NHEXAS PHASE I REGION 5 STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE--HANDLING QUALITY CONTROL SAMPLES IN THE FIELD (RTI/ACS-AP-209-090)

EPA Science Inventory

This protocol describes how quality control samples should be handled in the field, and was designed as a quick reference source for the field staff. The protocol describes quality control samples for air-VOCs, air-particles, water samples, house dust, soil, urine, blood, hair, a...

Fundamental limits on beam stability at the Advanced Photon Source.

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

Decker, G. A.

1998-06-18

Orbit correction is now routinely performed at the few-micron level in the Advanced Photon Source (APS) storage ring. Three diagnostics are presently in use to measure and control both AC and DC orbit motions: broad-band turn-by-turn rf beam position monitors (BPMs), narrow-band switched heterodyne receivers, and photoemission-style x-ray beam position monitors. Each type of diagnostic has its own set of systematic error effects that place limits on the ultimate pointing stability of x-ray beams supplied to users at the APS. Limiting sources of beam motion at present are magnet power supply noise, girder vibration, and thermal timescale vacuum chamber andmore » girder motion. This paper will investigate the present limitations on orbit correction, and will delve into the upgrades necessary to achieve true sub-micron beam stability.« less

Reinforce: An Ensemble Approach for Inferring PPI Network from AP-MS Data.

PubMed

Tian, Bo; Duan, Qiong; Zhao, Can; Teng, Ben; He, Zengyou

2017-05-17

Affinity Purification-Mass Spectrometry (AP-MS) is one of the most important technologies for constructing protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. In this paper, we propose an ensemble method, Reinforce, for inferring PPI network from AP-MS data set. The new algorithm named Reinforce is based on rank aggregation and false discovery rate control. Under the null hypothesis that the interaction scores from different scoring methods are randomly generated, Reinforce follows three steps to integrate multiple ranking results from different algorithms or different data sets. The experimental results show that Reinforce can get more stable and accurate inference results than existing algorithms. The source codes of Reinforce and data sets used in the experiments are available at: https://sourceforge.net/projects/reinforce/.

Power Saving Control for Battery-Powered Portable WLAN APs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogawa, Masakatsu; Hiraguri, Takefumi

This paper proposes a power saving control function for battery-powered portable wireless LAN (WLAN) access points (APs) to extend the battery life. The IEEE802.11 standard does not support power saving control for APs. To enable a sleep state for an AP, the AP forces the stations (STAs) to refrain from transmitting frames using the network allocation vector (NAV) while the AP is sleeping. Thus the sleep state for the AP can be employed without causing frame loss at the STAs. Numerical analysis and computer simulation reveal that the newly proposed control technique conserves power compared to the conventional control.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalog of 316 K giant candidates (Rebull+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebull, L. M.; Carlberg, J. K.; Gibbs, J. C.; Deeb, J. E.; Larsen, E.; Black, D. V.; Altepeter, S.; Bucksbee, E.; Cashen, S.; Clarke, M.; Datta, A.; Hodgson, E.; Lince, M.

2015-11-01

There are 82 targets published in de la Reza et al. (1997ApJ...482L..77D). There are 86 K giants reported in Carlberg et al. 2012 (cat. J/ApJ/757/109). We compiled 149 additional targets that have been identified either consistently or at one time as confirmed or possible Li-rich K giants, but not included in either the de la Reza et al. (1997ApJ...482L..77D) or the Carlberg et al. 2012 (cat. J/ApJ/757/109) samples. They include targets from Adamow et al. 2014 (cat. J/A+A/569/A55), Anthony-Twarog et al. (2013ApJ...767L..19A), Carney et al. (1998AJ....116.2984C), Carlberg et al. (2015ApJ...802....7C), Castilho et al. 2000 (cat. J/A+A/364/674), Drake et al. (2002AJ....123.2703D), Fekel & Watson (1998AJ....116.2466F), Hill & Pasquini (1999A&A...348L..21H), Jasniewicz et al. (1999A&A...342..831J), Kirby et al. (2012ApJ...752L..16K), Kraft et al. (1999ApJ...518L..53K), Kumar et al. (2011ApJ...730L..12K) and references therein, Liu et al. (2014ApJ...785...94L), Luck & Heiter 2007 (cat. J/AJ/133/2464), Martell & Shetrone (2013MNRAS.430..611M), Monaco et al. (2014A&A...564L...6M), Pilachowski et al. (2003AJ....125..794P), Ruchti et al. (2011ApJ...743..107R), Silva Aguirre et al. (2014ApJ...784L..16A), Smith et al. (1999ApJ...516L..73S), and Torres et al. (2000IAUS..198..320T). Our complete list of 316 targets with position, photometric, and abundance data appears in Table1. We obtained positions for these targets, most of which are quite bright in the optical, primarily from SIMBAD, though literature was consulted for fainter sources as required. Detailed notes on the sources we suspect are subject to source confusion appear in Table4. Table6 contains notes on the entire set of sources. (3 data files).

40 CFR 63.2995 - What equations must I use to determine compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Wet-Formed Fiberglass Mat Production Testing... emission standard, use equation 1 of this section as follows: Er11ap02.021 Where: Ef = Formaldehyde control...

40 CFR 63.2995 - What equations must I use to determine compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Wet-Formed Fiberglass Mat Production Testing... emission standard, use equation 1 of this section as follows: Er11ap02.021 Where: Ef = Formaldehyde control...

Analysis of the AP-42, supplement 5 emission model.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-01-01

This report examines the performance of the source strength model presented in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publication AP-42, Supplement 5 relative to field data gathered during the AIRPOL project and relative to the previous source stre...

Adipocyte aminopeptidases in obesity and fasting.

PubMed

Alponti, Rafaela Fadoni; Silveira, Paulo Flavio

2015-11-05

This study checked the existence of a diverse array of aminopeptidase (AP) enzymes in high (HDM) and low (LDM) density microsomal and plasma membrane (MF) fractions from adipocytes of control, monosodium glutamate obese and food deprived rats. Gene expression was detected for ArgAP, AspAP, MetAP, and two AlaAP (APM and PSA). APM and PSA had the highest catalytic efficiency, whereas AspAP the highest affinity. Subcellular distribution of AP activities depended on metabolic status. Comparing catalytic levels, AspAP in HDM, LDM and MF was absent in obese and control under food deprivation; PSA in LDM was 3.5-times higher in obese than in normally fed control and control and obese under food deprivation; MetAP in MF was 4.5-times higher in obese than in food deprived obese. Data show new AP enzymes genetically expressed in subcellular compartments of adipocytes, three of them with altered catalytic levels that respond to whole-body energetic demands. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interleaving lattice for the Argonne Advanced Photon Source linac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, S.; Sun, Y.; Dooling, J.; Borland, M.; Zholents, A.

2018-06-01

To realize and test advanced accelerator concepts and hardware, a beam line is being reconfigured in the linac extension area (LEA) of the Argonne Advanced Photon Source (APS) linac. A photocathode rf gun installed at the beginning of the APS linac will provide a low emittance electron beam into the LEA beam line. The thermionic rf gun beam for the APS storage ring and the photocathode rf gun beam for the LEA beam line will be accelerated through the linac in an interleaved fashion. In this paper, the design studies for interleaving lattice realization in the APS linac is described with the initial experiment result.

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

Doose, Charles; Jain, Animesh

The APS-U is planned to be a 4th generation hard X-ray light source utilizing a multi-bend achromat (MBA) magnet lattice. The MBA lattice will be installed in the existing APS storage ring enclosure. The stored electron beam will circulate clockwise when viewed from above. The X-ray beamlines will for the most part exit at the same source points as the present APS. This document defines the signs and conventions related to the APS-U MBA magnets. Included in this document are: the local magnet coordinate system, definitions of mechanical and magnetic centers, definitions of multipole field errors, magnetic roll angle, andmore » magnet polarities.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Spatial structure of young stellar clusters. I. (Kuhn+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, M. A.; Feigelson, E. D.; Getman, K. V.; Baddeley, A. J.; Broos, P. S.; Sills, A.; Bate, M. R.; Povich, M. S.; Luhman, K. L.; Busk, H. A.; Naylor, T.; King, R. R.

2015-07-01

The regions included in this study, listed in Table 1, are nearby sites of high-mass star formation that are included in the MYStIX sample (Feigelson et al. 2013ApJS..209...26F). These regions are covered in the near-IR by the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (King et al. 2013, J/ApJS/209/28) or Two-Micron All Sky Survey (Skrutskie et al. 2006, VII/233), in the mid-IR by Spitzer IRAC observations (Kuhn et al. 2013, J/ApJS/209/29), and in the X-ray by the ACIS-I array on the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in the 0.5-8.0keV band (Kuhn et al. 2013, J/ApJS/209/27; Townsley et al. 2014, J/ApJS/213/1). Other sources to produce multiwavelength catalogs are described in section 2. The multiwavelength point-source catalogs are combined with a list of spectroscopic OB stars from the literature, and sources are classified probabilistically to obtain a list of MYStIX Probable Complex Members (MPCMs) (Broos et al. 2013, J/ApJS/209/32). (3 data files).

Greenhouse evaluation of Bacillus subtilis AP-01 and Trichoderma harzianum AP-001 in controlling tobacco diseases.

PubMed

Maketon, Monchan; Apisitsantikul, Jirasak; Siriraweekul, Chatchai

2008-04-01

Two biological control agents, Bacillus subtilis AP-01 (Larminar(™)) and Trichoderma harzianum AP-001 (Trisan(™)) alone or/in combination were investigated in controlling three tobacco diseases, including bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum), damping-off (Pythium aphanidermatum), and frogeye leaf spot (Cercospora nicotiana). Tests were performed in greenhouse by soil sterilization prior to inoculation of the pathogens. Bacterial-wilt and damping off pathogens were drenched first and followed with the biological control agents and for comparison purposes, two chemical fungicides. But for frogeye leaf spot, which is an airborne fungus, a spraying procedure for every treatment including a chemical fungicide was applied instead of drenching. Results showed that neither B. subtilis AP-01 nor T harzianum AP-001 alone could control the bacterial wilt, but when combined, their controlling capabilities were as effective as a chemical treatment. These results were also similar for damping-off disease when used in combination. In addition, the combined B. subtilis AP-01 and T. harzianum AP-001 resulted in a good frogeye leaf spot control, which was not significantly different from the chemical treatment.

MX: A beamline control system toolkit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavender, William M.

2000-06-01

The development of experimental and beamline control systems for two Collaborative Access Teams at the Advanced Photon Source has resulted in the creation of a portable data acquisition and control toolkit called MX. MX consists of a set of servers, application programs and libraries that enable the creation of command line and graphical user interface applications that may be easily retargeted to new and different kinds of motor and device controllers. The source code for MX is written in ANSI C and Tcl/Tk with interprocess communication via TCP/IP. MX is available for several versions of Unix, Windows 95/98/NT and DOS. It may be downloaded from the web site http://www.imca.aps.anl.gov/mx/.

Anti-Hypertensive Effects of Acacia Polyphenol in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

PubMed Central

Ikarashi, Nobutomo; Toda, Takahiro; Hatakeyama, Yusuke; Kusunoki, Yoshiki; Kon, Risako; Mizukami, Nanaho; Kaneko, Miho; Ogawa, Sosuke; Sugiyama, Kiyoshi

2018-01-01

We have previously demonstrated that acacia polyphenol (AP) exerts strong anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, and anti-atopic dermatitis effects. In the present study, we investigated the anti-hypertensive effects of AP. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with hypertension and control Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were used. WKY and SHR were fed AP-containing food or AP-free food (control group) ad libitum for 4 weeks, and their blood pressures were measured. After AP administration, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower in the SHR group than in the control group. There were no differences in the systolic or diastolic blood pressure of WKY between the AP group and the control group. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase expression, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in SHR kidneys were not altered by AP administration. Blood SOD activity in SHR was significantly higher in the AP group than in the control group. AP exerts anti-hypertensive effects on hypertension but has almost no effect on normal blood pressure. The anti-hypertensive effects of AP may be related to the anti-oxidative effects of increased blood SOD activity. PMID:29494506

Mechanical control of notochord morphogenesis by extra-embryonic tissues in mouse embryos.

PubMed

Imuta, Yu; Koyama, Hiroshi; Shi, Dongbo; Eiraku, Mototsugu; Fujimori, Toshihiko; Sasaki, Hiroshi

2014-05-01

Mammalian embryos develop in coordination with extraembryonic tissues, which support embryonic development by implanting embryos into the uterus, supplying nutrition, providing a confined niche, and also providing patterning signals to embryos. Here, we show that in mouse embryos, the expansion of the amniotic cavity (AC), which is formed between embryonic and extraembryonic tissues, provides the mechanical forces required for a type of morphogenetic movement of the notochord known as convergent extension (CE) in which the cells converge to the midline and the tissue elongates along the antero-posterior (AP) axis. The notochord is stretched along the AP axis, and the expansion of the AC is required for CE. Both mathematical modeling and physical simulation showed that a rectangular morphology of the early notochord caused the application of anisotropic force along the AP axis to the notochord through the isotropic expansion of the AC. AC expansion acts upstream of planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling, which regulates CE movement. Our results highlight the importance of extraembryonic tissues as a source of the forces that control the morphogenesis of embryos. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct generation of vector vortex beams with switchable radial and azimuthal polarizations in a monolithic Nd:YAG microchip laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Hong-Sen; Chen, Zhen; Dong, Jun

2017-05-01

A hollow focus lens (HFL) has been designed to effectively produce a focused annular beam for high-intensity pumping. By applying the central-dark pump beam, a monolithic Nd:YAG microchip laser without any extra optical elements is demonstrated to generate vector vortex beams with switchable radially polarized (RP) and azimuthally polarized (AP) states by easily controlling the pump power. The order and handedness of the output vortex beam remain stable during the switching of the RP and AP states. The monolithic Nd:YAG microchip laser provides a new laser source for applications such as material processing and optical manipulation.

Anti-skin-aging benefits of exopolymers from Aureobasidium pullulans SM2001.

PubMed

Kim, Kyung Hu; Park, Soo Jin; Lee, Ji Eun; Lee, Young Joon; Song, Chang Hyun; Choi, Seong Hun; Ku, Sae Kwang; Kang, Su Jin

2014-01-01

There have been many attempts to search for affordable and effective functional cosmetic ingredients, especially from natural sources. As research into developing a functional cosmetic ingredient, we investigated whether exopolymers from Aureobasidium pullulans SM2001 (E-AP-SM2001) exert antioxidant, antiwrinkle, whitening, and skin moisturizing effects. Antioxidant effects of E-AP-SM2001 were determined by measuring free radical scavenging capacity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity. Antiwrinkle effects were assessed through the inhibition of hyaluronidase, elastase, collagenase, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1. Whitening effects were measured by tyrosinase inhibition assay, and by melanin formation test in B16/F10 melanoma cells. Skin moisturizing effects were detected by mouse skin water content test. E-AP-SM2001 showed potent DPPH radical scavenging activity and SOD-like effects. Additionally, hyaluronidase, elastase, collagenase, and MMP-1 activities were significantly inhibited by E-AP-SM2001. We also observed that E-AP-SM2001 effectively reduced melanin production by B16/F10 melanoma cells and mushroom tyrosinase activities. Furthermore, significant increases in skin water content were detected in E-AP-SM2001- treated mouse skin, as compared with vehicle-treated control skin. Notably, a mask pack containing E-AP-SM2001 showed a >twofold more extensive moisturizing effect compared with one containing Saccharomycopsis ferment filtrate. Our results suggest that E-AP-SM2001 has adequate antiaging, antiwrinkle, and whitening benefits and skin moisturizing effect. These effects involve reducing hyaluronidase, elastase, collagenase, and MMP-1 activities, as well as inhibition of melanin production and tyrosinase activities. Therefore, the antioxidant E-AP-SM2001 may serve as a predictable functional ingredient.

Feedback power control strategies in wireless sensor networks with joint channel decoding.

PubMed

Abrardo, Andrea; Ferrari, Gianluigi; Martalò, Marco; Perna, Fabio

2009-01-01

In this paper, we derive feedback power control strategies for block-faded multiple access schemes with correlated sources and joint channel decoding (JCD). In particular, upon the derivation of the feasible signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region for the considered multiple access schemes, i.e., the multidimensional SNR region where error-free communications are, in principle, possible, two feedback power control strategies are proposed: (i) a classical feedback power control strategy, which aims at equalizing all link SNRs at the access point (AP), and (ii) an innovative optimized feedback power control strategy, which tries to make the network operational point fall in the feasible SNR region at the lowest overall transmit energy consumption. These strategies will be referred to as "balanced SNR" and "unbalanced SNR," respectively. While they require, in principle, an unlimited power control range at the sources, we also propose practical versions with a limited power control range. We preliminary consider a scenario with orthogonal links and ideal feedback. Then, we analyze the robustness of the proposed power control strategies to possible non-idealities, in terms of residual multiple access interference and noisy feedback channels. Finally, we successfully apply the proposed feedback power control strategies to a limiting case of the class of considered multiple access schemes, namely a central estimating officer (CEO) scenario, where the sensors observe noisy versions of a common binary information sequence and the AP's goal is to estimate this sequence by properly fusing the soft-output information output by the JCD algorithm.

HIGH-ENERGY X-RAY PINHOLE CAMERA FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON BEAM SIZE MEASUREMENTS

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

Yang, B.; Morgan, J.; Lee, S.H.

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is developing a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice based storage ring as the next major upgrade, featuring a 20-fold reduction in emittance. Combining the reduction of beta functions, the electron beam sizes at bend magnet sources may be reduced to reach 5 – 10 µm for 10% vertical coupling. The x-ray pinhole camera currently used for beam size monitoring will not be adequate for the new task. By increasing the operating photon energy to 120 – 200 keV, the pinhole camera’s resolution is expected to reach below 4 µm. The peak height of the pinhole imagemore » will be used to monitor relative changes of the beam sizes and enable the feedback control of the emittance. We present the simulation and the design of a beam size monitor for the APS storage ring.« less

Development and operating experience of a 1.1-m-long superconducting undulator at the Advanced Photon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Harkay, K.; Borland, M.; Dejus, R.; Dooling, J.; Doose, C.; Emery, L.; Fuerst, J.; Gagliano, J.; Hasse, Q.; Kasa, M.; Kenesei, P.; Sajaev, V.; Schroeder, K.; Sereno, N.; Shastri, S.; Shiroyanagi, Y.; Skiadopoulos, D.; Smith, M.; Sun, X.; Trakhtenberg, E.; Xiao, A.; Zholents, A.; Gluskin, E.

2017-10-01

Development of superconducting undulators continues at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Two years after successful installation and commissioning of the first relatively short superconducting undulator "SCU0" in Sector 6 of the APS storage ring, the second 1.1-m-long superconducting undulator "SCU1" was installed in Sector 1 of the APS. The device has been in user operation since its commissioning in May 2015. This paper describes the magnetic and cryogenic design of the SCU1 together with the results of stand-alone cold tests. The SCU1's magnetic and cryogenic performance as well as its operating experience in the APS storage ring are also presented.

Human acylphosphatase cannot replace phosphoglycerate kinase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Van Hoek, P; Modesti, A; Ramponi, G; Kötter, P; van Dijken, J P; Pron, J T

2001-10-01

Human acylphosphatase (h-AP, EC 3.6.1.7) has been reported to catalyse the hydrolysis of the 1-phosphate group of 1,3-diphosphoglycerate. In vivo operation of this reaction in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae would bypass phosphoglycerate kinase and thus reduce the ATP yield from glycolysis. To investigate whether h-AP can indeed replace the S. cerevisiae phosphoglycerate kinase, a multi-copy plasmid carrying the h-AP gene under control of the yeast TDH3 promoter was introduced into a pgk1 delta mutant of S. cerevisiae. A strain carrying the expression vector without the h-AP cassette was used as a reference. For both strains, steady-state carbon- and energy-limited chemostat cultures were obtained at a dilution rate of 0.10 h(-1) on a medium containing a mixture of glucose and ethanol (15% and 85% on a carbon basis, respectively). Although the h-AP strain exhibited a high acylphosphatase activity in cell extracts, switching to glucose as sole carbon and energy source resulted in a complete arrest of glucose consumption and growth. The lack of a functional glycolytic pathway was further evident from the absence of ethanol formation in the presence of excess glucose in the culture. As h-AP cannot replace yeast phosphoglycerate kinase in vivo, the enzyme is not a useful tool to modify the ATP yield of glycolysis in S. cerevisiae.

High Molecular Weight (HMW) Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in Seawater: Chemical Structure, Sources and Cycling

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-06-01

source for APS three species of phytoplankton, Thalassiossira weissflogii, Emiliania huxleyi and Phaeocystis, were cultured in seawater and their HMW...DOM exudates examined by a variety of analytical techniques. Both the T. weissflogii and E. huxleyi exudates contain compounds that resemble APS

Proceedings of the Advanced Photon Source renewal workshop.

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

Gibson, J. M.; Mills, D. M.; Kobenhavns Univ.

2008-12-01

Beginning in March 2008, Advanced Photon Source (APS) management engaged users, facility staff, the distinguished members of the APS Scientific Advisory Committee, and other outside experts in crafting a renewal plan for this premier synchrotron x-ray research facility. It is vital that the investment in the APS renewal begin as soon as possible in order to keep this important U.S. facility internationally competitive. The APS renewal plan encompasses innovations in the beamlines and the x-ray source that are needed for major advances in science - advances that promise to further extend the impact of x-ray science on energy research, technologymore » development, materials innovation, economic competitiveness, health, and far-reaching fundamental knowledge. A planning milestone was the APS Renewal Workshop held on October 20-21, 2008. Organized by the APS Renewal Steering Committee, the purpose of the workshop was to provide a forum where leading researchers could present the broad outlines of forward-looking plans for science at the APS in all major disciplines serviced by x-ray techniques. Two days of scientific presentations, discussions, and dialogue involved more than 180 scientists representing 41 institutions. The scientific talks and breakout/discussion sessions provided a forum for Science Team leaders to present the outlines of forward-looking plans for experimentation in all the major scientific disciplines covered by photon science. These proceedings comprise the reports from the Science Teams that were commissioned by the APS Renewal Steering Committee, having been edited by the Science Teams after discussion at the workshop.« less

Adaptive control of artificial pancreas systems - a review.

PubMed

Turksoy, Kamuran; Cinar, Ali

2014-01-01

Artificial pancreas (AP) systems offer an important improvement in regulating blood glucose concentration for patients with type 1 diabetes, compared to current approaches. AP consists of sensors, control algorithms and an insulin pump. Different AP control algorithms such as proportional-integral-derivative, model-predictive control, adaptive control, and fuzzy logic control have been investigated in simulation and clinical studies in the past three decades. The variability over time and complexity of the dynamics of blood glucose concentration, unsteady disturbances such as meals, time-varying delays on measurements and insulin infusion, and noisy data from sensors create a challenging system to AP. Adaptive control is a powerful control technique that can deal with such challenges. In this paper, a review of adaptive control techniques for blood glucose regulation with an AP system is presented. The investigations and advances in technology produced impressive results, but there is still a need for a reliable AP system that is both commercially viable and appealing to patients with type 1 diabetes.

Reconstruction of sound source signal by analytical passive TR in the environment with airflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Long; Li, Min; Yang, Debin; Niu, Feng; Zeng, Wu

2017-03-01

In the acoustic design of air vehicles, the time-domain signals of noise sources on the surface of air vehicles can serve as data support to reveal the noise source generation mechanism, analyze acoustic fatigue, and take measures for noise insulation and reduction. To rapidly reconstruct the time-domain sound source signals in an environment with flow, a method combining the analytical passive time reversal mirror (AP-TR) with a shear flow correction is proposed. In this method, the negative influence of flow on sound wave propagation is suppressed by the shear flow correction, obtaining the corrected acoustic propagation time delay and path. Those corrected time delay and path together with the microphone array signals are then submitted to the AP-TR, reconstructing more accurate sound source signals in the environment with airflow. As an analytical method, AP-TR offers a supplementary way in 3D space to reconstruct the signal of sound source in the environment with airflow instead of the numerical TR. Experiments on the reconstruction of the sound source signals of a pair of loud speakers are conducted in an anechoic wind tunnel with subsonic airflow to validate the effectiveness and priorities of the proposed method. Moreover the comparison by theorem and experiment result between the AP-TR and the time-domain beamforming in reconstructing the sound source signal is also discussed.

FIRST BEAM TESTS OF THE APS MBA UPGRADE ORBIT FEEDBACK CONTROLLER

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

Sereno, N. S.; Arnold, N.; Brill, A.

The new orbit feedback system required for the APS multi-bend acromat (MBA) ring must meet challenging beam stability requirements. The AC stability requirement is to correct rms beam motion to 10 % the rms beam size at the insertion device source points from 0.01 to 1000 Hz. The vertical plane represents the biggest challenge for AC stability which is required to be 400 nm rms for a 4 micron vertical beam size. In addition long term drift over a period of 7 days is required to be 1 micron or less at insertion de- vice BPMs and 2 microns formore » arc bpms. We present test re- sults of theMBA prototype orbit feedback controller (FBC) in the APS storage ring. In this test, four insertion device BPMs were configured to send data to the FBC for process- ing into four fast corrector setpoints. The configuration of four bpms and four fast correctors creates a 4-bump and the configuration of fast correctors is similar to what will be implemented in the MBA ring. We report on performance benefits of increasing the sampling rate by a factor of 15 to 22.6 kHz over the existing APS orbit feedback system, lim- itations due to existing storage ring hardware and extrapo- lation to theMBA orbit feedback design. FBC architecture, signal flow and processing design will also be discussed.« less

Synthetic auxin herbicides control germinating scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius)

Treesearch

Timothy B. Harrington

2014-01-01

Scotch broom is a large, nonnative shrub that has invaded forests and grasslands in 27 U.S. states. Without treatment, Scotch broom’s persistent seedbank ensures a continuing source of regeneration after soil disturbance. In growth chamber studies, five rates of three synthetic auxin herbicides, aminocyclopyrachlor (AC), aminopyralid (AP), and clopyralid (CP), were...

Apical Periodontitis and Endodontic Treatment in Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus: Comparative Cross-sectional Survey.

PubMed

Smadi, Leena

2017-05-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients compared with nondiabetic patients and to examine the effect of glycemic control on the prevalence of AP. Radiographs of a group of DM patients were compared with those of a matched nondiabetic group to identify AP. The diabetic group was subdivided according to the level of glycemic control into two subgroups: A well-controlled DM and a poorly controlled DM. The periapical index score was used to assess the periapical status. All groups were compared in regard to the presence of AP lesions, the number of end-odontically treated teeth (ET), and the percentage of failure of endodontically treated teeth (AP/ET ratio). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0, Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used for all the analyses; p ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The prevalence of AP was higher in diabetic group than in the nondiabetic group (13.5 vs 11.9% respectively). Diabetic group had more teeth with endodontic treatment ET compared with nondiabetic group (4.18 vs 1.82% respectively); this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001) along with higher AP/ET ratio (27.7 vs 19.3 respectively). The poorly controlled DM group had a higher prevalence of AP lesions compared with the well-controlled DM group (18.29 vs 9.21 respectively). This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001); they also had a higher percentage of ET (5.55 vs 3.13% respectively) and AP/ ET ratio (32.0 vs 21.8% respectively). This survey demonstrates a higher prevalence of AP in DM patients compared with nondiabetic group, with an increased prevalence of persistent chronic AP. Compared with a well-controlled diabetic group, a poor glycemic control may be associated with a higher prevalence of AP and increased rate of endodontic failures. Counseling diabetic patients, particularly those with poor glycemic control, about the risk of failure of endodontic treatment can be part of planning management, which could include refereeing diabetic patients who need endodontic treatment for consultant care.

Coatings and Biodegradable and Bioabsorbable Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

Properties Properties (Latex) Properties (Paint) M1. 726-39 Sodium lauryl sulfate 2.27 phi Control APS Viscous caossy, some Acceptablecracks, fo a y" l...SS 726-49 Sodium laufyl sulfate 2.17 phr Control APS Viscous, foamy Cracks in film Foam SIS 726-51 Sodium lauryl sulfate 2.17 phi Control APS Crashed...Not Formulated Not Formulated SS 726-35 Sodium lauryl sulfate 2.17 phr Control APS Acceptable Glossy with some Unusually foamy ________ _______fo am

Genomic and Functional Analyses of the 2-Aminophenol Catabolic Pathway and Partial Conversion of Its Substrate into Picolinic Acid in Burkholderia xenovorans LB400

PubMed Central

Agulló, Loreine; González, Myriam; Seeger, Michael

2013-01-01

2-aminophenol (2-AP) is a toxic nitrogen-containing aromatic pollutant. Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 possess an amn gene cluster that encodes the 2-AP catabolic pathway. In this report, the functionality of the 2-aminophenol pathway of B. xenovorans strain LB400 was analyzed. The amnRJBACDFEHG cluster located at chromosome 1 encodes the enzymes for the degradation of 2-aminophenol. The absence of habA and habB genes in LB400 genome correlates with its no growth on nitrobenzene. RT-PCR analyses in strain LB400 showed the co-expression of amnJB, amnBAC, amnACD, amnDFE and amnEHG genes, suggesting that the amn cluster is an operon. RT-qPCR showed that the amnB gene expression was highly induced by 2-AP, whereas a basal constitutive expression was observed in glucose, indicating that these amn genes are regulated. We propose that the predicted MarR-type transcriptional regulator encoded by the amnR gene acts as repressor of the amn gene cluster using a MarR-type regulatory binding sequence. This report showed that LB400 resting cells degrade completely 2-AP. The amn gene cluster from strain LB400 is highly identical to the amn gene cluster from P. knackmussi strain B13, which could not grow on 2-AP. However, we demonstrate that B. xenovorans LB400 is able to grow using 2-AP as sole nitrogen source and glucose as sole carbon source. An amnBA − mutant of strain LB400 was unable to grow with 2-AP as nitrogen source and glucose as carbon source and to degrade 2-AP. This study showed that during LB400 growth on 2-AP this substrate was partially converted into picolinic acid (PA), a well-known antibiotic. The addition of PA at lag or mid-exponential phase inhibited LB400 growth. The MIC of PA for strain LB400 is 2 mM. Overall, these results demonstrate that B. xenovorans strain LB400 posses a functional 2-AP catabolic central pathway, which could lead to the production of picolinic acid. PMID:24124510

Clinical application of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A:F-1500) for controlled hypotension.

PubMed

Kikuta, Y; Ohiwa, E; Okada, K; Watanabe, A; Haruki, S

1999-01-01

In our animal study, it was revealed that diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A:F-1500) has a dose-dependent hypotension effect of up to 60% decrease in mean arterial pressure compared to control value. Furthermore, in healthy male volunteers, the safety of Ap4A up to 4 mg.min-1 was confirmed. In patients who require surgical procedures under general anesthesia together with controlled hypotension, hypotension was induced by Ap4A in order to examine its hypotensive effect and modulating action on the blood pressure. Ten patients who required controlled hypotension and who were scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia were studied. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane (n = 7) or sevoflurane (n = 3) in oxygen-nitrous oxide. Controlled hypotension was induced by Ap4A administered at a rate of 10-20 micrograms.kg-1.min-1. The dose was adjusted at a maximum rate of 80 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 until the target blood pressure was achieved. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. Arterial samples were drawn at 4 separate time points to measure the concentration of Ap4A in the plasma. The time required for attaining the target blood pressure after initiation of Ap4A infusion was about 16 min, and the time lapse between withdrawal of infusion to recovery of blood pressure was about 18 min. No reflex tachycardia was observed during infusion of Ap4A and no rebound hypertension was evident after withdrawal. The plasma Ap4A concentration increased in response to the acceleration rate of Ap4A administration with a tendency of augmented hypotensive effect. As it produces an excellent hypotensive effect together with a modulating action on blood pressure, Ap4A was assessed as useful in producing controlled hypotension.

APS undulator and wiggler sources: Monte-Carlo simulation

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

Xu, S.L.; Lai, B.; Viccaro, P.J.

1992-02-01

Standard insertion devices will be provided to each sector by the Advanced Photon Source. It is important to define the radiation characteristics of these general purpose devices. In this document,results of Monte-Carlo simulation are presented. These results, based on the SHADOW program, include the APS Undulator A (UA), Wiggler A (WA), and Wiggler B (WB).

Feedback Power Control Strategies in Wireless Sensor Networks with Joint Channel Decoding

PubMed Central

Abrardo, Andrea; Ferrari, Gianluigi; Martalò, Marco; Perna, Fabio

2009-01-01

In this paper, we derive feedback power control strategies for block-faded multiple access schemes with correlated sources and joint channel decoding (JCD). In particular, upon the derivation of the feasible signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region for the considered multiple access schemes, i.e., the multidimensional SNR region where error-free communications are, in principle, possible, two feedback power control strategies are proposed: (i) a classical feedback power control strategy, which aims at equalizing all link SNRs at the access point (AP), and (ii) an innovative optimized feedback power control strategy, which tries to make the network operational point fall in the feasible SNR region at the lowest overall transmit energy consumption. These strategies will be referred to as “balanced SNR” and “unbalanced SNR,” respectively. While they require, in principle, an unlimited power control range at the sources, we also propose practical versions with a limited power control range. We preliminary consider a scenario with orthogonal links and ideal feedback. Then, we analyze the robustness of the proposed power control strategies to possible non-idealities, in terms of residual multiple access interference and noisy feedback channels. Finally, we successfully apply the proposed feedback power control strategies to a limiting case of the class of considered multiple access schemes, namely a central estimating officer (CEO) scenario, where the sensors observe noisy versions of a common binary information sequence and the AP's goal is to estimate this sequence by properly fusing the soft-output information output by the JCD algorithm. PMID:22291536

X-ray emission from an Ap star /Phi Herculis/ and a late B star /Pi Ceti/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cash, W.; Snow, T. P., Jr.; Charles, P.

1979-01-01

Using the HEAO 1 soft X-ray sky survey, a search was conducted for X-ray emission from 18 stars in the spectral range B5-A7. The detection of 0.25 keV X-ray sources consistent with the positions of Pi Ceti, a normal B7 V star, and Phi Herculis, a classic Ap star was reported. The detection of these stars argues for large mass motions in the upper layers of stars in this spectral range, and argues against radiative diffusion as the source of abundance anomalies in Ap stars.

Development and operating experience of a 1.1-m-long superconducting undulator at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE PAGES

Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Harkay, K.; Borland, M.; ...

2017-10-03

Development of superconducting undulators continues at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Two years after successful installation and commissioning of the first relatively short superconducting undulator “SCU0” in Sector 6 of the APS storage ring, the second 1.1-m long superconducting undulator “SCU1” was installed in Sector 1 of the APS. The device has been in user operation since its commissioning in May 2015. This paper describes the magnetic and cryogenic design of the SCU1 together with the results of stand-alone cold tests. The SCU1’s magnetic and cryogenic performance as well as its operating experience in the APS storage ring are alsomore » presented.« less

Development and operating experience of a 1.1-m-long superconducting undulator at the Advanced Photon Source

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

Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Harkay, K.; Borland, M.

Development of superconducting undulators continues at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Two years after successful installation and commissioning of the first relatively short superconducting undulator “SCU0” in Sector 6 of the APS storage ring, the second 1.1-m long superconducting undulator “SCU1” was installed in Sector 1 of the APS. The device has been in user operation since its commissioning in May 2015. This paper describes the magnetic and cryogenic design of the SCU1 together with the results of stand-alone cold tests. The SCU1’s magnetic and cryogenic performance as well as its operating experience in the APS storage ring are alsomore » presented.« less

RF Conditioning of the Photo-Cathode RF Gun at the Advanced Photon Source - NWA RF Measurements

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

Smith, T. L.; DiMonte, N.; Nassiri, A.

A new S-band Photo-cathode (PC) gun was recently installed and RF conditioned at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) Injector Test-stand (ITS) at Argonne National Lab (ANL). The APS PC gun is a LCLS type gun fabricated at SLAC [1]. The PC gun was delivered to the APS in October 2013 and installed in the APS ITS in December 2013. At ANL, we developed a new method of fast detection and mitigation of the guns internal arcs during the RF conditioning process to protect the gun from arc damage and to RF condition more efficiently. Here, we report the results ofmore » RF measurements for the PC gun and an Auto-Restart method for high power RF conditioning.« less

Alkaline phosphatase in nasal secretion of cattle: biochemical and molecular characterisation.

PubMed

Ghazali, M Faizal; Koh-Tan, H H Caline; McLaughlin, Mark; Montague, Paul; Jonsson, Nicholas N; Eckersall, P David

2014-09-05

Nasal secretion (NS) was investigated as a source of information regarding the mucosal and systemic immune status of cattle challenged by respiratory disease. A method for the collection of substantial volumes (~12 ml) of NS from cattle was developed to establish a reference range of analytes that are present in the NS of healthy cattle. Biochemical profiles of NS from a group of 38 healthy Holstein-Friesian cows revealed high alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity of up to 2392 IU/L. The character and source of the high activity of AP in bovine NS was investigated. Histochemical analysis confirmed the localization of the AP enzyme activity to epithelial cells and serous glands of the nasal respiratory mucosa. Analysis of mRNA levels from nasal mucosa by end point RT-PCR and PCR product sequencing confirmed that the AP was locally produced and is identical at the nucleotide level to the non-specific AP splice variant found in bovine liver, bone and kidney. Analysis by isoelectric focussing confirmed that AP was produced locally at a high level in nasal epithelium demonstrating that AP from nasal secretion and nasal mucosa had similar pI bands, though differing from those of the liver, kidney, bone and intestine, suggesting different post-translational modification (PTM) of AP in these tissues. A nasal isozyme of AP has been identified that is present at a high activity in NS, resulting from local production and showing distinctive PTM and may be active in NS as an anti-endotoxin mediator.

The APS SASE FEL : modeling and code comparison.

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

Biedron, S. G.

A self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) is under construction at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Five FEL simulation codes were used in the design phase: GENESIS, GINGER, MEDUSA, RON, and TDA3D. Initial comparisons between each of these independent formulations show good agreement for the parameters of the APS SASE FEL.

Tool for assessing health and equity impacts of interventions modifying air quality in urban environments.

PubMed

Cartier, Yuri; Benmarhnia, Tarik; Brousselle, Astrid

2015-12-01

Urban outdoor air pollution (AP) is a major public health concern but the mechanisms by which interventions impact health and social inequities are rarely assessed. Health and equity impacts of policies and interventions are questioned, but managers and policy agents in various institutional contexts have very few practical tools to help them better orient interventions in sectors other than the health sector. Our objective was to create such a tool to facilitate the assessment of health impacts of urban outdoor AP interventions by non-public health experts. An iterative process of reviewing the academic literature, brainstorming, and consultation with experts was used to identify the chain of effects of urban outdoor AP and the major modifying factors. To test its applicability, the tool was applied to two interventions, the London Low Emission Zone and the Montréal BIXI public bicycle-sharing program. We identify the chain of effects, six categories of modifying factors: those controlling the source of emissions, the quantity of emissions, concentrations of emitted pollutants, their spatial distribution, personal exposure, and individual vulnerability. Modifiable and non-modifiable factors are also identified. Results are presented in the text but also graphically, as we wanted it to be a practical tool, from pollution sources to emission, exposure, and finally, health effects. The tool represents a practical first step to assessing AP-related interventions for health and equity impacts. Understanding how different factors affect health and equity through air pollution can provide insight to city policymakers pursuing Health in All Policies. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Amorphous silicon photovoltaic manufacturing technology, phase 2A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duran, G.; Mackamul, K.; Metcalf, D.

1995-01-01

Utility Power Group (UPG), and its lower-tier subcontractor, Advanced Photovoltaic Systems, Inc. (APS) have conducted efforts in developing their manufacturing lines. UPG has focused on the automation of encapsulation and termination processes developed in Phase 1. APS has focused on completion of the encapsulation and module design tasks, while continuing the process and quality control and automation projects. The goal is to produce 55 watt (stabilized) EP50 modules in a new facility. In the APS Trenton EUREKA manufacturing facility, APS has: (1) Developed high throughput lamination procedures; (2) Optimized existing module designs; (3) Developed new module designs for architectural applications; (4) Developed enhanced deposition parameter control; (5) Designed equipment required to manufacture new EUREKA modules developed during Phase II; (6) Improved uniformity of thin-film materials deposition; and (7) Improved the stabilized power output of the APS EP50 EUREKA module to 55 watts. In the APS Fairfield EUREKA manufacturing facility, APS has: (1) Introduced the new products developed under Phase 1 into the APS Fairfield EUREKA module production line; (2) Increased the extent of automation in the production line; (3) Introduced Statistical Process Control to the module production line; and (4) Transferred-progress made in the APS Trenton facility into the APS Fairfield facility.

A Knockout Screen of ApiAP2 Genes Reveals Networks of Interacting Transcriptional Regulators Controlling the Plasmodium Life Cycle.

PubMed

Modrzynska, Katarzyna; Pfander, Claudia; Chappell, Lia; Yu, Lu; Suarez, Catherine; Dundas, Kirsten; Gomes, Ana Rita; Goulding, David; Rayner, Julian C; Choudhary, Jyoti; Billker, Oliver

2017-01-11

A family of apicomplexa-specific proteins containing AP2 DNA-binding domains (ApiAP2s) was identified in malaria parasites. This family includes sequence-specific transcription factors that are key regulators of development. However, functions for the majority of ApiAP2 genes remain unknown. Here, a systematic knockout screen in Plasmodium berghei identified ten ApiAP2 genes that were essential for mosquito transmission: four were critical for the formation of infectious ookinetes, and three were required for sporogony. We describe non-essential functions for AP2-O and AP2-SP proteins in blood stages, and identify AP2-G2 as a repressor active in both asexual and sexual stages. Comparative transcriptomics across mutants and developmental stages revealed clusters of co-regulated genes with shared cis promoter elements, whose expression can be controlled positively or negatively by different ApiAP2 factors. We propose that stage-specific interactions between ApiAP2 proteins on partly overlapping sets of target genes generate the complex transcriptional network that controls the Plasmodium life cycle. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance and Return to Sport After Sports Hernia Surgery in NFL Players

PubMed Central

Jack, Robert A.; Evans, David C.; Echo, Anthony; McCulloch, Patrick C.; Lintner, David M.; Varner, Kevin E.; Harris, Joshua D.

2017-01-01

Background: Recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of athletic pubalgia (AP), also known as sports hernia, once underrecognized and undertreated in professional football, are becoming more common. Surgery as the final treatment for sports hernia when nonsurgical treatment fails remains controversial. Given the money involved and popularity of the National Football League (NFL), it is important to understand surgical outcomes in this patient population. Hypothesis: After AP surgery, players would: (1) return to sport (RTS) at a greater than 90% rate, (2) play fewer games for fewer years than matched controls, (3) have no difference in performance compared with before AP surgery, and (4) have no difference in performance versus matched controls. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Internet-based injury reports identified players who underwent AP surgery from January 1996 to August 2015. Demographic and performance data were collected for each player. A 1:1 matched control group and an index year analog were identified. Control and case performance scores were calculated using a standardized scoring system. Groups were compared using paired Student t tests. Results: Fifty-six NFL players (57 AP surgeries) were analyzed (mean age, 28.2 ± 3.1 years; mean years in NFL at surgery, 5.4 ± 3.2). Fifty-three players were able to RTS. Controls were in the NFL longer (P < .05) than players who underwent AP surgery (3.8 ± 2.4 vs 3.2 ± 2.1 years). Controls played more games per season (P < .05) than post-AP players (14.0 ± 2.3 vs 12.0 ± 3.4 games per season). There was no significant (P > .05) difference in pre- versus post-AP surgery performance scores and no significant (P > .05) difference in postoperative performance scores versus controls post-index. Conclusion: There was a high RTS rate after AP surgery without a significant difference in postoperative performance, though career length and games per season after AP surgery were significantly less than that of matched controls. PMID:28451612

Performance and Return to Sport After Sports Hernia Surgery in NFL Players.

PubMed

Jack, Robert A; Evans, David C; Echo, Anthony; McCulloch, Patrick C; Lintner, David M; Varner, Kevin E; Harris, Joshua D

2017-04-01

Recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of athletic pubalgia (AP), also known as sports hernia, once underrecognized and undertreated in professional football, are becoming more common. Surgery as the final treatment for sports hernia when nonsurgical treatment fails remains controversial. Given the money involved and popularity of the National Football League (NFL), it is important to understand surgical outcomes in this patient population. After AP surgery, players would: (1) return to sport (RTS) at a greater than 90% rate, (2) play fewer games for fewer years than matched controls, (3) have no difference in performance compared with before AP surgery, and (4) have no difference in performance versus matched controls. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Internet-based injury reports identified players who underwent AP surgery from January 1996 to August 2015. Demographic and performance data were collected for each player. A 1:1 matched control group and an index year analog were identified. Control and case performance scores were calculated using a standardized scoring system. Groups were compared using paired Student t tests. Fifty-six NFL players (57 AP surgeries) were analyzed (mean age, 28.2 ± 3.1 years; mean years in NFL at surgery, 5.4 ± 3.2). Fifty-three players were able to RTS. Controls were in the NFL longer ( P < .05) than players who underwent AP surgery (3.8 ± 2.4 vs 3.2 ± 2.1 years). Controls played more games per season ( P < .05) than post-AP players (14.0 ± 2.3 vs 12.0 ± 3.4 games per season). There was no significant ( P > .05) difference in pre- versus post-AP surgery performance scores and no significant ( P > .05) difference in postoperative performance scores versus controls post-index. There was a high RTS rate after AP surgery without a significant difference in postoperative performance, though career length and games per season after AP surgery were significantly less than that of matched controls.

Frontiers of X-ray research at the Advanced Photon Source

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

Dehmer, J.J.

1995-12-31

With providential timing, the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory has begun to produce x-rays during the centennial year of Wilhelm Rongtgen`s discovery of a {open_quotes}new kind of rays.{close_quotes} When complete, this third-generation, 7-GeV positron storage ring will produce nearly one hundred intense x-ray beams, with a major emphasis on the laser-like (highly collimated, locally coherent) beams from undulator sources. This talk will provide an overview of (1) the important properties of the synchrotron radiation to be produced by the APS, (2) the major classes of experimental approaches that use x-rays, and (3) some speculation on the impactsmore » of the APS on the materials, chemical, biological, and environmental sciences.« less

Project W-211, initial tank retrieval systems, description of operations for 241-AP-102 and 241-AP-104

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

RIECK, C.A.

1999-02-25

The primary purpose of the Initial Tank Retrieval Systems (ITRS) is to provide systems for retrieval of radioactive wastes stored in underground double-shell tanks (DSTS) for transfer to alternate storage, evaporation, pretreatment or treatment, while concurrently reducing risks associated with safety watch list and other DSTs. This Description of Operations (DOO) defines the control philosophy for the waste retrieval system for tanks 241-AP-102 (AP-102) and 241-AP-104 (AP-104). This DOO will provide a basis for the detailed design of the Retrieval Control System (RCS) for AP-102 and AP-104 and establishes test criteria for the RCS. The test criteria will be usedmore » during qualification testing and acceptance testing to verify operability.« less

Attention problems, inhibitory control, and intelligence index overlapping genetic factors: a study in 9-, 12-, and 18-year-old twins.

PubMed

Polderman, Tinca J C; de Geus, Eco J C; Hoekstra, Rosa A; Bartels, Meike; van Leeuwen, Marieke; Verhulst, Frank C; Posthuma, Danielle; Boomsma, Dorret I

2009-05-01

It is assumed that attention problems (AP) are related to impaired executive functioning. We investigated the association between AP and inhibitory control and tested to what extent the association was due to genetic factors shared with IQ. Data were available from 3 independent samples of 9-, 12-, and 18-year-old twins and their siblings (1,209 participants). AP were assessed with checklists completed by multiple informants. Inhibitory control was measured with the Stroop Color Word Task (Stroop, 1935), and IQ with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Wechsler et al., 2002) or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (Wechsler, 1997). AP and inhibitory control were only correlated in the 12-year-old cohort (r = .18), but appeared non-significant after controlling for IQ. Significant correlations existed between AP and IQ in 9- and 12-year olds (r = -.26/-.34). Inhibitory control and IQ were correlated in all cohorts (r = -.16, -.24 and -.35, respectively). Genetic factors that influenced IQ also influenced inhibitory control. We conclude that the association between AP and inhibitory control as reported in the literature may largely derive from genetic factors that are shared with IQ.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase in the colonic mucosa of children with inflammatory bowel disease

PubMed Central

Molnár, Kriszta; Vannay, Ádám; Szebeni, Beáta; Bánki, Nóra Fanni; Sziksz, Erna; Cseh, Áron; Győrffy, Hajnalka; Lakatos, Péter László; Papp, Mária; Arató, András; Veres, Gábor

2012-01-01

AIM: To investigate intestinal alkaline phosphatase (iAP) in the intestinal mucosa of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: Colonic biopsy samples were taken from 15 newly diagnosed IBD patients and from 10 healthy controls. In IBD patients, specimens were obtained both from inflamed and non-inflamed areas. The iAP mRNA and protein expression was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis, respectively. Tissue localization of iAP and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 was investigated by immunofluorescent staining. RESULTS: The iAP protein level in the inflamed mucosa of children with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) was significantly decreased when compared with controls (both P < 0.05). Similarly, we found a significantly decreased level of iAP protein in the inflamed mucosa in CD compared with non-inflamed mucosa in CD (P < 0.05). In addition, the iAP protein level in inflamed colonic mucosa in patients with UC was decreased compared with non-inflamed mucosa in patients with CD (P < 0.05). iAP protein levels in the non-inflamed mucosa of patients with CD were similar to controls. iAP mRNA expression in inflamed colonic mucosa of children with CD and UC was not significantly different from that in non-inflamed colonic mucosa with CD. Expression of iAP mRNA in patients with non-inflamed mucosa and in controls were similar. Co-localization of iAP with TLR4 showed intense staining with a dotted-like pattern. iAP was present in the inflamed and non-inflamed mucosa of patients with CD, UC, and in control biopsy specimens, irrespective of whether it was present in the terminal ileum or in the colon. However, the fluorescent signal of TLR4 was more pronounced in the colon compared with the terminal ileum in all groups studied. CONCLUSION: Lower than normal iAP protein levels in inflamed mucosa of IBD patients may indicate a role for iAP in inflammatory lesions in IBD. Based on our results, administration of exogenous iAP enzyme to patients with the active form of IBD may be a therapeutic option. PMID:22783049

Study of Small Ligands Which Bind Specifically to Breast Cancer Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-01

Sepharose conjugated to three different lectins: ConA, wheat germ and lentil,. Each lectin bound many proteins in both the ECD-AP sup and the control 3T3 sup...control Lanes 13-14: Wheat germ ECD-AP Lanes 15-16: Wheat germ 3T3 control Odd lanes were eluted with a low sugar concentration; even lanes were...ECD-AP post incubation with lentil-Sepharose Lane 6: Protein remaining in pp ECD-AP post incubation with wheat germ -Sepharose Lane 8: Protein

Transcription Factor Interplay between LEAFY and APETALA1/CAULIFLOWER during Floral Initiation1

PubMed Central

Zheng, Beibei; Kwaśniewska, Kamila; Thomson, Bennett

2017-01-01

The transcription factors LEAFY (LFY) and APETALA1 (AP1), together with the AP1 paralog CAULIFLOWER (CAL), control the onset of flower development in a partially redundant manner. This redundancy is thought to be mediated, at least in part, through the regulation of a shared set of target genes. However, whether these genes are independently or cooperatively regulated by LFY and AP1/CAL is currently unknown. To better understand the regulatory relationship between LFY and AP1/CAL and to obtain deeper insights into the control of floral initiation, we monitored the activity of LFY in the absence of AP1/CAL function. We found that the regulation of several known LFY target genes is unaffected by AP1/CAL perturbation, while others appear to require AP1/CAL activity. Furthermore, we obtained evidence that LFY and AP1/CAL control the expression of some genes in an antagonistic manner. Notably, these include key regulators of floral initiation such as TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1), which had been previously reported to be directly repressed by both LFY and AP1. We show here that TFL1 expression is suppressed by AP1 but promoted by LFY. We further demonstrate that LFY has an inhibitory effect on flower formation in the absence of AP1/CAL activity. We propose that LFY and AP1/CAL act as part of an incoherent feed-forward loop, a network motif where two interconnected pathways or transcription factors act in opposite directions on a target gene, to control the establishment of a stable developmental program for the formation of flowers. PMID:28385730

Transcription Factor Interplay between LEAFY and APETALA1/CAULIFLOWER during Floral Initiation.

PubMed

Goslin, Kevin; Zheng, Beibei; Serrano-Mislata, Antonio; Rae, Liina; Ryan, Patrick T; Kwaśniewska, Kamila; Thomson, Bennett; Ó'Maoiléidigh, Diarmuid S; Madueño, Francisco; Wellmer, Frank; Graciet, Emmanuelle

2017-06-01

The transcription factors LEAFY (LFY) and APETALA1 (AP1), together with the AP1 paralog CAULIFLOWER (CAL), control the onset of flower development in a partially redundant manner. This redundancy is thought to be mediated, at least in part, through the regulation of a shared set of target genes. However, whether these genes are independently or cooperatively regulated by LFY and AP1/CAL is currently unknown. To better understand the regulatory relationship between LFY and AP1/CAL and to obtain deeper insights into the control of floral initiation, we monitored the activity of LFY in the absence of AP1/CAL function. We found that the regulation of several known LFY target genes is unaffected by AP1/CAL perturbation, while others appear to require AP1/CAL activity. Furthermore, we obtained evidence that LFY and AP1/CAL control the expression of some genes in an antagonistic manner. Notably, these include key regulators of floral initiation such as TERMINAL FLOWER1 ( TFL1 ), which had been previously reported to be directly repressed by both LFY and AP1. We show here that TFL1 expression is suppressed by AP1 but promoted by LFY. We further demonstrate that LFY has an inhibitory effect on flower formation in the absence of AP1/CAL activity. We propose that LFY and AP1/CAL act as part of an incoherent feed-forward loop, a network motif where two interconnected pathways or transcription factors act in opposite directions on a target gene, to control the establishment of a stable developmental program for the formation of flowers. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Development and operating experience of a short-period superconducting undulator at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE PAGES

Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Harkay, K.; Abliz, M.; ...

2015-04-01

In this study, a decade-long effort at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) on development of superconducting undulators culminated in December 2012 with the installation of the first superconducting undulator “SCU0” into Sector 6 of the APS storage ring. The device was commissioned in January 2013 and has been in user operation since. This paper presents the magnetic and cryogenic design of the SCU0 together with the results of stand-alone cold tests. The initial commissioning and characterization of SCU0 as well as its operating experience in the APS storage ring are described.

A Renewal Plan for the Advanced Photon Source

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

Fischetti, Robert F.; Fuoss, Paul H.; Gerig, Rodney E.

2010-06-23

With coordination from the APS Renewal Steering Committee (the members of which are the co-authors of this paper), staff and users of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory are in the process of developing a renewal plan for the facility. The renewal is a coordinated upgrade of the accelerator, beamlines, and associated technical structure that will enable users of the APS to address key scientific challenges in the coming decades. The cost of the renewal is estimated to be from $300M to $400M and to take approximately six years from start to finish.

A novel framework for feature extraction in multi-sensor action potential sorting.

PubMed

Wu, Shun-Chi; Swindlehurst, A Lee; Nenadic, Zoran

2015-09-30

Extracellular recordings of multi-unit neural activity have become indispensable in neuroscience research. The analysis of the recordings begins with the detection of the action potentials (APs), followed by a classification step where each AP is associated with a given neural source. A feature extraction step is required prior to classification in order to reduce the dimensionality of the data and the impact of noise, allowing source clustering algorithms to work more efficiently. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for multi-sensor AP feature extraction based on the so-called Matched Subspace Detector (MSD), which is shown to be a natural generalization of standard single-sensor algorithms. Clustering using both simulated data and real AP recordings taken in the locust antennal lobe demonstrates that the proposed approach yields features that are discriminatory and lead to promising results. Unlike existing methods, the proposed algorithm finds joint spatio-temporal feature vectors that match the dominant subspace observed in the two-dimensional data without needs for a forward propagation model and AP templates. The proposed MSD approach provides more discriminatory features for unsupervised AP sorting applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adaptation effects in static postural control by providing simultaneous visual feedback of center of pressure and center of gravity.

PubMed

Takeda, Kenta; Mani, Hiroki; Hasegawa, Naoya; Sato, Yuki; Tanaka, Shintaro; Maejima, Hiroshi; Asaka, Tadayoshi

2017-07-19

The benefit of visual feedback of the center of pressure (COP) on quiet standing is still debatable. This study aimed to investigate the adaptation effects of visual feedback training using both the COP and center of gravity (COG) during quiet standing. Thirty-four healthy young adults were divided into three groups randomly (COP + COG, COP, and control groups). A force plate was used to calculate the coordinates of the COP in the anteroposterior (COP AP ) and mediolateral (COP ML ) directions. A motion analysis system was used to calculate the coordinates of the center of mass (COM) in both directions (COM AP and COM ML ). The coordinates of the COG in the AP direction (COG AP ) were obtained from the force plate signals. Augmented visual feedback was presented on a screen in the form of fluctuation circles in the vertical direction that moved upward as the COP AP and/or COG AP moved forward and vice versa. The COP + COG group received the real-time COP AP and COG AP feedback simultaneously, whereas the COP group received the real-time COP AP feedback only. The control group received no visual feedback. In the training session, the COP + COG group was required to maintain an even distance between the COP AP and COG AP and reduce the COG AP fluctuation, whereas the COP group was required to reduce the COP AP fluctuation while standing on a foam pad. In test sessions, participants were instructed to keep their standing posture as quiet as possible on the foam pad before (pre-session) and after (post-session) the training sessions. In the post-session, the velocity and root mean square of COM AP in the COP + COG group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, the absolute value of the sum of the COP - COM distances in the COP + COG group was lower than that in the COP group. Furthermore, positive correlations were found between the COM AP velocity and COP - COM parameters. The results suggest that the novel visual feedback training that incorporates the COP AP -COG AP interaction reduces postural sway better than the training using the COP AP alone during quiet standing. That is, even COP AP fluctuation around the COG AP would be effective in reducing the COM AP velocity.

Quantification of circulating fetal DNA as a tool for potential monitoring of pregnant patients with antiphospholipid antibodies.

PubMed

Korabecna, Marie; Ulcova-Gallova, Zdenka; Horinek, Ales; Pazourková, Eva; Calda, Pavel

2014-11-01

Apoptosis of tissues of fetal origin is thought to be one of the main sources of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in maternal circulation, impaired apoptosis is also involved in the mechanisms contributing to recurrent spontaneous miscarriages (RSM) associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The APS increases the risk for preeclampsia nine times. In preeclampsia, the elevated levels of cffDNA were described by different authors. To our knowledge, cffDNA in pregnant patients with APS was never studied. In our pilot study, we focused on the levels of cffDNA in four pregnant patients with treated primary APS and compared them with values obtained in twenty-one healthy subjects of comparable gestation age (the third trimester of pregnancy). We supposed that the increase of cffDNA concentration in our treated patients would signalize the elevated apoptosis of fetal tissues as in other pathological changes of placentation. The aim of our pilot study was to determine cffDNA concentrations in patients with treated APS and to compare them with values detected in healthy pregnant women of comparable gestation age in order to discover potential non-physiological elevations in patients. The elevated values of cffDNA were not observed in our patients (p value = 0.4363, Mann-Whitney test). All patients delivered healthy children. The measurement of concentrations of cffDNA seems to be a promising tool for monitoring of therapy effectiveness in pregnant women with APS but evaluation of randomized controlled trials would be necessary to determine the specificity and the sensitivity of this test.

Abdominal Pain-Associated Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder Prevalence in Children and Adolescents with Celiac Disease on Gluten-Free Diet: A Multinational Study.

PubMed

Saps, Miguel; Sansotta, Naire; Bingham, Sean; Magazzu, Giuseppe; Grosso, Caterina; Romano, Simone; Pusatcioglu, Cenk; Guandalini, Stefano

2017-03-01

To test the hypothesis that children with celiac disease (CD) on gluten-free diet are at increased risk of abdominal pain (AP) associated-functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). This was a multinational cross-sectional study performed from 2014 to 2015. Patients 4-18 years of age with CD on gluten-free diet for longer than 6 months were recruited from pediatric CD clinics in US and Italy. Control groups included siblings of children with CD (with normal tissue transglutaminase levels) and unrelated controls. Subjects or parents completed the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III. Children (n = 289) were recruited (55% US, 45% Italy): 96 children with CD, 96 sibling controls, and 97 unrelated controls. Chronic AP was present in 30 (30.9%) subjects with CD, 22 (22.7%) sibling controls, and 21 (21.6%) unrelated controls (P = .26 patients with CD vs siblings; P = .18 patients with CD vs unrelated; P = .96 siblings vs unrelated). AP-FGIDs were present in 8 (8.2%) subjects with CD, 8 (8.2%) sibling controls, and 2 (2.1%) unrelated controls (P = 1.00 subjects with CD vs sibling controls; P = .06 subjects with CD vs unrelated controls; P = .06 sibling controls vs unrelated controls). This multinational study evaluated the prevalence of chronic abdominal pain and AP-FGIDs in the pediatric population with CD. We found that subjects with CD and controls have a similar prevalence of chronic AP and AP-FGIDs. This suggests that not all types of gastrointestinal inflammation result in AP-FGIDs in children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Blazars with γ-ray counterparts. II. (Massaro+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massaro, F.; D'Abrusco, R.; Paggi, A.; Masetti, N.; Giroletti, M.; Tosti, G.; Smith, H. A.; Funk, S.

2013-06-01

Our primary sample of unidentified γ-ray sources (UGSs) consists of all the sources for which no counterpart was assigned at low energies in the 2FGL or in the 2LAC (Nolan et al. 2012, Cat. J/ApJS/199/31; Ackermann et al. 2011, Cat. J/ApJ/743/171, respectively), for a total of 590 γ-ray objects. We considered and analyzed independently two subsamples of UGSs, distinguishing the 299 Fermi sources without any γ-ray analysis flags from the other 291 objects that have a warning in their γ-ray detection. The complete description of our association procedure together with the estimates of its efficiency and its completeness can be found in D'Abrusco et al. (Paper I, 2013, Cat. J/ApJS/206,12). (9 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Water masers in M31. I. Recombination lines (Darling+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darling, J.; Gerard, B.; Amiri, N.; Lawrence, K.

2016-09-01

We constructed a catalog of 506 unresolved 24um sources from the Spitzer 24um map of M31 (Gordon et al. 2006ApJ...638L..87G); see Figure 1. Darling (2011ApJ...732L...2D) observed 206 24um sources in M31 using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in 2010 October through December. The 616-523 22.23508GHz ortho-water maser line observations were reported in Darling (2011ApJ...732L...2D), but simultaneous observations of the para-ammonia (NH3) rotational ground-state inversion transitions in the metastable states (J,K)=(1,1) and (2,2) at 23.6945 and 23.72263GHz, respectively, and the hydrogen recombination line H66α at 22.36417GHz were not. We subsequently observed all four of these lines toward an additional 300 24um sources in 2011 October through 2012 January. The resolution of the 24um Spitzer image is 6" (Gordon et al. 2006ApJ...638L..87G), so the unresolved IR sources remained within the 33" GBT beam even during the largest pointing drifts. The 33" beam (FWHM) at 22GHz spans 125pc in M31. (1 data file).

Dietary Factors Reduce Risk of Acute Pancreatitis in a Large Multiethnic Cohort.

PubMed

Setiawan, Veronica Wendy; Pandol, Stephen J; Porcel, Jacqueline; Wei, Pengxiao C; Wilkens, Lynne R; Le Marchand, Loïc; Pike, Malcolm C; Monroe, Kristine R

2017-02-01

Pancreatitis is a source of substantial morbidity and health cost in the United States. Little is known about how diet might contribute to its pathogenesis. To characterize dietary factors that are associated with risk of pancreatitis by disease subtype, we conducted a prospective analysis of 145,886 African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites in the Multiethnic Cohort. In the Multiethnic Cohort (age at baseline, 45-75 y), we identified cases of pancreatitis using hospitalization claim files from 1993 through 2012. Patients were categorized as having gallstone-related acute pancreatitis (AP) (n = 1210), AP not related to gallstones (n = 1222), or recurrent AP or suspected chronic pancreatitis (n = 378). Diet information was obtained from a questionnaire administered when the study began. Associations were estimated by hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for confounders. Dietary intakes of saturated fat (P trend = .0011) and cholesterol (P trend = .0008) and their food sources, including red meat (P trend < .0001) and eggs (P trend = .0052), were associated positively with gallstone-related AP. Fiber intake, however, was associated inversely with gallstone-related AP (P trend = .0005) and AP not related to gallstones (P trend = .0035). Vitamin D, mainly from milk, was associated inversely with gallstone-related AP (P trend = .0015), whereas coffee consumption protected against AP not related to gallstones (P trend < .0001). With the exception of red meat, no other dietary factors were associated with recurrent acute or suspected chronic pancreatitis. Associations between dietary factors and pancreatitis were observed mainly for gallstone-related AP. Interestingly, dietary fiber protected against AP related and unrelated to gallstones. Coffee drinking protected against AP not associated with gallstones. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Servo-controlled hind-limb electrical stimulation for short-term arterial pressure control.

PubMed

Kawada, Toru; Shimizu, Shuji; Yamamoto, Hiromi; Shishido, Toshiaki; Kamiya, Atsunori; Miyamoto, Tadayoshi; Sunagawa, Kenji; Sugimachi, Masaru

2009-05-01

Autonomic neural intervention is a promising tool for modulating the circulatory system thereby treating some cardiovascular diseases. In 8 pentobarbital-anesthetized cats, it was examined whether the arterial pressure (AP) could be controlled by acupuncture-like hind-limb electrical stimulation (HES). With a 0.5-ms pulse width, HES monotonically reduced AP as the stimulus current increased from 1 to 5 mA, suggesting that the stimulus current could be a primary control variable. In contrast, the depressor effect of HES showed a nadir approximately 10 Hz in the frequency range between 1 and 100 Hz. Dynamic characteristics of the AP response to HES approximated a second-order low-pass filter with dead time (gain: -10.2 +/- 1.6 mmHg/mA, natural frequency: 0.040 +/- 0.004 Hz, damping ratio 1.80 +/- 0.24, dead time: 1.38 +/- 0.13 s, mean +/- SE). Based on these dynamic characteristics, a servo-controlled HES system was developed. When a target AP value was set at 20 mmHg below the baseline AP, the time required for the AP response to reach 90% of the target level was 38 +/- 10 s. The steady-state error between the measured and target AP values was 1.3 +/- 0.1 mmHg. Autonomic neural intervention by acupuncture-like HES might provide an additional modality to quantitatively control the circulatory system.

Impact of aerosol particle sources on optical properties in urban, regional and remote areas in the north-western Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ealo, Marina; Alastuey, Andrés; Pérez, Noemí; Ripoll, Anna; Querol, Xavier; Pandolfi, Marco

2018-01-01

Further research is needed to reduce the existing uncertainties on the effect that specific aerosol particle sources have on light extinction and consequently on climate. This study presents a new approach that aims to quantify the mass scattering and absorption efficiencies (MSEs and MAEs) of different aerosol sources at urban (Barcelona - BCN), regional (Montseny - MSY) and remote (Montsec - MSA) background sites in the north-western (NW) Mediterranean. An analysis of source apportionment to the measured multi-wavelength light scattering (σsp) and absorption (σap) coefficients was performed by means of a multilinear regression (MLR) model for the periods 2009-2014, 2010-2014 and 2011-2014 at BCN, MSY and MSA respectively. The source contributions to PM10 mass concentration, identified by means of the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, were used as dependent variables in the MLR model. With this approach we addressed both the effect that aerosol sources have on air quality and their potential effect on light extinction through the determination of their MSEs and MAEs. An advantage of the presented approach is that the calculated MSEs and MAEs take into account the internal mixing of atmospheric particles. Seven aerosol sources were identified at MSA and MSY, and eight sources at BCN. Mineral, aged marine, secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate and V-Ni bearing sources were common at the three sites. Traffic, industrial/metallurgy and road dust resuspension sources were isolated at BCN, whereas mixed industrial/traffic and aged organics sources were identified at MSY and MSA. The highest MSEs were observed for secondary sulfate (4.5 and 10.7 m2 g-1, at MSY and MSA), secondary nitrate (8.8 and 7.8 m2 g-1) and V-Ni bearing source (8 and 3.5 m2 g-1). These sources dominated the scattering throughout the year with marked seasonal trends. The V-Ni bearing source, originating mainly from shipping in the area under study, simultaneously contributed to both σsp and σap, being the second most efficient light-absorbing source in BCN (MAE = 0.9 m2 g-1). The traffic source at BCN and the industrial/traffic at MSY exhibited the highest MAEs (1.7 and 0.9 m2 g-1). These sources were major contributors to σap at BCN and MSY; however at MSA, secondary nitrate exerted the highest influence on σap (MAE = 0.4 m2 g-1). The sources which were predominantly composed of fine and relatively dark particles, such as industrial/traffic, aged organics and V-Ni, were simultaneously characterized by low single scattering albedo (SSA) and a high scattering Ångström exponent (SAE). Conversely, mineral and aged marine showed the lowest SAE and the highest SSA, being scattering the dominant process in the light extinction. The good agreement found between modelled and measured particle optical properties allowed the reconstruction of σsp and σap long-term series over the period 2004-2014 at MSY. Significant decreasing trends were found for the modelled σsp and σap (-4.6 and -4.1 % yr-1).

Relationship between antipsychotics and weight in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Elliott, Jennifer Padden; Cherpes, Gregory; Kamal, Khalid; Chopra, Ishveen; Harrison, Chelsea; Riedy, Mary; Herk, Brandon; McCrossin, Matt; Kalarchian, Melissa

2015-03-01

Individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) are at increased risk for developing behavioral and psychiatric disorders, often requiring antipsychotics (APs). Contrary to significant AP-associated weight gain observed in the general population, existing literature suggests weight loss in patients with PWS. To evaluate the relationship between AP use and body mass index (BMI) at admission, change in BMI during inpatient stay, and length of stay (LOS) in patients admitted to an inpatient PWS treatment program. Retrospective case-control study. Hospital-based, inpatient PWS treatment program serving nationally and internationally referred children and adults with PWS. Cases consisted of 52 pediatric patients with PWS who were taking APs at admission and during their stay, 97 adults with PWS who were taking APs at admission and during their stay, and 11 pediatric and adult patients with PWS who were AP naïve at admission and subsequently started an AP during their stay; all cases were matched with patients with PWS who were AP naïve at admission and during their stay by age (yrs), sex, and race-ethnicity (controls). Between- and within-group differences in admission BMI, BMI change from admission to discharge, and LOS were analyzed. Admission BMI was lower (mean ± SD 36.8 ± 11.9 kg/m(2) vs 46.7 ± 12.5 kg/m(2) , p<0.001) and LOS longer (mean ± SD 75.9 ± 38.5 days vs 57.8 ± 23.2 days, p=0.005) for pediatric cases with AP exposure at admission and during their stay compared with matched controls. All groups experienced significant decreases in BMI from admission to discharge (p≤0.001 for all comparisons), except for pediatric cases with AP exposure at admission and during their stay. Cases that were AP naïve at admission and subsequently started an AP during their inpatient stay experienced a significantly smaller decrease in BMI from admission to discharge than matched controls (-3.011 vs -7.288 kg/m(2) , p=0.027). No other comparisons between cases and controls were significantly different. On average, patients with PWS who were prescribed APs lost weight during their inpatient stay, but this varied with patient age and duration of AP use. © 2015 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Design Study of an MBA Lattice for the Advanced Photon Source

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

Decker, Glenn

2014-11-02

Recent interest in ultra-low-emittance designs for storage-ring-based synchrotron light sources has spurred a focused design effort on a multi-bend achromat (MBA) storage ring replacement for the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The APS is relatively large (1104 m circumference) and, as such, an upgrade to a fourth-generation storage ring holds the potential for a two to three order of magnitude enhancement of X-ray brightness due to the approximate inverse cubic scaling of emittance with the number of dipole bend magnets.

Non-Destructive Characterization of Engineering Materials Using High-Energy X-rays at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE PAGES

Park, Jun-Sang; Okasinski, John; Chatterjee, Kamalika; ...

2017-05-30

High energy X-rays can penetrate large components and samples made from engineering alloys. Brilliant synchrotron sources like the Advanced Photon Source (APS) combined with unique experimental setups are increasingly allowing scientists and engineers to non-destructively characterize the state of materials across a range of length scales. In this article, some of the new developments at the APS, namely the high energy diffraction microscopy technique for grain-by-grain maps and aperture-based techniques for aggregate maps, are described.

Non-Destructive Characterization of Engineering Materials Using High-Energy X-rays at the Advanced Photon Source

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

Park, Jun-Sang; Okasinski, John; Chatterjee, Kamalika

High energy X-rays can penetrate large components and samples made from engineering alloys. Brilliant synchrotron sources like the Advanced Photon Source (APS) combined with unique experimental setups are increasingly allowing scientists and engineers to non-destructively characterize the state of materials across a range of length scales. In this article, some of the new developments at the APS, namely the high energy diffraction microscopy technique for grain-by-grain maps and aperture-based techniques for aggregate maps, are described.

Antiprogestin-releasing intrauterine devices

PubMed Central

Nayak, NR; Slayden, OD; Mah, K; Chwalisz, K; Brenner, Robert M

2007-01-01

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) that release progestins are highly effective contraceptives, but they induce breakthrough bleeding that some women find unacceptable. Because progesterone (P) antagonists (AP) are known to suppress the endometrium, induce amenorrhea, and inhibit fertility, AP IUDs may provide an effective contraceptive that also controls endometrial bleeding. Here we assessed the effects of empty (blank) vs AP-releasing (ZK 230 211) IUDs on bleeding patterns and endometrial growth in ovariectomized, artificially cycled macaques. The AP IUDs (but not the blank controls) induced extended, frank menstruation when inserted during the late luteal phase, an indication of local AP action. Over time, endometrial glandular and arterial proliferation were inhibited, steroid receptors were elevated, spiral arteries showed degenerative changes, progesterone withdrawal bleeding was prevented and estradiol-dependent proliferation was suppressed by the AP IUDs. In sum, AP IUDs suppressed the effects of P on endometrial progestational development and blocked the effects of estradiol on endometrial proliferation as previously shown for systemic treatment with APs. Therefore, AP IUDs may provide novel contraceptive devices with minimal breakthrough bleeding. PMID:17531599

Evaluation of agro-industrial wastes, their state, and mixing ratio for maximum polygalacturonase and biomass production in submerged fermentation.

PubMed

Göğüş, Nihan; Evcan, Ezgi; Tarı, Canan; Cavalitto, Sebastián F

2015-01-01

The potential of important agro-industrial wastes, apple pomace (AP) and orange peel (OP) as C sources, was investigated in the maximization of polygalacturonase (PG), an industrially significant enzyme, using an industrially important microorganism Aspergillus sojae. Factors such as various hydrolysis forms of the C sources (hydrolysed-AP, non-hydrolysed-AP, hydrolysed-AP + OP, non-hydrolysed-AP + OP) and N sources (ammonium sulphate and urea), and incubation time (4, 6, and 8 days) were screened. It was observed that maximum PG activity was achieved at a combination of non-hydrolysed-AP + OP and ammonium sulphate with eight days of incubation. For the pre-optimization study, ammonium sulphate concentration and the mixing ratios of AP + OP at different total C concentrations (9, 15, 21 g l(-1)) were evaluated. The optimum conditions for the maximum PG production (144.96 U ml(-1)) was found as 21 g l(-1) total carbohydrate concentration totally coming from OP at 15 g l(-1) ammonium sulphate concentration. On the other hand, 3:1 mixing ratio of OP + AP at 11.50 g l(-1) ammonium sulphate concentration also resulted in a considerable PG activity (115.73 U ml(-1)). These results demonstrated that AP can be evaluated as an additional C source to OP for PG production, which in turn both can be alternative solutions for the elimination of the waste accumulation in the food industry with economical returns.

Control of E-cadherin apical localisation and morphogenesis by a SOAP-1/AP-1/clathrin pathway in C. elegans epidermal cells.

PubMed

Gillard, Ghislain; Shafaq-Zadah, Massiullah; Nicolle, Ophélie; Damaj, Raghida; Pécréaux, Jacques; Michaux, Grégoire

2015-05-01

E-cadherin (E-cad) is the main component of epithelial junctions in multicellular organisms, where it is essential for cell-cell adhesion. The localisation of E-cad is often strongly polarised in the apico-basal axis. However, the mechanisms required for its polarised distribution are still largely unknown. We performed a systematic RNAi screen in vivo to identify genes required for the strict E-cad apical localisation in C. elegans epithelial epidermal cells. We found that the loss of clathrin, its adaptor AP-1 and the AP-1 interactor SOAP-1 induced a basolateral localisation of E-cad without affecting the apico-basal diffusion barrier. We further found that SOAP-1 controls AP-1 localisation, and that AP-1 is required for clathrin recruitment. Finally, we also show that AP-1 controls E-cad apical delivery and actin organisation during embryonic elongation, the final morphogenetic step of embryogenesis. We therefore propose that a molecular pathway, containing SOAP-1, AP-1 and clathrin, controls the apical delivery of E-cad and morphogenesis. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Assessment of Combined Ascorbyl Palmitate (AP) and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) on Facial Skin Sebum Control in Female Healthy Volunteers.

PubMed

Khan, H; Akhtar, N; Ali, A

2017-01-01

The skin is fortified with a setup of lipophilic and hydrophilic, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Ascorbyl palmitate (AP) and sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) are reported as lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants, respectively used for skin care. Present study was aimed to assess the combined AP (in oil phase) and SAP (in aqueous phase) via multiple emulsion (ME 1 ) for controlling sebum secretions in healthy human females. FTIR analysis of AP and SAP was performed for identification. Multiple emulsions (ME 1 and control) were prepared and analyzed for physical stability. Antioxidant activities of AP, SAP as well as ME 1 (with combination of these compounds) were determined by DPPH method. 11 female volunteers were included in a single-blinded, placebo-controlled, split-face comparative study. Volunteers were instructed to apply ME 1 on left cheek while control (without AP and SAP) on right cheek, for a period of 90 days. A non-invasive photometric device (Sebumeter ® ) was used for the measurement of sebum secretions on both sides of the face with subsequent time intervals. A good antioxidant activity of ME 1 was observed. ME 1 treatments reduced significant facial sebum secretions as compared with control/placebo treatments. It was concluded that combined AP and SAP supplementations to skin proved a promising choice for controlling facial sebum secretions and could be evaluated for undesired oily skin and acne reductions for beautifying the facial appearance. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Comparison of expression and enzymatic properties of Aspergillus oryzae lysine aminopeptidases ApsA and ApsB.

PubMed

Marui, Junichiro; Matsushita-Morita, Mayumi; Tada, Sawaki; Hattori, Ryota; Suzuki, Satoshi; Amano, Hitoshi; Ishida, Hiroki; Yamagata, Youhei; Takeuchi, Michio; Kusumoto, Ken-Ichi

2012-08-01

The apsA and apsB genes encoding family M1 aminopeptidases were identified in the industrial fungus Aspergillus oryzae. The apsB was transcriptionally up-regulated up to 2.5-fold in response to the deprivation of nitrogen or carbon sources in growth media, while up-regulation of apsA was less significant. The encoded proteins were bacterially expressed and purified to characterize their enzymatic properties. ApsA and ApsB were optimally active at pH 7.0 and 35 °C and stable at pH ranges of 6-10 and 4-10, respectively, up to 40 °C. The enzymes were inhibited by bestatin and EDTA, as has been reported for family M1 aminopeptidases that characteristically contain a zinc-binding catalytic motif. Both enzymes preferentially liberated N-terminal lysine, which is an essential amino acid and an important additive to animal feed. Enzymes that efficiently release N-terminal lysine from peptides could be useful for food and forage industries. Examination of the reactivity toward peptide substrate of varying length revealed that ApsB exhibited broader substrate specificity than ApsA although the reactivity of ApsB decreased as the length of peptide substrate decreased.

Developing an undue influence screening tool for Adult Protective Services.

PubMed

Quinn, Mary Joy; Nerenberg, Lisa; Navarro, Adria E; Wilber, Kathleen H

2017-03-01

The study purpose was to develop and pilot an undue influence screening tool for California's Adult Protective Services (APS) personnel based on the definition of undue influence enacted into California law January 1, 2014. Methods included four focus groups with APS providers (n = 33), piloting the preliminary tool by APS personnel (n = 15), and interviews with four elder abuse experts and two APS administrators. Social service literature-including existing undue influence models-was reviewed, as were existing screening and assessment tools. Using the information from these various sources, the California Undue Influence Screening Tool (CUIST) was developed. It can be applied to APS cases and potentially adapted for use by other professionals and for use in other states. Implementation of the tool into APS practice, policy, procedures, and training of personnel will depend on the initiative of APS management. Future work will need to address the reliability and validity of CUIST.

Advanced Photon Source accelerator ultrahigh vacuum guide

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

Liu, C.; Noonan, J.

1994-03-01

In this document the authors summarize the following: (1) an overview of basic concepts of ultrahigh vacuum needed for the APS project, (2) a description of vacuum design and calculations for major parts of APS, including linac, linac waveguide, low energy undulator test line, positron accumulator ring (PAR), booster synchrotron ring, storage ring, and insertion devices, and (3) cleaning procedures of ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) components presently used at APS.

ONLINE MINIMIZATION OF VERTICAL BEAM SIZES AT APS

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

Sun, Yipeng

In this paper, online minimization of vertical beam sizes along the APS (Advanced Photon Source) storage ring is presented. A genetic algorithm (GA) was developed and employed for the online optimization in the APS storage ring. A total of 59 families of skew quadrupole magnets were employed as knobs to adjust the coupling and the vertical dispersion in the APS storage ring. Starting from initially zero current skew quadrupoles, small vertical beam sizes along the APS storage ring were achieved in a short optimization time of one hour. The optimization results from this method are briefly compared with the onemore » from LOCO (Linear Optics from Closed Orbits) response matrix correction.« less

Beam Loss Simulation and Collimator System Configurations for the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade

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

Xiao, A.; Borland, M.

The proposed multi-bend achromat lattice for the Advanced Photon Source upgrade (APS-U) has a design emittance of less than 70 pm. The Touschek loss rate is high: compared with the current APS ring, which has an average beam lifetime ~ 10 h, the simulated beam lifetime for APS-U is only ~2 h when operated in the high flux mode (I=200 mA in 48 bunches). An additional consequence of the short lifetime is that injection must be more frequent, which provides another potential source of particle loss. In order to provide information for the radiation shielding system evaluation and to avoidmore » particle loss in sensitive locations around the ring (for example, insertion device straight sections), simulations of the detailed beam loss distribution have been performed. Several possible collimation configurations have been simulated and compared.« less

Characterization and subcellular localization of aminopeptidases in senescing barley leaves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thayer, S. S.; Choe, H. T.; Rausser, S.; Huffaker, R. C.

1988-01-01

Four aminopeptidases (APs) were separated using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cell-free extracts and the stromal fractions of isolated chloroplasts prepared from primary barley (Hordeum vulgare L., var Numar) leaves. Activities were identified using a series of aminoacyl-beta-naphthylamide derivatives as substrates. AP1, 2, and 3 were found in the stromal fraction of isolated chloroplasts with respective molecular masses of 66.7, 56.5, and 54.6 kilodaltons. AP4 was found only in the cytoplasmic fraction. No AP activity was found in vacuoles of these leaves. It was found that 50% of the L-Leu-beta-naphthylamide and 25% of the L-Arg-beta-naphthylamide activities were localized in the chloroplasts. Several AP activities were associated with the membranes of the thylakoid fraction of isolated chloroplasts. AP1, 2, and 4 reacted against a broad range of substrates, whereas AP3 hydrolyzed only L-Arg-beta-naphthylamide. Only AP2 hydrolyzed L-Val-beta-naphthylamide. Since AP2 and AP3 were the only ones reacting against Val-beta-naphthylamide and Arg-beta-naphthylamide, respectively, several protease inhibitors were tested against these substrates using a stromal fraction from isolated chloroplasts as the source of the two APs. Both APs were sensitive to both metallo and sulfhydryl type inhibitors. Although AP activity decreased as leaves senesced, no new APs appeared on gels during senescence and none disappeared.

Prevention of Breast Cell Transformation by Blockade of the AP-1 Transcription Factor

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

Distribution Unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 Words) In this study, we are investigating the role of AP- M in controlling breast cell growth and...serum and these growth factors depend on AP-1 to transduce proliferative signal. AP- M blockade induced by the expression of TAM67 inhibits breast...demonstrated that TAM67 inhibits basal AP-1 activity and AP- M activity stimulated by several different growth factors. We have also discovered that AP-1

A comparative study on the analytical utility of atmospheric and low-pressure MALDI sources for the mass spectrometric characterization of peptides.

PubMed

Moskovets, Eugene; Misharin, Alexander; Laiko, Viktor; Doroshenko, Vladimir

2016-07-15

A comparative MS study was conducted on the analytical performance of two matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) sources that operated at either low pressure (∼1Torr) or at atmospheric pressure. In both cases, the MALDI sources were attached to a linear ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with a two-stage ion funnel. The obtained results indicate that the limits of detection, in the analysis of identical peptide samples, were much lower with the source that was operated slightly below the 1-Torr pressure. In the low-pressure (LP) MALDI source, ion signals were observed at a laser fluence that was considerably lower than the one determining the appearance of ion signals in the atmospheric pressure (AP) MALDI source. When the near-threshold laser fluences were used to record MALDI MS spectra at 1-Torr and 750-Torr pressures, the level of chemical noise at the 1-Torr pressure was much lower compared to that at AP. The dependency of the analyte ion signals on the accelerating field which dragged the ions from the MALDI plate to the MS analyzer are presented for the LP and AP MALDI sources. The study indicates that the laser fluence, background gas pressure, and field accelerating the ions away from a MALDI plate were the main parameters which determined the ion yield, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios, the fragmentation of the analyte ions, and adduct formation in the LP and AP MALDI MS methods. The presented results can be helpful for a deeper insight into the mechanisms responsible for the ion formation in MALDI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant genes of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis): gene characterization and expression profiles.

PubMed

Rajarapu, Swapna Priya; Mamidala, Praveen; Herms, Daniel A; Bonello, Pierluigi; Mittapalli, Omprakash

2011-06-01

Phytophagous insects frequently encounter reactive oxygen species (ROS) from exogenous and endogenous sources. To overcome the effect of ROS, insects have evolved a suite of antioxidant defense genes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), an exotic invasive insect pest from Asia has killed millions of ash trees and continues to invade North America at a rapid pace. From an on-going expressed sequence tag (EST) project of A. planipennis larval tissues, we identified ESTs coding for a Cu-Zn SOD (ApSOD1), a CAT (ApCAT1) and a GPX (ApGPX1). A multiple sequence alignment of the derived A. planipennis sequences revealed high homology with other insect sequences at the amino acid level. Phylogenetic analysis of ApSOD1 grouped it with Cu-Zn SODs of other insect taxa. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis in different larval tissues (midgut, fat body, Malpighian tubule and cuticle) revealed high mRNA levels of ApCAT1 in the midgut. Interestingly, high mRNA levels for both ApSOD1 and ApGPX1 were observed in the Malpighian tubules. Assay of mRNA levels in developmental stages (larva, prepupa and adults) by qRT-PCR indicated high transcript levels of ApCAT1 and ApGPX1 in larval and prepupal stages with a decline in adults. On the other hand, the transcript levels of ApSOD1 were observed to be constitutive in all the developmental stages assayed. Results obtained reflect a plausible role of these A. planipennis antioxidant genes in quenching ROS from both diet (ash allelochemicals) as well as endogenous sources. These studies further help in understanding the adaptation/invasiveness of A. planipennis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endotoxin- and ATP-neutralizing activity of alkaline phosphatase as a strategy to limit neuroinflammation

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is a ubiquitously expressed enzyme which can neutralize endotoxin as well as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an endogenous danger signal released during brain injury. In this study we assessed a potential therapeutic role for AP in inhibiting neuroinflammation using three complementary approaches. Methods Mice were immunized to induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and treated with AP for seven days during different phases of disease. In addition, serological assays to determine AP activity, endotoxin levels and endotoxin-reactive antibodies were performed in a cohort of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and controls. Finally, the expression of AP and related enzymes CD39 and CD73 was investigated in brain tissue from MS patients and control subjects. Results AP administration during the priming phase, but not during later stages, of EAE significantly reduced neurological signs. This was accompanied by reduced proliferation of splenocytes to the immunogen, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide. In MS patients, AP activity and isoenzyme distribution were similar to controls. Although endotoxin-reactive IgM was reduced in primary-progressive MS patients, plasma endotoxin levels were not different between groups. Finally, unlike AP and CD73, CD39 was highly upregulated on microglia in white matter lesions of patients with MS. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that: 1) pre-symptomatic AP treatment reduces neurological signs of EAE; 2) MS patients do not have altered circulating levels of AP or endotoxin; and 3) the expression of the AP-like enzyme CD39 is increased on microglia in white matter lesions of MS patients. PMID:23231745

Auditory processing in absolute pitch possessors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKetton, Larissa; Schneider, Keith A.

2018-05-01

Absolute pitch (AP) is a rare ability in classifying a musical pitch without a reference standard. It has been of great interest to researchers studying auditory processing and music cognition since it is seldom expressed and sheds light on influences pertaining to neurodevelopmental biological predispositions and the onset of musical training. We investigated the smallest frequency that could be detected or just noticeable difference (JND) between two pitches. Here, we report significant differences in JND thresholds in AP musicians and non-AP musicians compared to non-musician control groups at both 1000 Hz and 987.76 Hz testing frequencies. Although the AP-musicians did better than non-AP musicians, the difference was not significant. In addition, we looked at neuro-anatomical correlates of musicianship and AP using structural MRI. We report increased cortical thickness of the left Heschl's Gyrus (HG) and decreased cortical thickness of the inferior frontal opercular gyrus (IFO) and circular insular sulcus volume (CIS) in AP compared to non-AP musicians and controls. These structures may therefore be optimally enhanced and reduced to form the most efficient network for AP to emerge.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: IR photometry of AGNs in Swift/BAT 70 month cat. (Ichikawa+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichikawa, K.; Ricci, C.; Ueda, Y.; Matsuoka, K.; Toba, Y.; Kawamuro, T.; Trakhtenbrot, B.; Koss, M. J.

2017-08-01

Our initial sample contains the 834 AGNs reported in the 70 month Swift/BAT catalog (Baumgartner+ 2013, J/ApJS/207/19), 105 of which are blazars. Of the remaining 729 sources, 697 sources have secure redshift information as presented in Ricci et al. (2016, ApJ, submitted). Next, we removed galaxy pairs or interacting galaxies not resolved in the BAT survey. Further, the 606 sources located at higher galactic latitudes with |b|>10° were selected to reduce the contamination in the crowded region through IR catalog matching. (1 data file).

The periodic very young source EC 53 reached its maximum brightness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannini, T.; Antoniucci, S.; Lorenzetti, D.; Harutyunyan, A.; Licchelli, D.; Munari, U.

2018-06-01

In the framework of our EXor monitoring program dubbed EXORCISM (EXOR OptiCal and Infrared Systematic Monitoring - Antoniucci et al. 2013 PPVI, Lorenzetti et al. 2007 ApJ 665, 1182; Lorenzetti et al. 2009 ApJ 693, 1056), we observed the object EC53 recently signaled by Johnston et al. (ATel #11614) as a strongly embedded source showing a sub-mm luminosity burst, They also provide H- and K-band observations detecting this brightness increase also in the near-IR, in the scattered light by the nebula surrounding a compact source, invisible at those wavelengths.

CaAP2 transcription factor is a candidate gene for a flowering repressor and a candidate for controlling natural variation of flowering time in Capsicum annuum.

PubMed

Borovsky, Yelena; Sharma, Vinod K; Verbakel, Henk; Paran, Ilan

2015-06-01

The APETALA2 transcription factor homolog CaAP2 is a candidate gene for a flowering repressor in pepper, as revealed by induced-mutation phenotype, and a candidate underlying a major QTL controlling natural variation in flowering time. To decipher the genetic control of transition to flowering in pepper (Capsicum spp.) and determine the extent of gene function conservation compared to model species, we isolated and characterized several ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-induced mutants that vary in their flowering time compared to the wild type. In the present study, we report on the isolation of an early-flowering mutant that flowers after four leaves on the primary stem compared to nine leaves in the wild-type 'Maor'. By genetic mapping and sequencing of putative candidate genes linked to the mutant phenotype, we identified a member of the APETALA2 (AP2) transcription factor family, CaAP2, which was disrupted in the early-flowering mutant. CaAP2 is a likely ortholog of AP2 that functions as a repressor of flowering in Arabidopsis. To test whether CaAP2 has an effect on controlling natural variation in the transition to flowering in pepper, we performed QTL mapping for flowering time in a cross between early and late-flowering C. annuum accessions. We identified a major QTL in a region of chromosome 2 in which CaAP2 was the most significant marker, explaining 52 % of the phenotypic variation of the trait. Sequence comparison of the CaAP2 open reading frames in the two parents used for QTL mapping did not reveal significant variation. In contrast, significant differences in expression level of CaAP2 were detected between near-isogenic lines that differ for the flowering time QTL, supporting the putative function of CaAP2 as a major repressor of flowering in pepper.

Leaf-architectured 3D Hierarchical Artificial Photosynthetic System of Perovskite Titanates Towards CO2 Photoreduction Into Hydrocarbon Fuels

PubMed Central

Zhou, Han; Guo, Jianjun; Li, Peng; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di; Ye, Jinhua

2013-01-01

The development of an “artificial photosynthetic system” (APS) having both the analogous important structural elements and reaction features of photosynthesis to achieve solar-driven water splitting and CO2 reduction is highly challenging. Here, we demonstrate a design strategy for a promising 3D APS architecture as an efficient mass flow/light harvesting network relying on the morphological replacement of a concept prototype-leaf's 3D architecture into perovskite titanates for CO2 photoreduction into hydrocarbon fuels (CO and CH4). The process uses artificial sunlight as the energy source, water as an electron donor and CO2 as the carbon source, mimicking what real leaves do. To our knowledge this is the first example utilizing biological systems as “architecture-directing agents” for APS towards CO2 photoreduction, which hints at a more general principle for APS architectures with a great variety of optimized biological geometries. This research would have great significance for the potential realization of global carbon neutral cycle. PMID:23588925

Baroreflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity in early heart failure assessed by the sequence method

PubMed Central

Lataro, Renata Maria; Silva, Luiz Eduardo Virgilio; Silva, Carlos Alberto Aguiar; Salgado, Helio Cesar

2017-01-01

Key points The integrity of the baroreflex control of sympathetic activity in heart failure (HF) remains under debate.We proposed the use of the sequence method to assess the baroreflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA).The sequence method assesses the spontaneous arterial pressure (AP) fluctuations and their related changes in heart rate (or other efferent responses), providing the sensitivity and the effectiveness of the baroreflex. Effectiveness refers to the fraction of spontaneous AP changes that elicits baroreflex‐mediated variations in the efferent response.Using three different approaches, we showed that the baroreflex sensitivity between AP and RSNA is not altered in early HF rats. However, the sequence method provided evidence that the effectiveness of baroreflex in changing RSNA in response to AP changes is markedly decreased in HF.The results help us better understand the baroreflex control of the sympathetic nerve activity. Abstract In heart failure (HF), the reflex control of the heart rate is known to be markedly impaired; however, the baroreceptor control of the sympathetic drive remains under debate. Applying the sequence method to a series of arterial pressure (AP) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), we demonstrated a clear dysfunction in the baroreflex control of sympathetic activity in rats with early HF. We analysed the baroreflex control of the sympathetic drive using three different approaches: AP vs. RSNA curve, cross‐spectral analysis and sequence method between AP and RSNA. The sequence method also provides the baroreflex effectiveness index (BEI), which represents the percentage of AP ramps that actually produce a reflex response. The methods were applied to control rats and rats with HF induced by myocardial infarction. None of the methods employed to assess the sympathetic baroreflex gain were able to detect any differences between the control and the HF group. However, rats with HF exhibited a lower BEI compared to the controls. Moreover, an optimum delay of 1 beat was observed, i.e. 1 beat is required for the RSNA to respond after AP changing, which corroborates with the findings related to the timing between these two variables. For delay 1, the BEI of the controls was 0.45 ± 0.03, whereas the BEI of rats with HF was 0.29 ± 0.09 (P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that while the gain of the baroreflex is not affected in early HF, its effectiveness is markedly decreased. The analysis of the spontaneous changes in AP and RSNA using the sequence method provides novel insights into arterial baroreceptor reflex function. PMID:28261799

Effects of organic acids and essential oils blend on growth, gut microbiota, immune response and disease resistance of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

PubMed

He, Wangquan; Rahimnejad, Samad; Wang, Ling; Song, Kai; Lu, Kangle; Zhang, Chunxiao

2017-11-01

An 8-week feeding trial was undertaken to evaluate supplemental effects of AviPlus ® (AP), a blend of organic acids [citric acid, 25%; sorbic acid, 16.7%] and essential oils [thymol, 1.7%; vanillin, 1.0%], on growth, gut microbiota, innate immunity and disease resistance of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. A basal experimental diet was formulated and supplemented with 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 g kg -1  AP to produce five test diets (Con, AP0.3, AP0.6, AP0.9 and AP1.2). Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of shrimp (0.2 ± 0.01 g, mean ± SE) to apparent satiation three times daily. Growth performance and survival rate were not significantly influenced by AP supplementation (P > 0.05). Significantly (P < 0.05) higher serum total protein was found in groups fed ≥ 0.6 g kg -1  AP compared to control. Serum alkaline phosphatase and phenoloxidase activities were significantly increased in AP0.9 and AP1.2 groups. Also, the group received AP0.6 diet showed significantly higher glutathione peroxidase activity than control. Expression of gut pro-inflammatory genes including TNF-α, LITAF and RAB6A were down-regulated by AP administration. Gut microbiota analysis showed the significant enhancement of the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) diversity and richness indices by AP application. AP supplementation led to increased abundance of Firmicutes and a reduction in abundance of Proteobacteria. Also, dietary inclusion of 1.2 g kg -1  AP led to a significant increase in the abundance of Lactobacillus in shrimp gut. The group offered AP0.3 diet showed significantly higher disease resistance than control group. Furthermore, AP application significantly enhanced relative expression of immune related genes including lysozyme, penaeidin and catalase at 48 h post challenge. In conclusion, these findings show that the tested organic acids and essential oils mixture beneficially affects intestinal microflora and improves immune response and disease resistance of L. vannamei. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of ubiquitin and the HPV E6 oncoprotein in E6AP-mediated ubiquitination

PubMed Central

Mortensen, Franziska; Schneider, Daniel; Barbic, Tanja; Sladewska-Marquardt, Anna; Kühnle, Simone; Marx, Andreas; Scheffner, Martin

2015-01-01

Deregulation of the ubiquitin ligase E6 associated protein (E6AP) encoded by the UBE3A gene has been associated with three different clinical pictures. Hijacking of E6AP by the E6 oncoprotein of distinct human papillomaviruses (HPV) contributes to the development of cervical cancer, whereas loss of E6AP expression or function is the cause of Angelman syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, and increased expression of E6AP has been involved in autism spectrum disorders. Although these observations indicate that the activity of E6AP has to be tightly controlled, only little is known about how E6AP is regulated at the posttranslational level. Here, we provide evidence that the hydrophobic patch of ubiquitin comprising Leu-8 and Ile-44 is important for E6AP-mediated ubiquitination, whereas it does not affect the catalytic properties of the isolated catalytic HECT domain of E6AP. Furthermore, we show that the HPV E6 oncoprotein rescues the disability of full-length E6AP to use a respective hydrophobic patch mutant of ubiquitin for ubiquitination and that it stimulates E6AP-mediated ubiquitination of Ring1B, a known substrate of E6AP, in vitro and in cells. Based on these data, we propose that E6AP exists in at least two different states, an active and a less active or latent one, and that the activity of E6AP is controlled by noncovalent interactions with ubiquitin and allosteric activators such as the HPV E6 oncoprotein. PMID:26216987

Alkaline Phosphatase, an Unconventional Immune Protein.

PubMed

Rader, Bethany A

2017-01-01

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of studies focusing on alkaline phosphatases (APs), revealing an expanding complexity of function of these enzymes. Of the four human AP (hAP) proteins, most is known about tissue non-specific AP (TNAP) and intestinal AP (IAP). This review highlights current understanding of TNAP and IAP in relation to human health and disease. TNAP plays a role in multiple processes, including bone mineralization, vitamin B6 metabolism, and neurogenesis, is the genetic cause of hypophosphatasia, influences inflammation through regulation of purinergic signaling, and has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease. IAP regulates fatty acid absorption and has been implicated in the regulation of diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome. IAP and TNAP can dephosphorylate bacterial-derived lipopolysaccharide, and IAP has been identified as a potential regulator of the composition of the intestinal microbiome, an evolutionarily conserved function. Endogenous and recombinant bovine APs and recombinant hAPs are currently being explored for their potential as pharmacological agents to treat AP-associated diseases and mitigate multiple sources of inflammation. Continued research on these versatile proteins will undoubtedly provide insight into human pathophysiology, biochemistry, and the human holobiont.

AP-102/104 Retrieval control system qualification test procedure

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

RIECK, C.A.

1999-05-18

This Qualification Test Procedure documents the results of the qualification testing that was performed on the Project W-211, ''Initial Tank Retrieval Systems,'' retrieval control system (RCS) for tanks 241-AP-102 and 241-AP-104. The results confirm that the RCS has been programmed correctly and that the two related hardware enclosures have been assembled in accordance with the design documents.

Decreased gene expression of CD2AP in Chinese patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Tao, Qing-Qing; Liu, Zhi-Jun; Sun, Yi-Min; Li, Hong-Lei; Yang, Ping; Liu, De-Shan; Jiang, Bin; Li, Xiao-Yan; Xu, Jian-Feng; Wu, Zhi-Ying

2017-08-01

Many sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD) risk genes have been identified in the last decades, but most of them have not been consistently accepted. Here, we sought to identify SAD-associated genes and their potential mechanisms involved in SAD pathogenesis. A 2-stage design was employed. In stage 1, 95 variants in 75 genes that were previously reported as SAD-risk genes in Caucasian populations were evaluated in 1857 subjects (422 SAD patients and 1435 controls). In stage 2, a subset of promising variants found in stage 1 were further evaluated in an independent cohort of 1001 subjects (254 SAD and 747 controls). Variants in CD2AP were significantly associated with SAD risk in our subjects. Furthermore, CD2AP gene expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 209 SAD patients and 213 controls was determined. CD2AP gene expression in PBL was significantly decreased in patients with SAD as compared with controls. Our study suggests that CD2AP is an SAD-risk gene in Chinese Han population and CD2AP gene expression is decreased in the PBL of patients with SAD, indicating its possible systemic involvement in SAD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of microalgae to recycle nutrients in aqueous phase derived from hydrothermal liquefaction process.

PubMed

Leng, Lijian; Li, Jun; Wen, Zhiyou; Zhou, Wenguang

2018-05-01

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of microalgae biomass generates an aqueous phase (AP) byproduct with limited energy value. Recycling the AP solution as a source of nutrients for microalgae cultivation provides an opportunity for a cost-effective production of HTL based biofuel and algal biomass feedstock for HTL, allowing a closed-loop biofuel production in microalgae HTL biofuel system. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of characteristics of AP and its nutrients recycling for algae production. Inhibitory effects resulted from the toxic compounds in AP and alleviation strategies are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: FIR bright sources of M83 (Foyle+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foyle, K.; Natale, G.; Wilson, C. D.; Popescu, C. C.; Baes, M.; Bendo, G. J.; Boquien, M.; Boselli, A.; Cooray, A.; Cormier, D.; de Looze, I.; Fischera, J.; Karczewski, O. L.; Lebouteiller, V.; Madden, S.; Pereira-Santaella, M.; Smith, M. W. L.; Spinoglio, L.; Tuffs, R. J.

2015-07-01

We use FIR images from the Herschel Space Observatory to trace cold dust emission. We use 70 and 160um maps taken with the PACS and 250 and 350um maps taken with the SPIRE. We trace the warm dust and PAH emission using MIR maps taken from the Spitzer Local Volume Legacy Survey (Dale et al., 2009ApJ...703..517D, Cat. J/ApJ/703/517). We use continuum-subtracted Hα maps from the Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas Galaxies (SINGG; Meurer et al., 2006ApJS..165..307M, Cat. J/ApJS/165/307). (4 data files).

Implications of culture positivity in acute pancreatitis: does the source matter?

PubMed

Rao, Chalapathi; Bhasin, Deepak Kumar; Rana, Surinder Singh; Gupta, Rajesh; Gautam, Vikas; Singh, Kartar

2013-05-01

Sepsis is an important complication and cause of morbidity and mortality in acute pancreatitis (AP). The source of sepsis may be infected pancreatic and peripancreatic collections and/or necrosis or extrapancreatic including infections in the bloodstream or respiratory and urinary tracts. We studied the implications of the source of sepsis on various outcome parameters in AP like persistent organ failure (POF), length of hospital (LOH) stay, and mortality. A retrospective analysis of culture reports of AP patients was done, and the outcome parameters were recorded. Three hundred fifty-seven patients (229 M; age: 40.3 ± 14.04 years) of AP who had detailed culture reports were included. Eighty-four (23.5%) patients had pancreatic (or peripancreatic) source (group 1), 52 (14.6%) patients had other (extrapancreatic) sources (group 2), 20 (5.6%) patients were noted to have positive cultures from sources, which were both pancreatic and extrapancreatic (combined) sources (group 3), while 201 patients had sterile cultures. POF was seen in 147 (48%) patients (group 1: 67.8%; group 2: 65%; group 3: 90%; group 4: 34% [P < 0.001]). The mean LOH stay was 22.1 ± 20.26 days (group 1: 30.2 ± 20.64 days; group 2: 26.4 ± 26.82 days; group 3: 47.3 ± 32.60 days; group 4: 15.2 ± 11.34 days [P < 0.001]). Seventy (19.7%) patients succumbed to their illness (group 1 [22.9%]; group 2 [36.5%]; group 3 [40%]; group 4 [12%] [P < 0.001]). POF and LOH stay were more common in patients with combined pancreatic and extrapancreatic sources of sepsis. Mortality was significantly higher in patients with sepsis (groups 1, 2, 3) compared with sterile groups. © 2013 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Protein phosphatase AP2C1 negatively regulates basal resistance and defense responses to Pseudomonas syringae.

PubMed

Shubchynskyy, Volodymyr; Boniecka, Justyna; Schweighofer, Alois; Simulis, Justinas; Kvederaviciute, Kotryna; Stumpe, Michael; Mauch, Felix; Balazadeh, Salma; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd; Boutrot, Freddy; Zipfel, Cyril; Meskiene, Irute

2017-02-01

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) mediate plant immune responses to pathogenic bacteria. However, less is known about the cell autonomous negative regulatory mechanism controlling basal plant immunity. We report the biological role of Arabidopsis thaliana MAPK phosphatase AP2C1 as a negative regulator of plant basal resistance and defense responses to Pseudomonas syringae. AP2C2, a closely related MAPK phosphatase, also negatively controls plant resistance. Loss of AP2C1 leads to enhanced pathogen-induced MAPK activities, increased callose deposition in response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns or to P. syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000, and enhanced resistance to bacterial infection with Pto. We also reveal the impact of AP2C1 on the global transcriptional reprogramming of transcription factors during Pto infection. Importantly, ap2c1 plants show salicylic acid-independent transcriptional reprogramming of several defense genes and enhanced ethylene production in response to Pto. This study pinpoints the specificity of MAPK regulation by the different MAPK phosphatases AP2C1 and MKP1, which control the same MAPK substrates, nevertheless leading to different downstream events. We suggest that precise and specific control of defined MAPKs by MAPK phosphatases during plant challenge with pathogenic bacteria can strongly influence plant resistance. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT OF VACUUM CHAMBER COMPONENTS FOR THE ADVANCE PHOTON SOURCE (APS) UPGRADE

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

Sangroula, M.; Lindberg, R.; Lill, R.

2017-06-16

The proposed Advance Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U) employs a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice to increase the photon brightness by two to three orders of magnitude. One of the main design challenges of the upgrade is to minimize rf heating and collective instabilities associated with the impedance of small-aperture vacuum components. As part of this effort, my research focuses on impedance measurement and simulation of various MBA vacuum components. Here, we present the summary of the impedance contributions for the APS-U and describe our planned impedance measurement technique, including some measurement results for the non-evaporative getter (NEG)-coated copper chamber and simulationmore » results for other critical components using a novel Goubau line (G-line) set up.« less

Impedance measurement of vacuum chamber components for the Advance Photon Source(APS) Upgrade

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

Sangroula, M.; Lindberg, R.; Lill, R.

2017-01-01

The proposed Advance Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U) employs a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice to increase the photon brightness by two to three orders of magnitude. One of the main design challenges of the upgrade is to minimize rf heating and collective instabilities associated with the impedance of small-aperture vacuum components. As part of this effort, my research focuses on impedance measurement and simulation of various MBA vacuum components. Here, we present the summary of the impedance contributions for the APS-U and describe our planned impedance measurement technique, including some measurement results for the non-evaporative getter (NEG)-coated copper chamber and simulationmore » results for other critical components using a novel Goubau line (G-line) set up.« less

Extracellular DNA-induced antimicrobial peptide resistance mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

PubMed Central

Lewenza, Shawn

2013-01-01

Extracellular DNA (eDNA) is in the environment, bodily fluids, in the matrix of biofilms, and accumulates at infection sites. eDNA can function as a nutrient source, a universal biofilm matrix component, and an innate immune effector in eDNA traps. In biofilms, eDNA is required for attachment, aggregation, and stabilization of microcolonies. We have recently shown that eDNA can sequester divalent metal cations, which has interesting implications on antibiotic resistance. eDNA binds metal cations and thus activates the Mg2+-responsive PhoPQ and PmrAB two-component systems. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa and many other Gram-negative bacteria, the PhoPQ/PmrAB systems control various genes required for virulence and resisting killing by antimicrobial peptides (APs), including the pmr genes (PA3552–PA3559) that are responsible for the addition of aminoarabinose to lipid A. The PA4773–PA4775 genes are a second DNA-induced cluster and are required for the production of spermidine on the outer surface, which protects the outer membrane from AP treatment. Both modifications mask the negative surface charges and limit membrane damage by APs. DNA-enriched biofilms or planktonic cultures have increased antibiotic resistance phenotypes to APs and aminoglycosides. These dual antibiotic resistance and immune evasion strategies may be expressed in DNA-rich environments and contribute to long-term survival. PMID:23419933

Influence of thyroid disorders on the kidney expression and plasma activity of aminopeptidase A.

PubMed

Wangensteen, R; Segarra, A B; Ramirez-Sanchez, M; Gasparo, M De; Dominguez, G; Banegas, I; Vargas, F; Vives, F; Prieto, I

2015-04-01

Thyroid disorders may affect blood pressure and renal function modifying factors of the plasmatic and kidney renin-angiotensin system such as aminopeptidase A (AP A) that metabolizes angiotensin II to angiotensin III. We investigated the expression of AP A in the kidney, as well as its enzymatic activity in the plasma of euthyroid, hyperthyroid, and hypothyroid adult male rats. Hyperthyroidism was induced by daily subcutaneous injections of tetraiodothyronine. Hypothyroid rats were obtained by administration of methimazole in drinking water. Expression of AP A was determined by Western blot analysis. Plasma AP A activity was measured fluorometrically using glutamyl-β-naphthylamide as substrate. While hyperthyroid rats exhibited lower levels of plasma AP A activity than controls, the kidney of hyperthyroid animals expressed significantly higher AP A than controls and hypothyroid animals. A discrepancy between the high expression of AP A in kidney of hyperthyroid rats and the low activity of AP A measured in plasma and kidney of hyperthyroid animals was found. The posttranslational influence of environmental biochemical factors may be in part responsible for that divergence.

OSSE Observations of Blazars

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

factor of 10, with a factor of 4 increase in 4 hours reported on one occasion from EXOSAT observations ( Morini et al. 1986). The source also exhibited...Konigl, A. 1989, ApJ, 340, 162 Morini , M., Chiappetti, L., Maccagni, D., Maraschi, L., Molteni, D., Tanzi, E. G., Treves, A., & Wolter, A. 1986, ApJ

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Taurus ultra-wide pairs (Joncour+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joncour, I.; Duchene, G.; Moraux, E.

2017-05-01

Although a recent catalog of Taurus members has been released including newly detected mid-infrared Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) sources (Esplin et al., 2014, Cat. J/ApJ/784/126), we adopted the catalog containing 352 Taurus members that offers a full census of members down to 0.02 Mȯ(Luhman et al., 2010, Cat. J/ApJS/186/111; Rebull et al., 2010, Cat. J/ApJS/186/259), which we supplemented with stellar multiplicity data. (3 data files).

Ecto-diadenosine 5',5'''-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A)-hydrolase is expressed as an ectoenzyme in a variety of mammalian and human cells and adds new aspects to the turnover of Ap4A.

PubMed

von Drygalski, A; Ogilvie, A

2000-01-01

Ap4A and other dinucleotides participate in the regulation of hemostasis and blood pressure control. With the exception of two previously reported surface anchored ectoAp4A-hydrolases on bovine aortic endothelial and chromaffine cells, all Ap4A-hydrolases reported are intracellular or freely soluble. We demonstrated that ectoAp4A-hydrolases are present on a broad variety of cell types of different species: rat mesangial, bovine corneal epithelial, human Hep-G2 and peridontal cells. Ectoenzyme properties were evaluated on rat mesangium cells. Chromatography of purified plasma membranes on Sephacel 300 resulted in enrichment of ectoAp4A-hydrolase and in separation from ectoATPase. In contrast to ATPase, Ap4A-hydrolase was stable at room temperature. EctoAp4A-hydrolase also recognized ATP as substrate, and therefore is not highly specific. The molecular weight was 180 kD. Unlike ectoAMPase ectoAp4A-hydrolase was not attached via a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-moiety. Concentrations of PI-PLC 10-100-fold higher than effective for ectoAMPase cleavage (10-100 mU/ml) plus extensively extended incubation times up to eight hours did not result in cleavage of ectoAp4A-hydrolase. The enzyme ectoAp4A-hydrolase might presage a direction for pharmaceutical manipulation in the control of blood pressure and hemostasis.

Preventive effects of ACTICOA powder, a cocoa polyphenolic extract, on experimentally induced prostate hyperplasia in Wistar-Unilever rats.

PubMed

Bisson, Jean-François; Hidalgo, Sophie; Rozan, Pascale; Messaoudi, Michaël

2007-12-01

Plant extracts are useful in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study investigates whether ACTICOA (Barry Callebaut France, Louviers, France) powder (AP), a cocoa polyphenolic extract, could prevent prostate hyperplasia induced by testosterone propionate (TP) in rats. Male Wistar-Unilever rats were randomly divided in four groups of 12 rats: one negative control group receiving subcutaneous injections of corn oil and treated with vehicle and three groups injected subcutaneously with TP and treated with the vehicle (positive control) or AP at 24 (AP24) and 48 (AP48) mg/kg/day. Treatments were given orally and started 2 weeks before the induction of prostate hyperplasia. The influence of TP and AP on body weights and food and water consumption of rats was examined. On day 36, rats were sacrificed, and the prostates were removed, cleaned, and weighed. The prostate size ratio (prostate weight/rat body weight) was then calculated. TP significantly influenced the body weight gain of the rats and their food and water consumption, while AP at both doses tested reduced significantly these differences. TP significantly increased prostate size ratio (P < .001), and this induced increase was significantly inhibited in AP-treated rats in comparison with positive controls (P < .001) in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that AP can prevent TP-induced prostate hyperplasia and therefore may be beneficial in the management of BPH.

Altered postural control variability in older-aged individuals with a history of lateral ankle sprain.

PubMed

Terada, Masafumi; Kosik, Kyle; Johnson, Nathan; Gribble, Phillip

2018-02-01

The current study aimed to examine postural control performance during a single-leg balance task in elderly individuals with and without a previous history of lateral ankle sprain (LAS). Eighteen adults with a previous history of LAS (mean age = 66 years old) and 12 healthy controls (mean age = 65 years old) were included in the study. Participants performed three trials of a single-leg balance task during an eyes-opened condition for 20-s. Center of pressure (COP) trajectories in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions were collected with a force plate. The following postural control measures were calculated in the AP and ML directions: 1) Sample Entropy (SampEn); 2) Approximate Entropy (ApEn); 3) mean of Time-to-Boundary minima (mean TTB); and 4) COP velocity (COPV). Older-age participants with a history LAS exhibited lower ApEn-AP, SampEn-AP, and SampEn-ML values compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). The information gained from this investigation indicates more rigid postural control patterns, less adaptability, and more difficulty maintaining COP during a single-leg balance task in adults with a previous history of LAS. Our data suggest that there is a need to consider history of musculoskeletal injury when evaluating factors for postural control and fall risk in the elderly. Future investigations are needed to assess the effect of LAS on age-related declines in postural control and discern associations between potential risk factors of fall-related injuries and LAS in an elderly population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

LaAP2L1, a heterosis-associated AP2/EREBP transcription factor of Larix, increases organ size and final biomass by affecting cell proliferation in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Li, Ai; Zhou, Yanan; Jin, Chuan; Song, Wenqin; Chen, Chengbin; Wang, Chunguo

2013-11-01

In Larix and in some crops, heterosis is prevalent and has been widely used in breeding to produce excellent varieties. However, the molecular basis of heterosis in Larix remains ambiguous. LaAP2L1, a member of the AP2/EREBP transcription factor family, has been suggested to be involved in heterosis in Larix hybrids. Here, the function and regulation of LaAP2L1 were further explored. Overexpression of LaAP2L1 led to markedly enlarged organs and heterosis-like traits in Arabidopsis. Fresh weight of leaves was almost twice as great as in vector controls. Likewise, seed yield of 35S::LaAP2L1 individual plants was >200% greater than that of control plants. The enlarged organs and heterosis-like traits displayed by 35S::LaAP2L1 plants were mainly due to enhanced cell proliferation and prolonged growth duration. At the molecular level, LaAP2L1 upregulated the expression of ANT, EBP1, and CycD3;1 and inhibited the expression of ARGOS in 35S::LaAP2L1 plants, suggesting an important molecular role of LaAP2L1 in regulating plant organ development. These findings provide new insights into the formation of heterosis in woody plants and suggest that LaAP2L1 has potential applications in breeding high-yielding crops and energy plants. In addition, 50 AP2/EREBP transcription factors, including LaAP2L1, in Larix were identified by transcriptome sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis was conducted. This provided information that will be important in further revealing the functions of these transcription factors.

Therapeutic effect of ACTICOA powder, a cocoa polyphenolic extract, on experimentally induced prostate hyperplasia in Wistar-Unilever rats.

PubMed

Bisson, Jean-François; Hidalgo, Sophie; Rozan, Pascale; Messaoudi, Michaël

2007-12-01

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-malignant enlargement of the prostate that results in obstructive lower urinary tract symptoms. Plant extracts are frequently used to treat BPH rather than therapeutics that can cause severe side effects. ACTICOA() (Ba0rry Callebaut France, Louviers, France) powder (AP) is a cocoa polyphenolic extract, and we have shown in a previous study that oral treatment with AP prevented prostate hyperplasia. This study investigated whether AP could improve established prostate hyperplasia using the same testosterone propionate (TP)-induced prostate hyperplasia model in rats. Male Wistar-Unilever rats were randomly divided in four groups of 12 rats: one group injected with corn oil and orally treated with the vehicle (negative control) and three groups injected subcutaneously with TP and orally treated with the vehicle (positive control) or AP at 24 (AP24) and 48 (AP48) mg/kg/day. Treatments started 1 week after the start of the induction of prostate hyperplasia and lasted for 2 weeks. The influence of TP and AP on body weights, food and water consumptions, plasma polyphenolic concentration, and serum dihydrotestoterone (DHT) level of rats was examined. At completion of the study, rats were sacrificed, and the prostates were removed, cleaned, and weighed. The prostate size ratio (prostate weight/rat body weight) was then calculated. TP significantly influenced the body weight gain of the rats and their food and water consumptions, while AP reduced significantly these differences in a dose-dependent manner. AP significantly reduced serum DHT level and prostate size ratio in comparison with positive controls also dose-dependently. In conclusion, AP orally administered was effective for reducing established prostate hyperplasia, especially at the dose of 48 mg/kg/day.

Effects of Artemisia Princeps Supplementation on Bone Metabolism in Ovariectomized Rats.

PubMed

Cho, H-J; Kim, J-W; Ju, S-Y; Park, Y-K

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Artemisia princeps (AP) extract on bone metabolism and its potential role in the prevention of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. Twenty-six female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups and treated as follows: sham-operated control group (SHAM); ovariectomized control group (OVX), ovariectomized group treated by gavage with 10 mg/kg/day alendronate (ALEN); ovariectomized group treated by gavage with 100 mg/kg/day Artemisia princeps (AP100); ovariectomized group treated by gavage with 300 mg/kg/day Artemisia princeps (AP300). Treatment of ovariectomized rats with AP extracts for 15 weeks prevented the reduction in bone thickness and trabecular bone mineral density caused by urinary Ca and Cr excretion, and also prevented the increase in bone turnover by maintaining the serum Ca/P ratio. As a result, the microarchitecture of the trabecular bone and cortical bone after ovariectomy was markedly improved by administration of AP extracts. In conclusion, AP prevented bone loss and osteoclast activity associated with high bone turnover in ovariectomized rats by controlling the serum Ca/P ratio and through anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Our data implicate AP as a promising therapeutic option for the improvement of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Regulation of synaptic vesicle recycling by complex formation between intersectin 1 and the clathrin adaptor complex AP2

PubMed Central

Pechstein, Arndt; Bacetic, Jelena; Vahedi-Faridi, Ardeschir; Gromova, Kira; Sundborger, Anna; Tomlin, Nikolay; Krainer, Georg; Vorontsova, Olga; Schäfer, Johannes G.; Owe, Simen G.; Cousin, Michael A.; Saenger, Wolfram; Shupliakov, Oleg; Haucke, Volker

2010-01-01

Clathrin-mediated synaptic vesicle (SV) recycling involves the spatiotemporally controlled assembly of clathrin coat components at phosphatidylinositiol (4, 5)-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]-enriched membrane sites within the periactive zone. Such spatiotemporal control is needed to coordinate SV cargo sorting with clathrin/AP2 recruitment and to restrain membrane fission and synaptojanin-mediated uncoating until membrane deformation and clathrin coat assembly are completed. The molecular events underlying these control mechanisms are unknown. Here we show that the endocytic SH3 domain-containing accessory protein intersectin 1 scaffolds the endocytic process by directly associating with the clathrin adaptor AP2. Acute perturbation of the intersectin 1-AP2 interaction in lamprey synapses in situ inhibits the onset of SV recycling. Structurally, complex formation can be attributed to the direct association of hydrophobic peptides within the intersectin 1 SH3A-B linker region with the “side sites” of the AP2 α- and β-appendage domains. AP2 appendage association of the SH3A-B linker region inhibits binding of the inositol phosphatase synaptojanin 1 to intersectin 1. These data identify the intersectin-AP2 complex as an important regulator of clathrin-mediated SV recycling in synapses. PMID:20160082

The effects of working memory load and attention refocusing on delay discounting rates in alcohol use disorder with comorbid antisocial personality disorder.

PubMed

Gunn, Rachel L; Gerst, Kyle R; Lake, Allison J; Finn, Peter R

2018-02-01

Executive working memory capacity (eWMC) is central to adaptive decision-making. Research has revealed reduced eWMC and higher rates of impulsive decision making in individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs: DSM-IV Alcohol Dependence of Alcohol Abuse) and antisocial psychopathology (AP). Recent work has shown that placing a load on working memory (WM) further increases impulsive decision making on the delay discounting (DD) task in those with AUDs and AP. The current study examined the effects of an attention refocusing manipulation to offset the effects of this WM-load on DD rates in control subjects, those with AUDs without AP, and AUDs with AP (AUD-AP). Results revealed that 1) the AUD-AP group had higher DD rates (i.e., more impulsive decision-making) than the AUD group, followed by controls, and 2) attention refocusing after a load is placed on WM was associated with lower DD rates compared to the load without refocusing in both AUD groups, but not controls. Results suggest that refocusing attention after a cognitive load may be an effective cognitive strategy for reducing the impulsivity-enhancing effects of cognitive load on decision making in individuals with AUDs and AP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Calculations of financial incentives for providers in a pay-for-performance program: Manual review versus data from structured fields in electronic health records

PubMed Central

Urech, Tracy H.; Woodard, LeChauncy D.; Virani, Salim S.; Dudley, R. Adams; Lutschg, Meghan Z.; Petersen, Laura A.

2015-01-01

Background Hospital report cards and financial incentives linked to performance require clinical data that are reliable, appropriate, timely, and cost-effective to process. Pay-for-performance plans are transitioning to automated electronic health record (EHR) data as an efficient method to generate data needed for these programs. Objective To determine how well data from automated processing of structured EHR fields (AP-EHR) reflect data from manual chart review and the impact of these data on performance rewards. Research Design Cross-sectional analysis of performance measures used in a cluster randomized trial assessing the impact of financial incentives on guideline-recommended care for hypertension. Subjects A total of 2,840 patients with hypertension assigned to participating physicians at 12 Veterans Affairs hospital-based outpatient clinics. Fifty-two physicians and 33 primary care personnel received incentive payments. Measures Overall, positive and negative agreement indices and Cohen's kappa were calculated for assessments of guideline-recommended antihypertensive medication use, blood pressure (BP) control, and appropriate response to uncontrolled BP. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess how similar participants’ calculated earnings were between the data sources. Results By manual chart review data, 72.3% of patients were considered to have received guideline-recommended antihypertensive medications compared to 65.0% by AP-EHR review (k=0.51). Manual review indicated 69.5% of patients had controlled BP compared to 66.8% by AP-EHR review (k=0.87). Compared to 52.2% of patients per the manual review, 39.8% received an appropriate response by AP-EHR review (k=0.28). Participants’ incentive payments calculated using the two methods were highly correlated (r≥0.98). Using the AP-EHR data to calculate earnings, participants’ payment changes ranged from a decrease of $91.00 (−30.3%) to an increase of $18.20 (+7.4%) for medication use (IQR, −14.4% to 0%) and a decrease of $100.10 (−31.4%) to an increase of $36.40 (+15.4%) for BP control or appropriate response to uncontrolled BP (IQR, −11.9% to −6.1%). Conclusions Pay-for-performance plans that use only EHR data should carefully consider the measures and the structure of the EHR before data collection and financial incentive disbursement. For this study, we feel that a 10% difference in the total amount of incentive earnings disbursed based on AP-EHR data compared to manual review is acceptable given the time and resources required to abstract data from medical records. PMID:26340661

MULTI-OBJECTIVE ONLINE OPTIMIZATION OF BEAM LIFETIME AT APS

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

Sun, Yipeng

In this paper, online optimization of beam lifetime at the APS (Advanced Photon Source) storage ring is presented. A general genetic algorithm (GA) is developed and employed for some online optimizations in the APS storage ring. Sextupole magnets in 40 sectors of the APS storage ring are employed as variables for the online nonlinear beam dynamics optimization. The algorithm employs several optimization objectives and is designed to run with topup mode or beam current decay mode. Up to 50\\% improvement of beam lifetime is demonstrated, without affecting the transverse beam sizes and other relevant parameters. In some cases, the top-upmore » injection efficiency is also improved.« less

Performance Test of the Next Generation X-Ray Beam Position Monitor System for The APS Upgrade

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

Yang, B.; Lee, S.; Westferro, F.

The Advanced Photon Source is developing its next major upgrade (APS-U) based on the multi-bend achromat lattice. Improved beam stability is critical for the upgrade and will require keeping short-time beam angle change below 0.25 µrad and long-term angle drift below 0.6 µrad. A reliable white x-ray beam diagnostic system in the front end will be a key part of the planned beam stabilization system. This system includes an x-ray beam position monitor (XBPM) based on x-ray fluorescence (XRF) from two specially designed GlidCop A-15 absorbers, a second XBPM using XRF photons from the Exit Mask, and two white beammore » intensity monitors using XRF from the photon shutter and Compton-scattered photons from the front end beryllium window or a retractable diamond film in windowless front ends. We present orbit stability data for the first XBPM used in the feedback control during user operations, as well as test data from the second XBPM and the intensity monitors. They demonstrate that the XBPM system meets APS-U beam stability requirements.« less

α-Synuclein inclusions in the skin of Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Leyva, Ildefonso; Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana Laura; Jiménez-Capdeville, María E; Rentería-Palomo, Ana Arely; Hernandez-Rodriguez, Héctor Gerardo; Valdés-Rodríguez, Rodrigo; Fuentes-Ahumada, Cornelia; Torres-Álvarez, Bertha; Sepúlveda-Saavedra, Julio; Soto-Domínguez, Adolfo; Santoyo, Martha E; Rodriguez-Moreno, José Ildefonso; Castanedo-Cázares, Juan Pablo

2014-07-01

The presence in the brain of α-synuclein containing Lewy neurites, or bodies, is the histological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). The discovery of α-synuclein aggregates in nerve endings of the heart, digestive tract, and skin has lent support to the concept of PD as a systemic disease. Our goals were, first, to demonstrate the presence of α-synuclein inclusions in the skin and, second, to detect quantitative differences between patients with PD and atypical parkinsonism (AP). Skin biopsies were taken from 67 patients and 20 controls. The biopsies underwent immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) testing for α-synuclein, whereupon its presence was quantified as the percentage of positive cells. Patients were divided into those with PD and those with AP. AP patients included AP with neurodegenerative disease (proteinopathies) and secondary AP. Sixty-seven patients (34 with PD) and 20 controls were recruited. In the PD group, α-synuclein was detected in 58% of the cells in the spinous cell layer (SCL), 62% in the pilosebaceous unit (PSU), and 58% in the eccrine glands (EG). The AP-proteinopathies group showed 7%, 7%, and 0% expression of α-synuclein, respectively. No expression was found in the skin of the control group. The expression of α-synuclein in the skin was relatively high in the PD group, scarce in AP, and null for the individuals in the control group. While these findings require further confirmation, this minimally invasive technique may aid in the improvement of the accuracy of PD diagnoses.

AP@home: a novel European approach to bring the artificial pancreas home.

PubMed

Heinemann, Lutz; Benesch, Carsten; DeVries, J Hans

2011-11-01

The development of an artificial pancreas (AP) made huge strides from 2006 to 2008 and a large number of activities are going on in this area of research. Until now, most AP systems under development were tested only under highly controlled conditions. The aim of our project, funded by the European Union, is to develop an AP system to such a level that it can be studied under daily life conditions at the home of patients with diabetes (hence AP@home). Based on a subcutaneous-subcutaneous closed-loop strategy (i.e., glucose sensing and insulin infusion in the subcutaneous tissue), two different approaches will be taken to achieve this aim: a two-port AP system and a single-port AP system. The two-port AP system will use off-the-shelf-components for the glucose sensor and insulin pump in combination with closed-loop algorithms generated in Europe. As to the single-port AP system, two different innovative single-port systems will be developed; in this case, continuous glucose monitoring and insulin infusion will take place via a single catheter. The first clinical trials with the two-port AP system under controlled clinical conditions have started and good progress has been made in the development of the single-port AP systems. We believe that our consortium of 12 European partners, which builds on existing achievements and close cooperation between academic centers and industry, can contribute substantially to the development of an AP system that can be used by patients in daily life. © 2011 Diabetes Technology Society.

Crab Cavity and Cryomodule Prototype Development for the Advanced Photon Source

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

Wang, H; Ciovati, G; Clemens, W A

2011-03-01

We review the single-cell, superconducting crab cavity designs for the short-pulse x-ray (SPX) project at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The 'on-cell' waveguide scheme is expected to have a more margin for the impedance budget of the APS storage ring, as well as offering a more compact design compared with the original design consisting of a low order mode damping waveguide on the beam pipe. We will report recent fabrication progress, cavity test performance on original and alternate prototypes, and concept designs and analysis for various cryomodule components.

Acute pancreatitis with gradient echo T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging

PubMed Central

Tang, Meng Yue; Chen, Tian Wu; Huang, Xiao Hua; Li, Xing Hui; Wang, Si Yue; Liu, Nian

2016-01-01

Background To study gradient recalled echo (GRE) T2*-weighted imaging (T2*WI) for normal pancreas and acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods Fifty-one patients without any pancreatic disorders (control group) and 117 patients with AP were recruited. T2* values derived from T2*WI of the pancreas were measured for the two groups. The severity of AP was graded by the magnetic resonance severity index (MRSI) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Healthy Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the T2* values and AP severity. The usefulness of the T2* value for diagnosing AP and the relationship between the T2* values and the severity of AP were analyzed. Results On GRE-T2*WI, the normal pancreas showed a well-marinated and consistently homogeneous isointensity. Edematous AP, as well as the non-necrotic area in necrotizing AP, showed ill-defined but homogeneous signal intensity. AP with pancreatic hemorrhage showed a decreased T2* value and a signal loss on the signal decay curve. The T2* value of pancreas in the AP group was higher than that of the control group (t=−8.20, P<0.05). The T2* value tended to increase along with the increase in MRSI scores but not with the APACHE II scores (P>0.05). AP was associated with a one standard deviation increment in the T2* value (OR =1.37; 95% CI: 1.216–1.532). Conclusions T2*WI demonstrates a few characteristics of the normal pancreas and AP, which could potentially be helpful for detecting hemorrhage, and contributes to diagnosing AP and its severity. PMID:27190768

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Star-forming galaxies in near-IR (Martins+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, L. P.; Rodriguez-Ardila, A.; Diniz, S.; Riffel, R.; de Souza, R.

2014-10-01

The sample used here was presented in Martins et al. (2013MNRAS.431.1823M) and is a subset of the one presented in the magnitude-limited optical spectroscopic survey of nearby bright galaxies of Ho, Filippenko & Sargent (1995, Cat. J/ApJS/98/477, hereafter HO95). These galaxies are sources defined by Ho, Filippenko & Sargent (1997, Cat. J/ApJS/112/315, hereafter HO97) as those composed of 'nuclei dominated by emission lines from regions of active star formation (HII or starburst nuclei)'. In addition, five galaxies, classified as non-star forming in the optical, dominated by old stellar population and with no detected emission lines, were included as a control sample. All spectra were obtained at the NASA 3m Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in two observing runs (2007 and 2008) - the same data from Martins et al. (2013MNRAS.431.1823M). (2 data files).

Lower regulatory frequency for postural control in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

PubMed

Rasouli, Omid; Vasseljen, Ottar; Fors, Egil A; Lorås, Håvard W; Stensdotter, Ann-Katrin

2018-01-01

As many similar symptoms are reported in fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), underlying defcits may potentially also be similar. Postural disequilibrium reported in both conditions may thus be explained by similar deviations in postural control strategies. 75 females (25/group FM, CFS and control, age 19-49 years) performed 60 s of quiet standing on a force platform in each of three conditions: 1) firm surface with vision, 2) firm surface without vision and, 3) compliant surface with vision. Migration of center of pressure was decomposed into a slow and a fast component denoting postural sway and lateral forces controlling postural sway, analyzed in the time and frequency domains. Main effects of group for the antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions showed that patients displayed larger amplitudes (AP, p = 0.002; ML, p = 0.021) and lower frequencies (AP, p < 0.001; ML, p < 0.001) for the slow component, as well as for the fast component (amplitudes: AP, p = 0.010; ML, p = 0.001 and frequencies: AP, p = 0.001; ML, p = 0.029) compared to controls. Post hoc analyses showed no significant differences between patient groups. In conclusion, both the CFS- and the FM-group differed from the control group. Larger postural sway and insufficient control was found in patients compared to controls, with no significant differences between the two patient groups.

Lower regulatory frequency for postural control in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome

PubMed Central

Rasouli, Omid; Vasseljen, Ottar; Fors, Egil A.; Lorås, Håvard W.

2018-01-01

As many similar symptoms are reported in fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), underlying defcits may potentially also be similar. Postural disequilibrium reported in both conditions may thus be explained by similar deviations in postural control strategies. 75 females (25/group FM, CFS and control, age 19–49 years) performed 60 s of quiet standing on a force platform in each of three conditions: 1) firm surface with vision, 2) firm surface without vision and, 3) compliant surface with vision. Migration of center of pressure was decomposed into a slow and a fast component denoting postural sway and lateral forces controlling postural sway, analyzed in the time and frequency domains. Main effects of group for the antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions showed that patients displayed larger amplitudes (AP, p = 0.002; ML, p = 0.021) and lower frequencies (AP, p < 0.001; ML, p < 0.001) for the slow component, as well as for the fast component (amplitudes: AP, p = 0.010; ML, p = 0.001 and frequencies: AP, p = 0.001; ML, p = 0.029) compared to controls. Post hoc analyses showed no significant differences between patient groups. In conclusion, both the CFS- and the FM-group differed from the control group. Larger postural sway and insufficient control was found in patients compared to controls, with no significant differences between the two patient groups. PMID:29617424

VizieR Online Data Catalog: KGS EoR0 Catalogue (Carroll+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, P. A.; Line, J.; Morales, M. F.; Barry, N.; Beardsley, A. P.; Hazelton, B. J.; Jacobs, D. C.; Pober, J. C.; Sullivan, I. S.; Webster, R. L.; Bernardi, G.; Bowman, J. D.; Briggs, F.; Cappallo, R. J.; Corey, B. E.; de Oliveira-Costa, A.; Dillon, J. S.; Emrich, D.; Ewall-Wice, A.; Feng, L.; Gaensler, B. M.; Goeke, R.; Greenhill, L. J.; Hewitt, J. N.; Hurley-Walker, N.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kaplan, D. L.; Kasper, J. C.; Kim, Hs.; Kratzenberg, E.; Lenc, E.; Loeb, A.; Lonsdale, C. J.; Lynch, M. J.; McKinley, B.; McWhirter, S. R.; Mitchell, D. A.; Morgan, E.; Neben, A. R.; Oberoi, D.; Offringa, A. R.; Ord, S. M.; Paul, S.; Pindor, B.; Prabu, T.; Procopio, P.; Riding, J.; Rogers, A. E. E.; Roshi, A.; Udaya Shankar, N.; Sethi, S. K.; Srivani, K. S.; Subrahmanyan, R.; Tegmark, M.; Thyagarajan, N.; Tingay, S. J.; Trott, C. M.; Waterson, M.; Wayth, R. B.; Whitney, A. R.; Williams, A.; Williams, C. L.; Wu, C.; Wyithe, J. S. B.

2018-01-01

The MWA EoR0 field is centred at RA=0h and Dec=-27°, and was chosen because it has no bright complex sources in the primary field of view. The FWHM of the antenna beam is approximately 20°, but sources in the edges of the beam and first few side lobes are clearly visible and should be subtracted (Thyagarajan et al., 2015ApJ...804...14T, 2015ApJ...807L..28T; Pober et al., 2016ApJ...819....8P). For this catalogue we concentrate on identifying sources in the primary beam but go out to the 5 per cent power point (nearly first beam null, ~1400deg2). The data for this catalogue include 752min snapshot observations (112s consecutive integrations with 8s gaps) from the night of 2013 August 23. The observations were made at 182MHz with 31MHz bandwidth and cover 2.5h in total. This process for source finding, measurement, and classification has been termed KATALOGSS (KDD Astrometry, Trueness, and Apparent Luminosity of Galaxies in Snapshot Surveys; hereafter abbreviated to KGS). (1 data file).

Identifying risk factors for progression to critical care admission and death among individuals with acute pancreatitis: a record linkage analysis of Scottish healthcare databases

PubMed Central

Mole, Damian J; Gungabissoon, Usha; Johnston, Philip; Cochrane, Lynda; Hopkins, Leanne; Wyper, Grant M A; Skouras, Christos; Dibben, Chris; Sullivan, Frank; Morris, Andrew; Ward, Hester J T; Lawton, Andrew M; Donnan, Peter T

2016-01-01

Objectives Acute pancreatitis (AP) can initiate systemic complications that require support in critical care (CC). Our objective was to use the unified national health record to define the epidemiology of AP in Scotland, with a specific focus on deterministic and prognostic factors for CC admission in AP. Setting Health boards in Scotland (n=4). Participants We included all individuals in a retrospective observational cohort with at least one episode of AP (ICD10 code K85) occurring in Scotland from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2012. 3340 individuals were coded as AP. Methods Data from 16 sources, spanning general practice, community prescribing, Accident and Emergency attendances, hospital in-patient, CC and mortality registries, were linked by a unique patient identifier in a national safe haven. Logistic regression and gamma models were used to define independent predictive factors for severe AP (sAP) requiring CC admission or leading to death. Results 2053 individuals (61.5% (95% CI 59.8% to 63.2%)) met the definition for true AP (tAP). 368 patients (17.9% of tAP (95% CI 16.2% to 19.6%)) were admitted to CC. Predictors of sAP were pre-existing angina or hypertension, hypocalcaemia and age 30–39 years, if type 2 diabetes mellitus was present. The risk of sAP was lower in patients with multiple previous episodes of AP. In-hospital mortality in tAP was 5.0% (95% CI 4.1% to 5.9%) overall and 21.7% (95% CI 19.9% to 23.5%) in those with tAP necessitating CC admission. Conclusions National record-linkage analysis of routinely collected data constitutes a powerful resource to model CC admission and prognosticate death during AP. Mortality in patients with AP who require CC admission remains high. PMID:27311912

Commercialization and Field Distribution of Smart Pedestrian Call Signals

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

The research on this project resulted in a new design for an accessible pedestrian system (APS) that uses Ethernet communications to implement a distributed control system. Present APS designs represent a safety risk factor by APS systems having unde...

Observations of Distant Clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donahue, Megan

2004-01-01

The is the proceedings and papers supported by the LTSA grant: Homer, D. J.\\& Donahue, M. 2003, in "The Emergence of Cosmic Structure": 13'h Astrophysics Conference Proceedings, Vol. 666,3 1 1-3 14, (AIP). Baumgartner, W. H., Loewenstein, M., Horner, D. J., Mushotzky, R. F. 2003, HEAD- AAS, 35.3503. Homer, D. J. , Donahue, M., Voit G. M. 2003, HEAD-AAS, 35.1309. Nowak, M. A., Smith, B., Donahue, M., Stocke, J. 2003, HEAD-AAS, 35.1316. Scott, D., Borys, C., Chapman, S. C., Donahue, M., Fahlman, G. G., Halpem, M. Newbury, P. 2002, AAS, 128.01. Jones, L. R. et al. 2002, A new era in cosmology, ASP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 283, p. 223 Donahue, M., Daly, R. A., Homer, D. J. 2003, ApJ, 584, 643, Constraints on the Cluster Environments and Hotspot magnetic field strengths for radio sources 3280 and 3254. Donahue, M., et al. 2003, ApJ, 598, 190. The mass, baryonic fraction, and x-ray temperature of the luminous, high-redshift cluster of galaxies MS045 1.6-0305 Perlman, E. S. et al. 2002, ApJS, 140, 256. Smith, B. J., Nowak, M., Donahue, M., Stocke, J. 2003, AJ, 126, 1763. Chandra Observations of the Interacting NGC44 10 Group of Galaxies. Postman, M., Lauer, T. R., Oegerle, W., Donahue, M. 2002, ApJ, 579, 93. The KPNO/deep-range cluster survey I. The catalog and space density of intermediate-redshift clusters. Molnar, S. M., Hughes, J. P., Donahue, M., Joy, M. 2002, ApJ, 573, L91, Chandra Observations of Unresolved X-Ray Sources around Two Clusters of Galaxies. Donahue, M., Mack, J., 2002 NewAR, 46, 155, HST NIcmos and WFPC2 observations of molecular hydrogen and dust around cooling flows. Koekemoer, A. M. et al. 2002 NewAR, 46, 149, Interactions between the A2597 central radio source and dense gas host galaxy. Donahue, M. et al. 2002 ApJ, 569,689, Distant cluster hunting II.

APS SCIENCE 2016

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

Fenner, Richard B.

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) occupies an 80-acre site on the Argonne national laboratory campus, about 25 miles from downtown chicago, illinois. it shares the site with the center for nanoscale materials and the Advanced Protein characterization facility. for directions to Argonne, see http://www.anl.gov/directions-and-visitor-information. The APS, a national synchrotron radiation research facility operated by Argonne for the u.S. department of energy (doe) office of Science, provides this nation’s brightest high-energy x-ray beams for science. research by APS users extends from the center of the earth to outer space, from new information on combustion engines and microcircuits to new drugs andmore » nanotechnologies whose scale is measured in billionths of a meter. The APS helps researchers illuminate answers to the challenges of our high-tech world, from developing new forms of energy, to sustaining our nation’s technological and economic competitiveness, to pushing back against the ravages of disease. research at the APS promises to have far-reaching« less

Benchmarking of Touschek Beam Lifetime Calculations for the Advanced Photon Source

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

Xiao, A.; Yang, B.

2017-06-25

Particle loss from Touschek scattering is one of the most significant issues faced by present and future synchrotron light source storage rings. For example, the predicted, Touschek-dominated beam lifetime for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) Upgrade lattice in 48-bunch, 200-mA timing mode is only ~ 2 h. In order to understand the reliability of the predicted lifetime, a series of measurements with various beam parameters was performed on the present APS storage ring. This paper first describes the entire process of beam lifetime measurement, then compares measured lifetime with the calculated one by applying the measured beam parameters. The resultsmore » show very good agreement.« less

The 7BM beamline at the APS: a facility for time-resolved fluid dynamics measurements

PubMed Central

Kastengren, Alan; Powell, Christopher F.; Arms, Dohn; Dufresne, Eric M.; Gibson, Harold; Wang, Jin

2012-01-01

In recent years, X-ray radiography has been used to probe the internal structure of dense sprays with microsecond time resolution and a spatial resolution of 15 µm even in high-pressure environments. Recently, the 7BM beamline at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) has been commissioned to focus on the needs of X-ray spray radiography measurements. The spatial resolution and X-ray intensity at this beamline represent a significant improvement over previous time-resolved X-ray radiography measurements at the APS. PMID:22713903

Strength-controllable graphene oxide amphiprotic aerogels as highly efficient carrier for anionic and cationic azo molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Jiaqing; Jiao, Chenlu; Xu, Sijun; Tao, Jin; Zhang, Desuo; Lin, Hong; Chen, Yuyue

2015-06-01

Ice-bath self-assembly was employed to fabricate the GO/AP-MCC/CS aerogel based on natural materials. The components are amphiprotic microcrystalline cellulose (AP-MCC), chitosan (CS), and graphene oxide (GO), which act as the main framework, auxiliary framework and adhesive, respectively. The results of characterization determines the components form the GO/AP-MCC/CS aerogel according to chemical interactions. The mechanical properties depend largely on the mass ratio of AP-MCC/CS, which can be regulated by controlling the contents of AP-MCC and CS. The resultant GO/AP-MCC/CS aerogel was observed possessing three-dimensional (3D) interpenetrating porous networks with wrinkled structure on the inner wall, which provide a good encapsulation capacity for the guest molecules. As expected, owing to the amphiprotic properties and large specific surface area, GO/AP-MCC/CS aerogel exhibits high-efficiency load capacity for both anionic (CR) and cationic azo molecules (MB), which can reach up to about 132.2 mg/g for CR and 123.2 mg/g for MB, respectively.

Approximate Entropy Values Demonstrate Impaired Neuromotor Control of Spontaneous Leg Activity in Infants with Myelomeningocele

PubMed Central

Smith, Beth A.; Teulier, Caroline; Sansom, Jennifer; Stergiou, Nicholas; Ulrich, Beverly D.

2012-01-01

Purpose One obstacle to providing early intervention to infants with myelomeningocele (MMC) is the challenge of quantifying impaired neuromotor control of movements early in life. Methods We used the nonlinear analysis tool Approximate Entropy (ApEn) to analyze periodicity and complexity of supine spontaneous lower extremity movements of infants with MMC and typical development (TD) at 1, 3, 6 and 9 months of age. Results Movements of infants with MMC were more regular and repeatable (lower ApEn values) than movements of infants with TD indicating less adaptive and flexible movement patterns. For both groups ApEn values decreased with age, and the movements of infants with MMC were less complex than movements of infants with TD. Further, for infants with MMC, lesion level and age of walking onset correlated negatively with ApEn values. Conclusions Our study begins to demonstrate the feasibility of ApEn to identify impaired neuromotor control in infants with MMC. PMID:21829116

The APETALA-2-like transcription factor OsAP2-39 controls key interactions between abscisic acid and gibberellin in rice.

PubMed

Yaish, Mahmoud W; El-Kereamy, Ashraf; Zhu, Tong; Beatty, Perrin H; Good, Allen G; Bi, Yong-Mei; Rothstein, Steven J

2010-09-09

The interaction between phytohormones is an important mechanism which controls growth and developmental processes in plants. Deciphering these interactions is a crucial step in helping to develop crops with enhanced yield and resistance to environmental stresses. Controlling the expression level of OsAP2-39 which includes an APETALA 2 (AP2) domain leads to phenotypic changes in rice. Overexpression of OsAP2-39 leads to a reduction in yield by decreasing the biomass and the number of seeds in the transgenic rice lines. Global transcriptome analysis of the OsAP2-39 overexpression transgenic rice revealed the upregulation of a key abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic gene OsNCED-I which codes for 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase and leads to an increase in the endogenous ABA level. In addition to OsNCED-1, the gene expression analysis revealed the upregulation of a gene that codes for the Elongation of Upper most Internode (EUI) protein, an enzyme that catalyzes 16α, 17-epoxidation of non-13-hydroxylated GAs, which has been shown to deactivate gibberellins (GAs) in rice. The exogenous application of GA restores the wild-type phenotype in the transgenic line and ABA application induces the expression of EUI and suppresses the expression of OsAP2-39 in the wild-type line. These observations clarify the antagonistic relationship between ABA and GA and illustrate a mechanism that leads to homeostasis of these hormones. In vivo and in vitro analysis showed that the expression of both OsNCED-1 and EUI are directly controlled by OsAP2-39. Together, these results reveal a novel mechanism for the control of the ABA/GA balance in rice which is regulated by OsAP2-39 that in turn regulates plant growth and seed production.

The APETALA-2-Like Transcription Factor OsAP2-39 Controls Key Interactions between Abscisic Acid and Gibberellin in Rice

PubMed Central

Yaish, Mahmoud W.; El-kereamy, Ashraf; Zhu, Tong; Beatty, Perrin H.; Good, Allen G.; Bi, Yong-Mei; Rothstein, Steven J.

2010-01-01

The interaction between phytohormones is an important mechanism which controls growth and developmental processes in plants. Deciphering these interactions is a crucial step in helping to develop crops with enhanced yield and resistance to environmental stresses. Controlling the expression level of OsAP2-39 which includes an APETALA 2 (AP2) domain leads to phenotypic changes in rice. Overexpression of OsAP2-39 leads to a reduction in yield by decreasing the biomass and the number of seeds in the transgenic rice lines. Global transcriptome analysis of the OsAP2-39 overexpression transgenic rice revealed the upregulation of a key Abscisic Acid (ABA) biosynthetic gene OsNCED-I which codes for 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase and leads to an increase in the endogenous ABA level. In addition to OsNCED-1, the gene expression analysis revealed the upregulation of a gene that codes for the Elongation of Upper most Internode (EUI) protein, an enzyme that catalyzes 16α, 17-epoxidation of non-13-hydroxylated GAs, which has been shown to deactivate gibberellins (GAs) in rice. The exogenous application of GA restores the wild-type phenotype in the transgenic line and ABA application induces the expression of EUI and suppresses the expression of OsAP2-39 in the wild-type line. These observations clarify the antagonistic relationship between ABA and GA and illustrate a mechanism that leads to homeostasis of these hormones. In vivo and in vitro analysis showed that the expression of both OsNCED-1 and EUI are directly controlled by OsAP2-39. Together, these results reveal a novel mechanism for the control of the ABA/GA balance in rice which is regulated by OsAP2-39 that in turn regulates plant growth and seed production. PMID:20838584

Diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and triphosphate (Ap3A) signaling of human sperm motility.

PubMed

Chan, P J; Su, B C; Tredway, D R

1991-01-01

The ubiquitous dinucleotide polyphosphate, diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A), has been shown to be a signal molecule for DNA replication in mammalian cells. In this study, Ap4A and a related compound, diadenosine triphosphate (Ap3A), were tested for possible signaling functions in human spermatozoa. A computerized automated semen analyzer was used to detect changes in spermatozoa motility parameters. Cryopreserved-thawed donor spermatozoa were washed and incubated in 0.1 mM Ap4A, 0.1 mM Ap3A, or control medium. The data indicated that both Ap4A and Ap3A decreased the percentage of motile spermatozoa after 4 or more hours of incubation in vitro. The two dinucleotide polyphosphates caused an increase in the amplitude of lateral spermatozoa head displacement parameter only at the start of incubation. The other spermatozoa kinematic parameters were unaffected. No opposing ying-yang dual actions of Ap4A to Ap3A were seen. From the results, Ap4A and Ap3A were observed to be potential inhibitory signals of spermatozoa motility after prolonged exposure.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase to treat necrotizing enterocolitis.

PubMed

Biesterveld, Ben E; Koehler, Shannon M; Heinzerling, Nathan P; Rentea, Rebecca M; Fredrich, Katherine; Welak, Scott R; Gourlay, David M

2015-06-15

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) activity is decreased in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and IAP supplementation prevents NEC development. It is not known if IAP given after NEC onset can reverse the course of the disease. We hypothesized that enteral IAP given after NEC induction would not reverse intestinal injury. NEC was induced in Sprague-Dawley pups by delivery preterm followed by formula feedings with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and hypoxia exposure and continued up to 4 d. IAP was added to feeds on day 2 until being sacrificed on day 4. NEC severity was scored based on hematoxylin and eosin-stained terminal ileum sections, and AP activity was measured using a colorimetric assay. IAP and interleukin-6 expression were measured using real time polymerase chain reaction. NEC pups' alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity was decreased to 0.18 U/mg compared with controls of 0.57 U/mg (P < 0.01). Discontinuation of LPS and hypoxia after 2 d increased AP activity to 0.36 U/mg (P < 0.01). IAP supplementation in matched groups did not impact total AP activity or expression. Discontinuing LPS and hypoxia after NEC onset improved intestinal injury scores to 1.14 compared with continued stressors, score 2.25 (P < 0.01). IAP supplementation decreased interleukin-6 expression two-fold (P < 0.05), though did not reverse NEC intestinal damage (P = 0.5). This is the first work to demonstrate that removing the source of NEC improves intestinal damage and increases AP activity. When used as a rescue treatment, IAP decreased intestinal inflammation though did not impact injury making it likely that IAP is best used preventatively to those neonates at risk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preclinical medical students’ understandings of academic and medical professionalism: visual analysis of mind maps

PubMed Central

Rees, Charlotte E

2017-01-01

Introduction Several studies have begun to explore medical students’ understandings of professionalism generally and medical professionalism specifically. Despite espoused relationships between academic (AP) and medical professionalism (MP), previous research has not yet investigated students’ conceptualisations of AP and MP and the relationships between the two. Objectives The current study, based on innovative visual analysis of mind maps, therefore aims to contribute to the developing literature on how professionalism is understood. Methods We performed a multilayered analysis of 98 mind maps from 262 first-year medical students, including analysing textual and graphical elements of AP, MP and the relationships between AP and MP. Results The most common textual attributes of AP were learning, lifestyle and personality, while attributes of MP were knowledge, ethics and patient-doctor relations. Images of books, academic caps and teachers were used most often to represent AP, while images of the stethoscope, doctor and red cross were used to symbolise MP. While AP-MP relations were sometimes indicated through co-occurring text, visual connections and higher-order visual metaphors, many students struggled to articulate the relationships between AP and MP. Conclusions While the mind maps’ textual attributes shared similarities with those found in previous research, suggesting the universality of some professionalism attributes, our study provides new insights into students’ conceptualisations of AP, MP and AP-MP relationships. We encourage medical educators to help students develop their understandings of AP, MP and AP-MP relationships, plus consider the feasibility and value of mind maps as a source of visual data for medical education research. PMID:28821520

Fatty acids of erythrocyte membrane in acute pancreatitis patients.

PubMed

Kuliaviene, Irma; Gulbinas, Antanas; Cremers, Johannes; Pundzius, Juozas; Kupcinskas, Limas; Dambrauskas, Zilvinas; Jansen, Eugene

2013-09-14

To evaluate changes in the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids during severe and mild acute pancreatitis (AP) of alcoholic and nonalcoholic etiology. All consecutive patients with a diagnosis of AP and onset of the disease within the last 72 h admitted to the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences between June and December 2007 were included. According to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scale, the patients were subdivided into the mild (APACHE II score < 7, n = 22) and severe (APACHE II score ≥ 7, n = 17) AP groups. Healthy individuals (n = 26) were enrolled as controls. Blood samples were collected from patients on admission to the hospital. Fatty acids (FAs) were extracted from erythrocyte phospholipids and expressed as percentages of the total FAs present in the chromatogram. The concentrations of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were measured in erythrocytes. We found an increase in the percentages of saturated and monounsaturated FAs, a decrease in the percentages of total polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) and n-3 PUFAs in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids of AP patients compared with healthy controls. Palmitic (C16:0), palmitoleic (C16:1n7cis), arachidonic (C20:4n6), docosahexaenoic (DHA, C22:6n3), and docosapentaenoic (DPA, C22:5n3) acids were the major contributing factors. A decrease in the peroxidation and unsaturation indexes in AP patients as well as the severe and mild AP groups as compared with controls was observed. The concentrations of antioxidant enzymes in the mild AP group were lower than in the control group. In severe AP of nonalcoholic etiology, the percentages of arachidic (C20:0) and arachidonic (C20:4n6) acids were decreased as compared with the control group. The patients with mild AP of nonalcoholic etiology had the increased percentages of total saturated FAs and gama linoleic acid (C18:3n6) and the decreased percentages of elaidic (C18:1n9t), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n3), DPA (C22:5n3), DHA (C22:6n3) as well as total and n-3 PUFAs in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids. The composition of FAs in erythrocyte membranes is altered during AP. These changes are likely to be associated with alcohol consumption, inflammatory processes, and oxidative stress.

Fatty acids of erythrocyte membrane in acute pancreatitis patients

PubMed Central

Kuliaviene, Irma; Gulbinas, Antanas; Cremers, Johannes; Pundzius, Juozas; Kupcinskas, Limas; Dambrauskas, Zilvinas; Jansen, Eugene

2013-01-01

AIM: To evaluate changes in the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids during severe and mild acute pancreatitis (AP) of alcoholic and nonalcoholic etiology. METHODS: All consecutive patients with a diagnosis of AP and onset of the disease within the last 72 h admitted to the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences between June and December 2007 were included. According to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scale, the patients were subdivided into the mild (APACHE II score < 7, n = 22) and severe (APACHE II score ≥ 7, n = 17) AP groups. Healthy individuals (n = 26) were enrolled as controls. Blood samples were collected from patients on admission to the hospital. Fatty acids (FAs) were extracted from erythrocyte phospholipids and expressed as percentages of the total FAs present in the chromatogram. The concentrations of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were measured in erythrocytes. RESULTS: We found an increase in the percentages of saturated and monounsaturated FAs, a decrease in the percentages of total polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) and n-3 PUFAs in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids of AP patients compared with healthy controls. Palmitic (C16:0), palmitoleic (C16:1n7cis), arachidonic (C20:4n6), docosahexaenoic (DHA, C22:6n3), and docosapentaenoic (DPA, C22:5n3) acids were the major contributing factors. A decrease in the peroxidation and unsaturation indexes in AP patients as well as the severe and mild AP groups as compared with controls was observed. The concentrations of antioxidant enzymes in the mild AP group were lower than in the control group. In severe AP of nonalcoholic etiology, the percentages of arachidic (C20:0) and arachidonic (C20:4n6) acids were decreased as compared with the control group. The patients with mild AP of nonalcoholic etiology had the increased percentages of total saturated FAs and gama linoleic acid (C18:3n6) and the decreased percentages of elaidic (C18:1n9t), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n3), DPA (C22:5n3), DHA (C22:6n3) as well as total and n-3 PUFAs in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids. CONCLUSION: The composition of FAs in erythrocyte membranes is altered during AP. These changes are likely to be associated with alcohol consumption, inflammatory processes, and oxidative stress. PMID:24039361

Dynamic interactions between arterial pressure and sympathetic nerve activity: role of arterial baroreceptors.

PubMed

Julien, Claude; Chapuis, Bruno; Cheng, Yong; Barrès, Christian

2003-10-01

The role of arterial baroreceptors in controlling arterial pressure (AP) variability through changes in sympathetic nerve activity was examined in conscious rats. AP and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) were measured continuously during 1-h periods in freely behaving rats that had been subjected to sinoaortic baroreceptor denervation (SAD) or a sham operation 2 wk before study (n = 10 in each group). Fast Fourier transform analysis revealed that chronic SAD did not alter high-frequency (0.75-5 Hz) respiratory-related oscillations of mean AP (MAP) and RSNA, decreased by approximately 50% spectral power of both variables in the midfrequency band (MF, 0.27-0.74 Hz) containing the so-called Mayer waves, and induced an eightfold increase in MAP power without altering RSNA power in the low-frequency band (0.005-0.27 Hz). In both groups of rats, coherence between RSNA and MAP was maximal in the MF band and was usually weak at lower frequencies. In SAD rats, the transfer function from RSNA to MAP showed the characteristics of a second-order low-pass filter containing a fixed time delay ( approximately 0.5 s). These results indicate that arterial baroreceptors are not involved in production of respiratory-related oscillations of RSNA but play a major role in the genesis of synchronous oscillations of MAP and RSNA at the frequency of Mayer waves. The weak coupling between slow fluctuations of RSNA and MAP in sham-operated and SAD rats points to the interference of noise sources unrelated to RSNA affecting MAP and of noise sources unrelated to MAP affecting RSNA.

Factor information retrieval system version 2. 0 (fire) (for microcomputers). Software

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

Not Available

FIRE Version 2.0 contains EPA's unique recommended criteria and toxic air emission estimation factors. FIRE consists of: (1) an EPA internal repository system that contains emission factor data identified and collected, and (2) an external distribution system that contains only EPA's recommended factors. The emission factors, compiled from a review of the literature, are identified by pollutant name, CAS number, process and emission source descriptions, SIC code, SCC, and control status. The factors are rated for quality using AP-42 rating criteria.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: CANDELS multiwavelength catalog (Galametz+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galametz, A.; Grazian, A.; Fontana, A.; Ferguson, H. C.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Barro, G.; Castellano, M.; Dahlen, T.; Donley, J. L.; Faber, S. M.; Grogin, N.; Guo, Y.; Huang, K.-H.; Kocevski, D. D.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Lee, K.-S.; McGrath, E. J.; Peth, M.; Willner, S. P.; Almaini, O.; Cooper, M.; Cooray, A.; Conselice, C. J.; Dickinson, M.; Dunlop, J. S.; Fazio, G. G.; Foucaud, S.; Gardner, J. P.; Giavalisco, M.; Hathi, N. P.; Hartley, W. G.; Koo, D. C.; Lai, K.; de Mello, D. F.; McLure, R. J.; Lucas, R. A.; Paris, D.; Pentericci, L.; Santini, P.; Simpson, C.; Sommariva, V.; Targett, T.; Weiner, B. J.; Wuyts, S.; CANDELS Team

2013-06-01

The present multiwavelength catalog is based on public data in the CANDELS UDS field (J2000 position: 02:17:37.5-05:12:00) located within the original UDS field. It includes: * CANDELS HST/ACS (F606W, F814W) and HST/WFC3 (F125W, F160W); Grogin et al. 2011ApJS..197...35G, Koekemoer et al. 2011ApJS..197...36K. * CFHT U-band (UKIDSS; Almaini et al. in prep.), * SUBARU B, V, Rc, i', z' (SXDS; Furusawa et al. 2008, Cat. J/ApJS/176/1) * VLT/HAWK-I Y and Ks bands (HUGS; Fontana et al. in prep.) * UKIRT/WFCam J, H, K (UKIDSS DR8; Almaini et al. in prep.) * Spitzer/IRAC SEDS 3.6 and 4.5um (SEDS; Ashby et al. 2013ApJ...769...80A) * Spitzer/IRAC SpUDS 5.8, 8.0um (PI: J. Dunlop). The catalog is F160W-selected and contains 35932 sources over an area of 201.7 square arcmin and includes radio and X-ray detected sources and spectroscopic redshifts available for 210 sources. The full official CANDELS UDS catalog (which contains some extra columns including additional SExtractor parameters derived from the F160W image) can be found on the CANDELS website at: http://candels.ucolick.org/data_access/UDS.html (1 data file).

76 FR 82079 - AP1000 Design Certification Amendment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-30

... reference Revision 15 of the design control document (DCD) (ADAMS Accession No. ML053460400), which... to DAC in the areas of piping design (Chapter 3), instrumentation and control (I&C) systems (Chapter... Systems Manual, as described in the AP1000 Design Control Document, Revision 17, meets the criteria of...

40 CFR 52.1870 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 20, 1972, by the Ohio Air Pollution Control Board. (2) State provisions for making emissions data... authority for controlling auto emissions. (4) Amendments to air pollution regulations AP-3-11, 12, 13, 14... the control of air pollution and were previously codified and approved as AP-2-01 through 06, 08 and...

Aggregation Pheromone System: A Real-parameter Optimization Algorithm using Aggregation Pheromones as the Base Metaphor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsutsui, Shigeyosi

This paper proposes an aggregation pheromone system (APS) for solving real-parameter optimization problems using the collective behavior of individuals which communicate using aggregation pheromones. APS was tested on several test functions used in evolutionary computation. The results showed APS could solve real-parameter optimization problems fairly well. The sensitivity analysis of control parameters of APS is also studied.

APS Science 2009.

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

Gibson, J. M; Mills, D. M.; Gerig, R.

It is my pleasure to introduce the 2009 annual report of the Advanced Photon Source. This was a very good year for us. We operated with high reliability and availability, despite growing problems with obsolete systems, and our users produced a record output of publications. The number of user experiments increased by 14% from 2008 to more than 3600. We congratulate the recipients of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry-Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (Cambridge Institute for Medical Research), Thomas Steitz (Yale University), and Ada Yonath (Weizmann Institute) - who did a substantial amount of this work at APS beamlines. Thanks to themore » efforts of our users and staff, and the ongoing counsel of the APS Scientific Advisory Committee, we made major progress in advancing our planning for the upgrade of the APS (APS-U), producing a proposal that was positively reviewed. We hope to get formal approval in 2010 to begin the upgrade. With advocacy from our users and the support of our sponsor, the Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, our operating budgets have grown to the level needed to more adequately staff our beamlines. We were also extremely fortunate to have received $7.9 M in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ('stimulus') funding to acquire new detectors and improve several of our beamlines. The success of the new Linac Coherent Light Source at Stanford, the world's first x-ray free-electron laser, made us particularly proud since the undulators were designed and built by the APS. Among other highlights, we note that more than one-quarter of the 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers, funded competitively across the U.S. in 2009 by the DOE, included the Advanced Photon Source in their proposed work, which shows that synchrotron radiation, and the APS in particular, are central to energy research. While APS research covers everything from fundamental to applied science (reflected by the highlights in this report), the challenge of sustainable energy provides an opportunity for expanded involvement with industrial research. We were privileged to recruit several outstanding new leaders at the APS. Linda Young, from Argonne's Chemical Sciences Division, became the new Director of the X-ray Science Division (XSD). Chris Jacobsen (from Stony Brook University) has been added to Linda's team as an XSD Associate Division Director, joining George Srajer. Alexander (Sasha) Zholents (formerly of Berkeley Lab) became Director of the Accelerator Systems Division. Sasha is the inventor of the short-pulse x-ray scheme that we plan to implement in the APS-U to obtain very high average brightness, broadband, 1-ps x-ray pulses. Walter Lowe (formerly of Howard University) has taken a new position as senior advisor for outreach and development of the user community. Walter's role is to increase the diversity of the user community (with diversity read broadly to include users, institutions, and technical disciplines that are underrepresented at APS). Walter is also leading an effort to increase access for industrial users. I am confident that we have in place a great team to help our users and the APS take fullest advantage of the APS-U opportunity. In planning with users for the proposed APS-U, we focused on the need to study 'real materials under real conditions in real time' on spatial and temporal scales unavailable today. Only by studying materials as they are made-or as they perform-in difficult environments can we solve the grand challenge of higher-performance, sustainable materials for energy and health. The proposed APS-U will improve the brightness of penetrating x-rays produced by the APS over 100 times, and support our efforts in developing state-of-the-art instruments to address these challenges.« less

Experience with monocomponent acellular pertussis combination vaccines for infants, children, adolescents and adults--a review of safety, immunogenicity, efficacy and effectiveness studies and 15 years of field experience.

PubMed

Thierry-Carstensen, Birgit; Dalby, Tine; Stevner, Michael A; Robbins, John B; Schneerson, Rachel; Trollfors, Birger

2013-10-25

Combination vaccines containing a monocomponent acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine, manufactured at Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark, have successfully controlled Bordetella pertussis infections in Denmark since 1997. The efficacy of this aP vaccine was 71% in a double-blind, randomised and controlled clinical trial. Its safety and immunogenicity have been demonstrated in infants, children, adolescents and adults. In approximately 500,000 children it was effective against pertussis requiring hospitalisation (VE: 93% after 3 doses) and against pertussis not requiring hospitalisation (VE: 78% after 3 doses). IgG antibodies against pertussis toxin (IgG anti-PT) response rates after booster vaccination of adults with tetanus, diphtheria and aP combination vaccine (TdaP) were considerably higher for this monocomponent aP vaccine containing 20μg pertussis toxoid, inactivated by hydrogen peroxide (92.0%), than for two multicomponent aP vaccines inactivated by formaldehyde and/or glutaraldehyde: 3-component aP with 8μg pertussis toxoid (77.2%) and 5-component aP with 2.5μg pertussis toxoid (47.1%), without compromising the safety profile. In Denmark where this monocomponent aP vaccine has been the only pertussis vaccine in use for 15 years, there has been no pertussis epidemic since 2002 (population incidence 36 per 100,000), in contrast to neighbouring countries, where epidemics have occurred. This monocomponent aP vaccine can be used in combination vaccines for primary and booster vaccination against pertussis in all age groups and is an important tool for successful pertussis control. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Multi-dimensional free-electron laser simulation codes : a comparison study.

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

Biedron, S. G.; Chae, Y. C.; Dejus, R. J.

A self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) is under construction at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Five FEL simulation codes were used in the design phase: GENESIS, GINGER, MEDUSA, RON, and TDA3D. Initial comparisons between each of these independent formulations show good agreement for the parameters of the APS SASE FEL.

Multi-Dimensional Free-Electron Laser Simulation Codes: A Comparison Study

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

Nuhn, Heinz-Dieter

A self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) is under construction at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Five FEL simulation codes were used in the design phase: GENESIS, GINGER, MEDUSA, RON, and TDA3D. Initial comparisons between each of these independent formulations show good agreement for the parameters of the APS SASE FEL.

P alpha-chiral phosphorothioate analogues of bis(5'-adenosyl)tetraphosphate (Ap4A); their enzymatic synthesis and degradation.

PubMed Central

Lazewska, D; Guranowski, A

1990-01-01

Synthesis of Sp and Rp diastereomers of Ap4A alpha S has been characterized in two enzymatic systems, the lysyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli and the Ap4A alpha, beta-phosphorylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The synthetase was able to use both (Sp)ATP alpha S and (Rp)ATP alpha S as acceptors of adenylate thus yielding corresponding monothioanalogues of Ap4A,(Sp) Ap4A alpha S and (Rp)Ap4A alpha S. No dithiophosphate analogue was formed. Relative synthetase velocities of the formation of Ap4A,(Sp) Ap4A alpha S and (Rp)Ap4A alpha S were 1:0.38:0.15, and the computed Km values for (Sp)ATP alpha S and (Rp)ATP alpha S were 0.48 and 1.34 mM, respectively. The yeast Ap4A phosphorylase synthesized (Sp)Ap4A alpha S and (Rp)Ap4A alpha S using adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (APS) as source of adenylate. The adenylate was accepted by corresponding thioanalogues of ATP. In that system, relative velocities of Ap4A, (Sp)Ap4A alpha S and (Rp)Ap4A alpha S formation were 1:0.15:0.60. The two isomeric phosphorothioate analogues of Ap4A were tested as substrates for the following specific Ap4A-degrading enzymes: (asymmetrical) Ap4A hydrolase (EC 3.6.1.17) from yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus) seeds hydrolyzed each of the analogues to AMP and the corresponding isomer of ATP alpha S; (symmetrical) Ap4A hydrolase (EC 3.6.1.41) from E. coli produced ADP and the corresponding diastereomer of ADP alpha S; and Ap4A phosphorylase (EC 2.7.7.53) from S. cerevisiae cleaved the Rp isomer only at the unmodified end yielding ADP and (Rp)ATP alpha S whereas the Sp isomer was degraded non-specifically yielding a mixture of ADP, (Sp)ADP alpha S, ATP and (Sp)ATP alpha S. For all the Ap4A-degrading enzymes, the Rp isomer of Ap4A alpha S appeared to be a better substrate than its Sp counterpart; stereoselectivity of the three enzymes for the Ap4A alpha S diastereomers is 51, 6 and 2.5, respectively. Basic kinetic parameters of the degradation reactions are presented and structural requirements of the Ap4A-metabolizing enzymes with respect to the potential substrates modified at the Ap4A-P alpha are discussed. PMID:2172926

Aerosol-delivered programmed cell death 4 enhanced apoptosis, controlled cell cycle and suppressed AP-1 activity in the lungs of AP-1 luciferase reporter mice.

PubMed

Hwang, S-K; Jin, H; Kwon, J T; Chang, S-H; Kim, T H; Cho, C-S; Lee, K H; Young, M R; Colburn, N H; Beck, G R; Yang, H-S; Cho, M-H

2007-09-01

The long-term survival of lung cancer patients treated with conventional therapies remains poor and therefore the need for novel approaches remains high. This has led to the re-emergence of aerosol delivery as a therapeutic intervention. In this study, glucosylated polyethylenimine (GPEI) was used as carrier to investigate programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and PDCD4 mutant (D418A), an eIF4A-binding mutant, on PDCD4-related signaling and activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity in the lungs of AP-1 luciferase reporter mice. After confirming the efficiency of GPEI as a carrier in lungs, the effects of aerosol-delivered PDCD4 were investigated in AP-1 luciferase reporter mice. Aerosol delivery of GPEI/PDCD4 through a nose-only inhalation facilitated the apoptosis of lungs whereas aerosol PDCD4 mutant did not. Also, such aerosol delivery regulated proteins relevant to cell-cycle control and suppressed AP-1 activity. Results obtained by western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, luciferase assay and deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated nick end labeling study suggest that combined actions such as facilitating apoptosis, controlling cell cycle and suppression of AP-1 activity by PDCD4 may provide useful tool for designing lung tumor prevention and treatment by which PDCD4 functions as a transformation suppressor in the future.

Human Pathogen Shown to Cause Disease in the Threatened Eklhorn Coral Acropora palmata

PubMed Central

Sutherland, Kathryn Patterson; Shaban, Sameera; Joyner, Jessica L.; Porter, James W.; Lipp, Erin K.

2011-01-01

Coral reefs are in severe decline. Infections by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens have contributed to precipitous losses in the common Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, culminating in its listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. During a 2003 outbreak of this coral disease, called acroporid serratiosis (APS), a unique strain of the pathogen, Serratia marcescens strain PDR60, was identified from diseased A. palmata, human wastewater, the non-host coral Siderastrea siderea and the corallivorous snail Coralliophila abbreviata. In order to examine humans as a source and other marine invertebrates as vectors and/or reservoirs of the APS pathogen, challenge experiments were conducted with A. palmata maintained in closed aquaria to determine infectivity of strain PDR60 from reef and wastewater sources. Strain PDR60 from wastewater and diseased A. palmata caused disease signs in elkhorn coral in as little as four and five days, respectively, demonstrating that wastewater is a definitive source of APS and identifying human strain PDR60 as a coral pathogen through fulfillment of Koch's postulates. A. palmata inoculated with strain PDR60 from C. abbreviata showed limited virulence, with one of three inoculated fragments developing APS signs within 13 days. Strain PDR60 from non-host coral S. siderea showed a delayed pathogenic effect, with disease signs developing within an average of 20 days. These results suggest that C. abbreviata and non-host corals may function as reservoirs or vectors of the APS pathogen. Our results provide the first example of a marine “reverse zoonosis” involving the transmission of a human pathogen (S. marcescens) to a marine invertebrate (A. palmata). These findings underscore the interaction between public health practices and environmental health indices such as coral reef survival. PMID:21858132

VizieR Online Data Catalog: z>~5 AGN in Chandra Deep Field-South (Weigel+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, A. K.; Schawinski, K.; Treister, E.; Urry, C. M.; Koss, M.; Trakhtenbrot, B.

2015-09-01

The Chandra 4-Ms source catalogue by Xue et al. (2011, Cat. J/ApJS/195/10) is the starting point of this work. It contains 740 sources and provides counts and observed frame fluxes in the soft (0.5-2keV), hard (2-8keV) and full (0.5-8keV) band. All object IDs used in this work refer to the source numbers listed in the Xue et al. (2011, Cat. J/ApJS/195/10) Chandra 4-Ms catalogue. We make use of Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) data from the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey South (GOODS-south) in the optical wavelength range. We use catalogues and images for filters F435W (B), F606W (V), F775W (i) and 850LP (z) from the second GOODS/ACS data release (v2.0; Giavalisco et al., 2004, Cat. II/261). We use Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3)/infrared data from the first data release (DR1, v1.0) for passbands F105W (Y), F125W (J) and F160W (H) (Grogin et al., 2011ApJS..197...35G; Koekemoer et al., 2011ApJS..197...36K). To determine which objects are red, dusty, low-redshift interlopers, we also include the 3.6 and 4.5 micron Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) channels. We use SIMPLE image data from the DR1 (van Dokkum et al., 2005, Spitzer Proposal, 2005.20708) and the first version of the extended SIMPLE catalogue by Damen et al. (2011, Cat. J/ApJ/727/1). (6 data files).

ROLES OF ADIPOCYTES AND FIBROBLASTS IN ACTIVATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY OF COMPLEMENT IN INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS IN MICE

PubMed Central

Arend, William P.; Mehta, Gaurav; Antonioli, Alexandra H.; Takahashi, Minoru; Takahashi, Kazue; Stahl, Gregory L.; Holers, V. Michael; Banda, Nirmal K.

2013-01-01

The complement system is involved in mediation of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis, with evidence suggesting activation of both the classical and alternative pathways (AP). The AP is both necessary and sufficient to mediate collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA), an experimental animal model of immune complex (IC)-induced joint disease. The AP in mice is dependent on MASP-1/3 cleavage of pro-factor D (pro-FD) into mature FD. The objectives of the present study were to determine the cells synthesizing MASP-1/3 and pro-FD in synovial tissue. CAIA was studied in wild-type C57BL/6 mice, and the localization of mRNA and protein for FD and MASP-1/3 in synovial adipose tissue (SAT) and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) was determined using various techniques, including laser capture micro-dissection (LCM). SAT was the sole source of mRNA for pro-FD. Cultured differentiated 3T3 adipocytes, a surrogate for SAT, produced pro-FD but no mature FD. FLS were the main source of MASP-1/3 mRNA and protein. Using cartilage micro-particles (CMP) coated with anti-collagen mAb and serum from MASP-1/3−/− mice as a source of factor B, pro-FD in 3T3 supernatants was cleaved into mature FD by MASP-1/3 in FLS supernatants. The mature FD was eluted from the CMP, and was not present in the supernatants from the incubation with CMP, indicating that cleavage of pro-FD into mature FD by MASP-1 occurred on the CMP. These results demonstrate that pathogenic activation of the AP may occur in the joint through IC adherent to cartilage and the local production of necessary AP proteins by adipocytes and FLS. PMID:23650618

Left-hemisphere activation is associated with enhanced vocal pitch error detection in musicians with absolute pitch

PubMed Central

Behroozmand, Roozbeh; Ibrahim, Nadine; Korzyukov, Oleg; Robin, Donald A.; Larson, Charles R.

2014-01-01

The ability to process auditory feedback for vocal pitch control is crucial during speaking and singing. Previous studies have suggested that musicians with absolute pitch (AP) develop specialized left-hemisphere mechanisms for pitch processing. The present study adopted an auditory feedback pitch perturbation paradigm combined with ERP recordings to test the hypothesis whether the neural mechanisms of the left-hemisphere enhance vocal pitch error detection and control in AP musicians compared with relative pitch (RP) musicians and non-musicians (NM). Results showed a stronger N1 response to pitch-shifted voice feedback in the right-hemisphere for both AP and RP musicians compared with the NM group. However, the left-hemisphere P2 component activation was greater in AP and RP musicians compared with NMs and also for the AP compared with RP musicians. The NM group was slower in generating compensatory vocal reactions to feedback pitch perturbation compared with musicians, and they failed to re-adjust their vocal pitch after the feedback perturbation was removed. These findings suggest that in the earlier stages of cortical neural processing, the right hemisphere is more active in musicians for detecting pitch changes in voice feedback. In the later stages, the left-hemisphere is more active during the processing of auditory feedback for vocal motor control and seems to involve specialized mechanisms that facilitate pitch processing in the AP compared with RP musicians. These findings indicate that the left hemisphere mechanisms of AP ability are associated with improved auditory feedback pitch processing during vocal pitch control in tasks such as speaking or singing. PMID:24355545

Effect of Retraining Approach-Avoidance Tendencies on an Exercise Task: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Cheval, Boris; Sarrazin, Philippe; Pelletier, Luc; Friese, Malte

2016-12-01

Promoting regular physical activity (PA) and lessening sedentary behaviors (SB) constitute a public health priority. Recent evidence suggests that PA and SB are not only related to reflective processes (eg, behavioral intentions), but also to impulsive approach-avoidance tendencies (IAAT). This study aims to test the effect of a computerized IAAT intervention on an exercise task. Participants (N = 115) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions, in which they were either trained to approach PA and avoid SB (ApPA-AvSB condition), to approach SB and avoid PA (ApSB-AvPA condition), or to approach and avoid PA and SB equally often (active control condition). The main outcome variable was the time spent carrying out a moderate intensity exercise task. IAAT toward PA decreased in the ApSB-AvPA condition, tended to increase in the ApPA-AvSB condition, and remained stable in the control condition. Most importantly, the ApPA-AvSB manipulation led to more time spent exercising than the ApSB-AvPA condition. Sensitivity analyses excluding individuals who were highly physically active further revealed that participants in the ApPA-AvSB condition spent more time exercising than participants in the control condition. These findings provide preliminary evidence that a single intervention session can successfully change impulsive approach tendencies toward PA and can increase the time devoted to an exercise task, especially among individuals who need to be more physically active. Potential implications for health behavior theories and behavior change interventions are outlined.

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

Frølich, S.; Leemreize, H.; Jakus, A.

A model sample consisting of two different hydroxyapatite (hAp) powders was used as a bone phantom to investigate the extent to which X-ray diffraction tomography could map differences in hAp lattice constants and crystallite size. The diffraction data were collected at beamline 1-ID, the Advanced Photon Source, using monochromatic 65 keV X-radiation, a 25 × 25 µm pinhole beam and translation/rotation data collection. The diffraction pattern was reconstructed for each volume element (voxel) in the sample, and Rietveld refinement was used to determine the hAp lattice constants. The crystallite size for each voxel was also determined from the 00.2 hApmore » diffraction peak width. The results clearly show that differences between hAp powders could be measured with diffraction tomography.« less

Alternate Lattice Design for Advanced Photon Source Multi-Bend Achromat Upgrade

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

Sun, Yipeng; Borland, Michael

2015-01-01

A 67-pm hybrid-seven-bend achromat (H7BA) lattice is proposed for a futureAdvanced Photon Source (APS)multibend- achromat (MBA) upgrade. This lattice requires use of a swap-out (on-axis) injection scheme. Alternate lattice design work has also been performed to achieve better beam dynamics performance than the nominal APS MBA lattice, in order to allow beam accumulation. One of such alternate H7BA lattice designs, which still targets a very low emittance of 76 pm, is discussed in this paper. With these lattices, existing APS injector complex can be employed without the requirement of a very high charge operation. Studies show that an emittance belowmore » 76 pm can be achieved with the employment of reverse bends in an alternate lattice. We discuss the predicted performance and requirements for these lattices and compare them to the nominal lattice.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Sample of Fermi Blazars (Chen+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.-Y.; Zhang, X.; Xiong, D.-R.; Wang, S.-J.; Yu, X.-L.

2016-04-01

We tried to select a large number of blazars with reliable redshift, radio core and extended radio luminosity at 1.4GHz. Firstly, we considered the following samples of blazars to get the radio core luminosity and extended luminosity at 1.4GHz: Kharb et al. (2010, J/ApJ/710/764), Antonucci & Ulvestad (1985ApJ...294..158A), Cassaro et al. (1999A&AS..139..601C), Murphy et al. (1993MNRAS.264..298M), Landt & Bignall (2008MNRAS.391..967L), Caccianiga & Marcha (2004, Cat. J/MNRAS/348/973), Giroletti et al. (2004). We cross-correlated these samples with the Fermi LAT Third Source Catalog (3FGL), and we acquired the 3FGL spectral index and energy flux at 0.1-100GeV from clean sources in 3FGL (Fermi-LAT Collaboration 2015, J/ApJS/218/23) Using these catalogs, we compiled 201 Fermi blazars. (1 data file).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: X-ray+Radio sources in XBootes (El Bouchefry, 2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Bouchefry, K.

2010-08-01

The radio data are from the 2002 version of the FIRST VLA catalogue (Becker et al., 1995, See Cat. VIII/71), and it is derived from 1993 through 2002 observations. The X-ray data (Kenter et al. 2005, Cat. J/ApJS/161/9; Murray et al. 2005ApJS..161....1M) used in this paper are from the Chandra XBootes surveys. The XBootes catalogue contains ~3213 X-ray point sources and is publicly available through the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) Deep Wide Field Survey (NDWFS) homepage (http://www.noao.edu/noao/noaodeep/XBootesPublic/index.html) The NDWFS is a deep multiband imaging (Bw, R, I, J, H, K) designed to study the formation and evolution of large-scale structures (Jannuzi et al., 1999, BAAS, 31, 1392; Brown et al., 2003ApJ...597..225B). (1 data file).

Associations between the incidence of antiphosphatidylserine and antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies and clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Butkiewicz, Filip; Kaszuba, Michał; Brzeziński, Michał; Iżbicki, Jan; Kubiś, Marek; Lopiński, Hubert; Borowiak, Michał; Szelepajło, Michał; Fischer, Katarzyna; Fliciński, Jacek

2014-01-01

Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies (aPE) and antiphosphatidylserine antibodies (aPS) belong to a group of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) that occur in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to examine associations between the elevated serum concentration of aPE/aPS, the clinical manifestations of SLE, and the presence of other autoantibodies. The study group included 71 patients with SLE. The control group comprised 36 healthy volunteers. In both groups, serum aPS and aPE concentrations were measured with enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays. Clinical data, including clinical manifestations and the laboratory markers of SLE, were obtained from medical records. The study revealed a higher prevalence of aPE in patients with SLE than in controls (54.93% vs. 5.56%). aPS were observed in the study group less frequently compared with aPE (12.68% vs. 54.93%) and were absent in controls. Anticardiolipin antibodies and APS were found to be associated with the presence of aPS. Thrombocytopenia, Raynaud phenomenon, and myocardial infarction were observed more frequently among aPS‑positive patients. The presence of aPE was also associated with the occurrence of mucosal ulcers in the mouth cavity. A positive correlation between aPS and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was also observed. The serum concentration of aPE inversely correlated with red blood cell count and positively with ESR. The presence of aPS in patients with SLE is associated with thrombocytopenia, Raynaud phenomenon, and cardiac complications.

A 10 Day Period in IGR J16328-4726 from Swift/BAT Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbet, R. H. D.; Barthelmy, S. D.; Baumgartner, W. H.; Krimm, H. A.; Markwardt, C. B.; Skinner, G. K.; Tueller, J.

2010-04-01

IGR J16328-4726 is a little studied X-ray source. It is listed as a "blended" variable source in the 4th IBIS/ISGRI Catalog (Bird et al. 2010, ApJ Supp, 186, 1) but is not present in the Swift BAT 22 month all-sky survey (Tueller et al. 2010, ApJ Supp, 186, 378). Grupe et al. (2009, ATel #2075) report a flare detected with the Swift BAT which was followed up with Swift XRT observations. We have analyzed the Swift BAT 58 month survey (Baumgartner et al.

Hard X-Rays can BE Used to Visualize Cochlear Soft Tissue Displacements in a Closed Cochlea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, C.-P.; Fishman, A.; Fan, L.; Shintani, S.; Rau, C.

2009-02-01

Experiments were made at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory. The APS is a synchrotron radiation source of the third generation, for which the particular characteristic is the highly coherent X-ray radiation. X-rays are generated with an undulator, inserted in a straight section of the storage ring. Images taken with hard X-rays at full field. A video flow algorithm by Lucas and Kanade was used to determine and quantify cochlear soft tissue displacements. The results show that displacements as low as 100 nm could be visualized.

Tank 241-AP-106, Grab samples, 6AP-98-1, 6AP-98-2 and 6AP-98-3 Analytical results for the final report

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

FULLER, R.K.

1999-02-23

This document is the final report for tank 241-AP-106 grab samples. Three grab samples 6AP-98-1, 6AP-98-2 and 6AP-98-3 were taken from riser 1 of tank 241-AP-106 on May 28, 1998 and received by the 222-S Laboratory on May 28, 1998. Analyses were performed in accordance with the ''Compatability Grab Sampling and Analysis Plan'' (TSAP) (Sasaki, 1998) and the ''Data Quality Objectives for Tank Farms Waste Compatability Program (DQO). The analytical results are presented in the data summary report. No notification limits were exceeded. The request for sample analysis received for AP-106 indicated that the samples were polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) suspects.more » The results of this analysis indicated that no PCBs were present at the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) regulated limit of 50 ppm. The results and raw data for the PCB analysis are included in this document.« less

Infrared Camera Characterization of Bi-Propellant Reaction Control Engines during Auxiliary Propulsion Systems Tests at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holleman, Elizabeth; Sharp, David; Sheller, Richard; Styron, Jason

2007-01-01

This paper describes the application of a FUR Systems A40M infrared (IR) digital camera for thermal monitoring of a Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Ethanol bi-propellant Reaction Control Engine (RCE) during Auxiliary Propulsion System (APS) testing at the National Aeronautics & Space Administration's (NASA) White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Typically, NASA has relied mostly on the use of ThermoCouples (TC) for this type of thermal monitoring due to the variability of constraints required to accurately map rapidly changing temperatures from ambient to glowing hot chamber material. Obtaining accurate real-time temperatures in the JR spectrum is made even more elusive by the changing emissivity of the chamber material as it begins to glow. The parameters evaluated prior to APS testing included: (1) remote operation of the A40M camera using fiber optic Firewire signal sender and receiver units; (2) operation of the camera inside a Pelco explosion proof enclosure with a germanium window; (3) remote analog signal display for real-time monitoring; (4) remote digital data acquisition of the A40M's sensor information using FUR's ThermaCAM Researcher Pro 2.8 software; and (5) overall reliability of the system. An initial characterization report was prepared after the A40M characterization tests at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to document controlled heat source comparisons to calibrated TCs. Summary IR digital data recorded from WSTF's APS testing is included within this document along with findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for further usage as a monitoring tool for the development of rocket engines.

Preclinical medical students' understandings of academic and medical professionalism: visual analysis of mind maps.

PubMed

Janczukowicz, Janusz; Rees, Charlotte E

2017-08-18

Several studies have begun to explore medical students' understandings of professionalism generally and medical professionalism specifically. Despite espoused relationships between academic (AP) and medical professionalism (MP), previous research has not yet investigated students' conceptualisations of AP and MP and the relationships between the two. The current study, based on innovative visual analysis of mind maps, therefore aims to contribute to the developing literature on how professionalism is understood. We performed a multilayered analysis of 98 mind maps from 262 first-year medical students, including analysing textual and graphical elements of AP, MP and the relationships between AP and MP. The most common textual attributes of AP were learning, lifestyle and personality, while attributes of MP were knowledge, ethics and patient-doctor relations. Images of books, academic caps and teachers were used most often to represent AP, while images of the stethoscope, doctor and red cross were used to symbolise MP. While AP-MP relations were sometimes indicated through co-occurring text, visual connections and higher-order visual metaphors, many students struggled to articulate the relationships between AP and MP. While the mind maps' textual attributes shared similarities with those found in previous research, suggesting the universality of some professionalism attributes, our study provides new insights into students' conceptualisations of AP, MP and AP-MP relationships. We encourage medical educators to help students develop their understandings of AP, MP and AP-MP relationships, plus consider the feasibility and value of mind maps as a source of visual data for medical education research. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Heart rate informed artificial pancreas system enhances glycemic control during exercise in adolescents with T1D.

PubMed

DeBoer, Mark D; Cherñavvsky, Daniel R; Topchyan, Katarina; Kovatchev, Boris P; Francis, Gary L; Breton, Marc D

2017-11-01

To evaluate the safety and performance of using a heart rate (HR) monitor to inform an artificial pancreas (AP) system during exercise among adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). In a randomized, cross-over trial, adolescents with T1D age 13 - 18 years were enrolled to receive on separate days either the unmodified UVa AP (stdAP) or an AP system connected to a portable HR monitor (AP-HR) that triggered an exercise algorithm for blood glucose (BG) control. During admissions participants underwent a structured exercise regimen. Hypoglycemic events and CGM tracings were compared between the two admissions, during exercise and for the full 24-hour period. Eighteen participants completed the trial. While number of hypoglycemic events during exercise and rest was not different between visits (0.39 AP-HR vs 0.50 stdAP), time below 70 mg dL -1 was lower on AP-HR compared to stdAP, 0.5±2.1% vs 7.4±12.5% (P = 0.028). Time with BG within 70-180 mg dL -1 was higher for the AP-HR admission vs stdAP during the exercise portion and overall (96% vs 87%, and 77% vs 74%), but these did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.075 and P = 0.366). Heart rate signals can safely and efficaciously be integrated in a wireless AP system to inform of physical activity. While exercise contributes to hypoglycemia among adolescents, even when using an AP system, informing the system of exercise via a HR monitor improved time <70 mg dL -1 . Nonetheless, it did not significantly reduce the total number of hypoglycemic events, which were low in both groups. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Preparation and characterization of superfine ammonium perchlorate (AP) crystals through ceramic membrane anti-solvent crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zhenye; Li, Cheng; Wu, Rujun; Chen, Rizhi; Gu, Zhenggui

2009-10-01

In this paper, a novel ceramic membrane anti-solvent crystallization (CMASC) method was proposed for the safe and rapid preparation ammonium perchlorate (AP) crystals, in which the acetone and ethyl acetate were chosen as solvent and anti-solvent, respectively. Comparing with the conventional liquid anti-solvent crystallization (LASC), CMASC which successfully introduces ceramic membrane with regular pore structure to the LASC as feeding medium, is favorable to control the rate of feeding rate and, therefore, to obtain size and morphology controllable AP. Several kinds of micro-sized AP particles with different morphology were obtained including polyhedral-like, quadrate-like to rod-like. The effect of processing parameters on the crystal size and shape of AP crystals such as volume ratio of anti-solvent to solvent, feeding pressure and crystallization temperature were investigated. It is found that higher volume ratio of anti-solvent to solvent, higher feeding pressure and higher temperature result in smaller particle size. Scaning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the resulting AP crystals. The nucleation and growth kinetic of the resulting AP crystals were also discussed.

Three Bright X-ray Sources in NGC 1313

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Petre, R.; Schlegel, E.

1992-12-01

Three bright X-ray sources were detected in a recent (April/May 1991) ROSAT PSPC observation of the nearby (D ~ 4.5 Mpc) face--on barred spiral galaxy NGC 1313. Two of the sources were at positions coincident with X-ray sources detected by Fabbiano & Trinchieri (ApJ 315, 1987) in a previous (Jan 1980) Einstein IPC observation. The position of the brightest Einstein source is near the center of NGC 1313, and the second Einstein source is ~ 7' south of the ``nuclear'' source, in the outskirts of the spiral arms. A third bright X-ray source was detected in the ROSAT observation ~ 7' southwest of the ``nuclear'' source. We present X-ray spectra and X-ray images for the three bright sources found in the ROSAT observation of NGC 1313, and compare with previous Einstein results. Spectral analysis of these sources require them to have very large soft X-ray luminosities ( ~ 10(40) erg s(-1) ) when compared with typical X-ray sources in our Galaxy. Feasible explanations for the X-ray emission are presented. The third X-ray source is positively identified with the recently discovered (Ryder et. al., ApJ 1992) peculiar type-II supernova 1978K.

Integration of gene expression profiling of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus with genome-wide associations to discover functional variants associated with age at puberty in gilts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Age at puberty (AP) in gilts is a moderately heritable trait (h2 = 0.37) and the earliest indicator of sow reproductive longevity. Therefore, quantifying the pleiotropic sources that influence both AP and reproductive longevity is important in understanding the differences in sow fertility. In this ...

Overexpression of two PsnAP1 genes from Populus simonii × P. nigra causes early flowering in transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Zheng, Tangchun; Li, Shuang; Zang, Lina; Dai, Lijuan; Yang, Chuanping; Qu, Guan-Zheng

2014-01-01

In Arabidopsis, AP1 is a floral meristem identity gene and plays an important role in floral organ development. In this study, PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 were isolated from the male reproductive buds of poplar (Populus simonii × P. nigra), which are the orthologs of AP1 in Arabidopsis, by sequence analysis. Northern blot and qRT-PCR analysis showed that PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 exhibited high expression level in early inflorescence development of poplar. Subcellular localization showed the PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 proteins are localized in the nucleus. Overexpression of PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 in tobacco under the control of a CaMV 35S promoter significantly enhanced early flowering. These transgenic plants also showed much earlier stem initiation and higher rates of photosynthesis than did wild-type tobacco. qRT-PCR analysis further indicated that overexpression of PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 resulted in up-regulation of genes related to flowering, such as NtMADS4, NtMADS5 and NtMADS11. Overexpression of PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 in Arabidopsis also induced early flowering, but did not complement the ap1-10 floral morphology to any noticeable extent. This study indicates that PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 play a role in floral transition of poplar.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Reduce Bone Resorption While Promoting Bone Generation in Rat Apical Periodontitis.

PubMed

Azuma, Mariane Maffei; Gomes-Filho, João Eduardo; Ervolino, Edilson; Pipa, Camila Barbosa; Cardoso, Carolina de Barros Morais; Andrada, Ana Cristina; Kawai, Toshihisa; Cintra, Luciano Tavares Angelo

2017-06-01

This study evaluated the effects of the dietary supplement omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) on pulp exposure-induced apical periodontitis (AP) in rats. Twenty-eight male rats were divided into groups: control untreated rats (C), control rats treated with ω-3 PUFAs alone (C-O), rats with pulp exposure-induced AP, and rats with pulp exposure-induced AP treated with ω-3 PUFAs (AP-O). The ω-3 PUFAs were administered orally, once a day, for 15 days before pulp exposure and, subsequently, 30 days after pulp exposure. Rats were killed 30 days after pulp exposure, and jaws were subjected to histologic and immunohistochemical analyses. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to detect tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive osteoclasts and osteocalcin-positive osteoblasts on the bone surface of periapical area. Results were statistically evaluated by using analysis of variance and Tukey honestly significant difference, and P < .05 was considered statistically significant. The bone resorption lesion was significantly larger in the AP group compared with AP-O, C, and C-O groups (P < .05). The level of inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly elevated, and the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive osteoclasts was significantly higher in the periapical lesions of the AP group compared with AP-O, C, and C-O groups (P < .05). The number of osteocalcin-positive osteoblasts was significantly increased in the AP-O group compared with the AP group (P > .05). Supplementation with ω-3 PUFAs not only suppresses bone resorption but also promotes new bone formation in the periapical area of rats with AP in conjunction with downregulation of inflammatory cell infiltration into the lesion. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A second-generation superconducting undulator cryostat for the APS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuerst, J.; Hasse, Q.; Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Kasa, M.; Shiroyanagi, Y.

2017-12-01

A second-generation cryocooler-based cryostat has been designed and built to support a new helically wound superconducting undulator (SCU) magnet for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The design represents an evolution of existing SCU cryostats currently in operation in the APS storage ring. Value engineering and lessons learned have resulted in a smaller, cheaper, and simpler cryostat design compatible with existing planar magnets as well as the new helically wound device. We describe heat load and quench response results, design and operational details, and the “build-to-spec” procurement strategy.

Does increased postural threat lead to more conscious control of posture?

PubMed

Huffman, J L; Horslen, B C; Carpenter, M G; Adkin, A L

2009-11-01

Although it is well established that postural threat modifies postural control, little is known regarding the underlying mechanism(s) responsible for these changes. It is possible that changes in postural control under conditions of elevated postural threat result from a shift to a more conscious control of posture. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of elevated postural threat on conscious control of posture and to determine the relationship between conscious control and postural control measures. Forty-eight healthy young adults stood on a force plate at two different surface heights: ground level (LOW) and 3.2-m above ground level (HIGH). Centre of pressure measures calculated in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction were mean position (AP-MP), root mean square (AP-RMS) and mean power frequency (AP-MPF). A modified state-specific version of the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale was used to measure conscious motor processing (CMP) and movement self-consciousness (MSC). Balance confidence, fear of falling, perceived stability, and perceived and actual anxiety indicators were also collected. A significant effect of postural threat was found for movement reinvestment as participants reported more conscious control and a greater concern about their posture at the HIGH height. Significant correlations between CMP and MSC with AP-MP were observed as participants who consciously controlled and were more concerned for their posture leaned further away from the platform edge. It is possible that changes in movement reinvestment can influence specific aspects of posture (leaning) but other aspects may be immune to these changes (amplitude and frequency).

Apparent mineral retention is similar in control and hyperinsulinemic men after consumption of high amylose cornstarch.

PubMed

Behall, Kay M; Howe, Juliette C; Anderson, Richard A

2002-07-01

The effects on apparent mineral retention after long-term consumption of a high amylose diet containing 30 g resistant starch (RS) were investigated in 10 control and 14 hyperinsulinemic men. Subjects consumed products (bread, muffins, cookies, corn flakes and cheese puffs) made with standard (70% amylopectin, 30% amylose; AP) or high amylose (70% amylose, 30% amylopectin; AM) cornstarch for two 14-wk periods in a crossover pattern. Starch products replaced usual starches in the habitual diet for 10 wk followed by 4 wk of consuming the controlled diets. During wk 12, all urine, feces and duplicate foods were collected for 7 d. Urinary chromium losses after a glucose tolerance test or 24-h collections of the hyperinsulinemic and control subjects did not differ and were not altered by diet. Except for zinc, the two subject types did not differ significantly in apparent mineral balance. Apparent retentions of calcium and magnesium were not significantly affected by diet (AM vs. AP) or type-by-diet interaction. Apparent iron retention tended to be greater after AM than AP consumption (P < 0.09). Apparent copper retention was greater after consuming AP than after AM (P < 0.02), whereas apparent zinc retention was greater after consuming AM than after AP (P < 0.018). Zinc also showed a significant type-by-diet interaction (P < 0.034) with control subjects retaining less zinc after consuming AP than after AM. In summary, a high amylose cornstarch diet containing 30 g RS could be consumed long term without markedly affecting, and possibly enhancing, retention of some minerals.

The Role of Authoritative Parenting in Adolescent Type 1 Diabetes Management.

PubMed

Radcliff, Zach; Weaver, Patrick; Chen, Rusan; Streisand, Randi; Holmes, Clarissa

2018-03-01

Adolescents with Type 1 diabetes are at risk for poorer adherence, lower quality of life (QOL), and poorer glycemic control (HbA1c). Authoritative parenting (AP) along with youth adherence and QOL was hypothesized to relate to better HbA1c. Parent-youth dyads (N = 257) completed baseline measures of adherence and QOL. Youth completed an AP questionnaire, and HbA1c samples were evaluated. Structural equation modeling determined relations among AP, adherence, QOL, and glycemic control. AP indirectly linked to better HbA1c (β = -.15, p = .021) through both better adherence and higher QOL. AP also was associated directly with better adherence (β = .26, p = .001), which in turn was linked to better HbA1c (β = -.35, p = .021). In addition, adherence was associated directly with QOL (β = -.56, p = .001). Together, better youth adherence and higher QOL are two mechanisms by which more AP indirectly relates to better glycemic control during the early adolescent years. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Non-pharmacological management of abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders in children.

PubMed

Paul, Siba Prosad; Basude, Dharamveer

2016-11-01

Abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorder (AP-FGID) comprises of 4 main conditions: functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal migraine and functional abdominal pain. AP-FGIDs are diagnosed clinically based on the Rome IV criteria for FGIDs of childhood. There is limited evidence for pharmacological therapies. This review article discusses nonpharmacological management of AP-FGID based on the current literature including systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cohort and case control studies. We aim to provide a comprehensive overview on the available evidence for the pediatricians and pediatric gastroenterologists involved in managing children with AP-FGID. Managing AP-FGIDs can be challenging. This should follow a stepwise approach with focused history, identification of "red flag" signs and symptoms, physical examination and investigations done following initial consultation. Family needs explaining that there is nothing seriously wrong with the child's abdomen. This explanation and reassurance can achieve symptom control in large number of cases. Non-pharmacological interventions are delivered through lifestyle and dietary changes and bio-psychosocial therapies. Dietary interventions vary depending on the type of AP-FGID. Bio-psychosocial therapies such as hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and yoga aim at stress reduction. There is increasing evidence for use of non-pharmacological interventions in children with APFGID.

Characterization of alkaline phosphatase activity in seminal plasma and in fresh and frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa.

PubMed

Bucci, Diego; Giaretta, Elisa; Spinaci, Marcella; Rizzato, Giovanni; Isani, Gloria; Mislei, Beatrice; Mari, Gaetano; Tamanini, Carlo; Galeati, Giovanna

2016-01-15

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) has been studied in several situations to elucidate its role in reproductive biology of the male from different mammalian species; at present, its role in horse sperm physiology is not clear. The aim of the present work was to measure AP activity in seminal plasma and sperm extracts from freshly ejaculated as well as in frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa and to verify whether relationship exists between AP activity and sperm quality parameters. Our data on 40 freshly ejaculated samples from 10 different stallions demonstrate that the main source of AP activity is seminal plasma, whereas sperm extracts contribution is very low. In addition, we found that AP activity at physiological pH (7.0) is significantly lower than that observed at pH 8.0, including the optimal AP pH (pH 10.0). Alkaline phosphatase did not exert any effect on sperm-oocyte interaction assessed by heterologous oocyte binding assay. Additionally, we observed a thermal stability of seminal plasma AP, concluding that it is similar to that of bone isoforms. Positive correlations were found between seminal plasma AP activity and sperm concentration, whereas a negative correlation was present between both spermatozoa extracts and seminal plasma AP activity and seminal plasma protein content. A significant decrease in sperm extract AP activity was found in frozen-thawed samples compared with freshly ejaculated ones (n = 21), concomitantly with the decrease in sperm quality parameters. The positive correlation between seminal plasma AP activity measured at pH 10 and viability of frozen-thawed spermatozoa suggests that seminal plasma AP activity could be used as an additional predictive parameter for stallion sperm freezability. In conclusion, we provide some insights into AP activity in both seminal plasma and sperm extracts and describe a decrease in AP after freezing and thawing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Apelin-13 increased food intake with serum ghrelin and leptin levels in male rats.

PubMed

Saral, S; Alkanat, M; Sumer, A; Canpolat, S

2018-01-01

In this study, we aimed to explain the role of apelin-13 on body weight, food and water intake with serum leptin, ghrelin, neuropeptid Y (NPY) and peptid YY (PYY) levels in male rat. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley male rats were used for the study. The rats were injected SP (0.9 %) intraperitoneally (i.p) in the control group and 30 (AP30), 100 (AP100) and 300 (AP300) µg/kg apelin-13 in the study groups, respectively, 10 min before the transition to dark period, for 10 days. During the experimental period, with light and dark periods of food and water intake, body weights were recorded in rats. Rats were euthanized and serum samples were obtained. In serum samples leptin, ghrelin, NPY and PYY levels were measured with specific ELISA kit. Apelin-13 was increased body weights in all three (AP30, AP100 and AP300) groups compared with the control group. AP100 and AP300 groups had increased food intake in the dark and the cumulative period, but in the light period food intake values were not significantly increased (p > 0.05). As for the value of water intake, compared with the control group, all dose of apelin-13 increased water intake during the dark and the cumulative period. There was no significant change in water intake in the light period. On the other hand, compared with the control group, serum leptin levels were found to increase in the groups administered 100 and 300 µg/kg of apelin-13 (p < 0.05). Ghrelin levels were found high in all groups treated with apelin-13. Serum levels of NPY decreased only in the 300 µg/kg apelin-13 treated group (p 0.05). Apelin-13 increases body weight in rats as well as food and water intake (dark and cumulative period). Additionally, ghrelin can mediate the orexigenic effect of apelin-13 in the regulation of food intake (Fig. 4, Ref. 37).

Risk factors associated with actinic prurigo: a case control study*

PubMed Central

Cuevas-Gonzalez, Juan Carlos; Vega-Memíje, María Elisa; Borges-Yáñez, Socorro Aída; Rodríguez-Lobato, Erika

2017-01-01

Background Actinic prurigo (AP) is an idiopathic photodermatosis. Although its initial manifestations can appear in 6 to 8-year-old children, cases are diagnosed later, between the second and fourth decades of life, when the injuries are exacerbated. Objective To identify risk factors associated with clinical manifestations of AP such as skin and mucosal lesions. Methods Thirty patients with AP and 60 controls were included in the study, the dependent variable was the presence of skin or labial mucosal lesions, the independent variables were age, sex, solar exposure, living with pets or farm animals, exposure to wood smoke, smoking habit, years smoking, and hours spent per day and per week in contact with people who smoke. Results Of the 30 diagnosed AP patients, 66.7% were female. Patients age ranged from 7 to 71 years and the mean age was 35.77 ± 14.55 years. We found significant differences with the age and cohabitation with farm animals. Those who lived with farm animals presented 14.31 times higher probability of developing AP (95% CI 3-78.06). Study limitations This is a case-control study; therefore, a causal relationship cannot be proven, and these results cannot be generalized to every population. Conclusions The identification of factors related to the development of AP increases our knowledge of its physiopathology. Moreover, identifying antigens that possibly trigger the allergic reaction will have preventive and therapeutic applications in populations at risk of AP. PMID:29364431

Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein and Citrulline as Markers of Gut Injury and Prognosis in Patients With Acute Pancreatitis.

PubMed

Goswami, Pooja; Sonika, Ujjwal; Moka, Praneeth; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Saraya, Anoop

Severe acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with high mortality due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome in the early phase and secondary infection in the later phase. Concomitant intestinal ischemia often results in gut injury. We studied intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP) and citrulline levels as markers of gut injury to predict prognosis in AP. Acute pancreatitis patients at admission and controls were studied. Serum IFABP was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and plasma citrulline by high-performance liquid chromatography technique. Ultrastructural changes in duodenal biopsy were also compared between the 2 groups. The IFABP concentration was significantly higher in AP cases (n = 94) compared with controls (n = 100) (mean [standard deviation], 592.5 [753.6] vs 87.8 [67.6] pg/mL; P < 0.001) and in patients with severe AP versus mild AP (738.3 [955.3] vs 404.0 [263.3] pg/ mL, P = 0.03). Citrulline concentration was lower in AP versus controls (29.9 [33.8] vs 83.9 [60.1] μg/L, P < 0.001). We propose a model by which these biomarkers (IFABP >350 pg/mL and citrulline <18 μg/L) are able to predict poor prognosis in 33.9% of patients with AP. The gut injury was also validated via ultrastructural changes. Intestinal fatty acid binding protein is a promising prognostic marker in acute pancreatitis.

The α-MSH analogue AP214 attenuates rise in pulmonary pressure and fall in ejection fraction in lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome in pigs.

PubMed

Kristensen, Jens; Jonassen, Thomas E N; Rehling, Michael; Tønnesen, Else; Sloth, Erik; Nielsen, Søren; Frøkiaer, Jørgen

2011-01-01

The effect of an α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) analogue (AP214) on experimentally endotoxin-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) was studied, because α-MSH in rodent models has shown promise in attenuating inflammatory response markers and associated organ damage in SIRS. SIRS is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Consequently, new treatment modalities are still warranted to address the different aspects of the pathophysiological process. SIRS was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Escherichia coli endotoxin) infusion in anaesthetized Danish Landrace pigs (20-25 kg). The pigs received an α-MSH analogue (AP214) or saline as a bolus at the initiation of the LPS infusion. The hemodynamic response was registered as well as echocardiographic indices of left ventricular function. The cardiovascular response was recorded together with echocardiographic indices of left ventricular function in control and in intervention animals. AP214 reduced the early peak in pulmonary pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance by approximately 33%. Furthermore, AP214 prevented the decline in left ventricular fractional shortening as observed in the control group. Mean change and standard deviation in fractional shortening (ΔFS) in control group: - 7·3 (4·7), AP214 (low dose): 0·9 (8·2) and AP214 (high dose) 4·1 (6·0), P < 0·05 for both intervention groups versus control. In the porcine model, the peak increase in pulmonary pressure was attenuated, and the LPS-induced decline in left ventricular function was prevented. © 2010 The Authors. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging © 2010 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine.

Left-hemisphere activation is associated with enhanced vocal pitch error detection in musicians with absolute pitch.

PubMed

Behroozmand, Roozbeh; Ibrahim, Nadine; Korzyukov, Oleg; Robin, Donald A; Larson, Charles R

2014-02-01

The ability to process auditory feedback for vocal pitch control is crucial during speaking and singing. Previous studies have suggested that musicians with absolute pitch (AP) develop specialized left-hemisphere mechanisms for pitch processing. The present study adopted an auditory feedback pitch perturbation paradigm combined with ERP recordings to test the hypothesis whether the neural mechanisms of the left-hemisphere enhance vocal pitch error detection and control in AP musicians compared with relative pitch (RP) musicians and non-musicians (NM). Results showed a stronger N1 response to pitch-shifted voice feedback in the right-hemisphere for both AP and RP musicians compared with the NM group. However, the left-hemisphere P2 component activation was greater in AP and RP musicians compared with NMs and also for the AP compared with RP musicians. The NM group was slower in generating compensatory vocal reactions to feedback pitch perturbation compared with musicians, and they failed to re-adjust their vocal pitch after the feedback perturbation was removed. These findings suggest that in the earlier stages of cortical neural processing, the right hemisphere is more active in musicians for detecting pitch changes in voice feedback. In the later stages, the left-hemisphere is more active during the processing of auditory feedback for vocal motor control and seems to involve specialized mechanisms that facilitate pitch processing in the AP compared with RP musicians. These findings indicate that the left hemisphere mechanisms of AP ability are associated with improved auditory feedback pitch processing during vocal pitch control in tasks such as speaking or singing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of current-mode active pixel sensor circuits using amorphous InSnZnO thin-film transistor for 50-μm pixel-pitch indirect X-ray imagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Mao-Hsun; Zhao, Chumin; Kanicki, Jerzy

2017-05-01

Current-mode active pixel sensor (C-APS) circuits based on amorphous indium-tin-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors (a-ITZO TFTs) are proposed for indirect X-ray imagers. The proposed C-APS circuits include a combination of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) p+-i-n+ photodiode (PD) and a-ITZO TFTs. Source-output (SO) and drain-output (DO) C-APS are investigated and compared. Acceptable signal linearity and high gains are realized for SO C-APS. APS circuit characteristics including voltage gain, charge gain, signal linearity, charge-to-current conversion gain, electron-to-voltage conversion gain are evaluated. The impact of the a-ITZO TFT threshold voltage shifts on C-APS is also considered. A layout for a pixel pitch of 50 μm and an associated fabrication process are suggested. Data line loadings for 4k-resolution X-ray imagers are computed and their impact on circuit performances is taken into consideration. Noise analysis is performed, showing a total input-referred noise of 239 e-.

Exopolysaccharide-producing lactic acid bacteria strains from traditional Thai fermented foods: isolation, identification and exopolysaccharide characterization.

PubMed

Smitinont, T; Tansakul, C; Tanasupawat, S; Keeratipibul, S; Navarini, L; Bosco, M; Cescutti, P

1999-10-15

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) isolated from various traditional Thai fermented foods were screened for exopolysaccharides (EPS) production. From 104 isolates, two rod-shaped and five coccal-shaped LAB were able to produce EPS from sucrose on solid media. However, only the cocci were capable of producing EPS in liquid media and these were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus. Pediococcus pentosaceus strains AP-1 and AP-3 produced EPS in high yield. In liquid media containing sucrose as carbon source, the amount of EPS produced by AP-1 and AP-3 strains was 6.0 and 2.5 g/L, respectively. The isolated and purified EPSs were chemically characterized. On the basis of sugar composition, methylation analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, both the EPSs were shown to belong to the same dextran class. In particular, both EPSs differed from linear dextran by branching through 3,6-di-Osubstituted alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residues. The EPS from P. pentosaceus AP-3 was characterized by a relatively higher degree of branching and by a higher molecular weight than that from P. pentosaceus AP-1.

Computer-controlled closed-loop drug infusion system for automated hemodynamic resuscitation in endotoxin-induced shock.

PubMed

Uemura, Kazunori; Kawada, Toru; Zheng, Can; Li, Meihua; Sugimachi, Masaru

2017-10-23

Hemodynamic resuscitation in septic shock requires aggressive fluid replacement and appropriate use of vasopressors to optimize arterial pressure (AP) and cardiac output (CO). Because responses to these drugs vary between patients and within patient over time, strict monitoring of patient condition and repetitive adjustment of drug dose are required. This task is time and labor consuming, and is associated with poor adherence to resuscitation guidelines. To overcome this issue, we developed a computer-controlled closed-loop drug infusion system for automated hemodynamic resuscitation in septic shock, and evaluated the performance of the system in a canine model of endotoxin shock. Our system monitors AP, CO and central venous pressure, and computes arterial resistance (R), stressed blood volume (V) and Frank-Starling slope of left ventricle (S). The system controls R with noradrenaline (NA), and V with Ringer's acetate solution (RiA), thereby controlling AP and CO. In 4 dogs, AP and CO were measured invasively. In another 4 dogs, AP and CO were measured less invasively using clinically acceptable modalities, aiming to make the system clinically feasible. In all 8 dogs, endotoxin shock was induced by injecting Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, which significantly decreased AP from 95 (91-108) to 43 (39-45) mmHg, and CO from 112 (104-142) to 62 (51-73) ml·min -1 ·kg -1 . The system was then connected to the dogs, and activated. System performance was observed over a period of 4 h. Our system immediately started infusions of NA and RiA. Within 40 min, RiA increased V to target level, and NA maintained R at target level, while S was concomitantly increased. These resulted in restoration of AP to 70 (69-71) mmHg and CO to 130 (125-138) ml·min -1 ·kg -1 . Median of absolute performance error, an index of precision of control, was small in AP [2.5 (2.1-4.5) %] and CO [2.4 (1.4-5.5) %], which were not increased even when the variables were measured less invasively. In a canine model of endotoxin shock, our system automatically improved and maintained AP and CO at their target values with small performance error. Our system is potentially an attractive clinical tool for rescuing patients with septic shock.

Novel fluorescent labelled affinity probes for diadenosine-5',5'''-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A)-binding studies.

PubMed

Wright, Michael; Miller, Andrew D

2006-02-15

Tandem synthetic-biosynthetic procedures were used to prepare two novel fluorescent labelled affinity probes for diadenosine-5',5'''-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A)-binding studies. These compounds (dial-mant-Ap4A and azido-mant-Ap4A) are shown to clearly distinguish known Ap4A-binding proteins from Escherichia coli (LysU and GroEL) and a variety of other control proteins. Successful labelling of chaperonin GroEL appears to be allosteric with respect to the well-characterized adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-binding site, suggesting that GroEL possesses a distinct Ap4A-binding site.

High Precision Motion Control System for the Two-Stage Light Gas Gun at the Dynamic Compression Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zdanowicz, E.; Guarino, V.; Konrad, C.; Williams, B.; Capatina, D.; D'Amico, K.; Arganbright, N.; Zimmerman, K.; Turneaure, S.; Gupta, Y. M.

2017-06-01

The Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), located at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), has a diverse set of dynamic compression drivers to obtain time resolved x-ray data in single event, dynamic compression experiments. Because the APS x-ray beam direction is fixed, each driver at DCS must have the capability to move through a large range of linear and angular motions with high precision to accommodate a wide variety of scientific needs. Particularly challenging was the design and implementation of the motion control system for the two-stage light gas gun, which rests on a 26' long structure and weighs over 2 tons. The target must be precisely positioned in the x-ray beam while remaining perpendicular to the gun barrel axis to ensure one-dimensional loading of samples. To accommodate these requirements, the entire structure can pivot through 60° of angular motion and move 10's of inches along four independent linear directions with 0.01° and 10 μm resolution, respectively. This presentation will provide details of how this system was constructed, how it is controlled, and provide examples of the wide range of x-ray/sample geometries that can be accommodated. Work supported by DOE/NNSA.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: The MIT-Green Bank 5GHz Survey (Bennett+, 1986-91)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, C. L.; Lawrence, C. R.; Burke, B. F.; Hewitt, J. N.; Mahoney, J.

2003-08-01

The MIT-Green Bank 5GHz survey catalog was produced from four separate surveys with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 91m transit telescope (Bennett et al., 1986ApJS...61....1B (MG1); Langston et al., 1990ApJS...72..621L (MG2); Griffith et al., 1990ApJS...74..129G (MG3); Griffith et al. 1991ApJS...75..801G (MG4)). The sky coverage of the various surveys is: 00h < RAB < 24h, -00d30'13" < DECB < +19d29'47" for MG1; 04h < RAJ < 21h, +17.0d < DECJ < +39d09' for MG2; 16h30m < RAB < 05h, +17d < DECB < +39d09' for MG3; and 15h30m < RAB < 02h30m, +37.00d < DECB < +50d58'48" for MG4; where RAB and DECB refer to B1950 coordinates, and RAJ and DECJ refer to J2000 coordinates. The catalog contains 20344 sources detected with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5 and 3836 possible detections (MG1) with a signal-to-noise ratio less than 5. Spectral indices are computed for MG1 sources also identified in the Texas 365MHz survey (Douglas et al. 1980), and for MG1-MG4 sources also identified in the NRAO 1400MHz Survey (Condon and Broderick 1985). (1 data file).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: The MIT-Green Bank 5GHz Survey (Bennett+, 1986-91)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, C. L.; Lawrence, C. R.; Burke, B. F.; Hewitt, J. N.; Mahoney, J.

1999-04-01

The MIT-Green Bank 5 GHz survey catalog was produced from four separate surveys with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 91m transit telescope (Bennett et al., 1986ApJS...61....1B (MG1); Langston et al., 1990ApJS...72..621L (MG2); Griffith et al., 1990ApJS...74..129G (MG3); Griffith et al. 1991ApJS...75..801G (MG4)). The sky coverage of the various surveys is: 00h < RAB < 24h, -00d30'13" < DECB < +19d29'47" for MG1; 04h < RAJ < 21h, +17.0d < DECJ < +39d09' for MG2; 16h30m < RAB < 05h, +17d < DECB < +39d09' for MG3; and 15h30m < RAB < 02h30m, +37.00d < DECB < +50d58'48" for MG4; where RAB and DECB refer to B1950 coordinates, and RAJ and DECJ refer to J2000 coordinates. The catalog contains 20344 sources detected with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5 and 3836 possible detections (MG1) with a signal-to-noise ratio less than 5. Spectral indices are computed for MG1 sources also identified in the Texas 365 MHz survey (Douglas et al. 1980), and for MG1-MG4 sources also identified in the NRAO 1400 MHz Survey (Condon and Broderick 1985). (1 data file).

The importance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in the diagnosis and clinical course of acute pancreatitis.

PubMed

Kaya, Muhsin; Değirmenci, Serdar; Göya, Cemil; Tuncel, Elif Tuba; Uçmak, Feyzullah; Kaplan, Mehmet Ali

2018-05-01

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterized by acute inflammation of the pancreas and it has a highly variable clinical course. The aim of our study was to evaluate the value of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in the diagnosis and clinical course of AP. Consecutive patients with a diagnosis of AP (patients group) and healthy subject (control group) were prospectively enrolled to the study. Demographic features and clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were recorded. Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification (VTQ) was used to implement ARFI elastography. The tissue elasticity is proportional to the square of the wave velocity (SWV). A total of 108 patients (age, 57±1.8 y) and 79 healthy subjects (age, 53.6±1.81 y) were included in the study. There were 100 (92.5%) edematous and 8 (7.4%) necrotizing AP. The mean SWV was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (2.43±0.08 vs. 1.27±0.025 m/s, p < 0.001). There was not significant difference between patient and control group regarding age and gender. SWV cutoff value of 1.63 m/s was associated with 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity for the diagnosis of AP. There was not significant difference between patients with and without complications and patients with edematous and necrotizing AP regarding mean SWV value. There was also not significant correlation between mean SWV value and age, mean length of hospital stay, and mean amylase level. ARFI elastography may be a feasible method for the diagnosis of AP, but it has no value for the prediction of clinical course of AP.

Effect of Organic Coatings, Humidity and Aerosol Acidity on Multiphase Chemistry of Isoprene Epoxydiols

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

Riva, Matthieu; Bell, David M.; Hansen, Anne-Maria Kaldal

2016-06-07

Multiphase chemistry of isomeric isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX) has been shown to be the dominant source of isoprene-derived secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Recent studies have reported particles composed of ammonium bisulfate (ABS) mixed with model organics exhibit slower rates of IEPOX uptake. In the present study, we investigate the effect of atmospherically-relevant organic coatings of α-pinene (AP) SOA on the reactive uptake of trans-β-IEPOX onto ABS particles under different conditions and coating thicknesses. Single particle mass spectrometry was used to characterize in real-time particle size, shape, density, and quantitative composition before and after reaction with IEPOX. We find that IEPOX uptakemore » by pure sulfate particles is a volume-controlled process, which results in particles with uniform concentration of IEPOX-derived SOA across a wide range of sizes. Aerosol acidity was shown to enhance IEPOX-derived SOA formation, consistent with recent studies. The presence of water has a weaker impact on IEPOX-derived SOA yield, but significantly enhanced formation of 2-methyltetrols, consistent with offline filter analysis. In contrast, IEPOX uptake by ABS particles coated by AP-derived SOA is strongly dependent on particle size and composition. IEPOX uptake occurred only when weight fraction of AP-derived SOA dropped below 50 %, effectively limiting IEPOX uptake to larger particles.« less

Process diagnostics and monitoring using the multipole resonance probe in an inhomogeneous plasma for ion-assisted deposition of optical coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Styrnoll, T.; Harhausen, J.; Lapke, M.; Storch, R.; Brinkmann, R. P.; Foest, R.; Ohl, A.; Awakowicz, P.

2013-08-01

The application of a multipole resonance probe (MRP) for diagnostic and monitoring purposes in a plasma ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) process is reported. Recently, the MRP was proposed as an economical and industry compatible plasma diagnostic device (Lapke et al 2011 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 20 042001). The major advantages of the MRP are its robustness against dielectric coating and its high sensitivity to measure the electron density. The PIAD process investigated is driven by the advanced plasma source (APS), which generates an ion beam in the deposition chamber for the production of high performance optical coatings. With a background neutral pressure of p0 ˜ 20 mPa the plasma expands from the source region into the recipient, leading to an inhomogeneous spatial distribution. Electron density and electron temperature vary over the distance from substrate (ne ˜ 109 cm-3 and Te,eff ˜ 2 eV) to the APS (ne ≳ 1012 cm-3 and Te,eff ˜ 20 eV) (Harhausen et al 2012 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 21 035012). This huge variation of the plasma parameters represents a big challenge for plasma diagnostics to operate precisely for all plasma conditions. The results obtained by the MRP are compared to those from a Langmuir probe chosen as reference diagnostics. It is demonstrated that the MRP is suited for the characterization of the PIAD plasma as well as for electron density monitoring. The latter aspect offers the possibility to develop new control schemes for complex industrial plasma environments.

Process control plan for 242-A Evaporator Campaign 95-1

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

Le, E.Q.; Guthrie, M.D.

1995-05-18

The wastes from tanks 106-AP, 107-AP, and 106-AW have been selected to be candidate feed wastes for Evaporator Campaign 95-1. The wastes in tank 106-AP and 107-AP are primarily from B-Plant strontium processing and PUREX neutralized cladding removal, respectively. The waste in tank 106-AW originated primarily from the partially concentrated product from 242-A Evaporator Campaign 94-2. Approximately 8.67 million liters of waste from these tanks will be transferred to tank 102-AW during the campaign. Tank 102-AW is the dedicated waste feed tank for the evaporator and currently contains 647,000 liters of processable waste. The purpose of the 242-A Evaporator Campaignmore » 95-1 Process Control Plan (hereafter referred to as PCP) is to certify that the wastes in tanks 106-AP, 107-AP, 102-AW, and 106-AW are acceptable for processing through evaporator and provide a general description of process strategies and activities which will take place during Campaign 95-1. The PCP also summarizes and presents a comprehensive characterization of the wastes in these tanks.« less

Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, aP2, alters late atherosclerotic lesion formation in severe hypercholesterolemia.

PubMed

Boord, Jeffrey B; Maeda, Kazuhisa; Makowski, Liza; Babaev, Vladimir R; Fazio, Sergio; Linton, MacRae F; Hotamisligil, Gökhan S

2002-10-01

The adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, aP2, has important effects on insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, and atherosclerosis. Its expression in macrophages enhances early foam cell formation and atherosclerosis in vivo. This study was designed to determine whether aP2 deficiency has a similar effect in the setting of advanced atherosclerosis and severe hypercholesterolemia. Mice deficient in aP2 and apolipoprotein E (aP2(-/-)apoE(-/-) mice) and apolipoprotein E-deficient control mice (apoE(-/-) mice) were fed a Western diet for 14 weeks. No significant differences in fasting serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, or free fatty acids were found between groups for each sex. Compared with apoE(-/-) control mice, male and female aP2(-/-)apoE(-/-) mice had significant reductions in mean atherosclerotic lesion size in the proximal aorta, en face aorta, and innominate/right carotid artery. Feeding the Western diet in the apoE-deficient background did not cause a significant reduction in insulin sensitivity in vivo, as determined by steady-state serum glucose levels and insulin tolerance testing. These data demonstrate an important role for aP2 expression in the advanced stages of atherosclerotic lesion formation. Thus, aP2 provides an important physiological link between different features of the metabolic syndrome and is a potential target for therapy of atherosclerosis.

75 FR 6823 - Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-11

...-AP73 Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR... Review (NSR): Reconsideration of Fugitive Emissions'' (``Fugitive Emissions Rule''). The Fugitive... whether a physical or operation change results in a major modification only for sources in industries that...

The Use of Amino Sugars by Bacillus subtilis: Presence of a Unique Operon for the Catabolism of Glucosamine

PubMed Central

Gaugué, Isabelle; Oberto, Jacques; Putzer, Harald; Plumbridge, Jacqueline

2013-01-01

B. subtilis grows more rapidly using the amino sugar glucosamine as carbon source, than with N-acetylglucosamine. Genes for the transport and metabolism of N-acetylglucosamine (nagP and nagAB) are found in all the sequenced Bacilli (except Anoxybacillus flavithermus). In B. subtilis there is an additional operon (gamAP) encoding second copies of genes for the transport and catabolism of glucosamine. We have developed a method to make multiple deletion mutations in B. subtilis employing an excisable spectinomycin resistance cassette. Using this method we have analysed the contribution of the different genes of the nag and gam operons for their role in utilization of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. Faster growth on glucosamine is due to the presence of the gamAP operon, which is strongly induced by glucosamine. Although the gamA and nagB genes encode isozymes of GlcN6P deaminase, catabolism of N-acetylglucosamine relies mostly upon the gamA gene product. The genes for use of N-acetylglucosamine, nagAB and nagP, are repressed by YvoA (NagR), a GntR family regulator, whose gene is part of the nagAB yvoA(nagR) operon. The gamAP operon is repressed by YbgA, another GntR family repressor, whose gene is expressed divergently from gamAP. The nagAB yvoA synton is found throughout the Bacilli and most firmicutes. On the other hand the ybgA-gamAP synton, which includes the ybgB gene for a small protein of unknown provenance, is only found in B. subtilis (and a few very close relatives). The origin of ybgBA-gamAP grouping is unknown but synteny analysis suggests lateral transfer from an unidentified donor. The presence of gamAP has enabled B. subtilis to efficiently use glucosamine as carbon source. PMID:23667565

Overexpression of Two PsnAP1 Genes from Populus simonii × P. nigra Causes Early Flowering in Transgenic Tobacco and Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Zheng, Tangchun; Li, Shuang; Zang, Lina; Dai, Lijuan; Yang, Chuanping; Qu, Guan-Zheng

2014-01-01

In Arabidopsis, AP1 is a floral meristem identity gene and plays an important role in floral organ development. In this study, PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 were isolated from the male reproductive buds of poplar (Populus simonii × P. nigra), which are the orthologs of AP1 in Arabidopsis, by sequence analysis. Northern blot and qRT-PCR analysis showed that PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 exhibited high expression level in early inflorescence development of poplar. Subcellular localization showed the PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 proteins are localized in the nucleus. Overexpression of PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 in tobacco under the control of a CaMV 35S promoter significantly enhanced early flowering. These transgenic plants also showed much earlier stem initiation and higher rates of photosynthesis than did wild-type tobacco. qRT-PCR analysis further indicated that overexpression of PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 resulted in up-regulation of genes related to flowering, such as NtMADS4, NtMADS5 and NtMADS11. Overexpression of PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 in Arabidopsis also induced early flowering, but did not complement the ap1-10 floral morphology to any noticeable extent. This study indicates that PsnAP1-1 and PsnAP1-2 play a role in floral transition of poplar. PMID:25360739

System modeling of the Thirty Meter Telescope alignment and phasing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dekens, Frank G.; Seo, Byoung-Joon; Troy, Mitchell

2014-08-01

We have developed a system model using the System Modeling Language (SysML) for the Alignment and Phasing System (APS) on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). APS is a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor that will be used to measure the alignment and phasing of the primary mirror segments, and the alignment of the secondary and tertiary mirrors. The APS system model contains the ow-down of the Level 1 TMT requirements to APS (Level 2) requirements, and from there to the APS sub-systems (Level 3) requirements. The model also contains the operating modes and scenarios for various activities, such as maintenance alignment, post-segment exchange alignment, and calibration activities. The requirements ow-down is captured in SysML requirements diagrams, and we describe the process of maintaining the DOORS database as the single-source-of-truth for requirements, while using the SysML model to capture the logic and notes associated with the ow-down. We also use the system model to capture any needed communications from APS to other TMT systems, and between the APS sub-systems. The operations are modeled using SysML activity diagrams, and will be used to specify the APS interface documents. The modeling tool can simulate the top level activities to produce sequence diagrams, which contain all the communications between the system and subsystem needed for that activity. By adding time estimates for the lowest level APS activities, a robust estimate for the total time on-sky that APS requires to align and phase the telescope can be obtained. This estimate will be used to verify that the time APS requires on-sky meets the Level 1 TMT requirements.

Nutrient and Trace Metal Controls on Alkaline Phosphatase in the Subtropical Ocean: Insights from Bioassays and Gene Expression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahaffey, C.; Reynolds, S.; Davis, C. E.; Lohan, M. C.

2016-02-01

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all life on earth. In the ocean, the most bioavailable form of phosphorus is inorganic phosphate, but in the extensive subtropical gyres, phosphate concentrations can be chronically low in the surface ocean and limit biological activity. In response to phosphate limitation, organisms produce phosphohydrolytic enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatases (AP), that enable them to utilize the more replete dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) pool to meet their cellular phosphorus demands. Synthesis of data from the surface ocean from 14 open ocean studies reveals an inverse hyperbolic relationship between phosphate and AP, where AP is significantly induced at phosphate concentrations below 50 nM and DOP concentrations decrease as AP increases. AP activity was significantly higher in the subtropical Atlantic compared to the subtropical Pacific Ocean, even over the same low phosphate concentration range (0 to 50 nM). While the phosphate concentration may have a first order control on the rates of AP, we demonstrate that other factors influence AP activity. AP are metalloenzymes and zinc and iron are co-factors of the AP proteins PhoA and PhoX, respectively. Using bioassay experiments, we show that the addition of Saharan dust and zinc significantly increases the rate of AP. To our knowledge, our results are the first direct field-based evidence that AP activity is limited by zinc in the subtropical ocean. In colonies of nitrogen fixer, Trichodesmium, we found enhanced expression of the phoA gene in a region of elevated zinc concentrations and enhanced expression of the phoX gene in a region of elevated iron concentrations around the intertropical convergence zone. Our study highlights the potential link between the phosphorus cycle and trace metals, specifically zinc and iron, and implies that there is potential for zinc-phosphorus and iron-phosphorus co-limitation in the ocean via AP.

OXIDATIVE STRESS AND TREG DEPLETION IN LUPUS PATIENTS WITH ANTI-PHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME

PubMed Central

Lai, Zhi-wei; Marchena-Mendez, Ivan; Perl, Andras

2015-01-01

Anti-phospholipid antibodies (APLA) represent a diagnostic criterion of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cause morbidity, termed anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS). Activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been recently associated with APS. mTOR is a sensor of oxidative stress. Therefore, we examined mitochondrial mass, superoxide production, mTOR and FoxP3 expression in 72 SLE patients, twelve of whom also had APS, and 54 healthy controls by flow cytometry. Mitochondrial mass was increased in CD4−CD8− double-negative (DN) T cells of SLE patients with APS (2.7-fold) in comparison to those without APS (1.7-fold; p=0.014). Superoxide production was increased in all lymphocyte subsets of APS patients. FoxP3+ cells were depleted within CD4+CD25+ Tregs in patients with APS (28.4%) relative to those without APS (46.3%, p=0.008). mTOR activity was similar between SLE patients with and without APS. Thus, oxidative stress and Treg depletion rather than mTOR activation underlie APS in patients with SLE. PMID:25862984

DiAs User Interface: A Patient-Centric Interface for Mobile Artificial Pancreas Systems

PubMed Central

Keith-Hynes, Patrick; Guerlain, Stephanie; Mize, Benton; Hughes-Karvetski, Colleen; Khan, Momin; McElwee-Malloy, Molly; Kovatchev, Boris P.

2013-01-01

Background Recent in-hospital studies of artificial pancreas (AP) systems have shown promising results in improving glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The next logical step in AP development is to conduct transitional outpatient clinical trials with a mobile system that is controlled by the patient. In this article, we present the user interface (UI) of the Diabetes Assistant (DiAs), an experimental smartphone-based mobile AP system, and describe the reactions of a round of focus groups to the UI. This work is an initial inquiry involving a relatively small number of potential users, many of whom had never seen an AP system before, and the results should be understood in that light. Methods We began by considering how the UI of an AP system could be designed to make use of the familiar touch-based graphical UI of a consumer smartphone. After developing a working prototype UI, we enlisted a human factors specialist to perform a heuristic expert analysis. Next we conducted a formative evaluation of the UI through a series of three focus groups with N = 13 potential end users as participants. The UI was modified based upon the results of these studies, and the resulting DiAs system was used in transitional outpatient AP studies of adults in the United States and Europe. Results The DiAs UI was modified based on focus group feedback from potential users. The DiAs was subsequently used in JDRF- and AP@Home-sponsored transitional outpatient AP studies in the United States and Europe by 40 subjects for 2400 h with no adverse events. Conclusions Adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus are able to control an AP system successfully using a patient-centric UI on a commercial smartphone in a transitional outpatient environment. PMID:24351168

Noise performance limits of advanced x-ray imagers employing poly-Si-based active pixel architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koniczek, Martin; El-Mohri, Youcef; Antonuk, Larry E.; Liang, Albert; Zhao, Qihua; Jiang, Hao

2011-03-01

A decade after the clinical introduction of active matrix, flat-panel imagers (AMFPIs), the performance of this technology continues to be limited by the relatively large additive electronic noise of these systems - resulting in significant loss of detective quantum efficiency (DQE) under conditions of low exposure or high spatial frequencies. An increasingly promising approach for overcoming such limitations involves the incorporation of in-pixel amplification circuits, referred to as active pixel architectures (AP) - based on low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs). In this study, a methodology for theoretically examining the limiting noise and DQE performance of circuits employing 1-stage in-pixel amplification is presented. This methodology involves sophisticated SPICE circuit simulations along with cascaded systems modeling. In these simulations, a device model based on the RPI poly-Si TFT model is used with additional controlled current sources corresponding to thermal and flicker (1/f) noise. From measurements of transfer and output characteristics (as well as current noise densities) performed upon individual, representative, poly-Si TFTs test devices, model parameters suitable for these simulations are extracted. The input stimuli and operating-point-dependent scaling of the current sources are derived from the measured current noise densities (for flicker noise), or from fundamental equations (for thermal noise). Noise parameters obtained from the simulations, along with other parametric information, is input to a cascaded systems model of an AP imager design to provide estimates of DQE performance. In this paper, this method of combining circuit simulations and cascaded systems analysis to predict the lower limits on additive noise (and upper limits on DQE) for large area AP imagers with signal levels representative of those generated at fluoroscopic exposures is described, and initial results are reported.

Practical guide: Tools and methodologies for an oil and gas industry emission inventory

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

Thompson, C.C.; Killian, T.L.

1996-12-31

During the preparation of Title V Permit applications, the quantification and speciation of emission sources from oil and gas facilities were reevaluated to determine the {open_quotes}potential-to-emit.{close_quotes} The existing emissions were primarily based on EPA emission factors such as AP-42, for tanks, combustion sources, and fugitive emissions from component leaks. Emissions from insignificant activities and routine operations that are associated with maintenance, startups and shutdowns, and releases to control devices also required quantification. To reconcile EPA emission factors with test data, process knowledge, and manufacturer`s data, a careful review of other estimation options was performed. This paper represents the results ofmore » this analysis of emission sources at oil and gas facilities, including exploration and production, compressor stations and gas plants.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: UV spectra of classical T Tauri stars (France+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, K.; Schindhelm, E.; Bergin, E. A.; Roueff, E.; Abgrall, H.

2017-06-01

We present 16 objects from the larger GTO + DAO T Tauri star samples described by Ardila et al. (2013ApJS..207....1A; focusing on the hot gas emission lines) and France et al. (2012, J/ApJ/756/171; focusing on the molecular circumstellar environment). Eleven of the 16 sources were observed as part of the DAO of Tau guest observing program (PID 11616; PI: G. Herczeg), four were part of the COS Guaranteed Time Observing program on protoplanetary disks (PIDs 11533 and 12036; PI: J. Green), and we have included archival STIS observations of the well-studied CTTS TW Hya (Herczeg et al. 2002ApJ...572..310H, 2004ApJ...607..369H), obtained through StarCAT (Ayres 2010, J/ApJS/187/149). The targets were selected by the availability of reconstructed Lyα spectra, as this emission line is a critical component to the intrinsic CTTS UV radiation field (Schindhelm et al. 2012ApJ...756L..23S) and has not been uniformly included in recent studies of the CTTS radiation field (e.g., Ingleby et al. 2011AJ....141..127I; Yang et al. 2012, J/ApJ/744/121). Most of the targets were observed with the medium-resolution FUV modes of COS (G130M and G160M; Green et al. 2012ApJ...744...60G). (2 data files).

Effects of radiation and creep on viscoelastic damping materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, John P.; Lewis, Tom M.; Murrell, Fred H.; Mangra, Danny

1995-05-01

The Advanced Photon Source (APS), under construction at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), requires precise alignment of several large magnets. Submicron vibratory displacements of the magnets can degrade the performance of this important facility. Viscoelastic materials (VEM) have been shown to be effective in the control of the vibration of these magnets. Damping pads, placed under the magnet support structures in the APS storage ring, use thin layers of VEM. These soft VEM layers are subject to both high-energy radiation environment and continuous through-the-thickness compressive loads. Material experiments were conducted to answer concerns over the long term effects of the radiation environment and creep in the viscoelastic damping layers. The effects of exposure to radiation as high as 108 rad on the complex modulus were measured. Through-the-thickness creep displacements of VEM thin layers subjected to static loads of 50 psi were measured. Creep tests were conducted at elevated temperatures. Time-temperature equivalence principles were used to project creep displacements at room temperatures over several years. These damping material measurements should be of interest to vibration control engineers working with a variety of applications of fields ranging from aerospace to industrial machinery.

APS deposition facility upgrades and future plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conley, Ray; Shi, Bing; Erdmann, Mark; Izzo, Scott; Assoufid, Lahsen; Goetze, Kurt; Mooney, Tim; Lauer, Kenneth

2014-09-01

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) has recently invested resources to upgrade or replace aging deposition systems with modern equipment. Of the three existing deposition systems, one will receive an upgrade, while two are being replaced. A design which adds a three-substrate planetary for the APS rotary deposition system is almost complete. The replacement for the APS large deposition system, dubbed the "Modular Deposition System", has been conceptually designed and is in the procurement process. Eight cathodes will sputter horizontally on mirrors up to 1.5 meters in length. This new instrument is designed to interface with ion-milling instruments and various metrology equipment for ion-beam figuring. A third linear machine, called the APS Profile Coating System, has two cathodes and is designed to accept substrates up to 200mm in length. While this machine is primarily intended for fabrication of figured KB mirrors using the profile-coating technique, it has also been used to produce multilayer monochromators for beamline use.

Magnetic Measurements of Storage Ring Magnets for the APS Upgrade Project

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

Doose, C.; Dejus, R.; Jaski, M.

2017-06-01

Extensive prototyping of storage ring magnets is ongoing at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) in support of the APS Multi-Bend Achromat (MBA) upgrade project (APS-U) [1]. As part of the R&D activities four quadrupole magnets with slightly different geometries and pole tip materials, and one sextupole magnet with vanadium permendur (VP) pole tips were designed, built and tested. Magnets were measured individually using a rotating coil and a Hall probe for detailed mapping of the magnetic field. Magnets were then assembled and aligned relative to each other on a steel support plate and concrete plinth using precision machined surfaces tomore » gain experience with the alignment method chosen for the APS-U storage ring magnets. The required alignment of magnets on a common support structure is 30 μm rms. Measurements of magnetic field quality, strength and magnet alignment after subjecting the magnets and assemblies to different tests are presented.« less

Skeletal muscle secretome in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a pivotal anti-inflammatory role of adiponectin.

PubMed

Lecompte, S; Abou-Samra, M; Boursereau, R; Noel, L; Brichard, S M

2017-07-01

Persistent inflammation exacerbates the progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The hormone, adiponectin (ApN), which is decreased in the metabolic syndrome, exhibits anti-inflammatory properties on skeletal muscle and alleviates the dystrophic phenotype of mdx mice. Here, we investigate whether ApN retains its anti-inflammatory action in myotubes obtained from DMD patients. We unravel the underlying mechanisms by studying the secretome and the early events of ApN. Primary cultures of myotubes from DMD and control patients were treated or not by ApN after an inflammatory challenge. Myokines secreted in medium were identified by cytokine antibody-arrays and ELISAs. The early events of ApN signaling were assessed by abrogating selected genes. ApN retained its anti-inflammatory properties in both dystrophic and control myotubes. Profiling of secretory products revealed that ApN downregulated the secretion of two pro-inflammatory factors (TNFα and IL-17A), one soluble receptor (sTNFRII), and one chemokine (CCL28) in DMD myotubes, while upregulating IL-6 that exerts some anti-inflammatory effects. These changes were explained by pretranslational mechanisms. Earlier events of the ApN cascade involved AdipoR1, the main receptor for muscle, and the AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α axis leading, besides alteration of the myokine profile, to the upregulation of utrophin A (a dystrophin analog). ApN retains its beneficial properties in dystrophic muscles by activating the AdipoR1-AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway, thereby inducing a shift in the secretion of downstream myokines toward a less inflammatory profile while upregulating utrophin. ApN, the early events of the cascade and downstream myokines may be therapeutic targets for the management of DMD.

FABP4/aP2 Regulates Macrophage Redox Signaling and Inflammasome Activation via Control of UCP2.

PubMed

Steen, Kaylee A; Xu, Hongliang; Bernlohr, David A

2017-01-15

Obesity-linked metabolic disease is mechanistically associated with the accumulation of proinflammatory macrophages in adipose tissue, leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and chronic low-grade inflammation. Previous work has demonstrated that deletion of the adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (FABP4/aP2) uncouples obesity from inflammation via upregulation of the uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2). Here, we demonstrate that ablation of FABP4/aP2 regulates systemic redox capacity and reduces cellular protein sulfhydryl oxidation and, in particular, oxidation of mitochondrial protein cysteine residues. Coincident with the loss of FABP4/aP2 is the upregulation of the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD2), catalase, methionine sulfoxide reductase A, and the 20S proteasome subunits PSMB5 and αβ. Reduced mitochondrial protein oxidation in FABP4/aP2 -/- macrophages attenuates the mitochondrial unfolded-protein response (mtUPR) as measured by expression of heat shock protein 60, Clp protease, and Lon peptidase 1. Consistent with a diminished mtUPR, FABP4/aP2 -/- macrophages exhibit reduced expression of cleaved caspase-1 and NLRP3. Secretion of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), in response to inflammasome activation, is ablated in FABP4/aP2 -/- macrophages, as well as in FABP4/aP2 inhibitor-treated cells, but partially rescued in FABP4/aP2-null macrophages when UCP2 is silenced. Collectively, these data offer a novel pathway whereby FABP4/aP2 regulates macrophage redox signaling and inflammasome activation via control of UCP2 expression. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Ammonium Perchlorate Counterflow Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smooke, M. D.; Yetter, R. A.; Parr, T. P.; Hanson-Parr, D. M.; Tanoff, M. A.

1999-01-01

Many solid rocket propellants are based on a composite mixture of ammonium perchlorate (AP) oxidizer and polymeric binder fuels. In these propellants, complex three-dimensional diffusion flame structures between the AP and binder decomposition products, dependent upon the length scales of the heterogeneous mixture, drive the combustion via heat transfer back to the surface. Changing the AP crystal size changes the burn rate of such propellants. Large AP crystals are governed by the cooler AP self-deflagration flame and burn slowly, while small AP crystals are governed more by the hot diffusion flame with the binder and burn faster. This allows control of composite propellant ballistic properties via particle size variation. Previous measurements on these diffusion flames in the planar two-dimensional sandwich configuration yielded insight into controlling flame structure, but there are several drawbacks that make comparison with modeling difficult. First, the flames are two-dimensional and this makes modeling much more complex computationally than with one-dimensional problems, such as RDX self- and laser-supported deflagration. In addition, little is known about the nature, concentration, and evolution rates of the gaseous chemical species produced by the various binders as they decompose. This makes comparison with models quite difficult. Alternatively, counterflow flames provide an excellent geometric configuration within which AP/binder diffusion flames can be studied both experimentally and computationally.

Threshold Switchable Particles (TSP) to Control Internal Hemorrhage

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

be markers of disease. Nudt2 (Apah1), for example, is an Ap4A hydrolase that, when overexpressed in breast cancer, correlates with poor prognosis.26...In addition to processing Ap4A , Nudt2 can hydrolyze long-chain NpnNs such as Ap6A. We hypothesized that this nudix enzyme, though previously not

Thrombopoietin as Early Biomarker of Disease Severity in Patients With Acute Pancreatitis.

PubMed

Lupia, Enrico; Pigozzi, Luca; Pivetta, Emanuele; Bosco, Ornella; Vizio, Barbara; Loiacono, Maria; Lucchiari, Manuela; Battista, Stefania; Morello, Fulvio; Moiraghi, Corrado; Mengozzi, Giulio; Montrucchio, Giuseppe

2017-02-01

To study the concentrations of thrombopoietin (TPO), a growth factor recently involved in the pathogenesis of experimental acute pancreatitis (AP), and its potential role as an early diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in patients with AP. Thrombopoietin was measured in 44 AP patients, 18 patients with nonpancreatic acute abdominal pain, and 18 healthy volunteers. Acute pancreatitis severity was classified on the basis of the 2012 International Atlanta Symposium on Acute Pancreatitis criteria. Thrombopoietin levels did not differ between AP patients and control subjects, whereas these were higher in patients with moderately severe or severe AP compared with those with mild AP. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of TPO for severe AP diagnosis showed an area under the curve of 0.80. A cutoff value of 31.48 pg/mL showed the highest sensitivity, allowing to rule out severe AP when TPO was lower, whereas TPO higher than 98.23 pg/mL was associated with severe AP with high specificity (93.5%). Furthermore, TPO levels were greater in AP patients developing organ dysfunction or sepsis and in nonsurvivors compared with survivors. Our data provide the first evidence for TPO as potential early prognostic biomarker in AP patients. High TPO levels at hospital admission may predict organ dysfunction, sepsis, and fatal outcome in AP patients.

Stimulatory effect of exogenous diadenosine tetraphosphate on insulin and glucagon secretion in the perfused rat pancreas

PubMed Central

Silvestre, Ramona A; Rodríguez-Gallardo, Jovita; Egido, Eva M; Marco, José

1999-01-01

Diadenosine triphosphate (AP3A) and diadenosine tetraphosphate (AP4A) are released by various cells (e.g. platelets and chromaffin cells), and may act as extracellular messengers. In pancreatic B-cells, AP3A and AP4A are inhibitors of the ATP-regulated K+ channels, and glucose increases intracellular levels of both substances.We have studied the effect of exogenous AP3A and AP4A on insulin and glucagon secretion by the perfused rat pancreas.AP3A did not significantly modify insulin or glucagon release, whereas AP4A induced a prompt, short-lived insulin response (≈4 fold higher than basal value; P<0.05) in pancreases perfused at different glucose concentrations (3.2, 5.5 or 9 mM). AP4A-induced insulin release was abolished by somatostatin and by diazoxide. These two substances share the capacity to activate ATP-dependent K+ channels, suggesting that these channels are a potential target for AP4A in the B-cell.AP4A stimulated glucagon release at both 3.2 and 5.5 mM glucose. This effect was abolished by somatostatin.The results suggest that extracellular AP4A may play a physiological role in the control of insulin and glucagon secretion. PMID:10516664

Stimulatory effect of exogenous diadenosine tetraphosphate on insulin and glucagon secretion in the perfused rat pancreas.

PubMed

Silvestre, R A; Rodríguez-Gallardo, J; Egido, E M; Marco, J

1999-10-01

1. Diadenosine triphosphate (AP3A) and diadenosine tetraphosphate (AP4A) are released by various cells (e.g. platelets and chromaffin cells), and may act as extracellular messengers. In pancreatic B-cells, AP3A and AP4A are inhibitors of the ATP-regulated K+ channels, and glucose increases intracellular levels of both substances. 2. We have studied the effect of exogenous AP3A and AP4A on insulin and glucagon secretion by the perfused rat pancreas. 3. AP3A did not significantly modify insulin or glucagon release, whereas AP4A induced a prompt, short-lived insulin response ( approximately 4 fold higher than basal value; P<0.05) in pancreases perfused at different glucose concentrations (3.2, 5.5 or 9 mM). AP4A-induced insulin release was abolished by somatostatin and by diazoxide. These two substances share the capacity to activate ATP-dependent K+ channels, suggesting that these channels are a potential target for AP4A in the B-cell. 4. AP4A stimulated glucagon release at both 3.2 and 5.5 mM glucose. This effect was abolished by somatostatin. 5. The results suggest that extracellular AP4A may play a physiological role in the control of insulin and glucagon secretion.

A simple optical system delivering a tunable micrometer pink beam that can compensate for heat-induced deformations

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

Reininger, Ruben; Liu, Zunping; Doumy, Gilles

2015-06-09

The radiation from an undulator reflected from one or more optical elements (usually termed `pink-beam') is used in photon-hungry experiments. The optical elements serve as a high-energy cutoff and for focusing purposes. One of the issues with this configuration is maintaining the focal spot dimension as the energy of the undulator is varied, since this changes the heat load absorbed by the first optical element. Finite-element analyses of the power absorbed by a side water-cooled mirror exposed to the radiation emitted by an undulator at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) and at the APS after the proposed upgrade (APSU) revealsmore » that the mirror deformation is very close to a convex cylinder creating a virtual source closer to the mirror than the undulator source. Here a simple optical system is described based on a Kirkpatrick–Baez pair which keeps the focus size to less than 2 µm (in the APSU case) with a working distance of 350 mm despite the heat-load-induced change in source distance. Detailed ray tracings at several photon energies for both the APS and APSU show that slightly decreasing the angle of incidence on the mirrors corrects the change in the `virtual' position of the source. The system delivers more than 70% of the first undulator harmonic with very low higher-orders contamination for energies between 5 and 10 keV.« less

Strengths and limitations of molecular subtyping in a community outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.

PubMed

Kool, J L; Buchholz, U; Peterson, C; Brown, E W; Benson, R F; Pruckler, J M; Fields, B S; Sturgeon, J; Lehnkering, E; Cordova, R; Mascola, L M; Butler, J C

2000-12-01

An epidemiological and microbiological investigation of a cluster of eight cases of Legionnaires' disease in Los Angeles County in November 1997 yielded conflicting results. The epidemiological part of the investigation implicated one of several mobile cooling towers used by a film studio in the centre of the outbreak area. However, water sampled from these cooling towers contained L. pneumophila serogroup 1 of another subtype than the strain that was recovered from case-patients in the outbreak. Samples from two cooling towers located downwind from all of the case-patients contained a Legionella strain that was indistinguishable from the outbreak strain by four subtyping techniques (AP-PCR, PFGE, MAb, and MLEE). It is unlikely that these cooling towers were the source of infection for all the case-patients, and they were not associated with risk of disease in the case-control study. The outbreak strain also was not distinguishable, by three subtyping techniques (AP-PCR, PFGE, and MAb), from a L. pneumophila strain that had caused an outbreak in Providence, RI, in 1993. Laboratory cross-contamination was unlikely because the initial subtyping was done in different laboratories. In this investigation, microbiology was helpful for distinguishing the outbreak cluster from unrelated cases of Legionnaires' disease occurring elsewhere. However, multiple subtyping techniques failed to distinguish environmental sources that were probably not associated with the outbreak. Persons investigating Legionnaires' disease outbreaks should be aware that microbiological subtyping does not always identify a source with absolute certainty.

Preventing smoking relapse via Web-based computer-tailored feedback: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Elfeddali, Iman; Bolman, Catherine; Candel, Math J J M; Wiers, Reinout W; de Vries, Hein

2012-08-20

Web-based computer-tailored approaches have the potential to be successful in supporting smoking cessation. However, the potential effects of such approaches for relapse prevention and the value of incorporating action planning strategies to effectively prevent smoking relapse have not been fully explored. The Stay Quit for You (SQ4U) study compared two Web-based computer-tailored smoking relapse prevention programs with different types of planning strategies versus a control group. To assess the efficacy of two Web-based computer-tailored programs in preventing smoking relapse compared with a control group. The action planning (AP) program provided tailored feedback at baseline and invited respondents to do 6 preparatory and coping planning assignments (the first 3 assignments prior to quit date and the final 3 assignments after quit date). The action planning plus (AP+) program was an extended version of the AP program that also provided tailored feedback at 11 time points after the quit attempt. Respondents in the control group only filled out questionnaires. The study also assessed possible dose-response relationships between abstinence and adherence to the programs. The study was a randomized controlled trial with three conditions: the control group, the AP program, and the AP+ program. Respondents were daily smokers (N = 2031), aged 18 to 65 years, who were motivated and willing to quit smoking within 1 month. The primary outcome was self-reported continued abstinence 12 months after baseline. Logistic regression analyses were conducted using three samples: (1) all respondents as randomly assigned, (2) a modified sample that excluded respondents who did not make a quit attempt in conformance with the program protocol, and (3) a minimum dose sample that also excluded respondents who did not adhere to at least one of the intervention elements. Observed case analyses and conservative analyses were conducted. In the observed case analysis of the randomized sample, abstinence rates were 22% (45/202) in the control group versus 33% (63/190) in the AP program and 31% (53/174) in the AP+ program. The AP program (odds ratio 1.95, P = .005) and the AP+ program (odds ratio 1.61, P = .049) were significantly more effective than the control condition. Abstinence rates and effects differed per sample. Finally, the results suggest a dose-response relationship between abstinence and the number of program elements completed by the respondents. Despite the differences in results caused by the variation in our analysis approaches, we can conclude that Web-based computer-tailored programs combined with planning strategy assignments and feedback after the quit attempt can be effective in preventing relapse 12 months after baseline. However, adherence to the intervention seems critical for effectiveness. Finally, our results also suggest that more research is needed to assess the optimum intervention dose. Dutch Trial Register: NTR1892; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=1892 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/693S6uuPM).

Redshift Properties of MASIV Sources

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

34 (CBS, Marcha et a12001, Caccianiga et a12002a) is closest to MASIV however it also has weak (SS.GGH. -lmJy), but only optically bright (R::=;17.5...2001 ApJ, 546, 964 Lovell, J.E .. J, et a1. 2003 AJ, 126, 1699 Lovell, J.E.J, et a1. 2008 ApJ, 689, 108 Marcha , M.J.M, et a1. 2001 lvINRAS, 326, 1455

Induction of dystrophin Dp71 expression during neuronal differentiation: opposite roles of Sp1 and AP2alpha in Dp71 promoter activity.

PubMed

Morales-Lázaro, Sara Luz; González-Ramírez, Ricardo; Gómez, Pablo; Tapia-Ramírez, Victor; de León, Mario Bermúdez; Cisneros, Bulmaro

2010-01-01

In this study, we delineated the molecular mechanisms that modulate Dp71 expression during neuronal differentiation, using the N1E-115 cell line. We demonstrated that Dp71 expression is up-regulated in response to cAMP-mediated neuronal differentiation of these cells, and that this induction is controlled at promoter level. Functional deletion analysis of the Dp71 promoter revealed that a 5'-flanking 159-bp DNA fragment that contains Sp1 and AP2 binding sites is necessary and sufficient for basal expression of this TATA-less promoter, as well as for its induction during neuronal differentiation. Electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that Sp1 and AP2alpha bind to their respective DNA elements within the Dp71 basal promoter. Overall, mutagenesis assays on the Sp1 and AP2 binding sites, over-expression of Sp1 and AP2alpha, as well as knock-down experiments on Sp1 and AP2alpha gene expression established that Dp71 basal expression is controlled by the combined action of Sp1 and AP2alpha, which act as activator and repressor, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated that induction of Dp71 expression in differentiated cells is the result of the maintenance of positive regulation exerted by Sp1, as well as of the loss of AP2alpha binding, which ultimately releases the promoter from repression.

Uncoupling Lipid Metabolism from Inflammation through Fatty Acid Binding Protein-Dependent Expression of UCP2

PubMed Central

Xu, Hongliang; Hertzel, Ann V.; Steen, Kaylee A.; Wang, Qigui; Suttles, Jill

2015-01-01

Chronic inflammation in obese adipose tissue is linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and systemic insulin resistance. Targeted deletion of the murine fatty acid binding protein (FABP4/aP2) uncouples obesity from inflammation although the mechanism underlying this finding has remained enigmatic. Here, we show that inhibition or deletion of FABP4/aP2 in macrophages results in increased intracellular free fatty acids (FFAs) and elevated expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) without concomitant increases in UCP1 or UCP3. Silencing of UCP2 mRNA in FABP4/aP2-deficient macrophages negated the protective effect of FABP loss and increased ER stress in response to palmitate or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Pharmacologic inhibition of FABP4/aP2 with the FABP inhibitor HTS01037 also upregulated UCP2 and reduced expression of BiP, CHOP, and XBP-1s. Expression of native FABP4/aP2 (but not the non-fatty acid binding mutant R126Q) into FABP4/aP2 null cells reduced UCP2 expression, suggesting that the FABP-FFA equilibrium controls UCP2 expression. FABP4/aP2-deficient macrophages are resistant to LPS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and exhibit decreased mitochondrial protein carbonylation and UCP2-dependent reduction in intracellular reactive oxygen species. These data demonstrate that FABP4/aP2 directly regulates intracellular FFA levels and indirectly controls macrophage inflammation and ER stress by regulating the expression of UCP2. PMID:25582199

Adipocyte Fatty Acid–Binding Protein, aP2, Alters Late Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation in Severe Hypercholesterolemia

PubMed Central

Boord, Jeffrey B.; Maeda, Kazuhisa; Makowski, Liza; Babaev, Vladimir R.; Fazio, Sergio; Linton, MacRae F.; Hotamisligil, Gökhan S.

2014-01-01

Objective The adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, aP2, has important effects on insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, and atherosclerosis. Its expression in macrophages enhances early foam cell formation and atherosclerosis in vivo. This study was designed to determine whether aP2 deficiency has a similar effect in the setting of advanced atherosclerosis and severe hypercholesterolemia. Methods and Results Mice deficient in aP2 and apolipoprotein E (aP2−/−apoE−/− mice) and apolipoprotein E-deficient control mice (apoE−/− mice) were fed a Western diet for 14 weeks. No significant differences in fasting serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, or free fatty acids were found between groups for each sex. Compared with apoE−/− control mice, male and female aP2−/−apoE−/− mice had significant reductions in mean atherosclerotic lesion size in the proximal aorta, en face aorta, and innominate/right carotid artery. Feeding the Western diet in the apoE-deficient background did not cause a significant reduction in insulin sensitivity in vivo, as determined by steady-state serum glucose levels and insulin tolerance testing. Conclusions These data demonstrate an important role for aP2 expression in the advanced stages of atherosclerotic lesion formation. Thus, aP2 provides an important physiological link between different features of the metabolic syndrome and is a potential target for therapy of atherosclerosis. PMID:12377750

Diadenosine polyphosphates (Ap3A and Ap4A) behave as alarmones triggering the synthesis of enzymes of the phenylpropanoid pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Pietrowska-Borek, Małgorzata; Nuc, Katarzyna; Zielezińska, Małgorzata; Guranowski, Andrzej

2011-12-01

It is known that cells under stress accumulate various dinucleoside polyphosphates, compounds suggested to function as alarmones. In plants, the phenylpropanoid pathways yield metabolites protecting these organisms against various types of stress. Observations reported in this communication link these two phenomena and provide an example of a metabolic "addressee" for an "alarm" signaled by diadenosine triphosphate (Ap3A) or diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A). In response to added Ap3A or Ap4A, seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana incubated in full nutrition medium increased both the expression of the genes for and the specific activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase, enzymes that control the beginning of the phenylpropanoid pathway. Neither adenine mononucleotides (AMP, ADP or ATP) nor adenosine evoked such effects. Reactions catalyzed in vitro by these enzymes were not affected by Ap3A or Ap4A.

Studies of Current Induced Magnetization reversal and generation of GHz radiation in magnetic nanopillars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alhajdarwish, Mustafa Yousef

This thesis describes studies of two phenomena: Current-Induced Magnetization Switching (CIMS), and Current-Induced Generation of GHz Radiation. The CIMS part contains results of measurements of current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) magnetoresistance (MR) and CIMS behavior on Ferromagnetic/Nonmetal/Ferromagnetic (F1/N/F2) nanopillars. Judicious combinations of F1 and F2 metals with different bulk scattering asymmetries, and with F1/N and N/F2 interfaces having different interfacial scattering asymmetries, are shown to be able to controllably, and independently, 'invert' both the CPP-MR and the CIMS. In 'normal' CPP-MR, R(AP) > R(P), where R(AP) and R(P) are the nanopillar resistances for the anti-parallel (AP) and parallel (P) orientations of the Fi and F2 magnetic moments. In 'inverse' CPP-MR, R(P) > R(AP). In 'normal' CIMS, positive current switches the nanopillar from the P to the AP state. In 'inverse' CIMS, positive current switches the nanopillar from AP to P. All four possible combinations of CPP-MR and CIMS---(a) 'normal'-'normal', (b) 'normal'- 'inverse', 'inverse'-'normal', and (d) 'inverse'-'inverse' are shown and explained. These results rule out the self-Oersted field as the switching source, since the direction of that field is independent of the bulk or interfacial scattering asymmetries. Successful use of impurities to reverse the bulk scattering asymmetry shows the importance of scattering off of impurities within the bulk F1 and F2 metals---i.e. that the transport must be treated as 'diffusive' rather than 'ballistic'. The GHz studies consist of five parts: (1) designing a sample geometry that allows reliable measurements; (2) making nanopillar samples with this geometry; (3) constructing a system for measuring frequencies up to 12 GHz and measuring current-driven GHz radiation data with it; (4) showing 'scaling' behavior of GHz data with the critical fields and currents for nominally identical (but actually slightly different) samples, and justifying such scaling; and (5) designing and constructing a system for frequency domain studies up to 40 GHz and for time domain studies.

Chronic Exposure to Anabolic Androgenic Steroids Alters Activity and Synaptic Function in Neuroendocrine Control Regions of the Female Mouse

PubMed Central

Penatti, Carlos A.A.; Oberlander, Joseph G.; Davis, Matthew C.; Porter, Donna M.; Henderson, Leslie P.

2011-01-01

Summary Disruption of reproductive function is a hallmark of abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in female subjects. To understand the central actions of AAS, patch clamp recordings were made in estrous, diestrous and AAS-treated mice from gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, neurons in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and neurons in the anteroventroperiventricular nucleus (AVPV); regions known to provide GABAergic and kisspeptin inputs to the GnRH cells. Action potential (AP) frequency was significantly higher in GnRH neurons of estrous mice than in AAS-treated or diestrous animals. No significant differences in AAS-treated, estrous or diestrous mice were evident in the amplitude or kinetics of spontaneous postsynaptic currents (sPCSs), miniature PSCs or tonic currents mediated by GABAA receptors or in GABAA receptor subunit expression in GnRH neurons. In contrast, the frequency of GABAA receptor-mediated sPSCs in GnRH neurons showed an inverse correlation with AP frequency across the three hormonal states. Surprisingly, AP activity in the medial preoptic area (mPOA), a likely source of GABAergic afferents to GnRH cells, did not vary in concert with the sPSCs in the GnRH neurons. Furthermore, pharmacological blockade of GABAA receptors did not alter the pattern in which there was lower AP frequency in GnRH neurons of AAS-treated and diestrous versus estrous mice. These data suggest that AAS do not impose their effects either directly on GnRH neurons or on putative GABAergic afferents in the mPOA. AP activity recorded from neurons in kisspeptin-rich regions of the anteroventroperiventricular nucleus (AVPV) and the expression of kisspeptin mRNA and peptide did vary coordinately with AP activity in GnRH neurons. Our data demonstrate that AAS treatment imposes a “diestrous-like” pattern of activity in GnRH neurons and suggest that this effect may arise from suppression of presynaptic kisspeptin-mediated excitatory drive arising from the AVPV. The actions of AAS on neuroendocrine regulatory circuits may contribute the disruption of reproductive function observed in steroid abuse. PMID:21645530

Chromosome instability on children with asthma.

PubMed

Lialiaris, Theodore; Polyzou, Aggeliki; Mpountoukas, Panagiotis; Tsiggene, Anthi; Kouskoukis, Alexandros; Pouliliou, Stamatia; Paraskakis, Emmanouil; Tentes, Ioannis; Trypsianis, Grigorios; Chatzimichail, Athanasios

2009-10-01

Asthma is a complex disease with multiple interactions between genetic and environmental factors. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible genetic instability in asthmatic patients (AP) with asthma in human cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes. Furthermore, the presence of either cytostaticity or cytotoxicity was demonstrated. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were cultured from 18 admitted children to the Pediatric Clinic of the University Hospital of Alexandroupolis (average age 7.2 years), and 9 healthy blood donors were used as control subjects (average age 6.5 years), none of whom was receiving drugs for medical or other reasons. A significant (p < 0.05) increase in spontaneous sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) frequency in asthmatic patients compared with control subjects was observed. No statistically significant modification in the spontaneous proliferation rate index (PRI) in AP compared with the controls was demonstrated. Finally, MMC induced a statistically significant increase in SCEs frequency both to controls and to AP, with the MMC-induced SCEs rates in AP being statistically (p < 0.01) higher compared to the MMC-induced SCEs in controls. We try to improve a new diagnostic process of possible genetic instability by a combination of genotoxic, cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of asthma on human peripheral lymphocytes.

Diadenosine polyphosphate-stimulated gluconeogenesis in isolated rat proximal tubules.

PubMed Central

Edgecombe, M; Craddock, H S; Smith, D C; McLennan, A G; Fisher, M J

1997-01-01

Diadenosine polyphosphates released into the extracellular environment influence a variety of metabolic and other cellular activities in a wide range of target tissues. Here we have studied the impact of these novel nucleotides on gluconeogenesis in isolated rat proximal tubules. Gluconeogenesis was stimulated following exposure of isolated proximal tubules to a range of adenine-containing nucleotides including ADP, ATP, Ap3A, Ap4A, Ap5A and Ap6A. The concentration-dependence of ATP-, Ap3A- and Ap4A-mediated stimulation of gluconeogenesis was similar and was consistent with a role for these agents in the physiological control of renal metabolism. Nucleotide-stimulated gluconeogenesis was diminished in the presence of agents that interfere with phospholipase C activation or intracellular Ca2+ metabolism, indicative of a role for polyphosphoinositide-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in the mechanism of action of ATP, Ap3A and Ap4A. The characteristics of binding of [2-3H]Ap4A to renal plasma-membrane preparations suggest that Ap4A mediates its effects on proximal tubule gluconeogenesis via interaction with P2y-like purinoceptor(s) also recognized by extracellular ATP. PMID:9163337

Effect of diadenosine tetraphosphate microinjection on heat shock protein synthesis in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

PubMed Central

Guedon, G; Sovia, D; Ebel, J P; Befort, N; Remy, P

1985-01-01

Bisnucleosides polyphosphates are thought to be chemical messengers signalling to the cell the onset of various stresses. Diadenosine tri- and tetraphosphates (respectively, Ap3A and Ap4A) accumulate in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells under heat shock conditions, suggesting they could trigger the synthesis of heat shock proteins (hsps). In this study, Ap4A, Ap3A and, as a control, Ap4 (adenosine tetraphosphate) were injected into Xenopus oocytes. Whereas none of these compounds is able to trigger the synthesis of hsps in the absence of hyperthermic treatment, nuclear microinjection of Ap4A after a mild heat shock specifically enhances the synthesis of the 70-kd hsp, which is involved in the regulation and possibly the termination of the heat shock response. The microinjection of Ap4A prior to the hyperthermic treatment results in a strong inhibition of hsps synthesis (with the exception of the 70-kd hsp) suggesting that Ap4A is involved in the regulation and/or termination of the heat shock response. Ap3A and Ap4 do not induce any detectable modification of hsps expression. Images Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. PMID:4092696

An Extracorporeal Artificial Placenta Supports Extremely Premature Lambs for One Week

PubMed Central

Bryner, Benjamin; Gray, Brian; Perkins, Elena; Davis, Ryan; Hoffman, Hayley; Barks, John; Owens, Gabe; Bocks, Martin; Rojas-Peña, Alvaro; Hirschl, Ronald; Bartlett, Robert; Mychaliska, George

2015-01-01

Purpose The treatment of extreme prematurity remains an unsolved problem. We developed an artificial placenta (AP) based on extracorporeal life support (ECLS) that simulates the intrauterine environment and provides gas exchange without mechanical ventilation (MV), and compared it to the current standard of neonatal care. Methods Extremely premature lambs (110-120d; term=145d) were used. AP lambs (n=9) were cannulated (jugular drainage, umbilical vein reinfusion) for ECLS .Control lambs (n=7) were intubated, ventilated, given surfactant, and transitioned to high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. All lambs received parenteral nutrition, antibiotics, and steroids. Hemodynamics, blood gases, hemoglobin, and circuit flows were measured. Results Four premature lambs survived for 1 week on the AP; one survived 6 days. Adequate oxygenation and ventilation were provided by the AP. The MV lambs survived 2-8 hours. Each of these lambs experienced a transient improvement with surfactant, but developed progressive hypercapnea and hypoxia despite high airway pressures and HFOV. Conclusions Extremely premature lambs were supported for 1 week with the AP with hemodynamic stability and adequate gas exchange; mechanically ventilated lambs succumbed within 8 hours. Further studies will assess control of fetal circulation and organ maturation on the AP. PMID:25598091

[Effectiveness of a self-management program using goal setting based on a G-AP for patients after a stroke].

PubMed

Park, Min Gyeong; Ha, Yeongmi

2014-10-01

This study was conducted to develop a self-management program using goal setting for patients after a stroke. The program was based on a theory-based Goal setting and Action Planning framework (G-AP), and the effectiveness of the program was examined. A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The experimental group (n=30) received the self-management program using goal setting based on the G-AP over 7 weeks. The education was delivered individually with a specifically designed stroke workbook. The control group (n=30) received only patient information leaflets about stroke. There were significant differences between the two groups. Stroke knowledge, self-efficacy, and health behavior compliance were significantly higher (all p<.001), and hospital anxiety (p<.001) and depression (p<.001) were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group. This self-management program using goal setting based on a G-AP was found to be useful and beneficial for patients in stroke rehabilitation settings.

Activator Protein-1: redox switch controlling structure and DNA-binding

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

Yin, Zhou; Machius, Mischa; Nestler, Eric J.

The transcription factor, activator protein-1 (AP-1), binds to cognate DNA under redox control; yet, the underlying mechanism has remained enigmatic. A series of crystal structures of the AP-1 FosB/JunD bZIP domains reveal ordered DNA-binding regions in both FosB and JunD even in absence DNA. However, while JunD is competent to bind DNA, the FosB bZIP domain must undergo a large conformational rearrangement that is controlled by a ‘redox switch’ centered on an inter-molecular disulfide bond. Solution studies confirm that FosB/JunD cannot undergo structural transition and bind DNA when the redox-switch is in the ‘OFF’ state, and show that the mid-pointmore » redox potential of the redox switch affords it sensitivity to cellular redox homeostasis. The molecular and structural studies presented here thus reveal the mechanism underlying redox-regulation of AP-1 Fos/Jun transcription factors and provide structural insight for therapeutic interventions targeting AP-1 proteins.« less

[Nutritional therapy in acute pancreatitis: a practical guide for the initial enteral nutritional support.].

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Salmeán, G; Peláez-Luna, M

2010-01-01

Nutritional support is a cornerstone in acute pancreatitis (AP) treatment, which is a catabolic state that can result in patient's nutritional depletion. First step in the management of AP is to asses its severity. Despite mild AP cases usually do not require nutritional support severe cases benefit from its early initiation. Total enteral nutrition (TEN) decreases the frequency of complications and is the preferred nutrition modality in AP. Availability of nutrition specialists is often limited and usually the primary care physician decides when and how to start nutritional support in AP. To perform a systematic review about nutritional support in AP and create a TEN guide to aid the non nutrition specialist involved in the treatment of AP patients. The search for eligible studies was carried out using the Pub Med and the National Library of Medicine electronic data bases. Controlled clinical trials, treatment guidelines and systematic review articles were selected. It is recommended to initiate nutritional support in AP cases that will be without oral intake longer than a week and TEN is the election modality. We created a TEN guide explaining how to choose and initiate TEN in AP. Early TEN improves AP prognosis and is the nutritional modality of choice in every AP patients that will remain without oral intake longer than a week.

Economic considerations and health in all policies initiatives: evidence from interviews with key informants in Sweden, Quebec and South Australia.

PubMed

Pinto, Andrew D; Molnar, Agnes; Shankardass, Ketan; O'Campo, Patricia J; Bayoumi, Ahmed M

2015-02-18

Health in All Policies (HiAP) is a form of intersectoral action that aims to include the promotion of health in government initiatives across sectors. To date, there has been little study of economic considerations within the implementation of HiAP. As part of an ongoing program of research on the implementation of HiAP around the world, we examined how economic considerations influence the implementation of HiAP. By economic considerations we mean the cost and financial gain (or loss) of implementing a HiAP process or structure within government, or the cost and financial gain (or loss) of the policies that emerge from such a HiAP process or structure. We examined three jurisdictions: Sweden, Quebec and South Australia. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 12 to 14 key informants in each jurisdiction. Two investigators separately coded transcripts to identify relevant statements. Initial readings of transcripts led to the development of a coding framework for statements related to economic considerations. First, economic evaluations of HiAP are viewed as important for prompting HiAP and many forms of economic evaluation were considered. However, economic evaluations were often absent, informal, or incomplete. Second, funding for HiAP initiatives is important, but is less important than a high-level commitment to intersectoral collaboration. Furthermore, having multiple sources of funding of HiAP can be beneficial, if it increases participation across government, but can also be disadvantageous, if it exposes underlying tensions. Third, HiAP can also highlight the challenge of achieving both economic and social objectives. Our results are useful for elaborating propositions for use in realist multiple explanatory case studies. First, we propose that economic considerations are currently used primarily as a method by health sectors to promote and legitimize HiAP to non-health sectors with the goal of securing resources for HiAP. Second, allocating resources and making funding decisions regarding HiAP are inherently political acts that reflect tensions within government sectors. This study contributes important insights into how intersectoral action works, how economic evaluations of HiAP might be structured, and how economic considerations can be used to both promote HiAP and to present barriers to implementation.

75 FR 27191 - Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR): Aggregation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-14

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Parts 51 and 52 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0064, FRL-9151-3] RIN 2060-AP80 Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR... of the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR...

Postural strategies in Prader-Willi and Down syndrome patients.

PubMed

Cimolin, Veronica; Galli, Manuela; Grugni, Graziano; Vismara, Luca; Precilios, Helmer; Albertini, Giorgio; Rigoldi, Chiara; Capodaglio, Paolo

2011-01-01

Patients affected by Down (DS) and Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are characterised by some common clinical and functional features including gait disorders and reduced postural control. The aim of our study was to quantitatively compare postural control in adult PWS and DS. We studied 12 PWS and 19 DS adult patients matched for age, height, weight and body mass index. They were instructed to maintain an upright standing position on a force platform for 30s with open eyes (OE) and we calculated the range of center of pressure (CoP) displacement in the A/P direction (RANGE(AP)) and in the M/L direction (RANGE(ML)) and the total CoP trajectory length during quiet stance (Sway Path, SP). The range of oscillations in PWS and DS in both AP and ML direction were higher than in controls. PWS and DS were statistically different for RANGE(AP), with PWS showing higher mean values. Our results confirm a reduced capacity of both PWS and DS in maintaining postural stability. This appears to be in some respect different in PWS and DS, with PWS showing poorer control in AP. DS and, particularly, PWS should be encouraged to undergo specific balance training and strengthening of the ankle muscles as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program to enhance daily functioning and quality of life. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cyclosporine A and azathioprine are equipotent in chronic kidney allograft rejection.

PubMed

Hamar, P; Liu, S; Viklický, O; Szabó, A; Múller, V; Heemann, U

2000-04-15

Chronic rejection is the major cause of graft loss after kidney transplantation. Various immunosuppressive protocols have been used to ameliorate this process. We investigated whether cyclosporin A- (CyA) or azathioprine- (Aza) based immunosuppression is better able to slow the progression of chronic rejection. Fisher kidneys were transplanted into bilaterally nephrectomized Lewis rats. Recipients received CyA (1.5 mg/kg/day, s.c.) for 10 days, and were treated from day 11 with either CyA (1.5 mg/kg)+pred (0.15 mg/kg) (C+P),Aza (2 mg/kg)+pred (A+P), vehicle+pred (P), or vehicle alone (controls) (n = 8/group). Proteinuria was regularly assessed and grafts were harvested for morphological, immunohistological, and molecular biological analysis at week 24. By week 12 proteinuria had increased to significant levels. At week 24, proteinuria was significantly lower and creatinine clearance was significantly higher in C+P and A+P, than in P or controls. Morphological analysis supported these functional results: at week 24, glomerulopathy, tubular atrophy and intimal proliferation (as assessed according to the BANFF score) were less pronounced in C+P and A+P, as compared with P or controls. These morphological parameters were accompanied by a reduced infiltration of ED-1+ macrophages and CD-5+ T lymphocytes. In P or controls the synthesis of IL-2Ralpha mRNA was markedly elevated at this time. In parallel to the reduced cellular infiltration, IL-2Ralpha mRNA expression was markedly inhibited, both, in C+P and A+P. There were no significant differences between C+P and A+P regarding the parameters studied. In conclusion, both C+P and A+P reduced the infiltration of activated T lymphocytes, and the pace of chronic kidney allograft rejection. The outcome of C+P and A+P based therapy did not differ significantly.

Results from the RF BPM Upgrade Prototype at the Advanced Photon Source

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

Pietryla, Anthony; Lill, Robert; Norum, Eric

2006-11-20

The Advanced Photon Source (APS), a third-generation synchrotron light source, has been in operation for 10 years. The monopulse radio frequency (RF) beam position monitor (BPM) is one of three BPM types now employed in the storage ring at the APS. It is a broadband (10 MHz) system designed to measure single-turn and multi-turn beam positions, but it suffers from an aging data acquisition system. The replacement BPM system retains the existing monopulse receivers and replaces the data acquisition system with high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that performs the signal processing. A prototype systemmore » was constructed and is currently being evaluated. This paper presents the results obtained from laboratory and field tests of the prototype system.« less

Results from the RF BPM upgrade prototype at the Advanced Photon Source.

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

Pietryla, A.; Lill, R.; Norum, E.

2006-01-01

The Advanced Photon Source (APS), a third-generation synchrotron light source, has been in operation for 10 years. The monopulse radio frequency (RF) beam position monitor (BPM) is one of three BPM types now employed in the storage ring at the APS. It is a broadband (10 MHz) system designed to measure single-turn and multi-turn beam positions, but it suffers from an aging data acquisition system. The replacement BPM system retains the existing monopulse receivers and replaces the data acquisition system with high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that performs the signal processing. A prototype systemmore » was constructed and is currently being evaluated. This paper presents the results obtained from laboratory and field tests of the prototype system.« less

Periapical and endodontic status of type 2 diabetic patients in Catalonia, Spain: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

López-López, José; Jané-Salas, Enric; Estrugo-Devesa, Albert; Velasco-Ortega, Eugenio; Martín-González, Jenifer; Segura-Egea, Juan José

2011-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate radiographically the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and endodontic treatment in a sample of adult type II diabetic patients and control subjects. In a cross-sectional study, the radiographic records of 50 adult patients reporting a history of well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (study group) and 50 age- and sex-matched subjects who reported no history of DM (control group) were examined. Periapical status of all teeth was assessed using the periapical index score. The average number of teeth per patient in the diabetic and control groups was 21.9 and 24.6 teeth, respectively (P = .012). AP in one or more teeth was found in 37 diabetic patients (74%) and in 21 control subjects (42%) (odds ratio = 3.9, P = .002). One or more root-filled teeth were found in 35 (70%) and 25 (50%) of diabetic and control subjects, respectively (odds ratio = 2.3, P = .043). Among diabetic patients with root-filled teeth, 16 (46%) had AP affecting at least one treated tooth. Among controls with root-filled teeth, 6 (24%) had AP affecting at least one treated tooth (P > .05). Adjusting for teeth number, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that periapical status (odds ratio = 3.3, P = .0071) and the number of root-filled teeth (odds ratio = 1.7; P = .0035) were significantly associated with diabetic status. The results showed that in adult patients, type 2 DM is significantly associated with an increased prevalence of AP and endodontic treatment. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

All-Cause and Acute Pancreatitis Health Care Costs in Patients With Severe Hypertriglyceridemia.

PubMed

Rashid, Nazia; Sharma, Puza P; Scott, Ronald D; Lin, Kathy J; Toth, Peter P

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess health care utilization and costs related to acute pancreatitis (AP) in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) levels. Patients with sHTG levels 1000 mg/dL or higher were identified from January 1, 2007, to June 30, 2013. The first identified incident triglyceride level was labeled as index date. All-cause, AP-related health care visits, and mean total all-cause costs in patients with and without AP were compared during 12 months postindex. A generalized linear model regression was used to compare costs while controlling for patient characteristics and comorbidities. Five thousand five hundred fifty sHTG patients were identified, and 5.4% of these patients developed AP during postindex. Patients with AP had significantly (P < 0.05) more all-cause outpatient visits, hospitalizations, longer length of stays during the hospital visits, and emergency department visits versus patients without AP. Mean (SD) unadjusted all-cause health care costs in the 12 months postindex were $25,343 ($33,139) for patients with AP compared with $15,195 ($24,040) for patients with no AP. The regression showed annual all-cause costs were 49.9% higher (P < 0.01) for patients with AP versus without AP. Patients who developed AP were associated with higher costs; managing patients with sHTG at risk of developing AP may help reduce unnecessary costs.

10 CFR 75.9 - Information collection requirements: OMB approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... follows: (1) In § 75.10, Form N-71 and associated forms are approved under control number 3150-0056. (2) In §§ 75.31, 75.32, 75.33, and 75.35, DOE/NRC Form 742 is approved under control number 3150-0004. (3... Form 742C is approved under control number 3150-0058. (6) In §§ 75.10 and 75.11, DOC/NRC Forms AP-1, AP...

Unique and redundant functional domains of APETALA1 and CAULIFLOWER, two recently duplicated Arabidopsis thaliana floral MADS-box genes.

PubMed

Alvarez-Buylla, Elena R; García-Ponce, Berenice; Garay-Arroyo, Adriana

2006-01-01

APETALA1 (AP1) and CAULIFLOWER (CAL) are closely related MADS box genes that are partially redundant during Arabidopsis thaliana floral meristem determination. AP1 is able to fully substitute for CAL functions, but not vice versa, and AP1 has unique sepal and petal identity specification functions. In this study, the unique and redundant functions of these two genes has been mapped to the four protein domains that characterize type-II MADS-domain proteins by expressing all 15 chimeric combinations of AP1 and CAL cDNA regions under control of the AP1 promoter in ap1-1 loss-of-function plants. The "in vivo" function of these chimeric genes was analysed in Arabidopsis plants by expressing the chimeras. Rescue of flower meristem and sepal/petal identities was scored in single and multiple insert homozygous transgenic lines. Using these chimeric lines, it was found that distinct residues of the AP1 K domain not shared by the same CAL domain are necessary and sufficient for complete recovery of floral meristem identity, in the context of the CAL protein sequence, while both AP1 COOH and K domains are indispensable for complete rescue of sepal identity. By contrast, either one of these two AP1 domains is necessary and sufficient for complete petal identity recovery. It was also found that there were positive and negative synergies among protein domains and their combinations, and that multiple-insert lines showed relatively better rescue than equivalent single-insert lines. Finally, several lines had flowers with extra sepals and petals suggesting that chimeric proteins yield abnormal transcriptional complexes that may alter the expression or regulation of genes that control floral organ number under normal conditions.

Fabrication and assembly of a superconducting undulator for the advanced photon source

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

Hasse, Quentin; Fuerst, J. D.; Ivanyushenkov, Y.

2014-01-29

A prototype superconducting undulator magnet (SCU0) has been built at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and has successfully completed both cryogenic performance and magnetic measurement test programs. The SCU0 closed loop, zero-boil-off cryogenic system incorporates high temperature superconducting (HTS) current leads, cryocoolers, a LHe reservoir supplying dual magnetic cores, and an integrated cooled beam chamber. This system presented numerous challenges in the design, fabrication, and assembly of the device. Aspects of this R and D relating to both the cryogenic and overall assembly of the device are presented here. The SCU0 magnet has been installedmore » in the APS storage ring.« less

Mechanical design of thin-film diamond crystal mounting apparatus for coherence preservation hard x-ray optics

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

Shu, Deming, E-mail: shu@aps.anl.gov; Shvyd’ko, Yuri V.; Stoupin, Stanislav

2016-07-27

A new thin-film diamond crystal mounting apparatus has been designed at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) for coherence preservation hard x-ray optics with optimized thermal contact and minimized crystal strain. This novel mechanical design can be applied to new development in the field of: x-ray optics cavities for hard x-ray free-electron laser oscillators (XFELOs), self-seeding monochromators for hard x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) with high average thermal loading, high heat load diamond crystal monochromators and beam-sharing/beam-split-and-delay devices for XFEL facilities and future upgraded high-brightness coherent x-ray source in the MBA lattice configuration at the APS.

Chronic depolarization enhances the trophic effects of BDNF in rescuing auditory neurons following a sensorineural hearing loss

PubMed Central

Shepherd, Robert K.; Coco, Anne; Epp, Stephanie B.; Crook, Jeremy M.

2007-01-01

The development and maintenance of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) appears to be supported by both neural activity and neurotrophins. Removal of this support leads to their gradual degeneration. Here, we examine whether the exogenous delivery of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in concert with electrical stimulation (ES) provides a greater protective effect than delivery of BDNF alone in vivo. The left cochlea of profoundly deafened guinea pigs was implanted with an electrode array and drug delivery system. BDNF or artificial perilymph (AP) was delivered continuously for 28 days. ES induced neural activity in two cohorts (BDNF/ES and AP/ES) while control animals received BDNF or AP without ES (BDNF/- and AP/-). The right cochleae of each animal served as deafened untreated controls. Electrically-evoked auditory brainstem responses (EABRs) were recorded immediately following surgery and at completion of the drug delivery period. AP/ES and AP/- cohorts showed an increase in EABR threshold over the implantation period while both BDNF cohorts exhibited a reduction in threshold (P < 0.001, t-test). Changes in neural sensitivity were complemented by significant differences in both SGN survival and soma area. BDNF cohorts demonstrated a significant trophic or survival advantage and larger soma area compared with AP-treated and deafened control cochleae; this advantage was greatest in the base of the cochlea. Importantly, ES significantly enhanced the survival effects of BDNF throughout the majority of the cochlea (P < 0.05, Bonferroni's test), while there was no evidence of trophic support provided by ES alone. Co-treatment of SGNs with BDNF and ES provide a substantial functional and trophic advantage; this treatment may have important implications for neural prostheses. PMID:15844207

Rab4b controls an early endosome sorting event by interacting with the γ-subunit of the clathrin adaptor complex 1.

PubMed

Perrin, Laura; Laura, Perrin; Lacas-Gervais, Sandra; Sandra, Lacas-Gervais; Gilleron, Jérôme; Jérôme, Gilleron; Ceppo, Franck; Franck, Ceppo; Prodon, François; François, Prodon; Benmerah, Alexandre; Alexandre, Benmerah; Tanti, Jean-François; Jean-François, Tanti; Cormont, Mireille; Mireille, Cormont

2013-11-01

The endocytic pathway is essential for cell homeostasis and numerous small Rab GTPases are involved in its control. The endocytic trafficking step controlled by Rab4b has not been elucidated, although recent data suggested it could be important for glucose homeostasis, synaptic homeostasis or adaptive immunity. Here, we show that Rab4b is required for early endosome sorting of transferrin receptors (TfRs) to the recycling endosomes, and we identified the AP1γ subunit of the clathrin adaptor AP-1 as a Rab4b effector and key component of the machinery of early endosome sorting. We show that internalised transferrin (Tf) does not reach Vamp3/Rab11 recycling endosomes in the absence of Rab4b, whereas it is rapidly recycled back to the plasma membrane. By contrast, overexpression of Rab4b leads to the accumulation of internalised Tf within AP-1- and clathrin-coated vesicles. These vesicles are poor in early and recycling endocytic markers except for TfR and require AP1γ for their formation. Furthermore, the targeted overexpression of the Rab4b-binding domain of AP1γ to early endosome upon its fusion with FYVE domains inhibited the interaction between Rab4b and endogenous AP1γ, and perturbed Tf traffic. We thus proposed that the interaction between early endocytic Rab4b and AP1γ could allow the budding of clathrin-coated vesicles for subsequent traffic to recycling endosomes. The data also uncover a novel type of endosomes, characterised by low abundance of either early or recycling endocytic markers, which could potentially be generated in cell types that naturally express high level of Rab4b.

APS-U LATTICE DESIGN FOR OFF-AXIS ACCUMULATION

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

Sun, Yipeng; Borland, M.; Lindberg, R.

2017-06-25

A 67-pm hybrid-seven-bend achromat (H7BA) lattice is being proposed for a future Advanced Photon Source (APS) multi-bend-achromat (MBA) upgrade project. This lattice design pushes for smaller emittance and requires use of a swap-out (on-axis) injection scheme due to limited dynamic acceptance. Alternate lattice design work has also been performed for the APS upgrade to achieve better beam dynamics performance than the nominal APS MBA lattice, in order to allow off-axis accumulation. Two such alternate H7BA lattice designs, which target a still-low emittance of 90 pm, are discussed in detail in this paper. Although the single-particle-dynamics performance is good, simulations ofmore » collective effects indicate that surprising difficulty would be expected accumulating high single-bunch charge in this lattice. The brightness of the 90-pm lattice is also a factor of two lower than the 67-pm H7BA lattice.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Candidate X-ray OB stars in MYStIX regions (Povich+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Povich, M. S.; Busk, H. A.; Feigelson, E. D.; Townsley, L. K.; Kuhn, M. A.

2017-10-01

X-ray point source catalogs for the 18 Massive Young Star-forming Complex Study in Infrared and X-Rays (MYStIX) regions studied here were produced by Kuhn+ (2010, J/ApJ/725/2485 and 2013, J/ApJS/209/27) and Townsley (2014+, J/ApJS/213/1) from archival Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Camera (ACIS) observations. MYStIX JHKs NIR photometry was obtained from images taken with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Wide-field Camera or from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS). See section 2 for further details. Spitzer MIR photometry at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0um was provided either by the Galactic Legacy Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE; Benjamin+ 2003PASP..115..953B) or by Kuhn+ (2013, J/ApJS/209/29). (4 data files).

The health-related, social, and economic consequences of parkinsonism: a controlled national study.

PubMed

Jennum, Poul; Zoetmulder, Marielle; Korbo, Lise; Kjellberg, Jakob

2011-08-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonism (AP) cause a significant socioeconomic burden, but there is insufficient information about the total disease burden at a national level. Thus, the goal of this study was to estimate the excess direct and indirect costs of PD and AP in a national sample. Using records from the Danish National Patient Registry (1997-2007), 13,400 PD and 647 AP patients were identified and compared with, respectively, 53,600 and 2,588 control cases randomly selected with respect to age, gender, civil status, and geographic location. Direct costs including frequencies of primary and sector contacts and procedures, and medication from primary and secondary sectors were obtained from the Danish Ministry of Health, the Danish Medicines Agency, and the National Health Security. Indirect costs, which included labor supply and social transfer payments, were based on income data derived from the Coherent Social Statistics. Patients with PD and AP had significantly higher rates of health-related contact and medication use and a higher socioeconomic cost. Furthermore, they had very low employment rates, and those in employment had a lower income level than employed control subjects. The annual mean excess health-related cost was 6,500 ($8,975/£5,543) and 9,771 ($13,491/£8,332) for each patient with PD and AP, respectively. In addition, the patients with PD and AP received an annual mean excess social transfer income of 324 (£276/$447) and 844 (£719/$1,165), respectively. The employment- and health-related consequences could be identified up to 8 years before the first diagnosis and increased with disease advancement. PD and AP have major socioeconomic consequences for patients and society. The health effects are present for up to more than 8 years before a diagnosis of PD/AP.

Antioxidant Activity of Syringic Acid Prevents Oxidative Stress in l-arginine–Induced Acute Pancreatitis: An Experimental Study on Rats

PubMed Central

Cikman, Oztekin; Soylemez, Omer; Ozkan, Omer Faruk; Kiraz, Hasan Ali; Sayar, Ilyas; Ademoglu, Serkan; Taysi, Seyithan; Karaayvaz, Muammer

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of antioxidant treatment with syringic acid (SA) on l-arginine–induced acute pancreatitis (AP) using biochemical and histopathologic approaches. A total of 30 rats were divided into 3 groups. The control group received normal saline intraperitoneally. The AP group was induced by 3.2 g/kg body weight l-arginine intraperitoneally, administered twice with an interval of 1 hour between administrations. The AP plus SA group, after having AP induced by 3.2 g/kg body weight l-arginine, was given SA (50 mg kg−1) in 2 parts within 24 hours. The rats were killed, and pancreatic tissue was removed and used in biochemical and histopathologic examinations. Compared with the control group, the mean pancreatic tissue total oxidant status level, oxidative stress index, and lipid hydroperoxide levels were significantly increased in the AP group, being 30.97 ± 7.13 (P < 0.05), 1.76 ± 0.34 (P < 0.0001), and 19.18 ± 4.91 (P < 0.01), respectively. However, mean total antioxidant status and sulfhydryl group levels were significantly decreased in the AP group compared with the control group, being 1.765 ± 0.21 (P < 0.0001) and 0.21 ± 0.04 (P < 0.0001), respectively. SA reduces oxidative stress markers and has antioxidant effects. It also augments antioxidant capacity in l-arginine–induced acute toxicity of pancreas in rats. PMID:26011211

Antioxidant Activity of Syringic Acid Prevents Oxidative Stress in l-arginine-Induced Acute Pancreatitis: An Experimental Study on Rats.

PubMed

Cikman, Oztekin; Soylemez, Omer; Ozkan, Omer Faruk; Kiraz, Hasan Ali; Sayar, Ilyas; Ademoglu, Serkan; Taysi, Seyithan; Karaayvaz, Muammer

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of antioxidant treatment with syringic acid (SA) on l-arginine-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) using biochemical and histopathologic approaches. A total of 30 rats were divided into 3 groups. The control group received normal saline intraperitoneally. The AP group was induced by 3.2 g/kg body weight l-arginine intraperitoneally, administered twice with an interval of 1 hour between administrations. The AP plus SA group, after having AP induced by 3.2 g/kg body weight l-arginine, was given SA (50 mg kg(-1)) in 2 parts within 24 hours. The rats were killed, and pancreatic tissue was removed and used in biochemical and histopathologic examinations. Compared with the control group, the mean pancreatic tissue total oxidant status level, oxidative stress index, and lipid hydroperoxide levels were significantly increased in the AP group, being 30.97 ± 7.13 (P < 0.05), 1.76 ± 0.34 (P < 0.0001), and 19.18 ± 4.91 (P < 0.01), respectively. However, mean total antioxidant status and sulfhydryl group levels were significantly decreased in the AP group compared with the control group, being 1.765 ± 0.21 (P < 0.0001) and 0.21 ± 0.04 (P < 0.0001), respectively. SA reduces oxidative stress markers and has antioxidant effects. It also augments antioxidant capacity in l-arginine-induced acute toxicity of pancreas in rats.

Engineering-Based Problem Solving Strategies in AP Calculus: An Investigation into High School Student Performance on Related Rate Free-Response Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thieken, John

2012-01-01

A sample of 127 high school Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus students from two schools was utilized to study the effects of an engineering design-based problem solving strategy on student performance with AP style Related Rate questions and changes in conceptions, beliefs, and influences. The research design followed a treatment-control multiple…

Aerophagia in adolescents is associated with exposure to adverse life events and psychological maladjustment.

PubMed

Rajindrajith, S; Hettige, S; Gulegoda, I; Jayawickrama, N; De Silva, S C; Samarakoon, H K; de Silva, R L; Abeyagunawardena, S; Devanarayana, N M

2018-03-01

Aerophagia is a common childhood functional gastrointestinal disorder. We studied the association between adverse life events (ALEs), psychological maladjustment, somatization, and aerophagia (AP) in adolescents. We also assessed the impact of AP on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 2500 subjects of 13-18 years in 8 randomly selected schools in Sri Lanka. Translated, validated, and self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Aerophagia was diagnosed using Rome III criteria. A total of 2453 questionnaires were analyzed (males 1200 [48.9%], mean age 14.8 years, SD 1.6 years). Of them, 371 adolescents had AP (15.1%). Aerophagia was associated with exposure to physical abuse (20.4% vs. 12.7% in controls, P < .0001), emotional abuse (20.3% vs. 8.2% in controls, P < .0001), and other ALEs (22% vs. 10.2% in controls, P < .001). One hundred and ninety (51.2%) adolescents with AP and 775 (37.2%) controls had a personality score above the international cutoff value of 105, indicating psychological maladjustment (odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval 1.42-2.21, P < .0001). Those with AP had higher somatization (16.4 vs. 8.9) and lower overall HRQoL scores (77.0 vs. 85.1, P < .0001). HRQoL scores of adolescents with AP were lower in all domains, namely, physical (80.6 vs. 86.9), emotional (69.1 vs. 80.3), social (83.8 vs. 90.5), and school (72.6 vs. 82.5) functioning (P < .0001). Aerophagia was associated with exposure to ALEs and psychological maladjustment. Affected teenagers suffer from more somatic symptoms and has a poor HRQoL. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Benzylamine antihyperglycemic effect is abolished by AOC3 gene invalidation in mice but not rescued by semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase expression under the control of aP2 promoter.

PubMed

Grès, Sandra; Bour, Sandy; Valet, Philippe; Carpéné, Christian

2012-12-01

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) is a transmembrane enzyme that metabolizes primary amines from endogenous or dietary origin. SSAO is highly expressed in adipose, smooth muscle and endothelial cells. In each of these cell types, SSAO is implicated in different biological functions, such as glucose transport activation, extracellular matrix maturation and leucocyte extravasation, respectively. However, the physiological functions of SSAO and their involvement in pathogenesis remain uncompletely characterized. To better understand the role of adipose tissue SSAO, we investigated whether it was necessary and/or sufficient to produce the antihyperglycemic effect of the SSAO-substrate benzylamine, already reported in mice. Therefore, we crossed SSAO-deficient mice invalidated for AOC3 gene and transgenic mice expected to express human SSAO in an adipocyte-specific manner, under the control of aP2 promoter. The aP2-human AOC3 construct (aP2-hAOC3) was equally expressed in the adipose tissue of mice expressing or not the native murine form and almost absent in other tissues. However, the corresponding SSAO activity found in adipose tissue represented only 20 % that of control mice. As a consequence, the benzylamine antihyperglycemic effect observed during glucose tolerance test in control was abolished in AOC3-KO mice but not rescued in mice expressing aP2-hAOC3. The capacity of benzylamine or methylamine to activate glucose uptake in adipocytes exhibited parallel variations in the corresponding genotypes. Although the aP2-hAOC3 construct did not allow a total rescue of SSAO activity in adipose tissue, it could be assessed from our observations that adipocyte SSAO plays a pivotal role in the increased glucose tolerance promoted by pharmacological doses of benzylamine.

A systematic study on photocatalysis of antipyrine: Catalyst characterization, parameter optimization, reaction mechanism a toxicity evolution to plankton.

PubMed

Gong, Han; Chu, Wei; Chen, Meijuan; Wang, Qinxing

2017-04-01

The toxicity of antipyrine (AP) in the photodegradation using UV/CoFe 2 O 4 /TiO 2 was investigated by analyzing the characteristic of the catalyst, the effect of parameters (light source wavelength, catalyst dose, pH and initial AP concentration), the reaction mechanism (the organic intermediates, TOC reduction and inorganic ions release) and the newly proposed low-dosage-high-effective radical reaction approach. The catalyst shows the optimal removal efficiency under the conditions of wavelength at 350 nm, the catalyst dose at 0.5 g/L, and pH value at 5.5. Ten organic intermediates were identified, and five of them were newly reported in AP treatment process. Hydroxylation, demethylation and the cleavage of the pentacyclic ring were included in the decomposition pathways. The ring opening was certified by the 45% TOC reduction and 60% ammonia release during the process. The parent compound AP and its degradation products show positive effects on the growth of the algae. However, acute toxicity of AP was detected on brine shrimps Artemia salina. The toxicity was eliminated gradually with the decomposition of AP and the generation of the byproducts. The results indicate that the photocatalysis process is effective in AP removal, TOC reduction and toxicity elimination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations between bacteremia from oral sources and distant-site infections: tooth brushing versus single tooth extraction.

PubMed

Mougeot, Farah K Bahrani; Saunders, Sabrina E; Brennan, Michael T; Lockhart, Peter B

2015-04-01

To determine the impact of antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) on the incidence of bacteremia caused by oral bacterial species associated with infective endocarditis (IE) and prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and to compare the incidence of following tooth brushing versus single tooth extraction. Bacterial species in blood following single tooth extraction, with or without AP, and tooth brushing(1) were compared with IE- and PJI-associated bacteria reported in the literature. Of the 98 bacterial species identified in blood following single tooth extraction and tooth brushing, 32(1) and 12 were species were associated with IE and PJI, respectively. AP decreased the frequency of IE- and PJI-causing oral bacterial species in blood; however, single tooth extraction versus brushing resulted in bacteremia with IE- and PJI-causing species with similar frequencies: 65% versus 56% for IE, and 31% versus 28% for PJI. Although AP significantly decreased the incidence of bacteremia, the similarity between the incidence of bacteremia following brushing and extraction undermines AP as an effective strategy for the prevention of these distant-site infections. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brief Report: HIV Assisted Partner Services Among Those With and Without a History of Intimate Partner Violence in Kenya.

PubMed

Goyette, Marielle S; Mutiti, Peter M; Bukusi, David; Wamuti, Beatrice M; Otieno, Felix A; Cherutich, Peter; Golden, Matthew R; Spiegel, Hans; Richardson, Barbra A; Ngʼangʼa, Anne; Farquhar, Carey

2018-05-01

HIV assisted partner services (APS) are a notification and testing strategy for sex partners of HIV-infected index patients. This cluster-randomized controlled trial secondary data analysis investigated whether history of intimate partner violence (IPV) modified APS effectiveness and risk of relationship dissolution. Eighteen HIV testing and counseling sites in Kenya randomized to provide immediate APS (intervention) or APS delayed for 6 weeks (control). History of IPV was ascertained at study enrollment and defined as reporting ever experiencing physical or sexual IPV. Those reporting IPV in the month before enrollment were excluded. We tested whether history of IPV modified intervention effectiveness and risk of relationship dissolution using population-averaged Poisson and log-binomial generalized estimating equation models. Exploratory analyses investigated associations between history of IPV and events that occurred after HIV diagnosis using log-binomial generalized estimating equation models. The study enrolled 1119 index participants and 1286 partners. Among index participants, 81 (7%) had history of IPV. History of IPV did not modify APS effectiveness in testing, newly diagnosing, or linking partners to care. History of IPV did not modify the association between receiving immediate APS and relationship dissolution during the study. Among participants who had not experienced IPV in the last month but had experienced IPV in their lifetimes, our results suggest that APS is an effective and safe partner notification strategy in Kenya. As APS is scaled up in different contexts, these data support including those reporting past IPV and closely monitoring adverse events.

Overview of Lattice Design and Evaluation for the APS Upgrade

DOE PAGES

Borland, M.; Emery, L.; Lindberg, R.; ...

2017-08-01

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is a 7-GeV synchrotron light source that has been in operation since 1996. Since that time, the effective emittance has been decreased from 8 nm to 3.1 nm, which is very competitive for a 3rd-generation light source. However, newer facilities such as PETRA-III, NSLS-II, and MAX-IV are pushing the emittance to significantly smaller values. MAX-IV in particular has set the current benchmark with an emittance of about 300 pm at 3 GeV. This was accomplished by use of a multi-bend achromat lattice, which takes advantage of the 1/M3 scaling of the emittance with respect tomore » the number of dipoles M. In order to ensure that our facility remains competitive, APS is pursuing a major upgrade, which involves replacement of the existing double-bend lattice with a seven-bend achromat lattice, promising a 40-fold reduction in emittance. This paper describes the process of developing and evaluating candidate lattice designs. Two candidate 6-GeV lattices are described: one providing a natural emittance of 67 pm and the other providing 41 pm. Our analysis includes single-particle dynamics as well as single- and multi-bunch collective effects.« less

Application of Atmospheric-Pressure Microwave Line Plasma for Low Temperature Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Haruka; Nakano, Suguru; Itoh, Hitoshi; Sekine, Makoto; Hori, Masaru; Toyoda, Hirotaka

2015-09-01

Atmospheric pressure (AP) plasmas have been given much attention because of its high cost benefit and a variety of possibilities for industrial applications. In various kinds of plasma production technique, pulsed-microwave discharge plasma using slot antenna is attractive due to its ability of high-density and stable plasma production. In this plasma source, however, size of the plasma has been limited up to a few cm in length due to standing wave inside a waveguide. To solve this, we have proposed a newly-developed AP microwave plasma source that utilizes not standing wave but travelling wave. By using this plasma source, spatially-uniform AP line plasma with 40 cm in length was realized by pure helium discharge in 60 cm slot and with nitrogen gas additive of 1%. Furthermore, gas temperature as low as 400 K was realized in this device. In this study, as an example of low temperature processes, hydrophilic treatment of PET films was performed. Processing speed increased with pulse frequency and a water contact angle of ~20° was easily obtained within 5 s with no thermal damage to the substrate. To evaluate treatment-uniformity of long line length, PET films were treated by 90 cm slot-antenna plasma and uniform treatment performance was confirmed.

Classification of Physical Activity: Information to Artificial Pancreas Control Systems in Real Time.

PubMed

Turksoy, Kamuran; Paulino, Thiago Marques Luz; Zaharieva, Dessi P; Yavelberg, Loren; Jamnik, Veronica; Riddell, Michael C; Cinar, Ali

2015-10-06

Physical activity has a wide range of effects on glucose concentrations in type 1 diabetes (T1D) depending on the type (ie, aerobic, anaerobic, mixed) and duration of activity performed. This variability in glucose responses to physical activity makes the development of artificial pancreas (AP) systems challenging. Automatic detection of exercise type and intensity, and its classification as aerobic or anaerobic would provide valuable information to AP control algorithms. This can be achieved by using a multivariable AP approach where biometric variables are measured and reported to the AP at high frequency. We developed a classification system that identifies, in real time, the exercise intensity and its reliance on aerobic or anaerobic metabolism and tested this approach using clinical data collected from 5 persons with T1D and 3 individuals without T1D in a controlled laboratory setting using a variety of common types of physical activity. The classifier had an average sensitivity of 98.7% for physiological data collected over a range of exercise modalities and intensities in these subjects. The classifier will be added as a new module to the integrated multivariable adaptive AP system to enable the detection of aerobic and anaerobic exercise for enhancing the accuracy of insulin infusion strategies during and after exercise. © 2015 Diabetes Technology Society.

Ectopic expression of Jatropha curcas APETALA1 (JcAP1) caused early flowering in Arabidopsis, but not in Jatropha

PubMed Central

Tang, Mingyong; Tao, Yan-Bin

2016-01-01

Jatropha curcas is a promising feedstock for biofuel production because Jatropha oil is highly suitable for the production of biodiesel and bio-jet fuels. However, Jatropha exhibits a low seed yield as a result of unreliable and poor flowering. APETALA1 (AP1) is a floral meristem and organ identity gene in higher plants. The flower meristem identity genes of Jatropha have not yet been identified or characterized. To better understand the genetic control of flowering in Jatropha, an AP1 homolog (JcAP1) was isolated from Jatropha. An amino acid sequence analysis of JcAP1 revealed a high similarity to the AP1 proteins of other perennial plants. JcAP1 was expressed in inflorescence buds, flower buds, sepals and petals. The highest expression level was observed during the early developmental stage of the flower buds. The overexpression of JcAP1 using the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter resulted in extremely early flowering and abnormal flowers in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Several flowering genes downstream of AP1 were up-regulated in the JcAP1-overexpressing transgenic plant lines. Furthermore, JcAP1 overexpression rescued the phenotype caused by the Arabidopsis AP1 loss-of-function mutant ap1-11. Therefore, JcAP1 is an ortholog of AtAP1, which plays a similar role in the regulation of flowering in Arabidopsis. However, the overexpression of JcAP1 in Jatropha using the same promoter resulted in little variation in the flowering time and floral organs, indicating that JcAP1 may be insufficient to regulate flowering by itself in Jatropha. This study helps to elucidate the function of JcAP1 and contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of flower development in Jatropha. PMID:27168978

Developments in Assisting Countries in Implementing the IAEA Additional Protocol

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

Killinger, Mark H.; Hansen, Linda H.; Cain, Ronald A.

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began assisting selected non-nuclear weapon states in planning and preparing for implementation of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol (AP). Since then, the AP international implementation program has contributed to the substantial progress made by Vietnam, Thailand, Iraq, and Malaysia in preparing for entry-into-force of the AP. An overall engagement plan has been developed with components designed to train government AP implementing agencies, inform policy makers, conduct outreach to industry and universities, make AP reporting software available and useful, and plan a detailed approach for implementing the declaration and complementary accessmore » provisions of the AP. DOE recently began collaborating with Indonesia, which has already entered the AP into force, requiring a second method of engagement somewhat different from that taken with countries that have not entered the AP into force. The AP international implementation program, administered by the International Nuclear Safeguards and Engagement Program, is working more closely with DOE’s International Nonproliferation Export Control Program to ensure countries are aware of and prepared to implement the export/import provisions of the AP. As the AP implementation program matures and helps move countries closer to entry-into-force or improved AP implementation, it is identifying characteristics of a country’s “end-state” that indicate that DOE assistance is no longer required. The U.S. AP Implementation Act and Senate Resolution of Ratification require the Administration to report annually to Congress on measures taken to achieve the adoption of the AP in non-nuclear weapon states. DOE’s AP international implementation program is a significant part of these measures. This paper describes recent developments to increase the scope and effectiveness of the program.« less

Glaucoma patients present increased levels of diadenosine tetraphosphate, Ap(4)A, in the aqueous humour.

PubMed

Castany, Marta; Jordi, Isabel; Catala, Jaume; Gual, Arcadi; Morales, Miguel; Gasull, Xavier; Pintor, Jesus

2011-03-01

Previous studies have shown the presence of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap(4)A) and pentaphosphate (Ap(5)A) in the aqueous humour (AH) of different species. When topically applied to the rabbit cornea, Ap(4)A decreased IOP while Ap(5)A increased it. Here we study the presence of dinucleoside polyphosphates in the AH from human patients with or without glaucoma. AH was obtained at the time of cataract surgery from patients with (n=16) or without (n=10) primary open-angle glaucoma. AH (0.1-0.2 ml) was collected at the beginning of surgery through a corneal paracentesis and immediately cooled in liquid nitrogen, kept frozen and protected from light. AH aliquots were analyzed by HPLC for the presence of Ap(4)A and Ap(5)A. Both, Ap(4)A and Ap(5)A were detected in the AH of both experimental groups. No significant differences were found for Ap(5)A. In contrast, Ap(4)A levels were increased by ∼15-fold in the AH from glaucomatous eyes ranging from 19.5±9.2 nM in normal individuals to 286.03±30.9 nM in glaucomatous patients. In conclusion, both Ap(4)A and Ap(5)A were detected for the first time in human AH. Interestingly, glaucomatous eyes presented elevated concentrations of Ap(4)A compared to controls. The role of Ap(4)A needs to be elucidated but it may help to protect the autonomic innervation in the ciliary body/trabecular meshwork. Also, because of its higher levels in glaucoma patients it may be considered as a possible glaucoma biomarker. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

APETALA2 like genes from Picea abies show functional similarities to their Arabidopsis homologues.

PubMed

Nilsson, Lars; Carlsbecker, Annelie; Sundås-Larsson, Annika; Vahala, Tiina

2007-02-01

In angiosperm flower development the identity of the floral organs is determined by the A, B and C factors. Here we present the characterisation of three homologues of the A class gene APETALA2 (AP2) from the conifer Picea abies (Norway spruce), Picea abies APETALA2 LIKE1 (PaAP2L1), PaAP2L2 and PaAP2L3. Similar to AP2 these genes contain sequence motifs complementary to miRNA172 that has been shown to regulate AP2 in Arabidopsis. The genes display distinct expression patterns during plant development; in the female-cone bud PaAP2L1 and PaAP2L3 are expressed in the seed-bearing ovuliferous scale in a pattern complementary to each other, and overlapping with the expression of the C class-related gene DAL2. To study the function of PaAP2L1 and PaAP2L2 the genes were expressed in Arabidopsis. The transgenic PaAP2L2 plants were stunted and flowered later than control plants. Flowers were indeterminate and produced an excess of floral organs most severely in the two inner whorls, associated with an ectopic expression of the meristem-regulating gene WUSCHEL. No homeotic changes in floral-organ identities occurred, but in the ap2-1 mutant background PaAP2L2 was able to promote petal identity, indicating that the spruce AP2 gene has the capacity to substitute for an A class gene in Arabidopsis. In spite of the long evolutionary distance between angiosperms and gymnosperms and the fact that gymnosperms lack structures homologous to sepals and petals our data supports a functional conservation of AP2 genes among the seed plants.

[Current data on atmospheric pollutions].

PubMed

Festy, B; Petit-Coviaux, F; Le Moullec, Y

1991-01-01

Atmospheric pollutions (AP) are very important for human health and ecological equilibrium. They may be natural or anthropogenic and in this later case they can appear outdoor or indoor. Urban air pollution is the most known form of AP. Its main sources are industries, individual and collective heating and now mainly automobile traffic in most cities. Classical AP indicators are SO2, particles, NOx, CO and Pb measured in networks. Important factors of AP are amounts of pollutants emitted and local climatic and meteorological characteristics. Health effects of AP peaks and of AP background levels are not well known. But generally, mean AP levels of SO2 and particles decreased in the last years in most towns as the consequence of collective actions on the three main sources of AP and on fuels, emission and immission levels; but more is wanted about motor-cars. Progress are necessary for limitation of three major ecological risks: "acid-rain" (SO2 and NOx derivatives, ozone,...) which participates in lake and forest attacks; "green house" effects whose air CO2 concentration increase is the main responsible, and stratospheric ozone depletion mainly due to freons (CFC); the consequences of these two last phenomena are not well known but ecological and health risk exist. Besides, indoor air pollution (IAP) is very important because we live more than 20 h a day indoor. IAP may be occupational (a lot of chemical or biological agents) or not. In the later case air pollutants are very various: CO, NOx and particles from heating or cooking, formaldehyde from wood glue, plywood or urea-formol foams, radon and derivatives in some granitic countries, odd jobs products, cosmetics, aero-allergens of chemical or biological origins, microbes,... Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is also an important pollutant complex. Risks of IAP are real or potential: acute risk is obvious for CO, aero-allergens, formaldehyde, NOx,...); irritations are produced by ETS, formaldehyde, solvants,...; long term or potential risks are of concern for asbest, radon,... A complex and bad known pathology is described in a lot of modern buildings as the "Sick Building Syndrom". Indoor air quality is very dependant of the quality of ventilation and possible air treatment. It may be considered in all urban epidemiological studies about air pollution.

Astragalus polysaccharides inhibits PCV2 replication by inhibiting oxidative stress and blocking NF-κB pathway.

PubMed

Xue, Hongxia; Gan, Fang; Zhang, Zheqian; Hu, Junfa; Chen, Xingxiang; Huang, Kehe

2015-11-01

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD). Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), as one kind of biological macromolecule extracted from Astragalus, has antiviral activities. This study was undertaken to explore the effect of APS on PCV2 replication in vitro and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that adding APS before PCV2 infection decreased significantly PCV2 DNA copies, the number of infected cells, MDA level, ROS level and NF-κB activation in PK15 cells and increased significantly GSH contents and SOD activity compared to control without APS. Oxidative stress induced by BSO could eliminate the effect of PCV2 replication inhibition by APS. LPS, as a NF-κB activator, could attenuate the effect of PCV2 replication inhibition by APS. BAY 11-7082, as a NF-κB inhibitor, could increase the effect of PCV2 replication inhibition by APS. In conclusion, APS inhibits PCV2 replication by decreasing oxidative stress and the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway, which suggests that APS might be employed for the prevention of PCV2 infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Period doubling cascades of limit cycles in cardiac action potential models as precursors to chaotic early Afterdepolarizations.

PubMed

Kügler, Philipp; Bulelzai, M A K; Erhardt, André H

2017-04-04

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are pathological voltage oscillations during the repolarization phase of cardiac action potentials (APs). EADs are caused by drugs, oxidative stress or ion channel disease, and they are considered as potential precursors to cardiac arrhythmias in recent attempts to redefine the cardiac drug safety paradigm. The irregular behaviour of EADs observed in experiments has been previously attributed to chaotic EAD dynamics under periodic pacing, made possible by a homoclinic bifurcation in the fast subsystem of the deterministic AP system of differential equations. In this article we demonstrate that a homoclinic bifurcation in the fast subsystem of the action potential model is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for the genesis of chaotic EADs. We rather argue that a cascade of period doubling (PD) bifurcations of limit cycles in the full AP system paves the way to chaotic EAD dynamics across a variety of models including a) periodically paced and spontaneously active cardiomyocytes, b) periodically paced and non-active cardiomyocytes as well as c) unpaced and spontaneously active cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, our bifurcation analysis reveals that chaotic EAD dynamics may coexist in a stable manner with fully regular AP dynamics, where only the initial conditions decide which type of dynamics is displayed. EADs are a potential source of cardiac arrhythmias and hence are of relevance both from the viewpoint of drug cardiotoxicity testing and the treatment of cardiomyopathies. The model-independent association of chaotic EADs with period doubling cascades of limit cycles introduced in this article opens novel opportunities to study chaotic EADs by means of bifurcation control theory and inverse bifurcation analysis. Furthermore, our results may shed new light on the synchronization and propagation of chaotic EADs in homogeneous and heterogeneous multicellular and cardiac tissue preparations.

40 CFR 74.44 - Reduced utilization for combustion sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... for consumption or in the residence or facility of a customer to whom the opt-in source's utility... production, the designated representative of the opt-in source must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the...: ER04AP95.014 where “actual heat input” and “reduction from improved efficiency” are defined as set forth in...

76 FR 66886 - Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-28

...-AP76 Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for... and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous... be charged for copying. World Wide Web. The EPA Web site for this rulemaking is located at: http...

Comparison of Spectral and Scintillation Properties of LuAP:Ce and LuAP:Ce,Sc Single Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrosyan, Ashot G.; Derdzyan, Marina; Ovanesyan, Karine; Shirinyan, Grigori; Lecoq, Paul; Auffray, Etiennette; Kronberger, Matthias; Frisch, Benjamin; Pedrini, Christian; Dujardin, Christophe

2009-10-01

Scintillation properties of LuAP:Ce and LuAP:Ce,Sc crystal series were studied under excitation by gamma-rays from a 137Cs source. Both series demonstrated comparable optical quality in terms of underlying absorption at 260 nm, slope of the optical edge and transmission in the range of emission. The light yield of LuAP:Ce crystals measured in 0.2 cm times 0.2 cm times 0.8 cm pixels increases linearly with the Ce concentration reaching at 0.58 at. % 6448 plusmn 322 ph/MeV and 9911 plusmn 496 ph/MeV in the long and in the short directions respectively (the light yield ratio is 65%) and shows no sign of light saturation. The energy resolution is found to depend, among other factors, on the uniformity of Ce concentration within the pixels and is improved to 7.1 plusmn 0.4% (I = 0.2 cm), 9.5 plusmn 0.5% (I = 0.8 cm). Intentional co-doping with Sc + ions was tested and resulted in increase of the Ce distribution coefficient to about 0.3. This enabled to increase the concentration of Ce in LuAP:Ce,Sc crystals up to 0.7 at. %, while conserving high optical quality. In contrast to LuAP:Ce, the light yield in LuAP:Ce,Sc crystals does not increase with Ce concentration, the photo peak being gradually suppressed. The involved mechanisms are discussed basing on measurements of the unit cell volumes, Ce concentration uniformity, x-ray rocking spectra, absorption spectra of pure and variously doped LuAP crystals, and emission spectra under different excitations.

The Relationship Between Early-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis and Lower-Extremity Alignment, Joint Laxity, and Subjective Scores of Pain, Stiffness, and Function.

PubMed

Hicks-Little, Charlie A; Peindl, Richard D; Hubbard-Turner, Tricia J; Cordova, Mitchell L

2016-08-01

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease that affects an estimated 27 million Americans. Changes in lower-extremity alignment and joint laxity have been found to redistribute the medial and/or lateral loads at the joint. However, the effect that changes in anteroposterior knee-joint laxity have on lower-extremity alignment and function in individuals with knee OA remains unclear. To examine anteroposterior knee-joint laxity, lower-extremity alignment, and subjective pain, stiffness, and function scores in individuals with early-stage knee OA and matched controls and to determine if a relationship exists among these measures. Case control. Sports-medicine research laboratory. 18 participants with knee OA and 18 healthy matched controls. Participants completed the Western Ontario McMaster (WOMAC) osteoarthritis questionnaire and were tested for total anteroposterior knee-joint laxity (A-P) and knee-joint alignment (ALIGN). WOMAC scores, A-P (mm), and ALIGN (°). A significant multivariate main effect for group (Wilks' Λ = 0.30, F7,26 = 8.58, P < .0001) was found. Knee-OA participants differed in WOMAC scores (P < .0001) but did not differ from healthy controls on ALIGN (P = .49) or total A-P (P = .66). No significant relationships were identified among main outcome measures. These data demonstrate that participants with early-stage knee OA had worse pain, stiffness, and functional outcome scores than the matched controls; however, ALIGN and A-P were no different. There was no association identified among participants' subjective scores, ALIGN, or A-P measures in this study.

News Resources on the World Wide Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Notess, Greg R.

1996-01-01

Describes up-to-date news sources that are presently available on the Internet and World Wide Web. Highlights include electronic newspapers; AP (Associated Press) sources and Reuters; sports news; stock market information; New York Times; multimedia capabilities, including CNN Interactive; and local and regional news. (LRW)

Effect of Ablation of Area Postrema on Frequency and Latency of Motion Sickness-Induced Emesis in the Squirrel Monkey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brizzee, K. R.; Ordy, J. M.; Mehler, W. R.

1980-01-01

Twelve young adult squirrel monkeys of the Bolivian subspecies were subjected to continuous counter-clockwise horizontal rotary motion at 25 rpm, together with a sinusoidal vertical excursion of 6 in. every 2 sec (0.5 Hz). Each animal was exposed to this motion regimen for a period of 60 min once each week for three consecutive weeks. Following the third weekly motion test bilateral ablation of the Area Postrema (AP) was performed in eight of the animals by thermal cautery. Two control animals were sham-operated after the third motion test while two additional controls were given the motion tests as noted above but were not operated. The four controls were considered as a single group for statistical analyses of results of the motion tests. After a recovery period of 30 to 40 days, and at a comparable interval in the non-operated controls, each animal was again tested for motion sensitivity for three consecutive weeks. The brains of all of the animals were then fixed by left ventriculal cardiac perfusion with Bouin's fluid and processed for histological evaluation of the bilateral AP ablation in comparison with the control brains. Five of the AP-ablated animals postoperatively were completely refractory to the motion stimuli, two exhibited a decreased number of emetic responses, and one exhibited the same number of responses before and after the AP lesions. The controls exhibited no significant difference in emetic sensitivity on the second series of three weekly tests than on the first series. The results of this investigation appear to be in agreement with the observations of Wang and Chinn in the dog indicating that the integrity of the AP (CTZ) is essential to the emetic response to motion.

Correlation of social cognition and neurocognition on psychotic outcome: a naturalistic follow-up study of subjects with attenuated psychosis syndrome

PubMed Central

Zhang, TianHong; Cui, HuiRu; Tang, YingYing; Xu, LiHua; Li, HuiJun; Wei, YanYan; Liu, XiaoHua; Chow, Annabelle; Li, ChunBo; Jiang, KaiDa; Xiao, ZePing; Wang, JiJun

2016-01-01

Neurocognitive decline has been observed in patients with psychosis as well as attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS). We tested the hypothesis that APS increases dependence on neurocognition during the interpretation of others’ mental states and that a combination index of Theory of Mind (ToM) and neurocognition improves the predictive accuracy of psychosis conversion. A sample of 83 APS individuals and 90 healthy controls (HC) were assessed by comprehensive cognitive tests. The cohort also completed a one-year follow-up. In the APS group, ToM was associated with an apparent increase in neurocognition, but this trend was not evident in the HC group. Using the new index of combined neurocognition and ToM scores, the sensitivity for predicting psychosis-proneness was 75% and the specificity was 69%. Our data suggest that the correlations between ToM function and neurocognition in APS subjects were stronger than those in healthy controls. A composite index of neurocognition and ToM could improve the predictive validity of a future conversion to psychosis. PMID:27721394

Alkaline phosphatase in osteoblasts is down-regulated by pulsatile fluid flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hillsley, M. V.; Frangos, J. A.

1997-01-01

It is our hypothesis that interstitial fluid flow plays a role in the bone remodeling response to mechanical loading. The fluid flow-induced expression of three proteins (collagen, osteopontin, and alkaline phosphatase) involved in bone remodeling was investigated. Rat calvarial osteoblasts subjected to pulsatile fluid flow at an average shear stress of 5 dyne/cm2 showed decreased alkaline phosphatase (AP) mRNA expression after only 1 hour of flow. After 3 hours of flow, AP mRNA levels had decreased to 30% of stationary control levels and remained at this level for an additional 5 hours of flow. Steady flow (4 dyne/cm2 fluid shear stress), in contrast, resulted in a delayed and less dramatic decrease in AP mRNA expression to 63% of control levels after 8 hours of flow. The reduced AP mRNA expression under pulsatile flow conditions was followed by reduced AP enzyme activity after 24 hours. No changes in collagen or osteopontin mRNA expression were detected over 8 hours of pulsatile flow. This is the first time fluid flow has been shown to affect gene expression in osteoblasts.

The influence of rigid gas permeable lens wear on the concentrations of dinucleotides in tears and the effect on dry eye signs and symptoms in keratoconus.

PubMed

Carracedo, Gonzalo; González-Méijome, José Manuel; Martín-Gil, Alba; Carballo, Jesús; Pintor, Jesús

2016-10-01

To evaluate the signs and symptoms of dry eye and dinucleotide secretion in tears of keratoconus patients (KC) and the potential effect of rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens wear. Twenty-three KC patients and forty control subjects were enrolled in this study. Signs of dry eye including tear volume, tear stability and corneal staining along with symptoms were assessed using the McMonnies questionnaire. Tears were collected using Schirmer strips, and dinucleotide concentrations in collected tears measured using high pressure liquid chromatography. Values obtained in KC and controls were compared. The effect of contact lens wear in KC was also assessed. KC eyes showed a significantly lower tear volume compared to controls, shorter tear break up time (TBUT), higher corneal staining and higher McMonnies dry eye questionnaire scores (p<0.05). When compared with non-wearers, KC contact lens wearers showed significantly higher symptoms, lower Schirmer and TBUT values (p<0.05). Concentration of Ap4A (0.695±0.304μM vs. 0.185±0.178μM) and Ap5A (0.132±0.128μM vs. 0.045±0.036μM) were higher in KC compared to controls (p<0.001) and only Ap4A was statistically higher in RGP wearers compared to non-wearers (0.794±0.478μM vs. 0.417±0.313μM) (p<0.05). Signs and symptoms of dry eye as well as concentrations of Ap4A and Ap5A were markedly increased in KC patients compared to controls. Moreover, Ap4A and symptoms of dry eye were statistically higher in RGP wearers compared to non-wearers. This seems to indicate that factors such as RGP contact lens wear might exacerbate the clinical condition of dry eye. Copyright © 2016 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Framingham Disability Study: relationship of various coronary heart disease manifestations to disability in older persons living in the community.

PubMed Central

Pinsky, J L; Jette, A M; Branch, L G; Kannel, W B; Feinleib, M

1990-01-01

The relation between coronary heart disease and disability was examined in 2,576 community-dwelling women and men ages 55-88 years. These Framingham Study participants were originally recruited in 1948-51 for an examination of cardiovascular disease. Twenty-seven years later, remaining members of the cohort were interviewed to ascertain physical abilities, and a score on a disability scale was assigned. Multivariate logistic analyses examined disability in relation to uncomplicated angina pectoris (AP), complicated AP, and coronary heart disease other than AP, controlling for possible confounders. In younger and older women and men, uncomplicated and complicated AP were associated with disability. Coronary heart disease other than AP was associated with disability only in the younger men. Congestive heart failure predicted disability only in the women. These results suggest that onset of AP should be recognized as a critical point in the development of disability and that AP is a better predictor of disability than is myocardial infarction or coronary insufficiency. PMID:2240306

Transcriptional repression by ApiAP2 factors is central to chronic toxoplasmosis

PubMed Central

Worth, Danielle; Huang, Sherri

2018-01-01

Tachyzoite to bradyzoite development in Toxoplasma is marked by major changes in gene expression resulting in a parasite that expresses a new repertoire of surface antigens hidden inside a modified parasitophorous vacuole called the tissue cyst. The factors that control this important life cycle transition are not well understood. Here we describe an important transcriptional repressor mechanism controlling bradyzoite differentiation that operates in the tachyzoite stage. The ApiAP2 factor, AP2IV-4, is a nuclear factor dynamically expressed in late S phase through mitosis/cytokinesis of the tachyzoite cell cycle. Remarkably, deletion of the AP2IV-4 locus resulted in the expression of a subset of bradyzoite-specific proteins in replicating tachyzoites that included tissue cyst wall components BPK1, MCP4, CST1 and the surface antigen SRS9. In the murine animal model, the mis-timing of bradyzoite antigens in tachyzoites lacking AP2IV-4 caused a potent inflammatory monocyte immune response that effectively eliminated this parasite and prevented tissue cyst formation in mouse brain tissue. Altogether, these results indicate that suppression of bradyzoite antigens by AP2IV-4 during acute infection is required for Toxoplasma to successfully establish a chronic infection in the immune-competent host. PMID:29718996

Transcriptional repression by ApiAP2 factors is central to chronic toxoplasmosis.

PubMed

Radke, Joshua B; Worth, Danielle; Hong, David; Huang, Sherri; Sullivan, William J; Wilson, Emma H; White, Michael W

2018-05-01

Tachyzoite to bradyzoite development in Toxoplasma is marked by major changes in gene expression resulting in a parasite that expresses a new repertoire of surface antigens hidden inside a modified parasitophorous vacuole called the tissue cyst. The factors that control this important life cycle transition are not well understood. Here we describe an important transcriptional repressor mechanism controlling bradyzoite differentiation that operates in the tachyzoite stage. The ApiAP2 factor, AP2IV-4, is a nuclear factor dynamically expressed in late S phase through mitosis/cytokinesis of the tachyzoite cell cycle. Remarkably, deletion of the AP2IV-4 locus resulted in the expression of a subset of bradyzoite-specific proteins in replicating tachyzoites that included tissue cyst wall components BPK1, MCP4, CST1 and the surface antigen SRS9. In the murine animal model, the mis-timing of bradyzoite antigens in tachyzoites lacking AP2IV-4 caused a potent inflammatory monocyte immune response that effectively eliminated this parasite and prevented tissue cyst formation in mouse brain tissue. Altogether, these results indicate that suppression of bradyzoite antigens by AP2IV-4 during acute infection is required for Toxoplasma to successfully establish a chronic infection in the immune-competent host.

Structured Finite Volume Modeling of U.S. Navy Aircraft Engine Test Cells Task 2: Turboprop Engine Vol 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

propeller was modeled using an actuator disk model, where in all of the net results of the propeller (wash, swirl, turbulence) are modeled as source...8217)DUCTI* ~ hVAILJZL TV D0*C) ME.UUT FULLY’ LEGIBLE FREPROI)UCTIM 𔃾S \\JiA~v~r (r7, CL w4 bj4 APPENDIX B COPY AVAUAEL TO e MonC DO* IOT flR=1 VULL...dynamics HVAC systems, energy loss measurement, power ARMY FlAP generation) BDG Shore Faciltes 3B Controls and electrical conservation (electrical systems

Targeting activator protein 1 signaling pathway by bioactive natural agents: Possible therapeutic strategy for cancer prevention and intervention.

PubMed

Tewari, Devesh; Nabavi, Seyed Fazel; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad; Sureda, Antoni; Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad; Atanasov, Atanas G; Vacca, Rosa Anna; Sethi, Gautam; Bishayee, Anupam

2018-02-01

Activator protein 1 (AP-1) is a key transcription factor in the control of several cellular processes responsible for cell survival proliferation and differentiation. Dysfunctional AP-1 expression and activity are involved in several severe diseases, especially inflammatory disorders and cancer. Therefore, targeting AP-1 has recently emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy for cancer prevention and therapy. This review summarizes our current understanding of AP-1 biology and function as well as explores and discusses several natural bioactive compounds modulating AP-1-associated signaling pathways for cancer prevention and intervention. Current limitations, challenges, and future directions of research are also critically discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A simple process based on NH2- and CH3-terminated monolayers for low contact resistance and adherent Au electrode in bottom-contact OTFTs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdur, Rahim; Lim, Jeongeun; Jeong, Kyunghoon; Rahman, Mohammad Arifur; Kim, Jiyoung; Lee, Jaegab

2016-03-01

An efficient process for the low contact resistance and adherent source/drain Au electrode in bottom-contact organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) was developed. This was achieved by using two different surface-functional groups of self-assembled monolayers, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS), and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), combined with atmospheric-pressure (AP) plasma treatment. Prior to the deposition of Au electrode, the aminoterminated monolayer self-assembles on SiO2 dielectrics, enhancing the adhesion of Au electrode as a result of the acid-base interaction of Au with the amino-terminal groups. AP plasma treatment of the patterned Au electrode on the APS-coated surface activates the entire surface to form an OTS monolayer, allowing the formation of a high quality pentacene layer on both the electrode and active region by evaporation. In addition, negligible damage by AP plasma was observed for the device performance. The fabricated OTFTs based on the two monolayers by AP plasma treatment showed the mobility of 0.23 cm2/Vs, contact resistance of 29 kΩ-cm, threshold voltage of -1.63 V, and on/off ratio of 9.8 × 105, demonstrating the application of the simple process for robust and high-performance OTFTs. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Automated blood glucose control in type 1 diabetes: A review of progress and challenges.

PubMed

Bertachi, Arthur; Ramkissoon, Charrise M; Bondia, Jorge; Vehí, Josep

2018-03-01

Since the 2000s, research teams worldwide have been working to develop closed-loop (CL) systems able to automatically control blood glucose (BG) levels in patients with type 1 diabetes. This emerging technology is known as artificial pancreas (AP), and its first commercial version just arrived in the market. The main objective of this paper is to present an extensive review of the clinical trials conducted since 2011, which tested various implementations of the AP for different durations under varying conditions. A comprehensive table that contains key information from the selected publications is provided, and the main challenges in AP development and the mitigation strategies used are discussed. The development timelines for different AP systems are also included, highlighting the main evolutions over the clinical trials for each system. Copyright © 2017 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Status of the RF BPM upgrade at the Advanced Photon Source.

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

Pietryla, A.; Bui, H.; Decker, G.

2008-01-01

The Advanced Photon Source (APS),a third-generation synchrotron light source, has been in operation for eleven years. The monopulse radio frequency (rf) beam position monitor (BPM) is one of three BPM types now employed in the storage ring at the APS. It is a broadband (10 MHz) system designed to measure single-turn and multi-turn beam positions, but it suffers from an aging data acquisition system. The replacement BPM system retains the existing monopulse receivers and replaces the data acquisition system with high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that performs the signal processing. A first-article system has beenmore » constructed and is currently being evaluated. This paper presents the results of testing of the first-article system as well as the progress made in other areas of this upgrade effort.« less

1993 CAT workshop on beamline optical designs

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

Not Available

1993-11-01

An Advanced Photon Source (APS) Collaborative Access Team (CAT) Workshop on Beamline Optical Designs was held at Argonne National Laboratory on July 26--27, 1993. The goal of this workshop was to bring together experts from various synchrotron sources to provide status reports on crystal, reflecting, and polarizing optics as a baseline for discussions of issues facing optical designers for CAT beamlines at the APS. Speakers from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the University of Chicago, the National Synchrotron Light Source, and the University of Manchester (England) described single- and double-crystal monochromators, mirrors, glass capillaries, and polarizing optics. Following thesemore » presentations, the 90 participants divided into three working groups: Crystal Optics Design, Reflecting Optics, and Optics for Polarization Studies. This volume contains copies of the presentation materials from all speakers, summaries of the three working groups, and a ``catalog`` of various monochromator designs.« less

Health in All Policies: From rhetoric to implementation and evaluation - the Finnish experience.

PubMed

Ståhl, Timo

2018-02-01

The principles of the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach are not new. Their international roots can be traced back to 1978 and the Alma-Ata Declaration and the 1986 Ottawa Charter. In Finland, the roots of HiAP go back to 1972 when the Economic Council of Finland, chaired by the Prime Minister, launched the 'Report of the working group exploring the goals of health'. The paper discusses the history, rationale, and implementation of the principles underlying the umbrella concept of HiAP. A rationale for implementing a new concept - HiAP in 2006 during the Finnish European Union presidency - is given. The focus here will be on implementation of HiAP. International material supporting the implementation is introduced and practical examples from Finland presented. The Benchmarking System for Health Promotion Capacity Building is introduced, since it has been used as a primary source of information for monitoring and evaluating HiAP in Finland at the local level. The experience from Finland clearly indicates that HiAP as an approach and as a way of working requires long-term commitment and vision. For working across sectors it is crucial to have data on health and health determinants and analyses of the links between health outcomes, health determinants, and policies across sectors and levels of governance. Intersectoral structures, processes, and tools for the identification of problems and solutions, decisions, and implementation across sectors are prerequisites of HiAP. Legislative backing has proven to be useful, especially in providing continuation and sustainability.

Production and flux of carbohydrate species in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Chin-Chang; Guo, Laodong; Schultz, Gary E.; Pinckney, James L.; Santschi, Peter H.

2003-06-01

Carbohydrates are an important organic compound class in seawater and play an active role in the biogeochemical cycling of organic carbon and trace elements in the ocean, but are poorly characterized. To better understand the sources and role of carbohydrate species in marine environments, the concentrations and fluxes of particulate carbohydrates (CHO), total acid polysaccharides (APS), uronic acids (URA), phytoplankton composition and bacterial production were measured in the Gulf of Mexico in 2000 and 2001. A strong positive correlation between APS concentration and cyanobacteria abundance was found in 2000. In 2001, prymnesiophyte abundance correlated well with both concentrations of APS and URA. Bacterial production data, measured simultaneously in 2001, showed significant positive relationships with particulate organic carbon (POC), CHO, APS and URA concentrations, respectively. The average fluxes out of the euphotic zone of CHO, APS and URA in 2000 were 8.1, 1.3, and 0.7 mg C m-2 d-1, respectively. In 2001, the average fluxes of CHO, APS and URA were about 3 times higher than those in 2000, which was a time of lower nutrient concentrations, indicating that the fluxes of carbohydrate species are related to the nutrient status and phytoplankton composition. The results suggest that APS in the upper water column can be produced by cyanobacteria, prymnesiophytes, and heterotrophic bacteria. Most importantly, our data indicate that APS and CHO compounds are more resistant to biological degradation than other organic compounds, suggesting that the role of CHO compounds in carbon cycling in the ocean is more complex than previously thought.

Coherent optical transition radiation and self-amplified spontaneous emission generated by chicane-compressed electron beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lumpkin, A. H.; Dejus, R. J.; Sereno, N. S.

2009-04-01

Observations of strongly enhanced optical transition radiation (OTR) following significant bunch compression of photoinjector beams by a chicane have been reported during the commissioning of the Linac Coherent Light Source accelerator and recently at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) linac. These localized transverse spatial features involve signal enhancements of nearly a factor of 10 and 100 in the APS case at the 150-MeV and 375-MeV OTR stations, respectively. They are consistent with a coherent process seeded by noise and may be evidence of a longitudinal space charge microbunching instability which leads to coherent OTR emissions. Additionally, we suggest that localized transverse structure in the previous self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) data at APS in the visible regime as reported at FEL02 may be attributed to such beam structure entering the FEL undulators and inducing the SASE startup at those “prebunched” structures. Separate beam structures 120 microns apart in x and 2.9 nm apart in wavelength were reported. The details of these observations and operational parameters will be presented.

X-ray Diffraction and Multi-Frame Phase Contrast Imaging Diagnostics for IMPULSE at the Advanced Photon Source

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

Iverson, Adam; Carlson, Carl; Young, Jason

2013-07-08

The diagnostic needs of any dynamic loading platform present unique technical challenges that must be addressed in order to accurately measure in situ material properties in an extreme environment. The IMPULSE platform (IMPact system for Ultrafast Synchrotron Experiments) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) is no exception and, in fact, may be more challenging, as the imaging diagnostics must be synchronized to both the experiment and the 60 ps wide x-ray bunches produced at APS. The technical challenges of time-resolved x-ray diffraction imaging and high-resolution multi-frame phase contrast imaging (PCI) are described in this paper. Example data from recent IMPULSEmore » experiments are shown to illustrate the advances and evolution of these diagnostics with a focus on comparing the performance of two intensified CCD cameras and their suitability for multi-frame PCI. The continued development of these diagnostics is fundamentally important to IMPULSE and many other loading platforms and will benefit future facilities such as the Dynamic Compression Sector at APS and MaRIE at Los Alamos National Laboratory.« less

Correlation of nitric oxide and other free radicals with the severity of acute pancreatitis and complicated systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

PubMed

Que, Ri-sheng; Cao, Li-ping; Ding, Guo-ping; Hu, Jun-an; Mao, Ke-jie; Wang, Gui-feng

2010-05-01

To investigate the correlation of nitric oxide (NO) and other free radicals with the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) and complicated systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Fifty AP patients (24 simple AP patients and 26 patients with AP complicated by SIRS) were involved in the study. Fifty healthy volunteers were included as controls. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores were evaluated, and plasma NO, plasma lipid peroxides, plasma vitamin E, plasma beta-carotene, whole-blood glutathione (GSH), and the activity of plasma GSH peroxidase were measured. Compared with the control group, the APACHE II scores heightened in the AP group, and the SIRS group had the highest APACHE II scores (P < 0.005, P < 0.001, respectively). Plasma NO and plasma lipid peroxides increased with the heightening APACHE II scores, demonstrating a significant linear positive correlation (r = 0.618, r = 0.577, respectively; P < 0.001). Plasma vitamin E, plasma beta-carotene, whole-blood GSH, and the activity of plasma GSH peroxidase decreased with the heightening APACHE II scores, demonstrating a significant linear negative correlation (r = -0.600, r = -0.609, r = -0.559, r = -0.592, respectively; P < 0.001). Nitric oxide and other free radicals take part in the aggravation of oxidative stress and oxidative injury and may play important roles in the pathogenesis of AP and SIRS. It may be valuable to measure free radicals to predict the severity of AP.

Nonlinear parameters of surface EMG in schizophrenia patients depend on kind of antipsychotic therapy

PubMed Central

Meigal, Alexander Yu.; Miroshnichenko, German G.; Kuzmina, Anna P.; Rissanen, Saara M.; Georgiadis, Stefanos D.; Karjalainen, Pasi A.

2015-01-01

We compared a set of surface EMG (sEMG) parameters in several groups of schizophrenia (SZ, n = 74) patients and healthy controls (n = 11) and coupled them with the clinical data. sEMG records were quantified with spectral, mutual information (MI) based and recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) parameters, and with approximate and sample entropies (ApEn and SampEn). Psychotic deterioration was estimated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and with the positive subscale of PANSS. Neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism (NIP) motor symptoms were estimated with Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS). Dyskinesia was measured with Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). We found that there was no difference in values of sEMG parameters between healthy controls and drug-naïve SZ patients. The most specific group was formed of SZ patients who were administered both typical and atypical antipsychotics (AP). Their sEMG parameters were significantly different from those of SZ patients taking either typical or atypical AP or taking no AP. This may represent a kind of synergistic effect of these two classes of AP. For the clinical data we found that PANSS, SAS, and AIMS were not correlated to any of the sEMG parameters. Conclusion: with nonlinear parameters of sEMG it is possible to reveal NIP in SZ patients, and it may help to discriminate between different clinical groups of SZ patients. Combined typical and atypical AP therapy has stronger effect on sEMG than a therapy with AP of only one class. PMID:26217236

Nonlinear parameters of surface EMG in schizophrenia patients depend on kind of antipsychotic therapy.

PubMed

Meigal, Alexander Yu; Miroshnichenko, German G; Kuzmina, Anna P; Rissanen, Saara M; Georgiadis, Stefanos D; Karjalainen, Pasi A

2015-01-01

We compared a set of surface EMG (sEMG) parameters in several groups of schizophrenia (SZ, n = 74) patients and healthy controls (n = 11) and coupled them with the clinical data. sEMG records were quantified with spectral, mutual information (MI) based and recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) parameters, and with approximate and sample entropies (ApEn and SampEn). Psychotic deterioration was estimated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and with the positive subscale of PANSS. Neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism (NIP) motor symptoms were estimated with Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS). Dyskinesia was measured with Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). We found that there was no difference in values of sEMG parameters between healthy controls and drug-naïve SZ patients. The most specific group was formed of SZ patients who were administered both typical and atypical antipsychotics (AP). Their sEMG parameters were significantly different from those of SZ patients taking either typical or atypical AP or taking no AP. This may represent a kind of synergistic effect of these two classes of AP. For the clinical data we found that PANSS, SAS, and AIMS were not correlated to any of the sEMG parameters. with nonlinear parameters of sEMG it is possible to reveal NIP in SZ patients, and it may help to discriminate between different clinical groups of SZ patients. Combined typical and atypical AP therapy has stronger effect on sEMG than a therapy with AP of only one class.

Clinical Outcomes of Knee Osteoarthritis Treated With an Autologous Protein Solution Injection: A 1-Year Pilot Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Kon, Elizaveta; Engebretsen, Lars; Verdonk, Peter; Nehrer, Stefan; Filardo, Giuseppe

2018-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease resulting in substantial pain and functional limitations. A novel blood derivative has been developed to concentrate both growth factors and antagonists of inflammatory cytokines, with promising preliminary findings in terms of safety profile and clinical improvement. To investigate if one intra-articular injection of autologous protein solution (APS) can reduce pain and improve function in patients affected by knee OA in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, saline-controlled study. Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2. Forty-six patients with unilateral knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence 2 or 3) were randomized into the APS group (n = 31), which received a single ultrasound-guided injection of APS, and the saline (control) group (n = 15), which received a single saline injection. Patient-reported outcomes and adverse events were collected at 2 weeks and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months through visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Short Form-36 (SF-36), Clinical Global Impression of Severity/Change (CGI-S/C), Patient Global Impression of Severity/Change (PGI-S/C), and Outcome Measures in Rheumatology-Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) responder rate. Imaging evaluation was also performed with radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after treatment (12 months and 3 and 12 months, respectively). The safety profile was positive, with no significant differences in frequency and severity of adverse events between groups. The improvement from baseline to 2 weeks and to 1, 3, and 6 months was similar between treatments. At 12 months, improvement in WOMAC pain score was 65% in the APS group and 41% in the saline group ( P = .02). There were no significant differences in VAS pain improvement between groups. At 12 months, APS group showed improved SF-36 Bodily Pain subscale ( P = .0085) and Role Emotional Health subscale ( P = .0410), as well as CGI-C values ( P = .01) compared with saline control. Significant differences between groups were detected in change from baseline to 12 months in bone marrow lesion size as assessed on MRI and osteophytes in the central zone of the lateral femoral condyle, both in favor of the APS group ( P = .041 and P = .032, respectively). There were no significant differences between APS and control groups in other measured secondary endpoints. This study provides evidence to support the safety and clinical improvement at 1-year follow-up of a single intra-articular injection of APS in patients affected by knee OA. Treatment with APS or a saline injection provided significant pain relief over the course of the study with differences becoming apparent at between 6 and 12 months after treatment. NCT02138890 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

Control system for the 2nd generation Berkeley AutoMounters (BAM2) at GM/CA CAT macromolecular crystallography beamlines

PubMed Central

Makarov, O.; Hilgart, M.; Ogata, C.; Pothineni, S.; Cork, C.

2011-01-01

GM/CA CAT at Sector 23 of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) is an NIH funded facility for crystallographic structure determination of biological macromolecules by X-ray diffraction. A second generation Berkeley automounter is being integrated into the beamline control system at the 23-BM experimental station. This new device replaces the previous all-pneumatic gripper motions with a combination of pneumatics and XYZ motorized linear stages. The latter adds a higher degree of flexibility to the robot including auto-alignment capability, accommodation of a larger capacity sample Dewar of arbitrary shape, and support for advanced operations such as crystal washing, while preserving the overall simplicity and efficiency of the Berkeley automounter design. PMID:21822343

Activator Protein-1: redox switch controlling structure and DNA-binding.

PubMed

Yin, Zhou; Machius, Mischa; Nestler, Eric J; Rudenko, Gabby

2017-11-02

The transcription factor, activator protein-1 (AP-1), binds to cognate DNA under redox control; yet, the underlying mechanism has remained enigmatic. A series of crystal structures of the AP-1 FosB/JunD bZIP domains reveal ordered DNA-binding regions in both FosB and JunD even in absence DNA. However, while JunD is competent to bind DNA, the FosB bZIP domain must undergo a large conformational rearrangement that is controlled by a 'redox switch' centered on an inter-molecular disulfide bond. Solution studies confirm that FosB/JunD cannot undergo structural transition and bind DNA when the redox-switch is in the 'OFF' state, and show that the mid-point redox potential of the redox switch affords it sensitivity to cellular redox homeostasis. The molecular and structural studies presented here thus reveal the mechanism underlying redox-regulation of AP-1 Fos/Jun transcription factors and provide structural insight for therapeutic interventions targeting AP-1 proteins. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Effect of localizer radiograph on radiation dose associated with automatic exposure control: human cadaver and patient study.

PubMed

Singh, Sarabjeet; Petrovic, Dean; Jamnik, Ethen; Aran, Shima; Pourjabbar, Sarvenaz; Kave, Maggie L; Bradley, Stephen E; Choy, Garry; Kalra, Mannudeep K

2014-01-01

To evaluate the effect of localizing radiograph on computed tomography (CT) radiation dose associated with automatic exposure control with a human cadaver and patient study. Institutional review board approved the study with a waiver of informed consent. Two chest CT image series with fixed tube current and combined longitudinal-angular automatic exposure control (AEC) were acquired in a human cadaver (64-year-old man) after each of the 8 combinations of localizer radiographs (anteroposterior [AP], AP lateral, AP-posteroanterior [PA], lateral AP, lateral PA, PA, PA-AP, and PA lateral). Applied effective milliampere second, volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and image noise were recorded for all 24-image series. Volume CT dose indexes were also recorded in 20 patients undergoing chest and abdominal CT after PA and PA-lateral radiographs with the use of AEC. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and linear correlation tests. With AEC, the CTDIvol fluctuates with the number and projection of localizer radiographs (P < 0.0001). Lowest CTDIvol values are seen when 2 orthogonal localizer radiographs are acquired, whereas highest values are seen when single PA or AP-PA projection localizer radiographs are acquired for planning (P < 0.0001). In 20 patients, CT scanning with AEC after acquisition of 2 orthogonal projection localizer radiographs was associated with significant reduction in radiation dose compared to PA projection radiographs alone (P < 0.0001). When scanning with AEC, acquisition of 2 orthogonal localizer radiographs is associated with lower CTDIvol compared to a single localizer radiograph.

Electrophysiological and morphological features underlying neurotransmission efficacy at the splanchnic nerve-chromaffin cell synapse of bovine adrenal medulla.

PubMed

de Diego, Antonio M G

2010-02-01

The ability of adrenal chromaffin cells to fast-release catecholamines relies on their capacity to fire action potentials (APs). However, little attention has been paid to the requirements needed to evoke the controlled firing of APs. Few data are available in rodents and none on the bovine chromaffin cell, a model extensively used by researchers. The aim of this work was to clarify this issue. Short puffs of acetylcholine (ACh) were fast perifused to current-clamped chromaffin cells and produced the firing of single APs. Based on the currents generated by such ACh applications and previous literature, current waveforms that efficiently elicited APs at frequencies up to 20 Hz were generated. Complex waveforms were also generated by adding simple waveforms with different delays; these waveforms aimed at modeling the stimulation patterns that a chromaffin cell would conceivably undergo upon strong synaptic stimulation. Cholinergic innervation was assessed using the acetylcholinesterase staining technique on the supposition that the innervation pattern is a determinant of the kind of stimuli chromaffin cells can receive. It is concluded that 1) a reliable method to produce frequency-controlled APs by applying defined current injection waveforms is achieved; 2) the APs thus generated have essentially the same features as those spontaneously emitted by the cell and those elicited by fast-ACh perifusion; 3) the higher frequencies attainable peak at around 30 Hz; and 4) the bovine adrenal medulla shows abundant cholinergic innervation, and chromaffin cells show strong acetylcholinesterase staining, consistent with a tight cholinergic presynaptic control of firing frequency.

EVALUATION OF FOUR NOVEL FINE PARTICULATE COLLECTION DEVICES

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of an experimental performance evaluation of four novel fine particulate control devices: the Johns-Manville Cleanable High-Efficiency Air Filtration (CHEAF) System, the APS Electrostatic Scrubber, the APS Electrotube, and the TRW Charged Droplet Scrubber...

The Chandra Source Catalog 2.0: Estimating Source Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Primini, Francis Anthony; Allen, Christopher E.; Miller, Joseph; Anderson, Craig S.; Budynkiewicz, Jamie A.; Burke, Douglas; Chen, Judy C.; Civano, Francesca Maria; D'Abrusco, Raffaele; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Ian N.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Gibbs, Danny G., II; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Graessle, Dale E.; Grier, John D.; Hain, Roger; Hall, Diane M.; Harbo, Peter N.; Houck, John C.; Lauer, Jennifer L.; Laurino, Omar; Lee, Nicholas P.; Martínez-Galarza, Juan Rafael; McCollough, Michael L.; McDowell, Jonathan C.; McLaughlin, Warren; Morgan, Douglas L.; Mossman, Amy E.; Nguyen, Dan T.; Nichols, Joy S.; Nowak, Michael A.; Paxson, Charles; Plummer, David A.; Rots, Arnold H.; Siemiginowska, Aneta; Sundheim, Beth A.; Tibbetts, Michael; Van Stone, David W.; Zografou, Panagoula

2018-01-01

The Second Chandra Source Catalog (CSC2.0) will provide information on approximately 316,000 point or compact extended x-ray sources, derived from over 10,000 ACIS and HRC-I imaging observations available in the public archive at the end of 2014. As in the previous catalog release (CSC1.1), fluxes for these sources will be determined separately from source detection, using a Bayesian formalism that accounts for background, spatial resolution effects, and contamination from nearby sources. However, the CSC2.0 procedure differs from that used in CSC1.1 in three important aspects. First, for sources in crowded regions in which photometric apertures overlap, fluxes are determined jointly, using an extension of the CSC1.1 algorithm, as discussed in Primini & Kashyap (2014ApJ...796…24P). Second, an MCMC procedure is used to estimate marginalized posterior probability distributions for source fluxes. Finally, for sources observed in multiple observations, a Bayesian Blocks algorithm (Scargle, et al. 2013ApJ...764..167S) is used to group observations into blocks of constant source flux.In this poster we present details of the CSC2.0 photometry algorithms and illustrate their performance in actual CSC2.0 datasets.This work has been supported by NASA under contract NAS 8-03060 to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for operation of the Chandra X-ray Center.

Effect of the Anti-depressant Sertraline, the Novel Anti-seizure Drug Vinpocetine and Several Conventional Antiepileptic Drugs on the Epileptiform EEG Activity Induced by 4-Aminopyridine.

PubMed

Sitges, Maria; Aldana, Blanca Irene; Reed, Ronald Charles

2016-06-01

Seizures are accompanied by an exacerbated activation of cerebral ion channels. 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is a pro-convulsive agent which mechanism of action involves activation of Na(+) and Ca(2+) channels, and several antiepileptic drugs control seizures by reducing these channels permeability. The antidepressant, sertraline, and the anti-seizure drug vinpocetine are effective inhibitors of cerebral presynaptic Na(+) channels. Here the effectiveness of these compounds to prevent the epileptiform EEG activity induced by 4-AP was compared with the effectiveness of seven conventional antiepileptic drugs. For this purpose, EEG recordings before and at three intervals within the next 30 min following 4-AP (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) were taken in anesthetized animals; and the EEG-highest peak amplitude values (HPAV) calculated. In control animals, the marked increase in the EEG-HPAV observed near 20 min following 4-AP reached its maximum at 30 min. Results show that this epileptiform EEG activity induced by 4-AP is prevented by sertraline and vinpocetine at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg, and by carbamazepine, phenytoin, lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine at a higher dose (25 mg/kg). In contrast, topiramate (25 mg/kg), valproate (100 mg/kg) and levetiracetam (100 mg/kg) failed to prevent the epileptiform EEG activity induced by 4-AP. It is concluded that 4-AP is a useful tool to elicit the mechanism of action of anti-seizure drugs at clinical meaningful doses. The particular efficacy of sertraline and vinpocetine to prevent seizures induced by 4-AP is explained by their high effectiveness to reduce brain presynaptic Na(+) and Ca(2+) channels permeability.

Comparison of different threshold values r for approximate entropy: application to investigate the heart rate variability between heart failure and healthy control groups.

PubMed

Liu, Chengyu; Liu, Changchun; Shao, Peng; Li, Liping; Sun, Xin; Wang, Xinpei; Liu, Feng

2011-02-01

Approximate entropy (ApEn) is widely accepted as a complexity measure of the heart rate variability (HRV) signal, but selecting the criteria for the threshold value r is controversial. This paper aims to verify whether Chon's method of forecasting the r(max) is an appropriate one for the HRV signal. The standard limb lead ECG signals of 120 subjects were recorded for 10 min in a supine position. The subjects were divided into two groups: the heart failure (22 females and 38 males, median age 62.4 ± 12.6) and healthy control group (33 females and 27 males, median age 51.5 ± 16.9). Three types of ApEn were calculated: the ApEn(0.2) using the recommended constant r = 0.2, the ApEn(chon) using Chon's method and the ApEn(max) using the true r(max). A Wilcoxon rank sum test showed that the ApEn(0.2) (p = 0.267) and the ApEn(max) (p = 0.813) had no statistical differences between the two groups, while the ApEn(chon) (p = 0.040) had. We generated a synthetic database to study the effect of two influential factors (the signal length N and the ratio of short- and long-term variability sd(1)/sd(2)) on the empirical formula in Chon's method (Chon et al 2009 IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Mag. 28 18-23). The results showed that the empirical formula proposed by Chon et al is a good method for analyzing the random signal, but not an appropriate tool for analyzing nonlinear signals, such as the logistic or HRV signals.

Mechanism of Combustion of Heterogeneous Solid Propellants

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-09-01

This suggests that under these conditions the matrix outflow is essentially premixed at the LLEF standoff height and premixed canopy flames (Figs. 4a...graphs like that in Fig. 5 are not available (or economically obtainable) for all the combinations of possible interest (O/F ratio, size of fine AP...HNIW matrix and the AP/matrix/AP sandwiches were essentially the same, suggesting that the matrix controlled the rate. In contrast, the rate of the

Acquired pellicle as a modulator for dental erosion.

PubMed

Vukosavljevic, Dusa; Custodio, William; Buzalaf, Marilia A R; Hara, Anderson T; Siqueira, Walter L

2014-06-01

Dental erosion is a multifactorial condition that can result in the loss of tooth structure and function, potentially increasing tooth sensitivity. The exposure of enamel to acids from non-bacterial sources is responsible for the progression of erosion. These erosive challenges are counteracted by the anti-erosive properties of the acquired pellicle (AP), an integument formed in vivo as a result of selective adsorption of salivary proteins on the tooth surface, containing also lipids and glycoproteins. This review provides an in-depth discussion regarding how the physical structure of the AP, along with its composition, contributes to AP anti-erosive properties. The physical properties that contribute to AP protective nature include pellicle thickness, maturation time, and site of development. The pellicle contains salivary proteins embedded within its structure that demonstrate anti-erosive properties; however, rather than individual proteins, protein-protein interactions play a fundamental role in the protective nature of the AP. In addition, dietary and synthetic proteins can modify the pellicle, enhancing its protective efficiency against dental erosion. The salivary composition of the AP and its corresponding protein-profile may be employed as a diagnostic tool, since it likely contains salivary biomarkers for oral diseases that initiate at the enamel surface, including dental erosion. Finally, by modifying the composition and structure of the AP, this protein integument has the potential to be used as a target-specific treatment option for oral diseases related to tooth demineralization. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The Adaptor Protein CD2AP Is a Coordinator of Neurotrophin Signaling-Mediated Axon Arbor Plasticity

PubMed Central

Harrison, Benjamin J.; Venkat, Gayathri; Lamb, James L.; Hutson, Tom H.; Drury, Cassa; Rau, Kristofer K.; Bunge, Mary Barlett; Mendell, Lorne M.; Gage, Fred H.; Johnson, Richard D.; Hill, Caitlin E.; Rouchka, Eric C.; Moon, Lawrence D.F.

2016-01-01

Growth of intact axons of noninjured neurons, often termed collateral sprouting, contributes to both adaptive and pathological plasticity in the adult nervous system, but the intracellular factors controlling this growth are largely unknown. An automated functional assay of genes regulated in sensory neurons from the rat in vivo spared dermatome model of collateral sprouting identified the adaptor protein CD2-associated protein (CD2AP; human CMS) as a positive regulator of axon growth. In non-neuronal cells, CD2AP, like other adaptor proteins, functions to selectively control the spatial/temporal assembly of multiprotein complexes that transmit intracellular signals. Although CD2AP polymorphisms are associated with increased risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease, its role in axon growth is unknown. Assessments of neurite arbor structure in vitro revealed CD2AP overexpression, and siRNA-mediated knockdown, modulated (1) neurite length, (2) neurite complexity, and (3) growth cone filopodia number, in accordance with CD2AP expression levels. We show, for the first time, that CD2AP forms a novel multiprotein complex with the NGF receptor TrkA and the PI3K regulatory subunit p85, with the degree of TrkA:p85 association positively regulated by CD2AP levels. CD2AP also regulates NGF signaling through AKT, but not ERK, and regulates long-range signaling though TrkA+/RAB5+ signaling endosomes. CD2AP mRNA and protein levels were increased in neurons during collateral sprouting but decreased following injury, suggesting that, although typically considered together, these two adult axonal growth processes are fundamentally different. These data position CD2AP as a major intracellular signaling molecule coordinating NGF signaling to regulate collateral sprouting and structural plasticity of intact adult axons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Growth of noninjured axons in the adult nervous system contributes to adaptive and maladaptive plasticity, and dysfunction of this process may contribute to neurologic pathologies. Functional screening of genes regulated during growth of noninjured axons revealed CD2AP as a positive regulator of axon outgrowth. A novel association of CD2AP with TrkA and p85 suggests a distinct intracellular signaling pathway regulating growth of noninjured axons. This may also represent a novel mechanism of generating specificity in multifunctional NGF signaling. Divergent regulation of CD2AP in different axon growth conditions suggests that separate mechanisms exist for different modes of axon growth. CD2AP is the first signaling molecule associated with adult sensory axonal collateral sprouting, and this association may offer new insights for NGF/TrkA-related Alzheimer's disease mechanisms. PMID:27076424

Event-Triggered Model Predictive Control for Embedded Artificial Pancreas Systems.

PubMed

Chakrabarty, Ankush; Zavitsanou, Stamatina; Doyle, Francis J; Dassau, Eyal

2018-03-01

The development of artificial pancreas (AP) technology for deployment in low-energy, embedded devices is contingent upon selecting an efficient control algorithm for regulating glucose in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. In this paper, we aim to lower the energy consumption of the AP by reducing controller updates, that is, the number of times the decision-making algorithm is invoked to compute an appropriate insulin dose. Physiological insights into glucose management are leveraged to design an event-triggered model predictive controller (MPC) that operates efficiently, without compromising patient safety. The proposed event-triggered MPC is deployed on a wearable platform. Its robustness to latent hypoglycemia, model mismatch, and meal misinformation is tested, with and without meal announcement, on the full version of the US-FDA accepted UVA/Padova metabolic simulator. The event-based controller remains on for 18 h of 41 h in closed loop with unannounced meals, while maintaining glucose in 70-180 mg/dL for 25 h, compared to 27 h for a standard MPC controller. With meal announcement, the time in 70-180 mg/dL is almost identical, with the controller operating a mere 25.88% of the time in comparison with a standard MPC. A novel control architecture for AP systems enables safe glycemic regulation with reduced processor computations. Our proposed framework integrated seamlessly with a wide variety of popular MPC variants reported in AP research, customizes tradeoff between glycemic regulation and efficacy according to prior design specifications, and eliminates judicious prior selection of controller sampling times.

The anode power supply for the ECRH system on the J-TEXT tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donghui, XIA; Fangtai, CUI; Changhai, LIU; Zhenxiong, YU; Yikun, JIN; Zhijiang, WANG; J-TEXT, Team1

2018-01-01

The electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) system with a 60 GHz/200 kW/0.5 s gyrotron donated by the Culham Science Center is being developed on the J-TEXT tokamak for plasma heating, current drive and MHD studies. Simultaneously, an anode power supply (APS) has been rebuilt and tested for the output power control of the gyrotron, of which the input voltage is derived from an 80 kV negative cathode power supply. The control strategy by controlling the grid voltage of the tetrode TH5186 is applied to obtain an accurate anode climbing voltage, of which the output voltage can be obtained from 0-30 kV with respect to the cathode power supply. The characteristics of the APS, including control, protection, modulation, and output waveform, were tested with a 100 kV/60 A negative cathode power supply, a dummy load and the ECRH control system. The results indicate that the APS can meet the requirements of the ECRH system on J-TEXT.

INFLUENCE OF REMOTE SENSING IMAGERY SOURCE ON QUANTIFICATION OF RIPARIAN LAND COVER/LAND USE

EPA Science Inventory

This paper compares approaches to quantifying land cover/land use (LCLU) in riparian corridors of 23 watersheds in Oregon's Willamette Valley using aerial photography (AP) and Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery. For each imagery source, we quantified LCLU adjacent to stream networks ac...

Fermi LAT detection of increase gamma-ray emission from OJ 248

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orienti, M.; D'Ammando, F.

2012-09-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed gamma-ray flaring activity from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar OJ 248 (also known as 2FGL J0830.5+2407, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31) with radio coordinates R.A.: 127.7170254 deg, Dec: 24.1832836 deg (J2000, Johnston et al. 1995, AJ, 110, 880) at redshift z=0.94 (Hewitt & Burbidge 1993, ApJS, 87, 451).

Fermi LAT detection of increased gamma-ray activity from the blazar TXS 1318+225

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torresi, E.; D'Ammando, F.; Tanaka, Y.

2012-11-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed an increase in the gamma-ray flux from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar TXS 1318+225 (z=0.943, Sowards-Emmerd et al. 2003, ApJ, 590, 109; RA=200.2966771 deg, Dec=22.2700300 deg, J2000), also known as 2FGL J1321.1+2215 (Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31).

Fermi LAT detection of a continuing increase of gamma-ray activity of CTA 102

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orienti, M.; D'Ammando, F.

2012-09-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed gamma-ray flaring activity from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 (also known as 2FGL J2232.4+1143, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31) with radio coordinates R.A.: 338.1517038 deg, Dec: 11.7308067 deg (J2000, Johnston et al. 1995, AJ, 110, 880) at redshift z=1.037 (Schmidt 1965, ApJ, 141, 1295).

Repetitive head impacts do not affect postural control following a competitive athletic season.

PubMed

Murray, Nicholas G; Grimes, Katelyn E; Shiflett, Eric D; Munkasy, Barry A; D'Amico, Nathan R; Mormile, Megan E; Powell, Douglas W; Buckley, Thomas A

2017-10-03

Evidence suggests that Repetitive Head Impacts (RHI) directly influence the brain over the course of a single contact collision season yet do not significantly impact a player's performance on the standard clinical concussion assessment battery. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in static postural control after a season of RHI in Division I football athletes using more sensitive measures of postural control as compared to a non-head contact sports. Fourteen Division I football players (CON) (age=20.4±1.12years) and fourteen non-contact athletes (NON) (2 male, 11 female; age=19.85±1.21years) completed a single trial of two minutes of eyes open quiet upright stance on a force platform (1000Hz) prior to athletic participation (PRE) and at the end of the athletic season (POST). All CON athletes wore helmets outfitted with Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) sensors and total number of RHI and linear accelerations forces of each RHI were recorded. Center of pressure root mean square (RMS), peak excursion velocity (PEV), and sample entropy (SampEn) in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions were calculated. CON group experienced 649.5±496.8 mean number of impacts, 27.1±3.0 mean linear accelerations, with ≈1% of total player impacts exceeded 98g over the course of the season. There were no significant interactions for group x time RMS in the AP (p=0.434) and ML (p=0.114) directions, PEV in the AP (p=0.262) and ML (p=0.977) directions, and SampEn in the AP (p=0.499) and ML (p=0.984) directions. In addition, no significant interactions for group were observed for RMS in the AP (p=0.105) and ML (p=0.272) directions, PEV in the AP (p=0.081) and ML (p=0.143) directions, and SampEn in the AP (p=0.583) and ML (p=0.129) directions. These results suggest that over the course of a single competitive season, RHI do not negatively impact postural control even when measured with sensitive non-linear metrics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes of neuronal acetylcholine receptor alpha 7 of peritoneal macrophage in experimental acute pancreatitis treated by Chaiqin Chengqi Decoction ().

PubMed

Xue, Ping; Guo, Jia; Yang, Xiao-nan; Huang, Wei; Xia, Qing

2014-10-01

To investigate effect of Chaiqin Chengqi Decoction (, CQCQD) on changes of neuronal acetylcholine receptor alpha 7 (nAChRα7) of peritoneal macrophages in acute pancreatitis (AP). Eighteen Kunming mice were equally randomized into the control group, AP group and CQCQD treatment group. AP was induced by two intraperitoneal injections of 4 g/kg L-arginine at 1 h apart, while control mice received saline injections. At 72 h after the first injection of L-arginine, mice in the treatment group were intragastrically administered 0.1 mL/10 g CQCQD every 2 h for 3 times, whilst mice in the other two groups received the same amount of saline feeding. Mice were sacrificed by cervical dislocation 2 h after the last feeding of either CQCQD or saline. Peritoneal macrophages were collected for determination of nAChRα7 mRNA and protein expression. Serum was collected for detection of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and acetylcholine (ACh) levels, and pancreas was for histopathology analysis. The CQCQD treatment significantly ameliorated the severity of AP as evidenced by reducing the pancreatic histopathology score (4.5±0.5 vs. 6.2±1.7, P<0.05) and the serum IL-6 levels (1228.3±419.2 pg/mL vs. 1589.6±337.3 pg/mL, P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of nAChRα7 of the peritoneal macrophages in the AP group were similar to the control group (P>0.05), but were significantly up-regulated after the CQCQD treatment (P<0.05). The serum ACh levels in the AP group were significantly lower than those in the control group (3.1±0.6 μg/mL vs 4.8±0.7 μg/mL P<0.05), but were significantly increased after the CQCQD treatment (5.6±1.5 μg/mL vs 3.1±0.6 μg/mL, P<0.05). CQCQD is protective against L-arginine-induced AP through mechanisms involving nAChRα7 of peritoneal macrophages.

Metal-backed versus all-polyethylene tibial components in primary total knee arthroplasty

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background and purpose The choice of either all-polyethylene (AP) tibial components or metal-backed (MB) tibial components in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial. We therefore performed a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials that have evaluated MB and AP tibial components in primary TKA. Methods The search strategy included a computerized literature search (Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) and a manual search of major orthopedic journals. A meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized or quasi-randomized trials that compared the performance of tibial components in primary TKA was performed using a fixed or random effects model. We assessed the methodological quality of studies using Detsky quality scale. Results 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2000 and 2009 met the inclusion quality standards for the systematic review. The mean standardized Detsky score was 14 (SD 3). We found that the frequency of radiolucent lines in the MB group was significantly higher than that in the AP group. There were no statistically significant differences between the MB and AP tibial components regarding component positioning, knee score, knee range of motion, quality of life, and postoperative complications. Interpretation Based on evidence obtained from this study, the AP tibial component was comparable with or better than the MB tibial component in TKA. However, high-quality RCTs are required to validate the results. PMID:21895503

14th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies: task force report on antiphospholipid syndrome treatment trends.

PubMed

Erkan, Doruk; Aguiar, Cassyanne L; Andrade, Danieli; Cohen, Hannah; Cuadrado, Maria J; Danowski, Adriana; Levy, Roger A; Ortel, Thomas L; Rahman, Anisur; Salmon, Jane E; Tektonidou, Maria G; Willis, Rohan; Lockshin, Michael D

2014-06-01

Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is characterized by vascular thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity occurring in patients with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). The primary objective of the APS Treatment Trends Task Force, created as part of the 14th International Congress on aPL, was to systematically review the potential future treatment strategies for aPL-positive patients. The task force chose as future clinical research directions: a) determining the necessity for controlled clinical trials in venous thromboembolism with the new oral direct thrombin or anti-factor Xa inhibitors pending the results of the ongoing rivaroxaban in APS (RAPS) trial, and designing controlled clinical trials in other forms of thrombotic APS; b) systematically analyzing the literature as well as aPL/APS registries, and creating specific registries for non-warfarin/heparin anticoagulants; c) increasing recruitment for an ongoing primary thrombosis prevention trial, and designing secondary thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity prevention trials with hydroxychloroquine; d) determining surrogate markers to select patients for statin trials; e) designing controlled studies with rituximab and other anti-B-cell agents; f) designing mechanistic and clinical studies with eculizumab and other complement inhibitors; and g) chemically modifying peptide therapy to improve the half-life and minimize immunogenicity. The report also includes recommendations for clinicians who consider using these agents in difficult-to-manage aPL-positive patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a revolute-joint robot for the precision positioning of an x-ray detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preissner, Curt A.; Royston, Thomas J.; Shu, Deming

2003-10-01

This paper profiles the initial phase in the development of a six degree-of-freedom robot, with 1 μm dynamic positioning uncertainty, for the manipulation of x-ray detectors or test specimens at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). While revolute-joint robot manipulators exhibit a smaller footprint along with increased positioning flexibility compared to Cartesian manipulators, commercially available revolute-joint manipulators do not meet our size, positioning, or environmental specifications. Currently, a robot with 20 μm dynamic positioning uncertainty is functioning at the APS for cryogenic crystallography sample pick-and-place operation. Theoretical, computational and experimental procedures are being used to (1) identify and (2) simulate the dynamics of the present robot system using a multibody approach, including the mechanics and control architecture, and eventually to (3) design an improved version with a 1 μm dynamic positioning uncertainty. We expect that the preceding experimental and theoretical techniques will be useful design and analysis tools as multi-degree-of-freedom manipulators become more prevalent on synchrotron beamlines.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WISE W1/W2 Tully-Fisher relation calibrator data (Neill+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neill, J. D.; Seibert, M.; Tully, R. B.; Courtois, H.; Sorce, J. G.; Jarrett, T. H.; Scowcroft, V.; Masci, F. J.

2017-04-01

We have instigated a separate project to provide high-quality surface photometry of all WISE galaxies larger than 0.8' on the sky. The WISE Nearby Galaxy Atlas (WNGA; M. Seibert et al., in preparation) will provide photometry that is quality controlled for over 20000 galaxies. This photometry, optimized for extended sources, significantly reduces the resulting scatter in the Tully-Fisher relation (here after TFR) calibration and thus improves the resulting distances. Having an accurate calibration of the TFR for these two WISE passbands will allow the use of this large sample to explore the structure and dynamics of local galaxy bulk flows. With the current tally, there are 310 cluster calibrators with WISE W1 and W2 photometry, compared with 213 available to Sorce et al. (2013, J/ApJ/765/94) for the Spitzer calibration, and 291 of the 310 WISE calibrators have I-band photometry, compared with the 267 available to Tully & Courtois (2012ApJ...749...78T) for the previous I-band calibration. (1 data file).

Molecular Basis for Association of PIPKIγ-p90 with Clathrin Adaptor AP-2*

PubMed Central

Kahlfeldt, Nina; Vahedi-Faridi, Ardeschir; Koo, Seong Joo; Schäfer, Johannes G.; Krainer, Georg; Keller, Sandro; Saenger, Wolfram; Krauss, Michael; Haucke, Volker

2010-01-01

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) is an essential determinant in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). In mammals three type I phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIPK) enzymes are expressed, with the Iγ-p90 isoform being highly expressed in the brain where it regulates synaptic vesicle (SV) exo-/endocytosis at nerve terminals. How precisely PI(4,5)P2 metabolism is controlled spatially and temporally is still uncertain, but recent data indicate that direct interactions between type I PIPK and components of the endocytic machinery, in particular the AP-2 adaptor complex, are involved. Here we demonstrated that PIPKIγ-p90 associates with both the μ and β2 subunits of AP-2 via multiple sites. Crystallographic data show that a peptide derived from the splice insert of the human PIPKIγ-p90 tail binds to a cognate recognition site on the sandwich subdomain of the β2 appendage. Partly overlapping aromatic and hydrophobic residues within the same peptide also can engage the C-terminal sorting signal binding domain of AP-2μ, thereby potentially competing with the sorting of conventional YXXØ motif-containing cargo. Biochemical and structure-based mutagenesis analysis revealed that association of the tail domain of PIPKIγ-p90 with AP-2 involves both of these sites. Accordingly the ability of overexpressed PIPKIγ tail to impair endocytosis of SVs in primary neurons largely depends on its association with AP-2β and AP-2μ. Our data also suggest that interactions between AP-2 and the tail domain of PIPKIγ-p90 may serve to regulate complex formation and enzymatic activity. We postulate a model according to which multiple interactions between PIPKIγ-p90 and AP-2 lead to spatiotemporally controlled PI(4,5)P2 synthesis during clathrin-mediated SV endocytosis. PMID:19903820

Blocking pulmonary ICAM-1 expression ameliorates lung injury in established diet-induced pancreatitis.

PubMed

Lundberg, A H; Fukatsu, K; Gaber, L; Callicutt, S; Kotb, M; Wilcox, H; Kudsk, K; Gaber, A O

2001-02-01

To determine whether blocking the cell surface expression of intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1) in established severe acute pancreatitis (AP) would ameliorate pulmonary injury. Lung injury in AP is in part mediated by infiltrating leukocytes, which are directed to lung tissue by ICAM-l. The authors' laboratory has previously demonstrated that AP results in overproduction of inflammatory cytokines, upregulation of pulmonary ICAM-1 expression, and a concomitant infiltration of neutrophils, which results in lung injury. Young female mice were fed a choline-deficient/ethionine-supplemented diet to induce AP and were treated with a blocking dose of monoclonal antibody specific to the ICAM-1 receptor. Antibody treatment was administered at 72, 96, and 120 hours after beginning the diet, and all animals were killed at 144 hours. The degree of pancreatitis was evaluated by serum biochemical and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels as well as histology. The dual radiolabeled monoclonal antibody method was used to quantitate ICAM-1 cell surface expression in pulmonary tissue. Lung injury was assessed histologically and by determining lung microvascular permeability by measuring accumulated 125I-radiolabeled albumin. Pulmonary neutrophil sequestration was determined by the myeloperoxidase assay. All mice developed severe AP, and pancreatic injury was equally severe in both treated and untreated groups. Pulmonary ICAM-1 expression was significantly upregulated in animals with AP compared with controls. Treatment with a blocking dose of anti-ICAM-1 antibody after the induction of AP resulted in inhibited ICAM-1 cell surface expression to near control levels. Compared to untreated animals with AP, mice treated with anti-ICAM-1 mice had significantly reduced histologic lung injury and neutrophil sequestration, and a decreased microvascular permeability by more than twofold. These results demonstrate for the first time that treatment targeting the cell surface expression of ICAM-1 after the induction of AP ameliorates pulmonary injury, even in the face of severe pancreatic disease.

Continuous Spectrum LEDs Promote Seedling Quality Traits and Performance of Quercus ithaburensis var. macrolepis

PubMed Central

Smirnakou, Sonia; Ouzounis, Theoharis; Radoglou, Kalliopi M.

2017-01-01

Regulation of the growth, development, and quality of plants by the control of light quality has attracted extensive attention worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of continuous LED spectrum for indoor plant pre-cultivation and to investigate the morphological and physiological responses of a common broadleaved tree species in Mediterranean environment, Quercus ithaburensis var. macrolepis at seedling developmental stage. Thus, the seedlings were pre-cultivated for 28 days, under five different LED light qualities: (1) Fluorescent (FL) as control light (2) L20AP67 (high in green and moderate in far-red), (3) AP673L (high in green and red), (4) G2 (highest in red and far-red), AP67 (high in blue, red, and far-red), and (5) NS1 (highest in blue and green and lowest in far-red) LEDs. Further examination was held at the nursery for 1 year, on several seedling quality traits. Indeed, AP67 and AP673L triggered higher leaf formation, while L20AP67 positively affected seedling shoot development. NS1 and AP67 LED pre-cultivated seedlings showed significantly higher root fibrosity than those of FL light. Furthermore, NS1 and AP673L LEDs induced fourfold increase on seedling root dry weight than FL light. Hence, evaluating the seedling nursery performance attributes, most of those photomorphogenetic responses previously obtained were still detectable. Even more so, LED pre-cultivated seedlings showed higher survival and faster growth indicating better adaptation even under natural light conditions, a fact further reinforced by the significantly higher Dickson’s quality index acquired. In conclusion, the goal of each nursery management program is the production of high quality seedlings with those desirable traits, which in turn satisfy the specific needs for a particular reforestation site. Thus, the enhanced oak seedling quality traits formed under continuous LEDs spectrum especially of NS1 and AP673L pre-cultivation may potentially fulfill this goal. PMID:28261244

Finite Element Analysis of High Heat Load Deformation and Mechanical Bending Correction of a Beamline Mirror for the APS Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldring, Nicholas

The impending Advanced Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U) will introduce a hard x-ray source that is set to surpass the current APS in brightness and coherence by two to three orders of magnitude. To achieve this, the storage ring light source will be equipped with a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice. In order to fully exploit and preserve the integrity of new beams actualized by upgraded storage ring components, improved beamline optics must also be introduced. The design process of new optics for the APS-U and other fourth generation synchrotrons involves the challenge of accommodating unprecedented heat loads. This dissertation presents an ex-situ analysis of heat load deformation and the subsequent mechanical bending correction of a 400 mm long, grazing-incidence, H2O side-cooled, reflecting mirror subjected to x-ray beams produced by the APS-U undulator source. Bending correction is measured as the smallest rms slope error, sigmarms, that can be resolved over a given length of the heat deformed geometry due to mechanical bending. Values of sigmarms in the <0.1 microrad regime represent a given mirror length over which incident x-ray beams from modern sources can be reflected without significant loss of quality. This study assumes a perfectly flat mirror surface and does not account for finish errors or other contributions to sigmarms beyond the scope of thermal deformation and elastic bending. The methodology of this research includes finite element analysis (FEA) employed conjointly with an analytical solution for mechanical bending deflection by means of an end couple. Additionally, the study will focus on two beam power density profiles predicted by the APS-U which were created using the software SRCalc. The profiles account for a 6 GeV electron beam with second moment widths of 0.058 and 0.011 mm in the x- and y- directions respectively; the electron beam is passed through a 4.8 m long, 28 mm period APS-U undulator which produces the x-ray beam incident at a 3 mrad grazing angle on the flat mirror surface for both cases. The first power density profile is the most extreme case created by the undulator at it's closest gap with a critical energy of 3 keV (k y=2.459); the second profile is generated for the case in which the undulator is tuned to emit at 8 keV (ky=1.026). The 3 keV case is of particular interest as it represents one of the most intense peak heat loads predicted to be incident on first optics at the APS-U. The FEA results revealed that the deflection due to the 3 keV heat load yields a 10.9 microrad rms slope error over the full mirror length. The projected correction via the elastic bending of the substrate yields a 0.10 microrad sigma rms within the center longitudinal 300 mm. The FEA also predicts that the 8 keV heat load deflection can be corrected to a sigma rms of 0.11 microrad within the center 300 mm from 1.50 microrad over the entire length. Attempts to optimize the end couple to correct over the entire 400 mm mirror length were unable to resolve the heat load deflection rms slope error to within a <0.1 microrad value for either case. However, if a larger corrected surface is required, a longer mirror can be implemented so as to absorb the heat load of a larger beam than necessary which can then be cut by an aperture to the desired size and energy range.

Age dependence of the normal/abnormal difference of bone mineral density in osteoporotic women.

PubMed

Bagur, A; Vega, E; Mautalen, C

1994-09-01

Bone mineral density (BMD) is the major factor in bone strength and in the risk of suffering osteoporotic fractures. The aim of this study was to examine the normal/abnormal difference for antero-posterior (AP) spine, lateral spine, proximal femur and total body BMD to assess if age influences discrimination at three different decades between 50 and 80 years of age. The BMD was determined in 61 control women and 60 osteoporotic women (at least one vertebral wedge fracture readily visible in the lateral X-rays of the thoracic or lumbar spine). Measurements were made by DEXA with a total body scanner. The BMD of the whole group of osteoporotic women was markedly lower than that of age-matched controls at all skeletal areas (P < 0.001) except at the arms where the difference was smaller (P < 0.02). The Z-score (the difference between osteoporotic patients and age-matched control divided by the intrapopulation S.D.) was similar (approximately -1.7) over the AP spine, femoral neck, Ward's triangle, total body and legs. It was significantly lower at the arms (-0.8, P < 0.001), lateral spine (-1.4, P < 0.01) and trochanter (-1.3, P < 0.001) compared with the Z-score of the AP spine. The analysis of the results by decades of age disclosed that the higher Z-score on the 6th and 7th decades corresponded to the AP lumbar spine (approximately -2.0). A high descrimination was also observed for the femoral neck, Ward's triangle and legs while the Z-score of the lateral lumbar spine, total body, trochanter and arms were significantly lower than that of the AP lumbar spine. However on the 8th decade the Z-score of the AP lumbar spine diminished to -1.2 and was only significantly higher than the Z-score of the arms (P < 0.01). The study showed that, in women 50-60 years of age--the period where the majority of studies are made for prevention of osteoporosis, none of the other skeletal areas were superior to the AP spine in discrimination for spinal osteoporosis. Proximal femur and legs densitometry gave lower but not significantly different Z-score than the AP spine, while the remaining areas were significantly inferior to AP spine in separating osteoporotic and normal women.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: New IR photometric study of Ap and Am stars (Chen+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, P. S.; Liu, J. Y.; Shan, H. G.

2018-05-01

In the General Catalog of Ap and Am stars (Renson & Manfroid 2009, Cat. III/260) 8265 stars are included in which, as Renson & Manfroid (2009, Cat. III/260) described, only 426 stars are of the "well known confirmed sample". We take these 426 stars as our working sample. The cross-identifications of 2MASS/WISE counterparts for all Ap, Am, and HgMn stars listed in this paper are made from Cutri et al. (2012, Cat. II/311) by using the radius of 2 arcsec. All 426 Ap, Am, and HgMn stars have 2MASS and/or WISE counterparts, which are listed in Table 3. The cross-identifications of IRAS counterparts are made according to the positional error ellipse of the source, because it has a 95% confidence level (IRAS Explanatory Supplement, Beichman et al. 1988, Cat. II/274). Finally, 202 stars are found to have the IRAS counterparts from IRAS PSC/FSC, which is listed in Table 4. (5 data files).

Is Ammonium Peroxydisulate Indispensable for Preparation of Aniline-Derived Iron-Nitrogen-Carbon Electrocatalysts?

PubMed

Xie, Nan-Hong; Yan, Xiang-Hui; Xu, Bo-Qing

2016-09-08

Iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon (Fe-N-C) materials are among the most active non-precious metal catalysts that could replace Pt-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. The synthesis of the Fe-N-C catalysts often involves the use of aniline as the precursor for both N and C and ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS) as an indispensable oxidative initiator for aniline polymerization. Herein, a detailed structure and catalytic ORR performance comparison of aniline-derived Fe-N-C catalysts synthesized with and without the use of APS is reported. The APS-free preparation, which uses Fe(III) ions as the Fe source as well as the aniline polymerization initiator, results in a simple Fe-N-C catalyst with a high activity for the ORR. We show that APS is not necessary for the preparation and even detrimental to the performance of the catalyst. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute inflammation on baroreflex-controlled sympathetic arterial pressure regulation

PubMed Central

Tohyama, Takeshi; Kawada, Toru; Kishi, Takuya; Yoshida, Keimei; Nishikawa, Takuya; Mannoji, Hiroshi; Kamada, Kazuhiro; Sunagawa, Kenji; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki

2018-01-01

Background Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces acute inflammation, activates sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and alters hemodynamics. Since the arterial baroreflex is a negative feedback system to stabilize arterial pressure (AP), examining the arterial baroreflex function is a prerequisite to understanding complex hemodynamics under LPS challenge. We investigated the impact of LPS-induced acute inflammation on SNA and AP regulation by performing baroreflex open-loop analysis. Methods Ten anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Acute inflammation was induced by an intravenous injection of LPS (60 μg/kg). We isolated the carotid sinuses from the systemic circulation and controlled carotid sinus pressure (CSP) by a servo-controlled piston pump. We matched CSP to AP to establish the baroreflex closed-loop condition, whereas we decoupled CSP from AP to establish the baroreflex open-loop condition and changed CSP stepwise to evaluate the baroreflex open-loop function. We recorded splanchnic SNA and hemodynamic parameters under baroreflex open- and closed-loop conditions at baseline and at 60 and 120 min after LPS injection. Results In the baroreflex closed-loop condition, SNA continued to increase after LPS injection, reaching three-fold the baseline value at 120 min (baseline: 94.7 ± 3.6 vs. 120 min: 283.9 ± 31.9 a.u.). In contrast, AP increased initially (until 75 min), then declined to the baseline level. In the baroreflex open-loop condition, LPS reset the neural arc (CSP-SNA relationship) upward to higher SNA, while shifted the peripheral arc (SNA-AP relationship) downward at 120 min after the injection. As a result, the operating point determined by the intersection between function curves of neural arc and peripheral arc showed marked sympatho-excitation without substantial changes in AP. Conclusions LPS-induced acute inflammation markedly increased SNA via resetting of the baroreflex neural arc, and suppressed the peripheral arc. The balance between the augmented neural arc and suppressed peripheral arc determines SNA and hemodynamics in LPS-induced acute inflammation. PMID:29329321

Impact of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute inflammation on baroreflex-controlled sympathetic arterial pressure regulation.

PubMed

Tohyama, Takeshi; Saku, Keita; Kawada, Toru; Kishi, Takuya; Yoshida, Keimei; Nishikawa, Takuya; Mannoji, Hiroshi; Kamada, Kazuhiro; Sunagawa, Kenji; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki

2018-01-01

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces acute inflammation, activates sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and alters hemodynamics. Since the arterial baroreflex is a negative feedback system to stabilize arterial pressure (AP), examining the arterial baroreflex function is a prerequisite to understanding complex hemodynamics under LPS challenge. We investigated the impact of LPS-induced acute inflammation on SNA and AP regulation by performing baroreflex open-loop analysis. Ten anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Acute inflammation was induced by an intravenous injection of LPS (60 μg/kg). We isolated the carotid sinuses from the systemic circulation and controlled carotid sinus pressure (CSP) by a servo-controlled piston pump. We matched CSP to AP to establish the baroreflex closed-loop condition, whereas we decoupled CSP from AP to establish the baroreflex open-loop condition and changed CSP stepwise to evaluate the baroreflex open-loop function. We recorded splanchnic SNA and hemodynamic parameters under baroreflex open- and closed-loop conditions at baseline and at 60 and 120 min after LPS injection. In the baroreflex closed-loop condition, SNA continued to increase after LPS injection, reaching three-fold the baseline value at 120 min (baseline: 94.7 ± 3.6 vs. 120 min: 283.9 ± 31.9 a.u.). In contrast, AP increased initially (until 75 min), then declined to the baseline level. In the baroreflex open-loop condition, LPS reset the neural arc (CSP-SNA relationship) upward to higher SNA, while shifted the peripheral arc (SNA-AP relationship) downward at 120 min after the injection. As a result, the operating point determined by the intersection between function curves of neural arc and peripheral arc showed marked sympatho-excitation without substantial changes in AP. LPS-induced acute inflammation markedly increased SNA via resetting of the baroreflex neural arc, and suppressed the peripheral arc. The balance between the augmented neural arc and suppressed peripheral arc determines SNA and hemodynamics in LPS-induced acute inflammation.

Osmotic and Salt Stresses Modulate Spontaneous and Glutamate-Induced Action Potentials and Distinguish between Growth and Circumnutation in Helianthus annuus Seedlings

PubMed Central

Stolarz, Maria; Dziubinska, Halina

2017-01-01

Action potentials (APs), i.e., long-distance electrical signals, and circumnutations (CN), i.e., endogenous plant organ movements, are shaped by ion fluxes and content in excitable and motor tissues. The appearance of APs and CN as well as growth parameters in seedlings and 3-week old plants of Helianthus annuus treated with osmotic and salt stress (0–500 mOsm) were studied. Time-lapse photography and extracellular measurements of electrical potential changes were performed. The hypocotyl length was strongly reduced by the osmotic and salt stress. CN intensity declined due to the osmotic but not salt stress. The period of CN in mild salt stress was similar to the control (~164 min) and increased to more than 200 min in osmotic stress. In sunflower seedlings growing in a hydroponic medium, spontaneous APs (SAPs) propagating basipetally and acropetally with a velocity of 12–20 cm min−1 were observed. The number of SAPs increased 2–3 times (7–10 SAPs 24 h−1plant−1) in the mild salt stress (160 mOsm NaCl and KCl), compared to the control and strong salt stress (3–4 SAPs 24 h−1 plant−1 in the control and 300 mOsm KCl and NaCl). Glutamate-induced series of APs were inhibited in the strong salt stress-treated seedlings but not at the mild salt stress and osmotic stress. Additionally, in 3-week old plants, the injection of the hypo- or hyperosmotic solution at the base of the sunflower stem evoked series of APs (3–24 APs) transmitted along the stem. It has been shown that osmotic and salt stresses modulate differently hypocotyl growth and CN and have an effect on spontaneous and evoked APs in sunflower seedlings. We suggested that potassium, sodium, and chloride ions at stress concentrations in the nutrient medium modulate sunflower excitability and CN. PMID:29093722

Screening cleavage of Factor XIII V34X Activation Peptides by thrombin mutants: A strategy for controlling fibrin architecture.

PubMed

Jadhav, Madhavi A; Goldsberry, Whitney N; Zink, Sara E; Lamb, Kelsey N; Simmons, Katelyn E; Riposo, Carmela M; Anokhin, Boris A; Maurer, Muriel C

2017-10-01

In blood coagulation, thrombin converts fibrinogen into fibrin monomers that polymerize into a clot network. Thrombin also activates Factor XIII by cleaving the R37-G38 peptide bond of the Activation Peptide (AP) segment. The resultant transglutaminase introduces covalent crosslinks into the fibrin clot. A strategy to modify clot architecture would be to design FXIII AP sequences that are easier or more difficult to be thrombin-cleaved thus controlling initiation of crosslinking. To aid in this design process, FXIII V34X (28-41) Activation Peptides were kinetically ranked for cleavage by wild-type thrombin and several anticoagulant mutants. Thrombin-catalyzed hydrolysis of aromatic FXIII F34, W34, and Y34 APs was compared with V34 and L34. Cardioprotective FXIII L34 remained the variant most readily cleaved by wild-type thrombin. The potent anticoagulant thrombins W215A and W215A/E217A (missing a key substrate platform for binding fibrinogen) were best able to hydrolyze FXIII F34 and W34 APs. Thrombin I174A and L99A could effectively accommodate FXIII W34 and Y34 APs yielding kinetic parameters comparable to FXIII AP L34 with wild-type thrombin. None of the aromatic FXIII V34X APs could be hydrolyzed by thrombin Y60aA. FXIII F34 and W34 are promising candidates for FXIII - anticoagulant thrombin systems that could permit FXIII-catalyzed crosslinking in the presence of reduced fibrin formation. By contrast, FXIII Y34 with thrombin (Y60aA or W215A/E217A) could help assure that both fibrin clot formation and protein crosslinking are hindered. Regulating the activation of FXIII is predicted to be a strategy for helping to control fibrin clot architecture and its neighboring environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Star-forming potential in the Perseus complex (Mercimek+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercimek, S.; Myers, P. C.; Lee, K. I.; Sadavoy, S. I.

2018-05-01

We used published catalogs of cores and YSOs at different wavelengths ranging from sub-millimeter (850 μm) to infrared (1.25 μm). We focus on seven clumps in Perseus, which Sadavoy et al. (2014ApJ...787L..18S) showed in their Figure 1. They defined these clumps and their boundaries using a fitted Herschel-derived column density map. The column density threshold of AV~7 mag is proposed as a star formation threshold by Andre et al. (2010A&A...518L.102A), Lada et al. (2010ApJ...724..687L), and Evans et al. (2014ApJ...782..114E) and is equal to N(H2)~5x1021/cm2 (see also, Kirk et al. 2006, J/ApJ/646/1009; Andre et al. 2010A&A...518L.102A). We considered a core or YSO to be associated with a clump if it is located within the AV=7 mag contour of that clump from Sadavoy et al. (2014ApJ...787L..18S). We define a "source" to be a starless core or a YSO. (7 data files).

Biological substantiation of antipsychotic-associated pneumonia: Systematic literature review and computational analyses

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Introduction Antipsychotic (AP) safety has been widely investigated. However, mechanisms underlying AP-associated pneumonia are not well-defined. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the known mechanisms of AP-associated pneumonia through a systematic literature review, confirm these mechanisms using an independent data source on drug targets and attempt to identify novel AP drug targets potentially linked to pneumonia. Methods A search was conducted in Medline and Web of Science to identify studies exploring the association between pneumonia and antipsychotic use, from which information on hypothesized mechanism of action was extracted. All studies had to be in English and had to concern AP use as an intervention in persons of any age and for any indication, provided that the outcome was pneumonia. Information on the study design, population, exposure, outcome, risk estimate and mechanism of action was tabulated. Public repositories of pharmacology and drug safety data were used to identify the receptor binding profile and AP safety events. Cytoscape was then used to map biological pathways that could link AP targets and off-targets to pneumonia. Results The literature search yielded 200 articles; 41 were included in the review. Thirty studies reported a hypothesized mechanism of action, most commonly activation/inhibition of cholinergic, histaminergic and dopaminergic receptors. In vitro pharmacology data confirmed receptor affinities identified in the literature review. Two targets, thromboxane A2 receptor (TBXA2R) and platelet activating factor receptor (PTAFR) were found to be novel AP target receptors potentially associated with pneumonia. Biological pathways constructed using Cytoscape identified plausible biological links potentially leading to pneumonia downstream of TBXA2R and PTAFR. Conclusion Innovative approaches for biological substantiation of drug-adverse event associations may strengthen evidence on drug safety profiles and help to tailor pharmacological therapies to patient risk factors. PMID:29077727

Bio-oil based biorefinery strategy for the production of succinic acid.

PubMed

Wang, Caixia; Thygesen, Anders; Liu, Yilan; Li, Qiang; Yang, Maohua; Dang, Dan; Wang, Ze; Wan, Yinhua; Lin, Weigang; Xing, Jianmin

2013-01-01

Succinic acid is one of the key platform chemicals which can be produced via biotechnology process instead of petrochemical process. Biomass derived bio-oil have been investigated intensively as an alternative of diesel and gasoline fuels. Bio-oil could be fractionized into organic phase and aqueous phase parts. The organic phase bio-oil can be easily upgraded to transport fuel. The aqueous phase bio-oil (AP-bio-oil) is of low value. There is no report for its usage or upgrading via biological methods. In this paper, the use of AP-bio-oil for the production of succinic acid was investigated. The transgenic E. coli strain could grow in modified M9 medium containing 20 v/v% AP-bio-oil with an increase in OD from 0.25 to 1.09. And 0.38 g/L succinic acid was produced. With the presence of 4 g/L glucose in the medium, succinic acid concentration increased from 1.4 to 2.4 g/L by addition of 20 v/v% AP-bio-oil. When enzymatic hydrolysate of corn stover was used as carbon source, 10.3 g/L succinic acid was produced. The obtained succinic acid concentration increased to 11.5 g/L when 12.5 v/v% AP-bio-oil was added. However, it decreased to 8 g/L when 50 v/v% AP-bio-oil was added. GC-MS analysis revealed that some low molecular carbon compounds in the AP-bio-oil were utilized by E. coli. The results indicate that AP-bio-oil can be used by E. coli for cell growth and succinic acid production.

Bio-oil based biorefinery strategy for the production of succinic acid

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Succinic acid is one of the key platform chemicals which can be produced via biotechnology process instead of petrochemical process. Biomass derived bio-oil have been investigated intensively as an alternative of diesel and gasoline fuels. Bio-oil could be fractionized into organic phase and aqueous phase parts. The organic phase bio-oil can be easily upgraded to transport fuel. The aqueous phase bio-oil (AP-bio-oil) is of low value. There is no report for its usage or upgrading via biological methods. In this paper, the use of AP-bio-oil for the production of succinic acid was investigated. Results The transgenic E. coli strain could grow in modified M9 medium containing 20 v/v% AP-bio-oil with an increase in OD from 0.25 to 1.09. And 0.38 g/L succinic acid was produced. With the presence of 4 g/L glucose in the medium, succinic acid concentration increased from 1.4 to 2.4 g/L by addition of 20 v/v% AP-bio-oil. When enzymatic hydrolysate of corn stover was used as carbon source, 10.3 g/L succinic acid was produced. The obtained succinic acid concentration increased to 11.5 g/L when 12.5 v/v% AP-bio-oil was added. However, it decreased to 8 g/L when 50 v/v% AP-bio-oil was added. GC-MS analysis revealed that some low molecular carbon compounds in the AP-bio-oil were utilized by E. coli. Conclusions The results indicate that AP-bio-oil can be used by E. coli for cell growth and succinic acid production. PMID:23657107

Biological substantiation of antipsychotic-associated pneumonia: Systematic literature review and computational analyses.

PubMed

Sultana, Janet; Calabró, Marco; Garcia-Serna, Ricard; Ferrajolo, Carmen; Crisafulli, Concetta; Mestres, Jordi; Trifirò', Gianluca

2017-01-01

Antipsychotic (AP) safety has been widely investigated. However, mechanisms underlying AP-associated pneumonia are not well-defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the known mechanisms of AP-associated pneumonia through a systematic literature review, confirm these mechanisms using an independent data source on drug targets and attempt to identify novel AP drug targets potentially linked to pneumonia. A search was conducted in Medline and Web of Science to identify studies exploring the association between pneumonia and antipsychotic use, from which information on hypothesized mechanism of action was extracted. All studies had to be in English and had to concern AP use as an intervention in persons of any age and for any indication, provided that the outcome was pneumonia. Information on the study design, population, exposure, outcome, risk estimate and mechanism of action was tabulated. Public repositories of pharmacology and drug safety data were used to identify the receptor binding profile and AP safety events. Cytoscape was then used to map biological pathways that could link AP targets and off-targets to pneumonia. The literature search yielded 200 articles; 41 were included in the review. Thirty studies reported a hypothesized mechanism of action, most commonly activation/inhibition of cholinergic, histaminergic and dopaminergic receptors. In vitro pharmacology data confirmed receptor affinities identified in the literature review. Two targets, thromboxane A2 receptor (TBXA2R) and platelet activating factor receptor (PTAFR) were found to be novel AP target receptors potentially associated with pneumonia. Biological pathways constructed using Cytoscape identified plausible biological links potentially leading to pneumonia downstream of TBXA2R and PTAFR. Innovative approaches for biological substantiation of drug-adverse event associations may strengthen evidence on drug safety profiles and help to tailor pharmacological therapies to patient risk factors.

Patch-Clamp Recording from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes: Improving Action Potential Characteristics through Dynamic Clamp

PubMed Central

Veerman, Christiaan C.; Zegers, Jan G.; Mengarelli, Isabella; Bezzina, Connie R.

2017-01-01

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) hold great promise for studying inherited cardiac arrhythmias and developing drug therapies to treat such arrhythmias. Unfortunately, until now, action potential (AP) measurements in hiPSC-CMs have been hampered by the virtual absence of the inward rectifier potassium current (IK1) in hiPSC-CMs, resulting in spontaneous activity and altered function of various depolarising and repolarising membrane currents. We assessed whether AP measurements in “ventricular-like” and “atrial-like” hiPSC-CMs could be improved through a simple, highly reproducible dynamic clamp approach to provide these cells with a substantial IK1 (computed in real time according to the actual membrane potential and injected through the patch-clamp pipette). APs were measured at 1 Hz using perforated patch-clamp methodology, both in control cells and in cells treated with all-trans retinoic acid (RA) during the differentiation process to increase the number of cells with atrial-like APs. RA-treated hiPSC-CMs displayed shorter APs than control hiPSC-CMs and this phenotype became more prominent upon addition of synthetic IK1 through dynamic clamp. Furthermore, the variability of several AP parameters decreased upon IK1 injection. Computer simulations with models of ventricular-like and atrial-like hiPSC-CMs demonstrated the importance of selecting an appropriate synthetic IK1. In conclusion, the dynamic clamp-based approach of IK1 injection has broad applicability for detailed AP measurements in hiPSC-CMs. PMID:28867785

Association between Rare Variants in AP4E1, a Component of Intracellular Trafficking, and Persistent Stuttering

PubMed Central

Raza, M. Hashim; Mattera, Rafael; Morell, Robert; Sainz, Eduardo; Rahn, Rachel; Gutierrez, Joanne; Paris, Emily; Root, Jessica; Solomon, Beth; Brewer, Carmen; Basra, M. Asim Raza; Khan, Shaheen; Riazuddin, Sheikh; Braun, Allen; Bonifacino, Juan S.; Drayna, Dennis

2015-01-01

Stuttering is a common, highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in the volitional control of speech. Whole-exome sequencing identified two heterozygous AP4E1 coding variants, c.1549G>A (p.Val517Ile) and c.2401G>A (p.Glu801Lys), that co-segregate with persistent developmental stuttering in a large Cameroonian family, and we observed the same two variants in unrelated Cameroonians with persistent stuttering. We found 23 other rare variants, including predicted loss-of-function variants, in AP4E1 in unrelated stuttering individuals in Cameroon, Pakistan, and North America. The rate of rare variants in AP4E1 was significantly higher in unrelated Pakistani and Cameroonian stuttering individuals than in population-matched control individuals, and coding variants in this gene are exceptionally rare in the general sub-Saharan West African, South Asian, and North American populations. Clinical examination of the Cameroonian family members failed to identify any symptoms previously reported in rare individuals carrying homozygous loss-of-function mutations in this gene. AP4E1 encodes the ε subunit of the heterotetrameric (ε-β4-μ4-σ4) AP-4 complex, involved in protein sorting at the trans-Golgi network. We found that the μ4 subunit of AP-4 interacts with NAGPA, an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the mannose 6-phosphate signal that targets acid hydrolases to the lysosome and the product of a gene previously associated with stuttering. These findings implicate deficits in intracellular trafficking in persistent stuttering. PMID:26544806

Ultrafast X-Ray Coherent Control

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

Reis, David

2009-05-01

This main purpose of this grant was to develop the nascent eld of ultrafast x-ray science using accelerator-based sources, and originally developed from an idea that a laser could modulate the di racting properties of a x-ray di racting crystal on a fast enough time scale to switch out in time a shorter slice from the already short x-ray pulses from a synchrotron. The research was carried out primarily at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) sector 7 at Argonne National Laboratory and the Sub-Picosecond Pulse Source (SPPS) at SLAC; in anticipation of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) x-ray freemore » electron laser that became operational in 2009 at SLAC (all National User Facilities operated by BES). The research centered on the generation, control and measurement of atomic-scale dynamics in atomic, molecular optical and condensed matter systems with temporal and spatial resolution . It helped develop the ultrafast physics, techniques and scienti c case for using the unprecedented characteristics of the LCLS. The project has been very successful with results have been disseminated widely and in top journals, have been well cited in the eld, and have laid the foundation for many experiments being performed on the LCLS, the world's rst hard x-ray free electron laser.« less

Process irregularity of cortisol and adrenocorticotropin secretion in men with major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Posener, Joel A; Charles DeBattista; Veldhuis, Johannes D; Province, Michael A; Williams, Gordon H; Schatzberg, Alan F

2004-10-01

Although evidence suggests that major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, research on basal HPA axis hormone levels in MDD patients has been inconclusive. Definitive characterization of basal cortisol and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion may be important for understanding the pathophysiology of this disorder. In recent years, a new approach to the analysis of basal hormone secretion has been developed involving the approximate entropy (ApEn) statistic, which represents the degree of disorderliness or serial irregularity in a time series of hormone levels. ApEn has been shown to reflect the degree of coordination in integrated network systems and has provided new insights into the pathophysiology of a number of endocrine conditions. In the study reported here, 15 medication-free men with MDD and 15 healthy control men were admitted to a General Clinical Research Center and had blood sampled for cortisol and ACTH determinations every hour over a 24-h period. The cortisol and ACTH time series were characterized with a cosinor analysis and with analysis of ApEn. Depressed patients and control subjects did not differ significantly on any parameter derived from the cosinor analysis or on several other standard indices of basal hormone secretion. However, the depressed men had significantly increased cortisol ApEn and significantly decreased ACTH ApEn compared with the healthy subjects. The ApEn findings suggest a loss of regulatory control over cortisol secretion, and possibly increased cortisol feedback on the pituitary in the depressed patients. Together, these results are most consistent with a primary abnormality of the adrenal gland and suggest that further investigation of adrenal gland physiology may be informative for the pathophysiology of depression.

Atopic asthmatic immune phenotypes associated with airway microbiota and airway obstruction.

PubMed

Turturice, Benjamin A; McGee, Halvor S; Oliver, Brian; Baraket, Melissa; Nguyen, Brian T; Ascoli, Christian; Ranjan, Ravi; Rani, Asha; Perkins, David L; Finn, Patricia W

2017-01-01

Differences in asthma severity may be related to inflammation in the airways. The lower airway microbiota has been associated with clinical features such as airway obstruction, symptom control, and response to corticosteroids. To assess the relationship between local airway inflammation, severity of disease, and the lower airway microbiota in atopic asthmatics. A cohort of young adult, atopic asthmatics with intermittent or mild/moderate persistent symptoms (n = 13) were assessed via bronchoscopy, lavage, and spirometry. These individuals were compared to age matched non-asthmatic controls (n = 6) and to themselves after six weeks of treatment with fluticasone propionate (FP). Inflammation of the airways was assessed via a cytokine and chemokine panel. Lower airway microbiota composition was determined by metagenomic shotgun sequencing. Unsupervised clustering of cytokines and chemokines prior to treatment with FP identified two asthmatic phenotypes (AP), termed AP1 and AP2, with distinct bronchoalveolar lavage inflammatory profiles. AP2 was associated with more obstruction, compared to AP1. After treatment with FP reduced MIP-1β and TNF-α and increased IL-2 was observed. A module of highly correlated cytokines that include MIP-1β and TNF-α was identified that negatively correlated with pulmonary function. Independently, IL-2 was positively correlated with pulmonary function. The airway microbiome composition correlated with asthmatic phenotypes. AP2, prior to FP treatment, was enriched with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Unique associations between IL-2 or the cytokine module and the microbiota composition of the airways were observed in asthmatics subjects prior to treatment but not after or in controls. The underlying inflammation in atopic asthma is related to the composition of microbiota and is associated with severity of airway obstruction. Treatment with inhaled corticosteroids was associated with changes in the airway inflammatory response to microbiota.

Assessment of neutron skyshine near unmodified Accumulator Debuncher storage rings under Mu2e operational conditions

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

Cossairt, J.Donald; /Fermilab

2010-12-01

Preliminary plans for providing the proton beam needed by the proposed Mu2e experiment at Fermilab will require the transport of 8 GeV protons to the Accumulator/Debuncher where they be processed into an intensity and time structure useful for the experiment. The intensities involved are far greater that those encountered with antiprotons of the same kinetic energy in the same beam enclosures under Tevatron Collider operational conditions, the operating parameters for which the physical facilities of the Antiproton Source were designed. This note explores some important ramifications of the proposed operation for radiation safety and demonstrates the need for extensive modificationsmore » of significant portions of the shielding of the Accumulator Debuncher storage rings; notably that underneath the AP Service Buildings AP10, AP30, and AP50. While existing shielding is adequate for the current operating mode of the Accumulator/Debuncher as part of the Antiproton Source used in the Tevatron Collider program, without significant modifications of the shielding configuration in the Accumulator/Debuncher region and/or beam loss control systems far more effective than seen in most applications at Fermilab, the proposed operational mode for Mu2e is not viable for the following reasons: 1. Due to skyshine alone, under normal operational conditions large areas of the Fermilab site would be exposed to unacceptable levels of radiation where most of the Laboratory workforce and some members of the general public who regularly visit Fermilab would receive measurable doses annually, contrary to workforce, public, and DOE expectations concerning the As Low as Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle. 2. Under normal operational conditions, a sizeable region of the Fermilab site would also require fencing due to skyshine. The size of the areas involved would likely invite public inquiry about the significant and visible enlargement of Fermilab's posted radiological areas. 3. There would be aesthetics questions about the employment of so much new fencing on the Fermilab site. 4. The assumption of only 1.0% 'normal condition' beam losses over the three locations is regarded as being extremely optimistic. Thus, it is evident that it is necessary to pursue shielding improvements to support viable operation of the Mu2e experiment.« less

A concept for canceling the leakage field inside the stored beam chamber of a septum magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abliz, M.; Jaski, M.; Xiao, A.; Jain, A.; Wienands, U.; Cease, H.; Borland, M.; Decker, G.; Kerby, J.

2018-04-01

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is planning to upgrade its storage ring from a double-bend achromat to a multi-bend achromat lattice as part of the APS Upgrade Project (APS-U). A swap-out injection scheme is planned for the APS-U in order to keep the beam current constant and to reduce the dynamic aperture requirements. The injection scheme, combined with the constraints in the booster to storage ring transfer region of the APS-U, results in requiring a septum magnet which deflects the injected 6 GeV electron beam by 89 mrad, while not appreciably disturbing the stored beam. The proposed magnet is straight; however, it is rotated in yaw, roll, and pitch from the stored beam chamber to meet the on-axis swap-out injection requirements for the APS-U lattice. The concept utilizes cancellation of the leakage field inside the 8 mm x 6 mm super-ellipsoidal stored beam chamber. As a result, the horizontal deflection angle of the 6 GeV stored beam is reduced to less than 1 μrad with only a 2-mm-thick septum separating the stored beam and the 1.06 T field seen by the injected beam. This design also helps to minimize the integrated skew quadrupole and normal sextupole fields inside the stored beam chamber.

Role of neutralizing antibodies and T-cells in pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus infection in congenitally athymic mice.

PubMed

Kapoor, A K; Buckmaster, A; Nash, A A; Field, H J; Wildy, P

1982-11-01

Congenitally athymic nude mice were infected with 10(4) p.f.u. herpes simplex type 1 (strain SC16). Following the passive transfer of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (AP7, AP8 and AP12) it was observed that AP7 alone reduced the virus infectivity in the nervous system; AP8 and AP12 failed to protect mice probably due to poor in vivo binding to the neutralization site on the virus. Latent ganglionic infection could be established in nude mice following adoptive transfer of optimum number (2 x 10(7) cells/mouse) of immune lymph node cells from day 7 herpes virus-infected hairy immunocompetent donor mice. Moreover, in some of the immune lymph node cell protected nudes, latency could be maintained even in complete absence of neutralizing antibodies. Results of ear-ablation experiments revealed that removal of primary source of infection after day 5 of infection reduced the amount of virus in the ganglia and spinal cord. Acute neurological infection was not detected following transfer of protective anti-gp-D neutralizing antibody (LP2) in combination with removal of infected pinna. These data suggest that continuous seeding of virus occurs in related ganglia via the axonal route from infected ear pinna. It appears that local T-cell-mediated immune mechanisms are involved in maintenance of latency.

Pre-College Sources of Influence for Traditionally Underrepresented Students Attending College: A Social Network Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kester, Rebekah G.

2017-01-01

This study examined a variety of sources of influence for traditionally underrepresented students at a primarily White institution of higher education. The sources of influence ranged from 2-way communications in high school to 2-way communications in the community, and from 1-way communication influences in the school such as AP courses, to 1-way…

Fermi-LAT detection of increased gamma-ray activity from the FSRQ PKS 1004-217

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreter, Michael

2018-03-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), one of the two instruments on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed an increasing gamma-ray flux from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) PKS 1004-217 (3FGL J1006.7-2159) with coordinates RA: 10h06m46.4136s, DEC: -21d59m20.410s, J2000 (Beasley et al. 2002, ApJS, 141, 13) and redshift z=0.331 (Hewitt & Burbidge 1989, ApJS, 69, 1). Preliminary analysis indicates that on 4 March 2018, this source was in a high-flux state with a daily averaged gamma-ray flux (E > 100MeV) of (0.84+/-0.08) X 10^-6 photons cm^-2 s^-1 (statistical uncertainties only).

Simulation of Swap-Out Reliability For The Advance Photon Source Upgrade

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

Borland, M.

2017-06-01

The proposed upgrade of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) to a multibend-achromat lattice relies on the use of swap-out injection to accommodate the small dynamic acceptance, allow use of unusual insertion devices, and minimize collective effects at high single-bunch charge. This, combined with the short beam lifetime, will make injector reliability even more important than it is for top-up operation. We used historical data for the APS injector complex to obtain probability distributions for injector up-time and down-time durations. Using these distributions, we simulated several years of swap-out operation for the upgraded lattice for several operatingmodes. The results indicate thatmore » obtaining very high availability of beam in the storage ring will require improvements to injector reliability.« less

Fermi LAT detection of renewed GeV gamma-ray activity from the gravitationally lensed blazar PKS 1830-211

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciprini, Stefano

2012-06-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), one of the two instruments on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed increasing gamma-ray flux from a source positionally consistent with PKS 1830-211 (also known as 2FGL J1833.6-2104, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31, placed at RA: 18h 33m 39.9s, Dec -21d 03m 40s, J2000, van Ommen et al., 1995, ApJ, 444, 561). PKS 1830-211 (z=2.507, Lovell et al. 1998, ApJ, 508, L51) is a distant and peculiar flat spectrum radio quasar with intervening absorption systems and being subject to gravitational lensing by a galaxy placed at z=0.886 (Wiklind & Combes 1996, Nature, 379, 11).

Thermal Modeling and Cryogenic Design of a Helical Superconducting Undulator Cryostat

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

Shiroyanagi, Y.; Fuerst, J.; Hasse, Q.

A conceptual design for a helical superconducting undulator (HSCU) for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has been completed. The device differs sufficiently from the existing APS planar superconducting undulator (SCU) design to warrant development of a new cryostat based on value engineering and lessons learned from the existing planar SCU. Changes include optimization of the existing cryocooler-based refrigeration system and thermal shield as well as cost reduction through the use of standard vacuum hardware. The end result is a design that provides significantly larger 4.2 K refrigeration margin in a smaller package for greater installationmore » flexibility in the APS storage ring. This paper presents ANSYS-based thermal analysis of the cryostat, including estimated static and dynamic« less

Spacecraft hazard avoidance utilizing structured light

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liebe, Carl Christian; Padgett, Curtis; Chapsky, Jacob; Wilson, Daniel; Brown, Kenneth; Jerebets, Sergei; Goldberg, Hannah; Schroeder, Jeffrey

2006-01-01

At JPL, a <5 kg free-flying micro-inspector spacecraft is being designed for host-vehicle inspection. The spacecraft includes a hazard avoidance sensor to navigate relative to the vehicle being inspected. Structured light was selected for hazard avoidance because of its low mass and cost. Structured light is a method of remote sensing 3-dimensional structure of the proximity utilizing a laser, a grating, and a single regular APS camera. The laser beam is split into 400 different beams by a grating to form a regular spaced grid of laser beams that are projected into the field of view of an APS camera. The laser source and the APS camera are separated forming the base of a triangle. The distance to all beam intersections of the host are calculated based on triangulation.

A Proxy Design to Leverage the Interconnection of CoAP Wireless Sensor Networks with Web Applications

PubMed Central

Ludovici, Alessandro; Calveras, Anna

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present the design of a Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) proxy able to interconnect Web applications based on Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and WebSocket with CoAP based Wireless Sensor Networks. Sensor networks are commonly used to monitor and control physical objects or environments. Smart Cities represent applications of such a nature. Wireless Sensor Networks gather data from their surroundings and send them to a remote application. This data flow may be short or long lived. The traditional HTTP long-polling used by Web applications may not be adequate in long-term communications. To overcome this problem, we include the WebSocket protocol in the design of the CoAP proxy. We evaluate the performance of the CoAP proxy in terms of latency and memory consumption. The tests consider long and short-lived communications. In both cases, we evaluate the performance obtained by the CoAP proxy according to the use of WebSocket and HTTP long-polling. PMID:25585107

Dendritic small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels activated by action potentials suppress EPSPs and gate spike-timing dependent synaptic plasticity.

PubMed

Jones, Scott L; To, Minh-Son; Stuart, Greg J

2017-10-23

Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) are present in spines and can be activated by backpropagating action potentials (APs). This suggests they may play a critical role in spike-timing dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP). Consistent with this idea, EPSPs in both cortical and hippocampal pyramidal neurons were suppressed by preceding APs in an SK-dependent manner. In cortical pyramidal neurons EPSP suppression by preceding APs depended on their precise timing as well as the distance of activated synapses from the soma, was dendritic in origin, and involved SK-dependent suppression of NMDA receptor activation. As a result SK channel activation by backpropagating APs gated STDP induction during low-frequency AP-EPSP pairing, with both LTP and LTD absent under control conditions but present after SK channel block. These findings indicate that activation of SK channels in spines by backpropagating APs plays a key role in regulating both EPSP amplitude and STDP induction.

Mediation of the vasoactive properties of diadenosine tetraphosphate via various purinoceptors.

PubMed

van der Giet, M; Jankowski, J; Schlüter, H; Zidek, W; Tepel, M

1998-12-01

The vasoactive properties of P1,P4-diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) were studied by measuring the effects of perfusion pressure of a rat isolated perfused kidney. The vasoconstrictive response to Ap4A was mediated to a large extent to a P2X receptor which could be shown by inhibition with pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid tetrasodium. The remaining vasoconstriction of Ap4A could be blocked by a 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), a selective A1 receptor antagonist In raised tone preparation Ap4A evoked vasodilation when P2 receptors were blocked by suramin. The dilation was not mediated by a P2Y receptor as the effect could not be blocked by suramin. Ap4A induces vasoconstriction via A1 and P2X receptors and vasodilatation via an unidentified receptor which is not a P2Y receptor. Ap4A may play an important role in kidney perfusion and, thus, in blood-pressure control.

Regulatory interplay between LEAFY, APETALA1/CAULIFLOWER and TERMINAL FLOWER1: New insights into an old relationship.

PubMed

Serrano-Mislata, Antonio; Goslin, Kevin; Zheng, Beibei; Rae, Liina; Wellmer, Frank; Graciet, Emmanuelle; Madueño, Francisco

2017-10-03

The gene regulatory network comprised of LEAFY (LFY), APETALA1 (AP1), the AP1 paralog CAULIFLOWER (CAL), and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) is a major determinant of the flowering process in Arabidopsis thaliana. TFL1 activity in the shoot apical meristem provides inflorescence identity while the transcription factors LFY and AP1/CAL confer floral identity to emerging floral primordia. It has been thought that LFY and AP1/CAL control the onset of flowering in part by repressing TFL1 expression in flowers. However, in the June issue of Plant Physiology, we reported that LFY and AP1 act antagonistically in the regulation of several key flowering regulators, including TFL1. Specifically, TFL1 transcription was suppressed by AP1 but promoted by LFY. Here, we present additional evidence for the role of LFY as an activator of TFL1 and propose that this regulatory activity is pivotal for the indeterminate growth of the SAM during the reproductive phase of development.

Uncoupling of Obesity from Insulin Resistance Through a Targeted Mutation in aP2, the Adipocyte Fatty Acid Binding Protein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hotamisligil, Gokhan S.; Johnson, Randall S.; Distel, Robert J.; Ellis, Ramsey; Papaioannou, Virginia E.; Spiegelman, Bruce M.

1996-11-01

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are small cytoplasmic proteins that are expressed in a highly tissue-specific manner and bind to fatty acids such as oleic and retinoic acid. Mice with a null mutation in aP2, the gene encoding the adipocyte FABP, were developmentally and metabolically normal. The aP2-deficient mice developed dietary obesity but, unlike control mice, they did not develop insulin resistance or diabetes. Also unlike their obese wild-type counterparts, obese aP2-/- animals failed to express in adipose tissue tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a molecule implicated in obesity-related insulin resistance. These results indicate that aP2 is central to the pathway that links obesity to insulin resistance, possibly by linking fatty acid metabolism to expression of TNF-α.

Tumor-targeting peptide conjugated pH-responsive micelles as a potential drug carrier for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Wu, Xiang Lan; Kim, Jong Ho; Koo, Heebeom; Bae, Sang Mun; Shin, Hyeri; Kim, Min Sang; Lee, Byung-Heon; Park, Rang-Woon; Kim, In-San; Choi, Kuiwon; Kwon, Ick Chan; Kim, Kwangmeyung; Lee, Doo Sung

2010-02-17

Herein, we prepared tumor-targeting peptide (AP peptide; CRKRLDRN) conjugated pH-responsive polymeric micelles (pH-PMs) in cancer therapy by active and pH-responsive tumor targeting delivery systems, simultaneously. The active tumor targeting and tumoral pH-responsive polymeric micelles were prepared by mixing AP peptide conjugated PEG-poly(d,l-lactic acid) block copolymer (AP-PEG-PLA) into the pH-responsive micelles of methyl ether poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG)-poly(beta-amino ester) (PAE) block copolymer (MPEG-PAE). These mixed amphiphilic block copolymers were self-assembled to form stable AP peptide-conjugated and pH-responsive AP-PEG-PLA/MPEG-PAE micelles (AP-pH-PMs) with an average size of 150 nm. The AP-pH-PMs containing 10 wt % of AP-PEG-PLA showed a sharp pH-dependent micellization/demicellization transition at the tumoral acid pH. Also, they presented the pH-dependent drug release profile at the acidic pH of 6.4. The fluorescence dye, TRITC, encapsulated AP-pH-PMs (TRITC-AP-pH-PMs) presented the higher tumor-specific targeting ability in vitro cancer cell culture system and in vivo tumor-bearing mice, compared to control pH-responsive micelles of MPEG-PAE. For the cancer therapy, the anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX), was efficiently encapsulated into the AP-pH-PMs (DOX-AP-pH-PMs) with a higher loading efficiency. DOX-AP-pH-PMs efficiently deliver anticancer drugs in MDA-MB231 human breast tumor-bearing mice, resulted in excellent anticancer therapeutic efficacy, compared to free DOX and DOX encapsulated MEG-PAE micelles, indicating the excellent tumor targeting ability of AP-pH-PMs. Therefore, these tumor-targeting peptide-conjugated and pH-responsive polymeric micelles have great potential application in cancer therapy.

Mechanisms by which herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase limits translesion synthesis through abasic sites.

PubMed

Zhu, Yali; Song, Liping; Stroud, Jason; Parris, Deborah S

2008-01-01

Results suggest a high probability that abasic (AP) sites occur at least once per herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome. The parameters that control the ability of HSV-1 DNA polymerase (pol) to engage in AP translesion synthesis (TLS) were examined because AP lesions could influence the completion and fidelity of viral DNA synthesis. Pre-steady-state kinetic experiments demonstrated that wildtype (WT) and exonuclease-deficient (exo-) pol could incorporate opposite an AP lesion, but full TLS required absence of exo function. Virtually all of the WT pol was bound at the exo site to AP-containing primer-templates (P/Ts) at equilibrium, and the pre-steady-state rate of excision by WT pol was higher on AP-containing than on matched DNA. However, several factors influencing polymerization work synergistically with exo activity to prevent HSV-1 pol from engaging in TLS. Although the pre-steady-state catalytic rate constant for insertion of dATP opposite a T or AP site was similar, ground-state-binding affinity of dATP for insertion opposite an AP site was reduced 3-9-fold. Single-turnover running-start experiments demonstrated a reduced proportion of P/Ts extended to the AP site compared to the preceding site during processive synthesis by WT or exo- pol. Only the exo- pol engaged in TLS, though inefficiently and without burst kinetics, suggesting a much slower rate-limiting step for extension beyond the AP site.

The soil sulphate effect and maize plant (Zea mays L.) growth of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) inoculation in acid sulfate soils with the different soil water condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asmarlaili, S.; Rauf, A.; Hanafiah, D. S.; Sudarno, Y.; Abdi, P.

2018-02-01

The objective of the study was to determine the potential application of sulphate reducing bacteria on acid sulfate soil with different water content in the green house. The research was carried out in the Laboratory and Green House, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara. This research used Randomized Block Design with two treatments factors, ie sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) isolate (control, LK4, LK6, TSM4, TSM3, AP4, AP3, LK4 + TSM3, LK4 + AP4, LK4 + AP3, LK6 + TSM3, LK6 + AP4, LK6 + AP3, TSM4 + TSM3, TSM4 + AP4, TSM4 + AP3) and water condition (100% field capacity and 110% field capacity). The results showed that application of isolate LK4 + AP4 with water condition 110% field capacity decreased the soil sulphate content (27.38 ppm) significantly after 6 weeks. Application of isolate LK4 + AP3 with water condition 110% field capacity increased soil pH (5.58) after-week efficacy 6. Application of isolate LK4 with water condition 110% field capacity increased plant growth (140 cm; 25.74 g) significantly after week 6. The best treatment was application isolate LK4 with water condition 110% field Capacity (SRB population 2.5x108; soil sulphate content 29.10ppm; soil acidity 4.78; plant height 140cm; plant weight 25.74g).

A quantitative comparison of plaque types in Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia of the Lewy body type.

PubMed

McKenzie, J E; Edwards, R J; Gentleman, S M; Ince, P G; Perry, R H; Royston, M C; Roberts, G W

1996-01-01

In a previous study we reported no difference in the overall beta-amyloid protein (beta AP) load between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and senile dementia of the Lewy body type (SDLT). However, it is possible that differences in the morphology of beta AP plaque types exist, analogous to the differences in cytoskeletal pathology found in these two disorders. We have carried out a quantitative image analysis of plaque subtypes in the temporal lobe of AD (n = 8), SDLT (n = 9) and control (n = 11) cases. Measurements of beta AP load and plaque density were consistently higher in AD and SDLT than in controls. When AD and SDLT cases were compared no differences were seen in either the density or relative proportions of classic and diffuse plaques. Based on these results we suggest that the variation in the clinical course of these diseases reflects differences in the cytoskeletal pathology, whereas the final stages of profound dementia common to both disorders is associated with the deposition of beta AP.

75 FR 19567 - Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-15

...-AP80 Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR... changed our interpretation of the PSD and nonattainment NSR regulations relating to the definition of... Historic Approach Under both the nonattainment NSR provisions of the CAA as well as the PSD provisions, a...

75 FR 28227 - Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR): Aggregation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-20

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Parts 51 and 52 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0064, FRL-9151-3] RIN 2060-AP80 Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR): Aggregation Correction Proposed Rule document 2010-11578 was inadvertently published in the Rules and...

The pattern space factor and quality factor of cylindrical source antennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarem, John M.

1982-09-01

For the first time the quality factor of cylindrical source antennas is derived by a plane wave expansion. The evanescent energy (and therefore the quality factor) as defined by a plane wave expansion is shown to be different from Collin and Rothschild's [IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagation AP-12, 23 (1964)] quality factor.

[Cloning, subcellular localization, and heterologous expression of ApNAC1 gene from Andrographis paniculata].

PubMed

Wang, Jian; Qi, Meng-Die; Guo, Juan; Shen, Ye; Lin, Hui-Xin; Huang, Lu-Qi

2017-03-01

Andrographis paniculata is widely used as medicinal herb in China for a long time and andrographolide is its main medicinal constituent. To investigate the underlying andrographolide biosynthesis mechanisms, RNA-seq for A. paniculata leaves with MeJA treatment was performed. In A. paniculata transcriptomic data, the expression pattern of one member of NAC transcription factor family (ApNAC1) matched with andrographolide accumulation. The coding sequence of ApNAC1 was cloned by RT-PCR, and GenBank accession number was KY196416. The analysis of bioinformatics showed that the gene encodes a peptide of 323 amino acids, with a predicted relative molecular weight of 35.9 kDa and isoelectric point of 6.14. To confirm the subcellular localization, ApNAC1-GFP was transiently expressed in A. paniculata protoplast. The results indicated that ApNAC1 is a nucleus-localized protein. The analysis of real-time quantitative PCR revealed that ApNAC1 gene predominantly expresses in leaves. Compared with control sample, its expression abundance sharply increased with methyl jasmonate treatment. Based on its expression pattern, ApNAC1 gene might involve in andrographolide biosynthesis. ApNAC1 was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA agarose. Further study will help us to understand the function of ApNAC1 in andrographolide biosynthesis. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Adenanthera pavonina trypsin inhibitor retard growth of Anagasta kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

PubMed

Macedo, Maria Lígia Rodrigues; Durigan, Roberta Aparecida; da Silva, Desiree Soares; Marangoni, Sérgio; Freire, Maria das Graças Machado; Parra, José Roberto Postali

2010-04-01

Anagasta kuehniella is a polyphagous pest that feeds on a wide variety of stored products. The possible roles suggested for seed proteinase inhibitors include the function as a part of the plant defensive system against pest via inhibition of their proteolytic enzymes. In this study, a trypsin inhibitor (ApTI) was purified from Adenanthera pavonina seed and was tested for insect growth regulatory effect. The chronic ingestion of ApTI did result in a significant reduction in larval survival and weight. Larval and pupal developmental time of larvae fed on ApTI diet at 1% was significantly longer; the larval period was extended by 5 days and pupal period was 10 days longer, therefore delaying by up to 20 days and resulting in a prolonged period of development from larva to adult. As a result, the ApTI diet emergence rate was only 28% while the emergence rate of control larvae was 80%. The percentage of surviving adults (%S) decreased to 62%. The fourth instar larvae reared on a diet containing 1% ApTI showed a decrease in tryptic activity of gut and that no novel proteolytic form resistant to ApTI was induced. In addition, the tryptic activity in ApTI -fed larvae was sensitive to ApTI. These results suggest that ApTI have a potential antimetabolic effect when ingested by A. kuehniella. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic dissection of ion currents underlying all-or-none action potentials in C. elegans body-wall muscle cells

PubMed Central

Liu, Ping; Ge, Qian; Chen, Bojun; Salkoff, Lawrence; Kotlikoff, Michael I; Wang, Zhao-Wen

2011-01-01

Although the neuromuscular system of C. elegans has been studied intensively, little is known about the properties of muscle action potentials (APs). By combining mutant analyses with in vivo electrophysiological recording techniques and Ca2+ imaging, we have established the fundamental properties and molecular determinants of body-wall muscle APs. We show that, unlike mammalian skeletal muscle APs, C. elegans muscle APs occur in spontaneous trains, do not require the function of postsynaptic receptors, and are all-or-none overshooting events, rather than graded potentials as has been previously reported. Furthermore, we show that muscle APs depend on Ca2+ entry through the L-type Ca2+ channel EGL-19 with a contribution from the T-type Ca2+ channel CCA-1. Both the Shaker K+ channel SHK-1 and the Ca2+/Cl−-gated K+ channel SLO-2 play important roles in controlling the speed of membrane repolarization, the amplitude of afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and the pattern of AP firing; SLO-2 is also important in setting the resting membrane potential. Finally, AP-elicited elevations of [Ca2+]i require both EGL-19 and the ryanodine receptor UNC-68. Thus, like mammalian skeletal muscle, C. elegans body-wall myocytes generate all-or-none APs, which evoke Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), although the specific ion channels used for AP upstroke and repolarization differ. PMID:21059759

Impact of the Pla protease substrate α2-antiplasmin on the progression of primary pneumonic plague.

PubMed

Eddy, Justin L; Schroeder, Jay A; Zimbler, Daniel L; Bellows, Lauren E; Lathem, Wyndham W

2015-12-01

Many pathogens usurp the host hemostatic system during infection to promote pathogenesis. Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, expresses the plasminogen activator protease Pla, which has been shown in vitro to target and cleave multiple proteins within the fibrinolytic pathway, including the plasmin inhibitor α2-antiplasmin (A2AP). It is not known, however, if Pla inactivates A2AP in vivo; the role of A2AP during respiratory Y. pestis infection is not known either. Here, we show that Y. pestis does not appreciably cleave A2AP in a Pla-dependent manner in the lungs during experimental pneumonic plague. Furthermore, following intranasal infection with Y. pestis, A2AP-deficient mice exhibit no difference in survival time, bacterial burden in the lungs, or dissemination from wild-type mice. Instead, we found that in the absence of Pla, A2AP contributes to the control of the pulmonary inflammatory response during infection by reducing neutrophil recruitment and cytokine production, resulting in altered immunopathology of the lungs compared to A2AP-deficient mice. Thus, our data demonstrate that A2AP is not significantly affected by the Pla protease during pneumonic plague, and although A2AP participates in immune modulation in the lungs, it has limited impact on the course or ultimate outcome of the infection. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Contractile activity of ATP and diadenosine tetraphosphate on urinary bladder in the rats: role of superoxide anion and urothelium.

PubMed

Khattab, M M; Al-Hrasen, M N

2006-04-01

Both ATP and diadenosine tetraphosphate (AP(4)A) produced a dose-dependent contraction of rat isolated urinary bladder rings. The AP(4)A dose-response curve was to the left of that of ATP, and the maximum response was greater than that produced by ATP. Mechanical removal of the urothelium increased the contractile response to ATP by between 53% and 71%, and that to AP(4)A by 42% (at highest AP(4)A concentration) to 68% at lower concentration. Inhibition of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase with diethylthiocarbamate (DETCA, 5 mm) significantly reduced the ATP-evoked contraction by 31% (at high ATP concentration) to 40% at low ATP concentration. Similarly, the AP(4)A-induced contractions were significantly decreased by 27% at low AP(4)A level to 38% at higher concentrations. Induction of exogenous superoxide anion stress by the use of the superoxide anion generator, pyrogallol (0.5 mm), significantly decreased both ATP- and AP(4)A-induced contractions of the rat urinary bladder over the whole dose range. Contractile responses to ATP decreased by 36-40%, and those to AP(4)A by 44-49%. In conclusion, the urinary bladder urothelium exerts an inhibitory control over the purinergic contractility produced by adenine mononucleotides and dinucleotides. Superoxide anion stress, whether endogenous or exogenous, attenuates the ATP-induced as well as AP(4)A-induced contractility.

Antipathogen genes and the replacement of disease-vectoring mosquito populations: a model-based evaluation

PubMed Central

Robert, Michael A; Okamoto, Kenichi W; Gould, Fred; Lloyd, Alun L

2014-01-01

Recently, genetic strategies aimed at controlling populations of disease-vectoring mosquitoes have received considerable attention as alternatives to traditional measures. Theoretical studies have shown that female-killing (FK), antipathogen (AP), and reduce and replace (R&R) strategies can each decrease the number competent vectors. In this study, we utilize a mathematical model to evaluate impacts on competent Aedes aegypti populations of FK, AP, and R&R releases as well as hybrid strategies that result from combinations of these three approaches. We show that while the ordering of efficacy of these strategies depends upon population life history parameters, sex ratio of releases, and switch time in combination strategies, AP-only and R&R/AP releases typically lead to the greatest long-term reduction in competent vectors. R&R-only releases are often less effective at long-term reduction of competent vectors than AP-only releases or R&R/AP releases. Furthermore, the reduction in competent vectors caused by AP-only releases is easier to maintain than that caused by FK-only or R&R-only releases even when the AP gene confers a fitness cost. We discuss the roles that density dependence and inclusion of females play in the order of efficacy of the strategies. We anticipate that our results will provide added impetus to continue developing AP strategies. PMID:25558284

Molecular characterization of an Apolipophorin-III gene from the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).

PubMed

Liu, Qiu-Ning; Lin, Kun-Zhang; Yang, Lin-Nan; Dai, Li-Shang; Wang, Lei; Sun, Yu; Qian, Cen; Wei, Guo-Qing; Liu, Dong-Ran; Zhu, Bao-Jian; Liu, Chao-Liang

2015-03-01

Apolipophorin-III (ApoLp-III) acts in lipid transport, lipoprotein metabolism, and innate immunity in insects. In this study, an ApoLp-III gene of Antheraea pernyi pupae (Ap-ApoLp-III) was isolated and characterized. The full-length cDNA of Ap-ApoLp-III is 687 bp, including a 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of 40 bp, 3'-UTR of 86 bp and an open reading frame of 561 bp encoding a polypeptide of 186 amino acids that contains an Apolipophorin-III precursor domain (PF07464). The deduced Ap-apoLp-III protein sequence has 68, 59, and 23% identity with its orthologs of Manduca sexta, Bombyx mori, and Aedes aegypti, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Ap-apoLp-III was close to that of Bombycoidea. qPCR analysis revealed that Ap-ApoLp-III expressed during the four developmental stages and in integument, fat body, and ovaries. After six types of microorganism infections, expression levels of the Ap-ApoLp-III gene were upregulated significantly at different time points compared with control. RNA interference (RNAi) of Ap-ApoLp-III showed that the expression of Ap-ApoLp-III was significantly downregulated using qPCR after injection of E. coli. We infer that the Ap-ApoLp-III gene acts in the innate immunity of A. pernyi. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CitAP2.10 activation of the terpene synthase CsTPS1 is associated with the synthesis of (+)-valencene in ‘Newhall’ orange

PubMed Central

Shen, Shu-ling; Yin, Xue-ren; Zhang, Bo; Xie, Xiu-lan; Jiang, Qian; Grierson, Donald; Chen, Kun-song

2016-01-01

Aroma is a vital characteristic that determines the quality and commercial value of citrus fruits, and characteristic volatiles have been analyzed in different citrus species. In sweet orange, Citrus sinensis, the sesquiterpene (+)-valencene is a key volatile compound in the fruit peel. Valencene synthesis is catalyzed by the terpene synthase CsTPS1, but the transcriptional mechanisms controlling its gene expression are unknown. Here, the AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene response factor) transcription factor, CitAP2.10, is characterized as a regulator of (+)-valencene synthesis. The expression pattern of CitAP2.10 was positively correlated with (+)-valencene content and CsTPS1 expression. Dual-luciferase assays indicated that CitAP2.10 could trans-activate the CsTPS1 promoter. Ethylene enhanced expression of CitAP2.10 and this effect was abolished by the ethylene antagonist 1-methylcyclopropene. The role and function of CitAP2.10 in (+)-valencene biosynthesis were confirmed using the Arabidopsis homolog (AtWRI1), which also transiently activated the CsTPS1 promoter. Furthermore, transient over-expression of CitAP2.10 triggered (+)-valencene biosynthesis in sweet orange fruit. These results indicate that CitAP2.10 regulates (+)-valencene synthesis via induction of CsTPS1 mRNA accumulation. PMID:27194737

Impact of the Pla Protease Substrate α2-Antiplasmin on the Progression of Primary Pneumonic Plague

PubMed Central

Eddy, Justin L.; Schroeder, Jay A.; Zimbler, Daniel L.; Bellows, Lauren E.

2015-01-01

Many pathogens usurp the host hemostatic system during infection to promote pathogenesis. Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, expresses the plasminogen activator protease Pla, which has been shown in vitro to target and cleave multiple proteins within the fibrinolytic pathway, including the plasmin inhibitor α2-antiplasmin (A2AP). It is not known, however, if Pla inactivates A2AP in vivo; the role of A2AP during respiratory Y. pestis infection is not known either. Here, we show that Y. pestis does not appreciably cleave A2AP in a Pla-dependent manner in the lungs during experimental pneumonic plague. Furthermore, following intranasal infection with Y. pestis, A2AP-deficient mice exhibit no difference in survival time, bacterial burden in the lungs, or dissemination from wild-type mice. Instead, we found that in the absence of Pla, A2AP contributes to the control of the pulmonary inflammatory response during infection by reducing neutrophil recruitment and cytokine production, resulting in altered immunopathology of the lungs compared to A2AP-deficient mice. Thus, our data demonstrate that A2AP is not significantly affected by the Pla protease during pneumonic plague, and although A2AP participates in immune modulation in the lungs, it has limited impact on the course or ultimate outcome of the infection. PMID:26438794

The use of intelligent database systems in acute pancreatitis--a systematic review.

PubMed

van den Heever, Marc; Mittal, Anubhav; Haydock, Matthew; Windsor, John

2014-01-01

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a complex disease with multiple aetiological factors, wide ranging severity, and multiple challenges to effective triage and management. Databases, data mining and machine learning algorithms (MLAs), including artificial neural networks (ANNs), may assist by storing and interpreting data from multiple sources, potentially improving clinical decision-making. 1) Identify database technologies used to store AP data, 2) collate and categorise variables stored in AP databases, 3) identify the MLA technologies, including ANNs, used to analyse AP data, and 4) identify clinical and non-clinical benefits and obstacles in establishing a national or international AP database. Comprehensive systematic search of online reference databases. The predetermined inclusion criteria were all papers discussing 1) databases, 2) data mining or 3) MLAs, pertaining to AP, independently assessed by two reviewers with conflicts resolved by a third author. Forty-three papers were included. Three data mining technologies and five ANN methodologies were reported in the literature. There were 187 collected variables identified. ANNs increase accuracy of severity prediction, one study showed ANNs had a sensitivity of 0.89 and specificity of 0.96 six hours after admission--compare APACHE II (cutoff score ≥8) with 0.80 and 0.85 respectively. Problems with databases were incomplete data, lack of clinical data, diagnostic reliability and missing clinical data. This is the first systematic review examining the use of databases, MLAs and ANNs in the management of AP. The clinical benefits these technologies have over current systems and other advantages to adopting them are identified. Copyright © 2013 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Observation of first Fermi-LAT sources at Parkes (Camilo+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camilo, F.; Kerr, M.; Ray, P. S.; Ransom, S. M.; Sarkissian, J.; Cromartie, H. T.; Johnston, S.; Reynolds, J. E.; Wolff, M. T.; Freire, P. C. C.; Bhattacharyya, B.; Ferrara, E. C.; Keith, M.; Michelson, P. F.; Parkinson, P. M. S.; Wood, K. S.

2017-10-01

Keith et al. (2011MNRAS.414.1292K) used a digital filterbank at Parkes to search 11 unidentified sources from the first Fermi-LAT catalog (1FGL; Abdo et al. 2010, J/ApJS/188/405). Two MSPs and one slow pulsar were discovered in single observations of each target at a central frequency of 1.4 GHz. Subsequently, one of these MSPs was found to be associated with the corresponding LAT source. At nearly the same time, in late 2009, we used an analog filterbank at Parkes to search 14 unidentified 1FGL sources (Kerr et al. 2012ApJ...748L...2K). The single observations of these targets resulted in the detection of six MSPs, five of them discoveries. However, confirmation of some of these MSPs was not easy: the search observations lasted for 1-2 hr each, but some of the pulsars were not detected in equivalent initial confirmation attempts, owing to the effects of interstellar scintillation. These and other selection effects (see Section 2.2 for details) led us to search some promising unidentified LAT sources repeatedly. (1 data file).

Conceptual design of front ends for the advanced photon source multi-bend achromats upgrade

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

Jaski, Y., E-mail: jaskiy@aps.anl.gov; Westferro, F., E-mail: westferr@aps.anl.gov; Lee, S. H., E-mail: shlee@aps.anl.gov

2016-07-27

The proposed Advanced Photon Source (APS) upgrade from a double-bend achromats (DBA) to multi-bend achromats (MBA) lattice with ring energy change from 7 GeV to 6 GeV and beam current from 100 mA to 200 mA poses new challenges for front ends. All front ends must be upgraded to fulfill the following requirements: 1) handle the high heat load from two insertion devices in either inline or canted configuration, 2) include a clearing magnet in the front end to deflect and dump any electrons in case the electrons escape from the storage ring during swap-out injection with the safety shuttersmore » open, 3) incorporate the next generation x-ray beam position monitors (XBPMs) into the front end to meet the new stringent beam stability requirements. This paper presents the evaluation of the existing APS front ends and standardizes the insertion device (ID) front ends into two types: one for the single beam and one for the canted beams. The conceptual design of high heat load front end (HHLFE) and canted undulator front end (CUFE) for APS MBA upgrade is presented.« less

Conceptual Design of Front Ends for the Advanced Photon Source Multi-bend Achromats Upgrade

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

Jaski, Y.; Westferro, F.; Lee, S. H.

2016-07-27

The proposed Advanced Photon Source (APS) upgrade from a double-bend achromats (DBA) to multi-bend achromats (MBA) lattice with ring energy change from 7 GeV to 6 GeV and beam current from 100 mA to 200 mA poses new challenges for front ends. All front ends must be upgraded to fulfill the following requirements: 1) handle the high heat load from two insertion devices in either inline or canted configuration, 2) include a clearing magnet in the front end to deflect and dump any electrons in case the electrons escape from the storage ring during swap-out injection with the safety shuttersmore » open, 3) incorporate the next generation x-ray beam position monitors (XBPMs) into the front end to meet the new stringent beam stability requirements. This paper presents the evaluation of the existing APS front ends and standardizes the insertion device (ID) front ends into two types: one for the single beam and one for the canted beams. The conceptual design of high heat load front end (HHLFE) and canted undulator front end (CUFE) for APS MBA upgrade is presented.« less

Sugary Kefir Strain Lactobacillus mali APS1 Ameliorated Hepatic Steatosis by Regulation of SIRT-1/Nrf-2 and Gut Microbiota in Rats.

PubMed

Chen, Yung-Tsung; Lin, Yu-Chun; Lin, Jin-Seng; Yang, Ning-Sun; Chen, Ming-Ju

2018-04-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease that is concomitant with obesity, resulting in increased mortality. To date, the efficiency of NAFLD treatment still needs to be improved. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus mali APS1, which was isolated from sugary kefir, on hepatic steatosis in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Sprague Dawley rats were fed a control diet, a HFD with saline, and a HFD with APS1 intervention by gavage daily for 12 weeks. The results showed that APS1 significantly reduced body weight and body weight gain in HFD-fed rats. APS1 reduced hepatic lipid accumulation by regulating SIRT-1/PGC-1α/SREBP-1 expression. Moreover, APS1 increased hepatic antioxidant activity by modulating Nrf-2/HO-1 expression. Notably, APS1 manipulated the gut microbiota, resulting in increasing proportions of the phylum Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes and reducing the abundance of specific NAFLD-associated bacteria. These results suggested that APS1 ameliorated hepatic steatosis by modulating lipid metabolism and antioxidant activity via manipulating specific NAFLD-associated gut microbiota in vivo. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ROCS: a Reproducibility Index and Confidence Score for Interaction Proteomics Studies

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Affinity-Purification Mass-Spectrometry (AP-MS) provides a powerful means of identifying protein complexes and interactions. Several important challenges exist in interpreting the results of AP-MS experiments. First, the reproducibility of AP-MS experimental replicates can be low, due both to technical variability and the dynamic nature of protein interactions in the cell. Second, the identification of true protein-protein interactions in AP-MS experiments is subject to inaccuracy due to high false negative and false positive rates. Several experimental approaches can be used to mitigate these drawbacks, including the use of replicated and control experiments and relative quantification to sensitively distinguish true interacting proteins from false ones. Methods To address the issues of reproducibility and accuracy of protein-protein interactions, we introduce a two-step method, called ROCS, which makes use of Indicator Prey Proteins to select reproducible AP-MS experiments, and of Confidence Scores to select specific protein-protein interactions. The Indicator Prey Proteins account for measures of protein identifiability as well as protein reproducibility, effectively allowing removal of outlier experiments that contribute noise and affect downstream inferences. The filtered set of experiments is then used in the Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) scoring step. Prey protein scoring is done by computing a Confidence Score, which accounts for the probability of occurrence of prey proteins in the bait experiments relative to the control experiment, where the significance cutoff parameter is estimated by simultaneously controlling false positives and false negatives against metrics of false discovery rate and biological coherence respectively. In summary, the ROCS method relies on automatic objective criterions for parameter estimation and error-controlled procedures. Results We illustrate the performance of our method by applying it to five previously published AP-MS experiments, each containing well characterized protein interactions, allowing for systematic benchmarking of ROCS. We show that our method may be used on its own to make accurate identification of specific, biologically relevant protein-protein interactions, or in combination with other AP-MS scoring methods to significantly improve inferences. Conclusions Our method addresses important issues encountered in AP-MS datasets, making ROCS a very promising tool for this purpose, either on its own or in conjunction with other methods. We anticipate that our methodology may be used more generally in proteomics studies and databases, where experimental reproducibility issues arise. The method is implemented in the R language, and is available as an R package called “ROCS”, freely available from the CRAN repository http://cran.r-project.org/. PMID:22682516

Serial millisecond crystallography of membrane and soluble protein microcrystals using synchrotron radiation

PubMed Central

Conrad, Chelsie E.; Nelson, Garrett; Stander, Natasha; Zatsepin, Nadia A.; Zook, James; Zhu, Lan; Geiger, James; Chun, Eugene; Kissick, David; Hilgart, Mark C.; Ogata, Craig; Ishchenko, Andrii; Nagaratnam, Nirupa; Roy-Chowdhury, Shatabdi; Coe, Jesse; Subramanian, Ganesh; Schaffer, Alexander; Ketwala, Gihan; Venugopalan, Nagarajan; Xu, Shenglan; Corcoran, Stephen; Ferguson, Dale; Weierstall, Uwe; Spence, John C. H.; Cherezov, Vadim; Fromme, Petra; Fischetti, Robert F.; Liu, Wei

2017-01-01

Crystal structure determination of biological macromolecules using the novel technique of serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) is severely limited by the scarcity of X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources. However, recent and future upgrades render microfocus beamlines at synchrotron-radiation sources suitable for room-temperature serial crystallography data collection also. Owing to the longer exposure times that are needed at synchrotrons, serial data collection is termed serial millisecond crystallography (SMX). As a result, the number of SMX experiments is growing rapidly, with a dozen experiments reported so far. Here, the first high-viscosity injector-based SMX experiments carried out at a US synchrotron source, the Advanced Photon Source (APS), are reported. Microcrystals (5–20 µm) of a wide variety of proteins, including lysozyme, thaumatin, phycocyanin, the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR), the soluble fragment of the membrane lipoprotein Flpp3 and proteinase K, were screened. Crystals suspended in lipidic cubic phase (LCP) or a high-molecular-weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO; molecular weight 8 000 000) were delivered to the beam using a high-viscosity injector. In-house data-reduction (hit-finding) software developed at APS as well as the SFX data-reduction and analysis software suites Cheetah and CrystFEL enabled efficient on-site SMX data monitoring, reduction and processing. Complete data sets were collected for A2AAR, phycocyanin, Flpp3, proteinase K and lysozyme, and the structures of A2AAR, phycocyanin, proteinase K and lysozyme were determined at 3.2, 3.1, 2.65 and 2.05 Å resolution, respectively. The data demonstrate the feasibility of serial millisecond crystallography from 5–20 µm crystals using a high-viscosity injector at APS. The resolution of the crystal structures obtained in this study was dictated by the current flux density and crystal size, but upcoming developments in beamline optics and the planned APS-U upgrade will increase the intensity by two orders of magnitude. These developments will enable structure determination from smaller and/or weakly diffracting microcrystals. PMID:28875031

Serial millisecond crystallography of membrane and soluble protein microcrystals using synchrotron radiation.

PubMed

Martin-Garcia, Jose M; Conrad, Chelsie E; Nelson, Garrett; Stander, Natasha; Zatsepin, Nadia A; Zook, James; Zhu, Lan; Geiger, James; Chun, Eugene; Kissick, David; Hilgart, Mark C; Ogata, Craig; Ishchenko, Andrii; Nagaratnam, Nirupa; Roy-Chowdhury, Shatabdi; Coe, Jesse; Subramanian, Ganesh; Schaffer, Alexander; James, Daniel; Ketwala, Gihan; Venugopalan, Nagarajan; Xu, Shenglan; Corcoran, Stephen; Ferguson, Dale; Weierstall, Uwe; Spence, John C H; Cherezov, Vadim; Fromme, Petra; Fischetti, Robert F; Liu, Wei

2017-07-01

Crystal structure determination of biological macromolecules using the novel technique of serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) is severely limited by the scarcity of X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources. However, recent and future upgrades render microfocus beamlines at synchrotron-radiation sources suitable for room-temperature serial crystallography data collection also. Owing to the longer exposure times that are needed at synchrotrons, serial data collection is termed serial millisecond crystallography (SMX). As a result, the number of SMX experiments is growing rapidly, with a dozen experiments reported so far. Here, the first high-viscosity injector-based SMX experiments carried out at a US synchrotron source, the Advanced Photon Source (APS), are reported. Microcrystals (5-20 µm) of a wide variety of proteins, including lysozyme, thaumatin, phycocyanin, the human A 2A adenosine receptor (A 2A AR), the soluble fragment of the membrane lipoprotein Flpp3 and proteinase K, were screened. Crystals suspended in lipidic cubic phase (LCP) or a high-molecular-weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO; molecular weight 8 000 000) were delivered to the beam using a high-viscosity injector. In-house data-reduction (hit-finding) software developed at APS as well as the SFX data-reduction and analysis software suites Cheetah and CrystFEL enabled efficient on-site SMX data monitoring, reduction and processing. Complete data sets were collected for A 2A AR, phycocyanin, Flpp3, proteinase K and lysozyme, and the structures of A 2A AR, phycocyanin, proteinase K and lysozyme were determined at 3.2, 3.1, 2.65 and 2.05 Å resolution, respectively. The data demonstrate the feasibility of serial millisecond crystallography from 5-20 µm crystals using a high-viscosity injector at APS. The resolution of the crystal structures obtained in this study was dictated by the current flux density and crystal size, but upcoming developments in beamline optics and the planned APS-U upgrade will increase the intensity by two orders of magnitude. These developments will enable structure determination from smaller and/or weakly diffracting microcrystals.

Serial millisecond crystallography of membrane and soluble protein microcrystals using synchrotron radiation

DOE PAGES

Martin-Garcia, Jose M.; Conrad, Chelsie E.; Nelson, Garrett; ...

2017-05-24

Crystal structure determination of biological macromolecules using the novel technique of serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) is severely limited by the scarcity of X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources. However, recent and future upgrades render microfocus beamlines at synchrotron-radiation sources suitable for room-temperature serial crystallography data collection also. Owing to the longer exposure times that are needed at synchrotrons, serial data collection is termed serial millisecond crystallography (SMX). As a result, the number of SMX experiments is growing rapidly, with a dozen experiments reported so far. Here, the first high-viscosity injector-based SMX experiments carried out at a US synchrotron source, the Advancedmore » Photon Source (APS), are reported. Microcrystals (5–20 µm) of a wide variety of proteins, including lysozyme, thaumatin, phycocyanin, the human A 2A adenosine receptor (A 2AAR), the soluble fragment of the membrane lipoprotein Flpp3 and proteinase K, were screened. Crystals suspended in lipidic cubic phase (LCP) or a high-molecular-weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO; molecular weight 8 000 000) were delivered to the beam using a high-viscosity injector. In-house data-reduction (hit-finding) software developed at APS as well as the SFX data-reduction and analysis software suites Cheetah and CrystFEL enabled efficient on-site SMX data monitoring, reduction and processing. Complete data sets were collected for A 2AAR, phycocyanin, Flpp3, proteinase K and lysozyme, and the structures of A 2AAR, phycocyanin, proteinase K and lysozyme were determined at 3.2, 3.1, 2.65 and 2.05 Å resolution, respectively. The data demonstrate the feasibility of serial millisecond crystallography from 5–20 µm crystals using a high-viscosity injector at APS. The resolution of the crystal structures obtained in this study was dictated by the current flux density and crystal size, but upcoming developments in beamline optics and the planned APS-U upgrade will increase the intensity by two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, these developments will enable structure determination from smaller and/or weakly diffracting microcrystals.« less

Serial millisecond crystallography of membrane and soluble protein microcrystals using synchrotron radiation

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

Martin-Garcia, Jose M.; Conrad, Chelsie E.; Nelson, Garrett

Crystal structure determination of biological macromolecules using the novel technique of serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) is severely limited by the scarcity of X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources. However, recent and future upgrades render microfocus beamlines at synchrotron-radiation sources suitable for room-temperature serial crystallography data collection also. Owing to the longer exposure times that are needed at synchrotrons, serial data collection is termed serial millisecond crystallography (SMX). As a result, the number of SMX experiments is growing rapidly, with a dozen experiments reported so far. Here, the first high-viscosity injector-based SMX experiments carried out at a US synchrotron source, the Advancedmore » Photon Source (APS), are reported. Microcrystals (5–20 µm) of a wide variety of proteins, including lysozyme, thaumatin, phycocyanin, the human A 2A adenosine receptor (A 2AAR), the soluble fragment of the membrane lipoprotein Flpp3 and proteinase K, were screened. Crystals suspended in lipidic cubic phase (LCP) or a high-molecular-weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO; molecular weight 8 000 000) were delivered to the beam using a high-viscosity injector. In-house data-reduction (hit-finding) software developed at APS as well as the SFX data-reduction and analysis software suites Cheetah and CrystFEL enabled efficient on-site SMX data monitoring, reduction and processing. Complete data sets were collected for A 2AAR, phycocyanin, Flpp3, proteinase K and lysozyme, and the structures of A 2AAR, phycocyanin, proteinase K and lysozyme were determined at 3.2, 3.1, 2.65 and 2.05 Å resolution, respectively. The data demonstrate the feasibility of serial millisecond crystallography from 5–20 µm crystals using a high-viscosity injector at APS. The resolution of the crystal structures obtained in this study was dictated by the current flux density and crystal size, but upcoming developments in beamline optics and the planned APS-U upgrade will increase the intensity by two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, these developments will enable structure determination from smaller and/or weakly diffracting microcrystals.« less

Fermi LAT detection of renewed gamma-ray flaring activity from the radio galaxy NGC 1275 (Perseus A)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciprini, Stefano

2013-01-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), one of the two instruments on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed GeV gamma-ray flaring activity from a source positionally consistent with NGC 1275 (also known as 2FGL J0319.8+4130, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31, as Perseus A and 3C 84) a radio galaxy located at the center of the Perseus galaxy cluster (see also Abdo et al. 2009, ApJ, 699, 31).

Fermi LAT detection of renewed gamma-ray activity from the FSRQ PKS 2326-502

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Ammando, F.; Torresi, E.

2012-06-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has observed an increasing gamma-ray flux from a source positionally consistent with the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar PKS 2326-502 (also known as 2FGL J2329.2-4956, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31; R.A.=23:29:20.880 Dec.=-49:55:40.68, J2000.0, Costa and Loyola 1996, A&AS, 115, 75) at redshift z=0.518 (Jauncey et al. 1984, ApJ, 286, 498).

Support for Synchrotron Access by Environmental Scientists

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

Daly, Michael; Madden, Andrew; Palumbo, Anthony

2006-06-01

To support ERSP-funded scientists in all aspects of synchrotron-based research at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). This support comes in one or more of the following forms: (1) writing proposals to the APS General User (GU) program, (2) providing time at MRCAT/EnviroCAT beamlines via the membership of the Molecular Environmental Science (MES) Group in MRCAT/EnviroCAT, (3) assistance in experimental design and sample preparation, (4) support at the beamline during the synchrotron experiment, (5) analysis and interpretation of the synchrotron data, and (6) integration of synchrotron experimental results into manuscripts.

Switching control of sympathetic activity from forebrain to hindbrain in chronic dehydration

PubMed Central

Colombari, Débora S A; Colombari, Eduardo; Freiria-Oliveira, Andre H; Antunes, Vagner R; Yao, Song T; Hindmarch, Charles; Ferguson, Alastair V; Fry, Mark; Murphy, David; Paton, Julian F R

2011-01-01

Abstract We investigated the mechanisms responsible for increased blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) caused by 2–3 days dehydration (DH) both in vivo and in situ preparations. In euhydrated (EH) rats, systemic application of the AT1 receptor antagonist Losartan and subsequent pre-collicular transection (to remove the hypothalamus) significantly reduced thoracic (t)SNA. In contrast, in DH rats, Losartan, followed by pre-collicular and pontine transections, failed to reduce tSNA, whereas transection at the medulla–spinal cord junction massively reduced tSNA. In DH but not EH rats, selective inhibition of the commissural nucleus tractus solitarii (cNTS) significantly reduced tSNA. Comparable data were obtained in both in situ and in vivo (anaesthetized/conscious) rats and suggest that following chronic dehydration, the control of tSNA transfers from supra-brainstem structures (e.g. hypothalamus) to the medulla oblongata, particularly the cNTS. As microarray analysis revealed up-regulation of AP1 transcription factor JunD in the dehydrated cNTS, we tested the hypothesis that AP1 transcription factor activity is responsible for dehydration-induced functional plasticity. When AP1 activity was blocked in the cNTS using a viral vector expressing a dominant negative FosB, cNTS inactivation was ineffective. However, tSNA was decreased after pre-collicular transection, a response similar to that seen in EH rats. Thus, the dehydration-induced switch in control of tSNA from hypothalamus to cNTS seems to be mediated via activation of AP1 transcription factors in the cNTS. If AP1 activity is blocked in the cNTS during dehydration, sympathetic activity control reverts back to forebrain regions. This unique reciprocating neural structure-switching plasticity between brain centres emphasizes the multiple mechanisms available for the adaptive response to dehydration. PMID:21708906

Perinatal undernutrition alters intestinal alkaline phosphatase and its main transcription factors KLF4 and Cdx1 in adult offspring fed a high-fat diet.

PubMed

Lallès, Jean-Paul; Orozco-Solís, Ricardo; Bolaños-Jiménez, Francisco; de Coppet, Pierre; Le Dréan, Gwénola; Segain, Jean-Pierre

2012-11-01

Nutrient restriction during gestation and/or suckling is associated with an increased risk of developing inflammation, obesity and metabolic diseases in adulthood. However, the underlying mechanisms, including the role of the small intestine, are unclear. We hypothesized that intestinal adaptation to the diet in adulthood is modulated by perinatal nutrition. This hypothesis was tested using a split-plot design experiment with 20 controls and 20 intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) rats aged 240 days and randomly assigned to be fed a standard chow or a high-fat (HF) diet for 10 days. Jejunal tissue was collected at necropsy and analyzed for anatomy, digestive enzymes, goblet cells and mRNA levels. Cecal contents and blood serum were analyzed for alkaline phosphatase (AP). IUGR rats failed to adapt to HF by increasing AP activity in jejunal tissue and cecal content as observed in controls. mRNA levels of transcription factors KLF4 and Cdx1 were blunted in jejunal epithelial cell of IUGR rats fed HF. mRNA levels of TNF-α were lower in IUGR rats. They also displayed exacerbated aminopeptidase N response and reduced jejunal goblet cell density. Villus and crypt architecture and epithelial cell proliferation increased with HF in both control and IUGR rats. Serum AP tended to be lower, and serum levamisole inhibition-resistant AP fraction was lower, in IUGR than controls with HF. Serum fatty acids and triglycerides were higher in IUGR rats and higher with HF. In conclusion, the adult intestine adapts to an HF diet differentially depending on early nutrition, jejunal AP and transcription factors being blunted in IUGR individuals fed HF. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between Rare Variants in AP4E1, a Component of Intracellular Trafficking, and Persistent Stuttering.

PubMed

Raza, M Hashim; Mattera, Rafael; Morell, Robert; Sainz, Eduardo; Rahn, Rachel; Gutierrez, Joanne; Paris, Emily; Root, Jessica; Solomon, Beth; Brewer, Carmen; Basra, M Asim Raza; Khan, Shaheen; Riazuddin, Sheikh; Braun, Allen; Bonifacino, Juan S; Drayna, Dennis

2015-11-05

Stuttering is a common, highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in the volitional control of speech. Whole-exome sequencing identified two heterozygous AP4E1 coding variants, c.1549G>A (p.Val517Ile) and c.2401G>A (p.Glu801Lys), that co-segregate with persistent developmental stuttering in a large Cameroonian family, and we observed the same two variants in unrelated Cameroonians with persistent stuttering. We found 23 other rare variants, including predicted loss-of-function variants, in AP4E1 in unrelated stuttering individuals in Cameroon, Pakistan, and North America. The rate of rare variants in AP4E1 was significantly higher in unrelated Pakistani and Cameroonian stuttering individuals than in population-matched control individuals, and coding variants in this gene are exceptionally rare in the general sub-Saharan West African, South Asian, and North American populations. Clinical examination of the Cameroonian family members failed to identify any symptoms previously reported in rare individuals carrying homozygous loss-of-function mutations in this gene. AP4E1 encodes the ε subunit of the heterotetrameric (ε-β4-μ4-σ4) AP-4 complex, involved in protein sorting at the trans-Golgi network. We found that the μ4 subunit of AP-4 interacts with NAGPA, an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the mannose 6-phosphate signal that targets acid hydrolases to the lysosome and the product of a gene previously associated with stuttering. These findings implicate deficits in intracellular trafficking in persistent stuttering. Copyright © 2015 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The mixed blessing of treating symptoms in acute vestibular failure--evidence from a 4-aminopyridine experiment.

PubMed

Beck, Roswitha; Günther, Lisa; Xiong, Guoming; Potschka, Heidrun; Böning, Guido; Bartenstein, Peter; Brandt, Thomas; Jahn, Klaus; Dieterich, Marianne; Strupp, Michael; la Fougère, Christian; Zwergal, Andreas

2014-11-01

Early symptomatic treatment of acute unilateral vestibulopathy is thought to impede the course of ensuing central vestibular compensation (VC). Despite the great clinical importance of this hypothesis there is no experimental evidence of its validity. The present study addressed this question by investigating the direct effect of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) on ocular motor and postural symptoms in acute unilateral vestibulopathy as well as its long-term consequences for VC in a rat model of chemical unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). After UL, one group of Sprague-Dawley rats was treated with 4-AP p.o. (1mg/kg/day), another with 0.9% NaCl solution p.o. for 3days. Behavioural testing for symptoms of vestibular tone imbalance was done 1day before and 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 15, 21, and 30days after UL. In addition, sequential whole-brain [(18)F]-FDG-μPET was performed before and 1, 3, 7, 15, and 30days after UL to examine and visualize 4-AP-induced modulation of VC. Administration of 4-AP on days 1-3 significantly improved postural imbalance 2h after administration compared to that in controls. This effect was only transient. Remarkably, the 4-AP group had a prolonged and impaired course of postural compensation compared to that of controls. The μPET revealed a significant increase of regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCGM) in the vestibulocerebellum 2h after administration of 4-AP. However, the 4-AP group exhibited a persistent asymmetry of rCGM after day 3 in the vestibular nuclei and posterolateral thalami. In conclusion, this study confirms the hypothesis that early pharmacological abatement of vestibular symptoms impedes VC. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and chitooligosaccharides (COS) on growth, immune response and disease resistance of juvenile largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides.

PubMed

Lin, Shi-Mei; Jiang, Yu; Chen, Yong-Jun; Luo, Li; Doolgindachbaporn, Sompong; Yuangsoi, Bundit

2017-11-01

The effects of oral administration of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and chitooligosaccharides (COS), single or combined, on the growth performance, immunity and disease resistance of M. salmoides were investigated. Largemouth bass juvenile were divided into 4 groups and each group was fed with diets supplemented with or without immunostimulant for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of feeding trial, five fish per tank were sampled for immunity determination, ten fish per tank were challenged by A. hydrophila. The results showed that the largemouth bass fed with two immunostimulants alone or in combination significantly enhanced the final weight and specific growth rate (SGR), decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences (P < 0.05) in specific growth rate (SGR) between dietary COS and dietary APS. In addition, both COS and APS upregulated respiratory burst activity (RBA), phagocytic activity (PA), lysozyme activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Meanwhile, COS also exhibited a increase in total leukocyte count, nitric oxide (NO) content and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity compared to the control. When challenged with A. hydrophila, the mortality of groups fed with COS and/or APS was lower than the control (P < 0.05). Under the experimental conditions, dietary APS and COS had a synergistic effect on lysozme activity, iNOS activity, NO content and disease resistance of fish (P < 0.05). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Role of CD2-associated protein in podocyte differentiation.].

PubMed

Jiang, Hua-Jun; Chang, Ying; Zhu, Zhong-Hua; Liu, Jian-She; Deng, An-Guo; Zhang, Chun

2008-02-25

To study the cellular changes and the potential role of CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) in podocyte differentiation, conditionally immortalized murine podocyte cell line was cultured in RPMI 1640 medium under permissive condition at 33 °C. After transfection with CD2AP small interfering RNA (siRNA) the cells were shifted to non-permissive condition at 37 °C. Simultaneously, untransfected cells were taken as differentiation control. The podocyte proliferation rate was determined by MTT method. The expressions of CD2AP, WT1, synaptopodin and nephrin mRNAs were examined by RT-PCR. CD2AP, WT1 and nephrin protein expressions were examined by Western blot. The distribution of CD2AP, nephrin, F-actin and tubulin in differentiated and undifferentiated podocytes was detected by laser scanning confocal microscopy. The results showed: (1) CD2AP, WT1 and nephrin were stably expressed in differentiated and undifferentiated podocytes while synaptopodin was only expressed in differentiated podocytes. (2) CD2AP and nephrin mRNA and protein expressions were up-regulated during podocyte differentiation (P<0.05). (3) CD2AP and tubulin were distributed in the cytoplasm and perinulcear region in undifferentiated podocytes, and F-actin was predominantly localized to a cortical belt and paralleled to the cell axis. Under differentiation condition, CD2AP distribution profile was presented as peripheral accumulation, tubulin took on fascicular style and F-actin extended into foot processes in podocytes. CD2AP colocalized with nephrin and F-actin in undifferentiated podocytes. (4) After transfection with CD2AP siRNA, the expression of CD2AP was partially inhibited and cell growth was arrested; Synaptopodin, the differentiation podocyte marker, was apparently down-regulated; The differentiation of podocytes was delayed. The results demonstrate that podocyte differentiation is accompanied by cytoskeleton rearrangement and cell morphology change. CD2AP might play an essential role in podocyte differentiation.

Adiponectin attenuates kidney injury and fibrosis in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt and angiotensin II induced CKD mice.

PubMed

Tian, Mi; Tang, Li; Wu, Yuanyuan; Beddhu, Srinivasan; Huang, Yufeng

2018-06-06

Adiponectin (ApN) is a multifunctional adipokine. However high, rather than low, concentrations of ApN are unexpectedly found in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) via an as yet unknown mechanism and the role of ApN in CKD is unclear. We, herein, investigated the effect of ApN overexpression on the progressive renal injury resulted from deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt (DOCA) and angiotensin II (Ang-II) infusion using a transgenic, inducible ApN-overexpressing mouse model. Three groups of mice (wild type receiving no infusion (WT), WT and cyp1a1 ApN transgenic mice (ApN-Tg) receiving DOCA+Ang-II infusion (WT/DOCA+Ang-II and ApN-Tg/DOCA+Ang-II)) were assigned to receive a normal food containing 0.15% of the transgene inducer indol-3-carbinol (I3C) for 3 weeks. The I3C-induced ApN-Tg/DOCA+Ang-II mice, not the WT or WT/DOCA+Ang-II mice, overexpressing ApN in liver resulted in 3.15-fold increases in circulating ApN than non-transgenic controls. Of note, these transgenic mice receiving DOCA+Ang-II infusion were still hypertensive but had much less albuminuria and glomerular and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which were associated with ameliorated podocyte injury determined by ameliorated podocyte loss and foot process effacement; and alleviated tubular injury determined by ameliorated mRNA overexpression of KIM-1 and NGAL and mRNA decreases of cubilin and megalin in tubular cells, compared with WT/DOCA+Ang-II mice. In addition, renal production of NF-kB-p65, NAPDH oxidase-2 and p47phox, and MAPK-related cellular proliferation, which were induced in WT/DOCA+Ang-II mice, were markedly reduced in ApN-Tg/DOCA+Ang-II mice. These results indicate that elevated ApN in CKD mouse model is renal protective. Enhancing adiponectin production or signaling may have therapeutic potential for CKD.

Frequency and correlates of DSM-5 attenuated psychosis syndrome in a sample of adolescent inpatients with nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Gerstenberg, Miriam; Hauser, Marta; Al-Jadiri, Aseel; Sheridan, Eva M; Kishimoto, Taishiro; Borenstein, Yehonatan; Vernal, Ditte L; David, Lisa; Saito, Ema; Landers, Sara E; Carella, Morgan; Singh, Sukhbir; Carbon, Maren; Jiménez-Fernández, Sara; Birnbaum, Michael L; Auther, Andrea; Carrión, Ricardo E; Cornblatt, Barbara A; Kane, John M; Walitza, Susanne; Correll, Christoph U

2015-11-01

DSM-5 conceptualized attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) as self-contained rather than as a risk syndrome, including it under "Conditions for Further Study," but also as a codable/billable condition in the main section. Since many major mental disorders emerge during adolescence, we assessed the frequency and characteristics of APS in adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Consecutively recruited adolescents hospitalized for nonpsychotic disorders (September 2009-May 2013) were divided into APS youth versus non-APS youth, based on the Structured Interview of Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS) and according to DSM-5 criteria, and compared across multiple characteristics. Of 89 adolescents (mean ± SD age = 15.1 ± 1.6 years), 21 (23.6%) had APS. Compared to non-APS, APS was associated with more comorbid disorders (2.7 ± 1.0 vs 2.2 ± 1.3), major depressive disorder (61.9% vs 27.9%), oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (52.4% vs 25.0%), and personality disorder traits (57.1% vs 7.4%, the only diagnostic category surviving Bonferroni correction). APS youth were more severely ill, having higher SIPS total positive, negative, and general symptoms; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total and positive scores; depression and global illness ratings; and lower Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). Conversely, Young Mania Rating Scale scores, suicidal behavior, prescribed psychotropic medications, and mental disorder awareness were similar between APS and non-APS groups. In multivariable analysis, lowest GAF score in the past year (odds ratio [OR] = 51.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.46-2,439.0) and social isolation (OR = 27.52; 95% CI, 3.36-313.87) were independently associated with APS (r(2) = 0.302, P < .0001). Although psychotic disorders were excluded, 65.2% (APS = 57.1%, non-APS = 67.7%, P = .38) received antipsychotics. One in 4 nonpsychotic adolescent inpatients met DSM-5 criteria for APS. APS youth were more impaired, showing a complex entanglement with a broad range of psychiatric symptoms and disorders, including depression, impulse-control, and, especially, emerging personality disorders. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01383915. © Copyright 2015 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Transport of IRW, an ovotransferrin-derived antihypertensive peptide, in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells.

PubMed

Bejjani, Satyanarayana; Wu, Jianping

2013-02-20

IRW is an egg ovotransferrin-derived ACE inhibitory peptide. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability and transcellular transport of IRW in Caco-2 cell monolayers. The stability of IRW was monitored on the apical (AP) surface while its transport was studied from AP to basal (BL) and from BL to AP surfaces. The results revealed that IRW is resistant against intestinal peptidase up to 60 min. Transport of IRW was not affected by addition of wortamanin, a transcytosis inhibitor. However, in the presence of cytochalasin D, a gap junction disruptor, transport of IRW was significantly increased, suggesting a possible passive transport from AP to BL surface. A higher transport of IRW from AP to BL surface than that from BL to AP surface suggests a passive-mediated transport. Moreover, in the presence of glycyl-sarcosine, a substrate for peptide transporter PepT 1, transport of IRW was reduced from AP to BL surface. The above observations showed atypical transport of IRW in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Thus, IRW may possibly be absorbed intact into the site of action for controlling hypertension.

Geminivirus-encoded TrAP suppressor inhibits the histone methyltransferase SUVH4/KYP to counter host defense

PubMed Central

Castillo-González, Claudia; Liu, Xiuying; Huang, Changjun; Zhao, Changjiang; Ma, Zeyang; Hu, Tao; Sun, Feng; Zhou, Yijun; Zhou, Xueping; Wang, Xiu-Jie; Zhang, Xiuren

2015-01-01

Transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) can serve as an innate immunity against invading DNA viruses throughout Eukaryotes. Geminivirus code for TrAP protein to suppress the TGS pathway. Here, we identified an Arabidopsis H3K9me2 histone methyltransferase, Su(var)3-9 homolog 4/Kryptonite (SUVH4/KYP), as a bona fide cellular target of TrAP. TrAP interacts with the catalytic domain of KYP and inhibits its activity in vitro. TrAP elicits developmental anomalies phenocopying several TGS mutants, reduces the repressive H3K9me2 mark and CHH DNA methylation, and reactivates numerous endogenous KYP-repressed loci in vivo. Moreover, KYP binds to the viral chromatin and controls its methylation to combat virus infection. Notably, kyp mutants support systemic infection of TrAP-deficient Geminivirus. We conclude that TrAP attenuates the TGS of the viral chromatin by inhibiting KYP activity to evade host surveillance. These findings provide new insight on the molecular arms race between host antiviral defense and virus counter defense at an epigenetic level. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06671.001 PMID:26344546

BLOC-1 Interacts with BLOC-2 and the AP-3 Complex to Facilitate Protein Trafficking on Endosomes

PubMed Central

Di Pietro, Santiago M.; Falcón-Pérez, Juan M.; Tenza, Danièle; Setty, Subba R.G.; Marks, Michael S.; Raposo, Graça

2006-01-01

The adaptor protein (AP)-3 complex is a component of the cellular machinery that controls protein sorting from endosomes to lysosomes and specialized related organelles such as melanosomes. Mutations in an AP-3 subunit underlie a form of Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), a disorder characterized by abnormalities in lysosome-related organelles. HPS in humans can also be caused by mutations in genes encoding subunits of three complexes of unclear function, named biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex (BLOC)-1, -2, and -3. Here, we report that BLOC-1 interacts physically and functionally with AP-3 to facilitate the trafficking of a known AP-3 cargo, CD63, and of tyrosinase-related protein 1 (Tyrp1), a melanosomal membrane protein previously thought to traffic only independently of AP-3. BLOC-1 also interacts with BLOC-2 to facilitate Tyrp1 trafficking by a mechanism apparently independent of AP-3 function. Both BLOC-1 and -2 localize mainly to early endosome-associated tubules as determined by immunoelectron microscopy. These findings support the idea that BLOC-1 and -2 represent hitherto unknown components of the endosomal protein trafficking machinery. PMID:16837549

A suggested model for physical examination and conservative treatment of athletic pubalgia.

PubMed

Hegedus, Eric J; Stern, Ben; Reiman, Michael P; Tarara, Dan; Wright, Alexis A

2013-02-01

Athletic pubalgia (AP) is a chronic debilitating syndrome that affects many athletes. As a syndrome, AP is difficult to diagnose both with clinical examination and imaging. AP is also a challenge for conservative intervention with randomized controlled trials showing mixed success rates. In other syndromes where clinical diagnosis and conservative treatment have been less than clear, a paradigm has been suggested as a framework for clinical decision making. To propose a new clinical diagnostic and treatment paradigm for the conservative management of AP. Relevant studies were viewed with regard to diagnosis and intervention and where a gap in evidence existed, clinical expertise was used to fill that gap and duly noted. A new paradigm is proposed to assist with clinical diagnosis and non-surgical intervention in patients suffering with AP. The level of evidence supporting this paradigm, according to the SORT taxonomy, is primarily level 2B. Further testing is warranted but following the suggested paradigm should lead to a clearer diagnosis of AP and allow more meaningful research into homogeneous patient populations within the AP diagnostic cluster. Strength-of-Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT): 2B. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Off-loading of cyclic hydrostatic pressure promotes production of extracellular matrix by chondrocytes.

PubMed

Tatsumura, Masaki; Sakane, Masataka; Ochiai, Naoyuki; Mizuno, Shuichi

2013-01-01

The addition of cyclic hydrostatic pressure (cHP) to cell culture medium has been used to promote extracellular matrix (ECM) production by articular chondrocytes. Though a combination of cHP followed by atmospheric pressure (AP) has been examined previously, the rationale of such a combination was unclear. We compared the effects of loading once versus twice (combinations of cHP followed by AP) regarding both gene expression and biochemical and histological phenotypes of chondrocytes. Isolated bovine articular chondrocytes were embedded in a collagen gel and incubated for 14 days under conditions combining cHP and AP. The gene expression of aggrecan core protein and collagen type II were upregulated in response to cHP, and those levels were maintained for at least 4 days after cHP treatment. Accumulation of cartilage-specific sulfated glycosaminoglycans following cHP for 7 days and subsequent AP for 7 days was significantly greater than that of the AP control (p < 0.05). Therefore, incubation at AP after loading with cHP was found to beneficially affect ECM accumulation. Manipulating algorithms of cHP combined with AP will be useful in producing autologous chondrocyte-based cell constructs for implantation. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Dendritic Properties Control Energy Efficiency of Action Potentials in Cortical Pyramidal Cells

PubMed Central

Yi, Guosheng; Wang, Jiang; Wei, Xile; Deng, Bin

2017-01-01

Neural computation is performed by transforming input signals into sequences of action potentials (APs), which is metabolically expensive and limited by the energy available to the brain. The metabolic efficiency of single AP has important consequences for the computational power of the cell, which is determined by its biophysical properties and morphologies. Here we adopt biophysically-based two-compartment models to investigate how dendrites affect energy efficiency of APs in cortical pyramidal neurons. We measure the Na+ entry during the spike and examine how it is efficiently used for generating AP depolarization. We show that increasing the proportion of dendritic area or coupling conductance between two chambers decreases Na+ entry efficiency of somatic AP. Activating inward Ca2+ current in dendrites results in dendritic spike, which increases AP efficiency. Activating Ca2+-activated outward K+ current in dendrites, however, decreases Na+ entry efficiency. We demonstrate that the active and passive dendrites take effects by altering the overlap between Na+ influx and internal current flowing from soma to dendrite. We explain a fundamental link between dendritic properties and AP efficiency, which is essential to interpret how neural computation consumes metabolic energy and how biophysics and morphologies contribute to such consumption. PMID:28919852

Heart rate control in normal and aborted-SIDS infants.

PubMed

Pincus, S M; Cummins, T R; Haddad, G G

1993-03-01

Approximate entropy (ApEn), a mathematical formula quantifying regularity in data, was applied to heart rate data from normal and aborted-sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) infants. We distinguished quiet from rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep via the following three criteria, refining the notion of REM as more "variable": 1) REM sleep has greater overall variability (0.0374 +/- 0.0138 vs. 0.0205 +/- 0.0090 s, P < 0.005); 2) REM sleep is less stationary (StatAv = 0.742 +/- 0.110) than quiet sleep (StatAv = 0.599 +/- 0.159, P < 0.03); 3) after normalization to overall variability, REM sleep is more regular (ApEnsub = 1.224 +/- 0.092) than quiet sleep (ApEnsub = 1.448 +/- 0.071, P < 0.0001). Fifty percent of aborted-SIDS infants showed greater ApEn instability across quiet sleep than any normal infant exhibited, suggesting that autonomic regulation of heart rate occasionally becomes abnormal in a high-risk subject. There was an association between low ApEn values and aborted-SIDS events; 5 of 14 aborted-SIDS infants had at least one quiet sleep epoch with an ApEn value below the minimum of 45 normal-infant ApEn values.

Dendritic Properties Control Energy Efficiency of Action Potentials in Cortical Pyramidal Cells.

PubMed

Yi, Guosheng; Wang, Jiang; Wei, Xile; Deng, Bin

2017-01-01

Neural computation is performed by transforming input signals into sequences of action potentials (APs), which is metabolically expensive and limited by the energy available to the brain. The metabolic efficiency of single AP has important consequences for the computational power of the cell, which is determined by its biophysical properties and morphologies. Here we adopt biophysically-based two-compartment models to investigate how dendrites affect energy efficiency of APs in cortical pyramidal neurons. We measure the Na + entry during the spike and examine how it is efficiently used for generating AP depolarization. We show that increasing the proportion of dendritic area or coupling conductance between two chambers decreases Na + entry efficiency of somatic AP. Activating inward Ca 2+ current in dendrites results in dendritic spike, which increases AP efficiency. Activating Ca 2+ -activated outward K + current in dendrites, however, decreases Na + entry efficiency. We demonstrate that the active and passive dendrites take effects by altering the overlap between Na + influx and internal current flowing from soma to dendrite. We explain a fundamental link between dendritic properties and AP efficiency, which is essential to interpret how neural computation consumes metabolic energy and how biophysics and morphologies contribute to such consumption.

Effect of baroreceptor denervation on the autonomic control of arterial pressure in conscious mice.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Fernanda Luciano; de Oliveira, Mauro; Salgado, Helio Cesar; Fazan, Rubens

2011-09-01

This study evaluated the role of arterial baroreceptors in arterial pressure (AP) and pulse interval (PI) regulation in conscious C57BL mice. Male animals, implanted with catheters in a femoral artery and a jugular vein, were submitted to sino-aortic (SAD), aortic (Ao-X) or carotid sinus denervation (Ca-X), 5 days prior to the experiments. After basal recording of AP, the lack of reflex bradycardia elicited by administration of phenylephrine was used to confirm the efficacy of SAD, and cardiac autonomic blockade with methylatropine and propranolol was performed. The AP and PI variability were calculated in the time and frequency domains (spectral analysis/fast Fourier transform) with the spectra quantified in low- (LF; 0.25-1 Hz) and high-frequency bands (HF; 1-5 Hz). Basal AP and AP variability were higher after SAD, Ao-X or Ca-X than in intact mice. Pulse interval was similar among the groups, whereas PI variability was lower after SAD. Atropine elicited a slight tachycardia in control mice but did not change PI after total or partial denervation. The bradycardia caused by propranolol was higher after SAD, Ao-X or Ca-X compared with intact mice. The increase in the variability of AP was accompanied by a marked increase in the LF and HF power of the AP spectra after baroreceptor denervation. The LF and HF power of the PI were reduced by SAD and by Ao-X or Ca-X. Therefore, both sino-aortic and partial baroreceptor denervation in mice elicits hypertension and a remarkable increase in AP variability and cardiac sympathetic tonus. Spectral analysis showed an important contribution of the baroreflex in the power of LF oscillations of the PI spectra. Both sets of baroreceptors seem to be equally important in the autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system in mice.

Diadenosine polyphosphates in the tears of aniridia patients.

PubMed

Peral, Assumpta; Carracedo, Gonzalo; Pintor, Jesús

2015-08-01

To quantify diadenosine polyphosphate levels in tears of congenital aniridia patients to estimate the ocular surface changes associated with congenital aniridia compared to normal individuals. Fifteen patients diagnosed with congenital aniridia and a control group of forty volunteers were studied. Tears were collected to quantify the levels of diadenosine polyphosphates Ap4 A and Ap5 A by high-performance liquid chromatography (H.P.L.C). Break-up time (BUT), corneal staining, McMonnies questionnaire and the Schirmer I test were applied to both groups. Dinucleotides in congenital aniridia patients were higher than in control subjects. For the congenital aniridia group, under 15 years old, the values were 0.77 ± 0.01 μm and 0.17 ± 0.02 μm for Ap4 A and Ap5 A, respectively. The group aged from 15 to 40 years old provided concentrations of 4.37 ± 0.97 μm and 0.46 ± 0.05 μm for Ap4 A and Ap5 A, the group over 40 gave concentrations of 11.17 ± 5.53 μm and 0.68 ± 0.17 μm for Ap4 A and Ap5 A. Dinucleotide concentrations increased with age, being statistically significant different among the three age groups (p < 0.05). Congenital aniridia patients showed a normal tear secretion and no dry eye McMonnies scores, except for the group over 40 years old. BUT values decreased and corneal staining increased with age and correlated with the levels of diadenosine polyphosphates (p < 0.05). The levels of dinucleotides in tears increase in aniridia patients compared with healthy subjects, and they seem to be related with the progression of corneal disorders in aniridia patients, both of which increase with ageing. © 2014 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The role of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in schizophrenia: a critical appraisal.

PubMed

Brissos, Sofia; Veguilla, Miguel Ruiz; Taylor, David; Balanzá-Martinez, Vicent

2014-10-01

Despite their widespread use, long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics (APs) are often regarded with some negativity because of the assumption of punishment, control and insufficient evolution towards psychosocial development of patients. However, LAI APs have proved effective in schizophrenia and other severe psychotic disorders because they assure stable blood levels, leading to a reduction of the risk of relapse. Therapeutic opportunities have also arisen after introduction of newer, second-generation LAI APs in recent years. Newer LAI APs are more readily dosed optimally, may be better tolerated and are better suited to integrated rehabilitation programmes. This review outlines the older and newer LAI APs available for the treatment of schizophrenia, with considerations of past and present pharmacological and therapeutic issues. Traditional, evidence-based approaches to systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials are of limited utility in this area so this paper's blending of experimental trials with observational research is particularly appropriate and effective.

Accurate acoustic power measurement for low-intensity focused ultrasound using focal axial vibration velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Chenyang; Guo, Gepu; Ma, Qingyu; Tu, Juan; Zhang, Dong; Hu, Jimin

2017-07-01

Low-intensity focused ultrasound is a form of therapy that can have reversible acoustothermal effects on biological tissue, depending on the exposure parameters. The acoustic power (AP) should be chosen with caution for the sake of safety. To recover the energy of counteracted radial vibrations at the focal point, an accurate AP measurement method using the focal axial vibration velocity (FAVV) is proposed in explicit formulae and is demonstrated experimentally using a laser vibrometer. The experimental APs for two transducers agree well with theoretical calculations and numerical simulations, showing that AP is proportional to the square of the FAVV, with a fixed power gain determined by the physical parameters of the transducers. The favorable results suggest that the FAVV can be used as a valuable parameter for non-contact AP measurement, providing a new strategy for accurate power control for low-intensity focused ultrasound in biomedical engineering.

A paradoxical increase of a metabolite upon increased expression of its catabolic enzyme: the case of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and Ap4A phosphorylase I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed Central

Avila, D M; Robinson, A K; Kaushal, V; Barnes, L D

1991-01-01

The APA1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes Ap4A phosphorylase I, the catabolic enzyme for diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A). APA1 has been inserted into a multicopy plasmid and into a centromeric plasmid with a GAL1 promoter. Enhanced expression of APA1 via the plasmids resulted in 10- and 90-fold increases in Ap4A phosphorylase activity, respectively, as assayed in vitro. However, the intracellular concentration of Ap4A exhibited increases of 2- and 15-fold, respectively, from the two different plasmids. Intracellular Ap4A increased 3- to 20-fold during growth on galactose of a transformant with APA1 under the control of the GAL1 promoter. Intracellular adenosine 5'-P1-tetraphospho-P4-5"'-guanosine (Ap4G) and diguanosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Gp4G) also increased in the transformant under these conditions. The chromosomal locus of APA1 has been disrupted in a haploid strain. The Ap4A phosphorylase activity decreased by 80% and the intracellular Ap4A concentration increased by a factor of five in the null mutant. These results with the null mutant agree with previous results reported by Plateau et al. (P. Plateau, M. Fromant, J.-M. Schmitter, J.-M. Buhler, and S. Blancquet, J. Bacteriol. 171:6437-6445, 1989). The paradoxical increase in Ap4A upon enhanced expression of APA1 indicates that the metabolic consequences of altered gene expression may be more complex than indicated solely by assay of enzymatic activity of the gene product. PMID:1660456

A paradoxical increase of a metabolite upon increased expression of its catabolic enzyme: the case of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and Ap4A phosphorylase I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Avila, D M; Robinson, A K; Kaushal, V; Barnes, L D

1991-12-01

The APA1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes Ap4A phosphorylase I, the catabolic enzyme for diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A). APA1 has been inserted into a multicopy plasmid and into a centromeric plasmid with a GAL1 promoter. Enhanced expression of APA1 via the plasmids resulted in 10- and 90-fold increases in Ap4A phosphorylase activity, respectively, as assayed in vitro. However, the intracellular concentration of Ap4A exhibited increases of 2- and 15-fold, respectively, from the two different plasmids. Intracellular Ap4A increased 3- to 20-fold during growth on galactose of a transformant with APA1 under the control of the GAL1 promoter. Intracellular adenosine 5'-P1-tetraphospho-P4-5"'-guanosine (Ap4G) and diguanosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Gp4G) also increased in the transformant under these conditions. The chromosomal locus of APA1 has been disrupted in a haploid strain. The Ap4A phosphorylase activity decreased by 80% and the intracellular Ap4A concentration increased by a factor of five in the null mutant. These results with the null mutant agree with previous results reported by Plateau et al. (P. Plateau, M. Fromant, J.-M. Schmitter, J.-M. Buhler, and S. Blancquet, J. Bacteriol. 171:6437-6445, 1989). The paradoxical increase in Ap4A upon enhanced expression of APA1 indicates that the metabolic consequences of altered gene expression may be more complex than indicated solely by assay of enzymatic activity of the gene product.

Serum alkaline phosphatase activity during zinc deficiency and long-term inflammatory stress.

PubMed

Naber, T H; Baadenhuysen, H; Jansen, J B; van den Hamer, C J; van den Broek, W

1996-05-30

A decrease in serum zinc can be caused by a real zinc deficiency but can also be caused by an apparent zinc deficiency, e.g. in inflammatory stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic power of serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity in the discrimination between pathophysiologic states of "real" and "apparent" zinc deficiency. A decrease in serum zinc was induced in growing and adult rats, by providing a diet low in zinc and by causing inflammatory stress. AP activity was determined using reagents low or enriched in zinc. Serum AP was decreased in zinc-deficient adult rats (P < 0.01). In zinc-deficient growing rats AP activity was not different from normal rats but AP activity decreased rapidly. In the same growing rats a significant difference was found in AP activities determined using buffers low and enriched in zinc (P < 0.001) between both groups of rats. After inducing inflammatory stress a decrease in AP activity (P < 0.01) and serum zinc (P < 0.001) was seen during the first few days. After the initial phase of inflammation AP activity normalized, serum zinc showed a rise which after correction for the decrease in serum albumin reached the level of the control rats. A difference in AP activity in buffers low and enriched in zinc was observed only during the first few days after induction of inflammatory stress (P < 0.001). Probably the method of measurement of the difference in enzyme activity, using buffers low and enriched in zinc, can be used as an indication for zinc deficiency in situations with changing AP enzyme concentrations. AP activity is decreased during the initial phase of inflammatory stress due to a decrease in serum zinc.

Antioxidant Effect of Ukrain Versus N-Acetylcysteine Against Acute Biliary Pancreatitis in An Experimental Rat Model.

PubMed

Zeren, Sezgin; Bayhan, Zulfu; Koçak, Cengiz; Koçak, Fatma Emel; Metineren, Mehmet Huseyin; Savran, Bircan; Kocak, Havva; Algin, Mustafa Cem; Kahraman, Cuneyt; Kocak, Ahmet; Cosgun, Suleyman

2017-04-01

Purpose/Aim: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP). We compared the therapeutic effects of Ukrain (NSC 631570) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in rats with AP. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: controls; AP; AP with NAC; and AP with Ukrain. AP was induced via the ligation of the bile-pancreatic duct; drugs were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 30 min and 12 h after AP induction. Twenty-four hours after AP induction, animals were sacrificed and the pancreas was excised. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), and activity levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured in tissue samples. Total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total bilirubin, as well as activity levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), amylase and lipase were measured in serum samples. Pancreatic tissue histopathology was also evaluated. Test drugs reduced levels of MDA, NO, TNF-α, total bilirubin, AST, ALT, TOS and MPO, amylase and lipase activities (P < 0.001), and increased TAS (P < 0.001). Rats treated with test drugs attenuated AP-induced morphologic changes and decreased pancreatic damage scores compared with the AP group (P < 0.05). Both test drugs attenuated pancreatic damage, but the therapeutic effect was more pronounced in rats that received Ukrain than in those receiving NAC. These results suggest that treatment with Ukrain or NAC can reduce pancreatic damage via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Cardiotoxicity screening with simultaneous optogenetic pacing, voltage imaging and calcium imaging.

PubMed

Dempsey, Graham T; Chaudhary, Khuram W; Atwater, Nicholas; Nguyen, Cuong; Brown, Barry S; McNeish, John D; Cohen, Adam E; Kralj, Joel M

2016-01-01

The Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) initiative seeks an in vitro test to accurately predict clinical Torsades de Pointes (TdP). We developed a cardiotoxicity assay incorporating simultaneous measurement of the action potential (AP) waveform and Ca(2+) transient (CT) in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs). Concurrent optogenetic pacing provided a well-controlled electrophysiological background. We used the Optopatch platform for all-optical electrophysiology (Hochbaum et al., 2014). In a monolayer culture, a subset of cells expressed a genetically encoded, calcium and voltage reporter, CaViar (Hou, Kralj, Douglass, Engert, & Cohen, 2014), while others expressed a channelrhodopsin variant, CheRiff. Optical pacing of CheRiff-expressing cells synchronized the syncytium. We screened 12 compounds (11 acute, 1 chronic) to identify electrophysiological (AP rise time, AP50, AP90, beat rate) and CT effects in spontaneously beating and paced cultures (1Hz, 2Hz). CaViar reported spontaneous and paced APs and CTs with high signal-to-noise ratio and low phototoxicity. Quinidine, flecainide, E-4031, digoxin and cisapride prolonged APs, while verapamil and nifedipine shortened APs. Early after depolarizations (EADs) were elicited by quinidine, flecainide and cisapride. All but four compounds (amiodarone, chromanol, nifedipine, verapamil) prolonged AP rise time. Nifedipine and verapamil decreased CT amplitude, while digoxin increased CT amplitude. Pentamidine prolonged APs after chronic exposure. The Optopatch platform provides a robust assay to measure APs and CTs in hiPSC-CMs. This addresses the CiPA mandate and will facilitate comparisons of cell-based assays to human clinical data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postjunctional synergism of norepinephrine with ATP and diadenosine tetraphosphate in Guinea pig vas deferens. Role of protein kinase C and Myosin light chain phosphatase.

PubMed

Khattab, Mahmoud M; Al-Rawi, Mahmood B; Aleisa, Abdulaziz M

2007-01-01

In isolated guinea pig vas deferens, prior addition of norepinephrine (NE) significantly potentiated the contractile responses to adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) and diadenosine tetraphosphate (AP4A) in a dose-dependent manner up to 240% of the control purine dose. The myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) inhibitor cantharidin at a dose of 10 micromol/l caused significant enhancement of ATP at concentrations of 1 and 3 mmol/l by 91 and 95% respectively. Similarly, cantharidin enhanced the contraction to AP4A, 30 and 100 micromol/l by 92 and 100% respectively. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) by the use of chelerythrine (10 micromol/l), incubated at the vas deferens for 60 min, inhibited the NE-induced enhancement of purine-induced contraction. Chelerythrine reversed the NE-ATP and NE-AP4A synergism back close to control ATP and AP4A contraction values respectively. It can be concluded that postjunctional synergism becomes evident not only for adenine mononucleotides and NE but also for diadenosine polyphosphates presented here by AP4A in the guinea pig vas deferens. This synergism involves receptor-mediated activation of PKC and possibly PKC-induced inhibition of MLCP. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Treatment of Thrombotic Antiphospholipid Syndrome: The Rationale of Current Management—An Insight into Future Approaches

PubMed Central

Ubiali, Tania; Meroni, Pier Luigi

2015-01-01

Vascular thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity represent the clinical manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which is serologically characterized by the persistent positivity of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents currently provide the mainstay of APS treatment. However, the debate is still open: controversies involve the intensity and the duration of anticoagulation and the treatment of stroke and refractory cases. Unfortunately, the literature cannot provide definite answers to these controversial issues as it is flawed by many limitations, mainly due to the recruitment of patients not fulfilling laboratory and clinical criteria for APS. The recommended therapeutic management of different aPL-related clinical manifestations is hereby presented, with a critical appraisal of the evidence supporting such approaches. Cutting edge therapeutic strategies are also discussed, presenting the pioneer reports about the efficacy of novel pharmacological agents in APS. Thanks to a better understanding of aPL pathogenic mechanisms, new therapeutic targets will soon be explored. Much work is still to be done to unravel the most controversial issues about APS management: future studies are warranted to define the optimal management according to aPL risk profile and to assess the impact of a strict control of cardiovascular risk factors on disease control. PMID:26075289

Classification of Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Turksoy, Kamuran; Paulino, Thiago Marques Luz; Zaharieva, Dessi P.; Yavelberg, Loren; Jamnik, Veronica; Riddell, Michael C.; Cinar, Ali

2015-01-01

Physical activity has a wide range of effects on glucose concentrations in type 1 diabetes (T1D) depending on the type (ie, aerobic, anaerobic, mixed) and duration of activity performed. This variability in glucose responses to physical activity makes the development of artificial pancreas (AP) systems challenging. Automatic detection of exercise type and intensity, and its classification as aerobic or anaerobic would provide valuable information to AP control algorithms. This can be achieved by using a multivariable AP approach where biometric variables are measured and reported to the AP at high frequency. We developed a classification system that identifies, in real time, the exercise intensity and its reliance on aerobic or anaerobic metabolism and tested this approach using clinical data collected from 5 persons with T1D and 3 individuals without T1D in a controlled laboratory setting using a variety of common types of physical activity. The classifier had an average sensitivity of 98.7% for physiological data collected over a range of exercise modalities and intensities in these subjects. The classifier will be added as a new module to the integrated multivariable adaptive AP system to enable the detection of aerobic and anaerobic exercise for enhancing the accuracy of insulin infusion strategies during and after exercise. PMID:26443291

Acute pancreatitis decreases the sensitivity of pancreas-projecting dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus neurones to group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists in rats

PubMed Central

Babic, Tanja; Travagli, R Alberto

2014-01-01

Recent studies have shown that pancreatic exocrine secretions (PES) are modulated by dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) neurones, whose activity is finely tuned by GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic inputs. Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) decrease synaptic transmission to pancreas-projecting DMV neurones and increase PES. In the present study, we used a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches aimed at characterising the effects of caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) on the vagal neurocircuitry modulating pancreatic functions. In control rats, microinjection of bicuculline into the DMV increased PES, whereas microinjections of kynurenic acid had no effect. Conversely, in AP rats, microinjection of bicuculline had no effect, whereas kynurenic acid decreased PES. DMV microinjections of the group II mGluR agonist APDC and whole cell recordings of excitatory currents in identified pancreas-projecting DMV neurones showed a reduced functional response in AP rats compared to controls. Moreover, these changes persisted up to 3 weeks following the induction of AP. These data demonstrate that AP increases the excitatory input to pancreas-projecting DMV neurones by decreasing the response of excitatory synaptic terminals to group II mGluR agonist. PMID:24445314

Cytocompatibility and Mechanical Properties of Short Phosphate Glass Fibre Reinforced Polylactic Acid (PLA) Composites: Effect of Coupling Agent Mediated Interface

PubMed Central

Hasan, Muhammad Sami; Ahmed, Ifty; Parsons, Andrew; Walker, Gavin; Scotchford, Colin

2012-01-01

In this study three chemical agents Amino-propyl-triethoxy-silane (APS), sorbitol ended PLA oligomer (SPLA) and Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) were identified to be used as coupling agents to react with the phosphate glass fibre (PGF) reinforcement and the polylactic acid (PLA) polymer matrix of the composite. Composites were prepared with short chopped strand fibres (l = 20 mm, ϕ = 20 µm) in a random arrangement within PLA matrix. Improved, initial composite flexural strength (~20 MPa) was observed for APS treated fibres, which was suggested to be due to enhanced bonding between the fibres and polymer matrix. Both APS and HDI treated fibres were suggested to be covalently linked with the PLA matrix. The hydrophobicity induced by these coupling agents (HDI, APS) helped to resist hydrolysis of the interface and thus retained their mechanical properties for an extended period of time as compared to non-treated control. Approximately 70% of initial strength and 65% of initial modulus was retained by HDI treated fibre composites in contrast to the control, where only ~50% of strength and modulus was retained after 28 days of immersion in PBS at 37 °C. All coupling agent treated and control composites demonstrated good cytocompatibility which was comparable to the tissue culture polystyrene (TCP) control, supporting the use of these materials as coupling agent’s within medical implant devices. PMID:24955744

SEPTUM MAGNET DESIGN FOR THE APS-U

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

Abliz, M.; Jaski, M.; Xiao, A.

2017-06-25

The Advanced Photon Source is in the process of upgrading its storage ring from a double-bend to a multi-bend lattice as part of the APS Upgrade Project (APS-U). A swap-out injection scheme is planned for the APS-U to keep a constant beam current and to enable a small dynamic aperture. A septum magnet with a minimum thickness of 2 mm and an injection field of 1.06 T has been designed, delivering the required total deflecting angle is 89 mrad with a ring energy of 6 GeV. The stored beam chamber has an 8 mm x 6 mm super-ellipsoidal aperture. Themore » magnet is straight; however, it is tilted in yaw, roll, and pitch from the stored beam chamber to meet the on axis swap out injection requirements for the APS-U lattice. In order to minimize the leakage field inside the stored beam chamber, four different techniques were utilized in the design. As a result, the horizontal deflecting angle of the stored beam was held to only 5 µrad, and the integrated skew quadrupole inside the stored beam chamber was held to 0.09 T. The detailed techniques that were applied to the design, field multipoles, and resulting trajectories of the injected and stored beams are reported.« less

A mathematical method for precisely calculating the radiographic angles of the cup after total hip arthroplasty.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing-Xin; Su, Xiu-Yun; Xiao, Ruo-Xiu; Zhao, Zhe; Zhang, Li-Hai; Zhang, Li-Cheng; Tang, Pei-Fu

2016-11-01

We established a mathematical method to precisely calculate the radiographic anteversion (RA) and radiographic inclination (RI) angles of the acetabular cup based on anterior-posterior (AP) pelvic radiographs after total hip arthroplasty. Using Mathematica software, a mathematical model for an oblique cone was established to simulate how AP pelvic radiographs are obtained and to address the relationship between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometry of the opening circle of the cup. In this model, the vertex was the X-ray beam source, and the generatrix was the ellipse in radiographs projected from the opening circle of the acetabular cup. Using this model, we established a series of mathematical formulas to reveal the differences between the true RA and RI cup angles and the measurements results achieved using traditional methods and AP pelvic radiographs and to precisely calculate the RA and RI cup angles based on post-operative AP pelvic radiographs. Statistical analysis indicated that traditional methods should be used with caution if traditional measurements methods are used to calculate the RA and RI cup angles with AP pelvic radiograph. The entire calculation process could be performed by an orthopedic surgeon with mathematical knowledge of basic matrix and vector equations. Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional gastrointestinal diseases and psychological maladjustment, personality traits and quality of life.

PubMed

Ranasinghe, Nishadi; Devanarayana, Niranga Manjuri; Rajindrajith, Shaman; Perera, Madusanka S; Nishanthinie, Samudu; Warnakulasuriya, Tania; de Zoysa, Piyanjali Thamesha

2018-02-27

Chronic abdominal pain is a common worldwide problem and known to be associated with psychological problems. This study evaluated the association between abdominal pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal disorders (AP-FGIDs), psychological maladjustment and personality traits in adolescents. Adolescents aged 13-18 years were recruited from 5 randomly selected schools in Ampara district of Sri Lanka. AP-FGIDs were diagnosed using Rome III criteria. Translated and validated Rome III questionnaire (Child report form), personality questionnaire (PAQ) and PedsQL (Pediatric Quality of Life) inventory were used in data collection. Written consent was obtained from a parent and assent was obtained from every child recruited. The questionnaire was distributed in an examination setting to ensure confidentiality and privacy. Research assistants were present during data collection to assist on any necessary clarifications. A total of 1697 subjects were recruited [males 779 (45.9%), mean age 15.1 years, SD 1.6 years]. AP-FGIDs were present in 202 (11.9%). Those with AP-FGIDs had significantly higher mean scores for all personality traits (hostility and aggression, negative self-esteem, emotional unresponsiveness, emotional instability and negative world view), except dependency. Affected children had lower scores for all 4 domains of HRQoL (physical, emotional, social and school functioning), compared to controls (p < 0.05). When the cut off value for Sri Lankan children (89) was used, 66.3% with AP-FGIDs and 48.2% controls had PAQ scores within that of psychological maladjustment (p < 0.001). When the international normative value of 105 was used, these percentages were 27.2% and 14.2% respectively (p < 0.0001). The scores obtained for PAQ negatively correlated with scores obtained for HRQoL (r = - 0.52, p < 0.0001). One hundred and seventeen adolescents with AP-FGIDs (57.9%) had sought healthcare for their symptoms. Healthcare consulters had higher PAQ and lower HRQoL scores (p < 0.05). Adolescents with AP-FGIDs have more psychological maladjustment and abnormal personality traits than healthy controls. Affected adolescents with higher psychological maladjustments have lower HRQoL. Greater psychological maladjustment and lower HRQoL are associated with healthcare seeking behaviour in adolescents with AP-FGIDs.

Scalable Video Transmission Over Multi-Rate Multiple Access Channels

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

Rate - compatible punctured convolutional codes (RCPC codes ) and their ap- plications,” IEEE...source encoded using the MPEG-4 video codec. The source encoded bitstream is then channel encoded with Rate Compatible Punctured Convolutional (RCPC...Clark, and J. M. Geist, “ Punctured convolutional codes or rate (n-1)/n and simplified maximum likelihood decoding,” IEEE Transactions on

AGN classification for X-ray sources in the 105 month Swift/BAT survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masetti, N.; Bassani, L.; Palazzi, E.; Malizia, A.; Stephen, J. B.; Ubertini, P.

2018-03-01

We here provide classifications for 8 hard X-ray sources listed as 'unknown AGN' in the 105 month Swift/BAT all-sky survey catalogue (Oh et al. 2018, ApJS, 235, 4). The corresponding optical spectra were extracted from the 6dF Galaxy Survey (Jones et al. 2009, MNRAS, 399, 683).

76 FR 65138 - Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-20

...-AP76 Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for... is announcing that the period for providing public comments on the August 23, 2011, ``Oil and Natural... through Friday, excluding legal holidays. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying. World Wide Web. The...

Antarctic NAT PSC Belt of June 2003: Observational Validation of the Mountain Wave Seeding Hypothesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, S. D.; Hoffmann, L.; Hoepfner, M.; Wu, D. L.; Alexander, M. J.

2009-01-01

Satellite observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) over Antarctica in June 2003 revealed small nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles forming suddenly along the vortex edge. Models suggest the trigger was mountain waves over the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) forming ice for NAT nucleation. We test this hypothesis by analyzing perturbations in stratospheric radiances from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). AIRS data show mountain waves over the AP on 10-14 June, with no resolved wave activity before or after. Peak wave temperature amplitudes derived from independent 40 hPa channels all return values of 10-12 K, in agreement with values used to model this NAT event. These observations support a NAT wake from a small region of mountain wave activity over the AP as the source of this circumpolar NAT outbreak.

Synchrotron sheds new light on geophysical materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlowicz, Michael

On December 20,1996, scientists working with the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois conducted “first light” experiments in a new laboratory for synchrotron radiation research in the geosciences. The demonstration marks the dawn of a new era in rock and mineral physics when, as geophysicist Thomas Duffy of Princeton University notes, researchers will be able to 'shine a bright new light on some of our planet's deepest and darkest secrets.”The new light is from the APS, a particle accelerator dedicated to the production of brilliant X rays for research, and it shone on the GeoSoilEnviroCARS (GSECARS) experimental facility. The purpose of GSECARS is to develop X-ray beamlines at the APS and make them available to scientists for frontier research in Earth, planetary, geophysics, soil, and environmental sciences.

CLEARING MAGNET DESIGN FOR APS-U

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

Abliz, M.; Grimmer, J.; Jaski, Y.

2017-06-25

The Advanced Photon Source is in the process of developing an upgrade (APS-U) of the storage ring. The upgrade will be converting the current double bend achromat (DBA) lattice to a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice. In addition, the storage ring will be operated at 6 GeV and 200 mA with regular swap-out injection to keep the stored beam current constant [1]. The swap-out injection will take place with beamline shutters open. For radiation safety to ensure that no electrons can exit the storage ring, a passive method of protecting the beamline and containing the electrons inside the storage ring ismore » proposed. A clearing magnet will be located in all beamline front ends inside the storage ring tunnel. This article will discuss the features and design of the clearing magnet scheme for APS-U.« less

Factor Xa Mediates Calcium Flux in Endothelial Cells and is Potentiated by Igg From Patients With Lupus and/or Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

PubMed

Artim-Esen, Bahar; Smoktunowicz, Natalia; McDonnell, Thomas; Ripoll, Vera M; Pericleous, Charis; Mackie, Ian; Robinson, Eifion; Isenberg, David; Rahman, Anisur; Ioannou, Yiannis; Chambers, Rachel C; Giles, Ian

2017-09-07

Factor (F) Xa reactive IgG isolated from patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) display higher avidity binding to FXa with greater coagulant effects compared to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) non APS IgG. FXa signalling via activation of protease-activated receptors (PAR) leads to increased intracellular calcium (Ca 2+ ). Therefore, we measured alterations in Ca 2+ levels in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) following FXa-mediated PAR activation and investigated whether FXa reactive IgG from patients with APS or SLE/APS- alter these responses. We observed concentration-dependent induction of Ca 2+ release by FXa that was potentiated by APS-IgG and SLE/APS- IgG compared to healthy control subjects' IgG, and FXa alone. APS-IgG and SLE/APS- IgG increased FXa mediated NFκB signalling and this effect was fully-retained in the affinity purified anti-FXa IgG sub-fraction. Antagonism of PAR-1 and PAR-2 reduced FXa-induced Ca 2+ release. Treatment with a specific FXa inhibitor, hydroxychloroquine or fluvastatin significantly reduced FXa-induced and IgG-potentiated Ca 2+ release. In conclusion, PAR-1 and PAR-2 are involved in FXa-mediated intracellular Ca 2+ release in HUVEC and FXa reactive IgG from patients with APS and/or SLE potentiate this effect. Further work is required to explore the potential use of IgG FXa reactivity as a novel biomarker to stratify treatment with FXa inhibitors in these patients.

Correlating the Effects of Antimicrobial Preservatives on Conformational Stability, Aggregation Propensity, and Backbone Flexibility of an IgG1 mAb.

PubMed

Arora, Jayant; Joshi, Sangeeta B; Middaugh, C Russell; Weis, David D; Volkin, David B

2017-06-01

Multidose formulations of biotherapeutics, which offer better dosage management and reduced production costs, require the addition of antimicrobial preservatives (APs). APs have been shown, however, to decrease protein stability in solution and cause protein aggregation. In this report, the effect of 4 APs, m-cresol, phenol, phenoxyethanol, and benzyl alcohol on conformational stability, aggregation propensity, and backbone flexibility of an IgG1 mAb, mAb-4, is investigated. Compared with no preservative control, each of the APs decreased the conformational stability of mAb-4 as measured by differential scanning calorimetry and extrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. The addition of APs resulted in increased monomer loss and aggregate accumulation at 50°C over 28 days, as monitored by size-exclusion chromatography. The extent of conformational destabilization and protein aggregation of mAb-4 induced by APs followed their calculated octanol-water partition coefficients. Increases in backbone flexibility, as measured by hydrogen exchange, of a region located in the C H 2 domain of the mAb (heavy chain 237-254) in the presence of APs also correlated with hydrophobicity. Based on these results, the destabilizing effect of APs on mAb-4 correlates with the increased hydrophobicity of the APs and their ability to enhance the local backbone flexibility of an aggregation hot spot within the C H 2 domain of the mAb. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Particle Sizer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Microspheres are tiny plastic beads that represent the first commercial products manufactured in orbit. An example of how they are used is a new aerodynamic particle sizer designated APS 33B produced by TSI Incorporated. TSI purchased the microspheres from the National Bureau of Standards which certified their exact size and the company uses them in calibration of the APS 33B* instrument, latest in a line of TSI systems for generating counting and weighing minute particles of submicron size. Instruments are used for evaluating air pollution control devices, quantifying environments, meteorological research, testing filters, inhalation, toxicology and other areas where generation or analysis of small airborne particles is required. * The APS 33B is no longer being manufactured. An improved version, APS 3320, is now being manufactured. 2/28/97

EPICS-based control and data acquisition for the APS slope profiler (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Joseph; Assoufid, Lahsen; Qian, Jun; Jemian, Peter R.; Mooney, Tim; Rivers, Mark L.; Goetze, Kurt; Sluiter, Ronald L.; Lang, Keenan

2016-09-01

The motion control, data acquisition and analysis system for APS Slope Measuring Profiler was implemented using the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS). EPICS was designed as a framework with software tools and applications that provide a software infrastructure used in building distributed control systems to operate devices such as particle accelerators, large experiments and major telescopes. EPICS was chosen to implement the APS Slope Measuring Profiler because it is also applicable to single purpose systems. The control and data handling capability available in the EPICS framework provides the basic functionality needed for high precision X-ray mirror measurement. Those built in capabilities include hardware integration of high-performance motion control systems (3-axis gantry and tip-tilt stages), mirror measurement devices (autocollimator, laser spot camera) and temperature sensors. Scanning the mirror and taking measurements was accomplished with an EPICS feature (the sscan record) which synchronizes motor positioning with measurement triggers and data storage. Various mirror scanning modes were automatically configured using EPICS built-in scripting. EPICS tools also provide low-level image processing (areaDetector). Operation screens were created using EPICS-aware GUI screen development tools.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Optical spectroscopic atlas of MOJAVE AGNs (Torrealba+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrealba, J.; Chavushyan, V.; Cruz-Gonzalez, I.; Arshakian, T. G.; Bertone, E.; Rosa-Gonzalez, D.

2014-09-01

The atlas includes spectral parameters for the emission lines Hβ, [OIII] 5007, MgII 2798 and/or CIV 1549 and corresponding data for the continuum, as well as the luminosities and equivalent widths of the FeII UV/optical. It also contains homogeneous photometric information in the B-band for 242 sources of the MOJAVE/2cm sample. These data were acquired at 2.1m mexican telescopes: Observatorio Astronomico Nacional in San Pedro Martir (OAN-SPM), B. C., Mexico and at Observatorio Astronomico Guillermo Haro, in Cananea, Sonora (OAGH), Mexico. It is supplemented with spectroscopic data found in the archives of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), in the AGN sample of Marziani et al. (2003ApJS..145..199M, Cat. J/ApJS/145/199), and in Lawrence et al. 1996ApJS..107..541L. We present the continuum emission and/or line parameters for 41 sources in the Hβ region, 78 in the MgII region, and 35 in the CIV region. Also, there are 14 sources with information available for both Hβ and MgII regions, 12 with MgII and CIV, and 5 with Hβ, MgII and CIV. The spectroscopic information information for the statistically complete sample MOJAVE-1 (Lister & Homan, 2005AJ....130.1389L, Cat. J/AJ/130/1389) included in the Atlas is as follows: 28 sources in the Hβ region, 46 in the MgII region, and 23 in the CIV region. All the emission lines parameters are for the broad component of the line, except for [OIII] 5007. (7 data files).

Current direction-dependent modulation of human hand motor function by intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS).

PubMed

Shirota, Yuichiro; Dhaka, Suman; Paulus, Walter; Sommer, Martin

2017-05-22

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with different current directions can activate different sets of neurons. Current direction can also affect the results of repetitive TMS. To test the influence of uni-directional intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) using different current directions, namely posteroanterior (PA) and anteroposterior (AP), on motor behaviour. In a cross-over design, PA- and AP-iTBS was applied over the left primary motor cortex in 19 healthy, right-handed volunteers. Performance of a finger-tapping task was recorded before and 0, 10, 20, and 30min after the iTBS. The task was conducted with the right and left hands separately at each time point. As a control, AP-iTBS with reduced intensity was applied to 14 participants in a separate session (AP weak condition). The finger-tapping count with the left hand was decreased after PA-iTBS. Neither AP- nor AP weak -iTBS altered the performance. Current direction had a significant impact on the after-effects of iTBS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and safety of novel antipsychotics: a critical review.

PubMed

Balestrieri, Matteo; Vampini, Claudio; Bellantuono, Cesario

2000-10-01

Efficacy and safety of novel antipsychotic (AP) drugs (amisulpride, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone and zotepine) have been reviewed. Data on their antipsychotic efficacy and side effects profile have been evaluated only on the basis of controlled trials so far published. Overall, all these drugs have shown an antipsychotic efficacy on positive symptoms of schizophrenia similar to that of the conventional AP drugs. On negative symptoms, all novel AP drugs, except quetiapine and ziprasidone, demonstrated a better efficacy than haloperidol. Long-term efficacy of these AP drugs in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia needs to be explored by further, better-designed, epidemiological studies. The safety profile shows that the novel AP drugs are generally well-tolerated and induce significantly less acute extrapyramidal side effects in comparison with haloperidol. Some methodological flaws in the experimental design of the clinical trials analysed are discussed. Although these novel AP drugs have potential clinical advantages, a number of relevant questions still remain to be addressed, in order to establish the impact of these drugs in the overall treatment of schizophrenia. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

FSGS3/CD2AP is a barbed-end capping protein that stabilizes actin and strengthens adherens junctions

PubMed Central

Brieher, William M.

2013-01-01

By combining in vitro reconstitution biochemistry with a cross-linking approach, we have identified focal segmental glomerulosclerosis 3/CD2-associated protein (FSGS3/CD2AP) as a novel actin barbed-end capping protein responsible for actin stability at the adherens junction. FSGS3/CD2AP colocalizes with E-cadherin and α-actinin-4 at the apical junction in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Knockdown of FSGS3/CD2AP compromised actin stability and decreased actin accumulation at the adherens junction. Using a novel apparatus to apply mechanical stress to cell–cell junctions, we showed that knockdown of FSGS3/CD2AP compromised adhesive strength, resulting in tearing between cells and disruption of barrier function. Our results reveal a novel function of FSGS3/CD2AP and a previously unrecognized role of barbed-end capping in junctional actin dynamics. Our study underscores the complexity of actin regulation at cell–cell contacts that involves actin activators, inhibitors, and stabilizers to control adhesive strength, epithelial behavior, and permeability barrier integrity. PMID:24322428

The E3 ubiquitin ligase Trim7 mediates c-Jun/AP-1 activation by Ras signalling

PubMed Central

Chakraborty, Atanu; Diefenbacher, Markus E.; Mylona, Anastasia; Kassel, Olivier; Behrens, Axel

2015-01-01

The c-Jun/AP-1 transcription factor controls key cellular behaviours, including proliferation and apoptosis, in response to JNK and Ras/MAPK signalling. While the JNK pathway has been well characterised, the mechanism of activation by Ras was elusive. Here we identify the uncharacterised ubiquitin ligase Trim7 as a critical component of AP-1 activation via Ras. We found that MSK1 directly phosphorylates Trim7 in response to direct activation by the Ras–Raf–MEK–ERK pathway, and this modification stimulates Trim7 E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Trim7 mediates Lys63-linked ubiquitination of the AP-1 coactivator RACO-1, leading to RACO-1 protein stabilisation. Consequently, Trim7 depletion reduces RACO-1 levels and AP-1-dependent gene expression. Moreover, transgenic overexpression of Trim7 increases lung tumour burden in a Ras-driven cancer model, and knockdown of Trim7 in established xenografts reduces tumour growth. Thus, phosphorylation-ubiquitination crosstalk between MSK1, Trim7 and RACO-1 completes the long sought-after mechanism linking growth factor signalling and AP-1 activation. PMID:25851810

Iron incorporation in InP layers using a ferrocene source in atmospheric pressure MOVPE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robein, D.; Kazmierski, C.; Pougnet, A. M.; Rose, B.

1991-02-01

Iron incorporation into InP has been studied using an AP MOVPE method. A very good control of the iron doping has been obtained with a ferrocene diffusion cell source. Semi-insulating material with a resistivity as a high as 5 × 10 8 Ω cm has been measured on n-SI-n diodes with iron-doped 1 mum thick layers. A compensation activity of iron near 100% has been found. An iron incorporation activition energy of 2.5 eV has been determined below the solubility limit. The iron concentration was found to be proportional to the gas-phase ferrocene concentration and to follow an inverse square-root law under increasing phosphine flow. In order to explain the observed phenomena, an incorporation mechanism model is developed assuming a two-phosphorus vacancy— substitutional iron complex as the incorporated species.

AP39, a mitochondria‐targeting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor, protects against myocardial reperfusion injury independently of salvage kinase signalling

PubMed Central

Karwi, Qutuba G; Bornbaum, Julia; Boengler, Kerstin; Torregrossa, Roberta; Whiteman, Matthew; Wood, Mark E; Schulz, Rainer

2017-01-01

Background and Purpose H2S protects myocardium against ischaemia/reperfusion injury. This protection may involve the cytosolic reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) pathway, but direct effects on mitochondrial function are possible. Here, we investigated the potential cardioprotective effect of a mitochondria‐specific H2S donor, AP39, at reperfusion against ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Experimental Approach Anaesthetized rats underwent myocardial ischaemia (30 min)/reperfusion (120 min) with randomization to receive interventions before reperfusion: vehicle, AP39 (0.01, 0.1, 1 μmol·kg−1), or control compounds AP219 and ADT‐OH (1 μmol·kg−1). LY294002, L‐NAME or ODQ were used to investigate the involvement of the RISK pathway. Myocardial samples harvested 5 min after reperfusion were analysed for RISK protein phosphorylation and isolated cardiac mitochondria were used to examine the direct mitochondrial effects of AP39. Key Results AP39, dose‐dependently, reduced infarct size. Inhibition of either PI3K/Akt, eNOS or sGC did not affect this effect of AP39. Western blot analysis confirmed that AP39 did not induce phosphorylation of Akt, eNOS, GSK‐3β or ERK1/2. In isolated subsarcolemmal and interfibrillar mitochondria, AP39 significantly attenuated mitochondrial ROS generation without affecting respiratory complexes I or II. Furthermore, AP39 inhibited mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) opening and co‐incubation of mitochondria with AP39 and cyclosporine A induced an additive inhibitory effect on the PTP. Conclusion and Implications AP39 protects against reperfusion injury independently of the cytosolic RISK pathway. This cardioprotective effect could be mediated by inhibiting PTP via a cyclophilin D‐independent mechanism. Thus, selective delivery of H2S to mitochondria may be therapeutically applicable for employing the cardioprotective utility of H2S. PMID:27930802

Fabrication and evaluation of interconnected porous carbonate apatite from alpha tricalcium phosphate spheres.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Kunio; Arifta, Tya Indah; Hayashi, Koichiro; Tsuru, Kanji

2018-03-26

Carbonate apatite (CO 3 Ap) blocks have attracted considerable attention as an artificial bone substitute material because CO 3 Ap is a component of and shares properties with bone, including high osteoconductivity and replacement by bone similar to autografts. In this study, we fabricated an interconnected porous CO 3 Ap block using α-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) spheres and evaluated the tissue response to this material in a rabbit tibial bone defect model. Interconnected porous α-TCP, the precursor of interconnected porous CO 3 Ap, could not be fabricated directly by sintering α-TCP spheres. It was therefore made via a setting reaction with α-TCP spheres, yielding interconnected porous calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite that was subjected to heat treatment. Immersing the interconnected porous α-TCP in Na-CO 3 -PO 4 solution produced CO 3 Ap, which retained the interconnected porous structure after the dissolution-precipitation reaction. The diametral tensile strength and porosity of the porous CO 3 Ap were 1.8 ± 0.4 MPa and 55% ± 3.2%, respectively. Both porous and dense (control) CO 3 Ap showed excellent tissue response and good osteoconductivity. At 4 weeks after surgery, approximately 15% ± 4.9% of the tibial bone defect was filled with new bone when reconstruction was performed using porous CO 3 Ap; this amount was five times greater than that obtained with dense CO 3 Ap. At 12 weeks after surgery, for porous CO 3 Ap, approximately 47% of the defect was filled with new bone as compared to 16% for dense CO 3 Ap. Thus, the interconnected porous CO 3 Ap block is a promising artificial bone substitute material for the treatment of bone defects caused by large fractures or bone tumor resection. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

DL-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid protects primary neurons from oxygen-glucose deprivation induced injury.

PubMed

Cui, Di; Xu, Jun; Xu, Quanyi; Zuo, Guokun

2017-02-21

Cerebral infarction is a type of ischemic stroke and is one of the main causes of irreversible brain damage. Although multiple neuroprotective agents have been investigated recently, the potential of DL-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid (DL-AP3) in treating oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced neuronal injury, has not been clarified yet. This study was aimed to explore the role of DL-AP3 in primary neuronal cell cultures. Primary neurons were divided into four groups: (1) a control group that was not treated; (2) DL-AP3 group treated with 10 μM of DL-AP3; (3) OGD group, in which neurons were cultured under OGD conditions; and (4) OGD + DL-AP3 group, in which OGD model was first established and then the cells were treated with 10 μM of DL-AP3. Neuronal viability and apoptosis were measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry. Expressions of phospho-Akt1 (p-Akt1) and cytochrome c were detected using Western blot. The results showed that DL-AP3 did not affect neuronal viability and apoptosis in DL-AP3 group, nor it changed p-Akt1 and cytochrome c expression (p > 0.05). In OGD + DL-AP3 group, DL-AP3 significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of OGD on neuronal viability (p < 0.001), and reduced OGD induced apoptosis (p < 0.01). Additionally, the down-regulation of p-Akt1 and up-regulation of cytochrome c, induced by OGD, were recovered to some extent after DL-AP3 treatment (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001). Overall, DL-AP3 could protect primary neurons from OGD-induced injury by affecting the viability and apoptosis of neurons, and by regulating the expressions of p-Akt1 and cytochrome c.

Effects of delayed treatment with combined GDNF and continuous electrical stimulation on spiral ganglion cell survival in deafened guinea pigs.

PubMed

Scheper, Verena; Paasche, Gerrit; Miller, Josef M; Warnecke, Athanasia; Berkingali, Nurdanat; Lenarz, Thomas; Stöver, Timo

2009-05-01

Electrical stimulation (ES) of spiral ganglion cells (SGC) via a cochlear implant is the standard treatment for profound sensor neural hearing loss. However, loss of hair cells as the morphological correlate of sensor neural hearing loss leads to deafferentation and death of SGC. Although immediate treatment with ES or glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) can prevent degeneration of SGC, only few studies address the effectiveness of delayed treatment. We hypothesize that both interventions have a synergistic effect and that even delayed treatment would protect SGC. Therefore, an electrode connected to a pump was implanted into the left cochlea of guinea pigs 3 weeks after deafening. The contralateral untreated cochleae served as deafened intraindividual controls. Four groups were set up. Control animals received intracochlear infusion of artificial perilymph (AP/-). The experimental groups consisted of animals treated with AP in addition to continuous ES (AP/ES) or treated with GDNF alone (GDNF/-) or GDNF combined with continuous ES (GDNF/ES). Acoustically and electrically evoked auditory brain stem responses were recorded. All animals were killed 48 days after deafening; their cochleae were histologically evaluated. Survival of SGC increased significantly in the GDNF/- and AP/ES group compared with the AP/- group. A highly significant increase in SGC density was observed in the GDNF/ES group compared with the control group. Additionally, animals in the GDNF/ES group showed reduced EABR thresholds. Thus, delayed treatment with GDNF and ES can protect SGC from degeneration and may improve the benefits of cochlear implants.

Inaccuracy of Wolff-Parkinson-white accessory pathway localization algorithms in children and patients with congenital heart defects.

PubMed

Bar-Cohen, Yaniv; Khairy, Paul; Morwood, James; Alexander, Mark E; Cecchin, Frank; Berul, Charles I

2006-07-01

ECG algorithms used to localize accessory pathways (AP) in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome have been validated in adults, but less is known of their use in children, especially in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). We hypothesize that these algorithms have low diagnostic accuracy in children and even lower in those with CHD. Pre-excited ECGs in 43 patients with WPW and CHD (median age 5.4 years [0.9-32 years]) were evaluated and compared to 43 consecutive WPW control patients without CHD (median age 14.5 years [1.8-18 years]). Two blinded observers predicted AP location using 2 adult and 1 pediatric WPW algorithms, and a third blinded observer served as a tiebreaker. Predicted locations were compared with ablation-verified AP location to identify (a) exact match for AP location and (b) match for laterality (left-sided vs right-sided AP). In control children, adult algorithms were accurate in only 56% and 60%, while the pediatric algorithm was correct in 77%. In 19 patients with Ebstein's anomaly, diagnostic accuracy was similar to controls with at times an even better ability to predict laterality. In non-Ebstein's CHD, however, the algorithms were markedly worse (29% for the adult algorithms and 42% for the pediatric algorithms). A relatively large degree of interobserver variability was seen (kappa values from 0.30 to 0.58). Adult localization algorithms have poor diagnostic accuracy in young patients with and without CHD. Both adult and pediatric algorithms are particularly misleading in non-Ebstein's CHD patients and should be interpreted with caution.

JPL CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fossum, E. R.

1995-01-01

This paper will present the JPL-developed complementary metal- oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology. The CMOS APS has achieved performance comparable to charge coupled devices, yet features ultra low power operation, random access readout, on-chip timing and control, and on-chip analog to digital conversion. Previously published open literature will be reviewed.

Threshold-Switchable Particles (TSPs) to Control Internal Hemorrhage

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Many nudix-type phosphatases are clinically important enzymes and their overexpression can be markers of disease. Nudt2 (Apah1), for example, is an Ap4A ...hydrolase that, when overexpressed in breast cancer, correlates with poor prognosis.26 In addition to processing Ap4A , Nudt2 can hydrolyze long-chain

40 CFR 1065.602 - Statistics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS ENGINE-TESTING...., differences) between each pair of y refi and y i: ER28AP14.011 ER28AP14.012 Table 1 of § 1065.602—Critical t... concentration is measured continuously from the raw exhaust of an engine, its flow-weighted mean concentration...

Changes in intrinsic excitability of ganglion cells in degenerated retinas of RCS rats.

PubMed

Ren, Yi-Ming; Weng, Chuan-Huang; Zhao, Cong-Jian; Yin, Zheng-Qin

2018-01-01

To evaluate the intrinsic excitability of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in degenerated retinas. The intrinsic excitability of various morphologically defined RGC types using a combination of patch-clamp recording and the Lucifer yellow tracer in retinal whole-mount preparations harvested from Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, a common retinitis pigmentosa (RP) model, in a relatively late stage of retinal degeneration (P90) were investigated. Several parameters of RGC morphologies and action potentials (APs) were measured and compared to those of non-dystrophic control rats, including dendritic stratification, dendritic field diameter, peak amplitude, half width, resting membrane potential, AP threshold, depolarization to threshold, and firing rates. Compared with non-dystrophic control RGCs, more depolarizations were required to reach the AP threshold in RCS RGCs with low spontaneous spike rates and in RCS OFF cells (especially A2o cells), and RCS RGCs maintained their dendritic morphologies, resting membrane potentials and capabilities to generate APs. RGCs are relatively well preserved morphologically and functionally, and some cells are more susceptible to decreased excitability during retinal degeneration. These findings provide valuable considerations for optimizing RP therapeutic strategies.

Producing X-rays at the APS

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

An introduction and overview of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, the technology that produces the brightest X-ray beams in the Western Hemisphere, and the research carried out by scientists using those X-rays.

Comparison of a CCD and an APS for soft X-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Graeme; Bates, R.; Blue, A.; Clark, A.; Dhesi, S. S.; Maneuski, D.; Marchal, J.; Steadman, P.; Tartoni, N.; Turchetta, R.

2011-12-01

We compare a new CMOS Active Pixel Sensor (APS) to a Princeton Instruments PIXIS-XO: 2048B Charge Coupled Device (CCD) with soft X-rays tested in a synchrotron beam line at the Diamond Light Source (DLS). Despite CCDs being established in the field of scientific imaging, APS are an innovative technology that offers advantages over CCDs. These include faster readout, higher operational temperature, in-pixel electronics for advanced image processing and reduced manufacturing cost. The APS employed was the Vanilla sensor designed by the MI3 collaboration and funded by an RCUK Basic technology grant. This sensor has 520 x 520 square pixels, of size 25 μm on each side. The sensor can operate at a full frame readout of up to 20 Hz. The sensor had been back-thinned, to the epitaxial layer. This was the first time that a back-thinned APS had been demonstrated at a beam line at DLS. In the synchrotron experiment soft X-rays with an energy of approximately 708 eV were used to produce a diffraction pattern from a permalloy sample. The pattern was imaged at a range of integration times with both sensors. The CCD had to be operated at a temperature of -55°C whereas the Vanilla was operated over a temperature range from 20°C to -10°C. We show that the APS detector can operate with frame rates up to two hundred times faster than the CCD, without excessive degradation of image quality. The signal to noise of the APS is shown to be the same as that of the CCD at identical integration times and the response is shown to be linear, with no charge blooming effects. The experiment has allowed a direct comparison of back thinned APS and CCDs in a real soft x-ray synchrotron experiment.

APS Science 2006.

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

Gibson, J. M.; Fenner, R. B.; Long, G.

2007-05-24

In my five years as the Director of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), I have been fortunate to see major growth in the scientific impact from the APS. This year I am particularly enthusiastic about prospects for our longer-term future. Every scientific instrument must remain at the cutting edge to flourish. Our plans for the next generation of APS--an APS upgrade--got seriously in gear this year with strong encouragement from our users and sponsors. The most promising avenue that has emerged is the energy-recovery linac (ERL) (see article on page xx), for which we are beginning serious R&D. The ERL{at}APSmore » would offer revolutionary performance, especially for x-ray imaging and ultrafast science, while not seriously disrupting the existing user base. I am very proud of our accelerator physics and engineering staff, who not only keep the current APS at the forefront, but were able to greatly impress our international Machine Advisory Committee with the quality of their work on the possible upgrade option (see page xx). As we prepare for long-term major upgrades, our plans to develop and optimize all the sectors at APS in the near future are advancing. Several new beamlines saw first light this year, including a dedicated powder diffraction beamline (11-BM), two instruments for inelastic x-ray scattering at sector 30, and the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM) Nanoprobe beamline at sector 26. Our partnership in the first x-ray free-electron laser (LCLS) to be built at Stanford contributes to revolutionary growth in ultrafast science (see page xx), and we are developing a pulse chirping scheme to get ps pulses at sector 7 of the APS within a year or so. In this report, you will find selected highlights of scientific research at the APS from calendar year 2006. The highlighted work covers diverse disciplines, from fundamental to applied science. In the article on page xx you can see the direct impact of APS research on technology. Several new products have emerged from work at the APS, to complement the tremendous output of work in basic science, which often has payoff in technology but over decades rather than years. Highlights in this report also reflect the relevance of APS work to Department of Energy missions, for example a route to more efficient fuel cells (page xx mr-88-073113) addresses the energy challenge, and natural approaches to cleaning up the environment.« less

Identification of areas of recharge and discharge using Landsat-TM satellite imagery and aerial photography mapping techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salama, R. B.; Tapley, I.; Ishii, T.; Hawkes, G.

1994-10-01

Aerial photographs (AP) and Landsat (TM) colour composites were used to map the geomorphology, geology and structures of the Salt River System of Western Australia. Geomorphic features identified are sand plains, dissected etchplain, colluvium, lateritic duricrust and rock outcrops. The hydrogeomorphic units include streams, lakes and playas, palaeochannels and palaeodeltas. The structural features are linear and curvilinear lineaments, ring structures and dolerite dykes. Suture lines control the course of the main river channel. Permeable areas around the circular granitic plutons were found to be the main areas of recharge in the uplands. Recharge was also found to occur in the highly permeable areas of the sandplains. Discharge was shown to be primarily along the main drainage lines, on the edge of the circular sandplains, in depressions and in lakes. The groundwater occurrence and hydrogeological classification of the recharge potential of the different units were used to classify the mapped areas into recharge and discharge zones. The results also show that TM colour composites provide a viable source of data comparable with AP for mapping and delineating areas of recharge and discharge on a regional scale.

Detection of Spoofed MAC Addresses in 802.11 Wireless Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Kai; Li, Jing; Sampalli, Srinivas

Medium Access Control (MAC) address spoofing is considered as an important first step in a hacker's attempt to launch a variety of attacks on 802.11 wireless networks. Unfortunately, MAC address spoofing is hard to detect. Most current spoofing detection systems mainly use the sequence number (SN) tracking technique, which has drawbacks. Firstly, it may lead to an increase in the number of false positives. Secondly, such techniques cannot be used in systems with wireless cards that do not follow standard 802.11 sequence number patterns. Thirdly, attackers can forge sequence numbers, thereby causing the attacks to go undetected. We present a new architecture called WISE GUARD (Wireless Security Guard) for detection of MAC address spoofing on 802.11 wireless LANs. It integrates three detection techniques - SN tracking, Operating System (OS) fingerprinting & tracking and Received Signal Strength (RSS) fingerprinting & tracking. It also includes the fingerprinting of Access Point (AP) parameters as an extension to the OS fingerprinting for detection of AP address spoofing. We have implemented WISE GUARD on a test bed using off-the-shelf wireless devices and open source drivers. Experimental results show that the new design enhances the detection effectiveness and reduces the number of false positives in comparison with current approaches.

Human bone marrow-derived clonal mesenchymal stem cells inhibit inflammation and reduce acute pancreatitis in rats.

PubMed

Jung, Kyung Hee; Song, Sun U; Yi, Tacghee; Jeon, Myung-Shin; Hong, Sang-Won; Zheng, Hong-Mei; Lee, Hee-Seung; Choi, Myung-Joo; Lee, Don-Haeng; Hong, Soon-Sun

2011-03-01

Acute pancreatitis (AP) has a high mortality rate; repetitive AP induces chronic AP and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immunoregulatory effects and reduce inflammation. We developed a protocol to isolate human bone marrow-derived clonal MSCs (hcMSCs) from bone marrow aspirate and investigated the effects of these cells in rat models of mild and severe AP. Mild AP was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by 3 intraperitoneal injections of cerulein (100 μg/kg), given at 2-hour intervals; severe AP was induced by intraparenchymal injection of 3% sodium taurocholate solution. hcMSCs were labeled with CM-1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3'-tetramethylindo-carbocyanine perchloride and administered to rats through the tail vein. hcMSCs underwent self-renewal and had multipotent differentiation capacities and immunoregulatory functions. Greater numbers of infused hcMSCs were detected in pancreas of rats with mild and severe AP than of control rats. Infused hcMSCs reduced acinar-cell degeneration, pancreatic edema, and inflammatory cell infiltration in each model of pancreatitis. The hcMSCs reduced expression of inflammation mediators and cytokines in rats with mild and severe AP. hcMSCs suppressed the mixed lymphocyte reaction and increased expression of Foxp3(+) (a marker of regulatory T cells) in cultured rat lymph node cells. Rats with mild or severe AP that were given infusions of hcMSCs had reduced numbers of CD3(+) T cells and increased expression of Foxp3(+) in pancreas tissues. hcMSCs reduced inflammation and damage to pancreatic tissue in a rat model of AP; they reduced levels of cytokines and induced numbers of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells. hcMSCs might be developed as a cell therapy for pancreatitis. Copyright © 2011 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio and red blood cell distribution width-platelet ratio as early predictor of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy.

PubMed

İlhan, Mehmet; İlhan, Gülşah; Gök, Ali Fuat Kaan; Bademler, Süleyman; Verit Atmaca, Fatma; Ertekin, Cemalettin

2016-01-01

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a state of inflammation. It has been widely known that neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) to platelet ratio (RPR) reflect systemic inflammation. The aim of this study is to investigate whether these inflammatory markers could be used as reliable markers in early prediction of AP in pregnancy and if there is a relationship between disease severity and these markers. The study group consisted of 14 patients, who developed AP in ongoing pregnancy, and the control group consisted of 30 healthy pregnant women. NLR, PLR and RPR were calculated for both the groups. NLR was significantly elevated in the AP group when compared with the controls (p = 0.00), but there was no statistically significant difference in terms of PLR and RPR (p > 0.05). ROC curve analysis results for NLR showed that there was a significant prediction power of NLR for AP (R(2) = 0.842; p < 0.001). For NLR parameter, if cut-off value is chosen to be 4.1030, then sensitivity is 71.4% and specificity is 100.0%. There was statistically significant and positive correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP) and glucose with NLR (p = 0.001, p = 0.043). It was seen that Ranson was close to be significant (p = 0.051). NLR might be used as an early marker of AP and may have a role in prediction of disease severity.

Effects of 4-aminopyridine on nystagmus and vestibulo-ocular reflex in ataxia-telangiectasia.

PubMed

Shaikh, Aasef G; Marti, Sarah; Tarnutzer, Alexander A; Palla, Antonella; Crawford, Thomas O; Zee, David S; Straumann, Dominik

2013-11-01

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with prominent eye movement deficits localizing to the cerebellum. We sought to determine if 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), which putatively enhances the precision of Purkinje neurons, could improve the disorders of eye movements and vestibular function in A-T. The influence of 4-AP on disorders of eye movements and vestibular function was studied in four A-T patients. The effects on the cerebellar control of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) was quantitatively assessed by the decay time constant of per- and post-rotational nystagmus during constant velocity en bloc rotations. The length of the VOR time constant determines the fidelity of the vestibular velocity storage, a neural mechanism that increases the bandwidth of VOR under cerebellar control. The VOR time constant was not increased in A-T patients. The latter is explained by the extent of cerebellar lesion as previously described in A-T and other cerebellar disorders. Nevertheless, 4-AP shortened the VOR time constant during horizontal rotations. Severe disinhibition of velocity storage in subjects with putatively profound cerebellar degeneration manifest periodic alternating nystagmus (PAN). Among two A-T subjects who manifested PAN, 4-AP reduced the peak slow phase velocity of the more severely affected individual and abrogated the PAN in the other. Two A-T subjects manifested horizontal and vertical spontaneous nystagmus (SN) in primary gaze, 4-AP reduced its slow phase velocity. We conclude that in subjects with A-T 4-AP has a prominent effect on the ocular motor and vestibular deficits that are ascribed to the loss of cerebellar Purkinje neurons.

Early Spring Phytoplankton Dynamics in the Western Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrigo, Kevin R.; van Dijken, Gert L.; Alderkamp, Anne-Carlijn; Erickson, Zachary K.; Lewis, Kate M.; Lowry, Kate E.; Joy-Warren, Hannah L.; Middag, Rob; Nash-Arrigo, Janice E.; Selz, Virginia; van de Poll, Willem

2017-12-01

The Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research program has sampled waters of the western Antarctic Peninsula (wAP) annually each summer since 1990. However, information about the wAP prior to the peak of the phytoplankton bloom in January is sparse. Here we present results from a spring process cruise that sampled the wAP in the early stages of phytoplankton bloom development in 2014. Sea ice concentrations were high on the shelf relative to nonshelf waters, especially toward the south. Macronutrients were high and nonlimiting to phytoplankton growth in both shelf and nonshelf waters, while dissolved iron concentrations were high only on the shelf. Phytoplankton were in good physiological condition throughout the wAP, although biomass on the shelf was uniformly low, presumably because of heavy sea ice cover. In contrast, an early stage phytoplankton bloom was observed beneath variable sea ice cover just seaward of the shelf break. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the bloom reached 2 mg m-3 within a 100-150 km band between the SBACC and SACCF. The location of the bloom appeared to be controlled by a balance between enhanced vertical mixing at the position of the two fronts and increased stratification due to melting sea ice between them. Unlike summer, when diatoms overwhelmingly dominate the phytoplankton population of the wAP, the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica dominated in spring, although diatoms were common. These results suggest that factors controlling phytoplankton abundance and composition change seasonally and may differentially affect phytoplankton populations as environmental conditions within the wAP region continue to change.

The redox status of experimental hemorrhagic shock as measured by cyclic voltammetry.

PubMed

Mittal, Anubhav; Göke, Friederike; Flint, Richard; Loveday, Benjamin P T; Thompson, Nichola; Delahunt, Brett; Kilmartin, Paul A; Cooper, Garth J S; MacDonald, Julia; Hickey, Anthony; Windsor, John A; Phillips, Anthony R J

2010-05-01

Hemorrhagic shock (HS) leads to reactive oxygen species production. However, clinicians do not have access to bedside measurements of the redox status during HS. Cyclic voltammetry (CyV) is a simple electrochemical method of measuring redox status. The aims of this study were to 1) report the first application of cyclic voltammetry to measure the acute changes in serum redox status after HS, 2) to contrast it with another severe systemic disease with a different redox pathology (acute pancreatitis [AP]), and 3) to describe the response of CyV over time in a resolving model of AP. In the acute study, 24 male Wistar rats were randomized into three groups: groups 1 (control), 2 (AP), and 3 (HS). In the time-course study, 28 rats were randomized to a sham-control as well as 6 and 24 h post-AP cohorts, respectively.Cyclic voltammetry was performed using a three-electrode system. In the acute study, the first and second voltammetric peaks increased significantly in HS. In contrast, within the AP group, only the first voltammetric peak showed a significant increase. The first voltammetric peak correlated with plasma protein carbonyls (PCs) and with thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, whereas the second voltammetric peak correlated positively with plasma protein carbonyls. In the second study, the first voltammetric peak correlated with physiological improvements. Here, we showed that serum CyV could respond to the serum redox change in HS and AP. Cyclic voltammetry warrants evaluation as a potential real-time beside measure of a patient's redox status during shock.

Immobilization of alkaline phosphatase on solid surface through self-assembled monolayer and by active-site protection.

PubMed

Gao, En-Feng; Kang, Kyung Lhi; Kim, Jeong Hee

2014-06-01

Retaining biological activity of a protein after immobilization is an important issue and many studies reported to enhance the activity of proteins after immobilization. We recently developed a new immobilization method of enzyme using active-site protection and minimization of the cross-links between enzyme and surface with a DNA polymerase as a model system. In this study, we extended the new method to an enzyme with a small mono-substrate using alkaline phosphatase (AP) as another model system. A condition to apply the new method is that masking agents, in this case its own substrate needs to stay at the active-site of the enzyme to be immobilized in order to protect the active-site during the harsh immobilization process. This could be achieved by removal of essential divalent ion, Zn2+ that is required for full enzyme activity of AP from the masking solution while active-site of AP was protected with p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP). Approximately 40% of the solution-phase activity was acquired with active-site protected immobilized AP. In addition to protection active-site of AP, the number of immobilization links was kinetically controlled. When the mole fraction of the activated carboxyl group of the linker molecule in self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 12-mercaptododecanoic acid and 6-mercapto-1-ethanol was varied, 10% of 12-mercaptododecanoic acid gave the maximum enzyme activity. Approximately 51% increase in enzyme activity of the active-site protected AP was observed compared to that of the unprotected group. It was shown that the concept of active-site protection and kinetic control of the number of covalent immobilization bonds can be extended to enzymes with small mono-substrates. It opens the possibility of further extension of the new methods of active-site protection and kinetic control of immobilization bond to important enzymes used in research and industrial fields.

Three-Catheter Technique for Ablation of Left-Sided Accessory Pathways in Wolff-Parkinson-White is Less Expensive and Equally Successful When Compared to a Five-Catheter Technique.

PubMed

Capone, Christine A; Ceresnak, Scott R; Nappo, Lynn; Gates, Gregory J; Schechter, Clyde B; Pass, Robert H

2015-12-01

To compare the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of a three-catheter approach with a conventional five-catheter approach for the mapping and ablation of supraventricular tachycardia in pediatric patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW) and concealed accessory pathways (APs). A retrospective review from 2008 to 2012 of patients less than 21 years with WPW who underwent a three-catheter radiofrequency (RF) ablation of a left-sided AP (ablation, right ventricular [RV] apical, and coronary sinus [CS] decapolar catheters) was performed. The three-catheter group was compared to a control group who underwent a standard five-catheter (ablation, RV apical, CS decapolar, His catheter, and right atrial catheter) ablation for the treatment of left-sided WPW or concealed AP. Demographics, ablation outcomes, and costs were compared between groups. Twenty-eight patients met inclusion criteria with 28 control patients. The groups did not differ in gender, age, weight, or body surface area. Locations of the AP on the mitral annulus were similar between the groups. All patients were ablated via transseptal approach. Note that 28 of 28 in the three-catheter group (100%) and 27 of 28 (96%) controls were acutely successfully ablated (P = 0.31). No complications were encountered. There was no difference in procedural time, time to loss of AP conduction, or number of RF applications. Use of the three-catheter technique resulted in a total savings of $2,465/case, which includes the $680 savings from using fewer catheters as well as the savings from a shortened procedure time. Ablation in patients with WPW and a left-sided AP can be performed using three catheters with similar efficacy and safety while offering significant cost savings compared to a conventional five-catheter approach. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Undisturbed stance control in healthy adults is achieved differently along anteroposterior and mediolateral axes: evidence from visual feedback of various signals from center of pressure trajectories.

PubMed

Rougier, Patrice R

2009-05-01

Provided through the screen of a monitor, the participant's resultant center of pressure (CPRes) movements from a force platform device, modified the postural performance of a healthy individual. However, these effects could largely vary with the axis that researchers consider (mediolateral [ML] or anteroposterior [AP]), because they know these controls are involved in 2 distinct ankle and hip mechanisms. To demonstrate this organization, the author tested a group of healthy adults in several conditions that gave the whole or some part of the information in the CPRes displacements. Compared with the CPRes feedback, left and right plantar CP or body weight distribution feedback deteriorated the control of the vertically projected center of gravity (CGv) along the ML and AP axes, whose amplitudes increased, respectively. These data highlight the primary role of loading or unloading and pressure variations in the achievement of postural control along each ML or AP axis, respectively. It is interesting that merging these 2 pieces of information (CPRes displacements) helped participants optimize their postural performance.

Decreased allopregnanolone levels in cerebrospinal fluid obtained during status epilepticus.

PubMed

Meletti, Stefano; Lucchi, Chiara; Monti, Giulia; Giovannini, Giada; Bedin, Roberta; Trenti, Tommaso; Rustichelli, Cecilia; Biagini, Giuseppe

2017-02-01

Neuroactive steroids are increasingly considered as relevant modulators of neuronal activity. Especially allopregnanolone (AP) and pregnenolone sulfate (PS) have been shown to possess, respectively, anticonvulsant or proconvulsant properties. In view of the potential role of these steroids, we aimed at evaluating AP and PS levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples obtained from patients with status epilepticus (SE). To this purpose, we enrolled 41 patients affected by SE and 41 subjects investigated for nonepileptic neurologic disorders. Liquid chromatographic procedures coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and routine laboratory investigations were performed. Significantly lower AP levels were found in the CSF of patients affected by SE (-30%; p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney test). Notably, AP was not detectable in 28 of 41 patients affected by SE (p < 0.01 vs. controls, Fisher's exact test). In serum, AP levels did not differ in the two considered groups. Conversely, PS was present at similar levels in the investigated groups. Finally, differences in AP levels could not be explained by a variation in CSF albumin content. These findings indicate that AP is defective in the CSF of patients affected by SE. This phenomenon was not dependent on carriers for steroids, such as albumin. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

A Novel Cell Wall Lipopeptide Is Important for Biofilm Formation and Pathogenicity of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis

PubMed Central

Wu, Chia-wei; Schmoller, Shelly K.; Bannantine, John P.; Eckstein, Torsten M.; Inamine, Julie M.; Livesey, Michael; Albrecht, Ralph; Talaat, Adel M.

2009-01-01

Biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria plays a key role in their pathogenesis. Previously, the pstA gene was shown to be involved in the virulence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (M. ap), the causative agent of Johne's disease in cattle and a potential risk factor for Crohn's disease. Scanning electron microscopy and colonization levels of the M. ap mutant indicated that the pstA gene significantly contributes to the ability of M. ap to form biofilms. Digital measurements taken during electron microscopy identified a unique morphology for the ΔpstA mutant, which consisted of significantly shorter bacilli than the wild type. Analysis of the lipid profiles of the mycobacterial strains identified a novel lipopeptide that was present in the cell wall extracts of wild-type M. ap, but missing from the ΔpstA mutant. Interestingly, the calf infection model suggested that pstA contributes to intestinal invasion of M. ap. Furthermore, immunoblot analysis of peptides encoded by pstA identified a specific and significant level of immunogenicity. Taken together, our analysis revealed a novel cell wall component that could contribute to biofilm formation and to the virulence and immunogenicity of M. ap. Molecular tools to better control M. ap infections could be developed utilizing the presented findings. PMID:19490829

Biomechanical evaluation of a novel reverse coracoacromial ligament reconstruction for acromioclavicular joint separation.

PubMed

Shu, Beatrice; Johnston, Tyler; Lindsey, Derek P; McAdams, Timothy R

2012-02-01

Enhancing anterior-posterior (AP) stability in acromioclavicular (AC) reconstruction may be advantageous. To compare the initial stability of AC reconstructions with and without augmentation by either (1) a novel "reverse" coracoacromial (CA) ligament transfer or (2) an intramedullary AC tendon graft. Reverse CA transfer will improve AP stability compared with isolated coracoclavicular (CC) reconstruction. Controlled laboratory study. Six matched pairs of cadaveric shoulders underwent distal clavicle resection and CC reconstruction. Displacement (mm) was measured during cyclic loading along AP (±25 N) and superior-inferior (SI; 10-N compression, 70-N tension) axes. Pairs were randomized to receive each augmentation and the same loading protocol applied. Reverse CA transfer (3.71 ± 1.3 mm, standard error of the mean [SEM]; P = .03) and intramedullary graft (3.41 ± 1.1 mm; P = .03) decreased AP translation compared with CC reconstruction alone. The SI displacement did not differ. Equivalence tests suggest no difference between augmentations in AP or SI restraint. Addition of either reverse CA transfer or intramedullary graft demonstrates improved AP restraint and provides similar SI stability compared with isolated CC reconstruction. Reverse CA ligament transfer may be a reasonable alternative to a free tendon graft to augment AP restraint in AC reconstruction.

In vivo toxic and lethal cardiovascular effects of a synthetic polymeric 1,3-dodecylpyridinium salt in rodents

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

Grandic, Marjana; Sepcic, Kristina; Turk, Tom

2011-08-15

APS12-2 is one in a series of synthetic analogs of the polymeric alkylpyridinium salts isolated from the marine sponge Reniera sarai. As it is a potential candidate for treating non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we have studied its possible toxic and lethal effects in vivo. The median lethal dose (LD{sub 50}) of APS12-2 in mice was determined to be 11.5 mg/kg. Electrocardiograms, arterial blood pressure and respiratory activity were recorded under general anesthesia in untreated, pharmacologically vagotomized and artificially ventilated rats injected with APS12-2. In one group, the in vivo effects of APS12-2 were studied on nerve-evoked muscle contraction.more » Administration of APS12-2 at a dose of 8 mg/kg caused a progressive reduction of arterial blood pressure to a mid-circulatory value, accompanied by bradycardia, myocardial ischemia, ventricular extrasystoles, and second degree atrio-ventricular block. Similar electrocardiogram and arterial blood pressure changes caused by APS12-2 (8 mg/kg) were observed in animals pretreated with atropine and in artificially ventilated animals, indicating that hypoxia and cholinergic effects do not play a crucial role in the toxicity of APS12-2. Application of APS12-2 at sublethal doses (4 and 5.5 mg/kg) caused a decrease of arterial blood pressure, followed by an increase slightly above control values. We found that APS12-2 causes lysis of rat erythrocytes in vitro, therefore it is reasonable to expect the same effect in vivo. Indeed, hyperkalemia was observed in the blood of experimental animals. Hyperkalemia probably plays an important role in APS12-2 cardiotoxicity since no evident changes in histopathology of the heart were found. However, acute lesions were observed in the pulmonary vessels of rats after application of 8 mg/kg APS12-2. Predominant effects were dilation of interalveolar blood vessels and lysis of aggregated erythrocytes within their lumina. - Highlights: > LD{sub 50} estimated in mice (11.5 mg/kg) revealed that toxicity of APS12-2 is low. > APS12-2 causes dose dependent hemolysis of rat erythrocytes in vivo and in vitro. > Cardiac arrest by APS12-2 is caused by the high blood potassium concentration. > APS12-2 causes mild acute pulmonary edema.« less

The IRMIS object model and services API.

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

Saunders, C.; Dohan, D. A.; Arnold, N. D.

2005-01-01

The relational model developed for the Integrated Relational Model of Installed Systems (IRMIS) toolkit has been successfully used to capture the Advanced Photon Source (APS) control system software (EPICS process variables and their definitions). The relational tables are populated by a crawler script that parses each Input/Output Controller (IOC) start-up file when an IOC reboot is detected. User interaction is provided by a Java Swing application that acts as a desktop for viewing the process variable information. Mapping between the display objects and the relational tables was carried out with the Hibernate Object Relational Modeling (ORM) framework. Work is wellmore » underway at the APS to extend the relational modeling to include control system hardware. For this work, due in part to the complex user interaction required, the primary application development environment has shifted from the relational database view to the object oriented (Java) perspective. With this approach, the business logic is executed in Java rather than in SQL stored procedures. This paper describes the object model used to represent control system software, hardware, and interconnects in IRMIS. We also describe the services API used to encapsulate the required behaviors for creating and maintaining the complex data. In addition to the core schema and object model, many important concepts in IRMIS are captured by the services API. IRMIS is an ambitious collaborative effort for defining and developing a relational database and associated applications to comprehensively document the large and complex EPICS-based control systems of today's accelerators. The documentation effort includes process variables, control system hardware, and interconnections. The approach could also be used to document all components of the accelerator, including mechanical, vacuum, power supplies, etc. One key aspect of IRMIS is that it is a documentation framework, not a design and development tool. We do not generate EPICS control system configurations from IRMIS, and hence do not impose any additional requirements on EPICS developers.« less

Enhanced biological fixation of methane for microbial lipid production by recombinant Methylomicrobium buryatense

DOE PAGES

Fei, Qiang; Puri, Aaron W.; Smith, Holly; ...

2018-05-04

Due to the success of shale gas development in the US, the production cost of natural gas has been reduced significantly, which in turn has made methane (CH 4), the major component of natural gas, a potential alternative substrate for bioconversion processes compared with other high-price raw material sources or edible feedstocks. Therefore, exploring effective ways to use CH 4 for the production of biofuels is attractive. Biological fixation of CH 4 by methanotrophic bacteria capable of using CH 4 as their sole carbon and energy source has obtained great attention for biofuel production from this resource. Here, a fast-growingmore » and lipid-rich methanotroph, Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1 and its glycogen-knock-out mutant (AP18) were investigated for the production of lipids derived from intracellular membranes, which are key precursors for the production of green diesel. The effects of culture conditions on cell growth and lipid production were investigated in high cell density cultivation with continuous feeding of CH 4 and O2. The highest dry cell weight observed was 21.4 g/L and the maximum lipid productivity observed was 45.4 mg/L/h obtained in batch cultures, which corresponds to a 2-fold enhancement in cell density and 3-fold improvement in lipid production, compared with previous reported data from cultures of 5GB1. A 90% enhancement of lipid content was achieved by limiting the biosynthesis of glycogen in strain AP18. Increased CH 4/O 2 uptake and CO 2 evaluation rates were observed in AP18 cultures suggesting that more carbon substrate and energy are needed for AP18 growth while producing lipids. The lipid produced by M. buryatense was estimated to have a cetane number of 75, which is 50% higher than biofuel standards requested by US and EU. Cell growth and lipid production were significantly influenced by culture conditions for both 5GB1 and AP18. Enhanced lipid production in terms of titer, productivity, and content was achieved under high cell density culture conditions by blocking glycogen accumulation as a carbon sink in the strain AP18. Differences observed in CH 4/O 2 gas uptake and CO 2 evolution rates as well as cell growth and glycogen accumulation between 5GB1 and AP18 suggest changes in the metabolic network between these strains. This bioconversion process provides a promising opportunity to transform CH 4 into biofuel molecules and encourages further investigation to elucidate the remarkable CH 4 biofixation mechanism used by these bacteria.« less

Enhanced biological fixation of methane for microbial lipid production by recombinant Methylomicrobium buryatense

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

Fei, Qiang; Puri, Aaron W.; Smith, Holly

Due to the success of shale gas development in the US, the production cost of natural gas has been reduced significantly, which in turn has made methane (CH 4), the major component of natural gas, a potential alternative substrate for bioconversion processes compared with other high-price raw material sources or edible feedstocks. Therefore, exploring effective ways to use CH 4 for the production of biofuels is attractive. Biological fixation of CH 4 by methanotrophic bacteria capable of using CH 4 as their sole carbon and energy source has obtained great attention for biofuel production from this resource. Here, a fast-growingmore » and lipid-rich methanotroph, Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1 and its glycogen-knock-out mutant (AP18) were investigated for the production of lipids derived from intracellular membranes, which are key precursors for the production of green diesel. The effects of culture conditions on cell growth and lipid production were investigated in high cell density cultivation with continuous feeding of CH 4 and O2. The highest dry cell weight observed was 21.4 g/L and the maximum lipid productivity observed was 45.4 mg/L/h obtained in batch cultures, which corresponds to a 2-fold enhancement in cell density and 3-fold improvement in lipid production, compared with previous reported data from cultures of 5GB1. A 90% enhancement of lipid content was achieved by limiting the biosynthesis of glycogen in strain AP18. Increased CH 4/O 2 uptake and CO 2 evaluation rates were observed in AP18 cultures suggesting that more carbon substrate and energy are needed for AP18 growth while producing lipids. The lipid produced by M. buryatense was estimated to have a cetane number of 75, which is 50% higher than biofuel standards requested by US and EU. Cell growth and lipid production were significantly influenced by culture conditions for both 5GB1 and AP18. Enhanced lipid production in terms of titer, productivity, and content was achieved under high cell density culture conditions by blocking glycogen accumulation as a carbon sink in the strain AP18. Differences observed in CH 4/O 2 gas uptake and CO 2 evolution rates as well as cell growth and glycogen accumulation between 5GB1 and AP18 suggest changes in the metabolic network between these strains. This bioconversion process provides a promising opportunity to transform CH 4 into biofuel molecules and encourages further investigation to elucidate the remarkable CH 4 biofixation mechanism used by these bacteria.« less

Enhanced biological fixation of methane for microbial lipid production by recombinant Methylomicrobium buryatense.

PubMed

Fei, Qiang; Puri, Aaron W; Smith, Holly; Dowe, Nancy; Pienkos, Philip T

2018-01-01

Due to the success of shale gas development in the US, the production cost of natural gas has been reduced significantly, which in turn has made methane (CH 4 ), the major component of natural gas, a potential alternative substrate for bioconversion processes compared with other high-price raw material sources or edible feedstocks. Therefore, exploring effective ways to use CH 4 for the production of biofuels is attractive. Biological fixation of CH 4 by methanotrophic bacteria capable of using CH 4 as their sole carbon and energy source has obtained great attention for biofuel production from this resource. In this study, a fast-growing and lipid-rich methanotroph , Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1 and its glycogen-knock-out mutant (AP18) were investigated for the production of lipids derived from intracellular membranes, which are key precursors for the production of green diesel. The effects of culture conditions on cell growth and lipid production were investigated in high cell density cultivation with continuous feeding of CH 4 and O 2 . The highest dry cell weight observed was 21.4 g/L and the maximum lipid productivity observed was 45.4 mg/L/h obtained in batch cultures, which corresponds to a 2-fold enhancement in cell density and 3-fold improvement in lipid production, compared with previous reported data from cultures of 5GB1. A 90% enhancement of lipid content was achieved by limiting the biosynthesis of glycogen in strain AP18. Increased CH 4 /O 2 uptake and CO 2 evaluation rates were observed in AP18 cultures suggesting that more carbon substrate and energy are needed for AP18 growth while producing lipids. The lipid produced by M. buryatense was estimated to have a cetane number of 75, which is 50% higher than biofuel standards requested by US and EU. Cell growth and lipid production were significantly influenced by culture conditions for both 5GB1 and AP18. Enhanced lipid production in terms of titer, productivity, and content was achieved under high cell density culture conditions by blocking glycogen accumulation as a carbon sink in the strain AP18. Differences observed in CH 4 /O 2 gas uptake and CO 2 evolution rates as well as cell growth and glycogen accumulation between 5GB1 and AP18 suggest changes in the metabolic network between these strains. This bioconversion process provides a promising opportunity to transform CH 4 into biofuel molecules and encourages further investigation to elucidate the remarkable CH 4 biofixation mechanism used by these bacteria.

TPA can overcome the requirement for EIa and together act synergistically in stimulating expression of the adenovirus EIII promoter.

PubMed Central

Buckbinder, L; Miralles, V J; Reinberg, D

1989-01-01

We have examined the control of gene expression from the adenovirus early region III (Ad-EIII) promoter, which contains two previously defined elements, the AP1 and ATF sites. We found that the AP1 element is capable of mediating activation by the adenovirus immediate early (EIa) gene products. Consistent with studies demonstrating that the AP1 site mediates signal transduction in response to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) we have shown that TPA can activate Ad-EIII expression and overcome the requirement for EIa. Together TPA and EIa elicited a synergistic response in expression from the Ad-EIII promoter during both transient expression assays and viral infections. This synergistic effect required the AP1 element. An EIII promoter construct, in which sequences upstream of the TATA box had been replaced with four AP1 sites, was responsive to TPA and EIa and in combination promoted the synergistic effect. The analysis of specific factors involved in transcription from the Ad-EIII indicated that proteins recognizing the ATF and AP1 sites were important in expression from this promoter in vitro. Purification of protein factors that specifically stimulated EIII expression resulted in the isolation of a set of factors of the AP1 family. Affinity purified AP1 recognized and activated transcription through both the AP1 and ATF elements. In addition, a protein fraction was identified with DNA binding activity specific for the ATF element. This fraction was dependent on the ATF site for transcriptional activity. Images PMID:2531661

Renal haemodynamics and natriuretic responses to intravenous administration of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in rat.

PubMed

Szczepańska-Konkel, M; Langner, G; Bednarczuk, G; Stiepanow-Trzeciak, A; Jankowski, M; Angielski, S

2003-06-01

Effects of Ap4A and NAD--precursor of adenosine, on renal plasma flow (RPF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urine excretion were determined in the anaesthetised rats. Infusion of Ap4A or NAD (i.v., bolus--1 micromol/kg followed by 10 nmol/min/kg) decreased RPF and GFR (by 30 and 40%, respectively). In spite of GFR reduction during Ap4A infusion, the significant increase in sodium excretion and urine flow was noticed: fractional sodium (FENa) and urine excretion (FEurine) rose 15-fold and 2.5-fold in comparison with the control value, respectively. In contrast to Ap4A, NAD-induced decrease in GFR was associated with parallel decrease in sodium and urine excretion, thus the FENa and FEurine did not significantly change. Pretreatment with adenosine deaminase (adenosine degrading enzyme, 2 U/min/kg) or theophylline (P1-receptors antagonist, 0.2 mmol/min/kg) ceased responses to NAD, whereas Ap4A-induced changes were not affected. Pre-treatment with suramin (P2-receptors antagonist, (i.v., bolus--12 mg/kg followed by 1.2 mg/min/kg) completely abolished the renal effects of Ap4A. We conclude that Ap4A may exert specific action on renal function. It acts different from NAD that modified renal function through its hydrolysis product--adenosine. Ap4A might reduce glomerular filtration rate and evoke natriuresis and diuresis, and its effects are probably mediated through stimulation of P2-receptors.

CVD-diamond-based position sensitive photoconductive detector for high-flux x-rays and gamma rays.

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

Shu, D.

1999-04-19

A position-sensitive photoconductive detector (PSPCD) using insulating-type CVD diamond as its substrate material has been developed at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Several different configurations, including a quadrant pattern for a x-ray-transmitting beam position monitor (TBPM) and 1-D and 2-D arrays for PSPCD beam profilers, have been developed. Tests on different PSPCD devices with high-heat-flux undulator white x-ray beam, as well as with gamma-ray beams from {sup 60}Co sources have been done at the APS and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It was proven that the insulating-type CVD diamond can be used to make a hard x-ray andmore » gamma-ray position-sensitive detector that acts as a solid-state ion chamber. These detectors are based on the photoconductivity principle. A total of eleven of these TBPMs have been installed on the APS front ends for commissioning use. The linear array PSPCD beam profiler has been routinely used for direct measurements of the undulator white beam profile. More tests with hard x-rays and gamma rays are planned for the CVD-diamond 2-D imaging PSPCD. Potential applications include a high-dose-rate beam profiler for fourth-generation synchrotrons radiation facilities, such as free-electron lasers.« less

Detection of a strong optical and gamma-ray flare from blazar PKS 1424-41

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Ammando, F.; Orienti, M.; Longo, F.; Jankowsky, F.; Schwemmer, S.; Wagn, S.

2013-01-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has observed an increasing gamma-ray flux from a source positionally coincident with PKS 1424-41 (also known as 2FGL J1428.0-4206, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31; R.A.= 14h27m56.2975s, Dec.= -42d06m19.437s, J2000, Johnston et al. 1995, AJ, 110, 880), a flat spectrum radio quasar with a redshift of 1.522 (White et al. 1988, ApJ, 327, 561).

Fermi LAT detection of a GeV flare from the blazar PKS 0250-225

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutka, Michael; Ojha, Roopesh

2012-11-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), one of the two instruments on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed increasing gamma-ray flux from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 0250-225 (also known as 2FGL J0252.7-2218, Nolan et al. 2012 ApJS, 199, 31). PKS 0250-225 has the coordinates RA=02h52m47.9536s, DEC=-22d19m25.465s, J2000, (Beasley et al. 2002 ApJS, 141, 13) and redshift z=1.419 (Shaw et al.

Simulation and measurement of the electrostatic beam kicker in the low-energy undulator test line.

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

Waldschmidt, G. J.

1998-10-27

An electrostatic kicker has been constructed for use in the Low-Energy Undulator Test Line (LEUTL) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The function of the kicker is to limit the amount of beam current to be accelerated by the APS linac. Two electrodes within the kicker create an electric field that adjusts the trajectory of the beam. This paper will explore the static fields that are set up between the offset electrode plates and determine the reaction of the beam to this field. The kicker was numerically simulated using the electromagnetic solver package MAFIA [1].

COMPARISON OF NONLINEAR DYNAMICS OPTIMIZATION METHODS FOR APS-U

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

Sun, Y.; Borland, Michael

Many different objectives and genetic algorithms have been proposed for storage ring nonlinear dynamics performance optimization. These optimization objectives include nonlinear chromaticities and driving/detuning terms, on-momentum and off-momentum dynamic acceptance, chromatic detuning, local momentum acceptance, variation of transverse invariant, Touschek lifetime, etc. In this paper, the effectiveness of several different optimization methods and objectives are compared for the nonlinear beam dynamics optimization of the Advanced Photon Source upgrade (APS-U) lattice. The optimized solutions from these different methods are preliminarily compared in terms of the dynamic acceptance, local momentum acceptance, chromatic detuning, and other performance measures.

A model for studying the energetics of sustained high frequency firing

PubMed Central

Morris, Catherine E.

2018-01-01

Regulating membrane potential and synaptic function contributes significantly to the energetic costs of brain signaling, but the relative costs of action potentials (APs) and synaptic transmission during high-frequency firing are unknown. The continuous high-frequency (200-600Hz) electric organ discharge (EOD) of Eigenmannia, a weakly electric fish, underlies its electrosensing and communication. EODs reflect APs fired by the muscle-derived electrocytes of the electric organ (EO). Cholinergic synapses at the excitable posterior membranes of the elongated electrocytes control AP frequency. Based on whole-fish O2 consumption, ATP demand per EOD-linked AP increases exponentially with AP frequency. Continual EOD-AP generation implies first, that ion homeostatic processes reliably counteract any dissipation of posterior membrane ENa and EK and second that high frequency synaptic activation is reliably supported. Both of these processes require energy. To facilitate an exploration of the expected energy demands of each, we modify a previous excitability model and include synaptic currents able to drive APs at frequencies as high as 600 Hz. Synaptic stimuli are modeled as pulsatile cation conductance changes, with or without a small (sustained) background conductance. Over the full species range of EOD frequencies (200–600 Hz) we calculate frequency-dependent “Na+-entry budgets” for an electrocyte AP as a surrogate for required 3Na+/2K+-ATPase activity. We find that the cost per AP of maintaining constant-amplitude APs increases nonlinearly with frequency, whereas the cost per AP for synaptic input current is essentially constant. This predicts that Na+ channel density should correlate positively with EOD frequency, whereas AChR density should be the same across fish. Importantly, calculated costs (inferred from Na+-entry through Nav and ACh channels) for electrocyte APs as frequencies rise are much less than expected from published whole-fish EOD-linked O2 consumption. For APs at increasingly high frequencies, we suggest that EOD-related costs external to electrocytes (including packaging of synaptic transmitter) substantially exceed the direct cost of electrocyte ion homeostasis. PMID:29708986

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

Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Doose, C.; Fuerst, J.

Development of superconducting undulator (SCU) technology continues at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The experience of building and successful operating the first short-length, 16-mm period length superconducting undulator SCU0 paved the way for a 1-m long, 18-mm period device— SCU18-1— which has been in operation since May 2015. The APS SCU team has also built and tested a 1.5-m long, 21-mm period length undulator as a part of the LCLS SCU R&D program, aimed at demonstration of SCU technology availability for free electron lasers. This undulator successfully achieved all the requirements including a phase error of 5° RMS. Our teammore » has recently completed one more 1-m long, 18-mm period length undulator— SCU18-2— that is replacing the SCU0. We are also working on a helical SCU for the APS. The status of these projects will be presented.« less

A concept for canceling the leakage field inside the stored beam chamber of a septum magnet

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

Abliz, M.; Jaski, M.; Xiao, A.

Here, the Advanced Photon Source is in the process of upgrading its storage ring from a double-bend to a multi-bend lattice as part of the APS Upgrade Project (APS-U). A swap-out injection scheme is planned for the APS-U to keep a constant beam current and to enable a small dynamic aperture. A novel concept that cancels out the effect of leakage field inside the stored beam chamber was introduced in the design of the septum magnet. As a result, the horizontal deflecting angle of the stored beam was reduced to below 1 µrad with a 2 mm septum thickness andmore » 1.06 T normal injection field. The concept helped to minimize the integrated skew quadrupole field and normal sextupole fields inside stored beam chamber as well.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Iron abundance of Terzan 5 stars (Massari+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massari, D.; Mucciarelli, A.; Ferraro, F. R.; Origlia, L.; Rich, R. M.; Lanzoni, B.; Dalessandro, E.; Valenti, E.; Ibata, R.; Lovisi, L.; Bellazzini, M.; Reitzel, D.

2017-05-01

This study is based on a sample of stars located within the tidal radius of Terzan 5 (rt~300''; Lanzoni et al. 2010ApJ...717..653L; Miocchi et al. 2013ApJ...774..151M) observed with two different instruments: FLAMES (Pasquini et al. 2002Msngr.110....1P) at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) VLT and DEIMOS (Faber et al. 2003SPIE.4841.1657F) at the Keck II Telescope. The spectroscopic targets have been selected from the optical photometric catalog of Terzan 5 described in Lanzoni et al. (2010ApJ...717..653L) along the brightest portion (I<17) of the red giant branch (RGB). In order to avoid contamination from other sources, we avoided stars with bright neighbors (Ineighbor

Occurrence of alkylphenolic substances in a Great Lakes coastal marsh, Cootes Paradise, ON, Canada.

PubMed

Mayer, T; Bennie, D; Rosa, F; Rekas, G; Palabrica, V; Schachtschneider, J

2007-06-01

Occurrence and fate of alkylphenols (APs), known endocrine disruptors, were investigated in a Great Lakes coastal wetland, Cootes Paradise, ON. The wetland, which receives discharges from a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) and several Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), is an important spawning ground for fish and crucial habitat for other fauna. Elevated concentrations of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) and their degradation product nonylphenol (NP) were found in water and sediment samples near the sources. Since transfer of APs through the food chain is of concern, we compared their concentrations in invertebrates from clean and contaminated sites. The results reveal transfer of alkylphenolics from sediments to biota and their accumulation in the invertebrate tissue, particularly the highly hydrophobic 4-NP, whose concentrations ranged from 1.9 to 6.3 microg g(-1). To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate AP concentrations in tissue of benthic invertebrates under real environmental conditions.

A concept for canceling the leakage field inside the stored beam chamber of a septum magnet

DOE PAGES

Abliz, M.; Jaski, M.; Xiao, A.; ...

2017-12-20

Here, the Advanced Photon Source is in the process of upgrading its storage ring from a double-bend to a multi-bend lattice as part of the APS Upgrade Project (APS-U). A swap-out injection scheme is planned for the APS-U to keep a constant beam current and to enable a small dynamic aperture. A novel concept that cancels out the effect of leakage field inside the stored beam chamber was introduced in the design of the septum magnet. As a result, the horizontal deflecting angle of the stored beam was reduced to below 1 µrad with a 2 mm septum thickness andmore » 1.06 T normal injection field. The concept helped to minimize the integrated skew quadrupole field and normal sextupole fields inside stored beam chamber as well.« less

The role of a nonsynonymous CD226 (DNAX-accessory molecule-1) variant (Gly 307Ser) in isolated Addison's disease and autoimmune polyendocrinopathy type 2 pathogenesis.

PubMed

Gan, Earn H; Mitchell, Anna L; Macarthur, Katie; Pearce, Simon H S

2011-08-01

Genome-wide association studies have discovered various susceptibility alleles that are shared among different autoimmune conditions, implicating several biochemical pathways in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. A nonsynonymous polymorphism in exon 7 of the gene encoding the lymphocyte cell-surface CD226 (DNAM1) receptor, Gly307Ser (rs763361), has recently been identified as conferring risk to many autoimmune disorders. We performed a case-control study to determine if the CD226 307Ser variant is also associated with autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD). PATIENT AND DESIGN: We genotyped rs763361 in a UK cohort of 326 AAD subjects [183 with associated autoimmune conditions - autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type-2 (APS2)] and 311 healthy controls, using a Taqman genotyping assay. The susceptibility 'T' allele at rs763361 was found in 50·5% of patients with AAD compared to 46·5% of controls (P-value 0·16, OR 1·17; 95% CI 0·94-1·46). However, comparing the APS2 subgroup to healthy controls, the T allele was found in 53·8%vs 46·5% in controls (OR 1·34; CI 1·04-1·74, P-value 0·03). In contrast, the T allele frequency was 46·2% in isolated Addison's disease (P-value 0·94 vs healthy controls). It seems likely that the 307Ser variant of the CD226 receptor is associated with APS2 because of its underlying association with type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease. The strength of association in patients with isolated AAD appears to be weak or nonexistent compared to that in APS2. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Divergence of the Floral A-Function between an Asterid and a Rosid Species[OPEN

PubMed Central

Heijmans, Klaas; Rozier, Frédérique; Zethof, Jan; Chamot, Sophy

2017-01-01

The ABC model is widely used as a genetic framework for understanding floral development and evolution. In this model, the A-function is required for the development of sepals and petals and to antagonize the C-function in the outer floral whorls. In the rosid species Arabidopsis thaliana, the AP2-type AP2 transcription factor represents a major A-function protein, but how the A-function is encoded in other species is not well understood. Here, we show that in the asterid species petunia (Petunia hybrida), AP2B/BLIND ENHANCER (BEN) confines the C-function to the inner petunia floral whorls, in parallel with the microRNA BLIND. BEN belongs to the TOE-type AP2 gene family, members of which control flowering time in Arabidopsis. In turn, we demonstrate that the petunia AP2-type REPRESSOR OF B-FUNCTION (ROB) genes repress the B-function (but not the C-function) in the first floral whorl, together with BEN. We propose a combinatorial model for patterning the B- and C-functions, leading to the homeotic conversion of sepals into petals, carpels, or stamens, depending on the genetic context. Combined with earlier results, our findings suggest that the molecular mechanisms controlling the spatial restriction of the floral organ identity genes are more diverse than the well-conserved B and C floral organ identity functions. PMID:28646074

Finding X-ray counterparts for unidentified sources in the 105 months BAT survey - 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephen, J. B.; Bassani, L.; Malizia, A.; Masetti, N.; Ubertini, P.

2018-02-01

We provide X-ray counterparts for the unidentified Swift/BAT sources listed in the 105 month catalogue (Oh et al. 2018, ApJS in press). These associations were found by cross-correlating the list of U1,U2 and U3 sources with the ROSAT Bright (RASSBSC, Voges et al. 1999, A & A, 349, 389) and the XMM-Newton Slew (XMMSlew, Saxton et al. 2008, A & A, 480, 611) catalogues.

Cosmic Ray Acceleration from Multiple Galactic Wind Shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotter, Cory; Bustard, Chad; Zweibel, Ellen

2018-01-01

Cosmic rays still have an unknown origin. Many mechanisms have been suggested for their acceleration including quasars, pulsars, magnetars, supernovae, supernova remnants, and galactic termination shocks. The source of acceleration may be a mixture of these and a different mixture in different energy regimes. Using numerical simulations, we investigate multiple shocks in galactic winds as potential cosmic rays sources. By having shocks closer to the parent galaxy, more particles may diffuse back to the disk instead of being blown out in the wind, as found in Bustard, Zweibel, and Cotter (2017, ApJ) and also Merten, Bustard, Zweibel, and Tjus (to be submitted to ApJ). Specifically, this flux of cosmic rays could contribute to the unexplained "shin" region between the well-known "knee" and "ankle" of the cosmic ray spectrum. We would like to acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program under grant No. DGE-125625 and NSF grant No. AST-1616037.

LIGO-India: expanding the international network of gravitational wave detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, Balasubramanian

2015-04-01

The first detection of Gravitational Waves (GW) by ground based detectors will open up a fundamentally new observational window to the Universe with implications for astrophysics and eventually cosmology and fundamental physics. The realization of GW astronomy requires a global network of Advanced GW detectors including upcoming observatories like KAGRA (Japan) and LIGO-India to provide good sky localization of the GW sources. LIGO-India is expected to play a key role in locating and deciphering the sources contributing to the GW symphony. The current status of LIGO-India project and the exciting future research opportunities of this ambitious Indo-US collaboration in science, technology and computation will be finally indicated. Acknowledge CISA and APS for the Award of a APS Beller Lectureship. BRI supported by the AIRBUS Group Corporate Foundation through a visiting professorship, which is part of the ``Mathematics of Complex Systems'' chair at ICTS.

X-ray Optics Testing Beamline 1-BM at the Advanced Photon Source

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

Macrander, Albert; Erdmann, Mark; Kujala, Naresh

2016-07-27

Beamline 1-BM at the APS has been reconfigured in part for testing of synchrotron optics with both monochromatic and white beams. Operational since 2013, it was reconfigured to accommodate users of the APS as well as users from other DOE facilities. Energies between 6 and 28 keV are available. The beamline was reconfigured to remove two large mirrors and to provide a 100 mm wide monochromatics beam at 54 m from the source. In addition a custom white beam shutter was implemented for topography exposures as short as 65 millisec over the full available horizontal width. Primary agendas include bothmore » white beam and monochromatic beam topography, Talbot grating interferometry, and tests of focusing optics. K-B mirrors, MLLs, and FZPs have been characterized. Measurements of the spatial coherence lengths on the beamline were obtained with Talbot interferometry. Topography data has been reported.« less

X-ray optics testing beamline 1-BM at the advanced photon source

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

Macrander, Albert, E-mail: atm@anl.gov; Erdmann, Mark; Kujala, Naresh

2016-07-27

Beamline 1-BM at the APS has been reconfigured in part for testing of synchrotron optics with both monochromatic and white beams. Operational since 2013, it was reconfigured to accommodate users of the APS as well as users from other DOE facilities. Energies between 6 and 28 keV are available. The beamline was reconfigured to remove two large mirrors and to provide a 100 mm wide monochromatic beam at 54 m from the source. In addition a custom white beam shutter was implemented for topography exposures as short as 65 millisec over the full available horizontal width. Primary agendas include bothmore » white beam and monochromatic beam topography, Talbot grating interferometry, and tests of focusing optics. K-B mirrors, MLLs, and FZPs have been characterized. Measurements of the spatial coherence lengths on the beamline were obtained with Talbot interferometry. Topography data has been reported.« less

The role of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in schizophrenia: a critical appraisal

PubMed Central

Veguilla, Miguel Ruiz; Taylor, David; Balanzá-Martinez, Vicent

2014-01-01

Despite their widespread use, long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics (APs) are often regarded with some negativity because of the assumption of punishment, control and insufficient evolution towards psychosocial development of patients. However, LAI APs have proved effective in schizophrenia and other severe psychotic disorders because they assure stable blood levels, leading to a reduction of the risk of relapse. Therapeutic opportunities have also arisen after introduction of newer, second-generation LAI APs in recent years. Newer LAI APs are more readily dosed optimally, may be better tolerated and are better suited to integrated rehabilitation programmes. This review outlines the older and newer LAI APs available for the treatment of schizophrenia, with considerations of past and present pharmacological and therapeutic issues. Traditional, evidence-based approaches to systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials are of limited utility in this area so this paper’s blending of experimental trials with observational research is particularly appropriate and effective. PMID:25360245

Automated Plasma Spray (APS) process feasibility study: Plasma spray process development and evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetheroff, C. W.; Derkacs, T.; Matay, I. M.

1979-01-01

An automated plasma spray (APS) process was developed to apply two layer (NiCrAlY and ZrO2-12Y2O3) thermal-barrier coatings to aircraft gas turbine engine blade airfoils. The APS process hardware consists of four subsystems: a mechanical blade positioner incorporating two interlaced six-degree-of-freedom assemblies; a noncoherent optical metrology subsystem; a microprocessor-based adaptive system controller; and commercial plasma spray equipment. Over fifty JT9D first stage turbine blades specimens were coated with the APS process in preliminary checkout and evaluation studies. The best of the preliminary specimens achieved an overall coating thickness uniformity of + or - 53 micrometers, much better than is achievable manually. Factors limiting this performance were identified and process modifications were initiated accordingly. Comparative evaluations of coating thickness uniformity for manually sprayed and APS coated specimens were initiated. One of the preliminary evaluation specimens was subjected to a torch test and metallographic evaluation.

A Recombinant Positive Control for Serology Diagnostic Tests Supporting Elimination of Onchocerca volvulus.

PubMed

Golden, Allison; Stevens, Eric J; Yokobe, Lindsay; Faulx, Dunia; Kalnoky, Michael; Peck, Roger; Valdez, Melissa; Steel, Cathy; Karabou, Potochoziou; Banla, Méba; Soboslay, Peter T; Adade, Kangi; Tekle, Afework H; Cama, Vitaliano A; Fischer, Peter U; Nutman, Thomas B; Unnasch, Thomas R; de los Santos, Tala; Domingo, Gonzalo J

2016-01-01

Serological assays for human IgG4 to the Onchocerca volvulus antigen Ov16 have been used to confirm elimination of onchocerciasis in much of the Americas and parts of Africa. A standardized source of positive control antibody (human anti-Ov16 IgG4) will ensure the quality of surveillance data using these tests. A recombinant human IgG4 antibody to Ov16 was identified by screening against a synthetic human Fab phage display library and converted into human IgG4. This antibody was developed into different positive control formulations for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and rapid diagnostic test (RDT) platforms. Variation in ELISA results and utility as a positive control of the antibody were assessed from multiple laboratories. Temperature and humidity conditions were collected across seven surveillance activities from 2011-2014 to inform stability requirements for RDTs and positive controls. The feasibility of the dried positive control for RDT was evaluated during onchocerciasis surveillance activity in Togo, in 2014. When the anti-Ov16 IgG4 antibody was used as a standard dilution in horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) ELISAs, the detection limits were approximately 1ng/mL by HRP ELISA and 10ng/mL by AP ELISA. Positive control dilutions and spiked dried blood spots (DBS) produced similar ELISA results. Used as a simple plate normalization control, the positive control antibody may improve ELISA data comparison in the context of inter-laboratory variation. The aggregate temperature and humidity monitor data informed temperature parameters under which the dried positive control was tested and are applicable inputs for testing of diagnostics tools intended for sub-Saharan Africa. As a packaged positive control for Ov16 RDTs, stability of the antibody was demonstrated for over six months at relevant temperatures in the laboratory and for over 15 weeks under field conditions. The recombinant human anti-Ov16 IgG4 antibody-based positive control will benefit inter-laboratory validation of ELISA assays and serve as quality control (QC) reagents for Ov16 RDTs at different points of the supply chain from manufacturer to field use.

Chemical composition and cycling of dissolved organic matter in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aluwihare, Lihini I.; Repeta, Daniel J.; Chen, Robert F.

This study focuses on the chemical characterization of high molecular-weight dissolved organic matter (HMW DOM) isolated from the Middle Atlantic Bight in April 1994 and March 1996. Using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1HNMR) and monosaccharide analysis we compared both spatial and temporal variations in the chemical structure of HMW DOM across this region. Our analyses support the presence of at least two compositionally distinct components to HMW DOM. The major component is acyl polysaccharide (APS), a biopolymer rich in carbohydrates, acetate and lipid, accounting for between 50% and 80% of the total high molecular-weight dissolved organic carbon (HMW DOC) in surface samples. APS is most abundant in fully marine, surface-water samples, and is a product of autochthonous production. Organic matter with spectral properties characteristic of humic substances is the second major component of HMW DOM. Humic substances are most abundant (up to 49% of the total carbon) in samples collected from estuaries, near the coast, and in deep water, suggesting both marine and perhaps terrestrial sources. Radiocarbon analyses of neutral monosaccharides released by the hydrolysis of APS have similar and modern (average 71‰) Δ 14C values. Radiocarbon data support our suggestion that these sugars occur as part of a common macromolecule, with an origin via recent biosynthesis. Preliminary radiocarbon data for total neutral monosaccharides isolated from APS at 300 and 750 m show this fraction to be substantially enriched relative to total HMW DOC and DOC. The relatively enriched radiocarbon values of APS at depth suggest APS is rapidly transported into the deep ocean.