Great enhancement of pyroelectric properties for Ba{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}TiO{sub 3} films on Pt-Si substrates by inserting a self-buffered layer

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

Wu, C. G.; Li, Y. R.; Zhu, J.

2009-02-15

(100)-Ba{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates using a low-temperature self-buffered layer. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscope investigations show that the microstructure of BST films strongly depends on surface morphology of annealed self-buffered layer. The mechanism of nucleus formation and the growth initiation of BST films on self-buffered layers were proposed. It was found that the pyroelectric properties of BST films can be greatly enhanced. The pyroelectric coefficient and material merit figure of (100)-BST films are 1.16x10{sup 4} {mu}C m{sup -2} K{sup -1} and 2.18x10{sup -4} Pa{sup -1/2}, respectively. The detectivity of 9.4x10{sup 7}more » cm Hz{sup 1/2} W{sup -1} was obtained in the (100)-BST film capacitors thermally isolated by 500 nm SiO{sub 2} films.« less

Band gap modulation in magnetically doped low-defect thin films of (Bi1-xSbx)2 Te3 with minimized bulk carrier concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maximenko, Yulia; Scipioni, Kane; Wang, Zhenyu; Katmis, Ferhat; Steiner, Charles; Weis, Adam; van Harlingen, Dale; Madhavan, Vidya

Topological insulators Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 are promising materials for electronics, but both are naturally prone to vacancies and anti-site defects that move the Fermi energy onto the bulk bands. Fabricating (Bi1-xSbx)2 Te3 (BST) with the tuned x minimizes point defects and unmasks topological surface states by reducing bulk carriers. BST thin films have shown topological surface states and quantum anomalous Hall effect. However, different studies reported variable Sb:Bi ratios used to grow an undoped BST film. Here, we develop a reliable way to grow defect-free subnanometer-flat BST thin films having the Fermi energy tuned to the Dirac point. High-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Landau level spectroscopy prove the importance of crystallinity and surface roughness-not only Sb:Bi ratio-for the final bulk carrier concentration. The BST thin films were doped with Cr and studied with STM with atomic resolution. Counterintuitively, Cr density is anticorrelated with the local band gap due to Cr's antiferromagnetic order. We analyze the correlations and report the relevant band gap values. Predictably, high external magnetic field compromises antiferromagnetic order, and the local band gap increases. US DOE DE-SC0014335; Moore Found. GBMF4860; F. Seitz MRL.

Enhanced production of enveloped viruses in BST-2-deficient cell lines.

PubMed

Yi, Eunbi; Oh, Jinsoo; Giao, Ngoc Q; Oh, Soohwan; Park, Se-Ho

2017-10-01

Despite all the advantages that cell-cultured influenza vaccines have over egg-based influenza vaccines, the inferior productivity of cell-culture systems is a major drawback that must be addressed. BST-2 (tetherin) is a host restriction factor which inhibits budding-out of various enveloped viruses from infected host cells. We developed BST-2-deficient MDCK and Vero cell lines to increase influenza virus release in cell culture. BST-2 gene knock-out resulted in increased release of viral particles into the culture medium, by at least 2-fold and up to 50-fold compared to release from wild-type counterpart cells depending on cell line and virus type. The effect was not influenza virus/MDCK/Vero-specific, but was also present in a broad range of host cells and virus families; we observed similar results in murine, human, canine, and monkey cell lines with viruses including MHV-68 (Herpesviridae), influenza A virus (Orthomyxoviridae), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (Coronaviridae), and vaccinia virus (Poxviridae). Our results suggest that the elimination of BST-2 expression in virus-producing cell lines can enhance the production of viral vaccines. Biotechnol. Bioeng.2017;114: 2289-2297. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Bottom electrodes dependence of microstructures and dielectric properties of compositionally graded (Ba{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x})TiO{sub 3} thin films

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

Zhang Tianjin; Wang Jinzhao; Zhang Baishun

2008-03-04

Compositionally graded (Ba{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x})TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films, with x decreasing from 0.3 to 0, were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si and Ru/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technology. The microstructure and dielectric properties of the graded BST thin films were investigated. It was found that the films on Ru electrode have better crystallization, and that RuO{sub 2} is present between the Ru bottom electrode and the graded BST thin films by X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis. Dielectric measurement reveals that the graded BST thin films deposited on Ru bottom electrode have higher dielectric constant and tunability. Themore » enhanced dielectric behavior is attributed to better crystallization as well as smaller space charge capacitance width and the formation of RuO{sub 2} that is more compatible with the BST films. The graded BST films on Ru electrode show higher leakage current due to lower barrier height and rougher surface of bottom electrode.« less

Dielectric properties of BaMg1/3Nb2/3O3 doped Ba0.45Sr0.55Tio3 thin films for tunable microwave applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alema, Fikadu; Pokhodnya, Konstantin

2015-11-01

Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BMN) doped and undoped Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) thin films were deposited via radio frequency magnetron sputtering on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Al2O3 substrates. The surface morphology and chemical state analyses of the films have shown that the BMN doped BST film has a smoother surface with reduced oxygen vacancy, resulting in an improved insulating properties of the BST film. Dielectric tunability, loss, and leakage current (LC) of the undoped and BMN doped BST thin films were studied. The BMN dopant has remarkably reduced the dielectric loss (˜38%) with no significant effect on the tunability of the BST film, leading to an increase in figure of merit (FOM). This is attributed to the opposing behavior of large Mg2+ whose detrimental effect on tunability is partially compensated by small Nb5+ as the two substitute Ti4+ in the BST. The coupling between MgTi″ and VO•• charged defects suppresses the dielectric loss in the film by cutting electrons from hopping between Ti ions. The LC of the films was investigated in the temperature range of 300-450K. A reduced LC measured for the BMN doped BST film was correlated to the formation of defect dipoles from MgTi″, VO•• and NbTi• charged defects. The carrier transport properties of the films were analyzed in light of Schottky thermionic emission (SE) and Poole-Frenkel (PF) emission mechanisms. The result indicated that while the carrier transport mechanism in the undoped film is interface limited (SE), the conduction in the BMN doped film was dominated by bulk processes (PF). The change of the conduction mechanism from SE to PF as a result of BMN doping is attributed to the presence of uncoupled NbTi• sitting as a positive trap center at the shallow donor level of the BST.

Tunable dielectric properties of Barium Magnesium Niobate (BMN) doped Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) thin films by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alema, Fikadu; Reinholz, Aaron; Pokhodnya, Konstantin

2013-03-01

We report on the tunable dielectric properties of Mg and Nb co-doped Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) thin film prepared by the magnetron sputtering using BST target (pure and doped with BaMg0.33Nb0.67O3 (BMN)) on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Al2O3 4'' wafers at 700 °C under oxygen atmosphere. The electrical measurements are conducted on 2432 metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitors using Pt as the top and bottom electrode. The crystalline structure, microstructure, and surface morphology of the films are analyzed and correlated to the films dielectric properties. The BMN doped and undoped BST films have shown tunabilities of 48% and 52%; and leakage current densities of 2.2x10-6 A/cm2 and 3.7x10-5 A/cm2, respectively at 0.5 MV/cm bias field. The results indicate that the BMN doped film exhibits a lower leakage current with no significant decrease in tunability. Due to similar electronegativity and ionic radii, it was suggested that both Mg2+ (accepter-type) and Nb5+ (donor-type) dopants substitutTi4+ ion in BST. The improvement in the film dielectric losses and leakage current with insignificant loss of tunability is attributed to the adversary effects of Mg2+ and Nb5+ in BST.

Decrease in body surface temperature before parturition in ewes.

PubMed

Nabenishi, Hisashi; Yamazaki, Atusi

2017-04-21

This study investigated the correlation between the body surface temperature (BST) and core body temperature of ewes and changes in BST during the prepartum stage in pregnant ewes. Four non-pregnant adult ewes were used in the first experiment. The BST of the upper neck, vaginal temperature (VT), and ambient temperature (AT) were measured every 10 min for seven days and analyzed for correlations. The mean (± SD) BST and VT of ewes during the study period were 35.4 ± 1.7°C and 39.1 ± 0.4°C, respectively, with a correlation of r = 0.62, P < 0.001. This finding suggested that the BST was associated with core body temperature in ewes. In the subsequent experiment, seven pregnant ewes in their third trimester were used to evaluate changes in BST measured at the upper neck 72 h before parturition. The mean BST at -24-0 h (0 h = time of parturition) was significantly lower than that at -72- -48 h and -48- -24 h (P < 0.05). The BST tended to decrease toward parturition; all BST measurements at -16- -3 h were significantly lower than those at -72 h (P < 0.05). A clear circadian rhythm in the BST was observed at two days and the day before parturition and an unclear circadian rhythm was observed on the day of parturition. Therefore, these findings indicate that the BST also decreases before parturition, as do vaginal and rectal temperatures.

The effect of bovine BST2A1 on the release and cell-to-cell transmission of retroviruses.

PubMed

Liang, Zhibin; Zhang, Yang; Song, Jie; Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Suzhen; Li, Yue; Tan, Juan; Qiao, Wentao

2017-09-06

Human BST2 (hBST2, also called Tetherin) is a host restriction factor that blocks the release of various enveloped viruses. BST2s from different mammals also possess antiviral activity. Bovine BST2s (bBST2s), bBST2A1 and bBST2A2, reduce production of cell-free bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). However, the effect of bBST2 on other retroviruses remains unstudied. Here, we studied the antiviral activity of wildtype and mutant bBST2A1 proteins on retroviruses including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), prototypic foamy virus (PFV), bovine foamy virus (BFV) and bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV). The results showed that wildtype bBST2A1 suppressed the release of HIV-1, PFV and BFV. We also generated bBST2A1 mutants, and found that GPI anchor and dimerization, but not glycosylation, are essential for antiviral activity of bBST2A1. Moreover, unlike hBST2, bBST2A1 displayed no inhibitory effect on cell-to-cell transmission of PFV, BFV and BIV. Our data suggested that bBST2A1 inhibited retrovirus release, however, had no effect on cell-to-cell transmission of retroviruses.

Low-Frequency Dielectric Responses of Barium Strontium Titanate Thin Films with Conducting Perovskite LaNiO3 Electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Su-Jae; Moon, Seung-Eon; Ryu, Han-Cheol; Kwak, Min-Hwan; Kim, Young-Tae

2002-07-01

Highly (h00)-oriented (Ba,Sr)TiO3 [BST] thin films were deposited by pulsed laser depositi on on the perovskite LaNiO3 metallic oxide layer as a bottom electrode. The LaNiO3 films were deposited on SiO2/Si substrates by the rf-magnetron sputtering method. The crystal line phases of the BST film were characterized by X-ray θ-2θ, ω-rocking curve and Φ-scan diffraction measurements. The surface microstructure observed by scanning electron mi croscopy was very dense and smooth. The low-frequency dielectric responses of the BST films grown at various substrate temperatures were measured as a function of frequency in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 10 MHz. The BST films have the dielectric constant of 265 at 1 kHz and showed multiple dielectric relaxations in the measured frequency region. The origins of these low-frequency dielectric relaxations are attributed to ionized space charge carriers such as the oxygen vacancies and defects in the BST film, the interfacial polarization in the grain boundary region and the electrode polarization. We also studied the capacitance-voltage characteristics of BST films.

Decrease in body surface temperature before parturition in ewes

PubMed Central

NABENISHI, Hisashi; YAMAZAKI, Atusi

2017-01-01

This study investigated the correlation between the body surface temperature (BST) and core body temperature of ewes and changes in BST during the prepartum stage in pregnant ewes. Four non-pregnant adult ewes were used in the first experiment. The BST of the upper neck, vaginal temperature (VT), and ambient temperature (AT) were measured every 10 min for seven days and analyzed for correlations. The mean (± SD) BST and VT of ewes during the study period were 35.4 ± 1.7°C and 39.1 ± 0.4°C, respectively, with a correlation of r = 0.62, P < 0.001. This finding suggested that the BST was associated with core body temperature in ewes. In the subsequent experiment, seven pregnant ewes in their third trimester were used to evaluate changes in BST measured at the upper neck 72 h before parturition. The mean BST at –24–0 h (0 h = time of parturition) was significantly lower than that at –72– –48 h and –48– –24 h (P < 0.05). The BST tended to decrease toward parturition; all BST measurements at –16– –3 h were significantly lower than those at –72 h (P < 0.05). A clear circadian rhythm in the BST was observed at two days and the day before parturition and an unclear circadian rhythm was observed on the day of parturition. Therefore, these findings indicate that the BST also decreases before parturition, as do vaginal and rectal temperatures. PMID:28163263

BST-2 Expression Modulates Small CD4-Mimetic Sensitization of HIV-1-Infected Cells to Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity

PubMed Central

Prévost, Jérémie; von Bredow, Benjamin; Ding, Shilei; Brassard, Nathalie; Medjahed, Halima; Coutu, Mathieu; Melillo, Bruno; Bibollet-Ruche, Frédéric; Hahn, Beatrice H.; Kaufmann, Daniel E.; Smith, Amos B.; Sodroski, Joseph; Sauter, Daniel; Kirchhoff, Frank; Gee, Katrina; Neil, Stuart J.; Evans, David T.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Antibodies recognizing conserved CD4-induced (CD4i) epitopes on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Env and able to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) have been shown to be present in sera from most HIV-1-infected individuals. These antibodies preferentially recognize Env in its CD4-bound conformation. CD4 downregulation by Nef and Vpu dramatically reduces exposure of CD4i HIV-1 Env epitopes and therefore reduce the susceptibility of HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC mediated by HIV-positive (HIV+) sera. Importantly, this mechanism of immune evasion can be circumvented with small-molecule CD4 mimetics (CD4mc) that are able to transition Env into the CD4-bound conformation and sensitize HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC mediated by HIV+ sera. However, HIV-1 developed additional mechanisms to avoid ADCC, including Vpu-mediated BST-2 antagonism, which decreases the overall amount of Env present at the cell surface. Accordingly, BST-2 upregulation in response to alpha interferon (IFN-α) was shown to increase the susceptibility of HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC despite the activity of Vpu. Here we show that BST-2 upregulation by IFN-β and interleukin-27 (IL-27) also increases the surface expression of Env and thus boosts the ability of CD4mc to sensitize HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC by sera from HIV-1-infected individuals. IMPORTANCE HIV-1 evolved sophisticated strategies to conceal Env epitopes from ADCC-mediating antibodies present in HIV+ sera. Vpu-mediated BST-2 downregulation was shown to decrease ADCC responses by limiting the amount of Env present at the cell surface. This effect of Vpu was shown to be attenuated by IFN-α treatment. Here we show that in addition to IFN-α, IFN-β and IL-27 also affect Vpu-mediated BST-2 downregulation and greatly enhance ADCC responses against HIV-1-infected cells in the presence of CD4mc. These findings may inform strategies aimed at HIV prevention and eradication. PMID:28331088

First Report of Prevalence of CTX-M-15-Producing Escherichia coli O25b/ST131 from Iran.

PubMed

Namaei, Mohammad Hasan; Yousefi, Masoud; Ziaee, Masoud; Salehabadi, Alireza; Ghannadkafi, Malaknaz; Amini, Elham; Askari, Parvin

2017-10-01

The emergence of Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) as a multidrug-resistant and virulent pathogen represents a major challenge to public health globally. Recently, the O25b/ST131 E. coli producing CTX-M-15 with high virulence potential has been reported worldwide, but has received little attention in Iran. This study is the first in Iran to specifically determine the spread of the O25b/ST131 clone producing CTX-M-15 among E. coli isolates belonging to the B2 phylogenetic group. ST131 clone in phylogenetic group B2 was detected based on PCR detection of ST131-specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms in mdh and gyrB. O25b/ST131 E. coli clone was confirmed utilizing O25b/ST131 clone allele-specific PCR for the pabB gene. All group B2 E. coli isolates were characterized based on antibiotic susceptibility, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes, and virulence traits. Our results demonstrated that 38 out of the 154 B2 group isolates (24.7%) were identified as belonging to the ST131 clone. Furthermore, of these, 28 isolates (73.6%) were detected as O25b/ST131 clone. Antibiotic resistance of ST131 E. coli isolates to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, and aztreonam was significantly higher than non-ST131 isolates. Almost all of the O25b/ST131 isolates with the ability for ESBL production were reported as CTX-M-15 producing (95.5%). Our results showed that the most prevalent virulence trait in ST131 clone was ompT (94.7%). This study is the first to report the prevalence of the CTX-M-15-producing O25b/ST131 E. coli in Iran. Our findings reinforce the surveillance of dissemination of ST131 E. coli clone as a major drug-resistant pathogen and an important new public health threat.

Materials science and integration bases for fabrication of (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 thin film capacitors with layered Cu-based electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, W.; Kabius, B.; Hiller, J. M.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J. A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R. P. H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-11-01

The synthesis and fundamental material properties of layered TiAl/Cu/Ta electrodes were investigated to achieve the integration of Cu electrodes with high-dielectric constant (κ) oxide thin films for application to the fabrication of high-frequency devices. The Ta layer is an excellent diffusion barrier to inhibit deleterious Cu diffusion into the Si substrate, while the TiAl layer provides an excellent barrier against oxygen diffusion into the Cu layer to inhibit Cu oxidation during the growth of the high-κ layer in an oxygen atmosphere. Polycrystalline (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 (BST) thin films were grown on the Cu-based bottom electrode by rf magnetron sputtering at temperatures in the range 400-600 °C in oxygen, to investigate the performance of BST/Cu-based capacitors. Characterization of the Cu-based layered structure using surface analytical methods showed that two amorphous oxide layers were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier, such that the oxide layer on the free surface of the TiAl layer correlates with TiAlOx, while the oxide layer at the TiAl/Cu interface is an Al2O3-rich layer. This double amorphous barrier layer structure effectively prevents oxygen penetration towards the underlying Cu and Ta layers. The TiAlOx interfacial layer, which has a relatively low dielectric constant compared with BST, reduced the total capacitance of the BST thin film capacitors. In addition, the layered electrode-oxide interface roughening observed during the growth of BST films at high temperature, due to copper grain growth, resulted in large dielectric loss on the fabricated BST capacitors. These problems were solved by growing the BST layer at 450 °C followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 °C. This process significantly reduced the thickness of the TiAlOx layer and interface roughness resulting in BST capacitors exhibiting properties suitable for the fabrication of high-performance high-frequency devices. In summary, relatively high dielectric constant (280), low dielectric loss (0.007), and low leakage current (<2×10-8 A/cm2 at 100 kV/cm) were achieved for BST thin film capacitors with Cu-based electrodes.

Ribosomal protein L24 defect in Belly spot and tail (Bst), a mouse Minute

PubMed Central

Oliver, Edward R.; Saunders, Thomas L.; Tarlé, Susan A.; Glaser, Tom

2008-01-01

Summary Ribosomal protein mutations, termed Minutes, have been instrumental in studying the coordination of cell and tissue growth in Drosophila. Although abundant in flies, equivalent defects in mammals are relatively unknown. Belly spot and tail (Bst) is a semidominant mouse mutation that disrupts pigmentation, somitogenesis and retinal cell fate determination. Here, we identify Bst as a deletion within the Rpl24 riboprotein gene. Bst significantly impairs Rpl24 splicing and ribosome biogenesis. Bst/+ cells have decreased rates of protein synthesis and proliferation, and are outcompeted by wild-type cells in C57BLKS↔ROSA26 chimeras. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and cDNA transgenes correct the mutant phenotypes. Our findings establish Bst as a mouse Minute and provide the first detailed characterization of a mammalian ribosomal protein mutation. PMID:15289434

Elasticity study of textured barium strontium titanate thin films by X-ray diffraction and laser acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaabani, Anouar; Njeh, Anouar; Donner, Wolfgang; Klein, Andreas; Hédi Ben Ghozlen, Mohamed

2017-05-01

Ba0.65Sr0.35TiO3 (BST) thin films of 300 nm were deposited on Pt(111)/TiO2/SiO2/Si(001) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Two thin films with different (111) and (001) fiber textures were prepared. X-ray diffraction was applied to measure texture. The raw pole figure data were further processed using the MTEX quantitative texture analysis software for plotting pole figures and calculating elastic constants and Young’s modulus from the orientation distribution function (ODF) for each type of textured fiber. The calculated elastic constants were used in the theoretical studies of surface acoustics waves (SAW) propagating in two types of multilayered BST systems. Theoretical dispersion curves were plotted by the application of the ordinary differential equation (ODE) and the stiffness matrix methods (SMM). A laser acoustic waves (LAW) technique was applied to generate surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating in the BST films, and from a recursive process, the effective Young’s modulus are determined for the two samples. These methods are used to extract and compare elastic properties of two types of BST films, and quantify the influence of texture on the direction-dependent Young’s modulus.

THE STUDY OF HIGH DIELECTRIC CONSTANT MECHANISM OF La-DOPED Ba0.67Sr0.33TiO3 CERAMICS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jing; He, Bo; Liu, Han Xing

It is a common and effective method to enhance the dielectric properties of BST ceramics by adding rare-earth elements. In this paper, it is important to analyze the cause of the high dielectric constant behavior of La-doped BST ceramics. The results show that proper rare earth La dopant (0.2≤x≤0.7) may greatly increase the dielectric constant of BST ceramics, and also improve the temperature stability, evidently. According to the current-voltage (J-V) characteristics, the proper La-doped BST ceramics may reach the better semiconductivity, with the decrease and increase in La doping, the ceramics are insulators. By using the Schottky barrier model and electric microstructure model to find the surface or grain boundary potential barrier height, the width of the depletion layer and grain size do play an important role in impacting the dielectric constant.

Understanding the influence of surface chemical states on the dielectric tunability of sputtered Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkata Saravanan, K.; Raju, K. C. James

2014-03-01

The surface chemical states of RF-magnetron sputtered Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST5) thin films deposited at different oxygen mixing percentage (OMP) was examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The O1s XPS spectra indicate the existence of three kinds of oxygen species (dissociated oxygen ion O2 -, adsorbed oxide ion O- and lattice oxide ion O2-) on the films’ surface, which strongly depends on OMP. The presence of oxygen species other than lattice oxygen ion makes the films’ surface highly reactivity to atmospheric gases, resulting in the formation of undesired surface layers. The XPS results confirm the formation of surface nitrates for the films deposited under oxygen deficient atmosphere (OMP ≦̸ 25%), whereas the films deposited in oxygen rich atmosphere (OMP ≧̸ 75%) show the presence of metal-hydroxide. The influence of a surface dead layer on the tunable dielectric properties of BST5 films have been studied in detail and are reported. Furthermore, our observations indicate that an optimum ratio of Ar:O2 is essential for achieving desired material and dielectric properties in BST5 thin films. The films deposited at 50% OMP have the highest dielectric tunability of ~65% (@280 kV cm-1), with good ɛ r-E curve symmetry of 98% and low tan δ of 0.018. The figure of merit for these films is about 35, which is promising for frequency agile device applications.

Epigenetic control of vasopressin expression is maintained by steroid hormones in the adult male rat brain

PubMed Central

Auger, Catherine J.; Coss, Dylan; Auger, Anthony P.; Forbes-Lorman, Robin M.

2011-01-01

Although some DNA methylation patterns are altered by steroid hormone exposure in the developing brain, less is known about how changes in steroid hormone levels influence DNA methylation patterns in the adult brain. Steroid hormones act in the adult brain to regulate gene expression. Specifically, the expression of the socially relevant peptide vasopressin (AVP) within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) of adult brain is dependent upon testosterone exposure. Castration dramatically reduces and testosterone replacement restores AVP expression within the BST. As decreases in mRNA expression are associated with increases in DNA promoter methylation, we explored the hypothesis that AVP expression in the adult brain is maintained through sustained epigenetic modifications of the AVP gene promoter. We find that castration of adult male rats resulted in decreased AVP mRNA expression and increased methylation of specific CpG sites within the AVP promoter in the BST. Similarly, castration significantly increased estrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA expression and decreased ERα promoter methylation within the BST. These changes were prevented by testosterone replacement. This suggests that the DNA promoter methylation status of some steroid responsive genes in the adult brain is actively maintained by the presence of circulating steroid hormones. The maintenance of methylated or demethylated states of some genes in the adult brain by the presence of steroid hormones may play a role in the homeostatic regulation of behaviorally relevant systems. PMID:21368111

All-printed, flexible, reconfigurable frequency selective surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghzadeh, Mahdi; Akyurtlu, Alkim

2016-11-01

We demonstrate a new fully printed, conformal, band-pass frequency selective surface (FSS) utilizing a novel interdigitated capacitor (IDC), in which the space between the fingers can be filled with dielectric materials with different dielectric constants. Every dielectric constant corresponds to a different resonance frequency for the FSS, leading to a bandpass performance that can be tuned in a static manner based on the dielectric choice. The 2-D FSS consists of a periodic array of non-resonant and subwavelength structures (i.e., a metallic square loop and a wire grid) printed on either side of a flexible polyimide film using direct-ink writing methodologies. The miniaturized-element nature of this metamaterial-inspired FSS results in localized frequency-selective properties with very low sensitivity to the angle of incidence. Moreover, its symmetric design makes it polarization independent. A multiphase barium strontium titanate/cyclic olefin copolymer (BST/COC) composite with two different BST loadings, corresponding to two different dielectric constants, is the dielectric ink that is printed on the IDCs to vary the resonance frequency of the FSS. Different models of the FSS involving various IDC designs, with a first-order bandpass response at X-band, were simulated, printed, and measured. The center frequency of the template FSS with the air-filled IDC was tuned by 4.52% and 21.08% from 9.96 GHz by printing BST/COC dielectrics with different BST loadings on the IDCs. Moreover, the operation mode of the FSS was switched from a first order filter to a dual-band filter using printed BST/COC ink in a novel FSS design.

Acoustoelastic effect of textured (Ba,Sr)TiO{sub 3} thin films under an initial mechanical stress

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

Kamel, Marwa; Mseddi, Souhir; Njeh, Anouar

Acoustoelastic (AE) analysis of initial stresses plays an important role as a nondestructive tool in current engineering. Two textured BST (Ba{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}TiO{sub 3}) thin films, with different substrate to target distance, were grown on Pt(111)/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si(001) substrate by rf-magnetron sputtering deposition techniques. A conventional “sin{sup 2} ψ” method to determine residual stress and strain in BST films by X-ray diffraction is applied. A laser acoustic waves (LA-waves) technique is used to generate surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating in both samples. Young's modulus E and Poisson ratio ν of BST films in different propagation directions are derived from the measuredmore » dispersion curves. Estimation of effective second-order elastic constants of BST thin films in stressed states is served in SAW study. This paper presents an original investigation of AE effect in prestressed Ba{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}TiO{sub 3} films, where the effective elastic constants and the effect of texture on second and third order elastic tensor are considered and used. The propagation behavior of Rayleigh and Love waves in BST thin films under residual stress is explored and discussed. The guiding velocities affected by residual stresses, reveal some shifts which do not exceed four percent mainly in the low frequency range.« less

Barium-strontium-titanate etching characteristics in chlorinated discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stafford, Luc; Margot, Joëlle; Langlois, Olivier; Chaker, Mohamed

2003-07-01

The etching characteristics of barium-strontium-titanate (BST) were investigated using a high-density plasma sustained by surface waves at 190 MHz in Ar/Cl2 gas mixtures. The etch rate was examined as a function of both the total gas pressure and the Cl2 fraction in Ar/Cl2 using a wafer temperature of 10 °C. The results were correlated to positive ion density and plasma composition obtained from Langmuir probes and mass spectrometry. The BST etch rate was found to increase linearly with the positive ion density and to decrease with increasing chlorine atom concentration. This result indicates that for the temperature conditions used, the interaction between chlorine and BST yields compounds having a volatility that is lower than the original material. As a consequence, the contribution of neutral atomic Cl atoms to the etch mechanism is detrimental, thereby reducing the etch rate. As the wafer temperature increases, the role of chemistry in the etching process is enhanced.

Intracellular logistics of BST-2/tetherin.

PubMed

Fujita, Hideaki; Fujimoto, Keiko; Tokunaga, Kenzo; Tanaka, Yoshitaka

2012-06-01

Bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST-2) is a type II membrane protein with two targeting signals, one of which is located in the cytoplasmic domain and contains a non-canonical dual tyrosine-based motif responsible for its endocytosis from the plasma membrane, and the other is a C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor that facilitates its association with detergent-resistant membranes/lipid rafts and targeting to the apical domain in polarized epithelial cells. Due to its unusual topology at the membrane, BST-2 takes unique and complicated trafficking routes in cells. Recently, a physiological role for BST-2 as the "tetherin" molecule for viruses, especially for HIV-1, has been extensively examined. These studies have shown that the biosynthesis, intracellular trafficking, localization, and structure of human BST-2 are closely related to its antiviral activity. This review provides an overview of the intracellular logistics of human BST-2.

Identification of the S-transferase like superfamily bacillithiol transferases encoded by Bacillus subtilis

PubMed Central

Perera, Varahenage R.; Lapek, John D.; Newton, Gerald L.; Gonzalez, David J.; Pogliano, Kit

2018-01-01

Bacillithiol is a low molecular weight thiol found in Firmicutes that is analogous to glutathione, which is absent in these bacteria. Bacillithiol transferases catalyze the transfer of bacillithiol to various substrates. The S-transferase-like (STL) superfamily contains over 30,000 putative members, including bacillithiol transferases. Proteins in this family are extremely divergent and are related by structural rather than sequence similarity, leaving it unclear if all share the same biochemical activity. Bacillus subtilis encodes eight predicted STL superfamily members, only one of which has been shown to be a bacillithiol transferase. Here we find that the seven remaining proteins show varying levels of metal dependent bacillithiol transferase activity. We have renamed the eight enzymes BstA-H. Mass spectrometry and gene expression studies revealed that all of the enzymes are produced to varying levels during growth and sporulation, with BstB and BstE being the most abundant and BstF and BstH being the least abundant. Interestingly, several bacillithiol transferases are induced in the mother cell during sporulation. A strain lacking all eight bacillithiol transferases showed normal growth in the presence of stressors that adversely affect growth of bacillithiol-deficient strains, such as paraquat and CdCl2. Thus, the STL bacillithiol transferases represent a new group of proteins that play currently unknown, but potentially significant roles in bacillithiol-dependent reactions. We conclude that these enzymes are highly divergent, perhaps to cope with an equally diverse array of endogenous or exogenous toxic metabolites and oxidants. PMID:29451913

Low Profile Tunable Dipole Antennas Using BST Varactors for Biomedical Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cure, David; Weller, Thomas; Price, Tony; Miranda, Felix A.

2013-01-01

In this presentation a 2.4 GHz low profile (lambda45) tunable dipole antenna is evaluated in the presence of a human core model (HCM) body phantom. The antenna uses a frequency selective surface (FSS) with interdigital barium strontium titanate (BST) varactor-tuned unit cells and its performance is compared to a similar low profile antenna that uses an FSS with semiconductor varactor diodes. The measured data of the antenna demonstrate tunability from 2.2 GHz to 2.55 GHz in free space and impedance match improvement in the presence of a HCM at different distances. This antenna has smaller size, lower cost and less weight compared to the semiconductor varactor diode counterpart.

Low Profile Tunable Dipole Antenna Using BST Varactors for Biomedical Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cure, David; Weller, Thomas M.; Miranda, Felix A.; Price, Tony

2013-01-01

In this paper a 2.4 GHz low profile (lambda/47) tunable dipole antenna is evaluated in the presence of a human core model (HCM) body phantom. The antenna uses a frequency selective surface (FSS) with interdigital barium strontium titanate (BST) varactor-tuned unit cells and its performance is compared to a similar low profile antenna that uses an FSS with semiconductor varactor diodes. The measured data of the antenna demonstrate tunability from 2.2 GHz to 2.55 GHz in free space and impedance match improvement in the presence of a HCM at different distances. This antenna has smaller size, lower cost and less weight compared to the semiconductor varactor diode counterpart.

Superamphiphobic Surfaces Prepared by Coating Multifunctional Nanofluids.

PubMed

Esmaeilzadeh, Pouriya; Sadeghi, Mohammad Taghi; Bahramian, Alireza; Fakhroueian, Zahra; Zarbakhsh, Ali

2016-11-23

Construction of surfaces with the capability of repelling both water and oil is a challenging issue. We report the superamphiphobic properties of mineral surfaces coated with nanofluids based on synthesized Co-doped and Ce-doped Barium Strontium Titanate (CoBST and CeBST) nanoparticles and fluorochemicals of trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl)silane (PFOS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Coating surfaces with these nanofluids provides both oil (with surface tensions as low as 23 mN/m) and water repellency. Liquids with high surface tension (such as water and ethylene glycol) roll off the coated surface without tilting. A water drop released from 8 mm above the coated surface undergoes first a lateral displacement from its trajectory and shape deformation, striking the surface after 23 ms, bouncing and rolling off freely. These multifunctional coating nanofluids impart properties of self-cleaning. Applications include coating surfaces where cleanliness is paramount such as in hospitals and domestic environments as well as the maintenance of building facades and protection of public monuments from weathering. These superamphiphobic-doped nanofluids have thermal stability up to 180 °C; novel industrial applications include within fracking and the elimination of condensate blockage in gas reservoirs.

Comprehensive Antiretroviral Restriction Factor Profiling Reveals the Evolutionary Imprint of the ex Vivo and in Vivo IFN-β Response in HTLV-1-Associated Neuroinflammation.

PubMed

Leal, Fabio E; Menezes, Soraya Maria; Costa, Emanuela A S; Brailey, Phillip M; Gama, Lucio; Segurado, Aluisio C; Kallas, Esper G; Nixon, Douglas F; Dierckx, Tim; Khouri, Ricardo; Vercauteren, Jurgen; Galvão-Castro, Bernardo; Saraiva Raposo, Rui Andre; Van Weyenbergh, Johan

2018-01-01

HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy (HAM/TSP) is a progressive neuroinflammatory disorder for which no disease-modifying treatment exists. Modest clinical benefit from type I interferons (IFN-α/β) in HAM/TSP contrasts with its recently identified IFN-inducible gene signature. In addition, IFN-α treatment in vivo decreases proviral load and immune activation in HAM/TSP, whereas IFN-β therapy decreases tax mRNA and lymphoproliferation. We hypothesize this "IFN paradox" in HAM/TSP might be explained by both cell type- and gene-specific effects of type I IFN in HTLV-1-associated pathogenesis. Therefore, we analyzed ex vivo transcriptomes of CD4 + T cells, PBMCs and whole blood in healthy controls, HTLV-1-infected individuals, and HAM/TSP patients. First, we used a targeted approach, simultaneously quantifying HTLV-1 mRNA (HBZ, Tax), proviral load and 42 host genes with known antiretroviral (anti-HIV) activity in purified CD4 + T cells. This revealed two major clusters ("antiviral/protective" vs. "proviral/deleterious"), as evidenced by significant negative (TRIM5/TRIM22/BST2) vs. positive correlation (ISG15/PAF1/CDKN1A) with HTLV-1 viral markers and clinical status. Surprisingly, we found a significant inversion of antiretroviral activity of host restriction factors, as evidenced by opposite correlation to in vivo HIV-1 vs. HTLV-1 RNA levels. The anti-HTLV-1 effect of antiviral cluster genes was significantly correlated to their adaptive chimp/human evolution score, for both Tax mRNA and PVL. Six genes of the proposed antiviral cluster underwent lentivirus-driven purifying selection during primate evolution (TRIM5/TRIM22/BST2/APOBEC3F-G-H), underscoring the cross-retroviral evolutionary imprint. Secondly, we examined the genome-wide type I IFN response in HAM/TSP patients, following short-term ex vivo culture of PBMCs with either IFN-α or IFN-β. Microarray analysis evidenced 12 antiretroviral genes (including TRIM5α/TRIM22/BST2) were significantly up-regulated by IFN-β, but not IFN-α, in HAM/TSP. This was paralleled by a significant decrease in lymphoproliferation by IFN-β, but not IFN-α treatment. Finally, using published ex vivo whole blood transcriptomic data of independent cohorts, we validated the significant positive correlation between TRIM5, TRIM22, and BST2 in HTLV-1-infected individuals and HAM/TSP patients, which was independent of the HAM/TSP disease signature. In conclusion, our results provide ex vivo mechanistic evidence for the observed immunovirological effect of in vivo IFN-β treatment in HAM/TSP, reconcile an apparent IFN paradox in HTLV-1 research and identify biomarkers/targets for a precision medicine approach.

Comprehensive Antiretroviral Restriction Factor Profiling Reveals the Evolutionary Imprint of the ex Vivo and in Vivo IFN-β Response in HTLV-1-Associated Neuroinflammation

PubMed Central

Leal, Fabio E.; Menezes, Soraya Maria; Costa, Emanuela A. S.; Brailey, Phillip M.; Gama, Lucio; Segurado, Aluisio C.; Kallas, Esper G.; Nixon, Douglas F.; Dierckx, Tim; Khouri, Ricardo; Vercauteren, Jurgen; Galvão-Castro, Bernardo; Saraiva Raposo, Rui Andre; Van Weyenbergh, Johan

2018-01-01

HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy (HAM/TSP) is a progressive neuroinflammatory disorder for which no disease-modifying treatment exists. Modest clinical benefit from type I interferons (IFN-α/β) in HAM/TSP contrasts with its recently identified IFN-inducible gene signature. In addition, IFN-α treatment in vivo decreases proviral load and immune activation in HAM/TSP, whereas IFN-β therapy decreases tax mRNA and lymphoproliferation. We hypothesize this “IFN paradox” in HAM/TSP might be explained by both cell type- and gene-specific effects of type I IFN in HTLV-1-associated pathogenesis. Therefore, we analyzed ex vivo transcriptomes of CD4+ T cells, PBMCs and whole blood in healthy controls, HTLV-1-infected individuals, and HAM/TSP patients. First, we used a targeted approach, simultaneously quantifying HTLV-1 mRNA (HBZ, Tax), proviral load and 42 host genes with known antiretroviral (anti-HIV) activity in purified CD4+ T cells. This revealed two major clusters (“antiviral/protective” vs. “proviral/deleterious”), as evidenced by significant negative (TRIM5/TRIM22/BST2) vs. positive correlation (ISG15/PAF1/CDKN1A) with HTLV-1 viral markers and clinical status. Surprisingly, we found a significant inversion of antiretroviral activity of host restriction factors, as evidenced by opposite correlation to in vivo HIV-1 vs. HTLV-1 RNA levels. The anti-HTLV-1 effect of antiviral cluster genes was significantly correlated to their adaptive chimp/human evolution score, for both Tax mRNA and PVL. Six genes of the proposed antiviral cluster underwent lentivirus-driven purifying selection during primate evolution (TRIM5/TRIM22/BST2/APOBEC3F-G-H), underscoring the cross-retroviral evolutionary imprint. Secondly, we examined the genome-wide type I IFN response in HAM/TSP patients, following short-term ex vivo culture of PBMCs with either IFN-α or IFN-β. Microarray analysis evidenced 12 antiretroviral genes (including TRIM5α/TRIM22/BST2) were significantly up-regulated by IFN-β, but not IFN-α, in HAM/TSP. This was paralleled by a significant decrease in lymphoproliferation by IFN-β, but not IFN-α treatment. Finally, using published ex vivo whole blood transcriptomic data of independent cohorts, we validated the significant positive correlation between TRIM5, TRIM22, and BST2 in HTLV-1-infected individuals and HAM/TSP patients, which was independent of the HAM/TSP disease signature. In conclusion, our results provide ex vivo mechanistic evidence for the observed immunovirological effect of in vivo IFN-β treatment in HAM/TSP, reconcile an apparent IFN paradox in HTLV-1 research and identify biomarkers/targets for a precision medicine approach. PMID:29872426

Baseline Serum Testosterone in Men Treated With Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer

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

Roach, Mack, E-mail: mroach@radonc.ucsf.ed; Bae, Kyounghwa; Lawton, Colleen

Introduction: It is believed that men diagnosed with prostate cancer and a low baseline serum testosterone (BST) may have more aggressive disease, and it is frequently recommended they forgo testosterone replacement therapy. We used two large Phase III trials involving androgen deprivation therapy and external beam radiation therapy to assess the significance of a BST. Methods and Materials: All patients with a BST and complete data (n = 2,478) were included in this analysis and divided into four categories: 'Very Low BST' (VLBST) {<=}16.5th percentile of BST ({<=}248 ng/dL; n = 408); 'Low BST' (LBST) >16.5th percentile and {<=}33rd percentilemore » (>248 ng/dL but {<=}314 ng/dL; n = 415); 'Average BST' (ABST) >33rd percentile and {<=}67th percentile (314-437 ng/dL; n = 845); and 'High BST' (HBST) >67th percentile (>437 ng/dL; n = 810). Outcomes included overall survival, distant metastasis, biochemical failure, and cause-specific survival. All outcomes were adjusted for the following covariates: treatment arm, BST, age (<70 vs. {>=}70), prostate-specific antigen (PSA; <10 vs. 10 {<=} PSA <20 vs. 20 {<=}), Gleason score (2-6 vs. 7 vs. 8-10); T stage (T1-T2 vs. T3-T4), and Karnofsky Performance Status (60-90 vs. 100). Results: On multivariable analysis age, Gleason score, and PSA were independently associated with an increased risk of biochemical failure, distant metastasis and a reduced cause-specific and overall survival (p < 0.05), but BST was not. Conclusions: BST does not affect outcomes in men treated with external beam radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.« less

Study of Lead Free Ferroelectric Films for New Solar Cells

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

Fasquelle, D.; Mascot, M.; Carru, J. C.

2009-09-14

We report on the deposition by a sol-gel process of Ba{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}TiO{sub 3} and Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3} films on platinum coated silicon substrates. X-Ray diffraction patterns show that the films are (111) preferentially oriented. The surface morphology is smooth, without cracks and the grain size is about 50 nm as determined by AFM and SEM. The dielectric constant measured from 10{sup 2} to 10{sup 6} Hz decreases slightly and is around 400 at 10{sup 4} Hz. The losses are constant in a first approximation for a 1.5 {mu}m thick BST(80/20) film with a value of 0.03 at 10more » kHz. The existence of an hysteresis cycle attests that the films, whatever their thickness, are in a ferroelectric state. Pyroelectric coefficients have been determined and the best figure of merit obtained on BST(90/10) at 293 K and 10 kHz is of 149 {mu}C/m{sup 3}/K. The best dielectric and pyroelectric properties (tg{delta} = 0.006 at 1 MHz, tunability = 30%, {gamma} = 340 {mu}C/m{sup 2}/K) were obtained on the 400 nm BST(90/10) film. Work is in progress to characterize the piezoelectric and photovoltaic properties of our BST films.« less

Osteochondral Biopsy Analysis Demonstrates That BST-CarGel Treatment Improves Structural and Cellular Characteristics of Cartilage Repair Tissue Compared With Microfracture

PubMed Central

Méthot, Stéphane; Changoor, Adele; Tran-Khanh, Nicolas; Hoemann, Caroline D.; Stanish, William D.; Restrepo, Alberto; Shive, Matthew S.; Buschmann, Michael D.

2016-01-01

Objective The efficacy and safety of BST-CarGel, a chitosan-based medical device for cartilage repair, was compared with microfracture alone at 1 year during a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) in the knee. The quality of repair tissue of osteochondral biopsies collected from a subset of patients was compared using blinded histological assessments. Methods The international RCT evaluated repair tissue quantity and quality by 3-dimensional quantitative magnetic resonance imaging as co-primary endpoints at 12 months. At an average of 13 months posttreatment, 21/41 BST-CarGel and 17/39 microfracture patients underwent elective second look arthroscopies as a tertiary endpoint, during which ICRS (International Cartilage Repair Society) macroscopic scoring was carried out, and osteochondral biopsies were collected. Stained histological sections were evaluated by blinded readers using ICRS I and II histological scoring systems. Collagen organization was evaluated using a polarized light microscopy score. Results BST-CarGel treatment resulted in significantly better ICRS macroscopic scores (P = 0.0002) compared with microfracture alone, indicating better filling, integration, and tissue appearance. Histologically, BST-CarGel resulted in a significant improvement of structural parameters—Surface Architecture (P = 0.007) and Surface/Superficial Assessment (P = 0.042)—as well as cellular parameters—Cell Viability (P = 0.006) and Cell Distribution (P = 0.032). No histological parameters were significantly better for the microfracture group. BST-CarGel treatment also resulted in a more organized repair tissue with collagen stratification more similar to native hyaline cartilage, as measured by polarized light microscopy scoring (P = 0.0003). Conclusion Multiple and independent analyses in this biopsy substudy demonstrated that BST-CarGel treatment results in improved structural and cellular characteristics of repair tissue at 1 year posttreatment compared with microfracture alone, supporting previously reported results by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. PMID:26958314

Structural and Biophysical Analysis of BST-2/Tetherin Ectodomains Reveals an Evolutionary Conserved Design to Inhibit Virus Release

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

Swiecki, M.; Allaire, M.; Scheaffer, S.

2011-01-28

BST-2/tetherin is a host antiviral molecule that functions to potently inhibit the release of enveloped viruses from infected cells. In return, viruses have evolved antagonists to this activity. BST-2 traps budding virions by using two separate membrane-anchoring regions that simultaneously incorporate into the host and viral membranes. Here, we detailed the structural and biophysical properties of the full-length BST-2 ectodomain, which spans the two membrane anchors. The 1.6-{angstrom} crystal structure of the complete mouse BST-2 ectodomain reveals an {approx}145-{angstrom} parallel dimer in an extended {alpha}-helix conformation that predominantly forms a coiled coil bridged by three intermolecular disulfides that are requiredmore » for stability. Sequence analysis in the context of the structure revealed an evolutionarily conserved design that destabilizes the coiled coil, resulting in a labile superstructure, as evidenced by solution x-ray scattering displaying bent conformations spanning 150 and 180 {angstrom} for the mouse and human BST-2 ectodomains, respectively. Additionally, crystal packing analysis revealed possible curvature-sensing tetrameric structures that may aid in proper placement of BST-2 during the genesis of viral progeny. Overall, this extended coiled-coil structure with inherent plasticity is undoubtedly necessary to accommodate the dynamics of viral budding while ensuring separation of the anchors.« less

Feline tetherin is characterized by a short N-terminal region and is counteracted by the feline immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein.

PubMed

Celestino, Michele; Calistri, Arianna; Del Vecchio, Claudia; Salata, Cristiano; Chiuppesi, Flavia; Pistello, Mauro; Borsetti, Alessandra; Palù, Giorgio; Parolin, Cristina

2012-06-01

Tetherin (BST2) is the host cell factor that blocks the particle release of some enveloped viruses. Two putative feline tetherin proteins differing at the level of the N-terminal coding region have recently been described and tested for their antiviral activity. By cloning and comparing the two reported feline tetherins (called here cBST2(504) and cBST2*) and generating specific derivative mutants, this study provides evidence that feline tetherin has a shorter intracytoplasmic domain than those of other known homologues. The minimal tetherin promoter was identified and assayed for its ability to drive tetherin expression in an alpha interferon-inducible manner. We also demonstrated that cBST2(504) is able to dimerize, is localized at the cellular membrane, and impairs human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) particle release, regardless of the presence of the Vpu antagonist accessory protein. While cBST2(504) failed to restrict wild-type feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) egress, FIV mutants, bearing a frameshift at the level of the envelope-encoding region, were potently blocked. The transient expression of the FIV envelope glycoprotein was able to rescue mutant particle release from feline tetherin-positive cells but did not antagonize human BST2 activity. Moreover, cBST2(504) was capable of specifically immunoprecipitating the FIV envelope glycoprotein. Finally, cBST2(504) also exerted its function on HIV-2 ROD10 and on the simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239. Taken together, these results show that feline tetherin does indeed have a short N-terminal region and that the FIV envelope glycoprotein is the predominant factor counteracting tetherin restriction.

[Study of androgen receptor and phosphoglycerate kinase gene polymorphism in major cellular components of the so-called pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma].

PubMed

Qi, Feng-jie; Zhang, Xiu-wei; Zhang, Yong-xing; Dai, Shun-dong; Wang, En-hua

2006-05-01

To study the clonality of polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells in the so-called pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (PSH). 17 female surgically resected PSH were found. The polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells of the 17 PSH cases were microdissected from routine hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Genomic DNA was extracted, pretreated through incubation with methylation-sensitive restrictive endonuclease HhaI or HpaII, and amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction for X chromosome-linked androgen receptor (AR) and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) genes. The length polymorphism of AR gene was demonstrated by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining. The PGK gene products were treated with Bst XI and resolved on agarose gel. Amongst the 17 female cases of PSH, 15 samples were successfully amplified for AR and PGK genes. The rates of polymorphism were 53% (8/15) and 27% (4/15) for AR and PGK genes respectively. Polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells of 10 cases which were suitable for clonality study, showed the same loss of alleles (clonality ratio = 0) or unbalanced methylation pattern (clonality ratio < 0.25). The polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells in PSH demonstrate patterns of monoclonal proliferation, indicating that both represent true neoplastic cells.

Transcriptional expression of type-I interferon response genes and stability of housekeeping genes in the human endometrium and endometriosis.

PubMed

Vestergaard, Anna L; Knudsen, Ulla B; Munk, Torben; Rosbach, Hanne; Martensen, Pia M

2011-04-01

Endometriosis is a painful chronic female disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue implants in ectopic (Ec) locations. The pathogenesis is much debated, and type-I interferons (IFNs) could be involved. The expression of genes of the type-I IFN response were profiled by a specific PCR array of RNA obtained from Ec and eutopic (Eu) endometrium collected from nine endometriosis patients and nine healthy control women. Transcriptional expression levels of selected IFN-regulated and housekeeping genes (HKGs) were investigated by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Stably expressed HKGs for valid normalization of transcriptional studies of endometrium and endometriosis have not yet been published. Here, seven HKGs were evaluated for stability using the GeNorm and NormFinder software. A normalization factor based on HMBS, TBP and YWHAZ expression was suitable for normalization of qRT-PCR studies of Eu versus Ec endometrium. In the endometrial cell lines HEC1A, HEC1B, Ishikawa and RL95-2, HMBS and HPRT1 were the most stably expressed. The IFN-specific PCR array indicated significantly different expression of the genes BST2, COL16A1, HOXB2 and ISG20 between the endometrial tissue types. However, by correctly normalized qRT-PCR, levels of BST2, COL16A1 and the highly type-I IFN-stimulated genes ISG12A and 6-16 displayed insignificant variations. Conversely, HOXB2 and ISG20 transcriptions were significantly reduced in endometriosis lesions compared with endometrium from endometriosis patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, appropriate HKGs for normalization of qRT-PCR studies of endometrium and endometriosis have been identified here. Abolished expression of ISG20 and HOX genes could be important in endometriosis.

Dielectric Properties of BST/(Y 2O 3) x(ZrO 2) 1-x/BST Trilayer Films

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

Sahoo, Santosh K.; Misra, D.

2011-01-31

Thin films of Ba1-xSrxTiO3 (BST) are being actively investigated for applications in dynamic random access memories (DRAM) because of their properties such as high dielectric constant, low leakage current, and high dielectric breakdown strength. Various approaches have been used to improve the dielectric properties of BST thin films such as doping, graded compositions, and multilayer structures. We have found that inserting a ZrO2 layer in between two BST layers results in a significant reduction in dielectric constant as well as dielectric loss. In this work the effect of Y2O3 doped ZrO2 on the dielectric properties of BST/ZrO2/BST trilayer structure ismore » studied. The structure Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3/(Y2O3)x(ZrO2)1-x/Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 is deposited by a sol-gel process on platinized Si substrate. The composition (x) of the middle layer is varied while keeping the total thickness of the trilayer film constant. The dielectric constant of the multilayer film decreases with the increase of Y2O3 amount in the film whereas there is a slight variation in dielectric loss. In Y2O3 doped multilayer thin films, the dielectric loss is lower in comparison to other films and also there is good frequency stability in the loss in the measured frequency range and hence very suitable for microwave device applications.« less

ZrO2 Layer Thickness Dependent Electrical and Dielectric Properties of BST/ZrO2/BST Multilayer Thin Films

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

Sahoo, S. K.; Misra, D.; Agrawal, D. C.

2011-01-01

Recently, high K materials play an important role in microelectronic devices such as capacitors, memory devices, and microwave devices. Now a days ferroelectric barium strontium titanate [Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x}TiO{sub 3}, (BST)] thin film is being actively investigated for applications in dynamic random access memories (DRAM), field effect transistor (FET), and tunable devices because of its properties such as high dielectric constant, low leakage current, low dielectric loss, and high dielectric breakdown strength. Several approaches have been used to optimize the dielectric and electrical properties of BST thin films such as doping, graded compositions, and multilayer structures. We have found thatmore » inserting a ZrO{sub 2} layer in between two BST layers results in a significant reduction in dielectric constant, loss tangent, and leakage current in the multilayer thin films. Also it is shown that the properties of multilayer structure are found to depend strongly on the sublayer thicknesses. In this work the effect of ZrO{sub 2} layer thickness on the dielectric, ferroelectric as well as electrical properties of BST/ZrO{sub 2}/BST multilayer structure is studied. The multilayer Ba{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}TiO{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2}/Ba{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}TiO{sub 3} film is deposited by a sol-gel process on the platinized Si substrate. The thickness of the middle ZrO{sub 2} layer is varied while keeping the top and bottom BST layer thickness as fixed. It is observed that the dielectric constant, dielectric loss tangent, and leakage current of the multilayer films reduce with the increase of ZrO{sub 2} layer thickness and hence suitable for memory device applications. The ferroelectric properties of the multilayer film also decrease with the ZrO{sub 2} layer thickness.« less

Formation of solar cells based on Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} (BST) ferroelectric thick film

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

Irzaman,, E-mail: irzaman@yahoo.com; Syafutra, H., E-mail: irzaman@yahoo.com; Arif, A., E-mail: irzaman@yahoo.com

2014-02-24

Growth of Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} (BST) 1 M thick films are conducted with variation of annealing hold time of 8 hours, 15 hours, 22 hours, and 29 hours at a constant temperature of 850 °C on p-type Si (100) substrate using sol-gel method then followed by spin coating process at 3000 rpm for 30 seconds. The BST thick film electrical conductivity is obtained to be 10{sup −5} to 10{sup −4} S/cm indicate that the BST thick film is classified as semiconductor material. The semiconductor energy band gap value of BST thick film based on annealing hold time of 8more » hours, 15 hours, 22 hours, and 29 hours are 2.58 eV, 3.15 eV, 3.2 eV and 2.62 eV, respectively. The I-V photovoltaic characterization shows that the BST thick film is potentially solar cell device, and in accordance to annealing hold time of 8 hours, 15 hours, 22 hours and 29 hours have respective solar cell energy conversion efficiencies of 0.343%, 0.399%, 0.469% and 0.374%, respectively. Optical spectroscopy shows that BST thick film solar cells with annealing hold time of 8 hours, 15 hours, and 22 hours absorb effectively light energy at wavelength of ≥ 700 nm. BST film samples with annealing hold time of 29 hours absorb effectively light energy at wavelength of ≤ 700 nm. The BST thick film refraction index is between 1.1 to 1.8 at light wavelength between ±370 to 870 nm.« less

Hybrid modeling in biochemical systems theory by means of functional petri nets.

PubMed

Wu, Jialiang; Voit, Eberhard

2009-02-01

Many biological systems are genuinely hybrids consisting of interacting discrete and continuous components and processes that often operate at different time scales. It is therefore desirable to create modeling frameworks capable of combining differently structured processes and permitting their analysis over multiple time horizons. During the past 40 years, Biochemical Systems Theory (BST) has been a very successful approach to elucidating metabolic, gene regulatory, and signaling systems. However, its foundation in ordinary differential equations has precluded BST from directly addressing problems containing switches, delays, and stochastic effects. In this study, we extend BST to hybrid modeling within the framework of Hybrid Functional Petri Nets (HFPN). First, we show how the canonical GMA and S-system models in BST can be directly implemented in a standard Petri Net framework. In a second step we demonstrate how to account for different types of time delays as well as for discrete, stochastic, and switching effects. Using representative test cases, we validate the hybrid modeling approach through comparative analyses and simulations with other approaches and highlight the feasibility, quality, and efficiency of the hybrid method.

Effect of bottom electrode on dielectric property of sputtered-(Ba,Sr)TiO{sub 3} films

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

Ito, Shinichi; Yamada, Tomoaki; Takahashi, Kenji

2009-03-15

(Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5})TiO{sub 3} (BST) films were deposited on (111)Pt/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates by rf sputtering. By inserting a thin layer of SrRuO{sub 3} in between BST film and (111)Pt electrode, the BST films grew fully (111)-oriented without any other orientations. In addition, it enables us to reduce the growth temperature of BST films while keeping the dielectric constant and tunability as high as those of BST films directly deposited on Pt at higher temperatures. The dielectric loss of the films on SrRuO{sub 3}-top substrates was comparable to that on Pt-top substrates for the same level of dielectricmore » constant. The results suggest that the SrRuO{sub 3} thin layer on (111)Pt electrode is an effective approach to growing highly crystalline BST films with (111) orientation at lower deposition temperatures.« less

Characteristics of the surface layer of barium strontium titanate thin films deposited by laser ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craciun, V.; Singh, R. K.

2000-04-01

Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) thin films grown on Si by an in situ ultraviolet-assisted pulsed laser deposition (UVPLD) technique exhibited significantly higher dielectric constant and refractive index values and lower leakage current densities than films grown by conventional PLD under similar conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations have shown that the surface layer of the grown films contained, besides the usual BST perovskite phase, an additional phase with Ba atoms in a different chemical state. PLD grown films always exhibited larger amounts of this phase, which was homogeneously mixed with the BST phase up to several nm depth, while UVPLD grown films exhibited a much thinner (˜1 nm) and continuous layer. The relative fraction of this phase was not correlated with the amount of C atoms present on the surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy did not find any BaCO3 contamination layer, which was believed to be related to this new phase. X-ray diffraction measurement showed that although PLD grown films contained less oxygen atoms, the lattice parameter was closer to the bulk value than that of UVPLD grown films. After 4 keV Ar ion sputtering for 6 min, XPS analysis revealed a small suboxide Ba peak for the PLD grown films. This finding indicates that the average Ba-O bonds are weaker in these films, likely due to the presence of oxygen vacancies. It is suggested here that this new Ba phase corresponds to a relaxed BST surface layer.

Understanding the photoluminescence characteristics of Eu{sup 3+}-doped double-perovskite by electronic structure calculation

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

Ghosh, Binita; Halder, Saswata; Sinha, T. P.

2016-05-23

Europium-doped luminescent barium samarium tantalum oxide Ba{sub 2}SmTaO{sub 6} (BST) has been investigated by first-principles calculation, and the crystal structure, electronic structure, and optical properties of pure BST and Eu-doped BST have been examined and compared. Based on the calculated results, the luminescence properties and mechanism of Eu-doped BST has been discussed. In the case of Eu-doped BST, there is an impurity energy band at the Fermi level, which is formed by seven spin up energy levels of Eu and act as the luminescent centre, which is evident from the band structure calculations.

Application of RF varactor using Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3/TiO2/HR-Si substrate for reconfigurable radio.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Byoung; Park, Chul-Soon

2007-11-01

In this paper, the potential feasibility of integrating Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 (BST) films into Si wafer by adopting tunable interdigital capacitor (IDC) with TiO2 thin film buffer layer and a RF tunable active bandpass filter (BPF) using BST based capacitor are proposed. TiO2 as a buffer layer is grown onto Si substrate by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and the interdigital capacitor on BST(500 nm)/TiO2 (50 nm)/HR-Si is fabricated. BST interdigital tunable capacitor integrated on HR-Si substrate with high tunability and low loss tangent are characterized for their microwave performances. BST/TiO2/HR-Si IDC shows much enhanced tunability values of 40% and commutation quality factor (CQF) of 56.71. A resonator consists of an active capacitance circuit together with a BST varactor. The active capacitor is made of a field effect transistor (FET) that exhibits negative resistance as well as capacitance. The measured second order active BPF shows bandwidth of 110 MHz, insertion loss of about 1 dB at the 1.81 GHz center frequency and tuning frequency of 230 MHz (1.81-2.04 GHz).

A single dose of bovine somatotropin 5 days before the end of progestin-based estrous synchronization increases prolificacy in sheep.

PubMed

Carrillo, F; Hernández-Cerón, J; Orozco, V; Hernández, J A; Gutiérrez, C G

2007-11-01

Bovine somatotropin (bST) enhances ovarian follicular and embryonic development in sheep and cattle. In the present study, the objective was to assess whether bST given 5 days before the end of progestin-based estrous synchronization improves prolificacy and lambing rate in sheep. Pelibuey ewes (n=92) exhibiting estrous cycles at regular intervals received an intravaginal sponge containing 45mg of FGA for 12 days. Five days before sponge withdrawal, ewes were treated with either 125mg of bST sc (bST group; n=47) or saline solution (control; n=45). After the sponge was removed, ewes were observed for estrus and subsequently mated twice. Lambing rate and prolificacy was determined at birth. Blood samples were taken from the time of treatment until day 15 after estrus in eight ewes from the bST group and nine from the control group. Concentrations of IGF-I were determined by immunoradiometric assay and progesterone by RIA. Treatment with bST increased (P<0.01) the proportion of ewes with more than one lamb (bST, 56% compared with control, 26%) and prolificacy (bST, 1.6 compared with control, 1.3). Treatment with bST increased (P<0.05) the lambing rate of multiparous (bST, 92% compared with control, 67%) but not in ewes at the first time they were mated (bST, 71% compared with control, 87%; P>0.05). IGF-I concentrations were greater (P<0.01) in ewes treated with bST than in control ewes from 2 days after treatment. Progesterone concentrations did not vary (P>0.05) between groups. It is concluded that a single dose of bST 5 days before progestin withdrawal increases lambing rate and prolificacy in sheep. These effects are associated with an increase in circulating concentrations of IGF-I.

Critical evaluation of a badminton-specific endurance test.

PubMed

Fuchs, Michael; Faude, Oliver; Wegmann, Melissa; Meyer, Tim

2014-03-01

To overcome the limitations of traditional 1-dimensional fitness tests in analyzing physiological properties of badminton players, a badminton-specific endurance test (BST) was created. This study aimed at analyzing the influence of various fitness dimensions on BST performance. 18 internationally competing male German badminton players (22.4 ± 3.2 y, 79.2 ± 7.7 kg, 1.84 ± 0.06 m, world-ranking position [WRP] 21-501) completed a straight-sprint test, a change-of-direction speed test, various jump tests (countermovement jump, drop jump, standing long jump), a multistage running test (MST), and the BST. During this on-court field test players have to respond to a computerized sign indicating direction and speed of badminton-specific movements by moving into the corresponding corners. Significant correlations were found between performance in MST and BST (individual anaerobic threshold [IAT], r = .63, P = .005; maximum velocity [Vmax], r = .60, P = .009). A negative correlation (r = -.59, P = .014) was observed between IAT in BST and drop-jump contact time. No further associations between performance indices could be detected. Apart from a small portion explained by MST results (IAT, R2 = .40; Vmax, R2 = .36), the majority of BST performance cannot be explained by the determined physiological correlates. Moreover, it was impossible to predict the WRP of a player on the basis of BST results (r = -.15, P = .55). Neither discipline-specific performance nor basic physiological properties were appropriately reflected by a BST in elite badminton players. This does not substantiate its validity for regular use as a testing tool. However, it may be useful for monitoring on-court training sessions.

Fabrication and electrical properties of (111) textured (Ba0.6Sr0.4)TiO3 film on platinized Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi; Liu, Baoting; Wei, Feng; Yang, Zhimin; Du, Jun

2007-01-01

The authors report the fabrication of (Ba0.6Sr0.4)TiO3 (BST) film on Pt /Si(001) substrate without Ti adhesion layer by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction technique is used to characterize the orientation and phase purity of BST/Pt heterostructure. It is found that both BST and Pt films are (111) textured. The (111) BST films are observed to have high tunability of 49.4%; the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the BST film are about 682 and 0.015, respectively. The leakage current density of BST film agrees well with the space-charge-limited current theory at room temperature and is only 3.90×10-8A/cm2 at 455kV/cm.

A multi-scale mathematical modeling framework to investigate anti-viral therapeutic opportunities in targeting HIV-1 accessory proteins

PubMed Central

Suryawanshi, Gajendra W.; Hoffmann, Alexander

2015-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) employs accessory proteins to evade innate immune responses by neutralizing the anti-viral activity of host restriction factors. Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme 3G (APOBEC3G, A3G) and bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2) are host resistance factors that potentially inhibit HIV-1 infection. BST2 reduces viral production by tethering budding HIV-1 particles to virus producing cells, while A3G inhibits the reverse transcription (RT) process and induces viral genome hypermutation through cytidine deamination, generating fewer replication competent progeny virus. Two HIV-1 proteins counter these cellular restriction factors: Vpu, which reduces surface BST2, and Vif, which degrades cellular A3G. The contest between these host and viral proteins influences whether HIV-1 infection is established and progresses towards AIDS. In this work, we present an age-structured multi-scale viral dynamics model of in vivo HIV-1 infection. We integrated the intracellular dynamics of anti-viral activity of the host factors and their neutralization by HIV-1 accessory proteins into the virus/cell population dynamics model. We calculate the basic reproductive ratio (Ro) as a function of host-viral protein interaction coefficients, and numerically simulated the multi-scale model to understand HIV-1 dynamics following host factor-induced perturbations. We found that reducing the influence of Vpu triggers a drop in Ro, revealing the impact of BST2 on viral infection control. Reducing Vif’s effect reveals the restrictive efficacy of A3G in blocking RT and in inducing lethal hypermutations, however, neither of these factors alone is sufficient to fully restrict HIV-1 infection. Interestingly, our model further predicts that BST2 and A3G function synergistically, and delineates their relative contribution in limiting HIV-1 infection and disease progression. We provide a robust modeling framework for devising novel combination therapies that target HIV-1 accessory proteins and boost antiviral activity of host factors. PMID:26385832

Effect of calcium soaps of fatty acids and administration of somatotropin in early lactation on productive and reproductive performance of high producing dairy cows.

PubMed

Moallem, U; Kaim, M; Folman, Y; Sklan, D

1997-09-01

This study examined the mechanisms by which calcium soaps of fatty acids and bovine somatotropin (bST) affect production and reproduction of high producing cows. Calcium soaps of fatty acids were fed at 2.2% dry matter, and 500 mg of Zn-sometribove (Monsanto Inc., St Louis, MO) were injected subcutaneously every 14 d from 10 to 150 d in milk (DIM). Production of fat-corrected milk was increased by 3.5 kg/d when calcium soaps of fatty acids were fed, by 6.1 kg/d when bST was administered, and by 7.4 kg/d when calcium soaps of fatty acids were fed and bST was administered. Body weight was similar for cows on all treatments until 85 DIM after which cows that were treated with bST had lower body weights. Body condition scores decreased more for cows treated with bST and began increasing later and more slowly. Treatment with bST resulted in more cows that experienced first ovulation after 30 DIM, and more cows on the control treatment exhibited first estrus before 35 DIM. Days open were greater when bST was administered. After the first artificial insemination, conception rates were similar for cows on the control treatment and for cows fed calcium soaps of fatty acids; conception rates after the first artificial insemination were low for all cows treated with bST. Pregnancy rates at 120 and 150 DIM were decreased by bST. Number of DIM to first ovulation, number of DIM to first estrus, and days open were negatively correlated with glucose and cholesterol concentrations in plasma. Production of fat-corrected milk was correlated with days open and with concentrations of triglycerides in plasma, nonesterified fatty acids, and cholesterol. Increased production had different effects on reproduction when induced by calcium soaps of fatty acids or bST treatment. Some of the adverse effects of bST treatments were alleviated by calcium soaps of fatty acids.

Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: a comparison of two targets and long-term follow-up

PubMed Central

Raymaekers, S; Luyten, L; Bervoets, C; Gabriëls, L; Nuttin, B

2017-01-01

We previously found that electrical stimulation in the anterior limb of the internal capsule/bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (IC/BST) alleviates depressive symptoms in severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. Here we tested the hypothesis that electrical stimulation in either IC/BST or in the inferior thalamic peduncle (ITP) effectively reduces depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD). In a double-blind crossover design, the effects of electrical stimulation at both targets were compared in TRD patients. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAM-D) was the primary outcome measure. During the first crossover, patients received IC/BST stimulation versus no stimulation in random order (2 × 1 weeks). During the second crossover (3 × 2 months), patients received IC/BST versus ITP versus no stimulation. Patients and evaluators were blinded for stimulation conditions. All patients (n=7) were followed up for at least 3 years (3–8 years) after implantation. Six patients completed the first crossover and five patients completed the second. During the first crossover, mean (s.d.) HAM-D scores were 21.5 (2.7) for no stimulation and 11.5 (8.8) for IC/BST stimulation. During the second crossover, HAM-D scores were 15.4 (7.5) for no stimulation, 7.6 (3.8) for IC/BST stimulation and 11.2 (7.5) for ITP stimulation. The final sample size was too small to statistically analyze this second crossover. At last follow-up, only one patient preferred ITP over IC/BST stimulation. Two patients, with a history of suicide attempts before implantation, committed suicide during the follow-up phases of this study. Our data indicate that, in the long term, both ITP and IC/BST stimulation may alleviate depressive symptoms in patients suffering from TRD. PMID:29087373

Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: a comparison of two targets and long-term follow-up.

PubMed

Raymaekers, S; Luyten, L; Bervoets, C; Gabriëls, L; Nuttin, B

2017-10-31

We previously found that electrical stimulation in the anterior limb of the internal capsule/bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (IC/BST) alleviates depressive symptoms in severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. Here we tested the hypothesis that electrical stimulation in either IC/BST or in the inferior thalamic peduncle (ITP) effectively reduces depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD). In a double-blind crossover design, the effects of electrical stimulation at both targets were compared in TRD patients. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAM-D) was the primary outcome measure. During the first crossover, patients received IC/BST stimulation versus no stimulation in random order (2 × 1 weeks). During the second crossover (3 × 2 months), patients received IC/BST versus ITP versus no stimulation. Patients and evaluators were blinded for stimulation conditions. All patients (n=7) were followed up for at least 3 years (3-8 years) after implantation. Six patients completed the first crossover and five patients completed the second. During the first crossover, mean (s.d.) HAM-D scores were 21.5 (2.7) for no stimulation and 11.5 (8.8) for IC/BST stimulation. During the second crossover, HAM-D scores were 15.4 (7.5) for no stimulation, 7.6 (3.8) for IC/BST stimulation and 11.2 (7.5) for ITP stimulation. The final sample size was too small to statistically analyze this second crossover. At last follow-up, only one patient preferred ITP over IC/BST stimulation. Two patients, with a history of suicide attempts before implantation, committed suicide during the follow-up phases of this study. Our data indicate that, in the long term, both ITP and IC/BST stimulation may alleviate depressive symptoms in patients suffering from TRD.

Four Main Virotypes among Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Isolates of Escherichia coli O25b:H4-B2-ST131: Bacterial, Epidemiological, and Clinical Characteristics

PubMed Central

Mora, Azucena; Mamani, Rosalia; López, Cecilia; Blanco, Miguel; Dahbi, Ghizlane; Herrera, Alexandra; Marzoa, Juan; Fernández, Val; de la Cruz, Fernando; Martínez-Martínez, Luis; Alonso, María Pilar; Nicolas-Chanoine, Marie-Hélène; Johnson, James R.; Johnston, Brian; López-Cerero, Lorena; Pascual, Álvaro; Rodríguez-Baño, Jesús

2013-01-01

A total of 1,021 extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBLEC) isolates obtained in 2006 during a Spanish national survey conducted in 44 hospitals were analyzed for the presence of the O25b:H4-B2-ST131 (sequence type 131) clonal group. Overall, 195 (19%) O25b-ST131 isolates were detected, with prevalence rates ranging from 0% to 52% per hospital. Molecular characterization of 130 representative O25b-ST131 isolates showed that 96 (74%) were positive for CTX-M-15, 15 (12%) for CTX-M-14, 9 (7%) for SHV-12, 6 (5%) for CTX-M-9, 5 (4%) for CTX-M-32, and 1 (0.7%) each for CTX-M-3 and the new ESBL enzyme CTX-M-103. The 130 O25b-ST131 isolates exhibited relatively high virulence scores (mean, 14.4 virulence genes). Although the virulence profiles of the O25b-ST131 isolates were fairly homogeneous, they could be classified into four main virotypes based on the presence or absence of four distinctive virulence genes: virotypes A (22%) (afa FM955459 positive, iroN negative, ibeA negative, sat positive or negative), B (31%) (afa FM955459 negative, iroN positive, ibeA negative, sat positive or negative), C (32%) (afa FM955459 negative, iroN negative, ibeA negative, sat positive), and D (13%) (afa FM955459 negative, iroN positive or negative, ibeA positive, sat positive or negative). The four virotypes were also identified in other countries, with virotype C being overrepresented internationally. Correspondingly, an analysis of XbaI macrorestriction profiles revealed four major clusters, which were largely virotype specific. Certain epidemiological and clinical features corresponded with the virotype. Statistically significant virotype-specific associations included, for virotype B, older age and a lower frequency of infection (versus colonization), for virotype C, a higher frequency of infection, and for virotype D, younger age and community-acquired infections. In isolates of the O25b:H4-B2-ST131 clonal group, these findings uniquely define four main virotypes, which are internationally distributed, correspond with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles, and exhibit distinctive clinical-epidemiological associations. PMID:23926164

Emergence in Taiwan of novel imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ST455 causing bloodstream infection in critical patients.

PubMed

Lee, Hao-Yuan; Huang, Chih-Wei; Chen, Chyi-Liang; Wang, Yi-Hsin; Chang, Chee-Jen; Chiu, Cheng-Hsun

2015-12-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. This study aimed to use multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for the epidemiological surveillance of A. baumannii isolates in Taiwan and analyze the clinical presentations and patients' outcome. MLST according to both Bartual's PubMLST and Pasteur's MLST schemes was applied to characterize bloodstream imipenem-resistant A. baumannii (IRAB) infection in intensive care units in a medical center. A total of 39 clinical IRAB bloodstream isolates in 2010 were enrolled. We also collected 13 imipenem-susceptible A. baumannii (ISAB) bloodstream isolates and 30 clinical sputum isolates (24 IRAB and 6 ISAB) for comparison. Clinical presentations and outcome of the patients were analyzed. We found that infection by ST455(B)/ST2(P) and inappropriate initial therapy were statistically significant risk factors for mortality. More than one-third of the IRAB isolates belonged to ST455(B)/ST2(P). Most ST455(B)/ST2(P) (80%) carried ISAba1-blaOXA-23, including 10 (66.7%) with Tn2006 (ISAba1-blaOXA-23-ISAba1) in an AbaR4-type resistance island. ST455(B)/ST2(P) appears to evolve from ST208(B)/ST2(P) of clonal complex (CC) 92(B)/CC2(P). In this hospital-based study, A. baumannii ST455 accounted for 38.5% of IRAB bacteremia, with a high mortality of 86.7%. Approximately 85% of ST455(B)/ST2(P)bacteremia had a primary source of ventilation-associated pneumonia. We report the emergence in Taiwan of IRAB ST455(B)/ST2(P), which is the current predominant clone of IRAB in our hospital and has been causing bacteremia with high mortality in critical patients. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of bovine somatotropin (500 mg) administered at ten-day intervals on ovulatory responses, expression of estrus, and fertility in dairy cows.

PubMed

Rivera, F; Narciso, C; Oliveira, R; Cerri, R L A; Correa-Calderón, A; Chebel, R C; Santos, J E P

2010-04-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of administering 500 mg of recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST) every 10 d on ovulatory responses, estrous behavior, and fertility of lactating Holstein cows. Lactating dairy cows were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: a control with no administration of bST (73 primiparous and 120 multiparous cows) or 6 consecutive administrations of 500 mg of bST (83 primiparous and 123 multiparous cows) given subcutaneously at 10-d intervals starting 61+/-3 d postpartum (study d 0), concurrent with the initiation of the timed artificial insemination (AI). Blood samples were collected thrice weekly from 61+/-3 to 124+/-3 d in milk (DIM), and plasma samples were analyzed for concentrations of estradiol, glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1, and progesterone. The estrous cycle of cows was presynchronized with 2 injections of PGF(2alpha) at 37+/-3 and 51+/-3 DIM, and the Ovsynch timed AI protocol was initiated at 61+/-3 DIM. Ovaries were scanned to determine ovulatory responses during the Ovsynch protocol. Pregnancy was diagnosed at 33 and 66 d after AI. Body condition was scored on study d 0, 10, 42, and 76. Sixty-four cows were fitted with a pressure mounting sensor with radiotelemetric transmitters to monitor estrous behavior. Treatment of lactating dairy cows with 500 mg of bST at 10-d intervals increased yields of milk and milk components in the first 2 mo after treatment. Body condition of bST-treated cows remained unaltered, whereas control cows gained BCS. Treatment with bST increased concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 chronically, but concentrations of insulin and glucose increased only transiently in the first 7 d after the first injection of bST. Concentrations of progesterone during and after the Ovsynch protocol remained unaltered after treatment with bST; likewise, ovulatory responses during the Ovsynch protocol were mostly unaltered by treatment. Concentration of estradiol tended to be greater for bST cows than for control cows immediately before induction of ovulation in the Ovsynch protocol. Similarly, the mean and the peak concentrations of estradiol were greater for bST cows than for control cows when monitored during spontaneous estrus. Nevertheless, duration of estrus and the median number of standing events were less for bST cows than for control cows. Pregnancies per AI after the first and second postpartum inseminations were not affected by bST treatment. Treatment of lactating dairy cows with 500 mg of bST every 10 d improved lactation performance, but it did not affect pregnancies per AI and it reduced expression of estrus. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bovine somatotropin and rumen-undegradable protein effects on skeletal growth in prepubertal dairy heifers.

PubMed

Moallem, U; Dahl, G E; Duffey, E K; Capuco, A V; Erdman, R A

2004-11-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of dietary rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) and bovine somatotropin (bST) during the period from weaning until puberty on body weight (BW) and skeletal growth rates and age at puberty. Fifty-one Holstein heifers at 90 d of age were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups consisting of 0.1 mg/kg BW per day of bST and 2% added dietary RUP (dry matter basis) applied in a 2 x 2 factorial design (n = 13 per group, except bST with no RUP group, n = 12). From 90 to 314 d, bST increased average daily gain (ADG) by 0.07 kg/d and BW by 16.2 kg, while added RUP increased ADG by 0.10 kg/d and BW by 21.4 kg. Both bST and added RUP effects on BW and ADG were additive. Skeletal growth rates, as measured by withers height (WH) and hip height (HH) were increased by both bST and added RUP. Somatotropin and RUP increased WH by 1.8 and 2.7 cm and hip height by 2.5 and 4.0 cm, respectively, at 314 d of age. Growth curves showed that added RUP effects on rates of BW, WH, and HH growth were greatest from 90 to 150 d age and diminished thereafter, suggesting that protein was limiting during this time period. Conversely, bST effects tended to be greater as the heifers approached puberty, but only in the presence of added RUP. Age at puberty was not affected by treatment, averaging 314 d of age across treatments. From 314 to 644 d of age, rates of BW, WH, and HH growth were similar among treatment groups. However, treatment differences present at 314 d of age persisted through 644 d of age, more than 10 mo after treatments ceased. These results suggest that protein during the early postweaning period and bST during the 200 to 300 d of age period just prior to puberty could be used to accelerate simultaneous increases in both BW and skeletal growth rates in dairy heifers without reducing age at puberty.

Effects of Cold-Dry (Harmattan) and Hot-Dry Seasons on Daily Rhythms of Rectal and Body Surface Temperatures in Sheep and Goats in a Natural Tropical Environment

PubMed Central

Ayo, Joseph O.

2016-01-01

Studies on daily rhythmicity in livestock under natural conditions are limited, and there is mounting evidence that rhythm patterns differ between chronobiological studies conducted in the laboratory and studies conducted under pronounced natural seasonality. Here, we investigated the influence of cold-dry (harmattan) and hot-dry seasons on daily rhythmicity of rectal (RT) and body surface temperatures (BST) in indigenous sheep and goats under natural light-dark cycles. The RT and BST of the animals, and the ambient temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH) inside the pen, were measured every three hours for a period of two days, twice on separate days during the hot-dry and the harmattan seasons, respectively. The AT and RH had minimum values of 16°C and 15% recorded during the harmattan and maximum values of 32°C and 46% recorded during the hot-dry season, respectively. A trigonometric statistical model was applied to characterize the main rhythmic parameters according to the single cosinor procedure. The result showed that RT and BST exhibited different degrees of daily rhythmicity, and their oscillatory patterns differed with the seasons (larger amplitude during the harmattan season than during the hot-dry season). The goats displayed greater (p < 0.05) amplitude of BST than the sheep in all seasons. The acrophases were restricted to the light phase of the light-dark cycle. The mesor of RT in goats was not affected by the season, but mesors of BST in both species were significantly higher (p < 0.05) during the hot-dry than the harmattan season. The goats had a more robust RT rhythm (70%) as compared to the sheep (56%). Overall, the results demonstrated that seasonal changes influenced considerably the daily rhythmicity of RT and BST in sheep and goats under natural light-dark cycle. Awareness of these changes may be useful in the improvement of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases, and welfare and productivity of sheep and goats under cold-dry and hot-dry conditions.

Orientation effect on microwave dielectric properties of Si-integrated Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films for frequency agile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun-Suk; Hyun, Tae-Seon; Kim, Ho-Gi; Kim, Il-Doo; Yun, Tae-Soon; Lee, Jong-Chul

2006-07-01

The effect of texture with (100) and (110) preferred orientations on dielectric properties of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) thin films grown on SrO (9nm) and CeO2 (70nm ) buffered Si substrates, respectively, was investigated. The coplanar waveguide (CPW) phase shifter using (100) oriented BST films on SrO buffered Si exhibited a much-enhanced figure of merit of 24.7°/dB, as compared to that (10.2°/dB) of a CPW phase shifter using (110) oriented BST films on CeO2 buffered Si at 12GHz. This work demonstrates that the microwave properties of the Si-integrated BST thin films are highly correlated with crystal orientation.

Composition-control of magnetron-sputter-deposited (BaxSr1-x)Ti1+yO3+z thin films for voltage tunable devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Im, Jaemo; Auciello, O.; Baumann, P. K.; Streiffer, S. K.; Kaufman, D. Y.; Krauss, A. R.

2000-01-01

Precise control of composition and microstructure is critical for the production of (BaxSr1-x)Ti1+yO3+z (BST) dielectric thin films with the large dependence of permittivity on electric field, low losses, and high electrical breakdown fields that are required for successful integration of BST into tunable high-frequency devices. Here, we present results on composition-microstructure-electrical property relationships for polycrystalline BST films produced by magnetron-sputter deposition, that are appropriate for microwave and millimeter-wave applications such as varactors and frequency triplers. Films with controlled compositions were grown from a stoichiometric Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 target by control of the background processing gas pressure. It was determined that the (Ba+Sr)/Ti ratios of these BST films could be adjusted from 0.73 to 0.98 by changing the total (Ar+O2) process pressure, while the O2/Ar ratio did not strongly affect the metal ion composition. Film crystalline structure and dielectric properties as a function of the (Ba+Sr)/Ti ratio are discussed. Optimized BST films yielded capacitors with low dielectric losses (0.0047), among the best reported for sputtered BST, while still maintaining tunabilities suitable for device applications.

Preparation and physicochemical characterization of spray-dried and jet-milled microparticles containing bosentan hydrate for dry powder inhalation aerosols.

PubMed

Lee, Hyo-Jung; Kang, Ji-Hyun; Lee, Hong-Goo; Kim, Dong-Wook; Rhee, Yun-Seok; Kim, Ju-Young; Park, Eun-Seok; Park, Chun-Woong

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were to prepare bosentan hydrate (BST) microparticles as dry powder inhalations (DPIs) via spray drying and jet milling under various parameters, to comprehensively characterize the physicochemical properties of the BST hydrate microparticles, and to evaluate the aerosol dispersion performance and dissolution behavior as DPIs. The BST microparticles were successfully prepared for DPIs by spray drying from feeding solution concentrations of 1%, 3%, and 5% (w/v) and by jet milling at grinding pressures of 2, 3, and 4 MPa. The physicochemical properties of the spray-dried (SD) and jet-milled (JM) microparticles were determined via scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering particle size analysis, Karl Fischer titration, surface analysis, pycnometry, differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The in vitro aerosol dispersion performance and drug dissolution behavior were evaluated using an Anderson cascade impactor and a Franz diffusion cell, respectively. The JM microparticles exhibited an irregular corrugated surface and a crystalline solid state, while the SD microparticles were spherical with a smooth surface and an amorphous solid state. Thus, the in vitro aerosol dispersion performance and dissolution behavior as DPIs were considerably different due to the differences in the physicochemical properties of the SD and JM microparticles. In particular, the highest grinding pressures under jet milling exhibited excellent aerosol dispersion performance with statistically higher values of 56.8%±2.0% of respirable fraction and 33.8%±2.3% of fine particle fraction and lower mass median aerodynamic diameter of 5.0±0.3 μm than the others ( P <0.05, analysis of variance/Tukey). The drug dissolution mechanism was also affected by the physicochemical properties that determine the dissolution kinetics of the SD and JM microparticles, which were well fitted into the Higuchi and zero-order models, respectively.

Novel speed test for evaluation of badminton-specific movements.

PubMed

Madsen, Christian M; Karlsen, Anders; Nybo, Lars

2015-05-01

In this study, we developed a novel badminton-specific speed test (BST). The test was designed to mimic match play. The test starts in the center of the court and consists of 5 maximal actions to sensors located in each of the 4 corners of the court. The 20 actions are performed in randomized order as dictated by computer screen shots displayed 1 second after completion of the previous action. We assessed day-to-day variation in elite players, and specificity of the test was evaluated by comparing 30-m sprint performance and time to complete the BST in 20 elite players, 21 skilled players, and 20 age-matched physical active subjects (non-badminton players). Sprint performance was similar across groups, whereas the elite players were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) faster in the BST (total test time: 32.3 ± 1.1 seconds; average: 1.6 seconds per action) than the skilled (34.1 ± 2.0 seconds) and non-badminton players (35.7 ± 1.7 seconds). Day-to-day coefficient of variation (CV) of the BST was 0.7% for the elite players, whereas CV for repeated tests on the same day was 1.7% for elite, 2.6% for skilled, and 2.5% for non-badminton players. On this basis, we suggest that the BST may be valuable for evaluation of short-term maximal movement speed in badminton players. Thus, the BST seems to be sport specific, as it may discriminate between groups (elite, less trained players, and non-badminton players) with similar sprinting performance, and the low test-retest variation may allow for using the BST to evaluate longitudinal changes, for example, training effects or seasonal variations.

Pregnancy success of lactating Holstein cows after a single administration of a sustained-release formulation of recombinant bovine somatotropin

PubMed Central

Bell, A; Rodríguez, OA; de Castro e Paula, LA; Padua, MB; Hernández-Cerón, J; Gutiérrez, CG; De Vries, A; Hansen, PJ

2008-01-01

Background Results regarding the use of bovine somatotropin for enhancing fertility in dairy cattle are variable. Here, the hypothesis was tested that a single injection of a sustained-release preparation of bovine somatotropin (bST) during the preovulatory period would improve pregnancy success of lactating dairy cows at first service. Results The first experiment was conducted in a temperate region of Mexico. Cows inseminated following natural estrus or timed artificial insemination were given a single injection of bST or a placebo injection at insemination (n = 100 cows per group). There was no significant difference between bST and control groups in the proportion of inseminated cows diagnosed pregnant (29 vs 31% pregnant). The second experiment was performed during heat stress in Florida. Cows were subjected to an ovulation synchronization regimen for first insemination. Cows treated with bST received a single injection at 3 days before insemination. Controls received no additional treatment. As expected, bST did not increase vaginal temperature. Treatment with bST did not significantly increase the proportion of inseminated cows diagnosed pregnant although it was numerically greater for the bST group (24.2% vs 17.8%, 124–132 cows per group). There was a tendency (p = 0.10) for a smaller percent of control cows to have high plasma progesterone concentrations (≥ 1 ng/ml) at Day 7 after insemination than for bST-treated cows (72.6 vs 81.1%). When only cows that were successfully synchronized were considered, the magnitude of the absolute difference in the percentage of inseminated cows that were diagnosed pregnant between bST and control cows was reduced (24.8 vs 22.4% pregnant for bST and control). Conclusion Results failed to indicate a beneficial effect of bST treatment on fertility of lactating dairy cows. PMID:18582389

Brain Region and Cell Type Transcripts for Informative Diagnostics

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

cerebral cortex region, the caudoputamen region GPi, GPe CTX PIR TH CP TRS CP PVT CP PVT BST Fx CP 17 distinctly comes out. This...oligodendrocytes and astrocytes cell- specific genes (marked with white arrow in Table 5). The columns of the fornix ( Fx ) region are also clustered with...Invited talks this year: NP: Seminar, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, September 2, 2010 oligo > astro

Molecular and clinical characterization of plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli bacteraemia: a comparison with extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing and non-resistant E. coli bacteraemia.

PubMed

Matsumura, Y; Nagao, M; Iguchi, M; Yagi, T; Komori, T; Fujita, N; Yamamoto, M; Matsushima, A; Takakura, S; Ichiyama, S

2013-02-01

Plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (AmpC-E) bacteraemia was characterized by comparison with bacteraemia caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli (ESBL-E) and non-resistant E. coli (NR-E) in the era of the worldwide spread of the CTX-M-15-producing O25b-ST131-B2 clone. Of 706 bloodstream E. coli isolates collected between 2005 and 2010 in three Japanese university hospitals, 111 ESBL screening-positive isolates were analysed for AmpC and ESBL genes by PCR. A case-control study was performed in which the cases consisted of all of the patients with AmpC-E bacteraemia. Phylogenetic groups, sequence types and O25b serotype were determined. Twenty-seven AmpC-E isolates (26 of which were of the CMY-2 type) were identified, and 54 ESBL-E and 54 NR-E isolates were selected for the controls. Nineteen AmpC-E isolates were also positive for ESBL. CTX-M-14 was the most prevalent ESBL type among both the AmpC-E and ESBL-E isolates. The O25b-ST131-B2 clone was the most prevalent among the ESBL-E isolates (26%) and the second most prevalent among the NR-E isolates (13%), but only one O25b-ST131-B2 clone was found among the AmpC-E isolates. Twenty-three different sequence types were identified among the AmpC-E isolates. When compared with bacteraemia with ESBL-E, previous isolation of multidrug-resistant bacteria and intravascular catheterization were independently associated with a lower risk for AmpC-E. When compared with NR-E bacteraemia, prior use of antibiotics was the only significant risk factor for AmpC-E. Unlike the spread of the O25b-ST131-B2 clone between ESBL-E and NR-E, the AmpC-E isolates were not dominated by any specific clone. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2012 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Elastic and dielectric anisotropy in barium strontium titanate thin films on orthorhombic neodymium gallate substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, William Kurt

Functional oxide thin films often focus on standard cubic substrates that impose an equal biaxial plane stress condition (sigma11 = sigma22) to the film. These internal stresses in thin films reach magnitudes not easily achieved in bulk materials and represent an important influence on the properties of thin films. Equal biaxial plane stress is a small sub-set of stress conditions. Anisotropic stress (sigma11 ≠ sigma 22) represents a wide range of influences that can be utilized to manipulate the properties of thin films. To investigate these conditions, heteroepitaxial thin films of paraelectric Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) were deposited on [100] and [110] oriented single crystal NdGaO 3 (NGO) substrates. Films were grown in the thickness range of 25 to 1200 nm by Pulsed Laser Deposition. The films grown on [100]NGO substrates were [110] oriented, while [110]NGO substrates resulted in [100] oriented BST films. The [100]BST films exhibit a small variation of the epitaxial misfit with direction: -2.6% and -2.8% along the [010]BST and [001 ]BST directions respectively. The epitaxial misfit for the [110]BST films show a greater variation with direction; -1.9% and -2.8% along the [1¯10]BST, and [001]BST directions respectively. The interfacial dislocations that form to relieve stress are found to be dependant on the growth orientation of the film and to contribute to the degree of elastic and dielectric anisotropy. The variation of the residual strains, with thickness and direction are correlated to the non-linear dielectric permittivity at 10 GHz. The relative permittivity is seen to vary from 150 to 500 with in-plane direction of a single [110]BST film. Tunabilities in the same film vary from 30 to 54%, with the greater tunability occurring along the directions with greater permittivity. Analysis of the non-linear polarization curves illustrate that the higher order permittivity terms, which are responsible for tunability, are all adversely affected by strain and reach an elastically saturated limit regardless of growth orientation or in-plane direction. Through the use of unequal epitaxial strains, anisotropy is imparted to the otherwise spherically symmetric permittivity tensor. This asymmetry allows a single film to have a variable response and fill a variety of performance requirements in microwave passive devices.

Improved properties of barium strontium titanate thin films grown on copper foils by pulsed laser deposition using a self-buffered layer.

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

Liu, S.; Ma, B.; Narayanan, M.

2012-01-01

Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on copper foils with low-temperature self-buffered layers. The deposition conditions included a low oxygen partial pressure and a temperature of 700 C to crystallize the films without the formation of secondary phases and substrate oxidation. The results from x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the microstructure of the BST films strongly depended on the growth temperature. The use of the self-buffered layer improved the dielectric properties of the deposited BST films. The leakage current density of the BST films on the copper foil was 4.4 xmore » 10{sup -9} A cm{sup -2} and 3.3 x 10{sup -6} A cm{sup -2} with and without the self-buffered layer, respectively. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop for the BST thin film with buffer layer was slim, in contrast to the distorted loop observed for the film without the buffer layer. The permittivity (7 0 0) and dielectric loss tangent (0.013) of the BST film on the copper foil with self-buffered layer at room temperature were comparable to those of the film on metal and single-crystal substrates.« less

Integration of PLZT and BST family oxides with GaN[Lead Lanthanum Zirconate Titanate, Barium Strontium Titanate

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

Osinsky, A.V.; Fuflyigin, V.N.; Wang, F.

2000-07-01

Recent advances in the processing of complex-oxide materials has allowed the authors to monolithically grow ferroelectrics of lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) and barium strontium titanate (BST) systems on a GaN/sapphire structure. High quality films of PLZT and BST were grown on GaN/c-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} in a thickness range of 0.3--5 {micro}m by a sol-gel technique. Field-induced birefringence, as large as 0.02, was measured from a PLZT layer grown on a buffered GaN/sapphire structure. UV illumination was found to result in more symmetrical electrooptic hysteresis loop. BST films on GaN demonstrated a low frequency dielectric constant of up to 800more » with leakage current density as low as 5.5 {center_dot} 10{sup {minus}8} A/cm{sup 2}.« less

Gene-gene interaction between PPAR gamma 2 and ADR beta 3 increases obesity risk in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Ochoa, M C; Marti, A; Azcona, C; Chueca, M; Oyarzábal, M; Pelach, R; Patiño, A; Moreno-Aliaga, M J; Martínez-González, M A; Martínez, J A

2004-11-01

Multiple genes are likely to be involved in obesity and these genes may interact with environmental factors to influence obesity risk. Our aim was to explore the synergistic contribution of the two polymorphisms: Pro12Ala of the PPAR gamma 2 gene and Trp64Arg of the ADR beta 3 gene to obesity risk in a Spanish children and adolescent population. We designed a sex- and age-matched case-control study. Participants were 185 obese and 185 control children (aged 5-18 y) from the Navarra region, recruited through Departments of Pediatrics (Hospital Virgen del Camino, Navarra University Clinic and several Primary Health Centers). The obesity criterion (case definition) was BMI above the 97th percentile according to Spanish BMI reference data for age and gender. Anthropometric parameters were measured by standard protocols. The genotype was assessed by PCR-RFLP after digestion with BstUI for PPAR gamma 2 mutation and BstNI for ADR beta 3 variants. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to assess the physical activity. Using a validated physical activity questionnaire, we computed an activity metabolic equivalent index (METs h/week), which represents the physical exercise during the week for each participant. Statistical analysis was performed by conditional logistic regression, taking into account the matching between cases and controls. Carriers of the polymorphism Pro12Ala of the PPAR gamma 2 gene had a significantly higher obesity risk than noncarriers (odds ratio (OR)=2.18, 95% CI=1.09-4.36) when we adjusted for sex, age and physical activity. Moreover, the risk of obesity was higher (OR=2.59, 95% CI=1.17-5.34) when family history of obesity was also taken into account in the model. The OR for obesity linked to both polymorphisms (PPAR gamma 2 and ADR beta 3) was 5.30 (95% CI=1.08-25.97) when we adjusted for sex, age and physical activity. After adjustment for family history of obesity, the OR for carriers of both polymorphisms was 19.5 (95% CI=2.43-146.8). A synergistic effect between polymorphism Pro12Ala of the PPAR gamma 2 gene and Trp64Arg of the ADR beta 3 gene for obesity risk was found in a case-control study including children and adolescents.

Optical Modulation of BST/STO Thin Films in the Terahertz Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Ying; Shi, Songjie; Zhou, Ling; Ling, Furi; Yao, Jianquan

2018-04-01

The {Ba}_{0.7} {Sr}_{0.3} {TiO}3 (BST) thin film (30.3 nm) deposited on a {SrTiO}3 (STO) film/silicon substrate sample was modulated by 532 nm continuous-wave laser in the range of 0.2-1 THz at room temperature. The refractive index variation was observed to linearly increase at the highest 3.48 for 0.5 THz with the pump power increasing to 400 mW. It was also found that the BST/STO sample had a larger refractive index variation and was more sensitive to the external optical field than a BST monolayer due to the epitaxial strain induced by the STO film. The electric displacement-electric field loops results revealed that the increasing spontaneous polarization with the STO film that was induced was responsible for the larger refractive index variation of the BST/STO sample. In addition, the real and imaginary part of the permittivity were observed increasing along with the external field increasing, due to the soft mode hardening.

Internal residual stress studies and enhanced dielectric properties in La0.7Sr0.3CoO3 buffered (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Shengbo; Xu, Zhengkui

2009-09-01

Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) thin films were deposited on La0.7Sr0.3CoO3 (LSCO) buffered and unbuffered Pt (111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The former exhibits a (100) preferred orientation and the latter a random orientation, respectively. Grazing incident x-ray diffraction study revealed that the tensile residual stress observed in the latter is markedly reduced in the former. As a result, the dielectric property of the LSCO buffered BST thin film is greatly improved, which shows a larger dielectric constant and tunability, smaller loss tangent, and lower leakage current than those of the unbuffered BST thin film. The relaxation of the larger tensile residual stress is attributed to the larger grain size in the buffered BST thin film and to a closer match of thermal expansion coefficient between the BST and the LSCO buffer layer.

Optical Modulation of BST/STO Thin Films in the Terahertz Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Ying; Shi, Songjie; Zhou, Ling; Ling, Furi; Yao, Jianquan

2018-07-01

The {Ba}_{0.7} {Sr}_{0.3} {TiO}3 (BST) thin film (30.3 nm) deposited on a {SrTiO}3 (STO) film/silicon substrate sample was modulated by 532 nm continuous-wave laser in the range of 0.2-1 THz at room temperature. The refractive index variation was observed to linearly increase at the highest 3.48 for 0.5 THz with the pump power increasing to 400 mW. It was also found that the BST/STO sample had a larger refractive index variation and was more sensitive to the external optical field than a BST monolayer due to the epitaxial strain induced by the STO film. The electric displacement-electric field loops results revealed that the increasing spontaneous polarization with the STO film that was induced was responsible for the larger refractive index variation of the BST/STO sample. In addition, the real and imaginary part of the permittivity were observed increasing along with the external field increasing, due to the soft mode hardening.

Domain matched epitaxial growth of (111) Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} thin films on (0001) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} with ZnO buffer layer

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

Krishnaprasad, P. S., E-mail: pskrishnaprasu@gmail.com, E-mail: mkj@cusat.ac.in; Jayaraj, M. K., E-mail: pskrishnaprasu@gmail.com, E-mail: mkj@cusat.ac.in; Antony, Aldrin

2015-03-28

Epitaxial (111) Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on (0001) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrate with ZnO as buffer layer. The x-ray ω-2θ, Φ-scan and reciprocal space mapping indicate epitaxial nature of BST thin films. The domain matched epitaxial growth of BST thin films over ZnO buffer layer was confirmed using Fourier filtered high resolution transmission electron microscope images of the film-buffer interface. The incorporation of ZnO buffer layer effectively suppressed the lattice mismatch and promoted domain matched epitaxial growth of BST thin films. Coplanar inter digital capacitors fabricated on epitaxial (111) BSTmore » thin films show significantly improved tunable performance over polycrystalline thin films.« less

Bovine somatotropin and rumen-undegradable protein effects in prepubertal dairy heifers: effects on body composition and organ and tissue weights.

PubMed

Moallem, U; Dahl, G E; Duffey, E K; Capuco, A V; Wood, D L; McLeod, K R; Baldwin, R L; Erdman, R A

2004-11-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST) and added dietary rumen undegradable protein (RUP) on organ and tissue weights and body composition in growing dairy heifers. Thirty-two Holstein heifers were in the experiment, 8 killed initially at 3 mo of age, with the remaining 24 Holstein heifers randomly assigned to treatments (n = 6) consisting of 0.1 mg/kg of body weight per day of bST and 2% added dietary RUP (dry matter basis) applied in a 2 x2 factorial design. A total of 6 heifers per treatment group (3 each at 5 and 10 mo of age), were slaughtered to determine body composition and organ masses. Feed intake measured from group intakes were increased by 0.25 and 0.35 kg/d with bST and RUP, respectively. Administration of bST tended to increase the weights of visceral organs including heart, kidney, and spleen by 16, 16, and 38%, respectively. At 10 mo of age, there was a trend for increased empty body weights (EBW) and non-carcass components for heifers treated with bST, but there were no effects of RUP. Body components and organ weights, expressed as a percentage of BW were not affected by RUP or bST. Somatotropin increased ash weight at 10 mo without affecting amounts of protein, fat, and energy. Rates of ash deposition between 3 and 10 mo of age were increased 7 and 4 g/d by bST and RUP, respectively. There were no treatment effects on rates of body fat, protein, and energy deposition. Bovine somatotropin and RUP altered the metabolism of growing heifers in a manner that was consistent with increased rates of skeletal growth. This suggests that nutritional and endocrine manipulations could increase growth rates of skeletal tissues without increasing fat deposition in prepubertal dairy heifers.

Bilayer Implants

PubMed Central

Schagemann, Jan C.; Rudert, Nicola; Taylor, Michelle E.; Sim, Sotcheadt; Quenneville, Eric; Garon, Martin; Klinger, Mathias; Buschmann, Michael D.; Mittelstaedt, Hagen

2016-01-01

Objective To compare the regenerative capacity of 2 distinct bilayer implants for the restoration of osteochondral defects in a preliminary sheep model. Methods Critical sized osteochondral defects were treated with a novel biomimetic poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) implant (Treatment No. 2; n = 6) or a combination of Chondro-Gide and Orthoss (Treatment No. 1; n = 6). At 19 months postoperation, repair tissue (n = 5 each) was analyzed for histology and biochemistry. Electromechanical mappings (Arthro-BST) were performed ex vivo. Results Histological scores, electromechanical quantitative parameter values, dsDNA and sGAG contents measured at the repair sites were statistically lower than those obtained from the contralateral surfaces. Electromechanical mappings and higher dsDNA and sGAG/weight levels indicated better regeneration for Treatment No. 1. However, these differences were not significant. For both treatments, Arthro-BST revealed early signs of degeneration of the cartilage surrounding the repair site. The International Cartilage Repair Society II histological scores of the repair tissue were significantly higher for Treatment No. 1 (10.3 ± 0.38 SE) compared to Treatment No. 2 (8.7 ± 0.45 SE). The parameters cell morphology and vascularization scored highest whereas tidemark formation scored the lowest. Conclusion There was cell infiltration and regeneration of bone and cartilage. However, repair was incomplete and fibrocartilaginous. There were no significant differences in the quality of regeneration between the treatments except in some histological scoring categories. The results from Arthro-BST measurements were comparable to traditional invasive/destructive methods of measuring quality of cartilage repair. PMID:27688843

Unification of the negative electrocaloric effect in Bi{sub 1/2}Na{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3}-BaTiO{sub 3} solid solutions by Ba{sub 1/2}Sr{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3} doping

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

Uddin, Sarir; Materials Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics and Electronics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120; Zheng, Guang-Ping, E-mail: mmzheng@polyu.edu.hk

2013-12-07

The microscopic mechanisms of the negative electrocaloric effect (ECE) of the single-phase (1−x)(0.94Bi{sub 1/2}Na{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3}-0.06BaTiO{sub 3})-xBa{sub 1/2}Sr{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3} (BNT-BT-BST) perovskite solid solutions fabricated via the sol-gel technique are explored in this study. Dielectric and mechanical relaxation analyses are employed to investigate the ferroelectric and structural transitions of the samples. The electrocaloric properties of the samples were measured by thermodynamics Maxwell relations. The difference between the depolarization temperature (T{sub d}) and the maximum dielectric constant temperature (T{sub m}) was found to decrease with increasing BST content. Doping with BST stabilized the ferroelectric phase along with unifying the EC temperaturemore » changes (ΔT) to only negative values. The origin of the uniform negative ECE of BNT-BT-BST is discussed.« less

Dielectric properties and microstructure of nano-MgO dispersed Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3} thin films prepared by sputter deposition

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

Wang, S.-F.; Chu, Jinn P.; Lin, C.C.

2005-07-01

In this study, thin films prepared from the targets of Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3} (BST), BST/5 mol % MgO, BST/10 mol % MgO, and BST/20 mol % MgO composites, using radio frequency magnetron sputtering, have been reported. As-deposited films were found to be amorphous and began to crystallize after annealing at temperatures of 650 deg. C and above. The addition of MgO in the BST films resulted in the hindrance of crystallization and inhibition of grain growth. MgO was substituted into the BST lattices to a certain degree. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy results revealed some MgO dispersed in the BSTmore » matrix. The MgO dispersed in the dense BST matrix was found to be around 25 nm in size. The dielectric constant was estimated to be 90 for the pure BST film annealed at 700 deg. C, and observed to be slightly reduced with the MgO addition. The dielectric losses of the Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3} (0.006) and BST/MgO films (0.002-0.004) were much less than those of the Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3}(0.013) and Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} films (0.11-0.13). The leakage current was smaller for the BST/10 mol % MgO film compared to the pure BST film and this low leakage current may be attributed to the substitution of Mg in the B sites of BST lattices which might have behaved as an electron acceptors.« less

Modification of electrical properties of Au/n-type InP Schottky diode with a high-k Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thapaswini, P. Prabhu; Padma, R.; Balaram, N.; Bindu, B.; Rajagopal Reddy, V.

2016-05-01

Au/Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST)/n-InP metal/insulator/semiconductor (MIS) Schottky diodes have been analyzed by current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. The surface morphology of the BST films on InP is fairly smooth. The Au/BST/n-InP MIS Schottky diode shows better rectification ratio and low leakage current compared to the conventional Au/n-InP metal-semiconductor (MS) Schottky diode. Higher barrier height is achieved for the MIS Schottky diode compared to the MS Schottky diode. The Norde and Cheung's methods are employed to determine the barrier height, ideality factor and series resistance. The interface state density (NSS) is determined from the forward bias I-V data for both the MS and MIS Schottky diodes. Results reveal that the NSS of the MIS Schottky diode is lower than that of the MS Schottky diode. The Poole-Frenkel emission is found dominating the reverse current in both Au/n-InP MS and Au/BST/n-InP MIS Schottky diodes, indicating the presence of structural defects and trap levels in the dielectric film.

Optical properties of amorphous Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films obtained by metal organic decomposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Fei; Xu, Zhimou

2009-08-01

In this study, the amorphous Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST0.7) thin films were grown onto fused quartz and silicon substrates at low temperature by using a metal organic decomposition (MOD)-spin-coating procedure. The optical transmittance spectrum of amorphous BST0.7 thin films on fused quartz substrates has been recorded in the wavelength range 190~900 nm. The films were highly transparent for wavelengths longer than 330 nm; the transmission drops rapidly at 330 nm, and the cutoff wavelength occurs at about 260 nm. In addition, we also report the amorphous BST0.7 thin film groove-buried type waveguides with 90° bent structure fabricated on Si substrates with 1.65 μm thick SiO2 thermal oxide layer. The design, fabrication and optical losses of amorphous BST0.7 optical waveguides were presented. The amorphous BST0.7 thin films were grown onto the SiO2/Si substrates by using a metal organic decomposition (MOD)-spin-coating procedure. The optical propagation losses were about 12.8 and 9.4 dB/cm respectively for the 5 and 10 μm wide waveguides at the wavelength of 632.8 nm. The 90° bent structures with a small curvature of micrometers were designed on the basis of a double corner mirror structure. The bend losses were about 1.2 and 0.9 dB respectively for 5 and 10 μm wide waveguides at the wavelength of 632.8 nm. It is expected for amorphous BST0.7 thin films to be used not only in the passive optical interconnection in monolithic OEICs but also in active waveguide devices on the Si chip.

An Intrinsically Switchable Ladder-Type Ferroelectric BST-on-Si Composite FBAR Filter.

PubMed

Lee, Seungku; Mortazawi, Amir

2016-03-01

This paper presents a ladder-type bulk acoustic wave (BAW) intrinsically switchable filter based on ferroelectric thin-film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs). The switchable filter can be turned on and off by the application of an external bias voltage due to the electrostrictive effect in thin-film ferroelectrics. In this paper, Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) is used as the ferroelectric material. A systematic design approach for switchable ladder-type ferroelectric filters is provided based on required filter specifications. A switchable filter is implemented in the form of a BST-on-Si composite structure to control the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient of FBARs. As an experimental verification, a 2.5-stage intrinsically switchable BST-on-Si composite FBAR filter is designed, fabricated, and measured. Measurement results for a typical BST-on-Si composite FBAR show a resonator mechanical quality factor (Q(m)) of 971, as well as a (Q(m)) × f of 2423 GHz. The filter presented here provides a measured insertion loss of 7.8 dB, out-of-band rejection of 26 dB, and fractional bandwidth of 0.33% at 2.5827 GHz when the filter is in the on state at a dc bias of 40 V. In its off state, the filter exhibits an isolation of 31 dB.

Preparation and Thermoelectric Properties of Graphite/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Wenhua; Zhou, Hongyu; Mu, Xin; He, Danqi; Ji, Pengxia; Hou, Weikang; Wei, Ping; Zhu, Wanting; Nie, Xiaolei; Zhao, Wenyu

2018-06-01

Bismuth telluride zone-melting alloys are the most commercially used thermoelectric materials. However, the zone-melting ingots have weak machinability due to the strong preferred orientation. Here, non-textured graphite/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (G/BST) composites were prepared by a powder metallurgy method combined with cold-pressing and annealing treatments. The composition, microstructure, and thermoelectric properties of the G/BST composites with different mass percentages of G were investigated. It was found that G addition could effectively reduce the thermal conductivity and slightly improve the electrical properties of the BST, which resulted in a large enhancement in the figure-of-merit, ZT. The largest ZT for the xG/BST composites with x = 0.05% reached 1.05 at 320 K, which is increased by 35% as compared with that of the G-free BST materials. This work provided an effective method for preparing non-textured Bi2Te3-based TE materials with a simple process, low cost, and large potential in scale production.

Tuned sensitivity towards H{sub 2}S and NH{sub 3} with Cu doped barium strontium titanate materials

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

Simion, C. E., E-mail: simion@infim.ro; Teodorescu, V. S.; Stănoiu, A.

2014-11-05

The different amount of Cu-doped Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) thick film materials have been tested for their gas-sensing performances towards NH{sub 3} and H{sub 2}S under dry and 50% relative humidity (RH) background conditions. The optimum NH{sub 3} sensitivity was attained with 0.1mol% Cu-doped BST whereas the selective detection of H{sub 2}S was highlighted using 5mol% Cu-doped BST material. No cross-sensitivity effects to CO, NO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and SO{sub 2} were observed for all tested materials operated at their optimum temperature (200°C) under humid conditions (50% RH). The presence of humidity clearly enhances the gas sensitivity to NH{sub 3}more » and H{sub 2}S detection.« less

Hypothalamic supraoptic but not paraventricular nucleus is involved in cardiovascular responses to carbachol microinjected into the bed nucleus of stria terminalis of unanesthetized rats.

PubMed

Alves, Fernando H F; Crestani, Carlos C; Busnardo, Cristiane; Antunes-Rodrigues, José; Gomes, Felipe V; Resstel, Leonardo B M; Corrêa, Fernando M A

2011-06-01

Microinjection of the cholinergic agonist carbachol into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) has been reported to cause pressor response in unanesthetized rats, which was shown to be mediated by an acute release of vasopressin into the systemic circulation and followed by baroreflex-mediated bradycardia. In the present study, we tested the possible involvement of the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei in the pressor response evoked by carbachol microinjection into the BST of unanesthetized rats. For this, cardiovascular responses following carbachol (1 nmol/100 nL) microinjection into the BST were studied before and after PVN or SON pretreatment, either ipsilateral or contralateral in relation to BST microinjection site, with the nonselective neurotransmission blocker cobalt chloride (CoCl₂, 1 mM/100 nL). Carbachol microinjection into the BST evoked pressor response. Moreover, BST treatment with carbachol significantly increased plasma vasopressin levels, thus confirming previous evidences that carbachol microinjection into the BST evokes pressor response due to vasopressin release into the circulation. SON pretreatment with CoCl₂, either ipsilateral or contralateral in relation to BST microinjection site, inhibited the pressor response to carbachol microinjection into the BST. However, CoCl₂ microinjection into the ipsilateral or contralateral PVN did not affect carbachol-evoked pressor response. In conclusion, our results suggest that pressor response to carbachol microinjection into the BST is mediated by SON magnocellular neurons, without significant involvement of those in the PVN. The results also indicate that responses to carbachol microinjection into the BST are mediated by a neural pathway that depends on the activation of both ipsilateral and contralateral SON. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strain engineered barium strontium titanate for tunable thin film resonators

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

Khassaf, H.; Khakpash, N.; Sun, F.

2014-05-19

Piezoelectric properties of epitaxial (001) barium strontium titanate (BST) films are computed as functions of composition, misfit strain, and temperature using a non-linear thermodynamic model. Results show that through adjusting in-plane strains, a highly adaptive rhombohedral ferroelectric phase can be stabilized at room temperature with outstanding piezoelectric response exceeding those of lead based piezoceramics. Furthermore, by adjusting the composition and the in-plane misfit, an electrically tunable piezoelectric response can be obtained in the paraelectric state. These findings indicate that strain engineered BST films can be utilized in the development of electrically tunable and switchable surface and bulk acoustic wave resonators.

Regulatory interactions of stress and reward on rat forebrain opioidergic and GABAergic circuitry.

PubMed

Christiansen, A M; Herman, J P; Ulrich-Lai, Y M

2011-03-01

Palatable food intake reduces stress responses, suggesting that individuals may consume such ?comfort? food as self-medication for stress relief. The mechanism by which palatable foods provide stress relief is not known, but likely lies at the intersection of forebrain reward and stress regulatory circuits. Forebrain opioidergic and gamma-aminobutyric acid ergic signaling is critical for both reward and stress regulation, suggesting that these systems are prime candidates for mediating stress relief by palatable foods. Thus, the present study (1) determines how palatable ?comfort? food alters stress-induced changes in the mRNA expression of inhibitory neurotransmitters in reward and stress neurocircuitry and (2) identifies candidate brain regions that may underlie comfort food-mediated stress reduction. We used a model of palatable ?snacking? in combination with a model of chronic variable stress followed by in situ hybridization to determine forebrain levels of pro-opioid and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA. The data identify regions within the extended amygdala, striatum, and hypothalamus as potential regions for mediating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis buffering following palatable snacking. Specifically, palatable snacking alone decreased pro-enkephalin-A (ENK) mRNA expression in the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the nucleus accumbens, and decreased GAD65 mRNA in the posterior BST. Chronic stress alone increased ENK mRNA in the hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and hippocampus; increased dynorphin mRNA in the nucleus accumbens; increased GAD65 mRNA in the anterior hypothalamus and BST; and decreased GAD65 mRNA in the dorsal hypothalamus. Importantly, palatable food intake prevented stress-induced gene expression changes in subregions of the hypothalamus, BST, and nucleus accumbens. Overall, these data suggest that complex interactions exist between brain reward and stress pathways and that palatable snacking can mitigate many of the neurochemical alterations induced by chronic stress.

Post-harvest N2O emissions were not affected by various types of oilseed straw incorporated into soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köbke, Sarah; Senbayram, Mehmet; Hegewald, Hannes; Christen, Olaf; Dittert, Klaus

2015-04-01

Oilseed rape post-harvest N2O emissions are seen highly critical as so far they are considered as one of the most crucial drawbacks in climate-saving bioenergy production systems. N2O emissions may substantially counterbalance the intended savings in CO2 emissions. Carbon-rich crop residues in conjunction with residual soil nitrate are seen as a key driver since they may serve as energy source for denitrification and, they may alter soil-borne N2O emissions. As oilseed rape straw is known to have high N/C ratio compared to other crop residues, its soil incorporation may specifically trigger post-harvest N2O emissions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine post-harvest N2O emissions in soils amended with various types of oilseed rape straw (with different N/C ratio) and barley straw in field and incubation experiments. In the incubation experiment, oilseed rape or 15N labelled barley straw were mixed with soil at a rate of 1.3 t DM ha-1 and studied for 43 days. Treatments consisted of non-treated control soil (CK), 15N labelled barley straw (BST), oilseed rape straw (RST), 15N labelled barley straw + N (BST+N), or oilseed rape straw + N (RST+N). N fertilizer was applied to the soil surface as ammonium-nitrate at a rate of 100 kg N ha-1 and soil moisture was adjusted to 80% water-holding capacity. In the field experiment, during the vegetation period 15N labelled fertilizer (15NH415NO3) was used to generate 15N labelled oilseed rape straw (up to 5 at%). Here, the three fertilizer treatments consisted of 5 kg N ha-1 (RST-5), 150 kg N ha-1 (RST-150) and 180 kg N ha-1 (RST-180). Post-harvest N2O emissions were determined during the period of August 2013 to February 2014 by using static flux chambers. In the incubation trial, cumulative N2O emissions were 5, 29, 40 g N2O-N ha-1 148 days-1 in non-fertilized control, BST and RST treatments, respectively. Here, emissions were slightly higher in RST than BST (p

Alternative body sites for heat stress measurement in milking cows under tropical conditions and their relationship to the thermal discomfort of the animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martello, Luciane S.; Savastano Junior, Holmer; Silva, Saulo L.; Balieiro, Júlio Cesar C.

2010-11-01

This study was conducted to determine the relationship among temperatures measured at different anatomical sites of the animal body and their daily pattern as indicative of the thermal stress in lactating dairy cows under tropical conditions. Environmental dry bulb (DBT) and black globe (BGT) temperatures and relative humidity (RH) were recorded. Rectal temperature (RT), respiratory frequency (RF), body surface (BST), internal base of tail (TT), vulva (VT) and auricular temperatures (AT) were collected, from 37 Black and White Holstein cows at 0700, 1300 and 1800 hours. RT showed a moderately and positive correlations with all body temperatures, ranging from 0.59 with TT to 0.64 with BST. Correlations among AT, VT and TT with RF were very similar (from 0.63 to 0.64) and were greater than those observed for RF with RT (0.55) or with BST (0.54). RF and RT were positively correlated to TT (0.63 and 0.59, respectively), AT (r = 0.63 for both) and VT ( r = 0.64 and 0.63, respectively). Positive and very high correlations were observed among AT, VT and TT (from 0.94 to 0.97) indicating good association of temperatures measured in these anatomical sites. Correlations of BST with AT and VT were positive and very similar (0.71 and 0.72, respectively) and lower with TT (0.66). The AT, TT, VT and BST presented similar patterns and follow the variations of DBT through the day. Temperatures measured at different anatomical sites of the animal body have the potential to be used as indicative of the thermal stress in lactating dairy cows.

Bst1 is required for Candida albicans infecting host via facilitating cell wall anchorage of Glycosylphosphatidyl inositol anchored proteins

PubMed Central

Liu, Wei; Zou, Zui; Huang, Xin; Shen, Hui; He, Li Juan; Chen, Si Min; Li, Li Ping; Yan, Lan; Zhang, Shi Qun; Zhang, Jun Dong; Xu, Zheng; Xu, Guo Tong; An, Mao Mao; Jiang, Yuan Ying

2016-01-01

Glycosylphosphatidyl inositol anchored proteins (GPI-APs) on fungal cell wall are essential for invasive infections. While the function of inositol deacylation of GPI-APs in mammalian cells has been previously characterized the impact of inositol deacylation in fungi and implications to host infection remains largely unexplored. Herein we describe our identification of BST1, an inositol deacylase of GPI-Aps in Candida albicans, was critical for GPI-APs cell wall attachment and host infection. BST1-deficient C. albicans (bst1Δ/Δ) was associated with severely impaired cell wall anchorage of GPI-APs and subsequen unmasked β-(1,3)-glucan. Consistent with the aberrant cell wall structures, bst1Δ/Δ strain did not display an invasive ability and could be recognized more efficiently by host immune systems. Moreover, BST1 null mutants or those expressing Bst1 variants did not display inositol deacylation activity and exhibited severely attenuated virulence and reduced organic colonization in a murine systemic candidiasis model. Thus, Bst1 can facilitate cell wall anchorage of GPI-APs in C. albicans by inositol deacylation, and is critical for host invasion and immune escape. PMID:27708385

Influence of processing parameters on the structure and properties of barium strontium titanate ceramics

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

Yun Sining; Department of Materials Physics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049; Wang Xiaoli

2008-08-04

Barium strontium titanate (BST) with the molar formula (Ba{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}TiO{sub 3}) has been prepared by two different processing methods: mixed-oxide (BST-MO) and reaction-sintering (BST-RS). X-ray powder diffraction study shows differences in grain size and crystal symmetry for both these ceramics. The former shows a tetragonal symmetry while the latter presents a cubic symmetry. The occurrence of polar micro-regions associated with the higher chemical non-homogeneous distribution of ion defects from the influence of the processing parameters is the main reason for the higher peak dielectric constant (K{sub m}), the higher remanent polarization (P{sub r}), the higher coercive field (E{sub c}),more » the higher peak current density (J{sub m}), and the lower temperature of peak dielectric constant (T{sub m}) in BST-MO ceramics.« less

Cost-of-illness in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis: a cross-sectional survey in Hungarian dermatological centres.

PubMed

Balogh, Orsolya; Brodszky, Valentin; Gulácsi, László; Herédi, Emese; Herszényi, Krisztina; Jókai, Hajnalka; Kárpáti, Sarolta; Baji, Petra; Remenyik, Éva; Szegedi, Andrea; Holló, Péter

2014-05-01

Despite the widespread availability of biological drugs in psoriasis, there is a shortage of disease burden studies. To assess the cost-of-illness and quality of life of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis in Hungary. Consecutive patients with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) > 10 and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) > 10, or treated with traditional systemic (TST) or biological systemic treatment (BST) were included. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, psoriasis related medication, health care utilizations and employment status in the previous 12 months were recorded. Costing was performed from the societal perspective applying the human capital approach. Quality of life was assessed using DLQI and EQ-5D measures. Two-hundred patients were involved (females 32%) with a mean age of 51 (SD 13) years, 103 (52%) patients were on BST. Mean PASI, DLQI and EQ-5D scores were 8 (SD 10), 6 (SD 7) and 0.69 (SD 0.3), respectively. The mean total cost was €9,254/patient/year (SD 8,502) with direct costs accounting for 86%. The main cost driver was BST (mean €7,339/patient/year). Total costs differed significantly across treatment subgroups, mean (SD): no systemic therapy €2,186 (4,165), TST €2,388 (4,106) and BST €15,790 (6,016) (p < 0,001). Patients with BST had better PASI and DLQI scores (p < 0.01) than the other two subgroups. Patients with biological treatment have a significantly better quality of life and higher total costs than patients with or without traditional systemic treatment. Our study is the largest in Europe and the first in the CEE region that provides cost-of-illness data in psoriasis involving patients with BST.

Processing effects on the microstructure and dielectric properties of hydrothermal barium titanate and (barium,strontium)titanate thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCormick, Mark Alan

The goal of this work was to produce BaTiO3 and BaxSr (1-x)TiO3 (BST) thin films with high dielectric constants, using a low-temperature (<100°C) hydrothermal synthesis route. To accomplish this, titanium metal-organic precursor films were spin-cast onto metal-coated glass substrates and converted to polycrystalline BaTiO3 or BST upon reacting in aqueous solutions of Ba(OH)2 or Ba(OH)2 and Sr(OH)2. The influences of solution molarity, processing temperature, and reaction time on thin film reaction kinetics, microstructure, and dielectric properties were examined for BaTiO3 films. Post-deposition annealing at temperatures as low as 200°C substantially affected the lattice parameter, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss. This behavior is explained in terms of hydroxyl defect incorporation during film formation. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements were performed to determine the dominant conduction mechanism(s) during application of a do field, and to extract the metal/ceramic barrier height. In particular, Schottky barrier-limited conduction and Poole-Frenkel conduction were investigated as potential leakage mechanisms. For BST thin films, film stoichiometry deviated from the initial solution composition, with a preferred incorporation of Sr2+ into the perovskite lattice. The dielectric constant of the BST films was measured as a function of composition (Ba:Sr ratio) and temperature over the range 25--150°C. Finally, capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements were made for BST films to determine the influence of film composition on dielectric tunability.

Site-directed removal of N-glycosylation sites in BST-1/CD157: effects on molecular and functional heterogeneity.

PubMed Central

Yamamoto-Katayama, S; Sato, A; Ariyoshi, M; Suyama, M; Ishihara, K; Hirano, T; Nakamura, H; Morikawa, K; Jingami, H

2001-01-01

Cyclic ADP ribose (cADPR) is a novel second messenger that releases calcium from intracellular calcium stores, but works independently of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. In mammals ADP-ribosyl cyclase function is found in two membrane proteins, CD38 and bone marrow stromal cell antigen 1 (BST-1)/CD157. These enzymes are exposed extracellularly and also possess cADPR hydrolase activity, but an intracellular soluble ADP-ribosyl cyclase has been reported in human T-cells. Previously, a soluble form of BST-1/CD157 (sBST-1), which lacked the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored portion, was expressed by a baculovirus-insect-cell system. In this study, we have purified the sBST-1, and it migrated as two major bands by SDS/PAGE, suggesting that it is post-translationally modified. BST-1 contains four putative N-glycosylation sites. Tunicamycin treatment reduced sBST-1 expression in the culture medium, indicating that N-glycosylation is essential for secretion. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to generate sBST-1 mutants (N1-N4), each preserving a single N-glycosylation site. N1, N3 and N4 were well secreted into the medium, and were each detected as a single band. Although N3 and N4 retained the ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity, the cADPR-hydrolase activity was retained only in N4. We conclude that N-glycosylation of sBST-1 facilitates the folding of the nascent polypeptide chain into a conformation that is conductive for intracellular transport and enzymic activity. Furthermore a crystal has been obtained using the N4 mutant, but not the wild-type sBST-1. Thus the artificial engineering of N-glycosylation sites could be an effective method to generate homogeneous material for structural studies. PMID:11439087

Increased cleavage and blastocyst rate in ewes treated with bovine somatotropin 5 days before the end of progestin-based estrous synchronization.

PubMed

Montero-Pardo, A; Hernández-Cerón, J; Rojas-Maya, S; Valencia, J; Rodríguez-Cortez, A; Gutiérrez, C G

2011-05-01

Treatment with bovine somatotropin (bST) during estrous synchronization increased fertility and prolificacy in sheep. In the present study, a single dose of bST 5 days before the end of progestin treatment improved cleavage and embryo development. Stage of estrous cycle was synchronized in ewes (n=32) with progestin and superovulation was induced by use of FSH. Five days before the end of progestin treatment, ewes were randomly assigned to two groups: bST group (n=16) received a depot injection of 125 mg of bST sc (Lactotropina, Elanco, México) and the control group (n=16) received saline solution. Estrous was detected with rams fitted with an apron every 2 h and estrous sheep were mated every 8 h whilst in estrous. Embryos were recovered on Day 7 post mating, assessed microscopically and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. Cell number in blastocysts was counted after Hoechst 33342 staining. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I, insulin and progesterone were determined in eight sheep per group from the day of bST treatment to the day of embryo recovery. Cleavage rate, percentage of transferable embryos (transferable embryos/cleaved) and percentage of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage (blastocyst/cleaved) were compared between groups by logistic regression. IGF-I, insulin and progesterone plasma concentrations were analyzed by ANOVA for repeated measurements and cell number by ANOVA. Cleavage rate was greater (P<0.01) in bST treatment group (86%) than in the control group (62%). Similarly, the proportion of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage (bST=68.7 vs control=42.5) and the number of cells per blastocyst (bST group 91.8±5.5 compared to control group 75±6) were greater (P<0.01) in the bST-treated sheep. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I and insulin were greater (P<0.01) in the bST-treated group. No changes were observed in progesterone concentrations (P=0.5). It is concluded that bST injection 5 days before progestin removal increases cleavage rate and the proportion of embryos that reach the blastocyst stage. These effects are associated with an increase in IGF-I and insulin concentrations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regulation of Leukocyte Infiltration into Ovarian Cancer by Tumour-Stroma Interactions: A Microarray View of Cancer Microenvironment

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

PTGS2 STAT1 HIF1A INHBA CXCL9 DPP4 PLAU MMP7 NOTCH3 TWIST1 A B 20 08 42 9 20 08 C M IL 1β TN Fα H ey m oo dy O V H S C C L2 IN Fγ IL 18 IL 8 IL 8+ C C...Default Interpretation) Gene List: Figure 3a (75) MultiCC15 (82) IFI35 BST2 CYR61 IL6 COL6A3 BMP4 SERPINB2 COL5A3 PODXL MAP17 FN1 NOTCH3 HOXB2 MCM6 TNF

Searching for molecular markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) by statistical and bioinformatic analysis of larynx-derived SAGE libraries

PubMed Central

Silveira, Nelson JF; Varuzza, Leonardo; Machado-Lima, Ariane; Lauretto, Marcelo S; Pinheiro, Daniel G; Rodrigues, Rodrigo V; Severino, Patrícia; Nobrega, Francisco G; Silva, Wilson A; de B Pereira, Carlos A; Tajara, Eloiza H

2008-01-01

Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignancies in humans. The average 5-year survival rate is one of the lowest among aggressive cancers, showing no significant improvement in recent years. When detected early, HNSCC has a good prognosis, but most patients present metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, which significantly reduces survival rate. Despite extensive research, no molecular markers are currently available for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. Methods Aiming to identify differentially-expressed genes involved in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) development and progression, we generated individual Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) libraries from a metastatic and non-metastatic larynx carcinoma, as well as from a normal larynx mucosa sample. Approximately 54,000 unique tags were sequenced in three libraries. Results Statistical data analysis identified a subset of 1,216 differentially expressed tags between tumor and normal libraries, and 894 differentially expressed tags between metastatic and non-metastatic carcinomas. Three genes displaying differential regulation, one down-regulated (KRT31) and two up-regulated (BST2, MFAP2), as well as one with a non-significant differential expression pattern (GNA15) in our SAGE data were selected for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a set of HNSCC samples. Consistent with our statistical analysis, quantitative PCR confirmed the upregulation of BST2 and MFAP2 and the downregulation of KRT31 when samples of HNSCC were compared to tumor-free surgical margins. As expected, GNA15 presented a non-significant differential expression pattern when tumor samples were compared to normal tissues. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting SAGE data in head and neck squamous cell tumors. Statistical analysis was effective in identifying differentially expressed genes reportedly involved in cancer development. The differential expression of a subset of genes was confirmed in additional larynx carcinoma samples and in carcinomas from a distinct head and neck subsite. This result suggests the existence of potential common biomarkers for prognosis and targeted-therapy development in this heterogeneous type of tumor. PMID:19014460

The effect of bovine somatotropin (bST) administration on reproduction, progesterone concentration during lactation and LH secretion during estrus, in dairy ewes.

PubMed

Brozos, C N; Saratsis, P; Boscos, C; Kyriakis, S C; Alexopoulos, C

1999-08-16

Twenty-two polytocous lactating Chios ewes were used to test the effects of bovine somatotropin (bST) on reproduction, progesterone concentration and LH secretion during estrus. Half of the ewes were injected every second week with 160 mg bST in a prolonged release vehicle, from the fifth day post partum until the end of lactation, while the remaining ones were used as controls. All animals were fed the same amount of ration. Supplementation with bST resulted in an increase of milk production (P<0.05) and an insignificant trend for delayed resumption of normal estrous cycles. Although there were no differences between groups, there was also a tendency for the bST group to display lower progesterone concentrations during the first three fortnights after the onset of normal estrous cycles and higher ones during the last three fortnights of the experiment, compared with the control group. Duration of the first normal luteal phase after delivery of the bST group was found to be shorter compared with the control group (P<0.05). After estrous synchronization the bST group showed a shorter estrus compared with the control group (P<0.05). Average and baseline LH concentrations during synchronized estrous in the bST group was lower (P<0.001) compared with the control group. Additionally, the conception rate did not differ between the two groups. This study supports the concept that the beneficial effects of bST treatment on milk production outweigh the potential deleterious effects on reproduction.

The effect of bovine somatotropin on the cost of producing milk: Estimates using propensity scores.

PubMed

Tauer, Loren W

2016-04-01

Annual farm-level data from New York dairy farms from the years 1994 through 2013 were used to estimate the cost effect from bovine somatotropin (bST) using propensity score matching. Cost of production was computed using the whole-farm method, which subtracts sales of crops and animals from total costs under the assumption that the cost of producing those products is equal to their sales values. For a farm to be included in this data set, milk receipts on that farm must have comprised 85% or more of total receipts, indicating that these farms are primarily milk producers. Farm use of bST, where 25% or more of the herd was treated, ranged annually from 25 to 47% of the farms. The average cost effect from the use of bST was estimated to be a reduction of $2.67 per 100 kg of milk produced in 2013 dollars, although annual cost reduction estimates ranged from statistical zero to $3.42 in nominal dollars. Nearest neighbor matching techniques generated a similar estimate of $2.78 in 2013 dollars. These cost reductions estimated from the use of bST represented a cost savings of 5.5% per kilogram of milk produced. Herd-level production increase per cow from the use of bST over 20 yr averaged 1,160 kg. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Two E-selectin ligands, BST-2 and LGALS3BP, predict metastasis and poor survival of ER-negative breast cancer.

PubMed

Woodman, Natalie; Pinder, Sarah E; Tajadura, Virginia; Le Bourhis, Xuefen; Gillett, Cheryl; Delannoy, Philippe; Burchell, Joy M; Julien, Sylvain

2016-07-01

Distant metastases account for the majority of cancer-related deaths in breast cancer. The rate and site of metastasis differ between estrogen receptor (ER)-negative and ER-positive tumours, and metastatic fate can be very diverse even within the ER-negative group. Characterisation of new pro-metastatic markers may help to identify patients with higher risk and improve their care accordingly. Selectin ligands aberrantly expressed by cancer cells promote metastasis by enabling interaction between circulating tumour cells and endothelial cells in distant organs. These ligands consist in carbohydrate molecules, such as sialyl-Lewis x antigen (sLex), borne by glycoproteins or glycolipids on the cancer cell surface. We have previously demonstrated that the molecular scaffold presenting sLex to selectins (e.g. glycolipid vs. glycoproteins) was crucial for these interactions to occur. Moreover, we reported that detection of sLex alone in breast carcinomas was only of limited prognostic value. However, since sLex was found to be carried by several glycoproteins in cancer cells, we hypothesized that the combination of the carbohydrate with its carriers could be more relevant than each marker independently. In this study, we addressed this question by analysing sLex expression together with two glycoproteins (BST-2 and LGALS3BP), shown to interact with E-selectin in a carbohydrate-dependent manner, in a cohort of 249 invasive breast cancers. We found both glycoproteins to be associated with distant metastasis risk and poorer survival. Importantly, concomitant high expression of BST-2 with sLex defined a sub-group of patients with ER-negative tumours displaying higher risks of liver and brain metastasis and a 3-fold decreased survival rate.

Comparison of interfaces for (Ba,Sr)TiO3 films deposited on Si and SiO2/Si substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suvorova, N. A.; Lopez, C. M.; Irene, E. A.; Suvorova, A. A.; Saunders, M.

2004-03-01

(Ba,Sr)TiO3(BST) thin films were deposited by ion sputtering on both bare and oxidized Si. Spectroscopic ellipsometry results have shown that a SiO2 underlayer of nearly the same thickness (2.6 nm in average) is found at the Si interface for BST sputter depositions onto nominally bare Si, 1 nm SiO2 on Si or 3.5 nm SiO2 on Si. This result was confirmed by high-resolution electron microscopy analysis of the films, and it is believed to be due to simultaneous subcutaneous oxidation of Si and reaction of the BST layer with SiO2. Using the conductance method, capacitance-voltage measurements show a decrease in the interface trap density Dit of an order of magnitude for oxidized Si substrates with a thicker SiO2 underlayer. Further reduction of Dit was achieved for the capacitors grown on oxidized Si and annealed in forming gas after metallization.

Roles of grain boundary and oxygen vacancies in Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} films for resistive switching device application

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

Yan, Xiaobing, E-mail: xiaobing-yan@126.com, E-mail: mseyanx@nus.edu.sg; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore 117576; Li, Yucheng

2016-01-18

Oxygen vacancies are widely thought to be responsible for resistive switching (RS) effects based on polycrystalline oxides films. It is also well known that grain boundaries (GB) serve as reservoirs for accumulating oxygen vacancies. Here, Ar gas was introduced to enlarge the size of GB and increase the quantity of oxygen vacancies when the Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films were deposited by pulse laser deposition technique. The experimental results indicate that the RS properties of the device exhibits better in the Ar-introduced BST films than in the O{sub 2}-grown BST films. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images show thatmore » an amorphous region GB with large size appears between two lattice planes corresponding to oxygen vacancies defects in the Ar-introduced BST. Fourier-transform infrared reflectivity spectroscopy results also reveal highly accumulated oxygen vacancies in the Ar-introduced BST films. And we propose that the conduction transport of the cell was dominantly contributed from not ions migration of oxygen vacancies but the electrons in our case according to the value of activation energies of two kinds of films.« less

Paradoxical effects of bovine somatotropin treatment on the ovarian follicular population and in vitro embryo production of lactating buffalo donors submitted to ovum pick-up.

PubMed

Ferraz, M L; Sá Filho, M F; Batista, E O S; Watanabe, Y F; Watanabe, M R; Dayan, A; Joaquim, D C; Accorsi, M R; Gimenes, L U; Vieira, L M; Baruselli, P S

2015-03-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of bovine somatotropin (bST; 500mg) administration on lactating buffalo donors submitted to two different ovum pick-up (OPU) and in vitro embryo production schemes with a 7 or 14d intersession OPU interval. A total of 16 lactating buffalo cows were randomly assigned into one of four experimental groups according to the bST treatment (bST or No-bST) and the OPU intersession interval (7 or 14d) in a 2×2 factorial design (16 weeks of OPU sessions). The females submitted to OPU every 14d had a larger (P<0.001) number of ovarian follicles suitable for puncture (15.6±0.7 vs. 12.8±0.4) and an increased (P=0.004) number of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) recovered (10.0±0.5 vs. 8.5±0.3) compared to the 7d interval group. However, a 7 or 14d interval between OPU sessions had no effect (P=0.34) on the number of blastocysts produced per OPU (1.0±0.1 vs. 1.3±0.2, respectively). In addition, bST treatment increased (P<0.001) the number of ovarian follicles suitable for puncture (15.3±0.5 vs. 12.1±0.4) but reduced the percentage (18.9% vs. 10.9%; P=0.009) and the number (1.4±0.2 vs. 0.8±0.1; P=0.003) of blastocysts produced per OPU session compared with the non-bST-treated buffaloes. In conclusion, the 14d interval between OPU sessions and bST treatment efficiently increased the number of ovarian follicles suitable for puncture. However, the OPU session interval had no effect on embryo production, and bST treatment reduced the in vitro blastocyst outcomes in lactating buffalo donors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transient Response in Monolithic Mach-Zehnder Optical Modulator Using (Ba,Sr)TiO3 Film Sputtered at Low Temperature on Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Masato; Nagata, Kazuma; Tanushi, Yuichiro; Yokoyama, Shin

2007-04-01

We have fabricated Mach-Zhender interferometers (MZIs) using the (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST) film sputter-deposited at 450 °C, which is a critical temperature for the process after metallization. An optical modulation of about 10% is achieved when 200 V is applied (electric field in BST is 1.2× 104 V/cm). However, the response time of optical modulation to step function voltage is slow (1.0-6.3 s). We propose a model for the slow transient behavior based on movable ions and a long dielectric relaxation time for the BST film, and good qualitative agreement is obtained with experimental results.

Real-time observations of interface formation for barium strontium titanate films on silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, A. H.; Suvorova, N. A.; Irene, E. A.; Auciello, O.; Schultz, J. A.

2002-05-01

Ba.5Sr.5TiO3 (BST) film growth by ion sputtering on bare and thermally oxidized silicon was observed in real time using in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry and time of flight ion scattering and recoil spectrometry techniques. At the outset of BST film deposition on silicon, an approximately 30 Å film with intermediate static dielectric constant (K˜12) and refractive index (n˜2.6 at photon energies of 1.5-3.25 eV) interface layer formed on bare silicon. The interface layer growth rate was greatly reduced on an oxidized silicon substrate. The results have profound implications on the static dielectric constant of BST.

A Comparison of MOCLD With PLD Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 Thin Films on LaAlO3 for Tunable Microwave Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanKeuls, F. W.; Mueller, C. H.; Romanofsky, R. R.; Warner, J. D.; Miranda, F. A.; Jiang, H.

2002-01-01

Historically, tunable dielectric devices using thin crystalline Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 (BST) films deposited on lattice-matched substrates, such as LaAlO3, have generally been grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Highly oriented BST films can be grown by PLD but large projects are hampered by constraints of deposition area, deposition time and expense. The Metal-Organic Chemical Liquid Deposition (MOCLD) process allows for larger areas, faster turnover and lower cost. Several BST films deposited on LaAlO3 by MOCLD have been tested in 16 GHz coupled microstrip phase shifters. They can be compared with many PLD BST films tested in the same circuit design. The MOCLD phase shifter performance of 293 deg. phase shift with 53 V/micron dc bias and a figure of merit of 47 deg./dB is comparable to the most highly oriented PLD BST films. The PLD BST films used here have measured XRD full-width-at-half-maxima (FWHM) as low as 0.047 deg.. The best FWHM of these MOCLD BST films has been measured to be 0.058 deg.

Mode jumping of split-ring resonator metamaterials controlled by high-permittivity BST and incident electric fields

PubMed Central

Fu, Xiaojian; Zeng, Xinxi; Cui, Tie Jun; Lan, Chuwen; Guo, Yunsheng; Zhang, Hao Chi; Zhang, Qian

2016-01-01

We investigate the resonant modes of split-ring resonator (SRR) metamaterials that contain high-permittivity BST block numerically and experimentally. We observe interesting mode-jumping phenomena from the BST-included SRR absorber structure as the excitation wave is incident perpendicularly to the SRR plane. Specifically, when the electric field is parallel to the SRR gap, the BST block in the gap will induce a mode jumping from the LC resonance to plasmonic resonance (horizontal electric-dipole mode), because the displacement current excited by the Mie resonance in the dielectric block acts as a current channel in the gap. When the electric field is perpendicular to the gap side, the plasmonic resonance mode (vertical electric-dipole mode) in SRR changes to two joint modes contributed simultaneously by the back layer, SRR and BST block, as a result of connected back layer and SRR layer by the displacement current in the BST dielectric block. Based on the mode jumping effect as well as temperature and electric-field dependent dielectric constant, the BST-included SRR metamaterials may have great potentials for the applications in electromagnetic switches and widely tunable metamaterial devices. PMID:27502844

Ginseng Purified Dry Extract, BST204, Improved Cancer Chemotherapy-Related Fatigue and Toxicity in Mice.

PubMed

Park, Hyun-Jung; Shim, Hyun Soo; Kim, Jeom Yong; Kim, Joo Young; Park, Sun Kyu; Shim, Insop

2015-01-01

Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common side effects of cancer and its treatments. A large proportion of cancer patients experience cancer-related physical and central fatigue so new strategies are needed for treatment and improved survival of these patients. BST204 was prepared by incubating crude ginseng extract with ginsenoside-β-glucosidase. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of BST204, mixture of ginsenosides on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced CRF, the glycogen synthesis, and biochemical parameters in mice. The mice were randomly divided into the following groups: the naïve normal (normal), the HT-29 cell inoculated (xenograft), xenograft and 5-FU treated (control), xenograft + 5-FU + BST204-treated (100 and 200 mg/kg) (BST204), and xenograft + 5-FU + modafinil (13 mg/kg) treated group (modafinil). Running wheel activity and forced swimming test were used for evaluation of CRF. Muscle glycogen, serum inflammatory cytokines, aspartic aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (CRE), white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil (NEUT), red blood cell (RBC), and hemoglobin (HGB) were measured. Treatment with BST204 significantly increased the running wheel activity and forced swimming time compared to the control group. Consistent with the behavioral data, BST204 markedly increased muscle glycogen activity and concentrations of WBC, NEUT, RBC, and HGB. Also, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), AST, ALT, and CRE levels in the serum were significantly reduced in the BST204-treated group compared to the control group. This result suggests that BST204 may improve chemotherapy-related fatigue and adverse toxic side effects.

MOCVD (Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x})Ti{sub 1+y}O{sub 3+z} (BST) thin films for high frequency tunable devices.

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

Baumann, P. K.; Kaufman, D. Y.; Im, J.

2001-01-01

We have investigated the structural and electrical characteristics of (Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x})Ti{sub 1+y}O{sub 3+z} (BST) thin films synthesized at 650{sup o}C on Pt/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates using a large area, vertical metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactor equipped with a liquid delivery system. Films with a Ba/Sr ratio of 70/30 were studied, as determined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). A substantial reduction of the dielectric loss was achieved when annealing the entire capacitor structure in air at 700{sup o}C. Dielectric tunability as high as 2.3:1 was measured for BST capacitors with the currently optimized processing conditions.

Iodometric and Molecular Detection of ESBL Production Among Clinical Isolates of E. coli Fingerprinted by ERIC-PCR: The First Egyptian Report Declares the Emergence of E. coli O25b-ST131clone Harboring blaGES.

PubMed

El-Badawy, Mohamed F; Tawakol, Wael M; Maghrabi, Ibrahim A; Mansy, Moselhy S; Shohayeb, Mohamed M; Ashour, Mohammed S

2017-09-01

The extensive use of β-lactam antibiotics has led to emergence and spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of 7 different ESBL genes (bla TEM , bla SHV , bla CTX-M , bla VEB , bla PER , bla GES , and bla OXA-10 ) and O25b-ST131 high-risk clone among 61 clinical isolates of Escherichia coli. Also, one broad-spectrum β-lactamase (bla OXA-1 ) was investigated. This study was also constructed to evaluate iodometric overlay method in detection of ESBL production. Phenotypic identification of E. coli isolates using API 20E revealed 18 distinct biotypes. DNA fingerprinting using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) differentiated all isolates into 2 main phylogenetic groups with 60 distinct genetic profiles. Elevated values of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 50 and MIC 90 for third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins were observed. Phenotypic tests revealed that 85.24% of isolates were ESBL producers. The incidence rates of bla TEM , bla SHV , bla CTX-M , bla GES , bla OXA-1 , and bla OXA-10 among E. coli ESBL producer phenotype were 69.23%, 25%, 96.15%, 3.85%, 11.54%, and 48%, respectively. On the other hand, bla VEB and bla PER were not detected. Sequencing of bla TEM and bla SHV revealed that bla TEM-214 and bla SHV-11 were the most prevalent variants. Group characterization of bla CTX-M revealed that bla CTX-M-1 was the most prevalent group of bla CTX-M family. It was found that 30.77% of E. coli ESBL producers belonged to O25b-ST131 clone harboring bla CTX-M-15 . This study concluded that iodometric overlay method was 100% sensitive in detection of ESBL production. To our knowledge, this is the first Egyptian study that declares the emergence of E. coli O25b-ST131 harboring bla GES .

Brief Report: Using Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Skateboarding Skills to a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Thomas, Benjamin R; Lafasakis, Michael; Spector, Vicki

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on the skateboarding skills of an 11-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). BST was used in a multiple-probe across skills design to teach five target skateboarding skills. Imitation of an additional skill was also assessed outside of BST sessions. The overall percentage of correct skateboarding skills improved following BST. Performance gains were stable in probes across settings, and additional imitations increased across the study.

Regulation of Leukocyte Infiltration into Ovarian Cancer by Tumor-Stroma Interactions, a Microarray View of Cancer Microenvironment

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

HIF1A INHBA CXCL9 DPP4 PLAU MMP7 NOTCH3 TWIST1 A B 20 08 42 9 20 08 C M IL 1β TN Fα H ey m oo dy O V H S C C L2 IN Fγ IL 18 IL 8 IL 8+ C C L2 A C TA IL...Interpretation) Gene List: Figure 3a (75) MultiCC15 (82) IFI35 BST2 CYR61 IL6 COL6A3 BMP4 SERPINB2 COL5A3 PODXL MAP17 FN1 NOTCH3 HOXB2 MCM6 TNF OAS1 BAI3

Effect of calcium soaps of fatty acids and administration of somatotropin on milk production, preovulatory follicular development, and plasma and follicular fluid lipid composition in high yielding dairy cows.

PubMed

Moallem, U; Folman, Y; Bor, A; Arav, A; Sklan, D

1999-11-01

The effect of fat and bovine somatotropin (bST) on preovulatory follicular hormones and lipids was evaluated by feeding cows for 150 d from parturition a control diet, a control diet plus 0.55 kg/d of calcium soaps of fatty acids, or a control diet with 500 mg of bST injected every 14 d. Fourteen days after a synchronized or natural estrus, cows were injected with a PGF2 alpha analogue; 48 h later, follicular fluid from all ovarian follicles > 8 mm was aspirated. Cows fed fat or injected with bST produced more milk and milk solids than did control cows, and cows on the bST treatment lost more body condition after calving than did cows on the other treatments. Both treatments changed the proportion of estradiol-active follicles (> 400 ng of estradiol/ml of follicular fluid) and the correlation between follicular fluid estradiol concentration and the total number large follicles per cow. In follicles aspirated between 60 and 90 DIM the percentage of estradiol-active follicles was 67, 40, and 0 for cows on the control, calcium soaps of fatty acids, and bST treatments, respectively. After 90 DIM, no differences existed between treatments in the percentage of estradiol-active follicles. Estradiol concentration in follicular fluid was correlated with DIM at follicle aspiration (r = 0.51). The proportion of oleic acid in free fatty acids in plasma at 50 DIM was lower in control cows and was lower in follicular fluid of estradiol-active follicles. Both calcium soaps of fatty acids and bST had a considerable effect on follicular development and activity and the composition of fatty acids in follicles.

Electronic structure of barium strontium titanate by soft-x-ray absorption spectroscopy

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

Uehara, Y.; Underwood, J.H.; Gullikson, E.M.

1997-04-01

Perovskite-type titanates, such as Strontium Titanate (STO), Barium Titanate (BTO), and Lead Titanate (PTO) have been widely studied because they show good electric and optical properties. In recent years, thin films of Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) have been paid much attention as dielectrics of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) capacitors. BST is a better insulator with a higher dielectric constant than STO and can be controlled in a paraelectric phase with an appropriate ratio of Ba/Sr composition, however, few studies have been done on the electronic structure of the material. Studies of the electronic structure of such materials can bemore » beneficial, both for fundamental physics research and for improving technological applications. BTO is a famous ferroelectric material with a tetragonal structure, in which Ti and Ba atoms are slightly displaced from the lattice points. On the other hand, BST keeps a paraelectric phase, which means that the atoms are still at the cubic lattice points. It should be of great interest to see how this difference of the local structure around Ti atoms between BTO and BST effects the electronic structure of these two materials. In this report, the authors present the Ti L{sub 2,3} absorption spectra of STO, BTO, and BST measured with very high accuracy in energy of the absorption features.« less

Effects of a Supervised versus an Unsupervised Combined Balance and Strength Training Program on Balance and Muscle Power in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Lacroix, André; Kressig, Reto W; Muehlbauer, Thomas; Gschwind, Yves J; Pfenninger, Barbara; Bruegger, Othmar; Granacher, Urs

2016-01-01

Losses in lower extremity muscle strength/power, muscle mass and deficits in static and particularly dynamic balance due to aging are associated with impaired functional performance and an increased fall risk. It has been shown that the combination of balance and strength training (BST) mitigates these age-related deficits. However, it is unresolved whether supervised versus unsupervised BST is equally effective in improving muscle power and balance in older adults. This study examined the impact of a 12-week BST program followed by 12 weeks of detraining on measures of balance and muscle power in healthy older adults enrolled in supervised (SUP) or unsupervised (UNSUP) training. Sixty-six older adults (men: 25, women: 41; age 73 ± 4 years) were randomly assigned to a SUP group (2/week supervised training, 1/week unsupervised training; n = 22), an UNSUP group (3/week unsupervised training; n = 22) or a passive control group (CON; n = 22). Static (i.e., Romberg Test) and dynamic (i.e., 10-meter walk test) steady-state, proactive (i.e., Timed Up and Go Test, Functional Reach Test), and reactive balance (e.g., Push and Release Test), as well as lower extremity muscle power (i.e., Chair Stand Test; Stair Ascent and Descent Test) were tested before and after the active training phase as well as after detraining. Adherence rates to training were 92% for SUP and 97% for UNSUP. BST resulted in significant group × time interactions. Post hoc analyses showed, among others, significant training-related improvements for the Romberg Test, stride velocity, Timed Up and Go Test, and Chair Stand Test in favor of the SUP group. Following detraining, significantly enhanced performances (compared to baseline) were still present in 13 variables for the SUP group and in 10 variables for the UNSUP group. Twelve weeks of BST proved to be safe (no training-related injuries) and feasible (high attendance rates of >90%). Deficits of balance and lower extremity muscle power can be mitigated by BST in healthy older adults. Additionally, supervised as compared to unsupervised BST was more effective. Thus, it is recommended to counteract intrinsic fall risk factors by applying supervised BST programs for older adults. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Teaching Safety Responding to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossi, Margaret R.; Vladescu, Jason C.; Reeve, Kenneth F.; Gross, Amy C.

2017-01-01

Children have been taught to demonstrate a safety response when they encounter a dangerous stimulus using behavioral skills training (BST). However, little research has evaluated the usefulness of BST to teach safety skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study, we evaluated BST to establish a generalized repertoire…

Epitaxial growth of (001)-oriented Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} thin films on a-plane sapphire with an MgO/ZnO bridge layer

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

Xiao Bo; Liu Hongrui; Avrutin, Vitaliy

2009-11-23

High quality (001)-oriented Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films have been grown on a-plane sapphire (1120) by rf magnetron sputtering using a double bridge layer consisting of (0001)-oriented ZnO (50 nm) and (001)-oriented MgO (10 nm) prepared by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of three sets of in-plane BST domains, offset from one another by 30 deg., which is consistent with the in-plane symmetry of the MgO layer observed by in situ reflective high electron energy diffraction. The in-plane epitaxial relationship of BST, MgO, and ZnO has been determined to be BST [110]//MgO [110]//ZnO [1120]more » and BST [110]/MgO [110]//ZnO [1100]. Capacitance-voltage measurements performed on BST coplanar interdigitated capacitor structures revealed a high dielectric tunability of up to 84% at 1 MHz.« less

Miniaturized and reconfigurable notch antenna based on a BST ferroelectric thin film

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

Nguyen, Hung Viet; CEA-LETI, Minatec, 17 avenue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9; Benzerga, Ratiba, E-mail: ratiba.benzerga@univ-rennes1.fr

Highlights: • A miniature and agile antenna based on a BST MIM capacitor is simulated and made. • Mn{sup 2+} doped BST thin films are synthesized by chemical deposition and spin coating. • Permittivity and losses of the BST thin film are respectively 225 and 0.02 at 1 GHz. • A miniaturization rate of 70% is obtained with a MIM capacitance of 3.7 pF. • A frequency tunability of 14.5% and a tunability performance of 0.04 are measured. - Abstract: This work deals with the design, realization and characterization of a miniature and frequency agile antenna based on a ferroelectricmore » Ba{sub 0,80}Sr{sub 0,20}TiO{sub 3} thin film. The notch antenna is loaded with a variable metal/insulator/metal (MIM) capacitor and is achieved by a monolithic method. The MIM capacitance is 3.7 pF, which results in a resonant frequency of 670 MHz compared to 2.25 GHz for the unloaded simulated antenna; the resulting miniaturization rate is 70%. The characterization of the antenna prototype shows a frequency tunable rate of 14.5% under an electric field of 375 kV/cm, with a tunability performance η = 0.04.« less

Influence of body condition and bovine somatotropin on estrous behavior, reproductive performance, and concentrations of serum somatotropin and plasma fatty acids in postpartum Brahman-influenced cows.

PubMed

Flores, R; Looper, M L; Rorie, R W; Lamb, M A; Reiter, S T; Hallford, D M; Kreider, D L; Rosenkrans, C F

2007-05-01

Ninety-nine multiparous Brahman-influenced (1/4 to 3/8 Brahman) cows were managed to achieve low (BCS = 4.3 +/- 0.1; n = 50) or moderate (BCS = 6.1 +/- 0.1; n = 49) body condition (BC) to determine the influence of bovine somatotropin (bST) on estrous characteristics, reproductive performance, and concentrations of serum GH and plasma NEFA. Beginning 32 d postpartum, cows within each BC were assigned randomly to treatment with or without bST. Non-bST-treated cows received no treatment, and treated cows were administered bST (Posilac, 500 mg s.c.) on d -35, -21, and -7 before initiation of the breeding season. On d -7, all cows received an intravaginal, controlled internal drug-releasing (CIDR) device. On d 0 (initiation of the 70-d breeding season), the CIDR were removed and cows received prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). Blood samples were collected from the median caudal vein of the cows at each bST treatment and at d -28 and 0. Estrous behavior was monitored by radiotelemetry during the first 30 d of the breeding season. Growth hormone was increased (P < 0.05) in low and moderate BC cows treated with bST. The percentage of cows detected in estrus during the first 30 d of the breeding season was decreased (P = 0.05) for low BC (64%) compared with moderate BC (82%) cows. The interval to first estrus tended (P = 0.07) to be shorter in low BC-bST-treated cows (3.7 +/- 1.9 d) than in moderate BC-bST-treated cows (9.6 +/- 1.8 d). During the first 30 d of the breeding season, cows in low BC had a decreased (P = 0.02) number of mounts received and increased (P = 0.001) quiescence between mounts compared with cows in moderate BC. The number of mounts received was reduced (P = 0.04) in bST-treated cows. More (P = 0.02) cows treated with bST became pregnant during the first 3 d of the breeding season compared with non-bST-treated cows. The cumulative first-service conception rate tended (P = 0.07) to be greater for bST-low BC cows than non-bST-treated cows in low or moderate BC. On d 0, NEFA were greater (P < 0.05) in bST-treated vs. non-bST-treated cows. Low BC and bST reduced the intensity of behavioral estrus in postpartum Brahman-influenced cows. However, bST increased the first-service conception rate during the first 30 d of breeding and pregnancy rates during the first 3 d of breeding in postpartum Brahman-influenced cows.

Nicotine Modulates Multiple Regions in the Limbic Stress Network Regulating Activation of Hypophysiotrophic Neurons in Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus

PubMed Central

Yu, Guoliang; Sharp, Burt M.

2012-01-01

Nicotine intake affects CNS responses to stressors. We reported that nicotine self-administration (SA) augmented the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress response, in part due to altered neurotransmission and neuropeptide expression within hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Limbic-PVN interactions involving medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) greatly impact the HPA stress response. Therefore, we investigated the effects of nicotine SA on stress-induced neuronal activation in limbic-PVN network, using c-Fos protein immunohistochemistry and retrograde tracing. Nicotine decreased stress-induced c-Fos in prelimbic cortex (PrL), anteroventral BST (avBST), and peri-PVN; but increased c-Fos induction in medial amygdala (MeA), locus coeruleus, and PVN. Fluoro-gold (FG) was injected into avBST or PVN, since GABAergic neurons in avBST projecting to PVN corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons relay information from both PrL glutamatergic and MeA GABAergic neurons. The stress-induced c-Fos expression in retrograde-labeled FG+ neurons was decreased in PrL by nicotine, but increased in MeA, and also reduced in avBST. Therefore, within limbic-PVN network, nicotine SA exerts selective regional effects on neuronal activation by stress. These findings expand the mechanistic framework by demonstrating altered limbic-BST-PVN interactions underlying the disinhibition of PVN CRF neurons, an essential component of the amplified HPA response to stress by nicotine. PMID:22578217

Detection of human and animal sources of pollution by microbial and chemical methods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A multi-indicator approach comprising Enterococcus, bacterial source tracking (BST), and sterol analysis was tested for pollution source identification. Fecal contamination was detected in 100% of surface water sites tested. Enterococcus faecium was the dominant species in aged litter samples from p...

Sexual Experience Modulates Neuronal Activity in Male Japanese Quail

PubMed Central

Can, Adem; Domjan, Michael; Delville, Yvon

2008-01-01

After an initial increase, repeated exposure to a particular stimulus or familiarity with an event results in lower immediate early gene expression levels in relevant brain structures. We predicted that similar effects would occur in Japanese quail after repeated sexual experience within brain areas involved in sexual behavior, namely, the medial preoptic nucleus (POM), the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BST), and the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala (TnA), an avian homolog of medial amygdala. High experience subjects copulated with a female once on each of 16 consecutive days, whereas low experience subjects were allowed to copulate either once or twice. Control subjects were never exposed to a female. High experience subjects were faster to initiate sexual interaction, performed more cloacal contacts, and completed each cloacal contact faster than low experience subjects. Low experience subjects showed an increase in egr-1 (ZENK) expression, an immediate early gene product used as marker of neural activation in birds, in the areas of interest. In contrast, in high experience animals, egr-1 expression in the POM, BST and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) was not different than the level of expression in unmated controls. These results show that experience modulates the level of immediate early gene expression in the case of sexual behavior. Our results also indicate that immediate early gene expression in specific brain areas is not necessarily related to behavioral output, but depends on the behavioral history of the subjects. PMID:17826778

Study Addiction: A Cross-Cultural Longitudinal Study Examining Temporal Stability and Predictors of Its Changes

PubMed Central

Atroszko, Paweł Andrzej; Andreassen, Cecilie Schou; Griffiths, Mark D.; Pallesen, Ståle

2016-01-01

Background and aims “Study addiction” has recently been conceptualized as a behavioral addiction and defined within the framework of work addiction. Using a newly developed measure to assess this construct, the Bergen Study Addiction Scale (BStAS), the present study examined the 1-year stability of study addiction and factors related to changes in this construct over time, and is the first longitudinal investigation of study addiction thus far. Methods The BStAS and the Ten Item Personality Inventory were administered online together with questions concerning demographics and study-related variables in two waves. In Wave 1, a total of 2,559 students in Norway and 2,177 students in Poland participated. A year later, in Wave 2, 1,133 Norwegians and 794 Polish, who were still students completed the survey. Results The test–retest reliability coefficients for the BStAS revealed that the scores were relatively stable over time. In Norway, scores on the BStAS were higher in Wave 2 than in Wave 1, whereas in Poland, the reverse pattern was observed. Learning time outside classes at Wave 1 was positively related to escalation of study addiction symptoms over time in both samples. Being female and scoring higher on neuroticism was related to an increase in study addiction in the Norwegian sample only. Conclusions Study addiction appears to be temporally stable, and the amount of learning time spent outside classes predicts changes in study addiction 1 year later. PMID:27156381

Hydrothermal synthesis of barium strontium titanate and bismuth titanate materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Huiwen

Hydrothermal processing facilitates the synthesis of crystalline ceramic materials of varying composition or complex crystal structure. The present work can be divided into two parts. First is to study the low temperature hydrothermal synthesis of bismuth titanate. Second is to study both thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the hydrothermally synthesized barium strontium titanate. A chelating agent was used to form a Bi-Ti gel precursor. By hydrothermally treating the Bi-Ti gel, crystalline bismuth titanate has been synthesized at 160°C for the first time. Microstructural evolution during the low temperature synthesis of bismuth titanate can be divided into two stages, including condensation of Bi-Ti gel particles and crystallization of bismuth titanate. Crystallization of bismuth titanate occurred by an in situ transformation mechanism at an early stage followed by a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. Phase separation was observed in hydrothermally synthesized barium strontium titanate (BST). By hydrothermally treating BST powders between 250°C--300°C, an asymmetrical miscibility gap was found in the BaTiO3-SrTiO 3 system at low temperatures (T ≤ 320°C). A subregular solid solution model was applied to calculate the equilibrium compositions and the Gibbs free energy of formation of BST solid solution at low temperatures (T ≤ 320°C). The Gibbs free energy of formation of Sr-rich BST phase is larger than that of Ba-rich BST phase. Kinetic studies of single phase BST solid solution at 80°C show that, compared to the BaTiO3 or Ba-rich BST, SrTiO3 and Sr-rich BST powders form at lower reaction rates.

SU-E-I-74: Image-Matching Technique of Computed Tomography Images for Personal Identification: A Preliminary Study Using Anthropomorphic Chest Phantoms

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

Matsunobu, Y; Shiotsuki, K; Morishita, J

Purpose: Fingerprints, dental impressions, and DNA are used to identify unidentified bodies in forensic medicine. Cranial Computed tomography (CT) images and/or dental radiographs are also used for identification. Radiological identification is important, particularly in the absence of comparative fingerprints, dental impressions, and DNA samples. The development of an automated radiological identification system for unidentified bodies is desirable. We investigated the potential usefulness of bone structure for matching chest CT images. Methods: CT images of three anthropomorphic chest phantoms were obtained on different days in various settings. One of the phantoms was assumed to be an unidentified body. The bone imagemore » and the bone image with soft tissue (BST image) were extracted from the CT images. To examine the usefulness of the bone image and/or the BST image, the similarities between the two-dimensional (2D) or threedimensional (3D) images of the same and different phantoms were evaluated in terms of the normalized cross-correlation value (NCC). Results: For the 2D and 3D BST images, the NCCs obtained from the same phantom assumed to be an unidentified body (2D, 0.99; 3D, 0.93) were higher than those for the different phantoms (2D, 0.95 and 0.91; 3D, 0.89 and 0.80). The NCCs for the same phantom (2D, 0.95; 3D, 0.88) were greater compared to those of the different phantoms (2D, 0.61 and 0.25; 3D, 0.23 and 0.10) for the bone image. The difference in the NCCs between the same and different phantoms tended to be larger for the bone images than for the BST images. These findings suggest that the image-matching technique is more useful when utilizing the bone image than when utilizing the BST image to identify different people. Conclusion: This preliminary study indicated that evaluating the similarity of bone structure in 2D and 3D images is potentially useful for identifying of an unidentified body.« less

Lable-free quadruple signal amplification strategy for sensitive electrochemical p53 gene biosensing.

PubMed

Wang, Zonghua; Xia, Jianfei; Song, Daimin; Zhang, Feifei; Yang, Min; Gui, Rijun; Xia, Lin; Bi, Sai; Xia, Yanzhi

2016-03-15

A versatile label-free quadruple signal amplification biosensing platform for p53 gene (target DNA) detection was proposed. The chitosan-graphene (CS-GR) modified electrode with excellent electron transfer ability could provide a large specific surface for high levels of AuNPs-DNA attachment. The large amount of AuNPs could immobilize more capture probes and enhance the electrochemical signal with the excellent electrocatalytic activity. Furthermore, with the assist of N.BstNB I (the nicking endonuclease), target DNA could be reused and more G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme could be formed, allowing significant signal amplification in the presence of H2O2. Such strategy can enhance the oxidation-reduction reaction of adsorbed methylene blue (MB) and efficiently improve the sensitivity of the proposed biosensor. The morphologies of materials and the stepwise biosensor were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signals of MB provided quantitative measures of the concentrations of target DNA, with a linear calibration range of 1.0 × 10(-15)-1.0 × 10(-9)M and a detection limit of 3.0 × 10(-16)M. Moreover, the resulting biosensor also exhibited good specificity, acceptable reproducibility and stability, indicating that the present strategy was promising for broad potential application in clinic assay. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Evaluation of Computerized Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Safety Skills to Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanselow, Nicholas R.; Hanley, Gregory P.

2014-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST) for teaching children to protect themselves. However, BST may be resource intensive and difficult to implement on a large scale. We evaluated a computerized version of BST (CBST) to teach safety skills and determined the extent to which…

Multicomponent doped barium strontium titanate thin films for tunable microwave applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alema, Fikadu Legesse

In recent years there has been enormous progress in the development of barium strontium titanate (BST) films for tunable microwave applications. However, the properties of BST films still remain inferior compared to bulk materials, limiting their use for microwave technology. Understanding the film/substrate mismatch, microstructure, and stoichiometry of BST films and finding the necessary remedies are vital. In this work, BST films were deposited via radio frequency magnetron sputtering method and characterized both analytically and electrically with the aim of optimizing their properties. The stoichiometry, crystal structure, and phase purity of the films were studied by varying the oxygen partial pressure (OPP) and total gas pressure (TGP) in the chamber. A better stoichiometric match between film and target was achieved when the TGP is high (> 30 mTorr). However, the O2/Ar ratio should be adjusted as exceeding a threshold of 2 mTorr in OPP facilitates the formation of secondary phases. The growth of crystalline film on platinized substrates was achieved only with a lower temperature grown buffer layer, which acts as a seed layer by crystallizing when the temperature increases. Concurrent Mg/Nb doping has significantly improved the properties of BST thin films. The doped film has shown an average tunability of 53%, which is only ˜8 % lower than the value for the undoped film. This drop is associated with the Mg ions whose detrimental effects are partially compensated by Nb ions. Conversely, the doping has reduced the dielectric loss by ˜40 % leading to a higher figure of merit. Moreover, the two dopants ensure a charge neutrality condition which resulted in significant leakage current reduction. The presence of large amounts of empty shallow traps related to Nb Ti localize the free carriers injected from the contacts; thus increase the device control voltage substantially (>10 V). A combinatorial thin film synthesis method based on co-sputtering of two BST sources doped with Mg/Nb and Ce, respectively, was applied. The composition and the dielectric properties of the deposited film were correlated and the optimal concentration of dopants corresponding to high tunability and low dielectric loss was determined in a timely fashion.

Effect of farm and simulated laboratory cold environmental conditions on the performance and physiological responses of lactating dairy cows supplemented with bovine somatotropin (BST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, B. A.; Johnson, H. D.; Li, R.; Collier, R. J.

1990-09-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of bovine somatotropin (BST) supplementation in twelve lactating dairy cows maintained in cold environmental conditions. Six cows were injected daily with 25 mg of BST; the other six were injected with a control vehicle. Cows were maintained under standard dairy management during mid-winter for 30 days. Milk production was recorded twice daily, and blood samples were taken weekly. Animals were then transferred to environmentally controlled chambers and exposed to cycling thermoneutral (15° to 20° C) and cycling cold (-5° to +5° C) temperatures for 10 days in a split-reversal design. Milk production, feed and water intake, body weights and rectal temperatures were monitored. Blood samples were taken on days 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10 of each period and analyzed for plasma triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), cortisol, insulin and prolactin. Under farm conditions, BST-treated cows produced 11% more milk than control-treated cows and in environmentally controlled chambers produced 17.4% more milk. No differences due to BST in feed or water intake, body weights or rectal temperatures were found under laboratory conditions. Plasma T3 and insulin increased due to BST treatment while no effect was found on cortisol, prolactin or T4. The results showed that the benefits of BST supplementation in lactating dairy cows were achieved under cold environmental conditions.

Nicotine modulates multiple regions in the limbic stress network regulating activation of hypophysiotrophic neurons in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.

PubMed

Yu, Guoliang; Sharp, Burt M

2012-08-01

Nicotine intake affects CNS responses to stressors. We reported that nicotine self-administration (SA) augmented the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress response, in part because of the altered neurotransmission and neuropeptide expression within hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Limbic-PVN interactions involving medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) greatly impact the HPA stress response. Therefore, we investigated the effects of nicotine SA on stress-induced neuronal activation in limbic-PVN network, using c-Fos protein immunohistochemistry and retrograde tracing. Nicotine decreased stress-induced c-Fos in prelimbic cortex (PrL), anteroventral BST (avBST), and peri-PVN, but increased c-Fos induction in medial amygdala (MeA), locus coeruleus, and PVN. Fluoro-gold (FG) was injected into avBST or PVN, as GABAergic neurons in avBST projecting to PVN corticotrophin-releasing factor neurons relay information from both PrL glutamatergic and MeA GABAergic neurons. The stress-induced c-Fos expression in retrograde-labeled FG+ neurons was decreased in PrL by nicotine, but increased in MeA, and also reduced in avBST. Therefore, within limbic-PVN network, nicotine SA exerts selective regional effects on neuronal activation by stress. These findings expand the mechanistic framework by demonstrating altered limbic-BST-PVN interactions underlying the disinhibition of PVN corticotrophin-releasing factor neurons, an essential component of the amplified HPA response to stress by nicotine. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry © 2012 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Dengue-1 Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Gene Expressed in Recombinant Baculovirus Elicits Virus-Neutralizing Antibody in Mice and Protects them from Virus Challenge

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

8217 terminus of E. When the recombinant virus was grown in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. about I mg of E antigen was made per 10’ cells. Recombinant E antigen...assay with DEN-I virus coprotein gene and its expression in Spodoptera hyperimmune mouse ascitic fluid. This heat-in- frugiperda cells activated...immunization, S. frugiperda cells infected with tion with BstNI (cuts at nucleotides 801 and recombinant baculovirus were pelleted. lysed by 2150). The

Brief strategic therapy in first myocardial infarction patients with increased levels of stress: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Rakowska, Jadwiga Małgorzata

2015-01-01

Little is known about the impact of interventions targeting chronic stress levels on clinical outcomes among myocardial infarction (MI) patients with increased levels of stress. To examine the impact of the addition of brief strategic therapy (BST) to usual care (UC) on clinical outcomes in first MI patients with increased levels of stress. Eighty-one patients were randomly assigned to BST in conjunction with UC (medical treatment, risk factor information, and guidance on unhealthy behavior change) or to UC. The outcome measures were scores on the Perceived Stress Scale, reinfarction and cardiac mortality rates, and scores on the Health Survey. Measures were taken before, post-treatment, and at two follow-ups. Patients subjected to BST showed reduced perceived stress at post-treatment and maintained decreased levels at follow-ups. At 1-year follow-up, they had a lower rate of non-fatal reinfarction, and at 2.5-year follow-up, they had a lower rate of fatal reinfarction. Their mental and physical health was improved at post-treatment and this was sustained at follow-ups. The addition of BST to UC favorably influences the disease course after MI in patients with increased levels of stress.

Palliative self-expandable metal stents for acute malignant colorectal obstruction: clinical outcomes and risk factors for complications.

PubMed

Han, Jae Pil; Hong, Su Jin; Kim, Shin Hee; Choi, Jong Hyo; Jung, Hee Jae; Cho, Youn Hee; Ko, Bong Min; Lee, Moon Sung

2014-08-01

Self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) have been used as palliative treatment or bridge to surgery for obstructions caused by colorectal cancer (CRC). We assessed the long-term outcomes of palliative SEMSs and evaluated the risk factors influencing complications. One hundred and seventy-five patients underwent SEMS placement for acute malignant colorectal obstruction. Of the 72 patients who underwent palliative treatment for primary CRC, 30 patients received chemotherapy (CT) for primary cancer (CT group) and 42 underwent best supportive treatment (BST) without CT (BST group). There was a significant difference in late migration between the CT group and the BST group (20.0% in CT group, 2.4% in BST group, p = 0.018). Response to CT influenced the rate of late obstruction (0% in disease control, 35.7% in disease progression, p = 0.014). However, late obstruction was not associated with stent properties, such as diameter or type (≤22 mm vs. >22 mm, 13.5% vs. 14.3%, p = 1.00; uncovered stent vs. covered stent, 15.5% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.675) and migration (≤22 mm vs. >22 mm, 16.2% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.108; uncovered stent vs. covered stent, 8.6% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.615) in palliative SEMS. The administration of CT increases the rate of stent migration, and disease control by CT can reduce the risk of obstruction by maintaining the luminal patency of palliative SEMSs.

Prevalence of O25b-ST131 clone among Escherichia coli strains producing CTX-M-15, CTX-M-14 and CTX-M-92 β-lactamases.

PubMed

Giedraitienė, Agnė; Vitkauskienė, Astra; Pavilonis, Alvydas; Patamsytė, Vaiva; Genel, Nathalie; Decre, Dominique; Arlet, Guillaume

2017-02-01

Dissemination of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli is closely associated with the worldwide spread of a single clone ST131, which is the main cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections in patients from nursing homes and immunocompromised patients. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of ST131 clone and the replicons involved in the spread of bla CTX-M genes among O25b-ST131 CTX-M-producing E. coli isolates in Lithuania. The strains included in this study were screened for CTX-M β-lactamase-encoding genes, phylogenetic groups and ST131 clone by PCR. Bacterial conjugation was performed to identify plasmid replicon types responsible for bla CTX-M genes dissemination. A total of 158 E. coli clinical non-duplicate ESBL isolates were analyzed. Nearly half (n = 67, 42.4%) of the investigated E. coli isolates belonged to phylogenetic group B2. The isolates producing CTX-M-92 β-lactamases were identified to be the ST131 clone more frequently than the non-ST131 clone (11.5% vs. 3.1%, p = .035). The CTX-M-15 isolates were identified as ST131 isolates less frequently than non-ST131 isolates (50.8% vs. 71.1%; p = .015). The ST131 clone isolates contained type L/M and A/C replicons; a fused FII/FIB replicon was found in four isolates (23.5%). Type HI1 replicon was identified in ST131 E. coli isolates producing CTX-M-15 β-lactamases. This study demonstrates the predominance of the ST131 clone among CTX-M β-lactamase-producing E. coli isolates. Dissemination of bla CTX-M genes in ST131 strains can be linked not only to highly adapted IncF plasmids such as FII/FIB and FII, but also to plasmid replicon types A/C, L/M and HI1.

Selective angiographic embolization of blunt splenic traumatic injuries in adults decreases failure rate of nonoperative management.

PubMed

Bhullar, Indermeet S; Frykberg, Eric R; Siragusa, Daniel; Chesire, David; Paul, Julia; Tepas, Joseph J; Kerwin, Andrew J

2012-05-01

To determine whether angioembolization (AE) in hemodynamically stable adult patients with blunt splenic trauma (BST) at high risk for failure of nonoperative management (NOM) (contrast blush [CB] on computed tomography, high-grade IV-V injuries, or decreasing hemoglobin) results in lower failure rates than reported. The records of patients with BST from July 2000 to December 2010 at a Level I trauma center were retrospectively reviewed using National Trauma Registry of the American College of Surgeons. Failure of NOM (FNOM) occurred if splenic surgery was required after attempted NOM. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with FNOM. A total of 1,039 patients with BST were found. Pediatric patients (age <17 years), those who died in the emergency department, and those requiring immediate surgery for hemodynamic instability were excluded. Of the 539 (64% of all BST) hemodynamically stable patients who underwent NOM, 104 (19%) underwent AE and 435 (81%) were observed without AE (NO-AE). FNOM for the various groups were as follows: overall NOM (4%), NO-AE (4%), and AE (4%). There was no significant difference in FNOM for NO-AE versus AE for grades I to III: grade I (1% vs. 0%, p = 1), grade II (2% vs. 0%, p = 0.318), and grade III (5% vs. 0%, p = 0.562); however, a significant decrease in FNOM was noted with the addition of AE for grades IV to V: grade IV (23% vs. 3%, p = 0.04) and grade V (63% vs. 9%, p = 0.03). Statistically significant independent risk factors for FNOM were grade IV to V injuries and CB. Application of strictly defined selection criteria for NOM and AE in patients with BST resulted in one of the lowest overall FNOM rates (4%). Hemodynamically stable BST patients are candidates for NOM with selective AE for high-risk patients with grade IV to V injuries, CB on initial computed tomography, and/or decreasing hemoglobin levels. III, therapeutic study.

Properties of barium strontium titanate at millimeter wave frequencies

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

Osman, Nurul; Free, Charles

2015-04-24

The trend towards using higher millimetre-wave frequencies for communication systems has created a need for accurate characterization of materials to be used at these frequencies. Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) is a ferroelectric material whose permittivity is known to change as a function of applied electric field and have found varieties of application in electronic and communication field. In this work, new data on the properties of BST characterize using the free space technique at frequencies between 145 GHz and 155 GHz for both thick film and bulk samples are presented. The measurement data provided useful information on effective permittivity and loss tangentmore » for all the BST samples. Data on the material transmission, reflection properties as well as loss will also be presented. The outcome of the work shows through practical measurement, that BST has a high permittivity with moderate losses and the results also shows that BST has suitable properties to be used as RAM for high frequency application.« less

Brief Report: Using Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Skateboarding Skills to a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Benjamin R.; Lafasakis, Michael; Spector, Vicki

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on the skateboarding skills of an 11-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). BST was used in a multiple-probe across skills design to teach five target skateboarding skills. Imitation of an additional skill was also assessed outside of BST sessions.…

Microwave properties of epitaxial (111)-oriented Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} thin films on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) up to 40 GHz

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

Yang Lihui; UMR CNRS 8520, IEMN-DOAE-MIMM Team, Bat. P3, Cite Scientifique, Villeneuve d'Ascq, 59655 Lille; Ponchel, Freddy

2010-10-18

Perovskite Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films have been grown on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) substrates without/with inserting an ultrathin TiO{sub x} seeding layer by rf magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction and pole figure studies reveal that the film with the TiO{sub x} layer (12-A-thick) is highly oriented along the (111) direction and exhibits a good in-plane relationship of BST(111)||Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001). The high frequency dielectric measurements demonstrate that the complex permittivity ({epsilon}={epsilon}{sup '}-j{epsilon}{sup ''}) is well described by a Curie-von Scheidler dispersion with an exponent of 0.40. The resulting epitaxial BST films show high permittivity ({approx}428) and tunability ({approx}41%, atmore » 300 kV/cm and 40 GHz) and their microwave properties (1-40 GHz) potentially could be made suitable for tunable devices.« less

The role of BST2/tetherin in infection with the feline retroviruses

PubMed Central

Dietrich, Isabelle; Hosie, Margaret J.; Willett, Brian J.

2014-01-01

The recently identified host restriction factor tetherin (BST-2, CD317) potently inhibits the release of nascent retrovirus particles from infected cells. Recently, we reported the identification and characterization of tetherin as a novel feline retroviral restriction factor. Based on homology to human tetherin we identified a putative tetherin gene in the genome of the domestic cat (Felis catus) which was found to be expressed in different feline cell lines both prior to and post treatment with either type I or type II interferon (IFN). The predicted structure of feline tetherin (feTHN) was that of a type II single-pass transmembrane protein encoding an N-terminal transmembrane anchor, central predicted coiled-coil bearing extracellular domain to promote dimerization, and a C-terminal GPI-anchor, consistent with conservation of structure between human and feline tetherin. FeTHN displayed potent inhibition of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) particle release in single-cycle replication assays. Notably, feTHN activity was resistant to antagonism by HIV-1 Vpu. However, stable ectopic expression of feTHN mRNA in different feline cell lines had no inhibitory effect on the growth of diverse primary or cell culture-adapted strains of FIV. Hence, whereas feline tetherin efficiently blocks viral particle release in single-cycle replication assays, it might not prevent dissemination of feline retroviruses in vivo. PMID:21715020

Teaching Reading Comprehension Skills to a Child with Autism Using Behaviour Skills Training.

PubMed

Singh, Binita D; Moore, Dennis W; Furlonger, Brett E; Anderson, Angelika; Busacca, Margherita L; English, Derek L

2017-10-01

A multiple probe design across skills was used to examine the effects of behaviour skills training (BST) on teaching four reading comprehension skills (predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing) to a 7th grade student with autism. Following baseline, the student received 12 sessions of BST during which each skill was taught to criterion. At each session, data was also collected on the accuracy of oral responses to 10 comprehension questions. BST was associated with clear gains in the participant's performance on each comprehension skill, along with concomitant gains in reading comprehension both on the daily probes and a standardized measure. Skills maintained at follow-up support the conclusion that BST was effective in improving the comprehension skills of a child with autism.

Genotypic characterization of gentamicin and cephalosporin resistant Escherichia coli isolates from blood cultures in a Norwegian university hospital 2011-2015.

PubMed

Fladberg, Øyvind Andreas; Jørgensen, Silje Bakken; Aamot, Hege Vangstein

2017-01-01

Cephalosporin resistance in clinical E. coli isolates is increasing internationally. The increase has been caused by virulent and often multidrug-resistant clones, especially the extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli clone O25b-ST131. In Norway, recommended empirical treatment of sepsis consists of gentamicin and penicillin combined, or a broad-spectrum cephalosporin. To investigate if increased gentamicin and cephalosporins resistance rates in our hospital could be caused by specific clones, we conducted a retrospective study on E. coli blood culture isolates from 2011 through 2015. All E. coli isolates non-susceptible to gentamicin and/or third-generation cephalosporins were genotyped using multiple-locus variable-number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and compared with antibiotic susceptible isolates. The frequency of the most common genes causing ESBL production ( bla CTX-M , bla ampC ) was examined by Real-Time PCR. A total of 158 cephalosporin and/or gentamicin resistant and 97 control isolates were differentiated into 126 unique MLVA types. Of these, 31% of the isolates belonged to a major MLVA cluster consisting of 41% of the gentamicin resistant and 35% of the cephalosporin resistant isolates. The majority (65/80 isolates) of this MLVA cluster contained MLVA types associated with the E. coli O25b-ST131 clone. Genes encoding CTX-M enzyme phylogroups 1 and 9 occurred in 65% and 19% of cephalosporin resistant isolates, respectively, whereas bla ampC-CIT was identified in 3%. No local E. coli bacteraemia clone was identified. Antibiotic resistance was dispersed over a variety of genotypes. However, association with the international E. coli O25b-ST131 clone was frequent and may be an important driver behind increased resistance rates. Monitoring and preventing dissemination of these resistant clones are important for continued optimal treatment.

BST2/Tetherin Inhibition of Alphavirus Exit

PubMed Central

Ooi, Yaw Shin; Dubé, Mathieu; Kielian, Margaret

2015-01-01

Alphaviruses such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) are small enveloped RNA viruses that bud from the plasma membrane. Tetherin/BST2 is an interferon-induced host membrane protein that inhibits the release of many enveloped viruses via direct tethering of budded particles to the cell surface. Alphaviruses have highly organized structures and exclude host membrane proteins from the site of budding, suggesting that their release might be insensitive to tetherin inhibition. Here, we demonstrated that exogenously-expressed tetherin efficiently inhibited the release of SFV and CHIKV particles from host cells without affecting virus entry and infection. Alphavirus release was also inhibited by the endogenous levels of tetherin in HeLa cells. While rubella virus (RuV) and dengue virus (DENV) have structural similarities to alphaviruses, tetherin inhibited the release of RuV but not DENV. We found that two recently identified tetherin isoforms differing in length at the N-terminus exhibited distinct capabilities in restricting alphavirus release. SFV exit was efficiently inhibited by the long isoform but not the short isoform of tetherin, while both isoforms inhibited vesicular stomatitis virus exit. Thus, in spite of the organized structure of the virus particle, tetherin specifically blocks alphavirus release and shows an interesting isoform requirement. PMID:25912717

Factors affecting compliance with colorectal cancer screening among households residing in the largely Haitian community of Little Haiti, Miami-Dade County, Florida: an observational study.

PubMed

Wilcox, Meredith Leigh; Acuña, Juan Manuel; de la Vega, Pura Rodriguez; Castro, Grettel; Madhivanan, Purnima

2015-05-01

The United States Black population is disproportionately affected by colorectal cancer (CRC) in terms of incidence and mortality. Studies suggest that screening rates are lower among Blacks compared with non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). However, studies on CRC screening within Black subgroups are lacking. This study examined disparities in blood stool test (BST) compliance and colonoscopy use by race/ethnicity (Haitian, NHW, non-Hispanic Black [NHB], and Hispanic) among randomly selected households in Little Haiti, Miami-Dade County, Florida.This study used cross-sectional, health and wellness data from a random-sample, population-based survey conducted within 951 households in Little Haiti between November 2011 and December 2012. BST compliance and colonoscopy use were self-reported and defined, conservatively, as the use of BST within the past 2 years and the ever use of colonoscopy by any household member. Factors associated with BST compliance and colonoscopy use were identified using logistic regression models. Analyses were restricted to households containing at least 1 member ≥50 years (n = 666).Nearly half of the households were compliant with BST (rate [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 45% [41%-49%]) and completed colonoscopy (rate [95% CI] = 53% [49%-58%]). Compliance with BST was not associated with race/ethnicity (P = 0.76). Factors independently associated with BST compliance included low educational attainment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.63, P = 0.03), being single (AOR = 0.47, P = 0.004), retirement (AOR = 1.96, P = 0.01), and the presence of diagnosed health problems (AOR = 1.24, P = 0.01). Colonoscopy use was lower among Haitian households (46%) compared with NHW (63%), NHB (62%), and Hispanic households (54%) (P = 0.002). Factors independently associated with colonoscopy use included identifying as NHB (compared with Haitian) (AOR = 1.80, P = 0.05), being single (AOR = 0.44, P = 0.001), retirement (AOR = 1.86, P = 0.02), lack of continuous insurance (AOR = 0.45, P < 0.001), and the presence of diagnosed health problems (AOR = 1.44, P < 0.001) and physical limitations/disabilities (AOR = 1.88, P = 0.05).Compliance with BST and use of colonoscopy are low within households in the Little Haiti community. Significant disparities in the use of colonoscopy exist between Haitian and NHB households. Barriers and facilitators of colonoscopy within each racial/ethnic group need to be identified as the next step to developing culturally appropriate, community-based interventions aimed at increasing colonoscopy use in this large minority population.

Low temperature perovskite crystallization of highly tunable dielectric Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thick films deposited by ion beam sputtering on platinized silicon substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, X. H.; Guigues, B.; Defaÿ, E.; Dubarry, C.; Aïd, M.

2009-02-01

Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST) thick films with thickness up to 1 μm were deposited on Pt-coated silicon substrates by ion beam sputtering, followed by an annealing treatment. It is demonstrated that pure well-crystallized perovskite phase could be obtained in thick BST films by a low temperature process (535 °C). The BST thick films show highly tunable dielectric properties with tunability (at 800 kV/cm) up to 51.0% and 66.2%, respectively, for the 0.5 and 1 μm thick films. The relationship between strains and dielectric properties was systematically investigated in the thick films. The results suggest that a comparatively larger tensile thermal in-plane strain (0.15%) leads to the degradation in dielectric properties of the 0.5 μm thick film; besides, strong defect-related inhomogeneous strains (˜0.3%) make the dielectric peaks smearing and broadening in the thick films, which, however, preferably results in high figure-of-merit factors over a wide operating temperature range. Moreover, the leakage current behavior in the BST thick films was found to be dominated by the space-charge-limited-current mechanism, irrespective of the film thickness.

Preferential growth and enhanced dielectric properties of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaohong; Defaÿ, Emmanuel; Aïd, Marc; Ren, Yinjuan; Zhang, Caiyun; Zhu, Jiliang; Zhu, Jianguo; Xiao, Dingquan

2013-03-01

Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST) thin films, about 100 nm in thickness, were prepared on unannealed and 700 °C-preannealed Pt bottom electrodes by the ion beam sputtering and post-deposition annealing method. It was found that the preannealed Pt layer has a more compact structure, making it not only a bottom electrode but also a good template for high-quality BST thin film growth. The BST films deposited on preannealed Pt bottom electrodes showed (0 0 l)-preferred orientation, dense and uniform microstructure with no intermediate phase formed at the film/electrode interface, and thus enhanced dielectric properties. As a result, the typical relative dielectric constant and tunability (under a dc electric field of 1 MV cm-1) reach 180 and 50.1%, respectively, for the BST thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrodes, which are significantly higher than those (166 and 41.3%, respectively) for the BST thin films deposited on unannealed Pt bottom electrodes.

Meat species identification and Halal authentication analysis using mitochondrial DNA.

PubMed

Murugaiah, Chandrika; Noor, Zainon Mohd; Mastakim, Maimunah; Bilung, Lesley Maurice; Selamat, Jinap; Radu, Son

2009-09-01

A method utilizing PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in the mitochondrial genes was developed for beef (Bos taurus), pork (Sus scrofa), buffalo (Bubalus bubali), quail (Coturnix coturnix), chicken (Gallus gallus), goat (Capra hircus), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) species identification and Halal authentication. PCR products of 359-bp were successfully obtained from the cyt b gene of these six meats. AluI, BsaJI, RsaI, MseI, and BstUI enzymes were identified as potential restriction endonucleases to differentiate the meats. The genetic differences within the cyt b gene among the meat were successfully confirmed by PCR-RFLP. A reliable typing scheme of species which revealed the genetic differences among the species was developed.

A Study on Reactive Ion Etching of Barium Strontium Titanate Films Using Mixtures of Argon (Ar), Carbon Tetrafluoride (CF4), and Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

BST) is a complex oxide material with ferroic properties which has been considered for applications ranging from non-volatile memory to microwave...utilizing self-aligned etching to create metal-insulator-metal (MIM) varactors . As part of this method we employed reactive ion etching (RIE) to remove BST...of BST removed vs. etch time for Ar:SF6. .........................................................4 Figure 3. SEM cross-section of varactor showing

Dielectric properties of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films deposited by mist plasma evaporation using aqueous solution precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hui; Shi, Peng; Wang, Minqiang; Yao, Xi; Tan, O. K.

2006-06-01

Mist plasma evaporation (MPE) technique has been developed to deposit Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) thin films on SiO2/Si and Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates at atmospheric pressure using metal nitrate aqueous solution as precursor. MPE is characterized by the injection of liquid reactants into thermal plasma where the source materials in the droplets are evaporated by the high temperature of the thermal plasma. Nanometer-scale clusters are formed in the tail flame of the plasma, and then deposited and rearranged on the substrate at a lower temperature. Due to the high temperature annealing process of the thermal plasma before deposition, well-crystallized BST films were deposited at substrate temperature of 630 °C. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the film at 100 kHz are 715 and 0.24, respectively. Due to the good crystallinity of the BST films deposited by MPE, high dielectric tunability up to 39.3% is achieved at low applied electric field of 100 kV cm-1.

Split-Ring Resonator Loaded Miniaturised Slot for the Slotted Waveguide Antenna Stiffened Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

explains the material analysis of BST varactors using the new sputterer so the varactors can be fabricated at RMIT university and utilised for the SRR...44-0093 (*) - Barium Strontium Titanium Oxide - Ba0.77Sr0.23TiO3 - Y: 0.10 % - d x by: 1. - WL: 1.5406 - Tetragonal - Operations: Import D:\\Sensors...unknown unknown BST on sapphire - 2 44-0093 (*) - Barium Strontium Titanium Oxide - Ba0.77Sr0.23TiO3 - Y: 0.10 % - d x by: 1. - WL: 1.5406 - 0

A Preliminary Evaluation of Two Behavioral Skills Training Procedures for Teaching Abduction-Prevention Skills to Schoolchildren

PubMed Central

Johnson, Brigitte M; Miltenberger, Raymond G; Knudson, Peter; Egemo-Helm, Kristin; Kelso, Pamela; Jostad, Candice; Langley, Linda

2006-01-01

Although child abduction is a low-rate event, it presents a serious threat to the safety of children. The victims of child abduction face the threat of physical and emotional injury, sexual abuse, and death. Previous research has shown that behavioral skills training (BST) is effective in teaching children abduction-prevention skills, although not all children learn the skills. This study compared BST only to BST with an added in situ training component to teach abduction-prevention skills in a small-group format to schoolchildren. Results showed that both programs were effective in teaching abduction-prevention skills. In addition, the scores for the group that received in situ training were significantly higher than scores for the group that received BST alone at the 3-month follow-up assessment. PMID:16602383

Diamagnetism to ferromagnetism in Sr-substituted epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3} thin films

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

Singamaneni, Srinivasa Rao, E-mail: ssingam@ncsu.edu; Prater, John T.; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695

2016-04-04

We report on the ferromagnetic-like behavior in otherwise diamagnetic BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) thin films upon doping with non-magnetic element Sr having the composition Ba{sub 0.4}Sr{sub 0.6}TiO{sub 3} (BST). The epitaxial integration of BST (∼800 nm) thick films on Si (100) substrate was achieved using MgO (40 nm) and TiN (20 nm) as buffer layers to prepare BST/MgO/TiN/Si (100) heterostructure by pulsed laser deposition. The c-axis oriented and cube-on-cube epitaxial BST is formed on Si (100) as evidenced by the in-plane and out-of-plane X-ray diffraction. All the deposited films are relaxed through domain matching epitaxy paradigm as observed from X-ray diffraction pattern and A{submore » 1}TO{sub 3} mode (at 521.27 cm{sup −1}) of Raman spectra. As-deposited BST thin films reveal ferromagnetic-like properties, which persist up to 400 K. The magnetization decreases two-fold upon oxygen annealing. In contrast, as-deposited un-doped BTO films show diamagnetism. Electron spin resonance measurements reveal no evidence of external magnetic impurities. XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra show significant changes influenced by Sr doping in BTO. The ferromagnetic-like behavior in BST could be due to the trapped electron donors from oxygen vacancies resulting from Sr-doping.« less

Direct correlation and strong reduction of native point defects and microwave dielectric loss in air-annealed (Ba,Sr)TiO{sub 3}

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

Zeng, Z. Q.; Podpirka, A.; Kirchoefer, S. W.

2015-05-04

We report on the native defect and microwave properties of 1 μm thick Ba{sub 0.50}Sr{sub 0.50}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films grown on MgO (100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy (DRCLS) showed high densities of native point defects in as-deposited BST films, causing strong subgap emission between 2.0 eV and 3.0 eV due to mixed cation V{sub C} and oxygen Vo vacancies. Post growth air anneals reduce these defects with 2.2, 2.65, and 3.0 eV V{sub O} and 2.4 eV V{sub C} intensities decreasing with increasing anneal temperature and by nearly two orders of magnitude after 950 °C annealing. These low-defect annealed BSTmore » films exhibited high quality microwave properties, including room temperature interdigitated capacitor tunability of 13% under an electric bias of 40 V and tan δ of 0.002 at 10 GHz and 40 V bias. The results provide a feasible route to grow high quality BST films by MBE through post-air annealing guided by DRCLS.« less

Effect of bovine somatotropin and rumen-undegradable protein on mammary growth of prepubertal dairy heifers and subsequent milk production.

PubMed

Capuco, A V; Dahl, G E; Wood, D L; Moallem, U; Erdman, R E

2004-11-01

Rapid body growth during the prepubertal period may be associated with reductions in mammary parenchymal growth and subsequent milk yield. The objective of this study was to test effects of dietary rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) and administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST) during the prepubertal period on mammary growth and milk yield of dairy heifers. Seventy-two Holstein heifers were used in the experiment. At 90 d of age, 8 heifers were slaughtered before initiation of treatment. Remaining heifers were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 treatments. Treatments consisted of a control diet (5.9% RUP, 14.9% CP, DM basis) or RUP-supplemented diet (control diet plus 2% added RUP) with or without 0.1 mg of bST/kg of BW per day applied in a 2 x 2 factorial design. A total of 6 heifers per treatment (3 each at 5 and 10 mo of age) were slaughtered for mammary tissue analysis. Remaining heifers were bred to evaluate impact of treatment on subsequent milk yield and composition. Mammary parenchymal growth was not affected by RUP or bST treatment. Total parenchymal mass increased from 16 to 364 g, and parenchymal DNA from 58 to 1022 mg from 3 to 10 mo of age, respectively. Furthermore, number of mammary epithelial cells likely was not affected by diet or bST because the epithelial cell proliferation index, assessed by Ki-67 labeling, was not affected by treatment, nor was total parenchymal DNA and lipid content. Neither deleterious effects of increased rates of gain nor positive effects of bST were evident in prepubertal mammary growth. Subsequent milk production and composition was not different among treatments.

Innovative integrative bedside teaching model improves tutors’ self-assessments of teaching skills and attitudes

PubMed Central

Gat, Itai; Pessach-Gelblum, Liat; Givati, Gili; Haim, Nadav; Paluch-Shimon, Shani; Unterman, Avraham; Bar-Shavit, Yochay; Grabler, Galit; Sagi, Doron; Achiron, Anat; Ziv, Amitai

2016-01-01

Introduction Patient bedside is the ideal setting for teaching physical examination, medical interviewing, and interpersonal skills. Herein we describe a novel model for bedside teaching (BST) practiced during tutor training workshop and its resulting effect on practitioners’ self assessment of teaching skills and perceptions. Methods One-day tutor training workshop included theoretical knowledge supplementation regarding tutors’ roles as well as implementing practical tools for clinical education, mainly BST model. The model, which emphasizes simultaneous clinical and communication teaching in a stepwise approach, was practiced by consecutive simulations with a gradual escalation of difficulty and adjusted instruction approaches. Pre- and post-workshop-adjusted questionnaires using a Likert scale of 1 to 4 were completed by participants and compared. Results Analysis was based on 25 out of 48 participants who completed both questionnaires. Significantly improved teaching skills were demonstrated upon workshop completion (mean 3.3, SD 0.5) compared with pre-training (mean 2.6, SD 0.6; p<0.001) with significant increase in most examined parameters. Significantly improved tutor's roles internalization was demonstrated after training completion (mean 3.7, SD 0.3) compared with pre-workshop (mean 3.5 SD 0.5; p=0.002). Discussion Successful BST involves combination of clinical and communication skills. BST model practiced during the workshop may contribute to improved teaching skills in this challenging environment. PMID:26894587

Low temperature perovskite crystallization of highly tunable dielectric Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} thick films deposited by ion beam sputtering on platinized silicon substrates

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

Zhu, X. H.; Defaye, E.; Aied, M.

2009-02-15

Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thick films with thickness up to 1 {mu}m were deposited on Pt-coated silicon substrates by ion beam sputtering, followed by an annealing treatment. It is demonstrated that pure well-crystallized perovskite phase could be obtained in thick BST films by a low temperature process (535 deg. C). The BST thick films show highly tunable dielectric properties with tunability (at 800 kV/cm) up to 51.0% and 66.2%, respectively, for the 0.5 and 1 {mu}m thick films. The relationship between strains and dielectric properties was systematically investigated in the thick films. The results suggest that a comparatively largermore » tensile thermal in-plane strain (0.15%) leads to the degradation in dielectric properties of the 0.5 {mu}m thick film; besides, strong defect-related inhomogeneous strains ({approx}0.3%) make the dielectric peaks smearing and broadening in the thick films, which, however, preferably results in high figure-of-merit factors over a wide operating temperature range. Moreover, the leakage current behavior in the BST thick films was found to be dominated by the space-charge-limited-current mechanism, irrespective of the film thickness.« less

Size effects and realiability of barium strontium titanate thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Charles Bernard

Thin films of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST) deposited by Liquid Source MOCVD were investigated. BST is a candidate dielectric for future-generation DRAM and as a tunable dielectric. Two areas of both scientific and commercial interest were investigated. The first area is the effect of decreasing dimension on ferroelectric properties. Several theories of size effects in ferroelectrics were evaluated. The dielectric response of a set of BST films of thicknesses from 15 to 580 nm was measured from 85 to 580 K. These films were extensively characterized and the boundary conditions that often influence size effects measurements were considered, including strain, finite screening length in the electrode, depolarization fields in the ferroelectric, atmospheric effects, control of stochiometry, and others. The data set was compared to the theoretical predictions and it was determined that Finite Size Scaling provided the best fit to the data. Using this theory, the predicted dielectric response was compared to the requirements of future generations of DRAM and was found to be sufficient, if film strain can be controlled. The second area is reliability. The types of lifetime-limiting electrical failure observed in BST are resistance degradation, time dependant dielectric breakdown (tddb), and noisy breakdown. Previous work on BST reliability has largely focused on resistance degradation at high temperature. This condition is only a small subset of experimental space. This work extends the understanding of BST failure into the low temperature regime and evaluates the effects of both DC and AC stress. It was found that tddb is the dominant failure mode at low temperature and resistance degradation is the dominant failure modes at high temperature. Synthesizing this work with previous work on resistance degradation allowed a failure framework to be developed. Rigorous extrapolation of resistance degradation and tddb lifetimes was compared to the requirements of future generations of DRAM and was found that while resistance degradation will not limit device lifetimes, tddb will. Refinement of BST processing will be necessary to reduce the defect causing tddb failure.

Tensile strain effect in ferroelectric perovskite oxide thin films on spinel magnesium aluminum oxide substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiaolan

Ferroelectrics are used in FeRAM (Ferroelectric random-access memory). Currently (Pb,Zr)TiO3 is the most common ferroelectric material. To get lead-free and high performance ferroelectric material, we investigated perovskite ferroelectric oxides (Ba,Sr)TiO3 and BiFeO3 films with strain. Compressive strain has been investigated intensively, but the effects of tensile strain on the perovskite films have yet to be explored. We have deposited (Ba,Sr)TiO3, BiFeO3 and related films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and analyzed the films by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), etc. To obtain inherently fully strained films, the selection of the appropriate substrates is crucial. MgAl2O4 matches best with good quality and size, yet the spinel structure has an intrinsic incompatibility to that of perovskite. We introduced a rock-salt structure material (Ni 1-xAlxO1+delta) as a buffer layer to mediate the structural mismatch for (Ba,Sr)TiO3 films. With buffer layer Ni1-xAlxO1+delta, we show that the BST films have high quality crystallization and are coherently epitaxial. AFM images show that the films have smoother surfaces when including the buffer layer, indicating an inherent compatibility between BST-NAO and NAO-MAO. In-plane Ferroelectricity measurement shows double hysteresis loops, indicating an antiferroelectric-like behavior: pinned ferroelectric domains with antiparallel alignments of polarization. The Curie temperatures of the coherent fully strained BST films are also measured. It is higher than 900°C, at least 800°C higher than that of bulk. The improved Curie temperature makes the use of BST as FeRAM feasible. We found that the special behaviors of ferroelectricity including hysteresis loop and Curie temperature are due to inherent fully tensile strain. This might be a clue of physics inside ferroelectric stain engineering. An out-of-plane ferroelectricity measurement would provide a full whole story of the tensile strain. However, a well suited electrode material that is both conducting, and full strained on the MgAl2O4 substrate is quite rare. We will supply some answers to this unique problem. XRD results show that Ni1-xAlxO1+delta (x=0.3, 0.4 & 0.5) film, although highly mixed with Al2O3, still takes rock-salt structure and is grown very well on the spinel MgAl 2O4 substrate, with perfect crystallization and a smooth surface. Ni0.7Al0.3O1+ delta and Ni 0.6Al0.4O1+ delta are good buffer layers for perovskite film on spinel MgAl2O4 substrate. Ni 0.5Al0.5O1+ delta could also be a good buffer layer. The structural transition from rock-salt to spinel was found at x=0.67. Tensile strain effects from thermal expansion difference of BiFeO3 films were found. Thermal expansion difference caused strain does not change the ferroelectric property greatly, due to film relaxation. BiFeO3 film with NAO buffer exhibit much larger strain.

Associations of polymorphisms in the Pit-1 gene with growth and carcass traits in Angus beef cattle.

PubMed

Zhao, Q; Davis, M E; Hines, H C

2004-08-01

The Pit-1 gene was studied as a candidate for genetic markers of growth and carcass traits. Angus beef cattle that were divergently selected for high- or low-blood serum IGF-I concentration were used in this study. The single-strand conformation polymorphism method was used to identify polymorphism in the Pit-1 gene including regions from intron 2 to exon 6. Two polymorphisms, Pit1I3H (HinfI) and Pit1I3NL (NlaIII), were detected in intron 3 of the Pit-1 gene. One polymorphism, Pit1I4N (BstNI), was found in intron 4, and a single nucleotide polymorphism, Pit1I5, was found in intron 5. The previously reported polymorphism in exon 6, Pit1E6H (HinfI), was also studied in 416 Angus beef cattle. Associations of the polymorphisms with growth traits, carcass traits, and IGF-I concentration were analyzed using a general linear model procedure. No significant associations were observed between these polymorphisms and growth and carcass traits.

Switchable and tunable film bulk acoustic resonator fabricated using barium strontium titanate active layer and Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}/SiO{sub 2} acoustic reflector

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

Sbrockey, N. M., E-mail: sbrockey@structuredmaterials.com; Tompa, G. S.; Kalkur, T. S.

2016-08-01

A solidly mounted acoustic resonator was fabricated using a Ba{sub 0.60}Sr{sub 0.40}TiO{sub 3} (BST) film deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The device was acoustically isolated from the substrate using a Bragg reflector consisting of three pairs of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}/SiO{sub 2} layers deposited by chemical solution deposition. Transmission electron microscopy verified that the Bragg reflector was not affected by the high temperatures and oxidizing conditions necessary to process high quality BST films. Electrical characterization of the resonator demonstrated a quality factor (Q) of 320 and an electromechanical coupling coefficient (K{sub t}{sup 2}) of 7.0% at 11 V.

Physical properties of bifunctional BST/LSMO nanocomposites

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

Beltran-Huarac, Juan, E-mail: baristary26@gmail.com; Morell, Gerardo; Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936

2014-02-28

We report the fabrication of bifunctional nanocomposites consisting of ferroelectric Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} (BST) and ferromagnetic La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) at different concentrations via a high-temperature solid state route. The structural, dielectric, electrical, magnetodielectric (MD), magnetoelectric (ME) and magnetic properties of BST/LSMO nanocomposites were systematically investigated over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. The X-Ray Diffraction analyses reveal the nanocrystalline nature of the heterostructures, wherein both perovskite phases co-exist. No parasitic phases were observed. The study of the dielectric properties shows that the nanocomposites exhibit relaxor ferroelectric character, with ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition temperatures around 287–292 K that domore » not follow the Curie-Weiss law. The electrical measurements indicate that ac conductivities of the nanocomposites follow the Jonscher's universal power law, with activation energies of 0.42–0.63 eV based on Arrhenius-type behavior at high temperatures. The nanocomposites exhibit well-defined ferromagnetic hysteresis loops at room temperature (RT). The MD and ME measurements at RT indicate that BST/LSMO exhibits a nonlinear ME effect at low frequencies, with a threshold near 0.5 T. The magnetocapacitance (MC{sub p}) measurements evidence a quadratic dependence on magnetic field, further confirming the multiferroic nature of BST/LSMO. The order of MC{sub p} was found to be ∼7% per Tesla. The analysis of the MC{sub p} measurements indicates that one of the BST/LSMO compositions studied can be considered as a new multiferroic compound.« less

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

Du Hongliang; Zhou Wancheng; Luo Fa

The (1-x)(K{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5})NbO{sub 3}-x(Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5})TiO{sub 3} (KNN-BST) solid solution has been synthesized by conventional solid-state sintering in order to search for the new lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics for high temperature applications. The phase structure, dielectric properties, and relaxor behavior of the (1-x)KNN-xBST solid solution are systematically investigated. The phase structure of the (1-x)KNN-xBST solid solution gradually changes from pure perovskite phase with an orthorhombic symmetry to the tetragonal symmetry, then to the pseudocubic phase, and to the cubic phase with increasing addition of BST. The 0.90KNN-0.10BST solid solution shows a broad dielectric peak with permittivity maximum near 2500 andmore » low dielectric loss (<4%) in the temperature range of 100-250 deg. C. The result indicates that this material may have great potential for a variety of high temperature applications. The diffuse phase transition and the temperature of the maximum dielectric permittivity shifting toward higher temperature with increasing frequency, which are two typical characteristics for relaxor ferroelectrics, are observed in the (1-x)KNN-xBST solid solution. The dielectric relaxor behavior obeys a modified Curie-Weiss law and a Vogel-Fulcher relationship. The relaxor nature is attributed to the appearance of polar nanoregions owing to the formation of randon fields including local electric fields and elastic fields. These results confirm that the KNN-based relaxor ferroelectrics can be regarded as an alternative direction for the development of high temperature lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics.« less

Microstructural, dielectric and magnetic properties of multiferroic composite system barium strontium titanate – nickel cobalt ferrite

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

Pahuja, Poonam, E-mail: poonampahuja123@gmail.com; Tandon, R. P., E-mail: ram-tandon@hotmail.com

2015-05-15

Multiferroic composites (1-x) Ba{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05}TiO{sub 3} + (x) Ni{sub 0.8}Co{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (where x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) has been prepared by solid state reaction method. X-ray diffraction analysis of the composite samples confirmed the presence of both barium strontium titanate (BST) and nickel cobalt ferrite (NCF) phases. FESEM images indicated the well dispersion of NCF grains among BST grains. Dielectric constant and loss of the composite samples decreases with increase in frequency following Maxwell-Wagner relaxation mechanism. Composite sample with highest ferrite content possesses highest values of remanent and saturation magnetization.

Control of phonon transport by the formation of the Al2O3 interlayer in Al2O3-ZnO superlattice thin films and their in-plane thermoelectric energy generator performance.

PubMed

Park, No-Won; Ahn, Jay-Young; Park, Tae-Hyun; Lee, Jung-Hun; Lee, Won-Yong; Cho, Kwanghee; Yoon, Young-Gui; Choi, Chel-Jong; Park, Jin-Seong; Lee, Sang-Kwon

2017-06-01

Recently, significant progress has been made in increasing the figure-of-merit (ZT) of various nanostructured materials, including thin-film and quantum dot superlattice structures. Studies have focused on the size reduction and control of the surface or interface of nanostructured materials since these approaches enhance the thermopower and phonon scattering in quantum and superlattice structures. Currently, bismuth-tellurium-based semiconductor materials are widely employed for thermoelectric (TE) devices such as TE energy generators and coolers, in addition to other sensors, for use at temperatures under 400 K. However, new and promising TE materials with enhanced TE performance, including doped zinc oxide (ZnO) multilayer or superlattice thin films, are also required for designing solid-state TE power generating devices with the maximum output power density and for investigating the physics of in-plane TE generators. Herein, we report the growth of Al 2 O 3 /ZnO (AO/ZnO) superlattice thin films, which were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and the evaluation of their electrical and TE properties. All the in-plane TE properties, including the Seebeck coefficient (S), electrical conductivity (σ), and thermal conductivity (κ), of the AO/ZnO superlattice (with a 0.82 nm-thick AO layer) and AO/ZnO films (with a 0.13 nm-thick AO layer) were evaluated in the temperature range 40-300 K, and the measured S, σ, and κ were -62.4 and -17.5 μV K -1 , 113 and 847 (Ω cm) -1 , and 0.96 and 1.04 W m -1 K -1 , respectively, at 300 K. Consequently, the in-plane TE ZT factor of AO/ZnO superlattice films was found to be ∼0.014, which is approximately two times more than that of AO/ZnO films (ZT of ∼0.007) at 300 K. Furthermore, the electrical power generation efficiency of the TE energy generator consisting of four couples of n-AO/ZnO superlattice films and p-Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 (p-BST) thin-film legs on the substrate was demonstrated. Surprisingly, the output power of the 100 nm-thick n-AO/ZnO superlattice film/p-BST TE energy generator was determined to be ∼1.0 nW at a temperature difference of 80 K, corresponding to a significant improvement of ∼130% and ∼220% compared to the 100 nm-thick AO/ZnO film/p-BST and n-BT/p-BST film generators, respectively, owing to the enhancement of the TE properties, including the power factor of the superlattice film.

Effect of Detergents on Galactoside Binding by Melibiose Permeases.

PubMed

Amin, Anowarul; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Chae, Pil Seok; Guan, Lan

2015-09-29

The effect of various detergents on the stability and function of the melibiose permeases of Escherichia coli (MelBEc) and Salmonella typhimurium (MelBSt) was studied. In n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) or n-undecyl-β-d-maltoside (UDM), WT MelBSt binds melibiose with an affinity similar to that in the membrane. However, with WT MelBEc or MelBSt mutants (Arg141 → Cys, Arg295 → Cys, or Arg363 → Cys), galactoside binding is not detected in these detergents, but binding to the phosphotransferase protein IIA(Glc) is maintained. In the amphiphiles lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) or glyco-diosgenin (GDN), galactoside binding with all of the MelB proteins is observed, with slightly reduced affinities. MelBSt is more thermostable than MelBEc, and the thermostability of either MelB is largely increased in MNG-3 or GDN. Therefore, the functional defect with DDM or UDM likely results from the relative instability of the sensitive MelB proteins, and stability, as well as galactoside binding, is retained in MNG-3 or GDN. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry of melibiose binding with MelBSt shows that the favorable entropic contribution to the binding free energy is decreased in MNG-3, indicating that the conformational dynamics of MelB is restricted in this detergent.

Effect of detergents on galactoside binding by melibiose permeases

PubMed Central

Amin, Anowarul; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Chae, Pil Seok; Guan, Lan

2015-01-01

The effect of various detergents on the stability and function of melibiose permeases of Escherichia coli (MelBEc) or Salmonella typhimurium (MelBSt) were studied. In n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) or n-undecyl-β-d-maltoside (UDM), WT MelBSt binds melibiose with an affinity similar to that in the membrane. However, with WT MelBEc or MelBSt mutants (Arg141→Cys, Arg295→Cys or Arg363→Cys), galactoside binding is not detected in these detergents, but binding to the phosphotransferase protein IIAGlc is maintained. In the amphiphiles lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) or glyco-diosgenin (GDN), galactoside binding with all the MelB proteins is observed, with slightly reduced affinities. MelBSt is more thermostable than MelBEc, and the thermostability of either MelB is largely increased in MNG-3 or GDN. Therefore, the functional defect with DDM or UDM likely results from relative instability of the sensitive MelB proteins, and stability, as well as galactoside binding, is retained in MNG-3 or GDN. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry of melibiose binding with MelBSt shows that the favorable entropic contribution to the binding free energy is decreased in MNG-3, indicating that the conformational dynamics of MelB is restricted in this detergent. PMID:26352464

Influence of Substrate Biasing on (Ba,Sr)TiO3 Films Prepared by Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma Sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Takeshi; Niino, Atsushi; Ohtsu, Yasunori; Misawa, Tatsuya; Yonesu, Akira; Fujita, Hiroharu; Miyake, Shoji

2004-03-01

(Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST) films were deposited by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma sputtering with mirror confinement. DC bias voltage was applied to Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates during deposition to vary the intensity of bombardment of energetic ions and to modify film properties. BST films deposited on the substrates at floating potential (approximately +20 V) were found to be amorphous, while films deposited on +40 V-biased substrates were crystalline in spite of a low substrate temperature below 648 K. In addition, atomic diffusion, which causes deterioration in the electrical properties of the films, was hardly observed in the crystallized films deposited with +40 V bias perhaps due to the low substrate temperature. Plasma diagnoses revealed that application of a positive bias to the substrate reduced the energy of ion bombardment and increased the density of excited neutral particles, which was assumed to result in the promotion of chemical reactions during deposition and the crystallization of BST films at a low temperature.

Vasopressin and sympathetic system mediate the cardiovascular effects of the angiotensin II in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in rat.

PubMed

Nasimi, Ali; Kafami, Marzieh

2016-07-01

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) is involved in cardiovascular regulation. The angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor (AT1), and angiotensinogen were found in the BST. In our previous study we found that microinjection of Ang II into the BST produced a pressor response. This study was performed to find the mechanisms mediating this response in anesthetized rats. Ang II was microinjected into the BST and the cardiovascular responses were re-tested after systemic injection of a blocker of autonomic or vasopressin V1 receptor. The ganglionic nicotinic receptor blocker, hexamethonium dichloride, attenuated the pressor response to Ang II, indicating that the cardiovascular sympathetic system is involved in the pressor effect of Ang II. A selective vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist greatly attenuated the pressor effect of Ang II, indicating that the Ang II increases the arterial pressure via stimulation of vasopressin release as well. In conclusion, in the BST, Ang II as a neurotransmitter increases blood pressure by exciting cardiovascular sympathetic system and directly or indirectly causing vasopressin to release into bloodstream by VPN. This is an interesting new finding that not only circulating Ang II but also brain Ang II makes vasopressin release. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

A Proficiency-Based Cost Estimate of Surface Warfare Officer On-the-Job Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

established later in the chapter. 30 b. Proficiency Gained at Initial Training Formal training learning outcomes contribute the most to the initial...different billets call for different levels of training. Additionally, BST learning outcomes are not necessarily based on SWO PQS, and therefore...process. Without knowing BDOC learning outcomes , it is difficult to quantify proficiency-based OJT cost reductions. However, it is certain that

Sedentary Patterns, Physical Activity, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Association to Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

PubMed Central

Sardinha, Luís B.; Magalhães, João P.; Santos, Diana A.; Júdice, Pedro B.

2017-01-01

Background: Sedentary behavior has been considered an independent risk factor for type-2 diabetes (T2D), with a negative impact on several physiological outcomes, whereas breaks in sedentary time (BST) have been proposed as a viable solution to mitigate some of these effects. However, little is known about the independent associations of sedentary pursuits, physical activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) variables with glycemic control. We investigated the independent associations of total sedentary time, BST, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and CRF with glycemic outcomes in patients with T2D. Methods: Total sedentary time, BST, and MVPA were assessed in 66 participants (29 women) with T2D, using accelerometry. Glucose and insulin were measured during a mixed meal tolerance test, with the respective calculations of HOMA-IR and Matsuda index. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was also analyzed. CRF was measured in a maximal treadmill test with breath-by-breath gases analysis. Multiple regressions were used for data analysis. Results: Regardless of CRF, total sedentary time was positively associated with HbA1c (β = 0.25, p = 0.044). Adjusting for MVPA, total sedentary time was related to fasting glucose (β = 0.32, p = 0.037). No associations between total sedentary time and the remaining glycemic outcomes, after adjusting for MVPA. BST had favorable associations with HOMA-IR (β = −0.28, p = 0.047) and fasting glucose (β = −0.25, p = 0.046), when adjusted for MVPA, and with HOMA-IR (β = −0.25, p = 0.036), Matsuda index (β = 0.26, p = 0.036), and fasting glucose (β = −0.22, p = 0.038), following adjustment for CRF. When adjusting for total sedentary time, only CRF yielded favorable associations with HOMA-IR (β = −0.29, p = 0.039), fasting glucose (β = −0.32, p = 0.012), and glucose at 120-min (β = −0.26, p = 0.035), and no associations were found for MVPA with none of the metabolic outcomes. Conclusion: The results from this study suggest that sedentary time and patterns are relevant for the glycemic control in patients with T2D. Still, MVPA and CRF counteracted most of the associations for total sedentary time but not for the BST. MVPA was not associated with metabolic outcomes, and CRF lost some of the associations with glycemic indicators when adjusted for total sedentary time. Future interventions aiming to control/improve T2D must consider reducing and breaking up sedentary time as a viable strategy to improve glycemic control. PMID:28503154

The influences of mole composition of strontium (x) on properties of barium strontium titanate (Ba{sub 1−x}Sr{sub x}TiO{sub 3}) prepared by solid state reaction method

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

Sandi, Dianisa Khoirum; Supriyanto, Agus; Iriani, Yofentina, E-mail: yopen-2005@yahoo.com

2016-02-08

Barium Strontium Titanate (Ba{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}TiO{sub 3}) or BST was prepared by solid state reaction method. Raw materials are BaCO{sub 3}, SrCO{sub 3}, and TiO{sub 2}. Those materials are mixed for 8 h, pressed, and sintered at temperature 1200°C for 2 h. Mole composition of Sr (x) was varied to study its influences on structural, morphological, and electrical properties of BST. Variation of (x) are x = 0; x = 0.1; and x = 0.5. XRD patterns showed a single phase of BST, which mean that mixture of raw materials was homogenous. Crystal structure was influenced by x. BaTiO{sub 3} and Ba{submore » 0.9}Ti{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3} have tetragonal crystal structure, while Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} is cubic. The diffraction angle shifted to right side (angle larger) as the increases of x. Crystalline size of BaTiO{sub 3}, Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3}, and Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} are 38.13 nm; 38.62 nm; and 37.13 nm, respectively. SEM images showed that there are still of pores which were influenced by x. Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3} has densest surface (pores are few and small in size). Sawyer Tower circuit showed that BaTiO{sub 3} and Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1} TiO{sub 3} is ferroelectric, while Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} is paraelectric. The dielectric constants of BaTiO{sub 3}, Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3} and Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} at frequency of 1 KHz are 156; 196; and 83, respectively. Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3} has relatively highest dielectric constant. It is considered that Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3} has densest surface.« less

Genome-Wide association study identifies candidate genes for Parkinson's disease in an Ashkenazi Jewish population

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background To date, nine Parkinson disease (PD) genome-wide association studies in North American, European and Asian populations have been published. The majority of studies have confirmed the association of the previously identified genetic risk factors, SNCA and MAPT, and two studies have identified three new PD susceptibility loci/genes (PARK16, BST1 and HLA-DRB5). In a recent meta-analysis of datasets from five of the published PD GWAS an additional 6 novel candidate genes (SYT11, ACMSD, STK39, MCCC1/LAMP3, GAK and CCDC62/HIP1R) were identified. Collectively the associations identified in these GWAS account for only a small proportion of the estimated total heritability of PD suggesting that an 'unknown' component of the genetic architecture of PD remains to be identified. Methods We applied a GWAS approach to a relatively homogeneous Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) population from New York to search for both 'rare' and 'common' genetic variants that confer risk of PD by examining any SNPs with allele frequencies exceeding 2%. We have focused on a genetic isolate, the AJ population, as a discovery dataset since this cohort has a higher sharing of genetic background and historically experienced a significant bottleneck. We also conducted a replication study using two publicly available datasets from dbGaP. The joint analysis dataset had a combined sample size of 2,050 cases and 1,836 controls. Results We identified the top 57 SNPs showing the strongest evidence of association in the AJ dataset (p < 9.9 × 10-5). Six SNPs located within gene regions had positive signals in at least one other independent dbGaP dataset: LOC100505836 (Chr3p24), LOC153328/SLC25A48 (Chr5q31.1), UNC13B (9p13.3), SLCO3A1(15q26.1), WNT3(17q21.3) and NSF (17q21.3). We also replicated published associations for the gene regions SNCA (Chr4q21; rs3775442, p = 0.037), PARK16 (Chr1q32.1; rs823114 (NUCKS1), p = 6.12 × 10-4), BST1 (Chr4p15; rs12502586, p = 0.027), STK39 (Chr2q24.3; rs3754775, p = 0.005), and LAMP3 (Chr3; rs12493050, p = 0.005) in addition to the two most common PD susceptibility genes in the AJ population LRRK2 (Chr12q12; rs34637584, p = 1.56 × 10-4) and GBA (Chr1q21; rs2990245, p = 0.015). Conclusions We have demonstrated the utility of the AJ dataset in PD candidate gene and SNP discovery both by replication in dbGaP datasets with a larger sample size and by replicating association of previously identified PD susceptibility genes. Our GWAS study has identified candidate gene regions for PD that are implicated in neuronal signalling and the dopamine pathway. PMID:21812969

Studies on magnetocapacitance, dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetic properties of microwave sintered (1-x) (Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3) - x (Co0.9Ni0.1Fe2O4) multiferroic composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mane, Sagar M.; Tirmali, Pravin M.; Ranjit, Bhakti; Khan, Madiha; Khan, Nargis; Tarale, Arjun N.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas B.

2018-07-01

Present paper reports the synthesis of multiferroic composite (1-x) [Ba0.8Sr0.2Ti)O3]-x[Co0.9Ni0.1Fe2O4] were x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4. Both phases of the composite i.e. ferroelectric (BST) and ferrite (CNFO) are synthesized via hydroxide co-precipitation method followed by microwave sintering technique at 1100 °C. These composites were characterized for their structural, microstructural, dielectric analysis, magnetodielectric (MD) effect and ferroelectric properties. Presence of both the phases ferroelectric (BST) and ferromagnetic (CNFO) are confirmed by the x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Maxwell-Wagner type dielectric dispersion is observed in frequency dependent dielectric measurement. Temperature-dependent dielectric properties were measured from 25 °C to 500 °C at various applied frequencies. Ferroelectric behavior in the composites was confirmed by the polarization vs. Electric field analysis. The magnetodielectric effect was studied in the presence of applied magnetic field from 0 to 1 Tesla. Magnetocapacitance (%) increases with increase in the ferrite concentration in the ferroelectric phase. The maximum percentage of magnetocapacitance is observed in 60BST-40CNFO composite which is MC = 30% at the frequency 1 KHz with the applied magnetic field is 1-Tesla. Room temperature magnetic hysteresis loops show an increase in saturation magnetization (Ms) with an increase in ferrite concentration.

Study of a Flexible Low Profile Tunable Dipole Antenna Using Barium Strontium Titanate Varactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cure, David; Weller, Thomas; Miranda, Felix A.

2014-01-01

In this paper a flexible low profile dipole antenna using a frequency selective surface (FSS) with interdigital barium strontium titanate (BST) varactor-tuned unit cells is presented. The varactor chips were placed only along one dimension of the FSS to avoid the use of vias and simplify the DC bias network. The antenna uses overlapping metallic plates that resemble fish scales as a ground plane to improve the flexibility of the multi-material stack structure. The measured data of the antenna demonstrate tunability from 2.42 GHz to 2.66 GHz and 1.3 dB gain drop when using overlapping metallic plates instead of continuous ground plane. The total antenna thickness is approximately lambda/24.

Dielectric tunability of vertically aligned ferroelectric-metal oxide nanocomposite films controlled by out-of-plane misfit strain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Huaping; Ma, Xuefu; Zhang, Zheng; Zhu, Jun; Wang, Jie; Chai, Guozhong

2016-04-01

A nonlinear thermodynamic model based on the vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) thin films of ferroelectric-metal oxide system has been developed to investigate the physical properties of the epitaxial Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) films containing vertical Sm2O3 (SmO) nanopillar arrays on the SrTiO3 substrate. The phase diagrams of out-of-plane lattice mismatch vs. volume fraction of SmO are calculated by minimizing the total free energy. It is found that the phase transformation and dielectric response of BST-SmO VAN systems are extremely dependent on the in-plane misfit strain, the out-of-plane lattice mismatch, the volume fraction of SmO phase, and the external electric field applied to the nanocomposite films at room temperature. In particular, the BST-SmO VAN systems exhibit higher dielectric properties than pure BST films. Giant dielectric response and maximum tunability are obtained near the lattice mismatch where the phase transition occurs. Under the in-plane misfit strain of umf=0.3 % and the out-of-plane lattice mismatch of u3=0.002 , the dielectric tunability can be dramatically enhanced to 90% with the increase of SmO volume fraction, which is well consistent with previous experimental results. This work represents an approach to further understand the dependence of physical properties on the lattice mismatch (in-plane and out-of-plane) and volume fraction, and to manipulate or optimize functionalities in the nanocomposite oxide thin films.

Blockade of GABA(A) receptors within the extended amygdala attenuates D(2) regulation of alcohol-motivated behaviors in the ventral tegmental area of alcohol-preferring (P) rats.

PubMed

Eiler, William J A; June, Harry L

2007-06-01

The dopamine (DA) mesolimbic pathway, which originates from DA cell bodies within the ventral tegmental area (VTA), has been shown by various studies to play a role in the mediation of various drugs of abuse including alcohol (EtOH). It has been suggested that the VTA's control of EtOH reward is mediated in part by the D2 receptors within the VTA. These receptors may be under the regulation of reciprocal GABAergic inputs from forebrain components of the mesolimbic path such as the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a classic EtOH reward substrate, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a substrate recently implicated in EtOH reinforcement, forming a self-regulating feedback loop. To test this hypothesis, D2 regulation of EtOH self-administration (SA) was evaluated by the microinfusion of the D2 antagonist eticlopride into the VTA of P rats, which produced profound reductions in EtOH SA in the highest (20.0 and 40.0microg) doses tested in both BST/VTA and NAcc/VTA implanted P rats. To determine the role of GABA in the mediation of EtOH SA, a 32.0ng dose the non-selective GABA antagonist SR 95531 was microinfused into the BST producing no effect on responding for EtOH and into the NAcc which lead to a reduction in EtOH responding. Finally, the hypothesis that GABA innervation of the VTA from the mesolimbic forebrain may influence EtOH SA was examined by the simultaneous infusion of eticlopride (40.0microg) into the VTA and SR 95531 (32.0ng) into either the BST or NAcc. This combination infusion completely attenuated the reduction in EtOH SA observed with the 40.0microg dose of eticlopride alone in both groups of animals. These results suggest that while the D2 receptors within the VTA regulate EtOH-motivated behaviors, this is modulated by GABAergic input from the mesolimbic forebrain, specifically from the BST and NAcc.

Characterisation of three starch degrading enzymes: thermostable β-amylase, maltotetraogenic and maltogenic α-amylases.

PubMed

Derde, L J; Gomand, S V; Courtin, C M; Delcour, J A

2012-11-15

Maltogenic α-amylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus (BStA) is widely used as bread crumb anti-firming enzyme. A maltotetraose-forming α-amylase from Pseudomonas saccharophila (PSA) was recently proposed as alternative, hence the need to compare both exo-acting enzymes with some endo-action component. A purely exo-acting thermostable β-amylase from Clostridium thermosulfurogenes (CTB) was included for reference purposes. Under the experimental conditions used, temperature optima of the enzymes are rather similar (60-65 °C), but temperature stability decreased in the order BStA, PSA and CTB. The action of the enzymes on different substrates and their impact on the rheological behaviour of maize starch suspensions demonstrated that, while CTB acts exclusively through an exo-action mechanism, BStA displayed limited endo-action which became more pronounced at higher temperatures. PSA has more substantial endo-action than BStA, which is rather temperature independent. This is important for their impact in processes such as breadmaking, where temperature is gradually increased. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abnormal cubic-tetragonal phase transition of barium strontium titanate nanoparticles studied by in situ Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy heating experiments

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

Zhang, Yin; Chen, Chen; Gao, Ran

2015-11-02

Phase stability of the ferroelectric materials at high temperature is extremely important to their device performance. Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1−x}TiO{sub 3} (BST) nanoparticles with different Sr contents (x = 1, 0.91, 0.65, 0.4, and 0) are prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. Using Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses under in situ heating conditions (up to 300 °C), the phase transitions of BST nanoparticles between 25 °C and 280 °C are comprehensively investigated. The original Curie temperature of BST nanoparticles decreases abruptly with the increase in Sr content, which is more obvious than in the bulk or film material. Besides, an abnormal phase transitionmore » from cubic to tetragonal structure is observed from BST nanoparticles and the transition temperature rises along with the increase in Sr content. Direct TEM evidences including a slight lattice distortion have been provided. Differently, BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticles remained in the tetragonal phase during the above temperature ranges.« less

A mathematical model of insulin resistance in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Braatz, Elise M; Coleman, Randolph A

2015-06-01

This paper introduces a mathematical model representing the biochemical interactions between insulin signaling and Parkinson's disease. The model can be used to examine the changes that occur over the course of the disease as well as identify which processes would be the most effective targets for treatment. The model is mathematized using biochemical systems theory (BST). It incorporates a treatment strategy that includes several experimental drugs along with current treatments. In the past, BST models of neurodegeneration have used power law analysis and simulation (PLAS) to model the system. This paper recommends the use of MATLAB instead. MATLAB allows for more flexibility in both the model itself and in data analysis. Previous BST analyses of neurodegeneration began treatment at disease onset. As shown in this model, the outcomes of delayed, realistic treatment and full treatment at disease onset are significantly different. The delayed treatment strategy is an important development in BST modeling of neurodegeneration. It emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, and allows for a more accurate representation of disease and treatment interactions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The central extended amygdala in fear and anxiety: Closing the gap between mechanistic and neuroimaging research.

PubMed

Fox, Andrew S; Shackman, Alexander J

2017-11-30

Anxiety disorders impose a staggering burden on public health, underscoring the need to develop a deeper understanding of the distributed neural circuits underlying extreme fear and anxiety. Recent work highlights the importance of the central extended amygdala, including the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and neighboring bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). Anatomical data indicate that the Ce and BST form a tightly interconnected unit, where different kinds of threat-relevant information can be integrated to assemble states of fear and anxiety. Neuroimaging studies show that the Ce and BST are engaged by a broad spectrum of potentially threat-relevant cues. Mechanistic work demonstrates that the Ce and BST are critically involved in organizing defensive responses to a wide range of threats. Studies in rodents have begun to reveal the specific molecules, cells, and microcircuits within the central extended amygdala that underlie signs of fear and anxiety, but the relevance of these tantalizing discoveries to human experience and disease remains unclear. Using a combination of focal perturbations and whole-brain imaging, a new generation of nonhuman primate studies is beginning to close this gap. This work opens the door to discovering the mechanisms underlying neuroimaging measures linked to pathological fear and anxiety, to understanding how the Ce and BST interact with one another and with distal brain regions to govern defensive responses to threat, and to developing improved intervention strategies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

X-ray combined analysis of fiber-textured and epitaxial Ba(Sr,Ti)O{sub 3} thin films deposited by radio frequency sputtering

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

Remiens, D.; Ponchel, F.; Legier, J. F.

2011-06-01

A complete study is given in this paper on the structural properties of Ba(Sr,Ti)O{sub 3} (BST) thin films which present various preferred orientations: (111) and (001) fiber and epitaxial textures. The films are deposited in situ at 800 deg. C by sputtering on Si/SiO{sub 2}/TiO{sub x}/Pt substrates and the orientation is controlled by monitoring the concentration of O{sub 2} in the reactive plasma or by prior deposition of a very thin TiO{sub x} buffer layer between BST films and substrates. The epitaxial films are obtained on (001)-alpha-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates covered with TiO{sub x} buffer layers. In order to analyzemore » finely the preferred orientations, the texture, the microstructural features, and the anisotropy-related quantities such as residual stresses in the films, the conventional Bragg-Brentano {theta} - 2{theta} x-ray diffraction diagrams is shown not to be sufficient. So, we systematically used x-ray combined analysis, a recently developed methodology which gives access to precise determination of the structure (cell parameters and space group) of the films, their orientation distributions (texture strengths and types) and mean crystallite sizes, their residual stresses. This fine structural analysis shows important modifications between the film qualities which induce differences in BST films electrical behavior, permittivity, loss tangent, and tunability.« less

Defect Generation for a Hydrated Layer and Thermal Stability Based on Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3/SiO2 as H+ Sensitive Layer in Ion-Sensitive Field-Effect Transistor Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chun-Yuan; Chou, Jung-Chuan; Chou, Hsueh-Tao

2009-04-01

In this paper, we present a novel sensitive ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) membrane based on Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST)/SiO2 fabricated by sputtering deposition. The proposed device exhibits a linear shift in acidic solutions in the pH range from 1 to 10. The device sensitivity was about 50-55 mV/pH for different deposition times. We also examined the trapping behavior of the surface hydrated layer using the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure. Results show that the hydration layer gives rise to stress polarity dependence of electron injection when immersed in pH buffer solutions. Injection from the gate electrode produces larger positive charges and interface state densities in contrast to the substrate injection, which causes simultaneous positive and negative charge trapping. A physical model that quantitatively describes the asymmetry associated with the hydrated diffusion layer is presented, and the temperature effects of BST/SiO2 ISFET devices in the range from 25 to 65 °C were examined. We observed that pH sensitivity increases with increasing temperature. The temperature coefficient of sensitivity (TCS) can be divided into two different ranges: 0.08 mV/pH °C between 25 and 45 °C, and 0.57 mV/pH °C between 45 and 65 °C. A better thermal stability is produced in the 25 and 45 °C range in comparison with other sensitive layers.

Multifunctional Oxide Films for Advanced Multifunction RF Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-14

during the epitaxy runs. Effusion cells (SVT) provide perovskite and rocksalt matrix elements (Ti, Ba , Sr , Mg). An e-gun evaporator (MDC):can be used to...sample that best matched the targeted stoichiometry. 10 5 MgO Ba 0 . Sr 1.4 TiO3/MgO 10 000 BS I 102 3~) ;101 0~ 0 (a) RHiEED of BST rowthonM 0 105O... Ba 0. Sr .. iO3 /SrMO. 5 200 1Is V STO10 -STO 3 -10 _ 10 2 30S 15 10 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 20 (b) RHEED of BST growth on STO (c) XRD scan of

Establishment and application of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) system for detection of cry1Ac transgenic sugarcane

PubMed Central

Zhou, Dinggang; Guo, Jinlong; Xu, Liping; Gao, Shiwu; Lin, Qingliang; Wu, Qibin; Wu, Luguang; Que, Youxiong

2014-01-01

To meet the demand for detection of foreign genes in genetically modified (GM) sugarcane necessary for regulation of gene technology, an efficient method with high specificity and rapidity was developed for the cry1Ac gene, based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). A set of four primers was designed using the sequence of cry1Ac along with optimized reaction conditions: 5.25 mM of Mg2+, 4:1 ratio of inner primer to outer primer, 2.0 U of Bst DNA polymerase in a reaction volume of 25.0 μL. Three post-LAMP detection methods (precipitation, calcein (0.60 mM) with Mn2+ (0.05 mM) complex and SYBR Green I visualization), were shown to be effective. The sensitivity of the LAMP method was tenfold higher than that of conventional PCR when using templates of the recombinant cry1Ac plasmid or genomic DNA from cry1Ac transgenic sugarcane plants. More importantly, this system allowed detection of the foreign gene on-site when screening GM sugarcane without complex and expensive instruments, using the naked eye. This method can not only provide technological support for detection of cry1Ac, but can also further facilitate the use of this detection technique for other transgenes in GM sugarcane. PMID:24810230

Inducible indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 and programmed death ligand 1 expression as the potency marker for mesenchymal stromal cells.

PubMed

Guan, Qingdong; Li, Yun; Shpiruk, Tanner; Bhagwat, Swaroop; Wall, Donna A

2018-05-01

Establishment of a potency assay in the manufacturing of clinical-grade mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has been a challenge due to issues of relevance to function, timeline and variability of responder cells. In this study, we attempted to develop a potency assay for MSCs. Clinical-grade bone marrow-derived MSCs were manufactured. The phenotype and immunosuppressive functions of the MSCs were evaluated based on the International Society for Cellular Therapy guidelines. Resting MSCs licensed by interferon (IFN)-γ exposure overnight were evaluated for changes in immune suppression and immune-relevant proteins. The relationship of immune-relevant protein expression with immunosuppression of MSCs was analyzed. MSC supressed third-party T-lymphocyte proliferation with high inter-donor and inter-test variability. The suppression of T-lymphocyte proliferation by IFN-γ-licensed MSCs correlated with that by resting MSCs. Many cellular proteins were up-regulated after IFN-γ exposure, including indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO-1), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST-2). The expression levels of IDO-1 and PD-L1 on licensed MSCs, not VCAM-1, ICAM-1 or BST-2 on licensed MSCs, correlated with MSC suppression of third-party T-cell proliferation. A flow cytometry-based assay of MSCs post-IFN-γ exposure measuring expression of intracellular protein IDO-1 and cell surface protein PD-L1 captures two mechanisms of suppression and offers the potential of a relevant, rapid assay for MSC-mediated immune suppression that would fit with the manufacturing process. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

STK39, But Not BST1, HLA-DQB1, and SPPL2B Polymorphism, Is Associated With Han-Chinese Parkinson's Disease in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chang, Kuo-Hsuan; Wu, Yih-Ru; Chen, Yi-Chun; Fung, Hon-Chung; Lee-Chen, Guey-Jen; Chen, Chiung-Mei

2015-01-01

Abstract Neuroinflammation is emerging as an important pathway involved in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Herein, we investigated the effect of 4 top PD-associated genetic variants in Caucasians listed on the top risk loci identified by meta-analysis of genome wide-association studies in PDGene database (http://www.pdgene.org/top_results), including serine threonine kinase 39 (STK39) rs1955337, bone marrow stromal cell antigen 1 (BST1) rs11724635, major histocompatibility complex, class II, DQ beta 1 (HLA-DQB1) rs9275326, and signal peptide peptidase-like 2B (SPPL2B) rs62120679, by genotyping 596 Han-Chinese patients with PD and 597 age-matched control subjects. Compared with subjects with STK39 rs1955337 GG genotype, those with TT genotype had a 1.64-fold increased risk of PD (95% confidence interval: 1.13–2.39, P = 0.010). The recessive model also demonstrated an increased PD risk in TT genotype (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.12–2.27) compared with the other genotypes (GT + GG). PD patients demonstrate a similar genotypic and allelic frequency in BST1 rs11724635, HLA-DQB1 rs9275326, and SPPL2B rs62120679 compared with controls. These findings suggested that the STK39 rs1955337 TT genotype is a risk factor for Han-Chinese patients with PD in Taiwan. The ethnic discrepancies of the other 3 genetic variants may indicate a distinct genetic background of neuroinflammation between PD patients in Han-Chinese and Caucasians. PMID:26469904

Teaching Reading Comprehension Skills to a Child with Autism Using Behaviour Skills Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Binita D.; Moore, Dennis W.; Furlonger, Brett E.; Anderson, Angelika; Busacca, Margherita L.; English, Derek L.

2017-01-01

A multiple probe design across skills was used to examine the effects of behaviour skills training (BST) on teaching four reading comprehension skills (predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing) to a 7th grade student with autism. Following baseline, the student received 12 sessions of BST during which each skill was taught to…

Electric field-tunable Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x}TiO{sub 3} films with high figures of merit grown by molecular beam epitaxy

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

Mikheev, Evgeny; Kajdos, Adam P.; Hauser, Adam J.

2012-12-17

We report on the dielectric properties of Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on epitaxial Pt bottom electrodes. Paraelectric films (x Less-Than-Or-Equivalent-To 0.5) exhibit dielectric losses that are similar to those of BST single crystals and ceramics. Films with device quality factors greater than 1000 and electric field tunabilities exceeding 1:5 are demonstrated. The results provide evidence for the importance of stoichiometry control and the use of a non-energetic deposition technique for achieving high figures of merit of tunable devices with BST thin films.

Tyndall AFB, Florida. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations. Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-24

OF RECORD: 71 -86 MONTHz DEC RAIN FRZIHN SNOW t OS SMOKE DUST % 08S HOURS I TSTMS LIOR RAIN cIOR MAIL WITH FOG C/OR BLOWING L/OR W/0BST TOTAL ILSTI I...1 133S1 5.71 23.60 .00 OCT 71 .b i 8.21 1.3 1 2.51 1.41 2.81 Z.51 ?.4 1 2.3 1 .7 1 -1 1 1 I 16.0 1 13871 3.12 16.11 .0c NOV 66.2 1 6.31 1.1 1 6.31...ae 2.C9 .76 1.66 Y.7- 1.6! *3.79 4.33 1.61 2.10 $4.33 b5 I .67 1.S!5 Z. 71 2.51; TRACE 4.4b 2.--- 2.bS 2.62 3.341 .95 2.14 4.46 66 1 1.32 Z.42 ’.’L

A new SrBi4Ti4O15/CaBi4Ti4O15 thin-film capacitor for excellent electric stability.

PubMed

Noda, Minoru; Nomura, Shuhei; Uchida, Hiroshi; Yamashita, Kaoru; Funakubo, Horoshi

2012-09-01

SrBi(4)Ti(4)O(15) (SBTi) and CaBi(4)Ti(4)O(15) (CBTi) dielectric films of bismuth layered-structure dielectrics (BLSD) are prepared on Pt(100) film for constructing stacked-type dielectric capacitors; it is observed that they are c-axis singleoriented crystalline films. Compared with the perovskite barium titanate family of (Ba,Sr)TiO(3) (BST), it is observed that the SBTi film keeps a low leakage of 10(-7) A/cm(2) at 250 kV/ cm, which is smaller by an order of magnitude than the BST film, even with thinner SBTi film. The temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) of the SBTi or CBTi film is about 100 to 250 ppm/K and is much smaller than that of the perovskite BST film. Because the SBTi and CBTi films have opposite polarities of TCC in this experiment, they are expected to cancel out the temperature dependence in the SBTi/CBTi composite capacitor. These results indicate that the BLSD films of SBTi and CBTi are effective for application in high-temperature and high-permittivity capacitors with the practical barium perovskite oxide family.

Delayed grafting of fetal CNS tissue into chronic compression lesions of the adult cat spinal cord.

PubMed

Anderson, D K; Reier, P J; Wirth Iii, E D; Theele, D P; Mareci, T; Brown, S A

1991-01-01

This review summarizes a series of experiments involving transplants of embryonic feline CNS tissue into chronic compression lesions of the adult cat spinal cord. Fetal spinal cord (FSC), caudal brainstem (BSt), neocortex (NCx) or a combination of either FSC/NCx or FSC/BSt was transplanted as solid pieces or as a suspension of dissociated cells into the developed cystic cavities produced by static-load compression trauma 2-10 weeks prior to grafting. All cats were immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A and their locomotor function was assessed for 6-30 weeks. Following the period of evaluation, all recipients were perfused with fixative and tissue specimens, taken at the transplantation site, were processed for general histological and/or immunocytochemical analysis. Viable graft tissue was found in all animals with the exception of two cats which showed active rejection of their transplants. All of the viable intraspinal grafts were extensively vascularized and did not show any signs of imminent or on-going tissue rejection. Fetal cat CNS grafts showed an extended maturational phase in that features of immature neural tissue (e.g. a paucity of myelination) were still seen even 6-9 weeks after transplantation. By 20-30 weeks, FSC and BSt grafts had attained a more advanced stage of maturation. Transplants in these chronic lesions were extensively blended with both the gray and white matter of the host spinal cord and could be visualized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI could also detect regions of cavitation at the graft-host interface, as well as within some transplants. While preliminary evidence from behavioral studies suggest that the FSC and BSt grafts may improve or spare locomotor function in some recipients, a more rigorous analysis of post-grafting locomotor function is required to determine conclusively the functionality of these transplants.

Comparison of Computer Based Instruction to Behavior Skills Training for Teaching Staff Implementation of Discrete-Trial Instruction with an Adult with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nosik, Melissa R.; Williams, W. Larry; Garrido, Natalia; Lee, Sarah

2013-01-01

In the current study, behavior skills training (BST) is compared to a computer based training package for teaching discrete trial instruction to staff, teaching an adult with autism. The computer based training package consisted of instructions, video modeling and feedback. BST consisted of instructions, modeling, rehearsal and feedback. Following…

Temperature dependences of the electromechanical and electrocaloric properties of Ba(Zr,Ti)O3 and (Ba,Sr)TiO3 ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiwa, Hiroshi

2017-10-01

The electrocaloric properties of Ba(Zr,Ti)O3 and (Ba,Sr)TiO3 ceramics (BZT and BST, respectively) were investigated by the indirect estimation and direct measurement of temperature-electric field (T-E) hysteresis loops. The measured T-E loops had shapes similar to those of the strain-electric field (s-E) loops. The measured temperature changes (ΔTs) at around 30 °C of the BZT ceramics sintered at 1450 °C and BST ceramics sintered at 1600 °C upon the release of the electric field from 30 kV/cm to 0 were 0.34 and 0.57 K, respectively. The temperature dependences of the electromechanical and electrocaloric properties were investigated. The BZT ceramics sintered at 1450 °C exhibited the largest electromechanical and electrocaloric properties at around 30 °C, which corresponds to the phase transition temperature. BST is more temperature dependent than BZT. BST ceramics sintered at 1600 °C exhibited the largest electromechanical and electrocaloric properties at around 29 °C, which is about 10 °C higher than the phase transition temperature.

Chronic ovine evaluation of a totally implantable electrical left ventricular assist system.

PubMed

Ramasamy, N; Chen, H; Miller, P J; Jassawalla, J S; Greene, B A; Ocampo, A; Siegel, L C; Oyer, P E; Portner, P M

1989-01-01

The totally implantable Novacor left ventricular assist system (LVAS) comprises a pump/drive unit (VAD), electronic control and power subsystem (ECP), variable volume compensator (VVC), and belt skin transformer (BST). The system is now undergoing chronic in vivo evaluation. Cumulative animal testing of VAD, VVC, and BST subsystems are 12.1, 4.9, and 43 years, respectively. The longest implants were 279 days for the VAD, 767 days for the VVC, and 1,148 days for the BST. A chronic implant of the total system was electively terminated at 260 days. The LVAS was powered via the BST. Continuously monitored hemodynamic and pump parameters have demonstrated normal hemodynamics and LVAS operation. Periodic VVC determinations suggest a 0.8 ml/day diffusive gas loss. Tether-free operation has been demonstrated with an Ag-Zn battery backpack. The animal was healthy and free of infection as indicated by routine hematologic, biochemical and serum enzyme determinations. Hemolysis is minimal (plasma free hemoglobin less than 5 mg%). Pump output ranged from 7 to 8 L/min. Severe valve calcification was the reason for elective termination at 260 days. This preclinical in vivo experience, and in vitro reliability studies, demonstrate efficacy of the total system.

Ultrahigh frequency tunability of aperture-coupled microstrip antenna via electric-field tunable BST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Hong-Lei; Xue, Qian; Gao, Xiao-Yang; Yao, Feng-Rui; Lu, Shi-Yang; Wang, Ye-Long; Liu, Chun-Heng; Zhang, Yong-Cheng; Lü, Yue-Guang; Li, Shan-Dong

2015-12-01

A composite ceramic with nominal composition of 45.0 wt%(Ba0.5Sr0.5)TiO3-55.0 wt%MgO (acronym is BST-MgO) is sintered for fabricating a frequency reconfigurable aperture-coupled microstrip antenna. The calcined BST-MgO composite ceramic exhibits good microwave dielectric properties at X-band with appropriate dielectric constant ɛr around 85, lower dielectric loss tan δ about 0.01, and higher permittivity tunability 14.8% at 8.33 kV/cm. An ultrahigh E-field tunability of working frequency up to 11.0% (i.e., from 9.1 GHz to 10.1 GHz with a large frequency shift of 1000 MHz) at a DC bias field from 0 to 8.33 kV/cm and a considerably large center gain over 7.5 dB are obtained in the designed frequency reconfigurable microstrip antenna. These results demonstrate that BST materials are promising for the frequency reconfigurable antenna. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11074040) and the Key Project of Shandong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, China (Grant No. ZR2012FZ006).

An Evaluation of Behavioral Skills Training for Teaching Caregivers How to Support Social Skill Development in Their Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Hassan, Mahfuz; Simpson, Andrea; Danaher, Katey; Haesen, James; Makela, Tanya; Thomson, Kendra

2018-06-01

Limited research has explored how to best train caregivers to support their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) despite caregivers being well suited to promote generalization and maintenance of their child's skills in the natural environment. Children with ASD have been shown to benefit from social skill training, which is not always conducted in the natural context. This research examined the efficacy of behavioral skills training (BST) with, and without in situ training (IST), for teaching caregivers how to also use BST to support their child's context-specific social skills. Although caregivers met mastery criterion within BST sessions, their skills did not generalize to the natural environment until IST was introduced. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Enhance D. C. resistivity of Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} ceramic by acceptor (Mn) doping

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

Sharma, Hakikat, E-mail: sharmahakikat@yahoo.in; Arya, G. S.; Pramar, Kusum

2015-05-15

In the present work, we prepared Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} and Mn (2 and 3 at % on Ti site) doped Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} ceramic by sol- gel method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns reveled that Mn ions did not change the perovskite structure of BST (70/30). The dielectric measurements proved that dielectric constant decreased with Mn doping. The dc resistivity was studied by using I-V measurements. The dc resistivity of the BST increased with Mn doping, which suppressed the leakage current.

A Comparison of Staff Training Methods for Effective Implementation of Discrete Trial Teaching for Learners with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiger, Kaneen Barbara

2012-01-01

Discrete trial teaching is an effective procedure for teaching a variety of skills to children with autism. However, it must be implemented with high integrity to produce optimal learning. Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is a staff training procedure that has been demonstrated to be effective. However, BST is time and labor intensive, and with…

Evaluating Behavioral Skills Training with and without Simulated in Situ Training for Teaching Safety Skills to Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miltenberger, Raymond; Gross, Amy; Knudson, Peter; Bosch, Amanda; Jostad, Candice; Breitwieser, Carrie Brower

2009-01-01

This study compared the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) to BST plus simulated in situ training (SIT) for teaching safety skills to children to prevent gun play. The results were evaluated in a posttest only control group design. Following the first assessment, participants in both training groups and the control group who did not…

Detection of Bar Transgenic Sugarcane with a Rapid and Visual Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay.

PubMed

Zhou, Dinggang; Wang, Chunfeng; Li, Zhu; Chen, Yun; Gao, Shiwu; Guo, Jinlong; Lu, Wenying; Su, Yachun; Xu, Liping; Que, Youxiong

2016-01-01

Genetic engineering offers an attractive alternative in sugarcane breeding for increasing cane and sugar yields as well as disease and insect resistance. Bar transgenic sugarcane employing the herbicide tolerance is a useful agronomical trait in weed control. In this study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid detection of the bar gene in transgenic sugarcane has been developed and evaluated. A set of six primers was designed for LAMP-based amplification of the bar gene. The LAMP reaction conditions were optimized as follows: 5.25 mM of Mg(2+), 6:1 ratio of inner vs. outer primer, and 6.0 U of Bst DNA polymerase in a reaction volume of 25.0 μL. The detection limit of the recombinant plasmid 1Ac0229 was as low as 10 copies in the developed LAMP, which was 10-fold higher sensitive than that of conventional PCR. In 100 putative transgenic lines, the bar gene was detected in 100/100 cases (100%) by LAMP and 97/100 cases (97%) by conventional PCR, respectively. In conclusion, the developed LAMP assay is visual, rapid, sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective for detection of the bar specific transgenic sugarcane.

Detection of Bar Transgenic Sugarcane with a Rapid and Visual Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay

PubMed Central

Zhou, Dinggang; Wang, Chunfeng; Li, Zhu; Chen, Yun; Gao, Shiwu; Guo, Jinlong; Lu, Wenying; Su, Yachun; Xu, Liping; Que, Youxiong

2016-01-01

Genetic engineering offers an attractive alternative in sugarcane breeding for increasing cane and sugar yields as well as disease and insect resistance. Bar transgenic sugarcane employing the herbicide tolerance is a useful agronomical trait in weed control. In this study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid detection of the bar gene in transgenic sugarcane has been developed and evaluated. A set of six primers was designed for LAMP-based amplification of the bar gene. The LAMP reaction conditions were optimized as follows: 5.25 mM of Mg2+, 6:1 ratio of inner vs. outer primer, and 6.0 U of Bst DNA polymerase in a reaction volume of 25.0 μL. The detection limit of the recombinant plasmid 1Ac0229 was as low as 10 copies in the developed LAMP, which was 10-fold higher sensitive than that of conventional PCR. In 100 putative transgenic lines, the bar gene was detected in 100/100 cases (100%) by LAMP and 97/100 cases (97%) by conventional PCR, respectively. In conclusion, the developed LAMP assay is visual, rapid, sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective for detection of the bar specific transgenic sugarcane. PMID:27014303

Comparison of computer based instruction to behavior skills training for teaching staff implementation of discrete-trial instruction with an adult with autism.

PubMed

Nosik, Melissa R; Williams, W Larry; Garrido, Natalia; Lee, Sarah

2013-01-01

In the current study, behavior skills training (BST) is compared to a computer based training package for teaching discrete trial instruction to staff, teaching an adult with autism. The computer based training package consisted of instructions, video modeling and feedback. BST consisted of instructions, modeling, rehearsal and feedback. Following training, participants were evaluated in terms of their accuracy on completing critical skills for running a discrete trial program. Six participants completed training; three received behavior skills training and three received the computer based training. Participants in the BST group performed better overall after training and during six week probes than those in the computer based training group. There were differences across both groups between research assistant and natural environment competency levels. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Harvard Beat Assessment Test (H-BAT): a battery for assessing beat perception and production and their dissociation.

PubMed

Fujii, Shinya; Schlaug, Gottfried

2013-01-01

Humans have the abilities to perceive, produce, and synchronize with a musical beat, yet there are widespread individual differences. To investigate these abilities and to determine if a dissociation between beat perception and production exists, we developed the Harvard Beat Assessment Test (H-BAT), a new battery that assesses beat perception and production abilities. H-BAT consists of four subtests: (1) music tapping test (MTT), (2) beat saliency test (BST), (3) beat interval test (BIT), and (4) beat finding and interval test (BFIT). MTT measures the degree of tapping synchronization with the beat of music, whereas BST, BIT, and BFIT measure perception and production thresholds via psychophysical adaptive stair-case methods. We administered the H-BAT on thirty individuals and investigated the performance distribution across these individuals in each subtest. There was a wide distribution in individual abilities to tap in synchrony with the beat of music during the MTT. The degree of synchronization consistency was negatively correlated with thresholds in the BST, BIT, and BFIT: a lower degree of synchronization was associated with higher perception and production thresholds. H-BAT can be a useful tool in determining an individual's ability to perceive and produce a beat within a single session.

The Harvard Beat Assessment Test (H-BAT): a battery for assessing beat perception and production and their dissociation

PubMed Central

Fujii, Shinya; Schlaug, Gottfried

2013-01-01

Humans have the abilities to perceive, produce, and synchronize with a musical beat, yet there are widespread individual differences. To investigate these abilities and to determine if a dissociation between beat perception and production exists, we developed the Harvard Beat Assessment Test (H-BAT), a new battery that assesses beat perception and production abilities. H-BAT consists of four subtests: (1) music tapping test (MTT), (2) beat saliency test (BST), (3) beat interval test (BIT), and (4) beat finding and interval test (BFIT). MTT measures the degree of tapping synchronization with the beat of music, whereas BST, BIT, and BFIT measure perception and production thresholds via psychophysical adaptive stair-case methods. We administered the H-BAT on thirty individuals and investigated the performance distribution across these individuals in each subtest. There was a wide distribution in individual abilities to tap in synchrony with the beat of music during the MTT. The degree of synchronization consistency was negatively correlated with thresholds in the BST, BIT, and BFIT: a lower degree of synchronization was associated with higher perception and production thresholds. H-BAT can be a useful tool in determining an individual's ability to perceive and produce a beat within a single session. PMID:24324421

Clinical Epidemiology and Molecular Analysis of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Nepal: Characteristics of Sequence Types 131 and 648

PubMed Central

Sherchan, Jatan Bahadur; Miyoshi-Akiyama, Tohru; Ohmagari, Norio; Kirikae, Teruo; Nagamatsu, Maki; Tojo, Masayoshi; Ohara, Hiroshi; Sherchand, Jeevan B.; Tandukar, Sarmila

2015-01-01

Recently, CTX-M-type extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli strains have emerged worldwide. In particular, E. coli with O antigen type 25 (O25) and sequence type 131 (ST131), which is often associated with the CTX-M-15 ESBL, has been increasingly reported globally; however, epidemiology reports on ESBL-producing E. coli in Asia are limited. Patients with clinical isolates of ESBL-producing E. coli in the Tribhuvan University teaching hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, were included in this study. Whole-genome sequencing of the isolates was conducted to analyze multilocus sequence types, phylotypes, virulence genotypes, O25b-ST131 clones, and distribution of acquired drug resistance genes. During the study period, 105 patients with ESBL-producing E. coli isolation were identified, and the majority (90%) of these isolates were CTX-M-15 positive. The most dominant ST was ST131 (n = 54; 51.4%), followed by ST648 (n = 15; 14.3%). All ST131 isolates were identified as O25b-ST131 clones, subclone H30-Rx. Three ST groups (ST131, ST648, and non-ST131/648) were compared in further analyses. ST648 isolates had a proportionally higher resistance to non-β-lactam antibiotics and featured drug-resistant genes more frequently than ST131 or non-ST131/648 isolates. ST131 possessed the most virulence genes, followed by ST648. The clinical characteristics were similar among groups. More than 38% of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were from the outpatient clinic, and pregnant patients comprised 24% of ESBL-producing E. coli cases. We revealed that the high resistance of ESBL-producing E. coli to multiple classes of antibiotics in Nepal is driven mainly by CTX-M-producing ST131 and ST648. Their immense prevalence in the communities is a matter of great concern. PMID:25824221

A superstructure-based electrochemical assay for signal-amplified detection of DNA methyltransferase activity.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Yang, Yin; Dong, Huilei; Cai, Chenxin

2016-12-15

DNA methyltransferase (MTase) activity is highly correlated with the occurrence and development of cancer. This work reports a superstructure-based electrochemical assay for signal-amplified detection of DNA MTase activity using M.SssI as an example. First, low-density coverage of DNA duplexes on the surface of the gold electrode was achieved by immobilized mercaptohexanol, followed by immobilization of DNA duplexes. The duplex can be cleaved by BstUI endonuclease in the absence of DNA superstructures. However, the cleavage is blocked after the DNA is methylated by M.SssI. The DNA superstructures are formed with the addition of helper DNA. By using an electroactive complex, RuHex, which can bind to DNA double strands, the activity of M.SssI can be quantitatively detected by differential pulse voltammetry. Due to the high site-specific cleavage by BstUI and signal amplification by the DNA superstructure, the biosensor can achieve ultrasensitive detection of DNA MTase activity down to 0.025U/mL. The method can be used for evaluation and screening of the inhibitors of MTase, and thus has potential in the discovery of methylation-related anticancer drugs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Postprocessing on Physical and Solution Deposition of Complex Oxide Thin Films for Tunable Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

BST barium strontium titanate εr dielectric constant MIM metal /insulator/ metal MOSD metal organic spin deposition PtSi platinum silicide RF...improvement. In addition, BST films processed via solution metal organic spin deposition, which yield a lower dielectric range of 150–335, also...layers. This report details how we used solution and physical deposition to fabricate thin films via radio frequency (RF) sputtering and metal

Barium Strontium Titanate Thin Film Growth with rotational speed variation as a satellite temperature sensor prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulyadi; Rika, W.; Sulidah; Irzaman; Hardhienata, Hendradi

2017-01-01

Barium Strontium Titanate(BST) is a promising material for sensor devices such as temperature and infrared sensor. BaxSr1-xTiO3 thin films with affordable Si substrate were prepared by chemical solution deposition method and spin coating technique for 30 seconds with variation in rotation speed (3000 rpm, 5500 rpm and 8000 rpm). A high baking temperature at 8500C has been used for 15 hours during the annealing process. The thickness of BST film was calculated via gravimetric calculation. USB 2000 VIS-NIR was used to characterize the optical properties of BST thin film. The obtained reflectance curve showed that the most reflected wavelengths were in the range of 408-452 nm respectively. The result of the optical film characterization is very important for further development as a sensor in satellite technology.

Phononic Crystal Tunable via Ferroelectric Phase Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Chaowei; Cai, Feiyan; Xie, Shuhong; Li, Fei; Sun, Rong; Fu, Xianzhu; Xiong, Rengen; Zhang, Yi; Zheng, Hairong; Li, Jiangyu

2015-09-01

Phononic crystals (PCs) consisting of periodic materials with different acoustic properties have potential applications in functional devices. To realize more smart functions, it is desirable to actively control the properties of PCs on demand, ideally within the same fabricated system. Here, we report a tunable PC made of Ba0.7Sr0.3Ti O3 (BST) ceramics, wherein a 20-K temperature change near room temperature results in a 20% frequency shift in the transmission spectra induced by a ferroelectric phase transition. The tunability phenomenon is attributed to the structure-induced resonant excitation of A0 and A1 Lamb modes that exist intrinsically in the uniform BST plate, while these Lamb modes are sensitive to the elastic properties of the plate and can be modulated by temperature in a BST plate around the Curie temperature. The study finds opportunities for creating tunable PCs and enables smart temperature-tuned devices such as the Lamb wave filter or sensor.

Bovine somatotropin supplementation of dairy cows. Is the milk safe?

PubMed

Daughaday, W H; Barbano, D M

Complex, biologically active proteins (eg, enzymes and hormones) can be manufactured safely and cost-effectively through applications of biotechnology. Some of these proteins (eg, human insulin, human somatotropin, rennet for cheese manufacture) are currently approved for medical or food processing applications. Bovine somatotropin (bST) for lactating dairy cattle is another product that can be produced via biotechnology and may allow dairy farmers to produce milk at a lower cost. In 1985, based on an evaluation of toxicological data, the Food and Drug Administration concluded that milk and meat from bST-supplemented cows was safe and wholesome. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of milk and meat from bST-supplemented cows in the commercial food supply. Its evaluation of the impact of bST supplementation on the long-term health of dairy cattle is near completion, and bST may be approved for commercial use in early 1991.

Correlation of Microwave Dielectric Properties and Microstructure of Unpatterned Ferroelectric Thin Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-04-03

technique. Ba acetate, Sr acetate, and Ti isopropoxide were used as precursors to form BST. Acetic acid and 2-methoxyethanol were used as solvents and...resulting from the generation of oxygen vacancy can hop between different titanium ions and provide a mechanism for dielectric losses, 2+the

Effect of breeding activity on the microflora of the external genitalia and in the semen of stallions, and the relationship between micro-organisms on the skin and on the external genitalia.

PubMed

Guimarães, T; Miranda, C; Pinto, M; Silva, E; Damásio, L; Costa, A L; Correia, M J; Duarte, J C; Cosinha, C; Lopes, G; Thompson, G; Rocha, A

2014-12-01

A possible role of breeding activities in the composition of the microbial population in stallions' external genitalia (EG) and the relationship between micro-organisms colonizing the skin of the abdomen and the ones colonizing the EG have not been studied. In experiment 1, EG microbiological samples were collected from 41 stallions used for both natural cover and semen collection (BST) and from 18 non-breeding stallions (NBST). A higher (p < 0.05) frequency of isolation of potentially pathogenic species was found for BST. Age did not influence number of micro-organism species isolated both in BST and NBST. In experiment 2, the microbial content of the EG and semen was compared in 23 BST. Most micro-organisms isolated from the EG were present in semen, albeit with a numerically lower prevalence. In 7 stallions, six microbial species isolated from semen were absent from the EG cultures, suggesting contamination by the operator. In experiment 3, a numerically higher number of micro-organism species was isolated from the EG of 31 stallions, than from their skin of the ventral abdomen in contact with the penis or from the skin of the thorax. With the sole exception of Escherichia coli, potentially pathogenic bacteria were only isolated from the EG but not from the skin. Results suggest that breeding activity increased the number of species colonizing the EG; most species isolated from the EG were also found in semen even if with a lower frequency, and additional semen contamination seemed to occur during its manipulation. Many micro-organism species of the skin were also isolated from the penis, but independently of being or not in contact with the penis, skin did not seem to provide an adequate environment for the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria that were isolated from EG, with the sole exception for E. coli. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effects of keratinocyte growth factor on skin epithelial differentiation of human amnion epithelial cells.

PubMed

Fatimah, Simat Siti; Tan, Geok Chin; Chua, Kienhui; Tan, Ay Eeng; Nur Azurah, Abdul Ghani; Hayati, Abdul Rahman

2013-08-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of KGF on the differentiation of cultured human amnion epithelial cells (HAECs) towards skin keratinocyte. HAECs at passage 1 were cultured in medium HAM's F12: Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium (1:1) supplemented with different concentrations of KGF (0, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 ng/ml KGF). Dose-response of KGF on HAECs was determined by morphological assessment; growth kinetic evaluation; immunocytochemical analysis; stemness and epithelial gene expression quantification with two step real time RT-PCR. KGF promotes the proliferation of HAECs with maximal effect observed at 10 ng/ml KGF. However, KGF decreased the stemness genes expression: Oct-3/4, Sox-2, Nanog3, Rex-1, FGF-4, FZD-9 and BST-1. KGF also down-regulates epithelial genes expression: CK3, CK18, CK19, Integrin-β1, p63 and involucrin in cultured HAECs. No significant difference on the gene expression was detected for each Nestin, ABCG-2, CK1 and CK14 in KGF-treated HAECs. Immunocytochemical analysis for both control and KGF-treated HAECs demonstrated positive staining against CK14 and CK18 but negative staining against involucrin. The results suggested that KGF stimulates an early differentiation of HAECs towards epidermal cells. Differentiation of KGF-treated HAECs to corneal lineage is unfavourable. Therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate the roles of KGF in the differentiation of HAECs towards skin keratinocytes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Computerized Testing Software for Assessing Interference Suppression in Children and Adults: The Bivalent Shape Task (BST)

PubMed Central

Mueller, Shane T.; Esposito, Alena G.

2015-01-01

We describe the Bivalent Shape Task (BST), software using the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL), for testing of cognitive interference and the ability to suppress interference. The test is available via the GNU Public License, Version 3 (GPLv3), is freely modifiable, and has been tested on both children and adults and found to provide a simple and fast non-verbal measure of cognitive interference and suppression that requires no reading. PMID:26702358

Stemness and angiogenic gene expression changes of serial-passage human amnion mesenchymal cells.

PubMed

Fatimah, Simat Siti; Tan, Geok Chin; Chua, Kienhui; Fariha, Mohd Manzor Nur; Tan, Ay Eeng; Hayati, Abdul Rahman

2013-03-01

Particular attention has been directed towards human amnion mesenchymal stem cells (HAMCs) due to their accessibility, availability and immunomodulatory properties. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the temporal changes of stemness and angiogenic gene expressions of serial-passage HAMCs. HAMCs were isolated from human term placenta and cultured in serial passages in culture medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Morphological analysis, growth kinetic and CFU-F assay of HAMCs were assessed. In vitro differentiation and the immunophenotype of HAMCs at P5 were also analyzed. Quantitative PCR was used to determine the stemness, angiogenic and endothelial gene expression of cultured HAMCs after serial passage. Cultured HAMCs displayed intermediate epitheloid-fibroblastoid morphology at an initial culture and the fibroblastoid features became more pronounced in later passages. They showed high clonogenic activity and faster proliferation at later passages with colony forming efficiency of 0.88%. HAMCs were successfully differentiated into adipocytes, osteocytes and neuron-like cells. Most HAMCs expressed CD9, CD44, CD73, CD90 and HLA-A,B,C but negligibly expressed CD31, CD34, CD45, CD117 and HLA-DR,DP,DQ. After serial passage, stemness genes Oct-3/4, Sox-2, Nanog3, Rex-1, FGF-4 and FZD-9 expressions significantly decreased. Of the angiogenic genes PECAM-1, bFGF, eNOS, VEGFR-2, VEGF, and vWF expressions also decreased significantly except angiopoietin-1 which significantly increased. No significant differences were observed in ABCG-2, BST-1, nestin, PGF and HGF expressions after serial passage. These results suggested that cultured HAMCs could be an alternative source of stem cells and may have the potential for angiogenesis and hence its use in stem-cell based therapy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of X-Chromosome Inactivation Pattern to Analyze the Clonality of 14 Female Cases of Kaposi Sarcoma.

PubMed

Yuan, Ding; XiuJuan, Wu; Yan, Zhang; JunQin, Liang; Fang, Xiang; Shirong, Yu; Xiaojing, Kang; Yanyan, Feng; Weidong, Wu; Dong, Luo; Qingli, Lu; DeZhi, Zhang; XiongMing, Pu

2015-06-16

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) has features of both neoplastic growth and hyperplastic proliferation. It is the most common tumor seen in patients with HIV infection. Whether KS is a real tumor or a benign hyperplastic disease is not known. Tissues from KS and cutaneous hemangioma lesion DNA were extracted, and then digested with methylation-sensitive restriction endonuclease HpaII. Human androgen receptor gene (HUMARA) was amplified with PCR method and the product was separated on 10% denaturing polyacrylamide gels and stained with ethylene dibromide (EB) to show the polymorphism of HUMARA. Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) was amplified and the product was digested by BStXI, agarose gel and EB stained to show the polymorphism of PGK. Finally, we analyzed the clonality of KS. In the 14 patients with KS, heterozygosity of the HUMARA gene was observed in 12 (85.7%) cases. Loss of heterozygosity of HUMARA gene on X-chromosome (without HpaII digestion there were 2 bands, after HpaII digestion there were just 1 of the bands), representing monoclonal origin, was present in 11 cases of Kaposi sarcoma. Heterozygosity of the PGK gene was observed in 5 (35.7%) cases, which all represent monoclonal origin. There was no significant difference according to country, stage, or HIV and HHV-8 (P>0.05). The current findings suggest that Kaposi sarcoma is a clonal neoplasm, not a reactive proliferation.

Development and application of a rapid and visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification for the detection of Sporisorium scitamineum in sugarcane

PubMed Central

Su, Yachun; Yang, Yuting; Peng, Qiong; Zhou, Dinggang; Chen, Yun; Wang, Zhuqing; Xu, Liping; Que, Youxiong

2016-01-01

Smut is a fungal disease with widespread prevalence in sugarcane planting areas. Early detection and proper identification of Sporisorium scitamineum are essential in smut management practices. In the present study, four specific primers targeting the core effector Pep1 gene of S. scitamineum were designed. Optimal concentrations of Mg2+, primer and Bst DNA polymerase, the three important components of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction system, were screened using a single factor experiment method and the L16(45) orthogonal experimental design. Hence, a LAMP system suitable for detection of S. scitamineum was established. High specificity of the LAMP method was confirmed by the assay of S. scitamineum, Fusarium moniliforme, Pestalotia ginkgo, Helminthospcrium sacchari, Fusarium oxysporum and endophytes of Yacheng05-179 and ROC22. The sensitivity of the LAMP method was equal to that of the conventional PCR targeting Pep1 gene and was 100 times higher than that of the conventional PCR assay targeting bE gene in S. scitamineum. The results suggest that this novel LAMP system has strong specificity and high sensitivity. This method not only provides technological support for the epidemic monitoring of sugarcane smut, but also provides a good case for development of similar detection technology for other plant pathogens. PMID:27035751

Contingency management adapted for African-American adolescents with obesity enhances youth weight loss with caregiver participation: a multiple baseline pilot study.

PubMed

Hartlieb, Kathryn Brogan; Naar, Sylvie; Ledgerwood, David M; Templin, Thomas N; Ellis, Deborah A; Donohue, Bradley; Cunningham, Phillippe B

2015-12-07

Contingency management (CM) interventions, which use operant conditioning principles to encourage completion of target behavioral goals, may be useful for improving adherence to behavioral skills training (BST). Research-to-date has yet to explore CM for weight loss in minority adolescents. To examine the effects of CM in improving adolescent weight loss when added to BST. The study utilized an innovative experimental design that builds upon multiple baseline approaches as recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Six obese African-American youth and their primary caregivers living in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Adolescents received between 4 and 12 weeks of BST during a baseline period and subsequently received CM targeting weight loss. Youth weight. Linear mixed effects modeling was used in the analysis. CM did not directly affect adolescent weight loss above that of BST (p=0.053). However, when caregivers were involved in CM session treatment, contingency management had a positive effect on adolescent weight loss. The estimated weight loss due to CM when caregivers also attended was 0.66 kg/week (p<0.001, [95% CI; -1.96, -0.97]) relative to the baseline trajectory. This study demonstrates application of a novel experimental approach to intervention development and demonstrated the importance of parent involvement when delivering contingency management for minority youth weight loss. Lessons learned from contingency management program implementation are also discussed in order to inform practice.

Spatio-temporal distributions of meso convective systems in NE China and its vicinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Meiying; Li, Zechun; Zhang, Xiaoling; Li, Xun

2008-08-01

Based on the IR cloud imagery from the Chinese FY-2C satellite for June ~ August, 2005 - 2007, statistics is undertaken of meso convective systems (MCS) over NE China and its neighborhood, obtaining the space - time distributions of MCS. MCS include elliptical type( MCC's) , persistent elongated type (PECS's), in shape. Dividing the total MCS into MαMCS, MβMCS and MCC (PECS) . Results show that the number of meso-α MCS (dominantly PECS's) is considerably more than that of meso-β MCS (largely MCCss), which are observed mainly in the NE China plain and Daxing'an Mountains, especially in the entrance to the plain as well as its central ~ northern portion; the MCS occur mainly in June ~ August, particularly in June; the extratropical MCS show two peak phases, one being in 1500-2200 BST the other being 0000-0700 BST as the secondary peaking interval.

Emulation of the MBM-MEDUSA model: exploring the sea level and the basin-to-shelf transfer influence on the system dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ermakov, Ilya; Crucifix, Michel; Munhoven, Guy

2013-04-01

Complex climate models require high computational burden. However, computational limitations may be avoided by using emulators. In this work we present several approaches for dynamical emulation (also called metamodelling) of the Multi-Box Model (MBM) coupled to the Model of Early Diagenesis in the Upper Sediment A (MEDUSA) that simulates the carbon cycle of the ocean and atmosphere [1]. We consider two experiments performed on the MBM-MEDUSA that explore the Basin-to-Shelf Transfer (BST) dynamics. In both experiments the sea level is varied according to a paleo sea level reconstruction. Such experiments are interesting because the BST is an important cause of the CO2 variation and the dynamics is potentially nonlinear. The output that we are interested in is the variation of the carbon dioxide partial pressure in the atmosphere over the Pleistocene. The first experiment considers that the BST is fixed constant during the simulation. In the second experiment the BST is interactively adjusted according to the sea level, since the sea level is the primary control of the growth and decay of coral reefs and other shelf carbon reservoirs. The main aim of the present contribution is to create a metamodel of the MBM-MEDUSA using the Dynamic Emulation Modelling methodology [2] and compare the results obtained using linear and non-linear methods. The first step in the emulation methodology used in this work is to identify the structure of the metamodel. In order to select an optimal approach for emulation we compare the results of identification obtained by the simple linear and more complex nonlinear models. In order to identify the metamodel in the first experiment the simple linear regression and the least-squares method is sufficient to obtain a 99,9% fit between the temporal outputs of the model and the metamodel. For the second experiment the MBM's output is highly nonlinear. In this case we apply nonlinear models, such as, NARX, Hammerstein model, and an 'ad-hoc' switching model. After the identification we perform the parameter mapping using spline interpolation and validate the emulator on a new set of parameters. References: [1] G. Munhoven, "Glacial-interglacial rain ratio changes: Implications for atmospheric CO2 and ocean-sediment interaction," Deep-Sea Res Pt II, vol. 54, pp. 722-746, 2007. [2] A. Castelletti et al., "A general framework for Dynamic Emulation Modelling in environmental problems," Environ Modell Softw, vol. 34, pp. 5-18, 2012.

Inhibition of budding/release of porcine endogenous retrovirus.

PubMed

Abe, Masumi; Fukuma, Aiko; Yoshikawa, Rokusuke; Miyazawa, Takayuki; Yasuda, Jiro

2014-08-01

PERV is integrated into the genome of all pigs. PERV-A and PERV-B are polytropic and can productively infect human cell lines, whereas PERV-C is ecotropic. Recombinant PERV-A/C can infect human cells and exhibits high titer replication. Therefore, use of pigs for human xenotransplantation raises concerns about the risks of transfer of this infectious agent from donors to xenotransplantation recipients. To establish strategies to inhibit PERV production from cells, in the present study, we investigated the mechanism of PERV budding and anti-PERV activity of Tetherin/BST-2. The results showed that DN mutants of WWP-2, Tsg101, and Vps4A/B markedly reduced PERV production in human and porcine cell lines, suggesting that PERV budding uses these cellular factors and the cellular MVB sorting pathway as well as many other retroviruses. Moreover, PERV production was also reduced by human and porcine Tetherin/BST-2. These data are useful for developing strategies to inhibit PERV production and may reduce the risk of PERV infection in xenotransplantation. © 2014 The Societies and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of pyruvate kinase from Bacillus stearothermophilus

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

Suzuki, Kenichiro; Ito, Sohei; Shimizu-Ibuka, Akiko

2005-08-01

This report describes the crystallization and X-ray diffraction data collection of three types (wild-type, W416F/V435W and C9S/C268S) of B. stearothermophilus. Crystals of C9S/C268S belonged to space group P6{sub 2}22 and diffracted to a resolution of 2.4 Å. Pyruvate kinase (PK) from a moderate thermophile, Bacillus stearothermophilus (BstPK), is an allosteric enzyme activated by AMP and ribose 5-phosphate but not by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP). However, almost all other PKs are activated by FBP. The wild-type and W416F/V435W mutant BstPKs were crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. However, they were unsuitable for structural analysis because their data sets exhibited low completeness. Amore » crystal suitable for structural analysis was obtained using C9S/C268S enzyme. The crystal belonged to space group P6{sub 2}22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 145.97, c = 118.03 Å.« less

Linkage study of the low-density lipoprotein-receptor gene and cholesterol levels in an Afrikaner family. Quantitative genetics and identification of a minor founder effect.

PubMed

Brink, P A; Brink, L T; Torrington, M; Bester, A J

1990-03-17

Overlap of clinical and biochemical characteristics between hypercholesterolaemia in members of the general population and familial hypercholesterolaemic (FH) individuals may lead to misdiagnosis. Quantitative analysis of family data may circumvent this problem. A way of looking for an association between plasma cholesterol levels and restriction fragment length polymorphism markers (RFLP) on the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene by using reference cholesterol distributions was explored. Linkage, with a logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 6.8 at theta 0, was detected between cholesterol levels and the LDL receptor in an extended Afrikaner family. Two RFLP-haplotypes, one previously found in a majority of Afrikaner FH homozygotes, and a second, Stu I-, BstE II+, Pvu II+, Nco I+, were associated with high cholesterol levels in this pedigree.

Materials science, integration, and performance characterization of high-dielectric constant thin film based devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Wei

To overcome the oxidation and diffusion problems encountered during Copper integration with oxide thin film-based devices, TiAl/Cu/Ta heterostructure has been first developed in this study. Investigation on the oxidation and diffusion resistance of the laminate structure showed high electrical conductance and excellent thermal stability in oxygen environment. Two amorphous oxide layers that were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier after heating in oxygen have been revealed as the structure that effectively prevents oxygen penetration and protects the integrity of underlying Cu layer. Polycrystalline (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 (BST) thin films were subsequently deposited on the Cu-based bottom electrode by RF magnetron sputtering to investigate the interaction between the oxide and Cu layers. The thickness of the interfacial layer and interface roughness play critical roles in the optimization of the electrical performance of the BST capacitors using Cu-based electrode. It was determined that BST deposition at moderate temperature followed by rapid thermal annealing in pure oxygen yields BST/Cu capacitors with good electrical properties for application to high frequency devices. The knowledge obtained on the study of barrier properties of TiAl inspired a continuous research on the materials science issues related to the application of the hybrid TiAlOx, as high-k gate dielectric in MOSFET devices. Novel fabrication process such as deposition of ultra-thin TiAl alloy layer followed by oxidation with atomic oxygen has been established in this study. Stoichiometric amorphous TiAlOx layers, exhibiting only Ti4+ and Al3+ states, were produced with a large variation of oxidation temperature (700°C to room temperature). The interfacial SiOx formation between TiAlOx and Si was substantially inhibited by the use of the low temperature oxidation process. Electrical characterization revealed a large permittivity of 30 and an improved band structure for the produced TiAlOx layers, compared with pure TiO2. A modified 3-element model was adopted to extract the true C-V behavior of the TiAlOx-based MOS capacitor. Extremely small equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) less than 0.5 nm with dielectric leakage 4˜5 magnitude lower than that for SiO2 has been achieved on TiAlOx layer as a result of its excellent dielectric properties.

Serum hormone profiles, pregnancy rates, and offspring performance of Rambouillet ewes treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin before breeding.

PubMed

Camacho, L E; Benavidez, J M; Hallford, D M

2012-08-01

An experiment was conducted to examine effects of bovine ST (bST) on serum hormone concentrations, pregnancy rates, and offspring performance. Before initiation of a fall breeding period, 75 Rambouillet ewes (68.8 ± 1.5 kg) received an intravaginal insert containing 0.3 g of progesterone (P4) to synchronize onset of estrus. After 12 d, inserts were removed (d 0), and ewes (stratified by BW and age) received either 0 (control, n = 37) or 250 (n = 38) mg of recombinant bST (Posilac, Monsanto, St. Louis, MO, subcutaneously). Ewes were joined with fertile rams 24 h after insert removal. Blood samples were collected from 12 ewes in each treatment group daily from d 0 to 20 after insert removal. Serum IGF-I concentrations were 315 and 437 (± 58) ng/mL in control and bST-treated ewes 2 d after receiving bST (P = 0.02) and remained increased (P < 0.03) in bST-treated ewes throughout the 13-d period (P < 0.05). Serum prolactin (P > 0.10) and estradiol (P = 0.65) were similar between treatments. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) concentrations were similar (P > 0.20) between treatments from d 0 through 8. Controls had greater (P < 0.04) serum T3 and T4 concentrations than treated ewes did until d 18. Serum P4 was similar (P > 0.10) in control and bST-treated ewes from d 0 through 3 but was increased (P < 0.05) from d 4 to 8 in control ewes. Serum P4 was again similar (P > 0.10) between treatments from d 9 to 20. Serum insulin concentrations were 0.44 and 1.74 (± 0.19) ng/mL in control and bST-treated ewes, respectively, 1 d after receiving bST (P < 0.001) and remained increased (P < 0.03) in bST-treated ewes through d 9 (P < 0.03). Serum glucose was increased (P = 0.003) from d 0 to 10 in bST-treated ewes compared with controls. Thirty-three of 37 (89%) control ewes were pregnant, whereas 27 of 38 (71%) bST-treated ewes were pregnant (P = 0.05). As a percentage of ewes lambing, 61% and 39% of control ewes produced single and twin lambs, respectively, compared with 41% and 59% of bST-treated ewes (P = 0.12). Lamb 60-d adjusted weaning weights were 23.0 and 21.2 (± 0.65) kg for offspring produced by control and bST-treated dams, respectively (P = 0.04). In conclusion, serum IGF-I, insulin, and glucose were greater whereas serum T3, T4, and P4 were less in bST-treated ewes than in controls. Pregnancy rates and offspring adjusted weaning weights were decreased by bST treatment immediately before breeding.

Is non-operative management safe and effective for all splenic blunt trauma? A systematic review

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction The goal of non-operative management (NOM) for blunt splenic trauma (BST) is to preserve the spleen. The advantages of NOM for minor splenic trauma have been extensively reported, whereas its value for the more severe splenic injuries is still debated. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the available published evidence on NOM in patients with splenic trauma and to compare it with the operative management (OM) in terms of mortality, morbidity and duration of hospital stay. Methods For this systematic review we followed the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses" statement. A systematic search was performed on PubMed for studies published from January 2000 to December 2011, without language restrictions, which compared NOM vs. OM for splenic trauma injuries and which at least 10 patients with BST. Results We identified 21 non randomized studies: 1 Clinical Controlled Trial and 20 retrospective cohort studies analyzing a total of 16,940 patients with BST. NOM represents the gold standard treatment for minor splenic trauma and is associated with decreased mortality in severe splenic trauma (4.78% vs. 13.5% in NOM and OM, respectively), according to the literature. Of note, in BST treated operatively, concurrent injuries accounted for the higher mortality. In addition, it was not possible to determine post-treatment morbidity in major splenic trauma. The definition of hemodynamic stability varied greatly in the literature depending on the surgeon and the trauma team, representing a further bias. Moreover, data on the remaining analyzed outcomes (hospital stay, number of blood transfusions, abdominal abscesses, overwhelming post-splenectomy infection) were not reported in all included studies or were not comparable, precluding the possibility to perform a meaningful cumulative analysis and comparison. Conclusions NOM of BST, preserving the spleen, is the treatment of choice for the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grades I and II. Conclusions are more difficult to outline for higher grades of splenic injury, because of the substantial heterogeneity of expertise among different hospitals, and potentially inappropriate comparison groups. PMID:24004931

Is non-operative management safe and effective for all splenic blunt trauma? A systematic review.

PubMed

Cirocchi, Roberto; Boselli, Carlo; Corsi, Alessia; Farinella, Eriberto; Listorti, Chiara; Trastulli, Stefano; Renzi, Claudio; Desiderio, Jacopo; Santoro, Alberto; Cagini, Lucio; Parisi, Amilcare; Redler, Adriano; Noya, Giuseppe; Fingerhut, Abe

2013-09-03

The goal of non-operative management (NOM) for blunt splenic trauma (BST) is to preserve the spleen. The advantages of NOM for minor splenic trauma have been extensively reported, whereas its value for the more severe splenic injuries is still debated. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the available published evidence on NOM in patients with splenic trauma and to compare it with the operative management (OM) in terms of mortality, morbidity and duration of hospital stay. For this systematic review we followed the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses" statement. A systematic search was performed on PubMed for studies published from January 2000 to December 2011, without language restrictions, which compared NOM vs. OM for splenic trauma injuries and which at least 10 patients with BST. We identified 21 non randomized studies: 1 Clinical Controlled Trial and 20 retrospective cohort studies analyzing a total of 16,940 patients with BST. NOM represents the gold standard treatment for minor splenic trauma and is associated with decreased mortality in severe splenic trauma (4.78% vs. 13.5% in NOM and OM, respectively), according to the literature. Of note, in BST treated operatively, concurrent injuries accounted for the higher mortality. In addition, it was not possible to determine post-treatment morbidity in major splenic trauma. The definition of hemodynamic stability varied greatly in the literature depending on the surgeon and the trauma team, representing a further bias. Moreover, data on the remaining analyzed outcomes (hospital stay, number of blood transfusions, abdominal abscesses, overwhelming post-splenectomy infection) were not reported in all included studies or were not comparable, precluding the possibility to perform a meaningful cumulative analysis and comparison. NOM of BST, preserving the spleen, is the treatment of choice for the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grades I and II. Conclusions are more difficult to outline for higher grades of splenic injury, because of the substantial heterogeneity of expertise among different hospitals, and potentially inappropriate comparison groups.

Bovine somatotropin and lactation: from basic science to commercial application.

PubMed

Bauman, D E

1999-10-01

Bovine somatotropin (bST) results in increased milk yield and an unprecedented improvement in efficiency. Beginning in the 1930s to present day, investigations have examined animal-related factors such as nutrition, bioenergetics, metabolism, health and well being and consumer-related factors such as milk quality, manufacturing characteristics, and product safety. Overall, bST is a homeorhetic control involved in orchestrating many physiological processes. Direct effects involve adaptations in many tissues and the metabolism of all nutrient classes--carbohydrates, lipids, protein, and minerals. Mechanisms include alterations in key enzymes, intracellular signal transduction systems, and tissue response to homeostatic signals. Indirect effects involve the mammary gland and are thought to be mediated by the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system. Specific changes include increased cellular rates of milk synthesis and enhanced maintenance of secretory cells. Indirect effects are modulated by environment and management factors, especially nutritional status. This modulation is a central component in allowing ST to play a key role in regulating nutrient utilization across a range of physiological situations. U.S. commercial use began in 1994, and adoption has been extensive. From a consumer perspective, bST was unique, and special interest groups loudly predicted dire consequences. However, introduction of bST had no impact on milk consumption, and milk labeled as recombinant bST-free occupies a minor niche market. From a producer perspective, commercial use verified scientific studies and enhanced net farm income. Overall, ST is a key homeorhetic control regulating nutrient partitioning, and the ST/IGF system plays a key role in animal performance and well being across a range of physiological situations.

47 CFR 76.987 - New product tiers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... marketing purposes and then move them to NPTs. In order for an operator to move a channel from a CPST to an... their BSTs and CPSTs offerings on September 30, 1994. Operators may drop channels or move channels... constitute a fundamental change in their BST or CPSTs. (2) Operators may not drop channels that were offered...

Preparation of thin-film (Ba(0.5),Sr(0.5))TiO3 by the laser ablation technique and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Soon-Gil; Lee, Jai-Chan; Safari, A.

1994-09-01

The chemical composition and electrical properties were investigated for epitaxially crystallized (Ba(0.5),Sr(0.5))TiO3 (BST) films deposited on Pt/MgO and YBa2Cu3O(7-x) (YBCO)/MgO substrates by the laser ablation technique. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy analysis shows that thin films on Pt/MgO have almost the same stoichiometric composition as the target material. Films deposited at 600 C exhibited an excellent epitaxial growth, a dielectric constant of 430, and a dissipation factor of 0.02 at 10 kHz frequency. They have a charge storage density of 40 fC/sq micron at an applied electric field of 0.15 MV/cm. Leakage current density of BST thin films on Pt/MgO was smaller than on YBCO/MgO. Their leakage current density is about 0.8 microA/sq cm at an applied electric field of 0.15 MV/cm.

Preparation Process and Dielectric Properties of Ba(0.5)Sr(0.5)TiO3-P(VDF-CTFE) Nanocomposites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Lin; Wu, Peixuang; Li, Yongtang; Cheng, Z. -Y.; Brewer, Jeffrey C.

2014-01-01

Ceramic-polymer 0-3 nanocomposites, in which nanosized Ba(0.5)Sr(0.5)TiO3 (BST) powders were used as ceramic filler and P(VDF-CTFE) 88/12 mol% [poly(vinylidene fluoridechlorotrifluoroethylene)] copolymer was used as matrix, were studied over a concentration range from 0 to 50 vol.% of BST powders. It is found that the solution cast composites are porous and a hot-press process can eliminate the porosity, which results in a dense composite film. Two different configurations used in the hot-press process are studied. Although there is no clear difference in the uniformity and microstructure of the composites prepared using these two configurations, the composite prepared using one configuration exhibit a higher dielectric constant with a lower loss. For the composite with 40 vol. BST, a dielectric constant of 70 with a loss of 0.07 at 1 kHz is obtained at room temperature. The composites exhibit a lower dielectric loss than the polymer matrix at high frequency. However, at low frequency, the composites exhibit a higher loss than the polymer matrix due to a low frequency relaxation process that appears in the composites. It is believed that this relaxation process is related to the interfacial layer formed between BST particle and the polymer matrix. The temperature dependence of the dielectric property of the composites was studied. It is found that the dielectric constant of these composites is almost independent of the temperature over a temperature range from 20 to 120 C. Key words: A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); B. Electrical Properties; E. Casting; E. Heat treatment; Dielectric properties.

Extending the socio-sexual brain: arginine-vasopressin immunoreactive circuits in the telencephalon of mice.

PubMed

Otero-Garcia, Marcos; Martin-Sanchez, Ana; Fortes-Marco, Lluis; Martínez-Ricós, Joana; Agustin-Pavón, Carmen; Lanuza, Enrique; Martínez-García, Fernando

2014-05-01

Quantitative analysis of the immunoreactivity for arginine-vasopressin (AVP-ir) in the telencephalon of male (intact and castrated) and female CD1 mice allows us to precisely locate two sexually dimorphic (more abundant in intact than castrated males and females) AVP-ir cell groups in the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the amygdala. Chemoarchitecture (NADPH diaphorase) reveals that the intraamygdaloid AVP-ir cells are located in the intra-amygdaloid BST (BSTIA) rather than the medial amygdala (Me), as previously thought. Then, we have used for the first time tract tracing (combined with AVP immunofluorescence) and fiber-sparing lesions of the BST to analyze the projections of the telencephalic AVP-ir cell groups. The results demonstrate that the posterior BST originates the sexually dimorphic innervation of the lateral septum, the posterodorsal Me and a substance P-negative area in the medioventral striato-pallidum (mvStP).The BSTIA may also contribute to some of these terminal fields. Our material also reveals non-dimorphic AVP-ir processes in two locations of the amygdala. First, the ventral Me shows dendrite-like AVP-ir processes apparently belonging supraoptic neurons, whose possible functions are discussed. Second, the Ce shows sparse, thick AVP-ir axons with high individual variability in density and distribution, whose possible influence on stress coping in relation to the affiliative or agonistic behaviors mediated by the Me are discussed. Finally, we propose that the region of the mvStP showing sexually dimorphic AVP-ir innervation is part of the brain network for socio-sexual behavior, in which it would mediate motivational aspects of chemosensory-guided social interactions.

The relationship between study addiction and work addiction: A cross-cultural longitudinal study.

PubMed

Atroszko, Paweł A; Andreassen, Cecilie Schou; Griffiths, Mark D; Pallesen, Ståle

2016-12-01

Aims Recent empirical studies investigating "study addiction" have conceptualized it as a behavioral addiction, defined within the framework of work addiction. This study is the first attempt to examine the longitudinal relationship between study addiction and work addiction. Methods The Bergen Study Addiction Scale (BStAS), the Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory were administered online together with questions concerning demographics and study-related variables in two waves. In Wave 1, a total of 2,559 students in Norway and 2,177 students in Poland participated. A year later, in Wave 2, 379 Norwegians and 401 Polish who began to work professionally completed the survey. Results The intraclass correlation between BStAS and BWAS revealed that the scores were somewhat related; however, the relationship was slightly weaker than the temporal stability of both constructs. In the Norwegian sample, scoring higher on neuroticism and lower on learning time outside educational classes in Wave 1 was positively related to work addiction in Wave 2, whereas gender was unrelated to work addiction in Wave 2 when controlling for other studied variables in either samples. Conclusion Study addiction and work addiction appear to be closely related suggesting that the former may be a precursor for (or an early form of) the latter.

The relationship between study addiction and work addiction: A cross-cultural longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Atroszko, Paweł A.; Andreassen, Cecilie Schou; Griffiths, Mark D.; Pallesen, Ståle

2016-01-01

Aims Recent empirical studies investigating “study addiction” have conceptualized it as a behavioral addiction, defined within the framework of work addiction. This study is the first attempt to examine the longitudinal relationship between study addiction and work addiction. Methods The Bergen Study Addiction Scale (BStAS), the Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory were administered online together with questions concerning demographics and study-related variables in two waves. In Wave 1, a total of 2,559 students in Norway and 2,177 students in Poland participated. A year later, in Wave 2, 379 Norwegians and 401 Polish who began to work professionally completed the survey. Results The intraclass correlation between BStAS and BWAS revealed that the scores were somewhat related; however, the relationship was slightly weaker than the temporal stability of both constructs. In the Norwegian sample, scoring higher on neuroticism and lower on learning time outside educational classes in Wave 1 was positively related to work addiction in Wave 2, whereas gender was unrelated to work addiction in Wave 2 when controlling for other studied variables in either samples. Conclusion Study addiction and work addiction appear to be closely related suggesting that the former may be a precursor for (or an early form of) the latter. PMID:27842448

A New Ferroelectric Varactor from Water Based Inorganic Precursors

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-04-03

See Equation 2). 0 0 4 OH +-)4T H13< Equation 2. Idealized Reaction of Titanium Isopropoxide with 2-ethylhexanoic acid. Inconsistent results with the...Equation 3). Equation 3. Reaction of 2-ethylhexanoic anhydride with Titanium Isopropoxide We have made over one hundred batches of both BST and SBTN MOD...aliphatic acids used in the more common MOD precursors. Equation 4 shows a comparison of the decomposition products of Titanium MOD precursors made from 2

Complex oxide thin films for microelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suvorova, Natalya

The rapid scaling of the device dimensions, namely in metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), is reaching its fundamental limit which includes the increase in allowable leakage current due to direct tunneling with decrease of physical thickness of SiO2 gate dielectric. The significantly higher relative dielectric constant (in the range 9--25) of the gate dielectric beyond the 3.9 value of silicon dioxide will allow increasing the physical thickness. Among the choices for the high dielectric constant (K) materials for future generation MOSFET application, barium strontium titanate (BST) and strontium titanate (STO) possess one of the highest attainable K values making them the promising candidates for alternative gate oxide. However, the gate stack engineering does not imply the simple replacement of the SiO2 with the new dielectric. Several requirements should be met for successful integration of a new material. The major one is a production of high level of interface states (Dit) compared to that of SiO 2 on Si. An insertion of a thin SiO2 layer prior the growth of high-K thin film is a simple solution that helps to limit reaction with Si substrate and attains a high quality interface. However, the combination of two thin films reduces the overall K of the dielectric stack. An optimization of the SiO2 underlayer in order to maintain the interface quality yet minimize the effect on K is the focus of this work. The results from our study are presented with emphasis on the key process parameters that improve the dielectric film stack. For in-situ growth characterization of BST and STO films sputter deposited on thermally oxidized Si substrates spectroscopic ellipsometry in combination with time of flight ion scattering and recoil spectrometry have been employed. Studies of material properties have been complemented with analytical electron microscopy. To evaluate the interface quality the electrical characterization has been employed using capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage measurements. Special attention was given to the extraction of static dielectric constant of BST and STO from the multiple film stack. The K value was found to be sensitive to the input parameters such as dielectric constant and thickness of interface layers.

Optimization and evaluation of single-cell whole-genome multiple displacement amplification.

PubMed

Spits, C; Le Caignec, C; De Rycke, M; Van Haute, L; Van Steirteghem, A; Liebaers, I; Sermon, K

2006-05-01

The scarcity of genomic DNA can be a limiting factor in some fields of genetic research. One of the methods developed to overcome this difficulty is whole genome amplification (WGA). Recently, multiple displacement amplification (MDA) has proved very efficient in the WGA of small DNA samples and pools of cells, the reaction being catalyzed by the phi29 or the Bst DNA polymerases. The aim of the present study was to develop a reliable, efficient, and fast protocol for MDA at the single-cell level. We first compared the efficiency of phi29 and Bst polymerases on DNA samples and single cells. The phi29 polymerase generated accurately, in a short time and from a single cell, sufficient DNA for a large set of tests, whereas the Bst enzyme showed a low efficiency and a high error rate. A single-cell protocol was optimized using the phi29 polymerase and was evaluated on 60 single cells; the DNA obtained DNA was assessed by 22 locus-specific PCRs. This new protocol can be useful for many applications involving minute quantities of starting material, such as forensic DNA analysis, prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or cancer research. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Characterization of barium strontium titanate thin films on sapphire substrate prepared via RF magnetron sputtering system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamaluddin, F. W.; Khalid, M. F. Abdul; Mamat, M. H.; Zoolfakar, A. S.; Zulkefle, M. A.; Rusop, M.; Awang, Z.

2018-05-01

Barium Strontium Titanate (Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3) is known to have a high dielectric constant and low loss at microwave frequencies. These unique features are useful for many electronic applications. This paper focuses on material characterization of BST thin films deposited on sapphire substrate by RF magnetron sputtering system. The sample was then annealed at 900 °C for two hours. Several methods were used to characterize the structural properties of the material such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to analyze the surface morphology of the thin film. From the results obtained, it can be shown that the annealed sample had a rougher surface and better crystallinity as compared to as-deposited sample.

Acoustic Radiation Pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cantrell, John H.

2018-01-01

The theoretical foundation of acoustic radiation pressure in plane wave beams is reexamined. It is shown from finite deformation theory and the Boltzmann-Ehrenfest Adiabatic Principle that the Brillouin stress tensor (BST) is the radiation stress in Lagrangian coordinates (not Eulerian coordinates) and that the terms in the BST are not the momentum flux density and mean excess Eulerian stress but are simply contributions to the variation in the wave oscillation period resulting from changes in path length and true wave velocity, respectively, from virtual variations in the strain. It is shown that the radiation stress in Eulerian coordinates is the mean Cauchy stress (not the momentum flux density, as commonly assumed) and that Langevin's second relation does not yield an assessment of the mean Eulerian pressure, since the enthalpy used in the traditional derivations is a function of the thermodynamic tensions - not the Eulerian pressure. It is shown that the transformation between Lagrangian and Eulerian quantities cannot be obtained from the commonly-used expansion of one of the quantities in terms of the particle displacement, since the expansion provides only the difference between the value of the quantity at two different points in Cartesian space separated by the displacement. The proper transformation is obtained only by employing the transformation coefficients of finite deformation theory, which are defined in terms of the displacement gradients. Finite deformation theory leads to the result that for laterally unconfined, plane waves the Lagrangian and Eulerian radiation pressures are equal with the value (1/4)(2K) along the direction of wave propagation, where (K) is the mean kinetic energy density, and zero in directions normal to the propagation direction. This is contrary to the Langevin result that the Lagrangian radiation pressure in the propagation direction is equal to (2K) and the BST result that the Eulerian radiation pressure in that direction is the momentum flux density.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Roadmap 2000-2025

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

Develop and mature enabling materials technologies such as gamma titanium aluminides , refractory intermetallic alloys, ceramic matrix composites, higher...percent (see Figure 4.1.2-1). For UAV use, these goals may partially be met by deleting turbine blade containment rings and redundant controls, as well...and Barium Strontium Titanium (BST) used in uncooled LWIR detectors, and fabrication techniques of thin pixels will enable improved thermal

Growth of ferroelectric Ba{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}TiO{sub 3} epitaxial films by ultraviolet pulsed laser irradiation of chemical solution derived precursor layers

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

Queraltó, A.; Pérez del Pino, A., E-mail: aperez@icmab.es; Mata, M. de la

2015-06-29

Highly crystalline epitaxial Ba{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin-films are grown on (001)-oriented LaNiO{sub 3}-buffered LaAlO{sub 3} substrates by pulsed laser irradiation of solution derived barium-zirconium-titanium precursor layers using a UV Nd:YAG laser source at atmospheric conditions. The structural analyses of the obtained films, studied by X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy, demonstrate that laser processing allows the growth of tens of nm-thick BST epitaxial films with crystalline structure similar to that of films obtained through conventional thermal annealing methods. However, the fast pulsed nature of the laser employed leads to crystallization kinetic evolution orders of magnitude faster than inmore » thermal treatments. The combination of specific photothermal and photochemical mechanisms is the main responsible for the ultrafast epitaxial laser-induced crystallization. Piezoresponse microscopy measurements demonstrate equivalent ferroelectric behavior in laser and thermally annealed films, being the piezoelectric constant ∼25 pm V{sup −1}.« less

Detection of unrelated Escherichia coli strains harboring genes of CTX-M-15, OXA-1, and AAC(6')-Ib-cr enzymes in a Tunisian hospital and characterization of their integrons and virulence factors.

PubMed

Jouini, A; Ben Slama, K; Vinué, L; Ruiz, E; Saenz, Y; Somalo, S; Klibi, N; Zarazaga, M; Ben Moussa, M; Boudabous, A; Torres, C

2010-10-01

Beta-lactamase characterization was carried out in a collection of 18 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-positive Escherichia coli isolates from blood (n=8) and urine (n=10) obtained in 2007 in a tunisian Hospital. All isolates were clonally unrelated according to PFGE analysis. Seventeen strains presented the bla(CTX-M-)₁₅ gene associated with bla (OXA-)₁ and four of these strains with the (TEM-)₁(b) gene. The remaining ESBL-positive strain contained the bla (CTX-M-)₉ gene associated with the bla (OXA-)₁ and bla (TEM-)₁(b) genes. The orf477 sequence was identified downstream of the bla(CTX-M-)₁₅ gene in all 17 bla(CTX-M-)₁₅-positive strains, and ISEcp1 upstream in 15 of them (in eight cases truncated by IS26). The presence of a class 1 integron was demonstrated in 4 of the 18 ESBL-positive strains (22.2%), with dfrA17 + aadA5 (3 strains) and dfrA12 + orfF + aadA2 (1 strain) being the gene cassettes identified. The variant aac(6´)-Ib-cr was found in 15 bla(CTX-M-)₁₅-containing strains. All 18 ESBL-positive strains were typed as phylogroup B2 and contained at least three of the eight tested virulence genes (fimA, papGIII, hlyA, cnf1, papC, aer, eae and bfp). Six bla(CTX-M-)₁₅-positive strains were included in the serotype O25b and one of them was typed as ST131. Another bla(CTX-M-)₁₅-positive strain serotype-O25 was typed as ST638. The bla(CTX-M-)₁₅, aac(6')- Ib-cr, and aac(3)-II genes were co-transferred by conjugation from 7 donor strains to E. coli CSH26 recipient strain. The bla(CTXM-)₁₅ gene is prevalent among ESBL-positive E. coli strains in the studied hospital, that is frequently found together with aac(6')- Ib-cr, and aac(3)-II genes. The detection of the clone O25b-St131 in a bla(CTX-M-)₁₅ strain corroborates its worldwide dissemination.

Tetherin/BST-2 promotes dendritic cell activation and function during acute retrovirus infection.

PubMed

Li, Sam X; Barrett, Bradley S; Guo, Kejun; Kassiotis, George; Hasenkrug, Kim J; Dittmer, Ulf; Gibbert, Kathrin; Santiago, Mario L

2016-02-05

Tetherin/BST-2 is a host restriction factor that inhibits retrovirus release from infected cells in vitro by tethering nascent virions to the plasma membrane. However, contradictory data exists on whether Tetherin inhibits acute retrovirus infection in vivo. Previously, we reported that Tetherin-mediated inhibition of Friend retrovirus (FV) replication at 2 weeks post-infection correlated with stronger natural killer, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell responses. Here, we further investigated the role of Tetherin in counteracting retrovirus replication in vivo. FV infection levels were similar between wild-type (WT) and Tetherin KO mice at 3 to 7 days post-infection despite removal of a potent restriction factor, Apobec3/Rfv3. However, during this phase of acute infection, Tetherin enhanced myeloid dendritic cell (DC) function. DCs from infected, but not uninfected, WT mice expressed significantly higher MHC class II and the co-stimulatory molecule CD80 compared to Tetherin KO DCs. Tetherin-associated DC activation during acute FV infection correlated with stronger NK cell responses. Furthermore, Tetherin+ DCs from FV-infected mice more strongly stimulated FV-specific CD4+ T cells ex vivo compared to Tetherin KO DCs. The results link the antiretroviral and immunomodulatory activity of Tetherin in vivo to improved DC activation and MHC class II antigen presentation.

Tetherin/BST-2 promotes dendritic cell activation and function during acute retrovirus infection

PubMed Central

Li, Sam X.; Barrett, Bradley S.; Guo, Kejun; Kassiotis, George; Hasenkrug, Kim J.; Dittmer, Ulf; Gibbert, Kathrin; Santiago, Mario L.

2016-01-01

Tetherin/BST-2 is a host restriction factor that inhibits retrovirus release from infected cells in vitro by tethering nascent virions to the plasma membrane. However, contradictory data exists on whether Tetherin inhibits acute retrovirus infection in vivo. Previously, we reported that Tetherin-mediated inhibition of Friend retrovirus (FV) replication at 2 weeks post-infection correlated with stronger natural killer, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell responses. Here, we further investigated the role of Tetherin in counteracting retrovirus replication in vivo. FV infection levels were similar between wild-type (WT) and Tetherin KO mice at 3 to 7 days post-infection despite removal of a potent restriction factor, Apobec3/Rfv3. However, during this phase of acute infection, Tetherin enhanced myeloid dendritic cell (DC) function. DCs from infected, but not uninfected, WT mice expressed significantly higher MHC class II and the co-stimulatory molecule CD80 compared to Tetherin KO DCs. Tetherin-associated DC activation during acute FV infection correlated with stronger NK cell responses. Furthermore, Tetherin+ DCs from FV-infected mice more strongly stimulated FV-specific CD4+ T cells ex vivo compared to Tetherin KO DCs. The results link the antiretroviral and immunomodulatory activity of Tetherin in vivo to improved DC activation and MHC class II antigen presentation. PMID:26846717

Contributions of the Central Extended Amygdala to Fear and Anxiety.

PubMed

Shackman, Alexander J; Fox, Andrew S

2016-08-03

It is widely thought that phasic and sustained responses to threat reflect dissociable circuits centered on the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), the two major subdivisions of the central extended amygdala. Early versions of this hypothesis remain highly influential and have been incorporated into the National Institute of Mental Health Research Research Domain Criteria framework. However, new observations encourage a different perspective. Anatomical studies show that the Ce and BST form a tightly interconnected unit, where different kinds of threat-relevant information can be integrated and used to assemble states of fear and anxiety. Imaging studies in humans and monkeys show that the Ce and BST exhibit similar functional profiles. Both regions are sensitive to a range of aversive challenges, including uncertain or temporally remote threat; both covary with concurrent signs and symptoms of fear and anxiety; both show phasic responses to short-lived threat; and both show heightened activity during sustained exposure to diffusely threatening contexts. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that both regions can control the expression of fear and anxiety during sustained exposure to diffuse threat. These observations compel a reconsideration of the central extended amygdala's contributions to fear and anxiety and its role in neuropsychiatric disease. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/368050-14$15.00/0.

Contributions of the Central Extended Amygdala to Fear and Anxiety

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

It is widely thought that phasic and sustained responses to threat reflect dissociable circuits centered on the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), the two major subdivisions of the central extended amygdala. Early versions of this hypothesis remain highly influential and have been incorporated into the National Institute of Mental Health Research Research Domain Criteria framework. However, new observations encourage a different perspective. Anatomical studies show that the Ce and BST form a tightly interconnected unit, where different kinds of threat-relevant information can be integrated and used to assemble states of fear and anxiety. Imaging studies in humans and monkeys show that the Ce and BST exhibit similar functional profiles. Both regions are sensitive to a range of aversive challenges, including uncertain or temporally remote threat; both covary with concurrent signs and symptoms of fear and anxiety; both show phasic responses to short-lived threat; and both show heightened activity during sustained exposure to diffusely threatening contexts. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that both regions can control the expression of fear and anxiety during sustained exposure to diffuse threat. These observations compel a reconsideration of the central extended amygdala's contributions to fear and anxiety and its role in neuropsychiatric disease. PMID:27488625

Role of surfactant on thermoelectric behaviors of organic-inorganic composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Sunmi; Roh, Jong Wook; Kim, Hyun-Sik; Chen, Renkun

2018-05-01

Hybrid organic/inorganic composites have recently attracted intensive interests as a promising candidate for flexible thermoelectric (TE) devices using inherently soft polymers as well as for increasing the degree of freedom to control TE properties. Experimentally, however, enhanced TE performance in hybrid composites has not been commonly observed, primarily due to inhomogeneous mixing between the inorganic and organic components which leads to limited electrical conduction in the less conductive component and consequently a low power factor in the composites compared to their single-component counterparts. In this study, we investigated the effects of different surfactants on the uniformity of mixing and the TE behaviors of the hybrid composites consisting of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (BST) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). We found that compared to dimethyl sulfoxide, which is the most widely used surfactant, Triton X-100 (TX-100) can lead to homogenous dispersion of BST in PEDOT:PSS. By systematically studying the effects of the surfactant concentration, we can attribute the better mixing capability of TX-100 to its non-ionic property, which results in homogenous mixing with a lower critical micelle concentration. Consequently, we observed simultaneous increase in electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient in the BST/PEDOT:PSS composites with the TX-100 surfactant.

Studies of electrical conductivity and complex initial permeability of multiferroic xBa{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05}TiO{sub 3}-(1-x)BiFe{sub 0.90}Gd{sub 0.10}O{sub 3} ceramics

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

Miah, Mohammad J., E-mail: mmjulhash@yahoo.com; Department of Physics, Comilla University, Comilla; Khan, M. N. I.

Multiferroic xBa{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05}TiO{sub 3}-(1-x)BiFe{sub 0.90}Gd{sub 0.10}O{sub 3} [xBST-(1-x)BFGO] (x = 0.00, 0.10 and 0.20) ceramics were prepared by the standard solid-state reaction technique. Crystal structure of the ceramics was determined by X-ray diffraction pattern. All the compositions exhibited rhombohedral crystal structure. The tolerance factor ‘t’ varied from 0.847 to 0.864. The AC conductivity spectrum followed the Jonscher’s power law. The Nyquist plots indicated that only grains have the contribution to the resistance in this material and the values of grain resistance (R{sub g}) increased with BST content. The real part of complex initial permeability decreased with the increase inmore » frequency and increased with increasing BST content. Magnetoelectric coefficient was determined for all compositions. The maximum value of magnetoelectric coefficient was found to be 1.467 mV.cm{sup −1}.Oe{sup −1} for x = 0.20.« less

Health as normal function: a weak link in Daniels's theory of just health distribution.

PubMed

Krag, Erik

2014-10-01

Drawing on Christopher Boorse's Biostatistical Theory (BST), Norman Daniels contends that a genuine health need is one which is necessary to restore normal functioning - a supposedly objective notion which he believes can be read from the natural world without reference to potentially controversial normative categories. But despite his claims to the contrary, this conception of health harbors arbitrary evaluative judgments which make room for intractable disagreement as to which conditions should count as genuine health needs and therefore which needs should be met. I begin by offering a brief summary of Boorse's BST, the theory to which Daniels appeals for providing the conception of health as normal functioning upon which his overall distributive scheme rests. Next, I consider what I call practical objections to Daniels's use of Boorse's theory. Finally I recount Elseljin Kingma's theoretical objection to Boorse's BST and discuss its impact on Daniels's overall theory. Though I conclude that Boorse's view, so weakened, will no longer be able to sustain the judgments which Daniels's theory uses it to reach, in the end, I offer Daniels an olive branch by briefly sketching an alternative strategy for reaching suitably objective conclusions regarding the health and/or disease status of various conditions. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A sampling and classification item selection approach with content balancing.

PubMed

Chen, Pei-Hua

2015-03-01

Existing automated test assembly methods typically employ constrained combinatorial optimization. Constructing forms sequentially based on an optimization approach usually results in unparallel forms and requires heuristic modifications. Methods based on a random search approach have the major advantage of producing parallel forms sequentially without further adjustment. This study incorporated a flexible content-balancing element into the statistical perspective item selection method of the cell-only method (Chen et al. in Educational and Psychological Measurement, 72(6), 933-953, 2012). The new method was compared with a sequential interitem distance weighted deviation model (IID WDM) (Swanson & Stocking in Applied Psychological Measurement, 17(2), 151-166, 1993), a simultaneous IID WDM, and a big-shadow-test mixed integer programming (BST MIP) method to construct multiple parallel forms based on matching a reference form item-by-item. The results showed that the cell-only method with content balancing and the sequential and simultaneous versions of IID WDM yielded results comparable to those obtained using the BST MIP method. The cell-only method with content balancing is computationally less intensive than the sequential and simultaneous versions of IID WDM.

Processing/structure/property Relationships of Barium Strontium Titanate Thin Films for Dynamic Random Access Memory Application.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Cheng-Jien

The purpose of this study is to see the application feasibility of barium strontium titanate (BST) thin films on ultra large scale integration (ULSI) dynamic random access memory (DRAM) capacitors through the understanding of the relationships among processing, structure and electrical properties. Thin films of BST were deposited by multi-ion -beam reactive sputtering (MIBERS) technique and metallo -organic decomposition (MOD) method. The processing parameters such as Ba/Sr ratio, substrate temperature, annealing temperature and time, film thickness and doping concentration were correlated with the structure and electric properties of the films. Some effects of secondary low-energy oxygen ion bombardment were also examined. Microstructures of BST thin films could be classified into two types: (a) Type I structures, with multi-grains through the film thickness, for amorphous as-grown films after high temperature annealing, and (b) columnar structure (Type II) which remained even after high temperature annealing, for well-crystallized films deposited at high substrate temperatures. Type I films showed Curie-von Schweidler response, while Type II films showed Debted type behavior. Type I behavior may be attributed to the presence of a high density of disordered grain boundaries. Two types of current -voltage characteristics could be seen in non-bombarded films depending on the chemistry of the films (doped or undoped) and substrate temperature during deposition. Only the MIBERS films doped with high donor concentration and deposited at high substrate temperature showed space-charge -limited conduction (SCLC) with discrete shallow traps embedded in trap-distributed background at high electric field. All other non-bombarded films, including MOD films, showed trap-distributed SCLC behavior with a slope of {~}7.5-10 due to the presence of grain boundaries through film thickness or traps induced by unavoidable acceptor impurities in the films. Donor-doping could significantly improve the time -dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) behavior of BST thin films, mostly likely due to the lower oxygen vacancy concentration resulted from donor-doping.

Heteroepitaxial growth of Ba1 - xSrxTiO3/YBa2Cu3O7 - x by plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chern, C. S.; Liang, S.; Shi, Z. Q.; Yoon, S.; Safari, A.; Lu, P.; Kear, B. H.; Goodreau, B. H.; Marks, T. J.; Hou, S. Y.

1994-06-01

Epitaxial Ba1-xSrxTiO3(BST)/YBa2Cu3O7-x heterostructures with superior electrical and dielectric properties have been fabricated by plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (PE-MOCVD). Data of x-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that <100> oriented Ba1-xSrxTiO3 layers were epitaxially deposited on epitaxial (001) YBa2Cu3O7-x layers. The leakage current density through the Ba1-xSrxTiO3 films was about 10-7 A/cm2 at 2 V (about 2×105 V/cm) operation. Moreover, the results of capacitance-temperature measurements showed that the PE-MOCVD Ba1-xSrxTiO3 films had Curie temperatures of about 30 °C and a peak dielectric constant of 600 at zero bias voltage. The Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and x-ray diffraction results showed that the BST film composition was controlled between Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 and Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3. The structural and electrical properties of the Ba1-xSrxTiO3/YBa2Cu3O7-x heterostructure indicated that conductive oxide materials with close lattice to Ba1-xSrxTiO3 can be good candidates for the bottom electrode.

Molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated in Antananarivo, Madagascar

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background We investigated the molecular characteristics of multidrug-resistant, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated in community settings and in hospitals in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Results Forty-nine E. coli, K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca and E. cloacae ESBL-producing isolates were studied. In antimicrobial susceptibility analyses, many of the isolates exhibited resistance to aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Gene amplification analysis and sequencing revealed that 75.5% (n=37) of the isolates harbored blaCTX-M-15 and 38.7% (n=19) harbored blaSHV-12. The non-ESBLs resistance genes detected were blaTEM-1, blaOXA-1, aac(6′)-Ib,aac(6′)-Ib-cr, tetA, sul-1, sul-2, qnrA, qnrB and catB-3. We found dfrA and aadA gene cassettes in the class 1 integron variable regions of the isolates, and the combination of dfrA17-aadA5 to be the most prevalent. All blaCTX-M-15 positive isolates also contained the ISEcp1 insertion element. Conjugation and transformation experiments indicated that 70.3% of the antibiotic resistance genes resided on plasmids. Through a PCR based replicon typing method, plasmids carrying the blaSHV-12 or blaCTX-M-15 genes were assigned to either the IncFII replicon type or, rarely, to the HI2 replicon type. All isolates were subtyped by the rep-PCR and ERIC-PCR methods. Phylogenetic grouping and virulence genotyping of the E. coli isolates revealed that most of them belonged to group A1. One isolate assigned to group B2 harbored blaCTX-M-15 and five virulence genes (traT, fyuA, iutA, iha and sfa) and was related to the O25b-ST131 clone. Conclusions Our results highlight the dissemination of multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates in Antananarivo. These findings underline the need for a rational use of antibiotic and for appropriate methods of screening ESBL in routine laboratories in Antananarivo. PMID:23594374

The Evolutionary Histories of Antiretroviral Proteins SERINC3 and SERINC5 Do Not Support an Evolutionary Arms Race in Primates.

PubMed

Murrell, Ben; Vollbrecht, Thomas; Guatelli, John; Wertheim, Joel O

2016-09-15

Molecular evolutionary arms races between viruses and their hosts are important drivers of adaptation. These Red Queen dynamics have been frequently observed in primate retroviruses and their antagonists, host restriction factor genes, such as APOBEC3F/G, TRIM5-α, SAMHD1, and BST-2. Host restriction factors have experienced some of the most intense and pervasive adaptive evolution documented in primates. Recently, two novel host factors, SERINC3 and SERINC5, were identified as the targets of HIV-1 Nef, a protein crucial for the optimal infectivity of virus particles. Here, we compared the evolutionary fingerprints of SERINC3 and SERINC5 to those of other primate restriction factors and to a set of other genes with diverse functions. SERINC genes evolved in a manner distinct from the canonical arms race dynamics seen in the other restriction factors. Despite their antiviral activity against HIV-1 and other retroviruses, SERINC3 and SERINC5 have a relatively uneventful evolutionary history in primates. Restriction factors are host proteins that block viral infection and replication. Many viruses, like HIV-1 and related retroviruses, evolved accessory proteins to counteract these restriction factors. The importance of these interactions is evidenced by the intense adaptive selection pressures that dominate the evolutionary histories of both the host and viral genes involved in this so-called arms race. The dynamics of these arms races can point to mechanisms by which these viral infections can be prevented. Two human genes, SERINC3 and SERINC5, were recently identified as targets of an HIV-1 accessory protein important for viral infectivity. Unexpectedly, we found that these SERINC genes, unlike other host restriction factor genes, show no evidence of a recent evolutionary arms race with viral pathogens. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Continuous supercritical synthesis and dielectric behaviour of the whole BST solid solution.

PubMed

Reverón, H; Elissalde, C; Aymonier, C; Bousquet, C; Maglione, M; Cansell, F

2006-07-28

In this study we show that pure and well crystallized nanoparticles of Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) (BST) can be synthesized over the entire range of composition through the hydrolysis and further crystallization of alkoxide precursors under supercritical conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the whole ferroelectric solid solution has been produced in a continuous way, using the same experimental conditions. The composition of the powder can be easily controlled by adjusting the feed solution composition. The powders consist of soft-aggregated monocrystalline nanoparticles with an average particle size ranging from approximately 20 to 40 nm. Ferroelectric ceramics with accurately adjustable Curie temperature (100-390 K) can thus be obtained by sintering.

Novel mutations in the helix termination motif of keratin 3 and keratin 12 in 2 Taiwanese families with Meesmann corneal dystrophy.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Ting; Tseng, Sung-Huei; Chao, Sheau-Chiou

2005-11-01

To analyze mutations of the keratin 3 gene (KRT3) and keratin 12 gene (KRT12) in 2 Taiwanese families with Meesmann corneal dystrophy (MCD). Diagnosis of MCD was confirmed by slit-lamp examination of the cornea in 4 members of family 1 and 6 members of family 2. All exons and flanking intron boundaries of KRT3 and KRT12 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and products were subjected to direct sequencing. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) with created mismatch primers, Bst XI and Nsp I, was used to confirm the presence of the mutations in affected individuals in family 1 and family 2, respectively. A novel heterozygous missense mutation (1508G-->C), predicting the substitution of a proline for an arginine (R503P) was detected in the helix termination motif of the keratin 3 polypeptide in family 1. Another novel heterozygous missense mutation (1286A-->G), predicting the substitution of a cysteine for a tyrosine at codon 429 (Y429C) was detected in the helix termination motif of the keratin 12 polypeptide in family 2. These 2 mutations were excluded from 50 normal controls by RFLP analysis, indicating that they were not common polymorphisms. A novel missense mutation (R503P) in KRT3 and another novel missense mutation (Y429C) in KRT12 lead to MCD in 2 unrelated Taiwanese families. The mutant codons in our study are all located in the highly conserved alpha-helix-termination motif, which is essential for keratin filament assembly. Mutation at this area may account for the disruption of keratin filament assembly, leading to MCD.

Neural-activity mapping of memory-based dominance in the crow: neural networks integrating individual discrimination and social behaviour control.

PubMed

Nishizawa, K; Izawa, E-I; Watanabe, S

2011-12-01

Large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos), highly social birds, form stable dominance relationships based on the memory of win/loss outcomes of first encounters and on individual discrimination. This socio-cognitive behaviour predicts the existence of neural mechanisms for integration of social behaviour control and individual discrimination. This study aimed to elucidate the neural substrates of memory-based dominance in crows. First, the formation of dominance relationships was confirmed between males in a dyadic encounter paradigm. Next, we examined whether neural activities in 22 focal nuclei of pallium and subpallium were correlated with social behaviour and stimulus familiarity after exposure to dominant/subordinate familiar individuals and unfamiliar conspecifics. Neural activity was determined by measuring expression level of the immediate-early-gene (IEG) protein Zenk. Crows displayed aggressive and/or submissive behaviour to opponents less frequently but more discriminatively in subsequent encounters, suggesting stable dominance based on memory, including win/loss outcomes of the first encounters and individual discrimination. Neural correlates of aggressive and submissive behaviour were found in limbic subpallium including septum, bed nucleus of the striae terminalis (BST), and nucleus taeniae of amygdala (TnA), but also those to familiarity factor in BST and TnA. Contrastingly, correlates of social behaviour were little in pallium and those of familiarity with exposed individuals were identified in hippocampus, medial meso-/nidopallium, and ventro-caudal nidopallium. Given the anatomical connection and neural response patterns of the focal nuclei, neural networks connecting pallium and limbic subpallium via hippocampus could be involved in the integration of individual discrimination and social behaviour control in memory-based dominance in the crow. Copyright © 2011 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tetherin promotes the innate and adaptive cell-mediated immune response against retrovirus infection in vivo.

PubMed

Li, Sam X; Barrett, Bradley S; Heilman, Karl J; Messer, Ronald J; Liberatore, Rachel A; Bieniasz, Paul D; Kassiotis, George; Hasenkrug, Kim J; Santiago, Mario L

2014-07-01

Tetherin/BST-2 is a host restriction factor that could directly inhibit retroviral particle release by tethering nascent virions to the plasma membrane. However, the immunological impact of Tetherin during retrovirus infection remains unknown. We now show that Tetherin influences antiretroviral cell-mediated immune responses. In contrast to the direct antiviral effects of Tetherin, which are dependent on cell surface expression, the immunomodulatory effects are linked to the endocytosis of the molecule. Mice encoding endocytosis-competent C57BL/6 Tetherin exhibited lower viremia and pathology at 7 d postinfection with Friend retrovirus (FV) compared with mice encoding endocytosis-defective NZW/LacJ Tetherin. Notably, antiretroviral protection correlated with stronger NK cell responses. In addition, Friend retrovirus infection levels were significantly lower in wild-type C57BL/6 mice than in Tetherin knockout mice at 2 wk postinfection, and antiretroviral protection correlated with stronger NK cell and virus-specific CD8+ T cell responses. The results demonstrate that Tetherin acts as a modulator of the cell-mediated immune response against retrovirus infection in vivo.

Distribution of IS900 restriction fragment length polymorphism types among animal Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from Argentina and Europe.

PubMed

Moreira, A R; Paolicchi, F; Morsella, C; Zumarraga, M; Cataldi, A; Fabiana, B; Alicia, A; Piet, O; van Soolingen, D; Isabel, R M

1999-12-01

Sixty-one Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from cattle and deer from the Buenos Aires province, an important livestock region in Argentina, were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) analysis based on IS900. Four different RFLP patterns (designated 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'E') were identified in BstEII digests of genomic DNA. The most frequently observed type, pattern 'A', was found in 46 isolates (75%). The second, pattern 'E', included 8 isolates (13%), while the third, pattern 'B', included 6 isolates (10%). Pattern 'C' was found for only one isolate. All of the deer isolates were classified as pattern 'A', while cattle isolates represented all four RFLP patterns. Twenty-one isolates representing the four different BstEII-RFLP patterns were digested with PstI. Twenty isolates showed identical PstI-RFLP pattern. BstEII-RFLP patterns from Argentine cattle and deer were compared with patterns found in cattle, goat, deer, rabbit, and human isolates from Europe. The most common pattern in Argentina, pattern 'A', was identical to a less frequently occurring pattern R9 (C17) from Europe. The other Argentine patterns 'B', 'C' and 'E', were not found in the Europe. These results indicate that the distribution of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis genotypes in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina is different from that found in Europe.

Structural stability, enhanced magnetic, piezoelectric, and transport properties in (1-x)BiFeO3-(x)Ba0.70Sr0.30TiO3 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Subhash; Singh, Vikash; Anshul, Avneesh; Siqueiros, J. M.; Dwivedi, R. K.

2018-05-01

Multiferroic samples with composition (1-x)BiFeO3-(x)(Ba0.70Sr0.30)TiO3 (BFO-BST) were synthesized using a sol-gel route to study the effect of BST doping on structural, transport, and magnetic properties in BiFeO3 (BFO). X-ray diffraction studies with Rietveld analysis revealed that a phase transition occurred from rhombohedral (R3c) (0.0 ≤ × ≤ 0.15) to tetragonal (P4 mm) for x = 0.20 and nanocrystalline nature confirmed by transmission electron microscopy measurements. Piezoelectric properties improved as x increased from x = 0.0 (58 pC/N) to x = 0.20 (112 pC/N) increasing distortion in the crystal structure as evinced by Williamson-Hall analysis. Ferromagnetism was observed in doped BFO, different from the antiferromagnetic ordering in bulk BFO, indicating the noteworthy size effects and Fe-O-Fe bond angle variations in the magnetic ordering of BFO. An improvement in ferroelectric properties is observed with doping of BST compared to pristine BFO. Thermally activated conduction behavior occurred at low and high temperature regions as revealed by temperature dependent dc resistivity measurement. Effective improvements in dielectric response, meaning high dielectric constant with a low dielectric loss, were found in the doped samples.

High Throughput Biodegradation-Screening Test To Prioritize and Evaluate Chemical Biodegradability.

PubMed

Martin, Timothy J; Goodhead, Andrew K; Acharya, Kishor; Head, Ian M; Snape, Jason R; Davenport, Russell J

2017-06-20

Comprehensive assessment of environmental biodegradability of pollutants is limited by the use of low throughput systems. These are epitomized by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ready Biodegradability Tests (RBTs), where one sample from an environment may be used to assess a chemical's ability to readily biodegrade or persist universally in that environment. This neglects the considerable spatial and temporal microbial variation inherent in any environment. Inaccurate designations of biodegradability or persistence can occur as a result. RBTs are central in assessing the biodegradation fate of chemicals and inferring exposure concentrations in environmental risk assessments. We developed a colorimetric assay for the reliable quantification of suitable aromatic compounds in a high throughput biodegradation screening test (HT-BST). The HT-BST accurately differentiated and prioritized a range of structurally diverse aromatic compounds on the basis of their assigned relative biodegradabilities and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model outputs. Approximately 20 000 individual biodegradation tests were performed, returning analogous results to conventional RBTs. The effect of substituent group structure and position on biodegradation potential demonstrated a significant correlation (P < 0.05) with Hammett's constant for substituents on position 3 of the phenol ring. The HT-BST may facilitate the rapid screening of 100 000 chemicals reportedly manufactured in Europe and reduce the need for higher-tier fate and effects tests.

Genetic diversity of rice tungro spherical virus in tungro-endemic provinces of the Philippines and Indonesia.

PubMed

Azzam, O; Yambao, M L; Muhsin, M; McNally, K L; Umadhay, K M

2000-01-01

The two adjacent genes of coat protein 1 and 2 of rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) were amplified from total RNA extracts of serologically indistinguishable field isolates from the Philippines and Indonesia, using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Digestion with HindIII and BstYI restriction endonucleases differentiated the amplified DNA products into eight distinct coat protein genotypes. These genotypes were then used as indicators of virus diversity in the field. Inter- and intra-site diversities were determined over three cropping seasons. At each of the sites surveyed, one or two main genotypes prevailed together with other related minor or mixed genotypes that did not replace the main genotype over the sampling time. The cluster of genotypes found at the Philippines sites was significantly different from the one at the Indonesia sites, suggesting geographic isolation for virus populations. Phylogenetic studies based on the nucleotide sequences of 38 selected isolates confirm the spatial distribution of RTSV virus populations but show that gene flow may occur between populations. Under the present conditions, rice varieties do not seem to exert selective pressure on the virus populations. Based on the selective constraints in the coat protein amino acid sequences and the virus genetic composition per site, a negative selection model followed by random-sampling events due to vector transmissions is proposed to explain the inter-site diversity observed.

Enhanced tunability of magnetron sputtered Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films on c-plane sapphire substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fardin, E. A.; Holland, A. S.; Ghorbani, K.; Reichart, P.

2006-07-01

Thin films of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) were deposited on c-plane (0001) sapphire by rf magnetron sputtering and investigated by complementary materials analysis methods. Microwave properties of the films, including tunability and Q factor were measured from 1to20GHz by patterning interdigital capacitors (IDCs) on the film surface. The tunability is correlated with texture, strain, and grain size in the deposited films. An enhanced capacitance tunability of 56% at a bias field of 200kV/cm and total device Q of more than 15 (up to 20GHz) were achieved following postdeposition annealing at 900°C.

Preparation and Characterization of RF Sputtered BARIUM(2) SILICON(2) Titanium OXYGEN(8) Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yi.

Thin films of barium titanium silicate ( Ba_2Si_2TiO_8) are grown on crystalline (100) Si at substrate temperatures raging from 750 to 955^circC by the radio-frequency triode sputtering technique. The chemical composition, microstructure, physical properties, and growth conditions of the deposited films are investigated by dc and high-frequency dielectric measurements, wavelength dispersive and energy dispersive x-ray spectrometries, x-ray diffraction spectrometry, and optical and scanning electron microscopies. The results of the x-ray diffraction analysis show that the Ba_2Si_2TiO _8 films deposited at the optimum condition of substrate temperature of 845^circ C, 4 cm source-substance distance, 50 W rf power, and 1.2 times 10^ {-3} torr pressure of Ar, are highly c -axis oriented. The as-deposited films are smooth, glossy, polycrystalline films, exhibiting a bulk resistivity range of 10^6 Omegacdotcm, and an isotropic surface resistivity of 1.5 times 10^3 Omegacdot cm. The relative dielectric constant is 0.05, and the dielectric loss is lower than 1.0, in the frequency band 9 ~ 1000 MHz. The high-frequency impedance of BST films, which is typical for piezoelectric materials, gives a minimum impedance frequency of 9.0 MHz and a series resonant frequency of 9.5 MHz. Optical and SEM observations show that the film texture is dependent on the substrate conditions. The non-liquid-like grain coalescence of the Ba_2Si_2TiO _8 grains is characteristic of a strong film -substrate interaction. The grain growth kinetics obtained from "short-time" sputtering gives an initial lateral grain growth rate of 770 nm/min at 845^circ C, which decreases with the grain size. The initial film growth rate in the direction of thickness, measured from SEM micrographs, is 1.95 nm/min, and decreases with sputtering time. The activation free energy for grain growth is 359 +/- 30 KJ/mol for the initial stage, decreasing to 148 +/- 20 KJ/mol for the final stage. The variation of the grain growth rate and the activation energy with grain size is the result of a combined nucleation and growth mechanism in the initial stage of the film growth, and a coalescence -dominated growth mechanism at longer sputtering time and at higher temperature. Film orientation is sensitive to the supersaturation adjacent to the film surface, which depends on the source-substrate distance and substrate temperature. The effect of the substrate temperature on the orientation of the film is investigated over a wide temperature range using (100) and (111) Si substrates. Several orientations for the BST films, including an amorphous state, are obtained with increasing substrate temperature. This is discussed in relation to the atomic plane density and the energetics for the deposition process.

Thickness and temperature dependent electrical characteristics of crystalline BaxSr1-xTiO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, B.; Roy, A.; Dhar, A.; Ray, S. K.

2007-03-01

Polycrystalline Ba1-xSrxTiO3 (BST) thin films with three different compositions have been deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering technique on platinum coated silicon substrates. Samples with buffer and barrier layers for different film thicknesses and processing temperatures have been studied. Crystallite size of BST films has been found to increase with increasing substrate temperature. Thickness dependent dielectric constant has been studied and discussed in the light of an interfacial dead layer and the finite screening length of the electrode. Ferroelectric properties of the films have also been studied for various deposition conditions. The electrical resistivity of the films measured at different temperatures shows a positive temperature coefficient of resistance under a constant bias voltage.

Polycrystalline Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films on r-plane sapphire: Effect of film thickness on strain and dielectric properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fardin, E. A.; Holland, A. S.; Ghorbani, K.; Akdogan, E. K.; Simon, W. K.; Safari, A.; Wang, J. Y.

2006-10-01

Polycrystalline Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) films grown on r-plane sapphire exhibit strong variation of in-plane strain over the thickness range of 25-400nm. At a critical thickness of ˜200nm, the films are strain relieved; in thinner films, the strain is tensile, while compressive strain was observed in the 400nm film. Microwave properties of the films were measured from 1to20GHz by the interdigital capacitor method. A capacitance tunability of 64% was observed in the 200nm film, while thinner films showed improved Q factor. These results demonstrate the possibility of incorporating frequency agile BST-based devices into the silicon on sapphire process.

Electrical and dielectric properties of (barium, strontium) titanium trioxide thin film capacitors for ultra-high density dynamic random access memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basceri, Cem

The electrical and dielectric properties of fiber-textured, MOCVD (Basb{0.7}Srsb{0.3})TiOsb3 (BST) thin film capacitors appropriate for ultra-large scale integration (ULSI) dynamic random access memory (DRAM) applications have been analyzed. Dielectric relaxation, leakage, resistance degradation, and dielectric response phenomena, within a comprehensive matrix of external and material parameters, have been investigated. The phenomenology of the dielectric response of our BST films has been shown to be well-described by Curie-von Schweidler behavior, although the microscopic origin of this behavior has not been presently agreed upon. The time-dependent polarization behavior has been linked to the dispersion in permittivity with respect to frequency. The leakage current through our BST films has been found to be primarily limited by interfacial Schottky barriers whose properties depend on the electrode material, interface microstructure, and deposition conditions. Its temperature and voltage dependence have been interpreted via a thermionic emission model. Analysis in terms of Schottky-barrier limited current flow gave acceptable values for the cathode barrier height. The results have indicated that our BST films, appropriate for DRAM applications, do not possess depletion layers at the film-electrode interfaces. Instead, they must be considered as depleted of charge carriers across their entire thickness. Resistance degradation has been found to be thermally activated and voltage/field dependent. The results have indicated that there is a film thickness effect, which manifests itself as a decrease in the activation energy with respect to temperature for thicker films. A significant stoichiometry effect on the measured resistance degradation lifetimes has been observed. The analyses of the leakage and capacitance-voltage behaviors for the degraded samples have indicated that a demixing of oxygen vacancies occurs during resistance degradation, which causes the Schottky barrier height to decrease, in agreement with the observed relative shift of the peak capacitance as a function of voltage. For all the film thicknesses and compositions studied, extrapolated resistance degradation lifetimes of our BST films, which were obtained by using an appropriate form, are well above the current benchmark of 10 years at the DRAM operating conditions of 1.6 V and 85sp°C. Above the bulk Curie point (˜300 K), the phenomenological approach, i.e., Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) theory, has been demonstrated to account very well for the observed C-V behavior in our BST films. Furthermore, temperature dependent measurements gave evidence that, as expected, the form of the dielectric behavior changes near the bulk Curie point, but that the phase transition appears for some reason to be frustrated. Film thickness has been established to impact primarily the zero-bias permittivity through a thickness dependence of the first order coefficient of the LGD power series. Our analysis does indicate that if it results from a series-connected interfacial layer, that layer must be a nonlinear dielectric, as must the bulk of the film. The dielectric constant has been found to be composition dependent, reaching its highest values for compositions near the stoichiometric values. Furthermore, film stoichiometry has been established to strongly effect both the first order and third order coefficients of the LGD power series.

Pattern of distribution of serotonergic fibers to the amygdala and extended amygdala in the rat.

PubMed

Linley, Stephanie B; Olucha-Bordonau, Francisco; Vertes, Robert P

2017-01-01

As is well recognized, serotonergic (5-HT) fibers distribute widely throughout the forebrain, including the amygdala. Although a few reports have examined the 5-HT innervation of select nuclei of the amygdala in the rat, no previous report has described overall 5-HT projections to the amygdala in the rat. Using immunostaining for the serotonin transporter, SERT, we describe the complete pattern of distribution of 5-HT fibers to the amygdala (proper) and to the extended amygdala in the rat. Based on its ontogenetic origins, the amygdala was subdivided into two major parts, pallial and subpallial components, with the pallial component further divided into superficial and deep nuclei (Olucha-Bordonau et al. 2015). SERT + fibers were shown to distributed moderately to densely to the deep and cortical pallial nuclei, but, by contrast, lightly to the subpallial nuclei. Specifically, 1) of the deep pallial nuclei, the lateral, basolateral, and basomedial nuclei contained a very dense concentration of 5-HT fibers; 2) of the cortical pallial nuclei, the anterior cortical and amygdala-cortical transition zone rostrally and the posteromedial and posterolateral nuclei caudally contained a moderate concentration of 5-HT fibers; and 3) of the subpallial nuclei, the anterior nuclei and the rostral part of the medial (Me) nuclei contained a moderate concentration of 5-HT fibers, whereas caudal regions of Me as well as the central nuclei and the intercalated nuclei contained a sparse/light concentration of 5-HT fibers. With regard to the extended amygdala (primarily the bed nucleus of stria terminalis; BST), on the whole, the BST contained moderate numbers of 5-HT fibers, spread fairly uniformly throughout BST. The findings are discussed with respect to a critical serotonergic influence on the amygdala, particularly on the basal complex, and on the extended amygdala in the control of states of fear and anxiety. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:116-139, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis of strontium substituted barium titanate nanoparticles by mechanical alloying and high power ultrasonication destruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yustanti, Erlina; Hafizah, Mas Ayu Elita; Manaf, Azwar

2016-04-01

This paper reports the particle and crystallite size characterizations of mechanically alloyed Ba(1-x)SrxTiO3 (BST) with x = 0.3 and 0.7 prepared with the assistance of a high-power sonicator. Analytical grade BaCO3, TiO2 and SrCO3 precursors with a purity of greater than 99 wt.% were mixed and milled using a planetary ball mill to a powder weight ratio of 10:1. Powders obtained after 20 hours of milling time were then sintered at 1200°C for 4 hours to form crystalline powders.These powders were further treated ultrasonically under a fixed 6.7 gr/l particle concentration in demineralized water for 1, 3, 5, 7 hours and a fixed ultrasonic irradiation time of 1 hour to the dispersion of 6.7; 20; 33.3 gr/l concentrations. As to the results of crystallite size characterization, it is demonstrated that the mean crystallite size of BST with x = 0.3 and 0.7 undergo a slight change after the first 1 hour irradiation time and then remain almost unchanged. This was in contrary to the particle size in which the mean particle size of BST with x = 0.3 increased from 765 nm to 1405 nm after 7 hours irradiation time, while that of x = 0.7 increased from 505 nm to 1298 nm after 3 hours and then reduced back to the initial size after 7 hours ultra sonication time. The increase in particle size was due to large of cohesive forces among fine particles. It is also demonstrated that the concentration of particles in a dispersion with anionic surfactant do not effective to reduce the particle sizes ultrasonically. Nanoparticles with the mean size respectively 40 and 10 times larger than their respective crystallite size were successfully obtained respectively in x = 0.3 and x = 0.7.

Synthesis of strontium substituted barium titanate nanoparticles by mechanical alloying and high power ultrasonication destruction

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

Yustanti, Erlina, E-mail: erlina.yustanti@ui.ac.id; Department of Metallurgy, Faculty of Engineering University of Sultan AgengTirtayasa Jl. Jenderal Sudirman KM 03 Cilegon-Banten 65134; Hafizah, Mas Ayu Elita, E-mail: kemasayu@yahoo.com

2016-04-19

This paper reports the particle and crystallite size characterizations of mechanically alloyed Ba{sub (1-x)}Sr{sub x}TiO{sub 3} (BST) with x = 0.3 and 0.7 prepared with the assistance of a high-power sonicator. Analytical grade BaCO{sub 3}, TiO{sub 2} and SrCO{sub 3} precursors with a purity of greater than 99 wt.% were mixed and milled using a planetary ball mill to a powder weight ratio of 10:1. Powders obtained after 20 hours of milling time were then sintered at 1200°C for 4 hours to form crystalline powders.These powders were further treated ultrasonically under a fixed 6.7 gr/l particle concentration in demineralized watermore » for 1, 3, 5, 7 hours and a fixed ultrasonic irradiation time of 1 hour to the dispersion of 6.7; 20; 33.3 gr/l concentrations. As to the results of crystallite size characterization, it is demonstrated that the mean crystallite size of BST with x = 0.3 and 0.7 undergo a slight change after the first 1 hour irradiation time and then remain almost unchanged. This was in contrary to the particle size in which the mean particle size of BST with x = 0.3 increased from 765 nm to 1405 nm after 7 hours irradiation time, while that of x = 0.7 increased from 505 nm to 1298 nm after 3 hours and then reduced back to the initial size after 7 hours ultra sonication time. The increase in particle size was due to large of cohesive forces among fine particles. It is also demonstrated that the concentration of particles in a dispersion with anionic surfactant do not effective to reduce the particle sizes ultrasonically. Nanoparticles with the mean size respectively 40 and 10 times larger than their respective crystallite size were successfully obtained respectively in x = 0.3 and x = 0.7.« less

PPARgamma gene polymorphism is associated with exercise-mediated changes of insulin resistance in healthy men.

PubMed

Kahara, Toshio; Takamura, Toshinari; Hayakawa, Tetsuo; Nagai, Yukihiro; Yamaguchi, Hiromi; Katsuki, Tatsuo; Katsuki, Ken-Ichi; Katsuki, Michio; Kobayashi, Ken-Ichi

2003-02-01

Exercise training improves insulin sensitivity, but individual responses vary greatly. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) is a regulator of adipose cell differentiation and plays an important role in systemic insulin action. We investigated whether PPARgamma gene polymorphism affects insulin resistance in response to exercise in Japanese healthy men. The exercise program at an individual intensity of 50% of the maximal heart rate was performed for 20 to 60 min/d, and 2 to 3 days per week to attain a level of physical activity of 700 kcal/wk. The program was conducted for 3 months without any dietary intervention, and the clinical and metabolic characteristics were examined before and after the exercise program. Body mass index (BMI) did not change significantly after the exercise program, whereas percentage of body fat (% body fat), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and serum leptin levels decreased significantly. Pro12Ala polymorphism in PPARgamma gene was performed on genomic DNA isolated from human leukocytes and examined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent restriction enzyme analysis using BstU-I. In this study, the Ala allele did not correlate with fasting immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-R) at baseline, but did so with the changes in IRI and HOMA-R after exercise (DeltaIRI, Pro/Pro 0.55 +/- 3.49 microU/mL v Pro/Ala -2.83 +/- 1.47 microU/mL, P <.05; DeltaHOMA-R, Pro/Pro 0.09 +/- 0.86 v Pro/Ala -0.61 +/- 0.32, P <.05). This result suggests that the Ala allele is associated with improvement in insulin resistance after exercise. We conclude that PPARgamma gene polymorphism may be a reliable indicator of whether exercise will have a beneficial effect as part of the treatment of insulin resistance syndrome. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Tunable ferroelectric meta-material phase shifter embedded inside low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tork, Hossam S.

This dissertation describes electrically tunable microwave devices utilizing low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) and thick film via filled with the ferroelectric materials barium strontium titanate (BST) and barium zirconate titanate (BZT). Tunable ferroelectric capacitors, zero meta-material phase shifters, and tunable meta-material phase shifters are presented. Microwave phase shifters have many applications in microwave devices. They are essential components for active and passive phased array antennas and their most common use is in scanning phased array antennas. They are used in synthetic aperture radars (SAR), low earth orbit (LEO) communication satellites, collision warning radars, and intelligent vehicle highway systems (IVHS), in addition to various other applications. Tunable ferroelectric materials have been investigated, since they offer the possibility of lowering the total cost of phased arrays. Two of the most promising ferroelectric materials in microwave applications are BST and BZT. The proposed design and implementation in this research introduce new types of tunable meta-material phase shifters embedded inside LTCC, which use BST and BZT as capacitive tunable dielectric material controlled by changing the applied voltage. This phase shifter has the advantages of meta-material structures, which produce little phase error and compensation while having the simultaneous advantage of using LTCC technology for embedding passive components that improve signal integrity (several signal lines, power planes, and ground planes) by using different processes like via filling, screen printing, laminating and firing that can be produced in compact sizes at a low cost. The via filling technique was used to build tunable BST, BZT ferroelectric material capacitors to control phase shift. Finally, The use of the proposed ferroelectric meta-material phase shifter improves phase shifter performance by reducing insertion loss in both transmitting and receiving directions for phased array antennas, reducing phase error, improving figure of merit (FOM) and phase shifter tunability around center frequency, and also enables the integration of the phase shifters with the microwave circuits on one substrate, thus substantially reducing the size, mass, and cost of the antennas.

Patterns and sources of fecal coliform bacteria in three streams in Virginia, 1999-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hyer, Kenneth; Moyer, Douglas

2003-01-01

Surface-water impairment by fecal coliform bacteria is a water-quality issue of national scope and importance. In Virginia, more than 175 stream segments are on the Commonwealth's 1998 303(d) list of impaired waters because of elevated concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria. These fecal coliform-impaired stream segments require the development of total maximum daily load (TMDL) and associated implementation plans, but accurate information on the sources contributing these bacteria usually is lacking. The development of defendable fecal coliform TMDLs and management plans can benefit from reliable information on the bacteria sources that are responsible for the impairment. Bacterial source tracking (BST) recently has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying the sources of fecal coliform bacteria that impair surface waters. In a demonstration of BST technology, three watersheds on Virginia's 1998 303(d) list with diverse land-use practices (and potentially diverse bacteria sources) were studied. Accotink Creek is dominated by urban land uses, Christians Creek by agricultural land uses, and Blacks Run is affected by both urban and agricultural land uses. During the 20-month field study (March 1999?October 2000), water samples were collected from each stream during a range of flow conditions and seasons. For each sample, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, turbidity, flow, and water temperature were measured. Fecal coliform concentrations of each water sample were determined using the membrane filtration technique. Next, Escherichia coli (E. coli) were isolated from the fecal coliform bacteria and their sources were identified using ribotyping (a method of 'genetic fingerprinting'). Study results provide enhanced understanding of the concentrations and sources of fecal coliform bacteria in these three watersheds. Continuum sampling (sampling along the length of the streams) indicated that elevated concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria (maximum observed concentration of 290,000 colonies/100 milliliters (col/100mL) could occur along the entire length of each stream, and that the samples collected at the downstream monitoring station of each stream were generally representative of the entire upstream reach. Seasonal patterns were observed in the base-flow fecal coliform concentrations of all streams; concentrations were typically highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. Fecal coliform concentrations were lowest during periods of base flow (typically 200?2,000 col/100mL) and increased by 3?4 orders of magnitude during storm events (as high as 700,000 col/100mL). Multiple linear regression models were developed to predict fecal coliform concentrations as a function of streamflow and other water-quality parameters. The source tracking technique provided identification of bacteria contributions from diverse sources that included (but were not limited to) humans, cattle, poultry, horses, dogs, cats, geese, ducks, raccoons, and deer. Seasonal patterns were observed in the contributions of cattle and poultry sources. There were relations between the identified sources of fecal coliform bacteria and the land-use practices within each watershed. There were only minor differences in the distribution of bacteria sources between low-flow periods and high-flow periods. A coupled approach that utilized both a large available source library and a smaller, location-specific source library provided the most success in identifying the unknown E. coli isolates. BST data should provide valuable support and guidance for producing more defendable and scientifically rigorous watershed models. Incorporation of these bacteria-source data into watershed management strategies also should result in the selection of more efficient source-reduction scenarios for improving water quality.

Brief strategic therapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder: a clinical and research protocol of a one-group observational study

PubMed Central

Pietrabissa, Giada; Manzoni, Gian Mauro; Gibson, Padraic; Boardman, Donald; Gori, Alessio; Castelnuovo, Gianluca

2016-01-01

Introduction Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling psychopathology. The mainstay of treatment includes cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) and medication management. However, individual suffering, functional impairments as well as the direct and indirect costs associated with the disease remain substantial. New treatment programmes are necessary and the brief strategic therapy (BST) has recently shown encouraging results in clinical practice but no quantitative study has as yet been conducted. Methods and analysis The clinical effectiveness of the OCD-specific BST protocol will be evaluated in a one-group observational study. Participants will be sequentially recruited from a state community psychotherapy clinic in Dublin, Ireland. Outcome measures will be the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Data will be collected at baseline, at treatment termination and at 3 month follow-up. The statistical significance of the post-treatment effect will be assessed by the paired-sample Student t test, while clinical significance will be evaluated by means of the equivalence testing method, which will be also used to assess the maintenance of effect at follow-up. Ethics/dissemination The present study is approved by the Hesed House Ethics Board in Dublin. Findings will enhance the evidence-based knowledge about the clinical effectiveness of BST in treating OCD symptoms, prior to assessing its efficacy in a randomised and controlled clinical trial, and will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations. PMID:27013594

[Influence of the -866G/A polymorphism of the UCP2 gene on an obese pediatric population].

PubMed

Zurbano, R; Ochoa, M C; Moreno-Aliaga, M J; Martínez, J A; Marti, A

2006-01-01

In the present study, our objectives were to evaluate the prevalence of -866G/A mutation of UCP2 gene and to study its influence on the phenotype of obese children (11-12 years old) from Navarra. BACKGROUND AND STUDY SETTING: Obesity is a disease with a multifactorial origin that may related be to the presence of mutations and polymorphisms in several candidate genes. The gene of the uncoupling protein UCP2 is one of the most studied ones in relation to obesity because it seems to participate in body composition and several metabolic processes control. Three polymorphisms have been described for this gene: an insertion/deletion of 45 nucleotides, a nucleotide change of guanine for adenine in -866 position, an another change that replaces alanine for valine at amino acid position 55. According to several studies, the -866G allele is related to an increased risk of developing obesity, although the results are contradictory about this association in the literature. The study was carried out on 125 obese children (52% male), aged 11-12 years, selected through the Pediatric Endocrinology Departments of Clínica Universitaria and Hospital Virgen del Camino of Pamplona (Spain), the reported results on this association are contradictory. After checking the inclusion criteria, anthropometrical data (weight, height, BMI, tricipital and subscapular skinfolds) were taken, and the percentage of fat mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Besides, plasma levels of total cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and leptin were measured. DNA was extracted from white blood cells to determine the genotype by PCR technique followed by BstUI digestion and further visualization in agarose gel with 2% ethidium bromide. The genetic analysis revealed a 0.404 frequency of the allele A, with a percentage of individuals G/G, G/A, and A/A of 40.0%, 39.2%, and 20.8%, respectively. Carriers of the A allele had a significantly higher sum of tricipital and subscapular folds (p = 0.034). No significant differences between mutant and non-mutant subjects with regard to the studied biochemical variables were observed. Subjects carrying the polymorphism present higher values of tricipital and subscapular skinfolds as compared to non-mutant subjects, which may indicate a relationship between the presence of the A allele in obese children and higher amounts of subcutaneous fat.

Effect of Composite Substrates on the Mechanical Behavior of Brazed Joints in Metal-Composite System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, M.; Morscher, Gregory N.; Shpargel, Tarah; Asthana, Rajiv

2006-01-01

Advanced composite components are being considered for a wide variety of demanding applications in aerospace, space exploration, and ground based systems. A number of these applications require robust integration technologies to join dissimilar materials (metalcomposites) into complex structural components. In this study, three types of composites (C-C, C-SiC, and SiC-SiC) were vacuum brazed to commercially pure Ti using the active metal braze alloy Cusil-ABA (63Ag-35.3Cu-1.75Ti). Composite substrates with as fabricated and polished surfaces were used for brazing. The microstructure and composition of the joint, examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), showed sound metallurgical bonding in all systems. The butt strap tensile (BST) test was performed on bonded specimens at room and elevated temperatures. Effect of substrate composition, interlaminar properties, and surface roughness on the mechanical properties and failure behavior of joints will be discussed.

Cancer-specific SNPs originate from low-level heteroplasmic variants in human mitochondrial genomes of a matched cell line pair.

PubMed

Hedberg, Annica; Knutsen, Erik; Løvhaugen, Anne Silje; Jørgensen, Tor Erik; Perander, Maria; Johansen, Steinar D

2018-04-19

Low-level mitochondrial heteroplasmy is a common phenomenon in both normal and cancer cells. Here, we investigate the link between low-level heteroplasmy and mitogenome mutations in a human breast cancer matched cell line by high-throughput sequencing. We identified 23 heteroplasmic sites, of which 15 were common between normal cells (Hs578Bst) and cancer cells (Hs578T). Most sites were clustered within the highly conserved Complex IV and ribosomal RNA genes. Two heteroplasmic variants in normal cells were found as fixed mutations in cancer cells. This indicates a positive selection of these variants in cancer cells. RNA-Seq analysis identified upregulated L-strand specific transcripts in cancer cells, which include three mitochondrial long non-coding RNA molecules. We hypothesize that this is due to two cancer cell-specific mutations in the control region.

groEL is a suitable genetic marker for detecting Vibrio parahaemolyticus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay.

PubMed

Siddique, M P; Jang, W J; Lee, J M; Ahn, S H; Suraiya, S; Kim, C H; Kong, I S

2017-08-01

A groEL gene-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed to detect Vibrio parahaemolyticus in contaminated seafood and water. The assay was optimized and conducted at 63°C for 40 min using Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bst) DNA polymerase, large fragment. Amplification was analysed via multiple detection methods, including opacity, formation of white precipitate, DNA intercalating dyes (ethidium bromide and SYBR Green I), metal ion-binding indicator dye, calcein, and 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. A characteristic ladder-like band pattern on agarose gel and the desired colour changes when using different dyes were observed in positive cases, and these were species-specific for V. parahaemolyticus when compared with other closely related Vibrio spp. The limit of detection (LoD) of this assay was 100 fg per reaction, 100-fold higher than that for conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). When tested on artificially contaminated seafood and seawater, the LoDs of the LAMP assay were 120 and 150 fg per reaction respectively, and those of conventional PCR were 120 and 150 pg per reaction respectively. Based on our results, the groEL gene-based LAMP assay is rapid, specific, sensitive, and reliable for detecting V. parahaemolyticus, and it could be used in field diagnosis. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay using groEL gene (an abundant, highly conserved gene and member of the groESL chaperone gene family) provided rapid, species-specific and highly sensitive method for detecting Vibrio parahaemolyticus, the leading causal agent of seafood-borne diseases worldwide. Moreover, groEL LAMP revealed high efficiency than conventional PCR assay for V. parahaemolyticus using template both from pure culture and artificially contaminated seafood and water, which indicated the applicability in the field and environmental screening purpose for the organism. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Fabrication of Miniature Thermoelectric Generators Using Bulk Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joo, Sung-Jae; Ryu, Byungki; Min, Bok-Ki; Lee, Ji-Eun; Kim, Bong-Seo; Park, Su-Dong; Lee, Hee-Woong

2016-07-01

Miniature thermoelectric modules (TEMs) are required for micro power generation as well as local cooling, and they should have small size and high performance. However, conventional bulk TEMs generally have in-plane dimensions of a few centimeters, and empty space between the legs for electrical isolation makes efficient miniaturization difficult. In this study, a miniature TEM with footprint of about 0.35 cm2 and leg height of 0.97 mm was fabricated by reducing the dimensions of the legs and attaching them together to form a closely packed assembly, without using microelectromechanical processes. First, Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 (BST) and Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 (BTS) ingots were made by ball milling and spark plasma sintering, and the ingots were cut into thin plates. These BST and BTS plates were then attached alternately using polyimide tapes, and the attached plates were sliced vertically to produce thin sheets. This process was repeated once again to make chessboard-like assemblies having 20 p- n pairs in an area of 0.35 cm2, and electrical contacts were formed by Ni sputtering and Ag paste coating. Finally, thermally conductive silicone pads (~500 μm) were attached on both sides of the assembly using electrically insulating interface thermal tapes (˜180 μm). The maximum output power ( P max) from the miniature module was about 28 μW and 2.0 mW for temperature difference (Δ T) of 5.6°C and 50.5°C, respectively. Reducing the contact resistance was considered to be the key to increase the output power.

Expression, purification and characterization of a full-length recombinant HIV-1 Vpu from inclusion bodies.

PubMed

Njengele, Zikhona; Kleynhans, Ronel; Sayed, Yasien; Mosebi, Salerwe

2016-12-01

Vpu is one of four accessory proteins encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1). Vpu modulates the expression of several cellular restriction factors within the HIV-1 infected cell including CD4, CD74, the bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST-2) and NK-T-and-B antigen. The interaction of HIV-1 Vpu with these proteins interferes with the innate immune response directed against HIV-1; thereby promoting viral persistence. The involvement of HIV-1 Vpu in manipulating the cellular environment in ways that favor viral replication makes it an attractive target for anti-HIV drug intervention. This paper describes the over-expression and purification of a soluble HIV-1 Vpu from inclusion bodies by ion-exchange chromatography, allowing production of 6 mg of highly purified protein (>95% purity) per 10 mg of pelleted cells obtained from 1 L of bacterial culture. Far-UV circular dichroism showed that the recombinant protein is folded and retained its secondary structure. Moreover, using ELISA, known HIV-1 Vpu binding partners, BST-2 and CD74, showed that the refolded purified protein is functional or at least assumes a conformation that is capable of binding these putative binding partners. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the purification and successful solubilization of full-length, wild-type HIV-1 Vpu from inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Monitoring supports performance in a dual-task paradigm involving a risky decision-making task and a working memory task

PubMed Central

Gathmann, Bettina; Schiebener, Johannes; Wolf, Oliver T.; Brand, Matthias

2015-01-01

Performing two cognitively demanding tasks at the same time is known to decrease performance. The current study investigates the underlying executive functions of a dual-tasking situation involving the simultaneous performance of decision making under explicit risk and a working memory task. It is suggested that making a decision and performing a working memory task at the same time should particularly require monitoring—an executive control process supervising behavior and the state of processing on two tasks. To test the role of a supervisory/monitoring function in such a dual-tasking situation we investigated 122 participants with the Game of Dice Task plus 2-back task (GDT plus 2-back task). This dual task requires participants to make decisions under risk and to perform a 2-back working memory task at the same time. Furthermore, a task measuring a set of several executive functions gathered in the term concept formation (Modified Card Sorting Test, MCST) and the newly developed Balanced Switching Task (BST), measuring monitoring in particular, were used. The results demonstrate that concept formation and monitoring are involved in the simultaneous performance of decision making under risk and a working memory task. In particular, the mediation analysis revealed that BST performance partially mediates the influence of MCST performance on the GDT plus 2-back task. These findings suggest that monitoring is one important subfunction for superior performance in a dual-tasking situation including decision making under risk and a working memory task. PMID:25741308

Peer Tutoring to Prevent Firearm Play: Acquisition, Generalization, and Long-term Maintenance of Safety Skills

PubMed Central

Jostad, Candice M; Miltenberger, Raymond G; Kelso, Pamela; Knudson, Peter

2008-01-01

Hundreds of accidental injuries and deaths to children occur annually in the United States as a result of firearm play. Behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training have been found to be effective in teaching children the skills to use if they find a firearm, but training requires substantial time and effort. The current study examined the use of peers as tutors as a potential way to decrease the time and resources needed to teach these safety skills to youngsters. Peer trainers conducted BST and in situ training with other children. Children taught by the peer trainers acquired the safety skills and demonstrated them in naturalistic situations in which the skills were needed. Furthermore, all of the peer trainers acquired and maintained the skills. These results support the use of peer tutoring for teaching safety skills to other children. PMID:18468285

Thermal strain-induced dielectric anisotropy in Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films grown on silicon-based substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, X. H.; Guigues, B.; Defaÿ, E.; Dubarry, C.; Aïd, M.

2009-07-01

Dielectric properties of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST) thin films, which were prepared on silicon-based substrates by ion beam sputtering and postdeposition annealing method, were systematically investigated in different electrode configurations of metal-insulator-metal and coplanar interdigital capacitors. It was found that a large dielectric anisotropy exists in the films with better in-plane dielectric properties (higher dielectric permittivity and tunability) than those along the out-of-plane direction. The observed anisotropic dielectric responses are explained qualitatively in terms of a thermal strain effect that is related to dissimilar film strains along the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. Another reason for the dielectric anisotropy is due to different influences of the interfacial low-dielectric layer between the BST film and the substrate (metal electrode).

Comparison of the Experimental Performance of Ferroelectric CPW Circuits with Method of Moment Simulations and Conformal Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanKeuls, Fred W.; Chevalier, Chris T.; Miranda, Felix A.; Carlson, C. M.; Rivkin, T. V.; Parilla, P. A.; Perkins, J. D.; Ginley, D. S.

2001-01-01

Experimental measurements of coplanar waveguide (CPW) circuits atop thin films of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 (BST) were made as a function bias from 0 to 200 V and frequency from 0.045 to 20 GHz. The resulting phase shifts are compared with method of moments electromagnetic simulations and a conformal mapping analysis to determine the dielectric constant of the BST films. Based on the correlation between the experimental and the modeled data, an analysis of the extent to which the electromagnetic simulators provide reliable values for the dielectric constant of the ferroelectric in these structures has been performed. In addition, to determine how well the modeled data compare with experimental data, the dielectric constant values were also compared to low frequency measurements of interdigitated capacitor circuits on the same films. Results of these comparisons will be presented.

Isolation and characterization of Keratinibaculum paraultunense gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium with keratinolytic activity.

PubMed

Huang, Yan; Sun, Yingjie; Ma, Shichun; Chen, Lu; Zhang, Hui; Deng, Yu

2013-08-01

A novel thermophilic, anaerobic, keratinolytic bacterium designated KD-1 was isolated from grassy marshland. Strain KD-1 was a spore-forming rod with a Gram-positive type cell wall, but stained Gram-negative. The temperature, pH, and NaCl concentration range necessary for growth was 30-65 °C (optimum 55 °C), 6.0-10.5 (optimum 8.0-8.5), and 0-6% (optimum 0.2%) (w/v), respectively. Strain KD-1 possessed extracellular keratinase, and the optimum activity of the crude enzyme was pH 8.5 and 70 °C. The enzyme was identified as a thermostable serine-type protease. The strain was sensitive to rifampin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and tetracycline and was resistant to erythromycin, neomycin, penicillin, and streptomycin. The main cellular fatty acid was predominantly C15:0 iso (64%), and the G+C content was 28 mol%. Morphological and physiological characterization, together with phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified KD-1 as a new species of a novel genus of Clostridiaceae with 95.3%, 93.8% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Clostridium ultunense BS(T) (DSM 10521(T)) and Tepidimicrobium xylanilyticum PML14(T) (= JCM 15035(T)), respectively. We propose the name Keratinibaculum paraultunense gen. nov., sp. nov., with KD-1 (=JCM 18769(T) =DSM 26752(T)) as the type strain. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli infections in children: are community-acquired strains different from nosocomial strains?

PubMed

Morgand, Marjolaine; Vimont, Sophie; Bleibtreu, Alexandre; Boyd, Anders; Thien, Hoang Vu; Zahar, Jean-Ralph; Denamur, Erick; Arlet, Guillaume

2014-11-01

Infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli are an important cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in children. We compared 58 epidemiologically unrelated ESBL-producing E. coli strains that caused infections. They were isolated between 2008 and 2012 in two Parisian pediatric hospitals and grouped according to their origin into either community-acquired (CA) (n=37) or nosocomially acquired (NA) (n=21) strains. Molecular characteristics of the ESBLs, phylogenetic traits of the strains including their belonging to clone O25b-ST131, prevalence of associated virulence genes, growth capacities in different media, metabolic phenotype and biofilm formation abilities were studied. ESBL type, associated resistance and distribution of phylogenetic groups were similar in the CA and NA groups. More than 60% of the B2 phylogroup strains in both groups belonged to the ST131 clone. Interestingly, CA strains possessed more genes encoding virulence factors and the distribution of these genes differed significantly between the two groups: fyuA, hlyC, papC and papGII were more frequent in the CA group, whereas iroN was more frequent in the NA group. CA strains also showed enhanced growth capacities in Luria Bertani rich medium. They tended to produce more biofilm but the difference was not significant. This study confirms the wide spread of clone ST131 among infected children, regardless of whether their infections were community- or nosocomially acquired. It highlights genotypic and phenotypic differences according to the origin of the strains that could indicate adaptability of these multi-resistant bacteria to specific environmental and host factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Generation of a mouse scFv library specific for porcine aminopeptidase N using the T7 phage display system.

PubMed

Sun, Dongbo; Shi, Hongyan; Chen, Jianfei; Shi, Da; Zhu, Qinghe; Zhang, Hong; Liu, Shengwang; Wang, Yunfeng; Qiu, Huaji; Feng, Li

2012-06-01

Porcine aminopeptidase N (pAPN) is a common cellular receptor for swine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). To investigate single-chain fragment variable (scFv) repertoire against pAPN, the genes encoding the immunoglobulin light chain variable region (VL) and heavy chain variable region (VH) were amplified by reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using a series of degenerate primers from the spleen of BABL/c mice immunized with native pAPN. The VL and VH amplicons were combined randomly by a 12 amino acid flexible linker by splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR), which produced the scFv gene repertoire. After ligation of the scFv gene repertoire into the T7Select10-3b vector, a mouse scFv phage library specific for pAPN was produced through in vitro packaging. The primary scFv library against pAPN contained 2.0×10(7) recombinant phage clones, and the titer of the amplified library was 3.6×10(9)pfu/mL. BstNI restriction analysis and DNA sequencing revealed that 28 phage clones from the primary pAPN scFv library showed excellent diversity. The effectiveness of the scFv library against pAPN was verified further by phage ELISA using the recombinant protein of the pAPN C subunit as coating antigen. The construction and evaluation of a murine scFv library against the common receptor pAPN of porcine coronaviruses TGEV and PEDV using the T7 phage display system are described. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HIV-1 Vpu Blocks Recycling and Biosynthetic Transport of the Intrinsic Immunity Factor CD317/Tetherin To Overcome the Virion Release Restriction

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Sarah; Fritz, Joëlle V.; Bitzegeio, Julia; Fackler, Oliver T.; Keppler, Oliver T.

2011-01-01

ABSTRACT The intrinsic immunity factor CD317 (BST-2/HM1.24/tetherin) imposes a barrier to HIV-1 release at the cell surface that can be overcome by the viral protein Vpu. Expression of Vpu results in a reduction of CD317 surface levels; however, the mechanism of this Vpu activity and its contribution to the virological antagonism are incompletely understood. Here, we characterized the influence of Vpu on major CD317 trafficking pathways using quantitative antibody-based endocytosis and recycling assays as well as a microinjection/microscopy-based kinetic de novo expression approach. We report that HIV-1 Vpu inhibited both the anterograde transport of newly synthesized CD317 and the recycling of CD317 to the cell surface, while the kinetics of CD317 endocytosis remained unaffected. Vpu trapped trafficking CD317 molecules at the trans-Golgi network, where the two molecules colocalized. The subversion of both CD317 transport pathways was dependent on the highly conserved diserine S52/S56 motif of Vpu; however, it did not require recruitment of the diserine motif interactor and substrate adaptor of the SCF-E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, β-TrCP. Treatment of cells with the malaria drug primaquine resulted in a CD317 trafficking defect that mirrored that induced by Vpu. Importantly, primaquine could functionally replace Vpu as a CD317 antagonist and rescue HIV-1 particle release. PMID:21610122

Sequence and expression analyses of porcine ISG15 and ISG43 genes.

PubMed

Huang, Jiangnan; Zhao, Shuhong; Zhu, Mengjin; Wu, Zhenfang; Yu, Mei

2009-08-01

The coding sequences of porcine interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) and the interferon-stimulated gene (ISG43) were cloned from swine spleen mRNA. The amino acid sequences deduced from porcine ISG15 and ISG43 genes coding sequence shared 24-75% and 29-83% similarity with ISG15s and ISG43s from other vertebrates, respectively. Structural analyses revealed that porcine ISG15 comprises two ubiquitin homologues motifs (UBQ) domain and a conserved C-terminal LRLRGG conjugating motif. Porcine ISG43 contains an ubiquitin-processing proteases-like domain. Phylogenetic analyses showed that porcine ISG15 and ISG43 were mostly related to rat ISG15 and cattle ISG43, respectively. Using quantitative real-time PCR assay, significant increased expression levels of porcine ISG15 and ISG43 genes were detected in porcine kidney endothelial cells (PK15) cells treated with poly I:C. We also observed the enhanced mRNA expression of three members of dsRNA pattern-recognition receptors (PRR), TLR3, DDX58 and IFIH1, which have been reported to act as critical receptors in inducing the mRNA expression of ISG15 and ISG43 genes. However, we did not detect any induced mRNA expression of IFNalpha and IFNbeta, suggesting that transcriptional activations of ISG15 and ISG43 were mediated through IFN-independent signaling pathway in the poly I:C treated PK15 cells. Association analyses in a Landrace pig population revealed that ISG15 c.347T>C (BstUI) polymorphism and the ISG43 c.953T>G (BccI) polymorphism were significantly associated with hematological parameters and immune-related traits.

Predominance of IncL/M and IncF plasmid types among CTX-M-ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Bulgarian hospitals.

PubMed

Markovska, Rumyana; Schneider, Ines; Ivanova, Dobrinka; Mitov, Ivan; Bauernfeind, Adolf

2014-07-01

Our objective was to investigate the plasmid replicon-types involved in spread of ESBLs among Bulgarian Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Sixty-three isolates, with transferable beta-lactam resistance determinants, collected between 2007 and 2009 in six medical institutions, were analysed with respect to their antimicrobial susceptibility, ESBL-, RAPD-, and plasmid replicon-type. Phylogenetic typing and screening for the O25b-ST131 lineage were carried out for E. coli. The predominant ESBLs were CTX-M-15 (81%) among E. coli and CTX-M-3 (58%) among K. pneumoniae. Other sporadically found ESBLs were SHV-12 and TEM-139, and for the first time in Bulgaria, CTX-M-1 and CTX-M-14. Replicon typing revealed that plasmids carrying blaCTX-M-3 exclusively belonged to IncL/M-type, while blaCTX-M-15 was predominantly (94%) associated with IncF-type plasmids. Among E. coli, 59% of the isolates were clonally related. Isolates of that cluster produced CTX-M-15, belonged to the O25b-ST131 lineage, predominantly harboured plasmids with the FIA replicon, and were found in five centres. Among CTX-M-3-producing K. pneumoniae, two prevailing RAPD-types were found, one remained restricted to one centre and the second was found in three centres. The incompatibility groups IncN and IncA/C linked with blaSHV-12 respectively blaTEM-139 were found only once. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detailed investigation of plasmids carrying ESBL genes among Bulgarian isolates demonstrating wide distribution of conjugative IncF plasmids among CTX-M-15-producing E. coli and IncL/M plasmids among CTX-M-3 positive K. pneumoniae isolates. © 2013 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Successful isolation of Leishmania infantum from Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from naturally infected dogs.

PubMed

Medeiros-Silva, Viviane; Gurgel-Gonçalves, Rodrigo; Nitz, Nadjar; Morales, Lucia Emilia D' Anduraim; Cruz, Laurício Monteiro; Sobral, Isabele Gonçalves; Boité, Mariana Côrtes; Ferreira, Gabriel Eduardo Melim; Cupolillo, Elisa; Romero, Gustavo Adolfo Sierra

2015-10-09

The main transmission route of Leishmania infantum is through the bites of sand flies. However, alternative mechanisms are being investigated, such as through the bites of ticks, which could have epidemiological relevance. The objective of this work was to verify the presence of Leishmania spp. in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato collected from naturally infected dogs in the Federal District of Brazil. Ticks were dissected to remove their intestines and salivary glands for DNA extraction and the subsequent amplification of the conserved region of 120 bp of kDNA and 234 bp of the hsp70 gene of Leishmania spp. The amplified kDNA products were digested with endonucleases HaeIII and BstUI and were submitted to DNA sequencing. Isolated Leishmania parasites from these ticks were analyzed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, and the DNA obtained from this culture was subjected to microsatellite analyses. Overall, 130 specimens of R. sanguineus were collected from 27 dogs. Leishmania spp. were successfully isolated in culture from five pools of salivary glands and the intestines of ticks collected from four dogs. The amplified kDNA products from the dog blood samples and from the tick cultures, when digested by HaeIII and BstUI, revealed the presence of L. braziliensis and L. infantum. One strain was cultivated and characterized as L. infantum by enzyme electrophoresis. The amplified kDNA products from the blood of one dog showed a sequence homology with L. braziliensis; however, the amplified kDNA from the ticks collected from this dog showed a sequence homology to L. infantum. The results confirm that the specimens of R. sanguineus that feed on dogs naturally infected by L. infantum contain the parasite DNA in their intestines and salivary glands, and viable L. infantum can be successfully isolated from these ectoparasites.

SCREENING LOW FREQUENCY SNPS FROM GENOME WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY REVEALS A NEW RISK ALLELE FOR PROGRESSION TO AIDS

PubMed Central

Le Clerc, Sigrid; Coulonges, Cédric; Delaneau, Olivier; Van Manen, Danielle; Herbeck, Joshua T.; Limou, Sophie; An, Ping; Martinson, Jeremy J.; Spadoni, Jean-Louis; Therwath, Amu; Veldink, Jan H.; van den Berg, Leonard H.; Taing, Lieng; Labib, Taoufik; Mellak, Safa; Montes, Matthieu; Delfraissy, Jean-François; Schächter, François; Winkler, Cheryl; Froguel, Philippe; Mullins, James I.; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; Zagury, Jean-François

2011-01-01

Background Seven genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been published in AIDS and only associations in the HLA region on chromosome 6 and CXCR6 have passed genome-wide significance. Methods We reanalyzed the data from three previously published GWAS, targeting specifically low frequency SNPs (minor allele frequency (MAF)<5%). Two groups composed of 365 slow progressors (SP) and 147 rapid progressors (RP) from Europe and the US were compared with a control group of 1394 seronegative individuals using Eigenstrat corrections. Results Of the 8584 SNPs with MAF<5% in cases and controls (Bonferroni threshold=5.8×10−6), four SNPs showed statistical evidence of association with the SP phenotype. The best result was for HCP5 rs2395029 (p=8.54×10−15, OR=3.41) in the HLA locus, in partial linkage disequilibrium with two additional chromosome 6 associations in C6orf48 (p=3.03×10−10, OR=2.9) and NOTCH4 (9.08×10−07, OR=2.32). The fourth association corresponded to rs2072255 located in RICH2 (p=3.30×10−06, OR=0.43) in chromosome 17. Using HCP5 rs2395029 as a covariate, the C6orf48 and NOTCH4 signals disappeared, but the RICH2 signal still remained significant. Conclusion Besides the already known chromosome 6 associations, the analysis of low frequency SNPs brought up a new association in the RICH2 gene. Interestingly, RICH2 interacts with BST-2 known to be a major restriction factor for HIV-1 infection. Our study has thus identified a new candidate gene for AIDS molecular etiology and confirms the interest of singling out low frequency SNPs in order to exploit GWAS data. PMID:21107268

Effect of BST film thickness on the performance of tunable interdigital capacitors grown by MBE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyers, Cedric J. G.; Freeze, Christopher R.; Stemmer, Susanne; York, Robert A.

2017-12-01

Voltage-tunable, interdigital capacitors (IDCs) were fabricated on Ba0.29Sr0.71TiO3 grown by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). In this growth technique, we utilize the metal-organic precursor titanium tetraisopropoxide rather than solid-source Ti as with conventional MBE. Two samples of varying BaxSr(1-x)TiO3 (BST) thicknesses were fabricated and analyzed. High-quality, epitaxial Pt electrodes were deposited by sputtering from a high-purity Pt target at 825 °C. The Pt electrodes were patterned and etched by argon ion milling, passivated with reactively sputtered SiO2, and then metallized with lift-off Ti/Au. The fabricated devices consisted of two-port IDCs embedded in ground-signal-ground, coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines to enable radio-frequency (RF) probing. The sample included open and thru de-embedding structures to remove pad and CPW parasitic impedances. Two-port RF scattering (S) parameters were measured from 100 MHz to 40 GHz while DC bias was stepped from 0 V to 100 V. The IDCs exhibit a high zero-bias radio-frequency (RF) quality factor (Q) approaching 200 at 1 GHz and better than 2.3:1 capacitance tuning for the 300-nm-thick sample. Differences in the Q(V) and C(V) response with varying thicknesses indicate that unknown higher order material phenomena are contributing to the loss and tuning characteristics of the material.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of thermostable RNase HIII from Bacillus stearothermophilus

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

Chon, Hyongi; Matsumura, Hiroyoshi; Koga, Yuichi

2005-03-01

A thermostable ribonuclease HIII from B. stearothermophilus (Bst RNase HIII) was crystallized and preliminary crystallographic studies were performed. Plate-like overlapping polycrystals were grown by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method at 283 K.

Methods of Hydrographic Surveying Used by Different Countries.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

902 Greece 16. Training and Education Division Hellenic Navy General Staff GENIKO EPITELIO NAYTIKOY (GEN) Greece 17. Hellenic Naval Academy SHOLI...Maratos Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service Athens BST 902 Greece 21. Hellenic Army Geographic Service V. GENIKO EPITELIO STRATOU Athens, Greece 22. LT

Electrostatically assisted fabrication of silver-dielectric core/shell nanoparticles thin film capacitor with uniform metal nanoparticle distribution and controlled spacing.

PubMed

Li, Xue; Niitsoo, Olivia; Couzis, Alexander

2016-03-01

An electrostatically-assisted strategy for fabrication of thin film composite capacitors with controllable dielectric constant (k) has been developed. The capacitor is composed of metal-dielectric core/shell nanoparticle (silver/silica, Ag@SiO2) multilayer films, and a backfilling polymer. Compared with the simple metal particle-polymer mixtures where the metal nanoparticles (NP) are randomly dispersed in the polymer matrix, the metal volume fraction in our capacitor was significantly increased, owing to the densely packed NP multilayers formed by the electrostatically assisted assembly process. Moreover, the insulating layer of silica shell provides a potential barrier that reduces the tunneling current between neighboring Ag cores, endowing the core/shell nanocomposites with a stable and relatively high dielectric constant (k) and low dielectric loss (D). Our work also shows that the thickness of the SiO2 shell plays a dominant role in controlling the dielectric properties of the nanocomposites. Control over metal NP separation distance was realized not only by variation the shell thickness of the core/shell NPs but also by introducing a high k nanoparticle, barium strontium titanate (BST) of relatively smaller size (∼8nm) compared to 80-160nm of the core/shell Ag@SiO2 NPs. The BST assemble between the Ag@SiO2 and fill the void space between the closely packed core/shell NPs leading to significant enhancement of the dielectric constant. This electrostatically assisted assembly method is promising for generating multilayer films of a large variety of NPs over large areas at low cost. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidemiological data and case load spectrum of patients presenting to bone and soft tissue disease management group at a tertiary cancer center.

PubMed

Gulia, A; Puri, A; Chorge, S; Panda, P K

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to know the spectrum and number of bone and soft tissue (BST) tumors presenting to our institute. We needed to assess the gap between the number of patients seen and infrastructure available, and based on this information, help formulate guidelines for optimum utilization of resources and to provide best possible evidence-based cancer care. This is a prospective observational study (epidemiological). This study included all new patients seen in BST-disease management group (DMG) in the year 2010. An audit form was devised to capture all the relevant information. A comparison of our data with other national and international studies was also done. Out of total 31,951 new patients registered at our institute, 2007 patients availed BST-DMG services. Sixty percent were bone tumors and 36% were soft tissue tumors. In bone tumor, 66% were malignant, 15% were benign, and 19% were non-neoplastic. Osteosarcoma (43%) was the most common malignant tumor followed by primitive neuroectodermal tumor/Ewing's (27%) and chondrosarcoma (11%). Giant cell tumor was the most common benign bone tumor. Eighty-one percent of all soft tissue lesions were malignant, of which 75% were of mesenchymal origin and 25% were of cutaneous origin. This is an attempt to document the epidemiology of musculoskeletal tumors presenting to our institution while guiding the institute to frame and implement disease-specific protocols and generate further research questions. Continued data collection and follow-up can provide valuable information on long-term survival and treatment-related toxicities. This data (within limitations) may be extrapolated to national level to identify the need for infrastructure and human resources.

Brief strategic therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a clinical and research protocol of a one-group observational study.

PubMed

Pietrabissa, Giada; Manzoni, Gian Mauro; Gibson, Padraic; Boardman, Donald; Gori, Alessio; Castelnuovo, Gianluca

2016-03-24

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling psychopathology. The mainstay of treatment includes cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and medication management. However, individual suffering, functional impairments as well as the direct and indirect costs associated with the disease remain substantial. New treatment programmes are necessary and the brief strategic therapy (BST) has recently shown encouraging results in clinical practice but no quantitative study has as yet been conducted. The clinical effectiveness of the OCD-specific BST protocol will be evaluated in a one-group observational study. Participants will be sequentially recruited from a state community psychotherapy clinic in Dublin, Ireland. Outcome measures will be the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Data will be collected at baseline, at treatment termination and at 3 month follow-up. The statistical significance of the post-treatment effect will be assessed by the paired-sample Student t test, while clinical significance will be evaluated by means of the equivalence testing method, which will be also used to assess the maintenance of effect at follow-up. The present study is approved by the Hesed House Ethics Board in Dublin. Findings will enhance the evidence-based knowledge about the clinical effectiveness of BST in treating OCD symptoms, prior to assessing its efficacy in a randomised and controlled clinical trial, and will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Differential efferent projections of the anterior, posteroventral, and posterodorsal subdivisions of the medial amygdala in mice

PubMed Central

Pardo-Bellver, Cecília; Cádiz-Moretti, Bernardita; Novejarque, Amparo; Martínez-García, Fernando; Lanuza, Enrique

2012-01-01

The medial amygdaloid nucleus (Me) is a key structure in the control of sociosexual behavior in mice. It receives direct projections from the main and accessory olfactory bulbs (AOB), as well as an important hormonal input. To better understand its behavioral role, in this work we investigate the structures receiving information from the Me, by analysing the efferent projections from its anterior (MeA), posterodorsal (MePD) and posteroventral (MePV) subdivisions, using anterograde neuronal tracing with biotinylated and tetrametylrhodamine-conjugated dextranamines. The Me is strongly interconnected with the rest of the chemosensory amygdala, but shows only moderate projections to the central nucleus and light projections to the associative nuclei of the basolateral amygdaloid complex. In addition, the MeA originates a strong feedback projection to the deep mitral cell layer of the AOB, whereas the MePV projects to its granule cell layer. The Me (especially the MeA) has also moderate projections to different olfactory structures, including the piriform cortex (Pir). The densest outputs of the Me target the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the hypothalamus. The MeA and MePV project to key structures of the circuit involved in the defensive response against predators (medial posterointermediate BST, anterior hypothalamic area, dorsomedial aspect of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus), although less dense projections also innervate reproductive-related nuclei. In contrast, the MePD projects mainly to structures that control reproductive behaviors [medial posteromedial BST, medial preoptic nucleus, and ventrolateral aspect of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus], although less dense projections to defensive-related nuclei also exist. These results confirm and extend previous results in other rodents and suggest that the medial amygdala is anatomically and functionally compartmentalized. PMID:22933993

Differential efferent projections of the anterior, posteroventral, and posterodorsal subdivisions of the medial amygdala in mice.

PubMed

Pardo-Bellver, Cecília; Cádiz-Moretti, Bernardita; Novejarque, Amparo; Martínez-García, Fernando; Lanuza, Enrique

2012-01-01

The medial amygdaloid nucleus (Me) is a key structure in the control of sociosexual behavior in mice. It receives direct projections from the main and accessory olfactory bulbs (AOB), as well as an important hormonal input. To better understand its behavioral role, in this work we investigate the structures receiving information from the Me, by analysing the efferent projections from its anterior (MeA), posterodorsal (MePD) and posteroventral (MePV) subdivisions, using anterograde neuronal tracing with biotinylated and tetrametylrhodamine-conjugated dextranamines. The Me is strongly interconnected with the rest of the chemosensory amygdala, but shows only moderate projections to the central nucleus and light projections to the associative nuclei of the basolateral amygdaloid complex. In addition, the MeA originates a strong feedback projection to the deep mitral cell layer of the AOB, whereas the MePV projects to its granule cell layer. The Me (especially the MeA) has also moderate projections to different olfactory structures, including the piriform cortex (Pir). The densest outputs of the Me target the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the hypothalamus. The MeA and MePV project to key structures of the circuit involved in the defensive response against predators (medial posterointermediate BST, anterior hypothalamic area, dorsomedial aspect of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus), although less dense projections also innervate reproductive-related nuclei. In contrast, the MePD projects mainly to structures that control reproductive behaviors [medial posteromedial BST, medial preoptic nucleus, and ventrolateral aspect of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus], although less dense projections to defensive-related nuclei also exist. These results confirm and extend previous results in other rodents and suggest that the medial amygdala is anatomically and functionally compartmentalized.

A novel barium strontium titanate/nickel/titanium nitride/silicon structure for gigabit-scale DRAM capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritums, Dwight Lenards

A materials system has been developed for advanced oxide high permittivity capacitors for use in Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) applications. A capacitor test structure has been fabricated, demonstrating the integration of this materials system onto Si. It is a 3-D stacked electrode structure which uses the high-K dielectric material Ba1- xSrxTiO 3 (BST) and a novel Ni/TiN bottom electrode system. The structure was grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD), photo-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (PhA-MOCVD), and electron beam deposition, and resulted in thin film capacitors with dielectric constants over 500. Other advanced oxides, principally SrVO3, were also investigated for use as electrode materials. The fabricated test structure is 3 μgm wide and 1 μm thick. RIE was used to generate the 3-D structure, and an etch gas recipe was developed to pattern the 3-D electrode structure onto the TiN. The Ni was deposited by electron beam deposition, and the BST was grown by PLD and PhA-MOCVD. Conformal coating of the electrode by the BST was achieved. The film structure was analyzed with XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, AES, and AFM, and the electronic properties of the devices were characterized. Permittivites of up to 500 were seen in the PLD-grown films, and values up to 700 were seen in the MOCVD- deposited films. The proof of concept of a high permittivity material directly integrated onto Si has been demonstrated for this capacitor materials system. With further lithographic developments, this system can be applied toward gigabit device fabrication.

Connections of the juxtaventromedial region of the lateral hypothalamic area in the male rat

PubMed Central

Hahn, Joel D.; Swanson, Larry W.

2015-01-01

Evolutionary conservation of the hypothalamus attests to its critical role in the control of fundamental behaviors. However, our knowledge of hypothalamic connections is incomplete, particularly for the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). Here we present the results of neuronal pathway-tracing experiments to investigate connections of the LHA juxtaventromedial region, which is parceled into dorsal (LHAjvd) and ventral (LHAjvv) zones. Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL, for outputs) and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB, for inputs) coinjections were targeted stereotaxically to the LHAjvd/v. Results: LHAjvd/v connections overlapped highly but not uniformly. Major joint outputs included: Bed nuc. stria terminalis (BST), interfascicular nuc. (BSTif) and BST anteromedial area, rostral lateral septal (LSr)- and ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) nuc., and periaqueductal gray. Prominent joint LHAjvd/v input sources included: BSTif, BST principal nuc., LSr, VMH, anterior hypothalamic-, ventral premammillary-, and medial amygdalar nuc., and hippocampal formation (HPF) field CA1. However, LHAjvd HPF retrograde labeling was markedly more abundant than from the LHAjvv; in the LSr this was reversed. Furthermore, robust LHAjvv (but not LHAjvd) targets included posterior- and basomedial amygdalar nuc., whereas the midbrain reticular nuc. received a dense input from the LHAjvd alone. Our analyses indicate the existence of about 500 LHAjvd and LHAjvv connections with about 200 distinct regions of the cerebral cortex, cerebral nuclei, and cerebrospinal trunk. Several highly LHAjvd/v-connected regions have a prominent role in reproductive behavior. These findings contrast with those from our previous pathway-tracing studies of other LHA medial and perifornical tier regions, with different connectional behavioral relations. The emerging picture is of a highly differentiated LHA with extensive and far-reaching connections that point to a role as a central coordinator of behavioral control. PMID:26074786

Effect of yogic colon cleansing (Laghu Sankhaprakshalana Kriya) on pain, spinal flexibility, disability and state anxiety in chronic low back pain

PubMed Central

Haldavnekar, Richa Vivek; Tekur, Padmini; Nagarathna, Raghuram; Nagendra, Hongasandra Ramarao

2014-01-01

Background: Studies have shown that Integrated Yoga reduces pain, disability, anxiety and depression and increases spinal flexibility and quality-of-life in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the effect of two yoga practices namely laghu shankha prakshalana (LSP) kriya, a yogic colon cleansing technique and back pain specific asanas (Back pain special technique [BST]) on pain, disability, spinal flexibility and state anxiety in patients with CLBP. Materials and Methods: In this randomized control (self as control) study, 40 in-patients (25 were males, 15 were females) between 25 and 70 years (44.05 ± 13.27) with CLBP were randomly assigned to receive LSP or BST sessions. The measurements were taken immediately before and after each session of either of the practices (30 min) in the same participant. Randomization was used to decide the day of the session (3rd or 5th day after admission) to ensure random distribution of the hang over effect of the two practices. Statistical analysis was performed using the repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Significant group * time interaction (P < 0.001) was observed in 11 point numerical rating scale, spinal flexibility (on Leighton type Goniometer) and (straight leg raise test in both legs), Oswestry Disability Index, State Anxiety (XI component of Spieldberger's state and trait anxiety inventory. There was significantly (P < 0.001, between groups) better reduction in LSP than BST group on all variables. No adverse effects were reported by any participant. Conclusion: Clearing the bowel by yoga based colon cleansing technique (LSP) is safe and offers immediate analgesic effect with reduced disability, anxiety and improved spinal flexibility in patients with CLBP. PMID:25035620

Long-Endurance Maritime Surveillance with Ocean Glider Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

response to fluid viscosity , as well as magnesium sulfate and boric acid molecules found in seawater (Francois and Garrison 1982). As a result, its...Hemipelagic Terrigenous Clay ) is derived from the Bottom Sediment Type (BST) database maintained by the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office Acoustics

Impact of amylases on biopolymer dynamics during storage of straight-dough wheat bread.

PubMed

Bosmans, Geertrui M; Lagrain, Bert; Fierens, Ellen; Delcour, Jan A

2013-07-03

When Bacillus stearothermophilus α-amylase (BStA), Pseudomonas saccharophila α-amylase (PSA), or Bacillus subtilis α-amylase (BSuA) was added to a bread recipe to impact bread firming, amylose crystal formation was facilitated, leading to lower initial crumb resilience. Bread loaves that best retained their quality were those obtained when BStA was used. The enzyme hindered formation of an extended starch network, resulting in less water immobilization and smaller changes in crumb firmness and resilience. BSuA led to extensive degradation of the starch network during bread storage with release of immobilized water, eventually resulting in partial structure collapse and poor crumb resilience. The most important effect of PSA was an increased bread volume, resulting in smaller changes in crumb firmness and resilience. A negative linear relation was found between NMR proton mobilities of water and biopolymers in the crumb and crumb firmness. The slope of that relation gave an indication of the strength of the starch network.

A Systems Model of Parkinson's Disease Using Biochemical Systems Theory.

PubMed

Sasidharakurup, Hemalatha; Melethadathil, Nidheesh; Nair, Bipin; Diwakar, Shyam

2017-08-01

Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder, affects millions of people and has gained attention because of its clinical roles affecting behaviors related to motor and nonmotor symptoms. Although studies on PD from various aspects are becoming popular, few rely on predictive systems modeling approaches. Using Biochemical Systems Theory (BST), this article attempts to model and characterize dopaminergic cell death and understand pathophysiology of progression of PD. PD pathways were modeled using stochastic differential equations incorporating law of mass action, and initial concentrations for the modeled proteins were obtained from literature. Simulations suggest that dopamine levels were reduced significantly due to an increase in dopaminergic quinones and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL) relating to imbalances compared to control during PD progression. Associating to clinically observed PD-related cell death, simulations show abnormal parkin and reactive oxygen species levels with an increase in neurofibrillary tangles. While relating molecular mechanistic roles, the BST modeling helps predicting dopaminergic cell death processes involved in the progression of PD and provides a predictive understanding of neuronal dysfunction for translational neuroscience.

In-plane dielectric properties of epitaxial Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} thin films grown on GaAs for tunable device application

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

Yang Zhibin; Hao Jianhua

2012-09-01

We have epitaxially deposited ferroelectric Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films grown on GaAs substrate via SrTiO{sub 3} buffer layer by laser molecular beam epitaxy. Structural characteristics of the heterostructure were measured by various techniques. The in-plane dielectric properties of the heteroepitaxial structure under different applying frequency were investigated from -190 to 90 Degree-Sign C, indicating Curie temperature of the BST film to be around 52 Degree-Sign C. At room temperature, the dielectric constant of the heterostructure under moderate dc bias field can be tuned by more than 30% and K factor used for frequency agile materials is foundmore » to be close to 8. Our results offer the possibility to combine frequency agile electronics of ferroelectric titanate with the high-performance microwave capabilities of GaAs for room temperature tunable device application.« less

Parent-implemented behavioral skills training of social skills.

PubMed

Dogan, Rebecca K; King, Melissa L; Fischetti, Anthony T; Lake, Candice M; Mathews, Therese L; Warzak, William J

2017-10-01

Impairment in social skills is a primary feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Research indicates that social skills are intimately tied to social development and negative social consequences can persist if specific social behaviors are not acquired. The present study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on teaching four parents of children with ASDs to be social skills trainers. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across parent-child dyads was employed and direct observation was used to assess parent and child behaviors Results demonstrated substantial improvement in social skills teaching for all participants for trained and untrained skills. Ancillary measures of child performance indicated improvement in skills as well. High levels of correct teaching responses were maintained at a 1 month follow-up. This study extends current literature on BST while also providing a helpful, low-effort strategy to modify how parents can work with their children to improve their social skills. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Effect of concurrent Mg/Nb-doping on dielectric properties of Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alema, Fikadu; Reich, Michael; Reinholz, Aaron; Pokhodnya, Konstantin

2013-08-01

Composition, microstructure, and dielectric properties of undoped and Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BMN) doped Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) thin films deposited via rf. magnetron sputtering on platinized alumina substrates have been investigated. The analysis of microstructure has shown that despite the sizable effect of doping on the residual stress, the latter is partially compensated by the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch, and its influence on the BST film crystal structure is insignificant. It was revealed that BMN doped film demonstrated an average (over 2000 devices) of 52.5% tunability at 640 kV/cm, which is ˜8% lower than the value for the undoped film. This drop is associated with the presence of Mg ions in BMN; however, the effect of Mg doping is partially compensated by that of Nb ions. The decrease in grain size upon doping may also contribute to the tunability drop. Doping with BMN allows achievement of a compensation concentration yielding no free carriers and resulting in significant leakage current reduction when compared with the undoped film. In addition, the presence of large amounts of empty shallow traps related to NbTi• allows localizing free carriers injected from the contacts thus extending the device control voltage substantially above 10 V.

Visual detection of Potato Leafroll virus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA with the GeneFinder™ dye.

PubMed

Almasi, Mohammad Amin; Erfan Manesh, Maryam; Jafary, Hossein; Dehabadi, Seyed Mohammad Hosseini

2013-09-01

The most common virus affecting potatoes in the field worldwide is Potato Leafroll virus (PLRV), belonging to the family Luteoviridae, genius Plerovirus. There are several molecular methods to detect PLRV including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Multiplex AmpliDet RNA and double antibody sandwich ELISA (DAS-ELISA). But these techniques take a long time for 3h to two days, requiring sophisticated tools. The aim of this study was to reduce the time required to detect PLRV, using a newly designed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique requiring only an ordinary water bath or thermoblock. PLRV RNA was extracted from overall 80 infected naturally potato leaves. A set of six novel primers for the LAMP reaction was designed according to the highly conserved sequence of the viral coat protein (CP) gene. LAMP was carried out under isothermal conditions, applying the Bst DNA polymerase enzyme; the LAMP products were detected visually using the GeneFinder™ florescence dye. A positive result using the GeneFinder™ dye was a color change from the original orange to green. Results confirmed LAMP with GeneFinder™ provides a rapid and safe assay for detection of PLRV. Since with other molecular methods, equipping laboratories with a thermocycler or expensive detector systems is unavoidable, this assay was found to be a simple, cost-effective molecular method that has the potential to replace other diagnostic methods in primary laboratories without the need for expensive equipment or specialized techniques. It can also be considered as a reliable alternative viral detection system in further investigations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

GPR monitoring of rock mass stability in selected post-mining region in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golebiowski, T.

2012-04-01

Mining activity conducted over a period of many years may cause significant changes in the geological medium and in effect leads to strong degradation of the surface in mining and post-mining regions. One of the most dangerous effects of mining activity is appearance of sinkholes on the ground surface. These phenomena are related to the changes of initial stress-strain state of the rock mass as a result of mining works and the creation of fractures which migrate from excavations to the ground surface. The paper presents the results of selected GPR surveys carried out in the area of the coal mine "Siersza" in two sites, i.e. in the town of Siersza and in the village of Mloszowa (Upper Silesia, South Poland). The aim of the GPR research was 3D visualisation of fractured zones distribution generated by the mining activity and an attempt to make prediction where sinkholes would appear. In order to realize this aim the measurements were conducted in 4D mode (i.e. time-space analysis), which allowed to observe the fractured zones migration towards the ground surface. In order to obtain 4D information (x-y-z-t) GPR surveys were conducted for several years, along the same parallel profiles, separated by a constant distance equals 2.5m. The terrain measurements were carried out with RAMAC and PROEX GPR systems using 250, 200, 100 and 50 MHz antennae. Because of the limited length of this paper, only selected results from the 200-250 MHz antennae are presented. The results were presented in the form of the distribution of GPR signals energies calculated from Hilbert transform, applying the technique of energy inversion. In the site of Siersza, on the basis of 4D GPR visualisation, regions threatened with the formation of sinkholes were distinguished. A few years after the research, 2 cavities appeared in this site which proved that the interpretation was correct. Another fractured zone in this site was confirmed by a borehole. In the site of Mloszowa the GPR measurements were carried out in the region of already existing sinkhole (with the diameter of about 15m and the depth of about 10m) in order to detect the distribution of dangerous fractures around this sinkhole. As the results of GPR research has shown, fractured zones in this site developed quickly as a result of superimposition of fractures induced by mining activity and the processes of suffusion and congelifraction. GPR monitoring of the rock mass stability in mining and post-mining areas is very important because sinkholes threaten the live of people and stability of structures and installations. As it was shown in the paper, the GPR method gives very good results for the prediction of sinkholes creation if it is applied in 4D mode. A limitation of this method is the depth penetration, i.e. a dozen or so meters with resolution which allows to detect fractures and strong attenuation of electromagnetic waves in the clay formations. The research was financed from the funds of National Science Center, on the basis of agreement no. UMO-2011/01/B/ST7/06178 and decision no. DEC-2011/01/B/ST7/06178.

One-Pot Reverse Transcriptional Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) for Detecting MERS-CoV

PubMed Central

Lee, Se Hee; Baek, Yun Hee; Kim, Yang-Hoon; Choi, Young-Ki; Song, Min-Suk; Ahn, Ji-Young

2017-01-01

Due to the limitation of rapid development of specific antiviral drug or vaccine for novel emerging viruses, an accurate and rapid diagnosis is a key to manage the virus spread. We developed an efficient and rapid method with high specificity for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), based on one-pot reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (one-pot RT-LAMP). A set of six LAMP primers [F3, B3, FIP, BIP, LF (Loop-F), and LB (Loop-B)] were designed using the sequence of nucleocapsid (N) gene with optimized RT-LAMP enzyme conditions: 100 U M-MLV RTase and 4 U Bst polymerase, implying that the reaction was able to detect four infectious viral genome copies of MERS-CoV within a 60 min reaction time period. Significantly, EvaGreen dye has better signal read-out properties in one-pot RT-LAMP reaction and is more compatible with DNA polymerase than SYBR green I. Isothermally amplified specific N genes were further evaluated using field-deployable microchamber devices, leading to the specific identification of as few as 0.4 infectious viral genome copies, with no cross-reaction to the other acute respiratory disease viruses, including influenza type A (H1N1 and H3N2), type B, human coronavirus 229E, and human metapneumovirus. This sensitive, specific and feasible method provides a large-scale technical support in emergencies, and is also applied as a sample-to-detection module in Point of Care Testing devices. PMID:28119682

Installation Restoration Program. Phase 2. Confirmation/Quantification. Stage 1. Sites 24-WF15, 25-WF22 and 26-BST5. U.S. Air Force Plant No. 42, Palmdale, California.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-15

Primary Metals: CA Title 2:60 e Arsenic 0.005 mg/L~~ Barium 0.005 mg/LICadmium 0.005 mg/L Chromium 0.01 mg/L Lead 0.05 mg/L Mercury 0.001 mg/L Selenium...analyzed for twelve metals: arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Ca), chromium (COr), lead (Pb), mer- cury (Hg), selenium (Se), silver (Ag), iron (Fe...Total Threshold Limit Substnce (mg/L) (mg/Kg) Arsenic 5.0 500 Barium (excludingf barium sulfate) 100 10,000 Cadmium 1.0 100 Chromium VI 5 500 Chromium

Treatment of PCR products with exonuclease I and heat-labile alkaline phosphatase improves the visibility of combined bisulfite restriction analysis

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

Watanabe, Kousuke; Emoto, Noriko; Sunohara, Mitsuhiro

2010-08-27

Research highlights: {yields} Incubating PCR products at a high temperature causes smears in gel electrophoresis. {yields} Smears interfere with the interpretation of methylation analysis using COBRA. {yields} Treatment with exonuclease I and heat-labile alkaline phosphatase eliminates smears. {yields} The elimination of smears improves the visibility of COBRA. -- Abstract: DNA methylation plays a vital role in the regulation of gene expression. Abnormal promoter hypermethylation is an important mechanism of inactivating tumor suppressor genes in human cancers. Combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA) is a widely used method for identifying the DNA methylation of specific CpG sites. Here, we report that exonucleasemore » I and heat-labile alkaline phosphatase can be used for PCR purification for COBRA, improving the visibility of gel electrophoresis after restriction digestion. This improvement is observed when restriction digestion is performed at a high temperature, such as 60 {sup o}C or 65 {sup o}C, with BstUI and TaqI, respectively. This simple method can be applied instead of DNA purification using spin columns or phenol/chloroform extraction. It can also be applied to other situations when PCR products are digested by thermophile-derived restriction enzymes, such as PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.« less

Large-scale replication and heterogeneity in Parkinson disease genetic loci

PubMed Central

Ioannidis, John P.A.; Aasly, Jan O.; Annesi, Grazia; Brice, Alexis; Van Broeckhoven, Christine; Bertram, Lars; Bozi, Maria; Crosiers, David; Clarke, Carl; Facheris, Maurizio; Farrer, Matthew; Garraux, Gaetan; Gispert, Suzana; Auburger, Georg; Vilariño-Güell, Carles; Hadjigeorgiou, Georgios M.; Hicks, Andrew A.; Hattori, Nobutaka; Jeon, Beom; Lesage, Suzanne; Lill, Christina M.; Lin, Juei-Jueng; Lynch, Timothy; Lichtner, Peter; Lang, Anthony E.; Mok, Vincent; Jasinska-Myga, Barbara; Mellick, George D.; Morrison, Karen E.; Opala, Grzegorz; Pramstaller, Peter P.; Pichler, Irene; Park, Sung Sup; Quattrone, Aldo; Rogaeva, Ekaterina; Ross, Owen A.; Stefanis, Leonidas; Stockton, Joanne D.; Satake, Wataru; Silburn, Peter A.; Theuns, Jessie; Tan, Eng-King; Toda, Tatsushi; Tomiyama, Hiroyuki; Uitti, Ryan J.; Wirdefeldt, Karin; Wszolek, Zbigniew; Xiromerisiou, Georgia; Yueh, Kuo-Chu; Zhao, Yi; Gasser, Thomas; Maraganore, Demetrius; Krüger, Rejko

2012-01-01

Objective: Eleven genetic loci have reached genome-wide significance in a recent meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in Parkinson disease (PD) based on populations of Caucasian descent. The extent to which these genetic effects are consistent across different populations is unknown. Methods: Investigators from the Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease Consortium were invited to participate in the study. A total of 11 SNPs were genotyped in 8,750 cases and 8,955 controls. Fixed as well as random effects models were used to provide the summary risk estimates for these variants. We evaluated between-study heterogeneity and heterogeneity between populations of different ancestry. Results: In the overall analysis, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 9 loci showed significant associations with protective per-allele odds ratios of 0.78–0.87 (LAMP3, BST1, and MAPT) and susceptibility per-allele odds ratios of 1.14–1.43 (STK39, GAK, SNCA, LRRK2, SYT11, and HIP1R). For 5 of the 9 replicated SNPs there was nominally significant between-site heterogeneity in the effect sizes (I2 estimates ranged from 39% to 48%). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed significantly stronger effects for the BST1 (rs11724635) in Asian vs Caucasian populations and similar effects for SNCA, LRRK2, LAMP3, HIP1R, and STK39 in Asian and Caucasian populations, while MAPT rs2942168 and SYT11 rs34372695 were monomorphic in the Asian population, highlighting the role of population-specific heterogeneity in PD. Conclusion: Our study allows insight to understand the distribution of newly identified genetic factors contributing to PD and shows that large-scale evaluation in diverse populations is important to understand the role of population-specific heterogeneity. Neurology® 2012;79:659–667 PMID:22786590

Large-scale replication and heterogeneity in Parkinson disease genetic loci.

PubMed

Sharma, Manu; Ioannidis, John P A; Aasly, Jan O; Annesi, Grazia; Brice, Alexis; Van Broeckhoven, Christine; Bertram, Lars; Bozi, Maria; Crosiers, David; Clarke, Carl; Facheris, Maurizio; Farrer, Matthew; Garraux, Gaetan; Gispert, Suzana; Auburger, Georg; Vilariño-Güell, Carles; Hadjigeorgiou, Georgios M; Hicks, Andrew A; Hattori, Nobutaka; Jeon, Beom; Lesage, Suzanne; Lill, Christina M; Lin, Juei-Jueng; Lynch, Timothy; Lichtner, Peter; Lang, Anthony E; Mok, Vincent; Jasinska-Myga, Barbara; Mellick, George D; Morrison, Karen E; Opala, Grzegorz; Pramstaller, Peter P; Pichler, Irene; Park, Sung Sup; Quattrone, Aldo; Rogaeva, Ekaterina; Ross, Owen A; Stefanis, Leonidas; Stockton, Joanne D; Satake, Wataru; Silburn, Peter A; Theuns, Jessie; Tan, Eng-King; Toda, Tatsushi; Tomiyama, Hiroyuki; Uitti, Ryan J; Wirdefeldt, Karin; Wszolek, Zbigniew; Xiromerisiou, Georgia; Yueh, Kuo-Chu; Zhao, Yi; Gasser, Thomas; Maraganore, Demetrius; Krüger, Rejko

2012-08-14

Eleven genetic loci have reached genome-wide significance in a recent meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in Parkinson disease (PD) based on populations of Caucasian descent. The extent to which these genetic effects are consistent across different populations is unknown. Investigators from the Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease Consortium were invited to participate in the study. A total of 11 SNPs were genotyped in 8,750 cases and 8,955 controls. Fixed as well as random effects models were used to provide the summary risk estimates for these variants. We evaluated between-study heterogeneity and heterogeneity between populations of different ancestry. In the overall analysis, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 9 loci showed significant associations with protective per-allele odds ratios of 0.78-0.87 (LAMP3, BST1, and MAPT) and susceptibility per-allele odds ratios of 1.14-1.43 (STK39, GAK, SNCA, LRRK2, SYT11, and HIP1R). For 5 of the 9 replicated SNPs there was nominally significant between-site heterogeneity in the effect sizes (I(2) estimates ranged from 39% to 48%). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed significantly stronger effects for the BST1 (rs11724635) in Asian vs Caucasian populations and similar effects for SNCA, LRRK2, LAMP3, HIP1R, and STK39 in Asian and Caucasian populations, while MAPT rs2942168 and SYT11 rs34372695 were monomorphic in the Asian population, highlighting the role of population-specific heterogeneity in PD. Our study allows insight to understand the distribution of newly identified genetic factors contributing to PD and shows that large-scale evaluation in diverse populations is important to understand the role of population-specific heterogeneity.

Molecular characterization of Xanthomonas strains responsible for bacterial leaf spot of tomato in Ethiopia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bacterial spot of tomato (BST) is a major constraint to tomato production in Ethiopia and many other countries leading to significant crop losses. In the present study, using pathogenicity tests, sensitivity to copper and streptomycin, and multilocus sequence analysis, a diverse group of Xanthomonas...

Caregivers as Interventionists and Trainers: Teaching Mands to Children with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loughrey, Tara Olivia; Contreras, Bethany P.; Majdalany, Lina M.; Rudy, Nikki; Sinn, Stephanie; Teague, Patricia; Marshall, Genevieve; McGreevy, Patrick; Harvey, A. Celeste

2014-01-01

We evaluated the use of behavioral skills training (BST) to train caregivers to conduct procedures commonly associated with mand training. We trained two caregivers on the following procedures: (a) conducting preference assessments, (b) delivering preferred items contingent on appropriate behavior, (c) capturing and contriving motivating…

Parent-Implemented Behavioral Skills Training of Social Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Rebecca K.; King, Melissa L.; Fischetti, Anthony T.; Lake, Candice M.; Mathews, Therese L.; Warzak, William J.

2017-01-01

Impairment in social skills is a primary feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Research indicates that social skills are intimately tied to social development and negative social consequences can persist if specific social behaviors are not acquired. The present study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on teaching…

[Determine the patient's position towards psychiatric care: a simple tool to estimate the alliance and the motivation].

PubMed

Versaevel, C; Samama, D; Jeanson, R; Lajugie, C; Dufeutrel, L; Defromont, L; Lebouteiller, V; Danel, T; Duhamel, A; Genin, M; Salleron, J; Cottencin, O

2013-09-01

For the brief systemic therapy (BST), the evaluation of the patient's position towards the care is a prerequisite to psychotherapy. Three positions of the patient are described. The "tourist's" position: the patient claims to have no problem and doesn't suffer. Someone asks him to make an appointment, sometimes with threats. The "complaint's" position: the patient claims to suffer, but attributes the responsibility of this suffering to others. These two positions are not good for beginning a therapy. The "customer's" position differs from both previous positions. The "customer" considers that he has a psychological problem which depends on him and he is motivated in the resolution of it. In theory, the "customer" is more motivated and the therapeutic alliance is better. It is for this reason that the BST estimates the position of the patient at first, to bring the patient to the "customer's" position. The objective of this study is to assess an interview which identifies the patient's position towards the care, and to validate the theoretical elaborations of the brief systemic therapy. The study concerns the follow-up of outpatients who consult a psychiatrist for the first time. The evaluation of the patients checks their position towards care using the Tourist-Complaint-Customer (TCC) inventory, how they suffer, the therapeutic alliance (scale Haq-2) and the compliance during care. The evaluation by the psychiatrists checks the suffering perceived, the motivation perceived and the diagnoses according to the DSM. The typology of these patients is made up of one half "complaint", a quarter of "tourist" and a quarter of "customer". The "customer's" position is correlated with the therapeutic alliance and the motivation perceived by the psychiatrist. The motivation perceived by the psychiatrist is correlated with the therapeutic alliance. These results correspond to the theoretical elaborations of the BST. the TCC inventory provides information on the motivation and the therapeutic alliance. If the patient is in "tourist" or "complaint" position, we recommend that the psychiatrist "work" to bring the patient to "customer" position. The evaluation of the position of the patient is simple and rich in information. We recommend that it be given a place in the daily practice of psychiatry. Copyright © 2013 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Verticillosides A-M: Polyoxygenated pregnane glycosides from Asclepias verticillata L.

PubMed

Araya, Juan J; Binns, Franklin; Kindscher, Kelly; Timmermann, Barbara N

2012-06-01

As part of our ongoing effort to explore the chemical diversity of plants of the United States Midwest region, the isolation and identification of 13 pregnane glycosides named verticillosides A-M from Asclepias verticillata L. are reported. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by various spectroscopic techniques, including 1D and 2D NMR, IR, UV, and HRMS. The cytotoxicity of the isolates was evaluated against paired breast cell lines Hs578T (cancer) and Hs578Bst (normal), however, no significant growth inhibition was observed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Properties of Ferroelectric Perovskite Structures under Non-equilibrium Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qingteng

Ferroelectric materials have received lots of attention thanks to their intriguing properties such as the piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects, as well as the large dielectric constants and the spontaneous polarization which can potentially be used for information storage. In particular, perovskite crystal has a very simple unit cell structure yet a very rich phase transition diagram, which makes it one of the most intensively studied ferroelectric materials. In this dissertation, we use effective Hamiltonian, a first-principles-based computational technique to study the finite-temperature properties of ferroelectric perovskites. We studied temperature-graded (BaxSr 1-x)TiO3 (BST) bulk alloys as well as the dynamics of nanodomain walls (nanowalls) in Pb(Zr xTi1-x)O 3 (PZT) ultra-thin films under the driving force of an AC field. Our computations suggest that, for the temperature-graded BST, the polarization responds to the temperature gradient (TG), with the "up" and "down" offset observed in polarization components along the direction of TG, in agreement with the findings from experiments. For the nanowalls in PZT, the dynamics can be described by the damped-harmonic-oscillator model, and we observed a size-driven transition from resonance to relaxational dynamics at a critical thickness of 7.2 nm. The transition originates from the change in the effective mass of a nanowall as a film thickness increases. Some of the findings may find potential applications in various devices, such as thermal sensors, energy converters, or novel memory units.

Cytogenetic characterization and B chromosome diversity in direct-developing frogs of the genus Oreobates (Brachycephaloidea, Craugastoridae)

PubMed Central

Ferro, Juan Martín; Taffarel, Alberto; Cardozo, Darío; Grosso, Jimena; Puig, María Pía; Suárez, Pablo; Akmentins, Mauricio Sebastián; Baldo, Diego

2016-01-01

Abstract Oreobates Jiménez de la Espada, 1872 is a large group of South American frogs with terrestrial reproduction and direct development, located in the superfamily Brachycephaloidea. About 260 brachycephaloidean species have been cytogenetically studied so far, at least with standard techniques. However, this information represents fewer than 17% species of the family Craugastoridae Hedges, Duellman & Heinicke, 2008, where the genus Oreobates is included. In the present work, using a diversity of standard and molecular techniques, we describe the karyotype of Oreobates barituensis Vaira & Ferrari, 2008, Oreobates berdemenos Pereyra, Cardozo, Baldo & Baldo, 2014 and Oreobates discoidalis (Peracca, 1895), from northwestern Argentina. The three species analyzed showed a diploid karyotype with 2n = 22 biarmed chromosomes, fundamental number (FN) = 44, nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) located pericentromerically on pair 7, and a centromeric and pericentromeric C-banding pattern. We observed variations in the chromosome number in Oreobates barituensis due the presence of two morphs of B chromosomes, one medium-sized telocentric (BT) and another subtelocentric and smaller (Bst). Both B chromosomes are mitotically stable and were recorded in all somatic and germinal cells analyzed. The BT chromosome occurred at a maximum of one per individual (2n = 22+BT), and the other one was observed single (2n = 22 + Bst) or as a pair in two doses (2n = 22 + 2BT). We additionally observed other supernumerary chromosomes in the three species analyzed, all of them euchromatic, small, dot-shaped and with instability during mitoses, showing a frequency of occurrence below 50% in studied specimens. The occurrence of polymorphic and spontaneous chromosomal rearrangements and supernumerary chromosomes is a recurrent feature reported in frogs with terrestrial habits (Brachycephaloidea and Hemiphractidae Peters, 1862), which suggests that Brachycephaloidea may be a promising group for studying the origin and maintenance of B chromosomes in anurans. PMID:27186344

Neither bST nor Growth Hormone Releasing Factor Alter Expression of Thyroid Hormone Receptors in Liver and Mammary Tissues

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Physiological effects of thyroid hormones are mediated primarily by binding of triiodothyronine, to specific nuclear receptors. It has been hypothesized that organ-specific changes in production of triiodothyronine from its prohormone, thyroxine, target the action of thyroid hormones to the mammary...

Training Kindergarten Students Lockdown Drill Procedures Using Behavioral Skills Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Misty Jo; Vargo, Kristina K.

2017-01-01

During situations in which a gunman is present on a school campus, lockdowns are initiated until the threat is removed. However, there are no data demonstrating an effective teaching strategy to increase students' correct responding during a lockdown. We evaluated the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) to teach three groups of…

A Brief Group Intervention Using Video Games to Teach Sportsmanship Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Bill R.; Gillis, Jennifer M.; Sevlever, Melina

2013-01-01

Impaired social skills represent a fundamental deficit for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Despite the potential importance of "good sportsmanship," this social skill has received relatively little attention in the literature. The current study utilized a Behavioral Skills Training (BST) approach to teach three…

Variation of Strontium (Sr) in the Ferroelectric Material Barium Strontium Titanate (Ba1-xSrxTiO3) by Co precipitation Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subarwanti, Y.; Safitri, R. D.; Supriyanto, A.; Iriani, Y.; Jamaludin, A.

2017-02-01

Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) have been made with variation strontium (Sr) 10%, 30% and 50% by co-precipitation method. This study aims to determine influence addition Sr against the crystal structure, crystallite size, lattice parameter, grain size and dielectric constant. Samples have been made by co-precipitation method and then the samples were sintered by furnace at 1100°C with holding time 4 hours. Characterization of BST use X-Ray Diffraction instrument, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Resistance Capacitance Inductance (RCL meter). Based on result obtained, the larger Sr content cause the diffraction angle shift to the right (the greater) and crystallinity increasing. But, the value of dielectric constant, crystallite size and grain size decreasing with additional Sr content. Measurement of dielectric constant (K) performed in the frequency range 1 kHz to 100 kHz and the highest value at Sr content 0.1 i.e. 258.35. The addition of Sr content 30% and 50% change the crystal structure from tetragonal to cubic which has paraelectric phase.

Anthropogenic antibiotic resistance genes mobilization to the polar regions.

PubMed

Hernández, Jorge; González-Acuña, Daniel

2016-01-01

Anthropogenic influences in the southern polar region have been rare, but lately microorganisms associated with humans have reached Antarctica, possibly from military bases, fishing boats, scientific expeditions, and/or ship-borne tourism. Studies of seawater in areas of human intervention and proximal to fresh penguin feces revealed the presence of Escherichia coli strains least resistant to antibiotics in penguins, whereas E. coli from seawater elsewhere showed resistance to one or more of the following antibiotics: ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, and trim-sulfa. In seawater samples, bacteria were found carrying extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-type CTX-M genes in which multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) showed different sequence types (STs), previously reported in humans. In the Arctic, on the contrary, people have been present for a long time, and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) appears to be much more wide-spread than was previously reported. Studies of E coli from Arctic birds (Bering Strait) revealed reduced susceptibility to antibiotics, but one globally spreading clone of E. coli genotype O25b-ST131, carrying genes of ESBL-type CTX-M, was identified. In the few years between sample collections in the same area, differences in resistance pattern were observed, with E. coli from birds showing resistance to a maximum of five different antibiotics. Presence of resistance-type ESBLs (TEM, SHV, and CTX-M) in E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae was also confirmed by specified PCR methods. MLST revealed that those bacteria carried STs that connect them to previously described strains in humans. In conclusion, bacteria previously related to humans could be found in relatively pristine environments, and presently human-associated, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have reached a high global level of distribution that they are now found even in the polar regions.

Difficulty in losing weight by behavioral intervention for women with Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor gene.

PubMed

Shiwaku, K; Nogi, A; Anuurad, E; Kitajima, K; Enkhmaa, B; Shimono, K; Yamane, Y

2003-09-01

Trp64Arg mutation in the beta(3)-adrenergic receptor (beta(3)AR) gene is relatively common in Japanese people. However, it has not been clear whether persons with Trp64Arg mutation in the beta(3)AR gene tend to have obesity and difficulty in losing weight even with a restricted diet and exercise. We investigated the response of body weight and metabolic factors to behavioral intervention in Japanese women with Trp64Arg mutation in the beta(3)AR gene. A 3-month behavioral intervention study using a combination of diet and exercise programs. A total of 76 perimenopausal women with no clinical symptoms (age: 54.7+/-7.7 y, body mass index (BMI): 21.0-33.0 kg/m(2)). Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, skin fold, resting energy expenditure and blood pressure) and metabolic measurements (serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, nonesterified fatty acid, glucose, insulin and leptin) and determination of the beta(3)AR genotype by polymerase chain reaction followed by BstNI digestion. At the baseline of BMI, body weight, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, the arm skin fold, resting energy expenditure, or blood lipid and glucose profiles, there was no significant difference in participants with/without mutation of the beta(3)AR gene. The intervention yielded a body weight reduction in 69 and 48%, and induced a significant difference in weight loss (-0.74 and -0.01 kg) for women with wild-type and Trp64Arg mutation, respectively. Significant differences of anthropometric parameters were found in body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences and blood pressure of wild type by the intervention. However, women with Trp64Arg mutation did not show significant changes in these anthropometric parameters, except for hip circumference. A significant difference was found in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and in the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C ratio in both genotypes. The results of the present study suggest that the Trp64Arg mutation of the beta(3)AR gene is associated with difficulty in losing weight through behavioral intervention, although it is not related to obesity-related phenotypes and resting energy expenditure before the intervention.

High rate of faecal carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in healthy children in Bangui, Central African Republic.

PubMed

Farra, A; Frank, T; Tondeur, L; Bata, P; Gody, J C; Onambele, M; Rafaï, C; Vray, M; Breurec, S

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) in faeces of healthy children aged 0-59 months in Bangui (Central African Republic). Stool samples of 134 children, recruited for a matched case-control study, were cultured on a commercial ESBL-selective chromogenic medium (CHROMagar ESBL, France). The phenotypic resistance patterns of isolated strains were investigated, as well as the genetic basis for antibiotic resistance. The factors associated with increased risk for ESBL-E carriage were also studied. The prevalence of ESBL-E carriage was 59% (79/134), one of the highest reported worldwide. The only factor found to be associated with carriage was living in a highest-income family (p=0.03). In all, 83 ESBL-E were recovered as simultaneous carriage of two strains was detected in four children. bla CTX-M-15 was found in all strains except two, frequently associated with qnr (54/81, 66%) and aac(6')-Ib-cr (35/81, 43%) genes. Escherichia coli, the most commonly recovered species (51/83, 61%), was assigned mainly to the pandemic B2-O25b-ST131 group (39/51, 76%). Resistance transfer, which was studied in 20 randomly selected ESBL-E strains, was successful in 13 (13/20, 65%) isolates. In eight of these isolates (8/13, 62%), bla CTX-M-15 genes were found in incompatibility group FIb conjugative plasmids. We found one of the highest prevalence rates of faecal carriage of ESBL-E reported worldwide, highlighting the need to improve control of the distribution of antibiotics in limited-resource countries. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selegiline Ameliorates Depression-Like Behavior in Mice Lacking the CD157/BST1 Gene, a Risk Factor for Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Kasai, Satoka; Yoshihara, Toru; Lopatina, Olga; Ishihara, Katsuhiko; Higashida, Haruhiro

2017-01-01

Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is accompanied by various non-motor symptoms including depression and anxiety, which may precede the onset of motor symptoms. Selegiline is an irreversible monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitor, and is widely used in the treatment of PD and major depression. However, there are few reports about the effects of selegiline on non-motor symptoms in PD. The aim of this study was to explore the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of selegiline, using CD157/BST1 knockout (CD157 KO) mouse, a PD-related genetic model displaying depression and anxiety, compared with other antiparkinsonian drugs and an antidepressant, and was to investigate the effects of selegiline on biochemical parameters in emotion-related brain regions. A single administration of selegiline (1–10 mg/kg) dose-dependently reduced immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST) in CD157 KO mice, but not C57BL/6N wild-type (WT) mice. At 10 mg/kg, but not 3 mg/kg, selegiline significantly increased climbing time in CD157 KO mice. A single administration of the antiparkinsonian drugs pramipexole (a dopamine (DA) D2/D3 receptor agonist) or rasagiline (another MAO-B inhibitor), and repeated injections of a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA), mirtazapine, also decreased immobility time, but did not increase climbing time, in CD157 KO mice. The antidepressant-like effects of 10 mg/kg selegiline were comparable to those of 10 mg/kg rasagiline, and tended to be stronger than those of 1 mg/kg rasagiline. After the FST, CD157 KO mice showed decreases in striatal and hippocampal serotonin (5-HT) content, cortical norepinephrine (NE) content, and plasma corticosterone concentration. A single administration of selegiline at 10 mg/kg returned striatal 5-HT, cortical NE, and plasma corticosterone levels to those observed in WT mice. In the open field test (OFT), repeated administration of mirtazapine had anxiolytic effects, and selegiline nonsignificantly ameliorated anxiety-like behaviors in CD157 KO mice. In the social interaction and preference tests, repeated mirtazapine ameliorated the high anxiety and low sociability of CD157 KO mice, whereas selegiline did not. These results indicate that selegiline has antidepressant and mild anxiolytic effects in CD157 KO mice, and suggest that it is an effective antiparkinsonian drug for depressive and anxiety symptoms in PD patients with a CD157 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). PMID:28515684

Flexoelectricity in Nanostructures: Theory, Nanofabrication and Characterization

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-13

public release; distribution is unlimited. Major Goals: The objective of this project is to investigate, theoretically and experimentally , the... experimental approach. Accomplishments: In this report, we investigated the thermal polarization effect where the temperature- dependent dielectric...through an analytical model, which was experimentally verified. Secondly, based on the existence of the converse flexoelectric effect in materials, BST

Prostanoid Production by Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Kupffer Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-05-01

RONALD D. NELSONJt RUDOLPH J. ROETHEL, B.S.,t AND MITCHELL P. FINK, M.D.t *lrored Fores~ Radiwhwlogy Research Instt ute, . ineNcerIi’nv Bethesda. Var viand ...Multip~ le system 19. Knook, D. L., and Sleyster. E. Ch. Preparation and organ failure. Suv.k. C/in North-I ier. 63: 315, 1993. characterization of

Behavioral Skills Training to Improve Installation and Use of Child Passenger Safety Restraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Himle, Michael B.; Wright, Kalon A.

2014-01-01

The risk for serious injury and death to children during motor vehicle accidents can be greatly reduced through the correct use of child passenger safety restraints (CPSRs). Unfortunately, most CPSRs are installed or used incorrectly. This study examined the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) to teach 10 participants to install…

The Effects of Behavioral Skills Training on Implementation of the Picture Exchange Communication System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosales, Rocio; Stone, Karen; Rehfeldt, Ruth Anne

2009-01-01

The effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) package to teach the implementation of the first three phases of the picture exchange communication system (PECS) was evaluated with 3 adults who had no history teaching any functional communication system. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness…

An Evaluation of a Behavioural Support Team for Adults with a Learning Disability and Behaviours That Challenge from a Multi-Agency Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christopher, Rose; Horsley, Sarah

2016-01-01

The Dudley Behavioural Support Team (BST) was set up based on Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) principles to support individuals with behaviours that challenge. The Winterbourne Review emphasises the importance of developing high-quality specialist community services and the Ensuring Quality Services (Local Government Association & NHS…

Cultivating Effective Pedagogical Skills in In-Service Teachers: The Role of Some Teacher Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amusan, Mosunmola A.

2016-01-01

Researchers have opined that pedagogical skill of the teacher is a powerful force. This study investigated variables that are required to cultivate effective pedagogical skills for teaching basic science and technology (BST) in Ogun State Primary Schools in Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted. A total of 148 teachers across the state…

Establishing Fire Safety Skills Using Behavioral Skills Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houvouras, Andrew J., IV; Harvey, Mark T.

2014-01-01

The use of behavioral skills training (BST) to educate 3 adolescent boys on the risks of lighters and fire setting was evaluated using in situ assessment in a school setting. Two participants had a history of fire setting. After training, all participants adhered to established rules: (a) avoid a deactivated lighter, (b) leave the training area,…

An Evaluation of a Parent Implemented in Situ Pedestrian Safety Skills Intervention for Individuals with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harriage, Bethany; Blair, Kwang-Sun Cho; Miltenberger, Raymond

2016-01-01

This study evaluated an in situ pedestrian safety skills intervention for three individuals with autism, as implemented by their parents. Specifically, this study examined the utility of behavioral skills training (BST) in helping parents implement most-to-least prompting procedures in training their children to use pedestrian safety skills in…

Evaluating the Use of Behavioral Skills Training to Improve School Staffs' Implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Ashley; Knez, Nikki; Kahng, SungWoo

2015-01-01

Variations of behavioral skills training (BST) have been used to teach behaviorally oriented skills such as discrete trial teaching, guided compliance, the implementation of the picture exchange system, and safe guarding students with physical disabilities. One area that has not received much attention is evaluating school staff's correct…

Development of loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for rapid detection of Streptococcus iniae, the causative agent of streptococcicosis in fish.

PubMed

Cai, Shuang-Hu; Wang, Bei; Lu, Yi-Shan; Jian, Ji-Chang; Wu, Zao-He

2012-04-01

Streptococcus iniae is a major pathogen that causes sever economic losses in tilapia aquaculture. A set of four specific primers was designed by targeting lctO gene. With Bst DNA polymerase, the target DNA can be clearly amplified for 60 min at 64 °C in a simple water bath. The sensitivity of the LAMP assay for the detection of S. iniae is about 12.4 cells per reaction in both of pure cultures and added fish tissues cultures. LAMP products could be judged with agar gel or naked eye after addition of SYBR Green I. There were no cross-reactions with other bacterial strains indicating high specificity of the LAMP. The LAMP method was also applied to detect S. iniae-infected tilapia tissues effectively. The LAMP assay reported here indicates the potential usefulness of the technique as a valuable simple, rapid alternative procedure for the detection of S. iniae during streptococcicosis monitoring of cultured fish. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rapid and reliable diagnostic method to detect Zika virus by real-time fluorescence reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

PubMed

Guo, Xu-Guang; Zhou, Yong-Zhuo; Li, Qin; Wang, Wei; Wen, Jin-Zhou; Zheng, Lei; Wang, Qian

2018-04-18

To detect Zika virus more rapidly and accurately, we developed a novel method that utilized a real-time fluorescence reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique. The NS5 gene was amplified by a set of six specific primers that recognized six distinct sequences. The amplification process, including 60 min of thermostatic reaction with Bst DNA polymerase following real-time fluorescence reverse transcriptase using genomic Zika virus standard strain (MR766), was conducted through fluorescent signaling. Among the six pairs of primers that we designate here, NS5 was the most efficient with a high sensitivity of up to 3.3 ng/μl and reproducible specificity on eight pathogen samples that were used as negative controls. The real-time fluorescence reverse transcription LAMP detection process can be completed within 35 min. Our study demonstrated that real-time fluorescence reverse transcription LAMP could be highly beneficial and convenient clinical application to detect Zika virus due to its high specificity and stability.

Novel RF and microwave components employing ferroelectric and solid-state tunable capacitors for multi-functional wireless communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tombak, Ali

The recent advancement in wireless communications demands an ever increasing improvement in the system performance and functionality with a reduced size and cost. This thesis demonstrates novel RF and microwave components based on ferroelectric and solid-state based tunable capacitor (varactor) technologies for the design of low-cost, small-size and multi-functional wireless communication systems. These include tunable lumped element VHF filters based on ferroelectric varactors, a beam-steering technique which, unlike conventional systems, does not require separate power divider and phase shifters, and a predistortion linearization technique that uses a varactor based tunable R-L-C resonator. Among various ferroelectric materials, Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) is actively being studied for the fabrication of high performance varactors at RF and microwave frequencies. BST based tunable capacitors are presented with typical tunabilities of 4.2:1 with the application of 5 to 10 V DC bias voltages and typical loss tangents in the range of 0.003--0.009 at VHF frequencies. Tunable lumped element lowpass and bandpass VHF filters based on BST varactors are also demonstrated with tunabilities of 40% and 57%, respectively. A new beam-steering technique is developed based on the extended resonance power dividing technique. Phased arrays based on this technique do not require separate power divider and phase shifters. Instead, the power division and phase shifting circuits are combined into a single circuit, which utilizes tunable capacitors. This results in a substantial reduction in the circuit complexity and cost. Phased arrays based on this technique can be employed in mobile multimedia services and automotive collision avoidance radars. A 2-GHz 4-antenna and a 10-GHz 8-antenna extended resonance phased arrays are demonstrated with scan ranges of 20 degrees and 18 degrees, respectively. A new predistortion linearization technique for the linearization of RF/microwave power amplifiers is also presented. This technique utilizes a varactor based tunable R-L-C resonator in shunt configuration. Due to the small number of circuit elements required, linearizers based on this technique offer low-cost and simple circuitry, hence can be utilized in handheld and cellular applications. A 1.8 GHz power amplifier with 9 dB gain is linearized using this technique. The linearizer improves the output 1-dB compression point of the power amplifier from 21 to 22.8 dBm. Adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) is improved approximately 11 dB at an output RF power level of 17.5 dBm. The thesis is concluded by summarizing the main achievements and discussing the future work directions.

Hepatitis C virus genotypes in Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Krug, L P; Lunge, V R; Ikuta, N; Fonseca, A S; Cheinquer, H; Ozaki, L S; Barros, S G

1996-12-01

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in Southern Brazil was studied in the plasma of 100 HCV-RNA-positive patients attended in Porto Alegre, South of Brazil. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) products from the 5' noncoding region were double digested with RsaI-HaeIII and BstNI-HinfI and analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Three genotypes (1, 2 and 3) were demonstrable, the most prevalent being HCV type 1 (55 of 100 patients, 55%), followed by HCV type 3 (37 of 100 patients, 37%) and HCV type 2 (8 of 100 patients, 8%). There was an unusual high prevalence of genotype 3, in contrast to the majority of published data from the Southeast region.

Comparison of Expression Profiles in Ovarian Epithelium In Vivo and Ovarian Cancer Identifies Novel Candidate Genes Involved in Disease Pathogenesis

PubMed Central

Emmanuel, Catherine; Gava, Natalie; Kennedy, Catherine; Balleine, Rosemary L.; Sharma, Raghwa; Wain, Gerard; Brand, Alison; Hogg, Russell; Etemadmoghadam, Dariush; George, Joshy; Birrer, Michael J.; Clarke, Christine L.; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Bowtell, David D. L.; Harnett, Paul R.; deFazio, Anna

2011-01-01

Molecular events leading to epithelial ovarian cancer are poorly understood but ovulatory hormones and a high number of life-time ovulations with concomitant proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammation, increases risk. We identified genes that are regulated during the estrous cycle in murine ovarian surface epithelium and analysed these profiles to identify genes dysregulated in human ovarian cancer, using publically available datasets. We identified 338 genes that are regulated in murine ovarian surface epithelium during the estrous cycle and dysregulated in ovarian cancer. Six of seven candidates selected for immunohistochemical validation were expressed in serous ovarian cancer, inclusion cysts, ovarian surface epithelium and in fallopian tube epithelium. Most were overexpressed in ovarian cancer compared with ovarian surface epithelium and/or inclusion cysts (EpCAM, EZH2, BIRC5) although BIRC5 and EZH2 were expressed as highly in fallopian tube epithelium as in ovarian cancer. We prioritised the 338 genes for those likely to be important for ovarian cancer development by in silico analyses of copy number aberration and mutation using publically available datasets and identified genes with established roles in ovarian cancer as well as novel genes for which we have evidence for involvement in ovarian cancer. Chromosome segregation emerged as an important process in which genes from our list of 338 were over-represented including two (BUB1, NCAPD2) for which there is evidence of amplification and mutation. NUAK2, upregulated in ovarian surface epithelium in proestrus and predicted to have a driver mutation in ovarian cancer, was examined in a larger cohort of serous ovarian cancer where patients with lower NUAK2 expression had shorter overall survival. In conclusion, defining genes that are activated in normal epithelium in the course of ovulation that are also dysregulated in cancer has identified a number of pathways and novel candidate genes that may contribute to the development of ovarian cancer. PMID:21423607

Notes from the Field: Baskeet Phonological Sketch and Digital Wordlist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treis, Yvonne; Werth, Alexander

2014-01-01

In literature, "Baskeet," also known by the Amharic term, "Basketo," is an Omotic language spoken by about 80,000 speakers in the Basketo Special Woreda and in the Melokoza Woreda of the Gamo-Gofa Zone in the Southern Region of Ethiopia. Baskeet (ISO 639-3 code: bst) belongs to the Ometo branch of North Omotic and is hitherto…

Mandated Coverage of Preventive Care and Reduction in Disparities: Evidence From Colorectal Cancer Screening

PubMed Central

Kapinos, Kandice A.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We identified correlates of racial/ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer screening and changes in disparities under state-mandated insurance coverage. Methods. Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, we estimated a Fairlie decomposition in the insured population aged 50 to 64 years and a regression-adjusted difference-in-difference-in-difference model of changes in screening attributable to mandates. Results. Under mandated coverage, blood stool test (BST) rates increased among Black, Asian, and Native American men, but rates among Whites also increased, so disparities did not change. Endoscopic screening rates increased by 10 percentage points for Hispanic men and 3 percentage points for non-Hispanic men. BST rates fell among Hispanic relative to non-Hispanic men. We found no changes for women. However, endoscopic screening rates improved among lower income individuals across all races and ethnicities. Conclusions. Mandates were associated with a reduction in endoscopic screening disparities only for Hispanic men but may indirectly reduce racial/ethnic disparities by increasing rates among lower income individuals. Findings imply that systematic differences in insurance coverage, or health plan fragmentation, likely existed without mandates. These findings underscore the need to research disparities within insured populations. PMID:25905835

EFFECTS OF ELECTRODE RESISTANCE ON THE DIELECTRIC BEHAVIORS OF Au/BaxSr1-xTiO3/La1.1Sr0.9NiO4 CAPACITORS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Jie; Liu, Guozhen; Wolfman, Jérôme

2016-05-01

BaxSr1-xTiO3 (0.1≤x≤0.5) (BST) thin films were prepared on La1.1Sr0.9NiO4 (LSNO)/SrTiO3 (STO) structure by combinatorial pulsed laser deposition (comb-PLD). The capacitances of the Au/BST/LSNO capacitors exhibited strong frequency dependence especially when the applied frequency was higher than 10kHz. On the basis of an equivalent circuit model, we presented a theoretical simulation of the relationships between capacitance and frequency for the capacitors with different electrode serial resistances. Based on the fitting results, the observed strong frequency dependence of the measured capacitance at high frequency in our study could be ascribed to the large serial resistance of 750 Ω for oxide electrode LSNO. Further simulation studies found that large serial resistance (1000 Ω) could result in an apparent deviation from the intrinsic dielectric properties especially at high frequencies (>100kHz) for capacitors with capacitances above 1nF. Our results provide useful information for the design of all-oxide electronic devices.

Pareto Joint Inversion of Love and Quasi Rayleigh's waves - synthetic study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogacz, Adrian; Dalton, David; Danek, Tomasz; Miernik, Katarzyna; Slawinski, Michael A.

2017-04-01

In this contribution the specific application of Pareto joint inversion in solving geophysical problem is presented. Pareto criterion combine with Particle Swarm Optimization were used to solve geophysical inverse problems for Love and Quasi Rayleigh's waves. Basic theory of forward problem calculation for chosen surface waves is described. To avoid computational problems some simplification were made. This operation allowed foster and more straightforward calculation without lost of solution generality. According to the solving scheme restrictions, considered model must have exact two layers, elastic isotropic surface layer and elastic isotropic half space with infinite thickness. The aim of the inversion is to obain elastic parameters and model geometry using dispersion data. In calculations different case were considered, such as different number of modes for different wave types and different frequencies. Created solutions are using OpenMP standard for parallel computing, which help in reduction of computational times. The results of experimental computations are presented and commented. This research was performed in the context of The Geomechanics Project supported by Husky Energy. Also, this research was partially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, grant 238416-2013, and by the Polish National Science Center under contract No. DEC-2013/11/B/ST10/0472.

Behavioral Skills Training in Portuguese Children With School Failure Problems

PubMed Central

Galindo, Edgar; Candeias, Adelinda A.; Pires, Heldemerina S.; Grácio, Luísa; Stück, Marcus

2018-01-01

This paper postulates that psychology can make an important contribution at an individual level to help children with school failure problems in a context where too little applied research has been conducted on the instructional needs of these children. Some data are analyzed, revealing that, despite some progress, school failure is still a main educational problem in many countries. In this study, Behavioral Skills Training (BST) was applied in Portugal to train children with school failure difficulties. BST is a method based on Applied Behavior Analysis, a teaching package consisting of a combination of behavioral techniques: instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Two empirical studies are presented. Their main purpose was to develop behavioral diagnostic and training techniques to teach lacking skills. School success was defined in terms of a set of skills proposed by teachers and school failure as a lack of one or more of these skills. The main instrument was a package of training programs to be applied in three areas: basic behavior (precurrents), academic behavior, or social behavior. The second instrument is a package of check-lists, aimed to determine the level of performance of the child in an area. This check-list was applied before (pre-test) and after (post-test) training. In the first study, 16, 7- to 8-year old children were trained. They were attending the second or third grades and having academic difficulties of different origins. The effects of the training programs are evaluated in terms of percentage of attained objectives, comparing a pre- and a post-test. The results showed an increase in correct responses after training in all cases. To provide a sounder demonstration of the efficacy of the training programs, a second study was carried out using a quasi-experimental design. A multiple baseline design was applied to three 10- to 11-year-old children, referred by teachers because of learning difficulties in the fourth grade. Results showed few performance changes without training. Increases in behavior following BST were evident in all cases, indicating that training generated improvement in all three children. In both studies, comparable results occurred across students, demonstrating replication of the effects of the training programs. PMID:29896134

Flexoelectric effect in functionally graded materials: A numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Anuruddh; Kiran, Raj; Kumar, Rajeev; Chandra Jain, Satish; Vaish, Rahul

2018-04-01

The flexoelectric effect has been observed in a wide range of dielectric materials. However, the flexoelectric effect can only be induced using the strain gradient. Researchers have examined the flexoelectricity using non-uniform loading (cantilever type) or non-uniform shape in dielectric materials, which may be undesirable in many applications. In the present article, we demonstrate induced flexoelectricity in dielectric functionally graded materials (FGMs) due to non-uniform Youngs's modulus along the thickness. To examine flexoelectricity, Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were used to numerically simulate the performance of FGMs. 2D simulation suggests that output voltage can drastically enhance for optimum grading index of FGMs.

Adhesion between peptides/antibodies and breast cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, J.; Paetzell, E.; Bogorad, A.; Soboyejo, W. O.

2010-06-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques were used to measure the adhesion forces between the receptors on breast cancer cells specific to human luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) peptides and antibodies specific to the EphA2 receptor. The adhesion forces between LHRH-coated AFM tips and human MDA-MB-231 cells (breast cancer cells) were shown to be about five times greater than those between LHRH-coated AFM tips and normal Hs578Bst breast cells. Similarly, those between EphA2 antibody-coated AFM tips and breast cancer cells were over five times greater than those between EphA2 antibody-coated AFM tips and normal breast cells. The results suggest that AFM can be used for the detection of breast cancer cells in biopsies. The implications of the results are also discussed for the early detection and localized treatment of cancer.

Faecal carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among humans in Java, Indonesia, in 2001-2002.

PubMed

Severin, Juliëtte A; Lestari, Endang Sri; Kloezen, Wendy; Lemmens-den Toom, Nicole; Mertaniasih, Ni Made; Kuntaman, Kuntaman; Purwanta, Marijam; Duerink, D Offra; Hadi, Usman; van Belkum, Alex; Verbrugh, Henri A; Goessens, Wil H

2012-04-01

To characterise commensal Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriaceae with reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime that were collected in a large survey carried out among 3995 patients and healthy persons in two urban regions on Java, Indonesia, in 2001-2002. The putative extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae were analysed using double-disk synergy tests, isoelectric focusing, PCR assays, DNA sequencing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). On the day of discharge after five or more days of hospitalisation, at least 95 of 999 (9.5%) patients carried ESBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae as dominant faecal flora. Six patients were simultaneously colonised with E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with ESBL activity. On admission, only 6 of 998 (0.6%) patients were colonised. Faecal carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae among healthy persons or persons visiting a public health centre was not detected. The 107 ESBL-positive strains included 68 E. coli, 35 K. pneumoniae, and four other Enterobacteriaceae. bla(CTX-M-15) was the most prevalent ESBL in both E. coli (47.1%) and K. pneumoniae (45.7%), but the E. coli O25b-ST131 clone was virtually absent. Other ESBL types found were: SHV-2, -2a, -5, -12, CTX-M-3, -9, -14, and TEM-19. PFGE revealed extensive genetic diversity among the isolates. In 2001-2002, faecal carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae as dominant flora in Indonesia was almost exclusively hospital-associated. The presence of various bla(ESBL) genes and the extensive genetic diversity among isolates argue against a single/dominant strain outbreak. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Genome-wide association studies of pit-and-fissure- and smooth-surface caries in permanent dentition.

PubMed

Zeng, Z; Shaffer, J R; Wang, X; Feingold, E; Weeks, D E; Lee, M; Cuenco, K T; Wendell, S K; Weyant, R J; Crout, R; McNeil, D W; Marazita, M L

2013-05-01

While genetics clearly influences dental caries risk, few caries genes have been discovered and validated. Recent studies have suggested differential genetic factors for primary dentition caries and permanent dentition caries, as well as for pit-and-fissure- (PF) and smooth- (SM) surface caries. We performed separate GWAS for caries in permanent-dentition PF surfaces (1,017 participants, adjusted for age, sex, and the presence of Streptococcus mutans) and SM surfaces (1,004 participants, adjusted for age, education group, and the presence of Streptococcus mutans) in self-reported whites (ages 14 to 56 yrs). Caries scores were derived based on visual assessment of each surface of each tooth; more than 1.2 million SNPs were either successfully genotyped or imputed and were tested for association. Two homologous genes were suggestively associated: BCOR (Xp11.4) in PF-surface caries (p value = 1.8E-7), and BCORL1 (Xq26.1) in SM-surface caries (p value = 1.0E-5). BCOR mutations cause oculofaciocardiodental syndrome, a Mendelian disease involving multiple dental anomalies. Associations of other plausible cariogenesis genes were also observed for PF-surface caries (e.g., INHBA, p value = 6.5E-6) and for SM-surface caries (e.g., CXCR1 and CXCR2, p value = 1.9E-6). This study supports the notion that genes differentially affect cariogenesis across the surfaces of the permanent dentition, and nominates several novel genes for investigation.

Genome-wide Association Studies of Pit-and-Fissure- and Smooth-surface Caries in Permanent Dentition

PubMed Central

Zeng, Z.; Shaffer, J.R.; Wang, X.; Feingold, E.; Weeks, D.E.; Lee, M.; Cuenco, K.T.; Wendell, S.K.; Weyant, R.J.; Crout, R.; McNeil, D.W.; Marazita, M.L.

2013-01-01

While genetics clearly influences dental caries risk, few caries genes have been discovered and validated. Recent studies have suggested differential genetic factors for primary dentition caries and permanent dentition caries, as well as for pit-and-fissure- (PF) and smooth- (SM) surface caries. We performed separate GWAS for caries in permanent-dentition PF surfaces (1,017 participants, adjusted for age, sex, and the presence of Streptococcus mutans) and SM surfaces (1,004 participants, adjusted for age, education group, and the presence of Streptococcus mutans) in self-reported whites (ages 14 to 56 yrs). Caries scores were derived based on visual assessment of each surface of each tooth; more than 1.2 million SNPs were either successfully genotyped or imputed and were tested for association. Two homologous genes were suggestively associated: BCOR (Xp11.4) in PF-surface caries (p value = 1.8E-7), and BCORL1 (Xq26.1) in SM-surface caries (p value = 1.0E-5). BCOR mutations cause oculofaciocardiodental syndrome, a Mendelian disease involving multiple dental anomalies. Associations of other plausible cariogenesis genes were also observed for PF-surface caries (e.g., INHBA, p value = 6.5E-6) and for SM-surface caries (e.g., CXCR1 and CXCR2, p value = 1.9E-6). This study supports the notion that genes differentially affect cariogenesis across the surfaces of the permanent dentition, and nominates several novel genes for investigation. PMID:23470693

Plant crude extracts could be the solution: extracts showing in vivo antitumorigenic activity.

PubMed

Amara, A A; El-Masry, M H; Bogdady, H H

2008-04-01

Screening active compounds from plants lead to discover new medicinal drugs which have efficient protection and treatment roles against various diseases including cancer. In our study, extracts from different plants represent seeds of: Gossypium barbadense, Ricinus communis, Sesamum indicum, Nigella sativa, Vinca rosea and Melia azedarah; fruits of: Xanthium occidental; flowers of: Atriplex nummularia; barks of: Cinnamomum zeylanicum; latex of: Ficus carica and rhizomes of: Curcuma longa and Zingiber officinale were tested in vivo using three subsequent bioassays: the BST (Brine Shrimp Toxicity bioassay), AWD (Agar well diffusion antimicrobial bioassay) and AtPDT (Agrobacterium tumefaciens Potato Disc Tumor bioassay). AWD technique omitted any extracts have antimicrobial activities while BST omitted any extract did not has physiological activity and determined the various LC(50) of each plant extract. For the first time, using a range of concentrations in the AtPDT modified protocol allowed the detection of tumor promotion caused by extract represented by A. nummularia. Using cluster analysis leads to classifying the different plant extracts activities to six groups regarding to their toxicity, antitumor activities and both of them. The extracts from edible plants represent 50% of the first and the second group which have the highest antitumor activities represented in F. caraica (group 1) and C. longa (group 2) as well as the non-edible plant extracts of Gossypium barbadense and Ricinus communis. A comparison study between the edible and herbaceous plants different extracts for their antitumor activities was performed. We recommended using the modified protocols used in this study for investigating more plants and using crude plant extracts which have antitumor activities in cancer treatment. Edible plants, which show in vivo antitumor activities, are recommended as save sources for antitumor compounds.

Feline immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoproteins antagonize tetherin through a distinctive mechanism that requires virion incorporation.

PubMed

Morrison, James H; Guevara, Rebekah B; Marcano, Adriana C; Saenz, Dyana T; Fadel, Hind J; Rogstad, Daniel K; Poeschla, Eric M

2014-03-01

BST2/tetherin inhibits the release of enveloped viruses from cells. Primate lentiviruses have evolved specific antagonists (Vpu, Nef, and Env). Here we characterized tetherin proteins of species representing both branches of the order Carnivora. Comparison of tiger and cat (Feliformia) to dog and ferret (Caniformia) genes demonstrated that the tiger and cat share a start codon mutation that truncated most of the tetherin cytoplasmic tail early in the Feliformia lineage (19 of 27 amino acids, including the dual tyrosine motif). Alpha interferon (IFN-α) induced tetherin and blocked feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) replication in lymphoid and nonlymphoid feline cells. Budding of bald FIV and HIV particles was blocked by carnivore tetherins. However, infectious FIV particles were resistant, and spreading FIV replication was uninhibited. Antagonism mapped to the envelope glycoprotein (Env), which rescued FIV from carnivore tetherin restriction when expressed in trans but, in contrast to known antagonists, did not rescue noncognate particles. Also unlike the primate lentiviral antagonists, but similar to the Ebola virus glycoprotein, FIV Env did not reduce intracellular or cell surface tetherin levels. Furthermore, FIV-enveloped FIV particles actually required tetherin for optimal release from cells. The results show that FIV Envs mediate a distinctive tetherin evasion. Well adapted to a phylogenetically ancient tetherin tail truncation in the Felidae, it requires functional virion incorporation of Env, and it shields the budding particle without downregulating plasma membrane tetherin. Moreover, FIV has evolved dependence on this protein: particles containing FIV Env need tetherin for optimal release from the cell, while Env(-) particles do not. HIV-1 antagonizes the restriction factor tetherin with the accessory protein Vpu, while HIV-2 and the filovirus Ebola use their envelope (Env) glycoproteins for this purpose. It turns out that the FIV tetherin antagonist is also its Env protein, but the mechanism is distinctive. Unlike other tetherin antagonists, FIV Env cannot act in trans to rescue vpu-deficient HIV-1. It must be incorporated specifically into FIV virions to be active. Also unlike other retroviral antagonists, but similar to Ebola virus Env, it does not act by downregulating or degrading tetherin. FIV Env might exclude tetherin locally or direct assembly to tetherin-negative membrane domains. Other distinctive features are apparent, including evidence that this virus evolved an equilibrium in which tetherin is both restriction factor and cofactor, as FIV requires tetherin for optimal particle release.

Word Importance Discrimination using Context Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-01

Word importance discrimination using context information Danil Nemirovskya,b and Vladimir Dobryninb aINRIA Sophia Antipolis, France bSt. Petersburg...information 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7...PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) INRIA,Sophia Antipolis, France , 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING

Investigation of Voltage-Activated BAW Devices and Filters

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-04

strontium titanate (STO) and barium-strontium titanate (BST), with the ultimate objective of creating high- performance, reconfigurable filters and...Distribution Unlimited UU UU UU UU 04-09-2016 1-Sep-2010 31-Aug-2014 Final Report: Investigation of Voltage-Activated BAW Devices and Filters The views...2016 Investigation of Voltage-Activated BAW Devices and Filters Final Report Award Information: Contract Number: W911NF1010286 Period of Work

P(P bar)P elastic scattering and cosmic ray data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

FAZAL-E-ALEEM; Saleem, M.

1985-01-01

It is shown that the total cross section for pp elastic scattering at cosmic ray energies, as well as the total cross section, the slope parameter b(s,t) and the differential cross section for small momentum transfer at ISR and collider energies for p(p)p elastic scattering can be simultaneously fitted by using a simple Regge pole model. The results of this theory is discussed in detail.

The Use of Behavioral Skills Training and in-Situ Training to Teach Children to Solicit Help when Lost: A Preliminary Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan-Skadden, Jennifer; Wilder, David A.; Sparling, Jessica; Severtson, Erica; Donaldson, Jeanne; Postma, Nicki; Beavers, Gracie; Neidert, Pamela

2009-01-01

Behavioral skills training (BST) was combined with in-situ training to teach young children to solicit help when they become lost from a caregiver at a store. Three children were taught to approach a cashier, tell the cashier their name, and inform the cashier that they are lost. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate…

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Teaching Package Utilizing Behavioral Skills Training and In Situ Training to Teach Gun Safety Skills in a Preschool Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanratty, Laura A.; Miltenberger, Raymond G.; Florentino, Samantha R.

2016-01-01

There are a number of different safety threats that children face in their lives. One infrequent, but highly dangerous situation a child can face is finding a firearm. Hundreds of children are injured or killed by firearms each year. Fortunately, behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST) are effective approaches for teaching a…

Challenges and opportunities for multi-functional oxide thin films for voltage tunable radio frequency/microwave components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramanyam, Guru; Cole, M. W.; Sun, Nian X.; Kalkur, Thottam S.; Sbrockey, Nick M.; Tompa, Gary S.; Guo, Xiaomei; Chen, Chonglin; Alpay, S. P.; Rossetti, G. A.; Dayal, Kaushik; Chen, Long-Qing; Schlom, Darrell G.

2013-11-01

There has been significant progress on the fundamental science and technological applications of complex oxides and multiferroics. Among complex oxide thin films, barium strontium titanate (BST) has become the material of choice for room-temperature-based voltage-tunable dielectric thin films, due to its large dielectric tunability and low microwave loss at room temperature. BST thin film varactor technology based reconfigurable radio frequency (RF)/microwave components have been demonstrated with the potential to lower the size, weight, and power needs of a future generation of communication and radar systems. Low-power multiferroic devices have also been recently demonstrated. Strong magneto-electric coupling has also been demonstrated in different multiferroic heterostructures, which show giant voltage control of the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of more than two octaves. This manuscript reviews recent advances in the processing, and application development for the complex oxides and multiferroics, with the focus on voltage tunable RF/microwave components. The over-arching goal of this review is to provide a synopsis of the current state-of the-art of complex oxide and multiferroic thin film materials and devices, identify technical issues and technical challenges that need to be overcome for successful insertion of the technology for both military and commercial applications, and provide mitigation strategies to address these technical challenges.

Thermally assisted interlayer magnetic coupling through Ba{sub 0.05}Sr{sub 0.95}TiO{sub 3} barriers

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

Carreira, Santiago J.; Steren, Laura B.; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires C1425FQB

2016-08-08

We report on the interlayer exchange coupling across insulating barriers observed on Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20}/Ba{sub 0.05}Sr{sub 0.95}TiO{sub 3}/La{sub 0.66}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (Py/BST{sub 0.05}/LSMO) trilayers. The coupling mechanism has been analyzed in terms of the barrier thickness, samples' substrate, and temperature. We examined the effect of MgO (MGO) and SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) (001) single-crystalline substrates on the magnetic coupling and also on the magnetic anisotropies of the samples in order to get a deeper understanding of the magnetism of the structures. We measured a weak coupling mediated by spin-dependent tunneling phenomena whose sign and strength depend on barrier thickness and substrate.more » An antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange prevails for most of the samples and smoothly increases with the barrier thicknesses as a consequence of the screening effects of the BST{sub 0.05}. The coupling monotonically increases with temperature in all the samples and this behavior is attributed to thermally assisted mechanisms. The magnetic anisotropy of both magnetic components has a cubic symmetry that in the case of permalloy is added to a small uniaxial component.« less

Thin-Film Ferro Electric-Coupled Microstripline Phase Shifters With Reduced Device Hysteresis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miranda, Felix A.; Romanofsky, Robert; Mueller, Carl H.; VanKeuls, Frederick

2010-01-01

This work deals with the performance of coupled microstripline phase shifters (CMPS) fabricated using BaxSr 1 -xTiO 3 (BST) ferroelectric thin films. The CMPS were fabricated using commercially available pulsed laser deposition BST films with Ba:Sr ratios of 30:70 and 20:80. Microwave characterization of these CMPS was performed at upper Kuband frequencies, particularly at frequencies near 16 and 18 GHz. X-ray diffraction studies indicate that the 30:70 films exhibit almost a 1:1 ratio between the in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters, suggesting that their cubics create strain -free films suitable for producing CMPS devices with reduced hysteresis in the paraelectric state. The quality of performance of the CMPS was studied based on their relative phase shift and insertion loss within the DC bias range of 0 to 400 V (i.e., E-field ranges within 0 to 53 V/micron). The performance of the CMPS was tested as a function of temperature to investigate their operation in the paraelectric, as well as in the ferroelectric, state (i.e., above and below the Curie temperature, respectively). The novel behavior discussed here is based on the experimental observation of the CMPS. This behavior, observed for the aforementioned cation ratio, highlights the relevance of good crystalline structure for high-quality CMPS.

Improving genetic immobilization of a cellulase on yeast cell surface for bioethanol production using cellulose.

PubMed

Yang, Jinying; Dang, Hongyue; Lu, Jian Ren

2013-04-01

In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was genetically engineered to harbor the capability of utilizing celluloses for bioethanol production by displaying active cellulolytic enzymes on the cell surface. An endo-1,4-β-glucanase gene egX was cloned from Bacillus pumilus C-9 and its expression products, the EGX cellulases, were displayed on the cell surface of S. cerevisiae by fusing egX with aga2 that encodes the binding subunit of the S. cerevisiae cell wall protein α-agglutinin. To achieve high gene copies and stability, multicopy integration was obtained by integrating the fusion aga2-egX gene into the rDNA region of the S. cerevisiae chromosome. To achieve high expression and surface display efficiency, the aga2-egX gene was expressed under the control of a strong promoter. The presence of the enzymatically active cellulase fusion proteins on the S. cerevisiae cell surface was verified by carboxymethyl cellulase activity assay and immunofluorescence microscopy. This work presented a promising strategy to genetically engineer yeasts to perform efficient fermentation of cellulosic materials for bioethanol production. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of feeding rumen-degradable valine on milk production in late-lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Hultquist, Kayla M; Casper, David P

2016-02-01

The study objective was to determine if feeding the rumen-degradable AA Val can increase milk production comparable to recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST). Eight multiparous late-lactating (255±26.4 d in milk) Holstein dairy cows were blocked by milk yield (34.1±8.25 kg/d) and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 21-d periods (7 d for dietary adaptation and 14 d for data collection). Treatments were control (CON), a single injection of recombinant bST (rbST), and Val fed at 40 (V40) and 80 g/d (V80). Cows were fed a total mixed ration with a distillers dried grains carrier at 113.4 g/d containing none or added AA. Dry matter intake (21.3, 22.0, 22.8, and 21.5 kg/d for CON, rbST, V40, and V80, respectively) was similar among treatments, except cows receiving V40 had greater dry matter intake than cows receiving V80. Milk yield (22.0, 26.1, 25.2, and 24.9 kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk (22.1, 25.4, 24.4, and 24.3 kg/d), and energy-corrected milk (22.7, 26.1, 25.1, and 24.9 kg/d) were increased at similar amounts for cows receiving rbST, V40, and V80 compared with CON cows. Milk fat percentages (3.51, 3.36, 3.32, and 3.38%) were greatest for CON cows compared with cows receiving V40, whereas cows receiving other treatments were intermediate and similar. Milk protein percentages (3.20, 3.12, 3.15, and 3.13%) were greater for CON cows compared with cows receiving rbST and V40, whereas cows receiving V80 were intermediate and similar. Ruminal isobutyrate (1.19, 1.24, 1.44, and 1.74 mol/100 mol) concentrations were increased for cows receiving V40 and V80 compared with CON and rbST cows, with cows receiving V80 having greater concentrations than cows receiving V40. Plasma growth hormone concentrations (1.78, 1.99, 1.55, and 1.45 ng/mL) were greater for cows receiving rbST compared with cows receiving V40 and V80, whereas CON cows were intermediate and similar. Plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations (60.4, 106.1, 65.9, and 58.3 ng/mL) were greater for cows receiving rbST compared with cows receiving other treatments. This study suggests that feeding rumen degradable Val can increase milk yield comparable to recombinant bST. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regulation and Gene Expression Profiling of NKG2D Positive Human Cytomegalovirus-Primed CD4+ T-Cells

PubMed Central

Jensen, Helle; Folkersen, Lasse; Skov, Søren

2012-01-01

NKG2D is a stimulatory receptor expressed by natural killer (NK) cells, CD8+ T-cells, and γδ T-cells. NKG2D expression is normally absent from CD4+ T-cells, however recently a subset of NKG2D+ CD4+ T-cells has been found, which is specific for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). This particular subset of HCMV-specific NKG2D+ CD4+ T-cells possesses effector-like functions, thus resembling the subsets of NKG2D+ CD4+ T-cells found in other chronic inflammations. However, the precise mechanism leading to NKG2D expression on HCMV-specific CD4+ T-cells is currently not known. In this study we used genome-wide analysis of individual genes and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to investigate the gene expression profile of NKG2D+ CD4+ T-cells, generated from HCMV-primed CD4+ T-cells. We show that the HCMV-primed NKG2D+ CD4+ T-cells possess a higher differentiated phenotype than the NKG2D– CD4+ T-cells, both at the gene expression profile and cytokine profile. The ability to express NKG2D at the cell surface was primarily determined by the activation or differentiation status of the CD4+ T-cells and not by the antigen presenting cells. We observed a correlation between CD94 and NKG2D expression in the CD4+ T-cells following HCMV stimulation. However, knock-down of CD94 did not affect NKG2D cell surface expression or signaling. In addition, we show that NKG2D is recycled at the cell surface of activated CD4+ T-cells, whereas it is produced de novo in resting CD4+ T-cells. These findings provide novel information about the gene expression profile of HCMV-primed NKG2D+ CD4+ T-cells, as well as the mechanisms regulating NKG2D cell surface expression. PMID:22870231

Regulation and gene expression profiling of NKG2D positive human cytomegalovirus-primed CD4+ T-cells.

PubMed

Jensen, Helle; Folkersen, Lasse; Skov, Søren

2012-01-01

NKG2D is a stimulatory receptor expressed by natural killer (NK) cells, CD8(+) T-cells, and γδ T-cells. NKG2D expression is normally absent from CD4(+) T-cells, however recently a subset of NKG2D(+) CD4(+) T-cells has been found, which is specific for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). This particular subset of HCMV-specific NKG2D(+) CD4(+) T-cells possesses effector-like functions, thus resembling the subsets of NKG2D(+) CD4(+) T-cells found in other chronic inflammations. However, the precise mechanism leading to NKG2D expression on HCMV-specific CD4(+) T-cells is currently not known. In this study we used genome-wide analysis of individual genes and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to investigate the gene expression profile of NKG2D(+) CD4(+) T-cells, generated from HCMV-primed CD4(+) T-cells. We show that the HCMV-primed NKG2D(+) CD4(+) T-cells possess a higher differentiated phenotype than the NKG2D(-) CD4(+) T-cells, both at the gene expression profile and cytokine profile. The ability to express NKG2D at the cell surface was primarily determined by the activation or differentiation status of the CD4(+) T-cells and not by the antigen presenting cells. We observed a correlation between CD94 and NKG2D expression in the CD4(+) T-cells following HCMV stimulation. However, knock-down of CD94 did not affect NKG2D cell surface expression or signaling. In addition, we show that NKG2D is recycled at the cell surface of activated CD4(+) T-cells, whereas it is produced de novo in resting CD4(+) T-cells. These findings provide novel information about the gene expression profile of HCMV-primed NKG2D(+) CD4(+) T-cells, as well as the mechanisms regulating NKG2D cell surface expression.

Endo Atmospheric-Exo Atmospheric Radar Modeling. Volume II. Part I. Computer Program Documentation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

oil , i L L i tN v Mr I I I IMI I ANTAZ 0,t ANiF Lu ;, L bST It L, -’T...k ALJ kt/PALTIM 1,46 GUTUTU1501 I’L It LUV K-.JNTTL ;2ui ibut T L14TVr.L 1, .L,’Lt 1 111i;l, AUTLILCW LhAKI SL - -WL/SLL RADSIM LA,, N’,. t I Nill - I ...AtNL I (b~N( ’C, -el * II’E13 ). NSF I . tt(ILOI. jF.y(AI 1-1At*1./ ’ It I I vi;, L,. 0 LI Luv o9 k LI t ( MLL t I !L . 1LA t. ’LIt It (NSUov

A Fully Integrated Materials Framework for Enabling the Wireless Detection of Micro-defects in Aging and Battle-worn Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

field-programmable gate array (FPGA) uses digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms to decode echo-location information from the backscattered signal ...characterizing and understanding of the physical properties of the BST and PZT thin films. Using microwave reflection spectroscopy, the complex...acoustic data, , would be encoded in the reflected MW signal by means of phase modulation (PM). By using high-Q resonators as the reactive

Black Swift Technologies LLC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiNardo, Anne Marie

2016-01-01

Colorado-based Black Swift Technologies (BST) created a small unmanned aircraft system(sUAS) to help NASA get a clearer picture of soil moisture through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Soil moisture is defined in terms of volume of water per unit volume of soil. Using BSTs sUAS, NASA scientists can gather ground truth measurements for a clearer observation by getting closer to the source. This can help rule out misleading results generated by satellite imagery.

Gene transfer mediated by alpha2-macroglobulin.

PubMed Central

Schneider, H; Huse, K; Birkenmeier, G; Otto, A; Scholz, G H

1996-01-01

alpha2-Macroglobulin covalently linked to poly(L)-lysine can be used as a vehicle for receptor-mediated gene transfer. This modified alpha2-macroglobulin maintains its ability to bind to the alpha2-macroglobulin receptor, and was shown to introduce a luciferase reporter gene plasmid into HepG2 human hepatoma cells in vitro. The alpha2-macroglobulin receptor is a very large and multifunctional cell surface receptor, whose rapid and efficient internalization rate makes it attractive for gene therapy, e.g. for hepatic gene targeting via injection into the portal vein. PMID:8871570

Magnetism and charge density wave in GdNiC2 and NdNiC2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimczuk, Tom; Kolincio, Kamil; Wianiarski, Michal; Strychalska-Nowak, Judyta; Górnicka, Karolina

The RNiC2 compounds form in an orthorhombic Amm2 crystal structure with Ni and the rare-earth (R) metal chains along the crystallographic a-axis. This system is of particular interest because both a CDW and a long range magnetic ordering phases have been observed together. We report the specific heat, magnetic, magnetotransport and galvanomagnetic properties of GdNiC2 and NdNiC2 antiferromagnets. Complex B-T phase diagrams were built based on the specific heat data. Large negative magnetoresistance due to Zeeman splitting of the electronic bands and partial destruction of a charge density wave ground state is observed above TN. The magnetoresistance and Hall measurements show that at low temperatures a magnetic field induced transformation from antiferromagnetic order to a metamagnetic phase results in the partial suppression of the CDW. This project is financially supported by National Science Centre (Poland), Grant Number: UMO-2015/19/B/ST3/03127.

Photonic crystals on copolymer film for label-free detection of DNA hybridization.

PubMed

Su, Han; Cheng, Xin R; Endo, Tatsuro; Kerman, Kagan

2018-04-30

The presence of a single-nucleotide polymorphism in Apolipoprotein E4 gene is implicated with the increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, detection of AD-related DNA oligonucleotide sequence associated with Apolipoprotein E4 gene sequence was achieved using localized-surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) on 2D-Photonic crystal (2D-PC) and Au-coated 2D-PC surfaces. 2D-PC surfaces were fabricated on a flexible copolymer film using nano-imprint lithography (NIL). The film surface was then coated with a dual-functionalized polymer to react with surface immobilized DNA probe. DNA hybridization was detected by monitoring the optical responses of either a Fresnel decrease in reflectance on 2D-PC surfaces or an increase in LSPR on Au-coated 2D-PC surfaces. The change in response due to DNA hybridization on the modified surfaces was also investigated using mismatched and non-complementary oligonucleotides sequences. The proof-of-concept results are promising towards the development of 2D-PC on copolymer film surfaces as miniaturized and wearable biosensors for various diagnostic and defense applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exosome-mediated miR-146a transfer suppresses type I interferon response and facilitates EV71 infection

PubMed Central

Fu, Yuxuan; Zhang, Li; Zhang, Fang; Tang, Ting; Zhou, Qi; Feng, Chunhong; Jin, Yu

2017-01-01

Exosomes can transfer genetic materials between cells. Their roles in viral infections are beginning to be appreciated. Researches have shown that exosomes released from virus-infected cells contain a variety of viral and host cellular factors that are able to modulate recipient’s cellular response and result in productive infection of the recipient host. Here, we showed that EV71 infection resulted in upregulated exosome secretion and differential packaging of the viral genomic RNA and miR-146a into exosomes. We provided evidence showing that miR-146a was preferentially enriched in exosomes while the viral RNA was not in infected cells. Moreover, the exosomes contained replication-competent EV71 RNA in complex with miR-146a, Ago2, and GW182 and could mediate EV71 transmission independent of virus-specific receptor. The exosomal viral RNA could be transferred to and replicate in a new target cell while the exosomal miR-146a suppressed type I interferon response in the target cell, thus facilitating the viral replication. Additionally, we found that the IFN-stimulated gene factors (ISGs), BST-2/tetherin, were involved in regulating EV71-induced upregulation of exosome secretion. Importantly, in vivo study showed that exosomal viral RNA exhibited differential tissue accumulation as compared to the free virus particles. Together, our findings provide evidence that exosomes secreted by EV71-infected cells selectively packaged high level miR-146a that can be functionally transferred to and facilitate exosomal EV71 RNA to replicate in the recipient cells by suppressing type I interferon response. PMID:28910400

Landslides and impacts on comets.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czechowski, Leszek

2016-07-01

The recent landing of Philae on the comet 67P/Czuriumow-Gierasimienko indicates that elastic properties of comet's nuclei could be similar to elastic properties of dry snow, namely Young modulus is assumed to be 106 - 108 Pa. We considered a simple model of two spheres (with radius 1400 m each) connected by cylinder (with radius of 200 m and length of 200 m). Density is 470 kg m-3. This shape corresponds approximately to shape of some comets. A few vibration modes are possible. In present research we consider 3 modes: bending, lengthening-shortening along axis of symmetry, and torsion. Let assume that comets are hit by small meteoroid of the mass of 1 kg and velocity 20 km s-1. The maximum values of acceleration of the surface resulting from this impact are given in Table 1. Note that these values are higher than acceleration of the gravity of the comet. Consequently, these vibrations could be an important factor of surface evolution, e.g. they could trigger landslides. It could be alternative mechanism to that presented in [4] (i.e. fluidization). Acknowledgement: The research is partly supported by Polish National Science Centre (decision 2014/15/B/ST 10/02117) References [1] T. Spohn, J. Knollenberg, A. J. Ball, M. Ba-naszkiewicz, J. Benkhoff, M. Grott, J. Gry-gorczuk, C. Hüttig, A. Hagermann, G. Kargl, E. Kaufmann, N. Kömle, E. Kührt, K. J. Kossacki, W. Marczewski, I. Pelivan, R. Schrödter, K. Seiferlin. (2015) Thermal and mechanical properties of the near-surface layers of comet 67P/Churyumov- Gera-simenko Science 31 July 2015: Vol. 349 no. 6247 DOI: 10.1126/science.aab0464 [2] Reuter B. (2013) On how to measure snow mechanical properties relevant to slab avalanche release. International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble - Chamonix Mont-Blanc - 2013 007 [3] Ball A.J. (1997) Ph. D. Thesis: Measuring Physical Properties at the Surface of a Comet Nu-cleus, Univ.of Kent U.K. [4] Belton M. J.S., Melosh J. (2009). Fluidization and multiphase transport of particulate cometary material as an explanation of the smooth terrains and repetitive outbursts on 9P/Tempel 1. Icarus 200 (2009) 280-291

Challenges and opportunities for multi-functional oxide thin films for voltage tunable radio frequency/microwave components

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

Subramanyam, Guru, E-mail: gsubramanyam1@udayton.edu; Cole, M. W., E-mail: melanie.w.cole.civ@mail.mil; Sun, Nian X.

2013-11-21

There has been significant progress on the fundamental science and technological applications of complex oxides and multiferroics. Among complex oxide thin films, barium strontium titanate (BST) has become the material of choice for room-temperature-based voltage-tunable dielectric thin films, due to its large dielectric tunability and low microwave loss at room temperature. BST thin film varactor technology based reconfigurable radio frequency (RF)/microwave components have been demonstrated with the potential to lower the size, weight, and power needs of a future generation of communication and radar systems. Low-power multiferroic devices have also been recently demonstrated. Strong magneto-electric coupling has also been demonstratedmore » in different multiferroic heterostructures, which show giant voltage control of the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of more than two octaves. This manuscript reviews recent advances in the processing, and application development for the complex oxides and multiferroics, with the focus on voltage tunable RF/microwave components. The over-arching goal of this review is to provide a synopsis of the current state-of the-art of complex oxide and multiferroic thin film materials and devices, identify technical issues and technical challenges that need to be overcome for successful insertion of the technology for both military and commercial applications, and provide mitigation strategies to address these technical challenges.« less

Basic surgical training in Ireland: the impact of operative experience, training program allocation and mentorship on trainee satisfaction.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, K E; Byrne, J S; Walsh, T N

2013-12-01

Application to the Irish basic surgical training (BST) program in Ireland has decreased progressively over the past 5 years. We hypothesised that this decline was secondary to dissatisfaction with training correlated with reduced operative experience and lack of mentorship among BSTs. An anonymous 15 question electronic survey was circulated to all BSTs appraising their impression of the operative experience available to them, their mentorship and their opinions of critical aspects of training. Fifty trainees responded to the survey. At the commencement of training 98 % (n = 43) intended to stay in surgery, decreasing to 79 % (n = 34) during the BST. Trainees who felt they had a mentor were three times more likely to be content in surgical training (OR 3.11; 95 % CI 0.94-10.25, P = 0.06). Trainees satisfied with their allocated rotation were more likely to be content in surgical training (OR 4.5; 95 % CI 1.03-19.6, P = 0.045). Individual trainee comments revealed dissatisfaction with operative exposure. Mentorship and satisfaction with allocated training rotation had a positive impact on trainee satisfaction and correlated with contentedness in surgical training. Operative experience is the main element that trainees report as lacking. This highlights the need for reform of the training system to improve current levels of mentorship and increase operative exposure to enhance its attractiveness to the best quality medical graduates.

In vitro biocompatibility of magnesium-incorporated submicro-porous titanium oxide surface produced by hydrothermal treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jin-Woo; Kim, Youn-Jeong; Jang, Je-Hee; An, Chang-Hyeon

2010-11-01

This study investigated the surface characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility of titanium (Ti) oxide surface incorporating magnesium ions (Mg), produced by hydrothermal treatment using an alkaline Mg-containing solution, for future biomedical applications. The surface characteristics were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, thin-film X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and optical profilometry. Mouse calvaria-derived osteoblastic cell (MC3T3-E1) attachment, spreading, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and osteoblastic gene expression on Mg-containing surfaces were compared with untreated Ti surfaces. Hydrothermal treatment resulted in Mg-incorporated Ti oxide layer with submicro-porous surface structures approximately 2 μm in thickness. ICP-AES analysis revealed Mg ions release from treated surfaces into the solution. The Mg-incorporated surface displayed significantly increased cellular attachment and ALP activity compared with untreated surface ( p < 0.05), and supported better cell spreading. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed notably higher mRNA expression of the osteoblast transcription factor genes (Dlx5, Runx2) and the osteoblast phenotype genes (ALP, bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin) in cells grown on the Mg-incorporated surfaces than untreated surfaces. These results demonstrate that the Mg-incorporated submicro-porous Ti oxide surface produced by hydrothermal treatment may improve implant osseointegration by enhancing the attachment, spreading and differentiation of osteoblastic cells.

Monte Carlo generators for hadron physics: updates on PHOKHARA and EKHARA generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czyż, Henryk; Kisza, Patrycja; Tracz, Szymon

2017-04-01

A short review of current upgrades of the PHOKHARA and EKHARA generators is presented together with a report on the work in progress. The upgrades are based on a newly constructed model of the χci - γ* - γ* and χci - J/ψ* - γ* form factors. Within this model predictions were made for the electronic widths of χc1 and χc2 and, based on the event generators results, cross sections e+e- → χc1 (→ J/ψ(→ μ+μ-)γ), e+e-→ e+e-χc1 and e+e-→ e+e-χc1 (→ J/ψ(→ μ+μ-)γ). Work supported in part by the Polish National Science Centre, grant number DEC-2012/07/B/ST2/03867 and German Research Foundation DFG under Contract No. Collaborative Research Center CRC-1044.

Genetic Susceptibility to Dental Caries on Pit and Fissure and Smooth Surfaces

PubMed Central

Shaffer, J.R.; Wang, X.; DeSensi, R.S.; Wendell, S.; Weyant, R.J.; Cuenco, K.T.; Crout, R.; McNeil, D.W.; Marazita, M.L.

2012-01-01

Carious lesions are distributed nonuniformly across tooth surfaces of the complete dentition, suggesting that the effects of risk factors may be surface-specific. Whether genes differentially affect caries risk across tooth surfaces is unknown. We investigated the role of genetics on two classes of tooth surfaces, pit and fissure surfaces (PFS) and smooth surfaces (SMS), in more than 2,600 subjects from 740 families. Participants were examined for surface-level evidence of dental caries, and caries scores for permanent and/or primary teeth were generated separately for PFS and SMS. Heritability estimates (h2, i.e. the proportion of trait variation due to genes) of PFS and SMS caries scores were obtained using likelihood methods. The genetic correlations between PFS and SMS caries scores were calculated to assess the degree to which traits covary due to common genetic effects. Overall, the heritability of caries scores was similar for PFS (h2 = 19–53%; p < 0.001) and SMS (h2 = 17–42%; p < 0.001). Heritability of caries scores for both PFS and SMS in the primary dentition was greater than in the permanent dentition and total dentition. With one exception, the genetic correlation between PFS and SMS caries scores was not significantly different from 100%, indicating that (mostly) common genes are involved in the risk of caries for both surface types. Genetic correlation for the primary dentition dfs (decay + filled surfaces) was significantly less than 100% (p < 0.001), indicating that genetic factors may exert differential effects on caries risk in PFS versus SMS in the primary dentition. PMID:22286298

HLA-E-expressing pluripotent stem cells escape allogeneic responses and lysis by NK cells

PubMed Central

Gornalusse, Germán G.; Hirata, Roli K.; Funk, Sarah; Riolobos, Laura; Lopes, Vanda S.; Manske, Gabriel; Prunkard, Donna; Colunga, Aric G.; Hanafi, Laïla-Aïcha; Clegg, Dennis O.; Turtle, Cameron; Russell, David W.

2017-01-01

Polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I genes can cause the rejection of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived products in allogeneic recipients. Disruption of the Beta-2 Microglobulin (B2M) gene eliminates surface expression of all class I molecules, but leaves the cells vulnerable to lysis by natural killer (NK) cells. Here we show that this ‘missing self’ response can be prevented by forced expression of minimally polymorphic HLA-E molecules. We use adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene editing to knock in HLA-E genes at the B2M locus in human PSCs in a manner that confers inducible, regulated, surface expression of HLA-E single-chain dimers (fused to B2M) or trimers (fused to B2M and a peptide antigen), without surface expression of HLA-A, B or C. These HLA-engineered PSCs and their differentiated derivatives are not recognized as allogeneic by CD8+ T cells, do not bind anti-HLA antibodies, and are resistant to NK-mediated lysis. Our approach provides a potential source of universal donor cells for applications where the differentiated derivatives lack HLA class II expression. PMID:28504668

HLA-E-expressing pluripotent stem cells escape allogeneic responses and lysis by NK cells.

PubMed

Gornalusse, Germán G; Hirata, Roli K; Funk, Sarah E; Riolobos, Laura; Lopes, Vanda S; Manske, Gabriel; Prunkard, Donna; Colunga, Aric G; Hanafi, Laïla-Aïcha; Clegg, Dennis O; Turtle, Cameron; Russell, David W

2017-08-01

Polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I genes can cause the rejection of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived products in allogeneic recipients. Disruption of the Beta-2 Microglobulin (B2M) gene eliminates surface expression of all class I molecules, but leaves the cells vulnerable to lysis by natural killer (NK) cells. Here we show that this 'missing-self' response can be prevented by forced expression of minimally polymorphic HLA-E molecules. We use adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene editing to knock in HLA-E genes at the B2M locus in human PSCs in a manner that confers inducible, regulated, surface expression of HLA-E single-chain dimers (fused to B2M) or trimers (fused to B2M and a peptide antigen), without surface expression of HLA-A, B or C. These HLA-engineered PSCs and their differentiated derivatives are not recognized as allogeneic by CD8 + T cells, do not bind anti-HLA antibodies and are resistant to NK-mediated lysis. Our approach provides a potential source of universal donor cells for applications where the differentiated derivatives lack HLA class II expression.

[Potential Carbon Fixation Capability of Non-photosynthetic Microbial Community at Different Depth of the South China Sea and Its Response to Different Electron Donors].

PubMed

Fang, Feng; Wang, Lei; Xi, Xue-fei; Hu, Jia-jun; Fu, Xiao-hua; Lu, Bing; Xu, Dian-sheng

2015-05-01

The seawater samples collected from many different areas with different depth in the South China Sea were cultivated using different electron donors respectively. And the variation in the potential carbon fixation capability ( PCFC ) of non-photosynthetic microbial community (NPMC) in seawater with different depth was determined after a cycle of cultivation through the statistic analysis. In addition, the cause for the variation was clarified through analyzing key gene abundance regarding CO2 fixation and characteristics of seawater with different depth. The result showed that the PCFCs of NPMC in seawater with different depth were generally low and had no significant difference when using NaNO2 as the electron donor. The PCFC of NPMC in surface seawater was higher than that in deep seawater when using H2 as the electron donor, on the contrary, the PCFC of NPMC in deep seawater was higher than that in surface seawater when using Na2S2O3 as the electron donor. The abundance of the main CO2 fixation gene cbbL in surface seawater was higher than that in deep seawater while the cbbM gene abundance in deep seawater was higher than that in surface seawater. Most hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria had the cbbL gene, and most sulfur bacteria had the cbbM gene. The tendency of seawater cbbL/cbbM gene abundance with the change of depth revealed that there were different kinds of bacteria accounting for the majority in NPMC fixing CO2 at different depth of ocean, which led to different response of PCFC of NPMC at different depth of the sea to different electron donors. The distributions of dissolved oxygen and inorganic carbon concentration with the change of the depth of the sea might be an important reason leading to the difference of NPMC structure and even the difference of PCFC at different depth of the sea.

The Human Cell Surfaceome of Breast Tumors

PubMed Central

da Cunha, Júlia Pinheiro Chagas; Galante, Pedro Alexandre Favoretto; de Souza, Jorge Estefano Santana; Pieprzyk, Martin; Carraro, Dirce Maria; Old, Lloyd J.; Camargo, Anamaria Aranha; de Souza, Sandro José

2013-01-01

Introduction. Cell surface proteins are ideal targets for cancer therapy and diagnosis. We have identified a set of more than 3700 genes that code for transmembrane proteins believed to be at human cell surface. Methods. We used a high-throuput qPCR system for the analysis of 573 cell surface protein-coding genes in 12 primary breast tumors, 8 breast cell lines, and 21 normal human tissues including breast. To better understand the role of these genes in breast tumors, we used a series of bioinformatics strategies to integrates different type, of the datasets, such as KEGG, protein-protein interaction databases, ONCOMINE, and data from, literature. Results. We found that at least 77 genes are overexpressed in breast primary tumors while at least 2 of them have also a restricted expression pattern in normal tissues. We found common signaling pathways that may be regulated in breast tumors through the overexpression of these cell surface protein-coding genes. Furthermore, a comparison was made between the genes found in this report and other genes associated with features clinically relevant for breast tumorigenesis. Conclusions. The expression profiling generated in this study, together with an integrative bioinformatics analysis, allowed us to identify putative targets for breast tumors. PMID:24195083

Limnobacter spp. as newly detected phenol-degraders among Baltic Sea surface water bacteria characterised by comparative analysis of catabolic genes.

PubMed

Vedler, Eve; Heinaru, Eeva; Jutkina, Jekaterina; Viggor, Signe; Koressaar, Triinu; Remm, Maido; Heinaru, Ain

2013-12-01

A set of phenol-degrading strains of a collection of bacteria isolated from Baltic Sea surface water was screened for the presence of two key catabolic genes coding for phenol hydroxylases and catechol 2,3-dioxygenases. The multicomponent phenol hydroxylase (LmPH) gene was detected in 70 out of 92 strains studied, and 41 strains among these LmPH(+) phenol-degraders were found to exhibit catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) activity. Comparative phylogenetic analyses of LmPH and C23O sequences from 56 representative strains were performed. The studied strains were mostly affiliated to the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. However, the study also widened the range of phenol-degraders by including the genus Limnobacter. Furthermore, using a next generation sequencing approach, the LmPH genes of Limnobacter strains were found to be the most prevalent ones in the microbial community of the Baltic Sea surface water. Four different Limnobacter strains having almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences (99%) and similar physiological properties formed separate phylogenetic clusters of LmPH and C23O genes in the respective phylogenetic trees. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of landslides on comets of irregular shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czechowski, Leszek

2017-04-01

Landslides were observed on a few comet's nuclei, e.g. [1], [2]. The mechanism of their origin is not obvious because of very low gravity. According to [2] fluidization and multiphase transport of cometary material could be an explanation. We investigate here motion of the mass on a comet of irregular shape. The mechanism responsible for the low friction is not considered here. In fact, mass motion often occurs without contact with the surface. The motion could be triggered by meteoroids impacts or by the tidal forces. Comets nuclei are believed to be built of soft materials like snow and dust. The landing of Philae on the comet 67P/Czuriumow-Gierasimienko indicates a different situation. According to [1]: "thermal probe did not fully penetrate the near-surface layers, suggesting a local resistance of the ground to penetration of >4 megapascals, equivalent to >2 megapascal uniaxial compressive strength". Here we assume that elastic properties of comet's nuclei could be similar to elastic properties of dry snow, namely Young modulus is assumed to be 1 - 100 MPa, see [3] and [4]. We consider nucleus of the shape of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with density 470 kg/m3. The impact or tidal forces result in changing of rotation of the comet. In general, the vector of angular velocity will be a subject to nutation that results in changing of centrifugal force, and consequently could be a factor triggering landslides. Note that nucleus' shape does not resemble the shape of surface of constant value of gravitational potential (i.e. 'geoid'). Our numerical models indicate the parts of the nucleus where landslides start and other parts where landslides stop. Of course, the regolith from the first type of regions would be removed to the regions of the second class. The motion of the mass is often complicated because of complicated distribution of the gravity and complicated shape of the nucleus. Acknowledgement: The research is partly supported by Polish National Science Centre NCN) (decision 2014/15/B/ST 10/02117) References [1] T. Spohn, et al. (2015) Thermal and mechanical properties of the near-surface layers of comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko. Science 31 July 2015: Vol. 349 no. 6247 DOI: 10.1126/science.aab0464 [2] Belton M. J.S., Melosh J. (2009). Fluidization and multiphase transport of particulate cometary material as an explanation of the smooth terrains and repetitive outbursts on 9P/Tempel 1. Icarus 200 (2009) 280-291 [3] Reuter B. (2013) On how to measure snow mechanical properties relevant to slab avalanche release. International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble - Chamonix Mont-Blanc - 2013 007 [4] Ball A.J. (1997) Ph. D. Thesis: Measuring Physical Properties at the Surface of a Comet Nucleus, Univ.of Kent U.K.

GIANT DIELECTRIC TUNABLE BEHAVIOR OF Pr-DOPED SrTiO3 AT LOW TEMPERATURE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, T.; Song, Q. G.; Zhou, Q. J.; Li, Z. P.; Chen, Y. F.; Qi, X. L.; Guo, S. Q.; Liu, J.-M.

2012-03-01

Contrast with conventional dielectric tunable materials such as barium strontium titanate (BST), here, we report one new dielectric tunable behavior for Sr1-xPrxTiO3 system at low temperature. Giant dielectric tunability is confirmed in this system. More importantly, the efficient dielectric tunability can be realized just using small bias field. In addition, critical threshold electric field is also confirmed. This phenomenon may be related with the competition interaction of polar state with quantum fluctuations.

Androgen Deprivation Enhances PLZF-Repressed Cistrome that Promotes the Castration-Resistant Phenotype

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

Briefly, 10 million cells were used per IP. Cells were fixed with 1% formaldehyde solution. DNA was sonicated and subjected to immunoprecipitation with... formaldehyde solution. Total chromatin and RNAs were sonicated and subjected to immunoprecipitation with the same AR and Med1 antibodies used in ChIP...were fixed with 1% formaldehyde . Cell pellets were lysed and resuspended in restriction buffer for BstY1 and 0.1% SDS for 10 min at 65 °C. Triton X

Improving the selection efficiency of the counter-selection marker pheS* for the genetic engineering of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

PubMed

Kharchenko, Maria S; Teslya, Petr N; Babaeva, Maria N; Zakataeva, Natalia P

2018-05-01

Bacillus subtilis pheS was genetically modified to obtain a counter-selection marker with high selection efficiency in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The application of the new replication-thermosensitive integrative vector pNZTM1, containing this marker, pheS BsT255S/A309G , with a two-step replacement recombination procedure provides an effective tool for the genetic engineering of industrially important Bacillus species. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Virginia Coast Reserve 2007 Remote Sensing Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-09

involved in situ spectral and geotechnical measurements of substrates taken from 100 sites across transects on four of the barrier islands ( Wreck Island...date of collection of attribute data during the VCR’07 campaign. A demonstration of instruments and procedures, tour of Wreck Island (one of the...L N/A N/A S P H S N/A W P W P N/A N/A N/A VCR 2007 Attribute Data Abbreviations Abbrevation B BST Data Soil DCP Ceptometer ASD(Spectra) Biomass Dive

Data Report: Organic Water Chemistry for 2005 Storm Events in Support of the Storm Water Studies in Sinclair and Dyes Inlet, Washington

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

Water Data Report BATTELLE MARINE SCIENCES LABORATORIES SINCLAIR AND DYES INLET 2005 STORMWATER 1529 West Sequim Bay Road 2005 Stormwater Equipment...phenanthrene Page 1 of 4 Page 6 of 224 2005 Storm Water Data Report BATTELLE MARINE SCIENCES LABORATORIES 1529 West Sequim Bay Road Sequim , Washington...West Sequim Bay Road Sequim , Washington 98382 (360) 681-4564 MSL Sample ID Client ID Site Description Collection Date 2318-1 BST12-RB Equipment Blk

[Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Mycobacterium kansasii strains isolated in Spain (2000-2003)].

PubMed

Jiménez-Pajares, María Soledad; Herrera, Laura; Valverde, Azucena; Saiz, Pilar; Sáez-Nieto, Juan Antonio

2005-05-01

Mycobacterium kansasii is an opportunistic pathogen that mainly causes pulmonary infections. This species accounted for 9.7% of Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis complex identified in the reference laboratory of the Spanish Centro Nacional de Microbiologia during the period of 2000-2003. In this study we analyzed the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of 298 M. kansasii strains isolated over this 4-year period. The phenotypic characteristics were determined by conventional methods: biochemical testing, culture and morphological study. Genotypic characteristics were studied using PCR restriction fragment analysis of a fragment of the hsp65 gene and digestion with BstEII and HaeIII, according to the method of Telenti. Among the total of tested strains, 57.4% had the typical phenotypic characteristics described for M. kansasii. The rest had atypical patterns that we grouped into 17 biotypes. Strains belonging to six of the seven described genotypes were identified, with 86.6% of the strains falling into genotype I. Analysis of the phenotypic characteristics of M. kansasii showed a higher discrimination index for intraspecific differentiation than genotypic methods. Nevertheless, the high variability of phenotypic characteristics, some of which were very specific for the species (e.g., photochromogenicity), could complicate their identification. Hence both conventional and molecular methods should be used to accurately identify the atypical isolates.

Polymerase Spiral Reaction (PSR): A novel isothermal nucleic acid amplification method.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Dong, Derong; Yang, Zhan; Zou, Dayang; Chen, Zeliang; Yuan, Jing; Huang, Liuyu

2015-07-29

In this study, we report a novel isothermal nucleic acid amplification method only requires one pair of primers and one enzyme, termed Polymerase Spiral Reaction (PSR) with high specificity, efficiency, and rapidity under isothermal condition. The recombinant plasmid of blaNDM-1 was imported to Escherichia coli BL21, and selected as the microbial target. PSR method employs a Bst DNA polymerase and a pair of primers designed targeting the blaNDM-1 gene sequence. The forward and reverse Tab primer sequences are reverse to each other at their 5' end (Nr and N), whereas their 3' end sequences are complementary to their respective target nucleic acid sequences. The PSR method was performed at a constant temperature 61 °C-65 °C, yielding a complicated spiral structure. PSR assay was monitored continuously in a real-time turbidimeter instrument or visually detected with the aid of a fluorescent dye (SYBR Greenı), and could be finished within 1 h with a high accumulation of 10(9) copies of the target and a fine sensitivity of 6 CFU per reaction. Clinical evaluation was also conducted using PSR, showing high specificity of this method. The PSR technique provides a convenient and cost-effective alternative for clinical screening, on-site diagnosis and primary quarantine purposes.

A novel approach for monitoring genetically engineered microorganisms by using artificial, stable RNAs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitulle, C.; Hedenstierna, K. O.; Fox, G. E.

1995-01-01

Further improvements in technology for efficient monitoring of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) in the environment are needed. Technology for monitoring rRNA is well established but has not generally been applicable to GEMs because of the lack of unique rRNA target sequences. In the work described herein, it is demonstrated that a deletion mutant of a plasmid-borne Vibrio proteolyticus 5S rRNA gene continues to accumulate to high levels in Escherichia coli although it is no longer incorporated into 70S ribosomes. This deletion construct was subsequently modified by mutagenesis to create a unique recognition site for the restriction endonuclease BstEII, into which new sequences could be readily inserted. Finally, a novel 17-nucleotide identifier sequence from Pennisetum purpureum was embedded into the construct to create an RNA identification cassette. The artificial identifier RNA, expressed from this cassette in vivo, accumulated in E. coli to levels comparable to those of wild-type 5S rRNA without being seriously detrimental to cell survival in laboratory experiments and without entering the ribosomes. These results demonstrate that artificial, stable RNAs containing sequence segments remarkably different from those present in any known rRNA can be designed and that neither the deleted sequence segment nor ribosome incorporation is essential for accumulation of an RNA product.

Mapping 22q11.2 Gene Dosage Effects on Brain Morphometry.

PubMed

Lin, Amy; Ching, Christopher R K; Vajdi, Ariana; Sun, Daqiang; Jonas, Rachel K; Jalbrzikowski, Maria; Kushan-Wells, Leila; Pacheco Hansen, Laura; Krikorian, Emma; Gutman, Boris; Dokoru, Deepika; Helleman, Gerhard; Thompson, Paul M; Bearden, Carrie E

2017-06-28

Reciprocal chromosomal rearrangements at the 22q11.2 locus are associated with elevated risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. The 22q11.2 deletion confers the highest known genetic risk for schizophrenia, but a duplication in the same region is strongly associated with autism and is less common in schizophrenia cases than in the general population. Here we conducted the first study of 22q11.2 gene dosage effects on brain structure in a sample of 143 human subjects: 66 with 22q11.2 deletions (22q-del; 32 males), 21 with 22q11.2 duplications (22q-dup; 14 males), and 56 age- and sex-matched controls (31 males). 22q11.2 gene dosage varied positively with intracranial volume, gray and white matter volume, and cortical surface area (deletion < control < duplication). In contrast, gene dosage varied negatively with mean cortical thickness (deletion > control > duplication). Widespread differences were observed for cortical surface area with more localized effects on cortical thickness. These diametric patterns extended into subcortical regions: 22q-dup carriers had a significantly larger right hippocampus, on average, but lower right caudate and corpus callosum volume, relative to 22q-del carriers. Novel subcortical shape analysis revealed greater radial distance (thickness) of the right amygdala and left thalamus, and localized increases and decreases in subregions of the caudate, putamen, and hippocampus in 22q-dup relative to 22q-del carriers. This study provides the first evidence that 22q11.2 is a genomic region associated with gene-dose-dependent brain phenotypes. Pervasive effects on cortical surface area imply that this copy number variant affects brain structure early in the course of development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Probing naturally occurring reciprocal copy number variation in the genome may help us understand mechanisms underlying deviations from typical brain and cognitive development. The 22q11.2 genomic region is particularly susceptible to chromosomal rearrangements and contains many genes crucial for neuronal development and migration. Not surprisingly, reciprocal genomic imbalances at this locus confer some of the highest known genetic risks for developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we provide the first evidence that brain morphology differs meaningfully as a function of reciprocal genomic variation at the 22q11.2 locus. Cortical thickness and surface area were affected in opposite directions with more widespread effects of gene dosage on cortical surface area. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/376184-17$15.00/0.

Downregulation of peptide transporter genes in cell lines transformed with the highly oncogenic adenovirus 12

PubMed Central

1994-01-01

The expression of class I major histocompatibility complex antigens on the surface of cells transformed by adenovirus 12 (Ad12) is generally very low, and correlates with the high oncogenicity of this virus. In primary embryonal fibroblasts from transgenic mice that express both endogenous H-2 genes and a miniature swine class I gene (PD1), Ad12- mediated transformation results in suppression of cell surface expression of all class I antigens. Although class I mRNA levels of PD1 and H-2Db are similar to those in nonvirally transformed cells, recognition of newly synthesized class I molecules by a panel of monoclonal antibodies is impaired, presumably as a result of inefficient assembly and transport of the class I molecules. Class I expression can be partially induced by culturing cells at 26 degrees C, or by coculture of cells with class I binding peptides at 37 degrees C. Analysis of steady state mRNA levels of the TAP1 and TAP2 transporter genes for Ad12-transformed cell lines revealed that they both are significantly reduced, TAP2 by about 100-fold and TAP1 by 5-10-fold. Reconstitution of PD1 and H-2Db, but not H-2Kb, expression is achieved in an Ad12-transformed cell line by stable transfection with a TAP2, but not a TAP1, expression construct. From these data it may be concluded that suppressed expression of peptide transporter genes, especially TAP2, in Ad12-transformed cells inhibits cell surface expression of class I molecules. The failure to fully reconstitute H- 2Db and H-2Kb expression indicates that additional factors are involved in controlling class I gene expression in Ad12-transformed cells. Nevertheless, these results suggest that suppression of peptide transporter genes might be an important mechanism whereby virus- transformed cells escape immune recognition in vivo. PMID:7519239

Diversity and distribution of catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase genes in surface sediments of the Bohai Sea.

PubMed

He, Peiqing; Li, Li; Liu, Jihua; Bai, Yazhi; Fang, Xisheng

2016-05-01

Catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase (C23O) is the key enzyme for aerobic aromatic degradation. Based on clone libraries and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we characterized diversity and distribution patterns of C23O genes in surface sediments of the Bohai Sea. The results showed that sediments of the Bohai Sea were dominated by genes related to C23O subfamily I.2.A. The samples from wastewater discharge area (DG) and aquaculture farm (KL) showed distinct composition of C23O genes when compared to the samples from Bohai Bay (BH), and total organic carbon was a crucial determinant accounted for the composition variation. C6BH12-38 and C2BH2-35 displayed the highest gene copies and highest ratios to the 16S rRNA genes in KL, and they might prefer biologically labile aromatic hydrocarbons via aquaculture inputs. Meanwhile, C7BH3-48 showed the highest gene copies and highest ratios to the 16S rRNA genes in DG, and this could be selective effect of organic loadings from wastewater discharge. An evident increase in C6BH12-38 and C7BH3-48 gene copies and reduction in diversity of C23O genes in DG and KL indicated composition perturbations of C23O genes and potential loss in functional redundancy. We suggest that ecological habitat and trophic specificity could shape the distribution of C23O genes in the Bohai Sea sediments. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Gene-gene interactions among genetic variants from obesity candidate genes for nonobese and obese populations in type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Lin, Eugene; Pei, Dee; Huang, Yi-Jen; Hsieh, Chang-Hsun; Wu, Lawrence Shih-Hsin

2009-08-01

Recent studies indicate that obesity may play a key role in modulating genetic predispositions to type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study examines the main effects of both single-locus and multilocus interactions among genetic variants in Taiwanese obese and nonobese individuals to test the hypothesis that obesity-related genes may contribute to the etiology of T2D independently and/or through such complex interactions. We genotyped 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms for 10 obesity candidate genes including adrenergic beta-2-receptor surface, adrenergic beta-3-receptor surface, angiotensinogen, fat mass and obesity associated gene, guanine nucleotide binding protein beta polypeptide 3 (GNB3), interleukin 6 receptor, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 1 (PCSK1), uncoupling protein 1, uncoupling protein 2, and uncoupling protein 3. There were 389 patients diagnosed with T2D and 186 age- and sex-matched controls. Single-locus analyses showed significant main effects of the GNB3 and PCSK1 genes on the risk of T2D among the nonobese group (p = 0.002 and 0.047, respectively). Further, interactions involving GNB3 and PCSK1 were suggested among the nonobese population using the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction method (p = 0.001). In addition, interactions among angiotensinogen, fat mass and obesity associated gene, GNB3, and uncoupling protein 3 genes were found in a significant four-locus generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction model among the obese population (p = 0.001). The results suggest that the single nucleotide polymorphisms from the obesity candidate genes may contribute to the risk of T2D independently and/or in an interactive manner according to the presence or absence of obesity.

Papillae formation on trichome cell walls requires the function of the mediator complex subunit Med25.

PubMed

Fornero, Christy; Suo, Bangxia; Zahde, Mais; Juveland, Katelyn; Kirik, Viktor

2017-11-01

Glassy Hair 1 (GLH1) gene that promotes papillae formation on trichome cell walls was identified as a subunit of the transcriptional mediator complex MED25. The MED25 gene is shown to be expressed in trichomes. The expression of the trichome development marker genes GLABRA2 (GL2) and Ethylene Receptor2 (ETR2) is not affected in the glh1 mutant. Presented data suggest that Arabidopsis MED25 mediator component is likely involved in the transcription of genes promoting papillae deposition in trichomes. The plant cell wall plays an important role in communication, defense, organization and support. The importance of each of these functions varies by cell type. Specialized cells, such as Arabidopsis trichomes, exhibit distinct cell wall characteristics including papillae. To better understand the molecular processes important for papillae deposition on the cell wall surface, we identified the GLASSY HAIR 1 (GLH1) gene, which is necessary for papillae formation. We found that a splice-site mutation in the component of the transcriptional mediator complex MED25 gene is responsible for the near papillae-less phenotype of the glh1 mutant. The MED25 gene is expressed in trichomes. Reporters for trichome developmental marker genes GLABRA2 (GL2) and Ethylene Receptor2 (ETR2) were not affected in the glh1 mutant. Collectively, the presented results show that MED25 is necessary for papillae formation on the cell wall surface of leaf trichomes and suggest that the Arabidopsis MED25 mediator component is likely involved in the transcription of a subset of genes that promote papillae deposition in trichomes.

Osteogenic potential of in situ TiO2 nanowire surfaces formed by thermal oxidation of titanium alloy substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, A. W.; Ismail, R.; Chua, K. H.; Ahmad, R.; Akbar, S. A.; Pingguan-Murphy, B.

2014-11-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanowire surface structures were fabricated in situ by a thermal oxidation process, and their ability to enhance the osteogenic potential of primary osteoblasts was investigated. Human osteoblasts were isolated from nasal bone and cultured on a TiO2 nanowires coated substrate to assess its in vitro cellular interaction. Bare featureless Ti-6Al-4V substrate was used as a control surface. Initial cell adhesion, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell mineralization, and osteogenic related gene expression were examined on the TiO2 nanowire surfaces as compared to the control surfaces after 2 weeks of culturing. Cell adhesion and cell proliferation were assayed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Alamar Blue reduction assay, respectively. The nanowire surfaces promoted better cell adhesion and spreading than the control surface, as well as leading to higher cell proliferation. Our results showed that osteoblasts grown onto the TiO2 nanowire surfaces displayed significantly higher production levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), extracellular (ECM) mineralization and genes expression of runt-related transcription factor (Runx2), bone sialoprotein (BSP), ostoepontin (OPN) and osteocalcin (OCN) compared to the control surfaces. This suggests the potential use of such surface modification on Ti-6Al-4V substrates as a promising means to improve the osteointegration of titanium based implants.

Physics and chemistry of complex oxide etching and redeposition control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margot, Joëlle

2012-10-01

Since its introduction in the 1970s, plasma etching has become the universal method for fine-line pattern transfer onto thin films and is anticipated to remain so in foreseeable future. Despite many success stories, plasma etching processes fail to meet the needs for several of the newest materials involved in advanced devices for photonic, electronic and RF applications like ferroelectrics, electro-optic materials, high-k dielectrics, giant magnetoresistance materials and unconventional conductors. In this context, the work achieved over the last decade on the etching of multicomponent oxides thin films such as barium strontium titanate (BST), strontium titanate (STO) and niobate of calcium and barium (CBN) will be reviewed. These materials present a low reactivity with usual etching gases such as fluorinated and chlorinated gases, their etching is mainly governed by ion sputtering and reactive gases sometimes interact with surface materials to form compounds that inhibit etching. The etching of platinum will also be presented as an example of unconventional conductor materials for which severe redeposition limits the achievable etching quality. Finally, it will be shown how simulation can help to understand the etching mechanisms and to define avenues for higher quality patterning.

Fire history and human activity in last 2000 years reconstructed from varved lake sediments (N Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slowinski, M. M.; Pienczewska, A.; Obremska, M.; Ott, F.; Dietze, E.; Feurdean, A.; Theuerkauf, M.; Brauer, A.

2016-12-01

Humans in the last two thousand years affect profound changes to ecosystem structure and function sometimes causing fire regimes. The aim of the study was to reconstruct fire history and human activity in the Tuchola Pinewoods (Northern Poland) during the last 2000 years. The robust chronology of the sediment record is based on varve counting, AMS 14C dating, 137Cs activity concentration measurements and tephrochronology (Askja AD 1875). Pollen and microscopic charcoal data were obtained from varved lake sediments at a resolution of consistently 5 years and 10 years. Data from Czechowskie lake suggest next to climate change that increased human activity was one of the main factors that influenced fire frequency (e.g. 50-450 AD and 900-1200 AD). This is particularly evident between 1776-1905 AD, when intensified forest management led to a transformation from mixed to pine dominated forests (fire-prone vegetation). Using high-resolution pollen and charcoal data we aim to identify the most probable causes of changes during the last 2000 years. Finally, we discuss the observed fire frequency and vegetation change in relation to climate changes and the socio-economic development of the area. This study is a contribution to the Virtual Institute of Integrated Climate and Landscape Evolution Analysis - ICLEA- of the Helmholtz Association and National Science Centre, Poland (grant No. 2011/01/B/ST10/07367 and 2015/17/B/ST10/03430).

Intraspecific variation in estrogen receptor alpha and the expression of male sociosexual behavior in two populations of prairie voles.

PubMed

Cushing, Bruce S; Razzoli, Maria; Murphy, Anne Z; Epperson, Pamela M; Le, Wei-Wei; Hoffman, Gloria E

2004-08-06

Estrogen (E) regulates a variety of male sociosexual behaviors. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between the distribution of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and the degree of male social behavior. To test this hypothesis, ERalpha immunoreactivity (IR) was compared in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) from Illinois (IL), which are highly social, and Kansas (KN), which are less social. The expression of androgen receptors (AR) in males also was compared between populations. The expression of ERalpha and AR were compared in brains from KN and IL males and females using immunocytochemistry (ICC). There were significant intrapopulational differences, with males expressing less ERalpha-IR than females in the medial preoptic area, ventromedial nucleus, ventrolateral portion of the hypothalamus, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). IL males also displayed less ERalpha-IR in the medial amygdala (MeA) than IL females. While IL males expressed significantly less ERalpha-IR in the BST and MeA than KN males, there was no difference in AR-IR. Differences in the pattern of ERalpha-IR between KN and IL males were behaviorally relevant, as low levels of testosterone (T) were more effective in restoring sexual activity in castrated KN males than IL males. The lack of difference in AR combined with lower expression of ERalpha-IR in IL males suggests that behavioral differences in response to T are associated with aromatization of T to E and that reduced sensitivity to E may facilitate prosocial behavior in males.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Envelope Glycoproteins Antagonize Tetherin through a Distinctive Mechanism That Requires Virion Incorporation

PubMed Central

Guevara, Rebekah B.; Marcano, Adriana C.; Saenz, Dyana T.; Fadel, Hind J.; Rogstad, Daniel K.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT BST2/tetherin inhibits the release of enveloped viruses from cells. Primate lentiviruses have evolved specific antagonists (Vpu, Nef, and Env). Here we characterized tetherin proteins of species representing both branches of the order Carnivora. Comparison of tiger and cat (Feliformia) to dog and ferret (Caniformia) genes demonstrated that the tiger and cat share a start codon mutation that truncated most of the tetherin cytoplasmic tail early in the Feliformia lineage (19 of 27 amino acids, including the dual tyrosine motif). Alpha interferon (IFN-α) induced tetherin and blocked feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) replication in lymphoid and nonlymphoid feline cells. Budding of bald FIV and HIV particles was blocked by carnivore tetherins. However, infectious FIV particles were resistant, and spreading FIV replication was uninhibited. Antagonism mapped to the envelope glycoprotein (Env), which rescued FIV from carnivore tetherin restriction when expressed in trans but, in contrast to known antagonists, did not rescue noncognate particles. Also unlike the primate lentiviral antagonists, but similar to the Ebola virus glycoprotein, FIV Env did not reduce intracellular or cell surface tetherin levels. Furthermore, FIV-enveloped FIV particles actually required tetherin for optimal release from cells. The results show that FIV Envs mediate a distinctive tetherin evasion. Well adapted to a phylogenetically ancient tetherin tail truncation in the Felidae, it requires functional virion incorporation of Env, and it shields the budding particle without downregulating plasma membrane tetherin. Moreover, FIV has evolved dependence on this protein: particles containing FIV Env need tetherin for optimal release from the cell, while Env− particles do not. IMPORTANCE HIV-1 antagonizes the restriction factor tetherin with the accessory protein Vpu, while HIV-2 and the filovirus Ebola use their envelope (Env) glycoproteins for this purpose. It turns out that the FIV tetherin antagonist is also its Env protein, but the mechanism is distinctive. Unlike other tetherin antagonists, FIV Env cannot act in trans to rescue vpu-deficient HIV-1. It must be incorporated specifically into FIV virions to be active. Also unlike other retroviral antagonists, but similar to Ebola virus Env, it does not act by downregulating or degrading tetherin. FIV Env might exclude tetherin locally or direct assembly to tetherin-negative membrane domains. Other distinctive features are apparent, including evidence that this virus evolved an equilibrium in which tetherin is both restriction factor and cofactor, as FIV requires tetherin for optimal particle release. PMID:24390322

Identification and Characterization of Novel Surface Proteins in Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus gasseri

PubMed Central

Ventura, Marco; Jankovic, Ivana; Walker, D. Carey; Pridmore, R. David; Zink, Ralf

2002-01-01

We have identified and sequenced the genes encoding the aggregation-promoting factor (APF) protein from six different strains of Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus gasseri. Both species harbor two apf genes, apf1 and apf2, which are in the same orientation and encode proteins of 257 to 326 amino acids. Multiple alignments of the deduced amino acid sequences of these apf genes demonstrate a very strong sequence conservation of all of the genes with the exception of their central regions. Northern blot analysis showed that both genes are transcribed, reaching their maximum expression during the exponential phase. Primer extension analysis revealed that apf1 and apf2 harbor a putative promoter sequence that is conserved in all of the genes. Western blot analysis of the LiCl cell extracts showed that APF proteins are located on the cell surface. Intact cells of L. johnsonii revealed the typical cell wall architecture of S-layer-carrying gram-positive eubacteria, which could be selectively removed with LiCl treatment. In addition, the amino acid composition, physical properties, and genetic organization were found to be quite similar to those of S-layer proteins. These results suggest that APF is a novel surface protein of the Lactobacillus acidophilus B-homology group which might belong to an S-layer-like family. PMID:12450842

In-depth comparative analysis of malaria parasite genomes reveals protein-coding genes linked to human disease in Plasmodium falciparum genome.

PubMed

Liu, Xuewu; Wang, Yuanyuan; Liang, Jiao; Wang, Luojun; Qin, Na; Zhao, Ya; Zhao, Gang

2018-05-02

Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent malaria parasite capable of parasitizing human erythrocytes. The identification of genes related to this capability can enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying human malaria and lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for malaria control. With the availability of several malaria parasite genome sequences, performing computational analysis is now a practical strategy to identify genes contributing to this disease. Here, we developed and used a virtual genome method to assign 33,314 genes from three human malaria parasites, namely, P. falciparum, P. knowlesi and P. vivax, and three rodent malaria parasites, namely, P. berghei, P. chabaudi and P. yoelii, to 4605 clusters. Each cluster consisted of genes whose protein sequences were significantly similar and was considered as a virtual gene. Comparing the enriched values of all clusters in human malaria parasites with those in rodent malaria parasites revealed 115 P. falciparum genes putatively responsible for parasitizing human erythrocytes. These genes are mainly located in the chromosome internal regions and participate in many biological processes, including membrane protein trafficking and thiamine biosynthesis. Meanwhile, 289 P. berghei genes were included in the rodent parasite-enriched clusters. Most are located in subtelomeric regions and encode erythrocyte surface proteins. Comparing cluster values in P. falciparum with those in P. vivax and P. knowlesi revealed 493 candidate genes linked to virulence. Some of them encode proteins present on the erythrocyte surface and participate in cytoadhesion, virulence factor trafficking, or erythrocyte invasion, but many genes with unknown function were also identified. Cerebral malaria is characterized by accumulation of infected erythrocytes at trophozoite stage in brain microvascular. To discover cerebral malaria-related genes, fast Fourier transformation (FFT) was introduced to extract genes highly transcribed at the trophozoite stage. Finally, 55 candidate genes were identified. Considering that parasite-infected erythrocyte surface protein 2 (PIESP2) contains gap-junction-related Neuromodulin_N domain and that anti-PIESP2 might provide protection against malaria, we chose PIESP2 for further experimental study. Our analysis revealed a limited number of genes linked to human disease in P. falciparum genome. These genes could be interesting targets for further functional characterization.

Retroviral restriction and dependency factors in primates and carnivores

PubMed Central

Fadel, Hind J.; Poeschla, Eric M.

2014-01-01

Recent studies have extended the rapidly developing retroviral restriction factor field to cells of carnivore species. Carnivoran genomes, and the domestic cat genome in particular, are revealing intriguing properties vis-à;-vis the primate and feline lentiviruses, not only with respect to their repertoires of virus-blocking restriction factors but also replication-enabling dependency factors. Therapeutic application of restriction factors is envisioned for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease and the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) model has promise for testing important hypotheses at the basic and translational level. Feline cell-tropic HIV-1 clones have also been generated by a strategy of restriction factor evasion. We review progress in this area in the context of what is known about retroviral restriction factors such as TRIM5alpha, TRIMCyp, APOBEC3 proteins and BST-2/Tetherin. PMID:21715018

Evaluation of MLVA for epidemiological typing and outbreak detection of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in Sweden.

PubMed

Helldal, Lisa; Karami, Nahid; Welinder-Olsson, Christina; Moore, Edward R B; Åhren, Christina

2017-01-06

To identify the spread of nosocomial infections and halt outbreak development caused by Escherichia coli that carry multiple antibiotic resistance factors, such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases, is becoming demanding challenges due to the rapid global increase and constant and increasing influx of these bacteria from the community to the hospital setting. Our aim was to assess a reliable and rapid typing protocol for ESBL-E. coli, with the primary focus to screen for possible clonal relatedness between isolates. All clinical ESBL-E. coli isolates, collected from hospitals (n = 63) and the community (n = 41), within a single geographical region over a 6 months period, were included, as well as clinical isolates from a polyclonal outbreak (ST131, n = 9, and ST1444, n = 3). The sporadic cases represented 36 STs, of which eight STs dominated i.e. ST131 (n = 33 isolates), ST648 (n = 10), ST38 (n = 9), ST12 and 69 (each n = 4), ST 167, 405 and 372 (each n = 3). The efficacy of multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) was evaluated using three, seven or ten loci, in comparison with that of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi locus sequence typing (MLST). MLVA detected 39, 55 and 60 distinct types, respectively, using three (GECM-3), seven (GECM-7) or ten (GECM-10) loci. For GECM-7 and -10, 26 STs included one type and eleven STs each included several types, the corresponding numbers for GECM-3 were 29 and 8. The highest numbers were seen for ST131 (7,7 and 8 types, respectively), ST38 (5,5,8) and ST648 (4,5,5). Good concordance was observed with PFGE and GECM-7 and -10, despite fewer types being identified with MLVA; 78 as compared to 55 and 60 types. The lower discriminatory power of MLVA was primarily seen within the O25b-ST131 lineage (n = 34) and its H30-Rx subclone (n = 21). Epidemiologically unrelated O25b-ST131 isolates were clustered with O25b-ST131 outbreak isolates by MLVA, whereas the ST1444 outbreak isolates were accurately distinguished from unrelated isolates. MLVA, even when using only three loci, represents an easy initial typing tool for epidemiological screening of ESBL-E. coli. For the ST131-O25b linage, complementary methods may be needed to obtain sufficient resolution.

Evolution of genetic polymorphisms of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein (PfMSP) in Thailand.

PubMed

Kuesap, Jiraporn; Chaijaroenkul, Wanna; Ketprathum, Kanchanok; Tattiyapong, Puntanat; Na-Bangchang, Kesara

2014-02-01

Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a major public health problem in Thailand due to the emergence of multidrug resistance. The understanding of genetic diversity of malaria parasites is essential for developing effective drugs and vaccines. The genetic diversity of the merozoite surface protein-1 (PfMSP-1) and merozoite surface protein-2 (PfMSP-2) genes was investigated in a total of 145 P. falciparum isolates collected from Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand during 3 different periods (1997-1999, 2005-2007, and 2009-2010). Analysis of genetic polymorphisms was performed to track the evolution of genetic change of P. falciparum using PCR. Both individual genes and their combination patterns showed marked genetic diversity during the 3 study periods. The results strongly support that P. falciparum isolates in Thailand are markedly diverse and patterns changed with time. These 2 polymorphic genes could be used as molecular markers to detect multiple clone infections and differentiate recrudescence from reinfection in P. falciparum isolates in Thailand.

Actinomyces spp. gene expression in root caries lesions

PubMed Central

Dame-Teixeira, Naile; Parolo, Clarissa Cavalcanti Fatturi; Maltz, Marisa; Tugnait, Aradhna; Devine, Deirdre; Do, Thuy

2016-01-01

Background The studies of the distribution of Actinomyces spp. on carious and non-carious root surfaces have not been able to confirm the association of these bacteria with root caries, although they were extensively implicated as a prime suspect in root caries. Objective The aim of this study was to observe the gene expression of Actinomyces spp. in the microbiota of root surfaces with and without caries. Design The oral biofilms from exposed sound root surface (SRS; n=10) and active root caries (RC; n=30) samples were collected. The total bacterial RNA was extracted, and the mRNA was isolated. Samples with low RNA concentration were pooled, yielding a final sample size of SRS=10 and RC=9. Complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries were prepared and sequenced on an Illumina® HiSeq 2500 system. Sequence reads were mapped to eight Actinomyces genomes. Count data were normalized using DESeq2 to analyse differential gene expression applying the Benjamini-Hochberg correction (false discovery rate [FDR]<0.001). Results Actinomyces spp. had similar numbers of reads (Mann-Whitney U-test; p>0.05), except for Actinomyces OT178 (p=0.001) and Actinomyces gerencseriae (p=0.004), which had higher read counts in the SRS. Genes that code for stress proteins (clp, dnaK, and groEL), enzymes of glycolysis pathways (including enolase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase), adhesion (Type-2 fimbrial and collagen-binding protein), and cell growth (EF-Tu) were highly – but not differentially (p>0.001) – expressed in both groups. Genes with the most significant upregulation in RC were those coding for hypothetical proteins and uracil DNA glycosylase (p=2.61E-17). The gene with the most significant upregulation in SRS was a peptide ABC transporter substrate-binding protein (log2FC=−6.00, FDR=2.37E-05). Conclusion There were similar levels of Actinomyces gene expression in both sound and carious root biofilms. These bacteria can be commensal in root surface sites but may be cariogenic due to survival mechanisms that allow them to exist in acid environments and to metabolize sugars, saving energy. PMID:27640531

Ureaplasma diversum Genome Provides New Insights about the Interaction of the Surface Molecules of This Bacterium with the Host

PubMed Central

Marques, Lucas M.; Rezende, Izadora S.; Barbosa, Maysa S.; Guimarães, Ana M. S.; Martins, Hellen B.; Campos, Guilherme B.; do Nascimento, Naíla C.; dos Santos, Andrea P.; Amorim, Aline T.; Santos, Verena M.; Farias, Sávio T.; Barrence, Fernanda Â. C.; de Souza, Lauro M.; Buzinhani, Melissa; Arana-Chavez, Victor E.; Zenteno, Maria E.; Amarante-Mendes, Gustavo P.; Messick, Joanne B.; Timenetsky, Jorge

2016-01-01

Whole genome sequencing and analyses of Ureaplasma diversum ATCC 49782 was undertaken as a step towards understanding U. diversum biology and pathogenicity. The complete genome showed 973,501 bp in a single circular chromosome, with 28.2% of G+C content. A total of 782 coding DNA sequences (CDSs), and 6 rRNA and 32 tRNA genes were predicted and annotated. The metabolic pathways are identical to other human ureaplasmas, including the production of ATP via hydrolysis of the urea. Genes related to pathogenicity, such as urease, phospholipase, hemolysin, and a Mycoplasma Ig binding protein (MIB)—Mycoplasma Ig protease (MIP) system were identified. More interestingly, a large number of genes (n = 40) encoding surface molecules were annotated in the genome (lipoproteins, multiple-banded antigen like protein, membrane nuclease lipoprotein and variable surface antigens lipoprotein). In addition, a gene encoding glycosyltransferase was also found. This enzyme has been associated with the production of capsule in mycoplasmas and ureaplasma. We then sought to detect the presence of a capsule in this organism. A polysaccharide capsule from 11 to 17 nm of U. diversum was observed trough electron microscopy and using specific dyes. This structure contained arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose. In order to understand the inflammatory response against these surface molecules, we evaluated the response of murine macrophages J774 against viable and non-viable U. diversum. As with viable bacteria, non-viable bacteria were capable of promoting a significant inflammatory response by activation of Toll like receptor 2 (TLR2), indicating that surface molecules are important for the activation of inflammatory response. Furthermore, a cascade of genes related to the inflammasome pathway of macrophages was also up-regulated during infection with viable organisms when compared to non-infected cells. In conclusion, U. diversum has a typical ureaplasma genome and metabolism, and its surface molecules, including the identified capsular material, represent major components of the organism immunopathogenesis. PMID:27603136

Ureaplasma diversum Genome Provides New Insights about the Interaction of the Surface Molecules of This Bacterium with the Host.

PubMed

Marques, Lucas M; Rezende, Izadora S; Barbosa, Maysa S; Guimarães, Ana M S; Martins, Hellen B; Campos, Guilherme B; do Nascimento, Naíla C; Dos Santos, Andrea P; Amorim, Aline T; Santos, Verena M; Farias, Sávio T; Barrence, Fernanda  C; de Souza, Lauro M; Buzinhani, Melissa; Arana-Chavez, Victor E; Zenteno, Maria E; Amarante-Mendes, Gustavo P; Messick, Joanne B; Timenetsky, Jorge

2016-01-01

Whole genome sequencing and analyses of Ureaplasma diversum ATCC 49782 was undertaken as a step towards understanding U. diversum biology and pathogenicity. The complete genome showed 973,501 bp in a single circular chromosome, with 28.2% of G+C content. A total of 782 coding DNA sequences (CDSs), and 6 rRNA and 32 tRNA genes were predicted and annotated. The metabolic pathways are identical to other human ureaplasmas, including the production of ATP via hydrolysis of the urea. Genes related to pathogenicity, such as urease, phospholipase, hemolysin, and a Mycoplasma Ig binding protein (MIB)-Mycoplasma Ig protease (MIP) system were identified. More interestingly, a large number of genes (n = 40) encoding surface molecules were annotated in the genome (lipoproteins, multiple-banded antigen like protein, membrane nuclease lipoprotein and variable surface antigens lipoprotein). In addition, a gene encoding glycosyltransferase was also found. This enzyme has been associated with the production of capsule in mycoplasmas and ureaplasma. We then sought to detect the presence of a capsule in this organism. A polysaccharide capsule from 11 to 17 nm of U. diversum was observed trough electron microscopy and using specific dyes. This structure contained arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose. In order to understand the inflammatory response against these surface molecules, we evaluated the response of murine macrophages J774 against viable and non-viable U. diversum. As with viable bacteria, non-viable bacteria were capable of promoting a significant inflammatory response by activation of Toll like receptor 2 (TLR2), indicating that surface molecules are important for the activation of inflammatory response. Furthermore, a cascade of genes related to the inflammasome pathway of macrophages was also up-regulated during infection with viable organisms when compared to non-infected cells. In conclusion, U. diversum has a typical ureaplasma genome and metabolism, and its surface molecules, including the identified capsular material, represent major components of the organism immunopathogenesis.

Frequency of ace, epa and elrA Genes in Clinical and Environmental Strains of Enterococcus faecalis.

PubMed

Lysakowska, Monika Eliza; Denys, Andrzej; Sienkiewicz, Monika

2012-12-01

Surface proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of enterococcal infections. Some of them are candidates for a vaccine, e.g., the frequency of endocarditis in rats vaccinated with Ace protein was 75 % as 12 opposed to 100 % in those who weren't. However, there are other components of enterococcal cells, such as Epa antigens or internalin-like proteins, which may be used in the prophylaxis of infections caused by them. However, also other virulence factors and resistance to antibiotics are important during enterococcal infection. Therefore, the relevance of ace, epa, elrA, other virulence genes, as well as resistance to antibiotics was investigated. 161 Enterococcus faecalis strains isolated from teaching hospitals in Lodz, cultured according to standard microbiological methods, were investigated for the presence of genes encoding surface proteins by PCR. Results were analyzed with χ(2) test. The elrA gene was found in all clinical and environmental strains, the ace gene was also widespread among E. faecalis (96.9 %). Both tested epa genes were found in the majority of isolates (83.25 %). There was correlation between the presence of esp and ace genes (p = 0.046) as well as between epa and agg genes (p = 0.0094; χ(2) test). The presence of the genes encoding surface proteins investigated in our study in the great majority of isolates implies that they would appear to be required during E. faecalis infection. Therefore, they could be excellent targets in therapy of enterococcal infections or, as some studies show, candidates for vaccines.

mRNA localization to the mitochondrial surface allows the efficient translocation inside the organelle of a nuclear recoded ATP6 protein

PubMed Central

Kaltimbacher, Valérie; Bonnet, Crystel; Lecoeuvre, Gaëlle; Forster, Valérie; Sahel, José-Alain; Corral-Debrinski, Marisol

2006-01-01

As previously established in yeast, two sequences within mRNAs are responsible for their specific localization to the mitochondrial surface—the region coding for the mitochondrial targeting sequence and the 3′UTR. This phenomenon is conserved in human cells. Therefore, we decided to use mRNA localization as a tool to address to mitochondria, a protein that is not normally imported. For this purpose, we associated a nuclear recoded ATP6 gene with the mitochondrial targeting sequence and the 3′UTR of the nuclear SOD2 gene, which mRNA exclusively localizes to the mitochondrial surface in HeLa cells. The ATP6 gene is naturally located into the organelle and encodes a highly hydrophobic protein of the respiratory chain complex V. In this study, we demonstrated that hybrid ATP6 mRNAs, as the endogenous SOD2 mRNA, localize to the mitochondrial surface in human cells. Remarkably, fusion proteins localize to mitochondria in vivo. Indeed, ATP6 precursors synthesized in the cytoplasm were imported into mitochondria in a highly efficient way, especially when both the MTS and the 3′UTR of the SOD2 gene were associated with the re-engineered ATP6 gene. Hence, these data indicate that mRNA targeting to the mitochondrial surface represents an attractive strategy for allowing the mitochondrial import of proteins originally encoded by the mitochondrial genome without any amino acid change in the protein that could interfere with its biologic activity. PMID:16751614

A conserved fungal glycosyltransferase facilitates pathogenesis of plants by enabling hyphal growth on solid surfaces

PubMed Central

Plummer, Amy; Halsey, Kirstie; Lovegrove, Alison; Hammond-Kosack, Kim

2017-01-01

Pathogenic fungi must extend filamentous hyphae across solid surfaces to cause diseases of plants. However, the full inventory of genes which support this is incomplete and many may be currently concealed due to their essentiality for the hyphal growth form. During a random T-DNA mutagenesis screen performed on the pleomorphic wheat (Triticum aestivum) pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici, we acquired a mutant unable to extend hyphae specifically when on solid surfaces. In contrast “yeast-like” growth, and all other growth forms, were unaffected. The inability to extend surface hyphae resulted in a complete loss of virulence on plants. The affected gene encoded a predicted type 2 glycosyltransferase (ZtGT2). Analysis of >800 genomes from taxonomically diverse fungi highlighted a generally widespread, but discontinuous, distribution of ZtGT2 orthologues, and a complete absence of any similar proteins in non-filamentous ascomycete yeasts. Deletion mutants of the ZtGT2 orthologue in the taxonomically un-related fungus Fusarium graminearum were also severely impaired in hyphal growth and non-pathogenic on wheat ears. ZtGT2 expression increased during filamentous growth and electron microscopy on deletion mutants (ΔZtGT2) suggested the protein functions to maintain the outermost surface of the fungal cell wall. Despite this, adhesion to leaf surfaces was unaffected in ΔZtGT2 mutants and global RNAseq-based gene expression profiling highlighted that surface-sensing and protein secretion was also largely unaffected. However, ΔZtGT2 mutants constitutively overexpressed several transmembrane and secreted proteins, including an important LysM-domain chitin-binding virulence effector, Zt3LysM. ZtGT2 likely functions in the synthesis of a currently unknown, potentially minor but widespread, extracellular or outer cell wall polysaccharide which plays a key role in facilitating many interactions between plants and fungi by enabling hyphal growth on solid matrices. PMID:29020037

An Ribonuclease T2 Family Protein Modulates Acinetobacter baumannii Abiotic Surface Colonization

PubMed Central

Jacobs, Anna C.; Blanchard, Catlyn E.; Catherman, Seana C.; Dunman, Paul M.; Murata, Yoshihiko

2014-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging bacterial pathogen of considerable medical concern. The organism's transmission and ability to cause disease has been associated with its propensity to colonize and form biofilms on abiotic surfaces in health care settings. To better understand the genetic determinants that affect biomaterial attachment, we performed a transposon mutagenesis analysis of abiotic surface-colonization using A. baumannii strain 98-37-09. Disruption of an RNase T2 family gene was found to limit the organism's ability to colonize polystyrene, polypropylene, glass, and stainless steel surfaces. DNA microarray analyses revealed that in comparison to wild type and complemented cells, the RNase T2 family mutant exhibited reduced expression of 29 genes, 15 of which are predicted to be associated with bacterial attachment and surface-associated motility. Motility assays confirmed that RNase T2 mutant displays a severe motility defect. Taken together, our results indicate that the RNase T2 family protein identified in this study is a positive regulator of A. baumannii's ability to colonize inanimate surfaces and motility. Moreover, the enzyme may be an effective target for the intervention of biomaterial colonization, and consequently limit the organism's transmission within the hospital setting. PMID:24489668

Mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana genes involved in the tryptophan biosynthesis pathway affect root waving on tilted agar surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutherford, R.; Gallois, P.; Masson, P. H.

1998-01-01

Arabidopsis thaliana roots grow in a wavy pattern upon a slanted surface. A novel mutation in the anthranilate synthase alpha 1 (ASA1) gene, named trp5-2wvc1, and mutations in the tryptophan synthase alpha and beta 1 genes (trp3-1 and trp2-1, respectively) confer a compressed root wave phenotype on tilted agar surfaces. When trp5-2wvc1 seedlings are grown on media supplemented with anthranilate metabolites, their roots wave like wild type. Genetic and pharmacological experiments argue that the compressed root wave phenotypes of trp5-2wvc1, trp2-1 and trp3-1 seedlings are not due to reduced IAA biosynthetic potential, but rather to a deficiency in L-tryptophan (L-Trp), or in a L-Trp derivative. Although the roots of 7-day-old seedlings possess higher concentrations of free L-Trp than the shoot as a whole, trp5-2wvc1 mutants show no detectable alteration in L-Trp levels in either tissue type, suggesting that a very localized shortage of L-Trp, or of a L-Trp-derived compound, is responsible for the observed phenotype.

Methane and nitrous oxide cycling microbial communities in soils above septic leach fields: Abundances with depth and correlations with net surface emissions.

PubMed

Fernández-Baca, Cristina P; Truhlar, Allison M; Omar, Amir-Eldin H; Rahm, Brian G; Walter, M Todd; Richardson, Ruth E

2018-05-31

Onsite septic systems use soil microbial communities to treat wastewater, in the process creating potent greenhouse gases (GHGs): methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Subsurface soil dispersal systems of septic tank overflow, known as leach fields, are an important part of wastewater treatment and have the potential to contribute significantly to GHG cycling. This study aimed to characterize soil microbial communities associated with leach field systems and quantify the abundance and distribution of microbial populations involved in CH 4 and N 2 O cycling. Functional genes were used to target populations producing and consuming GHGs, specifically methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) and particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA) for CH 4 and nitric oxide reductase (cnorB) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) for N 2 O. All biomarker genes were found in all soil samples regardless of treatment (leach field, sand filter, or control) or depth (surface or subsurface). In general, biomarker genes were more abundant in surface soils than subsurface soils suggesting the majority of GHG cycling is occurring in near-surface soils. Ratios of production to consumption gene abundances showed a positive relationship with CH 4 emissions (mcrA:pmoA, p < 0.001) but not with N 2 O emission (cnorB:nosZ, p > 0.05). Of the three measured soil parameters (volumetric water content (VWC), temperature, and conductivity), only VWC was significantly correlated to a biomarker gene, mcrA (p = 0.0398) but not pmoA or either of the N 2 O cycling genes (p > 0.05 for cnorB and nosZ). 16S rRNA amplicon library sequencing results revealed soil VWC, CH 4 flux and N 2 O flux together explained 64% of the microbial community diversity between samples. Sequencing of mcrA and pmoA amplicon libraries revealed treatment had little effect on diversity of CH 4 cycling organisms. Overall, these results suggest GHG cycling occurs in all soils regardless of whether or not they are associated with a leach field system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of titanium surface anodization with CaP incorporation on human osteoblastic response

PubMed Central

OLIVEIRA, Natássia Cristina Martins; MOURA, Camilla Christian Gomes; ZANETTA-BARBOSA, Darceny; MENDONÇA, Daniela Baccelli Silveira; MENDONÇA, Gustavo; DECHICHI, Paula

2015-01-01

In this study we investigated whether anodization with calcium phosphate (CaP) incorporation (Vulcano®) enhances growth factors secretion, osteoblast-specific gene expression, and cell viability, when compared to acid etched surfaces (Porous®) and machined surfaces (Screw®) after 3 and 7 days. Results showed significant cell viability for Porous and Vulcano at day 7, when compared with Screw (p=0.005). At the same time point, significant differences regarding runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) expression were found for all surfaces (p<0.05), but with greater fold induction for Porous and Vulcano. The secretion of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) was not significantly affected by surface treatment in any experimental time (p>0.05). Although no significant correlation was found for growth factors secretion and Runx2 expression, a significant positive correlation between this gene and ALP/BSP expression showed that their strong association is independent on the type of surface. The incorporation of CaP affected the biological parameters evaluated similar to surfaces just acid etched. The results presented here support the observations that roughness also may play an important role in determining cell response. PMID:23498218

Community Composition of Nitrous Oxide Consuming Bacteria in the Oxygen Minimum Zone of the Eastern Tropical South Pacific

PubMed Central

Sun, Xin; Jayakumar, Amal; Ward, Bess B.

2017-01-01

The ozone-depleting and greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O), is mainly consumed by the microbially mediated anaerobic process, denitrification. N2O consumption is the last step in canonical denitrification, and is also the least O2 tolerant step. Community composition of total and active N2O consuming bacteria was analyzed based on total (DNA) and transcriptionally active (RNA) nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes using a functional gene microarray. The total and active nosZ communities were dominated by a limited number of nosZ archetypes, affiliated with bacteria from marine, soil and marsh environments. In addition to nosZ genes related to those of known marine denitrifiers, atypical nosZ genes, related to those of soil bacteria that do not possess a complete denitrification pathway, were also detected, especially in surface waters. The community composition of the total nosZ assemblage was significantly different from the active assemblage. The community composition of the total nosZ assemblage was significantly different between coastal and off-shore stations. The low oxygen assemblages from both stations were similar to each other, while the higher oxygen assemblages were more variable. Community composition of the active nosZ assemblage was also significantly different between stations, and varied with N2O concentration but not O2. Notably, nosZ assemblages were not only present but also active in oxygenated seawater: the abundance of total and active nosZ bacteria from oxygenated surface water (indicated by nosZ gene copy number) was similar to or even larger than in anoxic waters, implying the potential for N2O consumption even in the oxygenated surface water. PMID:28702012

Community Composition of Nitrous Oxide Consuming Bacteria in the Oxygen Minimum Zone of the Eastern Tropical South Pacific.

PubMed

Sun, Xin; Jayakumar, Amal; Ward, Bess B

2017-01-01

The ozone-depleting and greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N 2 O), is mainly consumed by the microbially mediated anaerobic process, denitrification. N 2 O consumption is the last step in canonical denitrification, and is also the least O 2 tolerant step. Community composition of total and active N 2 O consuming bacteria was analyzed based on total (DNA) and transcriptionally active (RNA) nitrous oxide reductase ( nosZ ) genes using a functional gene microarray. The total and active nosZ communities were dominated by a limited number of nosZ archetypes, affiliated with bacteria from marine, soil and marsh environments. In addition to nosZ genes related to those of known marine denitrifiers, atypical nosZ genes, related to those of soil bacteria that do not possess a complete denitrification pathway, were also detected, especially in surface waters. The community composition of the total nosZ assemblage was significantly different from the active assemblage. The community composition of the total nosZ assemblage was significantly different between coastal and off-shore stations. The low oxygen assemblages from both stations were similar to each other, while the higher oxygen assemblages were more variable. Community composition of the active nosZ assemblage was also significantly different between stations, and varied with N 2 O concentration but not O 2 . Notably, nosZ assemblages were not only present but also active in oxygenated seawater: the abundance of total and active nosZ bacteria from oxygenated surface water (indicated by nosZ gene copy number) was similar to or even larger than in anoxic waters, implying the potential for N 2 O consumption even in the oxygenated surface water.

Histidine-rich stabilized polyplexes for cMet-directed tumor-targeted gene transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kos, Petra; Lächelt, Ulrich; Herrmann, Annika; Mickler, Frauke Martina; Döblinger, Markus; He, Dongsheng; Krhač Levačić, Ana; Morys, Stephan; Bräuchle, Christoph; Wagner, Ernst

2015-03-01

Overexpression of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor/c-Met proto oncogene on the surface of a variety of tumor cells gives an opportunity to specifically target cancerous tissues. Herein, we report the first use of c-Met as receptor for non-viral tumor-targeted gene delivery. Sequence-defined oligomers comprising the c-Met binding peptide ligand cMBP2 for targeting, a monodisperse polyethylene glycol (PEG) for polyplex surface shielding, and various cationic (oligoethanamino) amide cores containing terminal cysteines for redox-sensitive polyplex stabilization, were assembled by solid-phase supported syntheses. The resulting oligomers exhibited a greatly enhanced cellular uptake and gene transfer over non-targeted control sequences, confirming the efficacy and target-specificity of the formed polyplexes. Implementation of endosomal escape-promoting histidines in the cationic core was required for gene expression without additional endosomolytic agent. The histidine-enriched polyplexes demonstrated stability in serum as well as receptor-specific gene transfer in vivo upon intratumoral injection. The co-formulation with an analogous PEG-free cationic oligomer led to a further compaction of pDNA polyplexes with an obvious change of shape as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy. Such compaction was critically required for efficient intravenous gene delivery which resulted in greatly enhanced, cMBP2 ligand-dependent gene expression in the distant tumor.Overexpression of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor/c-Met proto oncogene on the surface of a variety of tumor cells gives an opportunity to specifically target cancerous tissues. Herein, we report the first use of c-Met as receptor for non-viral tumor-targeted gene delivery. Sequence-defined oligomers comprising the c-Met binding peptide ligand cMBP2 for targeting, a monodisperse polyethylene glycol (PEG) for polyplex surface shielding, and various cationic (oligoethanamino) amide cores containing terminal cysteines for redox-sensitive polyplex stabilization, were assembled by solid-phase supported syntheses. The resulting oligomers exhibited a greatly enhanced cellular uptake and gene transfer over non-targeted control sequences, confirming the efficacy and target-specificity of the formed polyplexes. Implementation of endosomal escape-promoting histidines in the cationic core was required for gene expression without additional endosomolytic agent. The histidine-enriched polyplexes demonstrated stability in serum as well as receptor-specific gene transfer in vivo upon intratumoral injection. The co-formulation with an analogous PEG-free cationic oligomer led to a further compaction of pDNA polyplexes with an obvious change of shape as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy. Such compaction was critically required for efficient intravenous gene delivery which resulted in greatly enhanced, cMBP2 ligand-dependent gene expression in the distant tumor. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06556e

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

Sharma, Richa; Tandon, R. P., E-mail: ram-tandon@hotmail.com

In the present work, (1-x)Ba{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05}TiO{sub 3}-(x)CoFe{sub 1.8}Mn{sub 0.2}O{sub 4} composites are prepared by standard solid state reaction method. The X-ray diffraction measurement of the composites shows that both the phases coexist in the composite, individually. The morphology of the composites were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy and reveals homogeneous microstructure with two types of grains, smaller grains of the Ba{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05}TiO{sub 3} (BST) and bigger grains of the CoFe{sub 1.8}Mn{sub 0.2}O{sub 4} (CFM). The dielectric studies show that all the composites exhibit dispersion in the lower frequency region attributable to the interfacial polarization. In addition,more » at lower frequencies, the dielectric constant (ε´) is found to increase with increase in CFM content in the composites. The ferromagnetic properties of the composites improve with the increase in the CFM content.« less

Differential Expression of Osteo-Modulatory Molecules in Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells in Response to Modified Titanium Surfaces

PubMed Central

Kim, So Yeon; Yoo, Ji-Yeon; Ohe, Joo-Young; Lee, Jung-Woo; Moon, Ji-Hoi; Kwon, Yong-Dae; Heo, Jung Sun

2014-01-01

This study assessed differential gene expression of signaling molecules involved in osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) subjected to different titanium (Ti) surface types. PDLSCs were cultured on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), and four types of Ti discs (PT, SLA, hydrophilic PT (pmodPT), and hydrophilic SLA (modSLA)) with no osteoinductive factor and then osteogenic activity, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mRNA expression of runt-related gene 2, osterix, FOSB, FRA1, and protein levels of osteopontin and collagen type IA, were examined. The highest osteogenic activity appeared in PDLSCs cultured on SLA, compared with the TCPS and other Ti surfaces. The role of surface properties in affecting signaling molecules to modulate PDLSC behavior was determined by examining the regulation of Wnt pathways. mRNA expression of the canonical Wnt signaling molecules, Wnt3a and β-catenin, was higher on SLA and modSLA than on smooth surfaces, but gene expression of the calcium-dependent Wnt signaling molecules Wnt5a, calmodulin, and NFATc1 was increased significantly on PT and pmodPT. Moreover, integrin α2/β1, sonic hedgehog, and Notch signaling molecules were affected differently by each surface modification. In conclusion, surface roughness and hydrophilicity can affect differential Wnt pathways and signaling molecules, targeting the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. PMID:25057487

Differential expression of osteo-modulatory molecules in periodontal ligament stem cells in response to modified titanium surfaces.

PubMed

Kim, So Yeon; Yoo, Ji-Yeon; Ohe, Joo-Young; Lee, Jung-Woo; Moon, Ji-Hoi; Kwon, Yong-Dae; Heo, Jung Sun

2014-01-01

This study assessed differential gene expression of signaling molecules involved in osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) subjected to different titanium (Ti) surface types. PDLSCs were cultured on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), and four types of Ti discs (PT, SLA, hydrophilic PT (pmodPT), and hydrophilic SLA (modSLA)) with no osteoinductive factor and then osteogenic activity, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mRNA expression of runt-related gene 2, osterix, FOSB, FRA1, and protein levels of osteopontin and collagen type IA, were examined. The highest osteogenic activity appeared in PDLSCs cultured on SLA, compared with the TCPS and other Ti surfaces. The role of surface properties in affecting signaling molecules to modulate PDLSC behavior was determined by examining the regulation of Wnt pathways. mRNA expression of the canonical Wnt signaling molecules, Wnt3a and β-catenin, was higher on SLA and modSLA than on smooth surfaces, but gene expression of the calcium-dependent Wnt signaling molecules Wnt5a, calmodulin, and NFATc1 was increased significantly on PT and pmodPT. Moreover, integrin α2/β1, sonic hedgehog, and Notch signaling molecules were affected differently by each surface modification. In conclusion, surface roughness and hydrophilicity can affect differential Wnt pathways and signaling molecules, targeting the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs.

Vasopressin infusion into the lateral septum of adult male rats rescues progesterone induced impairment in social recognition

PubMed Central

Bychowski, Meaghan E.; Mena, Jesus D.; Auger, Catherine J.

2013-01-01

It is well established that social recognition memory is mediated, in part, by arginine vasopressin (AVP). AVP cells within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and medial amygdala (MeA) send AVP-ergic projections to the lateral septum (LS). We have demonstrated that progesterone treatment decreases AVP immunoreactivity within the BST, the MeA and the LS, and that progesterone treatment impairs social recognition. These data suggested that progesterone may impair social recognition memory by decreasing AVP. In the present experiment, we hypothesized that infusions of AVP into the LS would rescue the progesterone induced impairment in social recognition within adult male rats. One week after adult male rats underwent cannula surgery, they were given systemic injections of either a physiological dose of progesterone or oil control for three days. Four hours after the last injection, we tested social recognition memory using the social discrimination paradigm, a two-trial test that is based on the natural propensity for rats to be highly motivated to investigate novel conspecifics. Immediately after the first exposure to a juvenile, each animal received bilateral infusions of either AVP or artificial CSF (aCSF) into the LS. Our results show that, as expected, control animals exhibited normal social discrimination. In corroboration with our previous results, animals given progesterone have impaired social discrimination. Interestingly, animals treated with progesterone and AVP exhibited normal social discrimination, suggesting that AVP treatment rescued the impairment in social recognition caused by progesterone. These data also further support a role for progesterone in modulating vasopressin dependent behavior within the male brain. PMID:23639881

Classification of rare missense substitutions, using risk surfaces, with genetic- and molecular-epidemiology applications.

PubMed

Tavtigian, Sean V; Byrnes, Graham B; Goldgar, David E; Thomas, Alun

2008-11-01

Many individually rare missense substitutions are encountered during deep resequencing of candidate susceptibility genes and clinical mutation screening of known susceptibility genes. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are among the most resequenced of all genes, and clinical mutation screening of these genes provides an extensive data set for analysis of rare missense substitutions. Align-GVGD is a mathematically simple missense substitution analysis algorithm, based on the Grantham difference, which has already contributed to classification of missense substitutions in BRCA1, BRCA2, and CHEK2. However, the distribution of genetic risk as a function of Align-GVGD's output variables Grantham variation (GV) and Grantham deviation (GD) has not been well characterized. Here, we used data from the Myriad Genetic Laboratories database of nearly 70,000 full-sequence tests plus two risk estimates, one approximating the odds ratio and the other reflecting strength of selection, to display the distribution of risk in the GV-GD plane as a series of surfaces. We abstracted contours from the surfaces and used the contours to define a sequence of missense substitution grades ordered from greatest risk to least risk. The grades were validated internally using a third, personal and family history-based, measure of risk. The Align-GVGD grades defined here are applicable to both the genetic epidemiology problem of classifying rare missense substitutions observed in known susceptibility genes and the molecular epidemiology problem of analyzing rare missense substitutions observed during case-control mutation screening studies of candidate susceptibility genes. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

High T(sub c) superconductor/ferroelectric heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryder, Daniel F., Jr.

1994-12-01

Thin films of the ferroelectric perovskite, Ba(x) Sr(1-x) TiO3 (BST), were deposited on superconducting (100)YBa2Cu3O(x)(YBCO)/ (100)Yttria-stabilized zirconia(YSZ) substrates and (100)Si by ion-beam sputtering. Microstructural and compositional features of the ceramic bilayer were assessed by a combination of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy. The films were smooth and featureless, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) data indicated that film composition closely matched target composition. XRD analysis showed that films deposited on YBCO substrates were highly c-axis textured, while the films deposited on (100)Si did not exhibit any preferred growth morphology. The superconducting properties of the YBCO substrate layer were maintained throughout the processing stages and, as such, it was demonstrated that ion beam sputtering is a viable method for the deposition of Ferroelectric/YBCO heterostructures.

Bidirectional Elastic Image Registration Using B-Spline Affine Transformation

PubMed Central

Gu, Suicheng; Meng, Xin; Sciurba, Frank C.; Wang, Chen; Kaminski, Naftali; Pu, Jiantao

2014-01-01

A registration scheme termed as B-spline affine transformation (BSAT) is presented in this study to elastically align two images. We define an affine transformation instead of the traditional translation at each control point. Mathematically, BSAT is a generalized form of the affine transformation and the traditional B-Spline transformation (BST). In order to improve the performance of the iterative closest point (ICP) method in registering two homologous shapes but with large deformation, a bi-directional instead of the traditional unidirectional objective / cost function is proposed. In implementation, the objective function is formulated as a sparse linear equation problem, and a sub-division strategy is used to achieve a reasonable efficiency in registration. The performance of the developed scheme was assessed using both two-dimensional (2D) synthesized dataset and three-dimensional (3D) volumetric computed tomography (CT) data. Our experiments showed that the proposed B-spline affine model could obtain reasonable registration accuracy. PMID:24530210

High-MTF hybrid ferroelectric IRFPA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Scott B.; Hayden, Terrence

1998-07-01

Low cost, uncooled hybrid infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPA's) are in full-scale production at Raytheon Systems Company (RSC), formerly Texas Instruments Defense Systems and Electronics Group. Detectors consist of reticulated ceramic barium strontium titanate (BST) arrays of 320 X 240 pixels on 48.5 micrometer pitch. The principal performance shortcoming of the hybrid arrays has been low MTF due to thermal crosstalk between pixels. In the past two years, significant improvements have been made to increase MTF making hybrids more competitive in performance with monolithic arrays. The improvements are (1) the reduction of the thickness of the IR absorbing layer electrode that maintains electrical continuity and increases thermal isolation between pixels, (2) reduction of the electrical crosstalk from the ROIC, and (3) development of a process to increase the thermal path-length between pixels called 'elevated optical coat.' This paper describes all three activities and their efficacy. Also discussed is the uncooled IRFPA production capability at RSC.

Synthetic phytochelatin surface display in Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 for enhanced metals bioremediation.

PubMed

Biondo, Ronaldo; da Silva, Felipe Almeida; Vicente, Elisabete José; Souza Sarkis, Jorge Eduardo; Schenberg, Ana Clara Guerrini

2012-08-07

This work describes the effects of the cell surface display of a synthetic phytochelatin in the highly metal tolerant bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34. The EC20sp synthetic phytochelatin gene was fused between the coding sequences of the signal peptide (SS) and of the autotransporter β-domain of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae IgA protease precursor (IgAβ), which successfully targeted the hybrid protein toward the C. metallidurans outer membrane. The expression of the SS-EC20sp-IgAβ gene fusion was driven by a modified version of the Bacillus subtilis mrgA promoter showing high level basal gene expression that is further enhanced by metal presence in C. metallidurans. The recombinant strain showed increased ability to immobilize Pb(2+), Zn(2+), Cu(2+), Cd(2+), Mn(2+), and Ni(2+) ions from the external medium when compared to the control strain. To ensure plasmid stability and biological containment, the MOB region of the plasmid was replaced by the E. coli hok/sok coding sequence.

The evolutionary dynamics of variant antigen genes in Babesia reveal a history of genomic innovation underlying host–parasite interaction

PubMed Central

Jackson, Andrew P.; Otto, Thomas D.; Darby, Alistair; Ramaprasad, Abhinay; Xia, Dong; Echaide, Ignacio Eduardo; Farber, Marisa; Gahlot, Sunayna; Gamble, John; Gupta, Dinesh; Gupta, Yask; Jackson, Louise; Malandrin, Laurence; Malas, Tareq B.; Moussa, Ehab; Nair, Mridul; Reid, Adam J.; Sanders, Mandy; Sharma, Jyotsna; Tracey, Alan; Quail, Mike A.; Weir, William; Wastling, Jonathan M.; Hall, Neil; Willadsen, Peter; Lingelbach, Klaus; Shiels, Brian; Tait, Andy; Berriman, Matt; Allred, David R.; Pain, Arnab

2014-01-01

Babesia spp. are tick-borne, intraerythrocytic hemoparasites that use antigenic variation to resist host immunity, through sequential modification of the parasite-derived variant erythrocyte surface antigen (VESA) expressed on the infected red blood cell surface. We identified the genomic processes driving antigenic diversity in genes encoding VESA (ves1) through comparative analysis within and between three Babesia species, (B. bigemina, B. divergens and B. bovis). Ves1 structure diverges rapidly after speciation, notably through the evolution of shortened forms (ves2) from 5′ ends of canonical ves1 genes. Phylogenetic analyses show that ves1 genes are transposed between loci routinely, whereas ves2 genes are not. Similarly, analysis of sequence mosaicism shows that recombination drives variation in ves1 sequences, but less so for ves2, indicating the adoption of different mechanisms for variation of the two families. Proteomic analysis of the B. bigemina PR isolate shows that two dominant VESA1 proteins are expressed in the population, whereas numerous VESA2 proteins are co-expressed, consistent with differential transcriptional regulation of each family. Hence, VESA2 proteins are abundant and previously unrecognized elements of Babesia biology, with evolutionary dynamics consistently different to those of VESA1, suggesting that their functions are distinct. PMID:24799432

Novel Acylguanidine-Based Inhibitor of HIV-1

PubMed Central

Mwimanzi, Philip; Tietjen, Ian; Miller, Scott C.; Shahid, Aniqa; Cobarrubias, Kyle; Kinloch, Natalie N.; Baraki, Bemuluyigza; Richard, Jonathan; Finzi, Andrés; Fedida, David; Brumme, Zabrina L.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The emergence of transmissible HIV-1 strains with resistance to antiretroviral drugs highlights a continual need for new therapies. Here we describe a novel acylguanidine-containing compound, 1-(2-(azepan-1-yl)nicotinoyl)guanidine (or SM111), that inhibits in vitro replication of HIV-1, including strains resistant to licensed protease, reverse transcriptase, and integrase inhibitors, without major cellular toxicity. At inhibitory concentrations, intracellular p24Gag production was unaffected, but virion release (measured as extracellular p24Gag) was reduced and virion infectivity was substantially impaired, suggesting that SM111 acts at a late stage of viral replication. SM111-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 was partially overcome by a Vpu I17R mutation alone or a Vpu W22* truncation in combination with Env N136Y. These mutations enhanced virion infectivity and Env expression on the surface of infected cells in the absence and presence of SM111 but also impaired Vpu's ability to downregulate CD4 and BST2/tetherin. Taken together, our results support acylguanidines as a class of HIV-1 inhibitors with a distinct mechanism of action compared to that of licensed antiretrovirals. Further research on SM111 and similar compounds may help to elucidate knowledge gaps related to Vpu's role in promoting viral egress and infectivity. IMPORTANCE New inhibitors of HIV-1 replication may be useful as therapeutics to counteract drug resistance and as reagents to perform more detailed studies of viral pathogenesis. SM111 is a small molecule that blocks the replication of wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 strains by impairing viral release and substantially reducing virion infectivity, most likely through its ability to prevent Env expression at the infected cell surface. Partial resistance to SM111 is mediated by mutations in Vpu and/or Env, suggesting that the compound affects host/viral protein interactions that are important during viral egress. Further characterization of SM111 and similar compounds may allow more detailed pharmacological studies of HIV-1 egress and provide opportunities to develop new treatments for HIV-1. PMID:27512074

Virulence characteristics and genetic affinities of multiple drug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli from a semi urban locality in India.

PubMed

Jadhav, Savita; Hussain, Arif; Devi, Savita; Kumar, Ashutosh; Parveen, Sana; Gandham, Nageshwari; Wieler, Lothar H; Ewers, Christa; Ahmed, Niyaz

2011-03-25

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are of significant health concern. The emergence of drug resistant E. coli with high virulence potential is alarming. Lack of sufficient data on transmission dynamics, virulence spectrum and antimicrobial resistance of certain pathogens such as the uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) from countries with high infection burden, such as India, hinders the infection control and management efforts. In this study, we extensively genotyped and phenotyped a collection of 150 UPEC obtained from patients belonging to a semi-urban, industrialized setting near Pune, India. The isolates representing different clinical categories were analyzed in comparison with 50 commensal E. coli isolates from India as well as 50 ExPEC strains from Germany. Virulent strains were identified based on hemolysis, haemagglutination, cell surface hydrophobicity, serum bactericidal activity as well as with the help of O serotyping. We generated antimicrobial resistance profiles for all the clinical isolates and carried out phylogenetic analysis based on repetitive extragenic palindromic (rep)-PCR. E. coli from urinary tract infection cases expressed higher percentages of type I (45%) and P fimbriae (40%) when compared to fecal isolates (25% and 8% respectively). Hemolytic group comprised of 60% of UPEC and only 2% of E. coli from feces. Additionally, we found that serum resistance and cell surface hydrophobicity were not significantly (p = 0.16/p = 0.51) associated with UPEC from clinical cases. Moreover, clinical isolates exhibited highest resistance against amoxicillin (67.3%) and least against nitrofurantoin (57.3%). We also observed that 31.3% of UPEC were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers belonging to serotype O25, of which four were also positive for O25b subgroup that is linked to B2-O25b-ST131-CTX-M-15 virulent/multiresistant type. Furthermore, isolates from India and Germany (as well as global sources) were found to be genetically distinct with no evidence to espouse expansion of E. coli from India to the west or vice-versa.

McWRI1, a transcription factor of the AP2/SHEN family, regulates the biosynthesis of the cuticular waxes on the apple fruit surface under low temperature.

PubMed

Hao, Suxiao; Ma, Yiyi; Zhao, Shuang; Ji, Qianlong; Zhang, Kezhong; Yang, Mingfeng; Yao, Yuncong

2017-01-01

Cuticular waxes of plant and organ surfaces play an important role in protecting plants from biotic and abiotic stress and extending the freshness, storage time and shelf life in the post-harvest agricultural products. WRI1, a transcription factor of AP2/SHEN families, had been found to trigger the related genes taking part in the biosynthesis of seed oil in many plants. But whether WRI1 is involved in the biosynthesis of the cuticular waxes on the Malus fruits surface has been unclear. We investigated the changes of wax composition and structure, the related genes and WRI1 expression on Malus asiatica Nakai and sieversii fruits with the low temperature treatments, found that low temperature induced the up-regulated expression of McWRI1, which promoted gene expression of McKCS, McLACs and McWAX in very-long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, resulting in the accumulation of alkanes component and alteration of wax structure on the fruit surface. Corresponding results were verified in McWRI1 silenced by VIGS, and WRI1 silenced down-regulated the related genes on two kinds of fruits, it caused the diversity alteration in content of some alkanes, fatty acid and ester component in two kinds of fruits. We further conducted Y1H assay to find that McWRI1 transcription factor activated the promoter of McKCS, McLAC and McWAX to regulate their expression. These results demonstrated that McWRI1 is involved in regulating the genes related synthesis of very long chain fatty acid on surface of apple fruits in storage process, providing a highlight for improvement of the modified atmosphere storage of apple fruits.

McWRI1, a transcription factor of the AP2/SHEN family, regulates the biosynthesis of the cuticular waxes on the apple fruit surface under low temperature

PubMed Central

Ji, Qianlong; Zhang, Kezhong; Yang, Mingfeng

2017-01-01

Cuticular waxes of plant and organ surfaces play an important role in protecting plants from biotic and abiotic stress and extending the freshness, storage time and shelf life in the post-harvest agricultural products. WRI1, a transcription factor of AP2/SHEN families, had been found to trigger the related genes taking part in the biosynthesis of seed oil in many plants. But whether WRI1 is involved in the biosynthesis of the cuticular waxes on the Malus fruits surface has been unclear. We investigated the changes of wax composition and structure, the related genes and WRI1 expression on Malus asiatica Nakai and sieversii fruits with the low temperature treatments, found that low temperature induced the up-regulated expression of McWRI1, which promoted gene expression of McKCS, McLACs and McWAX in very-long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, resulting in the accumulation of alkanes component and alteration of wax structure on the fruit surface. Corresponding results were verified in McWRI1 silenced by VIGS, and WRI1 silenced down-regulated the related genes on two kinds of fruits, it caused the diversity alteration in content of some alkanes, fatty acid and ester component in two kinds of fruits. We further conducted Y1H assay to find that McWRI1 transcription factor activated the promoter of McKCS, McLAC and McWAX to regulate their expression. These results demonstrated that McWRI1 is involved in regulating the genes related synthesis of very long chain fatty acid on surface of apple fruits in storage process, providing a highlight for improvement of the modified atmosphere storage of apple fruits. PMID:29073205

The effect of hydrophilic titanium surface modification on macrophage inflammatory cytokine gene expression.

PubMed

Hamlet, Stephen; Alfarsi, Mohammed; George, Roy; Ivanovski, Saso

2012-05-01

Chemical modification of microrough titanium dental implants to produce a hydrophilic surface with increased wettability and improved surface energy has been demonstrated clinically to achieve superior bone wound healing and osseointegration compared to that achieved with a microrough titanium surface alone. As the recruitment of the necessary osseoinductive precursors involved in bone wound healing and osseointegration to the wound site is facilitated by the action of cytokines, this study sought to determine the in vitro effect of hydrophilic surface modification on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines from adherent macrophages. The surface topography and composition of the titanium surfaces was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Macrophage attachment and proliferation was assessed using an MTT assay. The expression of 84 pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by adherent RAW 264.7 cells, a murine leukaemic monocyte cell line, was assessed by PCR array after 24 h culture on either smooth polished, sand-blasted acid-etched (SLA) or hydrophilic-modified SLA (SLActive) titanium surfaces. Following 24 h culture on titanium, surface microroughness activated pro-inflammatory cytokine gene transcription in RAW 264.7 cells. Although there was no significant difference in the degree of cellular attachment or proliferation of RAW 264.7 cells to the different titanium surfaces, by 24 h the hydrophilic surface elicited a gene expression profile with significant down-regulation of the key pro-inflammatory cytokines Tnfα, IL-1α, IL-1β and the chemokine Ccl-2. Down-regulation of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes may thus modulate the inflammatory response and may facilitate the enhanced bone wound healing and osseointegration observed clinically using implants with a microrough hydrophilic surface. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Food isolate Listeria monocytogenes harboring tetM gene plasmid-mediated exchangeable to Enterococcus faecalis on the surface of processed cheese.

PubMed

Haubert, Louise; Cunha, Carlos Eduardo Pouey da; Lopes, Graciela Völz; Silva, Wladimir Padilha da

2018-05-01

The genetic basis of tetracycline resistance in a food isolate Listeria monocytogenes (Lm16) was evaluated. Resistance to tetracycline was associated with the presence of the tetM gene in plasmid DNA. The sequence of tetM showed 100% of similarity with the Enterococcus faecalis sequences found in the EMBL database, suggesting that Lm16 received this gene from E. faecalis. Various size bands were detected in the DNA plasmid analysis, the largest being approximately 54.38 kb. Transferability of the tetM gene was achieved in vitro by agar matings between Lm16 and E. faecalis JH2-2, proving the potential for the spread of tetM by horizontal gene transfer. Furthermore, the conjugation experiments were performed on the surface of processed cheese, confirming the transferability in a food matrix. PCR assays were used to confirm the identity of E. faecalis and to detect the tetM gene in transconjugant bacteria. Additionally, the minimal inhibitory concentration for tetracycline and rifampicin and plasmid profiling were performed. This is the first report of a food isolate L. monocytogenes carrying the tetM gene in plasmid DNA, and it highlights the potential risk of spreading antimicrobial resistance genes between different bacteria. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Biological Properties of OGI Surfaces Positively Act on Osteogenic and Angiogenic Commitment of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Bressan, Eriberto; Gardin, Chiara; Ferroni, Letizia; Soldini, Maria Costanza; Mandelli, Federico; Soldini, Claudio

2017-01-01

Osteogenesis process displays a fundamental role during dental implant osteointegration. In the present work, we studied the influence of Osteon Growth Induction (OGI) surface properties on the angiogenic and osteogenic behaviors of Mesenchymal Stem cells (MSC). MSC derived from dental pulp and HUVEC (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells) were grown in on OGI titanium surfaces, and cell proliferation and DNA synthesis were evaluated by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] test and DNA quantification. Gene expression has been performed in order to evaluate the presence of mRNA related to endothelial and osteogenesis markers. Moreover, morphological and biochemical analyses of osteogenesis commitments has been performed. On OGI surfaces, MSC and HUVEC are able to proliferate. Gene expression profiler confirms that MSC on OGI surfaces are able to express endothelial and osteogenic markers, and that these expression are higher compared the expression on control surfaces. In conclusion On OGI surfaces proliferation, expression and morphological analyses of angiogenesis-associated markers in MSC are promoted. This process induces an increasing on their osteogenesis commitment. PMID:29149082

Gene Expression and Metabolism in Tomato Fruit Surface Tissues1[C][W

PubMed Central

Mintz-Oron, Shira; Mandel, Tali; Rogachev, Ilana; Feldberg, Liron; Lotan, Ofra; Yativ, Merav; Wang, Zhonghua; Jetter, Reinhard; Venger, Ilya; Adato, Avital; Aharoni, Asaph

2008-01-01

The cuticle, covering the surface of all primary plant organs, plays important roles in plant development and protection against the biotic and abiotic environment. In contrast to vegetative organs, very little molecular information has been obtained regarding the surfaces of reproductive organs such as fleshy fruit. To broaden our knowledge related to fruit surface, comparative transcriptome and metabolome analyses were carried out on peel and flesh tissues during tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit development. Out of 574 peel-associated transcripts, 17% were classified as putatively belonging to metabolic pathways generating cuticular components, such as wax, cutin, and phenylpropanoids. Orthologs of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) SHINE2 and MIXTA-LIKE regulatory factors, activating cutin and wax biosynthesis and fruit epidermal cell differentiation, respectively, were also predominantly expressed in the peel. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a flame ionization detector identified 100 metabolites that are enriched in the peel tissue during development. These included flavonoids, glycoalkaloids, and amyrin-type pentacyclic triterpenoids as well as polar metabolites associated with cuticle and cell wall metabolism and protection against photooxidative stress. Combined results at both transcript and metabolite levels revealed that the formation of cuticular lipids precedes phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis. Expression patterns of reporter genes driven by the upstream region of the wax-associated SlCER6 gene indicated progressive activity of this wax biosynthetic gene in both fruit exocarp and endocarp. Peel-associated genes identified in our study, together with comparative analysis of genes enriched in surface tissues of various other plant species, establish a springboard for future investigations of plant surface biology. PMID:18441227

Phase Diagram of Fractional Quantum Hall Effect of Composite Fermions in Multi-Component Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coimbatore Balram, Ajit; Töke, Csaba; Wójs, Arkadiusz; Jain, Jainendra

2015-03-01

The fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) of composite fermions (CFs) produces delicate states arising from a weak residual interaction between CFs. We study the spin phase diagram of these states, motivated by the recent experimental observation by Liu et al. of several spin-polarization transitions at 4/5, 5/7, 6/5, 9/7, 7/9, 8/11 and 10/13 in GaAs systems. We show that the FQHE of CFs is much more prevalent in multicomponent systems, and consider the feasibility of such states for systems with N components for an SU(N) symmetric interaction. Our results apply to GaAs quantum wells, wherein electrons have two components, to AlAs quantum wells and graphene, wherein electrons have four components (two spins and two valleys), and to an H-terminated Si(111) surface, which can have six components. We provide a fairly comprehensive list of possible incompressible FQH states of CFs, their SU(N) spin content, their energies, and their phase diagram as a function of the generalized ``Zeeman'' energy. The results are in good agreement with available experiments. DOE Grant No. DE-SC0005042, Hungarian Scientific Research Funds No. K105149 (CT), the Polish NCN grant 2011/01/B/ST3/04504 and the EU Marie Curie Grant PCIG09-GA-2011-294186.

Mutational analysis of genes coding for cell surface proteins in colorectal cancer cell lines reveal novel altered pathways, druggable mutations and mutated epitopes for targeted therapy

PubMed Central

Correa, Bruna R.; Bettoni, Fabiana; Koyama, Fernanda C.; Navarro, Fabio C.P.; Perez, Rodrigo O.; Mariadason, John; Sieber, Oliver M.; Strausberg, Robert L.; Simpson, Andrew J.G.; Jardim, Denis L.F.; Reis, Luiz Fernando L.; Parmigiani, Raphael B.; Galante, Pedro A.F.; Camargo, Anamaria A.

2014-01-01

We carried out a mutational analysis of 3,594 genes coding for cell surface proteins (Surfaceome) in 23 colorectal cancer cell lines, searching for new altered pathways, druggable mutations and mutated epitopes for targeted therapy in colorectal cancer. A total of 3,944 somatic non-synonymous substitutions and 595 InDels, occurring in 2,061 (57%) Surfaceome genes were catalogued. We identified 48 genes not previously described as mutated in colorectal tumors in the TCGA database, including genes that are mutated and expressed in >10% of the cell lines (SEMA4C, FGFRL1, PKD1, FAM38A, WDR81, TMEM136, SLC36A1, SLC26A6, IGFLR1). Analysis of these genes uncovered important roles for FGF and SEMA4 signaling in colorectal cancer with possible therapeutic implications. We also found that cell lines express on average 11 druggable mutations, including frequent mutations (>20%) in the receptor tyrosine kinases AXL and EPHA2, which have not been previously considered as potential targets for colorectal cancer. Finally, we identified 82 cell surface mutated epitopes, however expression of only 30% of these epitopes was detected in our cell lines. Notwithstanding, 92% of these epitopes were expressed in cell lines with the mutator phenotype, opening new venues for the use of “general” immune checkpoint drugs in this subset of patients. PMID:25193853

Transcriptome analysis of Haloquadratum walsbyi: vanity is but the surface.

PubMed

Bolhuis, Henk; Martín-Cuadrado, Ana Belén; Rosselli, Riccardo; Pašić, Lejla; Rodriguez-Valera, Francisco

2017-07-03

Haloquadratum walsbyi dominates saturated thalassic lakes worldwide where they can constitute up to 80-90% of the total prokaryotic community. Despite the abundance of the enigmatic square-flattened cells, only 7 isolates are currently known with 2 genomes fully sequenced and annotated due to difficulties to grow them under laboratory conditions. We have performed a transcriptomic analysis of one of these isolates, the Spanish strain HBSQ001 in order to investigate gene transcription under light and dark conditions. Despite a potential advantage for light as additional source of energy, no significant differences were found between light and dark expressed genes. Constitutive high gene expression was observed in genes encoding surface glycoproteins, light mediated proton pumping by bacteriorhodopsin, several nutrient uptake systems, buoyancy and storage of excess carbon. Two low expressed regions of the genome were characterized by a lower codon adaptation index, low GC content and high incidence of hypothetical genes. Under the extant cultivation conditions, the square hyperhalophile devoted most of its transcriptome towards processes maintaining cell integrity and exploiting solar energy. Surface glycoproteins are essential for maintaining the large surface to volume ratio that facilitates light and organic nutrient harvesting whereas constitutive expression of bacteriorhodopsin warrants an immediate source of energy when light becomes available.

Mg2+-induced DNA compaction, condensation, and phase separation in gene delivery vehicles based on zwitterionic phospholipids: a dynamic light scattering and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic study.

PubMed

Süleymanoğlu, Erhan

2017-12-01

Despite the significant efforts towards applying improved non-destructive and label-free measurements of biomolecular structures of lipid-based gene delivery vectors, little is achieved in terms of their structural relevance in gene transfections. Better understanding of structure-activity relationships of lipid-DNA complexes and their gene expression efficiencies thus becomes an essential issue. Raman scattering offers a complimentary measurement technique for following the structural transitions of both DNA and lipid vesicles employed for their transfer. This work describes the use of SERS coupled with light scattering approaches for deciphering the bioelectrochemical phase formations between nucleic acids and lipid vesicles within lipoplexes and their surface parameters that could influence both the uptake of non-viral gene carriers and the endocytic routes of interacting cells. As promising non-viral alternatives of currently employed risky viral systems or highly cytotoxic cationic liposomes, complexations of both nucleic acids and zwitterionic lipids in the presence of Mg 2+ were studied applying colloidal Ag nanoparticles. It is shown that the results could be employed in further conformational characterizations of similar polyelectrolyte gene delivery systems.

The vertical distribution of prokaryotes in the surface sediment of Jiaolong cold seep at the northern South China Sea.

PubMed

Wu, Yuzhi; Qiu, Jian-Wen; Qian, Pei-Yuan; Wang, Yong

2018-05-01

In deep-sea cold seeps, microbial communities are shaped by geochemical components in seepage solutions. In the present study, we report the composition of microbial communities and potential metabolic activities in the surface sediment of Jiaolong cold seep at the northern South China Sea. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed that a majority of the microbial inhabitants of the surface layers (0-6 cm) were sulfur oxidizer bacteria Sulfurimonas and archaeal methane consumer ANME-1, while sulfate reducer bacteria SEEP-SRB1, ANME-1 and ANME-2 dominated the bottom layers (8-14 cm). The potential ecological roles of the microorganisms were further supported by the presence of functional genes for methane oxidation, sulfur oxidation, sulfur reduction and nitrate reduction in the metagenomes. Metagenomic analysis revealed a significant correlation between coverage of 16S rRNA gene of sulfur oxidizer bacteria, functional genes involved in sulfur oxidation and nitrate reduction in different layers, indicating that sulfur oxidizing may be coupled to nitrate reducing at the surface layers of Jiaolong seeping site. This is probably related to the sulfur oxidizers of Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum, which may be the capacity of nitrate reduction or associated with unidentified syntrophic nitrate-reducing microbes in the surface of the cold seep.

A Potential Benefit of Albinism in Astyanax Cavefish: Downregulation of the oca2 Gene Increases Tyrosine and Catecholamine Levels as an Alternative to Melanin Synthesis

PubMed Central

Parkhurst, Amy; Jeffery, William R.

2013-01-01

Albinism, the loss of melanin pigmentation, has evolved in a diverse variety of cave animals but the responsible evolutionary mechanisms are unknown. In Astyanax mexicanus, which has a pigmented surface dwelling form (surface fish) and several albino cave-dwelling forms (cavefish), albinism is caused by loss of function mutations in the oca2 gene, which operates during the first step of the melanin synthesis pathway. In addition to albinism, cavefish have evolved differences in behavior, including feeding and sleep, which are under the control of the catecholamine system. The catecholamine and melanin synthesis pathways diverge after beginning with the same substrate, L-tyrosine. Here we describe a novel relationship between the catecholamine and melanin synthesis pathways in Astyanax. Our results show significant increases in L-tyrosine, dopamine, and norepinephrine in pre-feeding larvae and adult brains of Pachón cavefish relative to surface fish. In addition, norepinephrine is elevated in cavefish adult kidneys, which contain the teleost homologs of catecholamine synthesizing adrenal cells. We further show that the oca2 gene is expressed during surface fish development but is downregulated in cavefish embryos. A key finding is that knockdown of oca2 expression in surface fish embryos delays the development of pigmented melanophores and simultaneously increases L-tyrosine and dopamine. We conclude that a potential evolutionary benefit of albinism in Astyanax cavefish may be to provide surplus L-tyrosine as a precursor for the elevated catecholamine synthesis pathway, which could be important for adaptation to the challenging cave environment. PMID:24282555

Nitrogen removal performance and functional genes distribution patterns in solid-phase denitrification sub-surface constructed wetland with micro aeration.

PubMed

Sun, Haimeng; Yang, Zhongchen; Wei, Caijie; Wu, Weizhong

2018-04-26

An up-flow vertical flow constructed wetland (AC-VFCW) filled with ceramsite and 5% external carbon source poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as substrate was set for nitrogen removal with micro aeration. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification process was observed with 90.4% NH 4 + -N and 92.1% TN removal efficiencies. Nitrification and denitrification genes were both preferentially enriched on the surface of PHBV. Nitrogen transformation along the flow direction showed that NH 4 + -N was oxidized to NO 3 - -N at the lowermost 10 cm of the substrate and NO 3 - -N gradually degraded over the depth. AmoA gene was more enriched at -10 and -50 cm layers. NirS gene was the dominant functional gene at the bottom layer with the abundance of 2.05 × 10 7  copies g -1 substrate while nosZ gene was predominantly abundant with 7.51 × 10 6 and 2.64 × 10 6  copies g -1 substrate at the middle and top layer, respectively, indicating that functional division of dominant nitrogen functional genes forms along the flow direction in AC-VFCW. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Longitudinal evaluation of humoral immune response and merozoite surface antigen diversity in calves naturally infected with Babesia bovis, in São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Matos, Carlos António; Gonçalves, Luiz Ricardo; Alvarez, Dasiel Obregón; Freschi, Carla Roberta; Silva, Jenevaldo Barbosa da; Val-Moraes, Silvana Pompeia; Mendes, Natalia Serra; André, Marcos Rogério; Machado, Rosangela Zacarias

2017-01-01

Babesiosis is an economically important infectious disease affecting cattle worldwide. In order to longitudinally evaluate the humoral immune response against Babesia bovis and the merozoite surface antigen diversity of B. bovis among naturally infected calves in Taiaçu, Brazil, serum and DNA samples from 15 calves were obtained quarterly, from their birth to 12 months of age. Anti-B. bovis IgG antibodies were detected by means of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate the genetic diversity of B. bovis, based on the genes that encode merozoite surface antigens (MSA-1, MSA-2b and MSA-2c). The serological results demonstrated that up to six months of age, all the calves developed active immunity against B. bovis. Among the 75 DNA samples evaluated, 2, 4 and 5 sequences of the genes msa-1, msa-2b and msa-2c were obtained. The present study demonstrated that the msa-1 and msa-2b genes sequences amplified from blood DNA of calves positive to B. bovis from Taiaçu were genetically distinct, and that msa-2c was conserved. All animals were serologically positive to ELISA and IFAT, which used full repertoire of parasite antigens in despite of the genetic diversity of MSAs.

The evolutionary dynamics of variant antigen genes in Babesia reveal a history of genomic innovation underlying host-parasite interaction.

PubMed

Jackson, Andrew P; Otto, Thomas D; Darby, Alistair; Ramaprasad, Abhinay; Xia, Dong; Echaide, Ignacio Eduardo; Farber, Marisa; Gahlot, Sunayna; Gamble, John; Gupta, Dinesh; Gupta, Yask; Jackson, Louise; Malandrin, Laurence; Malas, Tareq B; Moussa, Ehab; Nair, Mridul; Reid, Adam J; Sanders, Mandy; Sharma, Jyotsna; Tracey, Alan; Quail, Mike A; Weir, William; Wastling, Jonathan M; Hall, Neil; Willadsen, Peter; Lingelbach, Klaus; Shiels, Brian; Tait, Andy; Berriman, Matt; Allred, David R; Pain, Arnab

2014-06-01

Babesia spp. are tick-borne, intraerythrocytic hemoparasites that use antigenic variation to resist host immunity, through sequential modification of the parasite-derived variant erythrocyte surface antigen (VESA) expressed on the infected red blood cell surface. We identified the genomic processes driving antigenic diversity in genes encoding VESA (ves1) through comparative analysis within and between three Babesia species, (B. bigemina, B. divergens and B. bovis). Ves1 structure diverges rapidly after speciation, notably through the evolution of shortened forms (ves2) from 5' ends of canonical ves1 genes. Phylogenetic analyses show that ves1 genes are transposed between loci routinely, whereas ves2 genes are not. Similarly, analysis of sequence mosaicism shows that recombination drives variation in ves1 sequences, but less so for ves2, indicating the adoption of different mechanisms for variation of the two families. Proteomic analysis of the B. bigemina PR isolate shows that two dominant VESA1 proteins are expressed in the population, whereas numerous VESA2 proteins are co-expressed, consistent with differential transcriptional regulation of each family. Hence, VESA2 proteins are abundant and previously unrecognized elements of Babesia biology, with evolutionary dynamics consistently different to those of VESA1, suggesting that their functions are distinct. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Placental surface area mediates the association between FGFR2 methylation in placenta and full-term low birth weight in girls.

PubMed

Tian, Fu-Ying; Wang, Xi-Meng; Xie, Chuanbo; Zhao, Bo; Niu, Zhongzheng; Fan, Lijun; Hivert, Marie-France; Chen, Wei-Qing

2018-01-01

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 ( FGFR2 ) gene encodes a protein of the fibroblast growth factor receptor family. FGFR2 gene expression is associated with the regulation of implantation process of placenta which plays a vital role in fetal growth. DNA methylation is widely known as a mechanism of fetal growth. However, it is unclear whether and how DNA methylation of FGFR2 gene in the placenta is associated with full-term low birth weight. This case-control study aims to explore the links between FGFR2 methylation in placenta and full-term low birth weight and to further examine the mediation effect of placental surface area on this association. We conducted analyses for each of the five valid CpG sites at FGFR2 in 165 mother-baby pairs (86 FT-LBW vs. 79 FT-NBW) and found that per one standard deviation increase in the DNA methylation of CpG 11 at FGFR2 was associated with 1.64-fold higher risk of full-term low birth weight (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = [1.07, 2.52]) and 0.18 standard deviation decrease in placental surface area ( β  = - 0.18; standard error = 0.08, p  = 0.02). The mediation effect of placental surface area on the association between DNA methylation and full-term low birth weight was significant in girls (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = [1.05, 1.80]) but not in boys. The estimated mediation proportion was 48.38%. Our findings suggested that placental surface area mediated the association between DNA methylation of FGFR2 in placenta and full-term low birth weight in a sex-specific manner. Our study supported the importance of placental epigenetic changes in placental development and fetal growth.

Osteoblast response to magnesium ion-incorporated nanoporous titanium oxide surfaces.

PubMed

Park, Jin-Woo; Kim, Youn-Jeong; Jang, Je-Hee; Song, Hwangjun

2010-11-01

This study investigated the surface characteristics and in vitro osteoconductivity of a titanium (Ti) surface incorporated with the magnesium ions (Mg) produced by hydrothermal treatment for future application as an endosseous implant surface. Mg-incorporated Ti oxide surfaces were produced by hydrothermal treatment using Mg-containing solution on two different microstructured surfaces--abraded minimally rough (Ma) or grit-blasted moderately rough (RBM) samples. The surface characteristics were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, thin-film X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical profilometry, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cell attachment, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and quantitative analysis of osteoblastic gene expression on Ma, RBM, Mg-incorporated Ma (Mg), and Mg-incorporated grit-blasted (RBM/Mg) Ti surfaces were evaluated. Hydrothermal treatment produced an Mg-incorporated Ti oxide layer with nanoporous surface structures. Mg-incorporated surfaces showed surface morphologies and surface roughness values almost identical to those of untreated smooth or micro-rough surfaces at the micron scale. ICP-AES analysis showed Mg ions released from treated surfaces into the solution. Mg incorporation significantly increased cellular attachment (P=0 at 0.5 h, P=0.01 at 1 h) on smooth surfaces, but no differences were found on micro-rough surfaces. Mg incorporation further increased ALP activity in cells grown on both smooth and micro-rough surfaces at 7 and 14 days of culture (P=0). Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed higher mRNA expressions of the osteoblast transcription factor gene (Dlx5), various integrins, and the osteoblast phenotype genes (ALP, bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin) in cells grown on micro-rough (RBM) and Mg-incorporated (Mg and RBM/Mg) surfaces than those on Ma surfaces. Mg incorporation further increased the mRNA expressions of key osteoblast genes and integrins (α1, α2, α5, and β1) in cells grown on both the smooth and the micro-rough surfaces. These results indicate that an Mg-incorporated nanoporous Ti oxide surface produced by hydrothermal treatment may improve implant bone healing by enhancing the attachment and differentiation of osteoblastic cells. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Cell surface fucosylation does not affect development of colon tumors in mice with germline Smad3 mutation

PubMed Central

Domino, Steven E.; Karnak, David M.; Hurd, Elizabeth A.

2006-01-01

Background/Aims: Neoplasia-related alterations in cell surface α(1,2)fucosylated glycans have been reported in multiple tumors including colon, pancreas, endometrium, cervix, bladder, lung, and choriocarcinoma. Spontaneous colorectal tumors from mice with a germline null mutation of transforming growth factor-β signaling gene Smad3 (Madh3) were tested for α(1,2)fucosylated glycan expression. Methods: Ulex Europaeus Agglutinin-I lectin staining, fucosyltransferase gene northern blot analysis, and a cross of mutant mice with Fut2 and Smad3 germline mutations were performed. Results: Spontaneous colorectal tumors from Smad3 (-/-) homozygous null mice were found to express α(1,2)fucosylated glycans in an abnormal pattern compared to adjacent nonneoplastic colon. Northern blot analysis of α(1,2)fucosyltransferase genes Fut1 and Fut2 revealed that Fut2, but not Fut1, steady-state mRNA levels were significantly increased in tumors relative to adjacent normal colonic mucosa. Mutant mice with a Fut2-inactivating germline mutation were crossed with Smad3 targeted mice. In Smad3 (-/-)/Fut2 (-/-) double knock-out mice, UEA-I lectin staining was eliminated from colon and colon tumors, however, the number and size of tumors present by 24 weeks of age did not vary regardless of the Fut2 genotype. Conclusions: In this model of colorectal cancer, cell surface α(1,2)fucosylation does not affect development of colon tumors. PMID:17264540

Construction of a laccase chimerical gene: recombinant protein characterization and gene expression via yeast surface display.

PubMed

Bleve, G; Lezzi, C; Spagnolo, S; Rampino, P; Perrotta, C; Mita, G; Grieco, Francesco

2014-03-01

The ERY4 laccase gene from Pleurotus eryngii was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the recombinant laccase resulted to be not biologically active. This gene was thus modified to obtain chimerical enzymes derived from the substitution of N-, C- and both N- and C-terminal regions with the corresponding regions of Ery3 laccase, another laccase isoform of P. eryngii. The chimerical isoform named 4NC3, derived from the substitution of both N- and C-terminal regions, showed the best performances in terms of enzymatic activities, affinities for different substrates and stability at a broad range of temperatures and pHs. The chimerical 4NC3 laccase isoform was displayed on the cell surface of S. cerevisiae using the N-terminal fusion with either the Pir2 or the Flo1 S. cerevisiae proteins as anchor attachment sequence. Immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot analyses confirmed the localization of 4NC3 on the yeast cell surface. The enzyme activity on specific laccase substrates revealed that 4NC3 laccase was immobilized in active form on the cell surface. To our knowledge, this is the first example of expression of a chimerical fungal laccase by yeast cell display.

Biocleavable graphene oxide based-nanohybrids synthesized via ATRP for gene/drug delivery.

PubMed

Yang, Xinchao; Zhao, Nana; Xu, Fu-Jian

2014-06-07

Graphene oxide (GO) has been proven to be promising in many biomedical fields due to its biocompatibility, unique conjugated structure, easily tunable surface functionalization and facile synthesis. In this work, a flexible two-step method was first developed to introduce the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiation sites containing disulfide bonds onto GO surfaces. Surface-initiated ATRP of (2-dimethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) was then employed to tailor the GO surfaces in a well-controlled manner, producing a series of organic-inorganic hybrids (termed as SS-GPDs) for highly efficient gene delivery. Under reducible conditions, the PDMAEMA side chains can be readily cleavable from the GO backbones, benefiting the resultant gene delivery process. Moreover, due to the conjugated structure of the graphene basal plane, SS-GPD can attach and absorb aromatic, water insoluble drugs, such as 10-hydroxycamptothecin (CPT), producing SS-GPD-CPT. The MTT assay and the simultaneous double-staining procedure revealed that SS-GPD-CPT possessed a high potency of killing cancer cells in vitro. With a high aqueous solubility and coulombic interaction with cell membrane, SS-GPDs may have great potential in gene/drug delivery fields.

Replication and transmission of mammalian-adapted H9 subtype influenza virus in pigs and quail

PubMed Central

Obadan, Adebimpe O.; Kimble, Brian J.; Rajao, Daniela; Lager, Kelly; Santos, Jefferson J. S.; Vincent, Amy

2015-01-01

Influenza A virus is a major pathogen of birds, swine and humans. Strains can jump between species in a process often requiring mutations and reassortment, resulting in outbreaks and, potentially, pandemics. H9N2 avian influenza is predominant in poultry across Asia and occasionally infects humans and swine. Pandemic H1N1 (H1N1pdm) is endemic in humans and swine and has a history of reassortment in pigs. Previous studies have shown the compatibility of H9N2 and H1N1pdm for reassortment in ferrets, a model for human infection and transmission. Here, the effects of ferret adaptation of H9 surface gene segments on the infectivity and transmission in at-risk natural hosts, specifically swine and quail, were analysed. Reassortant H9N1 and H9N2 viruses, carrying seven or six gene segments from H1N1pdm, showed infectivity and transmissibility in swine, unlike the wholly avian H9N2 virus with ferret-adapted surface genes. In quail, only the reassortant H9N2 with the six internal gene segments from the H1N1pdm strain was able to infect and transmit, although less efficiently than the wholly avian H9N2 virus with ferret-adapted surface genes. These results highlight that ferret-adapted mutations on the haemagglutinin of H9 subtype virus do not restrict the ability of the virus to infect swine and quail, and that the ability to transmit in these species depends on the context of the whole virus. As such, this study emphasizes the threat that H9N2 reassortant viruses pose to humans and agricultural species and the importance of the genetic constellation of the virus to its ability to replicate and transmit in natural hosts of influenza. PMID:25986634

[Construction of a plant effective expression vector containing the gene of hepatitis B virus surface antigen].

PubMed

Lin, Bing-Ying; Jin, Zhi-Qiang; Li, Mei

2006-11-01

To construct a plant effective expression vector driven by a fruit specific promoter for the expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), to further improve the expression of exogenous gene in plant, and to prepare for the development of an effective anti-hepatitis vaccine. Tomato fruit-specific promoters' gene 2A12 and E8 were respectively introduced to pBPFOmega7 to form pB2A12 and pBE8. The DNA fragment containing HBsAg-s gene from plasmid YEP-HBs was inserted respectively into pB2A12 and pBE8 to form pB2A12-HBs and pBE8-HBs. The fragment containing "p35S+2A12+Omega+HBsAg-s+Tnos" of the pB2A12-HBs was sub-cloned into plasmid pCAMBIA1301 to yield the reconstructed plant binary expression plasmid pCAM2A12-HBs, and the fragment containing "p35S+E8+Omega+HBsAg-s+Tnos" of the pBE8-HBs was sub-cloned into plasmid pCAMBIA1301 to yield the plasmid pCAME8-HBs. The inserted gene HBsAg and fruit-specific promoters in the reconstructed plant binary expression vectors were confirmed by sequencing. Then, pCAM2A12-HBs and pCAME8-HBs were directly introduced into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105. Digestion with restriction enzymes proved that all recombinant vectors had the inserts with expected length of the target fragments, and the sequencing results were confirmed correct. In this study, plant expression vector containing HBsAg gene driven by fruit specific promoter and CaMV35s promoter was successfully constructed.

Automated smoother for the numerical decoupling of dynamics models.

PubMed

Vilela, Marco; Borges, Carlos C H; Vinga, Susana; Vasconcelos, Ana Tereza R; Santos, Helena; Voit, Eberhard O; Almeida, Jonas S

2007-08-21

Structure identification of dynamic models for complex biological systems is the cornerstone of their reverse engineering. Biochemical Systems Theory (BST) offers a particularly convenient solution because its parameters are kinetic-order coefficients which directly identify the topology of the underlying network of processes. We have previously proposed a numerical decoupling procedure that allows the identification of multivariate dynamic models of complex biological processes. While described here within the context of BST, this procedure has a general applicability to signal extraction. Our original implementation relied on artificial neural networks (ANN), which caused slight, undesirable bias during the smoothing of the time courses. As an alternative, we propose here an adaptation of the Whittaker's smoother and demonstrate its role within a robust, fully automated structure identification procedure. In this report we propose a robust, fully automated solution for signal extraction from time series, which is the prerequisite for the efficient reverse engineering of biological systems models. The Whittaker's smoother is reformulated within the context of information theory and extended by the development of adaptive signal segmentation to account for heterogeneous noise structures. The resulting procedure can be used on arbitrary time series with a nonstationary noise process; it is illustrated here with metabolic profiles obtained from in-vivo NMR experiments. The smoothed solution that is free of parametric bias permits differentiation, which is crucial for the numerical decoupling of systems of differential equations. The method is applicable in signal extraction from time series with nonstationary noise structure and can be applied in the numerical decoupling of system of differential equations into algebraic equations, and thus constitutes a rather general tool for the reverse engineering of mechanistic model descriptions from multivariate experimental time series.

Distribution of oxytocin and co-localization with arginine vasopressin in the brain of mice.

PubMed

Otero-García, Marcos; Agustín-Pavón, Carmen; Lanuza, Enrique; Martínez-García, Fernando

2016-09-01

Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) play a major role in social behaviours. Mice have become the species of choice for neurobiology of social behaviour due to identification of mouse pheromones and the advantage of genetically modified mice. However, neuroanatomical data on nonapeptidergic systems in mice are fragmentary, especially concerning the central distribution of OT. Therefore, we analyse the immunoreactivity for OT and its neurophysin in the brain of male and female mice (strain CD1). Further, we combine immunofluorescent detection of OT and AVP to locate cells co-expressing both peptides and their putative axonal processes. The results indicate that OT is present in cells of the neurosecretory paraventricular (Pa) and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei (SON). From the anterior SON, OTergic cells extend into the medial amygdala, where a sparse cell population occupies its ventral anterior and posterior divisions. Co-expression of OT and AVP in these nuclei is rare. Moreover, a remarkable OTergic cell group is found near the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), distributed between the anterodorsal preoptic nucleus and the nucleus of anterior commissure (ADP/AC). This cell group, the rostral edge of the Pa and the periventricular hypothalamus display frequent OT + AVP double labelling, with a general dominance of OT over AVP immunoreactivity. Fibres with similar immunoreactivity profile innervate the accumbens shell and core, central amygdala and portions of the intervening BST. These data, together with data in the literature on rats, suggest that the projections of ADP/AC nonapeptidergic cells onto these brain centres could promote pup-motivated behaviours and inhibit pup avoidance during motherhood.

Vasopressin infusion into the lateral septum of adult male rats rescues progesterone-induced impairment in social recognition.

PubMed

Bychowski, M E; Mena, J D; Auger, C J

2013-08-29

It is well established that social recognition memory is mediated, in part, by arginine vasopressin (AVP). AVP cells within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and medial amygdala (MeA) send AVP-ergic projections to the lateral septum (LS). We have demonstrated that progesterone treatment decreases AVP immunoreactivity within the BST, the MeA and the LS, and that progesterone treatment impairs social recognition. These data suggested that progesterone may impair social recognition memory by decreasing AVP. In the present experiment, we hypothesized that infusions of AVP into the LS would rescue the progesterone-induced impairment in social recognition within adult male rats. One week after adult male rats underwent cannula surgery, they were given systemic injections of either a physiological dose of progesterone or oil control for 3 days. Four hours after the last injection, we tested social recognition memory using the social discrimination paradigm, a two-trial test that is based on the natural propensity for rats to be highly motivated to investigate novel conspecifics. Immediately after the first exposure to a juvenile, each animal received bilateral infusions of either AVP or artificial cerebrospinal fluid into the LS. Our results show that, as expected, control animals exhibited normal social discrimination. In corroboration with our previous results, animals given progesterone have impaired social discrimination. Interestingly, animals treated with progesterone and AVP exhibited normal social discrimination, suggesting that AVP treatment rescued the impairment in social recognition caused by progesterone. These data also further support a role for progesterone in modulating vasopressin-dependent behavior within the male brain. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cyclic Polymers: From Scientific Curiosity to Advanced Materials for Gene Delivery and Surface Modification.

PubMed

Verbraeken, Bart; Hoogenboom, Richard

2017-06-12

Cyclic versus linear: The superiority of cyclic polymers over their linear counterparts is highlighted. Cyclic poly(2-oxazoline)s have been shown to provide excellent shielding properties when grafted to TiO 2 surfaces and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles owing to their ultrahigh grafting densities leading to low friction surfaces, superior antifouling properties, and extreme nanoparticle stabilization. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Gene sequence variability of the three surface proteins of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in Texas.

PubMed

Tapia, Lorena I; Shaw, Chad A; Aideyan, Letisha O; Jewell, Alan M; Dawson, Brian C; Haq, Taha R; Piedra, Pedro A

2014-01-01

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) has three surface glycoproteins: small hydrophobic (SH), attachment (G) and fusion (F), encoded by three consecutive genes (SH-G-F). A 270-nt fragment of the G gene is used to genotype HRSV isolates. This study genotyped and investigated the variability of the gene and amino acid sequences of the three surface proteins of HRSV strains collected from 1987 to 2005 from one center. Sixty original clinical isolates and 5 prototype strains were analyzed. Sequences containing SH, F and G genes were generated, and multiple alignments and phylogenetic trees were analyzed. Genetic variability by protein domains comparing virus genotypes was assessed. Complete sequences of the SH-G-F genes were obtained for all 65 samples: HRSV-A = 35; HRSV-B = 30. In group A strains, genotypes GA5 and GA2 were predominant. For HRSV-B strains, the genotype GB4 was predominant from 1992 to 1994 and only genotype BA viruses were detected in 2004-2005. Different genetic variability at nucleotide level was detected between the genes, with G gene being the most variable and the highest variability detected in the 270-nt G fragment that is frequently used to genotype the virus. High variability (>10%) was also detected in the signal peptide and transmembrane domains of the F gene of HRSV A strains. Variability among the HRSV strains resulting in non-synonymous changes was detected in hypervariable domains of G protein, the signal peptide of the F protein, a not previously defined domain in the F protein, and the antigenic site Ø in the pre-fusion F. Divergent trends were observed between HRSV -A and -B groups for some functional domains. A diverse population of HRSV -A and -B genotypes circulated in Houston during an 18 year period. We hypothesize that diverse sequence variation of the surface protein genes provide HRSV strains a survival advantage in a partially immune-protected community.

Gene Sequence Variability of the Three Surface Proteins of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (HRSV) in Texas

PubMed Central

Tapia, Lorena I.; Shaw, Chad A.; Aideyan, Letisha O.; Jewell, Alan M.; Dawson, Brian C.; Haq, Taha R.; Piedra, Pedro A.

2014-01-01

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) has three surface glycoproteins: small hydrophobic (SH), attachment (G) and fusion (F), encoded by three consecutive genes (SH-G-F). A 270-nt fragment of the G gene is used to genotype HRSV isolates. This study genotyped and investigated the variability of the gene and amino acid sequences of the three surface proteins of HRSV strains collected from 1987 to 2005 from one center. Sixty original clinical isolates and 5 prototype strains were analyzed. Sequences containing SH, F and G genes were generated, and multiple alignments and phylogenetic trees were analyzed. Genetic variability by protein domains comparing virus genotypes was assessed. Complete sequences of the SH-G-F genes were obtained for all 65 samples: HRSV-A = 35; HRSV-B = 30. In group A strains, genotypes GA5 and GA2 were predominant. For HRSV-B strains, the genotype GB4 was predominant from 1992 to 1994 and only genotype BA viruses were detected in 2004–2005. Different genetic variability at nucleotide level was detected between the genes, with G gene being the most variable and the highest variability detected in the 270-nt G fragment that is frequently used to genotype the virus. High variability (>10%) was also detected in the signal peptide and transmembrane domains of the F gene of HRSV A strains. Variability among the HRSV strains resulting in non-synonymous changes was detected in hypervariable domains of G protein, the signal peptide of the F protein, a not previously defined domain in the F protein, and the antigenic site Ø in the pre-fusion F. Divergent trends were observed between HRSV -A and -B groups for some functional domains. A diverse population of HRSV -A and -B genotypes circulated in Houston during an 18 year period. We hypothesize that diverse sequence variation of the surface protein genes provide HRSV strains a survival advantage in a partially immune-protected community. PMID:24625544

Targeted Disruption of a Ring-infected Erythrocyte Surface Antigen (RESA)-like Export Protein Gene in Plasmodium falciparum Confers Stable Chondroitin 4-Sulfate Cytoadherence Capacity*

PubMed Central

Goel, Suchi; Muthusamy, Arivalagan; Miao, Jun; Cui, Liwang; Salanti, Ali; Winzeler, Elizabeth A.; Gowda, D. Channe

2014-01-01

The Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family proteins mediate the adherence of infected erythrocytes to microvascular endothelia of various organs, including the placenta, thereby contributing to cerebral, placental, and other severe malaria pathogenesis. Several parasite proteins, including KAHRP and PfEMP3, play important roles in the cytoadherence by mediating the clustering of PfEMP1 in rigid knoblike structures on the infected erythrocyte surface. The lack of a subtelomeric region of chromosome 2 that contains kahrp and pfemp3 causes reduced cytoadherence. In this study, microarray transcriptome analysis showed that the absence of a gene cluster, comprising kahrp, pfemp3, and four other genes, results in the loss of parasitized erythrocytes adhering to chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S). The role of one of these genes, PF3D7_0201600/PFB0080c, which encodes PHISTb (Plasmodium helical interspersed subtelomeric b) domain-containing RESA-like protein 1 expressed on the infected erythrocyte surface, was investigated. Disruption of PFB0080c resulted in increased var2csa transcription and VAR2CSA surface expression, leading to higher C4S-binding capacity of infected erythrocytes. Further, PFB0080c-knock-out parasites stably maintained the C4S adherence through many generations of growth. Although the majority of PFB0080c-knock-out parasites bound to C4S even after culturing for 6 months, a minor population bound to both C4S and CD36. These results strongly suggest that the loss of PFB0080c markedly compromises the var gene switching process, leading to a marked reduction in the switching rate and additional PfEMP1 expression by a minor population of parasites. PFB0080c interacts with VAR2CSA and modulates knob-associated Hsp40 expression. Thus, PFB0080c may regulate VAR2CSA expression through these processes. Overall, we conclude that PFB0080c regulates PfEMP1 expression and the parasite's cytoadherence. PMID:25342752

Cuticular lipid composition, surface structure, and gene expression in Arabidopsis stem epidermis.

PubMed

Suh, Mi Chung; Samuels, A Lacey; Jetter, Reinhard; Kunst, Ljerka; Pollard, Mike; Ohlrogge, John; Beisson, Fred

2005-12-01

All vascular plants are protected from the environment by a cuticle, a lipophilic layer synthesized by epidermal cells and composed of a cutin polymer matrix and waxes. The mechanism by which epidermal cells accumulate and assemble cuticle components in rapidly expanding organs is largely unknown. We have begun to address this question by analyzing the lipid compositional variance, the surface micromorphology, and the transcriptome of epidermal cells in elongating Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) stems. The rate of cell elongation is maximal near the apical meristem and decreases steeply toward the middle of the stem, where it is 10 times slower. During and after this elongation, the cuticular wax load and composition remain remarkably constant (32 microg/cm2), indicating that the biosynthetic flux into waxes is closely matched to surface area expansion. By contrast, the load of polyester monomers per unit surface area decreases more than 2-fold from the upper (8 microg/cm2) to the lower (3 microg/cm2) portion of the stem, although the compositional variance is minor. To aid identification of proteins involved in the biosynthesis of waxes and cutin, we have isolated epidermal peels from Arabidopsis stems and determined transcript profiles in both rapidly expanding and nonexpanding cells. This transcriptome analysis was validated by the correct classification of known epidermis-specific genes. The 15% transcripts preferentially expressed in the epidermis were enriched in genes encoding proteins predicted to be membrane associated and involved in lipid metabolism. An analysis of the lipid-related subset is presented.

Rearrangement and expression of the human {Psi}C{lambda}6 gene segment results in a surface Ig receptor with a truncated light chain constant region

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

Stiernholm, N.B.J.; Verkoczy, L.K.; Berinstein, N.L.

1995-05-01

The constant region of the human Ig{lambda} locus consists of seven tandemly organized J-C gene segments. Although it has been established that the J-C{lambda}1, J-C{lambda}2, J-C{lambda}3, and J-C{lambda}7 gene segments are functional, and code for the four distinct Ig{lambda} isotypes found in human serum, the J-C{lambda}4, J-C{lambda}5, and J-C{lambda}6 gene segments are generally considered to be pseudogenes. Although one example of a functional J-C{lambda}6 gene segment has been documented, in the majority of cases, J-C{lambda}6 is rendered nonfunctional by virtue of a single duplication of four nucleotides, creating a premature translational arrest. We show here that rearrangements to the J-C{lambda}6more » gene segment do occur, and that such a rearrangement encodes an Ig{lambda} protein that lacks the terminal end of the constant region. We also show that this truncated protein is expressed on the surface with the IgH chain, creating an unusual surface Ig (sIg) receptor (sIg{triangle}CL). Cells that express this receptor on the surface do so at significantly reduced levels compared with clonally related variants, which express sIg receptors with conventional Ig{lambda} L chains. However, the effects of sIg cross-linking on tyrosine phosphorylation and surface expression of the CD25 and CD71 Ags are similar in cells that express conventional sIg receptors and in those that express sIg{triangle}CL receptors, suggesting that the latter could possibly function as an Ag receptor. 35 refs., 7 figs.« less

Intestinal inflammation reduces expression of DRA, a transporter responsible for congenital chloride diarrhea.

PubMed

Yang, H; Jiang, W; Furth, E E; Wen, X; Katz, J P; Sellon, R K; Silberg, D G; Antalis, T M; Schweinfest, C W; Wu, G D

1998-12-01

The pathogenesis of diarrhea in intestinal inflammatory states is a multifactorial process involving the effects of inflammatory mediators on epithelial transport function. The effect of colonic inflammation on the gene expression of DRA (downregulated in adenoma), a chloride-sulfate anion transporter that is mutated in patients with congenital chloridorrhea, was examined in vivo as well as in an intestinal epithelial cell line. DRA mRNA expression was diminished five- to sevenfold in the HLA-B27/beta2m transgenic rat compared with control. In situ hybridization showed that DRA, which is normally expressed in the upper crypt and surface epithelium of the colon, was dramatically reduced in the surface epithelium of the HLA-B27/beta2m transgenic rat, the interleukin-10 (IL-10) knockout mouse with spontaneous colitis, and in patients with ulcerative colitis. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that mRNA expression of DRA reflected that of protein expression in vivo. IL-1beta reduced DRA mRNA expression in vitro by inhibiting gene transcription. The loss of transport function in the surface epithelium of the colon by attenuation of transporter gene expression, perhaps inhibited at the level of gene transcription by proinflammatory cytokines, may play a role in the pathogenesis of diarrhea in colitis.

Gaseous nitrogen and bacterial responses to raw and digested dairy manure applications in incubated soil.

PubMed

Saunders, Olivia E; Fortuna, Ann-Marie; Harrison, Joe H; Cogger, Craig G; Whitefield, Elizabeth; Green, Tonia

2012-11-06

A study was conducted under laboratory conditions to compare rates of nitrous oxide (N(2)O) and ammonia (NH(3)) emissions when soil was amended with anaerobically digested dairy manure slurry containing <30% food byproducts, raw dairy manure slurry, or urea. Slurries were applied via surface and subsurface methods. A second objective was to correlate genes regulating nitrification and denitrification with rates of N(2)O production, slurry treatment, and application method. Ammonia volatilization from incubated soil ranged from 140 g kg(-1) of total N applied in digested slurry to 230 g kg(-1) in urea. Subsurface application of raw dairy manure slurry decreased ammonia volatilization compared with surface application. Anaerobic digestion increased N(2)O production. Cumulative N(2)O loss averaged 27 g kg(-1) of total N applied for digested slurry, compared with 5 g kg(-1) for raw dairy slurry. Genes of interest included a 16S rRNA gene selective for β-subgroup proteobacterial ammonia-oxidizers, amoA, narG, and nosZ quantified with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Application of anaerobically digested slurry increased nitrifier and denitrifier gene copies that correlated with N(2)O production. Expression of all genes measured via mRNA levels was affected by N applications to soil. This study provides new information linking genetic markers in denitrifier and nitrifier populations to N(2)O production.

Prevalence of multi-antimicrobial-agent resistant, shiga toxin and enterotoxin producing Escherichia coli in surface waters of river Ganga.

PubMed

Ram, Siya; Vajpayee, Poornima; Shanker, Rishi

2007-11-01

The consumption of polluted surface water for domestic and recreational purposes by large populations in developing nations is a major cause of diarrheal disease related mortality. The river Ganga and its tributaries meet 40% of the water requirement for drinking and irrigation in India. In this study, Escherichia coli isolates (n=75) of the river Ganga water were investigated for resistance to antimicrobial agents (n=15) and virulence genes specific to shiga toxin (STEC) and enterotoxin producing E. coli (ETEC). E. coli isolates from the river Ganga water exhibit resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. The distribution of antimicrobial agent resistance in E. colivaries significantly (chi2: 81.28 at df = 24, p < 0.001) between the sites. Both stx1 and stx2 genes were present in 82.3% of STEC (n=17) while remaining isolates possess either stxl (11.8%) or stx2 (5.9%). The presence of eaeA, hlyA, and chuA genes was observed in 70.6, 88.2, and 58.8% of STEC, respectively. Both LT1 and ST1 genes were positive in 66.7% of ETEC (n=15) while 33.3% of isolates harbor only LT1 gene. The prevalence of multi-antimicrobial-agent resistant E. coli in the river Ganga water poses increased risk of infections in the human population.

Overlapping but distinct topology for zebrafish V2R-like olfactory receptors reminiscent of odorant receptor spatial expression zones.

PubMed

Ahuja, Gaurav; Reichel, Vera; Kowatschew, Daniel; Syed, Adnan S; Kotagiri, Aswani Kumar; Oka, Yuichiro; Weth, Franco; Korsching, Sigrun I

2018-05-23

The sense of smell is unrivaled in terms of molecular complexity of its input channels. Even zebrafish, a model vertebrate system in many research fields including olfaction, possesses several hundred different olfactory receptor genes, organized in four different gene families. For one of these families, the initially discovered odorant receptors proper, segregation of expression into distinct spatial subdomains within a common sensory surface has been observed both in teleost fish and in mammals. However, for the remaining three families, little to nothing was known about their spatial coding logic. Here we wished to investigate, whether the principle of spatial segregation observed for odorant receptors extends to another olfactory receptor family, the V2R-related OlfC genes. Furthermore we thought to examine, how expression of OlfC genes is integrated into expression zones of odorant receptor genes, which in fish share a single sensory surface with OlfC genes. To select representative genes, we performed a comprehensive phylogenetic study of the zebrafish OlfC family, which identified a novel OlfC gene, reduced the number of pseudogenes to 1, and brought the total family size to 60 intact OlfC receptors. We analyzed the spatial pattern of OlfC-expressing cells for seven representative receptors in three dimensions (height within the epithelial layer, horizontal distance from the center of the olfactory organ, and height within the olfactory organ). We report non-random distributions of labeled neurons for all OlfC genes analysed. Distributions for sparsely expressed OlfC genes are significantly different from each other in nearly all cases, broad overlap notwithstanding. For two of the three coordinates analyzed, OlfC expression zones are intercalated with those of odorant receptor zones, whereas in the third dimension some segregation is observed. Our results show that V2R-related OlfC genes follow the same spatial logic of expression as odorant receptors and their expression zones intermingle with those of odorant receptor genes. Thus, distinctly different expression zones for individual receptor genes constitute a general feature shared by teleost and tetrapod V2R/OlfC and odorant receptor families alike.

Gene expression analysis using a highly sensitive DNA microarray for colorectal cancer screening.

PubMed

Koga, Yoshikatsu; Yamazaki, Nobuyoshi; Takizawa, Satoko; Kawauchi, Junpei; Nomura, Osamu; Yamamoto, Seiichiro; Saito, Norio; Kakugawa, Yasuo; Otake, Yosuke; Matsumoto, Minori; Matsumura, Yasuhiro

2014-01-01

Half of all patients with small, right-sided, non-metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) have negative results for the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). In the present study, the usefulness of CRC screening with a highly sensitive DNA microarray was evaluated in comparison with that by FOBT using fecal samples. A total of 53 patients with CRC and 61 healthy controls were divided into "training" and "validation sets". For the gene profiling, total RNA extracted from 0.5 g of feces was hybridized to a highly sensitive DNA chip. The expressions of 43 genes were significantly higher in the patients with CRC than in healthy controls (p<0.05). In the training set, the sensitivity and specificity of the DNA chip assay using six genes were 85.4% and 85.2%, respectively. On the other hand, in the validation set, the sensitivity and specificity of the DNA chip assay were 85.2% and 85.7%, respectively. The sensitivities of the DNA chip assay were higher than those of FOBT in cases of the small, right-sided, early-CRC, tumor invading up to the muscularis propria (i.e. surface tumor) subgroups. In particular, the sensitivities of the DNA chip assay in the surface tumor and early-CRC subgroups were significantly higher than those of FOBT (p=0.023 and 0.019, respectively.). Gene profiling assay using a highly sensitive DNA chip was more effective than FOBT at detecting patients with small, right-sided, surface tumor, and early-stage CRC.

Topographical cues of direct metal laser sintering titanium surfaces facilitate osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through epigenetic regulation.

PubMed

Zheng, Guoying; Guan, Binbin; Hu, Penghui; Qi, Xingying; Wang, Pingting; Kong, Yu; Liu, Zihao; Gao, Ping; Li, Rui; Zhang, Xu; Wu, Xudong; Sui, Lei

2018-04-27

To investigate the role of hierarchical micro/nanoscale topography of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) titanium surfaces in osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), as well as the possible underlying epigenetic mechanism. Three groups of titanium specimens were prepared, including DMLS group, sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched (SLA) group and smooth titanium (Ti) group. BMSCs were cultured on discs followed by surface characterization. Cell adhesion and proliferation were examined by SEM and CCK-8 assay, while osteogenic-related gene expression was detected by real-time RT-PCR. Immunofluorescence, western blotting and in vivo study were also performed to evaluate the potential for osteogenic induction of materials. In addition, to investigate the underlying epigenetic mechanisms, immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to evaluate the global level of H3K4me3 during osteogenesis. The H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 levels at the promoter area of the osteogenic gene Runx2 were detected by ChIP assay. The DMLS surface exhibits greater protein adsorption ability and shows better cell adhesion performance than SLA and Ti surfaces. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the DMLS surface is more favourable for the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs than SLA and Ti surfaces. Accordingly, osteogenesis-associated gene expression in BMSCs is efficiently induced by a rapid H3K27 demethylation and increase in H3K4me3 levels at gene promoters upon osteogenic differentiation on DMLS titanium surface. Topographical cues of DMLS surfaces have greater potential for the induction of osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs than SLA and Ti surfaces both in vitro and in vivo. A potential epigenetic mechanism is that the appropriate topography allows rapid H3K27 demethylation and an increased H3K4me3 level at the promoter region of osteogenesis-associated genes during the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The biofilm-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates in raw materials, foodstuffs and on contact surfaces in processing plants.

PubMed

Schlegelová, J; Babák, V; Holasová, M; Dendis, M

2008-01-01

Isolates from the "farm to fork" samples (182 isolates from 2779 samples) were examined genotypically (icaAB genes) and phenotypically (in vitro biofilm formation, typical growth on Congo red agar; CRA) with the aim to assess the risk of penetration of virulent strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis into the food chain. The contamination of meat and milk products was significantly higher in comparison with raw materials. Contamination of contact surfaces in the meat-processing plants was significantly lower than that of contact surfaces in the dairy plants. The ica genes (which precondition the biofilm formation) were concurrently detected in 20 isolates that also showed a typical growth on CRA. Two ica operon-negative isolates produced biofilm in vitro but perhaps by an ica-independent mechanism. The surfaces in the dairy plants and the milk products were more frequently contaminated with ica operon-positive strains (2.3 and 1.2 % samples) than the other sample types (0-0.6 % samples).

WVD2 and WDL1 modulate helical organ growth and anisotropic cell expansion in Arabidopsis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuen, Christen Y L.; Pearlman, Rebecca S.; Silo-Suh, Laura; Hilson, Pierre; Carroll, Kathleen L.; Masson, Patrick H.

2003-01-01

Wild-type Arabidopsis roots develop a wavy pattern of growth on tilted agar surfaces. For many Arabidopsis ecotypes, roots also grow askew on such surfaces, typically slanting to the right of the gravity vector. We identified a mutant, wvd2-1, that displays suppressed root waving and leftward root slanting under these conditions. These phenotypes arise from transcriptional activation of the novel WAVE-DAMPENED2 (WVD2) gene by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter in mutant plants. Seedlings overexpressing WVD2 exhibit constitutive right-handed helical growth in both roots and etiolated hypocotyls, whereas the petioles of WVD2-overexpressing rosette leaves exhibit left-handed twisting. Moreover, the anisotropic expansion of cells is impaired, resulting in the formation of shorter and stockier organs. In roots, the phenotype is accompanied by a change in the arrangement of cortical microtubules within peripheral cap cells and cells at the basal end of the elongation zone. WVD2 transcripts are detectable by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in multiple organs of wild-type plants. Its predicted gene product contains a conserved region named "KLEEK," which is found only in plant proteins. The Arabidopsis genome possesses seven other genes predicted to encode KLEEK-containing products. Overexpression of one of these genes, WVD2-LIKE 1, which encodes a protein with regions of similarity to WVD2 extending beyond the KLEEK domain, results in phenotypes that are highly similar to wvd2-1. Silencing of WVD2 and its paralogs results in enhanced root skewing in the wild-type direction. Our observations suggest that at least two members of this gene family may modulate both rotational polarity and anisotropic cell expansion during organ growth.

Creating an arsenal of Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery stealth vehicles.

PubMed

Smith, J Kennon; Agbandje-McKenna, Mavis

2018-05-01

The Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery system is ushering in a new and exciting era in the United States; following the first approved gene therapy (Glybera) in Europe, the FDA has approved a second therapy, Luxturna [1]. However, challenges to this system remain. In viral gene therapy, the surface of the capsid is an important determinant of tissue tropism, impacts gene transfer efficiency, and is targeted by the human immune system. Preexisting immunity is a significant challenge to this approach, and the ability to visualize areas of antibody binding ("footprints") can inform efforts to improve the efficacy of viral vectors. Atomic resolution, smaller proteins, and asymmetric structures are the goals to attain in cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction (cryo-EM) as of late. The versatility of the technique and the ability to vitrify a wide range of heterogeneous molecules in solution allow structural biologists to characterize a variety of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions at lower resolution. Cryo-EM has served as an important means to study key surface areas of the AAV gene delivery vehicle-specifically, those involved with binding neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) [2-4]. This method offers a unique opportunity for visualizing antibody binding "hotspots" on the surface of these and other viral vectors. When combined with mutagenesis, one can eliminate these hotspots to create viral vectors with the ability to avoid preexisting host immune recognition during gene delivery and genetic defect correction in disease treatment. Here, we discuss the use of structure-guided site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution to create "stealth" AAV vectors with modified surface amino acid sequences that allow NAb avoidance while maintaining natural capsid functions or gaining desired novel tropisms.

Creating an arsenal of Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery stealth vehicles

PubMed Central

Agbandje-McKenna, Mavis

2018-01-01

The Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery system is ushering in a new and exciting era in the United States; following the first approved gene therapy (Glybera) in Europe, the FDA has approved a second therapy, Luxturna [1]. However, challenges to this system remain. In viral gene therapy, the surface of the capsid is an important determinant of tissue tropism, impacts gene transfer efficiency, and is targeted by the human immune system. Preexisting immunity is a significant challenge to this approach, and the ability to visualize areas of antibody binding (“footprints”) can inform efforts to improve the efficacy of viral vectors. Atomic resolution, smaller proteins, and asymmetric structures are the goals to attain in cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction (cryo-EM) as of late. The versatility of the technique and the ability to vitrify a wide range of heterogeneous molecules in solution allow structural biologists to characterize a variety of protein–DNA and protein–protein interactions at lower resolution. Cryo-EM has served as an important means to study key surface areas of the AAV gene delivery vehicle—specifically, those involved with binding neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) [2–4]. This method offers a unique opportunity for visualizing antibody binding “hotspots” on the surface of these and other viral vectors. When combined with mutagenesis, one can eliminate these hotspots to create viral vectors with the ability to avoid preexisting host immune recognition during gene delivery and genetic defect correction in disease treatment. Here, we discuss the use of structure-guided site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution to create “stealth” AAV vectors with modified surface amino acid sequences that allow NAb avoidance while maintaining natural capsid functions or gaining desired novel tropisms. PMID:29723270

MEAT SCIENCE AND MUSCLE BIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM--mechanism of growth hormone stimulation of skeletal muscle growth in cattle.

PubMed

Jiang, H; Ge, X

2014-01-01

Growth hormone, also called somatotropin (ST), is a polypeptide hormone produced by the anterior pituitary. The major functions of GH include stimulating bone and skeletal muscle growth, lipolysis, milk production, and expression of the IGF-I gene in the liver. Based on these functions, recombinant bovine ST (bST) and recombinant porcine ST (pST) have been used to improve milk production in dairy cows and lean tissue growth in pigs, respectively. However, despite these applications, the mechanisms of action of GH are not fully understood. Indeed, there has been a lot of controversy over the role of liver-derived circulating IGF-I and locally produced IGF-I in mediating the growth-stimulatory effect of GH during the last 15 yr. It is in this context that we have conducted studies to further understand how GH stimulates skeletal muscle growth in cattle. Our results do not support a role of skeletal muscle-derived IGF-I in GH-stimulated skeletal muscle growth in cattle. Our results indicate that GH stimulates skeletal muscle growth in cattle, in part, by stimulating protein synthesis in muscle through a GH receptor-mediated, IGF-I-independent mechanism. In this review, besides discussing these results, we also argue that liver-derived circulating IGF-I should be still considered as the major mechanism that mediates the growth-stimulatory effect of GH on skeletal muscle in cattle and other domestic animals.

Extending the amygdala in theories of threat processing

PubMed Central

Fox, Andrew S.; Oler, Jonathan A.; Tromp, Do P.M.; Fudge, Julie L.; Kalin, Ned H.

2015-01-01

The central extended amygdala is an evolutionarily conserved set of interconnected brain regions that play an important role in threat processing to promote survival. Two core components of the central extended amygdala, the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) are highly similar regions that serve complimentary roles by integrating fear- and anxiety-relevant information. Survival depends on the central extended amygdala's ability to rapidly integrate and respond to threats that vary in their immediacy, proximity, and characteristics. Future studies will benefit from understanding alterations in central extended amygdala function in relation to stress-related psychopathology. PMID:25851307

The effects of behavioral skills training on implementation of the picture exchange communication system.

PubMed

Rosales, Rocio; Stone, Karen; Rehfeldt, Ruth Anne

2009-01-01

The effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) package to teach the implementation of the first three phases of the picture exchange communication system (PECS) was evaluated with 3 adults who had no history teaching any functional communication system. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training package, which consisted of a video, written and verbal instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Results showed significant improvements relative to baseline in a short amount of training time and that skills generalized to a learner with a severe developmental disability. Skills were maintained at 1 month follow-up for 1 participant.

Cytotoxic cardiac glycosides and other compounds from Asclepias syriaca.

PubMed

Araya, Juan J; Kindscher, Kelly; Timmermann, Barbara N

2012-03-23

Phytochemical investigation of the dried biomass of Asclepias syriaca afforded five new compounds (1-5), along with 19 known structures. Overall, the secondary metabolites isolated and identified from this plant showed a wide structural diversity including pentacyclic triterpenes, cardiac glycosides, flavonoid glycosides, lignans, a phenylethanoid, and a glycosylated megastigmane. In addition, the isolates were tested against the cancer breast cell line Hs578T, and those showing IC(50) values lower than 50 μM (1 and 6-9) were further investigated in three additional breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, and Sk-Br-3) and the normal breast cell line Hs578Bst.

Genome-Guided Analysis of Clostridium ultunense and Comparative Genomics Reveal Different Strategies for Acetate Oxidation and Energy Conservation in Syntrophic Acetate-Oxidising Bacteria

PubMed Central

Manzoor, Shahid; Schnürer, Anna; Müller, Bettina

2018-01-01

Syntrophic acetate oxidation operates close to the thermodynamic equilibrium and very little is known about the participating organisms and their metabolism. Clostridium ultunense is one of the most abundant syntrophic acetate-oxidising bacteria (SAOB) that are found in engineered biogas processes operating with high ammonia concentrations. It has been proven to oxidise acetate in cooperation with hydrogenotrophic methanogens. There is evidence that the Wood-Ljungdahl (WL) pathway plays an important role in acetate oxidation. In this study, we analysed the physiological and metabolic capacities of C. ultunense strain Esp and strain BST on genome scale and conducted a comparative study of all the known characterised SAOB, namely Syntrophaceticus schinkii, Thermacetogenium phaeum, Tepidanaerobacter acetatoxydans, and Pseudothermotoga lettingae. The results clearly indicated physiological robustness to be beneficial for anaerobic digestion environments and revealed unexpected metabolic diversity with respect to acetate oxidation and energy conservation systems. Unlike S. schinkii and Th. phaeum, C. ultunense clearly does not employ the oxidative WL pathway for acetate oxidation, as its genome (and that of P. lettingae) lack important key genes. In both of those species, a proton motive force is likely formed by chemical protons involving putative electron-bifurcating [Fe-Fe] hydrogenases rather than proton pumps. No genes encoding a respiratory Ech (energy-converting hydrogenase), as involved in energy conservation in Th. phaeum and S. schinkii, were identified in C. ultunense and P. lettingae. Moreover, two respiratory complexes sharing similarities to the proton-translocating ferredoxin:NAD+ oxidoreductase (Rnf) and the Na+ pumping NADH:quinone hydrogenase (NQR) were predicted. These might form a respiratory chain that is involved in the reduction of electron acceptors rather than protons. However, involvement of these complexes in acetate oxidation in C. ultunense and P. lettingae needs further study. This genome-based comparison provides a solid platform for future meta-proteomics and meta-transcriptomics studies and for metabolic engineering, control, and monitoring of SAOB. PMID:29690652

VH mutant rabbits lacking the VH1a2 gene develop a2+ B cells in the appendix by gene conversion-like alteration of a rearranged VH4 gene.

PubMed

Sehgal, D; Mage, R G; Schiaffella, E

1998-02-01

We investigated the molecular basis for the appearance of V(H)a2 allotype-bearing B cells in mutant Alicia rabbits. The mutation arose in an a2 rabbit; mutants exhibit altered expression of V(H) genes because of a small deletion encompassing V(H)1a2, the 3'-most gene in the V(H) locus. The V(H)1 gene is the major source of V(H)a allotype because this gene is preferentially rearranged in normal rabbits. In young homozygous ali/ali animals, the levels of a2 molecules found in the serum increase with age. In adult ali/ali rabbits, 20 to 50% of serum Igs and B cells bear a2 allotypic determinants. Previous studies suggested that positive selection results in expansion of a2 allotype-bearing B cells in the appendix of young mutant ali/ali rabbits. We separated appendix cells from a 6-wk-old Alicia rabbit by FACS based on the expression of surface IgM and a2 allotype. The VDJ portion of the expressed Ig mRNA was amplified from the IgM+ a2+ and IgM+ a2- populations by reverse transcriptase-PCR. The cDNAs from both populations were cloned and sequenced. Analysis of these sequences suggested that, in a2+ B cells, the first D proximal functional gene in Alicia rabbits, V(H)4a2, rearranged and was altered further by a gene conversion-like mechanism. Upstream V(H) genes were identified as potential gene sequence donors; V(H)9 was found to be the most frequently used gene donor. Among the a2- B cells, y33 was the most frequently rearranged gene.

Defended to the Nines: 25 Years of Resistance Gene Cloning Identifies Nine Mechanisms for R Protein Function[OPEN

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Plants have many, highly variable resistance (R) gene loci, which provide resistance to a variety of pathogens. The first R gene to be cloned, maize (Zea mays) Hm1, was published over 25 years ago, and since then, many different R genes have been identified and isolated. The encoded proteins have provided clues to the diverse molecular mechanisms underlying immunity. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 314 cloned R genes. The majority of R genes encode cell surface or intracellular receptors, and we distinguish nine molecular mechanisms by which R proteins can elevate or trigger disease resistance: direct (1) or indirect (2) perception of pathogen-derived molecules on the cell surface by receptor-like proteins and receptor-like kinases; direct (3) or indirect (4) intracellular detection of pathogen-derived molecules by nucleotide binding, leucine-rich repeat receptors, or detection through integrated domains (5); perception of transcription activator-like effectors through activation of executor genes (6); and active (7), passive (8), or host reprogramming-mediated (9) loss of susceptibility. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of R genes are only understood for a small proportion of known R genes, a clearer understanding of mechanisms is emerging and will be crucial for rational engineering and deployment of novel R genes. PMID:29382771

Human forniceal region is the stem cell-rich zone of the conjunctival epithelium.

PubMed

Harun, Mohd Hairul Nizam; Sepian, Siti Norzalehawati; Chua, Kien-Hui; Ropilah, Abd Rahman; Abd Ghafar, Norzana; Che-Hamzah, Jemaima; Bt Hj Idrus, Ruszymah; Annuar, Faridah Hanom

2013-03-01

The anterior surface of the eye is covered by several physically contiguous but histologically distinguishable epithelia overlying the cornea, limbus, bulbar conjunctiva, fornix conjunctiva, and palpebral conjunctiva. The self-renewing nature of the conjunctival epithelia makes their long-term survival ultimately dependent on small populations of stem cells. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the expression of the stem cell genes Sox2, OCT4, NANOG, Rex1, NES, and ABCG2 in cultured human conjunctival epithelium from different conjunctival zones, namely, the bulbar, palpebral and fornix zones. Three samples were taken from patients with primary pterygium and cataract (age range 56-66 years) who presented to our eye clinic at the UKM Medical Centre. The eye was examined with slit lamp to ensure there was no underlying ocular surface diseases and glaucoma. Conjunctival tissue was taken from patients who underwent a standard cataract or pterygium operation as a primary procedure. Tissues were digested, cultured, and propagated until an adequate number of cells was obtained. Total RNA was extracted and subjected to expression analysis of conjunctival epithelium genes (KRT4, KRT13, KRT19) and stem cell genes (Sox2, OCT4, NANOG, Rex1, NES, ABCG2) by reverse transcriptase-PCR and 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. The expression of Sox2, OCT4, and NANOG genes were detected in the fornical cells, while bulbar cells only expressed Sox2 and palpebral cells only expressed OCT4. Based on these results, the human forniceal region expresses a higher number of stem cell genes than the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva.

Genetic variations in merozoite surface antigen genes of Babesia bovis detected in Vietnamese cattle and water buffaloes.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Naoaki; Sivakumar, Thillaiampalam; Tuvshintulga, Bumduuren; Hayashida, Kyoko; Igarashi, Ikuo; Inoue, Noboru; Long, Phung Thang; Lan, Dinh Thi Bich

2015-03-01

The genes that encode merozoite surface antigens (MSAs) in Babesia bovis are genetically diverse. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity of B. bovis MSA-1, MSA-2b, and MSA-2c genes in Vietnamese cattle and water buffaloes. Blood DNA samples from 258 cattle and 49 water buffaloes reared in the Thua Thien Hue province of Vietnam were screened with a B. bovis-specific diagnostic PCR assay. The B. bovis-positive DNA samples (23 cattle and 16 water buffaloes) were then subjected to PCR assays to amplify the MSA-1, MSA-2b, and MSA-2c genes. Sequencing analyses showed that the Vietnamese MSA-1 and MSA-2b sequences are genetically diverse, whereas MSA-2c is relatively conserved. The nucleotide identity values for these MSA gene sequences were similar in the cattle and water buffaloes. Consistent with the sequencing data, the Vietnamese MSA-1 and MSA-2b sequences were dispersed across several clades in the corresponding phylogenetic trees, whereas the MSA-2c sequences occurred in a single clade. Cattle- and water-buffalo-derived sequences also often clustered together on the phylogenetic trees. The Vietnamese MSA-1, MSA-2b, and MSA-2c sequences were then screened for recombination with automated methods. Of the seven recombination events detected, five and two were associated with the MSA-2b and MSA-2c recombinant sequences, respectively, whereas no MSA-1 recombinants were detected among the sequences analyzed. Recombination between the sequences derived from cattle and water buffaloes was very common, and the resultant recombinant sequences were found in both host animals. These data indicate that the genetic diversity of the MSA sequences does not differ between cattle and water buffaloes in Vietnam. They also suggest that recombination between the B. bovis MSA sequences in both cattle and water buffaloes might contribute to the genetic variation in these genes in Vietnam. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.