Data Sharing: A New Editorial Initiative of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Implications for the Editors´ Network

PubMed Central

Alfonso, Fernando; Adamyan, Karlen; Artigou, Jean-Yves; Aschermann, Michael; Boehm, Michael; Buendia, Alfonso; Chu, Pao-Hsien; Cohen, Ariel; Cas, Livio Dei; Dilic, Mirza; Doubell, Anton; Echeverri, Dario; Enç, Nuray; Ferreira-González, Ignacio; Filipiak, Krzysztof J.; Flammer, Andreas; Fleck, Eckart; Gatzov, Plamen; Ginghina, Carmen; Goncalves, Lino; Haouala, Habib; Hassanein, Mahmoud; Heusch, Gerd; Huber, Kurt; Hulín, Ivan; Ivanusa, Mario; Krittayaphong, Rungroj; Lau, Chu-Pak; Marinskis, Germanas; Mach, François; Moreira, Luiz Felipe; Nieminen, Tuomo; Oukerraj, Latifa; Perings, Stefan; Pierard, Luc; Potpara, Tatjana; Reyes-Caorsi, Walter; Rim, Se-Joong; Rødevand, Olaf; Saade, Georges; Sander, Mikael; Shlyakhto, Evgeny; Timuralp, Bilgin; Tousoulis, Dimitris; Ural, Dilek; Piek, J. J.; Varga, Albert; Lüscher, Thomas F.

2017-01-01

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides recommendations to improve the editorial standards and scientific quality of biomedical journals. These recommendations range from uniform technical requirements to more complex and elusive editorial issues including ethical aspects of the scientific process. Recently, registration of clinical trials, conflicts of interest disclosure, and new criteria for authorship - emphasizing the importance of responsibility and accountability-, have been proposed. Last year, a new editorial initiative to foster sharing of clinical trial data was launched. This review discusses this novel initiative with the aim of increasing awareness among readers, investigators, authors and editors belonging to the Editors´ Network of the European Society of Cardiology. PMID:28591318

Biochemical characteristics and gene expression profiles of two paralogous luciferases from the Japanese firefly Pyrocoelia atripennis (Coleoptera, Lampyridae, Lampyrinae): insight into the evolution of firefly luciferase genes.

PubMed

Bessho-Uehara, Manabu; Konishi, Kaori; Oba, Yuichi

2017-08-09

Two paralogous genes of firefly luciferase, Luc1 and Luc2, have been isolated from the species in two subfamilies, Luciolinae and Photurinae, of the family Lampyridae. The gene expression profiles have previously been examined only in the species of Luciolinae. Here we isolated Luc1 and Luc2 genes from the Japanese firefly Pyrocoelia atripennis. This is the first report of the presence of both Luc1 and Luc2 genes in the species of the subfamily Lampyrinae and of the exon-intron structure of Luc2 in the family Lampyridae. The luminescence of both gene products peaked at 547 nm under neutral buffer conditions, and the spectrum of Luc1, but not Luc2, was red-shifted under acidic conditions, as observed for Luc2 in the Luciolinae species. The semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction suggested that Luc1 was expressed in lanterns of all the stages except eggs, while Luc2 was expressed in the non-lantern bodies of eggs, prepupae, pupae, and female adults. These expression profiles are consistent with those in the Luciolinae species. Considering the distant phylogenetic relationship between Lampyrinae and Luciolinae in Lampyridae, we propose that fireflies generally possess two different luciferase genes and the biochemical properties and gene expression profiles for each paralog are conserved among lampyrid species.

Organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1/SLC22A6) enhances bioluminescence based on d-luciferin-luciferase reaction in living cells by facilitating the intracellular accumulation of d-luciferin.

PubMed

Furuya, Takahito; Takehara, Issey; Shimura, Asuka; Kishimoto, Hisanao; Yasujima, Tomoya; Ohta, Kinya; Shirasaka, Yoshiyuki; Yuasa, Hiroaki; Inoue, Katsuhisa

2018-01-15

Bioluminescence (BL) imaging based on d-luciferin (d-luc)-luciferase reaction allows noninvasive and real-time monitoring of luciferase-expressing cells. Because BL intensity depends on photons generated through the d-luc-luciferase reaction, an approach to increase intracellular levels of d-luc could improve the detection sensitivity. In the present study, we showed that organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) is useful, as a d-luc transporter, in boosting the BL intensity in luciferase-expressing cells. Functional screening of several transporters showed that the expression of OAT1 in HEK293 cells stably expressing Pyrearinus termitilluminans luciferase (HEK293/eLuc) markedly enhanced BL intensity in the presence of d-luc. When OAT1 was transiently expressed in HEK293 cells, intracellular accumulation of d-luc was higher than that in control cells, and the specific d-luc uptake mediated by OAT1 was saturable with a Michaelis constant (K m ) of 0.23 μM. The interaction between OAT1 and d-luc was verified using 6-carboxyfluorescein, a typical substrate of OAT1, which showed that d-luc inhibited the uptake of 6-carboxyfluorescein mediated by OAT1. BL intensity was concentration-dependent at steady states in HEK293/eLuc cells stably expressing OAT1, and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent K m of 0.36 μM. In addition, the enhanced BL was significantly inhibited by OAT1-specific inhibitors. Thus, OAT1-mediated transport of d-luc could be a rate-limiting step in the d-luc-luciferase reaction. Furthermore, we found that expressing OAT1 in HEK293/eLuc cells implanted subcutaneously in mice also significantly increased the BL after intraperitoneal injection of d-luc. Our findings suggest that because OAT1 is capable of transporting d-luc, it can also be used to improve visualization and monitoring of luciferase-expressing cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data Sharing: A New Editorial Initiative of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Implications for the Editors' Network.

PubMed

Alfonso, Fernando; Adamyan, Karlen; Artigou, Jean-Yves; Aschermann, Michael; Boehm, Michael; Buendia, Alfonso; Chu, Pao-Hsien; Cohen, Ariel; Cas, Livio Dei; Dilic, Mirza; Doubell, Anton; Echeverri, Dario; Enç, Nuray; Ferreira-González, Ignacio; Filipiak, Krzysztof J; Flammer, Andreas; Fleck, Eckart; Gatzov, Plamen; Ginghina, Carmen; Goncalves, Lino; Haouala, Habib; Hassanein, Mahmoud; Heusch, Gerd; Huber, Kurt; Hulín, Ivan; Ivanusa, Mario; Krittayaphong, Rungroj; Lau, Chu-Pak; Marinskis, Germanas; Mach, François; Moreira, Luiz Felipe; Nieminen, Tuomo; Oukerraj, Latifa; Perings, Stefan; Pierard, Luc; Potpara, Tatjana; Reyes-Caorsi, Walter; Rim, Se-Joong; Rødevand, Olaf; Saade, Georges; Sander, Mikael; Shlyakhto, Evgeny; Timuralp, Bilgin; Tousoulis, Dimitris; Ural, Dilek; Piek, J J; Varga, Albert; Lüscher, Thomas F

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides recommendations to improve the editorial standards and scientific quality of biomedical journals. These recommendations range from uniform technical requirements to more complex and elusive editorial issues including ethical aspects of the scientific process. Recently, registration of clinical trials, conflicts of interest disclosure, and new criteria for authorship - emphasizing the importance of responsibility and accountability -, have been proposed. Last year, a new editorial initiative to foster sharing of clinical trial data was launched. This review discusses this novel initiative with the aim of increasing awareness among readers, investigators, authors and editors belonging to the Editors' Network of the European Society of Cardiology. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A.

Carbon Calculator for Land Use Change from Biofuels Production (CCLUB). Users' Manual and Technical Documentation

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

Dunn, Jennifer B.; Qin, Zhangcai; Mueller, Steffen

The Carbon Calculator for Land Use Change from Biofuels Production (CCLUB) calculates carbon emissions from land use change (LUC) for four different ethanol production pathways including corn grain ethanol and cellulosic ethanol from corn stover, Miscanthus, and switchgrass. This document discusses the version of CCLUB released September 30, 2014 which includes corn and three cellulosic feedstocks: corn stover, Miscanthus, and switchgrass.

Serials Management in the Electronic Era: Papers in Honor of Peter Gellatly, Founding Editor of "The Serials Librarian."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Jim, Ed.; Williams, James W., Ed.

This book assesses progress and technical changes in the field of serials management and anticipates future directions and challenges for librarians. The book consists of 18 chapters: (1) "Introduction" (Jim Cole and James W. Williams); (2) "Peter Gellatly--Editor with a Deft Touch" (Ruth C. Carter); (3) "The "Deseret…

Technical writing versus technical writing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dillingham, J. W.

1981-01-01

Two terms, two job categories, 'technical writer' and 'technical author' are discussed in terms of industrial and business requirements and standards. A distinction between 'technical writing' and technical 'writing' is made. The term 'technical editor' is also considered. Problems inherent in the design of programs to prepare and train students for these jobs are discussed. A closer alliance between industry and academia is suggested as a means of preparing students with competent technical communication skills (especially writing and editing skills) and good technical skills.

On the common modulus attack into the LUC4,6 cryptosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Tze Jin; Said, Mohd Rushdan Md; Othman, Mohamed; Koo, Lee Feng

2015-05-01

The LUC4,6 cryptosystem is a system analogy with RSA cryptosystem and extended from LUC and LUC3 cryptosystems. The process of encryption and decryption are derived from the fourth order linear recurrence sequence and based on Lucas function. This paper reports an investigation into the common modulus attack on the LUC4,6 cryptosystem. In general, the common modulus attack will be succeeded if the sender sends the plaintext to two users used same RSA-modulus and both of encryption keys of them are relatively prime to each other. However, based on the characteristics of high order Lucas sequence, the LUC4,6 cryptosystem is unattackable

The Molecular Epidemiology of Malaria in Western Kenya

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF- α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interferon gamma...Ricard S, Troesch A, Mallet C, Generenaz L, Evans A, Arveiler D, Luc G, Ruidavets JB, Poirier O. Polymorphisms of the transforming growth factor- beta 1...transforming growth factor- beta 1 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha genes: a technical report. Transpl Immunol 1998 6(3): 193-7. 36. Olomolaiye OO

Plantation establishment: site preparation and tree planting methods

Treesearch

J. W. Van Sambeek

2008-01-01

The Silviculture and Ecology of the Central Hardwoods research unit of the USDA Forest Service is developing a series of technical notes for the management of forest lands in the Midwest. Many of the technical notes on different aspects of hardwood plantation establishment have been completed. At the request of the editor, the technical notes for site preparation, slit...

The levels of edit. [technical writing in science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanburen, R.; Buehler, M. F.; Wallenbrock, D. (Editor)

1976-01-01

The editorial process is analyzed, and five levels of edit are identified. These levels represent cumulative combinations of nine types of edit: (1) coordination, (2) policy, (3) integrity, (4) screening, (5) copy clarification, (6) Mechanical Style, (7) Language, and (9) substantive. The levels and types of edit, although developed for specific use with external reports at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, cover the general range of technical editing, especially as it applies to an in-house technical publications organization. Each type of edit is set forth in terms of groups of actions to be performed by the editor. The edit-level concept has enhanced understanding and communication among editors, authors, and publications managers concerning the specific editorial work to be done on each manuscript. It has also proved useful as a management tool for estimating and monitoring cost.

Defense Acquisition Research Journal: Strengthening Cost Consciousness, Professionalism, and Technical Excellence

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

Editor Michael Shoemaker Copy Editor/Circulation Manager Debbie Gonzalez Multimedia Assistant Noelia Gamboa Editing, Design , and Layout The C3 Group ...Schatz Publishing Group CONTENTS | Featured Research A Publication of the Defense Acquisition University April 2016 Vol. 23 No. 2 ISSUE 77 p. 122 The...1998). Examining the relationship between listening effectiveness and leadership emergence: Perceptions, behaviors, and recall. Small Group Research

Land-use change and greenhouse gas emissions from corn and cellulosic ethanol

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that may accompany land-use change (LUC) from increased biofuel feedstock production are a source of debate in the discussion of drawbacks and advantages of biofuels. Estimates of LUC GHG emissions focus mainly on corn ethanol and vary widely. Increasing the understanding of LUC GHG impacts associated with both corn and cellulosic ethanol will inform the on-going debate concerning their magnitudes and sources of variability. Results In our study, we estimate LUC GHG emissions for ethanol from four feedstocks: corn, corn stover, switchgrass, and miscanthus. We use new computable general equilibrium (CGE) results for worldwide LUC. U.S. domestic carbon emission factors are from state-level modelling with a surrogate CENTURY model and U.S. Forest Service data. This paper investigates the effect of several key domestic lands carbon content modelling parameters on LUC GHG emissions. International carbon emission factors are from the Woods Hole Research Center. LUC GHG emissions are calculated from these LUCs and carbon content data with Argonne National Laboratory’s Carbon Calculator for Land Use Change from Biofuels Production (CCLUB) model. Our results indicate that miscanthus and corn ethanol have the lowest (−10 g CO2e/MJ) and highest (7.6 g CO2e/MJ) LUC GHG emissions under base case modelling assumptions. The results for corn ethanol are lower than corresponding results from previous studies. Switchgrass ethanol base case results (2.8 g CO2e/MJ) were the most influenced by assumptions regarding converted forestlands and the fate of carbon in harvested wood products. They are greater than miscanthus LUC GHG emissions because switchgrass is a lower-yielding crop. Finally, LUC GHG emissions for corn stover are essentially negligible and insensitive to changes in model assumptions. Conclusions This research provides new insight into the influence of key carbon content modelling variables on LUC GHG emissions associated with the four bioethanol pathways we examined. Our results indicate that LUC GHG emissions may have a smaller contribution to the overall biofuel life cycle than previously thought. Additionally, they highlight the need for future advances in LUC GHG emissions estimation including improvements to CGE models and aboveground and belowground carbon content data. PMID:23575438

EST Readers: Some Principles for Their Design and Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Christopher J.

1983-01-01

The editor of "Heinemann's Science and Technology Readers" responds to questions concerning the objectives and design of the series. The market for technical readers; reader format and difficulty level; illustrations, technical exercises, and the language teacher; and the intended classroom use are discussed. (MSE)

Chemical structure determination of DNA bases modified by active metabolites of lucidin-3-O-primeveroside.

PubMed

Ishii, Yuji; Okamura, Toshiya; Inoue, Tomoki; Fukuhara, Kiyoshi; Umemura, Takashi; Nishikawa, Akiyoshi

2010-01-01

Lucidin-3-O- primeveroside (LuP) is one of the components of madder root (Rubia tinctorum L.; MR) which is reported to be carcinogenic in the kidney and liver of rats. Since metabolism of LuP generates genotoxic compounds such as lucidin (Luc) and rubiadin (Rub), it is likely that LuP plays a key role in MR carcinogenesis. In the present study, the chemical structures of Luc-specific 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) and 2'-deoxyadenosine (dA) adducts following the reactions of dG and dA with a Luc carbocation or quinone methide intermediate derived from Acetoxy-Luc were determined by liquid chromatography with photodiode array and electron spray ionizaion-mass spectrometry (LC-PDA-ESI/MS). The identification of the two measurable adducts as Luc-N(2)-dG and Luc-N(6)-dA was confirmed by NMR analysis. Subsequently, using a newly developed quantitative analytical method using LC-ESI/MS, the formation of Luc-N(2)-dG and Luc-N(6)-dA from the reaction of calf thymus DNA with Luc in the presence of S9 mixture was observed. The fact that this reaction with Rub also gave rise to the same dG and dA adducts strongly suggests that Rub genotoxicity involves a metabolic conversion to Luc. The precise determination of the modified DNA bases generated by LuP and the method for their analysis may contribute to further comprehension of the mode of action underlying carcinogenesis by MR and related anthraquinones.

Author-Editor Guide to Technical Publications Preparation. Revision

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

meteorology, climatology, military technical publications. ( ") <- 15: Number of Pages: 68 17. Security Classification of Report: Unclassified 1... Security Classification of this Page: Unclassified 19. Security Classification of Abstract: Unclassified 20. Limitation of Abstract: UL Standard Form 298...34 There are, however, February 1983. numerous exceptions. Although some technical material may not be classified in accordance with security AFR 83-2, Air

The Impact of Pre-Industrial Land Use Change on Atmospheric Composition and Aerosol Radiative Forcing.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, D. S.; Carslaw, K. S.; Spracklen, D. V.; Folberth, G.; Kaplan, J. O.; Pringle, K.; Scott, C.

2015-12-01

Anthropogenic land use change (LUC) has had a major impact on the climate by altering the amount of carbon stored in vegetation, changing surface albedo and modifying the levels of both biogenic and pyrogenic emissions. While previous studies of LUC have largely focused on the first two components, there has recently been a recognition that changes to aerosol and related pre-cursor gas emissions from LUC are equally important. Furthermore, it has also recently been recognised that the pre-industrial (PI) to present day (PD) radiative forcing (RF) of climate from aerosol cloud interactions (ACI) due to anthropogenic emissions is highly sensitive to the amount of natural aerosol that was present in the PI. This suggests that anthropogenic RF from ACI may be highly sensitive to land-use in the PI. There are currently two commonly used baseline reference years for the PI; 1750 and 1860. Rapid LUC occurred between 1750 and 1860, with large reductions in natural vegetation cover in Eastern Northern America, Europe, Central Russia, India and Eastern China as well as lower reductions in parts of Brazil and Africa. This LUC will have led to significant changes in biogenic and fire emissions with implications for natural aerosol concentrations and PI-to-PD RF. The focus of this study is therefore to quantify the impact of LUC between 1750 and 1860 on aerosol concentrations and PI-to-PD RF calculations from ACI. We use the UK Met Office HadGEM3-UKCA coupled-chemistry-climate model to calculate the impacts of anthropogenic emissions and anthropogenic LUC on aerosol size distributions in both 1750 and 1860. We prescribe LUC using the KK10 historical dataset of land cover change. Monoterpene emissions are coupled directly to the prescribed LUC through the JULES land surface scheme in HadGEM3. Fire emissions from LUC were calculated offline using the fire module LPJ-LMfire in the Lund-Potsdam-Jena dynamic global vegetation model. To separate out the impacts of LUC from anthropogenic emissions a further simulation where only LUC and natural emissions are considered is undertaken. We then explore the sensitivity of PI-to-PD aerosol number concentrations, cloud drop number concentrations and the RF on assumed land-cover in the PI. This work will help determine the need for accurate descriptions of historical LUC in calculations of ACI.

Surprising Beauty in Technical Photography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidhazy, Andrew

2009-01-01

The Imaging and Photographic Technology area, in which the author teaches, is an applications- and technology-oriented photography program designed to prepare students for work in technical, corporate, industrial, and scientific environments. One day, the author received an e-mail message from an editor who had found his Web site and thought he…

Using a Business Framework to Teach Technical Writing to Nonscientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devet, Bonnie

2005-01-01

Today, students other than biology, computer science, or physics majors are enrolling in technical writing. English and communication students, seeking lucrative careers as professional writers or editors, are increasingly signing up for the course. Lacking extensive scientific backgrounds, these students may have a difficult time writing about…

Development of a rapid immunoassay system: Luminescent detection of antigen-associated antibody-luciferase in the presence of a dye that absorbs light from free antibody-luciferase.

PubMed

Mori, Akihiro; Ojima-Kato, Teruyo; Fuchi, Shingo; Kaiya, Shinichi; Kojima, Takaaki; Nakano, Hideo

2017-12-01

In this report, we developed a rapid immunoassay system, designated the bioluminescent interference gathering optical (BINGO) assay, which required no time-consuming washing steps for removal of unbound antibodies. This system employed a luciferase (Luc)-conjugated antibody (LucAb) and a dye that absorbed light from the LucAb. The antigen-associated LucAb was localized by transfer of an antigen to the detector-side of a chamber where a detector photomultiplier tube (PMT) was installed. In contrast, the free LucAb was distributed throughout the solution, and the light emitted by the free LucAb was absorbed by the dye. Therefore, only light from LucAb associated with antigen could be detected by the PMT. The new system could be used to rapidly detect the amount of antigen-antibody-Luc complex by collecting steps, such as centrifugation or magnetic collection of antibody-coated magnetic beads. Proof-of-principle experiments were performed using a model system with streptavidin beads and biotinylated Luc. The feasibility of the system was demonstrated using magnetic beads coated with anti-Escherichia coli O157 antibody, enabling detection of 4 × 10 3  cells in only 15 min. Thus, this system may have applications in a variety of biomedical fields. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carbon Calculator for Land Use Change from Biofuels Production (CCLUB) Users’ Manual and Technical Documentation

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

Dunn, Jennifer B.; Qin, Zhangcai; Mueller, Steffen

Themore » $$\\underline{C}$$arbon $$\\underline{C}$$alculator for $$\\underline{L}$$and $$\\underline{U}$$se Change from $$\\underline{B}$$iofuels Production (CCLUB) calculates carbon emissions from land use change (LUC) for four different ethanol production pathways including corn grain ethanol and cellulosic ethanol from corn stover, Miscanthus, and switchgrass. This document discusses the version of CCLUB released September 30, 2014 which includes corn and three cellulosic feedstocks: corn stover, Miscanthus, and switchgrass.« less

LucY: A Versatile New Fluorescent Reporter Protein

PubMed Central

Auldridge, Michele E.; Franz, Laura P.; Bingman, Craig A.; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Phillips, George N.; Mead, David; Steinmetz, Eric J.

2015-01-01

We report on the discovery, isolation, and use of a novel yellow fluorescent protein. Lucigen Yellow (LucY) binds one FAD molecule within its core, thus shielding it from water and maintaining its structure so that fluorescence is 10-fold higher than freely soluble FAD. LucY displays excitation and emission spectra characteristic of FAD, with 3 excitation peaks at 276nm, 377nm, and 460nm and a single emission peak at 530nm. These excitation and emission maxima provide the large Stokes shift beneficial to fluorescence experimentation. LucY belongs to the MurB family of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductases. The high resolution crystal structure shows that in contrast to other structurally resolved MurB enzymes, LucY does not contain a potentially quenching aromatic residue near the FAD isoalloxazine ring, which may explain its increased fluorescence over related proteins. Using E. coli as a system in which to develop LucY as a reporter, we show that it is amenable to circular permutation and use as a reporter of protein-protein interaction. Fragmentation between its distinct domains renders LucY non-fluorescent, but fluorescence can be partially restored by fusion of the fragments to interacting protein domains. Thus, LucY may find application in Protein-fragment Complementation Assays for evaluating protein-protein interactions. PMID:25906065

LucY: A Versatile New Fluorescent Reporter Protein.

PubMed

Auldridge, Michele E; Cao, Hongnan; Sen, Saurabh; Franz, Laura P; Bingman, Craig A; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M; Phillips, George N; Mead, David; Steinmetz, Eric J

2015-01-01

We report on the discovery, isolation, and use of a novel yellow fluorescent protein. Lucigen Yellow (LucY) binds one FAD molecule within its core, thus shielding it from water and maintaining its structure so that fluorescence is 10-fold higher than freely soluble FAD. LucY displays excitation and emission spectra characteristic of FAD, with 3 excitation peaks at 276 nm, 377 nm, and 460 nm and a single emission peak at 530 nm. These excitation and emission maxima provide the large Stokes shift beneficial to fluorescence experimentation. LucY belongs to the MurB family of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductases. The high resolution crystal structure shows that in contrast to other structurally resolved MurB enzymes, LucY does not contain a potentially quenching aromatic residue near the FAD isoalloxazine ring, which may explain its increased fluorescence over related proteins. Using E. coli as a system in which to develop LucY as a reporter, we show that it is amenable to circular permutation and use as a reporter of protein-protein interaction. Fragmentation between its distinct domains renders LucY non-fluorescent, but fluorescence can be partially restored by fusion of the fragments to interacting protein domains. Thus, LucY may find application in Protein-fragment Complementation Assays for evaluating protein-protein interactions.

LucY: A versatile new fluorescent reporter protein

DOE PAGES

Auldridge, Michele E.; Cao, Hongnan; Sen, Saurabh; ...

2015-04-23

We report on the discovery, isolation, and use of a novel yellow fluorescent protein. Lucigen Yellow (LucY) binds one FAD molecule within its core, thus shielding it from water and maintaining its structure so that fluorescence is 10-fold higher than freely soluble FAD. LucY displays excitation and emission spectra characteristic of FAD, with 3 excitation peaks at 276nm, 377nm, and 460nm and a single emission peak at 530nm. These excitation and emission maxima provide the large Stokes shift beneficial to fluorescence experimentation. LucY belongs to the MurB family of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductases. The high resolution crystal structure shows that in contrastmore » to other structurally resolved MurB enzymes, LucY does not contain a potentially quenching aromatic residue near the FAD isoalloxazine ring, which may explain its increased fluorescence over related proteins. Using E. coli as a system in which to develop LucY as a reporter, we show that it is amenable to circular permutation and use as a reporter of protein-protein interaction. Fragmentation between its distinct domains renders LucY non-fluorescent, but fluorescence can be partially restored by fusion of the fragments to interacting protein domains. Thus, LucY may find application in Protein-fragment Complementation Assays for evaluating protein-protein interactions.« less

The levels of edit, second edition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanburen, R.; Buehler, M. F.

1980-01-01

The editorial process is analyzed, and five levels of edit are identified. These levels represent cumulative combinations of nine types of edit: Coordination, Policy, Integrity, Screening, Copy Clarification, Format, Mechanical Style, Language, and Substantive. The levels and types of edit, although developed for specific use with external reports at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, cover the general range of technical editing, especially as it applies to an in-house technical publications organization. Each type of edit is set forth in terms of groups of actions to be performed by editor. The edit-level concept has enhanced understanding and communication among editors, authors, and publications managers concerning the specific editorial work to be done on each manuscript. It has also proved useful as a management tool for estimating and monitoring cost.

Posttranslationally caused bioluminescence burst of the Escherichia coli luciferase reporter strain.

PubMed

Ideguchi, Yamato; Oshikoshi, Yuta; Ryo, Masashi; Motoki, Shogo; Kuwano, Takashi; Tezuka, Takafumi; Aoki, Setsuyuki

2016-01-01

We continuously monitored bioluminescence from a wild-type reporter strain of Escherichia coli (lacp::luc+/WT), which carries the promoter of the lac operon (lacp) fused with the firefly luciferase gene (luc+). This strain showed a bioluminescence burst when shifted into the stationary growth phase. Bioluminescence profiles of other wild-type reporter strains (rpsPp::luc+ and argAp::luc+) and gene-deletion reporter strains (lacp::luc+/crp- and lacp::luc+/lacI-) indicate that transcriptional regulation is not responsible for generation of the burst. Consistently, changes in the luciferase protein levels did not recapitulate the profile of the burst. On the other hand, dissolved oxygen levels increased over the period across the burst, suggesting that the burst is, at least partially, caused by an increase in intracellular oxygen levels. We discuss limits of the firefly luciferase when used as a reporter for gene expression and its potential utility for monitoring metabolic changes in cells.

Influence of land use on water quality in a tropical landscape: a multi-scale analysis

PubMed Central

Yackulic, Charles B.; Lim, Yili; Arce-Nazario, Javier A.

2015-01-01

There is a pressing need to understand the consequences of human activities, such as land transformations, on watershed ecosystem services. This is a challenging task because different indicators of water quality and yield are expected to vary in their responsiveness to large versus local-scale heterogeneity in land use and land cover (LUC). Here we rely on water quality data collected between 1977 and 2000 from dozens of gauge stations in Puerto Rico together with precipitation data and land cover maps to (1) quantify impacts of spatial heterogeneity in LUC on several water quality indicators; (2) determine the spatial scale at which this heterogeneity influences water quality; and (3) examine how antecedent precipitation modulates these impacts. Our models explained 30–58% of observed variance in water quality metrics. Temporal variation in antecedent precipitation and changes in LUC between measurements periods rather than spatial variation in LUC accounted for the majority of variation in water quality. Urbanization and pasture development generally degraded water quality while agriculture and secondary forest re-growth had mixed impacts. The spatial scale over which LUC influenced water quality differed across indicators. Turbidity and dissolved oxygen (DO) responded to LUC in large-scale watersheds, in-stream nitrogen concentrations to LUC in riparian buffers of large watersheds, and fecal matter content and in-stream phosphorus concentration to LUC at the sub-watershed scale. Stream discharge modulated impacts of LUC on water quality for most of the metrics. Our findings highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales for understanding the impacts of human activities on watershed ecosystem services. PMID:26146455

Sample Federal Facility Land Use Control ROD Checklist and Suggested Language (LUC Checklist)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The LUC Checklist provides direction on describing and documenting land use controls (LUCs) in federal facility actrions under CERCLA in Records of Decision (RODs), remedial designs (RDs), and remedial action work plans (RAWPs).

[Establishment of a human bladder cancer cell line stably co-expressing hSPRY2 and luciferase genes and its subcutaneous tumor xenograft model in nude mice].

PubMed

Yin, Xiaotao; Li, Fanglong; Jin, Yipeng; Yin, Zhaoyang; Qi, Siyong; Wu, Shuai; Wang, Zicheng; Wang, Lin; Yu, Jiyun; Gao, Jiangping

2017-03-01

Objective To establish a human bladder cancer cell line stably co-expressing human sprouty2 (hSPRY2) and luciferase (Luc) genes simultaneously, and develop its subcutaneous tumor xenograft model in nude mice. Methods The hSPRY2 and Luc gene segments were amplified by PCR, and were cloned into lentiviral vector pCDH and pLVX respectively to produce corresponding lentivirus particles. The J82 human bladder cancer cells were infected with these two kinds of lentivirus particles, and then further screened by puromycin and G418. The expressions of hSPRY2 and Luc genes were detected by bioluminescence, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. The screened J82-hSPRY2/Luc cells were injected subcutaneously into BALB/c nude mice, and the growth of tumor was monitored dynamically using in vivo fluorescence imaging system. Results J82-hSPRY2/Luc cell line stably expressing hSPRY2 and Luc genes was established successfully. Bioluminescence, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis validated the expressions of hSPRY2 and Luc genes. The in vivo fluorescence imaging system showed obvious fluorescence in subcutaneous tumor xenograft in nude mice. Conclusion The J82-hSPRY2/Luc bladder cancer cell line and its subcutaneous tumor xenograft model in nude mice have been established successfully.

Comparison of red-shifted firefly luciferase Ppy RE9 and conventional Luc2 as bioluminescence imaging reporter genes for in vivo imaging of stem cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yajie; Walczak, Piotr; Bulte, Jeff W. M.

2012-01-01

One critical issue for noninvasive imaging of transplanted bioluminescent cells is the large amount of light absorption in tissue when emission wavelengths below 600 nm are used. Luciferase with a red-shifted spectrum can potentially bypass this limitation. We assessed and compared a mutant of firefly luciferase (Ppy RE9, PRE9) against the yellow luciferase luc2 gene for use in cell transplantation studies. C17.2 neural stem cells expressing PRE9-Venus and luc2-Venus were sorted by flow cytometry and assessed for bioluminescence in vitro in culture and in vivo after transplantation into the brain of immunodeficient Rag2-/- mice. We found that the luminescence from PRE9 was stable, with a peak emission at 620 nm, shifted to the red compared to that of luc2. The emission peak for PRE9 was pH-independent, in contrast to luc2, and much less affected by tissue absorbance compared to that of luc2. However, the total emitted light radiance from PRE9 was substantially lower than that of luc2, both in vitro and in vivo. We conclude that PRE9 has favorable properties as compared to luc2 in terms of pH independence, red-shifted spectrum, tissue light penetration, and signal quantification, justifying further optimization of protein expression and enzymatic activity.

Encouraging Editorial Flexibility in Cases of Textual Reuse

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Because many technical descriptions of scientific processes and phenomena are difficult to paraphrase and because an increasing proportion of contributors to the scientific literature are not sufficiently proficient at writing in English, it is proposed that journal editors re-examine their approaches toward instances of textual reuse (similarity). The plagiarism definition by the US Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is more suitable than other definitions for dealing with cases of ostensible plagiarism. Editors are strongly encouraged to examine cases of textual reuse in the context of both, the ORI guidance and the offending authors' proficiency in English. Editors should also reconsider making plagiarism determinations based exclusively on text similarity scores reported by plagiarism detection software. PMID:28244278

Future land-use change emissions: CO2, BVOC and wildfire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneth, A.; Knorr, W.; Hantson, S.; Anthoni, P.; Szogs, S.

2015-12-01

Historical land-use (LUC) change is known to have been a large source of CO2 emissions, mostly from deforestation: the equivalent of around 1/3 of today's CO2 in the atmosphere arises from LUC. And LUC will continue into the future, although the expected area change, the type of LUC (deforestation vs. afforestation/reforestation) and regions where the LUC will take place will differ greatly, depending on the future scenario. But LUC is not only of importance for projecting emissions of CO2. It also affects greatly emissions of biogenic volatile organic carbon, and from wildfires - all of which are important for the quantification of precursor substances relevant to air quality, and interactions with climate change. We show here that accounting for future socio-economic developments and LUC scenarios has the potential to override climate change and effects of CO2 fertilisation on fire and BVOC emission, regionally and in some cases also globally. Simulation experiments with the dynamic global vegetation model LPJ-GUESS will be performed, covering the 20th and 21st century, and assessing a rage of future population growth, LUC and climate change scenarios. For wildfire emissions, we find that burned area and emissions depend greatly on the type of population growth scenario, and on the distribution of urban vs rural population. BVOC emissions depend greatly on the amount and location of deforestation vs the region and magnitude of forest expansion in response to warming, such as through expansion of vegetation in the northern hemisphere, and via reforestation/afforestation. LUC so far has not been given sufficient attention for simulations of future air quality-climate interactions. In terms of terrestrial precursor emissions of atmospherically reactive substances our simulations clearly demonstrate the importance of including LUC in combination with vegetation that responds dynamically to changes in climate and atmospheric CO2 levels.

Monitoring autophagic flux using p62/SQSTM1 based luciferase reporters in glioma cells.

PubMed

Min, Zhang; Ting, Yao; Mingtao, Gong; Xiaofei, Tang; Dong, Yan; Chenguang, Zhang; Wei, Ding

2018-02-01

Autophagy is a highly dynamic process characterized with the term of autophagic flux. In the present study, we developed a quantifiable luciferase reporter system to measure the capacity as well as the dynamics of autophagic flux. Briefly, a luciferase variant of Luc2p was fused with p62/SQSTM1 or its UBA domain deletion mutant (p62ΔU) and transfected into cells. The expressed Luc2p-p62 fusion protein was primarily degraded via autophagy, while Luc2p-p62ΔU was employed as a normalization control due to its resistance to autophagic degradation. The luciferase activity of the lysates from two parallel populations of glioma cells expressing either Luc2p-p62 or Luc2p-p62ΔU was determined and the ratio of Luc2p-p62ΔU/Luc2p-p62 was used to assay the autophagic flux. By this approach, the induction of autophagy was manifested as an increased Luc2p-p62ΔU/Luc2p-p62 ratio, which could be neutralized by autophagy inhibitors or knockdown of ATG5. The performance of our autophagic flux detection system was comparable to a recently reported GFP-LC3-RFP-LC3ΔG probe. We tested the system in TMZ treated glioma cells, and found that coadministration of chloroquine to attenuate cellular autophagic flux significantly improved the TMZ efficacy by triggering more early apoptosis. Collectively, our luciferase-based autophagic flux assay may serve as a useful alternative yet sensitive method for autophagic flux detection in tumor cells. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 13013 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-05

... Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade Agreements, as determined by the United States... 252 Government procurement. Ynette R. Shelkin, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations System...

Purpose and Need for a Grassland Assessment

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch; Cathy W. Dahms

2004-01-01

This report is volume 1 of an ecological assessment of grassland ecosystems in the Southwestern United States, and it is one of a series of planned publications addressing major ecosystems of the Southwest. The first assessment, General Technical Report RM-GTR- 295, An Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Health in the Southwest (by Dahms and Geils, technical editors,...

Letters to the Editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-03-01

All the Letters to the Editor in this issue are in the same PostScript or PDF file. Contents Comment on `Magnetic and electric field strengths of high voltage power lines and household appliances' José Luis Giordano Dept. de Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales y Fluidos, CPSI, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain Twins paradox S R Carson Norton College, Malton, North Yorkshire, UK On alternative ways of finding the ratio of specific heats of gases Tomas Ficker Physics Department, Technical University of Brno, Czech Republic

78 FR 21850 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

... Parts 215, 235, and 237 Government procurement. Manuel Quinones, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations...-79 for notifying affected incumbent contractors of Government in-sourcing actions, in accordance with...

A Genetic Approach to the Identification of Plant Genes Involved in Viral Movement

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-30

Arabidopsis.. We plan to create two transgenic plant lines of Arabidopsis, one that expresses the firefly luciferase (Luc) gene, and one that... transgenic plant lines that express Luc or CD upon infection with RCNMV. Phenotypically these lines will either be luminescent (Luc) or sensitive to 5

Optimized Replicating Renilla Luciferase Reporter HIV-1 Utilizing Novel Internal Ribosome Entry Site Elements for Native Nef Expression and Function.

PubMed

Alberti, Michael O; Jones, Jennifer J; Miglietta, Riccardo; Ding, Haitao; Bakshi, Rakesh K; Edmonds, Tara G; Kappes, John C; Ochsenbauer, Christina

2015-12-01

We previously developed replication-competent reporter HIV-1 (referred to herein as LucR.T2A reporter viruses), utilizing a "ribosome skipping" T2A peptide strategy to link Renilla luciferase (LucR) with Nef expression. The demonstrated utility for HIV-1 vaccine and transmission study applications included measurement of neutralizing antibody (NAb) activity in vaccine sera, improved cell-mediated virus inhibition assays, such as T cell-mediated virus inhibition and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays, and humanized mouse models. Herein, we extend our prior work and introduce reporter virus technology for applications that require fully functional Nef. We demonstrate that in CD4(+) T cells productively infected with LucR.T2A reporter viruses, T2A peptide-driven Nef expression and function, such as down-regulation of surface CD4 and MHC-I, were impaired. We overcame this limitation of LucR.T2A reporter viruses and achieved physiological Nef expression and function by engineering novel LucR reporter HIV-1 comprising 11 different internal ribosome entry site (IRES) elements chosen for size and relative activity. A range of Nef expression was observed in 293T cells transfected with the different LucR.IRES reporter virus constructs. Iteratively, we identified IRES reporter genomes that expressed Nef closest to physiological levels and produced virus with infectivity, titers, and replication kinetics similar to nonreporter viruses. Our results demonstrated that LucR reporter activity was stable over multiple replication cycles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Furthermore, we analyzed Nef functionality, i.e., down-modulation of MHC-I and CD4, following infection of T cell lines and PBMCs. Unlike LucR.T2A reporter virus, one of the redesigned LucR.IRES reporter viruses [containing the modified encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) 6ATR IRES element, "6ATRi"] demonstrated Nef expression and function similar to parental "nonreporter" virus. In a previously validated (nef-independent) T cell-based NAb neutralization assay, LucR.6ATRi reporter virus performed indistinguishably from LucR.T2A reporter virus. In summary, reporter viruses comprising the "6ATRi" element promise to augment HIV-1 vaccine and transmission research approaches requiring a sensitive reporter readout combined with wild-type Nef function.

Optimized Replicating Renilla Luciferase Reporter HIV-1 Utilizing Novel Internal Ribosome Entry Site Elements for Native Nef Expression and Function

PubMed Central

Alberti, Michael O.; Jones, Jennifer J.; Miglietta, Riccardo; Ding, Haitao; Bakshi, Rakesh K.; Edmonds, Tara G.; Kappes, John C.

2015-01-01

Abstract We previously developed replication-competent reporter HIV-1 (referred to herein as LucR.T2A reporter viruses), utilizing a “ribosome skipping” T2A peptide strategy to link Renilla luciferase (LucR) with Nef expression. The demonstrated utility for HIV-1 vaccine and transmission study applications included measurement of neutralizing antibody (NAb) activity in vaccine sera, improved cell-mediated virus inhibition assays, such as T cell-mediated virus inhibition and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays, and humanized mouse models. Herein, we extend our prior work and introduce reporter virus technology for applications that require fully functional Nef. We demonstrate that in CD4+ T cells productively infected with LucR.T2A reporter viruses, T2A peptide-driven Nef expression and function, such as down-regulation of surface CD4 and MHC-I, were impaired. We overcame this limitation of LucR.T2A reporter viruses and achieved physiological Nef expression and function by engineering novel LucR reporter HIV-1 comprising 11 different internal ribosome entry site (IRES) elements chosen for size and relative activity. A range of Nef expression was observed in 293T cells transfected with the different LucR.IRES reporter virus constructs. Iteratively, we identified IRES reporter genomes that expressed Nef closest to physiological levels and produced virus with infectivity, titers, and replication kinetics similar to nonreporter viruses. Our results demonstrated that LucR reporter activity was stable over multiple replication cycles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Furthermore, we analyzed Nef functionality, i.e., down-modulation of MHC-I and CD4, following infection of T cell lines and PBMCs. Unlike LucR.T2A reporter virus, one of the redesigned LucR.IRES reporter viruses [containing the modified encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) 6ATR IRES element, “6ATRi”] demonstrated Nef expression and function similar to parental “nonreporter” virus. In a previously validated (nef-independent) T cell-based NAb neutralization assay, LucR.6ATRi reporter virus performed indistinguishably from LucR.T2A reporter virus. In summary, reporter viruses comprising the “6ATRi” element promise to augment HIV-1 vaccine and transmission research approaches requiring a sensitive reporter readout combined with wild-type Nef function. PMID:26101895

Data Sharing: A New Editorial Initiative of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Implications for the Editors’ Network

PubMed Central

Alfonso, Fernando; Adamyan, Karlen; Artigou, Jean-Yves; Aschermann, Michael; Boehm, Michael; Buendia, Alfonso; Chu, Pao-Hsien; Cohen, Ariel; Dei Cas, Livio; Dilic, Mirza; Doubell, Anton; Echeverri, Dario; Enç, Nuray; Ferreira-González, Ignacio; J. Filipiak, Krzysztof; Flammer, Andreas; Fleck, Eckart; Gatzov, Plamen; Ginghina, Carmen; Goncalves, Lino; Haouala, Habib; Hassanein, Mahmoud; Heusch, Gerd; Huber, Kurt; Hulín, Ivan; Ivanusa, Mario; Krittayaphong, Rungroj; Lau, Chu-Pak; Marinskis, Germanas; Mach, François; Moreira, Luiz Felipe; Nieminen, Tuomo; Oukerraj, Latifa; Perings, Stefan; Pierard, Luc; Potpara, Tatjana; Reyes-Caorsi, Walter; Rim, Se-Joong; Rødevand, Olaf; Saade, Georges; Sander, Mikael; Shlyakhto, Evgeny; Timuralp, Bilgin; Tousoulis, Dimitris; Ural, Dilek; Piek, J. J.; Varga, Albert; Lüscher, Thomas F.

2017-01-01

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides recommendations to improve the editorial standards and scientific quality of biomedical journals. These recommendations range from uniform technical requirements to more complex and elusive editorial issues including ethical aspects of the scientific process. Recently, registration of clinical trials, conflicts of interest disclosure, and new criteria for authorship- emphasizing the importance of responsibility and accountability-, have been proposed. Last year, a new editorial initiative to foster sharing of clinical trial data was launched. This review discusses this novel initiative with the aim of increasing awareness among readers, investigators, authors and editors belonging to the Editors’ Network of the European Society of Cardiology. PMID:28630534

Encouraging Editorial Flexibility in Cases of Textual Reuse.

PubMed

Roig, Miguel

2017-04-01

Because many technical descriptions of scientific processes and phenomena are difficult to paraphrase and because an increasing proportion of contributors to the scientific literature are not sufficiently proficient at writing in English, it is proposed that journal editors re-examine their approaches toward instances of textual reuse (similarity). The plagiarism definition by the US Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is more suitable than other definitions for dealing with cases of ostensible plagiarism. Editors are strongly encouraged to examine cases of textual reuse in the context of both, the ORI guidance and the offending authors' proficiency in English. Editors should also reconsider making plagiarism determinations based exclusively on text similarity scores reported by plagiarism detection software. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Bioluminescent system for dynamic imaging of cell and animal behavior

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

Hara-Miyauchi, Chikako; Laboratory for Cell Function Dynamics, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198; Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Health Care Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510

2012-03-09

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We combined a yellow variant of GFP and firefly luciferase to make ffLuc-cp156. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ffLuc-cp156 showed improved photon yield in cultured cells and transgenic mice. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ffLuc-cp156 enabled video-rate bioluminescence imaging of freely-moving animals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ffLuc-cp156 mice enabled tracking real-time drug delivery in conscious animals. -- Abstract: The current utility of bioluminescence imaging is constrained by a low photon yield that limits temporal sensitivity. Here, we describe an imaging method that uses a chemiluminescent/fluorescent protein, ffLuc-cp156, which consists of a yellow variant of Aequorea GFP and firefly luciferase. We report an improvement in photon yield by over threemore » orders of magnitude over current bioluminescent systems. We imaged cellular movement at high resolution including neuronal growth cones and microglial cell protrusions. Transgenic ffLuc-cp156 mice enabled video-rate bioluminescence imaging of freely moving animals, which may provide a reliable assay for drug distribution in behaving animals for pre-clinical studies.« less

78 FR 38235 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-26

.... DATES: Effective Date: June 26, 2013. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Kortnee Stewart, Defense.... Kortnee Stewart, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations System. Therefore, 48 CFR parts 225 and 252 are...

A Double Selection Approach to Achieve Specific Expression of Toxin Genes for Ovarian Cancer Gene Therapy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

cells ( gray fill), cells preincubated with PBS and infected with virus (solid line), and cells preincubated with recombinant knob protein and incubated...U118-hCAR-tailless cells (b). Gray line¼ cells alone, solid line¼ cells+Ad5Luc1-CK1, dashed line¼ cells+Ad5Luc1. Figure 5 Ad5Luc1-CK1CAR-independent...line, whereas U118MG-hCAR-tailless stably expresses the extracellular domain of human CAR. Cells were infected with Ad5Luc1 ( gray bar) and Ad5-r1 (black

Microfilming for Drafting Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bass, Ronald E.

1972-01-01

If you have a 35mm camera, an enlarger or filmstrip projector, and developing equipment you can introduce your drafting students to one of the processes used in the newly emerging field of technical communication.'' (Editor)

Real-time monitoring of stress erythropoiesis in vivo using Gata1 and beta-globin LCR luciferase transgenic mice.

PubMed

Suzuki, Mikiko; Ohneda, Kinuko; Hosoya-Ohmura, Sakie; Tsukamoto, Saho; Ohneda, Osamu; Philipsen, Sjaak; Yamamoto, Masayuki

2006-07-15

Erythroid progenitors have the potential to proliferate rapidly in response to environmental stimuli. This process is referred to as stress erythropoiesis, with erythropoietin (EPO) playing central roles in its promotion. In this study, we wanted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of stress erythropoiesis and the maintenance of red-cell homeostasis. This was achieved by our development of a noninvasive real-time monitoring system for erythropoiesis using transgenic mouse lines expressing luciferase under the control of the mouse Gata1 hematopoietic regulatory domain (G1-HRD-luc) or human beta-globin locus control region (Hbb-LCR-luc). Optical bioluminescence images revealed that the luciferase was specifically expressed in spleen and bone marrow and was induced rapidly in response to anemia and hypoxia stimuli. The G1-HRD-luc activity tracked the emergence and disappearance of proerythroblast-stage progenitors, whereas the Hbb-LCR-luc activity tracked erythroblasts and later stage erythroid cells. Increased plasma EPO concentration preceded an increase in G1-HRD-luc, supporting our contention that EPO acts as the key upstream signal in stress erythropoiesis. Hence, we conclude that G1-HRD-luc and Hbb-LCR-luc reporters are differentially activated during stress erythropoiesis and that the transgenic mouse lines used serve as an important means for understanding the homeostatic regulation of erythropoiesis.

Comparison of monkeypox viruses pathogenesis in mice by in vivo imaging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osorio, Jorge E.; Iams, Keith P.; Meteyer, Carol U.; Rocke, Tonie E.

2009-01-01

Monkeypox viruses (MPXV) cause human monkeypox, a zoonotic smallpox-like disease endemic to Africa, and are of worldwide public health and biodefense concern. Using viruses from the Congo (MPXV-2003-Congo-358) and West African (MPXV-2003-USA-044) clades, we constructed recombinant viruses that express the luciferase gene (MPXV-Congo/Luc+and MPXV-USA-Luc+) and compared their viral infection in mice by biophotonic imaging. BALB/c mice became infected by both MPXV clades, but they recovered and cleared the infection within 10 days post-infection (PI). However, infection in severe combined immune deficient (SCID) BALB/c mice resulted in 100% lethality. Intraperitoneal (IP) injection of both MPXV-Congo and MPXV-Congo/Luc+resulted in a systemic clinical disease and the same mean time-to-death at 9 (??0) days post-infection. Likewise, IP injection of SCID-BALB/c mice with MPXV-USA or the MPXV-USA-Luc+, resulted in similar disease but longer (P<0.05) mean time-to-death (11??0 days) for both viruses compared to the Congo strains. Imaging studies in SCID mice showed luminescence in the abdomen within 24 hours PI with subsequent spread elsewhere. Animals infected with the MPXV-USA/Luc+had less intense luminescence in tissues than those inoculated with MPXV-Congo/Luc+, and systemic spread of the MPXV-USA/Luc+virus occurred approximately two days later than the MPXV-Congo/Luc+. The ovary was an important target for viral replication as evidenced by the high viral titers and immunohistochemistry. These studies demonstrate the suitability of a mouse model and biophotonic imaging to compare the disease progression and tissue tropism of MPX viruses.

Research Libraries--Automation and Cooperation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, David R.; Hurowitz, Robert

1982-01-01

Description of Research Libraries Information Network, an automated technical processing and information retrieval system, notes subsystems (acquisitions, cataloging, message, print, tables), functions, design, and benefits to participating libraries. (Request complimentary subscription on institution letterhead from Editor, "Perspectives in…

Acquisition Guide for Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-04-01

6.1 ASCII Editors A𔄂 A.6.2 ADEPT*Editor.... Aŝ A.6.3 FrameMaker +SGML (FM+SGML) A൒ A.6.4 IADS A_n A.7 Developing and Editing...Interface A-9 Figure A-6. FrameMaker +SGML Authoring Environment A-l 1 Figure A-7. IADS Reader Aൔ Figure A-8. TechSight Viewer A_13 Figure A-9...errors should be corrected before importing an SGML-tagged file into ADEPT. A.6.3 FrameMaker +SGML (FM+SGML) FM+SGML is an Adobe System product and

TAF1, From a General Transcription Factor to Modulator of Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

or pARR3tk-Luc), and the Renilla luciferase vector (pRL-TK) as an internal control. Cells were then treated with or without R1881 for 24 h prior to...increasing amount of HA tagged full length TAF1 (pCS2+/TAF1), pRL-TK- Renilla (83 ng/well), and pARR3-tk-Luc (167 ng/well) (A) or pPSA-Luc (1ug/well...numbers of pRL-TK- Renilla , as a non androgenic reporter was also enhanced by TAF1 over-expression in both LNCaP and PC3 cells, the ARR3tk-Luc

PREFACE: 31st European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dendy, Richard

2004-12-01

This special issue of Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion comprises refereed papers contributed by invited speakers at the 31st European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics. The conference was jointly hosted by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, by the EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association and by Imperial College London, where it took place from 28 June to 2 July 2004. The overall agenda for this conference was set by the Board of the Plasma Physics Division of the European Physical Society, chaired by Friedrich Wagner (MPIPP, Garching) and his successor Jo Lister (CRPP, Lausanne). It built on developments in recent years, by further increasing the scientific diversity of the conference programme, whilst maintaining its depth and quality. A correspondingly diverse Programme Committee was set up, whose members are listed below. The final task of the Programme Committee has been the preparation of this special issue. In carrying out this work, as in preparing the scientific programme of the conference, the Programme Committee formed specialist subcommittees representing the different fields of plasma science. The chairmen of these subcommittees, in particular, accepted a very heavy workload on behalf of their respective research communities. It is a great pleasure to take this opportunity to thank: Emilia R Solano (CIEMAT, Madrid), magnetic confinement fusion; Jürgen Meyer-ter-Vehn (MPQ, Garching), laser-plasma interaction and beam plasma physics; and Jean-Luc Dorier (CRPP, Lausanne), dusty plasmas. The relatively few papers in astrophysical and basic plasma physics were co-ordinated by a small subcommittee which I led. Together with Peter Norreys (RAL, Chilton), we five constitute the editorial team for this special issue. The extensive refereeing load, compressed into a short time interval, was borne by the Programme Committee members and by many other experts, to whom this special issue owes much. We are also grateful to the Local Organizing Committee chaired by Henry Hutchinson (RAL, Chilton), and to the Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion journal team (Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol), for their work on this conference. At the 2004 European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics, plenary invited speakers whose talks spanned the entire field were followed, each day, by multiple parallel sessions which also included invited talks. Invited speakers in both these categories were asked to contribute papers to this special issue (the contributed papers at this conference, and at all recent conferences in this series, are archived at http://epsppd.epfl.ch). The Programme Committee is very grateful to the many invited speakers who have responded positively to this request. Invited papers appear here in their order of presentation during the week beginning 28 June 2004; this ordering provides an echo of the character of the conference, as it was experienced by those who took part. Programme Committee 2004 Professor Richard Dendy UKAEA Culham Division, UK Chairman and guest editor Dr Jean-Luc Dorier Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Lausanne, Switzerland (Co-ordinator of dusty plasmas and guest editor) Professor Jürgen Meyer-ter-Vehn Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany (Co-ordinator of laser-plasma interaction and beam plasma physics and guest editor) Dr Peter Norreys Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, UK (Scientific Secretary and guest editor) Dr Emilia R Solano CIEMAT Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión, Madrid, Spain ( Co-ordinator of magnetic confinement fusion and guest editor) Dr Shalom Eliezer Soreq Nuclear Research Centre, Israel Dr Wim Goedheer FOM-Instituut voor Plasmafysica, Rijnhuizen, Netherlands Professor Henry Hutchinson Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, UK Professor John Kirk Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany Dr Raymond Koch Ecole Royale Militaire/Koninklijke Militaire School, Brussels, Belgium Professor Gerrit Kroesen Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Netherlands Dr Martin Lampe Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA Dr Jo Lister Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Lausanne, Switzerland Dr Paola Mantica Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Milan, Italy Professor Tito Mendonca Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal Dr Patrick Mora École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France Professor Lennart Stenflo Umeå Universitet, Sweden Professor Paul Thomas CEA Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France Professor Friedrich Wagner Max-Planck-Institut fr Plasmaphysik, Garching, Germany Professor Hannspeter Winter Technische Universität Wien, Austria

Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization: a Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccaskill, Mary K.

1990-01-01

Writing problems are addressed which are often encountered in technical documents and preferences are indicated (Langley's) when authorities do not agree. It is directed toward professional writers, editors, and proofreaders. Those whose profession lies in other areas (for example, research or management), but who have occasion to write or review others' writing will also find this information useful. A functional attitude toward grammar and punctuation is presented. Chapter 1 on grammar presents grammatical problems related to each part of speech. Chapter 2 on sentence structure concerns syntax, that is, effective arrangement of words, with emphasis on methods of revision to improve writing effectiveness. Chapter 3 addresses punctuation marks, presenting their function, situations when they are required or incorrect, and situations when they are appropriate but optional. Chapter 4 presents capitalization, which is mostly a matter of editorial style and preference rather than a matter of generally accepted rules. An index and glossary are included.

Data Sharing: A New Editorial Initiative of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Implications for the Editors´ Network.

PubMed

Alfonso, Fernando; Adamyan, Karlen; Artigou, Jean-Yves; Aschermann, Michael; Boehm, Michael; Buendia, Alfonso; Chu, Pao-Hsien; Cohen, Ariel; Cas, Livio Dei; Dilic, Mirza; Doubell, Anton; Echeverri, Dario; Enç, Nuray; Ferreira-González, Ignacio; Filipiak, Krzysztof J; Flammer, Andreas; Fleck, Eckart; Gatzov, Plamen; Ginghina, Carmen; Goncalves, Lino; Haouala, Habib; Hassanein, Mahmoud; Heusch, Gerd; Huber, Kurt; Hulín, Ivan; Ivanusa, Mario; Krittayaphong, Rungroj; Lau, Chu-Pak; Marinskis, Germanas; Mach, François; Moreira, Luiz Felipe; Nieminen, Tuomo; Oukerraj, Latifa; Perings, Stefan; Pierard, Luc; Potpara, Tatjana; Reyes-Caorsi, Walter; Rim, Se-Joong; Rødevand, Olaf; Saade, Georges; Sander, Mikael; Shlyakhto, Evgeny; Timuralp, Bilgin; Tousoulis, Dimitris; Ural, Dilek; Piek, J J; Varga, Albert; Lüscher, Thomas F

2017-05-01

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides recommendations to improve the editorial standards and scientific quality of biomedical journals. These recommendations range from uniform technical requirements to more complex and elusive editorial issues including ethical aspects of the scientific process. Recently, registration of clinical trials, conflicts of interest disclosure, and new criteria for authorship - emphasizing the importance of responsibility and accountability-, have been proposed. Last year, a new editorial initiative to foster sharing of clinical trial data was launched. This review discusses this novel initiative with the aim of increasing awareness among readers, investigators, authors and editors belonging to the Editors´ Network of the European Society of Cardiology. Resumo O Comitê Internacional de Editores de Revistas Médicas (ICMJE) fornece recomendações para aprimorar o padrão editorial e a qualidade científica das revistas biomédicas. Tais recomendações variam desde requisitos técnicos de uniformização até assuntos editoriais mais complexos e elusivos, como os aspectos éticos do processo científico. Recentemente, foram propostos registro de ensaios clínicos, divulgação de conflitos de interesse e novos critérios de autoria, enfatizando a importância da responsabilidade e da responsabilização. No último ano, lançou-se uma nova iniciativa editorial para fomentar o compartilhamento dos dados de ensaios clínicos. Esta revisão discute essa nova iniciativa visando a aumentar a conscientização de leitores, investigadores, autores e editores filiados à Rede de Editores da Sociedade Europeia de Cardiologia.

Improving LUC estimation accuracy with multiple classification system for studying impact of urbanization on watershed flood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dou, P.

2017-12-01

Guangzhou has experienced a rapid urbanization period called "small change in three years and big change in five years" since the reform of China, resulting in significant land use/cover changes(LUC). To overcome the disadvantages of single classifier for remote sensing image classification accuracy, a multiple classifier system (MCS) is proposed to improve the quality of remote sensing image classification. The new method combines advantages of different learning algorithms, and achieves higher accuracy (88.12%) than any single classifier did. With the proposed MCS, land use/cover (LUC) on Landsat images from 1987 to 2015 was obtained, and the LUCs were used on three watersheds (Shijing river, Chebei stream, and Shahe stream) to estimate the impact of urbanization on water flood. The results show that with the high accuracy LUC, the uncertainty in flood simulations are reduced effectively (for Shijing river, Chebei stream, and Shahe stream, the uncertainty reduced 15.5%, 17.3% and 19.8% respectively).

Characterization of luciferases and its paralogue in the Panamanian luminous click beetle Pyrophorus angustus: a click beetle luciferase lacks the fatty acyl-CoA synthetic activity.

PubMed

Oba, Yuichi; Kumazaki, Mizuho; Inouye, Satoshi

2010-02-15

Two luciferase genes (dPaLuc and vPaLuc) and one paralogue of luciferase (PaLL) were isolated from the Panamanian luminous click beetle, Pyrophorus angustus (Elateridae, Pyrophorinae). The transcripts of dPaLuc and vPaLuc were predominantly detected in the body parts with dorsal photophore and ventral photophore, respectively, and the transcript of PaLL was detected in both parts. The gene products of dPaLuc and vPaLuc possessed luminescence activity with firefly luciferin (lambda(max)=536 and 566 nm, respectively) but did not show significant activity of fatty acyl-CoA synthesis. On the other hand, the gene product of PaLL had fatty acyl-CoA synthetic activity with very weak luminescence activity. The catalytic properties of click beetle luciferase are different from our previous results that firefly luciferase has both luminescence activity and fatty acyl-CoA synthetic activity. These results suggested that the ancestral fatty acyl-CoA synthetase in the Pyrophorinae lineage has undergone gene duplication event, followed by specialization of one copy in luciferase. Subsequently, the luciferase was duplicated again and the two copies diverged in their luminescent color and expression pattern. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual luciferase assay for secreted luciferases based on Gaussia and NanoLuc.

PubMed

Heise, Kerstin; Oppermann, Henry; Meixensberger, Jürgen; Gebhardt, Rolf; Gaunitz, Frank

2013-05-01

Just recently, NanoLuc, a new engineered luciferase based on the small subunit of the luciferase from Oplophorus gracilirostris was introduced. Like the luciferase from Gaussia princeps, this luciferase is secreted into the medium. Both luciferases are the smallest and brightest luciferases known and well-suited for reporter assays. In our experiments, we demonstrate that both luciferases can be used together in a dual-reporter assay by solving the problem that NanoLuc produces a significant signal with coelenterazine, which is the substrate for Gaussia luciferase. We found that the background signal from NanoLuc with coelenterazine can be calculated from the determination of NanoLuc activity in the presence of its substrate furimazine. This in turn allows the precise determination of the activity of Gaussia which does not produce light in the presence of furimazine. Based on this observation, we developed a high sensitive dual secreted luciferase assay which allows the determination of both activities in a single cotransfection experiment. We demonstrate the versatility and robustness of the assay for the normalization of reporter gene activities. Since Gaussia luciferase and NanoLuc are nonhomologous reporters, the method to determine both luciferase activities may also be useful for coincidence reporter gene systems for high-throughput screening.

Assessment of malaria transmission changes in Africa, due to the climate impact of land use change using Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 earth system models.

PubMed

Tompkins, Adrian M; Caporaso, Luca

2016-03-31

Using mathematical modelling tools, we assessed the potential for land use change (LUC) associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change low- and high-end emission scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) to impact malaria transmission in Africa. To drive a spatially explicit, dynamical malaria model, data from the four available earth system models (ESMs) that contributed to the LUC experiment of the Fifth Climate Model Intercomparison Project are used. Despite the limited size of the ESM ensemble, stark differences in the assessment of how LUC can impact climate are revealed. In three out of four ESMs, the impact of LUC on precipitation and temperature over the next century is limited, resulting in no significant change in malaria transmission. However, in one ESM, LUC leads to increases in precipitation under scenario RCP2.6, and increases in temperature in areas of land use conversion to farmland under both scenarios. The result is a more intense transmission and longer transmission seasons in the southeast of the continent, most notably in Mozambique and southern Tanzania. In contrast, warming associated with LUC in the Sahel region reduces risk in this model, as temperatures are already above the 25-30°C threshold at which transmission peaks. The differences between the ESMs emphasise the uncertainty in such assessments. It is also recalled that the modelling framework is unable to adequately represent local-scale changes in climate due to LUC, which some field studies indicate could be significant.

Nanodiamond modified copolymer scaffolds affects tumour progression of early neoplastic oral keratinocytes.

PubMed

Suliman, Salwa; Mustafa, Kamal; Krueger, Anke; Steinmüller-Nethl, Doris; Finne-Wistrand, Anna; Osdal, Tereza; Hamza, Amani O; Sun, Yang; Parajuli, Himalaya; Waag, Thilo; Nickel, Joachim; Johannessen, Anne Christine; McCormack, Emmet; Costea, Daniela Elena

2016-07-01

This study aimed to evaluate the tumorigenic potential of functionalising poly(LLA-co-CL) scaffolds. The copolymer scaffolds were functionalised with nanodiamonds (nDP) or with nDP and physisorbed BMP-2 (nDP-PHY) to enhance osteoinductivity. Culturing early neoplastic dysplastic keratinocytes (DOK(Luc)) on nDP modified scaffolds reduced significantly their subsequent sphere formation ability and decreased significantly the cells' proliferation in the supra-basal layers of in vitro 3D oral neoplastic mucosa (3D-OT) when compared to DOK(Luc) previously cultured on nDP-PHY scaffolds. Using an in vivo non-invasive environmentally-induced oral carcinogenesis model, nDP scaffolds were observed to reduce bioluminescence intensity of tumours formed by DOK(Luc) + carcinoma associated fibroblasts (CAF). nDP modification was also found to promote differentiation of DOK(Luc) both in vitro in 3D-OT and in vivo in xenografts formed by DOK(Luc) alone. The nDP-PHY scaffold had the highest number of invasive tumours formed by DOK(Luc) + CAF outside the scaffold area compared to the nDP and control scaffolds. In conclusion, in vitro and in vivo results presented here demonstrate that nDP modified copolymer scaffolds are able to decrease the tumorigenic potential of DOK(Luc), while confirming concerns for the therapeutic use of BMP-2 for reconstruction of bone defects in oral cancer patients due to its tumour promoting capabilities. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Traditional and nontraditional internships in government

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stohrer, Freda F.; Pinelli, Thomas E.

1980-01-01

Traditional and nontraditional methods for training technical writers-editors within the federal government are discussed. It is concluded that cooperative education that combines work experience with classroom instruction provides an excellent method for locating and training competent and reliable young professionals.

77 FR 10976 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... referenced in paragraphs (b)(4)(i) and (b)(6) of the clause. List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 252 Government procurement. Ynette R. Shelkin, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations System. Therefore, 48 CFR part 252 is...

Melatonin Entrains PER2::LUC Bioluminescence Circadian Rhythm in the Mouse Cornea

PubMed Central

Baba, Kenkichi; Davidson, Alec J.; Tosini, Gianluca

2015-01-01

Purpose Previous studies have reported the presence of a circadian rhythm in PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE (PER2::LUC) bioluminescence in mouse photoreceptors, retina, RPE, and cornea. Melatonin (MLT) modulates many physiological functions in the eye and it is believed to be one of the key circadian signals within the eye. The aim of the present study was to investigate the regulation of the PER2::LUC circadian rhythm in mouse cornea and to determine the role played by MLT. Methods Corneas were obtained from PER2::LUC mice and cultured to measure bioluminescence rhythmicity in isolated tissue using a Lumicycle or CCD camera. To determine the time-dependent resetting of the corneal circadian clocks in response to MLT or IIK7 (a melatonin type 2 receptor, MT2, agonist) was added to the cultured corneas at different times of the day. We also defined the location of the MT2 receptor within different corneal layers using immunohistochemistry. Results A long-lasting bioluminescence rhythm was recorded from cultured PER2::LUC cornea and PER2::LUC signal was localized to the corneal epithelium and endothelium. MLT administration in the early night delayed the cornea rhythm, whereas administration of MLT at late night to early morning advanced the cornea rhythm. Treatment with IIK7 mimicked the MLT phase-shifting effect. Consistent with these results, MT2 immunoreactivity was localized to the corneal epithelium and endothelium. Conclusions Our work demonstrates that MLT entrains the PER2::LUC bioluminescence rhythm in the cornea. Our data indicate that the cornea may represent a model to study the molecular mechanisms by which MLT affects the circadian clock. PMID:26207312

Technological Resources Applied to Commercial Enterprises (TRACE).

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-01

reviewed by the Office of Public Affairs (ASD/PA) and is releasable to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). At NTIS, it will be...SENIOR EDITOR Director, Tech Information Center FO OMMANDE ROBERT K. BELT, JR., LT COL Chief, Support Services Office "If your address has changed, if you...Ohio Technology Transfer Organization (OTTO) was formed in November 1979 to provide the state’s private sector with technical information and assistance

Environmentally Induced Gene Silencing in Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

fibrosarcoma cell line (HTD114), and a human breast cancer cell line (MCF7). The MLH1 promoter was only tested in the MCG7 cells. The control TRE-Luc...TRE- Luc MLH1 - Luc step in silencing is quite unstable. Nonetheless, cells that exhibit stable silencing of the HPRT construct can arise in...mechanism (i.e., gene repression). Finally, during the last year we have isolated or acquired functional promoters for the BRCA-1, MLH1 , and E

The Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer from Firefly Luciferase to a Synthetic Dye and its Application for the Rapid Homogeneous Immunoassay of Progesterone.

PubMed

Smirnova, Daria V; Samsonova, Jeanne V; Ugarova, Natalia N

2016-01-01

The sensitive BRET system for the homogeneous immunoassay of a low-molecular weight antigen was developed using progesterone as an example. Two thermostable mutants of the Luciola mingrelica firefly luciferase (Luc)-the "red" mutant with λmax.em = 590 nm (RedLuc) and the "green" mutant with λmax.em = 550 nm (GreenLuc)-were tested as the donors. The water-soluble Alexa Fluor 610× (AF) dye was selected as the acceptor because its two absorption maxima, located at 550 and 610 nm, are close to the bioluminescence maxima of the GreenLuc and RedLuc, respectively. The methods for the synthesis of the luciferase-progesterone (Luc-Pg) conjugate and the conjugate of the dye and the polyclonal antiprogesterone antibody (AF-Ab) were developed. Both conjugates retained their functional properties, had high antigen-antibody binding activity, and demonstrated a high BRET signal. The homogeneous immunoassay system based on the BRET from the firefly luciferase to the synthetic dye was established to assay progesterone as a model antigen. Optimization of the assay conditions, the composition of the reaction mixture, and the concentrations of the donor and the acceptor made it possible to reach the minimum detectable progesterone concentration of 0.5 ng mL(-1) . © 2015 The American Society of Photobiology.

Human Adipose Tissue Stem Cells Promote the Growth of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells in NOD/SCID Mice.

PubMed

Lee, Myoung Woo; Park, Yoo Jin; Kim, Dae Seong; Park, Hyun Jin; Jung, Hye Lim; Lee, Ji Won; Sung, Ki Woong; Koo, Hong Hoe; Yoo, Keon Hee

2018-06-01

In this study, the effect of adipose tissue stem cells (ASCs) on the growth of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells was examined in an in vivo model. We established ALL cell lines expressing firefly luciferase (ALL/fLuc) by lentiviral infection that were injected intraperitoneally to NOD/SCID mice. The luciferase activities were significantly higher in mice co-injected with 10 5 ALL/fLuc cells and ASCs than in those injected with ALL/fLuc cells alone. Co-injection of 10 5 ALL/fLuc cells and ASCs in differing ratios into mice gradually increased the bioluminescence intensity in all groups, and mice co-injected with 1 or 2 × 10 6 ASCs showed higher bioluminescence intensity than those receiving lower numbers. Interestingly, in the mice injected with 10 5 or 10 7 ALL/fLuc cells alone, the formation of tumor masses was not observed for at least five weeks. Moreover, co-injection of 10 7 ALL/fLuc cells and 5 × 10 5 ASCs into mice increased the bioluminescence intensity in all groups, and showed significantly higher bioluminescence intensity compared to mice co-injected with human normal fibroblast HS68 cells. Overall, ASCs promote the growth of ALL cells in vivo, suggesting that ASCs negatively influence hematologic malignancy, which should be considered in developing cell therapy using ASCs.

Replication Competent Molecular Clones of HIV-1 Expressing Renilla Luciferase Facilitate the Analysis of Antibody Inhibition in PBMC

PubMed Central

Edmonds, Tara G.; Ding, Haitao; Yuan, Xing; Wei, Qing; Smith, Kendra S.; Conway, Joan A.; Wieczorek, Lindsay; Brown, Bruce; Polonis, Victoria; West, John T.; Montefiori, David C.; Kappes, John C.; Ochsenbauer, Christina

2010-01-01

Effective vaccine development for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) will require assays that ascertain the capacity of vaccine immunogens to elicit neutralizing antibodies (NAb) to diverse HIV-1 strains. To facilitate NAb assessment in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based assays, we developed an assay-adaptable platform based on a Renilla luciferase (LucR) expressing HIV-1 proviral backbone. LucR was inserted into pNL4-3 DNA, preserving all viral open reading frames. The proviral genome was engineered to facilitate expression of diverse HIV-1 env sequences, allowing analysis in an isogenic background. The resulting Env-IMC-LucR viruses are infectious, and LucR is stably expressed over multiple replications in PBMC. HIV-1 neutralization, targeting TZM-bl cells, was highly correlative comparing virus (LucR) and cell (firefly luciferase) readouts. In PBMC, NAb activity can be analyzed either within a single or multiple cycles of replication. These results represent advancement toward a standardizable PBMC-based neutralization assay for assessing HIV-1 vaccine immunogen efficacy. PMID:20863545

Replication competent molecular clones of HIV-1 expressing Renilla luciferase facilitate the analysis of antibody inhibition in PBMC.

PubMed

Edmonds, Tara G; Ding, Haitao; Yuan, Xing; Wei, Qing; Smith, Kendra S; Conway, Joan A; Wieczorek, Lindsay; Brown, Bruce; Polonis, Victoria; West, John T; Montefiori, David C; Kappes, John C; Ochsenbauer, Christina

2010-12-05

Effective vaccine development for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) will require assays that ascertain the capacity of vaccine immunogens to elicit neutralizing antibodies (NAb) to diverse HIV-1 strains. To facilitate NAb assessment in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based assays, we developed an assay-adaptable platform based on a Renilla luciferase (LucR) expressing HIV-1 proviral backbone. LucR was inserted into pNL4-3 DNA, preserving all viral open reading frames. The proviral genome was engineered to facilitate expression of diverse HIV-1 env sequences, allowing analysis in an isogenic background. The resulting Env-IMC-LucR viruses are infectious, and LucR is stably expressed over multiple replications in PBMC. HIV-1 neutralization, targeting TZM-bl cells, was highly correlative comparing virus (LucR) and cell (firefly luciferase) readouts. In PBMC, NAb activity can be analyzed either within a single or multiple cycles of replication. These results represent advancement toward a standardizable PBMC-based neutralization assay for assessing HIV-1 vaccine immunogen efficacy. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variations of Luzon Undercurrent from observations and numerical model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingye; Zhai, Fangguo; Hu, Dunxin

2014-06-01

Significant intraseasonal variability (ISV) of about 45-80 days and seasonal variation of the Luzon Undercurrent (LUC) at 18°N are studied using direct current measurements and a high-resolution global Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model. The variations of the LUC are vertically coherent with those of Kuroshio Current both on intraseasonal and seasonal time scales. The ISV of the LUC is dominated by eddies with diameters of about 200-300 km and extending from sea surface to intermediate layer east of Luzon Island. The LUC becomes strong (weak) when cyclonic (anticyclonic) eddies occur. The eddies east of Luzon Island mainly originate from the bifurcation point (˜13°N) of the North Equatorial Current. These eddies propagate northwestward at a typical propagation speed of about 0.16 m s-1 along the east coast of Philippines, gradually strengthen and pass the Luzon coast, and continue northward to Luzon strait. On seasonal time scale, the LUC is strong (weak) in boreal winter (summer), and this variation is related to the seasonal evolution of large-scale ocean circulation east of Philippines mainly controlled by local wind forcing.

Payback time for soil carbon and sugar-cane ethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mello, Francisco F. C.; Cerri, Carlos E. P.; Davies, Christian A.; Holbrook, N. Michele; Paustian, Keith; Maia, Stoécio M. F.; Galdos, Marcelo V.; Bernoux, Martial; Cerri, Carlos C.

2014-07-01

The effects of land-use change (LUC) on soil carbon (C) balance has to be taken into account in calculating the CO2 savings attributed to bioenergy crops. There have been few direct field measurements that quantify the effects of LUC on soil C for the most common land-use transitions into sugar cane in Brazil, the world's largest producer . We quantified the C balance for LUC as a net loss (carbon debt) or net gain (carbon credit) in soil C for sugar-cane expansion in Brazil. We sampled 135 field sites to 1 m depth, representing three major LUC scenarios. Our results demonstrate that soil C stocks decrease following LUC from native vegetation and pastures, and increase where cropland is converted to sugar cane. The payback time for the soil C debt was eight years for native vegetation and two to three years for pastures. With an increasing need for biofuels and the potential for Brazil to help meet global demand, our results will be invaluable for guiding expansion policies of sugar-cane production towards greater sustainability.

The cock, the Academy, and the best scientific journal in the world.

PubMed

Romanovsky, Andrej A

2015-01-01

The reader is invited to travel to Ancient Greece, contemporary Brazil, and other places in a fantasy search for the best scientific journal. This whimsical search does not rely on the impact factor, the most popular tool used in real life for finding good journals. Instead, it takes advantage of the so-called authority factor, a recently proposed alternative to the impact factor. The authority factor of a particular journal is the mean h-index (Hirsch's index) of the most suitable group of this journal's editors. Having no connection to any major function of scientific journals, and also being arbitrary (which group of editors to select?), this factor is poorly suited for any technical analysis, but it seems to work well for "small-talk" editorials and self-promotion by complacent editors. Interestingly, the highest authority factor we could find belongs to the journal Temperature. This claim, however, should not be taken too seriously.

76 FR 13297 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

... 215 Government procurement. Ynette R. Shelkin, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations System... Director, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy. DATES: Effective Date: March 11, 2011. Applicability... adding a section at 215.300 with a reference to Director, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy...

JAGUAR developer's manual.

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

Chan, Ethan

2011-06-01

JAGUAR (JAva GUi for Applied Research) is a Java software tool providing an advanced text editor and graphical user interface (GUI) to manipulate DAKOTA (Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications) input specifications. This document focuses on the technical background necessary for a developer to understand JAGUAR.

Multimodal Imaging of Pathophysiological Changes and Their Role in Development of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

and tissue oxygenation. Moreover, by introducing hypoxia reporter gene ( HRE -luciferase) into breast tumor lines, we will be able to use...hypoxia reporter gene, HRE -ODD-luc. The single nodule lesion was visualized and followed up by both BLI and MRI. As an example presented in Figure 1...MDA-MB231 cells with stable transfection of a hypoxia reporter gene, HRE -ODD-luc. a. 3 × 105 MDA-MB231/5HRE-ODD-luc cells incubated in each well of

Rapid obtention of stable, bioluminescent tumor cell lines using a tCD2-luciferase chimeric construct

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Bioluminescent tumor cell lines are experimental tools of major importance for cancer investigation, especially imaging of tumors in xenografted animals. Stable expression of exogenous luciferase in tumor cells combined to systemic injection of luciferin provides an excellent signal/background ratio for external optical imaging. Therefore, there is a need to rationalize and speed up the production of luciferase-positive tumor cell lines representative of multiple tumor phenotypes. For this aim we have designed a fusion gene linking the luciferase 2 protein to the c-terminus of a truncated form of the rat CD2 protein (tCD2-luc2). To allow simultaneous assessment of the wild-type luciferase 2 in a context of tCD2 co-expression, we have made a bicistronic construct for concomitant but separate expression of these two proteins (luc2-IRES-tCD2). Both the mono- and bi-cistronic constructs were transduced in lymphoid and epithelial cells using lentiviral vectors. Results The tCD2-luc2 chimera behaves as a type I membrane protein with surface presentation of CD2 epitopes. One of these epitopes reacts with the OX34, a widely spread, high affinity monoclonal antibody. Stably transfected cells are sorted by flow cytometry on the basis of OX34 staining. In vitro and, moreover, in xenografted tumors, the tCD2-luc2 chimera retains a substantial and stable luciferase activity, although not as high as the wild-type luciferase expressed from the luc2-IRES-tCD2 construct. Expression of the tCD2-luc2 chimera does not harm cell and tumor growth. Conclusion Lentiviral transduction of the chimeric tCD2-luc2 fusion gene allows selection of cell clones with stable luciferase expression in less than seven days without antibiotic selection. We believe that it will be helpful to increase the number of tumor cell lines available for in vivo imaging and assessment of novel therapeutic modalities. On a longer term, the tCD2-luc2 chimera has the potential to be expressed from multi-cassette vectors in combination with various inserts of interest. PMID:21435248

2012 Special NSREC Issue of the IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science Comments by the Editors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwank, Jim; Brown, Dennis; Girard, Sylvain; Gouker, Pascale; Gerardin, Simone; Quinn, Heather; Barnaby, Hugh

2012-12-01

The December 2012 special issue of the IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science contains selected papers from the 49th annual IEEE International Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC) held July 16-20, 2012, in Miami, Florida USA. 95 papers presented at the 2012 NSREC were submitted for consideration for this year’s special issue. Those papers that appear in this special issue were able to successfully complete the review process before the deadline for the December issue. A few additional papers may appear in subsequent issues of the TRANSACTIONS. This publication is the premier archival journal for research on space and nuclear radiation effects in materials, devices, circuits, and systems. This distinction is the direct result of the conscientious efforts of both the authors, who present and document their work, and the reviewers, who selflessly volunteer their time and talent to help review the manuscripts. Each paper in this journal has been reviewed by experts selected by the editors for their expertise and knowledge of the particular subject areas. The peer review process for a typical technical journal generally takes six months to one year to complete. To publish this special issue of the IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (in December), the review process, from initial submission to final form, must be completed in about 10 weeks. Because of the short schedule, both the authors and reviewers are required to respond very quickly. The reviewers listed on the following pages contributed vitally to this quick-turn review process.We would like to express our sincere appreciation to each of them for accepting this difficult, but critical role in the process. To provide consistent reviews of papers throughout the year, the IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science relies on a year-round editorial board that manages reviews for submissions throughout the year to the TRANSACTIONS in the area of radiation effects. The review process is managed by a Senior Editor and six Associate Editors who are technically knowledgeable in one or more specializations and are experienced in the publication process. This editorial process works very well. With twice the number of editors as previously used for overseeing the review process, each editor is able to devote more time to individual papers.

Reply to: Comment on “Soybean Aphid Population Dynamics, Soybean Yield Loss, and Development of Stage-Specific Economic Injury Levels” by M.A. Catangui, E.A. Beckendorf, and W.E. Riedell, Agron. J. 101:1080-1092 (2009)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

As this manuscript is a response to a Letter to the Editor of the Agronomy Journal, no technical abstract exists. Presented below is the technical abstract for the paper in question. Stage-specific economic injury levels form the basis of integrated pest management for soybean aphid (Aphis glycine...

Water and fire safety issues addressed.

PubMed

Arrowsmith, Mike

2014-11-01

One of the four conference streams at last month's Healthcare Estates 2014 event focused on some of the key engineering challenges and opportunities facing healthcare estates managers and healthcare engineers. Mike Arrowsmith, HEJ's technical editor, provides an overview of the engineering sessions at this year's IHEEM conference.

Editors' message--Hydrogeology Journal in 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Voss, Clifford; Olcott, Perry; Schneider, Robert

2004-01-01

Hydrogeology Journal appeared in six issues containing a total of 710 pages and 48 major articles, including 31 Papers and 14 Reports, as well as some Technical Notes and Book Reviews. The number of submitted manuscripts continues to increase. The final issue of 2003 also contained the annual volume index. Hydrogeology Journal (HJ) is an international forum for hydrogeology and related disciplines and authors in 2003 were from about 28 countries. Articles advanced hydrogeologic science and described hydrogeologic systems in many regions worldwide. These articles focused on a variety of general topics and on studies of hydrogeology in 24 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, and U.S.A. The Guest Editor of the 2003 HJ theme issue on “Hydromechanics in Geology and Geotechnics”, Ove Stephansson, assembled a valuable collection of technical reviews and research papers from eminent authors on important aspects of the subject area.

A spatial modeling framework to evaluate domestic biofuel-induced potential land use changed and emissions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliot, Joshua; Sharma, Bhavna; Best, Neil; Glotter, Michael; Dunn, Jennifer B.; Foster, Ian; Miguez, Fernando; Mueller, Steffen; Wang, Michael

2014-01-01

We present a novel bottom-up approach to estimate biofuel-induced land-use change (LUC) and resulting CO2 emissions in the U.S. from 2010 to 2022, based on a consistent methodology across four essential components: land availability, land suitability, LUC decision-making, and induced CO2 emissions. Using highresolution geospatial data and modeling, we construct probabilistic assessments of county-, state-, and national-level LUC and emissions for macroeconomic scenarios. We use the Cropland Data Layer and the Protected Areas Database to characterize availability of land for biofuel crop cultivation, and the CERES-Maize and BioCro biophysical crop growth models to estimate the suitability (yield potential) of available lands for biofuel crops. For LUC decisionmaking, we use a county-level stochastic partial-equilibrium modeling framework and consider five scenarios involving annual ethanol production scaling to 15, 22, and 29 BG, respectively, in 2022, with corn providing feedstock for the first 15 BG and the remainder coming from one of two dedicated energy crops. Finally, we derive high-resolution above-ground carbon factors from the National Biomass and Carbon Data set to estimate emissions from each LUC pathway. Based on these inputs, we obtain estimates for average total LUC emissions of 6.1, 2.2, 1.0, 2.2, and 2.4 gCO2e/MJ for Corn-15 Billion gallons (BG), Miscanthus × giganteus (MxG)-7 BG, Switchgrass (SG)-7 BG, MxG-14 BG, and SG-14 BG scenarios, respectively.

Tropical Land Use Conversion Effects on Soil Microbial Community Structure and Function: Emerging Patterns and Knowledge Gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seeley, M.; Marin-Spiotta, E.

2016-12-01

Modifications in vegetation due to land use conversions (LUC) between primary forests, pasture, cropping systems, tree plantations, and secondary forests drive shifts in soil microbial communities. These microbial community alterations affect carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, aboveground biomass, and numerous other soil processes. Despite their importance, little is known about soil microbial organisms' response to LUC, especially in tropical regions where LUC rates are greatest. This project identifies current trends and uncertainties in tropical soil microbiology by comparing 56 published studies on LUC in tropical regions. This review indicates that microbial biomass and functional groups shifted in response to LUC, supporting demonstrated trends in changing soil carbon stocks due to LUC. Microbial biomass was greatest in primary forests when compared to secondary forests and in all forests when compared to both cropping systems and tree plantations. No trend existed when comparing pasture systems and forests, likely due to variations in pasture fertilizer use. Cropping system soils had greater gram positive and less gram negative bacteria than forest soils, potentially resulting in greater respiration of older carbon stocks in agricultural soils. Bacteria dominated primary forests while fungal populations were greatest in secondary forests. To characterize changes in microbial communities resulting from land use change, research must reflect the biophysical variation across the tropics. A chi-squared test revealed that the literature sites represented mean annual temperature variation across the tropics (p-value=0.66).

Effect of land-use change and management on biogenic volatile organic compound emissions--selecting climate-smart cultivars.

PubMed

Rosenkranz, Maaria; Pugh, Thomas A M; Schnitzler, Jörg-Peter; Arneth, Almut

2015-09-01

Land-use change (LUC) has fundamentally altered the form and function of the terrestrial biosphere. Increasing human population, the drive for higher living standards and the potential challenges of mitigating and adapting to global environmental change mean that further changes in LUC are unavoidable. LUC has direct consequences on climate not only via emissions of greenhouse gases and changing the surface energy balance but also by affecting the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Isoprenoids, which dominate global BVOC emissions, are highly reactive and strongly modify atmospheric composition. The effects of LUC on BVOC emissions and related atmospheric chemistry have been largely ignored so far. However, compared with natural ecosystems, most tree species used in bioenergy plantations are strong BVOC emitters, whereas intensively cultivated crops typically emit less BVOCs. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on LUC-driven BVOC emissions and how these might affect atmospheric composition and climate. We further discuss land management and plant-breeding strategies, which could be taken to move towards climate-friendly BVOC emissions while simultaneously maintaining or improving key ecosystem functions such as crop yield under a changing environment. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spatiotemporal deformation patterns of the Lake Urmia Causeway as characterized by multisensor InSAR analysis.

PubMed

Karimzadeh, Sadra; Matsuoka, Masashi; Ogushi, Fumitaka

2018-04-03

We present deformation patterns in the Lake Urmia Causeway (LUC) in NW Iran based on data collected from four SAR sensors in the form of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series. Sixty-eight images from Envisat (2004-2008), ALOS-1 (2006-2010), TerraSAR-X (2012-2013) and Sentinel-1 (2015-2017) were acquired, and 227 filtered interferograms were generated using the small baseline subset (SBAS) technique. The rate of line-of-sight (LOS) subsidence of the LUC peaked at 90 mm/year between 2012 and 2013, mainly due to the loss of most of the water in Lake Urmia. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on 200 randomly selected time series of the LUC, and the results are presented in the form of the three major components. The InSAR scores obtained from the PCA were used in a hydro-thermal model to investigate the dynamics of consolidation settlement along the LUC based on detrended water level and temperature data. The results can be used to establish a geodetic network around the LUC to identify more detailed deformation patterns and to help plan future efforts to reduce the possible costs of damage.

The Video Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1972

In order to provide basic technical and production information for closed-circuit television, the editors have assembled this series of papers. Deisgned as an introductory guide for those entering the field, the handbook covers the basic areas of non-broadcast television. Starting with facilities and equipment the guide outlines the planning and…

77 FR 23631 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-20

..., 217, 242, 245, and 252 Government procurement. Mary Overstreet, Editor, Defense Acquisition... ``Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement)'' in alphabetical order; 0 b. In the Army list by... purchase, travel, and fuel card programs is available in the ``Department of Defense Government Charge Card...

PDA Cell Substrate Task Force: Emerging Technologies for Virus Detection Technical Document--A Progress Report.

PubMed

King, Kathryn; Wiebe, Michael

2011-01-01

CONFERENCE PROCEEDING Proceedings of the PDA/FDA Adventitious Viruses in Biologics: Detection and Mitigation Strategies Workshop in Bethesda, MD, USA; December 1-3, 2010 Guest Editors: Arifa Khan (Bethesda, MD), Patricia Hughes (Bethesda, MD) and Michael Wiebe (San Francisco, CA).

Regulation of Kruppel-like factor 4, 9, and 13 genes and the steroidogenic genes LDLR, StAR, and CYP11A in ovarian granulosa cells.

PubMed

Natesampillai, Sekar; Kerkvliet, Jason; Leung, Peter C K; Veldhuis, Johannes D

2008-02-01

Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) are important Sp1-like eukaryotic transcriptional proteins. The LDLR, StAR, and CYP11A genes exhibit GC-rich Sp1-like sites, which have the potential to bind KLFs in multiprotein complexes. We now report that KLF4, KLF9, and KLF13 transcripts are expressed in and regulate ovarian cells. KLF4 and 13, but not KLF9, mRNA expression was induced and then repressed over time (P < 0.001). Combined LH and IGF-I stimulation increased KLF4 mRNA at 2 h (P < 0.01), whereas LH decreased KLF13 mRNA at 6 h (P < 0.05), and IGF-I reduced KLF13 at 24 h (P < 0.01) compared with untreated control. KLF9 was not regulated by either hormone. Transient transfection of KLF4, KLF9, and KLF13 suppressed LDLR/luc, StAR/luc, and CYP11A/luc by 80-90% (P < 0.001). Histone-deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors stimulated LDLR/luc five- to sixfold and StAR/luc and CYP11A/luc activity twofold (P < 0.001) and partially reversed suppression by all three KLFs (P < 0.001). Deletion of the zinc finger domain of KLF13 abrogated repression of LDLR/luc. Lentiviral overexpression of the KLF13 gene suppressed LDLR mRNA (P < 0.001) and CYP11A mRNA (P = 0.003) but increased StAR mRNA (P = 0.007). Collectively, these data suggest that KLFs may recruit inhibitory complexes containing HDAC corepressors, thereby repressing LDLR and CYP11A transcription. Conversely, KLF13 may recruit unknown coactivators or stabilize StAR mRNA, thereby explaining enhancement of in situ StAR gene expression. These data introduce new potent gonadal transregulators of genes encoding proteins that mediate sterol uptake and steroid biosynthesis.

Multifunctional triblock co-polymer mP3/4HB-b-PEG-b-lPEI for efficient intracellular siRNA delivery and gene silencing.

PubMed

Zhou, Li; Chen, Zhifei; Wang, Feifei; Yang, Xiuqun; Zhang, Biliang

2013-04-01

A non-viral siRNA carrier composed of mono-methoxy-poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)-block-polyethylene glycol-block-linear polyethyleneimine (mP3/4HB-b-PEG-b-lPEI) was synthesized using 1800 Da linear polyethyleneimine and evaluated for siRNA delivery. Our study demonstrated that siRNA could be efficiently combined with mP3/4HB-b-PEG-b-lPEI (mAG) co-polymer and was protected from nuclease degradation. The combined siRNA were released from the complexes easily under heparin competition. The particle size of the mAG/siRNA complexes was 158 nm, with a ζ-potential of around 28 mV. Atomic force microscopy images displayed spherical and homogeneously distributed complexes. The mAG block co-polymer displayed low cytotoxicity and efficient cellular uptake of Cy3-siRNA in A549 cells by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. In vitro transfection efficiency of the block co-polymer was assessed using siRNA against luciferase in cultured A549-Luc, HeLa-Luc, HLF-Luc, A375-Luc and MCF-7-Luc cells. A higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity was obtained by mAG block co-polymer in five cell lines. Furthermore, a remarkable improvement in luciferase gene silencing efficiency of the mAG complex (up to 90-95%) over that of Lipofectamine™ 2000 (70-82%) was observed in HLF-Luc and A375-Luc cells. Additionally, a mAG/p65-siRNA complex also showed a better capability than Lipofectamine™ 2000/p65-siRNA complex to drastically reduce the p65 mRNA level down to 10-16% in HeLa, U251 and HUVEC cells at an N/P ratio of 70. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishment and characterization of in vivo orthotopic bioluminescent xenograft models from human osteosarcoma cell lines in Swiss nude and NSG mice.

PubMed

Marques da Costa, Maria Eugenia; Daudigeos-Dubus, Estelle; Gomez-Brouchet, Anne; Bawa, Olivia; Rouffiac, Valerie; Serra, Massimo; Scotlandi, Katia; Santos, Conceição; Geoerger, Birgit; Gaspar, Nathalie

2018-03-01

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common primary bone tumors in childhood and adolescence. Metastases occurrence at diagnosis or during disease evolution is the main therapeutic challenge. New drug evaluation to improve patient survival requires the development of various preclinical models mimicking at best the complexity of the disease and its metastatic potential. We describe here the development and characteristics of two orthotopic bioluminescent (Luc/mKate2) cell-derived xenograft (CDX) models, Saos-2-B-Luc/mKate2-CDX and HOS-Luc/mKate2-CDX, in different immune (nude and NSG mouse strains) and bone (intratibial and paratibial with periosteum activation) contexts. IVIS SpectrumCT system allowed both longitudinal computed tomography (CT) and bioluminescence real-time follow-up of primary tumor growth and metastatic spread, which was confirmed by histology. The murine immune context influenced tumor engraftment, primary tumor growth, and metastatic spread to lungs, bone, and spleen (an unusual localization in humans). Engraftment in NSG mice was found superior to that found in nude mice and intratibial bone environment more favorable to engraftment compared to paratibial injection. The genetic background of the two CDX models also led to distinct primary tumor behavior observed on CT scan. Saos-2-B-Luc/mKate2-CDX showed osteocondensed, HOS-Luc/mKate2-CDX osteolytic morphology. Bioluminescence defined a faster growth of the primary tumor and metastases in Saos-2-B-Luc/mKate2-CDX than in HOS-Luc/mKate2-CDX. The early detection of primary tumor growth and metastatic spread by bioluminescence allows an improved exploration of osteosarcoma disease at tumor progression, and metastatic spread, as well as the evaluations of anticancer treatments. Our orthotopic models with metastatic spread bring complementary information to other types of existing osteosarcoma models. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Technical Support Task Report for the Modernization of Defense Logistics Standard Systems. Volume 3: Logistics Gateway Node Technical Specifications

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-01

or may not bypass the editing function. At present, editing rules beyond those required for translation have not been stipulated. 2When explicit... editing rules become defined, the editor at a site LGN may perform two levels of edit checking: warning, which would insert blanks or pass as submitted...position image transactions into a transaction set. This low-level edit checking is performed at the site LGN to reduce transmission costs and to

Ice-On-Coil Diurnal Ice Storage Cooling System for a Barracks/Office/ Dining Hall Facility at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

Kedl is associated with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory ( ORNL ). The technical editor was Gloria J. Wienke, Information Management Office, USACERL. COL...of a DIS cooling system for Building 506, a barracks/ office/dining facility. Oak Ridge National Laboratory ( ORNL ) designed the system in cooperation... ORNL with assistance from YPG and analyzed by USACERL. R.J. Kedl and C.W. Sohn, As.vsment of Energy Storage Technologies for Army Facilities, Technical

Creative revision - From rough draft to published paper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, M. F.

1976-01-01

The process of revising a technical or scientific paper can be performed more efficiently by the people involved (author, co-author, supervisor, editor) when the revision is controlled by breaking it into a series of steps. The revision process recommended here is based on the levels-of-edit concept that resulted from a study of the technical editorial function at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology. Types of revision discussed are Substantive, Policy, Language, Mechanical Style, Format, Integrity, and Copy Clarification.

Large differences in land use emission quantifications implied by definition discrepancies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocker, B. D.; Joos, F.

2015-03-01

The quantification of CO2 emissions from anthropogenic land use and land use change (eLUC) is essential to understand the drivers of the atmospheric CO2 increase and to inform climate change mitigation policy. Reported values in synthesis reports are commonly derived from different approaches (observation-driven bookkeeping and process-modelling) but recent work has emphasized that inconsistencies between methods may imply substantial differences in eLUC estimates. However, a consistent quantification is lacking and no concise modelling protocol for the separation of primary and secondary components of eLUC has been established. Here, we review the conceptual differences of eLUC quantification methods and apply an Earth System Model to demonstrate that what is claimed to represent total eLUC differs by up to ~20% when quantified from ESM vs. offline vegetation models. Under a future business-as-usual scenario, differences tend to increase further due to slowing land conversion rates and an increasing impact of altered environmental conditions on land-atmosphere fluxes. We establish how coupled Earth System Models may be applied to separate component fluxes of eLUC arising from the replacement of potential C sinks/sources and the land use feedback and show that secondary fluxes derived from offline vegetation models are conceptually and quantitatively not identical to either, nor their sum. Therefore, we argue that synthesis studies and global carbon budget accountings should resort to the "least common denominator" of different methods, following the bookkeeping approach where only primary land use emissions are quantified under the assumption of constant environmental boundary conditions.

Quantitative measurement of cell membrane receptor internalization by the nanoluciferase reporter: Using the G protein-coupled receptor RXFP3 as a model.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Song, Ge; Shao, Xiao-Xia; Liu, Ya-Li; Guo, Zhan-Yun

2015-02-01

Nanoluciferase (NanoLuc) is a newly developed small luciferase reporter with the brightest bioluminescence to date. In the present work, we developed NanoLuc as a sensitive bioluminescent reporter to measure quantitatively the internalization of cell membrane receptors, based on the pH dependence of the reporter activity. The G protein-coupled receptor RXFP3, the cognate receptor of relaxin-3/INSL7, was used as a model receptor. We first generated stable HEK293T cells that inducibly coexpressed a C-terminally NanoLuc-tagged human RXFP3 and a C-terminally enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged human RXFP3. The C-terminal EGFP-tag and NanoLuc-tag had no detrimental effects on the ligand-binding potency and intracellular trafficking of RXFP3. Based on the fluorescence of the tagged EGFP reporter, the ligand-induced RXFP3 internalization was visualized directly under a fluorescence microscope. Based on the bioluminescence of the tagged NanoLuc reporter, the ligand-induced RXFP3 internalization was measured quantitatively by a convenient bioluminescent assay. Coexpression of an EGFP-tagged inactive [E141R]RXFP3 had no detrimental effect on the ligand-binding potency and ligand-induced internalization of the NanoLuc-tagged wild-type RXFP3, suggesting that the mutant RXFP3 and wild-type RXFP3 worked independently. The present bioluminescent internalization assay could be extended to other G protein-coupled receptors and other cell membrane receptors to study ligand-receptor and receptor-receptor interactions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biogeophysical Impacts of Land-Use Change on Climate Extremes in Low-Emission Scenarios: Results From HAPPI-Land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirsch, Annette L.; Guillod, Benoit P.; Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Beyerle, Urs; Boysen, Lena R.; Brovkin, Victor; Davin, Edouard L.; Doelman, Jonathan C.; Kim, Hyungjun; Mitchell, Daniel M.; Nitta, Tomoko; Shiogama, Hideo; Sparrow, Sarah; Stehfest, Elke; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Wilson, Simon

2018-03-01

The impacts of land use have been shown to have considerable influence on regional climate. With the recent international commitment to limit global warming to well below 2°C, emission reductions need to be ambitious and could involve major land-use change (LUC). Land-based mitigation efforts to curb emissions growth include increasing terrestrial carbon sequestration through reforestation, or the adoption of bioenergy crops. These activities influence local climate through biogeophysical feedbacks, however, it is uncertain how important they are for a 1.5° climate target. This was the motivation for HAPPI-Land: the half a degree additional warming, prognosis, and projected impacts—land-use scenario experiment. Using four Earth system models, we present the first multimodel results from HAPPI-Land and demonstrate the critical role of land use for understanding the characteristics of regional climate extremes in low-emission scenarios. In particular, our results show that changes in temperature extremes due to LUC are comparable in magnitude to changes arising from half a degree of global warming. We also demonstrate that LUC contributes to more than 20% of the change in temperature extremes for large land areas concentrated over the Northern Hemisphere. However, we also identify sources of uncertainty that influence the multimodel consensus of our results including how LUC is implemented and the corresponding biogeophysical feedbacks that perturb climate. Therefore, our results highlight the urgent need to resolve the challenges in implementing LUC across models to quantify the impacts and consider how LUC contributes to regional changes in extremes associated with sustainable development pathways.

Comparative analysis of distribution and abundance of West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis virus vectors in Suffolk County, New York, using human population density and land use/cover data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rochlin, I.; Harding, K.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Campbell, S.R.

2008-01-01

Five years of CDC light trap data from Suffolk County, NY, were analyzed to compare the applicability of human population density (HPD) and land use/cover (LUC) classification systems to describe mosquito abundance and to determine whether certain mosquito species of medical importance tend to be more common in urban (defined by HPD) or residential (defined by LUC) areas. Eleven study sites were categorized as urban or rural using U.S. Census Bureau data and by LUC types using geographic information systems (GISs). Abundance and percent composition of nine mosquito taxa, all known or potential vectors of arboviruses, were analyzed to determine spatial patterns. By HPD definitions, three mosquito species, Aedes canadensis (Theobald), Coquillettidia perturbans (Walker), and Culiseta melanura (Coquillett), differed significantly between habitat types, with higher abundance and percent composition in rural areas. Abundance and percent composition of these three species also increased with freshwater wetland, natural vegetation areas, or a combination when using LUC definitions. Additionally, two species, Ae. canadensis and Cs. melanura, were negatively affected by increased residential area. One species, Aedes vexans (Meigen), had higher percent composition in urban areas. Two medically important taxa, Culex spp. and Aedes triseriatus (Say), were proportionally more prevalent in residential areas by LUC classification, as was Aedes trivittatus (Coquillett). Although HPD classification was readily available and had some predictive value, LUC classification resulted in higher spatial resolution and better ability to develop location specific predictive models.

Biogeophysical Impacts of Land‐Use Change on Climate Extremes in Low‐Emission Scenarios: Results From HAPPI‐Land

PubMed Central

Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Beyerle, Urs; Boysen, Lena R.; Brovkin, Victor; Davin, Edouard L.; Doelman, Jonathan C.; Kim, Hyungjun; Mitchell, Daniel M.; Nitta, Tomoko; Shiogama, Hideo; Sparrow, Sarah; Stehfest, Elke; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Wilson, Simon

2018-01-01

Abstract The impacts of land use have been shown to have considerable influence on regional climate. With the recent international commitment to limit global warming to well below 2°C, emission reductions need to be ambitious and could involve major land‐use change (LUC). Land‐based mitigation efforts to curb emissions growth include increasing terrestrial carbon sequestration through reforestation, or the adoption of bioenergy crops. These activities influence local climate through biogeophysical feedbacks, however, it is uncertain how important they are for a 1.5° climate target. This was the motivation for HAPPI‐Land: the half a degree additional warming, prognosis, and projected impacts—land‐use scenario experiment. Using four Earth system models, we present the first multimodel results from HAPPI‐Land and demonstrate the critical role of land use for understanding the characteristics of regional climate extremes in low‐emission scenarios. In particular, our results show that changes in temperature extremes due to LUC are comparable in magnitude to changes arising from half a degree of global warming. We also demonstrate that LUC contributes to more than 20% of the change in temperature extremes for large land areas concentrated over the Northern Hemisphere. However, we also identify sources of uncertainty that influence the multimodel consensus of our results including how LUC is implemented and the corresponding biogeophysical feedbacks that perturb climate. Therefore, our results highlight the urgent need to resolve the challenges in implementing LUC across models to quantify the impacts and consider how LUC contributes to regional changes in extremes associated with sustainable development pathways.

Holocene peatland and ice-core data constraints on the timing and magnitude of CO2 emissions from past land use

PubMed Central

Massa, Charly

2017-01-01

CO2 emissions from preindustrial land-use change (LUC) are subject to large uncertainties. Although atmospheric CO2 records suggest only a small land carbon (C) source since 5,000 y before present (5 kyBP), the concurrent C sink by peat buildup could mask large early LUC emissions. Here, we combine updated continuous peat C reconstructions with the land C balance inferred from double deconvolution analyses of atmospheric CO2 and δ13C at different temporal scales to investigate the terrestrial C budget of the Holocene and the last millennium and constrain LUC emissions. LUC emissions are estimated with transient model simulations for diverging published scenarios of LU area change and shifting cultivation. Our results reveal a large terrestrial nonpeatland C source after the Mid-Holocene (66 ± 25 PgC at 7–5 kyBP and 115 ± 27 PgC at 5–3 kyBP). Despite high simulated per-capita CO2 emissions from LUC in early phases of agricultural development, humans emerge as a driver with dominant global C cycle impacts only in the most recent three millennia. Sole anthropogenic causes for particular variations in the CO2 record (∼20 ppm rise after 7 kyBP and ∼10 ppm fall between 1500 CE and 1600 CE) are not supported. This analysis puts a strong constraint on preindustrial vs. industrial-era LUC emissions and suggests that upper-end scenarios for the extent of agricultural expansion before 1850 CE are not compatible with the C budget thereafter. PMID:28137849

Practicing as a Social Work Educator in International Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butterfield, Alice K., Ed.; Cohen, Carol S., Ed.

2017-01-01

The editors offer Six Promising Principles to guide successful practice by social work educators in international settings, including research, travel and study programs, technical assistance and training, and interdisciplinary efforts. These principles inform the content, which illuminates the specific role of U.S. social work educators in…

Reflections of an Artist-Engineer on the Art-Science Interface

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malina, Frank J.

1974-01-01

In a world increasingly concerned about the social results of scientific discovery and technical change, we tend to lose sight of the artist as inventor and human being. Creative talent needs opportunity lest it continue to be almost as rare as the genius of the great scientist. (Editor/JR)

Research Staff | Wind | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Research Staff Research Staff Learn more about the expertise and technical skills of the wind power research team and staff at NREL. Name Position Email Phone Anstedt, Sheri Professional III-Writer/Editor /Web Content Sheri.Anstedt@nrel.gov 303-275-3255 Baker, Donald Research Technician V-Electrical

76 FR 27274 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-11

... procurement programs, it must provide written notice of the determination to the GSA Suspension and Debarment Official. List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 209 Government procurement. Ynette R. Shelkin, Editor, Defense... suspended from procurement programs, it must provide written notice of the determination to the General...

Intermedia: A System for Linking Multimedia Documents. IRIS Technical Report 86-2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yankelovich, Nicole

"Intermedia" is a hypermedia system which was developed for use in university research and teaching. It provides a framework for object-oriented, direct manipulation editors and applications, and the capability to link together materials created with those applications. Instructors are able to construct exploratory environments for their…

Common editorial mistakes in journal submissions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In today’s “Wild West” of scientific publishing, it is the author’s—not the publisher’s—responsibility to make sure that an accepted paper is well-written and in correct English. Given that most authors are not grammarians or technical editors, and also that English may not be their first language...

A Strategy for Efficiently Verifying Requirements Specifications Using Composition and Invariants

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-05

Colle - sur - Loup , France, Oct. 1984. Springer-Verlag. [34] J. Ramish. Empirical studies of compositional abstraction. Technical report, Naval Research...global to modular temporal rea- soning about programs. In K. R. Apt, editor, Proc. NATO Adv. Study Inst. on Logics and Models of Concurrent Systems, La

Interlibrary Loan Practices Handbook. Third Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weible, Cherie L., Ed.; Janke, Karen L., Ed.

2011-01-01

In their definitive new "Interlibrary Loan Practices Handbook", editors Weible and Janke clearly explain the complexities of getting materials from outside the library for patrons. This collection presents a complete view of the interlibrary loan (ILL) process, with contributions from all areas of the technical services community, providing: (1)…

In vivo imaging of an inducible oncogenic tumor antigen visualizes tumor progression and predicts CTL tolerance.

PubMed

Buschow, Christian; Charo, Jehad; Anders, Kathleen; Loddenkemper, Christoph; Jukica, Ana; Alsamah, Wisam; Perez, Cynthia; Willimsky, Gerald; Blankenstein, Thomas

2010-03-15

Visualizing oncogene/tumor Ag expression by noninvasive imaging is of great interest for understanding processes of tumor development and therapy. We established transgenic (Tg) mice conditionally expressing a fusion protein of the SV40 large T Ag and luciferase (TagLuc) that allows monitoring of oncogene/tumor Ag expression by bioluminescent imaging upon Cre recombinase-mediated activation. Independent of Cre-mediated recombination, the TagLuc gene was expressed at low levels in different tissues, probably due to the leakiness of the stop cassette. The level of spontaneous TagLuc expression, detected by bioluminescent imaging, varied between the different Tg lines, depended on the nature of the Tg expression cassette, and correlated with Tag-specific CTL tolerance. Following liver-specific Cre-loxP site-mediated excision of the stop cassette that separated the promoter from the TagLuc fusion gene, hepatocellular carcinoma development was visualized. The ubiquitous low level TagLuc expression caused the failure of transferred effector T cells to reject Tag-expressing tumors rather than causing graft-versus-host disease. This model may be useful to study different levels of tolerance, monitor tumor development at an early stage, and rapidly visualize the efficacy of therapeutic intervention versus potential side effects of low-level Ag expression in normal tissues.

Spatial model of land use change related to sediment yield (case study: Cipeles and Cilutung watershed, West Java)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulandari, D. W.; Kusratmoko, E.; Indra, T. L.

2018-05-01

Land use changes (LUC) as a result of increasing human need for space are likely to destroy the hydrological function of the watershed, increase land degradation, stimulate erosion and drive the process of sedimentation. This study aimed to predict LUC during the period 1990 to 2030 in relation to sediment yield in Cilutung and Cipeles Watershed, West Java. LUC were simulated following the model of Cellular Automata-Marcov Chain, whereas land use composition in 2030 was predicted using Land Change Modeler on Idrisi Selva Software. Elevation, slope, distance from road, distance from river, and distance from settlement were selected as driving factors for LUC in this study. Erosion and sediment yield were predicted using WATEM/SEDEM model based on land use, rainfall, soil texture and topography. The results showed that the areas of forest and shrub have slightly declined up to 5% during the period 1990 to 2016, generally being converted into rice fields, settlements, non-irrigated fields and plantations. In addition, rice fields, settlements, and plantations were expected to substantially increase up to 50% in 2030. Furthermore, the study also revealed that erosion and sediment yield tend to increase every year. This is likely associated with LUC occurring in Cipeles and Cilutung Watershed.

How to use the WWW to distribute STI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roper, Donna G.

1994-01-01

This presentation explains how to use the World Wide Web (WWW) to distribute scientific and technical information as hypermedia. WWW clients and servers use the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to transfer documents containing links to other text, graphics, video, and sound. The standard language for these documents is the HyperText MarkUp Language (HTML). These are simply text files with formatting codes that contain layout information and hyperlinks. HTML documents can be created with any text editor or with one of the publicly available HTML editors or convertors. HTML can also include links to available image formats. This presentation is available online. The URL is http://sti.larc.nasa. (followed by) gov/demos/workshop/introtext.html.

An English Translation of Joseph Luc Riopelle, MD, (Hôtel-Dieu of Montréal), and Jean Paul Thériault (Hôpital Général of Verdun, Québec, Canada): Sur une forme méconnue de sarcome des parties molles: le rhabdomyosarcome alvéolaire (concerning an unrecognized form of sarcoma of the soft tissues: alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma). annales d'anatomie pathologique 1956;1:88-111.

PubMed

Raney, R Beverly; Oberlin, Odile; Parham, David M

2012-01-01

We believe that this is the first translation into English of the first description, in French, of a disease previously unknown. JL Riopelle and JP Thériault, both pathologists, reviewed clinical and pathologic findings in six young patients with soft tissue tumors, and contributed autopsy information on four of the patients. Only one patient was initially correctly diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma; the other five initially had alternative diagnoses. Because of space limitations, we have condensed the clinical and pathologic details of their 23-page, approximately 9-font article into two Tables, but have otherwise translated the complete text of this seminal paper. The journal cited above was first published in 1956 in Paris, France, and is currently published as Annales de Pathologie. Its editor is unaware of any prior English translation of this article.

Evaluating Brazilian sugarcane expansion effects on soil structure using VESS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing global demand for biofuel has accelerated land-use change (LUC) in Brazil, primarily by replacing degraded pasture with sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum). The intensive echanization associated with this LUC has increased concerns regarding soil structural quality (SSQ). Through decades of...

Profiling the immunotoxicity of chemicals based on in vitro evaluation by a combination of the Multi-ImmunoTox assay and the IL-8 Luc assay.

PubMed

Kimura, Yutaka; Fujimura, Chizu; Ito, Yumiko; Takahashi, Toshiya; Terui, Hitoshi; Aiba, Setsuya

2018-06-01

We established a luciferase reporter assay system, the Multi-ImmunoTox Assay (MITA), which can evaluate the effects of chemicals on the promoter activities of four cytokines: IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-8. We previously reported that MITA correctly reflected the change in mRNA of human whole-blood cells treated with dexamethasone, cyclosporine, FK506, or several other immunosuppressive drugs. In this study, we combined MITA with the IL-8 Luc assay to detect skin sensitization chemicals (OECD 442E) (modified MITA: mMITA) and established a data set of 60 chemicals examined by mMITA. Using the mMITA results, chemicals can be classified based on the lowest observed effect level (LOEL) of chemicals in suppressing or augmenting the promoter activities of the four cytokines. Moreover, we demonstrated that K-means clustering and hierarchical clustering of the 60 chemicals based on the LOEL for their effects on IL-2 and IL-8 promoter activities and the judgment by the IL-8 Luc assay resulted in the same 6-cluster solution: cluster 1 with preferential suppression of IL-8, cluster 2 with suppression of IL-2 and a positive IL-8 Luc assay result, cluster 3 with suppression of both IL-2 and IL-8, cluster 4 with no effects on IL-2 or IL-8 and a negative IL-8 Luc assay result, cluster 5 with suppression of both IL-2 and IL-8 and a negative IL-8 Luc assay result, and cluster 6 with preferential suppression of IL-8. These data suggest that mMITA is a promising novel high-throughput approach for detecting unrecognized immunological effects of chemicals and for profiling their immunotoxic effects.

Holocene peatland and ice-core data constraints on the timing and magnitude of CO2 emissions from past land use.

PubMed

Stocker, Benjamin David; Yu, Zicheng; Massa, Charly; Joos, Fortunat

2017-02-14

CO 2 emissions from preindustrial land-use change (LUC) are subject to large uncertainties. Although atmospheric CO 2 records suggest only a small land carbon (C) source since 5,000 y before present (5 kyBP), the concurrent C sink by peat buildup could mask large early LUC emissions. Here, we combine updated continuous peat C reconstructions with the land C balance inferred from double deconvolution analyses of atmospheric CO 2 and [Formula: see text]C at different temporal scales to investigate the terrestrial C budget of the Holocene and the last millennium and constrain LUC emissions. LUC emissions are estimated with transient model simulations for diverging published scenarios of LU area change and shifting cultivation. Our results reveal a large terrestrial nonpeatland C source after the Mid-Holocene (66 [Formula: see text] 25 PgC at 7-5 kyBP and 115 [Formula: see text] 27 PgC at 5-3 kyBP). Despite high simulated per-capita CO 2 emissions from LUC in early phases of agricultural development, humans emerge as a driver with dominant global C cycle impacts only in the most recent three millennia. Sole anthropogenic causes for particular variations in the CO 2 record ([Formula: see text]20 ppm rise after 7 kyBP and [Formula: see text]10 ppm fall between 1500 CE and 1600 CE) are not supported. This analysis puts a strong constraint on preindustrial vs. industrial-era LUC emissions and suggests that upper-end scenarios for the extent of agricultural expansion before 1850 CE are not compatible with the C budget thereafter.

Soil physical quality response to sugarcane expansion in Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With an increasing global demand for bioenergy, the rate of land-use change (LUC) is increasing rapidly to support cellulosic feedstock production. In Brazil, sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) expansion to produce ethanol is displacing degraded pastures, but long-term effects of this LUC are unknown...

Using Inspections to Improve the Quality of Product Documentation and Code.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuchero, John

1995-01-01

Describes how, by adapting software inspections to assess documentation and code, technical writers can collaborate with development personnel, editors, and customers to dramatically improve both the quality of documentation and the very process of inspecting that documentation. Notes that the five steps involved in the inspection process are:…

Research Staff | Water Power | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Research Staff Research Staff Learn more about the expertise and technical skills of the water power research team and staff at NREL. Name Position Email Phone Anstedt, Sheri Professional III-Writer /Editor/Web Content Sheri.Anstedt@nrel.gov 303-275-3255 Baker, Donald Research Technician V-Electrical

Sustainability in the Design, Synthesis and Analysis of Chemical Engineering Processes 1st edition (Preface)

EPA Science Inventory

This book preface explains the needs found by the book editors for assembling the state of the art of technical and scientific knowledge relevant to chemical engineering, sustainability, and sustainable uses of wastes and materials management, and to do so in an accessible and c...

Aerospell Supplemental Spell Check File

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Aerospell is a supplemental spell check file that can be used as a resource for researchers, writers, editors, students, and others who compose scientific and technical texts. The file extends the general spell check dictionaries of word processors by adding more than 13,000 words used in a broad range of aerospace and related disciplines.

A Neophyte Constructs a Web Site: Lessons Learned.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bent, Devin

1998-01-01

A political science professor at James Madison University (VA) constructed a Web page to support an undergraduate course in government. This article defines Web-site goals and audience, reviews other sites, and discusses organization of Web links and technical choices for HTML editor, page layout and use of image, audio, and video files. Stresses…

Soil quality indexing strategies for evaluating sugarcane expansion in Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing demands for biofuels have intensified the land use change (LUC) for sugarcane cropping expansion in Brazil. Assessments of LUC-induced changes on soil quality (SQ) are essential for quantifying and monitoring the sustainability of sugarcane production over time. Since there is not a unive...

Beta emitters rhenium-188 and lutetium-177 are equally effective in radioimmunotherapy of HPV-positive experimental cervical cancer.

PubMed

Phaeton, Rebecca; Jiang, Zewei; Revskaya, Ekaterina; Fisher, Darrell R; Goldberg, Gary L; Dadachova, Ekaterina

2016-01-01

Cervical cancer caused by the infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) remains the fourth leading killer of women worldwide. Therefore, more efficacious treatments are needed. We are developing radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of HPV-positive cervical cancers by targeting E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins expressed by the cancer cells with the radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). To investigate the influence of different radionuclides on the RIT efficacy-we performed RIT of experimental cervical cancer with Rhenium-188 ((188) Re) and Lutetium-177 ((177) Lu)-labeled mAb C1P5 to E6. The biodistribution of (188) Re- and (177) Lu-labeled C1P5 was performed in nude female mice bearing CasKi cervical cancer xenografts and the radiation dosimetry calculations for the tumors and organs were carried out. For RIT the mice were treated with 7.4 MBq of either (188) Re-C1P5 or (177) Lu-C1P5 or left untreated, and observed for their tumor size for 28 days. The levels of (188) Re- and (177) Lu-C1P5 mAbs-induced double-strand breaks in CasKi tumors were compared on days 5 and 10 post treatment by staining with anti-gamma H2AX antibody. The radiation doses to the heart and lungs were similar for both (177) Lu-C1P5 and (188) Re-C1P5. The dose to the liver was five times higher for (177) Lu-C1P5. The doses to the tumor were 259 and 181 cGy for (177) Lu-C1P5 and (188) Re-C1P5, respectively. RIT with either (177) Lu-C1P5 or (188) Re-C1P5 was equally effective in inhibiting tumor growth when each was compared to the untreated controls (P = 0.001). On day 5 there was a pronounced staining for gamma H2AX foci in (177) Lu-C1P5 group only and on day 10 it was observed in both (177) Lu-C1P5 and (188) Re-C1P5 groups. (188) Re- and (177) Lu-labeled mAbs were equally effective in arresting the growth of CasKi cervical tumors. Thus, both of these radionuclides are candidates for the clinical trials of this approach in patients with advanced, recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. © 2015 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Longitudinal Imaging of Cancer Cell Metastases in Two Preclinical Models: A Correlation of Noninvasive Imaging to Histopathology

PubMed Central

Adiseshaiah, Pavan P.; Patel, Nimit L.; Ileva, Lilia V.; Kalen, Joseph D.; Haines, Diana C.; McNeil, Scott E.

2014-01-01

Metastatic spread is the leading cause of death from cancer. Early detection of cancer at primary and metastatic sites by noninvasive imaging modalities would be beneficial for both therapeutic intervention and disease management. Noninvasive imaging modalities such as bioluminescence (optical), positron emission tomography (PET)/X-ray computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide complementary information and accurately measure tumor growth as confirmed by histopathology. Methods. We validated two metastatic tumor models, MDA-MD-231-Luc and B16-F10-Luc intravenously injected, and 4T1-Luc cells orthotopically implanted into the mammary fat pad. Longitudinal whole body bioluminescence imaging (BLI) evaluated metastasis, and tumor burden of the melanoma cell line (B16-F10-Luc) was correlated with (PET)/CT and MRI. In addition, ex vivo imaging evaluated metastasis in relevant organs and histopathological analysis was used to confirm imaging. Results. BLI revealed successful colonization of cancer cells in both metastatic tumor models over a 4-week period. Furthermore, lung metastasis of B16-F10-Luc cells imaged by PET/CT at week four showed a strong correlation (R 2 = 0.9) with histopathology. The presence and degree of metastasis as determined by imaging correlated (R 2 = 0.7) well with histopathology findings. Conclusions. We validated two metastatic tumor models by longitudinal noninvasive imaging with good histopathology correlation. PMID:24724022

Prediction of in vivo developmental toxicity by combination of Hand1-Luc embryonic stem cell test and metabolic stability test with clarification of metabolically inapplicable candidates.

PubMed

Nagahori, Hirohisa; Suzuki, Noriyuki; Le Coz, Florian; Omori, Takashi; Saito, Koichi

2016-09-30

Hand1-Luc Embryonic Stem Cell Test (Hand1-Luc EST) is a promising alternative method for evaluation of developmental toxicity. However, the problems of predictivity have remained due to appropriateness of the solubility, metabolic system, and prediction model. Therefore, we assessed the usefulness of rat liver S9 metabolic stability test using LC-MS/MS to develop new prediction model. A total of 71 chemicals were analyzed by measuring cytotoxicity and differentiation toxicity, and highly reproducible (CV=20%) results were obtained. The first prediction model was developed by discriminant analysis performed on a full dataset using Hand1-Luc EST, and 66.2% of the chemicals were correctly classified by the cross-validated classification. A second model was developed with additional descriptors obtained from the metabolic stability test to calculate hepatic availability, and an accuracy of 83.3% was obtained with applicability domain of 50.7% (=36/71) after exclusion of 22 metabolically inapplicable candidates, which potentially have a metabolic activation property. A step-wise prediction scheme with combination of Hand1-Luc EST and metabolic stability test was therefore proposed. The current results provide a promising in vitro test method for accurately predicting in vivo developmental toxicity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of tumor growth and metastasis potential in MDA-MB-435s/ tk-luc human breast cancer xenografts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ya-Fang; Lin, Yi-Yu; Wang, Hsin-Ell; Liu, Ren-Shen; Pang, Fei; Hwang, Jeng-Jong

2007-02-01

Molecular imaging of reporter gene expression provides a rapid, sensitive and non-invasive monitoring of tumor behaviors. In this study, we reported the establishment of a novel animal model for longitudinal examination of tumor growth kinetics and metastatic spreading in vivo. The highly metastatic human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-435s cell line was engineered to stably express herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV-1- tk) and luciferase ( luc). Both 131I-FIAU and D-luciferin were used as reporter probes. For orthotopic tumor formation, MDA-MB-435s/ tk-luc cells were implanted into the first nipple of 6-week-old female NOD/SCID mice. For metastatic study, cells were injected via the lateral tail vein. Mice-bearing MDA-MB-435s/ tk-luc tumors were scanned for tumor growth and metastatsis using Xenogen IVIS50 system. Gamma scintigraphy and whole-body autoradiography were also applied to confirm the tumor localization. The results of bioluminescence imaging as well as histopathological finding showed that tumors could be detected in femur, spine, ovary, lungs, kidney, adrenal gland, lymph nodes and muscle at 16 weeks post i.v. injection, and correlated photons could be quantified. This MDA-MB-435s/ tk-luc human breast carcinoma-bearing mouse model combined with multimodalities of molecular imaging may facilitate studies on the molecular mechanisms of cancer invasion and metastasis.

Early Student Support for the Study of Inertial Motions in the Arctic Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

Dosser, Hayley V., Sasan J. Ghaemsaidi, Thomas Peacock , and Luc Rainville, x. Internal Wave 5 Propagation and Stability in the Western Arctic...Ocean. In preparation for J. Phys. Oceanogr. Ghaemsaidi, Sasan J., Hayley V. Dosser, Luc Rainville, and Thomas Peacock , 2015. The impact of multiple

The composing process of technical writers: A preliminary study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mair, D.; Roundy, N.

1981-01-01

The assumption that technical writers compose as do other writers is tested. The literature on the composing process, not limited to the pure or applied sciences, was reviewed, yielding three areas of general agreement. The composing process (1) consists of several stages, (2) is reflexive, and (3) may be mastered by means of strategies. Data on the ways technical writers compose were collected, and findings were related to the three areas of agreement. Questionnaires and interviews surveying 70 writers were used. The disciplines represented by these writers included civil, chemical, agricultural, geological, mechanical, electrical, and petroleum engineering, chemistry, hydrology, geology, and biology. Those providing consulting services, or performing research. No technical editors or professional writers were surveyed, only technicians, engineers, and researchers whose jobs involved composing reports. Three pedagogical implications are included.

Who Writes This Junk? Who Reads Evaluation Reports Anyway? Publication Number 88.21.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ligon, Glynn; Jackson, Elaine E.

The efforts of the Austin (Texas) Public School District to improve the readability and usefulness of technical reports are reviewed. Coincident with, or consequent to, a 1977 letter by W. E. Jones to the editor of an Austin paper (the "Austin American Statesman") complaining about excessively lengthy (500-page) evaluation reports, the…

Inés Lucía Cifuentes (1954-2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connell, Suzanne; Sacks, Selwyn

2014-07-01

Inés Lucía Cifuentes, seismologist and educator, well known for her study of the great Chilean earthquake of 1960 and for developing science-based teacher-training programs, died on 16 December 2013 at her home in Takoma Park, Md., after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 59.

STANDARDIZATION AND VALIDATION OF ADENOVIRAL TRANSDUCTION OF AN ANDROGEN RECEPTOR POSITIVE CELL LINE WITH AN MMTV-LUC REPORTER FOR ENDOCRINE SCREENING

EPA Science Inventory

Standardization and Validation of Adenoviral Transduction of an Androgen Receptor Positive Cell Line with an MMTV-Luc Reporter for Endocrine Screening P. Hartig, K . Bobseine,
M. Cardon, C. Lambright and L. E. Gray, Jr. USEPA, Reproductive Toxicology Division, NHEERL, RTP, NC...

[Establishment of an iRFP and luciferase dual-color fluorescence-traced hepatocellular carcinoma transplantation model in nude mice].

PubMed

Li, Hongjun; Yang, Tianhua; Huang, Yanping; Liu, Mingzhu; Qin, Zhongqiang; Chu, Fei; Li, Zhenghong; Li, Yonghai

2017-11-01

Objective To establish a hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft model in nude mice which could stably express gene and be monitored dynamically. Methods We first constructed the lentiviral particles containing luciferase (Luc) and near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) and puromycin resistance gene, and then transduced them into the HepG2 hepatoma cells. The cell line stably expressing Luc and iRFP genes were screened and inoculated into nude mice to establish xenograft tumor model. Tumor growth was monitored using in vivo imaging system. HE staining and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the pathological features and tumorigenic ability. Results HepG2 cells stably expressing iRFP and Luc were obtained; with the engineered cell line, xenograft model was successfully established with the features of proper tumor developing time and high rate of tumor formation as well as typical pathological features as showed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. Conclusion Hepatocellular carcinoma model in nude mice with the features of stable gene expression and dynamical monitoring has been established successfully with the HepG2-iRFP-Luc cell line.

Transnasal endoscopic medial maxillectomy in recurrent maxillary sinus inverted papilloma.

PubMed

Kamel, Reda H; Abdel Fattah, Ahmed F; Awad, Ayman G

2014-12-01

Maxillary sinus inverted papilloma entails medial maxillectomy and is associated with high incidence of recurrence. To study the impact of prior surgery on recurrence rate after transnasal endoscopic medial maxillectomy. Eighteen patients with primary and 33 with recurrent maxillary sinus inverted papilloma underwent transnasal endoscopic medial maxillectomy. Caldwell-Luc operation was the primary surgery in 12 patients, transnasal endoscopic resection in 20, and midfacial degloving technique in one. The follow-up period ranged between 2 to 19.5 years with an average of 8.8 years. Recurrence was detected in 8/51 maxillary sinus inverted papilloma patients (15.7 %), 1/18 of primary cases (5.5 %), 7/33 of recurrent cases (21.2 %); 3/20 of the transnasal endoscopic resection group (15%) and 4/12 of the Caldwell-Luc group (33.3%). Redo transnasal endoscopic medial maxillectomy was followed by a single recurrence in the Caldwell-Luc group (25%), and no recurrence in the other groups. Recurrence is more common in recurrent maxillary sinus inverted papilloma than primary lesions. Recurrent maxillary sinus inverted papilloma after Caldwell-Luc operation has higher incidence of recurrence than after transnasal endoscopic resection.

Imaging of bioluminescent LNCaP-luc-M6 tumors: a new animal model for the study of metastatic human prostate cancer.

PubMed

Scatena, Caroline D; Hepner, Mischa A; Oei, Yoko A; Dusich, Joan M; Yu, Shang-Fan; Purchio, Tony; Contag, Pamela R; Jenkins, Darlene E

2004-05-15

Animal experiments examining hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer using the human LNCaP cell line have been limited to endpoint analyses. To permit longitudinal studies, we generated a luciferase-expressing cell line and used bioluminescent imaging (BLI) to non-invasively monitor the in vivo growth of primary LNCaP tumors and metastasis. LNCaP.FGC cells were transfected to constitutively express firefly luciferase. LNCaP-luc-M6 cells were tested for bioluminescent signal intensity and hormone responsiveness in vitro. The cells were implanted in subcutaneous and orthotopic sites in SCID-bg mice and imaged over time. The LNCaP-luc-M6 cells formed subcutaneous and orthotopic tumors in SCID-bg mice, and nearly all tumor-bearing animals developed pulmonary metastases. Early detection and temporal growth of primary tumors and metastatic lesions was successfully monitored by BLI. The LNCaP-luc-M6 cell line is a bioluminescent, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer cell line applicable for BLI studies to non-invasively monitor subcutaneous and orthotopic prostate tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Whole-genome re-sequencing of two Italian tomato landraces reveals sequence variations in genes associated with stress tolerance, fruit quality and long shelf-life traits.

PubMed

Tranchida-Lombardo, Valentina; Aiese Cigliano, Riccardo; Anzar, Irantzu; Landi, Simone; Palombieri, Samuela; Colantuono, Chiara; Bostan, Hamed; Termolino, Pasquale; Aversano, Riccardo; Batelli, Giorgia; Cammareri, Maria; Carputo, Domenico; Chiusano, Maria Luisa; Conicella, Clara; Consiglio, Federica; D'Agostino, Nunzio; De Palma, Monica; Di Matteo, Antonio; Grandillo, Silvana; Sanseverino, Walter; Tucci, Marina; Grillo, Stefania

2017-11-14

Tomato is a high value crop and the primary model for fleshy fruit development and ripening. Breeding priorities include increased fruit quality, shelf life and tolerance to stresses. To contribute towards this goal, we re-sequenced the genomes of Corbarino (COR) and Lucariello (LUC) landraces, which both possess the traits of plant adaptation to water deficit, prolonged fruit shelf-life and good fruit quality. Through the newly developed pipeline Reconstructor, we generated the genome sequences of COR and LUC using datasets of 65.8 M and 56.4 M of 30-150 bp paired-end reads, respectively. New contigs including reads that could not be mapped to the tomato reference genome were assembled, and a total of 43, 054 and 44, 579 gene loci were annotated in COR and LUC. Both genomes showed novel regions with similarity to Solanum pimpinellifolium and Solanum pennellii. In addition to small deletions and insertions, 2, 000 and 1, 700 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could exert potentially disruptive effects on 1, 371 and 1, 201 genes in COR and LUC, respectively. A detailed survey of the SNPs occurring in fruit quality, shelf life and stress tolerance related-genes identified several candidates of potential relevance. Variations in ethylene response components may concur in determining peculiar phenotypes of COR and LUC. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

Land-Use Change and the Billion Ton 2016 Resource Assessment: Understanding the Effects of Land Management on Environmental Indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kline, K. L.; Eaton, L. M.; Efroymson, R.; Davis, M. R.; Dunn, J.; Langholtz, M. H.

2016-12-01

The federal government, led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), quantified potential U.S. biomass resources for expanded production of renewable energy and bioproducts in the 2016 Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy (BT16) (DOE 2016). Volume 1 of the report provides analysis of projected supplies from 2015 to2040. Volume 2 (forthcoming) evaluates changes in environmental indicators for water quality and quantity, carbon, air quality, and biodiversity associated with production scenarios in BT16 volume 1. This presentation will review land-use allocations under the projected biomass production scenarios and the changes in land management that are implied, including drivers of direct and indirect LUC. National and global concerns such as deforestation and displacement of food production are addressed. The choice of reference scenario, input parameters and constraints (e.g., regarding land classes, availability, and productivity) drive LUC results in any model simulation and are reviewed to put BT16 impacts into context. The principal LUC implied in BT16 supply scenarios involves the transition of 25-to-47 million acres (net) from annual crops in 2015 baseline to perennial cover by 2040 under the base case and 3% yield growth case, respectively. We conclude that clear definitions of land parameters and effects are essential to assess LUC. A lack of consistency in parameters and outcomes of historic LUC analysis in the U.S. underscores the need for science-based approaches.

Validation of the use of an artificial mitochondrial reporter DNA vector containing a Cytomegalovirus promoter for mitochondrial transgene expression.

PubMed

Yamada, Yuma; Ishikawa, Takuya; Harashima, Hideyoshi

2017-08-01

Mitochondria have their own gene expression system that is independent of the nuclear system, and control cellular functions in cooperation with the nucleus. While a number of useful technologies for achieving nuclear transgene expression have been reported, only a few have focused on mitochondria. In this study, we validated the utility of an artificial mitochondrial DNA vector with a virus promoter on mitochondrial transgene expression. We designed and constructed pCMV-mtLuc (CGG) that contains a CMV promotor derived from Cytomegalovirus and an artificial mitochondrial genome with a NanoLuc (Nluc) luciferase gene that records adjustments to the mitochondrial codon system. Nluc luciferase activity measurements showed that the pCMV-mtLuc (CGG) efficiently produced the Nluc luciferase protein in human HeLa cells. Moreover, we optimized the mitochondrial transfection of pCMV-mtLuc (CGG) using a MITO-Porter system, a liposome-based carrier for mitochondrial delivery via membrane fusion. As a result, we found that transfection of pCMV-mtLuc (CGG) by MITO-Porter modified with the KALA peptide (cationic amphipathic cell-penetrating peptide) showed a high mitochondrial transgene expression. The developed mitochondrial transgene expression system represents a potentially useful tool for the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology for controlling the intracellular microenvironment via the regulation of mitochondrial function and promises to open additional innovative research fields of study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fluorophore-NanoLuc BRET Reporters Enable Sensitive In Vivo Optical Imaging and Flow Cytometry for Monitoring Tumorigenesis

PubMed Central

Schaub, Franz X; Reza, Md Shamim; Flaveny, Colin A; Li, Weimin; Musicant, Adele M; Hoxha, Sany; Guo, Min; Cleveland, John L; Amelio, Antonio L

2015-01-01

Fluorescent proteins are widely used to study molecular and cellular events, yet this traditionally relies on delivery of excitation light, which can trigger autofluorescence, photoxicity, and photobleaching, impairing their use in vivo. Accordingly, chemiluminescent light sources such as those generated by luciferases have emerged, as they do not require excitation light. However, current luciferase reporters lack the brightness needed to visualize events in deep tissues. We report the creation of chimeric eGFP-NanoLuc (GpNLuc) and LSSmOrange-NanoLuc (OgNLuc) fusion reporter proteins coined LumiFluors, which combine the benefits of eGFP or LSSmOrange fluorescent proteins with the bright, glow-type bioluminescent light generated by an enhanced small luciferase subunit (NanoLuc) of the deep sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris. The intramolecular bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) that occurs between NanoLuc and the fused fluorophore generates the brightest bioluminescent signal known to date, including improved intensity, sensitivity and durable spectral properties, thereby dramatically reducing image acquisition times and permitting highly sensitive in vivo imaging. Notably, the self-illuminating and bi-functional nature of these LumiFluor reporters enables greatly improved spatio-temporal monitoring of very small numbers of tumor cells via in vivo optical imaging and also allows the isolation and analyses of single cells by flow cytometry. Thus, LumiFluor reporters are inexpensive, robust, non-invasive tools that allow for markedly improved in vivo optical imaging of tumorigenic processes. PMID:26424696

Representing anthropogenic gross land use change, wood harvest, and forest age dynamics in a global vegetation model ORCHIDEE-MICT v8.4.2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Chao; Ciais, Philippe; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan; Li, Wei; McGrath, Matthew J.; Chang, Jinfeng; Peng, Shushi

2018-01-01

Land use change (LUC) is among the main anthropogenic disturbances in the global carbon cycle. Here we present the model developments in a global dynamic vegetation model ORCHIDEE-MICT v8.4.2 for a more realistic representation of LUC processes. First, we included gross land use change (primarily shifting cultivation) and forest wood harvest in addition to net land use change. Second, we included sub-grid evenly aged land cohorts to represent secondary forests and to keep track of the transient stage of agricultural lands since LUC. Combination of these two features allows the simulation of shifting cultivation with a rotation length involving mainly secondary forests instead of primary ones. Furthermore, a set of decision rules regarding the land cohorts to be targeted in different LUC processes have been implemented. Idealized site-scale simulation has been performed for miombo woodlands in southern Africa assuming an annual land turnover rate of 5 % grid cell area between forest and cropland. The result shows that the model can correctly represent forest recovery and cohort aging arising from agricultural abandonment. Such a land turnover process, even though without a net change in land cover, yields carbon emissions largely due to the imbalance between the fast release from forest clearing and the slow uptake from agricultural abandonment. The simulation with sub-grid land cohorts gives lower emissions than without, mainly because the cleared secondary forests have a lower biomass carbon stock than the mature forests that are otherwise cleared when sub-grid land cohorts are not considered. Over the region of southern Africa, the model is able to account for changes in different forest cohort areas along with the historical changes in different LUC activities, including regrowth of old forests when LUC area decreases. Our developments provide possibilities to account for continental or global forest demographic change resulting from past anthropogenic and natural disturbances.

Urban Land Use Change Effects on Below and Aboveground Carbon Stocks—a Global Perspective and Future Research Needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pouyat, R. V.; Chen, Y.; Yesilonis, I.; Day, S.

2014-12-01

Land use change (LUC) has a significant impact on both above- and below-ground carbon (C) stocks; however, little is known about the net effects of urban LUC on the C cycle and climate system. Moreover, as climate change becomes an increasingly pressing concern, there is growing evidence that urban policy and management decisions can have significant regional impacts on C dynamics. Soil organic carbon (SOC) varies significantly across ecoregions at global and continental scales due to differential sensitivity of primary production, substrate quality, and organic matter decay to changes in temperature and soil moisture. These factors are highly modified by urban LUC due to vegetation removal, soil relocation and disruption, pollution, urban heat island effects, and increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. As a result, on a global scale urban LUC differentially affects the C cycle from ecoregion to ecoregion. For urban ecosystems, the data collected thus far suggests urbanization can lead to both an increase and decrease in soil C pools and fluxes, depending on the native ecosystem being impacted by urban development. For example, in drier climates, urban landscapes accumulate higher C densities than the native ecosystems they replaced. Results suggest also that soil C storage in urban ecosystems is highly variable with very high (> 20.0) and low (< 2.0) C densities (kg m-2 to a 1 m depth) present in the landscape at any one time. Moreover, similar to non-urban soils, total SOC densities are consistently 2-fold greater than aboveground stocks. For those soils with low SOC densities, there is potential to increase C sequestration through management, but specific urban related management practices need to be evaluated. In addition, urban LUC is a human-driven process and thus can be modified or adjusted to reduce its impacts on the C cycle. For example, policies that influence development patterns, population density, management practices, and other human factors can greatly ameliorate the impact of urban LUC on the C cycle. However, even with the recent and rapid expansion of newly acquired data, the net effects of urban LUC on C stocks and fluxes have not been comprehensively addressed. Furthermore, how sensitive these changes are to urban planning, policy decisions, and site management needs to be explored.

IA Channels Encoded by Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 Regulate Circadian Period of PER2 Expression in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus.

PubMed

Granados-Fuentes, Daniel; Hermanstyne, Tracey O; Carrasquillo, Yarimar; Nerbonne, Jeanne M; Herzog, Erik D

2015-10-01

Neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian pacemaker in mammals, display daily rhythms in electrical activity with more depolarized resting potentials and higher firing rates during the day than at night. Although these daily variations in the electrical properties of SCN neurons are required for circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior, the mechanisms linking changes in neuronal excitability to the molecular clock are not known. Recently, we reported that mice deficient for either Kcna4 (Kv1.4(-/-)) or Kcnd2 (Kv4.2(-/-); but not Kcnd3, Kv4.3(-/-)), voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channel pore-forming subunits that encode subthreshold, rapidly activating, and inactivating K(+) currents (IA), have shortened (0.5 h) circadian periods in SCN firing and in locomotor activity compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In the experiments here, we used a mouse (Per2(Luc)) line engineered with a bioluminescent reporter construct, PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE (PER2::LUC), replacing the endogenous Per2 locus, to test the hypothesis that the loss of Kv1.4- or Kv4.2-encoded IA channels also modifies circadian rhythms in the expression of the clock protein PERIOD2 (PER2). We found that SCN explants from Kv1.4(-/-)Per2(Luc) and Kv4.2(-/-) Per2(Luc), but not Kv4.3(-/-)Per2(Luc), mice have significantly shorter (by approximately 0.5 h) circadian periods in PER2 rhythms, compared with explants from Per2(Luc) mice, revealing that the membrane properties of SCN neurons feedback to regulate clock (PER2) expression. The combined loss of both Kv1.4- and Kv4.2-encoded IA channels in Kv1.4(-/-)/Kv4.2(-/-)Per2(Luc) SCN explants did not result in any further alterations in PER2 rhythms. Interestingly, however, mice lacking both Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 show a striking (approximately 1.8 h) advance in their daily activity onset in a light cycle compared with WT mice, suggesting additional roles for Kv1.4- and Kv4.2-encoded IA channels in controlling the light-dependent responses of neurons within and/or outside of the SCN to regulate circadian phase of daily activity. © 2015 The Author(s).

The Enunciation of the Subject: Sharing Jean-Luc Nancy's Singular Plural in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Ashok

2015-01-01

This article seeks to explore the implications of Jean-Luc Nancy's reading of the subject for educational philosophy by connecting his re-interpretation of Descartes to his later thinking on what he names the ontological singular plural. Nancy's re-imagining of the Cogito coalesces around the figure of the mouth ("la bouche") through…

A Return to Love in William James and Jean-Luc Marion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rocha, Samuel

2009-01-01

In this essay Samuel Rocha primarily addresses, and challenges, the modern conception of reason and the lowly place of intuition, feeling, and love in what has become traditional philosophy and education. Drawing upon the rich thought of William James and Jean-Luc Marion, Rocha introduces the reader to a certain harmony between their ideas, most…

Quantifying differences in land use emission estimates implied by definition discrepancies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocker, B. D.; Joos, F.

2015-11-01

The quantification of CO2 emissions from anthropogenic land use and land use change (eLUC) is essential to understand the drivers of the atmospheric CO2 increase and to inform climate change mitigation policy. Reported values in synthesis reports are commonly derived from different approaches (observation-driven bookkeeping and process-modelling) but recent work has emphasized that inconsistencies between methods may imply substantial differences in eLUC estimates. However, a consistent quantification is lacking and no concise modelling protocol for the separation of primary and secondary components of eLUC has been established. Here, we review differences of eLUC quantification methods and apply an Earth System Model (ESM) of Intermediate Complexity to quantify them. We find that the magnitude of effects due to merely conceptual differences between ESM and offline vegetation model-based quantifications is ~ 20 % for today. Under a future business-as-usual scenario, differences tend to increase further due to slowing land conversion rates and an increasing impact of altered environmental conditions on land-atmosphere fluxes. We establish how coupled Earth System Models may be applied to separate secondary component fluxes of eLUC arising from the replacement of potential C sinks/sources and the land use feedback and show that secondary fluxes derived from offline vegetation models are conceptually and quantitatively not identical to either, nor their sum. Therefore, we argue that synthesis studies should resort to the "least common denominator" of different methods, following the bookkeeping approach where only primary land use emissions are quantified under the assumption of constant environmental boundary conditions.

Regionalization of land-use impacts on streamflow using a network of paired catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochoa-Tocachi, Boris F.; Buytaert, Wouter; De Bièvre, Bert

2016-09-01

Quantifying the impact of land use and cover (LUC) change on catchment hydrological response is essential for land-use planning and management. Yet hydrologists are often not able to present consistent and reliable evidence to support such decision-making. The issue tends to be twofold: a scarcity of relevant observations, and the difficulty of regionalizing any existing observations. This study explores the potential of a paired catchment monitoring network to provide statistically robust, regionalized predictions of LUC change impact in an environment of high hydrological variability. We test the importance of LUC variables to explain hydrological responses and to improve regionalized predictions using 24 catchments distributed along the Tropical Andes. For this, we calculate first 50 physical catchment properties, and then select a subset based on correlation analysis. The reduced set is subsequently used to regionalize a selection of hydrological indices using multiple linear regression. Contrary to earlier studies, we find that incorporating LUC variables in the regional model structures increases significantly regression performance and predictive capacity for 66% of the indices. For the runoff ratio, baseflow index, and slope of the flow duration curve, the mean absolute error reduces by 53% and the variance of the residuals by 79%, on average. We attribute the explanatory capacity of LUC in the regional model to the pairwise monitoring setup, which increases the contrast of the land-use signal in the data set. As such, it may be a useful strategy to optimize data collection to support watershed management practices and improve decision-making in data-scarce regions.

A causal analysis framework for land-use change and the potential role of bioenergy policy

DOE PAGES

Efroymson, Rebecca A.; Kline, Keith L.; Angelsen, Arild; ...

2016-10-05

Here we propose a causal analysis framework to increase the reliability of land-use change (LUC) models and the accuracy of net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculations for biofuels. The health-sciences-inspired framework is used here to determine probable causes of LUC, with an emphasis on bioenergy and deforestation. Calculations of net GHG emissions for LUC are critical in determining whether a fuel qualifies as a biofuel or advanced biofuel category under national (U.S., U.K.), state (California), and European Union regulations. Biofuel policymakers and scientists continue to discuss whether presumed indirect land-use change (ILUC) estimates, which often involve deforestation, should be includedmore » in GHG accounting for biofuel pathways. Current estimates of ILUC for bioenergy rely largely on economic simulation models that focus on causal pathways involving global commodity trade and use coarse land cover data with simple land classification systems. ILUC estimates are highly uncertain, partly because changes are not clearly defined and key causal links are not sufficiently included in the models. The proposed causal analysis framework begins with a definition of the change that has occurred and proceeds to a strength-of-evidence approach based on types of epidemiological evidence including plausibility of the relationship, completeness of the causal pathway, spatial co-occurrence, time order, analogous agents, simulation model results, and quantitative agent response relationships.Lastly, we discuss how LUC may be allocated among probable causes for policy purposes and how the application of the framework has the potential to increase the validity of LUC models and resolve ILUC and biofuel controversies.« less

Increase in DNA vaccine efficacy by virosome delivery and co-expression of a cytolytic protein.

PubMed

Gargett, Tessa; Grubor-Bauk, Branka; Miller, Darren; Garrod, Tamsin; Yu, Stanley; Wesselingh, Steve; Suhrbier, Andreas; Gowans, Eric J

2014-06-01

The potential of DNA vaccines has not been realised due to suboptimal delivery, poor antigen expression and the lack of localised inflammation, essential for antigen presentation and an effective immune response to the immunogen. Initially, we examined the delivery of a DNA vaccine encoding a model antigen, luciferase (LUC), to the respiratory tract of mice by encapsulation in a virosome. Virosomes that incorporated influenza virus haemagglutinin effectively delivered DNA to cells in the mouse respiratory tract and resulted in antigen expression and systemic and mucosal immune responses to the immunogen after an intranasal (IN) prime/intradermal (ID) boost regimen, whereas a multidose ID regimen only generated systemic immunity. We also examined systemic immune responses to LUC after ID vaccination with a DNA vaccine, which also encoded one of the several cytolytic or toxic proteins. Although the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase, in the presence of the prodrug, ganciclovir, resulted in cell death, this failed to increase the humoral or cell-mediated immune responses. In contrast, the co-expression of LUC with the rotavirus non-structural protein 4 (NSP4) protein or a mutant form of mouse perforin, proteins which are directly cytolytic, resulted in increased LUC-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity. On the other hand, co-expression of LUC with diphtheria toxin subunit A or overexpression of perforin or NSP4 resulted in a lower level of immunity. In summary, the efficacy of DNA vaccines can be improved by targeted IN delivery of DNA or by the induction of cell death in vaccine-targeted cells after ID delivery.

Characterisation of circadian rhythms of various duckweeds.

PubMed

Muranaka, T; Okada, M; Yomo, J; Kubota, S; Oyama, T

2015-01-01

The plant circadian clock controls various physiological phenomena that are important for adaptation to natural day-night cycles. Many components of the circadian clock have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, the model plant for molecular genetic studies. Recent studies revealed evolutionary conservation of clock components in green plants. Homologues of clock-related genes have been isolated from Lemna gibba and Lemna aequinoctialis, and it has been demonstrated that these homologues function in the clock system in a manner similar to their functioning in Arabidopsis. While clock components are widely conserved, circadian phenomena display diversity even within the Lemna genus. In order to survey the full extent of diversity in circadian rhythms among duckweed plants, we characterised the circadian rhythms of duckweed by employing a semi-transient bioluminescent reporter system. Using a particle bombardment method, circadian bioluminescent reporters were introduced into nine strains representing five duckweed species: Spirodela polyrhiza, Landoltia punctata, Lemna gibba, L. aequinoctialis and Wolffia columbiana. We then monitored luciferase (luc+) reporter activities driven by AtCCA1, ZmUBQ1 or CaMV35S promoters under entrainment and free-running conditions. Under entrainment, AtCCA1::luc+ showed similar diurnal rhythms in all strains. This suggests that the mechanism of biological timing under day-night cycles is conserved throughout the evolution of duckweeds. Under free-running conditions, we observed circadian rhythms of AtCCA1::luc+, ZmUBQ1::luc+ and CaMV35S::luc+. These circadian rhythms showed diversity in period length and sustainability, suggesting that circadian clock mechanisms are somewhat diversified among duckweeds. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

A causal analysis framework for land-use change and the potential role of bioenergy policy

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

Efroymson, Rebecca A.; Kline, Keith L.; Angelsen, Arild

Here we propose a causal analysis framework to increase the reliability of land-use change (LUC) models and the accuracy of net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculations for biofuels. The health-sciences-inspired framework is used here to determine probable causes of LUC, with an emphasis on bioenergy and deforestation. Calculations of net GHG emissions for LUC are critical in determining whether a fuel qualifies as a biofuel or advanced biofuel category under national (U.S., U.K.), state (California), and European Union regulations. Biofuel policymakers and scientists continue to discuss whether presumed indirect land-use change (ILUC) estimates, which often involve deforestation, should be includedmore » in GHG accounting for biofuel pathways. Current estimates of ILUC for bioenergy rely largely on economic simulation models that focus on causal pathways involving global commodity trade and use coarse land cover data with simple land classification systems. ILUC estimates are highly uncertain, partly because changes are not clearly defined and key causal links are not sufficiently included in the models. The proposed causal analysis framework begins with a definition of the change that has occurred and proceeds to a strength-of-evidence approach based on types of epidemiological evidence including plausibility of the relationship, completeness of the causal pathway, spatial co-occurrence, time order, analogous agents, simulation model results, and quantitative agent response relationships.Lastly, we discuss how LUC may be allocated among probable causes for policy purposes and how the application of the framework has the potential to increase the validity of LUC models and resolve ILUC and biofuel controversies.« less

FLaapLUC: A pipeline for the generation of prompt alerts on transient Fermi-LAT γ-ray sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenain, J.-P.

2018-01-01

The large majority of high energy sources detected with Fermi-LAT are blazars, which are known to be very variable sources. High cadence long-term monitoring simultaneously at different wavelengths being prohibitive, the study of their transient activities can help shedding light on our understanding of these objects. The early detection of such potentially fast transient events is the key for triggering follow-up observations at other wavelengths. A Python tool, FLaapLUC, built on top of the Science Tools provided by the Fermi Science Support Center and the Fermi-LAT collaboration, has been developed using a simple aperture photometry approach. This tool can effectively detect relative flux variations in a set of predefined sources and alert potential users. Such alerts can then be used to trigger target of opportunity observations with other facilities. It is shown that FLaapLUC is an efficient tool to reveal transient events in Fermi-LAT data, providing quick results which can be used to promptly organise follow-up observations. Results from this simple aperture photometry method are also compared to full likelihood analyses. The FLaapLUC package is made available on GitHub and is open to contributions by the community.

Potent Effects of Flavonoid Nobiletin on Amplitude, Period, and Phase of the Circadian Clock Rhythm in PER2::LUCIFERASE Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts.

PubMed

Shinozaki, Ayako; Misawa, Kenichiro; Ikeda, Yuko; Haraguchi, Atsushi; Kamagata, Mayo; Tahara, Yu; Shibata, Shigenobu

2017-01-01

Flavonoids are natural polyphenols that are widely found in plants. The effects of flavonoids on obesity and numerous diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's have been well studied. However, little is known about the relationships between flavonoids and the circadian clock. In this study, we show that continuous or transient application of flavonoids to the culture medium of embryonic fibroblasts from PER2::LUCIFERASE (PER2::LUC) mice induced various modifications in the circadian clock amplitude, period, and phase. Transient application of some of the tested flavonoids to cultured cells induced a phase delay of the PER2::LUC rhythm at the down slope phase. In addition, continuous application of the polymethoxy flavonoids nobiletin and tangeretin increased the amplitude and lengthened the period of the PER2::LUC rhythm. The nobiletin-induced phase delay was blocked by co-treatment with U0126, an ERK inhibitor. In summary, among the tested flavonoids, polymethoxy flavones increased the amplitude, lengthened the period, and delayed the phase of the PER2::LUC circadian rhythm. Therefore, foods that contain polymethoxy flavones may have beneficial effects on circadian rhythm disorders and jet lag.

NASA Scientific and Technical Information Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

This document presents general recommended standards for documenting scientific and technical information (STI) from a number of scientific and engineering disciplines. It is a companion publication to NASA SP-7084, "Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization: A Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors," and is intended primarily for STI personnel and publishing personnel within NASA and who support NASA STI publishing. Section 1 gives an overview of NASA STI publications. Section 2 discusses figure preparation considerations. Section 3 covers table design, and Section 4 gives information about symbols and math related to STI publishing. Section 5 covers units of measure. Section 6 discusses References, and Section 7 discusses electronic documents. Section 8 covers information related to the review of STI prior to publication; this covers both technical and dissemination review and approval, including data quality. Section 9 discusses printing and dissemination related to STI, and Section 10 gives abbreviations and acronyms used in the document.

Emory University: Prediction of Protein-Protein Interactions by NanoLuc-Based Protein-Fragment Complementation Assay | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

The CTD2 Center at Emory has developed a new NanoLuc®-based protein-fragment complementation assay (NanoPCA) which allows the detection of novel protein-protein interactions (PPI). NanoPCA allows the study of PPI dynamics with reversible interactions.  Read the abstract. Experimental Approaches Read the detailed Experimetnal Approaches. 

Prediction of Protein-Protein Interactions by NanoLuc-Based Protein-Fragment Complementation Assay | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

The CTD2 Center at Emory has developed a new NanoLuc®-based protein-fragment complementation assay (NanoPCA) which allows the detection of novel protein-protein interactions (PPI). NanoPCA allows the study of PPI dynamics with reversible interactions.  Read the abstract. Experimental Approaches Read the detailed Experimetnal Approaches. 

Data Warehouse Architecture for Army Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-11-01

Laboratory (CERL). Dr. Moonja Kim is Chief, CN-B and Dr. John Bandy is Chief, CN. The technical editor was Linda L. Wheatley, Information Technology...1994. Devlin, Barry, Data Warehouse, From Architecture to Implementation (Addison-Wesley, 1997). Inmon, W.H., Building the Data Warehouse ( John ...Magazine, August 1997. Kimball, Ralph, "Digging into Data Mining," DBMS Magazine, October 1997. Lewison , Lisa, "Data Mining: Intelligent Technology

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting (26th) Technical Documentation Division Held at San Antonio, Texas on 7-10 May 1984.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-10

Greenwood Hercules Inc. P. 0. Box 98 Magna UT 84044 (801) 250-5911 Susie Mendiola Kelly AFB 127 E. Mistletoe San Antonio, TX 78212 AV 945-831 Miriam S...LOREN R. MELTON SUSIE MENDIOLA NSDSA KELLY AFB SUPERVISOR SPEC EDITOR 127 E. MISTLETOE NSWSES, CODE 5730 SAN ANTONIO TX 78212 FT HUENEME CA 93043 JOE

Ontologies, Knowledge Bases and Knowledge Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-07-01

AFRL-IF-RS-TR-2002-163 Final Technical Report July 2002 ONTOLOGIES, KNOWLEDGE BASES AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT USC Information ...and layer additional information necessary to make specific uses of the knowledge in this core. Finally, while we were able to find adequate solutions... knowledge base and inference engine. Figure 3.2: SDA Editor Interface 46 Although the SDA has access to information about the situation, we wanted the user

In vivo visualization and ex vivo quantification of murine breast cancer cells in the mouse brain using MRI cell tracking and electron paramagnetic resonance.

PubMed

Danhier, Pierre; Magat, Julie; Levêque, Philippe; De Preter, Géraldine; Porporato, Paolo E; Bouzin, Caroline; Jordan, Bénédicte F; Demeur, Gladys; Haufroid, Vincent; Feron, Olivier; Sonveaux, Pierre; Gallez, Bernard

2015-03-01

Cell tracking could be useful to elucidate fundamental processes of cancer biology such as metastasis. The aim of this study was to visualize, using MRI, and to quantify, using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), the entrapment of murine breast cancer cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIOs) in the mouse brain after intracardiac injection. For this purpose, luciferase-expressing murine 4 T1-luc breast cancer cells were labeled with fluorescent Molday ION Rhodamine B SPIOs. Following intracardiac injection, SPIO-labeled 4 T1-luc cells were imaged using multiple gradient-echo sequences. Ex vivo iron oxide quantification in the mouse brain was performed using EPR (9 GHz). The long-term fate of 4 T1-luc cells after injection was characterized using bioluminescence imaging (BLI), brain MRI and immunofluorescence. We observed hypointense spots due to SPIO-labeled cells in the mouse brain 4 h after injection on T2 *-weighted images. Histology studies showed that SPIO-labeled cancer cells were localized within blood vessels shortly after delivery. Ex vivo quantification of SPIOs showed that less than 1% of the injected cells were taken up by the mouse brain after injection. MRI experiments did not reveal the development of macrometastases in the mouse brain several days after injection, but immunofluorescence studies demonstrated that these cells found in the brain established micrometastases. Concerning the metastatic patterns of 4 T1-luc cells, an EPR biodistribution study demonstrated that SPIO-labeled 4 T1-luc cells were also entrapped in the lungs of mice after intracardiac injection. BLI performed 6 days after injection of 4 T1-luc cells showed that this cell line formed macrometastases in the lungs and in the bones. Conclusively, EPR and MRI were found to be complementary for cell tracking applications. MRI cell tracking at 11.7 T allowed sensitive detection of isolated SPIO-labeled cells in the mouse brain, whereas EPR allowed the assessment of the number of SPIO-labeled cells in organs shortly after injection. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A synthetic luciferin improves in vivo bioluminescence imaging of gene expression in cardiovascular brain regions.

PubMed

Simonyan, Hayk; Hurr, Chansol; Young, Colin N

2016-10-01

Bioluminescence imaging is an effective tool for in vivo investigation of molecular processes. We have demonstrated the applicability of bioluminescence imaging to spatiotemporally monitor gene expression in cardioregulatory brain nuclei during the development of cardiovascular disease, via incorporation of firefly luciferase into living animals, combined with exogenous d-luciferin substrate administration. Nevertheless, d-luciferin uptake into the brain tissue is low, which decreases the sensitivity of bioluminescence detection, particularly when considering small changes in gene expression in tiny central areas. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a synthetic luciferin, cyclic alkylaminoluciferin (CycLuc1), would be superior to d-luciferin for in vivo bioluminescence imaging in cardiovascular brain regions. Male C57B1/6 mice underwent targeted delivery of an adenovirus encoding the luciferase gene downstream of the CMV promoter to the subfornical organ (SFO) or paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN), two crucial cardioregulatory neural regions. While bioluminescent signals could be obtained following d-luciferin injection (150 mg/kg), CycLuc1 administration resulted in a three- to fourfold greater bioluminescent emission from the SFO and PVN, at 10- to 20-fold lower substrate concentrations (7.5-15 mg/kg). This CycLuc1-mediated enhancement in bioluminescent emission was evident early following substrate administration (i.e., 6-10 min) and persisted for up to 1 h. When the exposure time was reduced from 60 s to 1,500 ms, minimal signal in the PVN was detectable with d-luciferin, whereas bioluminescent images could be reliably captured with CycLuc1. These findings demonstrate that bioluminescent imaging with the synthetic luciferin CycLuc1 provides an improved physiological genomics tool to investigate molecular events in discrete cardioregulatory brain nuclei. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Lentivirus-mediated bifunctional cell labeling for in vivo melanoma study

PubMed Central

Day, Chi-Ping; Carter, John; Bonomi, Carrie; Esposito, Dominic; Crise, Bruce; Ortiz-Conde, Betty; Hollingshead, Melinda; Merlino, Glenn

2009-01-01

SUMMARY Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are capable of labeling a broad spectrum of cell types, achieving stable expression of transgenes. However, for in vivo studies, the duration of marker gene expression has been highly variable. We have developed a series of LVs harboring different promoters for expressing reporter gene in mouse cells. Long-term culture and colony formation of several LV-labeled mouse melanoma cells showed that promoters derived from mammalian house-keeping genes, especially those encoding RNA polymerase II (Pol2) and ferritin (FerH), provided the highest consistency for reporter expression. For in vivo studies, primary B16BL6 mouse melanoma were infected with LVs whose luciferase-GFP fusion gene (Luc/GFP) was driven by either Pol2 or FerH promoters. When transplanted into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, Luc/GFP-labeled B16BL6 mouse melanoma cells can be monitored by bioluminescence imaging in vivo, and GFP-positive cells can be isolated from the tumors by FACS. Pol2-Luc/GFP labeling, while lower in activity, was more sustainable than FerH-Luc/GFP labeling in B16BL6 over consecutive passages into mice. We conclude that Pol-2-Luc/GFP labeling allows long-term in vivo monitoring and tumor cell isolation in immunocompetent mouse melanoma models. SIGNIFICANCE In this study we have developed and identified lentiviral vectors that allow labeled mouse melanoma cells to maintain long-term and consistent expression of a bifunctional luciferase-GFP marker gene, even in syngeneic mice with an intact immune function. This cell-labeling system can be used to build immunocompetent mouse melanoma models that permit both tumor monitoring and FACS-based tumor cell isolation from tissues, greatly facilitating the in vivo study of melanoma. PMID:19175523

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes as an in vitro model for coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis and antiviral drug screening platform.

PubMed

Sharma, Arun; Marceau, Caleb; Hamaguchi, Ryoko; Burridge, Paul W; Rajarajan, Kuppusamy; Churko, Jared M; Wu, Haodi; Sallam, Karim I; Matsa, Elena; Sturzu, Anthony C; Che, Yonglu; Ebert, Antje; Diecke, Sebastian; Liang, Ping; Red-Horse, Kristy; Carette, Jan E; Wu, Sean M; Wu, Joseph C

2014-08-29

Viral myocarditis is a life-threatening illness that may lead to heart failure or cardiac arrhythmias. A major causative agent for viral myocarditis is the B3 strain of coxsackievirus, a positive-sense RNA enterovirus. However, human cardiac tissues are difficult to procure in sufficient enough quantities for studying the mechanisms of cardiac-specific viral infection. This study examined whether human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) could be used to model the pathogenic processes of coxsackievirus-induced viral myocarditis and to screen antiviral therapeutics for efficacy. hiPSC-CMs were infected with a luciferase-expressing coxsackievirus B3 strain (CVB3-Luc). Brightfield microscopy, immunofluorescence, and calcium imaging were used to characterize virally infected hiPSC-CMs for alterations in cellular morphology and calcium handling. Viral proliferation in hiPSC-CMs was quantified using bioluminescence imaging. Antiviral compounds including interferonβ1, ribavirin, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, and fluoxetine were tested for their capacity to abrogate CVB3-Luc proliferation in hiPSC-CMs in vitro. The ability of these compounds to reduce CVB3-Luc proliferation in hiPSC-CMs was consistent with reported drug effects in previous studies. Mechanistic analyses via gene expression profiling of hiPSC-CMs infected with CVB3-Luc revealed an activation of viral RNA and protein clearance pathways after interferonβ1 treatment. This study demonstrates that hiPSC-CMs express the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor, are susceptible to coxsackievirus infection, and can be used to predict antiviral drug efficacy. Our results suggest that the hiPSC-CM/CVB3-Luc assay is a sensitive platform that can screen novel antiviral therapeutics for their effectiveness in a high-throughput fashion. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Forecasting the response of Earth's surface to future climatic and land use changes: A review of methods and research needs

DOE PAGES

Pelletier, Jon D.; Murray, A. Brad; Pierce, Jennifer L.; ...

2015-07-14

In the future, Earth will be warmer, precipitation events will be more extreme, global mean sea level will rise, and many arid and semiarid regions will be drier. Human modifications of landscapes will also occur at an accelerated rate as developed areas increase in size and population density. We now have gridded global forecasts, being continually improved, of the climatic and land use changes (C&LUC) that are likely to occur in the coming decades. However, besides a few exceptions, consensus forecasts do not exist for how these C&LUC will likely impact Earth-surface processes and hazards. In some cases, we havemore » the tools to forecast the geomorphic responses to likely future C&LUC. Fully exploiting these models and utilizing these tools will require close collaboration among Earth-surface scientists and Earth-system modelers. This paper assesses the state-of-the-art tools and data that are being used or could be used to forecast changes in the state of Earth's surface as a result of likely future C&LUC. We also propose strategies for filling key knowledge gaps, emphasizing where additional basic research and/or collaboration across disciplines are necessary. The main body of the paper addresses cross-cutting issues, including the importance of nonlinear/threshold-dominated interactions among topography, vegetation, and sediment transport, as well as the importance of alternate stable states and extreme, rare events for understanding and forecasting Earth-surface response to C&LUC. Five supplements delve into different scales or process zones (global-scale assessments and fluvial, aeolian, glacial/periglacial, and coastal process zones) in detail.« less

Mapping hydrological signatures in the tropical Andes using a network of paired catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochoa-Tocachi, B. F.; Buytaert, W.; De Bièvre, B.

2016-12-01

The complexity and data scarcity of tropical Andean catchments make regional hydrological predictions very challenging. The strong spatiotemporal patterns of the local climate contrast with the inadequate coverage, especially of remote areas, by the national monitoring networks. We present an approach to regionalize the hydrological impacts of land-use and land-cover (LUC) using a network of 24 headwater catchments in a pairwise comparison approach. We monitored precipitation and streamflow through an informal partnership of stakeholders in the Andes, known as iMHEA. Using a `trading-space-for-time' approach, our design aims at strengthening the statistical significance of LUC signals. To test our hypothesis, we summarized the hydrological responses using a set of indices, which are then regionalized against catchment properties including land-use. Lastly, the regionalization model is then used to generate distributed maps of hydrological signatures in ungauged areas. Our results clearly reflect the dominant regional climate patterns of the tropical Andes and the associated wide spectrum of hydrological responses. Although the hydrological impacts of LUC are equally diverse, we find consistent trends within different biomes. Contrary to earlier studies, we find that incorporating LUC variables in the regionalization increases significantly the performance of the regression model and its predictive capacity, which makes it possible to generate regional maps that predict the dynamics and propagation of streamflow signatures in complex regions with an explicit report of uncertainty. We attribute the robust regionalization results to the regional pairwise setup that covers diverse physiographic characteristics, contrasting LUC types, and degrees of conservation/alteration. As such, it may be a useful strategy to optimize data collection, leverage commonly available geographical information, and understand the major controls of hydrological response in data-scarce regions.

How can land-use modelling tools inform bioenergy policies?

PubMed Central

Davis, Sarah C.; House, Joanna I.; Diaz-Chavez, Rocio A.; Molnar, Andras; Valin, Hugo; DeLucia, Evan H.

2011-01-01

Targets for bioenergy have been set worldwide to mitigate climate change. Although feedstock sources are often ambiguous, pledges in European nations, the United States and Brazil amount to more than 100 Mtoe of biorenewable fuel production by 2020. As a consequence, the biofuel sector is developing rapidly, and it is increasingly important to distinguish bioenergy options that can address energy security and greenhouse gas mitigation from those that cannot. This paper evaluates how bioenergy production affects land-use change (LUC), and to what extent land-use modelling can inform sound decision-making. We identified local and global internalities and externalities of biofuel development scenarios, reviewed relevant data sources and modelling approaches, identified sources of controversy about indirect LUC (iLUC) and then suggested a framework for comprehensive assessments of bioenergy. Ultimately, plant biomass must be managed to produce energy in a way that is consistent with the management of food, feed, fibre, timber and environmental services. Bioenergy production provides opportunities for improved energy security, climate mitigation and rural development, but the environmental and social consequences depend on feedstock choices and geographical location. The most desirable solutions for bioenergy production will include policies that incentivize regionally integrated management of diverse resources with low inputs, high yields, co-products, multiple benefits and minimal risks of iLUC. Many integrated assessment models include energy resources, trade, technological development and regional environmental conditions, but do not account for biodiversity and lack detailed data on the location of degraded and underproductive lands that would be ideal for bioenergy production. Specific practices that would maximize the benefits of bioenergy production regionally need to be identified before a global analysis of bioenergy-related LUC can be accomplished. PMID:22482028

A key general stress response motif is regulated non-uniformly by CAMTA transcription factors.

PubMed

Benn, Geoffrey; Wang, Chang-Quan; Hicks, Derrick R; Stein, Jeffrey; Guthrie, Cade; Dehesh, Katayoon

2014-10-01

Plants cope with environmental challenges by rapidly triggering and synchronizing mechanisms governing stress-specific and general stress response (GSR) networks. The GSR acts rapidly and transiently in response to various stresses, but the underpinning mechanisms have remained elusive. To define GSR regulatory components we have exploited the Rapid Stress Response Element (RSRE), a previously established functional GSR motif, using Arabidopsis plants expressing a 4xRSRE::Luciferase (RSRE::LUC) reporter. Initially, we searched public microarray datasets and found an enrichment of RSRE in promoter sequences of stress genes. Next, we treated RSRE::LUC plants with wounding and a range of rapidly stress-inducible hormones and detected a robust LUC activity solely in response to wounding. Application of two Ca(2+) burst inducers, flagellin22 (flg22) and oligogalacturonic acid, activated RSRE strongly and systemically, while the Ca(2+) chelator ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) significantly reduced wound induction of RSRE::LUC. In line with the signaling function of Ca(2+) in transduction events leading to activation of RSRE, we examined the role of CALMODULIN-BINDING TRANSCRIPTIONAL ACTIVATORs (CAMTAs) in RSRE induction. Transient expression assays displayed CAMTA3 induction of RSRE and not that of the mutated element mRSRE. Treatment of selected camta mutant lines integrated into RSRE::LUC parent plant, with wounding, flg22, and freezing, established a differential function of these CAMTAs in potentiating the activity of RSRE. Wound response studies using camta double mutants revealed a cooperative function of CAMTAs2 and 4 with CAMTA 3 in the RSRE regulation. These studies provide insights into governing components of transduction events and reveal transcriptional modules that tune the expression of a key GSR motif. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a recombinant human ovarian (BG1) cell line containing estrogen receptor α and β for improved detection of estrogenic/antiestrogenic chemicals.

PubMed

Brennan, Jennifer C; Bassal, Arzoo; He, Guochun; Denison, Michael S

2016-01-01

Estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals are found in environmental and biological samples, commercial and consumer products, food, and numerous other sources. Given their ubiquitous nature and potential for adverse effects, a critical need exists for rapidly detecting these chemicals. The authors developed an estrogen-responsive recombinant human ovarian (BG1Luc4E2) cell line recently accepted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as a bioanalytical method to detect estrogen receptor (ER) agonists/antagonists. Unfortunately, these cells appear to contain only 1 of the 2 known ER isoforms, ERα but not ERβ, and the differential ligand selectivity of these ERs indicates that the currently accepted screening method only detects a subset of total estrogenic chemicals. To improve the estrogen screening bioassay, BG1Luc4E2 cells were stably transfected with an ERβ expression plasmid and positive clones identified using ERβ-selective ligands (genistein and Br-ERβ-041). A highly responsive clone (BG1LucERβc9) was identified that exhibited greater sensitivity and responsiveness to ERβ-selective ligands than BG1Luc4E2 cells, and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of ERβ expression in these cells. Screening of pesticides and industrial chemicals identified chemicals that preferentially stimulated ERβ-dependent reporter gene expression. Together, these results not only demonstrate the utility of this dual-ER recombinant cell line for detecting a broader range of estrogenic chemicals than the current BG1Luc4E2 cell line, but screening with both cell lines allows identification of ERα- and ERβ-selective chemicals. © 2015 SETAC.

Computational investigation of the effect of pH on the color of firefly bioluminescence by DFT.

PubMed

Pinto da Silva, Luís; Esteves da Silva, Joaquim C G

2011-04-04

In spite of recent advances towards understanding the mechanism of firefly bioluminescence, there is no consensus about which oxyluciferin (OxyLH(2)) species are the red and yellow-green emitters. The crystal structure of Luciola cruciata luciferase (LcLuc) revealed different conformations for the various steps of the bioluminescence reaction, with different degrees of polarity and rigidity of the active-site microenvironment. In this study, these different conformations of luciferase (Luc) are simulated and their effects on the different chemical equilibria of OxyLH(2) are investigated as a function of pH by means of density functional theory with the PBE0 functional. In particular, the thermodynamic properties and the absorption spectra of each species, as well as their relative stabilities in the ground and excited states, were computed in the different conformations of Luc. From the calculations it is possible to derive the acid dissociation and tautomeric constants, and the corresponding distribution diagrams. It is observed that the anionic keto form of OxyLH(2) is both the red and the yellow-green emitter. Consequently, the effect of Luc conformations on the structural and electronic properties of the Keto-(-1) form are studied. Finally, insights into the Luc-catalyzed light-emitting reaction are derived from the calculations. The multicolor bioluminescence can be explained by interactions of the emitter with active-site molecules, the effects of which on light emission are modulated by the internal dielectric constant of the different conformations. These interactions can suffer also from rearrangement due to entry of external solvent and changes in the protonation state of some amino acid residues and adenosine monophosphate (AMP). Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Attributing land-use change carbon emissions to exported biomass

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

Saikku, Laura, E-mail: laura.saikku@helsinki.fi; Soimakallio, Sampo, E-mail: sampo.soimakallio@vtt.fi; Pingoud, Kim, E-mail: kim.pingoud@vtt.fi

2012-11-15

In this study, a simple, transparent and robust method is developed in which land-use change (LUC) emissions are retrospectively attributed to exported biomass products based on the agricultural area occupied for the production. LUC emissions account for approximately one-fifth of current greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing agricultural exports are becoming an important driver of deforestation. Brazil and Indonesia are used as case studies due to their significant deforestation in recent years. According to our study, in 2007, approximately 32% and 15% of the total agricultural land harvested and LUC emissions in Brazil and Indonesia respectively were due to exports. The mostmore » important exported single items with regard to deforestation were palm oil for Indonesia and bovine meat for Brazil. To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions effectively worldwide, leakage of emissions should be avoided. This can be done, for example, by attributing embodied LUC emissions to exported biomass products. With the approach developed in this study, controversial attribution between direct and indirect LUC and amortization of emissions over the product life cycle can be overcome, as the method operates on an average basis and annual level. The approach could be considered in the context of the UNFCCC climate policy instead of, or alongside with, other instruments aimed at reducing deforestation. However, the quality of the data should be improved and some methodological issues, such as the allocation procedure in multiproduct systems and the possible dilution effect through third parties not committed to emission reduction targets, should be considered. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CO{sub 2} emissions from land use changes are highly important. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Attribution of land use changes for products is difficult. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Simple and robust method is developed to attribute land use change emissions.« less

Estimating 20-year land-use change and derived CO2 emissions associated with crops, pasture and forestry in Brazil and each of its 27 states.

PubMed

Novaes, Renan M L; Pazianotto, Ricardo A A; Brandão, Miguel; Alves, Bruno J R; May, André; Folegatti-Matsuura, Marília I S

2017-09-01

Land-use change (LUC) in Brazil has important implications on global climate change, ecosystem services and biodiversity, and agricultural expansion plays a critical role in this process. Concerns over these issues have led to the need for estimating the magnitude and impacts associated with that, which are increasingly reported in the environmental assessment of products. Currently, there is an extensive debate on which methods are more appropriate for estimating LUC and related emissions and regionalized estimates are lacking for Brazil, which is a world leader in agricultural production (e.g. food, fibres and bioenergy). We developed a method for estimating scenarios of past 20-year LUC and derived CO 2 emission rates associated with 64 crops, pasture and forestry in Brazil as whole and in each of its 27 states, based on time-series statistics and in accordance with most used carbon-footprinting standards. The scenarios adopted provide a range between minimum and maximum rates of CO 2 emissions from LUC according to different possibilities of land-use transitions, which can have large impacts in the results. Specificities of Brazil, like multiple cropping and highly heterogeneous carbon stocks, are also addressed. The highest CO 2 emission rates are observed in the Amazon biome states and crops with the highest rates are those that have undergone expansion in this region. Some states and crops showing large agricultural areas have low emissions associated, especially in southern and eastern Brazil. Native carbon stocks and time of agricultural expansion are the most decisive factors to the patterns of emissions. Some implications on LUC estimation methods and standards and on agri-environmental policies are discussed. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a recombinant human ovarian (BG1) cell line containing estrogen receptor α and β for improved detection of estrogenic/antiestrogenic chemicals

PubMed Central

Brennan, Jennifer C.; Bassal, Arzoo; He, Guochun; Denison, Michael S.

2016-01-01

Estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals are found in environmental and biological samples, commercial and consumer products, food, and numerous other sources. Given their ubiquitous nature and potential for adverse effects, there is a critical need for rapidly detecting these chemicals. We developed an estrogen-responsive recombinant human ovarian (BG1Luc4E2) cell line recently accepted by the USEPA and OECD as a bioanalytical method to detect estrogen receptor (ER) agonists/antagonists. Unfortunately, these cells appear to contain only one of the two known ER isoforms, ERα but not ERβ, and the differential ligand selectivity of these ERs indicates that the currently accepted screening method only detects a subset of total estrogenic chemicals. To improve the estrogen screening bioassay, BG1Luc4E2 cells were stably transfected with an ERβ expression plasmid and positive clones identified using ERβ-selective ligands (genistein and Br-ERβ-041). A highly responsive clone (BG1LucERβc9) was identified that exhibited greater sensitivity and responsiveness to ERβ-selective ligands than BG1Luc4E2 cells and qRT-PCR confirmed the presence of ERβ expression in these cells. Screening of pesticides and industrial chemicals identified chemicals that preferentially stimulated ERβ-dependent reporter gene expression. Together, these results not only demonstrate the utility of this dual ER recombinant cell line for detecting a broader range of estrogenic chemicals than the current BG1Luc4E2 cell line, but screening with both cell lines allows identification of ERα and ERβ-selective chemicals. PMID:26139245

Advancing bioluminescence imaging technology for the evaluation of anticancer agents in the MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc mammary fat pad and subrenal capsule tumor models.

PubMed

Zhang, Cathy; Yan, Zhengming; Arango, Maria E; Painter, Cory L; Anderes, Kenna

2009-01-01

Tumors grafted s.c. or under the mammary fat pad (MFP) rarely develop efficient metastasis. By applying bioluminescence imaging (BLI) technology, the MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc subrenal capsule (SRC) model was compared with the MFP model for disease progression, metastatic potential, and response to therapy. The luciferase-expressing MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc cell line was used in both MFP and SRC models. BLI technology allowed longitudinal assessment of disease progression and the therapeutic response to PD-0332991, Avastin, and docetaxel. Immunohistochemical analysis of Ki67 and CD31 staining in the primary tumors was compared in these models. Caliper measurement was used in the MFP model to validate the BLI quantification of primary tumors. The primary tumors in MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc MFP and SRC models displayed comparable growth rates and vascularity. However, tumor-bearing mice in the SRC model developed lung metastases much earlier (4 weeks) than in the MFP model (>7 weeks), and the metastatic progression contributed significantly to the survival time. In the MFP model, BLI and caliper measurements were comparable for quantifying palpable tumors, but BLI offered an advantage for detecting the primary tumors that fell below a palpable threshold and for visualizing metastases. In the SRC model, BLI allowed longitudinal assessment of the antitumor and antimetastatic effects of PD-0332991, Avastin, and docetaxel, and the results correlated with the survival benefits of these agents. The MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc SRC model and the MFP model displayed differences in disease progression. BLI is an innovative approach for developing animal models and creates opportunities for improving preclinical evaluations of anticancer agents.

Evaluating reporter genes of different luciferases for optimized in vivo bioluminescence imaging of transplanted neural stem cells in the brain.

PubMed

Mezzanotte, Laura; Aswendt, Markus; Tennstaedt, Annette; Hoeben, Rob; Hoehn, Mathias; Löwik, Clemens

2013-01-01

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has become the method of choice for optical tracking of cells in small laboratory animals. However, the use of luciferases from different species, depending on different substrates and emitting at distinct wavelengths, has not been optimized for sensitive neuroimaging. In order to identify the most suitable luciferase, this quantitative study compared the luciferases Luc2, CBG99, PpyRE9 and hRluc. Human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells and mouse neural stem cells were transduced by lentiviral vector-mediated transfer to express one of the four luciferases, together with copGFP. A T2A peptide linker promoted stoichiometric expression between both imaging reporters and the comparison of cell populations upon flow cytometry. Cell dilution series were used to determine highest BLI sensitivity in vitro for Luc2. However, Coelenterazine h-dependent hRluc signals clearly exceeded d-luciferin-dependent BLI in vitro. For the quantitative in vivo analysis, cells were transplanted into mouse brain and BLI was performed including the recording of emission kinetics and spectral characteristics. Differences in light kinetics were observed for d-luciferin vs Coelenterazine h. The emission spectra of Luc2 and PpyRE9 remained almost unchanged, while the emission spectrum of CBG99 became biphasic. Most importantly, photon emission decreased in the order of Luc2, CBG99, PpyRE9 to hRluc. The feasibility of combining different luciferases for dual color and dual substrate neuroimaging was tested and discussed. This investigation provides the first complete quantitative comparison of different luciferases expressed by neural stem cells. It results in a clear recommendation of Luc2 as the best luciferase selection for in vivo neuroimaging. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development and evaluation of yeast-based GFP and luciferase reporter assays for chemical-induced genotoxicity and oxidative damage.

PubMed

Suzuki, Hajime; Sakabe, Takahiro; Hirose, Yuu; Eki, Toshihiko

2017-01-01

We aimed to develop the bioassays for genotixicity and/or oxidative damage using the recombinant yeast. A genotoxicity assay was developed using recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain BY4741 with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter plasmid, driven by the DNA damage-responsive RNR3 promoter. Enhanced fluorescence induction was observed in DNA repair-deficient strains treated with methyl methanesulfonate, but not with hydrogen peroxide. A GFP reporter yeast strain driven by the oxidative stress-responsive TRX2 promoter was newly developed to assess oxidative damage, but fluorescence was poorly induced by oxidants. In place of GFP, yeast strains with luciferase gene reporter plasmids (luc2 and luc2CP, encoding stable and unstable luciferase, respectively) were prepared. Transient induction of luciferase activity was clearly detected only in a TRX2 promoter-driven luc2CP reporter strain within 90 min of oxidant exposure. However, luciferase was strongly induced by hydroxyurea in the RNR3 promoter-driven luc2 and GFP reporter strains over 8 h after the exposure, suggesting that the RNR3 promoter is continuously upregulated by DNA damage, whereas the TRX2 promoter is transiently activated by oxidative agents. Luciferase activity levels were also increased in a TRX2-promoter-driven luc2CP reporter strain treated with tert-butyl hydroperoxide and menadione and weakly induced with diamide and diethyl maleate. Weakly enhanced luciferase activity induction was detected in the sod1Δ, sod2Δ, and rad27Δ strains treated with hydrogen peroxide compared with that in the wild-type strain. In conclusion, tests using GFP and stable luciferase reporters are useful for genotoxicity, and oxidative damage can be clearly detected by assay with an unstable luciferase reporter.

Performance of the BG1Luc ER TA method in a qHTS format.

PubMed

Ceger, Patricia; Allen, David; Huang, Ruili; Xia, Menghang; Casey, Warren

2015-01-01

In 2012, the BG1Luc4E2 estrogen receptor (ER) transactivation (TA) method (BG1Luc ER TA) was accepted by U.S. regulatory agencies and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to detect substances with ER agonist activity. The method is now part of the Tier 1 testing battery in the Environmental Protection Agency's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program. The BG1Luc ER TA method uses the BG1 ovarian cell line that endogenously expresses full-length ER (α and β) and is stably transfected with a plasmid containing four estrogen responsive elements upstream of a luciferase reporter gene. To allow increased throughput and testing efficiency, the BG1Luc ER TA ("BG1 manual") method was adapted for quantitative high-throughput screening (BG1 qHTS) in the U.S. Tox21 testing program. The BG1 qHTS test method was used to test approximately 10,000 chemicals three times each, and concentration-response data (n=15) were analyzed to evaluate test method performance. The balanced accuracy of the BG1 qHTS test method (97% [32/33]) was determined by comparing results to ER TA performance standards for the BG1 manual method. Concordance between the BG1 manual and qHTS methods was 92% (57/62) when calculated for a larger set of non-reference chemicals tested in both methods. These data demonstrate that the performance of the BG1 qHTS is similar to the currently accepted BG1 manual method, thereby establishing the utility of the BG1 qHTS method for identifying ER active environmental chemicals.

Characterization of recombinant Raccoonpox Vaccine Vectors in Chickens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hwa, S.-H.; Iams, Keith P.; Hall, Jeffrey S.; Kingstad, B.A.; Osorio, Jorge E.

2010-01-01

Raccoonpox virus (RCN) has been used as a recombinant vector against several mammalian pathogens but has not been tested in birds. The replication of RCN in chick embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) and chickens was studied with the use of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 hemagglutinin (HA) as a model antigen and luciferase (luc) as a reporter gene. Although RCN replicated to low levels in CEFs, it efficiently expressed recombinant proteins and, in vivo, elicited anti-HA immunoglobulin yolk (IgY) antibody responses comparable to inactivated influenza virus. Biophotonic in vivo imaging of 1-wk-old chicks with RCN-luc showed strong expression of the luc reporter gene lasting up to 3 days postinfection. These studies demonstrate the potential of RCN as a vaccine vector for avian influenza and other poultry pathogens. ?? American Association of Avian Pathologists 2010.

Functional analysis of the sea urchin-derived arylsulfatase (Ars)-element in mammalian cells.

PubMed

Watanabe, Satoshi; Watanabe, Sachiko; Sakamoto, Naoaki; Sato, Masahiro; Akasaka, Koji

2006-09-01

An insulator is a DNA sequence that has both enhancer-blocking activity, through its ability to modify the influence of neighboring cis-acting elements, and a barrier function that protects a transgene from being silenced by surrounding chromatin. Previously, we isolated and characterized a 582-bp-long element from the sea urchin arylsulfatase gene (Ars). This Ars-element was effective in sea urchin and Drosophila embryos and in plant cells. To investigate Ars-element activity in mammalian cells, we placed the element between the cytomegalovirus enhancer and a luciferase (luc) expression cassette. In contrast to controls lacking the Ars-element, NIH3T3 and 293T cells transfected with the element-containing construct displayed reduced luciferase activities. The Ars-element therefore acts as an enhancer-blocking element in mammalian cells. We assessed the barrier activity of the Ars-element using vectors in which a luc expression cassette was placed between two elements. Transfection experiments demonstrated that luc activity in these vectors was approximately ten-fold higher than in vectors lacking elements. Luc activities were well maintained even after 12 weeks in culture. Our observations demonstrate that the Ars-element has also a barrier activity. These results indicated that the Ars-element act as an insulator in mammalian cells.

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

Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Wartenburger, Richard; Guillod, Benoit

This article investigates projected changes in temperature and water cycle extremes at 1.5°C global warming, and highlights the role of land processes and land-use changes (LUC) for these projections. We provide new comparisons of changes in climate at 1.5°C vs 2°C based on empirical sampling analyses of transient simulations vs simulations from the “Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts” (HAPPI) multi-model experiment. The two approaches yield overall similar results regarding changes in climate extremes on land, and reveal a substantial difference in regional extremes occurrence at 1.5°C vs 2°C. Land processes mediated through soil moisture feedbacks andmore » land-use forcing play a major role for projected changes in extremes at 1.5°C in most mid-latitude regions, including densely populated areas in North America, Europe and Asia. This has important implications for low-emissions scenarios derived from Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), which include major LUC in ambitious mitigation pathways (e.g. associated with increased bioenergy use), but are also shown to differ in the simulated LUC patterns. Biogeophysical effects from LUC are not considered in the development of IAM scenarios, but play an important role for projected regional changes in climate extremes, and are thus of high relevance for sustainable development pathways.« less

Analysis of molecular chaperones using a Xenopus oocyte protein refolding assay.

PubMed

Heikkila, John J; Kaldis, Angelo; Abdulle, Rashid

2006-01-01

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are molecular chaperones that aid in the folding and translocation of protein under normal conditions and protect cellular proteins during stressful situations. A family of Hsps, the small Hsps, can maintain denatured target proteins in a folding-competent state such that they can be refolded and regain biological activity in the presence of other molecular chaperones. Previous assays have employed cellular lysates as a source of molecular chaperones involved in folding. In this chapter, we describe the production and purification of a Xenopus laevis recombinant small Hsp, Hsp30C, and an in vivo luciferase (LUC) refolding assay employing microinjected Xenopus oocytes. This assay tests whether LUC can be maintained in a folding-competent state when heat denatured in the presence of a small Hsp or other molecular chaperone. For example, micro-injection of heat-denatured LUC alone into oocytes resulted in minimal reactivation of enzyme activity. However, LUC heat denatured in the presence of Hsp30C resulted in 100% recovery of enzyme activity after microinjection. The in vivo oocyte refolding system is more sensitive and requires less molecular chaperone than in vitro refolding assays. Also, this protocol is not limited to testing Xenopus molecular chaperones because small Hsps from other organisms have been used successfully.

A novel dual luciferase assay for the simultaneous monitoring of HIV infection and cell viability.

PubMed

Mitsuki, Yu-Ya; Yamamoto, Takuya; Mizukoshi, Fuminori; Momota, Masatoshi; Terahara, Kazutaka; Yoshimura, Kazuhisa; Harada, Shigeyoshi; Tsunetsugu-Yokota, Yasuko

2016-05-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reporter cell lines are critical tools for drug development. However, one disadvantage of HIV-1 reporter cell lines is that reductions in reporter gene activity need to be normalized to cytotoxicity, i.e., live cell numbers. Here, we developed a dual luciferase assay based on a R. reniformis luciferase (hRLuc)-expressing R5-type HIV-1 (NLAD8-hRLuc) and a CEM cell line expressing CCR5 and firefly luciferase (R5CEM-FiLuc). The NLAD8-hRLuc reporter virus was replication competent in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The level of hRLuc was correlated with p24 antigen levels (p<0.001, R=0.862). The target cell line, R5CEM-FiLuc, stably expressed the firefly luciferase (FiLuc) reporter gene and allowed the simultaneous monitoring of compound cytotoxicity. The dual reporter assay combining a NLAD8-hRLuc virus with R5CEM-FiLuc cells permitted the accurate determination of drug susceptibility for entry, reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease inhibitors at different multiplicities of infection. This dual reporter assay provides a rapid and direct method for the simultaneous monitoring of HIV infection and cell viability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enzyme-synthesized Poly(amine-co-esters) as Non-viral Vectors for Gene Delivery

PubMed Central

Liu, Jie; Jiang, Zhaozhong; Zhou, Jiangbing; Zhang, Shengmin; Saltzman, W. Mark

2010-01-01

A family of biodegradable poly(amine-co-esters) was synthesized in one step via enzymatic copolymerization of diesters with amino-substituted diols. Diesters of length C4–C12 (i.e., from succinate to dodecanedioate) were successfully copolymerized with diethanolamines with either an alkyl (methyl, ethyl, n-butyl, t-butyl) or an aryl (phenyl) substituent on the nitrogen. Upon protonation at slightly acidic conditions, these poly(amine-co-esters) readily turned to cationic polyelectrolytes, which were capable of condensing with polyanionic DNA to form nanometer-sized polyplexes. In vitro screening with pLucDNA revealed that two of the copolymers, poly(N-methyldiethyleneamine sebacate) (PMSC) and poly(N-ethyldiethyleneamine sebacate) (PESC), possessed comparable or higher transfection efficiencies compared to Lipofectamine 2000. PMSC/pLucDNA and PESC/pLucDNA nanoparticles had desirable particle sizes (40–70 nm) for cellular uptake and were capable of functioning as proton sponges to facilitate endosomal escape after cellular uptake. These polyplex nanoparticles exhibited extremely low cytotoxicity. Furthermore, in vivo gene transfection experiments revealed that PMSC is a substantially more effective gene carrier than PEI in delivering pLucDNAto cells in tumors in mice. All these properties suggest that poly(amine-co-esters) are promising non-viral vectors for safe and efficient DNA delivery in gene therapy. PMID:21171165

Drivers of potential GHG fluxes under bioenergy land use change in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parmar, Kim; Keith, Aidan M.; Perks, Mike; Rowe, Rebecca; Sohi, Saran; McNamara, Niall

2013-04-01

The greatest contributors to global greenhouse gases (GHG's) are CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use and following land use change (LUC). Globally, soils contain three times more carbon than the atmosphere and have the potential to act as GHG sources or sinks. A significant amount of land may be converted to bioenergy production to help meet UK 2050 renewable energy and GHG emissions reduction targets. This raises considerable sustainability concerns with respect to the effects of LUC on soil carbon (C) conservation and GHG emissions. Forests are a key component in the global C cycle and when managed effectively can reduce atmospheric GHG concentrations. Together with other dedicated bioenergy crops, Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) could be used to meet biomass requirements. SRF is defined as high density plantations of fastgrowing tree species grown on short rotational lengths (8-20 years) for biomass (McKay 2011). As SRF is likely to be an important domestic source of biomass for energy it is imperative that we gain an understanding of the implications for large-scale commercial application on soil C and the GHG balance. We utilized a paired-site approach to investigate how LUC to SRF could potentially alter the underlying processes of soil GHG production and consumption. This work was linked to a wider soil C stock inventory for bioenergy LUC, so our major focus was on changes to soil respiration. Specifically, we examined the relative importance of litter, soil, and microbial properties in determining potential soil respiration, and whether these relationships were consistent at different soil temperatures (10 ° C and 20 ° C). Soils were sampled to a depth of 30 cm from 30 LUC transitions across the UK and incubated under controlled laboratory conditions, with gas samples taken over a seven day enclosure period. CO2, N2O and CH4 gas fluxes were measured by gas chromatography and were examined together with other soil properties measured in the field and laboratory. LUC to SRF resulted in a significant reduction in CO2 fluxes overall at 0-15 cm (on both a soil mass and carbon mass basis). Furthermore, this response of CO2 flux to LUC was similar at both 10 ° C and 20 ° C. Reductions in CO2 flux at 0-15 cm are significantly related to decreased bacterial biomass, as measured by Phospholipid Fatty Acids (PLFA), soil pH and bulk density. These patterns suggest that changes in the quality and quantity of organic inputs under SRF may drive a reduction in soil respiration. While changes in soil C were limited, reduced respiration was supported by the increase in litter C stock under SRF. These findings indicate that LUC to SRF can strengthen the soils potential as a C sink whilst contributing successfully towards meeting GHG emissions reduction targets. This work is based on the Ecosystem Land Use Modelling & Soil Carbon GHG Flux Trial (ELUM) project, which was commissioned and funded by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI)

Advanced Methods of Approximate Reasoning

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-30

about Knowledge and Action. Technical Note 191, Menlo Park, California: SRI International. 1980 . 20 [26] N.J. Nilsson. Probabilistic logic. Artificial...reasoning. Artificial Intelligence, 13:81-132, 1980 . S[30 R. Reiter. On close world data bases. In H. Gallaire and J. Minker, editors, Logic and Data...specially grateful to Dr. Abraham Waksman of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Dr. David Hislop of the Army Research Office for their

JOVIAL/Ada Microprocessor Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

Study Final Technical Report interesting feature of the nodes is that they provide multiple virtual terminals, so it is possible to monitor several...Terminal Interface Tasking Except ion Handling A more elaborate system could allow such features as spooling, background jobs or multiple users. To a large...Another editor feature is the buffer. Buffers may hold small amounts of text or entire text objects. They allow multiple files to be edited simultaneously

Historical warming reduced due to enhanced land carbon uptake.

PubMed

Shevliakova, Elena; Stouffer, Ronald J; Malyshev, Sergey; Krasting, John P; Hurtt, George C; Pacala, Stephen W

2013-10-15

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of enhanced vegetation growth under future elevated atmospheric CO2 for 21st century climate warming. Surprisingly no study has completed an analogous assessment for the historical period, during which emissions of greenhouse gases increased rapidly and land-use changes (LUC) dramatically altered terrestrial carbon sources and sinks. Using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory comprehensive Earth System Model ESM2G and a reconstruction of the LUC, we estimate that enhanced vegetation growth has lowered the historical atmospheric CO2 concentration by 85 ppm, avoiding an additional 0.31 ± 0.06 °C warming. We demonstrate that without enhanced vegetation growth the total residual terrestrial carbon flux (i.e., the net land flux minus LUC flux) would be a source of 65-82 Gt of carbon (GtC) to atmosphere instead of the historical residual carbon sink of 186-192 GtC, a carbon saving of 251-274 GtC.

Design of case report forms based on a public metadata registry: re-use of data elements to improve compatibility of data.

PubMed

Dugas, Martin

2016-11-29

Clinical trials use many case report forms (CRFs) per patient. Because of the astronomical number of potential CRFs, data element re-use at the design stage is attractive to foster compatibility of data from different trials. The objective of this work is to assess the technical feasibility of a CRF editor with connection to a public metadata registry (MDR) to support data element re-use. Based on the Medical Data Models portal, an ISO/IEC 11179-compliant MDR was implemented and connected to a web-based CRF editor. Three use cases were implemented: re-use at the form, item group and data element levels. CRF design with data element re-use from a public MDR is feasible. A prototypic system is available. The main limitation of the system is the amount of available MDR content.

Nuclear medicine in urology and nephrology

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

O'Reilly, P.H.; Shields, R.A.; Testa, H.J.

This edition on radionuclide techniques in urology and nephrology reflects the many advances since 1979. Emphasis has been given to diuretic renography and studies of urinary reflux. A new chapter discusses the diagnosis of lower urinary tract problems. The editors have divided the book into three sections. The first part presents a description of the techniques and their interpretation. Renography, renal scanning, clearance studies, and bone scanning are covered. The second section gives an in-depth discussion of the application of these techniques to obstructive uropathy, urologic tumors, renal transplantation, trauma, and lower urinary tract, pediatric, and nephrologic problems. The lastmore » part of the book deals with basic principles. It expands on the relevant theoretical and technical aspects not covered in detail in part 1. In this last portion of the book the editors have grouped together the chapters on physics, instrumentation, radiopharmaceuticals, and radiation dosimetry.« less

Legal and ethical issues in research.

PubMed

Yip, Camille; Han, Nian-Lin Reena; Sng, Ban Leong

2016-09-01

Legal and ethical issues form an important component of modern research, related to the subject and researcher. This article seeks to briefly review the various international guidelines and regulations that exist on issues related to informed consent, confidentiality, providing incentives and various forms of research misconduct. Relevant original publications (The Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report, Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences/World Health Organisation International Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, World Association of Medical Editors Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, CoSE White Paper, International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use-Good Clinical Practice) form the literature that are relevant to the ethical and legal aspects of conducting research that researchers should abide by when conducting translational and clinical research. Researchers should note the major international guidelines and regional differences in legislation. Hence, specific ethical advice should be sought at local Ethics Review Committees.

Climate extremes, land–climate feedbacks and land-use forcing at 1.5°C

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

Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Wartenburger, Richard; Guillod, Benoit P.

This article investigates projected changes in temperature and water cycle extremes at 1.5°C global warming, and highlights the role of land processes and land-use changes (LUC) for these projections. We provide new comparisons of changes in climate at 1.5°C vs 2°C based on empirical sampling analyses of transient simulations vs simulations from the 'Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts' (HAPPI) multi-model experiment. The two approaches yield overall similar results regarding changes in climate extremes on land, and reveal a substantial difference in regional extremes occurrence at 1.5°C vs 2°C. Land processes mediated through soil moisture feedbacks andmore » land-use forcing play a major role for projected changes in extremes at 1.5°C in most mid-latitude regions, including densely populated areas in North America, Europe and Asia. This has important implications for low-emissions scenarios derived from Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), which include major LUC in ambitious mitigation pathways (e.g. associated with increased bioenergy use), but are also shown to differ in the simulated LUC patterns. Biogeophysical effects from LUC are not considered in the development of IAM scenarios, but play an important role for projected regional changes in climate extremes, and are thus of high relevance for sustainable development pathways.« less

Climate extremes, land–climate feedbacks and land-use forcing at 1.5°C

DOE PAGES

Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Wartenburger, Richard; Guillod, Benoit P.; ...

2018-04-02

Here, this article investigates projected changes in temperature and water cycle extremes at 1.5°C of global warming, and highlights the role of land processes and land-use changes (LUCs) for these projections. We provide new comparisons of changes in climate at 1.5°C versus 2°C based on empirical sampling analyses of transient simulations versus simulations from the ‘Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts’ (HAPPI) multi-model experiment. The two approaches yield similar overall results regarding changes in climate extremes on land, and reveal a substantial difference in the occurrence of regional extremes at 1.5°C versus 2°C. Land processes mediated throughmore » soil moisture feedbacks and land-use forcing play a major role for projected changes in extremes at 1.5°C in most mid-latitude regions, including densely populated areas in North America, Europe and Asia. This has important implications for low-emissions scenarios derived from integrated assessment models (IAMs), which include major LUCs in ambitious mitigation pathways (e.g. associated with increased bioenergy use), but are also shown to differ in the simulated LUC patterns. Biogeophysical effects from LUCs are not considered in the development of IAM scenarios, but play an important role for projected regional changes in climate extremes, and are thus of high relevance for sustainable development pathways.« less

Hypoxia/hepatoma dual specific suicide gene expression plasmid delivery using bio-reducible polymer for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Ah; Nam, Kihoon; Lee, Minhyung; Kim, Sung Wan

2013-10-10

Gene therapy is suggested as a promising alternative strategy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, also called hepatoma) therapy. To achieve a successful and safe gene therapy, tight regulation of gene expression is required to minimize side-effects in normal tissues. In this study, we developed a novel hypoxia and hepatoma dual specific gene expression vector. The constructed vectors were transfected into various cell lines using bio-reducible polymer, PAM-ABP. First, pAFPS-Luc or pAFPL-Luc vector was constructed with the alpha-fectoprotein (AFP) promoter and enhancer for hepatoma tissue specific gene expression. Then, pEpo-AFPL-Luc was constructed by insertion of the erythropoietin (Epo) enhancer for hypoxic cancer specific gene expression. In vitro transfection assay showed that pEpo-AFPL-Luc transfected hepatoma cell increased gene expression under hypoxic condition. To confirm the therapeutic effect of dual specific vector, herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene was introduced for cancer cell killing. The pEpo-AFPL-TK was transfected into hepatoma cell lines in the presence of ganciclovir (GCV) pro-drug. Caspase-3/7, MTT and TUNEL assays elucidated that pEpo-AFPL-TK transfected cells showed significant increasing of death rate in hypoxic hepatoma cells compared to controls. Therefore, the hypoxia/hepatoma dual specific gene expression vector with the Epo enhancer and AFP promoter may be useful for hepatoma specific gene therapy. © 2013.

Climate extremes, land–climate feedbacks and land-use forcing at 1.5°C

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

Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Wartenburger, Richard; Guillod, Benoit P.

Here, this article investigates projected changes in temperature and water cycle extremes at 1.5°C of global warming, and highlights the role of land processes and land-use changes (LUCs) for these projections. We provide new comparisons of changes in climate at 1.5°C versus 2°C based on empirical sampling analyses of transient simulations versus simulations from the ‘Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts’ (HAPPI) multi-model experiment. The two approaches yield similar overall results regarding changes in climate extremes on land, and reveal a substantial difference in the occurrence of regional extremes at 1.5°C versus 2°C. Land processes mediated throughmore » soil moisture feedbacks and land-use forcing play a major role for projected changes in extremes at 1.5°C in most mid-latitude regions, including densely populated areas in North America, Europe and Asia. This has important implications for low-emissions scenarios derived from integrated assessment models (IAMs), which include major LUCs in ambitious mitigation pathways (e.g. associated with increased bioenergy use), but are also shown to differ in the simulated LUC patterns. Biogeophysical effects from LUCs are not considered in the development of IAM scenarios, but play an important role for projected regional changes in climate extremes, and are thus of high relevance for sustainable development pathways.« less

In vitro modeling of HIV proviral activity in microglia.

PubMed

Campbell, Lee A; Richie, Christopher T; Zhang, Yajun; Heathward, Emily J; Coke, Lamarque M; Park, Emily Y; Harvey, Brandon K

2017-12-01

Microglia, the resident macrophages of the brain, play a key role in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) due to their productive infection by HIV. This results in the release of neurotoxic viral proteins and pro-inflammatory compounds which negatively affect the functionality of surrounding neurons. Because models of HIV infection within the brain are limited, we aimed to create a novel microglia cell line with an integrated HIV provirus capable of recreating several hallmarks of HIV infection. We utilized clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing technology and integrated a modified HIV provirus into CHME-5 immortalized microglia to create HIV-NanoLuc CHME-5. In the modified provirus, the Gag-Pol region is replaced with the coding region for NanoLuciferase (NanoLuc), which allows for the rapid assay of HIV long terminal repeat activity using a luminescent substrate, while still containing the necessary genetic material to produce established neurotoxic viral proteins (e.g. tat, nef, gp120). We confirmed that HIV-NanoLuc CHME-5 microglia express NanoLuc, along with the HIV viral protein Nef. We subsequently exposed these cells to a battery of experiments to modulate the activity of the provirus. Proviral activity was enhanced by treating the cells with pro-inflammatory factors lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor alpha and by overexpressing the viral regulatory protein Tat. Conversely, genetic modification of the toll-like receptor-4 gene by CRISPR/Cas9 reduced LPS-mediated proviral activation, and pharmacological application of NF-κB inhibitor sulfasalazine similarly diminished proviral activity. Overall, these data suggest that HIV-NanoLuc CHME-5 may be a useful tool in the study of HIV-mediated neuropathology and proviral regulation. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus changes under sugarcane expansion in Brazil.

PubMed

Franco, André L C; Cherubin, Maurício R; Pavinato, Paulo S; Cerri, Carlos E P; Six, Johan; Davies, Christian A; Cerri, Carlos C

2015-05-15

Historical data of land use change (LUC) indicated that the sugarcane expansion has mainly displaced pasture areas in Central-Southern Brazil, globally the largest producer, and that those pastures were prior established over native forests in the Cerrado biome. We sampled 3 chronosequences of land use comprising native vegetation (NV), pasture (PA), and sugarcane crop (SC) in the sugarcane expansion region to assess the effects of LUC on soil carbon, nitrogen, and labile phosphorus pools. Thirty years after conversion of NV to PA, we found significant losses of original soil organic matter (SOM) from NV, while insufficient new organic matter was introduced from tropical grasses into soil to offset the losses, reflecting in a net C emission of 0.4 Mg ha(-1)yr(-1). These findings added to decreases in (15)N signal indicated that labile portions of SOM are preserved under PA. Afterwards, in the firsts five years after LUC from PA to SC, sparse variations were found in SOM levels. After more than 20 years of sugarcane crop, however, there were losses of 40 and 35% of C and N stocks, respectively, resulting in a rate of C emission of 1.3 Mg ha(-1)yr(-1) totally caused by the respiration of SOM from C4-cycle plants. In addition, conversion of pastures to sugarcane mostly increased (15)N signal, indicating an accumulation of more recalcitrant SOM under sugarcane. The microbe- and plant-available P showed site-specific responses to LUC as a function of different P-input managements, with the biological pool mostly accounting for more than 50% of the labile P in both anthropic land uses. With the projections of 6.4 Mha of land required by 2021 for sugarcane expansion in Brazil to achieve ethanol's demand, this explanatory approach to the responses of SOM to LUC will contribute for an accurate assessment of the CO₂ balance of sugarcane ethanol. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of surface demineralization of cortical bone allograft on the properties of recombinant adeno-associated virus coatings.

PubMed

Yazici, Cemal; Yanoso, Laura; Xie, Chao; Reynolds, David G; Samulski, R Jude; Samulski, Jade; Yannariello-Brown, Judith; Gertzman, Arthur A; Zhang, Xinping; Awad, Hani A; Schwarz, Edward M

2008-10-01

Freeze-dried recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) coated structural allografts have emerged as an approach to engender necrotic cortical bone with host factors that will persist for weeks following surgery to facilitate revascularization, osteointegration, and remodeling. However, one major limitation is the nonporous cortical surface that prohibits uniform distribution of the rAAV coating prior to freeze-drying. To overcome this we have developed a demineralization method to increase surface absorbance while retaining the structural integrity of the allograft. Demineralized bone wafers (DBW) made from human femoral allograft rings demonstrated a significant 21.1% (73.6+/-3.9% versus 52.5+/-2.6%; p<0.001) increase in percent surface area coating versus mineralized controls. Co-incubation of rAAV-luciferase (rAAV-Luc) coated DBW with a monolayer of C3H10T1/2 cells in culture led to peak luciferase levels that were not significantly different from soluble rAAV-Luc controls (p>0.05), although the peaks occurred at 60h and 12h, respectively. To assess the transduction efficiency of rAAV-Luc coated DBW in vivo, we first performed a dose response with allografts containing 10(7), 10(9) or 10(10) particles that were surgically implanted into the quadriceps of mice, and assayed by in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21. The results demonstrated a dose response in which the DBW coated with 10(10) rAAV-Luc particles achieved peak gene expression levels on day 3, which persisted until day 21, and was significantly greater than the 10(7) dose throughout this time period (p<0.01). A direct comparison of mineralized versus DBW coated with 10(10) rAAV-Luc particles failed to demonstrate any significant differences in transduction kinetics or efficiency in vivo. Thus, surface demineralization of human cortical bone allograft increases its absorbance for uniform rAAV coating, without affecting vector transduction efficiency.

An audit of the global carbon budget: identifying and reducing sources of uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballantyne, A. P.; Tans, P. P.; Marland, G.; Stocker, B. D.

2012-12-01

Uncertainties in our carbon accounting practices may limit our ability to objectively verify emission reductions on regional scales. Furthermore uncertainties in the global C budget must be reduced to benchmark Earth System Models that incorporate carbon-climate interactions. Here we present an audit of the global C budget where we try to identify sources of uncertainty for major terms in the global C budget. The atmospheric growth rate of CO2 has increased significantly over the last 50 years, while the uncertainty in calculating the global atmospheric growth rate has been reduced from 0.4 ppm/yr to 0.2 ppm/yr (95% confidence). Although we have greatly reduced global CO2 growth rate uncertainties, there remain regions, such as the Southern Hemisphere, Tropics and Arctic, where changes in regional sources/sinks will remain difficult to detect without additional observations. Increases in fossil fuel (FF) emissions are the primary factor driving the increase in global CO2 growth rate; however, our confidence in FF emission estimates has actually gone down. Based on a comparison of multiple estimates, FF emissions have increased from 2.45 ± 0.12 PgC/yr in 1959 to 9.40 ± 0.66 PgC/yr in 2010. Major sources of increasing FF emission uncertainty are increased emissions from emerging economies, such as China and India, as well as subtle differences in accounting practices. Lastly, we evaluate emission estimates from Land Use Change (LUC). Although relative errors in emission estimates from LUC are quite high (2 sigma ~ 50%), LUC emissions have remained fairly constant in recent decades. We evaluate the three commonly used approaches to estimating LUC emissions- Bookkeeping, Satellite Imagery, and Model Simulations- to identify their main sources of error and their ability to detect net emissions from LUC.; Uncertainties in Fossil Fuel Emissions over the last 50 years.

The Major Portal of Entry of Koi Herpesvirus in Cyprinus carpio Is the Skin▿

PubMed Central

Costes, B.; Raj, V. Stalin; Michel, B.; Fournier, G.; Thirion, M.; Gillet, L.; Mast, J.; Lieffrig, F.; Bremont, M.; Vanderplasschen, A.

2009-01-01

Koi herpesvirus (KHV), recently designated Cyprinid herpesvirus 3, is the causative agent of a lethal disease in koi and common carp. In the present study, we investigated the portal of entry of KHV in carp by using bioluminescence imaging. Taking advantage of the recent cloning of the KHV genome as a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC), we produced a recombinant plasmid encoding a firefly luciferase (LUC) expression cassette inserted in the intergenic region between open reading frame (ORF) 136 and ORF 137. Two viral strains were then reconstituted from the modified plasmid, the FL BAC 136 LUC excised strain and the FL BAC 136 LUC TK revertant strain, including a disrupted and a wild-type thymidine kinase (TK) locus, respectively. In vitro, the two recombinant strains replicated comparably to the parental FL strain. The FL BAC 136 LUC TK revertant strain was shown in vitro to induce a bioluminescent signal allowing the detection of single positive cells as early as 24 h postinfection, while in vivo, it induced KHV infection in carp that was indistinguishable from that induced by the parental FL strain. To identify the KHV portal of entry, carp were analyzed by bioluminescence imaging at different times postinfection with the FL BAC 136 LUC TK revertant strain. These analyses demonstrated that the skin of the fish covering the fins and also the body is the major portal of entry for KHV in carp. Finally, to further demonstrate the role of the skin as the KHV portal of entry, we constructed an original system, nicknamed “U-tube,” to perform percutaneous infection restricted to the posterior part of the fish. All the data obtained in the present study demonstrate that the skin, and not the gills, is the major portal of entry for KHV in carp. PMID:19153228

A toxin-antitoxin module as a target for antimicrobial development.

PubMed

Lioy, Virginia S; Rey, Oscar; Balsa, Dolors; Pellicer, Teresa; Alonso, Juan C

2010-01-01

The emergence and spread of pathogenic bacteria that have become resistant to multiple antibiotics through lateral gene transfer have created the need of novel antimicrobials. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules, which have been implicated in plasmid maintenance and stress management, are ubiquitous among plasmids from vancomycin or methicillin resistant bacteria. In the Streptococcus pyogenes pSM19035-encoded TA loci, the labile epsilon antitoxin binds to free zeta toxin and neutralizes it. When the zeta toxin is freed from the epsilon antitoxin, it induces a reversible state of growth arrest with a drastic reduction on the rate of replication, transcription and translation. However, upon prolonged zeta toxin action, the cells can no longer be rescued from their stasis state. A compound that disrupts the epsilon.zeta interaction can be considered as an attractive antimicrobial agent. Gene epsilon was fused to luc (Luc-epsilon antitoxin) and zeta to the gfp gene (zeta-GFP). Luc-epsilon or epsilon antitoxin neutralizes the toxic effect of the zeta or zeta-GFP toxin. In the absence of the antitoxin, free zeta or zeta-GFP triggers a reversible loss of cell proliferation, but the zetaK46A-GFP variant fails to block growth. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay was developed for high-throughput screening (HTS). To develop the proper controls, molecular dynamics studies were used to predict that the Asp18 and/or Glu22 residues might be relevant for epsilon.zeta interaction. Luc-epsilon efficiently transfers the excited energy to the fluorescent acceptor molecule (zeta-GFP or zetaK46A-GFP) and rendered high bioluminescence BRET signals. The exchange of Asp18 to Ala from zeta (D18A) affects Luc-epsilon.zetaD18A K46A-GFP interaction. In this study, we validate the hypothesis that it is possible to disrupt a TA module and offer a novel and unexploited targets to fight against antibiotic-resistant strains. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A non-invasive in vivo imaging system to study dissemination of bioluminescent Yersinia pestis CO92 in a mouse model of pneumonic plague

PubMed Central

Sha, Jian; Rosenzweig, Jason A.; Kirtley, Michelle L.; van Lier, Christina J.; Fitts, Eric C.; Kozlova, Elena V.; Erova, Tatiana E.; Tiner, Bethany L.; Chopra, Ashok K.

2012-01-01

The gold standard in microbiology for monitoring bacterial dissemination in infected animals has always been viable plate counts. This method, despite being quantitative, requires sacrificing the infected animals. Recently, however, an alternative method of in vivo imaging of bioluminescent bacteria (IVIBB) for monitoring microbial dissemination within the host has been employed. Yersina pestis is a Gram-negative bacterium capable of causing bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. In this study, we compared the conventional counting of bacterial colony forming units (cfu) in the various infected tissues to IVIBB in monitoring Y. pestis dissemination in a mouse model of pneumonic plague. By using a transposon mutagenesis system harboring the luciferase (luc) gene, we screened approximately 4000 clones and obtained a fully virulent, luc-positive Y. pestis CO92 (Y. pestis-luc2) reporter strain in which transposition occurred within the largest pMT1 plasmid which possesses murine toxin and capsular antigen encoding genes. The aforementioned reporter strain and the wild-type CO92 exhibited similar growth curves, formed capsule based on immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, and had a similar LD50. Intranasal infection of mice with 15 LD50 of CO92-luc2 resulted in animal mortality by 72 h, and an increasing number of bioluminescent bacteria were observed in various mouse organs over a 24–72 h period when whole animals were imaged. However, following levofloxacin treatment (10 mg/kg/day) for 6 days 24 h post infection, no luminescence was observed after 72 h of infection, indicating that the tested antimicrobial killed bacteria preventing their detection in host peripheral tissues. Overall, we demonstrated that IVIBB is an effective and non-invasive way of monitoring bacterial dissemination in animals following pneumonic plague having strong correlation with cfu, and our reporter CO92-luc2 strain can be employed as a useful tool to monitor the efficacy of antimicrobial countermeasures in real time. PMID:23063826

Loss of soil (macro)fauna due to the expansion of Brazilian sugarcane acreage.

PubMed

Franco, André L C; Bartz, Marie L C; Cherubin, Maurício R; Baretta, Dilmar; Cerri, Carlos E P; Feigl, Brigitte J; Wall, Diana H; Davies, Christian A; Cerri, Carlos C

2016-09-01

Land use changes (LUC) from pasture to sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) crop are expected to add 6.4Mha of new sugarcane land by 2021 in the Brazilian Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes. We assessed the effects of these LUC on the abundance and community structure of animals that inhabit soils belowground through a field survey using chronosequences of land uses comprising native vegetation, pasture, and sugarcane along a 1000-km-long transect across these two major tropical biomes in Brazil. Macrofauna community composition differed among land uses. While most groups were associated with samples taken in native vegetation, high abundance of termites and earthworms appeared associated with pasture soils. Linear mixed effects analysis showed that LUC affected total abundance (X(2)(1)=6.79, p=0.03) and taxa richness (X(2)(1)=6.08, p=0.04) of soil macrofauna. Abundance increased from 411±70individualsm(-2) in native vegetation to 1111±202individualsm(-2) in pasture, but decreased sharply to 106±24individualsm(-2) in sugarcane soils. Diversity decreased 24% from native vegetation to pasture, and 39% from pasture to sugarcane. Thus, a reduction of ~90% in soil macrofauna abundance, besides a loss of ~40% in the diversity of macrofauna groups, can be expected when sugarcane crops replace pasture in Brazilian tropical soils. In general, higher abundances of major macrofauna groups (ants, coleopterans, earthworms, and termites) were associated with higher acidity and low contents of macronutrients and organic matter in soil. This study draws attention for a significant biodiversity loss belowground due to tropical LUC in sugarcane expansion areas. Given that many groups of soil macrofauna are recognized as key mediators of ecosystem processes such as soil aggregation, nutrients cycling and soil carbon storage, our results warrant further efforts to understand the impacts of altering belowground biodiversity and composition on soil functioning and agriculture performance across LUC in the tropics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Technical/ administrative options for managing tritium MCL exceedances in P-area groundwater and Steel Creek

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

Ross, J.

2017-04-01

This white paper was requested by the Core Team (United States Department of Energy [USDOE], United States Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA], and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control [SCDHEC]) at the P-Area Groundwater (PAGW) Operable Unit (OU) Scoping Meeting held in January 2017 to discuss recent data and potential alternatives in support of a focused Corrective Measures Study/Feasibility Study (CMS/FS). This white paper presents an overview of the problem, and a range of technical and administrative options for addressing the tritium contamination in groundwater and Steel Creek. As tritium cannot be treated practicably, alternatives are limited to mediamore » transfer, containment and natural attenuation principally relying on radioactive decay. Using other groundwater OU decisions involving tritium as precedent, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) recommends that final tritium alternatives be evaluated in a CMS/FS, understanding that the likely preferred remedy will include natural attenuation with land use controls (LUCs). This is based on the inability to significantly reduce tritium impact to Steel Creek using an engineered solution as compared to natural attenuation. The timing of this evaluation could be conducted concurrently with the final remedy evaluation for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).« less

Mutagenesis and Characterization Studies to Develop Novel Bioluminescent Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-12

described previously [42] and were corrected for the spectral response of the Turner TD -20e H6199 photomultiplier tube employed. b Tm, mean aggregation...the DNA encoding the biotin binding domain ( BBD , residues Met12-Val76 in the pET-KPBT-Luc plasmid) using the following primer and its respective...endonuclease sites are underlined). The BBD was amplified from the pET-KPBT-Luc plasmid by PCR (initial denaturation at 95 C for 2 min; a 60-cycle

microRNA-Based Immunotherapy for Control of Early Stage Lung Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

in NSG hosts via subcutaneously injection. A549-Luc developed tumors successfully in NSG hosts and mice bearing A549-Luc tumors were the subject...activation of NK cells from whole blood. Next we evaluated NK cells and host interaction by transferring NK cells into A549-tumor bearing NSG host via...that did not receive NK cells. 4 At day 28, we harvested tumors, blood and tissues from tumor- bearing mice to analyze for NK presence in the

Molecular Determinants of Antiestrogen and Drug Sensitivity in Breast Carcinoma Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-08-01

W.S. human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells (a gift of Pear, personal communication). G.R. Stark), susceptible to ecotropic retrovirus In several...transfection with equal amounts of plasmid pOPRSVIluc (generated by replacing CAT of pORRSVICAT with luc) which expresses luc from R02 promoter, and control...retroviral transduction into (Fig. 1). During transient co-transfection of NIH 3T3 human HT1080 fibrosarcoma or mouse NIH 3T3 cell cells with a laac expressing

AKT1, LKB1, and YAP1 revealed as MYC interactors with NanoLuc-based protein-fragment complementation assay. | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

The c-Myc (MYC) transcription factor is a major cancer driver and a well-validated therapeutic target. However, directly targeting MYC has been challenging. Thus, identifying proteins that interact with and regulate MYC may provide alternative strategies to inhibit its oncogenic activity. Here we report the development of a NanoLuc®-based protein-fragment complementation assay (NanoPCA) and mapping of the MYC protein interaction hub in live mammalian cells.

PREFACE: 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ručevskis, Sandris

2015-11-01

The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies (IMST 2015) took place in Riga, Latvia from 30th September - 2nd October, 2015. The first event of the conference series, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University, was held in 2013. Following the established tradition, the aim of the conference was to promote and discuss the latest results of industrial and academic research carried out in the following engineering fields: analysis and design of advanced structures and buildings; innovative, ecological and energy efficient building materials; maintenance, inspection and monitoring methods; construction technologies; structural management; sustainable and safe transport infrastructure; and geomatics and geotechnics. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for leading researchers, representatives of the industrial community, engineers, managers and students to share the latest achievements, discuss recent advances and highlight the current challenges. IMST 2015 attracted over 120 scientists from 24 countries. After rigorous reviewing, over 80 technical papers were accepted for publication in the conference proceedings. On behalf of the organizing committee I would like to thank all the speakers, authors, session chairs and reviewers for their efficient and timely effort. The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies was organized by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University with the support of the Latvia State Research Programme under the grant agreement "INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND SMART TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY, IMATEH". I would like to express sincere gratitude to Juris Smirnovs, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Andris Chate, manager of the Latvia State Research Programme. Finally, I would like to thank all those who helped to make this event happen. Special thanks go to Diana Bajare, Laura Sele, Liga Radina and Jana Galilejeva for their major contribution to organizing the conference and to the literary editor Tatjana Smirnova and technical editor Daira Erdmane for their hard work on the conference proceedings.

Intracranial implantation with subsequent 3D in vivo bioluminescent imaging of murine gliomas.

PubMed

Abdelwahab, Mohammed G; Sankar, Tejas; Preul, Mark C; Scheck, Adrienne C

2011-11-06

The mouse glioma 261 (GL261) is recognized as an in vivo model system that recapitulates many of the features of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The cell line was originally induced by intracranial injection of 3-methyl-cholantrene into a C57BL/6 syngeneic mouse strain (1); therefore, immunologically competent C57BL/6 mice can be used. While we use GL261, the following protocol can be used for the implantation and monitoring of any intracranial mouse tumor model. GL261 cells were engineered to stably express firefly luciferase (GL261-luc). We also created the brighter GL261-luc2 cell line by stable transfection of the luc2 gene expressed from the CMV promoter. C57BL/6-cBrd/cBrd/Cr mice (albino variant of C57BL/6) from the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD were used to eliminate the light attenuation caused by black skin and fur. With the use of albino C57BL/6 mice; in vivo imaging using the IVIS Spectrum in vivo imaging system is possible from the day of implantation (Caliper Life Sciences, Hopkinton, MA). The GL261-luc and GL261-luc2 cell lines showed the same in vivo behavior as the parental GL261 cells. Some of the shared histological features present in human GBMs and this mouse model include: tumor necrosis, pseudopalisades, neovascularization, invasion, hypercellularity, and inflammation (1). Prior to implantation animals were anesthetized by an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine (50 mg/kg), xylazine (5 mg/kg) and buprenorphine (0.05 mg/kg), placed in a stereotactic apparatus and an incision was made with a scalpel over the cranial midline. A burrhole was made 0.1 mm posterior to the bregma and 2.3mm to the right of the midline. A needle was inserted to a depth of 3mm and withdrawn 0.4 mm to a depth of 2.6 mm. Two μl of GL261-luc or GL261-luc2 cells (10(7) cells/ml) were infused over the course of 3 minutes. The burrhole was closed with bonewax and the incision was sutured. Following stereotactic implantation the bioluminescent cells are detectable from the day of implantation and the tumor can be analyzed using the 3D image reconstruction feature of the IVIS Spectrum instrument. Animals receive a subcutaneous injection of 150 μg luciferin /kg body weight 20 min prior to imaging. Tumor burden is quantified using mean tumor bioluminescence over time. Tumor-bearing mice were observed daily to assess morbidity and were euthanized when one or more of the following symptoms are present: lethargy, failure to ambulate, hunched posture, failure to groom, anorexia resulting in >10% loss of weight. Tumors were evident in all of the animals on necropsy.

Historical warming reduced due to enhanced land carbon uptake

PubMed Central

Shevliakova, Elena; Stouffer, Ronald J.; Malyshev, Sergey; Krasting, John P.; Hurtt, George C.; Pacala, Stephen W.

2013-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of enhanced vegetation growth under future elevated atmospheric CO2 for 21st century climate warming. Surprisingly no study has completed an analogous assessment for the historical period, during which emissions of greenhouse gases increased rapidly and land-use changes (LUC) dramatically altered terrestrial carbon sources and sinks. Using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory comprehensive Earth System Model ESM2G and a reconstruction of the LUC, we estimate that enhanced vegetation growth has lowered the historical atmospheric CO2 concentration by 85 ppm, avoiding an additional 0.31 ± 0.06 °C warming. We demonstrate that without enhanced vegetation growth the total residual terrestrial carbon flux (i.e., the net land flux minus LUC flux) would be a source of 65–82 Gt of carbon (GtC) to atmosphere instead of the historical residual carbon sink of 186–192 GtC, a carbon saving of 251–274 GtC. PMID:24062452

Scientific analysis is essential to assess biofuel policy effects: in response to the paper by Kim and Dale on "Indirect land use change for biofuels: Testing predictions and improving analytical methodologies"

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

Kline, Keith L; Oladosu, Gbadebo A; Dale, Virginia H

2011-01-01

Vigorous debate on the effects of biofuels derives largely from the changes in land use estimated using economic models designed mainly for the analysis of agricultural trade and markets. The models referenced for land-use change (LUC) analysis in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Final Rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard include GTAP, FAPRI-CARD, and FASOM. To address bioenergy impacts, these models were expanded and modified to facilitate simulations of hypothesized LUC. However, even when models use similar basic assumptions and data, the range of LUC results can vary by ten-fold or more. While the market dynamics simulated in these modelsmore » include processes that are important in estimating effects of biofuel policies, the models have not been validated for estimating land-use changes and employ crucial assumptions and simplifications that contradict empirical evidence.« less

Carbon Calculator for Land Use Change from Biofuels Production (CCLUB). Users' manual and technical documentation.

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

Mueller, S; Dunn, JB; Wang, M

2012-06-07

The Carbon Calculator for Land Use Change from Biofuels Production (CCLUB) calculates carbon emissions from land use change (LUC) for four different ethanol production pathways including corn grain ethanol and cellulosic ethanol from corn stover, miscanthus, and switchgrass. This document discusses the version of CCLUB released May 31, 2012 which includes corn, as did the previous CCLUB version, and three cellulosic feedstocks: corn stover, miscanthus, and switchgrass. CCLUB calculations are based upon two data sets: land change areas and above- and below-ground carbon content. Table 1 identifies where these data are stored and used within the CCLUB model, which ismore » built in MS Excel. Land change area data is from Purdue University's Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model, a computable general equilibrium (CGE) economic model. Section 2 describes the GTAP data CCLUB uses and how these data were modified to reflect shrubland transitions. Feedstock- and spatially-explicit below-ground carbon content data for the United States were generated with a surrogate model for CENTURY's soil organic carbon sub-model (Kwon and Hudson 2010) as described in Section 3. CENTURY is a soil organic matter model developed by Parton et al. (1987). The previous CCLUB version used more coarse domestic carbon emission factors. Above-ground non-soil carbon content data for forest ecosystems was sourced from the USDA/NCIAS Carbon Online Estimator (COLE) as explained in Section 4. We discuss emission factors used for calculation of international greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Section 5. Temporal issues associated with modeling LUC emissions are the topic of Section 6. Finally, in Section 7 we provide a step-by-step guide to using CCLUB and obtaining results.« less

Letter to the editor : Impartial review is key.

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

Crabtree, G. W.; Materials Science Division

The News Feature, 'Misconduct in physics: Time to wise up? [Nature 418, 120-121; 2002], raises important issues that the physical-science community must face. Argonne National Laboratory's code of ethics calls for a response very similar to that of Bell Labs, namely: 'The Laboratory director may appoint an ad-hoc scientific review committee to investigate internal or external charges of scientific misconduct, fraud, falsification of data, misinterpretation of data, or other activities involving scientific or technical matters.'

[Assessment of the journal Nutrición Hospitalaria (part I): authors, institutions, articles].

PubMed

Iglesias Vázquez, E; Culebras, J M; García de Lorenzo, A

2001-01-01

An analysis is made into the productivity of the authors publishing in Hospital Nutrition and the Institutions to which they belong. Spanish authors are dominant, mainly ones from Madrid, and coming to a large extent from the health-care field (75.8%), basically in general hospitals. The types of article very over the period under study, with examples of purely technical articles alongside others such as bibliographical reviews, or Letters to the Editor.

Effects of inorganic polyphosphate on bone sialoprotein gene expression.

PubMed

Wang, Zhitao; Li, Xinyue; Li, Zhengyang; Yang, Li; Sasaki, Yoko; Wang, Shuang; Zhou, Liming; Araki, Shouta; Mezawa, Masaru; Takai, Hideki; Ogata, Yorimasa

2010-03-01

Inorganic polyphosphate (poly(P)) is a biopolymer existing in almost all cells and tissues. The biological functions of poly(P) in micro-organisms have been extensively investigated in studies of poly(P) in eukaryotic cells, especially osteoblasts, and are increasing. Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is thought to function in bone mineralization, and is selectively expressed by differentiated osteoblasts. In this study, application of sodium phosphate glass type 25 (SPG25, 12.5 and 125 microM) increased BSP mRNA levels at 12 h in osteoblast-like ROS 17/2.8 cells. In transient transfection assay, 12.5 and 125 microM SPG25 increased luciferase activities of the constructs pLUC3 (-116 to +60), pLUC4 (-425 to +60), pLUC5 (-801 to +60) and pLUC6 (-938 to +60). Introduction of 2 bp mutations to the luciferase constructs showed that the effects of SPG25 were mediated by a FGF2 response element (FRE) and a homeodomain protein binding site (HOX). Luciferase activities induced by SPG25 were blocked by tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycine A, MAP kinase kinase inhibitor U0126, PI3-kinase/Akt inhibitor LY249002 and inorganic phosphate transport inhibitor foscarnet. Gel shift analyses showed that both 12.5 and 125 microM SPG25 increased nuclear protein binding to FRE and HOX elements. These studies demonstrate that SPG25 stimulates BSP transcription by targeting FRE and HOX elements in the proximal promoter of the rat BSP gene. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mutational Analysis of the Rift Valley Fever Virus Glycoprotein Precursor Proteins for Gn Protein Expression

PubMed Central

Phoenix, Inaia; Lokugamage, Nandadeva; Nishiyama, Shoko; Ikegami, Tetsuro

2016-01-01

The Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) M-segment encodes the 78 kD, NSm, Gn, and Gc proteins. The 1st AUG generates the 78 kD-Gc precursor, the 2nd AUG generates the NSm-Gn-Gc precursor, and the 3rd AUG makes the NSm’-Gn-Gc precursor. To understand biological changes due to abolishment of the precursors, we quantitatively measured Gn secretion using a reporter assay, in which a Gaussia luciferase (gLuc) protein is fused to the RVFV M-segment pre-Gn region. Using the reporter assay, the relative expression of Gn/gLuc fusion proteins was analyzed among various AUG mutants. The reporter assay showed efficient secretion of Gn/gLuc protein from the precursor made from the 2nd AUG, while the removal of the untranslated region upstream of the 2nd AUG (AUG2-M) increased the secretion of the Gn/gLuc protein. Subsequently, recombinant MP-12 strains encoding mutations in the pre-Gn region were rescued, and virological phenotypes were characterized. Recombinant MP-12 encoding the AUG2-M mutation replicated slightly less efficiently than the control, indicating that viral replication is further influenced by the biological processes occurring after Gn expression, rather than the Gn abundance. This study showed that, not only the abolishment of AUG, but also the truncation of viral UTR, affects the expression of Gn protein by the RVFV M-segment. PMID:27231931

Effect of sodium-alginate and laminaran on Salmonella Typhimurium infection in human enterocyte-like HT-29-Luc cells and BALB/c mice.

PubMed

Kuda, Takashi; Kosaka, Misa; Hirano, Shino; Kawahara, Miho; Sato, Masahiro; Kaneshima, Tai; Nishizawa, Makoto; Takahashi, Hajime; Kimura, Bon

2015-07-10

Brown algal polysaccharides such as alginate, polymers of uronic acids, and laminaran, beta-1,3 and 1,6-glucan, can be fermented by human intestinal microbiota. To evaluate the effects of these polysaccharides on infections caused by food poisoning pathogens, we investigated the adhesion and invasion of pathogens (Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) in human enterocyte-like HT-29-Luc cells and in infections caused in BALB/c mice. Both sodium Na-alginate and laminaran (0.1% each) inhibited the adhesion of the pathogens to HT-29-Luc cells by approximately 70-90%. The invasion of S. Typhimurium was also inhibited by approximately 70 and 80% by Na-alginate and laminaran, respectively. We observed that incubation with Na-alginate for 18 h increased the transepithelial electrical resistance of HT-29-Luc monolayer cells. Four days after inoculation with 7 log CFU/mouse of S. Typhimurium, the faecal pathogen count in mice that were not fed polysaccharides (control mice) was about 6.5 log CFU/g while the count in mice that were fed Na-alginate had decreased to 5.0 log CFU/g. The liver pathogen count, which was 4.1 log CFU/g in the control mice, was also decreased in mice that were fed Na-alginate. In contrast, the mice that were fed laminaran exhibited a more severe infection than that exhibited by control mice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reporter Gene-Facilitated Detection of Compounds in Arabidopsis Leaf Extracts that Activate the Karrikin Signaling Pathway.

PubMed

Sun, Yueming K; Flematti, Gavin R; Smith, Steven M; Waters, Mark T

2016-01-01

Karrikins are potent germination stimulants generated by the combustion of plant matter. Treatment of Arabidopsis with karrikins triggers a signaling process that is dependent upon a putative receptor protein KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE 2 (KAI2). KAI2 is a homolog of DWARF 14 (D14), the receptor for endogenous strigolactone hormones. Genetic analyses suggest that KAI2 also perceives endogenous signal(s) that are not strigolactones. Activation of KAI2 by addition of karrikins to Arabidopsis plants induces expression of transcripts including D14-LIKE 2 ( DLK2 ). We constructed the synthetic reporter gene DLK2 : LUC in Arabidopsis , which comprises the firefly luciferase gene ( LUC ) driven by the DLK2 promoter. Here we describe a luminescence-based reporter assay with Arabidopsis seeds to detect chemical signals that can activate the KAI2 signaling pathway. We demonstrate that the DLK2 : LUC assay can selectively and sensitively detect karrikins and a functionally similar synthetic strigolactone analog. Crucially we show that crude extracts from Arabidopsis leaves can also activate DLK2 : LUC in a KAI2-dependent manner. Our work provides the first direct evidence for the existence of endogenous chemical signals that can activate the KAI2-mediated signaling pathway in Arabidopsis . This sensitive reporter system can now be used for the bioassay-guided purification and identification of putative endogenous KAI2 ligands or their precursors, and endogenous compounds that might modulate the KAI2 signaling pathway.

Reporter Gene-Facilitated Detection of Compounds in Arabidopsis Leaf Extracts that Activate the Karrikin Signaling Pathway

PubMed Central

Sun, Yueming K.; Flematti, Gavin R.; Smith, Steven M.; Waters, Mark T.

2016-01-01

Karrikins are potent germination stimulants generated by the combustion of plant matter. Treatment of Arabidopsis with karrikins triggers a signaling process that is dependent upon a putative receptor protein KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE 2 (KAI2). KAI2 is a homolog of DWARF 14 (D14), the receptor for endogenous strigolactone hormones. Genetic analyses suggest that KAI2 also perceives endogenous signal(s) that are not strigolactones. Activation of KAI2 by addition of karrikins to Arabidopsis plants induces expression of transcripts including D14-LIKE 2 (DLK2). We constructed the synthetic reporter gene DLK2:LUC in Arabidopsis, which comprises the firefly luciferase gene (LUC) driven by the DLK2 promoter. Here we describe a luminescence-based reporter assay with Arabidopsis seeds to detect chemical signals that can activate the KAI2 signaling pathway. We demonstrate that the DLK2:LUC assay can selectively and sensitively detect karrikins and a functionally similar synthetic strigolactone analog. Crucially we show that crude extracts from Arabidopsis leaves can also activate DLK2:LUC in a KAI2-dependent manner. Our work provides the first direct evidence for the existence of endogenous chemical signals that can activate the KAI2-mediated signaling pathway in Arabidopsis. This sensitive reporter system can now be used for the bioassay-guided purification and identification of putative endogenous KAI2 ligands or their precursors, and endogenous compounds that might modulate the KAI2 signaling pathway. PMID:27994609

Simultaneous imaging of temporal changes of NF-κB activity and viable tumor cells in Huh7/NF-κB-tk-luc2/rfp tumor-bearing mice.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Hsun; Chiang, I-Tsang; Liu, Yu-Chang; Hsu, Fei-Ting; Chen, Hong-Wen; Chen, Chuan-Lin; Lee, Yi-Jang; Lin, Wuu-Jyh; Hwang, Jeng-Jong

2013-01-01

Few studies have reported that the effect of sorafenib on advanced human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is taking place via the inhibition of NF-κB signal transduction. Here we constructed a human HCC Huh7 stable clone with NF-κB-responsive element to drive dual reporter genes, herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (tk) and firefly luciferase (luc2), and co-transfected with a third red fluorescent protein (rfp) gene, renamed as Huh7/NF-κB-tk-luc2/rfp cells, and combined with bioluminescent imaging (BLI) and red fluorescent protein imaging (RFPI) to monitor the effect of sorafenib on NF-κB activation and tumor inhibition. The results show that sorafenib could suppress the NF-κB-DNA binding activity, and the expression of downstream effector proteins. Notably, the relative photon fluxes obtained from RFPI and BLI, which represent the viable tumor cells and cells with NF-κB activation, decreased after sorafenib treatment by 50 to 65%, and 87.5 to >90%, respectively, suggesting that NF-κB activation is suppressed in viable HCC cells by sorafenib. Simultaneous molecular imaging of the temporal change of NF-κB activity and of viable cells in the same Huh7/NF-κB-tk-luc2/rfp tumors of the animal may reflect the real status of NF-κB activity and the viable tumor cells at the time of imaging.

The Biosphere Under Potential Paris Outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostberg, Sebastian; Boysen, Lena R.; Schaphoff, Sibyll; Lucht, Wolfgang; Gerten, Dieter

2018-01-01

Rapid economic and population growth over the last centuries have started to push the Earth out of its Holocene state into the Anthropocene. In this new era, ecosystems across the globe face mounting dual pressure from human land use change (LUC) and climate change (CC). With the Paris Agreement, the international community has committed to holding global warming below 2°C above preindustrial levels, yet current pledges by countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions appear insufficient to achieve that goal. At the same time, the sustainable development goals strive to reduce inequalities between countries and provide sufficient food, feed, and clean energy to a growing world population likely to reach more than 9 billion by 2050. Here, we present a macro-scale analysis of the projected impacts of both CC and LUC on the terrestrial biosphere over the 21st century using the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) to illustrate possible trajectories following the Paris Agreement. We find that CC may cause major impacts in landscapes covering between 16% and 65% of the global ice-free land surface by the end of the century, depending on the success or failure of achieving the Paris goal. Accounting for LUC impacts in addition, this number increases to 38%-80%. Thus, CC will likely replace LUC as the major driver of ecosystem change unless global warming can be limited to well below 2°C. We also find a substantial risk that impacts of agricultural expansion may offset some of the benefits of ambitious climate protection for ecosystems.

Mutational Analysis of the Rift Valley Fever Virus Glycoprotein Precursor Proteins for Gn Protein Expression.

PubMed

Phoenix, Inaia; Lokugamage, Nandadeva; Nishiyama, Shoko; Ikegami, Tetsuro

2016-05-24

The Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) M-segment encodes the 78 kD, NSm, Gn, and Gc proteins. The 1st AUG generates the 78 kD-Gc precursor, the 2nd AUG generates the NSm-Gn-Gc precursor, and the 3rd AUG makes the NSm'-Gn-Gc precursor. To understand biological changes due to abolishment of the precursors, we quantitatively measured Gn secretion using a reporter assay, in which a Gaussia luciferase (gLuc) protein is fused to the RVFV M-segment pre-Gn region. Using the reporter assay, the relative expression of Gn/gLuc fusion proteins was analyzed among various AUG mutants. The reporter assay showed efficient secretion of Gn/gLuc protein from the precursor made from the 2nd AUG, while the removal of the untranslated region upstream of the 2nd AUG (AUG2-M) increased the secretion of the Gn/gLuc protein. Subsequently, recombinant MP-12 strains encoding mutations in the pre-Gn region were rescued, and virological phenotypes were characterized. Recombinant MP-12 encoding the AUG2-M mutation replicated slightly less efficiently than the control, indicating that viral replication is further influenced by the biological processes occurring after Gn expression, rather than the Gn abundance. This study showed that, not only the abolishment of AUG, but also the truncation of viral UTR, affects the expression of Gn protein by the RVFV M-segment.

[Influence of MSA on cell growth and spontaneousn metastasis of L9981-Luc lung cancer transplanted model in nude mice by bioluminescence imaging].

PubMed

Ren, Yuanrong; Wang, Yuli; Liu, Hongyu; Yan, Huiqin; Chen, Jun; Hou, Mei; Li, Weimin; Fan, Yaguang; Zhou, Qinghua

2013-02-01

Methylseleninic acid (MSA) is an artificially developed selenium compound. It has been proven that MSA could inhibit growth and metastasis on many tumor cells. This study investigated whether MSA has an impact on the growth and metastasis of L9981-Luc lung cancer transplanted model in nude mice or not. A transplantated tumor model was established in nude mice. Fifteen nude mice were randomly divided into three groups: the control group treated with normal saline (0.2 mL/d), the MSA group treated with MSA solution (0.2 mL), and the cisplatin (DDP) group injected intraperitoneally with DDP (4 mg/kg/w). Inhibition of MSA on tumor growth and tumor metastasis was observed using the IVIS Imaging System 200 Series. A significant difference was obserced in the primary tumor bioluminescence among the three groups (P=0.002) on 21 days post-inoculation. Primary tumor bioluminescence in the DDP group (P=0.001) and in the MSA group (P=0.031) was significantly lower than that in the control group (P=0.001). No significant difference in the metastasis bioluminescence of the thoracic area was indicated among the three groups (P>0.05). MSA can inhibit the growth of planted tumor of transgenic lung cancer cell lines L9981-Luc in nude mice. MSA may also suppress the distant metastasis of the transplanted tumor of transgenic lung cancer cell lines L9981-Luc in nude mice.

Intraventricular Delivery of Engineered Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virotherapy to Treat Localized and Metastatic Pediatric Brain Tumors

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

medulloblastoma (MB) to oHSV. Patient derived MB xenograft D341-luc, which is luciferase enabled, was used for the experiment. Athymic nude mice received...ability of G207 and M002 to kill another patient-derived pediatric group Page 10 3 MB xenograft D425-luc. Additionally, we will begin to test...from pediatric MB xenografts D425 and D341 (no identifiable information will be accessible to the research team by any means) and in Trp53-/- Ptch

[30 years since the first AIDS cases were reported: history and the present. Part I].

PubMed

Brůcková, Marie

2012-05-01

The 30-year natural history of AIDS disease is presented from the first clinical cases reported in 1981 to the identification of the HIV as the etiological agent of the disease. The priority dispute between Robert C. Gallo and Luc Montagnier over the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus is briefly addressed. The final confirmation of the French priority was provided by the fact that the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2008 was awarded to Luc Montagnier and Francoise Barré--Sinoussi from the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

Technical Evaluation Report on the Flight Mechanics Panel Symposium on the Use of Computers as a Design Tool.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

by Professor Dr- gfrie r Hochschule der Bundeswehr Minchen Werner - Heisenberg -Weg 39 8014 Neubiberg, Germany DTI Tl sJUN . This Advisory Report was...Wagner March 1980 10. Author’s/Editor’s Address II. Pages Hochschule der Bundeswehr MUnchen Werner - Heisenberg -Weg 39 21 8014 Neubiberg, Germany 12...SYMPOSIUM ON THE USE OF COMPUTERS AS A DESIGN TOOL by Professor Dr.-Ing. Siegfried N. Wagner Luftfahrttechnik Hochschule der Bundeswehr Mflnchen Werner

WOLF; automatic typing program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evenden, G.I.

1982-01-01

A FORTRAN IV program for the Hewlett-Packard 1000 series computer provides for automatic typing operations and can, when employed with manufacturer's text editor, provide a system to greatly facilitate preparation of reports, letters and other text. The input text and imbedded control data can perform nearly all of the functions of a typist. A few of the features available are centering, titles, footnotes, indentation, page numbering (including Roman numerals), automatic paragraphing, and two forms of tab operations. This documentation contains both user and technical description of the program.

"On-screen" writing and composing: two years experience with Manuscript Manager, Apple II and IBM-PC versions.

PubMed

Offerhaus, L

1989-06-01

The problems of the direct composition of a biomedical manuscript on a personal computer are discussed. Most word processing software is unsuitable because literature references, once stored, cannot be rearranged if major changes are necessary. These obstacles have been overcome in Manuscript Manager, a combination of word processing and database software. As it follows Council of Biology Editors and Vancouver rules, the printouts should be technically acceptable to most leading biomedical journals.

Overview (this manuscript is an overview of an ASTM symposium. The authors, John Sebroski and Mark Mason, of the overview were the co-chairs of the symposium and co-editors of the manuscripts submitted for ASTM peer review and subsequent publication in the technical proceedings for the symposium)

EPA Science Inventory

The Symposium on Developing Consensus Standards for Measuring Chemical Emissions from Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Insulation was held on April 30th and May 1, 2015. Sponsored by ASTM Committee D22 on Air Quality, the symposium was held in Anaheim, CA, in conjunction with the st...

Guidance on Risk Analysis and Safety Implications of a Large Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Spill Over Water

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

Explosive Materials/Subsystems Don Ragland, Technical Writer/Editor Energy Infrastructure and DER Department Sandia National Laboratories P.O. Box 5800...and the culvert measured 2.4 meters in diameter. From these detonations, the shock wave was felt at a town 22 km from the test site. Vander Molen ...and Nicholls – 1979 [Vander Molen and Nicholls 1979] Experiments were performed to measure the effect of ethane addition to methane air clouds on

Rapid microbiology - raising awareness.

PubMed

Bailie, Jonathan

2016-01-01

A 'high-level overview' of some of the emerging rapid microbiology technologies designed to help healthcare engineering and infection control teams working in hospitals and other healthcare facilities more rapidly identify potentially hazardous levels of waterborne microorganisms in their water systems, enabling them to take prompt remedial action, and a look at the some of the 'pros and cons' of such testing techniques, was given by Nalco technical director, Howard Barnes, the vice-chair of the Legionella Control Association (LCA), at a recent LCA open day. HEJ editor, Jonathan Bailie, reports.

[Book Review] Bykhovskaya-Pavllvskaya: Key to parasites of freshwater fish of the U.S.S.R

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffman, G.L.

1966-01-01

Review of: Key to parasites of freshwater fish of the U.S.S.R. Opredelitel' parazitov presnovodnykh ryb SSSR. Compiled by I. E. Bykhovskaya-Pavlovskaya [and others] Assisted by L. F. Nagibina, E. V. Baikova, and Yu. A. Strelkov. Chief Editor: E. N. Pavlovskii. Translated from Russian [by A. Birron and Z.S. Cole] Published 1964 by Israel Program for Scientific Translations, [available from the Office of Technical Services, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Washington] in Jerusalem.

Coal Conversion at Picatinny Arsenal and Forts Campbell, Bragg, and Gordon: A Feasibility Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

David M. Joncich is Chief, USACERL-FE, and Dr. Michael J. O’Connor is Chief, USACERL-FL. The USACERL technical editor was William J. Wolfe, Information...PanFr apel B4. S.. .......................................... U ,20 .. .... . .... ........ .. ’.... . ... .. i"....... 20 .......... .......... 1...i ~ ~ Chng In X Fgr14 Efe oEsatio Rat onte LC of a iolFrdSoe lnFr apel * S S i S e• B * S S e S e S SS* e e o * S S

A Modular Set of Mixed Reality Simulators for Blind and Guided Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0113 TITLE: A Modular Set of Mixed Reality Simulators for “blind” and Guided Procedures PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...2015 – 07/31/2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER A Modular Set of Mixed Reality Simulators for “Blind” and Guided Procedures 5b...editor developed to facilitate creation by non-technical educators of ITs for the set of modular simulators, (c) a curriculum for self-study and self

Collaborative writing: Tools and tips.

PubMed

Eapen, Bell Raj

2007-01-01

Majority of technical writing is done by groups of experts and various web based applications have made this collaboration easy. Email exchange of word processor documents with tracked changes used to be the standard technique for collaborative writing. However web based tools like Google docs and Spreadsheets have made the process fast and efficient. Various versioning tools and synchronous editors are available for those who need additional functionality. Having a group leader who decides the scheduling, communication and conflict resolving protocols is important for successful collaboration.

Suggestions to authors of the reports of the United States Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Wallace R.

1991-01-01

Suggestions to Authors (STA) is used as the writing style guide for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) technical reports and maps. The STA is widely distributed in paper outside of the USGS as a basic scientific writing style guide for scientists, students, and editors. The goal of STA is to help writers present information as clearly as possible explaining punctuation rules, suggesting phrasing, and offering examples of citations styles and outlining report organization, table and graph design, and details of map design.

Legal and ethical issues in research

PubMed Central

Yip, Camille; Han, Nian-Lin Reena; Sng, Ban Leong

2016-01-01

Legal and ethical issues form an important component of modern research, related to the subject and researcher. This article seeks to briefly review the various international guidelines and regulations that exist on issues related to informed consent, confidentiality, providing incentives and various forms of research misconduct. Relevant original publications (The Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report, Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences/World Health Organisation International Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, World Association of Medical Editors Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, CoSE White Paper, International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use-Good Clinical Practice) form the literature that are relevant to the ethical and legal aspects of conducting research that researchers should abide by when conducting translational and clinical research. Researchers should note the major international guidelines and regional differences in legislation. Hence, specific ethical advice should be sought at local Ethics Review Committees. PMID:27729698

Short Hairpin RNA Gene Silencing of Prolyl Hydroxylase-2 with a Minicircle Vector Improves Neovascularization of Hindlimb Ischemia

PubMed Central

Lijkwan, Maarten A.; Hellingman, Alwine A.; Bos, Ernst J.; van der Bogt, Koen E.A.; Huang, Mei; Kooreman, Nigel G.; de Vries, Margreet R.; Peters, Hendrika A.B.; Robbins, Robert C.; Quax, Paul H.A.

2014-01-01

Abstract In this study, we target the hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1-alpha) pathway by short hairpin RNA interference therapy targeting prolyl hydroxylase-2 (shPHD2). We use the minicircle (MC) vector technology as an alternative for conventional nonviral plasmid (PL) vectors in order to improve neovascularization after unilateral hindlimb ischemia in a murine model. Gene expression and transfection efficiency of MC and PL, both in vitro and in vivo, were assessed using bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and firefly luciferase (Luc) reporter gene. C57Bl6 mice underwent unilateral electrocoagulation of the femoral artery and gastrocnemic muscle injection with MC-shPHD2, PL-shPHD2, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as control. Blood flow recovery was monitored using laser Doppler perfusion imaging, and collaterals were visualized by immunohistochemistry and angiography. MC-Luc showed a 4.6-fold higher in vitro BLI signal compared with PL-Luc. BLI signals in vivo were 4.3×105±3.3×105 (MC-Luc) versus 0.4×105±0.3×105 (PL-Luc) at day 28 (p=0.016). Compared with PL-shPHD2 or PBS, MC-shPHD2 significantly improved blood flow recovery, up to 50% from day 3 until day 14 after ischemia induction. MC-shPHD2 significantly increased collateral density and capillary density, as monitored by alpha-smooth muscle actin expression and CD31+ expression, respectively. Angiography data confirmed the histological findings. Significant downregulation of PHD2 mRNA levels by MC-shPHD2 was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Finally, Western blot analysis confirmed significantly higher levels of HIF-1-alpha protein by MC-shPHD2, compared with PL-shPHD2 and PBS. This study provides initial evidence of a new potential therapeutic approach for peripheral artery disease. The combination of HIF-1-alpha pathway targeting by shPHD2 with the robust nonviral MC plasmid improved postischemic neovascularization, making this approach a promising potential treatment option for critical limb ischemia. PMID:24090375

A non-invasive in vivo imaging system to study dissemination of bioluminescent Yersinia pestis CO92 in a mouse model of pneumonic plague.

PubMed

Sha, Jian; Rosenzweig, Jason A; Kirtley, Michelle L; van Lier, Christina J; Fitts, Eric C; Kozlova, Elena V; Erova, Tatiana E; Tiner, Bethany L; Chopra, Ashok K

2013-02-01

The gold standard in microbiology for monitoring bacterial dissemination in infected animals has always been viable plate counts. This method, despite being quantitative, requires sacrificing the infected animals. Recently, however, an alternative method of in vivo imaging of bioluminescent bacteria (IVIBB) for monitoring microbial dissemination within the host has been employed. Yersinia pestis is a Gram-negative bacterium capable of causing bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. In this study, we compared the conventional counting of bacterial colony forming units (cfu) in the various infected tissues to IVIBB in monitoring Y. pestis dissemination in a mouse model of pneumonic plague. By using a transposon mutagenesis system harboring the luciferase (luc) gene, we screened approximately 4000 clones and obtained a fully virulent, luc-positive Y. pestis CO92 (Y. pestis-luc2) reporter strain in which transposition occurred within the largest pMT1 plasmid which possesses murine toxin and capsular antigen encoding genes. The aforementioned reporter strain and the wild-type CO92 exhibited similar growth curves, formed capsule based on immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, and had a similar LD(50). Intranasal infection of mice with 15 LD(50) of CO92-luc2 resulted in animal mortality by 72 h, and an increasing number of bioluminescent bacteria were observed in various mouse organs over a 24-72 h period when whole animals were imaged. However, following levofloxacin treatment (10 mg/kg/day) for 6 days 24 h post infection, no luminescence was observed after 72 h of infection, indicating that the tested antimicrobial killed bacteria preventing their detection in host peripheral tissues. Overall, we demonstrated that IVIBB is an effective and non-invasive way of monitoring bacterial dissemination in animals following pneumonic plague having strong correlation with cfu, and our reporter CO92-luc2 strain can be employed as a useful tool to monitor the efficacy of antimicrobial countermeasures in real time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a luciferase based viral inhibition assay to evaluate vaccine induced CD8 T-cell responses

PubMed Central

Naarding, Marloes A.; Fernandez-Fernandez, Natalia; Kappes, John C.; Hayes, Peter; Ahmed, Tina; Icyuz, Mert; Edmonds, Tara G.; Bergin, Philip; Anzala, Omu; Hanke, Tomas; Clark, Lorna; Cox, Josephine H.; Cormier, Emmanuel; Ochsenbauer, Christina; Gilmour, Jill

2014-01-01

Emergence of SIV and HIV specific CD8 T cells has been shown to correlate with control of in vivo replication. Poor correlation between IFN-γ ELISPOT responses and in vivo control of the virus has triggered the development of more relevant assays to assess functional HIV-1 specific CD8 T-cell responses for the evaluation and prioritization of new HIV-1 vaccine candidates. We previously established a viral inhibition assay (VIA) that measures the ability of vaccine-induced CD8 T-cell responses to inhibit viral replication in autologous CD4 T cells. In this assay, viral replication is determined by measuring p24 in the culture supernatant. Here we describe the development of a novel VIA, referred to as IMC LucR VIA that exploits replication-competent HIV-1 infectious molecular clones (IMCs) in which the complete proviral genome is strain-specific and which express the Renilla luciferase (LucR) gene to determine viral growth and inhibition. The introduction of the luciferase readout does provide significant improvement of the read out time. In addition to switching to the LucR read out, changes made to the overall protocol resulted in the miniaturization of the assay from a 48 to a 96-well plate format, which preserved sample and allowed for the introduction of replicates. The overall assay time was reduced from 13 to 8 days. The assay has a high degree of specificity, and the previously observed non-specific background inhibition in cells from HIV-1 negative volunteers has been reduced dramatically. Importantly, we observed an increase in positive responses, indicating an improvement in sensitivity compared to the original VIA. Currently, only a limited number of “whole-genome” IMC-LucR viruses are available and our efforts will focus on expanding the panel to better evaluate anti-viral breadth. Overall, we believe the IMC LucR VIA provides a platform to assess functional CD8 T-cell responses in large-scale clinical trial testing, which will enhance the ability to select the most promising HIV-1 vaccine candidates capable of controlling HIV-1 replication in vivo. PMID:24291126

Climate extremes, land–climate feedbacks and land-use forcing at 1.5°C

PubMed Central

Wartenburger, Richard; Guillod, Benoit P.; Hirsch, Annette L.; Vogel, Martha M.; Brovkin, Victor; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Schaller, Nathalie; Boysen, Lena; Calvin, Katherine V.; Doelman, Jonathan; Greve, Peter; Havlik, Petr; Humpenöder, Florian; Krisztin, Tamas; Mitchell, Daniel; Popp, Alexander; Riahi, Keywan; Rogelj, Joeri; Schleussner, Carl-Friedrich; Sillmann, Jana; Stehfest, Elke

2018-01-01

This article investigates projected changes in temperature and water cycle extremes at 1.5°C of global warming, and highlights the role of land processes and land-use changes (LUCs) for these projections. We provide new comparisons of changes in climate at 1.5°C versus 2°C based on empirical sampling analyses of transient simulations versus simulations from the ‘Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts’ (HAPPI) multi-model experiment. The two approaches yield similar overall results regarding changes in climate extremes on land, and reveal a substantial difference in the occurrence of regional extremes at 1.5°C versus 2°C. Land processes mediated through soil moisture feedbacks and land-use forcing play a major role for projected changes in extremes at 1.5°C in most mid-latitude regions, including densely populated areas in North America, Europe and Asia. This has important implications for low-emissions scenarios derived from integrated assessment models (IAMs), which include major LUCs in ambitious mitigation pathways (e.g. associated with increased bioenergy use), but are also shown to differ in the simulated LUC patterns. Biogeophysical effects from LUCs are not considered in the development of IAM scenarios, but play an important role for projected regional changes in climate extremes, and are thus of high relevance for sustainable development pathways. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'. PMID:29610382

Climate extremes, land-climate feedbacks and land-use forcing at 1.5°C.

PubMed

Seneviratne, Sonia I; Wartenburger, Richard; Guillod, Benoit P; Hirsch, Annette L; Vogel, Martha M; Brovkin, Victor; van Vuuren, Detlef P; Schaller, Nathalie; Boysen, Lena; Calvin, Katherine V; Doelman, Jonathan; Greve, Peter; Havlik, Petr; Humpenöder, Florian; Krisztin, Tamas; Mitchell, Daniel; Popp, Alexander; Riahi, Keywan; Rogelj, Joeri; Schleussner, Carl-Friedrich; Sillmann, Jana; Stehfest, Elke

2018-05-13

This article investigates projected changes in temperature and water cycle extremes at 1.5°C of global warming, and highlights the role of land processes and land-use changes (LUCs) for these projections. We provide new comparisons of changes in climate at 1.5°C versus 2°C based on empirical sampling analyses of transient simulations versus simulations from the 'Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts' (HAPPI) multi-model experiment. The two approaches yield similar overall results regarding changes in climate extremes on land, and reveal a substantial difference in the occurrence of regional extremes at 1.5°C versus 2°C. Land processes mediated through soil moisture feedbacks and land-use forcing play a major role for projected changes in extremes at 1.5°C in most mid-latitude regions, including densely populated areas in North America, Europe and Asia. This has important implications for low-emissions scenarios derived from integrated assessment models (IAMs), which include major LUCs in ambitious mitigation pathways (e.g. associated with increased bioenergy use), but are also shown to differ in the simulated LUC patterns. Biogeophysical effects from LUCs are not considered in the development of IAM scenarios, but play an important role for projected regional changes in climate extremes, and are thus of high relevance for sustainable development pathways.This article is part of the theme issue 'The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'. © 2018 The Authors.

Developmental and Wound-, Cold-, Desiccation-, Ultraviolet-B-Stress-Induced Modulations in the Expression of the Petunia Zinc Finger Transcription Factor Gene ZPT2-21

PubMed Central

van der Krol, Alexander R.; van Poecke, Remco M.P.; Vorst, Oscar F.J.; Voogt, Charlotte; van Leeuwen, Wessel; Borst-Vrensen, Tanja W.M.; Takatsuji, Hiroshi; van der Plas, Linus H.W.

1999-01-01

The ZPT2-2 gene belongs to the EPF gene family in petunia (Petunia hybrida), which encodes proteins with TFIIIA-type zinc-finger DNA-binding motifs. To elucidate a possible function for ZPT2-2, we analyzed its pattern of expression in relation to different developmental and physiological stress signals. The activity of the ZPT2-2 promoter was analyzed using a firefly luciferase (LUC) reporter gene, allowing for continuous measurements of transgene activity in planta. We show that ZPT2-2::LUC is active in all plant tissues, but is strongly modulated in cotyledons upon germination, in leaves in response to desiccation, cold treatment, wounding, or ultraviolet-B light, and in petal tissue in response to pollination of the stigma. Analysis of mRNA levels indicated that the modulations in ZPT2-2::LUC expression reflect modulations in endogenous ZPT2-2 gene expression. The change in ZPT2-2::LUC activity by cold treatment, wounding, desiccation, and ultraviolet-B light suggest that the phytohormones ethylene and jasmonic acid are involved in regulating the expression of ZPT2-2. Although up-regulation of expression of ZPT2-2 can be blocked by inhibitors of ethylene perception, expression in plants is not induced by exogenously applied ethylene. The application of jasmonic acid does result in an up-regulation of gene activity and, thus, ZPT2-2 may play a role in the realization of the jasmonic acid hormonal responses in petunia. PMID:10594102

A dual function fusion protein of Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase and firefly luciferase for noninvasive in vivo imaging of gene therapy in malignant glioma.

PubMed

Söling, Ariane; Theiss, Christian; Jungmichel, Stephanie; Rainov, Nikolai G

2004-08-04

BACKGROUND: Suicide gene therapy employing the prodrug activating system Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV-TK)/ ganciclovir (GCV) has proven to be effective in killing experimental brain tumors. In contrast, glioma patients treated with HSV-TK/ GCV did not show significant treatment benefit, most likely due to insufficient transgene delivery to tumor cells. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a strategy for real-time noninvasive in vivo monitoring of the activity of a therapeutic gene in brain tumor cells. METHODS: The HSV-TK gene was fused to the firefly luciferase (Luc) gene and the fusion construct HSV-TK-Luc was expressed in U87MG human malignant glioma cells. Nude mice with subcutaneous gliomas stably expressing HSV-TK-Luc were subjected to GCV treatment and tumor response to therapy was monitored in vivo by serial bioluminescence imaging. Bioluminescent signals over time were compared with tumor volumes determined by caliper. RESULTS: Transient and stable expression of the HSV-TK-Luc fusion protein in U87MG glioma cells demonstrated close correlation of both enzyme activities. Serial optical imaging of tumor bearing mice detected in all cases GCV induced death of tumor cells expressing the fusion protein and proved that bioluminescence can be reliably used for repetitive and noninvasive quantification of HSV-TK/ GCV mediated cell kill in vivo. CONCLUSION: This approach may represent a valuable tool for the in vivo evaluation of gene therapy strategies for treatment of malignant disease.

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

PubMed

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

2010-01-01

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

3,3',5-Triiodo-L-thyronine-like activity in effluents from domestic sewage treatment plants detected by in vitro and in vivo bioassays

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

Murata, Tomonori; Yamauchi, Kiyoshi

2008-02-01

Thyroid system-disrupting activity in effluents from municipal domestic sewage treatment plants was detected using three in vitro assays and one in vivo assay. Contaminants in the effluents were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and eluted stepwise with different organic solvents. The majority of the thyroid system-disrupting activity was detected in the dichloromethane/methanol (1/1) fraction after SPE in all three in vitro assays: competitive assays of 3,3',5-[{sup 125}I]triiodo-L-thyronine ([{sup 125}I]T{sub 3}) binding to the plasma protein transthyretin (TTR assay) and thyroid hormone receptor (TR assay) and T{sub 3}-dependent luciferase assay (Luc assay). Subsequent reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) of the dichloromethane/methanolmore » (1/1) fraction separated contaminants potent in the TR and Luc assays from those potent in the TTR assay. The contaminants potent in the TR and Luc assays were also potent in an in vivo short-term gene expression assay in Xenopus laevis (Tadpole assay). The present study demonstrated that the effluents from domestic sewage treatment plants contain contaminants with T{sub 3}-like activity of {approx} 10{sup -10} M T{sub 3}-equivalent concentration (T{sub 3}EQ) and that the TR and Luc assays are powerful in vitro bioassays for detecting thyroid system-disrupting activity in effluents. The availability and applicability of these bioassays for screening contaminants with thyroid system-disrupting activity in the water environment are discussed.« less

Ultrasound-induced cavitation enhances the delivery and therapeutic efficacy of an oncolytic virus in an in vitro model.

PubMed

Bazan-Peregrino, Miriam; Arvanitis, Costas D; Rifai, Bassel; Seymour, Leonard W; Coussios, Constantin-C

2012-01-30

We investigated whether ultrasound-induced cavitation at 0.5 MHz could improve the extravasation and distribution of a potent breast cancer-selective oncolytic adenovirus, AdEHE2F-Luc, to tumour regions that are remote from blood vessels. We developed a novel tumour-mimicking model consisting of a gel matrix containing human breast cancer cells traversed by a fluid channel simulating a tumour blood vessel, through which the virus and microbubbles could be made to flow. Ultrasonic pressures were chosen to maximize either broadband emissions, associated with inertial cavitation, or ultraharmonic emissions, associated with stable cavitation, while varying duty cycle to keep the total acoustic energy delivered constant for comparison across exposures. None of the exposure conditions tested affected cell viability in the absence of the adenovirus. When AdEHE2F-Luc was delivered via the vessel, inertial cavitation increased transgene expression in tumour cells by up to 200 times. This increase was not observed in the absence of Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor cell expression, discounting sonoporation as the mechanism of action. In the presence of inertial cavitation, AdEHE2F-Luc distribution was greatly improved in the matrix surrounding the vessel, particularly in the direction of the ultrasound beam; this enabled AdEHE2F-Luc to kill up to 80% of cancer cells within the ultrasound focal volume in the gel 24 hours after delivery, compared to 0% in the absence of cavitation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climate extremes, land-climate feedbacks and land-use forcing at 1.5°C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Wartenburger, Richard; Guillod, Benoit P.; Hirsch, Annette L.; Vogel, Martha M.; Brovkin, Victor; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Schaller, Nathalie; Boysen, Lena; Calvin, Katherine V.; Doelman, Jonathan; Greve, Peter; Havlik, Petr; Humpenöder, Florian; Krisztin, Tamas; Mitchell, Daniel; Popp, Alexander; Riahi, Keywan; Rogelj, Joeri; Schleussner, Carl-Friedrich; Sillmann, Jana; Stehfest, Elke

2018-05-01

This article investigates projected changes in temperature and water cycle extremes at 1.5°C of global warming, and highlights the role of land processes and land-use changes (LUCs) for these projections. We provide new comparisons of changes in climate at 1.5°C versus 2°C based on empirical sampling analyses of transient simulations versus simulations from the `Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts' (HAPPI) multi-model experiment. The two approaches yield similar overall results regarding changes in climate extremes on land, and reveal a substantial difference in the occurrence of regional extremes at 1.5°C versus 2°C. Land processes mediated through soil moisture feedbacks and land-use forcing play a major role for projected changes in extremes at 1.5°C in most mid-latitude regions, including densely populated areas in North America, Europe and Asia. This has important implications for low-emissions scenarios derived from integrated assessment models (IAMs), which include major LUCs in ambitious mitigation pathways (e.g. associated with increased bioenergy use), but are also shown to differ in the simulated LUC patterns. Biogeophysical effects from LUCs are not considered in the development of IAM scenarios, but play an important role for projected regional changes in climate extremes, and are thus of high relevance for sustainable development pathways. This article is part of the theme issue `The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'.

Effects of technical editing in biomedical journals: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wager, Elizabeth; Middleton, Philippa

2002-06-05

Technical editing supposedly improves the accuracy and clarity of journal articles. We examined evidence of its effects on research reports in biomedical journals. Subset of a systematic review using Cochrane methods, searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, and other databases from earliest entries to February 2000 by using inclusive search terms; hand searching relevant journals. We selected comparative studies of the effects of editorial processes on original research articles between acceptance and publication in biomedical journals. Two reviewers assessed each study and performed independent data extraction. The 11 studies on technical editing indicate that it improves the readability of articles slightly (as measured by Gunning Fog and Flesch reading ease scores), may improve other aspects of their quality, can increase the accuracy of references and quotations, and raises the quality of abstracts. Supplying authors with abstract preparation instructions had no discernible effect. Considering the time and resources devoted to technical editing, remarkably little is know about its effects or the effects of imposing different house styles. Studies performed at 3 journals employing relatively large numbers of professional technical editors suggest that their editorial processes are associated with increases in readability and quality of articles, but these findings may not be generalizable to other journals.

Amelioration of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis by a water-soluble bifunctional sulfoxide radiation mitigator (MMS350).

PubMed

Kalash, Ronny; Epperly, Michael W; Goff, Julie; Dixon, Tracy; Sprachman, Melissa M; Zhang, Xichen; Shields, Donna; Cao, Shaonan; Franicola, Darcy; Wipf, Peter; Berhane, Hebist; Wang, Hong; Au, Jeremiah; Greenberger, Joel S

2013-11-01

A water-soluble ionizing radiation mitigator would have considerable advantages for the management of acute and chronic effects of ionizing radiation. We report that a novel oxetanyl sulfoxide (MMS350) is effective both as a protector and a mitigator of clonal mouse bone marrow stromal cell lines in vitro, and is an effective in vivo mitigator when administered 24 h after 9.5 Gy (LD100/30) total-body irradiation of C57BL/6NHsd mice, significantly improving survival (P = 0.0097). Furthermore, MMS350 (400 μM) added weekly to drinking water after 20 Gy thoracic irradiation significantly decreased: expression of pulmonary inflammatory and profibrotic gene transcripts and proteins; migration into the lungs of bone marrow origin luciferase+/GFP+ (luc+/GFP+) fibroblast progenitors (in both luc+ marrow chimeric and luc+ stromal cell line injected mouse models) and decreased radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (P < 0.0001). This nontoxic and orally administered small molecule may be an effective therapeutic in clinical radiotherapy and as a counter measure against the acute and chronic effects of ionizing radiation.

Kennedy Space Center Press Site (SWMU 074) Interim Measure Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Applegate, Joseph L.

2015-01-01

This report summarizes the Interim Measure (IM) activities conducted at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Press Site ("the Press Site"). This facility has been designated as Solid Waste Management Unit 074 under KSC's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action program. The activities were completed as part of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) Area Land Use Controls Implementation Plan (LUCIP) Elimination Project. The purpose of the VAB Area LUCIP Elimination Project was to delineate and remove soil affected with constituents of concern (COCs) that historically resulted in Land Use Controls (LUCs). The goal of the project was to eliminate the LUCs on soil. LUCs for groundwater were not addressed as part of the project and are not discussed in this report. This report is intended to meet the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Corrective Action Management Plan requirement as part of the KSC Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments permit and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) self-implementing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) cleanup requirements of 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 761.61(a).

Amelioration of Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis by a Water-Soluble Bifunctional Sulfoxide Radiation Mitigator (MMS350)

PubMed Central

Kalash, Ronny; Epperly, Michael W.; Goff, Julie; Dixon, Tracy; Sprachman, Melissa M.; Zhang, Xichen; Shields, Donna; Cao, Shaonan; Franicola, Darcy; Wipf, Peter; Berhane, Hebist; Wang, Hong; Au, Jeremiah; Greenberger, Joel S.

2014-01-01

A water-soluble ionizing radiation mitigator would have considerable advantages for the management of acute and chronic effects of ionizing radiation. We report that a novel oxetanyl sulfoxide (MMS350) is effective both as a protector and a mitigator of clonal mouse bone marrow stromal cell lines in vitro, and is an effective in vivo mitigator when administered 24 h after 9.5 Gy (LD100/30) total-body irradiation of C57BL/6NHsd mice, significantly improving survival (P =0.0097). Furthermore, MMS350 (400 μM) added weekly to drinking water after 20 Gy thoracic irradiation significantly decreased: expression of pulmonary inflammatory and profibrotic gene transcripts and proteins; migration into the lungs of bone marrow origin luciferase+/GFP+ (luc+/GFP+) fibroblast progenitors (in both luc+ marrow chimeric and luc+ stromal cell line injected mouse models) and decreased radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (P < 0.0001). This nontoxic and orally administered small molecule may be an effective therapeutic in clinical radiotherapy and as a counter measure against the acute and chronic effects of ionizing radiation. PMID:24125487

Effects of a non thermal plasma treatment alone or in combination with gemcitabine in a MIA PaCa2-luc orthotopic pancreatic carcinoma model.

PubMed

Brullé, Laura; Vandamme, Marc; Riès, Delphine; Martel, Eric; Robert, Eric; Lerondel, Stéphanie; Trichet, Valérie; Richard, Serge; Pouvesle, Jean-Michel; Le Pape, Alain

2012-01-01

Pancreatic tumors are the gastrointestinal cancer with the worst prognosis in humans and with a survival rate of 5% at 5 years. Nowadays, no chemotherapy has demonstrated efficacy in terms of survival for this cancer. Previous study focused on the development of a new therapy by non thermal plasma showed significant effects on tumor growth for colorectal carcinoma and glioblastoma. To allow targeted treatment, a fibered plasma (Plasma Gun) was developed and its evaluation was performed on an orthotopic mouse model of human pancreatic carcinoma using a MIA PaCa2-luc bioluminescent cell line. The aim of this study was to characterize this pancreatic carcinoma model and to determine the effects of Plasma Gun alone or in combination with gemcitabine. During a 36 days period, quantitative BLI could be used to follow the tumor progression and we demonstrated that plasma gun induced an inhibition of MIA PaCa2-luc cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo and that this effect could be improved by association with gemcitabine possibly thanks to its radiosensitizing properties.

Novel Locally Active Estrogens Accelerate Cutaneous Wound Healing-Part 2.

PubMed

Brufani, Mario; Rizzi, Nicoletta; Meda, Clara; Filocamo, Luigi; Ceccacci, Francesca; D'Aiuto, Virginia; Bartoli, Gabriele; Bella, Angela La; Migneco, Luisa M; Bettolo, Rinaldo Marini; Leonelli, Francesca; Ciana, Paolo; Maggi, Adriana

2017-05-31

Estrogen deprivation is associated with delayed healing, while estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) accelerates acute wound healing and protects against development of chronic wounds. However, current estrogenic molecules have undesired systemic effects, thus the aim of our studies is to generate new molecules for topic administration that are devoid of systemic effects. Following a preliminary study, the new 17β-estradiol derivatives 1 were synthesized. The estrogenic activity of these novel compounds was evaluated in vitro using the cell line ERE-Luc B17 stably transfected with an ERE-Luc reporter. Among the 17β-estradiol derivatives synthesized, compounds 1e and 1f showed the highest transactivation potency and were therefore selected for the study of their systemic estrogenic activity. The study of these compounds in the ERE-Luc mouse model demonstrated that both compounds lack systemic effects when administered in the wound area. Furthermore, wound-healing experiments showed that 1e displays a significant regenerative and anti-inflammatory activity. It is therefore confirmed that this class of compounds are suitable for topical administration and have a clear beneficial effect on wound healing.

Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum Tennozu-SU2 on Salmonella Typhimurium Infection in Human Enterocyte-Like HT-29-Luc Cells and BALB/c Mice.

PubMed

Hirano, Shino; Yokota, Yasushi; Eda, Mika; Kuda, Takashi; Shikano, Ayane; Takahashi, Hajime; Kimura, Bon

2017-03-01

The probiotic properties and inhibitory effect on Salmonella Typhimurium adhesion on human enterocyte-like HT-29-Luc cells of three Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from fermented fish, beach sand and a coastal plant were determined. Compared with the type strain L. plantarum NBRC 15891 T , which was isolated from pickled cabbage, L. plantarum Tennozu-SU2 isolated from the acorn of a coastal tree showed high autoaggregation in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) broth and an antagonistic effect against S. Typhimurium in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth. Furthermore, heat-killed L. plantarum Tennozu-SU2 cells inhibited S. Typhimurium adhesion on HT-29-Luc cells. Both live and heat-killed L. plantarum Tennozu-SU2 cells showed an inhibitory effect on gut colonisation in BALB/c mice, as assessed by viable Salmonella count in faecal samples and by invasion into liver and spleen tissues. The properties shown in this study suggest that L. plantarum Tennozu-SU2 is useful as a starter and probiotic bacteria in functional food material.

Cinnamic acid shortens the period of the circadian clock in mice.

PubMed

Oishi, Katsutaka; Yamamoto, Saori; Oike, Hideaki; Ohkura, Naoki; Taniguchi, Masahiko

2017-03-01

Cinnamic acid (CA) derivatives have recently received focus due to their anticancer, antioxidant, and antidiabetic properties. The present study aimed to determine the effects of cinnamic acid on the circadian clock, which is a cell-autonomous endogenous system that generates circadian rhythms that govern the behavior and physiology of most organisms. Cinnamic acid significantly shortened the circadian period of PER2::LUC expression in neuronal cells that differentiated from neuronal progenitor cells derived from PER2::LUC mouse embryos. Cinnamic acid did not induce the transient mRNA expression of clock genes such as Per1 and Per2 in neuronal cells, but significantly shortened the half-life of PER2::LUC protein in neuronal cells incubated with actinomycin D, suggested that CA post-transcriptionally affects the molecular clock by decreasing Per2 mRNA stability. A continuous infusion of CA into mice via an Alzet osmotic pump under constant darkness significantly shortened the free-running period of wheel-running rhythms. These findings suggest that CA shortens the circadian period of the molecular clock in mammals.

Extratropical Respones to Amazon Deforestation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badger, A.; Dirmeyer, P.

2014-12-01

Land-use change (LUC) is known to impact local climate conditions through modifications of land-atmosphere interactions. Large-scale LUC, such as Amazon deforestation, could have a significant effect on the local and regional climates. The question remains as to what the global impact of large-scale LUC could be, as previous modeling studies have shown non-local responses due to Amazon deforestation. A common shortcoming in many previous modeling studies is the use of prescribed ocean conditions, which can act as a boundary condition to dampen the global response with respect to changes in the mean and variability. Using fully coupled modeling simulations with the Community Earth System Model version 1.2.0, the Amazon rainforest has been replaced with a distribution of representative tropical crops. Through the modifications of local land-atmosphere interactions, a significant change in the region, both at the surface and throughout the atmosphere, can be quantified. Accompanying these local changes are significant changes to the atmospheric circulation across all scales, thus modifying regional climates in other locales. Notable impacts include significant changes in precipitation, surface fluxes, basin-wide sea surface temperatures and ENSO behavior.

An Arabidopsis mutant showing reduced feedback inhibition of photosynthesis.

PubMed

Van Oosten, J J; Gerbaud, A; Huijser, C; Dijkwel, P P; Chua, N H; Smeekens, S C

1997-11-01

Many plant genes are responsive to sugars but the mechanisms used by plants to sense sugars are unknown. A genetic approach has been used in Arabidopsis to identify genes involved in perception and transduction of sugar signals. For this purpose, an in vivo reporter system was established consisting of the light- and sugar-regulated plastocyanin promoter, fused to the luciferase coding sequence (PC-LUC construct). At the seedling stage, expression of the PC-LUC gene is repressed by sucrose, and a number of sucrose-uncoupled (sun) mutants were selected in which sucrose is unable to repress the activity of the PC promoter. Three mutants have been characterized in more detail. The sugar analog 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) was used to repress whole plant photosynthesis, PC-LUC gene expression and total ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate activity. It was found that the sun6 mutation makes plants unresponsive to these 2DG-induced effects. Moreover, unlike wild-type plants, sun6 mutants are insensitive to elevated levels of glucose in the growth medium. These findings suggest that the SUN6 gene is active in a hexose-activated signal transduction pathway.

Land-Use Change and Emerging Infectious Disease on an Island Continent

PubMed Central

McFarlane, Rosemary A.; Sleigh, Adrian C.; McMichael, Anthony J.

2013-01-01

A more rigorous and nuanced understanding of land-use change (LUC) as a driver of emerging infectious disease (EID) is required. Here we examine post hunter-gatherer LUC as a driver of infectious disease in one biogeographical region with a compressed and documented history—continental Australia. We do this by examining land-use and native vegetation change (LUCC) associations with infectious disease emergence identified through a systematic (1973–2010) and historical (1788–1973) review of infectious disease literature of humans and animals. We find that 22% (20) of the systematically reviewed EIDs are associated with LUCC, most frequently where natural landscapes have been removed or replaced with agriculture, plantations, livestock or urban development. Historical clustering of vector-borne, zoonotic and environmental disease emergence also follows major periods of extensive land clearing. These advanced stages of LUCC are accompanied by changes in the distribution and density of hosts and vectors, at varying scales and chronology. This review of infectious disease emergence in one continent provides valuable insight into the association between accelerated global LUC and concurrent accelerated infectious disease emergence. PMID:23812027

Oil palm for biodiesel in Brazil—risks and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Englund, Oskar; Berndes, Göran; Persson, U. Martin; Sparovek, Gerd

2015-04-01

Although mainly used for other purposes, and historically mainly established at the expense of tropical forests, oil palm can be the most land efficient feedstock for biodiesel. Large parts of Brazil are suitable for oil palm cultivation and a series of policy initiatives have recently been launched to promote oil palm production. These initiatives are however highly debated both in the parliament and in academia. Here we present results of a high resolution modelling study of opportunities and risks associated with oil palm production for biodiesel in Brazil, under different energy, policy, and infrastructure scenarios. Oil palm was found to be profitable on extensive areas, including areas under native vegetation where establishment would cause large land use change (LUC) emissions. However, some 40-60 Mha could support profitable biodiesel production corresponding to approximately 10% of the global diesel demand, without causing direct LUC emissions or impinging on protected areas. Pricing of LUC emissions could make oil palm production unprofitable on most lands where conversion would impact on native ecosystems and carbon stocks, if the carbon price is at the level 125/tC, or higher.

Recommendations for describing statistical studies and results in general readership science and engineering journals.

PubMed

Gardenier, John S

2012-12-01

This paper recommends how authors of statistical studies can communicate to general audiences fully, clearly, and comfortably. The studies may use statistical methods to explore issues in science, engineering, and society or they may address issues in statistics specifically. In either case, readers without explicit statistical training should have no problem understanding the issues, the methods, or the results at a non-technical level. The arguments for those results should be clear, logical, and persuasive. This paper also provides advice for editors of general journals on selecting high quality statistical articles without the need for exceptional work or expense. Finally, readers are also advised to watch out for some common errors or misuses of statistics that can be detected without a technical statistical background.

Land Use Control Implementation Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starr, Andrew Scott

2015-01-01

This Land Use Control Implementation Plan (LUCIP) has been prepared to inform current and potential future users of Building M7-505 of institutional controls that have been implemented at the site. Although there are no current unacceptable risks to human health or the environment associated with Building M7-505, institutional land use controls (LUCs) are necessary to prohibit the use of groundwater from the site. LUCs are also necessary to prevent access to soil under electrical equipment in the northwest portion of the site. Controls necessary to prevent human exposure will include periodic inspection, condition certification, and agency notification.

FGF-23 Regulates CYP27B1 Transcription in the Kidney and in Extra-Renal Tissues

PubMed Central

Chanakul, Ankanee; Zhang, Martin Y. H.; Louw, Andrew; Armbrecht, Harvey J.; Miller, Walter L.; Portale, Anthony A.; Perwad, Farzana

2013-01-01

The mitochondrial enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase, which is encoded by the CYP27B1 gene, converts 25OHD to the biological active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D). Renal 1α-hydroxylase activity is the principal determinant of the circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and enzyme activity is tightly regulated by several factors. Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) decreases serum 1,25(OH)2D concentrations by suppressing CYP27B1 mRNA abundance in mice. In extra-renal tissues, 1α-hydroxylase is responsible for local 1,25(OH)2D synthesis, which has important paracrine actions, but whether FGF-23 regulates CYP27B1 gene expression in extra-renal tissues is unknown. We sought to determine whether FGF-23 regulates CYP27B1 transcription in the kidney and whether extra-renal tissues are target sites for FGF-23-induced suppression of CYP27B1. In HEK293 cells transfected with the human CYP27B1 promoter, FGF-23 suppressed promoter activity by 70%, and the suppressive effect was blocked by CI-1040, a specific inhibitor of extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2. To examine CYP27B1 transcriptional activity in vivo, we crossed fgf-23 null mice with mice bearing the CYP27B1 promoter-driven luciferase transgene (1α-Luc). In the kidney of FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice, CYP27B1 promoter activity was increased by 3-fold compared to that in wild-type/1α-Luc mice. Intraperitoneal injection of FGF-23 suppressed renal CYP27B1 promoter activity and protein expression by 26% and 60% respectively, and the suppressive effect was blocked by PD0325901, an ERK1/2 inhibitor. These findings provide evidence that FGF-23 suppresses CYP27B1 transcription in the kidney. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice, CYP27B1 promoter activity and mRNA abundance are increased in several extra-renal sites. In the heart of FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice, CYP27B1 promoter activity and mRNA were 2- and 5-fold higher, respectively, than in control mice. We also observed a 3- to 10-fold increase in CYP27B1 mRNA abundance in the lung, spleen, aorta and testis of FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice. Thus, we have identified novel extra-renal target sites for FGF-23-mediated regulation of CYP27B1. PMID:24019880

Insulin-like growth factor-II regulates bone sialoprotein gene transcription.

PubMed

Choe, Jin; Sasaki, Yoko; Zhou, Liming; Takai, Hideki; Nakayama, Yohei; Ogata, Yorimasa

2016-09-01

Insulin-like growth factor-I and -II (IGF-I and IGF-II) have been found in bone extracts of several different species, and IGF-II is the most abundant growth factor stored in bone. Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a noncollagenous extracellular matrix glycoprotein associated with mineralized connective tissues. In this study, we have investigated the regulation of BSP transcription by IGF-II in rat osteoblast-like ROS17/2.8 cells. IGF-II (50 ng/ml) increased BSP mRNA and protein levels after 6-h stimulation, and enhanced luciferase activities of the constructs pLUC3 (-116 to +60), pLUC4 (-425 to +60), pLUC5 (-801 to +60) and pLUC6 (-938 to +60). Effects of IGF-II were inhibited by tyrosine kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors, and abrogated by 2-bp mutations in cAMP response element (CRE), FGF2 response element (FRE) and homeodomain protein-binding site (HOX). The results of gel shift assays showed that nuclear proteins binding to CRE, FRE and HOX sites were increased by IGF-II (50 ng/ml) at 3 and 6 h. CREB1, phospho-CREB1, c-Fos and c-Jun antibodies disrupted the formation of the CRE-protein complexes. Dlx5 and Runx2 antibodies disrupted the FRE- and HOX-protein complex formations. These studies therefore demonstrated that IGF-II increased BSP transcription by targeting CRE, FRE and HOX elements in the proximal promoter of the rat BSP gene. Moreover, phospho-CREB1, c-Fos, c-Jun, Dlx5 and Runx2 transcription factors appear to be key regulators of IGF-II effects on BSP transcription.

Engineered Luciferase Reporter from a Deep Sea Shrimp Utilizing a Novel Imidazopyrazinone Substrate

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Bioluminescence methodologies have been extraordinarily useful due to their high sensitivity, broad dynamic range, and operational simplicity. These capabilities have been realized largely through incremental adaptations of native enzymes and substrates, originating from luminous organisms of diverse evolutionary lineages. We engineered both an enzyme and substrate in combination to create a novel bioluminescence system capable of more efficient light emission with superior biochemical and physical characteristics. Using a small luciferase subunit (19 kDa) from the deep sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris, we have improved luminescence expression in mammalian cells ∼2.5 million-fold by merging optimization of protein structure with development of a novel imidazopyrazinone substrate (furimazine). The new luciferase, NanoLuc, produces glow-type luminescence (signal half-life >2 h) with a specific activity ∼150-fold greater than that of either firefly (Photinus pyralis) or Renilla luciferases similarly configured for glow-type assays. In mammalian cells, NanoLuc shows no evidence of post-translational modifications or subcellular partitioning. The enzyme exhibits high physical stability, retaining activity with incubation up to 55 °C or in culture medium for >15 h at 37 °C. As a genetic reporter, NanoLuc may be configured for high sensitivity or for response dynamics by appending a degradation sequence to reduce intracellular accumulation. Appending a signal sequence allows NanoLuc to be exported to the culture medium, where reporter expression can be measured without cell lysis. Fusion onto other proteins allows luminescent assays of their metabolism or localization within cells. Reporter quantitation is achievable even at very low expression levels to facilitate more reliable coupling with endogenous cellular processes. PMID:22894855

NPY-Induced Phase Shifts of PER2::LUC Rhythms are Mediated by Long-Term Suppression of Neuronal Excitability in a Phase-Specific Manner

PubMed Central

Besing, Rachel C.; Hablitz, Lauren M.; Paul, Jodi R.; Johnson, Russell L.; Prosser, Rebecca A.; Gamble, Karen L.

2013-01-01

Endogenous circadian rhythms are entrained to the 24-h light/dark cycle by both light and nonphotic stimuli. During the day, nonphotic stimuli, such as novel-wheel induced exercise, produce large phase advances. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) release from the thalamus onto suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) neurons at least partially mediates this nonphotic signal. We examined the hypothesis that NPY-induced phase advances are accompanied by suppression of PER2 and are mediated by long-term depression of neuronal excitability in a phase-specific manner. First, we found that NPY-induced phase advances in PER2::LUC SCN cultures are largest when NPY (2.35 µM) is given in the early part of the day (circadian time [CT] 0–6). In addition, PER2::LUC levels in NPY-treated (compared to vehicle-treated) samples were suppressed beginning 6–7 h after treatment. Similar NPY application to organotypic Per1::GFP SCN cultures resulted in long-term suppression of spike rate of GFP+ cells when slices were treated with NPY during the early or middle of the day (zeitgeber time [ZT] 2 or 6), but not during the late day (ZT 10). Furthermore, 1-h bath application of NPY to acute SCN brain slices decreased general neuronal activity measured through extracellular recordings. Finally, NPY-induced phase advances of PER2::LUC rhythms were blocked by latent depolarization with 34.5 mM [K+] 3 h after NPY application. These results suggest that NPY-induced phase advances may be mediated by long-term depression of neuronal excitability. This model is consistent with findings in other brain regions that NPY-induced persistent hyperpolarization underlies mechanisms of energy homeostasis, anxiety-related behavior, and thalamocortical synchronous firing. PMID:22324550

Influence of spatially dependent, modeled soil carbon emission factors on life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn and cellulosic ethanol

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

Qin, Zhangcai; Dunn, Jennifer B.; Kwon, Hoyoung

Converting land to biofuel feedstock production incurs changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) that can influence biofuel life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Estimates of these land use change (LUC) and life-cycle GHG emissions affect biofuels’ attractiveness and eligibility under a number of renewable fuel policies in the U.S. and abroad. Modeling was used to refine the spatial resolution and depth-extent of domestic estimates of SOC change for land (cropland, cropland pasture, grasslands, and forests) conversion scenarios to biofuel crops (corn, corn stover, switchgrass, Miscanthus, poplar, and willow). In most regions, conversions from cropland and cropland pasture to biofuel crops ledmore » to neutral or small levels of SOC sequestration, while conversion of grassland and forest generally caused net SOC loss. Results of SOC change were incorporated into the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model to assess their influence on life-cycle GHG emissions for the biofuels considered. Total LUC GHG emissions (g CO2eq MJ-1) were 2.1–9.3 for corn, -0.7 for corn stover, -3.4–12.9 for switchgrass, and -20.1–-6.2 for Miscanthus; these varied with SOC modeling assumptions applied. Extending soil depth from 30 to 100cm affected spatially-explicit SOC change and overall LUC GHG emissions; however the influence on LUC GHG emissions estimates were less significant in corn and corn stover than cellulosic feedstocks. Total life-cycle GHG emissions (g CO2eq MJ-1, 100cm) were estimated to be 59–66 for corn ethanol, 14 for stover ethanol, 18-26 for switchgrass ethanol, and -0.6–-7 for Miscanthus ethanol.« less

Developing a new formulation of sodium phenylbutyrate.

PubMed

Guffon, Nathalie; Kibleur, Yves; Copalu, William; Tissen, C; Breitkreutz, Joerg

2012-12-01

Sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) is used as a treatment for urea cycle disorders (UCD). However, the available, licensed granule form has an extremely bad taste, which can compromise compliance and metabolic control. A new, taste-masked, coated-granule formulation (Luc 01) under development was characterised for its in vitro taste characteristics, dissolution profiles and bioequivalence compared with the commercial product. Taste, safety and tolerability were also compared in healthy adult volunteers. The in vitro taste profile of NaPB indicated a highly salty and bitter tasting molecule, but Luc 01 released NaPB only after a lag time of ∼10 s followed by a slow release over a few minutes. In contrast, the licensed granules released NaPB immediately. The pharmacokinetic study demonstrated the bioequivalence of a single 5 g dose of the two products in 13 healthy adult volunteers. No statistical difference was seen either for maximal plasma concentration (C(max)) or for area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC). CI for C(max) and AUC(0-inf) of NaPB were included in the bioequivalence range of 0.80-1.25. One withdrawal for vomiting and five reports of loss of taste perception (ageusia) were related to the licensed product. Acceptability, bitterness and saltiness assessed immediately after administration indicated a significant preference for Luc 01 (p<0.01), confirming the results of the taste prediction derived from in vitro measurements. In vitro dissolution, in vitro and in vivo taste profiles support the view that the newly developed granules can be swallowed before release of the bitter active substance, thus avoiding stimulation of taste receptors. Moreover, Luc 01 was shown to be bioequivalent to the licensed product. The availability of a taste-masked form should improve compliance which is critical to the efficacy of NaPB treatment in patients with UCD.

Carbon dynamics on agricultural land reverting to woody land in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Voicu, Mihai F; Shaw, Cindy; Kurz, Werner A; Huffman, Ted; Liu, Jiangui; Fellows, Max

2017-05-15

The 2015 Paris Agreement reinforces the importance of the land sector and its contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. Thus, there is growing interest in improving estimates of the GHG balance in response to land-use changes (LUCs) involving agriculture and forestry, for national-scale reporting, and for carbon (C) offsets. Large agricultural areas in Europe, Russia and North America are reverting to forest, either naturally or through planting, after abandonment of agricultural land, and this trend may have a substantial impact on carbon budgets. We report results of a pilot project in the Mixedwood Plains ecozone of eastern Canada to analyze the change in the C budget on a landscape over 15 years on abandoned cropland where woody vegetation is regenerating. Thirty-six plots (2 km × 2 km) with paired aerial photographs taken circa 1994 and circa 2008 at a scale of 1:10,000 or larger were randomly selected from the 20 km × 20 km National Forest Inventory (NFI) grid. A spatially-explicit version of the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) was used to estimate impacts of LUC on C stocks and fluxes. Polygons identifying areas of LUC within each photo plot were delineated, classified, and evaluated to provide input data for the model. The rate of C accumulation in our study area was found to be relatively constant over the entire simulation period, at 1.07 Mg C/ha/yr. Abandoned agricultural land reverting to woody lands could play an important role in regional and national C sequestration in Canada, but more research is required to quantify the areal extent of this LUC. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Norisoboldine, an alkaloid from Radix linderae, inhibits NFAT activation and attenuates 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene-induced dermatitis in mice.

PubMed

Gao, Shuang; Li, Wencai; Lin, Guochao; Liu, Guangrong; Deng, Wenjuan; Zhai, Chuntao; Bian, Chunliang; He, Gaiying; Hu, Zhenlin

2016-10-01

The nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) is a family of transcription factors, essential for T-cell activation. Norisoboldine (NOR), an isoquinoline alkaloid from Radix linderae, has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory activity. This study examines NOR's effect on NFAT activation and its therapeutic potential for atopic dermatitis (AD). The transcriptional activity of NFAT was examined with luciferase reporter assay, using K562-luc cells, stimulated with 20 ng/mL PMA plus 1 μM ionomycin. NFAT dephosphorylation was examined by immuno-blotting in K562-luc cells and Jurkat cells. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression in Jurkat cells was examined by real-time PCR. A mouse model of dermatitis, induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), was used to test NOR's therapeutic potential for AD. NOR, dose-dependently, inhibited PMA and ionomycin-induced NFAT reporter gene expression in K562-luc cells in the range of 2-50 μM. NOR also inhibited PMA and ionomycin-induced NFAT dephosphorylation in K562-luc cells and Jurkat cells. Consequently, NOR suppressed PMA plus ionomycin-induced IL-2 expression in Jurkat cells. The administration of NOR (10 mg/kg, i.p.), alleviated DNCB-induced dermatitis in mice, by the reduction of ear swelling and attenuation of inflammatory infiltration into ear tissue. Moreover, mRNA levels of INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-6 in ears of NOR-treated mice were reduced by 78.4, 77.8, 72.3 and 73.9%, respectively, compared with untreated controls. This study demonstrates that NOR inhibits NFAT activation in T-cells and alleviates AD-like inflammatory reaction in a DNCB-induced dermatitis model, highlighting NOR as a potential therapeutic agent for AD.

Dynamic monitoring of p53 translocation to mitochondria for the analysis of specific inhibitors using luciferase-fragment complementation.

PubMed

Noda, Natsumi; Awais, Raheela; Sutton, Robert; Awais, Muhammad; Ozawa, Takeaki

2017-12-01

Intracellular protein translocation plays a pivotal role in regulating complex biological processes, including cell death. The tumor suppressor p53 is a transcription factor activated by DNA damage and oxidative stress that also translocates from the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix to facilitate necrotic cell death. However, specific inhibitors of p53 mitochondrial translocation are largely unknown. To explore the inhibitors of p53, we developed a bioluminescent probe to monitor p53 translocation from cytosol to mitochondria using luciferase fragment complementation assays. The probe is composed of a novel pair of luciferase fragments, the N-terminus of green click beetle luciferase CBG68 (CBGN) and multiple-complement luciferase fragment (McLuc1). The combination of luciferase fragments showed significant luminescence intensity and high signal-to-background ratio. When the p53 connected with McLuc1 translocates from cytosol into mitochondrial matrix, CBGN in mitochondrial matrix enables to complement with McLuc1, resulting in the restoration of the luminescence. The luminescence intensity was significantly increased under hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress following the complementation of CBGN and McLuc1. Pifithrin-μ, a selective inhibitor of p53 mitochondrial translocation, prevented the mitochondrial translocation of the p53 probe in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the high luminescence intensity made it easier to visualize the p53 translocation at a single cell level under a bioluminescence microscope. This p53 mitochondrial translocation assay is a new tool for high-throughput screening to identify novel p53 inhibitors, which could be developed as drugs to treat diseases in which necrotic cell death is a major contributor. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Face of Wellness: aspirational vision of health, renewing health behavior change process and balanced portfolio approach to planning change strategies.

PubMed

O'Donnell, Michael P

2008-01-01

Health promotion needs to be made more practical and more memorable so that practitioners are not confused or overwhelmed by the theoretical and technical aspects of assuring the effectiveness of programming efforts. In this edition of The Art of Health Promotion the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Health Promotion presents a planning strategy consisting of an aspirational model of health, a renewing behavior change process and a portfolio balancing approach to strategy planning.

Hybrid Cryptosystem Using Tiny Encryption Algorithm and LUC Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rachmawati, Dian; Sharif, Amer; Jaysilen; Andri Budiman, Mohammad

2018-01-01

Security becomes a very important issue in data transmission and there are so many methods to make files more secure. One of that method is cryptography. Cryptography is a method to secure file by writing the hidden code to cover the original file. Therefore, if the people do not involve in cryptography, they cannot decrypt the hidden code to read the original file. There are many methods are used in cryptography, one of that method is hybrid cryptosystem. A hybrid cryptosystem is a method that uses a symmetric algorithm to secure the file and use an asymmetric algorithm to secure the symmetric algorithm key. In this research, TEA algorithm is used as symmetric algorithm and LUC algorithm is used as an asymmetric algorithm. The system is tested by encrypting and decrypting the file by using TEA algorithm and using LUC algorithm to encrypt and decrypt the TEA key. The result of this research is by using TEA Algorithm to encrypt the file, the cipher text form is the character from ASCII (American Standard for Information Interchange) table in the form of hexadecimal numbers and the cipher text size increase by sixteen bytes as the plaintext length is increased by eight characters.

Graphene nanoribbons as a drug delivery agent for lucanthone mediated therapy of glioblastoma multiforme

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

Chowdhury, Sayan Mullick; Surhland, Cassandra; Sanchez, Zina

We report use of PEG-DSPE coated oxidized graphene nanoribbons (O-GNR-PEG-DSPE) as agent for delivery of anti-tumor drug Lucanthone (Luc) into Glioblastoma Multiformae (GBM) cells targeting base excision repair enzyme APE-1 (Apurinic endonuclease-1). Lucanthone, an endonuclease inhibitor of APE-1, was loaded onto O-GNR-PEG-DSPEs using a simple non-covalent method. We found its uptake by GBM cell line U251 exceeding 67% and 60% in APE-1-overexpressing U251, post 24 hours (h). However, their uptake was ~38% and 29% by MCF-7 and rat glial progenitor cells (CG-4), respectively. TEM analysis of U251 showed large aggregates of O-GNR-PEG-DSPE in vesicles. Luc-O-GNR-PEG-DSPE was significantly toxic to U251more » but showed little / no toxicity when exposed to MCF-7/CG-4 cells. This differential uptake effect can be exploited to use O-GNR-PEG-DSPEs as a vehicle for Luc delivery to GBM, while reducing nonspecific cytotoxicity to the surrounding healthy tissue. In conclusion, cell death in U251 was necrotic, probably due to oxidative degradation of APE-1.« less

Interaction of Osmotic Stress, Temperature, and Abscisic Acid in the Regulation of Gene Expression in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Xiong, Liming; Ishitani, Manabu; Zhu, Jian-Kang

1999-01-01

The impact of simultaneous environmental stresses on plants and how they respond to combined stresses compared with single stresses is largely unclear. By using a transgene (RD29A-LUC) consisting of the firefly luciferase coding sequence (LUC) driven by the stress-responsive RD29A promoter, we investigated the interactive effects of temperature, osmotic stress, and the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) in the regulation of gene expression in Arabidopsis seedlings. Results indicated that both positive and negative interactions exist among the studied stress factors in regulating gene expression. At a normal growth temperature (22°C), osmotic stress and ABA act synergistically to induce the transgene expression. Low temperature inhibits the response to osmotic stress or to combined treatment of osmotic stress and ABA, whereas low temperature and ABA treatments are additive in inducing transgene expression. Although high temperature alone does not activate the transgene, it significantly amplifies the effects of ABA and osmotic stress. The effect of multiple stresses in the regulation of RD29A-LUC expression in signal transduction mutants was also studied. The results are discussed in the context of cold and osmotic stress signal transduction pathways. PMID:9880362

Effects of a Non Thermal Plasma Treatment Alone or in Combination with Gemcitabine in a MIA PaCa2-luc Orthotopic Pancreatic Carcinoma Model

PubMed Central

Brullé, Laura; Vandamme, Marc; Riès, Delphine; Martel, Eric; Robert, Eric; Lerondel, Stéphanie; Trichet, Valérie; Richard, Serge; Pouvesle, Jean-Michel; Le Pape, Alain

2012-01-01

Pancreatic tumors are the gastrointestinal cancer with the worst prognosis in humans and with a survival rate of 5% at 5 years. Nowadays, no chemotherapy has demonstrated efficacy in terms of survival for this cancer. Previous study focused on the development of a new therapy by non thermal plasma showed significant effects on tumor growth for colorectal carcinoma and glioblastoma. To allow targeted treatment, a fibered plasma (Plasma Gun) was developed and its evaluation was performed on an orthotopic mouse model of human pancreatic carcinoma using a MIA PaCa2-luc bioluminescent cell line. The aim of this study was to characterize this pancreatic carcinoma model and to determine the effects of Plasma Gun alone or in combination with gemcitabine. During a 36 days period, quantitative BLI could be used to follow the tumor progression and we demonstrated that plasma gun induced an inhibition of MIA PaCa2-luc cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo and that this effect could be improved by association with gemcitabine possibly thanks to its radiosensitizing properties. PMID:23300736

G protein-coupled receptor 30 down-regulates cofactor expression and interferes with the transcriptional activity of glucocorticoid.

PubMed

Ylikomi, Timo; Vienonen, Annika; Ahola, Tytti M

2004-11-01

G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) has previously been described to be important in steroid-mediated growth and to inhibit cell proliferation. Here we investigated whether the effect of GPR30 on cell growth is dependent on steroid hormone receptors. We stably introduced GPR30 in immortalized normal mammary epithelial (HME) cells using retroviruses for gene delivery. GPR30 inhibited the growth and proliferation of the cells. They expressed glucocorticoid receptor, but not estrogen or progesterone receptor. GPR30 down-regulated the expression of cofactor transcription intermediary factor 2 (TIF2) analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR analysis, and also diminished the expression of TIF2 at protein level analyzed by Western blotting using nuclear extracts from mammary epithelial cells. When HME cells were transiently transfected with the glucocorticoid response element MMTV-luc reporter plasmid, stable expression of GPR30 resulted in the abolition of ligand-induced transactivation of the promoter. In COS cells, transient transfection of GPR30 with glucocorticoid receptor alpha resulted in an abrogation of the MMTV-luc and GRE-luc reporter activities induced by dexamethasone. The results suggest a novel mechanism by which membrane-initiated signaling interferes with steroid signaling.

Graphene nanoribbons as a drug delivery agent for lucanthone mediated therapy of glioblastoma multiforme

DOE PAGES

Chowdhury, Sayan Mullick; Surhland, Cassandra; Sanchez, Zina; ...

2014-08-13

We report use of PEG-DSPE coated oxidized graphene nanoribbons (O-GNR-PEG-DSPE) as agent for delivery of anti-tumor drug Lucanthone (Luc) into Glioblastoma Multiformae (GBM) cells targeting base excision repair enzyme APE-1 (Apurinic endonuclease-1). Lucanthone, an endonuclease inhibitor of APE-1, was loaded onto O-GNR-PEG-DSPEs using a simple non-covalent method. We found its uptake by GBM cell line U251 exceeding 67% and 60% in APE-1-overexpressing U251, post 24 hours (h). However, their uptake was ~38% and 29% by MCF-7 and rat glial progenitor cells (CG-4), respectively. TEM analysis of U251 showed large aggregates of O-GNR-PEG-DSPE in vesicles. Luc-O-GNR-PEG-DSPE was significantly toxic to U251more » but showed little / no toxicity when exposed to MCF-7/CG-4 cells. This differential uptake effect can be exploited to use O-GNR-PEG-DSPEs as a vehicle for Luc delivery to GBM, while reducing nonspecific cytotoxicity to the surrounding healthy tissue. In conclusion, cell death in U251 was necrotic, probably due to oxidative degradation of APE-1.« less

EDITORIAL: Editor's Farewell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, R. P.

1989-01-01

The completion of Volume 26, 1989, marked the end of my tenure as Editor of Metrologia. My association with the journal, its parent body the Comité International des Poids et Mesures, its host organization the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, the publishers Springer-Verlag and last (but by no means least) the Editorial Board, has been a pleasant one and I trust that the subscribers will have found the product to be generally satisfactory. There have been, it is true, some disappointments along the way and I shall mention two of these while expressing the hope that the new Editor will enjoy a greater success in their regard. First is the question of circulation, which has stayed dangerously low, although the shrinkage has tapered off in the most recent years. Because of the narrow public support, the costs of production are relatively high and this, through a consequently high subscription rate, tends to enshrine the unsatisfactory state of affairs. Modest schemes to broaden the journal's appeal and bring in a wider readership have foundered upon the first step, namely, that of procuring from staff members of the national standards laboratories the hoped-for articles which would discuss the state of the art in delivering the highest-quality measurement services to the public. However, some very interesting and bolder schemes are presently under discussion. I had also hoped to leaven the journal's content a little by regularly appearing articles on the latest developments within the great national laboratories. But, as with technical review articles, it has proven very difficult to find the right authors who can also spare the time, and only a few laboratories have found it possible to collaborate. In taking my leave, it remains for me to thank all the contributors, referees and readers for their support, to express the hope of an ever brighter future for Metrologia and to wish to the new Editor, Dr D A Blackburn, a happy and successful tenure.

The image and advocacy of public health in American caricature and cartoons from 1860 to 1900.

PubMed Central

Hansen, B

1997-01-01

The decades just before and after the founding of the American Public Health Association in 1872 saw an efflorescence of political cartooning and caricature in national-circulation weeklies. Part of the political and social critique that cartoonists and their editors provided the public focused on needs or opportunities for preventing illness and accidents. This paper presents a small selection of editorial cartoons that agitated in support of public health activities over 4 decades. The goals are to illustrate several concerns that rose to national prominence in that era, to examine the kinds of imagery that newspapers and magazine editors offered their readers, and to observe how frequently the public was encouraged to see politicians and commercial interests as responsible for preventable health problems. This discussion focuses exclusively on propagandistic images, leaving aside the reportorial depictions of events in the news and the neutral illustrations of methods and machines in scientific and technical publications. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 FIGURE 6 FIGURE 7 FIGURE 8 FIGURE 9 FIGURE 10 FIGURE 11 PMID:9366637

A Conversation with Karl K. Turekian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turekian, Karl K.; Cochran, J. Kirk

2012-01-01

Editors' Note Each year, the editorial board invites a distinguished member of the oceanographic community to contribute a prefatory chapter; this year, we were delighted when Karl Turekian, Sterling Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Yale, accepted our invitation. Over the course of a long and productive career, Dr. Turekian has pursued his interests in marine and atmospheric geochemistry by using natural radioactive and radiogenic isotopes to study Earth's evolution and the impacts of global change. He has also directed both the Center for the Study of Global Change at Yale and the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies. In this interview, conducted by his former student Kirk Cochran, Dr. Turekian tells the story of his early career and discusses some of the major scientific challenges and opportunities faced along the way. His personal account of the rise of geochemistry is a charming story of how chance events and personalities impact scientific careers. His technical insight into the future of this field is illuminating, particularly for scientific outsiders who appreciate the central role of geochemistry in discerning and understanding patterns of global change. Craig A. Carlson and Stephen J. Giovannoni, Editors [Figure: see text

A Non-technical User-Oriented Display Notation for XACML Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepien, Bernard; Felty, Amy; Matwin, Stan

Ideally, access control to resources in complex IT systems ought to be handled by business decision makers who own a given resource (e.g., the pay and benefits section of an organization should decide and manage the access rules to the payroll system). To make this happen, the security and database communities need to develop vendor-independent access management tools, useable by decision makers, rather than technical personnel detached from a given business function. We have developed and implemented such tool, based on XACML. The XACML is an important emerging tool for managing complex access control applications. As a formal notation, based on an XML schema representing the grammar of a given application, XACML is precise and non-ambiguous. But this very property puts it out of reach of non-technical users. We propose a new notation for displaying and editing XACML rules that is independent of XML, and we develop an editor for it. Our notation combines a tree representation of logical expressions with an accessible natural language layer. Our early experience indicates that such rules can be grasped by non-technical users wishing to develop and control rules for accessing their own resources.

PREFACE: VII Brazilian Congress on Metrology (Metrologia 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa-Félix, Rodrigo; Bernardes, Americo; Valente de Oliveira, José Carlos; Mauro Granjeiro, José; Epsztejn, Ruth; Ihlenfeld, Waldemar; Smarçaro da Cunha, Valnei

2015-01-01

SEVENTH BRAZILIAN CONGRESS ON METROLOGY (METROLOGIA 2013) Metrology and Quality for a Sustainable Development From November 24th to 27th 2013 was issued the Seventh Brazilian Congress on Metrology (Metrologia 2013), which is a biannual conference organized and sponsored by the Brazilian Society of Metrology (SBM) and the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro). This edition was held in the charming and historical city of Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil, and aimed to join people and institutions devoted to the dissemination of the metrology and conformity assessment. The Metrologia 2013 Conference consisted of Keynote Speeches (7) and regular papers (204). Among the regular papers, the 47 most outstanding ones, comprising a high quality content on Metrology and Conformity Assessment, were selected to be published in this issue of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series. The topics of the conference covered all important areas of Metrology, which were agglutinated in the following sessions in the present issue: . Physical Metrology (Acoustics, Vibration and Ultrasound; Electricity and Magnetism; Mechanics; Optics); . Metrology on Ionizing Radiations; . Time and Frequency; . Chemistry Metrology; . Materials Metrology; . Biotechnology; . Uncertainty, Statistics and Mathematics; . Legal Metrology; . Conformity Assessment. It is our great pleasure to present this volume of IOP Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS) to the scientific community to promote further research in Metrology and related areas. We believe that this volume will be both an excellent source of scientific material in the fast evolving fields that were covered by Metrologia 2013. President of the congress Americo Bernardes Federal University of Ouro Preto atb@iceb.ufop.br Editor-in-chief Rodrigo Costa-Félix Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology rpfelix@inmetro.gov.br Editors José Carlos Valente de Oliveira (Editor on Mechanical Metrology) Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology jcoliveira@inmetro.gov.br José Mauro Granjeiro (Editor on Biotechnology) Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology jmgranjeiro@inmetro.gov.br Ruth Epsztejn (Editor on Conformity Assessment) Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology repsztejn@inmetro.gov.br Waldemar Ihlenfeld (Editor on Electrical Metrology) Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology wgihlenfeld-pronametro@inmetro.gov.br Valnei Smarçaro da Cunha (Editor on Chemistry Metrology) Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology vscunha@inmetro.gov.br Technical and Scientific Committee for Metrologia 2013 Ado Jório (UFMG) Carlos Achete (UFRJ, Inmetro) Flávio Vasconcelos (UFMG) Giorgio Moscati (USP) Hans Peter Grieneisen (Inmetro) Humberto Brandi (Inmetro) José Carlos Valente de Oliveira (Inmetro) José Guilherme Pereira Peixoto (IRD) José Mauro Granjeiro (Inmetro) Luiz Claudio Moreira Paschoal (Petrobras) Luis Fernado Rust (Inmetro) Luiz Silva Mello (PUC RJ) Marcos Nogueira Eberlin (Unicamp) Oleksii Kuznetsov (Inmetro) Regis Landim (Inmetro) Ricardo Carvalho (ON) Rodrigo Costa-Felix (Inmetro) Romeu José Daroda (Inmetro) Ruth Epsztejn (Inmetro) Valnei Smarçaro da Cunha (Inmetro) Valter Aibe (Inmetro) Waldemar Guilherme Kürten Ihlenfeld (PTB) Wanderley de Souza (UFRJ, Inmetro)

AGU Publications Volunteers Feted At Elegant Editors' Evening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panning, Jeanette

2013-01-01

The 2012 Fall Meeting Editors' Evening, held at the City Club of San Francisco, was hosted by the Publications Committee and is the premier social event for editors and associate editors attending the Fall Meeting. The evening commenced with a welcome from Carol Finn, incoming AGU president, in which she expressed her thanks to the editors and associate editors for volunteering their time to benefit AGU.

Community Report and Recommendations from International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foing, Bernard H.

2016-07-01

The International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) was established in April 1995 at a meeting in Hamburg, Germany. As established in its charter, this working group reports to COSPAR and is charged with developing an international strategy for the exploration of the Moon. It discusses coordination between missions, and a road map for future international lunar exploration and utilisation. It fosters information exchange or potential and real future lunar robotic and human missions, as well as for new scientific and exploration information about the Moon. We refer to COSPAR and ILEWG ICEUM and lunar conferences and declarations [1-18], present the GLUC/ICEUM11 declaration and give a report on ongoing relevant ILEWG community activities. ILEWG supported community forums, ILEWG EuroMoonMars field campaigns and technology validation activities, as well as Young Lunar Explorers events, and activities with broad stakeholders. We discuss how lunar missions SMART-1, Kaguya, Chang'E1&2, Chandrayaan-1, LCROSS, LRO, GRAIL, LADEE, Chang'E3 and upcoming missions contribute to lunar exploration objectives & roadmap towards the Moon Village. GLUC/ICEUM11 declaration: "467 International Lunar Explorers, registered delegates from 26 countries, assembled at GLUC Global Lunar Conference including the 11th ILEWG Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon (ICEUM11) in Beijing. The conference engaged scientists, engineers, enthusiast explorers, agencies and organisations in the discussion of recent results and activities and the review of plans for exploration. Space agencies representatives gave the latest reports on their current lunar activities and programmes. GLUC-ICEUM11 was a truly historical meeting that demonstrated the world-wide interest in lunar exploration, discovery, and science. More than 400 abstracts were accepted for oral and poster presentations in the technical sessions, organised in 32 sessions within 4 symposia: Science and Exploration; Technology and Resource Utilisation; Infrastructure and Human aspects; Moon, Space and Society. The latest technical achievements and results of recent missions (SMART-1, Kaguya, Chang'E1, Chandrayaan-1, LCROSS and LRO) were discussed at a plenary panel and technical sessions, with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) still in operation. Chang'E1 has generated many useful results for the community. Four plenary panel sessions were conducted: 1. What are the plans? 2. New mission results; 3. From space stations and robotic precursors to lunar bases; 4. Moon, Space, Society The participants summarised their findings, discussions and recommend o continue efforts by agencies and the community on previous ICEUM recommendations, and the continuation of the ILEWG forum, technical groups activities and pilot projects. 1. Science and exploration - World-wide access to raw and derived (geophysical units) data products using consistent formats and coordinate systems will maximize return on investment. We call to develop and implement plans for generation, validation, and release of these data products. Data should be made available for scientific analysis and supporting the development and planning of future missions - There are still Outstanding Questions: Structure and composition of crust, mantle, and core and implications for the origin and evolution of the Earth-Moon system; Timing, origin, and consequences of late heavy bombardment; Impact processes and regolith evolution; Nature and origin of volatile emplacement; Implications for resource utilization. These questions require international cooperation and sharing of results in order to be answered in a cost-effective manner - Ground truth information on the lunar far side is missing and needed to address many important scientific questions, e.g. with a sample return from South Pole- Aitken Basin - Knowledge of the interior is poor relative to the surface, and is needed to address a number of key questions, e.g. with International Lunar Network for seismometry and other geophysical measurements - Lunar missions will be driven by exploration, resource utilization, and science; we should consider minimum science payload for every mission, e.g., landers and rovers should carry instruments to determine surface composition and mineralogy - It is felt important to have a shared database about previous missions available for free, so as to provide inputs to future missions, including a gap analysis of needed measurements. Highly resolved global data sets are required. Autonomous landing and hazard avoidance will depend on the best topographic map of the Moon, achievable by combining shared data. - New topics such as life sciences, partial gravity processes on the Moon should be followed in relation to future exploration needs. 2. Technologies and resources - A number of robotic missions to the Moon are now undertaken independently by various nations, with a degree of exchange of information and coordination. That should increase towards real cooperation, still allowing areas of competition for keeping the process active, cost-effective and faster. - Lunar landers, pressurized lunar rover projects as presented from Europe, Asia and America are important steps that can create opportunities for international collaboration, within a coordinated village of robotic precursors and assistants to crew missions. - We have to think about development, modernization of existing navigation capabilities, and provision of lunar positioning, navigation and data relay assets to support future robotic and human exploration. New concepts and new methods for transportation have attracted much attention and are of great potential. 3. Infrastructures and human aspects - It is recommended to have technical sessions and activities dealing with different aspects of human adaptation to space environments, the modeling of sub-systems, microbial protection and use of inflatable technologies - While the Moon is the best and next logical step in human exploration, we should make best use of the space stations as stepping stones for exploration and human spaceflight beyond Low Earth Orbit. - Further research is needed on lunar dust aspects in regard to humans and interaction with habitats. We note high interest in CELSS for Moon and Mars bases, and recommend further research and development. - We recommend the development and use of terrestrial analogues research sites and facilities, for technology demonstrations, comparative geology and human performance research, and public engagement. We endorse the proposal of development of a site at La Reunion for international Moon-Mars analogue research. 4. Moon, Space, Society and Young Explorers - We consider that the current legal regime as set out in the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon agreement are satisfactory for current and future missions, but may require further clarification for future exploration. Issues of transparency and security will need to be addressed. - Great things are happening for Young Lunar Explorers, with inspiring missions and hands-on activities as coordinated by ILEWG. Lunar exploration is encouraging students of all ages to pursue higher education. - More possibilities for participatory engagement should be offered to the society for example via interdisciplinary activities with the humanities. - We appreciate the work from COSPAR panel on Exploration PEX that should be shared further. - Continued cooperation should be enforced at all levels. The space community feels strongly that joining the forces of space faring nations to explore the Moon should be seriously implemented, with the views of expanding a Global Robotic Village and building in the long run a Manned International Lunar Base. - We propose that a panel be formed through ILEWG with the help of IAF and Chinese Society of Astronautics in cooperation with space agencies, COSPAR and other stakeholders in order to initiate a permanent International Space Exploration Governance Forum We, the participants of the GLUC-ICEUM11 conference, commit to an enhanced global cooperation towards international lunar exploration for the benefit of humankind. Endorsed by the delegates of GLUC-ICEUM11" References: [1] 1st International Lunar Workshop, Balsiger H. et al., Editors, European Space Agency, 1994. ESA-SP-1170. [2] 2nd International Lunar Workshop, Kyoto, H. Mizutani, editor, Japan Space Forum Publisher, 1997. [3] 3rd International Lunar Workshop, Moscow 1998, E. Galimov, editor. [4] ICEUM4, ESTEC, 2000, ESA SP-462, B.H. Foing & M. Perry, editors. [5] ICEUM5, Hawaii Nov 2003, Durst S.M. et al, Editors, Vol 108, 1-576 pp, Science and Technology Series, American Astronautical Society, 2004. [6] ICEUM6, Udaipur 2004, Bhandari N., Editor, Journal Earth System Science, India, 114, No6, Dec 2005, pp. 573-841. [7] ICEUM7, Toronto Sept 2005, sci.esa.int/ilewg. [8] ICEUM8, Beijing July 2006, Journal of Chinese Society of Astronautics, Vol. 28 Sup., 2007, Ji W., Editor. [9] ICEUM9, Sorrento, Italy, Foing B., Espinasse S., Kosters G., Editors. http://sci.esa.int/iceum9, Dec. 2007), [11] Ehrenfreund, P., Foing, B.H., Cellino, A. Editors, The Moon and Near Earth Objects, ASR Vol 37, 1, 2006. [12] Foing, B.H. et al editors, 'Astronomy and Space Science from the Moon', ASR 14, 6, 1994. [13] Ip W.-H., Foing, B.H., Masson Ph.L., editors, The Moon and Mars, ASR Vol 23, 11, 1999. [14] Foing, B.H. et al, editor, Lunar Exploration, Planetary and Space Science, Vol 50, 14-15, 2002. [15] Foing, B.H., Heather, D. editors, 'Lunar Exploration 2000', ASR Vol 30, Nr 8, 2002. [16] Huntress, W. et al 'The next steps in exploring deep space - A cosmic study by the IAA', Acta Astronautica, Vol 58, Issues 6-7, 2006, p302-377. [17] http://sci.esa.int/ilewg/43654-declaration-iceum10-leag-srr-florida-2008/ [18] Ehrenfreund P. et al (COSPAR planetary exploration panel report) 2012, ASR Vol 49, Nr 1, pp. 2-48.

Mechanism of alcohol-enhanced lucigenin chemiluminescence in alkaline solution.

PubMed

Chi, Quan; Chen, Wanying; He, Zhike

2015-11-01

The chemiluminescence (CL) of lucigenin (Luc(2+)) can be enhanced by different alcohols in alkaline solution. The effect of different fatty alcohols on the CL of lucigenin was related to the carbon chain length and the number of hydroxyl groups. Glycerol provides the greatest enhancement. UV/Vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra showed that N-methylacridone (NMA) was produced in the CL reaction in the presence of different alcohols. The peak of the CL spectrum was located at 470 nm in all cases, indicating that the luminophore was always the excited-state NMA. The quenching of lucigenin CL by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the electron spin resonance (ESR) results with the spin trap of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) demonstrated that superoxide anions (O2 (•-)) were generated from dissolved oxygen in the CL reaction and that glycerol and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) can promote O2 (•-) production by the reduction of dissolved oxygen in alkaline solution. It was assumed that the enhancement provided by different alcohols was related to the solvent effect and reducing capacity. Glycerol and DHA can also reduce Luc(2+) into lucigenin cation radicals (Luc(•+) ), which react with O2 (•-) to produce CL, and glycerol can slowly transform into DHA, which is oxidized quickly in alkaline solution. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High-throughput, luciferase-based reverse genetics systems for identifying inhibitors of Marburg and Ebola viruses.

PubMed

Uebelhoer, Luke S; Albariño, César G; McMullan, Laura K; Chakrabarti, Ayan K; Vincent, Joel P; Nichol, Stuart T; Towner, Jonathan S

2014-06-01

Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV), members of the family Filoviridae, represent a significant challenge to global public health. Currently, no licensed therapies exist to treat filovirus infections, which cause up to 90% mortality in human cases. To facilitate development of antivirals against these viruses, we established two distinct screening platforms based on MARV and EBOV reverse genetics systems that express secreted Gaussia luciferase (gLuc). The first platform is a mini-genome replicon to screen viral replication inhibitors using gLuc quantification in a BSL-2 setting. The second platform is complementary to the first and expresses gLuc as a reporter gene product encoded in recombinant infectious MARV and EBOV, thereby allowing for rapid quantification of viral growth during treatment with antiviral compounds. We characterized these viruses by comparing luciferase activity to virus production, and validated luciferase activity as an authentic real-time measure of viral growth. As proof of concept, we adapt both mini-genome and infectious virus platforms to high-throughput formats, and demonstrate efficacy of several antiviral compounds. We anticipate that both approaches will prove highly useful in the development of anti-filovirus therapies, as well as in basic research on the filovirus life cycle. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Visualization of Oxidative Stress Induced by Experimental Periodontitis in Keap1-Dependent Oxidative Stress Detector-Luciferase Mice.

PubMed

Kataoka, Kota; Ekuni, Daisuke; Tomofuji, Takaaki; Irie, Koichiro; Kunitomo, Muneyoshi; Uchida, Yoko; Fukuhara, Daiki; Morita, Manabu

2016-11-16

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a Keap1-dependent oxidative stress detector-luciferase (OKD-LUC) mouse model would be useful for the visualization of oxidative stress induced by experimental periodontitis. A ligature was placed around the mandibular first molars for seven days to induce periodontitis. Luciferase activity was measured with an intraperitoneal injection of d-luciferin on days 0, 1, and 7. The luciferase activity in the periodontitis group was significantly greater than that in the control group at seven days. The expressions of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and malondialdehyde in periodontal tissue were significantly higher in the periodontitis group than in the control group. Immunofluorescent analysis confirmed that the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) occurred more frequently in the periodontitis group than in the control group. This study found that under oxidative stress induced by experimental periodontitis, the Nrf2/antioxidant defense pathway was activated and could be visualized from the luciferase activity in the OKD-LUC model. Thus, the OKD-LUC mouse model may be useful for exploring the mechanism underlying the relationship between the Nrf2/antioxidant defense pathway and periodontitis by enabling the visualization of oxidative stress over time.

Effect of external and internal factors on the expression of reporter genes driven by the N resistance gene promoter.

PubMed

Kathiria, Palak; Sidler, Corinne; Woycicki, Rafal; Yao, Youli; Kovalchuk, Igor

2013-07-01

The role of resistance (R) genes in plant pathogen interaction has been studied extensively due to its economical impact on agriculture. Interaction between tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and the N protein from tobacco is one of the most widely used models to understand various aspects of pathogen resistance. The transcription activity governed by N gene promoter is one of the least understood elements of the model. In this study, the N gene promoter was cloned and fused with two different reporter genes, one encoding β-glucuronidase (N::GUS) and another, luciferase (N::LUC). Tobacco plants transformed with the N::GUS or N::LUC reporter constructs were screened for homozygosity and stable expression. Histochemical analysis of N::GUS tobacco plants revealed that the expression is organ specific and developmentally regulated. Whereas two week old plants expressed GUS in midveins only, 6-wk-old plants also expressed GUS in leaf lamella. Roots did not show GUS expression at any time during development. Experiments to address effects of external stress were performed using N::LUC tobacco plants. These experiments showed that N gene promoter expression was suppressed when plants were exposed to high but not low temperatures. Expression was also upregulated in response to TMV, but no changes were observed in plants treated with SA.

Biofuels that cause land-use change may have much larger non-GHG air quality emissions than fossil fuels.

PubMed

Tsao, C-C; Campbell, J E; Mena-Carrasco, M; Spak, S N; Carmichael, G R; Chen, Y

2012-10-02

Although biofuels present an opportunity for renewable energy production, significant land-use change resulting from biofuels may contribute to negative environmental, economic, and social impacts. Here we examined non-GHG air pollution impacts from both indirect and direct land-use change caused by the anticipated expansion of Brazilian biofuels production. We synthesized information on fuel loading, combustion completeness, and emission factors, and developed a spatially explicit approach with uncertainty and sensitivity analyses to estimate air pollution emissions. The land-use change emissions, ranging from 6.7 to 26.4 Tg PM(2.5), were dominated by deforestation burning practices associated with indirect land-use change. We also found Brazilian sugar cane ethanol and soybean biodiesel including direct and indirect land-use change effects have much larger life-cycle emissions than conventional fossil fuels for six regulated air pollutants. The emissions magnitude and uncertainty decrease with longer life-cycle integration periods. Results are conditional to the single LUC scenario employed here. After LUC uncertainty, the largest source of uncertainty in LUC emissions stems from the combustion completeness during deforestation. While current biofuels cropland burning policies in Brazil seek to reduce life-cycle emissions, these policies do not address the large emissions caused by indirect land-use change.

Biosynthesis-inspired deracemizative production of d-luciferin by combining luciferase and thioesterase.

PubMed

Maeda, Juri; Kato, Dai-Ichiro; Okuda, Masatoshi; Takeo, Masahiro; Negoro, Seiji; Arima, Kazunari; Ito, Yuji; Niwa, Kazuki

2017-08-01

Due to the strict enantioselectivity of firefly luciferase, only d-luciferin can be used as a substrate for bioluminescence reactions. Unfortunately, luciferin racemizes easily and accumulation of nonluminous l-luciferin has negative influences on the light emitting reaction. Thus, maintaining the enantiopurity of luciferin in the reaction mixture is one of the most important demands in bioluminescence applications using firefly luciferase. In fireflies, however, l-luciferin is the biosynthetic precursor of d-luciferin, which is produced from the L-form undergoing deracemization. This deracemization consists of three successive reactions: l-enantioselective thioesterification by luciferase, in situ epimerization, and hydrolysis by thioesterase. In this work, we introduce a deracemizative luminescence system inspired by the biosynthetic pathway of d-luciferin using a combination of firefly luciferase from Luciola cruciata (LUC-G) and fatty acyl-CoA thioesterase II from Escherichia coli (TESB). The enzymatic reaction property analysis indicated the importance of the concentration balance between LUC-G and TESB for efficient d-luciferin production and light emission. Using this deracemizative luminescence system, a highly sensitive quantitative analysis method for l-cysteine was constructed. This LUC-G-TESB combination system can improve bioanalysis applications using the firefly bioluminescence reaction by efficient deracemization of D-luciferin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ModelArchiver—A program for facilitating the creation of groundwater model archives

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winston, Richard B.

2018-03-01

ModelArchiver is a program designed to facilitate the creation of groundwater model archives that meet the requirements of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) policy (Office of Groundwater Technical Memorandum 2016.02, https://water.usgs.gov/admin/memo/GW/gw2016.02.pdf, https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/policy/gw-model/). ModelArchiver version 1.0 leads the user step-by-step through the process of creating a USGS groundwater model archive. The user specifies the contents of each of the subdirectories within the archive and provides descriptions of the archive contents. Descriptions of some files can be specified automatically using file extensions. Descriptions also can be specified individually. Those descriptions are added to a readme.txt file provided by the user. ModelArchiver moves the content of the archive to the archive folder and compresses some folders into .zip files.As part of the archive, the modeler must create a metadata file describing the archive. The program has a built-in metadata editor and provides links to websites that can aid in creation of the metadata. The built-in metadata editor is also available as a stand-alone program named FgdcMetaEditor version 1.0, which also is described in this report. ModelArchiver updates the metadata file provided by the user with descriptions of the files in the archive. An optional archive list file generated automatically by ModelMuse can streamline the creation of archives by identifying input files, output files, model programs, and ancillary files for inclusion in the archive.

Scientific misconduct encountered by APAME journals: an online survey.

PubMed

Looi, Lai-Meng; Wong, Li Xuan; Koh, Cing Chai

2015-12-01

In June 2015, invitations were sent by email to 151 APAME journals to participate in an online survey with an objective of gaining insight into the common publication misconduct encountered by APAME editors. The survey, conducted through SurveyMonkey over a 20-day-period, comprised 10 questions with expansions to allow anecdotes limited to 400 characters, estimated to take less than 10 minutes to complete. Only one invitation was issued per journal, targeting (in order of priority) editors, editorial board members and editorial staff, and limited by email availability. 54 (36%) journals responded. 98% of respondents held Editor or Editorial Board positions. All respondent journals have editorial policies on publication ethics and 96% provide instructions related to ethics. 45% use anti-plagiarism software to screen manuscripts, the most popular being iThenticate, CrossCheck and Turnitin. Up to 50% of journals had encountered studies without IRB approval. Author misconduct encountered were (in rank order): plagiarism (75%), duplicate publication (58%), unjustified authorship (39%), authorship disputes (33%), data falsification (29%), data/image manipulation (27%), conflict of interest (25%), copyright violation (17%) and breach of confidentiality (10%). Reviewer misconduct encountered were: conflict of interest (19%), plagiarism (17%), obstructive behavior (17%), abusive language (13%) and breach of confidentiality (13%). Notwithstanding the limitations of the survey and the response rate, a few insights have been gained: (1) the need for strengthening the ethical culture of researchers/authors and reviewers, (2) anti-plagiarism software can improve plagiarism detection by about 15%, and (3) the need for technical support to detect plagiarism, duplicate publication and image manipulation.

An Open-Source Label Atlas Correction Tool and Preliminary Results on Huntingtons Disease Whole-Brain MRI Atlases

PubMed Central

Forbes, Jessica L.; Kim, Regina E. Y.; Paulsen, Jane S.; Johnson, Hans J.

2016-01-01

The creation of high-quality medical imaging reference atlas datasets with consistent dense anatomical region labels is a challenging task. Reference atlases have many uses in medical image applications and are essential components of atlas-based segmentation tools commonly used for producing personalized anatomical measurements for individual subjects. The process of manual identification of anatomical regions by experts is regarded as a so-called gold standard; however, it is usually impractical because of the labor-intensive costs. Further, as the number of regions of interest increases, these manually created atlases often contain many small inconsistently labeled or disconnected regions that need to be identified and corrected. This project proposes an efficient process to drastically reduce the time necessary for manual revision in order to improve atlas label quality. We introduce the LabelAtlasEditor tool, a SimpleITK-based open-source label atlas correction tool distributed within the image visualization software 3D Slicer. LabelAtlasEditor incorporates several 3D Slicer widgets into one consistent interface and provides label-specific correction tools, allowing for rapid identification, navigation, and modification of the small, disconnected erroneous labels within an atlas. The technical details for the implementation and performance of LabelAtlasEditor are demonstrated using an application of improving a set of 20 Huntingtons Disease-specific multi-modal brain atlases. Additionally, we present the advantages and limitations of automatic atlas correction. After the correction of atlas inconsistencies and small, disconnected regions, the number of unidentified voxels for each dataset was reduced on average by 68.48%. PMID:27536233

An Open-Source Label Atlas Correction Tool and Preliminary Results on Huntingtons Disease Whole-Brain MRI Atlases.

PubMed

Forbes, Jessica L; Kim, Regina E Y; Paulsen, Jane S; Johnson, Hans J

2016-01-01

The creation of high-quality medical imaging reference atlas datasets with consistent dense anatomical region labels is a challenging task. Reference atlases have many uses in medical image applications and are essential components of atlas-based segmentation tools commonly used for producing personalized anatomical measurements for individual subjects. The process of manual identification of anatomical regions by experts is regarded as a so-called gold standard; however, it is usually impractical because of the labor-intensive costs. Further, as the number of regions of interest increases, these manually created atlases often contain many small inconsistently labeled or disconnected regions that need to be identified and corrected. This project proposes an efficient process to drastically reduce the time necessary for manual revision in order to improve atlas label quality. We introduce the LabelAtlasEditor tool, a SimpleITK-based open-source label atlas correction tool distributed within the image visualization software 3D Slicer. LabelAtlasEditor incorporates several 3D Slicer widgets into one consistent interface and provides label-specific correction tools, allowing for rapid identification, navigation, and modification of the small, disconnected erroneous labels within an atlas. The technical details for the implementation and performance of LabelAtlasEditor are demonstrated using an application of improving a set of 20 Huntingtons Disease-specific multi-modal brain atlases. Additionally, we present the advantages and limitations of automatic atlas correction. After the correction of atlas inconsistencies and small, disconnected regions, the number of unidentified voxels for each dataset was reduced on average by 68.48%.

Trading forests: land-use change and carbon emissions embodied in production and exports of forest-risk commodities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henders, Sabine; Persson, U. Martin; Kastner, Thomas

2015-12-01

Production of commercial agricultural commodities for domestic and foreign markets is increasingly driving land clearing in tropical regions, creating links and feedback effects between geographically separated consumption and production locations. Such teleconnections are commonly studied through calculating consumption footprints and quantifying environmental impacts embodied in trade flows, e.g., virtual water and land, biomass, or greenhouse gas emissions. The extent to which land-use change (LUC) and associated carbon emissions are embodied in the production and export of agricultural commodities has been less studied. Here we quantify tropical deforestation area and carbon emissions from LUC induced by the production and the export of four commodities (beef, soybeans, palm oil, and wood products) in seven countries with high deforestation rates (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea). We show that in the period 2000-2011, the production of the four analyzed commodities in our seven case countries was responsible for 40% of total tropical deforestation and resulting carbon losses. Over a third of these impacts was embodied in exports in 2011, up from a fifth in 2000. This trend highlights the growing influence of global markets in deforestation dynamics. Main flows of embodied LUC are Latin American beef and soybean exports to markets in Europe, China, the former Soviet bloc, the Middle East and Northern Africa, whereas embodied emission flows are dominated by Southeast Asian exports of palm oil and wood products to consumers in China, India and the rest of Asia, as well as to the European Union. Our findings illustrate the growing role that global consumers play in tropical LUC trajectories and highlight the need for demand-side policies covering whole supply chains. We also discuss the limitations of such demand-side measures and call for a combination of supply- and demand-side policies to effectively limit tropical deforestation, along with research into the interactions of different types of policy interventions.

Gravity affects the responsiveness of Runx2 to 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Feima; Dai, Zhongquan; Wu, Feng; Liu, Zhaoxia; Tan, Yingjun; Wan, Yumin; Shang, Peng; Li, Yinghui

2013-03-01

Bone loss resulting from spaceflight is mainly caused by decreased bone formation, and decreased osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Transcription factor Runx2 plays an important role in osteoblast differentiation and function by responding to microenvironment changes including cytokine and mechanical factors. The effects of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3) on Runx2 in terms of mechanical competence is far less clear. This study describes how gravity affects the response of Runx2 to VD3. A MC3T3-6OSE2-Luc osteoblast model was constructed in which the activity of Runx2 was reflected by reporter luciferase activity identifed by bone-related cytokines. The results showed that luciferase activity in MC3T3-6OSE2-Luc cells transfected with Runx2 was twice that of the vacant vector. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was increased in MC3T3-6OSE2-Luc cells by different concentrations of IGF-I and BMP2. MC3T3-6OSE2-Luc cells were cultured under simulated microgravity or centrifuge with or without VD3. In simulated microgravity, luciferase activity was decreased after 48 h of clinorotation culture, but increased in the centrifuge culture. Luciferase activity was increased after VD3 treatment in normal conditions and simulated microgravity, the increase in luciferase activity in simulated microgravity was lower than that in the 1 g condition when simultaneously treated with VD3 and higher than that in the centrifuge condition. Co-immunoprecipitation showed that the interaction between the VD3 receptor (VDR) and Runx2 was decreased by simulated microgravity, but increased by centrifugation. From these results, we conclude that gravity affects the response of Runx2 to VD3 which results from an alteration in the interaction between VDR and Runx2 under different gravity conditions.

Historical emissions critical for mapping decarbonization pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majkut, J.; Kopp, R. E.; Sarmiento, J. L.; Oppenheimer, M.

2016-12-01

Policymakers have set a goal of limiting temperature increase from human influence on the climate. This motivates the identification of decarbonization pathways to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of CO2. In this context, the future behavior of CO2 sources and sinks define the CO2 emissions necessary to meet warming thresholds with specified probabilities. We adopt a simple model of the atmosphere-land-ocean carbon balance to reflect uncertainty in how natural CO2 sinks will respond to increasing atmospheric CO2 and temperature. Bayesian inversion is used to estimate the probability distributions of selected parameters of the carbon model. Prior probability distributions are chosen to reflect the behavior of CMIP5 models. We then update these prior distributions by running historical simulations of the global carbon cycle and inverting with observationally-based inventories and fluxes of anthropogenic carbon in the ocean and atmosphere. The result is a best-estimate of historical CO2 sources and sinks and a model of how CO2 sources and sinks will vary in the future under various emissions scenarios, with uncertainty. By linking the carbon model to a simple climate model, we calculate emissions pathways and carbon budgets consistent with meeting specific temperature thresholds and identify key factors that contribute to remaining uncertainty. In particular, we show how the assumed history of CO2 emissions from land use change (LUC) critically impacts estimates of the strength of the land CO2 sink via CO2 fertilization. Different estimates of historical LUC emissions taken from the literature lead to significantly different parameterizations of the carbon system. High historical CO2 emissions from LUC lead to a more robust CO2 fertilization effect, significantly lower future atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and an increased amount of CO2 that can be emitted to satisfy temperature stabilization targets. Thus, in our model, historical LUC emissions have a significant impact on allowable carbon budgets under temperture targets.

Synthetic versions of firefly luciferase and Renilla luciferase reporter genes that resist transgene silencing in sugarcane

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Down-regulation or silencing of transgene expression can be a major hurdle to both molecular studies and biotechnology applications in many plant species. Sugarcane is particularly effective at silencing introduced transgenes, including reporter genes such as the firefly luciferase gene. Synthesizing transgene coding sequences optimized for usage in the host plant is one method of enhancing transgene expression and stability. Using specified design rules we have synthesised new coding sequences for both the firefly luciferase and Renilla luciferase reporter genes. We have tested these optimized versions for enhanced levels of luciferase activity and for increased steady state luciferase mRNA levels in sugarcane. Results The synthetic firefly luciferase (luc*) and Renilla luciferase (Renluc*) coding sequences have elevated G + C contents in line with sugarcane codon usage, but maintain 75% identity to the native firefly or Renilla luciferase nucleotide sequences and 100% identity to the protein coding sequences. Under the control of the maize pUbi promoter, the synthetic luc* and Renluc* genes yielded 60x and 15x higher luciferase activity respectively, over the native firefly and Renilla luciferase genes in transient assays on sugarcane suspension cell cultures. Using a novel transient assay in sugarcane suspension cells combining co-bombardment and qRT-PCR, we showed that synthetic luc* and Renluc* genes generate increased transcript levels compared to the native firefly and Renilla luciferase genes. In stable transgenic lines, the luc* transgene generated significantly higher levels of expression than the native firefly luciferase transgene. The fold difference in expression was highest in the youngest tissues. Conclusions We developed synthetic versions of both the firefly and Renilla luciferase reporter genes that resist transgene silencing in sugarcane. These transgenes will be particularly useful for evaluating the expression patterns conferred by existing and newly isolated promoters in sugarcane tissues. The strategies used to design the synthetic luciferase transgenes could be applied to other transgenes that are aggressively silenced in sugarcane. PMID:24708613

Synthetic versions of firefly luciferase and Renilla luciferase reporter genes that resist transgene silencing in sugarcane.

PubMed

Chou, Ting-Chun; Moyle, Richard L

2014-04-08

Down-regulation or silencing of transgene expression can be a major hurdle to both molecular studies and biotechnology applications in many plant species. Sugarcane is particularly effective at silencing introduced transgenes, including reporter genes such as the firefly luciferase gene.Synthesizing transgene coding sequences optimized for usage in the host plant is one method of enhancing transgene expression and stability. Using specified design rules we have synthesised new coding sequences for both the firefly luciferase and Renilla luciferase reporter genes. We have tested these optimized versions for enhanced levels of luciferase activity and for increased steady state luciferase mRNA levels in sugarcane. The synthetic firefly luciferase (luc*) and Renilla luciferase (Renluc*) coding sequences have elevated G + C contents in line with sugarcane codon usage, but maintain 75% identity to the native firefly or Renilla luciferase nucleotide sequences and 100% identity to the protein coding sequences.Under the control of the maize pUbi promoter, the synthetic luc* and Renluc* genes yielded 60x and 15x higher luciferase activity respectively, over the native firefly and Renilla luciferase genes in transient assays on sugarcane suspension cell cultures.Using a novel transient assay in sugarcane suspension cells combining co-bombardment and qRT-PCR, we showed that synthetic luc* and Renluc* genes generate increased transcript levels compared to the native firefly and Renilla luciferase genes.In stable transgenic lines, the luc* transgene generated significantly higher levels of expression than the native firefly luciferase transgene. The fold difference in expression was highest in the youngest tissues. We developed synthetic versions of both the firefly and Renilla luciferase reporter genes that resist transgene silencing in sugarcane. These transgenes will be particularly useful for evaluating the expression patterns conferred by existing and newly isolated promoters in sugarcane tissues. The strategies used to design the synthetic luciferase transgenes could be applied to other transgenes that are aggressively silenced in sugarcane.

The Androgen Metabolite, 5α-Androstane-3β,17β-Diol (3β-Diol), Activates the Oxytocin Promoter Through an Estrogen Receptor-β Pathway

PubMed Central

Hiroi, Ryoko; Lacagnina, Anthony F.; Hinds, Laura R.; Carbone, David G.; Uht, Rosalie M.

2013-01-01

Testosterone has been shown to suppress the acute stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; however, the mechanisms underlying this response remain unclear. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is regulated by a neuroendocrine subpopulation of medial parvocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). These neurons are devoid of androgen receptors (ARs). Therefore, a possibility is that the PVN target neurons respond to a metabolite in the testosterone catabolic pathway via an AR-independent mechanism. The dihydrotestosterone metabolite, 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (3β-diol), binds and activates estrogen receptor-β (ER-β), the predominant ER in the PVN. In the PVN, ER-β is coexpressed with oxytocin (OT). Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that 3β-diol regulates OT expression through ER-β activation. Treatment of ovariectomized rats with estradiol benzoate or 3β-diol for 4 days increased OT mRNA selectively in the midcaudal, but not rostral PVN compared with vehicle-treated controls. 3β-Diol treatment also increased OT mRNA in the hypothalamic N38 cell line in vitro. The functional interactions between 3β-diol and ER-β with the human OT promoter were examined using an OT promoter-luciferase reporter construct (OT-luc). In a dose-dependent manner, 3β-diol treatment increased OT-luc activity when cells were cotransfected with ER-β, but not ER-α. The 3β-diol–induced OT-luc activity was reduced by deletion of the promoter region containing the composite hormone response element (cHRE). Point mutations of the cHRE also prevented OT-luc activation by 3β-diol. These results indicate that 3β-diol induces OT promoter activity via ER-β–cHRE interactions. PMID:23515287

Development of an animal model of progressive vaccinia in nu/nu mice and the use of bioluminescence imaging for assessment of the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies against vaccinial B5 and L1 proteins.

PubMed

Zaitseva, Marina; Thomas, Antonia; Meseda, Clement A; Cheung, Charles Y K; Diaz, Claudia G; Xiang, Yan; Crotty, Shane; Golding, Hana

2017-08-01

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) was used to follow dissemination of recombinant vaccinia virus (VACV) expressing luciferase (IHD-J-Luc) in BALB/c nu/nu mice treated post-challenge with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against L1 and B5 VACV proteins in a model of Progressive Vaccinia (PV). Areas Under the flux Curve (AUC) were calculated for viral loads in multiple organs in individual mice. Following scarification with 10 5  pfu, IHD-J-Luc VACV undergoes fast replication at the injection site and disseminates rapidly to the inguinal lymph nodes followed by spleen, liver, and axillary lymph nodes within 2-3 days and before primary lesions are visible at the site of scarification. Extension of survival in nude mice treated with a combination of anti-B5 and anti-L1 MAbs 24 h post challenge correlated with a significant reduction in viral load at the site of scarification and delayed systemic dissemination. Nude mice reconstituted with 10 4  T cells prior to challenge with IHD-J-Luc, and treated with MAbs post-challenge, survived infection, cleared the virus from all organs and scarification site, and developed anti-VACV IgG and VACV-specific polyfunctional CD8 + T cells that co-expressed the degranulation marker CD107a, and IFNγ and TNFα cytokines. All T cell reconstituted mice survived intranasal re-challenge with IHD-J-Luc (10 4  pfu) two months after the primary infection. Thus, using BLI to monitor VACV replication in a PV model, we showed that anti-VACV MAbs administered post challenge extended survival of nude mice and protected T cell reconstituted nude mice from lethality by reducing replication at the site of scarification and systemic dissemination of VACV. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An ultrasensitive NanoLuc-based luminescence system for monitoring Plasmodium berghei throughout its life cycle.

PubMed

De Niz, Mariana; Stanway, Rebecca R; Wacker, Rahel; Keller, Derya; Heussler, Volker T

2016-04-21

Bioluminescence imaging is widely used for cell-based assays and animal imaging studies, both in biomedical research and drug development. Its main advantages include its high-throughput applicability, affordability, high sensitivity, operational simplicity, and quantitative outputs. In malaria research, bioluminescence has been used for drug discovery in vivo and in vitro, exploring host-pathogen interactions, and studying multiple aspects of Plasmodium biology. While the number of fluorescent proteins available for imaging has undergone a great expansion over the last two decades, enabling simultaneous visualization of multiple molecular and cellular events, expansion of available luciferases has lagged behind. The most widely used bioluminescent probe in malaria research is the Photinus pyralis firefly luciferase, followed by the more recently introduced Click-beetle and Renilla luciferases. Ultra-sensitive imaging of Plasmodium at low parasite densities has not been previously achieved. With the purpose of overcoming these challenges, a Plasmodium berghei line expressing the novel ultra-bright luciferase enzyme NanoLuc, called PbNLuc has been generated, and is presented in this work. NanoLuc shows at least 150 times brighter signal than firefly luciferase in vitro, allowing single parasite detection in mosquito, liver, and sexual and asexual blood stages. As a proof-of-concept, the PbNLuc parasites were used to image parasite development in the mosquito, liver and blood stages of infection, and to specifically explore parasite liver stage egress, and pre-patency period in vivo. PbNLuc is a suitable parasite line for sensitive imaging of the entire Plasmodium life cycle. Its sensitivity makes it a promising line to be used as a reference for drug candidate testing, as well as the characterization of mutant parasites to explore the function of parasite proteins, host-parasite interactions, and the better understanding of Plasmodium biology. Since the substrate requirements of NanoLuc are different from those of firefly luciferase, dual bioluminescence imaging for the simultaneous characterization of two lines, or two separate biological processes, is possible, as demonstrated in this work.

Proline Coordination with Fatty Acid Synthesis and Redox Metabolism of Chloroplast and Mitochondria.

PubMed

Shinde, Suhas; Villamor, Joji Grace; Lin, Wendar; Sharma, Sandeep; Verslues, Paul E

2016-10-01

Proline (Pro) accumulation is one of the most prominent changes in plant metabolism during drought and low water potential; however, the regulation and function of Pro metabolism remain unclear. We used a combination of forward genetic screening based on a Proline Dehydrogenase1 (PDH1) promoter-luciferase reporter (PDH1 pro :LUC2) and RNA sequencing of the Pro synthesis mutant p5cs1-4 to identify multiple loci affecting Pro accumulation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Two mutants having high PDH1 pro :LUC2 expression and increased Pro accumulation at low water potential were found to be alleles of Cytochrome P450, Family 86, Subfamily A, Polypeptide2 (CYP86A2) and Long Chain Acyl Synthetase2 (LACS2), which catalyze two successive steps in very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) synthesis. Reverse genetic experiments found additional VLCFA and lipid metabolism-related mutants with increased Pro accumulation. Altered cellular redox status is a key factor in the coordination of Pro and VLCFA metabolism. The NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) induced high levels of Pro accumulation and strongly repressed PDH1 pro :LUC2 expression. cyp86a2 and lacs2 mutants were hypersensitive to diphenyleneiodonium but could be reverted to wild-type Pro and PDH1 pro :LUC2 expression by reactive oxygen species scavengers. The coordination of Pro and redox metabolism also was indicated by the altered expression of chloroplast and mitochondria electron transport genes in p5cs1-4 These results show that Pro metabolism is both influenced by and influences cellular redox status via previously unknown coordination with several metabolic pathways. In particular, Pro and VLCFA synthesis share dual roles to help buffer cellular redox status while producing products useful for stress resistance, namely the compatible solute Pro and cuticle lipids. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Proline Coordination with Fatty Acid Synthesis and Redox Metabolism of Chloroplast and Mitochondria1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Shinde, Suhas; Villamor, Joji Grace; Lin, Wendar; Verslues, Paul E.

2016-01-01

Proline (Pro) accumulation is one of the most prominent changes in plant metabolism during drought and low water potential; however, the regulation and function of Pro metabolism remain unclear. We used a combination of forward genetic screening based on a Proline Dehydrogenase1 (PDH1) promoter-luciferase reporter (PDH1pro:LUC2) and RNA sequencing of the Pro synthesis mutant p5cs1-4 to identify multiple loci affecting Pro accumulation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Two mutants having high PDH1pro:LUC2 expression and increased Pro accumulation at low water potential were found to be alleles of Cytochrome P450, Family 86, Subfamily A, Polypeptide2 (CYP86A2) and Long Chain Acyl Synthetase2 (LACS2), which catalyze two successive steps in very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) synthesis. Reverse genetic experiments found additional VLCFA and lipid metabolism-related mutants with increased Pro accumulation. Altered cellular redox status is a key factor in the coordination of Pro and VLCFA metabolism. The NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) induced high levels of Pro accumulation and strongly repressed PDH1pro:LUC2 expression. cyp86a2 and lacs2 mutants were hypersensitive to diphenyleneiodonium but could be reverted to wild-type Pro and PDH1pro:LUC2 expression by reactive oxygen species scavengers. The coordination of Pro and redox metabolism also was indicated by the altered expression of chloroplast and mitochondria electron transport genes in p5cs1-4. These results show that Pro metabolism is both influenced by and influences cellular redox status via previously unknown coordination with several metabolic pathways. In particular, Pro and VLCFA synthesis share dual roles to help buffer cellular redox status while producing products useful for stress resistance, namely the compatible solute Pro and cuticle lipids. PMID:27512016

Impact of anthropogenic climate change and human activities on environment and ecosystem services in arid regions.

PubMed

Mahmoud, Shereif H; Gan, Thian Y

2018-08-15

The implications of anthropogenic climate change, human activities and land use change (LUC) on the environment and ecosystem services in the coastal regions of Saudi Arabia were analyzed. Earth observations data was used to drive land use categories between 1970 and 2014. Next, a Markov-CA model was developed to characterize the dynamic of LUC between 2014 and 2100 and their impacts on regions' climate and environment. Non-parametric change point and trend detection algorithms were applied to temperature, precipitation and greenhouse gases data to investigate the presence of anthropogenic climate change. Lastly, climate models were used to project future climate change between 2014 and 2100. The analysis of LUC revealed that between 1970 and 2014, built up areas experienced the greatest growth during the study period, leading to a significant monotonic trend. Urban areas increased by 2349.61km 2 between 1970 and 2014, an average increase of >53.4km 2 /yr. The projected LUC between 2014 and 2100 indicate a continued increase in urban areas and irrigated cropland. Human alteration of land use from natural vegetation and forests to other uses after 1970, resulted in a loss, degradation, and fragmentation, all of which usually have devastating effects on the biodiversity of the region. Resulting in a statistically significant change point in temperature anomaly after 1968 with a warming trend of 0.24°C/decade and a downward trend in precipitation anomaly of 12.2mm/decade. Total greenhouse gas emissions including all anthropogenic sources showed a statistically significant positive trend of 78,090Kt/decade after 1991. This is reflected in the future projection of temperature anomaly between 1900 and 2100 with a future warming trend of 0.19°C/decade. In conclusion, human activities, industrial revelation, deforestation, land use transformation and increase in greenhouse gases had significant implications on the environment and ecosystem services of the study area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of a near-IR fluorescent corrole-TiO2 nanoconjugate.

PubMed

Blumenfeld, Carl M; Sadtler, Bryce F; Fernandez, G Esteban; Dara, Lily; Nguyen, Cathie; Alonso-Valenteen, Felix; Medina-Kauwe, Lali; Moats, Rex A; Lewis, Nathan S; Grubbs, Robert H; Gray, Harry B; Sorasaenee, Karn

2014-11-01

We are investigating the biological and biomedical imaging roles and impacts of fluorescent metallocorrole-TiO2 nanoconjugates as potential near-infrared optical contrast agents in vitro in cancer and normal cell lines. The TiO2 nanoconjugate labeled with the small molecule 2,17-bis(chlorosulfonyl)-5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrolato aluminum(III) (1-Al-TiO2) was prepared. The nanoparticle 1-Al-TiO2 was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and integrating-sphere electronic absorption spectroscopy. TEM images of three different samples of TiO2 nanoparticles (bare, H2O2 etched, and 1-Al functionalized) showed similarity in shapes and sizes with an average diameter of 29nm for 1-Al-TiO2. Loading of 1-Al on the TiO2 surfaces was determined to be ca. 20-40mg 1-Al/g TiO2. Confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) studies of luciferase-transfected primary human glioblastoma U87-Luc cells treated with the nanoconjugate 1-Al-TiO2 as the contrast agent in various concentrations were performed. The CFM images revealed that 1-Al-TiO2 was found inside the cancer cells even at low doses (0.02-2μg/mL) and localized in the cytosol. Bioluminescence studies of the U87-Luc cells exposed to various amounts of 1-Al-TiO2 showed minimal cytotoxic effects even at higher doses (2-2000μg/mL) after 24h. A similar observation was made using primary mouse hepatocytes (PMH) treated with 1-Al-TiO2 at low doses (0.0003-3μg/mL). Longer incubation times (after 48 and 72h for U87-Luc) and higher doses (>20μg/mL 1-Al-TiO2 for U87-Luc and >3μg/mL 1-Al-TiO2 for PMH) showed decreased cell viability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In vivo effects of human adipose-derived stem cells reseeding on acellular bovine pericardium in nude mice.

PubMed

Wu, Qingkai; Dai, Miao; Xu, Peirong; Hou, Min; Teng, Yincheng; Feng, Jie

2016-01-01

Tissue-engineered biologic products may be a viable option in the reconstruction of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). This study was based on the hypothesis that human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) are viable in acellular bovine pericardium (ABP), when reseeded by two different techniques, and thus, aid in the reconstruction. To investigate the reseeding of hASCs on ABP grafts by using non-invasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI), and to identify the effective hASCs-scaffold combinations that enabled regeneration. Thirty female athymic nude mice were randomly divided into three groups: In the VIVO group, ABPs were implanted in the subcutaneous pockets and enhanced green fluorescent protein luciferase (eGFP·Luc)-hASCs (1 × 10(6) cells/50 µL) were injected on the ABP at the same time. In the VITRO group, the mice were implanted with grafts that ABP were co-cultured with eGFP·Luc-hASCs in vitro. The BLANK group mice were implanted with ABP only. The eGFP·Luc-hASCs reseeded on ABP were analyzed by BLI, histology, and immunohistochemistry. The eGFP·Luc-hASCs reseeded on ABP could be visualized at 12 weeks in vivo. Histology revealed that the VIVO group displayed the highest cell ingrowths, small vessels, and percent of collagen content per unit area. Desmin and α-smooth muscle actin were positive at the same site in the VIVO group cells. However, few smooth muscles were observed in the VITRO and BLANK groups. These results suggest that hASCs reseeded on ABP in vivo during surgery may further enhance the properties of ABP and may promote regeneration at the recipient site, resulting in a promising treatment option for POP. © 2016 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

A novel method for quantifying the greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels based on historical land use change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Rhodes, J.; Clarens, A. F.

2012-12-01

Land use change (LUC) emissions have been at the center of an ongoing debate about how the carbon footprint of biofuels compare to petroleum-based fuels over their entire life cycle. The debate about LUC has important implications in the US, the EU, and other countries that are working to deploy biofuel policies, informed by life cycle assessment, that promote carbon emission reductions, among other things. LUC calculations often distinguish between direct land use change (DLUC), those that occur onsite, and indirect land use change (ILUC), those that result from market mechanisms leading to emissions that are either spatially or temporally removed from the agricultural activity. These designations are intended to capture the fundamental connection between agricultural production of biofuel feedstock and its physical effects on the land, but both DLUC and ILUC can be difficult to measure and apply broadly. ILUC estimates are especially challenging to quantify because they rely on global economic models to assess how much land would be brought into production in other countries as a consequence of biofuel feedstock cultivation. As a result, ILUC estimates inherently uncertain, are sensitive to complex assumptions, have limited transparency, and have precipitated sufficient controversy to delay development of coherent biofuel policies. To address these shortcomings of conventional LUC methodologies, we have developed a method for estimating land use change emissions that is based on historical emissions from a parcel of land. The method, which we call historical land use change (HLUC) can be readily quantified for any parcel of land in the world using open source datasets of historical emissions. HLUC is easy to use and is directly tied to the physical processes on land used for biofuel production. The emissions from the HLUC calculations are allocated between historical agricultural activity and proposed biofuel feedstock cultivation. This is compatible with existing life cycle assessment frameworks. HLUC does not represent a direct substitute for conventional ILUC estimates but rather an alternate approach for capturing LUC emissions overall. HLUC estimates for six biofuel producing countries: US (corn ethanol), Brazil (sugarcane ethanol), France (rapeseed biodiesel), Germany (rapeseed biodiesel), Indonesia (palm oil biodiesel), and Malaysia (palm oil biodiesel) were developed. The values are highly comparable to published ILUC values but the nature and magnitude of the uncertainty is lower and the estimates are more regionally variable. Important differences were found between government-derived LUC estimates and HLUC estimates in Brazil and South Asia, which suggest that HLUC could be a more equitable means for allocating emissions than existing approaches. Sensitivity analysis in terms of the spatial resolution of the data suggest that the open source data sets are adequate for obtaining reasonable estimates of HLUC with minimal effort. Alternative allocation scenarios could consider some of the climate dynamics, e.g., carbon degradation in the atmosphere, that would inform more sophisticated accounting. HLUC represents a more straightforward and less controversial policy tool for capturing the emissions associated for land use change and it could enable the advancement of coherent biofuel and climate policy instruments.

Heat Shock Protein 70 Enhances Mucosal Immunity against Human Norovirus When Coexpressed from a Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Vector

PubMed Central

Ma, Yuanmei; Duan, Yue; Wei, Yongwei; Liang, Xueya; Niewiesk, Stefan; Oglesbee, Michael

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Human norovirus (NoV) accounts for 95% of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Currently, there is no vaccine available to combat human NoV as it is not cultivable and lacks a small-animal model. Recently, we demonstrated that recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) expressing human NoV capsid protein (rVSV-VP1) induced strong immunities in mice (Y. Ma and J. Li, J. Virol. 85:2942–2952, 2011). To further improve the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was inserted into the rVSV-VP1 backbone vector. A second construct was generated in which the firefly luciferase (Luc) gene was inserted in place of HSP70 as a control for the double insertion. The resultant recombinant viruses (rVSV-HSP70-VP1 and rVSV-Luc-VP1) were significantly more attenuated in cell culture and viral spread in mice than rVSV-VP1. At the inoculation dose of 1.0 × 106 PFU, rVSV-HSP70-VP1 triggered significantly higher vaginal IgA than rVSV-VP1 and significantly higher fecal and vaginal IgA responses than rVSV-Luc-VP1, although serum IgG and T cell responses were similar. At the inoculation dose of 5.0 × 106 PFU, rVSV-HSP70-VP1 stimulated significantly higher T cell, fecal, and vaginal IgA responses than rVSV-VP1. Fecal and vaginal IgA responses were also significantly increased when combined vaccination of rVSV-VP1 and rVSV-HSP70 was used. Collectively, these data indicate that (i) insertion of an additional gene (HSP70 or Luc) into the rVSV-VP1 backbone further attenuates the VSV-based vaccine in vitro and in vivo, thus improving the safety of the vaccine candidate, and (ii) HSP70 enhances the human NoV-specific mucosal and T cell immunities triggered by a VSV-based human NoV vaccine. IMPORTANCE Human norovirus (NoV) is responsible for more than 95% of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Currently, there is no vaccine for this virus. Development of a live attenuated vaccine for human NoV has not been possible because it is uncultivable. Thus, a live vector-based vaccine may provide an alternative vaccine strategy. In this study, we developed a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based human NoV vaccine candidate. We constructed rVSV-HSP70-VP1, coexpressing heat shock protein (HSP70) and capsid (VP1) genes of human NoV, and rVSV-Luc-VP1, coexpressing firefly luciferase (Luc) and VP1 genes. We found that VSVs with a double gene insertion were significantly more attenuated than VSV with a single VP1 insertion (rVSV-VP1). Furthermore, we found that coexpression or coadministration of HSP70 from VSV vector significantly enhanced human NoV-specific mucosal immunity. Collectively, we developed an improved live vectored vaccine candidate for human NoV which will be useful for future clinical studies. PMID:24574391

Conflicts of interest of editors of medical journals

PubMed Central

Minhajuddin, Abu

2018-01-01

Background Almost all medical journals now require authors to publicly disclose conflicts of interests (COI). The same standard and scrutiny is rarely employed for the editors of the journals although COI may affect editorial decisions. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study to determine the prevalence and magnitude of financial relationships among editors of 60 influential US medical journals (10 each for internal medicine and five subspecialties: cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, dermatology and allergy & immunology). Open Payments database was reviewed to determine the percentage of physician editors receiving payments and the nature and amount of these payments. Findings 703 unique physician editors were included in our analysis. 320/703 (46%) received 8659 general payments totaling $8,120,562. The median number of payments per editor was 9 (IQR 3–26) and the median amount per payment was $91 (IQR $21–441). The median total payment received by each editor in one year was $4,364 (IQR $319–23,143). 152 (48%) editors received payments more than $5,000 in a year, a threshold considered significant by the National Institutes of Health. COI policies for editors were available for 34/60 (57%) journals but only 7/34 (21%) publicly reported the disclosures and only 2 (3.%) reported the dollar amount received. Interpretation A significant number of editors of internal medicine and subspecialty medical journals have financial COI and very few are publicly disclosed. Specialty journal editors have more COI compared to general medicine journal editors. Current policies for disclosing COI for editors are inconsistent and do not comply with the recommended standards. PMID:29775468

New Editors Appointed for Sections of Journal of Geophysical Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-04-01

New editors have been appointed for the Atmospheres, Biogeosciences, and Oceans sections of the Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR). Joost de Gouw (NOAA, Boulder, Colo.) and Renyi Zhang (Texas A&M, College Station) are filling the vacancies of retiring Atmospheres section editors John Austin and Jose Fuentes. De Gouw and Zhang join the continuing editors Steven Ghan and Yinon Rudich. Sara Pryor (Indiana University, Bloomington) is joining the Atmospheres section editorial board as an associate editor now; she will transition to editor in January 2010.

Journal Editors Celebrated at Editors' Evening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panning, Jeanette

2014-02-01

At the Fall Meeting, the premiere social event for AGU's many journal editors is the annual Editors' Evening, an opportunity for members to celebrate and to recognize the efforts of retiring editors. At the event, AGU president Carol Finn welcomed all those in attendance and thanked them for volunteering their time for the benefit of AGU and the wider research community.

Building a biomedical semantic network in Wikipedia with Semantic Wiki Links

PubMed Central

Good, Benjamin M.; Clarke, Erik L.; Loguercio, Salvatore; Su, Andrew I.

2012-01-01

Wikipedia is increasingly used as a platform for collaborative data curation, but its current technical implementation has significant limitations that hinder its use in biocuration applications. Specifically, while editors can easily link between two articles in Wikipedia to indicate a relationship, there is no way to indicate the nature of that relationship in a way that is computationally accessible to the system or to external developers. For example, in addition to noting a relationship between a gene and a disease, it would be useful to differentiate the cases where genetic mutation or altered expression causes the disease. Here, we introduce a straightforward method that allows Wikipedia editors to embed computable semantic relations directly in the context of current Wikipedia articles. In addition, we demonstrate two novel applications enabled by the presence of these new relationships. The first is a dynamically generated information box that can be rendered on all semantically enhanced Wikipedia articles. The second is a prototype gene annotation system that draws its content from the gene-centric articles on Wikipedia and exposes the new semantic relationships to enable previously impossible, user-defined queries. Database URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Gene_Wiki PMID:22434829

Building a biomedical semantic network in Wikipedia with Semantic Wiki Links.

PubMed

Good, Benjamin M; Clarke, Erik L; Loguercio, Salvatore; Su, Andrew I

2012-01-01

Wikipedia is increasingly used as a platform for collaborative data curation, but its current technical implementation has significant limitations that hinder its use in biocuration applications. Specifically, while editors can easily link between two articles in Wikipedia to indicate a relationship, there is no way to indicate the nature of that relationship in a way that is computationally accessible to the system or to external developers. For example, in addition to noting a relationship between a gene and a disease, it would be useful to differentiate the cases where genetic mutation or altered expression causes the disease. Here, we introduce a straightforward method that allows Wikipedia editors to embed computable semantic relations directly in the context of current Wikipedia articles. In addition, we demonstrate two novel applications enabled by the presence of these new relationships. The first is a dynamically generated information box that can be rendered on all semantically enhanced Wikipedia articles. The second is a prototype gene annotation system that draws its content from the gene-centric articles on Wikipedia and exposes the new semantic relationships to enable previously impossible, user-defined queries. DATABASE URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Gene_Wiki.

The role of cyclophosphamide in enhancing antitumor efficacy of an adenovirus oncolytic vector in subcutaneous Syrian hamster tumors

PubMed Central

Young, Brittany A.; Spencer, Jacqueline F.; Ying, Baoling; Tollefson, Ann E.; Toth, Karoly; Wold, William S. M.

2013-01-01

We have previously reported that intratumoral injection of VRX-007—an Ad5-based vector overexpressing ADP (Adenovirus Death Protein)—can suppress the growth of subcutaneous HaK (hamster renal cancer) tumors. VRX-007 replication and tumor growth inhibition are enhanced when the hamsters are immunosuppressed by a high dose of cyclophosphamide (CP), an immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic agent. Here we report that continuous immunosuppression with CP was not required for increased oncolytic activity of VRX-007 because short-term dosing or continuous dosing with the drug yielded similar antitumor results. Prolonged viral replication was found only in animals on continuous CP treatment. We used 007-Luc, a replication-competent, luciferase-expressing vector similar to VRX-007 to investigate the replication of the vector over time. Tumor growth inhibition was similar in hamsters given CP treatment either one week before or one week after 007-Luc injection, which suggests that CP exerts its antitumor efficacy independently of vector therapy. 007-Luc did not spread far from the inoculation site, even in immunosuppressed, CP-treated animals. Our results indicate that the enhanced effectiveness that is produced by the combination of VRX-007 and CP therapies is due to their two independent mechanisms and that they do not have to be given simultaneously for the improved outcome shown. PMID:23928731

The role of cyclophosphamide in enhancing antitumor efficacy of an adenovirus oncolytic vector in subcutaneous Syrian hamster tumors.

PubMed

Young, B A; Spencer, J F; Ying, B; Tollefson, A E; Toth, K; Wold, W S M

2013-09-01

We have previously reported that intratumoral injection of VRX-007--an Ad5 (a species C adenovirus)-based vector overexpressing adenovirus death protein--can suppress the growth of subcutaneous HaK (hamster renal cancer) tumors. VRX-007 replication and tumor growth inhibition are enhanced when the hamsters are immunosuppressed by a high dose of cyclophosphamide (CP), an immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic agent. Here, we report that continuous immunosuppression with CP was not required for increased oncolytic activity of VRX-007 because short-term dosing or continuous dosing with the drug yielded similar antitumor results. Prolonged viral replication was found only in animals on continuous CP treatment. We used 007-Luc, a replication-competent, luciferase-expressing vector similar to VRX-007, to investigate the replication of the vector over time. Tumor growth inhibition was similar in hamsters given CP treatment either 1 week before or 1 week after 007-Luc injection, which suggests that CP exerts its antitumor efficacy independently of vector therapy. 007-Luc did not spread far from the inoculation site, even in immunosuppressed, CP-treated animals. Our results indicate that the enhanced effectiveness that is produced by the combination of VRX-007 and CP therapies is due to their two independent mechanisms and that they do not have to be given simultaneously for the improved outcome.

Medical treatment of orthotopic glioblastoma with transferrin-conjugated nanoparticles encapsulating zoledronic acid.

PubMed

Porru, Manuela; Zappavigna, Silvia; Salzano, Giuseppina; Luce, Amalia; Stoppacciaro, Antonella; Balestrieri, Maria Luisa; Artuso, Simona; Lusa, Sara; De Rosa, Giuseppe; Leonetti, Carlo; Caraglia, Michele

2014-11-15

Glioblastomas are highly aggressive adult brain tumors with poor clinical outcome. In the central nervous system (CNS) the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the most important limiting factor for both development of new drugs and drug delivery. Here, we propose a new strategy to treat glioblastoma based on transferrin (Tf)-targeted self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) incorporating zoledronic acid (ZOL) (NPs-ZOL-Tf). NPs-ZOL-Tf have been assessed on the glioblastoma cell line U373MG-LUC that showed a refractoriness in vitro to temozolomide (TMZ) and fotemustine (FTM). NPs-ZOL-Tf treatment resulted in higher in vitro cytotoxic activity than free ZOL. However, the potentiation of anti-proliferative activity of NPs-ZOL-Tf was superimposable to that one induced by NPs-ZOL (not armed with Tf). On the other hand, NPs-ZOL-Tf showed a higher antitumor efficacy if compared with that one caused by NPs-ZOL in immunosuppressed mice intramuscularly bearing U373MG-LUC xenografts, inducing a significant tumor weight inhibition (TWI). The experiments performed on mice with intracranial U373MG-LUC xenografts confirmed the efficacy of NPs-ZOL-Tf. These effects were paralleled by a higher intratumour localization of fluorescently-labeled-NPs-Tf both in intramuscular and intracranial xenografts. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the encapsulation of ZOL increases the antitumor efficacy of this drug in glioblastoma through the acquisition of ability to cross the BBB.

Circadian Clock-Regulated Expression of Phytochrome and Cryptochrome Genes in Arabidopsis1

PubMed Central

Tóth, Réka; Kevei, Éva; Hall, Anthony; Millar, Andrew J.; Nagy, Ferenc; Kozma-Bognár, László

2001-01-01

Many physiological and biochemical processes in plants exhibit endogenous rhythms with a period of about 24 h. Endogenous oscillators called circadian clocks regulate these rhythms. The circadian clocks are synchronized to the periodic environmental changes (e.g. day/night cycles) by specific stimuli; among these, the most important is the light. Photoreceptors, phytochromes, and cryptochromes are involved in setting the clock by transducing the light signal to the central oscillator. In this work, we analyzed the spatial, temporal, and long-term light-regulated expression patterns of the Arabidopsis phytochrome (PHYA to PHYE) and cryptochrome (CRY1 and CRY2) promoters fused to the luciferase (LUC+) reporter gene. The results revealed new details of the tissue-specific expression and light regulation of the PHYC and CRY1 and 2 promoters. More importantly, the data obtained demonstrate that the activities of the promoter::LUC+ constructs, with the exception of PHYC::LUC+, display circadian oscillations under constant conditions. In addition, it is shown by measuring the mRNA abundance of PHY and CRY genes under constant light conditions that the circadian control is also maintained at the level of mRNA accumulation. These observations indicate that the plant circadian clock controls the expression of these photoreceptors, revealing the formation of a new regulatory loop that could modulate gating and resetting of the circadian clock. PMID:11743105

Functional repression of PtSND2 represses growth and development by disturbing auxin biosynthesis, transport and signaling in transgenic poplar.

PubMed

Wang, Haihai; Tang, Renjie; Wang, Cuiting; Qi, Qi; Gai, Ying; Jiang, Xiangning; Zhang, Hongxia

2015-01-01

Using chimeric repressor silencing technology, we previously reported that functional repression of PtSND2 severely arrested wood formation in transgenic poplar (Populus). Here, we provide further evidence that auxin biosynthesis, transport and signaling were disturbed in these transgenic plants, leading to pleiotropic defects in their growth patterns, including inhibited leaf enlargement and vascular tissue development in the leaf central vein, suppressed cambial growth and fiber elongation in the stem, and arrested growth in the root system. Two transgenic lines, which displayed the most remarkable phenotypic deviation from the wild-type, were selected for detailed studies. In both transgenic lines, expression of genes for auxin biosynthesis, transport and signaling was down-regulated, and indole-3-acetic acid distribution was severely disturbed in the apical buds, leaves, stems and roots of field-grown transgenic plants. Transient transcription dual-luciferase assays of ProPtTYDC2::LUC, ProPttLAX2::LUC and ProPoptrIAA20.2::LUC in poplar protoplasts revealed that expression of auxin-related genes might be regulated by PtSND2 at the transcriptional level. All these results indicate that functional repression of PtSND2 altered auxin biosynthesis, transport and signaling, and thereby disturbed the normal growth and development of transgenic plants. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of sugar cane renewable jet fuel.

PubMed

Moreira, Marcelo; Gurgel, Angelo C; Seabra, Joaquim E A

2014-12-16

This study evaluated the life cycle GHG emissions of a renewable jet fuel produced from sugar cane in Brazil under a consequential approach. The analysis included the direct and indirect emissions associated with sugar cane production and fuel processing, distribution, and use for a projected 2020 scenario. The CA-GREET model was used as the basic analytical tool, while Land Use Change (LUC) emissions were estimated employing the GTAP-BIO-ADV and AEZ-EF models. Feedstock production and LUC impacts were evaluated as the main sources of emissions, respectively estimated as 14.6 and 12 g CO2eq/MJ of biofuel in the base case. However, the renewable jet fuel would strongly benefit from bagasse and trash-based cogeneration, which would enable a net life cycle emission of 8.5 g CO2eq/MJ of biofuel in the base case, whereas Monte Carlo results indicate 21 ± 11 g CO2eq/MJ. Besides the major influence of the electricity surplus, the sensitivity analysis showed that the cropland-pasture yield elasticity and the choice of the land use factor employed to sugar cane are relevant parameters for the biofuel life cycle performance. Uncertainties about these estimations exist, especially because the study relies on projected performances, and further studies about LUC are also needed to improve the knowledge about their contribution to the renewable jet fuel life cycle.

Medical treatment of orthotopic glioblastoma with transferrin-conjugated nanoparticles encapsulating zoledronic acid

PubMed Central

Porru, Manuela; Zappavigna, Silvia; Salzano, Giuseppina; Luce, Amalia; Stoppacciaro, Antonella; Balestrieri, Maria Luisa; Artuso, Simona; Lusa, Sara; De Rosa, Giuseppe; Leonetti, Carlo; Caraglia, Michele

2014-01-01

Glioblastomas are highly aggressive adult brain tumors with poor clinical outcome. In the central nervous system (CNS) the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the most important limiting factor for both development of new drugs and drug delivery. Here, we propose a new strategy to treat glioblastoma based on transferrin (Tf)-targeted self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) incorporating zoledronic acid (ZOL) (NPs-ZOL-Tf). NPs-ZOL-Tf have been assessed on the glioblastoma cell line U373MG-LUC that showed a refractoriness in vitro to temozolomide (TMZ) and fotemustine (FTM). NPs-ZOL-Tf treatment resulted in higher in vitro cytotoxic activity than free ZOL. However, the potentiation of anti-proliferative activity of NPs-ZOL-Tf was superimposable to that one induced by NPs-ZOL (not armed with Tf). On the other hand, NPs-ZOL-Tf showed a higher antitumor efficacy if compared with that one caused by NPs-ZOL in immunosuppressed mice intramuscularly bearing U373MG-LUC xenografts, inducing a significant tumor weight inhibition (TWI). The experiments performed on mice with intracranial U373MG-LUC xenografts confirmed the efficacy of NPs-ZOL-Tf. These effects were paralleled by a higher intratumour localization of fluorescently-labeled-NPs-Tf both in intramuscular and intracranial xenografts. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the encapsulation of ZOL increases the antitumor efficacy of this drug in glioblastoma through the acquisition of ability to cross the BBB. PMID:25431953

Different Types of Luciferase Reporters Show Distinct Susceptibility to T3-Evoked Downregulation.

PubMed

Kollár, Anna; Kvárta-Papp, Zsuzsanna; Egri, Péter; Gereben, Balázs

2016-01-01

The firefly luciferase reporter protein is a crucial tool for studies targeting a broad range of biological questions. Importantly, luciferase assays are also widely used to explore mechanisms underlying thyroid hormone dependent regulation of gene expression. However, it was demonstrated that the firefly luciferase reporter is subject to triiodothyronine (T3)-evoked, promoter independent downregulation that is mediated by the thyroid hormone receptor. Since this effect can interfere with readout accuracy, the study aimed to find luciferase reporters that are not susceptible to this phenomenon. Luciferase reporter constructs were generated under the control of a minimal thymidine kinase (TK) promoter and transiently transfected into JEG-3 cells to test their activity upon T3 treatment. Activity of the TK-(dCpG)Luc encoding a synthetic (dCpG)Luciferase and TK-NanoLuc expressing the NanoLuc reporter was not significantly changed by T3 treatment while the firefly luciferase control was suppressed by ∼2.6-fold. T3 also downregulated the activity of Renilla luciferase by ∼30%. Novel types of luciferase reporters, especially the synthetic (dCpG)Luciferase, can be more accurate to study T3-regulated gene expression than the classical firefly luciferase reporter. Renilla luciferase, a popular transfection control of dual luciferase assays, should be used with caution in conditions with T3 treatment.

The impact of historical land use change from 1850 to 2000 on secondary particulate matter and ozone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heald, Colette L.; Geddes, Jeffrey A.

2016-12-01

Anthropogenic land use change (LUC) since preindustrial (1850) has altered the vegetation distribution and density around the world. We use a global model (GEOS-Chem) to assess the attendant changes in surface air quality and the direct radiative forcing (DRF). We focus our analysis on secondary particulate matter and tropospheric ozone formation. The general trend of expansion of managed ecosystems (croplands and pasturelands) at the expense of natural ecosystems has led to an 11 % decline in global mean biogenic volatile organic compound emissions. Concomitant growth in agricultural activity has more than doubled ammonia emissions and increased emissions of nitrogen oxides from soils by more than 50 %. Conversion to croplands has also led to a widespread increase in ozone dry deposition velocity. Together these changes in biosphere-atmosphere exchange have led to a 14 % global mean increase in biogenic secondary organic aerosol (BSOA) surface concentrations, a doubling of surface aerosol nitrate concentrations, and local changes in surface ozone of up to 8.5 ppb. We assess a global mean LUC-DRF of +0.017, -0.071, and -0.01 W m-2 for BSOA, nitrate, and tropospheric ozone, respectively. We conclude that the DRF and the perturbations in surface air quality associated with LUC (and the associated changes in agricultural emissions) are substantial and should be considered alongside changes in anthropogenic emissions and climate feedbacks in chemistry-climate studies.

Understanding the dynamical control of animal movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Donald

2008-03-01

Over the last 50 years, neurophysiologists have described many neural circuits that transform sensory input into motor commands, while biomechanicians and behavioral biologists have described many patterns of animal movement that occur in response to sensory input. Attempts to link these two have been frustrated by our technical inability to record from the necessary neurons in a freely behaving animal. As a result, we don't know how these neural circuits function in the closed loop context of free behavior, where the sensory and motor context changes on a millisecond time-scale. To address this problem, we have developed a software package, AnimatLab (www.AnimatLab.com), that enables users to reconstruct an animal's body and its relevant neural circuits, to link them at the sensory and motor ends, and through simulation, to test their ability to reproduce appropriate patterns of the animal's movements in a simulated Newtonian world. A Windows-based program, AnimatLab consists of a neural editor, a body editor, a world editor, stimulus and recording facilities, neural and physics engines, and an interactive 3-D graphical display. We have used AnimatLab to study three patterns of behavior: the grasshopper jump, crayfish escape, and crayfish leg movements used in postural control, walking, reaching and grasping. In each instance, the simulation helped identify constraints on both nervous function and biomechanical performance that have provided the basis for new experiments. Colleagues elsewhere have begun to use AnimatLab to study control of paw movements in cats and postural control in humans. We have also used AnimatLab simulations to guide the development of an autonomous hexapod robot in which the neural control circuitry is downloaded to the robot from the test computer.

Content and communication: How can peer review provide helpful feedback about the writing?

PubMed Central

Shashok, Karen

2008-01-01

Background Peer review is assumed to improve the quality of research reports as tools for scientific communication, yet strong evidence that this outcome is obtained consistently has been elusive. Failure to distinguish between aspects of discipline-specific content and aspects of the writing or use of language may account for some deficiencies in current peer review processes. Discussion The process and outcomes of peer review may be analyzed along two dimensions: 1) identifying scientific or technical content that is useful to other researchers (i.e., its "screening" function), and 2) improving research articles as tools for communication (i.e., its "improving" function). However, editors and reviewers do not always distinguish clearly between content criteria and writing criteria. When peer reviewers confuse content and writing, their feedback can be misunderstood by authors, who may modify texts in ways that do not make the readers' job easier. When researchers in peer review confuse the two dimensions, this can lead to content validity problems that foil attempts to define informative variables and outcome measures, and thus prevent clear trends from emerging. Research on writing, revising and editing suggests some reasons why peer review is not always as effective as it might be in improving what is written. Summary Peer review could be improved if stakeholders were more aware of variations in gatekeepers' (reviewers' and editors') ability to provide feedback about the content or the writing. Gatekeepers, academic literacy researchers, and wordface professionals (author's editors, medical writers and translators) could work together to discover the types of feedback authors find most useful. I offer suggestions to help editologists design better studies of peer review which could make the process an even stronger tool for manuscript improvement than it is now. PMID:18237378

Content and communication: how can peer review provide helpful feedback about the writing?

PubMed

Shashok, Karen

2008-01-31

Peer review is assumed to improve the quality of research reports as tools for scientific communication, yet strong evidence that this outcome is obtained consistently has been elusive. Failure to distinguish between aspects of discipline-specific content and aspects of the writing or use of language may account for some deficiencies in current peer review processes. The process and outcomes of peer review may be analyzed along two dimensions: 1) identifying scientific or technical content that is useful to other researchers (i.e., its "screening" function), and 2) improving research articles as tools for communication (i.e., its "improving" function). However, editors and reviewers do not always distinguish clearly between content criteria and writing criteria. When peer reviewers confuse content and writing, their feedback can be misunderstood by authors, who may modify texts in ways that do not make the readers' job easier. When researchers in peer review confuse the two dimensions, this can lead to content validity problems that foil attempts to define informative variables and outcome measures, and thus prevent clear trends from emerging. Research on writing, revising and editing suggests some reasons why peer review is not always as effective as it might be in improving what is written. Peer review could be improved if stakeholders were more aware of variations in gatekeepers' (reviewers' and editors') ability to provide feedback about the content or the writing. Gatekeepers, academic literacy researchers, and wordface professionals (author's editors, medical writers and translators) could work together to discover the types of feedback authors find most useful. I offer suggestions to help editologists design better studies of peer review which could make the process an even stronger tool for manuscript improvement than it is now.

Test Plans and Procedures for the Baseline SAF for BDS-D Sites (ModSAF). Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-20

operations editor will no longer editor, appear in the EditorI Area. 64 I ADST/WDL/TR-93-W003271 VOLUME 2 of 2; Ver 1.0I 44200 Repeat steps 44120 thru...The unit operations 44200 to task the orange editor will no longer platoon to Move on the appear in the Editor route labeled "ort. Area. The vehicles

Strategic Studies Quarterly. Volume 2, Number 3, Fall 2008

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Managing Editor Betty R. Littlejohn, Editorial Assistant Jerry L. Gantt, Content Editor Sherry Terrell , Editorial Assistant Steven C. Garst...factsheet.asp?id=107 . Ibid. 9. Lt Col Sebastian M. Convertino II, CDR Lou Anne DeMattei, and Lt Col Tammy Knierim, Flying and Fighting in...PhD, Editor-in-Chief L. Tawanda Eaves, Managing Editor Betty R. Littlejohn, Editorial Assistant Jerry L. Gantt, Content Editor Sherry Terrell

A Valedictory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagowski, J. J.

1996-08-01

"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe.". These words were written by John Donne, the Dean of St. Paul's, and appear as his 17th Meditation in "Devotions upon emergent Occasions and several steps in my Sickness," published in 1624, a work in which he reflects upon his life in the midst of a serious illness (most likely typhus). Like many literary works, the words are timeless, and their meaning is not constrained to the occasion of their birth. Donne's meditation is easily transferred to the person who was, is, or will be, editor of this or any journal. No editor is an island. No editor can honestly claim to be "intire of it selfe." The Editor of the Journal rides on the tide generated by his staff, his reviewers, and his readers. I have been blessed with a marvelous staff, enormously energetic and dedicated. They have always been willing to go the last mile--and more if need be. Most--but not all--came to the Journal soon after it arrived in Austin. The bedrock on which the Journal has been built is its numerous reviewers, too many to thank individually on this page, but appreciated nonetheless for their individual contributions. Reviewers define the quality of a journal, and we have had a superb cohort working for us--voluntarily. I have to apologize publicly to some (you know who you are) who were abused by repeated requests on a short time base for their comments on manuscripts. This condition, which occurred more often than I would have liked, arose from the idiosyncratic confluence of manuscript flow, momentarily popular topics, and the need for certain kinds of expertise. I know that multiple requests for comments came too rapidly in some cases, but it was of paramount importance to get "good reviews" whom I could trust, and I knew where to turn. Thanks to all of you who stepped forward in such circumstances, with grace and good humor, to produce the quality reviews that were so valuable to me. No editor is an "Iland, intire of it selfe," especially when it comes to the details of editorial processes and production. We--you and I--have had the good fortune to have had an editorial staff that was always willing to take the extra step--handle the extra manuscripts, page proofs, and spend the extra hour--to get the work out of Austin. As important as each staff member has been for whatever we might claim as successes, I owe the most to Debora Bittaker--my friend and colleague, DAB--who moved to Austin from Tucson when I became Editor. Debora has been the instrument by which the Journal was transformed from what was, essentially a "hot type" operation in 1978, to our current computer-assisted composition system which has produced enormous savings in resources as well as providing greater creative flexibility for the production of the Journal. Debora was able to adapt off-the-shelf software to our needs, train the staff, and bring the new production process on-line, all while the Journal was being produced in the "old ways." It would be misleading to give the impression that Debora's contributions were limited to the editorial and production process. Perhaps as importantly, she was the repository of a myriad of details, both technical and philosophical, that extended back to two editors before me, to 1966, when she worked first with Bill Kieffer and then with Tom Lippincott. The wealth of information and experience that she brought was a gold mine to a new editor. I am eternally grateful for the errors that I did not make because of her counsel; indeed, I'm certain there are errors I do not know I didn't make because she was there. Finally, I have to thank my own "private editor"--JML--for the depth of her understanding when "Journal business" had to take precedence, even when it made the most ordinary of human activities awkward. She provided a much-needed private and unbiased sounding board for ideas, both editorial and philosophical. No editor is an island. Neither is the readership of a journal. We look with fondness at the past, with pleasure at the present, and with anticipation to the future. JJL -30-

Headache

MedlinePlus

... ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2014:chap 30. Review Date 11/22/2017 Updated by: Luc Jasmin, ... of Maxillofacial Surgery at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by ...

Boron nitride nanotubes for gene silencing.

PubMed

Şen, Özlem; Çobandede, Zehra; Emanet, Melis; Bayrak, Ömer Faruk; Çulha, Mustafa

2017-09-01

Non-viral gene delivery is increasingly investigated as an alternative to viral vectors due to low toxicity and immunogenicity, easy preparation, tissue specificity, and ability to transfer larger sizes of genes. In this study, boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are functionalized with oligonucleotides (oligo-BNNTs). The morpholinos complementary to the oligonucleotides attached to the BNNTs (morpholino/oligo-BNNTs) are hybridized to silence the luciferase gene. The morpholino/oligo-BNNTs conjugates are administered to luciferase-expressing cells (MDA-MB-231-luc2) and the luciferase activity is monitored. The luciferase activity is decreased when MDA-MB-231-luc2 cells were treated with morpholino/oligo-BNNTs. The study suggests that BNNTs can be used as a potential vector to transfect cells. BNNTs are potential new nanocarriers for gene delivery applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EDITORIAL: Greetings from the new Editor-in-Chief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Ephrahim

2008-02-01

I am Professor Ephrahim Garcia, an Associate Professor at Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. I have been at Cornell University since 2002, spent four years as a Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency from 1998-2002, and before that seven years at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. I have served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Smart Materials and Structures (SMS) for the last six years. It is a humbling thing to be asked to take up the post of Editor-in-Chief in a field with so many talented researchers. I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to the members of the Editorial Board and IOP Publishing for their confidence in me. Most importantly, I would like to thank Professor Vijay Varadan of the University of Arkansas and Professor Richard Claus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University for their efforts in launching the journal 16 years ago. They have been stewards, promoters and, especially Vijay, key to the operation and function of SMS for all these years, and our research community is indebted to them. Professors Varadan and Claus have dedicated their careers to the area of smart materials and structures and we are very grateful for their leadership, mentoring and contribution. SMS is a thriving journal offering papers on all technical areas concerned with smart materials, systems and structures from the micro- and nanoscale to the macroscale. The journal is undergoing some major changes, including the recent transferal of papers to IOP Publishing's peer-review management system. With this new system authors can expect fast publication times of around 4 or 5 months from submission, and excellent author service. In this world of ever changing technology, the Editorial Board and I aim to reduce the time to publication for researchers in this exciting area of science and engineering. I am in the process of developing a team of Associate Editors to promote the journal in the number of critical sub-areas of smart materials and structures, and to play a key, integral role in the review process. Associate Editors will be chosen to serve in a number of sub-areas to ensure expertise and continuation of the rigorous review process. Under my leadership as the new Editor-in-Chief of SMS, I aim to ensure that SMS maintains and grows in quality to best serve our diverse community of researchers.

How to run a successful Journal

PubMed Central

Jawaid, Shaukat Ali; Jawaid, Masood

2017-01-01

Publishing and successfully running a good quality peer reviewed biomedical scientific journal is not an easy task. Some of the pre-requisites include a competent experienced editor supported by a team. Long term sustainability of a journal will depend on good quality manuscripts, active editorial board, good quality of reviewers, workable business model to ensure financial support, increased visibility which will ensure increased submissions, indexation in various important databases, online availability and easy to use website. This manuscript outlines the logistics and technical issues which need to be resolved before starting a new journal and ensuring sustainability of a good quality peer reviewed journal. PMID:29492089

Landfill alternative offers powerful case.

PubMed

Baillie, Jonathan

2011-04-01

With many of Europe's landfill sites now close to capacity, and the EU Landfill Directive requiring that, by 2020, the amount of waste sent to landfill should be just 35% of the volume similarly disposed of in 1995, pressure is mounting to find environmentally acceptable waste disposal alternatives. At a recent IHEEM waste seminar, Gary Connelly, a technical consultant at environmental technology consultancy the Cameron Corporation, described a technology which he explained can effectively convert 85% of the European Waste Catalogue of materials into an inert residue, is "cleaner and cheaper" than incineration, and can generate both electricity an waste heat. As HEJ editor Jonathan Baillie reports, a key target market is healthcare facilities.

Construction Norms and Regulations. Part III. Section I. Chapter 1. Part II. Section I. Chapter 2 (Stroitel’nyye Normy i Pravila. Chast’ III. Razdel I. Glava 1. Chast’ II. Razdel I. Glava 2),

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-26

of the Ministry of Inland Water Transportation of the RSFSR with participation of the Central Scientific Research Institute and the Construction... Articles . General Indicators" I-V.5.2-62, "Reinforced-Concrete Articles for Structures" and the regulations of this chapter which supplement them. 9.2...Department of Scientific and Technical Literature at SOYUZKNIG. 58 Ct R.C’lTI : NOR’,IS AND RIGULATrONS I\\. I. Pal ’ch ikov, S . P. Antonov , Editors

Limited protection of macro-aggregate-occluded organic carbon in Siberian steppe soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischoff, Norbert; Mikutta, Robert; Shibistova, Olga; Puzanov, Alexander; Silanteva, Marina; Grebennikova, Anna; Fuß, Roland; Guggenberger, Georg

2017-05-01

Macro-aggregates especially in agricultural steppe soils are supposed to play a vital role for soil organic carbon (OC) stabilization at a decadal timescale. While most research on soil OC stabilization in steppes focused on North American prairie soils of the Great Plains with information mainly provided by short-term incubation experiments, little is known about the agricultural steppes in southwestern Siberia, though they belong to the greatest conversion areas in the world and occupy an area larger than that in the Great Plains. To quantify the proportion of macro-aggregate-protected OC under different land use as function of land use intensity and time since land use change (LUC) from pasture to arable land in Siberian steppe soils, we determined OC mineralization rates of intact (250-2000 µm) and crushed (< 250 µm) macro-aggregates in long-term incubations over 401 days (20 °C; 60 % water holding capacity) along two agricultural chronosequences in the Siberian Kulunda steppe. Additionally, we incubated bulk soil (< 2000 µm) to determine the effect of LUC and subsequent agricultural use on a fast and a slow soil OC pool (labile vs. more stable OC), as derived from fitting exponential-decay models to incubation data. We hypothesized that (i) macro-aggregate crushing leads to increased OC mineralization due to an increasing microbial accessibility of a previously occluded labile macro-aggregate OC fraction, and (ii) bulk soil OC mineralization rates and the size of the fast OC pool are higher in pasture than in arable soils with decreasing bulk soil OC mineralization rates and size of the fast OC pool as land use intensity and time since LUC increase. Against our hypothesis, OC mineralization rates of crushed macro-aggregates were similar to those of intact macro-aggregates under all land use regimes. Macro-aggregate-protected OC was almost absent and accounted for < 1 % of the total macro-aggregate OC content and to a maximum of 8 ± 4 % of mineralized OC. In accordance to our second hypothesis, highest bulk soil OC mineralization rates and sizes of the fast OC pool were determined under pasture, but mineralization rates and pool sizes were unaffected by land use intensity and time since LUC. However, at one chronosequence mean residence times of the fast and slow OC pool tended to decrease with increasing time since establishment of arable use. We conclude that the tillage-induced breakdown of macro-aggregates has not reduced the OC contents in the soils under study. The decline of OC after LUC is probably attributed to the faster soil OC turnover under arable land as compared to pasture at a reduced plant residue input.

Postchallenge Administration of Brincidofovir Protects Healthy and Immune-Deficient Mice Reconstituted with Limited Numbers of T Cells from Lethal Challenge with IHD-J-Luc Vaccinia Virus

PubMed Central

McCullough, Kevin Tyler; Cruz, Stephanie; Thomas, Antonia; Diaz, Claudia G.; Keilholz, Laurie; Grossi, Irma M.; Trost, Lawrence C.; Golding, Hana

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Protection from lethality by postchallenge administration of brincidofovir (BCV, CMX001) was studied in normal and immune-deficient (nude, nu/nu) BALB/c mice infected with vaccinia virus (VACV). Whole-body bioluminescence imaging was used to record total fluxes in the nasal cavity, lungs, spleen, and liver and to enumerate pox lesions on tails of mice infected via the intranasal route with 105 PFU of recombinant IHD-J-Luc VACV expressing luciferase. Areas under the flux curve (AUCs) were calculated for individual mice to assess viral loads. A three-dose regimen of 20 mg/kg BCV administered every 48 h starting either on day 1 or day 2 postchallenge protected 100% of mice. Initiating BCV treatment earlier was more efficient in reducing viral loads and in providing protection from pox lesion development. All BCV-treated mice that survived challenge were also protected from rechallenge with IHD-J-Luc or WRvFire VACV without additional treatment. In immune-deficient mice, BCV protected animals from lethality and reduced viral loads while animals were on the drug. Viral recrudescence occurred within 4 to 9 days, and mice succumbed ∼10 to 20 days after treatment termination. Nude mice reconstituted with 105 T cells prior to challenge with 104 PFU of IHD-J-Luc and treated with BCV postchallenge survived the infection, cleared the virus from all organs, and survived rechallenge with 105 PFU of IHD-J-Luc VACV without additional BCV treatment. Together, these data suggest that BCV protects immunocompetent and partially T cell-reconstituted immune-deficient mice from lethality, reduces viral dissemination in organs, prevents pox lesion development, and permits generation of VACV-specific memory. IMPORTANCE Mass vaccination is the primary element of the public health response to a smallpox outbreak. In addition to vaccination, however, antiviral drugs are required for individuals with uncertain exposure status to smallpox or for whom vaccination is contraindicated. Whole-body bioluminescence imaging was used to study the effect of brincidofovir (BCV) in normal and immune-deficient (nu/nu) mice infected with vaccinia virus, a model of smallpox. Postchallenge administration of 20 mg/kg BCV rescued normal and immune-deficient mice partially reconstituted with T cells from lethality and significantly reduced viral loads in organs. All BCV-treated mice that survived infection were protected from rechallenge without additional treatment. In immune-deficient mice, BCV extended survival. The data show that BCV controls viral replication at the site of challenge and reduces viral dissemination to internal organs, thus providing a shield for the developing adaptive immunity that clears the host of virus and builds virus-specific immunological memory. PMID:25589648

Cluster headache

MedlinePlus

... ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2014:chap 30. Review Date 11/22/2017 Updated by: Luc Jasmin, ... of Maxillofacial Surgery at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by ...

Editorial independence at medical journals owned by professional associations: a survey of editors.

PubMed

Davis, Ronald M; Müllner, Marcus

2002-10-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree of editorial independence at a sample of medical journals and the relationship between the journals and their owners. We surveyed the editors of 33 medical journals owned by not-for-profit organizations ("associations"), including 10 journals represented on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (nine of which are general medical journals) and a random sample of 23 specialist journals with high impact factors that are indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information. The main outcome measures were the authority to hire, fire, and oversee the work of the editor; the editor's tenure and financial compensation; control of the journal's budget; publication of material about the association; and the editor's perceptions about editorial independence and pressure over editorial content. Of the 33 editors, 23 (70%) reported having complete editorial freedom, and the remainder reported a high level of freedom (a score of > or = 8, where 10 equals complete editorial freedom and 1 equals no editorial freedom). Nevertheless, a substantial minority of editors reported having received at least some pressure in recent years over editorial content from the association's leadership (42%), senior staff (30%), or rank-and-file members (39%). The association's board of directors has the authority to hire (48%) or fire (55%) the editor for about half of the journals, and the editor reports to the board for 10 journals (30%). Twenty-three editors (70%) are appointed for a specific term (median term = 5 years). Three-fifths of the journals have no control over their profit, and the majority of journals use the association's legal counsel and/or media relations staff. Stronger safeguards are needed to give editors protection against pressure over editorial content, including written guarantees of editorial freedom and governance structures that support those guarantees. Strong safeguards are also needed because editors may have less freedom than they believe (especially if they have not yet tested their freedom in an area of controversy).

Reflections on 35 years with Applied Optics: outgoing editorial.

PubMed

Mait, Joseph N

2014-10-20

Applied Optics' Editor-in-Chief, Joseph N. Mait reflects on his experience as a reader, author, reviewer and eventual editor of the journal. Dr. Mait also introduces the incoming Editor-in-Chief, Ronald G. Driggers and acknowledges outgoing Division Editor, T.-C. Poon.

Technical Versus Public Spheres: A Feminist Analysis of Women's Rhetoric in the Twilight Sleep Debates of 1914-1916.

PubMed

Johnson, Bethany; Quinlan, Margaret M

2015-01-01

Twilight Sleep (TS) describes the delivery, via an injection, of an amnestic drug cocktail to a parturient woman throughout labor. In order to understand the development of modern-day rhetoric surrounding childbirth methods and procedures, this article explores the debate over TS between the public and technical sphere in New York City between 1914 and 1916 and examines the ways in which this debate altered obstetric health care for middle- and upper-class White women. The public response to this campaign posed a direct challenge to male obstetricians in New York City, many of whom were ill-equipped, both literally and figuratively, to use this procedure. Using a feminist rhetorical criticism, we examined the pro-TS rhetoric of women writers in New York City, the methods they borrowed from the women's movement, and the ensuing dialogue between the public and technical spheres. For this study, we analyzed journal and newspaper articles, a pamphlet, a collection of pro-TS organizational documents, letters to the editor, and books published about TS and the history of birth. Lastly, we analyzed theoretical notions of childbirth in women's health and communication studies. After examining the TS debate, we found that birth practices for middle- and upper-class women in New York City shifted and the obstetric community gained ascendancy over female midwifery. We also found that in certain instances, the rhetoric of pro-TS activists was more technically accurate than the rhetoric of some physicians. Hence the TS debate emerged from an argument over the right to use technical language in the technical and/or the public sphere. Conclusions and implications offered by this historical, feminist analysis question our current understanding of women's health and birthing practices, doctor-patient communication, and patient empowerment and access to technical knowledge.

SeaWiFS Postlaunch Technical Report Series. Volume 6; Cumulative Index: Volumes 1-5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor); Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor)

2000-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS was launched on 1 August 1997, on the OrbView-2 satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) undertook the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. The start of this documentation was titled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, which ended after 43 volumes were published. A follow-on series was started, titled the SeaWiFS Postlaunch Technical Report Series. This particular volume serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous five volumes and consists of four sections including an errata, an index to key words and phrases, a list of acronyms used, and a list of all references cited. The editors will publish a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes.

SeaWiFS Postlaunch Technical Report Series Cumulative Index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor); Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor)

2001-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS was launched on 1 August 1997, onboard the OrbView-2 satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), undertook the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. The start of this documentation was titled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, which ended after 43 volumes were published. A follow-on series was started, titled the SeaWiFS Postlaunch Technical Report Series. This particular volume of the so-called "Postlaunch Series" serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 11 volumes and consists of 5 sections including an errata, an addendum, an index to key words and phrases, a list of acronyms used, and a list of all references cited. The editors will publish a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes.

SeaWiFS Postlaunch Technical Report Series Cumulative Index: Volumes 1-23

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor); Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor)

2003-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS was launched on 1 August 1997, onboard the OrbView-2 satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), undertook the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. The start of this documentation was titled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, which ended after 43 volumes were published. A follow-on series was started, titled the Sea WiFS Postlaunch Technical Report Series. This particular volume of the so-called Postlaunch Series serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 23 volumes and consists of 4 sections including an errata, an index to key words and phrases, a list of acronyms used, and a list of all references cited. The editors will publish a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes.

New Editors Appointed for Water Resources Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-03-01

Praveen Kumar (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), the newly appointed editor in chief of Water Resources Research (WRR), heads the new team of editors for the journal. The other editors are Tom Torgersen (University of Connecticut, Groton), who continues his editorship; Tissa Illangasekare (Colorado School of Mines, Golden); Graham Sander (Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK); and John Selker (Oregon State University, Corvallis). Hoshin Gupta (University of Arizona, Tucson) will join WRR at the end of 2009. The new editors will begin receiving submissions immediately. The incoming editorial board thanks outgoing editors Marc Parlange, Brian Berkowitz, Amilcare Porporato, and Scott Tyler, all of whom will assist during the transition.

Live imaging of the innate immune response in neonates reveals differential TLR2 dependent activation patterns in sterile inflammation and infection.

PubMed

Lalancette-Hébert, Melanie; Faustino, Joel; Thammisetty, Sai Sampath; Chip, Sophorn; Vexler, Zinaida S; Kriz, Jasna

2017-10-01

Activation of microglial cells in response to brain injury and/or immune stimuli is associated with a marked induction of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). While in adult brain, the contribution of individual TLRs, including TLR2, in pathophysiological cascades has been well established, their role and spatial and temporal induction patterns in immature brain are far less understood. To examine whether infectious stimuli and sterile inflammatory stimuli trigger distinct TLR2-mediated innate immune responses, we used three models in postnatal day 9 (P9) mice, a model of infection induced by systemic endotoxin injection and two models of sterile inflammation, intra-cortical IL-1β injection and transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). We took advantage of a transgenic mouse model bearing the dual reporter system luciferase/GFP under transcriptional control of a murine TLR2 promoter (TLR2-luc-GFP) to visualize the TLR2 response in the living neonatal brain and then determined neuroinflammation, microglial activation and leukocyte infiltration. We show that in physiological postnatal brain development the in vivo TLR2-luc signal undergoes a marked ∼30-fold decline and temporal-spatial changes during the second and third postnatal weeks. We then show that while endotoxin robustly induces the in vivo TLR2-luc signal in the living brain and increases levels of several inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, the in vivo TLR2-luc signal is reduced after both IL-1β and tMCAO and the inflammatory response is muted. Immunofluorescence revealed that microglial cells are the predominant source of TLR2 production during postnatal brain development and in all three neonatal models studied. Flow cytometry revealed developmental changes in CD11b + /CD45 + and CD11b + /Ly6C + cell populations, involvement of cells of the monocyte lineage, but lack of Ly6G + neutrophils or CD3 + cells in acutely injured neonatal brains. Cumulatively, our results suggest distinct TLR2 induction patterns following PAMP and DAMP - mediated inflammation in immature brain. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Small Molecule Inhibitor of ETV1, YK-4-279, Prevents Prostate Cancer Growth and Metastasis in a Mouse Xenograft Model

PubMed Central

Rahim, Said; Minas, Tsion; Hong, Sung-Hyeok; Justvig, Sarah; Çelik, Haydar; Kont, Yasemin Saygideger; Han, Jenny; Kallarakal, Abraham T.; Kong, Yali; Rudek, Michelle A.; Brown, Milton L.; Kallakury, Bhaskar; Toretsky, Jeffrey A.; Üren, Aykut

2014-01-01

Background The erythroblastosis virus E26 transforming sequences (ETS) family of transcription factors consists of a highly conserved group of genes that play important roles in cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration and invasion. Chromosomal translocations fusing ETS factors to promoters of androgen responsive genes have been found in prostate cancers, including the most clinically aggressive forms. ERG and ETV1 are the most commonly translocated ETS proteins. Over-expression of these proteins in prostate cancer cells results in a more invasive phenotype. Inhibition of ETS activity by small molecule inhibitors may provide a novel method for the treatment of prostate cancer. Methods and Findings We recently demonstrated that the small molecule YK-4-279 inhibits biological activity of ETV1 in fusion-positive prostate cancer cells leading to decreased motility and invasion in-vitro. Here, we present data from an in-vivo mouse xenograft model. SCID-beige mice were subcutaneously implanted with fusion-positive LNCaP-luc-M6 and fusion-negative PC-3M-luc-C6 tumors. Animals were treated with YK-4-279, and its effects on primary tumor growth and lung metastasis were evaluated. YK-4-279 treatment resulted in decreased growth of the primary tumor only in LNCaP-luc-M6 cohort. When primary tumors were grown to comparable sizes, YK-4-279 inhibited tumor metastasis to the lungs. Expression of ETV1 target genes MMP7, FKBP10 and GLYATL2 were reduced in YK-4-279 treated animals. ETS fusion-negative PC-3M-luc-C6 xenografts were unresponsive to the compound. Furthermore, YK-4-279 is a chiral molecule that exists as a racemic mixture of R and S enantiomers. We established that (S)-YK-4-279 is the active enantiomer in prostate cancer cells. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that YK-4-279 is a potent inhibitor of ETV1 and inhibits both the primary tumor growth and metastasis of fusion positive prostate cancer xenografts. Therefore, YK-4-279 or similar compounds may be evaluated as a potential therapeutic tool for treatment of human prostate cancer at different stages. PMID:25479232

Transfection and heat-inducible expression of molluscan promoter-luciferase reporter gene constructs in the Biomphalaria glabrata embryonic snail cell line.

PubMed

Yoshino, T P; Wu, X J; Liu, H D

1998-09-01

Studies were initiated to begin developing a genetic transformation system for cells derived from the freshwater gastropod, Biomphalaria glabrata, an intermediate host of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Using a 70-kD heat-shock protein (HSP70) cDNA probe obtained from the B. glabrata embryonic (Bge) cell line, we cloned from Bge cells a complete HSP70 gene including a 1-kb genomic DNA fragment in its 5'-flanking region containing sequences indicative of a HSP promoter. Identified in the 5'-half (416 nucleotides) of this genomic fragment were TATA and CAAT boxes, two putative transcription initiation sites, and a series of palindromic DNA repeats with shared homology to the heat-shock element consensus sequence (Bge HSP70(0.5k) promoter). The 3'-half of this upstream flanking region was comprised of a 508-base intron located immediately 5' of the ATG start codon. To determine the functionality of the putative snail promoter sequence, Bge HSP promoter/luciferase (Luc) reporter gene constructs were introduced into Bge cells by N-(1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy) propyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium methylsulfate (DOTAP)-mediated transfection methods, and assayed for Luc activity 48 hr following a 1.5-hr heat-shock treatment (40 degrees C). Compared with control vectors or the Bge HSP70(0.5k/1.0k) promoter constructs at 26 degrees C, a 10- to 300-fold increase in Luc expression was obtained only in the Bge HSP70 promoter/Luc-transfected cells following heat-shock. Results of transfection experiments demonstrate that the Bge HSP70(0.5k) DNA segment contains appropriate promoter sequences for driving temperature-inducible gene expression in the Bge snail cell line. This report represents the first isolation and functional characterization of an inducible promoter from a freshwater gastropod mollusc. Successful transient expression of a foreign reporter gene in Bge cells using a homologous, inducible promoter sequence now paves the way for development of methods for stable integration and expression of snail genes of interest into the Bge cell line.

FRED user's manual

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

Shilling, J.

1984-02-01

FRED, the friendly editor, is a screen-based structured editor. This manual is intended to serve the needs of a wide range of users of the FRED text editor. Most users will find it sufficient to read the introductory material in section 2, supplemented with the full command set description in section 3. Advanced users may wish to change the keystroke sequences which invoke editor commands. Section 4 describes how to change key bindings and how to define command macros. Some users may need to modify a language description or create an entirely new language description for use with FRED. Sectionmore » 5 describes the format of the language descriptions used by the editor, and describes how to construct a language grammar. Section 6 describes known portability problems of the FRED editor and should concern only system installation personnel. The editor points out syntax errors in the file being edited and does automatic pretty printing.« less

EDITORIAL: Greetings from the new Editor-in-Chief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, P.

2004-04-01

On 1 January, 2004, I assumed the position of Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. I will start by saying that I will do my best to justify the confidence of the journal management and publishing staff in my abilities. I was fortunate to have been able to work, as an Editorial Board member, with my predecessor, the previous Editor-in-Chief, Professor Allister Ferguson. Allister has provided a high degree of intellectual stewardship for the journal in the last five years. He has made the job appear a worthy challenge for me. I therefore take this opportunity to thank Allister on behalf of the Editorial Board and publishing staff of the journal. Several other factors contributed to my decision to accept this position. The first is the group of people who actually go about the business of publishing. The Senior Publisher, Nicola Gulley (and her predecessor Sophy Le Masurier); the Managing Editor, Jill Membrey; the Publishing Administrators, Nina Blakesley and Sarah Towell; the Production Editor, Katie Gerrard and their office staff form an amazing group and have managed to make the operation of the journal incredibly efficient. An index of this is the speed with which incoming manuscripts are processed. The average time between the receipt of a manuscript and its web publication, if accepted, is 130 days. This is three to five times shorter than for most other journals. A factor that contributes to this success is a responsive pool of referees that the publishing staff have as a valuable resource. Ultimately, the standard bearers of any journal are the referees. Therefore, a grateful `thank you' is due from all of us at J. Phys. D to all our referees, who diligently perform this honourable task. The Associate Editors of the journal, Professors Lawler, Margaritondo and O'Grady, also provide immense scientific leadership. They help in defining new directions for the journal and in the publishing process. Last, but not least, a remarkable asset of the journal, and a tremendous intellectual resource, is the Editorial Board. The board members are all distinguished scientists and engineers who provide valuable counsel in defining the technical scope of the journal and its management. The members attend the board meetings at least once a year and, as a dynamic group, discuss ways of making the journal better. Most of them, including myself, also publish in J. Phys. D on a regular basis. This is truly a unique feature. So, what do I hope to accomplish during my tenure? I will strive to continue the legacy established by Allister and to look at ways of making a first-rate journal even better. At the heart of this is the quality of papers published. This can be done in several ways: raising the bar for refereeing and acceptance, regular publication of topical clusters and special issues in important areas, and publication of review articles by internationally renowned researchers and academics. In all these areas, the Editorial Board members can play a leading role. While I believe that the present topical scope of the journal is adequate and covers the important areas of applied physics, it is easy to miss out on important emerging areas. Therefore, we will have to keep the scope of the journal under constant scrutiny. Above all, the content of the journal must remain relevant at all times. I look forward to working with the journal's excellent staff, Associate Editors, and the Editorial Board.

EDT mode for JED -- An advanced Unix text editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIlwrath, B. K.; Page, C. G.

This note describes Starlink extended EDT emulation for the JED editor. It provides a Unix text editor which can utilise the advanced facilities of DEC VTn00, xterm and similar terminals. JED in this mode provides a reasonably good emulation of the VAX/VMS editor EDT in addition to many extra facilities.

Becoming an Online Editor: Perceived Roles and Responsibilities of Wikipedia Editors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Littlejohn, Allison; Hood, Nina

2018-01-01

Introduction: We report on the experiences of a group of people as they become Wikipedia editors. We test Benkler's (2002) theory that commons-based production processes accelerate the creation of capital, questioning what knowledge production processes do people engage in as they become editors? The analysis positions the development of editing…

Emerging Perspectives on Editorial Ethics: An Interview with Chris Higgins

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Liz

2017-01-01

Chris Higgins took on the roles of Editor of "Educational Theory," and Editor-in-Chief of the "Philosophy of Education Yearbook" published by the Philosophy of Education Society, in 2013, after having been an Associate Editor and Book Review Editor for "Educational Theory" for six years. Higgins worked closely with…

Technical notes published in BJOMS over a 2-year period--should we be doing it differently?

PubMed

Singh, M; Shekar, K; Shelley, M; Mackenzie, N; Spencer, H; Kiani, H; Brennan, P A

2009-06-01

Between January 2007 and December 2008, 44 technical notes or related publications (such as letters) were published in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS). These covered most of the remit of the specialty and ranged from operative surgical techniques to the use of digital photographs to orientate surgical specimens. However, there would seem to be very little feedback on the value of these articles in everyday practice. We reviewed these technical notes and assessed readability, the value and use of illustrations, the possible expense and/or equipment required in their use, and finally the frequency that the techniques could be used. The anonymised publications were read and scored by a minimum of two dentally qualified senior house officers, two doubly qualified specialist registrars, an SAS grade and two consultants in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The six techniques that gained the highest mean average score are briefly discussed. Although we used a relatively small number of assessors who might not be representative of the whole BJOMS readership, this study would suggest that some sort of change in the way that these technical notes are published should be considered. Options might include inviting a commentary from the reviewers who have tried the technique and also encouraging colleagues to report their experiences of these techniques in the 'letters to the editor' section.

SeaWiFS Technical Report Series. Volume 43; SeaWiFS Prelaunch Technical Report Series Final Cumulative Index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor); Hooker, Stanford B.

1998-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS was launched on 1 August 1997, on the SeaStar satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), undertook the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. This documentation, entitled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, is in the form of NASA Technical Memorandum Number 104566 and 1998-104566. All reports published are volumes within the series. This particular volume, which is the last of the so-called Prelaunch Series serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 42 volumes and consists of 6 sections including: an addenda, an errata, an index to key words and phrases, lists of acronyms and symbols used, and a list of all references cited. The editors have published a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes. Each index covers the reference topics published in all previous editions, that is, each new index includes all of the information contained in the preceding indexes with the exception of any addenda.

Authors and editors assort on gender and geography in high-rank ecological publications

PubMed Central

Belou, Rebecca M.

2018-01-01

Peer-reviewed publication volume and caliber are widely-recognized proxies for academic merit, and a strong publication record is essential for academic success and advancement. However, recent work suggests that publication productivity for particular author groups may also be determined in part by implicit biases lurking in the publication pipeline. Here, we explore patterns of gender, geography, and institutional rank among authors, editorial board members, and handling editors in high-impact ecological publications during 2015 and 2016. A higher proportion of lead authors had female first names (33.9%) than editorial board members (28.9%), and the proportion of female first names among handling editors was even lower (21.1%). Female editors disproportionately edited publications with female lead authors (40.3% of publications with female lead authors were handled by female editors, though female editors handled only 34.4% of all studied publications). Additionally, ecological authors and editors were overwhelmingly from countries in the G8, and high-ranking academic institutions accounted for a large portion of both the published work, and its editorship. Editors and lead authors with female names were typically affiliated with higher-ranking institutions than their male peers. This description of author and editor features provides a baseline for benchmarking future trends in the ecological publishing culture. PMID:29420647

Authors and editors assort on gender and geography in high-rank ecological publications.

PubMed

Manlove, Kezia R; Belou, Rebecca M

2018-01-01

Peer-reviewed publication volume and caliber are widely-recognized proxies for academic merit, and a strong publication record is essential for academic success and advancement. However, recent work suggests that publication productivity for particular author groups may also be determined in part by implicit biases lurking in the publication pipeline. Here, we explore patterns of gender, geography, and institutional rank among authors, editorial board members, and handling editors in high-impact ecological publications during 2015 and 2016. A higher proportion of lead authors had female first names (33.9%) than editorial board members (28.9%), and the proportion of female first names among handling editors was even lower (21.1%). Female editors disproportionately edited publications with female lead authors (40.3% of publications with female lead authors were handled by female editors, though female editors handled only 34.4% of all studied publications). Additionally, ecological authors and editors were overwhelmingly from countries in the G8, and high-ranking academic institutions accounted for a large portion of both the published work, and its editorship. Editors and lead authors with female names were typically affiliated with higher-ranking institutions than their male peers. This description of author and editor features provides a baseline for benchmarking future trends in the ecological publishing culture.

SpyTag/SpyCatcher Cyclization Enhances the Thermostability of Firefly Luciferase

PubMed Central

Si, Meng; Xu, Qing

2016-01-01

SpyTag can spontaneously form a covalent isopeptide bond with its protein partner SpyCatcher. Firefly luciferase from Photinus pyralis was cyclized in vivo by fusing SpyCatcher at the N terminus and SpyTag at the C terminus. Circular LUC was more thermostable and alkali-tolerant than the wild type, without compromising the specific activity. Structural analysis indicated that the cyclized LUC increased the thermodynamic stability of the structure and remained more properly folded at high temperatures when compared with the wild type. We also prepared an N-terminally and C-terminally shortened form of the SpyCatcher protein and cyclization using this truncated form led to even more thermostability than the original form. Our findings suggest that cyclization with SpyTag and SpyCatcher is a promising and effective strategy to enhance thermostability of enzymes. PMID:27658030

Persistence, population dynamics and competitiveness for nodulation of marker gene-tagged Rhizobium galegae strains in field lysimeters in the boreal climatic zone.

PubMed

Pitkäjärvi, Jyrki; Räsänen, Leena A; Langenskiöld, Jenny; Wallenius, Kaisa; Niemi, Maarit; Lindström, Kristina

2003-10-01

Abstract A non-indigenous wild-type strain Rhizobium galegae HAMBI 540, which specifically nodulates perennial goat's rue (Galega orientalis), and its marker gene-tagged derivatives R. galegae HAMBI 2363(luc), R. galegae HAMBI 2368(gusA21) and R. galegae HAMBI 2364(gusA30) were used to evaluate the persistence, population dynamics and competitiveness for nodulation of rhizobia under field conditions in Finland. The lysimeters were filled with clean or diesel oil-polluted (3000 mug g(-1)) agricultural soil. During the first 2 years of the field release luc- and gusA21-tagged strains could be effectively detected by cultivation, reinforced with colony polymerase chain reaction. The population densities remained relatively stable from 10(4) to 10(5) cfu g(-1) dry soil from spring until late autumn. Replicate limiting dilution polymerase chain reaction analysis gave comparable results with cultivation with strain HAMBI 2363 until 49 weeks after inoculation. GUS activity of strain HAMBI 2368 could be stably detected in nodules and soil. On the other hand, luc activity weakened clearly in cold conditions along with decreased metabolic activity of rhizobia. The competitive ability for nodulation of the gusA30-tagged strain decreased slowly with time compared to the wild-type strain. Moderate soil pollution did not have significant effects on target bacteria or plant growth. Limited vertical movement of target bacteria outside the rhizosphere was detected from percolated water.

Visualization and in vivo tracking of the exosomes of murine melanoma B16-BL6 cells in mice after intravenous injection.

PubMed

Takahashi, Yuki; Nishikawa, Makiya; Shinotsuka, Haruka; Matsui, Yuriko; Ohara, Saori; Imai, Takafumi; Takakura, Yoshinobu

2013-05-20

The development of exosomes as delivery vehicles requires understanding how and where exogenously administered exosomes are distributed in vivo. In the present study, we designed a fusion protein consisting of Gaussia luciferase and a truncated lactadherin, gLuc-lactadherin, and constructed a plasmid expressing the fusion protein. B16-BL6 murine melanoma cells were transfected with the plasmid, and exosomes released from the cells were collected by ultracentrifugation. Strong luciferase activity was detected in the fraction containing exosomes, indicating their efficient labeling with gLuc-lactadherin. Then, the labeled B16-BL6 exosomes were intravenously injected into mice, and their tissue distribution was evaluated. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the exosome blood concentration-time profile revealed that B16-BL6 exosomes disappeared very quickly from the blood circulation with a half-life of approximately 2min. Little luciferase activity was detected in the serum at 4h after exosome injection, suggesting rapid clearance of B16-BL6 exosomes in vivo. Moreover, sequential in vivo imaging revealed that the B16-BL6 exosome-derived signals distributed first to the liver and then to the lungs. These results indicate that gLuc-lactadherin labeling is useful for tracing exosomes in vivo and that B16-BL6 exosomes are rapidly cleared from the blood circulation after systemic administration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1.5 °C carbon budget dependent on carbon cycle uncertainty and future non-CO2 forcing.

PubMed

Mengis, Nadine; Partanen, Antti-Ilari; Jalbert, Jonathan; Matthews, H Damon

2018-04-11

Estimates of the 1.5 °C carbon budget vary widely among recent studies, emphasizing the need to better understand and quantify key sources of uncertainty. Here we quantify the impact of carbon cycle uncertainty and non-CO 2 forcing on the 1.5 °C carbon budget in the context of a prescribed 1.5 °C temperature stabilization scenario. We use Bayes theorem to weight members of a perturbed parameter ensemble with varying land and ocean carbon uptake, to derive an estimate for the fossil fuel (FF) carbon budget of 469 PgC since 1850, with a 95% likelihood range of (411,528) PgC. CO 2 emissions from land-use change (LUC) add about 230 PgC. Our best estimate of the total (FF + LUC) carbon budget for 1.5 °C is therefore 699 PgC, which corresponds to about 11 years of current emissions. Non-CO 2 greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions represent equivalent cumulative CO 2 emissions of about 510 PgC and -180 PgC for 1.5 °C, respectively. The increased LUC, high non-CO 2 emissions and decreased aerosols in our scenario, cause the long-term FF carbon budget to decrease following temperature stabilization. In this scenario, negative emissions would be required to compensate not only for the increasing non-CO 2 climate forcing, but also for the declining natural carbon sinks.

Development of a dual luciferase activity and fluorescamine protein assay adapted to a 384 micro-well plate format: Reducing variability in human luciferase transactivation cell lines aimed at endocrine active substances.

PubMed

Brennan, Jennifer C; Tillitt, Donald E

2018-03-01

There is a need to adapt cell bioassays to 384-well and 1536-well formats instead of the traditional 96-well format as high-throughput screening (HTS) demands increase. However, the sensitivity and performance of the bioassay must be re-verified in these higher micro-well plates, and verification of cell health must also be HT (high-throughput). We have adapted two commonly used human breast luciferase transactivation cell bioassays, the recently re-named estrogen agonist/antagonist screening VM7Luc4E2 cell bioassay (previously designated BG1Luc4E2) and the androgen/glucocorticoid screening MDA-kb2 cell bioassay, to 384-well formats for HTS of endocrine-active substances (EASs). This cost-saving adaptation includes a fast, accurate, and easy measurement of protein amount in each well via the fluorescamine assay with which to normalize luciferase activity of cell lysates without requiring any transfer of the cell lysates. Here we demonstrate that by accounting for protein amount in the cell lysates, antagonistic agents can easily be distinguished from cytotoxic agents in the MDA-kb2 and VM7Luc4E2 cell bioassays. Additionally, we demonstrate via the fluorescamine assay improved interpretation of luciferase activity in wells along the edge of the plate (the so-called "edge effect"), thereby increasing usable wells to the entire plate, not just interior wells. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development of a dual luciferase activity and fluorescamine protein assay adapted to a 384 micro-well plate format: Reducing variability in human luciferase transactivation cell lines aimed at endocrine active substances

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brennan, Jennifer; Tillitt, Donald E.

2018-01-01

There is a need to adapt cell bioassays to 384-well and 1536-well formats instead of the traditional 96-well format as high-throughput screening (HTS) demands increase. However, the sensitivity and performance of the bioassay must be re-verified in these higher micro-well plates, and verification of cell health must also be HT (high-throughput). We have adapted two commonly used human breast luciferase transactivation cell bioassays, the recently re-named estrogen agonist/antagonist screening VM7Luc4E2 cell bioassay (previously designated BG1Luc4E2) and the androgen/glucocorticoid screening MDA-kb2 cell bioassay, to 384-well formats for HTS of endocrine-active substances (EASs). This cost-saving adaptation includes a fast, accurate, and easy measurement of protein amount in each well via the fluorescamine assay with which to normalize luciferase activity of cell lysates without requiring any transfer of the cell lysates. Here we demonstrate that by accounting for protein amount in the cell lysates, antagonistic agents can easily be distinguished from cytotoxic agents in the MDA-kb2 and VM7Luc4E2 cell bioassays. Additionally, we demonstrate via the fluorescamine assay improved interpretation of luciferase activity in wells along the edge of the plate (the so-called “edge effect”), thereby increasing usable wells to the entire plate, not just interior wells.

Evaluation of estrogen receptor alpha activation by glyphosate-based herbicide constituents.

PubMed

Mesnage, Robin; Phedonos, Alexia; Biserni, Martina; Arno, Matthew; Balu, Sucharitha; Corton, J Christopher; Ugarte, Ricardo; Antoniou, Michael N

2017-10-01

The safety, including the endocrine disruptive capability, of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) is a matter of intense debate. We evaluated the estrogenic potential of glyphosate, commercial GBHs and polyethoxylated tallowamine adjuvants present as co-formulants in GBHs. Glyphosate (≥10,000 μg/L or 59 μM) promoted proliferation of estrogen-dependent MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Glyphosate also increased the expression of an estrogen response element-luciferase reporter gene (ERE-luc) in T47D-KBluc cells, which was blocked by the estrogen antagonist ICI 182,780. Commercial GBH formulations or their adjuvants alone did not exhibit estrogenic effects in either assay. Transcriptomics analysis of MCF-7 cells treated with glyphosate revealed changes in gene expression reflective of hormone-induced cell proliferation but did not overlap with an ERα gene expression biomarker. Calculation of glyphosate binding energy to ERα predicts a weak and unstable interaction (-4.10 kcal mol -1 ) compared to estradiol (-25.79 kcal mol -1 ), which suggests that activation of this receptor by glyphosate is via a ligand-independent mechanism. Induction of ERE-luc expression by the PKA signalling activator IBMX shows that ERE-luc is responsive to ligand-independent activation, suggesting a possible mechanism of glyphosate-mediated activation. Our study reveals that glyphosate, but not other components present in GBHs, can activate ERα in vitro, albeit at relatively high concentrations. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Transgenic mice that accept Luciferase- or GFP-expressing syngeneic tumor cells at high efficiencies.

PubMed

Aoyama, Naoki; Miyoshi, Hiroyuki; Miyachi, Hitoshi; Sonoshita, Masahiro; Okabe, Masaru; Taketo, Makoto Mark

2018-05-11

Jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) and firefly luciferase can serve as versatile tracking markers for identification and quantification of transplanted cancer cells in vivo. However, immune reactions against these markers can hamper the formation of syngraft tumors and metastasis that follows. Here, we report two transgenic (Tg) mouse lines that express nonfunctional mutant marker proteins, namely modified firefly luciferase (Luc2) or enhanced GFP (EGFP). These mice, named as Tg-mLuc2 and Tg-mEGFP, turned out to be immunologically tolerant to the respective tracking markers and thus efficiently accepted syngeneic cancer cells expressing the active forms of the markers. We then injected intrarectally the F 1 hybrid Tg mice (BALB/c × C57BL/6J) with Colon-26 (C26) colon cancer cells that originated from a BALB/c mouse. Even when C26 cells expressed active Luc2 or EGFP, they formed primary tumors in the Tg mice with only 10 4 cells per mouse compared with more than 10 6 cells required in the nontransgenic BALB/c hosts. Furthermore, we detected metastatic foci of C26 cells in the liver and lungs of the Tg mice by tracking the specific reporter activities. These results show the usefulness of the Tg mouse lines as recipients for transplantation experiments with the non-self tracking marker-expressing cells. © 2018 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Direct comparison of administration routes for AAV8-mediated ocular gene therapy.

PubMed

Igarashi, Tsutomu; Miyake, Koichi; Asakawa, Nagisa; Miyake, Noriko; Shimada, Takashi; Takahashi, Hiroshi

2013-05-01

We recently demonstrated that direct subretinal (SR) injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 8 (AAV8) into photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a highly efficient model of gene delivery. The current study compared transduction efficiency and expression patterns associated with various routes of vector administration. The efficacy of intravitreal (VT), SR and subconjunctival (SC) injections for delivery of AAV8-derived vectors, i.e. those expressing luciferase (Luc) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) - AAV8/Luc and AAV8/GFP, respectively - were compared in an animal (mouse) model (n = 8 mice/group). Transduction efficiency and expression patterns were examined at post-injection weeks 1 and 2, and months 1, 3, 6 and 12 via in vivo imaging. One year after AAV injection, AAV8/Luc-treated mice exhibited stable and sustained high expression of vector in the VT and SR groups, but not in the SC group (VT:SR:SC = 3,218:2,923:115; 1 × 10(5 )photons/s). Histological analysis showed that GFP expression was observed in the inner retina of VT group mice, and in photoreceptor cells and RPE of SR group mice, whereas no GFP expression was noted in the SC group. Electroretinography (ERG) revealed adverse effects following SR delivery. Results suggest that both SR and VT injections of AAV8 vectors are useful routes for administering ocular gene therapy, and stress the importance of selecting an appropriate administration route, i.e. one that targets specific cells, for treating ocular disorders.

Ultrasound-induced hyperthermia for the spatio-temporal control of gene expression in bone repair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Christopher; Padilla, Frédéric; Zhang, Man; Vilaboa, Nuria; Kripfgans, Oliver; Fowlkes, Brian; Franceschi, Renny

2012-10-01

Spatial and temporal control over the expression of growth/differentiation factors is of great interest for regeneration of bone, but technologies capable of providing tight and active control over gene expression remain elusive. We propose the use of focused ultrasound for the targeted activation of heat shock-sensitive expression systems in engineered bone. We report in vitro results with cells that express firefly luciferase (fLuc) under the control of a heat shock protein promoter. Cells were embedded in fibrin scaffolds and exposed to focused ultrasound, using a custom 3.3MHz transducer (focal length 4", f-number 1.33", focal dimension 1.2mm lateral FWHM) in CW mode for 2-20 minutes at intensities ISPTA=120-440 W/cm2. The kinetics of ultrasound-mediated activation of the cells was compared with that of strictly thermal activation. Bioluminescence imaging revealed fLuc expression in an area ≥2.5mm in diameter at the position of the ultrasound focus, and the diameter and intensity of the signal increased with the amplitude of the acoustic energy. We also found that ultrasound activated fLuc expression with substantially shorter exposures than thermal activation. Our results demonstrate the potential for focused ultrasound to selectively activate the expression of a gene of interest in an engineered tissue and suggest that focused ultrasound activates the heat shock pathway by a combination of thermal and non-thermal mechanisms.

JSME: a free molecule editor in JavaScript.

PubMed

Bienfait, Bruno; Ertl, Peter

2013-01-01

A molecule editor, i.e. a program facilitating graphical input and interactive editing of molecules, is an indispensable part of every cheminformatics or molecular processing system. Today, when a web browser has become the universal scientific user interface, a tool to edit molecules directly within the web browser is essential. One of the most popular tools for molecular structure input on the web is the JME applet. Since its release nearly 15 years ago, however the web environment has changed and Java applets are facing increasing implementation hurdles due to their maintenance and support requirements, as well as security issues. This prompted us to update the JME editor and port it to a modern Internet programming language - JavaScript. The actual molecule editing Java code of the JME editor was translated into JavaScript with help of the Google Web Toolkit compiler and a custom library that emulates a subset of the GUI features of the Java runtime environment. In this process, the editor was enhanced by additional functionalities including a substituent menu, copy/paste, drag and drop and undo/redo capabilities and an integrated help. In addition to desktop computers, the editor supports molecule editing on touch devices, including iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. In analogy to JME the new editor is named JSME. This new molecule editor is compact, easy to use and easy to incorporate into web pages. A free molecule editor written in JavaScript was developed and is released under the terms of permissive BSD license. The editor is compatible with JME, has practically the same user interface as well as the web application programming interface. The JSME editor is available for download from the project web page http://peter-ertl.com/jsme/

Preparing Students To Work on Newspaper Copy Desks: Are Educators Meeting Editors' Expectations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auman, Ann E.; Cook, Betsy B.

A study surveyed two groups in the fall of 1994, journalism educators and newspaper editors. Educators completed a survey regarding the course content and skill areas emphasized in beginning level copy editing courses, while editors were asked to respond to questions regarding the skills they expect entry-level copy editors to have. Respondents…

MRAPs, Irregular Warfare, and Pentagon Reform

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

U P R E S S S TA F F COLONEL DAVID H. GURNEY, USMC (RET.) Director DR. JEFFREY D. SMOTHERMAN Executive Editor GEORGE C. MAERZ Supervisory Editor...LISA M. YAMBRICK Writer-Editor CALVIN B. KELLEY Writer-Editor MARTIN J. PETERS Production Supervisor TARA J. PAREKH Visual Design Editor O T H E R T I T ...L E S I N T H E S E R I E S Choosing War: The Decision to Invade Iraq and Its Aftermath Occasional Paper 5, April 2008 China’s Global Activism

Web-Based Media Contents Editor for UCC Websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seoksoo

The purpose of this research is to "design web-based media contents editor for establishing UCC(User Created Contents)-based websites." The web-based editor features user-oriented interfaces and increased convenience, significantly different from previous off-line editors. It allows users to edit media contents online and can be effectively used for online promotion activities of enterprises and organizations. In addition to development of the editor, the research aims to support the entry of enterprises and public agencies to the online market by combining the technology with various UCC items.

Mistakes and inconsistencies regarding adsorption of contaminants from aqueous solutions: A critical review.

PubMed

Tran, Hai Nguyen; You, Sheng-Jie; Hosseini-Bandegharaei, Ahmad; Chao, Huan-Ping

2017-09-01

In recent years, adsorption science and technology for water and wastewater treatment has attracted substantial attention from the scientific community. However, the number of publications containing inconsistent concepts is increasing. Many publications either reiterate previously discussed mistakes or create new mistakes. The inconsistencies are reflected by the increasing publication of certain types of article in this field, including "short communications", "discussions", "critical reviews", "comments", "letters to the editor", and "correspondence (comment/rebuttal)". This article aims to discuss (1) the inaccurate use of technical terms, (2) the problem associated with quantities for measuring adsorption performance, (3) the important roles of the adsorbate and adsorbent pK a , (4) mistakes related to the study of adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics, (5) several problems related to adsorption mechanisms, (6) inconsistent data points in experimental data and model fitting, (7) mistakes in measuring the specific surface area of an adsorbent, and (8) other mistakes found in the literature. Furthermore, correct expressions and original citations of the relevant models (i.e., adsorption kinetics and isotherms) are provided. The authors hope that this work will be helpful for readers, researchers, reviewers, and editors who are interested in the field of adsorption studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

29 CFR 793.8 - “News editor.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false âNews editor.â 793.8 Section 793.8 Labor Regulations... Exemption § 793.8 “News editor.” A news editor is an employee who gathers, edits and rewrites the news. He may also select and prepare news items for broadcast and present the news on the air. An employee who...

29 CFR 793.8 - “News editor.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false âNews editor.â 793.8 Section 793.8 Labor Regulations... Exemption § 793.8 “News editor.” A news editor is an employee who gathers, edits and rewrites the news. He may also select and prepare news items for broadcast and present the news on the air. An employee who...

29 CFR 793.8 - “News editor.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false âNews editor.â 793.8 Section 793.8 Labor Regulations... Exemption § 793.8 “News editor.” A news editor is an employee who gathers, edits and rewrites the news. He may also select and prepare news items for broadcast and present the news on the air. An employee who...

29 CFR 793.8 - “News editor.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false âNews editor.â 793.8 Section 793.8 Labor Regulations... Exemption § 793.8 “News editor.” A news editor is an employee who gathers, edits and rewrites the news. He may also select and prepare news items for broadcast and present the news on the air. An employee who...

29 CFR 793.8 - “News editor.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false âNews editor.â 793.8 Section 793.8 Labor Regulations... Exemption § 793.8 “News editor.” A news editor is an employee who gathers, edits and rewrites the news. He may also select and prepare news items for broadcast and present the news on the air. An employee who...

Academic Degradation and the Retreat of the Editors: Academic Irregularities and the Spreading of Academic Corruption from an Editor's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xun, Gong

2007-01-01

Against the backdrop of the grave academic crisis in China, editors have become the objects of wooing, favor-currying, connections-seeking, and collusions; they have been targeted for attacks, plots, extortions, and encroachments. Editing and publishing have become avenues for academic irregularities and academic corruption. Editors have the power…

JOURNALISTIC USE OF EXEMPLARS TO HUMANIZE HEALTH NEWS

PubMed Central

Hinnant, Amanda; Len-Ríos, María E.; Young, Rachel

2013-01-01

Health journalists often use personal stories to put a “face” on a health issue. This research uses a sociology-of-news approach, based on data collected from 42 in-depth interviews and three surveys with health journalists and editors [national (N = 774), state (N = 55), and purposive (N = 180)], to provide a first look at how important journalists think exemplars are to their stories. Results show journalists select exemplars to inform, inspire, and/or sensationalize a health issue. Some of the strategies journalists use to locate exemplars pose ethical concerns. Further, journalists rank the use of exemplars lower in aiding audience understanding compared with the use of experts, data and statistics, and definitions of technical terms. PMID:24376370

Ar-Ar and U-Pb ages of marble-hosted ruby deposits from Central and South-east Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garnier, V.; Giuliani, G.; Maluski, H.; Ohnenstetter, D.; Deloule, E.

2003-04-01

Marble-hosted ruby deposits represent the first source of gemstones in Asia. The deposits from Jegdalek (Afghanistan), Hunza Valley (Pakistan), Nangimali (Azad-Kashmir), Chumar, Ruyil (Nepal), Mogok (Myanmar), Luc Yen, Yen Bai and Quy Chau (Vietnam) were dated using the 40Ar-39Ar laser stepwise heating technique on syngenetic micas. The following ages were obtained : 24.7 ± 0.3 Ma at Jegdalek ; 10.8 ± 0.3 to 5.4 ± 0.3 Ma at Hunza ; 17.2 ± 0.2 to 15.3 ± 0.1 Ma at Nangimali ; 4.6 ± 0.1 Ma at Ruyil ; 5.6 ± 0.4 Ma at Chumar ; 18.7 ± 0.2 to 17.1 ± 0.2 Ma at Mogok ; 33.8 ± 0.4 to 30.8 ± 0.8 Ma at Luc Yen ; 24.4 ± 0.4 to 23.2 ± 0.6 Ma at Yen Bai, 22.1 ± 0.6 to 21.6 ± 0.7 Ma at Quy Chau. These ages represent cooling ages and thus minimum ages for ruby formation. The ages obtained for Nangimali are close to the Ar-Ar cooling age of 19 Ma recorded in the Chichi granite, North to the ruby deposit. However, (C,O)-isotopic studies of the ruby-bearing marbles show no genetic relation between granite emplacement and ruby deposition in this area. The age found at Jegdalek is similar to the K-Ar ages obtained on the Sairobi pegmatitic dykes (20-26 Ma) and of the Jalalabad pluton (25 Ma), located close to the ruby deposit. At Mogok, the ruby deposits yield ages close to those obtained on high grade metamorphic and foliated intrusive regional rocks (15.8 ± 0.7 - 19.5 ± 1.0 Ma). The ages obtained at Chumar and Ruyil agree with those of the Lesser Himalaya Formation (12 - 6 Ma). Those found at Quy Chau agree with those found for the shear zone activity. Furthermore, U-Pb dating was done on zircons included in a ruby from Luc Yen and spinels in marble from Luc Yen and Hunza. The wide range of 238U-206Pb ages obtained for Luc Yen (266 - 45 Ma) evidences a complex metamorphic history. Ruby crystallised at 45 Ma during ductile activity of the Red River shear zone. At Hunza, an 238U-206Pb age of 94.0 ± 2.1 Ma obtained on inherited zircons confirms the U-Pb age obtained on zircons from the Karakorum batholith (95 Ma). Asian marble-hosted ruby deposits are directly linked with the tectonometamorphic activity of Cenozoic structures resulting from deformation of the Asian plate during India-Asia collision. Geochemical studies evidence that these rubies have a metamorphic origin and thus dating of these deposits provide an essential clue to decipher the timing of continental collision in Central and South-east Asia.

Editors on Unix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, C. A.

The purpose of this document is to give new users advice on how to choose which editor to use on Unix machines. Under Unix the default editors are considered to be unfriendly and many users prefer to use other more sophisticated alternatives. However, many such alternatives exist; there is not one single editor that everyone finds acceptable and hence each user must decide for himself or herself which to adopt.

The Lives and Hard Times of Magazine Editors in the Big Apple: A Report on the Society of Magazine Editors' Educators Seminar.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, John W.

This report chronicles the first Society of Magazine Editors' educators seminar, which was held in New York from May 13-17, 1974, and was attended by ten journalism faculty. The industry's concerns, as expressed through editors, are paper, printing, postage, people, and profit. The Magazine Publishers Association (MPA) seems mostly concerned with…

Views of Iranian medical journal editors on medical research publication.

PubMed

Etemadi, Arash; Raiszadeh, Farbod; Alaeddini, Farshid; Azizi, Fereidoun

2004-01-01

Medical journal editors play an important role in optimizing research publication. This study evaluates the views of Iranian medical journal editors, and their knowledge of medical publication standards. In May 2001, 51 editors from all journals approved by the Ministry of Health were invited to participate, 27 of whom completed the study. A self-administered questionnaire, based on the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (URMS) was used which consisted of 28 questions in 9 subject fields. These fields included: peer review, conflicts of interest, authorship criteria, publication ethics, duplicate publication, mass media, advertising, competing manuscripts, and the Internet. The knowledge of the editors was assessed by a scoring system, with a range of -46 to +44 points. Twenty-three of the participants were editors-in-chief and 4 were managing editors. Their average age was 47.3 +/- 8.7 years and 25 were male. All journals were peer-reviewed, most having 2 or 3 reviewers for each manuscript. Of the journals, 92.6% accepted or rejected an article on the basis of the views of most reviewers and 52%, sometimes or always, used a statistician as a reviewer. Most of the editors believed that writing the first draft and designing the study are authorship criteria, and most of them believed that these 2 are stated in URMS. Seven journals (25.9%) never published advertisements. Among journals that sold advertisements, the most popular policy (85%) was the rejection of advertisements because they advertised harmful products. Out of 27 journals, 12 were accessible on the Internet, and 7 had independent websites. Of the editors, 81.5% thought that a website is useful for their journal. The average knowledge score of the editors was 6.5 +/- 7.5. None had a negative score, 33% scored zero, 45% obtained average scores and 22% obtained good scores. The results show that peer review is favored by all the editors studied, though it seems that journals do not follow clear-cut policies in this regard. Most of the editors, agreed with the statements of URMS to some extent and generally most have average to high knowledge of URMS.

Materials Data on LuC2 (SG:139) by Materials Project

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

Kristin Persson

2014-07-09

Computed materials data using density functional theory calculations. These calculations determine the electronic structure of bulk materials by solving approximations to the Schrodinger equation. For more information, see https://materialsproject.org/docs/calculations

Synthesis of N-peptide-6-amino-D-luciferin Conjugates.

PubMed

Kovács, Anita K; Hegyes, Péter; Szebeni, Gábor J; Nagy, Lajos I; Puskás, László G; Tóth, Gábor K

2018-01-01

A general strategy for the synthesis of N -peptide-6-amino-D-luciferin conjugates has been developed. The applicability of the strategy was demonstrated with the preparation of a known substrate, N -Z-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-6-amino-D-luciferin ( N -Z-DEVD-aLuc). N -Z-DEVD-aLuc was obtained via a hybrid liquid/solid phase synthesis method, in which the appropriately protected C-terminal amino acid was coupled to 6-amino-2-cyanobenzothiazole and the resulting conjugate was reacted with D-cysteine in order to get the protected amino acid-6-amino-D-luciferin conjugate, which was then attached to resin. The resulting loaded resin was used for the solid-phase synthesis of the desired N -peptide-6-amino-D-luciferin conjugate without difficulties, which was then attested with NMR spectroscopy and LC-MS, and successfully tested in a bioluminescent system.

Electron-phonon interaction in the binary superconductor lutetium carbide LuC2 via first-principles calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilmi, S.; Saib, S.; Bouarissa, N.

2018-06-01

Structural, electronic, electron-phonon coupling and superconducting properties of the intermetallic compound LuC2 are investigated by means of ab initio pseudopotential plane wave method within the generalized gradient approximation. The calculated equilibrium lattice parameters yielded a very good accord with experiment. There is no imaginary phonon frequency in the whole Brillouin zone supporting thus the dynamical stability in the material of interest. The average electron-phonon coupling parameter is found to be 0.59 indicating thus a weak-coupling BCS superconductor. Using a reasonable value of μ* = 0.12 for the effective Coulomb repulsion parameter, the superconducting critical temperature Tc is found to be 3.324 which is in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 3.33 K. The effect of the spin-orbit coupling on the superconducting properties of the material of interest has been examined and found to be weak.

Synthesis of N-peptide-6-amino-D-luciferin Conjugates

PubMed Central

Kovács, Anita K.; Hegyes, Péter; Szebeni, Gábor J.; Nagy, Lajos I.; Puskás, László G.; Tóth, Gábor K.

2018-01-01

A general strategy for the synthesis of N-peptide-6-amino-D-luciferin conjugates has been developed. The applicability of the strategy was demonstrated with the preparation of a known substrate, N-Z-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-6-amino-D-luciferin (N-Z-DEVD-aLuc). N-Z-DEVD-aLuc was obtained via a hybrid liquid/solid phase synthesis method, in which the appropriately protected C-terminal amino acid was coupled to 6-amino-2-cyanobenzothiazole and the resulting conjugate was reacted with D-cysteine in order to get the protected amino acid-6-amino-D-luciferin conjugate, which was then attached to resin. The resulting loaded resin was used for the solid-phase synthesis of the desired N-peptide-6-amino-D-luciferin conjugate without difficulties, which was then attested with NMR spectroscopy and LC-MS, and successfully tested in a bioluminescent system. PMID:29725588

High field gradient targeting of magnetic nanoparticle-loaded endothelial cells to the surfaces of steel stents

PubMed Central

Polyak, Boris; Fishbein, Ilia; Chorny, Michael; Alferiev, Ivan; Williams, Darryl; Yellen, Ben; Friedman, Gary; Levy, Robert J.

2008-01-01

A cell delivery strategy was investigated that was hypothesized to enable magnetic targeting of endothelial cells to the steel surfaces of intraarterial stents because of the following mechanisms: (i) preloading cells with biodegradable polymeric superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), thereby rendering the cells magnetically responsive; and (ii) the induction of both magnetic field gradients around the wires of a steel stent and magnetic moments within MNPs because of a uniform external magnetic field, thereby targeting MNP-laden cells to the stent wires. In vitro studies demonstrated that MNP-loaded bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) could be magnetically targeted to steel stent wires. In vivo MNP-loaded BAECs transduced with adenoviruses expressing luciferase (Luc) were targeted to stents deployed in rat carotid arteries in the presence of a uniform magnetic field with significantly greater Luc expression, detected by in vivo optical imaging, than nonmagnetic controls. PMID:18182491

Desertification, land use, and the transformation of global drylands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bestelmeyer, Brandon T.; Okin, Gregory S.; Duniway, Michael C.; Archer, Steven R.; Sayre, Nathan F.; Williamson, Jebediah C.; Herrick, Jeffrey E.

2015-01-01

Desertification is an escalating concern in global drylands, yet assessments to guide management and policy responses are limited by ambiguity concerning the definition of “desertification” and what processes are involved. To improve clarity, we propose that assessments of desertification and land transformation be placed within a state change–land-use change (SC–LUC) framework. This framework considers desertification as state changes occurring within the context of particular land uses (eg rangeland, cropland) that interact with land-use change. State changes that can be readily reversed are distinguished from regime shifts, which are state changes involving persistent alterations to vegetation or soil properties. Pressures driving the transformation of rangelands to other types of land uses may be low, fluctuating, or high, and may influence and be influenced by state change. We discuss how the SC–LUC perspective can guide more effective assessment of desertification and management of drylands.

How is research publishing going to progress in the next 20 years?: transcription of session for editors, associate editors, publishers and others with an interest in scientific publishing held at IADR meeting in Seattle on Wednesday, 20 March 2013.

PubMed

Eaton, Kenneth A; Rex Holland, G; Giannobile, William V; Hancocks, Stephen; Robinson, Peter G; Lynch, Christopher D

2014-03-01

On March 20th 2013, a one-hour session for Editors, Associate Editors, Publishers and others with an interest in scientific publishing was held at the IADR International Session in Seattle. Organised by Kenneth Eaton and Christopher Lynch (Chair and Secretary, respectively, of the British Dental Editors Forum), the meeting sought to bring together leading international experts in dental publishing, as well as authors, reviewers and students engaged in research. The meeting was an overwhelming success, with more than 100 attendees. A panel involving four leading dental editors led a discussion on anticipated developments in publishing dental research with much involvement and contribution from audience members. This was the third such meeting held at the IADR for Editors, Associate Editors, Publishers and others with an interest in scientific publishing. A follow-up session will take place in Cape Town on 25 June 2014 as part of the annual IADR meeting. The transcript of the Seattle meeting is reproduced in this article. Where possible speakers are identified by name. At the first time of mention their role/position is also stated, thereafter only their name appears. We are grateful to Stephen Hancocks Ltd. for their generous sponsorship of this event. For those who were not able to attend the authors hope this article gives a flavour of the discussions and will encourage colleagues to attend future events. Involvement is open to Editors, Associate Editors, Publishers and others with an interest in scientific publishing. It is a very open group and all those with an interest will be welcome to join in. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combining Optical Reporter Proteins with Different Half-lives to Detect Temporal Evolution of Hypoxia and Reoxygenation in Tumors

PubMed Central

Danhier, Pierre; Krishnamachary, Balaji; Bharti, Santosh; Kakkad, Samata; Mironchik, Yelena; Bhujwalla, Zaver M.

2015-01-01

Here we have developed a hypoxia response element driven imaging strategy that combined the hypoxia-driven expression of two optical reporters with different half-lives to detect temporal changes in hypoxia and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) activity. For this purpose, human prostate cancer PC3 cells were transfected with the luciferase gene fused with an oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODD-luc) and a variant of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Both ODD-luciferase and EGFP were under the promotion of a poly-hypoxia-response element sequence (5xHRE). The cells constitutively expressed tdTomato red fluorescent protein. For validating the imaging strategy, cells were incubated under hypoxia (1% O2) for 48 hours and then reoxygenated. The luciferase activity of PC3-HRE-EGFP/HRE-ODD-luc/tdtomato cells detected by bioluminescent imaging rapidly decreased after reoxygenation, whereas EGFP levels in these cells remained stable for several hours. After in vitro validation, PC3-HRE-EGFP/HRE-ODD-luc/tdtomato tumors were implanted subcutaneously and orthotopically in nude male mice and imaged in vivo and ex vivo using optical imaging in proof-of-principle studies to demonstrate differences in optical patterns between EGFP expression and bioluminescence. This novel "timer" imaging strategy of combining the short-lived ODD-luciferase and the long-lived EGFP can provide a time frame of HRE activation in PC3 prostate cancer cells and will be useful to understand the temporal changes in hypoxia and HIF activity during cancer progression and following treatments including HIF targeting strategies. PMID:26696369

Sonochemiluminescence of lucigenin: Evidence of superoxide radical anion formation by ultrasonic irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, Masanori; Takahashi, Fumiki; Asakura, Yoshiyuki; Jin, Jiye

2016-07-01

The sonochemiluminescence (SCL) behavior of lucigenin (Luc2+) has been studied in aqueous solutions irradiated with 500 kHz ultrasound. Compared with the SCL of a luminol system, a tremendously increased SCL intensity is observed from 50 µM Luc2+ aqueous solution (pH =11) when small amounts of coreactants such as 2-propanol coexist. It is shown that SCL intensity strongly depends on the presence of dissolved gases such as air, O2, N2, and Ar. The highest SCL intensity is obtained in an O2-saturated solution, indicating that molecular oxygen is required to generate SCL. Since SCL intensity is quenched completely in the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme that can catalyze the disproportionation of O2 •-, the generation of O2 •- in the ultrasonic reaction field is important in the SCL of Luc2+. In this work, the evidence of O2 •- production is examined by a spectrofluorometric method using 2-(2-pyridyl)benzothiazoline as the fluorescent probe. The results indicate that the yield of O2 •- is markedly increased in the O2-saturated solutions when a small amount of 2-propanol coexists, which is consistent with the results of SCL measurements. 2-Propanol in the interfacial region of a cavitation bubble reacts with a hydroxyl radical (•OH) to form a 2-propanol radical, CH3C•(OH)CH3, which can subsequently react with dissolved oxygen to generate O2 •-. The most likely pathways for SCL as well as the spatial distribution of SCL in a microreactor are discussed in this study.

Excess androgen during puberty disrupts circadian organization in female rats.

PubMed

Sellix, Michael T; Murphy, Zachary C; Menaker, Michael

2013-04-01

Circadian clocks have been described in each tissue of the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis. Although a role for the clock in the timing of ovulation is indicated, the impact of diseases that disrupt fertility on clock function or the clocks' role in the etiology of these pathologies has yet to be fully appreciated. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a particularly devastating endocrinopathy, affecting approximately 10% of women at childbearing age. Common features of PCOS are a polycystic ovary, amenorrhea, and excess serum androgen. Approximately 40% of these women have metabolic syndrome, including hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and hyperleptinemia. It has been suggested that excess androgen is a critical factor in the etiology of PCOS. We have examined the effects of androgen excess during puberty on the phase of circadian clocks in tissues of the metabolic and hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axes. Female period1-luciferase (per1-luc) rats were exposed to androgen (5α-dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) or placebo for 4-6 weeks (short term) or 9-15 weeks (long term). As expected, DHT-treated animals gained more weight than controls and had disrupted estrous cycles. At the end of treatment, tissues, including the liver, lung, kidney, white adipose, cornea, pituitary, oviduct, and ovarian follicles, were cultured, and per1-luc expression in each was recorded. Analysis of per1-luc expression revealed that DHT exposure increased phase distribution of multiple oscillators, including ovarian follicles, liver, and adipose, and altered phase synchrony between animals. These data suggest that excess androgen during puberty, a common feature of PCOS, negatively affects internal circadian organization in both the reproductive and metabolic axes.

Excess Androgen During Puberty Disrupts Circadian Organization in Female Rats

PubMed Central

Murphy, Zachary C.; Menaker, Michael

2013-01-01

Circadian clocks have been described in each tissue of the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis. Although a role for the clock in the timing of ovulation is indicated, the impact of diseases that disrupt fertility on clock function or the clocks' role in the etiology of these pathologies has yet to be fully appreciated. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a particularly devastating endocrinopathy, affecting approximately 10% of women at childbearing age. Common features of PCOS are a polycystic ovary, amenorrhea, and excess serum androgen. Approximately 40% of these women have metabolic syndrome, including hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and hyperleptinemia. It has been suggested that excess androgen is a critical factor in the etiology of PCOS. We have examined the effects of androgen excess during puberty on the phase of circadian clocks in tissues of the metabolic and hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axes. Female period1-luciferase (per1-luc) rats were exposed to androgen (5α-dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) or placebo for 4-6 weeks (short term) or 9-15 weeks (long term). As expected, DHT-treated animals gained more weight than controls and had disrupted estrous cycles. At the end of treatment, tissues, including the liver, lung, kidney, white adipose, cornea, pituitary, oviduct, and ovarian follicles, were cultured, and per1-luc expression in each was recorded. Analysis of per1-luc expression revealed that DHT exposure increased phase distribution of multiple oscillators, including ovarian follicles, liver, and adipose, and altered phase synchrony between animals. These data suggest that excess androgen during puberty, a common feature of PCOS, negatively affects internal circadian organization in both the reproductive and metabolic axes. PMID:23417420

Dietary exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans via fish consumption and dioxin-like activity in fish determined by H4IIE-luc bioassay.

PubMed

Chan, Janet Kit Yan; Man, Yu Bon; Xing, Guan Hua; Wu, Sheng Chun; Murphy, Margaret B; Xu, Ying; Wong, Ming H

2013-10-01

Dietary exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) via fish consumption in two major electronic (e) waste sites: Guiyu (GY), Guangdong Province and Taizhou (TZ), Zhejiang Province, and dioxin-like activity in fish determined by H4IIE-luc bioassay. In the present study, all fish were below EU's maximum allowable concentration in muscle of fish (4 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet wt), except crucian (4.28 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet wt) and silver carps (7.49 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet wt) collected from GY rivers. Moreover, the residual concentration in bighead carp collected from GY (2.15 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet wt) was close to the EU's action level (3 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet wt) which gives "early warning" to the competent authorities and operators to take measures to eliminate contamination. In addition, results indicated that the maximum human intake of PCDD/Fs via freshwater fish consumption in GY was 4.31 pg WHO-TEQ/kg bw/day, which exceeds the higher end of the tolerable daily intake recommended by the WHO, EC-SCF and JECFA (1-4, 2 and 2.3 pg WHO-TEQ/kg bw/day respectively). Furthermore, H4IIE-luc cell bioassay provides a very sensitive and cost-efficient screening tool for assessing the overall dioxin-like toxicity in the study, and is therefore valuable for high-throughput environmental monitoring studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Raman spectroscopy of bone metastasis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esmonde-White, Karen A.; Sottnik, Joseph; Morris, Michael; Keller, Evan

2012-02-01

Raman spectroscopy of bone has been used to characterize chemical changes occurring in diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and osteomyelitis. Metastasis of cancer into bone causes changes to bone quality that are similar to those observed in osteoporosis, such as decreased bone strength, but with an accelerated timeframe. In particular, osteolytic (bone degrading) lesions in bone metastasis have a marked effect on patient quality of life because of increased risk of fractures, pain, and hypercalcemia. We use Raman spectroscopy to examine bone from two different mouse models of osteolytic bone metastasis. Raman spectroscopy measures physicochemical information which cannot be obtained through standard biochemical and histological measurements. This study was reviewed and approved by the University of Michigan University Committee on the Care and Use of Animals. Two mouse models of prostate cancer bone metastasis, RM1 (n=3) and PC3-luc (n=4) were examined. Tibiae were injected with RM1 or PC3-luc cancer cells, while the contralateral tibiae received a placebo injection for use as controls. After 2 weeks of incubation, the mice were sacrificed and the tibiae were examined by Raman microspectroscopy (λ=785 nm). Spectroscopic markers corresponding to mineral stoichiometry, bone mineralization, and mineral crystallinity were compared in spectra from the cancerous and control tibiae. X-ray imaging of the tibia confirmed extensive osteolysis in the RM1 mice, with tumor invasion into adjoining soft tissue and moderate osteolysis in the PC3-luc mice. Raman spectroscopic markers indicate that osteolytic lesions are less mineralized than normal bone tissue, with an altered mineral stoichiometry and crystallinity.

An inducible model of abacterial prostatitis induces antigen specific inflammatory and proliferative changes in the murine prostate

PubMed Central

Haverkamp, Jessica M.; Charbonneau, Bridget; Meyerholz, David K.; Cohen, Michael B.; Snyder, Paul W.; Svensson, Robert U.; Henry, Michael D.; Wang, Hsing- Hui

2011-01-01

Background Prostatitis is a poorly understood disease and increasing evidence suggests inflammation is involved in other prostatic diseases, including prostate cancer. Methods The ability of pre-activated CD8 T cells to induce prostatitis was examined by adoptive transfer into POET-3 mice or POET-3/Luc/Pten−/+ mice. Characterization of the inflammatory response was determined by examining leukocyte infiltration by histological analysis, flow cytometry and by evaluating cytokine and chemokine levels in prostate tissue. The impact of inflammation on the prostate was evaluated by monitoring epithelial cell proliferation over time. Results Initiation of inflammation by ovalbumin specific CD8+ T cells (OT-I cells) resulted in development of acute prostatitis in the anterior, dorsolateral and anterior prostate of POET-3 and POET-3/Luc/Pten−/+ mice. Acute prostatitis was characterized by recruitment of adoptively transferred OT-I cells and importantly, autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and regulatory T cells (Treg). In concert with leukocyte infiltration elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were observed. Inflammation also resulted in marked epithelial cell proliferation that was sustained up to 80 days post adoptive-transfer of OT-I cells. Conclusions The POET-3 model represents a novel mouse model to study both acute and chronic prostate inflammation in an antigen-specific system. Further, the POET-3 mouse model can be crossed with other genetic models of disease such as the C57/Luc/Pten−/− model of prostate cancer, allowing the impact of prostatitis on other prostatic diseases to be evaluated. PMID:21656824

Characterization of various promoter regions of the human DNA helicase-encoding genes and identification of duplicated ets (GGAA) motifs as an essential transcription regulatory element.

PubMed

Uchiumi, Fumiaki; Watanabe, Takeshi; Tanuma, Sei-ichi

2010-05-15

DNA helicases are important in the regulation of DNA transaction and thereby various cellular functions. In this study, we developed a cost-effective multiple DNA transfection assay with DEAE-dextran reagent and analyzed the promoter activities of the human DNA helicases. The 5'-flanking regions of the human DNA helicase-encoding genes were isolated and subcloned into luciferase (Luc) expression plasmids. They were coated onto 96-well plate and used for co-transfection with a renilla-Luc expression vector into various cells, and dual-Luc assays were performed. The profiles of promoter activities were dependent on cell lines used. Among these human DNA helicase genes, XPB, RecQL5, and RTEL promoters were activated during TPA-induced HL-60 cell differentiation. Interestingly, duplicated ets (GGAA) elements are commonly located around the transcription start sites of these genes. The duplicated GGAA motifs are also found in the promoters of DNA replication/repair synthesis factor genes including PARG, ATR, TERC, and Rb1. Mutation analyses suggested that the duplicated GGAA-motifs are necessary for the basal promoter activity in various cells and some of them positively respond to TPA in HL-60 cells. TPA-induced response of 44-bp in the RTEL promoter was attenuated by co-transfection of the PU.1 expression vector. These findings suggest that the duplicated ets motifs regulate DNA-repair associated gene expressions during macrophage-like differentiation of HL-60 cells. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SAC3B, a central component of the mRNA export complex TREX-2, is required for prevention of epigenetic gene silencing in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Yang, Yu; La, Honggui; Tang, Kai; Miki, Daisuke; Yang, Lan; Wang, Bangshing; Duan, Cheng-Guo; Nie, Wenfeng; Wang, Xingang; Wang, Siwen; Pan, Yufeng; Tran, Elizabeth J.; An, Lizhe; Zhang, Huiming; Zhu, Jian-Kang

2017-01-01

Epigenetic regulation is important for organismal development and response to the environment. Alteration in epigenetic status has been known mostly from the perspective of enzymatic actions of DNA methylation and/or histone modifications. In a genetic screen for cellular factors involved in preventing epigenetic silencing, we isolated an Arabidopsis mutant defective in SAC3B, a component of the conserved TREX-2 complex that couples mRNA transcription with nuleo-cytoplasmic export. Arabidopsis SAC3B dysfunction causes gene silencing at transgenic and endogenous loci, accompanied by elevation in the repressive histone mark H3K9me2 and by reduction in RNA polymerase Pol II occupancy. SAC3B dysfunction does not alter promoter DNA methylation level of the transgene d35S::LUC, although the DNA demethylase ROS1 is also required for d35S::LUC anti-silencing. THP1 and NUA were identified as SAC3B-associated proteins whose mutations also caused d35S::LUC silencing. RNA-DNA hybrid exists at the repressed loci but is unrelated to gene suppression by the sac3b mutation. Genome-wide analyses demonstrated minor but clear involvement of SAC3B in regulating siRNAs and DNA methylation, particularly at a group of TAS and TAS-like loci. Together our results revealed not only a critical role of mRNA-export factors in transcriptional anti-silencing but also the contribution of SAC3B in shaping plant epigenetic landscapes. PMID:27672037

Melanopsin resets circadian rhythms in cells by inducing clock gene Period1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, Shuhei; Uehara, Tomoe; Matsuo, Minako; Kikuchi, Yo; Numano, Rika

2014-02-01

The biochemical, physiological and behavioral processes are under the control of internal clocks with the period of approximately 24 hr, circadian rhythms. The expression of clock gene Period1 (Per1) oscillates autonomously in cells and is induced immediately after a light pulse. Per1 is an indispensable member of the central clock system to maintain the autonomous oscillator and synchronize environmental light cycle. Per1 expression could be detected by Per1∷luc and Per1∷GFP plasmid DNA in which firefly luciferase and Green Fluorescence Protein were rhythmically expressed under the control of the mouse Per1 promoter in order to monitor mammalian circadian rhythms. Membrane protein, MELANOPSIN is activated by blue light in the morning on the retina and lead to signals transduction to induce Per1 expression and to reset the phase of circadian rhythms. In this report Per1 induction was measured by reporter signal assay in Per1∷luc and Per1∷GFP fibroblast cell at the input process of circadian rhythms. To the result all process to reset the rhythms by Melanopsin is completed in single cell like in the retina projected to the central clock in the brain. Moreover, the phase of circadian rhythm in Per1∷luc cells is synchronized by photo-activated Melanopsin, because the definite peak of luciferase activity in one dish was found one day after light illumination. That is an available means that physiological circadian rhythms could be real-time monitor as calculable reporter (bioluminescent and fluorescent) chronological signal in both single and groups of cells.

From scientist to editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novoselov, Kostya S.; Pulizzi, Fabio

2018-06-01

Kostya S. Novoselov, professor of physics at the University of Manchester, UK, has been digging into the details of the life of an editor by asking Fabio Pulizzi, Chief Editor of Nature Nanotechnology, some inside information on his work.

An Optimized Transient Dual Luciferase Assay for Quantifying MicroRNA Directed Repression of Targeted Sequences

PubMed Central

Moyle, Richard L.; Carvalhais, Lilia C.; Pretorius, Lara-Simone; Nowak, Ekaterina; Subramaniam, Gayathery; Dalton-Morgan, Jessica; Schenk, Peer M.

2017-01-01

Studies investigating the action of small RNAs on computationally predicted target genes require some form of experimental validation. Classical molecular methods of validating microRNA action on target genes are laborious, while approaches that tag predicted target sequences to qualitative reporter genes encounter technical limitations. The aim of this study was to address the challenge of experimentally validating large numbers of computationally predicted microRNA-target transcript interactions using an optimized, quantitative, cost-effective, and scalable approach. The presented method combines transient expression via agroinfiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves with a quantitative dual luciferase reporter system, where firefly luciferase is used to report the microRNA-target sequence interaction and Renilla luciferase is used as an internal standard to normalize expression between replicates. We report the appropriate concentration of N. benthamiana leaf extracts and dilution factor to apply in order to avoid inhibition of firefly LUC activity. Furthermore, the optimal ratio of microRNA precursor expression construct to reporter construct and duration of the incubation period post-agroinfiltration were determined. The optimized dual luciferase assay provides an efficient, repeatable and scalable method to validate and quantify microRNA action on predicted target sequences. The optimized assay was used to validate five predicted targets of rice microRNA miR529b, with as few as six technical replicates. The assay can be extended to assess other small RNA-target sequence interactions, including assessing the functionality of an artificial miRNA or an RNAi construct on a targeted sequence. PMID:28979287

Evaluation of five dry particle deposition parameterizations for incorporation into atmospheric transport models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Tanvir R.; Perlinger, Judith A.

2017-10-01

Despite considerable effort to develop mechanistic dry particle deposition parameterizations for atmospheric transport models, current knowledge has been inadequate to propose quantitative measures of the relative performance of available parameterizations. In this study, we evaluated the performance of five dry particle deposition parameterizations developed by Zhang et al. (2001) (Z01), Petroff and Zhang (2010) (PZ10), Kouznetsov and Sofiev (2012) (KS12), Zhang and He (2014) (ZH14), and Zhang and Shao (2014) (ZS14), respectively. The evaluation was performed in three dimensions: model ability to reproduce observed deposition velocities, Vd (accuracy); the influence of imprecision in input parameter values on the modeled Vd (uncertainty); and identification of the most influential parameter(s) (sensitivity). The accuracy of the modeled Vd was evaluated using observations obtained from five land use categories (LUCs): grass, coniferous and deciduous forests, natural water, and ice/snow. To ascertain the uncertainty in modeled Vd, and quantify the influence of imprecision in key model input parameters, a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis was performed. The Sobol' sensitivity analysis was conducted with the objective to determine the parameter ranking from the most to the least influential. Comparing the normalized mean bias factors (indicators of accuracy), we find that the ZH14 parameterization is the most accurate for all LUCs except for coniferous forest, for which it is second most accurate. From Monte Carlo simulations, the estimated mean normalized uncertainties in the modeled Vd obtained for seven particle sizes (ranging from 0.005 to 2.5 µm) for the five LUCs are 17, 12, 13, 16, and 27 % for the Z01, PZ10, KS12, ZH14, and ZS14 parameterizations, respectively. From the Sobol' sensitivity results, we suggest that the parameter rankings vary by particle size and LUC for a given parameterization. Overall, for dp = 0.001 to 1.0 µm, friction velocity was one of the three most influential parameters in all parameterizations. For giant particles (dp = 10 µm), relative humidity was the most influential parameter. Because it is the least complex of the five parameterizations, and it has the greatest accuracy and least uncertainty, we propose that the ZH14 parameterization is currently superior for incorporation into atmospheric transport models.

Burke new Tectonics editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kevin C. Burke, National Academy of Sciences/ National Research Council (NAS/NRC), assumed responsibilities as Editor in Chief of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) journal Tectonics at the beginning of 1990, taking over from Raymond A. Price, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario. Asger Berthelsen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, continues as the European Editor, and Paul F. Hoffman, Geological Society of Canada, assumes the task of North American Editor. Tectonics is a joint publication of AGU and the European Geophysical Society.

SeaWiFS Technical Report Series. Volume 24: SeaWiFS Technical Report Series Cumulative Index, Volumes 1-23

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor); Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor)

1995-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS is expected to be launched in 1995, on the SeaStar satellite, being built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), has undertaken the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. This documentation, entitled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, is in the form of NASA Technical Memorandum Number 104566. All reports published are volumes within the series. This particular volume serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 23 volumes and consists of 6 sections including: an errata, an addendum (summaries of various SeaWiFS Working Group Bio-optical Algorithm and Protocols Subgroups Workshops, and other auxiliary information), an index to key words and phrases, a list of all references cited, and lists of acronyms and symbols used. It is the editors' intention to publish a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes in the series. Each index covers the topics published in all previous editions, that is, each new index will include all of the information contained in the preceding indices.

SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 24: SeaWiFS technical report series cumulative index, volumes 1-23

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor); Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor)

1995-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS is expected to be launched in 1995, on the SeaStar satellite, being built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), has undertaken the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. This documentation, entitled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, is the form of NASA Technical Memorandum Number 104566. All reports published are volumes within the series. This particular volume serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 23 volumes and consists of 6 sections including: an errata, an addendum (summaries of various SeaWiFS Working Group Bio-optical Algorithm and Protocols Subgroups Workshops, and other auxiliary information), an index to key words and phrases, a list of all references cited, and lists of acronyms and symbols used. It is the editors' intention to publish a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes in the series. Each index covers the topics published in all previous editions, that is, each new index will include all of the information contained in the preceeding indices.

SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 18: SeaWiFS technical report series cumulative index: Volumes 1-17

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor); Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor)

1995-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) which ceased operations in 1986 after an eight-year mission. SeaWiFS is expected to be launched in 1995 on the SeaStar satellite, being built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), has undertaken the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. This documentation, entitled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, is in the form of NASA Technical Memorandum Number 104566. All reports published are volumes within the series. This particular volume serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 17 volumes and consists of 6 sections including: an errata, an addendum (summaries of various SeaWiFS Working Group Bio-optical Algorithm and Protocols Subgroups Workshops, and other auxiliary information), an index to key words and phrases, a list of all references cited, and lists of acronyms and symbols used. It is the editor's intention to publish a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes in the series. Each index covers the topics published in all previous editions, that is, each new index includes all of the information contained in the preceding indices.

SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 12, SeaWiFS technical report series cumulative index: Volumes 1-11

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor); Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor)

1993-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the follow-on ocean color instrument to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operations in 1986, after an 8-year mission. SeaWiFS is expected to be launched in 1994, on the SeaStar satellite, being built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The SeaWiFS Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has undertaken the responsibility of documenting all aspects of this mission, which is critical to the ocean color and marine science communities. This documentation, entitled the SeaWiFS Technical Report Series, is in the form of NASA Technical Memorandum Number 104566. All reports published are volumes within the series. This particular volume serves as a reference, or guidebook, to the previous 11 volumes and consists of 6 sections including: an errata, an addendum (a summary of the SeaWiFS Working Group Bio-optical Algorithm and Protocols Subgroups Workshops), an index to keywords and phrases, a list of all references cited, and lists of acronyms and symbols used. It is the editors' intention to publish a cumulative index of this type after every five volumes in the series. This will cover the topics published in all previous editions of the indices, that is, each new index will include all of the information contained in the preceding indices.

Emotions under discussion: gender, status and communication in online collaboration.

PubMed

Iosub, Daniela; Laniado, David; Castillo, Carlos; Fuster Morell, Mayo; Kaltenbrunner, Andreas

2014-01-01

Despite the undisputed role of emotions in teamwork, not much is known about the make-up of emotions in online collaboration. Publicly available repositories of collaboration data, such as Wikipedia editor discussions, now enable the large-scale study of affect and dialogue in peer production. We investigate the established Wikipedia community and focus on how emotion and dialogue differ depending on the status, gender, and the communication network of the [Formula: see text] editors who have written at least 100 comments on the English Wikipedia's article talk pages. Emotions are quantified using a word-based approach comparing the results of two predefined lexicon-based methods: LIWC and SentiStrength. We find that administrators maintain a rather neutral, impersonal tone, while regular editors are more emotional and relationship-oriented, that is, they use language to form and maintain connections to other editors. A persistent gender difference is that female contributors communicate in a manner that promotes social affiliation and emotional connection more than male editors, irrespective of their status in the community. Female regular editors are the most relationship-oriented, whereas male administrators are the least relationship-focused. Finally, emotional and linguistic homophily is prevalent: editors tend to interact with other editors having similar emotional styles (e.g., editors expressing more anger connect more with one another). Emotional expression and linguistic style in online collaboration differ substantially depending on the contributors' gender and status, and on the communication network. This should be taken into account when analyzing collaborative success, and may prove insightful to communities facing gender gap and stagnation in contributor acquisition and participation levels.

Machine Learning-based discovery of closures for reduced models of dynamical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Shaowu; Duraisamy, Karthik

2017-11-01

Despite the successful application of machine learning (ML) in fields such as image processing and speech recognition, only a few attempts has been made toward employing ML to represent the dynamics of complex physical systems. Previous attempts mostly focus on parameter calibration or data-driven augmentation of existing models. In this work we present a ML framework to discover closure terms in reduced models of dynamical systems and provide insights into potential problems associated with data-driven modeling. Based on exact closure models for linear system, we propose a general linear closure framework from viewpoint of optimization. The framework is based on trapezoidal approximation of convolution term. Hyperparameters that need to be determined include temporal length of memory effect, number of sampling points, and dimensions of hidden states. To circumvent the explicit specification of memory effect, a general framework inspired from neural networks is also proposed. We conduct both a priori and posteriori evaluations of the resulting model on a number of non-linear dynamical systems. This work was supported in part by AFOSR under the project ``LES Modeling of Non-local effects using Statistical Coarse-graining'' with Dr. Jean-Luc Cambier as the technical monitor.

Microbial properties database editor tutorial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A Microbial Properties Database Editor (MPDBE) has been developed to help consolidate microbialrelevant data to populate a microbial database and support a database editor by which an authorized user can modify physico-microbial properties related to microbial indicators and pathogens. Physical prop...

Microbial Properties Database Editor Tutorial

EPA Science Inventory

A Microbial Properties Database Editor (MPDBE) has been developed to help consolidate microbial-relevant data to populate a microbial database and support a database editor by which an authorized user can modify physico-microbial properties related to microbial indicators and pat...

Meet the Editors: JGR-Atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mohi

2006-04-01

Three scientists were newly appointed and one scientist was reappointed last year as editors of JGR-Atmospheres. The three new editors, John Austin, Jose D. Fuentes, and Ruth Lieberman, along with returning editor Colin O'Dowd, would like to see several changes made to the journal. ``JGR-Atmospheres is still regarded as the highest-quality atmospheric science journal, having perhaps one of the most stringent and rigorous review processes,'' said O'Dowd. ``However, there is still room for improvement.''

[The Chilean Association of Biomedical Journal Editors].

PubMed

Reyes, H

2001-01-01

On September 29th, 2000, The Chilean Association of Biomedical Journal Editors was founded, sponsored by the "Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT)" (the Governmental Agency promoting and funding scientific research and technological development in Chile) and the "Sociedad Médica de Santiago" (Chilean Society of Internal Medicine). The Association adopted the goals of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) and therefore it will foster "cooperation and communication among Editors of Chilean biomedical journals; to improve editorial standards, to promote professionalism in medical editing through education, self-criticism and self-regulation; and to encourage research on the principles and practice of medical editing". Twenty nine journals covering a closely similar number of different biomedical sciences, medical specialties, veterinary, dentistry and nursing, became Founding Members of the Association. A Governing Board was elected: President: Humberto Reyes, M.D. (Editor, Revista Médica de Chile); Vice-President: Mariano del Sol, M.D. (Editor, Revista Chilena de Anatomía); Secretary: Anna María Prat (CONICYT); Councilors: Manuel Krauskopff, Ph.D. (Editor, Biological Research) and Maritza Rahal, M.D. (Editor, Revista de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello). The Association will organize a Symposium on Biomedical Journal Editing and will spread information stimulating Chilean biomedical journals to become indexed in international databases and in SciELO-Chile, the main Chilean scientific website (www.scielo.cl).

A scoping review of competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals.

PubMed

Galipeau, James; Barbour, Virginia; Baskin, Patricia; Bell-Syer, Sally; Cobey, Kelly; Cumpston, Miranda; Deeks, Jon; Garner, Paul; MacLehose, Harriet; Shamseer, Larissa; Straus, Sharon; Tugwell, Peter; Wager, Elizabeth; Winker, Margaret; Moher, David

2016-02-02

Biomedical journals are the main route for disseminating the results of health-related research. Despite this, their editors operate largely without formal training or certification. To our knowledge, no body of literature systematically identifying core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals exists. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a scoping review to determine what is known on the competency requirements for scientific editors of biomedical journals. We searched the MEDLINE®, Cochrane Library, Embase®, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases (from inception to November 2014) and conducted a grey literature search for research and non-research articles with competency-related statements (i.e. competencies, knowledge, skills, behaviors, and tasks) pertaining to the role of scientific editors of peer-reviewed health-related journals. We also conducted an environmental scan, searched the results of a previous environmental scan, and searched the websites of existing networks, major biomedical journal publishers, and organizations that offer resources for editors. A total of 225 full-text publications were included, 25 of which were research articles. We extracted a total of 1,566 statements possibly related to core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals from these publications. We then collated overlapping or duplicate statements which produced a list of 203 unique statements. Finally, we grouped these statements into seven emergent themes: (1) dealing with authors, (2) dealing with peer reviewers, (3) journal publishing, (4) journal promotion, (5) editing, (6) ethics and integrity, and (7) qualities and characteristics of editors. To our knowledge, this scoping review is the first attempt to systematically identify possible competencies of editors. Limitations are that (1) we may not have captured all aspects of a biomedical editor's work in our searches, (2) removing redundant and overlapping items may have led to the elimination of some nuances between items, (3) restricting to certain databases, and only French and English publications, may have excluded relevant publications, and (4) some statements may not necessarily be competencies. This scoping review is the first step of a program to develop a minimum set of core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals which will be followed by a training needs assessment, a Delphi exercise, and a consensus meeting.

American Idol's Randy Jackson He doesn't miss a beat controlling his diabetes

MedlinePlus

... Jackson is a well-known name in the music world. He has played bass guitar with such musical legends as jazz violinist Jean Luc Ponty, the pop-rock band Journey, and many others. And he's produced ...

LUC-2-1682 Anthony Wayne Bridge : main cable long term health monitoring.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

In preparation for a large rehabilitation project on the Anthony Wayne Bridge (AWB), the Ohio Department of : Transportation has expressed interest in evaluating monitoring and protection strategies which may extend the life : of the AWB. This study ...

FloorspaceJS - A New, Open Source, Web-Based Geometry Editor for Building Energy Modeling (BEM): Preprint

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

Macumber, Daniel L; Horowitz, Scott G; Schott, Marjorie

Across most industries, desktop applications are being rapidly migrated to web applications for a variety of reasons. Web applications are inherently cross platform, mobile, and easier to distribute than desktop applications. Fueling this trend are a wide range of free, open source libraries and frameworks that make it incredibly easy to develop powerful web applications. The building energy modeling community is just beginning to pick up on these larger trends, with a small but growing number of building energy modeling applications starting on or moving to the web. This paper presents a new, open source, web based geometry editor formore » Building Energy Modeling (BEM). The editor is written completely in JavaScript and runs in a modern web browser. The editor works on a custom JSON file format and is designed to be integrated into a variety of web and desktop applications. The web based editor is available to use as a standalone web application at: https://nrel.github.io/openstudio-geometry-editor/. An example integration is demonstrated with the OpenStudio desktop application. Finally, the editor can be easily integrated with a wide range of possible building energy modeling web applications.« less

Inverse Scattering and Applications. Proceedings of Conference on Inverse Scattering on the Line, Held in Amherst, Massachusetts on June 7 - 13, 1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

J. Laurie Snell S. A. Amitsur, D. J. Saltman, and 2 Proceedings of the conference on G. B. Seligman , Editors integration, topology, and geometry in...Rational constructions of modules 17 Nonlinear partial differential equations. for simple Lie algebras, George B. Joel A. Smoller, Editor Seligman 18...number theory, Michael R. Stein and Linda Keen, Editor R. Keith Dennis, Editors 65 Logic and combinatorics, Stephen G. 84 Partition problems in

Editor's Choice Offered as a Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richman, Barbara T.

2010-06-01

Editor's Choice is now being offered as a service rather than on a subscription basis. As in the past, articles will be selected by collection editors with assistance from advisory panels. The selected articles will be listed on the AGU Web site (http://www.agu.org/pubs/journals/virtual/editors_choice/); these lists will be accessible to anyone. Those who are interested in reading the articles can access them through a personal or institutional subscription or can purchase them either individually or as part of a MultiChoice packet.

Using mobile location data in biomedical research while preserving privacy.

PubMed

Goldenholz, Daniel M; Goldenholz, Shira R; Krishnamurthy, Kaarkuzhali B; Halamka, John; Karp, Barbara; Tyburski, Matthew; Wendler, David; Moss, Robert; Preston, Kenzie L; Theodore, William

2018-06-07

Location data are becoming easier to obtain and are now bundled with other metadata in a variety of biomedical research applications. At the same time, the level of sophistication required to protect patient privacy is also increasing. In this article, we provide guidance for institutional review boards (IRBs) to make informed decisions about privacy protections in protocols involving location data. We provide an overview of some of the major categories of technical algorithms and medical-legal tools at the disposal of investigators, as well as the shortcomings of each. Although there is no "one size fits all" approach to privacy protection, this article attempts to describe a set of practical considerations that can be used by investigators, journal editors, and IRBs.

Significant growth in. LED use predicted.

PubMed

Simpson, Mike

2012-03-01

Although LED lighting has its critics, a number of whom (see article 'LED--panacea or marketing hype', HEJ--February 2012) are concerned about what they claim are some manufacturers' 'exaggerated claims' about lighting efficiency and lamp lifetime, Philips Lighting believes that, such are the advances being made in this innovative lighting technology, that LED's overall share of the European lighting market will have risen from around 7% in 2008 to 25% by 2020 and that, a decade later, it will account for a remarkable 75% of lighting sales. In the UK, Philips' technical and design director for Lighting, Mike Simpson, told HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, healthcare estates and facilities managers are increasingly recognising the potential to save energy, reduce carbon emissions, and cut maintenance costs, using LED.

Rule-based support system for multiple UMLS semantic type assignments

PubMed Central

Geller, James; He, Zhe; Perl, Yehoshua; Morrey, C. Paul; Xu, Julia

2012-01-01

Background When new concepts are inserted into the UMLS, they are assigned one or several semantic types from the UMLS Semantic Network by the UMLS editors. However, not every combination of semantic types is permissible. It was observed that many concepts with rare combinations of semantic types have erroneous semantic type assignments or prohibited combinations of semantic types. The correction of such errors is resource-intensive. Objective We design a computational system to inform UMLS editors as to whether a specific combination of two, three, four, or five semantic types is permissible or prohibited or questionable. Methods We identify a set of inclusion and exclusion instructions in the UMLS Semantic Network documentation and derive corresponding rule-categories as well as rule-categories from the UMLS concept content. We then design an algorithm adviseEditor based on these rule-categories. The algorithm specifies rules for an editor how to proceed when considering a tuple (pair, triple, quadruple, quintuple) of semantic types to be assigned to a concept. Results Eight rule-categories were identified. A Web-based system was developed to implement the adviseEditor algorithm, which returns for an input combination of semantic types whether it is permitted, prohibited or (in a few cases) requires more research. The numbers of semantic type pairs assigned to each rule-category are reported. Interesting examples for each rule-category are illustrated. Cases of semantic type assignments that contradict rules are listed, including recently introduced ones. Conclusion The adviseEditor system implements explicit and implicit knowledge available in the UMLS in a system that informs UMLS editors about the permissibility of a desired combination of semantic types. Using adviseEditor might help accelerate the work of the UMLS editors and prevent erroneous semantic type assignments. PMID:23041716

Emotions under Discussion: Gender, Status and Communication in Online Collaboration

PubMed Central

Iosub, Daniela; Laniado, David; Castillo, Carlos; Fuster Morell, Mayo; Kaltenbrunner, Andreas

2014-01-01

Background Despite the undisputed role of emotions in teamwork, not much is known about the make-up of emotions in online collaboration. Publicly available repositories of collaboration data, such as Wikipedia editor discussions, now enable the large-scale study of affect and dialogue in peer production. Methods We investigate the established Wikipedia community and focus on how emotion and dialogue differ depending on the status, gender, and the communication network of the editors who have written at least 100 comments on the English Wikipedia's article talk pages. Emotions are quantified using a word-based approach comparing the results of two predefined lexicon-based methods: LIWC and SentiStrength. Principal Findings We find that administrators maintain a rather neutral, impersonal tone, while regular editors are more emotional and relationship-oriented, that is, they use language to form and maintain connections to other editors. A persistent gender difference is that female contributors communicate in a manner that promotes social affiliation and emotional connection more than male editors, irrespective of their status in the community. Female regular editors are the most relationship-oriented, whereas male administrators are the least relationship-focused. Finally, emotional and linguistic homophily is prevalent: editors tend to interact with other editors having similar emotional styles (e.g., editors expressing more anger connect more with one another). Conclusions/Significance Emotional expression and linguistic style in online collaboration differ substantially depending on the contributors' gender and status, and on the communication network. This should be taken into account when analyzing collaborative success, and may prove insightful to communities facing gender gap and stagnation in contributor acquisition and participation levels. PMID:25140870

Paddy rice productivity under climate and land-use change in northern Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, R.; Fukui, S.; Shimada, T.; Hasegawa, T.; Iwasaki, T.

2013-12-01

An evaluation of the best rice cultivar under climate change is an important issue because the projected climate change has a potential to bring a negative impact on crop yield. In this study, we estimate an impact of climate change on rice yield and potential best cultivar in northern Japan where the larger paddy field is located than other regions in Japan. Two global climate model data, MIROC5 (RCP 4.5) and MRI-AGCM (SRES A1B), are applied as the future scenario. These data are too coarse to resolve the regional differences in northern Japan; we conduct the downscale experiments by a regional climate model (JMA-NHM) with a 10-km grid spacing. Considering that rice yield is sensitive to warm season climate, we conduct the downscaling from 28th May to 1st September during 1981-2000 and 2081-2099. The biases of downscaled two scenarios are corrected to match their cumulative distribution functions (CDF) of present climate with that of the station-based observation. The derived CDF-based biases are also used to correct the future scenarios. These corrected scenarios are applied to rice growth model (NIAES-Rice). To take account for the impacts of land use change (LUC) on climate and rice yield, we consider the additional temperature changes due to the LUC. As a reference, we add the LUC-induced temperature change in southwest Japan because the data are available from the previous study. We first check the climate change in northern Japan. General tendencies derived from the bias-corrected-downscaled future climates are that 1) surface warming was approximately twice in low elevation area relative to mountainous area and 2) downward shortwave radiation homogeneously increased 7-8 W m-2. Then, we evaluated the simulated yield through comparing with observation. Using observed ambient conditions as input data, the NIAES-Rice model provides the reasonable performance in simulating the rice yield with biases ranging from -19.0 to 29.2 % in prefecture base. Climate changes enhance the rice yield for 'Koshihikari' from 372.4 to 388.1 g/10a. The cultivar is planted in half of prefectures in Japan. For each analysis grid, we chose the cultivar that held the largest yield among the 10 analyzed cultivars and found that the location of cultivar that achieves the largest yields shifted northward in future climate. Also, the grids that cultivar developed in central Japan become the largest yield among 10 cultivars increase more than triple in the future climate. A LUC-induced temperature impact on prefecture-based yield corresponds to about 18 % of the climate-change-induced yield change, ranging from 0.6 to 33.5 % for six prefectures in the analyzed area. There is unclear tendency between the present rice yield amount and the intensity of LUC impact. However, surface warming due to urbanization decrease the rice yield in all six prefectures. Thus land use management and planting cultivar change are essential for stable food security.

Peer reviews and the role of a journal editor

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Obtaining peer reviews for manuscripts submitted to scientific journals is becoming increasingly difficult. Changes to the system are necessary, and editors must cultivate and maintain a solid base of reviewers to help evaluate journal submissions. This article outlines some steps editors can and sh...

Calling it what it is. Thesauri in the Flanders Heritage Agency: History, Importance, Use and Technological Advances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortier, S.; Van Daele, K.; Meganck, L.

2017-08-01

Heritage organizations in Flanders started using thesauri fairly recently compared to other countries. This paper starts with examining the historical use of thesauri and controlled vocabularies in computer systems by the Flemish Government dealing with immovable cultural heritage. Their evolution from simple, flat, controlled lists to actual thesauri with scope notes, hierarchical and equivalence relations and links to other thesauri will be discussed. An explanation will be provided for the evolution in our approach to controlled vocabularies, and how they radically changed querying and the way data is indexed in our systems. Technical challenges inherent to complex thesauri and how to overcome them will be outlined. These issues being solved, thesauri have become an essential feature of the Flanders Heritage inventory management system. The number of vocabularies rose over the years and became an essential tool for integrating heritage from different disciplines. As a final improvement, thesauri went from being a core part of one application (the inventory management system) to forming an essential part of a new general resource oriented system architecture for Flanders Heritage influenced by Linked Data. For this purpose, a generic SKOS based editor was created. Due to the SKOS model being generic enough to be used outside of Flanders Heritage, the decision was made early on to develop this editor as an open source project called Atramhasis and share it with the larger heritage world.

Entering the 60th year of Acta Astronautica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Yi-Wei; Chern, Jeng-Shing; Marec, Jean-Pierre

2014-04-01

The Acta Astronautica Journal was firstly published in 1955 as the official Journal of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) with the title Astronautica Acta. It is entering its 60th year in 2014. In 1962, the Astronautica Acta became the official Journal of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) established in 1960. A total of 18 volumes had been published from 1955 to 1973 under the leadership of three Editor-in-Chiefs: F. Hecht, Theodore von Karman, and Martin Summerfield. In 1974, A.K. Oppenheim became the new Editor-in-Chief and several evolved changes were performed including change of the title to Acta Astronautica (for grammatical correctness), cover page change, and format change. From 1974 to 2010, another three Editor-in-Chiefs led the journal with 67 volumes published. They were A.K. Oppenheim, Jean-Pierre Marec, and Rupert Gerzer. The current Editor-in-Chief Jeng-Shing Chern (Rock) took over the job from 2011. Total pages and articles published in 2012 are 3586 and 356, respectively. Currently, the Acta Astronautica Editorial Board consists of one Editor-in-Chief, 15 Co-Editors, one Managing Editor and one Honorary Editor-in-Chief (Jean-Pierre Marec). After 59 years, the Acta Astronautica has become a well-known journal worldwide. Its current rank and impact factor are 7/63 and 0.701, respectively. This paper presents some of the details as well as new strategies and steps. In particular, supports from the IAA Academicians are mandatory and most welcome.

Quantifying the effect of editor-author relations on manuscript handling times.

PubMed

Sarigöl, Emre; Garcia, David; Scholtes, Ingo; Schweitzer, Frank

2017-01-01

In this article we study to what extent the academic peer review process is influenced by social relations between the authors of a manuscript and the editor handling the manuscript. Taking the open access journal PlosOne as a case study, our analysis is based on a data set of more than 100,000 articles published between 2007 and 2015. Using available data on handling editor, submission and acceptance time of manuscripts, we study the question whether co-authorship relations between authors and the handling editor affect the manuscript handling time , i.e. the time taken between the submission and acceptance of a manuscript. Our analysis reveals (1) that editors handle papers co-authored by previous collaborators significantly more often than expected at random, and (2) that such prior co-author relations are significantly related to faster manuscript handling. Addressing the question whether these shorter manuscript handling times can be explained by the quality of publications, we study the number of citations and downloads which accepted papers eventually accumulate. Moreover, we consider the influence of additional (social) factors, such as the editor's experience, the topical similarity between authors and editors, as well as reciprocal citation relations between authors and editors. Our findings show that, even when correcting for other factors like time, experience, and performance, prior co-authorship relations have a large and significant influence on manuscript handling times, speeding up the editorial decision on average by 19 days.

How Non-Daily Editors Describe Status and Function of Editorial Pages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hynds, Ernest C.; Martin, Charles H.

1979-01-01

Results of a survey of 359 editors of nondaily newspapers indicates that most nondaily editors see their editorials and editorial pages as important segments of their newspapers and believe they can use them to help influence readers, particularly on local issues. (Author/GT)

Letter to the editor of TAAP, in response to letter from Anders et al.

EPA Science Inventory

To the Editor, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology: We would like to address the letter to the editor submitted by Anders et al. regarding the substantive issues raised regarding our paper "Evaluation of two different metabolic hypotheses for dichloromethane toxicity using physi...

Soil organic carbon pool's contribution to climate change mitigation on marginal land of a Mediterranean montane area in Italy.

PubMed

Tommaso, Chiti; Emanuele, Blasi; Guido, Pellis; Lucia, Perugini; Vincenza, Chiriacò Maria; Riccardo, Valentini

2018-07-15

To evaluate the mitigation potential provided by the SOC pool, we investigated the impact of woody encroachment in the 0-30 cm depth of mineral soil across a natural succession from abandoned pastures and croplands to broadleaves forests on the central Apennine in Italy. In parallel, to assess the effect of the land use change (LUC) from cropland to pasture, a series of pastures established on former agricultural sites, abandoned at different time in the past, were also investigated. Our results show that woody encroachment on former pastures and croplands contributes largely to mitigate climate change, with an increase of the original SOC stock of 45% (40.5 Mg C ha -1 ) and 120% (66.5 Mg C ha -1 ), respectively. Also the LUC from croplands to pastures, greatly contributes to climate change mitigation trough a SOC increase of about 80% of the original SOC (45.9 Mg C ha -1 ). The management of abandoned lands represent a crucial point in the mitigation potential of agriculture and forestry activities, and particularly the role of the SOC pool. A policy effort should focus on minimizing the risk of speculative management options, particularly when the value of woody biomass become convenient to supply new energy systems allowing monetizing a long term forests productivity. In conclusion, despite both the land abandonment and the LUC can have a different impact on the SOC pool under different climatic conditions, these results can be useful to improve the SOC estimates in the National greenhouse gases Inventory at country level. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regorafenib inhibits tumor progression through suppression of ERK/NF-κB activation in hepatocellular carcinoma bearing mice.

PubMed

Weng, Mao-Chi; Wang, Mei-Hui; Tsai, Jai-Jen; Kuo, Yu-Cheng; Liu, Yu-Chang; Hsu, Fei-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Ell

2018-06-29

Regorafenib has been demonstrated in our previous study to trigger apoptosis through suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) SK-Hep1 cells in vitro However, the effect of regorafenib on NF-κB-modulated tumor progression in HCC in vivo is ambiguous. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of regorafenib on NF-κB-modulated tumor progression in HCC bearing mouse model. pGL4.50 luciferase reporter vector transfected SK-Hep1 (SK-Hep1/ luc2 ) and Hep3B 2.1-7 tumor bearing mice were established and used for the present study. Mice were treated with vehicle or regorafenib (20 mg/kg/day by gavage) for 14 days. Effects of regorafenib on tumor growth and protein expression together with toxicity of regorafenib were evaluated with digital caliper and bioluminescence imaging (BLI), ex vivo Western blotting immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, and measurement of body weight and pathological examination of liver tissue, respectively, in SK-Hep1/ luc2 and Hep3B 2.1-7 tumor bearing mice. The results indicated regorafenib significantly reduced tumor growth and expression of phosphorylated ERK, NF-κB p65 (Ser536), phosphorylated AKT, and tumor progression-associated proteins. In addition, we found regorafenib induced both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Body weight and liver morphology were not affected by regorafenib treatment. Our findings present the mechanism of tumor progression inhibition by regorafenib is linked to suppression of ERK/NF-κB signaling in SK-Hep1/ luc2 and Hep3B 2.1-7 tumor bearing mice. © 2018 The Author(s).

Preclinical Evaluation of the Supercritical Extract of Azadirachta Indica (Neem) Leaves In Vitro and In Vivo on Inhibition of Prostate Cancer Tumor Growth

PubMed Central

Wu, Qiang; Kohli, Manish; Bergen, H. Robert; Cheville, John C.; Karnes, R. Jeffrey; Cao, Hong; Young, Charles Y.F.; Tindall, Donald J.; McNiven, Mark A.; Donkena, Krishna Vanaja

2015-01-01

Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, has gained worldwide prominence because of its medical properties, namely antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. Despite these promising results, gaps remain in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of neem compounds and their potential for use in clinical trials. We investigated supercritical extract of neem leaves (SENL) for the following: molecular targets in vitro, in vivo efficacy to inhibit tumor growth, and bioactive compounds that exert antitumor activity. Treatment of LNCaP-luc2 prostate cancer cells with SENL suppressed dihydrotestosterone-induced androgen receptor and prostate-specific antigen levels. SENL inhibited integrin β1, calreticulin, and focal adhesion kinase activation in LNCaP-luc2 and PC3 prostate cancer cells. Oral administration of SENL significantly reduced LNCaP-luc2 xenograft tumor growth in mice with the formation of hyalinized fibrous tumor tissue, reduction in the prostate-specific antigen, and increase in AKR1C2 levels. To identify the active anticancer compounds, we fractionated SENL by high-pressure liquid chromatography and evaluated 16 peaks for cytotoxic activity. Four of the 16 peaks exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against prostate cancer cells. Mass spectrometry of the isolated peaks suggested the compounds with cytotoxic activity were nimbandiol, nimbolide, 2′,3′-dihydronimbolide, and 28-deoxonim-bolide. Analysis of tumor tissue and plasma samples from mice treated with SENL indicated 28-deoxonim-bolide and nimbolide as the bioactive compounds. Overall, our data revealed the bioactive compounds in SENL and suggested that the anticancer activity could be mediated through alteration in androgen receptor and calreticulin levels in prostate cancer. PMID:24674886

Combining Optical Reporter Proteins with Different Half-lives to Detect Temporal Evolution of Hypoxia and Reoxygenation in Tumors.

PubMed

Danhier, Pierre; Krishnamachary, Balaji; Bharti, Santosh; Kakkad, Samata; Mironchik, Yelena; Bhujwalla, Zaver M

2015-12-01

Here we have developed a hypoxia response element driven imaging strategy that combined the hypoxia-driven expression of two optical reporters with different half-lives to detect temporal changes in hypoxia and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) activity. For this purpose, human prostate cancer PC3 cells were transfected with the luciferase gene fused with an oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODD-luc) and a variant of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Both ODD-luciferase and EGFP were under the promotion of a poly-hypoxia-response element sequence (5xHRE). The cells constitutively expressed tdTomato red fluorescent protein. For validating the imaging strategy, cells were incubated under hypoxia (1% O2) for 48 hours and then reoxygenated. The luciferase activity of PC3-HRE-EGFP/HRE-ODD-luc/tdtomato cells detected by bioluminescent imaging rapidly decreased after reoxygenation, whereas EGFP levels in these cells remained stable for several hours. After in vitro validation, PC3-HRE-EGFP/HRE-ODD-luc/tdtomato tumors were implanted subcutaneously and orthotopically in nude male mice and imaged in vivo and ex vivo using optical imaging in proof-of-principle studies to demonstrate differences in optical patterns between EGFP expression and bioluminescence. This novel "timer" imaging strategy of combining the short-lived ODD-luciferase and the long-lived EGFP can provide a time frame of HRE activation in PC3 prostate cancer cells and will be useful to understand the temporal changes in hypoxia and HIF activity during cancer progression and following treatments including HIF targeting strategies. Copyright © 2015 Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences,. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systemic Immunotherapy of Non–Muscle Invasive Mouse Bladder Cancer with Avelumab, an Anti–PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor

PubMed Central

Vandeveer, Amanda J.; Fallon, Jonathan K.; Tighe, Robert; Sabzevari, Helen; Schlom, Jeffrey; Greiner, John W.

2016-01-01

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the standard of care for intravesical therapy for carcinoma in situ and non–muscle invasive, nonmetastatic human urothelial carcinoma. While the responsiveness to this immunotherapeutic is believed to be linked with (i) a high number of somatic mutations and (ii) a large number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, recent findings of the roles that inhibitory immune receptors and their ligands play in tumor evasion may provide insights into the limitations of the effectiveness of BCG and offer new targets for immune-based therapy. In this study, an aggressive, bioluminescent orthotopic bladder cancer model, MB49 tumor cells transfected with luciferase (MB49luc), was used to study the antitumor effects of avelumab, an antibody to PD-L1. MB49luc murine tumor cells form multifocal tumors on the mucosal wall of the bladder reminiscent of non–muscle invasive, nonmetastatic urothelial carcinomas. MB49luc bladder tumors are highly positive for the expression of PD-L1 and avelumab administration induced significant (P<0.05) antitumor effects. These antitumor effects were more dependent on the presence of CD4 than CD8 T cells, as determined by in vivo immune cell depletions. The findings suggest that in this bladder tumor model, interruption of the immune suppressive PD-1/PD-L1 complex releases a local adaptive immune response that, in turn, reduces tumor growth. This bladder tumor model can be used to further identify host antitumor immune mechanisms and evaluate combinations of immune-based therapies for carcinoma in situ and non–muscle invasive, nonmetastatic urothelial carcinoma, to provide the rationale for subsequent clinical studies. PMID:26921031

Systemic Immunotherapy of Non-Muscle Invasive Mouse Bladder Cancer with Avelumab, an Anti-PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor.

PubMed

Vandeveer, Amanda J; Fallon, Jonathan K; Tighe, Robert; Sabzevari, Helen; Schlom, Jeffrey; Greiner, John W

2016-05-01

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the standard of care for intravesical therapy for carcinoma in situ and non-muscle invasive, nonmetastatic human urothelial carcinoma. Although the responsiveness to this immunotherapeutic is believed to be linked with (i) a high number of somatic mutations and (ii) a large number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, recent findings of the roles that inhibitory immune receptors and their ligands play in tumor evasion may provide insights into the limitations of the effectiveness of BCG and offer new targets for immune-based therapy. In this study, an aggressive, bioluminescent orthotopic bladder cancer model, MB49 tumor cells transfected with luciferase (MB49(luc)), was used to study the antitumor effects of avelumab, an antibody to PD-L1. MB49(luc) murine tumor cells form multifocal tumors on the mucosal wall of the bladder reminiscent of non-muscle invasive, nonmetastatic urothelial carcinomas. MB49(luc) bladder tumors are highly positive for the expression of PD-L1, and avelumab administration induced significant (P < 0.05) antitumor effects. These antitumor effects were more dependent on the presence of CD4 than CD8 T cells, as determined by in vivo immune cell depletions. The findings suggest that in this bladder tumor model, interruption of the immune-suppressive PD-1/PD-L1 complex releases a local adaptive immune response that, in turn, reduces tumor growth. This bladder tumor model can be used to further identify host antitumor immune mechanisms and evaluate combinations of immune-based therapies for carcinoma in situ and non-muscle invasive, nonmetastatic urothelial carcinoma, to provide the rationale for subsequent clinical studies. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(5); 452-62. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Prediction of future urban growth using CA-Markov for urban sustainability planning of Banda Aceh, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achmad, A.; Irwansyah, M.; Ramli, I.

2018-03-01

Banda Aceh experienced rapid growth, both physically, socially, and economically, after the Tsunami that devastated it the end of December in 2004. Hence policy controls are needed to direct the pattern of urban growth to achieve sustainable development for the future. The purpose of this paper is to generate a growth model for Banda Aceh using the CA-Markov process. By knowing the changes in land use between 2005 and 2009 from the results of previous research, simulations for 2013, 2019 and 2029 using the application of Idrisi@Selva. CA-Markov models were prepared to determine the quantity of changes. The simulation results showed that, after the Tsunami, the City of Banda Aceh tended to grow towards the coast. For the control of the LUC, the Banda Aceh City government needs to prepare comprehensive and detailed maps and inventory of LUC for the city to provide basic data and information needed for monitoring and evaluation that can be done effectively and efficiently. An institution for monitoring and evaluation of the urban landscape and the LUC should be formed immediately. This institution could consist of representatives from government, academia, community leaders, the private sector and other experts. The findings from this study can be used to start the monitoring and evaluation of future urban growth. Especially for the coastal areas, the local government should immediately prepare special spatial coastal area plans to control growth in those areas and to ensure that the economic benefits from disaster mitigation and coastal protection are preserved. For the development of the city in the future, it is necessary to achieve a balance between economic development, and social welfare with environmental protection and disaster mitigation. iIt will become a big challenge to achieve sustainable development for the future.

Dissociation of Per1 and Bmal1 circadian rhythms in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in parallel with behavioral outputs

PubMed Central

Ono, Daisuke; Honma, Sato; Nakajima, Yoshihiro; Kuroda, Shigeru; Enoki, Ryosuke; Honma, Ken-ichi

2017-01-01

The temporal order of physiology and behavior in mammals is primarily regulated by the circadian pacemaker located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Taking advantage of bioluminescence reporters, we monitored the circadian rhythms of the expression of clock genes Per1 and Bmal1 in the SCN of freely moving mice and found that the rate of phase shifts induced by a single light pulse was different in the two rhythms. The Per1-luc rhythm was phase-delayed instantaneously by the light presented at the subjective evening in parallel with the activity onset of behavioral rhythm, whereas the Bmal1-ELuc rhythm was phase-delayed gradually, similar to the activity offset. The dissociation was confirmed in cultured SCN slices of mice carrying both Per1-luc and Bmal1-ELuc reporters. The two rhythms in a single SCN slice showed significantly different periods in a long-term (3 wk) culture and were internally desynchronized. Regional specificity in the SCN was not detected for the period of Per1-luc and Bmal1-ELuc rhythms. Furthermore, neither is synchronized with circadian intracellular Ca2+ rhythms monitored by a calcium indicator, GCaMP6s, or with firing rhythms monitored on a multielectrode array dish, although the coupling between the circadian firing and Ca2+ rhythms persisted during culture. These findings indicate that the expressions of two key clock genes, Per1 and Bmal1, in the SCN are regulated in such a way that they may adopt different phases and free-running periods relative to each other and are respectively associated with the expression of activity onset and offset. PMID:28416676

Optimisations and Challenges Involved in the Creation of Various Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Influenza A Virus Strains for In Vitro and In Vivo Applications

PubMed Central

Herfst, Sander; Bestebroer, Theo M.; Vaes, Vincent P.; van der Hoeven, Barbara; Koster, Abraham J.; Kremers, Gert-Jan; Scott, Dana P.; Gultyaev, Alexander P.; Sorell, Erin M.; de Graaf, Miranda; Bárcena, Montserrat; Rimmelzwaan, Guus F.; Fouchier, Ron A.

2015-01-01

Bioluminescent and fluorescent influenza A viruses offer new opportunities to study influenza virus replication, tropism and pathogenesis. To date, several influenza A reporter viruses have been described. These strategies typically focused on a single reporter gene (either bioluminescent or fluorescent) in a single virus backbone. However, whilst bioluminescence is suited to in vivo imaging, fluorescent viruses are more appropriate for microscopy. Therefore, the idea l reporter virus varies depending on the experiment in question, and it is important that any reporter virus strategy can be adapted accordingly. Herein, a strategy was developed to create five different reporter viruses in a single virus backbone. Specifically, enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), far-red fluorescent protein (fRFP), near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP), Gaussia luciferase (gLUC) and firefly luciferase (fLUC) were inserted into the PA gene segment of A/PR/8/34 (H1N1). This study provides a comprehensive characterisation of the effects of different reporter genes on influenza virus replication and reporter activity. In vivo reporter gene expression, in lung tissues, was only detected for eGFP, fRFP and gLUC expressing viruses. In vitro, the eGFP-expressing virus displayed the best reporter stability and could be used for correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM). This strategy was then used to create eGFP-expressing viruses consisting entirely of pandemic H1N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 and H7N9. The HPAI H5N1 eGFP-expressing virus infected mice and reporter gene expression was detected, in lung tissues, in vivo. Thus, this study provides new tools and insights for the creation of bioluminescent and fluorescent influenza A reporter viruses. PMID:26241861

The influences of a novel anti-adhesion device, thermally cross-linked gelatin film on peritoneal dissemination of tumor cells: The in vitro and in vivo experiments using murine carcinomatous peritonitis models.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Hiroe; Tsujimoto, Hiroyuki; Horii, Tsunehito; Ozamoto, Yuki; Ueda, Joe; Takagi, Toshitaka; Saitoh, Naoto; Hagiwara, Akeo

2017-10-10

To create anti-adhesive materials to be more effective and safer, we developed a thermally cross-linked gelatin film that showed superior anti-adhesive effects with excellent peritoneal regeneration. However, it may act as a convenient scaffold for tumor cell growth, thereby accelerating peritoneal dissemination when used in surgery for abdominal tumors. In this study, we tried to clarify this issue using mouse carcinomatous peritonitis models. First, we examined the in vitro tumor cell growth of mouse B16 melanoma or Colon26 cells on the gelatin film or the conventional hyarulonate/carboxymethylcellulose film. Tumor cell growth on each film was significantly lower than that of the control (no film). Next, we conducted the following in vivo experiments: After the parietal peritoneum was partially removed and covered with each film or without any film, mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with B16 melanoma or Colon26/Nluc cells expressing NanoLuc luciferase gene. At 7 days after the operation, we measured the weight of B16 melanoma tumors or the NanoLuc activity of Colon26/Nluc cells using in vivo imaging at the injured sites. There were no significant differences in the weight of the tumors and the NanoLuc activity among the three groups. We also observed the survival time of mice receiving the same operation and treatments. There was no significant difference in the survival time among the three groups. These results suggest that the gelatin film will likely not accelerate peritoneal dissemination as a convenient scaffold for tumor cell growth when used in surgery for abdominal tumors. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

"Detecting people"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneth, A.; Pugh, T.; Krause, A.; Bayer, A.; Lindeskog, M.

2015-12-01

Land-use change (LUC) is known to significantly affect biogeochemical cycles as well as surface energy partitioning - with important implications, ranging from understanding present-day measurements, to simulations of climate change and impacts on ecosystems, to assessments of the mitigation potential of land-based mitigation policies on ecosystems. When connecting observations of surface-atmosphere interactions and modelling at different scales, two important issues in this context are: legacy effects (e.g., to what degree and for how long does past LUC at a given location affect vegetation structure, CO2 fluxes and carbon pools), and sub-grid variability of the land-use change per se (e.g., whether bi-directional information about changes are taken into consideration). Both are important when bridging between scales (in time and in space) to enhance long-term observation networks. This contribution to the session will be very much from a process-based modelling perspective. Using a second generation dynamic global vegetation model we will show how different land-use histories impact vegetation and soil recovery (carbon pool-size, fluxes) differently, depending on the type of previous land-use, its length, and on the type of biome. We also study the difference between "gross" and "net" LUC accounting for simulated carbon cycling. Two important aspects, considering the session's objectives, are: 1) When establishing and developing observation networks, land-use history is key information for the interpretation of measured fluxes and needs to be collected and made available;, 2) Observation networks that "operate" solely in the natural science domain need to increasingly seek cooperation with socio-economic observations (such as land-use change, land management) in order to gain better understanding of coupled socio-ecological systems.

Comparison of optical and power Doppler ultrasound imaging for non-invasive evaluation of arsenic trioxide as a vascular disrupting agent in tumors.

PubMed

Alhasan, Mustafa K; Liu, Li; Lewis, Matthew A; Magnusson, Jennifer; Mason, Ralph P

2012-01-01

Small animal imaging provides diverse methods for evaluating tumor growth and acute response to therapy. This study compared the utility of non-invasive optical and ultrasound imaging to monitor growth of three diverse human tumor xenografts (brain U87-luc-mCherry, mammary MCF7-luc-mCherry, and prostate PC3-luc) growing in nude mice. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI), fluorescence imaging (FLI), and Power Doppler ultrasound (PD US) were then applied to examine acute vascular disruption following administration of arsenic trioxide (ATO).During initial tumor growth, strong correlations were found between manual caliper measured tumor volume and FLI intensity, BLI intensity following luciferin injection, and traditional B-mode US. Administration of ATO to established U87 tumors caused significant vascular shutdown within 2 hrs at all doses in the range 5 to 10 mg/kg in a dose dependant manner, as revealed by depressed bioluminescent light emission. At lower doses substantial recovery was seen within 4 hrs. At 8 mg/kg there was >85% reduction in tumor vascular perfusion, which remained depressed after 6 hrs, but showed some recovery after 24 hrs. Similar response was observed in MCF7 and PC3 tumors. Dynamic BLI and PD US each showed similar duration and percent reductions in tumor blood flow, but FLI showed no significant changes during the first 24 hrs.The results provide further evidence for comparable utility of optical and ultrasound imaging for monitoring tumor growth, More specifically, they confirm the utility of BLI and ultrasound imaging as facile assays of the vascular disruption in solid tumors based on ATO as a model agent.

Breast Cancer Cell Colonization of the Human Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue Niche.

PubMed

Templeton, Zach S; Lie, Wen-Rong; Wang, Weiqi; Rosenberg-Hasson, Yael; Alluri, Rajiv V; Tamaresis, John S; Bachmann, Michael H; Lee, Kitty; Maloney, William J; Contag, Christopher H; King, Bonnie L

2015-12-01

Bone is a preferred site of breast cancer metastasis, suggesting the presence of tissue-specific features that attract and promote the outgrowth of breast cancer cells. We sought to identify parameters of human bone tissue associated with breast cancer cell osteotropism and colonization in the metastatic niche. Migration and colonization patterns of MDA-MB-231-fLuc-EGFP (luciferase-enhanced green fluorescence protein) and MCF-7-fLuc-EGFP breast cancer cells were studied in co-culture with cancellous bone tissue fragments isolated from 14 hip arthroplasties. Breast cancer cell migration into tissues and toward tissue-conditioned medium was measured in Transwell migration chambers using bioluminescence imaging and analyzed as a function of secreted factors measured by multiplex immunoassay. Patterns of breast cancer cell colonization were evaluated with fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Enhanced MDA-MB-231-fLuc-EGFP breast cancer cell migration to bone-conditioned versus control medium was observed in 12/14 specimens (P = .0014) and correlated significantly with increasing levels of the adipokines/cytokines leptin (P = .006) and IL-1β (P = .001) in univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry of fragments underscored the extreme adiposity of adult human bone tissues and revealed extensive breast cancer cell colonization within the marrow adipose tissue compartment. Our results show that breast cancer cells migrate to human bone tissue-conditioned medium in association with increasing levels of leptin and IL-1β, and colonize the bone marrow adipose tissue compartment of cultured fragments. Bone marrow adipose tissue and its molecular signals may be important but understudied components of the breast cancer metastatic niche. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AAVPG: A vigilant vector where transgene expression is induced by p53

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

Bajgelman, Marcio C.; Medrano, Ruan F.V.; Carvalho, Anna Carolina P.V.

2013-12-15

Using p53 to drive transgene expression from viral vectors may provide on demand expression in response to physiologic stress, such as hypoxia or DNA damage. Here we introduce AAVPG, an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector where a p53-responsive promoter, termed PG, is used to control transgene expression. In vitro assays show that expression from the AAVPG-luc vector was induced specifically in the presence of functional p53 (1038±202 fold increase, p<0.001). The AAVPG-luc vector was an effective biosensor of p53 activation in response to hypoxia (4.48±0.6 fold increase in the presence of 250 µM CoCl{sub 2}, p<0.001) and biomechanical stress (2.53±0.4 foldmore » increase with stretching, p<0.05). In vivo, the vigilant nature of the AAVPG-luc vector was revealed after treatment of tumor-bearing mice with doxorubicin (pre-treatment, 3.4×10{sup 5}±0.43×10{sup 5} photons/s; post-treatment, 6.6×10{sup 5}±2.1×10{sup 5} photons/s, p<0.05). These results indicate that the AAVPG vector is an interesting option for detecting p53 activity both in vitro and in vivo. - Highlights: • AAV vector where transgene expression is controlled by the tumor suppressor p53. • The new vector, AAVPG, shown to function as a biosensor of p53 activity, in vitro and in vivo. • The p53 activity monitored by the AAVPG vector is relevant to cancer and other diseases. • AAVPG reporter gene expression was activated upon DNA damage, hypoxia and mechanical stress.« less

Landscape-based upstream-downstream prevalence of land-use/cover change drivers in southeastern rift escarpment of Ethiopia.

PubMed

Temesgen, Habtamu; Wu, Wei; Legesse, Abiyot; Yirsaw, Eshetu; Bekele, Belew

2018-02-23

Characterized by high population density on a rugged topography, the Gedeo-Abaya landscape dominantly contains a multi-strata traditional agroforests showing the insight of Gedeo farmers on natural resource management practices. Currently, this area has been losing its resilience and is becoming unable to sustain its inhabitants. Based on both RS-derived and GIS-computed land-use/cover changes (LUCC) as well as socioeconomic validations, this article explored the LUCC and agroecological-based driver patterns in Gedeo-Abaya landscape from 1986 to 2015. A combination of geo-spatial technology and cross-sectional survey design were employed to detect the drivers behind these changes. The article discussed that LUCC and the prevalence of drivers are highly diverse and vary throughout agroecological zones. Except for the population, most downstream top drivers are perceived as insignificant in the upstream region and vice versa. In the downstream, land-use/cover (LUC) classes are more dynamic, diverse, and challenged by nearly all anticipated drivers than are upstream ones. Agroforestry LUC has been increasing (by 25% of its initial cover) and is becoming the predominant cover type, although socioeconomic analysis and related findings show its rapid LUC modification. A rapid reduction of woodland/shrubland (63%) occurred in the downstream, while wetland/marshy land increased threefold (158%), from 1986 to 2015 with annual change rates of - 3.7 and + 6%, respectively. Land degradation induced by changes in land use is a serious problem in Africa, especially in the densely populated sub-Saharan regions such as Ethiopia (FAO 2015). Throughout the landscape, LUCC is prominently affecting land-use system of the study landscape due to population pressure in the upstream region and drought/rainfall variability, agribusiness investment, and charcoaling in the downstream that necessitate urgent action.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus function and circadian entrainment are modulated by G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying (GIRK) channels

PubMed Central

Hablitz, L M; Molzof, H E; Paul, J R; Johnson, R L; Gamble, K L

2014-01-01

Abstract G protein signalling within the central circadian oscillator, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), is essential for conveying time-of-day information. We sought to determine whether G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs) modulate SCN physiology and circadian behaviour. We show that GIRK current and GIRK2 protein expression are greater during the day. Pharmacological inhibition of GIRKs and genetic loss of GIRK2 depolarized the day-time resting membrane potential of SCN neurons compared to controls. Behaviourally, GIRK2 knockout (KO) mice failed to shorten free running period in response to wheel access in constant darkness and entrained more rapidly to a 6 h advance of a 12 h:12 h light–dark (LD) cycle than wild-type (WT) littermate controls. We next examined whether these effects were due to disrupted signalling of neuropeptide Y (NPY), which is known to mediate non-photic phase shifts, attenuate photic phase shifts and activate GIRKs. Indeed, GIRK2 KO SCN slices had significantly fewer silent cells in response to NPY, likely contributing to the absence of NPY-induced phase advances of PER2::LUC rhythms in organotypic SCN cultures from GIRK2 KO mice. Finally, GIRK channel activation is sufficient to cause a non-photic-like phase advance of PER2::LUC rhythms on a Per2Luc+/− background. These results suggest that rhythmic regulation of GIRK2 protein and channel function in the SCN contributes to day-time resting membrane potential, providing a mechanism for the fine tuning responses to non-photic and photic stimuli. Further investigation could provide insight into disorders with circadian disruption comorbidities such as epilepsy and addiction, in which GIRK channels have been implicated. PMID:25217379

Do convection-permitting models improve the representation of the impact of LUC?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanden Broucke, Sam; Van Lipzig, Nicole

2017-10-01

In this study we assess the added value of convection permitting scale (CPS) simulations in studies using regional climate models to quantify the bio-geophysical climate impact of land-use change (LUC). To accomplish this, a comprehensive model evaluation methodology is applied to both non-CPS and CPS simulations. The main characteristics of the evaluation methodology are (1) the use of paired eddy-covariance site observations (forest vs open land) and (2) a simultaneous evaluation of all surface energy budget components. Results show that although generally satisfactory, non-CPS simulations fall short of completely reproducing the observed LUC signal because of three key biases. CPS scale simulations succeed at significantly reducing two of these biases, namely, those in daytime shortwave radiation and daytime sensible heat flux. Also, CPS slightly reduces a third bias in nighttime incoming longwave radiation. The daytime improvements can be attributed partially to the switch from parameterized to explicit convection, the associated improvement in the simulation of afternoon convective clouds, and resulting surface energy budget and atmospheric feedbacks. Also responsible for the improvements during daytime is a better representation of surface heterogeneity and thus, surface roughness. Meanwhile, the modest nighttime longwave improvement can be attributed to increased vertical atmospheric resolution. However, the model still fails at reproducing the magnitude of the observed nighttime longwave difference. One possible explanation for this persistent bias is the nighttime radiative effect of biogenic volatile organic compound emissions over the forest site. A correlation between estimated emission rates and the observed nighttime longwave difference, as well as the persistence of the longwave bias provide support for this hypothesis. However, more research is needed to conclusively determine if the effect indeed exists.

Titanium biomaterials with complex surfaces induced aberrant peripheral circadian rhythms in bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells.

PubMed

Hassan, Nathaniel; McCarville, Kirstin; Morinaga, Kenzo; Mengatto, Cristiane M; Langfelder, Peter; Hokugo, Akishige; Tahara, Yu; Colwell, Christopher S; Nishimura, Ichiro

2017-01-01

Circadian rhythms maintain a high level of homeostasis through internal feed-forward and -backward regulation by core molecules. In this study, we report the highly unusual peripheral circadian rhythm of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) induced by titanium-based biomaterials with complex surface modifications (Ti biomaterial) commonly used for dental and orthopedic implants. When cultured on Ti biomaterials, human BMSCs suppressed circadian PER1 expression patterns, while NPAS2 was uniquely upregulated. The Ti biomaterials, which reduced Per1 expression and upregulated Npas2, were further examined with BMSCs harvested from Per1::luc transgenic rats. Next, we addressed the regulatory relationship between Per1 and Npas2 using BMSCs from Npas2 knockout mice. The Npas2 knockout mutation did not rescue the Ti biomaterial-induced Per1 suppression and did not affect Per2, Per3, Bmal1 and Clock expression, suggesting that the Ti biomaterial-induced Npas2 overexpression was likely an independent phenomenon. Previously, vitamin D deficiency was reported to interfere with Ti biomaterial osseointegration. The present study demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation significantly increased Per1::luc expression in BMSCs, though the presence of Ti biomaterials only moderately affected the suppressed Per1::luc expression. Available in vivo microarray data from femurs exposed to Ti biomaterials in vitamin D-deficient rats were evaluated by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. A large co-expression network containing Npas2, Bmal1, and Vdr was observed to form with the Ti biomaterials, which was disintegrated by vitamin D deficiency. Thus, the aberrant BMSC peripheral circadian rhythm may be essential for the integration of Ti biomaterials into bone.

Molecular and functional evaluation of a novel HIF inhibitor, benzopyranyl 1,2,3-triazole compound

PubMed Central

Park, Kyunghye; Lee, Hye Eun; Lee, Sun Hee; Lee, Doohyun; Lee, Taeho; Lee, You Mie

2017-01-01

Hypoxia occurs in a variety of pathological events, including the formation of solid tumors. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is stabilized under hypoxic conditions and is a key molecule in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Seeking to develop novel cancer therapeutics, we investigated small molecules from our in-house chemical libraries to target HIF-1α. We employed a dual-luciferase assay that uses a luciferase (Luc) reporter vector harboring five copies of hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) in the promoter. Under hypoxic conditions that increased Luc reporter activity by four-fold, we screened 144 different compounds, nine of which showed 30–50% inhibition of hypoxia-induced Luc reporter activity. Among these, “Compound 12, a benzopyranyl 1,2,3-triazole” was the most efficient at inhibiting the expression of HIF-1α under hypoxic conditions, reducing its expression by 80%. Under hypoxic conditions, the half maximal IC50 of the compound was 24 nM in HEK-293 human embryonic kidney cells, and 2 nM in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Under hypoxic conditions, Compound 12 increased hydroxylated HIF-1α levels and HIF-1α ubiquitination, and also dose-dependently decreased HIF-1α target gene expression as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion. Furthermore, this compound inhibited VEGF-induced in vitro angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and in vivo, it inhibited chick chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis. In allogaft assays, cotreatment with Compound 12 and gefitinib significantly inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis. Compound 12 can be a novel inhibitor of HIF-1α by accelerating its degradation, and shows much potential as an anti-cancer agent through its ability to suppress tumor growth and angiogenesis. PMID:27999195

Developmental programming by androgen affects the circadian timing system in female mice.

PubMed

Mereness, Amanda L; Murphy, Zachary C; Sellix, Michael T

2015-04-01

Circadian clocks play essential roles in the timing of events in the mammalian hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis. The molecular oscillator driving these rhythms has been localized to tissues of the HPO axis. It has been suggested that synchrony among these oscillators is a feature of normal reproductive function. The impact of fertility disorders on clock function and the role of the clock in the etiology of endocrine pathology remain unknown. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a particularly devastating fertility disorder, affecting 5%-10% of women at childbearing age with features including a polycystic ovary, anovulation, and elevated serum androgen. Approximately 40% of these women have metabolic syndrome, marked by hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. It has been suggested that developmental exposure to excess androgen contributes to the etiology of fertility disorders, including PCOS. To better define the role of the timing system in these disorders, we determined the effects of androgen-dependent developmental programming on clock gene expression in tissues of the metabolic and HPO axes. Female PERIOD2::luciferase (PER2::LUC) mice were exposed to androgen (dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) in utero (Days 16-18 of gestation) or for 9-10 wk (DHT pellet) beginning at weaning (pubertal androgen excess [PAE]). As expected, both groups of androgen-treated mice had disrupted estrous cycles. Analysis of PER2::LUC expression in tissue explants revealed that excess androgen produced circadian misalignment via tissue-dependent effects on phase distribution. In vitro treatment with DHT differentially affected the period of PER2::LUC expression in tissue explants and granulosa cells, indicating that androgen has direct and tissue-specific effects on clock gene expression that may account for the effects of developmental programming on the timing system. © 2015 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

Reporter enzyme inhibitor study to aid assembly of orthogonal reporter gene assays.

PubMed

Ho, Pei-i; Yue, Kimberley; Pandey, Pramod; Breault, Lyne; Harbinski, Fred; McBride, Aaron J; Webb, Brian; Narahari, Janaki; Karassina, Natasha; Wood, Keith V; Hill, Adam; Auld, Douglas S

2013-05-17

Reporter gene assays (RGAs) are commonly used to measure biological pathway modulation by small molecules. Understanding how such compounds interact with the reporter enzyme is critical to accurately interpret RGA results. To improve our understanding of reporter enzymes and to develop optimal RGA systems, we investigated eight reporter enzymes differing in brightness, emission spectrum, stability, and substrate requirements. These included common reporter enzymes such as firefly luciferase (Photinus pyralis), Renilla reniformis luciferase, and β-lactamase, as well as mutated forms of R. reniformis luciferase emitting either blue- or green-shifted luminescence, a red-light emitting form of Luciola cruciata firefly luciferase, a mutated form of Gaussia princeps luciferase, and a proprietary luciferase termed "NanoLuc" derived from the luminescent sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris. To determine hit rates and structure-activity relationships, we screened a collection of 42,460 PubChem compounds at 10 μM using purified enzyme preparations. We then compared hit rates and chemotypes of actives for each enzyme. The hit rates ranged from <0.1% for β-lactamase to as high as 10% for mutated forms of Renilla luciferase. Related luciferases such as Renilla luciferase mutants showed high degrees of inhibitor overlap (40-70%), while unrelated luciferases such as firefly luciferases, Gaussia luciferase, and NanoLuc showed <10% overlap. Examination of representative inhibitors in cell-based assays revealed that inhibitor-based enzyme stabilization can lead to increases in bioluminescent signal for firefly luciferase, Renilla luciferase, and NanoLuc, with shorter half-life reporters showing increased activation responses. From this study we suggest strategies to improve the construction and interpretation of assays employing these reporter enzymes.

Message from the Editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stambaugh, Ronald D.

2014-01-01

This last year being an odd numbered year, the pages of Nuclear Fusion saw a large influx of expanded papers from the 2012 Fusion Energy Conference in San Diego. Many papers have focused on the scientific and technical challenges posed by ITER. Contributions are steadily increasing from the new superconducting tokamaks in Asia. The ITER Project continues to move ahead. Construction at the Cadarache site is quite remarkable. Buildings completed include the huge Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility and the Headquarters building, which has been occupied by the ITER staff. Work is progressing on the Assembly building and the Cryostat Workshop. The base of the tokamak complex is being laid. Besides the construction that is taking place and will take place at the site, components from around the world have to navigate the complex route from Marseilles to the site. A test convoy replicating the dimensions and weights of the most exceptional ITER loads successfully traversed that route in 2013. We are pleased to report that the IAEA and ITER have finalized the agreement for ITER authors to publish papers in Nuclear Fusion . Nuclear Fusion is proud to continue its key role in providing the leading forum for the documentation of scientific progress and exchange of research results internationally toward fusion energy. Refereeing The Nuclear Fusion editorial office appreciates greatly the effort made by our referees to sustain the high quality of the journal. Since January 2005, we have been offering the most active referees over the past year a personal subscription to Nuclear Fusion with electronic access for one year, free of charge. We have excluded our Board Members, Guest Editors of special editions and those referees who were already listed in previous years. The following people have been selected: J.M. Canik, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA I.T. Chapman, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, UK L.-G. Eriksson, Commission of the European Communities, Belgium T. Evans, General Atomics, USA A. Hassanein, Purdue University, USA Y.-M. Jeon, National Fusion Research Institute, Spain S. Kajita, Nagoya University, Japan T.P. Kiviniemi, Aalto University, Finland R.M. More, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA F. Sattin, Associazione Euratom-ENEA-CNR, Italy J.A. Snipes, ITER Organization, France W. Suttrop, Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics-Garching, Germany F.L. Tabares, Energy Environment and Technology Research Centre, Spain Y. Ueda, Osaka University, Japan V.S. Voitsenya, Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology, Ukraine G. Xu, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, People's Republic of China In addition, there is a group of several hundred referees who have helped us in the past year to maintain the high scientific standard of Nuclear Fusion . At the end of this issue we give the full list of all referees for 2013. Our thanks to them! We also wish to express our thanks to Paul Thomas, who served as Guest Editor for the special issue of the overview and summary reports from the 24th Fusion Energy Conference in San Diego, October 2012. This issue is of great value as a summary of the major developments worldwide in fusion research in the last two years. Authors The winner of the 2013 Nuclear Fusion Award is D.G. Whyte for the paper: I-mode: an H-mode energy confinement regime with L-mode particle transport in Alcator C-Mod [1], and we congratulate him and coauthors on this achievement. We also note special topic papers published in 2013: Technical challenges in the construction of the steady-state stellarator Wendestein 7-X by H.S. Bosch et al [2], Power requirements for electron cyclotron current drive and ion cyclotron resonance heating for sawtooth control in ITER by I.T. Chapman et al [3] and IFMIF: overview of the validation activities by J. Knaster et al [4]. The Board of Editors The Board of Editors has had a substantial turnover in members. For their great service to the journal, we wish to thank the following outgoing Board Members whose term of service was reached at the end of 2012: Keith Burrell, Atsushi Fukuyama, Guenter Janeschitz, Myeun Kwon, Alberto Loarte, Derek Stork, Tony Taylor and Kazuo Toi. We welcome the new Board Members who have joined the Board from the start of 2013: Pietro Barabaschi, Riccardo Betti, Rich Callis, Wonho Choi, Yasuaki Kishimoto, Joaquin Sánchez, Paul Thomas, Mickey Wade, Howard Wilson, Hiroshi Yamada and Steve Zinkle. We look forward to working with the Board to maintain the high standing of Nuclear Fusion . The Nuclear Fusion office and IOP Publishing Just as the journal depends on the authors, referees, and Board of Editors, so its success is also due to the tireless and largely unsung efforts of the IAEA Nuclear Fusion office in Vienna and IOP Publishing in Bristol. I would like to express my personal thanks to the team for the support that they have given to me, the authors and the referees. Season's greetings I would like to wish our readers, authors, referees, Board of Editors, and Vienna and Bristol office staff season's greetings and thank them for their contributions to Nuclear Fusion in 2013. References [1] Whyte D.G. et al 2010 I-mode: an H-mode energy confinement regime with L-mode particle transport in Alcator C-Mod Nucl. Fusion 50 105005 [2] Bosch H.-S. et al 2013 Technical challenges in the construction of the steady-state stellarator Wendelstein 7-X Nucl. Fusion 53 126001 [3] Chapman I.T. et al 2013 Power requirements for electron cyclotron current drive and ion cyclotron resonance heating for sawtooth control in ITER Nucl. Fusion 53 066001 [4] Knaster J. et al 2013 IFMIF: overview of the validation activities Nucl. Fusion 53 116001

Growth and Consequences.

PubMed

Abbott, J Haxby

2016-08-01

In response to the growth of JOSPT, Editor-in-Chief J. Haxby Abbott introduces 3 new Associate Editors to the JOSPT Editorial Board, and announces the promotion of 1 outstanding Editorial Board member to an Editor role. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(8):610-612. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.0111.

Professional Editing Strategies Used by Six Editors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bisaillon, Jocelyne

2007-01-01

Identifying the approach used by those revision experts par excellence--that is, professional editors--should enable researchers to better grasp the revision process. To further explore this hypothesis, the author conducted research among professional editors, six of whom she filmed as they engaged in their practice. An analysis of their work…

A "Situational" and "Coorientational" Measure of Specialized Magazine Editors' Perceptions of Readers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffers, Dennis W.

A study was undertaken of specialized magazine editors' perceptions of audience characteristics as well as the perceived role of their publications. Specifically, the study examines the relationship between the editors' perceptions of reader problem recognition, level of involvement, constraint recognition, and possession of reference criteria and…

Editorial and Broadcasting Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broido, Arnold; And Others

1982-01-01

Describes the jobs of the music publisher and editor, music magazine and book editor, film music editor, and music critic. Educational requirements, job availability, and the advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. A tear-out chart of ten music career areas, listing salaries and personal and educational qualifications, is included. (AM)

Generating the Field: The Role of Editors in Disciplinary Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selfe, Cynthia; Villanueva, Victor; Parks, Steve

2017-01-01

In the following conversation, conducted asynchronously through email, three current and former editors discuss the role of publishing in creating a disciplinary identity. Speaking from the academic (Villanueva), digital (Selfe), and community (Parks), and, often crossing these three categories, the editors discuss how the field has failed to…

STEVE -- User Guide and Reference Manual

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fish, Adrian

This document describes an extended version of the EVE editor that has been tailored to the general Starlink user's requirements. This extended editor is STarlink Eve or STEve, and this document (along with it's introductory companion SUN/125) describes this editor, and offers additional help, advice and tips on general EVE usage.

Publishing and Journalism Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Alfred; And Others

1977-01-01

If you like to work with words and notational symbols--or with describing, selecting, managing, and distributing the words and music of other people--then journalism or publishing as a whole may be your bailiwick. Describes the positions of music editor, music publisher, magazine/book editor, music critic, and freelance music writer. (Editor/RK)

ZED- A LINE EDITOR FOR THE DEC VAX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, P. J.

1994-01-01

The ZED editor for the DEC VAX is a simple, yet powerful line editor for text, program source code, and non-binary data. Line editors can be superior to screen editors in some cases, such as executing complex multiple or conditional commands, or editing via slow modem lines. ZED excels in the area of text processing by using procedure files. For example, such procedures can reformat a file of addresses or remove all comment lines from a FORTRAN program. In addition to command files, ZED also features versatile search qualifiers, global changes, conditionals, on-line help, hexadecimal mode, space compression, looping, logical combinations of search strings, journaling, visible control characters, and automatic detabbing. The ZED editor was originally developed at Cambridge University in London and has been continuously enhanced since 1976. Users of the Cambridge implementation have devised such elaborate ZED procedures as chess games, calculators, and programs for evaluating Pi. This implementation of ZED strives to maintain the characteristics of the Cambridge editor. A complete ZED manual is included on the tape. ZED is written entirely in C for either batch or interactive execution on the DEC VAX under VMS 4.X and requires 80,896 bytes of memory. This program was released in 1988 and updated in 1989.

panMetaDocs, eSciDoc, and DOIDB - an infrastructure for the curation and publication of file-based datasets for 'GFZ Data Services'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulbricht, Damian; Elger, Kirsten; Bertelmann, Roland; Klump, Jens

2016-04-01

With the foundation of DataCite in 2009 and the technical infrastructure installed in the last six years it has become very easy to create citable dataset DOIs. Nowadays, dataset DOIs are increasingly accepted and required by journals in reference lists of manuscripts. In addition, DataCite provides usage statistics [1] of assigned DOIs and offers a public search API to make research data count. By linking related information to the data, they become more useful for future generations of scientists. For this purpose, several identifier systems, as ISBN for books, ISSN for journals, DOI for articles or related data, Orcid for authors, and IGSN for physical samples can be attached to DOIs using the DataCite metadata schema [2]. While these are good preconditions to publish data, free and open solutions that help with the curation of data, the publication of research data, and the assignment of DOIs in one software seem to be rare. At GFZ Potsdam we built a modular software stack that is made of several free and open software solutions and we established 'GFZ Data Services'. 'GFZ Data Services' provides storage, a metadata editor for publication and a facility to moderate minted DOIs. All software solutions are connected through web APIs, which makes it possible to reuse and integrate established software. Core component of 'GFZ Data Services' is an eSciDoc [3] middleware that is used as central storage, and has been designed along the OAIS reference model for digital preservation. Thus, data are stored in self-contained packages that are made of binary file-based data and XML-based metadata. The eSciDoc infrastructure provides access control to data and it is able to handle half-open datasets, which is useful in embargo situations when a subset of the research data are released after an adequate period. The data exchange platform panMetaDocs [4] makes use of eSciDoc's REST API to upload file-based data into eSciDoc and uses a metadata editor [5] to annotate the files with metadata. The metadata editor has a user-friendly interface with nominal lists, extensive explanations, and an interactive mapping tool to provide assistance to scientists describing the data. It is possible to deposit metadata templates to fill certain fields with default values. The metadata editor generates metadata in the schemas ISO19139, NASA GCMD DIF, and DataCite and could be extended for other schemas. panMetaDocs is able to mint dataset DOIs through DOIDB, which is our component to moderate dataset DOIs issued through 'GFZ Data Services'. DOIDB accepts metadata in the schemas ISO19139, DIF, and DataCite. In addition, DOIDB provides an OAI-PMH interface to disseminate all deposited metadata to data portals. The presentation of datasets on DOI landing pages is done though XSLT stylesheet transformation of the XML-based metadata. The landing pages have been designed to meet needs of scientists. We are able to render the metadata to different layouts. Furthermore, additional information about datasets and publications is assembled into the webpage by querying public databases on the internet. The work presented here will focus on technical details of the software stack. [1] http://stats.datacite.org [2] http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january11/starr/01starr.html [3] http://www.escidoc.org [4] http://panmetadocs.sf.net [5] http://github.com/ulbricht

Texas trip generation manual : 1st edition-volume 1 : user's guide.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

The purpose of this Manual is to provide a summary of Texas trip generation data for various : Land Use Codes (LUCs) and time periods, for data obtained from workplace and special : generator (WSG) surveys performed as part of the Texas Travel Survey...

LUC-2-1682 long term maintenance of the Anthony Wayne Suspension Bridge main cables.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

The Anthony Wayne Bridge, Ohio's only suspension bridge, is undergoing an extensive rehabilitation. Prior to taking action to preserve the cables, ODOT must decide what measures to take to evaluate the condition of the cables, how best to rehabilitat...

From carbonate platform to euxinic sea - the collapse of an Early/Middle Devonian reef, Cantabrian Mountains (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loevezijn, Gerard B. S. van; Raven, J. G. M.

2017-12-01

The Santa Lucía Formation represents the major phase in Devonian reef development of the Cantabrian Zone (Cantabrian Mountains, northwest Spain). In the present study the transition from the carbonate platform deposits of the Santa Lucía Formation to the overlying euxinic basinal deposits of the Huergas Formation is described. These transitional strata are connected to the Basal Choteč Event and represent a condensed sedimentation of micritic dark-grey and black limestones with an upward increase of dark shale intercalations with iron mineralisation surfaces and storm-induced brachiopod coquinas. The transitional beds are grouped into a new unit, the Cabornera Bed, which consists of limestone, limestone-shale and shale facies associations, representing a sediment-starved euxinic offshore area just below the storm wave base. Four stages in reef decline can be recognised: a reef stage, an oxygen-depleted, nutrient-rich stage, a siliciclastic-influx stage and a pelagic-siliciclastic stage. Additional geochemical and geophysical investigations are needed to verify the results presented herein.

Highly specific expression of luciferase gene in lungs of naive nude mice directed by prostate-specific antigen promoter

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

Li Hongwei; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908; Li Jinzhong

PSA promoter has been demonstrated the utility for tissue-specific toxic gene therapy in prostate cancer models. Characterization of foreign gene overexpression in normal animals elicited by PSA promoter should help evaluate therapy safety. Here we constructed an adenovirus vector (AdPSA-Luc), containing firefly luciferase gene under the control of the 5837 bp long prostate-specific antigen promoter. A charge coupled device video camera was used to non-invasively image expression of firefly luciferase in nude mice on days 3, 7, 11 after injection of 2 x 10{sup 9} PFU of AdPSA-Luc virus via tail vein. The result showed highly specific expression of themore » luciferase gene in lungs of mice from day 7. The finding indicates the potential limitations of the suicide gene therapy of prostate cancer based on selectivity of PSA promoter. By contrary, it has encouraging implications for further development of vectors via PSA promoter to enable gene therapy for pulmonary diseases.« less

Generation of iPS-derived model cells for analyses of hair shaft differentiation.

PubMed

Kido, Takumi; Horigome, Tomoatsu; Uda, Minori; Adachi, Naoki; Hirai, Yohei

2017-09-01

Biological evaluation of hair growth/differentiation activity in vitro has been a formidable challenge, primarily due to the lack of relevant model cell systems. To solve this problem, we generated a stable model cell line in which successive differentiation via epidermal progenitors to hair components is easily inducible and traceable. Mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived cells were selected to stably express a tetracycline (Tet)-inducible bone morphogenic protein-4 (BMP4) expression cassette and a luciferase reporter driven by a hair-specific keratin 31 gene (krt31) promoter (Tet-BMP4-KRT31-Luc iPS). While Tet- BMP4-KRT31-Luc iPS cells could be maintained as stable iPS cells, the cells differentiated to produce luciferase luminescence in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and doxycycline (Dox), and addition of a hair differentiation factor significantly increased luciferase fluorescence. Thus, this cell line may provide a reliable cell-based screening system to evaluate drug candidates for hair differentiation activity.

Exploiting NanoLuc luciferase for smartphone-based bioluminescence cell biosensor for (anti)-inflammatory activity and toxicity.

PubMed

Cevenini, Luca; Calabretta, Maria Maddalena; Lopreside, Antonia; Tarantino, Giuseppe; Tassoni, Annalisa; Ferri, Maura; Roda, Aldo; Michelini, Elisa

2016-12-01

The availability of smartphones with high-performance digital image sensors and processing power has completely reshaped the landscape of point-of-need analysis. Thanks to the high maturity level of reporter gene technology and the availability of several bioluminescent proteins with improved features, we were able to develop a bioluminescence smartphone-based biosensing platform exploiting the highly sensitive NanoLuc luciferase as reporter. A 3D-printed smartphone-integrated cell biosensor based on genetically engineered Hek293T cells was developed. Quantitative assessment of (anti)-inflammatory activity and toxicity of liquid samples was performed with a simple and rapid add-and-measure procedure. White grape pomace extracts, known to contain several bioactive compounds, were analyzed, confirming the suitability of the smartphone biosensing platform for analysis of untreated complex biological matrices. Such approach could meet the needs of small medium enterprises lacking fully equipped laboratories for first-level safety tests and rapid screening of new bioactive products. Graphical abstract Smartphone-based bioluminescence cell biosensor.

Forced rather than voluntary exercise entrains peripheral clocks via a corticosterone/noradrenaline increase in PER2::LUC mice

PubMed Central

Sasaki, Hiroyuki; Hattori, Yuta; Ikeda, Yuko; Kamagata, Mayo; Iwami, Shiho; Yasuda, Shinnosuke; Tahara, Yu; Shibata, Shigenobu

2016-01-01

Exercise during the inactive period can entrain locomotor activity and peripheral circadian clock rhythm in mice; however, mechanisms underlying this entrainment are yet to be elucidated. Here, we showed that the bioluminescence rhythm of peripheral clocks in PER2::LUC mice was strongly entrained by forced treadmill and forced wheel-running exercise rather than by voluntary wheel-running exercise at middle time during the inactivity period. Exercise-induced entrainment was accompanied by increased levels of serum corticosterone and norepinephrine in peripheral tissues, similar to the physical stress-induced response. Adrenalectomy with norepinephrine receptor blockers completely blocked the treadmill exercise-induced entrainment. The entrainment of the peripheral clock by exercise is independent of the suprachiasmatic nucleus clock, the main oscillator in mammals. The present results suggest that the response of forced exercise, but not voluntary exercise, may be similar to that of stress, and possesses the entrainment ability of peripheral clocks through the activation of the adrenal gland and the sympathetic nervous system. PMID:27271267

Comparison of human optimized bacterial luciferase, firefly luciferase, and green fluorescent protein for continuous imaging of cell culture and animal models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Close, Dan M.; Hahn, Ruth E.; Patterson, Stacey S.; Baek, Seung J.; Ripp, Steven A.; Sayler, Gary S.

2011-04-01

Bioluminescent and fluorescent reporter systems have enabled the rapid and continued growth of the optical imaging field over the last two decades. Of particular interest has been noninvasive signal detection from mammalian tissues under both cell culture and whole animal settings. Here we report on the advantages and limitations of imaging using a recently introduced bacterial luciferase (lux) reporter system engineered for increased bioluminescent expression in the mammalian cellular environment. Comparison with the bioluminescent firefly luciferase (Luc) system and green fluorescent protein system under cell culture conditions demonstrated a reduced average radiance, but maintained a more constant level of bioluminescent output without the need for substrate addition or exogenous excitation to elicit the production of signal. Comparison with the Luc system following subcutaneous and intraperitoneal injection into nude mice hosts demonstrated the ability to obtain similar detection patterns with in vitro experiments at cell population sizes above 2.5 × 104 cells but at the cost of increasing overall image integration time.

EDITORIAL: Message from the Editor Message from the Editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Paul

2010-02-01

This year Nuclear Fusion celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. This has been marked by the January special edition, containing papers presented at the plenary and celebratory evening session of the 22nd Fusion Energy Conference at Geneva. These papers underline the enormous progress that has been made in the last 50 years both in experiment and theory. Whilst the technical challenges that we face are still formidable, they are largely concerned with engineering a fusion reactor rather than fundamental plasma physics. In my editorial of a year ago, I remarked on the price of oil and the incentive that it gives to develop nuclear fusion into a viable energy source. This last year, attention has shifted somewhat from the markets to the environment and the Copenhagen climate summit in particular. The timescale for action on the environment is much shorter than we can possibly match and so we can only play our part towards developing long term solutions. Our responsibility is to present a programme that has the clear goal in developing a sustainable source of energy and, as the next step, make an unambiguous success of ITER. The Nuclear Fusion journal has continued to make an important contribution to the research programme and has maintained its position as the leading journal in the field. The journal depends entirely on its authors and referees and so I would like to thank them all for their work in 2009 and look forward to a continuing, successful collaboration in 2010. Refereeing The Nuclear Fusion Editorial Office understands how much effort is required of our referees. The Editorial Board decided that an expression of thanks to our most loyal referees is appropriate and so, since January 2005, we have been offering the top ten most active referees over the past year a personal subscription to Nuclear Fusion with electronic access for one year, free of charge. This year, seven of the top referees have reviewed four or more manuscripts in the period November 2008 to November 2009 and provided particularly detailed advice to the authors. The other three have been very helpful in 'minority fields'. We have excluded our Board members, Guest Editors of special editions and those referees who were already listed in the last four years. Guest Editors' work on papers submitted to their Special Issues is also excluded from consideration. The following people have been selected: Tomonori Takizuka, JAEA-Naka Fusion Institute, Japan Rudolf Neu, Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Germany Sibylle Guenter, Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Germany Taik-Soo Hahm, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, United States David R. Mikkelsen, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, United States Peter C. de Vries, EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, United Kingdom Yasuhiro Suzuki, National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan Jerzy Wolowski, Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Poland Tetsuo Tanabe, Kyushu University, Japan Yasuyuki Yagi, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan Congratulations and many, many thanks! The Guest Editors of special editions deserve a special mention for the excellent help that they have given us. They are: Taik-Soo Hahm, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, United States, Special Issue on H-Mode Physics and Transport Barriers Yaroslav Kolesnichenko, Institute for Nuclear Research, Ukraine, Special Issue on Energetic Particles in Magnetic Confinement Systems Kimitaka Itoh, National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan and Howard R. Wilson, University of York, UK, Special Issue on Plasma Instabilities Bernhard Unterberg, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany, Special Issue on Stochastic Fusion Plasma In addition, there is a group of several hundred referees who have helped us in the past year to maintain the high scientific standard of Nuclear Fusion. At the end of this issue we give the full list of all referees for 2009. Our thanks to them! Authors The winner of the 2009 Nuclear Fusion award was Steven A. Sabbagh et al for the paper entitled 'Resistive wall stabilized operation in rotating high beta NSTX plasmas' (Nucl. Fusion 46 635-644). Reviews Last year I announced a revival of Nuclear Fusion Reviews, following a decision by the Board of Editors. 'A review of zonal flow experiments', by Akihide Fujisawa was the first fruit of this. In 2010, we are expecting to publish further review articles, the first of which is entitled 'Gyrokinetic simulations of turbulent transport' by Xavier Garbet, Yasuhiro Idomura, Laurent Villard and Tomo-Hiko Watanabe. Letters At the 2009 Board of Editors Meeting in Atlanta, the current letters procedure was summarized and it was noted that the peer review time for Letters is quite variable. Some are accepted within a month of submission, others take longer. Since the purpose of Letters is to provide a route for rapid communication, this is quite an important matter. It was agreed that the Board of Editors would play a more active role in the Letter approval process. If a reviewer asks for a second revision the Editor or a Board of Editors member will be queried as to whether the submission should still be treated as a Letter rather than a regular Paper. The Board of Editors The following Board of Editors members reached the end of their term in 2009: Amanda Hubbard, Yaroslav Kolesnichenko, Kunioki Mima, Boris Sharkov and Michael Ulrickson. On behalf of the Nuclear Fusion Office and the Chairman of the Board of Editors, Mitsuru Kikuchi, I would like to thank them for their efforts in support of the journal. At the same time, we welcomed: Hiroshi Azechi, Xuru Duan, Richard Hawryluk, Sergey Konovalov, Bruce Lipschultz, Peter Norreys, Francesco Romanelli, Tony Taylor and Hartmut Zohm. I am sure that such an illustrious group does not need any introduction to the readers of Nuclear Fusion and I am confident that the new members can only further the success of the journal. It is with great sadness that I have to note the passing away of the following former members of the Board of Editors: Ravindra Sudan (1975 to 1984), Joe Di Marco (1984 to 1991) and Roy Bickerton (1975 to 1986). The Nuclear Fusion Office and IOP Publishing Just as the journal depends on the authors and referees, so its success is also due to the tireless and largely unsung efforts of the Nuclear Fusion Office in Vienna and IOP Publishing in Bristol. I would like to express my personal thanks to Maria Bergamini-Roedler, Katja Haslinger, Sophy Le Masurier, Yasmin McGlashan, Caroline Wilkinson, Sarah Ryder, Rachael Kriefman and Katie Gerrard for the support that they have given to me, the authors and the referees. Season's Greetings The January special edition delayed this editorial for a month. Nevertheless, I would like belatedly to wish our readers, authors, referees and Board of Editors the season's greetings and thank them for their contributions to Nuclear Fusion in 2009.

TH-D-16A-01: Medical Physics Workshop: Editorial Vision and Guidance On Writing and Reviewing Papers

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

Williamson, J; Das, S; Goodsitt, M

On January 1, 2014, editorial leadership of Medical Physics passed from esteemed long-time Editor Bill Hendee to a collective editorial group composed of the three presenters listed above. In this presentation, we would like to outline our vision for the future of Medical Physics and review recent work-in-progress initiatives to implement this vision. Finally, we will close with guidance to authors on how to write a good Medical Physics paper. Vision for Medical Physics and current initiatives: Jeff Williamson, Editor-in-Chief We cannot improve on Dr. Hendee's succinct vision statement “to continue the Journal's tradition of publishing the very best sciencemore » that propels our discipline forward and improves our contribution to patient care.” More concretely, the Journal should be s the preeminent forum for electronic exchange of cutting edge medical physics science. We seek to identify the best contributions in (a) high impact clinical physics innovations; (b) clinical translation and validation of basic science innovations; or (c) cutting edge basic science developments with potential for patient care improvements. Among the challenges and opportunities we face are: are electronic-only and open access publishing; trends towards more interactive, social-media based scientific communities; and diversification of the medical physics research, authorship, and readership domains, including clinical applications quite foreign to core ABR clinical competencies. To address these issues over the next 3 years, we have reduced the size of our Editorial Board and focused its efforts on improving the Journal's impact through 4 working groups (WGs): WG-1: Review process quality and selectivity Creation of 120 member Board of Associate Editors to improve review uniformity by placing Ms. management in fewer hands New reviewer guidelines and templates Answer: “what is the scope of medical physics research?” Recursive taxonomy for tagging review expertise and article contents WG-2 Improving reader experience Redesigning http://MedPhys.org to host interactive features and gateway to electronic issue archive Experimentation with interactive features beginning with “Point/Counterpoint” Data mining and Journal quality evaluation Find out who are audiences are Identify characteristics of high impact articles Measure effectiveness of innovations Outreach to related communities Special issues presenting high-impact work in designated subcommunities Addressing the needs of new research constituencies: engineers, biophysicists, clinicians Guidelines and templates for reviewers and associate editors: Shiva Das, Therapy Physics Editor We will discuss the Med. Phys. review process and a new initiative to create review templates that attempts to address current shortcomings. Template design is informed by the literature on of the review process effectiveness and practices of other journals. Its goals are to provide authors more constructive criticism to improve the manuscript; quantifying perceived importance and potential impact; and providing structured sections that prompt the reviewer to addresses important technical and editorial elements. While the template is recommended to be used, reviewers could alternatively enter their comments in the older free-form style. The expectations of the template are that it will enable consistently thorough, high quality reviews that accurately separate acceptable vs. substandard submissions but continue our tradition of helping authors to enhance papers with high potential. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce variability and subjectivity in the peer-review process, in turn leading to articles with higher research and clinical impact. We will also discuss interesting perspectives from several journals on aspects of the peer-review process such as public input via comments, influence of author-suggested reviewers, and bias in reviewer selection. Writing good scientific papers and responding to critiques: Mitch Goodsitt, Imaging Physics Editor The essential components of the abstract, introduction, methods, discussion and conclusion sections, as well as the desired writing style and style of the figures and tables will be reviewed. Publishable Medical Physics Ms. must include a clear and concise statement of the novelty and clinical and/or scientific importance of their work. Examples of novelty include: new technical solution to an important clinical problem; new generalizable knowledge; or first demonstration that an existing engineering solution solves a clinical problem. Authors must also include: sufficient background information and rationale; enough detail that the work can be reproduced by others; sufficient statistical analysis to refute or validate their hypothesis, how it compares to; is distinct from, and improves upon others' work; and the limitations of their study. When the authors receive critiques from the referees and associate editor, the authors should provide a detailed point-bypoint response to each comment. We now ask that the authors' rebuttal include the text of the original criticism, the authors' response, and the modified text along with the line numbers in the revised article. We also ask that the new text be highlighted in a different font color in the revised submission. These changes and others will be discussed. Their purpose is to facilitate the review process.« less

Adolescent Sexual Initiation through the Lens of Letters to the Editor Published in Polish Teenage Magazines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopacz, Marek S.; Bajka-Kopacz, Aleksandra

2012-01-01

Almost all teenage magazines invite readers to submit questions concerning relationships, published as letters to the editor, popularly called "advice columns," often containing explicit questions about sexuality. This study aims to examine, firstly, how themes related to sexual initiation are presented in letters to the editor published…

Digital Alteration of Photographs in Magazines: An Examination of the Ethics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reaves, Shiela

A study examined magazine editors' views of some of the ethical considerations posed by digital alteration of photographs. Subjects, 12 consumer news and specialty magazine editors, were interviewed by telephone and asked a series of questions concerning the ethics of digitally manipulating photographs. Results indicated that magazine editors were…

"Clones," Codes, and Conflicts of Interest in Cartooning: Cartoonists and Editors Look at Ethics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riffe, Daniel; And Others

A study examined differences between political cartoonists and op-ed page editors on both traditional ethical issues (such as conflicts of interest) and the special, style-related concerns of editorial cartoonists. Hypotheses proposed were that editors and cartoonists (1) would condemn "cloning" or copying, reflecting an ethical…

29 CFR 793.11 - Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer. 793...)(9) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Requirements for Exemption § 793.11 Combination announcer, news... as a news editor. In such cases, the primary employment test under the section 13(b)(9) exemption...

29 CFR 793.11 - Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer. 793...)(9) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Requirements for Exemption § 793.11 Combination announcer, news... as a news editor. In such cases, the primary employment test under the section 13(b)(9) exemption...

29 CFR 793.11 - Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer. 793...)(9) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Requirements for Exemption § 793.11 Combination announcer, news... as a news editor. In such cases, the primary employment test under the section 13(b)(9) exemption...

The Introductory Psychology Textbook Market: Perceptions of Authors and Editors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Richard A.; Jackson, Sherri L.

1989-01-01

Surveys psychology textbook authors and editors on their perceptions of the introductory psychology textbook market. Finds that the textbook market is divided into three levels according to quality, and that authors and editors are not familiar with most textbooks. Notes that the growth of used book companies has adversely affected the market.…

A Lesson for Instructors: Top 10 Copy-Editing Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auman, Ann

1995-01-01

Presents results of a survey of 164 newspaper editors regarding which skills they believe are crucial for entry-level copy editors to know, and in which areas they see the most deficiencies. Notes that the skills identified reflect the changing duties of the copy editor and the increasing complexities of the job. (SR)

Newspaper Ethics and Managing Editors: The Evolution of APME's Code.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Mott, John

A review of the 42-year development of the professional code of ethics of the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME) demonstrates an effort to elevate newspaper ethical standards around the country. Following the example of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in establishing its "Canons of Journalism" in 1923, the APME formed a…

Editorial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audoly, Basile; Castañeda, Pedro Ponte; Kuhl, Ellen; Niordson, Christian; Sharma, Pradeep; Gao, Huajian

2016-02-01

After 12 years of distinguished service, Kaushik Bhattacharya has decided to step down as co-editor of the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. A new editorial team, with Huajian Gao as editor and Basile Audoly, Pedro Ponte Castañeda, Ellen Kuhl, Christian Niordson and Pradeep Sharma as Associate Editors, will take over as of January 1, 2016.

Biosecurity and the review and publication of dual-use research of concern.

PubMed

Patrone, Daniel; Resnik, David; Chin, Lisa

2012-09-01

Dual-use research of concern (DURC) is scientific research with significant potential for generating information that could be used to harm national security, the public health, or the environment. Editors responsible for journal policies and publication decisions play a vital role in ensuring that effective safeguards exist to cope with the risks of publishing scientific research with dual-use implications. We conducted an online survey of 127 chief editors of life science journals in 27 countries to examine their attitudes toward and experience with the review and publication of dual-use research of concern. Very few editors (11) had experience with biosecurity review, and no editor in our study reported having ever refused a submission on biosecurity grounds. Most respondents (74.8%) agreed that editors have a responsibility to consider biosecurity risks during the review process, but little consensus existed among editors on how to handle specific issues in the review and publication of research with potential dual-use implications. More work is needed to establish consensus on standards for the review and publication of dual-use research of concern in life science journals.

Biosecurity and the Review and Publication of Dual-Use Research of Concern

PubMed Central

Resnik, David; Chin, Lisa

2012-01-01

Dual-use research of concern (DURC) is scientific research with significant potential for generating information that could be used to harm national security, the public health, or the environment. Editors responsible for journal policies and publication decisions play a vital role in ensuring that effective safeguards exist to cope with the risks of publishing scientific research with dual-use implications. We conducted an online survey of 127 chief editors of life science journals in 27 countries to examine their attitudes toward and experience with the review and publication of dual-use research of concern. Very few editors (11) had experience with biosecurity review, and no editor in our study reported having ever refused a submission on biosecurity grounds. Most respondents (74.8%) agreed that editors have a responsibility to consider biosecurity risks during the review process, but little consensus existed among editors on how to handle specific issues in the review and publication of research with potential dual-use implications. More work is needed to establish consensus on standards for the review and publication of dual-use research of concern in life science journals. PMID:22871221