Pressure suppression containment system for boiling water reactor

DOEpatents

Gluntz, Douglas M.; Nesbitt, Loyd B.

1997-01-01

A system for suppressing the pressure inside the containment of a BWR following a postulated accident. A piping subsystem is provided which features a main process pipe that communicates the wetwell airspace to a connection point downstream of the guard charcoal bed in an offgas system and upstream of the main bank of delay charcoal beds which give extensive holdup to offgases. The main process pipe is fitted with both inboard and outboard containment isolation valves. Also incorporated in the main process pipe is a low-differential-pressure rupture disk which prevents any gas outflow in this piping whatsoever until or unless rupture occurs by virtue of pressure inside this main process pipe on the wetwell airspace side of the disk exceeding the design opening (rupture) pressure differential. The charcoal holds up the radioactive species in the noncondensable gas from the wetwell plenum by adsorption, allowing time for radioactive decay before the gas is vented to the environs.

Induced systemic resistance in Arabidopsis against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato by disease suppressive soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two-week-old Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Col-0 seedlings were transferred into an autoclaved sand-soil mixture amended with 10% or 20% (weight/weight) soil that is suppressive to either take-all or Rhizoctonia root rot of wheat from fields in Washington State USA. These soils contain population siz...

Methane Explosion Mitigation in Coal Mines by Water Mist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chikhradze, Nikoloz; Mataradze, Edgar; Chikhradze, Mikheil; Krauthammer, Ted; Mansurov, Zulkhair; Alyiev, Erhan

2017-12-01

Statistics shows that the majority of accidents with fatal outcome are caused by methane and/or coal dust explosion. This leads to assume that contemporary counter-explosion systems of various designs cannot be considered effective. Considering the growing threat of methane explosion in the coming years along with the development of deeper levels, the improvement of a system for protecting people in underground opening appears urgent. This paper focuses on technical solutions to be used in designing a protective system for minimizing the consequences of methane explosions in coalmines. The new protective system consists of three main modules: i) a high-speed shock wave suppression section; ii) a suppression section with a long-term action and iii) a system activating device. The shock wave suppressor contains a 200 litre volume water tank with a built-in gas generator and nozzles. It is activated after 12ms from the blast moment, the duration of discharge is 40 s. The suppression section with a long-term action contains a 2000 litre volume water tank, a high-pressure pump, a hydraulic accumulator, solenoid valves, and a system of pipes with built-in nozzles. It is activated after 4 s from the blast moment, the duration of discharge is 8 min. The activation device includes a detection block containing sensors, an emergency signal generation module, a signal transmission module, a signal receiving module and a power supply module. The system operates in a waiting mode and activates immediately upon the receipt of the start signal generated by the detector. The paper also addresses the preliminary results of the system prototype testing in the tunnel.

Src Homology 2–containing 5-Inositol Phosphatase (SHIP) Suppresses an Early Stage of Lymphoid Cell Development through Elevated Interleukin-6 Production by Myeloid Cells in Bone Marrow

PubMed Central

Nakamura, Koji; Kouro, Taku; Kincade, Paul W.; Malykhin, Alexander; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Coggeshall, K. Mark

2004-01-01

The Src homology (SH)2–containing inositol 5-phosphatase (SHIP) negatively regulates a variety of immune responses through inhibitory immune receptors. In SHIP−/− animals, we found that the number of early lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow was significantly reduced and accompanied by expansion of myeloid cells. We exploited an in vitro system using hematopoietic progenitors that reproduced the in vivo phenotype of SHIP−/− mice. Lineage-negative marrow (Lin−) cells isolated from wild-type mice failed to differentiate into B cells when cocultured with those of SHIP−/− mice. Furthermore, culture supernatants of SHIP−/− Lin− cells suppressed the B lineage expansion of wild-type lineage-negative cells, suggesting the presence of a suppressive cytokine. SHIP−/− Lin− cells contained more IL-6 transcripts than wild-type Lin− cells, and neutralizing anti–IL-6 antibody rescued the B lineage expansion suppressed by the supernatants of SHIP−/− Lin− cells. Finally, we found that addition of recombinant IL-6 to cultures of wild-type Lin− bone marrow cells reproduced the phenotype of SHIP−/− bone marrow cultures: suppression of B cell development and expansion of myeloid cells. The results identify IL-6 as an important regulatory cytokine that can suppress B lineage differentiation and drive excessive myeloid development in bone marrow. PMID:14718513

Pressure suppression containment system for boiling water reactor

DOEpatents

Gluntz, D.M.; Nesbitt, L.B.

1997-01-21

A system is disclosed for suppressing the pressure inside the containment of a BWR following a postulated accident. A piping subsystem is provided which features a main process pipe that communicates the wetwell airspace to a connection point downstream of the guard charcoal bed in an offgas system and upstream of the main bank of delay charcoal beds which give extensive holdup to offgases. The main process pipe is fitted with both inboard and outboard containment isolation valves. Also incorporated in the main process pipe is a low-differential-pressure rupture disk which prevents any gas outflow in this piping whatsoever until or unless rupture occurs by virtue of pressure inside this main process pipe on the wetwell airspace side of the disk exceeding the design opening (rupture) pressure differential. The charcoal holds up the radioactive species in the noncondensable gas from the wetwell plenum by adsorption, allowing time for radioactive decay before the gas is vented to the environs. 3 figs.

A self-contained, automated methodology for optimal flow control validated for transition delay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joslin, Ronald D.; Gunzburger, Max D.; Nicolaides, R. A.; Erlebacher, Gordon; Hussaini, M. Yousuff

1995-01-01

This paper describes a self-contained, automated methodology for flow control along with a validation of the methodology for the problem of boundary layer instability suppression. The objective of control is to match the stress vector along a portion of the boundary to a given vector; instability suppression is achieved by choosing the given vector to be that of a steady base flow, e.g., Blasius boundary layer. Control is effected through the injection or suction of fluid through a single orifice on the boundary. The present approach couples the time-dependent Navier-Stokes system with an adjoint Navier-Stokes system and optimality conditions from which optimal states, i.e., unsteady flow fields, and control, e.g., actuators, may be determined. The results demonstrate that instability suppression can be achieved without any a priori knowledge of the disturbance, which is significant because other control techniques have required some knowledge of the flow unsteadiness such as frequencies, instability type, etc.

E x B shearing rate in quasi-symmetric plasmas

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

Hahm, T.S.

1997-06-20

The suppression of turbulence by the E x B shear is studied in systems with quasi-symmetry using the nonlinear analysis of eddy decorrelation previously utilized in finite aspect ratio tokamak plasmas. The analytically derived E x B shearing rate which contains the relevant geometric dependence can be used for quantitative assessment of the fluctuation suppression in stellarators with quasi-symmetry.

Summary of the Graduate Mentoring Assistance Program for PNNL PNNL.12.006 (April 2012 – May 31, 2013)

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

Schwantes, Jon M.

2013-05-01

Summary of Students and Projects Sarah Bender The possible improvement of the Multi-Isotope Process (MIP) Monitor by the addition of Compton suppression is investigated for this study. The Compton continuum from the dominant 661.7 keV Cs-137 fission product peak obscures lower energy lines which could be used for spectral and multivariate analysis. A novel Compton suppression system which uses fast, room-temperature materials will be developed using simulation. As opposed to the standard high purity germanium (HPGe) detector suppressed using a thallium-doped sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)) guard detector array, cerium-doped lanthanum bromide (LaBr3) will be used as the primary spectroscopic detector. Formore » Sarah’s Master’s degree, she constructed and validated the unsuppressed detector response of the Pennsylvania State University (PSU)-Compton suppression system. For Sarah’s PhD, she is completing that simulation by including the suppressed operation which will be validated with spent fuel samples. She is also going to use the validation of suppressed operation to predict the detector response of a LaBr3 based Compton suppression system. Richard Clark Richard Clark completed his study this FY of a new technique known as Intrinsic Dosimetry. Intrinsic Dosimetry is the method of measuring total absorbed dose received by the walls of a container holding radioactive material. By considering the total absorbed dose received by a container in tandem with the physical characteristics of the radioactive material housed within that container, this method has the potential to provide enhanced pathway information regarding the history of the container and its radioactive contents. The latest in a series of experiments designed to validate and demonstrate this newly developed tool are reported. Kenneth Dayman The MIP Monitor is an online, non-destructive approach to process monitoring in a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility using gamma spectra taken of process streams and multivariate data analysis to detect anomalies in operation. Last year, Mr. Dayman investigated methods to classify spent nuclear fuel according to both reactor type and burn up based on the constituent nuclide activities, which may be used to more accurately calibrate other models in an analysis scheme in order to improve the accuracy and precision of predictions. He is currently writing up his results for publication and has transitioned to another project with Dr. Derrick Haas at PNNL.« less

GABAB receptor attenuation of GABAA currents in neurons of the mammalian central nervous system.

PubMed

Shen, Wen; Nan, Changlong; Nelson, Peter T; Ripps, Harris; Slaughter, Malcolm M

2017-03-01

Ionotropic receptors are tightly regulated by second messenger systems and are often present along with their metabotropic counterparts on a neuron's plasma membrane. This leads to the hypothesis that the two receptor subtypes can interact, and indeed this has been observed in excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA receptors. In both systems the metabotropic pathway augments the ionotropic receptor response. However, we have found that the metabotropic GABA B receptor can suppress the ionotropic GABA A receptor current, in both the in vitro mouse retina and in human amygdala membrane fractions. Expression of amygdala membrane microdomains in Xenopus oocytes by microtransplantation produced functional ionotropic and metabotropic GABA receptors. Most GABA A receptors had properties of α -subunit containing receptors, with ~5% having ρ -subunit properties. Only GABA A receptors with α -subunit-like properties were regulated by GABA B receptors. In mouse retinal ganglion cells, where only α -subunit-containing GABA A receptors are expressed, GABA B receptors suppressed GABA A receptor currents. This suppression was blocked by GABA B receptor antagonists, G-protein inhibitors, and GABA B receptor antibodies. Based on the kinetic differences between metabotropic and ionotropic receptors, their interaction would suppress repeated, rapid GABAergic inhibition. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Explosive destruction system for disposal of chemical munitions

DOEpatents

Tschritter, Kenneth L [Livermore, CA; Haroldsen, Brent L [Manteca, CA; Shepodd, Timothy J [Livermore, CA; Stofleth, Jerome H [Albuquerque, NM; DiBerardo, Raymond A [Baltimore, MD

2005-04-19

An explosive destruction system and method for safely destroying explosively configured chemical munitions. The system comprises a sealable, gas-tight explosive containment vessel, a fragment suppression system positioned in said vessel, and shaped charge means for accessing the interior of the munition when the munition is placed within the vessel and fragment suppression system. Also provided is a means for treatment and neutralization of the munition's chemical fills, and means for heating and agitating the contents of the vessel. The system is portable, rapidly deployable and provides the capability of explosively destroying and detoxifying chemical munitions within a gas-tight enclosure so that there is no venting of toxic or hazardous chemicals during detonation.

Processing of Lewisite munitions in the explosive destruction system.

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

Shepodd, Timothy J.; Didlake, John E., Jr.; Bradshaw, Robert W., PhD

2005-03-01

The Explosive Destruction System (EDS) is a transportable system designed to treat chemical munitions. The EDS is transported on an open trailer that provides a mounting surface for major system components and an operator's work platform. The trailer is towed by a prime mover. An explosive containment vessel contains the shock, munition fragments, and the chemical agent during the munition opening process, and then provides a vessel for the subsequent chemical treatment of the agent. A fragmentation suppression system houses the chemical munition and protects the containment vessel from high velocity fragments. An explosive accessing system uses shaped charges tomore » cut the munition open and attack the burster. A firing system detonates the shaped charges. A chemical feed system supplies neutralizing reagents and water to the containment vessel. A waste handling system drains the treated effluent.« less

Self-Contained Automated Methodology for Optimal Flow Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joslin, Ronald D.; Gunzburger, Max D.; Nicolaides, Roy A.; Erlebacherl, Gordon; Hussaini, M. Yousuff

1997-01-01

This paper describes a self-contained, automated methodology for active flow control which couples the time-dependent Navier-Stokes system with an adjoint Navier-Stokes system and optimality conditions from which optimal states, i.e., unsteady flow fields and controls (e.g., actuators), may be determined. The problem of boundary layer instability suppression through wave cancellation is used as the initial validation case to test the methodology. Here, the objective of control is to match the stress vector along a portion of the boundary to a given vector; instability suppression is achieved by choosing the given vector to be that of a steady base flow. Control is effected through the injection or suction of fluid through a single orifice on the boundary. The results demonstrate that instability suppression can be achieved without any a priori knowledge of the disturbance, which is significant because other control techniques have required some knowledge of the flow unsteadiness such as frequencies, instability type, etc. The present methodology has been extended to three dimensions and may potentially be applied to separation control, re-laminarization, and turbulence control applications using one to many sensors and actuators.

Non-structural protein 1 from avian influenza virus H9N2 is an efficient RNA silencing suppressor with characteristics that differ from those of Tomato bushy stunt virus p19.

PubMed

Yu, Ru; Jing, Xiuli; Li, Wenjing; Xu, Jie; Xu, Yang; Geng, Liwei; Zhu, Changxiang; Liu, Hongmei

2018-06-01

Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza A virus is a multifunctional dimeric protein that contains a conserved N-terminal RNA binding domain. Studies have shown that NS1 suppresses RNA silencing and the NS1 proteins encoded by different influenza A virus strains exhibit differential RNA silencing suppression activities. In this study, we showed that the NS1 protein from avian influenza virus (AIV) H9N2 suppressed systemic RNA silencing induced by sense RNA or dsRNA. It resulted in more severe Potato virus X symptom, but could not reverse established systemic green fluorescent protein silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana. In addition, its systemic silencing suppression activity was much weaker than that of p19. The local silencing suppression activity of AIV H9N2 NS1 was most powerful at 7 dpi and was even stronger than that of p19. And the inhibition ability to RNA silencing of NS1 is stronger than that of p19 in human cells. Collectively, these results indicate that AIV H9N2 NS1 is an effective RNA silencing suppressor that likely targets downstream step(s) of dsRNA formation at an early stage in RNA silencing. Although NS1 and p19 both bind siRNA, their suppression mechanisms seem to differ because of differences in their suppression activities at various times post-infiltration and because p19 can reverse established systemic RNA silencing, but NS1 cannot.

Nanoparticles Containing Curcumin Useful for Suppressing Macrophages In Vivo in Mice

PubMed Central

Amano, Chie; Minematsu, Hideki; Fujita, Kazuyo; Iwashita, Shinki; Adachi, Masaki; Igarashi, Koichi; Hinuma, Shuji

2015-01-01

To explore a novel method using liposomes to suppress macrophages, we screened food constituents through cell culture assays. Curcumin was one of the strongest compounds exhibiting suppressive effects on macrophages. We subsequently tried various methods to prepare liposomal curcumin, and eventually succeeded in preparing liposomes with sufficient amounts of curcumin to suppress macrophages by incorporating a complex of curcumin and bovine serum albumin. The diameter of the resultant nanoparticles, the liposomes containing curcumin, ranged from 60 to 100 nm. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that after intraperitoneal administration of the liposomes containing curcumin into mice, these were incorporated mainly by macrophages positive for F4/80, CD36, and CD11b antigens. Peritoneal cells prepared from mice injected in vivo with the liposomes containing curcumin apparently decreased interleukin-6-producing activities. Major changes in body weight and survival rates in the mice were not observed after administrating the liposomes containing curcumin. These results indicate that the liposomes containing curcumin are safe and useful for the selective suppression of macrophages in vivo in mice. PMID:26361331

Development of Tremor Suppression Control System Using Adaptive Filter and Its Application to Meal-assist Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, Ken'ichi; Ohara, Eiichi; Horihata, Satoshi; Aoki, Takaaki; Nishimoto, Yutaka

A robot that supports independent living by assisting with eating and other activities which use the operator's own hand would be helpful for people suffering from tremors of the hand or any other body part. The proposed system using adaptive filter estimates tremor frequencies with a time-varying property and individual differences online. In this study, the estimated frequency is used to adjusting the tremor suppression filter which insulates the voluntary motion signal from the sensor signal containing tremor components. These system are integrated into the control system of the Meal-Assist Robot. As a result, the developed system makes it possible for the person with a tremor to manipulate the supporting robot without causing operability to deteriorate and without hazards due to improper operation.

Definition of experiments to investigate fire suppressants in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuther, James J.

1990-01-01

Defined and justified here are the conceptual design and operation of a critical set of experiments expected to yield information on suppressants and on suppressant delivery systems under realistic spacecraft-fire conditions (smoldering). Specific experiment parameters are provided on the solid fuel (carbon), oxidants (habitable spacecraft atmospheres), fuel/oxidant supply, mixing mode, and rate (quiescent and finite; ventilated and replenishable), ignition mode, event, and reignition tendency, fire-zone size, fire conditions, lifetime, and consequences (toxicity), suppressants (CO2, H2O, N2) and suppressant delivery systems, and diagnostics. Candidate suppressants were identified after an analysis of how reduced gravity alters combustion, and how these alterations may influence the modes, mechanisms, and capacities of terrestrial agents to suppress unwanted combustion, or fire. Preferred spacecraft suppression concepts included the local, near-quiescent application of a gas, vapor, or mist that has thermophysical fire-suppression activity and is chemically inert under terrestrial (normal gravity) combustion conditions. The scale, number, and duration (about 1 hour) of the proposed low-gravity experiments were estimated using data not only on the limitations imposed by spacecraft-carrier (Shuttle or Space Station Freedom) accommodations, but also data on the details and experience of standardized smolder-suppression experiments at normal gravity. Deliberately incorporated into the conceptual design was sufficient interchangeability for the prototype experimental package to fly either on Shuttle now or Freedom later. This flexibility is provided by the design concept of up to 25 modular fuel canisters within a containment vessel, which permits both integration into existing low-gravity in-space combustion experiments and simultaneous testing of separate experiments to conserve utilities and time.

Serotonin signaling is crucial in the induction of PUVA-induced systemic suppression of delayed type hypersensitivity but not local apoptosis or inflammation of the skin

PubMed Central

Wolf, Peter; Byrne, Scott N.; Limon-Flores, Alberto Y.; Hoefler, Gerald; Ullrich, Stephen E.

2016-01-01

Psoralen and UVA (PUVA) has immunosuppressive and proapoptotic effects, which are thought to be responsible alone or in combination for its therapeutic efficacy. However, the molecular mechanism by which PUVA mediates its effects are not well understood. Activation of the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) pathway has been suggested to be involved in the modulation of T cell responses and found to mediate UVB-induced immune suppression. In particular, the activation of the 5-HT2A receptor has been proposed as one mechanism responsible for UV-induced immune suppression. We therefore hypothesized that 5-HT may play a role in PUVA-induced effects. The model of systemic suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to Candida albicans was used to study immune function after exposure of C3H and KITW-Sh/W-Sh mice to a minimal inflammatory dose of topical PUVA. The intraperitoneal injection of the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin or cyproheptadine or an anti-5-HT antibody immediately before PUVA exposure entirely abrogated suppression of DTH but had no significant effect on inflammation, as measured by swelling and cellular infiltration of the skin, and apoptosis as determined by the number of sunburn cells in C3H mice. Importantly, the systemic injection of 5-HT recapitulated PUVA immune suppression of DTH but did not induce inflammation or apoptosis in the skin. KITW-Sh/W-Sh mice (exhibiting myelopoietic abnormalities, including lack of 5-HT-containing mast cells) were resistant to PUVA-induced suppression of DTH but not local skin swelling. Thus, this points towards a crucial role of 5-HT signaling in PUVA-induced immune suppression but not inflammation or apoptosis in situ in the skin. PMID:26914366

Development and Demonstration of Active Noise Control Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kraft, R.; Hu, Z.; Sommerfeldt, S.; Walker, B.; Hersh, A.; Luo, H.; Spencer, M.; Hallman, D.; Mitchell, C.; Sutliff, D.

2000-01-01

This report details design methods for and feasibility of an Active Noise Control (ANC) system using flush-wall-mounted sensors and actuators to reduce turbofan engine rotor-stator interaction noise. ANC concepts capable of suppressing discrete-tone spinning modes containing several cut-on radial mode were identified, developed analytically, and evaluated. Separate ANC systems that suppressed at least three radial modes in a cylindrical inlet duct and three radial modes in an exhaust annulus were developed. These designs resulted in inlet duct and exhaust duct tests that were performed at NASA on the 4-ft ANC Fan in the NASA Glenn AAPL facility. Effective suppression of 2-BPF spinning mode m = 2 tone noise was achieved over a range of fan speeds 1800 to 2450 rpm, where up to 4 radials were present. In the inlet duct, up to 12 dB reduction was obtained for 3 radial modes, and up to 4 dB was obtained with 4 radial modes. In the exhaust duct, up to 15 dB PWL reduction was obtained with either two or three radial modes present. Thus, the ability to suppress multiple radial modes for tones in both the inlet and exhaust ducts has been successfully demonstrated. Implications of ANC system design requirements on installation and system integration issues for ANC systems capable of suppressing higher order radial mode content when applied to a 767 using twin CF6 engines were evaluated analytically. The analytical results indicated an ANC system must be part of an integrated design to be effective.

[Laser speckle suppression due to dynamic multiple scattering scheme introduced by oblique incidence].

PubMed

Xu, Mei-fang; Gao, Wen-hong; Shi, Yun-bo; Wang, Hao-quan; Du, Bin-bin

2014-06-01

Speckle suppression has been the research focus in laser display technology. In the present paper, the relation between multiple scattering and the size of speckle grains is established by analyzing the properties of speckle generated by the laser beam through SiO2 suspension. Combined with dynamic light scattering theory, laser speckle suppression due to dynamic multiple scattering scheme introduced by oblique incidence is proposed. A speckle suppression element consists of a static diffuser and a light pipe containing the water suspension of SiO2 microspheres with a diameter of 300 nm and a molar concentration of 3.0 x 10(-4) μm3, which is integrated with the laser display system. The laser beam with different incident angles into the SiO2 suspension affecting the contrast of the speckle images is analyzed by the experiments. The results demonstrate that the contrast of the speckle image can be reduced to 0.067 from 0.43 when the beam with the incident angle of approximately 8 degrees illuminates into the SiO2 suspension. The spatial average of speckle granules and the temporal average of speckle images were achieved by the proposed method, which improved the effect of speckle suppression. The proposed element for speckle suppression improved the reliability and reduced the cost of laser projection system, since no mechanical vibration is needed and it is convenient to integrate the element with the existing projection system.

HIV-infected patients receiving lopinavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy achieve high rates of virologic suppression despite adherence rates less than 95%.

PubMed

Shuter, Jonathan; Sarlo, Julie A; Kanmaz, Tina J; Rode, Richard A; Zingman, Barry S

2007-05-01

The observation that extremely high levels of medication adherence are required to achieve complete virologic suppression is based largely on studies of treatment-experienced patients receiving HIV protease inhibitor (PI)-based therapy without ritonavir boosting. This study aims to define the level of adherence needed to achieve virologic suppression in patients receiving boosted PI-based highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with lopinavir/ritonavir. HIV-infected adults receiving a regimen containing lopinavir/ritonavir were recruited into a prospective, observational study of the relation between adherence to lopinavir/ritonavir and virologic outcomes. Adherence was measured using the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS; Aardex, Union City, CA). HIV-1 viral load (VL) was measured at week 24. The final study population contained 64 subjects. Eighty percent had AIDS, 97% received lopinavir/ritonavir before enrollment, and most had more than 7 years of HAART experience. Mean adherence overall was 73%. Eighty percent and 59% achieved a VL <400 copies/mL and a VL <75 copies/mL, respectively. Mean adherence was 75% in those achieving a VL <75 copies/mL. High rates of virologic suppression were observed in all adherence quartiles, including the lowest quartile (range of adherence: 23.5%-53.3%). Moderate levels of adherence can lead to virologic suppression in most patients taking lopinavir/ritonavir-based HAART.

Application of boronated anti-CEA immunoliposome to tumour cell growth inhibition in in vitro boron neutron capture therapy model.

PubMed Central

Yanagië, H.; Tomita, T.; Kobayashi, H.; Fujii, Y.; Takahashi, T.; Hasumi, K.; Nariuchi, H.; Sekiguchi, M.

1991-01-01

An immunoliposome containing a 10B-compound has been examined as a selective drug delivery system in boron neutron-capture therapy. Liposomes, conjugated with monoclonal antibodies specific for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were shown to bind selectively to cells bearing CEA on their surface. The immunoliposomes attached to tumour cells suppressed growth in vitro upon thermal neutron irradiation and suppression was dependent upon the concentration of the 10B-compound in the liposomes and on the density of antibody conjugated to the liposomes. The results suggest that immunoliposomes containing the 10B-compound could act as a selective and efficient carrier of 10B atoms to target tumour cells in boron neutron-capture therapy. Images Figure 1 PMID:2021537

14 CFR 121.314 - Cargo and baggage compartments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... sidewall liner panels which are constructed of: (1) Glass fiber reinforced resin; (2) Materials which meet... converted or retrofitted with appropriate detection and suppression systems, each certificate holder must submit written progress reports to the FAA that contain the information specified below. (i) The serial...

14 CFR 121.314 - Cargo and baggage compartments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... sidewall liner panels which are constructed of: (1) Glass fiber reinforced resin; (2) Materials which meet... converted or retrofitted with appropriate detection and suppression systems, each certificate holder must submit written progress reports to the FAA that contain the information specified below. (i) The serial...

Loss of DHR sequences at Browns Ferry Unit One - accident-sequence analysis

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

Cook, D.H.; Grene, S.R.; Harrington, R.M.

1983-05-01

This study describes the predicted response of Unit One at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant to a postulated loss of decay heat removal (DHR) capability following scram from full power with the power conversion system unavailable. In accident sequences without DHR capability, the residual heat removal (RHR) system functions of pressure suppression pool cooling and reactor vessel shutdown cooling are unavailable. Consequently, all decay heat energy is stored in the pressure suppression pool with a concomitant increase in pool temperature and primary containment pressure. With the assumption that DHR capability is not regained during the lengthy course of this accidentmore » sequence, the containment ultimately fails by overpressurization. Although unlikely, this catastrophic failure might lead to loss of the ability to inject cooling water into the reactor vessel, causing subsequent core uncovery and meltdown. The timing of these events and the effective mitigating actions that might be taken by the operator are discussed in this report.« less

The motion and control of a complex three-body space tethered system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Gefei; Zhu, Zhanxia; Chen, Shiyu; Yuan, Jianping; Tang, Biwei

2017-11-01

This paper is mainly devoted to investigating the dynamics and stability control of a three body-tethered satellite system which contains a main satellite and two subsatellites connected by two straight, massless and inextensible tethers. Firstly, a detailed mathematical model is established in the central gravitational field. Then, the dynamic characteristics of the established system are investigated and analyzed. Based on the dynamic analysis, a novel sliding mode prediction model (SMPM) control strategy is proposed to suppress the motion of the built tethered system. The numerical results show that the proposed underactuated control law is highly effective in suppressing the attitude/libration motion of the underactuated three-body tethered system. Furthermore, cases of different target angles are also examined and analyzed. The simulation results reveal that even if the final equilibrium states differ from different selections of the target angles, the whole system can still be maintained in acceptable areas.

Musical Sequence Learning and EEG Correlates of Audiomotor Processing

PubMed Central

Schalles, Matt D.; Pineda, Jaime A.

2015-01-01

Our motor and auditory systems are functionally connected during musical performance, and functional imaging suggests that the association is strong enough that passive music listening can engage the motor system. As predictive coding constrains movement sequence selections, could the motor system contribute to sequential processing of musical passages? If this is the case, then we hypothesized that the motor system should respond preferentially to passages of music that contain similar sequential information, even if other aspects of music, such as the absolute pitch, have been altered. We trained piano naive subjects with a learn-to play-by-ear paradigm, to play a simple melodic sequence over five days. After training, we recorded EEG of subjects listening to the song they learned to play, a transposed version of that song, and a control song with different notes and sequence from the learned song. Beta band power over sensorimotor scalp showed increased suppression for the learned song, a moderate level of suppression for the transposed song, and no suppression for the control song. As beta power is associated with attention and motor processing, we interpret this as support of the motor system's activity during covert perception of music one can play and similar musical sequences. PMID:26527118

Interaction of aromatic alcohols, aldehydes and acids with α-hydroxyl-containing carbon-centered radicals: A steady state radiolysis study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samovich, S. N.; Brinkevich, S. D.; Shadyro, O. I.

2013-01-01

Benzaldehyde and its derivatives efficaciously oxidize in aqueous solutions α-hydroxyl-containing carbon-centered radicals (α-HCR) of various structures, suppressing thereby the radical recombination and fragmentation reactions. The compounds containing cinnamic moieties are capable of adding α-hydroxyethyl radicals (α-HER) to the carbon-carbon double bonds conjugated with the aromatic system to form molecular products identifiable by mass spectrometry. On radiolysis of aqueous ethanol solutions, reduction of α-HER by aromatic alcohols and acids has been shown to proceed via formation of their adducts with hydrated electron species.

Frameshift Suppression in SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE. IV. New Suppressors among Spontaneous Co-Revertants of the Group II HIS4-206 and LEU2-3 Frameshift Mutations

PubMed Central

Gaber, Richard F.; Culbertson, Michael R.

1982-01-01

ICR-induced frameshift mutations at the his4 locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been classified into several groups on the basis of their reversion and suppression properties. One group of externally suppressible his4 mutations, designated Group II, have been shown to contain +1 G:C insertions in glycine codons and are suppressed by any one of five suppressor mutations described previously (SUF1, SUF3, SUF4, SUF5, and SUF6). The suppressor genes are believed to encode glycine tRNAs containing four base anticodons.—An analysis of spontaneous co-revertants of the Group II frameshift mutations his4-206 and leu2-3 has revealed the existence of eleven new Group II-specific suppressor genes (SUF15 through SUF25). The locations of the new suppressor loci on the yeast genetic map have been determined.—By comparing the ability or inability of Group II-specific suppressors mapping at 16 different loci to suppress different Group II his4 mutations, two subclasses of suppressors have been defined. One subclass suppresses his4-38 and his4-519, which contain the altered four base mRNA codons 5'-GGGU-3' and 5'-GGGG-3', respectively. The other subclass suppresses his4-38, but fails to suppress his4-519. The mechanism of tRNA-mediated frameshift suppression and the molecular basis for this division of the suppressors into two subclasses is discussed. PMID:6757051

Detection of burst suppression patterns in EEG using recurrence rate.

PubMed

Liang, Zhenhu; Wang, Yinghua; Ren, Yongshao; Li, Duan; Voss, Logan; Sleigh, Jamie; Li, Xiaoli

2014-01-01

Burst suppression is a unique electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern commonly seen in cases of severely reduced brain activity such as overdose of general anesthesia. It is important to detect burst suppression reliably during the administration of anesthetic or sedative agents, especially for cerebral-protective treatments in various neurosurgical diseases. This study investigates recurrent plot (RP) analysis for the detection of the burst suppression pattern (BSP) in EEG. The RP analysis is applied to EEG data containing BSPs collected from 14 patients. Firstly we obtain the best selection of parameters for RP analysis. Then, the recurrence rate (RR), determinism (DET), and entropy (ENTR) are calculated. Then RR was selected as the best BSP index one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison tests. Finally, the performance of RR analysis is compared with spectral analysis, bispectral analysis, approximate entropy, and the nonlinear energy operator (NLEO). ANOVA and multiple comparison tests showed that the RR could detect BSP and that it was superior to other measures with the highest sensitivity of suppression detection (96.49%, P = 0.03). Tracking BSP patterns is essential for clinical monitoring in critically ill and anesthetized patients. The purposed RR may provide an effective burst suppression detector for developing new patient monitoring systems.

The Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications.

PubMed

Smith, K A

1994-09-01

On August 3, 1968, the Joint Resolution of the Congress established the program and construction of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications. The facility dedicated in 1980 contains the latest in computer and communications technologies. The history, program requirements, construction management, and general planning are discussed including technical issues regarding cabling, systems functions, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC), fire suppression, research and development laboratories, among others.

Synthetic Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) Containing Suppressive TTAGGG Motifs Inhibit AIM2 Inflammasome Activation

PubMed Central

Kaminski, John J.; Schattgen, Stefan A.; Tzeng, Te-Chen; Bode, Christian; Klinman, Dennis M.; Fitzgerald, Katherine A.

2013-01-01

Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides comprised of the immunosuppressive motif TTAGGG block TLR9 signaling, prevent STAT1 and STAT4 phosphorylation and attenuate a variety of inflammatory responses in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that such suppressive oligodeoxynucleotides (sup ODN) abrogate activation of cytosolic nucleic acid sensing pathways. Pretreatment of dendritic cells and macrophages with the suppressive ODN-A151 abrogated type I IFN, TNFα and ISG induction in response to cytosolic dsDNA. In addition, A151 abrogated caspase-1-dependent IL-1β and IL-18 maturation in dendritic cells stimulated with dsDNA and murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). Inhibition was dependent on A151’s phosphorothioate backbone while substitution of the guanosine residues for adenosine negatively affected potency. A151 mediates these effects by binding to AIM2 in a manner that is competitive with immune-stimulatory DNA and as a consequence prevents AIM2 inflammasome complex formation. Collectively, these findings reveal a new route by which suppressive ODNs modulate the immune system and unveil novel applications for suppressive ODNs in the treatment of infectious and autoimmune diseases. PMID:23986531

Verification study of an emerging fire suppression system

DOE PAGES

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Waked, R. Ryan; Granzow, Howard N.; ...

2016-01-01

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Moreover, plutonium gloveboxes present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials; these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. Several studies have been conducted to determine the robustness of selfcontained fire extinguishers in plutonium gloveboxes in a nuclear facility, verification tests must be performed. These tests include activation and mass loss calorimeter tests. In addition, compatibility issues with chemical components of the self-contained fire extinguishers need to be addressed. Our study presents activation andmore » mass loss calorimeter test results. After extensive studies, no critical areas of concern have been identified for the plutonium glovebox application of Fire Foe™, except for glovebox operations that use large quantities of bulk plutonium or uranium metal such as metal casting and pyro-chemistry operations.« less

Verification study of an emerging fire suppression system

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

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Waked, R. Ryan; Granzow, Howard N.

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Moreover, plutonium gloveboxes present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials; these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. Several studies have been conducted to determine the robustness of selfcontained fire extinguishers in plutonium gloveboxes in a nuclear facility, verification tests must be performed. These tests include activation and mass loss calorimeter tests. In addition, compatibility issues with chemical components of the self-contained fire extinguishers need to be addressed. Our study presents activation andmore » mass loss calorimeter test results. After extensive studies, no critical areas of concern have been identified for the plutonium glovebox application of Fire Foe™, except for glovebox operations that use large quantities of bulk plutonium or uranium metal such as metal casting and pyro-chemistry operations.« less

PANDA asymmetric-configuration passive decay heat removal test results

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

Fischer, O.; Dreier, J.; Aubert, C.

1997-12-01

PANDA is a large-scale, low-pressure test facility for investigating passive decay heat removal systems for the next generation of LWRs. In the first series of experiments, PANDA was used to examine the long-term LOCA response of the Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS) for the General Electric (GE) Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR). The test objectives include concept demonstration and extension of the database available for qualification of containment codes. Also included is the study of the effects of nonuniform distributions of steam and noncondensable gases in the Dry-well (DW) and in the Suppression Chamber (SC). 3 refs., 9 figs.

Suppression of Ostwald Ripening by Chemical Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwicker, David; Hyman, Anthony A.; Jülicher, Frank

2015-03-01

Emulsions consisting of droplets immersed in a fluid are typically unstable and coarsen over time. One important coarsening process is Ostwald ripening, which is driven by the surface tension of the droplets. Ostwald ripening must thus be suppressed to stabilize emulsions, e.g. to control the properties of pharmaceuticals, food, or cosmetics. Suppression of Ostwald ripening is also important in biological cells, which contain stable liquid-like compartments, e.g. germ granules, Cajal-bodies, and centrosomes. Such systems are often driven away from equilibrium by chemical reactions and can thus be called active emulsions. Here, we show that non-equilibrium chemical reactions can suppress Ostwald Ripening, leading to stable, monodisperse emulsions. We derive analytical approximations of the typical droplet size, droplet count, and time scale of the dynamics from a coarse-grained description of the droplet dynamics. We also compare these results to numerical simulations of the continuous concentration fields. Generally, we thus show how chemical reactions can be used to stabilize emulsions and to control their properties in technology and nature.

System for the measurement of ultra-low stray light levels. [determining the adequacy of large space telescope systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wyman, C. L.; Griner, D. B.; Hurd, W. A.; Shelton, G. B.; Hunt, G. H.; Fannin, B. B.; Brealt, R. P.; Hawkins, C. A. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

An apparatus is described for measuring the effectiveness of stray light suppression light shields and baffle arrangements used in optical space experiments and large space telescopes. The light shield and baffle arrangement and a telescope model are contained in a vacuum chamber. A source of short, high-powered light energy illuminates portions of the light shield and baffle arrangement and reflects a portion of same to a photomultiplier tube by virtue of multipath scattering. The resulting signal is transferred to time-channel electronics timed by the firing of the high energy light source allowing time discrimination of the signal thereby enabling the light scattered and suppressed by the model to be distinguished from the walls and holders around the apparatus.

Suppressive effect of ethanol extract from mango (Mangifera indica L.) peel on IgE production in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Ishida, Momoko; Sasaki, Tomoko; Nishi, Kosuke; Tamamoto, Takeshi; Sugahara, Takuya

2018-04-01

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is involved in the onset of allergic reaction, and the suppression of IgE production leads to alleviation of allergic symptoms. We found that mango peel ethanol extract (MPE) significantly suppresses IgE production by human myeloma cell line U266 cells, suggesting that MPE has an anti-allergic effect by inhibiting the production of IgE. Although mangiferin is contained in mango, which suppresses IgE production by U266 cells, it was not contained in MPE. We investigated the suppressive effect of MPE in 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced allergic contact dermatitis model mice. The elevation of serum IgE level was significantly suppressed by oral administration of MPE. Intake of MPE also suppressed the expression level of IL-4 in the DNFB-challenged ears, suggesting that MPE suppresses the IL-4-mediated maturation into IgE-producing cells. Our findings indicate that MPE has a potential to alleviate the increase in serum IgE level that is feature of type I allergy.

In planta assays involving epigenetically silenced genes reveal inhibition of cytosine methylation by genistein

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Cytosine methylation is involved in epigenetic control of gene expression in a wide range of organisms. An increasing number of examples indicate that changing the frequency of cytosine methylation in the genome is a feasible tool to engineer novel traits in plants. Although demethylating effects of compounds have been analyzed in human cultured cells in terms of suppressing cancer, their effect in plant cells has not been analyzed extensively. Here, we developed in planta assay systems to detect inhibition of cytosine methylation using plants that contain a transgene transcriptionally silenced by an epigenetic mechanism. Results Seeds of two transgenic plants were used: a petunia line that has been identified as a revertant of the co-suppression of the chalcone synthase-A (CHS-A) gene and contains CHS-A transgenes whose transcription is repressed; Nicotiana benthamiana plants that contain the green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene whose transcription is repressed through virus-induced transcriptional gene silencing. Seeds of these plants were sown on a medium that contained a demethylating agent, either 5-azacytidine or trichostatin A, and the restoration of the transcriptionally active state of the transgene was detected in seedlings. Using these systems, we found that genistein, a major isoflavonoid compound, inhibits cytosine methylation, thus restoring transgene transcription. Genistein also restored the transcription of an epigenetically silenced endogenous gene in Arabidopsis plants. Conclusions Our assay systems allowed us to assess the inhibition of cytosine methylation, in particular of maintenance of methylation, by compounds in plant cells. These results suggest a novel role of flavonoids in plant cells and that genistein is useful for modifying the epigenetic state of plant genomes. PMID:22424588

The Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) fredii HH103 Type 3 Secretion System Suppresses Early Defense Responses to Effectively Nodulate Soybean.

PubMed

Jiménez-Guerrero, Irene; Pérez-Montaño, Francisco; Monreal, José Antonio; Preston, Gail M; Fones, Helen; Vioque, Blanca; Ollero, Francisco Javier; López-Baena, Francisco Javier

2015-07-01

Plants that interact with pathogenic bacteria in their natural environments have developed barriers to block or contain the infection. Phytopathogenic bacteria have evolved mechanisms to subvert these defenses and promote infection. Thus, the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) delivers bacterial effectors directly into the plant cells to alter host signaling and suppress defenses, providing an appropriate environment for bacterial multiplication. Some rhizobial strains possess a symbiotic T3SS that seems to be involved in the suppression of host defenses to promote nodulation and determine the host range. In this work, we show that the inactivation of the Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) fredii HH103 T3SS negatively affects soybean nodulation in the early stages of the symbiotic process, which is associated with a reduction of the expression of early nodulation genes. This symbiotic phenotype could be the consequence of the bacterial triggering of soybean defense responses associated with the production of salicylic acid (SA) and the impairment of the T3SS mutant to suppress these responses. Interestingly, the early induction of the transcription of GmMPK4, which negatively regulates SA accumulation and defense responses in soybean via WRKY33, could be associated with the differential defense responses induced by the parental and the T3SS mutant strain.

An in vivo invertebrate evaluation system for identifying substances that suppress sucrose-induced postprandial hyperglycemia

PubMed Central

Matsumoto, Yasuhiko; Ishii, Masaki; Sekimizu, Kazuhisa

2016-01-01

Sucrose is a major sweetener added to various foods and beverages. Excessive intake of sucrose leads to increases in blood glucose levels, which can result in the development and exacerbation of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In this study, we established an in vivo evaluation system using silkworms to explore substances that suppress the increase in blood glucose levels caused by dietary intake of sucrose. Silkworm hemolymph glucose levels rapidly increased after intake of a sucrose-containing diet. Addition of acarbose or voglibose, α-glycosidase inhibitors clinically used for diabetic patients, suppressed the dietary sucrose-induced increase in the silkworm hemolymph glucose levels. Screening performed using the sucrose-induced postprandial hyperglycemic silkworm model allowed us to identify some lactic acid bacteria that inhibit the increase in silkworm hemolymph glucose levels caused by dietary intake of sucrose. The inhibitory effects of the Lactococcus lactis #Ll-1 bacterial strain were significantly greater than those of different strains of lactic acid bacteria. No effect of the Lactococcus lactis #Ll-1 strain was observed in silkworms fed a glucose diet. These results suggest that the sucrose diet-induced postprandial hyperglycemic silkworm is a useful model for evaluating chemicals and lactic acid bacteria that suppress increases in blood glucose levels. PMID:27194587

An in vivo invertebrate evaluation system for identifying substances that suppress sucrose-induced postprandial hyperglycemia.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Yasuhiko; Ishii, Masaki; Sekimizu, Kazuhisa

2016-05-19

Sucrose is a major sweetener added to various foods and beverages. Excessive intake of sucrose leads to increases in blood glucose levels, which can result in the development and exacerbation of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In this study, we established an in vivo evaluation system using silkworms to explore substances that suppress the increase in blood glucose levels caused by dietary intake of sucrose. Silkworm hemolymph glucose levels rapidly increased after intake of a sucrose-containing diet. Addition of acarbose or voglibose, α-glycosidase inhibitors clinically used for diabetic patients, suppressed the dietary sucrose-induced increase in the silkworm hemolymph glucose levels. Screening performed using the sucrose-induced postprandial hyperglycemic silkworm model allowed us to identify some lactic acid bacteria that inhibit the increase in silkworm hemolymph glucose levels caused by dietary intake of sucrose. The inhibitory effects of the Lactococcus lactis #Ll-1 bacterial strain were significantly greater than those of different strains of lactic acid bacteria. No effect of the Lactococcus lactis #Ll-1 strain was observed in silkworms fed a glucose diet. These results suggest that the sucrose diet-induced postprandial hyperglycemic silkworm is a useful model for evaluating chemicals and lactic acid bacteria that suppress increases in blood glucose levels.

Potential for drug interactions mediated by polymorphic flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 in human livers.

PubMed

Shimizu, Makiko; Shiraishi, Arisa; Sato, Ayumi; Nagashima, Satomi; Yamazaki, Hiroshi

2015-02-01

Human flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) in the liver catalyzes a variety of oxygenations of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing medicines and xenobiotic substances. Because of growing interest in drug interactions mediated by polymorphic FMO3, benzydamine N-oxygenation by human FMO3 was investigated as a model reaction. Among the 41 compounds tested, trimethylamine, methimazole, itopride, and tozasertib (50 μM) suppressed benzydamine N-oxygenation at a substrate concentration of 50 μM by approximately 50% after co-incubation. Suppression of N-oxygenation of benzydamine, trimethylamine, itopride, and tozasertib and S-oxygenation of methimazole and sulindac sulfide after co-incubation with the other five of these six substrates was compared using FMO3 proteins recombinantly expressed in bacterial membranes. Apparent competitive inhibition by methimazole (0-50 μM) of sulindac sulfide S-oxygenation was observed with FMO3 proteins. Sulindac sulfide S-oxygenation activity of Arg205Cys variant FMO3 protein was likely to be suppressed more by methimazole than wild-type or Val257Met variant FMO3 protein was. These results suggest that genetic polymorphism in the human FMO3 gene may lead to changes of drug interactions for N- or S-oxygenations of xenobiotics and endogenous substances and that a probe battery system of benzydamine N-oxygenation and sulindac sulfide S-oxygenation activities is recommended to clarify the drug interactions mediated by FMO3. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling wildfire incident complexity dynamics.

PubMed

Thompson, Matthew P

2013-01-01

Wildfire management in the United States and elsewhere is challenged by substantial uncertainty regarding the location and timing of fire events, the socioeconomic and ecological consequences of these events, and the costs of suppression. Escalating U.S. Forest Service suppression expenditures is of particular concern at a time of fiscal austerity as swelling fire management budgets lead to decreases for non-fire programs, and as the likelihood of disruptive within-season borrowing potentially increases. Thus there is a strong interest in better understanding factors influencing suppression decisions and in turn their influence on suppression costs. As a step in that direction, this paper presents a probabilistic analysis of geographic and temporal variation in incident management team response to wildfires. The specific focus is incident complexity dynamics through time for fires managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The modeling framework is based on the recognition that large wildfire management entails recurrent decisions across time in response to changing conditions, which can be represented as a stochastic dynamic system. Daily incident complexity dynamics are modeled according to a first-order Markov chain, with containment represented as an absorbing state. A statistically significant difference in complexity dynamics between Forest Service Regions is demonstrated. Incident complexity probability transition matrices and expected times until containment are presented at national and regional levels. Results of this analysis can help improve understanding of geographic variation in incident management and associated cost structures, and can be incorporated into future analyses examining the economic efficiency of wildfire management.

Cyanide production by Pseudomonas fluorescens helps suppress black root rot of tobacco under gnotobiotic conditions

PubMed Central

Voisard, Christophe; Keel, Christoph; Haas, Dieter; Dèfago, Geneviève

1989-01-01

Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 suppresses black root rot of tobacco, a disease caused by the fungus Thielaviopsis basicola. Strain CHA0 excretes several metabolites with antifungal properties. The importance of one such metabolite, hydrogen cyanide, was tested in a gnotobiotic system containing an artificial, iron-rich soil. A cyanidenegative (hcn) mutant, CHA5, constructed by a gene replacement technique, protected the tobacco plant less effectively than did the wild-type CHA0. Complementation of strain CHA5 by the cloned wild-type hcn+ genes restored the strain's ability to suppress disease. An artificial transposon carrying the hcn+ genes of strain CHA0 (Tnhcn) was constructed and inserted into the genome of another P.fluorescens strain, P3, which naturally does not produce cyanide and gives poor plant protection. The P3::Tnhcn derivative synthesized cyanide and exhibited an improved ability to suppress disease. All bacterial strains colonized the roots similarly and did not influence significantly the survival of T.basicola in soil. We conclude that bacterial cyanide is an important but not the only factor involved in suppression of black root rot. Images PMID:16453871

Spark ignition timing control system for internal combustion engine with feature of suppression of jerking during engine acceleration

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

Tomisawa, N.

1989-07-04

This patent describes a spark ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine, it comprises: sensor means monitoring preselected parameters for producing a sensor signal; first means for deriving a spark ignition timing on the basis of data contained in the sensor signal; second means for detecting an engine acceleration demand for producing an accelerating condition indicative signal; and third means, responsive to the accelerating condition indicative signal, for modifying the spark ignition timing derived by the first means after expiration of a first predetermined period of time of occurence of the accelerating condition indicative signal, in such amore » manner that the spark ignition timing is advanced and retarded for suppressing cycle-to-cycle fluctuation of engine speed and for smoothly increasing engine speed.« less

Tissue distribution of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in the intestine: Implication of putative roles in tumor suppression

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

Ikuta, Togo, E-mail: togo@cancer-c.pref.saitama.jp; Kurosumi, Masafumi, E-mail: mkurosumi@cancer-c.pref.saitama.jp; Yatsuoka, Toshimasa, E-mail: yatsuoka-gi@umin.ac.jp

Intestinal homeostasis is maintained by complex interactions between intestinal microorganisms and the gut immune system. Dysregulation of gut immunity may lead to inflammatory disorders and tumorigenesis. We previously have shown the tumor suppressive effects of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in intestinal carcinogenesis. In the present study, we investigated AhR distribution in the mouse and human intestine by histochemical analysis. In the normal intestine, AhR was mainly localized in the stroma containing immune cells in the lamina propria and lymphoid follicles. On the other hand, in the tumor tissue from human colon cancer and that developed in Apc{sup Min/+}mice, AhR expressionmore » was elevated. AhR immunostaining was found in both stromal and tumor cells. Although AhR was localized in the cytoplasm of tumor cells in most cases, nuclear AhR was also observed in some. AhR knockdown using siRNA resulted in significant promotion of cell growth in colon cancer cell lines. Furthermore, AhR activation by AhR ligands supplemented in culture medium suppressed cell growth. Our study results suggest that tumor suppressive roles of AhR are estimated in two distinct ways: in normal tissue, AhR is associated with tumor prevention by regulating gut immunity, whereas in tumor cells, it is involved in growth suppression. - Highlights: • In the normal intestine, AhR was mainly localized in stroma containing immune cells. • In the tumor tissue, AhR expression was found in both stromal and tumor cells. • AhR knockdown promoted cell growth in colon cancer cell lines.« less

Vibration suppression using a proofmass actuator operating in stroke/force saturation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindner, D. K.; Celano, T. P.; Ide, E. N.

1991-01-01

The design of the control-loop structure for a feedback control system which contains a proofmass actuator for suppressing vibration is discussed. The loop structure is composed of inner control loops, which determine the frequency of the actuator and which are directly related to the actuator and the outer loops which add damping to the structure. When the frequency response of the actuator is matched to the stroke/force saturation curve, the actuator is most effective in the vibration suppression loops, and, since the stroke/force saturation curve is characterized by the stroke length, the mass of the proofmass, and the maximum current delivered by the motor electronics, the size of the actuator can be easily determined. The results of the loop-structure model calculations are verified by examining linear DC motors as proofmass actuators for the Mast in NASA's Control of Flexible Structures program.

X-ray position detector and implementation in a mirror pointing servo system

DOEpatents

Rabedeau, Thomas A.; Van Campen, Douglas G.; Stefan, Peter M.

2016-04-05

An X-ray beam position and stability detector is provided having a first metal blade collinear with a second metal blade, where an edge of the first metal blade is opposite an edge of the second metal blade, where the first metal blade edge and the second metal blade edge are disposed along a centerline with respect to each other, where the metal blades are capable of photoelectron emission when exposed to an x-ray beam, a metal coating on the metal blades that is capable of enhancing the photoelectron emission, or suppressing energy-resonant contaminants, or enhancing the photoelectron emission and suppressing energy-resonant contaminants, a background shielding element having an electrode capable of suppressing photoelectron emission from spurious x-rays not contained in an x-ray beam of interest, and a photoelectron emission detector having an amplifier capable of detecting the photoelectron emission as a current signal.

Relationships between prescribed burning and wildfire occurrence and intensity in pine-hardwood forests in north Mississippi, USA

Treesearch

Stephen Brewer; Corey Rogers

2006-01-01

Using Geographic Information Systems and US Forest Service data, we examined relationships between prescribed burning (from 1979 to 2000) and the incidence, size, and intensity of wildfires (from 1995 to 2000) in a landscape containing formerly fire-suppressed, closed-canopy hardwood and pine-hardwood forests. Results of hazard (failure) analyses did not show an...

Analysis of tracheid development in suppressed-growth Ponderosa Pine using the FPL ring profiler

Treesearch

C. Tim Scott; David W. Vahey

2012-01-01

The Ring Profiler was developed to examine the cross-sectional morphology of wood tracheids in a 12.5-mm core sample. The instrument integrates a specially designed staging apparatus with an optical imaging system to obtain high-contrast, high-resolution images containing about 200-500 tracheids. These images are further enhanced and analyzed to extract tracheid cross-...

Fire suppression system of a small-scale LNG loading facility at PT Badak NGL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yustiarza, Farhan Hilmyawan

2017-03-01

LNG progressively become favorable energy to replace oil-based fuel due to lower cost and more environment-friendly. In order to support an emerging LNG demands in Kalimantan, PT Badak NGL, one of the leading LNG Company in the world, develops the land-transported LNG loading facility. This facility performs loading the LNG into a small-scale tank (ISO Tank) with 20 m3 capacities. Safety reviews over this facility were conducted. Based on these reviews, the LNG filling station requires supplemental safeguards, such as LNG spill containment and firefighting foam system besides firewater system and dry chemical system. The spill containment provides holding LNG spill within the limits of plant property, while the high expansion foam system deals to minimize the vaporization rate to prevent a fire incident. This paper mainly discusses designing of such supplemental safeguards. The requirement of the spill containment is 20 m3 (6.3 × 3.3 × 2.0) m and the foam system should be capable generating foam at least 40 m3/min.

Abacavir coadministration does not interfere with the suppressive activity of ribavirin in an HCV replicon system.

PubMed

Van den Eynde, Eva; Quer, Josep; Cubero, María; Curran, Adriá; Homs, María; Garcia-Cehic, Damir; Falco, Vicenç; Ribera, Esteban; Esteban, Juan I; Pahissa, Albert; Crespo, Manuel

2011-01-01

HCV is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV-coinfected patients. Several observational studies have suggested that HCV response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin is lower in HIV-coinfected patients treated with abacavir. It has been postulated that abacavir could compete with ribavirin to be phosphorylated, leading to a reduction in the active form of the drug (triphosphorylated ribavirin). Here, we studied the effect of abacavir, tenofovir or lamivudine addition on the suppressive activity of ribavirin in an HCV RNA replicon system. We used the human hepatoma HuH-7 cell clone 9B containing the HCV genotype 1b replicon I389/NS3-3'. Cells were treated for 24 h with ribavirin (0, 10 and 50 μM) plus abacavir, tenofovir or lamivudine at doses of 0, 10 and 50 μM and HCV RNA production was quantified by real-time PCR in triplicate assays. Results were expressed as mean±SD of the HCV RNA produced per cell (log(10) IU/cell). Means were compared using the Student's t-test. Ribavirin treatment produced a dose-dependent suppression of HCV RNA production by the replicon system. Combination of ribavirin and interferon resulted in an additive antiviral activity. The addition of abacavir did not modify the suppressive activity of ribavirin on the replicon HCV RNA expression. Similar results were obtained when ribavirin was used in combination with tenofovir or lamivudine. In a subgenomic HCV RNA replicon system, the antiviral effect of ribavirin was not modified by the addition of abacavir, tenofovir or lamivudine. © 2011 International Medical Press

Proposal for a new mass distribution control system and its simulation for vibration reduction on rotating machinery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enginoglu, Ozan; Ozturk, Hasan

2016-12-01

This study presents a new mass distribution control system (MDCS) along with its analysis and simulation. It is aimed to balance a system containing rotating parts in order to minimize the dynamic vibration on it. For this purpose, a test mechanism rotating with an angular velocity of ω is simulated. The mechanism consists of a pair of MDCS, each containing three flaps connected to the shaft. The flaps rotate in relation to the shaft's plane of rotation. The center of gravity (COG) of the MDCS is concentric with the shaft axis when all three flaps are stretched out but the COG changes as the flaps rotate. By adjusting the orientations of the flaps in both systems, it is possible to create a counterforce which suppresses the imbalance force, reducing the vibration to a minimum.

Effects of 15(S)-15-methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha methyl ester-containing silastic discs in male rats.

PubMed

Kimball, F A; Frielink, R D; Porteus, S E

1978-01-01

Silicone rubber discs containing 15(S)-15-methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha ester (15-Me-PGF2 alpha) in the matrix were implanted in the left side of the scrotums of Sprague-Dawley rats. The effect of 1% and 2% drug concentration was examined for 10, 20, or 28 days and compared with the effects of Silastic discs containing no prostaglandin. The discs containing prostaglandin reduced mean testicular and accessory gland weights. Histologically the testes and epididymides showed decreased or absent spermatogenic elements and hypertrophy of the interstitial cell masses in comparison with other cells. Implanted prostaglandin significantly depressed serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations when 15-Me-PGF2 alpha plasma concentrations exceeded 2 ng/ml. Hormone concentrations returned to control values as drug concentrations declined. FSH concentrations significantly exceeded control values 10 and 20 days after implantation, when prostaglandin concentration was nondetectable. The acute suppression of all three hormones suggest that 15-Me-PGF2 alpha either may act directly on the tests to suppress testosterone production or may suppress testosterone production or may suppress gonadotropin secretion, resulting in depressed testosterone output.

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

Ito, Norie; Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556; Kamiguchi, Kenjiro

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases comprise neurodegenerative disorders caused by expression of expanded polyQ-containing proteins. The cytotoxicity of the expanded polyQ-containing proteins is closely associated with aggregate formation. In this study, we report that a novel J-protein, DNAJ (HSP40) Homolog, Subfamily C, Member 8 (DNAJC8), suppresses the aggregation of polyQ-containing protein in a cellular model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), which is also known as Machado-Joseph disease. Overexpression of DNAJC8 in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells significantly reduced the polyQ aggregation and apoptosis, and DNAJC8 was co-localized with the polyQ aggregation in the cell nucleus. Deletion mutants of DNAJC8 revealed that the C-terminalmore » domain of DNAJC8 was essential for the suppression of polyQ aggregation, whereas the J-domain was dispensable. Furthermore, 22-mer oligopeptide derived from C-termilal domain could suppress the polyQ aggregation. These results indicate that DNAJC8 can suppress the polyQ aggregation via a distinct mechanism independent of HSP70-based chaperone machinery and have a unique protective role against the aggregation of expanded polyQ-containing proteins such as pathogenic ataxin-3 proteins.« less

A bifunctional electrolyte additive for separator wetting and dendrite suppression in lithium metal batteries

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

Zheng, Hao; Xie, Yong; Xiang, Hongfa

Reformulation of electrolyte systems and improvement of separator wettability are vital to electrochemical performances of rechargeable lithium (Li) metal batteries, especially for suppressing Li dendrites. In this work we report a bifunctional electrolyte additive that improves separator wettability and suppresses Li dendrite growth in LMBs. A triblock polyether (Pluronic P123) was introduced as an additive into a commonly used carbonate-based electrolyte. It was found that addition of 0.2~1% (by weight) P123 into the electrolyte could effectively enhance the wettability of polyethylene separator. More importantly, the adsorption of P123 on Li metal surface can act as an artificial solid electrolyte interphasemore » layer and contribute to suppress the growth of Li dendrites. A smooth and dendritic-free morphology can be achieved in the electrolyte with 0.2% P123. The Li||Li symmetric cells with the 0.2% P123 containing electrolyte exhibit a relatively stable cycling stability at high current densities of 1.0 and 3.0 mA cm-2.« less

An electroviscous damper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nikolajsen, Jorgen L.; Hoque, M. S.

1989-01-01

A new type of vibration damper for rotor systems was developed and tested. The damper contains electroviscous fluid which solidifies and provides Coulomb damping when an electric voltage is imposed across the fluid. The damping capacity is controlled by the voltage. The damper was incorporated in a flexible rotor system and found to be able to damp out high levels of unbalanced excitation. Other proven advantages include controllability, simplicity, and no requirement for oil supply. Still unconfirmed are the capabilities to eliminate critical speeds and to suppress rotor instabilities.

Production and efficiency of large wildland fire suppression effort: A stochastic frontier analysis

Treesearch

Hari Katuwal; Dave Calkin; Michael S. Hand

2016-01-01

This study examines the production and efficiency of wildland fire suppression effort. We estimate the effectiveness of suppression resource inputs to produce controlled fire lines that contain large wildland fires using stochastic frontier analysis. Determinants of inefficiency are identified and the effects of these determinants on the daily production of...

Sulfur-containing compounds quench 3,7-dihydro-2-methyl-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)imidazol[1,2-a]pyrazine-3-one chemiluminescence: Discrimination between true antioxidants and quenchers using xanthine oxidase.

PubMed

Kruglov, Alexey G; Nikiforova, Anna B; Shatalin, Yuri V; Shubina, Viktoria V; Fisyuk, Alexander S; Akatov, Vladimir S

2010-11-15

The probe 3,7-dihydro-2-methyl-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)imidazol[1,2-a]pyrazine-3-one (MCLA) is widely used for studying the superoxide anion production and the efficiency of antioxidants in biological systems. Here we report that a number of sulfur-containing compounds applied in biochemical and cytological studies are able to suppress MCLA-derived chemiluminescence (MDCL) independent of their capability to scavenge superoxide anion. The most effective MDCL quenchers appeared to be the substances with thiocarbamoyl and thiocarbonyl groups coupled to cyclic molecules and several thiol- and disulfide-containing compounds. The analysis of MDCL kinetics in a xanthine oxidase system allows one to rapidly discriminate between true antioxidants and the quenchers of chemiluminescence. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Androgen-androgen receptor system improves chronic inflammatory conditions by suppressing monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 gene expression in adipocytes via transcriptional regulation

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

Morooka, Nobukatsu, E-mail: amorooka@gunma-u.ac.jp; Ueguri, Kei; Yee, Karen Kar Lye

Age-related decreases in sex hormones are closely related to chronic inflammation in obesity and metabolic diseases. Particularly, the molecular basis of androgen activity in regulating inflammation and controlling metabolism remains largely unknown. Obese adipocytes secrete monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a key chemokine that promotes the infiltration of monocytes/macrophages into adipose tissue, thereby leading to metabolic disorders. Here, we studied the role of androgen-androgen receptor (AR) action in regulating MCP-1 expression in adipose tissue. We observed the induction of Mcp-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes co-cultured with RAW264.7 macrophages. Additionally, Mcp-1 expression was upregulated by culturing in conditioned medium derived from inflammatorymore » macrophages (M1-Mφ) containing tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). We found that sex hormones downregulated TNF-α-induced Mcp-1 and interleukin (Il)-6 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, luciferase-reporter analysis indicated that MCP-1 promoter activity was predominantly suppressed by dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-AR interactions through functional canonical nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) sites, whereas non-canonical NF-κB site containing important flanking sequences exhibited minor contributions to DHT-AR transcriptional repression. These findings suggested that androgen-AR suppressed obesity-induced chronic inflammation in adipose tissue. - Highlights: • DHT, non-aromatizable androgen suppresses Mcp-1 expression in adipocytes. • Mcp-1 transcription was negatively regulated by DHT-AR action. • DHT-AR selectively regulates Mcp-1 transcription through distinct NF-κB sites.« less

Suppression of suprathermal ions from a colloidal microjet target containing SnO2 nanoparticles by using double laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higashiguchi, Takeshi; Kaku, Masanori; Katto, Masahito; Kubodera, Shoichi

2007-10-01

We have demonstrated suppression of suprathermal ions from a colloidal microjet target plasma containing tin-dioxide (SnO2) nanoparticles irradiated by double laser pulses. We observed a significant decrease of the tin and oxygen ion signals in the charged-state-separated energy spectra when double laser pulses were irradiated. The peak energy of the singly ionized tin ions decreased from 9to3keV when a preplasma was produced. The decrease in the ion energy, considered as debris suppression, is attributed to the interaction between an expanding low-density preplasma and a main laser pulse.

Selenocysteine, Pyrrolysine, and the Unique Energy Metabolism of Methanogenic Archaea

DOE PAGES

Rother, Michael; Krzycki, Joseph A.

2010-01-01

Methanogenic archaea are a group of strictly anaerobic microorganisms characterized by their strict dependence on the process of methanogenesis for energy conservation. Among the archaea, they are also the only known group synthesizing proteins containing selenocysteine or pyrrolysine. All but one of the known archaeal pyrrolysine-containing and all but two of the confirmed archaeal selenocysteine-containing protein are involved in methanogenesis. Synthesis of these proteins proceeds through suppression of translational stop codons but otherwise the two systems are fundamentally different. This paper highlights these differences and summarizes the recent developments in selenocysteine- and pyrrolysine-related research on archaea and aims to putmore » this knowledge into the context of their unique energy metabolism.« less

Primary hypercortisolism and phaeochromocytoma next to, but not related to, each other.

PubMed

Winter, Elizabeth M; Pereira, Alberto M; Corssmit, Eleonora P

2016-04-12

This is the first report of unilateral hypercortisolism and phaeochromocytoma that cannot be explained by medullary tumourigenic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) excretion. The patient was referred for an adrenal incidentaloma with hypertension but no Cushingoid features, disturbed glucose tolerance and osteopaenia. Additional testing revealed hypercortisolism with suppressed ACTH, and a right-sided phaeochromocytoma with typical radiographic appearance. Resection of the right adrenal completely normalised the clinical symptoms and biochemistry, and increased ACTH concentrations, implicating initial suppression. Histology revealed a tumour consisting of chromaffin cells, with only pre-existing cortical tissue containing groups of ACTH-positive cells. Recent human studies in primary Cushing's syndrome demonstrated that a paracrine effect of these aberrant cells, assumed to be Leydig cells in origin, results in hypercortisolism by stimulation of surrounding steroidogenic cells, leading to systemic ACTH suppression. We propose that 2 diagnoses within 1 adrenal, being phaeochromocytoma and autonomous cortisol overproduction due to adjoining aberrant ACTH-producing cells, explain the clinical picture. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Specific stimulated uptake of acetylcholine by Torpedo electric organ synaptic vesicles.

PubMed Central

Parsons, S M; Koenigsberger, R

1980-01-01

The specificity of acetylcholine uptake by synaptic vesicles isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo californica was studied. In the absence of cofactors, [3H]acetylcholine was taken up identically to[14C]choline in the same solution (passive uptake), and the equilibrium concentration achieved inside the vesicles was equal to the concentration outside. In the presence of MgATP, [3H]acetylcholine and [14C]choline in the same solution were taken up identically, except only about half as much of each was taken up (suppressed uptake). [3H]Acetylcholine uptake was stimulated by MgATP and HCO3- about 4-fold relative to suppressed uptake, for a net concentrative uptake of about 2:1 (stimulated uptake). Uptake of [14C]choline in the same solution remained at the suppressed level. [3H]Acetylcholine taken up under stimulated conditions migrated with vesicles containing [14C]mannitol on analytical glycerol density gradients during centrifugation. Vesicle were treated with nine protein modification reagents under mild conditions. Two reagents had no effect on, dithiothreitol potentiated, and six reagents strongly inhibited subsequent stimulated uptake of [3H]acetylcholine. The results indicate that uptake of acetylcholine is conditionally specific for the transported substrate, is carried out by the synaptic vesicles rather than a contaminant of the preparation, and requires a functional protein system containing a critical sulfhydryl group. PMID:6934549

Preliminary Guidelines For Using Suppression Fires to Control Wildfires in the Southeast

Treesearch

Robert W. Cooper

1969-01-01

Suppression firing is defied as the application of fire to speed or strengthen control action on free-burning wildfires. The key to successful suppression firing is availability of personnel knowledgeable in specific application plus an adequate supply of manpower and equipment to contain the set fire. Preliminary guidelines for the use of this fire-control tool are...

The powdery mildew resistance gene Pm8 derived from rye is suppressed by its wheat ortholog Pm3.

PubMed

Hurni, Severine; Brunner, Susanne; Stirnweis, Daniel; Herren, Gerhard; Peditto, David; McIntosh, Robert A; Keller, Beat

2014-09-01

The powdery mildew resistance gene Pm8 derived from rye is located on a 1BL.1RS chromosome translocation in wheat. However, some wheat lines with this translocation do not show resistance to isolates of the wheat powdery mildew pathogen avirulent to Pm8 due to an unknown genetically dominant suppression mechanism. Here we show that lines with suppressed Pm8 activity contain an intact and expressed Pm8 gene. Therefore, the absence of Pm8 function in certain 1BL.1RS-containing wheat lines is not the result of gene loss or mutation but is based on suppression. The wheat gene Pm3, an ortholog of rye Pm8, suppressed Pm8-mediated powdery mildew resistance in lines containing Pm8 in a transient single-cell expression assay. This result was further confirmed in transgenic lines with combined Pm8 and Pm3 transgenes. Expression analysis revealed that suppression is not the result of gene silencing, either in wheat 1BL.1RS translocation lines carrying Pm8 or in transgenic genotypes with both Pm8 and Pm3 alleles. In addition, a similar abundance of the PM8 and PM3 proteins in single or double homozygous transgenic lines suggested that a post-translational mechanism is involved in suppression of Pm8. Co-expression of Pm8 and Pm3 genes in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves followed by co-immunoprecipitation analysis showed that the two proteins interact. Therefore, the formation of a heteromeric protein complex might result in inefficient or absent signal transmission for the defense reaction. These data provide a molecular explanation for the suppression of resistance genes in certain genetic backgrounds and suggest ways to circumvent it in future plant breeding. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Damping Grid Strapdown Inertial Navigation System Based on a Kalman Filter for Ships in Polar Regions.

PubMed

Huang, Weiquan; Fang, Tao; Luo, Li; Zhao, Lin; Che, Fengzhu

2017-07-03

The grid strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) used in polar navigation also includes three kinds of periodic oscillation errors as common SINS are based on a geographic coordinate system. Aiming ships which have the external information to conduct a system reset regularly, suppressing the Schuler periodic oscillation is an effective way to enhance navigation accuracy. The Kalman filter based on the grid SINS error model which applies to the ship is established in this paper. The errors of grid-level attitude angles can be accurately estimated when the external velocity contains constant error, and then correcting the errors of the grid-level attitude angles through feedback correction can effectively dampen the Schuler periodic oscillation. The simulation results show that with the aid of external reference velocity, the proposed external level damping algorithm based on the Kalman filter can suppress the Schuler periodic oscillation effectively. Compared with the traditional external level damping algorithm based on the damping network, the algorithm proposed in this paper can reduce the overshoot errors when the state of grid SINS is switched from the non-damping state to the damping state, and this effectively improves the navigation accuracy of the system.

Tanscriptomic Study of the Soybean-Fusarium virguliforme Interaction Revealed a Novel Ankyrin-Repeat Containing Defense Gene, Expression of Whose during Infection Led to Enhanced Resistance to the Fungal Pathogen in Transgenic Soybean Plants

PubMed Central

Ngaki, Micheline N.; Wang, Bing; Sahu, Binod B.; Srivastava, Subodh K.; Farooqi, Mohammad S.; Kambakam, Sekhar; Swaminathan, Sivakumar

2016-01-01

Fusarium virguliforme causes the serious disease sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybean. Host resistance to this pathogen is partial and is encoded by a large number of quantitative trait loci, each conditioning small effects. Breeding SDS resistance is therefore challenging and identification of single-gene encoded novel resistance mechanisms is becoming a priority to fight this devastating this fungal pathogen. In this transcriptomic study we identified a few putative soybean defense genes, expression of which is suppressed during F. virguliforme infection. The F. virguliforme infection-suppressed genes were broadly classified into four major classes. The steady state transcript levels of many of these genes were suppressed to undetectable levels immediately following F. virguliforme infection. One of these classes contains two novel genes encoding ankyrin repeat-containing proteins. Expression of one of these genes, GmARP1, during F. virguliforme infection enhances SDS resistance among the transgenic soybean plants. Our data suggest that GmARP1 is a novel defense gene and the pathogen presumably suppress its expression to establish compatible interaction. PMID:27760122

Suppression of evaporation of hydrocarbon liquids and fuels by films containing aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) concentrate FC-196. Interim report

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

Leonard, J.T.; Burnett, J.C.

1974-12-31

Suppression of evaporation of hydrocarbon liquids and fuels by aqueous film containing a fluorocarbon surfactant has been examined as a function of film thickness, time, and hydrocarbon type. The hydrocarbon liquids included the homologous series of n-alkanes from pentane to dodecane, aromatic compounds, motor and aviation gasolines and jet fuels JP-4 and JP-5, and Navy distillate fuel. The surfactant solution used to form the films was a 6 percent solution of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) concentrate FC-196. Films of the surfactant solution, ranging in thickness from 5 to 100 micrometers, were placed on the surface of the hydrocarbon liquidmore » to test the ability of the film to suppress evaporation over a 1-hr period. Results indicated that for the n-alkanes and the hydrocarbon fuels a certain critical thickness of surfactant solution was required for optimum vapor suppression. In comparison with the n-alkanes, it was considerably more difficult to suppress evaporation of the aromatic compounds. (GRA)« less

The physics behind a simple demonstration of the greenhouse effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxton, Gavin A.

2014-03-01

A simple, and popular, demonstration of the greenhouse effect involves a higher temperature being observed in a container with an elevated concentration of CO2 inside than in a container with just air enclosed, when subject to direct light. The CO2 absorbs outgoing thermal radiation and causes the air inside the container to be warmer. However, in some variations of this experiment an additional positive effect can arise from artefacts in the experiment, such as the slightly heavier CO2 forming a layer at the bottom of the container and suppressing convection. Therefore, the physics of this demonstration is elucidated in a system that does not suffer from such artefacts. In particular, the absorption of infrared radiation due to the enclosed CO2 is measured, and a one-dimensional model of heat transfer is solved. It is found that the temperature of the enclosed air is significantly higher inside the container with an elevated concentration of CO2 inside, but that the temperature of the container itself is not appreciably higher.

Next generation fire suppressants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Jerry A.

1995-01-01

Spectrex, Inc., located in Cedar Grove, NJ is a manufacturer of fire detection and suppression equipment. Spectrex is one of the original pioneers in high speed fire detection and suppression systems for combat vehicles. Spectrex has installed fire suppressions systems in thousands of combat vehicles and ships throughout the world. Additionally, they manufacture flame explosion detectors, ship damage control systems, and optical gas and vapor detectors. The culmination of several years of research and development has recently produced an innovative electro-optical continuous monitoring systems called SharpEye 20/20I IR(sup 3) and SAFEYE that provide fast and reliable gas, vapor, aerosol, flame, and explosion detection. SharpEye 20/20I IR(sup 3) is a self-contained triple spectrum flame detector which scans for oscillating IR radiation (1 to 10 Hz) in the spectral bands ranging from 4.0 to 5.0 microns and uses programmed algorithms to check the ratio and correlation of data received by the three sensors to make the system highly immune to false alarms. It is extremely sensitive as it can detect a 1 x 1 square foot gasoline pan fire at 200 feet in less than 3 seconds. The sensitivity is user programmable, offering 4 ranges of detection. SAFEYE is comprised of a selected number of multispectral ban microprocessors controlled detectors which are in communication with one or more radiation sources that is projected along a 600 feet optical path. The signals from the selected narrow bands are processed and analyzed by highly sophisticated algorithms. It is ideal for high risk, remote, large areas such as petroleum and chemical manufacturing sites, waste dumps, aircraft cargo bays, and ship compartments. The SAFEYE will perform direct readings of the presence or rate of rise of concentrations of gases, vapors, or aerosols at the range of parts per million and provide alarms at various set points at different levels of concentrations.

Cumulative Antiretroviral Exposure Measured in Hair Is Not Associated With Measures of HIV Persistence or Inflammation Among Individuals on Suppressive ART.

PubMed

Gandhi, Monica; Gandhi, Rajesh T; Stefanescu, Andrei; Bosch, Ronald J; Cyktor, Joshua C; Horng, Howard; Louie, Alexander; Phung, Nhi; Eron, Joseph J; Hogg, Evelyn; Macatangay, Bernard J C; Hensel, Christopher; Fletcher, Courtney V; Mellors, John W; McMahon, Deborah K

2018-06-20

Data on the relationship of antiretroviral exposure to measures of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persistence are limited. To address this gap, multiple viral, immunologic, and pharmacologic measures were analyzed from individuals with sustained virologic suppression on therapy (median 7 years) in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5321 cohort. Among 110 participants on tenofovir-(TFV)-disoproxil-fumarate (TDF)/emtricitabine (FTC)-containing regimens, we found no significant correlation between hair concentrations of individual antiretrovirals (ARVs) in the regimen and measures of HIV persistence (plasma HIV-1 RNA by single copy assay, cell-associated-DNA, cell-associated RNA) or soluble markers of inflammation. These findings suggest that higher systemic ARV exposure may not impact HIV persistence or inflammation.

Tumor-derived vaccines containing CD200 inhibit immune activation: implications for immunotherapy.

PubMed

Xiong, Zhengming; Ampudia-Mesias, Elisabet; Shaver, Rob; Horbinski, Craig M; Moertel, Christopher L; Olin, Michael R

2016-09-01

There are over 400 ongoing clinical trials using tumor-derived vaccines. This approach is especially attractive for many types of brain tumors, including glioblastoma, yet so far the clinical response is highly variable. One contributor to poor response is CD200, which acts as a checkpoint blockade, inducing immune tolerance. We demonstrate that, in response to vaccination, glioma-derived CD200 suppresses the anti-tumor immune response. In contrast, a CD200 peptide inhibitor that activates antigen-presenting cells overcomes immune tolerance. The addition of the CD200 inhibitor significantly increased leukocyte infiltration into the vaccine site, cytokine and chemokine production, and cytolytic activity. Our data therefore suggest that CD200 suppresses the immune system's response to vaccines, and that blocking CD200 could improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

Passive Neutron Non-Destructive Assay for Remediation of Radiological Waste at Hanford Burial Grounds- 13189

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

Simpson, A.; Pitts, M.; Ludowise, J.D.

The Hanford burial grounds contains a broad spectrum of low activity radioactive wastes, transuranic (TRU) wastes, and hazardous wastes including fission products, byproduct material (thorium and uranium), plutonium and laboratory chemicals. A passive neutron non-destructive assay technique has been developed for characterization of shielded concreted drums exhumed from the burial grounds. This method facilitates the separation of low activity radiological waste containers from TRU waste containers exhumed from the burial grounds. Two identical total neutron counting systems have been deployed, each consisting of He-3 detectors surrounded by a polyethylene moderator. The counts are processed through a statistical filter that removesmore » outliers in order to suppress cosmic spallation events and electronic noise. Upon completion of processing, a 'GO / NO GO' signal is provided to the operator based on a threshold level equivalent to 0.5 grams of weapons grade plutonium in the container being evaluated. This approach allows instantaneous decisions to be made on how to proceed with the waste. The counting systems have been set up using initial on-site measurements (neutron emitting standards loaded into surrogate waste containers) combined with Monte Carlo modeling techniques. The benefit of this approach is to allow the systems to extend their measurement ranges, in terms of applicable matrix types and container sizes, with minimal interruption to the operations at the burial grounds. (authors)« less

Acoustic Liner for Turbomachinery Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, Dennis L.; Sutliff, Daniel L.; Jones, Michael G.; Hebsur, Mohan G.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this innovation is to reduce aircraft noise in the communities surrounding airports by significantly attenuating the noise generated by the turbomachinery, and enhancing safety by providing a containment barrier for a blade failure. Acoustic liners are used in today's turbofan engines to reduce noise. The amount of noise reduction from an acoustic liner is a function of the treatment area, the liner design, and the material properties, and limited by the constraints of the nacelle or casement design. It is desirable to increase the effective area of the acoustic treatment to increase noise suppression. Modern turbofan engines use wide-chord rotor blades, which means there is considerable treatment area available over the rotor tip. Turbofan engines require containment over the rotors for protection from blade failure. Traditional methods use a material wrap such as Kevlar integrated with rub strips and sometimes metal layers (sandwiches). It is possible to substitute the soft rub-strip material with an open-cell metallic foam that provides noise-reduction benefits and a sacrificial material in the first layer of the containment system. An open-cell foam was evaluated that behaves like a bulk acoustic liner, serves as a tip rub strip, and can be integrated with a rotor containment system. Foams can be integrated with the fan-containment system to provide sufficient safety margins and increased noise attenuation. The major innovation is the integration of the foam with the containment.

75 FR 8431 - Carbon Dioxide Fire Suppression Systems on Commercial Vessels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-24

... Fire Suppression Systems on Commercial Vessels; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 36... 1625-AB44 Carbon Dioxide Fire Suppression Systems on Commercial Vessels AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... for fire suppression systems on several classes of commercial vessels. The amendments would clarify...

Method for the regeneration of spent molten zinc chloride

DOEpatents

Zielke, Clyde W.; Rosenhoover, William A.

1981-01-01

In a process for regenerating spent molten zinc chloride which has been used in the hydrocracking of coal or ash-containing polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbonaceous materials derived therefrom and which contains zinc chloride, zinc oxide, zinc oxide complexes and ash-containing carbonaceous residue, by incinerating the spent molten zinc chloride to vaporize the zinc chloride for subsequent condensation to produce a purified molten zinc chloride: an improvement comprising the use of clay in the incineration zone to suppress the vaporization of metals other than zinc. Optionally water is used in conjunction with the clay to further suppress the vaporization of metals other than zinc.

Modulation of TNF Release by Choline Requires α7 Subunit Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor-Mediated Signaling

PubMed Central

Parrish, William R; Rosas-Ballina, Mauricio; Gallowitsch-Puerta, Margot; Ochani, Mahendar; Ochani, Kanta; Yang, Li-Hong; Hudson, LaQueta; Lin, Xinchun; Patel, Nirav; Johnson, Sarah M; Chavan, Sangeeta; Goldstein, Richard S; Czura, Christopher J; Miller, Edmund J; Al-Abed, Yousef; Tracey, Kevin J; Pavlov, Valentin A

2008-01-01

The α7 subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) is an essential component in the vagus nerve-based cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway that regulates the levels of TNF, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and other cytokines during inflammation. Choline is an essential nutrient, a cell membrane constituent, a precursor in the biosynthesis of acetylcholine, and a selective natural α7nAChR agonist. Here, we studied the anti-inflammatory potential of choline in murine endotoxemia and sepsis, and the role of the α7nAChR in mediating the suppressive effect of choline on TNF release. Choline (0.1–50 mM) dose-dependently suppressed TNF release from endotoxin-activated RAW macrophage-like cells, and this effect was associated with significant inhibition of NF-κB activation. Choline (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) treatment prior to endotoxin administration in mice significantly reduced systemic TNF levels. In contrast to its TNF suppressive effect in wild type mice, choline (50 mg/kg, i.p.) failed to inhibit systemic TNF levels in α7nAChR knockout mice during endotoxemia. Choline also failed to suppress TNF release from endotoxin-activated peritoneal macrophages isolated from α7nAChR knockout mice. Choline treatment prior to endotoxin resulted in a significantly improved survival rate as compared with saline-treated endotoxemic controls. Choline also suppressed HMGB1 release in vitro and in vivo, and choline treatment initiated 24 h after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced polymicrobial sepsis significantly improved survival in mice. In addition, choline suppressed TNF release from endotoxin-activated human whole blood and macrophages. Collectively, these data characterize the anti-inflammatory efficacy of choline and demonstrate that the modulation of TNF release by choline requires α7nAChR-mediated signaling. PMID:18584048

Gut environment-induced intraepithelial autoreactive CD4+ T cells suppress central nervous system autoimmunity via LAG-3

PubMed Central

Kadowaki, Atsushi; Miyake, Sachiko; Saga, Ryoko; Chiba, Asako; Mochizuki, Hideki; Yamamura, Takashi

2016-01-01

The gut environment has been found to significantly influence autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis; however, immune cell mechanisms are unclear. Here we show that the gut epithelium of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein(35-55)-specific T-cell receptor transgenic mice contains environmental stimuli-induced intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) that inhibit experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis on transfer. These cells express surface markers phenotypical of ‘induced' IELs, have a TH17-like profile and infiltrate the central nervous system (CNS). They constitutively express Ctla4 and Tgfb1 and markedly upregulate Lag3 expression in the CNS, thereby inhibiting inflammation. We also demonstrate the suppressive capability of CD4+ IELs with alternative antigen specificities, their proliferation in response to gut-derived antigens and contribution of the microbiota and dietary aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands to their induction. Thus, the gut environment favours the generation of autoreactive CD4+ T cells with unique regulatory functions, potentially important for preventing CNS autoimmunity. PMID:27198196

Thrombospondin Type-1 Repeat Domain-Containing Proteins Are Strongly Expressed in the Head Region of Hydra.

PubMed

Hamaguchi-Hamada, Kayoko; Kurumata-Shigeto, Mami; Minobe, Sumiko; Fukuoka, Nozomi; Sato, Manami; Matsufuji, Miyuki; Koizumi, Osamu; Hamada, Shun

2016-01-01

The head region of Hydra, the hypostome, is a key body part for developmental control and the nervous system. We herein examined genes specifically expressed in the head region of Hydra oligactis using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cloning. A total of 1414 subtracted clones were sequenced and found to be derived from at least 540 different genes by BLASTN analyses. Approximately 25% of the subtracted clones had sequences encoding thrombospondin type-1 repeat (TSR) domains, and were derived from 17 genes. We identified 11 TSR domain-containing genes among the top 36 genes that were the most frequently detected in our SSH library. Whole-mount in situ hybridization analyses confirmed that at least 13 out of 17 TSR domain-containing genes were expressed in the hypostome of Hydra oligactis. The prominent expression of TSR domain-containing genes suggests that these genes play significant roles in the hypostome of Hydra oligactis.

Activity of Fosfomycin- and Daptomycin-Containing Bone Cement on Selected Bacterial Species Being Associated with Orthopedic Infections.

PubMed

Eick, Sigrun; Hofpeter, Kevin; Sculean, Anton; Ender, Claudia; Klimas, Susann; Vogt, Sebastian; Nietzsche, Sandor

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine activity of fosfomycin/gentamicin and daptomycin/gentamicin-containing PMMA bone-cement against Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, MSSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis , Enterococcus faecium (VRE), and E. coli (ESBL; only fosfomycin). Test specimens of the bone cement were formed and bacteria in two concentrations were added one time or repeatedly up to 96 h. All fosfomycin-containing cement killed ultimately all MSSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and E. coli within 24 h; growth of MRSA was suppressed up to 48 h. Activity of daptomycin-containing cement depended on the concentration; the highest concentrated bone cement used (1.5 g daptomycin/40 g of powder) was active against all one-time added bacteria. When bacteria were added repeatedly to fosfomycin-containing cement, growth was suppressed up to 96 h and that of MRSA and VRE only up to 24 h. The highest concentration of daptomycin suppressed the growth of repeated added bacteria up to 48 h (VRE) until 96 h (MSSA, MRSA). In conclusion, PMMA bone cement with 1.5 g of daptomycin and 0.5 g of gentamicin may be an alternative in treatment of periprosthetic infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria.

Activity of Fosfomycin- and Daptomycin-Containing Bone Cement on Selected Bacterial Species Being Associated with Orthopedic Infections

PubMed Central

Hofpeter, Kevin; Sculean, Anton; Ender, Claudia; Klimas, Susann; Vogt, Sebastian; Nietzsche, Sandor

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine activity of fosfomycin/gentamicin and daptomycin/gentamicin-containing PMMA bone-cement against Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, MSSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecium (VRE), and E. coli (ESBL; only fosfomycin). Test specimens of the bone cement were formed and bacteria in two concentrations were added one time or repeatedly up to 96 h. All fosfomycin-containing cement killed ultimately all MSSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and E. coli within 24 h; growth of MRSA was suppressed up to 48 h. Activity of daptomycin-containing cement depended on the concentration; the highest concentrated bone cement used (1.5 g daptomycin/40 g of powder) was active against all one-time added bacteria. When bacteria were added repeatedly to fosfomycin-containing cement, growth was suppressed up to 96 h and that of MRSA and VRE only up to 24 h. The highest concentration of daptomycin suppressed the growth of repeated added bacteria up to 48 h (VRE) until 96 h (MSSA, MRSA). In conclusion, PMMA bone cement with 1.5 g of daptomycin and 0.5 g of gentamicin may be an alternative in treatment of periprosthetic infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. PMID:28484708

Establishment of an in vitro cell line experimental system for the study of inhalational anesthetic mechanisms.

PubMed

Nagamoto, Seiji; Iijima, Norio; Ishii, Hirotaka; Takumi, Ken; Higo, Shimpei; Aikawa, Satoko; Anzai, Megumi; Matsuo, Izumi; Nakagawa, Shinji; Takashima, Naoyuki; Shigeyoshi, Yasufumi; Sakamoto, Atsuhiro; Ozawa, Hitoshi

2016-05-04

General anesthesia affects the expression of clock genes in various organs. Expression of Per2, a core component of the circadian clock, is markedly and reversibly suppressed by sevoflurane in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and is considered to be a biochemical marker of anesthetic effect in the brain. The SCN contains various types of neurons, and this complexity makes it difficult to investigate the molecular mechanisms of anesthesia. Here, we established an in vitro experimental system using a cell line to investigate the mechanisms underlying anesthetic action. Development of the system comprised two steps: first, we developed a system for application of inhalational anesthetics and incubation; next, we established cultures of anesthetic-responsive cells expressing mPer2 promoter-dLuc. GT1-7 cells, derived from the mouse hypothalamus, responded to sevoflurane by reversibly decreasing mPer2-promoter-driven bioluminescence. Interestingly, the suppression of bioluminescence was found only in the serum-starved GT1-7 cells, which showed neuron-like morphology, but not in growing cells, suggesting that neuron-like characteristics are required for anesthetic effects in GT1-7 cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems. (a) Fire suppression systems using water or... equivalent protective devices and a rising stem or other visual indicator-type shutoff valve. (b) Water supplies for fire suppression devices installed on underground equipment may be maintained in mounted water...

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems. (a) Fire suppression systems using water or... equivalent protective devices and a rising stem or other visual indicator-type shutoff valve. (b) Water supplies for fire suppression devices installed on underground equipment may be maintained in mounted water...

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems. (a) Fire suppression systems using water or... equivalent protective devices and a rising stem or other visual indicator-type shutoff valve. (b) Water supplies for fire suppression devices installed on underground equipment may be maintained in mounted water...

Open-loop radio science with a suppressed-carrier signal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhall, C. A.

1980-01-01

When a suppressed-carrier signal is squared, the carrier reappears in doubled form. An open-loop receiver can be used to deliver a recording of a band-limited waveform containing this carrier, whose amplitude and phase can be tracked by the radio science experimenter.

Targeted medication delivery using magnetic nanostructures

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

Yoon, Mina

We use quaternion molecular dynamics simulations to describe field-induced structural transitions in systems of few magnetic dipoles and their use for targeted medication delivery. Compact ring isomers of magnetic particles are contained, together with molecules of an active medication, inside inert microcapsules. The filled microcapsules may be transported within the body using a weak,inhomogeneous magnetic field. Medication release is triggered by puncturing the container during a structural transition within the magnetic subsystem, induced by an externally applied strong magnetic field. Our simulations describe not only the time evolution of the magnetic subsystem during a successful medication release, but also addressmore » ways to suppress an accidental release induced by thermal and magnetic fluctuations.« less

A mathematical model for simulating noise suppression of lined ejectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Willie R.

1994-01-01

A mathematical model containing the essential features embodied in the noise suppression of lined ejectors is presented. Although some simplification of the physics is necessary to render the model mathematically tractable, the current model is the most versatile and technologically advanced at the current time. A system of linearized equations and the boundary conditions governing the sound field are derived starting from the equations of fluid dynamics. A nonreflecting boundary condition is developed. In view of the complex nature of the equations, a parametric study requires the use of numerical techniques and modern computers. A finite element algorithm that solves the differential equations coupled with the boundary condition is then introduced. The numerical method results in a matrix equation with several hundred thousand degrees of freedom that is solved efficiently on a supercomputer. The model is validated by comparing results either with exact solutions or with approximate solutions from other works. In each case, excellent correlations are obtained. The usefulness of the model as an optimization tool and the importance of variable impedance liners as a mechanism for achieving broadband suppression within a lined ejector are demonstrated.

Modeling containment of large wildfires using generalized linear mixed-model analysis

Treesearch

Mark Finney; Isaac C. Grenfell; Charles W. McHugh

2009-01-01

Billions of dollars are spent annually in the United States to contain large wildland fires, but the factors contributing to suppression success remain poorly understood. We used a regression model (generalized linear mixed-model) to model containment probability of individual fires, assuming that containment was a repeated-measures problem (fixed effect) and...

Harvest regimen changes sericea lespedeza condensed tannin, fiber and protein concentrations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont de Courset) G. Don.; SL] is a perennial, warm-season legume that contains condensed tannins (CT) that could play crucial roles in ruminant ecosystems, among them gastro-intestinal nematode suppression, methane suppression, rumen protein bypass, as well as...

Exploratory breath analyses for assessing toxic dermal exposure of firefighters during suppression of structural burns

EPA Science Inventory

Firefighters wear fireproof clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) during rescue and fire suppression activities to protect against acute effects from heat and toxic chemicals. Fire services are also concerned about long-term health outcomes from chemical exposure...

21 CFR 341.70 - Labeling of OTC drug products containing ingredients that are used for treating concurrent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... name of the drug, if any, and identifies the product as a “cough suppressant/oral anesthetic” or “antitussive (cough suppressant)/oral anesthetic.” The indications shall be combined from § 341.74(b) and part...

21 CFR 341.70 - Labeling of OTC drug products containing ingredients that are used for treating concurrent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... name of the drug, if any, and identifies the product as a “cough suppressant/oral anesthetic” or “antitussive (cough suppressant)/oral anesthetic.” The indications shall be combined from § 341.74(b) and part...

21 CFR 341.70 - Labeling of OTC drug products containing ingredients that are used for treating concurrent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... name of the drug, if any, and identifies the product as a “cough suppressant/oral anesthetic” or “antitussive (cough suppressant)/oral anesthetic.” The indications shall be combined from § 341.74(b) and part...

21 CFR 341.70 - Labeling of OTC drug products containing ingredients that are used for treating concurrent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... name of the drug, if any, and identifies the product as a “cough suppressant/oral anesthetic” or “antitussive (cough suppressant)/oral anesthetic.” The indications shall be combined from § 341.74(b) and part...

21 CFR 341.70 - Labeling of OTC drug products containing ingredients that are used for treating concurrent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... name of the drug, if any, and identifies the product as a “cough suppressant/oral anesthetic” or “antitussive (cough suppressant)/oral anesthetic.” The indications shall be combined from § 341.74(b) and part...

A limited CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide therapy regimen induces sustained suppression of allergic airway inflammation in mice

PubMed Central

Kozy, Heather M.; Lum, Jeremy A.; Sweetwood, Rosemary; Chu, Mabel; Cunningham, Cameron R.; Salamon, Hugh; Lloyd, Clare M.; Coffman, Robert L.; Hessel, Edith M.

2015-01-01

Background CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) are potent inhibitors of Th2-mediated allergic airway disease in sensitized mice challenged with allergen. A single treatment has transient effects but a limited series of treatments has potential to achieve clinically meaningful sustained inhibition of allergic airway disease. Objective To optimize the treatment regimen and determine the mechanisms of action in mice of an inhaled form of CpG-ODN being developed for human asthma treatment. Methods A limited series of weekly intranasal 1018 ISS (CpG-ODN; B-class) treatments were given to ragweed allergen-sensitized mice chronically exposed to allergen during and after the 1018 ISS treatment regimen. Treatment effects were evaluated by measuring effect on lung Th2 cytokines and eosinophilia as well as lung dendritic cell function and T cell responses. Results Twelve intranasal 1018 ISS treatments induced significant suppression of BAL eosinophilia and IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 levels and suppression was maintained through 13 weekly ragweed exposures administered after treatment cessation. At least 5 treatments were required for lasting Th2 suppression. CpG-ODN induced moderate Th1 responses but Th2 suppression did not require IFN-γ. Th2 suppression was associated with induction of a regulatory T cell response. Conclusion A short series of CpG-ODN treatments results in sustained suppression of allergic lung inflammation induced by a clinically relevant allergen. PMID:24464743

PARP-1 regulates the expression of caspase-11

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

Yoo, Lang; Hong, Seokheon; Shin, Ki Soon

2011-05-13

Highlights: {yields} Knockdown of PARP-1 suppresses the LPS-induced expression of caspase-11. {yields} Knockdown of PARP-1 suppresses the caspase-11 promoter activity following LPS stimulation. {yields} PARP-1 is recruited to the caspase-11 promoter region containing NF-{kappa}B-binding sites following LPS stimulation. {yields} PARP-1 inhibitors cannot suppress the caspase-11 induction. {yields} PARP-1 does not suppress IFN-{gamma}-induced expression of caspase-11. -- Abstract: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a multifunctional enzyme that regulates DNA repair, cell death and transcription of inflammatory proteins. In the present study, we present evidence that PARP-1 regulates the expression of caspase-11 following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Knockdown of PARP-1 suppressed the LPS-induced expressionmore » of caspase-11 at both mRNA and protein levels as well as caspase-11 promoter activity. Importantly, PARP-1 was recruited to the caspase-11 promoter region containing predicted nuclear factor (NF)-{kappa}B-binding sites when examined by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. However, knockdown of PARP-1 did not suppress the expression of caspase-11 induced by interferon-{gamma} that activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 but not NF-{kappa}B. PARP-1 enzymatic activity was not required for the caspase-11 upregulation since pharmacological inhibitors of PARP-1 did not suppress the induction of caspase-11. Our results suggest that PARP-1, as a transcriptional cofactor for NF-{kappa}B, regulates the induction of caspase-11 at a transcriptional level.« less

How to inhibit a distractor location? Statistical learning versus active, top-down suppression.

PubMed

Wang, Benchi; Theeuwes, Jan

2018-05-01

Recently, Wang and Theeuwes (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 44(1), 13-17, 2018a) demonstrated the role of lingering selection biases in an additional singleton search task in which the distractor singleton appeared much more often in one location than in all other locations. For this location, there was less capture and selection efficiency was reduced. It was argued that statistical learning induces plasticity within the spatial priority map such that particular locations that are high likely to contain a distractor are suppressed relative to all other locations. The current study replicated these findings regarding statistical learning (Experiment 1) and investigated whether similar effects can be obtained by cueing the distractor location in a top-down way on a trial-by-trial basis. The results show that top-down cueing of the distractor location with long (1,500 ms; Experiment 2) and short stimulus-onset symmetries (SOAs) (600 ms; Experiment 3) does not result in suppression: The amount of capture nor the efficiency of selection was affected by the cue. If anything, we found an attentional benefit (instead of the suppression) for the short SOA. We argue that through statistical learning, weights within the attentional priority map are changed such that one location containing a salient distractor is suppressed relative to all other locations. Our cueing experiments show that this effect cannot be accomplished by active, top-down suppression. Consequences for recent theories of distractor suppression are discussed.

Neutrophil-mediated anticancer drug delivery for suppression of postoperative malignant glioma recurrence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Jingwei; Zhao, Zekai; Zhang, Lei; Xue, Lingjing; Shen, Shiyang; Wen, Yajing; Wei, Zhuoyuan; Wang, Lu; Kong, Lingyi; Sun, Hongbin; Ping, Qineng; Mo, Ran; Zhang, Can

2017-07-01

Cell-mediated drug-delivery systems have received considerable attention for their enhanced therapeutic specificity and efficacy in cancer treatment. Neutrophils (NEs), the most abundant type of immune cells, are known to penetrate inflamed brain tumours. Here we show that NEs carrying liposomes that contain paclitaxel (PTX) can penetrate the brain and suppress the recurrence of glioma in mice whose tumour has been resected surgically. Inflammatory factors released after tumour resection guide the movement of the NEs into the inflamed brain. The highly concentrated inflammatory signals in the brain trigger the release of liposomal PTX from the NEs, which allows delivery of PTX into the remaining invading tumour cells. We show that this NE-mediated delivery of drugs efficiently slows the recurrent growth of tumours, with significantly improved survival rates, but does not completely inhibit the regrowth of tumours.

[A case study of BRON (cough suppressant) tablet dependence--its social psychiatric and biological aspects].

PubMed

Kitabayashi, Y; Ueda, H; Narumoto, J; Kita, H; Nakamura, K; Tsuchida, H; Tani, N; Fukui, K

2000-10-01

A case of BRON tablet dependence is demonstrated. BRON is an over-the-counter (OTC) cough suppressant, which contains methylephedrine, dihydrocodeine, chlorpheniramine and caffeine. He took BRON tablet for the first time at the age of 16. In progress, he developed psychomotor excitement twice and finally manifested amotivational syndrome 3 years later from his first use. Longitudinal 123I-IMP SPECT (autoradiography method) findings demonstrated diffuse cerebral blood flow (CBF) decrease and relative hyperactivity in the lower frontal lobe. Diffuse decreased regional CBF, which was unchanged through its course for about 4 months, may show irreversible brain damage due to chronic BRON abuse. The findings of relative hyperactivity in the lower frontal lobe (orbitofrontal lobe) may reflect "craving for BRON" based on abnormal dopaminergic neural system activity. Based on the evidence that orbitofrontal hyperactivity is also seen in cases of cocaine abuse, methylephedrine, which is a cocaine-like central nervous system stimulant, may play the main role in BRON dependence formation. In Japan, BRON syrup abuse and dependence were in fashion for youth in 1980s. After the legal regulation of the market in 1988, it has gone out of fashion. While it is still easy to acquire OTC cough suppressant, reports of BRON tablet abuse and dependence are quite rare through 1980s and 1990s. This case suggests that BRON tablet abuse also could lead to dependence and come into new vogue for youth in the future. We should pay attention to the trend of OTC cough suppressant abuse and may need to regulate the market by law more severely.

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

Inoh, Yoshikazu; Furuno, Tadahide; Hirashima, Naohide

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We use MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes for siRNA delivery. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes can efficiently and rapidly deliver siRNA into the cytoplasm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rapid delivery of siRNA is due to the membrane fusion between liposomes and plasma membrane. -- Abstract: The downregulation of gene expression by RNA interference holds great potential for genetic analysis and gene therapy. However, a more efficient delivery system for small interfering RNA (siRNA) into the target cells is required for wide fields such as cell biology, physiology, and clinical application. Non-viral vectors are stronger candidates than viral vectors because they are safer and easiermore » to prepare. We have previously used a new method for gene transfection by combining cationic liposomes with the biosurfactant mannosylerythritol lipid-A (MEL-A). The novel MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes rapidly delivered DNA (plasmids and oligonucleotides) into the cytosol and nucleus through membrane fusion between liposomes and the plasma membrane, and consequently, enhanced the gene transfection efficiency. In this study, we determined the efficiency of MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes for siRNA delivery. We observed that exogenous and endogenous protein expression was suppressed by approximately 60% at 24 h after brief (30 min) incubation of target cells with MEL-A-containing cationic liposome/siRNA complexes. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that suppression of protein expression was caused by rapid siRNA delivery into the cytosol. We found that the MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes directly delivered siRNA into the cytoplasm by the membrane fusion in addition to endocytotic pathway whereas Lipofectamine Trade-Mark-Sign RNAiMax delivered siRNA only by the endocytotic pathway. It seems that the ability to rapidly and directly deliver siRNA into the cytosol using MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes is able to reduce immune responses, cytotoxicity, and other side effects caused by viral vectors in clinical applications.« less

Suppressing tin whisker growth in lead-free solders and platings

DOEpatents

Hoffman, Elizabeth N; Lam, Poh-Sang

2014-04-29

A process of irradiation Sn containing Pb-free solder to mitigate whisker formation and growth thereon is provided. The use of gamma radiation such as cobalt-60 has been applied to a substrate of Sn on copper has been found to change the morphology of the crystalline whisker growth to a more truncated hillock pattern. The change in morphology greatly reduces the tendency of whiskers to contribute to electrical short-circuits being used as a Pb-free solder system on a copper substrate.

The rhizosphere microbial community in a multiple parallel mineralization system suppresses the pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum

PubMed Central

Fujiwara, Kazuki; Iida, Yuichiro; Iwai, Takashi; Aoyama, Chihiro; Inukai, Ryuya; Ando, Akinori; Ogawa, Jun; Ohnishi, Jun; Terami, Fumihiro; Takano, Masao; Shinohara, Makoto

2013-01-01

The rhizosphere microbial community in a hydroponics system with multiple parallel mineralization (MPM) can potentially suppress root-borne diseases. This study focused on revealing the biological nature of the suppression against Fusarium wilt disease, which is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, and describing the factors that may influence the fungal pathogen in the MPM system. We demonstrated that the rhizosphere microbiota that developed in the MPM system could suppress Fusarium wilt disease under in vitro and greenhouse conditions. The microbiological characteristics of the MPM system were able to control the population dynamics of F. oxysporum, but did not eradicate the fungal pathogen. The roles of the microbiological agents underlying the disease suppression and the magnitude of the disease suppression in the MPM system appear to depend on the microbial density. F. oxysporum that survived in the MPM system formed chlamydospores when exposed to the rhizosphere microbiota. These results suggest that the microbiota suppresses proliferation of F. oxysporum by controlling the pathogen's morphogenesis and by developing an ecosystem that permits coexistence with F. oxysporum. PMID:24311557

19F DOSY NMR analysis for spin systems with nJFF couplings.

PubMed

Dal Poggetto, Guilherme; Favaro, Denize C; Nilsson, Mathias; Morris, Gareth A; Tormena, Cláudio F

2014-04-01

NMR is a powerful method for identification and quantification of drug components and contaminations. These problems present themselves as mixtures, and here, one of the most powerful tools is DOSY. DOSY works best when there is no spectral overlap between components, so drugs containing fluorine substituents are well-suited for DOSY analysis as (19)F spectra are typically very sparse. Here, we demonstrate the use of a modified (19)F DOSY experiment (on the basis of the Oneshot sequences) for various fluorinated benzenes. For compounds with significant (n) JFF coupling constants, as is common, the undesirable J-modulation can be efficiently suppressed using the Oneshot45 pulse sequence. This investigation highlights (19)F DOSY as a valuable and robust method for analysis of molecular systems containing fluorine atoms even where there are large fluorine-fluorine couplings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Position control of an electro-pneumatic system based on PWM technique and FLC.

PubMed

Najjari, Behrouz; Barakati, S Masoud; Mohammadi, Ali; Futohi, Muhammad J; Bostanian, Muhammad

2014-03-01

In this paper, modeling and PWM based control of an electro-pneumatic system, including the four 2-2 valves and a double acting cylinder are studied. Dynamic nonlinear behavior of the system, containing fast switching solenoid valves and a pneumatic cylinder, as well as electrical, magnetic, mechanical, and fluid subsystems are modeled. A DC-DC power converter is employed to improve solenoid valve performance and suppress system delay. Among different position control methods, a proportional integrator derivative (PID) controller and fuzzy logic controller (FLC) are evaluated. An experimental setup, using an AVR microcontroller is implemented. Simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promising new technology for managing diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in cabbage with pheromone.

PubMed

Mitchell, Everett R

2002-05-01

Experiments were conducted in plantings of cabbage in spring 1999 and 2000 to evaluate a novel, new matrix system for delivering sex pheromone to suppress sexual communication by diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). The liquid, viscous, slow-release formulation contained a combination of diamondback moth pheromone, a blend of Z-11-hexadecenyl acetate, 27%:Z-11-hexadecen-1-ol, 1%:Z-11-tetradecen-1-ol, 9%:Z-11-hexadecenal, 63%, and the insecticide permethrin (0.16% and 6% w/w of total formulated material, respectively). Field trapping experiments showed that the lure-toxicant combination was highly attractive to male moths for at least four weeks using as little as a 0.05 g droplet of formulated material per trap; and the permethrin insecticide had no apparent influence on response of moths to lure baited traps. Small field plots of cabbage were treated with the lure-toxicant-matrix combination using droplets of 0.44 and 0.05 g each applied to cabbage in a grid pattern at densities ranging from 990 to 4396 droplets/ha to evaluate the potential for disrupting sexual communication of diamondback moth. There was no significant difference in the level of suppression of sexual communication of diamondback moth, as measured by captures of males in pheromone-baited traps located in the treated plots, versus moths captured in untreated control plots, among the treatments regardless of droplet size (0.05 or 0.44 g) or number of droplets applied per ha. Plots treated with the smallest droplet size (0.05 g) and with the fewest number of droplets per ha (990) suppressed captures of male diamondback moths > 90% for up to 3 weeks post treatment. Although laboratory assays showed that the lure-toxicant combination was 100% effective at killing the diamondback moth, the mode of action in the field trials was not determined. The results indicate that the liquid, viscous, slow release formulation containing diamondback moth pheromone could be used to effectively suppress sexual communication of this pest in cabbage and other crucifers, although as many as three applications probably would be required for suppression over an entire growing season.

40 CFR 267.1104 - How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... suppression liquids required to meet occupational health and safety requirements, and (b) Containment of... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements? 267.1104 Section 267.1104 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL...

40 CFR 267.1104 - How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... suppression liquids required to meet occupational health and safety requirements, and (b) Containment of... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements? 267.1104 Section 267.1104 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL...

40 CFR 267.1104 - How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... suppression liquids required to meet occupational health and safety requirements, and (b) Containment of... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements? 267.1104 Section 267.1104 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL...

40 CFR 267.1104 - How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... suppression liquids required to meet occupational health and safety requirements, and (b) Containment of... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false How may I obtain a waiver from secondary containment requirements? 267.1104 Section 267.1104 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL...

T1 pseudohyperintensity on fat-suppressed MRI: A potential diagnostic pitfall

PubMed Central

Huynh, Tuan N.; Johnson, D. Thor; Poder, Liina; Joe, Bonnie N.; Webb, Emily M.; Coakley, Fergus V.

2011-01-01

MRI findings in two patients with misleading T1 hyperintensity seen only on fat-suppressed images are presented, one with a renal cell carcinoma that was misinterpreted as a hemorrhagic cyst and the other with an ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma that was misinterpreted as a complicated endometrioma. The apparent T1 hyperintensity on fat suppressed images in these cases was likely due to varying perception of image signal dependent on local contrast, an optical effect known as the checker-shadow illusion. T1 pseudohyperintensity should be considered when apparently high T1 signal intensity is seen only on fat-suppressed images; review of non fat-suppressed images may help prevent an erroneous diagnoses of blood-containing lesions. PMID:21765301

Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein F Suppresses Angiotensinogen Gene Expression and Attenuates Hypertension and Kidney Injury in Diabetic Mice

PubMed Central

Lo, Chao-Sheng; Chang, Shiao-Ying; Chenier, Isabelle; Filep, Janos G.; Ingelfinger, Julie R.; Zhang, Shao Ling; Chan, John S.D.

2012-01-01

We investigated the impact of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein F (hnRNP F) overexpression on angiotensinogen (Agt) gene expression, hypertension, and renal proximal tubular cell (RPTC) injury in high-glucose milieu both in vivo and in vitro. Diabetic Akita transgenic (Tg) mice specifically overexpressing hnRNP F in their RPTCs were created, and the effects on systemic hypertension, Agt gene expression, renal hypertrophy, and interstitial fibrosis were studied. We also examined immortalized rat RPTCs stably transfected with control plasmid or plasmid containing hnRNP F cDNA in vitro. The results showed that hnRNP F overexpression attenuated systemic hypertension, suppressed Agt and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) gene expression, and reduced urinary Agt and angiotensin II levels, renal hypertrophy, and glomerulotubular fibrosis in Akita hnRNP F-Tg mice. In vitro, hnRNP F overexpression prevented the high-glucose stimulation of Agt and TGF-β1 mRNA expression and cellular hypertrophy in RPTCs. These data suggest that hnRNP F plays a modulatory role and can ameliorate hypertension, renal hypertrophy, and interstitial fibrosis in diabetes. The underlying mechanism is mediated, at least in part, via the suppression of intrarenal Agt gene expression in vivo. hnRNP F may be a potential target in the treatment of hypertension and kidney injury in diabetes. PMID:22664958

Switching regimens in virologically suppressed HIV-1-infected patients: evidence base and rationale for integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-containing regimens.

PubMed

Raffi, F; Esser, S; Nunnari, G; Pérez-Valero, I; Waters, L

2016-10-01

In an era when most individuals with treated HIV infection can expect to live into old age, clinicians should proactively review their patients' current and future treatment needs and challenges. Clinical guidelines acknowledge that, in the setting of virological suppression, treatment switch may yield benefits in terms of tolerability, regimen simplification, adherence, convenience and long-term health considerations, particularly in the context of ageing. In this paper, we review evidence from six key clinical studies on switching virologically suppressed patients to regimens based on integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), the antiretroviral class increasingly preferred as initial therapy in clinical guidelines. We review these studies and focus on the virological efficacy, safety, and tolerability of switching to INSTI-based regimens in suppressed HIV-positive individuals. We review the early switch studies SWITCHMRK and SPIRAL [assessing a switch from a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r) to raltegravir (RAL)-containing regimens], together with data from STRATEGY-PI [assessing a switch to elvitegravir (EVG)-containing regimens; EVG/cobicistat (COBI)/emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) vs. remaining on a PI/r-containing regimen], STRATEGY-NNRTI [assessing a switch to EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF vs. continuation of a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)], STRIIVING [assessing a switch to a dolutegravir (DTG)-containing regimen (abacavir (ABC)/lamivudine (3TC)/DTG) vs. staying on the background regimen], and GS study 109 [assessing a switch to EVG/COBI/FTC/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) vs. continuation of FTC/TDF-based regimens]. Switching to INSTI-containing regimens has been shown to support good virological efficacy, with evidence from two studies demonstrating superior virological efficacy for a switch to EVG-containing regimens. In addition, switching to INSTI regimens was associated with improved tolerability and greater reported patient satisfaction and outcomes in some studies. INSTI-based regimens offer an important contemporary switch option that may be tailored to meet and optimize the needs of many patients. © 2016 British HIV Association.

Reading in healthy ageing: the influence of information structuring in sentences.

PubMed

Price, Jessica M; Sanford, Anthony J

2012-06-01

In three experiments, we investigated the cognitive effects of linguistic prominence to establish whether focus plays a similar or different role in modulating language processing in healthy ageing. Information structuring through the use of cleft sentences is known to increase the processing efficiency of anaphoric references to elements contained with a marked focus structure. It also protects these elements from becoming suppressed in the wake of subsequent information, suggesting selective mechanisms of enhancement and suppression. In Experiment 1 (using self-paced reading), we found that focus enhanced (faster) integration for anaphors referring to words contained within the scope of focus; but suppressed (slower) integration for anaphors to words contained outside of the scope of focus; and in some cases, the effects were larger in older adults. In Experiment 2 (using change detection), we showed that older adults relied more on the linguistic structure to enhance change detection when the changed word was in focus. In Experiment 3 (using delayed probe recognition and eye-tracking), we found that older adults recognized probes more accurately when they were made to elements within the scope of focus than when they were outside the scope of focus. These results indicate that older adults' ability to selectively attend or suppress concepts in a marked focus structure is preserved. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Techniques Analysis of the Interference Suppression Algorithm in Broadband Aeronautical Multi-carrier Communication System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dong-xia; Ye, Qian-wen

Out-of-band radiation suppression algorithm must be used efficiently for broadband aeronautical communication system in order not to interfere the operation of the existing systems in aviation L-Band. Based on the simple introduction of the broadband aeronautical multi-carrier communication (B-AMC) system model, several sidelobe suppression techniques in orthogonal frequency multiplexing (OFDM) system are presented and analyzed so as to find a suitable algorithm for B-AMC system in this paper. Simulation results show that raise-cosine function windowing can suppress the out-of-band radiation of B-AMC system effectively.

Nervus terminalis ganglion of the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo): evidence for cholinergic and catecholaminergic influence on two cell types distinguished by peptide immunocytochemistry.

PubMed

White, J; Meredith, M

1995-01-16

The nervus terminalis is a ganglionated vertebrate cranial nerve of unknown function that connects the brain and the peripheral nasal structures. To investigate its function, we have studied nervus terminalis ganglion morphology and physiology in the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo), where the nerve is particularly prominent. Immunocytochemistry for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and Leu-Pro-Leu-Arg-Phe-NH2 (LPLRFamide) revealed two distinct populations of cells. Both were acetylcholinesterase positive, but LPLR-Famide-immunoreactive cells consistently stained more darkly for acetylcholinesterase activity. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry revealed fibers and terminal-like puncta in the ganglion, primarily in areas containing GnRH-immunoreactive cells. Consistent with the anatomy, in vitro electrophysiological recordings provided evidence for cholinergic and catecholaminergic actions. In extracellular recordings, acetylcholine had a variable effect on baseline ganglion cell activity, whereas norepinephrine consistently reduced activity. Electrical stimulation of the nerve trunks suppressed ganglion activity, as did impulses from the brain in vivo. During electrical suppression, acetylcholine consistently increased activity, and norepinephrine decreased activity. Muscarinic and, to a lesser extent, alpha-adrenergic antagonists both increased activity during the electrical suppression, suggesting involvement of both systems. Intracellular recordings revealed two types of ganglion cells that were distinguishable pharmacologically and physiologically. Some cells were hyperpolarized by cholinergic agonists and unaffected by norepinephrine; these cells did not depolarize with peripheral nerve trunk stimulation. Another group of cells did depolarize with peripheral trunk stimulation; a representative of this group was depolarized by carbachol and hyperpolarized by norepinephrine. These and other data suggest that the bonnethead nervus terminalis ganglion contains at least two cell populations that respond differently to acetylcholine and norepinephrine. The bonnethead nervus terminalis ganglion appears to differ fundamentally from sensory and autonomic ganglia but does share some features with the neural circuits of forebrain GnRH systems.

Suppression Effect and Mechanism of Platinum and Nitrogen-Containing Silane on the Tracking and Erosion of Silicone Rubber for High-Voltage Insulation.

PubMed

Chen, Wan Juan; Zeng, Xingrong; Lai, Xuejun; Li, Hongqiang; Fang, Wei Zhen; Hou, Fei

2016-08-17

How to effectively improve the tracking and erosion resistance of silicone rubber (SR) was an urgent topic in the field of high-voltage insulation. In this work, the tracking and erosion resistance of SR was significantly improved by incorporating platinum (Pt) catalyst and nitrogen-containing silane (NS). The suppression effect and mechanism of Pt/NS on tracking and erosion were studied by inclined plane (IP) test, thermogravimetry (TG), thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, laser Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. It revealed that when 1.4 phr of NS and 6.7 ppm of Pt were added, the tracking resistance of SR was improved from 2.5 to 4.5 kV level in the IP test, and the eroded mass was significantly reduced. This might be attributed to the synergistic effect of Pt/NS on silicone chains. At a high temperature produced by arc discharge, Pt/NS would catalyze radical cross-linking, meanwhile suppressing oxidation and depolymerization of silicone chains. Hence, a tightly cross-linked network was formed and protected inner materials from arc ablation. Moreover, carbon deposit during pyrolysis was suppressed by Pt/NS, which served as the secondary mechanism of tracking suppression.

Regulatory Eosinophils Suppress T Cells Partly through Galectin-10.

PubMed

Lingblom, Christine; Andersson, Jennie; Andersson, Kerstin; Wennerås, Christine

2017-06-15

Eosinophils have the capacity to regulate the function of T cell subsets. Our aim was to test the hypothesis of the existence of a regulatory subset of eosinophils. Human eosinophils were incubated with T cells that were stimulated with allogeneic leukocytes or CD3/CD28 cross-linking. After 2 d of coculture, 11% of the eosinophils gained CD16 expression. A CD16 hi subset of eosinophils, encompassing 1-5% of all eosinophils, was also identified in the blood of healthy subjects. FACS sorting showed that these CD16 hi eosinophils were significantly stronger suppressors of T cell proliferation than were conventional CD16 neg eosinophils. Human eosinophils contain stores of the immunoregulatory protein galectin-10. We found that Ab-mediated neutralization of galectin-10 partially abrogated the suppressive function of the eosinophils. Moreover, recombinant galectin-10 by itself was able to suppress T cell proliferation. Finally, we detected galectin-10-containing immune synapses between eosinophils and lymphocytes. To conclude, we describe a subset of suppressive eosinophils expressing CD16 that may escape detection because CD16-based negative selection is the standard procedure for the isolation of human eosinophils. Moreover, we show that galectin-10 functions as a T cell-suppressive molecule in eosinophils. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Examining the relative effects of fire weather, suppression and fuel treatment on fire behaviour--a simulation study.

PubMed

Penman, T D; Collins, L; Price, O F; Bradstock, R A; Metcalf, S; Chong, D M O

2013-12-15

Large budgets are spent on both suppression and fuel treatments in order to reduce the risk of wildfires. There is little evidence regarding the relative contribution of fire weather, suppression and fuel treatments in determining the risk posed from wildfires. Here we undertake a simulation study in the Sydney Basin, Australia, to examine this question using a fire behaviour model (Phoenix Rapidfire). Results of the study indicate that fire behaviour is most strongly influenced by fire weather. Suppression has a greater influence on whether a fire reaches 5 ha in size compared to fuel treatments. In contrast, fuel treatments have a stronger effect on the fire size and maximum distance the fire travels. The study suggests that fire management agencies will receive additional benefits from fuel treatment if they are located in areas which suppression resources can respond rapidly and attempt to contain the fires. No combination of treatments contained all fires, and the proportion of uncontained fires increased under more severe fire weather when the greatest number of properties are lost. Our study highlights the importance of alternative management strategies to reduce the risk of property loss. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasmon-Exciton Interactions Probed Using Spatial Coentrapment of Nanoparticles by Topological Singularities.

PubMed

Ackerman, Paul J; Mundoor, Haridas; Smalyukh, Ivan I; van de Lagemaat, Jao

2015-12-22

We study plasmon-exciton interaction by using topological singularities to spatially confine, selectively deliver, cotrap and optically probe colloidal semiconductor and plasmonic nanoparticles. The interaction is monitored in a single quantum system in the bulk of a liquid crystal medium where nanoparticles are manipulated and nanoconfined far from dielectric interfaces using laser tweezers and topological configurations containing singularities. When quantum dot-in-a-rod particles are spatially colocated with a plasmonic gold nanoburst particle in a topological singularity core, its fluorescence increases because blinking is significantly suppressed and the radiative decay rate increases by nearly an order of magnitude owing to the Purcell effect. We argue that the blinking suppression is the result of the radiative rate change that mitigates Auger recombination and quantum dot ionization, consequently reducing nonradiative recombination. Our work demonstrates that topological singularities are an effective platform for studying and controlling plasmon-exciton interactions.

Plasmon–Exciton Interactions Probed Using Spatial Coentrapment of Nanoparticles by Topological Singularities

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

Ackerman, Paul J.; Mundoor, Haridas; Smalyukh, Ivan I.

2015-12-22

We study plasmon-exciton interaction by using topological singularities to spatially confine, selectively deliver, cotrap and optically probe colloidal semiconductor and plasmonic nanoparticles. The interaction is monitored in a single quantum system in the bulk of a liquid crystal medium where nanoparticles are manipulated and nanoconfined far from dielectric interfaces using laser tweezers and topological configurations containing singularities. When quantum dot-in-a-rod particles are spatially colocated with a plasmonic gold nanoburst particle in a topological singularity core, its fluorescence increases because blinking is significantly suppressed and the radiative decay rate increases by nearly an order of magnitude owing to the Purcell effect.more » We argue that the blinking suppression is the result of the radiative rate change that mitigates Auger recombination and quantum dot ionization, consequently reducing nonradiative recombination. Our work demonstrates that topological singularities are an effective platform for studying and controlling plasmon-exciton interactions.« less

Suppression of Growth by Multiplicative White Noise in a Parametric Resonant System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishihara, Masamichi

2015-02-01

The growth of the amplitude in a Mathieu-like equation with multiplicative white noise is studied. To obtain an approximate analytical expression for the exponent at the extremum on parametric resonance regions, a time-interval width is introduced. To determine the exponents numerically, the stochastic differential equations are solved by a symplectic numerical method. The Mathieu-like equation contains a parameter α determined by the intensity of noise and the strength of the coupling between the variable and noise; without loss of generality, only non-negative α can be considered. The exponent is shown to decrease with α, reach a minimum and increase after that. The minimum exponent is obtained analytically and numerically. As a function of α, the minimum at α≠0, occurs on the parametric resonance regions of α=0. This minimum indicates suppression of growth by multiplicative white noise.

Small-molecule RORγt antagonists inhibit T helper 17 cell transcriptional network by divergent mechanisms.

PubMed

Xiao, Sheng; Yosef, Nir; Yang, Jianfei; Wang, Yonghui; Zhou, Ling; Zhu, Chen; Wu, Chuan; Baloglu, Erkan; Schmidt, Darby; Ramesh, Radha; Lobera, Mercedes; Sundrud, Mark S; Tsai, Pei-Yun; Xiang, Zhijun; Wang, Jinsong; Xu, Yan; Lin, Xichen; Kretschmer, Karsten; Rahl, Peter B; Young, Richard A; Zhong, Zhong; Hafler, David A; Regev, Aviv; Ghosh, Shomir; Marson, Alexander; Kuchroo, Vijay K

2014-04-17

We identified three retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt)-specific inhibitors that suppress T helper 17 (Th17) cell responses, including Th17-cell-mediated autoimmune disease. We systemically characterized RORγt binding in the presence and absence of drugs with corresponding whole-genome transcriptome sequencing. RORγt acts as a direct activator of Th17 cell signature genes and a direct repressor of signature genes from other T cell lineages; its strongest transcriptional effects are on cis-regulatory sites containing the RORα binding motif. RORγt is central in a densely interconnected regulatory network that shapes the balance of T cell differentiation. Here, the three inhibitors modulated the RORγt-dependent transcriptional network to varying extents and through distinct mechanisms. Whereas one inhibitor displaced RORγt from its target loci, the other two inhibitors affected transcription predominantly without removing DNA binding. Our work illustrates the power of a system-scale analysis of transcriptional regulation to characterize potential therapeutic compounds that inhibit pathogenic Th17 cells and suppress autoimmunity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The in vitro effects of artificial and natural sweeteners on the immune system using whole blood culture assays.

PubMed

Rahiman, F; Pool, E J

2014-01-01

This article investigates the effects of commercially available artificial (aspartame, saccharin, sucralose) and natural sweeteners (brown sugar, white sugar, molasses) on the immune system. Human whole blood cultures were incubated with various sweeteners and stimulated in vitro with either phytohemagglutinin or endotoxin. Harvested supernatants were screened for cytotoxicity and cytokine release. Results showed that none of the artificial or natural sweeteners proved to be cytotoxic, indicating that no cell death was induced in vitro. The natural sweetener, sugar cane molasses (10 ug/mL), enhanced levels of the inflammatory biomarker IL-6 while all artificial sweeteners (10 ug/mL) revealed a suppressive effect on IL-6 secretion (P < 0.001). Exposure of blood cells to sucralose-containing sweeteners under stimulatory conditions reduced levels of the biomarker of humoral immunity, Interleukin-10 (P < 0.001). The cumulative suppression of Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-10 levels induced by sucralose may contribute to the inability in mounting an effective humoral response when posed with an exogenous threat.

Impact of tubing material on the failure of product-specific bubble points of sterilizing-grade filters.

PubMed

Meyer, Brian K; Vargas, Diego

2006-01-01

The following study was conducted to determine the effect of different preservatives commonly used in the biopharmaceutical industry on the product-specific bubble point of sterilizing-grade filters when used to filter product processed with different types of tubing. The preservatives tested were 0.25% phenol, m-cresol, and benzyl alcohol. The tubing tested was Sani-Pure (platinum-cured silicone tubing), Versilic (peroxide-cured silicone tubing), C-Flex, Pharmed, and Cole-Parmer (BioPharm silicone tubing). The product-specific bubble point values of sterilizing grade filters were measured after the recirculation of product through the filter and tubing of different types of materials for a total contact time of 15 h. When silicone tubing was used, the post-recirculation product-specific bubble point was suppressed on average 13 psig when compared to the pre- recirculation product-specific bubble point. Suppression was also observed with C-Flex, but to a much lesser extent than with silicone tubing. Suppression was not observed with Pharmed or BioPharm tubing. Alcohol extractions performed on the filters that experienced suppressed bubble points followed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated the filters contained poly(dimethylsiloxane). Direct addition of poly(dimethlysiloxane) to solutions filtered through sterilizing-grade filters suppressed the filter bubble points when tested for integrity. Silicone oils most likely reduced the surface tension of the pores in the membrane, resulting in the ability of air (or nitrogen) to pass more freely through the membrane, causing suppressed bubble point test values. The results of these studies indicate that product-specific bubble point of a filter determined with only product may not reflect the true bubble point for preservative-containing products that are recirculated or contacted with certain tubing for 15 h or greater. In addition, tubing material placed in contact with products containing preservatives should be evaluated for impact to the product-specific bubble point when being utilized with sterilizing-grade filters.

Thrombospondin Type-1 Repeat Domain-Containing Proteins Are Strongly Expressed in the Head Region of Hydra

PubMed Central

Hamaguchi-Hamada, Kayoko; Kurumata-Shigeto, Mami; Minobe, Sumiko; Fukuoka, Nozomi; Sato, Manami; Matsufuji, Miyuki; Koizumi, Osamu; Hamada, Shun

2016-01-01

The head region of Hydra, the hypostome, is a key body part for developmental control and the nervous system. We herein examined genes specifically expressed in the head region of Hydra oligactis using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cloning. A total of 1414 subtracted clones were sequenced and found to be derived from at least 540 different genes by BLASTN analyses. Approximately 25% of the subtracted clones had sequences encoding thrombospondin type-1 repeat (TSR) domains, and were derived from 17 genes. We identified 11 TSR domain-containing genes among the top 36 genes that were the most frequently detected in our SSH library. Whole-mount in situ hybridization analyses confirmed that at least 13 out of 17 TSR domain-containing genes were expressed in the hypostome of Hydra oligactis. The prominent expression of TSR domain-containing genes suggests that these genes play significant roles in the hypostome of Hydra oligactis. PMID:27043211

The rhizosphere microbial community in a multiple parallel mineralization system suppresses the pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum.

PubMed

Fujiwara, Kazuki; Iida, Yuichiro; Iwai, Takashi; Aoyama, Chihiro; Inukai, Ryuya; Ando, Akinori; Ogawa, Jun; Ohnishi, Jun; Terami, Fumihiro; Takano, Masao; Shinohara, Makoto

2013-12-01

The rhizosphere microbial community in a hydroponics system with multiple parallel mineralization (MPM) can potentially suppress root-borne diseases. This study focused on revealing the biological nature of the suppression against Fusarium wilt disease, which is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, and describing the factors that may influence the fungal pathogen in the MPM system. We demonstrated that the rhizosphere microbiota that developed in the MPM system could suppress Fusarium wilt disease under in vitro and greenhouse conditions. The microbiological characteristics of the MPM system were able to control the population dynamics of F. oxysporum, but did not eradicate the fungal pathogen. The roles of the microbiological agents underlying the disease suppression and the magnitude of the disease suppression in the MPM system appear to depend on the microbial density. F. oxysporum that survived in the MPM system formed chlamydospores when exposed to the rhizosphere microbiota. These results suggest that the microbiota suppresses proliferation of F. oxysporum by controlling the pathogen's morphogenesis and by developing an ecosystem that permits coexistence with F. oxysporum. © 2013 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An analytical technique for predicting the characteristics of a flexible wing equipped with an active flutter-suppression system and comparison with wind-tunnel data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abel, I.

1979-01-01

An analytical technique for predicting the performance of an active flutter-suppression system is presented. This technique is based on the use of an interpolating function to approximate the unsteady aerodynamics. The resulting equations are formulated in terms of linear, ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients. This technique is then applied to an aeroelastic model wing equipped with an active flutter-suppression system. Comparisons between wind-tunnel data and analysis are presented for the wing both with and without active flutter suppression. Results indicate that the wing flutter characteristics without flutter suppression can be predicted very well but that a more adequate model of wind-tunnel turbulence is required when the active flutter-suppression system is used.

The Autophagic Degradation of Chloroplasts via Rubisco-Containing Bodies Is Specifically Linked to Leaf Carbon Status But Not Nitrogen Status in Arabidopsis1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Izumi, Masanori; Wada, Shinya; Makino, Amane; Ishida, Hiroyuki

2010-01-01

Autophagy is an intracellular process facilitating the vacuolar degradation of cytoplasmic components and is important for nutrient recycling during starvation. We previously demonstrated that chloroplasts can be partially mobilized to the vacuole by autophagy via spherical bodies named Rubisco-containing bodies (RCBs). Although chloroplasts contain approximately 80% of total leaf nitrogen and represent a major carbon and nitrogen source for new growth, the relationship between leaf nutrient status and RCB production remains unclear. We examined the effects of nutrient factors on the appearance of RCBs in leaves of transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing stroma-targeted fluorescent proteins. In excised leaves, the appearance of RCBs was suppressed by the presence of metabolic sugars, which were added externally or were produced during photosynthesis in the light. The light-mediated suppression was relieved by the inhibition of photosynthesis. During a diurnal cycle, RCB production was suppressed in leaves excised at the end of the day with high starch content. Starchless mutants phosphoglucomutase and ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase1 produced a large number of RCBs, while starch-excess mutants starch-excess1 and maltose-excess1 produced fewer RCBs. In nitrogen-limited plants, as leaf carbohydrates were accumulated, RCB production was suppressed. We propose that there exists a close relationship between the degradation of chloroplast proteins via RCBs and leaf carbon but not nitrogen status in autophagy. We also found that the appearance of non-RCB-type autophagic bodies was not suppressed in the light and somewhat responded to nitrogen in excised leaves, unlike RCBs. These results imply that the degradation of chloroplast proteins via RCBs is specifically controlled in autophagy. PMID:20807997

Why does anatabine, but not nicotine, accumulate in jasmonate-elicited cultured tobacco BY-2 cells?

PubMed

Shoji, Tsubasa; Hashimoto, Takashi

2008-08-01

Suspension-cultured cells of Nicotiana tabacum cv. Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) grow rapidly in a highly homogenous population and still exhibit the general behavior of plant cells, and thus are often used as model systems in several areas of plant molecular and cellular biology, including secondary metabolism. While the parental tobacco variety synthesizes nicotine as a major alkaloid, the cultured tobacco cells mainly produce a related alkaloid anatabine, instead of nicotine, when elicited with jasmonates. We report here that cultured BY-2 cells scarcely express N-methylputrescine oxidase (MPO) genes even after jasmonate elicitation. MPO is the second enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway that supplies the pyrrolidine moiety of nicotine and nornicotine, but is predicted to be dispensable for the biosynthesis of anatabine, anabasine and anatalline, which do not contain the pyrrolidine moiety. When MPO was overexpressed in tobacco BY-2 cells, nicotine synthesis was dramatically enhanced while anatabine formation was effectively suppressed. As a complementary approach, we suppressed MPO expression by RNA interference in tobacco hairy roots that normally accumulate nicotine. In the MPO-suppressed roots, the contents of anatabine, anabasine and anatalline, as well as N-methylputrescine and putrescine, markedly increased to compensate for suppressed formation of nicotine and nornicotine. These results identify the transcriptional regulation of MPO as a critical rate-limiting step that restricts nicotine formation in cultured tobacco BY-2 cells.

Changing and shielded magnetic fields suppress c-Fos expression in the navigation circuit: input from the magnetosensory system contributes to the internal representation of space in a subterranean rodent

PubMed Central

Burger, Tomáš; Lucová, Marcela; Moritz, Regina E.; Oelschläger, Helmut H. A.; Druga, Rastislav; Burda, Hynek; Wiltschko, Wolfgang; Wiltschko, Roswitha; Němec, Pavel

2010-01-01

The neural substrate subserving magnetoreception and magnetic orientation in mammals is largely unknown. Previous experiments have demonstrated that the processing of magnetic sensory information takes place in the superior colliculus. Here, the effects of magnetic field conditions on neuronal activity in the rodent navigation circuit were assessed by quantifying c-Fos expression. Ansell's mole-rats (Fukomys anselli), a mammalian model to study the mechanisms of magnetic compass orientation, were subjected to natural, periodically changing, and shielded magnetic fields while exploring an unfamiliar circular arena. In the undisturbed local geomagnetic field, the exploration of the novel environment and/or nesting behaviour induced c-Fos expression throughout the head direction system and the entorhinal–hippocampal spatial representation system. This induction was significantly suppressed by exposure to periodically changing and/or shielded magnetic fields; discrete decreases in c-Fos were seen in the dorsal tegmental nucleus, the anterodorsal and the laterodorsal thalamic nuclei, the postsubiculum, the retrosplenial and entorhinal cortices, and the hippocampus. Moreover, in inactive animals, magnetic field intensity manipulation suppressed c-Fos expression in the CA1 and CA3 fields of the hippocampus and the dorsal subiculum, but induced expression in the polymorph layer of the dentate gyrus. These findings suggest that key constituents of the rodent navigation circuit contain populations of neurons responsive to magnetic stimuli. Thus, magnetic information may be integrated with multimodal sensory and motor information into a common spatial representation of allocentric space within this circuit. PMID:20219838

Changing and shielded magnetic fields suppress c-Fos expression in the navigation circuit: input from the magnetosensory system contributes to the internal representation of space in a subterranean rodent.

PubMed

Burger, Tomás; Lucová, Marcela; Moritz, Regina E; Oelschläger, Helmut H A; Druga, Rastislav; Burda, Hynek; Wiltschko, Wolfgang; Wiltschko, Roswitha; Nemec, Pavel

2010-09-06

The neural substrate subserving magnetoreception and magnetic orientation in mammals is largely unknown. Previous experiments have demonstrated that the processing of magnetic sensory information takes place in the superior colliculus. Here, the effects of magnetic field conditions on neuronal activity in the rodent navigation circuit were assessed by quantifying c-Fos expression. Ansell's mole-rats (Fukomys anselli), a mammalian model to study the mechanisms of magnetic compass orientation, were subjected to natural, periodically changing, and shielded magnetic fields while exploring an unfamiliar circular arena. In the undisturbed local geomagnetic field, the exploration of the novel environment and/or nesting behaviour induced c-Fos expression throughout the head direction system and the entorhinal-hippocampal spatial representation system. This induction was significantly suppressed by exposure to periodically changing and/or shielded magnetic fields; discrete decreases in c-Fos were seen in the dorsal tegmental nucleus, the anterodorsal and the laterodorsal thalamic nuclei, the postsubiculum, the retrosplenial and entorhinal cortices, and the hippocampus. Moreover, in inactive animals, magnetic field intensity manipulation suppressed c-Fos expression in the CA1 and CA3 fields of the hippocampus and the dorsal subiculum, but induced expression in the polymorph layer of the dentate gyrus. These findings suggest that key constituents of the rodent navigation circuit contain populations of neurons responsive to magnetic stimuli. Thus, magnetic information may be integrated with multimodal sensory and motor information into a common spatial representation of allocentric space within this circuit.

Design and evaluation of noise suppression sheet for GHz band utilizing magneto-elastic effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igarashi, Toshiyuki; Kondo, Koichi; Yoshida, Shigeyoshi

2017-12-01

Feasibility of realizing a noise suppression sheet (NSS) coping with the low SHF band such as the 5 GHz band was investigated, which was composed of soft magnetic metal flakes dispersed in a polymer. For suppressing noises, the higher frequency one of the bimodal frequency dispersion (lower frequency one: Dispersion DII, higher frequency one: Dispersion DIII) seen in the imaginary permeability (μ″; magnetic loss component) spectrum of the NSS was aimed to utilize. Referring to the previous finding that Dispersion DIII is originated from a magneto-elastic effect, several magnetic composite sheets were prepared using various alloy flakes with different saturation magnetostriction (λs), and their frequency (fr(DIII)) and magnitude (μ″(DIII)) of Dispersion DIII were investigated. It was found that the NSS containing flakes with higher λs exhibited higher fr(DIII) and higher μ″(DIII)/μ″(DII), which was ratio of μ″(DIII) to the magnitude of Dispersion DII (μ″(DII)). The fr(DIII) for the NSS having the highest λs containing Fe-Co alloy flake reached 7.45 GHz and μ″ in the 5 GHz band was approximately twice as high as the conventional NSS containing Fe-Si-Al alloy flake. For transmission attenuation power ratio (Rtp) when an NSS was placed on a microstrip line with characteristic impedance of 50 Ω, NSS with larger fr(DIII)2 · μ″(DIII) ∝ Ms2 (Ms: saturation magnetization), which theoretically gave the frequency limit of imaginary permeability for a thin film, exhibited larger Rtp in the low SHF band. These results suggested that an NSS containing a magnetic flake material with both large λs and Ms was suitable for suppressing low SHF band noises.

Comparing the Effects of Combined Oral Contraceptives Containing Progestins With Low Androgenic and Antiandrogenic Activities on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Amiri, Mina; Nahidi, Fatemeh; Kabir, Ali; Azizi, Fereidoun

2018-01-01

Background Different products of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) can improve clinical and biochemical findings in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) through suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of COCs containing progestins with low androgenic and antiandrogenic activities on the HPG axis in patients with PCOS. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases (1980-2017) to identify randomized controlled trials or nonrandomized studies investigating the effect of COCs containing progestins with low androgenic and antiandrogenic activities, including the products containing desogestrel, cyproterone acetate, and drospirenone, on the HPG axis in patients with PCOS. In this meta-analysis, fixed and random effect models were used. Outcomes of interest were weighted mean differences (WMD) of hormonal parameters, including the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), LH-to-FSH ratio, estradiol, total testosterone, and sex hormone–binding globulin. Potential sources of heterogeneity were investigated using meta-regression and subgroup analyses. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the used progestin compound and treatment duration. We assessed quality of included studies and their risk of bias using Cochrane guidelines. Publication bias was assessed using Egger test and funnel plot. Results COC use was significantly associated with a decrease in gonadotropin levels, including FSH and LH. Use of products containing cyproterone acetate was associated with a decrease in FSH levels after 3 months (WMD=−0.48; 95% CI −0.81 to −0.15), 6 months (WMD=−2.33; 95% CI −3.48 to −1.18), and 12 months (WMD=−4.70; 95% CI −4.98 to −4.42) and a decrease in LH levels after 3 months (WMD=−3.57; 95% CI −5.14 to −1.99), 6 months (WMD=−5.68; 95% CI −9.57 to −1.80), and 12 months (WMD=−11.60; 95% CI −17.60 to −5.60). Use of COCs containing drospirenone for 6 months decreased FSH (WMD=−0.93; 95% CI −1.79 to −0.08) and LH (WMD=−4.59; 95% CI −7.53 to −1.66) levels. Data for products containing desogestrel were few, but this compound generally had no statistically significant influence on gonadotropin levels similar to that observed with COCs containing cyproterone acetate and drospirenone. Use of COCs was not associated with any significant change in LH-to-FSH ratio. COCs containing cyproterone acetate showed maximum effect on gonadotropin suppression. COCs containing cyproterone acetate significantly decreased estradiol concentrations, whereas those containing drospirenone exhibited no such effect. All COCs demonstrated improvement in androgenic profile and had the same effects on total testosterone and sex hormone–binding globulin concentrations. Progestin compound and treatment duration had no statistically significant effects on changing total testosterone and sex hormone–binding globulin levels. Conclusions COCs containing cyproterone acetate can effectively suppress gonadotropins, leading to a decrease in androgenic parameters. Although different products of COCs could significantly suppress the androgenic profile, it seems that products containing cyproterone acetate are more effective in suppressing gonadotropin and estradiol levels in patients with PCOS. PMID:29695378

Comparing the Effects of Combined Oral Contraceptives Containing Progestins With Low Androgenic and Antiandrogenic Activities on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Amiri, Mina; Ramezani Tehrani, Fahimeh; Nahidi, Fatemeh; Kabir, Ali; Azizi, Fereidoun

2018-04-25

Different products of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) can improve clinical and biochemical findings in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) through suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of COCs containing progestins with low androgenic and antiandrogenic activities on the HPG axis in patients with PCOS. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases (1980-2017) to identify randomized controlled trials or nonrandomized studies investigating the effect of COCs containing progestins with low androgenic and antiandrogenic activities, including the products containing desogestrel, cyproterone acetate, and drospirenone, on the HPG axis in patients with PCOS. In this meta-analysis, fixed and random effect models were used. Outcomes of interest were weighted mean differences (WMD) of hormonal parameters, including the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), LH-to-FSH ratio, estradiol, total testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin. Potential sources of heterogeneity were investigated using meta-regression and subgroup analyses. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the used progestin compound and treatment duration. We assessed quality of included studies and their risk of bias using Cochrane guidelines. Publication bias was assessed using Egger test and funnel plot. COC use was significantly associated with a decrease in gonadotropin levels, including FSH and LH. Use of products containing cyproterone acetate was associated with a decrease in FSH levels after 3 months (WMD=-0.48; 95% CI -0.81 to -0.15), 6 months (WMD=-2.33; 95% CI -3.48 to -1.18), and 12 months (WMD=-4.70; 95% CI -4.98 to -4.42) and a decrease in LH levels after 3 months (WMD=-3.57; 95% CI -5.14 to -1.99), 6 months (WMD=-5.68; 95% CI -9.57 to -1.80), and 12 months (WMD=-11.60; 95% CI -17.60 to -5.60). Use of COCs containing drospirenone for 6 months decreased FSH (WMD=-0.93; 95% CI -1.79 to -0.08) and LH (WMD=-4.59; 95% CI -7.53 to -1.66) levels. Data for products containing desogestrel were few, but this compound generally had no statistically significant influence on gonadotropin levels similar to that observed with COCs containing cyproterone acetate and drospirenone. Use of COCs was not associated with any significant change in LH-to-FSH ratio. COCs containing cyproterone acetate showed maximum effect on gonadotropin suppression. COCs containing cyproterone acetate significantly decreased estradiol concentrations, whereas those containing drospirenone exhibited no such effect. All COCs demonstrated improvement in androgenic profile and had the same effects on total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations. Progestin compound and treatment duration had no statistically significant effects on changing total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels. COCs containing cyproterone acetate can effectively suppress gonadotropins, leading to a decrease in androgenic parameters. Although different products of COCs could significantly suppress the androgenic profile, it seems that products containing cyproterone acetate are more effective in suppressing gonadotropin and estradiol levels in patients with PCOS. ©Mina Amiri, Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani, Fatemeh Nahidi, Ali Kabir, Fereidoun Azizi. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 25.04.2018.

Deploying wildland fire suppression resources with a scenario-based standard response model.

Treesearch

Robert G. Haight; Jeremy S. Fried

2007-01-01

Wildland fire managers deploy suppression resources to bases and dispatch them to fires to maximize the percentage of fires that are successfully contained before unacceptable costs and losses occur. Deployment is made with budget constraints and uncertainty about the daily number, location, and intensity of fires, all of which affect initial-attack success. To address...

Method for calcining nuclear waste solutions containing zirconium and halides

DOEpatents

Newby, Billie J.

1979-01-01

A reduction in the quantity of gelatinous solids which are formed in aqueous zirconium-fluoride nuclear reprocessing waste solutions by calcium nitrate added to suppress halide volatility during calcination of the solution while further suppressing chloride volatility is achieved by increasing the aluminum to fluoride mole ratio in the waste solution prior to adding the calcium nitrate.

Deploying wildland fire suppression resources with a scenario-based standard response model

Treesearch

Robert G. Haight; Jeremy S. Fried

2007-01-01

Wildland fire managers deploy suppression resources to bases and dispatch them to fires to maximize the percentage of fires that are successfully contained before unacceptable costs and losses occur. Deployment is made with budget constraints and uncertainty about the daily number, location, and intensity of fires, all of which affect initial-attack success. To address...

Gut microbiota recovery and immune response in ampicillin-treated mice.

PubMed

Castro-Mejía, Josué L; Jakesevic, Maja; Fabricius, Niels F; Krych, Łukasz; Nielsen, Dennis S; Kot, Witold; Bendtsen, Katja M; Vogensen, Finn K; Hansen, Camilla H F; Hansen, Axel K

2018-06-01

Ampicillin is applied in rodents to induce a temporarily depleted microbiota. To elucidate whether bacteria are just temporarily suppressed or fully eliminated, and how this affects the re-colonisation process, we compared the microbiota and immune system in conventionally housed untreated mice with newly weaned ampicillin treated mice subsequently housed in either a microbe containing environment or in an isolator with only host associated suppressed bacteria to recolonize the gut. Two weeks ampicillin treatment induced a seemingly germ-free state with no bacterial DNA to reveal. Four weeks after treatment caeca were still significantly enlarged in both treated groups, but bacteria re-appeared even in isolator housed mice. While some suppressed bacteria were able to recover and even dominate the community, the abundances and composition were far from the untreated mice and differed between isolator and conventional housing. The treatment reduced the innate cytokine expressions at least for three weeks after treatment, and had a non-lasting reducing impact on the regulatory T cells, and a more lasting impact on the natural killer T cells. We conclude that temporary ampicillin treatment suppresses the majority but does not eliminate all the gut microbiota members. The re-colonisation process is as such influenced by both suppressed host associated bacteria and by environmental bacteria. Treated mice do not re-obtain a complex gut microbiota comparable to untreated mice, and the immune response and gut morphology reflect this. This is a concern when comparing host parameters sensitive to microbial regulation after an antibiotic-induced temporarily "germ-free" state. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the use of the T-REx tetracycline-inducible gene expression system in vivo.

PubMed

Dobrovolsky, Vasily N; Heflich, Robert H

2007-10-15

Components of the commercially available T-REx system were used to create two types of transgenic mice. The first contained the tetracycline-repressor transgene under the control of the CMV promoter/enhancer; the second type contained a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter transgene under the control of the CMV promoter/enhancer with a tetracycline repressor operator sequence. Transgene expression was unpredictable in animals containing the individual transgenes. Animals with the reporter transgene expressed GFP in only some tissues (e.g., pancreas, kidney), and one line of reporter transgenic animals developed kidney disease, presumably due to expression of the transgene. The two types of transgenic animals were crossbred to produce double-transgenic animals with the object of regulating the expression of the reporter in vivo. When a similar double-transgenic system was constructed in cultured cells, the repressor protein suppressed the transcription of the reporter transgene. The presence of the repressor in double-transgenic animals had no effect on the expression of the reporter; double transgenic animals developed the same kidney disease that was seen in singly transgenic mice with the reporter. Our results indicate that transgenes under the control of the CMV promoter in the T-REx system express somewhat unpredictably and in only a limited number of tissues, making the use of this system for the development of in vivo models problematical. Copyright 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of a new mobile system for protecting immune-suppressed patients against airborne contamination.

PubMed

Poirot, Jean-Louis; Gangneux, Jean-Pierre; Fischer, Alain; Malbernard, Mireille; Challier, Svetlana; Laudinet, Nicolas; Bergeron, Vance

2007-09-01

Invasive aspergillosis is one of the most lethal airborne dangers for immune-suppressed subjects. Providing patient protection from such airborne threats requires costly and high-maintenance facilities. We herein evaluate a new self-contained mobile unit as an alternative for creating a patient protective environment. Airborne contamination levels were monitored for different simulated scenarios and under actual clinical conditions. Functional tests were used to challenge the unit under adverse conditions, and a preliminary clinical study with patients and staff present was performed at 2 different French hospitals. Functional tests demonstrated that the unit can rapidly decontaminate air in the protected zone created by the unit and in the surrounding room. In addition, the protected zone is not sensitive to large disturbances that occur in the room. The clinical study included 4 patients with 150 accumulated days of testing. The protected zone created by the unit systematically provided an environment with undetectable airborne fungal levels (ie, <1 CFU/m(3)) regardless of the levels in the room or corridor (P < .01). These tests show that the unit can be used to create a mobile protective environment for immune-suppressed patients in a standard hospital setting.

Quercetin and Its Anti-Allergic Immune Response.

PubMed

Mlcek, Jiri; Jurikova, Tunde; Skrovankova, Sona; Sochor, Jiri

2016-05-12

Quercetin is the great representative of polyphenols, flavonoids subgroup, flavonols. Its main natural sources in foods are vegetables such as onions, the most studied quercetin containing foods, and broccoli; fruits (apples, berry crops, and grapes); some herbs; tea; and wine. Quercetin is known for its antioxidant activity in radical scavenging and anti-allergic properties characterized by stimulation of immune system, antiviral activity, inhibition of histamine release, decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines, leukotrienes creation, and suppresses interleukin IL-4 production. It can improve the Th1/Th2 balance, and restrain antigen-specific IgE antibody formation. It is also effective in the inhibition of enzymes such as lipoxygenase, eosinophil and peroxidase and the suppression of inflammatory mediators. All mentioned mechanisms of action contribute to the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties of quercetin that can be effectively utilized in treatment of late-phase, and late-late-phase bronchial asthma responses, allergic rhinitis and restricted peanut-induced anaphylactic reactions. Plant extract of quercetin is the main ingredient of many potential anti-allergic drugs, supplements and enriched products, which is more competent in inhibiting of IL-8 than cromolyn (anti-allergic drug disodium cromoglycate) and suppresses IL-6 and cytosolic calcium level increase.

Two-tone suppression in the cricket, Eunemobius carolinus (Gryllidae, Nemobiinae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farris, Hamilton E.; Hoy, Ronald R.

2002-03-01

Sounds with frequencies >15 kHz elicit an acoustic startle response (ASR) in flying crickets (Eunemobius carolinus). Although frequencies <15 kHz do not elicit the ASR when presented alone, when presented with ultrasound (40 kHz), low-frequency stimuli suppress the ultrasound-induced startle. Thus, using methods similar to those in masking experiments, we used two-tone suppression to assay sensitivity to frequencies in the audio band. Startle suppression was tuned to frequencies near 5 kHz, the frequency range of male calling songs. Similar to equal loudness contours measured in humans, however, equal suppression contours were not parallel, as the equivalent rectangular bandwidth of suppression tuning changed with increases in ultrasound intensity. Temporal integration of suppressor stimuli was measured using nonsimultaneous presentations of 5-ms pulses of 6 and 40 kHz. We found that no suppression occurs when the suppressing tone is >2 ms after and >5 ms before the ultrasound stimulus, suggesting that stimulus overlap is a requirement for suppression. When considered together with our finding that the intensity of low-frequency stimuli required for suppression is greater than that produced by singing males, the overlap requirement suggests that two-tone suppression functions to limit the ASR to sounds containing only ultrasound and not to broadband sounds that span the audio and ultrasound range.

Emergency cooling system and method

DOEpatents

Oosterkamp, W.J.; Cheung, Y.K.

1994-01-04

An improved emergency cooling system and method are disclosed that may be adapted for incorporation into or use with a nuclear BWR wherein a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) containing a nuclear core and a heat transfer fluid for circulation in a heat transfer relationship with the core is housed within an annular sealed drywell and is fluid communicable therewith for passage thereto in an emergency situation the heat transfer fluid in a gaseous phase and any noncondensibles present in the RPV, an annular sealed wetwell houses the drywell, and a pressure suppression pool of liquid is disposed in the wetwell and is connected to the drywell by submerged vents. The improved emergency cooling system and method has a containment condenser for receiving condensible heat transfer fluid in a gaseous phase and noncondensibles for condensing at least a portion of the heat transfer fluid. The containment condenser has an inlet in fluid communication with the drywell for receiving heat transfer fluid and noncondensibles, a first outlet in fluid communication with the RPV for the return to the RPV of the condensed portion of the heat transfer fluid and a second outlet in fluid communication with the drywell for passage of the noncondensed balance of the heat transfer fluid and the noncondensibles. The noncondensed balance of the heat transfer fluid and the noncondensibles passed to the drywell from the containment condenser are mixed with the heat transfer fluid and the noncondensibles from the RPV for passage into the containment condenser. A water pool is provided in heat transfer relationship with the containment condenser and is thermally communicable in an emergency situation with an environment outside of the drywell and the wetwell for conducting heat transferred from the containment condenser away from the wetwell and the drywell. 5 figs.

Development and Flight Test of an Active Flutter Suppression System for the F-4F with Stores. Part I. Design of the Active Flutter Suppression System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

of the wing-pylon-store changed considerably with excitation amplitude due to free play and preload. The active flutter suppression system worked well and provided an increase in flutter speed. (Author)

33 CFR 149.416 - What are the requirements for a dry chemical fire suppression system?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the requirements for a dry chemical fire suppression system? Each natural gas deepwater port must be... dry chemical fire suppression system? 149.416 Section 149.416 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) DEEPWATER PORTS DEEPWATER PORTS: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION...

Best-estimate coupled RELAP/CONTAIN analysis of inadvertent BWR ADS valve opening transient

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

Feltus, M.A.; Muftuoglu, A.K.

1993-01-01

Noncondensible gases may become dissolved in boiling water reactor (BWR) water-level instrumentation during normal operations. Any dissolved noncondensible gases inside these water columns may come out of solution during rapid depressurization events and displace water from the reference leg piping, resulting in a false high level. Significant errors in water-level indication are not expected to occur until the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) pressure has dropped below [approximately]450 psig. These water level errors may cause a delay or failure in emergency core cooling system (ECCS) actuation. The RPV water level is monitored using the pressure of a water column having amore » varying height (reactor water level) that is compared to the pressure of a water column maintained at a constant height (reference level). The reference legs have small-diameter pipes with varying lengths that provide a constant head of water and are located outside the drywell. The amount of noncondensible gases dissolved in each reference leg is very dependent on the amount of leakage from the reference leg and its geometry and interaction of the reactor coolant system with the containment, i.e., torus or suppression pool, and reactor building. If a rapid depressurization causes an erroneously high water level, preventing automatic ECCS actuation, it becomes important to determine if there would be other adequate indications for operator response. In the postulated inadvertent opening of all seven automatic depressurization system (ADS) valves, the ECCS signal on high drywell pressure would be circumvented because the ADS valves discharge directly into the suppression pool. A best-estimate analysis of such an inadvertent opening of all ADS valves would have to consider the thermal-hydraulic coupling between the pool, drywell, reactor building, and RPV.« less

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Propane Related Links

Science.gov Websites

Amerex Corporation's Vehicle Fire Suppression Systems are designed to warn the vehicle operator and suppress the fire, protecting both equipment and employees. Automatic systems suppress the fire in its

Dynamics modelling and Hybrid Suppression Control of space robots performing cooperative object manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarafshan, P.; Moosavian, S. Ali A.

2013-10-01

Dynamics modelling and control of multi-body space robotic systems composed of rigid and flexible elements is elaborated here. Control of such systems is highly complicated due to severe under-actuated condition caused by flexible elements, and an inherent uneven nonlinear dynamics. Therefore, developing a compact dynamics model with the requirement of limited computations is extremely useful for controller design, also to develop simulation studies in support of design improvement, and finally for practical implementations. In this paper, the Rigid-Flexible Interactive dynamics Modelling (RFIM) approach is introduced as a combination of Lagrange and Newton-Euler methods, in which the motion equations of rigid and flexible members are separately developed in an explicit closed form. These equations are then assembled and solved simultaneously at each time step by considering the mutual interaction and constraint forces. The proposed approach yields a compact model rather than common accumulation approach that leads to a massive set of equations in which the dynamics of flexible elements is united with the dynamics equations of rigid members. To reveal such merits of this new approach, a Hybrid Suppression Control (HSC) for a cooperative object manipulation task will be proposed, and applied to usual space systems. A Wheeled Mobile Robotic (WMR) system with flexible appendages as a typical space rover is considered which contains a rigid main body equipped with two manipulating arms and two flexible solar panels, and next a Space Free Flying Robotic system (SFFR) with flexible members is studied. Modelling verification of these complicated systems is vigorously performed using ANSYS and ADAMS programs, while the limited computations of RFIM approach provides an efficient tool for the proposed controller design. Furthermore, it will be shown that the vibrations of the flexible solar panels results in disturbing forces on the base which may produce undesirable errors and perturb the object manipulation task. So, it is shown that these effects can be significantly eliminated by the proposed Hybrid Suppression Control algorithm.

Cortical neurons of bats respond best to echoes from nearest targets when listening to natural biosonar multi-echo streams.

PubMed

Beetz, M Jerome; Hechavarría, Julio C; Kössl, Manfred

2016-10-27

Bats orientate in darkness by listening to echoes from their biosonar calls, a behaviour known as echolocation. Recent studies showed that cortical neurons respond in a highly selective manner when stimulated with natural echolocation sequences that contain echoes from single targets. However, it remains unknown how cortical neurons process echolocation sequences containing echo information from multiple objects. In the present study, we used echolocation sequences containing echoes from three, two or one object separated in the space depth as stimuli to study neuronal activity in the bat auditory cortex. Neuronal activity was recorded with multi-electrode arrays placed in the dorsal auditory cortex, where neurons tuned to target-distance are found. Our results show that target-distance encoding neurons are mostly selective to echoes coming from the closest object, and that the representation of echo information from distant objects is selectively suppressed. This suppression extends over a large part of the dorsal auditory cortex and may override possible parallel processing of multiple objects. The presented data suggest that global cortical suppression might establish a cortical "default mode" that allows selectively focusing on close obstacle even without active attention from the animals.

Cortical neurons of bats respond best to echoes from nearest targets when listening to natural biosonar multi-echo streams

PubMed Central

Beetz, M. Jerome; Hechavarría, Julio C.; Kössl, Manfred

2016-01-01

Bats orientate in darkness by listening to echoes from their biosonar calls, a behaviour known as echolocation. Recent studies showed that cortical neurons respond in a highly selective manner when stimulated with natural echolocation sequences that contain echoes from single targets. However, it remains unknown how cortical neurons process echolocation sequences containing echo information from multiple objects. In the present study, we used echolocation sequences containing echoes from three, two or one object separated in the space depth as stimuli to study neuronal activity in the bat auditory cortex. Neuronal activity was recorded with multi-electrode arrays placed in the dorsal auditory cortex, where neurons tuned to target-distance are found. Our results show that target-distance encoding neurons are mostly selective to echoes coming from the closest object, and that the representation of echo information from distant objects is selectively suppressed. This suppression extends over a large part of the dorsal auditory cortex and may override possible parallel processing of multiple objects. The presented data suggest that global cortical suppression might establish a cortical “default mode” that allows selectively focusing on close obstacle even without active attention from the animals. PMID:27786252

Stimulation of Innate Immune Function by Panax ginseng after Heat Processing.

PubMed

Shin, Myoung-Sook; Song, Ji Hoon; Choi, Pilju; Lee, Jong Hun; Kim, Song-Yi; Shin, Kwang-Soon; Ham, Jungyeob; Kang, Ki Sung

2018-05-09

Panax ginseng Meyer has been used for the treatment of immune diseases and for strengthening the immune function. In this study, we evaluated the innate immune-stimulating functions and action mechanisms of white ginseng (WG) and heat-processed ginseng (HPG) in RAW264.7 cells. According to LC-MS analysis results, WG contained typical ginsenosides, such as Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rd, and Rg1, whereas HPG contained Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5 as well as typical ginsenosides. HPG, not WG, enhanced NF-κB transcriptional activity, cytokine production (IL-6 and TNF-α), and MHC class I and II expression in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, HPG phosphorylated MAPKs and NF-kB pathways. In experiments with inhibitors, the ERK inhibitor completely suppressed the effect of HPG on IL-6 and TNF-α production. HPG-induced c-Jun activation was suppressed by an ERK inhibitor and partially suppressed by JNK, p38, and IκBα inhibitors. Collectively, these results suggested that HPG containing Rg3, Rg5, and Rk1 increased macrophage activation which was regulated by the ERK/c-Jun pathway in RAW264.7 cells.

ASR prevention — Effect of aluminum and lithium ions on the reaction products

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

Leemann, Andreas, E-mail: andreas.leemann@empa.ch; Bernard, Laetitia; Alahrache, Salaheddine

2015-10-15

In spite of the recent progress in the understanding of the mechanisms enabling aluminum-containing SCM like metakaolin and added LiNO{sub 3} to limit the extent of ASR in mortar and concrete, some gaps still remain. They concern mainly the effect of aluminum-containing SCM on the formed ASR products and the influence of aggregate characteristics on the effectiveness of LiNO{sub 3}. In this study, a model system, concrete and mortar were investigated by pore solution analysis, TGA, XRD, NMR, SEM combined with EDX and ToF-SIMS to address these questions. The amount of aluminum present in the pore solution of concrete andmore » mortar is only able to slow down SiO{sub 2} dissolution but not to alter morphology, structure and composition of the reaction products. LiNO{sub 3} can suppress ASR by forming dense products protecting reactive minerals from further reaction. But its effectiveness is decreasing with increasing specific surface area of the reactive minerals in aggregates. - Highlights: • Aluminum of SCM slows down SiO{sub 2} dissolution. • Aluminum of SCM does not alter morphology and structure of ASR product. • ASR suppressing effect of LiNO{sub 3} depends on specific surface area of the aggregates.« less

Supplemental effect of different levels of taurine in Modena on boar semen quality during liquid preservation at 17°C.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Zhang, Xiao-Gang; Fang, Qian; Liu, Qi; Du, Ren-Rang; Yang, Gong-She; Wang, Li-Qiang; Hu, Jian-Hong

2017-11-01

Peroxidation damage induces sublethal injury to boar sperm during the storage process. Taurine has already been demonstrated to protect cells effectively from oxidant-induced injury. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of taurine (0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mmol/L) in Modena diluent on boar sperm quality during liquid storage at 17°C. Ejaculates from sexually mature Duroc pigs were collected, pooled and preserved in the Modena containing different concentrations of taurine. Sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) activity and malondialdehyde content (MDA) were examined every 24 h. Modena diluent containing taurine suppressed the reduction in sperm qualities during the process of liquid preservation compared with those of the control group. After 5 days of liquid preservation, the addition of taurine at 5 mmol/L had the optimal effect on survival time as well as maintenance of motility, plasma membrane integrity, acrosomal integrity, T-AOC activity and MDA content. These results may suggest the possibility that the proper addition of taurine to the semen extender improves the swine production system using artificial insemination by the suppressing of sperm damage and subsequent dysfunction during liquid preservation. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

A closed-loop anesthetic delivery system for real-time control of burst suppression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liberman, Max Y.; Ching, ShiNung; Chemali, Jessica; Brown, Emery N.

2013-08-01

Objective. There is growing interest in using closed-loop anesthetic delivery (CLAD) systems to automate control of brain states (sedation, unconsciousness and antinociception) in patients receiving anesthesia care. The accuracy and reliability of these systems can be improved by using as control signals electroencephalogram (EEG) markers for which the neurophysiological links to the anesthetic-induced brain states are well established. Burst suppression, in which bursts of electrical activity alternate with periods of quiescence or suppression, is a well-known, readily discernible EEG marker of profound brain inactivation and unconsciousness. This pattern is commonly maintained when anesthetics are administered to produce a medically-induced coma for cerebral protection in patients suffering from brain injuries or to arrest brain activity in patients having uncontrollable seizures. Although the coma may be required for several hours or days, drug infusion rates are managed inefficiently by manual adjustment. Our objective is to design a CLAD system for burst suppression control to automate management of medically-induced coma. Approach. We establish a CLAD system to control burst suppression consisting of: a two-dimensional linear system model relating the anesthetic brain level to the EEG dynamics; a new control signal, the burst suppression probability (BSP) defining the instantaneous probability of suppression; the BSP filter, a state-space algorithm to estimate the BSP from EEG recordings; a proportional-integral controller; and a system identification procedure to estimate the model and controller parameters. Main results. We demonstrate reliable performance of our system in simulation studies of burst suppression control using both propofol and etomidate in rodent experiments based on Vijn and Sneyd, and in human experiments based on the Schnider pharmacokinetic model for propofol. Using propofol, we further demonstrate that our control system reliably tracks changing target levels of burst suppression in simulated human subjects across different epidemiological profiles. Significance. Our results give new insights into CLAD system design and suggest a control-theory framework to automate second-to-second control of burst suppression for management of medically-induced coma.

Viscous-pendulum damper suppresses structural vibrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, W. H., III

1964-01-01

The viscous pendulum damper consists of a cylinder containing round trays on which round lead slugs rest. When assembled, the container is filled with a viscous liquid and attached, with axis vertical, to the structure. The device permits varying the damping of structural vibrations.

A study of the suppression of body odour in elderly subjects by anti-fungal agents.

PubMed

Ozeki, C; Moro, O

2016-06-01

The suppression of body odour following the use of shampoos or soaps containing the anti-fungal agent miconazole nitrate (MCZ) has been recognized anecdotally. To determine whether MCZ could play a role in the suppression of body odour through inhibiting squalene oxidation. A prospective study recruited 54 elderly subjects residing in a nursing facility who needed bathing assistance. Subjects bathed with three types of body soap over a 6-week study period (regular soap, sample soap (soap containing MCZ), control soap; 2 weeks per type of soap). Body odour was evaluated based on olfactory assessment of the subjects and their clothing. The subjects and the examiners were blinded to the type of soap (sample or control) being used during the study. An analysis using GC/MS was also carried out to identify the volatile compounds associated with body odour. Suppression of unpleasant body odour of the neck and axilla was reported in subjects who used the sample soap. Three common volatile compounds were detected from the T-shirts worn by the subjects: 2-ethylbutanal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and geranylacetone. The occurrence of these compounds was reduced using the sample soap. Our findings suggest that MCZ could play a role in the suppression of body odour. © 2015 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Formulations of the endophytic bacterium Bacillus subtilis Tu-100 suppress Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on oilseed rape and improve plant vigor in field trials conducted at separate locations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes serious yield losses in crops in The People’s Republic of China. Two formulations of oilseed rape seed containing the endophytic bacterium Bacillus subtilis Tu-100 were evaluated for suppression of this pathogen in field trials conducted at two independent locations....

Transgenic Suppression of AGAMOUS Genes in Apple Reduces Fertility and Increases Floral Attractiveness

PubMed Central

Klocko, Amy L.; Borejsza-Wysocka, Ewa; Brunner, Amy M.; Shevchenko, Olga; Aldwinckle, Herb; Strauss, Steven H.

2016-01-01

We investigated the ability of RNA interference (RNAi) directed against two co-orthologs of AGAMOUS (AG) from Malus domestica (domestic apple, MdAG) to reduce the risks of invasiveness and provide genetic containment of transgenes, while also promoting the attractiveness of flowers for ornamental usage. Suppression of two MdAG-like genes, MdMADS15 and MdMADS22, led to the production of trees with highly showy, polypetalous flowers. These “double-flowers” had strongly reduced expression of both MdAG-like genes. Members of the two other clades within in the MdAG subfamily showed mild to moderate differences in gene expression, or were unchanged, with the level of suppression approximately proportional to the level of sequence identity between the gene analyzed and the RNAi fragment. The double-flowers also exhibited reduced male and female fertility, had few viable pollen grains, a decreased number of stigmas, and produced few viable seeds after cross-pollination. Despite these floral alterations, RNAi-AG trees with double-flowers set full-sized fruit. Suppression or mutation of apple AG-like genes appears to be a promising method for combining genetic containment with improved floral attractiveness. PMID:27500731

Development and Flight Test of an Active Flutter Suppression System for the F-4F with Stores. Part 3. Flight Demonstration of the Active Flutter Suppression System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

that the dynamic behavior of the wing-pylon-store changed considerably with excitation amplitude due to free play and preload. The active flutter suppression system worked well and provided an increase in flutter speed.

Noise Suppression Based on Multi-Model Compositions Using Multi-Pass Search with Multi-Label N-gram Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jitsuhiro, Takatoshi; Toriyama, Tomoji; Kogure, Kiyoshi

We propose a noise suppression method based on multi-model compositions and multi-pass search. In real environments, input speech for speech recognition includes many kinds of noise signals. To obtain good recognized candidates, suppressing many kinds of noise signals at once and finding target speech is important. Before noise suppression, to find speech and noise label sequences, we introduce multi-pass search with acoustic models including many kinds of noise models and their compositions, their n-gram models, and their lexicon. Noise suppression is frame-synchronously performed using the multiple models selected by recognized label sequences with time alignments. We evaluated this method using the E-Nightingale task, which contains voice memoranda spoken by nurses during actual work at hospitals. The proposed method obtained higher performance than the conventional method.

Human Factors in Field Experimentation Design and Analysis of Analytical Suppression Model

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-09-01

men in uf"an-dachine- Systems " supports the development of new doctrines, design of weapon systems as well as training programs for trQops. One...Experimentation Design -Master’s thesis: and Analysis.of an Analytical Suppression.Spebr17 Model PR@~w 3.RPR 7. AUTHOR(@) COT RIETeo 31AN? wijMu~aw...influences to suppression. Techniques are examined for including. the suppre.ssive effects of weapon systems in Lanchester-type combat m~odels, whir~h may be

Immunoregulation of GVHD by triggering the innate immune system with CpG.

PubMed

Morecki, Shoshana; Slavin, Shimon

2009-08-01

Stimulation of Toll-like receptors by oligodeoxynucleotide sequences containing a CpG motif provides signals capable of triggering the innate and adaptive immune systems, thereby leading either to stimulation or suppression of immunoreactivities. Similar immunoregulatory capabilities are necessary for achieving the fine balance between engraftment and graft-versus-host disease required in the setup of allogeneic cell therapy. Ligation of CpG to its Toll-like receptors can be accomplished by treatment of the host or pretransplant treatment of the donor in vivo. These different strategies are presented in this review, which summarizes the attempts to maximize beneficial alloreactivity against malignant or other undesirable host cells, while controlling graft-versus-host disease.

Assessment of Microphone Phased Array for Measuring Launch Vehicle Lift-off Acoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto

2012-01-01

The specific purpose of the present work was to demonstrate the suitability of a microphone phased array for launch acoustics applications via participation in selected firings of the Ares I Scale Model Acoustics Test. The Ares I Scale Model Acoustics Test is a part of the discontinued Constellation Program Ares I Project, but the basic understanding gained from this test is expected to help development of the Space Launch System vehicles. Correct identification of sources not only improves the predictive ability, but provides guidance for a quieter design of the launch pad and optimization of the water suppression system. This document contains the results of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center assessment.

PCDD/Fs' suppression by sulfur-amine/ammonium compounds.

PubMed

Fu, Jian-Ying; Li, Xiao-Dong; Chen, Tong; Lin, Xiao-Qing; Buekens, Alfons; Lu, Sheng-Yong; Yan, Jian-Hua; Cen, Ke-Fa

2015-03-01

Three distinct -S and -NH2 or NH4(+) containing compounds, including ammonium thiosulfate, aminosulfonic acid and thiourea, were studied as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) inhibitors. All these three -S and -N containing compounds tested show strong suppression of PCDD/Fs formation, especially for thiourea which has not been studied before. With a (S+N)/Cl molar ratio of only 0.47, thiourea could inhibit 97.3% of PCDD/Fs and even 99.8% of I-TEQ. At an unusually high de novo test temperature (650 °C), the PCDD/Fs' formation was still very low but also the inhibition capacity of thiourea was weak, with an efficiency of 59% for PCDD/Fs when with a (S+N)/Cl molar ratio of 1.40. The results also revealed that the inhibition capability of the combined -S/-NH2 or -S/NH4(+) suppressant was strongly influenced by both the nature of the functional group of nitrogen and the value of the molar ratio (S+N)/Cl. The amine functional group -NH2 tends to be more efficient than ammonium NH4(+) and within a certain range a higher (S+N)/Cl value leads to a higher inhibition efficiency. Moreover, the emission of gases was continuously monitored: the Gasmet results revealed that SO2, HCN and NH3 were the most important decomposition products of thiourea. Thiourea is non-toxic, environment-friendly and can be sprayed into the post-combustion zone in form of powder or aqueous solution. The cost of thiourea at least can be partially compensated by its high inhibition efficiency. Therefore, the application of thiourea in a full-scale incinerator system is promising and encouraging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electron Doping a Kagome Spin Liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Zachary; Gallagher, Miranda; McQueen, Tyrel

In 1987, Anderson proposed that charge doping a material with the resonating valance bond (RVB) state would yield a superconducting state. Ever since, there has been a search for these RVB containing spin liquid materials and their charge doped counterparts. Studies on the most promising spin liquid candidate, Herbertsmithite, ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2, a two dimensional kagomé lattice, show evidence of fractionalized excitations and a gapped ground state. In this work, we report the synthesis and characterization of a newly synthesized electron doped spin liquid, ZnLixCu3(OH)6Cl2 from x = 0 to x = 1.8 (3 / 5 th per Cu2+). Despite heavy doping, the series remains insulating and the magnetism is systematically suppressed. We have done extensive structural studies of the doped series to determine the effect of the intercalated atoms on the structure, and whether these structural differences induce strong localization effects that suppress the metallic and superconducting states. Other doped spin liquid candidates are also being explored to understand if this localization is system dependent or systemic to all doped spin liquid systems. NSF, Division of Materials Research (DMR), Solid State Chemistry (SSMC), CAREER Grant under Award No. DMR- 1253562, Institute for Quantum Matter under Grant No.DE-FG02- 08ER46544, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Simulation analysis of a wildfire suppression system

Treesearch

Abílio Pereira Pacheco; João Claro; Tiago Oliveira

2013-01-01

Rekindles and false alarms are unusually high in the Portuguese wildfire management system, representing a high burden on suppression resources in particular, and fire management resources in general. In 20,049 occurrences that the suppression system handled in the summer of 2010, 12.5% were false alarms and 15.0% were rekindles. We present a discreteevent simulation...

Indirect Estimation of Radioactivity in Containerized Cargo

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

Jarman, Kenneth D.; Scherrer, Chad; Smith, Eric L.

Detecting illicit nuclear and radiological material in containerized cargo challenges the state of the art in detection systems. Current systems are being evaluated and new systems envisioned to address the need for the high probability of detection and extremely low false alarm rates necessary to thwart potential threats and extremely low nuisance and false alarm rates while maintaining necessary to maintain the flow of commerce impacted by the enormous volume of commodities imported in shipping containers. Maintaining flow of commerce also means that primary inspection must be rapid, requiring relatively indirect measurements of cargo from outside the containers. With increasingmore » information content in such indirect measurements, it is natural to ask how the information might be combined to improved detection. Toward this end, we present an approach to estimating isotopic activity of naturally occurring radioactive material in cargo grouped by commodity type, combining container manifest data with radiography and gamma spectroscopy aligned to location along the container. The heart of this approach is our statistical model of gamma counts within peak regions of interest, which captures the effects of background suppression, counting noise, convolution of neighboring cargo contributions, and down-scattered photons to provide physically constrained estimates of counts due to decay of specific radioisotopes in cargo alone. Coupled to that model, we use a mechanistic model of self-attenuated radiation flux to estimate the isotopic activity within cargo, segmented by location within each container, that produces those counts. We demonstrate our approach by applying it to a set of measurements taken at the Port of Seattle in 2006. This approach to synthesizing disparate available data streams and extraction of cargo characteristics holds the potential to improve primary inspection using current detection capabilities and to enable simulation-based evaluation of new candidate detection systems.« less

Ebolavirus and Haemorrhagic Syndrome

PubMed Central

Matua, Gerald A.; Van der Wal, Dirk M.; Locsin, Rozzano C.

2015-01-01

The Ebola virus is a highly virulent, single-stranded ribonucleic acid virus which affects both humans and apes and has fast become one of the world’s most feared pathogens. The virus induces acute fever and death, with haemorrhagic syndrome occurring in up to 90% of patients. The known species within the genus Ebolavirus are Bundibugyo, Sudan, Zaïre, Reston and Taï Forest. Although endemic in Africa, Ebola has caused worldwide anxiety due to media hype and concerns about its international spread, including through bioterrorism. The high fatality rate is attributed to unavailability of a standard treatment regimen or vaccine. The disease is frightening since it is characterised by rapid immune suppression and systemic inflammatory response, causing multi-organ and system failure, shock and often death. Currently, disease management is largely supportive, with containment efforts geared towards mitigating the spread of the virus. This review describes the classification, morphology, infective process, natural ecology, transmission, epidemic patterns, diagnosis, clinical features and immunology of Ebola, including management and epidemic containment strategies. PMID:26052448

Ebolavirus and Haemorrhagic Syndrome.

PubMed

Matua, Gerald A; Van der Wal, Dirk M; Locsin, Rozzano C

2015-05-01

The Ebola virus is a highly virulent, single-stranded ribonucleic acid virus which affects both humans and apes and has fast become one of the world's most feared pathogens. The virus induces acute fever and death, with haemorrhagic syndrome occurring in up to 90% of patients. The known species within the genus Ebolavirus are Bundibugyo, Sudan, Zaïre, Reston and Taï Forest. Although endemic in Africa, Ebola has caused worldwide anxiety due to media hype and concerns about its international spread, including through bioterrorism. The high fatality rate is attributed to unavailability of a standard treatment regimen or vaccine. The disease is frightening since it is characterised by rapid immune suppression and systemic inflammatory response, causing multi-organ and system failure, shock and often death. Currently, disease management is largely supportive, with containment efforts geared towards mitigating the spread of the virus. This review describes the classification, morphology, infective process, natural ecology, transmission, epidemic patterns, diagnosis, clinical features and immunology of Ebola, including management and epidemic containment strategies.

Adenovirus vector covalently conjugated to polyethylene glycol with a cancer-specific promoter suppresses the tumor growth through systemic administration.

PubMed

Yao, Xinglei; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Morishige, Tomohiro; Eto, Yusuke; Narimatsu, Shogo; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki; Mukai, Yohei; Okada, Naoki; Nakagawa, Shinsaku

2010-01-01

Cancer gene therapy with adenovirus vectors (Adv) is limited to local administration because systemic administration of Adv produces a weak therapeutic effect and severe side effects. Previously, we generated a dual cancer-specific Adv system by using Adv covalently conjugated to polyethylene glycol (PEG) for transductional targeting and the telomere reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter as a cancer-specific promoter for transcriptional targeting (PEG-Ad-TERT). We demonstrated that systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT showed superior antitumor effects against lung metastatic cancer with negligible side effects. Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT for the treatment of primary tumors. We first evaluated the transgene expression of PEG-Ad-TERT containing the luciferase gene (PEG-Ad-TERT/Luc) in primary tumors. Systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT/Luc resulted high transgene expression, similar to that observed in tumors for the conventional cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-driven Adv containing the luciferase gene (Ad-CMV/Luc). By comparison, transgene expression was 2500-fold lower than that of Ad-CMV/Luc in liver. We then examined the therapeutic effect of systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT containing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene (PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk) for the treatment of primary tumors. We showed that PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk produced a notable antitumor effect against primary tumors with negligible side effects. These results demonstrated that PEG-Ad-TERT can be regarded as a prototype Adv with suitable efficacy and safety for systemic cancer gene therapy against both metastatic and primary tumors.

Disease Suppressive Soils: New Insights from the Soil Microbiome

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this review, we will present three currently-studied model systems with features representative of specific and general suppressiveness. Based on these systems, we will consider hypotheses about the fundamental nature of specific and general disease-suppressive soil microbial communities, explore...

Spontaneous Gac Mutants of Pseudomonas Biological Control Strains: Cheaters or Mutualists? ▿

PubMed Central

Driscoll, William W.; Pepper, John W.; Pierson, Leland S.; Pierson, Elizabeth A.

2011-01-01

Bacteria rely on a range of extracellular metabolites to suppress competitors, gain access to resources, and exploit plant or animal hosts. The GacS/GacA two-component regulatory system positively controls the expression of many of these beneficial external products in pseudomonad bacteria. Natural populations often contain variants with defective Gac systems that do not produce most external products. These mutants benefit from a decreased metabolic load but do not appear to displace the wild type in nature. How could natural selection maintain the wild type in the presence of a mutant with enhanced growth? One hypothesis is that Gac mutants are “cheaters” that do not contribute to the public good, favored within groups but selected against between groups, as groups containing more mutants lose access to ecologically important external products. An alternative hypothesis is that Gac mutants have a mutualistic interaction with the wild type, so that each variant benefits by the presence of the other. In the biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain 30-84, Gac mutants do not produce phenazines, which suppress competitor growth and are critical for biofilm formation. Here, we test the predictions of these alternative hypotheses by quantifying interactions between the wild type and the phenazine- and biofilm-deficient Gac mutant within growing biofilms. We find evidence that the wild type and Gac mutants interact mutualistically in the biofilm context, whereas a phenazine-defective structural mutant does not. Our results suggest that the persistence of alternative Gac phenotypes may be due to the stabilizing role of local mutualistic interactions. PMID:21873476

Suppression of polymethyl methacrylate dust explosion by ultrafine water mist/additives.

PubMed

Gan, Bo; Li, Bei; Jiang, Haipeng; Bi, Mingshu; Gao, Wei

2018-06-05

The suppressions of ultrafine water mists containing additives (NaCl and NaHCO 3 ) on 100 nm, 5 μm, and 30 μm polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) dust explosions were experimentally studied in a dust-explosion apparatus. High-speed photography showed that maximum vertical positions and flame propagation velocities were significantly decreased by suppression with ultrafine water mist/additives. Flame propagation velocities in 100 nm, 5 μm, and 30 μm dust explosions suppressed by the ultrafine pure water mist were reduced by 48.2%, 27.7%, and 15.3%, respectively. Maximum temperatures and temperature rising rates measured by a fine thermocouple in nano- and micro-PMMA dust explosions were also significantly decreased. It was proved that the addition of NaCl and NaHCO 3 improved the suppression effects of the ultrafine pure water mist. The improvement of explosion suppression by an 8% NaHCO 3 mist was superior to that of a 16% NaCl mist. The suppression mechanisms of ultrafine water mist/additives are further discussed by analyzing the physical and chemical effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Final design and fabrication of an active control system for flutter suppression on a supercritical aeroelastic research wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, G. E.; Mcgehee, C. R.

1981-01-01

The final design and hardware fabrication was completed for an active control system capable of the required flutter suppression, compatible with and ready for installation in the NASA aeroelastic research wing number 1 (ARW-1) on Firebee II drone flight test vehicle. The flutter suppression system uses vertical acceleration at win buttock line 1.930 (76), with fuselage vertical and roll accelerations subtracted out, to drive wing outboard aileron control surfaces through appropriate symmetric and antisymmetric shaping filters. The goal of providing an increase of 20 percent above the unaugmented vehicle flutter velocity but below the maximum operating condition at Mach 0.98 is exceeded by the final flutter suppression system. Results indicate that the flutter suppression system mechanical and electronic components are ready for installation on the DAST ARW-1 wing and BQM-34E/F drone fuselage.

Overview of ISS U.S. Fire Detection and Suppression System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Alana

2003-01-01

This paper presents a general overview of the International Space Station's Fire Detection and Suppression System. The topics include: 1) Introduction to Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS); 2) Description of (FDS) Subsystems; 3) FDS System Component Location and Status; 4) FDS System Capabilities; 5) FDS Automatic and Manual Response; 6) Post Fire Atmosphere Restoration and Air Quality Assessment; and 7) FDS Research Needs. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Assessment of rock musician's efferent system functioning using contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions.

PubMed

Kumar, Prawin; Grover, Vibhu; Publius A, Sam; Sanju, Himanshu Kumar; Sinha, Sachchidanand

2016-12-01

Contralateral suppression of oto acoustic emission (OAE) is referred as activation of efferent system. Previous literature mentioned about the importance of contralateral suppression of OAEs as a tool to assess efferent system in different groups of population. There is dearth of literature to explore the efferent system function in experienced musicians exposed to rock music using TEOAEs and DPOAEs. Two groups of participant (14 rock musicians and 14 non-musicians) in the age range of 18-25 years were involved in the study. Contralateral suppression of TEOAEs and DPOAEs were measured using ILO (Version 6) in both groups. Descriptive statistics showed higher suppression of TEOAEs and DPOAEs in rock-musicians at most of the frequencies in comparison to non-musicians. For DPOAE measures, Mann Whitney U test results revealed significantly greater DPOAE suppression only at 1 kHz and 3 kHz in rock-musicians compared to non-musicians. For within group comparison, Kruskal Wallis test results revealed there were significant difference observed across most of the frequencies i.e. at 1 kHz, 3 kHz and 6 kHz. For TEOAE measures, Mann Whitney U test results revealed that only at 2 kHz, TEOAE suppression in rock-musician was significantly greater compared to non-musicians. Similarly, Kuskal Wallis test results revealed that within group there were no significant differences observed for most of the frequencies except 2 kHz. Based on the above finding, present study concludes that rock musicians are having better efferent system compared to non-musicians. No suppression effect at few frequencies probably indicates more vulnerability at those frequencies. Contralateral suppression of DPOAE shows more significant finding in comparison to contralateral suppression of TEOAEs in present study.

Multirate Flutter Suppression System Design for the Benchmark Active Controls Technology Wing. Part 1; Theory and Design Procedure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Gregory S.; Berg, Martin C.; Mukhopadhyay, Vivek

2002-01-01

To study the effectiveness of various control system design methodologies, the NASA Langley Research Center initiated the Benchmark Active Controls Project. In this project, the various methodologies were applied to design a flutter suppression system for the Benchmark Active Controls Technology (BACT) Wing. This report describes a project at the University of Washington to design a multirate suppression system for the BACT wing. The objective of the project was two fold. First, to develop a methodology for designing robust multirate compensators, and second, to demonstrate the methodology by applying it to the design of a multirate flutter suppression system for the BACT wing.

Whole-heart chemical shift encoded water-fat MRI.

PubMed

Taviani, Valentina; Hernando, Diego; Francois, Christopher J; Shimakawa, Ann; Vigen, Karl K; Nagle, Scott K; Schiebler, Mark L; Grist, Thomas M; Reeder, Scott B

2014-09-01

To develop and evaluate a free-breathing chemical-shift-encoded (CSE) spoiled gradient-recalled echo (SPGR) technique for whole-heart water-fat imaging at 3 Tesla (T). We developed a three-dimensional (3D) multi-echo SPGR pulse sequence with electrocardiographic gating and navigator echoes and evaluated its performance at 3T in healthy volunteers (N = 6) and patients (N = 20). CSE-SPGR, 3D SPGR, and 3D balanced-SSFP with chemical fat saturation were compared in six healthy subjects with images evaluated for overall image quality, level of residual artifacts, and quality of fat suppression. A similar scoring system was used for the patient datasets. Images of diagnostic quality were acquired in all but one subject. CSE-SPGR performed similarly to SPGR with fat saturation, although it provided a more uniform fat suppression over the whole field of view. Balanced-SSFP performed worse than SPGR-based methods. In patients, CSE-SPGR produced excellent fat suppression near metal. Overall image quality was either good (7/20) or excellent (12/20) in all but one patient. There were significant artifacts in 5/20 clinical cases. CSE-SPGR is a promising technique for whole-heart water-fat imaging during free-breathing. The robust fat suppression in the water-only image could improve assessment of complex morphology at 3T and in the presence of off-resonance, with additional information contained in the fat-only image. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Nuclear reactor building

DOEpatents

Gou, P.F.; Townsend, H.E.; Barbanti, G.

1994-04-05

A reactor building for enclosing a nuclear reactor includes a containment vessel having a wetwell disposed therein. The wetwell includes inner and outer walls, a floor, and a roof defining a wetwell pool and a suppression chamber disposed there above. The wetwell and containment vessel define a drywell surrounding the reactor. A plurality of vents are disposed in the wetwell pool in flow communication with the drywell for channeling into the wetwell pool steam released in the drywell from the reactor during a LOCA for example, for condensing the steam. A shell is disposed inside the wetwell and extends into the wetwell pool to define a dry gap devoid of wetwell water and disposed in flow communication with the suppression chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the wetwell roof is in the form of a slab disposed on spaced apart support beams which define there between an auxiliary chamber. The dry gap, and additionally the auxiliary chamber, provide increased volume to the suppression chamber for improving pressure margin. 4 figures.

Nuclear reactor building

DOEpatents

Gou, Perng-Fei; Townsend, Harold E.; Barbanti, Giancarlo

1994-01-01

A reactor building for enclosing a nuclear reactor includes a containment vessel having a wetwell disposed therein. The wetwell includes inner and outer walls, a floor, and a roof defining a wetwell pool and a suppression chamber disposed thereabove. The wetwell and containment vessel define a drywell surrounding the reactor. A plurality of vents are disposed in the wetwell pool in flow communication with the drywell for channeling into the wetwell pool steam released in the drywell from the reactor during a LOCA for example, for condensing the steam. A shell is disposed inside the wetwell and extends into the wetwell pool to define a dry gap devoid of wetwell water and disposed in flow communication with the suppression chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the wetwell roof is in the form of a slab disposed on spaced apart support beams which define therebetween an auxiliary chamber. The dry gap, and additionally the auxiliary chamber, provide increased volume to the suppression chamber for improving pressure margin.

Genomic structural variation-mediated allelic suppression causes hybrid male sterility in rice.

PubMed

Shen, Rongxin; Wang, Lan; Liu, Xupeng; Wu, Jiang; Jin, Weiwei; Zhao, Xiucai; Xie, Xianrong; Zhu, Qinlong; Tang, Huiwu; Li, Qing; Chen, Letian; Liu, Yao-Guang

2017-11-03

Hybrids between divergent populations commonly show hybrid sterility; this reproductive barrier hinders hybrid breeding of the japonica and indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) subspecies. Here we show that structural changes and copy number variation at the Sc locus confer japonica-indica hybrid male sterility. The japonica allele, Sc-j, contains a pollen-essential gene encoding a DUF1618-domain protein; the indica allele, Sc-i, contains two or three tandem-duplicated ~ 28-kb segments, each carrying an Sc-j-homolog with a distinct promoter. In Sc-j/Sc-i hybrids, the high-expression of Sc-i in sporophytic cells causes suppression of Sc-j expression in pollen and selective abortion of Sc-j-pollen, leading to transmission ratio distortion. Knocking out one or two of the three Sc-i copies by CRISPR/Cas9 rescues Sc-j expression and male fertility. Our results reveal the gene dosage-dependent allelic suppression as a mechanism of hybrid incompatibility, and provide an effective approach to overcome the reproductive barrier for hybrid breeding.

[Suppression of replication of swine parvoviral antisense RNA against the NS PPV gene in swine thyroid gland cells].

PubMed

Voskresenskaia, E P; Miroshnichenko, O I; Ponamareva, T I; Savich, O M; Tikhonenko, T I

1993-01-01

The possibility of suppression of porcine parvovirus (PPV) reproduction in the culture of thyroid gland cells of a swine that contain the integrated genes for asRNA against the nonstructural proteins of the virus has been studied. 10 cell lines with the asRNA genes have been obtained. The line with the maximal number of integrated gene copies was used to inflict with the parvovirus. The expression of asRNA in this cell line was shown to lead to 95% suppression of PPV replication as compared with the control cell line.

RNAi trigger fragment truncation attenuates soybean FAD2-1 transcript suppression and yields intermediate oil phenotypes.

PubMed

Wagner, Nicholas; Mroczka, Andrew; Roberts, Peter D; Schreckengost, William; Voelker, Toni

2011-09-01

Suppression of the microsomal ω6 oleate desaturase during the seed development of soybean (Glycine max) with the 420-bp soybean FAD2-1A intron as RNAi trigger shifts the conventional fatty acid composition of soybean oil from 20% oleic and 60% polyunsaturates to one containing greater than 80% oleic acid and less than 10% polyunsaturates. To determine whether RNAi could be attenuated by reducing the trigger fragment length, transgenic plants were generated to express successively shorter 5' or 3' deletion derivatives of the FAD2-1A intron. We observed a gradual reduction in transcript suppression with shorter trigger fragments. Fatty acid composition was less affected with shorter triggers, and triggers less than 60 bp had no phenotypic effect. No trigger sequences conferring significantly higher or lower suppression efficiencies were found, and the primary determinant of suppression effect was sequence length. The observed relationship of transcript suppression with the induced fatty acid phenotype indicates that RNAi is a saturation process and not a step change between suppressed and nonsuppressed states and intermediate suppression states can be achieved. © 2010 Monsanto. Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2010 Society for Experimental Biology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Brain Macrophages in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected, Antiretroviral-Suppressed Macaques: a Functional Latent Reservoir

PubMed Central

Avalos, Claudia R.; Abreu, Celina M.; Queen, Suzanne E.; Li, Ming; Price, Sarah; Shirk, Erin N.; Engle, Elizabeth L.; Forsyth, Ellen; Bullock, Brandon T.; Mac Gabhann, Feilim; Wietgrefe, Stephen W.; Haase, Ashley T.; Zink, M. Christine; Mankowski, Joseph L.; Clements, Janice E.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection cure requires an understanding of the cellular and anatomical sites harboring virus that contribute to viral rebound upon treatment interruption. Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are reported in HIV-infected individuals on ART. Biomarkers for macrophage activation and neuronal damage in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HIV-infected individuals demonstrate continued effects of HIV in brain and suggest that the central nervous system (CNS) may serve as a viral reservoir. Using a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)/macaque model for HIV encephalitis and AIDS, we evaluated whether infected cells persist in brain despite ART. Eight SIV-infected pig-tailed macaques were virally suppressed with ART, and plasma and CSF viremia levels were analyzed longitudinally. To assess whether virus persisted in brain macrophages (BrMΦ) in these macaques, we used a macrophage quantitative viral outgrowth assay (MΦ-QVOA), PCR, and in situ hybridization (ISH) to measure the frequency of infected cells and the levels of viral RNA and DNA in brain. Viral RNA in brain tissue of suppressed macaques was undetectable, although viral DNA was detected in all animals. The MΦ-QVOA demonstrated that the majority of suppressed animals contained latently infected BrMΦ. We also showed that virus produced in the MΦ-QVOAs was replication competent, suggesting that latently infected BrMΦ are capable of reestablishing productive infection upon treatment interruption. This report provides the first confirmation of the presence of replication-competent SIV in BrMΦ of ART-suppressed macaques and suggests that the highly debated issue of viral latency in macrophages, at least in brain, has been addressed in SIV-infected macaques treated with ART. PMID:28811349

Active suppression of distractors that match the contents of visual working memory.

PubMed

Sawaki, Risa; Luck, Steven J

2011-08-01

The biased competition theory proposes that items matching the contents of visual working memory will automatically have an advantage in the competition for attention. However, evidence for an automatic effect has been mixed, perhaps because the memory-driven attentional bias can be overcome by top-down suppression. To test this hypothesis, the Pd component of the event-related potential waveform was used as a marker of attentional suppression. While observers maintained a color in working memory, task-irrelevant probe arrays were presented that contained an item matching the color being held in memory. We found that the memory-matching probe elicited a Pd component, indicating that it was being actively suppressed. This result suggests that sensory inputs matching the information being held in visual working memory are automatically detected and generate an "attend-to-me" signal, but this signal can be overridden by an active suppression mechanism to prevent the actual capture of attention.

Combined antitumor gene therapy with herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase and short hairpin RNA specific for mammalian target of rapamycin.

PubMed

Woo, Ha-Na; Lee, Won Il; Kim, Ji Hyun; Ahn, Jeonghyun; Han, Jeong Hee; Lim, Sue Yeon; Lee, Won Woo; Lee, Heuiran

2015-12-01

A proof-of-concept study is presented using dual gene therapy that employed a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) specific for mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and a herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene to inhibit the growth of tumors. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors containing a mutant TK gene (sc39TK) were transduced into HeLa cells, and the prodrug ganciclovir (GCV) was administered to establish a suicide gene-therapy strategy. Additionally, rAAV vectors expressing an mTOR-targeted shRNA were employed to suppress mTOR-dependent tumor growth. GCV selectively induced death in tumor cells expressing TK, and the mTOR-targeted shRNA altered the cell cycle to impair tumor growth. Combining the TK-GCV system with mTOR inhibition suppressed tumor growth to a greater extent than that achieved with either treatment alone. Furthermore, HSV-TK expression and mTOR inhibition did not mutually interfere with each other. In conclusion, gene therapy that combines the TK-GCV system and mTOR inhibition shows promise as a novel strategy for cancer therapy.

Fine-Water-Mist Multiple-Orientation-Discharge Fire Extinguisher

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butz, James R.; Turchi, Craig S.; Kimball, Amanda; McKinnon, Thomas; Riedel, Edward

2010-01-01

A fine-water-mist fire-suppression device has been designed so that it can be discharged uniformly in any orientation via a high-pressure gas propellant. Standard fire extinguishers used while slightly tilted or on their side will not discharge all of their contents. Thanks to the new design, this extinguisher can be used in multiple environments such as aboard low-gravity spacecraft, airplanes, and aboard vehicles that may become overturned prior to or during a fire emergency. Research in recent years has shown that fine water mist can be an effective alternative to Halons now banned from manufacture. Currently, NASA uses carbon dioxide for fire suppression on the International Space Station (ISS) and Halon chemical extinguishers on the space shuttle. While each of these agents is effective, they have drawbacks. The toxicity of carbon dioxide requires that the crew don breathing apparatus when the extinguishers are deployed on the ISS, and Halon use in future spacecraft has been eliminated because of international protocols on substances that destroy atmospheric ozone. A major advantage to the new system on occupied spacecraft is that the discharged system is locally rechargeable. Since the only fluids used are water and nitrogen, the system can be recharged from stores of both carried aboard the ISS or spacecraft. The only support requirement would be a pump to fill the water and a compressor to pressurize the nitrogen propellant gas. This system uses a gaseous agent to pressurize the storage container as well as to assist in the generation of the fine water mist. The portable fire extinguisher hardware works like a standard fire extinguisher with a single storage container for the agents (water and nitrogen), a control valve assembly for manual actuation, and a discharge nozzle. The design implemented in the proof-of-concept experiment successfully extinguished both open fires and fires in baffled enclosures.

Investigation of the falling water flow with evaporation for the passive containment cooling system and its scaling-down criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Cheng; Li, Junming; Li, Le

2018-02-01

Falling water evaporation cooling could efficiently suppress the containment operation pressure during the nuclear accident, by continually removing the core decay heat to the atmospheric environment. In order to identify the process of large-scale falling water evaporation cooling, the water flow characteristics of falling film, film rupture and falling rivulet were deduced, on the basis of previous correlation studies. The influences of the contact angle, water temperature and water flow rates on water converge along the flow direction were then numerically obtained and results were compared with the data for AP1000 and CAP1400 nuclear power plants. By comparisons, it is concluded that the water coverage fraction of falling water could be enhanced by either reducing the surface contact angle or increasing the water temperature. The falling water flow with evaporation for AP1000 containment was then calculated and the feature of its water coverage fraction was analyzed. Finally, based on the phenomena identification of falling water flow for AP1000 containment evaporation cooling, the scaling-down is performed and the dimensionless criteria were obtained.

Acquisition of a Scanning Laser Vibrometer System for Experimental Studies on Nonparametric Nonlinear System Identification and Aeroelastic Instability Suppression

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-06

based LCO suppression system housed in a winglet , specifically designed for the GTW. Upon completion of rehabilitation and modifications to the wing to...accommodate the winglet /NES, the full system will be ready for additional testing in the TDT. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF...University, will result in the design of an NES-based LCO suppression system housed in a winglet , specifically designed for the GTW. Upon completion of

Manipulating sheep browsing levels on coyote willow (Salix exigua) with supplements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Macronutrients and additives have been used to suppress or promote intake of upland tannin-containing browse species by livestock, but to our knowledge this technique has not been applied to sheep that feed on tannin-containing species in riparian areas. The objective of this study was to determine ...

Bayesian penalized-likelihood reconstruction algorithm suppresses edge artifacts in PET reconstruction based on point-spread-function.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Shotaro; Wagatsuma, Kei; Miwa, Kenta; Ishii, Kenji; Inoue, Kazumasa; Fukushi, Masahiro

2018-03-01

The Bayesian penalized-likelihood reconstruction algorithm (BPL), Q.Clear, uses relative difference penalty as a regularization function to control image noise and the degree of edge-preservation in PET images. The present study aimed to determine the effects of suppression on edge artifacts due to point-spread-function (PSF) correction using a Q.Clear. Spheres of a cylindrical phantom contained a background of 5.3 kBq/mL of [ 18 F]FDG and sphere-to-background ratios (SBR) of 16, 8, 4 and 2. The background also contained water and spheres containing 21.2 kBq/mL of [ 18 F]FDG as non-background. All data were acquired using a Discovery PET/CT 710 and were reconstructed using three-dimensional ordered-subset expectation maximization with time-of-flight (TOF) and PSF correction (3D-OSEM), and Q.Clear with TOF (BPL). We investigated β-values of 200-800 using BPL. The PET images were analyzed using visual assessment and profile curves, edge variability and contrast recovery coefficients were measured. The 38- and 27-mm spheres were surrounded by higher radioactivity concentration when reconstructed with 3D-OSEM as opposed to BPL, which suppressed edge artifacts. Images of 10-mm spheres had sharper overshoot at high SBR and non-background when reconstructed with BPL. Although contrast recovery coefficients of 10-mm spheres in BPL decreased as a function of increasing β, higher penalty parameter decreased the overshoot. BPL is a feasible method for the suppression of edge artifacts of PSF correction, although this depends on SBR and sphere size. Overshoot associated with BPL caused overestimation in small spheres at high SBR. Higher penalty parameter in BPL can suppress overshoot more effectively. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New oxidation-resistant tungsten alloys for use in the nuclear fusion reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litnovsky, A.; Wegener, T.; Klein, F.; Linsmeier, Ch; Rasinski, M.; Kreter, A.; Tan, X.; Schmitz, J.; Coenen, J. W.; Mao, Y.; Gonzalez-Julian, J.; Bram, M.

2017-12-01

Smart tungsten-based alloys are under development as plasma-facing components for a future fusion power plant. Smart alloys are planned to adjust their properties depending on environmental conditions: acting as a sputter-resistant plasma-facing material during plasma operation and suppressing the sublimation of radioactive tungsten oxide in case of an accident on the power plant. New smart alloys containing yttrium are presently in the focus of research. Thin film smart alloys are featuring an remarkable 105-fold suppression of mass increase due to an oxidation as compared to that of pure tungsten at 1000 °C. Newly developed bulk smart tungsten alloys feature even better oxidation resistance compared to that of thin films. First plasma test of smart alloys under DEMO-relevant conditions revealed the same mass removal as for pure tungsten due to sputtering by plasma ions. Exposed smart alloy samples demonstrate the superior oxidation performance as compared to tungsten-chromium-titanium systems developed earlier.

Exosomes secreted by nematode parasites transfer small RNAs to mammalian cells and modulate innate immunity.

PubMed

Buck, Amy H; Coakley, Gillian; Simbari, Fabio; McSorley, Henry J; Quintana, Juan F; Le Bihan, Thierry; Kumar, Sujai; Abreu-Goodger, Cei; Lear, Marissa; Harcus, Yvonne; Ceroni, Alessandro; Babayan, Simon A; Blaxter, Mark; Ivens, Alasdair; Maizels, Rick M

2014-11-25

In mammalian systems RNA can move between cells via vesicles. Here we demonstrate that the gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus, which infects mice, secretes vesicles containing microRNAs (miRNAs) and Y RNAs as well as a nematode Argonaute protein. These vesicles are of intestinal origin and are enriched for homologues of mammalian exosome proteins. Administration of the nematode exosomes to mice suppresses Type 2 innate responses and eosinophilia induced by the allergen Alternaria. Microarray analysis of mouse cells incubated with nematode exosomes in vitro identifies Il33r and Dusp1 as suppressed genes, and Dusp1 can be repressed by nematode miRNAs based on a reporter assay. We further identify miRNAs from the filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis in the serum of infected mice, suggesting that miRNA secretion into host tissues is conserved among parasitic nematodes. These results reveal exosomes as another mechanism by which helminths manipulate their hosts and provide a mechanistic framework for RNA transfer between animal species.

Exosomes secreted by nematode parasites transfer small RNAs to mammalian cells and modulate innate immunity

PubMed Central

Buck, Amy H.; Coakley, Gillian; Simbari, Fabio; McSorley, Henry J.; Quintana, Juan F.; Le Bihan, Thierry; Kumar, Sujai; Abreu-Goodger, Cei; Lear, Marissa; Harcus, Yvonne; Ceroni, Alessandro; Babayan, Simon A.; Blaxter, Mark; Ivens, Alasdair; Maizels, Rick M.

2014-01-01

In mammalian systems RNA can move between cells via vesicles. Here we demonstrate that the gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus, which infects mice, secretes vesicles containing microRNAs (miRNAs) and Y RNAs as well as a nematode Argonaute protein. These vesicles are of intestinal origin and are enriched for homologues of mammalian exosome proteins. Administration of the nematode exosomes to mice suppresses Type 2 innate responses and eosinophilia induced by the allergen Alternaria. Microarray analysis of mouse cells incubated with nematode exosomes in vitro identifies Il33r and Dusp1 as suppressed genes, and Dusp1 can be repressed by nematode miRNAs based on a reporter assay. We further identify miRNAs from the filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis in the serum of infected mice, suggesting that miRNA secretion into host tissues is conserved among parasitic nematodes. These results reveal exosomes as another mechanism by which helminths manipulate their hosts and provide a mechanistic framework for RNA transfer between animal species. PMID:25421927

A photoactivable multi-inhibitor nanoliposome for tumour control and simultaneous inhibition of treatment escape pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spring, Bryan Q.; Bryan Sears, R.; Zheng, Lei Zak; Mai, Zhiming; Watanabe, Reika; Sherwood, Margaret E.; Schoenfeld, David A.; Pogue, Brian W.; Pereira, Stephen P.; Villa, Elizabeth; Hasan, Tayyaba

2016-04-01

Nanoscale drug delivery vehicles can facilitate multimodal therapies of cancer by promoting tumour-selective drug release. However, few are effective because cancer cells develop ways to resist and evade treatment. Here, we introduce a photoactivable multi-inhibitor nanoliposome (PMIL) that imparts light-induced cytotoxicity in synchrony with a photoinitiated and sustained release of inhibitors that suppress tumour regrowth and treatment escape signalling pathways. The PMIL consists of a nanoliposome doped with a photoactivable chromophore (benzoporphyrin derivative, BPD) in the lipid bilayer, and a nanoparticle containing cabozantinib (XL184)—a multikinase inhibitor—encapsulated inside. Near-infrared tumour irradiation, following intravenous PMIL administration, triggers photodynamic damage of tumour cells and microvessels, and simultaneously initiates release of XL184 inside the tumour. A single PMIL treatment achieves prolonged tumour reduction in two mouse models and suppresses metastatic escape in an orthotopic pancreatic tumour model. The PMIL offers new prospects for cancer therapy by enabling spatiotemporal control of drug release while reducing systemic drug exposure and associated toxicities.

Study of the mechanism for electrodeposition of dendrite-free zinc in an alkaline electrolyte modified with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, M.; Ivey, D. G.; Qu, W.; Xie, Z.

2015-01-01

Electrodeposition of Zn was conducted in a new electrolyte system composed of an alkaline solution (9 M KOH + 5 wt% ZnO) modified with a small amount (0.5 wt%) of room temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMI-DCA). At a high deposition current density of 80 mA cm-2, a porous, dendrite-free Zn film characterized by clusters of small Zn particles was obtained. The mechanism for the modified Zn morphology in the EMI-DCA containing electrolyte was studied by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the addition of EMI-DCA changed the Zn nucleation process and reduced the potential variation during electrodeposition, which suppressed the uneven growth of Zn deposits and the formation of Zn dendrites. EIS results indicated that there was adsorption of EMI+ cations at the Zn film/electrolyte interface, which may have contributed to suppressed dendritic Zn growth.

Methods for improved growth of group III nitride buffer layers

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

Melnik, Yurity; Chen, Lu; Kojiri, Hidehiro

Methods are disclosed for growing high crystal quality group III-nitride epitaxial layers with advanced multiple buffer layer techniques. In an embodiment, a method includes forming group III-nitride buffer layers that contain aluminum on suitable substrate in a processing chamber of a hydride vapor phase epitaxy processing system. A hydrogen halide or halogen gas is flowing into the growth zone during deposition of buffer layers to suppress homogeneous particle formation. Some combinations of low temperature buffers that contain aluminum (e.g., AlN, AlGaN) and high temperature buffers that contain aluminum (e.g., AlN, AlGaN) may be used to improve crystal quality and morphologymore » of subsequently grown group III-nitride epitaxial layers. The buffer may be deposited on the substrate, or on the surface of another buffer. The additional buffer layers may be added as interlayers in group III-nitride layers (e.g., GaN, AlGaN, AlN).« less

Design and optimization of input shapers for liquid slosh suppression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aboel-Hassan, Ameen; Arafa, Mustafa; Nassef, Ashraf

2009-02-01

The need for fast maneuvering and accurate positioning of flexible structures poses a control challenge. The inherent flexibility in these lightly damped systems creates large undesirable residual vibrations in response to rapid excitations. Several control approaches have been proposed to tackle this class of problems, of which the input shaping technique is appealing in many aspects. While input shaping has been widely investigated to attenuate residual vibrations in flexible structures, less attention was granted to expand its viability in further applications. The aim of this work is to develop a methodology for applying input shaping techniques to suppress sloshing effects in open moving containers to facilitate safe and fast point-to-point movements. The liquid behavior is modeled using finite element analysis. The input shaper parameters are optimized to find the commands that would result in minimum residual vibration. Other objectives, such as improved robustness, and motion constraints such as deflection limiting are also addressed in the optimization scheme. Numerical results are verified on an experimental setup consisting of a small motor-driven water tank undergoing rectilinear motion, while measuring both the tank motion and free surface displacement of the water. The results obtained suggest that input shaping is an effective method for liquid slosh suppression.

The Microbiota and Health Promoting Characteristics of the Fermented Beverage Kefir

PubMed Central

Bourrie, Benjamin C. T.; Willing, Benjamin P.; Cotter, Paul D.

2016-01-01

Kefir is a complex fermented dairy product created through the symbiotic fermentation of milk by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts contained within an exopolysaccharide and protein complex called a kefir grain. As with other fermented dairy products, kefir has been associated with a range of health benefits such as cholesterol metabolism and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, antimicrobial activity, tumor suppression, increased speed of wound healing, and modulation of the immune system including the alleviation of allergy and asthma. These reports have led to increased interest in kefir as a focus of research and as a potential probiotic-containing product. Here, we review those studies with a particular emphasis on the microbial composition and the health benefits of the product, as well as discussing the further development of kefir as an important probiotic product. PMID:27199969

Methods for improved growth of group III nitride semiconductor compounds

DOEpatents

Melnik, Yuriy; Chen, Lu; Kojiri, Hidehiro

2015-03-17

Methods are disclosed for growing group III-nitride semiconductor compounds with advanced buffer layer technique. In an embodiment, a method includes providing a suitable substrate in a processing chamber of a hydride vapor phase epitaxy processing system. The method includes forming an AlN buffer layer by flowing an ammonia gas into a growth zone of the processing chamber, flowing an aluminum halide containing precursor to the growth zone and at the same time flowing additional hydrogen halide or halogen gas into the growth zone of the processing chamber. The additional hydrogen halide or halogen gas that is flowed into the growth zone during buffer layer deposition suppresses homogeneous AlN particle formation. The hydrogen halide or halogen gas may continue flowing for a time period while the flow of the aluminum halide containing precursor is turned off.

The Microbiota and Health Promoting Characteristics of the Fermented Beverage Kefir.

PubMed

Bourrie, Benjamin C T; Willing, Benjamin P; Cotter, Paul D

2016-01-01

Kefir is a complex fermented dairy product created through the symbiotic fermentation of milk by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts contained within an exopolysaccharide and protein complex called a kefir grain. As with other fermented dairy products, kefir has been associated with a range of health benefits such as cholesterol metabolism and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, antimicrobial activity, tumor suppression, increased speed of wound healing, and modulation of the immune system including the alleviation of allergy and asthma. These reports have led to increased interest in kefir as a focus of research and as a potential probiotic-containing product. Here, we review those studies with a particular emphasis on the microbial composition and the health benefits of the product, as well as discussing the further development of kefir as an important probiotic product.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1974-01-01

This photograph shows the Skylab Materials Processing Facility (M512) and the Multipurpose Furnace System (M518). This facility, located in the Multiple Docking Adapter, was developed for Skylab and accommodated 14 different experiments that were carried out during the three marned missions. The abilities to melt and mix without the contaminating effects of containers, to suppress thermal convection and buoyancy in fluids, and to take advantage of electrostatic and magnetic forces and otherwise masked by gravitation opened the way to new knowledge of material properties and processes. This beginning would ultimately lead to the production of valuable new materials for use on Earth.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1974-01-01

This photograph shows the Skylab Materials Processing Facility (M512) and the Multipurpose Furnace System (M518). This facility, located in the Multiple Docking Adapter, was developed for Skylab,and accommodated 14 different experiments that were carried out during the three marned missions. The abilities to melt and mix without the contaminating effects of containers, to suppress thermal convection and buoyancy in fluids, and to take advantage of electrostatic and magnetic forces and otherwise masked by gravitation opened the way to new knowledge of material properties and processes. This beginning would ultimately lead to the production of valuable new materials for use on Earth.

Investigation of Vibrational Control of the Bridgman Crystal Growth Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fedoseyev, Alexandre I.

1998-01-01

The objectives are: Conduct a parametric theoretical and numerical investigation of vibro-convective buoyancy-driven flow in differentially heated cylindrical containers. Investigate buoyant vibro-convective transport regimes in Bridgman-type systems with a focus on the use of vibration to suppress, or control, convection in order to achieve transport control during crystal growth. Assess the feasibility of vibro-convective control as a means of offsetting "g-jitter" effects under microgravity conditions, Exchange information with the experimental group at the General Physics Institute (GPI) of the Russian Academy of Science who are undertaking a complementary experimental program.

An experimental adaptive array to suppress weak interfering signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walton, Eric K.; Gupta, Inder J.; Ksienski, Aharon A.; Ward, James

1988-01-01

An experimental adaptive antenna system to suppress weak interfering signals is described. It is a sidelobe canceller with two auxiliary elements. Modified feedback loops are used to control the array weights. The received signals are simulated in hardware for parameter control. Digital processing is used for algorithm implementation and performance evaluation. The experimental results are presented. They show that interfering signals as much as 10 dB below the thermal noise level in the main channel are suppressed by 20-30 dB. Such a system has potential application in suppressing the interference encountered in direct broadcast satellite communication systems.

J/ψ suppression at forward rapidity in Au + Au collisions at sNN=39 and 62.4 GeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adare, A.; Aidala, C.; Ajitanand, N. N.; Akiba, Y.; Akimoto, R.; Al-Ta'ani, H.; Alexander, J.; Angerami, A.; Aoki, K.; Apadula, N.; Aramaki, Y.; Asano, H.; Aschenauer, E. C.; Atomssa, E. T.; Awes, T. C.; Azmoun, B.; Babintsev, V.; Bai, M.; Bannier, B.; Barish, K. N.; Bassalleck, B.; Bathe, S.; Baublis, V.; Baumgart, S.; Bazilevsky, A.; Belmont, R.; Berdnikov, A.; Berdnikov, Y.; Bing, X.; Blau, D. S.; Boyle, K.; Brooks, M. L.; Buesching, H.; Bumazhnov, V.; Butsyk, S.; Campbell, S.; Castera, P.; Chen, C.-H.; Chi, C. Y.; Chiu, M.; Choi, I. J.; Choi, J. B.; Choi, S.; Choudhury, R. K.; Christiansen, P.; Chujo, T.; Chvala, O.; Cianciolo, V.; Citron, Z.; Cole, B. A.; Connors, M.; Csanád, M.; Csörgő, T.; Dairaku, S.; Datta, A.; Daugherity, M. S.; David, G.; Denisov, A.; Deshpande, A.; Desmond, E. J.; Dharmawardane, K. V.; Dietzsch, O.; Ding, L.; Dion, A.; Donadelli, M.; Drapier, O.; Drees, A.; Drees, K. A.; Durham, J. M.; Durum, A.; D'Orazio, L.; Edwards, S.; Efremenko, Y. V.; Engelmore, T.; Enokizono, A.; Esumi, S.; Eyser, K. O.; Fadem, B.; Fields, D. E.; Finger, M.; Finger, M., Jr.; Fleuret, F.; Fokin, S. L.; Frantz, J. E.; Franz, A.; Frawley, A. D.; Fukao, Y.; Fusayasu, T.; Gainey, K.; Gal, C.; Garishvili, A.; Garishvili, I.; Glenn, A.; Gong, X.; Gonin, M.; Goto, Y.; Granier de Cassagnac, R.; Grau, N.; Greene, S. V.; Grosse Perdekamp, M.; Gunji, T.; Guo, L.; Gustafsson, H.-Å.; Hachiya, T.; Haggerty, J. S.; Hahn, K. I.; Hamagaki, H.; Hanks, J.; Hashimoto, K.; Haslum, E.; Hayano, R.; He, X.; Hemmick, T. K.; Hester, T.; Hill, J. C.; Hollis, R. S.; Homma, K.; Hong, B.; Horaguchi, T.; Hori, Y.; Huang, S.; Ichihara, T.; Iinuma, H.; Ikeda, Y.; Imrek, J.; Inaba, M.; Iordanova, A.; Isenhower, D.; Issah, M.; Ivanischev, D.; Jacak, B. V.; Javani, M.; Jia, J.; Jiang, X.; Johnson, B. M.; Joo, K. S.; Jouan, D.; Kamin, J.; Kaneti, S.; Kang, B. H.; Kang, J. H.; Kang, J. S.; Kapustinsky, J.; Karatsu, K.; Kasai, M.; Kawall, D.; Kazantsev, A. V.; Kempel, T.; Khanzadeev, A.; Kijima, K. M.; Kim, B. I.; Kim, C.; Kim, D. J.; Kim, E.-J.; Kim, H. J.; Kim, K.-B.; Kim, Y.-J.; Kim, Y. K.; Kinney, E.; Kiss, Á.; Kistenev, E.; Klatsky, J.; Kleinjan, D.; Kline, P.; Komatsu, Y.; Komkov, B.; Koster, J.; Kotchetkov, D.; Kotov, D.; Král, A.; Krizek, F.; Kunde, G. J.; Kurita, K.; Kurosawa, M.; Kwon, Y.; Kyle, G. S.; Lacey, R.; Lai, Y. S.; Lajoie, J. G.; Lebedev, A.; Lee, B.; Lee, D. M.; Lee, J.; Lee, K. B.; Lee, K. S.; Lee, S. H.; Lee, S. R.; Leitch, M. J.; Leite, M. A. L.; Leitgab, M.; Lewis, B.; Lim, S. H.; Linden Levy, L. A.; Liu, M. X.; Love, B.; Maguire, C. F.; Makdisi, Y. I.; Makek, M.; Manion, A.; Manko, V. I.; Mannel, E.; Masumoto, S.; McCumber, M.; McGaughey, P. L.; McGlinchey, D.; McKinney, C.; Mendoza, M.; Meredith, B.; Miake, Y.; Mibe, T.; Mignerey, A. C.; Milov, A.; Mishra, D. K.; Mitchell, J. T.; Miyachi, Y.; Miyasaka, S.; Mohanty, A. K.; Moon, H. J.; Morrison, D. P.; Motschwiller, S.; Moukhanova, T. V.; Murakami, T.; Murata, J.; Nagae, T.; Nagamiya, S.; Nagle, J. L.; Nagy, M. I.; Nakagawa, I.; Nakamiya, Y.; Nakamura, K. R.; Nakamura, T.; Nakano, K.; Nattrass, C.; Nederlof, A.; Nihashi, M.; Nouicer, R.; Novitzky, N.; Nyanin, A. S.; O'Brien, E.; Ogilvie, C. A.; Okada, K.; Oskarsson, A.; Ouchida, M.; Ozawa, K.; Pak, R.; Pantuev, V.; Papavassiliou, V.; Park, B. H.; Park, I. H.; Park, S. K.; Pate, S. F.; Patel, L.; Pei, H.; Peng, J.-C.; Pereira, H.; Peressounko, D. Yu.; Petti, R.; Pinkenburg, C.; Pisani, R. P.; Proissl, M.; Purschke, M. L.; Qu, H.; Rak, J.; Ravinovich, I.; Read, K. F.; Reynolds, R.; Riabov, V.; Riabov, Y.; Richardson, E.; Roach, D.; Roche, G.; Rolnick, S. D.; Rosati, M.; Sahlmueller, B.; Saito, N.; Sakaguchi, T.; Samsonov, V.; Sano, M.; Sarsour, M.; Sawada, S.; Sedgwick, K.; Seidl, R.; Sen, A.; Seto, R.; Sharma, D.; Shein, I.; Shibata, T.-A.; Shigaki, K.; Shimomura, M.; Shoji, K.; Shukla, P.; Sickles, A.; Silva, C. L.; Silvermyr, D.; Sim, K. S.; Singh, B. K.; Singh, C. P.; Singh, V.; Slunečka, M.; Soltz, R. A.; Sondheim, W. E.; Sorensen, S. P.; Soumya, M.; Sourikova, I. V.; Stankus, P. W.; Stenlund, E.; Stepanov, M.; Ster, A.; Stoll, S. P.; Sugitate, T.; Sukhanov, A.; Sun, J.; Sziklai, J.; Takagui, E. M.; Takahara, A.; Taketani, A.; Tanaka, Y.; Taneja, S.; Tanida, K.; Tannenbaum, M. J.; Tarafdar, S.; Taranenko, A.; Tennant, E.; Themann, H.; Todoroki, T.; Tomášek, L.; Tomášek, M.; Torii, H.; Towell, R. S.; Tserruya, I.; Tsuchimoto, Y.; Tsuji, T.; Vale, C.; van Hecke, H. W.; Vargyas, M.; Vazquez-Zambrano, E.; Veicht, A.; Velkovska, J.; Vértesi, R.; Virius, M.; Vossen, A.; Vrba, V.; Vznuzdaev, E.; Wang, X. R.; Watanabe, D.; Watanabe, K.; Watanabe, Y.; Watanabe, Y. S.; Wei, F.; Wei, R.; White, S. N.; Winter, D.; Wolin, S.; Woody, C. L.; Wysocki, M.; Yamaguchi, Y. L.; Yang, R.; Yanovich, A.; Ying, J.; Yokkaichi, S.; You, Z.; Younus, I.; Yushmanov, I. E.; Zajc, W. A.; Zelenski, A.

2012-12-01

We present measurements of the J/ψ invariant yields in sNN=39 and 62.4 GeV Au + Au collisions at forward rapidity (1.2<|y|<2.2). Invariant yields are presented as a function of both collision centrality and transverse momentum. Nuclear modifications are obtained for central relative to peripheral Au + Au collisions (RCP) and for various centrality selections in Au + Au relative to scaled p + p cross sections obtained from other measurements (RAA). The observed suppression patterns at 39 and 62.4 GeV are quite similar to those previously measured at 200 GeV. This similar suppression presents a challenge to theoretical models that contain various competing mechanisms with different energy dependencies, some of which cause suppression and others enhancement.

Phenotypically non-suppressive cells predominate among FoxP3-positive cells in oral lichen planus.

PubMed

Schreurs, Olav; Karatsaidis, Andreas; Schenck, Karl

2016-11-01

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common T-cell-dominated oral chronic inflammatory disease occurring in periods of remission, quiescence, activity with pronounced inflammation, and acute ulceration. Cell infiltrates in OLP contain varying numbers of CD4 + T cells expressing the transcription factor FoxP3. FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells are, however, a heterogeneous cell population containing suppressive and non-suppressive cells, and their distribution in infiltrates from OLP is unknown. Biopsies were taken from normal oral mucosa (n = 8) and OLP lesions (n = 19), and a set of in situ methods for the determination of the functional phenotype of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells was applied. Numbers of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells were highest in the atrophic form of the disease, yet low in the ulcerative form. The main FoxP3 + CD4 + T-cell population observed was FoxP3 + CD45RA - CD25 + CD45RO + and CD15s - , a phenotype delineating a non-suppressive subset. Numbers of cells with an actively suppressing phenotype (FoxP3 + CD45RA - CD25 + CD45RO + and CD15s + ) were, however, about twice as high in reticular lesions as compared with the atrophic form. Many FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells expressed T-bet, the hallmark transcription factor for IFN-γ-producing T cells, indicating that they may enhance immune and inflammatory responses rather than suppress them. The absence of actively suppressing FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells may in part explain why OLP is a remarkably persisting condition, in spite of the presence of substantially high numbers of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells. The findings emphasize that it is crucial to examine not only numbers but also functional phenotype of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells in human tissues. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A practical approach to the development of aircraft GTE's noise suppression system on the base of fiber optic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinogradov, Vasiliy Yu.; Morozov, Oleg G.; Morozov, Gennady A.; Sakhabutdinov, Airat Zh.; Nureev, Ilnur I.; Kuznetsov, Artem A.; Faskhutdinov, Lenar M.; Sarvarova, Lutsia M.

2017-04-01

In this paper, we consider a number of different methods that form the modern approach to the development of aircraft GTE's noise suppression systems at service conditions. The herein-presented efficient noise suppression system on the base of fiber optic sensors makes it possible to reduce pulsations at the exhaust nozzle exit and noise levels at the engine outlet section.

Hox proteins activate the IGFBP-1 promoter and suppress the function of hPR in human endometrial cells.

PubMed

Gao, Jiaguo; Mazella, James; Tseng, Linda

2002-11-01

Previous studies have shown that progestin activates the transcription of IGFBP-1 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1). Four regions in the IGFBP-1 promotor have been identified to enhance the transcription. Two of the regions, located at -73 to -65 bp and -319 to -311 bp formed identical DNA-protein complexes with the nuclear extracts of endometrial stromal/decidual cells. To identify the binding protein(s) in endometrial cells that interact with these two regions, we have used the TGTCAATTA repeats (-319 to -11 bp of the IGFBP-1 promoter) to screen the human decidual cDNA library by yeast one-hybrid system. We found that Hox A10, HoxA11, HoxB2, HoxB4, and HoxD11 interacted with the TGTCAATTA repeats in yeast cells. Among these hox genes, the full-length coding region of HoxA10, HoxA11, and HoxB4 were used for functional analysis in three types of endometrial cells, undifferentiated endometrial stromal cells, decidual cells (differentiated stromal cells) and endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line (HEC1-B). All these endometrial cells produce IGFBP-1. Transient transfection assay showed that HoxA10 expression vector increased the promoter activity (the IGFBP-1 proximal promoter containing TGC/TCAATTA and two functional PRE sites) in endometrial stromal cells and in HEC-1B cells, but not in decidual cells. HoxB4 enhanced the promoter activity only in decidual cells, while HoxA11 had no apparent effect in all three types of cells. To evaluate whether Hox proteins would interact with progesterone receptor (hPR), cells were transfected with the promoter construct, Hox and hPR expression vectors. hPR alone activated the IGFBP-1 promoter activity, but expression of Hox gene suppressed the activation. Hox proteins also suppressed the hPR enhanced promoter activities of MMTV (containing consensus-PRE sites) and glycodelin (GdA, containing Sp1 site which mediates the hPR function). These data showed that Hox genes selectively activate the transcription of the IGFBP-1 and GdA genes in different types of endometrial cells. Hox genes, however, suppress the hPR enhanced activities. In addition, we found that HoxB4 expression was induced by estrogen and progestin. Other investigators have shown that HoxA10 and 11 were stimulated by progestin. These findings show that Hox proteins are molecular mediators of the steroid hormones during endometrial cell development.

Crop performance and weed suppression by weed-suppressive rice cultivars in furrow- and flood-irrigated systems under reduced herbicide inputs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Weed control in rice is challenging, particularly in light of increased resistance to herbicides in weed populations and diminishing availability of irrigation water. Certain indica rice cultivars can produce high yields and suppress weeds in conventional flood-irrigated, drill-seeded systems in the...

Type I neuregulin1α is a novel local mediator to suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis in mice

PubMed Central

Arai, Takatomo; Ono, Yumika; Arimura, Yujiro; Sayama, Keimon; Suzuki, Tomohiro; Shinjo, Satoko; Kanai, Mai; Abe, Shin-ichi; Semba, Kentaro; Goda, Nobuhito

2017-01-01

Neuregulin1 is an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain-containing protein that has multiple isoforms and functions as a local mediator in the control of various cellular functions. Here we show that type I isoform of neuregulin1 with an α-type EGF-like domain (Nrg1α) is the major isoform in mouse liver and regulates hepatic glucose production. Forced expression of Nrg1α in mouse liver enhanced systemic glucose disposal and decreased hepatic glucose production with reduced fasting blood glucose levels. Nuclear forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) and its downstream targets, PEPCK and G6Pase, were suppressed in liver and isolated hepatocytes by Nrg1α overexpression. In contrast, silencing of Nrg1α enhanced glucose production with increased PEPCK and G6Pase expressions in cAMP/dexamethasone-stimulated hepatocytes. Mechanistically, the recombinant α-type EGF-like domain of NRG1α (rNRG1α) stimulated the ERBB3 signalling pathway in hepatocytes, resulting in decreased nuclear FoxO1 accumulation via activation of both the AKT and ERK pathways. In addition, acute treatment with rNRG1α also suppressed elevation of blood glucose levels after both glucose and pyruvate challenge. Although a liver-specific deletion of Nrg1 gene in mice showed little effect on systemic glucose metabolism, these results suggest that NRG1α have a novel regulatory function in hepatic gluconeogenesis by regulating the ERBB3-AKT/ERK-FoxO1 cascade. PMID:28218289

Dll4-containing exosomes induce capillary sprout retraction in a 3D microenvironment

PubMed Central

Sharghi-Namini, Soheila; Tan, Evan; Ong, Lee-Ling Sharon; Ge, Ruowen; Asada, H. Harry

2014-01-01

Delta-like 4 (Dll4), a membrane-bound Notch ligand, plays a fundamental role in vascular development and angiogenesis. Dll4 is highly expressed in capillary endothelial tip cells and is involved in suppressing neighboring stalk cells to become tip cells during angiogenesis. Dll4-Notch signaling is mediated either by direct cell-cell contact or by Dll4-containing exosomes from a distance. However, whether Dll4-containing exosomes influence tip cells of existing capillaries is unknown. Using a 3D microfluidic device and time-lapse confocal microscopy, we show here for the first time that Dll4-containing exosomes causes tip cells to lose their filopodia and trigger capillary sprout retraction in collagen matrix. We demonstrate that Dll4 exosomes can freely travel through 3D collagen matrix and transfer Dll4 protein to distant tip cells. Upon reaching endothelial sprout, it causes filopodia and tip cell retraction. Continuous application of Dll4 exosomes from a distance lead to significant reduction of sprout formation. This effect correlates with Notch signaling activation upon Dll4-containing exosome interaction with recipient endothelial cells. Furthermore, we show that Dll4-containing exosomes increase endothelial cell motility while suppressing their proliferation. These data revealed novel functions of Dll4 in angiogenesis through exosomes. PMID:24504253

Studies on the pharmacological action of cactus: identification of its anti-inflammatory effect.

PubMed

Park, E H; Kahng, J H; Paek, E A

1998-02-01

The ethanol extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica fructus (EEOF) and Opuntia ficus-indica stem (EEOS) were prepared and used to evaluate the pharmacological effects of cactus. Both the extracts inhibited the writhing syndrome induced by acetic acid, indicating that they contains analgesic effect. The oral administrations of EEOF and EEOS suppressed carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and also showed potent inhibition in the leukocyte migration of CMC-pouch model in rats. Moreover, the extracts suppressed the release of beta-glucuronidase, a lysosomal enzyme in rat neutrophils. It was also noted that the extracts showed the protective effect on gastric mucosal layers. From the results it is suggested that the cactus extracts contain anti-inflammatory action having protective effect against gastric lesions.

Highly efficient catalytic systems based on Pd-coated microbeads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Jin Hyun; Cho, Ahyoung; Lee, Seung Hwan; Park, Bumkyo; Kang, Dong Woo; Koo, Chong Min; Yu, Taekyung; Park, Bum Jun

2018-01-01

The efficiency of two prototype catalysis systems using palladium (Pd)-coated microparticles was investigated with regard to the recovery and recyclability of the catalytic particles. One such system was the interface-adsorption method, in which polymer particles coated with Pd nanoparticles strongly and irreversibly attach to the oil-water interface. Due to the irreversible adsorption of the catalytic particles to the interface, particle loss was completely prevented while mixing the aqueous solution and while collecting the products. The other system was based on the magnetic field-associated particle recovery method. The use of polymeric microparticles containing Pd nanoparticles and magnetite nanoparticles accelerated the sedimentation of the particles in the aqueous phase by applying a strong magnetic field, consequently suppressing drainage of the particles from the reactor along the product stream. Upon multiple runs of the catalytic reactions, it was found that conversion does not change significantly, demonstrating the excellent recyclability and performance efficiency in the catalytic processes.

On exponentially suppressed corrections to BMPV black hole entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lal, Shailesh; Narayan, Prithvi

2018-05-01

The microscopic formula for the degeneracy of BMPV black hole microstates contains a series of exponentially suppressed corrections to the leading Bekenstein Hawking expression. We identify saddle points of the quantum entropy function for the BMPV black hole which are natural counterparts to these corrections and discuss the matching of leading and next-to-leading terms from the microscopic and macroscopic sides in a limit where the black hole charges are large.

Systems and methods for dismantling a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Heim, Robert R; Adams, Scott Ryan; Cole, Matthew Denver; Kirby, William E; Linnebur, Paul Damon

2014-10-28

Systems and methods for dismantling a nuclear reactor are described. In one aspect the system includes a remotely controlled heavy manipulator ("manipulator") operatively coupled to a support structure, and a control station in a non-contaminated portion of a workspace. The support structure provides the manipulator with top down access into a bioshield of a nuclear reactor. At least one computing device in the control station provides remote control to perform operations including: (a) dismantling, using the manipulator, a graphite moderator, concrete walls, and a ceiling of the bioshield, the manipulator being provided with automated access to all internal portions of the bioshield; (b) loading, using the manipulator, contaminated graphite blocks from the graphite core and other components from the bioshield into one or more waste containers; and (c) dispersing, using the manipulator, dust suppression and contamination fixing spray to contaminated matter.

Free Extracellular miRNA Functionally Targets Cells by Transfecting Exosomes from Their Companion Cells.

PubMed

Bryniarski, Krzysztof; Ptak, Wlodzimierz; Martin, Emilia; Nazimek, Katarzyna; Szczepanik, Marian; Sanak, Marek; Askenase, Philip W

2015-01-01

Lymph node and spleen cells of mice doubly immunized by epicutaneous and intravenous hapten application produce a suppressive component that inhibits the action of the effector T cells that mediate contact sensitivity reactions. We recently re-investigated this phenomenon in an immunological system. CD8+ T lymphocyte-derived exosomes transferred suppressive miR-150 to the effector T cells antigen-specifically due to exosome surface coat of antibody light chains made by B1a lymphocytes. Extracellular RNA (exRNA) is protected from plasma RNases by carriage in exosomes or by chaperones. Exosome transfer of functional RNA to target cells is well described, whereas the mechanism of transfer of exRNA free of exosomes remains unclear. In the current study we describe extracellular miR-150, extracted from exosomes, yet still able to mediate antigen-specific suppression. We have determined that this was due to miR-150 association with antibody-coated exosomes produced by B1a cell companions of the effector T cells, which resulted in antigen-specific suppression of their function. Thus functional cell targeting by free exRNA can proceed by transfecting companion cell exosomes that then transfer RNA cargo to the acceptor cells. This contrasts with the classical view on release of RNA-containing exosomes from the multivesicular bodies for subsequent intercellular targeting. This new alternate pathway for transfer of exRNA between cells has distinct biological and immunological significance, and since most human blood exRNA is not in exosomes may be relevant to evaluation and treatment of diseases.

Free Extracellular miRNA Functionally Targets Cells by Transfecting Exosomes from Their Companion Cells

PubMed Central

Bryniarski, Krzysztof; Ptak, Wlodzimierz; Martin, Emilia; Nazimek, Katarzyna; Szczepanik, Marian; Sanak, Marek; Askenase, Philip W.

2015-01-01

Lymph node and spleen cells of mice doubly immunized by epicutaneous and intravenous hapten application produce a suppressive component that inhibits the action of the effector T cells that mediate contact sensitivity reactions. We recently re-investigated this phenomenon in an immunological system. CD8+ T lymphocyte-derived exosomes transferred suppressive miR-150 to the effector T cells antigen-specifically due to exosome surface coat of antibody light chains made by B1a lymphocytes. Extracellular RNA (exRNA) is protected from plasma RNases by carriage in exosomes or by chaperones. Exosome transfer of functional RNA to target cells is well described, whereas the mechanism of transfer of exRNA free of exosomes remains unclear. In the current study we describe extracellular miR-150, extracted from exosomes, yet still able to mediate antigen-specific suppression. We have determined that this was due to miR-150 association with antibody-coated exosomes produced by B1a cell companions of the effector T cells, which resulted in antigen-specific suppression of their function. Thus functional cell targeting by free exRNA can proceed by transfecting companion cell exosomes that then transfer RNA cargo to the acceptor cells. This contrasts with the classical view on release of RNA-containing exosomes from the multivesicular bodies for subsequent intercellular targeting. This new alternate pathway for transfer of exRNA between cells has distinct biological and immunological significance, and since most human blood exRNA is not in exosomes may be relevant to evaluation and treatment of diseases. PMID:25923429

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

Gao, Xuemei; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province; Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province

Thyroid cancer is a common malignancy of the endocrine system. Although radioiodine {sup 131}I treatment on differentiated thyroid cancer is widely used, many patients still fail to benefit from {sup 131}I therapy. Therefore, exploration of novel targeted therapies to suppress tumor growth and improve radioiodine uptake remains necessary. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is an important member of the bromodomain and extra terminal domain family that influences transcription of downstream genes by binding to acetylated histones. In the present study, we found that BRD4 was up-regulated in thyroid cancer tissues and cell lines. Inhibition of BRD4 in thyroid cancer cells bymore » JQ1 resulted in cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and enhanced {sup 131}I uptake in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, JQ1 treatment suppressed C-MYC but enhanced NIS expression. We further demonstrated that BRD4 was enriched in the promoter region of C-MYC, which could be markedly blocked by JQ1 treatment. In conclusion, our findings revealed that the aberrant expression of BRD4 in thyroid cancer is possibly involved in tumor progression, and JQ1 is potentially an effective chemotherapeutic agent against human thyroid cancer. - Highlights: • BRD4 is upregulated in thyroid cancer tissues and cell lines. • Inhibition of BRD4 induced cell cycle arrest and enhanced radioiodine uptake in vitro and impaired tumor growth in vivo. • JQ1 suppressed the expression of C-MYC and promoted the expression of NIS and P21. • JQ1 attenuated the recruitment of BRD4 to MYC promoter in thyroid cancer.« less

Synergistic suppression of early phase of adipogenesis by microsomal PGE synthase-1 (PTGES1)-produced PGE2 and aldo-keto reductase 1B3-produced PGF2α.

PubMed

Fujimori, Ko; Yano, Mutsumi; Ueno, Toshiyuki

2012-01-01

We recently reported that aldo-keto reductase 1B3-produced prostaglandin (PG) F(2α) suppressed the early phase of adipogenesis. PGE(2) is also known to suppress adipogenesis. In this study, we found that microsomal PGE(2) synthase (PGES)-1 (mPGES-1; PTGES1) acted as the PGES in adipocytes and that PGE(2) and PGF(2α) synergistically suppressed the early phase of adipogenesis. PGE(2) production was detected in preadipocytes and transiently enhanced at 3 h after the initiation of adipogenesis of mouse adipocytic 3T3-L1 cells, followed by a quick decrease; and its production profile was similar to the expression of the cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2) gene. When 3T3-L1 cells were transfected with siRNAs for any one of the three major PTGESs, i.e., PTGES1, PTGES2 (mPGES-2), and PTGES3 (cytosolic PGES), only PTGES1 siRNA suppressed PGE(2) production and enhanced the expression of adipogenic genes. AE1-329, a PTGER4 (EP4) receptor agonist, increased the expression of the Ptgs2 gene with a peak at 1 h after the initiation of adipogenesis. PGE(2)-mediated enhancement of the PTGS2 expression was suppressed by the co-treatment with L-161982, a PTGER4 receptor antagonist. Moreover, AE1-329 enhanced the expression of the Ptgs2 gene by binding of the cyclic AMP response element (CRE)-binding protein to the CRE of the Ptgs2 promoter; and its binding was suppressed by co-treatment with L-161982, which was demonstrated by promoter luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Furthermore, when 3T3-L1 cells were caused to differentiate into adipocytes in medium containing both PGE(2) and PGF(2α), the expression of the adipogenic genes and the intracellular triglyceride level were decreased to a greater extent than in medium containing either of them, revealing that PGE(2) and PGF(2α) independently suppressed adipogenesis. These results indicate that PGE(2) was synthesized by PTGES1 in adipocytes and synergistically suppressed the early phase of adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells in cooperation with PGF(2α) through receptor-mediated activation of PTGS2 expression.

Synergistic Suppression of Early Phase of Adipogenesis by Microsomal PGE Synthase-1 (PTGES1)-Produced PGE2 and Aldo-Keto Reductase 1B3-Produced PGF2α

PubMed Central

Fujimori, Ko; Yano, Mutsumi; Ueno, Toshiyuki

2012-01-01

We recently reported that aldo-keto reductase 1B3-produced prostaglandin (PG) F2α suppressed the early phase of adipogenesis. PGE2 is also known to suppress adipogenesis. In this study, we found that microsomal PGE2 synthase (PGES)-1 (mPGES-1; PTGES1) acted as the PGES in adipocytes and that PGE2 and PGF2α synergistically suppressed the early phase of adipogenesis. PGE2 production was detected in preadipocytes and transiently enhanced at 3 h after the initiation of adipogenesis of mouse adipocytic 3T3-L1 cells, followed by a quick decrease; and its production profile was similar to the expression of the cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2) gene. When 3T3-L1 cells were transfected with siRNAs for any one of the three major PTGESs, i.e., PTGES1, PTGES2 (mPGES-2), and PTGES3 (cytosolic PGES), only PTGES1 siRNA suppressed PGE2 production and enhanced the expression of adipogenic genes. AE1-329, a PTGER4 (EP4) receptor agonist, increased the expression of the Ptgs2 gene with a peak at 1 h after the initiation of adipogenesis. PGE2-mediated enhancement of the PTGS2 expression was suppressed by the co-treatment with L-161982, a PTGER4 receptor antagonist. Moreover, AE1-329 enhanced the expression of the Ptgs2 gene by binding of the cyclic AMP response element (CRE)-binding protein to the CRE of the Ptgs2 promoter; and its binding was suppressed by co-treatment with L-161982, which was demonstrated by promoter luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Furthermore, when 3T3-L1 cells were caused to differentiate into adipocytes in medium containing both PGE2 and PGF2α, the expression of the adipogenic genes and the intracellular triglyceride level were decreased to a greater extent than in medium containing either of them, revealing that PGE2 and PGF2α independently suppressed adipogenesis. These results indicate that PGE2 was synthesized by PTGES1 in adipocytes and synergistically suppressed the early phase of adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells in cooperation with PGF2α through receptor-mediated activation of PTGS2 expression. PMID:22970288

Flaxseed and cardiovascular health.

PubMed

Prasad, Kailash

2009-11-01

Flaxseed and its components may improve cardiovascular health because of their numerous attributes. Flaxseed contains 35% of its mass as oil, of which 55% is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Flax meal, which is devoid of oil, contains the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). Flaxseed, flaxseed with very low ALA, flaxseed oil, flax lignan complex (FLC), and SDG reduce the development of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis by 46%, 69%, 0%, 73%, and 34%, respectively, in the rabbit model. FLC and SDG slow the progression of atherosclerosis but have no effect in regression of atherosclerosis. Suppression of atherosclerosis by flaxseed is the result of its lignan content and not the result of ALA content. Suppression of atherosclerosis is associated with lowering of serum lipids and antioxidant activity. Effects of flaxseed on serum lipids in experimental animals are variable from no change to slight reduction. Flaxseed oil does not affect serum lipids, except for a slight reduction in serum triglycerides. Lignan in general reduces serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and raises serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. SDG and its metabolites have antioxidant activity. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil do not have antioxidant activity except they suppress oxygen radical production by white blood cells. Flaxseed oil/ALA has variable effects on inflammatory mediators/markers (interleukin [IL]-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloid A). Doses of ALA less than 14 g/d do not affect inflammatory mediators/markers, but 14 g/d or greater reduce inflammatory mediators/markers. Flaxseed oil decreases soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 but has no effect on soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1, soluble E-selectin, and monocyte colony-stimulating factor. Flaxseed has variable effects on IL-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. FLC reduces plasma levels of C-reactive protein but has no effects on IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, or monocyte chemoattractant protein. Flaxseed has a very small hypotensive effect, but flaxseed oil does not lower blood pressure. However, SDG is a very potent hypotensive agent. Flaxseed oil decreases platelet aggregation and increases platelet activating inhibitor-1 and bleeding time. Flaxseed and FLC have no effect on the hemopoietic system. SDG is a potent angiogenic and antiapoptotic agent that may have a role in cardioprotection in ischemic heart disease. In conclusion, flaxseed, FLC, and SDG, but not flaxseed oil, suppress atherosclerosis, and FLC and SDG slow progression of atherosclerosis but have no effect on regression. Flaxseed oil suppresses oxygen radical production by white blood cells, prolongs bleeding time, and in higher doses suppresses serum levels of inflammatory mediators and does not lower serum lipids.

Aero-acoustic design and test of a multiple splitter exhaust noise suppressor for a 0.914m diameter lift fan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stimpert, D. L.

1973-01-01

A lift fan exhaust suppression system to meet future VTOL aircraft noise goals was designed and tested. The test vehicle was a 1.3 pressure ratio, 36 inch (91.44 cm) diameter lift fan with two chord rotor to stator spacing. A two splitter fan exhaust suppression system thirty inches (76.2 cm) long achieved 10 PNdB exhaust suppression in the aft quadrant compared to a design value of 20 PNdB. It was found that a broadband noise floor limited the realizable suppression. An analytical investigation of broadband noise generated by flow over the treatment surfaces provided very good agreement with the measured suppression levels and noise floor sound power levels. A fan thrust decrement of 22% was measured for the fully suppressed configuration of which 11.1% was attributed to the exhaust suppression hardware.

NIK1-mediated translation suppression functions as a plant antiviral immunity mechanism.

PubMed

Zorzatto, Cristiane; Machado, João Paulo B; Lopes, Kênia V G; Nascimento, Kelly J T; Pereira, Welison A; Brustolini, Otávio J B; Reis, Pedro A B; Calil, Iara P; Deguchi, Michihito; Sachetto-Martins, Gilberto; Gouveia, Bianca C; Loriato, Virgílio A P; Silva, Marcos A C; Silva, Fabyano F; Santos, Anésia A; Chory, Joanne; Fontes, Elizabeth P B

2015-04-30

Plants and plant pathogens are subject to continuous co-evolutionary pressure for dominance, and the outcomes of these interactions can substantially impact agriculture and food security. In virus-plant interactions, one of the major mechanisms for plant antiviral immunity relies on RNA silencing, which is often suppressed by co-evolving virus suppressors, thus enhancing viral pathogenicity in susceptible hosts. In addition, plants use the nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) domain-containing resistance proteins, which recognize viral effectors to activate effector-triggered immunity in a defence mechanism similar to that employed in non-viral infections. Unlike most eukaryotic organisms, plants are not known to activate mechanisms of host global translation suppression to fight viruses. Here we demonstrate in Arabidopsis that the constitutive activation of NIK1, a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) identified as a virulence target of the begomovirus nuclear shuttle protein (NSP), leads to global translation suppression and translocation of the downstream component RPL10 to the nucleus, where it interacts with a newly identified MYB-like protein, L10-INTERACTING MYB DOMAIN-CONTAINING PROTEIN (LIMYB), to downregulate translational machinery genes fully. LIMYB overexpression represses ribosomal protein genes at the transcriptional level, resulting in protein synthesis inhibition, decreased viral messenger RNA association with polysome fractions and enhanced tolerance to begomovirus. By contrast, the loss of LIMYB function releases the repression of translation-related genes and increases susceptibility to virus infection. Therefore, LIMYB links immune receptor LRR-RLK activation to global translation suppression as an antiviral immunity strategy in plants.

Suppressive Effect of Immunization with Mouse Fetal Antigens on Growth of Cells Infected with Rauscher Leukemia Virus and on Plasma-Cell Tumors

PubMed Central

Hanna, M. G.; Tennant, R. W.; Coggin, J. H.

1971-01-01

The recovery of spleen cells infected with Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV) and grown in Millipore diffusion chambers, the development of RLV-induced splenomegaly, and the cumulative mortality from a transplanted ascites plasma-cell tumor were all suppressed in young adult BALB/c male mice previously primed at 3-weekly intervals with x-irradiated, syngeneic embryo cells. RLV-induced splenomegaly was also suppressed by adoptive transfer of postpartal spleen cells, as well as spleen cells for animals primed with syngeneic embryo cells. Similar suppressions were not observed in mice primed with neonatal or normal syngeneic cells. Further, injection of fetal cells was not effective in suppressing the immune function of normal spleen cells, as measured by ability to elaborate a primary immunoglobulin M response to heterologous erythrocyte antigen. The results of this study add to the broad spectrum of tumors of experimental animals and man known to contain neoantigens common to fetal cells. PMID:4942913

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

Blanco-Pillado, Jose J.; Frazer, Jonathan; Sousa, Kepa

Power suppression of the cosmic microwave background on the largest observable scales could provide valuable clues about the particle physics underlying inflation. Here we consider the prospect of power suppression in the context of the multifield landscape. Based on the assumption that our observable universe emerges from a tunnelling event and that the relevant features originate purely from inflationary dynamics, we find that the power spectrum not only contains information on single-field dynamics, but also places strong constraints on all scalar fields present in the theory. We find that the simplest single-field models giving rise to power suppression do notmore » generalise to multifield models in a straightforward way, as the resulting superhorizon evolution of the curvature perturbation tends to erase any power suppression present at horizon crossing. On the other hand, multifield effects do present a means of generating power suppression which to our knowledge has so far not been considered. We propose a mechanism to illustrate this, which we dub flume inflation.« less

Adoptively transferred immune T cells eradicate established tumors in spite of cancer-induced immune suppression

PubMed Central

Arina, Ainhoa; Schreiber, Karin; Binder, David C.; Karrison, Theodore; Liu, Rebecca B.; Schreiber, Hans

2014-01-01

Myeloid-derived CD11b+Gr1+ suppressor cells (MDSC) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are considered a major obstacle for effective adoptive T cell therapy. Myeloid cells suppress naive T cell proliferation ex vivo and can prevent the generation of T cell responses in vivo. We find, however, that immune T cells adoptively transferred eradicate well-established tumors in the presence of MDSC and TAM which are strongly immunosuppressive ex vivo. These MDSC and TAM were comparable in levels and immunosuppression among different tumor models. Longitudinal microscopy of tumors in vivo revealed that after T cell transfer tumor vasculature and cancer cells disappeared simultaneously. During T-cell mediated tumor destruction, the tumor stroma contained abundant myeloid cells (mainly TAM) that retained their suppressive properties. Preimmunized but not naive mice resisted immune suppression caused by an unrelated tumor-burden supporting the idea that in vivo, myeloid immunosuppressive cells can suppress naive but not memory T cell responses. PMID:24367029

Active suppression of distractors that match the contents of visual working memory

PubMed Central

Sawaki, Risa; Luck, Steven J.

2011-01-01

The biased competition theory proposes that items matching the contents of visual working memory will automatically have an advantage in the competition for attention. However, evidence for an automatic effect has been mixed, perhaps because the memory-driven attentional bias can be overcome by top-down suppression. To test this hypothesis, the Pd component of the event-related potential waveform was used as a marker of attentional suppression. While observers maintained a color in working memory, task-irrelevant probe arrays were presented that contained an item matching the color being held in memory. We found that the memory-matching probe elicited a Pd component, indicating that it was being actively suppressed. This result suggests that sensory inputs matching the information being held in visual working memory are automatically detected and generate an “attend-to-me” signal, but this signal can be overridden by an active suppression mechanism to prevent the actual capture of attention. PMID:22053147

Vitamin K3 suppressed inflammatory and immune responses in a redox-dependent manner.

PubMed

Checker, Rahul; Sharma, Deepak; Sandur, Santosh K; Khan, Nazir M; Patwardhan, Raghavendra S; Kohli, Vineet; Sainis, Krishna B

2011-08-01

Recent investigations suggest that cellular redox status may play a key role in the regulation of several immune functions. Treatment of lymphocytes with vitamin K3 (menadione) resulted in a significant decrease in cellular GSH/GSSG ratio and concomitant increase in the ROS levels. It also suppressed Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced proliferation and cytokine production in lymphocytes and CD4 + T cells in vitro. Immunosuppressive effects of menadione were abrogated only by thiol containing antioxidants. Mass spectrometric analysis showed that menadione directly interacted with thiol antioxidant GSH. Menadione completely suppressed Con A-induced activation of ERK, JNK and NF-κB in lymphocytes. It also significantly decreased the homeostasis driven proliferation of syngeneic CD4 + T cells. Further, menadione significantly delayed graft-vs-host disease morbidity and mortality in mice. Menadione suppressed phytohemagglutinin-induced cytokine production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results reveal that cellular redox perturbation by menadione is responsible for significant suppression of lymphocyte responses.

A 3D-printed local drug delivery patch for pancreatic cancer growth suppression.

PubMed

Yi, Hee-Gyeong; Choi, Yeong-Jin; Kang, Kyung Shin; Hong, Jung Min; Pati, Ruby Gupta; Park, Moon Nyeo; Shim, In Kyong; Lee, Chan Mi; Kim, Song Cheol; Cho, Dong-Woo

2016-09-28

Since recurrence and metastasis of pancreatic cancer has a worse prognosis, chemotherapy has been typically performed to attack the remained malignant cells after resection. However, it is difficult to achieve the therapeutic concentration at the tumor site with systemic chemotherapy. Numerous local drug delivery systems have been studied to overcome the shortcomings of systemic delivery. However, because most systems involve dissolution of the drug within the carrier, the concentration of the drug is limited to the saturation solubility, and consequently cannot reach the sufficient drug dose. Therefore, we hypothesized that 3D printing of a biodegradable patch incorporated with a high drug concentration would provide a versatile shape to be administered at the exact tumor site as well as an appropriate therapeutic drug concentration with a controlled release. Here, we introduce the 3D-printed patches composed of a blend of poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polycaprolactone, and 5-fluorouracil for delivering the anti-cancer drug in a prolonged controlled manner and therapeutic dose. 3D printing technology can manipulate the geometry of the patch and the drug release kinetics. The patches were flexible, and released the drug over four weeks, and thereby suppressed growth of the subcutaneous pancreatic cancer xenografts in mice with minimized side effects. Our approach reveals that 3D printing of bioabsorbable implants containing anti-cancer drugs could be a powerful method for an effective local delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to treatment of cancers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flutter suppression for the Active Flexible Wing - Control system design and experimental validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waszak, M. R.; Srinathkumar, S.

1992-01-01

The synthesis and experimental validation of a control law for an active flutter suppression system for the Active Flexible Wing wind-tunnel model is presented. The design was accomplished with traditional root locus and Nyquist methods using interactive computer graphics tools and with extensive use of simulation-based analysis. The design approach relied on a fundamental understanding of the flutter mechanism to formulate understanding of the flutter mechanism to formulate a simple control law structure. Experimentally, the flutter suppression controller succeeded in simultaneous suppression of two flutter modes, significantly increasing the flutter dynamic pressure despite errors in the design model. The flutter suppression controller was also successfully operated in combination with a rolling maneuver controller to perform flutter suppression during rapid rolling maneuvers.

Anti-disturbance rapid vibration suppression of the flexible aerial refueling hose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Zikang; Wang, Honglun; Li, Na

2018-05-01

As an extremely dangerous phenomenon in autonomous aerial refueling (AAR), the flexible refueling hose vibration caused by the receiver aircraft's excessive closure speed should be suppressed once it appears. This paper proposed a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) based refueling hose servo take-up system for the vibration suppression of the flexible refueling hose. A rapid back-stepping based anti-disturbance nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode (NFTSM) control scheme with a specially established finite-time convergence NFTSM observer is proposed for the PMSM based hose servo take-up system under uncertainties and disturbances. The unmeasured load torque and other disturbances in the PMSM system are reconstituted by the NFTSM observer and to be compensated during the controller design. Then, with the back-stepping technique, a rapid anti-disturbance NFTSM controller is proposed for the PMSM angular tracking to improve the tracking error convergence speed and tracking precision. The proposed vibration suppression scheme is then applied to PMSM based hose servo take-up system for the refueling hose vibration suppression in AAR. Simulation results show the proposed scheme can suppress the hose vibration rapidly and accurately even the system is exposed to strong uncertainties and probe position disturbances, it is more competitive in tracking accuracy, tracking error convergence speed and robustness.

A feasibility study: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection utilization of infrared technologies for wildland fire suppression and management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, J. D.; Britten, R. A.; Parks, G. S.; Voss, J. M.

1990-01-01

NASA's JPL has completed a feasibility study using infrared technologies for wildland fire suppression and management. The study surveyed user needs, examined available technologies, matched the user needs with technologies, and defined an integrated infrared wildland fire mapping concept system configuration. System component trade-offs were presented for evaluation in the concept system configuration. The economic benefits of using infrared technologies in fire suppression and management were examined. Follow-on concept system configuration development and implementation were proposed.

Mutations in the Atp1p and Atp3p subunits of yeast ATP synthase differentially affect respiration and fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Francis, Brian R; White, Karen H; Thorsness, Peter E

2007-04-01

ATP1-111, a suppressor of the slow-growth phenotype of yme1Delta lacking mitochondrial DNA is due to the substitution of phenylalanine for valine at position 111 of the alpha-subunit of mitochondrial ATP synthase (Atp1p in yeast). The suppressing activity of ATP1-111 requires intact beta (Atp2p) and gamma (Atp3p) subunits of mitochondrial ATP synthase, but not the stator stalk subunits b (Atp4p) and OSCP (Atp5p). ATP1-111 and other similarly suppressing mutations in ATP1 and ATP3 increase the growth rate of wild-type strains lacking mitochondrial DNA. These suppressing mutations decrease the growth rate of yeast containing an intact mitochondrial chromosome on media requiring oxidative phosphorylation, but not when grown on fermentable media. Measurement of chronological aging of yeast in culture reveals that ATP1 and ATP3 suppressor alleles in strains that contain mitochondrial DNA are longer lived than the isogenic wild-type strain. In contrast, the chronological life span of yeast cells lacking mitochondrial DNA and containing these mutations is shorter than that of the isogenic wild-type strain. Spore viability of strains bearing ATP1-111 is reduced compared to wild type, although ATP1-111 enhances the survival of spores that lacked mitochondrial DNA.

"Slow the spread" a national program to contain the gypsy moth

Treesearch

Alexei A. Sharov; Donna Leonard; Andrew M. Liebhold; E. Anderson Roberts; Willard Dickerson; Willard Dickerson

2002-01-01

Invasions by alien species can cause substantial damage to our forest resources. The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) represents one example of this problem, and we present here a new strategy for its management that concentrates on containment rather than suppression of outbreaks. The "Slow the Spread" project is a combined federal and state...

A foundation for initial attack simulation: the Fried and Fried fire containment model

Treesearch

Jeremy S. Fried; Burton D. Fried

2010-01-01

The Fried and Fried containment algorithm, which models the effect of suppression efforts on fire growth, allows simulation of any mathematically representable fire shape, provides for "head" and "tail" attack tactics as well as parallel attack (building fireline parallel to but at some offset distance from the free-burning fire perimeter, alone and...

[The regulation of microecological disorders of the intestines in newborn infants with perinatal pathology using the new probiotic bifidumbacterin-forte].

PubMed

Iakushenko, M N; Tkhagapsoeva, Zh M; Bondarenko, V M

1997-01-01

The study was made on 93 newborn infants with perinatal pathology, among them infants with the perinatal lesion of the central nervous system (52), hemolytic disease of newborns (19) and conjugation jaundice (12). All newborn infants were examined for the presence of intestinal microflora in its dynamics and for the state microbiocenosis, evaluated by the rapid method based on the determination of the caseinolytic activity of fecal supernatants after the correction of normal flora with bifidumbacterin in 55 infants and with bifidumbacterin-forte in 38 infants. The comparative study of these two preparations revealed that the use of probiotics containing Bifidobacterium bifidum was mainly substitutional, promoting the colonization of the intestine by lactobacteria, which later determined the suppression opportunistic microflora. The effectiveness of bifidumbacterin-forte containing live B. bifidum, immobilized on sorbent, proved to be most pronounced.

COX-1 Suppression and Follicle Depletion in the Etiology of Menopause-Associated Ovarian Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

Increased parity and oral contraceptive use are the clearest examples of factors that decrease ovarian cancer risk, both of which limit ovulation. Two...act by suppressing ovulation decrease the risk of ovarian cancer by about 40% after 3 years of use .10,11 Why pregnancy and oral contraceptives ...regular use of progestin-containing oral contraceptives is a protective factor, and the benefi t decreases after time.13 Gonadotropin stimulation in

Cassava Brown Streak Virus (Potyviridae) Encodes a Putative Maf/HAM1 Pyrophosphatase Implicated in Reduction of Mutations and a P1 Proteinase That Suppresses RNA Silencing but Contains No HC-Pro ▿

PubMed Central

Mbanzibwa, Deusdedith R.; Tian, Yanping; Mukasa, Settumba B.; Valkonen, Jari P. T.

2009-01-01

The complete positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome of Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV; genus Ipomovirus; Potyviridae) was found to consist of 9,069 nucleotides and predicted to produce a polyprotein of 2,902 amino acids. It was lacking helper-component proteinase but contained a single P1 serine proteinase that strongly suppressed RNA silencing. Besides the exceptional structure of the 5′-proximal part of the genome, CBSV also contained a Maf/HAM1-like sequence (678 nucleotides, 226 amino acids) recombined between the replicase and coat protein domains in the 3′-proximal part of the genome, which is highly conserved in Potyviridae. HAM1 was flanked by consensus proteolytic cleavage sites for ipomovirus NIaPro cysteine proteinase. Homology of CBSV HAM1 with cellular Maf/HAM1 pyrophosphatases suggests that it may intercept noncanonical nucleoside triphosphates to reduce mutagenesis of viral RNA. PMID:19386713

Do film soundtracks contain nonlinear analogues to influence emotion?

PubMed Central

Blumstein, Daniel T.; Davitian, Richard; Kaye, Peter D.

2010-01-01

A variety of vertebrates produce nonlinear vocalizations when they are under duress. By their very nature, vocalizations containing nonlinearities may sound harsh and are somewhat unpredictable; observations that are consistent with them being particularly evocative to those hearing them. We tested the hypothesis that humans capitalize on this seemingly widespread vertebrate response by creating nonlinear analogues in film soundtracks to evoke particular emotions. We used lists of highly regarded films to generate a set of highly ranked action/adventure, dramatic, horror and war films. We then scored the presence of a variety of nonlinear analogues in these film soundtracks. Dramatic films suppressed noise of all types, contained more abrupt frequency transitions and musical sidebands, and fewer noisy screams than expected. Horror films suppressed abrupt frequency transitions and musical sidebands, but had more non-musical sidebands, and noisy screams than expected. Adventure films had more male screams than expected. Together, our results suggest that film-makers manipulate sounds to create nonlinear analogues in order to manipulate our emotional responses. PMID:20504815

Do film soundtracks contain nonlinear analogues to influence emotion?

PubMed

Blumstein, Daniel T; Davitian, Richard; Kaye, Peter D

2010-12-23

A variety of vertebrates produce nonlinear vocalizations when they are under duress. By their very nature, vocalizations containing nonlinearities may sound harsh and are somewhat unpredictable; observations that are consistent with them being particularly evocative to those hearing them. We tested the hypothesis that humans capitalize on this seemingly widespread vertebrate response by creating nonlinear analogues in film soundtracks to evoke particular emotions. We used lists of highly regarded films to generate a set of highly ranked action/adventure, dramatic, horror and war films. We then scored the presence of a variety of nonlinear analogues in these film soundtracks. Dramatic films suppressed noise of all types, contained more abrupt frequency transitions and musical sidebands, and fewer noisy screams than expected. Horror films suppressed abrupt frequency transitions and musical sidebands, but had more non-musical sidebands, and noisy screams than expected. Adventure films had more male screams than expected. Together, our results suggest that film-makers manipulate sounds to create nonlinear analogues in order to manipulate our emotional responses.

Analysis of a simplified normalized covariance measure based on binary weighting functions for predicting the intelligibility of noise-suppressed speech.

PubMed

Chen, Fei; Loizou, Philipos C

2010-12-01

The normalized covariance measure (NCM) has been shown previously to predict reliably the intelligibility of noise-suppressed speech containing non-linear distortions. This study analyzes a simplified NCM measure that requires only a small number of bands (not necessarily contiguous) and uses simple binary (1 or 0) weighting functions. The rationale behind the use of a small number of bands is to account for the fact that the spectral information contained in contiguous or nearby bands is correlated and redundant. The modified NCM measure was evaluated with speech intelligibility scores obtained by normal-hearing listeners in 72 noisy conditions involving noise-suppressed speech corrupted by four different types of maskers (car, babble, train, and street interferences). High correlation (r = 0.8) was obtained with the modified NCM measure even when only one band was used. Further analysis revealed a masker-specific pattern of correlations when only one band was used, and bands with low correlation signified the corresponding envelopes that have been severely distorted by the noise-suppression algorithm and/or the masker. Correlation improved to r = 0.84 when only two disjoint bands (centered at 325 and 1874 Hz) were used. Even further improvements in correlation (r = 0.85) were obtained when three or four lower-frequency (<700 Hz) bands were selected.

The theory, design, and operation of the suppressed carrier data-aided tracking receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, M. K.; Springett, J. C.

1973-01-01

A viable, efficient, and easily mechanized carrier regenerating receiver for use in suppressed carrier-tracking system is described. The receiver referred to as a data-aided receiver (DAR) incorporates a data-aided loop (DAL) which provides the required carrier reference signal. The DAL employs the principle of decision feedback and as such is more efficient than other forms of suppressed carrier-tracking loops. The analysis, design, and implementation of the DAR are covered in detail. Performance comparisons and mechanization tradeoffs are made, wherever possible, with discrete carrier systems and other suppressed carrier systems presently in use. Experimental performance verification is given throughout in support of the theory presented.

Porous plug phase separator and superfluid film flow suppression system for the soft x-ray spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezoe, Yuichiro; Ishikawa, Kumi; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Ohashi, Takaya; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Murakami, Masahide; Kanao, Kenichi; Yoshida, Seiji; Tsunematsu, Shoji; DiPirro, Michael; Shirron, Peter

2016-07-01

Suppression of super fluid helium flow is critical for the Soft X-ray Spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H (Hitomi). In nominal operation, a small helium gas flow of 30 μg/s must be safely vented and a super fluid film flow must be sufficiently small <2 μg/s. To achieve a life time of the liquid helium, a porous plug phase separator and a film flow suppression system composed of an orifice, a heat exchanger, and knife edge devices are employed. In this paper, design, on-ground testing results and in-orbit performance of the porous plug and the film flow suppression system are described.

Inhibition of oxidation of aqueous emulsions of omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil by phloretin and phloridzin.

PubMed

Vasantha Rupasinghe, H P; Yasmin, Afsana

2010-01-11

The antioxidant properties of two apple dihydrochalcones, namely phloretin and phloridzin, were evaluated and compared with those of alpha-tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The effects were studied in an oil-in-water emulsion system containing methyl linolenate (ML), methyl eicosapentaenoate (MEPA), and methyl docosahexaenoate (MDHA) in which oxidation was initiated by the peroxyl radical generator 2,2-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) and in fish oil where oxidation was initiated thermally. In the emulsion system, phloretin (1 and 5 mM) completely inhibited the oxidation of ML tested as evidenced by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. Under the same conditions, phloridzin was less effective than phloretin, but still more effective than alpha-tocopherol. Both phloretin and phloridzin molecules had a marginal inhibitory effect against oxidation of fish oil induced by heating at 70 degrees C for 3 hours, when compared to BHT. These results indicate that phloretin and phloridzin have the potential to suppress lipid oxidation in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) containing foods.

Antibiosis/antixenosis in tulip tree and quaking aspen leaves against the polyphagous southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania.

PubMed

Manuwoto, S; Scriber, J M; Hsia, M T; Sunarjo, P

1985-08-01

Previous studies have shown leaves of tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera L. (of the Magnoliaceae) and of Populus tremuloides Michx. (of the Salicaceae) to be antixenotic/antibiotic to many Lepidoptera, including one of the most polyphagous of all phytophagous insects, the southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania Cramer (Noctuidae). We investigated the physiological responses to this phytochemical activity on neonate and late instar armyworm larvae in controlled environments with particular emphasis upon the leaf extracts containing condensed tannins and hydrolysable tannins. These tannin-containing extracts of tulip tree leaves and quaking aspen leaves were generally toxic to neonate larvae. For later instars, growth suppression was not due to digestibility-reduction, but instead to suppressed consumption rates and greatly increased metabolic (respiratory) costs as reflected in reduced biomass conversion efficiencies.

A reverse genetics system for enterovirus D68 using human RNA polymerase I.

PubMed

Pan, Minglei; Gao, Shuai; Zhou, Zhenwei; Zhang, Keke; Liu, Sihua; Wang, Zhiyun; Wang, Tao

2018-05-17

Human enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a highly contagious virus, which causes respiratory tract infections. However, no effective vaccines are currently available for controlling EV-D68 infection. Here, we developed a reverse genetics system to recover EV-D68 minireplicons and infectious EV-D68 from transfected plasmids using the RNA polymerase I (Pol I) promoter. The EV-D68 minireplicons contained the luciferase reporter gene, which flanked by the non-coding regions of the EV-D68 RNA. The luciferase signals could be detected in cells after transfection and Pol I promoter-mediated luciferase signal was significantly stronger than that mediated by the T7 promoter. Furthermore, recombinant viruses were generated by transfecting plasmids that contained the genomic RNA segments of EV-D68, under the control of Pol I promoter into 293T cells or RD cells. On plaque morphology and growth kinetics, the rescued virus and parental virus were indistinguishable. In addition, we showed that the G394C mutation disrupts the viral 5'-UTR structure and suppresses the viral cap-independent translation. This reverse genetics system for EV-D68 recovery can greatly facilitate research into EV-D68 biology. Moreover, this system could accelerate the development of EV-D68 vaccines and anti-EV-D68 drugs.

Multirate Flutter Suppression System Design for the Benchmark Active Controls Technology Wing. Part 2; Methodology Application Software Toolbox

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Gregory S.; Berg, Martin C.; Mukhopadhyay, Vivek

2002-01-01

To study the effectiveness of various control system design methodologies, the NASA Langley Research Center initiated the Benchmark Active Controls Project. In this project, the various methodologies were applied to design a flutter suppression system for the Benchmark Active Controls Technology (BACT) Wing. This report describes the user's manual and software toolbox developed at the University of Washington to design a multirate flutter suppression control law for the BACT wing.

Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test Above Deck Water Sound Suppression Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Counter, Douglas D.; Houston, Janice D.

2011-01-01

The Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) program test matrix was designed to determine the acoustic reduction for the Liftoff acoustics (LOA) environment with an above deck water sound suppression system. The scale model test can be used to quantify the effectiveness of the water suppression system as well as optimize the systems necessary for the LOA noise reduction. Several water flow rates were tested to determine which rate provides the greatest acoustic reductions. Preliminary results are presented.

Developing, mechanizing and testing of a digital active flutter suppression system for a modified B-52 wind-tunnel model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matthew, J. R.

1980-01-01

A digital flutter suppression system was developed and mechanized for a significantly modified version of the 1/30-scale B-52E aeroelastic wind tunnel model. A model configuration was identified that produced symmetric and antisymmetric flutter modes that occur at 2873N/sq m (60 psf) dynamic pressure with violent onset. The flutter suppression system, using one trailing edge control surface and the accelerometers on each wing, extended the flutter dynamic pressure of the model beyond the design limit of 4788N/sq m (100 psf). The hardware and software required to implement the flutter suppression system were designed and mechanized using digital computers in a fail-operate configuration. The model equipped with the system was tested in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center and results showed the flutter dynamic pressure of the model was extended beyond 4884N/sq m (102 psf).

Flutter suppression by active control and its benefits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doggett, R. V., Jr.; Townsend, J. C.

1976-01-01

A general discussion of the airplane applications of active flutter suppression systems is presented with focus on supersonic cruise aircraft configurations. Topics addressed include a brief historical review; benefits, risks, and concerns; methods of application; and applicable configurations. Results are presented where the direct operating costs and performance benefits of an arrow wing supersonic cruise vehicle equipped with an active flutter suppression system are compared with corresponding costs and performance of the same baseline airplane where the flutter deficiency was corrected by passive methods (increases in structural stiffness). The design, synthesis, and conceptual mechanization of the active flutter suppression system are discussed. The results show that a substantial weight savings can be accomplished by using the active system. For the same payload and range, airplane direct operating costs are reduced by using the active system. The results also indicate that the weight savings translates into increased range or payload.

Phosphate assimilation in Rhizobium (Sinorhizobium) meliloti: identification of a pit-like gene.

PubMed

Bardin, S D; Voegele, R T; Finan, T M

1998-08-01

Rhizobium meliloti mutants defective in the phoCDET-encoded phosphate transport system form root nodules on alfalfa plants that fail to fix nitrogen (Fix-). We have previously reported that two classes of second-site mutations can suppress the Fix- phenotype of phoCDET mutants to Fix+. Here we show that one of these suppressor loci (sfx1) contains two genes, orfA and pit, which appear to form an operon transcribed in the order orfA-pit. The Pit protein is homologous to various phosphate transporters, and we present evidence that three suppressor mutations arose from a single thymidine deletion in a hepta-thymidine sequence centered 54 nucleotides upstream of the orfA transcription start site. This mutation increased the level of orfA-pit transcription. These data, together with previous biochemical evidence, show that the orfA-pit genes encode a Pi transport system that is expressed in wild-type cells grown with excess Pi but repressed in cells under conditions of Pi limitation. In phoCDET mutant cells, orfA-pit expression is repressed, but this repression is alleviated by the second-site suppressor mutations. Suppression increases orfA-pit expression compensating for the deficiencies in phosphate assimilation and symbiosis of the phoCDET mutants.

Novel redox nanomedicine improves gene expression of polyion complex vector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toh, Kazuko; Yoshitomi, Toru; Ikeda, Yutaka; Nagasaki, Yukio

2011-12-01

Gene therapy has generated worldwide attention as a new medical technology. While non-viral gene vectors are promising candidates as gene carriers, they have several issues such as toxicity and low transfection efficiency. We have hypothesized that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) affects gene expression in polyplex supported gene delivery systems. The effect of ROS on the gene expression of polyplex was evaluated using a nitroxide radical-containing nanoparticle (RNP) as an ROS scavenger. When polyethyleneimine (PEI)/pGL3 or PEI alone was added to the HeLa cells, ROS levels increased significantly. In contrast, when (PEI)/pGL3 or PEI was added with RNP, the ROS levels were suppressed. The luciferase expression was increased by the treatment with RNP in a dose-dependent manner and the cellular uptake of pDNA was also increased. Inflammatory cytokines play an important role in ROS generation in vivo. In particular, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α caused intracellular ROS generation in HeLa cells and decreased gene expression. RNP treatment suppressed ROS production even in the presence of TNF-α and increased gene expression. This anti-inflammatory property of RNP suggests that it may be used as an effective adjuvant for non-viral gene delivery systems.

A Herschel and CARMA synergistic study of turbulent gas in Hickson Compact Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appleton, Philip N.; Alatalo, Katherine A.; Lisenfeld, Ute; Bitsakis, Thodoris; Guillard, Pierre; Charmandaris, Vassilis; Cluver, Michelle; Dopita, Michael A.; Freeland, Emily; Hickson Compact Group Team

2015-01-01

We have performed deep PACS and SPIRE imaging, [CII] and [OI] spectroscopy and CARMA CO J= 1-0 imaging of a dozen Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs). The observations attempt to explore the physical conditions of the gas in a subset of galaxies containing large quantities of warm molecular hydrogen based on previous Spitzer IRS observations. The H2 is too powerful to be heated in PDR regions, and is most likely powered by turbulence and shocks. Such galaxies are found to fall in a region of the IR color-color space believed to show galaxies rapidly transitioning from the blue cloud to the red sequence, and so shocks may play a role in quenching star formation. We explore far-IR line luminosities and surface densities for extended diffuse [CII] emission and compare this to similar quanties in the CO emitting gas, and the far-IR continuum. Preliminary results suggest that high [CII]/FIR and [CII]/CO ratios are common in these systems, and in some cases correlate with peculiar velocities in the CO emitting gas. Star formation suppression may be seen in some of the systems with the highest warm H2/PAH ratios found by Spitzer, implying that turbulence may suppress star formation.

Spiders in Lyot Coronagraphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivaramakrishnan, Anand; Lloyd, James P.

2005-11-01

In principle, suppression of on-axis stellar light by a coronagraph is easier on an unobscured aperture telescope than on one with an obscured aperture. Recent designs such as the apodized pupil Lyot coronagraph, the ``band-limited'' Lyot coronagraph, and several variants of phase-mask coronagraphs work best on unobscured circular aperture telescopes. These designs were developed to enable the discovery and characterization of nearby Jovian or even terrestrial exoplanets. All of today's major space-based and adaptive optics-equipped ground-based telescopes are obscured-aperture systems with a secondary mirror held in place by secondary support ``spider'' vanes. The presence of a secondary obscuration can be dealt with by ingenious coronagraph designs, but the spider vanes themselves cause diffracted light, which can hamper the search for Jovian exoplanets around nearby stars. We look at the problem of suppressing spider vane diffraction in Lyot coronagraphs, including apodized pupil and band-limited designs. We show how spider vane diffraction can be reduced drastically and in fact contained in the final coronagraphic image, within one resolution element of the geometric image of the focal plane mask's occulting spot. This makes adaptive optics coronagraphic searches for exojupiters possible with the next generation of adaptive optics systems being developed for 8-10 m class telescopes such as Gemini and the Very Large Telescopes.

Control of Appetite and Food Preference by NMDA Receptor and Its Co-Agonist d-Serine

PubMed Central

Sasaki, Tsutomu; Matsui, Sho; Kitamura, Tadahiro

2016-01-01

Obesity causes a significant negative impact on health of human beings world-wide. The main reason for weight gain, which eventually leads to obesity, is excessive ingestion of energy above the body’s homeostatic needs. Therefore, the elucidation of detailed mechanisms for appetite control is necessary to prevent and treat obesity. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is a post-synaptic glutamate receptor and is important for excitatory neurotransmission. It is expressed throughout the nervous system, and is important for long-term potentiation. It requires both ligand (glutamate) and co-agonist (d-serine or glycine) for efficient opening of the channel to allow calcium influx. d-serine is contained in fermented foods and marine invertebrates, and brain d-serine level is maintained by synthesis in vivo and supply from food and gut microbiota. Although the NMDA receptor has been reported to take part in the central regulation of appetite, the role of d-serine had not been addressed. We recently reported that exogenous d-serine administration can suppress appetite and alter food preference. In this review, we will discuss how NMDA receptor and its co-agonist d-seine participate in the control of appetite and food preference, and elaborate on how this system could possibly be manipulated to suppress obesity. PMID:27399680

Improved amber and opal suppressor tRNAs for incorporation of unnatural amino acids in vivo. Part 2: Evaluating suppression efficiency

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, Erik A.; Lester, Henry A.; Dougherty, Dennis A.

2007-01-01

The incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins is a valuable tool for addition of biophysical probes, bio-orthogonal functionalities, and photoreactive cross-linking agents, although these approaches often require quantities of protein that are difficult to access with chemically aminoacylated tRNAs. THG73 is an amber suppressor tRNA that has been used extensively, incorporating over 100 residues in 20 proteins. In vitro studies have shown that the Escherichia coli Asn amber suppressor (ENAS) suppresses better than THG73. However, we report here that ENAS suppresses with <26% of the efficiency of THG73 in Xenopus oocytes. We then tested the newly developed Tetrahymena thermophila Gln amber suppressor (TQAS) tRNA library, which contains mutations in the second to fourth positions of the acceptor stem. The acceptor stem mutations have no adverse effect on suppression efficiency and, in fact, can increase the suppression efficiency. Combining mutations causes an averaging of suppression efficiency, and increased suppression efficiency does not correlate with increased ΔG of the acceptor stem. We created a T. thermophila opal suppressor, TQOpS′, which shows ∼50% suppression efficiency relative to THG73. The TQAS tRNA library, composed of functional suppressor tRNAs, has been created and will allow for screening in eukaryotic cells, where rapid analysis of large libraries is not feasible. PMID:17698637

Thought Suppression is Associated with Psychological Distress in Homebound Older Adults

PubMed Central

Petkus, Andrew J.; Gum, Amber; Wetherell, Julie Loebach

2014-01-01

Background Engaging in thought suppression as a coping mechanism has been associated with higher rates of anxiety and depressive disorders in younger adults. Homebound older adults are a population of elders experiencing poor health and high levels of depression and anxiety. It is unclear the extent to which psychological factors, such as thought suppression, are associated with distress, given that their health and disability status may be more salient. The aim of this study was to investigate thought suppression in relation to anxiety and depressive symptoms in homebound older adults. Methods Participants (N = 142) were clients of home-based case management services delivered by aging service agencies in Florida. Participants were administered a research interview that included the White Bear Suppression Inventory, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Diagnosis (SCID), Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), and Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination (3MS). Case managers provided standard assessments containing functional and health status of the participant. Results After controlling for physical health and cognitive functioning, thought suppression was significantly associated with higher likelihood of clinically significant somatic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms on the BSI-18. Thought suppression was also associated with meeting criteria for a SCID depressive or adjustment disorder. Engaging in thought suppression was associated with worse mental health in this sample of homebound older adults even after taking into account physical health, disability, and cognitive functioning. Conclusions These findings suggest the need to develop and test interventions that may address thought suppression as a coping mechanism. PMID:22170756

Reconnection and Associated Flares in Global Relativistic Jets Containing Helical Magnetic Fields with PIC Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishikawa, Ken-Ichi; Hartmann, Dieter; Mizuno, Yosuke; Niemiec, Jacek; Dutan, Ioana; Kobzar, Oleh; Gomez, Jose; Meli, Athina; POHL, Martin

2018-01-01

In the study of relativistic jets one of the key open questions is their interaction with theenvironment on the microscopic level. Here, we study the initial evolution of both electron–proton and electron–positron relativistic jets containing helical magnetic fields, focusing on their interaction with an ambient plasma. We have performed simulations of “global” jets containing helical magnetic fields in order to examine how helical magnetic fields affect kinetic instabilities such as the Weibel instability, the kinetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (kKHI) and the Mushroom instability (MI) using a larger jet radius. In our initial simulation study these kinetic instabilities are suppressed and new types of instabilities can grow. In the electron-proton jet simulation a recollimation-like instability occurs near the center of jet. In the electron-positron jet simulation mixed kinetic instabilities grow and the jet electrons are accelerated. The evolution of electron-ion jets will be investigated with different mass ratios. Simulations using much larger systems are required in order to thoroughly follow the evolution of global jets containing helical magnetic fields. We will investigate mechanisms of flares possibly due to reconnection.

Antimicrobial properties of nest volatiles in red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Elliott, Brad; Jin, Xixuan; Zeng, Ling; Chen, Jian

2015-12-01

The antimicrobial property of volatiles produced by red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, against Beauveria bassiana, a common entomopathogenic fungus, was demonstrated. The germination rate of B. bassiana spores was significantly reduced after they were exposed to volatiles within an artificial ant nest. Since the air that contained the same level of O2 and CO2 as that in artificial fire ant nests did not suppress the germination rate of B. bassiana, the observed reduction of germination rate must be caused by the toxicity of nest volatiles. Nest fumigation may be an important component of the social immune system in S. invicta.

FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS: Optical anisotropy induced in a round trip through single-mode optical waveguides and methods for suppression of this anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelikonov, V. M.; Leonov, V. I.; Novikov, M. A.

1989-09-01

An analysis is made of the characteristics of the transformation of the polarization of light in the course of a round trip in a single-mode fiber waveguide. The Poincaré equivalence theorems are generalized for a round trip through such fibers. An investigation is reported of round-trip anisotropic properties which can be used to compensate for a regular and an irregular anisotropy of a fiber waveguide. A description is given of a compensation system containing a Faraday cell and an experimental check of the theoretical conclusions is reported.

Antimicrobial properties of nest volatiles in red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Elliott, Brad; Jin, Xixuan; Zeng, Ling; Chen, Jian

2015-12-01

The antimicrobial property of volatiles produced by red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, against Beauveria bassiana, a common entomopathogenic fungus, was demonstrated. The germination rate of B. bassiana spores was significantly reduced after they were exposed to volatiles within an artificial ant nest. Since the air that contained the same level of O2 and CO2 as that in artificial fire ant nests did not suppress the germination rate of B. bassiana, the observed reduction of germination rate must be caused by the toxicity of nest volatiles. Nest fumigation may be an important component of the social immune system in S. invicta.

49 CFR 552.12 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Expedited Rulemaking To Establish Dynamic Automatic Suppression System Test Procedures for Federal Motor... subpart, the following definitions apply: (a) Dynamic automatic suppression system (DASS) means a portion of an air bag system that automatically controls whether or not the air bag deploys during a crash by...

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

Effective degradation of primary color direct azo dyes using Fe0 aggregates-activated persulfate process.

PubMed

Liu, Na; Ding, Feng; Weng, Chih-Huang; Hwang, Chi-Chin; Lin, Yao-Tung

2018-01-15

The present study examined the oxidation power of a Fe 0 aggregates/persulfate (PS/Fe 0 ) system for the degradation of the wastewater containing mixed primary direct dyes (i.e., Sirius ® Gelb S-2G, Sirius ® Red F3B, and Sirius ® Turkis GL01). Results indicated that decolorization efficiency was determined by operating parameters of the PS/Fe 0 system and the structural complexity of dye molecules. System efficiency increased with increasing persulfate and Fe 0 dosages. Faster decolorization was observed in experiments conducted at pH < 10. The process obeyed a first-order kinetics. Slow heterogeneous reactions were observed at high initial pH (>10.5) and low PS concentration (<2 × 10 -3  M). Inhibitory effect occurred in systems containing salts Na 2 SO 4 , NaCl, Na 2 CO 3 , and Na 2 HPO 4 at 1 × 10 -2  M. The effect was suppressed when reaction temperature was raised to 55 °C. Heat enhanced not only decolorization efficiency, but also COD removal. Complete decolorization of a mixed dye containing ADMI (the American Dye Manufacture Institute) 15105 was achieved within10 min in the PS/Fe 0 /55 °C system with an initial pH of 6.0 and dosages of 5 × 10 -3  M Na 2 S 2 O 8 and 0.5 g/L Fe 0 . Low molecular weight intermediates including organic acids were identified. Due to a relatively low activation energy (4.68 kcaL/mol), the PS/Fe 0 system exhibited higher efficiency at higher temperature. This study demonstrated that Fe 0 -activated PS is a promising process for the treatment of textile wastewaters containing mixed azo direct dyes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of titanium-based materials as bactericides

DOEpatents

Hobbs, David T; Elvington, Mark C; Wataha, John; Chung, Whasun O; Rutherford, R. Bruce; Chan, Daniel C

2013-10-01

Compositions containing metal ions bound into a titanate are described which have demonstrated an ability to suppress bacterial growth of a number of organisms associated with periodontal disease and caries.

PER, a Circadian Clock Component, Mediates the Suppression of MMP-1 Expression in HaCaT Keratinocytes by cAMP.

PubMed

Yeom, Miji; Lee, HansongI; Shin, Seoungwoo; Park, Deokhoon; Jung, Eunsun

2018-03-23

Skin circadian clock system responds to daily changes, thereby regulating skin functions. Exposure of the skin to UV irradiation induces the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and causes DNA damage. It has been reported both DNA repair and DNA replication are regulated by the circadian clock in mouse skin. However, the molecular link between circadian clock and MMP-1 has little been investigated. We found PERIOD protein, a morning clock component, represses the expression of MMP-1 in human keratinocytes by using a PER-knockdown strategy. Treatment with siPer3 alleviated the suppression of MMP-1 expression induced by forskolin. Results revealed PER3 suppresses the expression of MMP-1 via cAMP signaling pathway. Additionally, we screened for an activator of PER that could repress the expression of MMP-1 using HaCaT cell line containing PER promoter-luciferase reporter gene. Results showed Lespedeza capitate extract (LCE) increased PER promoter activity. LCE inhibited the expression of MMP-1 and its effect of LCE was abolished in knockdown of PER2 or PER3, demonstrating LCE can repress the expression of MMP-1 through PER. Since circadian clock component PER can regulate MMP-1 expression, it might be a new molecular mechanism to develop therapeutics to alleviate skin aging and skin cancer.

Frameshift Suppression in SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE. V. Isolation and Genetic Properties of Nongroup-Specific Suppressors

PubMed Central

Culbertson, Michael R.; Gaber, Richard F.; Cummins, Claudia M.

1982-01-01

Two classes of frameshift suppressors distributed at 22 different loci were identified in previous studies in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These suppressors exhibited allele-specific suppression of +1 G:C insertion mutations in either glycine or proline codons, designated as group II and group III frameshift mutations, respectively. Genes corresponding to representative suppressors of each group have been shown to encode altered glycine or proline tRNAs containing four base anticodons.—This communication reports the existence of a third class of frameshift suppressor that exhibits a wider range in specificity of suppression. The suppressors map at three loci, suf12, suf13, and suf14, which are located on chromosomes IV, XV, and XIV, respectively. The phenotypes of these suppressors suggest that suppression may be mediated by genes other than those encoding the primary structure of glycine or proline tRNAs. PMID:6757053

Effects of seeding rate and poultry litter on weed suppression from a rolled cereal rye cover crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Growing enough cover crop biomass to adequately suppress weeds is one of the primary challenges in reduced-tillage systems that rely on mulch-based weed suppression. We investigated two approaches to increasing cereal rye biomass for improved weed suppression: (1) increasing soil fertility and (2) i...

An efficient modeling method for thermal stratification simulation in a BWR suppression pool

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

Haihua Zhao; Ling Zou; Hongbin Zhang

2012-09-01

The suppression pool in a BWR plant not only is the major heat sink within the containment system, but also provides major emergency cooling water for the reactor core. In several accident scenarios, such as LOCA and extended station blackout, thermal stratification tends to form in the pool after the initial rapid venting stage. Accurately predicting the pool stratification phenomenon is important because it affects the peak containment pressure; and the pool temperature distribution also affects the NPSHa (Available Net Positive Suction Head) and therefore the performance of the pump which draws cooling water back to the core. Current safetymore » analysis codes use 0-D lumped parameter methods to calculate the energy and mass balance in the pool and therefore have large uncertainty in prediction of scenarios in which stratification and mixing are important. While 3-D CFD methods can be used to analyze realistic 3D configurations, these methods normally require very fine grid resolution to resolve thin substructures such as jets and wall boundaries, therefore long simulation time. For mixing in stably stratified large enclosures, the BMIX++ code has been developed to implement a highly efficient analysis method for stratification where the ambient fluid volume is represented by 1-D transient partial differential equations and substructures such as free or wall jets are modeled with 1-D integral models. This allows very large reductions in computational effort compared to 3-D CFD modeling. The POOLEX experiments at Finland, which was designed to study phenomena relevant to Nordic design BWR suppression pool including thermal stratification and mixing, are used for validation. GOTHIC lumped parameter models are used to obtain boundary conditions for BMIX++ code and CFD simulations. Comparison between the BMIX++, GOTHIC, and CFD calculations against the POOLEX experimental data is discussed in detail.« less

Suppressive effects of caraway (Carum carvi) extracts on 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin-dependent gene expression of cytochrome P450 1A1 in the rat H4IIE cells.

PubMed

Naderi-Kalali, B; Allameh, A; Rasaee, M J; Bach, H-J; Behechti, A; Doods, K; Kettrup, A; Schramm, K-W

2005-04-01

Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) is among the cytochrome P450 classes known to convert xenobiotics and endogenous compounds to toxic and/or carcinogenic metabolites. Suppression of CYP1A1 over expression by certain compounds is implicated in prevention of cancer caused by chemical carcinogens. Chemopreventive agents containing high levels of flavonoids and steroids-like compounds are known to suppress CYP1A1. This study was carried out for assessment of the genomic and proteomic effects of caraway (Carum carvi) extracts containing high levels of both flavonoids and steroid-like substances on ethoxy resorufin dealkylation (EROD) activity and CYP1A1 at mRNA levels. Rat hepatoma cells co-treated with a CYP1A1 inducer i.e. TCDD (2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) and different preparations of caraway extracts at concentrations of 0, 0.13, 1.3, and 13 microM in culture medium. After incubation (37 degrees C and 7% CO2 for 20 h), changes in EROD specific activity recorded and compared in cells under different treatments. The results show that caraway seed extract prepared in three different organic solvents suppressed the enzyme activity in hepatoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. The extracts added above 0.13 microM could significantly inhibit EROD activity and higher levels of each extract (1.3 and 13 microM) caused approximately 10-fold suppression in the enzyme activity. Accordingly, data obtained from the RT-PCR (TaqMan) clearly showed the suppressive effects of plant extract on CYP1A1-related mRNA expression. These data clearly show that substances in caraway seeds extractable in organic solvents can potentially reverse the TCDD-dependent induction in cytochrome P450 1A1.

Characterization of the RNA silencing suppression activity of the Ebola virus VP35 protein in plants and mammalian cells.

PubMed

Zhu, Yali; Cherukuri, Nil Celebi; Jackel, Jamie N; Wu, Zetang; Crary, Monica; Buckley, Kenneth J; Bisaro, David M; Parris, Deborah S

2012-03-01

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a lethal hemorrhagic fever for which there is no approved effective treatment or prevention strategy. EBOV VP35 is a virulence factor that blocks innate antiviral host responses, including the induction of and response to alpha/beta interferon. VP35 is also an RNA silencing suppressor (RSS). By inhibiting microRNA-directed silencing, mammalian virus RSSs have the capacity to alter the cellular environment to benefit replication. A reporter gene containing specific microRNA target sequences was used to demonstrate that prior expression of wild-type VP35 was able to block establishment of microRNA silencing in mammalian cells. In addition, wild-type VP35 C-terminal domain (CTD) protein fusions were shown to bind small interfering RNA (siRNA). Analysis of mutant proteins demonstrated that reporter activity in RSS assays did not correlate with their ability to antagonize double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase R (PKR) or bind siRNA. The results suggest that enhanced reporter activity in the presence of VP35 is a composite of nonspecific translational enhancement and silencing suppression. Moreover, most of the specific RSS activity in mammalian cells is RNA binding independent, consistent with VP35's proposed role in sequestering one or more silencing complex proteins. To examine RSS activity in a system without interferon, VP35 was tested in well-characterized plant silencing suppression assays. VP35 was shown to possess potent plant RSS activity, and the activities of mutant proteins correlated strongly, but not exclusively, with RNA binding ability. The results suggest the importance of VP35-protein interactions in blocking silencing in a system (mammalian) that cannot amplify dsRNA.

Prevention and treatment of breast cancer by suppressing aromatase activity and expression.

PubMed

Chen, Shiuan; Zhou, Dujin; Okubo, Tomoharu; Kao, Yeh-Chih; Eng, Elizabeth T; Grube, Baiba; Kwon, Annette; Yang, Chun; Yu, Bin

2002-06-01

Estrogen promotes the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Aromatase is the enzyme that converts androgen to estrogen. In tumors, expression of aromatase is upregulated compared to that of surrounding noncancerous tissue. Tumor aromatase is thought to stimulate breast cancer growth in both an autocrine and a paracrine manner. A treatment strategy for breast cancer is to abolish in situ estrogen formation with aromatase inhibitors. In addition, aromatase suppression in postmenapausal women is being evaluated as a potential chemopreventive modality against breast cancer. One area of aromatase research in this laboratory is the identification of foods and dietary compounds that can suppress aromatase activity. In vitro and in vivo studies have found that grapes and mushrooms contain chemicals that can inhibit aromatase. Therefore, a diet that includes grapes and mushrooms would be considered preventative against breast cancer. Another area of our aromatase research is the elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of aromatase expression in breast cancer tissue. Increased aromatase expression in breast tumors is attributed to changes in the transcriptional control of aromatase expression. Whereas promoter I.4 is the main promoter that controls aromatase expression in noncancerous breast tissue, promoters II and I.3 are the dominant promoters that drive aromatase expression in breast cancer tissue. Our recent gene regulation studies revealed that in cancerous versus normal tissue, several positive regulatory proteins (e.g., nuclear receptors and CREB1) are present at higher levels and several negative regulatory proteins (e.g., snail and slug proteins) are present at lower levels. This may explain why the activity of promoters II and I.3 is upregulated in cancerous tissue. In addition, our in vitro transcription/translation analysis using plasmids containing T7 promoter and the human snail gene as a reporter capped with different untranslated exon Is revealed that exon PII-containing transcripts were translated more effectively than were exon I.3-containing transcripts. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms of aromatase expression between noncancerous and cancerous breast tissue, at both transcriptional and translational levels, may help in the design of a therapy based on suppressing aromatase expression in breast cancer tissue.

The Role of BRCA1 Domains and Motifs in Tumor Suppression

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

contained in this report are those of the author( s ) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision...and Motifs in Tumor Suppression 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-08-1-0509 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) Aneliya...Velkova 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Email: aneliya.velkova@moffitt.org 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S

Targeting Sulfotransferase (SULT) 2B1b as a regulator of Cholesterol Metabolism in Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and...and PCa cell lines and that genetic knock down suppresses LNCaP growth and diminishes androgen receptor ( AR ) activity. It is hypothesized that SULT2B1b...knock down suppresses LNCaP growth and diminishes androgen receptor ( AR ) activity. It is hypothesized that SULT2B1b modulates PCa growth and

The Analysis and Suppression of the spike noise in vibrator record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, H.; Jiang, T.; Xu, X.; Ge, L.; Lin, J.; Yang, Z.

2013-12-01

During the seismic exploration with vibrator, seismic recording systems have often been affected by random spike noise in the background, which leads to strong data distortions as a result of the cross-correlation processing of the vibrator method. Partial or total loss of the desired seismic information is possible if no automatic spike reduction is available in the field prior to correlation of the field record. Generally speaking, original record of vibrator is uncorrelated data, in which the signal is non-wavelet form. In order to obtain the seismic record similar to explosive source, the signal of uncorrelated data needs to use the correlation algorithm to compress into wavelet form. The correlation process results in that the interference of spike in correlated data is not only being suppressed, but also being expanded. So the spike noise suppression of vibrator is indispensable. According to numerical simulation results, the effect of spike in the vibrator record is mainly affected by the amplitude and proportional points in the uncorrelated record. When the spike noise ratio in uncorrelated record reaches 1.5% and the average amplitude exceeds 200, it will make the SNR(signal-to-noise ratio) of the correlated record lower than 0dB, so that it is difficult to separate the signal. While the amplitude and ratio is determined by the intensity of background noise. Therefore, when the noise level is strong, in order to improve SNR of the seismic data, the uncorrelated record of vibrator need to take necessary steps to suppress spike noise. For the sake of reducing the influence of the spike noise, we need to make the detection and suppression of spike noise process for the uncorrelated record. Because vibrator works by inputting sweep signal into the underground long time, ideally, the peak and valley values of each trace have little change. On the basis of the peak and valley values, we can get a reference amplitude value. Then the spike can be detected and suppressed. After this process, it can reduce the effection of spike noise in the uncorrelated record to improve the SNR. At present, because the memory space of vibrator uncorrelated data is always very large, in order to reduce acquisition costs, we usually record correlated data directly. It's reasonable if there is no strong spike sneaking into uncorrelated record. However, due to the fact that the random spike in the background is not avoidable in the acquisition process, and the instantaneous input energy of the vibrator is probably smaller than spike noise, which makes the uncorrelated data contain a certain amount of spike noise, it severely reduces the acquisition quality of vibrator if there is no noise suppression module beforehand. Of course, the suppressing process of spike noise can be carried out in the field acquisition or data processing stage. In the field of vibrator acquisition system, we can use the spike noise suppression before the correlated module, so that it can directly record correlated data without the spike affection. If in the stage of data processing, it is necessary to record uncorrelated data.

Chaos control of the brushless direct current motor using adaptive dynamic surface control based on neural network with the minimum weights.

PubMed

Luo, Shaohua; Wu, Songli; Gao, Ruizhen

2015-07-01

This paper investigates chaos control for the brushless DC motor (BLDCM) system by adaptive dynamic surface approach based on neural network with the minimum weights. The BLDCM system contains parameter perturbation, chaotic behavior, and uncertainty. With the help of radial basis function (RBF) neural network to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions, the adaptive law is established to overcome uncertainty of the control gain. By introducing the RBF neural network and adaptive technology into the dynamic surface control design, a robust chaos control scheme is developed. It is proved that the proposed control approach can guarantee that all signals in the closed-loop system are globally uniformly bounded, and the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of the origin. Simulation results are provided to show that the proposed approach works well in suppressing chaos and parameter perturbation.

Chaos control of the brushless direct current motor using adaptive dynamic surface control based on neural network with the minimum weights

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

Luo, Shaohua; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chongqing Aerospace Polytechnic, Chongqing, 400021; Wu, Songli

2015-07-15

This paper investigates chaos control for the brushless DC motor (BLDCM) system by adaptive dynamic surface approach based on neural network with the minimum weights. The BLDCM system contains parameter perturbation, chaotic behavior, and uncertainty. With the help of radial basis function (RBF) neural network to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions, the adaptive law is established to overcome uncertainty of the control gain. By introducing the RBF neural network and adaptive technology into the dynamic surface control design, a robust chaos control scheme is developed. It is proved that the proposed control approach can guarantee that all signals in themore » closed-loop system are globally uniformly bounded, and the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of the origin. Simulation results are provided to show that the proposed approach works well in suppressing chaos and parameter perturbation.« less

Magnetic Heat Pump Containing Flow Diverters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Frank S.

1995-01-01

Proposed magnetic heat pump contains flow diverters for suppression of undesired flows. If left unchecked, undesired flows mix substantial amounts of partially heated and partially cooled portions of working fluid, effectively causing leakage of heat from heated side to cooled side. By reducing leakage of heat, flow diverters increase energy efficiency of magnetic heat pump, potentially offering efficiency greater than compressor-driven refrigerator.

Thermosolutal convection during dendritic solidification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinrich, J. C.; Nandapurkar, P.; Poirier, D. R.; Felicelli, S.

1989-01-01

This paper presents a mathematical model for directional solidification of a binary alloy including a dendritic region underlying an all-liquid region. It is assumed initially that there exists a nonconvecting state with planar isotherms and isoconcentrates solidifying at a constant velocity. The stability of this system has been analyzed and nonlinear calculations are performed that show the effect of convection in the solidification process when the system is unstable. Results of calculations for various cases defined by the initial temperature gradient at the dendrite tips and varying strength of the gravitational field are presented for systems involving lead-tin alloys. The results show that the systems are stable for a gravitational constant of 0.0001 g(0) and that convection can be suppressed by appropriate choice of the container's size for higher values of the gravitational constant. It is also concluded that for the lead-tin systems considered, convection in the mushy zone is not significant below the upper 20 percent of the dendritic zone, if al all.

Suppression of Electron Thermal Conduction in the Intracluster Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberg-Clark, Gareth; Drake, James; Swisdak, M.; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2017-08-01

The Intracluster Medium (ICM) contains high-temperature dilute plasma in which the quantity beta, defined as the ratio of the thermal pressure of the gas to the local magnetic field pressure, is much larger than unity. In addition, the collisional mean free path of particles in the ICM is typically large compared to the magnetic gyro-radius of individual particles. These conditions allow for the growth of robust microinstabilities that can significantly alter the transport of particles and heat along the local magnetic field line. Here we explore such an instability using driven two-dimensional Particle-In-Cell simulations of a magnetized plasma with a temperature gradient imposed at the boundaries. The system is highly unstable and develops large-amplitude magnetic fluctuations that effectively scatter the orbits of electrons crossing the simulation domain, resulting in a collisionless suppression of thermal conduction across the temperature gradient and magnetic field. The results suggest that the spontaneous development of small-scale plasma turbulence in the ICM may play a pivotal role in determining the thermal conductivity of ICM-like plasmas.

RNA viruses can hijack vertebrate microRNAs to suppress innate immunity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trobaugh, Derek W.; Gardner, Christina L.; Sun, Chengqun; Haddow, Andrew D.; Wang, Eryu; Chapnik, Elik; Mildner, Alexander; Weaver, Scott C.; Ryman, Kate D.; Klimstra, William B.

2014-02-01

Currently, there is little evidence for a notable role of the vertebrate microRNA (miRNA) system in the pathogenesis of RNA viruses. This is primarily attributed to the ease with which these viruses mutate to disrupt recognition and growth suppression by host miRNAs. Here we report that the haematopoietic-cell-specific miRNA miR-142-3p potently restricts the replication of the mosquito-borne North American eastern equine encephalitis virus in myeloid-lineage cells by binding to sites in the 3' non-translated region of its RNA genome. However, by limiting myeloid cell tropism and consequent innate immunity induction, this restriction directly promotes neurologic disease manifestations characteristic of eastern equine encephalitis virus infection in humans. Furthermore, the region containing the miR-142-3p binding sites is essential for efficient virus infection of mosquito vectors. We propose that RNA viruses can adapt to use antiviral properties of vertebrate miRNAs to limit replication in particular cell types and that this restriction can lead to exacerbation of disease severity.

Calcium-bismuth electrodes for large-scale energy storage (liquid metal batteries)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hojong; Boysen, Dane A.; Ouchi, Takanari; Sadoway, Donald R.

2013-11-01

Calcium is an attractive electrode material for use in grid-scale electrochemical energy storage due to its low electronegativity, earth abundance, and low cost. The feasibility of combining a liquid Ca-Bi positive electrode with a molten salt electrolyte for use in liquid metal batteries at 500-700 °C was investigated. Exhibiting excellent reversibility up to current densities of 200 mA cm-2, the calcium-bismuth liquid alloy system is a promising positive electrode candidate for liquid metal batteries. The measurement of low self-discharge current suggests that the solubility of calcium metal in molten salt electrolytes can be sufficiently suppressed to yield high coulombic efficiencies >98%. The mechanisms giving rise to Ca-Bi electrode overpotentials were investigated in terms of associated charge transfer and mass transport resistances. The formation of low density Ca11Bi10 intermetallics at the electrode-electrolyte interface limited the calcium deposition rate capability of the electrodes; however, the co-deposition of barium into bismuth from barium-containing molten salts suppressed Ca-Bi intermetallic formation thereby improving the discharge capacity.

JMJD3 inhibition protects against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy by suppressing β-MHC expression.

PubMed

Guo, Zhen; Lu, Jing; Li, Jingyan; Wang, Panxia; Li, Zhenzhen; Zhong, Yao; Guo, Kaiteng; Wang, Junjian; Ye, Jiantao; Liu, Peiqing

2018-05-10

Jumonji domain-containing protein D3 (JMJD3), a histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27) demethylase, has been extensively studied for their participation in development, cellular physiology and a variety of diseases. However, its potential roles in cardiovascular system remain unknown. In this study, we found that JMJD3 played a pivotal role in the process of cardiac hypertrophy. JMJD3 expression was elevated by isoproterenol (ISO) stimuli both in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of wild-type JMJD3, but not the demethylase-defective mutant, promoted cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, as implied by increased cardiomyocyte surface area and the expression of hypertrophy marker genes. In contrary, JMJD3 silencing or its inhibitor GSK-J4 suppressed ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Mechanistically, JMJD3 was recruited to demethylate H3K27me3 at the promoter of β-MHC to promote its expression and cardiac hypertrophy. Thus, our results reveal that JMJD3 may be a key epigenetic regulator of β-MHC expression in cardiomyocytes and a potential therapeutic target for cardiac hypertrophy. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Allotype suppression in an adoptive transfer system in adult mice: the specificity and feedback effects of a monoclonal IgG3 anti-(Igh-1b) allotype antibody.

PubMed Central

Curling, E M; Dresser, D W

1984-01-01

Using an adoptive transfer system in mice, an allotype-specific suppression has been induced by a monoclonal IgG3 anti-Igh-1b (Hyb 5.7) reagent. Suppression was specific for IgG2a (Igh-1b) and led to a compensatory increase of the Igh-1a response in irradiated mice reconstituted with allotype heterozygous (Igha/b) spleen cells. Suppression, which was not antigen-specific, lasted for at least 1 month after anti-allotype treatment. PMID:6365744

Sulfur compounds in therapy: Radiation-protective agents, amphetamines, and mucopolysaccharide sulfation

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

Foye, W.O.

1992-09-01

Sulfur-containing compounds have been used in the search for whole-body radiation-protective compounds, in the design of amphetamine derivatives that retain appetite-suppressive effects but lack most behavioral effects characteristic of amphetamines, and in the search for the cause of kidney stone formation in recurrently stoneforming patients. Organic synthetic procedures were used to prepare radiation-protective compounds having a variety of sulfur-containing functional groups, and to prepare amphetamine derivatives having electron-attracting sulfur functions. In the case of the kidney stone causation research, isolation of urinary mucopolysaccharides (MPS) from recurrently stoneforming patients was carried out and the extent of sulfation of the MPS wasmore » determined by electrophoresis. Whole-body radiation-protective agents with a high degree of protection against lethal doses of gamma-radiation in mice were found in a series of quinolinium and pyridinium bis(methylthio) and methylthio amino derivatives. Mechanism studies showed that the copper complexes of these agents mimicked the beneficial action of superoxide dismutase. Electron-attracting sulfur-containing functions on amphetamine nitrogen, as well as 4'-amino nitrogen provided amphetamine derivatives with good appetite-suppressant effects and few or no adverse behavioral effects. Higher than normal levels of sulfation of the urinary MPS of stone formers suggested a cause for recurrent kidney stone formation. A sulfation inhibitor was found to prevent recurrence of stone formation and inhibit growth of existing stones. The inclusion of various sulfur-containing functions in organic molecules yielded compounds having whole-body radiation protection from lethal doses of gamma-radiation in animals. The presence of electron-attracting sulfur functions in amphetamine gave derivatives that retained appetite-suppressant effects and eliminated most adverse behavioral effects.« less

Allotype suppression induced in the adoptive transfer system: the variables of the system and an apparent absence of a role for T cells.

PubMed

Lee, S K; Dresser, D W

1981-04-01

A study has been made of the variables concerned in allotype suppression of adult spleen cells in the adoptive transfer system. These are; SRBC (antigen) dose; the dose and timing of injection of anti-allotype serum IgG; the number of spleen cells transferred and whether these cells were taken from primed or unprimed donors. Adoptively transferred primed cells are considerably less susceptible to suppression by concomitantly injected anti-allotype serum IgG than are unprimed spleen cells. Injection of anti-allotype serum during the period after adoptive transfer, has shown that primed cells loose their susceptibility sooner (2 days) than the unprimed cells (4 days). Allotype heterozygous CBA spleen cells are less susceptible heterozygous CBA spleen cells are less susceptible to allotype suppression than either allotypically homozygous or heterozygous non-H-2k cells (H-2b,d, or s). Allotype suppression of the TI IgG response to DNP-Ficoll was measured 7 days after adoptive transfer of allotype-homozygous cells from both normal and nude CBA mice (unprimed). The results indicate that T cells do not play a role in the initiation of short-term allotype suppression in the adoptive transfer system.

Inducing amnesia through systemic suppression

PubMed Central

Hulbert, Justin C.; Henson, Richard N.; Anderson, Michael C.

2016-01-01

Hippocampal damage profoundly disrupts the ability to store new memories of life events. Amnesic windows might also occur in healthy people due to disturbed hippocampal function arising during mental processes that systemically reduce hippocampal activity. Intentionally suppressing memory retrieval (retrieval stopping) reduces hippocampal activity via control mechanisms mediated by the lateral prefrontal cortex. Here we show that when people suppress retrieval given a reminder of an unwanted memory, they are considerably more likely to forget unrelated experiences from periods surrounding suppression. This amnesic shadow follows a dose-response function, becomes more pronounced after practice suppressing retrieval, exhibits characteristics indicating disturbed hippocampal function, and is predicted by reduced hippocampal activity. These findings indicate that stopping retrieval engages a suppression mechanism that broadly compromises hippocampal processes and that hippocampal stabilization processes can be interrupted strategically. Cognitively triggered amnesia constitutes an unrecognized forgetting process that may account for otherwise unexplained memory lapses following trauma. PMID:26977589

Telomeric repeat-containing RNA/G-quadruplex-forming sequences cause genome-wide alteration of gene expression in human cancer cells in vivo.

PubMed

Hirashima, Kyotaro; Seimiya, Hiroyuki

2015-02-27

Telomere erosion causes cell mortality, suggesting that longer telomeres enable more cell divisions. In telomerase-positive human cancer cells, however, telomeres are often kept shorter than those of surrounding normal tissues. Recently, we showed that cancer cell telomere elongation represses innate immune genes and promotes their differentiation in vivo. This implies that short telomeres contribute to cancer malignancy, but it is unclear how such genetic repression is caused by elongated telomeres. Here, we report that telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) induces a genome-wide alteration of gene expression in telomere-elongated cancer cells. Using three different cell lines, we found that telomere elongation up-regulates TERRA signal and down-regulates innate immune genes such as STAT1, ISG15 and OAS3 in vivo. Ectopic TERRA oligonucleotides repressed these genes even in cells with short telomeres under three-dimensional culture conditions. This appeared to occur from the action of G-quadruplexes (G4) in TERRA, because control oligonucleotides had no effect and a nontelomeric G4-forming oligonucleotide phenocopied the TERRA oligonucleotide. Telomere elongation and G4-forming oligonucleotides showed similar gene expression signatures. Most of the commonly suppressed genes were involved in the innate immune system and were up-regulated in various cancers. We propose that TERRA G4 counteracts cancer malignancy by suppressing innate immune genes. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Silk flame retardant finish by ternary silica sol containing boron and nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang-hua; Chen, Guo-qiang; Xing, Tie-ling

2017-11-01

A ternary flame retardant sol system containing Si, B and N was prepared via sol gel method using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as a precursor, boric acid (H3BO3) and urea (CO(NH2)2) as flame retardant additives and then applied to silk fabric flame retardant finish. The FT-IR and SEM results showed that the nitrogen-boron-silica ternary sol was successfully prepared and entrapped onto the surface of silk fibers. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) test indicated that the silk fabric treated with 24% boric acid and 6% urea (relative to the TEOS) doped ternary silica sol system performed excellent flame retardancy with the LOI value of 34.6%. Furthermore, in order to endow silk fabric with durable flame retardancy, the silk fabric was pretreated with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) before the ternary sol system treatment. The BTCA pretreat ment applied to silk could effectively promote the washing durability of the ternary sol, and the LOI value of the treated sample after 10 times washing could still maintain at 30.8% compared with that of 31.0% before washing. Thermo gravimetric (TG), micro calorimeter combustion (MCC) and smoke density test results demonstrated that the thermal stability, heat release and smoke suppression of the nitrogen-boron-silica ternary system decreased somewhat compared with the boron-silica binary flame retardant system.

Crop characteristics and weed Interactions of diverse Rrecurrent Inbred Lines (RILs) from a weed-suppressive x non-suppressive rice mapping population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

ndica rice genotypes with enhanced weed suppression traits have been previously identified as potentially useful in supplementing weed control efforts in drill-seeded systems in the southern USA. A particularly weed-suppressive indica genotype (PI 312777) that was also high tillering and high yield...

Phase noise suppression for coherent optical block transmission systems: a unified framework.

PubMed

Yang, Chuanchuan; Yang, Feng; Wang, Ziyu

2011-08-29

A unified framework for phase noise suppression is proposed in this paper, which could be applied in any coherent optical block transmission systems, including coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM), coherent optical single-carrier frequency-domain equalization block transmission (CO-SCFDE), etc. Based on adaptive modeling of phase noise, unified observation equations for different coherent optical block transmission systems are constructed, which lead to unified phase noise estimation and suppression. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposal is powerful in mitigating laser phase noise.

76 FR 14341 - Special Conditions: Boeing Model 747-8/-8F Airplanes, Interaction of Systems and Structures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-16

... Suppression (OAMS) system to the fly-by- wire (FBW) flight control system to reduce, but not eliminate, the... control flutter modes but do not completely suppress them. The use of the OAMS system is a novel and... characteristic and provides the necessary standards that permit the use of such active flutter control systems...

Discordant CSF/plasma HIV-1 RNA in individuals on virologically suppressive antiretroviral therapy in Western India.

PubMed

Dravid, Ameet N; Natrajan, Kartik; Kulkarni, Milind M; Saraf, Chinmay K; Mahajan, Uma S; Kore, Sachin D; Rathod, Niranjan M; Mahajan, Umakant S; Wadia, Rustom S

2018-02-01

Aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/Plasma HIV-1 RNA discordance in virologically suppressed individuals presenting with incident neurologic symptoms.In this retrospective cohort study conducted between March 1, 2009, and March 1, 2017, HIV-1 infected adults exposed to atleast 12 months of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and having plasma viral load (VL) <1000 copies/mL (virologically suppressed) were included. Among these, individuals presenting with neurologic symptoms during follow-up were assessed for CSF/Plasma HIV-1 RNA discordance by measuring HIV-1 RNA in collected plasma and CSF samples. CSF/plasma HIV-1 RNA discordance was defined as either detectable CSF HIV-1 RNA (VL > 20 copies/mL) with an undetectable plasma RNA (complete viral suppression, VL ≤20 copies/mL) or CSF HIV-1 RNA ≥ 0.5 log10 higher than plasma RNA when plasma VL was between 20 and 1000 copies/mL (low-level viremia, LLV).Out of 1584 virologically suppressed patients, 71 (4.4%) presented with incident neurologic symptoms. Twenty out of 71 (28.2%) patients were diagnosed with CSF/Plasma HIV-1 discordance. Median plasma and CSF VL in patients with discordance was 120 [interquartile range (IQR): <20 to 332.5] and 4250 (IQR: 2550.0- 9615.0) copies/mL, respectively. All 9 individuals in which CSF HIV-1 genotypic resistance testing was done showed mutations that would compromise efficacy of prescribed ART regimen. Prevalence of CSF/plasma HIV-1 RNA discordance was higher among neurologically symptomatic patients with plasma LLV as compared with those with complete viral suppression (70% vs 11.8%, P < .001). The risk of discordance was also greater in patients who received protease inhibitor (PI) containing ART (P < .001) and those on ART regimens with central nervous system (CNS) penetration effectiveness (CPE) value <6 (P = .006).CSF/plasma HIV-1 RNA discordance indicates replication of HIV-1 that has adapted to the CNS or has developed antiretroviral drug resistance. Larger studies should be performed to study incidence of discordance in India. This will help in managing patients presenting with neurologic symptoms on suppressive ART with appropriate neuroeffective therapy.

Inhibin removes the inhibitory effects of activin on steroid enzyme expression and androgen production by normal ovarian thecal cells

PubMed Central

Young, J M; McNeilly, A S

2012-01-01

Activin and inhibin are important local modulators of theca cell steroidogenesis in the ovary. Using a serum-free primary theca cell culture system, this study investigated the effects of inhibin on theca cell androgen production and expression of steroidogenic enzymes. Androstenedione secretion from theca cells cultured in media containing activin, inhibin and follistatin was assessed by RIA over 144 h. Activin (1–100 ng/ml) suppressed androstenedione production. Inhibin (1–100 ng/ml) blocked the suppressive effects of added activin, but increased androstenedione production when added alone, suggesting it was blocking endogenous activin produced by theca cells. Addition of SB-431542 (activin receptor inhibitor) and follistatin (500 ng/ml) increased androstenedione production, supporting this concept. Infection of theca cells with adenoviruses expressing inhibitory Smad6 or 7 increased androstenedione secretion, confirming that the suppressive effects of activin required activation of the Smad2/3 pathway. Activin decreased the expression levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR), whereas STAR expression was increased by inhibin and SB-431542, alone and in combination. CYP11A was unaffected. The expression of CYP17 encoding 17α-hydroxylase was unaffected by activin but increased by inhibin and SB-431542, and when added in combination the effect was further enhanced. The expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) was significantly decreased by activin, while inhibin alone and in combination with SB-431542 both potently increased the expression of 3β-HSD. In conclusion, activin suppressed theca cell androstenedione production by decreasing the expression of STAR and 3β-HSD. Inhibin and other blockers of activin action reversed this effect, supporting the concept that endogenous thecal activin modulates androgen production in theca cells. PMID:22082494

Isoprene in poplar emissions: effects on new particle formation and OH concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiendler-Scharr, A.; Andres, S.; Bachner, M.; Behnke, K.; Broch, S.; Hofzumahaus, A.; Holland, F.; Kleist, E.; Mentel, T. F.; Rubach, F.; Springer, M.; Steitz, B.; Tillmann, R.; Wahner, A.; Schnitzler, J.-P.; Wildt, J.

2012-01-01

Stress-induced volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from transgenic Grey poplar modified in isoprene emission potential were used for the investigation of photochemical secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. In poplar, acute ozone stress induces the emission of a wide array of VOCs dominated by sesquiterpenes and aromatic VOCs. Constitutive light-dependent emission of isoprene ranged between 66 nmol m-2 s-1 in non-transgenic controls (wild type WT) and nearly zero (<0.5 nmol m-2 s-1) in isoprene emission-repressed plants (line RA22), respectively. Nucleation rates of up to 3600 cm-3 s-1 were observed in our experiments. In the presence of isoprene new particle formation was suppressed compared to non-isoprene containing VOC mixtures. Compared to isoprene/monoterpene systems emitted from other plants the suppression of nucleation by isoprene was less effective for the VOC mixture emitted from stressed poplar. This is explained by the observed high efficiency of new particle formation for emissions from stressed poplar. Direct measurements of OH in the reaction chamber revealed that the steady state concentration of OH is lower in the presence of isoprene than in the absence of isoprene, supporting the hypothesis that isoprenes' suppressing effect on nucleation is related to radical chemistry. In order to test whether isoprene contributes to SOA mass formation, fully deuterated isoprene (C5D8) was added to the stress-induced emission profile of an isoprene free poplar mutant. Mass spectral analysis showed that, despite the isoprene-induced suppression of particle formation, fractions of deuterated isoprene were incorporated into the SOA. A fractional mass yield of 2.3% of isoprene was observed. Future emission changes due to land use and climate change may therefore affect both gas phase oxidation capacity and new particle number formation.

Isoprene in poplar emissions: effects on new particle formation and OH concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiendler-Scharr, A.; Andres, S.; Bachner, M.; Behnke, K.; Broch, S.; Hofzumahaus, A.; Holland, F.; Kleist, E.; Mentel, T. F.; Rubach, F.; Springer, M.; Steitz, B.; Tillmann, R.; Wahner, A.; Schnitzler, J.-P.; Wildt, J.

2011-08-01

Stress-induced volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from transgenic Grey poplar, modified in isoprene emission potential were used for the investigation of photochemical secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Nucleation rates of up to 3600 cm-3 s-1 were observed in our experiments. In poplar, acute ozone stress induces the emission of a wide array of VOCs dominated by sesquiterpenes and aromatic VOCs. Constitutive light-dependent emission of isoprene ranged between 66 nmol m-2 s-1 in non-transgenic controls (wild type WT) and nearly zero (<0.5 nmol m-2 s-1) in isoprene emission-repressed lines (line RA22), respectively. In the presence of isoprene new particle formation was suppressed compared to non-isoprene containing VOC mixtures. Compared to isoprene/monoterpene systems emitted from other plants the suppression of nucleation by isoprene was less effective for the VOC mixture emitted from stressed poplar. This is explained by the observed high efficiency of new particle formation for emissions from stressed poplar. Direct measurements of OH in the reaction chamber revealed that the steady state concentration of OH is lower in the presence of isoprene than in the absence of isoprene, supporting the hypothesis that isoprenes' suppressing effect on nucleation is related to radical chemistry. In order to test whether isoprene contributes to SOA mass formation, fully deuterated isoprene (C5D8) was added to the stress-induced emission profile of an isoprene free poplar mutant. Mass spectral analysis showed that, despite the isoprene-induced suppression of particle formation, fractions of deuterated isoprene were incorporated into the SOA. A fractional mass yield of 2.3 % of isoprene was observed. Future emission changes due to land use and climate change may therefore affect both gas phase oxidation capacity and new particle number formation.

Polysaccharide isolated from Aloe vera gel suppresses ovalbumin-induced food allergy through inhibition of Th2 immunity in mice.

PubMed

Lee, Dajeong; Kim, Hyuk Soon; Shin, Eunju; Do, Seon-Gil; Lee, Chong-Kil; Kim, Young Mi; Lee, Min Bum; Min, Keun Young; Koo, Jimo; Kim, Su Jeong; Nam, Seung Taek; Kim, Hyun Woo; Park, Young Hwan; Choi, Wahn Soo

2018-05-01

An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system overreacts to harmless substance called allergen that gains access to the body. Food allergy is a hypersensitive immune reaction to food proteins and the number of patients with food allergy has recently increased. Aloe Vera is used for wellness and medicinal purposes. In particular, Aloe vera has been reported to enhance immunity. However, the effect of Aloe vera on food allergy is not yet known. In this study, we investigated the effects of processed Aloe vera gel (PAG) containing low molecular weight Aloe polysaccharide (AP) on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced food allergy in mice. Allergic symptoms, rectal temperature, and diarrhea were measured in OVA-induced food allergy mice. Other allergic parameters were also analyzed by RT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, and other biochemical methods. As the results, PAG suppressed the decrease of body temperature, diarrhea, and allergic symptoms in OVA-induced food allergy mice. PAG also reduced serum concentrations of type 2 helper T cell (Th2) cytokines (Interleukin-(IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13) as well as histamine, mast cell protease-1 (MCP-1), and immunoglobulin (Ig)E. PAG blocked the degranulation of mast cells and infiltration of eosinophils in intestine. Furthermore, PAG suppressed the population of Th2 cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes. PAG also increased the production of IL-10 and population of type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells in mice with food allergy. Taken together, our findings suggest that PAG suppressed Th2 immune responses through, at least partially, stimulating the secretion of IL-10 in food allergy mice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Rodlike Supramolecular Nanoassemblies of Degradable Poly(Aspartic Acid) Derivatives and Hydroxyl-Rich Polycations for Effective Delivery of Versatile Tumor-Suppressive ncRNAs.

PubMed

Song, Hai-Qing; Pan, Wenting; Li, Rui-Quan; Yu, Bingran; Liu, Wenjuan; Yang, Ming; Xu, Fu-Jian

2018-03-01

The delivery of tumor-suppressive noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) including short ncRNAs (i.e., miRNAs) and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) is put forward to treat tumors. In this work, novel rodlike supramolecular nanoassemblies (CNC @CB[8] @ PGEA) of degradable poly(aspartic acid) (PAsp) derivatives-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and hydroxyl-rich polycations (ethanolamine-functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate), PGEA) are proposed via typical cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8])-based host-guest interactions for delivery of different ncRNAs to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Spindly CNCs, one kind of natural polysaccharide nanoparticles, possess good biocompatibility and unique physico-chemical properties. PGEA with abundant hydroxyl groups is one promising gene carrier with low cytotoxicity. PAsp can benefit the disassembly and degradability of nanoassemblies within cells. CNC @ CB[8]@PGEA combines the different unique properties of CNC, PGEA, and PAsp. CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA effectively complexes the expression constructs of miR-101 (plasmid pc3.0-miR-101) and lncRNA MEG3 (plasmid pc3.0-MEG3). CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA produces much better transfection performances than PGEA-containing assembly units. In addition, the codelivery system of CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA/(pc3.0-MEG3+pc3.0-miR-101) nanocomplexes demonstrates better efficacy in suppressing HCC than CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA/pc3.0-MEG3 or CNC @ CB[8] @ PGEA/pc3.0-miR-101 nanocomplexes alone. Such rodlike supramolecular nanoassemblies will provide a promising means to produce efficient delivery vectors of versatile tumor-suppressive nucleic acids. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Xenopus Zic3 controls notochord and organizer development through suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

PubMed

Fujimi, Takahiko J; Hatayama, Minoru; Aruga, Jun

2012-01-15

Zic3 controls neuroectodermal differentiation and left-right patterning in Xenopus laevis embryos. Here we demonstrate that Zic3 can suppress Wnt/β-catenin signaling and control development of the notochord and Spemann's organizer. When we overexpressed Zic3 by injecting its RNA into the dorsal marginal zone of 2-cell-stage embryos, the embryos lost mesodermal dorsal midline structures and showed reduced expression of organizer markers (Siamois and Goosecoid) and a notochord marker (Xnot). Co-injection of Siamois RNA partially rescued the reduction of Xnot expression caused by Zic3 overexpression. Because the expression of Siamois in the organizer region is controlled by Wnt/β-catenin signaling, we subsequently examined the functional interaction between Zic3 and Wnt signaling. Co-injection of Xenopus Zic RNAs and β-catenin RNA with a reporter responsive to the Wnt/β-catenin cascade indicated that Zic1, Zic2, Zic3, Zic4, and Zic5 can all suppress β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activation. In addition, co-injection of Zic3 RNA inhibited the secondary axis formation caused by ventral-side injection of β-catenin RNA in Xenopus embryos. Zic3-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signal suppression required the nuclear localization of Zic3, and involved the reduction of β-catenin nuclear transport and enhancement of β-catenin degradation. Furthermore, Zic3 co-precipitated with Tcf1 (a β-catenin co-factor) and XIC (I-mfa domain containing factor required for dorsoanterior development). The findings in this report produce a novel system for fine-tuning of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Mutation of the TYTLE Motif in the Cytoplasmic Tail of the Sendai Virus Fusion Protein Deeply Affects Viral Assembly and Particle Production

PubMed Central

Essaidi-Laziosi, Manel; Shevtsova, Anastasia; Gerlier, Denis; Roux, Laurent

2013-01-01

Enveloped viruses contain glycoproteins protruding from the viral membrane. These proteins play a crucial role in the extra-cellular steps of the virus life cycle, namely attachment to and entry into cells. Their role during the intracellular late phase of virus multiplication has been less appreciated, overlooked by the documented central organizer role of the matrix M protein. Sendai virus, a member of the Paramyxoviridae family, expresses two trans-membrane proteins on its surface, HN and F. In previous work, we have shown that suppression of F in the context of an infection, results in about 70% reduction of virus particle production, a reduction similar to that observed upon suppression of the matrix M protein. Moreover, a TYTLE motif present in F cytoplasmic tail has been proposed essential for virus particle production. In the present work, using original alternate conditional siRNA suppression systems, we generated a double F gene recombinant Sendai virus expressing wt-F and a nonviable mutated TYTLE/5A F protein (F5A). Suppression of the wild type F gene expression in cells infected with this virus allowed the analysis of F5A properties in the context of the infection. Coupling confocal imaging analysis to biochemical characterization, we found that F5A i) was not expressed at the cell surface but restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum, ii) was still capable of interaction with M and iii) had profound effect on M and HN cellular distribution. On the basis of these data, we propose a model for SeV particle formation based on an M/F complex that would serve as nucleation site for virus particle assembly at the cell surface. PMID:24339863

Role of p53–fibrinolytic system cross-talk in the regulation of quartz-induced lung injury

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

Bhandary, Yashodhar P.; Shetty, Shwetha K.; Marudamuthu, Amarnath S.

2015-03-01

Silica is the major component of airborne dust generated by wind, manufacturing and/or demolition. Chronic occupational inhalation of silica dust containing crystalline quartz is by far the predominant form of silicosis in humans. Silicosis is a progressive lung disease that typically arises after a very long latency and is a major occupational concern with no known effective treatment. The mechanism of silicosis is not clearly understood. However, silicosis is associated with increased cell death, expression of redox enzymes and pro-fibrotic cytokines and chemokines. Since alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) death and disruption of alveolar fibrinolysis is often associated with both acutemore » and chronic lung injuries, we explored whether p53-mediated changes in the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system contributes to silica-induced lung injury. We further sought to determine whether caveolin-1 scaffolding domain peptide (CSP), which inhibits p53 expression, mitigates lung injury associated with exposure to silica. Lung tissues and AECs isolated from wild-type (WT) mice exposed to silica exhibit increased apoptosis, p53 and PAI-1, and suppression of uPA expression. Treatment of WT mice with CSP inhibits PAI-1, restores uPA expression and prevents AEC apoptosis by suppressing p53, which is otherwise induced in mice exposed to silica. The process involves CSP-mediated inhibition of serine-15 phosphorylation of p53 by inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A-C (PP2A-C) interaction with silica-induced caveolin-1 in AECs. These observations suggest that changes in the p53–uPA fibrinolytic system cross-talk contribute to lung injury caused by inhalation of silica dust containing crystalline quartz and is protected by CSP by targeting this pathway. - Highlights: • Chronic exposure to quartz dusts is a major cause of lung injury and silicosis. • The survival of patients with silicosis is bleak due to lack of effective treatments. • This study defines a new role of p53–uPA cross-talk in quartz-induced lung injury. • Targeting the p53–uPA system inhibits ATII cell/lung injury due to quartz exposure.« less

Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.

PubMed

Hedil, Marcio; Sterken, Mark G; de Ronde, Dryas; Lohuis, Dick; Kormelink, Richard

2015-01-01

RNA silencing is a sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism that in plants also acts antiviral. In order to counteract antiviral RNA silencing, viruses have evolved RNA silencing suppressors (RSS). In the case of tospoviruses, the non-structural NSs protein has been identified as the RSS. Although the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) tospovirus NSs protein has been shown to exhibit affinity to long and small dsRNA molecules, its ability to suppress the non-cell autonomous part of RNA silencing has only been studied to a limited extent. Here, the NSs proteins of TSWV, groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) and tomato yellow ring virus (TYRV), representatives for three distinct tospovirus species, have been studied on their ability and strength to suppress local and systemic silencing. A system has been developed to quantify suppression of GFP silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana 16C lines, to allow a comparison of relative RNA silencing suppressor strength. It is shown that NSs of all three tospoviruses are suppressors of local and systemic silencing. Unexpectedly, suppression of systemic RNA silencing by NSsTYRV was just as strong as those by NSsTSWV and NSsGRSV, even though NSsTYRV was expressed in lower amounts. Using the system established, a set of selected NSsTSWV gene constructs mutated in predicted RNA binding domains, as well as NSs from TSWV isolates 160 and 171 (resistance breakers of the Tsw resistance gene), were analyzed for their ability to suppress systemic GFP silencing. The results indicate another mode of RNA silencing suppression by NSs that acts further downstream the biogenesis of siRNAs and their sequestration. The findings are discussed in light of the affinity of NSs for small and long dsRNA, and recent mutant screen of NSsTSWV to map domains required for RSS activity and triggering of Tsw-governed resistance.

Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing

PubMed Central

Hedil, Marcio; Sterken, Mark G.; de Ronde, Dryas; Lohuis, Dick; Kormelink, Richard

2015-01-01

RNA silencing is a sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism that in plants also acts antiviral. In order to counteract antiviral RNA silencing, viruses have evolved RNA silencing suppressors (RSS). In the case of tospoviruses, the non-structural NSs protein has been identified as the RSS. Although the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) tospovirus NSs protein has been shown to exhibit affinity to long and small dsRNA molecules, its ability to suppress the non-cell autonomous part of RNA silencing has only been studied to a limited extent. Here, the NSs proteins of TSWV, groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) and tomato yellow ring virus (TYRV), representatives for three distinct tospovirus species, have been studied on their ability and strength to suppress local and systemic silencing. A system has been developed to quantify suppression of GFP silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana 16C lines, to allow a comparison of relative RNA silencing suppressor strength. It is shown that NSs of all three tospoviruses are suppressors of local and systemic silencing. Unexpectedly, suppression of systemic RNA silencing by NSsTYRV was just as strong as those by NSsTSWV and NSsGRSV, even though NSsTYRV was expressed in lower amounts. Using the system established, a set of selected NSsTSWV gene constructs mutated in predicted RNA binding domains, as well as NSs from TSWV isolates 160 and 171 (resistance breakers of the Tsw resistance gene), were analyzed for their ability to suppress systemic GFP silencing. The results indicate another mode of RNA silencing suppression by NSs that acts further downstream the biogenesis of siRNAs and their sequestration. The findings are discussed in light of the affinity of NSs for small and long dsRNA, and recent mutant screen of NSsTSWV to map domains required for RSS activity and triggering of Tsw-governed resistance. PMID:26275304

Near-cognate suppression of amber, opal and quadruplet codons competes with aminoacyl-tRNAPyl for genetic code expansion

PubMed Central

O’Donoghue, Patrick; Prat, Laure; Heinemann, Ilka U.; Ling, Jiqiang; Odoi, Keturah; Liu, Wenshe R.; Söll, Dieter

2012-01-01

Over 300 amino acids are found in proteins in nature, yet typically only 20 are genetically encoded. Reassigning stop codons and use of quadruplet codons emerged as the main avenues for genetically encoding non-canonical amino acids (NCAAs). Canonical aminoacyl-tRNAs with near-cognate anticodons also read these codons to some extent. This background suppression leads to ‘statistical protein’ that contains some natural amino acid(s) at a site intended for NCAA. We characterize near-cognate suppression of amber, opal and a quadruplet codon in common Escherichia coli laboratory strains and find that the PylRS/tRNAPyl orthogonal pair cannot completely outcompete contamination by natural amino acids. PMID:23036644

MyD88-dependent expansion of an immature GR-1+CD11b+ population induces T cell suppression and Th2 polarization in sepsis

PubMed Central

Delano, Matthew J.; Scumpia, Philip O.; Weinstein, Jason S.; Coco, Dominique; Nagaraj, Srinivas; Kelly-Scumpia, Kindra M.; O'Malley, Kerri A.; Wynn, James L.; Antonenko, Svetlana; Al-Quran, Samer Z.; Swan, Ryan; Chung, Chun-Shiang; Atkinson, Mark A.; Ramphal, Reuben; Gabrilovich, Dmitry I.; Reeves, Wesley H.; Ayala, Alfred; Phillips, Joseph; LaFace, Drake; Heyworth, Paul G.; Clare-Salzler, Michael; Moldawer, Lyle L.

2007-01-01

Polymicrobial sepsis alters the adaptive immune response and induces T cell suppression and Th2 immune polarization. We identify a GR-1+CD11b+ population whose numbers dramatically increase and remain elevated in the spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow during polymicrobial sepsis. Phenotypically, these cells are heterogeneous, immature, predominantly myeloid progenitors that express interleukin 10 and several other cytokines and chemokines. Splenic GR-1+ cells effectively suppress antigen-specific CD8+ T cell interferon (IFN) γ production but only modestly suppress antigen-specific and nonspecific CD4+ T cell proliferation. GR-1+ cell depletion in vivo prevents both the sepsis-induced augmentation of Th2 cell–dependent and depression of Th1 cell–dependent antibody production. Signaling through MyD88, but not Toll-like receptor 4, TIR domain–containing adaptor-inducing IFN-β, or the IFN-α/β receptor, is required for complete GR-1+CD11b+ expansion. GR-1+CD11b+ cells contribute to sepsis-induced T cell suppression and preferential Th2 polarization. PMID:17548519

Multiple Surveys of Students and Survey Fatigue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Stephen R.; Whitcomb, Michael E.; Weitzer, William H.

2004-01-01

This chapter reviews the literature on survey fatigue and summarizes a research project that indicates that administering multiple surveys in one academic year can significantly suppress response rates in later surveys. (Contains 4 tables.)

Fluorinated Electrolytes for Li-S Battery: Suppressing the Self-Discharge with an Electrolyte Containing Fluoroether Solvent

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

Azimi, N.; Xue, Z.; Rago, N. D.

The fluorinated electrolyte containing a fluoroether 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (TTE) was investigated as a new electrolyte for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The low solubility of lithium polysulfides (LiPS) in the fluorinated electrolyte reduced the parasitic reactions with Li anode and mitigated the self-discharge by limiting their diffusion from the cathode to the anode. The use of fluorinated ether as a co-solvent and LiNO3 as an additive in the electrolyte shows synergetic effect in suppressing the self-discharge of Li-S battery due to the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on both sulfur cathode and the lithium anode. The Li-S cell with themore » fluorinated electrolyte showed prolonged shelf life at fully charged state.« less

Ti(IV)-doped γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles possessing unique textural and chemical properties: Enhanced suppression of phase transformation and promising catalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaleel, Abbas; Parvin, Maliha; AlTabaji, Moahmmed; Al-zamly, Ahmed

2018-03-01

Nanostructured Ti(IV)-doped γ-Fe2O3 was prepared via a sol-gel method, and the effect of doping on the phase stability, textural properties, and catalytic activity was investigated. Well-dispersed 10% Ti in γ-Fe2O3 structure was found to significantly suppress its conversion to α-Fe2O3. While undoped product contained both phases, γ- and α-Fe2O3, at 400 °C, its doped counterpart contained γ-Fe2O3 as the sole phase at temperatures as high as 500 °C and partial conversion started only at 550 °C. Doping also resulted in modified textural properties, including smaller particles, larger surface areas, and higher mesoporosity, as well as enhanced reducibility and catalytic activity.

Antigen-Specific Immune Modulation Targets mTORC1 Function To Drive Chemokine Receptor-Mediated T Cell Tolerance.

PubMed

Chen, Weirong; Wan, Xiaoxiao; Ukah, Tobechukwu K; Miller, Mindy M; Barik, Subhasis; Cattin-Roy, Alexis N; Zaghouani, Habib

2016-11-01

To contain autoimmunity, pathogenic T cells must be eliminated or diverted from reaching the target organ. Recently, we defined a novel form of T cell tolerance whereby treatment with Ag downregulates expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 and prevents diabetogenic Th1 cells from reaching the pancreas, leading to suppression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). This report defines the signaling events underlying Ag-induced chemokine receptor-mediated tolerance. Specifically, we show that the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a major target for induction of CXCR3 downregulation and crippling of Th1 cells. Indeed, Ag administration induces upregulation of programmed death-ligand 1 on dendritic cells in a T cell-dependent manner. In return, programmed death-ligand 1 interacts with the constitutively expressed programmed death-1 on the target T cells and stimulates docking of Src homology 2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase 2 phosphatase to the cytoplasmic tail of programmed death-1. Active Src homology 2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase 2 impairs the signaling function of the PI3K/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway, leading to functional defect of mTORC1, downregulation of CXCR3 expression, and suppression of T1D. Thus, mTORC1 component of the metabolic pathway serves as a target for chemokine receptor-mediated T cell tolerance and suppression of T1D. Copyright © 2016 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Effects of a monophasic combined oral contraceptive containing nomegestrol acetate and 17 beta-oestradiol on ovarian function in comparison to a monophasic combined oral contraceptive containing drospirenone and ethinylestradiol.

PubMed

Duijkers, Ingrid J M; Klipping, Christine; Grob, Paul; Korver, Tjeerd

2010-10-01

To compare the effects on ovarian activity of two oral contraceptives containing nomegestrol acetate (NOMAC)/17 beta-oestradiol (E2) or drospirenone (DRSP)/ethinylestradiol (EE). In this open-label, randomised, six-cycle study, 32 subjects using NOMAC/E2 (2.5-1.5 mg; 24/4-day regimen) were compared to 16 subjects using DRSP/EE (3 mg-30 microg; 21/7-day regimen). Measurements included serum oestradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), and ultrasonography of follicular diameter. No ovulations occurred during treatment. Progesterone was fully suppressed, with mean maximum values <2 nmol/l in both groups over all cycles. For NOMAC/E2, mean maximum follicular diameter decreased from 19.3 mm before treatment to between 6.9 and 8.2 mm during treatment, with no subject having a follicular diameter ≥15 mm. For DRSP/EE, a decrease from 19.6 to between 7.4 and 10.8 mm was observed, with two subjects (12.5%) having a maximum follicle diameter ≥15 mm. These findings were consistent with observed FSH reductions; full suppression of LH surges was observed in both groups. Post-treatment return of ovulation in both groups occurred on average 21 days after the last active tablet intake. NOMAC/E2 achieves consistent ovulation inhibition, with suppressive effects on the ovaries at least similar to those of DRSP/EE.

23. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM PIPE, 'GRINNELL VALVE', 'VICTROLIC COUPLING,' AND ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

23. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM PIPE, 'GRINNELL VALVE', 'VICTROLIC COUPLING,' AND ALARM AT THE REAR OF BAY NO. 5. - Barstow-Daggett Airport, Hangar Shed No. 4, 39500 National Trails Highway, Daggett, San Bernardino County, CA

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

Flame Suppression Agent, System and Uses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Clyde F. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Aqueous droplets encapsulated in a flame retardant polymer are useful in suppressing combustion. Upon exposure to a flame, the encapsulated aqueous droplets rupture and vaporize, removing heat and displacing oxygen to retard the combustion process. The polymer encapsulant, through decomposition, may further add free radicals to the combustion atmosphere, thereby further retarding the combustion process. The encapsulated aqueous droplets may be used as a replacement to halon, water mist and dry powder flame suppression systems.

Selection of genetic variants of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in spleens of persistently infected mice. Role in suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte response and viral persistence

PubMed Central

1984-01-01

We studied the mechanism of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) persistence and the suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in BALB/c WEHI mice infected at birth with LCMV Armstrong strain. Using adoptive transfer experiments we found that spleen cells from persistently infected (carrier) mice actively suppressed the expected LCMV-specific CTL response of spleen cells from normal adult mice. The suppression was specific for the CTL response and LCMV - specific antibody responses were not affected. Associated with the specific CTL suppression was the establishment of persistent LCMV infection. The transfer of spleen or lymph node cells containing LCMV - specific CTL resulted in virus clearance and prevented establishment of the carrier state. The suppression of LCMV -specific CTL responses by carrier spleen cells is not mediated by a suppressor cell, but is due to the presence of genetic variants of LCMV in spleens of carrier mice. Such virus variants selectively suppress LCMV-specific CTL responses and cause persistent infections in immunocompetent mice. In striking contrast, wild-type LCMV Armstrong, from which these variants were generated, induces a potent CTL response in immunocompetent mice and the LCMV infection is rapidly cleared. Our results show that LCMV variants that emerge during infection in vivo play a crucial role in the suppression of virus-specific CTL responses and in the maintenance of virus persistence. PMID:6332167

Inhibition of Shp2 suppresses mutant EGFR-induced lung tumors in transgenic mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Schneeberger, Valentina E.; Ren, Yuan; Luetteke, Noreen; Huang, Qingling; Chen, Liwei; Lawrence, Harshani R.; Lawrence, Nicholas J.; Haura, Eric B.; Koomen, John M.; Coppola, Domenico; Wu, Jie

2015-01-01

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutants drive lung tumorigenesis and are targeted for therapy. However, resistance to EGFR inhibitors has been observed, in which the mutant EGFR remains active. Thus, it is important to uncover mediators of EGFR mutant-driven lung tumors to develop new treatment strategies. The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) Shp2 mediates EGF signaling. Nevertheless, it is unclear if Shp2 is activated by oncogenic EGFR mutants in lung carcinoma or if inhibiting the Shp2 PTP activity can suppress EGFR mutant-induced lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we generated transgenic mice containing a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible PTP-defective Shp2 mutant (tetO-Shp2CSDA). Using the rat Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP)-rtTA-directed transgene expression in the type II lung pneumocytes of transgenic mice, we found that the Gab1-Shp2 pathway was activated by EGFRL858R in the lungs of transgenic mice. Consistently, the Gab1-Shp2 pathway was activated in human lung adenocarcinoma cells containing mutant EGFR. Importantly, Shp2CSDA inhibited EGFRL858R-induced lung adenocarcinoma in transgenic animals. Analysis of lung tissues showed that Shp2CSDA suppressed Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation and Gab1-Shp2 association, suggesting that Shp2 modulates a positive feedback loop to regulate its own activity. These results show that inhibition of the Shp2 PTP activity impairs mutant EGFR signaling and suppresses EGFRL858R-driven lung adenocarcinoma. PMID:25730908

System and method for suppressing sublimation using opacified aerogel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakamoto, Jeff S. (Inventor); Snyder, G. Jeffrey (Inventor); Calliat, Thierry (Inventor); Fleurial, Jean-Pierre (Inventor); Jones, Steven M. (Inventor); Palk, Jong-Ah (Inventor)

2008-01-01

The present invention relates to a castable, aerogel-based, ultra-low thermal conductivity opacified insulation to suppress sublimation. More specifically, the present invention relates to an aerogel opacified with various opacifying or reflecting constituents to suppress sublimation and provide thermal insulation in thermoelectric modules. The opacifying constituent can be graded within the aerogel for increased sublimation suppression, and the density of the aerogel can similarly be graded to achieve optimal thermal insulation and sublimation suppression.

Optimal physiological structure of small neurons to guarantee stable information processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, S. Y.; Zhang, Z. Z.; Wei, D. Q.; Luo, X. S.; Tang, W. Y.; Zeng, S. W.; Wang, R. F.

2013-02-01

Spike is the basic element for neuronal information processing and the spontaneous spiking frequency should be less than 1 Hz for stable information processing. If the neuronal membrane area is small, the frequency of neuronal spontaneous spiking caused by ion channel noise may be high. Therefore, it is important to suppress the deleterious spontaneous spiking of the small neurons. We find by simulation of stochastic neurons with Hodgkin-Huxley-type channels that the leakage system is critical and extremely efficient to suppress the spontaneous spiking and guarantee stable information processing of the small neurons. However, within the physiological limit the potassium system cannot do so. The suppression effect of the leakage system is super-exponential, but that of the potassium system is quasi-linear. With the minor physiological cost and the minimal consumption of metabolic energy, a slightly lower reversal potential and a relatively larger conductance of the leakage system give the optimal physiological structure to suppress the deleterious spontaneous spiking and guarantee stable information processing of small neurons, dendrites and axons.

Dynamic interactions of the cortical networks during thought suppression.

PubMed

Aso, Toshihiko; Nishimura, Kazuo; Kiyonaka, Takashi; Aoki, Takaaki; Inagawa, Michiyo; Matsuhashi, Masao; Tobinaga, Yoshikazu; Fukuyama, Hidenao

2016-08-01

Thought suppression has spurred extensive research in clinical and preclinical fields, particularly with regard to the paradoxical aspects of this behavior. However, the involvement of the brain's inhibitory system in the dynamics underlying the continuous effort to suppress thoughts has yet to be clarified. This study aims to provide a unified perspective for the volitional suppression of internal events incorporating the current understanding of the brain's inhibitory system. Twenty healthy volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while they performed thought suppression blocks alternating with visual imagery blocks. The whole dataset was decomposed by group-independent component analysis into 30 components. After discarding noise components, the 20 valid components were subjected to further analysis of their temporal properties including task-relatedness and between-component residual correlation. Combining a long task period and a data-driven approach, we observed a right-side-dominant, lateral frontoparietal network to be strongly suppression related. This network exhibited increased fluctuation during suppression, which is compatible with the well-known difficulty of suppression maintenance. Between-network correlation provided further insight into the coordinated engagement of the executive control and dorsal attention networks, as well as the reciprocal activation of imagery-related components, thus revealing neural substrates associated with the rivalry between intrusive thoughts and the suppression process.

NASA Tech Briefs, October 2007

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Topics covered include; Wirelessly Interrogated Position or Displacement Sensors; Ka-Band Radar Terminal Descent Sensor; Metal/Metal Oxide Differential Electrode pH Sensors; Improved Sensing Coils for SQUIDs; Inductive Linear-Position Sensor/Limit-Sensor Units; Hilbert-Curve Fractal Antenna With Radiation- Pattern Diversity; Single-Camera Panoramic-Imaging Systems; Interface Electronic Circuitry for an Electronic Tongue; Inexpensive Clock for Displaying Planetary or Sidereal Time; Efficient Switching Arrangement for (N + 1)/N Redundancy; Lightweight Reflectarray Antenna for 7.115 and 32 GHz; Opto-Electronic Oscillator Using Suppressed Phase Modulation; Alternative Controller for a Fiber-Optic Switch; Strong, Lightweight, Porous Materials; Nanowicks; Lightweight Thermal Protection System for Atmospheric Entry; Rapid and Quiet Drill; Hydrogen Peroxide Concentrator; MMIC Amplifiers for 90 to 130 GHz; Robot Would Climb Steep Terrain; Measuring Dynamic Transfer Functions of Cavitating Pumps; Advanced Resistive Exercise Device; Rapid Engineering of Three-Dimensional, Multicellular Tissues With Polymeric Scaffolds; Resonant Tunneling Spin Pump; Enhancing Spin Filters by Use of Bulk Inversion Asymmetry; Optical Magnetometer Incorporating Photonic Crystals; WGM-Resonator/Tapered-Waveguide White-Light Sensor Optics; Raman-Suppressing Coupling for Optical Parametric Oscillator; CO2-Reduction Primary Cell for Use on Venus; Cold Atom Source Containing Multiple Magneto- Optical Traps; POD Model Reconstruction for Gray-Box Fault Detection; System for Estimating Horizontal Velocity During Descent; Software Framework for Peer Data-Management Services; Autogen Version 2.0; Tracking-Data-Conversion Tool; NASA Enterprise Visual Analysis; Advanced Reference Counting Pointers for Better Performance; C Namelist Facility; and Efficient Mosaicking of Spitzer Space Telescope Images.

Space Experiment Concepts: Cup-Burner Flame Extinguishment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki

2004-01-01

Space Fire Suppression Processes & Technology. Space experiment concepts of cup-burner flame extinguishment have been conceived to address to the key issues (i.e., organizing questions) in space fire suppression. Cup-burner flame extinguishment experiment can reveal physical and chemical suppression processes and provide agent effectiveness data useful for technology development of space fire suppression systems in various reduced-gravity platforms.

Multirate flutter suppression system design for the Benchmark Active Controls Technology Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Martin C.; Mason, Gregory S.

1994-01-01

To study the effectiveness of various control system design methodologies, the NASA Langley Research Center initiated the Benchmark Active Controls Project. In this project, the various methodologies will be applied to design a flutter suppression system for the Benchmark Active Controls Technology (BACT) Wing (also called the PAPA wing). Eventually, the designs will be implemented in hardware and tested on the BACT wing in a wind tunnel. This report describes a project at the University of Washington to design a multirate flutter suppression system for the BACT wing. The objective of the project was two fold. First, to develop a methodology for designing robust multirate compensators, and second, to demonstrate the methodology by applying it to the design of a multirate flutter suppression system for the BACT wing. The contributions of this project are (1) development of an algorithm for synthesizing robust low order multirate control laws (the algorithm is capable of synthesizing a single compensator which stabilizes both the nominal plant and multiple plant perturbations; (2) development of a multirate design methodology, and supporting software, for modeling, analyzing and synthesizing multirate compensators; and (3) design of a multirate flutter suppression system for NASA's BACT wing which satisfies the specified design criteria. This report describes each of these contributions in detail. Section 2.0 discusses our design methodology. Section 3.0 details the results of our multirate flutter suppression system design for the BACT wing. Finally, Section 4.0 presents our conclusions and suggestions for future research. The body of the report focuses primarily on the results. The associated theoretical background appears in the three technical papers that are included as Attachments 1-3. Attachment 4 is a user's manual for the software that is key to our design methodology.

Control of stain geometry by drop evaporation of surfactant containing dispersions.

PubMed

Erbil, H Yildirim

2015-08-01

Control of stain geometry by drop evaporation of surfactant containing dispersions is an important topic of interest because it plays a crucial role in many applications such as forming templates on solid surfaces, in ink-jet printing, spraying of pesticides, micro/nano material fabrication, thin film coatings, biochemical assays, deposition of DNA/RNA micro-arrays, and manufacture of novel optical and electronic materials. This paper presents a review of the published articles on the diffusive drop evaporation of pure liquids (water), the surfactant stains obtained from evaporating drops that do not contain dispersed particles and deposits obtained from drops containing polymer colloids and carbon based particles such as carbon nanotubes, graphite and fullerenes. Experimental results of specific systems and modeling attempts are discussed. This review also has some special subtopics such as suppression of coffee-rings by surfactant addition and "stick-slip" behavior of evaporating nanosuspension drops. In general, the drop evaporation process of a surfactant/particle/substrate system is very complex since dissolved surfactants adsorb on both the insoluble organic/inorganic micro/nanoparticles in the drop, on the air/solution interface and on the substrate surface in different extends. Meanwhile, surfactant adsorbed particles interact with the substrate giving a specific contact angle, and free surfactants create a solutal Marangoni flow in the drop which controls the location of the particle deposition together with the rate of evaporation. In some cases, the presence of a surfactant monolayer at the air/solution interface alters the rate of evaporation. At present, the magnitude of each effect cannot be predicted adequately in advance and consequently they should be carefully studied for any system in order to control the shape and size of the final deposit. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Similarities between the irrelevant sound effect and the suffix effect.

PubMed

Hanley, J Richard; Bourgaize, Jake

2018-03-29

Although articulatory suppression abolishes the effect of irrelevant sound (ISE) on serial recall when sequences are presented visually, the effect persists with auditory presentation of list items. Two experiments were designed to test the claim that, when articulation is suppressed, the effect of irrelevant sound on the retention of auditory lists resembles a suffix effect. A suffix is a spoken word that immediately follows the final item in a list. Even though participants are told to ignore it, the suffix impairs serial recall of auditory lists. In Experiment 1, the irrelevant sound consisted of instrumental music. The music generated a significant ISE that was abolished by articulatory suppression. It therefore appears that, when articulation is suppressed, irrelevant sound must contain speech for it to have any effect on recall. This is consistent with what is known about the suffix effect. In Experiment 2, the effect of irrelevant sound under articulatory suppression was greater when the irrelevant sound was spoken by the same voice that presented the list items. This outcome is again consistent with the known characteristics of the suffix effect. It therefore appears that, when rehearsal is suppressed, irrelevant sound disrupts the acoustic-perceptual encoding of auditorily presented list items. There is no evidence that the persistence of the ISE under suppression is a result of interference to the representation of list items in a postcategorical phonological store.

Age-related pattern and monocyte-acquired haemozoin associated production of erythropoietin in children with severe malarial anaemia in Ghana.

PubMed

Abugri, James; Tetteh, John Kweku Amissah; Oseni, Lateef Adebayo; Mensah-Brown, Henrietta Esi; Delimini, Rupert Kantunye; Obuobi, David Osei; Akanmori, Bartholomew Dicky

2014-08-20

Malaria continues to be a global health challenge, affecting more than half the world's population and causing approximately 660,000 deaths annually. The majority of malaria cases are caused by Plasmodium falciparum and occur in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the major complications asscociated with malaria is severe anaemia, caused by a cycle of haemoglobin digestion by the parasite. Anaemia due to falciparum malaria in children has multifactorial pathogenesis, which includes suppression of bone marrow activity. Recent studies have shown that haemozoin, which is a by-product of parasite haemoglobin digestion, may play an important role in suppression of haemoglobin production, leading to anaemia. In this study we correlated the levels of erythropoietin (EPO), as an indicator of stimulation of haemoglobin production, to the levels of monocyte acquired haemozoin in children with both severe and uncomplicated malaria. There was a significantly negative correlation between levels of haemozoin-containing monocytes and EPO, which may suggest that haemozoin suppresses erythropoiesis in severe malaria. A multiple linear regression analysis and simple bar was used to investigate associations between various haematological parameters. To examine the levels of erythropoietin in the age categories, the levels of erythropoietin was measured using a commercial Enyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Giemsa-stained blood smears were used to determine percentage pigment containing monocytes. The haemozoin containing monocytes was expressed as a percentage of the total number of monocytes. To obtain the number of haemozoin containing monocytes/μL the percentage of haemozoin containing monocytes was multiplied by the absolute number of monocytes/μL from the automated haematology analyzer. The levels of erythropoietin in younger children (<3 years) was significantly higher than in older children with a similar degree of malaria anaemia (Hb levels) (p < 0.005). Haemozoin-containing monocytes were relatively higher in severe malaria anaemia patients compared to those with uncomplicated malaria (p < 0.001). Age purportedly has a direct effect on background levels of erythropoietin. With corresponding decreased levels of erythropoietin in older children with the same degree of severe malarial anaemia, conceivably, the bone marrows of younger children with acute malaria may be less sensitive to erythropoietin.

Improved NASA-ANOPP Noise Prediction Computer Code for Advanced Subsonic Propulsion Systems. Volume 2; Fan Suppression Model Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kontos, Karen B.; Kraft, Robert E.; Gliebe, Philip R.

1996-01-01

The Aircraft Noise Predication Program (ANOPP) is an industry-wide tool used to predict turbofan engine flyover noise in system noise optimization studies. Its goal is to provide the best currently available methods for source noise prediction. As part of a program to improve the Heidmann fan noise model, models for fan inlet and fan exhaust noise suppression estimation that are based on simple engine and acoustic geometry inputs have been developed. The models can be used to predict sound power level suppression and sound pressure level suppression at a position specified relative to the engine inlet.

Mode locking and island suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations in Rutherford regime

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

Huang, Wenlong; Zhu, Ping, E-mail: pzhu@ustc.edu.cn

We demonstrate in theory that tearing mode locking and magnetic island suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) can correspond to different states of a same dynamic system governed by the torque balance and the nonlinear island evolution in the Rutherford regime. In particular, mode locking corresponds to the exact steady state of this system. A new exact analytic solution has been obtained for such a steady state, which quantifies the dependence of the locked mode island width on RMP amplitude in different plasma regimes. Furthermore, two different branches of mode locking have been revealed with the new analytic solution andmore » the branch with suppressed island width turns out to be unstable in general. On the other hand, the system also admits stable states of island suppression achieved through the RMP modulation of tearing mode rotational frequency. When the RMP amplitude is above a certain threshold, the island suppression is transient until the tearing mode eventually gets locked. When the RMP amplitude is below the mode locking threshold, the island can be suppressed in a steady state on time-average, along with transient oscillations in rotational frequency and island width due to the absence of mode locking.« less

Scales of convective activity in the MJO (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houze, R.

2013-12-01

One of the results of the Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) field experiment (DYNAMO) is the realization that an active period of the MJO is not a continuous stretch of time in which convection and rainfall are occurring. Rather, an active MJO period, as determined by standard statistical treatments of the wind and satellite data such as that of Wheeler and Hendon (2004), has periods of highly suppressed conditions interspersed with bursts or episodes of deep convection and rainfall. At a given location, an MJO cycle is of the order of 30-60 days. The active half of a cycle is then about 2-4 weeks. DYNAMO data show that within this multi-week period rain falls in intermittent bursts of deep convection at intervals of 2-6 days, with each burst lasting 1-2 days. The time between bursts is highly suppressed, such that the convective cloud population consists of shallow non-precipitating cumulus. This intermediate burst timescale is neither the MJO timescale nor the timescale of an individual convective cloud. The modulation on the 2-6 day timescale was related to various types of higher frequency equatorial waves (especially, inertio-gravity waves and easterly waves). The largest individual convective cloud element in the MJO environment is the mesoscale convective system (MCS), which lasts about a half day, much shorter than the time period of the wave-modulated bursts. The intermediate scale bursts reflect an evolution of the cloud population. Numerous individual cloud systems undergo their lifecycles within the envelope of the wave-controlled time period of a few days. At a given site, such as the principal island site of Addu Atoll in DYNAMO, radar observations show that in an intermediate timescale episode the convective ensemble goes through a systematic series of stages characterized by differing proportions of elements of different sizes and intensities. The first stage is a population of shallow non-precipitating cumulus, followed by an ensemble of clouds containing some deeper convective elements. At the time of maximum rain during the episode, the population contains growing mesoscale systems. As the rain episode declines the population contains a substantial number of MCSs with broad stratiform regions. Thus, at least three scales are critical in the active periods of an MJO: the MJO scale, the equatorial wave scale of 2-6 days, and the scale of individual clouds, the largest of which are MCSs. This presentation will document the large-scale environment conditions on each of these scales, the population characteristics of the convection during the wave-modulated bursts, and of the individual cloud systems themselves.

Carnivore fecal chemicals suppress feeding by Alpine goats (Capra hircus).

PubMed

Weldon, P J; Graham, D P; Mears, L P

1993-12-01

The efficacy of carnivore and ungulate fecal chemicals in suppressing the feeding behavior of Alpine goats (Capra hircus) was examined. In the first four experiments, goats were offered food covered with paper strips treated with fecal extracts of the Bengal tiger, Siberian tiger, African lion, and brown bear, respectively; food covered with solvent-treated and untreated (plain) papers served as controls in each experiment. Goats made fewer head entries into, and ate less food from, buckets containing fecal extracts. In the fifth experiment, goats were offered food covered with paper strips treated with fecal extracts of the puma, Dorcas gazelle, white-bearded gnu, and conspecifics; food covered with solvent-treated and plain papers again served as controls. The amounts of food consumed from buckets containing puma, gazelle, gnu, and solvent treatments were statistically indistinguishable, but less food was consumed from them than from buckets containing the goat-scented or plain papers. No significant differences among treatments were detected with respect to head entries. Field experiments are needed on the use of predator-derived chemicals to reduce damage by goats to vegetation.

Theoretical Study of the Vibration Suppression on a Mistuned Bladed Disk Using a Bi-periodic Piezoelectric Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lin; Deng, Pengcheng; Liu, Jiuzhou; Li, Chao

2018-03-01

The paper deals with the vibration suppression of a bladed disk with a piezoelectric network. The piezoelectric network has a different period (so called bi-period) from that of the bladed disk and there is no inductor in it. The system is simulated by an electromechanical lumped parameter model with two DOFs per sector. The research focuses on suppressing the amplitude magnification or reducing the vibration localization of the mistuned bladed disk. The dynamic equations of the system are derived. Both mechanical mistuning and electrical mistuning have been taken into account. The Modified Modal Assurance Criterion (MMAC) is used to evaluate the vibration suppression ability of the bi-periodic piezoelectric network. The Monte Carlo simulation is used to calculate the MMAC of the system with the random mistuning. As a reference, the forced responses of the bladed disk with and without the piezoelectric network are given. The results show that the piezoelectric network would effectively suppress amplitude magnification induced by mistuning. The vibration amplitude is even smaller than that of the tuned system. The robustness analysis shows that the bi-periodic piezoelectric network can provide a reliable assurance for avoiding the forced response amplification of the mistuned bladed disk. The amplified response induced by the mechanical mistuning with standard deviation 0.2 can be effectively suppressed through the bi-periodic piezoelectric network.

Multivalent Porous Silicon Nanoparticles Enhance the Immune Activation Potency of Agonistic CD40 Antibody

PubMed Central

Gu, Luo; Ruff, Laura E.; Qin, Zhengtao; Corr, Maripat P.; Hedrick, Stephen M.; Sailor, Michael J.

2012-01-01

One of the fundamental paradigms in the use of nanoparticles to treat disease is to evade or suppress the immune system in order to minimize systemic side effects and deliver sufficient nanoparticle quantities to the intended tissues. However, the immune system is the body's most important and effective defense against diseases. It protects the host by identifying and eliminating foreign pathogens as well as selfmalignancies. Here we report a nanoparticle engineered to work with the immune system, enhancing the intended activation of antigen presenting cells (APCs). We show that luminescent porous silicon nanoparticles (LPSiNPs), each containing multiple copies of an agonistic antibody (FGK45) to the APC receptor CD40, greatly enhance activation of B cells. The cellular response to the nanoparticle-based stimulators is equivalent to a 30–40 fold larger concentration of free FGK45. The intrinsic near-infrared photoluminescence of LPSiNPs is used to monitor degradation and track the nanoparticles inside APCs. PMID:22689074

Chaotic Dynamics of a Josephson Junction with a Ratchet Potential and Current-Modulating Damping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fei; Li, Wenwu; Xu, Lan

2018-06-01

The chaotic dynamics of a Josephson junction with a ratchet potential and current-modulating damping are studied. Under the first-order approximation, we construct the general solution of the first-order equation whose boundedness condition contains the famous Melnikov chaotic criterion. Based on the general solution, the incomputability and unpredictability of the system's chaotic behavior are discussed. For the case beyond perturbation conditions, the evolution of stroboscopic Poincaré sections shows that the system undergoes a quasi-periodic transition to chaos with an increasing intensity of the rf-current. Through a suitable feedback controlling strategy, the chaos can be effectively suppressed and the intensity of the controller can vary in a large range. It is also found that the current between the two separated superconductors increases monotonously in some specific parameter spaces.

Chaotic Dynamics of a Josephson Junction with a Ratchet Potential and Current-Modulating Damping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fei; Li, Wenwu; Xu, Lan

2018-04-01

The chaotic dynamics of a Josephson junction with a ratchet potential and current-modulating damping are studied. Under the first-order approximation, we construct the general solution of the first-order equation whose boundedness condition contains the famous Melnikov chaotic criterion. Based on the general solution, the incomputability and unpredictability of the system's chaotic behavior are discussed. For the case beyond perturbation conditions, the evolution of stroboscopic Poincaré sections shows that the system undergoes a quasi-periodic transition to chaos with an increasing intensity of the rf-current. Through a suitable feedback controlling strategy, the chaos can be effectively suppressed and the intensity of the controller can vary in a large range. It is also found that the current between the two separated superconductors increases monotonously in some specific parameter spaces.

Hilbert-Huang Spectrum as a new field for the identification of EEG event related de-/synchronization for BCI applications.

PubMed

Panoulas, Konstantinos I; Hadjileontiadis, Leontios J; Panas, Stavros M

2008-01-01

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) usually utilize the suppression of mu-rhythm during actual or imagined motor activity. In order to create a BCI system, a signal processing method is required to extract features upon which the discrimination is based. In this article, the Empirical Mode Decomposition along with the Hilbert-Huang Spectrum (HHS) is found to contain the necessary information to be considered as an input to a discriminator. Also, since the HHS defines amplitude and instantaneous frequency for each sample, it can be used for an online BCI system. Experimental results when the HHS applied to EEG signals from an on-line database (BCI Competition III) show the potentiality of the proposed analysis to capture the imagined motor activity, contributing to a more enhanced BCI performance.

Design Analysis of the Ares 1 Pogo Accumulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, Luke A.; Giel, Thomas V.

2009-01-01

Several accumulator designs and gas charge systems are considered in order to suppress POGO within the Ares I vehicle Upper Stage Liquid Ox ygen System. The thermodynamic and flow analysis completed to evaluat e candidate designs are presented and the results are used to evaluat e the ability of each concept to meet the levied suppression requirements. One annular accumulator design meets all suppression requirement s while also providing manufacturability and operability advantages. Of the two proposed charge systems to provide and maintain gas within the accumulator, a passive level control design meets the charge req uirements and maximizes reliability.

A benign synthesis of alane by the composition-controlled mechanochemical reaction of sodium hydride and aluminum chloride

DOE PAGES

Hlova, Ihor; Goldston, Jennifer F.; Gupta, Shalabh; ...

2017-05-30

Solid-state mechanochemical synthesis of alane (AlH 3) starting from sodium hydride (NaH) and aluminum chloride (AlCl 3) has been achieved at room temperature. The transformation pathway of this solid-state reaction was controlled by a stepwise addition of AlCl 3 to the initial reaction mixture that contained sodium hydride in excess of stoichiometric amount. As in the case of previously investigated LiH–AlCl 3 system, complete selectivity was achieved whereby formation of unwanted elemental aluminum was fully suppressed, and AlH 3 was obtained in quantitative yield. Reaction progress during each step was investigated by means of solid-state NMR and powder X-ray diffraction,more » which revealed that the overall reaction proceeds through a series of intermediate alanates that may be partially chlorinated. The NaH–AlCl 3 system presents some subtle differences compared to LiH–AlCl 3 system particularly with respect to optimal concentrations needed during one of the reaction stages. Based on the results, we postulate that high local concentrations of NaH may stabilize chlorine-containing derivatives and prevent decomposition into elemental aluminum with hydrogen evolution. As a result, complete conversion with quantitative yield of alane was confirmed by both SSNMR and hydrogen desorption analysis.« less

A benign synthesis of alane by the composition-controlled mechanochemical reaction of sodium hydride and aluminum chloride

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

Hlova, Ihor; Goldston, Jennifer F.; Gupta, Shalabh

Solid-state mechanochemical synthesis of alane (AlH 3) starting from sodium hydride (NaH) and aluminum chloride (AlCl 3) has been achieved at room temperature. The transformation pathway of this solid-state reaction was controlled by a stepwise addition of AlCl 3 to the initial reaction mixture that contained sodium hydride in excess of stoichiometric amount. As in the case of previously investigated LiH–AlCl 3 system, complete selectivity was achieved whereby formation of unwanted elemental aluminum was fully suppressed, and AlH 3 was obtained in quantitative yield. Reaction progress during each step was investigated by means of solid-state NMR and powder X-ray diffraction,more » which revealed that the overall reaction proceeds through a series of intermediate alanates that may be partially chlorinated. The NaH–AlCl 3 system presents some subtle differences compared to LiH–AlCl 3 system particularly with respect to optimal concentrations needed during one of the reaction stages. Based on the results, we postulate that high local concentrations of NaH may stabilize chlorine-containing derivatives and prevent decomposition into elemental aluminum with hydrogen evolution. As a result, complete conversion with quantitative yield of alane was confirmed by both SSNMR and hydrogen desorption analysis.« less

Development of a closed-loop system for tremor suppression in patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Xu, F L; Hao, M Z; Xu, S Q; Hu, Z X; Xiao, Q; Lan, N

2016-08-01

More than 70% of patients suffering Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibit resting tremor in their extremities, hampering their ability to perform daily activities. Based on our earlier studies on corticospinal transmission of tremor signals [10,11], we hypothesize that cutaneous afferents evoked by surface stimulation can produce an inhibitory effect on propriospinal neurons (PN), which in turn will suppress tremor signals passing through the PN. This paper presents the development of a closed-loop system for tremor suppression by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) of sensory fibers beneath the skin. The closed-loop system senses EMGs of forearm muscles, and detects rhythmic bursting in the EMG signal. When a tremor is detected by the system, a command signal triggers a stimulator to output a train of bi-phasic, current regulated pulses to a pair of surface electrodes. The stimulation electrode is placed on the dorsal hand skin near the metacarpophalangeal joint of index finger, which is innervated by the superficial radial nerve that projects an inhibitory afferent to PNs of forearm muscles. We tested the closed-loop system in 3 normal subjects to verify the algorithm and in 2 tremor dominated PD subjects for feasibility of tremor detecting and suppression. Preliminary results indicate that the closed-loop system can detect tremor in all subjects, and tremor in PD patients was suppressed significantly by electrical stimulation of cutaneous afferents.

Jew's mellow leaves (Corchorus olitorius) suppress elevation of postprandial blood glucose levels in rats and humans.

PubMed

Innami, Satoshi; Ishida, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Kahoru; Kondo, Mika; Tabata, Kimiko; Koguchi, Takashi; Shimizu, Jun; Furusho, Tadasu

2005-01-01

The study was performed to explore the suppressive effect of Jew's mellow leaves (JML) on postprandial blood glucose levels in rats and humans. A soluble dietary fiber (SDF) was extracted from the freeze-dried JML powder. An elevation of the postprandial blood glucose level in rats given 1% or 2% JML-SDF solution orally together with 20% glucose solution was significantly suppressed as compared with that observed in the control rats given only glucose solution. When seven healthy young male adults ingested 225 mL of JML mixed juice containing 15 g of freeze-dried powder with 75 g of glucose in the fasting state in the morning, the elevation of the postprandial blood glucose level was significantly suppressed as compared with the control subjects. The diffusion rate of glucose and the permeation rate of glucose in the cultured Caco-2 cells were both significantly reduced by the addition of appropriate amounts of JML-SDF when compared to the controls. These results indicate that the effective substance in JML for suppressing blood glucose elevation is a kind of mucilaginous SDF. The mechanism by which this suppression occurs may be largely attributable to the delayed absorption of glucose from the intestinal membrane in the upper digestive tract by viscous SDF.

Study of Compton suppression for use in spent nuclear fuel assay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Sarah

The focus of this study has been to assess Compton suppressed gamma-ray detection systems for the multivariate analysis of spent nuclear fuel. This objective has been achieved using direct measurement of samples of irradiated fuel elements in two geometrical configurations with Compton suppression systems. In order to address the objective to quantify the number of additionally resolvable photopeaks, direct Compton suppressed spectroscopic measurements of spent nuclear fuel in two configurations were performed: as intact fuel elements and as dissolved feed solutions. These measurements directly assessed and quantified the differences in measured gamma-ray spectrum from the application of Compton suppression. Several irradiated fuel elements of varying cooling time from the Penn State Breazeale Reactor spent fuel inventory were measured using three Compton suppression systems that utilized different primary detectors: HPGe, LaBr3, and NaI(Tl). The application of Compton suppression using a LaBr3 primary detector to the measurement of the current core fuel element, which presented the highest count rate, allowed four additional spectral features to be resolved. In comparison, the HPGe-CSS was able to resolve eight additional photopeaks as compared to the standalone HPGe measurement. Measurements with the NaI(Tl) primary detector were unable to resolve any additional peaks, due to its relatively low resolution. Samples of Approved Test Material (ATM) commercial fuel elements were obtained from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The samples had been processed using the beginning stages of the PUREX method and represented the unseparated feed solution from a reprocessing facility. Compton suppressed measurements of the ATM fuel samples were recorded inside the guard detector annulus, to simulate the siphoning of small quantities from the main process stream for long dwell measurement periods. Photopeak losses were observed in the measurements of the dissolved ATM fuel samples because the spectra was recorded from the source in very close proximity to the detector and surrounded by the guard annulus, so the detection probability is very high. Though this configuration is optimal for a Compton suppression system for the measurement of low count rate samples, measurement of high count rate samples in the enclosed arrangement leads to sum peaks in both the suppressed and unsuppressed spectra and losses to photopeak counts in the suppressed spectra. No additional photopeaks were detected using Compton suppression with this geometry. A detector model was constructed that can accurately simulate a Compton suppressed spectral measurement of radiation from spent nuclear fuel using HPGe or LaBr3 detectors. This is the first detector model capable of such an accomplishment. The model uses the Geant4 toolkit coupled with the RadSrc application and it accepts spent fuel composition data in list form. The model has been validated using dissolved ATM fuel samples in the standard, enclosed geometry of the PSU HPGe-CSS. The model showed generally good agreement with both the unsuppressed and suppressed measured fuel sample spectra, however the simulation is more appropriate for the generation of gamma-ray spectra in the beam source configuration. Photopeak losses due to cascade decay emissions in the Compton suppressed spectra were not appropriately managed by the simulation. Compton suppression would be a beneficial addition to NDA process monitoring systems if oriented such that the gamma-ray photons are collimated to impinge the primary detector face as a beam. The analysis has shown that peak losses through accidental coincidences are minimal and the reduction in the Compton continuum allows additional peaks to be resolved. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

The developmental origin of brain tumours: a cellular and molecular framework.

PubMed

Azzarelli, Roberta; Simons, Benjamin D; Philpott, Anna

2018-05-14

The development of the nervous system relies on the coordinated regulation of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. The discovery that brain tumours contain a subpopulation of cells with stem/progenitor characteristics that are capable of sustaining tumour growth has emphasized the importance of understanding the cellular dynamics and the molecular pathways regulating neural stem cell behaviour. By focusing on recent work on glioma and medulloblastoma, we review how lineage tracing contributed to dissecting the embryonic origin of brain tumours and how lineage-specific mechanisms that regulate stem cell behaviour in the embryo may be subverted in cancer to achieve uncontrolled proliferation and suppression of differentiation. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Effect of particle momentum transfer on an oblique-shock-wave/laminar-boundary-layer interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teh, E.-J.; Johansen, C. T.

2016-11-01

Numerical simulations of solid particles seeded into a supersonic flow containing an oblique shock wave reflection were performed. The momentum transfer mechanism between solid and gas phases in the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction was studied by varying the particle size and mass loading. It was discovered that solid particles were capable of significant modulation of the flow field, including suppression of flow separation. The particle size controlled the rate of momentum transfer while the particle mass loading controlled the magnitude of momentum transfer. The seeding of micro- and nano-sized particles upstream of a supersonic/hypersonic air-breathing propulsion system is proposed as a flow control concept.

Antitumor effect of fibrin glue containing temozolomide against malignant glioma

PubMed Central

Anai, Shigeo; Hide, Takuichiro; Takezaki, Tatsuya; Kuroda, Jun-ichiro; Shinojima, Naoki; Makino, Keishi; Nakamura, Hideo; Yano, Shigetoshi; Kuratsu, Jun-ichi

2014-01-01

Temozolomide (TMZ), used to treat glioblastoma and malignant glioma, induces autophagy, apoptosis and senescence in cancer cells. We investigated fibrin glue (FG) as a drug delivery system for the local administration of high-concentration TMZ aimed at preventing glioma recurrence. Our high-power liquid chromatography studies indicated that FG containing TMZ (TMZ-FG) manifested a sustained drug release potential. We prepared a subcutaneous tumor model by injecting groups of mice with three malignant glioma cell lines and examined the antitumor effect of TMZ-FG. We estimated the tumor volume and performed immunostaining and immunoblotting using antibodies to Ki-67, cleaved caspase 3, LC3 and p16. When FG sheets containing TMZ (TMZ-FGS) were inserted beneath the tumors, their growth was significantly suppressed. In mice treated with peroral TMZ plus TMZ-FGS the tumors tended to be smaller than in mice whose tumors were treated with TMZ-FGS or peroral TMZ alone. The TMZ-FGS induced autophagy, apoptosis and senescence in subcutaneous glioma tumor cells. To assess the safety of TMZ-FG for normal brain, we placed it directly on the brain of living mice and stained tissue sections obtained in the acute and chronic phase immunohistochemically. In both phases, TMZ-FG failed to severely damage normal brain tissue. TMZ-FG may represent a safe new drug delivery system with sustained drug release potential to treat malignant glioma. PMID:24673719

Optimal spectral structure for simultaneous Stimulated Brillouin Scattering suppression and coherent property preservation in high power coherent beam combination system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Kai; Xu, Xiaojun; Liu, Zejin

2013-05-01

Based on the spectral manipulation technique, the Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) suppression effect and the coherent beam combination (CBC) effect in multi-tone CBC system are researched theoretically and experimentally. To get satisfactory SBS suppression, the frequency interval of the multi-tone seed laser should be large enough, at least larger than the SBS gain bandwidth. In order to attain excellent CBC effect, the spectra of the multi-tone seed laser need to be matched with the optical path differences among the amplifier chains. Hence, a sufficiently separated matching spectrum is capable at both SBS mitigation and coherent property preservation. By comparing the SBS suppression effect and the CBC effect at various spectra, the optimal spectral structure for simultaneous SBS suppression and excellent CBC effect is found.

Effects of vaccines on the canine immune system.

PubMed Central

Phillips, T R; Jensen, J L; Rubino, M J; Yang, W C; Schultz, R D

1989-01-01

The effects of several commercially available polyvalent canine vaccines on the immune system of the dog were examined. The results demonstrated that the polyvalent vaccines used in this study significantly suppressed the absolute lymphocyte count and that most of the polyvalent vaccines significantly suppressed lymphocyte response to mitogen, but had no effect on natural effector cell activity, neutrophil chemiluminescence, nor antibody response to canine distemper virus. The individual vaccine components from the polyvalent vaccines when inoculated alone did not significantly suppress the lymphocyte response to mitogen. However, when canine distemper virus was combined with canine adenovirus type 1 or canine adenovirus type 2, significant suppression in lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogen occurred. The results indicate that interactions between canine distemper virus and canine adenovirus type 1 or canine adenovirus type 2 are responsible for the polyvalent vaccine induced suppression of lymphocyte responsiveness. PMID:2540897

Pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus in B cell-suppressed mice: the relative roles of cell-mediated and humoral immunity.

PubMed

Kapoor, A K; Nash, A A; Wildy, P

1982-07-01

B cell responses of Balb/c mice were suppressed using sheep anti-mouse IgM serum. At 4 weeks, both B cell-suppressed and normal littermates were infected in the ear pinna with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The B cell-suppressed mice failed to produce neutralizing herpes antibodies in their sera but had a normal cell-mediated immunity (CMI) response as measured by a delayed hypersensitivity skin test. Although the infection was eliminated from the ear in both B cell-suppressed and normal mice by day 10 after infection, there was an indication that B cell-suppressed mice had a more florid primary infection of the peripheral and central nervous system and also a higher incidence of a latent infection. These results support the hypothesis that antibody is important in restricting the spread of virus to the central nervous system, whereas CMI is important in clearing the primary infection in the ear pinna.

The feasibility of isobaric suppression of 26Mg via post-accelerator foil stripping for the measurement of 26Al [The feasibility of isobaric suppression of 26Mg via post-accelerator foil stripping for the measurement of 26Al.

DOE PAGES

Tumey, Scott J.; Brown, Thomas A.; Finkel, Robert C.; ...

2012-09-13

Most accelerator mass spectrometry measurements of 26Al utilize the Al- ion despite lower source currents compared with AlO- since the stable isobar 26Mg does not form elemental negative ions. A gas-filled magnet allows sufficient suppression of 26Mg thus enabling the use of the more intense 26AlO- ion. However, most AMS systems do not include a gas-filled magnet. We therefore explored the feasibility of suppressing 26Mg by using a post-accelerator stripping foil. With this approach, combined with the use of alternative cathode matrices, we were able to suppress 26Mg by a factor of twenty. This suppression was insufficient to enable themore » use of 26AlO-, however further refinement of our system may permit its use in the future.« less

Probing of some compounds as anti-aggregatory additives in the protein refolding process from Escherichia coli inclusion bodies.

PubMed

Zilinskas, Albinas; Sereikaite, Jolanta

2011-01-01

Five compounds of different chemical structure were tested for aggregation suppression during the refolding of porcine and mink growth hormones as model proteins from Escherichia coli inclusion bodies by the dilution method. Of all compounds tested in this work, 3-guanidinopropionic acid (GPA) containing a guanidinium group was the most effective additive for aggregation suppression. Anti-aggregatory properties of GPA were compared with the ones of l-arginine. Copyright © 2011 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Anti-M Antibody Induced Prolonged Anemia Following Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn Due to Erythropoietic Suppression in 2 Siblings.

PubMed

Ishida, Atsushi; Ohto, Hitoshi; Yasuda, Hiroyasu; Negishi, Yutaka; Tsuiki, Hideki; Arakawa, Takeshi; Yagi, Yoshihito; Uchimura, Daisuke; Miyazaki, Toru; Ohashi, Wataru; Takamoto, Shigeru

2015-08-01

Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) arising from MNSs incompatibility is rare, with few reports of prolonged anemia and reticulocytopenia following HDN. We report the younger of 2 male siblings, both of whom had anti-M-induced HDN and anemia persisting for over a month. Peripheral reticulocytes remained inappropriately low for the degree of anemia, and they needed multiple red cell transfusions. Viral infections were ruled out. Corticosteroids were given for suspected pure red cell aplasia. Anemia and reticulocytopenia subsequently improved. Colony-forming unit erythroid assay revealed erythropoietic suppression of M antigen-positive erythroid precursor cells cultured with maternal or infant sera containing anti-M. In conclusion, maternal anti-M caused HDN and prolonged anemia by erythropoietic suppression in 2 siblings.

Release of motilin by oral and intravenous nutrients in man.

PubMed Central

Christofides, N D; Bloom, S R; Besterman, H S; Adrian, T E; Ghatei, M A

1979-01-01

Motilin is a hormonal peptide found in the duodenum and jejunum which potently influences gastrointestinal tract motility. Its role in human physiology is not yet established. After a standard hospital lunch the plasma concentration of motilin showed a small, transient, but significant rise in 28 healthy subjects. Individual food components either stimulated (oral fat) or suppressed release (oral glucose). Plasma motilin levels were, in addition, altered to an equal extent by intravenous nutrients, with glucose and amino acids suppressing release, and intravenous fat causing a significant rise in plasma concentration. These results demonstrate a consistent response to food stimuli, whether oral or intravenous. The release mechanism appears to be complicated and after a balanced meal, containing food components which both stimulate and suppress release, there is only a small net change. PMID:428820

An investigation of the efficacy of biological additives for the suppression of pyritic sulphur during simulated froth flotation of coal.

PubMed

Stainthorpe, A C

1989-02-05

The biological molecule responsible for the suppression of pyritic sulfur in fine coal simulated froth flotation treated with bacteria was identified. Protein was found to be the most effective agent in pyrite suppression of the three cell components (protein, lipid, and carbohydrate) assayed. Coal recovery and ash removal of the flotation process were only slightly reduced by this treatment. Other protein-containing materials were evaluated for their ability to suppress pyrite flotation. Whey was found to be the most cost-effective flotation additive of those assayed. The sulfur content of the whey-treated float was reduced by 84.0% in a synthetically prepared fractionated coal (10.7% sulfur), by a raw whey dosage of 20 microL/g coal. The inorganic sulfur component of a natural high sulfur coal fraction (10.9%) was completely depressed by this whey addition. The effect of particle size and pulp density upon the process were investigated.

Immunity to herpes simplex virus type 2. Suppression of virus-induced immune responses in ultraviolet B-irradiated mice

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

Yasumoto, S.; Hayashi, Y.; Aurelian, L.

1987-10-15

Ultraviolet B irradiation (280 to 320 nm) of mice at the site of intradermal infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 increased the severity of the herpes simplex virus type 2 disease and decreased delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to viral antigen. Decrease in DTH resulted from the induction of suppressor T cells, as evidenced by the ability of spleen cells from UV-irradiated mice to inhibit DTH and proliferative responses after adoptive transfer. Lymph node cells from UV-irradiated animals did not transfer suppression. DTH was suppressed at the induction but not the expression phase. Suppressor T cells were Lyt-1+, L3T4+, andmore » their activity was antigen-specific. However, after in vitro culture of spleen cells from UV-irradiated mice with herpes simplex virus type 2 antigen, suppressor activity was mediated by Lyt-2+ cells. Culture supernatants contained soluble nonantigen-specific suppressive factors.« less

A genetic network that suppresses genome rearrangements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and contains defects in cancers

PubMed Central

Putnam, Christopher D.; Srivatsan, Anjana; Nene, Rahul V.; Martinez, Sandra L.; Clotfelter, Sarah P.; Bell, Sara N.; Somach, Steven B.; E.S. de Souza, Jorge; Fonseca, André F.; de Souza, Sandro J.; Kolodner, Richard D.

2016-01-01

Gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) play an important role in human diseases, including cancer. The identity of all Genome Instability Suppressing (GIS) genes is not currently known. Here multiple Saccharomyces cerevisiae GCR assays and query mutations were crossed into arrays of mutants to identify progeny with increased GCR rates. One hundred eighty two GIS genes were identified that suppressed GCR formation. Another 438 cooperatively acting GIS genes were identified that were not GIS genes, but suppressed the increased genome instability caused by individual query mutations. Analysis of TCGA data using the human genes predicted to act in GIS pathways revealed that a minimum of 93% of ovarian and 66% of colorectal cancer cases had defects affecting one or more predicted GIS gene. These defects included loss-of-function mutations, copy-number changes associated with reduced expression, and silencing. In contrast, acute myeloid leukaemia cases did not appear to have defects affecting the predicted GIS genes. PMID:27071721

Immunoregulatory effects of covalent antigen-antibody complexes. III. Enhancement or suppression depending on the time of administration of complex relative to a T-independent antigen.

PubMed Central

Tite, J P; Morrison, C A; Taylor, R B

1981-01-01

The photosensitive affinity label NAP (4-azido-2-nitrophenyl) was used to make a stable covalent-bonded monomeric immune complex (Ag2Ab) between rabbit anti-NAP antibody and a bihaptenic compound containing NAP linked to fluorescein (NAP-aminocaproyl-lysyl-Fl). This complex injected into mice had marked effects on their subsequent response to fluorescein coupled to a thymus-independent carrier (Fl-ficoll). Depending on the time at which the complex was administered relative to challenge, it was possible to obtain either enhancing or suppressive effects. The enhancing but not the suppressive effect of complex was dependent on immune recognition of the rabbit IgG carrier. While the suppressive effect probably results from complex-mediated inactivation of T-independent B cells, it is suggested that the enhancing effect results from priming of the T-dependent B cells by Fl-Ficoll followed by their triggering into antibody production by rabbit IgG-specific helper cells. PMID:7007223

Epigenetic silencing of ARRDC3 expression in basal-like breast cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soung, Young Hwa; Pruitt, Kevin; Chung, Jun

2014-01-01

Arrestin domain-containing 3 (ARRDC3) is a tumor suppressor whose expression is either lost or suppressed in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). However, the mechanism by which BLBC suppresses ARRDC3 expression is not established. Here, we show that expression of ARRDC3 in BLBC cells is suppressed at the transcriptional level. Suppression of ARRDC3 expression in BLBC cells involves epigenetic silencing as inhibitors of class III histone deacetylases (HDACs) significantly restores ARRDC3 levels in BLBC cells. SIRT2, among class III HDACs, plays a major role in epigenetic silencing of ARRDC3 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Acetylation levels of the ARRDC3 promoter in BLBC cells is significantly lower than that of other sub-types of BC cells. Chromatin immunopreciptitation analysis established SIRT2 binding at ARRDC3 promoter in BLBC cells. Our studies indicate that SIRT2 dependent epigenetic silencing of ARRDC3 is one of the important events that may contribute to the aggressive nature of BLBC cells.

Efficacy and durability of nevirapine in antiretroviral drug näive patients.

PubMed

Lange, Joep M A

2003-09-01

Nevirapine is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that was first reported in the scientific literature in 1990. Varying doses of nevirapine (NVP) and a number of regimens containing this NNRTI have been studied in antiretroviral (ARV) näive patients. Four key studies have compared the efficacy and safety of triple drug regimens containing NVP in ARV näive, HIV-1 infected patients. The INCAS study was the first demonstration of how to use NVP in an effective and durable manner: as a component of a triple drug regimen. The COMBINE Study was a comparison of protease inhibitor (PI)-based and NVP-based triple regimens. The Atlantic Study is comparing the safety and efficacy of three triple drug regimens in ARV näive patients. In this study, treatment consists of a divergent drug regimen (PI and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, NRTIs) targeting both HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase or a convergent regimen targeting reverse transcriptase alone (three NRTIs or two NRTIs plus a NNRTI). A clinical endpoint study (BI 1090) compared the efficacy and durability of multi-drug regimens in ARV näive patients with high baseline plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (pVLs) and low peripheral blood CD4+ lymphocyte counts. Data from these studies confirm that triple regimens containing NVP suppressed viral replication for up to one year, even when the ARV näive patients had low CD4+ cell counts at baseline. Nevirapine-containing regimens suppressed pVLs to < 50 copies/ mL in approximately 50% of patients in the studies discussed (Intent to Treat analyses). Data from 96 weeks of follow up in the Atlantic Study demonstrates that the regimens containing didanosine and stavudine plus indinavir or NVP were significantly more successful in suppressing pVLs to < 50 copies/mL during this period than a regimen composed of these NRTIs and lamivudine (p < or = 0.001). As with other ARV drugs, NVP should always be used as part of a fully suppressive ARV regimen. When used in this way, it is an effective ARV drug, which contributes to durable virological and immunological responses in approximately half of all treated patients. Nevirapine-containing regimens are effective in patients with advanced HIV-1 infection, i.e., low CD4+ cell counts. Data will soon be available from the 2NN Study that compares the efficacy and safety of four different regimens using NVP once daily, NVP twice daily, efavirenz once daily or a combination of NVP and efavirenz. All four arms of the study include a backbone of stavudine and lamivudine.

Protecting cultural assets from bushfires: a question of comprehensive planning.

PubMed

Laidlaw, Prue; Spennemann, Dirk H R; Allan, Catherine

2008-03-01

Cultural heritage sites form an unrenewable asset that is threatened by natural disasters. Given the high bushfire risk, mandatory Bush Fire Risk Management Plans have been drawn up throughout New South Wales, Australia. We compared their mandatory provisions for the protection of heritage assets with an 'Ideal Heritage Disaster Plan', containing a series of non-negotiable elements. The examined plans fell well short of the ideal. Preparedness Plans generally lacked a discussion of suppression techniques (for historic heritage), prevention, prescribed drills and communication procedures. None of the Response Plans or Recovery Plans contained any of the required core elements, such as rapid suppression techniques and stabilisation procedures. Where aspects were covered, they were addressed in an inadequate level of detail. The overall quality of the cultural heritage components of the plans is judged to be poor. Suggestions are made on how to improve the situation if heritage assets are to have a future following bushfire events.

Dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands as a "working form" of endogenous nitric oxide.

PubMed

Vanin, Anatoly F

2016-04-01

The material presented herein is an overview of the results obtained by our research team during the many years' study of biological activities and occurrence of dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNIC) with thiol-containing ligands in human and animal organisms. With regard to their dose dependence and vast diversity of biological activities, DNIC are similar to the system of endogenous NO, one of the most universal regulators of biological processes. The role of biologically active components in DNIC is played by their iron-dinitrosyl fragments, [Fe(NO)2], endowed with the ability to generate neutral NO molecules and nitrosonium ions (NO(+)). Their release is effected by heme-and thiol-containing proteins, which fulfill the function of biological targets and acceptors of NO and NO(+). Beneficial regulatory effects of DNIC on physiological and metabolic processes are numerous and diverse and include, among other things, lowering of arterial pressure and accelerated healing of skin wounds. In the course of fast decomposition of their Fe(NO)2 fragments (e.g., in the presence of iron chelators), DNIC produce adverse (cytotoxic) effects, which can best be exemplified by their ability to suppress the development of experimental endometriosis in animals. In animal tissues, DNIC with thiol-containing ligands are predominantly represented by the binuclear form, which, contrary to mononuclear DNIC detectable by the 2.03 signal, is EPR-silent. The ample body of evidence on biological activities and occurrence of DNIC gained so far clearly demonstrates that in human and animal organisms DNIC with thiol-containing ligands represent a "working form" of the system of endogenous NO responsible for its accumulation and stabilization in animal tissues as well as its further transfer to its biological targets. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Control of Inhibition by the Direct Action of Cannabinoids on GABAA Receptors.

PubMed

Golovko, Tatiana; Min, Rogier; Lozovaya, Natalia; Falconer, Caroline; Yatsenko, Natalia; Tsintsadze, Timur; Tsintsadze, Vera; Ledent, Catherine; Harvey, Robert J; Belelli, Delia; Lambert, Jeremy J; Rozov, Andrei; Burnashev, Nail

2015-09-01

Cannabinoids are known to regulate inhibitory synaptic transmission via activation of presynaptic G protein-coupled cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs). Additionally, recent studies suggest that cannabinoids can also directly interact with recombinant GABAA receptors (GABAARs), potentiating currents activated by micromolar concentrations of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). However, the impact of this direct interaction on GABAergic inhibition in central nervous system is unknown. Here we report that currents mediated by recombinant GABAARs activated by high (synaptic) concentrations of GABA as well as GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) at neocortical fast spiking (FS) interneuron to pyramidal neuron synapses are suppressed by exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids in a CB1R-independent manner. This IPSC suppression may account for disruption of inhibitory control of pyramidal neurons by FS interneurons. At FS interneuron to pyramidal neuron synapses, endocannabinoids induce synaptic low-pass filtering of GABAAR-mediated currents evoked by high-frequency stimulation. The CB1R-independent suppression of inhibition is synapse specific. It does not occur in CB1R containing hippocampal cholecystokinin-positive interneuron to pyramidal neuron synapses. Furthermore, in contrast to synaptic receptors, the activity of extrasynaptic GABAARs in neocortical pyramidal neurons is enhanced by cannabinoids in a CB1R-independent manner. Thus, cannabinoids directly interact differentially with synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAARs, providing a potent novel context-dependent mechanism for regulation of inhibition. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Colchicine to decrease NLRP3-activated inflammation and improve obesity-related metabolic dysregulation

PubMed Central

Demidowich, Andrew P.; Davis, Angela I.; Dedhia, Nicket; Yanovski, Jack A.

2016-01-01

Obesity is a major risk-factor for the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Circulating molecules associated with obesity, such as saturated fatty acids and cholesterol crystals, stimulate the innate immune system to incite a chronic inflammatory state. Studies in mouse models suggest that suppressing the obesity-induced chronic inflammatory state may prevent or reverse obesity-associated metabolic dysregulation. Human studies, however, have been far less positive, possibly because targeted interventions were too far downstream of the inciting inflammatory events. Recently, it has been shown that, within adipose tissue macrophages, assembly of a multi-protein member of the innate immune system, the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, is essential for the induction of this inflammatory state. Microtubules enable the necessary spatial arrangement of the components of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the cell, leading to its activation and propagation of the inflammatory cascade. Colchicine, a medication classically used for gout, mediates its anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting tubulin polymerization, and has been shown to attenuate macrophage NLRP3 inflammasome arrangement and activation in vitro and in vivo. Given these findings, we hypothesize that, in at-risk individuals (those with obesity-induced inflammation and metabolic dysregulation), long-term colchicine use will lead to suppression of inflammation and thus cause improvements in insulin sensitivity and other obesity-related metabolic impairments. PMID:27241260

Colchicine to decrease NLRP3-activated inflammation and improve obesity-related metabolic dysregulation.

PubMed

Demidowich, Andrew P; Davis, Angela I; Dedhia, Nicket; Yanovski, Jack A

2016-07-01

Obesity is a major risk-factor for the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Circulating molecules associated with obesity, such as saturated fatty acids and cholesterol crystals, stimulate the innate immune system to incite a chronic inflammatory state. Studies in mouse models suggest that suppressing the obesity-induced chronic inflammatory state may prevent or reverse obesity-associated metabolic dysregulation. Human studies, however, have been far less positive, possibly because targeted interventions were too far downstream of the inciting inflammatory events. Recently, it has been shown that, within adipose tissue macrophages, assembly of a multi-protein member of the innate immune system, the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, is essential for the induction of this inflammatory state. Microtubules enable the necessary spatial arrangement of the components of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the cell, leading to its activation and propagation of the inflammatory cascade. Colchicine, a medication classically used for gout, mediates its anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting tubulin polymerization, and has been shown to attenuate macrophage NLRP3 inflammasome arrangement and activation in vitro and in vivo. Given these findings, we hypothesize that, in at-risk individuals (those with obesity-induced inflammation and metabolic dysregulation), long-term colchicine use will lead to suppression of inflammation and thus cause improvements in insulin sensitivity and other obesity-related metabolic impairments. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Drug-like analogues of the parasitic worm-derived immunomodulator ES-62 are therapeutic in the MRL/Lpr model of systemic lupus erythematosus

PubMed Central

Rodgers, D T; Pineda, M A; Suckling, C J; Harnett, W

2015-01-01

Introduction ES-62, a phosphorylcholine (PC)-containing immunomodulator secreted by the parasitic worm Acanthocheilonema viteae, protects against nephritis in the MRL/Lpr mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, ES-62 is not suitable for development as a therapy and thus we have designed drug-like small molecule analogues (SMAs) based around its active PC-moiety. To provide proof of concept that ES-62-based SMAs exhibit therapeutic potential in SLE, we have investigated the capacity of two SMAs to protect against nephritis when administered to MRL/Lpr mice after onset of kidney damage. Methods SMAs 11a and 12b were evaluated for their ability to suppress antinuclear antibody (ANA) generation and consequent kidney pathology in MRL/Lpr mice when administered after the onset of proteinuria. Results SMAs 11a and 12b suppressed development of ANA and proteinuria. Protection reflected downregulation of MyD88 expression by kidney cells and this was associated with reduced production of IL-6, a cytokine that exhibits promise as a therapeutic target for this condition. Conclusions SMAs 11a and 12b provide proof of principle that synthetic compounds based on the safe immunomodulatory mechanisms of parasitic worms can exhibit therapeutic potential as a novel class of drugs for SLE, a disease for which current therapies remain inadequate. PMID:26085597

Anode material for lithium batteries

DOEpatents

Belharouak, Ilias [Westmont, IL; Amine, Khalil [Downers Grove, IL

2012-01-31

Primary and secondary Li-ion and lithium-metal based electrochemical cell systems. The suppression of gas generation is achieved through the addition of an additive or additives to the electrolyte system of respective cell, or to the cell itself whether it be a liquid, a solid- or plasticized polymer electrolyte system. The gas suppression additives are primarily based on unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Anode material for lithium batteries

DOEpatents

Belharouak, Ilias [Bolingbrook, IL; Amine, Khalil [Downers Grove, IL

2008-06-24

Primary and secondary Li-ion and lithium-metal based electrochemical cell system. The suppression of gas generation is achieved through the addition of an additive or additives to the electrolyte system of respective cell, or to the cell itself whether it be a liquid, a solid- or plastized polymer electrolyte system. The gas suppression additives are primarily based on unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Anode material for lithium batteries

DOEpatents

Belharouak, Ilias [Bolingbrook, IL; Amine, Khalil [Oak Brook, IL

2011-04-05

Primary and secondary Li-ion and lithium-metal based electrochemical cell systems. The suppression of gas generation is achieved through the addition of an additive or additives to the electrolyte system of respective cell, or to the cell itself whether it be a liquid, a solid- or plasticized polymer electrolyte system. The gas suppression additives are primarily based on unsaturated hydrocarbons.

A novel method for rapidly isolating microbes that suppress soil-borne phytopathogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Sarah; Agnew, Linda; Pereg, Lily

2016-04-01

Seedling establishment faces a large number of challenges related to soil physical properties as well as to fungal root diseases. It is extremely difficult to eliminate fungal pathogens from soils where their populations are established due to the persistent nature of their spores and since fumigation of resident fungi is very ineffective in clay-containing soils. Therefore it is necessary to find ways to overcome disease in areas where the soils are infected with fungal phytopathogens. The phenomenon of disease suppressive soils, where the pathogen is present but no disease observed, suggests that microbial antagonism in the soil may lead to the suppression of the growth of fungal pathogens. There are also cases in the literature where soil microorganisms were isolated that suppress the growth of phytopathogens. Antibiosis is one of the most important mechanisms responsible for fungal antagonism, with some significant antifungal compounds involved including antibiotics, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen cyanide and lytic enzymes. Isolation of pathogen-suppressive microorganisms from the soil is time consuming and tedious. We established a simple method for direct isolation of soil microbes (bacteria and fungi) that suppress fungal phytopathogens as well as procedures for confirmation of disease suppression. We will discuss such methods, which were so far tested with the cotton fungal pathogens Thielaviopsis basicola, Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium fungicola. We have isolated a diversity of T. basicola-suppressive fungi and bacteria from two vastly different soil types. Identification of the antagonistic isolates revealed that they are a diverse lot, some belong to groups known to be suppressive of a wide range of fungal pathogens, endorsing the power of this technique to rapidly and directly isolate soil-borne microbes antagonistic to a wide variety of fungal pathogens.

Variation in the suppression or enhancement of responses related to drug habits as a function of stimulus classes and competing response categories.

PubMed

Haertzen, C A; Ross, F E

1980-08-01

Male prisoners who were opiate addicts (N = 47) were given three Process Association Tests of Addiction containing stimuli which evoked responses characteristic of three levels of drug habits: beginning and ending stage of addiction, intermediate stage of addiction, and an advanced level of addiction. Each test required subjects to associate 278 word stimuli with one of five options which were randomly selected from among 20 options covering the stages of addiction, steps in drug taking, and drug effects. The purpose of the study was to determine whether responses to particular options suppressed or enhanced responses to other options. A strong interaction was found between the classes of stimuli and the response options which produced suppression or enhancement. This interaction made it possible to develop a suppression scale to measure the effect of each class of stimulus. Popular responses most frequently suppressed responses of other options. Thus, when the stimuli were clean, responses of "to be clean" and "to live a normal life," which are sensitive indicators of the beginning or ending stages of addiction , suppressed responses of other stages. The response of "to be high," a prime indicator of an intermediate habit, suppressed responses of other options when the stimuli were drug names. Responses of "to be hooked" and "to fix," which are specific indicators of a strong habit, and "to be high," which is a nonspecific indicator of a strong habit, suppressed responses of many other options. In the development of new association tests the analysis of suppression could provide a basis for selectively varying option groupings in order to increase or decrease the frequently of certain responses.

Statistical analysis of hail characteristics in the hail-protected western part of Croatia using data from hail suppression stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Počakal, Damir; Štalec, Janez

In the continental part of Croatia, operational hail suppression has been conducted for more than 30 years. The current protected area is 25,177 km 2 and has about 492 hail suppression stations which are managed with eight weather radar centres. This paper present a statistical analysis of parameters connected with hail occurrence on hail suppression stations in the western part of protected area in 1981-2000 period. This analysis compares data of two periods with different intensity of hail suppression activity and is made as a part of a project for assessment of hail suppression efficiency in Croatia. Because of disruption in hail suppression system during the independence war in Croatia (1991-1995), lack of rockets and other objective circumstances, it is considered that in the 1991-2000 period, hail suppression system could not act properly. Because of that, a comparison of hail suppression data for two periods was made. The first period (1981-1990), which is characterised with full application of hail suppression technology is compared with the second period (1991-2000). The protected area is divided into quadrants (9×9 km), such that every quadrant has at least one hail suppression station and intercomparison is more precise. Discriminant analysis was performed for the yearly values of each quadrant. These values included number of cases with solid precipitation, hail damage, heavy hail damage, number of active hail suppression stations, number of days with solid precipitation, solid precipitation damage, heavy solid precipitation damage and the number and duration of air traffic control bans. The discriminant analysis shows that there is a significant difference between the two periods. Average values of observed periods on isolated discriminant function 1 are for the first period (1981-1990) -0.36 and for the second period +0.23 standard deviation of all observations. The analysis for all eight variables shows statistically substantial differences in the number of hail suppression stations (which have a positive correlation) and in the number of cases with air traffic control ban, which have, like all other variables, a negative correlation. Results of statistical analysis for two periods show positive influence of hail suppression system. The discriminant analysis made for three periods shows that these three periods can not be compared because of the short time period, the difference in hail suppression technology, working conditions and possible differences in meteorological conditions. Therefore, neither the effectiveness nor ineffectiveness of hail suppression operations nor their efficiency can be statistically proven. For an exact assessment of hail suppression effectiveness, it is necessary to develop a project, which would take into consideration all the parameters used in such previous projects around the world—a hailpad polygon.

Fully automated three-dimensional microscopy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerschmann, Russell L.

2000-04-01

Tissue-scale structures such as vessel networks are imaged at micron resolution with the Virtual Tissue System (VT System). VT System imaging of cubic millimeters of tissue and other material extends the capabilities of conventional volumetric techniques such as confocal microscopy, and allows for the first time the integrated 2D and 3D analysis of important tissue structural relationships. The VT System eliminates the need for glass slide-mounted tissue sections and instead captures images directly from the surface of a block containing a sample. Tissues are en bloc stained with fluorochrome compounds, embedded in an optically conditioned polymer that suppresses image signals form dep within the block , and serially sectioned for imaging. Thousands of fully registered 2D images are automatically captured digitally to completely convert tissue samples into blocks of high-resolution information. The resulting multi gigabyte data sets constitute the raw material for precision visualization and analysis. Cellular function may be seen in a larger anatomical context. VT System technology makes tissue metrics, accurate cell enumeration and cell cycle analyses possible while preserving full histologic setting.

Compton suppression and event triggering in a commercial data acquisition system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabor, Samuel; Caussyn, D. D.; Tripathi, Vandana; Vonmoss, J.; Liddick, S. N.

2012-10-01

A number of groups are starting to use flash digitizer systems to directly convert the preamplifier signals of high-resolution Ge detectors to a stream of digital data. Some digitizers are also equipped with software constant fraction discriminator algorithms capable of operating on the resulting digital data stream to provide timing information. Because of the dropping cost per channel of these systems, it should now be possible to also connect outputs of the Bismuth Germanate (BGO) scintillators used for Compton suppression to other digitizer inputs so that BGO logic signals can also be available in the same system. This provides the possibility to perform all the Compton suppression and multiplicity trigger logic within the digital system, thus eliminating the need for separate timing filter amplifiers (TFA), constant fraction discriminators (CFD), logic units, and lots of cables. This talk will describe the performance of such a system based on Pixie16 modules from XIA LLC with custom field programmable gate array (FPGA) programming for an array of Compton suppressed single Ge crystal and 4-crystal ``Clover'' detector array along with optional particle detectors. Initial tests of the system have produced results comparable with the current traditional system of individual electronics and peak sensing analog to digital converters. The advantages of the all digital system will be discussed.

Partially filled Landau level at even denominators: A vortex metal with a Berry phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Yizhi

2018-04-01

We develop a vortex metal theory for a partially filled Landau level at ν =1/2 n whose ground state contains a composite Fermi surface formed by the vortex of electrons. In the projected Landau-level limit, the composite Fermi surface contains a -π/n Berry phase. Such a fractional Berry phase is a consequence of Landau-level projection which produces the Girvin-MacDonald-Platzman [S. M. Girvin, A. H. MacDonald, and P. M. Platzman, Phys. Rev. B 33, 2481 (1986), 10.1103/PhysRevB.33.2481] guiding center algebra and embellishes an anomalous velocity to the equation of motion for the vortex metal. Further, we investigate a particle-hole symmetric bilayer system with ν1=1/2 n and ν2=1 -1/2 n at each layer, and demonstrate that the -π/n Berry phase on the composite Fermi surface leads to the suppression of 2 kf backscattering between the particle-hole partner bilayer, which could be a smoking gun to detect the fractional Berry phase. We also mention various instabilities and competing orders in such bilayer systems, including a Z4 n topological order phase driven by quantum criticality.

Plant root and shoot dynamics during subsurface obstacle interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conn, Nathaniel; Aguilar, Jeffrey; Benfey, Philip; Goldman, Daniel

As roots grow, they must navigate complex underground environments to anchor and retrieve water and nutrients. From gravity sensing at the root tip to pressure sensing along the tip and elongation zone, the complex mechanosensory feedback system of the root allows it to bend towards greater depths and avoid obstacles of high impedance by asymmetrically suppressing cell elongation. Here we investigate the mechanical and physiological responses of roots to rigid obstacles. We grow Maize, Zea mays, plants in quasi-2D glass containers (22cm x 17cm x 1.4cm) filled with photoelastic gel and observe that, regardless of obstacle interaction, smaller roots branch off the primary root when the upward growing shoot (which contains the first leaf) reaches an average length of 40 mm, coinciding with when the first leaf emerges. However, prior to branching, contacts with obstacles result in reduced root growth rates. The growth rate of the root relative to the shoot is sensitive to the angle of the obstacle surface, whereby the relative root growth is greatest for horizontally oriented surfaces. We posit that root growth is prioritized when horizontal obstacles are encountered to ensure anchoring and access to nutrients during later stages of development. NSF Physics of Living Systems.

Stable hydrogen production from ethanol through steam reforming reaction over nickel-containing smectite-derived catalyst.

PubMed

Yoshida, Hiroshi; Yamaoka, Ryohei; Arai, Masahiko

2014-12-25

Hydrogen production through steam reforming of ethanol was investigated with conventional supported nickel catalysts and a Ni-containing smectite-derived catalyst. The former is initially active, but significant catalyst deactivation occurs during the reaction due to carbon deposition. Side reactions of the decomposition of CO and CH4 are the main reason for the catalyst deactivation, and these reactions can relatively be suppressed by the use of the Ni-containing smectite. The Ni-containing smectite-derived catalyst contains, after H2 reduction, stable and active Ni nanocrystallites, and as a result, it shows a stable and high catalytic performance for the steam reforming of ethanol, producing H2.

Stable Hydrogen Production from Ethanol through Steam Reforming Reaction over Nickel-Containing Smectite-Derived Catalyst

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Hiroshi; Yamaoka, Ryohei; Arai, Masahiko

2014-01-01

Hydrogen production through steam reforming of ethanol was investigated with conventional supported nickel catalysts and a Ni-containing smectite-derived catalyst. The former is initially active, but significant catalyst deactivation occurs during the reaction due to carbon deposition. Side reactions of the decomposition of CO and CH4 are the main reason for the catalyst deactivation, and these reactions can relatively be suppressed by the use of the Ni-containing smectite. The Ni-containing smectite-derived catalyst contains, after H2 reduction, stable and active Ni nanocrystallites, and as a result, it shows a stable and high catalytic performance for the steam reforming of ethanol, producing H2. PMID:25547495

Large Field of View PIV Measurements of Air Entrainment by SLS SMAT Water Sound Suppression System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stegmeir, Matthew; Pothos, Stamatios; Bissell, Dan

2015-11-01

Water-based sound suppressions systems have been used to reduce the acoustic impact of space vehicle launches. Water flows at a high rate during launch in order to suppress Engine Generated Acoustics and other potentially damaging sources of noise. For the Space Shuttle, peak flow rates exceeded 900,000 gallons per minute. Such large water flow rates have the potential to induce substantial entrainment of the surrounding air, affecting the launch conditions and generating airflow around the launch vehicle. Validation testing is necessary to quantify this impact for future space launch systems. In this study, PIV measurements were performed to map the flow field above the SMAT sub-scale launch vehicle scaled launch stand. Air entrainment effects generated by a water-based sound suppression system were studied. Mean and fluctuating fluid velocities were mapped up to 1m above the test stand deck and compared to simulation results. Measurements performed with NASA MSFC.

Vibration isolation/suppression: research experience for undergraduates in mechatronics and smart structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonda, James; Rao, Vittal S.; Sana, Sridhar

2001-08-01

This paper provides an account of a student research project conducted under the sponsoring of the National Science Foundation (NSF) program on Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Mechatronics and Smart Strictures in the summer of 2000. The objective of the research is to design and test a stand-alone controller for a vibration isolation/suppression system. The design specification for the control system is to suppress the vibrations induced by the external disturbances by at least fiver times and hence to achieve vibration isolation. Piezo-electric sensors and actuators are utilized for suppression of unwanted vibrations. Various steps such as modeling of the system, controller design, simulation, closed-loop testing using d- Space rapid prototyping system, and analog control implementation are discussed in the paper. Procedures for data collection, the trade-offs carried out in the design, and analog controller implementation issues are also presented in the paper. The performances of various controllers are compared. The experiences of an undergraduate student are summarized in the conclusion of the paper.

Affinity and specificity of interactions between Nedd4 isoforms and the epithelial Na+ channel.

PubMed

Henry, Pauline C; Kanelis, Voula; O'Brien, M Christine; Kim, Brian; Gautschi, Ivan; Forman-Kay, Julie; Schild, Laurent; Rotin, Daniela

2003-05-30

The epithelial Na+ channel (alphabetagammaENaC) regulates salt and fluid homeostasis and blood pressure. Each ENaC subunit contains a PY motif (PPXY) that binds to the WW domains of Nedd4, a Hect family ubiquitin ligase containing 3-4 WW domains and usually a C2 domain. It has been proposed that Nedd4-2, but not Nedd4-1, isoforms can bind to and suppress ENaC activity. Here we challenge this notion and show that, instead, the presence of a unique WW domain (WW3*) in either Nedd4-2 or Nedd4-1 determines high affinity interactions and the ability to suppress ENaC. WW3* from either Nedd4-2 or Nedd4-1 binds ENaC-PY motifs equally well (e.g. Kd approximately 10 microm for alpha- or betaENaC, 3-6-fold higher affinity than WW4), as determined by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. Moreover, dNedd4-1, which naturally contains a WW3* instead of WW2, is able to suppress ENaC function equally well as Nedd4-2. Homology models of the WW3*.betaENaC-PY complex revealed that a Pro and Ala conserved in all WW3*, but not other Nedd4-WW domains, help form the binding pocket for PY motif prolines. Extensive contacts are formed between the betaENaC-PY motif and the Pro in WW3*, and the small Ala creates a large pocket to accommodate the peptide. Indeed, mutating the conserved Pro and Ala in WW3* reduces binding affinity 2-3-fold. Additionally, we demonstrate that mutations in PY motif residues that form contacts with the WW domain based on our previously solved structure either abolish or severely reduce binding affinity to the WW domain and that the extent of binding correlates with the level of ENaC suppression. Independently, we show that a peptide encompassing the PY motif of sgk1, previously proposed to bind to Nedd4-2 and alter its ability to regulate ENaC, does not bind (or binds poorly) the WW domains of Nedd4-2. Collectively, these results suggest that high affinity of WW domain-PY-motif interactions rather than affiliation with Nedd4-1/Nedd-2 is critical for ENaC suppression by Nedd4 proteins.

Analysis and testing of stability augmentation systems. [for supersonic transport aircraft wing and B-52 aircraft control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sevart, F. D.; Patel, S. M.; Wattman, W. J.

1972-01-01

Testing and evaluation of stability augmentation systems for aircraft flight control were conducted. The flutter suppression system analysis of a scale supersonic transport wing model is described. Mechanization of the flutter suppression system is reported. The ride control synthesis for the B-52 aeroelastic model is discussed. Model analyses were conducted using equations of motion generated from generalized mass and stiffness data.

Two dimension MDW OCDMA code cross-correlation for reduction of phase induced intensity noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Israa Sh.; Aljunid, Syed A.; Nordin, Junita M.; Dulaimi, Layth A. Khalil Al; Matem, Rima

2017-11-01

In this paper, we first review 2-D MDW code cross correlation equations and table to be improved significantly by using code correlation properties. These codes can be used in the synchronous optical CDMA systems for multi access interference cancellation and maximum suppress the phase induced intensity noise. Low Psr is due to the reduction of interference noise that is induced by the 2-D MDW code PIIN suppression. High data rate causes increases in BER, requires high effective power and severely deteriorates the system performance. The 2-D W/T MDW code has an excellent system performance where the value of PIIN is suppressed as low as possible at the optimum Psr with high data bit rate. The 2-D MDW code shows better tolerance to PIIN in comparison to others with enhanced system performance. We prove by numerical analysis that the PIIN maximally suppressed by MDW code through the minimizing property of cross correlation in comparison to 2-D PDC and 2-D MQC OCDMA code.scheme systems.

Assessment and management of soil microbial community structure for disease suppression.

PubMed

Mazzola, Mark

2004-01-01

Identification of the biological properties contributing to the function of suppressive soils is a necessary first step to the management of such systems for use in the control of soilborne diseases. The development and application of molecular methods for the characterization and monitoring of soil microbial properties will enable a more rapid and detailed assessment of the biological nature of soil suppressiveness. Although suppressive soils have provided a wealth of microbial resources that have subsequently been applied for the biological control of soilborne plant pathogens, the full functional capabilities of the phenomena have not been realized in production agricultural ecosystems. Cultural practices, such as the application of soil amendments, have the capacity to enhance disease suppression, though the biological modes of action may vary from that initially resident to the soil. Plants have a distinct impact on characteristics and activity of resident soil microbial communities, and therefore play an important role in determining the development of the disease-suppressive state. Likewise, plant genotype will modulate these same biological communities, and should be considered when developing strategies to exploit the potential of such a natural disease control system. Implementation of consistently effective practices to manage this resource in an economically and environmentally feasible manner will require more detailed investigation of these biologically complex systems and refinement of currently available methodologies.

Quiet engine program: Turbine noise suppression. -Volume 1: General treatment evaluation and measurement techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clemons, A.; Hehmann, H.; Radecki, K.

1973-01-01

Acoustic treatment was developed for jet engine turbine noise suppression. Acoustic impedance and duct transmission loss measurements were made for various suppression systems. An environmental compatibility study on several material types having suppression characteristics is presented. Two sets of engine hardware were designed and are described along with engine test results which include probe, farfield, near field, and acoustic directional array data. Comparisons of the expected and the measured suppression levels are given as well as a discussion of test results and design techniques.

A Compton suppressed detector multiplicity trigger based digital DAQ for gamma-ray spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S.; Samanta, S.; Banik, R.; Bhattacharjee, R.; Basu, K.; Raut, R.; Ghugre, S. S.; Sinha, A. K.; Bhattacharya, S.; Imran, S.; Mukherjee, G.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Goswami, A.; Palit, R.; Tan, H.

2018-06-01

The development of a digitizer based pulse processing and data acquisition system for γ-ray spectroscopy with large detector arrays is presented. The system is based on 250 MHz 12-bit digitizers, and is triggered by a user chosen multiplicity of Compton suppressed detectors. The logic for trigger generation is similar to the one practised for analog (NIM/CAMAC) pulse processing electronics, while retaining the fast processing merits of the digitizer system. Codes for reduction of data acquired from the system have also been developed. The system has been tested with offline studies using radioactive sources as well as in the in-beam experiments with an array of Compton suppressed Clover detectors. The results obtained therefrom validate its use in spectroscopic efforts for nuclear structure investigations.

48 CFR 452.236-78 - Fire Suppression and Liability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Fire Suppression and Liability. As prescribed in § 436.578, the following clause may be inserted in contracts awarded for Integrated Resource Service Contracts (IRSC) awarded for the Forest Service. Fire... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Fire Suppression and...

Exosome release of ADAM15 and the functional implications of human macrophage-derived ADAM15 exosomes.

PubMed

Lee, Hee Doo; Koo, Bon-Hun; Kim, Yeon Hyang; Jeon, Ok-Hee; Kim, Doo-Sik

2012-07-01

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 15 (ADAM15), the only ADAM protein containing an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif in its disintegrin-like domain, is a widely expressed membrane protein that is involved in tumor progression and suppression. However, the underlying mechanism of ADAM15-mediated tumor suppression is not clearly understood. This study demonstrates that ADAM15 is released as an exosomal component, and ADAM15 exosomes exert tumor suppressive activities. We found that exosomal ADAM15 release is stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, a typical protein kinase C activator, in various tumor cell types, and this results in a corresponding decrease in plasma membrane-associated ADAM15. Exosomes rich in ADAM15 display enhanced binding affinity for integrin αvβ3 in an RGD-dependent manner and suppress vitronectin- and fibronectin-induced cell adhesion, growth, and migration, as well as in vivo tumor growth. Exosomal ADAM15 is released from human macrophages, and macrophage-derived ADAM15 exosomes have tumor inhibitory effects. This work suggests a primary role of ADAM15 for exosome-mediated tumor suppression, as well as functional significance of exosomal ADAM protein in antitumor immunity.

Active suppression after involuntary capture of attention.

PubMed

Sawaki, Risa; Luck, Steven J

2013-04-01

After attention has been involuntarily captured by a distractor, how is it reoriented toward a target? One possibility is that attention to the distractor passively fades over time, allowing the target to become attended. Another possibility is that the captured location is actively suppressed so that attention can be directed toward the target location. The present study investigated this issue with event-related potentials (ERPs), focusing on the N2pc component (a neural measure of attentional deployment) and the Pd component (a neural measure of attentional suppression). Observers identified a color-defined target in a search array, which was preceded by a task-irrelevant cue array. When the cue array contained an item that matched the target color, this item captured attention (as measured both behaviorally and with the N2pc component). This capture of attention was followed by active suppression (indexed by the Pd component), and this was then followed by a reorienting of attention toward the target in the search array (indexed by the N2pc component). These findings indicate that the involuntary capture of attention by a distractor is followed by an active suppression process that presumably facilitates the subsequent voluntary orienting of attention to the target.

Peptide immunotherapy in allergic asthma generates IL-10–dependent immunological tolerance associated with linked epitope suppression

PubMed Central

Campbell, John D.; Buckland, Karen F.; McMillan, Sarah J.; Kearley, Jennifer; Oldfield, William L.G.; Stern, Lawrence J.; Grönlund, Hans; van Hage, Marianne; Reynolds, Catherine J.; Boyton, Rosemary J.; Cobbold, Stephen P.; Kay, A. Barry; Altmann, Daniel M.; Larché, Mark

2009-01-01

Treatment of patients with allergic asthma using low doses of peptides containing T cell epitopes from Fel d 1, the major cat allergen, reduces allergic sensitization and improves surrogate markers of disease. Here, we demonstrate a key immunological mechanism, linked epitope suppression, associated with this therapeutic effect. Treatment with selected epitopes from a single allergen resulted in suppression of responses to other (“linked”) epitopes within the same molecule. This phenomenon was induced after peptide immunotherapy in human asthmatic subjects and in a novel HLA-DR1 transgenic mouse model of asthma. Tracking of allergen-specific T cells using DR1 tetramers determined that suppression was associated with the induction of interleukin (IL)-10+ T cells that were more abundant than T cells specific for the single-treatment peptide and was reversed by anti–IL-10 receptor administration. Resolution of airway pathophysiology in this model was associated with reduced recruitment, proliferation, and effector function of allergen-specific Th2 cells. Our results provide, for the first time, in vivo evidence of linked epitope suppression and IL-10 induction in both human allergic disease and a mouse model designed to closely mimic peptide therapy in humans. PMID:19528258

A tethering mechanism controls the processivity and kinetochore-microtubule plus-end enrichment of the kinesin-8 Kif18A

PubMed Central

Stumpff, Jason; Du, Yaqing; English, Chauca A.; Maliga, Zoltan; Wagenbach, Michael; Asbury, Charles L.; Wordeman, Linda; Ohi, Ryoma

2011-01-01

Summary Metaphase chromosome positioning depends on Kif18A, a kinesin-8 that accumulates at and suppresses the dynamics of K-MT plus ends. By engineering Kif18A mutants that suppress MT dynamics but fail to concentrate at K-MT plus-ends, we identify a mechanism that allows Kif18A to accumulate at K-MT plus ends to a level required to suppress chromosome movements. Enrichment of Kif18A at K-MT plus-ends depends on its C-terminal tail domain, while the ability of Kif18A to suppress MT growth is conferred by the N-terminal motor domain. The Kif18A tail contains a second MT-binding domain that diffuses along the MT lattice, suggesting that it tethers the motor to the MT track. Consistently, the tail enhances Kif18A processivity and is crucial for it to accumulate at K-MT plus-ends. The heightened processivity of Kif18A, conferred by its tail domain, thus promotes concentration of Kif18A at K-MT plus-ends, where it suppresses their dynamics to control chromosome movements. PMID:21884977

Suppression of lymphocyte proliferation by marijuana components is related to cell number and cell source

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

Klein, T.; Pross, S.; Newton, C.

Conflicting reports have appeared concerning the effect of marijuana components on immune responsiveness. The authors have observed that the effect of cannabinoids on lymphocyte proliferation varied with both the concentration of the drug and the mitogen used. They now report that at a constant concentration of drug, the cannabinoid effect varied from no effect to suppression depending upon the number of cells in culture and the organ source of the cells. Dispersed cell suspensions of mouse lymph node, spleen, and thymus were prepared and cultured at varying cell numbers with either delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or 11-hydroxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and various mitogens. Lymphocyte proliferation wasmore » analyzed by /sup 3/H-thymidine incorporation. T-lymphocyte mitogen responses in cultures containing high cell numbers were unaffected by the cannabinoids but as cell numbers were reduced a suppression of the response was observed. Furthermore, thymus cells were considerably more susceptible to cannabinoid suppression than cells from either lymph node or spleen. These results suggest that certain lymphocyte subpopulations are more sensitive to cannabinoid suppression and that in addition to drug concentration other variables such as cell number and cell source must be considered when analyzing cannabinoid effects.« less

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): A Nanosecond Time Scale Stereoscopic Array Trigger System.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krennrich, Frank; Buckley, J.; Byrum, K.; Dawson, J.; Drake, G.; Horan, D.; Krawzcynski, H.; Schroedter, M.

2008-04-01

Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays (VERITAS, HESS) have shown unprecedented background suppression capabilities for reducing cosmic-ray induced air showers, muons and night sky background fluctuations. Next-generation arrays with on the order of 100 telescopes offer larger collection areas, provide the possibility to see the air shower from more view points on the ground, have the potential to improve the sensitivity and give additional background suppression. Here we discuss the design of a fast array trigger system that has the potential to perform a real time image analysis allowing substantially improved background rate suppression at the trigger level.

Frequency-varying synchronous micro-vibration suppression for a MSFW with application of small-gain theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Cong; Fan, Yahong; Huang, Ziyuan; Han, Bangcheng; Fang, Jiancheng

2017-01-01

This paper presents a novel synchronous micro-vibration suppression method on the basis of the small gain theorem to reduce the frequency-varying synchronous micro-vibration forces for a magnetically suspended flywheel (MSFW). The proposed synchronous micro-vibration suppression method not only eliminates the synchronous current fluctuations to force the rotor spinning around the inertia axis, but also considers the compensation caused by the displacement stiffness in the permanent-magnet (PM)-biased magnetic bearings. Moreover, the stability of the proposed control system is exactly analyzed by using small gain theorem. The effectiveness of the proposed micro-vibration suppression method is demonstrated via the direct measurement of the disturbance forces for a MSFW. The main merit of the proposed method is that it provides a simple and practical method in suppressing the frequency varying micro-vibration forces and preserving the nominal performance of the baseline control system.

Spacecraft Fire Suppression: Testing and Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbud-Madrid, Angel; McKinnon, J. Thomas; Delplanque, Jean-Pierre; Kailasanath, Kazhikathra; Gokoglu, Suleyman; Wu, Ming-Shin

2004-01-01

The objective of this project is the testing and evaluation of the effectiveness of a variety of fire suppressants and fire-response techniques that will be used in the next generation of spacecraft (Crew Exploration Vehicle, CEV) and planetary habitats. From the many lessons learned in the last 40 years of space travel, there is common agreement in the spacecraft fire safety community that a new fire suppression system will be needed for the various types of fire threats anticipated in new space vehicles and habitats. To date, there is no single fire extinguishing system that can address all possible fire situations in a spacecraft in an effective, reliable, clean, and safe way. The testing conducted under this investigation will not only validate the various numerical models that are currently being developed, but it will provide new design standards on fire suppression that can then be applied to the next generation of spacecraft extinguishment systems. The test program will provide validation of scaling methods by conducting small, medium, and large scale fires. A variety of suppression methods will be tested, such as water mist, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen with single and multiple injection points and direct or distributed agent deployment. These injection methods cover the current ISS fire suppression method of a portable hand-held fire extinguisher spraying through a port in a rack and also next generation spacecraft units that may have a multi-point suppression delivery system built into the design. Consideration will be given to the need of a crew to clean-up the agent and recharge the extinguishers in flight in a long-duration mission. The fire suppression methods mentioned above will be used to extinguish several fire scenarios that have been identified as the most relevant to spaceflight, such as overheated wires, cable bundles, and circuit boards, as well as burning cloth and paper. Further testing will be conducted in which obstructions and ventilation will be added to represent actual spacecraft conditions (e.g., a series of cards in a card rack).

Composts containing fluorescent pseudomonads suppress fusarium root and stem rot development on greenhouse cucumber.

PubMed

Bradley, Geoffrey G; Punja, Zamir K

2010-11-01

Three composts (Ball, dairy, and greenhouse) were tested for the ability to suppress the development of Fusarium root and stem rot (caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum) on greenhouse cucumber. Dairy and greenhouse composts significantly reduced disease severity (P = 0.05), while Ball compost had no effect. Assessment of total culturable microbes in the composts showed a positive relationship between disease suppressive ability and total population levels of pseudomonads. In vitro antagonism assays between compost-isolated bacterial strains and the pathogen showed that strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited the greatest antagonism. In growth room trials, strains of P. aeruginosa and nonantagonistic Pseudomonas maculicola, plus 2 biocontrol strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, were tested for their ability to reduce (i) survival of F. oxysporum, (ii) colonization of plants by the pathogen, and (iii) disease severity. Cucumber seedlings grown in compost receiving P. aeruginosa and P. fluorescens had reduced disease severity index scores after 8 weeks compared with control plants without bacteria. Internal stem colonization by F. oxysporum was significantly reduced by P. aeruginosa. The bacteria colonized plant roots at 1.9 × 10(6) ± 0.73 × 10(6) CFU·(g root tissue)-1 and survival was >107 CFU·(g compost)-1 after 6 weeks. The locus for 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol production was detected by Southern blot analysis and confirmed by PCR. The production of the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol in liquid culture by P. aeruginosa was confirmed by thin layer chromatography. These results demonstrate that composts containing antibiotic-producing P. aeruginosa have the potential to suppress diseases caused by Fusarium species.

Citric Acid Suppresses the Bitter Taste of Olopatadine Hydrochloride Orally Disintegrating Tablets.

PubMed

Sotoyama, Mai; Uchida, Shinya; Tanaka, Shimako; Hakamata, Akio; Odagiri, Keiichi; Inui, Naoki; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Namiki, Noriyuki

2017-01-01

Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are formulated to disintegrate upon contact with saliva, allowing administration without water. Olopatadine hydrochloride, a second-generation antihistamine, is widely used for treating allergic rhinitis. However, it has a bitter taste; therefore, the development of taste-masked olopatadine ODTs is essential. Some studies have suggested that citric acid could suppress the bitterness of drugs. However, these experiments were performed using solutions, and the taste-masking effect of citric acid on ODTs has not been evaluated using human gustatory sensation tests. Thus, this study evaluated citric acid's taste-masking effect on olopatadine ODTs. Six types of olopatadine ODTs containing 0-10% citric acid were prepared and subjected to gustatory sensation tests that were scored using the visual analog scale. The bitterness and overall palatability of olopatadine ODTs during disintegration in the mouth and after spitting out were evaluated in 11 healthy volunteers (age: 22.8±2.2 years). The hardness of the ODTs was >50 N. Disintegration time and dissolution did not differ among the different ODTs. The results of the gustatory sensation tests suggest that citric acid could suppress the bitterness of olopatadine ODTs in a dose-dependent manner. Olopatadine ODTs with a high content of citric acid (5-10%) showed poorer overall palatability than that of those without citric acid despite the bitterness suppression. ODTs containing 2.5% citric acid, yogurt flavoring, and aspartame were the most suitable formulations since they showed low bitterness and good overall palatability. Thus, citric acid is an effective bitterness-masking option for ODTs.

Homologous RXLR effectors from Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis and Phytophthora sojae suppress immunity in distantly related plants.

PubMed

Anderson, Ryan G; Casady, Megan S; Fee, Rachel A; Vaughan, Martha M; Deb, Devdutta; Fedkenheuer, Kevin; Huffaker, Alisa; Schmelz, Eric A; Tyler, Brett M; McDowell, John M

2012-12-01

Diverse pathogens secrete effector proteins into plant cells to manipulate host cellular processes. Oomycete pathogens contain large complements of predicted effector genes defined by an RXLR host cell entry motif. The genome of Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa, downy mildew of Arabidopsis) contains at least 134 candidate RXLR effector genes. Only a small subset of these genes is conserved in related oomycetes from the Phytophthora genus. Here, we describe a comparative functional characterization of the Hpa RXLR effector gene HaRxL96 and a homologous gene, PsAvh163, from the Glycine max (soybean) pathogen Phytophthora sojae. HaRxL96 and PsAvh163 are induced during the early stages of infection and carry a functional RXLR motif that is sufficient for protein uptake into plant cells. Both effectors can suppress immune responses in soybean. HaRxL96 suppresses immunity in Nicotiana benthamiana, whereas PsAvh163 induces an HR-like cell death response in Nicotiana that is dependent on RAR1 and Hsp90.1. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing HaRxL96 or PsAvh163 exhibit elevated susceptibility to virulent and avirulent Hpa, as well as decreased callose deposition in response to non-pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae. Both effectors interfere with defense marker gene induction, but do not affect salicylic acid biosynthesis. Together, these experiments demonstrate that evolutionarily conserved effectors from different oomycete species can suppress immunity in plant species that are divergent from the source pathogen's host. © 2012 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mowing of northern hardwood reproduction not profitable

Treesearch

Victor S. Jensen; Robert W., Jr. Wilson

1951-01-01

Many northern hardwood stands in the Northeast contain a number of large, worthless trees that were left over from earlier logging jobs. The seedlings and saplings under such stands are usually misshapen by having been overtopped and suppressed for years.

High-speed data word monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wirth, M. N.

1975-01-01

Small, portable, self-contained device provides high-speed display of bit pattern or any selected portion of transmission, can suppress filler patterns so that display is not updated, and can freeze display so that specific event may be observed in detail.

Characterization of oil shale, isolated kerogen, and post-pyrolysis residues using advanced 13 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cao, Xiaoyan; Birdwell, Justin E.; Chappell, Mark A.; Li, Yuan; Pignatello, Joseph J.; Mao, Jingdong

2013-01-01

Characterization of oil shale kerogen and organic residues remaining in postpyrolysis spent shale is critical to the understanding of the oil generation process and approaches to dealing with issues related to spent shale. The chemical structure of organic matter in raw oil shale and spent shale samples was examined in this study using advanced solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Oil shale was collected from Mahogany zone outcrops in the Piceance Basin. Five samples were analyzed: (1) raw oil shale, (2) isolated kerogen, (3) oil shale extracted with chloroform, (4) oil shale retorted in an open system at 500°C to mimic surface retorting, and (5) oil shale retorted in a closed system at 360°C to simulate in-situ retorting. The NMR methods applied included quantitative direct polarization with magic-angle spinning at 13 kHz, cross polarization with total sideband suppression, dipolar dephasing, CHn selection, 13C chemical shift anisotropy filtering, and 1H-13C long-range recoupled dipolar dephasing. The NMR results showed that, relative to the raw oil shale, (1) bitumen extraction and kerogen isolation by demineralization removed some oxygen-containing and alkyl moieties; (2) unpyrolyzed samples had low aromatic condensation; (3) oil shale pyrolysis removed aliphatic moieties, leaving behind residues enriched in aromatic carbon; and (4) oil shale retorted in an open system at 500°C contained larger aromatic clusters and more protonated aromatic moieties than oil shale retorted in a closed system at 360°C, which contained more total aromatic carbon with a wide range of cluster sizes.

Lens-Specific Gene Recruitment of ζ-Crystallin through Pax6, Nrl-Maf, and Brain Suppressor Sites

PubMed Central

Sharon-Friling, Ronit; Richardson, Jill; Sperbeck, Sally; Lee, Douglas; Rauchman, Michael; Maas, Richard; Swaroop, Anand; Wistow, Graeme

1998-01-01

ζ-Crystallin is a taxon-specific crystallin, an enzyme which has undergone direct gene recruitment as a structural component of the guinea pig lens through a Pax6-dependent mechanism. Tissue specificity arises through a combination of effects involving three sites in the lens promoter. The Pax6 site (ZPE) itself shows specificity for an isoform of Pax6 preferentially expressed in lens cells. High-level expression of the promoter requires a second site, identical to an αCE2 site or half Maf response element (MARE), adjacent to the Pax6 site. A promoter fragment containing Pax6 and MARE sites gives lens-preferred induction of a heterologous promoter. Complexes binding the MARE in lens nuclear extracts are antigenically related to Nrl, and cotransfection with Nrl elevates ζ-crystallin promoter activity in lens cells. A truncated ζ promoter containing Nrl-MARE and Pax6 sites has a high level of expression in lens cells in transgenic mice but is also active in the brain. Suppression of the promoter in the brain requires sequences between −498 and −385, and a site in this region forms specific complexes in brain extract. A three-level model for lens-specific Pax6-dependent expression and gene recruitment is suggested: (i) binding of a specific isoform of Pax6; (ii) augmentation of expression through binding of Nrl or a related factor; and (iii) suppression of promoter activity in the central nervous system by an upstream negative element in the brain but not in the lens. PMID:9528779

Soy Leaf Extract Containing Kaempferol Glycosides and Pheophorbides Improves Glucose Homeostasis by Enhancing Pancreatic β-Cell Function and Suppressing Hepatic Lipid Accumulation in db/db Mice.

PubMed

Li, Hua; Ji, Hyeon-Seon; Kang, Ji-Hyun; Shin, Dong-Ha; Park, Ho-Yong; Choi, Myung-Sook; Lee, Chul-Ho; Lee, In-Kyung; Yun, Bong-Sik; Jeong, Tae-Sook

2015-08-19

This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the antidiabetic effect of an ethanol extract of soy leaves (ESL) in db/db mice. Control groups (db/+ and db/db) were fed a normal diet (ND), whereas the db/db-ESL group was fed ND with 1% ESL for 8 weeks. Dietary ESL improved glucose tolerance and lowered plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, HOMA-IR, and triglyceride levels. The pancreatic insulin content of the db/db-ESL group was significantly greater than that of the db/db group. ESL supplementation altered pancreatic IRS1, IRS2, Pdx1, Ngn3, Pax4, Ins1, Ins2, and FoxO1 expression. Furthermore, ESL suppressed lipid accumulation and increased glucokinase activity in the liver. ESL primarily contained kaempferol glycosides and pheophorbides. Kaempferol, an aglycone of kaempferol glycosides, improved β-cell proliferation through IRS2-related FoxO1 signaling, whereas pheophorbide a, a product of chlorophyll breakdown, improved insulin secretion and β-cell proliferation through IRS1-related signaling with protein kinase A in MIN6 cells. ESL effectively regulates glucose homeostasis by enhancing IRS-mediated β-cell insulin signaling and suppressing SREBP-1-mediated hepatic lipid accumulation in db/db mice.

Reducing Manpower for a Technologically Advanced Ship

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-27

Watchstations by 84% (119 to 34) “ Autonomic ” Fire Suppression System AFSS is designed to automatically: (1) Isolate damage to firemain piping... System (IPS) Advanced VLS Autonomic Fire Suppression Hull Form Scale Models Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE) Integrated Undersea...Warfare (IUSW) System ( AFSS ) 8 Total Ship Organization Ship C3I Engage Support Technical Director TSCEI Sense Integrated Product Teams TSSE Director

Poppers: more evidence of suppressed immunity.

PubMed

James, J S

1999-08-20

Evidence from studies in mice shows that exposure to isobutyl nitrite suppresses the immune system. This immune suppression allows for bacterial growth in the lungs and livers of infected mice and can inhibit the ability of mediastinal lymph nodes to respond to antigen-specific stimulation. The mechanism for immune suppression may be a reduction in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations in the mediastinal lymph nodes following pulmonary infection with Listeria monocytogenes.

Modulation of collagen-induced arthritis by adenovirus-mediated intra-articular expression of modified collagen type II.

PubMed

Tang, Bo; Cullins, David L; Zhou, Jing; Zawaski, Janice A; Park, Hyelee; Brand, David D; Hasty, Karen A; Gaber, M Waleed; Stuart, John M; Kang, Andrew H; Myers, Linda K

2010-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease manifested by chronic inflammation in multiple articular joints, including the knees and small joints of the hands and feet. We have developed a unique modification to a clinically accepted method for delivering therapies directly to the synovium. Our therapy is based on our previous discovery of an analog peptide (A9) with amino acid substitutions made at positions 260 (I to A), 261 (A to B), and 263 (F to N) that could profoundly suppress immunity to type II collagen (CII) and arthritis in the collagen-induced arthritis model (CIA). We engineered an adenoviral vector to contain the CB11 portion of recombinant type II collagen and used PCR to introduce point mutations at three sites within (CII124-402, 260A, 261B, 263D), (rCB11-A9) so that the resulting molecule contained the A9 sequence at the exact site of the wild-type sequence. We used this construct to target intra-articular tissues of mice and utilized the collagen-induced arthritis model to show that this treatment strategy provided a sustained, local therapy for individual arthritic joints, effective whether given to prevent arthritis or as a treatment. We also developed a novel system for in vivo bioimaging, using the firefly luciferase reporter gene to allow serial bioluminescence imaging to show that luciferase can be detected as late as 18 days post injection into the joint. Our therapy is unique in that we target synovial cells to ultimately shut down T cell-mediated inflammation. Its effectiveness is based on its ability to transform potential inflammatory T cells and/or bystander T cells into therapeutic (regulatory-like) T cells which secrete interleukin (IL)-4. We believe this approach has potential to effectively suppress RA with minimal side effects.

Modulation of collagen-induced arthritis by adenovirus-mediated intra-articular expression of modified collagen type II

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease manifested by chronic inflammation in multiple articular joints, including the knees and small joints of the hands and feet. We have developed a unique modification to a clinically accepted method for delivering therapies directly to the synovium. Our therapy is based on our previous discovery of an analog peptide (A9) with amino acid substitutions made at positions 260 (I to A), 261 (A to B), and 263 (F to N) that could profoundly suppress immunity to type II collagen (CII) and arthritis in the collagen-induced arthritis model (CIA). Methods We engineered an adenoviral vector to contain the CB11 portion of recombinant type II collagen and used PCR to introduce point mutations at three sites within (CII124-402, 260A, 261B, 263D), (rCB11-A9) so that the resulting molecule contained the A9 sequence at the exact site of the wild-type sequence. Results We used this construct to target intra-articular tissues of mice and utilized the collagen-induced arthritis model to show that this treatment strategy provided a sustained, local therapy for individual arthritic joints, effective whether given to prevent arthritis or as a treatment. We also developed a novel system for in vivo bioimaging, using the firefly luciferase reporter gene to allow serial bioluminescence imaging to show that luciferase can be detected as late as 18 days post injection into the joint. Conclusions Our therapy is unique in that we target synovial cells to ultimately shut down T cell-mediated inflammation. Its effectiveness is based on its ability to transform potential inflammatory T cells and/or bystander T cells into therapeutic (regulatory-like) T cells which secrete interleukin (IL)-4. We believe this approach has potential to effectively suppress RA with minimal side effects. PMID:20615221

Suppression on your own terms: internally generated displays of craving suppression predict rebound effects.

PubMed

Sayers, W Michael; Sayette, Michael A

2013-09-01

Research on emotion suppression has shown a rebound effect, in which expression of the targeted emotion increases following a suppression attempt. In prior investigations, participants have been explicitly instructed to suppress their responses, which has drawn the act of suppression into metaconsciousness. Yet emerging research emphasizes the importance of nonconscious approaches to emotion regulation. This study is the first in which a craving rebound effect was evaluated without simultaneously raising awareness about suppression. We aimed to link spontaneously occurring attempts to suppress cigarette craving to increased smoking motivation assessed immediately thereafter. Smokers (n = 66) received a robust cued smoking-craving manipulation while their facial responses were videotaped and coded using the Facial Action Coding System. Following smoking-cue exposure, participants completed a behavioral choice task previously found to index smoking motivation. Participants evincing suppression-related facial expressions during cue exposure subsequently valued smoking more than did those not displaying these expressions, which suggests that internally generated suppression can exert powerful rebound effects.

Effectors from Wheat Rust Fungi Suppress Multiple Plant Defense Responses.

PubMed

Ramachandran, Sowmya R; Yin, Chuntao; Kud, Joanna; Tanaka, Kiwamu; Mahoney, Aaron K; Xiao, Fangming; Hulbert, Scot H

2017-01-01

Fungi that cause cereal rust diseases (genus Puccinia) are important pathogens of wheat globally. Upon infection, the fungus secretes a number of effector proteins. Although a large repository of putative effectors has been predicted using bioinformatic pipelines, the lack of available high-throughput effector screening systems has limited functional studies on these proteins. In this study, we mined the available transcriptomes of Puccinia graminis and P. striiformis to look for potential effectors that suppress host hypersensitive response (HR). Twenty small (<300 amino acids), secreted proteins, with no predicted functions were selected for the HR suppression assay using Nicotiana benthamiana, in which each of the proteins were transiently expressed and evaluated for their ability to suppress HR caused by four cytotoxic effector-R gene combinations (Cp/Rx, ATR13/RPP13, Rpt2/RPS-2, and GPA/RBP-1) and one mutated R gene-Pto(Y207D). Nine out of twenty proteins, designated Shr1 to Shr9 (suppressors of hypersensitive response), were found to suppress HR in N. benthamiana. These effectors varied in the effector-R gene defenses they suppressed, indicating these pathogens can interfere with a variety of host defense pathways. In addition to HR suppression, effector Shr7 also suppressed PAMP-triggered immune response triggered by flg22. Finally, delivery of Shr7 through Pseudomonas fluorescens EtHAn suppressed nonspecific HR induced by Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 in wheat, confirming its activity in a homologous system. Overall, this study provides the first evidence for the presence of effectors in Puccinia species suppressing multiple plant defense responses.

Pairing broadband noise with cortical stimulation induces extensive suppression of ascending sensory activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovitz, Craig D.; Hogan, Patrick S.; Wesen, Kyle A.; Lim, Hubert H.

2015-04-01

Objective. The corticofugal system can alter coding along the ascending sensory pathway. Within the auditory system, electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex (AC) paired with a pure tone can cause egocentric shifts in the tuning of auditory neurons, making them more sensitive to the pure tone frequency. Since tinnitus has been linked with hyperactivity across auditory neurons, we sought to develop a new neuromodulation approach that could suppress a wide range of neurons rather than enhance specific frequency-tuned neurons. Approach. We performed experiments in the guinea pig to assess the effects of cortical stimulation paired with broadband noise (PN-Stim) on ascending auditory activity within the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CNIC), a widely studied region for AC stimulation paradigms. Main results. All eight stimulated AC subregions induced extensive suppression of activity across the CNIC that was not possible with noise stimulation alone. This suppression built up over time and remained after the PN-Stim paradigm. Significance. We propose that the corticofugal system is designed to decrease the brain’s input gain to irrelevant stimuli and PN-Stim is able to artificially amplify this effect to suppress neural firing across the auditory system. The PN-Stim concept may have potential for treating tinnitus and other neurological disorders.

A deep learning framework for the automated inspection of complex dual-energy x-ray cargo imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, Thomas W.; Jaccard, Nicolas; Griffin, Lewis D.

2017-05-01

Previously, we investigated the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to detect so-called Small Metallic Threats (SMTs) hidden amongst legitimate goods inside a cargo container. We trained a CNN from scratch on data produced by a Threat Image Projection (TIP) framework that generates images with realistic variation to robustify performance. The system achieved 90% detection of containers that contained a single SMT, while raising 6% false positives on benign containers. The best CNN architecture used the raw high energy image (single-energy) and its logarithm as input channels. Use of the logarithm improved performance, thus echoing studies on human operator performance. However, it is an unexpected result with CNNs. In this work, we (i) investigate methods to exploit material information captured in dual-energy images, and (ii) introduce a new CNN training scheme that generates `spot-the-difference' benign and threat pairs on-the-fly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that CNNs have been applied directly to raw dual-energy X-ray imagery, in any field. To exploit dual-energy, we experiment with adapting several physics-derived approaches to material discrimination from the cargo literature, and introduce three novel variants. We hypothesise that CNNs can implicitly learn about the material characteristics of objects from the raw dual-energy images, and use this to suppress false positives. The best performing method is able to detect 95% of containers containing a single SMT, while raising 0.4% false positives on benign containers. This is a step change improvement in performance over our prior work

Preparative separation of sulfur-containing diketopiperazines from marine fungus Cladosporium sp. using high-speed counter-current chromatography in stepwise elution mode.

PubMed

Gu, Binbin; Zhang, Yanying; Ding, Lijian; He, Shan; Wu, Bin; Dong, Junde; Zhu, Peng; Chen, Juanjuan; Zhang, Jinrong; Yan, Xiaojun

2015-01-09

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was successively applied to the separation of three sulfur-containing diketopiperazines (DKPs) (including two new compounds cladosporin A (1) and cladosporin B (3), and a known compound haematocin (2)) from a marine fungus Cladosporium sp. The two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water at (1:1:1:1, v/v) and (2:1:2:1, v/v), in stepwise elution mode, was used for HSCCC. The preparative HSCCC separation was performed on 300 mg of crude sample yielding 26.7 mg of compound 3 at a purity of over 95%, 53.6 mg of a mixture of compounds 1 and 2, which was further separated by preparative-HPLC yielding 14.3 mg of compound 1 and 25.4 mg of compound 2 each at a purity of over 95%. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods. The sulfur-containing DKPs suppressed the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. The present work represents the first application of HSCCC in the efficient preparation of marine fungal natural products.

Preparative Separation of Sulfur-Containing Diketopiperazines from Marine Fungus Cladosporium sp. Using High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography in Stepwise Elution Mode

PubMed Central

Gu, Binbin; Zhang, Yanying; Ding, Lijian; He, Shan; Wu, Bin; Dong, Junde; Zhu, Peng; Chen, Juanjuan; Zhang, Jinrong; Yan, Xiaojun

2015-01-01

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was successively applied to the separation of three sulfur-containing diketopiperazines (DKPs) (including two new compounds cladosporin A (1) and cladosporin B (3), and a known compound haematocin (2)) from a marine fungus Cladosporium sp. The two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water at (1:1:1:1, v/v) and (2:1:2:1, v/v), in stepwise elution mode, was used for HSCCC. The preparative HSCCC separation was performed on 300 mg of crude sample yielding 26.7 mg of compound 3 at a purity of over 95%, 53.6 mg of a mixture of compounds 1 and 2, which was further separated by preparative-HPLC yielding 14.3 mg of compound 1 and 25.4 mg of compound 2 each at a purity of over 95%. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods. The sulfur-containing DKPs suppressed the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. The present work represents the first application of HSCCC in the efficient preparation of marine fungal natural products. PMID:25584683

INTRODUCTION: INHALATION EXPOSURE AND SYSTEMIC IMMUNOTOXICITY: MECHANISMS LINKING THE LUNG AND IMMUNE SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

Concerns regarding inhaled compounds, immune suppression and increased risk of disease have focused primarily on suppression of local immune responses in the lung and susceptibility to respiratory infections. However, a number of studies have shown that both gaseous (O3, NO2)...

75 FR 60667 - Airworthiness Directives; Learjet Inc. Model 45 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-01

.... This proposed AD would require a general visual inspection for damage of wiring (including chafing... result in a short circuit and the loss of systems associated with the wiring (including fire suppression..., which could result in the loss of systems associated with the wiring (including fire suppression...

Allowable Stresses For Use in Dynamic Analysis of PF-4 Fire Suppression System Piping

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

Menefee, Maia Catherine; Salmon, Michael W.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a limited test program performed on samples of fittings removed from the PF-4 fire suppression system and to present recommendations for allowable stresses to be used in subsequent piping analysis.

FIRESCOPE: a new concept in multiagency fire suppression coordination

Treesearch

Richard A. Chase

1980-01-01

FIRESCOPE is a system developed to improve the capability of firefighting agencies in southern California in allocating and managing fire suppression resources. The system provides an effective and efficient solution to operational coordination requirements and problems of the major fire protection agencies serving the southern California urban-wildland complex. Major...

Nrbf2 protein suppresses autophagy by modulating Atg14L protein-containing Beclin 1-Vps34 complex architecture and reducing intracellular phosphatidylinositol-3 phosphate levels.

PubMed

Zhong, Yu; Morris, Deanna H; Jin, Lin; Patel, Mittul S; Karunakaran, Senthil K; Fu, You-Jun; Matuszak, Emily A; Weiss, Heidi L; Chait, Brian T; Wang, Qing Jun

2014-09-19

Autophagy is a tightly regulated lysosomal degradation pathway for maintaining cellular homeostasis and responding to stresses. Beclin 1 and its interacting proteins, including the class III phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase Vps34, play crucial roles in autophagy regulation in mammals. We identified nuclear receptor binding factor 2 (Nrbf2) as a Beclin 1-interacting protein from Becn1(-/-);Becn1-EGFP/+ mouse liver and brain. We also found that Nrbf2-Beclin 1 interaction required the N terminus of Nrbf2. We next used the human retinal pigment epithelial cell line RPE-1 as a model system and showed that transiently knocking down Nrbf2 by siRNA increased autophagic flux under both nutrient-rich and starvation conditions. To investigate the mechanism by which Nrbf2 regulates autophagy, we demonstrated that Nrbf2 interacted and colocalized with Atg14L, suggesting that Nrbf2 is a component of the Atg14L-containing Beclin 1-Vps34 complex. Moreover, ectopically expressed Nrbf2 formed cytosolic puncta that were positive for isolation membrane markers. These results suggest that Nrbf2 is involved in autophagosome biogenesis. Furthermore, we showed that Nrbf2 deficiency led to increased intracellular phosphatidylinositol-3 phosphate levels and diminished Atg14L-Vps34/Vps15 interactions, suggesting that Nrbf2-mediated Atg14L-Vps34/Vps15 interactions likely inhibit Vps34 activity. Therefore, we propose that Nrbf2 may interact with the Atg14L-containing Beclin 1-Vps34 protein complex to modulate protein-protein interactions within the complex, leading to suppression of Vps34 activity, autophagosome biogenesis, and autophagic flux. This work reveals a novel aspect of the intricate mechanism for the Beclin 1-Vps34 protein-protein interaction network to achieve precise control of autophagy. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Technology Demonstration of Self-Healing Coatings for In-Place Management of Lead-Based Paint Hazards

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-12-01

Microscopic capsules have been developed on the order of 50 - 150 microns in size. These microcapsules can contain a small quantity of liquid, and they...will release their contents when broken. Microcapsules containing paint repair and lead dust suppression compounds can be mixed into commercially...available latex coatings and used to overcoat existing lead-based paint (LBP) on older buildings. If such an overcoating is damaged, the microcapsules

Normal mitogen-induced suppression of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) response and its deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus

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

Warrington, R.J.; Rutherford, W.J.

1990-01-01

A low-frequency suppressor-cell population in normal peripheral blood inhibits the B-cell CESS response to IL-6, following pokeweed mitogen stimulation. The suppression of IL-6 responsiveness is radiation sensitive, directed against CESS targets and not mediated by inhibition of IL-6 production, and associated with nonspecific cytotoxic activity against CESS targets. The generation of these cytolytic cells is also radiation sensitive. A correlation was found between PWM-induced cytotoxicity against CESS and the suppression of IL-6-dependent IgG production. But cytotoxicity toward CESS targets is not responsible for this suppression because IL-2 induces equivalent or greater nonspecific cytotoxicity against CESS in the total absence ofmore » suppression of CESS-derived IgG production and suppression is also induced by mitogen-activated PBL separated from CESS targets by a cell-impermeable membrane. This suppression was not mediated by TNF alpha/beta or IFN-gamma. In systemic lupus erythematosus, suppression of IL-6-dependent IgG production is impaired in patients with active disease (29.2 +/- 13.7%) compared to patients with inactive disease (70 +/- 19.5%) or normal controls (82.8 +/- 9.2%). There is also a defect in mitogen-induced nonspecific cytotoxicity in active SLE (specific lysis 15.1 +/- 3.5%, compared to 34 +/- 4% in normals). Pokeweed mitogen-activated PBL can therefore normally induce suppression of B-cell IL-6 responses and this response is deficient in lupus.« less

Oolong tea prevents cardiomyocyte loss against hypoxia by attenuating p-JNK mediated hypertrophy and enhancing P-IGF1R, p-akt, and p-Badser136 activity and by fortifying NRF2 antioxidation system.

PubMed

Shibu, Marthandam Asokan; Kuo, Chia-Hua; Chen, Bih-Cheng; Ju, Da-Tong; Chen, Ray-Jade; Lai, Chao-Hung; Huang, Pei-Jane; Viswanadha, Vijaya Padma; Kuo, Wei-Wen; Huang, Chih-Yang

2018-02-01

Tea, the most widely consumed natural beverage has been associated with reduced mortality risk from cardiovascular disease. Oolong tea is a partially fermented tea containing high levels of catechins, their degree of oxidation varies between 20%-80% causing differences in their active metabolites. In this study we examined the effect of oolong tea extract (OTE) obtained by oxidation at low-temperature for short-time against hypoxic injury and found that oolong tea provides cyto-protective effects by suppressing the JNK mediated hypertrophic effects and by enhancing the innate antioxidant mechanisms in neonatal cardiomyocytes and in H9c2 cells. OTE effectively attenuates 24 h hypoxia-triggered cardiomyocyte loss by suppressing caspase-3-cleavage and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. OTE also enhances the IGFIR/p-Akt associated survival-mechanism involving the elevation of p-Bad ser136 in a dose-dependent manner to aid cellular adaptations against hypoxic challenge. The results show the effects and mechanism of Oolong tea to provide cardio-protective benefits during hypoxic conditions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Suppression of murine collagen-induced arthritis by targeted apoptosis of synovial neovasculature

PubMed Central

Gerlag, Danielle M; Borges, Eric; Tak, Paul P; Ellerby, H Michael; Bredesen, Dale E; Pasqualini, Renata; Ruoslahti, Erkki; Firestein, Gary S

2001-01-01

Because angiogenesis plays a major role in the perpetuation of inflammatory arthritis, we explored a method for selectively targeting and destroying new synovial blood vessels. Mice with collagen-induced arthritis were injected intravenously with phage expressing an RGD motif. In addition, the RGD peptide (RGD-4C) was covalently linked to a proapoptotic heptapeptide dimer, D(KLAKLAK)2, and was systemically administered to mice with collagen-induced arthritis. A phage displaying an RGD-containing cyclic peptide (RGD-4C) that binds selectively to the αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins accumulated in inflamed synovium but not in normal synovium. Homing of RGD-4C phage to inflamed synovium was inhibited by co-administration of soluble RGD-4C. Intravenous injections of the RGD-4C–D(KLAKLAK)2 chimeric peptide significantly decreased clinical arthritis and increased apoptosis of synovial blood vessels, whereas treatment with vehicle or uncoupled mixture of the RGD-4C and the untargeted proapoptotic peptide had no effect. Targeted apoptosis of synovial neovasculature can induce apoptosis and suppress clinical arthritis. This form of therapy has potential utility in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis. PMID:11714389

Nicotine Affects Bone Resorption and Suppresses the Expression of Cathepsin K, MMP-9 and Vacuolar-Type H+-ATPase d2 and Actin Organization in Osteoclasts

PubMed Central

Tanaka, Hideki; Tanabe, Natsuko; Kawato, Takayuki; Nakai, Kumiko; Kariya, Taro; Matsumoto, Sakurako; Zhao, Ning; Motohashi, Masafumi; Maeno, Masao

2013-01-01

Tobacco smoking is an important risk factor for the development of several cancers, osteoporosis, and inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis. Nicotine is one of the major components of tobacco. In previous study, we showed that nicotine inhibits mineralized nodule formation by osteoblasts, and the culture medium from osteoblasts containing nicotine and lipopolysaccharide increases osteoclast differentiation. However, the direct effect of nicotine on the differentiation and function of osteoclasts is poorly understood. Thus, we examined the direct effects of nicotine on the expression of nicotine receptors and bone resorption-related enzymes, mineral resorption, actin organization, and bone resorption using RAW264.7 cells and bone marrow cells as osteoclast precursors. Cells were cultured with 10−5, 10−4, or 10−3 M nicotine and/or 50 µM α-bungarotoxin (btx), an 7 nicotine receptor antagonist, in differentiation medium containing the soluble RANKL for up 7 days. 1–5, 7, 9, and 10 nicotine receptors were expressed on RAW264.7 cells. The expression of 7 nicotine receptor was increased by the addition of nicotine. Nicotine suppressed the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase positive multinuclear osteoclasts with large nuclei(≥10 nuclei), and decreased the planar area of each cell. Nicotine decreased expression of cathepsin K, MMP-9, and V-ATPase d2. Btx inhibited nicotine effects. Nicotine increased CA II expression although decreased the expression of V-ATPase d2 and the distribution of F-actin. Nicotine suppressed the planar area of resorption pit by osteoclasts, but did not affect mineral resorption. These results suggest that nicotine increased the number of osteoclasts with small nuclei, but suppressed the number of osteoclasts with large nuclei. Moreover, nicotine reduced the planar area of resorption pit by suppressing the number of osteoclasts with large nuclei, V-ATPase d2, cathepsin K and MMP-9 expression and actin organization. PMID:23555029

Hepatic Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase 3 Enzyme Suppressed by Type 1 Allergy-Produced Nitric Oxide.

PubMed

Tanino, Tadatoshi; Bando, Toru; Komada, Akira; Nojiri, Yukie; Okada, Yuna; Ueda, Yukari; Sakurai, Eiichi

2017-11-01

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) are major mammalian non-cytochrome P450 oxidative enzymes. T helper 2 cell-activated allergic diseases produce excess levels of nitric oxide (NO) that modify the functions of proteins. However, it remains unclear whether allergy-induced NO affects the pharmacokinetics of drugs metabolized by FMOs. This study investigated alterations of hepatic microsomal FMO1 and FMO3 activities in type 1 allergic mice and further examined the interaction of FMO1 and FMO3 with allergy-induced NO. Imipramine (IMP; FMO1 substrate) N- oxidation activity was not altered in allergic mice with high serum NO and immunoglobulin E levels. At 7 days after primary sensitization (PS7) or secondary sensitization (SS7), benzydamine (BDZ; FMO1 and FMO3 substrate) N- oxygenation was significantly decreased to 70% of individual controls. The expression levels of FMO1 and FMO3 proteins were not significantly changed in the sensitized mice. Hepatic inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA level increased 5-fold and 15-fold in PS7 and SS7 mice, respectively, and hepatic tumor necrosis factor- α levels were greatly enhanced. When a selective iNOS inhibitor was injected into allergic mice, serum NO levels and BDZ N- oxygenation activity returned to control levels. NO directly suppressed BDZ N- oxygenation, which was probably related to FMO3-dependent metabolism in comparison with IMP N- oxidation. In hepatic microsomes from PS7 and SS7 mice, the suppression of BDZ N- oxygenation was restored by ascorbate. Therefore, type 1 allergic mice had differentially suppressed FMO3-dependent BDZ N- oxygenation. The suppression of FMO3 metabolism related to reversible S- nitrosyl modifications of iNOS-derived NO. NO is expected to alter FMO3-metabolic capacity-limited drug pharmacokinetics in humans. Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Preparation and evaluation of a phospholipid-based injectable gel for the long term delivery of leuprolide acetaterrh.

PubMed

Long, Danhong; Gong, Tao; Zhang, Zhirong; Ding, Rui; Fu, Yao

2016-07-01

A phospholipid-based injectable gel was developed for the sustained delivery of leuprolide acetate (LA). The gel system was prepared using biocompatible materials (SPME), including soya phosphatidyl choline (SPC), medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and ethanol. The system displayed a sol state with low viscosity in vitro and underwent in situ gelation in vivo after subcutaneous injection. An in vitro release study was performed using a dialysis setup with different release media containing different percentages of ethanol. The stability of LA in the SPME system was investigated under different temperatures and in the presence of various antioxidants. In vivo studies in male rats were performed to elucidate the pharmacokinetic profiles and pharmacodynamic efficacy. A sustained release of LA for 28 days was observed without obvious initial burst in vivo. The pharmacodynamic study showed that once-a-month injection of LA-loaded SPME (SPME-LA) led to comparable suppression effects on the serum testosterone level as observed in LA solution except for the onset time. These findings demonstrate excellent potential for this novel SPME system as a sustained release delivery system for LA.

Effect of Seeding Rate on Weed Suppression Activity and Yield of Indica and Tropical Japonica Rice Cultivars.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Weeds are ubiquitous and costly pests in U.S. rice production systems. Although most rice cultivars do not suppress weeds dramatically, certain indica cultivars and commercial hybrids have been shown to suppress barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) in conventional as well as reduced-herbicide and ...

A wind-tunnel investigation of a B-52 model flutter suppression system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redd, L. T.; Gilman, J., Jr.; Cooley, D. E.; Sevart, F. D.

1974-01-01

Flutter modeling techniques have been successfully extended to the difficult case of the active suppression of flutter. The demonstration was conducted in a transonic dynamics tunnel using a 1/30 scale, elastic, dynamic model of a Boeing B-52 control configured vehicle. The results from the study show that with the flutter suppression system operating there is a substantial increase in the damping associated with the critical flutter mode. The results also show good correlation between the damping characteristics of the model and the aircraft.

Isoliquiritigenin Attenuates Adipose Tissue Inflammation in vitro and Adipose Tissue Fibrosis through Inhibition of Innate Immune Responses in Mice.

PubMed

Watanabe, Yasuharu; Nagai, Yoshinori; Honda, Hiroe; Okamoto, Naoki; Yamamoto, Seiji; Hamashima, Takeru; Ishii, Yoko; Tanaka, Miyako; Suganami, Takayoshi; Sasahara, Masakiyo; Miyake, Kensuke; Takatsu, Kiyoshi

2016-03-15

Isoliquiritigenin (ILG) is a flavonoid derived from Glycyrrhiza uralensis and potently suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation resulting in the improvement of diet-induced adipose tissue inflammation. However, whether ILG affects other pathways besides the inflammasome in adipose tissue inflammation is unknown. We here show that ILG suppresses adipose tissue inflammation by affecting the paracrine loop containing saturated fatty acids and TNF-α by using a co-culture composed of adipocytes and macrophages. ILG suppressed inflammatory changes induced by the co-culture through inhibition of NF-κB activation. This effect was independent of either inhibition of inflammasome activation or activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ. Moreover, ILG suppressed TNF-α-induced activation of adipocytes, coincident with inhibition of IκBα phosphorylation. Additionally, TNF-α-mediated inhibition of Akt phosphorylation under insulin signaling was alleviated by ILG in adipocytes. ILG suppressed palmitic acid-induced activation of macrophages, with decreasing the level of phosphorylated Jnk expression. Intriguingly, ILG improved high fat diet-induced fibrosis in adipose tissue in vivo. Finally, ILG inhibited TLR4- or Mincle-stimulated expression of fibrosis-related genes in stromal vascular fraction from obese adipose tissue and macrophages in vitro. Thus, ILG can suppress adipose tissue inflammation by both inflammasome-dependent and -independent manners and attenuate adipose tissue fibrosis by targeting innate immune sensors.

Testing Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions for Water Ice: LEND Results from LRO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanin, A. B.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Litvak, M. L.; Malakhov, A.; Boynton, W. V.; Chin, G.; Droege, G.; Evans, L. G.; Garvin, J.; Golovin, D. V.;

OVERVIEW ON ALTERNATIVE ASBESTOS CONTROL METHOD RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos-containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Analysis of the life support and airlock support subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arbet, Jim; Duffy, R.; Barickman, K.; Saiidi, Mo J.

1987-01-01

The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. This report documents the independent analysis results corresponding to the Orbiter Life Support System (LSS) and Airlock Support System (ALSS). Each level of hardware was evaluated and analyzed for possible failure modes and effects. Criticality was assigned based upon the severity of the effect for each failure mode. The LSS provides for the management of the supply water, collection of metabolic waste, management of waste water, smoke detection, and fire suppression. The ALSS provides water, oxygen, and electricity to support an extravehicular activity in the airlock.

Degradation of Nylon 6,6 Fire-Suppression Casing from Plutonium Glove Boxes Under Alpha and Neutron Irradiation

DOE PAGES

Millsap, Donald W.; Cournoyer, Michael E.; Landsberger, Sheldon; ...

2015-04-23

Nylon 6,6 tensile specimens, conforming to the casing for self-contained fire extinguisher systems, have been irradiated using both an accelerator He ++ ion beam and a 5-Ci PuBe neutron source to model the radiation damage these systems would likely incur over a lifetime of operation within glove boxes. Following irradiation, these samples were mechanically tested using standard practices as described in ASTM D638. The results of the He ++ study indicate that the tensile strength of the nylon specimens undergoes some slight (<10%) degradation while other properties of the samples, such as elongation and tangent modulus, appear to fluctuate withmore » increasing dose levels. The He ++-irradiated specimens also have a noticeable level of discoloration corresponding to increasing levels of dose. The neutron-irradiated samples show a higher degree of mechanical degradation than the He ++-irradiated samples.« less

Optical transmission modules for multi-channel superconducting quantum interference device readouts.

PubMed

Kim, Jin-Mok; Kwon, Hyukchan; Yu, Kwon-kyu; Lee, Yong-Ho; Kim, Kiwoong

2013-12-01

We developed an optical transmission module consisting of 16-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC), digital-noise filter, and one-line serial transmitter, which transferred Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) readout data to a computer by a single optical cable. A 16-channel ADC sent out SQUID readouts data with 32-bit serial data of 8-bit channel and 24-bit voltage data at a sample rate of 1.5 kSample/s. A digital-noise filter suppressed digital noises generated by digital clocks to obtain SQUID modulation as large as possible. One-line serial transmitter reformed 32-bit serial data to the modulated data that contained data and clock, and sent them through a single optical cable. When the optical transmission modules were applied to 152-channel SQUID magnetoencephalography system, this system maintained a field noise level of 3 fT/√Hz @ 100 Hz.

Conceptural Study of Gyroscopic Damping Systems for Structural Indentification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuya, H.; Senba, A.

2002-01-01

System identification of the adaptive gyroscopic damper system (AGDS) is treated in this paper. The adaptive gyroscopic damper system was proposed as the extension of the conventional gyroscopic damper under the concept of intelligent adaptive structure systems [1]. The conventional gyroscopic damper has passive characteristics similar to a tuned mass damper (TMD). Because the conventional gyroscopic damper has one natural frequency, several applications to the ground structures have been studied to suppress the fundamental vibration mode (e.g. [2]). On the other hand, as the AGDS has a property of adjusting the natural frequency of the gimbal to that of the structural system by controlling the moment of inertia around its gimbal axis, the performance for suppressing the vibration of one-DOF system was improved. In addition, by extending this property, suppression of multiple modes vibration by quasi-static control for the AGDS was demonstrated [3]. To realize the high performance for suppressing the structural vibration, the identification of characteristics of the structural system with AGDS is significant, because the adaptability of the AGDS to the natural frequency of the system reflects to the performance. By using a capability of AGDS as changing its moment of inertia around its gimbals axis by controlling appendage mass, the system identification is also possible. A sensitivity analysis for the change of the response amplitude and the natural frequency with modal parameters is applied to the method. The errors included in the identification results of modal parameters for cantilevered beam model is examined. The numerical demonstrations were performed to investigate the identification errors of system parameters by the response amplitude and the natural frequency with modal parameters, respectively. The results show that the technique used in the study can identify the structural system and the identification errors occur for near the natural frequency of the system by using the response amplitude, and for the optimum momentum inertia by using the natural frequency. References [1] Hiroshi FURUYA, Masanori TAKAHASHI, and Tatsuo OHMACHI: Concept of Adaptive Gyroscopic Damper and Vibration Suppression of Flexible Structures, 8th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technologies, Wakayama, Oct. 29-31, 1997, eds. Y. Murotsu, C.A. Rogers, P. Santini, and H. Okubo, Technomic Publishing, pp.247-254, 1998. [2] Hiroshi FURUYA, Masanori TAKAHASHI, and Tatsuo OHMACHI: Pseudo Feedback Control of Adaptive Gyroscopic Damper for Vibration Suppression, 39th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Material Conference, AIAA 98-1796, Long Beach, CA, April 20-23, pp.830-834, 1998. [3] Hiroshi FURUYA and Atsuo KOBORI: Suppression of Multiple Modes Vibration of Flexible Structures with Adaptive Gyroscopic Damper System, 10th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technologies, Paris, Oct. 13-15, 1999, eds. R. Ohayon, and M. Bernadou, Technomic Publishing, pp. 127-134, 1999.

Partial feedback linearization control for 3-D underactuated overhead crane systems.

PubMed

Wu, Xianqing; He, Xiongxiong

2016-11-01

In this paper, a novel anti-swing control method is proposed for 3-dimensional (3-D) underactuated overhead crane systems, which guarantees fast transportation and efficient swing suppression. Specifically, to increase the performance of the payload swing suppression, a swing-suppressing element is introduced, based on which a novel positioning error signal is constructed. Then, a new control method is developed, and the overall system is divided into two subsystems. The stability analysis of the two subsystems and the overall system is given. In addition, the convergence of the system states is proved. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed controller over the existing controllers. Meanwhile, the practical performance of the proposed controller is experimentally validated on a portable overhead crane test-bed. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-yield cell-free synthesis of human EGFR by IRES-mediated protein translation in a continuous exchange cell-free reaction format

PubMed Central

Quast, Robert B.; Sonnabend, Andrei; Stech, Marlitt; Wüstenhagen, Doreen A.; Kubick, Stefan

2016-01-01

Cell-free protein synthesis systems derived from eukaryotic sources often provide comparatively low amounts of several μg per ml of de novo synthesized membrane protein. In order to overcome this, we herein demonstrate the high-yield cell-free synthesis of the human EGFR in a microsome-containing system derived from cultured Sf21 cells. Yields were increased more than 100-fold to more than 285 μg/ml by combination of IRES-mediated protein translation with a continuous exchange cell-free reaction format that allowed for prolonged reaction lifetimes exceeding 24 hours. In addition, an orthogonal cell-free translation system is presented that enabled the site-directed incorporation of p-Azido-L-phenylalanine by amber suppression. Functionality of cell-free synthesized receptor molecules is demonstrated by investigation of autophosphorylation activity in the absence of ligand and interaction with the cell-free synthesized adapter molecule Grb2. PMID:27456041

Methods and apparatus of suppressing tube waves within a bore hole and seismic surveying systems incorporating same

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B.; Haefner, Daryl

2004-08-17

Methods and apparatus for attenuating waves in a bore hole, and seismic surveying systems incorporating the same. In one embodiment, an attenuating device includes a soft compliant bladder coupled to a pressurized gas source. A pressure regulating system reduces the pressure of the gas from the gas source prior to entering the bladder and operates in conjunction with the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in a bore hole to maintain the pressure of the bladder at a specified pressure relative to the surrounding bore hole pressure. Once the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid exceeds that of the gas source, bore hole fluid may be admitted into a vessel of the gas source to further compress and displace the gas contained therein. In another embodiment, a water-reactive material may be used to provide gas to the bladder wherein the amount of gas generated by the water-reactive material may depend on the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid.

Methods and apparatus of suppressing tube waves within a bore hole and seismic surveying systems incorporating same

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B.; Haefner, Daryl

2005-12-13

Methods and apparatus for attenuating waves in a bore hole, and seismic surveying systems incorporating the same. In one embodiment, an attenuating device includes a soft compliant bladder coupled to a pressurized gas source. A pressure regulating system reduces the pressure of the gas from the gas source prior to entering the bladder and operates in conjunction with the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in a bore hole to maintain the pressure of the bladder at a specified pressure relative to the surrounding bore hole pressure. Once the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid exceeds that of the gas source, bore hole fluid may be admitted into a vessel of the gas source to further compress and displace the gas contained therein. In another embodiment, a water-reactive material may be used to provide gas to the bladder wherein the amount of gas generated by the water-reactive material may depend on the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid.

Scale hierarchy in Hořava-Lifshitz gravity: strong constraint from synchrotron radiation in the Crab Nebula.

PubMed

Liberati, Stefano; Maccione, Luca; Sotiriou, Thomas P

2012-10-12

Hořava-Lifshitz gravity models contain higher-order operators suppressed by a characteristic scale, which is required to be parametrically smaller than the Planck scale. We show that recomputed synchrotron radiation constraints from the Crab Nebula suffice to exclude the possibility that this scale is of the same order of magnitude as the Lorentz breaking scale in the matter sector. This highlights the need for a mechanism that suppresses the percolation of Lorentz violation in the matter sector and is effective for higher-order operators as well.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INFECTION DURING IMMUNOSUPPRESSION

PubMed Central

Zunt, Joseph R.

2009-01-01

The central nervous system (CNS) is susceptible to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Suppression of the immune system by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation increases susceptibility to CNS infection and modifies the presentation, diagnosis, and recommended treatment of various CNS infections. This chapter discusses how suppression of the host immune status modifies the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of selected CNS infections. PMID:11754299

Development and application of an optimization procedure for flutter suppression using the aerodynamic energy concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nissim, E.; Abel, I.

1978-01-01

An optimization procedure is developed based on the responses of a system to continuous gust inputs. The procedure uses control law transfer functions which have been partially determined by using the relaxed aerodynamic energy approach. The optimization procedure yields a flutter suppression system which minimizes control surface activity in a gust environment. The procedure is applied to wing flutter of a drone aircraft to demonstrate a 44 percent increase in the basic wing flutter dynamic pressure. It is shown that a trailing edge control system suppresses the flutter instability over a wide range of subsonic mach numbers and flight altitudes. Results of this study confirm the effectiveness of the relaxed energy approach.

An experimental SMI adaptive antenna array for weak interfering signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dilsavor, R. L.; Gupta, I. J.

1989-01-01

A modified sample matrix inversion (SMI) algorithm designed to increase the suppression of weak interference is implemented on an existing experimental array system. The algorithm itself is fully described as are a number of issues concerning its implementation and evaluation, such as sample scaling, snapshot formation, weight normalization, power calculation, and system calibration. Several experiments show that the steady state performance (i.e., many snapshots are used to calculate the array weights) of the experimental system compares favorably with its theoretical performance. It is demonstrated that standard SMI does not yield adequate suppression of weak interference. Modified SMI is then used to experimentally increase this suppression by as much as 13dB.

Effects of Water Sprinklers on the Performance of Low Level AFFF Aircraft Hangar Fire Suppression Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-22

AFFF fire suppression system. The combined overhead water-only sprinkler and low level AFFF system is being considered as a new protection scheme for...performance of a low level system during AFFF discharge (4.0 Lpm/sq m (0.1 gpm/sq ft)). Based on the results of these tests, the design criteria for...Navy hangar protection may be revised to incorporate AFFF application from only the low level system, combined with overhead closed-head guide response water sprinklers.

Role for apyrases in polar auxin transport in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Liu, Xing; Wu, Jian; Clark, Greg; Lundy, Stacey; Lim, Minhui; Arnold, David; Chan, Jing; Tang, Wenqiang; Muday, Gloria K; Gardner, Gary; Roux, Stanley J

2012-12-01

Recent evidence indicates that extracellular nucleotides regulate plant growth. Exogenous ATP has been shown to block auxin transport and gravitropic growth in primary roots of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Cells limit the concentration of extracellular ATP in part through the activity of ectoapyrases (ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases), and two nearly identical Arabidopsis apyrases, APY1 and APY2, appear to share this function. These findings, plus the fact that suppression of APY1 and APY2 blocks growth in Arabidopsis, suggested that the expression of these apyrases could influence auxin transport. This report tests that hypothesis. The polar movement of [(3)H]indole-3-acetic acid in both hypocotyl sections and primary roots of Arabidopsis seedlings was measured. In both tissues, polar auxin transport was significantly reduced in apy2 null mutants when they were induced by estradiol to suppress the expression of APY1 by RNA interference. In the hypocotyl assays, the basal halves of APY-suppressed hypocotyls contained considerably lower free indole-3-acetic acid levels when compared with wild-type plants, and disrupted auxin transport in the APY-suppressed roots was reflected by their significant morphological abnormalities. When a green fluorescent protein fluorescence signal encoded by a DR5:green fluorescent protein construct was measured in primary roots whose apyrase expression was suppressed either genetically or chemically, the roots showed no signal asymmetry following gravistimulation, and both their growth and gravitropic curvature were inhibited. Chemicals that suppress apyrase activity also inhibit gravitropic curvature and, to a lesser extent, growth. Taken together, these results indicate that a critical step connecting apyrase suppression to growth suppression is the inhibition of polar auxin transport.

SRY-box-containing Gene 2 Regulation of Nuclear Receptor Tailless (Tlx) Transcription in Adult Neural Stem Cells*

PubMed Central

Shimozaki, Koji; Zhang, Chun-Li; Suh, Hoonkyo; Denli, Ahmet M.; Evans, Ronald M.; Gage, Fred H.

2012-01-01

Adult neurogenesis is maintained by self-renewable neural stem cells (NSCs). Their activity is regulated by multiple signaling pathways and key transcription factors. However, it has been unclear whether these factors interplay with each other at the molecular level. Here we show that SRY-box-containing gene 2 (Sox2) and nuclear receptor tailless (TLX) form a molecular network in adult NSCs. We observed that both Sox2 and TLX proteins bind to the upstream region of Tlx gene. Sox2 positively regulates Tlx expression, whereas the binding of TLX to its own promoter suppresses its transcriptional activity in luciferase reporter assays. Such TLX-mediated suppression can be antagonized by overexpressing wild-type Sox2 but not a mutant lacking the transcriptional activation domain. Furthermore, through regions involved in DNA-binding activity, Sox2 and TLX physically interact to form a complex on DNAs that contain a consensus binding site for TLX. Finally, depletion of Sox2 revealed the potential negative feedback loop of TLX expression that is antagonized by Sox2 in adult NSCs. These data suggest that Sox2 plays an important role in Tlx transcription in cultured adult NSCs. PMID:22194602

SRY-box-containing gene 2 regulation of nuclear receptor tailless (Tlx) transcription in adult neural stem cells.

PubMed

Shimozaki, Koji; Zhang, Chun-Li; Suh, Hoonkyo; Denli, Ahmet M; Evans, Ronald M; Gage, Fred H

2012-02-17

Adult neurogenesis is maintained by self-renewable neural stem cells (NSCs). Their activity is regulated by multiple signaling pathways and key transcription factors. However, it has been unclear whether these factors interplay with each other at the molecular level. Here we show that SRY-box-containing gene 2 (Sox2) and nuclear receptor tailless (TLX) form a molecular network in adult NSCs. We observed that both Sox2 and TLX proteins bind to the upstream region of Tlx gene. Sox2 positively regulates Tlx expression, whereas the binding of TLX to its own promoter suppresses its transcriptional activity in luciferase reporter assays. Such TLX-mediated suppression can be antagonized by overexpressing wild-type Sox2 but not a mutant lacking the transcriptional activation domain. Furthermore, through regions involved in DNA-binding activity, Sox2 and TLX physically interact to form a complex on DNAs that contain a consensus binding site for TLX. Finally, depletion of Sox2 revealed the potential negative feedback loop of TLX expression that is antagonized by Sox2 in adult NSCs. These data suggest that Sox2 plays an important role in Tlx transcription in cultured adult NSCs.

Dietary Walnut Suppressed Mammary Gland Tumorigenesis in the C(3)1 TAg Mouse

PubMed Central

Hardman, W. Elaine; Ion, Gabriela; Akinsete, Juliana A.; Witte, Theodore R.

2011-01-01

Walnuts contain multiple ingredients that, individually, have been shown to slow cancer growth, including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytosterols. In previous research, consumption of walnuts has slowed the growth of implanted breast cancers. We wanted to determine whether regular walnut consumption might reduce the risk for developing cancer. Homozygous male C(3)1 TAg mice were bred with female SV129 mice consuming either the control AIN-76 diet or the walnut-containing diet. At weaning, the female hemizygous pups were randomized to control or walnut-containing diets and followed for tumor development. Compared to a diet without walnuts, consumption of walnuts significantly reduced tumor incidence (fraction of mice with at least one tumor), multiplicity (number of glands with tumor/mouse), and size. Gene expression analyses indicated that consumption of the walnut diet altered expression of multiple genes associated with proliferation and differentiation of mammary epithelial cells. A comparison with another dietary intervention indicated that the omega 3 content alone did not account for the extent of tumor suppression due to the walnut. The results of this study indicate that walnut consumption could contribute to a healthy diet to reduce risk for breast cancer. PMID:21774594

The effect of Psilocybe cubensis extract on hippocampal neurons in vitro.

PubMed

Moldavan, M G; Grodzinskaya, A A; Solomko, E F; Lomberh, M L; Wasser, S P; Storozhuk, V M

2001-01-01

The action of P. cubensis mushroom extract, containing psilocybin (PCB) and psilocin, on spike activity of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons was studied in in vitro rat brain slices. In 38 (76%) out of 50 investigated neurons spike activity was decreased, in 2 (4%) cells it increased. There was no response 10 (20%) neurons. Application of the extract caused short burst firing in 12 (24%) neurons. All neurons showing inhibition during PCB-containing extract application, were also inhibited by serotonin (5-HT). Usually inhibitory reaction did not last over 4-5 min upon 3 min extract application and could be prolonged up to 10-43 min up on serotonin application. Part of neurons were inhibited by serotonin and did not react to extract application. Inhibitory reactions induced by extract application were blocked by ritanserin in half of the tested units and were induced due to activation of 5-HT2 serotonin receptors. The extract suppressed excitative spike reactions caused by application of L-glutamic acid. It is concluded, that application of PCB-containing extract in most cases reduced spike activity in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons and suppressed glutamate transmission.

Choline in infant formula and adult nutritionals by ion chromatography and suppressed conductivity: First Action 2012.20.

PubMed

Oates, Kassandra; Chen, Lillian; De Borba, Brian; Mohindra, Deepali; Rohrer, Jeffrey; Dowell, Dawn

2013-01-01

Single-laboratory validation (SLV) data from a method for the determination of choline in infant formula and adult nutritionals by ion chromatography (IC) and suppressed conductivity were generated and presented to the Stakeholder Panel on Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals (SPIFAN) Expert Review Panel (ERP) at the AOAC Annual Meeting held in Las Vegas, NV, during September 30 to October 3, 2012. The ERP reviewed the data and concluded that the data met the standard method performance requirements (SMPRs) established and approved the method as AOAC Official First Action. At the ERP's request, a second, full SLV was performed on 17 SPIFAN matrixes that included fortified and placebo products. Prior to IC analysis, microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis was used to digest and release bound choline from powder and ready-to-feed (RTF) infant formula and adult nutritional samples. Following hydrolysis, separation of choline from common cations was achieved on a Thermo Scientific Dionex IonPac CS19 column followed by suppressed conductivity detection. Total choline was measured and reported as the choline ion in mg/100 g reconstituted material or RTF as-is. The system was calibrated over the analytical range specified in the SMPR (2-250 mg/100 g). Recoveries of spiked samples at 50 and 100% of the fortified choline amounts ranged from 93.1 to 100.7% with RSDs < or = 6.7% for product containing < 2 mg/100 g and < or = 4.1% for product containing 2-100 mg/100 g. Accuracy for the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 1849a was determined over a 6-day interval and found to be 10.2 +/- 0.2 mg/100 g calculated as the reconstituted powder with an RSD of 1.8%. The LOD was determined to be 0.009, and the LOQ 0.012 mg/100 g, well below the SMPR requirements of 0.7 and 2 mg/100 g, respectively. Repeatability RSDs over the range of the assay (2-200 mg/100 g) ranged from 1.0 to 5.93%

Public access defibrillation: suppression of 16.7 Hz interference generated by the power supply of the railway systems.

PubMed

Christov, Ivaylo I; Iliev, Georgi L

2005-03-15

A specific problem using the public access defibrillators (PADs) arises at the railway stations. Some countries as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden are using AC railroad net power-supply system with rated 16.7 Hz frequency modulated from 15.69 Hz to 17.36 Hz. The power supply frequency contaminates the electrocardiogram (ECG). It is difficult to be suppressed or eliminated due to the fact that it considerably overlaps the frequency spectra of the ECG. The interference impedes the automated decision of the PADs whether a patient should be (or should not be) shocked. The aim of this study is the suppression of the 16.7 Hz interference generated by the power supply of the railway systems. Software solution using adaptive filtering method was proposed for 16.7 Hz interference suppression. The optimal performance of the filter is achieved, embedding a reference channel in the PADs to record the interference. The method was tested with ECGs from AHA database. The method was tested with patients of normal sinus rhythms, symptoms of tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Simulated interference with frequency modulation from 15.69 Hz to 17.36 Hz changing at a rate of 2% per second was added to the ECGs, and then processed by the suggested adaptive filtering. The method totally suppresses the noise with no visible distortions of the original signals. The proposed adaptive filter for noise suppression generated by the power supply of the railway systems has a simple structure requiring a low level of computational resources, but a good reference signal as well.

Passive broadband targeted energy transfers and control of self-excited vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Young S.

This work consists of the three main parts---Nonlinear energy pumping (that is, passive broadband targeted energy transfers---TETs), and its applications to theoretical and experimental suppression of aeroelastic instabilities. In the first part, nonlinear energy pumping (or TETs) in coupled oscillators is studied. The system is composed of a primary linear subsystem coupled through an essentially nonlinear stiffness and a linear viscous damper to an additional mass (which is called, as a whole, a nonlinear energy sink---NES). By considering the linear damping as a perturbation to the system, periodic solutions of the underlying Hamiltonian system are formulated by means of the non-smooth temporal transformation and solved numerically by a shooting method. The special periodic orbits, which are corresponding to the impulsive initial conditions for the primary subsystem, bear their importance as baits for initiating localized transfers of a significant portion of energy to the NES. The second part theoretically deals with suppression of limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) in self-excited systems by means of passive energy localizations. As a pilot scheme, suppression or even complete elimination of the LCO in a van der Pol (VDP) oscillator coupled with two types of NESS---grounded and ungrounded---is studied. Computational parametric study proves the efficacy of LCO elimination by means of passive nonlinear energy pumping from the VDP oscillator to appropriately designed NESs. The numerical study of the transient dynamics of the system showed that the dynamical mechanism for LCO suppression is a series of 1:1 and 1:3 transient resonance captures, with the damped transient dynamics following closely corresponding resonant manifolds of the underlying Hamiltonian system. It is through the TRCs that energy gets transferred from the VDP oscillator to the NES, thus causing LCO suppression. By performing an additional bifurcation analysis of the steady state responses through a numerical continuation of equilibria and periodic solutions, the parameter dependence and bifurcations of the steady-state solutions are examined. It is also proved that a Hopf bifurcation is the global dynamical mechanism for generation and elimination of the LCOs in the configurations considered. The bifurcation analysis revealed that it is possible to design grounded or ungrounded NESs that robustly and completely eliminate the LCO instability of the system. This should be possible when the system parameters are chosen such that a subcritical Hopf bifurcation occurs, thus assuring the existence of a unique global trivial attractor of the dynamics in the parameter ranges of interest. Then, triggering mechanisms of aeroelastic instability is investigated for a two-DOF rigid wing model in subsonic flow with cubic nonlinear stiffnesses at the support. Based on the observation of the instability triggering, a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) NES is applied to the wing model. The NES is attached at an offset from the elastic axis for its additional interaction with the pitch mode, as well as being parallel with the heave mode, primarily to hinder initial triggering of the heave mode by the flow. It is shown that it is feasible to partially or even completely suppress aeroelastic instabilities of the wing by passively transferring vibration energy from the wing to the NES in a one-way irreversible fashion. Moreover, this aeroelastic instability suppression is performed by partially or completely eliminating the triggering mechanists for aeroelastic suppression. Through numerical parametric studies three main mechanisms for suppressing aeroelastic instability are identified: (i) Recurring burst-out and suppression; (ii) intermediate suppression; (iii) complete elimination of instability. In general, the relative occurrence of one of the two limit point cycle (LPC) bifurcations with respect to the Hopf bifurcation decides whether or not the suppression mechanisms are robust. In order to improve robustness of instability suppression, several types of multi-DOF NES configurations are introduced. In the last part, experimental suppression of aeroelastic instability by means of targeted energy transfers is investigated. In order to gain insights into the experiments, theoretical triggering mechanism of the aeroelastic instability in the nonlinear aeroelastic test apparatus (NATA) in a low-speed wind tunnel at Texas A&M University is studied. Finally, experimental results are presented in connection to the theoretical investigation, and all the predictions on the instability suppression mechanisms are demonstrated experimentally. It is also revealed that the dry friction affects only the robustness of an instability suppression by changing the unstable trivial equilibrium into an equilibrium set. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

30 CFR 75.1103-10 - Fire suppression systems; additional requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... requirements. 75.1103-10 Section 75.1103-10 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT... Protection § 75.1103-10 Fire suppression systems; additional requirements. For each conveyor belt flight... per minute, an additional cache of the materials specified in § 75.1103-9(a)(1), (2), and (3) shall be...

30 CFR 75.1103-10 - Fire suppression systems; additional requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... per minute, an additional cache of the materials specified in § 75.1103-9(a)(1), (2), and (3) shall be... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fire suppression systems; additional requirements. 75.1103-10 Section 75.1103-10 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT...

Molecular mechanism of RNA silencing suppression mediated by p19 protein of tombusviruses

PubMed Central

Lakatos, Lóránt; Szittya, György; Silhavy, Dániel; Burgyán, József

2004-01-01

RNA silencing is an evolutionarily conserved surveillance system that occurs in a broad range of eukaryotic organisms. In plants, RNA silencing acts as an antiviral system; thus, successful virus infection requires suppression of gene silencing. A number of viral suppressors have been identified so far; however, the molecular bases of silencing suppression are still poorly understood. Here we show that p19 of Cymbidium ringspot virus (CymRSV) inhibits RNA silencing via its small RNA-binding activity in vivo. Small RNAs bound by p19 in planta are bona fide double-stranded siRNAs and they are silencing competent in the in vitro RNA-silencing system. p19 also suppresses RNA silencing in the heterologous Drosophila in vitro system by preventing siRNA incorporation into RISC. During CymRSV infection, p19 markedly diminishes the amount of free siRNA in cells by forming p19–siRNA complexes, thus making siRNAs inaccessible for effector complexes of RNA-silencing machinery. Furthermore, the obtained results also suggest that the p19-mediated sequestration of siRNAs in virus-infected cells blocks the spread of the mobile, systemic signal of RNA silencing. PMID:14976549

Foam as a Fire Suppressant: An Evaluation

Treesearch

Paul Schlobohm; Ron Rochna

1987-01-01

The ability of fire suppressant foams to improve ground-applied fire control efforts was evaluated. Foaming agents and foam-generating systems were examined. Performance evaluations were made for direct attack, indirect attack, and mop-up. Foam was determined to suppress and repel fire in situations where water did not. Cost comparisons of mop-up work showed straight...

Field evaluation of potential weed-suppressive traits in an indica x tropical japonica mapping population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The indica rice accession, PI 312777 (a.k.a. WC 4644), is highly productive and can suppress barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) in reduced-input systems, but the genetic control of this weed suppression is unknown. A set of 330 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed using single seed desc...

Anchoring energy of photo-sensitive polyimide alignment film containing methoxy cinnamate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Suyoung; Shin, Sung Eui; Shin, DongMyung

2010-02-01

Photosensitive polyimide containing 2-methoxy cinnamate was synthesized for photo-alignment layer of liquid crystals (LCs). 2-Methoxy cinnamic acid was confirmed photo-sensitive material by linearly polarized UV light. We studied that effect of polarized UV light on rubbed polyimide film. Anchoring energy of liquid crystal with aligning surface was measured. Irradiation of depolarized UV light on rubbed Polyimide film suppressed effective anchoring energy. Linearly polarized UV light on rubbed polyimide film controlled anchoring energy effectively. Polyimide film containing 2-methoxy cinnamate can control the photo-alignment layer easily due to its photo-sensitivity.

Overview On Alternative Asbestos Control Method Research - Nashville, TN

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos-containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

Overview On Alternative Asbestos Control Method Research - St. Louis, MO

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos-containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

Overview On Alternative Asbestos Control Method Research - Wisconsin Dells

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

A connection between the Efferent Auditory System and Noise-Induced Tinnitus Generation. Reduced contralateral suppression of TEOAEs in patients with noise-induced tinnitus.

PubMed

Lalaki, Panagiota; Hatzopoulos, Stavros; Lorito, Guiscardo; Kochanek, Krzysztof; Sliwa, Lech; Skarzynski, Henryk

2011-07-01

Subjective tinnitus is an auditory perception that is not caused by external stimulation, its source being anywhere in the auditory system. Furthermore, evidence exists that exposure to noise alters cochlear micromechanics, either directly or through complex feed-back mechanisms, involving the medial olivocochlear efferent system. The aim of this study was to assess the role of the efferent auditory system in noise-induced tinnitus generation. Contralateral sound-activated suppression of TEOAEs was performed in a group of 28 subjects with noise-induced tinnitus (NIT) versus a group of 35 subjects with normal hearing and tinnitus, without any history of exposure to intense occupational or recreational noise (idiopathic tinnitus-IT). Thirty healthy, normally hearing volunteers were used as controls for the efferent suppression test. Suppression of the TEOAE amplitude less than 1 dB SPL was considered abnormal, giving a false positive rate of 6.7%. Eighteen out of 28 (64.3%) patients of the NIT group and 9 out of 35 (25.7%) patients of the IT group showed abnormal suppression values, which were significantly different from the controls' (p<0.0001 and p<0.045, respectively). The abnormal activity of the efferent auditory system in NIT cases might indicate that either the activity of the efferent fibers innervating the outer hair cells (OHCs) is impaired or that the damaged OHCs themselves respond abnormally to the efferent stimulation.

Suppression of extraneous thermal noise in cavity optomechanics.

PubMed

Zhao, Yi; Wilson, Dalziel J; Ni, K-K; Kimble, H J

2012-02-13

Extraneous thermal motion can limit displacement sensitivity and radiation pressure effects, such as optical cooling, in a cavity-optomechanical system. Here we present an active noise suppression scheme and its experimental implementation. The main challenge is to selectively sense and suppress extraneous thermal noise without affecting motion of the oscillator. Our solution is to monitor two modes of the optical cavity, each with different sensitivity to the oscillator's motion but similar sensitivity to the extraneous thermal motion. This information is used to imprint "anti-noise" onto the frequency of the incident laser field. In our system, based on a nano-mechanical membrane coupled to a Fabry-Pérot cavity, simulation and experiment demonstrate that extraneous thermal noise can be selectively suppressed and that the associated limit on optical cooling can be reduced.

Identification of a new androgen receptor (AR) co-regulator BUD31 and related peptides to suppress wild-type and mutated AR-mediated prostate cancer growth via peptide screening and X-ray structure analysis.

PubMed

Hsu, Cheng-Lung; Liu, Jai-Shin; Wu, Po-Long; Guan, Hong-Hsiang; Chen, Yuh-Ling; Lin, An-Chi; Ting, Huei-Ju; Pang, See-Tong; Yeh, Shauh-Der; Ma, Wen-Lung; Chen, Chung-Jung; Wu, Wen-Guey; Chang, Chawnshang

2014-12-01

Treatment with individual anti-androgens is associated with the development of hot-spot mutations in the androgen receptor (AR). Here, we found that anti-androgens-mt-ARs have similar binary structure to the 5α-dihydrotestosterone-wt-AR. Phage display revealed that these ARs bound to similar peptides, including BUD31, containing an Fxx(F/H/L/W/Y)Y motif cluster with Tyr in the +5 position. Structural analyses of the AR-LBD-BUD31 complex revealed formation of an extra hydrogen bond between the Tyr+5 residue of the peptide and the AR. Functional studies showed that BUD31-related peptides suppressed AR transactivation, interrupted AR N-C interaction, and suppressed AR-mediated cell growth. Combination of peptide screening and X-ray structure analysis may serve as a new strategy for developing anti-ARs that simultaneously suppress both wt and mutated AR function. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NLRP3 signaling drives macrophage-induced adaptive immune suppression in pancreatic carcinoma

PubMed Central

Daley, Donnele; Mani, Vishnu R.; Mohan, Navyatha; Akkad, Neha; Savadkar, Shivraj; Lee, Ki Buom; Torres-Hernandez, Alejandro; Aykut, Berk; Diskin, Brian; Wang, Wei; Farooq, Mohammad S.; Mahmud, Arif I.; Werba, Gregor; Morales, Eduardo J.; Lall, Sarah; Rubin, Amanda G.; Berman, Matthew E.; Hundeyin, Mautin

2017-01-01

The tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by immune tolerance, which enables disease to progress unabated by adaptive immunity. However, the drivers of this tolerogenic program are incompletely defined. In this study, we found that NLRP3 promotes expansion of immune-suppressive macrophages in PDA. NLRP3 signaling in macrophages drives the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into tumor-promoting T helper type 2 cell (Th2 cell), Th17 cell, and regulatory T cell populations while suppressing Th1 cell polarization and cytotoxic CD8+ T cell activation. The suppressive effects of NLRP3 signaling were IL-10 dependent. Pharmacological inhibition or deletion of NLRP3, ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD complex), or caspase-1 protected against PDA and was associated with immunogenic reprogramming of innate and adaptive immunity within the TME. Similarly, transfer of PDA-entrained macrophages or T cells from NLRP3−/− hosts was protective. These data suggest that targeting NLRP3 holds the promise for the immunotherapy of PDA. PMID:28442553

Diet components can suppress inflammation and reduce cancer risk.

PubMed

Hardman, W Elaine

2014-06-01

Epidemiology studies indicate that diet or specific dietary components can reduce the risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. An underlying cause of these diseases is chronic inflammation. Dietary components that are beneficial against disease seem to have multiple mechanisms of action and many also have a common mechanism of reducing inflammation, often via the NFκB pathway. Thus, a plant based diet can contain many components that reduce inflammation and can reduce the risk for developing all three of these chronic diseases. We summarize dietary components that have been shown to reduce cancer risk and two studies that show that dietary walnut can reduce cancer growth and development. Part of the mechanism for the anticancer benefit of walnut was by suppressing the activation of NFκB. In this brief review, we focus on reduction of cancer risk by dietary components and the relationship to suppression of inflammation. However, it should be remembered that most dietary components have multiple beneficial mechanisms of action that can be additive and that suppression of chronic inflammation should reduce the risk for all three chronic diseases.

Diet components can suppress inflammation and reduce cancer risk

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Epidemiology studies indicate that diet or specific dietary components can reduce the risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. An underlying cause of these diseases is chronic inflammation. Dietary components that are beneficial against disease seem to have multiple mechanisms of action and many also have a common mechanism of reducing inflammation, often via the NFκB pathway. Thus, a plant based diet can contain many components that reduce inflammation and can reduce the risk for developing all three of these chronic diseases. We summarize dietary components that have been shown to reduce cancer risk and two studies that show that dietary walnut can reduce cancer growth and development. Part of the mechanism for the anticancer benefit of walnut was by suppressing the activation of NFκB. In this brief review, we focus on reduction of cancer risk by dietary components and the relationship to suppression of inflammation. However, it should be remembered that most dietary components have multiple beneficial mechanisms of action that can be additive and that suppression of chronic inflammation should reduce the risk for all three chronic diseases. PMID:24944766

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

PubMed

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

2017-10-17

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

Estradiol acutely suppresses inhibition in the hippocampus through a sex-specific endocannabinoid and mGluR dependent mechanism

PubMed Central

Huang, Guang Zhe; Woolley, Catherine S.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY The steroid, 17β-estradiol (E2), is well known to influence hippocampal functions such as memory, affective behaviors, and epilepsy. There is growing awareness that in addition to responding to ovarian E2, the hippocampus of both males and females synthesizes E2 as a neurosteroid that could acutely modulate synaptic function. Previous work on acute E2 actions in hippocampus has focused on excitatory synapses. Here, we show that E2 rapidly suppresses inhibitory synaptic transmission in hippocampal CA1. E2 acts through the α form of the estrogen receptor to stimulate postsynaptic mGluR1-dependent mobilization of the endocannabinoid, anandamide, which then retrogradely suppresses GABA release from CB1 receptor-containing inhibitory presynaptic boutons. Remarkably, this effect of E2 is sex-specific, occurring in females but not males. Acute E2 modulation of endocannabinoid tone and consequent suppression of inhibition provides a new mechanism by which neurosteroid E2 could modulate hippocampus-dependent behaviors in a sex-specific manner. PMID:22681685

Suppression of Amber Codons in Caulobacter crescentus by the Orthogonal Escherichia coli Histidyl-tRNA Synthetase/tRNAHis Pair

PubMed Central

Ko, Jae-hyeong; Llopis, Paula Montero; Heinritz, Jennifer; Jacobs-Wagner, Christine; Söll, Dieter

2013-01-01

While translational read-through of stop codons by suppressor tRNAs is common in many bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes, this phenomenon has not yet been observed in the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus. Based on a previous report that C. crescentus and Escherichia coli tRNAHis have distinctive identity elements, we constructed E. coli tRNAHis CUA, a UAG suppressor tRNA for C. crescentus. By examining the expression of three UAG codon- containing reporter genes (encoding a β-lactamase, the fluorescent mCherry protein, or the C. crescentus xylonate dehydratase), we demonstrated that the E. coli histidyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNAHis CUA pair enables in vivo UAG suppression in C. crescentus. E. coli histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HisRS) or tRNAHis CUA alone did not achieve suppression; this indicates that the E. coli HisRS/tRNAHis CUA pair is orthogonal in C. crescentus. These results illustrate that UAG suppression can be achieved in C. crescentus with an orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/suppressor tRNA pair. PMID:24386240