enhanced Tax expression in the absence of HS. These data suggest that HSP 70 is at least partially involved in HS-mediated stimulation of Tax expression. As expected, HS resulted in enhanced expression of the Tax-inducible host antigens, such as CD83 and OX40. Finally, we confirmed that HS enhanced the levels of Tax and gp46 antigen expression in primary human CD4⁺ T cells isolated from HTLV-I-infected humanized NOD/SCID/γc null (NOG) mice and HTLV-I carriers. In summary, the data presented herein indicate that HS is one of the environmental factors involved in the reactivation of HTLV-I in vivo via enhanced Tax expression, which may favor HTLV-I expansion in vivo.

Fusion of CCL21 non-migratory active breast epithelial and breast cancer cells give rise to CCL21 migratory active tumor hybrid cell lines.

PubMed

Berndt, Benjamin; Haverkampf, Sonja; Reith, Georg; Keil, Silvia; Niggemann, Bernd; Zänker, Kurt S; Dittmar, Thomas

2013-01-01

The biological phenomenon of cell fusion has been linked to tumor progression because several data provided evidence that fusion of tumor cells and normal cells gave rise to hybrid cell lines exhibiting novel properties, such as increased metastatogenic capacity and an enhanced drug resistance. Here we investigated M13HS hybrid cell lines, derived from spontaneous fusion events between M13SV1-EGFP-Neo breast epithelial cells exhibiting stem cell characteristics and HS578T-Hyg breast cancer cells, concerning CCL21/CCR7 signaling. Western Blot analysis showed that all cell lines varied in their CCR7 expression levels as well as differed in the induction and kinetics of CCR7 specific signal transduction cascades. Flow cytometry-based calcium measurements revealed that a CCL21 induced calcium influx was solely detected in M13HS hybrid cell lines. Cell migration demonstrated that only M13HS hybrid cell lines, but not parental derivatives, responded to CCL21 stimulation with an increased migratory activity. Knockdown of CCR7 expression by siRNA completely abrogated the CCL21 induced migration of hybrid cell lines indicating the necessity of CCL21/CCR7 signaling. Because the CCL21/CCR7 axis has been linked to metastatic spreading of breast cancer to lymph nodes we conclude from our data that cell fusion could be a mechanism explaining the origin of metastatic cancer (hybrid) cells.

Fusion of CCL21 Non-Migratory Active Breast Epithelial and Breast Cancer Cells Give Rise to CCL21 Migratory Active Tumor Hybrid Cell Lines

PubMed Central

Reith, Georg; Keil, Silvia; Niggemann, Bernd; Zänker, Kurt S.; Dittmar, Thomas

2013-01-01

The biological phenomenon of cell fusion has been linked to tumor progression because several data provided evidence that fusion of tumor cells and normal cells gave rise to hybrid cell lines exhibiting novel properties, such as increased metastatogenic capacity and an enhanced drug resistance. Here we investigated M13HS hybrid cell lines, derived from spontaneous fusion events between M13SV1-EGFP-Neo breast epithelial cells exhibiting stem cell characteristics and HS578T-Hyg breast cancer cells, concerning CCL21/CCR7 signaling. Western Blot analysis showed that all cell lines varied in their CCR7 expression levels as well as differed in the induction and kinetics of CCR7 specific signal transduction cascades. Flow cytometry-based calcium measurements revealed that a CCL21 induced calcium influx was solely detected in M13HS hybrid cell lines. Cell migration demonstrated that only M13HS hybrid cell lines, but not parental derivatives, responded to CCL21 stimulation with an increased migratory activity. Knockdown of CCR7 expression by siRNA completely abrogated the CCL21 induced migration of hybrid cell lines indicating the necessity of CCL21/CCR7 signaling. Because the CCL21/CCR7 axis has been linked to metastatic spreading of breast cancer to lymph nodes we conclude from our data that cell fusion could be a mechanism explaining the origin of metastatic cancer (hybrid) cells. PMID:23667660

Heparan sulfate/heparin oligosaccharides protect stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12 against proteolysis induced by CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase IV.

PubMed

Sadir, Rabia; Imberty, Anne; Baleux, Françoise; Lortat-Jacob, Hugues

2004-10-15

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a CXC chemokine that is constitutively expressed in most tissues and displayed on the cell surface in association with heparan sulfate (HS). Its numerous biological effects are mediated by a specific G protein-coupled receptor, CXCR4. A number of cells inactivate SDF-1 by specific processing of the N-terminal domain of the chemokine. In particular, CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), a serine protease that co-distributes with CXCR4 at the cell surface, mediates the selective removal of the N-terminal dipeptide of SDF-1. We report here that heparin and HS specifically prevent the processing of SDF-1 by DPP IV expressed by Caco-2 cells. The level of processing increases with the level of differentiation of these cells, which correlates with an increase of DPP IV activity. A mutant SDF-1 that does not interact with HS is readily cleaved by DPP IV, a process that is not inhibited by HS, demonstrating that a productive interaction between HS and SDF-1 is required for the protection to take place. Moreover, we found that protection depends on the degree of polymerization of the HS sulfated S-domains. Finally a structural model of SDF-1, in complex with HS oligosaccharides of defined length, rationalizes the experimental data. The mechanisms by which HS regulates SDF-1 may thus include, in addition to its ability to locally concentrate the chemokine at the cell surface, a control of selective protease cleavage events that directly affect the chemokine activity.

48 CFR 3052.219-71 - DHS mentor-protégé program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false DHS mentor-protégÃ... CONTRACT CLAUSES Text of Provisions and Clauses 3052.219-71 DHS mentor-protégé program. As prescribed in (HSAR) 48 CFR 3019.708-70(b), insert the following clause: DHS Mentor-Protégé Program (JUN 2006) (a...

6 CFR Appendix C to Part 5 - DHS Systems of Records Exempt From the Privacy Act

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... DISCLOSURE OF RECORDS AND INFORMATION Pt. 5, App. C Appendix C to Part 5—DHS Systems of Records Exempt From... Homeland Security (DHS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Record System allows the DHS... information contained in other systems of records subject to such exemptions pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2...

Bifunctional activity of deoxyhypusine synthase/hydroxylase from Trichomonas vaginalis.

PubMed

Quintas-Granados, Laura Itzel; Carvajal Gamez, Bertha Isabel; Villalpando, Jose Luis; Ortega-Lopez, Jaime; Arroyo, Rossana; Azuara-Liceaga, Elisa; Álvarez-Sánchez, María Elizbeth

2016-04-01

The Trichomonas vaginalis genome analysis suggested the presence of a putative deoxyhypusine synthase (TvDHS) that catalyzes the posttranslational modification of eIF-5A. Herein, we expressed and purified the recombinant TvDHS (rTvDHS) protein (43 kDa) and the recombinant TveIF-5A (rTveIF-5A) precursor protein (46 kDa). A 41 kDa band of the native TvDHS was recognized by western blot analysis in T. vaginalis total protein extract by a mouse polyclonal anti-rTvDHS antibody. The enzymatic activity of rTvDHS was determined by in vitro rTveIF-5A precursor modification. The modification reaction was performed by using ((3)H)-spermidine, and the biochemical analysis showed that rTvDHS exhibited Km value of 0.6 μM. The rTvDHS activity was inhibited by the spermidine analog, N″-guanyl-1,7-diamino-heptane (GC7). Native gel electrophoresis analysis showed two bands corresponding to an rTvDHS-rTveIF-5A complex and an intermediate form of rTveIF-5A. The two forms were subsequently separated by ion exchange chromatography to identify the hypusine residue by MS/MS analysis. Moreover, mutations in TvDHS showed that the putative HE motif present in this enzyme is involved in the hydroxylation of TveIF-5A. We observed that only hypusine-containing TveIF-5A was bound to an RNA hairpin ERE structure from the cox-2 gene, which contains the AAAUGUCACAC consensus sequence. Interestingly, 2DE-WB assays, using parasites that were grown in DAB-culture conditions and transferred to exogenous putrescine, showed the new isoform of TveIF-5A. In summary, our results indicate that T. vaginalis contains an active TvDHS capable of modifying the precursor TveIF-5A protein, which subsequently exhibits RNA binding activity. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

48 CFR 3052.219-72 - Evaluation of prime contractor participation in the DHS mentor-protégé program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contractor participation in the DHS mentor-protégé program. 3052.219-72 Section 3052.219-72 Federal... Evaluation of prime contractor participation in the DHS mentor-protégé program. As prescribed in (HSAR) 48... the DHS Mentor-Protégé Program (JUN 2006) This solicitation contains a source selection factor or...

Outcomes of osteoporotic trochanteric fractures treated with cement-augmented dynamic hip screw

PubMed Central

Gupta, Rakesh Kumar; Gupta, Vinay; Gupta, Navdeep

2012-01-01

Background: Dynamic hip screw (DHS) has been the standard treatment for stable trochanteric fracture patterns, but complications of lag screw cut out from a superior aspect, due to inadequate bone anchorage, occur frequently in elderly osteoporotic patients. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been used as an augmentation tool to facilitate fixation stability in cadaveric femora for biomechanical studies and in pathological fractures. However, there are very few reports on the utilization of PMMA cement to prevent these complications in fresh intertrochanteric fractures. A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the outcome and efficacy of PMMA augmented DHS in elderly osteoporotic patients with intertrochanteric fractures. Materials and Methods: The study included 64 patients (AO type31-A2.1 in eight, A2.2 in 29, A2.3 in 17 patients, and 31-A3.1 in five, A3.2 in three, and A3.3 in two patients) with an average age of 72 years (60 – 94 years) of which 60 were available for final followup. PMMA augmentation of DHS was performed in all cases by injecting PMMA cement into the femoral head with a custommade gun designed by the authors. The clinical outcome was rated as per the Salvati and Wilson scoring system at the time of final followup of one year. Results were graded as excellent (score > 31), good (score 24 – 31), fair (score 16 – 23), and poor (score < 16). Results: Fracture united in all patients and the average time to union was 13.8 weeks (range 12 – 16 weeks). At an average followup of 18 months (range 12 – 24 months), no incidence of varus collapse or superior screw cut out was observed in any of the patients in spite of weightbearing ambulation from the early postoperative period. There was no incidence of avascular necrosis (AVN) or cement penetration into the joint in our series. Most of the patients were able to regain their prefracture mobility status with a mean hip pain score of 8.6. Conclusion: Cement augmentation of DHS appears to be an effective method of preventing osteoporosis related complications of fracture fixation in the trochanteric fractures. The technique used for cement augmentation in the present study is less likely to cause possible complications of cement augmentation like thermal necrosis, cement penetration into the joint, and AVN hip. PMID:23325965

High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ando, Toshio; Uchihashi, Takayuki; Kodera, Noriyuki

2012-08-01

The technology of high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) has reached maturity. HS-AFM enables us to directly visualize the structure and dynamics of biological molecules in physiological solutions at subsecond to sub-100 ms temporal resolution. By this microscopy, dynamically acting molecules such as myosin V walking on an actin filament and bacteriorhodopsin in response to light are successfully visualized. High-resolution molecular movies reveal the dynamic behavior of molecules in action in great detail. Inferences no longer have to be made from static snapshots of molecular structures and from the dynamic behavior of optical markers attached to biomolecules. In this review, we first describe theoretical considerations for the highest possible imaging rate, then summarize techniques involved in HS-AFM and highlight recent imaging studies. Finally, we briefly discuss future challenges to explore.

[New developments in epileptogenesis and therapeutic perspectives].

PubMed

Lerche, H; Vezzani, A; Beck, H; Blümcke, I; Weber, Y; Elger, C

2011-08-01

Epileptogenesis describes the mechanisms of how epilepsies are generated. We have chosen four areas in which significant progress has been achieved in understanding epileptogenesis. Those are (1) inflammatory processes which play an increasingly important role for the generation of temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE with HS), (2) disturbances of intrinsic properties of neuronal compartments, in particular acquired defects of ion channels of which those in dendrites are described here for TLE with HS, (3) epigenetic effects, which affect for example the methylation of promoters and secondarily can change the expression of specific genes in TLE with HS, and finally (4) the epileptogenesis of idiopathic epilepsies which are caused by inborn genetic alterations affecting mainly ion channels. Apart from aspects of basic research, we will describe clinical consequences and therapeutic perspectives.

Minocycline-Induced Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome Followed by Multiple Autoimmune Sequelae

PubMed Central

Brown, Rebecca J.; Rother, Kristina I.; Artman, Henry; Mercurio, Mary Gail; Wang, Roger; Looney, R. John; Cowen, Edward W.

2010-01-01

Background Drug hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS) is a severe, multisystem adverse drug reaction that may occur following the use of numerous medications, including anticonvulsants, sulfonamides, and minocycline hydrochloride. Long-term autoimmune sequelae of DHS have been reported, including hypothyroidism. Observations A 15-year-old female adolescent developed DHS 4 weeks after starting minocycline therapy for acne vulgaris. Seven weeks later she developed autoimmune hyperthyroidism (Graves disease), and 7 months after discontinuing minocycline therapy she developed autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus. In addition, she developed elevated titers of several markers of systemic autoimmune disease, including antinuclear, anti-Sjögren syndrome A, and anti-Smith antibodies. Conclusions Minocycline-associated DHS may be associated with multiple autoimmune sequelae, including thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and elevated markers of systemic autoimmunity. Long-term follow-up is needed in patients with DHS to determine the natural history of DHS-associated sequelae. PMID:19153345

Treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa with intralesional photodynamic therapy with 5-aminolevulinic acid and 630nm laser beam.

PubMed

Suárez Valladares, María Jesús; Eiris Salvado, Noemi; Rodríguez Prieto, Manuel Angel

2017-03-01

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease with multiple treatment options that have been used with mixed results. To evaluate the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of intralesional photodynamic therapy (I-PDT) in the management of HS. Also, to assess the effect of this technique on the different areas treated. Case series of 38 HS patients treated with I-PDT between 2011-2015 following a standardized protocol to assess response at the treated areas RESULTS: 29 patients achieved a complete response, while persistence was noted on 8 cases and only 1 suffered a recurrence. Difference between basal (median 28.5) and final (0) Hidradenitis Severity Score showed a significant reduction of 24.5 points (p<0.001, 95% OR 19.5-31). Basal (median 10) and final (1) Dermatology Life Quality Index scores reached a reduction of 10 points (p<0.001, 95%OR 8-12). Complete response was achieved in 68.2% of armpits, 88.5% of groins, 88.9% of buttocks and 100% of other locations. 18 out of 38 patients needed only a session to achieve a complete response, while maintaining a good tolerability. We believe that I-PDT might be an alternative treatment option for localized HS lesions, achieving a high rate of remission with an adequate maintenance of response i and few complications. Copyright © 2016 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75 FR 55973 - Safety Zone; Illinois River, Mile 000.5 to 001.5

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Illinois River, Mile 000.5 to 001.5 AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... River, Mile 000.5 to 001.5, extending the entire width of the river. This safety zone is needed to... 18, 2010 the City of Grafton will be conducting a land based fireworks display at mile 001.0 on the...

77 FR 35850 - Safety Zone; F/V Deep Sea, Penn Cove, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; F/V Deep Sea, Penn Cove, WA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone around the Fishing Vessel (F/V) Deep Sea... with the sunken F/V Deep Sea. B. Basis and Purpose On the evening of May 13, 2012, the F/V Deep Sea...

77 FR 38497 - Safety Zone; Richmond-Essex County Fourth of July Fireworks, Rappahannock River, Tappahannock, VA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will establish a...-Essex County Fourth of July Fireworks event. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life... displays. DATES: This rule will be effective from 9 p.m. on June 30, 2012, until 10 p.m. on July 1, 2012...

76 FR 48718 - Safety Zones; August Fireworks Displays and Swim Events in the Captain of the Port New York Zone

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing four... fireworks displays and swim events. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable... prohibited unless authorized by the COTP New York. DATES: This rule is effective in the CFR on August 9, 2011...

78 FR 39608 - Safety Zone; Summer in the City Water Ski Show; Fox River, Green Bay, WI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Summer in the City Water Ski Show; Fox River, Green Bay, WI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Fox River in Green Bay, WI. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Fox River...

78 FR 11745 - Anchorages; Lower Mississippi River, Above Head of Passes, Convent, LA and Point Pleasant, LA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-20

... AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a new anchorage... extending from Mile Marker (MM) 152.9 to 154 on the Left Descending Bank (LDB) of the river. The anchorage... Transportation West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday...

Effects of Hydrogel Stiffness and Extracellular Compositions on Modulating Cartilage Regeneration by Mixed Populations of Stem Cells and Chondrocytes In Vivo.

PubMed

Wang, Tianyi; Lai, Janice H; Yang, Fan

2016-12-01

Cell-based therapies offer great promise for repairing cartilage. Previous strategies often involved using a single cell population such as stem cells or chondrocytes. A mixed cell population may offer an alternative strategy for cartilage regeneration while overcoming donor scarcity. We have recently reported that adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can catalyze neocartilage formation by neonatal chondrocytes (NChons) when mixed co-cultured in 3D hydrogels in vitro. However, it remains unknown how the biochemical and mechanical cues of hydrogels modulate cartilage formation by mixed cell populations in vivo. The present study seeks to answer this question by co-encapsulating ADSCs and NChons in 3D hydrogels with tunable stiffness (∼1-33 kPa) and biochemical cues, and evaluating cartilage formation in vivo using a mouse subcutaneous model. Three extracellular matrix molecules were examined, including chondroitin sulfate (CS), hyaluronic acid (HA), and heparan sulfate (HS). Our results showed that the type of biochemical cue played a dominant role in modulating neocartilage deposition. CS and HA enhanced type II collagen deposition, a desirable phenotype for articular cartilage. In contrast, HS promoted fibrocartilage phenotype with the upregulation of type I collagen and failed to retain newly deposited matrix. Hydrogels with stiffnesses of ∼7-33 kPa led to a comparable degree of neocartilage formation, and a minimal initial stiffness was required to retain hydrogel integrity over time. Results from this study highlight the important role of matrix cues in directing neocartilage formation, and they offer valuable insights in guiding optimal scaffold design for cartilage regeneration by using mixed cell populations.

5 CFR 9701.410 - DHS responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Performance Management § 9701.410 DHS responsibilities. In carrying out its performance management system(s), DHS must— (a) Transfer ratings between subordinate organizations and to... 9701.410 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM...

5 CFR 9701.410 - DHS responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Performance Management § 9701.410 DHS responsibilities. In carrying out its performance management system(s), DHS must— (a) Transfer ratings between subordinate organizations and to... 9701.410 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM...

5 CFR 9701.410 - DHS responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Performance Management § 9701.410 DHS responsibilities. In carrying out its performance management system(s), DHS must— (a) Transfer ratings between subordinate organizations and to... 9701.410 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM...

A survey of dental hygienists in the United Kingdom in 2011. Part 1--demographics and working patterns as dental hygienists.

PubMed

Eaton, K A; Harris, M; Ross, M K; Arevalo, C

2012-11-01

The aims of this survey were to establish the demographic profile of dental hygienists (DHs) and dental hygienist/therapists (DH/Ts) in the United Kingdom in 2011 and their patterns of practice as DHs. A 10% sample of all those registered with the General Dental Council as DHs or DH/Ts in April 2011 were sent a pre-piloted questionnaire, explanatory letter and stamped addressed envelope. The questionnaire contained a total of 100 questions, 24 of which related to demographics and working patterns. All 100 questions were solely on tasks/work performed by DH, none related to other types of work performed by DH/Ts. Three mailings were distributed between May and July 2011. The resulting data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet. Where appropriate, differences between the responses from DHs and DH/Ts were statistically tested with the chi-squared test. Five hundred and sixty-one DHs and DH/Ts were sent the questionnaire, by the third mailing 371 (66.1%) had responded and returned completed questionnaires. The respondents were 288 DHs, 79 DH/Ts and 4 who did not specify which category they were. The mean year of qualification of the DHs was 1990 and for the DH/Ts 2005. One hundred and twenty-four (33%) reported that they worked full-time, 235 (63%) part-time and the remainder that they were not working as DHs or DH/Ts or had retired. The average number of clinical hours worked per week was reported as 24.6 hours for DHs and 25 hours for DH/Ts, but there were regional variations. For DHs the mean percentage of patients treated under NHS contract was 15.5% and for DH/Ts it was 40.2%. Again there were regional variations and in Scotland these figures were 45.5% for DHs and 70% for DH/Ts. Two hundred and forty-eight (69%) of all respondents were either fully or partly self-employed and 221 (62.7%) worked in two or more locations. The results of this study provide a snapshot of the demographics and practice patterns of DHs and DH/Ts in the UK in the summer of 2011. They confirm the results of a survey that was conducted in England in early 2011 and of a survey that took place in Scotland in 2009.

Effects of dietary roughage and sulfur in diets containing corn dried distillers grains with solubles on hydrogen sulfide production and fermentation by rumen microbes in vitro.

PubMed

Binversie, E Y; Ruiz-Moreno, M; Carpenter, A J; Heins, B J; Crawford, G I; DiCostanzo, A; Stern, M D

2016-09-01

Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) have been used in production animal diets; however, overuse of DDGS can cause toxic concentrations of ruminal hydrogen sulfide gas (HS), resulting in polioencephalomalacia, a deleterious brain disease. Because HS gas requires an acidic rumen environment and diet can influence ruminal pH, it has been postulated that dietary manipulation could help mitigate HS production. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of dietary roughage and sulfur concentrations on HS production and rumen fermentation. In Exp. 1, 7 dual-flow continuous culture fermenters were used in 4 consecutive 9-d periods consisting of 6 d of adaptation followed by 3 d of sampling. At the conclusion of each 9-d continuous culture period, adapted rumen fluid was used for inoculation of 24-h batch culture incubations for Exp. 2. For both experiments, 6 dietary treatments were formulated to consist of 0.3%, 0.4%, or 0.5% dietary sulfur (LS, MS, and HS, respectively) and 3% or 9% dietary roughage (LR and MR, respectively), using grass hay as the roughage source. A corn-based diet without DDGS was used as a control diet. Headspace gas was sampled to determine HS production and concentration. In Exp. 1, greater dietary roughage had no effect ( = 0.14) on HS production but did create a less acidic environment because of an increase ( < 0.01) in the in vitro pH. In Exp. 2, an increase in dietary sulfur caused an increase ( = 0.04) in ruminal HS production, but there was no direct effect ( = 0.25) of dietary roughage on HS production. Greater dietary roughage resulted in a less ( = 0.01) acidic final batch culture pH but a lower ( < 0.01) total VFA concentration. Further investigation is needed to determine a more effective way to mitigate ruminal HS production using dietary manipulation, which could include greater inclusion of dietary roughage or the use of different roughage sources.

Metal abundances in hot white dwarfs with signatures of a superionized wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, K.; Rauch, T.; Kruk, J. W.

2018-01-01

About a dozen hot white dwarfs with effective temperatures Teff = 65 000-120 000 K exhibit unusual absorption features in their optical spectra. These objects were tentatively identified as Rydberg lines of ultra-high excited metals in ionization stages v-x, indicating line formation in a dense environment with temperatures near 106 K. Since some features show blueward extensions, it was argued that they stem from a superionized wind. A unique assignment of the lines to particular elements is not possible, although they probably stem from C, N, O, and Ne. To further investigate this phenomenon, we analyzed the ultraviolet spectra available from only three stars of this group; that is, two helium-rich white dwarfs, HE 0504-2408 and HS 0713+3958 with spectral type DO, and a hydrogen-rich white dwarf, HS 2115+1148 with spectral type DAO. We identified light metals (C, N, O, Si, P, and S) with generally subsolar abundances and heavy elements from the iron group (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) with solar or oversolar abundance. The abundance patterns are not unusual for hot WDs and can be interpreted as the result of gravitational settling and radiative levitation of elements. As to the origin of the ultra-high ionized metals lines, we discuss the possible presence of a multicomponent radiatively driven wind that is frictionally heated.

PCE solubilization and mobilization by commercial humic acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, William P.; John, W. Wynn

1999-01-01

In this paper, comparison is made of terms describing solubilization of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) by dissolved humic substances (DHS) and commercial non-ionic surfactants. This paper examines the ability of a commercial humic acid (Aldrich humic acid) to solubilize and mobilize tetrachlorothene (PCE) residual in porous media. The constant for solubilization of PCE by Aldrich humic acid is shown to be a factor of two to thirty times less than that published for dodecyl alcohol ethoxylate surfactants, showing that Aldrich humic acid is less capable than some non-ionic surfactants at solubilizing residual PCE. The depression of PCE-water interfacial tension in the presence of DHS is shown to be significantly less than published values for a non-ionic surfactant, and surfactant mixtures, indicating that the DHS used in this study is less prone to cause mobilization of non-aqueous phase liquids relative to surfactants. Several possible advantages of DHS use in the remediation of subsurface media contaminated with HOC are described, including the ability of DHS to solubilize HOC irrespective of the DHS concentration, and potential lesser tendency of DHS to depress the interfacial tension between non-aqueous phases and water relative to surfactants (an advantage when mobilization is undesired).

Phase I Trial: Cirmtuzumab Inhibits ROR1 Signaling and Stemness Signatures in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

PubMed

Choi, Michael Y; Widhopf, George F; Ghia, Emanuela M; Kidwell, Reilly L; Hasan, Md Kamrul; Yu, Jian; Rassenti, Laura Z; Chen, Liguang; Chen, Yun; Pittman, Emily; Pu, Minya; Messer, Karen; Prussak, Charles E; Castro, Januario E; Jamieson, Catriona; Kipps, Thomas J

2018-06-01

Cirmtuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) that targets ROR1, an oncoembryonic orphan receptor for Wnt5a found on cancer stem cells (CSCs). Aberrant expression of ROR1 is seen in many malignancies and has been linked to Rho-GTPase activation and cancer stem cell self-renewal. For patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), self-renewing, neoplastic B cells express ROR1 in 95% of cases. High-level leukemia cell expression of ROR1 is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. We conducted a phase 1 study involving 26 patients with progressive, relapsed, or refractory CLL. Patients received four biweekly infusions, with doses ranging from 0.015 to 20 mg/kg. Cirmtuzumab had a long plasma half-life and did not have dose-limiting toxicity. Inhibition of ROR1 signaling was observed, including decreased activation of RhoA and HS1. Transcriptome analyses showed that therapy inhibited CLL stemness gene expression signatures in vivo. Cirmtuzumab is safe and effective at inhibiting tumor cell ROR1 signaling in patients with CLL. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Loss of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Exacerbates Diabetic Retinopathy by Promoting Bone Marrow Dysfunction.

PubMed

Duan, Yaqian; Beli, Eleni; Li Calzi, Sergio; Quigley, Judith L; Miller, Rehae C; Moldovan, Leni; Feng, Dongni; Salazar, Tatiana E; Hazra, Sugata; Al-Sabah, Jude; Chalam, Kakarla V; Le Phuong Trinh, Thao; Meroueh, Marya; Markel, Troy A; Murray, Matthew C; Vyas, Ruchi J; Boulton, Michael E; Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia; Oudit, Gavin Y; Obukhov, Alexander G; Grant, Maria B

2018-05-15

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the primary enzyme of the vasoprotective axis of the renin angiotensin system (RAS). We tested the hypothesis that loss of ACE2 would exacerbate diabetic retinopathy by promoting bone marrow dysfunction. ACE2 -/y were crossed with Akita mice, a model of type 1 diabetes. When comparing the bone marrow of the ACE2 -/y -Akita mice to that of Akita mice, we observed a reduction of both short-term and long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells, a shift of hematopoiesis towards myelopoiesis, and an impairment of lineage - c-kit + hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HS/PC) migration and proliferation. Migratory and proliferative dysfunction of these cells was corrected by exposure to angiotensin-1-7 (Ang-1-7), the protective peptide generated by ACE2. Over the duration of diabetes examined, ACE2 deficiency led to progressive reduction in electrical responses assessed by electroretinography and to increases in neural infarcts observed by fundus photography. Compared to Akita mice, ACE2 -/y -Akita at 9-months of diabetes showed an increased number of acellular capillaries indicative of more severe diabetic retinopathy. In diabetic and control human subjects, CD34 + cells, a key bone marrow HS/PC population, were assessed for changes in mRNA levels for MAS, the receptor for Ang-1-7. Levels were highest in CD34 + cells from diabetics without retinopathy. Higher serum Ang-1-7 levels predicted protection from development of retinopathy in diabetics. Treatment with Ang-1-7 or alamandine restored the impaired migration function of CD34 + cells from subjects with retinopathy. These data support that activation of the protective RAS within HS/PCs may represent a therapeutic strategy for prevention of diabetic retinopathy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 AlphaMed Press.

Non-Exertional Heatstroke: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Mozzini, Chiara; Xotta, Giovanni; Garbin, Ulisse; Pasini, Anna Maria Fratta; Cominacini, Luciano

2017-01-01

Patient: Female, 41 Final Diagnosis: Heatstroke Symptoms: Coma Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Intensive Care Unit-Internal Medicine Specialty: Critical Care Medicine Objective: Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Heatstroke (HS) is a life-threatening condition characterized by an elevation of the core body temperature above 40°C, central nervous system dysfunction, and possible multi-organ failure. HS can trigger systemic inflammation, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), rhabdomyolysis, cerebral edema and seizures, pulmonary edema, heart dysfunctions, and renal and hepatic failure. Case Report: We report the case of a 41-year-old Romanian woman with a history of alcoholism who developed HS after arriving by bus in Verona, Italy in June 2016. The patient developed consecutive multi-organ dysfunction, including liver and renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, DIC, and arrhythmia. The patient was successfully treated with conservative measures. After 17 days, she recovered completely. Conclusions: The exact mechanism of HS-related multiple organ dysfunction is not completely understood and its pathogenesis is complex. It involves inflammation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Development of a model in which chronic alcohol abuse alters oxidative, inflammatory, and ER stress response could also be a conceivable solution to the positive prognosis of severe HS patients, in which liver failure has a prominent role. PMID:28974669

Dropped head syndrome after cervical laminoplasty: A case control study.

PubMed

Koda, Masao; Furuya, Takeo; Kinoshita, Tomoaki; Miyashita, Tomohiro; Ota, Mitsutoshi; Maki, Satoshi; Ijima, Yasushi; Saito, Junya; Takahashi, Kazuhisa; Yamazaki, Masashi; Aramomi, Masaaki; Mannoji, Chikato

2016-10-01

Dropped head syndrome (DHS) is characterized by apparent neck extensor muscle weakness and difficulty extending the neck to raise the head against gravity. The aim of the present study was to elucidate possible risk factors for DHS after cervical laminoplasty. Five patients who developed DHS after cervical laminoplasty (DHS group) and twenty age-matched patients who underwent laminoplasty without DHS after surgery (control group) were compared. The surgical procedure was single-door laminoplasty with strut grafting using resected spinous processes or hydroxyapatite spacers from C3 to C6 or C7. Analyses of preoperative images including the C2-C7 angle, C7-T1 kyphosis, T1 tilt, center of gravity line from the head-C7 sagittal vertical axis (CGH-C7 SVA) were performed on lateral plain cervical spine radiographs. Preoperative T2-weighted MRI at the C5 vertebral level was used to measure the cross-sectional area of the deep extensor muscles. Widths of the lateral gutters were assessed postoperatively using CT scans of the C5 vertebral body. The average preoperative C2-C7 angle was significantly smaller in the DHS group compared with the control group. The average preoperative C7-T1 angle was significantly larger in the DHS group compared with the control group. The average preoperative CGH-C7 SVA was significantly larger in the DHS group compared with the control group. In conclusion, patients with more pronounced preoperative C2-C7 kyphosis, C7-T1 kyphosis, and CGH-C7 SVA are more likely to develop DHS following laminoplasty. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dechlorination of chloropicrin and 1,3-dichloropropene by hydrogen sulfide species: redox and nucleophilic substitution reactions.

PubMed

Zheng, Wei; Yates, Scott R; Papiernik, Sharon K; Guo, Mingxin; Gan, Jianying

2006-03-22

The chlorinated fumigants chloropicrin (trichloronitromethane) and 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) are extensively used in agricultural production for the control of soilborne pests. The reaction of these two fumigants with hydrogen sulfide species (H2S and HS-) was examined in well-defined anoxic aqueous solutions. Chloropicrin underwent an extremely rapid redox reaction in the hydrogen sulfide solution. Transformation products indicated reductive dechlorination of chloropicrin by hydrogen sulfide species to produce dichloro- and chloronitromethane. The transformation of chloropicrin in hydrogen sulfide solution significantly increased with increasing pH, indicating that H2S is less reactive toward chloropicrin than HS- is. For both 1,3-D isomers, kinetics and transformation products analysis revealed that the reaction between 1,3-D and hydrogen sulfide species is an S(N)2 nucleophilic substitution process, in which the chlorine at C3 of 1,3-D is substituted by the sulfur nucleophile to form corresponding mercaptans. The 50% disappearance time (DT50) of 1,3-D decreased with increasing hydrogen sulfide species concentration at a constant pH. Transformation of 1,3-D was more rapid at high pH, suggesting that the reactivity of hydrogen sulfide species in the experimental system stems primarily from HS-. Because of the relatively low smell threshold values and potential environmental persistence of organic sulfur products yielded by the reaction of 1,3-D and HS-, the effects of reduced sulfide species should be considered in the development of alternative fumigation practices, especially in the integrated application of sulfur-containing fertilizers.

49 CFR 1507.3 - Exemptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... exempt from the access provisions of subsection (d). (c) Personnel Background Investigation File System (DHS/TSA 004). The Personnel Background Investigation File System (PBIFS) (DHS/TSA 004) enables TSA to... Traveler Operations Files (DHS/TSA 015). The purpose of this system is to pre-screen and positively...

49 CFR 1507.3 - Exemptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... exempt from the access provisions of subsection (d). (c) Personnel Background Investigation File System (DHS/TSA 004). The Personnel Background Investigation File System (PBIFS) (DHS/TSA 004) enables TSA to... Traveler Operations Files (DHS/TSA 015). The purpose of this system is to pre-screen and positively...

49 CFR 1507.3 - Exemptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... exempt from the access provisions of subsection (d). (c) Personnel Background Investigation File System (DHS/TSA 004). The Personnel Background Investigation File System (PBIFS) (DHS/TSA 004) enables TSA to... Traveler Operations Files (DHS/TSA 015). The purpose of this system is to pre-screen and positively...

49 CFR 1507.3 - Exemptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... exempt from the access provisions of subsection (d). (c) Personnel Background Investigation File System (DHS/TSA 004). The Personnel Background Investigation File System (PBIFS) (DHS/TSA 004) enables TSA to... Traveler Operations Files (DHS/TSA 015). The purpose of this system is to pre-screen and positively...

78 FR 57643 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-19

... Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Education Office (CEO) National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) Cybersecurity Training and Education Catalog (Training Catalog) Collection AGENCY: Cybersecurity Education Office, DHS. ACTION: 30-Day Notice and request for comments; New Collection (Request for...

78 FR 35295 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-12

... Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Education Office (CEO) National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) Cybersecurity Training and Education Catalog (Training Catalog) Collection AGENCY: Cybersecurity Education Office, DHS. ACTION: 60-Day Notice and request for comments; New Collection (Request for...

Optimizing Early Rule-Out Strategies for Acute Myocardial Infarction: Utility of 1-Hour Copeptin.

PubMed

Hillinger, Petra; Twerenbold, Raphael; Jaeger, Cedric; Wildi, Karin; Reichlin, Tobias; Rubini Gimenez, Maria; Engels, Ulrike; Miró, Oscar; Boeddinghaus, Jasper; Puelacher, Christian; Nestelberger, Thomas; Röthlisberger, Michèle; Ernst, Susanne; Rentsch, Katharina; Mueller, Christian

2015-12-01

Combined testing of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and copeptin at presentation provides a very high-although still imperfect-negative predictive value (NPV) for the early rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We hypothesized that a second copeptin measurement at 1 h might further increase the NPV. In a prospective diagnostic multicenter study, we measured hs-cTnT and copeptin concentrations at presentation and at 1 h in 1439 unselected patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected AMI. The final diagnosis was adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists blinded to copeptin concentrations. We investigated the incremental value of 1-h copeptin in the rule-out setting (0-h hs-cTnT negative and 0-h copeptin negative) and the intermediate-risk setting (0-h hs-cTnT negative and 0-h copeptin positive). The adjudicated diagnosis was AMI in 267 patients (18.6%). For measurements obtained at presentation, the NPV in the rule-out setting was 98.6% (95% CI, 97.4%-99.3%). Whereas 1-h copeptin did not increase the NPV significantly, 1-h hs-cTnT did, to 99.6% (95% CI, 98.7%-99.9%, P = 0.008). Similarly, in the intermediate-risk setting (NPV 92.8%, 95% CI, 88.7%-95.8%), 1-h copeptin did not significantly increase the NPV (P = 0.751), but 1-h hs-cTnT did, to 98.6 (95% CI, 96%-99.7%, P < 0.001). One-hour copeptin increased neither the safety of the rule-out process nor the NPV in the intermediate-risk setting. In contrast, the incremental value of 1-h hs-cTnT was substantial in both settings. ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00470587. © 2015 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Clinical impact of a high-sensitivity troponin assay introduction on patients presenting to the emergency department.

PubMed

Peck, Daniel; Knott, Jonathan; Lefkovits, Jeffrey

2016-06-01

Biomarkers are a critical component in the investigation of patients with potential ischaemic heart disease. The proposed benefits of a high-sensitivity troponin (hs-Tn) assay include earlier diagnosis of myocardial infarction. However, the decreased specificity may adversely affect clinical practice. The present study aims to investigate the impact that the introduction of a hs-Tn assay had on patients presenting to the ED. A pre- and post-interventional analysis was performed on all patients presenting to the Royal Melbourne Hospital ED, and had a troponin, in the 12 months before and after the introduction of the hs-Tn assay. The main outcome measures were ED length of stay, admission rates, proportion of patients undergoing interventional cardiac procedures and proportion diagnosed with myocardial infarction. There were 6557 patients who had a conventional assay and 7335 patients who had a hs-Tn assay. The introduction of a hs-Tn assay was associated with an increased abnormal troponin rate (23.4% vs 28.1%, P < 0.001). The median length of ED stay decreased by 9.1% (P < 0.001). The proportion admitted to hospital increased (60.9% vs 65.9%, P < 0.001); however, there was no difference in the proportion undergoing revascularisation or the proportion diagnosed with myocardial infarction. Although the introduction of a hs-Tn assay led to an increase in hospital admissions, the unchanged rate of cardiac procedures or final diagnoses of acute myocardial infarction and ischaemic heart disease suggests that the hs-Tn did not improve the detection of these conditions. It remains unclear whether there was a benefit admitting the additional cohort of patients. © 2016 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Gapped pulses for frequency-swept MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idiyatullin, Djaudat; Corum, Curt; Moeller, Steen; Garwood, Michael

2008-08-01

A recently introduced method called SWIFT (SWeep Imaging with Fourier Transform) is a fundamentally different approach to MRI which is particularly well suited to imaging objects with extremely fast spin-spin relaxation rates. The method exploits a frequency-swept excitation pulse and virtually simultaneous signal acquisition in a time-shared mode. Correlation of the spin system response with the excitation pulse function is used to extract the signals of interest. With SWIFT, image quality is highly dependent on producing uniform and broadband spin excitation. These requirements are satisfied by using frequency-modulated pulses belonging to the hyperbolic secant family (HS n pulses). This article describes the experimental steps needed to properly implement HS n pulses in SWIFT. In addition, properties of HS n pulses in the rapid passage, linear region are investigated, followed by an analysis of the pulses after inserting the "gaps" needed for time-shared excitation and acquisition. Finally, compact expressions are presented to estimate the amplitude and flip angle of the HS n pulses, as well as the relative energy deposited by the SWIFT sequence.

75 FR 71543 - Safety Zone; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mile Marker 49.0 to 50.0, west of Harvey Locks, Bank to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-24

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mile Marker 49.0 to 50.0, west of Harvey Locks, Bank to Bank, Bayou Blue Pontoon Bridge, Lafourche Parish, LA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary Final... Waterway extending from Mile Marker 49.0 to Mile Marker 50.0, bank to bank, West of Harvey Locks, Lafourche...

76 FR 10384 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Regulation on Agency Protests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-24

... Protests AGENCY: Office of Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisition Policy and Legislation Office, DHS... Department of Homeland Security, Office of Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisition Policy and Legislation... comments were received by DHS. DHS would also like to correct the Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $4...

77 FR 13135 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for Review; Information Collection Request...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-05

... (DHS), Science and Technology, Protected Repository for the Defense of Infrastructure Against Cyber Threats (PREDICT) Program AGENCY: Science and Technology Directorate, DHS. ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comment. SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science & Technology (S&T...

5 CFR 9701.231 - Conversion of positions and employees to the DHS classification system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the DHS classification system. 9701.231 Section 9701.231 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF... MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Classification Transitional Provisions § 9701.231 Conversion of positions and employees to the DHS classification system. (a) This...

Serial Sampling of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T May Not Be Required for Prediction of Acute Myocardial Infarction Diagnosis in Chest Pain Patients with Highly Abnormal Concentrations at Presentation.

PubMed

Mueller-Hennessen, Matthias; Mueller, Christian; Giannitsis, Evangelos; Biener, Moritz; Vafaie, Mehrshad; deFilippi, Christopher R; Christ, Michael; Ordóñez-Llanos, Jorge; Panteghini, Mauro; Plebani, Mario; Verschuren, Franck; Melki, Dina; French, John K; Christenson, Robert H; Body, Richard; McCord, James; Dinkel, Carina; Katus, Hugo A; Lindahl, Bertil

2017-02-01

Guidelines for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) recommend adding kinetic changes to the initial cardiac troponin (cTn) blood concentration to improve AMI diagnosis. We hypothesized that kinetic changes may not be required in patients presenting with highly abnormal cTn. Patients presenting with suspected AMI to the emergency department were enrolled in a prospective diagnostic study. We assessed the positive predictive value (PPV) of initial high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) blood concentrations alone and in combination with kinetic changes for AMI. Predefined relative changes (δ change of ≥20%) and absolute changes (Δ change ≥9.2 ng/L) within different time intervals (1 h, 2 h, and 4-14 h after presentation) were assessed. The final diagnosis was adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists. Among 1282 patients, 213 (16.6%) patients had a final diagnosis of AMI. For AMI prediction, PPVs increased from 48.8% for an initial hs-cTnT >14 ng/L to 87.2% for >60 ng/L, whereas PPVs remained unchanged for higher hs-cTnT concentrations at baseline (87.1% for both >80 ng/L and >100 ng/L). With addition of 20% relative Δ change, PPVs were not further improved in patients with baseline hs-cTnT >80 ng/L using the 1-h (84.0%) and 2-h (88.9%) intervals, and only minimally when extending the interval to 4-14 h (91.2% for >80 ng/L and 90.4% for >100 ng/L, respectively). Similar findings were observed when applying absolute changes. In chest pain patients with highly abnormal hs-cTnT concentrations at presentation, subsequent blood draws may not be required, as they do not provide incremental diagnostic value for prediction of AMI diagnosis. © 2016 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Dietary glutamine supplementation improves growth performance, meat quality and colour stability of broilers under heat stress.

PubMed

Dai, S F; Wang, L K; Wen, A Y; Wang, L X; Jin, G M

2009-05-01

1. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary glutamine (Gln) supplementation on growth performance, carcase characteristics and meat quality in broilers exposed to high ambient temperature. 2. A total of 240 35-d-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups (three replicates of 20 birds per cage). The broilers were kept in a temperature-controlled room at either 23 degrees C (no-stress groups, NS) or 28 degrees C (heat stress groups, HS). The broilers were fed either on a basal diet (control, NS) or on the basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.5 or 1.0% Gln (HS). 3. Compared with the NS, the HS (0% Gln) group gained less weight and consumed less feed, had lower final body weight, gain-to-feed ratio, and abdominal fat yield. Breast meat in HS (0% Gln) had lower pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), a* value, ether extract (EE) content and crude protein (CP) content, and had higher shear force (SF) and L* value. 4. Linear increase were found in groups supplemented with Gln (0, 0.5% and 1.0%) for final body weight, weight gain, feed consumption, gain-to-feed ratio and abdominal fat yield. Supplementation with Gln improved breast meat pH, WHC, SF, L* value, a* value, EE content and CP content in broilers exposed to heat stress. No significant difference was observed in all the indices determined between the HS (1% Gln) and the NS. 5. Heat stress caused obvious breast meat discoloration in L*, a* and b* values. However, dietary supplementation with Gln gave a better colour stability. 6. The results indicated that dietary supplementation with Gln may alleviate heat stress-caused deterioration in growth performance, carcase characteristics, meat quality and meat colour stability of broilers.

Chemical composition and biological activities of Helicteres vegae and Heliopsis sinaloensis.

PubMed

Olivas-Quintero, Sandra; López-Angulo, Gabriela; Montes-Avila, Julio; Díaz-Camacho, Sylvia Páz; Vega-Aviña, Rito; López-Valenzuela, José Ángel; Salazar-Salas, Nancy Yareli; Delgado-Vargas, Francisco

2017-12-01

Helicteres vegae Cristóbal (Sterculiaceae) (Hv) and Heliopsis sinaloensis B.L. Turner (Asteraceae) (Hs) are endangered and poorly studied plant species; related plants have been used against chronic-degenerative and infectious diseases. Therefore, Hv and Hs could be sources of bioactive compounds against these illnesses. To determine the chemical composition and biological activities (antioxidant, antimutagenic and antimicrobial) of Hv and Hs leaves (L) and stems (S). Methanol extracts (ME) of each plant/tissue were evaluated for their phytochemicals; phenolics (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS); antioxidant activity (AA) (0.125-4 mg/mL) (DPPH, ABTS, ORAC and β-carotene discoloration); antimutagenicity (0.5 and 1 mg/plate) (Ames assay, tester strain Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium YG1024, 1-nitropyrene as mutagen); activity against human pathogens (1 mg/mL); and toxicity (0.01-2 mg/mL) (Artemia salina assay). All ME showed flavonoids and triterpenes/steroids. The ME-SHv had the highest content of total phenolics (TP) (2245.82 ± 21.45 mg GAE/100 g d.w.) and condensed tannins (603.71 ± 1.115 mg CE/100 g d.w.). The compounds identified were flavonoids (kaempferol 7-O-coumaroylhexoside, and two kaempferol 7-O-rhamnosylhexosides) and phenolics [rosmarinic acid, and 3'-O-(8″-Z-caffeoyl) rosmarinic acid]. The ME-LHs showed the highest content of flavonoids (357.88 mg RE/g d.w.) and phenolic acids (238.58 mg CAE/g d.w.) by HPLC. The ME-SHv showed the highest AA. All ME were strong antimutagens (63.3-85.7%). Only the Hs extracts were toxic (ME-LHs, LC 50  = 94.9 ± 1.7 μg/mL; ME-SHs, LC 50  = 89.03 ± 4.42 μg/mL). Both Hv and Hs are potential sources of preventive and therapeutic agents against chronic-degenerative diseases.

ERCMExpress. Volume 2, Issue 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

This issue of ERCMExpress alerts readers of the All-Hazard NOAA weather radio (NWR) network upgrade. In 2004, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collaborated to enable DHS to disseminate homeland security-related information over the NWR network. DHS's goal was to produce an…

75 FR 55529 - Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation (HSAR); Revision Initiative

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-13

... (b) of HSAR section 3003.1004 advises contracting officers that special posters and instructions may... DHS Hotline Poster described in the clause at FAR 52.203-14. Part 3004 Administrative Matters Revise...)(1) There may be different or additional DHS OIG hotline posters for specific events. When the DHS...

76 FR 60510 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-29

... Arlington, Virginia. This notice supplements that original meeting notice. DATES: The DHS Data Privacy and... original notice. Please include the Docket Number (DHS 2011-0076) in your comments. A public comment period... original notice or sign up at the registration desk on the day of the meeting. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

76 FR 58814 - Published Privacy Impact Assessments on the Web

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-22

... the Web AGENCY: Privacy Office, DHS. ACTION: Notice of Publication of Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA... DHS. These assessments were approved and published on the Privacy Office's Web site between June 1, 2011 and August 31, 2011. DATES: The PIAs will be available on the DHS Web site until November 21, 2011...

77 FR 33683 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-07

... Border Protection, DHS/CBP--017 Analytical Framework for Intelligence (AFI) System of Records AGENCY... Framework for Intelligence (AFI) System of Records'' and this proposed rulemaking. In this proposed... Protection, DHS/CBP--017 Analytical Framework for Intelligence (AFI) System of Records.'' AFI enhances DHS's...

78 FR 44957 - Agency Information Collection Activities: BioWatch Filter Holder Log, Filter Holder Log DHS Form...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-25

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Agency Information Collection Activities: BioWatch Filter Holder Log, Filter Holder Log DHS Form 9500 AGENCY: Office of Health Affairs, DHS. ACTION: 60-Day Notice and....: Daniel Yereb, [email protected] 703- 647-8052. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following collection, the filter...

2 CFR 3001.300 - Who in DHS does a recipient who is an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Who in DHS does a recipient who is an... WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Requirements for Recipients Who Are Individuals § 3001.300 Who in DHS does... recipient currently has an award. ...

2 CFR 3001.300 - Who in DHS does a recipient who is an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Who in DHS does a recipient who is an... WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Requirements for Recipients Who Are Individuals § 3001.300 Who in DHS does... recipient currently has an award. ...

2 CFR 3001.300 - Who in DHS does a recipient who is an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Who in DHS does a recipient who is an... WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Requirements for Recipients Who Are Individuals § 3001.300 Who in DHS does... recipient currently has an award. ...

77 FR 74490 - Implementation of Immigrant Visa DHS Domestic Processing Fee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-14

... Docket No. USCIS-2009-0033] RIN 1615-ZB13 Implementation of Immigrant Visa DHS Domestic Processing Fee... will begin to collect a $165 Immigrant Visa DHS Domestic Processing Fee (USCIS Immigrant Fee) from individuals who have been issued immigrant visas by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and are applying for...

Nitric oxide production is not required for dihydrosphingosine-induced cell death in tobacco BY-2 cells.

PubMed

Da Silva, Daniel; Lachaud, Christophe; Cotelle, Valérie; Brière, Christian; Grat, Sabine; Mazars, Christian; Thuleau, Patrice

2011-05-01

Sphinganine or dihydrosphingosine (d18:0, DHS), one of the most abundant free sphingoid Long Chain Base (LCB) in plants, is known to induce a calcium dependent programmed cell death (PCD) in tobacco BY-2 cells. In addition, we have recently shown that DHS triggers a production of H2O2, via the activation of NADPH oxidase(s). However, this production of H2O2 is not correlated with the DHS-induced cell death but would rather be associated with basal cell defense mechanisms. In the present study, we extend our current knowledge of the DHS signaling pathway, by demonstrating that DHS also promotes a production of nitric oxide (NO) in tobacco BY-2 cells. As for H2O2, this NO production is not necessary for cell death induction. 

Low-latitude expressions of high-latitude forcing during Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas in northern South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahr, André; Hoffmann, Julia; Schönfeld, Joachim; Schmidt, Matthew W.; Nürnberg, Dirk; Batenburg, Sietske J.; Voigt, Silke

2018-01-01

Changes in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) strength exert a major influence on global atmospheric circulation patterns. However, the pacing and mechanisms of low-latitude responses to high-latitude forcing are insufficiently constrained so far. To elucidate the interaction of atmospheric and oceanic forcing in tropical South America during periods of major AMOC reductions (Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas) we generated a high-resolution foraminiferal multi-proxy record from off the Orinoco River based on Ba/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios, as well as stable isotope measurements. The data clearly indicate a three-phased structure of HS1 based on the reconfiguration of ocean currents in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The initial phase (HS1a) is characterized by a diminished North Brazil Current, a southward displacement of the ITCZ, and moist conditions dominating northeastern Brazil. During subsequent HS1b, the NBC was even more diminished or yet reversed and the ITCZ shifted to its southernmost position. Hence, dryer conditions prevailed in northern South America, while eastern Brazil experienced maximally wet conditions. During the final stage, HS1c, conditions are similar to HS1a. The YD represents a smaller amplitude version of HS1 with a southward-shifted ITCZ. Our findings imply that the low-latitude continental climate response to high-latitude forcing is mediated by reconfigurations of surface ocean currents in low latitudes. Our new records demonstrate the extreme sensitivity of the terrestrial realm in tropical South America to abrupt perturbations in oceanic circulation during periods of unstable climate conditions.

Treatment of hazardous landfill leachate using Fenton process followed by a combined (UASB/DHS) system.

PubMed

Ismail, Sherif; Tawfik, Ahmed

2016-01-01

Fenton process for pre-treatment of hazardous landfill leachate (HLL) was investigated. Total, particulate and soluble chemical oxygen demand (CODt, CODp and CODs) removal efficiency amounted to 67%, 47% and 64%, respectively, at pH value of 3.5, molar ratio (H2O2/Fe(2+)) of 5, H2O2 dosage of 25 ml/L and contact time of 15 min. Various treatment scenarios were attempted and focused on studying the effect of pre-catalytic oxidation process on the performance of up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), UASB/down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) and DHS system. The results obtained indicated that pre-catalytic oxidation process improved the CODt removal efficiency in the UASB reactor by a value of 51.4%. Overall removal efficiencies of CODt, CODs and CODp were 80 ± 6%, 80 ± 7% and 78 ± 16% for UASB/DHS treating pre-catalytic oxidation effluent, respectively. The removal efficiencies of CODt, CODs and CODp were, respectively, decreased to 54 ± 2%, 49 ± 2% and 71 ± 16% for UASB/DHS system without pre-treatment. However, the results for the combined process (UASB/DHS) system is almost similar to those obtained for UASB reactor treating pre-catalytic oxidation effluent. The DHS system achieved average removal efficiencies of 52 ± 4% for CODt, 51 ± 4% for CODs and 52 ± 15% for CODp. A higher COD fractions removal was obtained when HLL was pre-treated by Fenton reagent. The combined processes provided a removal efficiency of 85 ± 1% for CODt, 85 ± 1% for CODs and 83 ± 8% for CODp. The DHS system is not only effective for organics degradation but also for ammonia oxidation. Almost complete ammonia (NH4-N) removal (92 ± 3.6%) was occurred and the nitrate production amounted to 37 ± 6 mg/L in the treated effluent. This study strongly recommends applying Fenton process followed by DHS system for treatment of HLL.

Removal of human pathogenic viruses in a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor treating municipal wastewater and health risks associated with utilization of the effluent for agricultural irrigation.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Naohiro; Oshiki, Mamoru; Ito, Toshihiro; Segawa, Takahiro; Hatamoto, Masashi; Kato, Tsuyoshi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Kubota, Kengo; Takahashi, Masanobu; Iguchi, Akinori; Tagawa, Tadashi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Uemura, Shigeki; Harada, Hideki; Motoyama, Toshiki; Araki, Nobuo; Sano, Daisuke

2017-03-01

A down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor has been developed as a cost-effective wastewater treatment system that is adaptable to local conditions in low-income countries. A pilot-scale DHS reactor previously demonstrated stable reduction efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium nitrogen over a year at ambient temperature, but the pathogen reduction efficiency of the DHS reactor has yet to be investigated. In the present study, the reduction efficiency of a pilot-scale DHS reactor fed with municipal wastewater was investigated for 10 types of human pathogenic viruses (norovirus GI, GII and GIV, aichivirus, astrovirus, enterovirus, hepatitis A and E viruses, rotavirus, and sapovirus). DHS influent and effluent were collected weekly or biweekly for 337 days, and concentrations of viral genomes were determined by microfluidic quantitative PCR. Aichivirus, norovirus GI and GII, enterovirus, and sapovirus were frequently detected in DHS influent, and the log 10 reduction (LR) of these viruses ranged from 1.5 to 3.7. The LR values for aichivirus and norovirus GII were also calculated using a Bayesian estimation model, and the average LR (±standard deviation) values for aichivirus and norovirus GII were estimated to be 1.4 (±1.5) and 1.8 (±2.5), respectively. Quantitative microbial risk assessment was conducted to calculate a threshold reduction level for norovirus GII that would be required for the use of DHS effluent for agricultural irrigation, and it was found that LRs of 2.6 and 3.7 for norovirus GII in the DHS effluent were required in order to not exceed the tolerable burden of disease at 10 -4 and 10 -6 disability-adjusted life years loss per person per year, respectively, for 95% of the exposed population during wastewater reuse for irrigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

20 CFR 655.670 - Federal Register notice of determination of prevailing practice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... subparts F and G of this part; the DHS and ETA shall, upon notice from the Administrator, take the actions... § 655.655). The DHS and ETA shall upon notice from the Administrator, take the actions specified in... DHS and ETA. (1) Where the Secretary reverses the administrative law judge and determines that...

77 FR 46100 - Published Privacy Impact Assessments on the Web

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-02

... the Web AGENCY: Privacy Office, DHS. ACTION: Notice of publication of Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA... published on the Privacy Office's Web site between March 1, 2012 and May 31, 2012. DATES: The PIAs will be available on the DHS Web site until October 1, 2012, after which they may be obtained by contacting the DHS...

76 FR 8761 - Privacy Act of 1974; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS/ICE-004 Bond Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-15

... 1974; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS/ICE-004 Bond Management Information System (BMIS... Bond Management Information System (74 FR 57891, Dec. 21, 2009) expand the categories of records... a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement system of records titled DHS/ICE-004 Bond Management...

75 FR 55335 - Privacy Act of 1974; Privacy Act of 1974: Department of Homeland Security/ALL-031 Information...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-10

... in a system of records in the possession or under the control of DHS by complying with DHS Privacy... 1974; Privacy Act of 1974: Department of Homeland Security/ALL-031 Information Sharing Environment Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative System of Records AGENCY: Privacy Office, DHS. ACTION: Notice of...

2 CFR 3001.225 - Who in DHS does a recipient other than an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Who in DHS does a recipient other than an... does a recipient other than an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction? A recipient other... DHS office from which the recipient currently has an award. ...

2 CFR 3001.225 - Who in DHS does a recipient other than an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Who in DHS does a recipient other than an... does a recipient other than an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction? A recipient other... DHS office from which the recipient currently has an award. ...

2 CFR 3001.225 - Who in DHS does a recipient other than an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Who in DHS does a recipient other than an... does a recipient other than an individual notify about a criminal drug conviction? A recipient other... DHS office from which the recipient currently has an award. ...

8 CFR 1208.5 - Special duties toward aliens in custody of DHS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the custody of DHS requests asylum or withholding of removal, or expresses a fear of persecution or...)(4) of the Act, except in the case of an alien who is in custody pending a credible fear determination under 8 CFR 1208.30 or a reasonable fear determination pursuant to 8 CFR 1208.31. Although DHS...

Homeostasis or channelopathy? Acquired cell type-specific ion channel changes in temporal lobe epilepsy and their antiepileptic potential

PubMed Central

Wolfart, Jakob; Laker, Debora

2015-01-01

Neurons continuously adapt the expression and functionality of their ion channels. For example, exposed to chronic excitotoxicity, neurons homeostatically downscale their intrinsic excitability. In contrast, the “acquired channelopathy” hypothesis suggests that proepileptic channel characteristics develop during epilepsy. We review cell type-specific channel alterations under different epileptic conditions and discuss the potential of channels that undergo homeostatic adaptations, as targets for antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Most of the relevant studies have been performed on temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), a widespread AED-refractory, focal epilepsy. The TLE patients, who undergo epilepsy surgery, frequently display hippocampal sclerosis (HS), which is associated with degeneration of cornu ammonis subfield 1 pyramidal cells (CA1 PCs). Although the resected human tissue offers insights, controlled data largely stem from animal models simulating different aspects of TLE and other epilepsies. Most of the cell type-specific information is available for CA1 PCs and dentate gyrus granule cells (DG GCs). Between these two cell types, a dichotomy can be observed: while DG GCs acquire properties decreasing the intrinsic excitability (in TLE models and patients with HS), CA1 PCs develop channel characteristics increasing intrinsic excitability (in TLE models without HS only). However, thorough examination of data on these and other cell types reveals the coexistence of protective and permissive intrinsic plasticity within neurons. These mechanisms appear differentially regulated, depending on the cell type and seizure condition. Interestingly, the same channel molecules that are upregulated in DG GCs during HS-related TLE, appear as promising targets for future AEDs and gene therapies. Hence, GCs provide an example of homeostatic ion channel adaptation which can serve as a primer when designing novel anti-epileptic strategies. PMID:26124723

Alkaline Ceramidase 2 (ACER2) and Its Product Dihydrosphingosine Mediate the Cytotoxicity of N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)retinamide in Tumor Cells*

PubMed Central

Mao, Zhehao; Sun, Wei; Xu, Ruijuan; Novgorodov, Sergei; Szulc, Zdzislaw M.; Bielawski, Jacek; Obeid, Lina M.; Mao, Cungui

2010-01-01

Increased generation of dihydrosphingosine (DHS), a bioactive sphingolipid, has been implicated in the cytotoxicity of the synthetic retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR) in tumor cells. However, how 4-HPR increases DHS remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that 4-HPR increases the expression of ACER2, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of dihydroceramides to generate DHS, and that ACER2 up-regulation plays a key role in mediating the 4-HPR-induced generation of DHS as well as the cytotoxicity of 4-HPR in tumor cells. Treatment with 4-HPR induced the accumulation of dihydroceramides (DHCs) in tumor cells by inhibiting dihydroceramide desaturase (DES) activity, which catalyzes the conversion of DHCs to ceramides. Treatment with 4-HPR also increased ACER2 expression through a retinoic acid receptor-independent and caspase-dependent manner. Overexpression of ACER2 augmented the 4-HPR-induced generation of DHS as well as 4-HPR cytotoxicity, and 4-HPR-induced death in tumor cells, whereas knocking down ACER2 had the opposite effects. ACER2 overexpression, along with treatment with GT11, another DES inhibitor, markedly increased cellular DHS, leading to tumor cell death, whereas ACER2 overexpression or GT11 treatment alone failed to do so, suggesting that both ACER2 up-regulation and DES inhibition are necessary and sufficient to mediate 4-HPR-induced DHS accumulation, cytotoxicity, and death in tumor cells. Taken together, these results suggest that up-regulation of the ACER2/DHS pathway mediates the cytotoxicity of 4-HPR in tumor cells and that up-regulating or activating ACER2 may improve the anti-cancer activity of 4-HRR and other DHC-inducing agents. PMID:20628055

Association between Interlukin-6 (IL-6), Interlukin-10 (IL-10) and depression in patients undergoing Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PubMed Central

Tavakoli-Ardakani, Maria; Mehrpooya, Maryam; Mehdizadeh, Mahshid; Hajifathali, Abbas; Abdolahi, Alireza

2015-01-01

Background: The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines is responsible for the variety of behavioral, neuro-endocrine and neuro-chemical alterations in psychiatric condition. In this study we evaluate relation between depression and IL-6 and IL-10 in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Materials and Methods: 66 patients in this cross-sectional study from July 2013 until August 2014 for HSCT interred the study and were assessed for depression using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Serum interleukin (IL)-6, (IL)-10 and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were assessed on the same time. Association between these biomarkers with depression was evaluated using SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 66 patients with the mean age of 41.18+13.92 and 41.95+12.35 years old in non depressed and depressed group respectively were enrolled in this study. Patients with depression showed significantly higher levels of serum IL-6 and the IL-6-to-IL-10 ratio compared to patients without depression (p<0.001).There was no statistically significant association between IL-10 and hs-CRP with depression in this group of the patients. Conclusions: High IL-6 level has significant association with depression in patients undergoing HSCT. In conclusion, since IL-6 can affect the outcomes after HSCT and depression was associated with increased serum IL-6 level, early identification of depression can be beneficial in these patients. PMID:25922648

Comparison of different extraction methods for the analysis of volatile secondary metabolites of Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown, grown in Colombia, and evaluation of its in vitro antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Stashenko, Elena E; Jaramillo, Beatriz E; Martínez, Jairo René

2004-01-30

Hydrodistillation (HD), simultaneous distillation solvent extraction (SDE), microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MWHD), and supercritical fluid (CO2) extraction (SFE) were employed to isolate volatile secondary metabolites from fresh leaves and stems of Colombian Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown. Kovàts indices, mass spectra or standard compounds were used to identify around 40 components in the various volatile fractions. Carvone (40-57%) was the most abundant component, followed by limonene (24-37%), bicyclosesquiphellandrene (5-22%), piperitenone (1-2%), piperitone (ca. 1.0%), and beta-bourbonene (0.6-1.5%), in the HD, SDE, MWHD, and SFE volatile fractions. Static headspace (S-HS), simultaneous purge and trap in solvent (CH2Cl2) (P&T), and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) were used to sample volatiles from fresh L. alba stems and leaves. The main components isolated from the headspace of the fresh plant material were limonene (27-77%), carvone (14-30%), piperitone (0.3-0.5%), piperitenone (ca. 0.4%), and beta-bourbonene (0.5-6.5%). The in vitro antioxidant activity of L. alba essential oil, obtained by hydrodistillation was evaluated by determination of hexanal, the main carbonyl compound released by linoleic acid subjected to peroxidation (1 mm Fe2+, 37 degrees C, 12 h), and by quantification of this acid as its methyl ester. Under the same conditions, L. alba HD-essential oil and Vitamin E exhibited similar antioxidant effects.

Creating a Taxonomy of Local Boards of Health Based on Local Health Departments’ Perspectives

PubMed Central

Shah, Gulzar H.; Sotnikov, Sergey; Leep, Carolyn J.; Ye, Jiali; Van Wave, Timothy W.

2017-01-01

Objectives To develop a local board of health (LBoH) classification scheme and empirical definitions to provide a coherent framework for describing variation in the LBoHs. Methods This study is based on data from the 2015 Local Board of Health Survey, conducted among a nationally representative sample of local health department administrators, with 394 responses. The classification development consisted of the following steps: (1) theoretically guided initial domain development, (2) mapping of the survey variables to the proposed domains, (3) data reduction using principal component analysis and group consensus, and (4) scale development and testing for internal consistency. Results The final classification scheme included 60 items across 6 governance function domains and an additional domain—LBoH characteristics and strengths, such as meeting frequency, composition, and diversity of information sources. Application of this classification strongly supports the premise that LBoHs differ in their performance of governance functions and in other characteristics. Conclusions The LBoH taxonomy provides an empirically tested standardized tool for classifying LBoHs from the viewpoint of local health department administrators. Future studies can use this taxonomy to better characterize the impact of LBoHs. PMID:27854524

Incremental value of copeptin to highly sensitive cardiac Troponin I for rapid rule-out of myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Wildi, Karin; Zellweger, Christa; Twerenbold, Raphael; Jaeger, Cedric; Reichlin, Tobias; Haaf, Philip; Faoro, Jonathan; Giménez, Maria Rubini; Fischer, Andreas; Nelles, Berit; Druey, Sophie; Krivoshei, Lian; Hillinger, Petra; Puelacher, Christian; Herrmann, Thomas; Campodarve, Isabel; Rentsch, Katharina; Steuer, Stephan; Osswald, Stefan; Mueller, Christian

2015-01-01

The incremental value of copeptin, a novel marker of endogenous stress, for rapid rule-out of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is unclear when sensitive or even high-sensitivity cardiac troponin cTn (hs-cTn) assays are used. In an international multicenter study we evaluated 1929 consecutive patients with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Measurements of copeptin, three sensitive and three hs-cTn assays were performed at presentation in a blinded fashion. The final diagnosis was adjudicated by two independent cardiologists using all clinical information including coronary angiography and levels of hs-cTnT. The incremental value in the diagnosis of NSTEMI was quantified using four outcome measures: area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV). Early presenters (< 4h since chest pain onset) were a pre-defined subgroup. NSTEMI was the adjudicated final diagnosis in 358 (18.6%) patients. As compared to the use of cTn alone, copeptin significantly increased AUC for two (33%) and IDI (between 0.010 and 0.041 (all p < 0.01)), sensitivity and NPV for all six cTn assays (100%); NPV to 96-99% when the 99 th percentile of the respective cTnI assay was combined with a copeptin level of 9 pmol/l (all p < 0.01). The incremental value in early presenters was similar to that of the overall cohort. When used for rapid rule-out of NSTEM in combination with sensitive or hs-cTnI assays, copeptin provides a numerically small, but statistically and likely also clinically significant incremental value. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 66933 - Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security U.S. Coast Guard DHS/USCG-014 Military Pay...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-28

... purpose of health and life insurance requests and eligibility and to the Department of Defense (DoD) for... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2011-0072] Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security U.S. Coast Guard DHS/USCG--014 Military Pay and Personnel System...

6 CFR Appendix A to Part 27 - DHS Chemicals of Interest

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false DHS Chemicals of Interest A Appendix A to Part 27 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Pt. 27, App. A Appendix A to Part 27—DHS Chemicals of Interest ER20NO07.008 ER20NO07.009...

6 CFR Appendix A to Part 27 - DHS Chemicals of Interest

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false DHS Chemicals of Interest A Appendix A to Part 27 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Pt. 27, App. A Appendix A to Part 27—DHS Chemicals of Interest ER20NO07.008 ER20NO07.009...

76 FR 49494 - Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security United States Coast Guard DHS/USCG-027...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-10

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DHS-2011-0062] Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security United States Coast Guard DHS/USCG-027 Recruiting Files System of... accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 the Department of Homeland Security proposes to update and reissue an...

6 CFR Appendix A to Part 27 - DHS Chemicals of Interest

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false DHS Chemicals of Interest A Appendix A to Part 27 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Pt. 27, App. A Appendix A to Part 27—DHS Chemicals of Interest ER20NO07.008 ER20NO07.009...

6 CFR Appendix A to Part 27 - DHS Chemicals of Interest

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false DHS Chemicals of Interest A Appendix A to Part 27 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Pt. 27, App. A Appendix A to Part 27—DHS Chemicals of Interest ER20NO07.008 ER20NO07.009...

6 CFR Appendix A to Part 27 - DHS Chemicals of Interest

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false DHS Chemicals of Interest A Appendix A to Part 27 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Pt. 27, App. A Appendix A to Part 27—DHS Chemicals of Interest ER20NO07.008 ER20NO07.009...

76 FR 81787 - Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions; Department of Homeland Security/ALL-030 Use of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-29

... requirements for the agency (DHS) to respect individuals' rights to control their information in possession of... Database System of Records is a repository of information held by DHS in connection with its several and.... The DHS/ALL-030 Use of Terrorist Screening Database System of Records contains information that is...

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

Moroz, P.E.

A new stellarator configuration, the Double-Helix Stellarator (DHS), is introduced. This novel configuration features a double-helix center post as the only helical element of the stellarator coil system. The DHS configuration has many unique characteristics. One of them is the extreme low plasma aspect ratio, A {approx} 1--1.2. Other advantages include a high enclosed volume, appreciable rotational transform, and a possibility of extreme-high-{beta} MHD equilibria. Moreover, the DHS features improved transport characteristics caused by the absence of the magnetic field ripple on the outboard of the torus. Compactness, simplicity and modularity of the coil system add to the DHS advantagesmore » for fusion applications.« less

FY16 Analysis report: Financial systems dependency on communications

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

Beyeler, Walter E.

Within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis (OCIA)'s National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) develops capabilities to support the DHS mission and the resilience of the Nation’s critical infrastructure. At Sandia National Laboratories, under DHS/OCIA direction, NISAC is developing models of financial sector dependence on communications. This capability is designed to improve DHS's ability to assess potential impacts of communication disruptions to major financial services and the effectiveness of possible mitigations. This report summarizes findings and recommendations from the application of that capability as part of the FY2016 NISAC program plan.

Characteristics of large thermal energy storage systems in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwierzchowski, Ryszard

2017-11-01

In District Heating Systems (DHS) there are significant fluctuations in demand for heat by consumers during both the heating and the summer seasons. These variations are considered primarily in the 24-hour time horizon. These problems are aggravated further if the DHS is supplied by a CHP plant, because fluctuations in heat demand adversely affect to a significant degree the stable production of electricity at high overall efficiency. Therefore, introducing Thermal Energy Storage (TES) would be highly recommended on these grounds alone. The characteristics of Large (i.e. over 10 000 m3) TES in operation in Poland are presented. Information is given regarding new projects (currently in design or construction) that apply TES technology in DHS in Poland. The paper looks at the methodology used in Poland to select the TES system for a particular DHS, i.e., procedure for calculating capacity of the TES tank and the system to prevent water stored in the tank from absorbing oxygen from atmospheric air. Implementation of TES in DHS is treated as a recommended technology in the Polish District Heating sector. This technology offers great opportunities to improve the operating conditions of DHS, cutting energy production costs and emissions of pollutants to the atmosphere.

Evaluation of the resilience of a full-scale down-flow hanging sponge reactor to long-term outages at a sewage treatment plant in India.

PubMed

Onodera, Takashi; Takayama, Daisuke; Ohashi, Akiyoshi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Uemura, Shigeki; Harada, Hideki

2016-10-01

Resilience to process outages is an essential requirement for sustainable wastewater treatment systems in developing countries. In this study, we evaluated the ability of a full-scale down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor to recover after a 10-day outage. The DHS tested in this study uses polyurethane sponge as packing material. This full-scale DHS reactor has been tested over a period of about 4 years in India with a flow rate of 500 m(3)/day. Water was not supplied to the DHS reactor that was subjected to the 10-day outage; however, the biomass did not dry out because the sponge was able to retain enough water. Soon after the reactor was restarted, a small quantity of biomass, amounting to only 0.1% of the total retained biomass, was eluted. The DHS effluent achieved satisfactory removal of suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and ammonium nitrogen within 90, 45, and 90 min, respectively. Conversely, fecal coliforms in the DHS effluent did not reach satisfactory levels within 540 min; instead, the normal levels of fecal coliforms were achieved within 3 days. Overall, the tests demonstrated that the DHS reactor was sufficiently robust to withstand long-term outages and achieved steady state soon after restart. This reinforces the suitability of this technology for developing countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel electrospun-aligned nanoyarn/three-dimensional porous nanofibrous hybrid scaffold for annulus fibrosus tissue engineering

PubMed Central

Chen, Weiming; Wang, An; Lin, Chia-Ying; Mo, Xiumei; Ye, Xiaojian

2018-01-01

Introduction Herniation of the nucleus pulposus (NP) because of defects in the annulus fibrosus (AF) is a well-known cause of low back pain. Defects in the AF thus remain a surgical challenge, and efforts have been made to develop new techniques for closure and repair. In this study, we developed an electrospun aligned nanoyarn scaffold (AYS) and nanoyarn/three-dimensional porous nanofibrous hybrid scaffold (HS) for AF tissue engineering. Methods The AYS was fabricated via conjugated electrospinning, while the aligned nanofibrous scaffold (AFS) was prepared by traditional electrospinning as a baseline scaffold. The HS was constructed by freeze-drying and cross-linking methods. Scanning electron microscopy and mechanical measurement were used to characterize the properties of these scaffolds. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were seeded on scaffolds, and cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 assay, while cell infiltration and differentiation were assessed by histological measurement and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results Morphological measurements showed that AYS presented a relatively better three-dimensional structure with larger pore sizes, higher porosity, and better fibers’ alignment compared to AFS. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the tensile property of AFS and AYS was qualitatively similar to the native AF tissue, albeit to a lesser extent. When BMSCs were seeded and cultured on these scaffolds, the number of cells cultured on HS and AYS was found to be significantly higher than that on AFS and culture plate after 7 days of culture (P<0.05). In addition, cell infiltration was significantly higher in HS when compared with AFS and AYS (P<0.05). A part of BMSCs ingressed into the inner part of AYS upon long-term in vitro culture. No significant difference was observed between AFS and AYS in terms of the median infiltration depth (P>0.05). BMSCs seeded on AYS demonstrated an increased expression of COL1A1, while the expression levels of SOX-9, COL2A1, and Aggrecan were higher in HS compared to other scaffolds (P<0.05). Conclusion These findings indicate that HS makes a proper scaffold for the AF tissue engineering as it replicates the axial compression and tensile property of AF, thereby providing a better platform for cell infiltration and cell–scaffold interaction. PMID:29588584

A novel electrospun-aligned nanoyarn/three-dimensional porous nanofibrous hybrid scaffold for annulus fibrosus tissue engineering.

PubMed

Ma, Jun; He, Yunfei; Liu, Xilin; Chen, Weiming; Wang, An; Lin, Chia-Ying; Mo, Xiumei; Ye, Xiaojian

2018-01-01

Herniation of the nucleus pulposus (NP) because of defects in the annulus fibrosus (AF) is a well-known cause of low back pain. Defects in the AF thus remain a surgical challenge, and efforts have been made to develop new techniques for closure and repair. In this study, we developed an electrospun aligned nanoyarn scaffold (AYS) and nanoyarn/three-dimensional porous nanofibrous hybrid scaffold (HS) for AF tissue engineering. The AYS was fabricated via conjugated electrospinning, while the aligned nanofibrous scaffold (AFS) was prepared by traditional electrospinning as a baseline scaffold. The HS was constructed by freeze-drying and cross-linking methods. Scanning electron microscopy and mechanical measurement were used to characterize the properties of these scaffolds. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were seeded on scaffolds, and cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 assay, while cell infiltration and differentiation were assessed by histological measurement and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Morphological measurements showed that AYS presented a relatively better three-dimensional structure with larger pore sizes, higher porosity, and better fibers' alignment compared to AFS. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the tensile property of AFS and AYS was qualitatively similar to the native AF tissue, albeit to a lesser extent. When BMSCs were seeded and cultured on these scaffolds, the number of cells cultured on HS and AYS was found to be significantly higher than that on AFS and culture plate after 7 days of culture ( P <0.05). In addition, cell infiltration was significantly higher in HS when compared with AFS and AYS ( P <0.05). A part of BMSCs ingressed into the inner part of AYS upon long-term in vitro culture. No significant difference was observed between AFS and AYS in terms of the median infiltration depth ( P >0.05). BMSCs seeded on AYS demonstrated an increased expression of COL1A1 , while the expression levels of SOX-9 , COL2A1 , and Aggrecan were higher in HS compared to other scaffolds ( P <0.05). These findings indicate that HS makes a proper scaffold for the AF tissue engineering as it replicates the axial compression and tensile property of AF, thereby providing a better platform for cell infiltration and cell-scaffold interaction.

Utility of the combination of serum highly-sensitive C-reactive protein level at discharge and a risk index in predicting readmission for acute exacerbation of COPD*,**

PubMed Central

Chang, Chun; Zhu, Hong; Shen, Ning; Han, Xiang; Chen, Yahong; He, Bei

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Frequent readmissions for acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) are an independent risk factor for increased mortality and use of health-care resources. Disease severity and C-reactive protein (CRP) level are validated predictors of long-term prognosis in such patients. This study investigated the utility of combining serum CRP level with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) exacerbation risk classification for predicting readmission for AECOPD. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of consecutive patients hospitalized for AECOPD at Peking University Third Hospital, in Beijing, China. We assessed patient age; gender; smoking status and history (pack-years); lung function; AECOPD frequency during the last year; quality of life; GOLD risk category (A-D; D indicating the greatest risk); and serum level of high-sensitivity CRP at discharge (hsCRP-D). RESULTS: The final sample comprised 135 patients. Of those, 71 (52.6%) were readmitted at least once during the 12-month follow-up period. The median (interquartile) time to readmission was 78 days (42-178 days). Multivariate analysis revealed that serum hsCRP-D ≥ 3 mg/L and GOLD category D were independent predictors of readmission (hazard ratio = 3.486; 95% CI: 1.968-6.175; p < 0.001 and hazard ratio = 2.201; 95% CI: 1.342-3.610; p = 0.002, respectively). The ordering of the factor combinations by cumulative readmission risk, from highest to lowest, was as follows: hsCRP-D ≥ 3 mg/L and GOLD category D; hsCRP-D ≥ 3 mg/L and GOLD categories A-C; hsCRP-D < 3 mg/L and GOLD category D; hsCRP-D < 3 mg/L and GOLD categories A-C. CONCLUSIONS: Serum hsCRP-D and GOLD classification are independent predictors of readmission for AECOPD, and their predictive value increases when they are used in combination. PMID:25410837

DNaseI Hypersensitivity and Ultraconservation Reveal Novel, Interdependent Long-Range Enhancers at the Complex Pax6 Cis-Regulatory Region

PubMed Central

McBride, David J.; Buckle, Adam; van Heyningen, Veronica; Kleinjan, Dirk A.

2011-01-01

The PAX6 gene plays a crucial role in development of the eye, brain, olfactory system and endocrine pancreas. Consistent with its pleiotropic role the gene exhibits a complex developmental expression pattern which is subject to strict spatial, temporal and quantitative regulation. Control of expression depends on a large array of cis-elements residing in an extended genomic domain around the coding region of the gene. The minimal essential region required for proper regulation of this complex locus has been defined through analysis of human aniridia-associated breakpoints and YAC transgenic rescue studies of the mouse smalleye mutant. We have carried out a systematic DNase I hypersensitive site (HS) analysis across 200 kb of this critical region of mouse chromosome 2E3 to identify putative regulatory elements. Mapping the identified HSs onto a percent identity plot (PIP) shows many HSs correspond to recognisable genomic features such as evolutionarily conserved sequences, CpG islands and retrotransposon derived repeats. We then focussed on a region previously shown to contain essential long range cis-regulatory information, the Pax6 downstream regulatory region (DRR), allowing comparison of mouse HS data with previous human HS data for this region. Reporter transgenic mice for two of the HS sites, HS5 and HS6, show that they function as tissue specific regulatory elements. In addition we have characterised enhancer activity of an ultra-conserved cis-regulatory region located near Pax6, termed E60. All three cis-elements exhibit multiple spatio-temporal activities in the embryo that overlap between themselves and other elements in the locus. Using a deletion set of YAC reporter transgenic mice we demonstrate functional interdependence of the elements. Finally, we use the HS6 enhancer as a marker for the migration of precerebellar neuro-epithelium cells to the hindbrain precerebellar nuclei along the posterior and anterior extramural streams allowing visualisation of migratory defects in both pathways in Pax6Sey/Sey mice. PMID:22220192

Ultrafast interfacial energy transfer and interlayer excitons in the monolayer WS2/CsPbBr3 quantum dot heterostructure.

PubMed

Li, Han; Zheng, Xin; Liu, Yu; Zhang, Zhepeng; Jiang, Tian

2018-01-25

The idea of fabricating artificial solids with band structures tailored to particular applications has long fascinated condensed matter physicists. Heterostructure (HS) construction is viewed as an effective and appealing approach to engineer novel electronic properties in two dimensional (2D) materials. Different from common 2D/2D heterojunctions where energy transfer is rarely observed, CsPbBr 3 quantum dots (0D-QDs) interfaced with 2D materials have become attractive HSs for exploring the physics of charge transfer and energy transfer, due to their superior optical properties. In this paper, a new 0D/2D HS is proposed and experimentally studied, making it possible to investigate both light utilization and energy transfer. Specifically, this HS is constructed between monolayer WS 2 and CsPbBr 3 QDs, and exhibits a hybrid band alignment. The dynamics of energy transfer within the investigated 0D/2D HS is characterized by femtosecond transient absorption spectrum (TAS) measurements. The TAS results reveal that ultrafast energy transfer caused by optical excitation is observed from CsPbBr 3 QDs to the WS 2 layer, which can increase the exciton fluence within the WS 2 layer up to 69% when compared with pristine ML WS 2 under the same excitation fluence. Moreover, the formation and dynamics of interlayer excitons have also been investigated and confirmed in the HS, with a calculated recombination time of 36.6 ps. Finally, the overall phenomenological dynamical scenario for the 0D/2D HS is established within the 100 ps time region after excitation. The techniques introduced in this work can also be applied to versatile optoelectronic devices based on low dimensional materials.

Targeting Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans and their Modifying Enzymes to Enhance Anticancer Chemotherapy Efficacy and Overcome Drug Resistance.

PubMed

Lanzi, Cinzia; Zaffaroni, Nadia; Cassinelli, Giuliana

2017-01-01

Targeting heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and enzymes involved in heparan sulfate (HS) chain editing is emerging as a new anticancer strategy. The involvement of HSPGs in tumor cell signaling, inflammation, angiogenesis and metastasis indicates that agents able to inhibit aberrant HSPG functions can potentially act as multitarget drugs affecting both tumor cell growth and the supportive boost provided by the microenvironment. Moreover, accumulating evidence supports that an altered expression or function of HSPGs, or of the complex enzyme system regulating their activities, can also depress the tumor response to anticancer treatments in several tumor types. Thereby, targeting HSPGs or HSPG modifying enzymes appears an appealing approach to enhance chemotherapy efficacy. A great deal of effort from academia and industry has led to the development of agents mimicking HS, and/or inhibiting HSPG modifying enzymes. Inhibitors of Sulf-2, an endosulfatase that edits the HS sulfation pattern, and inhibitors of heparanase, the endoglycosidase that produces functional HS fragments, appear particularly promising. In fact, a Sulf-2 inhibitor (OKN-007), and two heparanase inhibitors/HS mimics (roneparstat, PG545) are currently under early clinical investigation. In this review, we summarized preclinical studies in experimental tumor models of the main chemical classes of Sulf-2 and heparanase inhibitors. We described examples of different mechanisms through which heparanase and HSPGs, often in cooperation, may impact tumor sensitivity to various antitumor agents. Finally, we reported a few preclinical studies showing increased antitumor efficacy obtained with the use of candidate clinical HS mimics in combination regimens. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Increased hs-CRP and decreased 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D are associated with increased left ventricle lead threshold.

PubMed

Gözübüyük, Gökhan; Koç, Mevlüt; Kaypaklı, Onur; Şahin, Durmuş Yıldıray

2016-11-01

There are not enough data about threshold changes in patients with CRT. In this study, we aimed to investigate frequency of significant threshold increase of left ventricle lead and to determine clinical, demographic, medical and laboratory parameters that associated with threshold increase in CRT implanted patients. We included CRT implanted 200 patients (124 males, 76 females; mean age 65.8 ± 10.3 years) to this study. Basal and third month LV R wave amplitude, electrode impedance, and threshold values were recorded. Threshold increase was accepted as ≥0.1 V and significant increase as >1 V. Patients were divided into two groups: increased threshold and non-increased threshold for LV lead. Number of patients with increased LV threshold was 68 (37.6 %). Furthermore, 8 % of patients had severe increase (≥1 V) in LV threshold. We observed that serum levels of hs-CRP and 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D were independently associated with increased LV threshold. We showed that 1 mg/dl increase in hs-CRP and the 1 mg/dl decrease in vitamin D are associated with 25.3 and 4.5 % increase in the odds of increased LV threshold, respectively. Increased hs-CRP and decreased 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D are the strongest predictors of increased LV lead thresholds. We suggest that hs-CRP and 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D may be used as markers to predict and follow the patients with increased thresholds. It may be useful to finalize CRT procedure with more appropriate basal threshold in patients with high serum hs-CRP and low 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D levels.

The Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Enterprise: Operational Overview and Oversight Challenges for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-27

technology network architecture to connect various DHS elements and promote information sharing.17 • Establish a DHS State, Local, and Regional...A Strategic Plan; training, and the implementation of a comprehensive information systems architecture .65 As part of its integration...information technology network architecture was submitted to Congress last year. See DHS I&A, Homeland Security Information Technology Network

VizieR Online Data Catalog: i filter photometry for HATS-25 through HATS-30 (Espinoza+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espinoza, N.; Bayliss, D.; Hartman, J. D.; Bakos, G. A.; Jordan, A.; Zhou, G.; Mancini, L.; Brahm, R.; Ciceri, S.; Bhatti, W.; Csubry, Z.; Rabus, M.; Penev, K.; Bento, J.; de Val-Borro, M.; Henning, T.; Schmidt, B.; Suc, V.; Wright, D. J.; Tinney, C. G.; Tan, T. G.; Noyes, R.

2017-05-01

The photometric detection data of the six exoplanets come from the three HATSouth sites, namely, the site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile (LCO, whose stations are designated HS-1 and HS-2), the site at of the High Energy Spectroscopic Survey (HESS) in Namibia (whose stations are designated HS-3 and HS-4) and the site at the Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in Australia whose stations are designated HS-5 and HS-6). HATS-25 was observed with an r SDSS filter on 2011 Mar-2011 Aug using HS-2.1, on 2011 Jul-2011 Aug using HS-4.1, and on 2011 May with HS-6.1. HATS-26 was observed with an r SDSS filter on 2012 Feb-2012 Jun using HS-2.3, HS-4.3, and HS-6.3. HATS-27 was observed with an r SDSS filter on 2011 Apr-2012 Jul using HS-2.1, on 2011 Jul-2012 Jul using HS-4.1, and on 2011 May-2012 Jul using HS-6.1. HATS-28 was observed with an r SDSS filter on 2013 Mar-2013 Oct using HS-1.2, on 2013 Sep-2013 Oct using HS-2.2, on 2013 Apr-2013 Nov using HS-3.2, on 2013 Sep-2013 Nov using HS-4.2 and HS-6.2, and 2013 Mar-2013 Nov using HS-5.2. HATS-29 was observed with an r SDSS filter on 2013 Apr-2013 May using HS-1.1, on 2013 Sep-2013 Oct using HS-2.1, on 2013 Apr-2013 Nov using HS-3.1, on 2013 Sep-2013 Nov using HS-4.1 and HS-6.1, and on 2013 Mar-2013 Nov using HS-5.1. HATS-30 was observed using an r SDSS filter on 2012 Sep-2012 Dec using HS-2.3, HS-6.3 and HS-2.4, on 2012 Sep-2013 Jan using HS-4.4, on 2012 Sep-2012 Dec using HS-6.4, and on 2011 Jul-2012 Oct using HS-1.1, HS-3.1 and HS-5.1. Photometric follow-up for the six systems was obtained mainly from 1m-class telescopes at different sites of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) network, using the i filter. In particular, one partial transit and a full transit was observed for HATS-25b on 2015 February 23 at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and 2015 March 16 at SSO, respectively; three partial transits were observed for HATS-26b on 2015 April 19 and 2015 May 21 at CTIO, and 2015 June 04 at SSO; one full transit was observed for HATS-27b on 2015 April 09 at SSO; two partial transits were observed for HATS-28b on 2015 August 31 and 2015 September 03 at CTIO; one full transit and a partial transit were observed for HATS-29b on 2015 and 2014 June, respectively, at CTIO; and two partial transits were observed for HATS-30b on 2014 October 19 at South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and on 2014 Oct 23 at CTIO. In addition, one full transit of HATS-27b was observed using the 0.3m Perth Exoplanet Survey Telescope (PEST) on 2015 March 12 using a RC filter. The reconnaissance spectroscopy of our candidates was made using the Wide Field Spectrograph (WiFeS), located on the Australian National University (ANU) 2.3m telescope. The observing strategy usually consists of taking data with two resolutions: R=λ/Δλ=7000 (medium) and R=3000 (low). For HATS-25, four medium resolution spectra (2014 Jun-Aug) and one low resolution spectrum (2014 Aug 5) were obtained. For HATS-26, two medium resolution spectra (2014 Jun 3-5) and one low resolution spectrum (2014 Jun 4) were obtained. For HATS-27, three medium resolution (2014 Jun 3-5) and one low resolution (2014 Jun 2) spectra were obtained. For HATS-28, only one low resolution spectrum (2015 Jun 1) was obtained. For HATS-29, four medium resolution spectra (2014 Dec-2015 Mar) and one low resolution spectrum (2015 Mar 2) were obtained. For HATS-30, three medium resolution spectra (2014 Oct 4-10) and one low resolution spectrum (2014 Oct 4) were obtained. High-precision spectroscopy was obtained for our targets with different instruments. Several R=115000 spectra were taken with the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) on the ESO 3.6m telescope at La Silla Observatory (LSO) between 2015 February and 2016 March in order to obtain high-precision radial velocities for HATS-25, HATS-26, HATS-27, and HATS-29. Spectra with R=48000 were also taken with the Fiber-fed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph (FEROS) mounted on the Max Planck Gesellschaft (MPG) 2.2m telescope at La Silla Observatory (LSO) between 2014 July and 2015 July in order to both extract precise spectroscopic parameters of the host stars and obtain precise radial velocities for all of our targets. In addition, R=60000 spectra were also taken with the CORALIE spectrograph mounted on the 1.2m Euler telescope at LSO between 2014 June and November for HATS-26, HATS-27, HATS-29, and HATS-30. Finally, eight R=70000 spectra were obtained for HATS-29 on 2015 May to measure radial velocities, using the CYCLOPS2 fiber feed with the University College London Echelle Spectrograph (UCLES) on the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). (3 data files).

Hippocampal Sclerosis but Not Normal Aging or Alzheimer Disease Is Associated With TDP-43 Pathology in the Basal Forebrain of Aged Persons.

PubMed

Cykowski, Matthew D; Takei, Hidehiro; Van Eldik, Linda J; Schmitt, Frederick A; Jicha, Gregory A; Powell, Suzanne Z; Nelson, Peter T

2016-05-01

Transactivating responsive sequence (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43-kDa (TDP-43) pathology has been described in various brain diseases, but the full anatomical distribution and clinical and biological implications of that pathology are incompletely characterized. Here, we describe TDP-43 neuropathology in the basal forebrain, hypothalamus, and adjacent nuclei in 98 individuals (mean age, 86 years; median final mini-mental state examination score, 27). On examination blinded to clinical and pathologic diagnoses, we identified TDP-43 pathology that most frequently involved the ventromedial basal forebrain in 19 individuals (19.4%). As expected, many of these brains had comorbid pathologies including those of Alzheimer disease (AD), Lewy body disease (LBD), and/or hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging). The basal forebrain TDP-43 pathology was strongly associated with comorbid HS-Aging (odds ratio = 6.8, p = 0.001), whereas there was no significant association between basal forebrain TDP-43 pathology and either AD or LBD neuropathology. In this sample, there were some cases with apparent preclinical TDP-43 pathology in the basal forebrain that may indicate that this is an early affected area in HS-Aging. We conclude that TDP-43 pathology in the basal forebrain is strongly associated with HS-Aging. These results raise questions about a specific pathogenetic relationship between basal forebrain TDP-43 and non-HS-Aging comorbid diseases (AD and LBD). © 2016 American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Hippocampal Sclerosis but Not Normal Aging or Alzheimer Disease Is Associated With TDP-43 Pathology in the Basal Forebrain of Aged Persons

PubMed Central

Takei, Hidehiro; Van Eldik, Linda J.; Schmitt, Frederick A.; Jicha, Gregory A.; Powell, Suzanne Z.; Nelson, Peter T.

2016-01-01

Transactivating responsive sequence (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43-kDa (TDP-43) pathology has been described in various brain diseases, but the full anatomical distribution and clinical and biological implications of that pathology are incompletely characterized. Here, we describe TDP-43 neuropathology in the basal forebrain, hypothalamus, and adjacent nuclei in 98 individuals (mean age, 86 years; median final mini-mental state examination score, 27). On examination blinded to clinical and pathologic diagnoses, we identified TDP-43 pathology that most frequently involved the ventromedial basal forebrain in 19 individuals (19.4%). As expected, many of these brains had comorbid pathologies including those of Alzheimer disease (AD), Lewy body disease (LBD), and/or hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging). The basal forebrain TDP-43 pathology was strongly associated with comorbid HS-Aging (odds ratio = 6.8, p = 0.001), whereas there was no significant association between basal forebrain TDP-43 pathology and either AD or LBD neuropathology. In this sample, there were some cases with apparent preclinical TDP-43 pathology in the basal forebrain that may indicate that this is an early affected area in HS-Aging. We conclude that TDP-43 pathology in the basal forebrain is strongly associated with HS-Aging. These results raise questions about a specific pathogenetic relationship between basal forebrain TDP-43 and non-HS-Aging comorbid diseases (AD and LBD). PMID:26971127

Reference equations for handgrip strength: Normative values in young adult and middle-aged subjects.

PubMed

Lopes, Jordão; Grams, Samantha Torres; da Silva, Edy Floriano; de Medeiros, Luana Adriano; de Brito, Christina May Moran; Yamaguti, Wellington Pereira

2018-06-01

Handgrip strength (HS) has been widely used as a functionality parameter of the upper limbs (UL) and general health. The measurement of HS by dynamometry is a low cost, non-invasive method of simple applicability, widely used in pulmonary rehabilitation and in critical care units. However, there are no reports in the literature of reference equations for the Brazilian population involving young and middle-aged adults. The aim of this study was to establish reference equations to predict normal HS for young and middle-aged adults through demographic and anthropometric data. This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 80 healthy subjects (40 men and 40 women), aged 20-60 years. Inclusion criteria were: 1) BMI between 18.5 and 30 kg/m 2 ; 2) presence of dominant hand; 3) no cardiac, pulmonary, metabolic, or neurologic diseases; 4) lack of musculoskeletal disorders; 5) no history of fractures or trauma of the UL. Anthropometric measurements of the UL were obtained by a tape (hand length and width, forearm circumference and length). The dominance of hands was defined by the Dutch Handedness Questionnaire. HS measures were obtained by a manual hydraulic dynamometer, according to the recommendations of the American Association of Hand Therapists. Data were analyzed with SPSS for Windows, version 17.0, and treated with descriptive and inferential analysis. Normality was evaluated by Kolmogorov-Smirnov. Pearson or Spearman coefficients and multiple regression analysis were also used. HS was significantly higher for men compared to women, and also higher for the dominant hand (HSD) compared to the non-dominant hand (HSND) (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found for HS between the age groups 20-30, 30-40, 40-50 and 50-60 years (p > 0.05). No correlation was found between HS and age. A weak correlation was found between HS and BMI. A moderate correlation of HS was observed with weight and height. Finally, moderate and high correlations were found between HS and anthropometric variables of UL. The best reference equations with R 2 , adjusted to 0.71 and 0.70, were respectively: HSD kg  = -15.490 + (10.787 × Gender male=1; female=0 ) + (0.558 × Forearm circumference) + (1.763 × Hand Length); HSND kg  = -9.887 + (12.832 × Gender male=1; female=0 ) + (2.028 × Hand Length). The variability of HS is largely explained by gender, forearm circumference, and hand length. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Army Support during the Hurricane Katrina Disaster

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Human Capital Reform Act of 2004. 3. John D. Banusiewicz, “Bush Calls for Broader Military Disaster Response Role,” American Forces Press Service...Management (DHS/FEMA) ESF #6, Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services (DHS/FEMA) ESF #7, Resource Support (Government Services Administration) ESF #8...Public Health and Medical Services (Department of Health and Human Services) ESF #9, Urban Search and Rescue (DHS/FEMA) ESF #10, Oil and Hazardous

The Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Enterprise: Operational Overview and Oversight Challenges for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-19

network architecture to connect various DHS elements and promote information sharing.17 • Establish a DHS State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center...of reports; the I&A Strategic Plan; training, and the implementation of a comprehensive information systems architecture .73 As part of its...comprehensive information technology network architecture was submitted to Congress last year. See DHS I&A, Homeland Security Information Technology Network

Energy saving system with high effluent quality for municipal sewage treatment by UASB-DHS.

PubMed

Tanaka, H; Takahashi, M; Yoneyama, Y; Syutsubo, K; Kato, K; Nagano, A; Yamaguchi, T; Harada, H

2012-01-01

An up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) - down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) was applied to Japanese municipal sewage treatment, and its treatability, energy consumption, and sludge production were evaluated. The designed sewage load was 50 m(3)/d. The sewage typically had a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 402 mg/L, a suspended solids (SS) content of 167 mg/L, and a temperature of 17-29 °C. The UASB and DHS exhibited theoretical hydraulic retention times of 9.7 and 2.5 h, respectively. The entire system was operated without temperature control. Operation was started with mesophilic anaerobic digested sludge for the UASB and various sponge media for the DHS. Continuous operational data suggest that although the cellulose decomposition and methanogenic process in the UASB are temperature sensitive, stable operation can be obtained by maintaining a satisfactory sludge volume index and sludge concentration. For the DHS, the cube-type medium G3-2 offers superior filling rates, biological preservation and operational execution. The SS derived from the DHS contaminated the effluent but could be removed by optional sand filtration. A comparison with conventional activated sludge (CAS) treatment confirmed that this system is adequate for municipal sewage treatment, with an estimated energy requirement and excess sludge production approximately 75 and 85% less than those of CAS, respectively.

Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of dissolved humic substances in a mangrove-fringed estuary in the eastern coast of Hainan Island, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yaoling; Du, Jinzhou; Peng, Bo; Zhang, Fenfen; Zhao, Xin; Zhang, Jing

2013-03-01

Mangrove-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) has an important effect on estuarine and coastal area on a large scale. In order to improve the understanding of origin, composition, and fate of DOM in mangrove-fringed estuarine and coastal areas, dissolved humic substances (DHS) were isolated from one mangrove pore-water sample and one near-shore seawater sample downstream the mangrove pore-water site in the eastern coast of Hainan Island, South China. Fulvic acids, humic acids and XAD-4 fractions were obtained from the two water samples by using a two-column array of XAD-8 and XAD-4 resins. Chemical and spectroscopic methods were used to analyze the features of these DHS. Compared to the mangrove pore-water DHS, the near-shore seawater DHS were found rich in 13C with lower C/N ratios and more aliphatic compounds and carbohydrates, but less aromatic structures and carboxyl groups. As for the three fractions of the two DHS, XAD-4 fractions contain more aliphatics, carbohydrates, carboxyl groups, and enrich in 13C with respect to both fulvic and humic acids. Photo-oxidation transformation and contribution from marine-derived DOM were considered as the main reasons resulted in the difference in compositional features for these DHS in this study.

Evaluation of the process performance of a down-flow hanging sponge reactor for direct treatment of domestic wastewater in Bangkok, Thailand.

PubMed

Miyaoka, Yuma; Yoochatchaval, Wilasinee; Sumino, Haruhiko; Banjongproo, Pathan; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Onodera, Takashi; Okadera, Tomohiro; Syutsubo, Kazuaki

2017-08-24

This study assesses the performance of an aerobic trickling filter, down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor, as a decentralized domestic wastewater treatment technology. Also, the characteristic eukaryotic community structure in DHS reactor was investigated. Long-term operation of a DHS reactor for direct treatment of domestic wastewater (COD = 150-170 mg/L and BOD = 60-90 mg/L) was performed under the average ambient temperature ranged from 28°C to 31°C in Bangkok, Thailand. Throughout the evaluation period of 550 days, the DHS reactor at a hydraulic retention time of 3 h showed better performance than the existing oxidation ditch process in the removal of organic carbon (COD removal rate = 80-83% and BOD removal rate = 91%), nitrogen compounds (total nitrogen removal rate = 45-51% and NH 4 + -N removal rate = 95-98%), and low excess sludge production (0.04 gTS/gCOD removed). The clone library based on the 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequence revealed that phylogenetic diversity of 18S rRNA gene in the DHS reactor was higher than that of the present oxidation ditch process. Furthermore, the DHS reactor also demonstrated sufficient COD and NH 4 + -N removal efficiency under flow rate fluctuation conditions that simulates a small-scale treatment facility. The results show that a DHS reactor could be applied as a decentralized domestic wastewater treatment technology in tropical regions such as Bangkok, Thailand.

[A survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma manifesting dropped head syndrome as a late-onset complication of radiotherapy: a case report].

PubMed

Kaido, Misako; Yuasa, Yoshihito; Ikeda, Hiroshi

2018-05-25

We report the case of a 50-year-old female survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), who developed dropped head syndrome (DHS). The patient was diagnosed with HL at 20 years of age, and underwent chemo-radiotherapy, which led to complete remission. Undergoing supplemental therapy for post-radiation hypothyroidism, she had twin babies. She noticed white stains on her neck at the age of 30, and the decolored area gradually expanded. Sixteen years after the radiotherapy (RT), her posterior neck muscle strength began to decline. She had to make considerable efforts to keep her neck straight, and came to experience a severe pain in the neck and shoulders. The patient visited our department due to DHS at the age of 50. She had leukoderma, muscle weakness, and muscle atrophy in the neck and para-spinal region, which were consistent with the area of RT. The strength was preserved in the other parts of the muscle, including the proximal upper limbs. Sensory nerve disorder was not detected. The serum creatine kinase level was slightly elevated. Cervical spine or cervical cord disease that can cause DHS was not detected by MRI examination. The MRI and CT images revealed marked atrophy in the posterior neck and para-spinal muscles. The electromyogram revealed myopathic changes, and the cause of her DHS was diagnosed as radiation-induced myopathy. DHS is a well-known late-onset radiation injury, and Japanese cases have been reported in elderly persons with laryngeal or lung cancer. However, there have been no Japanese case reports of radiation-induced DHS due to RT against HL in younger persons. The patient had visited several clinics and hospitals before she came to our hospital, but RT-induced DHS had been overlooked. Greater recognition and consideration is required for DHS as one of the various issues arising after long passage of HL survivors.

Investigating determinants of yawning in the domestic (Equus caballus) and Przewalski (Equus ferus przewalskii) horses.

PubMed

Górecka-Bruzda, Aleksandra; Fureix, Carole; Ouvrard, Anne; Bourjade, Marie; Hausberger, Martine

2016-10-01

Yawning is rare in herbivores which therefore may be an interesting group to disentangle the potential function(s) of yawning behaviour. Horses provide the opportunity to compare not only animals living in different conditions but also wild versus domestic species. Here, we tested three hypotheses by observing both domestic and Przewalski horses living in semi-natural conditions: (i) that domestic horses may show an elevated rate of yawning as a result of the domestication process (or as a result of life conditions), (ii) that individuals experiencing a higher level of social stress would yawn more than individuals with lower social stress and (iii) that males would yawn more often than females. The study involved 19 Przewalski horses (PHs) and 16 domestic horses (DHs) of different breeds living in large outdoor enclosures. The results showed that there was no difference between the PH and DH in yawning frequency (YF). PHs exhibited much higher levels of social interactions than DHs. There was a positive correlation between yawning frequency and aggressive behaviours in PHs, especially males, supporting the idea that yawning may be associated with more excitatory/stressful social situations. A correlation was found between yawning frequency and affiliative behaviours in DHs, which supports the potential relationship between yawning and social context. Finally, the entire males, but not castrated males, showed much higher levels of yawning than females in both species. The intensity (rather than the valence) of the interaction may be important in triggering yawning, which could therefore be a displacement activity that helps reduce tension.

Investigating determinants of yawning in the domestic ( Equus caballus) and Przewalski ( Equus ferus przewalskii) horses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Górecka-Bruzda, Aleksandra; Fureix, Carole; Ouvrard, Anne; Bourjade, Marie; Hausberger, Martine

2016-10-01

Yawning is rare in herbivores which therefore may be an interesting group to disentangle the potential function(s) of yawning behaviour. Horses provide the opportunity to compare not only animals living in different conditions but also wild versus domestic species. Here, we tested three hypotheses by observing both domestic and Przewalski horses living in semi-natural conditions: (i) that domestic horses may show an elevated rate of yawning as a result of the domestication process (or as a result of life conditions), (ii) that individuals experiencing a higher level of social stress would yawn more than individuals with lower social stress and (iii) that males would yawn more often than females. The study involved 19 Przewalski horses (PHs) and 16 domestic horses (DHs) of different breeds living in large outdoor enclosures. The results showed that there was no difference between the PH and DH in yawning frequency (YF). PHs exhibited much higher levels of social interactions than DHs. There was a positive correlation between yawning frequency and aggressive behaviours in PHs, especially males, supporting the idea that yawning may be associated with more excitatory/stressful social situations. A correlation was found between yawning frequency and affiliative behaviours in DHs, which supports the potential relationship between yawning and social context. Finally, the entire males, but not castrated males, showed much higher levels of yawning than females in both species. The intensity (rather than the valence) of the interaction may be important in triggering yawning, which could therefore be a displacement activity that helps reduce tension.

Augmenting the Deliberative Method for Ranking Risks.

PubMed

Susel, Irving; Lasley, Trace; Montezemolo, Mark; Piper, Joel

2016-01-01

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) characterized and prioritized the physical cross-border threats and hazards to the nation stemming from terrorism, market-driven illicit flows of people and goods (illegal immigration, narcotics, funds, counterfeits, and weaponry), and other nonmarket concerns (movement of diseases, pests, and invasive species). These threats and hazards pose a wide diversity of consequences with very different combinations of magnitudes and likelihoods, making it very challenging to prioritize them. This article presents the approach that was used at DHS to arrive at a consensus regarding the threats and hazards that stand out from the rest based on the overall risk they pose. Due to time constraints for the decision analysis, it was not feasible to apply multiattribute methodologies like multiattribute utility theory or the analytic hierarchy process. Using a holistic approach was considered, such as the deliberative method for ranking risks first published in this journal. However, an ordinal ranking alone does not indicate relative or absolute magnitude differences among the risks. Therefore, the use of the deliberative method for ranking risks is not sufficient for deciding whether there is a material difference between the top-ranked and bottom-ranked risks, let alone deciding what the stand-out risks are. To address this limitation of ordinal rankings, the deliberative method for ranking risks was augmented by adding an additional step to transform the ordinal ranking into a ratio scale ranking. This additional step enabled the selection of stand-out risks to help prioritize further analysis. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Undergraduates Achieve Learning Gains in Plant Genetics through Peer Teaching of Secondary Students

PubMed Central

Chrispeels, H. E.; Klosterman, M. L.; Martin, J. B.; Lundy, S. R.; Watkins, J. M.; Gibson, C. L.

2014-01-01

This study tests the hypothesis that undergraduates who peer teach genetics will have greater understanding of genetic and molecular biology concepts as a result of their teaching experiences. Undergraduates enrolled in a non–majors biology course participated in a service-learning program in which they led middle school (MS) or high school (HS) students through a case study curriculum to discover the cause of a green tomato variant. The curriculum explored plant reproduction and genetic principles, highlighting variation in heirloom tomato fruits to reinforce the concept of the genetic basis of phenotypic variation. HS students were taught additional activities related to mole­cular biology techniques not included in the MS curriculum. We measured undergraduates’ learning outcomes using pre/postteaching content assessments and the course final exam. Undergraduates showed significant gains in understanding of topics related to the curriculum they taught, compared with other course content, on both types of assessments. Undergraduates who taught HS students scored higher on questions specific to the HS curriculum compared with undergraduates who taught MS students, despite identical lecture content, on both types of assessments. These results indicate the positive effect of service-learning peer-teaching experiences on undergraduates’ content knowledge, even for non–science major students. PMID:25452487

Western diet induces a shift in microbiota composition enhancing susceptibility to Adherent-Invasive E. coli infection and intestinal inflammation.

PubMed

Agus, Allison; Denizot, Jérémy; Thévenot, Jonathan; Martinez-Medina, Margarita; Massier, Sébastien; Sauvanet, Pierre; Bernalier-Donadille, Annick; Denis, Sylvain; Hofman, Paul; Bonnet, Richard; Billard, Elisabeth; Barnich, Nicolas

2016-01-08

Recent advances have shown that the abnormal inflammatory response observed in CD involves an interplay among intestinal microbiota, host genetics and environmental factors. The escalating consumption of fat and sugar in Western countries parallels an increased incidence of CD during the latter 20(th) century. The impact of a HF/HS diet in mice was evaluated for the gut micro-inflammation, intestinal microbiota composition, function and selection of an E. coli population. The HF/HS diet created a specific inflammatory environment in the gut, correlated with intestinal mucosa dysbiosis characterized by an overgrowth of pro-inflammatory Proteobacteria such as E. coli, a decrease in protective bacteria, and a significantly decreased of SCFA concentrations. The expression of GPR43, a SCFA receptor was reduced in mice treated with a HF/HS diet and reduced in CD patients compared with controls. Interestingly, mice treated with an agonist of GPR43 were protected against DSS-induced colitis. Finally, the transplantation of feces from HF/HS treated mice to GF mice increased susceptibility to AIEC infection. Together, our results demonstrate that a Western diet could aggravate the inflammatory process and that the activation of the GPR43 receptor pathway could be used as a new strategy to treat CD patients.

Western diet induces a shift in microbiota composition enhancing susceptibility to Adherent-Invasive E. coli infection and intestinal inflammation.

PubMed Central

Agus, Allison; Denizot, Jérémy; Thévenot, Jonathan; Martinez-Medina, Margarita; Massier, Sébastien; Sauvanet, Pierre; Bernalier-Donadille, Annick; Denis, Sylvain; Hofman, Paul; Bonnet, Richard; Billard, Elisabeth; Barnich, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Recent advances have shown that the abnormal inflammatory response observed in CD involves an interplay among intestinal microbiota, host genetics and environmental factors. The escalating consumption of fat and sugar in Western countries parallels an increased incidence of CD during the latter 20th century. The impact of a HF/HS diet in mice was evaluated for the gut micro-inflammation, intestinal microbiota composition, function and selection of an E. coli population. The HF/HS diet created a specific inflammatory environment in the gut, correlated with intestinal mucosa dysbiosis characterized by an overgrowth of pro-inflammatory Proteobacteria such as E. coli, a decrease in protective bacteria, and a significantly decreased of SCFA concentrations. The expression of GPR43, a SCFA receptor was reduced in mice treated with a HF/HS diet and reduced in CD patients compared with controls. Interestingly, mice treated with an agonist of GPR43 were protected against DSS-induced colitis. Finally, the transplantation of feces from HF/HS treated mice to GF mice increased susceptibility to AIEC infection. Together, our results demonstrate that a Western diet could aggravate the inflammatory process and that the activation of the GPR43 receptor pathway could be used as a new strategy to treat CD patients. PMID:26742586

Human Platelet Lysate as a Replacement for Fetal Bovine Serum in Limbal Stem Cell Therapy.

PubMed

Suri, Kunal; Gong, Hwee K; Yuan, Ching; Kaufman, Stephen C

2016-10-01

To evaluate the use of human platelet lysate (HPL) as an alternative supplement for limbal explant culture. Culture media were prepared using either 10% pooled HPL (PHPL), single donor HPL, or fetal bovine serum (FBS). Limbal tissues, obtained from the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank, were cultured in each medium on plastic plates or on denuded amniotic membrane (AM). Immunofluorescence staining was performed for ABCG2, tumor protein p63α, and cytokeratin 3 (K3). Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of ABCG2 and p63. Limbal explants grown in each medium were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to assess the proliferative capacity in each medium. Concentration of growth factors including epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in HPL and PHPL was compared to that in human serum (HS). Immunofluorescence staining on AM showed prominent expression of ABCG2, p63α but sparse expression of K3 in HPL and PHPL supplemented medium. Real time-PCR showed 1.7 fold higher expression of ABCG2 in PHPL supplemented medium (p = 0.03), and similar expression of p63 in HPL and PHPL supplemented medium compared to FBS medium. The proliferation assay showed that LSCs retained their proliferative potential in HPL supplemented medium. Higher concentration of growth factors were found in HPL, compared to HS. Human platelet lysate has higher concentration of grown factors and is effective in maintaining growth and stem cell phenotype of corneal limbal explant cultures.

DHS National Technical Nuclear Forensics Program FY 10 Summary Report: Graduate Mentoring Assistance Program (GMAP)

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

Martha R. Finck Ph.D.

2011-10-01

This program provides practical training to DHS graduate fellows in the DOE laboratory complex. It involves coordinating students, their thesis advisors, and their laboratory project mentors in establishing a meaningful program of research which contributes to the graduate student's formation as a member of the nuclear forensics community. The summary report details the student/mentor experience and future plans after the first summer practicum. This program provides practical training to DHS graduate fellows in the DOE laboratory complex. It involves coordinating students, their thesis advisors, and their laboratory project mentors in establishing a meaningful program of research which contributes to themore » graduate student's formation as a member of the nuclear forensics community. This final written report includes information concerning the overall mentoring experience, including benefits (to the lab, the mentors, and the students), challenges, student research contributions, and lab mentor interactions with students home universities. Idaho National Laboratory hosted two DHS Nuclear Forensics graduate Fellows (nuclear engineering) in summer 2011. Two more Fellows (radiochemistry) are expected to conduct research at the INL under this program starting in 2012. An undergraduate Fellow (nuclear engineering) who worked in summer 2011 at the laboratory is keenly interested in applying for the NF Graduate Fellowship this winter with the aim of returning to INL. In summary, this program appears to have great potential for success in supporting graduate level students who pursue careers in nuclear forensics. This relatively specialized field may not have been an obvious choice for some who have already shown talent in the traditional areas of chemistry or nuclear engineering. The active recruiting for this scholarship program for candidates at universities across the U.S. brings needed visibility to this field. Not only does this program offer critical practical training to these students, it brings attention to a very attractive field of work where young professionals are urgently required in order for the future. The effectiveness of retaining such talent remains to be seen and may be primarily controlled by the availability of DOE laboratory research funding in this field in the years to come.« less

The interface between the national tuberculosis control programme and district hospitals in Cameroon: missed opportunities for strengthening the local health system -a multiple case study.

PubMed

Keugoung, Basile; Macq, Jean; Buve, Anne; Meli, Jean; Criel, Bart

2013-03-22

Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. District hospitals (DHs) play a central role in district-based health systems, and their relation with vertical programmes is very important. Studies on the impact of vertical programmes on DHs are rare. This study aims to fill this gap. Its purpose is to analyse the interaction between the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTCP) and DHs in Cameroon, especially its effects on the human resources, routine health information system (HIS) and technical capacity at the hospital level. We used a multiple case study methodology. From the Adamaoua Region, we selected two DHs, one public and one faith-based. We collected qualitative and quantitative data through document reviews, semi-structured interviews with district and regional staff, and observations in the two DHs. The NTCP trained and supervised staff, designed and provided tuberculosis data collection and reporting tools, and provided anti-tuberculosis drugs, reagents and microscopes to DHs. However, these interventions were limited to the hospital units designated as Tuberculosis Diagnostic and Treatment Centres and to staff dedicated to tuberculosis control activities. The NTCP installed a parallel HIS that bypassed the District Health Services. The DH that performs well in terms of general hospital care and that is well managed was successful in tuberculosis control. Based on the available resources, the two hospitals adapt the organisation of tuberculosis control to their settings. The management teams in charge of the District Health Services are not involved in tuberculosis control. In our study, we identified several opportunities to strengthen the local health system that have been missed by the NTCP and the health system managers. Well-managed DHs perform better in terms of tuberculosis control than DHs that are not well managed. The analysis of the effects of the NTCP on the human resources, HIS and technical capacity of DHs indicates that the NTCP supports, rather than strengthens, the local health system. Moreover, there is potential for this support to be enhanced. Positive synergies between the NTCP and district health systems can be achieved if opportunities to strengthen the district health system are seized. The question remains, however, of why managers do not take advantage of the opportunities to strengthen the health system.

The interface between the national tuberculosis control programme and district hospitals in Cameroon: missed opportunities for strengthening the local health system –a multiple case study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. District hospitals (DHs) play a central role in district-based health systems, and their relation with vertical programmes is very important. Studies on the impact of vertical programmes on DHs are rare. This study aims to fill this gap. Its purpose is to analyse the interaction between the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTCP) and DHs in Cameroon, especially its effects on the human resources, routine health information system (HIS) and technical capacity at the hospital level. Methods We used a multiple case study methodology. From the Adamaoua Region, we selected two DHs, one public and one faith-based. We collected qualitative and quantitative data through document reviews, semi-structured interviews with district and regional staff, and observations in the two DHs. Results The NTCP trained and supervised staff, designed and provided tuberculosis data collection and reporting tools, and provided anti-tuberculosis drugs, reagents and microscopes to DHs. However, these interventions were limited to the hospital units designated as Tuberculosis Diagnostic and Treatment Centres and to staff dedicated to tuberculosis control activities. The NTCP installed a parallel HIS that bypassed the District Health Services. The DH that performs well in terms of general hospital care and that is well managed was successful in tuberculosis control. Based on the available resources, the two hospitals adapt the organisation of tuberculosis control to their settings. The management teams in charge of the District Health Services are not involved in tuberculosis control. In our study, we identified several opportunities to strengthen the local health system that have been missed by the NTCP and the health system managers. Conclusion Well-managed DHs perform better in terms of tuberculosis control than DHs that are not well managed. The analysis of the effects of the NTCP on the human resources, HIS and technical capacity of DHs indicates that the NTCP supports, rather than strengthens, the local health system. Moreover, there is potential for this support to be enhanced. Positive synergies between the NTCP and district health systems can be achieved if opportunities to strengthen the district health system are seized. The question remains, however, of why managers do not take advantage of the opportunities to strengthen the health system. PMID:23521866

Development of downflow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor as post treatment of existing combined anaerobic tank treating natural rubber processing wastewater.

PubMed

Watari, Takahiro; Cuong Mai, Trung; Tanikawa, Daisuke; Hirakata, Yuga; Hatamoto, Masashi; Syutsubo, Kazuaki; Fukuda, Masao; Nguyen, Ngoc Bich; Yamaguchi, Takashi

2017-01-01

Conventional aerated tank technology is widely applied for post treatment of natural rubber processing wastewater in Southeast Asia; however, a long hydraulic retention time (HRT) is required and the effluent standards are exceeded. In this study, a downflow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor was installed as post treatment of anaerobic tank effluent in a natural rubber factory in South Vietnam and the process performance was evaluated. The DHS reactor demonstrated removal efficiencies of 64.2 ± 7.5% and 55.3 ± 19.2% for total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen, respectively, with an organic loading rate of 0.97 ± 0.03 kg-COD m -3 day -1 and a nitrogen loading rate of 0.57 ± 0.21 kg-N m -3 day -1 . 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis of the sludge retained in the DHS also corresponded to the result of reactor performance, and both nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria were detected in the sponge carrier. In addition, anammox bacteria was found in the retained sludge. The DHS reactor reduced the HRT of 30 days to 4.8 h compared with the existing algal tank. This result indicates that the DHS reactor could be an appropriate post treatment for the existing anaerobic tank for natural rubber processing wastewater treatment.

A nitrogen removal system to limit water exchange for recirculating freshwater aquarium using DHS-USB reactor.

PubMed

Adlin, Nur; Matsuura, Norihisa; Ohta, Yuki; Hirakata, Yuga; Maki, Shinya; Hatamoto, Masashi; Yamaguchi, Takashi

2018-06-01

This study proposes a biological nitrogen removal system for freshwater aquaria consisting of a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) and an up-flow sludge blanket (USB). DHS-USB systems can perform nitrification and denitrification simultaneously, reducing ammonia (NH 3 ) and nitrate (NO 3 - ) toxicity in the water. The performance of the system was evaluated using on-site fresh water aquaria at ambient temperature (23-34°C) over 192 days. NH 3 and nitrite (NO 2 - ) were maintained at a detection limit of 0.01 mg N L -1 and NO 3 - was maintained below 10 mg N L -1 , despite limited water exchange. The 16S rRNA gene of microorganisms from the sludge retained in the bioreactors was sequenced to identify the microbial communities present. Microbial community analysis revealed that ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA), Ca. Nitrososphaera and Nitrosopumilus, played an important role in nitrification in the DHS reactor, while denitrifying bacteria Thauera played an important role in denitrification in the USB reactor. The proposed DHS-USB system is a promising technological advancement in the development of lower maintenance aquaria.

Visualized macrophage dynamics and significance of S100A8 in obese fat

PubMed Central

Sekimoto, Ryohei; Fukuda, Shiro; Maeda, Norikazu; Tsushima, Yu; Matsuda, Keisuke; Mori, Takuya; Nakatsuji, Hideaki; Nishizawa, Hitoshi; Kishida, Ken; Kikuta, Junichi; Maijima, Yumiko; Funahashi, Tohru; Ishii, Masaru; Shimomura, Iichiro

2015-01-01

Chronic low-grade inflammation of adipose tissue plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of obesity. Immunohistological microscopic analysis in obese fat tissue has demonstrated the infiltration of several immune cells such as macrophages, but dynamics of immune cells have not been fully elucidated and clarified. Here, by using intravital multiphoton imaging technique, to our knowledge for the first time, we analyzed and visualized the inflammatory processes in adipose tissue under high-fat and high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet with lysozyme M-EGFP transgenic (LysMEGFP) mice whose EGFP was specifically expressed in the myelomonocytic lineage. Mobility of LysMEGFP-positive macrophages was shown to be activated just 5 d after HF/HS diet, when the distinct hypertrophy of adipocytes and the accumulation of macrophages still have not become prominent. Significant increase of S100A8 was detected in mature adipocyte fraction just 5 d after HF/HS diet. Recombinant S100A8 protein stimulated chemotactic migration in vitro and in vivo, as well as induced proinflammatory molecules, both macrophages and adipocytes, such as TNF-α and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2. Finally, an antibody against S100A8 efficiently suppressed the HF/HS diet-induced initial inflammatory change, i.e., increased mobilization of adipose LysMEGFP-positive macrophages, and ameliorated HF/HS diet-induced insulin resistance. In conclusion, time-lapse intravital multiphoton imaging of adipose tissues identified the very early event exhibiting increased mobility of macrophages, which may be triggered by increased expression of adipose S100A8 and results in progression of chronic inflammation in situ. PMID:25848057

48 CFR 3053.303 - Agency forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... section illustrates agency-specified forms. To access these forms go to: http://www.dhs.gov (under “Business, Acquisition Information”) or https://dhsonline.dhs.gov/portal/jhtml/general/forms.jhtml. Form...

48 CFR 3053.303 - Agency forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... section illustrates agency-specified forms. To access these forms go to: http://www.dhs.gov (under “Business, Acquisition Information”) or https://dhsonline.dhs.gov/portal/jhtml/general/forms.jhtml. Form...

48 CFR 3053.303 - Agency forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... section illustrates agency-specified forms. To access these forms go to: http://www.dhs.gov (under “Business, Acquisition Information”) or https://dhsonline.dhs.gov/portal/jhtml/general/forms.jhtml. Form...

48 CFR 3053.303 - Agency forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... section illustrates agency-specified forms. To access these forms go to: http://www.dhs.gov (under “Business, Acquisition Information”) or https://dhsonline.dhs.gov/portal/jhtml/general/forms.jhtml. Form...

48 CFR 3053.303 - Agency forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... section illustrates agency-specified forms. To access these forms go to: http://www.dhs.gov (under “Business, Acquisition Information”) or https://dhsonline.dhs.gov/portal/jhtml/general/forms.jhtml. Form...

Assessment of a Strategic Partnership Between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Army Developmental Test Command

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

creation of a new material acquisition system. Although the DHS material acquisition system is not fully formed, it is rapidly evolving. Much like...basis to continue or grow in the success of the organization. These strengths can be as tangible as facilities or as intangible as intellectual...reports is the struggle to develop the DHS acquisition workforce. The acquisition workforce in DHS is currently growing , but is only concentrated on

Zachary D. Barker: Final DHS HS-STEM Report

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

Barker, Z D

Working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) this summer has provided a very unique and special experience for me. I feel that the research opportunities given to me have allowed me to significantly benefit my research group, the laboratory, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy. The researchers in the Single Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (SPAMS) group were very welcoming and clearly wanted me to get the most out of my time in Livermore. I feel that my research partner, Veena Venkatachalam of MIT, and I have been extremely productive in meeting our research goals throughout thismore » summer, and have learned much about working in research at a national laboratory such as Lawrence Livermore. I have learned much about the technical aspects of research while working at LLNL, however I have also gained important experience and insight into how research groups at national laboratories function. I believe that this internship has given me valuable knowledge and experience which will certainly help my transition to graduate study and a career in engineering. My work with Veena Venkatachalam in the SPAMS group this summer has focused on two major projects. Initially, we were tasked with an analysis of data collected by the group this past spring in a large public environment. The SPAMS instrument was deployed for over two months, collecting information on many of the ambient air particles circulating through the area. Our analysis of the particle data collected during this deployment concerned several aspects, including finding groups, or clusters, of particles that seemed to appear more during certain times of day, analyzing the mass spectral data of clusters and comparing them with mass spectral data of known substances, and comparing the real-time detection capability of the SPAMS instrument with that of a commercially available biological detection instrument. This analysis was performed in support of a group report to the Department of Homeland Security on the results of the deployment. The analysis of the deployment data revealed some interesting applications of the SPAMS instrument to homeland security situations. Using software developed in-house by SPAMS group member Dr. Paul Steele, Veena and I were able to cluster a subset of data over a certain timeframe (ranging from a single hour to an entire week). The software used makes clusters based on the mass spectral characteristics of the each particle in the data set, as well as other parameters. By looking more closely at the characteristics of individual clusters, including the mass spectra, conclusions could be made about what these particles are. This was achieved partially through examination and discussion of the mass spectral data with the members of the SPAMS group, as well as through comparison with known mass spectra collected from substances tested in the laboratory. In many cases, broad conclusions could be drawn about the identity of a cluster of particles.« less

Dynamic hydraulic fluid stimulation regulated intramedullary pressure.

PubMed

Hu, Minyi; Serra-Hsu, Frederick; Bethel, Neville; Lin, Liangjun; Ferreri, Suzanne; Cheng, Jiqi; Qin, Yi-Xian

2013-11-01

Physical signals within the bone, i.e. generated from mechanical loading, have the potential to initiate skeletal adaptation. Strong evidence has pointed to bone fluid flow (BFF) as a media between an external load and the bone cells, in which altered velocity and pressure can ultimately initiate the mechanotransduction and the remodeling process within the bone. Load-induced BFF can be altered by factors such as intramedullary pressure (ImP) and/or bone matrix strain, mediating bone adaptation. Previous studies have shown that BFF induced by ImP alone, with minimum bone strain, can initiate bone remodeling. However, identifying induced ImP dynamics and bone strain factor in vivo using a non-invasive method still remains challenging. To apply ImP as a means for alteration of BFF, it was hypothesized that non-invasive dynamic hydraulic stimulation (DHS) can induce local ImP with minimal bone strain to potentially elicit osteogenic adaptive responses via bone-muscle coupling. The goal of this study was to evaluate the immediate effects on local and distant ImP and strain in response to a range of loading frequencies using DHS. Simultaneous femoral and tibial ImP and bone strain values were measured in three 15-month-old female Sprague Dawley rats during DHS loading on the tibia with frequencies of 1Hz to 10Hz. DHS showed noticeable effects on ImP induction in the stimulated tibia in a nonlinear fashion in response to DHS over the range of loading frequencies, where they peaked at 2Hz. DHS at various loading frequencies generated minimal bone strain in the tibiae. Maximal bone strain measured at all loading frequencies was less than 8με. No detectable induction of ImP or bone strain was observed in the femur. This study suggested that oscillatory DHS may regulate the local fluid dynamics with minimal mechanical strain in the bone, which serves critically in bone adaptation. These results clearly implied DHS's potential as an effective, non-invasive intervention for osteopenia and osteoporosis treatments. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring postnatal care contacts for mothers and newborns: An analysis of data from the MICS and DHS surveys

PubMed Central

Amouzou, Agbessi; Mehra, Vrinda; Carvajal–Aguirre, Liliana; Khan, Shane M.; Sitrin, Deborah; Vaz, Lara ME

2017-01-01

Background The postnatal period represents a vulnerable phase for mothers and newborns where both face increased risk of morbidity and death. WHO recommends postnatal care (PNC) for mothers and newborns to include a first contact within 24 hours following the birth of the child. However, measuring coverage of PNC in household surveys has been variable over time. The two largest household survey programs in low and middle–income countries, the UNICEF–supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and USAID–funded Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), now include modules that capture these measures. However, the measurement approach is slightly different between the two programs. We attempt to assess the possible measurement differences that might affect comparability of coverage measures. Methods We first review the standard questionnaires of the two survey programs to compare approaches to collecting data on postnatal contacts for mothers and newborns. We then illustrate how the approaches used can affect PNC coverage estimates by analysing data from four countries; Bangladesh, Ghana, Kygyz Republic, and Nepal, with both MICS and DHS between 2010–2015. Results We found that tools implemented todate by MICS and DHS (up to MICS round 5 and up to DHS phase 6) have collected PNC information in different ways. While MICS dedicated a full module to PNC and distinguishes immediate vs later PNC, DHS implemented a more blended module of pregnancy and postnatal and did not systematically distinguish those phases. The two survey programs differred in the way questions on postnatal care for mothers and newbors were framed. Subsequently, MICS and DHS surveys followed different methodological approach to compute the global indicator of postnatal contacts for mothers and newborns within two days following delivery. Regardless of the place of delivery, MICS estimates for postnatal contacts for mothers and newbors appeared consistently higher than those reported in DHS. The difference was however, far more pronounced in case of newborns. Conclusions Difference in questionnaires and the methodology adopted to measure PNC have created comparability issues in the coverage levels. Harmonization of survey instruments on postnatal contacts will allow comparable and better assessment of coverage levels and trends. PMID:29423179

NUCLEOPHILIC AROMATIC SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS OF CHLOROAZINES WITH BISULFIDE (HS-) AND POLYSULFIDES (SN2-). (R826269)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

77 FR 64818 - The Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2012-0033] The Critical Infrastructure Partnership... Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council membership update. SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the [[Page 64819

Installation Restoration Program Information Management System (IRPIMS) Data Loading Handbook. Version 2.1

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

STEEL STL STEEL TFL TEFLON TIL TILE WD WOOD WRI WROUGHT IRON Z OTHER A-14 coam Bc~ai=L a TEST PIT ois rn iEI AR AIR - ROTARY 8 BORED OR AUGERED C CABLE-TOOL...CO CORING Cs CHILLED SHOT D DUG DH DOWN THE HOLE HAMMER HA HAND AUGERED HS HOLLOW STEM AUGER J JETTED MR DIRECT CIRCULATION ROTARY , MUD p AIR ...INSTITUTE WARI WATER AND AIR RESEARCH. INC. WIL WILSON AND CO. A-18 M 0E 7 PIT E V/n.. CK: N’Y ESCI ENGINEERING -SCIENCE NA NOT APPLICABLE RB MR

The effect of culture medium and carrier on explant culture of human limbal epithelium: A comparison of ultrastructure, keratin profile and gene expression.

PubMed

Pathak, Meeta; Olstad, O K; Drolsum, Liv; Moe, Morten C; Smorodinova, Natalia; Kalasova, Sarka; Jirsova, Katerina; Nicolaissen, Bjørn; Noer, Agate

2016-12-01

Patients with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) often experience pain and photophobia due to recurrent epithelial defects and chronic inflammation of the cornea. Successfully restoring a healthy corneal surface in these patients by transplantation of ex vivo expanded human limbal epithelial cells (LECs) may alleviate these symptoms and significantly improve their quality of life. The clinical outcome of transplantation is known to be influenced by the quality of transplanted cells. Presently, several different protocols for cultivation and transplantation of LECs are in use. However, no consensus on an optimal protocol exists. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of culture medium and carrier on the morphology, staining of selected keratins and global gene expression in ex vivo cultured LECs. Limbal biopsies from cadaveric donors were cultured for three weeks on human amniotic membrane (HAM) or on tissue culture coated plastic (PL) in either a complex medium (COM), containing recombinant growth factors, hormones, cholera toxin and fetal bovine serum, or in medium supplemented only with human serum (HS). The expanded LECs were examined by light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), immunohistochemistry (IHC) for keratins K3, K7, K8, K12, K13, K14, K15 and K19, as well as microarray and qRT-PCR analysis. The cultured LECs exhibited similar morphology and keratin staining on LM, TEM and IHC examination, regardless of the culture condition. The epithelium was multilayered, with cuboidal basal cells and flattened superficial cells. Cells were attached to each other by desmosomes. Adhesion complexes were observed between basal cells and the underlying carrier in LECs cultured on HAM, but not in LECs cultured on PL. GeneChip Human Gene 2.0 ST microarray (Affymetrix) analysis revealed that 18,653 transcripts were ≥2 fold up or downregulated (p ≤ 0.05). Cells cultured in the same medium (COM or HS) showed more similarities in gene expression than cells cultured on the same carrier (HAM or PL). When each condition was compared to HAM/COM, no statistical difference was found in the transcription level of the selected genes associated with keratin expression, stemness, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, corneal wound healing or autophagy. In conclusion, the results indicate that ex vivo cultures of LECs on HAM and PL, using culture media supplemented with COM or HS, yield tissues with similar morphology and keratin staining. The gene expression appears to be more similar in cells cultured in the same medium (COM or HS) compared to cells cultured on the same carrier (HAM or PL). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Successful Consecutive Expansion of Limbal Explants Using a Biosafe Culture Medium under Feeder Layer-Free Conditions.

PubMed

López-Paniagua, Marina; Nieto-Miguel, Teresa; de la Mata, Ana; Galindo, Sara; Herreras, José M; Corrales, Rosa M; Calonge, Margarita

2017-05-01

Transplantation of in vitro cultured limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) is a treatment widely used for LESC deficiency. However, the number of limbal tissue donors is limited, and protocols for LESC cultivation often include compounds and/or feeder layers that can induce side effects and/or increase the cost of the culture procedure. We investigated the feasibility of obtaining more than one limbal primary culture (LPC) from the same biopsy using a culture medium in which several potentially harmful compounds were replaced at the same time by biosafe supplements, allowing the LESC cultivation without feeder layers. We established feeder layer-free LPCs with three culture media: (1) a modified supplemental hormonal epithelial medium, containing potential harmful components (cholera toxin, dimethylsulfoxide, and fetal bovine serum [FBS]), (2) IOBA-FBS, a medium with FBS but with no other harmful supplements, and (3) IOBA-HS, similar to IOBA-FBS but with human serum instead of FBS. Additionally, the same limbal explant was consecutively cultured with IOBA-HS producing three cultures. LPCs were characterized by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and/or immunofluorescence. LPCs cultured with the three media under feeder layer-free conditions showed cuboidal cells and no significant differences in the percentage of positive cells for limbal (ABCG2, p63, and K14) and corneal (K3, K12) proteins. Except for ABCG2, the relative mRNA expression of the LESC markers was significantly higher when IOBA-FBS or IOBA-HS was used. LPC1 showed characteristics similar to LPC0, while LPC2 cell morphology became elongated and the expression of some LESC markers was diminished. IOBA-HS enables the culturing of up to two biosafe homologous LPCs from one limbal tissue under feeder layer-free conditions. The routine use of this culture medium could improve both the biosafety and the number of available LPCs for potential clinical transplantation, as well as decrease the expense of the culture procedure.

Department of Homeland Security

MedlinePlus

... Release Joint Technical Alerts on Malicious North Korean Cyber Activity Today, DHS and FBI released a pair ... María Provide Feedback to DHS Protect Myself from Cyber Attacks Report Cyber Incidents Prepare My Family for ...

How MCM loading and spreading specify eukaryotic DNA replication initiation sites.

PubMed

Hyrien, Olivier

2016-01-01

DNA replication origins strikingly differ between eukaryotic species and cell types. Origins are localized and can be highly efficient in budding yeast, are randomly located in early fly and frog embryos, which do not transcribe their genomes, and are clustered in broad (10-100 kb) non-transcribed zones, frequently abutting transcribed genes, in mammalian cells. Nonetheless, in all cases, origins are established during the G1-phase of the cell cycle by the loading of double hexamers of the Mcm 2-7 proteins (MCM DHs), the core of the replicative helicase. MCM DH activation in S-phase leads to origin unwinding, polymerase recruitment, and initiation of bidirectional DNA synthesis. Although MCM DHs are initially loaded at sites defined by the binding of the origin recognition complex (ORC), they ultimately bind chromatin in much greater numbers than ORC and only a fraction are activated in any one S-phase. Data suggest that the multiplicity and functional redundancy of MCM DHs provide robustness to the replication process and affect replication time and that MCM DHs can slide along the DNA and spread over large distances around the ORC. Recent studies further show that MCM DHs are displaced along the DNA by collision with transcription complexes but remain functional for initiation after displacement. Therefore, eukaryotic DNA replication relies on intrinsically mobile and flexible origins, a strategy fundamentally different from bacteria but conserved from yeast to human. These properties of MCM DHs likely contribute to the establishment of broad, intergenic replication initiation zones in higher eukaryotes.

Appearance of the pituitary factor Pit-1 increases chromatin remodeling at hypersensitive site III in the human GH locus.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoyang; Jin, Yan; Cattini, Peter A

2010-07-01

Expression of pituitary and placental members of the human GH and chorionic somatomammotropin (CS) gene family is directed by an upstream remote locus control region (LCR). Pituitary-specific expression of GH requires direct binding of Pit-1 (listed as POU1F1 in the HUGO database) to sequences marked by a hypersensitive site (HS) region (HS I/II) 14.6 kb upstream of the GH-N gene (listed as GH1 in the HUGO database). We used human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells overexpressing wild-type and mutant Pit-1 proteins as a model system to gain insight into the mechanism by which Pit-1 gains access to the GH LCR. Addition of Pit-1 to these cells increased DNA accessibility at HS III, located 28 kb upstream of the human GH-N gene, in a POU homeodomain-dependent manner, as reflected by effects on histone hyperacetylation and RNA polymerase II activity. Direct binding of Pit-1 to HS III sequences is not supported. However, the potential for binding of ETS family members to this region has been demonstrated, and Pit-1 association with this ETS element in HS III sequences requires the POU homeodomain. Also, both ETS1 and ELK1 co-precipitate from human pituitary extracts using two independent sources of Pit-1 antibodies. Finally, overexpression of ELK1 or Pit-1 expression in HEK293 cells increased GH-N RNA levels. However, while ELK1 overexpression also stimulated placental CS RNA levels, the effect of Pit-1 appeared to correlate with ETS factor levels and target GH-N preferentially. These data are consistent with recruitment and an early role for Pit-1 in remodeling of the GH LCR at the constitutively open HS III through protein-protein interaction.

Alcohol preference drinking in a mouse line selectively bred for high drinking in the dark.

PubMed

Crabbe, John C; Spence, Stephanie E; Brown, Lauren L; Metten, Pamela

2011-08-01

We have selectively bred mice that reach very high blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) after drinking from a single bottle of 20% ethanol. High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice drink nearly 6g/kg ethanol in 4h and reach average BECs of more than 1.0mg/mL. Previous studies suggest that DID and two-bottle preference for 10% ethanol with continuous access are influenced by many of the same genes. We therefore asked whether HDID-1 mice would differ from the HS/Npt control stock on two-bottle preference drinking. We serially offered mice access to 3-40% ethanol in tap water versus tap water. For ethanol concentrations between 3 and 20%, HDID-1 and HS/Npt controls did not differ in two-bottle preference drinking. At the highest concentrations, the HS/Npt mice drank more than the HDID-1 mice. We also tested the same mice for preference for two concentrations each of quinine, sucrose, and saccharin. Curiously, the mice showed preference ratios (volume of tastant/total fluid drunk) of about 50% for all tastants and concentrations. Thus, neither genotype showed either preference or avoidance for any tastant after high ethanol concentrations. Therefore, we compared naive groups of HDID-1 and HS/Npt mice for tastant preference. Results from this test showed that ethanol-naive mice preferred sweet fluids and avoided quinine but the genotypes did not differ. Finally, we tested HDID-1 and HS mice for an extended period for preference for 15% ethanol versus water during a 2-h access period in the dark. After several weeks, HDID-1 mice consumed significantly more than HS. We conclude that drinking in the dark shows some genetic overlap with other tests of preference drinking, but that the degree of genetic commonality depends on the model used. Published by Elsevier Inc.

PPARγ gene polymorphism, C-reactive protein level, BMI and periodontitis in post-menopausal Japanese women.

PubMed

Wang, Yangming; Sugita, Noriko; Yoshihara, Akihiro; Iwasaki, Masanori; Miyazaki, Hideo; Nakamura, Kazutoshi; Yoshie, Hiromasa

2016-03-01

Several studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the association between the PPARγPro12Ala polymorphism and obesity. Obese individuals had higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared with those of normal weight, and PPARγ activation could significantly reduce serum high-sensitive CRP level. We have previously suggested that the Pro12Ala polymorphism represents a susceptibility factor for periodontitis, which is a known risk factor for increased CRP level. The aim was to investigate associations between PPARγ gene polymorphism, serum CRP level, BMI and/or periodontitis among post-menopausal Japanese women. The final sample in this study comprised 359 post-menopausal Japanese women. Periodontal parameters, including PD, CAL and BOP, were measured per tooth. PPARγPro12Ala genotype was determined by PCR-RFLP. Hs-CRP value was measured by a latex nephelometry assay. No significant differences in age, BMI or periodontal parameters were found between the genotypes. The percentages of sites with PD ≥ 4 mm were significantly higher among the hsCRP ≥ 1 mg/l group than the hsCRP < 1 mg/l group (p = 0.003). Positive correlations were found between serum hsCRP levels and the percentages of sites with PD ≥ 4 mm (p = 0.043) in PPARγ Ala allele carriers, and BMI (p = 0.033) in non-carriers. After adjustment for model covariates, BMI was significantly associated with serum hsCRP level. The PPARγPro12Ala polymorphism was not independently associated with periodontitis, serum CRP level or BMI in post-menopausal Japanese women. However, serum hsCRP level correlated with periodontitis in Ala allele carriers, and with BMI in non-carriers. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Comparative study of 3 types of lancets for performing prick tests].

PubMed

Montalvo, A; Martín, S; Mesa, A; Cortés, C; Rodríguez, M; Laso, M T

1996-01-01

Skin Prick Test is considered the cutaneous test of choice in rutinary clinical practice as well as in research. In the last 15 years a large number of lancets for puncture test have been developed looking for a higher level of standardisation and reproducibility. We have compared three lancets, two of them, NeoAbelló (NA) and Dome/Hollister Stier (DHS), used in puncture test and a third one, Blood Lancet (BL), in the modified prick test. Twenty-two patients sensitised to Phleum pratense were tested with the three lancets at three extract concentrations and histamine 10 mg/mL in duplicate. We compared their wheal sizes by means of parallel line assay, their reproducibility, frequency of bleeding wheals, the disturbance for the patient and the correlation between specific IgE and skin response. Wheal size was similar for puncture tests (DHS and NA lancets) and significatively lower than BL, being necessary to increase 1.9 times the extract concentration when using DHS and NA lancets to achieve the same wheal size than when using BL lancets (p < 0.01). Reproducibility with histamine was similar with the three lancets while with the extract was somehow better with puncture tests but without statistical significance. Bleeding was significantly more frequent with BL although this did not influence the results. Less pain was obtained with BL. Finally, correlation with specific IgE was slightly significant for NA and very similar for the other two. With these results in mind we think that any of the three lancets is valid for the diagnostic of the allergic patient. Nevertheless, puncture tests are probably the most suitable at a research level.

Fabrication of polycaprolactone-silanated β-tricalcium phosphate-heparan sulfate scaffolds for spinal fusion applications.

PubMed

Bhakta, Gajadhar; Ekaputra, Andrew K; Rai, Bina; Abbah, Sunny A; Tan, Tuan Chun; Le, Bach Quang; Chatterjea, Anindita; Hu, Tao; Lin, Tingxuan; Arafat, M Tarik; van Wijnen, Andre J; Goh, James; Nurcombe, Victor; Bhakoo, Kishore; Birch, William; Xu, Li; Gibson, Ian; Wong, Hee-Kit; Cool, Simon M

2018-05-01

Interbody spinal fusion relies on the use of external fixation and the placement of a fusion cage filled with graft materials (scaffolds) without regard for their mechanical performance. Stability at the fusion site is instead reliant on fixation hardware combined with a selected cage. Ideally, scaffolds placed into the cage should both support the formation of new bone and contribute to the mechanical stability at the fusion site. We recently developed a scaffold consisting of silane-modified PCL-TCP (PCL-siTCP) with mechanical properties that can withstand the higher loads generated in the spine. To ensure the scaffold more closely mimicked the bone matrix, we incorporated collagen (Col) and a heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan sugar (HS3) with increased affinity for heparin-binding proteins such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). The osteostimulatory characteristic of this novel device delivering exogenous BMP2 was assessed in vitro and in vivo as a prelude to future spinal fusion studies with this device. A combination of cell-free assays (BMP2 release), progenitor cell-based assays (BMP2 bioactivity, cell proliferation and differentiation), and rodent ectopic bone formation assays was used to assess the osteostimulatory characteristics of the PCL-siTCP-based scaffolds. Freshly prepared rat mesenchymal stem cells were used to determine reparative cell proliferation and differentiation on the PCL-siTCP-based scaffolds over a 28-day period in vitro. The bioactivity of BMP2 released from the scaffolds was assessed on progenitor cells over a 28-day period using ALP activity assays and release kinetics as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For ectopic bone formation, intramuscular placement of scaffolds into Sprague Dawley rats (female, 4 weeks old, 120-150 g) was achieved in five animals, each receiving four treatments randomized for location along the limb. The four groups tested were (1) PCL-siTCP/Col (5-mm diameter×1-mm thickness), PCL-siTCP/Col/BMP2 (5 µg), (3) PCL-siTCP/Col/HS3 (25 µg), and (4) PCL-siTCP/Col/HS3/BMP2 (25 and 5 µg, respectively). Bone formation was evaluated at 8 weeks post implantation by microcomputed tomography (µCT) and histology. Progenitor cell-based assays (proliferation, mRNA transcripts, and ALP activity) confirmed that BMP2 released from PCL-siTCP/Col/HS3 scaffolds increased ALP expression and mRNA levels of the osteogenic biomarkers Runx2, Col1a2, ALP, and bone gla protein-osteocalcin compared with devices without HS3. When the PCL-siTCP/Col/HS3/BMP2 scaffolds were implanted into rat hamstring muscle, increased bone formation (as determined by two-dimensional and three-dimensional µCTs and histologic analyses) was observed compared with scaffolds lacking BMP2. More consistent increases in the amount of ectopic bone were observed for the PCL-siTCP/Col/HS3/BMP2 implants compared with PCL-siTCP/Col/BMP2. Also, increased mineralizing tissue within the pores of the scaffold was seen with modified-tetrachrome histology, a result confirmed by µCT, and a modest but detectable increase in both the number and the thickness of ectopic bone structures were observed with the PCL-siTCP/Col/HS3/BMP2 implants. The combination of PCL-siTCP/Col/HS3/BMP2 thus represents a promising avenue for further development as a bone graft alternative for spinal fusion surgery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Marijuana and driver behaviors : historic and social observations among fatal accident operators and a control sample

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-05-01

The final report, Part III for DOT HS-310-3-595 is an analysis and evaluation of the data from 1068 motor vehicle operators in the greater Boston area with a focal interest in marijuana use patterns and corresponding demographic, psychosocial, alcoho...

Protection of biomass from snail overgrazing in a trickling filter using sponge media as a biomass carrier: down-flow hanging sponge system.

PubMed

Onodera, Takashi; Syutsubo, Kazuaki; Yoochatchaval, Wilasinee; Sumino, Haruhiko; Mizuochi, Motoyuki; Harada, Hideki

2015-01-01

This study investigated down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) technology as a promising trickling filter (TF) using sponge media as a biomass carrier with an emphasis on protection of the biomass against macrofauna overgrazing. A pilot-scale DHS reactor fed with low-strength municipal sewage was operated under ambient temperature conditions for 1 year at a sewage treatment plant in Bangkok, Thailand. The results showed that snails (macrofauna) were present on the surface of the sponge media, but could not enter into it, because the sponge media with smaller pores physically protected the biomass from the snails. As a result, the sponge media maintained a dense biomass, with an average value of 22.3 gVSS/L sponge (58.1 gTSS/L sponge) on day 370. The snails could graze biomass on the surface of the sponge media. The DHS reactor process performance was also successful. The DHS reactor requires neither chemical treatments nor specific operations such as flooding for snail control. Overall, the results of this study indicate that the DHS reactor is able to protect biomass from snail overgrazing.

76 FR 32331 - Preliminary Plan for Retrospective Review of Existing Regulations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-06

... review. In addition, DHS launched an IdeaScale Web page; this social media tool provided an additional... agency's regulatory program more effective or less burdensome in achieving its regulatory objectives. DHS...

HS3D, A Dataset of Homo Sapiens Splice Regions, and its Extraction Procedure from a Major Public Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollastro, Pasquale; Rampone, Salvatore

The aim of this work is to describe a cleaning procedure of GenBank data, producing material to train and to assess the prediction accuracy of computational approaches for gene characterization. A procedure (GenBank2HS3D) has been defined, producing a dataset (HS3D - Homo Sapiens Splice Sites Dataset) of Homo Sapiens Splice regions extracted from GenBank (Rel.123 at this time). It selects, from the complete GenBank Primate Division, entries of Human Nuclear DNA according with several assessed criteria; then it extracts exons and introns from these entries (actually 4523 + 3802). Donor and acceptor sites are then extracted as windows of 140 nucleotides around each splice site (3799 + 3799). After discarding windows not including canonical GT-AG junctions (65 + 74), including insufficient data (not enough material for a 140 nucleotide window) (686 + 589), including not AGCT bases (29 + 30), and redundant (218 + 226), the remaining windows (2796 + 2880) are reported in the dataset. Finally, windows of false splice sites are selected by searching canonical GT-AG pairs in not splicing positions (271 937 + 332 296). The false sites in a range +/- 60 from a true splice site are marked as proximal. HS3D, release 1.2 at this time, is available at the Web server of the University of Sannio: http://www.sci.unisannio.it/docenti/rampone/.

Production of proteases from organic wastes by solid-state fermentation: downstream and zero waste strategies.

PubMed

Marín, Maria; Artola, Adriana; Sánchez, Antoni

2018-04-01

Production of enzymes through solid-state fermentation (SSF) of agro-industrial wastes reports high productivity with low investment. The extraction of the final product from the solid waste and solid disposal represent the main cost of the process. In this work, the complete downstream processes of SSF of two industrial residues for the production of proteases, soy fibre (SF) and a mixture of hair and sludge (HS), were studied in terms of activity recovery, using different extraction parameters (extracting solvent, ratio solid: solvent and extraction mode). Activity after lyophilisation was tested. Solid waste valorisation after extraction was studied using respiration techniques and biogas production tests, as part of a zero waste strategy. Results showed a maximum extraction yield of 91% for SF and 121% for HS, both in agitated mode and distilled water as extraction agent. An average activity recovery of 95 ± 6 and 94 ± 6% for SF and HS, respectively, was obtained after lyophilisation and redissolution. To reduce the cost of extraction, a ratio 1:3 w : v solid-solvent in static mode is advised for SF, and 1:2 w : v extraction ratio in agitated mode for HS, both with distilled water as extracting agent. Both composting and anaerobic digestion are suitable techniques for valorisation of the waste material.

76 FR 3451 - Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-19

...The Department of Labor (the Department or DOL) is amending its regulations governing the certification for the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment. This Final Rule revises the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States (U.S.) workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status.

Multistage treatment system for raw leachate from sanitary landfill combining biological nitrification-denitrification/solar photo-Fenton/biological processes, at a scale close to industrial--biodegradability enhancement and evolution profile of trace pollutants.

PubMed

Silva, Tânia F C V; Silva, M Elisabete F; Cunha-Queda, A Cristina; Fonseca, Amélia; Saraiva, Isabel; Sousa, M A; Gonçalves, C; Alpendurada, M F; Boaventura, Rui A R; Vilar, Vítor J P

2013-10-15

A multistage treatment system, at a scale close to the industrial, was designed for the treatment of a mature raw landfill leachate, including: a) an activated sludge biological oxidation (ASBO), under aerobic and anoxic conditions; b) a solar photo-Fenton process, enhancing the bio-treated leachate biodegradability, with and without sludge removal after acidification; and c) a final polishing step, with further ASBO. The raw leachate was characterized by a high concentration of humic substances (HS) (1211 mg CHS/L), representing 39% of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content, and a high nitrogen content, mainly in the form of ammonium nitrogen (>3.8 g NH4(+)-N/L). In the first biological oxidation step, a 95% removal of total nitrogen and a 39% mineralization in terms of DOC were achieved, remaining only the recalcitrant fraction, mainly attributed to HS (57% of DOC). Under aerobic conditions, the highest nitrification rate obtained was 8.2 mg NH4(+)-N/h/g of volatile suspended solids (VSS), and under anoxic conditions, the maximum denitrification rate obtained was 5.8 mg (NO2(-)-N + NO3(-)-N)/h/g VSS, with a C/N consumption ratio of 2.4 mg CH3OH/mg (NO2(-)-N + NO3(-)-N). The precipitation of humic acids (37% of HS) after acidification of the bio-treated leachate corresponds to a 96% DOC abatement. The amount of UV energy and H2O2 consumption during the photo-Fenton reaction was 30% higher in the experiment without sludge removal and, consequently, the reaction velocity was 30% lower. The phototreatment process led to the depletion of HS >80%, of low-molecular-weight carboxylate anions >70% and other organic micropollutants, thus resulting in a total biodegradability increase of >70%. The second biological oxidation allowed to obtain a final treated leachate in compliance with legal discharge limits regarding water bodies (with the exception of sulfate ions), considering the experiment without sludge. Finally, the high efficiency of the overall treatment process was further reinforced by the total removal percentages attained for the identified organic trace contaminants (>90%). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NaLi-H1: A universal synthetic library of humanized nanobodies providing highly functional antibodies and intrabodies

PubMed Central

Moutel, Sandrine; Bery, Nicolas; Bernard, Virginie; Keller, Laura; Lemesre, Emilie; de Marco, Ario; Ligat, Laetitia; Rain, Jean-Christophe; Favre, Gilles; Olichon, Aurélien; Perez, Franck

2016-01-01

In vitro selection of antibodies allows to obtain highly functional binders, rapidly and at lower cost. Here, we describe the first fully synthetic phage display library of humanized llama single domain antibody (NaLi-H1: Nanobody Library Humanized 1). Based on a humanized synthetic single domain antibody (hs2dAb) scaffold optimized for intracellular stability, the highly diverse library provides high affinity binders without animal immunization. NaLi-H1 was screened following several selection schemes against various targets (Fluorescent proteins, actin, tubulin, p53, HP1). Conformation antibodies against active RHO GTPase were also obtained. Selected hs2dAb were used in various immunoassays and were often found to be functional intrabodies, enabling tracking or inhibition of endogenous targets. Functionalization of intrabodies allowed specific protein knockdown in living cells. Finally, direct selection against the surface of tumor cells produced hs2dAb directed against tumor-specific antigens further highlighting the potential use of this library for therapeutic applications. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16228.001 PMID:27434673

77 FR 37685 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... familiar with the data privacy- related issues addressed by small to medium enterprises; and 3. Other... within or outside the agency. In certain circumstances, DHS may share this information on a case-by-case...

77 FR 26023 - President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2012-0016] President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee; Correction AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS. [[Page... April 25, 2012, concerning the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee...

5 CFR 9701.410 - DHS responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9701.410 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Performance Management § 9701.410 DHS responsibilities. In carrying out its...

A hybrid dynamic harmony search algorithm for identical parallel machines scheduling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jing; Pan, Quan-Ke; Wang, Ling; Li, Jun-Qing

2012-02-01

In this article, a dynamic harmony search (DHS) algorithm is proposed for the identical parallel machines scheduling problem with the objective to minimize makespan. First, an encoding scheme based on a list scheduling rule is developed to convert the continuous harmony vectors to discrete job assignments. Second, the whole harmony memory (HM) is divided into multiple small-sized sub-HMs, and each sub-HM performs evolution independently and exchanges information with others periodically by using a regrouping schedule. Third, a novel improvisation process is applied to generate a new harmony by making use of the information of harmony vectors in each sub-HM. Moreover, a local search strategy is presented and incorporated into the DHS algorithm to find promising solutions. Simulation results show that the hybrid DHS (DHS_LS) is very competitive in comparison to its competitors in terms of mean performance and average computational time.

Epilepsy surgery in context of neurocysticercosis

PubMed Central

Singh, Gagandeep; Chowdhary, Ashwani Kumar

2014-01-01

The association between neurocysticercosis (NCC) and epilepsy is well known and NCC is an important risk factor for epileptic seizures in many Taenia solium-endemic regions of the world. However, while the relationship between NCC and epilepsy is well known, the association between NCC and medically refractory (or surgically remediable epilepsy) has received little attention in the past. Our experience and review of the sparse literature available suggests that NCC is causally related to surgically remediable epilepsy albeit uncommonly so and that association derives its underpinnings from several different scenarios: (1) Medically refractory lesional epilepsy, in which seizures arise from the vicinity of the calcified neurocysticercus lesion (CNL), (2) Medically refractory epilepsy with dual pathology type of relationship between the hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and CNL in which both have been unequivocally demonstrated to give rise to independent seizures and (3) Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy due to HS with a distantly-located CNL, which is in itself not epileptogenic. A major point of controversy revolves around whether or not there exists a causal association between the CNL and HS. We believe that an association exists between NCC and HS and the most important factor influencing this association is the location of the CNL. Furthermore, NCC is a risk factor for medically-refractory epilepsy and that this might account for a considerable proportion of the intractable epilepsy population in endemic regions; the association has been largely ignored owing to the lack of availability of presurgical work-up facilities in these regions. Finally, from a clinical standpoint of presurgical evaluation, patients with CNL and HS should be evaluated on a case by case basis owing to disparate settings underlying the association. PMID:24791092

Evolutionally dynamic L1 regulation in embryonic stem cells

PubMed Central

Castro-Diaz, Nathaly; Ecco, Gabriela; Coluccio, Andrea; Kapopoulou, Adamandia; Yazdanpanah, Benyamin; Friedli, Marc; Duc, Julien; Jang, Suk Min; Turelli, Priscilla; Trono, Didier

2014-01-01

Mobile elements are important evolutionary forces that challenge genomic integrity. Long interspersed element-1 (L1, also known as LINE-1) is the only autonomous transposon still active in the human genome. It displays an unusual pattern of evolution, with, at any given time, a single active L1 lineage amplifying to thousands of copies before getting replaced by a new lineage, likely under pressure of host restriction factors, which act notably by silencing L1 expression during early embryogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that in human embryonic stem (hES) cells, KAP1 (KRAB [Krüppel-associated box domain]-associated protein 1), the master cofactor of KRAB-containing zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs) previously implicated in the restriction of endogenous retroviruses, represses a discrete subset of L1 lineages predicted to have entered the ancestral genome between 26.8 million and 7.6 million years ago. In mice, we documented a similar chronologically conditioned pattern, albeit with a much contracted time scale. We could further identify an L1-binding KRAB-ZFP, suggesting that this rapidly evolving protein family is more globally responsible for L1 recognition. KAP1 knockdown in hES cells induced the expression of KAP1-bound L1 elements, but their younger, human-specific counterparts (L1Hs) were unaffected. Instead, they were stimulated by depleting DNA methyltransferases, consistent with recent evidence demonstrating that the PIWI–piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) pathway regulates L1Hs in hES cells. Altogether, these data indicate that the early embryonic control of L1 is an evolutionarily dynamic process and support a model in which newly emerged lineages are first suppressed by DNA methylation-inducing small RNA-based mechanisms before KAP1-recruiting protein repressors are selected. PMID:24939876

Role of five-fold symmetry in undercooled Al-Cu binary alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasturel, A.; Jakse, N.

2018-04-01

We investigate the role of five-fold symmetry (FFS) in undercooled Al1-xCux liquids (x = 0.3 and 0.4) using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the structure factors and pair-correlation functions display characteristic features which are compatible with the occurrence of FFS and the emergence of a medium range order (MRO) below a temperature TX located close to the liquidus temperature. Then, we demonstrate that the formation of MRO is associated with a strong increase in local FFS-motifs which become more and more connected with decreasing temperature. From the temperature dependence of dynamic properties, we find that TX corresponds also to the onset of dynamic phenomena, like the non-Arrhenius temperature dependence of transport properties and the emergence of dynamical heterogeneities (DHs). Finally, we clearly identify a relationship between the fivefold topology at the medium-range scale (IMRO) and the spatial distribution of DHs using isoconfigurational ensemble simulations. This questions the direct role of the connectivity of five-fold-based motifs found in IMRO in nucleation of the parent crystalline ground states, namely, Al2Cu and Al3Cu2, which also display local ordering with a significant degree of FFS.

pDHS-SVM: A prediction method for plant DNase I hypersensitive sites based on support vector machine.

PubMed

Zhang, Shanxin; Zhou, Zhiping; Chen, Xinmeng; Hu, Yong; Yang, Lindong

2017-08-07

DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) are accessible chromatin regions hypersensitive to cleavages by DNase I endonucleases. DHSs are indicative of cis-regulatory DNA elements (CREs), all of which play important roles in global gene expression regulation. It is helpful for discovering CREs by recognition of DHSs in genome. To accelerate the investigation, it is an important complement to develop cost-effective computational methods to identify DHSs. However, there is a lack of tools used for identifying DHSs in plant genome. Here we presented pDHS-SVM, a computational predictor to identify plant DHSs. To integrate the global sequence-order information and local DNA properties, reverse complement kmer and dinucleotide-based auto covariance of DNA sequences were applied to construct the feature space. In this work, fifteen physical-chemical properties of dinucleotides were used and Support Vector Machine (SVM) was employed. To further improve the performance of the predictor and extract an optimized subset of nucleotide physical-chemical properties positive for the DHSs, a heuristic nucleotide physical-chemical property selection algorithm was introduced. With the optimized subset of properties, experimental results of Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa) showed that pDHS-SVM could achieve accuracies up to 87.00%, and 85.79%, respectively. The results indicated the effectiveness of proposed method for predicting DHSs. Furthermore, pDHS-SVM could provide a helpful complement for predicting CREs in plant genome. Our implementation of the novel proposed method pDHS-SVM is freely available as source code, at https://github.com/shanxinzhang/pDHS-SVM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Specific Location of Disc Hemorrhage is Linked to Nerve Fiber Layer Defects.

PubMed

Yoo, Young Cheol; Kim, Joon Mo; Park, Han Seok; Yoo, Chungkwon; Shim, Seong Hee; Won, Yu Sam; Park, Ki Ho; Chang, Robert T

2017-06-01

To investigate the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defects and the quadrant and proximal location of disc hemorrhages (DHs) in a large population examined for health screening. A total of 168,044 subjects older than 20 years underwent a single screening ophthalmic examination with color fundus photography as part of a comprehensive health screening program. The presence and location of DHs and RNFL defects were assessed. The DH locations were defined according to the quadrant location (inferotemporal, superotemporal, inferonasal, or superonasal) and the most proximal end of DHs relative to the disc center (cup base, cup margin, disc rim, or extrapapillary region). Using these two location descriptors as independent variables, a logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the effects of DH location on RNFL defects. Two hundred twenty-six eyes had DH and 120 (53.1%) of them had RNFL defects. After adjusting for proximal location, DHs located in the inferotemporal quadrant accompanied RFNL defects 12 times more frequently than those in the superonasal quadrant (odds ratio [OR], 11.81; P = .004). Conversely, after adjusting for quadrant location, the ORs for an associated RNFL defect were 3.73 (P < .001), 16.54 (P < .001), and 8.91 (P = .002) for DHs with the proximal end at the disc rim, cup margin, and cup base, respectively. Among the four quadrants and four proximal locations, DHs were identified most frequently in the inferotemporal quadrant and outside the disc, respectively. Some DH locations, such as the inferotemporal quadrant and the cup margin, were associated with RNFL defects, whereas others were not.

How MCM loading and spreading specify eukaryotic DNA replication initiation sites

PubMed Central

Hyrien, Olivier

2016-01-01

DNA replication origins strikingly differ between eukaryotic species and cell types. Origins are localized and can be highly efficient in budding yeast, are randomly located in early fly and frog embryos, which do not transcribe their genomes, and are clustered in broad (10-100 kb) non-transcribed zones, frequently abutting transcribed genes, in mammalian cells. Nonetheless, in all cases, origins are established during the G1-phase of the cell cycle by the loading of double hexamers of the Mcm 2-7 proteins (MCM DHs), the core of the replicative helicase. MCM DH activation in S-phase leads to origin unwinding, polymerase recruitment, and initiation of bidirectional DNA synthesis. Although MCM DHs are initially loaded at sites defined by the binding of the origin recognition complex (ORC), they ultimately bind chromatin in much greater numbers than ORC and only a fraction are activated in any one S-phase. Data suggest that the multiplicity and functional redundancy of MCM DHs provide robustness to the replication process and affect replication time and that MCM DHs can slide along the DNA and spread over large distances around the ORC. Recent studies further show that MCM DHs are displaced along the DNA by collision with transcription complexes but remain functional for initiation after displacement. Therefore, eukaryotic DNA replication relies on intrinsically mobile and flexible origins, a strategy fundamentally different from bacteria but conserved from yeast to human. These properties of MCM DHs likely contribute to the establishment of broad, intergenic replication initiation zones in higher eukaryotes. PMID:27635237

Narrative review of frameworks for translating research evidence into policy and practice.

PubMed

Milat, Andrew J; Li, Ben

2017-02-15

A significant challenge in research translation is that interested parties interpret and apply the associated terms and conceptual frameworks in different ways. The purpose of this review was to: a) examine different research translation frameworks; b) examine the similarities and differences between the frameworks; and c) identify key strengths and weaknesses of the models when they are applied in practice. The review involved a keyword search of PubMed. The search string was (translational research OR knowledge translation OR evidence to practice) AND (framework OR model OR theory) AND (public health OR health promotion OR medicine). Included studies were published in English between January 1990 and December 2014, and described frameworks, models or theories associated with research translation. The final review included 98 papers, and 41 different frameworks and models were identified. The most frequently applied knowledge translation framework in the literature was RE-AIM, followed by the knowledge translation continuum or 'T' models, the Knowledge to Action framework, the PARiHS framework, evidence based public health models, and the stages of research and evaluation model. The models identified in this review stem from different fields, including implementation science, basic and medical sciences, health services research and public health, and propose different but related pathways to closing the research-practice gap.

75 FR 32798 - Directorate for Management; DHS Diversity Forum: Building a Community for Women in the Federal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-09

.... DHS is committed to making the vision of a fully representative workforce a reality. Procedural: This...: Individuals requiring reasonable accommodations or alternate formats are asked to submit their requests to...

76 FR 39406 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-06

... at least one individual who is familiar with the data concerns of small to medium enterprises; and 3... certain circumstances, DHS may share this information on a case-by-case basis as required by law or as...

78 FR 29145 - President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2013-0022] President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS. ACTION: Committee... notice of a May 22, 2013, meeting of the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory...

5 CFR 9701.314 - DHS responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9701.314 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Pay and Pay Administration Overview of Pay System § 9701.314 DHS...

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin testing in routine practice: economic and organizational advantages.

PubMed

Galli, Claudio; Lippi, Giuseppe

2016-07-01

Very seldom, if ever, a single laboratory test has provided such a paradigm shift in the managed care as cardiac troponin (cTn) testing. More than twenty years of improvements in test design and analytical features have contributed to revolutionize the clinical recommendations and guidelines, and the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) is now highly dependent upon the kinetics of cTn within a suggestive clinical setting. Despite the advent of high-sensitivity cTn (HS-cTn) immunoassays has allowed a more accurate and timely diagnosis as well as a higher prognostic accuracy, the focus is now shifting on the most suitable algorithms and on a comprehensive approach to the clinical management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In this article we aim to discuss the implications of HS-cTn testing for ruling out and ruling in ACS. In the latter instance, main improvements are related to ACS diagnosis in women, in whom this pathology is still often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. A quick and accurate rule out will also regarded as a great advantage from both an organizational and economic standpoint. The advantages that will stem from this new approach have been recently assessed, and shortening of repeated testing 1 or 2 h from conventional algorithms entailing blood sampling at 3 and 6 h seems attainable. The larger benefits will definitely occur in clinical settings where the actual diagnosis rate of MI among patients with suspect ACS is lower and, consequently, the negative predictive value (NPV) of HS-cTn is the highest.

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6 CFR 7.11 - Components' responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

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Recovery and biological oxidation of dissolved methane in effluent from UASB treatment of municipal sewage using a two-stage closed downflow hanging sponge system.

PubMed

Matsuura, Norihisa; Hatamoto, Masashi; Sumino, Haruhiko; Syutsubo, Kazuaki; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Ohashi, Akiyoshi

2015-03-15

A two-stage closed downflow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor was used as a post-treatment to prevent methane being emitted from upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) effluents containing unrecovered dissolved methane. The performance of the closed DHS reactor was evaluated using real municipal sewage at ambient temperatures (10-28 °C) for one year. The first stage of the closed DHS reactor was intended to recover dissolved methane from the UASB effluent and produce a burnable gas with a methane concentration greater than 30%, and its recovery efficiency was 57-88%, although the amount of dissolved methane in the UASB effluent fluctuated in the range of 46-68 % of methane production greatly depending on the temperature. The residual methane was oxidized and the remaining organic carbon was removed in the second closed DHS reactor, and this reactor performed very well, removing more than 99% of the dissolved methane during the experimental period. The rate at which air was supplied to the DHS reactor was found to be one of the most important operating parameters. Microbial community analysis revealed that seasonal changes in the methane-oxidizing bacteria were key to preventing methane emissions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical and electrophysiological findings in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis, based on the recent histopathological classifications.

PubMed

Tezer, F Irsel; Xasiyev, Farid; Soylemezoglu, Figen; Bilginer, Burcak; Oguz, Kader Karli; Saygi, Serap

2016-11-01

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a common pathology in MTLE, patients may show different surgical outcomes and clinical features. The 2013 ILAE classification subdivides HS into 3 types (HS type 1: severe neuronal loss and gliosis predominantly in CA1 and CA4 regions; - HS type 2: CA1 predominant; HS type 3: CA4 predominant) and includes "gliosis only, as no-HS". The association of clinical and electrophysiological findings with different HS types has not been reported previously in detail. 48 patients who had undergone temporal lobectomy with amygdalohippocampectomy due to mesial TLE-HS between February 2014 and February 2016 were included. The patients were divided into five groups: patients with HS ILAE type 1, HS ILAE type 2, HS ILAE type 3, FCD type IIIa, or gliosis/no HS. The correlation between HS ILAE types and clinical/EEG findings in patients with MTLE due to HS was investigated. Of the 48 patients 30 were male. In 23 patients, the resection was on the left side (48%). Three patients had only gliosis, 25 patients had HS ILAE type 1, 7 had HS ILAE type 2, and 4 had HS ILAE type 3. Nine of the 48 patients had cortical lamination abnormalities in the temporal lobe associated with HS (FCD type IIIa). All patients were seizure free for early follow up. There was no association between type of HS in terms of duration of epilepsy, onset age of epilepsy, lateralized or localized semiological findings, or interictal/ictal EEG findings. Family history of epilepsy or SGTCSs were statistically more frequent in patients with types 2 and 3 HS and status epilepticus was more frequent in patients with HS-FCD type IIIa. The patients with HS types 2 and 3 have more frequent SGTCS or status epilepticus as well as increased family history of epilepsy. These findings can be helpful in understanding the epileptogenicity-prognoses of HS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Standardized emergency management system and response to a smallpox emergency.

PubMed

Kim-Farley, Robert J; Celentano, John T; Gunter, Carol; Jones, Jessica W; Stone, Rogelio A; Aller, Raymond D; Mascola, Laurene; Grigsby, Sharon F; Fielding, Jonathan E

2003-01-01

The smallpox virus is a high-priority, Category-A agent that poses a global, terrorism security risk because it: (1) easily can be disseminated and transmitted from person to person; (2) results in high mortality rates and has the potential for a major public health impact; (3) might cause public panic and social disruption; and (4) requires special action for public health preparedness. In recognition of this risk, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC-DHS) developed the Smallpox Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Plan for LAC to prepare for the possibility of an outbreak of smallpox. A unique feature of the LAC-DHS plan is its explicit use of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) framework for detailing the functions needed to respond to a smallpox emergency. The SEMS includes the Incident Command System (ICS) structure (management, operations, planning/intelligence, logistics, and finance/administration), the mutual-aid system, and the multi/interagency coordination required during a smallpox emergency. Management for incident command includes setting objectives and priorities, information (risk communications), safety, and liaison. Operations includes control and containment of a smallpox outbreak including ring vaccination, mass vaccination, adverse events monitoring and assessment, management of confirmed and suspected smallpox cases, contact tracing, active surveillance teams and enhanced hospital-based surveillance, and decontamination. Planning/intelligence functions include developing the incident action plan, epidemiological investigation and analysis of smallpox cases, and epidemiological assessment of the vaccination coverage status of populations at risk. Logistics functions include receiving, handling, inventorying, and distributing smallpox vaccine and vaccination clinic supplies; personnel; transportation; communications; and health care of personnel. Finally, finance/administration functions include monitoring costs related to the smallpox emergency, procurement, and administrative aspects that are not handled by other functional divisions of incident command systems. The plan was developed and is under frequent review by the LAC-DHS Smallpox Planning Working Group, and is reviewed periodically by the LAC Bioterrorism Advisory Committee, and draws upon the Smallpox Response Plan and Guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The Smallpox Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Plan, with its SEMS framework and ICS structure, now is serving as a model for the development of LAC-DHS plans for responses to other terrorist or natural-outbreak responses.

Effects of humic substances supplementation provided through drinking water on performance, carcass traits and meat quality of broilers.

PubMed

Ozturk, E; Ocak, N; Coskun, I; Turhan, S; Erener, G

2010-02-01

The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of different doses of humic substances (HS) in waterer pan on broiler performances and meat quality. For the trial, 480 chicks (ROSS 308) were allocated into four groups (HS0, HS150, HS300 and HS450) of 120 equally mixed-sex birds, each receiving a drinking water supplemented with 0, 150, 300 and 450 ppm of a humic acid (provided by 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% of HS, v/v) respectively. At the age of 21 and 42 days, feed consumption and live weight were taken. At the age of 42 days, 16 birds per treatment were slaughtered, dressing percentages, digestive tract traits were evaluated and samples of breast (pectoralis major) and thigh (iliotibialis) meat were taken to evaluate the changes in colour characteristics (CIE L*, a* and b*) and chemical composition. The body weight gain increased by the HS300 in relation to the HS0 and HS450, and decreased by the HS450 in relation to the HS0. The feed consumption of birds in the HS450 and feed efficiency of birds in the HS300 were lower and higher than those in the other treatments respectively. The carcass weight of broilers in the HS150 and HS300 were higher than those of in the HS0 and HS450. The carcass weight decreased by the HS450 in relation to the other treatments. The dressing percentage increased by the HS150 in relation to the HS450. The HS450 resulted in breast and thigh meat colour that were lighter than those found in the HS0 birds. The HS450 increased fat content of thigh meat in relation to the HS0. It was concluded that the humic acid supplementation at 300 ppm and 450 ppm appears to have a measurable impact on live performance improving feed efficiency and lightness of breast and thigh meat colours in broilers respectively.

76 FR 50487 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Stakeholder Survey

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Dietary sodium and nocturnal blood pressure dipping in normotensive men and women.

PubMed

Brian, M S; Dalpiaz, A; Matthews, E L; Lennon-Edwards, S; Edwards, D G; Farquhar, W B

2017-02-01

Impaired nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping (i.e., <10% decline in nocturnal BP) is associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. Excess sodium has been shown to impair BP regulation and increase cardiovascular disease risk, yet few studies have assessed the influence of dietary sodium on nocturnal dipping in normotensive adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dietary sodium on BP dipping in normotensive men and women. Eighty healthy normotensive adults participated in a controlled feeding study (men: n=39, 34±2 years; women: n=41, 41±2 years). Participants consumed a standardized run-in 100 mmol sodium per day diet for 7 days, followed by 7 days of low-sodium (LS; 20 mmol per day) and high-sodium (HS; 300 mmol per day) diets in random order. On the final day of each diet, subjects wore a 24 h ambulatory BP monitor, collected a 24 h urine sample and provided a blood sample. During the run-in diet, 24 h urinary sodium excretion was 79.4±5.1 mmol per 24 h in men and 85.3±5.5 mmol per 24 h in women (P>0.05). Systolic BP dipping was not different between men (11.4±1.0%) and women (11.2±0.9%); (P>0.05). During the HS diet, 24 h urinary sodium excretion increased compared with the LS diet in men (LS=31.7±4.6 mmol per 24 h vs HS=235.0±13.9 mmol per 24 h, P<0.01) and women (LS=25.8±2.2 mmol per 24 h vs HS=234.7±13.8 mmol per 24 h, P<0.01). Despite this large increase in sodium intake and excretion, systolic BP dipping was not blunted in men (LS=8.9±1.0% vs HS=9.4±1.2%, P>0.05) or women (LS=10.3±0.8% vs HS=10.5±0.8%, P>0.05). Among normotensive men and women, HS does not blunt nocturnal BP dipping.

Overcoming obstacles to the exchange of information between risk tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin S.; Cornford, Steven L.; Meshkat, Leila; Voss, Luke

2005-01-01

Our work to date in connecting risk tools hs had successes, but also has revealed there to be significant impediments to information exchange between them. These impediments stem from the well-known phenomenon of 'semantic dissonance' - mismatch between conceptual assumptions made by the separately developed tools. This issue represents a fundamental challenge that arises regardless of the mechanism of information exchange. This paper explains the issue and illustrates it with reference to our experiences to date connecting several risk tools. We motivate this work, present and discuss the solutions we have adopted to surmount these impediments, and the implications this work has for future efforts to integrate risk tools.

Health determining concepts important to people with Crohn's disease and their coverage by patient-reported outcomes of health and wellbeing☆☆☆

PubMed Central

Dür, Mona; Sadloňová, Martina; Haider, Stefanie; Binder, Alexa; Stoffer, Michaela; Coenen, Michaela; Smolen, Josef; Dejaco, Clemens; Kautzky-Willer, Alexandra; Fialka-Moser, Veronika; Moser, Gabriele; Stamm, Tanja Alexandra

2014-01-01

Background and aims Busy clinical settings often restrict the possibility to focus on concepts that determine health in a positive way, commonly assessed by using patient-reported outcomes (PROs). We aimed to explore which determinants of health (DHs) are important to people with Crohn's disease (CD), to understand possible gender differences and to analyze whether these DHs are covered by PROs used in CD. Methods Two systematic literature reviews were done to identify relevant DHs and clinically relevant PROs. We conducted a qualitative narrative biographical study and mapped the patients' experiences to concepts that determine health in a positive way. Experiences, DHs and the items of the PROs were compared by the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a common framework. Results 15 people with CD with a median age of 46 years (IQR 34–60) and median disease duration of 15 years (IQR 8–30) participated. Self-efficacy, social support, job satisfaction and occupational balance were mentioned most frequently. While participation appeared to have greater meaning to men, appreciation and resilience seemed to be more important for women. Of 18 PROs the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), the Inflammatory Bowel disease — Self-efficacy scale (IBD-SES), the Life Orientation Test — Revised (LOT-R) and the Patient Activation Measure 13 (PAM-13) cover most DHs. Conclusions This is the first study elaborating the coverage of patient's perspective by commonly used PROs in CD. The findings could support health professionals to focus on DHs in people with CD in clinical practice and research. PMID:23375212

A Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) and access to oral health status and service use in the United States.

PubMed

Wing, Paul; Langelier, Margaret H; Continelli, Tracey A; Battrell, Ann

2005-01-01

The purpose of this article is to summarize a larger study that developed a statistical index that defines the professional practice environment of dental hygienists (DHs) in the United States, and to determine the extent to which the index scores are related to the number of DHs and dentists, the utilization of dental services, and selected oral health outcomes across the 50 states. A Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) defines the professional status, supervision requirements, tasks permitted, and reimbursement options for DHs in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as of December 31, 2001. Spearman rank order correlations between the DHPPI and numbers of oral health professionals, utilization of oral health services, and oral health outcomes in the 50 states are also presented. The analyses revealed that: There are significant differences in the legal practice environments (as reflected in the DHPPI) across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of DHs per capita increased by 46% in the United States, while the number of dentists per 100,000 population increased by only 10%. The DHPPI was not significantly correlated with the number of DHs or dentists in the 50 states in 2001. The DHPPI was significantly positively correlated with the salaries of DHs in 2001. The DHPPI was also significantly and positively correlated with a number of indicators of utilization of oral health services and oral health outcomes. Both access to oral health services and oral health outcomes are positively correlated with the DHPPI. This suggests that states with low DHPPI scores would be logical candidates for revised DH practice statutes and regulations to accomplish these objectives.

Anti-Cancer Efficacy of Silybin Derivatives - A Structure-Activity Relationship

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Chapla; Wadhwa, Ritambhara; Deep, Gagan; Biedermann, David; Gažák, Radek; Křen, Vladimír; Agarwal, Rajesh

2013-01-01

Silybin or silibinin, a flavonolignan isolated from Milk thistle seeds, is one of the popular dietary supplements and has been extensively studied for its antioxidant, hepatoprotective and anti-cancer properties. We have envisioned that potency of silybin could be further enhanced through suitable modification/s in its chemical structure. Accordingly, here, we synthesized and characterized a series of silybin derivatives namely 2,3-dehydrosilybin (DHS), 7-O-methylsilybin (7OM), 7-O-galloylsilybin (7OG), 7,23-disulphatesilybin (DSS), 7-O-palmitoylsilybin (7OP), and 23-O-palmitoylsilybin (23OP); and compared their anti-cancer efficacy using human bladder cancer HTB9, colon cancer HCT116 and prostate carcinoma PC3 cells. In all the 3 cell lines, DHS, 7OM and 7OG demonstrated better growth inhibitory effects and compared to silybin, while other silybin derivatives showed lesser or no efficacy. Next, we prepared the optical isomers (A and B) of silybin, DHS, 7OM and 7OG, and compared their anti-cancer efficacy. Isomers of these three silybin derivatives also showed better efficacy compared with respective silybin isomers, but in each, there was no clear cut silybin A versus B isomer activity preference. Further studies in HTB cells found that DHS, 7OM and 7OG exert better apoptotic activity than silibinin. Clonogenic assays in HTB9 cells further confirmed that both the racemic mixtures as well as pure optical isomers of DHS, 7OM and 7OG were more effective than silybin. Overall, these results clearly suggest that the anti-cancer efficacy of silybin could be significantly enhanced through structural modifications, and identify strong anti-cancer efficacy of silybin derivatives, namely DHS, 7OM, and 7OG, signifying that their efficacy and toxicity should be evaluated in relevant pre-clinical cancer models in rodents. PMID:23555889

75 FR 33631 - Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate; Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission...

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A secure image encryption method based on dynamic harmony search (DHS) combined with chaotic map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaei Talarposhti, Khadijeh; Khaki Jamei, Mehrzad

2016-06-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the security of digital images. This study focuses on the gray scale image encryption using dynamic harmony search (DHS). In this research, first, a chaotic map is used to create cipher images, and then the maximum entropy and minimum correlation coefficient is obtained by applying a harmony search algorithm on them. This process is divided into two steps. In the first step, the diffusion of a plain image using DHS to maximize the entropy as a fitness function will be performed. However, in the second step, a horizontal and vertical permutation will be applied on the best cipher image, which is obtained in the previous step. Additionally, DHS has been used to minimize the correlation coefficient as a fitness function in the second step. The simulation results have shown that by using the proposed method, the maximum entropy and the minimum correlation coefficient, which are approximately 7.9998 and 0.0001, respectively, have been obtained.

DKIST visible broadband imager data processing pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beard, Andrew; Cowan, Bruce; Ferayorni, Andrew

2014-07-01

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) Data Handling System (DHS) provides the technical framework and building blocks for developing on-summit instrument quality assurance and data reduction pipelines. The DKIST Visible Broadband Imager (VBI) is a first light instrument that alone will create two data streams with a bandwidth of 960 MB/s each. The high data rate and data volume of the VBI require near-real time processing capability for quality assurance and data reduction, and will be performed on-summit using Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) technology. The VBI data processing pipeline (DPP) is the first designed and developed using the DKIST DHS components, and therefore provides insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the framework. In this paper we lay out the design of the VBI DPP, examine how the underlying DKIST DHS components are utilized, and discuss how integration of the DHS framework with GPUs was accomplished. We present our results of the VBI DPP alpha release implementation of the calibration, frame selection reduction, and quality assurance display processing nodes.

HsTRPA of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, Functions as a Nocisensor and Uncovers the Evolutionary Plasticity of HsTRPA Channels

PubMed Central

Wang, Xinyue; Li, Tianbang; Tominaga, Makoto

2018-01-01

Solenopsis invicta, the red imported fire ant, represents one of the most devastating invasive species. To understand their sensory physiology, we identified and characterized their Hymenoptera-specific (Hs) TRPA channel, SiHsTRPA. Consistent with the sensory functions of SiHsTRPA, it is activated by heat, an electrophile, and an insect repellent. Nevertheless, SiHsTRPA does not respond to most of the honey bee ortholog (AmHsTRPA)-activating compounds. The jewel wasp ortholog (NvHsTRPA) is activated by these compounds even though it outgroups both AmHsTRPA and SiHsTRPA. Characterization of AmHsTRPA/SiHsTRPA chimeric channels revealed that the amino acids in the N terminus, as well as ankyrin repeat 2 (AR2) of AmHsTRPA, are essential for the response to camphor. Furthermore, amino acids in ARs 3 and 5–7 were specifically required for the response to diallyl disulfide. Thus, amino acid substitutions in the corresponding domains of SiHsTRPA during evolution would be responsible for the loss of chemical sensitivity. SiHsTRPA-activating compounds repel red imported fire ants, suggesting that SiHsTRPA functions as a sensor for noxious compounds. SiHsTRPA represents an example of the species-specific modulation of orthologous TRPA channel properties by amino acid substitutions in multiple domains, and SiHsTRPA-activating compounds could be used to develop a method for controlling red imported fire ants. PMID:29445768

Measuring Coverage in MNCH: A Prospective Validation Study in Pakistan and Bangladesh on Measuring Correct Treatment of Childhood Pneumonia

PubMed Central

el Arifeen, Shams; Khan, Amira M.; Huque, M. Hamidul; Kazmi, Narjis; Roy, Sushmita; Abbasi, Saleem; Rahman, Qazi Sadeq-ur; Theodoratou, Evropi; Khorshed, Mahmuda Shayema; Rahman, Kazi Mizanur; Bari, Sanwarul; Kaiser, M. Mahfuzul Islam; Saha, Samir K.; Ahmed, A. S. M. Nawshad Uddin; Rudan, Igor; Bryce, Jennifer; Qazi, Shamim Ahmad; Campbell, Harry

2013-01-01

Background Antibiotic treatment for pneumonia as measured by Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) is a key indicator for tracking progress in achieving Millennium Development Goal 4. Concerns about the validity of this indicator led us to perform an evaluation in urban and rural settings in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Methods and Findings Caregivers of 950 children under 5 y with pneumonia and 980 with “no pneumonia” were identified in urban and rural settings and allocated for DHS/MICS questions 2 or 4 wk later. Study physicians assigned a diagnosis of pneumonia as reference standard; the predictive ability of DHS/MICS questions and additional measurement tools to identify pneumonia versus non-pneumonia cases was evaluated. Results at both sites showed suboptimal discriminative power, with no difference between 2- or 4-wk recall. Individual patterns of sensitivity and specificity varied substantially across study sites (sensitivity 66.9% and 45.5%, and specificity 68.8% and 69.5%, for DHS in Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively). Prescribed antibiotics for pneumonia were correctly recalled by about two-thirds of caregivers using DHS questions, increasing to 72% and 82% in Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively, using a drug chart and detailed enquiry. Conclusions Monitoring antibiotic treatment of pneumonia is essential for national and global programs. Current (DHS/MICS questions) and proposed new (video and pneumonia score) methods of identifying pneumonia based on maternal recall discriminate poorly between pneumonia and children with cough. Furthermore, these methods have a low yield to identify children who have true pneumonia. Reported antibiotic treatment rates among these children are therefore not a valid proxy indicator of pneumonia treatment rates. These results have important implications for program monitoring and suggest that data in its current format from DHS/MICS surveys should not be used for the purpose of monitoring antibiotic treatment rates in children with pneumonia at the present time. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:23667339

Challenges of DHS and MIS to capture the entire pattern of malaria parasite risk and intervention effects in countries with different ecological zones: the case of Cameroon.

PubMed

Massoda Tonye, Salomon G; Kouambeng, Celestin; Wounang, Romain; Vounatsou, Penelope

2018-04-06

In 2011, the demographic and health survey (DHS) in Cameroon was combined with the multiple indicator cluster survey. Malaria parasitological data were collected, but the survey period did not overlap with the high malaria transmission season. A malaria indicator survey (MIS) was also conducted during the same year, within the malaria peak transmission season. This study compares estimates of the geographical distribution of malaria parasite risk and of the effects of interventions obtained from the DHS and MIS survey data. Bayesian geostatistical models were applied on DHS and MIS data to obtain georeferenced estimates of the malaria parasite prevalence and to assess the effects of interventions. Climatic predictors were retrieved from satellite sources. Geostatistical variable selection was used to identify the most important climatic predictors and indicators of malaria interventions. The overall observed malaria parasite risk among children was 33 and 30% in the DHS and MIS data, respectively. Both datasets identified the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and the altitude as important predictors of the geographical distribution of the disease. However, MIS selected additional climatic factors as important disease predictors. The magnitude of the estimated malaria parasite risk at national level was similar in both surveys. Nevertheless, DHS estimates lower risk in the North and Coastal areas. MIS did not find any important intervention effects, although DHS revealed that the proportion of population with an insecticide-treated nets access in their household was statistically important. An important negative relationship between malaria parasitaemia and socioeconomic factors, such as the level of mother's education, place of residence and the household welfare were captured by both surveys. Timing of the malaria survey influences estimates of the geographical distribution of disease risk, especially in settings with seasonal transmission. In countries with different ecological zones and thus different seasonal patterns, a single survey may not be able to identify all high risk areas. A continuous MIS or a combination of MIS, health information system data and data from sentinel sites may be able to capture the disease risk distribution in space across different seasons.

Adolescent fertility and family planning in East Asia and the Pacific: a review of DHS reports

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Adolescent pregnancy has significant health and socio-economic consequences for women, their families and communities. Efforts to prevent too-early pregnancy rely on accurate information about adolescents' knowledge, behaviours and access to family planning, however available data are limited in some settings. Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) reports are recognised as providing nationally representative data that are accessible to policymakers and programmers. This paper reviews DHS reports for low and lower middle income countries in East Asia and the Pacific to determine what information regarding adolescent fertility and family planning is available, and summarises key findings. Methods The most recent DHS reports were sought for the 33 low and lower middle income countries in the East Asia and Pacific region as defined by UNICEF and World Bank. Age-disaggregated data for all indicators relevant to fertility and current use, knowledge and access to family planning information and services were sought to identify accessible information. Reported data were analysed using an Excel database to determine outcomes for adolescents and compare with adult women. Results DHS reports were available for eleven countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vietnam. Twenty seven of 40 relevant DHS indicators reported outcomes for adolescent women aged 15-19 years. There were limited data for unmarried adolescents. A significant proportion of women commence sexual activity and childbearing during adolescence in the context of low contraceptive prevalence and high unmet need for contraception. Adolescent women have lower use of contraception, poorer knowledge of family planning and less access to information and services than adult women. Conclusion DHS reports provide useful and accessible data, however, they are limited by the failure to report data for unmarried adolescents and report age-disaggregated data for some indicators. Further research is required to better understand the barriers that both married and unmarried adolescents face accessing reproductive health information and services, and their information and service delivery preferences. PMID:21545708

Ig synthesis and class switching do not require the presence of the hs4 enhancer in the 3' IgH regulatory region.

PubMed

Vincent-Fabert, Christelle; Truffinet, Véronique; Fiancette, Remi; Cogné, Nadine; Cogné, Michel; Denizot, Yves

2009-06-01

Several studies have reported that regulatory elements located 3' of the IgH locus (namely hs3a, hs1,2, hs3b, and hs4) might play a role during class switch recombination (CSR) and Ig synthesis. While individual deletion of hs3a or hs1,2 had no effect, pairwise deletion of hs3b (an inverted copy of hs3a) and hs4 markedly affected CSR and Ig expression. Among these two elements, hs4 was tentatively presented with the master role due to its unique status within the 3' regulatory region: distal position outside repeated regions, early activation in pre-B cells, strong activity throughout B cell ontogeny. To clarify its role, we generated mice with a clean deletion of the hs4 after replacement with a floxed neo(R) cassette. Surprisingly, and as for previous deletion of hs3a or hs1,2, deletion of hs4 did not affect either in vivo CSR or the secretion level of any Ig isotype. In vitro CSR and Ig secretion in response to LPS and cytokines was not affected either. The only noticeable effects of the hs4 deletion were a decrease in the number of B splenocytes and a decreased membrane IgM expression. In conclusion, while dispensable for CSR and Ig transcription in plasma cells, hs4 mostly appears to contribute to Ig transcription in resting B lymphocytes.