Democratic School Turnarounds: Pursuing Equity and Learning from Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trujillo, Tina; Renee, Michelle

2012-01-01

In 2009, the Obama Administration announced its intention to rapidly "turn around" 5,000 of the nation's lowest-performing schools. To do so, it relied on the School Improvement Grant program (SIG) to provide targeted funding for states and schools, and to mandate drastic, school-level reforms. While the program channels grants to…

Guidance on Fiscal Year 2010 School Improvement Grants under Section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, US Department of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

The School Improvement Grants (SIG) program is authorized by section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Under section 1003(g)(1) of the ESEA, the Secretary must award grants to States to enable the States to provide subgrants to local educational agencies for the purpose of providing assistance for school…

Baseline Analyses of SIG Applications and SIG-Eligible and SIG-Awarded Schools. NCEE 2011-4019

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurlburt, Steven; Le Floch, Kerstin Carlson; Therriault, Susan Bowles; Cole, Susan

2011-01-01

The Study of School Turnaround is an examination of the implementation of School Improvement Grants (SIG) authorized under Title I section 1003(g) of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" and supplemented by the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." "Baseline Analyses of SIG Applications and SIG-Eligible…

Competing for School Improvement Dollars: State Grant-Making Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazarin, Melissa

2012-01-01

In 2009 the Obama administration announced a focused commitment to turn around 5,000 of the United States' chronically lowest-performing public schools as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This commitment came with $3 billion in funding for the School Improvement Grant program, or SIG, along with new guidelines to ensure…

Are Low-Performing Schools Adopting Practices Promoted by School Improvement Grants? NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2015-4001

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrmann, Mariesa; Dragoset, Lisa; James-Burdumy, Susanne

2014-01-01

The federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) program aims to improve student achievement by promoting the implementation of four school intervention models: transformation, turnaround, restart, and closure. Previous research provides evidence that low-performing schools adopt some practices promoted by the four models, but little is known about how…

Turnaround Momentum Still Fragile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Alyson

2012-01-01

The federal program providing billions of dollars to help states and districts close or remake some of their worst-performing schools remains a work in progress after two years, with more than 1,200 turnaround efforts under way but still no definitive verdict on its effectiveness. The School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, supercharged by a…

TADS Final Evaluation Report, 1980-81. Appendix S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez, Tanya M.; And Others

The document contains the final report of the Technical Assistance Development System (TADS), a program which provided technical assistance (TA) services to 53 Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) demonstration projects and 13 State Implementation Grants (SIGs). The evaluation report is divided into five sections. Section 1…

Assessing School Turnaround: Evidence from Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Player, Daniel; Katz, Veronica

2016-01-01

Policy makers have struggled to find successful approaches to address concentrated, persistent low school achievement. While NCLB and the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program have devoted significant time and attention to turnaround, very little empirical evidence substantiates whether and how these efforts work. This study employs a comparative…

Schools with Federal Improvement Grants Face Challenges in Replacing Principals and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurrer, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Several hundred of the nation's lowest-performing schools have recently undergone major changes in leadership and teaching staff to comply with federal requirements for using school improvement grants (SIGs) financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In particular, schools that receive stimulus-funded SIG awards must…

Resource- and Approach-Driven Multidimensional Change: Three-Year Effects of School Improvement Grants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Min; Penner, Emily K.; Loeb, Susanna

2017-01-01

Hoping to spur dramatic school turnaround, the federal government channeled resources to the country's lowest-performing schools through School Improvement Grants (SIG). However, prior research on SIG effectiveness is limited and focuses primarily on student achievement. This study uses a difference-in-differences strategy to estimate program…

School Improvement Grants: Progress Report from America's Great City Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of the Great City Schools, 2015

2015-01-01

This report measures trends in performance among urban schools receiving federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) awards as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Council of the Great City Schools aims to document how member districts of the Council of the Great City Schools implemented SIG and specifically what…

Federal School Improvement Grants (SIGs): How Capacity and Local Conditions Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yatsko, Sarah; Lake, Robin; Bowen, Melissa; Cooley Nelson, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

In 2009, the federal government committed over $3 billion nationwide to help states and districts turn around their worst-performing schools. The U.S. Department of Education intended for the School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to spur dramatic change.This report looks at the results of a field study of the first-year implementation of those grants…

Opportunities and Obstacles: Implementing Stimulus-Funded School Improvement Grants in Maryland, Michigan, and Idaho

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Caitlin; McMurrer, Jennifer; McIntosh, Shelby; Dibner, Kenne

2012-01-01

State and local educators encountered both opportunities and obstacles in their first year of implementing the School Improvement Grants (SIGs) funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). In 2009, the ARRA, better known as the economic stimulus package, provided $3 billion for SIGs to help reform persistently low-achieving…

Changing the School Climate Is the First Step to Reform in Many Schools with Federal Improvement Grants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurrer, Jennifer

2012-01-01

School Improvement Grants (SIGs) financed through the economic stimulus package are intended to spur dramatic change in persistently low-performing schools. Many state and local officials charged with implementing SIGs view the creation of a safe, orderly, collegial, and productive school climate as an essential step in raising student…

75 FR 32426 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-08

... School Improvement Grants (SIG) authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and... must use to award ARRA and FY 2009 SIG funds to local educational agencies (LEAs). In awarding these... to their lowest-achieving schools eligible to receive services provided through SIG funds in order to...

The Impact of School Improvement Grants on Achievement: Plans for a National Evaluation Using a Regression Discontinuity Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deke, John; Dragoset, Lisa

2015-01-01

Does receipt of School Improvement Grants (SIG) funding to implement a school intervention model have an impact on outcomes for low-performing schools? This study answers this question using a regression discontinuity design (RDD) that exploits cutoff values on the continuous variables used to define SIG eligibility tiers, comparing outcomes in…

[Opportunities and Obstacles: Implementing Stimulus-Funded School Improvement Grants in Maryland, Michigan, and Idaho. Idaho Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Caitlin; McMurrer, Jennifer; McIntosh, Shelby

2012-01-01

Two schools in Idaho received ARRA SIG (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act School Improvement Grants) funds to enable them to implement improvement efforts. This paper describes the outcomes of these two ARRA SIG recipient schools: (1) Jefferson Middle School; and (2) Lakeside Elementary School. The experiences of this non-recipient school is…

[Opportunities and Obstacles: Implementing Stimulus-Funded School Improvement Grants in Maryland, Michigan, and Idaho. Michigan Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Caitlin; Dibner, Kenne

2012-01-01

Two schools in Michigan received ARRA SIG (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act School Improvement Grants) funds to enable them to implement their improvement efforts. This paper describes the outcomes of these two ARRA SIG recipient schools: (1) Phoenix Elementary-Middle School; and (2) Arthur Hill High School. The experiences of these…

School Improvement Grants: Guidance and Tools for the 2015 Amended Regulations--Maximizing the Optional Planning/Pre-Implementation Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redding, Sam; Dunn, Lenay; McCauley, Carlas

2015-01-01

The purpose of this guide is to provide states, districts, and schools with information and support to prepare applications for 2015-2016 School Improvement Grants (SIGs). The guide includes tools, checklists, and questions for SEAs and LEAs aligned with the revised SIG requirements, primarily focused on how to leverage the "planning…

Mission Impossible? What States with Large Percentages of Rural Schools Tell Us about Federal School Improvement Grants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Caitlin; McMurrer, Jennifer

2015-01-01

This article summarizes findings and lessons learned about implementing school improvement grant (SIG) initiatives in rural areas of the United States. The study examines state-level survey data based on the proportion of rural schools receiving SIG funds in the fall of 2010 in each state. In addition, the authors summarize related findings from…

Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Progress Report: Building a Sustainable Substance Abuse Prevention System, State of Hawai'i, 2006-2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, S.; Lai, M.C.; Heusel, K.

2011-01-01

In 2006, the Hawai'i State Department of Health (DOH) received the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to establish a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable substance abuse prevention infrastructure in Hawai'i. The SPF-SIG Project is funded…

[Opportunities and Obstacles: Implementing Stimulus-Funded School Improvement Grants in Maryland, Michigan, and Idaho. Maryland Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurrer, Jennifer; McIntosh, Shelby

2012-01-01

Two schools in Maryland received ARRA SIG (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act School Improvement Grants) funds to enable them to implement their turnaround efforts. This paper describes the outcomes of these two ARRA SIG recipient schools: (1) G. James Gholson Middle School; and (2) Commodore John Rodgers Elementary School. The experiences of…

75 FR 12220 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-15

...) application for School Improvement Grants (SIG) authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary... must use to award ARRA and FY 2009 SIG funds to local educational agencies (LEAs). In awarding these... to their lowest-achieving schools eligible to receive services provided through SIG funds in order to...

Fulcrum of Change: Leveraging 50 States to Turn around 5000 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhim, Lauren Morando; Redding, Sam

2011-01-01

In 2010, unprecedented levels of resources began to flow through state education agencies (SEAs) to support dramatic change in persistently low-performing schools under the expanded federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. The challenge for states is to leverage the federal investment to drive dramatic and sustainable change efforts in…

Incorporating Early Learning Strategies in the School Improvement Grants (SIG) Program: How Three Schools Integrated Early Childhood Strategies into School Turnaround Efforts to Improve Instruction for All Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connors-Tadros, Lori; Dunn, Lenay; Martella, Jana; McCauley, Carlas

2015-01-01

A significant body of research shows that achievement gaps evident in persistently low-performing schools, in many instances, manifest prior to children entering kindergarten. High-quality early learning programs have proven to demonstrate positive effects on closing academic gaps both for individual children and in the aggregate for the school.…

School Improvement Grants: Take 2--Lessons Learned from Round 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Jennifer; Liu, Meredith

2010-01-01

Last year, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan set forth an ambitious goal for the country--turn around 1,000 of chronically failing schools per year over the next five years. To support this effort, the federal government has put up billions of dollars in funding, mostly in the form of Title I School Improvement Grants (SIG). SIG, both in the…

Irrational Exuberance for Market-Based Reform: How Federal Turnaround Policies Thwart Democratic Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trujillo, Tina; Renée, Michelle

2015-01-01

Background: In 2009, the Obama Administration announced its intention to rapidly "turn around" 5,000 of the nation's lowest-performing schools. To do so, it relied on the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program to provide temporary funding for states and schools, and to mandate drastic, school-level reforms. Most of these reforms require…

Chartering Turnaround: Leveraging Public Charter School Autonomy to Address Failure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbett, Julie

2015-01-01

Persistently low-achieving public schools around the country have received $5.8 billion from the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, in addition to districts and state funds, and other supplementary federal funds. Despite all of these sources of funding, most of the schools receiving them have failed to make a dramatic difference in…

Teacher Migration: Extension and Application of the Population Ecology Model to Explore Teacher Transfers in a Reform Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hochbein, Craig; Carpenter, Bradley

2017-01-01

This article assesses the association between the Title I School Improvement Grant (SIG) program's personnel replacement policy and teacher employment patterns within an urban school district. Hannan and Freeman's population ecology model allowed the authors to consider schools within districts as individual organizations nested within a larger…

Lead Turnaround Partners: How the Emerging Marketplace of Lead Turnaround Partners Is Changing School Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbett, Julie

2011-01-01

This report describes the use of Lead Turnaround Partners (LTPs) in the current School Improvement Grant (SIG) program and provides the results of document review, surveys, and interviews with eight State Education Agencies and seven Lead Turnaround Partner organizations. The study focuses on the implementation of the transformation and turnaround…

State Capacity to Support School Turnaround. NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2015-4012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanenbaum, Courtney; Boyle, Andrea; Graczewski, Cheryl; James-Burdumy, Susanne; Dragoset, Lisa; Hallgren, Kristin

2015-01-01

One objective of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Race to the Top (RTT) program is to help states enhance their capacity to support the turnaround of low-performing schools. This capacity may be important, given how difficult it is to produce substantial and sustained achievement gains in low-performing…

School Turnarounds: Evidence from the 2009 Stimulus. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 12-04

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dee, Thomas S.

2012-01-01

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) targeted substantial School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to the nation's "persistently lowest achieving" public schools (i.e., up to $2 million per school annually over 3 years) but required schools accepting these awards to implement a federally prescribed school-reform model.…

Operational Authority, Support, and Monitoring of School Turnaround. NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2014-4008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Rebecca; Graczewski, Cheryl; James-Burdumy, Susanne; Murray, Matthew; Perez-Johnson, Irma; Tanenbaum, Courtney

2013-01-01

The federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) program, to which $3 billion were allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), supports schools attempting to turn around a history of low performance. School turnaround also is a focus of Race to the Top (RTT), another ARRA-supported initiative, which involved a roughly $4…

Sustainability of State-Level Substance Abuse Prevention Infrastructure After the Completion of the SPF SIG.

PubMed

Edwards, Jessica M; Stein-Seroussi, Al; Flewelling, Robert L; Orwin, Robert G; Zhang, Lei

2015-06-01

Recent national substance abuse prevention efforts that have been disseminated at the state level have provided fertile ground for addressing the dearth of systematic research on state-level substance abuse prevention infrastructure. The Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Program (SPF SIG), a national public health initiative sponsored by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and its Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, is one such effort, providing an opportunity to examine state-level substance abuse prevention infrastructure across the country. The aims of the SPF SIG initiative include reducing substance abuse and its related problems, as well as enhancing state and local prevention infrastructure and capacity. In this article, we describe the status of state-level substance abuse prevention infrastructure and capacity 1 year after the first 26 funded states ended their projects, based on follow-up interviews with state prevention decision-makers. We found that, in five of the six prevention domains we measured, prevention infrastructure capacity increased during the 12-month period after the grants ended. The evidence for further SPF capacity development even after the conclusion of the grants suggests that states recognized the benefits of using the SPF and took deliberate steps to sustain and enhance the integration of this framework into their state prevention systems. In addition, the findings suggest that state agencies and organizations can benefit from time-limited resources aimed at increasing their capacity and that such efforts can have a lasting impact on measures of state prevention system capacity.

SIG: a general-purpose signal processing program. User's manual. Revision 1

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

Lager, D.; Azevedo, S.

1985-05-09

SIG is a general-purpose signal processing, analysis, and display program. Its main purpose is to perform manipulations on time-domain and frequenccy-domain signals. The manual contains a complete description of the SIG program from the user's stand-point. A brief exercise in using SIG is shown. Complete descriptions are given of each command in the SIG core. General information about the SIG structure, command processor, and graphics options are provided. An example usage of SIG for solving a problem is developed, and error message formats are briefly discussed. (LEW)

A Portrait of School Improvement Grantees. Charts You Can Trust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jambulapati, Padmini

2011-01-01

In the last year, the federal government has invested $3.5 billion dollars in an effort to fix the nation's bottom 5 percent of public schools. In the coming months, it will roll out another $546 million dollars to do the same. The School Improvement Grant (SIG) program is the largest pot of federal funds ever aimed at improving a discrete set of…

Will Seniority-Based Layoffs Undermine School Improvement Efforts in Washington State?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lake, Robin; DeArmond, Michael; Sepe, Cristina

2011-01-01

A new analysis finds that policies known as "last in, first out" may disproportionately affect schools receiving federal School Improvement Grants (SIGs). A centerpiece of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's school reform agenda, SIG funds are intended to transform or turn around chronically failing schools. Analyzing Washington…

School Improvement Grants. Guidance and Tools for the 2015 Amended Regulations: Maximizing the Optional Planning/Pre-Implementation Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redding, Sam; Dunn, Lenay; McCauley, Carlas

2015-01-01

School Improvement Grants (SIGs) are authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The grants are made to state education agencies (SEAs), and the SEAs award competitive subgrants to local education agencies (LEAs) that demonstrate: (1) the greatest need for the funds; and (2) the strongest…

Post-transcriptional regulation of the Streptomyces coelicolor stress responsive sigma factor, SigH, involves translational control, proteolytic processing, and an anti-sigma factor homolog.

PubMed

Viollier, Patrick H; Weihofen, Andreas; Folcher, Marc; Thompson, Charles J

2003-01-24

The sigH gene encodes a sigma factor whose transcription is controlled by stress regulatory systems and the developmental program in Streptomyces coelicolor. Here, we describe developmentally regulated post-transcriptional control systems for SigH. sigH is expressed as three primary translation products, SigH-sigma(37), SigH-sigma(51), and SigH-sigma(52). In vitro, SigH-sigma(52) was comparable to SigH-sigma(37) in its ability to associate with RNA polymerase core enzyme and specifically initiate transcription in vitro. While SigH-sigma(51/52) were the primary gene products observed throughout early phases of growth, their abundance decreased during later stages in liquid or solid phase cultures while levels of shorter, C-terminally encoded products increased. These included SigH-sigma(37), a product of the downstream translational initiation site, as well as two proteolytic derivatives of SigH-sigma(51/52) (34kDa and 38kDa). Accumulation of SigH-sigma(37) and processing of SigH-sigma(51/52) into these stable 34kDa and 38kDa derivatives correlated with morphological changes on solid medium and physiological maturation in liquid medium. SigH-sigma(51/52) processing did not occur on medium non-permissive for aerial mycelium formation or in one particular developmental mutant (brgA). The proteolytic activity could be detected in vitro using crude extracts of stationary phase cultures, but was absent from exponential phase cultures. prsH, the gene upstream of sigH having sequence similarity to known anti-sigma factors, was able to bind to, and thus presumably inactivate SigH-sigma(52), SigH-sigma(51), and SigH-sigma(37). We have shown elsewhere that prsH was conditionally required for colonial development. Thus, while at least one transcriptional regulator is known to bring about the accumulation of sigH mRNA at different times and different locations in colonies, the post-transcriptional processes described here regulate the activity of different SigH isoforms and program their temporal accumulation pattern, i.e. the elimination of SigH-sigma(51/52) and accumulation of SigH-sigma(37)-like proteins, as a function of development.

California Turnaround Schools: An Analysis of School Improvement Grant Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Khalil N.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of School Improvement Grants (SIGs) in the state of California (CA) in increasing student achievement using the turnaround implementation model. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) included educational priorities focused on fixing America's lowest achieving schools.…

Benefits of adding small financial incentives or optional group meetings to a web-based statewide obesity initiative.

PubMed

Leahey, Tricia M; Subak, Leslee L; Fava, Joseph; Schembri, Michael; Thomas, Graham; Xu, Xiaomeng; Krupel, Katie; Kent, Kimberly; Boguszewski, Katherine; Kumar, Rajiv; Weinberg, Brad; Wing, Rena

2015-01-01

To examine whether adding either small, variable financial incentives or optional group sessions improves weight losses in a community-based, Internet behavioral program. Participants (N = 268) from Shape Up Rhode Island 2012, a 3-month Web-based community wellness initiative, were randomized to: Shape Up+Internet behavioral program (SI), Shape Up+Internet program+incentives (SII), or Shape Up+Internet program+group sessions (SIG). At the end of the 3-month program, SII achieved significantly greater weight losses than SI (SII: 6.4% [5.1-7.7]; SI: 4.2% [3.0-5.6]; P = 0.03); weight losses in SIG were not significantly different from the other two conditions (SIG: 5.8% [4.5-7.1], P's ≥ 0.10). However, at the 12-month no-treatment follow-up visit, both SII and SIG had greater weight losses than SI (SII: 3.1% [1.8-4.4]; SIG: 4.5% [3.2-5.8]; SI: 1.2% [-0.1-2.6]; P's ≤ 0.05). SII was the most cost-effective approach at both 3 (SII: $34/kg; SI: $34/kg; SIG: $87/kg) and 12 months (SII: $64/kg; SI: $140/kg; SIG: $113/kg). Modest financial incentives enhance weight losses during a community campaign, and both incentives and optional group meetings improved overall weight loss outcomes during the follow-up period. However, the use of the financial incentives is the most cost-effective approach. © 2014 The Obesity Society.

Tinkering toward Transformation: A Look at Federal School Improvement Grant Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yatsko, Sarah; Lake, Robin; Nelson, Elizabeth Cooley; Bowen, Melissa

2012-01-01

In 2009, the federal government committed over $3 billion nationwide to help states and districts turn around their worst-performing schools. The U.S. Department of Education intended for the School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to spur dramatic change. This report looks at the results of a field study of the first-year implementation of those grants…

Adding evidence-based behavioral weight loss strategies to a statewide wellness campaign: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Leahey, Tricia M; Thomas, Graham; Fava, Joseph L; Subak, Leslee L; Schembri, Michael; Krupel, Katie; Kumar, Rajiv; Weinberg, Brad; Wing, Rena R

2014-07-01

We determined the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of adding an evidence-based Internet behavioral weight loss intervention alone or combined with optional group sessions to ShapeUp Rhode Island 2011 (SURI), a 3-month statewide wellness campaign. We randomized participants (n = 230; body mass index = 34.3 ±6.8 kg/m(2); 84% female) to the standard SURI program (S) or to 1 of 2 enhanced programs: SURI plus Internet behavioral program (SI) or SI plus optional group sessions (SIG). The primary outcome was weight loss at the end of the 3-month program. Weight losses differed among all 3 conditions (S: 1.1% ±0.9%; SI: 4.2% ±0.6%; SIG: 6.1% ±0.6%; Ps ≤ .04). Both SI and SIG increased the percentage of individuals who achieved a 5% weight loss (SI: 42%; SIG: 54%; S: 7%; Ps < .001). Cost per kilogram of weight loss was similar for S ($39) and SI ($35); both were lower than SIG ($114). Although weight losses were greatest at the end of SURI with optional group sessions, the addition of an Internet behavioral program was the most cost-effective method to enhance weight losses.

CosmicSIG science and plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olinto, Angela V.

2014-03-01

Recent activities of the Cosmic Ray Science Interest Group (CosmicSIG) of the Physics of the Cosmos PAG will be reviewed. CosmicSIG was formed to provide an assessment to NASA HQ and the PCOS program office of the status of current and future missions in the area of cosmic-ray astrophysics. CosmicSIG also strives to act as a focal point and forum for the cosmic ray community.

Reshaping Rural Schools in the Northwest Region: Lessons from Federal School Improvement Grant Implementation. REL 2016-107

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Caitlin; Ostler, Nora

2016-01-01

The five states in the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest Region have many rural schools that have been designated as in need of improvement. And all five states had rural schools in the first cohort of federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) recipients. To address school improvement, the majority of those schools implemented the…

Changing Tires En Route: Michigan Rolls out Millions in School Improvement Grants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Caitlin

2011-01-01

A recent massive infusion of federal funding marked a dramatic shift in the federal approach to helping low-performing schools. As part of the broad array of economic stimulus efforts included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the U.S. Congress appropriated an extra $3 billion for school improvement grants (SIGs) to…

State Implementation and Perceptions of Title I School Improvement Grants under the Recovery Act: One Year Later

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurrer, Jennifer; McIntosh, Shelby

2012-01-01

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the stimulus package, appropriated $100 billion for education and included $3 billion for school improvement grants (SIGs) to help reform low-performing schools. This amount was in addition to the $546 million provided by the regular fiscal year 2009 appropriations bill for…

Adding Evidence-Based Behavioral Weight Loss Strategies to a Statewide Wellness Campaign: A Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Thomas, Graham; Fava, Joseph L.; Subak, Leslee L.; Schembri, Michael; Krupel, Katie; Kumar, Rajiv; Weinberg, Brad; Wing, Rena R.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We determined the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of adding an evidence-based Internet behavioral weight loss intervention alone or combined with optional group sessions to ShapeUp Rhode Island 2011 (SURI), a 3-month statewide wellness campaign. Methods. We randomized participants (n = 230; body mass index = 34.3 ±6.8 kg/m2; 84% female) to the standard SURI program (S) or to 1 of 2 enhanced programs: SURI plus Internet behavioral program (SI) or SI plus optional group sessions (SIG). The primary outcome was weight loss at the end of the 3-month program. Results. Weight losses differed among all 3 conditions (S: 1.1% ±0.9%; SI: 4.2% ±0.6%; SIG: 6.1% ±0.6%; Ps ≤ .04). Both SI and SIG increased the percentage of individuals who achieved a 5% weight loss (SI: 42%; SIG: 54%; S: 7%; Ps < .001). Cost per kilogram of weight loss was similar for S ($39) and SI ($35); both were lower than SIG ($114). Conclusions. Although weight losses were greatest at the end of SURI with optional group sessions, the addition of an Internet behavioral program was the most cost-effective method to enhance weight losses. PMID:24832424

Long-Term Sustainability of Evidence-Based Prevention Interventions and Community Coalitions Survival: a Five and One-Half Year Follow-up Study.

PubMed

Johnson, Knowlton; Collins, David; Shamblen, Steve; Kenworthy, Tara; Wandersman, Abraham

2017-07-01

This study examines (1) coalition survival, (2) prevalence of evidence-based prevention interventions (EBPIs) to reduce substance abuse implemented as part of the Tennessee Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) State Incentive Grant (SIG), (3) EBPI sustainability, and (4) factors that predict EBPI sustainability. Secondary data were collected on 27 SPF SIG-funded coalitions and 88 EBPI and non-EBPI implementations. Primary data were collected by a telephone interview/web survey five and one-half years after the SPF SIG ended. Results from secondary data show that 25 of the 27 coalitions survived beyond the SPF SIG for one to five and one-half years; 19 coalitions (70%) were still active five and one-half years later. Further, 88 EBPIs and non-EBPIs were implemented by 27 county SPF SIG coalitions. Twenty-one (21) of 27 coalitions (78%) implemented one to three EBPIs, totaling 37 EBPI implementations. Based on primary survey data on 29 of the 37 EBPI implementations, 28 EBPIs (97%) were sustained between two and five and one-half years while 22 EBPI implementations (76%) were sustained for five and one-half years. When controlling for variability among coalitions (nesting of EBPIs in coalitions), increases in data resources (availability of five types of prevention data) was a strong predictor of length of EBPI sustainability. Positive change in extramural funding resources and level of expertise during SPF SIG implementation, as well as level of coalition formalization at the end of the SPF SIG predicted EBPI sustainability length. One intervention attribute (trialability) also predicted length of sustainability. Implications are discussed.

Key Findings from Two Reports on Federal School Improvement Grants by the Center on Education Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2012

2012-01-01

The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the economic stimulus package, provided an extra $3 billion for school improvement grants (SIGs) under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Along with this funding increase, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance…

School Improvement Grants in Georgia: A Quantitative Analysis of the Relationship between the College and Career Ready Performance Index, Students' Proficiency, and Graduation Rates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Covington, Char-Shenda D.

2016-01-01

There are a myriad of factors that contribute to the lowest performing schools in Georgia that School Improvement Grants (SIGs) are designed to ameliorate. Declining graduation rates, dwindling student achievement, high teacher turnover rates, and students leaving high school at an alarming rate ill-prepared for college and/or the workforce…

Case Studies of Schools Receiving School Improvement Grants: Findings after the First Year of Implementation. NCEE 2014-4015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Floch, Kerstin Carlson; Birman, Beatrice; O'Day, Jennifer; Hurlburt, Steven; Mercado-Garcia, Diana; Goff, Rose; Manship, Karen; Brown, Seth; Therriault, Susan Bowles; Rosenberg, Linda; Angus, Megan Hague; Hulsey, Lara

2014-01-01

The Study of School Turnaround examines the improvement process in a purposive sample of 35 case study schools receiving federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) over a three-year period (2010-11 to 2012-13 school years). Using site visit, teacher survey, and fiscal data, the case studies describe the school contexts, the principals' leadership…

Personality profiles and risk diet behaviors--a case-control study on teenagers from Timis County, Romania.

PubMed

Petrescu, Cristina; Vlaicu, Brigitha

2014-01-01

In the study we conducted we aimed at investigating the relation between personality profiles and risk diet behaviors in teenagers. This study was a case-control one and we applied 2 questionnaires (Freiburg Personality Inventory--FPI with 212 items) and CORT 2004 (items Q94-Q116 of diet behavior) on a sample of 2908 teenagers (51.5% girls and 48.5% boys). Cronbach's alpha index was 0.802 for FPI and 0.730 for items Q101-Q109 of CORT. Personality profiles were built by an Excel 2003 Program. Statistical analysis was realized with SPSS 16 program applying Chi square (chi2) and gamma (gamma) correlation. Personality features of teenagers with high and without risk diet behavior were analyzed. Results obtained: personality profiles and statistical results indicated the existence of a significant statistical difference of aggressiveness and domination between teenagers with high and no consumption of butter and/or lard (Q103) (chi2 = 6.872, Sig. 0.032 and chi2 = 6.922, Sig. 0.031 respectively), of juices from the market (Q106) (chi2 = 9.055, Sig. 0.011 and chi2 = 14.571, Sig. 0.001 respectively). Aggressiveness correlated with consumption of fried potatoes (Q109) (chi2 = 6.144, Sig. 0.046) too. Correlation gamma indicated direct proportional relations of aggressiveness with: Q103 (gamma = 0.215, Sig. 0.017), Q106 (gamma = 0.224, Sig. 0.004), Q109 (gamma = 0.242, Sig. 0.012); and of domination with: Q103 (gamma = 0.234, Sig. 0.008), Q106 (gamma = 0.073, Sig. 0.000). In conclusion, there is a direct proportional relation between consumption of: butter/lard, juices from the market and teenagers' aggressiveness, domination; and a similar relation between consumption of fried potatoes and aggressiveness.

Emergency management training program: Guide to good practice

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

Not Available

1991-07-01

The Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice is a project of the Training Resources and Data Exchange (TRADE) Emergency Management Issues Special Interest Group (EMI SIG). EMI SIG members expressed interest in a resource to assist in development of a comprehensive emergency management training program. This publication provides guidelines, methods, and materials for EMI SIG members to use, assisting in complete and effective emergency management programs. The purposes of the Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice are: Provide guidance in the development and management of Emergency Management (EM) training programs; Assist EM trainers to incorporate componentsmore » of the DOE Emergency Management System philosophy of planning, preparedness, readiness assurance, and response into EM training programs; Help EM training managers meet EM training requirements and conditions established by current regulations and policies; Supplement other TRADE EMI SIG documents and complement individual facility training documents. This program is designed for emergency management personnel who are responsible for providing or overseeing EM training but who do not necessarily possess expertise in developing training. It provides good practices from the manager's point of view on how to produce, administer, and document facility EM training programs in the spirit of the DOE EM system philosophy. Basic guidance is also included for personnel who design, develop, deliver, and/or evaluate EM training programs or parts. This guidance includes key points of EM training programs and identifies other documents that contain useful and/or more detailed training information.« less

Emergency management training program: Guide to good practice

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

Not Available

1991-07-01

The Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice is a project of the Training Resources and Data Exchange (TRADE) Emergency Management Issues Special Interest Group (EMI SIG). EMI SIG members expressed interest in a resource to assist in development of a comprehensive emergency management training program. This publication provides guidelines, methods, and materials for EMI SIG members to use, assisting in complete and effective emergency management programs. The purposes of the Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice are: Provide guidance in the development and management of Emergency Management (EM) training programs; Assist EM trainers to incorporate componentsmore » of the DOE Emergency Management System philosophy of planning, preparedness, readiness assurance, and response into EM training programs; Help EM training managers meet EM training requirements and conditions established by current regulations and policies; Supplement other TRADE EMI SIG documents and complement individual facility training documents. This program is designed for emergency management personnel who are responsible for providing or overseeing EM training but who do not necessarily possess expertise in developing training. It provides good practices from the manager`s point of view on how to produce, administer, and document facility EM training programs in the spirit of the DOE EM system philosophy. Basic guidance is also included for personnel who design, develop, deliver, and/or evaluate EM training programs or parts. This guidance includes key points of EM training programs and identifies other documents that contain useful and/or more detailed training information.« less

SIG: a general-purpose signal processing program

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

Lager, D.; Azevedo, S.

1986-02-01

SIG is a general-purpose signal processing, analysis, and display program. Its main purpose is to perform manipulations on time- and frequency-domain signals. It also accommodates other representations for data such as transfer function polynomials. Signal processing operations include digital filtering, auto/cross spectral density, transfer function/impulse response, convolution, Fourier transform, and inverse Fourier transform. Graphical operations provide display of signals and spectra, including plotting, cursor zoom, families of curves, and multiple viewport plots. SIG provides two user interfaces with a menu mode for occasional users and a command mode for more experienced users. Capability exits for multiple commands per line, commandmore » files with arguments, commenting lines, defining commands, automatic execution for each item in a repeat sequence, etc. SIG is presently available for VAX(VMS), VAX (BERKELEY 4.2 UNIX), SUN (BERKELEY 4.2 UNIX), DEC-20 (TOPS-20), LSI-11/23 (TSX), and DEC PRO 350 (TSX). 4 refs., 2 figs.« less

User's manual SIG: a general-purpose signal processing program

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

Lager, D.; Azevedo, S.

1983-10-25

SIG is a general-purpose signal processing, analysis, and display program. Its main purpose is to perform manipulations on time- and frequency-domain signals. However, it has been designed to ultimately accommodate other representations for data such as multiplexed signals and complex matrices. Many of the basic operations one would perform on digitized data are contained in the core SIG package. Out of these core commands, more powerful signal processing algorithms may be built. Many different operations on time- and frequency-domain signals can be performed by SIG. They include operations on the samples of a signal, such as adding a scalar tomore » each sample, operations on the entire signal such as digital filtering, and operations on two or more signals such as adding two signals. Signals may be simulated, such as a pulse train or a random waveform. Graphics operations display signals and spectra.« less

Quality and Variability of Patient Directions in Electronic Prescriptions in the Ambulatory Care Setting.

PubMed

Yang, Yuze; Ward-Charlerie, Stacy; Dhavle, Ajit A; Rupp, Michael T; Green, James

2018-01-18

The prescriber's directions to the patient (Sig) are one of the most quality-sensitive components of a prescription order. Owing to their free-text format, the Sig data that are transmitted in electronic prescriptions (e-prescriptions) have the potential to produce interpretation challenges at receiving pharmacies that may threaten patient safety and also negatively affect medication labeling and patient counseling. Ensuring that all data transmitted in the e-prescription are complete and unambiguous is essential for minimizing disruptions in workflow at prescribers' offices and receiving pharmacies and optimizing the safety and effectiveness of patient care. To (a) assess the quality and variability of free-text Sig strings in ambulatory e-prescriptions and (b) propose best-practice recommendations to improve the use of this quality-sensitive field. A retrospective qualitative analysis was performed on a nationally representative sample of 25,000 e-prescriptions issued by 22,152 community-based prescribers across the United States using 501 electronic health records (EHRs) or e-prescribing software applications. The content of Sig text strings in e-prescriptions was classified according to a Sig classification scheme developed with guidance from an expert advisory panel. The Sig text strings were also analyzed for quality-related events (QREs). For purposes of this analysis, QREs were defined as Sig text content that could impair accurate and unambiguous interpretation by staff at receiving pharmacies. A total of 3,797 unique Sig concepts were identified in the 25,000 Sig text strings analyzed; more than 50% of all Sigs could be categorized into 25 unique Sig concepts. Even Sig strings that expressed apparently simple and straightforward concepts displayed substantial variability; for example, the sample contained 832 permutations of words and phrases used to convey the Sig concept of "Take 1 tablet by mouth once daily." Approximately 10% of Sigs contained QREs that could pose patient safety risks or workflow disruptions that could necessitate pharmacist callbacks to prescribers for clarification or other manual interventions. The quality of free-text patient directions in e-prescriptions can vary dramatically. However, more than half of all patient directions sent in the ambulatory setting can be categorized into only 25 Sig concepts. This suggests an immediate, practical opportunity to improve patient safety and workflow efficiency for both prescribers and pharmacies. Recommendations include implementing enhancements to Sig creation tools in e-prescribing and EHR software applications, adoption of the Structured and Codified Sig format supported by the current national e-prescribing standard, and improved usability testing and end-user training for generating complete and unambiguous patient directions. Such quality improvements are essential for optimizing the safety and effectiveness of patient care as well as for minimizing workflow disruptions to both prescribers and pharmacies. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Yang, Ward-Charlerie, Dhavle, and Green are employed by Surescripts. Rupp reported receiving consulting fees from Surescripts during the conduct of this study. No other disclosures were reported. The content in this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Surescripts and Midwestern University or any of the affiliated institutions of the authors. Study concept and design were contributed by all the authors. Yang and Ward-Charlerie collected the data, and data interpretion was performed by Yang, Ward-Charlerie and Dhavle. The manuscript was primarily written by Yang, along with Dhavle and Green, and revised by Yang, Dhavle, Rupp, and Green.

Selenide isotope generator for the Galileo mission. SIG/Galileo contract compliance power prediction technique

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

Hammel, T.E.; Srinivas, V.

1978-11-01

This initial definition of the power degradation prediction technique outlines a model for predicting SIG/Galileo mean EOM power using component test data and data from a module power degradation demonstration test program. (LCL)

Redesigning Teacher Evaluation: Lessons from a Pilot Implementation. REL 2015-030

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riordan, Julie; Lacireno-Paquet, Natalie; Shakman, Karen; Bocala, Candice; Chang, Quincy

2015-01-01

REL Northeast and Islands, in collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance and the New Hampshire Department of Education, conducted a study of the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems in New Hampshire's School Improvement Grant (SIG) schools. While the basic system features are similar across district…

The Clostridium sporulation programs: diversity and preservation of endospore differentiation.

PubMed

Al-Hinai, Mohab A; Jones, Shawn W; Papoutsakis, Eleftherios T

2015-03-01

Bacillus and Clostridium organisms initiate the sporulation process when unfavorable conditions are detected. The sporulation process is a carefully orchestrated cascade of events at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels involving a multitude of sigma factors, transcription factors, proteases, and phosphatases. Like Bacillus genomes, sequenced Clostridium genomes contain genes for all major sporulation-specific transcription and sigma factors (spo0A, sigH, sigF, sigE, sigG, and sigK) that orchestrate the sporulation program. However, recent studies have shown that there are substantial differences in the sporulation programs between the two genera as well as among different Clostridium species. First, in the absence of a Bacillus-like phosphorelay system, activation of Spo0A in Clostridium organisms is carried out by a number of orphan histidine kinases. Second, downstream of Spo0A, the transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of the canonical set of four sporulation-specific sigma factors (σ(F), σ(E), σ(G), and σ(K)) display different patterns, not only compared to Bacillus but also among Clostridium organisms. Finally, recent studies demonstrated that σ(K), the last sigma factor to be activated according to the Bacillus subtilis model, is involved in the very early stages of sporulation in Clostridium acetobutylicum, C. perfringens, and C. botulinum as well as in the very late stages of spore maturation in C. acetobutylicum. Despite profound differences in initiation, propagation, and orchestration of expression of spore morphogenetic components, these findings demonstrate not only the robustness of the endospore sporulation program but also the plasticity of the program to generate different complex phenotypes, some apparently regulated at the epigenetic level. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Clostridium Sporulation Programs: Diversity and Preservation of Endospore Differentiation

PubMed Central

Al-Hinai, Mohab A.; Jones, Shawn W.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Bacillus and Clostridium organisms initiate the sporulation process when unfavorable conditions are detected. The sporulation process is a carefully orchestrated cascade of events at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels involving a multitude of sigma factors, transcription factors, proteases, and phosphatases. Like Bacillus genomes, sequenced Clostridium genomes contain genes for all major sporulation-specific transcription and sigma factors (spo0A, sigH, sigF, sigE, sigG, and sigK) that orchestrate the sporulation program. However, recent studies have shown that there are substantial differences in the sporulation programs between the two genera as well as among different Clostridium species. First, in the absence of a Bacillus-like phosphorelay system, activation of Spo0A in Clostridium organisms is carried out by a number of orphan histidine kinases. Second, downstream of Spo0A, the transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of the canonical set of four sporulation-specific sigma factors (σF, σE, σG, and σK) display different patterns, not only compared to Bacillus but also among Clostridium organisms. Finally, recent studies demonstrated that σK, the last sigma factor to be activated according to the Bacillus subtilis model, is involved in the very early stages of sporulation in Clostridium acetobutylicum, C. perfringens, and C. botulinum as well as in the very late stages of spore maturation in C. acetobutylicum. Despite profound differences in initiation, propagation, and orchestration of expression of spore morphogenetic components, these findings demonstrate not only the robustness of the endospore sporulation program but also the plasticity of the program to generate different complex phenotypes, some apparently regulated at the epigenetic level. PMID:25631287

The Clostridium Sporulation Programs: Diversity and Preservation of Endospore Differentiation

DOE PAGES

Al-Hinai, Mohab A.; Jones, Shawn W.; Papoutsakis, Eleftherios T.

2015-01-28

Bacillus and Clostridium organisms initiate the sporulation process when unfavorable conditions are detected. The sporulation process is a carefully orchestrated cascade of events at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels involving a multitude of sigma factors, transcription factors, proteases, and phosphatases. Like Bacillus genomes, sequenced Clostridium genomes contain genes for all major sporulation-specific transcription and sigma factors (spo0A, sigH, sigF, sigE, sigG, and sigK) that orchestrate the sporulation program. However, recent studies have shown that there are substantial differences in the sporulation programs between the two genera as well as among different Clostridium species. First, in the absence of amore » Bacillus-like phosphorelay system, activation of Spo0A in Clostridium organisms is carried out by a number of orphan histidine kinases. Second, downstream of Spo0A, the transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of the canonical set of four sporulation-specific sigma factors (σF, σE, σG, and σK) display different patterns, not only compared to Bacillus but also among Clostridium organisms. Finally, recent studies demonstrated that σK, the last sigma factor to be activated according to the Bacillus subtilis model, is involved in the very early stages of sporulation in Clostridium acetobutylicum, C. perfringens, and C. botulinum as well as in the very late stages of spore maturation in C. acetobutylicum. Despite profound differences in initiation, propagation, and orchestration of expression of spore morphogenetic components, these findings demonstrate not only the robustness of the endospore sporulation program but also the plasticity of the program to generate different complex phenotypes, some apparently regulated at the epigenetic level.« less

78 FR 12770 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-25

... respondent response Total hours FY 13 Science/Services: Fetal Alcohol 23 4,800 14,400 3 0.4 5,760 Capacity: HIV 122 31,964 95,892 3 0.4 38,357 SPF SIG 35 0 SPF SIG/Community Level 29,925 29,925 1 0.4 11,970 SPF SIG/Program Level 9,100 27,300 3 0.4 10,920 PFS 37 0 PFS/Community Level 37,000 37,000 1 0.4 14,800...

Democratic School Turnarounds: Pursuing Equity and Learning from Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trujillo, Tina; Renée, Michelle

2013-01-01

the report "Democratic School Turnarounds" considers the democratic tensions inherent in the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) policy's market-based school reforms and critiques the research base that many of these reforms are based on. It concludes with a set of recommendations that re-center the purposes of public education…

School Turnarounds: Evidence from the 2009 Stimulus. NBER Working Paper No. 17990

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dee, Thomas

2012-01-01

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) targeted substantial School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to the nation's "persistently lowest achieving" public schools (i.e., up to $2 million per school annually over 3 years) but required schools accepting these awards to implement a federally prescribed school-reform model.…

DeepSig: deep learning improves signal peptide detection in proteins.

PubMed

Savojardo, Castrense; Martelli, Pier Luigi; Fariselli, Piero; Casadio, Rita

2018-05-15

The identification of signal peptides in protein sequences is an important step toward protein localization and function characterization. Here, we present DeepSig, an improved approach for signal peptide detection and cleavage-site prediction based on deep learning methods. Comparative benchmarks performed on an updated independent dataset of proteins show that DeepSig is the current best performing method, scoring better than other available state-of-the-art approaches on both signal peptide detection and precise cleavage-site identification. DeepSig is available as both standalone program and web server at https://deepsig.biocomp.unibo.it. All datasets used in this study can be obtained from the same website. pierluigi.martelli@unibo.it. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Selenide isotope generator for the Galileo Mission: SIG/Galileo hermetic receptable test program final report

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

Roedel, S.

1979-06-01

The purpose of the receptacle test program was to test various types of hermetically sealed electrical receptacles and to select one model as the spaceflight hardware item for SIG/Galileo thermoelectric generators. The design goal of the program was to qualify a hermetic seal integrity of less than or equal to 1 x 10/sup -9/ std cc He/sec -atm at 400/sup 0/F (204/sup 0/C) and verify a reliability of 0.95 at a 50% confidence level for a flight mission in excess of 7 years.

BioSigPlot: an opensource tool for the visualization of multi-channel biomedical signals with Matlab.

PubMed

Boudet, Samuel; Peyrodie, Laurent; Gallois, Philippe; de l'Aulnoit, Denis Houzé; Cao, Hua; Forzy, Gérard

2013-01-01

This paper presents a Matlab-based software (MathWorks inc.) called BioSigPlot for the visualization of multi-channel biomedical signals, particularly for the EEG. This tool is designed for researchers on both engineering and medicine who have to collaborate to visualize and analyze signals. It aims to provide a highly customizable interface for signal processing experimentation in order to plot several kinds of signals while integrating the common tools for physician. The main advantages compared to other existing programs are the multi-dataset displaying, the synchronization with video and the online processing. On top of that, this program uses object oriented programming, so that the interface can be controlled by both graphic controls and command lines. It can be used as EEGlab plug-in but, since it is not limited to EEG, it would be distributed separately. BioSigPlot is distributed free of charge (http://biosigplot.sourceforge.net), under the terms of GNU Public License for non-commercial use and open source development.

Investing for Sustainable Turnaround. Sustaining School Turnaround at Scale. Brief 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Resource Strategies, 2012

2012-01-01

The Federal government has brought the issue of low-performing schools to the forefront of public conversation by committing $3.5 billion over three years to turn around these schools. As of March 2011, over 1200 schools across the country had been awarded School Improvement Grants (SIG). Given the magnitude of this short-term investment and the…

The discontent degree in relations with the proximal social environment and adolescent personality features in Timis County, Romania.

PubMed

Petrescu, Cristina; Vlaicu, Brigitha

2015-01-01

In our study we investigated whether there is a relation between the degree of discontent in relations with the proximal social environment (family and peer groups) and adolescent personality features. The study was conducted on a statistical representative and homogenous sample consisting of 2908 teenagers (51.5% girls and 48.5 % boys, aged between 15 and 19 years). It was an observational (case) study and it consisted in 2 questionnaires applying: Freiburg Personality Inventory (212 items) and CORT 2004 questionnaire (116 items, 6 referring to the discontent levels created by proximal social environment). Cronbach's alpha index was 0.802 for FPI and 0,910 for CORT 2004. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 16 program applying Chi square (χ2) and gamma (γ) correlation. Depression and Emotional lability correlated positively and powerfully with q15 (discontent degree of relations with present friend-peers) (γ = 0.471, Sig. 0.000, and γ = 0.383, Sig. 0.000, respectively) and q5 (discontent degree of the relation with parents) (γ = 0.380, Sig. 0.000, and γ = 0.337, Sig. 0.000, respectively). Sociability and calm correlated negative with q5 (γ = -0.14, Sig. 0.000, and γ = -0.35, Sig. 0.000, respectively), q15 (γ = -0.33, Sig. 000 and γ = -0.18, Sig. 000, respectively). In conclusion, there is direct proportional relation between the discontent degree of relations with friend-peers and parents and depression and emotional lability, and inverse proportional relation of friend-peers and parents with sociability and calm.

Selenide isotope generator for the Galileo mission. Reliability program plan

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

Not Available

1978-10-01

The reliability program plan for the Selenide Isotope Generator (SIG) program is presented. It delineates the specific tasks that will be accomplished by Teledyne Energy Systems and its suppliers during design, development, fabrication and test of deliverable Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generators (RTG), Electrical Heated Thermoelectric Generators (ETG) and associated Ground Support Equipment (GSE). The Plan is formulated in general accordance with procedures specified in DOE Reliability Engineering Program Requirements Publication No. SNS-2, dated June 17, 1974. The Reliability Program Plan presented herein defines the total reliability effort without further reference to Government Specifications. The reliability tasks to be accomplished are delineatedmore » herein and become the basis for contract compliance to the extent specified in the SIG contract Statement of Work.« less

Arts and Learning SIG Proceedings: American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans, Louisiana, April 23-27, 1984). Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koroscik, Judith S., Ed.; Barrett, Terry, Ed.

Sixteen conference papers representing diverse topics concerning research in the arts and presented as part of the 1984 Arts and Learning Special Interest Group (SIG) program of the American Educational Research Association are presented in the second of two volumes. Papers presented include: "First Graders' Conversations about Art Making:…

Selenide isotope generator (SIG) for the Galileo Mission

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

Not Available

1978-09-01

This agreement establishes the procedures and defines the responsibilities that are a part of the DOE/TES/3M interface for the duration of the SIG/Galileo Mission Program. The agreement is intended to expand upon the Interface Document which is Attachment IV to both the 3M and TES Contract Statement of Work. The agreement is effective upon approval by DOE, TES and 3M Company.

Open source software projects of the caBIG In Vivo Imaging Workspace Software special interest group.

PubMed

Prior, Fred W; Erickson, Bradley J; Tarbox, Lawrence

2007-11-01

The Cancer Bioinformatics Grid (caBIG) program was created by the National Cancer Institute to facilitate sharing of IT infrastructure, data, and applications among the National Cancer Institute-sponsored cancer research centers. The program was launched in February 2004 and now links more than 50 cancer centers. In April 2005, the In Vivo Imaging Workspace was added to promote the use of imaging in cancer clinical trials. At the inaugural meeting, four special interest groups (SIGs) were established. The Software SIG was charged with identifying projects that focus on open-source software for image visualization and analysis. To date, two projects have been defined by the Software SIG. The eXtensible Imaging Platform project has produced a rapid application development environment that researchers may use to create targeted workflows customized for specific research projects. The Algorithm Validation Tools project will provide a set of tools and data structures that will be used to capture measurement information and associated needed to allow a gold standard to be defined for the given database against which change analysis algorithms can be tested. Through these and future efforts, the caBIG In Vivo Imaging Workspace Software SIG endeavors to advance imaging informatics and provide new open-source software tools to advance cancer research.

Fancy plots for SIG

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

Norris, J.; Daniels, B.

1986-02-01

The fancy plot package is a group of five programs which allow the user to make 2- and 3-dimensional document quality plots from the SIG data base. The fancyplot package was developed using a DEC VT100 terminal fitted with a Digital Engineering Retrographics board and the QMS Laserprinter. If a terminal emulates the VT100/Retrographic terminal the package should work. A Pericom terminal for example, works perfectly. The fancy plot package is available to provide report-ready plots without resorting to cutting and pasting. This package is contained in programs FFP, TFP, TDFD, 3DFFP and 3DTFP in directory ERD131::USER2 DISK:(HUDSON.SIG). These programsmore » may be summarized as follows: FFP - 2-Dimensional Frequency Fancy Plots with magnitude/phase option; TFP - 2-Dimensional Time Fancy Plots; TDFD - 2-Dimensional Time Domain Frequency Domain Plots; and 3DFFP - equally spaced 3-Dimensional Frequency Fancy Plots; 3DTFP - equally spaced 3-Dimensional Time Plots. 8 figs.« less

Orion Scripted Interface Generator (OrionSIG)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dooling, Robert J.

2013-01-01

The Orion spacecraft undergoing development at NASA and Lockheed Martin aims to launch the first humans to set foot on asteroids and Mars.' Sensors onboard Orion must transmit back to Earth astronomical amounts of data recording almost everything in 50,231 lb. (22,784 kg)2 of spacecraft, down to the temperatures, voltages, or torsions of even the most minor components. This report introduces the new Orion Scripted Interface Generator (OrionSIG) software created by summer 2013 NASA interns Robert Dooling and Samuel Harris. OrionSIG receives a list of Orion variables and produces a script to graph these measurements regardless of their size or type. The program also accepts many other input options to manipulate displays, such as limits on the graph's range or commands to graph different values in a reverse sawtooth wave. OrionSIG paves the way for monitoring stations on Earth to process, display, and test Orion data much more efficiently, a helpful asset in preparation for Orion's first test mission in 2014. Figure I.

Alternative Sigma Factors SigF, SigE, and SigG Are Essential for Sporulation in Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502

PubMed Central

Kirk, David G.; Zhang, Zhen; Korkeala, Hannu

2014-01-01

Clostridium botulinum produces heat-resistant endospores that may germinate and outgrow into neurotoxic cultures in foods. Sporulation is regulated by the transcription factor Spo0A and the alternative sigma factors SigF, SigE, SigG, and SigK in most spore formers studied to date. We constructed mutants of sigF, sigE, and sigG in C. botulinum ATCC 3502 and used quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and electron microscopy to assess their expression of the sporulation pathway on transcriptional and morphological levels. In all three mutants the expression of spo0A was disrupted. The sigF and sigE mutants failed to induce sigG and sigK beyond exponential-phase levels and halted sporulation during asymmetric cell division. In the sigG mutant, peak transcription of sigE was delayed and sigK levels remained lower than that in the parent strain. The sigG mutant forespore was engulfed by the mother cell and possessed a spore coat but no peptidoglycan cortex. The findings suggest that SigF and SigE of C. botulinum ATCC 3502 are essential for early sporulation and late-stage induction of sigK, whereas SigG is essential for spore cortex formation but not for coat formation, as opposed to previous observations in B. subtilis sigG mutants. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence that regulation of sporulation in C. botulinum ATCC 3502, and among the clostridia, differs from the B. subtilis model. PMID:24928875

Chlorella intake attenuates reduced salivary SIgA secretion in kendo training camp participants

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The green alga Chlorella contains high levels of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. We previously reported that a chlorella-derived multicomponent supplement increased the secretion rate of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in humans. Here, we investigated whether intake of this chlorella-derived supplement attenuated the reduced salivary SIgA secretion rate during a kendo training camp. Methods Ten female kendo athletes participated in inter-university 6-day spring and 4-day summer camps. They were randomized into two groups; one took placebo tablets during the spring camp and chlorella tablets during the summer camp, while the other took chlorella tablets during the spring camp and placebo tablets during the summer camp. Subjects took these tablets starting 4 weeks before the camp until post-camp saliva sampling. Salivary SIgA concentrations were measured by ELISA. Results All subjects participated in nearly all training programs, and body-mass changes and subjective physical well-being scores during the camps were comparable between the groups. However, salivary SIgA secretion rate changes were different between these groups. Salivary SIgA secretion rates decreased during the camp in the placebo group (before vs. second, middle, and final day of camp, and after the camp: 146 ± 89 vs. 87 ± 56, 70 ± 45, 94 ± 58, and 116 ± 71 μg/min), whereas no such decreases were observed in the chlorella group (121 ± 53 vs. 113 ± 68, 98 ± 69,115 ± 80, and 128 ± 59 μg/min). Conclusion Our results suggest that a use of a chlorella-derived dietary supplement attenuates reduced salivary SIgA secretion during a training camp for a competitive sport. PMID:23227811

Evaluation of the NCPDP Structured and Codified Sig Format for e-prescriptions.

PubMed

Liu, Hangsheng; Burkhart, Q; Bell, Douglas S

2011-01-01

To evaluate the ability of the structure and code sets specified in the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs Structured and Codified Sig Format to represent ambulatory electronic prescriptions. We parsed the Sig strings from a sample of 20,161 de-identified ambulatory e-prescriptions into variables representing the fields of the Structured and Codified Sig Format. A stratified random sample of these representations was then reviewed by a group of experts. For codified Sig fields, we attempted to map the actual words used by prescribers to the equivalent terms in the designated terminology. Proportion of prescriptions that the Format could fully represent; proportion of terms used that could be mapped to the designated terminology. The fields defined in the Format could fully represent 95% of Sigs (95% CI 93% to 97%), but ambiguities were identified, particularly in representing multiple-step instructions. The terms used by prescribers could be codified for only 60% of dose delivery methods, 84% of dose forms, 82% of vehicles, 95% of routes, 70% of sites, 33% of administration timings, and 93% of indications. The findings are based on a retrospective sample of ambulatory prescriptions derived mostly from primary care physicians. The fields defined in the Format could represent most of the patient instructions in a large prescription sample, but prior to its mandatory adoption, further work is needed to ensure that potential ambiguities are addressed and that a complete set of terms is available for the codified fields.

Spring, 1980, DECUS symposium review

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

Allen, M.J.; Duffy, J.M.; McDonald, W.M.

1980-10-24

The Digital Equipment Computer Users Society (DECUS) holds biannual symposia where its membership and the host company can exchange ideas, problems, and solutions. This report by the newly formed DECUS Local User Group at LLL collects information gathered at the Spring '80 symposium in Chicago on April 22-25. Information is presented for the following special interest groups (SIGs): RSX/IAS SIG, VAX/VSM SIG, PASCAL (languages) SIG, networks SIG, TECO SIG, LSI-11 SIG, RT-11 SIG, site manager SIG, and database SIG. (RWR)

Cosmic Dawn Science Interest Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, T. Joseph W.; Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group

2016-01-01

Cosmic Dawn was identified as one of the three science objectives for this decade in the _New Worlds, New Horizons_ Decadal report, and it will likely continue to be a research focus well into the next decade. Cosmic Dawn refers to the interval during which the Universe transitioned from a nearly completely neutral state back to a nearly fully ionized state and includes the time during which the first stars formed and the first galaxies assembled.The Cosmic Dawn Science Interest Group (SIG) was formed recently under the auspices of the Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group (COPAG). The Cosmic Dawn SIG focusses on the science cases, observations, and technology development needed to address the "great mystery" of Cosmic Origins. The reach of this SIG is broad, involving the nature of the first stars and the detectability of gamma-ray bursts at high redshifts, the extent to which the first galaxies and first supermassive black holes grew together, and the technology required to pursue these questions.For further information, consult the Cosmic Dawn SIG Web site http://cd-sig.jpl.nasa.gov/ and join the mailing list (by contacting the author).Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The Future of UV-Visible Astronomy from Space - the NASA COPAG SIG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scowen, Paul

2015-08-01

The ultraviolet (92-320nm) and visible (320-1000nm) (UVV) regions of the spectrum contain a vital suite of diagnostic lines that can be used to study diverse astronomical objects and phenomena that shape and energize the interstellar medium. It is a critical spectral range for tracing the physics of interstellar and intergalactic gas, the ionization of nebulae, the properties of shocks, the atmospheres and winds of hot stars, energy transfer between galaxies and their surrounding environments, and the engines of active galactic nuclei. This spectral range contains diagnostics that measure gas density, electron temperature, and energy balance between various modes of cooling. It is an unfortunate truth that many, if not most, of these diagnostics can only be observed outside the Earth’s atmosphere, requiring facilities in space. Space-based observations also provide access to diffraction-limited optical performance to achieve high spatial resolution. Such spatial resolutions cannot currently be achieved from the ground over wide fields, a capability that many science programs need for sampling and survey work.In order to provide continuing access in the future, new space-based missions will be needed to provide the core imaging and spectroscopic information in this important part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The technology that enables such access has been a high priority in technology development plans that have been developed by both the Cosmic Origins Program Office and Astrophysics Division at NASA, but a holistic approach to considering what is needed for a long-term technology roadmap has not yet been discussed widely within the community. This UVV Science Interest Group [SIG #2] has been established to collect community input and define long-term Cosmic Origins science objectives of the UVV astronomy community that can be addressed by space-based observations. The SIG facilitates communication to merge the needs and desires of the science community with the achievements and plans of the technology community. The SIG is open to any interested members of the community and we welcome any and all input. SIG website: http://sig2.asu.edu.

Evaluation of the NCPDP Structured and Codified Sig Format for e-prescriptions

PubMed Central

Burkhart, Q; Bell, Douglas S

2011-01-01

Objective To evaluate the ability of the structure and code sets specified in the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs Structured and Codified Sig Format to represent ambulatory electronic prescriptions. Design We parsed the Sig strings from a sample of 20 161 de-identified ambulatory e-prescriptions into variables representing the fields of the Structured and Codified Sig Format. A stratified random sample of these representations was then reviewed by a group of experts. For codified Sig fields, we attempted to map the actual words used by prescribers to the equivalent terms in the designated terminology. Measurements Proportion of prescriptions that the Format could fully represent; proportion of terms used that could be mapped to the designated terminology. Results The fields defined in the Format could fully represent 95% of Sigs (95% CI 93% to 97%), but ambiguities were identified, particularly in representing multiple-step instructions. The terms used by prescribers could be codified for only 60% of dose delivery methods, 84% of dose forms, 82% of vehicles, 95% of routes, 70% of sites, 33% of administration timings, and 93% of indications. Limitations The findings are based on a retrospective sample of ambulatory prescriptions derived mostly from primary care physicians. Conclusion The fields defined in the Format could represent most of the patient instructions in a large prescription sample, but prior to its mandatory adoption, further work is needed to ensure that potential ambiguities are addressed and that a complete set of terms is available for the codified fields. PMID:21613642

Translational Control of the SigR-Directed Oxidative Stress Response in Streptomyces via IF3-Mediated Repression of a Noncanonical GTC Start Codon

PubMed Central

Feeney, Morgan A.; Chandra, Govind; Findlay, Kim C.; Paget, Mark S. B.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The major oxidative stress response in Streptomyces is controlled by the sigma factor SigR and its cognate antisigma factor RsrA, and SigR activity is tightly controlled through multiple mechanisms at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Here we show that sigR has a highly unusual GTC start codon and that this leads to another level of SigR regulation, in which SigR translation is repressed by translation initiation factor 3 (IF3). Changing the GTC to a canonical start codon causes SigR to be overproduced relative to RsrA, resulting in unregulated and constitutive expression of the SigR regulon. Similarly, introducing IF3* mutations that impair its ability to repress SigR translation has the same effect. Thus, the noncanonical GTC sigR start codon and its repression by IF3 are critical for the correct and proper functioning of the oxidative stress regulatory system. sigR and rsrA are cotranscribed and translationally coupled, and it had therefore been assumed that SigR and RsrA are produced in stoichiometric amounts. Here we show that RsrA can be transcribed and translated independently of SigR, present evidence that RsrA is normally produced in excess of SigR, and describe the factors that determine SigR-RsrA stoichiometry. PMID:28611250

Comparative innate immune interactions of human and bovine secretory IgA with pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria.

PubMed

Hodgkinson, Alison J; Cakebread, Julie; Callaghan, Megan; Harris, Paul; Brunt, Rachel; Anderson, Rachel C; Armstrong, Kelly M; Haigh, Brendan

2017-03-01

Secretory IgA (SIgA) from milk contributes to early colonization and maintenance of commensal/symbiotic bacteria in the gut, as well as providing defence against pathogens. SIgA binds bacteria using specific antigenic sites or non-specifically via its glycans attached to α-heavy-chain and secretory component. In our study, we tested the hypothesis that human and bovine SIgA have similar innate-binding activity for bacteria. SIgAs, isolated from human and bovine milk, were incubated with a selection of commensal, pathogenic and probiotic bacteria. Using flow cytometry, we measured numbers of bacteria binding SIgA and their level of SIgA binding. The percentage of bacteria bound by human and bovine SIgA varied from 30 to 90% depending on bacterial species and strains, but was remarkably consistent between human and bovine SIgA. The level of SIgA binding per bacterial cell was lower for those bacteria that had a higher percentage of SIgA-bound bacteria, and higher for those bacteria that had lower percentage of SIgA-bound bacteria. Overall, human and bovine SIgA interacted with bacteria in a comparable way. This contributes to longer term research about the potential benefits of bovine SIgA for human consumers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic Stability and Evolution of the sigB Allele, Used for Listeria Sensu Stricto Subtyping and Phylogenetic Inference.

PubMed

Liao, Jingqiu; Wiedmann, Martin; Kovac, Jasna

2017-06-15

Sequencing of single genes remains an important tool that allows the rapid classification of bacteria. Sequencing of a portion of sigB , which encodes a stress-responsive alternative sigma factor, has emerged as a commonly used molecular tool for the initial characterization of diverse Listeria isolates. In this study, evolutionary approaches were used to assess the validity of sigB allelic typing for Listeria For a data set of 4,280 isolates, sigB allelic typing showed a Simpson's index of diversity of 0.96. Analyses of 164 sigB allelic types (ATs) found among the 6 Listeria sensu stricto species, representing these 4,280 isolates, indicate that neither frequent homologous recombination nor positive selection significantly contributed to the evolution of sigB , confirming its genetic stability. The molecular clock test provided evidence for unequal evolution rates across clades; Listeria welshimeri displayed the lowest sigB diversity and was the only species in which sigB evolved in a clocklike manner, implying a unique natural history. Among the four L. monocytogenes lineages, sigB evolution followed a molecular clock only in lineage IV. Moreover, sigB displayed a significant negative Tajima D value in lineage II, suggesting a recent population bottleneck followed by lineage expansion. The absence of positive selection along with the violation of the molecular clock suggested a nearly neutral mechanism of Listeria sensu stricto sigB evolution. While comparison with a whole-genome sequence-based phylogeny revealed that the sigB phylogeny did not correctly reflect the ancestry of L. monocytogenes lineage IV, the availability of a large sigB AT database allowed accurate species classification. IMPORTANCE sigB allelic typing has been widely used for species delineation and subtyping of Listeria However, an informative evaluation of this method from an evolutionary perspective was missing. Our data indicate that the genetic stability of sigB is affected by neither frequent homologous recombination nor positive selection, which supports that sigB allelic typing provides reliable subtyping and classification of Listeria sensu stricto strains. However, multigene data are required for accurate phylogeny reconstruction of Listeria This study thus contributes to a better understanding of the evolution of sigB and confirms the robustness of the sigB subtyping system for Listeria . Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Genetic Stability and Evolution of the sigB Allele, Used for Listeria Sensu Stricto Subtyping and Phylogenetic Inference

PubMed Central

Liao, Jingqiu; Wiedmann, Martin

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Sequencing of single genes remains an important tool that allows the rapid classification of bacteria. Sequencing of a portion of sigB, which encodes a stress-responsive alternative sigma factor, has emerged as a commonly used molecular tool for the initial characterization of diverse Listeria isolates. In this study, evolutionary approaches were used to assess the validity of sigB allelic typing for Listeria. For a data set of 4,280 isolates, sigB allelic typing showed a Simpson's index of diversity of 0.96. Analyses of 164 sigB allelic types (ATs) found among the 6 Listeria sensu stricto species, representing these 4,280 isolates, indicate that neither frequent homologous recombination nor positive selection significantly contributed to the evolution of sigB, confirming its genetic stability. The molecular clock test provided evidence for unequal evolution rates across clades; Listeria welshimeri displayed the lowest sigB diversity and was the only species in which sigB evolved in a clocklike manner, implying a unique natural history. Among the four L. monocytogenes lineages, sigB evolution followed a molecular clock only in lineage IV. Moreover, sigB displayed a significant negative Tajima D value in lineage II, suggesting a recent population bottleneck followed by lineage expansion. The absence of positive selection along with the violation of the molecular clock suggested a nearly neutral mechanism of Listeria sensu stricto sigB evolution. While comparison with a whole-genome sequence-based phylogeny revealed that the sigB phylogeny did not correctly reflect the ancestry of L. monocytogenes lineage IV, the availability of a large sigB AT database allowed accurate species classification. IMPORTANCE sigB allelic typing has been widely used for species delineation and subtyping of Listeria. However, an informative evaluation of this method from an evolutionary perspective was missing. Our data indicate that the genetic stability of sigB is affected by neither frequent homologous recombination nor positive selection, which supports that sigB allelic typing provides reliable subtyping and classification of Listeria sensu stricto strains. However, multigene data are required for accurate phylogeny reconstruction of Listeria. This study thus contributes to a better understanding of the evolution of sigB and confirms the robustness of the sigB subtyping system for Listeria. PMID:28389543

The SigF Regulon in Mycobacterium smegmatis Reveals Roles in Adaptation to Stationary Phase, Heat, and Oxidative Stress▿ ‡

PubMed Central

Hümpel, Anja; Gebhard, Susanne; Cook, Gregory M.; Berney, Michael

2010-01-01

SigF is an alternative sigma factor that is highly conserved among species of the genus Mycobacterium. In this study we identified the SigF regulon in Mycobacterium smegmatis using whole-genome microarray and promoter consensus analyses. In total, 64 genes in exponential phase and 124 genes in stationary phase are SigF dependent (P < 0.01, >2-fold expression change). Our experimental data reveal the SigF-dependent promoter consensus GTTT-N(15-17)-GGGTA for M. smegmatis, and we propose 130 potential genes under direct control of SigF, of which more than 50% exhibited reduced expression in a ΔsigF strain. We previously reported an increased susceptibility of the ΔsigF strain to heat and oxidative stress, and our expression data indicate a molecular basis for these phenotypes. We observed SigF-dependent expression of several genes purportedly involved in oxidative stress defense, namely, a heme-containing catalase, a manganese-containing catalase, a superoxide dismutase, the starvation-induced DNA-protecting protein MsDps1, and the biosynthesis genes for the carotenoid isorenieratene. Our data suggest that SigF regulates the biosynthesis of the thermoprotectant trehalose, as well as an uptake system for osmoregulatory compounds, and this may explain the increased heat susceptibility of the ΔsigF strain. We identified the regulatory proteins SigH3, PhoP, WhiB1, and WhiB4 as possible genes under direct control of SigF and propose four novel anti-sigma factor antagonists that could be involved in the posttranslational regulation of SigF in M. smegmatis. This study emphasizes the importance of this sigma factor for stationary-phase adaptation and stress response in mycobacteria. PMID:20233930

Comparative Sigma Factor-mRNA Levels in Mycobacterium marinum under Stress Conditions and during Host Infection

PubMed Central

Pettersson, B. M. Fredrik; Das, Sarbashis; Behra, Phani Rama Krishna; Jordan, Heather R.; Ramesh, Malavika; Mallick, Amrita; Root, Kate M.; Cheramie, Martin N.; de la Cruz Melara, Irma; Small, Pamela L. C.; Dasgupta, Santanu; Ennis, Don G.; Kirsebom, Leif A.

2015-01-01

We have used RNASeq and qRT-PCR to study mRNA levels for all σ-factors in different Mycobacterium marinum strains under various growth and stress conditions. We also studied their levels in M. marinum from infected fish and mosquito larvae. The annotated σ-factors were expressed and transcripts varied in relation to growth and stress conditions. Some were highly abundant such as sigA, sigB, sigC, sigD, sigE and sigH while others were not. The σ-factor mRNA profiles were similar after heat stress, during infection of fish and mosquito larvae. The similarity also applies to some of the known heat shock genes such as the α-crystallin gene. Therefore, it seems probable that the physiological state of M. marinum is similar when exposed to these different conditions. Moreover, the mosquito larvae data suggest that this is the state that the fish encounter when infected, at least with respect to σ-factor mRNA levels. Comparative genomic analysis of σ-factor gene localizations in three M. marinum strains and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv revealed chromosomal rearrangements that changed the localization of especially sigA, sigB, sigD, sigE, sigF and sigJ after the divergence of these two species. This may explain the variation in species-specific expression upon exposure to different growth conditions. PMID:26445268

Disruption of the sigS gene attenuates the local innate immune response to Staphylococcus aureus in a mouse mastitis model.

PubMed

Peton, Vincent; Breyne, Koen; Rault, Lucie; Demeyere, Kristel; Berkova, Nadia; Meyer, Evelyne; Even, Sergine; Le Loir, Yves

2016-04-15

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major pathogen involved in ruminant mastitis and present worldwide. Clinical signs of S. aureus mastitis vary considerably and are largely dependent on strain-specific factors. A comparison of two S. aureus strains that reproducibly induced either severe (O11) or mild (O46) mastitis in ewes revealed that the transcriptional regulator sigS was mutated in O46 (Le Maréchal et al., 2011. PLoS One. 6 (11) e27354. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027354). In the present paper, we analysed the sigS sequence in 18 other S. aureus strains isolated from goat or ewe mastitis and found a 4-bp deletion similar to that of the O46 sigS gene in three strains associated with subclinical ewe mastitis. This sigS gene was disrupted in strain O11 (O11ΔsigS), so our aim was to investigate its involvement in the severity of infections in the context of mastitis. The wild type (wt) and mutant strains were then characterized in vitro to determine the involvement of sigS in the response S. aureus under various stress conditions, and assess its influence on the cytotoxicity of the pathogen, its invasive capacity and biofilm formation. The strains were compared in vivo in an experimental mouse mastitis model in which clinical signs and cytokine production were evaluated at 24h post-infection. While no significant differences in the effect on bacterial growth between O11 and O11ΔsigS were observed either in vitro or in vivo, a significantly weaker in vivo production of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α was measured in the mammary glands infected with the mutant strain, suggesting that infection with O11ΔsigS induced an attenuated local innate immune response. These results suggest an impact of sigS disruption on S. aureus pathogenesis in a ruminant mastitis context. This disruption is probably involved in, and may partly explain, the milder symptoms previously observed in S. aureus O46-induced mastitis in ewes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The sigma-1 receptor: roles in neuronal plasticity and disease.

PubMed

Kourrich, Saïd; Su, Tsung-Ping; Fujimoto, Michiko; Bonci, Antonello

2012-12-01

Sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) have been implicated in many neurological and psychiatric conditions. Sig-1Rs are intracellular chaperones that reside specifically at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrion interface, referred to as the mitochondrion-associated ER membrane (MAM). Here, Sig-1Rs regulate ER-mitochondrion Ca(2+) signaling. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of Sig-1R functions. Based on this, we suggest that the key cellular mechanisms linking Sig-1Rs to neurological disorders involve the translocation of Sig-1Rs from the MAM to other parts of the cell, whereby Sig-1Rs bind and modulate the activities of various ion channels, receptors, or kinases. Thus, Sig-1Rs and their associated ligands may represent new avenues for treating aspects of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The sigma-1 receptor: roles in neuronal plasticity and disease

PubMed Central

Kourrich, Saïd; Su, Tsung-Ping; Fujimoto, Michiko; Bonci, Antonello

2012-01-01

Sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) have been implicated in many neurological and psychiatric conditions. The Sig-1R is an intracellular chaperone that resides specifically at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrion interface referred to as the mitochondrion-associated ER membrane (MAM). Here, Sig-1Rs regulate ER-mitochondrion Ca2+ signaling. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of Sig-1R functions. Based on this, we suggest that the key cellular mechanism linking Sig-1Rs to neurological disorders involve the translocation of Sig-1Rs from the MAM to other parts of the cell, whereby Sig-1Rs bind and modulate the activities of various ion channels, receptors, or kinases. Thus, Sig-1Rs and their associated ligands may represent new avenues for treating some aspects of neurological and psychiatric diseases. PMID:23102998

Humoral Immunity to Commensal Oral Bacteria in Human Infants: Salivary Secretory Immunoglobulin A Antibodies Reactive with Streptococcus mitis biovar 1, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mutans, and Enterococcus faecalis during the First Two Years of Life

PubMed Central

Cole, Michael F.; Bryan, Stacey; Evans, Mishell K.; Pearce, Cheryl L.; Sheridan, Michael J.; Sura, Patricia A.; Wientzen, Raoul L.; Bowden, George H. W.

1999-01-01

Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibodies reactive with the pioneer oral streptococci Streptococcus mitis biovar 1 and Streptococcus oralis, the late oral colonizer Streptococcus mutans, and the pioneer enteric bacterium Enterococcus faecalis in saliva samples from 10 human infants from birth to age 2 years were analyzed. Low levels of salivary SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with whole cells of all four species were detected within the first month after birth, even though S. mutans and E. faecalis were not recovered from the mouths of the infants during the study period. Although there was a fivefold increase in the concentration of SIgA between birth and age 2 years, there were no differences between the concentrations of SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with the four species over this time period. When the concentrations of SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with all four species were normalized to the concentrations of SIgA1 and SIgA2 in saliva, SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with these bacteria showed a significant decrease from birth to 2 years of age. Adsorption of each infant’s saliva with cells of one species produced a dramatic reduction of antibodies recognizing the other three species. Sequential adsorption of saliva samples removed all SIgA antibody to the bacteria, indicating that the SIgA antibodies were directed to antigens shared by all four species. The induction by the host of a limited immune response to common antigens that are likely not involved in adherence may be among the mechanisms that commensal streptococci employ to persist in the oral cavity. PMID:10085031

Synthesis, radiolabelling, and evaluation of [11C]PB212 as a radioligand for imaging sigma-1 receptors using PET.

PubMed

Spinelli, Francesco; Haider, Ahmed; Toscano, Annamaria; Pati, Maria Laura; Keller, Claudia; Berardi, Francesco; Colabufo, Nicola Antonio; Abate, Carmen; Ametamey, Simon M

2018-01-01

The Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) has been described as a pluripotent modulator of distinct physiological functions and its involvement in various central and peripheral pathological disorders has been demonstrated. However, further investigations are required to understand the complex role of the Sig-1R as a molecular chaperon. A specific PET radioligand would provide a powerful tool in Sig-1R related studies. As part of our efforts to develop a Sig-1R PET radioligand that shows antagonistic properties, we investigated the suitability of 1-(4-(6-methoxynaphthalen-1-yl)butyl)-4-methylpiperidine (designated PB212) for imaging Sig-1R. PB212 is a Sig-1R antagonist and exhibits subnanomolar affinity ( K i = 0.030 nM) towards Sig-1R as well as good to excellent selectivity over Sig-2R. The radiolabelling of [ 11 C]PB212 was accomplished by O-methylation of the phenolic precursor using [ 11 C]MeI. In vitro autoradiography with [ 11 C]PB212 on WT and Sig-1R KO mouse brain tissues revealed high non-specific binding, however using rat spleen tissues from CD1 mice and Wistar rats, high specific binding was observed. The spleen is known to have a high expression of Sig-1R. In vivo PET experiments in Wistar rats also showed high accumulation of [ 11 C]PB212 in the spleen. Injection of Sig-1R binding compounds, haloperidol (1 mg/kg) or fluspidine (1 mg/kg) shortly before [ 11 C]PB212 administration induced a drastic reduction of radiotracer accumulation, confirming the specificity of [ 11 C]PB212 towards Sig-1R in the spleen. The results obtained herein indicate that although [ 11 C]PB212 is not suitable for imaging Sig-1R in the brain, it is a promising candidate for the detection and quantification of Sig-1Rs in the periphery.

Synthesis, radiolabelling, and evaluation of [11C]PB212 as a radioligand for imaging sigma-1 receptors using PET

PubMed Central

Spinelli, Francesco; Haider, Ahmed; Toscano, Annamaria; Pati, Maria Laura; Keller, Claudia; Berardi, Francesco; Colabufo, Nicola Antonio; Abate, Carmen; Ametamey, Simon M

2018-01-01

The Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) has been described as a pluripotent modulator of distinct physiological functions and its involvement in various central and peripheral pathological disorders has been demonstrated. However, further investigations are required to understand the complex role of the Sig-1R as a molecular chaperon. A specific PET radioligand would provide a powerful tool in Sig-1R related studies. As part of our efforts to develop a Sig-1R PET radioligand that shows antagonistic properties, we investigated the suitability of 1-(4-(6-methoxynaphthalen-1-yl)butyl)-4-methylpiperidine (designated PB212) for imaging Sig-1R. PB212 is a Sig-1R antagonist and exhibits subnanomolar affinity (K i = 0.030 nM) towards Sig-1R as well as good to excellent selectivity over Sig-2R. The radiolabelling of [11C]PB212 was accomplished by O-methylation of the phenolic precursor using [11C]MeI. In vitro autoradiography with [11C]PB212 on WT and Sig-1R KO mouse brain tissues revealed high non-specific binding, however using rat spleen tissues from CD1 mice and Wistar rats, high specific binding was observed. The spleen is known to have a high expression of Sig-1R. In vivo PET experiments in Wistar rats also showed high accumulation of [11C]PB212 in the spleen. Injection of Sig-1R binding compounds, haloperidol (1 mg/kg) or fluspidine (1 mg/kg) shortly before [11C]PB212 administration induced a drastic reduction of radiotracer accumulation, confirming the specificity of [11C]PB212 towards Sig-1R in the spleen. The results obtained herein indicate that although [11C]PB212 is not suitable for imaging Sig-1R in the brain, it is a promising candidate for the detection and quantification of Sig-1Rs in the periphery. PMID:29531859

Possible involvement of the Sigma-1 receptor chaperone in chemotherapeutic-induced neuropathic pain.

PubMed

Tomohisa, Mori; Junpei, Ohya; Aki, Masumoto; Masato, Harumiya; Mika, Fukase; Kazumi, Yoshizawa; Teruo, Hayashi; Tsutomu, Suzuki

2015-11-01

Previous studies have shown that ligands of the sigma-1 receptor chaperone (Sig-1R) regulate pain-related behaviors. Clinical use of chemotherapeutics is often compromised due to their adverse side effects, particularly those related to neuropathy. Previous studies have shown that repeated administration of oxaliplatin and paclitaxel produces neuropathy in rodents. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to clarify the involvement of the Sig-1R in chemotherapeutic-induced neuropathy by examining the effects of oxaliplatin and paclitaxel on the Sig-1R levels in the spinal cord, and by examining the effects of Sig-1R agonist and antagonist on oxaliplatin- and paclitaxel-induced neuropathy in rats. Chemotherapeutic-induced neuropathic pain was accompanied by a significant reduction of the Sig-1R level in the spinal cord. Furthermore, the administration of paclitaxel to CHO cells that stably overexpressed Sig-1Rs induced the clustering of Sig-1Rs. We also found that the Sig-1R agonist SA4503 potently inhibited the neuropathy induced by oxaliplatin- and paclitaxel, whereas this action was abolished by the Sig-1R antagonist NE-100. These results suggest that the reduction of Sig-1R activity is involved in chemotherapeutic-induced neuropathy, and the Sig-1R agonist SA4503 could serve as a potential candidate for the treatment of chemotherapeutic-induced neuropathy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rotavirus specific plasma secretory immunoglobulin in children with acute gastroenteritis and children vaccinated with an attenuated human rotavirus vaccine

PubMed Central

Herrera, Daniel; Vásquez, Camilo; Corthésy, Blaise; Franco, Manuel A; Angel, Juana

2013-01-01

Rotavirus (RV)–specific secretory immunoglobulin (RV-SIg) has been previously detected in serum of naturally RV infected children and shown to reflect the intestinal Ig immune response. Total plasma SIgA and plasma RV-SIg were evaluated by ELISA in children with gastroenteritis due or not due to RV infection and in 50 children vaccinated with the attenuated RIX4414 human RV vaccine and 62 placebo recipients. RV-SIg was only detected in children with evidence of previous RV infection or with acute RV gastroenteritis. Vaccinees had higher RV-SIg titers than placebo recipients and RV-SIg titers increased after the second vaccine dose. RV-SIg measured after the second dose correlated with protection when vaccinees and placebo recipients were analyzed jointly. RV-SIg may serve as a valuable correlate of protection for RV vaccines. PMID:23839157

The Role of the Polymeric Immunoglobulin Receptor and Secretory Immunoglobulins during Mucosal Infection and Immunity.

PubMed

Turula, Holly; Wobus, Christiane E

2018-05-03

The gastrointestinal tract houses millions of microbes, and thus has evolved several host defense mechanisms to keep them at bay, and prevent their entry into the host. One such mucosal surface defense is the secretion of secretory immunoglobulins (SIg). Secretion of SIg depends on the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), which transports polymeric Ig (IgA or IgM) from the basolateral surface of the epithelium to the apical side. Upon reaching the luminal side, a portion of pIgR, called secretory component (SC) is cleaved off to release Ig, forming SIg. Through antigen-specific and non-specific binding, SIg can modulate microbial communities and pathogenic microbes via several mechanisms: agglutination and exclusion from the epithelial surface, neutralization, or via host immunity and complement activation. Given the crucial role of SIg as a microbial scavenger, some pathogens also evolved ways to modulate and utilize pIgR and SIg to facilitate infection. This review will cover the regulation of the pIgR/SIg cycle, mechanisms of SIg-mediated mucosal protection as well as pathogen utilization of SIg.

77 FR 38831 - Antitrust Division

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... Production Act of 1993--Bluetooth Sig, Inc. Notice is hereby given that, on May 30, 2012, pursuant to Section... Act''), Bluetooth SIG, Inc. has filed written notifications simultaneously with the Attorney General... Bluetooth SIG, Inc., Kirkland, WA. The nature and scope of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.'s standards development...

The Alternative Sigma Factors SigE and SigB Are Involved in Tolerance and Persistence to Antitubercular Drugs

PubMed Central

Pisu, Davide; Provvedi, Roberta; Espinosa, Dulce Mata; Payan, Jorge Barrios; Boldrin, Francesca; Palù, Giorgio; Hernandez-Pando, Rogelio

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The emergence and spread of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains possibly threaten our ability to treat this disease in the future. Even though two new antitubercular drugs have recently been introduced, there is still the need to design new molecules whose mechanisms of action could reduce the length of treatment. We show that two alternative sigma factors of M. tuberculosis (SigE and SigB) have a major role in determining the level of basal resistance to several drugs and the amount of persisters surviving long-duration drug treatment. We also demonstrate that ethambutol, a bacteriostatic drug, is highly bactericidal for M. tuberculosis mutants missing either SigE or SigB. We suggest that molecules able to interfere with the activity of SigE or SigB not only could reduce M. tuberculosis virulence in vivo but also could boost the effect of other drugs by increasing the sensitivity of the organism and reducing the number of persisters able to escape killing. PMID:28993339

Sigma-1 receptor and inflammatory pain.

PubMed

Gris, Georgia; Cobos, Enrique José; Zamanillo, Daniel; Portillo-Salido, Enrique

2015-06-01

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a unique ligand-regulated molecular chaperone that interacts with several protein targets such as G protein-coupled receptors and ion channels to modulate their activity. Sig-1R is located in areas of the central and peripheral nervous system that are key to pain control. Previous preclinical studies have suggested a potential therapeutic use of Sig-1R antagonists for the management of neuropathic pain. Recent studies using pharmacological and genetic tools have explored the role of Sig-1R in inflammatory pain conditions. Mice lacking the Sig-1R have shown different patterns of phenotypic responses to inflammatory injury. Systemic or peripheral administration of several Sig-1R antagonists, including the selective Sig-1R antagonist S1RA, inhibited both mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in several preclinical models of inflammatory pain. These recent studies are summarized in the present commentary. Central and peripheral pharmacological blockade of Sig-1R could be an effective option to treat inflammatory pain.

Structural and functional studies of a family of Dictyostelium discoideum developmentally regulated, prestalk genes coding for small proteins.

PubMed

Vicente, Juan J; Galardi-Castilla, María; Escalante, Ricardo; Sastre, Leandro

2008-01-03

The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum executes a multicellular development program upon starvation. This morphogenetic process requires the differential regulation of a large number of genes and is coordinated by extracellular signals. The MADS-box transcription factor SrfA is required for several stages of development, including slug migration and spore terminal differentiation. Subtractive hybridization allowed the isolation of a gene, sigN (SrfA-induced gene N), that was dependent on the transcription factor SrfA for expression at the slug stage of development. Homology searches detected the existence of a large family of sigN-related genes in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome. The 13 most similar genes are grouped in two regions of chromosome 2 and have been named Group1 and Group2 sigN genes. The putative encoded proteins are 87-89 amino acids long. All these genes have a similar structure, composed of a first exon containing a 13 nucleotides long open reading frame and a second exon comprising the remaining of the putative coding region. The expression of these genes is induced at10 hours of development. Analyses of their promoter regions indicate that these genes are expressed in the prestalk region of developing structures. The addition of antibodies raised against SigN Group 2 proteins induced disintegration of multi-cellular structures at the mound stage of development. A large family of genes coding for small proteins has been identified in D. discoideum. Two groups of very similar genes from this family have been shown to be specifically expressed in prestalk cells during development. Functional studies using antibodies raised against Group 2 SigN proteins indicate that these genes could play a role during multicellular development.

Transcriptional regulation of the operon encoding stress-responsive ECF sigma factor SigH and its anti-sigma factor RshA, and control of its regulatory network in Corynebacterium glutamicum

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The expression of genes in Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive non-pathogenic bacterium used mainly for the industrial production of amino acids, is regulated by seven different sigma factors of RNA polymerase, including the stress-responsive ECF-sigma factor SigH. The sigH gene is located in a gene cluster together with the rshA gene, putatively encoding an anti-sigma factor. The aim of this study was to analyze the transcriptional regulation of the sigH and rshA gene cluster and the effects of RshA on the SigH regulon, in order to refine the model describing the role of SigH and RshA during stress response. Results Transcription analyses revealed that the sigH gene and rshA gene are cotranscribed from four sigH housekeeping promoters in C. glutamicum. In addition, a SigH-controlled rshA promoter was found to only drive the transcription of the rshA gene. To test the role of the putative anti-sigma factor gene rshA under normal growth conditions, a C. glutamicum rshA deletion strain was constructed and used for genome-wide transcription profiling with DNA microarrays. In total, 83 genes organized in 61 putative transcriptional units, including those previously detected using sigH mutant strains, exhibited increased transcript levels in the rshA deletion mutant compared to its parental strain. The genes encoding proteins related to disulphide stress response, heat stress proteins, components of the SOS-response to DNA damage and proteasome components were the most markedly upregulated gene groups. Altogether six SigH-dependent promoters upstream of the identified genes were determined by primer extension and a refined consensus promoter consisting of 45 original promoter sequences was constructed. Conclusions The rshA gene codes for an anti-sigma factor controlling the function of the stress-responsive sigma factor SigH in C. glutamicum. Transcription of rshA from a SigH-dependent promoter may serve to quickly shutdown the SigH-dependent stress response after the cells have overcome the stress condition. Here we propose a model of the regulation of oxidative and heat stress response including redox homeostasis by SigH, RshA and the thioredoxin system. PMID:22943411

Transcriptional regulation of the operon encoding stress-responsive ECF sigma factor SigH and its anti-sigma factor RshA, and control of its regulatory network in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

PubMed

Busche, Tobias; Silar, Radoslav; Pičmanová, Martina; Pátek, Miroslav; Kalinowski, Jörn

2012-09-03

The expression of genes in Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive non-pathogenic bacterium used mainly for the industrial production of amino acids, is regulated by seven different sigma factors of RNA polymerase, including the stress-responsive ECF-sigma factor SigH. The sigH gene is located in a gene cluster together with the rshA gene, putatively encoding an anti-sigma factor. The aim of this study was to analyze the transcriptional regulation of the sigH and rshA gene cluster and the effects of RshA on the SigH regulon, in order to refine the model describing the role of SigH and RshA during stress response. Transcription analyses revealed that the sigH gene and rshA gene are cotranscribed from four sigH housekeeping promoters in C. glutamicum. In addition, a SigH-controlled rshA promoter was found to only drive the transcription of the rshA gene. To test the role of the putative anti-sigma factor gene rshA under normal growth conditions, a C. glutamicum rshA deletion strain was constructed and used for genome-wide transcription profiling with DNA microarrays. In total, 83 genes organized in 61 putative transcriptional units, including those previously detected using sigH mutant strains, exhibited increased transcript levels in the rshA deletion mutant compared to its parental strain. The genes encoding proteins related to disulphide stress response, heat stress proteins, components of the SOS-response to DNA damage and proteasome components were the most markedly upregulated gene groups. Altogether six SigH-dependent promoters upstream of the identified genes were determined by primer extension and a refined consensus promoter consisting of 45 original promoter sequences was constructed. The rshA gene codes for an anti-sigma factor controlling the function of the stress-responsive sigma factor SigH in C. glutamicum. Transcription of rshA from a SigH-dependent promoter may serve to quickly shutdown the SigH-dependent stress response after the cells have overcome the stress condition. Here we propose a model of the regulation of oxidative and heat stress response including redox homeostasis by SigH, RshA and the thioredoxin system.

Selenide isotope generator for the Galileo Mission: SIG thermal insulation evaluaion tests

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

Not Available

1979-06-01

Since the SIG program required the use of very high performance thermal insulation materials in rather severe thermal and environmental conditions, a thorough screening and testing program was performed. Several types of materials were included in the preliminary survey. Most promising were oxide and carbonaceous fibrous insulations, oxide and carbonaceous foamed materials, and multilayer materials with both powder and cloth spacers. The latter were only viable for the vacuum option. In all, over one hundred materials from more than sixty manufacturers were evaluated from literature and manufacturers' data. The list was pared to eighteen candidates in seven basic types, i.e.,more » fibrous microporous SiO/sub 2/, fibrous SiO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, fibrous ZrO/sub 2/, fibrous carbon, foamed SiO/sub 2/, foamed carbon, and multilayer. Test results are presented.« less

Detergent-Resistant Microdomains Determine the Localization of σ-1 Receptors to the Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria JunctionS⃞

PubMed Central

Fujimoto, Michiko

2010-01-01

σ-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) that bind diverse synthetic and endogenous compounds have been implicated in the pathophysiology of several human diseases such as drug addiction, depression, neurodegenerative disorders, pain-related disorders, and cancer. Sig-1Rs were identified recently as novel ligand-operated molecular chaperones. Although Sig-1Rs are predominantly expressed at endoplasmic reticulum (ER) subdomains apposing mitochondria [i.e., the mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM)], they dynamically change the cellular distribution, thus regulating both MAM-specific and plasma membrane proteins. However, what determines the location of Sig-1R at the MAM and how the receptor translocation is initiated is unknown. Here we report that the detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) play an important role in anchoring Sig-1Rs to the MAM. The MAM, which is highly capable of accumulating ceramides, is enriched with both cholesterol and simple sphingolipids, thus forming Triton X-114-resistant DRMs. Sig-1Rs associate with MAM-derived DRMs but not with those from microsomes. A lipid overlay assay found that solubilized Sig-1Rs preferentially associate with simple sphingolipids such as ceramides. Disrupting DRMs by lowering cholesterol or inhibiting de novo synthesis of ceramides at the ER largely decreases Sig-1R at DRMs and causes translocation of Sig-1R from the MAM to ER cisternae. These findings suggest that the MAM, bearing cholesterol and ceramide-enriched microdomains at the ER, may use the microdomains to anchor Sig-1Rs to the location; thus, it serves to stage Sig-1R at ER-mitochondria junctions. PMID:20053954

Determination of strong ion gap in healthy dogs.

PubMed

Fettig, Pamela K; Bailey, Dennis B; Gannon, Kristi M

2012-08-01

To determine and compare reference intervals of the strong ion gap (SIG) in a group of healthy dogs determined with 2 different equations. Prospective observational study. Tertiary referral and teaching hospital. Fifty-four healthy dogs. None. Serum biochemistry and blood gas analyses were performed for each dog. From these values, SIG was calculated using 2 different equations: SIG(1) = SID(a) {[Na (+)] + [K(+)] - [Cl(-)]+ [2 × Ca(2+)] + [2 × Mg(2+)] - [L-lactate]}- SID(e) {TCO(2) + A(-)} and SIG(2) = [albumin] × 4.9-anion gap. Reference intervals were established for each SIG equation using the mean ± 1.96 × standard deviation (SD). For SIG(1), the median was 7.13 mEq/L (range, 1.05-11.30 mEq/L) and the derived reference interval was 1.85-10.61 mEq/L. Median SIG(2) was -0.22 mEq/L (range, -5.34-6.61 mEq/L) and the mean SIG(2) was -0.09 mEq/L (95% confidence interval for the mean, -0.82-0.65 mEq/L). The derived reference interval was -5.36-5.18 mEq/L. The results of the SIG calculations were significantly different (P < 0.0001) between the 2 equations used. The 2 equations used to calculate SIG yielded significantly different results and cannot be used interchangeably. The authors believe SIG(2) to be a more accurate reflection of acid-base status in healthy dogs, and recommend that this calculation be used for future studies. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2012.

The sigma-1 receptor: a regulator of cancer cell electrical plasticity?

PubMed Central

Crottès, David; Guizouarn, Hélène; Martin, Patrick; Borgese, Franck; Soriani, Olivier

2013-01-01

Originally mistaken as an opioid receptor, the sigma-1 receptor (Sig1R) is a ubiquitous membrane protein that has been involved in many cellular processes. While the precise function of Sig1R has long remained mysterious, recent studies have shed light on its role and the molecular mechanisms triggered. Sig1R is in fact a stress-activated chaperone mainly associated with the ER-mitochondria interface that can regulate cell survival through the control of calcium homeostasis. Sig1R functionally regulates ion channels belonging to various molecular families and it has thus been involved in neuronal plasticity and central nervous system diseases. Interestingly, Sig1R is frequently expressed in tumors but its function in cancer has not been yet clarified. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of Sig1R. We suggest herein that Sig1R shapes cancer cell electrical signature upon environmental conditions. Thus, Sig1R may be used as a novel therapeutic target to specifically abrogate pro-invasive functions of ion channels in cancer tissue. PMID:23882221

The Effects of Galaxy Interactions on Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beverage, Aliza; Weiner, Aaron; Ramos Padilla, Andres; Ashby, Matthew; Smith, Howard A.

2018-01-01

Galaxy interactions are key events in galaxy evolution, and are widely thought to trigger significant increases in star formation. However, the mechanisms and timescales for these increases are still not well understood. In order to probe the effects of mergers, we undertook an investigation based on the Spitzer Interacting Galaxies Survey (SIGS), a sample of 102 nearby galaxies in 48 systems ranging from weakly interacting to near coalescence. Our study is unique in that we use both broadband photometry and a large sample of objects chosen to be statistically meaningful. Our data come from 32 broad bands ranging from the UV to far-IR, and we model spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using the Code for Investigating Galaxy Emission (CIGALE) to estimate physical characteristics for each galaxy. We find marginal statistical correlations between galaxy interaction strength and dust luminosity and the distribution of dust mass as a function of heating intensity. The specific star formation rates, however, do not show any enhancement across the interaction stages. This result challenges conventional wisdom that mergers induce star formation throughout galaxy interaction.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Loss of Sigma-1 Receptor Chaperone Promotes Astrocytosis and Enhances the Nrf2 Antioxidant Defense

PubMed Central

Weng, Tzu-Yu; Hung, Denise T.; Su, Tsung-Ping

2017-01-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) functions as a chaperon that interacts with multiple proteins and lipids and is implicated in neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Here, we used Sig-1R KO mice to examine brain expression profiles of astrocytes and ubiquitinated proteins, which are both hallmarks of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies. Our results showed that Sig-1R KO induces increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in primary neuron-glia cultures and in the whole brain of fetus mice with concomitantly increased accumulations of ubiquitinated proteins. Astrogliosis was also observed in the neuron-glia culture. Upon proteasome or autophagy inhibitor treatments, the pronounced ubiquitinated proteins were further increased in Sig-1R KO neurons, indicating that the Sig-1R regulates both protein degradation and quality control systems. We found that Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), which functions to overcome the stress condition, was enhanced in the Sig-1R KO systems especially when cells were under stressful conditions. Mutation or deficiency of Sig-1Rs has been observed in neurodegenerative models. Our study identifies the critical roles of Sig-1R in CNS homeostasis and supports the idea that functional complementation pathways are triggered in the Sig-1R KO pathology. PMID:28883901

Loss of Sigma-1 Receptor Chaperone Promotes Astrocytosis and Enhances the Nrf2 Antioxidant Defense.

PubMed

Weng, Tzu-Yu; Hung, Denise T; Su, Tsung-Ping; Tsai, Shang-Yi A

2017-01-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) functions as a chaperon that interacts with multiple proteins and lipids and is implicated in neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Here, we used Sig-1R KO mice to examine brain expression profiles of astrocytes and ubiquitinated proteins, which are both hallmarks of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies. Our results showed that Sig-1R KO induces increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in primary neuron-glia cultures and in the whole brain of fetus mice with concomitantly increased accumulations of ubiquitinated proteins. Astrogliosis was also observed in the neuron-glia culture. Upon proteasome or autophagy inhibitor treatments, the pronounced ubiquitinated proteins were further increased in Sig-1R KO neurons, indicating that the Sig-1R regulates both protein degradation and quality control systems. We found that Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), which functions to overcome the stress condition, was enhanced in the Sig-1R KO systems especially when cells were under stressful conditions. Mutation or deficiency of Sig-1Rs has been observed in neurodegenerative models. Our study identifies the critical roles of Sig-1R in CNS homeostasis and supports the idea that functional complementation pathways are triggered in the Sig-1R KO pathology.

Ethanol-related behaviors in mice lacking the sigma-1 receptor.

PubMed

Valenza, Marta; DiLeo, Alyssa; Steardo, Luca; Cottone, Pietro; Sabino, Valentina

2016-01-15

The Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a chaperone protein that has been implicated in drug abuse and addiction. Multiple studies have characterized the role the Sig-1R plays in psychostimulant addiction; however, fewer studies have specifically investigated its role in alcohol addiction. We have previously shown that antagonism of the Sig-1R reduces excessive drinking and motivation to drink, whereas agonism induces binge-like drinking in rodents. The objectives of these studies were to investigate the impact of Sig-1R gene deletion in C57Bl/6J mice on ethanol drinking and other ethanol-related behaviors. We used an extensive panel of behavioral tests to examine ethanol actions in male, adult mice lacking Oprs1, the gene encoding the Sig-1R. To compare ethanol drinking behavior, Sig-1 knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mice were subject to a two-bottle choice, continuous access paradigm with different concentrations of ethanol (3-20% v/v) vs. water. Consumption of sweet and bitter solutions was also assessed in Sig-1R KO and WT mice. Finally, motor stimulant sensitivity, taste aversion and ataxic effects of ethanol were assessed. Sig-1R KO mice displayed higher ethanol intake compared to WT mice; the two genotypes did not differ in their sweet or bitter taste perception. Sig-1R KO mice showed lower sensitivity to ethanol stimulant effects, but greater sensitivity to its taste aversive effects. Ethanol-induced sedation was instead unaltered in the mutants. Our results prove that the deletion of the Sig-1R increases ethanol consumption, likely by decreasing its rewarding effects, and therefore indicating that the Sig-1R is involved in modulation of the reinforcing effects of alcohol. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ethanol-related behaviors in mice lacking the sigma-1 receptor

PubMed Central

Valenza, Marta; DiLeo, Alyssa; Steardo, Luca; Cottone, Pietro; Sabino, Valentina

2015-01-01

Rationale The Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a chaperone protein that has been implicated in drug abuse and addiction. Multiple studies have characterized the role the Sig-1R plays in psychostimulants addiction, but fewer studies have specifically investigated its role in alcohol addiction. We have previously shown that antagonism of the Sig-1R reduces excessive drinking and motivation to drink, whereas agonism induces binge-like drinking in rodents. Objectives The objectives of these studies were to investigate the impact of Sig-1R gene deletion in C57Bl/6J mice on ethanol drinking and other ethanol-related behaviors. Methods We used an extensive panel of behavioral tests to examine ethanol actions in male, adult mice lacking Oprs1, the gene encoding the Sig-1R. To compare ethanol drinking behavior, Sig-1 knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mice were subject to a two-bottle choice, continuous access paradigm with different concentrations of ethanol (3%–20% v/v) vs. water. Consumption of sweet and bitter solutions was also assessed in Sig-1R KO and WT mice. Finally, motor stimulant sensitivity, taste aversion and ataxic effects of ethanol were assessed. Results Sig-1R KO mice displayed higher ethanol intake compared to WT mice; the two genotypes did not differ in their sweet or bitter taste perception. Sig-1R KO mice showed lower sensitivity to ethanol stimulant effects, but greater sensitivity to its taste aversive effects. Ethanol-induced sedation was unaltered in the mutants. Conclusions Our results suggest that the deletion of the Sig-1R increases ethanol consumption, likely by decreasing its rewarding effects, and therefore indicating that the Sig-1R is involved in modulation of the reinforcing effects of alcohol. PMID:26462569

RsbV-Independent Induction of the SigB-Dependent General Stress Regulon of Bacillus subtilis during Growth at High Temperature

PubMed Central

Holtmann, Gudrun; Brigulla, Matthias; Steil, Leif; Schütz, Alexandra; Barnekow, Karsta; Völker, Uwe; Bremer, Erhard

2004-01-01

General stress proteins protect Bacillus subtilis cells against a variety of environmental insults. This adaptive response is particularly important for nongrowing cells, to which it confers a multiple, nonspecific, and preemptive stress resistance. Induction of the general stress response relies on the alternative transcription factor, SigB, whose activity is controlled by a partner switching mechanism that also involves the anti-sigma factor, RsbW, and the antagonist protein, RsbV. Recently, the SigB regulon has been shown to be continuously induced and functionally important in cells actively growing at low temperature. With the exception of this chill induction, all SigB-activating stimuli identified so far trigger a transient expression of the SigB regulon that depends on RsbV. Through a proteome analysis and Northern blot and gene fusion experiments, we now show that the SigB regulon is continuously induced in cells growing actively at 51°C, close to the upper growth limit of B. subtilis. This heat induction of SigB-dependent genes requires the environmental stress-responsive phosphatase RsbU, but not the metabolic stress-responsive phosphatase RsbP. RsbU dependence of SigB activation by heat is overcome in mutants that lack RsbV. In addition, loss of RsbV alone or in combination with RsbU triggers a hyperactivation of the general stress regulon exclusively at high temperatures detrimental for cell growth. These new facets of heat induction of the SigB regulon indicate that the current view of the complex genetic and biochemical regulation of SigB activity is still incomplete and that SigB perceives signals independent of the RsbV-mediated signal transduction pathways under heat stress conditions. PMID:15342585

Antibiotic resistance of canine Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG)--practical implications.

PubMed

Chrobak, D; Kizerwetter-Swida, M; Rzewuska, M; Binek, M

2011-01-01

A total of 221 SIG strains were isolated from clinical samples of canine origin submitted to the Diagnostic Laboratory of the Division of Bacteriology and Molecular Biology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Warsaw during the period 2006-2010. The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of prevalence of methicillin-resistant SIG strains and to determine the MIC values of cephalotin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, mupirocin for a collection of randomly selected 79 strains belonging to Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG), including 23 mecA-positive and 56 mecA-negative strains. All isolates were identified as belonging to SIG based on their phenotypic properties and PCR amplification of S. intermedius-specific fragment of the 16S rRNA gene. The mecA gene was detected in 26 (12%) of 221 SIG strains. All tested mecA-negative SIG strains were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cephalotin. One of the 56 mecA-negative SIG strains was resistant to ciprofloxacin, six (11%) to gentamicin. It was found that sixteen (29%) of 56 mecA-negative SIG strains were resistant to clindamycin. Most of the mecA-positive SIG strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin (96%), clindamycin (96%), and gentamicin (96%). Only one MRSIG strain was resistant to chloramphenicol. All examined mecA-positive SIG strains were found to be susceptible to mupirocin. Our results imply that staphylococcal multidrug resistance has become more prevalent, which could lead to difficulties in effective treatment. With some resistant strains the only therapeutic possibility are antimicrobial agents important in human medicine. New regulations for veterinary medicine concerning appropriate therapy of infections caused by multidrug-resistat staphylococci are needed.

σK of Clostridium acetobutylicum Is the First Known Sporulation-Specific Sigma Factor with Two Developmentally Separated Roles, One Early and One Late in Sporulation

PubMed Central

Al-Hinai, Mohab A.; Jones, Shawn W.

2014-01-01

Sporulation in the model endospore-forming organism Bacillus subtilis proceeds via the sequential and stage-specific activation of the sporulation-specific sigma factors, σH (early), σF, σE, σG, and σK (late). Here we show that the Clostridium acetobutylicum σK acts both early, prior to Spo0A expression, and late, past σG activation, thus departing from the B. subtilis model. The C. acetobutylicum sigK deletion (ΔsigK) mutant was unable to sporulate, and solventogenesis, the characteristic stationary-phase phenomenon for this organism, was severely diminished. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the ΔsigK mutant does not develop an asymmetric septum and produces no granulose. Complementation of sigK restored sporulation and solventogenesis to wild-type levels. Spo0A and σG proteins were not detectable by Western analysis, while σF protein levels were significantly reduced in the ΔsigK mutant. spo0A, sigF, sigE, sigG, spoIIE, and adhE1 transcript levels were all downregulated in the ΔsigK mutant, while those of the sigH transcript were unaffected during the exponential and transitional phases of culture. These data show that σK is necessary for sporulation prior to spo0A expression. Plasmid-based expression of spo0A in the ΔsigK mutant from a nonnative promoter restored solventogenesis and the production of Spo0A, σF, σE, and σG, but not sporulation, which was blocked past the σG stage of development, thus demonstrating that σK is also necessary in late sporulation. sigK is expressed very early at low levels in exponential phase but is strongly upregulated during the middle to late stationary phase. This is the first sporulation-specific sigma factor shown to have two developmentally separated roles. PMID:24187083

σK of Clostridium acetobutylicum is the first known sporulation-specific sigma factor with two developmentally separated roles, one early and one late in sporulation.

PubMed

Al-Hinai, Mohab A; Jones, Shawn W; Papoutsakis, Eleftherios T

2014-01-01

Sporulation in the model endospore-forming organism Bacillus subtilis proceeds via the sequential and stage-specific activation of the sporulation-specific sigma factors, σ(H) (early), σ(F), σ(E), σ(G), and σ(K) (late). Here we show that the Clostridium acetobutylicum σ(K) acts both early, prior to Spo0A expression, and late, past σ(G) activation, thus departing from the B. subtilis model. The C. acetobutylicum sigK deletion (ΔsigK) mutant was unable to sporulate, and solventogenesis, the characteristic stationary-phase phenomenon for this organism, was severely diminished. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the ΔsigK mutant does not develop an asymmetric septum and produces no granulose. Complementation of sigK restored sporulation and solventogenesis to wild-type levels. Spo0A and σ(G) proteins were not detectable by Western analysis, while σ(F) protein levels were significantly reduced in the ΔsigK mutant. spo0A, sigF, sigE, sigG, spoIIE, and adhE1 transcript levels were all downregulated in the ΔsigK mutant, while those of the sigH transcript were unaffected during the exponential and transitional phases of culture. These data show that σ(K) is necessary for sporulation prior to spo0A expression. Plasmid-based expression of spo0A in the ΔsigK mutant from a nonnative promoter restored solventogenesis and the production of Spo0A, σ(F), σ(E), and σ(G), but not sporulation, which was blocked past the σ(G) stage of development, thus demonstrating that σ(K) is also necessary in late sporulation. sigK is expressed very early at low levels in exponential phase but is strongly upregulated during the middle to late stationary phase. This is the first sporulation-specific sigma factor shown to have two developmentally separated roles.

Evaluation of normalization reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of spo0A and four sporulation sigma factor genes in Clostridium botulinum Group I strain ATCC 3502.

PubMed

Kirk, David G; Palonen, Eveliina; Korkeala, Hannu; Lindström, Miia

2014-04-01

Heat-resistant spores of Clostridium botulinum can withstand the pasteurization processes in modern food processing. This poses a risk to food safety as spores may germinate into botulinum neurotoxin-producing vegetative cells. Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis, the model organism for sporulation, is regulated by the transcription factor Spo0A and four alternative sigma factors, SigF, SigE, SigG, and SigK. While the corresponding regulators are found in available genomes of C. botulinum, little is known about their expression. To accurately measure the expression of these genes using quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) during the exponential and stationary growth phases, a suitable normalization reference gene is required. 16S rrn, adK, alaS, era, gluD, gyrA, rpoC, and rpsJ were selected as the candidate reference genes. The most stable candidate reference gene was 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rrn), based on its low coefficient of variation (1.81%) measured during the 18-h study time. Using 16S rrn as the normalization reference gene, the relative expression levels of spo0A, sigF, sigE, sigG, and sigK were measured over 18h. The pattern of expression showed spo0A expression during the logarithmic growth phase, followed by a drop in expression upon entry to the stationary phase. Expression levels of sigF, sigE, and sigG peaked simultaneously at the end of the exponential growth phase. Peak expression of sigK occurred at 18h, however low levels of expression were detected during the exponential phase. These findings suggest these sigma factors play a role in C. botulinum sporulation that is similar, but not equal, to their role in the B. subtilis model. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Host Immune Selection of Rumen Bacteria through Salivary Secretory IgA

PubMed Central

Fouhse, Janelle M.; Smiegielski, Luke; Tuplin, Melanie; Guan, Le Luo; Willing, Benjamin P.

2017-01-01

The rumen microbiome is integral to efficient production in cattle and shows strong host specificity, yet little is known about what host factors shape rumen microbial composition. Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) is produced in large amounts in the saliva, can coat both commensal and pathogenic microbes within the gut, and presents a plausible mechanism of host specificity. However, the role salivary SIgA plays in commensal bacteria selection in ruminants remains elusive. The main objectives of this study were to develop an immuno-affinity benchtop method to isolate SIgA-tagged microbiota and to determine if salivary SIgA preferentially binds selected bacteria. We hypothesized that SIgA-tagged bacteria would differ from total bacteria, thus supporting a potential host-derived mechanism in commensal bacterial selection. Whole rumen (n = 9) and oral secretion samples (n = 10) were incubated with magnetic beads conjugated with anti-secretory IgA antibodies to enrich SIgA-tagged microbiota. Microbial DNA from the oral secretion, whole rumen, SIgA-tagged oral secretion, and SIgA-tagged rumen was isolated for amplicon sequencing of V1–V3 region of 16S rDNA genes. Whole rumen and oral secretion had distinctive (P < 0.05) bacterial compositions indicated by the non-parametric multidimensional scaling plot using Euclidean distance metrics. The SIgA-tagged microbiota from rumen and oral secretion had similar abundance of Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Fibrobacter, candidate phyla TM7, and Tenericutes and are clustered tightly. Composition of SIgA-tagged oral secretion microbiota was more similar to whole rumen microbiota than whole oral secretion due to enrichment of rumen bacteria (Lachnospiraceae) and depletion of oral taxa (Streptococcus, Rothia, Neisseriaceae, and Lactobacillales). In conclusion, SIgA-tagged oral secretion microbiota had an increased resemblance to whole rumen microbiota, suggesting salivary SIgA-coating may be one host-derived mechanism impacting commensal colonization. Further studies, to explore the variations in antibody affinity between different animals as a driver of microbial composition are warranted. PMID:28553275

Tear Fluid SIgA as a Noninvasive Biomarker of Mucosal Immunity and Common Cold Risk.

PubMed

Hanstock, Helen G; Walsh, Neil P; Edwards, Jason P; Fortes, Matthew B; Cosby, Sara L; Nugent, Aaron; Curran, Tanya; Coyle, Peter V; Ward, Mark D; Yong, Xin Hui Aw

2016-03-01

Research has not convincingly demonstrated the utility of saliva secretory immunoglobulin-A (SIgA) as a biomarker of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) risk, and disagreement exists about the influence of heavy exercise ("open-window theory") and dehydration on saliva SIgA. Prompted by the search for viable alternatives, we compared the utility of tear and saliva SIgA to predict URTI prospectively (study 1) and assessed the influence of exercise (study 2) and dehydration (study 3) using a repeated-measures crossover design. In study 1, 40 subjects were recruited during the common-cold season. Subjects provided tear and saliva samples weekly and recorded upper respiratory symptoms (URS) daily for 3 wk. Real-time PCR confirmed common-cold pathogens in 9 of 11 subjects reporting URS (82%). Predictive utility of tear and saliva SIgA was explored by comparing healthy samples with those collected during the week before URS. In study 2, 13 subjects performed a 2-h run at 65% V˙O2peak. In study 3, 13 subjects performed exercise heat stress to 3% body mass loss followed by overnight fluid restriction. Tear SIgA concentration and secretion rate were 48% and 51% lower, respectively, during URTI and 34% and 46% lower the week before URS (P < 0.05), but saliva SIgA remained unchanged. The risk of URS the following week increased ninefold (95% confidence interval, 1.7-48) when the tear SIgA secretion rate was <5.5 μg·min(-1) and sixfold (95% confidence interval, 1.2-29) when the tear SIgA secretion rate decreased >30%. Tear SIgA secretion rate >5.5 μg·min(-1) or no decrease of >30% predicted subjects free of URS in >80% of cases. Tear SIgA concentration decreased after exercise (-57%, P < 0.05) in line with the "open-window theory" but was unaffected by dehydration. Saliva flow rate decreased and saliva SIgA concentration increased after exercise and during dehydration (P < 0.05). Tear SIgA has utility as a noninvasive biomarker of mucosal immunity and common-cold risk.

Development of a sharp interface model that simulates coastal aquifer flow with the coupled use of GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gemitzi, Alexandra; Tolikas, Demetrios

A simulation program, which works seamlessly with GIS and simulates flows in coastal aquifers, is presented in the present paper. The model is based on the Galerkin finite element discretization scheme and it simulates both steady and transient freshwater and saltwater flow, assuming that the two fluids are separated by a sharp interface. The model has been verified in simple cases where analytical solutions exist. The simulation program works as a tool of the GIS program, which is the main database that stores and manages all the necessary data. The combined use of the simulation and the GIS program forms an integrated management tool offering a simpler way of simulating and studying saline intrusion in coastal aquifers. Application of the model to the Yermasogia aquifer illustrates the coupled use of modeling and GIS techniques for the examination of regional coastal aquifer systems. Pour étudier un système aquifère côtier, nous avons développé un modèle aux éléments finis en quasi 3-D qui simule les écoulements d'eau douce et d'eau salée en régime aussi bien permanent que transitoire. Les équations qui les régissent sont discrétisées par un schéma de discrétisation de Garlekin aux éléments finis. Le modèle a été vérifié dans des cas simples où il existe des solutions analytiques. Toutes les données nécessaires sont introduites et gérées grâce à un logiciel de gestion de SIG. Le programme de simulation est utilisé comme un outil du logiciel de SIG, constituant ainsi un outil de gestion intégrée dont le but est de simuler et d'étudier l'intrusion saline dans les aquifères côtiers. L'application du modèle à l'aquifère de Yermasogia illustre l'utilisation couplée de la modélisation et des techniques de SIG pour l'étude des systèmes aquifères côtiers régionaux. Se ha desarrollado un modelo casi tridimensional de elementos finitos para simular el flujo de agua dulce y salada, tanto en régimen estacionario como en transitorio, en sistemas acuíferos costeros, bajo la hipótesis de separación por medio de una interfaz abrupta. Las ecuaciones del modelo han sido discretizadas mediante un esquema de Galerkin de discretización en elementos finitos. El modelo ha sido verificado en casos sencillos para los que existe solución analítica. Todos los datos necesarios se introducen y gestionan con un Sistema de Información Geográfica [SIG] por ordenador. El programa de simulación forma parte del programa de SIG, constituyendo una herramienta integrada de gestión para estudiar la intrusión salina en acuíferos costeros. La aplicación del modelo al acuífero de Yermasogia ilustra el uso acoplado de las técnicas de modelación y de SIG con el fin de examinar sistemas acuíferos costeros a escala regional.

Secretory immunoglobulin purification from whey by chromatographic techniques.

PubMed

Matlschweiger, Alexander; Engelmaier, Hannah; Himmler, Gottfried; Hahn, Rainer

2017-08-15

Secretory immunoglobulins (SIg) are a major fraction of the mucosal immune system and represent potential drug candidates. So far, platform technologies for their purification do not exist. SIg from animal whey was used as a model to develop a simple, efficient and potentially generic chromatographic purification process. Several chromatographic stationary phases were tested. A combination of two anion-exchange steps resulted in the highest purity. The key step was the use of a small-porous anion exchanger operated in flow-through mode. Diffusion of SIg into the resin particles was significantly hindered, while the main impurities, IgG and serum albumin, were bound. In this step, initial purity was increased from 66% to 89% with a step yield of 88%. In a second anion-exchange step using giga-porous material, SIg was captured and purified by step or linear gradient elution to obtain fractions with purities >95%. For the step gradient elution step yield of highly pure SIg was 54%. Elution of SIgA and SIgM with a linear gradient resulted in a step yield of 56% and 35%, respectively. Overall yields for both anion exchange steps were 43% for the combination of flow-through and step elution mode. Combination of flow-through and linear gradient elution mode resulted in a yield of 44% for SIgA and 39% for SIgM. The proposed process allows the purification of biologically active SIg from animal whey in preparative scale. For future applications, the process can easily be adopted for purification of recombinant secretory immunoglobulin species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of sigma 1 receptor in high fat diet-induced peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

Song, Tieying; Zhao, Jianhui; Ma, Xiaojing; Zhang, Zaiwang; Jiang, Bo; Yang, Yunliang

2017-09-26

The neurobiological mechanisms of obesity-induced peripheral neuropathy are poorly understood. We evaluated the role of Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) and NMDA receptor (NMDARs) in the spinal cord in peripheral neuropathy using an animal model of high fat diet-induced diabetes. We examined the expression of Sig-1R and NMDAR subunits GluN2A and GluN2B along with postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) in the spinal cord after 24-week HFD treatment in both wild-type and Sig-1R-/- mice. Finally, we examined the effects of repeated intrathecal administrations of selective Sig-1R antagonists BD1047 in HFD-fed wild-type mice on peripheral neuropathy. Wild-type mice developed tactile allodynia and thermal hypoalgesia after 24-week HFD treatment. HFD-induced peripheral neuropathy correlated with increased expression of GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of NMDARs, PDS-95, and Sig-1R, as well as increased Sig-1R-NMDAR interaction in the spinal cord. In contrast, Sig-1R-/- mice did not develop thermal hypoalgesia or tactile allodynia after 24-week HFD treatment, and the levels of GluN2A, GluN2B, and PSD-95 were not altered in the spinal cord of HFD-fed Sig-1R-/- mice. Finally, repeated intrathecal administrations of selective Sig-1R antagonists BD1047 in HFD-fed wild-type mice attenuated peripheral neuropathy. Our results suggest that obesity-associated peripheral neuropathy may involve Sig-1R-mediated enhancement of NMDAR expression in the spinal cord.

Secretory IgA reactivity to social threat in youth: Relations with HPA, ANS, and behavior.

PubMed

Laurent, Heidemarie K; Stroud, Laura R; Brush, Bridget; D'Angelo, Christina; Granger, Douglas A

2015-09-01

Although the role of immune marker secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in stress-related health outcomes is gaining recognition, SIgA responsiveness to acute stress has rarely been assessed in adults, and not at all in children. This study was designed to clarify developmental origins of differential immune function-related health risks by investigating youth SIgA responses to psychosocial stressors, including both normative responses and variability related to behavioral problems. Children and adolescents from a larger study (n=82) gave 6 saliva samples during a laboratory session in which they were exposed to a series of performance or interpersonal stressors. Samples were assayed for SIgA, as well as cortisol (representing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity) and alpha-amylase (sAA; representing autonomic nervous system activity). Behavioral problems were assessed with parent-report measures of youth internalizing and externalizing. Youth SIgA trajectories followed a normative pattern of reactivity and recovery around the stressors; however, these responses were blunted in youth with higher externalizing scores. SIgA showed differential associations with cortisol and sAA, and with positive and negative affect; whereas overall levels of SIgA related to cortisol output and positive affect, changes in SIgA over time synchronized with changes in sAA and negative affect. In contrast to SIgA, neither cortisol nor sAA related significantly to behavioral problems. Implications for the role of SIgA during psychosocial stress in the development of immune function-related health risks are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Human Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus intermedius Group.

PubMed

Yarbrough, Melanie L; Lainhart, William; Burnham, C A

2018-03-01

The veterinary pathogens in the Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG) are increasingly recognized as causes of human infection. Shared features between SIG and Staphylococcus aureus may result in the misidentification of SIG in human clinical cultures. This study examined the clinical and microbiological characteristics of isolates recovered at a tertiary-care academic medical center. From 2013 to 2015, 81 SIG isolates were recovered from 62 patients. Patients were commonly ≥50 years old, diabetic, and/or immunocompromised. Documentation of dog exposure in the electronic medical record was not common. Of the 81 SIG isolates, common sites of isolation included 37 (46%) isolates from wound cultures and 17 (21%) isolates from respiratory specimens. Although less common, 10 (12%) bloodstream infections were documented in 7 unique patients. The majority of SIG (65%) isolates were obtained from polymicrobial cultures. In comparison to S. aureus isolates from the same time period, significant differences were noted in proportion of SIG isolates that were susceptible to doxycycline (74% versus 97%, respectively; P < 0.001), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (65% versus 97%, respectively; P < 0.001), and ciprofloxacin (78% versus 59%, respectively; P < 0.01). Methicillin resistance (MR) was detected in 12 (15%) of 81 SIG isolates. All MR isolates detected by an oxacillin disk diffusion test would have been misclassified as methicillin susceptible using a cefoxitin disk diffusion test. Thus, SIG is recovered from human clinical specimens, and distinction of SIG from S. aureus is critical for the accurate characterization of MR status in these isolates. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Sigma-1 Receptor Enhances Neurite Elongation of Cerebellar Granule Neurons via TrkB Signaling

PubMed Central

Kimura, Yuriko; Fujita, Yuki; Shibata, Kumi; Mori, Megumi; Yamashita, Toshihide

2013-01-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an integral membrane protein predominantly expressed in the endoplasmic reticulum. Sig-1R demonstrates a high affinity to various synthetic compounds including well-known psychotherapeutic drugs in the central nervous system (CNS). For that, it is considered as an alternative target for psychotherapeutic drugs. On the cellular level, when Sig-1R is activated, it is known to play a role in neuroprotection and neurite elongation. These effects are suggested to be mediated by its ligand-operated molecular chaperone activity, and/or upregulation of various Ca2+ signaling. In addition, recent studies show that Sig-1R activation induces neurite outgrowth via neurotrophin signaling. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Sig-1R activation promotes neurite elongation through activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk), a family of neurotrophin receptors. We found that 2-(4-morpholinethyl)1-phenylcyclohexanecarboxylate (PRE-084), a selective Sig-1R agonist, significantly promoted neurite outgrowth, and K252a, a Trk inhibitor, attenuated Sig-1R-mediated neurite elongation in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). Moreover, we revealed that Sig-1R interacts with TrkB, and PRE-084 treatment enhances phosphorylation of Y515, but not Y706. Thus, our results indicate that Sig-1R activation promotes neurite outgrowth in CGNs through Y515 phosphorylation of TrkB. PMID:24116072

Sigma-1 receptor enhances neurite elongation of cerebellar granule neurons via TrkB signaling.

PubMed

Kimura, Yuriko; Fujita, Yuki; Shibata, Kumi; Mori, Megumi; Yamashita, Toshihide

2013-01-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an integral membrane protein predominantly expressed in the endoplasmic reticulum. Sig-1R demonstrates a high affinity to various synthetic compounds including well-known psychotherapeutic drugs in the central nervous system (CNS). For that, it is considered as an alternative target for psychotherapeutic drugs. On the cellular level, when Sig-1R is activated, it is known to play a role in neuroprotection and neurite elongation. These effects are suggested to be mediated by its ligand-operated molecular chaperone activity, and/or upregulation of various Ca(2+) signaling. In addition, recent studies show that Sig-1R activation induces neurite outgrowth via neurotrophin signaling. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Sig-1R activation promotes neurite elongation through activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk), a family of neurotrophin receptors. We found that 2-(4-morpholinethyl)1-phenylcyclohexanecarboxylate (PRE-084), a selective Sig-1R agonist, significantly promoted neurite outgrowth, and K252a, a Trk inhibitor, attenuated Sig-1R-mediated neurite elongation in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). Moreover, we revealed that Sig-1R interacts with TrkB, and PRE-084 treatment enhances phosphorylation of Y515, but not Y706. Thus, our results indicate that Sig-1R activation promotes neurite outgrowth in CGNs through Y515 phosphorylation of TrkB.

Direct cell-cell contact activates SigM to express the ESX-4 secretion system in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

PubMed

Clark, Ryan R; Judd, Julius; Lasek-Nesselquist, Erica; Montgomery, Sarah A; Hoffmann, Jennifer G; Derbyshire, Keith M; Gray, Todd A

2018-06-25

Conjugal cell-cell contact between strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis induces the esxUT transcript, which encodes the putative primary substrates of the ESAT-6 secretion system 4 (ESX-4) secretion system. This recipient response was required for conjugal transfer of chromosomal DNA from the donor strain. Here we show that the extracytoplasmic σ factor, SigM, is a cell contact-dependent activator of ESX-4 expression and is required for conjugal transfer of DNA in the recipient strain. The SigM regulon includes genes outside the seven-gene core esx4 locus that we show are also required for conjugation, and we show that some of these SigM-induced proteins likely function through ESX-4. A fluorescent reporter revealed that SigM is specifically activated in recipient cells in direct contact with donor cells. Coculture RNA-seq experiments indicated that SigM regulon induction occurred early and before transconjugants are detected. This work supports a model wherein donor contact with the recipient cell surface inactivates the transmembrane anti-SigM, thereby releasing SigM. Free SigM induces an extended ESX-4 secretion system, resulting in changes that facilitate chromosomal transfer. The contact-dependent inactivation of an extracytoplasmic σ-factor that tightly controls ESX-4 activity suggests a mechanism dedicated to detect, and appropriately respond to, external stimuli from mycobacteria.

A National Research Project Revitalizes and Strengthens a SIG's Membership, Leadership, and the Quality of Research in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Researcher, 2011

2011-01-01

A recent moratorium has temporarily halted the creation of new Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The AERA SIG Executive Committee, the official governance body that oversees approximately 160 SIGs, requested this moratorium, which was subsequently approved by AERA Council. The purpose of the…

General job stress: a unidimensional measure and its non-linear relations with outcome variables.

PubMed

Yankelevich, Maya; Broadfoot, Alison; Gillespie, Jennifer Z; Gillespie, Michael A; Guidroz, Ashley

2012-04-01

This article aims to examine the non-linear relations between a general measure of job stress [Stress in General (SIG)] and two outcome variables: intentions to quit and job satisfaction. In so doing, we also re-examine the factor structure of the SIG and determine that, as a two-factor scale, it obscures non-linear relations with outcomes. Thus, in this research, we not only test for non-linear relations between stress and outcome variables but also present an updated version of the SIG scale. Using two distinct samples of working adults (sample 1, N = 589; sample 2, N = 4322), results indicate that a more parsimonious eight-item SIG has better model-data fit than the 15-item two-factor SIG and that the eight-item SIG has non-linear relations with job satisfaction and intentions to quit. Specifically, the revised SIG has an inverted curvilinear J-shaped relation with job satisfaction such that job satisfaction drops precipitously after a certain level of stress; the SIG has a J-shaped curvilinear relation with intentions to quit such that turnover intentions increase exponentially after a certain level of stress. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ocular toxoplasmosis: evaluation of lacrimal-specific secretory IgA levels in both patients with active and inactive phases of the disease.

PubMed

Lynch, Luiz Felipe; Lynch, Maria Isabel; Ferreira, Rodrigo Santana do Nascimento; Vasconcelos, Mirelle Souza Leão; Melo, Narjara; Ferreira, Silvana; Malagueño, Elizabeth

2011-08-01

Ocular toxoplasmosis can result in recurrent uveitis. Studies have shown that a correlation between active ocular toxoplasmosis and the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii secretory IgA (SIgA) in tears. This study compares anti-T. gondii SIgA levels in patients' tears during the acute and inactive phases of toxoplasmic uveitis. Twenty-nine positive tear specific SIgA for T. gondii patients with acute toxoplasmic uveitis were selected and were followed-up for at least two years, when the anti-T. gondii SIgA tears levels were determined. Specific SIgA for T. gondii was negative in 22 patients (75.86%) and positive in seven patients (24.13%) of whom six (85.7%) were followed over three years. Average SIgA levels during the acute phase are 1.54 and decrease significantly to 0.72 (p = 0.0001) during the inactive phase of disease. Because anti-T. gondii SIgA in the tear is negative in 75.86% of patients after the acute phase of infection, T. gondii SIgA levels may be used as a complementary diagnostic marker for active ocular toxoplasmosis.

Role of Sigma-1 Receptor in Cocaine Abuse and Neurodegenerative Disease.

PubMed

Cai, Yu; Yang, Lu; Niu, Fang; Liao, Ke; Buch, Shilpa

2017-01-01

Sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1R) are recognized as a unique class of non-G protein-coupled intracellular protein. Sig-1R binds to its ligand such as cocaine , resulting in dissociation of Sig-1R from mitochondrion-associated ER membrane (MAM) to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), plasma membrane, and nuclear membrane, regulating function of various proteins. Sig-1R has diverse roles in both physiological as well as in pathogenic processes. The disruption of Sig-1R pathways has been implicated as causative mechanism(s) in the development of both neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD ), Parkinson disease (PD ), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS ) and Huntington Disease (HD ) . Additionally, the interaction of cocaine and Sig-1R has more recently been implicated in potentiating the pathogenesis of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) through impairment of blood-brain barrier (BBB), microglial activation and astrogliosis. On the other hand, restoration of Sig-1R homeostasis has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects. In this review, we provide an overview of how Sig-1R plays a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and cocaine and implications for future development of therapeutic strategies.

Pleiotropic effect of sigE over-expression on cell morphology, photosynthesis and hydrogen production in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

PubMed

Osanai, Takashi; Kuwahara, Ayuko; Iijima, Hiroko; Toyooka, Kiminori; Sato, Mayuko; Tanaka, Kan; Ikeuchi, Masahiko; Saito, Kazuki; Hirai, Masami Yokota

2013-11-01

Over-expression of sigE, a gene encoding an RNA polymerase sigma factor in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, is known to activate sugar catabolism and bioplastic production. In this study, we investigated the effects of sigE over-expression on cell morphology, photosynthesis and hydrogen production in this cyanobacterium. Transmission electron and scanning probe microscopic analyses revealed that sigE over-expression increased the cell size, possibly as a result of aberrant cell division. Over-expression of sigE reduced respiration and photosynthesis activities via changes in gene expression and chlorophyll fluorescence. Hydrogen production under micro-oxic conditions is enhanced in sigE over-expressing cells. Despite these pleiotropic phenotypes, the sigE over-expressing strain showed normal cell viability under both nitrogen-replete and nitrogen-depleted conditions. These results provide insights into the inter-relationship among metabolism, cell morphology, photosynthesis and hydrogen production in this unicellular cyanobacterium. © 2013 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SIG. Signal Processing, Analysis, & Display

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

Hernandez, J.; Lager, D.; Azevedo, S.

1992-01-22

SIG is a general-purpose signal processing, analysis, and display program. Its main purpose is to perform manipulations on time and frequency-domain signals. However, it has been designed to ultimately accommodate other representations for data such as multiplexed signals and complex matrices. Two user interfaces are provided in SIG; a menu mode for the unfamiliar user and a command mode for more experienced users. In both modes errors are detected as early as possible and are indicated by friendly, meaningful messages. An on-line HELP package is also included. A variety of operations can be performed on time and frequency-domain signals includingmore » operations on the samples of a signal, operations on the entire signal, and operations on two or more signals. Signal processing operations that can be performed are digital filtering (median, Bessel, Butterworth, and Chebychev), ensemble average, resample, auto and cross spectral density, transfer function and impulse response, trend removal, convolution, Fourier transform and inverse window functions (Hamming, Kaiser-Bessel), simulation (ramp, sine, pulsetrain, random), and read/write signals. User definable signal processing algorithms are also featured. SIG has many options including multiple commands per line, command files with arguments, commenting lines, defining commands, and automatic execution for each item in a `repeat` sequence. Graphical operations on signals and spectra include: x-y plots of time signals; real, imaginary, magnitude, and phase plots of spectra; scaling of spectra for continuous or discrete domain; cursor zoom; families of curves; and multiple viewports.« less

SIG. Signal Processing, Analysis, & Display

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

Hernandez, J.; Lager, D.; Azevedo, S.

1992-01-22

SIG is a general-purpose signal processing, analysis, and display program. Its main purpose is to perform manipulations on time-and frequency-domain signals. However, it has been designed to ultimately accommodate other representations for data such as multiplexed signals and complex matrices. Two user interfaces are provided in SIG - a menu mode for the unfamiliar user and a command mode for more experienced users. In both modes errors are detected as early as possible and are indicated by friendly, meaningful messages. An on-line HELP package is also included. A variety of operations can be performed on time and frequency-domain signals includingmore » operations on the samples of a signal, operations on the entire signal, and operations on two or more signals. Signal processing operations that can be performed are digital filtering (median, Bessel, Butterworth, and Chebychev), ensemble average, resample, auto and cross spectral density, transfer function and impulse response, trend removal, convolution, Fourier transform and inverse window functions (Hamming, Kaiser-Bessel), simulation (ramp, sine, pulsetrain, random), and read/write signals. User definable signal processing algorithms are also featured. SIG has many options including multiple commands per line, command files with arguments, commenting lines, defining commands, and automatic execution for each item in a repeat sequence. Graphical operations on signals and spectra include: x-y plots of time signals; real, imaginary, magnitude, and phase plots of spectra; scaling of spectra for continuous or discrete domain; cursor zoom; families of curves; and multiple viewports.« less

SIG. Signal Processing, Analysis, & Display

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

Hernandez, J.; Lager, D.; Azevedo, S.

1992-01-22

SIG is a general-purpose signal processing, analysis, and display program. Its main purpose is to perform manipulations on time- and frequency-domain signals. However, it has been designed to ultimately accommodate other representations for data such as multiplexed signals and complex matrices. Two user interfaces are provided in SIG - a menu mode for the unfamiliar user and a command mode for more experienced users. In both modes errors are detected as early as possible and are indicated by friendly, meaningful messages. An on-line HELP package is also included. A variety of operations can be performed on time- and frequency-domain signalsmore » including operations on the samples of a signal, operations on the entire signal, and operations on two or more signals. Signal processing operations that can be performed are digital filtering (median, Bessel, Butterworth, and Chebychev), ensemble average, resample, auto and cross spectral density, transfer function and impulse response, trend removal, convolution, Fourier transform and inverse window functions (Hamming, Kaiser-Bessel), simulation (ramp, sine, pulsetrain, random), and read/write signals. User definable signal processing algorithms are also featured. SIG has many options including multiple commands per line, command files with arguments,commenting lines, defining commands, and automatic execution for each item in a repeat sequence. Graphical operations on signals and spectra include: x-y plots of time signals; real, imaginary, magnitude, and phase plots of spectra; scaling of spectra for continuous or discrete domain; cursor zoom; families of curves; and multiple viewports.« less

CorSig: a general framework for estimating statistical significance of correlation and its application to gene co-expression analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Qiang; Tsai, Chung-Jui

2013-01-01

With the rapid increase of omics data, correlation analysis has become an indispensable tool for inferring meaningful associations from a large number of observations. Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) and its variants are widely used for such purposes. However, it remains challenging to test whether an observed association is reliable both statistically and biologically. We present here a new method, CorSig, for statistical inference of correlation significance. CorSig is based on a biology-informed null hypothesis, i.e., testing whether the true PCC (ρ) between two variables is statistically larger than a user-specified PCC cutoff (τ), as opposed to the simple null hypothesis of ρ = 0 in existing methods, i.e., testing whether an association can be declared without a threshold. CorSig incorporates Fisher's Z transformation of the observed PCC (r), which facilitates use of standard techniques for p-value computation and multiple testing corrections. We compared CorSig against two methods: one uses a minimum PCC cutoff while the other (Zhu's procedure) controls correlation strength and statistical significance in two discrete steps. CorSig consistently outperformed these methods in various simulation data scenarios by balancing between false positives and false negatives. When tested on real-world Populus microarray data, CorSig effectively identified co-expressed genes in the flavonoid pathway, and discriminated between closely related gene family members for their differential association with flavonoid and lignin pathways. The p-values obtained by CorSig can be used as a stand-alone parameter for stratification of co-expressed genes according to their correlation strength in lieu of an arbitrary cutoff. CorSig requires one single tunable parameter, and can be readily extended to other correlation measures. Thus, CorSig should be useful for a wide range of applications, particularly for network analysis of high-dimensional genomic data. A web server for CorSig is provided at http://202.127.200.1:8080/probeWeb. R code for CorSig is freely available for non-commercial use at http://aspendb.uga.edu/downloads.

Sigma-1 receptor regulates Tau phosphorylation and axon extension by shaping p35 turnover via myristic acid

PubMed Central

Tsai, Shang-Yi A.; Pokrass, Michael J.; Klauer, Neal R.; Nohara, Hiroshi; Su, Tsung-Ping

2015-01-01

Dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) per relative concentrations of its activators p35 and p25 is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. P35 has a short t½ and undergoes rapid proteasomal degradation in its membrane-bound myristoylated form. P35 is converted by calpain to p25, which, along with an extended t½, promotes aberrant activation of cdk5 and causes abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau, thus leading to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone that is implicated in neuronal survival. However, the specific role of the Sig-1R in neurodegeneration is unclear. Here we found that Sig-1Rs regulate proper tau phosphorylation and axon extension by promoting p35 turnover through the receptor’s interaction with myristic acid. In Sig-1R–KO neurons, a greater accumulation of p35 is seen, which results from neither elevated transcription of p35 nor disrupted calpain activity, but rather to the slower degradation of p35. In contrast, Sig-1R overexpression causes a decrease of p35. Sig-1R–KO neurons exhibit shorter axons with lower densities. Myristic acid is found here to bind Sig-1R as an agonist that causes the dissociation of Sig-1R from its cognate partner binding immunoglobulin protein. Remarkably, treatment of Sig-1R–KO neurons with exogenous myristic acid mitigates p35 accumulation, diminishes tau phosphorylation, and restores axon elongation. Our results define the involvement of Sig-1Rs in neurodegeneration and provide a mechanistic explanation that Sig-1Rs help maintain proper tau phosphorylation by potentially carrying and providing myristic acid to p35 for enhanced p35 degradation to circumvent the formation of overreactive cdk5/p25. PMID:25964330

Sigma-1 receptor regulates Tau phosphorylation and axon extension by shaping p35 turnover via myristic acid.

PubMed

Tsai, Shang-Yi A; Pokrass, Michael J; Klauer, Neal R; Nohara, Hiroshi; Su, Tsung-Ping

2015-05-26

Dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) per relative concentrations of its activators p35 and p25 is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. P35 has a short t½ and undergoes rapid proteasomal degradation in its membrane-bound myristoylated form. P35 is converted by calpain to p25, which, along with an extended t½, promotes aberrant activation of cdk5 and causes abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau, thus leading to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone that is implicated in neuronal survival. However, the specific role of the Sig-1R in neurodegeneration is unclear. Here we found that Sig-1Rs regulate proper tau phosphorylation and axon extension by promoting p35 turnover through the receptor's interaction with myristic acid. In Sig-1R-KO neurons, a greater accumulation of p35 is seen, which results from neither elevated transcription of p35 nor disrupted calpain activity, but rather to the slower degradation of p35. In contrast, Sig-1R overexpression causes a decrease of p35. Sig-1R-KO neurons exhibit shorter axons with lower densities. Myristic acid is found here to bind Sig-1R as an agonist that causes the dissociation of Sig-1R from its cognate partner binding immunoglobulin protein. Remarkably, treatment of Sig-1R-KO neurons with exogenous myristic acid mitigates p35 accumulation, diminishes tau phosphorylation, and restores axon elongation. Our results define the involvement of Sig-1Rs in neurodegeneration and provide a mechanistic explanation that Sig-1Rs help maintain proper tau phosphorylation by potentially carrying and providing myristic acid to p35 for enhanced p35 degradation to circumvent the formation of overreactive cdk5/p25.

sigmaR, an RNA polymerase sigma factor that modulates expression of the thioredoxin system in response to oxidative stress in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

PubMed Central

Paget, M S; Kang, J G; Roe, J H; Buttner, M J

1998-01-01

We have identified an RNA polymerase sigma factor, sigmaR, that is part of a system that senses and responds to thiol oxidation in the Gram-positive, antibiotic-producing bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). Deletion of the gene (sigR) encoding sigmaR caused sensitivity to the thiol-specific oxidant diamide and to the redox cycling compounds menadione and plumbagin. This correlated with reduced levels of disulfide reductase activity and an inability to induce this activity on exposure to diamide. The trxBA operon, encoding thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin, was found to be under the direct control of sigmaR. trxBA is transcribed from two promoters, trxBp1 and trxBp2, separated by 5-6 bp. trxBp1 is transiently induced at least 50-fold in response to diamide treatment in a sigR-dependent manner. Purified sigmaR directed transcription from trxBp1 in vitro, indicating that trxBp1 is a target for sigmaR. Transcription of sigR itself initiates at two promoters, sigRp1 and sigRp2, which are separated by 173 bp. The sigRp2 transcript was undetectable in a sigR-null mutant, and purified sigmaR could direct transcription from sigRp2 in vitro, indicating that sigR is positively autoregulated. Transcription from sigRp2 was also transiently induced (70-fold) following treatment with diamide. We propose a model in which sigmaR induces expression of the thioredoxin system in response to cytoplasmic disulfide bond formation. Upon reestablishment of normal thiol levels, sigmaR activity is switched off, resulting in down-regulation of trxBA and sigR. We present evidence that the sigmaR system also functions in the actinomycete pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PMID:9755177

sigmaR, an RNA polymerase sigma factor that modulates expression of the thioredoxin system in response to oxidative stress in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

PubMed

Paget, M S; Kang, J G; Roe, J H; Buttner, M J

1998-10-01

We have identified an RNA polymerase sigma factor, sigmaR, that is part of a system that senses and responds to thiol oxidation in the Gram-positive, antibiotic-producing bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). Deletion of the gene (sigR) encoding sigmaR caused sensitivity to the thiol-specific oxidant diamide and to the redox cycling compounds menadione and plumbagin. This correlated with reduced levels of disulfide reductase activity and an inability to induce this activity on exposure to diamide. The trxBA operon, encoding thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin, was found to be under the direct control of sigmaR. trxBA is transcribed from two promoters, trxBp1 and trxBp2, separated by 5-6 bp. trxBp1 is transiently induced at least 50-fold in response to diamide treatment in a sigR-dependent manner. Purified sigmaR directed transcription from trxBp1 in vitro, indicating that trxBp1 is a target for sigmaR. Transcription of sigR itself initiates at two promoters, sigRp1 and sigRp2, which are separated by 173 bp. The sigRp2 transcript was undetectable in a sigR-null mutant, and purified sigmaR could direct transcription from sigRp2 in vitro, indicating that sigR is positively autoregulated. Transcription from sigRp2 was also transiently induced (70-fold) following treatment with diamide. We propose a model in which sigmaR induces expression of the thioredoxin system in response to cytoplasmic disulfide bond formation. Upon reestablishment of normal thiol levels, sigmaR activity is switched off, resulting in down-regulation of trxBA and sigR. We present evidence that the sigmaR system also functions in the actinomycete pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Blue and Red Light Modulates SigB-Dependent Gene Transcription, Swimming Motility and Invasiveness in Listeria monocytogenes

PubMed Central

Ondrusch, Nicolai; Kreft, Jürgen

2011-01-01

Background In a number of gram-positive bacteria, including Listeria, the general stress response is regulated by the alternative sigma factor B (SigB). Common stressors which lead to the activation of SigB and the SigB-dependent regulon are high osmolarity, acid and several more. Recently is has been shown that also blue and red light activates SigB in Bacillus subtilis. Methodology/Principal Findings By qRT-PCR we analyzed the transcriptional response of the pathogen L. monocytogenes to blue and red light in wild type bacteria and in isogenic deletion mutants for the putative blue-light receptor Lmo0799 and the stress sigma factor SigB. It was found that both blue (455 nm) and red (625 nm) light induced the transcription of sigB and SigB-dependent genes, this induction was completely abolished in the SigB mutant. The blue-light effect was largely dependent on Lmo0799, proving that this protein is a genuine blue-light receptor. The deletion of lmo0799 enhanced the red-light effect, the underlying mechanism as well as that of SigB activation by red light remains unknown. Blue light led to an increased transcription of the internalin A/B genes and of bacterial invasiveness for Caco-2 enterocytes. Exposure to blue light also strongly inhibited swimming motility of the bacteria in a Lmo0799- and SigB-dependent manner, red light had no effect there. Conclusions/Significance Our data established that visible, in particular blue light is an important environmental signal with an impact on gene expression and physiology of the non-phototrophic bacterium L. monocytogenes. In natural environments these effects will result in sometimes random but potentially also cyclic fluctuations of gene activity, depending on the light conditions prevailing in the respective habitat. PMID:21264304

Sigma-1 receptor chaperones regulate the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor

PubMed Central

Fujimoto, Michiko; Hayashi, Teruo; Urfer, Roman; Mita, Shiro; Su, Tsung-Ping

2013-01-01

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a novel endoplasmic reticulum (ER) molecular chaperone that regulates protein folding and degradation. The Sig-1R activation by agonists is known to improve memory, promote cell survival, and exert an antidepressant-like action in animals. Cutamesine (SA4503), a selective Sig-1R ligand, was shown to increase BDNF in the hippocampus of rats. How exactly the intracellular chaperone Sig-1R or associated ligand causes the increase of BDNF or any other neurotrophins is unknown. We examined here whether the action of Sig-1Rs may relate to the post-translational processing and release of BDNF in neuroblastoma cell lines. We used in vitro assays and confirmed that cutamesine possesses the bona fide Sig-1R agonist property by causing the dissociation of BiP from Sig-1Rs. The C-terminus of Sig-1Rs exerted robust chaperone activity by completely blocking the aggregation of BDNF and GDNF in vitro. Chronic treatment with cutamesine in rat B104 neuroblastoma caused a time- and dose-dependent potentiation of the secretion of BDNF without affecting the mRNA level of BDNF. Cutamesine decreased the intracellular level of pro-BDNF and mature BDNF whereas increased the extracellular level of mature BDNF. The pulse-chase experiment indicated that the knockdown of Sig-1Rs decreased the secreted mature BDNF in B104 cells without affecting the synthesis of BDNF. Our findings indicate that, in contrast to clinically used antidepressants that promote the transcriptional upregulation of BDNF, the Sig-1R agonist cutamesine potentiates the post-translational processing of neurotrophins. This unique pharmacological profile may provide a novel therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. PMID:22337473

BioSig: The Free and Open Source Software Library for Biomedical Signal Processing

PubMed Central

Vidaurre, Carmen; Sander, Tilmann H.; Schlögl, Alois

2011-01-01

BioSig is an open source software library for biomedical signal processing. The aim of the BioSig project is to foster research in biomedical signal processing by providing free and open source software tools for many different application areas. Some of the areas where BioSig can be employed are neuroinformatics, brain-computer interfaces, neurophysiology, psychology, cardiovascular systems, and sleep research. Moreover, the analysis of biosignals such as the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocorticogram (ECoG), electrocardiogram (ECG), electrooculogram (EOG), electromyogram (EMG), or respiration signals is a very relevant element of the BioSig project. Specifically, BioSig provides solutions for data acquisition, artifact processing, quality control, feature extraction, classification, modeling, and data visualization, to name a few. In this paper, we highlight several methods to help students and researchers to work more efficiently with biomedical signals. PMID:21437227

BioSig: the free and open source software library for biomedical signal processing.

PubMed

Vidaurre, Carmen; Sander, Tilmann H; Schlögl, Alois

2011-01-01

BioSig is an open source software library for biomedical signal processing. The aim of the BioSig project is to foster research in biomedical signal processing by providing free and open source software tools for many different application areas. Some of the areas where BioSig can be employed are neuroinformatics, brain-computer interfaces, neurophysiology, psychology, cardiovascular systems, and sleep research. Moreover, the analysis of biosignals such as the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocorticogram (ECoG), electrocardiogram (ECG), electrooculogram (EOG), electromyogram (EMG), or respiration signals is a very relevant element of the BioSig project. Specifically, BioSig provides solutions for data acquisition, artifact processing, quality control, feature extraction, classification, modeling, and data visualization, to name a few. In this paper, we highlight several methods to help students and researchers to work more efficiently with biomedical signals.

The use of natural language processing on narrative medication schedules to compute average weekly dose.

PubMed

Lu, Chao-Chin; Leng, Jianwei; Cannon, Grant W; Zhou, Xi; Egger, Marlene; South, Brett; Burningham, Zach; Zeng, Qing; Sauer, Brian C

2016-12-01

Medications with non-standard dosing and unstandardized units of measurement make the estimation of prescribed dose difficult from pharmacy dispensing data. A natural language processing tool named the SIG extractor was developed to identify and extract elements from narrative medication instructions to compute average weekly doses (AWDs) for disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the SIG extractor. This agreement study utilized Veterans Health Affairs pharmacy data from 2008 to 2012. The SIG extractor was designed to extract key elements from narrative medication schedules (SIGs) for 17 select medications to calculate AWD, and these medications were categorized by generic name and route of administration. The SIG extractor was evaluated against an annotator-derived reference standard for accuracy, which is the fraction of AWDs accurately computed. The overall accuracy was 89% [95% confidence interval (CI) 88%, 90%]. The accuracy was ≥85% for all medications and route combinations, except for cyclophosphamide (oral) and cyclosporine (oral), which were 79% (95%CI 72%, 85%) and 66% (95%CI 58%, 73%), respectively. The SIG extractor performed well on the majority of medications, indicating that AWD calculated by the SIG extractor can be used to improve estimation of AWD when dispensed quantity or days' supply is questionable or improbable. The working model for annotating SIGs and the SIG extractor are generalized and can easily be applied to other medications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

SIGMAR1 Regulates Membrane Electrical Activity in Response to Extracellular Matrix Stimulation to Drive Cancer Cell Invasiveness.

PubMed

Crottès, David; Rapetti-Mauss, Raphael; Alcaraz-Perez, Francisca; Tichet, Mélanie; Gariano, Giuseppina; Martial, Sonia; Guizouarn, Hélène; Pellissier, Bernard; Loubat, Agnès; Popa, Alexandra; Paquet, Agnès; Presta, Marco; Tartare-Deckert, Sophie; Cayuela, Maria Luisa; Martin, Patrick; Borgese, Franck; Soriani, Olivier

2016-02-01

The sigma 1 receptor (Sig1R) is a stress-activated chaperone that regulates ion channels and is associated with pathologic conditions, such as stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, and addiction. Aberrant expression levels of ion channels and Sig1R have been detected in tumors and cancer cells, such as myeloid leukemia and colorectal cancer, but the link between ion channel regulation and Sig1R overexpression during malignancy has not been established. In this study, we found that Sig1R dynamically controls the membrane expression of the human voltage-dependent K(+) channel human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) in myeloid leukemia and colorectal cancer cell lines. Sig1R promoted the formation of hERG/β1-integrin signaling complexes upon extracellular matrix stimulation, triggering the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Consequently, the presence of Sig1R in cancer cells increased motility and VEGF secretion. In vivo, Sig1R expression enhanced the aggressiveness of tumor cells by potentiating invasion and angiogenesis, leading to poor survival. Collectively, our findings highlight a novel function for Sig1R in mediating cross-talk between cancer cells and their microenvironment, thus driving oncogenesis by shaping cellular electrical activity in response to extracellular signals. Given the involvement of ion channels in promoting several hallmarks of cancer, our study also offers a potential strategy to therapeutically target ion channel function through Sig1R inhibition. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

The involvement of the sigma-1 receptor in neurodegeneration and neurorestoration.

PubMed

Ruscher, Karsten; Wieloch, Tadeusz

2015-01-01

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a single 25 kD polypeptide and a chaperone protein immersed in lipid rafts of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where it interacts with mitochondria at the mitochondria-associated ER membrane domain (MAM). Upon activation, the Sig-1R binds to the inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), and modulates cellular calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis. Also, the activated Sig-1R modulates plasma membrane receptor and ion channel functions, and may regulate cellular excitability. Further, the Sig-1R promotes trafficking of lipids and proteins essential for neurotransmission, cell growth and motility. Activation of the Sig-1R provides neuroprotection and is neurorestorative in cellular and animal models of neurodegenerative diseases and brain ischaemia. Neuroprotection appears to be due to inhibition of cellular Ca(2+) toxicity and/or inflammation, and neurorestoration may include balancing abberant neurotransmission or stimulation of synaptogenesis, thus remodelling brain connectivity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms and mutations of the SIGMAR1 gene worsen outcome in Alzheimer's disease and myotrophic lateral sclerosis supporting a role of Sig-1R in neurodegenerative disease. The combined neuroprotective and neurorestorative actions of the Sig-1R, provide a broad therapeutic time window of Sig-1R agonists. The Sig-1R is therefore a strong therapeutic target for the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and stroke. Copyright © 2014 Japanese Pharmacological Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated Verification Experiment data collected as part of the Los Alamos National Laboratory`s Source Region Program. Appendix B: Surface ground motion

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

Weaver, T.A.; Baker, D.F.; Edwards, C.L.

1993-10-01

Surface ground motion was recorded for many of the Integrated Verification Experiments using standard 10-, 25- and 100-g accelerometers, force-balanced accelerometers and, for some events, using golf balls and 0.39-cm steel balls as surface inertial gauges (SIGs). This report contains the semi-processed acceleration, velocity, and displacement data for the accelerometers fielded and the individual observations for the SIG experiments. Most acceleration, velocity, and displacement records have had calibrations applied and have been deramped, offset corrected, and deglitched but are otherwise unfiltered or processed from their original records. Digital data for all of these records are stored at Los Alamos Nationalmore » Laboratory.« less

The sigma-1 receptor chaperone as an inter-organelle signaling modulator

PubMed Central

Su, Tsung-Ping; Hayashi, Teruo; Maurice, Tangui; Buch, Shilpa; Ruoho, Arnold E.

2010-01-01

Inter-organelle signaling plays important roles in many physiological functions. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrion signaling affects intra-mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis and cellular bioenergetics. ER-nucleus signaling attenuates ER stress. ER-plasma membrane signaling regulates cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis, and ER-mitochondrion-plasma membrane signaling regulates hippocampal dendritic spine formation. Here we propose that the sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R), an ER chaperone protein, acts as an inter-organelle signaling modulator. Sig-1Rs normally reside at the ER-mitochondrion contact called the MAM (mitochondrion-associated ER membrane), where Sig-1Rs regulate ER-mitochondrion signaling and the ER-nucleus cross-talk. When cells are stimulated by ligands or undergo prolonged stress, Sig-1Rs translocate from the MAM to the ER reticular network and plasmalemma/plasma membrane to regulate a variety of functional proteins, including ion channels, receptors, and kinases. Thus, the Sig-1R serves as an inter-organelle signaling modulator locally at the MAM and remotely at the plasmalemma/plasma membrane. Many pharmacological/physiological effects of Sig-1Rs may relate to this unique action of Sig-1Rs. PMID:20869780

Potential Molecular Mechanisms on the Role of the Sigma-1 Receptor in the Action of Cocaine and Methamphetamine

PubMed Central

Yasui, Yuko; Su, Tsung-Ping

2016-01-01

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein that involves a wide range of physiological functions. The Sig-1R has been shown to bind psychostimulants including cocaine and methamphetamine (METH) and thus has been implicated in the actions of those psychostimulants. For example, it has been demonstrated that the Sig-1R antagonists mitigate certain behavioral and cellular effects of psychostimulants including hyperactivity and neurotoxicity. Thus, the Sig-1R has become a potential therapeutic target of medication development against drug abuse that differs from traditional monoamine-related strategies. In this review, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms of the Sig-1R and discuss in such a manner with a hope to further understand or unveil unexplored relations between the Sig-1R and the actions of cocaine and METH, particularly in the context of cellular biological relevance. PMID:27088037

Cocaine Inhibits Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry in Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells: Critical Role for Sigma-1 Receptors

PubMed Central

Brailoiu, G. Cristina; Deliu, Elena; Console-Bram, Linda M; Soboloff, Jonathan; Abood, Mary E; Unterwald, Ellen M; Brailoiu, Eugen

2015-01-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an intracellular chaperone protein with many ligands, located at the endoplasmic reticulum. Binding of cocaine to Sig-1R has previously been found to modulate endothelial functions. In the present study, we show that cocaine dramatically inhibits store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), a Ca2+ influx mechanism promoted by depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, in rat brain microvascular endothelial cells. Using either Sig-1R shRNA or pharmacological inhibition with the unrelated Sig-1R antagonists BD-1063 and NE-100, we show that cocaine-induced SOCE inhibition is dependent on Sig-1R. In addition to revealing new insight into fundamental mechanisms of cocaine-induced changes in endothelial function, these studies provide an unprecedented role for Sig-1R as a SOCE inhibitor. PMID:26467159

Program Bytes - Satellite Meetings, SIGs, and AKEs at ISMB 2016

PubMed Central

Fogg, Christiana

2016-01-01

The International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) is gearing up for its flagship meeting, ISMB.  The conference is the world’s largest gathering of computational biology and bioinformatics researchers. The ISMB 2016 pre-conference program will feature 17 special interest group and satellite meetings over the course of two days. This article previews those special meetings at ISCB’s flagship meeting, ISMB. PMID:27347388

ASIST 2002: Information, Connections and Community. Proceedings of the ASIST Annual Meeting (65th, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 18-21, 2002).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toms, Elaine G., Ed.

The theme of the 2002 ASIST (American Society for Information Science and Technology) annual conference was "Knowledge, Connections and Community," which covers the role of information in a complex global society and the way in which information connects and impacts our environment. The program included 43 SIG (Special Interest Group) programs, 49…

Effects of Physical Training in Military Populations: A Meta-Analytic Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-25

variation on standard training. The experiment introduced ability group runs, stretching, movement drills, and calisthenics . The calisthenics ...advanced training. The new program combined progressive calisthenics with movement exercises, interval running, and ability-group endurance runs. The new...al. (2004) Modified Calisthenics Program in Advanced Training Outcome Gender g SE ESa zb Sig Sit-ups Men .38 .04 .14 3.45 .000 Women .43

Altered localization, abnormal modification and loss of function of Sigma receptor-1 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Prause, J; Goswami, A; Katona, I; Roos, A; Schnizler, M; Bushuven, E; Dreier, A; Buchkremer, S; Johann, S; Beyer, C; Deschauer, M; Troost, D; Weis, J

2013-04-15

Intracellular accumulations of mutant, misfolded proteins are major pathological hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related disorders. Recently, mutations in Sigma receptor 1 (SigR1) have been found to cause a form of ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Our goal was to pinpoint alterations and modifications of SigR1 in ALS and to determine how these changes contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS. In the present study, we found that levels of the SigR1 protein were reduced in lumbar ALS patient spinal cord. SigR1 was abnormally accumulated in enlarged C-terminals and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) structures of alpha motor neurons. These accumulations co-localized with the 20s proteasome subunit. SigR1 accumulations were also observed in SOD1 transgenic mice, cultured ALS-8 patient's fibroblasts with the P56S-VAPB mutation and in neuronal cell culture models. Along with the accumulation of SigR1 and several other proteins involved in protein quality control, severe disturbances in the unfolded protein response and impairment of protein degradation pathways were detected in the above-mentioned cell culture systems. Furthermore, shRNA knockdown of SigR1 lead to deranged calcium signaling and caused abnormalities in ER and Golgi structures in cultured NSC-34 cells. Finally, pharmacological activation of SigR1 induced the clearance of mutant protein aggregates in these cells. Our results support the notion that SigR1 is abnormally modified and contributes to the pathogenesis of ALS.

Sigma-1 receptor agonist increases axon outgrowth of hippocampal neurons via voltage-gated calcium ions channels.

PubMed

Li, Dong; Zhang, Shu-Zhuo; Yao, Yu-Hong; Xiang, Yun; Ma, Xiao-Yun; Wei, Xiao-Li; Yan, Hai-Tao; Liu, Xiao-Yan

2017-12-01

Sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) are unique endoplasmic reticulum proteins that have been implicated in both neurodegenerative and ischemic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Accumulating evidence has suggested that Sig-1R plays a role in neuroprotection and axon outgrowth. The underlying mechanisms of Sig-1R-mediated neuroprotection have been well elucidated. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of Sig-1R on axon outgrowth are not fully understood. To clarify this issue, we utilized immunofluorescence to compare the axon lengths of cultured naïve hippocampal neurons before and after the application of the Sig-1R agonist, SA4503. Then, electrophysiology and immunofluorescence were used to examine voltage-gated calcium ion channel (VGCCs) currents in the cell membranes and growth cones. We found that Sig-1R activation dramatically enhanced the axonal length of the naïve hippocampal neurons. Application of the Sig-1R antagonist NE100 and gene knockdown techniques both demonstrated the effects of Sig-1R. The growth-promoting effect of SA4503 was accompanied by the inhibition of voltage-gated Ca 2+ influx and was recapitulated by incubating the neurons with the L-type, N-type, and P/Q-type VGCC blockers, nimodipine, MVIIA and ω-agatoxin IVA, respectively. This effect was unrelated to glial cells. The application of SA4503 transformed the growth cone morphologies from complicated to simple, which favored axon outgrowth. Sig-1R activation can enhance axon outgrowth and may have a substantial influence on neurogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterization and in vivo regulon determination of an ECF sigma factor and its cognate anti-sigma factor in Nostoc punctiforme.

PubMed

Bell, Nicole; Lee, Jamie J; Summers, Michael L

2017-04-01

Based on primary sequence comparisons and genomic context, Npun_F4153 (SigG)/Npun_F4154 (SapG) of the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme were hypothesized to encode an ECF sigma factor/anti-sigma factor pair. Transcription of sigG increased in heterocysts and akinetes, and after EDTA treatment. Interaction between SigG and the predicted cytoplasmic domain of SapG was observed in vitro. A SigG-GFP translational fusion protein localized to the periphery of vegetative cells in vivo, but lost this association following heat stress. A sigG mutant was unable to survive envelope damage caused by heat or EDTA, but was able to form functional heterocysts. Akinetes in the mutant strain appeared normal, but these cultures were less resistant to lysozyme and cold treatments than those of the wild-type strain. The SigG in vivo regulon was determined before and during akinete differentiation using DNA microarray analysis, and found to include multiple genes with putative association to the cell envelope. Mapped promoters common to both arrays enabled identification of a SigG promoter-binding motif that was supported in vivo by reporter studies, and in vitro by run-off transcription experiments. These findings support SigG/SapG as a sigma/anti-sigma pair involved in repair of envelope damage resulting from exogenous sources or cellular differentiation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Insights into the Sigma-1 receptor chaperone’s cellular functions: a microarray report

PubMed Central

Tsai, Shang-Yi; Rothman, Richard Kyle; Su, Tsung-Ping

2013-01-01

We previously demonstrated that Sig-1Rs are critical regulators in neuronal morphogenesis and development via the regulation of oxidative stress and mitochondrial functions. In the present study, we sought to identify pathways and genes that are affected by Sig-1R. Gene expression profiles were examined in rat hippocampal neurons that had been cultured for18 days in vitro (DIV). The cells were transduced with AAV siRNA targeting Sig-1R on DIV 10 for 7 days, followed by gene expression analysis using a rat genome cDNA array. The gene array results indicated that Sig-1R knockdown hampered cellular functions including steroid biogenesis, protein ubiquitination, actin cytoskeleton network, and Nrf-2 mediated oxidative stress. Many of the cellular components important for actin polymerization and synapse plasticity, including F-actin capping protein and neurofilaments, were significantly changed in AAV-siSig-1R neurons. Further, cytochrome c was reduced in AAV-Sig-1R neurons whereas free-radical generating enzymes including cytochrome p450 and cytochrome b-245 were increased. The microarray results also suggest that Sig-1Rs may regulate genes that are involved in the pathogenesis of many CNS diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. These data further confirmed that Sig-1Rs play critical roles in the CNS and thus these findings may aid in future development of therapeutic treatments targeting neurodegenerative disorders. PMID:21905129

Characterization and in vivo regulon determination of an ECF sigma factor and its cognate anti-sigma factor in Nostoc punctiforme

PubMed Central

Bell, Nicole; Lee, Jamie J.; Summers, Michael L.

2017-01-01

Summary Based on primary sequence comparisons and genomic context, Npun_F4153 (SigG)/Npun_F4154 (SapG) of the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme were hypothesized to encode an ECF sigma factor/anti-sigma factor pair. Transcription of sigG increased in heterocysts and akinetes, and after EDTA treatment. Interaction between SigG and the predicted cytoplasmic domain of SapG was observed in vitro. A SigG-GFP translational fusion protein localized to the periphery of vegetative cells in vivo, but lost this association following heat stress. A sigG mutant was unable to survive envelope damage caused by heat or EDTA, but was able to form functional heterocysts. Akinetes in the mutant strain appeared normal, but these cultures were less resistant to lysozyme and cold treatments than those of the wild-type strain. The SigG in vivo regulon was determined before and during akinete differentiation using DNA microarray analysis, and found to include multiple genes with putative association to the cell envelope. Mapped promoters common to both arrays enabled identification of a SigG promoter-binding motif that was supported in vivo by reporter studies, and in vitro by run-off transcription experiments. These findings support SigG/SapG as a sigma/anti-sigma pair involved in repair of envelope damage resulting from exogenous sources or cellular differentiation. PMID:28105698

Transcription and translation of the sigG gene is tuned for proper execution of the switch from early to late gene expression in the developing Bacillus subtilis spore

PubMed Central

Mearls, Elizabeth B.; Jackter, Jacquelin; Colquhoun, Jennifer M.; Matthews, Allison J.; Fenton, Colleen

2018-01-01

A cascade of alternative sigma factors directs developmental gene expression during spore formation by the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. As the spore develops, a tightly regulated switch occurs in which the early-acting sigma factor σF is replaced by the late-acting sigma factor σG. The gene encoding σG (sigG) is transcribed by σF and by σG itself in an autoregulatory loop; yet σG activity is not detected until σF-dependent gene expression is complete. This separation in σF and σG activities has been suggested to be due at least in part to a poorly understood intercellular checkpoint pathway that delays sigG expression by σF. Here we report the results of a careful examination of sigG expression during sporulation. Unexpectedly, our findings argue against the existence of a regulatory mechanism to delay sigG transcription by σF and instead support a model in which sigG is transcribed by σF with normal timing, but at levels that are very low. This low-level expression of sigG is the consequence of several intrinsic features of the sigG regulatory and coding sequence—promoter spacing, secondary structure potential of the mRNA, and start codon identity—that dampen its transcription and translation. Especially notable is the presence of a conserved hairpin in the 5’ leader sequence of the sigG mRNA that occludes the ribosome-binding site, reducing translation by up to 4-fold. Finally, we demonstrate that misexpression of sigG from regulatory and coding sequences lacking these features triggers premature σG activity in the forespore during sporulation, as well as inappropriate σG activity during vegetative growth. Altogether, these data indicate that transcription and translation of the sigG gene is tuned to prevent vegetative expression of σG and to ensure the precise timing of the switch from σF to σG in the developing spore. PMID:29702640

SigCH, an extracytoplasmic function sigma factor of Porphyromonas gingivalis regulates the expression of cdhR and hmuYR.

PubMed

Ota, Koki; Kikuchi, Yuichiro; Imamura, Kentaro; Kita, Daichi; Yoshikawa, Kouki; Saito, Atsushi; Ishihara, Kazuyuki

2017-02-01

Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors play an important role in the bacterial response to various environmental stresses. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a prominent etiological agent in human periodontitis, possesses six putative ECF sigma factors. So far, information is limited on the ECF sigma factor, PGN_0319. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of PGN_0319 (SigCH) of P. gingivalis, focusing on the regulation of hmuY and hmuR, which encode outer-membrane proteins involved in hemin utilization, and cdhR, a transcriptional regulator of hmuYR. First, we evaluated the gene expression profile of the sigCH mutant by DNA microarray. Among the genes with altered expression levels, those involved in hemin utilization were downregulated in the sigCH mutant. To verify the microarray data, quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis was performed. The RNA samples used were obtained from bacterial cells grown to early-log phase, in which sigCH expression in the wild type was significantly higher than that in mid-log and late-log phases. The expression levels of hmuY, hmuR, and cdhR were significantly decreased in the sigCH mutant compared to wild type. Transcription of these genes was restored in a sigCH complemented strain. Compared to the wild type, the sigCH mutant showed reduced growth in log phase under hemin-limiting conditions. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that recombinant SigCH protein bound to the promoter region of hmuY and cdhR. These results suggest that SigCH plays an important role in the early growth of P. gingivalis, and directly regulates cdhR and hmuYR, thereby playing a potential role in the mechanisms of hemin utilization by P. gingivalis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of peripheral sigma-1 receptors in ischaemic pain: Potential interactions with ASIC and P2X receptors.

PubMed

Kwon, S G; Roh, D H; Yoon, S Y; Choi, S R; Choi, H S; Moon, J Y; Kang, S Y; Kim, H W; Han, H J; Beitz, A J; Oh, S B; Lee, J H

2016-04-01

The role of peripheral sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) in normal nociception and in pathologically induced pain conditions has not been thoroughly investigated. Since there is mounting evidence that Sig-1Rs modulate ischaemia-induced pathological conditions, we investigated the role of Sig-1Rs in ischaemia-induced mechanical allodynia (MA) and addressed their possible interaction with acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and P2X receptors at the ischaemic site. We used a rodent model of hindlimb thrombus-induced ischaemic pain (TIIP) to investigate their role. Western blot was performed to observe changes in Sig-1R expression in peripheral nervous tissues. MA was measured after intraplantar (i.pl.) injections of antagonists for the Sig-1, ASIC and P2X receptors in TIIP rats or agonists of each receptor in naïve rats. Sig-1R expression significantly increased in skin, sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia at 3 days post-TIIP surgery. I.pl. injections of the Sig-1R antagonist, BD-1047 on post-operative days 0-3 significantly attenuated the development of MA during the induction phase, but had no effect on MA when given during the maintenance phase (days 3-6 post-surgery). BD-1047 synergistically increased amiloride (an ASICs blocker)- and TNP-ATP (a P2X antagonist)-induced analgesic effects in TIIP rats. In naïve rats, i.pl. injection of Sig-1R agonist PRE-084 alone did not produce MA; but it did induce MA when co-administered with either an acidic pH solution or a sub-effective dose of αβmeATP. Peripheral Sig-1Rs contribute to the induction of ischaemia-induced MA via facilitation of ASICs and P2X receptors. Thus, peripheral Sig-1Rs represent a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of ischaemic pain. © 2015 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

Role of RsbU in Controlling SigB Activity in Staphylococcus aureus following Alkaline Stress▿

PubMed Central

Pané-Farré, Jan; Jonas, Beate; Hardwick, Steven W.; Gronau, Katrin; Lewis, Richard J.; Hecker, Michael; Engelmann, Susanne

2009-01-01

SigB is an alternative sigma factor that controls a large regulon in Staphylococcus aureus. Activation of SigB requires RsbU, a protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C)-type phosphatase. In a closely related organism, Bacillus subtilis, RsbU activity is stimulated upon interaction with RsbT, a kinase, which following an activating stimulus switches from a 25S high-molecular-weight complex, the stressosome, to the N-terminal domain of RsbU. Active RsbU dephosporylates RsbV and thereby triggers the release of SigB from its inhibitory complex with RsbW. While RsbU, RsbV, RsbW, and SigB are conserved in S. aureus, proteins similar to RsbT and the components of the stressosome are not, raising the question of how RsbU activity and hence SigB activity are controlled in S. aureus. We found that in contrast to the case in B. subtilis, the induced expression of RsbU was sufficient to stimulate SigB-dependent transcription in S. aureus. However, activation of SigB-dependent transcription following alkaline stress did not lead to a clear accumulation of SigB and its regulators RsbV and RsbW or to a change in the RsbV/RsbV-P ratio in S. aureus. When expressed in B. subtilis, the S. aureus RsbU displayed a high activity even in the absence of an inducing stimulus. This high activity could be transferred to the PP2C domain of the B. subtilis RsbU protein by a fusion to the N-terminal domain of the S. aureus RsbU. Collectively, the data suggest that the activity of the S. aureus RsbU and hence SigB may be subjected to different regulation in comparison to that in B. subtilis. PMID:19201800

Rediscovering Sig Socransky, the genius and his legacy.

PubMed

Teles, R P; Teles, F R F; Loesche, W J; Listgarten, M; Fine, D; Lindhe, J; Malament, K; Haffajee, A D

2012-05-01

Some individuals make contributions so vital to their field of knowledge that their names become almost synonymous with that field. This is the case of Sig Socransky and the field of periodontal microbiology. Sig Socransky, or simply Sig, was born in Toronto, Canada and received his DDS degree from the University of Toronto in 1957. He studied microbiology and periodontology at Harvard, receiving a certificate in 1961. That same year he was recruited to work as a Research Associate at the Forsyth Dental Center. In 1968, he was nominated Senior Member of the Staff and Head of the Department of Periodontology. During his 50-year career at Forsyth, Sig published over 300 manuscripts, keeping an average of 7 publications per year. His work had an indelible impact in the fields of periodontology and oral microbiology. All these accomplishments pale in comparison with the impact that Sig had on a personal level. We have collected testimonials from some of his former students, closest collaborators, and friends in an attempt to give readers an insight into Sig's personality. We hope we can offer those who knew him through his work a glimpse of how it felt to interact with this remarkable individual.

Multi-Faceted Functions of Secretory IgA at Mucosal Surfaces

PubMed Central

Corthésy, Blaise

2013-01-01

Secretory IgA (SIgA) plays an important role in the protection and homeostatic regulation of intestinal, respiratory, and urogenital mucosal epithelia separating the outside environment from the inside of the body. This primary function of SIgA is referred to as immune exclusion, a process that limits the access of numerous microorganisms and mucosal antigens to these thin and vulnerable mucosal barriers. SIgA has been shown to be involved in avoiding opportunistic pathogens to enter and disseminate in the systemic compartment, as well as tightly controlling the necessary symbiotic relationship existing between commensals and the host. Clearance by peristalsis appears thus as one of the numerous mechanisms whereby SIgA fulfills its function at mucosal surfaces. Sampling of antigen-SIgA complexes by microfold (M) cells, intimate contact occurring with Peyer’s patch dendritic cells (DC), down-regulation of inflammatory processes, modulation of epithelial, and DC responsiveness are some of the recently identified processes to which the contribution of SIgA has been underscored. This review aims at presenting, with emphasis at the biochemical level, how the molecular complexity of SIgA can serve these multiple and non-redundant modes of action. PMID:23874333

LocSigDB: a database of protein localization signals

PubMed Central

Negi, Simarjeet; Pandey, Sanjit; Srinivasan, Satish M.; Mohammed, Akram; Guda, Chittibabu

2015-01-01

LocSigDB (http://genome.unmc.edu/LocSigDB/) is a manually curated database of experimental protein localization signals for eight distinct subcellular locations; primarily in a eukaryotic cell with brief coverage of bacterial proteins. Proteins must be localized at their appropriate subcellular compartment to perform their desired function. Mislocalization of proteins to unintended locations is a causative factor for many human diseases; therefore, collection of known sorting signals will help support many important areas of biomedical research. By performing an extensive literature study, we compiled a collection of 533 experimentally determined localization signals, along with the proteins that harbor such signals. Each signal in the LocSigDB is annotated with its localization, source, PubMed references and is linked to the proteins in UniProt database along with the organism information that contain the same amino acid pattern as the given signal. From LocSigDB webserver, users can download the whole database or browse/search for data using an intuitive query interface. To date, LocSigDB is the most comprehensive compendium of protein localization signals for eight distinct subcellular locations. Database URL: http://genome.unmc.edu/LocSigDB/ PMID:25725059

Systems special investigation group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

An interim report concerning the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is presented by a Boeing Systems special investigation group (SIG). The SIG activities were divided into five engineering disciplines: electrical, mechanical, optics, thermal, and batteries/solar cells. The responsibilities of the SIG included the following areas: support de-integration at Kennedy Space Center (KSC); testing of hardware at Boeing; review of principal investigator (PI) test plans and test results; support of test activities at PI labs; and collation of all test results into the SIG database.

Steroid-induced glaucoma treated with trabecular ablation in a matched comparison with primary open-angle glaucoma.

PubMed

Dang, Yalong; Kaplowitz, Kevin; Parikh, Hardik A; Roy, Pritha; Loewen, Ralitsa T; Francis, Brian A; Loewen, Nils A

2016-12-01

To evaluate the outcomes of trabectome-mediated ab interno trabeculectomy in patients with steroid-induced glaucoma (SIG). A retrospective, observational cohort study performed in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The data of 60 patients with SIG and 484 controls with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) matched by age, gender and glaucoma index were collected from the Trabectome Study Group database. Reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) and medications were compared between POAG and SIG by multivariate regression. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis. Success was defined as IOP ≤21 mmHg and at least 20% IOP reduction from baseline for any two consecutive visits after 3 months without secondary glaucoma surgery. Postoperative IOP and number of medications were compared with baseline in the SIG subgroups by the Wilcoxon test. Intraocular pressure reduction and 1-year success rate. Patients with SIG had a higher baseline IOP (31.4 ± 10.4 vs. 24.1 ± 7.6 mmHg, P < 0.01) and obtained a greater IOP reduction than controls with POAG (48.4% vs. 31.5%, P < 0.01). Multivariate regression showed that patients with SIG had an IOP reduction of 6.7 ± 1.1 mmHg more than those with POAG. Survival rates at 12 months were comparable at 86% in the SIG group and 85% in the POAG group (P = 0.47). Patients with SIG with a high baseline IOP, younger age and advanced glaucoma experienced a larger IOP drop. Trabectome appears to be an effective surgical treatment in reducing IOP for patients with SIG. © 2016 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Compromising σ-1 Receptors at the Endoplasmic Reticulum Render Cytotoxicity to Physiologically Relevant Concentrations of Dopamine in a Nuclear Factor-κB/Bcl-2-Dependent Mechanism: Potential Relevance to Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Mori, Tomohisa; Hayashi, Teruo

2012-01-01

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone σ-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is cytoprotective against ER stress-induced apoptosis. The level of Sig-1Rs in the brain was reported to be lower in early parkinsonian patients. Because dopamine (DA) toxicity is well known to be involved in the etiology of Parkinson's disease, we tested in this study whether a relationship might exist between Sig-1Rs and DA-induced cytotoxicity in a cellular model by using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. DA in physiological concentrations (e.g., lower than 10 μM) does not cause apoptosis. However, the same concentrations of DA cause apoptosis in Sig-1R knockdown CHO cells. In search of a mechanistic explanation, we found that unfolded protein response is not involved. Rather, the level of protective protein Bcl-2 is critically involved in this DA/Sig-1R knockdown-induced apoptosis. Specifically, the DA/Sig-1R knockdown causes a synergistic proteasomal conversion of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p105 to the active form of p50, which is known to down-regulate the transcription of Bcl-2. It is noteworthy that the DA/Sig-1R knockdown-induced apoptosis is blocked by the overexpression of Bcl-2. Our results therefore indicate that DA is involved in the activation of NF-κB and suggest that endogenous Sig-1Rs are tonically inhibiting the proteasomal conversion/activation of NF-κB caused by physiologically relevant concentrations of DA that would otherwise cause apoptosis. Thus, Sig-1Rs and associated ligands may represent new therapeutic targets for the treatment of parkinsonism. PMID:22399814

[Genome similarity of Baikal omul and sig].

PubMed

Bychenko, O S; Sukhanova, L V; Ukolova, S S; Skvortsov, T A; Potapov, V K; Azhikina, T L; Sverdlov, E D

2009-01-01

Two members of the Baikal sig family, a lake sig (Coregonus lavaretus baicalensis Dybovsky) and omul (C. autumnalis migratorius Georgi), are close relatives that diverged from the same ancestor 10-20 thousand years ago. In this work, we studied genomic polymorphism of these two fish species. The method of subtraction hybridization (SH) did not reveal the presence of extended sequences in the sig genome and their absence in the omul genome. All the fragments found by SH corresponded to polymorphous noncoding genome regions varying in mononucleotide substitutions and short deletions. Many of them are mapped close to genes of the immune system and have regions identical to the Tc-1-like transposons abundant among fish, whose transcription activity may affect the expression of adjacent genes. Thus, we showed for the first time that genetic differences between Baikal sig family members are extremely small and cannot be revealed by the SH method. This is another endorsement of the hypothesis on the close relationship between Baikal sig and omul and their evolutionarily recent divergence from a common ancestor.

Direct Assessment of Wall Shear Stress by Signal Intensity Gradient from Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography

PubMed Central

Lee, Sang Hyuk; Ryu, Han Uk; Park, Se-Hyoung; Chung, Gyung-Ho; Cho, Young I.

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to calculate the arterial wall signal intensity gradient (SIG) from time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and represent arterial wall shear stress. We developed a new algorithm that uses signal intensity (SI) of a TOF-MRA to directly calculate the signal intensity gradient (SIG). The results from our phantom study showed that the TOF-MRA SIG could be used to distinguish the magnitude of blood flow rate as high (mean SIG ± SD, 2.2 ± 0.4 SI/mm for 12.5 ± 2.3 L/min) and low (0.9 ± 0.3 SI/mm for 8.5 ± 2.6 L/min) in vessels (p < 0.001). Additionally, we found that the TOF-MRA SIG values were highly correlated with various flow rates (β = 0.96, p < 0.001). Remarkably, the correlation coefficient between the WSS obtained from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and the TOF-MRA SIG was greater than 0.8 in each section at the carotid artery (p < 0.001 for all β values). This new technique using TOF-MRA could enable the rapid calculation of the TOF-MRA SIG and thereby the WSS. Thus, the TOF-MRA SIG can provide clinicians with an accurate and efficient screening method for making rapid decisions on the risk of vascular disease for a patient in clinical practice. PMID:28900625

Immature surface Ig+ B cells can continue to rearrange kappa and lambda L chain gene loci

PubMed Central

1993-01-01

Pro and pre B cells possess the long-term capacity to proliferate in vitro on stromal cells and interleukin 7 (IL-7) and can differentiate to surface immunoglobulin (sIg+) cells upon removal of IL-7 from the cultures. A key event in this differentiation is the extensive cell loss due to apoptosis. Because the proto-oncogene bcl-2 can promote cell survival, we established pre-B cell lines from E mu-bcl-2 transgenic mice. These pre-B cells have the same properties as those derived from non-bcl-2 transgenic mice except that they do not die by apoptosis. This allowed us to study the fate of newly formed B cells in vitro for a longer period of time. Here we show that early during the differentiation of pre-B cells, upregulation of RAG-1 and RAG-2 expression go hand in hand with rearrangements of the Ig gene loci. Moreover, the newly formed sIg+ B cells continue to express RAG-1 and RAG-2 and continue to rearrange L chain gene loci, even in the absence of proliferation, in an orderly fashion, so that kappa L+ sIg+ cells can become lambda L+ sIg+ or sIg- cells, whereas lambda L+ sIg+ cells can become sIg-, but not kappa L+ sIg+ cells. Thus, deposition of a complete Ig molecule on the surface of a B cell does not automatically stop the Ig-rearrangement machinery. PMID:8376934

Direct Assessment of Wall Shear Stress by Signal Intensity Gradient from Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography.

PubMed

Han, Kap-Soo; Lee, Sang Hyuk; Ryu, Han Uk; Park, Se-Hyoung; Chung, Gyung-Ho; Cho, Young I; Jeong, Seul-Ki

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to calculate the arterial wall signal intensity gradient (SIG) from time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and represent arterial wall shear stress. We developed a new algorithm that uses signal intensity (SI) of a TOF-MRA to directly calculate the signal intensity gradient (SIG). The results from our phantom study showed that the TOF-MRA SIG could be used to distinguish the magnitude of blood flow rate as high (mean SIG ± SD, 2.2 ± 0.4 SI/mm for 12.5 ± 2.3 L/min) and low (0.9 ± 0.3 SI/mm for 8.5 ± 2.6 L/min) in vessels ( p < 0.001). Additionally, we found that the TOF-MRA SIG values were highly correlated with various flow rates ( β = 0.96, p < 0.001). Remarkably, the correlation coefficient between the WSS obtained from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and the TOF-MRA SIG was greater than 0.8 in each section at the carotid artery ( p < 0.001 for all β values). This new technique using TOF-MRA could enable the rapid calculation of the TOF-MRA SIG and thereby the WSS. Thus, the TOF-MRA SIG can provide clinicians with an accurate and efficient screening method for making rapid decisions on the risk of vascular disease for a patient in clinical practice.

Mitochondria-associated membrane collapse is a common pathomechanism in SIGMAR1- and SOD1-linked ALS.

PubMed

Watanabe, Seiji; Ilieva, Hristelina; Tamada, Hiromi; Nomura, Hanae; Komine, Okiru; Endo, Fumito; Jin, Shijie; Mancias, Pedro; Kiyama, Hiroshi; Yamanaka, Koji

2016-12-01

A homozygous mutation in the gene for sigma 1 receptor (Sig1R) is a cause of inherited juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS16). Sig1R localizes to the mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM), which is an interface of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. However, the role of the MAM in ALS is not fully elucidated. Here, we identified a homozygous p.L95fs mutation of Sig1R as a novel cause of ALS16. ALS-linked Sig1R variants were unstable and incapable of binding to inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor type 3 (IP 3 R3). The onset of mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1)-mediated ALS disease in mice was accelerated when Sig1R was deficient. Moreover, either deficiency of Sig1R or accumulation of mutant SOD1 induced MAM disruption, resulting in mislocalization of IP 3 R3 from the MAM, calpain activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Our findings indicate that a loss of Sig1R function is causative for ALS16, and collapse of the MAM is a common pathomechanism in both Sig1R- and SOD1-linked ALS Furthermore, our discovery of the selective enrichment of IP 3 R3 in motor neurons suggests that integrity of the MAM is crucial for the selective vulnerability in ALS. © 2016 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Sigma-1 Receptor as a Pluripotent Modulator in the Living System

PubMed Central

Su, Tsung-Ping; Su, Tzu-Chieh; Nakamura, Yoki; Tsai, Shang-Yi

2016-01-01

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein resides specifically at the interface between ER and mitochondria, called the MAM, where the Sig-1R is recently reported to be involved in certain CNS diseases. In addition to being able to translocate to the plasma membrane to interact with ion channels and other receptors, the Sig-1R is found to exist at the nuclear envelope where it recruits chromatin-remodeling factors to affect the transcription of genes. As well, thorough experimental and bioinformatic means, Sig-1Rs are reported to interact with other membranous or soluble proteins at other loci, including the cytosol. We propose that the Sig-1R is a pluripotent modulator with resultant multiple functional manifestations in the living system. PMID:26869505

The Integrative Effects of Cognitive Reappraisal on Negative Affect: Associated Changes in Secretory Immunoglobulin A, Unpleasantness and ERP Activity

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wencai; Li, Fan; Qin, Shaozheng; Luo, Jing

2012-01-01

Although the regulatory role of cognitive reappraisal in negative emotional responses is widely recognized, this reappraisal's effect on acute saliva secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), as well as the relationships among affective, immunological, and event-related potential (ERP) changes, remains unclear. In this study, we selected only people with low positive coping scores (PCSs) as measured by the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire to avoid confounding by intrinsic coping styles. First, we found that the acute stress of viewing unpleasant pictures consistently decreased SIgA concentration and secretion rate, increased perceptions of unpleasantness and amplitude of late positive potentials (LPPs) between 200–300 ms and 400–1000 ms. After participants used cognitive reappraisal, their SIgA concentration and secretion rate significantly increased and their unpleasantness and LPP amplitudes significantly decreased compared with a control condition. Second, we found a significantly positive correlation between the increases in SIgA and the decreases in unpleasantness and a significantly negative correlation between the increases in SIgA and the increases in LPP across the two groups. This study is the first to demonstrate that cognitive reappraisal reverses the decrease of SIgA. In addition, it revealed strong correlations among affective, SIgA and electrophysiological changes with convergent multilevel evidence. PMID:22319586

SigB is a dominant regulator of virulence in Staphylococcus aureus small-colony variants.

PubMed

Mitchell, Gabriel; Fugère, Alexandre; Pépin Gaudreau, Karine; Brouillette, Eric; Frost, Eric H; Cantin, André M; Malouin, François

2013-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus small-colony variants (SCVs) are persistent pathogenic bacteria characterized by slow growth and, for many of these strains, an increased ability to form biofilms and to persist within host cells. The virulence-associated gene expression profile of SCVs clearly differs from that of prototypical strains and is often influenced by SigB rather than by the agr system. One objective of this work was to confirm the role of SigB in the control of the expression of virulence factors involved in biofilm formation and intracellular persistence of SCVs. This study shows that extracellular proteins are involved in the formation of biofilm by three SCV strains, which, additionally, have a low biofilm-dispersing activity. It was determined that SigB activity modulates biofilm formation by strain SCV CF07-S and is dominant over that of the agr system without being solely responsible for the repression of proteolytic activity. On the other hand, the expression of fnbA and the control of nuclease activity contributed to the SigB-dependent formation of biofilm of this SCV strain. SigB was also required for the replication of CF07-S within epithelial cells and may be involved in the colonization of lungs by SCVs in a mouse infection model. This study methodically investigated SigB activity and associated mechanisms in the various aspects of SCV pathogenesis. Results confirm that SigB activity importantly influences the production of virulence factors, biofilm formation and intracellular persistence for some clinical SCV strains.

SigFlux: a novel network feature to evaluate the importance of proteins in signal transduction networks.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Li, Dong; Zhang, Jiyang; Zhu, Yunping; He, Fuchu

2006-11-27

Measuring each protein's importance in signaling networks helps to identify the crucial proteins in a cellular process, find the fragile portion of the biology system and further assist for disease therapy. However, there are relatively few methods to evaluate the importance of proteins in signaling networks. We developed a novel network feature to evaluate the importance of proteins in signal transduction networks, that we call SigFlux, based on the concept of minimal path sets (MPSs). An MPS is a minimal set of nodes that can perform the signal propagation from ligands to target genes or feedback loops. We define SigFlux as the number of MPSs in which each protein is involved. We applied this network feature to the large signal transduction network in the hippocampal CA1 neuron of mice. Significant correlations were simultaneously observed between SigFlux and both the essentiality and evolutionary rate of genes. Compared with another commonly used network feature, connectivity, SigFlux has similar or better ability as connectivity to reflect a protein's essentiality. Further classification according to protein function demonstrates that high SigFlux, low connectivity proteins are abundant in receptors and transcriptional factors, indicating that SigFlux candescribe the importance of proteins within the context of the entire network. SigFlux is a useful network feature in signal transduction networks that allows the prediction of the essentiality and conservation of proteins. With this novel network feature, proteins that participate in more pathways or feedback loops within a signaling network are proved far more likely to be essential and conserved during evolution than their counterparts.

77 FR 24192 - SIG Energy, LLLP v. California Independent System Operator Corporation; Notice of Complaint

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-23

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL12-55-000] SIG Energy, LLLP v. California Independent System Operator Corporation; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on.... 824(e) and 825(e), SIG Energy, LLLP (Complainant) filed a formal complaint against the California...

Sigma-1R and Kv1.2: A Dynamic Interaction Shaping Neuronal and Behavioral Response to Cocaine

PubMed Central

Kourrich, Saïd; Hayashi, Teruo; Chuang, Jian-Ying; Tsai, Shang-Yi; Su, Tsung-Ping; Bonci, Antonello

2014-01-01

Summary The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone protein, is an inter-organelle signaling modulator that potentially plays a role in drug-seeking behaviors. However, the brain site of action and underlying cellular mechanisms remain unidentified. We found that cocaine exposure triggers a Sig-1R-dependent upregulation of D-type K+ current in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) that results in neuronal hypoactivity, and thereby enhances behavioral cocaine response. Combining ex vivo and in vitro studies, we demonstrated that this neuroadaptation is caused by a persistent protein-protein association between Sig-1Rs and Kv1.2 channels, a phenomenon that is associated to a redistribution of both proteins from intracellular compartments to the plasma membrane. In conclusion, the dynamic Sig-1R - Kv1.2 complex represents a novel mechanism that shapes neuronal and behavioral response to cocaine. Functional consequences of Sig-1R binding to K+ channels may have implications for other chronic diseases where maladaptive intrinsic plasticity and Sig-1Rs are engaged. PMID:23332758

LDEF systems special investigation group overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Jim; Dursch, Harry

1995-01-01

The Systems Special Investigation Group (Systems SIG), formed by the LDEF Project Office to perform post-flight analysis of LDEF systems hardware, was chartered to investigate the effects of the extended LDEF mission on both satellite and experiment systems and to coordinate and integrate all systems related analyses performed during post-flight investigations. The Systems SIG published a summary report in April, 1992 titled 'Analysis of Systems Hardware Flown on LDEF - Results of the Systems Special Investigation Group' that described findings through the end of 1991. The Systems SIG, unfunded in FY 92 and FY93, has been funded in FY 94 to update this report with all new systems related findings. This paper provides a brief summary of the highlights of earlier Systems SIG accomplishments and describes tasks the Systems SIG has been funded to accomplish in FY 94.

The sigma factor SigD of Mycobacterium tuberculosis putatively enhances gene expression of the septum site determining protein under stressful environments.

PubMed

Ares, Miguel A; Rios-Sarabia, Nora; De la Cruz, Miguel A; Rivera-Gutiérrez, Sandra; García-Morales, Lázaro; León-Solís, Lizbel; Espitia, Clara; Pacheco, Sabino; Cerna-Cortés, Jorge F; Helguera-Repetto, Cecilia A; García, María Jesús; González-Y-Merchand, Jorge A

2017-07-01

This work examined the expression of the septum site determining gene (ssd) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CDC1551 and its ∆sigD mutant under different growing conditions. The results showed an up-regulation of ssd during stationary phase and starvation conditions, but not during in vitro dormancy, suggesting a putative role for SigD in the control of ssd expression mainly under lack-of-nutrients environments. Furthermore, we elucidated a putative link between ssd expression and cell elongation of bacilli at stationary phase. In addition, a -35 sigD consensus sequence was found for the ssd promoter region, reinforcing the putative regulation of ssd by SigD, and in turn, supporting this protein role during the adaptation of M. tuberculosis to some stressful environments.

High salivary secretory IgA antibody levels are associated with less late-onset wheezing in IgE-sensitized infants.

PubMed

Sandin, Anna; Björkstén, Bengt; Böttcher, Malin F; Englund, Erling; Jenmalm, Maria C; Bråbäck, Lennart

2011-08-01

Low levels of secretory IgA (SIgA) and transient IgA deficiency have been associated with an increased risk for allergy, but data are conflicting. The aim was to assess the relationship between salivary SIgA antibody levels at 1 yr and wheezing at age four in a birth cohort, in particular the possible protective role of salivary SIgA in sensitized children. Saliva samples were obtained from all children (n=67) with a positive skin prick test (SPT) at 1 yr and 212 children with a negative SPT. In all, 200 of these children responded to questionnaires at 4 yrs and 183 were skin prick tested at that age. The levels of salivary SIgA and salivary IgA antibodies to the most common food allergen egg and inhalant allergen cat were analyzed by ELISA. Serum was analyzed for IgE antibodies to egg and cat. Development of late-onset wheezing was associated with low SIgA levels in children with positive SPT to at least one allergen both at 1 and 4 yrs of age (p=0.04), as well as in children with circulating IgE antibodies to egg or cat at 1 yr (p=0.02). None of nine persistently sensitized children with SIgA levels in the upper quartile developed wheezing, when compared to 10/20 children with lower levels (p=0.01). Older siblings, more than three infections during infancy, at least one smoking parent, and male gender, were all associated with SIgA in the upper quartile. In conclusion, high levels of SIgA antibodies in sensitized infants were associated with significantly less late-onset wheezing, supporting a protective role against development of asthmatic symptoms. Recurrent infections and other factors supporting an increased microbial pressure during infancy were associated with high levels of salivary SIgA. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The Role of Sigma-1 Receptor, an Intracellular Chaperone in Neurodegenerative Diseases.

PubMed

Penke, Botond; Fulop, Livia; Szucs, Maria; Frecska, Ede

2018-01-01

Widespread protein aggregation occurs in the living system under stress or during aging, owing to disturbance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteostasis. Many neurodegenerative diseases may have a common mechanism: the failure of protein homeostasis. Perturbation of ER results in unfolded protein response (UPR). Prolonged chronical UPR may activate apoptotic pathways and cause cell death. Research articles on Sigma-1 receptor were reviewed. ER is associated to mitochondria by the mitochondria-associated ER-membrane, MAM. The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R), a well-known ER-chaperone localizes in the MAM. It serves for Ca2+-signaling between the ER and mitochondria, involved in ion channel activities and especially important during neuronal differentiation. Sig-1R acts as central modulator in inter-organelle signaling. Sig-1R helps cell survival by attenuating ER-stress. According to sequence based predictions Sig-1R is a 223 amino acid protein with two transmembrane (2TM) domains. The X-ray structure of the Sig-1R [1] showed a membrane-bound trimeric assembly with one transmembrane (1TM) region. Despite the in vitro determined assembly, the results of in vivo studies are rather consistent with the 2TM structure. The receptor has unique and versatile pharmacological profile. Dimethyl tryptamine (DMT) and neuroactive steroids are endogenous ligands that activate Sig-1R. The receptor has a plethora of interacting client proteins. Sig-1R exists in oligomeric structures (dimer-trimer-octamer-multimer) and this fact may explain interaction with diverse proteins. Sig-1R agonists have been used in the treatment of different neurodegenerative diseases, e.g. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases (AD and PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Utilization of Sig-1R agents early in AD and similar other diseases has remained an overlooked therapeutic opportunity. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Physicochemical Approach to Determine the Mechanism for Acid-Base Disorders in 793 Hospitalized Foals.

PubMed

Gomez, D E; Biermann, N M; Sanchez, L C

2015-01-01

The quantitative effect of strong electrolytes, unmeasured strong anions (UAs), pCO2, and plasma protein concentrations in determining plasma pH can be demonstrated using the physicochemical approach. Plasma anion gap (AG) and strong ion gap (SIG) are used to assess UAs in different species. Strong ions are a major factor influencing changes in plasma pH of hospitalized foals. AG and SIG accurately predict severe hyper-L-lactatemia ([L-lac(-)] > 7 mmol/L). Seven hundred and ninety three hospitalized foals < 7 days old. Retrospective study. The relationship between measured pH and physicochemical variables, and the relationship between plasma [L-lac(-)] and AG and SIG, were determined using regression analyses. Optimal AG and SIG cut points to predict hyper-L-lactatemia were identified using an ROC curve analysis. Combined, the measured strong ion difference and SIG accounted for 54-69% of the changes in the measured arterial pH of hospitalized foals. AG and SIG were significantly associated with plasma [L-lac(-)] (P < .0001). The receiver operator characteristics (ROC) AUC of AG and SIG for prediction of severe hyper-L-lactatemia were 0.89 (95%CI, 0.8-0.95; P < .0001) and 0.90 (95%CI, 0.81-0.96; P < .0001), respectively. Severe hyper-L-lactatemia was best predicted by AG > 27 mmol/L (sensitivity 80%, 95%CI, 56-94, specificity 85%, 95%CI, 73-93; P < .0001) and SIG <-15 mmol/L (sensitivity 90%, 95%CI, 68-98; specificity 80%; 95%CI, 68-90; P < .0001). Altered concentrations of strong ions (Na(+), K(+), Cl(-)) and UAs were the primary cause of acidemia of hospitalized foals. AG and SIG were good predictors of hyper-L-lactatemia and could be used as surrogate tests. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Role of Sigma-1 Receptor/p38 MAPK Inhibition in Acupoint Catgut Embedding-Mediated Analgesic Effects in Complete Freund's Adjuvant-Induced Inflammatory Pain.

PubMed

Du, Kairong; Wang, Xue; Chi, Laiting; Li, Wenzhi

2017-08-01

The endoplasmic reticulum chaperone protein Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1 R) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are involved in the mechanism of pain. Acupoint stimulation exerts an exact antihyperalgesic effect in inflammatory pain. However, whether Sig-1 R and MAPKs are associated with the acupoint stimulation-induced analgesic effects is not clear. This study investigated the analgesic effect of acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) and the inhibition of Sig-1 R and MAPKs in ACE analgesia. Rats were prepared with intrathecal catheter implantation. ACE was applied to bilateral "Kunlun" (BL60), "Zusanli" (ST36), and "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) acupoints in the rat model of inflammatory pain (complete Freund's adjuvant [CFA] intraplantar injection). Then, Sig-1R agonist PRE084 or saline was intrathecally given daily. The paw withdrawal thresholds and paw edema were measured before CFA injection and at 1, 3, and 5 day after CFA injection. Western bolt was used to evaluate the protein expression of spinal Sig-1R, p38MAPK, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and immunohistochemistry of Sig-1R was detected at 1, 3, and 5 days after CFA injection. ACE exhibited specific analgesic effects. ACE increased paw withdrawal thresholds and markedly decreased CFA-induced paw edema at 1, 3, and 5 days. ACE downregulated the protein expression of Sig-1R, which was increased significantly at 1, 3, and 5 days after CFA injection. ACE decreased the expression of p38 MAPK and ERK at 1 and 3 days but not at 5 days. However, an injection of Sig-1R agonist PRE084 markedly reversed these alterations, except ERK expression. The present study demonstrated that ACE exhibited antihyperalgesic effects via the inhibition of the Sig-1R that modulated p38 MAPK, but not ERK, expression in the CFA-induced inflammatory pain model in rats.

Integration of light and circadian signals that regulate chloroplast transcription by a nuclear-encoded sigma factor.

PubMed

Belbin, Fiona E; Noordally, Zeenat B; Wetherill, Sarah J; Atkins, Kelly A; Franklin, Keara A; Dodd, Antony N

2017-01-01

We investigated the signalling pathways that regulate chloroplast transcription in response to environmental signals. One mechanism controlling plastid transcription involves nuclear-encoded sigma subunits of plastid-encoded plastid RNA polymerase. Transcripts encoding the sigma factor SIG5 are regulated by light and the circadian clock. However, the extent to which a chloroplast target of SIG5 is regulated by light-induced changes in SIG5 expression is unknown. Moreover, the photoreceptor signalling pathways underlying the circadian regulation of chloroplast transcription by SIG5 are unidentified. We monitored the regulation of chloroplast transcription in photoreceptor and sigma factor mutants under controlled light regimes in Arabidopsis thaliana. We established that a chloroplast transcriptional response to light intensity was mediated by SIG5; a chloroplast transcriptional response to the relative proportions of red and far red light was regulated by SIG5 through phytochrome and photosynthetic signals; and the circadian regulation of chloroplast transcription by SIG5 was predominantly dependent on blue light and cryptochrome. Our experiments reveal the extensive integration of signals concerning the light environment by a single sigma factor to regulate chloroplast transcription. This may originate from an evolutionarily ancient mechanism that protects photosynthetic bacteria from high light stress, which subsequently became integrated with higher plant phototransduction networks. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

GeneSigDB: a manually curated database and resource for analysis of gene expression signatures

PubMed Central

Culhane, Aedín C.; Schröder, Markus S.; Sultana, Razvan; Picard, Shaita C.; Martinelli, Enzo N.; Kelly, Caroline; Haibe-Kains, Benjamin; Kapushesky, Misha; St Pierre, Anne-Alyssa; Flahive, William; Picard, Kermshlise C.; Gusenleitner, Daniel; Papenhausen, Gerald; O'Connor, Niall; Correll, Mick; Quackenbush, John

2012-01-01

GeneSigDB (http://www.genesigdb.org or http://compbio.dfci.harvard.edu/genesigdb/) is a database of gene signatures that have been extracted and manually curated from the published literature. It provides a standardized resource of published prognostic, diagnostic and other gene signatures of cancer and related disease to the community so they can compare the predictive power of gene signatures or use these in gene set enrichment analysis. Since GeneSigDB release 1.0, we have expanded from 575 to 3515 gene signatures, which were collected and transcribed from 1604 published articles largely focused on gene expression in cancer, stem cells, immune cells, development and lung disease. We have made substantial upgrades to the GeneSigDB website to improve accessibility and usability, including adding a tag cloud browse function, facetted navigation and a ‘basket’ feature to store genes or gene signatures of interest. Users can analyze GeneSigDB gene signatures, or upload their own gene list, to identify gene signatures with significant gene overlap and results can be viewed on a dynamic editable heatmap that can be downloaded as a publication quality image. All data in GeneSigDB can be downloaded in numerous formats including .gmt file format for gene set enrichment analysis or as a R/Bioconductor data file. GeneSigDB is available from http://www.genesigdb.org. PMID:22110038

Seeking Connections, Articulating Commonalities: English Education, Composition Studies, and Writing Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsup, Janet; Brockman, Elizabeth; Bush, Jonathan; Letcher, Mark

2011-01-01

This article, which is coauthored by former and current SIG (special interest group) leaders, describes the SIG's history, its member profile, and the scholarly and teacherly endeavors that have grown from their work together. The article also describes the significance of this successful partnership beyond the immediate work of the SIG, including…

Involvement of Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502 Sigma Factor K in Early-Stage Sporulation

PubMed Central

Kirk, David G.; Dahlsten, Elias; Zhang, Zhen; Korkeala, Hannu

2012-01-01

A key survival mechanism of Clostridium botulinum, the notorious neurotoxic food pathogen, is the ability to form heat-resistant spores. While the genetic mechanisms of sporulation are well understood in the model organism Bacillus subtilis, nothing is known about these mechanisms in C. botulinum. Using the ClosTron gene-knockout tool, sigK, encoding late-stage (stage IV) sporulation sigma factor K in B. subtilis, was disrupted in C. botulinum ATCC 3502 to produce two different mutants with distinct insertion sites and orientations. Both mutants were unable to form spores, and their elongated cell morphology suggested that the sporulation pathway was blocked at an early stage. In contrast, sigK-complemented mutants sporulated successfully. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of sigK in the parent strain revealed expression at the late log growth phase in the parent strain. Analysis of spo0A, encoding the sporulation master switch, in the sigK mutant and the parent showed significantly reduced relative levels of spo0A expression in the sigK mutant compared to the parent strain. Similarly, sigF showed significantly lower relative transcription levels in the sigK mutant than the parent strain, suggesting that the sporulation pathway was blocked in the sigK mutant at an early stage. We conclude that σK is essential for early-stage sporulation in C. botulinum ATCC 3502, rather than being involved in late-stage sporulation, as reported for the sporulation model organism B. subtilis. Understanding the sporulation mechanism of C. botulinum provides keys to control the public health risks that the spores of this dangerous pathogen cause through foods. PMID:22544236

Involvement of Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502 sigma factor K in early-stage sporulation.

PubMed

Kirk, David G; Dahlsten, Elias; Zhang, Zhen; Korkeala, Hannu; Lindström, Miia

2012-07-01

A key survival mechanism of Clostridium botulinum, the notorious neurotoxic food pathogen, is the ability to form heat-resistant spores. While the genetic mechanisms of sporulation are well understood in the model organism Bacillus subtilis, nothing is known about these mechanisms in C. botulinum. Using the ClosTron gene-knockout tool, sigK, encoding late-stage (stage IV) sporulation sigma factor K in B. subtilis, was disrupted in C. botulinum ATCC 3502 to produce two different mutants with distinct insertion sites and orientations. Both mutants were unable to form spores, and their elongated cell morphology suggested that the sporulation pathway was blocked at an early stage. In contrast, sigK-complemented mutants sporulated successfully. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of sigK in the parent strain revealed expression at the late log growth phase in the parent strain. Analysis of spo0A, encoding the sporulation master switch, in the sigK mutant and the parent showed significantly reduced relative levels of spo0A expression in the sigK mutant compared to the parent strain. Similarly, sigF showed significantly lower relative transcription levels in the sigK mutant than the parent strain, suggesting that the sporulation pathway was blocked in the sigK mutant at an early stage. We conclude that σ(K) is essential for early-stage sporulation in C. botulinum ATCC 3502, rather than being involved in late-stage sporulation, as reported for the sporulation model organism B. subtilis. Understanding the sporulation mechanism of C. botulinum provides keys to control the public health risks that the spores of this dangerous pathogen cause through foods.

Sigma-1 Receptor Mediates Acquisition of Alcohol Drinking and Seeking behavior in Alcohol-Preferring Rats

PubMed Central

Blasio, Angelo; Valenza, Marta; Iyer, Malliga R.; Rice, Kenner C.; Steardo, Luca; Hayashi, T.; Cottone, Pietro; Sabino, Valentina

2015-01-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) has been proposed as a novel therapeutic target for drug and alcohol addiction. We have shown previously that Sig-1R agonists facilitate the reinforcing effects of ethanol and induce binge-like drinking, while Sig-1R antagonists block excessive drinking in both genetic and environmental models of alcoholism, without affecting intake in outbred non-dependent rats. Even though significant progress has been made in understanding the function of Sig-1Rs in alcohol reinforcement, its role in the early and late stage of alcohol addiction remains unclear. Administration of the selective Sig-1R antagonist BD-1063 dramatically reduced the acquisition of alcohol drinking behavior as well as the preference for alcohol in genetically selected TSRI Sardinian alcohol preferring (Scr:sP) rats; the treatment had no effect on total fluid intake, food intake or body weight gain, proving selectivity of action. Furthermore, BD-1063 dose-dependently decreased alcohol-seeking behavior in rats trained under a second-order schedule of reinforcement, in which responding is maintained by contingent presentation of a conditioned reinforcer. Finally, an innate elevation in Sig-1R protein levels was found in the nucleus accumbens of alcohol-preferring Scr:sP rats, compared to outbred Wistar rats, alteration which was normalized by chronic, voluntary alcohol drinking. Taken together these findings demonstrate that Sig-1R blockade reduces the propensity to both acquire alcohol drinking and to seek alcohol, and point to the nucleus accumbens as a potential key region for the effects observed. Our data suggest that Sig-1R antagonists may have therapeutic potential in multiple stages of alcohol addiction. PMID:25848705

Sigma 1 receptor activation regulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor through NR2A-CaMKIV-TORC1 pathway to rescue the impairment of learning and memory induced by brain ischaemia/reperfusion.

PubMed

Xu, Qian; Ji, Xue-Fei; Chi, Tian-Yan; Liu, Peng; Jin, Ge; Gu, Shao-Li; Zou, Li-Bo

2015-05-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) agonists showed anti-amnesic properties in Alzheimer's disease models and anti-inflammatory properties in cerebrum ischaemia models. The agonist of Sig-1R was reported to up-regulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the hippocampus of mice. Here, we investigate whether the activation of Sig-1R attenuates the learning and memory impairment induced by ischaemia/reperfusion and how it affects the expression of BDNF. Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) was induced for 20 min in C57BL/6 mice. Sig-1R agonist, PRE084, sigma 1/2 non-selective agonist, DTG, Sig-1R antagonist and BD1047 were injected once daily throughout the experiment. Behavioural tests were performed from day 8. On day 22 after BCCAO, mice were sacrificed for biochemical analysis. PRE084 and DTG ameliorated learning and memory impairments in the Y maze, novel object recognition, and water maze tasks and prevented the decline of synaptic proteins and BDNF expression in the hippocampus of BCCAO mice. Furthermore, PRE084 and DTG up-regulated the level of NMDA receptor 2A (NR2A), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type IV (CaMKIV) and CREB-specific co-activator transducer of regulated CREB activity 1 (TORC1). Additionally, the effects of PRE084 and DTG were antagonised by the co-administration of BD1047. Sig-1R activation showed an attenuation in the ischaemia/reperfusion model and the activation of Sig-1R increased the expression of BDNF, possibly through the NR2A-CaMKIV-TORC1 pathway, and Sig-1R agonists might function as neuroprotectant agents in vascular dementia.

Sigma-1 receptor mediates cocaine-induced transcriptional regulation by recruiting chromatin-remodeling factors at the nuclear envelope.

PubMed

Tsai, Shang-Yi A; Chuang, Jian-Ying; Tsai, Meng-Shan; Wang, Xiao-Fei; Xi, Zheng-Xiong; Hung, Jan-Jong; Chang, Wen-Chang; Bonci, Antonello; Su, Tsung-Ping

2015-11-24

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) chaperone at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays important roles in cellular regulation. Here we found a new function of Sig-1R, in that it translocates from the ER to the nuclear envelope (NE) to recruit chromatin-remodeling molecules and regulate the gene transcription thereof. Sig-1Rs mainly reside at the ER-mitochondrion interface. However, on stimulation by agonists such as cocaine, Sig-1Rs translocate from ER to the NE, where Sig-1Rs bind NE protein emerin and recruit chromatin-remodeling molecules, including lamin A/C, barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF), and histone deacetylase (HDAC), to form a complex with the gene repressor specific protein 3 (Sp3). Knockdown of Sig-1Rs attenuates the complex formation. Cocaine was found to suppress the gene expression of monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) in the brain of wild-type but not Sig-1R knockout mouse. A single dose of cocaine (20 mg/kg) in rats suppresses the level of MAOB at nuclear accumbens without affecting the level of dopamine transporter. Daily injections of cocaine in rats caused behavioral sensitization. Withdrawal from cocaine in cocaine-sensitized rats induced an apparent time-dependent rebound of the MAOB protein level to about 200% over control on day 14 after withdrawal. Treatment of cocaine-withdrawn rats with the MAOB inhibitor deprenyl completely alleviated the behavioral sensitization to cocaine. Our results demonstrate a role of Sig-1R in transcriptional regulation and suggest cocaine may work through this newly discovered genomic action to achieve its addictive action. Results also suggest the MAOB inhibitor deprenyl as a therapeutic agent to block certain actions of cocaine during withdrawal.

Sigma-1 receptor mediates acquisition of alcohol drinking and seeking behavior in alcohol-preferring rats.

PubMed

Blasio, Angelo; Valenza, Marta; Iyer, Malliga R; Rice, Kenner C; Steardo, Luca; Hayashi, T; Cottone, Pietro; Sabino, Valentina

2015-01-01

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) has been proposed as a novel therapeutic target for drug and alcohol addiction. We have shown previously that Sig-1R agonists facilitate the reinforcing effects of ethanol and induce binge-like drinking, while Sig-1R antagonists on the other hand block excessive drinking in genetic and environmental models of alcoholism, without affecting intake in outbred non-dependent rats. Even though significant progress has been made in understanding the function of Sig-1R in alcohol reinforcement, its role in the early and late stage of alcohol addiction remains unclear. Administration of the selective Sig-1R antagonist BD-1063 dramatically reduced the acquisition of alcohol drinking behavior as well as the preference for alcohol in genetically selected TSRI Sardinian alcohol preferring (Scr:sP) rats; the treatment had instead no effect on total fluid intake, food intake or body weight gain, proving selectivity of action. Furthermore, BD-1063 dose-dependently decreased alcohol-seeking behavior in rats trained under a second-order schedule of reinforcement, in which responding is maintained by contingent presentation of a conditioned reinforcer. Finally, an innate elevation in Sig-1R protein levels was found in the nucleus accumbens of alcohol-preferring Scr:sP rats, compared to outbred Wistar rats, alteration which was normalized by chronic, voluntary alcohol drinking. Taken together these findings demonstrate that Sig-1R blockade reduces the propensity to both acquire alcohol drinking and to seek alcohol, and point to the nucleus accumbens as a potential key region for the effects observed. Our data suggest that Sig-1R antagonists may have therapeutic potential in multiple stages of alcohol addiction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sigma-1 receptor mediates cocaine-induced transcriptional regulation by recruiting chromatin-remodeling factors at the nuclear envelope

PubMed Central

Tsai, Shang-Yi A.; Chuang, Jian-Ying; Tsai, Meng-Shan; Wang, Xiao-fei; Hung, Jan-Jong; Chang, Wen-Chang; Bonci, Antonello; Su, Tsung-Ping

2015-01-01

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) chaperone at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays important roles in cellular regulation. Here we found a new function of Sig-1R, in that it translocates from the ER to the nuclear envelope (NE) to recruit chromatin-remodeling molecules and regulate the gene transcription thereof. Sig-1Rs mainly reside at the ER–mitochondrion interface. However, on stimulation by agonists such as cocaine, Sig-1Rs translocate from ER to the NE, where Sig-1Rs bind NE protein emerin and recruit chromatin-remodeling molecules, including lamin A/C, barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF), and histone deacetylase (HDAC), to form a complex with the gene repressor specific protein 3 (Sp3). Knockdown of Sig-1Rs attenuates the complex formation. Cocaine was found to suppress the gene expression of monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) in the brain of wild-type but not Sig-1R knockout mouse. A single dose of cocaine (20 mg/kg) in rats suppresses the level of MAOB at nuclear accumbens without affecting the level of dopamine transporter. Daily injections of cocaine in rats caused behavioral sensitization. Withdrawal from cocaine in cocaine-sensitized rats induced an apparent time-dependent rebound of the MAOB protein level to about 200% over control on day 14 after withdrawal. Treatment of cocaine-withdrawn rats with the MAOB inhibitor deprenyl completely alleviated the behavioral sensitization to cocaine. Our results demonstrate a role of Sig-1R in transcriptional regulation and suggest cocaine may work through this newly discovered genomic action to achieve its addictive action. Results also suggest the MAOB inhibitor deprenyl as a therapeutic agent to block certain actions of cocaine during withdrawal. PMID:26554014

Calcium-induced conformational changes of Thrombospondin-1 signature domain: implications for vascular disease.

PubMed

Gupta, Akanksha; Agarwal, Rahul; Singh, Ashutosh; Bhatnagar, Sonika

2017-06-01

Thrombospondin1 (TSP1) participates in numerous signaling pathways critical for vascular physiology and disease. The conserved signature domain of thrombospondin 1 (TSP1-Sig1) comprises three epidermal growth factor (EGF), 13 calcium-binding type 3 thrombospondin (T3) repeats, and one lectin-like module arranged in a stalk-wire-globe topology. TSP1 is known to be present in both calcium-replete (Holo-) and calcium-depleted (Apo-) state, each with distinct downstream signaling effects. To prepare a homology model of TSP1-Sig1 and investigate the effect of calcium on its dynamic structure and interactions. A homology model of Holo-TSP1-Sig1 was prepared with TSP2 as template in Swissmodel workspace. The Apo-form of the model was obtained by omitting the bound calcium ions from the homology model. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies (100 ns) were performed on the Holo- and Apo- forms of TSP1 using Gromacs4.6.5. After simulation, Holo-TSP1-Sig1 showed significant reorientation at the interface of the EGF1-2 and EGF2-3 modules. The T3 wire is predicted to show the maximum mobility and deviation from the initial model. In Apo-TSP1-Sig1 model, the T3 repeats unfolded and formed coils with predicted increase in flexibility. Apo-TSP1-Sig1model also predicted the exposure of the binding sites for neutrophil elastase, integrin and fibroblast growth factor 2. We present a structural model and hypothesis for the role of TSP1-Sig1 interactions in the development of vascular disorders. The simulated model of the fully calcium-loaded and calcium-depleted TSP1-Sig1 may enable the development of its interactions as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of vascular diseases.

The alternative sigma factor sigma B of Staphylococcus aureus modulates virulence in experimental central venous catheter-related infections.

PubMed

Lorenz, Udo; Hüttinger, Christian; Schäfer, Tina; Ziebuhr, Wilma; Thiede, Arnulf; Hacker, Jörg; Engelmann, Susanne; Hecker, Michael; Ohlsen, Knut

2008-03-01

The impact of the alternative sigma factor sigma B (SigB) on pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus is not conclusively clarified. In this study, a central venous catheter (CVC) related model of multiorgan infection was used to investigate the role of SigB for the pathogenesis of S. aureus infections and biofilm formation in vivo. Analysis of two SigB-positive wild-type strains and their isogenic mutants revealed uniformly that the wild-type was significantly more virulent than the SigB-deficient mutant. The observed difference in virulence was apparently not linked to the capability of the strains to form biofilms in vivo since wild-type and mutant strains were able to produce biofilm layers inside of the catheter. The data strongly indicate that the alternative sigma factor SigB plays a role in CVC-associated infections caused by S. aureus.

Large format silicon immersion gratings for high resolution infrared spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Jian; McDavitt, Dan; Zhao, Bo; Miller, Shane

2006-06-01

We report progress on development of large format silicon immersion gratings (SIG) at UF. Currently SIGs on 4 inch diameter thick silicon disks can be routinely produced with groove periods from 7 microns to 250 microns and blaze angles from 20 degrees to 76 degrees. A new capability of making SIGs from 6 inch diameter silicon disks has also been demonstrated. A new Space Astronomy Instrumentation Lab (SAIL) facility is being established at UF to have a capability of fabricating SIGs on 8 inch diameter silicon disks with up to 4 inch thickness. Our prototype SIG with an 85x50 mm2 etched grating area and a 54.7 deg blaze angle has produced a nearly diffraction-limited wavefront, less than 1% integrated scattered light and ghost intensity, a 74% peak blaze efficiency and a R = 55,000 resolving power at 1.55 μm.

Trends Influencing Researcher Education and Careers: What Do We Know, Need to Know and Do in Looking Forward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castelló, Montserrat; McAlpine, Lynn; Pyhältö, Kirsi

2015-01-01

EARLI SIG 24, Researcher Education and Careers (SIG-REaC), was founded because increasing interest has emerged within the EARLI community into understanding different aspects of doctoral and post-PhD researcher educational and career development. This special issue brings together the outcome of our first scholarly discussion at the SIG-REaC…

Using Social Impact Games (SIGS) to Support Constructivist Learning: Creating a Foundation for Effective Use in the Secondary Social Studies Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Beverly; Faure, Caroline; Kelle, Fay

2013-01-01

This paper examines how Social Impact Games (SIGs) can provide important instructional support in secondary social studies classrooms. When used within the framework of the constructivist teaching philosophy and teaching methods, as recommended by the NCSS (2010), SIGs have the potential to hone critical thinking, collaboration, and problem…

Report on BAAL "Language in Africa" SIG Meetings Reading in African Languages: Developing Literacies and Reading Methodologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildsmith-Cromarty, Rosemary

2015-01-01

This report describes ongoing research on reading in African languages. It draws mainly on contributions from two British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) "Language in Africa" (LiA) Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings: the LiA SIG strand at BAAL 2013 and the seminar on "Reading Methodologies in African Languages"…

Small molecule modulator of sigma 2 receptor is neuroprotective and reduces cognitive deficits and neuro-inflammation in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease

PubMed Central

Yi, Bitna; Sahn, James J.; Ardestani, Pooneh Memar; Evans, Andrew K.; Scott, Luisa; Chan, Jessica Z.; Iyer, Sangeetha; Crisp, Ashley; Zuniga, Gabriella; Pierce-Shimomura, Jonathan; Martin, Stephen F.; Shamloo, Mehrdad

2017-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that modulating the sigma 2 receptor (Sig2R) can provide beneficial effects for neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we report the identification of a novel class of Sig2R binding ligands and their cellular and in vivo activity in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We report that SAS-0132 and DKR-1051, selective ligands of Sig2R, modulate intracellular Ca2+ levels in human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. The Sig2R antagonists SAS-0132 and JVW-1009 are neuroprotective in a C. elegans model of amyloid precursor protein-mediated neurodegeneration. Since this neuroprotective effect is replicated by genetic knockdown and knockout of vem-1, the ortholog of progesterone receptor membrane component-1 (PGRMC1), it indicates that Sig2R ligands modulate a PGRMC1-related pathway. Last, we demonstrate that SAS-0132 improves cognitive performance both in the Thy-1 hAPPLond/Swe+ transgenic mouse model of AD and in healthy wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that Sig2R is a promising therapeutic target for neurocognitive disorders including AD. PMID:27926996

Salivary immunoglobulin-A as a marker of stress during strenuous physical training.

PubMed

Carins, Julia; Booth, Christine

2002-12-01

Immunoglobulin-A in saliva (SIgA) has been proven to be decreased during periods of stress, a change that also correlates with increased disease risk. Concentration of SIgA is negatively associated with dietary deprivation, negative moods, and anxiety. SIgA was evaluated as a marker of the severity of stress during a 19-day Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) survival course, during which students experienced hunger, thirst, boredom, loneliness, and extreme heat and cold combined with demanding physical effort. There were 27 men and 2 women who participated. Students kept daily food diaries, from which daily intakes of energy and macronutrients were calculated. Saliva samples were collected on 9 d for the measurement of the ratio of SIgA to albumin (Alb). Students completed a health checklist and the State Anxiety Inventory on the same 9 d and the Profile of Mood States on 3 of the days. Dietary restriction, consumption of alcohol, body mass loss, occurrence of upper respiratory tract infection, and negative emotions were negatively associated with SIgA:Alb. SIgA:Alb is a useful marker of the severity of stresses encountered during stressful training.

Biochemical and ultrastructural characterization of a novel cell structure associated with immunoglobulin secretion in B-lymphocytes.

PubMed

Mazzaferro, P K; Repasky, E A; Black, J; Kubo, R T; Bankert, R B

1987-01-01

In the companion paper, it was established that a secretory form of immunoglobulin, sIg, is present at or near the cell surface. This unexpected occurrence of sIg was postulated to be due to the labelling of sIg which remains temporarily associated with the cell packaged in a vesicle which appears to bud from the plasma membrane at a single pole of the cell. The question that is addressed in this report is whether or not this polar accumulation of sIg represents a common pathway for the exit of this protein which is used by antibody-producing cells. This question is important since, in spite of the fact that the intracellular events associated with immunoglobulin synthesis (processing and movement between subcellular compartments) have been defined, very little data exists on how or where immunoglobulin finally leaves the plasma cell. This question was approached here by first demonstrating that the polar immunoglobulin secretory vesicles (ISV) are associated with several sIg-producing cells including other hybridomas, B-cell lines, and mitogen-activated spleen cells. The second approach was to characterize the ISV on the cell ultrastructurally and to establish that these vesicles are released from the cell carrying with them sIg. Isolated vesicles released from biosynthetically labeled Ig-producing cells were analyzed by SDS-PAGE in order to confirm the presence of sIg and to determine the number of other proteins associated with the ISV, their molecular weights, and the degree of disulfide crosslinking of the molecules comprising this structure. Finally, the kinetics of sIg release was established by a pulse chase protocol for biosynthetically labeled cells, and by monitoring the release of radioactive Ig from surface iodinated cells. As was predicted from our biochemical studies of the ISV, we observed a very slow phase of sIg release as well as a rapid release phase. Our studies have established that at least one of the pathways for the release of Ig from hybridomas, B-cell lines, and normal splenic B-cells is via a polar multivesiculated structure that we have termed ISV, and that the sIg can be released either as a free form of the protein or packaged within a satellite vesicle which may release the sIg later and perhaps at considerable distance from the cell that produced it.

Job stress and its relationship with the level of secretory IgA in saliva: a comparison between nurses working in emergency wards and hospital clerks.

PubMed

Golshiri, Parastoo; Pourabdian, Siyamak; Najimi, Arash; Zadeh, Hamideh Mosa; Hasheminia, Javad

2012-03-01

The current study was carried out to evaluate and compare the job stress of female nurses working in emergency wards and female clerks and to analyze the possible relationship between the stress level and level of saliva secretory IgA (SIgA). Eighty four female nurses in emergency wards and female clerks of hospitals were selected (42 in each group). Their stress level was measured using the Persian short version of generic job stress questionnaire of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Moreover, the SIgA level was determined using the ELISA method. SPSS software (version 17), independent t-test, variance analysis and partial correlation were used for data analysis. The mean score of job stress was 97.30 and 91.85 in nurses and clerks, respectively (p = 0.016). The levels of saliva SIgA in nurses and clerks were 338.04 +/- 380.93 and 706 +/- 354.70, respectively (p < 0.001). The results showed a negative correlation between the levels of saliva SIgA and job stress (p = 0.02, r = -0.203). Nurses have a higher stress level compared to clerks; while the saliva SIgA level of nurses was much lower than that of the clerks. Considering the negative correlation between the saliva SIgA level and job stress, further study to evaluate the potential uses of saliva SIgA as a biomarker can be performed.

Coordinated Rates of Evolution between Interacting Plastid and Nuclear Genes in Geraniaceae

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jin; Ruhlman, Tracey A.; Sabir, Jamal; Blazier, J. Chris; Jansen, Robert K.

2015-01-01

Although gene coevolution has been widely observed within individuals and between different organisms, rarely has this phenomenon been investigated within a phylogenetic framework. The Geraniaceae is an attractive system in which to study plastid-nuclear genome coevolution due to the highly elevated evolutionary rates in plastid genomes. In plants, the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) is a protein complex composed of subunits encoded by both plastid (rpoA, rpoB, rpoC1, and rpoC2) and nuclear genes (sig1-6). We used transcriptome and genomic data for 27 species of Geraniales in a systematic evaluation of coevolution between genes encoding subunits of the PEP holoenzyme. We detected strong correlations of dN (nonsynonymous substitutions) but not dS (synonymous substitutions) within rpoB/sig1 and rpoC2/sig2, but not for other plastid/nuclear gene pairs, and identified the correlation of dN/dS ratio between rpoB/C1/C2 and sig1/5/6, rpoC1/C2 and sig2, and rpoB/C2 and sig3 genes. Correlated rates between interacting plastid and nuclear sequences across the Geraniales could result from plastid-nuclear genome coevolution. Analyses of coevolved amino acid positions suggest that structurally mediated coevolution is not the major driver of plastid-nuclear coevolution. The detection of strong correlation of evolutionary rates between SIG and RNAP genes suggests a plausible explanation for plastome-genome incompatibility in Geraniaceae. PMID:25724640

The effect of antigen targeting sequences on antibody responses to hepatitis E virus DNA vaccines in rats and sheep.

PubMed

Li, Fan; Loke, Paxton; Healy, Anne; Lightowlers, Marshall W; Gauci, Charles G; Purcell, Damian F J; Anderson, David A

2006-02-27

Expression of the capsid (PORF2) protein of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in mammalian cells results in heterogeneous intracellular processing with a mixture of stable and rapidly degraded forms, which might be expected to influence immune responses to DNA immunisation. Plasmids encoding the N-terminal 22 or 50 amino acids of PORF2 (Sig1 or Sig3, respectively) fused at the N-terminus of the ORF2.1 antigen of HEV (amino acids 394-660 of PORF2) were examined for processing in vitro and antibody responses in vivo, in both rats and sheep. Unmodified ORF2.1 is an unstable cytosolic protein and Sig1-ORF2.1 is a stable membrane-associated protein, whereas Sig3-ORF2.1 demonstrated heterogeneous processing analogous to that of full-length PORF2. After DNA immunisation, Sig1-ORF2.1 demonstrated a 30-fold enhancement of antibody responses in rats compared to untargeted ORF2.1, increasing to more than 200-fold after boosting with recombinant protein, but was ineffective in sheep. In contrast, Sig3-ORF2.1 did not give a significant effect in rats, but demonstrated 4-5-fold enhancement of antibody responses in sheep, and this enhancement was maintained after boosting with recombinant protein. These results suggest that Sig3 in particular may have promise as a targeting molecule for DNA vaccines in large animals.

Cross-reactive dengue human monoclonal antibody prevents severe pathologies and death from Zika virus infections

PubMed Central

Kam, Yiu-Wing; Lee, Cheryl Yi-Pin; Teo, Teck-Hui; Howland, Shanshan W.; Amrun, Siti Naqiah; See, Peter; Kng, Nicholas Qing-Rong; Huber, Roland G.; Xu, Mei-Hui; Tan, Heng-Liang; Choo, Andre; Ginhoux, Florent; Fink, Katja; Wang, Cheng-I; Ng, Lisa F.P.

2017-01-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) infections have been linked with neurological complications and congenital Zika syndrome. Given the high level of homology between ZIKV and the related flavivirus dengue virus (DENV), we investigated the level of cross-reactivity with ZIKV using a panel of DENV human mAbs. A majority of the mAbs showed binding to ZIKV virions, with several exhibiting neutralizing capacities against ZIKV in vitro. Three of the best ZIKV-neutralizing mAbs were found to recognize diverse epitopes on the envelope (E) glycoprotein: the highly conserved fusion-loop peptide, a conformation-specific epitope on the E monomer, and a quaternary epitope on the virion surface. The most potent ZIKV-neutralizing mAb (SIgN-3C) was assessed in 2 type I interferon receptor–deficient (IFNAR–/–) mouse models of ZIKV infection. Treatment of adult nonpregnant mice with SIgN-3C rescued mice from virus-induced weight loss and mortality. The SIgN-3C variant with Leu-to-Ala mutations in the Fc region (SIgN-3C-LALA) did not induce antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in vitro but provided similar levels of protection in vivo. In pregnant ZIKV-infected IFNAR–/– mice, treatment with SIgN-3C or SIgN-3C-LALA significantly reduced viral load in the fetal organs and placenta and abrogated virus-induced fetal growth retardation. Therefore, SIgN-3C-LALA holds promise as a ZIKV prophylactic and therapeutic agent. PMID:28422757

Ligand-induced association of surface immunoglobulin with the detergent insoluble cytoskeleton may involve an 89K protein

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

Gupta, S.K.; Woda, B.

1986-03-01

Membrane immunoglobulin of B-lymphocytes is thought to play an important role in antigen recognition and cellular activation. Binding of cross-linking ligands to surface immunoglobulin (SIg) on intact cells converts it to a detergent insoluble state, and this conversion is associated with the transmission of a mitogenic signal. Insolubilized membrane proteins may be solubilized by incubating the detergent insoluble cytoskeletons in buffers which convert F-actin to G-actin ((Buffer 1), 0.34M sucrose, 0.5mM ATP, 0.5mM Dithiothrietol and lmM EDTA). Immunoprecipitation of SIg from the detergent soluble fraction of /sup 35/S-methionine labeled non ligand treated rat B-cells results in the co-isolation of anmore » 89K protein and a 44K protein, presumably actin. The 89K protein is not associated with the fraction of endogenous detergent insoluble SIg. On treatment of rat B cells with cross-linking ligand (anti-Ig) the 89K protein becomes detergent insoluble along with most of the SIg and co-isolates with SIg on immunoprecipitation of the detergent insoluble, buffer l solubilized fraction. The migration of the SIg-associated 89K protein from the detergent soluble fraction to the detergent insoluble fraction after ligand treatment, suggests that this protein might be involved in linking SIg to the underlying cytoskeleton and could be involved in the transmission of a mitogenic signal.« less

Research on the architecture and key technologies of SIG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Zhongliang; Meng, Qingxiang; Huang, Yan; Liu, Shufan

2007-06-01

Along with the development of computer network, Grid has become one of the hottest issues of researches on sharing and cooperation of Internet resources throughout the world. This paper illustrates a new architecture of SIG-a five-hierarchy architecture (including Data Collecting Layer, Grid Layer, Service Layer, Application Layer and Client Layer) of SIG from the traditional three hierarchies (only including resource layer, service layer and client layer). In the paper, the author proposes a new mixed network mode of Spatial Information Grid which integrates CAG (Certificate Authority of Grid) and P2P (Peer to Peer) in the Grid Layer, besides, the author discusses some key technologies of SIG and analysis the functions of these key technologies.

NMR Hole-Burning Experiments on Superionic Conductor Glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, J.; Kuwata, N.; Hattori, T.

2004-04-01

Inhomogeneity is an inherent nature of glass, which is the density and concentration fluctuation frozen at glass transition temperature. The inhomogeneity of the glass plays significant role in so called superionic conductor glasses (SIG), since the mobile ions seek to move through energetically favorable paths. The localization of mobile ions in SIG near the 2nd glass transition is a remaining issue, where the trapping, percolation and many-body interactions are playing the roles. In order to investigate the trapping process in SIG, the authors have applied 109Ag NMR Hole-Burning technique to AgI containing SIG glasses. By using this technique, the slowing down process of the site-exchange rates between different sites were evaluated.

United States Air Force Summer Faculty Research Program. 1988 Program Technical Report. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

prove relevant for a quantum mechanical analysis of this problem. VII RECOMMENDATIONS: Considerable effort has been invested in this problem during the...into the fundementals of noise see the references at the end of this report. Let us now look at the noise involved in a transmitter-receiver system...a sig- nificant investment of effort at AFWL. After S/N improvements are made, a schedule of experiments will be executed. An analysis of the kinetic

Fluvoxamine alleviates ER stress via induction of Sigma-1 receptor

PubMed Central

Omi, T; Tanimukai, H; Kanayama, D; Sakagami, Y; Tagami, S; Okochi, M; Morihara, T; Sato, M; Yanagida, K; Kitasyoji, A; Hara, H; Imaizumi, K; Maurice, T; Chevallier, N; Marchal, S; Takeda, M; Kudo, T

2014-01-01

We recently demonstrated that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induces sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) expression through the PERK pathway, which is one of the cell's responses to ER stress. In addition, it has been demonstrated that induction of Sig-1R can repress cell death signaling. Fluvoxamine (Flv) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with a high affinity for Sig-1R. In the present study, we show that treatment of neuroblastoma cells with Flv induces Sig-1R expression by increasing ATF4 translation directly, through its own activation, without involvement of the PERK pathway. The Flv-mediated induction of Sig-1R prevents neuronal cell death resulting from ER stress. Moreover, Flv-induced ER stress resistance reduces the infarct area in mice after focal cerebral ischemia. Thus, Flv, which is used frequently in clinical practice, can alleviate ER stress. This suggests that Flv could be a feasible therapy for cerebral diseases caused by ER stress. PMID:25032855

Lactoperoxidase catalyzed radioiodination of cell surface immunoglobulin: incorporated radioactivity may not reflect relative cell surface Ig density. [/sup 125/I

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

Wilder, R.L.; Yuen, C.C.; Mage, R.G.

1979-02-01

Rabbit and mouse splenic lymphocytes were radioiodinated by the lactoperoxidase technique, extracted with non-ionic detergent, immunoprecipitated with high titered rabbit anti-kappa antisera, and compared by SDS-PAGE. Mouse sIg peaks were reproducibly larger in size than rabbit sIg peaks (often greater than 10 times). Neither differences in incorporation of label into the rabbit cell surface, nor differences in average sIg density explain this result. Total TCA-precipitable radioactivity was similar in each species. Estimation of the relative amounts of sIg in the mouse and rabbit showed similar average sIg densities. Differences in detergent solubility, proteolytic lability, or antisera used also do notmore » adequately account for this difference. Thus, these data indicate that radioactivity incorporated after lactoperoxidase catalyzed cell surface radioiodination may not reflect cell surface Ig density. Conclusions about cell surface density based upon relative incorporation of radioactivity should be confirmed by other approaches.« less

Sig2GRN: a software tool linking signaling pathway with gene regulatory network for dynamic simulation.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Liu, Runsheng; Zheng, Jie

2016-12-23

Linking computational models of signaling pathways to predicted cellular responses such as gene expression regulation is a major challenge in computational systems biology. In this work, we present Sig2GRN, a Cytoscape plugin that is able to simulate time-course gene expression data given the user-defined external stimuli to the signaling pathways. A generalized logical model is used in modeling the upstream signaling pathways. Then a Boolean model and a thermodynamics-based model are employed to predict the downstream changes in gene expression based on the simulated dynamics of transcription factors in signaling pathways. Our empirical case studies show that the simulation of Sig2GRN can predict changes in gene expression patterns induced by DNA damage signals and drug treatments. As a software tool for modeling cellular dynamics, Sig2GRN can facilitate studies in systems biology by hypotheses generation and wet-lab experimental design. http://histone.scse.ntu.edu.sg/Sig2GRN/.

Small molecule modulator of sigma 2 receptor is neuroprotective and reduces cognitive deficits and neuroinflammation in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Yi, Bitna; Sahn, James J; Ardestani, Pooneh Memar; Evans, Andrew K; Scott, Luisa L; Chan, Jessica Z; Iyer, Sangeetha; Crisp, Ashley; Zuniga, Gabriella; Pierce, Jonathan T; Martin, Stephen F; Shamloo, Mehrdad

2017-02-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that modulating the sigma 2 receptor (Sig2R) can provide beneficial effects for neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we report the identification of a novel class of Sig2R ligands and their cellular and in vivo activity in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We report that SAS-0132 and DKR-1051, selective ligands of Sig2R, modulate intracellular Ca 2+ levels in human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. The Sig2R ligands SAS-0132 and JVW-1009 are neuroprotective in a C. elegans model of amyloid precursor protein-mediated neurodegeneration. Since this neuroprotective effect is replicated by genetic knockdown and knockout of vem-1, the ortholog of progesterone receptor membrane component-1 (PGRMC1), these results suggest that Sig2R ligands modulate a PGRMC1-related pathway. Last, we demonstrate that SAS-0132 improves cognitive performance both in the Thy-1 hAPP L ond/Swe+ transgenic mouse model of AD and in healthy wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that Sig2R is a promising therapeutic target for neurocognitive disorders including AD. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society for Neurochemistry.

Coordinated rates of evolution between interacting plastid and nuclear genes in Geraniaceae.

PubMed

Zhang, Jin; Ruhlman, Tracey A; Sabir, Jamal; Blazier, J Chris; Jansen, Robert K

2015-03-01

Although gene coevolution has been widely observed within individuals and between different organisms, rarely has this phenomenon been investigated within a phylogenetic framework. The Geraniaceae is an attractive system in which to study plastid-nuclear genome coevolution due to the highly elevated evolutionary rates in plastid genomes. In plants, the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) is a protein complex composed of subunits encoded by both plastid (rpoA, rpoB, rpoC1, and rpoC2) and nuclear genes (sig1-6). We used transcriptome and genomic data for 27 species of Geraniales in a systematic evaluation of coevolution between genes encoding subunits of the PEP holoenzyme. We detected strong correlations of dN (nonsynonymous substitutions) but not dS (synonymous substitutions) within rpoB/sig1 and rpoC2/sig2, but not for other plastid/nuclear gene pairs, and identified the correlation of dN/dS ratio between rpoB/C1/C2 and sig1/5/6, rpoC1/C2 and sig2, and rpoB/C2 and sig3 genes. Correlated rates between interacting plastid and nuclear sequences across the Geraniales could result from plastid-nuclear genome coevolution. Analyses of coevolved amino acid positions suggest that structurally mediated coevolution is not the major driver of plastid-nuclear coevolution. The detection of strong correlation of evolutionary rates between SIG and RNAP genes suggests a plausible explanation for plastome-genome incompatibility in Geraniaceae. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

The Distribution of SIgA and IgG Antibody-Secreting Cells in the Small Intestine of Bactrian Camels (Camelus bactrianus) of Different Ages.

PubMed

Zhang, Wang-Dong; Wang, Wen-Hui; Jia, Shuai

2016-01-01

Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) are two important cell types in the mucosal immune system. This study aimed to explore the distribution of these ASC populations in the small intestine of Bactrian camels of different ages. Twenty-four Alashan Bactrian camels were divided into the following four age groups: young (1-2 years), pubertal (3-5 years), middle-aged (6-16 years) and old (17-20 years). SIgA and IgG ASCs in the intestinal mucosa lamina propria (LP) were observed and analyzed using immunohistochemcal techniques. The results from all age groups show that both SIgA and IgG ASCs were diffusely distributed in the intestinal LP, and some cells aggregated around the crypts. Moreover, the densities of the two ASC populations gradually increased from the duodenum to the jejunum and then decreased in the ileum. Meanwhile, there were more SIgA ASCs than IgG ASCs in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, and these differences were significant in the young and pubertal groups (P<0.05). In addition, the SIgA and IgG ASC densities increased from the young to the pubertal period, peaked at puberty, and then gradually decreased with age. The results demonstrate that the SIgA and IgG ASC distributions help to form two immunoglobulin barriers in the intestinal mucosa to provide full protection, helping to maintain homeostasis. These findings also underscore the importance of researching the development and degeneration of intestinal mucosal immunity in Bactrian camels.

The distribution of SIgA and IgG antibody-secreting cells in the palatine tonsils of Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) of different ages.

PubMed

Jia, Shuai; Zhang, Wangdong; Tan, Xuefen; He, Wanhong; Wang, Wenhui

2017-05-01

Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) are the major effector cells of mucosal immunity, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) ASCs are also associated with mucosal immunity. This study aimed to explore the distribution of these 2 ASC populations in the palatine tonsils of Bactrian camels of different ages. Eighteen Bactrian camels were divided into the following three age groups: pubertal (3-5 years), middle-aged (6-16 years) and old (17-20 years). SIgA and IgG ASCs within different sites of the palatine tonsils were observed through histological and immunohistochemical techniques, and their densities were analyzed using statistical methods. The results from all age groups showed that both the SIgA and IgG ASCs were primarily distributed in the subepithelial compartments of the reticulated crypt epithelium and secondarily distributed in the subepithelial compartments of the stratified surface squamous epithelium, with a few ASCs located in the extrafollicular region. Their densities in these three areas were significantly decreased in turn (P<0.05). However, the densities of SIgA ASCs were significantly higher than IgG ASCs in the same regions (P<0.05), and the densities of both ASC populations decreased with age. The results confirmed that Bactrian camel palatine tonsils are the primary mucosal immune organ producing SIgA ASCs, and the subepithelial compartment of the reticulated crypt epithelium is the primary region for the colonization and functional activity of SIgA and IgG ASCs.

The Role of Secretory Immunoglobulin A in the Natural Sensing of Commensal Bacteria by Mouse Peyer's Patch Dendritic Cells*

PubMed Central

Rol, Nicolas; Favre, Laurent; Benyacoub, Jalil; Corthésy, Blaise

2012-01-01

The mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract harbors a diverse population of commensal species collectively known as the microbiota, which interact continuously with the host. From very early in life, secretory IgA (SIgA) is found in association with intestinal bacteria. It is considered that this helps to ensure self-limiting growth of the microbiota and hence participates in symbiosis. However, the importance of this association in contributing to the mechanisms ensuring natural host-microorganism communication is in need of further investigation. In the present work, we examined the possible role of SIgA in the transport of commensal bacteria across the GI epithelium. Using an intestinal loop mouse model and fluorescently labeled bacteria, we found that entry of commensal bacteria in Peyer's patches (PP) via the M cell pathway was mediated by their association with SIgA. Preassociation of bacteria with nonspecific SIgA increased their dynamics of entry and restored the reduced transport observed in germ-free mice known to have a marked reduction in intestinal SIgA production. Selective SIgA-mediated targeting of bacteria is restricted to the tolerogenic CD11c+CD11b+CD8− dendritic cell subset located in the subepithelial dome region of PPs, confirming that the host is not ignorant of its resident commensals. In conclusion, our work supports the concept that SIgA-mediated monitoring of commensal bacteria targeting dendritic cells in the subepithelial dome region of PPs represents a mechanism whereby the host mucosal immune system controls the continuous dialogue between the host and commensal bacteria. PMID:23027876

34 CFR 75.200 - How applications for new grants and cooperative agreements are selected for funding; standards...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... formula grant program. (b) Discretionary grant programs. (1) A discretionary grant program is one that... select recipients of cooperative agreements. (c) Formula grant programs. (1) A formula grant program is one that entitles certain applicants to receive grants if they meet the requirements of the program...

34 CFR 75.200 - How applications for new grants and cooperative agreements are selected for funding; standards...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... formula grant program. (b) Discretionary grant programs. (1) A discretionary grant program is one that... select recipients of cooperative agreements. (c) Formula grant programs. (1) A formula grant program is one that entitles certain applicants to receive grants if they meet the requirements of the program...

34 CFR 75.200 - How applications for new grants and cooperative agreements are selected for funding; standards...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... formula grant program. (b) Discretionary grant programs. (1) A discretionary grant program is one that... select recipients of cooperative agreements. (c) Formula grant programs. (1) A formula grant program is one that entitles certain applicants to receive grants if they meet the requirements of the program...

34 CFR 75.200 - How applications for new grants and cooperative agreements are selected for funding; standards...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... formula grant program. (b) Discretionary grant programs. (1) A discretionary grant program is one that... select recipients of cooperative agreements. (c) Formula grant programs. (1) A formula grant program is one that entitles certain applicants to receive grants if they meet the requirements of the program...

34 CFR 75.200 - How applications for new grants and cooperative agreements are selected for funding; standards...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... formula grant program. (b) Discretionary grant programs. (1) A discretionary grant program is one that... select recipients of cooperative agreements. (c) Formula grant programs. (1) A formula grant program is one that entitles certain applicants to receive grants if they meet the requirements of the program...

Oral Microbial Ecology and the Role of Salivary Immunoglobulin A

PubMed Central

Marcotte, Harold; Lavoie, Marc C.

1998-01-01

In the oral cavity, indigenous bacteria are often associated with two major oral diseases, caries and periodontal diseases. These diseases seem to appear following an inbalance in the oral resident microbiota, leading to the emergence of potentially pathogenic bacteria. To define the process involved in caries and periodontal diseases, it is necessary to understand the ecology of the oral cavity and to identify the factors responsible for the transition of the oral microbiota from a commensal to a pathogenic relationship with the host. The regulatory forces influencing the oral ecosystem can be divided into three major categories: host related, microbe related, and external factors. Among host factors, secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) constitutes the main specific immune defense mechanism in saliva and may play an important role in the homeostasis of the oral microbiota. Naturally occurring SIgA antibodies that are reactive against a variety of indigenous bacteria are detectable in saliva. These antibodies may control the oral microbiota by reducing the adherence of bacteria to the oral mucosa and teeth. It is thought that protection against bacterial etiologic agents of caries and periodontal diseases could be conferred by the induction of SIgA antibodies via the stimulation of the mucosal immune system. However, elucidation of the role of the SIgA immune system in controlling the oral indigenous microbiota is a prerequisite for the development of effective vaccines against these diseases. The role of SIgA antibodies in the acquisition and the regulation of the indigenous microbiota is still controversial. Our review discusses the importance of SIgA among the multiple factors that control the oral microbiota. It describes the oral ecosystems, the principal factors that may control the oral microbiota, a basic knowledge of the secretory immune system, the biological functions of SIgA, and, finally, experiments related to the role of SIgA in oral microbial ecology. PMID:9529888

The Listeria monocytogenes Bile Stimulon under Acidic Conditions Is Characterized by Strain-Specific Patterns and the Upregulation of Motility, Cell Wall Modification Functions, and the PrfA Regulon

PubMed Central

Guariglia-Oropeza, Veronica; Orsi, Renato H.; Guldimann, Claudia; Wiedmann, Martin; Boor, Kathryn J.

2018-01-01

Listeria monocytogenes uses a variety of transcriptional regulation strategies to adapt to the extra-host environment, the gastrointestinal tract, and the intracellular host environment. While the alternative sigma factor SigB has been proposed to be a key transcriptional regulator that facilitates L. monocytogenes adaptation to the gastrointestinal environment, the L. monocytogenes' transcriptional response to bile exposure is not well-understood. RNA-seq characterization of the bile stimulon was performed in two L. monocytogenes strains representing lineages I and II. Exposure to bile at pH 5.5 elicited a large transcriptomic response with ~16 and 23% of genes showing differential transcription in 10403S and H7858, respectively. The bile stimulon includes genes involved in motility and cell wall modification mechanisms, as well as genes in the PrfA regulon, which likely facilitate survival during the gastrointestinal stages of infection that follow bile exposure. The fact that bile exposure induced the PrfA regulon, but did not induce further upregulation of the SigB regulon (beyond that expected by exposure to pH 5.5), suggests a model where at the earlier stages of gastrointestinal infection (e.g., acid exposure in the stomach), SigB-dependent gene expression plays an important role. Subsequent exposure to bile induces the PrfA regulon, potentially priming L. monocytogenes for subsequent intracellular infection stages. Some members of the bile stimulon showed lineage- or strain-specific distribution when 27 Listeria genomes were analyzed. Even though sigB null mutants showed increased sensitivity to bile, the SigB regulon was not found to be upregulated in response to bile beyond levels expected by exposure to pH 5.5. Comparison of wildtype and corresponding ΔsigB strains newly identified 26 SigB-dependent genes, all with upstream putative SigB-dependent promoters. PMID:29467736

The atypical two-subunit σ factor from Bacillus subtilis is regulated by an integral membrane protein and acid stress.

PubMed

Davis, Maria C; Smith, Logan K; MacLellan, Shawn R

2016-02-01

Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors constitute a major component of the physicochemical sensory apparatus in bacteria. Most ECF σ factors are co-expressed with a negative regulator called an anti-σ factor that binds to its cognate σ factor and sequesters it from productive association with core RNA polymerase (RNAP). Anti-σ factors constitute an important element of signal transduction pathways that mediate an appropriate transcriptional response to changing environmental conditions. The Bacillus subtilis genome encodes seven canonical ECF σ factors and six of these are co-expressed with experimentally verified anti-σ factors. B. subtilis also expresses an ECF-like atypical two-subunit σ factor composed of subunits SigO and RsoA that becomes active after exposure to certain cell-wall-acting antibiotics and to growth under acidic conditions. This work describes the identification and preliminary characterization of a protein (RsiO, formerly YvrL) that constitutes the anti-σ factor cognate to SigO-RsoA. Synthesis of RsiO represses SigO-RsoA-dependent transcription initiation by binding the N-terminus of SigO under neutral (pH 7) conditions. Reconstitution of the SigO-RsoA-RsiO regulatory system into a heterologous host reveals that the imposition of acid stress (pH 5.4) abolishes the ability of RsiO to repress SigO-RsoA-dependent transcription and this correlates with loss of RsiO binding affinity for SigO. A current model for RsiO function indicates that RsiO responds, either directly or indirectly, to increased extracytoplasmic hydrogen ion concentration and becomes inactivated. This results in the release of SigO into the cytoplasm, where it productively associates with RsoA and core RNAP to initiate transcription from target promoters in the cell.

MicroRNA-297 promotes cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via targeting sigma-1 receptor.

PubMed

Bao, Qinxue; Zhao, Mingyue; Chen, Li; Wang, Yu; Wu, Siyuan; Wu, Wenchao; Liu, Xiaojing

2017-04-15

Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a ligand-regulated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone involved in cardiac hypertrophy, but it is not known whether Sig-1R is regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). According to bioinformatic analysis, miR-297 was suggested as a potential target miRNA for Sig-1R. Therefore, we verified whether miR-297 could target Sig-1R and investigated the possible mechanisms underlying the role of miR-297 in cardiac hypertrophy. Bioinformatic analysis combined with laboratory experiments, including quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting, and luciferase assay, were performed to identify the target miRNA of Sig-1R. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NCMs) stimulated with angiotensin II (AngII) were used to explore the relationship between miR-297 and Sig-1R. Additionally, the function of miR-297 in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and ER stress/unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathway was investigated by transfecting miR-297 mimics/inhibitor. miR-297 levels were increased in both TAC-induced hypertrophic heart tissue and AngII-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Up-regulation of miR-297 by specific mimics exacerbated AngII-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, whereas inhibition of miR-297 suppressed the process. During cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, Sig-1R expression, which was negatively regulated by miR-297 by directly targeting its 3'untranslated region (UTR), was decreased. Furthermore, attenuation of miR-297 inhibited the activation of X-box binding protein 1 (Xbp1) and activating transcriptional factor 4 (ATF4) signaling pathways in NCMs. Our data demonstrate that miR-297 promotes cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by inhibiting the expression of Sig-1R and activation of ER stress signaling, which provides a novel interpretation for cardiac hypertrophy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salt-sensitivity of σ(H) and Spo0A prevents sporulation of Bacillus subtilis at high osmolarity avoiding death during cellular differentiation.

PubMed

Widderich, Nils; Rodrigues, Christopher D A; Commichau, Fabian M; Fischer, Kathleen E; Ramirez-Guadiana, Fernando H; Rudner, David Z; Bremer, Erhard

2016-04-01

The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis frequently experiences high osmolarity as a result of desiccation in the soil. The formation of a highly desiccation-resistant endospore might serve as a logical osmostress escape route when vegetative growth is no longer possible. However, sporulation efficiency drastically decreases concomitant with an increase in the external salinity. Fluorescence microscopy of sporulation-specific promoter fusions to gfp revealed that high salinity blocks entry into the sporulation pathway at a very early stage. Specifically, we show that both Spo0A- and SigH-dependent transcription are impaired. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the association of SigH with core RNA polymerase is reduced under these conditions. Suppressors that modestly increase sporulation efficiency at high salinity map to the coding region of sigH and in the regulatory region of kinA, encoding one the sensor kinases that activates Spo0A. These findings led us to discover that B. subtilis cells that overproduce KinA can bypass the salt-imposed block in sporulation. Importantly, these cells are impaired in the morphological process of engulfment and late forespore gene expression and frequently undergo lysis. Altogether our data indicate that B. subtilis blocks entry into sporulation in high-salinity environments preventing commitment to a developmental program that it cannot complete. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Salt-sensitivity of σH and Spo0A prevents sporulation of Bacillus subtilis at high osmolarity avoiding death during cellular differentiation

PubMed Central

Widderich, Nils; Rodrigues, Christopher D.A.; Commichau, Fabian M.; Fischer, Kathleen E.; Ramirez-Guadiana, Fernando H.; Rudner, David Z.; Bremer, Erhard

2016-01-01

Summary The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis frequently experiences high osmolarity as a result of desiccation in the soil. The formation of a highly desiccation-resistant endospore might serve as a logical osmostress escape route when vegetative growth is no longer possible. However, sporulation efficiency drastically decreases concomitant with an increase in the external salinity. Fluorescence microscopy of sporulation-specific promoter fusions to gfp revealed that high salinity blocks entry into the sporulation pathway at a very early stage. Specifically, we show that both Spo0A- and SigH-dependent transcription are impaired. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the association of SigH with core RNA polymerase is reduced under these conditions. Suppressors that modestly increase sporulation efficiency at high salinity map to the coding region of sigH and in the regulatory region of kinA, encoding one the sensor kinases that activates Spo0A. These findings led us to discover that B. subtilis cells that overproduce KinA can bypass the salt-imposed block in sporulation. Importantly, these cells are impaired in the morphological process of engulfment and late forespore gene expression and frequently undergo lysis. Altogether our data indicate that B. subtilis blocks entry into sporulation in high-salinity environments preventing commitment to a developmental program that it cannot complete. PMID:26712348

THE GRAY THREAT. Assessing the Next-Generation European Fighters,

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

magnitude levels substantially, al- though operationally significant benefits against advanced threats are likely only from a narrow forward sector . EF...operationally sig- nificant benefits against advanced radar threats are likely only from a narrow forward sector . Company literature also points to...the industrial sector . Industrial capabilities will be maintained, all procurement programs will be kept up ... The first choice is to give

Arts and Learning SIG. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Chicago, Illinois, March 31-April 4, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koroscik, Judith; Barrett, Terry

The Proceedings Journal contains 13 articles presented at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting as part of the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group program. Individual articles and their authors are: "A Descriptive and Analytical Study of Art Criticism Formats with Implications for Curricular Implementation" by Karen…

Integrating Information Assurance and Security into IT Education: A Look at the Model Curriculum and Emerging Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dark, Melissa Jane; Ekstrom, Joseph J.; Lunt, Barry M.

2006-01-01

In December 2001 a meeting of interested parties from fifteen four-year IT programs from the US along with representatives from IEEE, ACM, and ABET (CITC-1) began work on the formalization of Information Technology as an accredited academic discipline. The effort has evolved into SIGITE, the ACM SIG for Information Technology Education. During…

The Distribution of SIgA and IgG Antibody-Secreting Cells in the Small Intestine of Bactrian Camels (Camelus bactrianus) of Different Ages

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wang-Dong; Wang, Wen-Hui; Jia, Shuai

2016-01-01

Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) are two important cell types in the mucosal immune system. This study aimed to explore the distribution of these ASC populations in the small intestine of Bactrian camels of different ages. Twenty-four Alashan Bactrian camels were divided into the following four age groups: young (1–2 years), pubertal (3–5 years), middle-aged (6–16 years) and old (17–20 years). SIgA and IgG ASCs in the intestinal mucosa lamina propria (LP) were observed and analyzed using immunohistochemcal techniques. The results from all age groups show that both SIgA and IgG ASCs were diffusely distributed in the intestinal LP, and some cells aggregated around the crypts. Moreover, the densities of the two ASC populations gradually increased from the duodenum to the jejunum and then decreased in the ileum. Meanwhile, there were more SIgA ASCs than IgG ASCs in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, and these differences were significant in the young and pubertal groups (P<0.05). In addition, the SIgA and IgG ASC densities increased from the young to the pubertal period, peaked at puberty, and then gradually decreased with age. The results demonstrate that the SIgA and IgG ASC distributions help to form two immunoglobulin barriers in the intestinal mucosa to provide full protection, helping to maintain homeostasis. These findings also underscore the importance of researching the development and degeneration of intestinal mucosal immunity in Bactrian camels. PMID:27249417

Spinal sigma-1 receptors activate NADPH oxidase 2 leading to the induction of pain hypersensitivity in mice and mechanical allodynia in neuropathic rats.

PubMed

Choi, Sheu-Ran; Roh, Dae-Hyun; Yoon, Seo-Yeon; Kang, Suk-Yun; Moon, Ji-Young; Kwon, Soon-Gu; Choi, Hoon-Seong; Han, Ho-Jae; Beitz, Alvin J; Oh, Seog-Bae; Lee, Jang-Hern

2013-08-01

We have recently demonstrated that spinal sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) mediate pain hypersensitivity in mice and neuropathic pain in rats. In this study, we examine the role of NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) on Sig-1R-induced pain hypersensitivity and the induction of chronic neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was produced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the right sciatic nerve in rats. Mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were evaluated in mice and CCI-rats. Western blotting and dihydroethidium (DHE) staining were performed to assess the changes in Nox2 activation and ROS production in spinal cord, respectively. Direct activation of spinal Sig-1Rs with the Sig-1R agonist, PRE084 induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, which were dose-dependently attenuated by pretreatment with the ROS scavenger, NAC or the Nox inhibitor, apocynin. PRE084 also induced an increase in Nox2 activation and ROS production, which were attenuated by pretreatment with the Sig-1R antagonist, BD1047 or apocynin. CCI-induced nerve injury produced an increase in Nox2 activation and ROS production in the spinal cord, all of which were attenuated by intrathecal administration with BD1047 during the induction phase of neuropathic pain. Furthermore, administration with BD1047 or apocynin reversed CCI-induced mechanical allodynia during the induction phase, but not the maintenance phase. These findings demonstrate that spinal Sig-1Rs modulate Nox2 activation and ROS production in the spinal cord, and ultimately contribute to the Sig-1R-induced pain hypersensitivity and the peripheral nerve injury-induced induction of chronic neuropathic pain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

N-Acetylglutaminoyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (SIG-1191): an anti-inflammatory molecule that increases the expression of the aquaglyceroporin, aquaporin-3, in human keratinocytes.

PubMed

Fernández, José R; Webb, Corey; Rouzard, Karl; Voronkov, Michael; Huber, Kristen L; Stock, Jeffry B; Stock, Maxwell; Gordon, Joel S; Perez, Eduardo

2017-03-01

Isoprenylcysteine (IPC) small molecules were discovered as signal transduction modulating compounds ~25 years ago. More recently, IPC molecules have demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in a variety of dermal cells as well as antimicrobial activity, representing a novel class of compounds to ameliorate skin conditions and disease. Here, we demonstrate a new IPC compound, N-acetylglutaminoyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (SIG-1191), which inhibits UVB-induced inflammation blocking pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production. To investigate further the previously reported hydrating potential of IPC compounds, SIG-1191 was tested for its ability to modulate aquaporin expression. Specifically, aquaporin 3 (AQP3) the most abundant aquaporin found in skin has been reported to play a key role in skin hydration, elasticity and barrier repair. Results show here for the first time that SIG-1191 increases AQP3 expression in both cultured normal human epidermal keratinocytes as well as when applied topically in a three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed human skin equivalent. Additionally, SIG-1191 dose dependently increased AQP3 protein levels, as determined by specific antibody staining, in the epidermis of the 3D skin equivalents. To begin to elucidate which signaling pathways SIG-1191 may be modulating to increase AQP3 levels, we used several pharmacological pathway inhibitors and determined that AQP3 expression is mediated by the Mitogen-activated protein kinase/Extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) pathway. Altogether, these data suggest SIG-1191 represents a new IPC derivative with anti-inflammatory activity that may also promote increased skin hydration based on its ability to increase AQP3 levels.

The impact of sport related stressors on immunity and illness risk in team-sport athletes.

PubMed

Keaney, Lauren C; Kilding, Andrew E; Merien, Fabrice; Dulson, Deborah K

2018-06-19

Elite team-sport athletes are frequently exposed to stressors that have the potential to depress immunity and increase infection risk. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to describe how team-sport stressors impact upon immune responses, along with exploring whether alterations in these markers have the potential to predict upper respiratory tract illness symptoms. Narrative review. Salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and T-cell markers have been shown to predict infection risk in individual endurance athletes. Papers discussing the impact of team-sport stressors on SIgA and T-cells were discussed in the review, studies discussing other aspects of immunity were excluded. Journal articles were sourced from PubMed, Web of science and Scopus. Key search terms included team-sport athletes, stressors, immunity, T-cells, cytokines, SIgA and upper respiratory illness. Most team-sport stressors appear to increase risk for illness. An association between reduced SIgA and increased illness incidence has been demonstrated. Intensive training and competition periods have been shown to reduce SIgA, however, it is less clear how additional stressors including extreme environmental conditions, travel, psychological stress, sleep disturbance and poor nutrition affect immune responses. Monitoring SIgA may provide an assessment of a team-sport athletes risk status for developing upper respiratory tract symptoms, however there is currently not enough evidence to suggest SIgA alone can predict illness. Team-sport stressors challenge immunity and it is possible that the combination of stressors could have a compounding effect on immunodepression and infection risk. Given that illness can disrupt training and performance, further research is required to better elucidate how stressors individually and collectively influence immunity and illness. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Bacillus subtilis yaaH Gene Is Transcribed by SigE RNA Polymerase during Sporulation, and Its Product Is Involved in Germination of Spores

PubMed Central

Kodama, Takeko; Takamatsu, Hiromu; Asai, Kei; Kobayashi, Kazuo; Ogasawara, Naotake; Watabe, Kazuhito

1999-01-01

The expression of 21 novel genes located in the region from dnaA to abrB of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome was analyzed. One of the genes, yaaH, had a predicted promoter sequence conserved among SigE-dependent genes. Northern blot analysis revealed that yaaH mRNA was first detected from 2 h after the cessation of logarithmic growth (T2) of sporulation in wild-type cells and in spoIIIG (SigG−) and spoIVCB (SigK−) mutants but not in spoIIAC (SigF−) and spoIIGAB (SigE−) mutants. The transcription start point was determined by primer extension analysis; the −10 and −35 regions are very similar to the consensus sequences recognized by SigE-containing RNA polymerase. A YaaH-His tag fusion encoded by a plasmid with a predicted promoter for the yaaH gene was produced from T2 of sporulation in a B. subtilis transformant and extracted from mature spores, indicating that the yaaH gene product is a spore protein. Inactivation of the yaaH gene by insertion of an erythromycin resistance gene did not affect vegetative growth or spore resistance to heat, chloroform, and lysozyme. The germination of yaaH mutant spores in a mixture of l-asparagine, d-glucose, d-fructose, and potassium chloride was almost the same as that of wild-type spores, but the mutant spores were defective in l-alanine-stimulated germination. These results suggest that yaaH is a novel gene encoding a spore protein produced in the mother cell compartment from T2 of sporulation and that it is required for the l-alanine-stimulated germination pathway. PMID:10419957

The Cryptic Competence Pathway in Streptococcus pyogenes Is Controlled by a Peptide Pheromone

PubMed Central

Mashburn-Warren, Lauren; Morrison, Donald A.

2012-01-01

Horizontal gene transfer is an important means of bacterial evolution that is facilitated by transduction, conjugation, and natural genetic transformation. Transformation occurs after bacterial cells enter a state of competence, where naked DNA is acquired from the extracellular environment. Induction of the competent state relies on signals that activate master regulators, causing the expression of genes involved in DNA uptake, processing, and recombination. All streptococcal species contain the master regulator SigX and SigX-dependent effector genes required for natural genetic transformation; however, not all streptococcal species have been shown to be naturally competent. We recently demonstrated that competence development in Streptococcus mutans requires the type II ComRS quorum-sensing circuit, comprising an Rgg transcriptional activator and a novel peptide pheromone (L. Mashburn-Warren, D. A. Morrison, and M. J. Federle, Mol. Microbiol. 78:589–606, 2010). The type II ComRS system is shared by the pyogenic, mutans, and bovis streptococci, including the clinically relevant pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. Here, we describe the activation of sigX by a small-peptide pheromone and an Rgg regulator of the type II ComRS class. We confirm previous reports that SigX is functional and able to activate sigX-dependent gene expression within the competence regulon, and that SigX stability is influenced by the cytoplasmic protease ClpP. Genomic analyses of available S. pyogenes genomes revealed the presence of intact genes within the competence regulon. While this is the first report to show natural induction of sigX, S. pyogenes remained nontransformable under laboratory conditions. Using radiolabeled DNA, we demonstrate that transformation is blocked at the stage of DNA uptake. PMID:22730123

SIG -- The Role of Human-Computer Interaction in Next-Generation Control Rooms

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

Ronald L. Boring; Jacques Hugo; Christian Richard

2005-04-01

The purpose of this CHI Special Interest Group (SIG) is to facilitate the convergence between human-computer interaction (HCI) and control room design. HCI researchers and practitioners actively need to infuse state-of-the-art interface technology into control rooms to meet usability, safety, and regulatory requirements. This SIG outlines potential HCI contributions to instrumentation and control (I&C) and automation in control rooms as well as to general control room design.

The extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigY is important for efficient maintenance of the Spβ prophage that encodes sublancin in Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed

Mendez, Rebecca; Gutierrez, Alba; Reyes, Jasmin; Márquez-Magaña, Leticia

2012-06-01

Many strains of the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis are capable of producing and being resistant to the antibiotic sublancin because they harbor the Spβ prophage. This 135 kb viral genome is integrated into the circular DNA chromosome of B. subtilis, and contains genes for the production of and resistance to sublancin. We investigated the role of SigY in sublancin production and resistance, finding that it is important for efficient maintenance of the Spβ prophage. We were unable to detect the prophage in mutants lacking SigY. Additionally, these mutants were no longer able to produce sublancin, were sensitive to killing by this factor, and displayed a delay in sporulation. Wild-type cells with normal SigY activity were found to partially lose the Spβ prophage during growth and early sporulation, suggesting a mechanism for the bistable outcome of sibling cells capable of killing and of being killed. The appropriate regulation of SigY appears to be essential for growth as evidenced by the inability to disrupt the gene for its putative antisigma. Our results confirm a role for SigY in antibiotic production and resistance, as has been found for other members of the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor family in B. subtilis, and shows that this role is achieved by affecting maintenance of the Spβ prophage.

Synchrotron Intensity Gradients as Tracers of Interstellar Magnetic Fields

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

Lazarian, A.; Yuen, Ka Ho; Lee, Hyeseung

On the basis of the modern understanding of MHD turbulence, we propose a new way of using synchrotron radiation: using synchrotron intensity gradients (SIGs) for tracing astrophysical magnetic fields. We successfully test the new technique using synthetic data obtained with 3D MHD simulations and provide the demonstration of the practical utility of the technique by comparing the directions of magnetic fields that are obtained with PLANCK synchrotron intensity data to the directions obtained with PLANCK synchrotron polarization data. We demonstrate that the SIGs can reliably trace magnetic fields in the presence of noise and can provide detailed maps of magneticmore » field directions. We also show that the SIGs are relatively robust for tracing magnetic fields while the low spatial frequencies of the synchrotron image are removed. This makes the SIGs applicable to the tracing of magnetic fields using interferometric data with single-dish measurement absent. We discuss the synergy of using the SIGs together with synchrotron polarization in order to find the actual direction of the magnetic fields and quantify the effects of Faraday rotation as well as with other ways of studying astrophysical magnetic fields. We test our method in the presence of noise and the resolution effects. We stress the complementary nature of the studies using the SIG technique and those employing the recently introduced velocity gradient techniques that trace magnetic fields using spectroscopic data.« less

Prevalence and antimicrogram of Staphylococcus intermedius group isolates from veterinary staff, companion animals, and the environment in veterinary hospitals in Korea.

PubMed

Youn, Jung-Ho; Yoon, Jang Won; Koo, Hye Cheong; Lim, Suk-Kyung; Park, Yong Ho

2011-03-01

The Staphylococcus intermedius bacterial group (SIG) includes 3 distinct genetically heterogenous species: S. intermedius, S. pseudintermedius, and S. delphini. This pathogen group is associated with many opportunistic skin and ear infections in companion animals. Human infections with S. intermedius and S. pseudintermedius isolates and the emergence of methicillin-resistant isolates have been recently reported, which emphasizes the importance of nationwide identification of SIG isolate prevalence and antibiotic resistance in veterinary clinics. In the present study, a total of 178 SIG isolates were obtained from veterinary staff (n  =  40), companion animals (n  =  115), and the local environment (n  =  23) in 8 Korean veterinary hospitals. Isolates were differentiated into 167 S. pseudintermedius (93.8%) and 11 S. intermedius (6.2%) isolates; S. delphini isolates were not identified. The most effective antibiotics against these isolates included amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, amikacin, nitrofloxacin, imipenem, and vancomycin; whereas ampicillin, penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were not effective. Surprisingly, the 128 SIG isolates (71.9%) displayed multiple drug resistance (MDR) against 3 or more antibiotic classes. Out of 52 SIG isolates carrying the methicillin-resistance gene (mecA), only 34 (65.4%) were oxacillin-resistant, and 49 (94.2%) methicillin-resistant SIG were multidrug resistant. This finding suggests the presence of greater numbers of MDR phenotypes than other isolates (P < 0.05).

Synchrotron Intensity Gradients as Tracers of Interstellar Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazarian, A.; Yuen, Ka Ho; Lee, Hyeseung; Cho, J.

2017-06-01

On the basis of the modern understanding of MHD turbulence, we propose a new way of using synchrotron radiation: using synchrotron intensity gradients (SIGs) for tracing astrophysical magnetic fields. We successfully test the new technique using synthetic data obtained with 3D MHD simulations and provide the demonstration of the practical utility of the technique by comparing the directions of magnetic fields that are obtained with PLANCK synchrotron intensity data to the directions obtained with PLANCK synchrotron polarization data. We demonstrate that the SIGs can reliably trace magnetic fields in the presence of noise and can provide detailed maps of magnetic field directions. We also show that the SIGs are relatively robust for tracing magnetic fields while the low spatial frequencies of the synchrotron image are removed. This makes the SIGs applicable to the tracing of magnetic fields using interferometric data with single-dish measurement absent. We discuss the synergy of using the SIGs together with synchrotron polarization in order to find the actual direction of the magnetic fields and quantify the effects of Faraday rotation as well as with other ways of studying astrophysical magnetic fields. We test our method in the presence of noise and the resolution effects. We stress the complementary nature of the studies using the SIG technique and those employing the recently introduced velocity gradient techniques that trace magnetic fields using spectroscopic data.

Induction of a stable sigma factor SigR by translation-inhibiting antibiotics confers resistance to antibiotics.

PubMed

Yoo, Ji-Sun; Oh, Gyeong-Seok; Ryoo, Sungweon; Roe, Jung-Hye

2016-06-27

Antibiotic-producing streptomycetes are rich sources of resistance mechanisms against endogenous and exogenous antibiotics. An ECF sigma factor σ(R) (SigR) is known to govern the thiol-oxidative stress response in Streptomyces coelicolor. Amplification of this response is achieved by producing an unstable isoform of σ(R) called σ(R'). In this work, we present evidence that antibiotics induce the SigR regulon via a redox-independent pathway, leading to antibiotic resistance. The translation-inhibiting antibiotics enhanced the synthesis of stable σ(R), eliciting a prolonged response. WblC/WhiB7, a WhiB-like DNA-binding protein, is responsible for inducing sigRp1 transcripts encoding the stable σ(R). The amount of WblC protein and its binding to the sigRp1 promoter in vivo increased upon antibiotic treatment. A similar phenomenon appears to exist in Mycobacterium tuberculosis as well. These findings reveal a novel antibiotic-induced resistance mechanism conserved among actinomycetes, and also give an explicit example of overlap in cellular damage and defense mechanisms between thiol-oxidative and anti- translational stresses.

TRPV1 channels and the progesterone receptor Sig-1R interact to regulate pain.

PubMed

Ortíz-Rentería, Miguel; Juárez-Contreras, Rebeca; González-Ramírez, Ricardo; Islas, León D; Sierra-Ramírez, Félix; Llorente, Itzel; Simon, Sidney A; Hiriart, Marcia; Rosenbaum, Tamara; Morales-Lázaro, Sara L

2018-02-13

The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channel is expressed in nociceptors where, when activated by chemical or thermal stimuli, it functions as an important transducer of painful and itch-related stimuli. Although the interaction of TRPV1 with proteins that regulate its function has been previously explored, their modulation by chaperones has not been elucidated, as is the case for other mammalian TRP channels. Here we show that TRPV1 physically interacts with the Sigma 1 Receptor (Sig-1R), a chaperone that binds progesterone, an antagonist of Sig-1R and an important neurosteroid associated to the modulation of pain. Antagonism of Sig-1R by progesterone results in the down-regulation of TRPV1 expression in the plasma membrane of sensory neurons and, consequently, a decrease in capsaicin-induced nociceptive responses. This is observed both in males treated with a synthetic antagonist of Sig-1R and in pregnant females where progesterone levels are elevated. This constitutes a previously undescribed mechanism by which TRPV1-dependent nociception and pain can be regulated.

Sigma-1 receptor chaperones at the ER-mitochondrion interface regulate Ca(2+) signaling and cell survival.

PubMed

Hayashi, Teruo; Su, Tsung-Ping

2007-11-02

Communication between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrion is important for bioenergetics and cellular survival. The ER supplies Ca(2+) directly to mitochondria via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) at close contacts between the two organelles referred to as mitochondrion-associated ER membrane (MAM). We found here that the ER protein sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R), which is implicated in neuroprotection, carcinogenesis, and neuroplasticity, is a Ca(2+)-sensitive and ligand-operated receptor chaperone at MAM. Normally, Sig-1Rs form a complex at MAM with another chaperone, BiP. Upon ER Ca(2+) depletion or via ligand stimulation, Sig-1Rs dissociate from BiP, leading to a prolonged Ca(2+) signaling into mitochondria via IP3Rs. Sig-1Rs can translocate under chronic ER stress. Increasing Sig-1Rs in cells counteracts ER stress response, whereas decreasing them enhances apoptosis. These results reveal that the orchestrated ER chaperone machinery at MAM, by sensing ER Ca(2+) concentrations, regulates ER-mitochondrial interorganellar Ca(2+) signaling and cell survival.

Sigma-1 receptor chaperones in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

PubMed Central

Pokrass, Michael J; Klauer, Neal R; De Credico, Nicole E

2017-01-01

Introduction Sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) are molecular chaperones that reside mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but exist also in the proximity of the plasma membrane. Sig-1Rs are highly expressed in the CNS and are involved in many cellular processes including cell differentiation, neuritogenesis, microglia activation, protein quality control, calcium-mediated ER stress and ion channel modulation. Disturbance in any of the above cellular processes can accelerate the progression of many neurological disorders; therefore, the Sig-1R has been implicated in several neurological diseases. Areas covered This review broadly covers the functions of Sig-1Rs including several neurodegenerative disorders in humans and drug addiction-associated neurological disturbance in the case of HIV infection. We discuss how several Sig-1R ligands could be utilized in therapeutic approaches to treat those disorders. Expert opinion Emerging understanding of the cellular functions of this unique transmembrane chaperone may lead to the use of new agents or broaden the use of certain available ligands as therapeutic targets in those neurological disorders. PMID:25331742

Induction of a stable sigma factor SigR by translation-inhibiting antibiotics confers resistance to antibiotics

PubMed Central

Yoo, Ji-Sun; Oh, Gyeong-Seok; Ryoo, Sungweon; Roe, Jung-Hye

2016-01-01

Antibiotic-producing streptomycetes are rich sources of resistance mechanisms against endogenous and exogenous antibiotics. An ECF sigma factor σR (SigR) is known to govern the thiol-oxidative stress response in Streptomyces coelicolor. Amplification of this response is achieved by producing an unstable isoform of σR called σR′. In this work, we present evidence that antibiotics induce the SigR regulon via a redox-independent pathway, leading to antibiotic resistance. The translation-inhibiting antibiotics enhanced the synthesis of stable σR, eliciting a prolonged response. WblC/WhiB7, a WhiB-like DNA-binding protein, is responsible for inducing sigRp1 transcripts encoding the stable σR. The amount of WblC protein and its binding to the sigRp1 promoter in vivo increased upon antibiotic treatment. A similar phenomenon appears to exist in Mycobacterium tuberculosis as well. These findings reveal a novel antibiotic-induced resistance mechanism conserved among actinomycetes, and also give an explicit example of overlap in cellular damage and defense mechanisms between thiol-oxidative and anti- translational stresses. PMID:27346454

Secretory IgA's Complex Roles in Immunity and Mucosal Homeostasis in the Gut

PubMed Central

Mantis, Nicholas J.; Rol, Nicolas; Corthésy, Blaise

2013-01-01

Secretory IgA (SIgA) serves as the first line of defense in protecting the intestinal epithelium from enteric toxins and pathogenic microorganisms. Through a process known as immune exclusion, SIgA promotes the clearance of antigens and pathogenic microorganisms from the intestinal lumen by blocking their access to epithelial receptors, entrapping them in mucus, and facilitating their removal by peristaltic and mucociliary activities. In addition, SIgA functions in mucosal immunity and intestinal homeostasis through mechanisms that have only recently been revealed. In just the past several years, SIgA has been identified as having the capacity to directly quench bacterial virulence factors, influence the composition of the intestinal microbiota by Fab-dependent and -independent mechanisms, promote the retro-transport of antigens across the intestinal epithelium to dendritic cell (DC) subsets in gut-associated lymphoid tissue, and, finally, to down-regulate pro-inflammatory responses normally associated with the uptake of highly pathogenic bacteria and potentially allergenic antigens. This review summarizes the intrinsic biological activities now associated with SIgA and their relationships to immunity and intestinal homeostasis. PMID:21975936

The Sigma-1 Receptor as a Pluripotent Modulator in Living Systems.

PubMed

Su, Tsung-Ping; Su, Tzu-Chieh; Nakamura, Yoki; Tsai, Shang-Yi

2016-04-01

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that resides specifically in the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane (MAM), an interface between ER and mitochondria. In addition to being able to translocate to the plasma membrane (PM) to interact with ion channels and other receptors, Sig-1R also occurs at the nuclear envelope, where it recruits chromatin-remodeling factors to affect the transcription of genes. Sig-1Rs have also been reported to interact with other membranous or soluble proteins at other loci, including the cytosol, and to be involved in several central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Here, we propose that Sig-1R is a pluripotent modulator with resultant multiple functional manifestations in living systems. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Crossed Signals on the Battlefield

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-13

408th Signal Detachment (Repro) from Fort Totten , NY went to SWA, where it printed operations orders and the propaganda materials for the psychological...RC counterparts may also follow this pattern. Brigadier General(P) Joe Turner, the new commander of the 335th, and his deputy, Brigadier General Tommy ...404th Sig Waterloo, 11-417H 11-669L F, McCoy, New MTOE. Co IA (177) (240) WI 941010 (Area) 408th Sig FT Totten , 11-507L Det NY (9) (Repro) 410th Sig

ASIST 2001: Information in a Networked World--Harnessing the Flow. Proceedings of the ASIST Annual Meeting (64th, Washington, DC, November 3-8, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aversa, Elizabeth, Ed.; Manley, Cynthia, Ed.

The theme of the 2001 "ASIST" (American Society for Information Science and Technology) annual conference is "Information in a Networked World," which covers a broad range of theory and practice in information science. The program includes 52 refereed papers, 46 SIG and panel sessions, and 33 poster presentations. Topics include: digital…

Comparison of a new simplified acid-base tool to the original Stewart-Figge approach: a study on cardiac surgical patients.

PubMed

Agrafiotis, Michalis; Mpliamplias, Dimitrios; Papathanassiou, Maria; Ampatzidou, Fotini; Drossos, Georgios

2018-05-03

To suggest a simplified method for strong ion gap ([SIG]) calculation. To simplify [SIG] calculation, we used the following assumptions: (1) the major determinants of apparent strong ion difference ([SID a ]) are [Na + ], [K + ] and [Cl - ] (2) [Ca 2+ ] and [Mg 2+ ] do not contribute significantly to [SID a ] variation and can be replaced by their reference concentrations (3) physiologically relevant pH variation is at the order of 10 -2 and therefore we can assume a standard value of 7.4. In the new model, [SID a ] is replaced by its adjusted form, i.e. [SID a,adj ] = [Na + ] + [K + ] - [Cl - ] + 6.5 and [SIG] is replaced by "bicarbonate gap", i.e. [BIC gap ] = [SID a,adj ] - (0.25·[Albumin]) - (2·[Phosphate]) - [HCO 3 - ]. The model was tested in 224 postoperative cardiac surgical patients. Strong correlations were observed between [SID a,adj ] and [SID a ] (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001) and between [BIC gap ] and [SIG] (r = 0.95, p < 0.0001). The mean bias (limits of agreement) of [SID a,adj ] - [SID a ] and of [BIC gap ]-[SIG] was - 0.6 meq/l (- 2.7 to 1.5) and 0.2 meq/l (- 2 to 2.4), respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients between [SID a,adj ] and [SID a ] and between [BIC gap ] and [SIG] were 0.90 and 0.95, respectively. The sensitivities and specificities for the prediction of a [lactate - ] > 4 meq/l were 73.4 and 82.3% for a [BIC gap ] > 12.2 meq/l and 74.5 and 83.1% for a [SIG] > 12 meq/l, respectively. The [BIC gap ] model bears a very good agreement with the [SIG] model while being simpler and easier to apply at the bedside. [BIC gap ] could be used as an alternative tool for the diagnosis of unmeasured ion acidosis.

Spinal sigma-1 receptor activation increases the production of D-serine in astrocytes which contributes to the development of mechanical allodynia in a mouse model of neuropathic pain.

PubMed

Moon, Ji-Young; Choi, Sheu-Ran; Roh, Dae-Hyun; Yoon, Seo-Yeon; Kwon, Soon-Gu; Choi, Hoon-Seong; Kang, Suk-Yun; Han, Ho-Jae; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Beitz, Alvin J; Oh, Seog-Bae; Lee, Jang-Hern

2015-10-01

We have previously demonstrated that activation of the spinal sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) plays an important role in the development of mechanical allodynia (MA) via secondary activation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Sig-1Rs have been shown to localize to astrocytes, and blockade of Sig-1Rs inhibits the pathologic activation of astrocytes in neuropathic mice. However, the mechanism by which Sig-1R activation in astrocytes modulates NMDA receptors in neurons is currently unknown. d-serine, synthesized from l-serine by serine racemase (Srr) in astrocytes, is an endogenous co-agonist for the NMDA receptor glycine site and can control NMDA receptor activity. Here, we investigated the role of d-serine in the development of MA induced by spinal Sig-1R activation in chronic constriction injury (CCI) mice. The production of d-serine and Srr expression were both significantly increased in the spinal cord dorsal horn post-CCI surgery. Srr and d-serine were only localized to astrocytes in the superficial dorsal horn, while d-serine was also localized to neurons in the deep dorsal horn. Moreover, we found that Srr exists in astrocytes that express Sig-1Rs. The CCI-induced increase in the levels of d-serine and Srr was attenuated by sustained intrathecal treatment with the Sig-1R antagonist, BD-1047 during the induction phase of neuropathic pain. In behavioral experiments, degradation of endogenous d-serine with DAAO, or selective blockade of Srr by LSOS, effectively reduced the development of MA, but not thermal hyperalgesia in CCI mice. Finally, BD-1047 administration inhibited the development of MA and this inhibition was reversed by intrathecal treatment with exogenous d-serine. These findings demonstrate for the first time that the activation of Sig-1Rs increases the expression of Srr and d-serine in astrocytes. The increased production of d-serine induced by CCI ultimately affects dorsal horn neurons that are involved in the development of MA in neuropathic mice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstracts of SIG Sessions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, 1997

1997-01-01

Presents abstracts of SIG Sessions. Highlights include digital collections; information retrieval methods; public interest/fair use; classification and indexing; electronic publication; funding; globalization; information technology projects; interface design; networking in developing countries; metadata; multilingual databases; networked…

In vivo and in vitro studies of borate based glass micro-fibers for dermal repairing.

PubMed

Zhou, Jie; Wang, Hui; Zhao, Shichang; Zhou, Nai; Li, Le; Huang, Wenhai; Wang, Deping; Zhang, Changqing

2016-03-01

Full-thickness skin defects represent urgent clinical problem nowadays. Wound dressing materials are hotly needed to induce dermal reconstruction or to treat serious skin defects. In this study, the borate bioactive glass (BG) micro-fibers were fabricated and compared with the traditional material 45S5 Bioglass(®) (SiG) micro-fibers. The morphology, biodegradation and bioactivity of BG and SiG micro-fibers were investigated in vitro. The wound size reduction and angiogenic effects of BG and SiG micro-fibers were evaluated by the rat full-thickness skin defect model and Microfil technique in vivo. Results indicated that the BG micro-fibers showed thinner fiber diameter (1 μm) and better bioactivity than the SiG micro-fibers did. The ionic extracts of BG and SiG micro-fibers were not toxic to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In vivo, the BG micro-fiber wound dressings obviously enhanced the formation of blood vessel, and resulted in a much faster wound size reduction than the SiG micro-fibers, or than the control groups, after 9 days application. The good skin defect reconstruction ability of BG micro-fibers contributed to the B element in the composition, which results in the better bioactivity and angiogenesis. As shown above, the novel bioactive borate glass micro-fibers are expected to provide a promising therapeutic alternative for dermal reconstruction or skin defect repair. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Signal Processing, Analysis, & Display

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

Lager, Darrell; Azevado, Stephen

1986-06-01

SIG is a general-purpose signal processing, analysis, and display program. Its main purpose is to perform manipulations on time- and frequency-domain signals. However, it has been designed to ultimately accommodate other representations for data such as multiplexed signals and complex matrices. Two user interfaces are provided in SIG - a menu mode for the unfamiliar user and a command mode for more experienced users. In both modes errors are detected as early as possible and are indicated by friendly, meaningful messages. An on-line HELP package is also included. A variety of operations can be performed on time- and frequency-domain signalsmore » including operations on the samples of a signal, operations on the entire signal, and operations on two or more signals. Signal processing operations that can be performed are digital filtering (median, Bessel, Butterworth, and Chebychev), ensemble average, resample, auto and cross spectral density, transfer function and impulse response, trend removal, convolution, Fourier transform and inverse window functions (Hamming, Kaiser-Bessel), simulation (ramp, sine, pulsetrain, random), and read/write signals. User definable signal processing algorithms are also featured. SIG has many options including multiple commands per line, command files with arguments,commenting lines, defining commands, and automatic execution for each item in a repeat sequence. Graphical operations on signals and spectra include: x-y plots of time signals; real, imaginary, magnitude, and phase plots of spectra; scaling of spectra for continuous or discrete domain; cursor zoom; families of curves; and multiple viewports.« less

SIG Galileo final converter. Technical summary report

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

Hinderman, J.D.

1979-05-01

The report summarizes significant events, activities and achievements on the SIG/Galileo Converter Program at 3M Company during the period June 1, 1978 through May 15, 1979. A stop work order was received from DOE on January 29, 1979 and all subsequent work and close out activities targeted for completion by May 15, 1979. Section A describes, in detail, the component configurations developed and proposed for the SN-1 converter. This converter was the Flight Design with the possible exception of N-leg improvements and a cold frame-housing interface processing change. Included at the end of the converter description is the status ofmore » the design at the time of the stop work order. In Section B, the activities performed to accomplish the design goals are described as they occurred. Section C lists all pertinent documentation which was developed and issued relating to the design of the converter. This includes drawings, specifications, procedures and analysis. Operating requirements for the SN-1 converter are given.« less

Salivary secretory IgA, pH, flow rates, mutans streptococci and Candida in children with rampant caries.

PubMed

Thaweboon, Sroisiri; Thaweboon, Boonyanit; Nakornchai, Siriruk; Jitmaitree, Sukritta

2008-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of secretory IgA (SIgA), pH, flow rates, mutans streptococci (MS) and Candida in saliva of children with rampant caries compared to those caries-free. Thirty children (age 62-123 months) were enrolled and divided into two groups: Group I, children with rampant caries, Group II, caries-free children. The average salivary flow rate was measured from the volume yielded within 5 minutes and the pH was determined using a pH-electrode. Measurement of SIgA was performed using an immunoassay kit. The levels of MS and Candida were determined by culture on Mitis-Salivarius Bacitracin agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar. It was found that children with rampant caries presented with significantly higher levels of salivary SIgA, MS and Candida. However, the mean values for salivary flow rates and pH were similar between the groups. The results reveal that children with rampant caries had significantly higher levels of SIgA, MS and Candida in their oral cavities. This finding tends to support the hypothesis that higher levels of salivary SIgA may reflect a past exposure of the host to cariogenic microorganisms.

Suppression of abnormal morphology and extracytoplasmic function sigma activity in Bacillus subtilis ugtP mutant cells by expression of heterologous glucolipid synthases from Acholeplasma laidlawii.

PubMed

Matsuoka, Satoshi; Seki, Takahiro; Matsumoto, Kouji; Hara, Hiroshi

2016-12-01

Glucolipids in Bacillus subtilis are synthesized by UgtP processively transferring glucose from UDP-glucose to diacylglycerol. Here we conclude that the abnormal morphology of a ugtP mutant is caused by lack of glucolipids, since the same morphology arises after abolition of glucolipid production by disruption of pgcA and gtaB, which are involved in UDP-glucose synthesis. Conversely, expression of a monoglucosyldiacylglycerol (MGlcDG) produced by 1,2-diacylglycerol 3-glucosyltransferase from Acholeplasma laidlawii (alMGS) almost completely suppressed the ugtP disruptant phenotype. Activation of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigmas (SigM, SigV, and SigX) in the ugtP mutant was decreased by alMGS expression, and was suppressed to low levels by MgSO 4 addition. When alMGS and alDGS (A. laidlawii 1,2-diacylglycerol-3-glucose (1-2)-glucosyltransferase producing diglucosyldiacylglycerol (DGlcDG)) were simultaneously expressed, SigX activation was repressed to wild type level. These observations suggest that MGlcDG molecules are required for maintenance of B. subtilis cell shape and regulation of ECF sigmas, and DGlcDG regulates SigX activity.

Detection of Pasteuria penetrans infection in Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 in planta by polymerase chain reaction.

PubMed

Schmidt, L M; Preston, J F; Nong, G; Dickson, D W; Aldrich, H C

2004-06-01

We report on the development of a PCR-based assay to detect Pasteuria penetrans infection of Meloidogyne arenaria in planta using specific primers for recently sequenced sigE, spoIIAB and atpF genes of P. penetrans biotype P20. Amplification of these genes in crude DNA extracts of ground tomato root galls using real-time kinetic PCR distinguished infected from uninfected M. arenaria race 1 by analysis of consensus thresholds for single copy genes. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using the sigE primer sequence as a probe shows hybridization to P. penetrans cells in various stages of vegetative (pre-endospore) development. Ratios of gene copies for sigE and 16S rDNA were obtained for P. penetrans and compared to Bacillus subtilis as a genomic paradigm of endospore-forming bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis of the sigE gene from Gram-positive, endospore-forming bacteria finds P. penetrans most closely related Paenbacillus polymyxa. The sporulation genes (spo genes), particularly sigE, have sequence diversity that recommends them for species and biotype differentiation of the numerous Pasteuria isolates that infect a large number of plant-parasitic nematodes.

Abstracts of SIG Sessions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, 1996

1996-01-01

Includes abstracts of special interest group (SIG) sessions. Highlights include digital imagery; text summarization; browsing; digital libraries; icons and the Web; information management; curricula planning; interfaces; information systems; theories; scholarly and scientific communication; global development; archives; document delivery;…

Signal Processing Expert Code (SPEC)

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

Ames, H.S.

1985-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe a prototype expert system called SPEC which was developed to demonstrate the utility of providing an intelligent interface for users of SIG, a general purpose signal processing code. The expert system is written in NIL, runs on a VAX 11/750 and consists of a backward chaining inference engine and an English-like parser. The inference engine uses knowledge encoded as rules about the formats of SIG commands and about how to perform frequency analyses using SIG. The system demonstrated that expert system can be used to control existing codes.

Three-dimensional interconnected network of graphene-wrapped porous silicon spheres: in situ magnesiothermic-reduction synthesis and enhanced lithium-storage capabilities.

PubMed

Wu, Ping; Wang, Hui; Tang, Yawen; Zhou, Yiming; Lu, Tianhong

2014-03-12

A novel type of 3D porous Si-G micro/nanostructure (i.e., 3D interconnected network of graphene-wrapped porous silicon spheres, Si@G network) was constructed through layer-by-layer assembly and subsequent in situ magnesiothermic-reduction methodology. Compared with bare Si spheres, the as-synthesized Si@G network exhibits markedly enhanced anodic performance in terms of specific capacity, cycling stability, and rate capability, making it an ideal anode candidate for high-energy, long-life, and high-power lithium-ion batteries.

Student Assistance General Provisions; Federal Pell Grant Program; Academic Competitiveness Grant Program; and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant Program. Final Rule. Federal Register, Part IV, Department of Education, 34 CFR Parts 668, 690, and 691

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Archives and Records Administration, 2006

2006-01-01

The Secretary is adopting as final, with changes, interim final regulations in: 34 CFR part 691 for the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant) programs; 34 CFR part 668 (Student Assistance General Provisions); and 34 CFR part 690 (Federal Pell Grant Program).…

Sigma Factor SigB Is Crucial to Mediate Staphylococcus aureus Adaptation during Chronic Infections.

PubMed

Tuchscherr, Lorena; Bischoff, Markus; Lattar, Santiago M; Noto Llana, Mariangeles; Pförtner, Henrike; Niemann, Silke; Geraci, Jennifer; Van de Vyver, Hélène; Fraunholz, Martin J; Cheung, Ambrose L; Herrmann, Mathias; Völker, Uwe; Sordelli, Daniel O; Peters, Georg; Löffler, Bettina

2015-04-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that causes a range of infections from acute invasive to chronic and difficult-to-treat. Infection strategies associated with persisting S. aureus infections are bacterial host cell invasion and the bacterial ability to dynamically change phenotypes from the aggressive wild-type to small colony variants (SCVs), which are adapted for intracellular long-term persistence. The underlying mechanisms of the bacterial switching and adaptation mechanisms appear to be very dynamic, but are largely unknown. Here, we analyzed the role and the crosstalk of the global S. aureus regulators agr, sarA and SigB by generating single, double and triple mutants, and testing them with proteome analysis and in different in vitro and in vivo infection models. We were able to demonstrate that SigB is the crucial factor for adaptation in chronic infections. During acute infection, the bacteria require the simultaneous action of the agr and sarA loci to defend against invading immune cells by causing inflammation and cytotoxicity and to escape from phagosomes in their host cells that enable them to settle an infection at high bacterial density. To persist intracellularly the bacteria subsequently need to silence agr and sarA. Indeed agr and sarA deletion mutants expressed a much lower number of virulence factors and could persist at high numbers intracellularly. SigB plays a crucial function to promote bacterial intracellular persistence. In fact, ΔsigB-mutants did not generate SCVs and were completely cleared by the host cells within a few days. In this study we identified SigB as an essential factor that enables the bacteria to switch from the highly aggressive phenotype that settles an acute infection to a silent SCV-phenotype that allows for long-term intracellular persistence. Consequently, the SigB-operon represents a possible target to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies against chronic and therapy-refractory infections.

Stewart analysis of apparently normal acid-base state in the critically ill.

PubMed

Moviat, Miriam; van den Boogaard, Mark; Intven, Femke; van der Voort, Peter; van der Hoeven, Hans; Pickkers, Peter

2013-12-01

This study aimed to describe Stewart parameters in critically ill patients with an apparently normal acid-base state and to determine the incidence of mixed metabolic acid-base disorders in these patients. We conducted a prospective, observational multicenter study of 312 consecutive Dutch intensive care unit patients with normal pH (7.35 ≤ pH ≤ 7.45) on days 3 to 5. Apparent (SIDa) and effective strong ion difference (SIDe) and strong ion gap (SIG) were calculated from 3 consecutive arterial blood samples. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to analyze factors potentially associated with levels of SIDa and SIG. A total of 137 patients (44%) were identified with an apparently normal acid-base state (normal pH and -2 < base excess < 2 and 35 < PaCO2 < 45 mm Hg). In this group, SIDa values were 36.6 ± 3.6 mEq/L, resulting from hyperchloremia (109 ± 4.6 mEq/L, sodium-chloride difference 30.0 ± 3.6 mEq/L); SIDe values were 33.5 ± 2.3 mEq/L, resulting from hypoalbuminemia (24.0 ± 6.2 g/L); and SIG values were 3.1 ± 3.1 mEq/L. During admission, base excess increased secondary to a decrease in SIG levels and, subsequently, an increase in SIDa levels. Levels of SIDa were associated with positive cation load, chloride load, and admission SIDa (multivariate r(2) = 0.40, P < .001). Levels of SIG were associated with kidney function, sepsis, and SIG levels at intensive care unit admission (multivariate r(2) = 0.28, P < .001). Intensive care unit patients with an apparently normal acid-base state have an underlying mixed metabolic acid-base disorder characterized by acidifying effects of a low SIDa (caused by hyperchloremia) and high SIG combined with the alkalinizing effect of hypoalbuminemia. © 2013.

Role of sigB and osmolytes in desiccation survival of Listeria monocytogenes in simulated food soils on the surface of food grade stainless steel.

PubMed

Huang, Yannan; Ells, Timothy C; Truelstrup Hansen, Lisbeth

2015-04-01

This research aimed to determine whether the SigB (σ(B)) regulon and osmolytes impact the survival of the foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, during desiccation in simulated food soils with varying salt and nutrient contents on food grade stainless steel (SS) surfaces. L. monocytogenes 568 (Lm568, serotype 1/2a), its isogenic sigB mutant (ΔsigB) and the back-complemented ΔsigB were desiccated in BHI, TSB with 1% glucose (TSB-glu), peptone physiological saline (PPS) and minimal media (MM) for 21 days at 43% relative humidity (RH) and 15 °C on SS. The effect of food related osmolytes (proline, betaine and carnitine) on desiccation survival was studied by (a) pre-culturing strains in MM with an osmolyte followed by desiccation in MM and (b) by desiccating strains in MM with an osmolyte. Desiccation survival of L. monocytogenes was positively correlated to the nutrient and osmolyte concentrations in the desiccation substrates. Initial Lm568 levels of 8 Log(CFU/cm(2)) decreased by 0.9 Log(CFU/cm(2)) in BHI and 1.1-2.9 Log(CFU/cm(2)) in TSB-glu, PPS and MM after 21 days. Comparatively, the initial survival of ΔsigB was reduced in PS and MM, while no differences were observed among the three strains in BHI and TSB-glu. Pre-culture in osmolyte containing MM enhanced (p < 0.05) desiccation survival of all strains. Desiccation in osmolyte-containing MM improved desiccation survival of all strains, albeit the protection was less than that observed after pre-culture with the osmolytes. Complementation of the ΔsigB mutant restored the wildtype phenotype. In conclusion, this work shows the protective effect of osmolytes in desiccation survival of L. monocytogenes, while the σ(B) regulon only improved the initial survival in nutrient and osmolyte poor environments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Bacillus subtilis yabG Gene Is Transcribed by SigK RNA Polymerase during Sporulation, and yabG Mutant Spores Have Altered Coat Protein Composition

PubMed Central

Takamatsu, Hiromu; Kodama, Takeko; Imamura, Atsuo; Asai, Kei; Kobayashi, Kazuo; Nakayama, Tatsuo; Ogasawara, Naotake; Watabe, Kazuhito

2000-01-01

The expression of six novel genes located in the region from abrB to spoVC of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome was analyzed, and one of the genes, yabG, had a predicted promoter sequence conserved among SigK-dependent genes. Northern blot analysis revealed that yabG mRNA was first detected from 4 h after the cessation of logarithmic growth (T4) in wild-type cells and in a gerE36 (GerE−) mutant but not in spoIIAC (SigF−), spoIIGAB (SigE−), spoIIIG (SigG−), and spoIVCB (SigK−) mutants. The transcription start point was determined by primer extension analysis; the −10 and −35 regions are very similar to the consensus sequences recognized by SigK-containing RNA polymerase. Inactivation of the yabG gene by insertion of an erythromycin resistance gene did not affect vegetative growth or spore resistance to heat, chloroform, and lysozyme. The germination of yabG spores in l-alanine and in a mixture of l-asparagine, d-glucose, d-fructose, and potassium chloride was also the same as that of wild-type spores. On the other hand, the protein preparation from yabG spores included 15-, 18-, 21-, 23-, 31-, 45-, and 55-kDa polypeptides which were low in or not extracted from wild-type spores under the same conditions. We determined their N-terminal amino acid sequence and found that these polypeptides were CotT, YeeK, YxeE, CotF, YrbA (31 and 45 kDa), and SpoIVA, respectively. The fluorescence of YabG-green fluorescent protein fusion produced in sporulating cells was detectable in the forespores but not in the mother cell compartment under fluorescence microscopy. These results indicate that yabG encodes a sporulation-specific protein which is involved in coat protein composition in B. subtilis. PMID:10714992

Cold growth behaviour and genetic comparison of Canadian and Swiss Listeria monocytogenes strains associated with the food supply chain and human listeriosis cases.

PubMed

Arguedas-Villa, Carolina; Kovacevic, Jovana; Allen, Kevin J; Stephan, Roger; Tasara, Taurai

2014-06-01

Sixty-two strains of Listeria monocytogenes isolated in Canada and Switzerland were investigated. Comparison based on molecular genotypes confirmed that strains in these two countries are genetically diverse. Interestingly strains from both countries displayed similar range of cold growth phenotypic profiles. Based on cold growth lag phase duration periods displayed in BHI at 4 °C, the strains were similarly divided into groups of fast, intermediate and slow cold adaptors. Overall Swiss strains had faster exponential cold growth rates compared to Canadian strains. However gene expression analysis revealed no significant differences between fast and slow cold adapting strains in the ability to induce nine cold adaptation genes (lmo0501, cspA, cspD, gbuA, lmo0688, pgpH, sigB, sigH and sigL) in response to cold stress exposure. Neither was the presence of Stress survival islet 1 (SSI-1) analysed by PCR associated with enhanced cold adaptation. Phylogeny based on the sigL gene subdivided strains from these two countries into two major and one minor cluster. Fast cold adaptors were more frequently in one of the major clusters (cluster A), whereas slow cold adaptors were mainly in the other (cluster B). Genetic differences between these two major clusters are associated with various amino acid substitutions in the predicted SigL proteins. Compared to the EGDe type strain and most slow cold adaptors, most fast cold adaptors exhibited five identical amino acid substitutions (M90L, S203A/S203T, S304N, S315N, and I383T) in their SigL proteins. We hypothesize that these amino acid changes might be associated with SigL protein structural and functional changes that may promote differences in cold growth behaviour between L. monocytogenes strains. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstracts of SIG Sessions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, 1994

1994-01-01

Includes abstracts of 18 special interest group (SIG) sessions. Highlights include natural language processing, information science and terminology science, classification, knowledge-intensive information systems, information value and ownership issues, economics and theories of information science, information retrieval interfaces, fuzzy thinking…

Abstracts of SIG Sessions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, 1993

1993-01-01

Presents abstracts of 34 special interest group (SIG) sessions. Highlights include humanities scholars and electronic texts; information retrieval and indexing systems design; automated indexing; domain analysis; query expansion in document retrieval systems; thesauri; business intelligence; Americans with Disabilities Act; management;…

REMARKS CONCERNING THE RECENT HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRINO EXPERIMENT

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

Danby, G.; Gaillard, J.-M.; Goulianos, K.

1963-03-15

A previous experiment indicated that if the reactions nu /sub e/ + n min gave no sig p + e/sup -/ and nu /sub e/ + p min gave no sig + e/sup +/ have cross sec tions comparable to those of nu /sub mu / + n min gave no sig p + mu /sup -/ and nu /sub mu / + p min gave no sig n + mu /sup +/, then nu /sub e/ is most likely different from nu . It is pointed out that an absolute theoretical lower limit could be established for the ratesmore » of the e ction in DDT-C/ -producing reactions without a relative comparison with that of the mu /sup ction in DDT-C/ / -producing reactions by assuming the conserved vector-current hypothesis. The possible existence of an intermediate boson and the possibility that the reactions are actually second order processes mediated by the exchange of such a boson are considered. (C.E.S.)« less

Mass changes of Southern and Northern Inylchek Glacier, Central Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan, during ∼1975 and 2007 derived from remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shangguan, D. H.; Bolch, T.; Ding, Y. J.; Kröhnert, M.; Pieczonka, T.; Wetzel, H. U.; Liu, S. Y.

2015-04-01

Glacier melt is an essential source of freshwater for the arid regions surrounding the Tian Shan. However, the knowledge about glacier volume and mass changes over the last decades is limited. In the present study, glacier area, glacier dynamics and mass changes are investigated for the period ~1975-2007 for Southern Inylchek Glacier (SIG) and Northern Inylchek Glacier (NIG), the largest glacier system in Central Tian Shan separated by the regularly draining Lake Merzbacher. The area of NIG increased by 2.0 ± 0.1 km2 (~1.3%) in the period ~1975-2007. In contrast, SIG has shrunk continuously in all investigated periods since ~1975. Velocities of SIG in the central part of the ablation region reached ~100-120 m a-1 in 2002/2003, which was slightly higher than the average velocity in 2010/2011. The central part of SIG flows mainly towards Lake Merzbacher rather than towards its terminus. The measured velocities at the distal part of the terminus downstream of Lake Merzbacher were below the uncertainty, indicating very low flow with even stagnant parts. Geodetic glacier mass balances have been calculated using multi-temporal digital elevation models from KH-9 Hexagon (representing the year 1975), SRTM3 (1999), ALOS PRISM (2006) and SPOT-5 high-resolution geometrical (HRG) data (2007). In general, a continuous mass loss for both SIG and NIG could be observed between ~1975 and 2007. SIG lost mass at a rate of 0.43 ± 0.10 m w.e. a-1 and NIG at a rate of 0.25 ± 0.10 m w.e. a-1 within the period ~1975-1999. For the period 1999-2007, the highest mass loss of 0.57 ± 0.46 m w.e. a-1 was found for NIG, whilst SIG showed a potential moderate mass loss of 0.28 ± 0.46 m w.e. a-1. Both glaciers showed a small retreat during this period. Between ~1975 and 1999, we identified a thickening at the front of NIG with a maximum surface elevation increase of about 150 m as a consequence of a surge event. In contrast significant thinning (>0.5 m a-1) and comparatively high velocities close to the dam of Lake Merzbacher were observed for SIG, indicating that Lake Merzbacher enhances glacier mass loss.

A case study of the use of a special interest group to enhance interest in public health among undergraduate health science students.

PubMed

Louw, Arauna; Turner, Astrid; Wolvaardt, Liz

2018-01-01

Education and training of undergraduate health science students in public health are insufficient in many parts of the world. This lack is a risk as early interest in specialist training options is a predictor of future training choices. A special interest group (SIG) is one mechanism to engage students, increase awareness and generate interest in public health. The purpose of this case study was to create and study such a group at an African university. An action research study design was used to create and study the SIG. All interested students were invited to participate in the SIG and in the data collection procedures. Data were collected via paper-based and online questionnaires. Records of activities were documented, and a reflective diary was kept by the researcher. Seven SIG meetings were held which were less than planned-some sessions were cancelled due to general student unrest. The composition of the SIG fluctuated, but the core group of 16 students consisted of 12 females (75%) and 4 males (25%). Despite faculty-wide marketing, all the participants were medical students. The most successful marketing strategy was done by two lecturers. A total of 12 participants' motivation (75%) was to learn more about public health. Despite the range of participants being over 4-year groups with varying schedules and commitments, a convenient day and meeting time were identified. The social capital of lecturers was harnessed to invite external guest lecturers as planned field trips proved impractical. At the mid-year point, six students (38%) thought that they would consider public health as a career choice. A decision was made to recruit new members via a seminar, and 37 possible new members were identified in the process. A SIG appears to be an effective strategy to increase public health interest among students. This finding is key in settings with particular health workforce shortages and high burdens of disease. A foundation phase with high levels of academic support by those already qualified is needed to allow student leadership to emerge. Despite the modified and reduced number of sessions, the SIG was still successful in increasing awareness about public health and possible career choices: both positive consequences of engaging with students within a SIG.

GeneSigDB—a curated database of gene expression signatures

PubMed Central

Culhane, Aedín C.; Schwarzl, Thomas; Sultana, Razvan; Picard, Kermshlise C.; Picard, Shaita C.; Lu, Tim H.; Franklin, Katherine R.; French, Simon J.; Papenhausen, Gerald; Correll, Mick; Quackenbush, John

2010-01-01

The primary objective of most gene expression studies is the identification of one or more gene signatures; lists of genes whose transcriptional levels are uniquely associated with a specific biological phenotype. Whilst thousands of experimentally derived gene signatures are published, their potential value to the community is limited by their computational inaccessibility. Gene signatures are embedded in published article figures, tables or in supplementary materials, and are frequently presented using non-standard gene or probeset nomenclature. We present GeneSigDB (http://compbio.dfci.harvard.edu/genesigdb) a manually curated database of gene expression signatures. GeneSigDB release 1.0 focuses on cancer and stem cells gene signatures and was constructed from more than 850 publications from which we manually transcribed 575 gene signatures. Most gene signatures (n = 560) were successfully mapped to the genome to extract standardized lists of EnsEMBL gene identifiers. GeneSigDB provides the original gene signature, the standardized gene list and a fully traceable gene mapping history for each gene from the original transcribed data table through to the standardized list of genes. The GeneSigDB web portal is easy to search, allows users to compare their own gene list to those in the database, and download gene signatures in most common gene identifier formats. PMID:19934259

Determination of staphylococcal exotoxins, SCCmec types, and genetic relatedness of Staphylococcus intermedius group isolates from veterinary staff, companion animals, and hospital environments in Korea

PubMed Central

Youn, Jung-Ho; Ahn, Kuk Ju; Lim, Suk-Kyung

2011-01-01

The Staphylococcus (S.) intermedius group (SIG) has been a main research subject in recent years. S. pseudintermedius causes pyoderma and otitis in companion animals as well as foodborne diseases. To prevent SIG-associated infection and disease outbreaks, identification of both staphylococcal exotoxins and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types among SIG isolates may be helpful. In this study, it was found that a single isolate (one out of 178 SIG isolates examined) harbored the canine enterotoxin SEC gene. However, the S. intermedius exfoliative toxin gene was found in 166 SIG isolates although the S. aureus-derived exfoliative toxin genes, such as eta, etb and etd, were not detected. SCCmec typing resulted in classifying one isolate as SCCmec type IV, 41 isolates as type V (including three S. intermedius isolates), and 10 isolates as non-classifiable. Genetic relatedness of all S. pseudintermedius isolates recovered from veterinary staff, companion animals, and hospital environments was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Strains having the same band patterns were detected in S. pseudintermedius isolates collected at 13 and 18 months, suggesting possible colonization and/or expansion of a specific S. pseudintermedius strain in a veterinary hospital. PMID:21897094

Determination of staphylococcal exotoxins, SCCmec types, and genetic relatedness of Staphylococcus intermedius group isolates from veterinary staff, companion animals, and hospital environments in Korea.

PubMed

Youn, Jung-Ho; Koo, Hye Cheong; Ahn, Kuk Ju; Lim, Suk-Kyung; Park, Yong Ho

2011-09-01

The Staphylococcus (S.) intermedius group (SIG) has been a main research subject in recent years. S. pseudintermedius causes pyoderma and otitis in companion animals as well as foodborne diseases. To prevent SIG-associated infection and disease outbreaks, identification of both staphylococcal exotoxins and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types among SIG isolates may be helpful. In this study, it was found that a single isolate (one out of 178 SIG isolates examined) harbored the canine enterotoxin SEC gene. However, the S. intermedius exfoliative toxin gene was found in 166 SIG isolates although the S. aureus-derived exfoliative toxin genes, such as eta, etb and etd, were not detected. SCCmec typing resulted in classifying one isolate as SCCmec type IV, 41 isolates as type V (including three S. intermedius isolates), and 10 isolates as non-classifiable. Genetic relatedness of all S. pseudintermedius isolates recovered from veterinary staff, companion animals, and hospital environments was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Strains having the same band patterns were detected in S. pseudintermedius isolates collected at 13 and 18 months, suggesting possible colonization and/or expansion of a specific S. pseudintermedius strain in a veterinary hospital.

Clinical efficacy and safety of surface imaging guided radiosurgery (SIG-RS) in the treatment of benign skull base tumors.

PubMed

Lau, Steven K M; Patel, Kunal; Kim, Teddy; Knipprath, Erik; Kim, Gwe-Ya; Cerviño, Laura I; Lawson, Joshua D; Murphy, Kevin T; Sanghvi, Parag; Carter, Bob S; Chen, Clark C

2017-04-01

Frameless, surface imaging guided radiosurgery (SIG-RS) is a novel platform for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) wherein patient positioning is monitored in real-time through infra-red camera tracking of facial topography. Here we describe our initial clinical experience with SIG-RS for the treatment of benign neoplasms of the skull base. We identified 48 patients with benign skull base tumors consecutively treated with SIG-RS at a single institution between 2009 and 2011. Patients were diagnosed with meningioma (n = 22), vestibular schwannoma (n = 20), or nonfunctional pituitary adenoma (n = 6). Local control and treatment-related toxicity were retrospectively assessed. Median follow-up was 65 months (range 61-72 months). Prescription doses were 12-13 Gy in a single fraction (n = 18), 8 Gy × 3 fractions (n = 6), and 5 Gy × 5 fractions (n = 24). Actuarial tumor control rate at 5 years was 98%. No grade ≥3 treatment-related toxicity was observed. Grade ≤2 toxicity was associated with symptomatic lesions (p = 0.049) and single fraction treatment (p = 0.005). SIG-RS for benign skull base tumors produces clinical outcomes comparable to conventional frame-based SRS techniques while enhancing patient comfort.

Isolation of nine gene sequences induced by silica in murine macrophages

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

Segade, F.; Claudio, E.; Wrobel, K.

1995-03-01

Macrophage activation by silica is the initial step in the development of silicosis. To identify genes that might be involved in silica-mediated activation, RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages were treated with silica for 48 h, and a subtracted cDNA library enriched for silica-induced genes (SIG) was constructed and differently screened. Nine cDNA clones (designated SIG-12, -14, -20, -41, -61, -81, -91, and -111) were partially sequenced and compared with sequences in GenBank/EMBL databases. SIG-12, -14, and -20 corresponded to the genes for ribosomal proteins L13A, L32, and L26, respectively. SIG-61 is the mouse homologue of p21 RhoC. SIG-91 is identical tomore » the 67-kDa high-affinity laminin receptor. Four genes were not identified and are novel. All of the mRNAs corresponding to the nine cloned cDNAs were inducible by silica. Steady-state levels of mRNAs in RAW 264.7 cells treated with various macrophage activators and inducers of signal transduction pathways were determined. A complex pattern of induction and repression was found, indicating that upon phagocytosis of silica particles, many regulatory mechanisms of genes expression are simultaneously triggered. 55 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

The prognostic value of the strong ion gap in acute pancreatitis.

PubMed

Shen, Xiao; Ke, Lu; Yang, Dongliang; Sun, Jing; Tong, Zhihui; Li, Baiqiang; Li, Gang; Li, Weiqin; Li, Jieshou; Bellomo, Rinaldo

2016-12-01

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the predictive value of Stewart-derived parameters for the development of severe type of acute pancreatitis (AP) and for AP-related mortality. We studied 186 patients admitted to the hospital with AP. We performed blood gas and biochemical analysis for each patient on admission. We calculated multiple metrics according to the Stewart's acid-base theory and assessed their accuracy as predictors of AP severity and mortality. Of the 186 patients presenting with AP, 85 (45.7%) developed severe AP and 33 (17.7%) died during hospitalization. Patients with severe AP had significantly higher median strong ion gap (SIG) than did patients with mild or moderate AP (7.88 vs 2.11 mEq/L, P< .001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, SIG had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.56 (P< .001). In addition, SIG had good predictive power for mortality (OR, 1.26; P= .014) as well as acute kidney injury (OR, 1.34; P< .001). In a cohort of patients with AP, SIG was a strong independent predictor of severity and mortality. Besides, SIG might also be an early marker for acute kidney injury in AP patients. Additional research is needed to identify the nature of the unmeasured anions responsible for such findings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

75 FR 20038 - Railroad Safety Technology Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-16

...] Railroad Safety Technology Grant Program AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability, Railroad Safety Technology Program-Correction of Grant... Railroad Safety Technology Program, in the section, ``Requirements and Conditions for Grant Applications...

ASIS '99 Knowledge: Creation, Organization and Use, Part II: SIG Sessions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, 1999

1999-01-01

Abstracts and descriptions of Special Interest Group (SIG) sessions include such topics as: knowledge management tools, knowledge organization, information retrieval, information seeking behavior, metadata, indexing, library service for distance education, electronic books, future information workforce needs, technological developments, and…

75 FR 43510 - Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-26

... Schools Program (CSP) Grants to Non-State Educational Agencies for Planning, Program Design, and..., program design, and implementation, and non-SEA grants for dissemination provide funds for these purposes.... Non-SEA eligible applicants that propose to use grant funds for planning, program design, and...

Assessing Community Coalition Capacity and its Association with Underage Drinking Prevention Effectiveness in the Context of the SPF SIG.

PubMed

Flewelling, Robert L; Hanley, Sean M

2016-10-01

Community coalitions are a prominent organizational structure through which community-based substance abuse prevention efforts are implemented. There is little empirical evidence, however, regarding the association between coalition attributes and success in achieving community-level reductions in substance abuse behaviors. In this study, we assessed the relationship between coalition capacity, based on coalition coordinator responses to 16 survey items, and reductions in underage drinking prevalence rates. The coalitions were funded through the federally sponsored Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG). We first examined whether coalition capacity increased over the life of the projects. Mean capacity scores increased for all 16 capacity items examined (N = 318 coalitions), the majority of which were statistically significant. Analysis of the associations between capacity and reductions in underage drinking was limited to coalitions that targeted underage drinking and provided usable outcome measures based on student survey data for either past 30-day alcohol use (N = 129) or binge drinking (N = 100). Bivariate associations between the capacity items and prevalence reductions for each outcome were consistently positive, although many were not statistically significant. Composite measures of correlated items were then created to represent six different capacity constructs, and included in multivariate models to predict reductions in the targeted outcomes. Constructs that significantly predicted reductions in one or both outcome measures included internal organization and structure, community connections and outreach, and funding from multiple sources. The findings provide support for the expectation that high functioning community coalitions can be effective agents for producing desirable community-level changes in targeted substance abuse behaviors.

Influence of background music on work attention in clients with chronic schizophrenia.

PubMed

Shih, Yi-Nuo; Chen, Chi-Sheng; Chiang, Hsin-Yu; Liu, Chien-Hsiou

2015-01-01

Work attention in persons with chronic schizophrenia is an important issue in vocational rehabilitation. Some of the research literature indicates that background music may influence visual attention performance. Based on the theory of occupational therapy, environmental sounds, colors and decorations may affect individual performance, this study thus examined the influence of music on work attention in persons with schizophrenia. Participants were recruited from a halfway house in Taipei. Forty-nine (49) patients with chronic schizophrenia volunteered. They had been accepted into vocational rehabilitation and a work-seeking program. The sample included 20 females and 29 males. The participant ages ranged between 29 and 63 years old, and their average age was 47 years old. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study, the participants were assigned to one of three conditions: quiet environment as the control group (n= 16), classical light music as background music (n= 16), and popular music as background music (n= 17). For Group 1 (control group/quiet environment), there was no significant variance (sig = 0.172). For Group 2 (Classical light music), the intervention revealed significant variance (sig = 0.071*). For Group 3 (popular music), the intervention had significant variance (sig = 0.048**). The introduction of background music tended to increase attention test scores of persons with schizophrenia. Moreover, the increase in test attention scores was statistically significant when popular music was played in the background. This result suggested that background music may improve attention performance of persons with chronic schizophrenia. Future research is required with a larger sample size to support the study results.

Effect of different concentrations of oxygen on expression of sigma 1 receptor and superoxide dismutases in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines.

PubMed

Skrzycki, Michał; Czeczot, Hanna; Mielczarek-Puta, Magdalena; Otto-Ślusarczyk, Dagmara; Graboń, Wojciech

2017-06-01

Tumor cells due to distance from capillary vessels exist in different oxygenation conditions (anoxia, hypoxia, normoxia). Changes in cell oxygenation lead to reactive oxygen species production and oxidative stress. Sigma 1 receptor (Sig1R) is postulated to be stress responding agent and superoxide dismutases (SOD1 and SOD2) are key antioxidant enzymes. It is possible that they participate in tumor cells adaptation to different concentrations of oxygen. Evaluation of Sig1R, SOD1, and SOD2 expression in different concentrations of oxygen (1%, 10%, 21%) in colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. SW480 (primary adenocarcinoma) and SW620 (metastatic) cell lines were cultured in standard conditions in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium for 5 days, and next cultured in Hypoxic Chamber in 1% O 2 , 10% O 2 , 21% O 2 . Number of living cells was determined by trypan blue assay. Level of mRNA for Sig1R, SOD1, and SOD2 was determined by standard PCR method. Statistical analysis was conducted using Statistica 10.1 software. We observed significant changes in expression of Sig1R, SOD1, SOD2 due to different oxygen concentrations. ANOVA analysis revealed significant interactions between studied parameters mainly in hypoxia conditions in SW480 cells and between Sig1R and SOD2 in SW620 cells. It also showed that changes in expression of studied proteins depend significantly on type of the cell line. Changes of Sig1R and SOD2 expression point to mitochondria as main organelle responsible for survival of tumor cells exposed to hypoxia or oxidative stress. Studied proteins are involved in intracellular response to stress related with different concentrations of oxygen.

Differential quantification of SIgA and SC by two-directional rocket method.

PubMed Central

Kosaka, T; Asahina, T; Kobayashi, N

1980-01-01

The two-directional rocket method, a newly modified method for quantitative immunoelectrophoresis, was used as the assay for separating SC and SIgA, which have identical antigenicity but differ in mobility. This method proved to be sufficiently simple and sensitive to enable simultaneous assay of SC and SIgA in saliva. The method employs electrophoresis into antibody-containing agarose/agar gel in the presence of heparin-Ca EDTA. The height of the precipitation peaks formed in two directions is proportional to the concentration of the antigens. Concomitant use of agarose which has little electroendosmosis and agar which has high electroendosmosis facilitated cathodic migration of SIgA. Transfer of SC from beta-region to alpha 1-region without influencing the mobilities of SIgA, albumin or IgG was obtained by addition of heparin-Ca EDTA to agarose/agar gel. This effect of heparin-Ca EDTA is vulnerable to changes of pH of the gel, but is almost completely independent of change in composition or concentration of the gel. The function of heparin as a polyanion may be resonsible for it. Carbamylation of antibody was used to accelerate a clear-cut resolution of the cathodic rockets. This technique was found to be a method of choice for analysis of SIgA and SC in large numbers. In using this method as a screening assay for detection of primary immunodeficiency, by studying saliva samples collected from 3 month old infants on the occasion of regular check-up over a 2 year period, two cases of isolated IgA immunodeficiency and two cases of hypoglobulinaemia were discovered in 12,000 infants. Images Figure 1 Figure 7 PMID:6776036

Human Plasma-derived Polymeric IgA and IgM Antibodies Associate with Secretory Component to Yield Biologically Active Secretory-like Antibodies*

PubMed Central

Longet, Stéphanie; Miled, Sarah; Lötscher, Marius; Miescher, Sylvia M.; Zuercher, Adrian W.; Corthésy, Blaise

2013-01-01

Immunotherapy with monoclonal and polyclonal immunoglobulin is successfully applied to improve many clinical conditions, including infection, autoimmune diseases, or immunodeficiency. Most immunoglobulin products, recombinant or plasma-derived, are based on IgG antibodies, whereas to date, the use of IgA for therapeutic application has remained anecdotal. In particular, purification or production of large quantities of secretory IgA (SIgA) for potential mucosal application has not been achieved. In this work, we sought to investigate whether polymeric IgA (pIgA) recovered from human plasma is able to associate with secretory component (SC) to generate SIgA-like molecules. We found that ∼15% of plasma pIgA carried J chain and displayed selective SC binding capacity either in a mixture with monomeric IgA (mIgA) or after purification. The recombinant SC associated covalently in a 1:1 stoichiometry with pIgA and with similar efficacy as colostrum-derived SC. In comparison with pIgA, the association with SC delayed degradation of SIgA by intestinal proteases. Similar results were obtained with plasma-derived IgM. In vitro, plasma-derived IgA and SIgA neutralized Shigella flexneri used as a model pathogen, resulting in a delay of bacteria-induced damage targeted to polarized Caco-2 cell monolayers. The sum of these novel data demonstrates that association of plasma-derived IgA or IgM with recombinant/colostrum-derived SC is feasible and yields SIgA- and SIgM-like molecules with similar biochemical and functional characteristics as mucosa-derived immunoglobulins. PMID:23250751

[Blood lipids and adaptation to stress as risk factors for stroke prevention].

PubMed

Anders, I; Esterbauer, E; Fink, A; Ladurner, G; Huemer, M; Wranek, U

2000-01-01

Do stroke prevention patients with increased blood-fat-protein compounds (total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride) have a different method of coping than patients with normal blood fat? 1159 stroke prevention patients participated in the following stroke risk investigations at this hospital: biographical and risk factor-orientated anamnesis, a neurological status investigation, a laboratory investigation, a sonographic investigation and a psychological investigation. The differences in the coping strategies of those patients with normal and those with higher blood-fat-protein compounds were investigated. Patients with higher total cholesterol showed significantly higher values in the avoidance of stress situations (sig. 0.041) and a stronger tendency towards escapist behaviour (sig. 0.05). Patients with normal HDL cholesterol values indicated a tendency (sig. 0.07) to higher values in positive self-instruction in comparison to patients with reduced HDL cholesterol values. Those prevention patients with higher LDL values showed a tendency (sig. 0.08) to higher values in the intake of narcotic substances (nicotine, alcohol, tranquillisers, pharmaceutical agents). Patients with increased triglyceride indicated significantly higher values in coping by compensation (eating, shopping, reward behaviour, watching TV; sig. 0.037) and the intake of narcotic substances (sig. 0.044). Prevention patients with higher total cholesterol, LDL/HDL, or triglyceride values showed significantly different coping strategies in comparison to those patients with normal values. Increased avoidance and escapism behaviour and also compensation and the abuse of narcotic substances could be seen in connection with an increase in the risk of a stroke. In contrast, a constructive coping strategy such as positive self-instruction could reduce the risk of a stroke, which goes along with normal HDL cholesterol.

Salivary Secretory Immunoglobulin a secretion increases after 4-weeks ingestion of chlorella-derived multicomponent supplement in humans: a randomized cross over study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Chlorella, a unicellular green alga that grows in fresh water, contains high levels of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers. Some studies have reported favorable immune function-related effects on biological secretions such as blood and breast milk in humans who have ingested a chlorella-derived multicomponent supplement. However, the effects of chlorella-derived supplement on mucosal immune functions remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether chlorella ingestion increases the salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) secretion in humans using a blind, randomized, crossover study design. Methods Fifteen men took 30 placebo and 30 chlorella tablets per day for 4 weeks separated by a 12-week washout period. Before and after each trial, saliva samples were collected from a sterile cotton ball that was chewed after overnight fasting. Salivary SIgA concentrations were measured using ELISA. Results Compliance rates for placebo and chlorella ingestions were 97.0 ± 1.0% and 95.3 ± 1.6%, respectively. No difference was observed in salivary SIgA concentrations before and after placebo ingestion (P = 0.38). However, salivary SIgA concentrations were significantly elevated after chlorella ingestion compared to baseline (P < 0.01). No trial × period interaction was identified for the saliva flow rates. Although the SIgA secretion rate was not affected by placebo ingestion (P = 0.36), it significantly increased after 4-week chlorella ingestion than before intake (P < 0.01). Conclusions These results suggest 4-week ingestion of a chlorella-derived multicomponent supplement increases salivary SIgA secretion and possibly improves mucosal immune function in humans. PMID:21906314

Automated software system for checking the structure and format of ACM SIG documents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirza, Arsalan Rahman; Sah, Melike

2017-04-01

Microsoft (MS) Office Word is one of the most commonly used software tools for creating documents. MS Word 2007 and above uses XML to represent the structure of MS Word documents. Metadata about the documents are automatically created using Office Open XML (OOXML) syntax. We develop a new framework, which is called ADFCS (Automated Document Format Checking System) that takes the advantage of the OOXML metadata, in order to extract semantic information from MS Office Word documents. In particular, we develop a new ontology for Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interested Group (SIG) documents for representing the structure and format of these documents by using OWL (Web Ontology Language). Then, the metadata is extracted automatically in RDF (Resource Description Framework) according to this ontology using the developed software. Finally, we generate extensive rules in order to infer whether the documents are formatted according to ACM SIG standards. This paper, introduces ACM SIG ontology, metadata extraction process, inference engine, ADFCS online user interface, system evaluation and user study evaluations.

Academic Competitiveness and SMART Grant Programs: First-Year Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choy, Susan P.; Berkner, Lutz; Lee, John; Topper, Amelia

2009-01-01

The "Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005" created two new grant programs for undergraduates: the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) program and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant program. The ACG program is intended to encourage students to take challenging courses in high school and thus…

Evaluation of Total Salivary Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Mi/fans-specific SIgA among Children having Dissimilar Caries Status.

PubMed

Pandey, Sunil; Goel, Mahima; Nagpal, Ravi; Kar, Ankita; Rapsang, Eliezer; Matani, Priya

2018-06-01

The occurrence of dental caries has become quite a common phenomenon nowadays. The varying levels of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) usually determine the progression of caries. The present study was aimed to determine the correlation between SIgA and mutans-specific antigen SIgA in children having different caries status. Scanning electron microscopic analysis was also completed to correlate the results. This study comprised 60 subjects, who were divided into three groups depending on caries status. In all, saliva was collected to determine the level of SIgA and mutans-specific antigen SIgA using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and method were used to evaluate dental caries. Bradford reagent was used to evaluate the levels of protein in the antigen. Furthermore, 20 sections of enamel were randomly obtained to estimate the severity of caries development among groups. Categorical characteristics among all groups were compared by basic statistical analysis and Chi-squared test. Mean age (years) was found to be 9.214 ± 2.28, 9.5 ± 2.51, and 10.2 ± 2.35 in groups I, II, and III respectively. Mutans-specific IgA level (|jg/mL) was 34.63 ± 7.46, 28.24 ± 4.52, and 23.56 ± 1.62 in groups I, II, and III respectively. Total SIgA (jg/mL) was 142.53 ± 22.4, 186.10 ± 24.70, and 214.8 ± 27.56 in groups I, II, and III respectively. Caries index was 6.74 ± 2.16, 2.32 ± 0.86, and 0 ± 0 in groups I, II, and III respectively. Immunoglobulin A is dominantly present in saliva and it plays a significant role in prevention of dental caries. Hence, dental caries is more likely to develop in subjects with low level of salivary IgA (high caries index). A low level of IgA may be associated with a high risk of developing dental caries. This association may possibly be useful in predicting the future caries status. Accordingly, suitable caries-preventive measures can be selected and employed.

σ-1 receptor stimulation protects against pressure-induced damage through InsR-MAPK signaling in human trabecular meshwork cells

PubMed Central

Meng, Bo; Li, Hongyi; Sun, Xian; Qu, Wei; Yang, Binbin; Cheng, Fang; Shi, Liping; Yuan, Huiping

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of the σ-1 receptor (Sig-1R) agonist (+)-pentazocin (PTZ) on pressure-induced apoptosis and death of human trabecular meshwork cells (hTMCs). The expression levels of Sig-1R and insulin receptor (InsR) were examined in hTMCs. Cells were cultured under a pressure of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mmHg for 48 h, and under 80 mmHg for 44 h, after which the cells were treated with (+)-PTZ (20 µM), N-(2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl)-N-methyl-2-(dimethylamino) ethylamine (BD-1063; 20 µM) administered 30 min prior to (+)-PTZ, or BD-1063 (20 µM) and then exposed to 80 mmHg again until the 48 h time-point. The changes of the cells were observed by optical and electron microscopy, the apoptosis and death of hTMCs were detected by ethidium bromide/acridine orange dual staining assay and the expression of Sig-1R and InsR by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), an important downstream protein of the InsR-mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway, was also detected by western blot analysis when (+)-PTZ and BD-1063 were added to the 80 mmHg-treated cells. Sig-1Rs and InsRs were expressed in hTMCs. The apoptosis and death of hTMCs increased from 40 mmHg with 50% cell death when the pressure was at 80 mmHg and the structure of the cells noticeably changed. The expression of Sig-1R and InsR increased along with the elevation of pressure. (+)-PTZ decreased the apoptosis and death of hTMCs and increased the expression of Sig-1R and InsR, and the phosphorylation of ERK. Such effects were blocked by BD-1063. The present study suggested that Sig-1R agonist (+)-PTZ can protect hTMCs from pressure-induced apoptosis and death by activating InsR and the MAPK signal pathway. PMID:28560459

A comparison of prognostic significance of strong ion gap (SIG) with other acid-base markers in the critically ill: a cohort study.

PubMed

Ho, Kwok M; Lan, Norris S H; Williams, Teresa A; Harahsheh, Yusra; Chapman, Andrew R; Dobb, Geoffrey J; Magder, Sheldon

2016-01-01

This cohort study compared the prognostic significance of strong ion gap (SIG) with other acid-base markers in the critically ill. The relationships between SIG, lactate, anion gap (AG), anion gap albumin-corrected (AG-corrected), base excess or strong ion difference-effective (SIDe), all obtained within the first hour of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and the hospital mortality of 6878 patients were analysed. The prognostic significance of each acid-base marker, both alone and in combination with the Admission Mortality Prediction Model (MPM0 III) predicted mortality, were assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Of the 6878 patients included in the study, 924 patients (13.4 %) died after ICU admission. Except for plasma chloride concentrations, all acid-base markers were significantly different between the survivors and non-survivors. SIG (with lactate: AUROC 0.631, confidence interval [CI] 0.611-0.652; without lactate: AUROC 0.521, 95 % CI 0.500-0.542) only had a modest ability to predict hospital mortality, and this was no better than using lactate concentration alone (AUROC 0.701, 95 % 0.682-0.721). Adding AG-corrected or SIG to a combination of lactate and MPM0 III predicted risks also did not substantially improve the latter's ability to differentiate between survivors and non-survivors. Arterial lactate concentrations explained about 11 % of the variability in the observed mortality, and it was more important than SIG (0.6 %) and SIDe (0.9 %) in predicting hospital mortality after adjusting for MPM0 III predicted risks. Lactate remained as the strongest predictor for mortality in a sensitivity multivariate analysis, allowing for non-linearity of all acid-base markers. The prognostic significance of SIG was modest and inferior to arterial lactate concentration for the critically ill. Lactate concentration should always be considered regardless whether physiological, base excess or physical-chemical approach is used to interpret acid-base disturbances in critically ill patients.

A simplified method for determining reactive rate parameters for reaction ignition and growth in explosives

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

Miller, P.J.

1996-07-01

A simplified method for determining the reactive rate parameters for the ignition and growth model is presented. This simplified ignition and growth (SIG) method consists of only two adjustable parameters, the ignition (I) and growth (G) rate constants. The parameters are determined by iterating these variables in DYNA2D hydrocode simulations of the failure diameter and the gap test sensitivity until the experimental values are reproduced. Examples of four widely different explosives were evaluated using the SIG model. The observed embedded gauge stress-time profiles for these explosives are compared to those calculated by the SIG equation and the results are described.

A monoclonal antibody that recognizes B cells and B cell precursors in mice

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

Coffman, R.L.; Weissman, I.L.

1981-02-01

The monoclonal antibody, RA3-2C2, appears to be specific for cells within the B cell lineage. This antibody does not recognize thymocytes, peripheral T cells, or nonlymphoid hematopoietic cells in the spleen or bone marrow. Nor does it recognize the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells, the spleen colony-forming unit, All sIg+ B cells and most plasma cells are RA3-2C2+. In addition, approximately 20% of nucleated bone marrow cells are RA3-2C2+ but sIg-. This population contains B cell precursors that can give rise to sIg+ cells within 2 d in vitro.

76 FR 1642 - State's Mine Health and Safety Grants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-11

... Grant Applications for the Fiscal Year 2011 State grant program. Announcement Type: New. Funding... solicitation for grant applications (SGA) for the States grant program on http://www.grants.gov . The SGA contains all of the necessary information needed to apply for grant funding. Applicants for these grants...

FY 2018 Grant Announcement: FY2018 support for Small Water Grant (SWG) and Innovative and Nutrient Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grant

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office is announcing a request for proposals (RFP) for supporting both the:1.Small Watershed Grants (SWG) program; and 2.Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grants program.

Failure mode and effects analysis and fault tree analysis of surface image guided cranial radiosurgery.

PubMed

Manger, Ryan P; Paxton, Adam B; Pawlicki, Todd; Kim, Gwe-Ya

2015-05-01

Surface image guided, Linac-based radiosurgery (SIG-RS) is a modern approach for delivering radiosurgery that utilizes optical stereoscopic imaging to monitor the surface of the patient during treatment in lieu of using a head frame for patient immobilization. Considering the novelty of the SIG-RS approach and the severity of errors associated with delivery of large doses per fraction, a risk assessment should be conducted to identify potential hazards, determine their causes, and formulate mitigation strategies. The purpose of this work is to investigate SIG-RS using the combined application of failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) and fault tree analysis (FTA), report on the effort required to complete the analysis, and evaluate the use of FTA in conjunction with FMEA. A multidisciplinary team was assembled to conduct the FMEA on the SIG-RS process. A process map detailing the steps of the SIG-RS was created to guide the FMEA. Failure modes were determined for each step in the SIG-RS process, and risk priority numbers (RPNs) were estimated for each failure mode to facilitate risk stratification. The failure modes were ranked by RPN, and FTA was used to determine the root factors contributing to the riskiest failure modes. Using the FTA, mitigation strategies were formulated to address the root factors and reduce the risk of the process. The RPNs were re-estimated based on the mitigation strategies to determine the margin of risk reduction. The FMEA and FTAs for the top two failure modes required an effort of 36 person-hours (30 person-hours for the FMEA and 6 person-hours for two FTAs). The SIG-RS process consisted of 13 major subprocesses and 91 steps, which amounted to 167 failure modes. Of the 91 steps, 16 were directly related to surface imaging. Twenty-five failure modes resulted in a RPN of 100 or greater. Only one of these top 25 failure modes was specific to surface imaging. The riskiest surface imaging failure mode had an overall RPN-rank of eighth. Mitigation strategies for the top failure mode decreased the RPN from 288 to 72. Based on the FMEA performed in this work, the use of surface imaging for monitoring intrafraction position in Linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) did not greatly increase the risk of the Linac-based SRS process. In some cases, SIG helped to reduce the risk of Linac-based RS. The FMEA was augmented by the use of FTA since it divided the failure modes into their fundamental components, which simplified the task of developing mitigation strategies.

34 CFR 461.1 - What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic...-ADMINISTERED BASIC GRANT PROGRAM General § 461.1 What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program? The Adult Education State-administered basic Grant Program (the program) is a cooperative effort...

34 CFR 461.1 - What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic...-ADMINISTERED BASIC GRANT PROGRAM General § 461.1 What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program? The Adult Education State-administered basic Grant Program (the program) is a cooperative effort...

34 CFR 461.1 - What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic...-ADMINISTERED BASIC GRANT PROGRAM General § 461.1 What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program? The Adult Education State-administered basic Grant Program (the program) is a cooperative effort...

34 CFR 461.1 - What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic...-ADMINISTERED BASIC GRANT PROGRAM General § 461.1 What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program? The Adult Education State-administered basic Grant Program (the program) is a cooperative effort...

34 CFR 461.1 - What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic...-ADMINISTERED BASIC GRANT PROGRAM General § 461.1 What is the Adult Education State-administered Basic Grant Program? The Adult Education State-administered basic Grant Program (the program) is a cooperative effort...

Pseudomembranous Type of Oral Candidiasis is Associated with Decreased Salivary Flow Rate and Secretory Immunoglobulin A Levels.

PubMed

Mahajan, Bela; Bagul, Neeta; Desai, Rajiv; Reddy, Mamatha; Mahajan, Amit; Shete, Ashwini; Risbud, Arun; Mane, Arati

2015-08-01

Saliva plays an important role in maintaining microbial homeostasis in the oral cavity, while salivary gland hypofunction predisposes the oral mucosa to pathologic alteration and increases the risk for oral candidiasis. This study sought to determine the salivary flow rate (SFR) and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals and evaluate their relationship with the determinants of oral candidiasis. Sixty HIV-positive (30 with and 30 without oral candidiasis) and 30 healthy HIV-negative individuals were enrolled. Cotton pellet was weighed pre- and post-saliva collection for the assessment of SFR, while SIgA levels were estimated by commercial ELISA (Diametra, Italy) kit. The mean ± SD, SFR and SIgA levels in HIV-positive individuals with candidiasis, without candidiasis and HIV-negative controls were 0.396 ± 0.290, 0.546 ± 0.355 and 0.534 ± 0.214 ml/min and 115.891 ± 37.621, 136.024 ± 51.075 and 149.418 ± 31.765 µg/ml, respectively. A positive correlation between low CD4 counts (indicator of immunodeficiency) and SIgA was observed in HIV-positive individuals with candidiasis (r = 0.373, p = 0.045). We also report here for the first time the significant decrease in SFR and SIgA levels in individuals presenting with pseudomembranous type of oral candidiasis and Candida albicans infection.

BioSig3D: High Content Screening of Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Models

PubMed Central

Bilgin, Cemal Cagatay; Fontenay, Gerald; Cheng, Qingsu; Chang, Hang; Han, Ju; Parvin, Bahram

2016-01-01

BioSig3D is a computational platform for high-content screening of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models that are imaged in full 3D volume. It provides an end-to-end solution for designing high content screening assays, based on colony organization that is derived from segmentation of nuclei in each colony. BioSig3D also enables visualization of raw and processed 3D volumetric data for quality control, and integrates advanced bioinformatics analysis. The system consists of multiple computational and annotation modules that are coupled together with a strong use of controlled vocabularies to reduce ambiguities between different users. It is a web-based system that allows users to: design an experiment by defining experimental variables, upload a large set of volumetric images into the system, analyze and visualize the dataset, and either display computed indices as a heatmap, or phenotypic subtypes for heterogeneity analysis, or download computed indices for statistical analysis or integrative biology. BioSig3D has been used to profile baseline colony formations with two experiments: (i) morphogenesis of a panel of human mammary epithelial cell lines (HMEC), and (ii) heterogeneity in colony formation using an immortalized non-transformed cell line. These experiments reveal intrinsic growth properties of well-characterized cell lines that are routinely used for biological studies. BioSig3D is being released with seed datasets and video-based documentation. PMID:26978075

The sigma-1 receptor-Zinc finger protein 179 pathway protects against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell injury

PubMed Central

Su, Tzu-Chieh; Lin, Shu-Hui; Lee, Pin-Tse; Yeh, Shiu-Hwa; Hsieh, Tsung-Hsun; Chou, Szu-Yi; Su, Tsung-Ping; Hung, Jan-Jong; Chang, Wen-Chang; Lee, Yi-Chao; Chuang, Jian-Ying

2017-01-01

The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have implicated the pathogenesis of several human diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, and traumatic brain injury, hence protecting neurons against ROS is very important. In this study, we focused on sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R), a chaperone at endoplasmic reticulum, and investigated its protective functions. Using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced ROS accumulation model, we verified that apoptosis-signaling pathways were elicited by H2O2 treatment. However, the Sig-1R agonists, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate (DHEAS), reduced the activation of apoptotic pathways significantly. By performing protein-protein interaction assays and shRNA knockdown of Sig-1R, we identified the brain Zinc finger protein 179 (Znf179) as a downstream target of Sig-1R regulation. The neuroprotective effect of Znf179 overexpression was similar to that of DHEAS treatment, and likely mediated by affecting the levels of antioxidant enzymes. We also quantified the levels of peroxiredoxin 3 (Prx3) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) in the hippocampi of wild-type and Znf179 knockout mice, and found both enzymes to be reduced in the knockout versus the wild-type mice. In summary, these results reveal that Znf179 plays a novel role in neuroprotection, and Sig-1R agonists may be therapeutic candidates to prevent ROS-induced damage in neurodegenerative and neurotraumatic diseases. PMID:26792191

75 FR 20269 - Regulatory Reporting Requirements for the Indian Community Development Block Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-19

...-AC79 Regulatory Reporting Requirements for the Indian Community Development Block Grant Program AGENCY... final rule revises the reporting requirements for the Indian Community Development Block Grants (ICDBG... Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program. The purpose of the ICDBG program is the...

7 CFR 1940.578 - Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. 1940.578 Section 1940.578 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING... Allocation of Loan and Grant Program Funds § 1940.578 Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. (a) Amount...

34 CFR 686.4 - Institutional participation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... participate in the TEACH Grant program. (b) If an institution begins participation in the TEACH Grant program... subsequent payment period. (c) If an institution ceases to participate in the TEACH Grant program or becomes ineligible to participate in the TEACH Grant program during an award year, a student who was attending the...

34 CFR 686.4 - Institutional participation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... participate in the TEACH Grant program. (b) If an institution begins participation in the TEACH Grant program... subsequent payment period. (c) If an institution ceases to participate in the TEACH Grant program or becomes ineligible to participate in the TEACH Grant program during an award year, a student who was attending the...

34 CFR 686.4 - Institutional participation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... participate in the TEACH Grant program. (b) If an institution begins participation in the TEACH Grant program... subsequent payment period. (c) If an institution ceases to participate in the TEACH Grant program or becomes ineligible to participate in the TEACH Grant program during an award year, a student who was attending the...

75 FR 34805 - Program Integrity Issues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-18

...The Secretary proposes to improve integrity in the programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) by amending the regulations for Institutional Eligibility Under the HEA, the Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, the Secretary's Recognition Procedures for State Agencies, the Student Assistance General Provisions, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program, the Federal Pell Grant Program, and the Academic Competitiveness Grant (AGC) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National Smart Grant) Programs.

75 FR 66831 - Program Integrity Issues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-29

...The Secretary is improving integrity in the programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), by amending the regulations for Institutional Eligibility Under the HEA, the Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, the Secretary's Recognition Procedures for State Agencies, the Student Assistance General Provisions, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program in part 686, the Federal Pell Grant Program, and the Academic Competitiveness Grant (AGC) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National Smart Grant) Programs.

The temperature-sensitive and attenuation phenotypes conferred by mutations in the influenza virus PB2, PB1, and NP genes are influenced by the species of origin of the PB2 gene in reassortant viruses derived from influenza A/California/07/2009 and A/WSN/33 viruses.

PubMed

Broadbent, Andrew J; Santos, Celia P; Godbout, Rachel A; Subbarao, Kanta

2014-11-01

Live attenuated influenza vaccines in the United States are derived from a human virus that is temperature sensitive (ts), characterized by restricted (≥ 100-fold) replication at 39 °C. The ts genetic signature (ts sig) has been mapped to 5 loci in 3 genes: PB1 (391 E, 581 G, and 661 T), PB2 (265 S), and NP (34 G). However, when transferred into avian and swine influenza viruses, only partial ts and attenuation phenotypes occur. To investigate the reason for this, we introduced the ts sig into the human origin virus A/WSN/33 (WSN), the avian-origin virus A/Vietnam/1203/04 (VN04), and the swine origin triple-reassortant 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus A/California/07/2009 (CA07), which contains gene segments from human, avian, and swine viruses. The VN04(ts sig) and CA07(ts sig) viruses replicated efficiently in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells at 39 °C, but the replication of WSN(ts sig) was restricted ≥ 100-fold compared to that at 33 °C. Reassortant CA07(ts sig) viruses were generated with individual polymerase gene segments from WSN, and vice versa. Only ts sig viruses with a PB2 gene segment derived from WSN were restricted in replication ≥ 100-fold at 39 °C. In ferrets, the CA07(ts sig) virus replicated in the upper and lower respiratory tract, but the replication of a reassortant CA07(ts sig) virus with a WSN PB2 gene was severely restricted in the lungs. Taken together, these data suggest that the origin of the PB2 gene segment influences the ts phenotype in vitro and attenuation in vivo. This could have implications for the design of novel live vaccines against animal origin influenza viruses. Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) on temperature-sensitive (ts) backbones derived from animal origin influenza viruses are being sought for use in the poultry and swine industries and to protect people against animal origin influenza. However, inserting the ts genetic signature from a licensed LAIV backbone fails to fully attenuate these viruses. Our data indicate this is associated with the presence of a PB2 gene segment derived from an avian influenza virus. We show that a reassortant 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus with the ts signature from a licensed LAIV donor virus is ts in vitro and attenuated in vivo when the PB2 gene is derived from a human origin virus but not from an avian virus. Our study provides information that could benefit the rational design of alternative LAIV backbones against animal origin influenza viruses. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Temperature-Sensitive and Attenuation Phenotypes Conferred by Mutations in the Influenza Virus PB2, PB1, and NP Genes Are Influenced by the Species of Origin of the PB2 Gene in Reassortant Viruses Derived from Influenza A/California/07/2009 and A/WSN/33 Viruses

PubMed Central

Broadbent, Andrew J.; Santos, Celia P.; Godbout, Rachel A.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Live attenuated influenza vaccines in the United States are derived from a human virus that is temperature sensitive (ts), characterized by restricted (≥100-fold) replication at 39°C. The ts genetic signature (ts sig) has been mapped to 5 loci in 3 genes: PB1 (391E, 581G, and 661T), PB2 (265S), and NP (34G). However, when transferred into avian and swine influenza viruses, only partial ts and attenuation phenotypes occur. To investigate the reason for this, we introduced the ts sig into the human origin virus A/WSN/33 (WSN), the avian-origin virus A/Vietnam/1203/04 (VN04), and the swine origin triple-reassortant 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus A/California/07/2009 (CA07), which contains gene segments from human, avian, and swine viruses. The VN04ts sig and CA07ts sig viruses replicated efficiently in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells at 39°C, but the replication of WSNts sig was restricted ≥100-fold compared to that at 33°C. Reassortant CA07ts sig viruses were generated with individual polymerase gene segments from WSN, and vice versa. Only ts sig viruses with a PB2 gene segment derived from WSN were restricted in replication ≥100-fold at 39°C. In ferrets, the CA07ts sig virus replicated in the upper and lower respiratory tract, but the replication of a reassortant CA07ts sig virus with a WSN PB2 gene was severely restricted in the lungs. Taken together, these data suggest that the origin of the PB2 gene segment influences the ts phenotype in vitro and attenuation in vivo. This could have implications for the design of novel live vaccines against animal origin influenza viruses. IMPORTANCE Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) on temperature-sensitive (ts) backbones derived from animal origin influenza viruses are being sought for use in the poultry and swine industries and to protect people against animal origin influenza. However, inserting the ts genetic signature from a licensed LAIV backbone fails to fully attenuate these viruses. Our data indicate this is associated with the presence of a PB2 gene segment derived from an avian influenza virus. We show that a reassortant 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus with the ts signature from a licensed LAIV donor virus is ts in vitro and attenuated in vivo when the PB2 gene is derived from a human origin virus but not from an avian virus. Our study provides information that could benefit the rational design of alternative LAIV backbones against animal origin influenza viruses. PMID:25122786

Integration of Scale Invariant Generator Technique and S-A Technique for Characterizing 2-D Patterns for Information Retrieve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, L.; Cheng, Q.

2004-12-01

The scale invariant generator technique (SIG) and spectrum-area analysis technique (S-A) were developed independently relevant to the concept of the generalized scale invariance (GSI). The former was developed for characterizing the parameters involved in the GSI for characterizing and simulating multifractal measures whereas the latter was for identifying scaling breaks for decomposition of superimposed multifractal measures caused by multiple geophysical processes. A natural integration of these two techniques may yield a new technique to serve two purposes, on the one hand, that can enrich the power of S-A by increasing the interpretability of decomposed patterns in some applications of S-A and, on the other hand, that can provide a mean to test the uniqueness of multifractality of measures which is essential for application of SIG technique in more complicated environment. The implementation of the proposed technique has been done as a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) in Visual C++. The program can be friendly used for method validation and application in different fields.

76 FR 77503 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-13

... series design; and (4) investigate the relationship between STM turnaround models (and strategies within...-performing schools. The evaluation is designed to (1) study the implementation of RTT and SIG; (2) analyze the impact of SIG- or RTT-funded STMs on student outcomes using a regression discontinuity design; (3...

Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community (IPKC): Self-Determination in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waterman, Stephanie J.; Harrison, Irvin D.

2017-01-01

Special interest groups (SIGs) offer spaces for interests that may not be supported or adequately addressed by the larger organization. NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) calls its SIGs "knowledge communities." This article describes the ways the members of the Indigenous Peoples knowledge community (IPKC)…

7 CFR 3550.115 - WWD grant program objectives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 306C Water and Waste Disposal Grants § 3550.115 WWD grant program objectives. The objective of the WWD individual grant program is to facilitate the use of community water and waste disposal systems by the residents of colonias along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. WWD grants are processed the same as...

7 CFR 3430.1003 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Sun Grant Program § 3430.1003 Eligibility. (a) Sun Grant Centers and Subcenter. NIFA will use amounts appropriated for the Sun Grant Program to provide grants to the following five Centers and one Subcenter: (1) A... ineligible for funding under the Sun Grant Program if NIFA determines on the basis of an audit or a review of...

7 CFR 3430.1003 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Sun Grant Program § 3430.1003 Eligibility. (a) Sun Grant Centers and Subcenter. NIFA will use amounts appropriated for the Sun Grant Program to provide grants to the following five Centers and one Subcenter: (1) A... ineligible for funding under the Sun Grant Program if NIFA determines on the basis of an audit or a review of...

7 CFR 3430.1003 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Sun Grant Program § 3430.1003 Eligibility. (a) Sun Grant Centers and Subcenter. NIFA will use amounts appropriated for the Sun Grant Program to provide grants to the following five Centers and one Subcenter: (1) A... ineligible for funding under the Sun Grant Program if NIFA determines on the basis of an audit or a review of...

7 CFR 3430.1003 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Sun Grant Program § 3430.1003 Eligibility. (a) Sun Grant Centers and Subcenter. NIFA will use amounts appropriated for the Sun Grant Program to provide grants to the following five Centers and one Subcenter: (1) A... ineligible for funding under the Sun Grant Program if NIFA determines on the basis of an audit or a review of...

Assessing the efficacy of advancing underrepresented minority groups through AGU's Student Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marasco, L.; Hurtado, C.; Gottschall, H.; Meisenhelder, K.; Hankin, E. R.; Harwell, D. E.

2017-12-01

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) strives to cultivate a diverse and inclusive organization that uses its position to build the global talent pool in Earth and space science. To cultivate a diverse talent pool, AGU must also foster a diverse student member population. The two largest AGU programs serving students are the Outstanding Student Paper Award (OSPA) and the Student Grants programs. OSPA allows students to practice their presentation skills and receive valuable feedback from experienced scientists. Over 3,000 students participated in OSPA at Fall Meeting 2016. The Student Grants program includes a suite of 14 travel and research grant opportunities. Over 2,000 students applied for grant opportunities in 2016 and 246 grants and fellowships were awarded. The OSPA and Student Grants programs also engage non-student members through volunteering opportunities for program roles, such as OSPA judge or grant reviewer. This presentation will look at the temporal participation trends of underrepresented minority groups in AGU's OSPA and Student Grants programs. The participation of underrepresented minority groups will also be compared before and after the implementation of policy changes to the Student Grants program in 2012.

77 FR 8288 - State's Mine Health and Safety Grants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-14

... Grant Applications for the Fiscal Year 2012 State grant program. Announcement Type: New. Funding... (MSHA), has posted its solicitation for grant applications (SGA) for the States Grants Program on http://www.grants.gov . The SGA contains all of the necessary information needed to apply for grant funding...

75 FR 30108 - Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Grant Program; Availability of 2011 Grant Application Package

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

...) matching grant for the 2011 grant cycle (the 2011 grant cycle runs January 1, 2011, through December 31.... Based on the findings of this assessment, for the 2011 grant cycle, the LITC Program Office is... currently receiving a grant for the 2010 grant cycle, or (2) organizations servicing the following counties...

Grants for adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces. Final rule.

PubMed

2015-05-04

This final rule amends Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations to establish a new program to provide grants to eligible entities to provide adaptive sports activities to disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces. This rulemaking is necessary to implement a change in the law that authorizes VA to make grants to entities other than the United States Olympic Committee for adaptive sports programs. It establishes procedures for evaluating grant applications under this grant program, and otherwise administering the grant program. This rule implements section 5 of the VA Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2013.

10 CFR 455.144 - Grant awards for State programs to provide technical assistance, program assistance, and marketing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grant awards for State programs to provide technical assistance, program assistance, and marketing. 455.144 Section 455.144 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND BUILDINGS OWNED BY UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC CARE INSTITUTIONS Grant Awards §...

78 FR 17776 - Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant Program-Availability of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-22

... Grant Program. DATES: Application packages are available electronically from the IRS on May 1, 2013 by visiting: IRS.gov (key word search--``VITA Grant'') or through Grants.gov . The deadline for submitting an application to the IRS for the Community VITA Matching Grant Program is May 31, 2013. All applications must be...

The U.S. Space Grant College and Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dasch, E. Julius; Schwartz, Elaine T.; Keffer, Lynne

1990-01-01

The U.S. NASA Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, congressionally mandated in 1987, consists of two phases. Phase I consisted of the designation of 21 university consortia as 'Space Grant Colleges/Consortia' which received support from NASA to conduct programs to achieve, maintain, and advance a balanced program of research capability, curriculum, and public service. Program descriptions for phase II are given. This phase is designed to broaden participation in the Space Grant Program by targeting states that currently are not as involved in NASA programs as are the states for which phase I was constructed. Under phase II, states will compete in either the Programs Grants or the Capability Enhancement Grants category. Only one proposal per state will be accepted with the state determining in which category it will compete. The amount of total award, $150,000, is the same in both categories and includes funds for university-administered fellowship programs.

Interim Report of the Meteoroid and Debris Special Investigation Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael E.; Zook, Herbert A.; Horz, Fred; Atkinson, Dale R.; Coombs, Cassandra R.; Watts, Alan J.; Dardano, Claire B.; See, Thomas H.; Simon, Charles G.; Kinard, William H.

1992-01-01

The LDEF Meteoroid and Debris Special Investigation Group (hereafter M&D SIG) was formed to maximize the data harvest from LDEF by permitting the characterization of the meteoroid and space debris impact record of the entire satellite. Thus, our work is complementary to that of the various M&D PIs, all of whom are members of the SIG. This presentation will summarize recent results and discussions concerning five critical SIG goals: (1) Classification of impactors based upon composition of residues; (2) Small impact (microimpact) features; (3) Impact cratering and penetration data to derive projectile sizes and masses; (4) Particulate flux estimates in low-Earth orbit; (5) The LDEF Meteoroid and Debris database.

Report of the Meteoroid and Debris Special Investigation Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael E.; Zook, Herbert A.; Horz, Fred; Atkinson, Dale R.; Coombs, Cassandra R.; Watts, Alan J.; Dardano, Claire B.; See, Thomas H.; Simon, Charles G.; Kinard, William H.

1993-01-01

The LDEF Meteoroid and Debris Special Investigation Group (hereafter M&D SIG) was formed to maximize the data harvest from LDEF by permitting the characterization of the meteoroid and space debris impact record of the entire satellite. Thus, our work is complementary to that of the various M&D PI's, all of whom are members of the SIG. This presentation will summarize recent results and discussions concerning five critical SIG goals: (1) classification of impactors based upon composition of residues, (2) small impact (microimpact) features, (3) impact cratering and penetration data to derive projectile sizes and masses, (4) particulate flux estimates in low-Earth orbit, and (5) the LDEF Meteoroid and Debris database.

Overview of the systems special investigation. [long duration exposure facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, James B.; Dursch, Harry; Edelman, Joel

1992-01-01

The Systems Special Investigation Group (SIG), formed by the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) Project Office to perform post flight analysis of systems hardware, was chartered to investigate the effects of the extended LDEF mission on both satellite and experiment systems and to coordinate and integrate all systems analysis performed in post flight investigations. Almost all of the top level functional testing of the active experiments has been completed, but many components are still under investigation by either the Systems SIG or individual experimenters. Results reported to date have been collected and integrated by the Systems SIG and an overview of the current results and the status of the Systems Investigation are presented in this paper.

2012-2013 Federal Pell Grant Program End-of-Year Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education, 2013

2013-01-01

The Federal Pell Grant End-of-Year Report presents primary aspects of Federal Pell Grant Program activity for the 2012-2013 award year. This presentation is a compilation of quantitative program data assembled to offer insights into the changes to the Title IV applicant universe and the Federal Pell Grant Program. The Federal Pell Grant…

Procedures for Making Grant Awards under Three Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs. Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

Procedures are described for selecting field readers and awarding grants under the Women's Educational Equity Act Program, National Institute of Education, and Talent Search Programs. Information is provided for each on (1) the legislation, regulations, policy, and program directives that govern the grant award process; (2) how and by whom funding…

76 FR 10082 - Office of International Trade; State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-23

... (STEP) Grant Program AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). ACTION: Notice of grant... Program Announcement No. OIT-STEP-2011- 01 to invite the States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories to apply for a STEP grant to carry out export promotion programs that assist eligible small...

2011-2012 Federal Pell Grant Program End-of-Year Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education, 2012

2012-01-01

The Federal Pell Grant End-of-Year Report presents primary aspects of Federal Pell Grant Program activity for the 2011-2012 award year. This presentation is a compilation of quantitative program data assembled to offer insights into the changes to the Title IV applicant universe and the Federal Pell Grant Program. The Federal Pell Grant…

76 FR 16612 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Sea Grant Program Application Requirements for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-24

... Collection; Comment Request; Sea Grant Program Application Requirements for Grants, for Sea Grant Fellowships, and for Designation as a Sea Grant College or Sea Grant Institute AGENCY: National Oceanic and... for a renewal of a currently approved information collection. The objectives of the National Sea Grant...

ASIST SIG/CR Classification Workshop 2000: Classification for User Support and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soergel, Dagobert

2001-01-01

Reports on papers presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of ASIST (American Society for Information Science and Technology) for the Special Interest Group in Classification Research (SIG/CR). Topics include types of knowledge; developing user-oriented classifications, including domain analysis; classification in the user interface; and automatic…

Sigma-1 receptor chaperone at the ER-mitochondrion interface mediates the mitochondrion-ER-nucleus signaling for cellular survival.

PubMed

Mori, Tomohisa; Hayashi, Teruo; Hayashi, Eri; Su, Tsung-Ping

2013-01-01

The membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a cell forms contacts directly with mitochondria whereby the contact is referred to as the mitochondrion-associated ER membrane or the MAM. Here we found that the MAM regulates cellular survival via an MAM-residing ER chaperone the sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) in that the Sig-1R chaperones the ER stress sensor IRE1 to facilitate inter-organelle signaling for survival. IRE1 is found in this study to be enriched at the MAM in CHO cells. We found that IRE1 is stabilized at the MAM by Sig-1Rs when cells are under ER stress. Sig-1Rs stabilize IRE1 and thus allow for conformationally correct IRE1 to dimerize into the long-lasting, activated endonuclease. The IRE1 at the MAM also responds to reactive oxygen species derived from mitochondria. Therefore, the ER-mitochondrion interface serves as an important subcellular entity in the regulation of cellular survival by enhancing the stress-responding signaling between mitochondria, ER, and nucleus.

Sigma-1 receptor agonist PRE084 is protective against mutant huntingtin-induced cell degeneration: involvement of calpastatin and the NF-κB pathway

PubMed Central

Hyrskyluoto, A; Pulli, I; Törnqvist, K; Huu Ho, T; Korhonen, L; Lindholm, D

2013-01-01

Alterations in mitochondria and increased oxidative stress are associated with the disease progression in Huntington's disease (HD). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative damage are linked through the close communication between the ER and mitochondria. Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a chaperone protein in the ER that is involved in ER stress regulation, but little is known about its role in HD or the mechanisms for cell protection. Here we show that the Sig-1R agonist, PRE084 increases cell survival and counteracts the deleterious effects caused by N-terminal mutant huntingtin proteins in neuronal PC6.3 cells. Particularly, PRE084 increased the levels of cellular antioxidants by activating the NF-κB pathway that is compromised by the expression of mutant huntingtin proteins. These results show that the Sig-1R agonist has beneficial effects in models of HD and that compounds affecting the Sig-1R may be promising targets for future drug development in HD. PMID:23703391

Sigma-1 Receptor Chaperone at the ER-Mitochondrion Interface Mediates the Mitochondrion-ER-Nucleus Signaling for Cellular Survival

PubMed Central

Mori, Tomohisa; Hayashi, Teruo; Hayashi, Eri; Su, Tsung-Ping

2013-01-01

The membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a cell forms contacts directly with mitochondria whereby the contact is referred to as the mitochondrion-associated ER membrane or the MAM. Here we found that the MAM regulates cellular survival via an MAM-residing ER chaperone the sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) in that the Sig-1R chaperones the ER stress sensor IRE1 to facilitate inter-organelle signaling for survival. IRE1 is found in this study to be enriched at the MAM in CHO cells. We found that IRE1 is stabilized at the MAM by Sig-1Rs when cells are under ER stress. Sig-1Rs stabilize IRE1 and thus allow for conformationally correct IRE1 to dimerize into the long-lasting, activated endonuclease. The IRE1 at the MAM also responds to reactive oxygen species derived from mitochondria. Therefore, the ER-mitochondrion interface serves as an important subcellular entity in the regulation of cellular survival by enhancing the stress-responding signaling between mitochondria, ER, and nucleus. PMID:24204710

Spatial services grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Jian; Li, Qi; Cheng, Jicheng

2005-10-01

This paper discusses the concept, key technologies and main application of Spatial Services Grid. The technologies of Grid computing and Webservice is playing a revolutionary role in studying the spatial information services. The concept of the SSG (Spatial Services Grid) is put forward based on the SIG (Spatial Information Grid) and OGSA (open grid service architecture). Firstly, the grid computing is reviewed and the key technologies of SIG and their main applications are reviewed. Secondly, the grid computing and three kinds of SIG (in broad sense)--SDG (spatial data grid), SIG (spatial information grid) and SSG (spatial services grid) and their relationships are proposed. Thirdly, the key technologies of the SSG (spatial services grid) is put forward. Finally, three representative applications of SSG (spatial services grid) are discussed. The first application is urban location based services gird, which is a typical spatial services grid and can be constructed on OGSA (Open Grid Services Architecture) and digital city platform. The second application is region sustainable development grid which is the key to the urban development. The third application is Region disaster and emergency management services grid.

Variation of Solar, Interplanetary and Geomagnetic Parameters during Solar Cycles 21-24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Suyeon; Kim, Bogyeong

2013-06-01

The length of solar cycle 23 has been prolonged up to about 13 years. Many studies have speculated that the solar cycle 23/24 minimum will indicate the onset of a grand minimum of solar activity, such as the Maunder Minimum. We check the trends of solar (sunspot number, solar magnetic fields, total solar irradiance, solar radio flux, and frequency of solar X-ray flare), interplanetary (interplanetary magnetic field, solar wind and galactic cosmic ray intensity), and geomagnetic (Ap index) parameters (SIG parameters) during solar cycles 21-24. Most SIG parameters during the period of the solar cycle 23/24 minimum have remarkably low values. Since the 1970s, the space environment has been monitored by ground observatories and satellites. Such prevalently low values of SIG parameters have never been seen. We suggest that these unprecedented conditions of SIG parameters originate from the weakened solar magnetic fields. Meanwhile, the deep 23/24 solar cycle minimum might be the portent of a grand minimum in which the global mean temperature of the lower atmosphere is as low as in the period of Dalton or Maunder minimum.

Conforming STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program Regulations to Statutory Change; Definitions and Confidentiality Requirements Applicable to All OVW Grant Programs. Final rule.

PubMed

2016-11-29

This rule amends the regulations for the STOP (ServicesTrainingOfficersProsecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (STOP Program) and the general provisions governing Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) programs to comply with statutory changes and reduce repetition of statutory language. Also, this rule implements statutory requirements for nondisclosure of confidential or private information relating to all OVW grant programs.

76 FR 35918 - Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, FY 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-20

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration Susan Harwood Training Grant... Funding Opportunity for Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, FY 2011. Funding Opportunity No.: SHTG-FY-11... of approximately $4.7 million for Susan Harwood Training Program grants under the following...

75 FR 29783 - Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, FY 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-27

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration Susan Harwood Training Grant... Funding Opportunity for Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, FY 2010. Funding Opportunity No.: SHTG-FY-10... availability of approximately $8 million for the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program for Capacity Building...

Novel Monoclonal Antibodies for Studies of Human and Rhesus Macaque Secretory Component and Human J-Chain

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ruijun; Alam, S. Munir; Yu, Jae-Sung; Scearce, Richard; Lockwood, Bradley; Hwang, Kwan-Ki; Parks, Robert; Permar, Sallie; Brandtzaeg, Per; Haynes, Barton F.

2016-01-01

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies exist in monomeric, dimeric, and secretory forms. Dimerization of IgA depends on a 15-kD polypeptide termed “joining (J) chain,” which is also part of the binding site for an epithelial glycoprotein called “secretory component (SC),” whether this after apical cleavage on secretory epithelia is ligand bound in secretory IgA (SIgA) or in a free form. Uncleaved membrane SC, also called the “polymeric Ig receptor,” is thus crucial for transcytotic export of SIgA to mucosal surfaces, where it interacts with and modulates commensal bacteria and mediates protective immune responses against exogenous pathogens. To evaluate different forms of IgA, we have produced mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against human J-chain and free SC. We found that J-chain MAb 9A8 and SC MAb 9H7 identified human dimeric IgA and SIgA in enzyme-linked immunoassay and western blot analysis, as well as functioning in immunohistochemistry to identify cytoplasmic IgA of intestinal lamina propria plasmablasts/plasma cells and crypt epithelium of distal human intestine. Finally, we demonstrated that SC MAb 9H7 cross-reacted with rhesus macaque SIgA. These novel reagents should be of use in the study of the biology of various forms of IgA in humans and SIgA in macaques, as well as in monitoring the production and/or isolation of these forms of IgA. PMID:27386924

The mycobacterial antibiotic resistance determinant WhiB7 acts as a transcriptional activator by binding the primary sigma factor SigA (RpoV)

PubMed Central

Burian, Ján; Yim, Grace; Hsing, Michael; Axerio-Cilies, Peter; Cherkasov, Artem; Spiegelman, George B.; Thompson, Charles J.

2013-01-01

Tuberculosis therapeutic options are limited by the high intrinsic antibiotic resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The putative transcriptional regulator WhiB7 is crucial for the activation of systems that provide resistance to diverse antibiotic classes. Here, we used in vitro run-off, two-hybrid assays, as well as mutagenic, complementation and protein pull-down experiments, to characterize WhiB7 as an auto-regulatory, redox-sensitive transcriptional activator in Mycobacterium smegmatis. We provide the first direct biochemical proof that a WhiB protein promotes transcription and also demonstrate that this activity is sensitive to oxidation (diamide). Its partner protein for transcriptional activation was identified as SigA, the primary sigma factor subunit of RNA polymerase. Residues required for the interaction mapped to region 4 of SigA (including R515H) or adjacent domains of WhiB7 (including E63D). WhiB7’s ability to provide a specific spectrum of antibiotic-resistance was dependent on these residues as well as its C-terminal AT-hook module that binds to an AT-rich motif immediately upstream of the −35 hexamer recognized by SigA. These experimentally established constrains, combined with protein structure predictions, were used to generate a working model of the WhiB7–SigA-promoter complex. Inhibitors preventing WhiB7 interactions could allow the use of previously ineffective antibiotics for treatment of mycobacterial diseases. PMID:23990327

The mycobacterial antibiotic resistance determinant WhiB7 acts as a transcriptional activator by binding the primary sigma factor SigA (RpoV).

PubMed

Burian, Ján; Yim, Grace; Hsing, Michael; Axerio-Cilies, Peter; Cherkasov, Artem; Spiegelman, George B; Thompson, Charles J

2013-12-01

Tuberculosis therapeutic options are limited by the high intrinsic antibiotic resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The putative transcriptional regulator WhiB7 is crucial for the activation of systems that provide resistance to diverse antibiotic classes. Here, we used in vitro run-off, two-hybrid assays, as well as mutagenic, complementation and protein pull-down experiments, to characterize WhiB7 as an auto-regulatory, redox-sensitive transcriptional activator in Mycobacterium smegmatis. We provide the first direct biochemical proof that a WhiB protein promotes transcription and also demonstrate that this activity is sensitive to oxidation (diamide). Its partner protein for transcriptional activation was identified as SigA, the primary sigma factor subunit of RNA polymerase. Residues required for the interaction mapped to region 4 of SigA (including R515H) or adjacent domains of WhiB7 (including E63D). WhiB7's ability to provide a specific spectrum of antibiotic-resistance was dependent on these residues as well as its C-terminal AT-hook module that binds to an AT-rich motif immediately upstream of the -35 hexamer recognized by SigA. These experimentally established constrains, combined with protein structure predictions, were used to generate a working model of the WhiB7-SigA-promoter complex. Inhibitors preventing WhiB7 interactions could allow the use of previously ineffective antibiotics for treatment of mycobacterial diseases.

Outreach: the western New York Hospital Library Services Program, 1985-1989.

PubMed Central

Birkinbine, L A; Bertuca, C A

1991-01-01

The Hospital Library Services Program (HLSP) in western New York, during the period covered by its first five-year plan, 1984-1989, is recounted and described. This ongoing program is funded annually by a New York State grant and hospital participation fees. It is designed to support access to biomedical information for health care professionals through a grant program for hospitals with staffed libraries and a circuit program for hospitals without library staffing or without libraries. Hospitals participating in the grant program contribute funds and receive grants for collection development. Hospitals participating in the circuit program pay a participation fee and receive regularly scheduled, documented, circuit librarian visits; a collection development grant; and a grant for contract library services. The program contracts with the State University of New York at Buffalo's (UB) Health Sciences Library to provide computerized literature searches; interlibrary loan (ILL) of journal articles, books, and audiovisuals; and ILL referrals. PMID:1958912

Facts and Statistics

MedlinePlus

... Drug Listings Blood Cancer Conferences Researchers & Healthcare Professionals Academic Grants Academic Grant Programs Apply for a Grant Grant Finder Therapy Acceleration Program Academic Concierge Biotechnology Accelerator Clinical Trials Division Resources for ...

Impact of Staphylococcus aureus regulatory mutations that modulate biofilm formation in the USA300 strain LAC on virulence in a murine bacteremia model

PubMed Central

Rom, Joseph S.; Atwood, Danielle N.; Beenken, Karen E.; Meeker, Daniel G.; Loughran, Allister J.; Spencer, Horace J.; Lantz, Tamara L.; Smeltzer, Mark S.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus causes acute and chronic forms of infection, the latter often associated with formation of a biofilm. It has previously been demonstrated that mutation of atl, codY, rot, sarA, and sigB limits biofilm formation in the USA300 strain LAC while mutation of agr, fur, and mgrA has the opposite effect. Here we used a murine sepsis model to assess the impact of these same loci in acute infection. Mutation of agr, atl, and fur had no impact on virulence, while mutation of mgrA and rot increased virulence. In contrast, mutation of codY, sarA, and sigB significantly attenuated virulence. Mutation of sigB resulted in reduced accumulation of AgrA and SarA, while mutation of sarA resulted in reduced accumulation of AgrA, but this cannot account for the reduced virulence of sarA or sigB mutants because the isogenic agr mutant was not attenuated. Indeed, as assessed by accumulation of alpha toxin and protein A, all of the mutants we examined exhibited unique phenotypes by comparison to an agr mutant and to each other. Attenuation of the sarA, sigB and codY mutants was correlated with increased production of extracellular proteases and global changes in extracellular protein profiles. These results suggest that the inability to repress the production of extracellular proteases plays a key role in attenuating the virulence of S. aureus in acute as well as chronic, biofilm-associated infections, thus opening up the possibility that strategies aimed at the de-repression of protease production could be used to broad therapeutic advantage. They also suggest that the impact of codY, sarA, and sigB on protease production occurs via an agr-independent mechanism. PMID:28910576

The Alternative Sigma Factor SigX Controls Bacteriocin Synthesis and Competence, the Two Quorum Sensing Regulated Traits in Streptococcus mutans

PubMed Central

Reck, Michael; Tomasch, Jürgen; Wagner-Döbler, Irene

2015-01-01

Two small quorum sensing (QS) peptides regulate competence in S. mutans in a cell density dependent manner: XIP (sigX inducing peptide) and CSP (competence stimulating peptide). Depending on the environmental conditions isogenic S. mutans cells can split into a competent and non-competent subpopulation. The origin of this population heterogeneity has not been experimentally determined and it is unknown how the two QS systems are connected. We developed a toolbox of single and dual fluorescent reporter strains and systematically knocked out key genes of the competence signaling cascade in the reporter strain backgrounds. By following signal propagation on the single cell level we discovered that the master regulator of competence, the alternative sigma factor SigX, directly controls expression of the response regulator for bacteriocin synthesis ComE. Consequently, a SigX binding motif (cin-box) was identified in the promoter region of comE. Overexpressing the genetic components involved in competence development demonstrated that ComRS represents the origin of bimodality and determines the modality of the downstream regulators SigX and ComE. Moreover these analysis showed that there is no direct regulatory link between the two QS signaling cascades. Competence is induced through a hierarchical XIP signaling cascade, which has no regulatory input from the CSP cascade. CSP exclusively regulates bacteriocin synthesis. We suggest renaming it mutacin inducing peptide (MIP). Finally, using phosphomimetic comE mutants we show that unimodal bacteriocin production is controlled posttranslationally, thus solving the puzzling observation that in complex media competence is observed in a subpopulation only, while at the same time all cells produce bacteriocins. The control of both bacteriocin synthesis and competence through the alternative sigma-factor SigX suggests that S. mutans increases its genetic repertoire via QS controlled predation on neighboring species in its natural habitat. PMID:26158727

Region 4 of Rhizobium etli Primary Sigma Factor (SigA) Confers Transcriptional Laxity in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Santillán, Orlando; Ramírez-Romero, Miguel A; Lozano, Luis; Checa, Alberto; Encarnación, Sergio M; Dávila, Guillermo

2016-01-01

Sigma factors are RNA polymerase subunits engaged in promoter recognition and DNA strand separation during transcription initiation in bacteria. Primary sigma factors are responsible for the expression of housekeeping genes and are essential for survival. RpoD, the primary sigma factor of Escherichia coli, a γ-proteobacteria, recognizes consensus promoter sequences highly similar to those of some α-proteobacteria species. Despite this resemblance, RpoD is unable to sustain transcription from most of the α-proteobacterial promoters tested so far. In contrast, we have found that SigA, the primary sigma factor of Rhizobium etli, an α-proteobacteria, is able to transcribe E. coli promoters, although it exhibits only 48% identity (98% coverage) to RpoD. We have called this the transcriptional laxity phenomenon. Here, we show that SigA partially complements the thermo-sensitive deficiency of RpoD285 from E. coli strain UQ285 and that the SigA region σ4 is responsible for this phenotype. Sixteen out of 74 residues (21.6%) within region σ4 are variable between RpoD and SigA. Mutating these residues significantly improves SigA ability to complement E. coli UQ285. Only six of these residues fall into positions already known to interact with promoter DNA and to comprise a helix-turn-helix motif. The remaining variable positions are located on previously unexplored sites inside region σ4, specifically into the first two α-helices of the region. Neither of the variable positions confined to these helices seem to interact directly with promoter sequence; instead, we adduce that these residues participate allosterically by contributing to correct region folding and/or positioning of the HTH motif. We propose that transcriptional laxity is a mechanism for ensuring transcription in spite of naturally occurring mutations from endogenous promoters and/or horizontally transferred DNA sequences, allowing survival and fast environmental adaptation of α-proteobacteria.

Characterisation of nasal Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates from healthy donkeys in Tunisia.

PubMed

Gharsa, H; Slama, K Ben; Gómez-Sanz, E; Gómez, P; Klibi, N; Zarazaga, M; Boudabous, A; Torres, C

2015-07-01

Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG) bacteria can colonise the nares of some animals but are also emerging pathogens in humans and animals. To analyse SIG nasal carriage in healthy donkeys destined for food consumption in Tunisia and to characterise recovered isolates. Nasal swabs from 100 healthy donkeys were tested for SIG recovery, and isolates were identified by biochemical and molecular methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates was tested and detection of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes was performed. Isolates were typed at the clonal level by multilocus sequence typing and SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (included in SIG) were obtained in 19% and 2% of the tested samples, respectively, and one isolate per sample was characterised. All isolates were meticillin susceptible and mecA negative. Most S. delphini and S. pseudintermedius isolates showed susceptibility to all antimicrobials tested, with the exception of 2 isolates resistant to tetracycline (tet(M) gene) or fusidic acid. The following toxin genes were identified (percentage of isolates): lukS-I (100%), lukF-I (9.5%), siet (100%), se-int (90%), seccanine (19%) and expA (9.5%). Thirteen different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles were identified among the 21 SIG isolates. Additionally, the following 9 different sequence types (STs) were detected by multilocus sequence typing, 6 of them new: ST219 (6 isolates), ST12 (5 isolates), ST220 (3 isolates), ST13, ST50, ST193, ST196, ST218 and ST221 (one isolate each). Staphylococcus delphini and S. pseudintermedius are common nasal colonisers of donkeys, generally susceptible to the antimicrobials tested; nevertheless, these SIG isolates contain virulence genes, including the recently described exfoliative gene (expA) and several enterotoxin genes, with potential implications for public health. This is the first description of S. delphini in Tunisia. The Summary is available in Chinese - see Supporting information. © 2014 EVJ Ltd.

Antagonism of Sigma-1 Receptors Blocks Compulsive-Like Eating

PubMed Central

Cottone, Pietro; Wang, Xiaofan; Park, Jin Won; Valenza, Marta; Blasio, Angelo; Kwak, Jina; Iyer, Malliga R; Steardo, Luca; Rice, Kenner C; Hayashi, Teruo; Sabino, Valentina

2012-01-01

Binge eating disorder is an addiction-like disorder characterized by episodes of rapid and excessive food consumption within discrete periods of time which occur compulsively despite negative consequences. This study was aimed at determining whether antagonism of Sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) blocked compulsive-like binge eating. We trained male wistar rats to obtain a sugary, highly palatable diet (Palatable group) or a regular chow diet (Chow control group), for 1 h a day under fixed ratio 1 operant conditioning. Following intake stabilization, we evaluated the effects of the selective Sig-1R antagonist BD-1063 on food responding. Using a light/dark conflict test, we also tested whether BD-1063 could block the time spent and the food eaten in an aversive, open compartment, where the palatable diet was offered. Furthermore, we measured Sig-1R mRNA and protein expression in several brain areas of the two groups, 24 h after the last binge session. Palatable rats rapidly developed binge-like eating, escalating the 1 h intake by four times, and doubling the eating rate and the regularity of food responding, compared to Chow rats. BD-1063 dose-dependently reduced binge-like eating and the regularity of food responding, and blocked the increased eating rate in Palatable rats. In the light/dark conflict test, BD-1063 antagonized the increased time spent in the aversive compartment and the increased intake of the palatable diet, without affecting motor activity. Finally, Palatable rats showed reduced Sig-1R mRNA expression in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, and a two-fold increase in Sig-1R protein expression in anterior cingulate cortex compared to control Chow rats. These findings suggest that the Sig-1R system may contribute to the neurobiological adaptations driving compulsive-like eating, opening new avenues of investigation towards pharmacologically treating binge eating disorder. PMID:22713906

Control of Y-211 content in bulk YBCO superconductors fabricated by a buffer-aided, top seeded infiltration and growth melt process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namburi, Devendra K.; Shi, Yunhua; Palmer, Kysen G.; Dennis, Anthony R.; Durrell, John H.; Cardwell, David A.

2016-03-01

Bulk (RE)-Ba-Cu-O ((RE)BCO, where RE stands for rare-earth), single grain superconductors can trap magnetic fields of several tesla at low temperatures and therefore can function potentially as high field magnets. Although top seeded melt growth (TSMG) is an established process for fabricating relatively high quality single grains of (RE)BCO for high field applications, this technique suffers from inherent problems such as sample shrinkage, a large intrinsic porosity and the presence of (RE)2BaCuO5 (RE-211)-free regions in the single grain microstructure. Seeded infiltration and growth (SIG), therefore, has emerged as a practical alternative to TSMG that overcomes many of these problems. Until now, however, the superconducting properties of bulk materials processed by SIG have been inferior to those fabricated using the TSMG technique. In this study, we identify that the inferior properties of SIG processed bulk superconductors are related to the presence of a relatively large Y-211 content (˜41.8%) in the single grain microstructure. Controlling the RE-211 content in SIG bulk samples is particularly challenging because it is difficult to regulate the entry of the liquid phase into the solid RE-211 preform during the infiltration process. In an attempt to solve this issue, we have investigated the effect of careful control of both the infiltration temperature and the quantity of liquid phase powder present in the sample preforms prior to processing. We conclude that careful control of the infiltration temperature is the most promising of these two process variables. Using this knowledge, we have fabricated successfully a YBCO bulk single grain using the SIG process of diameter 25 mm that exhibits a trapped field of 0.69 T at 77 K, which is the largest value reported to date for a sample fabricated by the SIG technique.

Region 4 of Rhizobium etli Primary Sigma Factor (SigA) Confers Transcriptional Laxity in Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

Santillán, Orlando; Ramírez-Romero, Miguel A.; Lozano, Luis; Checa, Alberto; Encarnación, Sergio M.; Dávila, Guillermo

2016-01-01

Sigma factors are RNA polymerase subunits engaged in promoter recognition and DNA strand separation during transcription initiation in bacteria. Primary sigma factors are responsible for the expression of housekeeping genes and are essential for survival. RpoD, the primary sigma factor of Escherichia coli, a γ-proteobacteria, recognizes consensus promoter sequences highly similar to those of some α-proteobacteria species. Despite this resemblance, RpoD is unable to sustain transcription from most of the α-proteobacterial promoters tested so far. In contrast, we have found that SigA, the primary sigma factor of Rhizobium etli, an α-proteobacteria, is able to transcribe E. coli promoters, although it exhibits only 48% identity (98% coverage) to RpoD. We have called this the transcriptional laxity phenomenon. Here, we show that SigA partially complements the thermo-sensitive deficiency of RpoD285 from E. coli strain UQ285 and that the SigA region σ4 is responsible for this phenotype. Sixteen out of 74 residues (21.6%) within region σ4 are variable between RpoD and SigA. Mutating these residues significantly improves SigA ability to complement E. coli UQ285. Only six of these residues fall into positions already known to interact with promoter DNA and to comprise a helix-turn-helix motif. The remaining variable positions are located on previously unexplored sites inside region σ4, specifically into the first two α-helices of the region. Neither of the variable positions confined to these helices seem to interact directly with promoter sequence; instead, we adduce that these residues participate allosterically by contributing to correct region folding and/or positioning of the HTH motif. We propose that transcriptional laxity is a mechanism for ensuring transcription in spite of naturally occurring mutations from endogenous promoters and/or horizontally transferred DNA sequences, allowing survival and fast environmental adaptation of α-proteobacteria. PMID:27468278

Organization and management of space grant programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheppard, Sallie; Nichols, Steve

1990-01-01

The 21 Space Grant Programs represent a broad range of organizational structures which operate programs ranging in size from single university organizations to organizations including up to 41 members involving a composite of industrial organizations such as state agencies, and universities. Some of the space grant awards were made to organizations already in existence with on-going programs while other awards were made to consortia newly formed for the purpose of applying to the Space Grant Program. The workshop on organization and management of Space Grant Programs provided an opportunity for directors and program representatives to discuss and compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of the various models being used. This paper offers examples of the diversity of organizations, summarizes the common concerns to be met by each organizational model, and provides a case study of the Texas Space Grant Consortium organization.

75 FR 23841 - Commercial Space Transportation Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-04

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Commercial Space Transportation Grant... for the Commercial Space Transportation Grant Program. SUMMARY: The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) requests grant proposals pursuant to its newly funded Commercial Space Transportation Grant...

75 FR 38837 - Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, FY 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration Susan Harwood Training Grant... Funding Opportunity for Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, FY 2010. Funding Opportunity No.: SHTG-FY-10... availability of approximately $2.75 million for the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program for Targeted Topic...

7 CFR 25.605 - Grant program reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Grant program reporting requirements. 25.605 Section 25.605 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Round II and Round IIS Grants § 25.605 Grant program reporting requirements. Grantees may...

7 CFR 25.605 - Grant program reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Grant program reporting requirements. 25.605 Section 25.605 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Round II and Round IIS Grants § 25.605 Grant program reporting requirements. Grantees may...

7 CFR 25.605 - Grant program reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Grant program reporting requirements. 25.605 Section 25.605 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Round II and Round IIS Grants § 25.605 Grant program reporting requirements. Grantees may...

7 CFR 25.605 - Grant program reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grant program reporting requirements. 25.605 Section 25.605 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Round II and Round IIS Grants § 25.605 Grant program reporting requirements. Grantees may...

7 CFR 25.605 - Grant program reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Grant program reporting requirements. 25.605 Section 25.605 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Round II and Round IIS Grants § 25.605 Grant program reporting requirements. Grantees may...

Alteration of Epithelial Structure and Function Associated with PtdIns(4,5)P2 Degradation by a Bacterial Phosphatase

PubMed Central

Mason, David; Mallo, Gustavo V.; Terebiznik, Mauricio R.; Payrastre, Bernard; Finlay, B. Brett; Brumell, John H.; Rameh, Lucia; Grinstein, Sergio

2007-01-01

Elucidation of the role of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in epithelial function has been hampered by the inability to selectively manipulate the cellular content of this phosphoinositide. Here we report that SigD, a phosphatase derived from Salmonella, can effectively hydrolyze PtdIns(4,5)P2, generating PtdIns(5)P. When expressed by microinjecting cDNA into epithelial cells forming confluent monolayers, wild-type SigD induced striking morphological and functional changes that were not mimicked by a phosphatase-deficient SigD mutant (C462S). Depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in intact SigD-injected cells was verified by detachment from the membrane of the pleckstrin homology domain of phospholipase Cδ, used as a probe for the phosphoinositide by conjugation to green fluorescent protein. Single-cell measurements of cytosolic pH indicated that the Na+/H+ exchange activity of epithelia was markedly inhibited by depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P2. Similarly, anion permeability, measured using two different halide-sensitive probes, was depressed in cells expressing SigD. Depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P2 was associated with marked alterations in the actin cytoskeleton and its association with the plasma membrane. The junctional complexes surrounding the injected cells gradually opened and the PtdIns(4,5)P2-depleted cells eventually detached from the monolayer, which underwent rapid restitution. Similar observations were made in intestinal and renal epithelial cultures. In addition to its effects on phosphoinositides, SigD has been shown to convert inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate (IP5) into inositol 1,4,5,6-tetrakisphosphate (IP4), and the latter has been postulated to mediate the diarrhea caused by Salmonella. However, the effects of SigD on epithelial cells were not mimicked by microinjection of IP4. In contrast, the cytoskeletal and ion transport effects were replicated by hydrolyzing PtdIns(4,5)P2 with a membrane-targeted 5-phosphatase or by occluding the inositide using high-avidity tandem PH domain constructs. We therefore suggest that opening of the tight junctions and inhibition of Na+/H+ exchange caused by PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolysis combine to account, at least in part, for the fluid loss observed during Salmonella-induced diarrhea. PMID:17389247

Comparison of acrylic polymer adhesive tapes and silicone optical grease in light sharing detectors for positron emission tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Elburg, Devin J.; Noble, Scott D.; Hagey, Simone; Goertzen, Andrew L.

2018-03-01

Optical coupling is an important factor in detector design as it improves optical photon transmission by mitigating internal reflections at light-sharing boundaries. In this work we compare optical coupling materials, namely double-sided acrylic polymer tapes and silicone optical grease (SiG), in the context of positron emission tomography. Four double-sided tapes from 3 M of varying thicknesses (0.229 mm-1.016 mm) and adhesive materials (‘100MP’, ‘A100’, and ‘GPA’) were characterized with spectrophotometer measurements as well as photopeak amplitude and energy resolution measurements using lutetium-yttrium oxy-orthosilicate (LYSO) coupled to photomultiplier tubes (PMT) or silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). Transmission spectra from the spectrophotometer showed over 80% transmission for all tapes at 420 nm and above, with 89.6% and 88.8% transmission for the 0.508 mm and 1.016 mm thick GPA tapes, respectively, at 420 nm. Measurements with single-pixel LYSO-PMT and 4  ×  4 array (one-to-one coupled) LYSO-SiPM setups determined that SiG had the greatest photopeak amplitude, with tapes showing 2.1%-14.8% reduction in photopeak amplitude with respect to SiG. Energy resolution changed by less than 4% on a relative basis between tapes and SiG with PMT measurements, however for the SiPM array measurements the energy resolution improved from 15.6%  ±  2.7% full-width at half-maximum to 11.4%  ±  1.2% for SiG and 1 mm GPA respectively. Data acquired with dual-layer offset LYSO arrays (light sharing detector designs) demonstrated that a detector coupled with 1 mm thick GPA tape produced equivalent detector flood histograms to those from a design coupled with SiG and a 1 mm thick glass lightguide. No significant degradation in photopeak amplitude and energy resolution was observed over five months of measurements, indicating the tapes maintain their coupling integrity over several months. Though minimal photopeak amplitude degradation compared to SiG occurs, double-sided tapes are convenient alternatives for optical coupling materials since they diffuse light intrinsically, acting as a light guide, offer mechanical support and durability, are easily applied and removed from scintillators/photodetectors, and are relatively inexpensive and readily available.

Variation and significance of secretory immunoglobulin A, interleukin 6 and dendritic cells in oral cancer.

PubMed

Zhang, Suxin; Zhang, Xin; Yin, Ke; Li, Tianke; Bao, Yang; Chen, Zhong

2017-04-01

The present study aimed to determine changes in the concentration of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the saliva of patients with oral cancer, to evaluate the abnormal expression of cluster of differentiation (CD) 1a, CD83, CD80 and CD86 on dendritic cells (DCs) of oral cancer tissues and to discuss the interaction between SIgA, IL-6 and DCs in oral cancer. A total of 40 patients between 27 and 70 years of age, median age 52 years, with primary oral cancer were enrolled in the present study, and a group of 20 healthy male and female volunteers was used as the control group. The concentration of SIgA and IL-6 in the saliva of the preoperative patients was determined by ELISA. The expression levels of CD1a, CD83, CD80 and CD86 were detected by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, which was performed on histopathological sections from paraffin-embedded tumor and corresponding adjacent control tissues. The specimens were assessed using the semi-quantitative immunoreactive score (IRS). The concentration of SIgA in the saliva from patients with oral cancer decreased, whereas the IL-6 level significantly increased compared with the control subjects (P<0.05). In addition, the decrease of SIgA level and increase of IL-6 level exhibited a negative correlation (r=-0.543, P<0.05). According to the IRS score, the expression levels of CD1a, CD83, CD80 and CD86 in the cancer tissue were lower than the expression levels of the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression of CD80 and CD86 exhibited no correlation with histological grade or pathological type (P>0.05), but exhibited a negative correlation with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The concentration of SIgA and IL-6 in saliva may be used as an auxiliary diagnostic indicator for oral cancer. The detection of CD80 and CD86 expressed on DCs in oral cancer tissue may be useful for the diagnosis and evaluation of the prognosis of tumors. The present study hypothesized that the use of SIgA vaccines or IL-6 inhibitors may be useful for reversing the immune deficiency associated with DCs in oral cancer.

Comparison of acrylic polymer adhesive tapes and silicone optical grease in light sharing detectors for positron emission tomography.

PubMed

Van Elburg, Devin J; Noble, Scott D; Hagey, Simone; Goertzen, Andrew L

2018-02-26

Optical coupling is an important factor in detector design as it improves optical photon transmission by mitigating internal reflections at light-sharing boundaries. In this work we compare optical coupling materials, namely double-sided acrylic polymer tapes and silicone optical grease (SiG), in the context of positron emission tomography. Four double-sided tapes from 3 M of varying thicknesses (0.229 mm-1.016 mm) and adhesive materials ('100MP', 'A100', and 'GPA') were characterized with spectrophotometer measurements as well as photopeak amplitude and energy resolution measurements using lutetium-yttrium oxy-orthosilicate (LYSO) coupled to photomultiplier tubes (PMT) or silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). Transmission spectra from the spectrophotometer showed over 80% transmission for all tapes at 420 nm and above, with 89.6% and 88.8% transmission for the 0.508 mm and 1.016 mm thick GPA tapes, respectively, at 420 nm. Measurements with single-pixel LYSO-PMT and 4  ×  4 array (one-to-one coupled) LYSO-SiPM setups determined that SiG had the greatest photopeak amplitude, with tapes showing 2.1%-14.8% reduction in photopeak amplitude with respect to SiG. Energy resolution changed by less than 4% on a relative basis between tapes and SiG with PMT measurements, however for the SiPM array measurements the energy resolution improved from 15.6%  ±  2.7% full-width at half-maximum to 11.4%  ±  1.2% for SiG and 1 mm GPA respectively. Data acquired with dual-layer offset LYSO arrays (light sharing detector designs) demonstrated that a detector coupled with 1 mm thick GPA tape produced equivalent detector flood histograms to those from a design coupled with SiG and a 1 mm thick glass lightguide. No significant degradation in photopeak amplitude and energy resolution was observed over five months of measurements, indicating the tapes maintain their coupling integrity over several months. Though minimal photopeak amplitude degradation compared to SiG occurs, double-sided tapes are convenient alternatives for optical coupling materials since they diffuse light intrinsically, acting as a light guide, offer mechanical support and durability, are easily applied and removed from scintillators/photodetectors, and are relatively inexpensive and readily available.

Silicon immersion gratings and their spectroscopic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Jian; Zhao, Bo; Powell, Scott; Fletcher, Adam; Wan, Xiaoke; Chang, Liang; Jakeman, Hali; Koukis, Dimitrios; Tanner, David B.; Ebbets, Dennis; Weinberg, Jonathan; Lipscy, Sarah; Nyquist, Rich; Bally, John

2012-09-01

Silicon immersion gratings (SIGs) offer several advantages over the commercial echelle gratings for high resolution infrared (IR) spectroscopy: 3.4 times the gain in dispersion or ~10 times the reduction in the instrument volume, a multiplex gain for a large continuous wavelength coverage and low cost. We present results from lab characterization of a large format SIG of astronomical observation quality. This SIG, with a 54.74 degree blaze angle (R1.4), 16.1 l/mm groove density, and 50x86 mm2 grating area, was developed for high resolution IR spectroscopy (R~70,000) in the near IR (1.1-2.5 μm). Its entrance surface was coated with a single layer of silicon nitride antireflection (AR) coating and its grating surface was coated with a thin layer of gold to increase its throughput at 1.1-2.5 μm. The lab measurements have shown that the SIG delivered a spectral resolution of R=114,000 at 1.55 μm with a lab testing spectrograph with a 20 mm diameter pupil. The measured peak grating efficiency is 72% at 1.55 μm, which is consistent with the measurements in the optical wavelengths from the grating surface at the air side. This SIG is being implemented in a new generation cryogenic IR spectrograph, called the Florida IR Silicon immersion grating spectrometer (FIRST), to offer broad-band high resolution IR spectroscopy with R=72,000 at 1.4-1.8 um under a typical seeing condition in a single exposure with a 2kx2k H2RG IR array at the robotically controlled Tennessee State University 2-meter Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope (AST) at Fairborn Observatory in Arizona. FIRST is designed to provide high precision Doppler measurements (~4 m/s) for the identification and characterization of extrasolar planets, especially rocky planets in habitable zones, orbiting low mass M dwarf stars. It will also be used for other high resolution IR spectroscopic observations of such as young stars, brown dwarfs, magnetic fields, star formation and interstellar mediums. An optimally designed SIG of the similar size can be used in the Silicon Immersion Grating Spectrometer (SIGS) to fill the need for high resolution spectroscopy at mid IR to far IR (~25-300 μm) for the NASA SOFIA airborne mission in the future.

15 CFR 917.11 - Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships... NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING REGULATIONS Sea Grant Matched Funding Program § 917.11 Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships. (a) Sea Grant Fellowships are designed to provide educational and training...

15 CFR 917.11 - Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships... NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING REGULATIONS Sea Grant Matched Funding Program § 917.11 Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships. (a) Sea Grant Fellowships are designed to provide educational and training...

15 CFR 917.11 - Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships... NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING REGULATIONS Sea Grant Matched Funding Program § 917.11 Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships. (a) Sea Grant Fellowships are designed to provide educational and training...

15 CFR 917.11 - Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships... NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING REGULATIONS Sea Grant Matched Funding Program § 917.11 Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships. (a) Sea Grant Fellowships are designed to provide educational and training...

15 CFR 917.11 - Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships... NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING REGULATIONS Sea Grant Matched Funding Program § 917.11 Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships. (a) Sea Grant Fellowships are designed to provide educational and training...

[Clinical symptoms and immunology inspection characteristics of nasal cavity local allergy].

PubMed

Yin, Z X; Zhu, Y; Zhai, X; Zhang, J L; Liu, G

2017-08-05

Objective: To investigate the clinical symptoms and immunology inspection characteristics of nasal cavity local allergy. Method: Selected 60 patients as observation group, who had only nasal local allergy symptoms, allergen skin prick test and serum allergen specific IgE (SIgE) test were negative, 40 allergic rhinitis (AR) patients and 40 healthy volunteers as control groups. To detect Symptom scores and VAS scores, and eosinophilia counts in venous blood, allergen skin prick test (SPT), serum allergen SIgE test, nasal secretions allergen SIgE test, nasal mucous membrane excitation test in both observation group and AR group, eosinophilia counts in nasal secretion, taked the data for statistical analysis. Result: There was no difference ( P > 0.05) in the symptom scores and VAS scores of observation group and the AR group. The eosinophilia counts in venous blood in the AR group were higher than in the observation group ( P < 0.05). The eosinophilia counts in venous blood in the observation group were higher than in the healthy volunteers group ( P < 0.05). The positive rate of nasal secretions dust mites and pollen allergen was 90% (54/60) in observation group. There was no significant difference ( P > 0.05) in the eosinophilia percentages in nasal secretion in the observation group and the AR group. There was significant difference ( P < 0.05) in the eosinophilia percentages in nasal secretion in the observation group and the healthy volunteers group. There were 6 patients in observation group whose nasal secretions allergen SIgE test and nasal mucous membrane excitation test were both negative, could be diagnosised as non-allergic rhinitis (NAR). According to eosinophilia counts in venous blood and nasal secretions, 4 patients were diagnosised as vasomotor rhinitis and 2 patients were diagnosised as NAR with eosinophilia syndrome. There were 54 patients in observation group whose nasal secretions allergen SIgE test and (or) nasal mucous membrane excitation test were positive, could be diagnosised as local allergic rhinitis. After three years, all of the observation group patients were detected with SPT and serum allergen SIgE test. Five patients diagnosed as local allergic rhinitis before three years were positive. Six patients diagnosed as NAR before three years were negative. Conclusion: For patients with the typical medical history and symptoms of AR, but allergen SPT and serum allergen SIgE test were negative, there was local specific hypersensitivity in nasal mucosa, but the reaction was not accompanied by systemic sensitization. Combined with nasal secretions allergen SIgE test or allergen nasal mucosa proocation tests positive, could be diagnosed as local allergic rhinitis. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

Opening the band gap of graphene through silicon doping for the improved performance of graphene/GaAs heterojunction solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, S. J.; Lin, S. S.; Li, X. Q.; Liu, X. Y.; Wu, H. A.; Xu, W. L.; Wang, P.; Wu, Z. Q.; Zhong, H. K.; Xu, Z. J.

2015-12-01

Graphene has attracted increasing interest due to its remarkable properties. However, the zero band gap of monolayered graphene limits it's further electronic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we have synthesized monolayered silicon-doped graphene (SiG) with large surface area using a chemical vapor deposition method. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the silicon atoms are doped into graphene lattice at a doping level of 2.7-4.5 at%. Electrical measurements based on a field effect transistor indicate that the band gap of graphene has been opened via silicon doping without a clear degradation in carrier mobility, and the work function of SiG, deduced from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, was 0.13-0.25 eV larger than that of graphene. Moreover, when compared with the graphene/GaAs heterostructure, SiG/GaAs exhibits an enhanced performance. The performance of 3.4% silicon doped SiG/GaAs solar cell has been improved by 33.7% on average, which was attributed to the increased barrier height and improved interface quality. Our results suggest that silicon doping can effectively engineer the band gap of monolayered graphene and SiG has great potential in optoelectronic device applications.Graphene has attracted increasing interest due to its remarkable properties. However, the zero band gap of monolayered graphene limits it's further electronic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we have synthesized monolayered silicon-doped graphene (SiG) with large surface area using a chemical vapor deposition method. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the silicon atoms are doped into graphene lattice at a doping level of 2.7-4.5 at%. Electrical measurements based on a field effect transistor indicate that the band gap of graphene has been opened via silicon doping without a clear degradation in carrier mobility, and the work function of SiG, deduced from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, was 0.13-0.25 eV larger than that of graphene. Moreover, when compared with the graphene/GaAs heterostructure, SiG/GaAs exhibits an enhanced performance. The performance of 3.4% silicon doped SiG/GaAs solar cell has been improved by 33.7% on average, which was attributed to the increased barrier height and improved interface quality. Our results suggest that silicon doping can effectively engineer the band gap of monolayered graphene and SiG has great potential in optoelectronic device applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthetic process of the SiG sheet; UPS spectra of SiG and graphene; J-V curves for the SiG/GaAs and graphene/GaAs solar cells under dark conditions and AM1.5 illumination at 100 mW cm-2, respectively; Statistic PCE of SiG/GaAs solar cells with different Si doping levels; EQE of SiG/GaAs and graphene/GaAs solar cells; a comparison of the parameters between the SiG and graphene/GaAs solar cells. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr06345k

75 FR 11621 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Extension of Currently Approved...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-11

... Awards (TPEA) Program is a biennial awards program developed by the FHWA and the Federal Transit... System Preservation Program Grant Application. Delta Region Transportation Development Program Grant...: Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program Grant Application: Section 1117 of the Safe...

75 FR 81286 - Emergency Comment Request; Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG) Program Reporting; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

...; Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG) Program Reporting; Notice of Submission of Proposed Information... information: Title of Proposal: Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG) Program Reporting. Description of Information Collection: Recipients of Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) funds provide plans for low-income...

77 FR 24139 - State Community Development Block Grant Program: Administrative Rule Changes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-23

...-AC22 State Community Development Block Grant Program: Administrative Rule Changes AGENCY: Office of the... rule makes changes to several sections of the regulations for the Community Development Block Grant... ``Community Development Block Grants''). Under the State CDBG program, states have the opportunity to...

77 FR 37687 - Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... importance of mitigation activities, the FY 2012 FP&S will be allocated $35 million for grants. The FP&S... grants supporting eligible fire prevention activities and research and development activities that...,250) of AFG Program funds for the FP&S Grant Program. However, due to the importance of mitigation...

77 FR 40628 - HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Research Grant Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5600-N-18-C-1] HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Research Grant Program, Cancellation AGENCY: Office... Availability (NOFA) ``Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Grant Program'' on Grants.gov . The close...

PEP Up Your PE Program: Writing and Implementing a PEP Grant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCollum, Starla; Elliott, Steven M.; Burke, Michelle M.; Civalier, Aimee; Pruitt, Wayne; Palmer, Scott

2005-01-01

Physical Education for Progress grants, otherwise known as PEP grants, are part of the Carol M. White Physical Education Program administered by the federal government. PEP grants are available to local educational agencies and community-based organizations to initiate, expand, or improve physical education programs, including after-school…

7 CFR 1700.31 - Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant... § 1700.31 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program. RUS, through the Telecommunications Program, makes grants and loans to furnish and improve telemedicine services and distance learning...

7 CFR 1700.31 - Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant... § 1700.31 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program. RUS, through the Telecommunications Program, makes grants and loans to furnish and improve telemedicine services and distance learning...

7 CFR 1700.31 - Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant... § 1700.31 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program. RUS, through the Telecommunications Program, makes grants and loans to furnish and improve telemedicine services and distance learning...

7 CFR 1700.31 - Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant... § 1700.31 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program. RUS, through the Telecommunications Program, makes grants and loans to furnish and improve telemedicine services and distance learning...

7 CFR 1700.31 - Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant... § 1700.31 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program. RUS, through the Telecommunications Program, makes grants and loans to furnish and improve telemedicine services and distance learning...

77 FR 14509 - State Energy Program and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program; Request...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-12

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [Docket No. EESEP0216] State Energy Program and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program; Request for Information AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and... (SEP) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, in support of energy...

Will the Pell Grant Have the Ability To Provide Access and Choice to Low-Income Students in the Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lechuga, Vicente M.

This paper provides a basic understanding of the Pell Grant program and summarizes the evidence regarding its effectiveness. The Basic Educational Opportunities Program, known as the Pell Grant program, began in 1973 as a means of providing disadvantaged students access to a postsecondary education. The Pell Grant program has tried to keep up with…

Beyond the proteome: Mass Spectrometry Special Interest Group (MS-SIG) at ISMB/ECCB 2013

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

Ryu, Soyoung; Payne, Samuel H.; Schaab, Christoph

2014-07-02

Mass spectrometry special interest group (MS-SIG) aims to bring together experts from the global research community to discuss highlights and challenges in the field of mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics and computational biology. The rapid echnological developments in MS-based proteomics have enabled the generation of a large amount of meaningful information on hundreds to thousands of proteins simultaneously from a biological sample; however, the complexity of the MS data require sophisticated computational algorithms and software for data analysis and interpretation. This year’s MS-SIG meeting theme was ‘Beyond the Proteome’ with major focuses on improving protein identification/quantification and using proteomics data tomore » solve interesting problems in systems biology and clinical research.« less

Meteoroid and debris special investigation group data acquisition procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

See, Thomas H.; Allbrooks, Martha K.; Atkinson, Dale R.; Sapp, Clyde A.; Simon, Charles G.; Zolensky, Mike E.

1992-01-01

The entire LDEF spacecraft was examined by M&D SIG for impact (i.e., craters greater than or = 0.5 mm and penetrations greater than or = 0.3 mm in diameter) and related features (e.g., debris, secondaries). During the various detailed surveys conducted at NASA Kennedy, approx. 5,000 impact related features were photodocumented, and their locations measured and recorded; an additional approx. 30,000 smaller features were counted. The equipment and techniques used by the M&D SIG permitted the determination and recording of the locations and diameters of the 5,000 imaged features. A variety of experimental and LDEF structural hardware was acquired by the M&D SIG and is presently being examined and curated at NASA Johnson.

Intelligence and Electronic Warfare (IEW) Streamlining Project. Volume 3. Reference Documentation (Part 2), B

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

DoC* A 0" SAF ED P To FS E’F IRA C cons SPDOD ACES OPTPS 0(14 con 0CAC -O-0( Ell 23n Doc AG DOI on @- TS A Of0 Eg D SSO OIPIV PR0C At"C EMSC EN6ICT...except as noted in specific agreements, through 30 Sep 94. (4) Distribute, on a pro rata basis, across all CMFs, those resource changes imposed by...156A (.RD) Sig Sys Maint Tech WOTTC 1 Oct 93 256A 4C-256A Sig Sys Maint Tecn WOTTC I Oct 93 256A 4-11-C32-256A-RC Phase I Sig Sys Maint Tech SWOT -RC

42 CFR 51b.406 - How will grant applications be evaluated and the grants awarded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... design of the venereal disease prevention and control program. (3) The general quality of the applicant's... HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS PROJECT GRANTS FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Venereal Disease Control... disease control program. Before awarding a grant to a political subdivision of a State, the Secretary will...

42 CFR 51b.406 - How will grant applications be evaluated and the grants awarded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... design of the venereal disease prevention and control program. (3) The general quality of the applicant's... HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS PROJECT GRANTS FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Venereal Disease Control... disease control program. Before awarding a grant to a political subdivision of a State, the Secretary will...

42 CFR 51b.406 - How will grant applications be evaluated and the grants awarded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... design of the venereal disease prevention and control program. (3) The general quality of the applicant's... HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS PROJECT GRANTS FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Venereal Disease Control... disease control program. Before awarding a grant to a political subdivision of a State, the Secretary will...

42 CFR 51b.406 - How will grant applications be evaluated and the grants awarded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... design of the venereal disease prevention and control program. (3) The general quality of the applicant's... HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS PROJECT GRANTS FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Venereal Disease Control... disease control program. Before awarding a grant to a political subdivision of a State, the Secretary will...

42 CFR 51b.406 - How will grant applications be evaluated and the grants awarded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... design of the venereal disease prevention and control program. (3) The general quality of the applicant's... HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS PROJECT GRANTS FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Venereal Disease Control... disease control program. Before awarding a grant to a political subdivision of a State, the Secretary will...

78 FR 18308 - Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Delta Health Care Services Grants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-26

...) for Delta Health Care Services Grants AGENCY: Rural Business--Cooperative Service, USDA. ACTION: NOFA... Agriculture, announces the availability of grant funds through the Delta Health Care Services Grant Program... Health Care Services Grant Program. The minimum grant amount is $50,000. DATES: You must submit completed...

78 FR 15735 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-12

... 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program application and... CONTACT: Cecelia Rosenberg, Chief, Grants Policy Branch, Mitigation Division, (202) 646-3321. You may.... 5170c, established the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Grant requirements and grants management...

Influence of adatom migration on wrinkling morphologies of AlGaN/GaN micro-pyramids grown by selective MOVPE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jie; Huang, Pu-Man; Han, Xiao-Biao; Pan, Zheng-Zhou; Zhong, Chang-Ming; Liang, Jie-Zhi; Wu, Zhi-Sheng; Liu, Yang; Zhang, Bai-Jun

2017-06-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61274039 and 61574173), the National Key Research and Development Program, China (Grant No. 2016YFB0400105), the International Science and Technology Collaboration Program of Guangdong Province, China (Grant No. 2013B051000041), the International Science and Technology Collaboration Program of Guangzhou City, China (Grant No. 2016201604030055), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2014AA032606), Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China (Grant No. 2015A030312011), the Science & Technology Plan of Guangdong Province, China (Grant Nos. 2015B090903062, 2015B010132007, and 2015B010129010), the Science and Technology Plan of Guangzhou, China (Grant No. 201508010048), the Science and Technology Plan of Foshan, China (Grant No. 201603130003), Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Innovation Project of Guangdong Province, China (Grant No. 2014B050505009), and the Opened Fund of the State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics (Grant No. IOSKL2014KF17), the Zhuhai Key Technology Laboratory of Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Power Electronics, Sun Yat-sen University (Grant No. 20167612042080001).

Lab and Imaging Tests

MedlinePlus

... Grant Grant Finder Therapy Acceleration Program Academic Concierge Biotechnology Accelerator Clinical Trials Division Resources for HCPs Continuing ... Grant Grant Finder Therapy Acceleration Program Academic Concierge Biotechnology Accelerator Clinical Trials Division Resources for HCPs Continuing ...

Healthy Communities Grant Program | Urban Environmental ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2018-03-06

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England's main competitive grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks to protect and improve human health and the quality of life.

Policy Options Analysis of Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

services in the grant process. The funding level, however, has been insufficient to address the unmet needs of fire services across the nation. The policy...capability, increasing regional capabilities and retaining local support for the AFG. The current approach to grant distribution was determined to provide the...The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) is a direct federal grant program, administered by the Department of Homeland Security, for fire

44 CFR 204.25 - FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... GRANT PROGRAM Declaration Process § 204.25 FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program. 204.25 Section 204.25 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL...

44 CFR 204.25 - FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... GRANT PROGRAM Declaration Process § 204.25 FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program. 204.25 Section 204.25 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL...

44 CFR 204.25 - FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... GRANT PROGRAM Declaration Process § 204.25 FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program. 204.25 Section 204.25 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL...

44 CFR 204.25 - FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... GRANT PROGRAM Declaration Process § 204.25 FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program. 204.25 Section 204.25 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL...

44 CFR 204.25 - FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... GRANT PROGRAM Declaration Process § 204.25 FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false FEMA-State agreement for fire management assistance grant program. 204.25 Section 204.25 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL...

SRA Grant Writing Tutorial

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This tutorial will help give your organization a broad but succinct analysis of what the SRA grant program is about. This self-paced tutorial is organized under two segments: Overview of Grant Program and Program Details.

7 CFR 3405.9 - Use of funds for facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.9 Use of funds for facilities. Under the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, the use of grant funds to plan, acquire, or...

7 CFR 3405.9 - Use of funds for facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.9 Use of funds for facilities. Under the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, the use of grant funds to plan, acquire, or...

7 CFR 3405.9 - Use of funds for facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.9 Use of funds for facilities. Under the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, the use of grant funds to plan, acquire, or...

7 CFR 3405.9 - Use of funds for facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.9 Use of funds for facilities. Under the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, the use of grant funds to plan, acquire, or...

Chesapeake Bay Program Grant Guidance

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Grant Guidance and appendices for the Chesapeake Bay Program that describes how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 3’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) administers grant and cooperative agreement funds.

42 CFR 56.504 - Grant evaluation and award.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Planning and Developing Migrant Health Programs § 56.504 Grant evaluation and... services or reimbursement programs or projects. (b) The Secretary shall award no more than one grant under...

42 CFR 56.504 - Grant evaluation and award.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Planning and Developing Migrant Health Programs § 56.504 Grant evaluation and... services or reimbursement programs or projects. (b) The Secretary shall award no more than one grant under...

Bilingual Education: Four Overlapping Programs Could Be Consolidated. Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring and the District of Columbia, Committee on Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaul, Marnie S.

This report evaluates how effectively four federally funded bilingual education block grant programs--Program Development and Implementation Grants, Program Enhancement Projects, Comprehensive School Grants, Systemwide Improvement Grants--used $163 million in fiscal year 2000 to serve children with limited English proficiency (LEP). There are four…

7 CFR 4284.903 - Program administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GRANTS Value-Added Producer Grants § 4284.903 Program administration. The Value-Added Producer Grant program is administered by Cooperative Services within the Agency. ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Program administration. 4284.903 Section 4284.903...

Small-grants programs: lessons from community-based approaches to changing nutrition environments.

PubMed

Johnson, Donna B; Smith, Lynne T; Bruemmer, Barbara

2007-02-01

Providing small grants to community organizations can be an effective way to encourage changes in the environment that support better nutrition. This is effective because these organizations can provide insights into their communities, ready-made relationships with community members, and the trust of the community. Small-grants programs are more likely to be successful when they are tailored to the needs of individual communities, led by organizations that have established reputations with the community, fully supported by the lead community organization, and engage local partners that complement the skills and resources of the lead organization. An evaluation of a small-grants program, Grants for Healthy Youth, found that grantees developed unique approaches to improving their community nutrition environments, gained experience and skills in program development, built partnerships, and received recognition for their project work. Grantees faced some common barriers, especially with program evaluation. Small-grants programs can be an effective way to improve community nutrition environments, but granting agencies need to provide effective technical assistance to communities throughout the process.

NASA's Coordinated Efforts to Enhance STEM Education: Bringing NASA Science into the Library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinke, B. K.; Thomas, C.; Eyermann, S.; Mitchell, S.; LaConte, K.; Hauck, K.

2015-11-01

Libraries are community-centered, free-access venues serving learners of all ages and backgrounds. Libraries also recognize the importance of science literacy and strive to include science in their programming portfolio. Scientists and educators can partner with local libraries to advance mutual goals of connecting the public to Earth and Space Science. In this interactive Special Interest Group (SIG) discussion, representatives from the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (EPO) community's library collaborations discussed the opportunities for partnership with public and school libraries; explored the resources, events, and programs available through libraries; explored NASA science programming and professional development opportunities available for librarians; and strategized about the types of support that librarians require to plan and implement programs that use NASA data and resources. We also shared successes, lessons learned, and future opportunities for incorporating NASA science programming into library settings.

75 FR 28801 - Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program: Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-24

... Conservation Block Grant Program: Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0000013) AGENCY: Office of Energy...-FOA-0000013) for the formula grants of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG... The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) [[Page 28802

Suboptimal Weight Loss and Weight Regain after Gastric Bypass Surgery-Postoperative Status of Energy Intake, Eating Behavior, Physical Activity, and Psychometrics.

PubMed

Amundsen, Tina; Strømmen, Magnus; Martins, Catia

2017-05-01

Suboptimal weight loss (SWL) and weight regain (WR) after gastric bypass surgery (GB) remains poorly understood. This study aims to compare GB patients experiencing SWL or significant WR (SigWR) with successful controls, regarding postoperative food intake, eating behavior, physical activity (PA), and psychometrics. Forty-nine patients with >1 year post-surgery were classified as either experiencing SWL (excess body weight loss, EWL, <50%, n = 22) or SigWR (total weight regain ≥15%, n = 38), with respective control groups. Energy intake (EI) was measured with a Food Frequency Questionnaire, eating behavior using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, and PA using both SenseWear Armbands and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Eating disorders, depression, and quality of life (QoL) were measured using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory II, and Impact of Weight on Quality of Life, respectively. EI, macronutrient distribution, and meal frequency were similar among groups. However, disinhibited eating behavior score was higher, while most subcategories from IWQOL were significantly lower in both SWL and SigWR groups compared with their respective controls. PA was significantly lower in the SWL and SigWR groups compared with the respective controls. There were no differences between groups regarding depression. Lower PA levels, disordered eating behavior and lower QoL are associated with unsuccessful weigh loss outcome after GB surgery. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the potential causal relationship between the previously described variables and SWL/SigWR after GB.

Immunogenicity and protection induced by a Mycobacterium tuberculosis sigE mutant in a BALB/c mouse model of progressive pulmonary tuberculosis.

PubMed

Hernandez Pando, Rogelio; Aguilar, Leon Diana; Smith, Issar; Manganelli, Riccardo

2010-07-01

Tuberculosis is still one of the main challenges to human global health, leading to about two million deaths every year. One of the reasons for its success is the lack of efficacy of the widely used vaccine Mycobacterium bovis BCG. In this article, we analyze the potential use of an attenuated mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv lacking the sigma factor sigma(E) as a live vaccine. We have demonstrated that BALB/c mice infected by the intratracheal route with this mutant strain showed significantly higher survival rates and less tissue damage than animals infected with the parental or complemented mutant strain. Although animals infected with the sigE mutant had low bacillary loads, their lungs showed significantly higher production of the protective factors gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and beta-defensins than those of animals infected with the parental or complemented mutant strain. Moreover, we demonstrate that the sigE mutant, when inoculated subcutaneously, was more attenuated than BCG in immunodeficient nude mice, thus representing a good candidate for a novel attenuated live vaccine strain. Finally, when we used the sigE mutant as a subcutaneous vaccine, it was able to induce a higher level of protection than did BCG with both H37Rv and a highly virulent strain of M. tuberculosis (Beijing code 9501000). Taken together, our findings suggest that the sigE mutant is a very promising strain for the development of a new vaccine against tuberculosis.

Evaluation of a user guidance reminder to improve the quality of electronic prescription messages.

PubMed

Dhavle, A A; Corley, S T; Rupp, M T; Ruiz, J; Smith, J; Gill, R; Sow, M

2014-01-01

Prescribers' inappropriate use of the free-text Notes field in new electronic prescriptions can create confusion and workflow disruptions at receiving pharmacies that often necessitates contact with prescribers for clarification. The inclusion of inappropriate patient direction (Sig) information in the Notes field is particularly problematic. We evaluated the effect of a targeted watermark, an embedded overlay, reminder statement in the Notes field of an EHR-based e-prescribing application on the incidence of inappropriate patient directions (Sig) in the Notes field. E-prescriptions issued by the same exact cohort of 97 prescribers were collected over three time periods: baseline, three months after implementation of the reminder, and 15 months post implementation. Three certified and experienced pharmacy technicians independently reviewed all e-prescriptions for inappropriate Sig-related information in the Notes field. A physician reviewer served as the final adjudicator for e-prescriptions where the three reviewers could not reach a consensus. ANOVA and post hoc Tukey HSD tests were performed on group comparisons where statistical significance was evaluated at p<0.05. The incidence of inappropriate Sig-related information in the Notes field decreased from a baseline of 2.8% to 1.8% three months post-implementation and remained stable after 15 months. In addition, prescribers' use of the Notes decreased by 22% after 3 months and had stabilized at 18.7% below baseline after 15 months. Insertion of a targeted watermark reminder statement in the Notes field of an e-prescribing application significantly reduced the incidence of inappropriate Sig-related information in Notes and decreased prescribers' use of this field.

[A study on the construction, expression and immunosterility of Lagurus laguru zona pellucida 3 DNA vaccine pVAX1-sig-LTB-lZP3-C3d3].

PubMed

Li, Chen-Chen; Yu, Ji-Yun; Jiang, Min; Tu, Yi-Xian; Ma, Xiao-Lin; Zhang, Fu-Chun

2011-09-01

To enhance the immunocontraceptive effect of Lagurus lagurus zona pellucida 3 DNA vaccine, and to achieve the prospect of application through the pVAX1-sig-LTB-lZP3-C3d3 different immunity pathway. Two adjuvant molecules were constructed into the recombinant plasmid pVAX1-sig-LTB-lZP3-C3d3 as DNA vaccine which contains Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit and the molecular adjuvant 3 copies of C3d. The results of RT-PCR and western blot showed that the DNA vaccine was expressed in mRNA and protein level. The female C57BL/6 mice were immunized by three ways: intramuscular injection, intranasal or oral route.Antibody levels and types were detected by ELISA. ELISA results showed that recombinant plasmid pVAX1-sig-LTB-lZP3-C3d3 immunization induced specific IgG, IgA levels were significantly different comparing with control (P<0.01). Antifertility experiment showed that the experimental group reduced the average fertility significantly different compared with the control group (P<0.01). Restriction analysis, RT-PCR and Western blot showed that the recombinant plasmid constructed correctly and can be the expression of mRNA and protein levels.It resulted that the recombinant plasmid pVAX1-sig-LTB-lZP3-C3d3 can induce the specific immune response efficiently and enhance the immunocontraceptive effects.

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

Natural Gas and Propane Vehicle Grant Program The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Office of Energy Programs administers the Natural Gas and Propane Vehicle Grant Program (Program and must intend to operate vehicles in Tennessee for a minimum of six years. Grant applications are

Research needs and priorities for transition and employment in autism: Considerations reflected in a "Special Interest Group" at the International Meeting for Autism Research.

PubMed

Nicholas, David B; Hodgetts, Sandra; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Smith, Leann E; Shattuck, Paul; Parr, Jeremy R; Conlon, Olivia; Germani, Tamara; Mitchell, Wendy; Sacrey, Lori; Stothers, Margot E

2017-01-01

Research related to supports for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is under-developed. As an example, system and service development to support successful transition to adulthood and meaningful vocation for adults has received relatively little research scrutiny until recently, with practitioners and program developers lacking evidenceinformed approaches guiding service delivery. A Special Interest Group (SIG) was convened at the International Meeting for Autism Research in May 2014 and May 2015, with a focus on transitional and vocational issues in ASD. The SIG consisted of 120 international delegates, including self-advocates, family members, researchers, program and policy developers, practitioners, and interdisciplinary ASD trainees. Following a summary of the literature, subgroups of attendees were convened in smaller groups to identify research needs and priorities. International researchers facilitated these discussions with notes taken in each subgroup. Using a qualitative analytic approach, key themes across groups were identified. These key themes, outlined in this paper, address the identified need to (a) advance research capacity; (b) build employer capacity relative to employing persons with ASD; and (c) enhance support resources for adults with ASD and their families. Heightened research activity guiding practice and policy, community/employer engagement, and person and family-centered services were recommended. Implications for advancement and implementation are offered. Autism Res 2017, 10: 15-24. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Michigan Extended School Year Programs 1992-1995. An Evaluation of a State Grant Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Axelrad-Lentz, Susan F.

Michigan lawmakers funded a competitive grant program for school districts to plan and implement extended school year (ESY) programs of 200 days. The primary purpose was to raise academic achievement. In the spring of 1992, 16 diverse school districts were awarded ESY planning grants. Continuation grants funded 2 ESY implementation years, for…

Construction and Deciphering of Human Phosphorylation-Mediated Signaling Transduction Networks.

PubMed

Zhang, Menghuan; Li, Hong; He, Ying; Sun, Han; Xia, Li; Wang, Lishun; Sun, Bo; Ma, Liangxiao; Zhang, Guoqing; Li, Jing; Li, Yixue; Xie, Lu

2015-07-02

Protein phosphorylation is the most abundant reversible covalent modification. Human protein kinases participate in almost all biological pathways, and approximately half of the kinases are associated with disease. PhoSigNet was designed to store and display human phosphorylation-mediated signal transduction networks, with additional information related to cancer. It contains 11 976 experimentally validated directed edges and 216 871 phosphorylation sites. Moreover, 3491 differentially expressed proteins in human cancer from dbDEPC, 18 907 human cancer variation sites from CanProVar, and 388 hyperphosphorylation sites from PhosphoSitePlus were collected as annotation information. Compared with other phosphorylation-related databases, PhoSigNet not only takes the kinase-substrate regulatory relationship pairs into account, but also extends regulatory relationships up- and downstream (e.g., from ligand to receptor, from G protein to kinase, and from transcription factor to targets). Furthermore, PhoSigNet allows the user to investigate the impact of phosphorylation modifications on cancer. By using one set of in-house time series phosphoproteomics data, the reconstruction of a conditional and dynamic phosphorylation-mediated signaling network was exemplified. We expect PhoSigNet to be a useful database and analysis platform benefiting both proteomics and cancer studies.

Simultaneous inactivation of sigma factors B and D interferes with light acclimation of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

PubMed

Pollari, Maija; Ruotsalainen, Virpi; Rantamäki, Susanne; Tyystjärvi, Esa; Tyystjärvi, Taina

2009-06-01

In cyanobacteria, gene expression is regulated mainly at the level of transcription initiation, which is mediated by the RNA polymerase holoenzyme. The RNA polymerase core is catalytically active, while the sigma factor recognizes promoter sequences. Group 2 sigma factors are similar to the principal sigma factor but are nonessential. Group 2 sigma factors SigB and SigD are structurally the most similar sigma factors in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. Under standard growth conditions, simultaneous inactivation of sigB and sigD genes did not affect the growth, but the photosynthesis and growth of the DeltasigBD strain were slower than in the control strain at double light intensity. Light-saturated electron transfer rates and the fluorescence and thermoluminescence measurements showed that photosynthetic light reactions are fully functional in the DeltasigBD strain, but absorption and 77 K emission spectra measurements suggest that the light-harvesting system of the DeltasigBD strain does not acclimate normally to higher light intensity. Furthermore, the DeltasigBD strain is more sensitive to photoinhibition under bright light because impaired upregulation of psbA genes leads to insufficient PSII repair.

Current activities and results of the Long Duration Exposure Facility Meteoroid and Debris Special Investigation Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

See, Thomas H.; Leago, Kimberly S.; Warren, Jack L.; Bernhard, Ronald P.; Zolensky, Michael E.

1994-03-01

Fiscal Year 1994 will bring to a close the initial investigative activities associated with the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). LDEF was a 14-faced spacecraft (i.e., 12-sided cylinder and two ends) which housed 54 different experimental packages in low-Earth orbit (LEO) from Apr. 1984 to Jan. 1990 (i.e., for approx. 5.75 years). Since LDEF's return, the Meteoroid & Debris Special Investigation Group (M&D SIG) has been examining various LDEF components in order to better understand and define the LEO particulate environment. Members of the M&D SIG at JSC in Houston, TX have been contributing to these studies by carefully examining and documenting all impact events found on LDEF's 6061-T6 aluminum Intercostals (i.e., one of the spacecraft's structural frame components). Unlike all other hardware on LDEF, the frame exposed significantly large surface areas of a single homogeneous material in all (i.e., 26) possible LDEF pointing directions. To date, 28 of the 68 Intercostals in the possession of the M&D SIG have been documented. This data, as well as similar information from various LDEF investigators, can be accessed through the M&D SIG Database which is maintained at JSC.

Current activities and results of the Long Duration Exposure Facility Meteoroid and Debris Special Investigation Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

See, Thomas H.; Leago, Kimberly S.; Warren, Jack L.; Bernhard, Ronald P.; Zolensky, Michael E.

1994-01-01

Fiscal Year 1994 will bring to a close the initial investigative activities associated with the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). LDEF was a 14-faced spacecraft (i.e., 12-sided cylinder and two ends) which housed 54 different experimental packages in low-Earth orbit (LEO) from Apr. 1984 to Jan. 1990 (i.e., for approx. 5.75 years). Since LDEF's return, the Meteoroid & Debris Special Investigation Group (M&D SIG) has been examining various LDEF components in order to better understand and define the LEO particulate environment. Members of the M&D SIG at JSC in Houston, TX have been contributing to these studies by carefully examining and documenting all impact events found on LDEF's 6061-T6 aluminum Intercostals (i.e., one of the spacecraft's structural frame components). Unlike all other hardware on LDEF, the frame exposed significantly large surface areas of a single homogeneous material in all (i.e., 26) possible LDEF pointing directions. To date, 28 of the 68 Intercostals in the possession of the M&D SIG have been documented. This data, as well as similar information from various LDEF investigators, can be accessed through the M&D SIG Database which is maintained at JSC.

Gene expression in Listeria monocytogenes exposed to sublethal concentration of benzalkonium chloride.

PubMed

Tamburro, Manuela; Ripabelli, Giancarlo; Vitullo, Monia; Dallman, Timothy James; Pontello, Mirella; Amar, Corinne Francoise Laurence; Sammarco, Michela Lucia

2015-06-01

In this study, tolerance at sublethal concentration of benzalkonium chloride and transcription levels of mdrL, ladR, lde, sigB and bcrABC genes in Listeria monocytogenes strains were evaluated. Viable cells reduction occurred in 45% of strains and clinical isolates showed lower sensitivity than isolates from foods. An increased transcription of an efflux system encoding gene was found in 60% of strains, and simultaneous mdrL overexpression and ladR underexpression occurred in 30% of isolates. A significant association between reduced benzalkonium chloride activity and both mdrL and sigB overexpression was observed; sigB expression also correlated with both mdrL and ladR genes. The bcrABC gene was only found in six strains, all isolated from foods and sensitive to benzalkonium chloride, and in four strains an underexpression was observed. Disinfection at sublethal concentration was less effective in clinical isolates, and mdrL and sigB expression was significantly affected by disinfection. Further insights are needed to understand the adaptation to benzalkonium chloride and to evaluate whether changes in gene expression could affect the L. monocytogenes virulence traits and persistence in the environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

50 CFR 85.31 - Grant selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Grant selection. 85.31 Section 85.31...) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE-WILDLIFE SPORT FISH RESTORATION PROGRAM CLEAN VESSEL ACT GRANT PROGRAM Grant Selection § 85.31 Grant selection. The Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Federal Aid, will convene a ranking...

23 CFR 1200.23 - Impaired driving countermeasures grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Impaired driving countermeasures grants. 1200.23 Section... HIGHWAY SAFETY GRANT PROGRAMS National Priority Safety Program Grants § 1200.23 Impaired driving countermeasures grants. (a) Purpose. This section establishes criteria, in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 405(d), for...

23 CFR 1200.23 - Impaired driving countermeasures grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Impaired driving countermeasures grants. 1200.23 Section... HIGHWAY SAFETY GRANT PROGRAMS National Priority Safety Program Grants § 1200.23 Impaired driving countermeasures grants. (a) Purpose. This section establishes criteria, in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 405(d), for...

40 CFR 35.147 - Minimum cost share for a Performance Partnership Grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Partnership Grant. 35.147 Section 35.147 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Environmental Program Grants Air Pollution Control... Grant, whichever is greater. (b) If an air pollution control agency includes its section 105 air program...

40 CFR 35.147 - Minimum cost share for a Performance Partnership Grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Partnership Grant. 35.147 Section 35.147 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Environmental Program Grants Air Pollution Control... Grant, whichever is greater. (b) If an air pollution control agency includes its section 105 air program...

40 CFR 35.147 - Minimum cost share for a Performance Partnership Grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Partnership Grant. 35.147 Section 35.147 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Environmental Program Grants Air Pollution Control... Grant, whichever is greater. (b) If an air pollution control agency includes its section 105 air program...

State Funded Scholarship/Grant Programs for Students To Attend Postsecondary Educational Institutions: The National Association of State Scholarship & Grant Programs 25th Annual Survey Report, 1993-94 Academic Year.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Jerry S.; And Others

This report documents results of a survey of the 52 members (the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico) of the National Association of State Scholarship and Grant Programs (NASSGP) which collected data concerning state-funded programs of scholarship or grant assistance for postsecondary students. Text sections present a summary and…

Band Structure and Optical Gain of InGaAs/GaAsBi Type-II Quantum Wells Modeled by the k · p Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chang; Pan, Wenwu; Kolokolov, Konstantin; Wang, Shumin

2018-05-01

Not Available Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2014CB643902, the Key Program of Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61334004, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61404152, and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No XDA5-1, the Foundation of National Laboratory for Infrared Physics, the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No KGZD-EW-804, and the Creative Research Group Project of Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61321492.

42 CFR 51b.206 - How can grant funds be used?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Childhood Immunization Programs § 51b.206 How can grant... equipment for childhood immunization programs. Grant funds also may be used to pay for salaries or wages and...

42 CFR 51b.206 - How can grant funds be used?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Childhood Immunization Programs § 51b.206 How can grant... equipment for childhood immunization programs. Grant funds also may be used to pay for salaries or wages and...

42 CFR 51b.206 - How can grant funds be used?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Childhood Immunization Programs § 51b.206 How can grant... equipment for childhood immunization programs. Grant funds also may be used to pay for salaries or wages and...

42 CFR 51b.206 - How can grant funds be used?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES Grants for Childhood Immunization Programs § 51b.206 How can grant... equipment for childhood immunization programs. Grant funds also may be used to pay for salaries or wages and...

FY 2017 Grant Announcement: FY 2017 Source Reduction Assistance Grant Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA Region 10 Pollution Prevention Program is announcing a grant competition for Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) awards. EPA Region 10 anticipates awarding approximately $95,000 in federal grant funding to support SRA agreements.

75 FR 6007 - Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; School Leadership Grant Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-05

... Leadership Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Catalog of... Leadership Grant Program (SLP) is designed to assist high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) in.... Carrying out professional development programs in instructional leadership and management. Providing...

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: An Overview. CRS Report for Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleman, Steven R.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes several programs to support and improve the education of children with disabilities. The grants to States, preschool, and infants and toddlers programs are formula grant programs that fund special education services. The discretionary grant programs fund research, demonstrations,…

75 FR 25307 - 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: DS-4100, Iran Program Grants Vetting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

...-4100, Iran Program Grants Vetting, Information Collection 1405-0176 ACTION: Notice of request for... Collection: Iran Program Grants. OMB Control Number: 1405-0176. Type of Request: Extension of a Currently...). Form Number: DS-4100. Respondents: Potential grantees and participants for Iran programs. Estimated...

76 FR 29228 - Funding Down Slate; Demonstration Grants for Indian Children Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-20

... Children Program AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education. ACTION... Indian Children program authorized by 20 U.S.C. 7441 to make new grant awards in FY 2011. The Secretary... notice inviting applications for new awards under the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children program...

A SEARCH FOR THE DECAY $mu$$Yields$e+$nu$ $gamma$

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

Frankel, S.; Frati, W.; Halpern, J.

1963-02-16

A search for the decay mu min gave no sig e + gamma is made using spark chambers and sodium iodide crystals. The spark chambers provide the means of measuring the angle between the electron and photon, while the sodium iodide crystals are used to measure the particle energies. A lithium target and thin (0.001 in.) aluminum foils in the spark chamber are used to minimize the scattering of the electron. An upper limit of 4.3, 10/sup -8/ (90% confidence) is found for the ratio of the rate of the mu min gave no sig e + gamma decay tomore » the normal muon decay rate. A search for the decay mu min gave no sig e + gamma + gamma is also made. (auth)« less

National Directory of NASA Space Grant Contacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Congress enacted the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (also known as Space Grant). NASA's Space Grant Program funds education, research, and public service programs in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico through 52 university-based Space Grant consortia. These consortia form a network of colleges and universities, industry partners, State and local Government agencies, other Federal agencies, museum and science centers, and nonprofit organizations, all with interests in aerospace education, research, and training. Space Grant programs emphasize the diversity of human resources, the participation of students in research, and the communication of the benefits of science and technology to the general public. Each year approximately one-third of the NASA Space Grant funds support scholarships and fellowships for United States students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Typically, at least 20 percent of these awards go to students from underrepresented groups, and at least 40 percent go to women. Most Space Grant student awards include a mentored research experience with university faculty or NASA scientists or engineers. Space Grant consortia also fund curriculum enhancement and faculty development programs. Consortia members administer precollege and public service education programs in their States. The 52 consortia typically leverage NASA funds with matching contributions from State, local, and other university sources, which more than double the NASA funding. For more information, consult the Space Grant Web site at http://education.nasa.gov/spacegrant/

7 CFR 1740.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION DIGITAL TRANSITION GRANT PROGRAM Public Television Station Digital Transition... Station Digital Transition Grant Program (Grant Program) is to enable public television stations serving rural areas to transition from broadcasting in analog to digital, as required under the Federal...

7 CFR 1740.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION DIGITAL TRANSITION GRANT PROGRAM Public Television Station Digital Transition... Station Digital Transition Grant Program (Grant Program) is to enable public television stations serving rural areas to transition from broadcasting in analog to digital, as required under the Federal...

44 CFR 79.3 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION GRANTS... oversight to all FEMA-related hazard mitigation programs and grants, including: (1) Issue program... Indian tribal governments regarding the mitigation and grants management process; (5) Review and approve...

44 CFR 79.3 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION GRANTS... oversight to all FEMA-related hazard mitigation programs and grants, including: (1) Issue program... Indian tribal governments regarding the mitigation and grants management process; (5) Review and approve...

44 CFR 79.3 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION GRANTS... oversight to all FEMA-related hazard mitigation programs and grants, including: (1) Issue program... Indian tribal governments regarding the mitigation and grants management process; (5) Review and approve...

44 CFR 79.3 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION GRANTS § 79.3...-related hazard mitigation programs and grants, including: (1) Issue program implementation procedures, as... governments regarding the mitigation and grants management process; (5) Review and approve State, Indian...

44 CFR 79.3 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION GRANTS... oversight to all FEMA-related hazard mitigation programs and grants, including: (1) Issue program... Indian tribal governments regarding the mitigation and grants management process; (5) Review and approve...

40 CFR 35.342 - Competitive process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....342 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Environmental Program Grants Pollution Prevention State Grants (section 6605) § 35.342 Competitive process. EPA Regions award Pollution Prevention State Grants to State programs...

40 CFR 35.342 - Competitive process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

....342 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Environmental Program Grants Pollution Prevention State Grants (section 6605) § 35.342 Competitive process. EPA Regions award Pollution Prevention State Grants to State programs...

77 FR 14462 - Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching Grants Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-09

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Space Transportation Infrastructure... grant proposals for the Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching Grants Program. SUMMARY: This notice solicits Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 grant proposals to continue the development of a Commercial Space...

Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant Program Report: A Baseline Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 2010

2010-01-01

The Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant, introduced in Winter 2004, grants awards of up to $2,000 to students who attend one of the 27 Tennessee Technology Centers. Since the inception of this program, approximately 50,000 students have received grants, and the state of Tennessee has spent roughly $47.5 million on the program over the last four…

Evaluation of NSF's Program of Grants and Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences (VIGRE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2009

2009-01-01

In 1998, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a program of Grants for Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences (VIGRE). These grants were designed for institutions with PhD-granting departments in the mathematical sciences, for the purpose of developing high-quality education programs, at all levels,…

50 CFR 84.21 - How do I apply for a National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Wetlands Conservation Grant? 84.21 Section 84.21 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE... PROGRAM NATIONAL COASTAL WETLANDS CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM Applying for Grants § 84.21 How do I apply for a National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant? (a) Eligible applicants should submit their...

76 FR 24917 - Notice of Funding Opportunity and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for H-1B Technical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-03

... Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants AGENCY: Employment and... million in funds for an H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants program. This grant program is designed to... training. H-1B technical skills training grants are financed by a user fee paid by employers to bring...

76 FR 18220 - Labor-Management Cooperation Grant Program Information Collection Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-01

... FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE Labor-Management Cooperation Grant Program Information... submission of the following public information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and...-13). This information collection, ``Labor-Management Cooperation Grant Program Information Collection...

2015 Targeted AirShed Grant Program Grant - Closed Announcement FY 2015

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Targeted Air Shed Grant Program proposal for FY 2015. The overall goal of the program is to reduce air pollution in the Nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations.

45 CFR 287.15 - Which Tribes are eligible to apply for NEW Program grants?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Which Tribes are eligible to apply for NEW Program... SERVICES THE NATIVE EMPLOYMENT WORKS (NEW) PROGRAM Eligible Tribes § 287.15 Which Tribes are eligible to apply for NEW Program grants? To be considered for a NEW Program grant, a Tribe must be an “eligible...