Plant Tolerance: A Unique Approach to Control Hemipteran Pests.

PubMed

Koch, Kyle G; Chapman, Kaitlin; Louis, Joe; Heng-Moss, Tiffany; Sarath, Gautam

2016-01-01

Plant tolerance to insect pests has been indicated to be a unique category of resistance, however, very little information is available on the mechanism of tolerance against insect pests. Tolerance is distinctive in terms of the plant's ability to withstand or recover from herbivore injury through growth and compensatory physiological processes. Because plant tolerance involves plant compensatory characteristics, the plant is able to harbor large numbers of herbivores without interfering with the insect pest's physiology or behavior. Some studies have observed that tolerant plants can compensate photosynthetically by avoiding feedback inhibition and impaired electron flow through photosystem II that occurs as a result of insect feeding. Similarly, the up-regulation of peroxidases and other oxidative enzymes during insect feeding, in conjunction with elevated levels of phytohormones can play an important role in providing plant tolerance to insect pests. Hemipteran insects comprise some of the most economically important plant pests (e.g., aphids, whiteflies), due to their ability to achieve high population growth and their potential to transmit plant viruses. In this review, results from studies on plant tolerance to hemipterans are summarized, and potential models to understand tolerance are presented.

Immunological self-tolerance: Lessons from mathematical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carneiro, Jorge; Paixao, Tiago; Milutinovic, Dejan; Sousa, Joao; Leon, Kalet; Gardner, Rui; Faro, Jose

2005-12-01

One of the fundamental properties of the immune system is its capacity to avoid autoimmune diseases. The mechanism underlying this process, known as self-tolerance, is hitherto unresolved but seems to involve the control of clonal expansion of autoreactive lymphocytes. This article reviews mathematical modeling of self-tolerance, addressing two specific hypotheses. The first hypothesis posits that self-tolerance is mediated by tuning of activation thresholds, which makes autoreactive T lymphocytes reversibly "anergic" and unable to proliferate. The second hypothesis posits that the proliferation of autoreactive T lymphocytes is instead controlled by specific regulatory T lymphocytes. Models representing the population dynamics of autoreactive T lymphocytes according to these two hypotheses were derived. For each model we identified how cell density affects tolerance, and predicted the corresponding phase spaces and bifurcations. We show that the simple induction of proliferative anergy, as modeled here, has a density dependence that is only partially compatible with adoptive transfers of tolerance, and that the models of tolerance mediated by specific regulatory T cells are closer to the observations.

Prospects for improving the salt tolerance of forest trees: A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, J.A.; Chambers, J.L.; Stine, M.

1994-01-01

Three major themes related to the improvement of salt tolerance in forest tree species are examined. First, evidence demonstrating that substantial intraspecific variation in salt tolerance exists in many species is presented. This evidence is important because it suggests that efforts to improve salt tolerance through conventional plant breeding techniques are justified. Second, the physiological and genetic mechanisms controlling salt tolerance are discussed briefly. Although salt tolerance involves the integration of numerous physiological processes, there is considerable evidence that differences in the ability to exclude Na+ and Cl- from leaves are the most important factors underlying intraspecific differences in tolerance. It is also becoming apparent that, although salt tolerance is a multigenic trait, major genes play an important role. Third, progress to date in improving salt tolerance of forest tree species is assessed. Compared with agricultural crops, relatively little progress has been made with either conventional or biotechnological methods, but field trials designed to test clones identified as salt tolerant in screening trials are underway now in several countries. We conclude that there is justification for cautious optimism about the prospects for improving salt tolerance in forest tree species.

Mitochondrial DNA repair and damage tolerance.

PubMed

Stein, Alexis; Sia, Elaine A

2017-01-01

The accurate maintenance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is required in order for eukaryotic cells to assemble a functional electron transport chain. This independently-maintained genome relies on nuclear-encoded proteins that are imported into the mitochondria to carry out replication and repair processes. Decades of research has made clear that mitochondria employ robust and varied mtDNA repair and damage tolerance mechanisms in order to ensure the proper maintenance of the mitochondrial genome. This review focuses on our current understanding of mtDNA repair and damage tolerance pathways including base excision repair, mismatch repair, homologous recombination, non-homologous end joining, translesion synthesis and mtDNA degradation in both yeast and mammalian systems.

Engineering microbes for tolerance to next-generation biofuels

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

A major challenge when using microorganisms to produce bulk chemicals such as biofuels is that the production targets are often toxic to cells. Many biofuels are known to reduce cell viability through damage to the cell membrane and interference with essential physiological processes. Therefore, cells must trade off biofuel production and survival, reducing potential yields. Recently, there have been several efforts towards engineering strains for biofuel tolerance. Promising methods include engineering biofuel export systems, heat shock proteins, membrane modifications, more general stress responses, and approaches that integrate multiple tolerance strategies. In addition, in situ recovery methods and media supplements can help to ease the burden of end-product toxicity and may be used in combination with genetic approaches. Recent advances in systems and synthetic biology provide a framework for tolerance engineering. This review highlights recent targeted approaches towards improving microbial tolerance to next-generation biofuels with a particular emphasis on strategies that will improve production. PMID:21936941

CD22 and Siglec-G in B cell function and tolerance

PubMed Central

Poe, Jonathan C.; Tedder, Thomas F.

2012-01-01

The immune system has evolved into two main arms, the primitive innate arm that is the first line of defense but relatively short-lived and broad acting, and the advanced adaptive arm that generates immunologic “memory” allowing rapid, specific recall responses. T cell-independent type-2 (TI-2) antigens (Ags) invoke innate immune responses. However, due to its “at the ready” nature, how the innate arm of the immune system maintains tolerance to potentially abundant host TI-2 Ags remains elusive. Therefore, it is important to define the mechanisms that establish innate immune tolerance. This review highlights recent insights into B cell tolerance to theoretical self TI-2 Ags, and examines how the B cell-restricted Siglecs, CD22 and Siglec-G, might contribute to this process. PMID:22677186

Dendritic cells in oral tolerance in the gut.

PubMed

Rescigno, Maria

2011-09-01

Oral tolerance is a process that allows generation of systemic unresponsiveness to food antigens. Hence if the same antigen is introduced systemically even under immunogenic conditions it does not induce immune responsiveness. Dendritic cells (DCs) have been identified as essential players in this process. DCs in the gut are located in a strategic position as they can interact directly with luminal antigens or indirectly after their transcytosis across epithelial cells. DCs can then migrate to associated lymphoid tissues to induce tolerance. Antigen presenting cells in the gut are specialized in function and have divided their labour so that there are cells capable to migrate to the draining mesenteric lymph node for induction of T regulatory cells, while other subsets are resident and are required to enforce tolerance locally in the gut after food antigen exposure. In this review, I shall summarize the characteristics of antigen presenting cells in the gut and their involvement in oral tolerance induction. In addition, I will also emphasize that tolerance to food allergens may be contributed by plasmacytoid DCs in the liver that participate to the elimination or anergy of allergen-specific CD8 T cells. Hence specialized functions are associated to different subsets of antigen presenting cells and different organs. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Advances in crop proteomics: PTMs of proteins under abiotic stress.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaolin; Gong, Fangping; Cao, Di; Hu, Xiuli; Wang, Wei

2016-03-01

Under natural conditions, crop plants are frequently subjected to various abiotic environmental stresses such as drought and heat wave, which may become more prevalent in the coming decades. Plant acclimation and tolerance to an abiotic stress are always associated with significant changes in PTMs of specific proteins. PTMs are important for regulating protein function, subcellular localization and protein activity and stability. Studies of plant responses to abiotic stress at the PTMs level are essential to the process of plant phenotyping for crop improvement. The ability to identify and quantify PTMs on a large-scale will contribute to a detailed protein functional characterization that will improve our understanding of the processes of crop plant stress acclimation and stress tolerance acquisition. Hundreds of PTMs have been reported, but it is impossible to review all of the possible protein modifications. In this review, we briefly summarize several main types of PTMs regarding their characteristics and detection methods, review the advances in PTMs research of crop proteomics, and highlight the importance of specific PTMs in crop response to abiotic stress. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Hidden Side of Zero Tolerance Policies: The African American Perspective

PubMed Central

Bell, Charles

2015-01-01

Several papers have documented the disproportionate representation of African Americans in school discipline and incarceration settings as a result of zero tolerance policies. In 2009, a federal study of the Chicago Public School system found African American boys represented 23 percent of the school age population, 44 percent of students who were suspended, and 61 percent of students who were expelled within the 2007 school year. Twenty years after the implementation of the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988, studies show African Americans comprised a startling 74 percent of those incarcerated for drug offenses despite being only 15 percent of America’s drug users. Despite overwhelming evidence that suggests African Americans are adversely affected by zero tolerance policies, African American perceptions of zero tolerance policies remain relatively hidden in the literature. The current review seeks to explore a seemingly bidirectional process that involves how zero tolerance impacts African Americans and how African Americans perceive zero tolerance policies. PMID:25893006

Plant Tolerance: A Unique Approach to Control Hemipteran Pests

PubMed Central

Koch, Kyle G.; Chapman, Kaitlin; Louis, Joe; Heng-Moss, Tiffany; Sarath, Gautam

2016-01-01

Plant tolerance to insect pests has been indicated to be a unique category of resistance, however, very little information is available on the mechanism of tolerance against insect pests. Tolerance is distinctive in terms of the plant’s ability to withstand or recover from herbivore injury through growth and compensatory physiological processes. Because plant tolerance involves plant compensatory characteristics, the plant is able to harbor large numbers of herbivores without interfering with the insect pest’s physiology or behavior. Some studies have observed that tolerant plants can compensate photosynthetically by avoiding feedback inhibition and impaired electron flow through photosystem II that occurs as a result of insect feeding. Similarly, the up-regulation of peroxidases and other oxidative enzymes during insect feeding, in conjunction with elevated levels of phytohormones can play an important role in providing plant tolerance to insect pests. Hemipteran insects comprise some of the most economically important plant pests (e.g., aphids, whiteflies), due to their ability to achieve high population growth and their potential to transmit plant viruses. In this review, results from studies on plant tolerance to hemipterans are summarized, and potential models to understand tolerance are presented. PMID:27679643

Role of dietary immunomodulatory factors in the development of immune tolerance.

PubMed

Prescott, Susan L

2009-01-01

The development of oral tolerance occurs during critical early stages of immune development. Rising rates of food allergy and other immune-mediated food reactions are an indication that oral tolerance is highly susceptible to environmental change. There is growing evidence that this many not be due food allergens per se, but rather to changing exposure to other key immunomodulatory exposures in this critical period. Successful tolerance appears to depend on many concurrent environmental influences during the period of first allergen encounter, including favorable gut colonization, and the presence of key immunomodulatory factors in breast milk and the infant diet. This review explores the potential effects of early dietary and nutritional factors in tolerogenic immune processes that are normally initiated during initial food allergen encounter. Copyright 2009 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel.

Aluminum exclusion and aluminum tolerance in woody plants.

PubMed

Brunner, Ivano; Sperisen, Christoph

2013-01-01

The aluminum (Al) cation Al(3) (+) is highly rhizotoxic and is a major stress factor to plants on acid soils, which cover large areas of tropical and boreal regions. Many woody plant species are native to acid soils and are well adapted to high Al(3) (+) conditions. In tropical regions, both woody Al accumulator and non-Al accumulator plants occur, whereas in boreal regions woody plants are non-Al accumulators. The mechanisms of these adaptations can be divided into those that facilitate the exclusion of Al(3) (+) from root cells (exclusion mechanisms) and those that enable plants to tolerate Al(3) (+) once it has entered the root and shoot symplast (internal tolerance mechanisms). The biochemical and molecular basis of these mechanisms have been intensively studied in several crop plants and the model plant Arabidopsis. In this review, we examine the current understanding of Al(3) (+) exclusion and tolerance mechanisms from woody plants. In addition, we discuss the ecology of woody non-Al accumulator and Al accumulator plants, and present examples of Al(3) (+) adaptations in woody plant populations. This paper complements previous reviews focusing on crop plants and provides insights into evolutionary processes operating in plant communities that are widespread on acid soils.

Manipulating environmental stresses and stress tolerance of microalgae for enhanced production of lipids and value-added products-A review.

PubMed

Chen, Bailing; Wan, Chun; Mehmood, Muhammad Aamer; Chang, Jo-Shu; Bai, Fengwu; Zhao, Xinqing

2017-11-01

Microalgae have promising potential to produce lipids and a variety of high-value chemicals. Suitable stress conditions such as nitrogen starvation and high salinity could stimulate synthesis and accumulation of lipids and high-value products by microalgae, therefore, various stress-modification strategies were developed to manipulate and optimize cultivation processes to enhance bioproduction efficiency. On the other hand, advancements in omics-based technologies have boosted the research to globally understand microalgal gene regulation under stress conditions, which enable further improvement of production efficiency via genetic engineering. Moreover, integration of multi-omics data, synthetic biology design, and genetic engineering manipulations exhibits a tremendous potential in the betterment of microalgal biorefinery. This review discusses the process manipulation strategies and omics studies on understanding the regulation of metabolite biosynthesis under various stressful conditions, and proposes genetic engineering of microalgae to improve bioproduction via manipulating stress tolerance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Free lactic acid production under acidic conditions by lactic acid bacteria strains: challenges and future prospects.

PubMed

Singhvi, Mamata; Zendo, Takeshi; Sonomoto, Kenji

2018-05-26

Lactic acid (LA) is an important platform chemical due to its significant applications in various fields and its use as a monomer for the production of biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA). Free LA production is required to get rid of CaSO 4 , a waste material produced during fermentation at neutral pH which will lead to easy purification of LA required for the production of biodegradable PLA. Additionally, there is no need to use corrosive acids to release free LA from the calcium lactate produced during neutral fermentation. To date, several attempts have been made to improve the acid tolerance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) by using both genome-shuffling approaches and rational design based on known mechanisms of LA tolerance and gene deletion in yeast strains. However, the lack of knowledge and the complexity of acid-tolerance mechanisms have made it challenging to generate LA-tolerant strains by simply modifying few target genes. Currently, adaptive evolution has proven an efficient strategy to improve the LA tolerance of individual/engineered strains. The main objectives of this article are to summarize the conventional biotechnological LA fermentation processes to date, assess their overall economic and environmental cost, and to introduce modern LA fermentation strategies for free LA production. In this review, we provide a broad overview of free LA fermentation processes using robust LAB that can ferment in acidic environments, the obstacles to these processes and their possible solutions, and the impact on future development of free LA fermentation processes commercially.

Realm of Thermoalkaline Lipases in Bioprocess Commodities.

PubMed

Lajis, Ahmad Firdaus B

2018-01-01

For decades, microbial lipases are notably used as biocatalysts and efficiently catalyze various processes in many important industries. Biocatalysts are less corrosive to industrial equipment and due to their substrate specificity and regioselectivity they produced less harmful waste which promotes environmental sustainability. At present, thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases have gained enormous interest as biocatalyst due to their stability and robustness under high temperature and alkaline environment operation. Several characteristics of the thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases are discussed. Their molecular weight and resistance towards a range of temperature, pH, metal, and surfactants are compared. Their industrial applications in biodiesel, biodetergents, biodegreasing, and other types of bioconversions are also described. This review also discusses the advance of fermentation process for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production focusing on the process development in microorganism selection and strain improvement, culture medium optimization via several optimization techniques (i.e., one-factor-at-a-time, surface response methodology, and artificial neural network), and other fermentation parameters (i.e., inoculums size, temperature, pH, agitation rate, dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), and aeration rate). Two common fermentation techniques for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production which are solid-state and submerged fermentation methods are compared and discussed. Recent optimization approaches using evolutionary algorithms (i.e., Genetic Algorithm, Differential Evolution, and Particle Swarm Optimization) are also highlighted in this article.

Evaluating software development characteristics: Assessment of software measures in the Software Engineering Laboratory. [reliability engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, V. R.

1981-01-01

Work on metrics is discussed. Factors that affect software quality are reviewed. Metrics is discussed in terms of criteria achievements, reliability, and fault tolerance. Subjective and objective metrics are distinguished. Product/process and cost/quality metrics are characterized and discussed.

CD22 and Siglec-G in B cell function and tolerance.

PubMed

Poe, Jonathan C; Tedder, Thomas F

2012-08-01

The immune system has evolved into two main arms: the primitive innate arm that is the first line of defense but relatively short-lived and broad acting; and the advanced adaptive arm that generates immunological memory, allowing rapid, specific recall responses. T cell-independent type-2 (TI-2) antigens (Ags) invoke innate immune responses. However, due to its 'at the ready' nature, how the innate arm of the immune system maintains tolerance to potentially abundant host TI-2 Ags remains elusive. Therefore, it is important to define the mechanisms that establish innate immune tolerance. This review highlights recent insights into B cell tolerance to theoretical self TI-2 Ags, and examines how the B cell-restricted sialic acid binding Ig-like lectins (Siglecs), CD22 and Siglec-G, might contribute to this process. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Issues on human acceleration tolerance after long-duration space flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, K. Vasantha; Norfleet, William T.

1992-01-01

This report reviewed the literature on human tolerance to acceleration at 1 G and changes in tolerance after exposure to hypogravic fields. It was found that human tolerance decreased after exposure to hypokinetic and hypogravic fields, but the magnitude of such reduction ranged from 0 to 30 percent for plateau G forces and 30 to 70 percent for time tolerance on sustained G forces. A logistic regression model of the probability of individuals with 25 percent reduction in +Gz tolerance after 1 to 41 days of hypogravic exposures was constructed. The estimated values from the model showed a good correlation with the observed data. A brief review of the need for in-flight centrifuge during long-duration missions was also presented. Review of the available data showed that the use of countermeasures (such as anti-G suits, periodic acceleration, and exercise) reduced the decrement in acceleration tolerance after long-duration space flights. Areas of further research include quantification of the effect of countermeasures on tolerance, and methods to augment tolerance during and after exposures to hypogravic fields. Such data are essential for planning long-duration human missions.

Pavlovian influences over food and drug intake.

PubMed

Woods, S C; Ramsay, D S

2000-06-01

Consuming food and taking drugs share several important characteristics. In particular, each causes changes in important physiological parameters that are constantly being monitored and regulated by the brain. As examples, blood glucose increases after meals; and body temperature decreases after ethanol is taken. Such changes elicit neurally-mediated homeostatic responses that serve to reduce the magnitude and duration of the perturbation. It is argued that when an individual can accurately anticipate pending meals or drugs, it can make appropriate responses to minimize or totally neutralize the meal/drug-elicited perturbations. This phenomenon, which is the basis for meal and drug tolerance, relies upon Pavlovian conditioning. Literature is reviewed which documents the role of conditioning processes in the development of tolerance. The argument is made that conditioned responses enable individuals to derive necessary or desirable aspects of food and drugs while minimizing some of their negative effects. In a final section, drug tolerance is discussed as a natural consequence of evolution-derived, meal-related learning processes, with associated negative consequences.

Development and Operation of a Database Machine for Online Access and Update of a Large Database.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rush, James E.

1980-01-01

Reviews the development of a fault tolerant database processor system which replaced OCLC's conventional file system. A general introduction to database management systems and the operating environment is followed by a description of the hardware selection, software processes, and system characteristics. (SW)

Responses of Plant Proteins to Heavy Metal Stress—A Review

PubMed Central

Hasan, Md. Kamrul; Cheng, Yuan; Kanwar, Mukesh K.; Chu, Xian-Yao; Ahammed, Golam J.; Qi, Zhen-Yu

2017-01-01

Plants respond to environmental pollutants such as heavy metal(s) by triggering the expression of genes that encode proteins involved in stress response. Toxic metal ions profoundly affect the cellular protein homeostasis by interfering with the folding process and aggregation of nascent or non-native proteins leading to decreased cell viability. However, plants possess a range of ubiquitous cellular surveillance systems that enable them to efficiently detoxify heavy metals toward enhanced tolerance to metal stress. As proteins constitute the major workhorses of living cells, the chelation of metal ions in cytosol with phytochelatins and metallothioneins followed by compartmentalization of metals in the vacuoles as well as the repair of stress-damaged proteins or removal and degradation of proteins that fail to achieve their native conformations are critical for plant tolerance to heavy metal stress. In this review, we provide a broad overview of recent advances in cellular protein research with regards to heavy metal tolerance in plants. We also discuss how plants maintain functional and healthy proteomes for survival under such capricious surroundings. PMID:28928754

Review of recent transgenic studies on abiotic stress tolerance and future molecular breeding in potato.

PubMed

Kikuchi, Akira; Huynh, Huu Duc; Endo, Tsukasa; Watanabe, Kazuo

2015-03-01

Global warming has become a major issue within the last decade. Traditional breeding programs for potato have focused on increasing productivity and quality and disease resistance, thus, modern cultivars have limited tolerance of abiotic stresses. The introgression of abiotic stress tolerance into modern cultivars is essential work for the future. Recently, many studies have investigated abiotic stress using transgenic techniques. This manuscript focuses on the study of abiotic stress, in particular drought, salinity and low temperature, during this century. Dividing studies into these three stress categories for this review was difficult. Thus, based on the study title and the transgene property, transgenic studies were classified into five categories in this review; oxidative scavengers, transcriptional factors, and above three abiotic categories. The review focuses on studies that investigate confer of stress tolerance and the identification of responsible factors, including wild relatives. From a practical application perspective, further evaluation of transgenic potato with abiotic stress tolerance is required. Although potato plants, including wild species, have a large potential for abiotic stress tolerance, exploration of the factors responsible for conferring this tolerance is still developing. Molecular breeding, including genetic engineering and conventional breeding using DNA markers, is expected to develop in the future.

Breeding for plant heat tolerance at vegetative and reproductive stages.

PubMed

Driedonks, Nicky; Rieu, Ivo; Vriezen, Wim H

2016-06-01

Thermotolerant crop research. Global warming has become a serious worldwide threat. High temperature is a major environmental factor limiting crop productivity. Current adaptations to high temperature via alterations to technical and management systems are insufficient to sustain yield. For this reason, breeding for heat-tolerant crops is in high demand. This review provides an overview of the effects of high temperature on plant physiology, fertility and crop yield and discusses the strategies for breeding heat-tolerant cultivars. Generating thermotolerant crops seems to be a challenging task as heat sensitivity is highly variable across developmental stages and processes. In response to heat, plants trigger a cascade of events, switching on numerous genes. Although breeding has made substantial advances in developing heat-tolerant lines, the genetic basis and diversity of heat tolerance in plants remain largely unknown. The development of new varieties is expensive and time-consuming, and knowledge of heat tolerance mechanisms would aid the design of strategies to screen germplasm for heat tolerance traits. However, gains in heat tolerance are limited by the often narrow genetic diversity. Exploration and use of wild relatives and landraces in breeding can increase useful genetic diversity in current crops. Due to the complex nature of plant heat tolerance and its immediate global concern, it is essential to face this breeding challenge in a multidisciplinary holistic approach involving governmental agencies, private companies and academic institutions.

FAA/NASA International Symposium on Advanced Structural Integrity Methods for Airframe Durability and Damage Tolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E. (Editor)

1994-01-01

International technical experts in durability and damage tolerance of metallic airframe structures were assembled to present and discuss recent research findings and the development of advanced design and analysis methods, structural concepts, and advanced materials. The symposium focused on the dissemination of new knowledge and the peer-review of progress on the development of advanced methodologies. Papers were presented on: structural concepts for enhanced durability, damage tolerance, and maintainability; new metallic alloys and processing technology; fatigue crack initiation and small crack effects; fatigue crack growth models; fracture mechanics failure, criteria for ductile materials; structural mechanics methodology for residual strength and life prediction; development of flight load spectra for design and testing; and advanced approaches to resist corrosion and environmentally assisted fatigue.

FAA/NASA International Symposium on Advanced Structural Integrity Methods for Airframe Durability and Damage Tolerance, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E. (Editor)

1994-01-01

The international technical experts in the areas of durability and damage tolerance of metallic airframe structures were assembled to present and discuss recent research findings and the development of advanced design and analysis methods, structural concepts, and advanced materials. The principal focus of the symposium was on the dissemination of new knowledge and the peer-review of progress on the development of advanced methodologies. Papers were presented on the following topics: structural concepts for enhanced durability, damage tolerance, and maintainability; new metallic alloys and processing technology; fatigue crack initiation and small crack effects; fatigue crack growth models; fracture mechanics failure criteria for ductile materials; structural mechanics methodology for residual strength and life prediction; development of flight load spectra for design and testing; and corrosion resistance.

Modifications of Antiepileptic Drugs for Improved Tolerability and Efficacy

PubMed Central

Landmark, Cecilie Johannessen; Johannessen, Svein I.

2008-01-01

Introduction A large number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are available today, but they may not be satisfactory regarding clinical efficacy, tolerance, toxicity or pharmacokinetic properties. The purpose of this review is to focus upon the rationale behind the chemical modifications of several recently marketed AEDs or drugs in development and to categorize them according to the main purposes for the improvements: better efficacy or tolerability accompanied by improved pharmacokinetic properties. Material and Method AEDs that have been chemically modified to new derivatives during the last years are reviewed based on recent publications and PubMed-searches. Results and Discussion Improvement in pharmacokinetic parameters may affect both tolerability and efficacy. Modifications to improve tolerability include various valproate analogues, divided into aliphatic amides, cyclic derivatives or amino acid conjugates. Furthermore, there are the carbamazepine analogues oxcarbazepine and eslicarbazepine, the felbamate analogues fluorofelbamate and carisbamate (RWJ 33369), and the lamotrigine analogue JZP-4. The levetiracetam analogues brivaracetam and seletracetam and the derivatives of gabapentin, pregabalin and XP13512, have improved selectivity compared to their parent compounds. Other new drugs have new mechanisms of action related to GABA and glutamate receptors; the glutamate antagonists like topiramate (talampanel and NS-1209), and GABAA receptor agonists, benzodiazepine or progesterone analogues (ELB-139 and ganaxolone). Conclusion Further challenges for development of new AEDs include investigations of target molecules affected by pathophysiological processes and detailed structure-activity relationships with focus on stereoselectivity. These potential drugs may become of importance in future drug therapy in epilepsy and other CNS disorders. PMID:19787095

Realm of Thermoalkaline Lipases in Bioprocess Commodities

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

For decades, microbial lipases are notably used as biocatalysts and efficiently catalyze various processes in many important industries. Biocatalysts are less corrosive to industrial equipment and due to their substrate specificity and regioselectivity they produced less harmful waste which promotes environmental sustainability. At present, thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases have gained enormous interest as biocatalyst due to their stability and robustness under high temperature and alkaline environment operation. Several characteristics of the thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases are discussed. Their molecular weight and resistance towards a range of temperature, pH, metal, and surfactants are compared. Their industrial applications in biodiesel, biodetergents, biodegreasing, and other types of bioconversions are also described. This review also discusses the advance of fermentation process for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production focusing on the process development in microorganism selection and strain improvement, culture medium optimization via several optimization techniques (i.e., one-factor-at-a-time, surface response methodology, and artificial neural network), and other fermentation parameters (i.e., inoculums size, temperature, pH, agitation rate, dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), and aeration rate). Two common fermentation techniques for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production which are solid-state and submerged fermentation methods are compared and discussed. Recent optimization approaches using evolutionary algorithms (i.e., Genetic Algorithm, Differential Evolution, and Particle Swarm Optimization) are also highlighted in this article. PMID:29666707

Process-based tolerance assessment of connecting rod machining process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, G. V. S. S.; Rao, P. Srinivasa; Surendra Babu, B.

2016-06-01

Process tolerancing based on the process capability studies is the optimistic and pragmatic approach of determining the manufacturing process tolerances. On adopting the define-measure-analyze-improve-control approach, the process potential capability index ( C p) and the process performance capability index ( C pk) values of identified process characteristics of connecting rod machining process are achieved to be greater than the industry benchmark of 1.33, i.e., four sigma level. The tolerance chain diagram methodology is applied to the connecting rod in order to verify the manufacturing process tolerances at various operations of the connecting rod manufacturing process. This paper bridges the gap between the existing dimensional tolerances obtained via tolerance charting and process capability studies of the connecting rod component. Finally, the process tolerancing comparison has been done by adopting a tolerance capability expert software.

Abscisic Acid and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants

PubMed Central

Sah, Saroj K.; Reddy, Kambham R.; Li, Jiaxu

2016-01-01

Abiotic stress is a primary threat to fulfill the demand of agricultural production to feed the world in coming decades. Plants reduce growth and development process during stress conditions, which ultimately affect the yield. In stress conditions, plants develop various stress mechanism to face the magnitude of stress challenges, although that is not enough to protect them. Therefore, many strategies have been used to produce abiotic stress tolerance crop plants, among them, abscisic acid (ABA) phytohormone engineering could be one of the methods of choice. ABA is an isoprenoid phytohormone, which regulates various physiological processes ranging from stomatal opening to protein storage and provides adaptation to many stresses like drought, salt, and cold stresses. ABA is also called an important messenger that acts as the signaling mediator for regulating the adaptive response of plants to different environmental stress conditions. In this review, we will discuss the role of ABA in response to abiotic stress at the molecular level and ABA signaling. The review also deals with the effect of ABA in respect to gene expression. PMID:27200044

Potential roles for microbial endophytes in herbicide tolerance in plants.

PubMed

Tétard-Jones, Catherine; Edwards, Robert

2016-02-01

Herbicide tolerance in crops and weeds is considered to be monotrophic, i.e. determined by the relative susceptibility of the physiological process targeted and the plant's ability to metabolise and detoxify the agrochemical. A growing body of evidence now suggests that endophytes, microbes that inhabit plant tissues and provide a range of growth, health and defence enhancements, can contribute to other types of abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. The current evidence for herbicide tolerance being bitrophic, with both free-living and plant-associated endophytes contributing to tolerance in the host plant, has been reviewed. We propose that endophytes can directly contribute to herbicide detoxification through their ability to metabolise xenobiotics. In addition, we explore the paradigm that microbes can 'prime' resistance mechanisms in plants such that they enhance herbicide tolerance by inducing the host's stress responses to withstand the downstream toxicity caused by herbicides. This latter mechanism has the potential to contribute to the growth of non-target-site-based herbicide resistance in weeds. Microbial endophytes already contribute to herbicide detoxification in planta, and there is now significant scope to extend these interactions using synthetic biology approaches to engineer new chemical tolerance traits into crops via microbial engineering. © 2015 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Zero Tolerance for Children: Two Wrongs Do Not Make a Right.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sughrue, Jennifer A.

2003-01-01

Traces zero tolerance from federal Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 through state compliance and state board of education regulations to school district policy and guidelines in Virginia. Reviews Virginia case involving suspension of a middle-school student for having a paring knife in his locker. Reviews other zero-tolerance cases. Questions the…

IRON-TOLERANT CYANOBACTERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR ASTROBIOLOGY

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Igor I.; Allen, Carlton C.; Mummey, Daniel L.; Sarkisova, Svetlana A.; McKay, David S.

2006-01-01

The review is dedicated to the new group of extremophiles - iron tolerant cyanobacteria. The authors have analyzed earlier published articles about the ecology of iron tolerant cyanobacteria and their diversity. It was concluded that contemporary iron depositing hot springs might be considered as relative analogs of Precambrian environment. The authors have concluded that the diversity of iron-tolerant cyanobacteria is understudied. The authors also analyzed published data about the physiological peculiarities of iron tolerant cyanobacteria. They made the conclusion that iron tolerant cyanobacteria may oxidize reduced iron through the photosystem of cyanobacteria. The involvement of both Reaction Centers 1 and 2 is also discussed. The conclusion that iron tolerant protocyanobacteria could be involved in banded iron formations generation is also proposed. The possible mechanism of the transition from an oxygenic photosynthesis to an oxygenic one is also discussed. In the final part of the review the authors consider the possible implications of iron tolerant cyanobacteria for astrobiology.

Plant salt-tolerance mechanisms

DOE PAGES

Deinlein, Ulrich; Stephan, Aaron B.; Horie, Tomoaki; ...

2014-06-01

Crop performance is severely affected by high salt concentrations in soils. To engineer more salt-tolerant plants it is crucial to unravel the key components of the plant salt-tolerance network. Here we review our understanding of the core salt-tolerance mechanisms in plants. Recent studies have shown that stress sensing and signaling components can play important roles in regulating the plant salinity stress response. We also review key Na+ transport and detoxification pathways and the impact of epigenetic chromatin modifications on salinity tolerance. In addition, we discuss the progress that has been made towards engineering salt tolerance in crops, including marker-assisted selectionmore » and gene stacking techniques. We also identify key open questions that remain to be addressed in the future.« less

Modulation of inflammation and disease tolerance by DNA damage response pathways.

PubMed

Neves-Costa, Ana; Moita, Luis F

2017-03-01

The accurate replication and repair of DNA is central to organismal survival. This process is challenged by the many factors that can change genetic information such as replication errors and direct damage to the DNA molecule by chemical and physical agents. DNA damage can also result from microorganism invasion as an integral step of their life cycle or as collateral damage from host defense mechanisms against pathogens. Here we review the complex crosstalk of DNA damage response and immune response pathways that might be evolutionarily connected and argue that DNA damage response pathways can be explored therapeutically to induce disease tolerance through the activation of tissue damage control processes. Such approach may constitute the missing pillar in the treatment of critical illnesses caused by multiple organ failure, such as sepsis and septic shock. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

The 'sensory tolerance limit': A hypothetical construct determining exercise performance?

PubMed

Hureau, Thomas J; Romer, Lee M; Amann, Markus

2018-02-01

Neuromuscular fatigue compromises exercise performance and is determined by central and peripheral mechanisms. Interactions between the two components of fatigue can occur via neural pathways, including feedback and feedforward processes. This brief review discusses the influence of feedback and feedforward mechanisms on exercise limitation. In terms of feedback mechanisms, particular attention is given to group III/IV sensory neurons which link limb muscle with the central nervous system. Central corollary discharge, a copy of the neural drive from the brain to the working muscles, provides a signal from the motor system to sensory systems and is considered a feedforward mechanism that might influence fatigue and consequently exercise performance. We highlight findings from studies supporting the existence of a 'critical threshold of peripheral fatigue', a previously proposed hypothesis based on the idea that a negative feedback loop operates to protect the exercising limb muscle from severe threats to homeostasis during whole-body exercise. While the threshold theory remains to be disproven within a given task, it is not generalisable across different exercise modalities. The 'sensory tolerance limit', a more theoretical concept, may address this issue and explain exercise tolerance in more global terms and across exercise modalities. The 'sensory tolerance limit' can be viewed as a negative feedback loop which accounts for the sum of all feedback (locomotor muscles, respiratory muscles, organs, and muscles not directly involved in exercise) and feedforward signals processed within the central nervous system with the purpose of regulating the intensity of exercise to ensure that voluntary activity remains tolerable.

Effects of Lean Six Sigma application in healthcare services: a literature review.

PubMed

Ahmed, Selim; Manaf, Noor H A; Islam, Rafikul

2013-01-01

The healthcare organization is the place where defects and mistakes cannot be tolerated. A simple mistake can cost a human life so defects or mistakes must be eliminated in healthcare service processes. A Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach is the best option in a healthcare environment for dealing with a critical patient. The LSS methodology optimizes the average reduction of a desired process. The expected results can be reductions in several aspects of healthcare such as patient waiting time in emergency departments, lost charges for billing in patient financial services, delinquent medical records, diagnostic result turnaround times, accounts receivable days, patients' length of stay, or medication errors. This paper mainly discusses the effects of the LSS approach in different hospitals around the world according to the literature review. This review also discusses the relationship between LSS as well as their impacts on healthcare services based on literature review.

Oral Versus Topical Diclofenac Sodium in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Tieppo Francio, Vinicius; Davani, Saeid; Towery, Chris; Brown, Tony L

2017-06-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of joint pain in the United States and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as Diclofenac sodium, which is currently available in two main routes of administration; oral and topical distribution have been established as one of the standard treatments for OA. Generally, oral NSAIDs are well tolerated; however our narrative review suggests that the topical solution had a better tolerability property than oral Diclofenac sodium, especially due to side effects of gastrointestinal bleeding with the utilization of the oral format. In addition, the topical route may be considered a reasonable selection by clinicians for management of musculoskeletal pain in those patients with a history of potential risk and adverse side effects. Most studies reviewed comparing oral versus topical solution of Diclofenac sodium revealed comparable efficacy, with minimal side effects utilizing the topical route. The key point of this narrative review is to help clinicians that currently must decide between very inexpensive diclofenac oral presentations and expensive topical presentations especially in the elderly population and the pros and cons of such decision-making process.

The small heat shock protein Hsp27: Present understanding and future prospects.

PubMed

Singh, Manish Kumar; Sharma, Bechan; Tiwari, Pramod K

2017-10-01

Heat shock proteins are important for maintaining protein homeostasis and cell survival. Among different classes of highly conserved Hsps, low molecular weight Hsps (sHsps) have significant place, particularly Hsp27, whose role has been demonstrated in wide range of biological processes, including development, immunity, diseases and therapy. In this review, the structure and functions of Hsp27 and related genes, their role in different cellular processes as well as in stress tolerance, is highlighted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced information processing system - Status report. [for fault tolerant and damage tolerant data processing for aerospace vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brock, L. D.; Lala, J.

1986-01-01

The Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) is designed to provide a fault tolerant and damage tolerant data processing architecture for a broad range of aerospace vehicles. The AIPS architecture also has attributes to enhance system effectiveness such as graceful degradation, growth and change tolerance, integrability, etc. Two key building blocks being developed by the AIPS program are a fault and damage tolerant processor and communication network. A proof-of-concept system is now being built and will be tested to demonstrate the validity and performance of the AIPS concepts.

Abscisic Acid Signaling and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants: A Review on Current Knowledge and Future Prospects

PubMed Central

Vishwakarma, Kanchan; Upadhyay, Neha; Kumar, Nitin; Yadav, Gaurav; Singh, Jaspreet; Mishra, Rohit K.; Kumar, Vivek; Verma, Rishi; Upadhyay, R. G.; Pandey, Mayank; Sharma, Shivesh

2017-01-01

Abiotic stress is one of the severe stresses of environment that lowers the growth and yield of any crop even on irrigated land throughout the world. A major phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays an essential part in acting toward varied range of stresses like heavy metal stress, drought, thermal or heat stress, high level of salinity, low temperature, and radiation stress. Its role is also elaborated in various developmental processes including seed germination, seed dormancy, and closure of stomata. ABA acts by modifying the expression level of gene and subsequent analysis of cis- and trans-acting regulatory elements of responsive promoters. It also interacts with the signaling molecules of processes involved in stress response and development of seeds. On the whole, the stress to a plant can be susceptible or tolerant by taking into account the coordinated activities of various stress-responsive genes. Numbers of transcription factor are involved in regulating the expression of ABA responsive genes by acting together with their respective cis-acting elements. Hence, for improvement in stress-tolerance capacity of plants, it is necessary to understand the mechanism behind it. On this ground, this article enlightens the importance and role of ABA signaling with regard to various stresses as well as regulation of ABA biosynthetic pathway along with the transcription factors for stress tolerance. PMID:28265276

The interplay between risk and preventive factors explains why some children develop allergies to certain foods and others show tolerance.

PubMed

Remes, Sami; Kulmala, Petri

2018-05-11

A number of studies have clarified the tolerance mechanisms and risk factors for food allergies. Our aim was to explore food allergy symptoms by target organs, together with the risk factors and how to prevent food allergies and induce tolerance. We carried out a thorough review of studies on paediatric food allergies published in the last decade. Food allergy symptoms may affect the skin, nasal and oral mucosa, conjunctivae, gastrointestinal tract, or, in severe cases, the respiratory tract and cardiovascular organs. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated symptoms appear rapidly after exposure to the offending allergen, whereas non-IgE mediated symptoms are typically delayed. The immunological processes involved in non-IgE mediated allergic reactions are poorly understood, but T cell activation is probably involved. There are several factors that influence the food sensitisation process: genetic predisposition, disruption of oral tolerance development, impaired skin barriers in atopic eczema and the influence of microbiomes. The symptoms and intensity of reactions vary considerably with regard to food allergies and these depend on the individual's concomitant immunological and regulatory mechanisms. There is strong evidence that dietary diversity is important for children, even when they come from families with high allergy risks. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Tolerance Signatures in Transplant Recipients

PubMed Central

Newell, Kenneth A.; Turka, Laurence A.

2015-01-01

Purpose of review The intent of this review is to describe biomarkers that predict or identify individuals who exhibit tolerance to a transplanted organ. The identification of tolerance biomarkers would spare some individuals the toxicity of immunosuppressive agents, enhance the safety of studies to induce tolerance, and provide insights into mechanisms of tolerance that may aid in designing new regimens. Recent findings Studies of tolerant kidney transplant recipients have revealed an association with B cells. More recent studies have suggested that these B cells may be less mature than from those in nontolerant recipients, and specially suited to suppress alloimmune responses. Biomarkers in tolerant liver transplant patients appear to be distinct from those associated renal tolerance. Most reports have identified an association with NK and/or γδ T cells rather than B cells. Recent data indicate biomarkers associated with iron homeostasis within the transplanted liver more accurately predict the tolerant state than do biomarkers expressed in the blood, suggesting that the renal allograft itself, which is infrequently sampled, would be informative. Summary Given the encouraging progress in identifying tolerance biomarkers, it will be important to validate these markers in larger studies of transplant recipients undergoing prospective minimization or withdrawal of immunosuppression. PMID:26107969

Physiological and cellular aspects of phytotoxicity tolerance in plants: the role of membrane transporters and implications for crop breeding for waterlogging tolerance.

PubMed

Shabala, Sergey

2011-04-01

Waterlogging affects large areas of agricultural land, resulting in severe economic penalties because of massive losses in crop production. Traditionally, plant breeding for waterlogging tolerance has been based on the field assessment of a range of agronomic and morphological characteristics. This review argues for a need to move towards more physiologically based approaches by targeting specific cellular mechanisms underling key components of waterlogging tolerance in plants. Also, while the main focus of researchers was predominantly on plant anoxia tolerance, less attention was given to plant tolerance to phytotoxins under waterlogged conditions. This paper reviews the production of major elemental and organic phytotoxins in waterlogged soils and describes their adverse effects on plant performance. The critical role of plasma membrane transporters in plant tolerance to secondary metabolite toxicity is highlighted, and ionic mechanisms mediating the this tolerance are discussed. A causal link between the secondary metabolite-induced disturbances to cell ionic homeostasis and programmed cell death is discussed, and a new ethylene-independent pathway for aerenchyma formation is put forward. It is concluded that plant breeding for waterlogging tolerance may significantly benefit from targeting mechanisms of tolerance to phytotoxins.

Uptake, Accumulation and Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticle in Autotrophic Plants, and Heterotrophic Microbes: A Concentric Review

PubMed Central

Tripathi, Durgesh K.; Tripathi, Ashutosh; Shweta; Singh, Swati; Singh, Yashwant; Vishwakarma, Kanchan; Yadav, Gaurav; Sharma, Shivesh; Singh, Vivek K.; Mishra, Rohit K.; Upadhyay, R. G.; Dubey, Nawal K.; Lee, Yonghoon; Chauhan, Devendra K.

2017-01-01

Nanotechnology is a cutting-edge field of science with the potential to revolutionize today’s technological advances including industrial applications. It is being utilized for the welfare of mankind; but at the same time, the unprecedented use and uncontrolled release of nanomaterials into the environment poses enormous threat to living organisms. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used in several industries and its continuous release may hamper many physiological and biochemical processes in the living organisms including autotrophs and heterotrophs. The present review gives a concentric know-how of the effects of AgNPs on the lower and higher autotrophic plants as well as on heterotrophic microbes so as to have better understanding of the differences in effects among these two groups. It also focuses on the mechanism of uptake, translocation, accumulation in the plants and microbes, and resulting toxicity as well as tolerance mechanisms by which these microorganisms are able to survive and reduce the effects of AgNPs. This review differentiates the impact of silver nanoparticles at various levels between autotrophs and heterotrophs and signifies the prevailing tolerance mechanisms. With this background, a comprehensive idea can be made with respect to the influence of AgNPs on lower and higher autotrophic plants together with heterotrophic microbes and new insights can be generated for the researchers to understand the toxicity and tolerance mechanisms of AgNPs in plants and microbes. PMID:28184215

Pavlovian control of cross-tolerance between pentobarbital and ethanol.

PubMed

Cappell, H; Roach, C; Poulos, C X

1981-01-01

Tolerance to several effects of a number of drugs has been shown to depend on Pavlovian conditioning processes. Experiment I extended the compensatory conditioning model (Siegel 1975) to tolerance to the hypothermic effect of pentobarbital (30 mg/kg). In Experiment I, rats that acquired hypothermic tolerance in one environment did not display tolerance when tested in an environment not previously associated with drug administration. In Experiment II, rats were made tolerant to the hypothermic effect of pentobarbital (30 mg/kg) and tested for cross-tolerance to ethanol (2.5 g/kg). Cross-tolerance was observed, but it was significantly reduced if the test was in an environment different from the one in which tolerance to pentobarbital was originally acquired. Thus, the compensatory conditioning model accounts for at least part of the tolerance and cross-tolerance to the thermic effects of alcohol and pentobarbital. The physiological processes in the CNS underlying tolerance and cross-tolerance for these drugs, therefore, are controlled by associative processes.

Effectiveness of ketamine as an adjuvant to opioid-based therapy in decreasing pain associated with opioid tolerance in adults undergoing orthopedic surgery: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Bennett, Marsha; Bonanno, Laura; Kuhn, William

2016-10-01

The objective of this systematic review is to examine the best available evidence on the clinical effectiveness of ketamine as an adjuvant to opioid-based therapy versus opioid-based therapy alone in decreasing perioperative pain associated with opioid tolerance in adult patients, aged 18-70 years, undergoing orthopedic surgical procedures.The following question guides the systematic review: does the administration of ketamine as an adjuvant to opioid-based therapy, compared to opioid-based therapy alone, improve perioperative pain relief in opioid-tolerant adult patients undergoing orthopedic surgical procedures?

Proteomics and Metabolomics: Two Emerging Areas for Legume Improvement

PubMed Central

Ramalingam, Abirami; Kudapa, Himabindu; Pazhamala, Lekha T.; Weckwerth, Wolfram; Varshney, Rajeev K.

2015-01-01

The crop legumes such as chickpea, common bean, cowpea, peanut, pigeonpea, soybean, etc. are important sources of nutrition and contribute to a significant amount of biological nitrogen fixation (>20 million tons of fixed nitrogen) in agriculture. However, the production of legumes is constrained due to abiotic and biotic stresses. It is therefore imperative to understand the molecular mechanisms of plant response to different stresses and identify key candidate genes regulating tolerance which can be deployed in breeding programs. The information obtained from transcriptomics has facilitated the identification of candidate genes for the given trait of interest and utilizing them in crop breeding programs to improve stress tolerance. However, the mechanisms of stress tolerance are complex due to the influence of multi-genes and post-transcriptional regulations. Furthermore, stress conditions greatly affect gene expression which in turn causes modifications in the composition of plant proteomes and metabolomes. Therefore, functional genomics involving various proteomics and metabolomics approaches have been obligatory for understanding plant stress tolerance. These approaches have also been found useful to unravel different pathways related to plant and seed development as well as symbiosis. Proteome and metabolome profiling using high-throughput based systems have been extensively applied in the model legume species, Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus, as well as in the model crop legume, soybean, to examine stress signaling pathways, cellular and developmental processes and nodule symbiosis. Moreover, the availability of protein reference maps as well as proteomics and metabolomics databases greatly support research and understanding of various biological processes in legumes. Protein-protein interaction techniques, particularly the yeast two-hybrid system have been advantageous for studying symbiosis and stress signaling in legumes. In this review, several studies on proteomics and metabolomics in model and crop legumes have been discussed. Additionally, applications of advanced proteomics and metabolomics approaches have also been included in this review for future applications in legume research. The integration of these “omics” approaches will greatly support the identification of accurate biomarkers in legume smart breeding programs. PMID:26734026

Teaching Tolerance: Resources for Students and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Barbara, Ed.

2013-01-01

In this column, the author reviews books and other resources that address issues related to teaching tolerance for those of other religions, races, gender orientations, and cultures. It reviews titles related to Jewish oppression, including Doreen Rappaport's (2012) "Beyond Courage, the Untold Story of Jewish Resistance during the…

Proteomics, metabolomics, and ionomics perspectives of salinity tolerance in halophytes

PubMed Central

Kumari, Asha; Das, Paromita; Parida, Asish Kumar; Agarwal, Pradeep K.

2015-01-01

Halophytes are plants which naturally survive in saline environment. They account for ∼1% of the total flora of the world. They include both dicots and monocots and are distributed mainly in arid, semi-arid inlands and saline wet lands along the tropical and sub-tropical coasts. Salinity tolerance in halophytes depends on a set of ecological and physiological characteristics that allow them to grow and flourish in high saline conditions. The ability of halophytes to tolerate high salt is determined by the effective coordination between various physiological processes, metabolic pathways and protein or gene networks responsible for delivering salinity tolerance. The salinity responsive proteins belong to diverse functional classes such as photosynthesis, redox homeostasis; stress/defense, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, protein metabolism, signal transduction and membrane transport. The important metabolites which are involved in salt tolerance of halophytes are proline and proline analog (4-hydroxy-N-methyl proline), glycine betaine, pinitol, myo-inositol, mannitol, sorbitol, O-methylmucoinositol, and polyamines. In halophytes, the synthesis of specific proteins and osmotically active metabolites control ion and water flux and support scavenging of oxygen radicals under salt stress condition. The present review summarizes the salt tolerance mechanisms of halophytes by elucidating the recent studies that have focused on proteomic, metabolomic, and ionomic aspects of various halophytes in response to salinity. By integrating the information from halophytes and its comparison with glycophytes could give an overview of salt tolerance mechanisms in halophytes, thus laying down the pavement for development of salt tolerant crop plants through genetic modification and effective breeding strategies. PMID:26284080

40 CFR 180.522 - Fumigants for processed grains used in production of fermented malt beverage; tolerances for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... production of fermented malt beverage; tolerances for residues. 180.522 Section 180.522 Protection of... PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances § 180.522 Fumigants for processed grains used in production of fermented malt beverage; tolerances for residues. (a) General. Fumigants for processed grain...

HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL INFUSION/TRANSPLANTATION FOR INDUCTION OF ALLOGRAFT TOLERANCE

PubMed Central

Granados, Jose M. Marino; Benichou, Gilles; Kawai, Tatsuo

2015-01-01

Purpose of review This review updates the current status of basic, preclinical, and clinical research on donor hematopoietic stem cell infusion for allograft tolerance induction. Recent findings Recent basic studies in mice provide evidence of significant involvement of both central deletional and peripheral regulatory mechanisms in induction and maintenance of allograft tolerance effected through a mixed chimerism approach with donor hematopoietic stem cell infusion. The presence of heterologous memory T cells in primates hampers the induction of persistent chimerism. Durable mixed chimerism, however, now has been recently induced in inbred major histocompatibility complex-mismatched swine, resulting in tolerance of vascularized composite tissue allografts. In clinical transplantation, allograft tolerance has been achieved in human leukocyte antigen-mismatched kidney transplantation after the induction of transient mixed chimerism or persistent full donor chimerism. Summary Tolerance induction in clinical kidney transplantation has been achieved by donor hematopoietic stem cell infusion. Improving the consistency and safety of tolerance induction and extending successful protocols to other organs, as well as to organs from deceased donors, are critical next steps to bringing tolerance to a wider range of clinical applications. PMID:25563992

Transcription Factors and Plants Response to Drought Stress: Current Understanding and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Joshi, Rohit; Wani, Shabir H.; Singh, Balwant; Bohra, Abhishek; Dar, Zahoor A.; Lone, Ajaz A.; Pareek, Ashwani; Singla-Pareek, Sneh L.

2016-01-01

Increasing vulnerability of plants to a variety of stresses such as drought, salt and extreme temperatures poses a global threat to sustained growth and productivity of major crops. Of these stresses, drought represents a considerable threat to plant growth and development. In view of this, developing staple food cultivars with improved drought tolerance emerges as the most sustainable solution toward improving crop productivity in a scenario of climate change. In parallel, unraveling the genetic architecture and the targeted identification of molecular networks using modern “OMICS” analyses, that can underpin drought tolerance mechanisms, is urgently required. Importantly, integrated studies intending to elucidate complex mechanisms can bridge the gap existing in our current knowledge about drought stress tolerance in plants. It is now well established that drought tolerance is regulated by several genes, including transcription factors (TFs) that enable plants to withstand unfavorable conditions, and these remain potential genomic candidates for their wide application in crop breeding. These TFs represent the key molecular switches orchestrating the regulation of plant developmental processes in response to a variety of stresses. The current review aims to offer a deeper understanding of TFs engaged in regulating plant’s response under drought stress and to devise potential strategies to improve plant tolerance against drought. PMID:27471513

Mixed chimerism and split tolerance

PubMed Central

Al-Adra, David P.

2011-01-01

Establishing hematopoietic mixed chimerism can lead to donor-specific tolerance to transplanted organs and may eliminate the need for long-term immunosuppressive therapy, while also preventing chronic rejection. In this review, we discuss central and peripheral mechanisms of chimerism induced tolerance. However, even in the long-lasting presence of a donor organ or donor hematopoietic cells, some allogeneic tissues from the same donor can be rejected; a phenomenon known as split tolerance. With the current goal of creating mixed chimeras using clinically feasible amounts of donor bone marrow and with minimal conditioning, split tolerance may become more prevalent and its mechanisms need to be explored. Some predisposing factors that may increase the likelihood of split tolerance are immunogenicity of the graft, certain donor-recipient combinations, prior sensitization, location and type of graft and minimal conditioning chimerism induction protocols. Additionally, split tolerance may occur due to a differential susceptibility of various types of tissues to rejection. The mechanisms involved in a tissue’s differential susceptibility to rejection include the presence of polymorphic tissue-specific antigens and variable sensitivity to indirect pathway effector mechanisms. Finally, we review the clinical attempts at allograft tolerance through the induction of chimerism; studies that are revealing the complex relationship between chimerism and tolerance. This relationship often displays split tolerance, and further research into its mechanisms is warranted. PMID:22509425

Immunology and human reproduction.

PubMed

Alecsandru, Diana; García-Velasco, Juan Antonio

2015-06-01

The immune system's role in recurrent reproductive failure is a controversial issue in assisted reproduction. New insight about maternal tolerance in assisted reproduction has been reported and could explain some of the recurrent miscarriage and/or recurrent implantation failure related causes named until now as unknown. Most of the previous studies about immune system implication in reproduction were focused on finding markers on peripheral blood. Maternal tolerance begins at the uterine level, so successful adaptation to the fetus happens after a complicated process. Insufficient invasion of the uterine lining by invading extravillous trophoblast is the primary defect in pregnancy disorders such as recurrent miscarriage, and this process is regulated by interaction between maternal killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) expressed by the uterine natural killer cells and their ligand human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-C expressed by extravillous trophoblast. Pregnancies are an increased risk of disorders in mothers with KIR AA when the fetus has paternal HLA-C2. Recently, it has been reported that the expression of more than one paternal HLA-C by extravillous trophoblast in assisted reproduction may affect placentation in mothers with KIR AA. The review provides insight about the immune tolerance process. These insights could have an impact on the selection of single embryo transfer and/or oocyte/sperm donor according to HLA-C in patients with recurrent miscarriage or recurrent implantation failure and a KIR AA haplotype.

The process group approach to reliable distributed computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birman, Kenneth P.

1991-01-01

The difficulty of developing reliable distributed software is an impediment to applying distributed computing technology in many settings. Experience with the ISIS system suggests that a structured approach based on virtually synchronous process groups yields systems which are substantially easier to develop, fault-tolerance, and self-managing. Six years of research on ISIS are reviewed, describing the model, the types of applications to which ISIS was applied, and some of the reasoning that underlies a recent effort to redesign and reimplement ISIS as a much smaller, lightweight system.

The importance of fracture toughness in ultrafine and nanocrystalline bulk materials

PubMed Central

Pippan, R.; Hohenwarter, A.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The suitability of high-strength ultrafine and nanocrystalline materials processed by severe plastic deformation methods and aimed to be used for structural applications will strongly depend on their resistance against crack growth. In this contribution some general available findings on the damage tolerance of this material class will be summarized. Particularly, the occurrence of a pronounced fracture anisotropy will be in the center of discussion. In addition, the great potential of this generated anisotropy to obtain high-strength materials with exceptionally high fracture toughness in specific loading and crack growth directions will be enlightened. IMPACT STATEMENT Severely plastically deformed materials are reviewed in light of their damage tolerance. The frequently observed toughness anisotropy allows unprecedented fracture toughness – strength combinations. PMID:27570712

Impact of Overt and Subclinical Hypothyroidism on Exercise Tolerance: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lankhaar, Jeannette A. C.; de Vries, Wouter R.; Jansen, Jaap A. C. G.; Zelissen, Pierre M. J.; Backx, Frank J. G.

2014-01-01

Purpose: This systematic review describes the state of the art of the impact of hypothyroidism on exercise tolerance and physical performance capacity in untreated and treated patients with hypothyroidism. Method: A systematic computer-aided search was conducted using biomedical databases. Relevant studies in English, German, and Dutch, published…

Recent trends in ionic liquid (IL) tolerant enzymes and microorganisms for biomass conversion.

PubMed

Portillo, Maria Del Carmen; Saadeddin, Anas

2015-01-01

Second generation biofuel production depends on lignocellulosic (LC) biomass transformation into simple sugars and their subsequent fermentation into alcohols. However, the main obstacle in this process is the efficient breakdown of the recalcitrant cellulose to sugar monomers. Hence, efficient feedstock pretreatment and hydrolysis are necessary to produce a cost effective biofuel. Recently, ionic liquids (ILs) have been recognized as a promising solvent able to dissolve different biomass feedstocks, providing higher sugar yields. However, most of the hydrolytic enzymes and microorganisms are inactivated, completely or partially, in the presence of even low concentrations of IL, making necessary the discovery of novel hydrolytic enzymes and fermentative microorganisms that are tolerant to ILs. In this review, the current state and the challenges of using ILs as a pretreatment of LC biomass was evaluated, underlining the advances in the discovery and identification of new IL-tolerant enzymes and microorganisms that could improve the bioprocessing of biomass to fuels and chemicals.

Induction of abiotic stress tolerance in plants by endophytic microbes.

PubMed

Lata, R; Chowdhury, S; Gond, S K; White, J F

2018-04-01

Endophytes are micro-organisms including bacteria and fungi that survive within healthy plant tissues and promote plant growth under stress. This review focuses on the potential of endophytic microbes that induce abiotic stress tolerance in plants. How endophytes promote plant growth under stressful conditions, like drought and heat, high salinity and poor nutrient availability will be discussed. The molecular mechanisms for increasing stress tolerance in plants by endophytes include induction of plant stress genes as well as biomolecules like reactive oxygen species scavengers. This review may help in the development of biotechnological applications of endophytic microbes in plant growth promotion and crop improvement under abiotic stress conditions. Increasing human populations demand more crop yield for food security while crop production is adversely affected by abiotic stresses like drought, salinity and high temperature. Development of stress tolerance in plants is a strategy to cope with the negative effects of adverse environmental conditions. Endophytes are well recognized for plant growth promotion and production of natural compounds. The property of endophytes to induce stress tolerance in plants can be applied to increase crop yields. With this review, we intend to promote application of endophytes in biotechnology and genetic engineering for the development of stress-tolerant plants. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Breaking self-tolerance during autoimmunity and cancer immunity: Myeloid cells and type I IFN response regulation.

PubMed

Tarbell, Kristin V; Egen, Jackson G

2018-02-02

The generation and regulation of innate immune signals are key determinants of autoimmune pathogenesis. Emerging evidence suggests that parallel processes operating in the setting of solid tumors can similarly determine the balance between tolerance and immunity and ultimately the effectiveness of the antitumor immune response. In both contexts, self-specific responses start with innate immune cell activation that leads to the initial break in self-tolerance, which can be followed by immune response amplification and maturation through innate-adaptive crosstalk, and finally immune-mediated tissue/tumor destruction that can further potentiate inflammation. Of particular importance for these processes is type I IFN, which is induced in response to endogenous ligands, such as self-nucleic acids, and acts on myeloid cells to promote the expansion of autoreactive or tumor-specific T cells and their influx into the target tissue. Evidence from the study of human disease pathophysiology and genetics and mouse models of disease has revealed an extensive and complex network of negative regulatory pathways that has evolved to restrain type I IFN production and activity. Here, we review the overlapping features of self- and tumor-specific immune responses, including the central role that regulators of the type I IFN response and innate immune cell activation play in maintaining tolerance, and discuss how a better understanding of the pathophysiology of autoimmunity can help to identify new approaches to promote immune-mediated tumor destruction. ©2018 Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Improved enteral tolerance following step procedure: systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Fernandes, Melissa A; Usatin, Danielle; Allen, Isabel E; Rhee, Sue; Vu, Lan

2016-10-01

Surgical management of children with short bowel syndrome (SBS) changed with the introduction of the serial transverse enteroplasty procedure (STEP). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using MEDLINE and SCOPUS to determine if children with SBS had improved enteral tolerance following STEP. Studies were included if information about a child's pre- and post-STEP enteral tolerance was provided. A random effects meta-analysis provided a summary estimate of the proportion of children with enteral tolerance increase following STEP. From 766 abstracts, seven case series involving 86 children were included. Mean percent tolerance of enteral nutrition improved from 35.1 to 69.5. Sixteen children had no enteral improvement following STEP. A summary estimate showed that 87 % (95 % CI 77-95 %) of children who underwent STEP had an increase in enteral tolerance. Compilation of the literature supports the belief that SBS subjects' enteral tolerance improves following STEP. Enteral nutritional tolerance is a measure of efficacy of STEP and should be presented as a primary or secondary outcome. By standardizing data collection on children undergoing STEP procedure, better determination of nutritional benefit from STEP can be ascertained.

Do Self-Interested Schooling Selections Improve Society? A Review of the Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeAngelis, Corey A.

2017-01-01

I review the literature that quantifies the effects of private school choice programs on three important civic outcomes for students in the United States: tolerance, civic engagement, and social order. Out of the 11 studies on private school choice that examine these civic outcomes, the impacts are null to positive for tolerance, null to positive…

76 FR 38036 - Propylene Oxide; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

... regulation amends the propylene oxide tolerance on ``nut, tree, group 14'' to ``nutmeat, processed, except... propylene oxide tolerance (40 CFR 180.491) on ``nut, tree, group 14'' to read ``nutmeat, processed, except...) on ``nut, tree, group 14'' to read ``nutmeat, processed, except peanuts.'' IV. Statutory and...

Engineering survey planning for the alignment of a particle accelerator: part I. Proposition of an assessment method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junqueira Leão, Rodrigo; Raffaelo Baldo, Crhistian; Collucci da Costa Reis, Maria Luisa; Alves Trabanco, Jorge Luiz

2018-03-01

The performance of particle accelerators depends highly on the relative alignment between their components. The position and orientation of the magnetic lenses that form the trajectory of the charged beam is kept to micrometric tolerances in a range of hundreds of meters of the length of the machines. Therefore, the alignment problem is fundamentally of a dimensional metrology nature. There is no common way of expressing these tolerances in terms of terminology and alignment concept. The alignment needs for a certain machine is normally given in terms of deviations between the position of any magnet in the accelerator and the fitted line that relates the actual position of the magnets’ assembly. Root mean square errors and standard deviations are normally used interchangeably and measurement uncertainty is often neglected. Although some solutions have been employed successfully in several accelerators, there is no off-the-shelf solution to perform the alignment. Also, each alignment campaign makes use of different measuring instruments to achieve the desired results, which makes the alignment process a complex measurement chain. This paper explores these issues by reviewing the tolerances specified for the alignment of particle accelerators, and proposes a metric to assess the quality of the alignment. The metric has the advantage of fully integrating the measurement uncertainty in the process.

Technical and economic assessment of processes for the production of butanol and acetone. Phase two: analysis of research advances. Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies Program

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

None

1984-08-01

The initial objective of this work was to develop a methodology for analyzing the impact of technological advances as a tool to help establish priorities for R and D options in the field of biocatalysis. As an example of a biocatalyzed process, butanol/acetone fermentation (ABE process) was selected as the specific topic of study. A base case model characterizing the technology and economics associated with the ABE process was developed in the previous first phase of study. The project objectives were broadened in this second phase of work to provide parametric estimates of the economic and energy impacts of amore » variety of research advances in the hydrolysis, fermentation and purification sections of the process. The research advances analyzed in this study were based on a comprehensive literature review. The six process options analyzed were: continuous ABE fermentaton; vacuum ABE fermentation; Baelene solvent extraction; HRI's Lignol process; improved prehydrolysis/dual enzyme hydrolysis; and improved microorganism tolerance to butanol toxicity. Of the six options analyzed, only improved microorganism tolerance to butanol toxicity had a significant positive effect on energy efficiency and economics. This particular process option reduced the base case production cost (including 10% DCF return) by 20% and energy consumption by 16%. Figures and tables.« less

Reregistration and Other Review Programs Predating Pesticide Registration Review

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Before launching the registration review program, EPA reevaluated existing registered pesticides through programs including Pesticide Reregistration and Tolerance Reassessment, Product Reregistration, and Special Review.

CMOS Ultra Low Power Radiation Tolerant (CULPRiT) Microelectronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, Penshu; Maki, Gary

2007-01-01

Space Electronics needs Radiation Tolerance or hardness to withstand the harsh space environment: high-energy particles can change the state of the electronics or puncture transistors making them disfunctional. This viewgraph document reviews the use of CMOS Ultra Low Power Radiation Tolerant circuits for NASA's electronic requirements.

SU-D-BRC-02: Application of Six Sigma Approach to Improve the Efficiency of Patient-Specific QA in Proton Therapy

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

LAH, J; Shin, D; Manger, R

Purpose: To show how the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) can be used for improving and optimizing the efficiency of patient-specific QA process by designing site-specific range tolerances. Methods: The Six Sigma tools (process flow diagram, cause and effect, capability analysis, Pareto chart, and control chart) were utilized to determine the steps that need focus for improving the patient-specific QA process. The patient-specific range QA plans were selected according to 7 treatment site groups, a total of 1437 cases. The process capability index, Cpm was used to guide the tolerance design of patient site-specific range. We also analyzed the financial impactmore » of this project. Results: Our results suggested that the patient range measurements were non-capable at the current tolerance level of ±1 mm in clinical proton plans. The optimized tolerances were calculated for treatment sites. Control charts for the patient QA time were constructed to compare QA time before and after the new tolerances were implemented. It is found that overall processing time was decreased by 24.3% after establishing new site-specific range tolerances. The QA failure for whole process in proton therapy would lead up to a 46% increase in total cost. This result can also predict how costs are affected by changes in adopting the tolerance design. Conclusion: We often believe that the quality and performance of proton therapy can easily be improved by merely tightening some or all of its tolerance requirements. This can become costly, however, and it is not necessarily a guarantee of better performance. The tolerance design is not a task to be undertaken without careful thought. The Six Sigma DMAIC can be used to improve the QA process by setting optimized tolerances. When tolerance design is optimized, the quality is reasonably balanced with time and cost demands.« less

Biomarkers of tolerance: searching for the hidden phenotype.

PubMed

Perucha, Esperanza; Rebollo-Mesa, Irene; Sagoo, Pervinder; Hernandez-Fuentes, Maria P

2011-08-01

Induction of transplantation tolerance remains the ideal long-term clinical and logistic solution to the current challenges facing the management of renal allograft recipients. In this review, we describe the recent studies and advances made in identifying biomarkers of renal transplant tolerance, from study inceptions, to the lessons learned and their implications for current and future studies with the same goal. With the age of biomarker discovery entering a new dimension of high-throughput technologies, here we also review the current approaches, developments, and pitfalls faced in the subsequent statistical analysis required to identify valid biomarker candidates.

Transcription factors involved in drought tolerance and their possible role in developing drought tolerant cultivars with emphasis on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Gahlaut, Vijay; Jaiswal, Vandana; Kumar, Anuj; Gupta, Pushpendra Kumar

2016-11-01

TFs involved in drought tolerance in plants may be utilized in future for developing drought tolerant cultivars of wheat and some other crops. Plants have developed a fairly complex stress response system to deal with drought and other abiotic stresses. These response systems often make use of transcription factors (TFs); a gene encoding a specific TF together with -its target genes constitute a regulon, and take part in signal transduction to activate/silence genes involved in response to drought. Since, five specific families of TFs (out of >80 known families of TFs) have gained widespread attention on account of their significant role in drought tolerance in plants, TFs and regulons belonging to these five multi-gene families (AP2/EREBP, bZIP, MYB/MYC, NAC and WRKY) have been described and their role in improving drought tolerance discussed in this brief review. These TFs often undergo reversible phosphorylation to perform their function, and are also involved in complex networks. Therefore, some details about reversible phosphorylation of TFs by different protein kinases/phosphatases and the co-regulatory networks, which involve either only TFs or TFs with miRNAs, have also been discussed. Literature on transgenics involving genes encoding TFs and that on QTLs and markers associated with TF genes involved in drought tolerance has also been reviewed. Throughout the review, there is a major emphasis on wheat as an important crop, although examples from the model cereal rice (sometimes maize also), and the model plant Arabidopsis have also been used. This knowledge base may eventually allow the use of TF genes for development of drought tolerant cultivars, particularly in wheat.

Mini-review of knowledge gaps in salt tolerance of plants applied to willows and poplars

Treesearch

Jaconette Mirck; Ronald S. Zalesny

2015-01-01

Salt tolerance of agricultural crops has been studied since the 1940, but knowledge regarding salt tolerance of woody crops is still in its initial phase. Salt tolerance of agricultural crops has been expressed as the yield decrease due to a certain salt concentration within the root zone as compared to a non-saline control. The most well-known plant response curve to...

Molecular response of canola to salt stress: insights on tolerance mechanisms.

PubMed

Shokri-Gharelo, Reza; Noparvar, Pouya Motie

2018-01-01

Canola ( Brassica napus L. ) is widely cultivated around the world for the production of edible oils and biodiesel fuel. Despite many canola varieties being described as 'salt-tolerant', plant yield and growth decline drastically with increasing salinity. Although many studies have resulted in better understanding of the many important salt-response mechanisms that control salt signaling in plants, detoxification of ions, and synthesis of protective metabolites, the engineering of salt-tolerant crops has only progressed slowly. Genetic engineering has been considered as an efficient method for improving the salt tolerance of canola but there are many unknown or little-known aspects regarding canola response to salinity stress at the cellular and molecular level. In order to develop highly salt-tolerant canola, it is essential to improve knowledge of the salt-tolerance mechanisms, especially the key components of the plant salt-response network. In this review, we focus on studies of the molecular response of canola to salinity to unravel the different pieces of the salt response puzzle. The paper includes a comprehensive review of the latest studies, particularly of proteomic and transcriptomic analysis, including the most recently identified canola tolerance components under salt stress, and suggests what researchers should focus on in future studies.

In a quest for engineering acidophiles for biomining applications: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Gumulya, Yosephine; Boxall, Naomi J; Khaleque, Himel N; Santala, Ville; Carlson, Ross P; Kaksonen, Anna H

2018-02-21

Biomining with acidophilic microorganisms has been used at commercial scale for the extraction of metals from various sulfide ores. With metal demand and energy prices on the rise and the concurrent decline in quality and availability of mineral resources, there is an increasing interest in applying biomining technology, in particular for leaching metals from low grade minerals and wastes. However, bioprocessing is often hampered by the presence of inhibitory compounds that originate from complex ores. Synthetic biology could provide tools to improve the tolerance of biomining microbes to various stress factors that are present in biomining environments, which would ultimately increase bioleaching efficiency. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art tools to genetically modify acidophilic biomining microorganisms and the limitations of these tools. The first part of this review discusses resilience pathways that can be engineered in acidophiles to enhance their robustness and tolerance in harsh environments that prevail in bioleaching. The second part of the paper reviews the efforts that have been carried out towards engineering robust microorganisms and developing metabolic modelling tools. Novel synthetic biology tools have the potential to transform the biomining industry and facilitate the extraction of value from ores and wastes that cannot be processed with existing biomining microorganisms.

In a Quest for Engineering Acidophiles for Biomining Applications: Challenges and Opportunities

PubMed Central

Gumulya, Yosephine; Boxall, Naomi J; Khaleque, Himel N; Santala, Ville; Carlson, Ross P; Kaksonen, Anna H

2018-01-01

Biomining with acidophilic microorganisms has been used at commercial scale for the extraction of metals from various sulfide ores. With metal demand and energy prices on the rise and the concurrent decline in quality and availability of mineral resources, there is an increasing interest in applying biomining technology, in particular for leaching metals from low grade minerals and wastes. However, bioprocessing is often hampered by the presence of inhibitory compounds that originate from complex ores. Synthetic biology could provide tools to improve the tolerance of biomining microbes to various stress factors that are present in biomining environments, which would ultimately increase bioleaching efficiency. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art tools to genetically modify acidophilic biomining microorganisms and the limitations of these tools. The first part of this review discusses resilience pathways that can be engineered in acidophiles to enhance their robustness and tolerance in harsh environments that prevail in bioleaching. The second part of the paper reviews the efforts that have been carried out towards engineering robust microorganisms and developing metabolic modelling tools. Novel synthetic biology tools have the potential to transform the biomining industry and facilitate the extraction of value from ores and wastes that cannot be processed with existing biomining microorganisms. PMID:29466321

Irradiation Induced Microstructure Evolution in Nanostructured Materials: A Review

PubMed Central

Liu, Wenbo; Ji, Yanzhou; Tan, Pengkang; Zang, Hang; He, Chaohui; Yun, Di; Zhang, Chi; Yang, Zhigang

2016-01-01

Nanostructured (NS) materials may have different irradiation resistance from their coarse-grained (CG) counterparts. In this review, we focus on the effect of grain boundaries (GBs)/interfaces on irradiation induced microstructure evolution and the irradiation tolerance of NS materials under irradiation. The features of void denuded zones (VDZs) and the unusual behavior of void formation near GBs/interfaces in metals due to the interactions between GBs/interfaces and irradiation-produced point defects are systematically reviewed. Some experimental results and calculation results show that NS materials have enhanced irradiation resistance, due to their extremely small grain sizes and large volume fractions of GBs/interfaces, which could absorb and annihilate the mobile defects produced during irradiation. However, there is also literature reporting reduced irradiation resistance or even amorphization of NS materials at a lower irradiation dose compared with their bulk counterparts, since the GBs are also characterized by excess energy (compared to that of single crystal materials) which could provide a shift in the total free energy that will lead to the amorphization process. The competition of these two effects leads to the different irradiation tolerance of NS materials. The irradiation-induced grain growth is dominated by irradiation temperature, dose, ion flux, character of GBs/interface and nanoprecipitates, although the decrease of grain sizes under irradiation is also observed in some experiments. PMID:28787902

Hydrogen peroxide priming modulates abiotic oxidative stress tolerance: insights from ROS detoxification and scavenging

PubMed Central

Hossain, Mohammad A.; Bhattacharjee, Soumen; Armin, Saed-Moucheshi; Qian, Pingping; Xin, Wang; Li, Hong-Yu; Burritt, David J.; Fujita, Masayuki; Tran, Lam-Son P.

2015-01-01

Plants are constantly challenged by various abiotic stresses that negatively affect growth and productivity worldwide. During the course of their evolution, plants have developed sophisticated mechanisms to recognize external signals allowing them to respond appropriately to environmental conditions, although the degree of adjustability or tolerance to specific stresses differs from species to species. Overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS; hydrogen peroxide, H2O2; superoxide, O2⋅-; hydroxyl radical, OH⋅ and singlet oxygen, 1O2) is enhanced under abiotic and/or biotic stresses, which can cause oxidative damage to plant macromolecules and cell structures, leading to inhibition of plant growth and development, or to death. Among the various ROS, freely diffusible and relatively long-lived H2O2 acts as a central player in stress signal transduction pathways. These pathways can then activate multiple acclamatory responses that reinforce resistance to various abiotic and biotic stressors. To utilize H2O2 as a signaling molecule, non-toxic levels must be maintained in a delicate balancing act between H2O2 production and scavenging. Several recent studies have demonstrated that the H2O2-priming can enhance abiotic stress tolerance by modulating ROS detoxification and by regulating multiple stress-responsive pathways and gene expression. Despite the importance of the H2O2-priming, little is known about how this process improves the tolerance of plants to stress. Understanding the mechanisms of H2O2-priming-induced abiotic stress tolerance will be valuable for identifying biotechnological strategies to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. This review is an overview of our current knowledge of the possible mechanisms associated with H2O2-induced abiotic oxidative stress tolerance in plants, with special reference to antioxidant metabolism. PMID:26136756

Method and system for environmentally adaptive fault tolerant computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copenhaver, Jason L. (Inventor); Jeremy, Ramos (Inventor); Wolfe, Jeffrey M. (Inventor); Brenner, Dean (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A method and system for adapting fault tolerant computing. The method includes the steps of measuring an environmental condition representative of an environment. An on-board processing system's sensitivity to the measured environmental condition is measured. It is determined whether to reconfigure a fault tolerance of the on-board processing system based in part on the measured environmental condition. The fault tolerance of the on-board processing system may be reconfigured based in part on the measured environmental condition.

Method of identifying plant pathogen tolerance

DOEpatents

Ecker, Joseph R.; Staskawicz, Brian J.; Bent, Andrew F.; Innes, Roger W.

1997-10-07

A process for identifying a plant having disease tolerance comprising administering to a plant an inhibitory amount of ethylene and screening for ethylene insensitivity, thereby identifying a disease tolerant plant, is described. Plants identified by the foregoing process are also described.

Modulation of liver tolerance by conventional and nonconventional antigen-presenting cells and regulatory immune cells

PubMed Central

Horst, Andrea Kristina; Neumann, Katrin; Diehl, Linda; Tiegs, Gisa

2016-01-01

The liver is a tolerogenic organ with exquisite mechanisms of immune regulation that ensure upkeep of local and systemic immune tolerance to self and foreign antigens, but that is also able to mount effective immune responses against pathogens. The immune privilege of liver allografts was recognized first in pigs in spite of major histo-compatibility complex mismatch, and termed the “liver tolerance effect”. Furthermore, liver transplants are spontaneously accepted with only low-dose immunosuppression, and induce tolerance for non-hepatic co-transplanted allografts of the same donor. Although this immunotolerogenic environment is favorable in the setting of organ transplantation, it is detrimental in chronic infectious liver diseases like hepatitis B or C, malaria, schistosomiasis or tumorigenesis, leading to pathogen persistence and weak anti-tumor effects. The liver is a primary site of T-cell activation, but it elicits poor or incomplete activation of T cells, leading to their abortive activation, exhaustion, suppression of their effector function and early death. This is exploited by pathogens and can impair pathogen control and clearance or allow tumor growth. Hepatic priming of T cells is mediated by a number of local conventional and nonconventional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which promote tolerance by immune deviation, induction of T-cell anergy or apoptosis, and generating and expanding regulatory T cells. This review will focus on the communication between classical and nonclassical APCs and lymphocytes in the liver in tolerance induction and will discuss recent insights into the role of innate lymphocytes in this process. PMID:27041638

Method of identifying plant pathogen tolerance

DOEpatents

Ecker, J.R.; Staskawicz, B.J.; Bent, A.F.; Innes, R.W.

1997-10-07

A process for identifying a plant having disease tolerance comprising administering to a plant an inhibitory amount of ethylene and screening for ethylene insensitivity, thereby identifying a disease tolerant plant, is described. Plants identified by the foregoing process are also described. 7 figs.

Discretized Streams: A Fault-Tolerant Model for Scalable Stream Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-14

Discretized Streams: A Fault-Tolerant Model for Scalable Stream Processing Matei Zaharia Tathagata Das Haoyuan Li Timothy Hunter Scott Shenker Ion...SUBTITLE Discretized Streams: A Fault-Tolerant Model for Scalable Stream Processing 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...time. However, current programming models for distributed stream processing are relatively low-level often leaving the user to worry about consistency of

Bullying and Zero-Tolerance Policies: The School to Prison Pipeline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berlowitz, Marvin J.; Frye, Rinda; Jette, Kelli M.

2017-01-01

The centrality of zero-tolerance policies as a component of anti-bullying strategies is the focus of this paper. A review of the literature of social justice advocates, journalists, and scholars reveals that zero-tolerance policies tend to push students out of public schools into the criminal justice system in a pattern of institutional racism.…

Engineering biofuel tolerance in non-native producing microorganisms.

PubMed

Jin, Hu; Chen, Lei; Wang, Jiangxin; Zhang, Weiwen

2014-01-01

Large-scale production of renewable biofuels through microbiological processes has drawn significant attention in recent years, mostly due to the increasing concerns on the petroleum fuel shortages and the environmental consequences of the over-utilization of petroleum-based fuels. In addition to native biofuel-producing microbes that have been employed for biofuel production for decades, recent advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have made it possible to produce biofuels in several non-native biofuel-producing microorganisms. Compared to native producers, these non-native systems carry the advantages of fast growth, simple nutrient requirements, readiness for genetic modifications, and even the capability to assimilate CO2 and solar energy, making them competitive alternative systems to further decrease the biofuel production cost. However, the tolerance of these non-native microorganisms to toxic biofuels is naturally low, which has restricted the potentials of their application for high-efficiency biofuel production. To address the issues, researches have been recently conducted to explore the biofuel tolerance mechanisms and to construct robust high-tolerance strains for non-native biofuel-producing microorganisms. In this review, we critically summarize the recent progress in this area, focusing on three popular non-native biofuel-producing systems, i.e. Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus and photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychological and physical pain as predictors of suicide risk: evidence from clinical and neuroimaging findings.

PubMed

Rizvi, Sakina J; Iskric, Adam; Calati, Raffaella; Courtet, Philippe

2017-03-01

Suicide is a multidimensional clinical phenomenon with complex biological, social and psychological risk factors. Therefore, it is imperative for studies to focus on developing a unified understanding of suicide risk that integrates current clinical and neurobiological findings. A recent line of research has implicated different classifications of pain in understanding suicide risk, including the concepts of psychache and pain tolerance. Although psychache is defined as the experience of unbearable psychological pain, pain tolerance refers to the greatest duration or intensity of painful stimuli that one is able to bear. This review will focus on integrating current clinical and neurobiological findings by which psychache and pain tolerance confer suicide risk. Results indicate that psychache has been identified as a significant risk factor for suicide and that psychache may be associated with the neurocircuitry involved in the modulation of physical pain. Converging evidence has also been found linking pain tolerance to self-injurious behaviours and suicide risk. The experience of psychache and physical pain in relation to other predictors of suicide, including reward processing, hopelessness and depression, are further discussed. Future research examining the pain-suicide connection is required to understand the mechanism behind clinically relevant risk factors for suicide, which can ultimately inform the construction of empirically supported suicide risk assessment and intervention techniques.

Software Fault Tolerance: A Tutorial

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torres-Pomales, Wilfredo

2000-01-01

Because of our present inability to produce error-free software, software fault tolerance is and will continue to be an important consideration in software systems. The root cause of software design errors is the complexity of the systems. Compounding the problems in building correct software is the difficulty in assessing the correctness of software for highly complex systems. After a brief overview of the software development processes, we note how hard-to-detect design faults are likely to be introduced during development and how software faults tend to be state-dependent and activated by particular input sequences. Although component reliability is an important quality measure for system level analysis, software reliability is hard to characterize and the use of post-verification reliability estimates remains a controversial issue. For some applications software safety is more important than reliability, and fault tolerance techniques used in those applications are aimed at preventing catastrophes. Single version software fault tolerance techniques discussed include system structuring and closure, atomic actions, inline fault detection, exception handling, and others. Multiversion techniques are based on the assumption that software built differently should fail differently and thus, if one of the redundant versions fails, it is expected that at least one of the other versions will provide an acceptable output. Recovery blocks, N-version programming, and other multiversion techniques are reviewed.

Responses of Yeast Biocontrol Agents to Environmental Stress

PubMed Central

Sui, Yuan; Wisniewski, Michael; Droby, Samir

2015-01-01

Biological control of postharvest diseases, utilizing wild species and strains of antagonistic yeast species, is a research topic that has received considerable attention in the literature over the past 30 years. In principle, it represents a promising alternative to chemical fungicides for the management of postharvest decay of fruits, vegetables, and grains. A yeast-based biocontrol system is composed of a tritrophic interaction between a host (commodity), a pathogen, and a yeast species, all of which are affected by environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and UV light as well as osmotic and oxidative stresses. Additionally, during the production process, biocontrol agents encounter various severe abiotic stresses that also impact their viability. Therefore, understanding the ecological fitness of the potential yeast biocontrol agents and developing strategies to enhance their stress tolerance are essential to their efficacy and commercial application. The current review provides an overview of the responses of antagonistic yeast species to various environmental stresses, the methods that can be used to improve stress tolerance and efficacy, and the related mechanisms associated with improved stress tolerance. PMID:25710368

Revisiting the natural history of tuberculosis. The inclusion of constant reinfection, host tolerance, and damage-response frameworks leads to a better understanding of latent infection and its evolution towards active disease.

PubMed

Cardona, Pere-Joan

2010-02-01

Once Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects a person it can persist for a long time in a process called latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). LTBI has traditionally been considered to involve the bacilli remaining in a non-replicating state (dormant) in old lesions but still retaining their ability to induce reactivation and cause active tuberculosis (TB) once a disruption of the immune response takes place. The present review aims to challenge these concepts by including recent experimental data supporting LTBI as a constant endogenous reinfection process as well as the recently introduced concepts of damage-response and tolerance frameworks to explain TB induction. These frameworks highlight the key role of an exaggerated and intolerant host response against M. tuberculosis bacilli which induces the classical TB cavity in immunocompetent adults once the constant endogenous reinfection process has resulted in the presence of bacilli in the upper lobes, where they can grow faster and the immune response is delayed. This essay intends to provide new clues to understanding the induction of TB in non-immunosuppressed patients.

Dual Role of Fas/FasL-Mediated Signal in Peripheral Immune Tolerance.

PubMed

Yamada, Akiko; Arakaki, Rieko; Saito, Masako; Kudo, Yasusei; Ishimaru, Naozumi

2017-01-01

Fas-mediated apoptosis contributes to physiological and pathological cellular processes, such as differentiation and survival. In particular, the roles of Fas in immune cells are complex and critical for the maintenance of immune tolerance. The precise pathways and unique functions associated with Fas/FasL-mediated signaling in the immune system are known. The dual character of Fas/FasL-mediated immune regulation that induces beneficial or harmful effects is associated with the onset or development of immune disorders. Studies on mutations in genes encoding Fas and FasL gene of humans and mice contributed to our understanding of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Here, we review the opposing functions of Fas/FasL-mediated signaling, bilateral effects of Fas/FasL on in immune cells, and complex pathogenesis of autoimmunity mediated by Fas/FasL.

Dual Role of Fas/FasL-Mediated Signal in Peripheral Immune Tolerance

PubMed Central

Yamada, Akiko; Arakaki, Rieko; Saito, Masako; Kudo, Yasusei; Ishimaru, Naozumi

2017-01-01

Fas-mediated apoptosis contributes to physiological and pathological cellular processes, such as differentiation and survival. In particular, the roles of Fas in immune cells are complex and critical for the maintenance of immune tolerance. The precise pathways and unique functions associated with Fas/FasL-mediated signaling in the immune system are known. The dual character of Fas/FasL-mediated immune regulation that induces beneficial or harmful effects is associated with the onset or development of immune disorders. Studies on mutations in genes encoding Fas and FasL gene of humans and mice contributed to our understanding of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Here, we review the opposing functions of Fas/FasL-mediated signaling, bilateral effects of Fas/FasL on in immune cells, and complex pathogenesis of autoimmunity mediated by Fas/FasL. PMID:28424702

SU-E-T-760: Tolerance Design for Site-Specific Range in Proton Patient QA Process Using the Six Sigma Model

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

Lah, J; Shin, D; Kim, G

Purpose: To show how tolerance design and tolerancing approaches can be used to predict and improve the site-specific range in patient QA process in implementing the Six Sigma. Methods: In this study, patient QA plans were selected according to 6 site-treatment groups: head &neck (94 cases), spine (76 cases), lung (89 cases), liver (53 cases), pancreas (55 cases), and prostate (121 cases), treated between 2007 and 2013. We evaluated a model of the Six Sigma that determines allowable deviations in design parameters and process variables in patient-specific QA, where possible, tolerance may be loosened, then customized if it necessary tomore » meet the functional requirements. A Six Sigma problem-solving methodology is known as DMAIC phases, which are used stand for: Define a problem or improvement opportunity, Measure process performance, Analyze the process to determine the root causes of poor performance, Improve the process by fixing root causes, Control the improved process to hold the gains. Results: The process capability for patient-specific range QA is 0.65 with only ±1 mm of tolerance criteria. Our results suggested the tolerance level of ±2–3 mm for prostate and liver cases and ±5 mm for lung cases. We found that customized tolerance between calculated and measured range reduce that patient QA plan failure and almost all sites had failure rates less than 1%. The average QA time also improved from 2 hr to less than 1 hr for all including planning and converting process, depth-dose measurement and evaluation. Conclusion: The objective of tolerance design is to achieve optimization beyond that obtained through QA process improvement and statistical analysis function detailing to implement a Six Sigma capable design.« less

Does plant-Microbe interaction confer stress tolerance in plants: A review?

PubMed

Kumar, Akhilesh; Verma, Jay Prakash

2018-03-01

The biotic and abiotic stresses are major constraints for crop yield, food quality and global food security. A number of parameters such as physiological, biochemical, molecular of plants are affected under stress condition. Since the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture practices cause degradation of soil fertility and environmental pollutions. Hence it is necessary to develop safer and sustainable means for agriculture production. The application of plant growth promoting microbes (PGPM) and mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant growth, under such conditions. It offers an economically fascinating and ecologically sound ways for protecting plants against stress condition. PGPM may promote plant growth by regulating plant hormones, improve nutrition acquisition, siderophore production and enhance the antioxidant system. While acquired systemic resistance (ASR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) effectively deal with biotic stress. Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) enhance the supply of nutrients and water during stress condition and increase tolerance to stress. This plant-microbe interaction is vital for sustainable agriculture and industrial purpose, because it depends on biological processes and replaces conventional agriculture practices. Therefore, microbes may play a key role as an ecological engineer to solve environmental stress problems. So, it is a feasible and potential technology in future to feed global population at available resources with reduced impact on environmental quality. In this review, we have attempted to explore about abiotic and biotic stress tolerant beneficial microorganisms and their modes of action to enhance the sustainable agricultural production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

76 FR 17611 - Propylene Oxide; Proposed Pesticide Tolerance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-30

...: This document proposes to amend the propylene oxide tolerance on ``nut, tree, group 14'' to ``nutmeat... ``nut, tree, group 14'' to read ``nutmeat, processed, except peanuts.'' A final rule published in the... the propylene oxide tolerance by replacing ``nutmeat, processed, except peanuts'' with ``nut, tree...

Coupling of Laser with Plasma Arc to Facilitate Hybrid Welding of Metallic Materials: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhiyong, Li; Srivatsan, T. S.; Yan, LI; Wenzhao, Zhang

2013-02-01

Hybrid laser arc welding combines the advantages of laser welding and arc welding. Ever since its origination in the late 1970s, this technique has gained gradual attention and progressive use due to a combination of high welding speed, better formation of weld bead, gap tolerance, and increased penetration coupled with less distortion. In hybrid laser arc welding, one of the reasons for the observed improvement is an interaction or coupling effect between the plasma arc, laser beam, droplet transfer, and the weld pool. Few researchers have made an attempt to study different aspects of the process to facilitate a better understanding. It is difficult to get a thorough understanding of the process if only certain information in a certain field is provided. In this article, an attempt to analyze the coupling effect of the process was carried out based on a careful review of the research work that has been done which provides useful information from a different prospective.

Food allergen selective thermal processing regimens may change oral tolerance in infancy.

PubMed

Kosti, R I; Triga, M; Tsabouri, S; Priftis, K N

2013-01-01

Food allergy can be considered a failure in the induction of oral tolerance. Recently, great interest has been focused on understanding the mechanisms and the contributing factors of oral tolerance development, hoping for new definitive interventions in the prevention and treatment of food allergy. Given that food processing may modify the properties and the nature of dietary proteins, several food processing methods could affect the allergenicity of these proteins and consequently may favour oral tolerance induction to food allergic children. Indeed, effective thermal food processing regimens of altering food proteins to reduce allergenicity have been recently reported in the literature. This article is mainly focused on the effect of selective thermal processing regimens on the main infant allergenic foods, with a potential clinical relevance on their allergenicity and therefore on oral tolerance induction. In the light of recent findings, the acquisition of tolerance in younger age and consequently the ability of young children to "outgrow" food allergy could be achieved through the application of selective thermal processing regimens on certain allergenic foods. Therefore, the ability of processed foods to circumvent clinical disease and at the same time to have an impact on the immune system and facilitate tolerance induction could be invaluable as a component of a successful therapeutic strategy. The opening in the new avenues of research in the use of processed foods in clinical practice for the amelioration of the impact on the quality of life of patients and possibly in food allergy prevention is warranted. Copyright © 2012 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Protein conformational disorder and enzyme catalysis.

PubMed

Schulenburg, Cindy; Hilvert, Donald

2013-01-01

Though lacking a well-defined three-dimensional structure, intrinsically unstructured proteins are ubiquitous in nature. These molecules play crucial roles in many cellular processes, especially signaling and regulation. Surprisingly, even enzyme catalysis can tolerate substantial disorder. This observation contravenes conventional wisdom but is relevant to an understanding of how protein dynamics modulates enzyme function. This chapter reviews properties and characteristics of disordered proteins, emphasizing examples of enzymes that lack defined structures, and considers implications of structural disorder for catalytic efficiency and evolution.

Breaking immunological tolerance through OX40 (CD134).

PubMed

Bansal-Pakala, P; Croft, M

2001-11-06

Immunological tolerance represents a mechanism by which cells of the host remain protected from the immune system. Breaking of immunological tolerance can result in a variety of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. The reasons for tolerance breaking down and autoimmune processes arising are largely unknown but of obvious interest for therapeutic intervention of these diseases. Although reversal of the tolerant state is generally unwanted, there are instances where this may be of benefit to the host. In particular, one way a cancerous cell escapes being targeted by the immune system is through tolerance mechanisms that in effect turn off the reactivity of T lymphocytes that can respond to tumor-associated peptides. Thus tolerance represents a major obstacle in developing effective immunotherapy against tumors. The molecules that are involved in regulating immunological tolerance are then of interest as they may be great targets for positively or negatively manipulating the tolerance process.

Bioactivation of organic nitrates and the mechanism of nitrate tolerance.

PubMed

Klemenska, Emila; Beresewicz, Andrzej

2009-01-01

Organic nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, are commonly used in the therapy of cardiovascular disease. Long-term therapy with these drugs, however, results in the rapid development of nitrate tolerance, limiting their hemodynamic and anti-ischemic efficacy. In addition, nitrate tolerance is associated with the expression of potentially deleterious modifications such as increased oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and sympathetic activation. In this review we discuss current concepts regarding the mechanisms of organic nitrate bioactivation, nitrate tolerance, and nitrate-mediated oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. We also examine how hydralazine may prevent nitrate tolerance and related endothelial dysfunction.

An Alternative Approach to Zero Tolerance Policies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ilg, Timothy J.; Russo, Charles J.

2001-01-01

School officials should adopt no-tolerance policies that require educators' discretion in punishing misbehaving students (based on due process and fundamental fairness), rather than relying on the zero-tolerance approach, which fails to differentiate among different levels of offenses. Even disruptive students deserve due process and appropriate…

Phytohormones and Beneficial Microbes: Essential Components for Plants to Balance Stress and Fitness

PubMed Central

Egamberdieva, Dilfuza; Wirth, Stephan J.; Alqarawi, Abdulaziz A.; Abd_Allah, Elsayed F.; Hashem, Abeer

2017-01-01

Plants are subjected to various abiotic stresses, such as drought, extreme temperature, salinity, and heavy metals. Abiotic stresses have negative impact on the physiology and morphology of plants through defects in the genetic regulation of cellular pathways. Plants employ several tolerance mechanisms and pathways to avert the effects of stresses that are triggered whenever alterations in metabolism are encountered. Phytohormones are among the most important growth regulators; they are known for having a prominent impact on plant metabolism, and additionally, they play a vital role in the stimulation of plant defense response mechanisms against stresses. Exogenous phytohormone supplementation has been adopted to improve growth and metabolism under stress conditions. Recent investigations have shown that phytohormones produced by root-associated microbes may prove to be important metabolic engineering targets for inducing host tolerance to abiotic stresses. Phytohormone biosynthetic pathways have been identified using several genetic and biochemical methods, and numerous reviews are currently available on this topic. Here, we review current knowledge on the function of phytohormones involved in the improvement of abiotic stress tolerance and defense response in plants exposed to different stressors. We focus on recent successes in identifying the roles of microbial phytohormones that induce stress tolerance, especially in crop plants. In doing so, this review highlights important plant morpho-physiological traits that can be exploited to identify the positive effects of phytohormones on stress tolerance. This review will therefore be helpful to plant physiologists and agricultural microbiologists in designing strategies and tools for the development of broad spectrum microbial inoculants supporting sustainable crop production under hostile environments. PMID:29163398

Scattering effects of machined optical surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Anita Kotha

1998-09-01

Optical fabrication is one of the most labor-intensive industries in existence. Lensmakers use pitch to affix glass blanks to metal chucks that hold the glass as they grind it with tools that have not changed much in fifty years. Recent demands placed on traditional optical fabrication processes in terms of surface accuracy, smoothnesses, and cost effectiveness has resulted in the exploitation of precision machining technology to develop a new generation of computer numerically controlled (CNC) optical fabrication equipment. This new kind of precision machining process is called deterministic microgrinding. The most conspicuous feature of optical surfaces manufactured by the precision machining processes (such as single-point diamond turning or deterministic microgrinding) is the presence of residual cutting tool marks. These residual tool marks exhibit a highly structured topography of periodic azimuthal or radial deterministic marks in addition to random microroughness. These distinct topographic features give rise to surface scattering effects that can significantly degrade optical performance. In this dissertation project we investigate the scattering behavior of machined optical surfaces and their imaging characteristics. In particular, we will characterize the residual optical fabrication errors and relate the resulting scattering behavior to the tool and machine parameters in order to evaluate and improve the deterministic microgrinding process. Other desired information derived from the investigation of scattering behavior is the optical fabrication tolerances necessary to satisfy specific image quality requirements. Optical fabrication tolerances are a major cost driver for any precision optical manufacturing technology. The derivation and control of the optical fabrication tolerances necessary for different applications and operating wavelength regimes will play a unique and central role in establishing deterministic microgrinding as a preferred and a cost-effective optical fabrication process. Other well understood optical fabrication processes will also be reviewed and a performance comparison with the conventional grinding and polishing technique will be made to determine any inherent advantages in the optical quality of surfaces produced by other techniques.

Inflammatory etiopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus: an update

PubMed Central

Podolska, Malgorzata J; Biermann, Mona HC; Maueröder, Christian; Hahn, Jonas; Herrmann, Martin

2015-01-01

The immune system struggles every day between responding to foreign antigens and tolerating self-antigens to delicately maintain tissue homeostasis. If self-tolerance is broken, the development of autoimmunity can be the consequence, as it is in the case of the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE is considered to be a multifactorial disease comprising various processes and cell types that act abnormally and in a harmful way. Oxidative stress, infections, or, in general, tissue injury are accompanied by massive cellular demise. Several processes such as apoptosis, necrosis, or NETosis (formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps [NETs]) may occur alone or in combination. If clearance of dead cells is insufficient, cellular debris may accumulate and trigger inflammation and leakage of cytoplasmic and nuclear autoantigens like ribonucleoproteins, DNA, or histones. Inadequate removal of cellular remnants in the germinal centers of secondary lymphoid organs may result in the presentation of autoantigens by follicular dendritic cells to autoreactive B cells that had been generated by chance during the process of somatic hypermutation (loss of peripheral tolerance). The improper exposure of nuclear autoantigens in this delicate location is consequently prone to break self-tolerance to nuclear autoantigens. Indeed, the germline variants of autoantibodies often do not show autoreactivity. The subsequent production of autoantibodies plays a critical role in the development of the complex immunological disorder fostering SLE. Immune complexes composed of cell-derived autoantigens and autoantibodies are formed and get deposited in various tissues, such as the kidney, leading to severe organ damage. Alternatively, they may also be formed in situ by binding to planted antigens of circulating autoantibodies. Here, we review current knowledge about the etiopathogenesis of SLE including the involvement of different types of cell death, serving as the potential source of autoantigens, and impaired clearance of cell remnants, causing accumulation of cellular debris. PMID:26316795

Metal resistance in acidophilic microorganisms and its significance for biotechnologies.

PubMed

Dopson, Mark; Holmes, David S

2014-10-01

Extremely acidophilic microorganisms have an optimal pH of <3 and are found in all three domains of life. As metals are more soluble at acid pH, acidophiles are often challenged by very high metal concentrations. Acidophiles are metal-tolerant by both intrinsic, passive mechanisms as well as active systems. Passive mechanisms include an internal positive membrane potential that creates a chemiosmotic gradient against which metal cations must move, as well as the formation of metal sulfate complexes reducing the concentration of the free metal ion. Active systems include efflux proteins that pump metals out of the cytoplasm and conversion of the metal to a less toxic form. Acidophiles are exploited in a number of biotechnologies including biomining for sulfide mineral dissolution, biosulfidogenesis to produce sulfide that can selectively precipitate metals from process streams, treatment of acid mine drainage, and bioremediation of acidic metal-contaminated milieux. This review describes how acidophilic microorganisms tolerate extremely high metal concentrations in biotechnological processes and identifies areas of future work that hold promise for improving the efficiency of these applications.

Appropriateness of oral drugs for long-term treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in older persons: results of a systematic literature review and international consensus validation process (LUTS-FORTA 2014).

PubMed

Oelke, Matthias; Becher, Klaus; Castro-Diaz, David; Chartier-Kastler, Emmanuel; Kirby, Mike; Wagg, Adrian; Wehling, Martin

2015-09-01

we aimed to systematically review drugs to treat lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) regularly used in older persons to classify appropriate and inappropriate drugs based on efficacy, safety and tolerability by using the Fit fOR The Aged (FORTA) classification. to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of drugs used for treatment of LUTS in older persons, a systematic review was performed. Papers on clinical trials and summaries of individual product characteristics were analysed regarding efficacy and safety in older persons (≥65 years). The most frequently used drugs were selected based on current prescription data. An interdisciplinary international expert panel assessed the drugs in a Delphi process. for the 16 drugs included here, a total of 896 citations were identified; of those, only 25 reported clinical trials with explicit data on, or solely performed in older people, underlining the lack of evidence in older people for drug treatment of LUTS. No drug was rated at the FORTA-A-level (indispensable). Only three were assigned to FORTA B (beneficial): dutasteride, fesoterodine and finasteride. The majority was rated FORTA C (questionable): darifenacin, mirabegron, extended release oxybutynin, silodosin, solifenacin, tadalafil, tamsulosin, tolterodine and trospium. FORTA D (avoid) was assigned to alfuzosin, doxazosin, immediate release oxybutynin, propiverine and terazosin. dutasteride, fesoterodine and finasteride were classified as beneficial in older persons or frail elderly people (FORTA B). For most drugs, in particular those from the group of α-blockers and antimuscarinics, use in this group seems questionable (FORTA C) or should be avoided (FORTA D). © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tolerance design of patient-specific range QA using the DMAIC framework in proton therapy.

PubMed

Rah, Jeong-Eun; Shin, Dongho; Manger, Ryan P; Kim, Tae Hyun; Oh, Do Hoon; Kim, Dae Yong; Kim, Gwe-Ya

2018-02-01

To implement the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) can be used for customizing the patient-specific QA by designing site-specific range tolerances. The DMAIC framework (process flow diagram, cause and effect, Pareto chart, control chart, and capability analysis) were utilized to determine the steps that need focus for improving the patient-specific QA. The patient-specific range QA plans were selected according to seven treatment site groups, a total of 1437 cases. The process capability index, C pm was used to guide the tolerance design of patient site-specific range. For prostate field, our results suggested that the patient range measurements were capable at the current tolerance level of ±1 mm in clinical proton plans. For other site-specific ranges, we analyzed that the tolerance tends to be overdesigned to insufficient process capability calculated by the patient-specific QA data. The customized tolerances were calculated for treatment sites. Control charts were constructed to simulate the patient QA time before and after the new tolerances were implemented. It is found that the total simulation QA time was decreased on average of approximately 20% after establishing new site-specific range tolerances. We simulated the financial impact of this project. The QA failure for whole process in proton therapy would lead up to approximately 30% increase in total cost. DMAIC framework can be used to provide an effective QA by setting customized tolerances. When tolerance design is customized, the quality is reasonably balanced with time and cost demands. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Phenotypic approaches to drought in cassava: review

PubMed Central

Okogbenin, Emmanuel; Setter, Tim L.; Ferguson, Morag; Mutegi, Rose; Ceballos, Hernan; Olasanmi, Bunmi; Fregene, Martin

2012-01-01

Cassava is an important crop in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Cassava can be produced adequately in drought conditions making it the ideal food security crop in marginal environments. Although cassava can tolerate drought stress, it can be genetically improved to enhance productivity in such environments. Drought adaptation studies in over three decades in cassava have identified relevant mechanisms which have been explored in conventional breeding. Drought is a quantitative trait and its multigenic nature makes it very challenging to effectively manipulate and combine genes in breeding for rapid genetic gain and selection process. Cassava has a long growth cycle of 12–18 months which invariably contributes to a long breeding scheme for the crop. Modern breeding using advances in genomics and improved genotyping, is facilitating the dissection and genetic analysis of complex traits including drought tolerance, thus helping to better elucidate and understand the genetic basis of such traits. A beneficial goal of new innovative breeding strategies is to shorten the breeding cycle using minimized, efficient or fast phenotyping protocols. While high throughput genotyping have been achieved, this is rarely the case for phenotyping for drought adaptation. Some of the storage root phenotyping in cassava are often done very late in the evaluation cycle making selection process very slow. This paper highlights some modified traits suitable for early-growth phase phenotyping that may be used to reduce drought phenotyping cycle in cassava. Such modified traits can significantly complement the high throughput genotyping procedures to fast track breeding of improved drought tolerant varieties. The need for metabolite profiling, improved phenomics to take advantage of next generation sequencing technologies and high throughput phenotyping are basic steps for future direction to improve genetic gain and maximize speed for drought tolerance breeding. PMID:23717282

Effects of Shilajit on the development of tolerance to morphine in mice.

PubMed

Tiwari, P; Ramarao, P; Ghosal, S

2001-03-01

Effects of concomitant administration of Processed Shilajit (PS, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg, i.p.), in Swiss mice were evaluated on the development of tolerance to morphine induced analgesia in the hot plate test. Chronic administration of morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p., b.i.d.) to mice over a duration of 10 days resulted in the development of tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine. Concomitant administration of PS with morphine, from day 6 to day 10, resulted in a significant inhibition of the development of tolerance to morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) induced analgesia. Processed Shilajit per se, in the doses used, did not elicit any significant analgesia in mice; nor did the chronic concomitant administration of Processed Shilajit alter the morphine-induced analgesia. These findings with Processed Shilajit indicate its potential as a prospective modifier of analgesic tolerance to morphine. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A review on prevalence, control measure, and tolerance of Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu cattle to East Coast fever in Tanzania.

PubMed

Laisser, E L K; Chenyambuga, S W; Karimuribo, E D; Msalya, G; Kipanyula, M J; Mwilawa, A J; Mdegela, R H; Kusiluka, L J M

2017-04-01

In Tanzania, control of East Coast fever (ECF) has predominantly relied on tick control using acaricides and chemotherapy, little on ECF vaccination, and very little on dissemination regarding animal immunization. In this paper, the prevalence, control measure, and tolerance of Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu (TSHZ) cattle to ECF are reviewed. In addition, the opportunities available for reducing the use of acaricides for the benefit of the farmers in terms of reduction of costs of purchasing acaricides and environmental pollution are described. The tick distribution and epidemiological factors for ECF such as the agro-ecological zones (AEZ), livestock production systems (LPS), strain, and age of the animals are also described. These factors influence the epidemiology of ECF and the distribution of TSHZ strains in different geographic locations of Tanzania. We have further showed that there is a tendency of farmers to select among the strains of TSHZ for animals which can tolerate ticks and ECF and crossbreed them with their local strains with the aim of benefiting from the inherent characteristics of the most tolerant strains. Generally, many strains of TSHZ cattle are tolerant to tick infestation and ECF infection and can be bred to respond to the needs of the people. In this review paper, we recommend that in future, ECF epidemiological studies should account for factors such as livestock production system, agro-climate, breed of animal, tick control strategy, and the dynamic interactions between them. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that an integrated control method involving use of acaricides, immunization, and ECF-tolerant/-resistant animals is required.

Assessment of Pancreatic β-Cell Function: Review of Methods and Clinical Applications

PubMed Central

Cersosimo, Eugenio; Solis-Herrera, Carolina; Trautmann, Michael E.; Malloy, Jaret; Triplitt, Curtis L.

2014-01-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by a progressive failure of pancreatic β-cell function (BCF) with insulin resistance. Once insulin over-secretion can no longer compensate for the degree of insulin resistance, hyperglycemia becomes clinically significant and deterioration of residual β-cell reserve accelerates. This pathophysiology has important therapeutic implications. Ideally, therapy should address the underlying pathology and should be started early along the spectrum of decreasing glucose tolerance in order to prevent or slow β-cell failure and reverse insulin resistance. The development of an optimal treatment strategy for each patient requires accurate diagnostic tools for evaluating the underlying state of glucose tolerance. This review focuses on the most widely used methods for measuring BCF within the context of insulin resistance and includes examples of their use in prediabetes and T2DM, with an emphasis on the most recent therapeutic options (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists). Methods of BCF measurement include the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA); oral glucose tolerance tests, intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT), and meal tolerance tests; and the hyperglycemic clamp procedure. To provide a meaningful evaluation of BCF, it is necessary to interpret all observations within the context of insulin resistance. Therefore, this review also discusses methods utilized to quantitate insulin-dependent glucose metabolism, such as the IVGTT and the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp procedures. In addition, an example is presented of a mathematical modeling approach that can use data from BCF measurements to develop a better understanding of BCF behavior and the overall status of glucose tolerance. PMID:24524730

Fault-tolerant wait-free shared objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jayanti, Prasad; Chandra, Tushar D.; Toueg, Sam

1992-01-01

A concurrent system consists of processes communicating via shared objects, such as shared variables, queues, etc. The concept of wait-freedom was introduced to cope with process failures: each process that accesses a wait-free object is guaranteed to get a response even if all the other processes crash. However, if a wait-free object 'crashes,' all the processes that access that object are prevented from making progress. In this paper, we introduce the concept of fault-tolerant wait-free objects, and study the problem of implementing them. We give a universal method to construct fault-tolerant wait-free objects, for all types of 'responsive' failures (including one in which faulty objects may 'lie'). In sharp contrast, we prove that many common and interesting types (such as queues, sets, and test&set) have no fault-tolerant wait-free implementations even under the most benign of the 'non-responsive' types of failure. We also introduce several concepts and techniques that are central to the design of fault-tolerant concurrent systems: the concepts of self-implementation and graceful degradation, and techniques to automatically increase the fault-tolerance of implementations. We prove matching lower bounds on the resource complexity of most of our algorithms.

Recent Advances in Utilizing Transcription Factors to Improve Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance by Transgenic Technology

PubMed Central

Wang, Hongyan; Wang, Honglei; Shao, Hongbo; Tang, Xiaoli

2016-01-01

Agricultural production and quality are adversely affected by various abiotic stresses worldwide and this will be exacerbated by the deterioration of global climate. To feed a growing world population, it is very urgent to breed stress-tolerant crops with higher yields and improved qualities against multiple environmental stresses. Since conventional breeding approaches had marginal success due to the complexity of stress tolerance traits, the transgenic approach is now being popularly used to breed stress-tolerant crops. So identifying and characterizing the critical genes involved in plant stress responses is an essential prerequisite for engineering stress-tolerant crops. Far beyond the manipulation of single functional gene, engineering certain regulatory genes has emerged as an effective strategy now for controlling the expression of many stress-responsive genes. Transcription factors (TFs) are good candidates for genetic engineering to breed stress-tolerant crop because of their role as master regulators of many stress-responsive genes. Many TFs belonging to families AP2/EREBP, MYB, WRKY, NAC, bZIP have been found to be involved in various abiotic stresses and some TF genes have also been engineered to improve stress tolerance in model and crop plants. In this review, we take five large families of TFs as examples and review the recent progress of TFs involved in plant abiotic stress responses and their potential utilization to improve multiple stress tolerance of crops in the field conditions. PMID:26904044

The link between exercise and titin passive stiffness.

PubMed

Lalande, Sophie; Mueller, Patrick J; Chung, Charles S

2017-09-01

What is the topic of this review? This review focuses on how in vivo and molecular measurements of cardiac passive stiffness can predict exercise tolerance and how exercise training can reduce cardiac passive stiffness. What advances does it highlight? This review highlights advances in understanding the relationship between molecular (titin-based) and in vivo (left ventricular) passive stiffness, how passive stiffness modifies exercise tolerance, and how exercise training may be therapeutic for cardiac diseases with increased passive stiffness. Exercise can help alleviate the negative effects of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular co-morbidities associated with sedentary behaviour; this may be especially true in diseases that are associated with increased left ventricular passive stiffness. In this review, we discuss the inverse relationship between exercise tolerance and cardiac passive stiffness. Passive stiffness is the physical property of cardiac muscle to produce a resistive force when stretched, which, in vivo, is measured using the left ventricular end diastolic pressure-volume relationship or is estimated using echocardiography. The giant elastic protein titin is the major contributor to passive stiffness at physiological muscle (sarcomere) lengths. Passive stiffness can be modified by altering titin isoform size or by post-translational modifications. In both human and animal models, increased left ventricular passive stiffness is associated with reduced exercise tolerance due to impaired diastolic filling, suggesting that increased passive stiffness predicts reduced exercise tolerance. At the same time, exercise training itself may induce both short- and long-term changes in titin-based passive stiffness, suggesting that exercise may be a treatment for diseases associated with increased passive stiffness. Direct modification of passive stiffness to improve exercise tolerance is a potential therapeutic approach. Titin passive stiffness itself may be a treatment target based on the recent discovery of RNA binding motif 20, which modifies titin isoform size and passive stiffness. Translating these discoveries that link exercise and left ventricular passive stiffness may provide new methods to enhance exercise tolerance and treat patients with cardiovascular disease. © 2017 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2017 The Physiological Society.

Tolerances of the human brain to concussion.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-03-01

The report reviews the pertinent literature and adds additional evidence indicating that the human brain may be able to tolerate head impact forces in the range of 300 to 400 g's without evidence of concussion or other detectable neurologic sequelae,...

The merging of fatigue and fracture mechanics concepts: a historical perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, J. C.

1998-07-01

In this review, some of the technical developments that have occurred during the past 40 years are presented which have led to the merger of fatigue and fracture mechanics concepts. This review is made from the viewpoint of “crack propagation”. As methods to observe the “fatigue” process have improved, the formation of fatigue micro-cracks have been observed earlier in life and the measured crack sizes have become smaller. These observations suggest that fatigue damage can now be characterized by “crack size”. In parallel, the crack-growth analysis methods, using stress-intensity factors, have also improved. But the effects of material inhomogeneities, crack-fracture mechanisms, and nonlinear behavior must now be included in these analyses. The discovery of crack-closure mechanisms, such as plasticity, roughness, and oxide/corrosion/fretting product debris, and the use of the effective stress-intensity factor range, has provided an engineering tool to predict small- and large-crack-growth rate behavior under service loading conditions. These mechanisms have also provided a rationale for developing new, damage-tolerant materials. This review suggests that small-crack growth behavior should be viewed as typical behavior, whereas large-crack threshold behavior should be viewed as the anomaly. Small-crack theory has unified “fatigue” and “fracture mechanics” concepts; and has bridged the gap between safe-life and durability/damage-tolerance design concepts.

The Merging of Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Concepts: A Historical Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, James C., Jr.

1997-01-01

The seventh Jerry L. Swedlow Memorial Lecture presents a review of some of the technical developments, that have occurred during the past 40 years, which have led to the merger of fatigue and fracture mechanics concepts. This review is made from the viewpoint of 'crack propagation.' As methods to observe the 'fatigue' process have improved, the formation of fatigue micro-cracks have been observed earlier in life and the measured crack sizes have become smaller. These observations suggest that fatigue damage can now be characterized by 'crack size.' In parallel, the crack-growth analysis methods, using stress-intensity factors, have also improved. But the effects of material inhomogeneities, crack-fracture mechanisms, and nonlinear behavior must now be included in these analyses. The discovery of crack-closure mechanisms, such as plasticity, roughness, and oxide/corrosion/fretting product debris, and the use of the effective stress-intensity factor range, has provided an engineering tool to predict small- and large-crack-growth rate behavior under service loading, conditions. These mechanisms have also provided a rationale for developing, new, damage-tolerant materials. This review suggests that small-crack growth behavior should be viewed as typical behavior, whereas large-crack threshold behavior should be viewed as the anomaly. Small-crack theory has unified 'fatigue' and 'fracture mechanics' concepts; and has bridged the cap between safe-life and durability/damage-tolerance design concepts.

Long-acting atypical injectable antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia: safety and tolerability review.

PubMed

Cañas, Fernando; Möller, Hans-Jürgen

2010-09-01

Although atypical antipsychotics have beneficial efficacy and tolerance, non-adherence and partial adherence remain in patients treated for schizophrenia. Long-acting injectable or depot atypical antipsychotics offer better medication adherence and tolerability advantages. Currently, two drugs are available for the treatment of schizophrenia, risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) and olanzapine pamoate (OP). Short- and long-term safety and tolerability data on RLAI and OP from January 2006 through September 2009 were reviewed by performing Medline and PubMed searches, reviewing abstracts and poster presentations, and viewing available material from the FDA and European Medicines Agency. RLAI and OP show good short- and long-term safety when treating patients with schizophrenia, with uncommon discontinuation due to adverse effects. RLAI and OP data show rare problems with injection site reactions and patients exposed to injectable treatments prefer to continue injections. Infrequent but serious post-injection delirium sedation syndrome occurred after 1% of OP injections. Weight gain was generally higher among patients treated with OP versus RLAI. Healthcare providers, patients and family members should be made aware of the safety and benefits of long-acting injectable atypical antipsychotics in order to diminish the unnecessary restrictions of these therapies for patients with schizophrenia.

Allocation, stress tolerance and carbon transport in plants: how does phloem physiology affect plant ecology?

PubMed

Savage, Jessica A; Clearwater, Michael J; Haines, Dustin F; Klein, Tamir; Mencuccini, Maurizio; Sevanto, Sanna; Turgeon, Robert; Zhang, Cankui

2016-04-01

Despite the crucial role of carbon transport in whole plant physiology and its impact on plant-environment interactions and ecosystem function, relatively little research has tried to examine how phloem physiology impacts plant ecology. In this review, we highlight several areas of active research where inquiry into phloem physiology has increased our understanding of whole plant function and ecological processes. We consider how xylem-phloem interactions impact plant drought tolerance and reproduction, how phloem transport influences carbon allocation in trees and carbon cycling in ecosystems and how phloem function mediates plant relations with insects, pests, microbes and symbiotes. We argue that in spite of challenges that exist in studying phloem physiology, it is critical that we consider the role of this dynamic vascular system when examining the relationship between plants and their biotic and abiotic environment. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ultralight amorphous silicon alloy photovoltaic modules for space and terrestrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanak, J. J.; Fulton, C.; Myatt, A.; Nath, P.; Woodyard, J. R.

This paper gives a review and an update on recently developed ultralight photovoltaic modules based on amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloys. They consist of tandem-junction solar cells deposited by a continuous, roll-to-roll process onto thin, foil substrates of bare metal, high temperature resin or metal coated with insulators. They have the following features: size, up to 71 cm x 30.5 cm; total thickness, 8 to 50 microns; power-to-weight at AM1, 2.4 kW/kg; and power-to-volume ratio 6.5 MW/cu m. Cells of a-Si alloys are over 50 times more tolerant to irradiation with 1 MeV and with 200 keV protons than crystalline cells and the damage is easily annealable. The modules have high power density and stability, they are portable, stowable, deployable, retractable, tolerant to radiation and meteorite or projectile impact and attractive for terrestrial and aerospace applications.

Feasibility study of using statistical process control to customized quality assurance in proton therapy.

PubMed

Rah, Jeong-Eun; Shin, Dongho; Oh, Do Hoon; Kim, Tae Hyun; Kim, Gwe-Ya

2014-09-01

To evaluate and improve the reliability of proton quality assurance (QA) processes and, to provide an optimal customized tolerance level using the statistical process control (SPC) methodology. The authors investigated the consistency check of dose per monitor unit (D/MU) and range in proton beams to see whether it was within the tolerance level of the daily QA process. This study analyzed the difference between the measured and calculated ranges along the central axis to improve the patient-specific QA process in proton beams by using process capability indices. The authors established a customized tolerance level of ±2% for D/MU and ±0.5 mm for beam range in the daily proton QA process. In the authors' analysis of the process capability indices, the patient-specific range measurements were capable of a specification limit of ±2% in clinical plans. SPC methodology is a useful tool for customizing the optimal QA tolerance levels and improving the quality of proton machine maintenance, treatment delivery, and ultimately patient safety.

A theory of drug tolerance and dependence I: a conceptual analysis.

PubMed

Peper, Abraham

2004-08-21

A mathematical model of drug tolerance and its underlying theory is presented. The model extends a first approach, published previously. The model is essentially more complex than the generally used model of homeostasis, which is demonstrated to fail in describing tolerance development to repeated drug administrations. The model assumes the development of tolerance to a repeatedly administered drug to be the result of a regulated adaptive process. The oral detection and analysis of exogenous substances is proposed to be the primary stimulus for the mechanism of drug tolerance. Anticipation and environmental cues are in the model considered secondary stimuli, becoming primary only in dependence and addiction or when the drug administration bypasses the natural-oral-route, as is the case when drugs are administered intravenously. The model considers adaptation to the effect of a drug and adaptation to the interval between drug taking autonomous tolerance processes. Simulations with the mathematical model demonstrate the model's behavior to be consistent with important characteristics of the development of tolerance to repeatedly administered drugs: the gradual decrease in drug effect when tolerance develops, the high sensitivity to small changes in drug dose, the rebound phenomenon and the large reactions following withdrawal in dependence. The mathematical model verifies the proposed theory and provides a basis for the implementation of mathematical models of specific physiological processes. In addition, it establishes a relation between the drug dose at any moment, and the resulting drug effect and relates the magnitude of the reactions following withdrawal to the rate of tolerance and other parameters involved in the tolerance process. The present paper analyses the concept behind the model. The next paper discusses the mathematical model.

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Amelioration of Salinity Stress: A Systems Biology Perspective

PubMed Central

Ilangumaran, Gayathri; Smith, Donald L.

2017-01-01

Salinity affects plant growth and is a major abiotic stress that limits crop productivity. It is well-understood that environmental adaptations and genetic traits regulate salinity tolerance in plants, but imparting the knowledge gained towards crop improvement remain arduous. Harnessing the potential of beneficial microorganisms present in the rhizosphere is an alternative strategy for improving plant stress tolerance. This review intends to elucidate the understanding of salinity tolerance mechanisms attributed by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Recent advances in molecular studies have yielded insights into the signaling networks of plant–microbe interactions that contribute to salt tolerance. The beneficial effects of PGPR involve boosting key physiological processes, including water and nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and source-sink relationships that promote growth and development. The regulation of osmotic balance and ion homeostasis by PGPR are conducted through modulation of phytohormone status, gene expression, protein function, and metabolite synthesis in plants. As a result, improved antioxidant activity, osmolyte accumulation, proton transport machinery, salt compartmentalization, and nutrient status reduce osmotic stress and ion toxicity. Furthermore, in addition to indole-3-acetic acid and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase biosynthesis, other extracellular secretions of the rhizobacteria function as signaling molecules and elicit stress responsive pathways. Application of PGPR inoculants is a promising measure to combat salinity in agricultural fields, thereby increasing global food production. PMID:29109733

Self-reported tolerance influences prefrontal cortex hemodynamics and affective responses.

PubMed

Tempest, Gavin; Parfitt, Gaynor

2016-02-01

The relationship between cognitive and sensory processes in the brain contributes to the regulation of affective responses (pleasure-displeasure). Exercise can be used to manipulate sensory processes (by increasing physiological demand) in order to examine the role of dispositional traits that may influence an individual's ability to cognitively regulate these responses. With the use of near infrared spectroscopy, in this study we examined the influence of self-reported tolerance upon prefrontal cortex (PFC) hemodynamics and affective responses. The hemodynamic response was measured in individuals with high or low tolerance during an incremental exercise test. Sensory manipulation was standardized against metabolic processes (ventilatory threshold [VT] and respiratory compensation point [RCP]), and affective responses were recorded. The results showed that the high-tolerance group displayed a larger hemodynamic response within the right PFC above VT (which increased above RCP). The low-tolerance group showed a larger hemodynamic response within the left PFC above VT. The high-tolerance group reported a more positive/less negative affective response above VT. These findings provide direct neurophysiological evidence of differential hemodynamic responses within the PFC that are associated with tolerance in the presence of increased physiological demands. This study supports the role of dispositional traits and previous theorizing into the underlying mechanisms (cognitive vs. sensory processes) of affective responses.

40 CFR 180.7 - Petitions proposing tolerances or exemptions for pesticide residues in or on raw agricultural...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Petitions proposing tolerances or exemptions for pesticide residues in or on raw agricultural commodities or processed foods. 180.7 Section 180... proposing tolerances or exemptions for pesticide residues in or on raw agricultural commodities or processed...

40 CFR 180.7 - Petitions proposing tolerances or exemptions for pesticide residues in or on raw agricultural...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Petitions proposing tolerances or exemptions for pesticide residues in or on raw agricultural commodities or processed foods. 180.7 Section 180... proposing tolerances or exemptions for pesticide residues in or on raw agricultural commodities or processed...

76 FR 11344 - Difenoconazole; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-02

... be affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes have been provided to... review of the data supporting the petition, EPA has revised the proposed tolerance for mango, fruit from... there is reliable information.'' This includes exposure through drinking water and in residential...

77 FR 26462 - Dimethomorph; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

... affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes have been provided to assist... review of the data supporting the petitions, EPA has revised the proposed tolerance level and commodity....'' This includes exposure through drinking water and in residential settings, but does not include...

[Improving industrial microbial stress resistance by metabolic engineering: a review].

PubMed

Fu, Ruiyan; Li, Yin

2010-09-01

Metabolic engineering is a technologic platform for industrial strain improvement and aims not only at modifying microbial metabolic fluxes, but also improving the physiological performance of industrial microbes. Microbes will meet multiple stresses in industrial processes. Consequently, elicited gene responses might result in a decrease in overall cell fitness and the efficiency of biotransformation. Thus, it is crucial to develop robust and productive microbial strains that can be integrated into industrial-scale bioprocesses. In this review, we focus on the progress of these novel methods and strategies for engineering stress-tolerance phenotypes referring to rational metabolic engineering and inverse metabolic engineering in recent years. In addition, we also address problems existing in this area and future research needs of microbial physiological functionality engineering.

Rare, medium, or well done? The effect of heating and food matrix on food protein allergenicity.

PubMed

Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna; Fiocchi, Alessandro

2009-06-01

To review recent advances in the area of food allergen processing and the effect on protein allergenicity. Heating generally decreases protein allergenicity by destroying conformational epitopes. In peanut and shrimp, heat-induced Maillard reaction (glycation) may increase allergenicity. The majority of milk and egg-allergic children tolerate extensively heated (baked with wheat matrix) milk and egg. Introduction of extensively heated milk and egg proteins is associated with decreasing sizes of skin prick test wheals and increasing serum food-specific IgG4 levels. Heating and other methods of food processing have different effects on food allergens, even those contained in the same complex food. Structural homology does not reliably predict the effect of processing on allergenicity, and individual food allergens have to be tested. Interactions with other proteins, fat, and carbohydrates in the food matrix are complex and poorly understood. Introduction of extensively heated milk and egg proteins into the diet of allergic children may represent an alternative approach to oral tolerance induction. Better characterization of these aspects of food allergy is critical for elucidation of food protein interactions with the gut-associated lymphoid tissue, the ability to induce IgE sensitization, the potential to trigger hypersensitivity reactions, and different clinical phenotypes of food allergy with regard to severity and persistence.

A review of current issues underlying colon cleansing before colonoscopy

PubMed Central

Hookey, Lawrence C; Vanner, Stephen

2007-01-01

The present review examines four current issues related to the efficacy, patient tolerance and safety of the following bowel cleansing agents: oral sodium phosphate (NaP), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and magnesium citrate (Pico-Salax, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc, Canada), an agent recently made available in Canada. MedLine and PubMed databases were systematically searched to identify studies related to the efficacy of altered PEG solutions combined with adjunct treatments; the efficacy, tolerability and safety of Pico-Salax; the association between nephrocalcinosis, and chronic renal failure and oral NaP use; and the role of diet. Although lower volume PEG solutions combined with adjuvant agents were generally associated with better patient tolerance, their efficacy was varied and interpretation of this end point is complicated by study design issues. There are very few reported studies of Pico-Salax, and as a result, there are insufficient data to draw conclusions about the efficacy of this agent. The available data suggest that Pico-Salax may be better tolerated by patients, than oral NaP and PEG solutions. There is a paucity of hemodynamic monitoring data pre- and postadministration, but the available data suggests that this small-volume osmotic agent could cause subclinical contraction of the intravascular space. Recent case reports suggest an association between nephrocalcinosis and oral NaP ingestion, but to date, these reports have been confined to a single centre. Preliminary studies suggest that this is not a widespread problem, but more studies are needed. There are only a few studies examining diet and patient tolerability, but they do suggest that diet may be liberalized with some cleansing regimens to enhance tolerability without decreasing efficacy. The present review highlights current controversies and advances in colon cleansing before colonoscopy, and also identifies areas for further study. PMID:17299615

Conflict Resolution in the Genome: How Transcription and Replication Make It Work.

PubMed

Hamperl, Stephan; Cimprich, Karlene A

2016-12-01

The complex machineries involved in replication and transcription translocate along the same DNA template, often in opposing directions and at different rates. These processes routinely interfere with each other in prokaryotes, and mounting evidence now suggests that RNA polymerase complexes also encounter replication forks in higher eukaryotes. Indeed, cells rely on numerous mechanisms to avoid, tolerate, and resolve such transcription-replication conflicts, and the absence of these mechanisms can lead to catastrophic effects on genome stability and cell viability. In this article, we review the cellular responses to transcription-replication conflicts and highlight how these inevitable encounters shape the genome and impact diverse cellular processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced digital signal processing for short haul optical fiber transmission beyond 100G

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Nobuhiko

2017-01-01

Significant increase of intra and inter data center traffic has been expected by the rapid spread of various network applications like SNS, IoT, mobile and cloud computing, and the needs for ultra-high speed and cost-effective short- to medium-reach optical fiber links beyond 100-Gbit/s is becoming larger and larger. Such high-speed links typically use multilevel modulation to lower signaling speed, which in turn face serious challenges in limited loss budget and waveform distortion tolerance. One of the promising techniques to overcome them is the use of advanced digital signal processing (DSP) and we review various DSP applications for short-to-medium reach applications.

Advanced resin systems and 3D textile preforms for low cost composite structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shukla, J. G.; Bayha, T. D.

1993-01-01

Advanced resin systems and 3D textile preforms are being evaluated at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company (LASC) under NASA's Advanced Composites Technology (ACT) Program. This work is aimed towards the development of low-cost, damage-tolerant composite fuselage structures. Resin systems for resin transfer molding and powder epoxy towpreg materials are being evaluated for processability, performance and cost. Three developmental epoxy resin systems for resin transfer molding (RTM) and three resin systems for powder towpregging are being investigated. Various 3D textile preform architectures using advanced weaving and braiding processes are also being evaluated. Trials are being conducted with powdered towpreg, in 2D weaving and 3D braiding processes for their textile processability and their potential for fabrication in 'net shape' fuselage structures. The progress in advanced resin screening and textile preform development is reviewed here.

76 FR 18895 - Hexythiazox; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-06

... Zone Model/Exposure Analysis Modeling System (PRZM/EXAMS), the estimated drinking water concentration... Classification System (NAICS) codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining whether this.... Based upon review of the data supporting the petition, EPA has revised the proposed tolerance levels for...

Debris Motion and Injury Relationships in All Hazard Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-07-01

reaction, limit of voluntary tolerance, injury threshold, LD5 0 value, limit of survival, etc. Our current state of knowledge concerning human impact...of-the-art review of "Human Impact Tolerance" up to approximately August 1970. Snyder concludes that current knowledge on human tolerance to impact...children and adults, suicides, high divers, skiers etc. have occurred and are reported in the literature (Refs. 19, 20, 21). With the objective of

Software fault tolerance in computer operating systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iyer, Ravishankar K.; Lee, Inhwan

1994-01-01

This chapter provides data and analysis of the dependability and fault tolerance for three operating systems: the Tandem/GUARDIAN fault-tolerant system, the VAX/VMS distributed system, and the IBM/MVS system. Based on measurements from these systems, basic software error characteristics are investigated. Fault tolerance in operating systems resulting from the use of process pairs and recovery routines is evaluated. Two levels of models are developed to analyze error and recovery processes inside an operating system and interactions among multiple instances of an operating system running in a distributed environment. The measurements show that the use of process pairs in Tandem systems, which was originally intended for tolerating hardware faults, allows the system to tolerate about 70% of defects in system software that result in processor failures. The loose coupling between processors which results in the backup execution (the processor state and the sequence of events occurring) being different from the original execution is a major reason for the measured software fault tolerance. The IBM/MVS system fault tolerance almost doubles when recovery routines are provided, in comparison to the case in which no recovery routines are available. However, even when recovery routines are provided, there is almost a 50% chance of system failure when critical system jobs are involved.

Quantum neuromorphic hardware for quantum artificial intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prati, Enrico

2017-08-01

The development of machine learning methods based on deep learning boosted the field of artificial intelligence towards unprecedented achievements and application in several fields. Such prominent results were made in parallel with the first successful demonstrations of fault tolerant hardware for quantum information processing. To which extent deep learning can take advantage of the existence of a hardware based on qubits behaving as a universal quantum computer is an open question under investigation. Here I review the convergence between the two fields towards implementation of advanced quantum algorithms, including quantum deep learning.

[Cyclosporine A in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis in the child: a case report].

PubMed

Ben Halima, Nabil; Chaabouni, Melek; Karray, Abderrahmen; Krichen, Anas; Masmoudi, Hatem; Jlidi, Rachid; Triki, Ali

2002-09-01

The current immunosuppressive treatment of patients with autoimmune hepatitis consists of prednisone and azathioprine. High doses of prednisone used to obtain the remission of the disease are associated with serious adverse effects. To avoid harmful consequences of prednisone, we proposed to treat patients with oral cyclosporine to obtain the remission of the inflammatory process. This case and review of the cases in the literature show that cyclosporine can induce remission of liver disease in children with autoimmune hepatitis, with few and well tolerated adverse effects.

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils by using Solanum nigrum: A review.

PubMed

Rehman, Muhammad Zia Ur; Rizwan, Muhammad; Ali, Shafaqat; Ok, Yong Sik; Ishaque, Wajid; Saifullah; Nawaz, Muhammad Farrakh; Akmal, Fatima; Waqar, Maqsooda

2017-09-01

Heavy metals are among the major environmental pollutants and the accumulation of these metals in soils is of great concern in agricultural production due to the toxic effects on crop growth and food quality. Phytoremediation is a promising technique which is being considered as an alternative and low-cost technology for the remediation of metal-contaminated soils. Solanum nigrum is widely studied for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils owing to its ability for metal uptake and tolerance. S. nigrum can tolerate excess amount of certain metals through different mechanism including enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and metal deposition in non-active parts of the plant. An overview of heavy metal uptake and tolerance in S. nigrum is given. Both endophytic and soil microorganisms can play a role in enhancing metal tolerance in S. nigrum. Additionally, optimization of soil management practices and exogenous application of amendments can also be used to enhance metal uptake and tolerance in this plant. The main objective of the present review is to highlight and discuss the recent progresses in using S. nigrum for remediation of metal contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Central Role for Thiols in Plant Tolerance to Abiotic Stress

PubMed Central

Zagorchev, Lyuben; Seal, Charlotte E.; Kranner, Ilse; Odjakova, Mariela

2013-01-01

Abiotic stress poses major problems to agriculture and increasing efforts are being made to understand plant stress response and tolerance mechanisms and to develop new tools that underpin successful agriculture. However, the molecular mechanisms of plant stress tolerance are not fully understood, and the data available is incomplete and sometimes contradictory. Here, we review the significance of protein and non-protein thiol compounds in relation to plant tolerance of abiotic stress. First, the roles of the amino acids cysteine and methionine, are discussed, followed by an extensive discussion of the low-molecular-weight tripeptide, thiol glutathione, which plays a central part in plant stress response and oxidative signalling and of glutathione-related enzymes, including those involved in the biosynthesis of non-protein thiol compounds. Special attention is given to the glutathione redox state, to phytochelatins and to the role of glutathione in the regulation of the cell cycle. The protein thiol section focuses on glutaredoxins and thioredoxins, proteins with oxidoreductase activity, which are involved in protein glutathionylation. The review concludes with a brief overview of and future perspectives for the involvement of plant thiols in abiotic stress tolerance. PMID:23549272

7 CFR 51.347 - Application of tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... (INSPECTION, CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Application of Tolerances § 51.347 Application of tolerances. Apples in closed packages are subject to the...

7 CFR 51.347 - Application of tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... (INSPECTION, CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Application of Tolerances § 51.347 Application of tolerances. Apples in closed packages are subject to the...

Feasibility study of using statistical process control to customized quality assurance in proton therapy

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

Rah, Jeong-Eun; Oh, Do Hoon; Shin, Dongho

Purpose: To evaluate and improve the reliability of proton quality assurance (QA) processes and, to provide an optimal customized tolerance level using the statistical process control (SPC) methodology. Methods: The authors investigated the consistency check of dose per monitor unit (D/MU) and range in proton beams to see whether it was within the tolerance level of the daily QA process. This study analyzed the difference between the measured and calculated ranges along the central axis to improve the patient-specific QA process in proton beams by using process capability indices. Results: The authors established a customized tolerance level of ±2% formore » D/MU and ±0.5 mm for beam range in the daily proton QA process. In the authors’ analysis of the process capability indices, the patient-specific range measurements were capable of a specification limit of ±2% in clinical plans. Conclusions: SPC methodology is a useful tool for customizing the optimal QA tolerance levels and improving the quality of proton machine maintenance, treatment delivery, and ultimately patient safety.« less

Plant tolerance to high temperature in a changing environment: scientific fundamentals and production of heat stress-tolerant crops

PubMed Central

Bita, Craita E.; Gerats, Tom

2013-01-01

Global warming is predicted to have a general negative effect on plant growth due to the damaging effect of high temperatures on plant development. The increasing threat of climatological extremes including very high temperatures might lead to catastrophic loss of crop productivity and result in wide spread famine. In this review, we assess the impact of global climate change on the agricultural crop production. There is a differential effect of climate change both in terms of geographic location and the crops that will likely show the most extreme reductions in yield as a result of expected extreme fluctuations in temperature and global warming in general. High temperature stress has a wide range of effects on plants in terms of physiology, biochemistry and gene regulation pathways. However, strategies exist to crop improvement for heat stress tolerance. In this review, we present recent advances of research on all these levels of investigation and focus on potential leads that may help to understand more fully the mechanisms that make plants tolerant or susceptible to heat stress. Finally, we review possible procedures and methods which could lead to the generation of new varieties with sustainable yield production, in a world likely to be challenged both by increasing population, higher average temperatures and larger temperature fluctuations. PMID:23914193

Plant tolerance to high temperature in a changing environment: scientific fundamentals and production of heat stress-tolerant crops.

PubMed

Bita, Craita E; Gerats, Tom

2013-01-01

Global warming is predicted to have a general negative effect on plant growth due to the damaging effect of high temperatures on plant development. The increasing threat of climatological extremes including very high temperatures might lead to catastrophic loss of crop productivity and result in wide spread famine. In this review, we assess the impact of global climate change on the agricultural crop production. There is a differential effect of climate change both in terms of geographic location and the crops that will likely show the most extreme reductions in yield as a result of expected extreme fluctuations in temperature and global warming in general. High temperature stress has a wide range of effects on plants in terms of physiology, biochemistry and gene regulation pathways. However, strategies exist to crop improvement for heat stress tolerance. In this review, we present recent advances of research on all these levels of investigation and focus on potential leads that may help to understand more fully the mechanisms that make plants tolerant or susceptible to heat stress. Finally, we review possible procedures and methods which could lead to the generation of new varieties with sustainable yield production, in a world likely to be challenged both by increasing population, higher average temperatures and larger temperature fluctuations.

77 FR 18710 - Acetamiprid; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

... System (NAICS) codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining whether this action might.... Based upon review of the data supporting the petitions, EPA has revised the tolerance associated with... exposures for which there is reliable information.'' This includes exposure through drinking water and in...

78 FR 40017 - Ethalfluralin; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-03

.... The following list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to... filing. Based upon review of the data supporting the petition, EPA has revised the tolerance expression... drinking water and in residential settings, but does not include occupational exposure. Section 408(b)(2)(C...

78 FR 30213 - 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-22

... Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide... filing. Based upon review of the data supporting the petition, EPA has revised the proposed tolerance on... for which there is reliable information.'' This includes exposure through drinking water and in...

Analyses of flooding tolerance of soybean varieties at emergence and varietal differences in their proteomes.

PubMed

Nanjo, Yohei; Jang, Hee-Young; Kim, Hong-Sig; Hiraga, Susumu; Woo, Sun-Hee; Komatsu, Setsuko

2014-10-01

Flooding of fields due to heavy and/or continuous rainfall influences soybean production. To identify soybean varieties with flooding tolerance at the seedling emergence stage, 128 soybean varieties were evaluated using a flooding tolerance index, which is based on plant survival rates, the lack of apparent damage and lateral root development, and post-flooding radicle elongation rate. The soybean varieties were ranked according to their flooding tolerance index, and it was found that the tolerance levels of soybean varieties exhibit a continuum of differences between varieties. Subsequently, tolerant, moderately tolerant and sensitive varieties were selected and subjected to comparative proteomic analysis to clarify the tolerance mechanism. Proteomic analysis of the radicles, combined with correlation analysis, showed that the ratios of RNA binding/processing related proteins and flooding stress indicator proteins were significantly correlated with flooding tolerance index. The RNA binding/processing related proteins were positively correlated in untreated soybeans, whereas flooding stress indicator proteins were negatively correlated in flooded soybeans. These results suggest that flooding tolerance is regulated by mechanisms through multiple factors and is associated with abundance levels of the identified proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 51.347 - Application of tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Application of Tolerances § 51.347 Application of tolerances. Apples in closed packages are subject to the following limitations provided the...

7 CFR 51.347 - Application of tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Application of Tolerances § 51.347 Application of tolerances. Apples in closed packages are subject to the following limitations provided the...

7 CFR 51.347 - Application of tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Application of Tolerances § 51.347 Application of tolerances. Apples in closed packages are subject to the following limitations provided the...

Antimony in the environment: A review focused on natural waters. III. Microbiota relevant interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filella, Montserrat; Belzile, Nelson; Lett, Marie-Claire

2007-02-01

Antimony is ubiquitously present in the environment as a result of natural processes and human activities. Antimony is not considered to be an essential element for plants or animals. In this third review paper on the occurrence of antimony in natural waters, the interactions of antimony with microbiota are discussed in relation to its fate in natural waters. This paper covers the following aspects: occurrence in microbiota, uptake transport mechanisms, pathways of Sb(III) removal from cells involved in antimony tolerance, oxidation and reduction of antimony by living organisms, phytochelatin induction and biomethylation. This review is based on a careful and systematic examination of a comprehensive collection of papers on the above mentioned aspects of the subject. All data are quoted from the original sources. Relatively little existing information falls within the strict scope of this review and, when relevant, discussion on the interactions of antimony with reference microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and different protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, has been included.

Salinity tolerance in plants. Quantitative approach to ion transport starting from halophytes and stepping to genetic and protein engineering for manipulating ion fluxes.

PubMed

Volkov, Vadim

2015-01-01

Ion transport is the fundamental factor determining salinity tolerance in plants. The Review starts from differences in ion transport between salt tolerant halophytes and salt-sensitive plants with an emphasis on transport of potassium and sodium via plasma membranes. The comparison provides introductory information for increasing salinity tolerance. Effects of salt stress on ion transport properties of membranes show huge opportunities for manipulating ion fluxes. Further steps require knowledge about mechanisms of ion transport and individual genes of ion transport proteins. Initially, the Review describes methods to measure ion fluxes, the independent set of techniques ensures robust and reliable basement for quantitative approach. The Review briefly summarizes current data concerning Na(+) and K(+) concentrations in cells, refers to primary thermodynamics of ion transport and gives special attention to individual ion channels and transporters. Simplified scheme of a plant cell with known transport systems at the plasma membrane and tonoplast helps to imagine the complexity of ion transport and allows choosing specific transporters for modulating ion transport. The complexity is enhanced by the influence of cell size and cell wall on ion transport. Special attention is given to ion transporters and to potassium and sodium transport by HKT, HAK, NHX, and SOS1 proteins. Comparison between non-selective cation channels and ion transporters reveals potential importance of ion transporters and the balance between the two pathways of ion transport. Further on the Review describes in detail several successful attempts to overexpress or knockout ion transporters for changing salinity tolerance. Future perspectives are questioned with more attention given to promising candidate ion channels and transporters for altered expression. Potential direction of increasing salinity tolerance by modifying ion channels and transporters using single point mutations is discussed and questioned. An alternative approach from synthetic biology is to create new regulation networks using novel transport proteins with desired properties for transforming agricultural crops. The approach had not been widely used earlier; it leads also to theoretical and pure scientific aspects of protein chemistry, structure-function relations of membrane proteins, systems biology and physiology of stress and ion homeostasis. Summarizing, several potential ways are aimed at required increase in salinity tolerance of plants of interest.

Salinity tolerance in plants. Quantitative approach to ion transport starting from halophytes and stepping to genetic and protein engineering for manipulating ion fluxes

PubMed Central

Volkov, Vadim

2015-01-01

Ion transport is the fundamental factor determining salinity tolerance in plants. The Review starts from differences in ion transport between salt tolerant halophytes and salt-sensitive plants with an emphasis on transport of potassium and sodium via plasma membranes. The comparison provides introductory information for increasing salinity tolerance. Effects of salt stress on ion transport properties of membranes show huge opportunities for manipulating ion fluxes. Further steps require knowledge about mechanisms of ion transport and individual genes of ion transport proteins. Initially, the Review describes methods to measure ion fluxes, the independent set of techniques ensures robust and reliable basement for quantitative approach. The Review briefly summarizes current data concerning Na+ and K+ concentrations in cells, refers to primary thermodynamics of ion transport and gives special attention to individual ion channels and transporters. Simplified scheme of a plant cell with known transport systems at the plasma membrane and tonoplast helps to imagine the complexity of ion transport and allows choosing specific transporters for modulating ion transport. The complexity is enhanced by the influence of cell size and cell wall on ion transport. Special attention is given to ion transporters and to potassium and sodium transport by HKT, HAK, NHX, and SOS1 proteins. Comparison between non-selective cation channels and ion transporters reveals potential importance of ion transporters and the balance between the two pathways of ion transport. Further on the Review describes in detail several successful attempts to overexpress or knockout ion transporters for changing salinity tolerance. Future perspectives are questioned with more attention given to promising candidate ion channels and transporters for altered expression. Potential direction of increasing salinity tolerance by modifying ion channels and transporters using single point mutations is discussed and questioned. An alternative approach from synthetic biology is to create new regulation networks using novel transport proteins with desired properties for transforming agricultural crops. The approach had not been widely used earlier; it leads also to theoretical and pure scientific aspects of protein chemistry, structure-function relations of membrane proteins, systems biology and physiology of stress and ion homeostasis. Summarizing, several potential ways are aimed at required increase in salinity tolerance of plants of interest. PMID:26579140

Mechanisms Underlying Tolerance after Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use: A Future for Subtype-Selective GABAA Receptor Modulators?

PubMed Central

Vinkers, Christiaan H.; Olivier, Berend

2012-01-01

Despite decades of basic and clinical research, our understanding of how benzodiazepines tend to lose their efficacy over time (tolerance) is at least incomplete. In appears that tolerance develops relatively quickly for the sedative and anticonvulsant actions of benzodiazepines, whereas tolerance to anxiolytic and amnesic effects probably does not develop at all. In light of this evidence, we review the current evidence for the neuroadaptive mechanisms underlying benzodiazepine tolerance, including changes of (i) the GABAA receptor (subunit expression and receptor coupling), (ii) intracellular changes stemming from transcriptional and neurotrophic factors, (iii) ionotropic glutamate receptors, (iv) other neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine systems), and (v) the neurosteroid system. From the large variance in the studies, it appears that either different (simultaneous) tolerance mechanisms occur depending on the benzodiazepine effect, or that the tolerance-inducing mechanism depends on the activated GABAA receptor subtypes. Importantly, there is no convincing evidence that tolerance occurs with α subunit subtype-selective compounds acting at the benzodiazepine site. PMID:22536226

Mechanisms of food processing and storage-related stress tolerance in Clostridium botulinum.

PubMed

Dahlsten, Elias; Lindström, Miia; Korkeala, Hannu

2015-05-01

Vegetative cultures of Clostridium botulinum produce the extremely potent botulinum neurotoxin, and may jeopardize the safety of foods unless sufficient measures to prevent growth are applied. Minimal food processing relies on combinations of mild treatments, primarily to avoid deterioration of the sensory qualities of the food. Tolerance of C. botulinum to minimal food processing is well characterized. However, data on effects of successive treatments on robustness towards further processing is lacking. Developments in genetic manipulation tools and the availability of annotated genomes have allowed identification of genetic mechanisms involved in stress tolerance of C. botulinum. Most studies focused on low temperature, and the importance of various regulatory mechanisms in cold tolerance of C. botulinum has been demonstrated. Furthermore, novel roles in cold tolerance were shown for metabolic pathways under the control of these regulators. A role for secondary oxidative stress in tolerance to extreme temperatures has been proposed. Additionally, genetic mechanisms related to tolerance to heat, low pH, and high salinity have been characterized. Data on genetic stress-related mechanisms of psychrotrophic Group II C. botulinum strains are scarce; these mechanisms are of interest for food safety research and should thus be investigated. This minireview encompasses the importance of C. botulinum as a food safety hazard and its central physiological characteristics related to food-processing and storage-related stress. Special attention is given to recent findings considering genetic mechanisms C. botulinum utilizes in detecting and countering these adverse conditions. Copyright © 2014 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The tolerance of the human body to automobile collision impact - a systematic review of injury biomechanics research, 1990-2009.

PubMed

Forman, Jason L; Lopez-Valdes, Francisco J; Duprey, Sonia; Bose, Dipan; Del Pozo de Dios, Eduardo; Subit, Damien; Gillispie, Tim; Crandall, Jeff R; Segui-Gomez, Maria

2015-07-01

Road traffic injuries account for 1.3 million deaths per year world-wide. Mitigating both fatalities and injuries requires a detailed understanding of the tolerance of the human body to external load. To identify research priorities, it is necessary to periodically compare trends in injury tolerance research to the characteristics of injuries occurring in the field. This study sought to perform a systematic review on the last twenty years of experimental injury tolerance research, and to evaluate those results relative to available epidemiologic data. Four hundred and eight experimental injury tolerance studies from 1990-2009 were identified from a reference index of over 68,000 papers. Examined variables included the body regions, ages, and genders studied; and the experimental models used. Most (20%) of the publications studied injury to the spine. There has also been a substantial volume of biomechanical research focused on upper and lower extremity injury, thoracic injury, and injury to the elderly - although these injury types still occur with regularity in the field. In contrast, information on pediatric injury and physiological injury (especially in the central nervous system) remains lacking. Given their frequency of injury in the field, future efforts should also include improving our understanding of tolerances and protection of vulnerable road users (e.g., motorcyclists, pedestrians). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How tree roots respond to drought

PubMed Central

Brunner, Ivano; Herzog, Claude; Dawes, Melissa A.; Arend, Matthias; Sperisen, Christoph

2015-01-01

The ongoing climate change is characterized by increased temperatures and altered precipitation patterns. In addition, there has been an increase in both the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events such as drought. Episodes of drought induce a series of interconnected effects, all of which have the potential to alter the carbon balance of forest ecosystems profoundly at different scales of plant organization and ecosystem functioning. During recent years, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of how aboveground parts of trees respond to drought and how these responses affect carbon assimilation. In contrast, processes of belowground parts are relatively underrepresented in research on climate change. In this review, we describe current knowledge about responses of tree roots to drought. Tree roots are capable of responding to drought through a variety of strategies that enable them to avoid and tolerate stress. Responses include root biomass adjustments, anatomical alterations, and physiological acclimations. The molecular mechanisms underlying these responses are characterized to some extent, and involve stress signaling and the induction of numerous genes, leading to the activation of tolerance pathways. In addition, mycorrhizas seem to play important protective roles. The current knowledge compiled in this review supports the view that tree roots are well equipped to withstand drought situations and maintain morphological and physiological functions as long as possible. Further, the reviewed literature demonstrates the important role of tree roots in the functioning of forest ecosystems and highlights the need for more research in this emerging field. PMID:26284083

Modifying Yeast Tolerance to Inhibitory Conditions of Ethanol Production Processes

PubMed Central

Caspeta, Luis; Castillo, Tania; Nielsen, Jens

2015-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains having a broad range of substrate utilization, rapid substrate consumption, and conversion to ethanol, as well as good tolerance to inhibitory conditions are ideal for cost-competitive ethanol production from lignocellulose. A major drawback to directly design S. cerevisiae tolerance to inhibitory conditions of lignocellulosic ethanol production processes is the lack of knowledge about basic aspects of its cellular signaling network in response to stress. Here, we highlight the inhibitory conditions found in ethanol production processes, the targeted cellular functions, the key contributions of integrated -omics analysis to reveal cellular stress responses according to these inhibitors, and current status on design-based engineering of tolerant and efficient S. cerevisiae strains for ethanol production from lignocellulose. PMID:26618154

Loss of desiccation tolerance in Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. seeds during germination.

PubMed

Pereira, W V S; Faria, J M R; Tonetti, O A O; Silva, E A A

2014-05-01

This study evaluated the loss of desiccation tolerance in C. langsdorffii seeds during the germination process. Seeds were imbibed for 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 hours and dried to the initial moisture content, kept in this state for 3 days after which they were submitted to pre-humidification and rehydration. Ultraestructural evaluations were done aiming to observe the cell damage caused by the dry process. Desiccation tolerance was evaluated in terms of the percentage of normal seedlings. Seeds not submitted to the drying process presented 61% of normal seedlings, and after 24 hours of imbibition, followed by drying, the seeds presented the same percentage of survival. However, after 48 hours of imbibition, seeds started to lose the desiccation tolerance. There was twenty six percent of normal seedlings formed from seeds imbibed for 96 hours and later dried and rehydrated. Only 5% of seeds imbibed for 144 hours, dried and rehydrated formed normal seedlings. At 144 hours of imbibition followed the dry process, there was damage into the cell structure, indicating that the seeds were unable to keep the cell structure during the drying process. Copaifera langsdorffii seeds loses the desiccation tolerance at the start of Phase 2 of imbibition.

77 FR 60917 - Trinexapac-ethyl; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

... ``hog, meat by-products'' in order to correct inadvertent errors in the final rule tolerance table for...'' is revised to ``hog, meat by-products.'' V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews This final rule... alphabetical order an entry for ``Hog, meat by-products''. 0 iii. Revising the entries for ``Wheat, forage...

Tolerance engineering in bacteria for the production of advanced biofuels and chemicals.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila

2015-08-01

During microbial production of solvent-like compounds, such as advanced biofuels and bulk chemicals, accumulation of the final product can negatively impact the cultivation of the host microbe and limit the production levels. Consequently, improving solvent tolerance is becoming an essential aspect of engineering microbial production strains. Mechanisms ranging from chaperones to transcriptional factors have been used to obtain solvent-tolerant strains. However, alleviating growth inhibition does not invariably result in increased production. Transporters specifically have emerged as a powerful category of proteins that bestow tolerance and often improve production but are difficult targets for cellular expression. Here we review strain engineering, primarily as it pertains to bacterial solvent tolerance, and the benefits and challenges associated with the expression of membrane-localized transporters in improving solvent tolerance and production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Some Biological Hints on the Control of Heat and Mass Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagiwara, Yoshimichi

This review paper explores the possibilities of the control of heat and mass transfer associated with drought tolerance and freeze tolerance. The accumulation of some metabolites, such as proline and trehalose, are effective for drought tolerance. The special microstructures on the surfaces of some plants and insects in deserts are effective for collecting moisture in the air. Methods of preserving crops will be improved by the mimetic of the drought tolerance. Calcium ions and a protein are effective for the retrieval of damaged cell membrane due to ice formation. Ice crystal growth is inhibited by some substances such as antifreeze proteins. The cryopreservation of foods and organs will be improved by the mimetic of the freeze tolerance.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for post-partum depression (PPD): a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

PubMed

De Crescenzo, Franco; Perelli, Federica; Armando, Marco; Vicari, Stefano

2014-01-01

The treatment of postpartum depression with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been claimed to be both efficacious and well tolerated, but no recent systematic reviews have been conducted. A qualitative systematic review of randomized clinical trials on women with postpartum depression comparing SSRIs to placebo and/or other treatments was performed. A comprehensive literature search of online databases, the bibliographies of published articles and grey literature were conducted. Data on efficacy, acceptability and tolerability were extracted and the quality of the trials was assessed. Six randomised clinical trials, comprising 595 patients, met quality criteria for inclusion in the analysis. Cognitive-behavioural intervention, psychosocial community-based intervention, psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, a second-generation tricyclic antidepressant and placebo were used as comparisons. All studies demonstrated higher response and remission rates among those treated with SSRIs and greater mean changes on depression scales, although findings were not always statistically significant. Dropout rates were high in three of the trials but similar among treatment and comparison groups. In general, SSRIs were well tolerated and trial quality was good. There are few trials, patients included in the trials were not representative of all patients with postpartum depression, dropout rates in three trials were high, and long-term efficacy and tolerability were assessed in only two trials. SSRIs appear to be efficacious and well tolerated in the treatment of postpartum depression, but the available evidence fails to demonstrate a clear superiority over other treatments. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 180.123 - Inorganic bromide residues resulting from fumigation with methyl bromide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... from fumigation with methyl bromide; tolerances for residues. 180.123 Section 180.123 Protection of... fumigation with methyl bromide; tolerances for residues. (a) General. (1) Tolerances are established for... result of fumigation of the processed food with methyl bromide or from such fumigation in addition to the...

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

DiCostanzo, D; Ayan, A; Woollard, J

Purpose: To automate the daily verification of each patient’s treatment by utilizing the trajectory log files (TLs) written by the Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator while reducing the number of false positives including jaw and gantry positioning errors, that are displayed in the Treatment History tab of Varian’s Chart QA module. Methods: Small deviations in treatment parameters are difficult to detect in weekly chart checks, but may be significant in reducing delivery errors, and would be critical if detected daily. Software was developed in house to read TLs. Multiple functions were implemented within the software that allow it to operate viamore » a GUI to analyze TLs, or as a script to run on a regular basis. In order to determine tolerance levels for the scripted analysis, 15,241 TLs from seven TrueBeams were analyzed. The maximum error of each axis for each TL was written to a CSV file and statistically analyzed to determine the tolerance for each axis accessible in the TLs to flag for manual review. The software/scripts developed were tested by varying the tolerance values to ensure veracity. After tolerances were determined, multiple weeks of manual chart checks were performed simultaneously with the automated analysis to ensure validity. Results: The tolerance values for the major axis were determined to be, 0.025 degrees for the collimator, 1.0 degree for the gantry, 0.002cm for the y-jaws, 0.01cm for the x-jaws, and 0.5MU for the MU. The automated verification of treatment parameters has been in clinical use for 4 months. During that time, no errors in machine delivery of the patient treatments were found. Conclusion: The process detailed here is a viable and effective alternative to manually checking treatment parameters during weekly chart checks.« less

A theory of drug tolerance and dependence II: the mathematical model.

PubMed

Peper, Abraham

2004-08-21

The preceding paper presented a model of drug tolerance and dependence. The model assumes the development of tolerance to a repeatedly administered drug to be the result of a regulated adaptive process. The oral detection and analysis of exogenous substances is proposed to be the primary stimulus for the mechanism of drug tolerance. Anticipation and environmental cues are in the model considered secondary stimuli, becoming primary in dependence and addiction or when the drug administration bypasses the natural-oral-route, as is the case when drugs are administered intravenously. The model considers adaptation to the effect of a drug and adaptation to the interval between drug taking autonomous tolerance processes. Simulations with the mathematical model demonstrate the model's behaviour to be consistent with important characteristics of the development of tolerance to repeatedly administered drugs: the gradual decrease in drug effect when tolerance develops, the high sensitivity to small changes in drug dose, the rebound phenomenon and the large reactions following withdrawal in dependence. The present paper discusses the mathematical model in terms of its design. The model is a nonlinear, learning feedback system, fully satisfying control theoretical principles. It accepts any form of the stimulus-the drug intake-and describes how the physiological processes involved affect the distribution of the drug through the body and the stability of the regulation loop. The mathematical model verifies the proposed theory and provides a basis for the implementation of mathematical models of specific physiological processes.

Individual Pesticides in Registration Review

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

You can used the Chemical Search database to search pesticides by chemical name and find their registration review dockets, along with Work Plans, risk assessments, interim and final decisions, tolerance rules, and cancellation actions.

Opioid receptor desensitization: mechanisms and its link to tolerance

PubMed Central

Allouche, Stéphane; Noble, Florence; Marie, Nicolas

2014-01-01

Opioid receptors (OR) are part of the class A of G-protein coupled receptors and the target of the opiates, the most powerful analgesic molecules used in clinic. During a protracted use, a tolerance to analgesic effect develops resulting in a reduction of the effectiveness. So understanding mechanisms of tolerance is a great challenge and may help to find new strategies to tackle this side effect. This review will summarize receptor-related mechanisms that could underlie tolerance especially receptor desensitization. We will focus on the latest data obtained on molecular mechanisms involved in opioid receptor desensitization: phosphorylation, receptor uncoupling, internalization, and post-endocytic fate of the receptor. PMID:25566076

Challenges in Special Steel Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balachandran, G.

2018-02-01

Special bar quality [SBQ] is a long steel product where an assured quality is delivered by the steel mill to its customer. The bars have enhanced tolerance to higher stress application and it is demanded for specialised component making. The SBQ bars are sought for component making processing units such as closed die hot forging, hot extrusion, cold forging, machining, heat treatment, welding operations. The final component quality of the secondary processing units depends on the quality maintained at the steel maker end along with quality maintained at the fabricator end. Thus, quality control is ensured at every unit process stages. The various market segments catered to by SBQ steel segment is ever growing and is reviewed. Steel mills need adequate infrastructure and technological capability to make these higher quality steels. Some of the critical stages of processing SBQ and the critical quality maintenance parameters at the steel mill in the manufacture has been brought out.

A method of setting limits for the purpose of quality assurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanghangthum, Taweap; Suriyapee, Sivalee; Kim, Gwe-Ya; Pawlicki, Todd

2013-10-01

The result from any assurance measurement needs to be checked against some limits for acceptability. There are two types of limits; those that define clinical acceptability (action limits) and those that are meant to serve as a warning that the measurement is close to the action limits (tolerance limits). Currently, there is no standard procedure to set these limits. In this work, we propose an operational procedure to set tolerance limits and action limits. The approach to establish the limits is based on techniques of quality engineering using control charts and a process capability index. The method is different for tolerance limits and action limits with action limits being categorized into those that are specified and unspecified. The procedure is to first ensure process control using the I-MR control charts. Then, the tolerance limits are set equal to the control chart limits on the I chart. Action limits are determined using the Cpm process capability index with the requirements that the process must be in-control. The limits from the proposed procedure are compared to an existing or conventional method. Four examples are investigated: two of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) point dose quality assurance (QA) and two of routine linear accelerator output QA. The tolerance limits range from about 6% larger to 9% smaller than conventional action limits for VMAT QA cases. For the linac output QA, tolerance limits are about 60% smaller than conventional action limits. The operational procedure describe in this work is based on established quality management tools and will provide a systematic guide to set up tolerance and action limits for different equipment and processes.

Ultrasonographic Differentiation of Lateral Elbow Pain

PubMed Central

Obuchowicz, R.; Bonczar, M.

2016-01-01

Lateral elbow pain is often attributed to degenerative or posttraumatic impairment of the common extensor tendon. Ultrasonography assesses the soft tissue structures of the lateral elbow, allowing the differentiation between various underlying processes, including angiofibroblastic degeneration, hyaline degeneration, and inflammation, and exclusion of other possible causes of pain such as posterior interosseous and lateral antebrachial nerve compression. Furthermore, the real-time imaging nature of ultrasonography enables the detection of impingement of the lateral synovial fold, degenerative changes in the elbow recess, and elbow posterolateral instability during dynamic maneuvers. Ultrasonography is widely accessible and well tolerated by patients, making it a perfect method for establishing an initial diagnosis and monitoring the healing process. This review describes the possible causes of lateral elbow pain and their ultrasonographic differentiation. PMID:27689169

Salt acclimation process: a comparison between a sensitive and a tolerant Olea europaea cultivar.

PubMed

Pandolfi, Camilla; Bazihizina, Nadia; Giordano, Cristiana; Mancuso, Stefano; Azzarello, Elisa

2017-03-01

Saline soils are highly heterogeneous in time and space, and this is a critical factor influencing plant physiology and productivity. Temporal changes in soil salinity can alter plant responses to salinity, and pre-treating plants with low NaCl concentrations has been found to substantially increase salt tolerance in different species in a process called acclimation. However, it still remains unclear whether this process is common to all plants or is only expressed in certain genotypes. We addressed this question by assessing the physiological changes to 100 mM NaCl in two contrasting olive cultivars (the salt-sensitive Leccino and the salt-tolerant Frantoio), following a 1-month acclimation period with 5 or 25 mM NaCl. The acclimation improved salt tolerance in both cultivars, but activated substantially different physiological adjustments in the tolerant and the sensitive cultivars. In the tolerant Frantoio the acclimation with 5 mM NaCl was more effective in increasing plant salt tolerance, with a 47% increase in total plant dry mass compared with non-acclimated saline plants. This enhanced biomass accumulation was associated with a 50% increase in K+ retention ability in roots. On the other hand, in the sensitive Leccino, although the acclimation process did not improve performance in terms of plant growth, pre-treatment with 5 and 25 mM NaCl substantially decreased salt-induced leaf cell ultrastructural changes, with leaf cell relatively similar to those of control plants. Taken together these results suggest that in the tolerant cultivar the acclimation took place primarily in the root tissues, while in the sensitive they occurred mainly at the shoot level. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

New discoveries linking transcription to DNA repair and damage tolerance pathways.

PubMed

Cohen, Susan E; Walker, Graham C

2011-01-01

In Escherichia coli, the transcription elongation factor NusA is associated with all elongating RNA polymerases where it functions in transcription termination and antitermination. Here, we review our recent results implicating NusA in the recruitment of DNA repair and damage tolerance mechanisms to sites of stalled transcription complexes.

Turtle anoxia tolerance: Biochemistry and gene regulation.

PubMed

Krivoruchko, Anastasia; Storey, Kenneth B

2015-06-01

While oxygen limitation can be extremely damaging for many animals, some vertebrates have perfected anaerobic survival. Freshwater turtles belonging to the Trachemys and Chrysemys genera, for example, can survive many weeks without oxygen, and as such are commonly used as model animals for vertebrate anoxia tolerance. In the present review we discuss the recent advances made in understanding the biochemical and molecular nature of natural anoxia tolerance of freshwater turtles. Research in recent years has shown that activation of several important pathways occurs in response to anoxia in turtles, including those that function in the stress response, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of gene expression and metabolism. These likely contribute to anoxia tolerance in turtle tissues by minimizing cell damage in response to anoxia, as well as facilitating metabolic rate depression. The research discussed in the present review contributes to the understanding of how freshwater turtles can survive without oxygen for prolonged periods of time. This could also improve understanding of the molecular nature of hypoxic/ischemic injuries in mammalian tissues and suggest potential ways to avoid these. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regulatory dendritic cells: there is more than just immune activation.

PubMed

Schmidt, Susanne V; Nino-Castro, Andrea C; Schultze, Joachim L

2012-01-01

The immune system exists in a delicate equilibrium between inflammatory responses and tolerance. This unique feature allows the immune system to recognize and respond to potential threats in a controlled but normally limited fashion thereby preventing a destructive overreaction against healthy tissues. While the adaptive immune system was the major research focus concerning activation vs. tolerance in the immune system more recent findings suggest that cells of the innate immune system are important players in the decision between effective immunity and induction of tolerance or immune inhibition. Among immune cells of the innate immune system dendritic cells (DCs) have a special function linking innate immune functions with the induction of adaptive immunity. DCs are the primary professional antigen presenting cells (APCs) initiating adaptive immune responses. They belong to the hematopoietic system and arise from CD34(+) stem cells in the bone marrow. Particularly in the murine system two major subgroups of DCs, namely myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) can be distinguished. DCs are important mediators of innate and adaptive immunity mostly due to their remarkable capacity to present processed antigens via major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) to T cells and B cells in secondary lymphoid organs. A large body of literature has been accumulated during the last two decades describing which role DCs play during activation of T cell responses but also during the establishment and maintenance of central tolerance (Steinman et al., 2003). While the concept of peripheral tolerance has been clearly established during the last years, the role of different sets of DCs and their particular molecular mechanisms of immune deviation has not yet fully been appreciated. In this review we summarize accumulating evidence about the role of regulatory DCs in situations where the balance between tolerance and immunogenicity has been altered leading to pathologic conditions such as chronic inflammation or malignancies.

Regulatory dendritic cells: there is more than just immune activation

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Susanne V.; Nino-Castro, Andrea C.; Schultze, Joachim L.

2012-01-01

The immune system exists in a delicate equilibrium between inflammatory responses and tolerance. This unique feature allows the immune system to recognize and respond to potential threats in a controlled but normally limited fashion thereby preventing a destructive overreaction against healthy tissues. While the adaptive immune system was the major research focus concerning activation vs. tolerance in the immune system more recent findings suggest that cells of the innate immune system are important players in the decision between effective immunity and induction of tolerance or immune inhibition. Among immune cells of the innate immune system dendritic cells (DCs) have a special function linking innate immune functions with the induction of adaptive immunity. DCs are the primary professional antigen presenting cells (APCs) initiating adaptive immune responses. They belong to the hematopoietic system and arise from CD34+ stem cells in the bone marrow. Particularly in the murine system two major subgroups of DCs, namely myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) can be distinguished. DCs are important mediators of innate and adaptive immunity mostly due to their remarkable capacity to present processed antigens via major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) to T cells and B cells in secondary lymphoid organs. A large body of literature has been accumulated during the last two decades describing which role DCs play during activation of T cell responses but also during the establishment and maintenance of central tolerance (Steinman et al., 2003). While the concept of peripheral tolerance has been clearly established during the last years, the role of different sets of DCs and their particular molecular mechanisms of immune deviation has not yet fully been appreciated. In this review we summarize accumulating evidence about the role of regulatory DCs in situations where the balance between tolerance and immunogenicity has been altered leading to pathologic conditions such as chronic inflammation or malignancies. PMID:22969767

Fungal Traits That Drive Ecosystem Dynamics on Land

PubMed Central

Lennon, Jay T.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Fungi contribute extensively to a wide range of ecosystem processes, including decomposition of organic carbon, deposition of recalcitrant carbon, and transformations of nitrogen and phosphorus. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about physiological and morphological traits of fungi that directly influence these processes, and we describe the functional genes that encode these traits. In addition, we synthesize information from 157 whole fungal genomes in order to determine relationships among selected functional genes within fungal taxa. Ecosystem-related traits varied most at relatively coarse taxonomic levels. For example, we found that the maximum amount of variance for traits associated with carbon mineralization, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling, and stress tolerance could be explained at the levels of order to phylum. Moreover, suites of traits tended to co-occur within taxa. Specifically, the genetic capacities for traits that improve stress tolerance—β-glucan synthesis, trehalose production, and cold-induced RNA helicases—were positively related to one another, and they were more evident in yeasts. Traits that regulate the decomposition of complex organic matter—lignin peroxidases, cellobiohydrolases, and crystalline cellulases—were also positively related, but they were more strongly associated with free-living filamentous fungi. Altogether, these relationships provide evidence for two functional groups: stress tolerators, which may contribute to soil carbon accumulation via the production of recalcitrant compounds; and decomposers, which may reduce soil carbon stocks. It is possible that ecosystem functions, such as soil carbon storage, may be mediated by shifts in the fungal community between stress tolerators and decomposers in response to environmental changes, such as drought and warming. PMID:25971588

Impact of Combined Abiotic and Biotic Stresses on Plant Growth and Avenues for Crop Improvement by Exploiting Physio-morphological Traits

PubMed Central

Pandey, Prachi; Irulappan, Vadivelmurugan; Bagavathiannan, Muthukumar V.; Senthil-Kumar, Muthappa

2017-01-01

Global warming leads to the concurrence of a number of abiotic and biotic stresses, thus affecting agricultural productivity. Occurrence of abiotic stresses can alter plant–pest interactions by enhancing host plant susceptibility to pathogenic organisms, insects, and by reducing competitive ability with weeds. On the contrary, some pests may alter plant response to abiotic stress factors. Therefore, systematic studies are pivotal to understand the effect of concurrent abiotic and biotic stress conditions on crop productivity. However, to date, a collective database on the occurrence of various stress combinations in agriculturally prominent areas is not available. This review attempts to assemble published information on this topic, with a particular focus on the impact of combined drought and pathogen stresses on crop productivity. In doing so, this review highlights some agriculturally important morpho-physiological traits that can be utilized to identify genotypes with combined stress tolerance. In addition, this review outlines potential role of recent genomic tools in deciphering combined stress tolerance in plants. This review will, therefore, be helpful for agronomists and field pathologists in assessing the impact of the interactions between drought and plant-pathogens on crop performance. Further, the review will be helpful for physiologists and molecular biologists to design agronomically relevant strategies for the development of broad spectrum stress tolerant crops. PMID:28458674

Hyperswitch communication network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, J.; Pniel, M.; Upchurch, E.

1991-01-01

The Hyperswitch Communication Network (HCN) is a large scale parallel computer prototype being developed at JPL. Commercial versions of the HCN computer are planned. The HCN computer being designed is a message passing multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) computer, and offers many advantages in price-performance ratio, reliability and availability, and manufacturing over traditional uniprocessors and bus based multiprocessors. The design of the HCN operating system is a uniquely flexible environment that combines both parallel processing and distributed processing. This programming paradigm can achieve a balance among the following competing factors: performance in processing and communications, user friendliness, and fault tolerance. The prototype is being designed to accommodate a maximum of 64 state of the art microprocessors. The HCN is classified as a distributed supercomputer. The HCN system is described, and the performance/cost analysis and other competing factors within the system design are reviewed.

Bayesian Revision of Residual Detection Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLoach, Richard

2013-01-01

This paper addresses some issues with quality assessment and quality assurance in response surface modeling experiments executed in wind tunnels. The role of data volume on quality assurance for response surface models is reviewed. Specific wind tunnel response surface modeling experiments are considered for which apparent discrepancies exist between fit quality expectations based on implemented quality assurance tactics, and the actual fit quality achieved in those experiments. These discrepancies are resolved by using Bayesian inference to account for certain imperfections in the assessment methodology. Estimates of the fraction of out-of-tolerance model predictions based on traditional frequentist methods are revised to account for uncertainty in the residual assessment process. The number of sites in the design space for which residuals are out of tolerance is seen to exceed the number of sites where the model actually fails to fit the data. A method is presented to estimate how much of the design space in inadequately modeled by low-order polynomial approximations to the true but unknown underlying response function.

Engineering tolerance using biomaterials to target and control antigen presenting cells.

PubMed

Tostanoski, Lisa H; Gosselin, Emily A; Jewell, Christopher M

2016-05-01

Autoimmune diseases occur when cells of the adaptive immune system incorrectly recognize and attack "self" tissues. Importantly, the proliferation and differentiation of these cells is triggered and controlled by interactions with antigen presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells. Thus, modulating the signals transduced by APCs (e.g., cytokines, costimulatory surface proteins) has emerged as a promising strategy to promote tolerance for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and lupus. However, many approaches have been hindered by non-specific activity of immunosuppressive or immunoregulatory cues, following systemic administration of soluble factors via traditional injections routes (e.g., subcutaneous, intravenous). Biomaterials offer a unique opportunity to control the delivery of tolerogenic signals in vivo via properties such as controlled particle size, tunable release kinetics, and co-delivery of multiple classes of cargo. In this review, we highlight recent reports that exploit these properties of biomaterials to target APCs and promote tolerance via three strategies, i) passive or active targeting of particulate carriers to APCs, ii) biomaterial-mediated control over antigen localization and processing, and iii) targeted delivery of encapsulated or adsorbed immunomodulatory signals. These reports represent exciting advances toward the goal of more effective therapies for autoimmune diseases, without the broad suppressive effects associated with current clinically-approved therapies.

Calcium Signaling during Salt Stress and in the Regulation of Ion Homeostasis.

PubMed

Manishankar, P; Wang, N; Köster, P; Alatar, A A; Kudla, J

2018-05-24

Soil composition largely defines the living conditions of plants and represents one of their most relevant, dynamic and complex environmental cues. The effective concentrations of many either tolerated or essential ions and compounds in the soil usually differ from the optimum that would be most suitable for plants. In this regard, salinity - caused by excess of NaCl - represents a widespread adverse growth condition but also shortage of ions like K+, NO3- and Fe2+ restrains plant growth. During the past years many components and mechanisms that function in the sensing and establishment of ion homeostasis have been identified and characterized. Here, we reflect on recent insights that extended our understanding of components and mechanisms, which govern and fine-tune plant salt stress tolerance and ion homeostasis. We put special emphasis on mechanisms that allow for interconnection of the salt overly sensitivity pathway with plant development and discuss newly emerging functions of Ca2+ signaling in salinity tolerance. Moreover, we review and discuss accumulating evidence for a central and unifying role of Ca2+ signaling and Ca2+ dependent protein phosphorylation in regulating sensing, uptake, transport and storage processes of various ions. Finally, based on this cross-field inventory, we deduce emerging concepts and arising questions for future research.

T regulatory cells in contact hypersensitivity.

PubMed

Cavani, Andrea

2008-08-01

The review summarizes the recent investigations focused on T regulatory cells in hapten diseases. Multiple mechanisms ensure tolerance to small chemicals penetrating the skin. Among these, specific T regulatory cells play a major role in controlling harmful immune responses to environmental antigens. Most of the T regulatory cells involved in this process belongs to the CD4 subset and suppress hapten-specific immune response through the release of IL-10 and through direct interaction with effector T cells, blocking their function. Methods for in-vitro and in-vivo expansion of specific T regulatory cells may represent an innovative approach for the cure of contact hypersensitivity.

Micro-evolution due to pollution: possible consequences for ecosystem responses to toxic stress.

PubMed

Medina, Matías H; Correa, Juan A; Barata, Carlos

2007-05-01

Polluting events can change community structure and ecosystem functioning. Selection of genetically inherited tolerance on exposed populations, here referred as micro-evolution due to pollution, has been recognized as one of the causes of these changes. However, there is a gap between studies addressing this process and those assessing effects at higher levels of biological organization. In this review we attempt to address these evolutionary considerations into the ecological risk assessment (ERA) of polluting events and to trigger the discussion about the consequences of this process for the ecosystem response to toxic stress. We provide clear evidence that pollution drives micro-evolutionary processes in several species. When this process occurs, populations inhabiting environments that become polluted may persist. However, due to the existence of ecological costs derived from the loss of genetic variability, negative pleiotropy with fitness traits and/or from physiological alterations, micro-evolution due to pollution may alter different properties of the affected populations. Despite the existence of empirical evidence showing that safety margins currently applied in the ERA process may account for pollution-induced genetic changes in tolerance, information regarding long-term ecological consequences at higher levels of biological organization due to ecological costs is not explicitly considered in these procedures. In relation to this, we present four testable hypotheses considering that micro-evolution due to pollution acts upon the variability of functional response traits of the exposed populations and generates changes on their functional effect traits, therefore, modifying the way species exploit their ecological niches and participate in the overall ecosystem functioning.

Processing of silicon solar cells by ion implantation and laser annealing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minnucci, J. A.; Matthei, K. W.; Greenwald, A. C.

1981-01-01

Methods to improve the radiation tolerance of silicon cells for spacecraft use are described. The major emphasis of the program was to reduce the process-induced carbon and oxygen impurities in the junction and base regions of the solar cell, and to measure the effect of reduced impurity levels on the radiation tolerance of cells. Substrates of 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 ohm-cm float-zone material were used as starting material in the process sequence. High-dose, low-energy ion implantation was used to form the junction in n+p structures. Implant annealing was performed by conventional furnace techniques and by pulsed laser and pulsed electron beam annealing. Cells were tested for radiation tolerance at Spire and NASA-LeRC. After irradiation by 1 MeV electrons to a fluence of 10 to the 16th power per sq cm, the cells tested at Spire showed no significant process induced variations in radiation tolerance. However, for cells tested at Lewis to a fluence of 10 to the 15th power per sq cm, ion-implanted cells annealed in vacuum by pulsed electron beam consistently showed the best radiation tolerance for all cell resistivities.

Evolutionary potential of upper thermal tolerance: biogeographic patterns and expectations under climate change.

PubMed

Diamond, Sarah E

2017-02-01

How will organisms respond to climate change? The rapid changes in global climate are expected to impose strong directional selection on fitness-related traits. A major open question then is the potential for adaptive evolutionary change under these shifting climates. At the most basic level, evolutionary change requires the presence of heritable variation and natural selection. Because organismal tolerances of high temperature place an upper bound on responding to temperature change, there has been a surge of research effort on the evolutionary potential of upper thermal tolerance traits. Here, I review the available evidence on heritable variation in upper thermal tolerance traits, adopting a biogeographic perspective to understand how heritability of tolerance varies across space. Specifically, I use meta-analytical models to explore the relationship between upper thermal tolerance heritability and environmental variability in temperature. I also explore how variation in the methods used to obtain these thermal tolerance heritabilities influences the estimation of heritable variation in tolerance. I conclude by discussing the implications of a positive relationship between thermal tolerance heritability and environmental variability in temperature and how this might influence responses to future changes in climate. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Fenix, A Fault Tolerant Programming Framework for MPI Applications

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

Gamel, Marc; Teranihi, Keita; Valenzuela, Eric

2016-10-05

Fenix provides APIs to allow the users to add fault tolerance capability to MPI-based parallel programs in a transparent manner. Fenix-enabled programs can run through process failures during program execution using a pool of spare processes accommodated by Fenix.

Commonalities and differences across substance use disorders: phenomenological and epidemiological aspects

PubMed Central

Shmulewitz, Dvora; Greene, Emily R; Hasin, Deborah

2016-01-01

Background Although psychoactive substances vary in many ways, they have important commonalties, particularly in their ability to lead to an addiction syndrome. The field lacks an updated review of the commonalities and differences in the phenomenology of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, stimulants, opioids, hallucinogens, sedatives/tranquilizers and inhalants and their related substance use disorders (SUD). Methods DSM-IV and DSM-5 SUD diagnostic criteria were reviewed, as was evidence from recent epidemiological and clinical research: psychometric studies (test-retest reliability, latent trait analysis); physiological indicators (tolerance, withdrawal); prevalence and age of onset. Information was incorporated from previous reviews, PubMed and Scopus literature searches, and data from large U.S. national surveys. Results Empirical evidence in the form of test-retest reliability and unidimensionality supports use of the same DSM-IV dependence or DSM-5 SUD diagnostic criteria across substances. For most substances, the criteria sets were generally most informative in general population samples at moderate-to-severe levels of SUD. Across substances, two criteria (tolerance and use in hazardous situations) were identified as functioning differently in population subgroups. Since substances have different pharmacological effects, withdrawal is assessed using substance-specific symptoms, while tolerance is not; issues remain with the assessment of tolerance. Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis were consistently identified as the substances with earliest onset of use, highest prevalence of lifetime use, and highest prevalence of lifetime disorder. Conclusions Despite differences between psychoactive substances, the generic DSM criteria set appear equally applicable across substances. Additional studies of tolerance and hazardous use will be useful for future nosologies. Alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco are the substances with the greatest public health impact due to the high prevalence and early onset of their use, and the potential all three substances have to lead to addiction. PMID:26332166

Life-cycle changes and zinc shortage in cadmium-tolerant midges, Chironomus riparius (Diptera), reared in the absence of cadmium

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

Postma, J.F.; Mol, S.; Larsen, H.

1995-01-01

Adaptation to selected metals is known to modify life-cycle characteristics of some invertebrates and can modify the response to other metals. The reverse process, i.e., adaptation to nonpolluted conditions in a metal-tolerant strain, was studied here for a cadmium-tolerant population of the midge Chironomus riparius to detect whether this backward adaptation followed the same lines. It appeared that cadmium-tolerant populations, reared in the absence of cadmium, continued to suffer from high mortality rates and lowered larval growth rates and reproductive success. Also, some cadmium-tolerant populations accumulated more zinc than did nontolerant populations. Successive experiments in which both cadmium-tolerant and nontolerantmore » populations were exposed to zinc indicated that the reduced growth rate and reproduction were a direct consequence of zinc shortage in tolerant midges reared in the absence of cadmium. Mortality among cadmium-tolerant midges was, however, not lowered by zinc exposure and, judged by their high mortality rates, these midges were even more sensitive to zinc than were nontolerant chironomids. It was concluded that cadmium-tolerant chironomid populations recovering from prolonged exposure are affected by an increased need for zinc as well as by an increased mortality rate as a direct consequence of their earlier adaptation process.« less

Determination of Tolerance to Internal Shorts and Its Screening in Lithium-ion Cells NASA - JSC Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeevarajan, Judith

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the method developed by the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to determine tolerances to internal shorts and screening for problems in commercial off the shelf (COTS) Lithium-ion batteries. The test apparatus is shown and several examples of the usage and results of the test are discussed.

40 CFR 180.108 - Acephate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... establishments, including food service, manufacturing and processing establishments, such as restaurants... avoid atomization or splashing of the spray. Contamination of food or food-contact surfaces shall be... PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances § 180.108...

40 CFR 180.435 - Deltamethrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... in food handling establishments, including food service, manufacturing and processing establishments.... Contamination of food/feed or food/feed contact surfaces shall be avoided. (B) To assure safe use of the...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances...

40 CFR 180.422 - Tralomethrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-handling establishments, including food service, manufacturing, and processing establishments, such as... shall be limited to a maximum of 0.06 percent active ingredient. Contamination of food and food-contact...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances...

Mercury toxicity in the aquatic oligochaete Sparganophilus pearsei. II: Autotomy as a novel form of protection.

PubMed

Vidal, D E; Horne, A J

2003-11-01

Aquatic oligochaetes are commonly used for toxicity testing and for assessment of sediment impairment; some species can be relatively tolerant of sediment contaminants. However, there have been few studies of tolerance mechanisms; most work has focused on behavioral changes. The aquatic oligochaete worm, Sparganophilus pearsei, can be extremely tolerant to mercury in sediments depending on its prior history of exposure. Three S. pearsei populations, differing in their history of mercury exposure and in their tolerance to mercury, were assessed to determine tolerance mechanisms. In mercury-contaminated sediments, tolerant worms accumulated this contaminant in their caudal segments (i.e., their tails), which were then jettisoned via the process of autotomy, thus providing a mechanism of detoxification. This detoxification process appears to require a certain level of tolerance and may represent a novel exposure route for other organisms via feeding on discarded tails or release of accumulated contaminants as the tails decompose. Measurements of tissue mercury concentrations as contaminant body residues for this species (CBRs) are compared to other aquatic invertebrates.

Some Examples of the Relations Between Processing and Damage Tolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nettles, Alan T.

2012-01-01

Most structures made of laminated polymer matrix composites (PMCs) must be designed to some damage tolerance requirement that includes foreign object impact damage. Thus from the beginning of a part s life, impact damage is assumed to exist in the material and the part is designed to carry the required load with the prescribed impact damage present. By doing this, some processing defects may automatically be accounted for in the reduced design allowable due to these impacts. This paper will present examples of how a given level of impact damage and certain processing defects affect the compression strength of a laminate that contains both. Knowledge of the impact damage tolerance requirements, before processing begins, can broaden material options and processing techniques since the structure is not being designed to pristine properties.

Drought tolerance in potato (S. tuberosum L.): Can we learn from drought tolerance research in cereals?

PubMed

Monneveux, Philippe; Ramírez, David A; Pino, María-Teresa

2013-05-01

Drought tolerance is a complex trait of increasing importance in potato. Our knowledge is summarized concerning drought tolerance and water use efficiency in this crop. We describe the effects of water restriction on physiological characteristics, examine the main traits involved, report the attempts to improve drought tolerance through in vitro screening and marker assisted selection, list the main genes involved and analyze the potential interest of native and wild potatoes to improve drought tolerance. Drought tolerance has received more attention in cereals than in potato. The review compares these crops for indirect selection methods available for assessment of drought tolerance related traits, use of genetic resources, progress in genomics, application of water saving techniques and availability of models to anticipate the effects of climate change on yield. It is concluded that drought tolerance improvement in potato could greatly benefit from the transfer of research achievements in cereals. Several promising research directions are presented, such as the use of fluorescence, reflectance, color and thermal imaging and stable isotope techniques to assess drought tolerance related traits, the application of the partial root-zone drying technique to improve efficiency of water supply and the exploitation of stressful memory to enhance hardiness. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hybridization using cytoplasmic male sterility, cytoplasmic herbicide tolerance, and herbicide tolerance from nuclear genes

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

Beversdorf, W.D.; Erickson, L.R.; Grant, I.

An improved process is described for producing a substantially homogeneous population of plants of a predetermined hybrid variety of crop which is capable of undergoing self-pollination and cross-pollination. The process comprises: growing in a first planting area a substantially random population of cytoplasmic male sterile plants which exhibit cytoplasmic herbicide tolerance to at least one Type A herbicide and exhibit tolerance to at least one Type B herbicide which is attributable solely to homozygous dominant nuclear genes and male fertile plants which are homozygous recessive maintainer plants for the cytoplasmic male sterile plants and which lack the cytoplasmic herbicide tolerancemore » to at least one Type A herbicide and exhibit tolerance to at least one Type B herbicide attributable solely to the homozygous dominant nuclear genes.« less

Multi-parameter comparison of a standardized mixed meal tolerance test in healthy and type 2 diabetic subjects: the PhenFlex challenge.

PubMed

Wopereis, Suzan; Stroeve, Johanna H M; Stafleu, Annette; Bakker, Gertruud C M; Burggraaf, Jacobus; van Erk, Marjan J; Pellis, Linette; Boessen, Ruud; Kardinaal, Alwine A F; van Ommen, Ben

2017-01-01

A key feature of metabolic health is the ability to adapt upon dietary perturbations. Recently, it was shown that metabolic challenge tests in combination with the new generation biomarkers allow the simultaneous quantification of major metabolic health processes. Currently, applied challenge tests are largely non-standardized. A systematic review defined an optimal nutritional challenge test, the "PhenFlex test" (PFT). This study aimed to prove that PFT modulates all relevant processes governing metabolic health thereby allowing to distinguish subjects with different metabolic health status. Therefore, 20 healthy and 20 type 2 diabetic (T2D) male subjects were challenged both by PFT and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). During the 8-h response time course, 132 parameters were quantified that report on 26 metabolic processes distributed over 7 organs (gut, liver, adipose, pancreas, vasculature, muscle, kidney) and systemic stress. In healthy subjects, 110 of the 132 parameters showed a time course response. Patients with T2D showed 18 parameters to be significantly different after overnight fasting compared to healthy subjects, while 58 parameters were different in the post-challenge time course after the PFT. This demonstrates the added value of PFT in distinguishing subjects with different health status. The OGTT and PFT response was highly comparable for glucose metabolism as identical amounts of glucose were present in both challenge tests. Yet the PFT reports on additional processes, including vasculature, systemic stress, and metabolic flexibility. The PFT enables the quantification of all relevant metabolic processes involved in maintaining or regaining homeostasis of metabolic health. Studying both healthy subjects and subjects with impaired metabolic health showed that the PFT revealed new processes laying underneath health. This study provides the first evidence towards adopting the PFT as gold standard in nutrition research.

[The impaired glucose tolerance in the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia].

PubMed

Ikoue, I; Takahashi, K; Katayama, S

1996-10-01

It is well known that hyperlipidemia is often present in patient with impaired glucose tolerance, obesity and/or hypertension. All of these are risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). The coexistence of these risk factors markedly increase the likelihood of CAD. Recently, it has been reported that the impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistence are associated with the increased proinsulin, which is linked to the risk of CAD. We review that the impaired glucose tolerance is an important factor causing dyslipidemia. The characteristic of dyslipidemia associated with the impaired glucose tolerance include hypertriglyceridemia, high level of VLDL and low level of HDL cholesterol. They also associate with accumulation of remnant lipoproteins and appearance of small dense LDL. In addition, we pointed out that the increased number of risk factors is associated with elevated insulin and proinsulin level.

Medicinal bioactivites and allergenic properties of pumpkin seeds: review upon a pediatric food anaphylaxis case report.

PubMed

Chatain, C; Pin, I; Pralong, P; Jacquier, J P; Leccia, M T

2017-11-01

Food allergy to pumpkin seed is considered very rare, and only some isolated case reports have so far been published. We report here a case of food anaphylaxis to pumpkin seed in an eight-year-old boy, who tolerated all other edible seeds, peanut and tree nuts, as well as pulp of different kinds of pumpkins and other fruits of the Cucurbitaceae family. From this observation, a review of the botanical, historical, medicinal and allergenic aspects of pumpkin and its seeds is proposed. With the advent of diets rich in omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, edible seeds like pumpkin seed have been incorporated in the modern diet. Their incremental use in the food-processing industry might contribute to an increase in food allergy to pumpkin seed in the future.

Fault-tolerant processing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palumbo, Daniel L. (Inventor)

1996-01-01

A fault-tolerant, fiber optic interconnect, or backplane, which serves as a via for data transfer between modules. Fault tolerance algorithms are embedded in the backplane by dividing the backplane into a read bus and a write bus and placing a redundancy management unit (RMU) between the read bus and the write bus so that all data transmitted by the write bus is subjected to the fault tolerance algorithms before the data is passed for distribution to the read bus. The RMU provides both backplane control and fault tolerance.

Pretend Play: Antecedent of Adult Creativity.

PubMed

Russ, Sandra W

2016-01-01

This article reviews the theoretical and empirical literature in the area of pretend play as a predictor of adult creativity. There is strong evidence that processes expressed in pretend play are associated with measures of creativity, especially with divergent thinking. There is some evidence from longitudinal studies that this association is stable over time. Converging evidence suggests that cognitive and affective processes in pretend play are involved in adult creative production. However, there is a lack of consensus in the field as to whether engaging in pretend play actually facilitates creative thinking. In addition, many other variables (opportunity, tolerance for failure, motivation, work ethic, etc.) determine whether children with creative potential are actually creative in adulthood. In spite of the many methodological challenges in conducting research in the play area, it is important to continue investigating specific processes expressed in play and their developmental trajectories. Large samples in multisite studies would be ideal in investigating the ability of specific play processes to predict these creative processes and creative productivity in adulthood. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of aripiprazole once-monthly versus other long-acting injectable antipsychotic therapies in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia: a mixed treatment comparison of double-blind randomized clinical trials.

PubMed

Majer, Istvan M; Gaughran, Fiona; Sapin, Christophe; Beillat, Maud; Treur, Maarten

2015-01-01

Treatment with long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medication is an important element of relapse prevention in schizophrenia. Recently, the intramuscular once-monthly formulation of aripiprazole received marketing approval in Europe and the United States for schizophrenia. This study aimed to compare aripiprazole once-monthly with other LAI antipsychotics in terms of efficacy, tolerability, and safety. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify relevant double-blind randomized clinical trials of LAIs conducted in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia. MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, conference proceedings, clinical trial registries, and the reference lists of key review articles were searched. The literature search covered studies dating from January 2002 to May 2013. Studies were required to have ≥24 weeks of follow-up. Patients had to be stable at randomization. Studies were not eligible for inclusion if efficacy of acute and maintenance phase treatment was not reported separately. Six trials were identified (0.5% of initially identified studies), allowing comparisons of aripiprazole once-monthly, risperidone LAI, paliperidone palmitate, olanzapine pamoate, haloperidol depot, and placebo. Data extracted included study details, study duration, the total number of patients in each treatment arm, efficacy, tolerability, and safety outcomes. The efficacy outcome contained the number of patients that experienced a relapse, tolerability outcomes included the number of patients that discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events (AEs), and that discontinued treatment due to reasons other than AEs (e.g., loss to follow-up). Safety outcomes included the incidence of clinically relevant weight gain and extrapyramidal symptoms. Data were analyzed by applying a mixed treatment comparison competing risks model (efficacy) and using binary models (safety). There was no statistically significant difference between any study outcome, including the risk of relapse, the risk of discontinuations, and safety outcomes. Aripiprazole once-monthly is similarly efficacious to other LAIs with relatively low rates of discontinuation due to AEs and due to reasons other than AEs than other LAIs.

Fault tolerance analysis and applications to microwave modules and MMIC's

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boggan, Garry H.

A project whose objective was to provide an overview of built-in-test (BIT) considerations applicable to microwave systems, modules, and MMICs (monolithic microwave integrated circuits) is discussed. Available analytical techniques and software for assessing system failure characteristics were researched, and the resulting investigation provides a review of two techniques which have applicability to microwave systems design. A system-level approach to fault tolerance and redundancy management is presented in its relationship to the subsystem/element design. An overview of the microwave BIT focus from the Air Force Integrated Diagnostics program is presented. The technical reports prepared by the GIMADS team were reviewed for applicability to microwave modules and components. A review of MIMIC (millimeter and microwave integrated circuit) program activities relative to BIT/BITE is given.

Make or buy analysis model based on tolerance allocation to minimize manufacturing cost and fuzzy quality loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosyidi, C. N.; Puspitoingrum, W.; Jauhari, W. A.; Suhardi, B.; Hamada, K.

2016-02-01

The specification of tolerances has a significant impact on the quality of product and final production cost. The company should carefully pay attention to the component or product tolerance so they can produce a good quality product at the lowest cost. Tolerance allocation has been widely used to solve problem in selecting particular process or supplier. But before merely getting into the selection process, the company must first make a plan to analyse whether the component must be made in house (make), to be purchased from a supplier (buy), or used the combination of both. This paper discusses an optimization model of process and supplier selection in order to minimize the manufacturing costs and the fuzzy quality loss. This model can also be used to determine the allocation of components to the selected processes or suppliers. Tolerance, process capability and production capacity are three important constraints that affect the decision. Fuzzy quality loss function is used in this paper to describe the semantic of the quality, in which the product quality level is divided into several grades. The implementation of the proposed model has been demonstrated by solving a numerical example problem that used a simple assembly product which consists of three components. The metaheuristic approach were implemented to OptQuest software from Oracle Crystal Ball in order to obtain the optimal solution of the numerical example.

Salinity and High Temperature Tolerance in Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] from a Physiological Perspective

PubMed Central

HanumanthaRao, Bindumadhava; Nair, Ramakrishnan M.; Nayyar, Harsh

2016-01-01

Biotic and abiotic constraints seriously affect the productivity of agriculture worldwide. The broadly recognized benefits of legumes in cropping systems—biological nitrogen fixation, improving soil fertility and broadening cereal-based agro-ecologies, are desirable now more than ever. Legume production is affected by hostile environments, especially soil salinity and high temperatures (HTs). Among legumes, mungbean has acceptable intrinsic tolerance mechanisms, but many agro-physiological characteristics of the Vigna species remain to be explored. Mungbean has a distinct advantage of being short-duration and can grow in wide range of soils and environments (as mono or relay legume). This review focuses on salinity and HT stresses on mungbean grown as a fallow crop (mungbean-rice-wheat to replace fallow-rice-wheat) and/or a relay crop in cereal cropping systems. Salinity tolerance comprises multifaceted responses at the molecular, physiological and plant canopy levels. In HTs, adaptation of physiological and biochemical processes gradually may lead to improvement of heat tolerance in plants. At the field level, managing or manipulating cultural practices can mitigate adverse effects of salinity and HT. Greater understanding of physiological and biochemical mechanisms regulating these two stresses will contribute to an evolving profile of the genes, proteins, and metabolites responsible for mungbean survival. We focus on abiotic stresses in legumes in general and mungbean in particular, and highlight gaps that need to be bridged through future mungbean research. Recent findings largely from physiological and biochemical fronts are examined, along with a few agronomic and farm-based management strategies to mitigate stress under field conditions. PMID:27446183

A Review of Indigo Naturalis as an Alternative Treatment for Nail Psoriasis.

PubMed

McDermott, Laura; Madan, Raman; Rupani, Reena; Siegel, Daniel

2016-03-01

Nail psoriasis is challenging to treat. The few currently available therapies are limited in efficacy, and often produce unfavorable side effects. A plant extract widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, indigo naturalis (Qing Dai), is presented in this review as an alternative topical treatment for skin and nail psoriasis. The purpose of this article is to present information on a viable alternative treatment with a favorable side effect profile for a difficult disease to treat. A PubMed search for the term "indigo naturalis" was performed, and literature from 2006 to the present relevant to indigo naturalis and treatment of psoriasis and nail psoriasis was reviewed. Indigo naturalis shares several therapeutic mechanisms with current psoriasis treatments, such as regulation of keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, restoration of epidermal barrier function, and reduction of inflammatory processes. Clinically, it is well tolerated. Recent research of indigo naturalis suggests that it is a safe, inexpensive, and effective alternative topical treatment for skin and nail psoriasis.

Geochemical Cycle of Radon and its Bioremediation Opportunity from Water Environment: A Review.

PubMed

Pradhan, Debabrata; Sukla, Lala Behari; Devi, Niharbala; Acharya, Sridhara

2018-05-01

The waterborne or airborne radon causes carcinogenesis in the human bodies due to the continuous decay of α- and β- particles. The health risks related to radioactive radon instigate to develop an advanced technology for its removal from the environment. There are two standard tech-niques, such as aeration and activated carbon filtration, available for its removal. However, both of them face different technological drawbacks resulting in the processes either inefficient or inappropriate for the purpose. There are several technologies utilizing either algae or microorganisms that could be useful in the bioremediation of radon. Some of the algae and microorganisms are examined and found to be tolerated and decontaminated various ionization radiations like α-, β-, and γ- radiations. In a US patent, the microalgae Coccomyxa actinabiotis isolated from a nuclear facility showed the properties of biore-mediation towards radionuclides. They overcome the physiological stress in the extreme environment for their growth due to the evolution under the prolonged influence of high energy radiation. Further, they are stimulated by the process of cloning, genetic transformations and adaptations for the purpose of enhancing the tolerance and decontamination power. Therefore, biotechnological researches have lots of prospects to remove radon from the water environment using algae and microorganisms. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Regulation of water balance in mangroves

PubMed Central

Reef, Ruth; Lovelock, Catherine E.

2015-01-01

Background Mangroves are a group of highly salt-tolerant woody plants. The high water use efficiency of mangroves under saline conditions suggests that regulation of water transport is a crucial component of their salinity tolerance. Scope This review focuses on the processes that contribute to the ability of mangroves to maintain water uptake and limit water loss to the soil and the atmosphere under saline conditions, from micro to macro scales. These processes include: (1) efficient filtering of the incoming water to exclude salt; (2) maintenance of internal osmotic potentials lower than that of the rhizosphere; (3) water-saving properties; and (4) efficient exploitation of less-saline water sources when these become available. Conclusions Mangroves are inherently plastic and can change their structure at the root, leaf and stand levels in response to salinity in order to exclude salt from the xylem stream, maintain leaf hydraulic conductance, avoid cavitation and regulate water loss (e.g. suberization of roots and alterations of leaf size, succulence and angle, hydraulic anatomy and biomass partitioning). However, much is still unknown about the regulation of water uptake in mangroves, such as how they sense and respond to heterogeneity in root zone salinity, the extent to which they utilize non-stomatally derived CO2 as a water-saving measure and whether they can exploit atmospheric water sources. PMID:25157072

Tolerance of entomopathogenic fungi to ultraviolet radiation: a review on screening of strains and their formulation.

PubMed

Fernandes, Éverton K K; Rangel, Drauzio E N; Braga, Gilberto U L; Roberts, Donald W

2015-08-01

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight is probably the most detrimental environmental factor affecting the viability of entomopathogenic fungi applied to solar-exposed sites (e.g., leaves) for pest control. Most entomopathogenic fungi are sensitive to UV radiation, but there is great inter- and intraspecies variability in susceptibility to UV. This variability may reflect natural adaptations of isolates to their different environmental conditions. Selecting strains with outstanding natural tolerance to UV is considered as an important step to identify promising biological control agents. However, reports on tolerance among the isolates used to date must be analyzed carefully due to considerable variations in the methods used to garner the data. The current review presents tables listing many studies in which different methods were applied to check natural and enhanced tolerance to UV stress of numerous entomopathogenic fungi, including several well-known isolates of these fungi. The assessment of UV tolerance is usually conducted with conidia using dose-response methods, wherein the UV dose is calculated simply by multiplying the total irradiance by the period (time) of exposure. Although irradiation from lamps seldom presents an environmentally realistic spectral distribution, laboratory tests circumvent the uncontrollable circumstances associated with field assays. Most attempts to increase field persistence of microbial agents have included formulating conidia with UV protectants; however, in many cases, field efficacy of formulated fungi is still not fully adequate for dependable pest control.

Analysis of fault-tolerant neurocontrol architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troudet, T.; Merrill, W.

1992-01-01

The fault-tolerance of analog parallel distributed implementations of a multivariable aircraft neurocontroller is analyzed by simulating weight and neuron failures in a simplified scheme of analog processing based on the functional architecture of the ETANN chip (Electrically Trainable Artificial Neural Network). The neural information processing is found to be only partially distributed throughout the set of weights of the neurocontroller synthesized with the backpropagation algorithm. Although the degree of distribution of the neural processing, and consequently the fault-tolerance of the neurocontroller, could be enhanced using Locally Distributed Weight and Neuron Approaches, a satisfactory level of fault-tolerance could only be obtained by retraining the degrated VLSI neurocontroller. The possibility of maintaining neurocontrol performance and stability in the presence of single weight of neuron failures was demonstrated through an automated retraining procedure of the neurocontroller based on a pre-programmed choice and sequence of the training parameters.

Heavy Metal Stress, Signaling, and Tolerance Due to Plant-Associated Microbes: An Overview

PubMed Central

Tiwari, Shalini; Lata, Charu

2018-01-01

Several anthropogenic activities including mining, modern agricultural practices, and industrialization have long-term detrimental effect on our environment. All these factors lead to increase in heavy metal concentration in soil, water, and air. Soil contamination with heavy metals cause several environmental problems and imparts toxic effect on plant as well as animals. In response to these adverse conditions, plants evolve complex molecular and physiological mechanisms for better adaptability, tolerance, and survival. Nowadays conventional breeding and transgenic technology are being used for development of metal stress resistant varieties which, however, are time consuming and labor intensive. Interestingly the use of microbes as an alternate technology for improving metal tolerance of plants is gaining momentum recently. The use of these beneficial microorganisms is considered as one of the most promising methods for safe crop-management practices. Interaction of plants with soil microorganisms can play a vital role in acclimatizing plants to metalliferous environments, and can thus be explored to improve microbe-assisted metal tolerance. Plant-associated microbes decrease metal accumulation in plant tissues and also help to reduce metal bioavailability in soil through various mechanisms. Nowadays, a novel phytobacterial strategy, i.e., genetically transformed bacteria has been used to increase remediation of heavy metals and stress tolerance in plants. This review takes into account our current state of knowledge of the harmful effects of heavy metal stress, the signaling responses to metal stress, and the role of plant-associated microbes in metal stress tolerance. The review also highlights the challenges and opportunities in this continued area of research on plant–microbe–metal interaction. PMID:29681916

The Potential of Transcription Factor-Based Genetic Engineering in Improving Crop Tolerance to Drought

PubMed Central

Tripathi, Prateek

2014-01-01

Abstract Drought is one of the major constraints in crop production and has an effect on a global scale. In order to improve crop production, it is necessary to understand how plants respond to stress. A good understanding of regulatory mechanisms involved in plant responses during drought will enable researchers to explore and manipulate key regulatory points in order to enhance stress tolerance in crops. Transcription factors (TFs) have played an important role in crop improvement from the dawn of agriculture. TFs are therefore good candidates for genetic engineering to improve crop tolerance to drought because of their role as master regulators of clusters of genes. Many families of TFs, such as CCAAT, homeodomain, bHLH, NAC, AP2/ERF, bZIP, and WRKY have members that may have the potential to be tools for improving crop tolerance to drought. In this review, the roles of TFs as tools to improve drought tolerance in crops are discussed. The review also focuses on current strategies in the use of TFs, with emphasis on several major TF families in improving drought tolerance of major crops. Finally, many promising transgenic lines that may have improved drought responses have been poorly characterized and consequently their usefulness in the field is uncertain. New advances in high-throughput phenotyping, both greenhouse and field based, should facilitate improved phenomics of transgenic lines. Systems biology approaches should then define the underlying changes that result in higher yields under water stress conditions. These new technologies should help show whether manipulating TFs can have effects on yield under field conditions. PMID:25118806

Aging and heat tolerance at rest or during work.

PubMed

Pandolf, K B

1991-01-01

Collectively, the literature on heat tolerance suggests that middle-aged (45-64 year old) men and women are more work-heat intolerant, and suffer more physiological strain during heat acclimation, than do younger individuals. However, it is unclear whether the age differences in work-heat intolerance and physiological strain during heat acclimation are related to age per se or associated with other factors such as certain disease states, decreased physical activity, and/or lowered aerobic fitness. In contrast, the work-heat tolerance and physiological responses during heat acclimation of habitually active or aerobically trained middle-aged men are the same or better than younger individuals. The reviewed studies emphasize the importance of aerobic fitness and pertinent morphological factors, such as body fat, body weight, and surface area in maintaining work-heat tolerance with aging. Recent studies suggest that middle-aged and older men and women may be more susceptible to greater heat strain at physiologically significant levels of dehydration than those younger. However, additional research appears necessary to support this hypothesis. When the effects of chronic debilitating diseases in the elderly (greater than 64 years old) are minimized, their heat tolerance and thermoregulatory responses are comparable to those younger. In fact, healthy and well-acclimated elderly men and women appear to perform as well as those younger during desert walks in dry heat. This review shall discuss experimental observations from previously published studies concerning aging and heat tolerance or the physiological heat strain during heat acclimation at rest or during work; and, will suggest future research efforts needed to advance the area.

Plant water relations as affected by heavy metal stress: A review

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

Barcelo, J.; Poschenrieder, C.

1990-01-01

Metal toxicity causes multiple direct and indirect effects in plants which concern practically all physiological functions. In this review the effects of excess heavy metals and aluminum on those functions which will alter plant water relations are considered. After a brief comment on the metal effects in cell walls and plasma-lemma, and their consequences for cell expansion growth, the influences of high meal availability on the factors which regulate water entry and water exit in plants are considered. Emphasis is placed on the importance of distinguishing between low water availability in mine and serpentine soils and toxicity effects in plantsmore » which may impair the ability of a plant to regulate water uptake. Examples on water relations of both plants grown on metalliferous soil and hydroponics are presented, and the effects of metal toxicity on root growth, water transport and transpiration are considered. It is concluded that future research has to focus on the mechanisms of metal-induced inhibition of both root elongation and morphogenetic processes within roots. In order to understand the relation between metal tolerance and drought resistance better, further studies into metal tolerance mechanisms at the cell wall, membrane and vacuolar level, as well as into the mechanisms of drought resistance of plants adapted to metalliferous soils are required. 135 refs., 7 figs., 6 tabs.« less

Pain perception studies in tension-type headache.

PubMed

Bezov, David; Ashina, Sait; Jensen, Rigmor; Bendtsen, Lars

2011-02-01

Tension-type headache (TTH) is a disorder with high prevalence and significant impact on society. Understanding of pathophysiology of TTH is paramount for development of effective treatments and prevention of chronification of TTH. Our aim was to review the findings from pain perception studies of pathophysiology of TTH as well as to review the research of pathophysiology of TTH. Pain perception studies such as measurement of muscle tenderness, pain detection thresholds, pain tolerance thresholds, pain response to suprathreshold stimulation, temporal summation and diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) have played a central role in elucidating the pathophysiology of TTH. It has been demonstrated that continuous nociceptive input from peripheral myofascial structures may induce central sensitization and thereby chronification of the headache. Measurements of pain tolerance thresholds and suprathreshold stimulation have shown presence of generalized hyperalgesia in chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) patients, while DNIC function has been shown to be reduced in CTTH. One imaging study showed loss of gray matter structures involved in pain processing in CTTH patients. Future studies should aim to integrate pain perception and imaging to confirm this finding. Pharmacological studies have shown that drugs like tricyclic anti-depressant amitriptyline and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors can reverse central sensitization and the chronicity of headache. Finally, low frequency electrical stimulation has been shown to rapidly reverse central sensitization and may be a new modality in treatment of CTTH and other chronic pain disorders. © 2010 American Headache Society.

Humic Substances: Determining Potential Molecular Regulatory Processes in Plants

PubMed Central

Shah, Zahid Hussain; Rehman, Hafiz M.; Akhtar, Tasneem; Alsamadany, Hameed; Hamooh, Bahget T.; Mujtaba, Tahir; Daur, Ihsanullah; Al Zahrani, Yahya; Alzahrani, Hind A. S.; Ali, Shawkat; Yang, Seung H.; Chung, Gyuhwa

2018-01-01

Humic substances (HSs) have considerable effects on soil fertility and crop productivity owing to their unique physiochemical and biochemical properties, and play a vital role in establishing biotic and abiotic interactions within the plant rhizosphere. A comprehensive understanding of the mode of action and tissue distribution of HS is, however, required, as this knowledge could be useful for devising advanced rhizospheric management practices. These substances trigger various molecular processes in plant cells, and can strengthen the plant’s tolerance to various kinds of abiotic stresses. HS manifest their effects in cells through genetic, post-transcriptional, and post-translational modifications of signaling entities that trigger different molecular, biochemical, and physiological processes. Understanding of such fundamental mechanisms will provide a better perspective for defining the cues and signaling crosstalk of HS that mediate various metabolic and hormonal networks operating in plant systems. Various regulatory activities and distribution strategies of HS have been discussed in this review. PMID:29593751

Artificial sweeteners and mixture of food additives cause to break oral tolerance and induce food allergy in murine oral tolerance model for food allergy.

PubMed

Yamashita, H; Matsuhara, H; Miotani, S; Sako, Y; Matsui, T; Tanaka, H; Inagaki, N

2017-09-01

Processed foods are part of daily life. Almost all processed foods contain food additives such as sweeteners, preservatives and colourants. From childhood, it is difficult to avoid consuming food additives. It is thought that oral tolerance for food antigens is acquired during early life. If tolerance fails, adverse immune responses to food proteins may occur. We hypothesized that food additives prevent acquisition of oral tolerance and aimed to verify the safety of food additives. We induced experimental oral tolerance in mice for ovalbumin (OVA), a food antigen, by previous oral treatment with OVA before sensitization with OVA injections. Food additives were administered at the induction of oral tolerance, and food allergy was induced by repeated administration of OVA. Symptoms of food allergy were defined as a change in body temperature and allergic diarrhoea. Saccharin sodium and a mixture of food additives inhibited acquisition of oral tolerance. Hypothermia and allergic diarrhoea with elevation of OVA-specific IgE were induced in the murine model of oral tolerance. Analyses of antigen-presenting cells in mesenteric lymph nodes showed that food additives affected their manner of migration. Additionally, food additives decreased the proportion of CD25 hi regulatory T cells among CD4 + T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes. A large amount of food additives may prevent acquisition of oral tolerance. Intake of food additives in early life may increase the risk of food allergies. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Proteomic Techniques and Management of Flooding Tolerance in Soybean.

PubMed

Komatsu, Setsuko; Tougou, Makoto; Nanjo, Yohei

2015-09-04

Climate change is considered a major threat to world agriculture and food security. To improve the agricultural productivity and sustainability, the development of high-yielding stress-tolerant, and climate-resilient crops is essential. Of the abiotic stresses, flooding stress is a very serious hazard because it markedly reduces plant growth and grain yield. Proteomic analyses indicate that the effects of flooding stress are not limited to oxygen deprivation but include many other factors. Although many flooding response mechanisms have been reported, flooding tolerance mechanisms have not been fully clarified for soybean. There were limitations in soybean materials, such as mutants and varieties, while they were abundant in rice and Arabidopsis. In this review, plant proteomic technologies are introduced and flooding tolerance mechanisms of soybeans are summarized to assist in the improvement of flooding tolerance in soybeans. This work will expedite transgenic or marker-assisted genetic enhancement studies in crops for developing high-yielding stress-tolerant lines or varieties under abiotic stress.

New insights into bioactivation of organic nitrates, nitrate tolerance and cross-tolerance.

PubMed

Daiber, A; Wenzel, P; Oelze, M; Münzel, T

2008-01-01

Organic nitrates still represent a group of very effective anti-ischemic drugs used for the treatment of patients with stable angina, acute myocardial infarction and chronic congestive heart failure. Long-term therapy with organic nitrates, however, results in a rapid development of nitrate tolerance blunting their hemodynamic and antiischemic efficacy. Recent studies revealed that mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and a subsequent oxidative inactivation of nitrate reductase, the mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH-2), play an important role for the development of nitrate and crosstolerance. The present review focuses firstly on the role of ALDH-2 for organic nitrate bioactivation and secondly on the role of oxidative stress in the development of tolerance and cross-tolerance (endothelial dysfunction) in response to various organic nitrates. Finally, we would like to draw the reader's attention to the protective properties of the organic nitrate pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (PETN), which, in contrast to all other organic nitrates, is able to upregulate enzymes with a strong antioxidative capacity thereby preventing tolerance and the development of endothelial dysfunction.

Oral tolerance induction for human food allergy.

PubMed

Noh, Geunwoong; Lee, Jae Ho

2012-04-01

Food allergies are classified as IgE-mediated and non-IgE mediated type. The number of successful reports of immunotherapy, namely tolerance induction for food allergy (TIFA) are increasing, bringing hope for meaningful positive and radical treatment of food allergy. Therapeutic characteristics of the clinical course in TIFA for NFA are different from TIFA for IFA. Cytokines including IL-10, TGF-β and IFN-γ and regulatory cells such as Treg and Breg, are involved in immune tolerance. IFN-γ has been used for tolerance induction of food allergy as an immunomodulatory biologics. A definitive distinction between IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated food allergies is absolutely essential for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Original SOTI using IFN-γ is more effective then conventional SOTI without IFN-γ. Especially, IFN-γ is absolutely necessary for the tolerance induction of NFA. This review highlights and updates the advances in the conceptual immunological background and the clinical characteristics of oral tolerance induction for food allergy.

Validation Methods for Fault-Tolerant avionics and control systems, working group meeting 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The proceedings of the first working group meeting on validation methods for fault tolerant computer design are presented. The state of the art in fault tolerant computer validation was examined in order to provide a framework for future discussions concerning research issues for the validation of fault tolerant avionics and flight control systems. The development of positions concerning critical aspects of the validation process are given.

TH-A-BRC-03: AAPM TG218: Measurement Methods and Tolerance Levels for Patient-Specific IMRT Verification QA

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

Miften, M.

2016-06-15

AAPM TG-135U1 QA for Robotic Radiosurgery - Sonja Dieterich Since the publication of AAPM TG-135 in 2011, the technology of robotic radiosurgery has rapidly developed. AAPM TG-135U1 will provide recommendations on the clinical practice for using the IRIS collimator, fiducial-less real-time motion tracking, and Monte Carlo based treatment planning. In addition, it will summarize currently available literature about uncertainties. Learning Objectives: Understand the progression of technology since the first TG publication Learn which new QA procedures should be implemented for new technologies Be familiar with updates to clinical practice guidelines AAPM TG-178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance -more » Steven Goetsch Purpose: AAPM Task Group 178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance was formed in August, 2008. The Task Group has 12 medical physicists, two physicians and two consultants. Methods: A round robin dosimetry intercomparison of proposed ionization chambers, electrometer and dosimetry phantoms was conducted over a 15 month period in 2011 and 2012 (Med Phys 42, 11, Nov, 2015). The data obtained at 9 institutions (with ten different Elekta Gamma Knife units) was analyzed by the lead author using several protocols. Results: The most consistent results were obtained using the Elekta ABS 16cm diameter phantom, with the TG-51 protocol modified as recommended by Alfonso et al (Med Phys 35, 11, Nov 2008). A key white paper (Med Phys, in press) sponsored by Elekta Corporation, was used to obtain correction factors for the ionization chambers and phantoms used in this intercomparison. Consistent results were obtained for both Elekta Gamma Knife Model 4C and Gamma Knife Perfexion units as measured with each of two miniature ionization chambers. Conclusion: The full report gives clinical history and background of gamma stereotactic radiosurgery, clinical examples and history, quality assurance recommendations and outline of possible dosimetry protocols. The report will be reviewed by the AAPM Working Group on Recommendations for Radiotherapy External Beam Quality Assurance and then by the AAPM Science Council before publication in Medical Physics Survey of possible calibration protocols for calibration of Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GSR) devices Overview of modern Quality Assurance techniques for GSR AAPM TG-218 Tolerance Levels and Methodologies for IMRT Verification QA - Moyed Miften Patient-specific IMRT QA measurement is a process designed to identify discrepancies between calculated and delivered doses. Error tolerance limits are not well-defined or consistently applied across centers. The AAPM TG-218 report has been prepared to improve the understanding and consistency of this process by providing recommendations for methodologies and tolerance limits in patient-specific IMRT QA. Learning Objectives: Review measurement methods and methodologies for absolute dose verification Provide recommendations on delivery methods, data interpretation, the use of analysis routines and choice of tolerance limits for IMRT QA Sonja Dieterich has a research agreement with Sun Nuclear Inc. Steven Goetsch is a part-time consultant for Elekta.« less

40 CFR 180.491 - Propylene oxide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances... commodities: Commodity Parts per million Basil, dried leaves 6000 Cacao bean, dried bean 20.0 Cacao bean... basil 1500 Nutmeat, processed, except peanuts 10.0 Onion, dried 6000 Plum, prune, dried 2.0 (b) Section...

B cells in operational tolerance.

PubMed

Chesneau, M; Danger, R; Soulillou, J-P; Brouard, S

2018-05-01

Transplantation is currently the therapy of choice for endstage organ failure even though it requires long-term immunosuppresive therapy, with its numerous side effects, for acceptance of the transplanted organ. In rare cases however, patients develop operational tolerance, that is, graft survival without immunosuppression. Studies conducted on these patients reveal genetic, phenotypic, and functional signatures. They provide a better understanding of the immunological mechanisms involved in operational tolerance and define biomarkers that could be used to adapt immunosuppressive treatment to the individual, safely reduce immunosuppression doses, and ideally and safely guide immunosuppression withdrawal. This review summarizes studies that suggest a role for B cells as biomarkers of operational tolerance and discusses the use of B cells as a predictive tool for immunologic risk. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Strategies for Carbon and Sulfur Tolerant Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Materials, Incorporating Lessons from Heterogeneous Catalysis.

PubMed

Boldrin, Paul; Ruiz-Trejo, Enrique; Mermelstein, Joshua; Bermúdez Menéndez, José Miguel; Ramı Rez Reina, Tomás; Brandon, Nigel P

2016-11-23

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a rapidly emerging energy technology for a low carbon world, providing high efficiency, potential to use carbonaceous fuels, and compatibility with carbon capture and storage. However, current state-of-the-art materials have low tolerance to sulfur, a common contaminant of many fuels, and are vulnerable to deactivation due to carbon deposition when using carbon-containing compounds. In this review, we first study the theoretical basis behind carbon and sulfur poisoning, before examining the strategies toward carbon and sulfur tolerance used so far in the SOFC literature. We then study the more extensive relevant heterogeneous catalysis literature for strategies and materials which could be incorporated into carbon and sulfur tolerant fuel cells.

Regulatory T cells in Allergic Diseases

PubMed Central

Rivas, Magali Noval; Chatila, Talal A.

2016-01-01

The pathogenesis of allergic diseases entails an ineffective tolerogenic immune response towards allergens. Regulatory T cells (TReg) cells play a key role in sustaining immune tolerance to allergens, yet mechanisms by which TReg cells fail to maintain tolerance in allergic diseases are not well understood. We review current concepts and established mechanisms regarding how TReg cells regulate different components of allergen-triggered immune responses to promote and maintain tolerance. We will also discuss more recent advances that emphasize the “dual” functionality of TReg cells in allergic diseases: how TReg cells are essential in promoting tolerance to allergens but also how a pro-allergic inflammatory environment can skew TReg cells towards a pathogenic phenotype that aggravates and perpetuates disease. These advances highlight opportunities for novel therapeutic strategies that aim to re-establish tolerance in chronic allergic diseases by promoting TReg cell and stability function. PMID:27596705

Identification of Arabidopsis mutants with altered freezing tolerance.

PubMed

Perea-Resa, Carlos; Salinas, Julio

2014-01-01

Low temperature is an important determinant in the configuration of natural plant communities and defines the range of distribution and growth of important crops. Some plants, including Arabidopsis, have evolved sophisticated adaptive mechanisms to tolerate low and freezing temperatures. Central to this adaptation is the process of cold acclimation. By means of this process, many plants from temperate regions are able to develop or increase their freezing tolerance in response to low, nonfreezing temperatures. The identification and characterization of factors involved in freezing tolerance are crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the cold acclimation response and have a potential interest to improve crop tolerance to freezing temperatures. Many genes implicated in cold acclimation have been identified in numerous plant species by using molecular approaches followed by reverse genetic analysis. Remarkably, however, direct genetic analyses have not been conveniently exploited in their capacity for identifying genes with pivotal roles in that adaptive response. In this chapter, we describe a protocol for evaluating the freezing tolerance of both non-acclimated and cold-acclimated Arabidopsis plants. This protocol allows the accurate and simple screening of mutant collections for the identification of novel factors involved in freezing tolerance and cold acclimation.

Advanced design for lightweight structures: Review and prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braga, Daniel F. O.; Tavares, S. M. O.; da Silva, Lucas F. M.; Moreira, P. M. G. P.; de Castro, Paulo M. S. T.

2014-08-01

Current demand for fuel efficient aircraft has been pushing the aeronautical sector to develop ever more lightweight designs while keeping safe operation and required structural strength. Along with light-weighting, new structural design concepts have also been established in order to maintain the aircraft in service for longer periods of time, with high reliability levels. All these innovations and requirements have led to deeply optimized aeronautical structures contributing to more sustainable air transport. This article reviews the major design philosophies which have been employed in aircraft structures, including safe-life, fail-safe and damage tolerance taking into account their impact on the structural design. A brief historical review is performed in order to analyse what led to the development of each philosophy. Material properties are related to each of the design philosophies. Damage tolerant design has emerged as the main structural design philosophy in aeronautics, requiring deep knowledge on materials fatigue and corrosion strength, as well as potential failure modes and non-destructive inspection techniques, particularly minimum detectable defect and scan times. A discussion on the implementation of structural health monitoring and self-healing structures within the current panorama of structures designed according to the damage tolerant philosophy is presented. This discussion is aided by a review of research on these two subjects. These two concepts show potential for further improving safety and durability of aircraft structures.

Acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation of corn stover: current production methods, economic viability and commercial use.

PubMed

Baral, Nawa R; Slutzky, Lauren; Shah, Ajay; Ezeji, Thaddeus C; Cornish, Katrina; Christy, Ann

2016-03-01

Biobutanol is a next-generation liquid biofuel with properties akin to those of gasoline. There is a widespread effort to commercialize biobutanol production from agricultural residues, such as corn stover, which do not compete with human and animal foods. This pursuit is backed by extensive government mandates to expand alternative energy sources. This review provides an overview of research on biobutanol production using corn stover feedstock. Structural composition, pretreatment, sugar yield (following pretreatment and hydrolysis) and generation of lignocellulose-derived microbial inhibitory compounds (LDMICs) from corn stover are discussed. The review also discusses different Clostridium species and strains employed for biobutanol production from corn stover-derived sugars with respect to solvent yields, tolerance to LDMICs and in situ solvent recovery (integrated fermentation). Further, the economics of cellulosic biobutanol production are highlighted and compared to corn starch-derived ethanol and gasoline. As discussed herein, the economic competitiveness of biobutanol production from corn stover largely depends on feedstock processing and fermentation process design. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Present and future trends of laser materials processing in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsunawa, Akira

1991-10-01

Lasers quickly penetrated into Japanese industries in the mid-80s. The paper reviews the present situation of industrial lasers and their applications in Japanese industries for materials removal, joining, and some surface modification technologies as well as their economical evaluation compared with competitive technologies. Laser cutting of metallic and nonmetallic thin sheets is widely prevalent even in small scale industries as a flexible manufacturing tool. As for the laser welding is concerned, industrial applications are rather limited in mass production lines. This mainly comes from the fact that the present laser technologies have not employed the adaptive control because of the lack of sensors, monitoring, and control systems which can tolerate the high-precision and high-speed processing. In spite of this situation, laser welding is rapidly increasing in recent years in industries such as automotive, machinery, electric/electronic, steel, heavy industries, etc. Laser surface modification technologies have attracted significant interest from industrial people, but actual application is very limited today. However, the number of R&D papers is increasing year by year. The paper also reviews these new technology trends in Japan.

Tolerance and Withdrawal From Prolonged Opioid Use in Critically Ill Children

PubMed Central

Anand, Kanwaljeet J. S.; Willson, Douglas F.; Berger, John; Harrison, Rick; Meert, Kathleen L.; Zimmerman, Jerry; Carcillo, Joseph; Newth, Christopher J. L.; Prodhan, Parthak; Dean, J. Michael; Nicholson, Carol

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE After prolonged opioid exposure, children develop opioid-induced hyperalgesia, tolerance, and withdrawal. Strategies for prevention and management should be based on the mechanisms of opioid tolerance and withdrawal. PATIENTS AND METHODS Relevant manuscripts published in the English language were searched in Medline by using search terms “opioid,” “opiate,” “sedation,” “analgesia,” “child,” “infant-newborn,” “tolerance,” “dependency,” “withdrawal,” “analgesic,” “receptor,” and “individual opioid drugs.” Clinical and preclinical studies were reviewed for data synthesis. RESULTS Mechanisms of opioid-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance suggest important drug- and patient-related risk factors that lead to tolerance and withdrawal. Opioid tolerance occurs earlier in the younger age groups, develops commonly during critical illness, and results more frequently from prolonged intravenous infusions of short-acting opioids. Treatment options include slowly tapering opioid doses, switching to longer-acting opioids, or specifically treating the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Novel therapies may also include blocking the mechanisms of opioid tolerance, which would enhance the safety and effectiveness of opioid analgesia. CONCLUSIONS Opioid tolerance and withdrawal occur frequently in critically ill children. Novel insights into opioid receptor physiology and cellular biochemical changes will inform scientific approaches for the use of opioid analgesia and the prevention of opioid tolerance and withdrawal. PMID:20403936

Advanced information processing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lala, J. H.

1984-01-01

Design and performance details of the advanced information processing system (AIPS) for fault and damage tolerant data processing on aircraft and spacecraft are presented. AIPS comprises several computers distributed throughout the vehicle and linked by a damage tolerant data bus. Most I/O functions are available to all the computers, which run in a TDMA mode. Each computer performs separate specific tasks in normal operation and assumes other tasks in degraded modes. Redundant software assures that all fault monitoring, logging and reporting are automated, together with control functions. Redundant duplex links and damage-spread limitation provide the fault tolerance. Details of an advanced design of a laboratory-scale proof-of-concept system are described, including functional operations.

Polyamines in chemiosmosis in vivo: A cunning mechanism for the regulation of ATP synthesis during growth and stress

PubMed Central

Ioannidis, Nikolaos E.; Kotzabasis, Kiriakos

2014-01-01

Polyamines (PAs) are low molecular weight amines that occur in every living organism. The three main PAs (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) are involved in several important biochemical processes covered in recent reviews. As rule of thumb, increase of the cellular titer of PAs in plants is related to cell growth and cell tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. In the present contribution, we describe recent findings from plant bioenergetics that bring to light a previously unrecognized dynamic behavior of the PA pool. Traditionally, PAs are described by many authors as organic polycations, when in fact they are bases that can be found in a charged or uncharged form. Although uncharged forms represent less than 0.1% of the total pool, we propose that their physiological role could be crucial in chemiosmosis. This process describes the formation of a PA gradient across membranes within seconds and is difficult to be tested in vivo in plants due to the relatively small molecular weight of PAs and the speed of the process. We tested the hypothesis that PAs act as permeable buffers in intact leaves by using recent advances in vivo probing. We found that an increase of PAs increases the electric component (Δψ) and decreases the ΔpH component of the proton motive force. These findings reveal an important modulation of the energy production process and photoprotection of the chloroplast by PAs. We explain in detail the theory behind PA pumping and ion trapping in acidic compartments (such as the lumen in chloroplasts) and how this regulatory process could improve either the photochemical efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus and increase the synthesis of ATP or fine tune antenna regulation and make the plant more tolerant to stress. PMID:24592272

Biomedical Applications of Mulberry Silk and its Proteins: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nivedita, S.; Sivaprasad, V.

2014-04-01

Silk is a natural fibre used mainly for aesthetic purposes. It has also been used for making surgical sutures for centuries. The recent rediscovery of silk's biological properties have led to new areas of research and utilization in cosmetic, health and medical fields. The silk proteins, fibroin and sericin are processed into biomaterials because of bio-compatibility, bio-degradability, excellent mechanical properties, thermo tolerance and UV protective properties. Silk proteins could be obtained as pure liquids and regenerated in different forms suitable for tissue engineering applications. This paper presents some of the biomedical products and biomaterials made from native, degraded and regenerated silk and their fabrication techniques.

Controlling and policing substance use(rs).

PubMed

White, Tony

2002-01-01

Controlling drug use--a dynamic, global, politicalized process--is reviewed in terms of selected types of drugs, "natural levels" of drug demand and use, drug markets and the drug market environment, types of traffickers, illicit drug trade profits, approaches to drug control ("War on Drugs", "Zero Tolerance" programs and policies, "normalizing" and legalizing selected drugs), including UN's then relatively recent "Balanced Approach" and facets of drug law enforcement (drug prices and purity levels and values of drug seizures), including various rarely noted benefits to intervention programs and control agents. Unresolved issues and needed "tools" are noted while considering the implications of the first UN's World Drug Report data.

Treatment of neuro-ophthalmic sarcoidosis.

PubMed

Frohman, Larry P

2015-03-01

Because of the rarity of neuro-ophthalmic sarcoidosis, there are no therapeutic guidelines based on evidence-based medicine for this disorder. Review of literature combined with personal experience. Corticosteroids are the preferred initial therapy for neuro-ophthalmic sarcoidosis. If patients cannot tolerate the requisite dose of corticosteroid needed to control their disease, or if corticosteroids fail to adequately control the disease process, the choices of a second agent are based on the consideration of rapidity of clinical response and the safety profile. Although methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil are the medications that are often selected after corticosteroid failure, more rapidly acting agents that have been used are infliximab and intravenous cyclophosphamide.

Physical methods for genetic plant transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera, Ana Leonor; Gómez-Lim, Miguel; Fernández, Francisco; Loske, Achim M.

2012-09-01

Production of transgenic plants is a routine process for many crop species. Transgenes are introduced into plants to confer novel traits such as improved nutritional qualities, tolerance to pollutants, resistance to pathogens and for studies of plant metabolism. Nowadays, it is possible to insert genes from plants evolutionary distant from the host plant, as well as from fungi, viruses, bacteria and even animals. Genetic transformation requires penetration of the transgene through the plant cell wall, facilitated by biological or physical methods. The objective of this article is to review the state of the art of the physical methods used for genetic plant transformation and to describe the basic physics behind them.

Advanced Information Processing System - Fault detection and error handling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lala, J. H.

1985-01-01

The Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) is designed to provide a fault tolerant and damage tolerant data processing architecture for a broad range of aerospace vehicles, including tactical and transport aircraft, and manned and autonomous spacecraft. A proof-of-concept (POC) system is now in the detailed design and fabrication phase. This paper gives an overview of a preliminary fault detection and error handling philosophy in AIPS.

Review of Pre-Analytical Errors in Oral Glucose Tolerance Testing in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

PubMed

Nanda, Rachita; Patel, Suprava; Sahoo, Sibashish; Mohapatra, Eli

2018-03-13

The pre-pre-analytical and pre-analytical phases form a major chunk of the errors in a laboratory. The process has taken into consideration a very common procedure which is the oral glucose tolerance test to identify the pre-pre-analytical errors. Quality indicators provide evidence of quality, support accountability and help in the decision making of laboratory personnel. The aim of this research is to evaluate pre-analytical performance of the oral glucose tolerance test procedure. An observational study that was conducted overa period of three months, in the phlebotomy and accessioning unit of our laboratory using questionnaire that examined the pre-pre-analytical errors through a scoring system. The pre-analytical phase was analyzed for each sample collected as per seven quality indicators. About 25% of the population gave wrong answer with regard to the question that tested the knowledge of patient preparation. The appropriateness of test result QI-1 had the most error. Although QI-5 for sample collection had a low error rate, it is a very important indicator as any wrongly collected sample can alter the test result. Evaluating the pre-analytical and pre-pre-analytical phase is essential and must be conducted routinely on a yearly basis to identify errors and take corrective action and to facilitate their gradual introduction into routine practice.

Mechanisms of solvent resistance mediated by interplay of cellular factors in Pseudomonas putida.

PubMed

Ramos, Juan-Luis; Sol Cuenca, Maria; Molina-Santiago, Carlos; Segura, Ana; Duque, Estrella; Gómez-García, María R; Udaondo, Zulema; Roca, Amalia

2015-07-01

A number of microorganisms have the ability to thrive in the presence of a range of toxic solvents. Tolerance to these chemicals is a multifactorial process, meaning that bacterial cells use a set of physiological and gene expression changes to overcome the damage imparted by these chemicals. This review focuses mainly on issues related to tolerance to aromatic hydrocarbons and butanol in Pseudomonas, although other microorganisms are also discussed. Pseudomonas putida strains contain a circular chromosome of approximately 6 Mbp which encodes about 5300 genes. A combination of physiological and biochemical assays, a genome-wide collection of mutants and several omics approaches have provided useful information to help identify functions involved in solvent tolerance in P. putida. The solvent response involves fine-tuning of lipid fluidity to adjust membrane functions including impermeabilization, activation of a general stress-response system, increased energy generation and induction of specific efflux pumps that extrude solvents to the medium. These responses are modulated at the transcriptional level by local and global regulators as well as by a number of sRNAs whose levels fluctuate with the presence of solvents in the environment. Taken as a whole these regulatory inputs orchestrate the complex network of metabolic responses observed after solvent addition. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Adaptive Response and Tolerance to Acetic Acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces bailii: A Physiological Genomics Perspective.

PubMed

Palma, Margarida; Guerreiro, Joana F; Sá-Correia, Isabel

2018-01-01

Acetic acid is an important microbial growth inhibitor in the food industry; it is used as a preservative in foods and beverages and is produced during normal yeast metabolism in biotechnological processes. Acetic acid is also a major inhibitory compound present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates affecting the use of this promising carbon source for sustainable bioprocesses. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying Saccharomyces cerevisiae response and adaptation to acetic acid have been studied for years, only recently they have been examined in more detail in Zygosaccharomyces bailii . However, due to its remarkable tolerance to acetic acid and other weak acids this yeast species is a major threat in the spoilage of acidic foods and beverages and considered as an interesting alternative cell factory in Biotechnology. This review paper emphasizes genome-wide strategies that are providing global insights into the molecular targets, signaling pathways and mechanisms behind S. cerevisiae and Z. bailii tolerance to acetic acid, and extends this information to other weak acids whenever relevant. Such comprehensive perspective and the knowledge gathered in these two yeast species allowed the identification of candidate molecular targets, either for the design of effective strategies to overcome yeast spoilage in acidic foods and beverages, or for the rational genome engineering to construct more robust industrial strains. Examples of successful applications are provided.

Adaptive Response and Tolerance to Acetic Acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces bailii: A Physiological Genomics Perspective

PubMed Central

Palma, Margarida; Guerreiro, Joana F.; Sá-Correia, Isabel

2018-01-01

Acetic acid is an important microbial growth inhibitor in the food industry; it is used as a preservative in foods and beverages and is produced during normal yeast metabolism in biotechnological processes. Acetic acid is also a major inhibitory compound present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates affecting the use of this promising carbon source for sustainable bioprocesses. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying Saccharomyces cerevisiae response and adaptation to acetic acid have been studied for years, only recently they have been examined in more detail in Zygosaccharomyces bailii. However, due to its remarkable tolerance to acetic acid and other weak acids this yeast species is a major threat in the spoilage of acidic foods and beverages and considered as an interesting alternative cell factory in Biotechnology. This review paper emphasizes genome-wide strategies that are providing global insights into the molecular targets, signaling pathways and mechanisms behind S. cerevisiae and Z. bailii tolerance to acetic acid, and extends this information to other weak acids whenever relevant. Such comprehensive perspective and the knowledge gathered in these two yeast species allowed the identification of candidate molecular targets, either for the design of effective strategies to overcome yeast spoilage in acidic foods and beverages, or for the rational genome engineering to construct more robust industrial strains. Examples of successful applications are provided. PMID:29515554

75 FR 6314 - Inert Ingredients; Extension of Effective Date of Revocation of Certain Tolerance Exemptions with...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-09

...-tetramethylbutyl)phenol with a range of 1-14 or 30-70 moles of ethylene oxide: if a blend of products is used, the average range number of moles of ethylene oxide reacted to produce any product that is a component of the... ethylene oxide. IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews This final rule establishes tolerances under...

What Is the Evidence for “Food Addiction?” A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Ariel-Donges, Aviva H.; Bauman, Viviana; Merlo, Lisa J.

2018-01-01

The diagnostic construct of “food addiction” is a highly controversial subject. The current systematic review is the first to evaluate empirical studies examining the construct of “food addiction” in humans and animals. Studies were included if they were quantitative, peer-reviewed, and in the English language. The 52 identified studies (35 articles) were qualitatively assessed to determine the extent to which their findings indicated the following addiction characteristics in relation to food: brain reward dysfunction, preoccupation, risky use, impaired control, tolerance/withdrawal, social impairment, chronicity, and relapse. Each pre-defined criterion was supported by at least one study. Brain reward dysfunction and impaired control were supported by the largest number of studies (n = 21 and n = 12, respectively); whereas risky use was supported by the fewest (n = 1). Overall, findings support food addiction as a unique construct consistent with criteria for other substance use disorder diagnoses. The evidence further suggests that certain foods, particularly processed foods with added sweeteners and fats, demonstrate the greatest addictive potential. Though both behavioral and substance-related factors are implicated in the addictive process, symptoms appear to better fit criteria for substance use disorder than behavioral addiction. Future research should explore social/role impairment, preoccupation, and risky use associated with food addiction and evaluate potential interventions for prevention and treatment. PMID:29649120

40 CFR 180.472 - Imidacloprid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances... 1.0 Banana 0.50 Beet, sugar, molasses 0.30 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.50 Biriba 0... Persimmon 3.0 Pistachio 0.05 Pomegranate 0.90 Potato, chip 0.40 Potato, processed potato waste 0.90 Poultry...

40 CFR 180.472 - Imidacloprid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances... 1.0 Banana 0.50 Beet, sugar, molasses 0.30 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.50 Biriba 0....75 Pecan 0.05 Persimmon 3.0 Pistachio 0.05 Pomegranate 0.90 Potato, chip 0.40 Potato, processed...

40 CFR 180.472 - Imidacloprid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances... 1.0 Banana 0.50 Beet, sugar, molasses 0.30 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.50 Biriba 0....75 Pecan 0.05 Persimmon 3.0 Pistachio 0.05 Pomegranate 0.90 Potato, chip 0.40 Potato, processed...

7 CFR 51.346 - Tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Tolerances § 51.346 Tolerances. When a lot of apples is required to meet one of the U.S. grades, the apples shall not be further advanced in maturity than... apples which fail to meet the requirements of the grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more...

7 CFR 51.346 - Tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Tolerances § 51.346 Tolerances. When a lot of apples is required to meet one of the U.S. grades, the apples shall not be further advanced in maturity than... apples which fail to meet the requirements of the grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more...

7 CFR 51.346 - Tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Tolerances § 51.346 Tolerances. When a lot of apples is required to meet one of the U.S. grades, the apples shall not be further advanced in maturity than... apples which fail to meet the requirements of the grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more...

7 CFR 51.346 - Tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Tolerances § 51.346 Tolerances. When a lot of apples is required to meet one of the U.S. grades, the apples shall not be further...) For defects. 10 percent for apples which fail to meet the requirements of the grade: Provided, That...

7 CFR 51.346 - Tolerances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Tolerances § 51.346 Tolerances. When a lot of apples is required to meet one of the U.S. grades, the apples shall not be further...) For defects. 10 percent for apples which fail to meet the requirements of the grade: Provided, That...

28 CFR 115.132 - Detainee, contractor, and inmate worker notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy. 115.132 Section 115.132 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT... and Education § 115.132 Detainee, contractor, and inmate worker notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy. (a) During the intake process, employees shall notify all detainees of the agency's zero...

28 CFR 115.132 - Detainee, contractor, and inmate worker notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy. 115.132 Section 115.132 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT... and Education § 115.132 Detainee, contractor, and inmate worker notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy. (a) During the intake process, employees shall notify all detainees of the agency's zero...

28 CFR 115.132 - Detainee, contractor, and inmate worker notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy. 115.132 Section 115.132 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT... and Education § 115.132 Detainee, contractor, and inmate worker notification of the agency's zero-tolerance policy. (a) During the intake process, employees shall notify all detainees of the agency's zero...

Reforming the Discipline Management Process in Schools: An Alternative Approach to Zero Tolerance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kajs, Lawrence T.

2006-01-01

There is a need for educational reform of zero tolerance policies in school disciplinary management procedures. Zero tolerance policies are rigid mandates of predetermined consequences for specific student misconduct. Common sense and fairness are not necessarily served by the application of inflexible disciplinary rules that do not address the…

Drought coping strategies in cotton: increased crop per drop.

PubMed

Ullah, Abid; Sun, Heng; Yang, Xiyan; Zhang, Xianlong

2017-03-01

The growth and yield of many crops, including cotton, are affected by water deficit. Cotton has evolved drought specific as well as general morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to drought stress, which are discussed in this review. The key physiological responses against drought stress in cotton, including stomata closing, root development, cellular adaptations, photosynthesis, abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA) production and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, have been identified by researchers. Drought stress induces the expression of stress-related transcription factors and genes, such as ROS scavenging, ABA or mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signalling genes, which activate various drought-related pathways to induce tolerance in the plant. It is crucial to elucidate and induce drought-tolerant traits via quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, transgenic approaches and exogenous application of substances. The current review article highlights the natural as well as engineered drought tolerance strategies in cotton. © 2017 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Altitude deviations: Breakdowns of an error-tolerant system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, Everett A.; Hutchins, Edwin L.; Ritter, Richard D.; Vancleemput, Inge

1993-01-01

Pilot reports of aviation incidents to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) provide a window on the problems occurring in today's airline cockpits. The narratives of 10 pilot reports of errors made in the automation-assisted altitude-change task are used to illustrate some of the issues of pilots interacting with automatic systems. These narratives are then used to construct a description of the cockpit as an information processing system. The analysis concentrates on the error-tolerant properties of the system and on how breakdowns can occasionally occur. An error-tolerant system can detect and correct its internal processing errors. The cockpit system consists of two or three pilots supported by autoflight, flight-management, and alerting systems. These humans and machines have distributed access to clearance information and perform redundant processing of information. Errors can be detected as deviations from either expected behavior or as deviations from expected information. Breakdowns in this system can occur when the checking and cross-checking tasks that give the system its error-tolerant properties are not performed because of distractions or other task demands. Recommendations based on the analysis for improving the error tolerance of the cockpit system are given.

Tolerance analysis program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, H. K.

1971-01-01

Digital computer program determines tolerance values of end to end signal chain or flow path, given preselected probability value. Technique is useful in the synthesis and analysis phases of subsystem design processes.

Probiotics, prebiotics, and microencapsulation: A review.

PubMed

Sarao, Loveleen Kaur; Arora, M

2017-01-22

The development of a suitable technology for the production of probiotics is a key research for industrial production, which should take into account the viability and the stability of the organisms involved. Microbial criteria, stress tolerance during processing, and storage of the product constitute the basis for the production of probiotics. Generally, the bacteria belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been used as probiotics. Based on their positive qualities, probiotic bacteria are widely used in the production of food. Interest in the incorporation of the probiotic bacteria into other products apart from dairy products has been increasing and represents a great challenge. The recognition of dose delivery systems for probiotic bacteria has also resulted in research efforts aimed at developing probiotic food outside the dairy sector. Producing probiotic juices has been considered more in the recent years, due to an increased concern in personal health of consumers. This review focuses on probiotics, prebiotics, and the microencapsulation of living cells.

PRENATAL STRESS AND RISK FOR AUTISM

PubMed Central

Kinney, Dennis K.; Munir, Kerim M.; Crowley, David J.; Miller, Andrea M.

2008-01-01

This paper reviews several converging lines of research that suggest that prenatal exposure to environmental stress may increase risk for Autistic Disorder (AD). We first discuss studies finding that prenatal exposure to stressful life events is associated with significantly increased risk of AD, as well as other disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression. We then review evidence from animal and human studies that prenatal stress can produce both (a) abnormal postnatal behaviors that resemble the defining symptoms of AD, and (b) other abnormalities that have elevated rates in AD, such as learning deficits, seizure disorders, perinatal complications, immunologic and neuroinflammatory anomalies, and low postnatal tolerance for stress. We explain why an etiologic role for prenatal stress is compatible with genetic factors in AD, and describe how stress can disrupt fetal brain development. Finally, we discuss implications for understanding underlying processes in AD, including potential gene-environment interactions, and developing new therapies and early prevention programs. PMID:18598714

Suborbital Science Program: Dryden Flight Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DelFrate, John

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the suborbital science program at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The Program Objectives are given in various areas: (1) Satellite Calibration and Validation (Cal/val)--Provide methods to perform the cal/val requirements for Earth Observing System satellites; (2) New Sensor Development -- Provide methods to reduce risk for new sensor concepts and algorithm development prior to committing sensors to operations; (3) Process Studies -- Facilitate the acquisition of high spatial/temporal resolution focused measurements that are required to understand small atmospheric and surface structures which generate powerful Earth system effects; and (4) Airborne Networking -- Develop disruption-tolerant networking to enable integrated multiple scale measurements of critical environmental features. Dryden supports the NASA Airborne Science Program and the nation in several elements: ER-2, G-3, DC-8, Ikhana (Predator B) & Global Hawk and Reveal. These are reviewed in detail in the presentation.

State of the art review of biofuels production from lignocellulose by thermophilic bacteria.

PubMed

Jiang, Yujia; Xin, Fengxue; Lu, Jiasheng; Dong, Weiliang; Zhang, Wenming; Zhang, Min; Wu, Hao; Ma, Jiangfeng; Jiang, Min

2017-12-01

Biofuels, including ethanol and butanol, are mainly produced by mesophilic solventogenic yeasts and Clostridium species. However, these microorganisms cannot directly utilize lignocellulosic materials, which are abundant, renewable and non-compete with human demand. More recently, thermophilic bacteria show great potential for biofuels production, which could efficiently degrade lignocellulose through the cost effective consolidated bioprocessing. Especially, it could avoid contamination in the whole process owing to its relatively high fermentation temperature. However, wild types thermophiles generally produce low levels of biofuels, hindering their large scale production. This review comprehensively summarizes the state of the art development of biofuels production by reported thermophilic microorganisms, and also concludes strategies to improve biofuels production including the metabolic pathways construction, co-culturing systems and biofuels tolerance. In addition, strategies to further improve butanol production are proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survival of the Friendliest: Homo sapiens Evolved via Selection for Prosociality.

PubMed

Hare, Brian

2017-01-03

The challenge of studying human cognitive evolution is identifying unique features of our intelligence while explaining the processes by which they arose. Comparisons with nonhuman apes point to our early-emerging cooperative-communicative abilities as crucial to the evolution of all forms of human cultural cognition, including language. The human self-domestication hypothesis proposes that these early-emerging social skills evolved when natural selection favored increased in-group prosociality over aggression in late human evolution. As a by-product of this selection, humans are predicted to show traits of the domestication syndrome observed in other domestic animals. In reviewing comparative, developmental, neurobiological, and paleoanthropological research, compelling evidence emerges for the predicted relationship between unique human mentalizing abilities, tolerance, and the domestication syndrome in humans. This synthesis includes a review of the first a priori test of the self-domestication hypothesis as well as predictions for future tests.

Plant growth promoting bacteria as an alternative strategy for salt tolerance in plants: A review.

PubMed

Numan, Muhammad; Bashir, Samina; Khan, Yasmin; Mumtaz, Roqayya; Shinwari, Zabta Khan; Khan, Abdul Latif; Khan, Ajmal; Al-Harrasi, Ahmed

2018-04-01

Approximately 5.2 billion hectare agriculture land are affected by erosion, salinity and soil degradation. Salinity stress has significantly affecting the fertile lands, and therefore possesses a huge impact on the agriculture and economy of a country. Salt stress has severe effects on the growth and development of plants as well as reducing its yield. Plants are inherently equipped with stress tolerance ability to responds the specific type of stress. Plants retained specific mechanisms for salt stress mitigation, such as hormonal stimulation, ion exchange, antioxidant enzymes and activation of signaling cascades on their metabolic and genetic frontiers that sooth the stressed condition. Additional to the plant inherent mechanisms, certain plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) also have specialized mechanism that play key role for salt stress tolerance and plant growth promotion. These bacteria triggers plants to produce different plant growth hormones like auxin, cytokinine and gibberellin as well as volatile organic compounds. These bacteria also produces growth regulators like siderophore, which fix nitrogen, solubilize organic and inorganic phosphate. Considering the importance of PGPB in compensation of salt tolerance in plants, the present study has reviewed the different aspect and mechanism of bacteria that play key role in promoting plants growth and yield. It can be concluded that PGPB can be used as a cost effective and economical tool for salinity tolerance and growth promotion in plants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of droxidopa compared to midodrine in standing blood pressure and orthostatic tolerance in adults with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Patrick, Kelli; Martin, Tina

2017-09-01

The question of this review is: what is the effectiveness of droxidopa compared to midodrine on standing blood pressure and orthostatic intolerance symptoms in adults with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension?

Marijuana: A Review of Medical Research with Implications for Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolis, Robert; Popkin, Nancy

1980-01-01

Recent evidence indicates that marijuana is more harmful than had previously been suspected. A review of research in the following areas is presented: tolerance and persistence, reproductive system, respiratory system, immune system, central nervous system, genetic and chromosomal effects, and behavioral effects. (Author)

The Effects of Surgical Hand Scrubbing Protocols on Skin Integrity and Surgical Site Infection Rates: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Liu, Liang Qin; Mehigan, Sinead

2016-05-01

This systematic review aimed to critically appraise and synthesize updated evidence regarding the effect of surgical-scrub techniques on skin integrity and the incidence of surgical site infections. Databases searched include the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central. Our review was limited to eight peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials and two nonrandomized controlled trials published in English from 1990 to 2015. Comparison models included traditional hand scrubbing with chlorhexidine gluconate or povidone-iodine against alcohol-based hand rubbing, scrubbing with a brush versus without a brush, and detergent-based antiseptics alone versus antiseptics incorporating alcohol solutions. Evidence showed that hand rubbing techniques are as effective as traditional scrubbing and seem to be better tolerated. Hand rubbing appears to cause less skin damage than traditional scrub protocols, and scrub personnel tolerated brushless techniques better than scrubbing using a brush. Copyright © 2016 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antigen-specific Treg cells in immunological tolerance: implications for allergic diseases

PubMed Central

Abdel-Gadir, Azza; Massoud, Amir H.; Chatila, Talal A.

2018-01-01

Allergic diseases are chronic inflammatory disorders in which there is failure to mount effective tolerogenic immune responses to inciting allergens. The alarming rise in the prevalence of allergic diseases in recent decades has spurred investigations to elucidate the mechanisms of breakdown in tolerance in these disorders and means of restoring it. Tolerance to allergens is critically dependent on the generation of allergen-specific regulatory T (Treg) cells, which mediate a state of sustained non-responsiveness to the offending allergen. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of mechanisms governing the generation and function of allergen-specific Treg cells and their subversion in allergic diseases. We will also outline approaches to harness allergen-specific Treg cell responses to restore tolerance in these disorders. PMID:29375821

The CD8 T-cell response during tolerance induction in liver transplantation

PubMed Central

Wong, Yik Chun; McCaughan, Geoffrey W; Bowen, David G; Bertolino, Patrick

2016-01-01

Both experimental and clinical studies have shown that the liver possesses unique tolerogenic properties. Liver allografts can be spontaneously accepted across complete major histocompatibility mismatch in some animal models. In addition, some liver transplant patients can be successfully withdrawn from immunosuppressive medications, developing ‘operational tolerance'. Multiple mechanisms have been shown to be involved in inducing and maintaining alloimmune tolerance associated with liver transplantation. Here, we focus on CD8 T-cell tolerance in this setting. We first discuss how alloreactive cytotoxic T-cell responses are generated against allografts, before reviewing how the liver parenchyma, donor passenger leucocytes and the host immune system function together to attenuate alloreactive CD8 T-cell responses to promote the long-term survival of liver transplants. PMID:27867515

Protein Contribution to Plant Salinity Response and Tolerance Acquisition

PubMed Central

Kosová, Klára; Prášil, Ilja T.; Vítámvás, Pavel

2013-01-01

The review is focused on plant proteome response to salinity with respect to physiological aspects of plant salt stress response. The attention is paid to both osmotic and ionic effects of salinity stress on plants with respect to several protein functional groups. Therefore, the role of individual proteins involved in signalling, changes in gene expression, protein biosynthesis and degradation and the resulting changes in protein relative abundance in proteins involved in energy metabolism, redox metabolism, stressand defence-related proteins, osmolyte metabolism, phytohormone, lipid and secondary metabolism, mechanical stress-related proteins as well as protein posttranslational modifications are discussed. Differences between salt-sensitive (glycophytes) and salt-tolerant (halophytes) plants are analysed with respect to differential salinity tolerance. In conclusion, contribution of proteomic studies to understanding plant salinity tolerance is summarised and discussed. PMID:23531537

Exploring the relationship between exposure to technological and gastrointestinal stress and probiotic functional properties of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

PubMed

Amund, O D

2016-09-01

Strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are considered probiotic because of their associated potential health benefits. Probiotics are commonly administered orally via incorporation into food products. Microorganisms for use as probiotics encounter stress conditions, which include acid, bile, osmotic, oxidative, heat and cold stresses. These can occur during processing and storage and during passage through the gastrointestinal tract, and can affect viability. Probiotic bacteria have to remain viable to confer any health benefits. Therefore, the ability to withstand technological and gastrointestinal stresses is crucial probiotic selection criteria. While the stress tolerance mechanisms of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are largely understood, the impact of exposure to stressful conditions on the functional properties of surviving probiotic microorganisms is not clear. This review explores the potentially positive and negative relationships between exposure to stress conditions and probiotic functional properties, such as resistance to gastric acid and bile, adhesion and colonization potential, and tolerance to antibiotics. Protective strategies can be employed to combat negative effects of stress on functional properties. However, further research is needed to ascertain synergistic relationships between exposure to stress and probiotic properties.

Fish oil metabolites: translating promising findings from bench to bedside to reduce cardiovascular disease

PubMed Central

Calderon Artero, P; Champagne, C; Garigen, S; Mousa, SA; Block, RC

2012-01-01

Cardiovascular disease is an inflammatory process and the leading cause of death in the United States. Novel omega-3 derived potent lipid mediators, termed resolvins and protectins, have been identified as major pathophysiologic players in the resolution phase of the inflammatory response. Potent lipid mediators offer tremendous metabolic and pathophysiologic insights in regard to the risk and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In this review, resolvins and protectins are described and analyzed as accelerators of discovery via their potential role as biomarkers for research and clinical decision making in cardiovascular disease. Specific barriers relating to biomarker validation, laboratory methods, and improvement of risk models are introduced and discussed. Potential therapeutic impacts in cardiovascular disease are also mentioned with special consideration for cost-saving implications with respect to dietary fish oil as an alternative to resolvin and protectin treatment. Given the high tolerability of fish oil supplements and previously described benefits of omega-3 fatty acid intake in cardiovascular disease, we conclude that resolvins and protectins are set to soon take center stage as future biomarkers and well-tolerated therapies for cardiovascular disease. PMID:22708071

Resilience of Soil Microbial Communities to Metals and Additional Stressors: DNA-Based Approaches for Assessing “Stress-on-Stress” Responses

PubMed Central

Azarbad, Hamed; van Gestel, Cornelis A. M.; Niklińska, Maria; Laskowski, Ryszard; Röling, Wilfred F. M.; van Straalen, Nico M.

2016-01-01

Many microbial ecology studies have demonstrated profound changes in community composition caused by environmental pollution, as well as adaptation processes allowing survival of microbes in polluted ecosystems. Soil microbial communities in polluted areas with a long-term history of contamination have been shown to maintain their function by developing metal-tolerance mechanisms. In the present work, we review recent experiments, with specific emphasis on studies that have been conducted in polluted areas with a long-term history of contamination that also applied DNA-based approaches. We evaluate how the “costs” of adaptation to metals affect the responses of metal-tolerant communities to other stress factors (“stress-on-stress”). We discuss recent studies on the stability of microbial communities, in terms of resistance and resilience to additional stressors, focusing on metal pollution as the initial stress, and discuss possible factors influencing the functional and structural stability of microbial communities towards secondary stressors. There is increasing evidence that the history of environmental conditions and disturbance regimes play central roles in responses of microbial communities towards secondary stressors. PMID:27314330

CMOL: A New Concept for Nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likharev, Konstantin

2005-03-01

I will review the recent work on devices and architectures for future hybrid semiconductor/molecular integrated circuits, in particular those of ``CMOL'' variety [1]. Such circuits would combine an advanced CMOS subsystem fabricated by the usual lithographic patterning, two layers of parallel metallic nanowires formed, e.g., by nanoimprint, and two-terminal molecular devices self-assembled on the nanowire crosspoints. Estimates show that this powerful combination may allow CMOL circuits to reach an unparalleled density (up to 10^12 functions per cm^2) and ultrahigh rate of information processing (up to 10^20 operations per second on a single chip), at acceptable power dissipation. The main challenges on the way toward practical CMOL technology are: (i) reliable chemically-directed self-assembly of mid-size organic molecules, and (ii) the development of efficient defect-tolerant architectures for CMOL circuits. Our recent work has shown that such architectures may be developed not only for terabit-scale memories and naturally defect-tolerant mixed-signal neuromorphic networks, but (rather unexpectedly) also for FPGA-style digital Boolean circuits. [1] For details, see http://rsfq1.physics.sunysb.edu/˜likharev/nano/Springer04.pdf

Biotechnological uses of desiccation-tolerant microorganisms for the rhizoremediation of soils subjected to seasonal drought.

PubMed

Vilchez, S; Manzanera, Maximino

2011-09-01

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) increase the viability and health of host plants when they colonize roots and engage in associative symbiosis (Bashan et al. 2004). In return, PGPR viability is increased by host plant roots by the provision of nutrients and a more protective environment (Richardson et al. in Plant Soil 321:305-339, 2009). The PGPR have great potential in agriculture since the combination of certain microorganisms and plants can increase crop production and increase protection against frost, salinity, drought and other environmental stresses such as the presence of xenobiotic pollutants. But there is a great challenge in combining plants and microorganisms without compromising the viability of either microorganisms or seeds. In this paper, we review how anhydrobiotic engineering can be used for the formulation of biotechnological tools that guarantee the supply of both plants and microorganisms in the dry state. We also describe the application of this technology for the selection of desiccation-tolerant PGPR for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons bioremediation, in soils subjected to seasonal drought, by the rhizoremediation process.

Positive and Negative Regulatory Mechanisms for Fine-Tuning Cellularity and Functions of Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells.

PubMed

Akiyama, Taishin; Tateishi, Ryosuke; Akiyama, Nobuko; Yoshinaga, Riko; Kobayashi, Tetsuya J

2015-01-01

Self-tolerant T cells and regulatory T cells develop in the thymus. A wide variety of cell-cell interactions in the thymus is required for the differentiation, proliferation, and repertoire selection of T cells. Various secreted and cell surface molecules expressed in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) mediate these processes. Moreover, cytokines expressed by cells of hematopoietic origin regulate the cellularity of TECs. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family RANK ligand, lymphotoxin, and CD40 ligand, expressed in T cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), promote the differentiation and proliferation of medullary TECs (mTECs) that play critical roles in the induction of immune tolerance. A recent study suggests that interleukin-22 (IL-22) produced by ILCs promotes regeneration of TECs after irradiation. Intriguingly, tumor growth factor-β and osteoprotegerin limit cellularity of mTECs, thereby attenuating regulatory T cell generation. We will review recent insights into the molecular basis for cell-cell interactions regulating differentiation and proliferation of mTECs and also discuss about a perspective on use of mathematical models for understanding this complicated system.

Fault Injection Campaign for a Fault Tolerant Duplex Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sacco, Gian Franco; Ferraro, Robert D.; von llmen, Paul; Rennels, Dave A.

2007-01-01

Fault tolerance is an efficient approach adopted to avoid or reduce the damage of a system failure. In this work we present the results of a fault injection campaign we conducted on the Duplex Framework (DF). The DF is a software developed by the UCLA group [1, 2] that uses a fault tolerant approach and allows to run two replicas of the same process on two different nodes of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer cluster. A third process running on a different node, constantly monitors the results computed by the two replicas, and eventually restarts the two replica processes if an inconsistency in their computation is detected. This approach is very cost efficient and can be adopted to control processes on spacecrafts where the fault rate produced by cosmic rays is not very high.

A review of ropinirole prolonged release in Parkinson’s disease

PubMed Central

Nashatizadeh, Muhammad M; Lyons, Kelly E; Pahwa, Rajesh

2009-01-01

Ropinirole prolonged release is a once-daily, 24-hour formulation of ropinirole, a non-ergot dopamine agonist. It is approved as monotherapy and as an adjunct to levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Several potential advantages of ropinirole prolonged release compared to the immediate release formulation include maintaining more consistent dopaminergic activity with steadier plasma levels, increased tolerability, greater compliance from a simpler once-daily dosing regimen and ease in dose titration. In a randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority, crossover study, ropinirole prolonged release was shown to have comparable efficacy and tolerability to immediate release ropinirole in early PD patients, with significantly greater compliance. Subjects were converted overnight between ropinirole formulations without loss of efficacy and with good tolerability. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in advanced PD, daily “off” time was reduced by an average of 2.1 hours with ropinirole prolonged release compared to 0.4 hours with placebo. Patients on ropinirole prolonged release were also more likely to require less daily levodopa. Ropinirole prolonged release is well tolerated with a similar adverse effect profile to other non-ergot dopamine agonists. The most common adverse effects include dyskinesia, nausea, dizziness, hallucinations, somnolence, abdominal pain or discomfort and orthostatic hypotension. Ropinirole prolonged release is a safe and effective treatment option for both early and advanced PD. This manuscript briefly reviews the current pharmacological treatment options for PD and provides a more detailed review of the currently available data regarding ropinirole prolonged release as a treatment option for PD. PMID:19503779

Microevolution due to pollution in amphibians: A review on the genetic erosion hypothesis.

PubMed

Fasola, E; Ribeiro, R; Lopes, I

2015-09-01

The loss of genetic diversity, due to exposure to chemical contamination (genetic erosion), is a major threat to population viability. Genetic erosion is the loss of genetic variation: the loss of alleles determining the value of a specific trait or set of traits. Almost a third of the known amphibian species is considered to be endangered and a decrease of genetic variability can push them to the verge of extinction. This review indicates that loss of genetic variation due to chemical contamination has effects on: 1) fitness, 2) environmental plasticity, 3) co-tolerance mechanisms, 4) trade-off mechanisms, and 5) tolerance to pathogens in amphibian populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Save money by understanding variance and tolerancing.

PubMed

Stuart, K

2007-01-01

Manufacturing processes are inherently variable, which results in component and assembly variance. Unless process capability, variance and tolerancing are fully understood, incorrect design tolerances may be applied, which will lead to more expensive tooling, inflated production costs, high reject rates, product recalls and excessive warranty costs. A methodology is described for correctly allocating tolerances and performing appropriate analyses.

Integrated Data and Control Level Fault Tolerance Techniques for Signal Processing Computer Design

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

TOLERANCE TECHNIQUES FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING COMPUTER DESIGN G. Robert Redinbo I. INTRODUCTION High-speed signal processing is an important application of...techniques and mathematical approaches will be expanded later to the situation where hardware errors and roundoff and quantization noise affect all...detect errors equal in number to the degree of g(X), the maximum permitted by the Singleton bound [13]. Real cyclic codes, primarily applicable to

Fault tolerance in space-based digital signal processing and switching systems: Protecting up-link processing resources, demultiplexer, demodulator, and decoder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redinbo, Robert

1994-01-01

Fault tolerance features in the first three major subsystems appearing in the next generation of communications satellites are described. These satellites will contain extensive but efficient high-speed processing and switching capabilities to support the low signal strengths associated with very small aperture terminals. The terminals' numerous data channels are combined through frequency division multiplexing (FDM) on the up-links and are protected individually by forward error-correcting (FEC) binary convolutional codes. The front-end processing resources, demultiplexer, demodulators, and FEC decoders extract all data channels which are then switched individually, multiplexed, and remodulated before retransmission to earth terminals through narrow beam spot antennas. Algorithm based fault tolerance (ABFT) techniques, which relate real number parity values with data flows and operations, are used to protect the data processing operations. The additional checking features utilize resources that can be substituted for normal processing elements when resource reconfiguration is required to replace a failed unit.

Induction of Oral Tolerance with Transgenic Plants Expressing Antigens for Prevention/Treatment of Autoimmune, Allergic and Inflammatory Diseases.

PubMed

Ma, Shengwu; Liao, Yu-Cai; Jevnikar, Anthony M

2015-01-01

The prevalence and incidence of autoimmune and allergic diseases have increased dramatically over the last several decades, especially in the developed world. The treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases is typically with the use of non-specific immunosuppressive agents that compromise the integrity of the host immune system and therefore, increase the risk of infections. Antigenspecific immunotherapy by reinstating immunological tolerance towards self antigens without compromising immune functions is a much desired goal for the treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases. Mucosal administration of antigen is a long-recognized method of inducing antigen-specific immune tolerance known as oral tolerance, which is viewed as having promising potential in the treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases. Plant-based expression and delivery of recombinant antigens provide a promising new platform to induce oral tolerance, having considerable advantages including reduced cost and increased safety. Indeed, in recent years the use of tolerogenic plants for oral tolerance induction has attracted increasing attention, and considerable progress has been made. This review summarizes recent advances in using plants to deliver tolerogens for induction of oral tolerance in the treatment of autoimmune, allergic and inflammatory diseases.

Bone marrow chimerism as a strategy to produce tolerance in solid organ allotransplantation.

PubMed

Hu, Min; Alexander, Stephen I; Yi, Shounan

2016-12-01

Clinical transplant tolerance has been most successfully achieved combining hematopoietic chimerism with kidney transplantation. This review outlines this strategy in animal models and human transplantation, and possible clinical challenges. Kidney transplant tolerance has been achieved through chimerism in several centers beginning with Massachusetts General Hospital's success with mixed chimerism in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched patients and the Stanford group with HLA-matched patients, and the more recent success of the Northwestern protocol achieving full chimerism. This has challenged the original view that stable mixed chimerism is necessary for organ graft tolerance. However, among the HLA-mismatched kidney transplant-tolerant patients, loss of mixed chimerism does not lead to renal-graft rejection, and the development of host Foxp3+ regulatory T cells has been observed. Recent animal models suggest that graft tolerance through bone marrow chimerism occurs through both clonal deletion and regulatory immune cells. Further, Tregs have been shown to improve chimerism in animal models. Animal studies continue to suggest ways to improve our current clinical strategies. Advances in chimerism protocols suggest that tolerance may be clinically achievable with relative safety for HLA-mismatched kidney transplants.

Validation Methods Research for Fault-Tolerant Avionics and Control Systems: Working Group Meeting, 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gault, J. W. (Editor); Trivedi, K. S. (Editor); Clary, J. B. (Editor)

1980-01-01

The validation process comprises the activities required to insure the agreement of system realization with system specification. A preliminary validation methodology for fault tolerant systems documented. A general framework for a validation methodology is presented along with a set of specific tasks intended for the validation of two specimen system, SIFT and FTMP. Two major areas of research are identified. First, are those activities required to support the ongoing development of the validation process itself, and second, are those activities required to support the design, development, and understanding of fault tolerant systems.

Animal Models to Study Gluten Sensitivity1

PubMed Central

Marietta, Eric V.; Murray, Joseph A.

2012-01-01

The initial development and maintenance of tolerance to dietary antigens is a complex process that, when prevented or interrupted, can lead to human disease. Understanding the mechanisms by which tolerance to specific dietary antigens is attained and maintained is crucial to our understanding of the pathogenesis of diseases related to intolerance of specific dietary antigens. Two diseases that are the result of intolerance to a dietary antigen are celiac disease (CD) and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Both of these diseases are dependent upon the ingestion of gluten (the protein fraction of wheat, rye, and barley) and manifest in the gastrointestinal tract and skin, respectively. These gluten-sensitive diseases are two examples of how devastating abnormal immune responses to a ubiquitous food can be. The well-recognized risk genotype for both is conferred by either of the HLA class II molecules DQ2 or DQ8. However, only a minority of individuals who carry these molecules will develop either disease. Also of interest is that the age at diagnosis can range from infancy to 70–80 years of age. This would indicate that intolerance to gluten may potentially be the result of two different phenomena. The first would be that, for various reasons, tolerance to gluten never developed in certain individuals, but that for other individuals, prior tolerance to gluten was lost at some point after childhood. Of recent interest is the concept of non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which manifests as chronic digestive or neurologic symptoms due to gluten, but through mechanisms that remain to be elucidated. This review will address how animal models of gluten-sensitive disorders have substantially contributed to a better understanding of how gluten intolerance can arise and cause disease. PMID:22572887

Ultraviolet light-induced keratinocyte apoptosis: a potential mechanism for the induction of skin lesions and autoantibody production in LE.

PubMed

Casciola-Rosen, L; Rosen, A

1997-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototype systemic autoimmune disease which is characterized clinically by pleiotropy and periodicity. The immune features which accompany the characteristic flares of the disease have strongly suggested that the autoimmune response is driven by self antigen, and is T cell-dependent. These features have prompted the search for potential initiating process(es) which induce the release of self-antigens in a form which causes T cell tolerance to those self molecules to be broken. We review here several recent observations which implicate apoptotic cells as an important potential source of clustered and concentrated autoantigens in SLE, and present our current model whereby the novel autoantigen fragments generated in apoptotic surface blebs initiate and drive the autoimmune response in this disease.

Continuous subcutaneous use of levetiracetam: a retrospective review of tolerability and clinical effects.

PubMed

Rémi, Constanze; Lorenzl, Stefan; Vyhnalek, Birgit; Rastorfer, Karin; Feddersen, Berend

2014-12-01

To evaluate the tolerability and clinical effects of subcutaneous (SC) levetiracetam for the treatment of epileptic seizures in a palliative care setting, we conducted a retrospective chart review of patients treated with subcutaneous levetiracetam in the Department of Palliative Medicine at the University Munich, between September 2006 and March 2013. The following parameters were extracted from the charts: reason for antiepileptic drug treatment, daily dose, concentration, infusion rate, co-administration of other drugs, and clinical effects. Furthermore, the charts were screened for signs of adverse drug reactions, e.g., irritation or pain at the infusion site. We identified 20 patients that were treated with levetiracetam SC in the inpatient (n = 7) and outpatient (n = 13) settings. Most patients (n = 17) tolerated the subcutaneous infusion well. Nineteen patients (95%) received levetiracetam in combination with other drugs. These were mainly metamizol (80%), midazolam (75%), and morphine (45%). The median dose of levetiracetam was 95.8 mg/h (SD 37 mg/h), median osmolarity of the infusion solution 2203 mOsmol/L (SD 717 mOsmol/L), and infusion rate 2 mL/h (SD 2.4 ml/h). In 16 patients (80%), seizures were controlled and status epilepticus were interrupted, respectively. We conclude that SC levetiracetam is an effective treatment and well tolerated in the palliative care setting.

A walk on the wild side: Oryza species as source for rice abiotic stress tolerance.

PubMed

Menguer, Paloma Koprovski; Sperotto, Raul Antonio; Ricachenevsky, Felipe Klein

2017-01-01

Oryza sativa, the common cultivated rice, is one of the most important crops for human consumption, but production is increasingly threatened by abiotic stresses. Although many efforts have resulted in breeding rice cultivars that are relatively tolerant to their local environments, climate changes and population increase are expected to soon call for new, fast generation of stress tolerant rice germplasm, and current within-species rice diversity might not be enough to overcome such needs. The Oryza genus contains other 23 wild species, with only Oryza glaberrima being also domesticated. Rice domestication was performed with a narrow genetic diversity, and the other Oryza species are a virtually untapped genetic resource for rice stress tolerance improvement. Here we review the origin of domesticated Oryza sativa from wild progenitors, the ecological and genomic diversity of the Oryza genus, and the stress tolerance variation observed for wild Oryza species, including the genetic basis underlying the tolerance mechanisms found. The summary provided here is important to indicate how we should move forward to unlock the full potential of these germplasms for rice improvement.

Defining the frontiers between antifungal resistance, tolerance and the concept of persistence.

PubMed

Delarze, Eric; Sanglard, Dominique

2015-11-01

A restricted number of antifungal agents are available for the therapy of fungal diseases. With the introduction of epidemiological cut-off values for each agent in important fungal pathogens based on the distribution of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), the distinction between wild type and drug-resistant populations has been facilitated. Antifungal resistance has been described for all currently available antifungal agents in several pathogens and most of the associated resistance mechanisms have been deciphered at the molecular level. Clinical breakpoints for some agents have been proposed and can have predictive value for the success or failure of therapy. Tolerance to antifungals has been a much more ignored area. By definition, tolerance operates at antifungal concentrations above individual intrinsic inhibitory values. Important is that tolerance to antifungal agents favours the emergence of persister cells, which are able to survive antifungal therapy and can cause relapses. Here we will review the current knowledge on antifungal tolerance, its potential mechanisms and also evaluate the role of antifungal tolerance in the efficacy of drug treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A walk on the wild side: Oryza species as source for rice abiotic stress tolerance

PubMed Central

Menguer, Paloma Koprovski; Sperotto, Raul Antonio; Ricachenevsky, Felipe Klein

2017-01-01

Abstract Oryza sativa, the common cultivated rice, is one of the most important crops for human consumption, but production is increasingly threatened by abiotic stresses. Although many efforts have resulted in breeding rice cultivars that are relatively tolerant to their local environments, climate changes and population increase are expected to soon call for new, fast generation of stress tolerant rice germplasm, and current within-species rice diversity might not be enough to overcome such needs. The Oryza genus contains other 23 wild species, with only Oryza glaberrima being also domesticated. Rice domestication was performed with a narrow genetic diversity, and the other Oryza species are a virtually untapped genetic resource for rice stress tolerance improvement. Here we review the origin of domesticated Oryza sativa from wild progenitors, the ecological and genomic diversity of the Oryza genus, and the stress tolerance variation observed for wild Oryza species, including the genetic basis underlying the tolerance mechanisms found. The summary provided here is important to indicate how we should move forward to unlock the full potential of these germplasms for rice improvement. PMID:28323300

Sequoia: A fault-tolerant tightly coupled multiprocessor for transaction processing

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

Bernstein, P.A.

1988-02-01

The Sequoia computer is a tightly coupled multiprocessor, and thus attains the performance advantages of this style of architecture. It avoids most of the fault-tolerance disadvantages of tight coupling by using a new fault-tolerance design. The Sequoia architecture is similar to other multimicroprocessor architectures, such as those of Encore and Sequent, in that it gives dozens of microprocessors shared access to a large main memory. It resembles the Stratus architecture in its extensive use of hardware fault-detection techniques. It resembles Stratus and Auragen in its ability to quickly recover all processes after a single point failure, transparently to the user.more » However, Sequoia is unique in its combination of a large-scale tightly coupled architecture with a hardware approach to fault tolerance. This article gives an overview of how the hardware architecture and operating systems (OS) work together to provide a high degree of fault tolerance with good system performance.« less

SU-F-T-231: Improving the Efficiency of a Radiotherapy Peer-Review System for Quality Assurance

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

Hsu, S; Basavatia, A; Garg, M

Purpose: To improve the efficiency of a radiotherapy peer-review system using a commercially available software application for plan quality evaluation and documentation. Methods: A commercial application, FullAccess (Radialogica LLC, Version 1.4.4), was implemented in a Citrix platform for peer-review process and patient documentation. This application can display images, isodose lines, and dose-volume histograms and create plan reports for peer-review process. Dose metrics in the report can also be benchmarked for plan quality evaluation. Site-specific templates were generated based on departmental treatment planning policies and procedures for each disease site, which generally follow RTOG protocols as well as published prospective clinicalmore » trial data, including both conventional fractionation and hypo-fractionation schema. Once a plan is ready for review, the planner exports the plan to FullAccess, applies the site-specific template, and presents the report for plan review. The plan is still reviewed in the treatment planning system, as that is the legal record. Upon physician’s approval of a plan, the plan is packaged for peer review with the plan report and dose metrics are saved to the database. Results: The reports show dose metrics of PTVs and critical organs for the plans and also indicate whether or not the metrics are within tolerance. Graphical results with green, yellow, and red lights are displayed of whether planning objectives have been met. In addition, benchmarking statistics are collected to see where the current plan falls compared to all historical plans on each metric. All physicians in peer review can easily verify constraints by these reports. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the improvement in a radiotherapy peer-review system, which allows physicians to easily verify planning constraints for different disease sites and fractionation schema, allows for standardization in the clinic to ensure that departmental policies are maintained, and builds a comprehensive database for potential clinical outcome evaluation.« less

Predictive factors of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patient tolerance to high-dose cisplatin in concurrent chemoradiotherapy

PubMed Central

NAKANO, KENJI; SATO, YASUYOSHI; TOSHIYASU, TAKASHI; SATO, YUKIKO; INAGAKI, LINA; TOMOMATSU, JUNICHI; SASAKI, TORU; SHIMBASHI, WATARU; FUKUSHIMA, HIROFUMI; YONEKAWA, HIROYUKI; MITANI, HIROKI; KAWABATA, KAZUYOSHI; TAKAHASHI, SHUNJI

2016-01-01

Although high-dose cisplatin is the standard regimen of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), varying levels of patient tolerance towards cisplatin have been reported, and the predictive factors of cisplatin tolerance remain to be elucidated. The present study retrospectively reviewed newly diagnosed HNSCC patients who received CCRT. Cisplatin (80 mg/m2) was administered every 3 weeks. The proportion of high-dose cisplatin-tolerant patients (cumulative cisplatin dose, ≥200 mg/m2) was determined, and the predictive factors of cisplatin tolerance were analyzed in a logistic regression analysis. Between June 2006 and March 2013, a total of 159 patients were treated with CCRT. The median follow-up time was 36.7 months. A total of 73 patients (46%) tolerated a cumulative cisplatin dose ≥200 mg/m2; male gender [odds ratio (OR), 25.00; P=0.005] and high body surface area (BSA) (>1.80 m2; OR, 2.21; P=0.032) were significantly predictive of high-dose cisplatin tolerance. The high-dose cisplatin-tolerant patients had a significantly higher complete response (CR) rate (82 vs. 67%, P=0.045); however, there were no significant between-group differences in the 3-year OS (79.5 vs. 81.2%, P=0.59) or PFS (70.4 vs. 44.6%, P=0.076) by cisplatin tolerance. In clinical practice, approximately one-half of the patients tolerated high-dose cisplatin in CCRT. Male gender and high BSA could be predictive of cisplatin tolerance. PMID:26893880

Rapid recovery from transient faults in the fault-tolerant processor with fault-tolerant shared memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harper, Richard E.; Butler, Bryan P.

1990-01-01

The Draper fault-tolerant processor with fault-tolerant shared memory (FTP/FTSM), which is designed to allow application tasks to continue execution during the memory alignment process, is described. Processor performance is not affected by memory alignment. In addition, the FTP/FTSM incorporates a hardware scrubber device to perform the memory alignment quickly during unused memory access cycles. The FTP/FTSM architecture is described, followed by an estimate of the time required for channel reintegration.

Urine biomarkers informative of human kidney allograft rejection and tolerance.

PubMed

Nissaisorakarn, Voravech; Lee, John Richard; Lubetzky, Michelle; Suthanthiran, Manikkam

2018-05-01

We developed urinary cell messenger RNA (mRNA) profiling to monitor in vivo status of human kidney allografts based on our conceptualization that the kidney allograft may function as an in vivo flow cell sorter allowing access of graft infiltrating cells to the glomerular ultrafiltrate and that interrogation of urinary cells is informative of allograft status. For the profiling urinary cells, we developed a two-step preamplification enhanced real-time quantitative PCR (RT-QPCR) assays with a customized amplicon; preamplification compensating for the low RNA yield from urine and the customized amplicon facilitating absolute quantification of mRNA and overcoming the inherent limitations of relative quantification widely used in RT-QPCR assays. Herein, we review our discovery and validation of urinary cell mRNAs as noninvasive biomarkers prognostic and diagnostic of acute cellular rejection (ACR) in kidney allografts. We summarize our results reflecting the utility of urinary cell mRNA profiling for predicting reversal of ACR with anti-rejection therapy; differential diagnosis of kidney allograft dysfunction; and noninvasive diagnosis and prognosis of BK virus nephropathy. Messenger RNA profiles associated with human kidney allograft tolerance are also summarized in this review. Altogether, data supporting the idea that urinary cell mRNA profiles are informative of kidney allograft status and tolerance are reviewed in this report. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Role of proline under changing environments

PubMed Central

Hayat, Shamsul; Hayat, Qaiser; Alyemeni, Mohammed Nasser; Wani, Arif Shafi; Pichtel, John; Ahmad, Aqil

2012-01-01

When exposed to stressful conditions, plants accumulate an array of metabolites, particularly amino acids. Amino acids have traditionally been considered as precursors to and constituents of proteins, and play an important role in plant metabolism and development. A large body of data suggests a positive correlation between proline accumulation and plant stress. Proline, an amino acid, plays a highly beneficial role in plants exposed to various stress conditions. Besides acting as an excellent osmolyte, proline plays three major roles during stress, i.e., as a metal chelator, an antioxidative defense molecule and a signaling molecule. Review of the literature indicates that a stressful environment results in an overproduction of proline in plants which in turn imparts stress tolerance by maintaining cell turgor or osmotic balance; stabilizing membranes thereby preventing electrolyte leakage; and bringing concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within normal ranges, thus preventing oxidative burst in plants. Reports indicate enhanced stress tolerance when proline is supplied exogenously at low concentrations. However, some reports indicate toxic effects of proline when supplied exogenously at higher concentrations. In this article, we review and discuss the effects of exogenous proline on plants exposed to various abiotic stresses. Numerous examples of successful application of exogenous proline to improve stress tolerance are presented. The roles played by exogenous proline under varying environments have been critically examined and reviewed. PMID:22951402

Enzymes and Metabolites in Carbohydrate Metabolism of Desiccation Tolerant Plants

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qingwei; Song, Xiaomin; Bartels, Dorothea

2016-01-01

Resurrection plants can tolerate extreme water loss. Substantial sugar accumulation is a phenomenon in resurrection plants during dehydration. Sugars have been identified as one important factor contributing to desiccation tolerance. Phylogenetic diversity of resurrection plants reflects the diversity of sugar metabolism in response to dehydration. Sugars, which accumulate during dehydration, have been shown to protect macromolecules and membranes and to scavenge reactive oxygen species. This review focuses on the performance of enzymes participating in sugar metabolism during dehydration stress. The relation between sugar metabolism and other biochemical activities is discussed and open questions as well as potential experimental approaches are proposed. PMID:28248249

Desiccation stress and tolerance in green algae: consequences for ultrastructure, physiological and molecular mechanisms

PubMed Central

Holzinger, Andreas; Karsten, Ulf

2013-01-01

Although most green algae typically occur in aquatic ecosystems, many species also live partly or permanently under aeroterrestrial conditions, where the cells are exposed to the atmosphere and hence regularly experience dehydration. The ability of algal cells to survive in an air-dried state is termed desiccation tolerance. The mechanisms involved in desiccation tolerance of green algae are still poorly understood, and hence the aim of this review is to summarize recent findings on the effects of desiccation and osmotic water loss. Starting from structural changes, physiological, and biochemical consequences of desiccation will be addressed in different green-algal lineages. The available data clearly indicate a range of strategies, which are rather different in streptophycean and non-streptophycean green algae. While members of the Trebouxiophyceae exhibit effective water loss-prevention mechanisms based on the biosynthesis and accumulation of particular organic osmolytes such as polyols, these compounds are so far not reported in representatives of the Streptophyta. In members of the Streptophyta such as Klebsormidium, the most striking observation is the appearance of cross-walls in desiccated samples, which are strongly undulating, suggesting a high degree of mechanical flexibility. This aids in maintaining structural integrity in the dried state and allows the cell to maintain turgor pressure for a prolonged period of time during the dehydration process. Physiological strategies in aeroterrestrial green algae generally include a rapid reduction of photosynthesis during desiccation, but also a rather quick recovery after rewetting, whereas aquatic species are sensitive to drying. The underlying mechanisms such as the affected molecular components of the photosynthetic machinery are poorly understood in green algae. Therefore, modern approaches based on transcriptomics, proteomics, and/or metabolomics are urgently needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in desiccation-stress physiology of these organisms. The very limited existing information is described in the present review. PMID:23986769

Complications Following Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Wang, Jin-Fen; Wu, Tao; Hu, Kun-Peng; Xu, Wen; Zheng, Bo-Wen; Tong, Ge; Yao, Zhi-Cheng; Liu, Bo; Ren, Jie

2017-01-01

Objective: This systematic review examined whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe treatment modality for benign thyroid nodules (BTNs). Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for articles that (a) targeted human beings and (b) had a study population with BTNs that were confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology and/or core needle biopsy. Study Selection: Thirty-two studies relating to 3409 patients were included in this systematic review. Results: Based on literatures, no deaths were associated with the procedure, serious complications were rare, and RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality. However, a broad spectrum of complications offers insights into some undesirable complications, such as track needle seeding and Horner syndrome. Conclusions: RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality for BTNs. More research is needed to characterize the complications of RFA for thyroid nodules. PMID:28524837

Bioreactors for lignocellulose conversion into fermentable sugars for production of high added value products.

PubMed

Liguori, Rossana; Ventorino, Valeria; Pepe, Olimpia; Faraco, Vincenza

2016-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomasses derived from dedicated crops and agro-industrial residual materials are promising renewable resources for the production of fuels and other added value bioproducts. Due to the tolerance to a wide range of environments, the dedicated crops can be cultivated on marginal lands, avoiding conflict with food production and having beneficial effects on the environment. Besides, the agro-industrial residual materials represent an abundant, available, and cheap source of bioproducts that completely cut out the economical and environmental issues related to the cultivation of energy crops. Different processing steps like pretreatment, hydrolysis and microbial fermentation are needed to convert biomass into added value bioproducts. The reactor configuration, the operative conditions, and the operation mode of the conversion processes are crucial parameters for a high yield and productivity of the biomass bioconversion process. This review summarizes the last progresses in the bioreactor field, with main attention on the new configurations and the agitation systems, for conversion of dedicated energy crops (Arundo donax) and residual materials (corn stover, wheat straw, mesquite wood, agave bagasse, fruit and citrus peel wastes, sunflower seed hull, switchgrass, poplar sawdust, cogon grass, sugarcane bagasse, sunflower seed hull, and poplar wood) into sugars and ethanol. The main novelty of this review is its focus on reactor components and properties.

Water treatment process and system for metals removal using Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DOEpatents

Krauter, Paula A. W.; Krauter, Gordon W.

2002-01-01

A process and a system for removal of metals from ground water or from soil by bioreducing or bioaccumulating the metals using metal tolerant microorganisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is tolerant to the metals, able to bioreduce the metals to the less toxic state and to accumulate them. The process and the system is useful for removal or substantial reduction of levels of chromium, molybdenum, cobalt, zinc, nickel, calcium, strontium, mercury and copper in water.

Fault-tolerant Control of a Cyber-physical System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roxana, Rusu-Both; Eva-Henrietta, Dulf

2017-10-01

Cyber-physical systems represent a new emerging field in automatic control. The fault system is a key component, because modern, large scale processes must meet high standards of performance, reliability and safety. Fault propagation in large scale chemical processes can lead to loss of production, energy, raw materials and even environmental hazard. The present paper develops a multi-agent fault-tolerant control architecture using robust fractional order controllers for a (13C) cryogenic separation column cascade. The JADE (Java Agent DEvelopment Framework) platform was used to implement the multi-agent fault tolerant control system while the operational model of the process was implemented in Matlab/SIMULINK environment. MACSimJX (Multiagent Control Using Simulink with Jade Extension) toolbox was used to link the control system and the process model. In order to verify the performance and to prove the feasibility of the proposed control architecture several fault simulation scenarios were performed.

40 CFR 180.661 - Fluopyram; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances... Banana 1 1.0 Bean, dry 0.09 Beet, sugar, root 0.04 Cherry 0.60 Grape, wine 2.0 Nut, tree, group 14 0.05 Peanut 0.02 Pistachio 0.05 Potato 0.02 Potato, processed potato waste 0.08 Strawberry 1.5 Watermelon 1.0...

40 CFR 180.661 - Fluopyram; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances... Banana 1 1.0 Bean, dry 0.09 Beet, sugar, root 0.04 Cherry 0.60 Grape, wine 2.0 Nut, tree, group 14 0.05 Peanut 0.02 Pistachio 0.05 Potato 0.02 Potato, processed potato waste 0.08 Strawberry 1.5 Watermelon 1.0...

40 CFR 180.661 - Fluopyram; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances... Banana 1 1.0 Bean, dry 0.09 Beet, sugar, root 0.04 Cherry 0.60 Grape, wine 2.0 Nut, tree, group 14 0.05 Peanut 0.02 Pistachio 0.05 Potato 0.02 Potato, processed potato waste 0.08 Strawberry 1.5 Watermelon 1.0...

Alkaline tolerant dextranase from streptomyces anulatus

DOEpatents

Decker, Stephen R.; Adney, William S.; Vinzant, Todd B.; Himmel, Michael E.

2003-01-01

A process for production of an alkaline tolerant dextranase enzyme comprises culturing a dextran-producing microorganism Streptomyces anulatus having accession no. ATCC PTA-3866 to produce an alkaline tolerant dextranase, Dex 1 wherein the protein in said enzyme is characterized by a MW of 63.3 kDa and Dex 2 wherein its protein is characterized by a MW of 81.8 kDa.

Fall 2016 Solicitation Projects Website Info

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

Diachin, L.

Spark-ignition engines are the backbone behind people transportation around the world. The efficiency of spark-ignition engines is limited in practice by variations between engine cycles and cylinders within an engine that result from the manufacturing processes/tolerances. These variations impact knock limits and dilution tolerance, which results in more conservative settings for design and calibration settings, such as compression ratio, valve timing, and exhaust gas recirculation rates. Engine variations also have a significant impact on emissions generation, which can have a secondary impact on efficiency. A deeper understanding of the relative importance of these variations and their interactions on the chargemore » preparation process can guide future decisions on machining tolerances and control strategies. This project will develop simulation tools and methodology to include the effects of some key manufacturing tolerances and their impact on engine performance and emissions.« less

Cerebrovascular function and cognition in childhood: a systematic review of transcranial doppler studies

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The contribution of cerebrovascular function to cognitive performance is gaining increased attention. Transcranial doppler (TCD) is portable, reliable, inexpensive and extremely well tolerated by young and clinical samples. It enables measurement of blood flow velocity in major cerebral arteries at rest and during cognitive tasks. Methods We systematically reviewed evidence for associations between cognitive performance and cerebrovascular function in children (0-18 years), as measured using TCD. A total of 2778 articles were retrieved from PsychInfo, Pubmed, and EMBASE searches and 25 relevant articles were identified. Results Most studies investigated clinical groups, where decreased blood flow velocities in infants were associated with poor neurological functioning, and increased blood flow velocities in children with Sickle cell disease were typically associated with cognitive impairment and lower intelligence. Studies were also identified assessing autistic behaviour, mental retardation and sleep disordered breathing. In healthy children, the majority of studies reported cognitive processing produced lateralised changes in blood flow velocities however these physiological responses did not appear to correlate with behavioural cognitive performance. Conclusion Poor cognitive performance appears to be associated with decreased blood flow velocities in premature infants, and increased velocities in Sickle cell disease children using TCD methods. However knowledge in healthy samples is relatively limited. The technique is well tolerated by children, is portable and inexpensive. It therefore stands to make a valuable contribution to knowledge regarding the underlying functional biology of cognitive performance in childhood. PMID:24602446

The production, properties, and applications of thermostable steryl glucosidases.

PubMed

Aguirre, Andres; Eberhardt, Florencia; Hails, Guillermo; Cerminati, Sebastian; Castelli, María Eugenia; Rasia, Rodolfo M; Paoletti, Luciana; Menzella, Hugo G; Peiru, Salvador

2018-02-21

Extremophilic microorganisms are a rich source of enzymes, the enzymes which can serve as industrial catalysts that can withstand harsh processing conditions. An example is thermostable β-glucosidases that are addressing a challenging problem in the biodiesel industry: removing steryl glucosides (SGs) from biodiesel. Steryl glucosidases (SGases) must be tolerant to heat and solvents in order to function efficiently in biodiesel. The amphipathic nature of SGs also requires enzymes with an affinity for water/solvent interfaces in order to achieve efficient hydrolysis. Additionally, the development of an enzymatic process involving a commodity such as soybean biodiesel must be cost-effective, necessitating an efficient manufacturing process for SGases. This review summarizes the identification of microbial SGases and their applications, discusses biodiesel refining processes and the development of analytical methods for identifying and quantifying SGs in foods and biodiesel, and considers technologies for strain engineering and process optimization for the heterologous production of a SGase from Thermococcus litoralis. All of these technologies might be used for the production of other thermostable enzymes. Structural features of SGases and the feasibility of protein engineering for novel applications are explored.

Analysis of opioid efficacy, tolerance, addiction and dependence from cell culture to human.

PubMed

Morgan, Michael M; Christie, MacDonald J

2011-10-01

Opioid agonists are the most effective treatment for pain, but their use is limited by side effects, tolerance and fears of addiction and dependence. A major goal of opioid research is to develop agonists that have high analgesic efficacy and a low profile for side effects, tolerance, addiction and dependence. Unfortunately, there is a serious lack of experimental data comparing the degree to which different opioids produce these effects in humans. In contrast, a wide range of experimental techniques from heterologous expression systems to behaviour assessment in whole animals have been developed to study these problems. The objective of this review is to describe and evaluate these techniques as they are used to study opioid efficacy, tolerance, addiction and dependence. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

Unravelling chemical priming machinery in plants: the role of reactive oxygen-nitrogen-sulfur species in abiotic stress tolerance enhancement.

PubMed

Antoniou, Chrystalla; Savvides, Andreas; Christou, Anastasis; Fotopoulos, Vasileios

2016-10-01

Abiotic stresses severely limit crop yield and their detrimental effects are aggravated by climate change. Chemical priming is an emerging field in crop stress management. The exogenous application of specific chemical agents before stress events results in tolerance enhancement and reduction of stress impacts on plant physiology and growth. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the remarkable effects of chemical priming on plant physiology remain to be elucidated. Reactive oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur species (RONSS) are molecules playing a vital role in the stress acclimation of plants. When applied as priming agents, RONSS improve stress tolerance. This review summarizes the recent knowledge on the role of RONSS in cell signalling and gene regulation contributing to abiotic stress tolerance enhancement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The gut-brain interaction in opioid tolerance.

PubMed

Akbarali, Hamid I; Dewey, William L

2017-12-01

The prevailing opioid crisis has necessitated the need to understand mechanisms leading to addiction and tolerance, the major contributors to overdose and death and to develop strategies for developing drugs for pain treatment that lack abuse liability and side-effects. Opioids are commonly used for treatment of pain and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. The significant effect of opioids in the gut, both acute and chronic, includes persistent constipation and paradoxically may also worsen pain symptoms. Recent work has suggested a significant role of the gastrointestinal microbiome in behavioral responses to opioids, including the development of tolerance to its pain-relieving effects. In this review, we present current concepts of gut-brain interaction in analgesic tolerance to opioids and suggest that peripheral mechanisms emanating from the gut can profoundly affect central control of opioid function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dendritic cells: key to fetal tolerance?

PubMed

Blois, Sandra M; Kammerer, Ulrike; Alba Soto, Catalina; Tometten, Mareike C; Shaikly, Valerie; Barrientos, Gabriela; Jurd, Richard; Rukavina, Daniel; Thomson, Angus W; Klapp, Burghard F; Fernández, Nelson; Arck, Petra C

2007-10-01

Pregnancy is a unique event in which a fetus, despite being genetically and immunologically different from the mother (a hemi-allograft), develops in the uterus. Successful pregnancy implies avoidance of rejection by the maternal immune system. Fetal and maternal immune cells come into direct contact at the decidua, which is a highly specialized mucous membrane that plays a key role in fetal tolerance. Uterine dendritic cells (DC) within the decidua have been implicated in pregnancy maintenance. DC serve as antigen-presenting cells with the unique ability to induce primary immune responses. Just as lymphocytes comprise different subsets, DC subsets have been identified that differentially control lymphocyte function. DC may also act to induce immunologic tolerance and regulation of T cell-mediated immunity. Current understanding of DC immunobiology within the context of mammalian fetal-maternal tolerance is reviewed and discussed herein.

Differential gene expression of two extreme honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies showing varroa tolerance and susceptibility.

PubMed

Jiang, S; Robertson, T; Mostajeran, M; Robertson, A J; Qiu, X

2016-06-01

Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite of honey bees (Apis mellifera), is the most serious pest threatening the apiculture industry. In our honey bee breeding programme, two honey bee colonies showing extreme phenotypes for varroa tolerance/resistance (S88) and susceptibility (G4) were identified by natural selection from a large gene pool over a 6-year period. To investigate potential defence mechanisms for honey bee tolerance to varroa infestation, we employed DNA microarray and real time quantitative (PCR) analyses to identify differentially expressed genes in the tolerant and susceptible colonies at pupa and adult stages. Our results showed that more differentially expressed genes were identified in the tolerant bees than in bees from the susceptible colony, indicating that the tolerant colony showed an increased genetic capacity to respond to varroa mite infestation. In both colonies, there were more differentially expressed genes identified at the pupa stage than at the adult stage, indicating that pupa bees are more responsive to varroa infestation than adult bees. Genes showing differential expression in the colony phenotypes were categorized into several groups based on their molecular functions, such as olfactory signalling, detoxification processes, exoskeleton formation, protein degradation and long-chain fatty acid metabolism, suggesting that these biological processes play roles in conferring varroa tolerance to naturally selected colonies. Identification of differentially expressed genes between the two colony phenotypes provides potential molecular markers for selecting and breeding varroa-tolerant honey bees. © 2016 The Royal Entomological Society.

Immunogenicity and immune tolerance coagulation Factors VIII and IX.

PubMed

Rup, B

2003-01-01

Some of the major issues related to the development and control of antibodies that occur during treatment of haemophilia with replacement factors (Factor VIII and Factor IX) are reviewed. Information on analytical issues, immunogenicity, and immune tolerance may be applicable to the study of other therapeutic proteins. Conversely, new information obtained from evaluation of other therapeutic protein products may address issues that remain unresolved for Factor VIII and FIX replacement therapy.

State of the Science Review: Advances in Pain Management in Wounded Service Members over a Decade at War

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

are subject to the development of tolerance and dependence and have a high abuse potential . For example, the average duration of hospitalization of...tions33,34 with the potential added benefits of mood elevation, sleep pattern normalization, and muscle relaxation. However, pain management with...vice members while reducing the development of tolerance with the potential added benefits of mood enhancement. Targeting Glia to Attenuate Morphine

Image Analysis via Soft Computing: Prototype Applications at NASA KSC and Product Commercialization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dominguez, Jesus A.; Klinko, Steve

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of "soft computing" which differs from "hard computing" in that it is more tolerant of imprecision, partial truth, uncertainty, and approximation and its use in image analysis. Soft computing provides flexible information processing to handle real life ambiguous situations and achieve tractability, robustness low solution cost, and a closer resemblance to human decision making. Several systems are or have been developed: Fuzzy Reasoning Edge Detection (FRED), Fuzzy Reasoning Adaptive Thresholding (FRAT), Image enhancement techniques, and visual/pattern recognition. These systems are compared with examples that show the effectiveness of each. NASA applications that are reviewed are: Real-Time (RT) Anomaly Detection, Real-Time (RT) Moving Debris Detection and the Columbia Investigation. The RT anomaly detection reviewed the case of a damaged cable for the emergency egress system. The use of these techniques is further illustrated in the Columbia investigation with the location and detection of Foam debris. There are several applications in commercial usage: image enhancement, human screening and privacy protection, visual inspection, 3D heart visualization, tumor detections and x ray image enhancement.

Applications of microfluidics in microalgae biotechnology: A review.

PubMed

Juang, Yi-Je; Chang, Jo-Shu

2016-03-01

Microalgae have been one of the important sources for biofuel production owing to their competitive advantages such as no need to tap into the global food supply chain, higher energy density, and absorbing carbon dioxide to mitigate global warming. One of the key factors to ensure successful biofuel production is that it requires not only bioprospecting of the microalgae with high lipid content, high growth rate and tolerance to environmental parameters but also on-site monitoring of the cultivation process and optimization of the culturing conditions. However, as the conventional techniques usually involve in complicated procedures, or are time-consuming or labor intensive, microfluidics technology offers an attractive alternative to resolve these issues. In this review, applications of microfluidics to bioprospecting in microalgae biotechnology were discussed such as cell identification, cell sorting/screening, cell culturing and cell disruption. In addition, utilization of microalgae in micro-sized fuel cells and microfluidic platforms for biosensing was addressed. This review reports the recent studies and offers a look into how microfluidics is exploited to tackle the issues encountered in the microalgae biotechnology. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A retrospective review of the carcinogenicity of refractory ceramic fiber in two chronic fischer 344 rat inhalation studies: an assessment of the MTD and implications for risk assessment.

PubMed

Mast, R W; Yu, C P; Oberdörster, G; McConnell, E E; Utell, M J

2000-12-01

The purpose of this article is to review previous chronic inhalation studies in rats with refractory ceramic fiber (RCF), the mathematical modeling efforts to describe the deposition, clearance, and retention of RCF fiber in the rat and human, and the concept of "overload," and to assess the possibility that the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was exceeded. Lastly, based on recent biopersistence and pulmonary clearance studies of several investigators with a particulate-free RCF, we examine the potential impact on the chronic RCF rat bioassay of coexposure to both RCF particulate and RCF fibers. The review concludes, inter alia, that RCF particulate coexposure probably had a major impact on the observed chronic adverse effects, that the MTD was probably exceeded at the highest exposure concentration of 30 mg/m(3) in the rat bioassay, and that inclusion of the highest dose in the risk assessment process may overstate human health risk if a linear rather than nonlinear model is used.

Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTN): Testing and Demonstration for Lunar Surface Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the testing of the Delay/Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN) designed for use with Lunar Surface applications. This is being done through the DTN experimental Network (DEN), that permit access and testing by other NASA centers, DTN team members and protocol developers. The objective of this work is to demonstrate DTN for high return applications in lunar scenarios, provide DEN connectivity with analogs of Constellation elements, emulators, and other resources from DTN Team Members, serve as a wireless communications staging ground for remote analog excursions and enable testing of detailed communication scenarios and evaluation of network performance. Three scenarios for DTN on the Lunar surface are reviewed: Motion imagery, Voice and sensor telemetry, and Navigation telemetry.

Development of stress tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains by metabolic engineering: New aspects from cell flocculation and zinc supplementation.

PubMed

Cheng, Cheng; Zhang, Mingming; Xue, Chuang; Bai, Fengwu; Zhao, Xinqing

2017-02-01

Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely studied for the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. However, economic production is currently challenged by the repression of cell growth and compromised fermentation performance of S. cerevisiae strains in the presence of various environmental stresses, including toxic level of final products, inhibitory compounds released from the pretreatment of cellulosic feedstocks, high temperature, and so on. Therefore, it is important to improve stress tolerance of S. cerevisiae to these stressful conditions to achieve efficient and economic production. In this review, the latest advances on development of stress tolerant S. cerevisiae strains are summarized, with the emphasis on the impact of cell flocculation and zinc addition. It was found that cell flocculation affected ethanol tolerance and acetic acid tolerance of S. cerevisiae, and addition of zinc to a suitable level improved stress tolerance of yeast cells to ethanol, high temperature and acetic acid. Further studies on the underlying mechanisms by which cell flocculation and zinc status affect stress tolerance will not only enrich our knowledge on stress response and tolerance mechanisms of S. cerevisiae, but also provide novel metabolic engineering strategies to develop robust yeast strains for biofuels production. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toxicity and tolerance of aluminum in plants: tailoring plants to suit to acid soils.

PubMed

Sade, Hemalatha; Meriga, Balaji; Surapu, Varalakshmi; Gadi, Jogeswar; Sunita, M S L; Suravajhala, Prashanth; Kavi Kishor, P B

2016-04-01

Aluminum (Al) stress is one of the serious limiting factors in plant productivity in acidic soils, which constitute about 50 % of the world's potentially arable lands and causes anywhere between 25 and 80 % of yield losses depending upon the species. The mechanism of Al toxicity and tolerance has been examined in plants, which is vital for crop improvement and enhanced food production in the future. Two mechanisms that facilitate Al tolerance in plants are Al exclusion from the roots and the ability to tolerate Al in the symplast or both. Although efforts have been made to unravel Al-resistant factors, many aspects remain unclear. Certain gene families such as MATE, ALMT, ASR, and ABC transporters have been implicated in some plants for resistance to Al which would enhance the opportunities for creating crop plants suitable to grow in acidic soils. Though QTLs have been identified related to Al-tolerance, no crop plant that is tolerant to Al has been evolved so far using breeding or molecular approaches. The remarkable changes that plants experience at the physiological, biochemical and molecular level under Al stress, the vast array of genes involved in Al toxicity-tolerance, the underlying signaling events and the holistic image of the molecular regulation, and the possibility of creating transgenics for Al tolerance are discussed in this review.

Safety, tolerability, and risks associated with first- and second-generation antipsychotics: a state-of-the-art clinical review

PubMed Central

Solmi, Marco; Murru, Andrea; Pacchiarotti, Isabella; Undurraga, Juan; Veronese, Nicola; Fornaro, Michele; Stubbs, Brendon; Monaco, Francesco; Vieta, Eduard; Seeman, Mary V; Correll, Christoph U; Carvalho, André F

2017-01-01

Since the discovery of chlorpromazine (CPZ) in 1952, first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) have revolutionized psychiatric care in terms of facilitating discharge from hospital and enabling large numbers of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) to be treated in the community. Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) ushered in a progressive shift from the paternalistic management of SMI symptoms to a patient-centered approach, which emphasized targets important to patients – psychosocial functioning, quality of life, and recovery. These drugs are no longer limited to specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) categories. Evidence indicates that SGAs show an improved safety and tolerability profile compared with FGAs. The incidence of treatment-emergent extrapyramidal side effects is lower, and there is less impairment of cognitive function and treatment-related negative symptoms. However, treatment with SGAs has been associated with a wide range of untoward effects, among which treatment-emergent weight gain and metabolic abnormalities are of notable concern. The present clinical review aims to summarize the safety and tolerability profile of selected FGAs and SGAs and to link treatment-related adverse effects to the pharmacodynamic profile of each drug. Evidence, predominantly derived from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical trials of the drugs amisulpride, aripiprazole, asenapine, brexpiprazole, cariprazine, clozapine, iloperidone, lurasidone, olanzapine, paliperidone, quetiapine, risperidone, sertindole, ziprasidone, CPZ, haloperidol, loxapine, and perphenazine, is summarized. In addition, the safety and tolerability profiles of antipsychotics are discussed in the context of the “behavioral toxicity” conceptual framework, which considers the longitudinal course and the clinical and therapeutic consequences of treatment-emergent side effects. In SMI, SGAs with safer metabolic profiles should ideally be prescribed first. However, alongside with safety, efficacy should also be considered on a patient-tailored basis. PMID:28721057

A Systematic Review on the Acceptability and Tolerability of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment in Neuropsychiatry Trials.

PubMed

Aparício, Luana V M; Guarienti, Fabiana; Razza, Lais Boralli; Carvalho, André F; Fregni, Felipe; Brunoni, André Russowsky

2016-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation investigated as a treatment for several neuropsychiatric disorders. Notwithstanding tDCS-induced adverse events (AEs) are considered to be low and transient, systematic review analyses on safety and tolerability of tDCS derive mostly from single-session studies. To investigate the tolerability (rate of AEs) and acceptability (rate of dropouts) of tDCS. Systematic review and meta-analysis of tDCS randomized, sham-controlled trials in healthy or neuropsychiatric adult samples from the first date available to March 9, 2016. We only included parallel studies performing at least 5 tDCS sessions. An adapted version of CONSORT guidelines for reporting harms outcomes was used to evaluate AE reporting. Sixty-four studies (2262 participants) were included. They had a low risk of publication bias and methodological bias for the items assessed. Dropout rates in active and sham tDCS groups were, respectively, 6% and 7.2% (OR = 0.82 [0.59-1.14]). However, almost half of studies reported no dropouts and only 23.4% reported its reasons; when reported, the most frequent reasons were AEs and protocol violation. A tolerability meta-analysis was not performed, as most studies did not report AEs. The quality of AEs reporting was also limited, particularly in smaller studies and stroke studies. Although overall dropout rate was low and similar in active and sham groups, studies did not adequately describe AEs. An updated questionnaire and guidelines for assessment of AEs in tDCS trials are proposed in order to standardize the reporting of AE in the field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pain perception and hypnosis: findings from recent functional neuroimaging studies.

PubMed

Del Casale, Antonio; Ferracuti, Stefano; Rapinesi, Chiara; Serata, Daniele; Caltagirone, Saverio Simone; Savoja, Valeria; Piacentino, Daria; Callovini, Gemma; Manfredi, Giovanni; Sani, Gabriele; Kotzalidis, Georgios D; Girardi, Paolo

2015-01-01

Hypnosis modulates pain perception and tolerance by affecting cortical and subcortical activity in brain regions involved in these processes. By reviewing functional neuroimaging studies focusing on pain perception under hypnosis, the authors aimed to identify brain activation-deactivation patterns occurring in hypnosis-modulated pain conditions. Different changes in brain functionality occurred throughout all components of the pain network and other brain areas. The anterior cingulate cortex appears to be central in modulating pain circuitry activity under hypnosis. Most studies also showed that the neural functions of the prefrontal, insular, and somatosensory cortices are consistently modified during hypnosis-modulated pain conditions. Functional neuroimaging studies support the clinical use of hypnosis in the management of pain conditions.

How regulatory T cells work

PubMed Central

Vignali, Dario A. A.; Collison, Lauren W.; Workman, Creg J.

2009-01-01

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for maintaining peripheral tolerance, preventing autoimmune diseases and limiting chronic inflammatory diseases. However, they also limit beneficial responses by suppressing sterilizing immunity and limiting anti-tumour immunity. Given that Treg cells can have both beneficial and deleterious effects, there is considerable interest in determining their mechanisms of action. In this Review, we discuss the basic mechanisms used by Treg cells to mediate suppression, and discuss whether one or many of these mechanisms are likely to be crucial for Treg-cell function. In addition, we present the hypothesis that effector T cells may not be ‘innocent’ parties in this suppressive process and might in fact potentiate Treg-cell function. PMID:18566595

Space applications of artificial intelligence; Proceedings of the Annual Goddard Conference, Greenbelt, MD, May 16, 17, 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rash, James L. (Editor); Dent, Carolyn P. (Editor)

1989-01-01

Theoretical and implementation aspects of AI systems for space applications are discussed in reviews and reports. Sections are devoted to planning and scheduling, fault isolation and diagnosis, data management, modeling and simulation, and development tools and methods. Particular attention is given to a situated reasoning architecture for space repair and replace tasks, parallel plan execution with self-processing networks, the electrical diagnostics expert system for Spacelab life-sciences experiments, diagnostic tolerance for missing sensor data, the integration of perception and reasoning in fast neural modules, a connectionist model for dynamic control, and applications of fuzzy sets to the development of rule-based expert systems.

The functions and clinical applications of tumor-derived exosomes

PubMed Central

Shao, Yingkuan; Shen, Yanwei; Chen, Ting; Xu, Fei; Chen, Xuewen; Zheng, Shu

2016-01-01

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with diameters ranging from 30 to 150 nm. They can be secreted by all cell types and transfer information in the form of their contents, which include proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, to other cells throughout the body. They have roles in normal physiological processes as well as in disease development. Here, we review recent findings regarding tumor-derived exosomes, including methods for their extraction and preservation. We also describe the actions of exosomes in tumorigenesis. The exosomal antigen-presenting effect during antitumor immune responses and its suppressive function in immune tolerance are discussed. Finally, we describe the potential application of exosomes to cancer therapy and liquid biopsy. PMID:27517627

Recent Advances in Composite Damage Mechanics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reifsnider, Ken; Case, Scott; Iyengar, Nirmal

1996-01-01

The state of the art and recent developments in the field of composite material damage mechanics are reviewed, with emphasis on damage accumulation. The kinetics of damage accumulation are considered with emphasis on the general accumulation of discrete local damage events such as single or multiple fiber fractures or microcrack formation. The issues addressed include: how to define strength in the presence of widely distributed damage, and how to combine mechanical representations in order to predict the damage tolerance and life of engineering components. It is shown that a damage mechanics approach can be related to the thermodynamics of the damage accumulation processes in composite laminates subjected to mechanical loading and environmental conditions over long periods of time.

The roles of tolerance in the evolution, maintenance and breakdown of mutualism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, David P.

2009-10-01

Tolerance strategies are cost-reduction mechanisms that enable organisms to recover some of the fitness lost to damage, but impose limited or no cost on antagonists. They are frequently invoked in studies of plant-herbivore and of host-parasite interactions, but the possible roles of tolerance in mutualism (interspecific cooperation) have yet to be thoroughly examined. This review identifies candidate roles for tolerance in the evolution, maintenance and breakdown of mutualism. Firstly, by reducing the cost of damage, tolerance provides a key pathway by which pre-mutualistic hosts can reduce the cost of association with their parasites, promoting cooperation. This holds for the evolution of ‘evolved dependency’ type mutualism, where a host requires an antagonist that does not direct any reward to their partner for some resource, and of ‘outright mutualism’, where participants directly trade benefits. Secondly, in outright mutualism, tolerance might maintain cooperation by reducing the cost of a persisting negative trait in a symbiotic partner. Finally, the evolution of tolerance might also provide a pathway out of mutualism because the host could evolve a cheaper alternative to continued cooperation with its mutualistic partner, permitting autonomy. A key consequence of tolerance is that it contrasts with partner choice mechanisms that impose large costs on cheats, and I highlight understanding any trade-off between tolerance and partner choice as an important research topic in the evolution of cooperation. I conclude by identifying tolerance as part of a more general phenomenon of co-adaptation in mutualism and parasitism that drives the evolution of the cost/benefit ratio from the interaction.

Reading Comprehension and Tolerance against Comprehension Ambiguities: An Empirical Study of Iranian GFL-Learners in Communicative Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haghani, Nader; Bahmannejad, Fereshteh

2018-01-01

The present study examines the influence of ambiguity tolerance on the performance of Iranian GFL-learners (Note 1) at level B1 in the processing of gap-filling-text tests. It is assumed that learners with more tolerance of ambiguity achieve better results in the reading comprehension or in the contextual guessing of the omitted words. 34 GFL…

Affective pictures processing, attention, and pain tolerance.

PubMed

de Wied, M; Verbaten, M N

2001-02-01

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether attention mediates the effects of affective distractors on cold pressor pain, or whether the cognitive processes of priming and appraisal best account for the effects. In Experiment I, 65 male respondents were exposed to either pleasant, neutral or unpleasant pictures selected from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS). The cold-pressor test was administered simultaneously. Consistent with predictions based on priming and appraisal hypotheses, results revealed a linear trend across conditions, such that pain tolerance scores were higher as a function of picture pleasantness. A second study was conducted to examine the role of pain cues in the effects of negative affect on cold pressor pain. Thirty-nine male respondents were exposed to unpleasant pictures that either did or did not include pain-related material. Respondents who viewed pictures without pain cues tolerated the cold water for a longer period of time than respondents who viewed pictures that contained pain-related information. Priming and appraisal processes that might underlie the observed differences, and the type of affective distractors that could be meaningful for enhancing pain tolerance, are discussed.

[Heavy metal tolerance of Miscanthus plants and their phytoremediation potential in abandoned mine land].

PubMed

Wu, Dao Ming; Chen, Xiao Yang; Zeng, Shu Cai

2017-04-18

Miscanthus has been recognized as promising candidate for phytoremediation in abandoned mine land, because of its high tolerance to heavy metals and bioenergy potential. Miscanthus has been reported tolerant to several heavy metal elements. However, it has not been recognized as hyperaccumulator for these elements. The detailed mechanisms by which Miscanthus tolerates these heavy metal elements are still unclear. According to recent studies, several mechanisms, such as high metabolic capacity in root, an abundance of microbes in the root-rhizosphere, and high capacity of antioxidation and photosynthesis might contribute to enhance the heavy metal tolerance of Miscanthus. Miscanthus has a certain potential in the phytoremediation of abandoned mine land, because of its high suitability for the phytostabilization of heavy metals. Moreover, Miscanthus cropping is a promising practice to enhance the diversity of botanical species and soil organism, and to improve soil physical and chemical properties. Here we reviewed recent literatures on the biological characteristics and the heavy metal tolerance of Miscanthus, and its phytoremediation potential in abandoned mine land. A basic guideline for using Miscanthus in abandoned mine land phytoremediation and an outlook for further study on the mechanisms of heavy metals tolerance in Miscanthus were further proposed. We hoped to provide theoretical references for phytoremediation in abandoned mine land by using Miscanthus.

Advanced cloud fault tolerance system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumangali, K.; Benny, Niketa

2017-11-01

Cloud computing has become a prevalent on-demand service on the internet to store, manage and process data. A pitfall that accompanies cloud computing is the failures that can be encountered in the cloud. To overcome these failures, we require a fault tolerance mechanism to abstract faults from users. We have proposed a fault tolerant architecture, which is a combination of proactive and reactive fault tolerance. This architecture essentially increases the reliability and the availability of the cloud. In the future, we would like to compare evaluations of our proposed architecture with existing architectures and further improve it.

WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION EXERCISE IS WELL TOLERATED IN PATIENTS WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

PubMed

Moreira-Marconi, Eloá; Sá-Caputo, Danubia C; Dionello, Carla F; Guedes-Aguiar, Eliane O; Sousa-Gonçalves, Cintia R; Morel, Danielle S; Paineiras-Domingos, Laisa L; Souza, Patricia L; Kütter, Cristiane R; Costa-Cavalcanti, Rebeca G; Costa, Glenda; Paiva, Patricia C; Figueiredo, Claudia; Brandão-Sobrinho-Neto, Samuel; Stark, Christina; Unger, Marianne; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

2017-01-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by a defective gene located on the X-chromosome, responsible for the production of the dystrophin protein. Complications in the musculoskeletal system have been previously described in DMD patients. Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) is a treatment that improves musculoskeletal function in movement disorders. The aim of this study was to review the effects of WBVE on functional mobility, bone and muscle in DMD patients. Four databases were searched. Three eligible studies were found; all three conclude the management of DMD patients with WBV was clinically well tolerated. The studies used a side-alternating WBV system, frequencies 7 - 24 Hz; and amplitudes 2 - 4 mm. A work indicates that a temporary increase in creatine kinase in DMD during the first days of WBV was observed, but other authors did not find changes. No significant changes in bone mass, muscle strength or bone markers. Some patients reported subjective functional improvement during training. Interpretation. It is concluded that WBV seems to be a feasible and well tolerated exercise modality in DMD patients.

Safety and tolerability of new-generation anti-obesity medications: a narrative review.

PubMed

Patel, Dhiren K; Stanford, Fatima Cody

2018-03-01

The prevalence of obesity and associated comorbidities is rising. Despite their weight-loss efficacy, new generation anti-obesity medications are only prescribed to a minority of adults with obesity, possibly, which in part may be due to safety concerns. This review presents detailed safety profiles for orlistat, phentermine/topiramate, lorcaserin, naltrexone/bupropion and liraglutide 3.0 mg, and discusses the associated risk-benefit profiles. Two anti-obesity medications presented safety issues that warranted further discussion; phentermine/topiramate (fetal toxicity) and liraglutide 3.0 mg (risk of gallstone disease and mild, acute pancreatitis), whereas the adverse events associated with orlistat, lorcaserin, and naltrexone/bupropion were mostly transient tolerability issues. The difficulties surrounding the objective determination of risk-benefit for anti-obesity medications is discussed. The need for more long-term data, thorough patient assessment, individualization of pharmacological interventions and adherence to stopping rules to maximize risk-benefit are highlighted. Overall, the majority of new generation anti-obesity medications present encouraging tolerability profiles; however, in some cases a lack of long-term clinical trials confounds the accurate determination of risk-benefit.

Regulatory T cells and the immune pathogenesis of prenatal infection

PubMed Central

Rowe, Jared H.; Ertelt, James M.; Xin, Lijun; Way, Sing Sing

2013-01-01

Pregnancy in placental mammals offers exceptional comprehensive benefits of in utero protection, nutrition, and elimination of metabolic waste for the developing fetus. However, these advantages also require durable strategies to mitigate maternal rejection of fetal tissue expressing foreign paternal antigens. Since the initial postulate of expanded maternal immune tolerance by Sir Peter Medawar 60 years ago, an amazingly elaborate assortment of molecular and cellular modifications acting both locally at the maternal placental interface and systemically have been shown to silence potentially detrimental maternal immune responses. In turn, simultaneously maintaining host defense against the infinite array of potential pathogens during pregnancy is equally important. Fortunately, resistance against most infections is preserved seamlessly throughout gestation. On the other hand, recent studies on pathogens with unique predisposition for prenatal infection have uncovered distinctive holes in host defense associated with the reproductive process. Using these infections to probe the response during pregnancy, the immune suppressive regulatory subset of maternal CD4 T cells has been increasingly shown to dictate the inter-workings between prenatal infection susceptibility and pathogenesis of ensuing pregnancy complications. Herein, the recent literature suggesting a necessity for maternal regulatory T cells in pregnancy induced immunological shifts that sustain fetal tolerance is reviewed. Additional discussion is focused on how expansion of maternal regulatory T cell suppression may become exploited by pathogens that cause prenatal infection, and the perilous potential of infection induced immune activation that may mitigate fetal tolerance and inadvertently inject hostility into the protective in utero environment. PMID:23929902

Formulation considerations of intranasal corticosteroids for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

PubMed

Meltzer, Eli O

2007-01-01

To examine how various aspects of an intranasal corticosteroid (INS) formulation may influence the efficacy, tolerability, and patient preference and adherence to INS therapy. A PubMed search of the literature was conducted for studies on allergic rhinitis published between January 1977 and January 2006 using the keywords intranasal corticosteroid, preservatives, benzalkonium chloride, and tonicity. Prospective studies, retrospective studies, and case reports were selected for inclusion in this review. Currently available INSs are effective first-line treatments for allergic rhinitis. Differences in patient preference for a particular INS are largely attributable to sensory attributes of the nasal spray, which arise from characteristics of the formulation. Additives and preservatives can cause tolerability issues by irritating the mucosal membranes and causing nasal drying, or they can confer an unpleasant odor or taste to an INS formulation. The relative osmotic pressure, or tonicity, of an INS can modulate nasal absorption and retention, thereby potentially influencing the clinical efficacy. Characteristics such as delivery device and spray volume can affect a patient's perception and experience with a particular INS. Newer INSs, such as ciclesonide, are in development for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, and consideration of the formulation characteristics of these agents is an important part of the development process. INSs are an effective treatment option for patients with allergic rhinitis; however, there is room for formulation improvement. Optimization of formulation may increase the efficacy, tolerability, and patient preference and adherence to INSs.

Epigenomics and human adaptation to high altitude.

PubMed

Julian, Colleen G

2017-11-01

Over the past decade, major technological and analytical advancements have propelled efforts toward identifying the molecular mechanisms that govern human adaptation to high altitude. Despite remarkable progress with respect to the identification of adaptive genomic signals that are strongly associated with the "hypoxia-tolerant" physiological characteristics of high-altitude populations, many questions regarding the fundamental biological processes underlying human adaptation remain unanswered. Vital to address these enduring questions will be determining the role of epigenetic processes, or non-sequence-based features of the genome, that are not only critical for the regulation of transcriptional responses to hypoxia but heritable across generations. This review proposes that epigenomic processes are involved in shaping patterns of adaptation to high altitude by influencing adaptive potential and phenotypic variability under conditions of limited oxygen supply. Improved understanding of the interaction between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors holds great promise to provide deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying human adaptive potential, and clarify its implications for biomedical research. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Abiotic stress and the plant circadian clock

PubMed Central

Sanchez, Alfredo; Shin, Jieun

2011-01-01

In this review, we focus on the interaction between the circadian clock of higher plants to that of metabolic and physiological processes that coordinate growth and performance under a predictable, albeit changing environment. In this, the phytochrome and cryptochrome photoreceptors have shown to be important, but not essential for oscillator control under diurnal cycles of light and dark. From this foundation, we will examine how emerging findings have firmly linked the circadian clock, as a central mediator in the coordination of metabolism, to maintain homeostasis. This occurs by oscillator synchronization of global transcription, which leads to a dynamic control of a host of physiological processes. These include the determination of the levels of primary and secondary metabolites, and the anticipation of future environmental stresses, such as mid-day drought and midnight coldness. Interestingly, metabolic and stress cues themselves appear to feedback on oscillator function. In such a way, the circadian clock of plants and abiotic-stress tolerance appear to be firmly interconnected processes. PMID:21325898

Prospects of microbial cell factories developed through systems metabolic engineering.

PubMed

Gustavsson, Martin; Lee, Sang Yup

2016-09-01

While academic-level studies on metabolic engineering of microorganisms for production of chemicals and fuels are ever growing, a significantly lower number of such production processes have reached commercial-scale. In this work, we review the challenges associated with moving from laboratory-scale demonstration of microbial chemical or fuel production to actual commercialization, focusing on key requirements on the production organism that need to be considered during the metabolic engineering process. Metabolic engineering strategies should take into account techno-economic factors such as the choice of feedstock, the product yield, productivity and titre, and the cost effectiveness of midstream and downstream processes. Also, it is important to develop an industrial strain through metabolic engineering for pathway construction and flux optimization together with increasing tolerance to products and inhibitors present in the feedstock, and ensuring genetic stability and strain robustness under actual fermentation conditions. © 2016 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Test Guidelines for Pesticides and Toxic Substances

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Documents that specify methods EPA recommends to generate data submitted to EPA to support the registration of a pesticide, setting of a tolerance or tolerance exemption for pesticide residues, or the decision making process for an industrial chemical.

Regulation of opioid receptor signalling: Implications for the development of analgesic tolerance

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Opiate drugs are the most effective analgesics available but their clinical use is restricted by severe side effects. Some of these undesired actions appear after repeated administration and are related to adaptive changes directed at counteracting the consequences of sustained opioid receptor activation. Here we will discuss adaptations that contribute to the development of tolerance. The focus of the first part of the review is set on molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of opioid receptor signalling in heterologous expression systems and neurons. In the second part we assess how adaptations that take place in vivo may contribute to analgesic tolerance developed during repeated opioid administration. PMID:21663702

New options for optical quality tolerances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aikens, Dave

2017-11-01

The optics community has long recognized the problems of misinterpretation of the surface quality specification and the potential for conflict1-2. Finally in 2017 there are new versions of the ISO and ANSI standards for surface imperfection tolerances which provide vastly improved alternatives to the existing options, especially the use of the US Military standard for specifying optical quality tolerances. This paper will review the existing standards in common use for specifying surface imperfections, and then describe in detail the new versions of the ISO and ANSI standards which are available in 2017. The details of the notations and inspection methods for each of the optics specifications will be provided, and the differences between the various alternatives will be discussed.

T-cell receptor revision: friend or foe?

PubMed

Hale, J Scott; Fink, Pamela J

2010-04-01

T-cell receptor (TCR) revision is a process of tolerance induction by which peripheral T cells lose surface expression of an autoreactive TCR, reinduce expression of the recombinase machinery, rearrange genes encoding extrathymically generated TCRs for antigen, and express these new receptors on the cell surface. We discuss the evidence for this controversial tolerance mechanism below. Despite the apparent heresy of post-thymic gene rearrangement, we argue here that TCR revision follows the rules obeyed by maturing thymocytes undergoing gene recombination. Expression of the recombinase is carefully controlled both spatially and temporally, and may be initiated by loss of signals through surface TCRs. The resulting TCR repertoire is characterized by its diversity, self major histocompatibility complex restriction, self tolerance, and ability to mount productive immune responses specific for foreign antigens. Hence, TCR revision is a carefully regulated process of tolerance induction that can contribute to the protection of the individual against invading pathogens while preserving the integrity of self tissue.

Yeast mitochondria: an overview of mitochondrial biology and the potential of mitochondrial systems biology.

PubMed

Malina, Carl; Larsson, Christer; Nielsen, Jens

2018-08-01

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles of endosymbiotic origin that are essential components of eukaryal cells. They contain their own genetic machinery, have multicopy genomes and like their bacterial ancestors they consist of two membranes. However, the majority of the ancestral genome has been lost or transferred to the nuclear genome of the host, preserving only a core set of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Mitochondria perform numerous biological tasks ranging from bioenergetics to production of protein co-factors, including heme and iron-sulfur clusters. Due to the importance of mitochondria in many cellular processes, mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in a wide variety of human disorders. Much of our current knowledge on mitochondrial function and dysfunction comes from studies using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This yeast has good fermenting capacity, rendering tolerance to mutations that inactivate oxidative phosphorylation and complete loss of mitochondrial DNA. Here, we review yeast mitochondrial metabolism and function with focus on S. cerevisiae and its contribution in understanding mitochondrial biology. We further review how systems biology studies, including mathematical modeling, has allowed gaining new insight into mitochondrial function, and argue that this approach may enable us to gain a holistic view on how mitochondrial function interacts with different cellular processes.

Soil Eroison, T Values, and Sustainability: A Review and Exercise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Timothy; Gersmehl, Philip

1993-01-01

Reviews issues related to soil erosion and soil loss tolerance in the United States. Describes an instructional plan in which students estimate soil loses in three geographical regions using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Recommends integrating the geography of soil erosion with broader conceptual questions in physical geography. (CFR)

78 FR 64506 - Center for Scientific Review; Amended Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review; Amended Notice of Meeting Notice is hereby given of a change in the meeting of the Transplantation, Tolerance, and Tumor Immunology Study Section, October 3, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to October 4, 2013, 12:00 p.m...

[Use of methylphenidate in palliative patients with asthenia: a review].

PubMed

Saralegui, A; Palacio, P; Royo, P

2013-09-06

Asthenia (or fatigue) is one of the most common symptoms in palliative patients. Methylphenidate is currently being assessed for treating this condition. A review of related literature published to date was performed, revealing methylphenidate to be a safe drug which could decrease fatigue in palliative patients with a tolerable side-effects profile.

76 FR 4542 - Mefenoxam; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

... comments received in response to the notice of filing. Based upon review of the data supporting the... in section 408(b)(2)(D) of FFDCA, EPA has reviewed the available scientific data and other relevant information in support of this action. EPA has sufficient data to assess the hazards of and to make a...

Peer Review of a Formal Verification/Design Proof Methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The role of formal verification techniques in system validation was examined. The value and the state of the art of performance proving for fault-tolerant compuers were assessed. The investigation, development, and evaluation of performance proving tools were reviewed. The technical issues related to proof methodologies are examined. The technical issues discussed are summarized.

An Immunogenic Peptide in the A-box of HMGB1 Protein Reverses Apoptosis-induced Tolerance through RAGE Receptor*♦

PubMed Central

LeBlanc, Philippe M.; Doggett, Teresa Ann; Choi, Jayoung; Hancock, Mark A.; Durocher, Yves; Frank, Filipp; Nagar, Bhushan; Ferguson, Thomas A.; Saleh, Maya

2014-01-01

Apoptotic cells trigger immune tolerance in engulfing phagocytes. This poorly understood process is believed to contribute to the severe immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to nosocomial infections observed in critically ill sepsis patients. Extracellular high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is an important mediator of both sepsis lethality and the induction of immune tolerance by apoptotic cells. We have found that HMGB1 is sensitive to processing by caspase-1, resulting in the production of a fragment within its N-terminal DNA-binding domain (the A-box) that signals through the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) to reverse apoptosis-induced tolerance. In a two-hit mouse model of sepsis, we show that tolerance to a secondary infection and its associated mortality were effectively reversed by active immunization with dendritic cells treated with HMGB1 or the A-box fragment, but not a noncleavable form of HMGB1. These findings represent a novel link between caspase-1 and HMGB1, with potential therapeutic implications in infectious and inflammatory diseases. PMID:24474694

The IPAC Image Subtraction and Discovery Pipeline for the Intermediate Palomar Transient Factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masci, Frank J.; Laher, Russ R.; Rebbapragada, Umaa D.; Doran, Gary B.; Miller, Adam A.; Bellm, Eric; Kasliwal, Mansi; Ofek, Eran O.; Surace, Jason; Shupe, David L.; Grillmair, Carl J.; Jackson, Ed; Barlow, Tom; Yan, Lin; Cao, Yi; Cenko, S. Bradley; Storrie-Lombardi, Lisa J.; Helou, George; Prince, Thomas A.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.

2017-01-01

We describe the near real-time transient-source discovery engine for the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF), currently in operations at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), Caltech. We coin this system the IPAC/iPTF Discovery Engine (or IDE). We review the algorithms used for PSF-matching, image subtraction, detection, photometry, and machine-learned (ML) vetting of extracted transient candidates. We also review the performance of our ML classifier. For a limiting signal-to-noise ratio of 4 in relatively unconfused regions, bogus candidates from processing artifacts and imperfect image subtractions outnumber real transients by ≃10:1. This can be considerably higher for image data with inaccurate astrometric and/or PSF-matching solutions. Despite this occasionally high contamination rate, the ML classifier is able to identify real transients with an efficiency (or completeness) of ≃97% for a maximum tolerable false-positive rate of 1% when classifying raw candidates. All subtraction-image metrics, source features, ML probability-based real-bogus scores, contextual metadata from other surveys, and possible associations with known Solar System objects are stored in a relational database for retrieval by the various science working groups. We review our efforts in mitigating false-positives and our experience in optimizing the overall system in response to the multitude of science projects underway with iPTF.

The IPAC Image Subtraction and Discovery Pipeline for the Intermediate Palomar Transient Factory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masci, Frank J.; Laher, Russ R.; Rebbapragada, Umaa D.; Doran, Gary B.; Miller, Adam A.; Bellm, Eric; Kasliwal, Mansi; Ofek, Eran O.; Surace, Jason; Shupe, David L.;

Identification of Regulatory T Cells in Tolerated Allografts

PubMed Central

Graca, Luis; Cobbold, Stephen P.; Waldmann, Herman

2002-01-01

Induction of transplantation tolerance with certain therapeutic nondepleting monoclonal antibodies can lead to a robust state of peripheral “dominant” tolerance. Regulatory CD4+ T cells, which mediate this form of “dominant” tolerance, can be isolated from spleens of tolerant animals. To determine whether there were any extra-lymphoid sites that might harbor regulatory T cells we sought their presence in tolerated skin allografts and in normal skin. When tolerated skin grafts are retransplanted onto T cell–depleted hosts, graft-infiltrating T cells exit the graft and recolonize the new host. These colonizing T cells can be shown to contain members with regulatory function, as they can prevent nontolerant lymphocytes from rejecting fresh skin allografts, without hindrance of rejection of third party skin. Our results suggest that T cell suppression of graft rejection is an active process that operates beyond secondary lymphoid tissue, and involves the persistent presence of regulatory T cells at the site of the tolerated transplant. PMID:12070291

Damage tolerance certification of a fighter horizontal stabilizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jia-Yen; Tsai, Ming-Yang; Chen, Jong-Sheng; Ong, Ching-Long

1995-05-01

A review of the program for the damage tolerance certification test of a composite horizontal stabilizer (HS) of a fighter is presented. The object of this program is to certify that the fatigue life and damage tolerance strength of a damaged composite horizontal stabilizer meets the design requirements. According to the specification for damage tolerance certification, a test article should be subjected to two design lifetimes of flight-by-flight load spectra simulating the in-service fatigue loading condition for the aircraft. However, considering the effect of environmental change on the composite structure, one additional lifetime test was performed. In addition, to evaluate the possibilities for extending the service life of the structure, one more lifetime test was carried out with the spectrum increased by a factor of 1.4. To assess the feasibility and reliability of repair technology on a composite structure, two damaged areas were repaired after two lifetimes of damage tolerance test. On completion of four lifetimes of the damage tolerance test, the static residual strength was measured to check whether structural strength after repair met the requirements. Stiffness and static strength of the composite HS with and without damage were evaluated and compared.

Adherence to balance tolerance limits at the Upper Mississippi Science Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers, C.T.; Kennedy, D.M.

1998-01-01

Verification of balance accuracy entails applying a series of standard masses to a balance prior to use and recording the measured values. The recorded values for each standard should have lower and upper weight limits or tolerances that are accepted as verification of balance accuracy under normal operating conditions. Balance logbooks for seven analytical balances at the Upper Mississippi Science Center were checked over a 3.5-year period to determine if the recorded weights were within the established tolerance limits. A total of 9435 measurements were checked. There were 14 instances in which the balance malfunctioned and operators recorded a rationale in the balance logbook. Sixty-three recording errors were found. Twenty-eight operators were responsible for two types of recording errors: Measurements of weights were recorded outside of the tolerance limit but not acknowledged as an error by the operator (n = 40); and measurements were recorded with the wrong number of decimal places (n = 23). The adherence rate for following tolerance limits was 99.3%. To ensure the continued adherence to tolerance limits, the quality-assurance unit revised standard operating procedures to require more frequent review of balance logbooks.

Intestinal epithelial TOLLerance versus inTOLLerance of commensals.

PubMed

Cario, Elke; Podolsky, Daniel K

2005-05-01

This brief review summarizes the current understanding of Toll-like receptor (TLRs) mediated intestinal epithelial mechanisms of commensal tolerance versus intolerance and provides an update on the downstream negative control of signaling responses through decreased surface expression, interregulation with NOD2, overexpression of Tollip, various inhibitors of NF-kappaB as well as soluble tolerizing mediators present in lumen and serum which all may maintain or--when dysregulated--impair mucosal homeostasis in health or disease, respectively.

Extraversion and pain.

PubMed

Barnes, G E

1975-09-01

According to Eysenck's (1957, 1960, 1967) theory of personality, extroverts are posited as having higher pain thresholds and greater pain tolerance than introverts. The evidence for these hypothesized relationships is reviewed. Findings appear inconclusive in both cases. Probability pooling (Mosteller & Bush, 1954) is therefore performed, grouping the comparable studies and carrying out overall tests of significance. Results support the hypothesized relationships between extraversion and pain threshold and between extraversion and pain tolerance. Possible reasons why certain studies failed to find these results are discussed.

Fault tolerant control of multivariable processes using auto-tuning PID controller.

PubMed

Yu, Ding-Li; Chang, T K; Yu, Ding-Wen

2005-02-01

Fault tolerant control of dynamic processes is investigated in this paper using an auto-tuning PID controller. A fault tolerant control scheme is proposed composing an auto-tuning PID controller based on an adaptive neural network model. The model is trained online using the extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm to learn system post-fault dynamics. Based on this model, the PID controller adjusts its parameters to compensate the effects of the faults, so that the control performance is recovered from degradation. The auto-tuning algorithm for the PID controller is derived with the Lyapunov method and therefore, the model predicted tracking error is guaranteed to converge asymptotically. The method is applied to a simulated two-input two-output continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with various faults, which demonstrate the applicability of the developed scheme to industrial processes.

Pattern of multiresistant to antimicrobials and heavy metal tolerance in bacteria isolated from sewage sludge samples from a composting process at a recycling plant in southern Brazil.

PubMed

Heck, Karina; De Marco, Évilin Giordana; Duarte, Mariana Wanderlei; Salamoni, Sabrina Pinto; Van Der Sand, Sueli

2015-06-01

The composting process is a viable alternative for the recycling of household organic waste and sewage sludge generated during wastewater treatment. However, this technique can select microorganisms resistant to antimicrobials and heavy metals as a result of excess chemicals present in compost windrow. This study evaluates the antimicrobial multiresistant and tolerance to heavy metals in bacteria isolated from the composting process with sewage sludge. Fourteen antimicrobials were used in 344 strains for the resistance profile and four heavy metals (chromium, copper, zinc, and lead) for the minimum biocide concentration assay. The strains used were from the sewage sludge sample (beginning of the process) and the compost sample (end of the process). Strains with higher antimicrobial and heavy metal profile were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed a multiresistant profile in 48 % of the strains, with the highest percentage of strains resistant to nitrofurantoin (65 %) and β-lactams (58 %). The strains isolated from the sewage sludge and the end of the composting process were more tolerant to copper, with a lethal dose of approximately 900 mg L(-1) for about 50 % of the strains. The genera that showed the highest multiresistant profile and increased tolerance to the metals tested were Pseudomonas and Ochrobactrum. The results of this study may contribute to future research and the revision and regulation of legislation on sewage sludge reuse in soils.

Use of Maize (Zea mays L.) for phytomanagement of Cd-contaminated soils: a critical review.

PubMed

Rizwan, Muhammad; Ali, Shafaqat; Qayyum, Muhammad Farooq; Ok, Yong Sik; Zia-Ur-Rehman, Muhammad; Abbas, Zaheer; Hannan, Fakhir

2017-04-01

Maize (Zea mays L.) has been widely adopted for phytomanagement of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soils due to its high biomass production and Cd accumulation capacity. This paper reviewed the toxic effects of Cd and its management by maize plants. Maize could tolerate a certain level of Cd in soil while higher Cd stress can decrease seed germination, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis and growth/yields. Toxicity response of maize to Cd varies with cultivar/varieties, growth medium and stress duration/extent. Exogenous application of organic and inorganic amendments has been used for enhancing Cd tolerance of maize. The selection of Cd-tolerant maize cultivar, crop rotation, soil type, and exogenous application of microbes is a representative agronomic practice to enhance Cd tolerance in maize. Proper selection of cultivar and agronomic practices combined with amendments might be successful for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils with maize. However, there might be the risk of food chain contamination by maize grains obtained from the Cd-contaminated soils. Thus, maize cultivation could be an option for the management of low- and medium-grade Cd-contaminated soils if grain yield is required. On the other hand, maize can be grown on Cd-polluted soils only if biomass is required for energy production purposes. Long-term field trials are required, including risks and benefit analysis for various management strategies aiming Cd phytomanagement with maize.

Roots Withstanding their Environment: Exploiting Root System Architecture Responses to Abiotic Stress to Improve Crop Tolerance

PubMed Central

Koevoets, Iko T.; Venema, Jan Henk; Elzenga, J. Theo. M.; Testerink, Christa

2016-01-01

To face future challenges in crop production dictated by global climate changes, breeders and plant researchers collaborate to develop productive crops that are able to withstand a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. However, crop selection is often focused on shoot performance alone, as observation of root properties is more complex and asks for artificial and extensive phenotyping platforms. In addition, most root research focuses on development, while a direct link to the functionality of plasticity in root development for tolerance is often lacking. In this paper we review the currently known root system architecture (RSA) responses in Arabidopsis and a number of crop species to a range of abiotic stresses, including nutrient limitation, drought, salinity, flooding, and extreme temperatures. For each of these stresses, the key molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the RSA response are highlighted. To explore the relevance for crop selection, we especially review and discuss studies linking root architectural responses to stress tolerance. This will provide a first step toward understanding the relevance of adaptive root development for a plant’s response to its environment. We suggest that functional evidence on the role of root plasticity will support breeders in their efforts to include root properties in their current selection pipeline for abiotic stress tolerance, aimed to improve the robustness of crops. PMID:27630659

Sustainability of Metal Structures via Spray-Clad Remanufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Gregory M.; Sampath, Sanjay

2018-04-01

Structural reclamation and remanufacturing is an important future design consideration to allow sustainable recovery of degraded structural metals. Heavy machinery and infrastructure components subjected to extended use and/or environment induced degradation require costly and time-consuming replacement. If these parts can be remanufactured to original tolerances, and returned to service with "as good or better" performance, significant reductions in materials, cost, and environmental impact can be achieved. Localized additive restoration via thermal or cold spray methods is a promising approach in recovering and restoring original design strength of degraded metals. The advent of high velocity spray deposition technologies has allowed deposition of near full density materials. In this review, the fundamental scientific and technological elements of such local additive restoration is contemplated including materials, processes, and methodologies to assess the capabilities of such remanufactured systems. This points to sustainable material reclamation, as well as a route toward resource and process sustainability.

Nitric oxide signalling via cytoskeleton in plants.

PubMed

Yemets, Alla I; Krasylenko, Yuliya A; Lytvyn, Dmytro I; Sheremet, Yarina A; Blume, Yaroslav B

2011-11-01

Nitric oxide (NO) in plant cell mediates processes of growth and development starting from seed germination to pollination, as well as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. However, proper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of NO signalling in plants has just begun to emerge. Accumulated evidence suggests that in eukaryotic cells NO regulates functions of proteins by their post-translational modifications, namely tyrosine nitration and S-nitrosylation. Among the candidates for NO-downstream effectors are cytoskeletal proteins because of their involvement in many processes regulated by NO. This review discusses new insights in plant NO signalling focused mainly on the involvement of cytoskeleton components into NO-cascades. Herein, examples of NO-related post-translational modifications of cytoskeletal proteins, and also indirect NO impact, are discussed. Special attention is paid to plant α-tubulin tyrosine nitration as an emerging topic in plant NO research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of yeast stress tolerance and its manipulation for efficient fuel ethanol production.

PubMed

Zhao, X Q; Bai, F W

2009-10-12

Yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been extensively studied in recent years for fuel ethanol production, in which yeast cells are exposed to various stresses such as high temperature, ethanol inhibition, and osmotic pressure from product and substrate sugars as well as the inhibitory substances released from the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. An in-depth understanding of the mechanism of yeast stress tolerance contributes to breeding more robust strains for ethanol production, especially under very high gravity conditions. Taking advantage of the "omics" technology, the stress response and defense mechanism of yeast cells during ethanol fermentation were further explored, and the newly emerged tools such as genome shuffling and global transcription machinery engineering have been applied to breed stress resistant yeast strains for ethanol production. In this review, the latest development of stress tolerance mechanisms was focused, and improvement of yeast stress tolerance by both random and rational tools was presented.

Engineering membrane and cell-wall programs for tolerance to toxic chemicals: Beyond solo genes.

PubMed

Sandoval, Nicholas R; Papoutsakis, Eleftherios T

2016-10-01

Metabolite toxicity in microbes, particularly at the membrane, remains a bottleneck in the production of fuels and chemicals. Under chemical stress, native adaptation mechanisms combat hyper-fluidization by modifying the phospholipids in the membrane. Recent work in fluxomics reveals the mechanism of how membrane damage negatively affects energy metabolism while lipidomic and transcriptomic analyses show that strains evolved to be tolerant maintain membrane fluidity under stress through a variety of mechanisms such as incorporation of cyclopropanated fatty acids, trans-unsaturated fatty acids, and upregulation of cell wall biosynthesis genes. Engineered strains with modifications made in the biosynthesis of fatty acids, peptidoglycan, and lipopolysaccharide have shown increased tolerance to exogenous stress as well as increased production of desired metabolites of industrial importance. We review recent advances in elucidation of mechanisms or toxicity and tolerance as well as efforts to engineer the bacterial membrane and cell wall. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DNA Protection Protein, a Novel Mechanism of Radiation Tolerance: Lessons from Tardigrades

PubMed Central

Hashimoto, Takuma; Kunieda, Takekazu

2017-01-01

Genomic DNA stores all genetic information and is indispensable for maintenance of normal cellular activity and propagation. Radiation causes severe DNA lesions, including double-strand breaks, and leads to genome instability and even lethality. Regardless of the toxicity of radiation, some organisms exhibit extraordinary tolerance against radiation. These organisms are supposed to possess special mechanisms to mitigate radiation-induced DNA damages. Extensive study using radiotolerant bacteria suggested that effective protection of proteins and enhanced DNA repair system play important roles in tolerability against high-dose radiation. Recent studies using an extremotolerant animal, the tardigrade, provides new evidence that a tardigrade-unique DNA-associating protein, termed Dsup, suppresses the occurrence of DNA breaks by radiation in human-cultured cells. In this review, we provide a brief summary of the current knowledge on extremely radiotolerant animals, and present novel insights from the tardigrade research, which expand our understanding on molecular mechanism of exceptional radio-tolerability. PMID:28617314

AllergoOncology: Opposite outcomes of immune tolerance in allergy and cancer.

PubMed

Jensen-Jarolim, E; Bax, H J; Bianchini, R; Crescioli, S; Daniels-Wells, T R; Dombrowicz, D; Fiebiger, E; Gould, H J; Irshad, S; Janda, J; Josephs, D H; Levi-Schaffer, F; O'Mahony, L; Pellizzari, G; Penichet, M L; Redegeld, F; Roth-Walter, F; Singer, J; Untersmayr, E; Vangelista, L; Karagiannis, S N

2018-02-01

While desired for the cure of allergy, regulatory immune cell subsets and nonclassical Th2-biased inflammatory mediators in the tumour microenvironment can contribute to immune suppression and escape of tumours from immunological detection and clearance. A key aim in the cancer field is therefore to design interventions that can break immunological tolerance and halt cancer progression, whereas on the contrary allergen immunotherapy exactly aims to induce tolerance. In this position paper, we review insights on immune tolerance derived from allergy and from cancer inflammation, focusing on what is known about the roles of key immune cells and mediators. We propose that research in the field of AllergoOncology that aims to delineate these immunological mechanisms with juxtaposed clinical consequences in allergy and cancer may point to novel avenues for therapeutic interventions that stand to benefit both disciplines. © 2017 The Authors. Allergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transcriptomic analysis of Aegilops tauschii during long-term salinity stress.

PubMed

Mansouri, Mehdi; Naghavi, Mohammad Reza; Alizadeh, Hoshang; Mohammadi-Nejad, Ghasem; Mousavi, Seyed Ahmad; Salekdeh, Ghasem Hosseini; Tada, Yuichi

2018-06-21

Aegilops tauschii is the diploid progenitor of the bread wheat D-genome. It originated from Iran and is a source of abiotic stress tolerance genes. However, little is known about the molecular events of salinity tolerance in Ae. tauschii. This study investigates the leaf transcriptional changes associated with long-term salt stress. Total RNA extracted from leaf tissues of control and salt-treated samples was sequenced using the Illumina technology, and more than 98 million high-quality reads were assembled into 255,446 unigenes with an average length of 1398 bp and an N50 of 2269 bp. Functional annotation of the unigenes showed that 93,742 (36.69%) had at least a significant BLAST hit in the SwissProt database, while 174,079 (68.14%) showed significant similarity to proteins in the NCBI nr database. Differential expression analysis identified 4506 salt stress-responsive unigenes. Bioinformatic analysis of the differentially expressed unigenes (DEUs) revealed a number of biological processes and pathways involved in the establishment of ion homeostasis, signaling processes, carbohydrate metabolism, and post-translational modifications. Fine regulation of starch and sucrose content may be important features involved in salt tolerance in Ae. tauschii. Moreover, 82% of DEUs mapped to the D-subgenome, including known QTL for salt tolerance, and these DEUs showed similar salt stress responses in other accessions of Ae. tauschii. These results could provide fundamental insight into the regulatory process underlying salt tolerance in Ae. tauschii and wheat and facilitate identification of genes involved in their salt tolerance mechanisms.

Nutritional and health benefits of semi-elemental diets: A comprehensive summary of the literature

PubMed Central

Alexander, Dominik D; Bylsma, Lauren C; Elkayam, Laura; Nguyen, Douglas L

2016-01-01

AIM: To critically review and summarize the literature on nutritional and health outcomes of semi-elemental formulations on various nutritionally vulnerable patient populations who are unable to achieve adequate nutrition from standard oral diets. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of Pubmed and Embase databases. We manually screened articles that examined nutritional and health outcomes (e.g., growth, disease activity, gastrointestinal impairment, mortality, and economic impact) among various patient groups receiving semi-elemental diets. This review focused on full-text articles of randomized controlled clinical trials and other intervention studies, but pertinent abstracts and case studies were also included. Results pertaining primarily to tolerance, digestion, and absorption were summarized for each patient population in this systematic review. RESULTS: Results pertaining primarily to tolerance, digestion, and absorption were summarized for each patient population. The efficacy of semi-elemental whey hydrolyzed protein (WHP) diet have been reported in various nutritionally high risk patient populations including - Crohn’s disease, short bowel syndrome, acute and chronic pancreatitis, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, cerebrovascular accidents, human immunodeficiency virus, critically ill, and geriatrics. Collectively, the evidence from the medical literature indicates that feeding with a semi-elemental diet performs as well or better than parenteral or amino acid based diets in terms of tolerance, digestion, and nutrient assimilation measures across various disease conditions. CONCLUSION: Based on this comprehensive review of the literature, patient populations who have difficulty digesting or absorbing standard diets may be able to achieve improved health and nutritional outcomes through the use of semi-elemental WHP diets. PMID:27158547

A comprehensive analysis of the IMRT dose delivery process using statistical process control (SPC)

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

Gerard, Karine; Grandhaye, Jean-Pierre; Marchesi, Vincent

The aim of this study is to introduce tools to improve the security of each IMRT patient treatment by determining action levels for the dose delivery process. To achieve this, the patient-specific quality control results performed with an ionization chamber--and which characterize the dose delivery process--have been retrospectively analyzed using a method borrowed from industry: Statistical process control (SPC). The latter consisted in fulfilling four principal well-structured steps. The authors first quantified the short term variability of ionization chamber measurements regarding the clinical tolerances used in the cancer center ({+-}4% of deviation between the calculated and measured doses) by calculatingmore » a control process capability (C{sub pc}) index. The C{sub pc} index was found superior to 4, which implies that the observed variability of the dose delivery process is not biased by the short term variability of the measurement. Then, the authors demonstrated using a normality test that the quality control results could be approximated by a normal distribution with two parameters (mean and standard deviation). Finally, the authors used two complementary tools--control charts and performance indices--to thoroughly analyze the IMRT dose delivery process. Control charts aim at monitoring the process over time using statistical control limits to distinguish random (natural) variations from significant changes in the process, whereas performance indices aim at quantifying the ability of the process to produce data that are within the clinical tolerances, at a precise moment. The authors retrospectively showed that the analysis of three selected control charts (individual value, moving-range, and EWMA control charts) allowed efficient drift detection of the dose delivery process for prostate and head-and-neck treatments before the quality controls were outside the clinical tolerances. Therefore, when analyzed in real time, during quality controls, they should improve the security of treatments. They also showed that the dose delivery processes in the cancer center were in control for prostate and head-and-neck treatments. In parallel, long term process performance indices (P{sub p}, P{sub pk}, and P{sub pm}) have been analyzed. Their analysis helped defining which actions should be undertaken in order to improve the performance of the process. The prostate dose delivery process has been shown statistically capable (0.08% of the results is expected to be outside the clinical tolerances) contrary to the head-and-neck dose delivery process (5.76% of the results are expected to be outside the clinical tolerances).« less

A comprehensive analysis of the IMRT dose delivery process using statistical process control (SPC).

PubMed

Gérard, Karine; Grandhaye, Jean-Pierre; Marchesi, Vincent; Kafrouni, Hanna; Husson, François; Aletti, Pierre

2009-04-01

The aim of this study is to introduce tools to improve the security of each IMRT patient treatment by determining action levels for the dose delivery process. To achieve this, the patient-specific quality control results performed with an ionization chamber--and which characterize the dose delivery process--have been retrospectively analyzed using a method borrowed from industry: Statistical process control (SPC). The latter consisted in fulfilling four principal well-structured steps. The authors first quantified the short-term variability of ionization chamber measurements regarding the clinical tolerances used in the cancer center (+/- 4% of deviation between the calculated and measured doses) by calculating a control process capability (C(pc)) index. The C(pc) index was found superior to 4, which implies that the observed variability of the dose delivery process is not biased by the short-term variability of the measurement. Then, the authors demonstrated using a normality test that the quality control results could be approximated by a normal distribution with two parameters (mean and standard deviation). Finally, the authors used two complementary tools--control charts and performance indices--to thoroughly analyze the IMRT dose delivery process. Control charts aim at monitoring the process over time using statistical control limits to distinguish random (natural) variations from significant changes in the process, whereas performance indices aim at quantifying the ability of the process to produce data that are within the clinical tolerances, at a precise moment. The authors retrospectively showed that the analysis of three selected control charts (individual value, moving-range, and EWMA control charts) allowed efficient drift detection of the dose delivery process for prostate and head-and-neck treatments before the quality controls were outside the clinical tolerances. Therefore, when analyzed in real time, during quality controls, they should improve the security of treatments. They also showed that the dose delivery processes in the cancer center were in control for prostate and head-and-neck treatments. In parallel, long-term process performance indices (P(p), P(pk), and P(pm)) have been analyzed. Their analysis helped defining which actions should be undertaken in order to improve the performance of the process. The prostate dose delivery process has been shown statistically capable (0.08% of the results is expected to be outside the clinical tolerances) contrary to the head-and-neck dose delivery process (5.76% of the results are expected to be outside the clinical tolerances).

Beneficial role of vitamin K supplementation on insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes: A review.

PubMed

Manna, Prasenjit; Kalita, Jatin

2016-01-01

Micronutrients are gaining acceptance as an important nutritional therapy for the prevention and/or management of diabetes and its associated health risks. Although a very small quantity of micronutrients are required for specific functions in our bodies, moderate deficiencies can lead to serious health issues. Impaired insulin sensitivity and glucose intolerance play a major role in the development of diabetic pathophysiology. Vitamin K is well known for its function in blood coagulation. Moreover, several human studies reported the beneficial role of vitamin K supplementation in improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, preventing insulin resistance, and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2 D). Both animal and human studies have suggested that vitamin K-dependent protein (osteocalcin [OC]), regulation of adipokine levels, antiinflammatory properties, and lipid-lowering effects may mediate the beneficial function of vitamin K in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. This review for the first time provides an overview of the currently available preclinical and clinical evidences on the effect of vitamin K supplementation in the management of insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The outcome of this review will increase understanding for the development of a novel adjuvant therapy to achieve better control of glycemia and improve the lives of diabetic patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salinity tolerances and use of saline environments by freshwater turtles: implications of sea level rise.

PubMed

Agha, Mickey; Ennen, Joshua R; Bower, Deborah S; Nowakowski, A Justin; Sweat, Sarah C; Todd, Brian D

2018-03-25

The projected rise in global mean sea levels places many freshwater turtle species at risk of saltwater intrusion into freshwater habitats. Freshwater turtles are disproportionately more threatened than other taxa; thus, understanding the role of salinity in determining their contemporary distribution and evolution should be a research priority. Freshwater turtles are a slowly evolving lineage; however, they can adapt physiologically or behaviourally to various levels of salinity and, therefore, temporarily occur in marine or brackish environments. Here, we provide the first comprehensive global review on freshwater turtle use and tolerance of brackish water ecosystems. We link together current knowledge of geographic occurrence, salinity tolerance, phylogenetic relationships, and physiological and behavioural mechanisms to generate a baseline understanding of the response of freshwater turtles to changing saline environments. We also review the potential origins of salinity tolerance in freshwater turtles. Finally, we integrate 2100 sea level rise (SLR) projections, species distribution maps, literature gathered on brackish water use, and a phylogeny to predict the exposure of freshwater turtles to projected SLR globally. From our synthesis of published literature and available data, we build a framework for spatial and phylogenetic conservation prioritization of coastal freshwater turtles. Based on our literature review, 70 species (∼30% of coastal freshwater turtle species) from 10 of the 11 freshwater turtle families have been reported in brackish water ecosystems. Most anecdotal records, observations, and descriptions do not imply long-term salinity tolerance among freshwater turtles. Rather, experiments show that some species exhibit potential for adaptation and plasticity in physiological, behavioural, and life-history traits that enable them to endure varying periods (e.g. days or months) and levels of saltwater exposure. Species that specialize on brackish water habitats are likely to be vulnerable to SLR because of their exclusive coastal distributions and adaptations to a narrow range of salinities. Most species, however, have not been documented in brackish water habitats but may also be highly vulnerable to projected SLR. Our analysis suggests that approximately 90% of coastal freshwater turtle species assessed in our study will be affected by a 1-m increase in global mean SLR by 2100. Most at risk are freshwater turtles found in New Guinea, Southeast Asia, Australia, and North and South America that may lose more than 10% of their present geographic range. In addition, turtle species in the families Chelidae, Emydidae, and Trionychidae may experience the greatest exposure to projected SLR in their present geographic ranges. Better understanding of survival, growth, reproductive and population-level responses to SLR will improve region-specific population viability predictions of freshwater turtles that are increasingly exposed to SLR. Integrating phylogenetic, physiological, and spatial frameworks to assess the effects of projected SLR may improve identification of vulnerable species, guilds, and geographic regions in need of conservation prioritization. We conclude that the use of brackish and marine environments by freshwater turtles provides clues about the evolutionary processes that have prolonged their existence, shaped their unique coastal distributions, and may prove useful in predicting their response to a changing world. © 2018 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Disruption of the CAR1 gene encoding arginase enhances freeze tolerance of the commercial baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Shima, Jun; Sakata-Tsuda, Yuko; Suzuki, Yasuo; Nakajima, Ryouichi; Watanabe, Hajime; Kawamoto, Shinichi; Takano, Hiroyuki

2003-01-01

The effect of intracellular charged amino acids on freeze tolerance in dough was determined by constructing homozygous diploid arginase-deficient mutants of commercial baker's yeast. An arginase mutant accumulated higher levels of arginine and/or glutamate and showed increased leavening ability during the frozen-dough baking process, suggesting that disruption of the CAR1 gene enhances freeze tolerance.

Markers of tolerance development to food allergens.

PubMed

Ponce, M; Diesner, S C; Szépfalusi, Z; Eiwegger, T

2016-10-01

IgE-mediated reactions to food allergens are the most common cause of anaphylaxis in childhood. Although allergies to cow's milk, egg, or soy proteins, in contrast to peanut and tree nut allergens, resolve within the first 6 years of life in up to 60% due to natural tolerance development, this process is not well understood. At present, there is no cure or treatment for food allergy that would result in an induction of tolerance to the symptom-eliciting food. Avoidance, providing an emergency plan and education, is the standard of treatment. Oral immunotherapeutic approaches have been proven reasonable efficacy; however, they are associated with high rates of side-effects and low numbers of patients achieving tolerance. Nevertheless, mechanisms that take place during oral immunotherapy may help to understand tolerance development. On the basis of these therapeutic interventions, events like loss of basophil activation and induction of regulatory lymphocyte subsets and of blocking antibodies have been described. Their functional importance at a clinical level, however, remains to be investigated in detail. Consequently, there is eminent need to understand the process of tolerance development to food allergens and define biomarkers to develop and monitor new treatment strategies for food allergy. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparative transcriptome analysis unveils the tolerance mechanisms of Citrus hystrix in response to 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' infection.

PubMed

Hu, Yan; Zhong, Xi; Liu, Xuelu; Lou, Binghai; Zhou, Changyong; Wang, Xuefeng

2017-01-01

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), a highly devastating citrus disease, is associated with 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiacitus' (CLas), a member of phloem-inhabiting α-proteobacteria. HLB can affect all cultivated citrus and no cure is currently available. Previous studies showed that Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), primarily grown in South Asia and Southeast Asia, was tolerant to HLB but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this study, gene expression profiling experiments were performed on HLB-tolerant C. hystrix and HLB-susceptible C. sinensis three months after inoculation with CLas using RNA-seq data. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two citrus cultivars were mainly involved in diverse cellular functions including carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, cell wall metabolism, secondary metabolism, hormone metabolism and oxidation/reduction processes. Notably, starch synthesis and photosynthesis process were not disturbed in CLas-infected C. hystrix. Most of the DEGs involved in cell wall metabolism and secondary metabolism were up-regulated in C. hystrix. In addition, the activation of peroxidases, Cu/Zn-SOD and POD4, may also enhance the tolerance of C. hystrix to CLas. This study provides an insight into the host response of HLB-tolerant citrus cultivar to CLas. C. hystrix is potentially useful for HLB-tolerant/resistant citrus breeding in the future.

Comparative transcriptome analysis unveils the tolerance mechanisms of Citrus hystrix in response to ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ infection

PubMed Central

Hu, Yan; Zhong, Xi; Liu, Xuelu; Lou, Binghai; Zhou, Changyong

2017-01-01

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), a highly devastating citrus disease, is associated with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiacitus’ (CLas), a member of phloem-inhabiting α-proteobacteria. HLB can affect all cultivated citrus and no cure is currently available. Previous studies showed that Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), primarily grown in South Asia and Southeast Asia, was tolerant to HLB but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this study, gene expression profiling experiments were performed on HLB-tolerant C. hystrix and HLB-susceptible C. sinensis three months after inoculation with CLas using RNA-seq data. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two citrus cultivars were mainly involved in diverse cellular functions including carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, cell wall metabolism, secondary metabolism, hormone metabolism and oxidation/reduction processes. Notably, starch synthesis and photosynthesis process were not disturbed in CLas-infected C. hystrix. Most of the DEGs involved in cell wall metabolism and secondary metabolism were up-regulated in C. hystrix. In addition, the activation of peroxidases, Cu/Zn-SOD and POD4, may also enhance the tolerance of C. hystrix to CLas. This study provides an insight into the host response of HLB-tolerant citrus cultivar to CLas. C. hystrix is potentially useful for HLB-tolerant/resistant citrus breeding in the future. PMID:29232716

Insights into the Molecular Events That Regulate Heat-Induced Chilling Tolerance in Citrus Fruits.

PubMed

Lafuente, María T; Establés-Ortíz, Beatriz; González-Candelas, Luis

2017-01-01

Low non-freezing temperature may cause chilling injury (CI), which is responsible for external quality deterioration in many chilling-sensitive horticultural crops. Exposure of chilling-sensitive citrus cultivars to non-lethal high-temperature conditioning may increase their chilling tolerance. Very little information is available about the molecular events involved in such tolerance. In this work, the molecular events associated with the low temperature tolerance induced by heating Fortune mandarin, which is very sensitive to chilling, for 3 days at 37°C prior to cold storage is presented. A transcriptomic analysis reveals that heat-conditioning has an important impact favoring the repression of genes in cold-stored fruit, and that long-term heat-induced chilling tolerance is an active process that requires activation of transcription factors involved in transcription initiation and of the WRKY family. The analysis also shows that chilling favors degradation processes, which affect lipids and proteins, and that the protective effect of the heat-conditioning treatment is more likely to be related to the repression of the genes involved in lipid degradation than to the modification of fatty acids unsaturation, which affects membrane permeability. Another major factor associated with the beneficial effect of the heat treatment on reducing CI is the regulation of stress-related proteins. Many of the genes that encoded such proteins are involved in secondary metabolism and in oxidative stress-related processes.

Desalination of sea water with aquatic lily (Eichhornia crassipes).

PubMed

Arámburo-Miranda, Isela Victoria; Ruelas-Ramírez, Emmanuel Hammurabi

2017-11-01

During the last decades, methods of halo conditioning have been developed to increase the tolerance to salinity in glucophyta crops. Some experiments have carried out the application of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), in support to the modification of cell tolerance in saline medium. The first objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the incorporation of H 2 O 2 in salinity tolerance development of the aquatic lily (Eichhornia crassipes). Results showed that the incorporation of 0.03 % H 2 O 2 salinity tolerance developed in salt concentrations similar to seawater. Saline stress tolerance in aquatic lily was shown by the excretion of salts in its leaves; this process helped also in removing salt from seawater. At the same time, the reproduction of the lily is intimately linked to the content of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) (nutrients) in water. This reason is important to control the concentrations of these elements in the water. This will allow maintaining a control in the dissemination of the lily. Considering the mentioned above, the second objective was to continue development of the adaptation of the aquatic lily in seawater, using H 2 O 2 and the required amount of nutrients. This paper points out the importance of considering a biological process for the treatments in the desalination of seawater, making the process more sustainable.

Biotechnological strategies to overcome inhibitors in lignocellulose hydrolysates for ethanol production: review.

PubMed

Parawira, W; Tekere, M

2011-03-01

One of the major challenges faced in commercial production of lignocellulosic bioethanol is the inhibitory compounds generated during the thermo-chemical pre-treatment step of biomass. These inhibitory compounds are toxic to fermenting micro-organisms. The ethanol yield and productivity obtained during fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates is decreased due to the presence of inhibiting compounds, such as weak acids, furans and phenolic compounds formed or released during thermo-chemical pre-treatment step such as acid and steam explosion. This review describes the application and/or effect of biological detoxification (removal of inhibitors before fermentation) or use of bioreduction capability of fermenting yeasts on the fermentability of the hydrolysates. Inhibition of yeast fermentation by the inhibitor compounds in the lignocellulosic hydrolysates can be reduced by treatment with enzymes such as the lignolytic enzymes, for example, laccase and micro-organisms such as Trichoderma reesei, Coniochaeta ligniaria NRRL30616, Trametes versicolor, Pseudomonas putida Fu1, Candida guilliermondii, and Ureibacillus thermosphaericus. Microbial and enzymatic detoxifications of lignocellulosic hydrolysate are mild and more specific in their action. The efficiency of enzymatic process is quite comparable to other physical and chemical methods. Adaptation of the fermentation yeasts to the lignocellulosic hydrolysate prior to fermentation is suggested as an alternative approach to detoxification. Increases in fermentation rate and ethanol yield by adapted micro-organisms to acid pre-treated lignocellulosic hydrolysates have been reported in some studies. Another approach to alleviate the inhibition problem is to use genetic engineering to introduce increased tolerance by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, for example, by overexpressing genes encoding enzymes for resistance against specific inhibitors and altering co-factor balance. Cloning of the laccase gene followed by heterologous expression in yeasts was shown to provide higher enzyme yields and permit production of laccases with desired properties for detoxification of lignocellulose hydrolysates. A combination of more inhibitor-tolerant yeast strains with efficient feed strategies such as fed-batch will likely improve lignocellulose-to-ethanol process robustness.

A critical review of the arsenic uptake mechanisms and phytoremediation potential of Pteris vittata.

PubMed

Danh, Luu Thai; Truong, Paul; Mammucari, Raffaella; Foster, Neil

2014-01-01

The discovery of the arsenic hyperaccumulator, Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern), has contributed to the promotion of its application as a means of phytoremediation for arsenic removal from contaminated soils and water. Understanding the mechanisms involved in arsenic tolerance and accumulation of this plant provides valuable tools to improve the phytoremediation efficiency. In this review, the current knowledge about the physiological and molecular mechanisms of arsenic tolerance and accumulation in P. vittata is summarized, and an attempt has been made to clarify some of the unresolved questions related to these mechanisms. In addition, the capacity of P. vittata for remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils is evaluated under field conditions for the first time, and possible solutions to improve the remediation capacity of Pteris vittata are also discussed.

A survey on table tolerances and couch overrides in radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Chinsky, Bonnie; Patel, Rakesh; Panfil, Joshua; Surucu, Murat

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to survey current departmental policies on treatment couch overrides and the values of table tolerances used clinically. A 25‐question electronic survey on couch overrides and tolerances was sent to full members of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). The first part of the survey asked participants if table overrides were allowed at their institution, who was allowed to perform these overrides, and if imaging was required with overrides. The second part of the survey asked individuals to provide table tolerance data for the following treatment sites: brain/head and neck (H&N), lung, breast, abdomen/pelvis and prostate. Each site was further divided into IMRT/VMAT and 3D conformal techniques. Spaces for free‐text were provided, allowing respondents to enter any table tolerance data they were unable to specify under the treatment sites listed. A total of 361 individuals responded, of which approximately half participated in the couch tolerances portion of the survey. Overall, 86% of respondents’ institutions allow couch tolerance overrides at treatment. Therapists were the most common staff members permitted to perform overrides, followed by physicists, dosimetrists, and physicians, respectively. Of the institutions allowing overrides, 34% reported overriding daily. More than half of the centers document the override and/or require a setup image to radiographically verify the treatment site. With respect to table tolerances, SRS/SBRT table tolerances were the tightest, while clinical setup table tolerances were the largest. There were minimal statistically significant differences between IMRT/VMAT and 3D conformal table tolerances. Our results demonstrated that table overrides are relatively common in radiotherapy despite being a potential safety concern. Institutions should review their override policy and table tolerance values in light of the practices of other institutions. Careful attention to these matters is crucial in ensuring the safe and accurate delivery of radiotherapy. PACS number(s): 87.55.N‐, 87.55.Qr, 87.55.T‐ PMID:27929512

Molecular and physiological responses of trees to waterlogging stress.

PubMed

Kreuzwieser, Jürgen; Rennenberg, Heinz

2014-10-01

One major effect of global climate change will be altered precipitation patterns in many regions of the world. This will cause a higher probability of long-term waterlogging in winter/spring and flash floods in summer because of extreme rainfall events. Particularly, trees not adapted at their natural site to such waterlogging stress can be impaired. Despite the enormous economic, ecological and social importance of forest ecosystems, the effect of waterlogging on trees is far less understood than the effect on many crops or the model plant Arabidopsis. There is only a handful of studies available investigating the transcriptome and metabolome of waterlogged trees. Main physiological responses of trees to waterlogging include the stimulation of fermentative pathways and an accelerated glycolytic flux. Many energy-consuming, anabolic processes are slowed down to overcome the energy crisis mediated by waterlogging. A crucial feature of waterlogging tolerance is the steady supply of glycolysis with carbohydrates, particularly in the roots; stress-sensitive trees fail to maintain sufficient carbohydrate availability resulting in the dieback of the stressed tissues. The present review summarizes physiological and molecular features of waterlogging tolerance of trees; the focus is on carbon metabolism in both, leaves and roots of trees. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mechanisms of Adaptation and Progression in Idiosyncratic Drug Induced Liver Injury, Clinical Implications

PubMed Central

Dara, Lily; Liu, Zhang-Xu; Kaplowitz, Neil

2015-01-01

In the past decade our understanding of idiosyncratic drug induced liver injury (IDILI) and the contribution of genetic susceptibility and the adaptive immune system to the pathogenesis of this disease process has grown tremendously. One of the characteristics of IDILI is that it occurs rarely and only in a subset of individuals with a presumed susceptibility to the drug. Despite a clear association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and certain drugs that cause IDILI, not all individuals with susceptible HLA genotypes develop clinically significant liver injury when exposed to drugs. The adaptation hypothesis has been put forth as an explanation for why only a small percentage of susceptible individuals develop overt IDILI and severe injury, while the majority with susceptible genotypes develop only mild abnormalities that resolve spontaneously upon continuation of the drug. This spontaneous resolution is referred to as clinical adaptation. Failure to adapt or defective adaptation leads to clinically significant liver injury. In this review we explore the immuno-tolerant microenvironment of the liver and the mechanisms of clinical adaptation in IDILI with a focus on the role of immune-tolerance and cellular adaptive responses. PMID:26484420

Wavefront error budget and optical manufacturing tolerance analysis for 1.8m telescope system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Kai; Zhang, Xuejun; Xian, Hao; Rao, Changhui; Zhang, Yudong

2010-05-01

We present the wavefront error budget and optical manufacturing tolerance analysis for 1.8m telescope. The error budget accounts for aberrations induced by optical design residual, manufacturing error, mounting effects, and misalignments. The initial error budget has been generated from the top-down. There will also be an ongoing effort to track the errors from the bottom-up. This will aid in identifying critical areas of concern. The resolution of conflicts will involve a continual process of review and comparison of the top-down and bottom-up approaches, modifying both as needed to meet the top level requirements in the end. As we all know, the adaptive optical system will correct for some of the telescope system imperfections but it cannot be assumed that all errors will be corrected. Therefore, two kinds of error budgets will be presented, one is non-AO top-down error budget and the other is with-AO system error budget. The main advantage of the method is that at the same time it describes the final performance of the telescope, and gives to the optical manufacturer the maximum freedom to define and possibly modify its own manufacturing error budget.

Interplay between reactive oxygen species and hormones in the control of plant development and stress tolerance.

PubMed

Xia, Xiao-Jian; Zhou, Yan-Hong; Shi, Kai; Zhou, Jie; Foyer, Christine H; Yu, Jing-Quan

2015-05-01

As a consequence of a sessile lifestyle, plants are continuously exposed to changing environmental conditions and often life-threatening stresses caused by exposure to excessive light, extremes of temperature, limiting nutrient or water availability, and pathogen/insect attack. The flexible coordination of plant growth and development is necessary to optimize vigour and fitness in a changing environment through rapid and appropriate responses to such stresses. The concept that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are versatile signalling molecules in plants that contribute to stress acclimation is well established. This review provides an overview of our current knowledge of how ROS production and signalling are integrated with the action of auxin, brassinosteroids, gibberellins, abscisic acid, ethylene, strigolactones, salicylic acid, and jasmonic acid in the coordinate regulation of plant growth and stress tolerance. We consider the local and systemic crosstalk between ROS and hormonal signalling pathways and identify multiple points of reciprocal control, as well as providing insights into the integration nodes that involve Ca(2+)-dependent processes and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation cascades. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Scientific Data Management (SDM) Center for Enabling Technologies. 2007-2012

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

Ludascher, Bertram; Altintas, Ilkay

Over the past five years, our activities have both established Kepler as a viable scientific workflow environment and demonstrated its value across multiple science applications. We have published numerous peer-reviewed papers on the technologies highlighted in this short paper and have given Kepler tutorials at SC06,SC07,SC08,and SciDAC 2007. Our outreach activities have allowed scientists to learn best practices and better utilize Kepler to address their individual workflow problems. Our contributions to advancing the state-of-the-art in scientific workflows have focused on the following areas. Progress in each of these areas is described in subsequent sections. Workflow development. The development of amore » deeper understanding of scientific workflows "in the wild" and of the requirements for support tools that allow easy construction of complex scientific workflows; Generic workflow components and templates. The development of generic actors (i.e.workflow components and processes) which can be broadly applied to scientific problems; Provenance collection and analysis. The design of a flexible provenance collection and analysis infrastructure within the workflow environment; and, Workflow reliability and fault tolerance. The improvement of the reliability and fault-tolerance of workflow environments.« less

Lipoxygenases and their metabolites in formation of plant stress tolerance.

PubMed

Babenko, L M; Shcherbatiuk, M M; Skaterna, T D; Kosakivska, I V

2017-01-01

The review focuses on the analysis of new information concerning molecular enzymology of lipoxygenases – proteins involved in lipid peroxidation and found in animals and plants. Modern concept of structural features, catalytic characteristics and functions of lipoxygenase family enzymes as well as products of their catalytic activity in plants have been discussed and summarized. Issues of enzyme localization in plant cells and tissues, evolution and distribution of lipoxygenases, involvement in production of signaling substances involved in formation of adaptation response to abiotic and biotic stress factors and in regulation of lipoxygenase signal system activity are highlighted. Participants of the elements signaling of LOX-pathway reception and transduction into genome are considered. Special attention is given to jasmonates, metabolites of the allene oxide synthase branch of the lipoxygenase cascade, because these metabolites have high biological activity, are ubiquitously present in all plant organisms, and are involved in regulation of vitally important processes. Data concerning lipoxygenase phylogeny, possible occurrence of a common predecessor for modern isoforms of the enzyme in pro- and eukaryote have been examined. Some results of our studies that open up possibilities of using the lipoxygenase catalytic activity characteristics as biological markers in plant stress tolerance researches are given.

Aerobic fitness and orthostatic tolerance: Evidence against an association

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebert, Thomas J.

1994-01-01

This presentation will focus on only one side of the debate as to whether high levels of aerobic fitness have a deleterious effect on tolerance to gravitational stress. This issue was raised in the early 1970's as a result of two research publications. The first work investigated the carotid sinus baroreflex of humans with an airtight chamber that surrounded the head and neck. The steady-state reflex changes in blood pressure that were recorded 3 minutes after application of the head and neck stimuli, were attenuated in an athletic group compared to a sedentary group of volunteers. A second report in the NASA literature indicated that five endurance-trained runners were less tolerant to LBNP than five nonrunners. These early research findings have stimulated a considerable amount of interest that has lead to a growing number of research efforts seeking an association between aerobic fitness and orthostatic tolerance in humans. I will briefly review some of the more pertinent published research information which suggests that there is no relationship between aerobic fitness and orthostatic tolerance in humans.

Reduced G tolerance associated with supplement use.

PubMed

Barker, Patrick D

2011-02-01

High G forces encountered in tactical military aviation and aerobatic flight produce a host of physiologic responses aimed at preserving cerebral perfusion. The military has instituted measures to augment the physiologic response in order to avoid G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) because of its potential to cause a catastrophic mishap. The case presented here details a Naval Aviator who experienced reduced G tolerance over two successive flights with a temporal relationship of starting a new supplement. Two components of the supplement, coenzyme Q10 and niacin, are highlighted here for their hemodynamic effects. After stopping the supplement the aviator regained his normal G tolerance and had no further issues in flight. There are several factors that can reduce G tolerance and supplement use has to be considered here because of the potential for altering the normal physiological response to increased G force. Our discussion reviews the physiological effects of increased G force, the spectrum of signs of decompensation under the stress of G force, and the potential effects this supplement had on the normal physiological response to increased G force, thus reducing the aviator's G tolerance.

Tolerance allocation for an electronic system using neural network/Monte Carlo approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Mohammed, Mohammed; Esteve, Daniel; Boucher, Jaque

2001-12-01

The intense global competition to produce quality products at a low cost has led many industrial nations to consider tolerances as a key factor to bring about cost as well as to remain competitive. In actually, Tolerance allocation stays widely applied on the Mechanic System. It is known that to study the tolerances in an electronic domain, Monte-Carlo method well be used. But the later method spends a long time. This paper reviews several methods (Worst-case, Statistical Method, Least Cost Allocation by Optimization methods) that can be used for treating the tolerancing problem for an Electronic System and explains their advantages and their limitations. Then, it proposes an efficient method based on the Neural Networks associated with Monte-Carlo method as basis data. The network is trained using the Error Back Propagation Algorithm to predict the individual part tolerances, minimizing the total cost of the system by a method of optimization. This proposed approach has been applied on Small-Signal Amplifier Circuit as an example. This method can be easily extended to a complex system of n-components.

The Safety of Available Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Glioblastoma

PubMed Central

Farber, S. Harrison; Elsamadicy, Aladine A.; Atik, Fatih; Suryadevara, Carter M.; Chongsathidkiet, Pakawat; Fecci, Peter E.; Sampson, John H.

2017-01-01

Introduction Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Current standard of care involves maximal surgical resection combined with adjuvant chemoradiation. Growing support exists for a role of immunotherapy in treating these tumors with the goal of targeted cytotoxicity. Here we review data on the safety for current immunotherapies being tested in GBM. Areas covered Safety data from published clinical trials, including ongoing clinical trials were reviewed. Immunotherapeutic classes currently under investigation in GBM include various vaccination strategies, adoptive T cell immunotherapy, immune checkpoint blockade, monoclonal antibodies, and cytokine therapies. Trials include children, adolescents, and adults with either primary or recurrent GBM. Expert commentary Based on the reviewed clinical trials, the current immunotherapies targeting GBM are safe and well-tolerated with minimal toxicities which should be noted. However, the gains in patient survival have been modest. A safe and well-tolerated combinatory immunotherapeutic approach may be essential for optimal efficacy towards GBM. PMID:27989218

A review on in situ phytoremediation of mine tailings.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Ji, Bin; Hu, Yuehua; Liu, Runqing; Sun, Wei

2017-10-01

Mine tailings are detrimental to natural plant growth due to their physicochemical characteristics, such as high pH, high salinity, low water retention capacity, high heavy metal concentrations, and deficiencies in soil organic matter and fertility. Thus, the remediation of mine tailings has become a key issue in environmental science and engineering. Phytoremediation, an in situ cost-effective technology, is emerging as the most promising remediation method for mine tailings by introducing tolerant plant species. It is particularly effective in dealing with large-area mine tailings with shallow contamination of organic, nutrient and metal pollutants. In this review, the background, concepts and applications of phytoremediation are comprehensively discussed. Furthermore, proper amendments used to improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of mine tailings are systematically reviewed and compared. Emphasis is placed on the types and characteristics of tolerant plants and their role in phytoremediation. Moreover, the role of microorganisms and their mechanism in phytoremediation are also discussed in-depth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is There a Role for Intravenous Subdissociative-Dose Ketamine Administered as an Adjunct to Opioids or as a Single Agent for Acute Pain Management in the Emergency Department?

PubMed

Motov, Sergey; Rosenbaum, Steven; Vilke, Gary M; Nakajima, Yuko

2016-12-01

Whether acute or chronic, emergency physicians frequently encounter patients reporting pain. It is the responsibility of the emergency physician to assess and evaluate, and if appropriate, safely and effectively reduce pain. Recently, analgesics other than opioids are being considered in an effort to provide safe alternatives for pain management in the emergency department (ED). Opioids have significant adverse effects such as respiratory depression, hypotension, and sedation, to say nothing of their potential for abuse. Although ketamine has long been used in the ED for procedural sedation and rapid sequence intubation, it is used infrequently for analgesia. Recent evidence suggests that ketamine use in subdissociative doses proves to be effective for pain control and serves as a feasible alternative to traditional opioids. This paper evaluates ketamine's analgesic effectiveness and safety in the ED. This is a literature review of randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and observational studies evaluating ketamine for pain control in the ED setting. Based on these search parameters, eight studies were included in the final analysis and graded based on the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Clinical Practice Committee manuscript review process. A total of eight papers were reviewed in detail and graded. Recommendations were given based upon this review process. Subdissociative-dose ketamine (low-dose ketamine) is effective and safe to use alone or in combination with opioid analgesics for the treatment of acute pain in the ED. Its use is associated with higher rates of minor, but well-tolerated adverse side effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review on sugar beet salt stress studies in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khayamim, S.; Noshad, H.; Jahadakbar, M. R.; Fotuhi, K.

2017-07-01

Increase of saline lands in most regions of the world and Iran, limit of production increase based on land enhancement and also threat of saline water and soils for crop production make related researches and production of salt tolerant variety to be more serious. There have been many researches about salt stress in Sugar Beet Seed Institute of Iran (SBSI) during several years. Accordingly, the new screening methods for stress tolerance to be continued based on these researches. Previous researches in SBSI were reviewed and results concluded to this study which is presented in this article in three categories including: Agronomy, Breeding and Biotechnology. In agronomy researches, suitable planting medium, EC, growth stage and traits for salinity tolerance screening were determined and agronomic technique such as planting date, planting method and suitable nutrition for sugar beet under salt stress were introduced. Sand was salinizied by saline treatments two times more than Perlit so large sized Perlit is suitable medium for saline studies. Sugar beet genotypes screening for salt tolerance and should be conducted at EC=20 in laboratory and EC= 16 dS/M in greenhouse. Although sugar beet seed germination has been known as more susceptible stage to salinity, it seems establishment is more susceptible than germination in which salinity will cause 70-80% decrease in plant establishment. Measurements of leaves Na, K and total carbohydrate at establishment stage would be useful for faster screening of genotypes, based on high and significant correlation of these traits at establishment with yield at harvest time. In breeding section, SBSI genotypes with drought tolerance background would be useful for salinity stress studies and finally there is a need for more research in the field of biotechnology in Iran.

Validation Methods Research for Fault-Tolerant Avionics and Control Systems Sub-Working Group Meeting. CARE 3 peer review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trivedi, K. S. (Editor); Clary, J. B. (Editor)

1980-01-01

A computer aided reliability estimation procedure (CARE 3), developed to model the behavior of ultrareliable systems required by flight-critical avionics and control systems, is evaluated. The mathematical models, numerical method, and fault-tolerant architecture modeling requirements are examined, and the testing and characterization procedures are discussed. Recommendations aimed at enhancing CARE 3 are presented; in particular, the need for a better exposition of the method and the user interface is emphasized.

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

Frederix, Marijke; Mingardon, Florence; Hu, Matthew

Biological production of chemicals and fuels using microbial transformation of sustainable carbon sources, such as pretreated and saccharified plant biomass, is a multi-step process. Typically, each segment of the workflow is optimized separately, often generating conditions that may not be suitable for integration or consolidation with the upstream or downstream steps. While significant effort has gone into developing solutions to incompatibilities at discrete steps, very few studies report the consolidation of the multi-step workflow into a single pot reactor system. Here we demonstrate a one-pot biofuel production process that uses the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (C 2C 1Im][OAc] ) formore » pretreatment of switchgrass biomass. [C 2C 1Im][OAc] is highly effective in deconstructing lignocellulose, but nonetheless leaves behind residual reagents that are toxic to standard saccharification enzymes and the microbial production host. We report the discovery of an [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant E. coli strain, where [C 2C 1Im] tolerance is bestowed by a P7Q mutation in the transcriptional regulator encoded by rcdA. We establish that the causal impact of this mutation is the derepression of a hitherto uncharacterized major facilitator family transporter, YbjJ. To develop the strain for a one-pot process we engineered this [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant strain to express a recently reported d-limonene production pathway. We also screened previously reported [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant cellulases to select one that would function with the range of E. coli cultivation conditions and expressed it in the [C 2C 1 Im]-tolerant E. coli strain so as to secrete this [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant cellulase. The final strain digests pretreated biomass, and uses the liberated sugars to produce the bio-jet fuel candidate precursor d-limonene in a one-pot process.« less

Development of an E. coli strain for one-pot biofuel production from ionic liquid pretreated cellulose and switchgrass

DOE PAGES

Frederix, Marijke; Mingardon, Florence; Hu, Matthew; ...

2016-04-11

Biological production of chemicals and fuels using microbial transformation of sustainable carbon sources, such as pretreated and saccharified plant biomass, is a multi-step process. Typically, each segment of the workflow is optimized separately, often generating conditions that may not be suitable for integration or consolidation with the upstream or downstream steps. While significant effort has gone into developing solutions to incompatibilities at discrete steps, very few studies report the consolidation of the multi-step workflow into a single pot reactor system. Here we demonstrate a one-pot biofuel production process that uses the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (C 2C 1Im][OAc] ) formore » pretreatment of switchgrass biomass. [C 2C 1Im][OAc] is highly effective in deconstructing lignocellulose, but nonetheless leaves behind residual reagents that are toxic to standard saccharification enzymes and the microbial production host. We report the discovery of an [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant E. coli strain, where [C 2C 1Im] tolerance is bestowed by a P7Q mutation in the transcriptional regulator encoded by rcdA. We establish that the causal impact of this mutation is the derepression of a hitherto uncharacterized major facilitator family transporter, YbjJ. To develop the strain for a one-pot process we engineered this [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant strain to express a recently reported d-limonene production pathway. We also screened previously reported [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant cellulases to select one that would function with the range of E. coli cultivation conditions and expressed it in the [C 2C 1 Im]-tolerant E. coli strain so as to secrete this [C 2C 1Im]-tolerant cellulase. The final strain digests pretreated biomass, and uses the liberated sugars to produce the bio-jet fuel candidate precursor d-limonene in a one-pot process.« less

Experiments in fault tolerant software reliability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcallister, David F.; Tai, K. C.; Vouk, Mladen A.

1987-01-01

The reliability of voting was evaluated in a fault-tolerant software system for small output spaces. The effectiveness of the back-to-back testing process was investigated. Version 3.0 of the RSDIMU-ATS, a semi-automated test bed for certification testing of RSDIMU software, was prepared and distributed. Software reliability estimation methods based on non-random sampling are being studied. The investigation of existing fault-tolerance models was continued and formulation of new models was initiated.

Materials and processes laboratory composite materials characterization task, part 1. Damage tolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nettles, A. T.; Tucker, D. S.; Patterson, W. J.; Franklin, S. W.; Gordon, G. H.; Hart, L.; Hodge, A. J.; Lance, D. G.; Russel, S. S.

1991-01-01

A test run was performed on IM6/3501-6 carbon-epoxy in which the material was processed, machined into specimens, and tested for damage tolerance capabilities. Nondestructive test data played a major role in this element of composite characterization. A time chart was produced showing the time the composite material spent within each Branch or Division in order to identify those areas which produce a long turnaround time. Instrumented drop weight testing was performed on the specimens with nondestructive evaluation being performed before and after the impacts. Destructive testing in the form of cross-sectional photomicrography and compression-after-impact testing were used. Results show that the processing and machining steps needed to be performed more rapidly if data on composite material is to be collected within a reasonable timeframe. The results of the damage tolerance testing showed that IM6/3501-6 is a brittle material that is very susceptible to impact damage.

Videogame distraction using virtual reality technology for children experiencing cold pressor pain: the role of cognitive processing.

PubMed

Law, Emily F; Dahlquist, Lynnda M; Sil, Soumitri; Weiss, Karen E; Herbert, Linda Jones; Wohlheiter, Karen; Horn, Susan Berrin

2011-01-01

This study examined whether increasing the demand for central cognitive processing involved in a distraction task, by involving the child in ongoing, effortful interaction with the distraction stimulus, would increase children's tolerance for cold pressor pain. Seventy-nine children ages 6-15 years underwent a baseline cold pressor trial followed by two cold pressor trials in which they received interactive distraction (i.e., used voice commands to play a videogame) or passive distraction (in which they merely watched the output from the same videogame segment) in counterbalanced order. Both distraction conditions were presented via a virtual reality-type helmet. As expected, children demonstrated significant improvement in pain tolerance during distraction relative to baseline. Children showed the greatest improvement during the interactive distraction task. The effects of distraction on children's cold pressor pain tolerance are significantly enhanced when the distraction task also includes greater demands for central cognitive processing.

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

Fang, Aiman; Laguna, Ignacio; Sato, Kento

Future high-performance computing systems may face frequent failures with their rapid increase in scale and complexity. Resilience to faults has become a major challenge for large-scale applications running on supercomputers, which demands fault tolerance support for prevalent MPI applications. Among failure scenarios, process failures are one of the most severe issues as they usually lead to termination of applications. However, the widely used MPI implementations do not provide mechanisms for fault tolerance. We propose FTA-MPI (Fault Tolerance Assistant MPI), a programming model that provides support for failure detection, failure notification and recovery. Specifically, FTA-MPI exploits a try/catch model that enablesmore » failure localization and transparent recovery of process failures in MPI applications. We demonstrate FTA-MPI with synthetic applications and a molecular dynamics code CoMD, and show that FTA-MPI provides high programmability for users and enables convenient and flexible recovery of process failures.« less

Software fault tolerance for real-time avionics systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, T.; Knight, J. C.

1983-01-01

Avionics systems have very high reliability requirements and are therefore prime candidates for the inclusion of fault tolerance techniques. In order to provide tolerance to software faults, some form of state restoration is usually advocated as a means of recovery. State restoration can be very expensive for systems which utilize concurrent processes. The concurrency present in most avionics systems and the further difficulties introduced by timing constraints imply that providing tolerance for software faults may be inordinately expensive or complex. A straightforward pragmatic approach to software fault tolerance which is believed to be applicable to many real-time avionics systems is proposed. A classification system for software errors is presented together with approaches to recovery and continued service for each error type.

Surgery for adult patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: A review for general practitioners.

PubMed

Phan, Nga T; Wallwork, Benjamin; Panizza, Benedict

2016-08-01

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a complex disease process that involves collapse of the upper airway during sleep and subsequent reduction or cessation of airflow. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the primary treatment for OSA and is the recommended first-line treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe forms of the disease. However, some patients are unable to tolerate CPAP or are unwilling to accept it as a form of permanent management. In these cases, surgical management aimed at addressing anatomical obstruction may be useful and warranted. This article presents an overview of the surgical options available for OSA. The review also describes a useful approach for selecting appropriate patients for surgery. On the basis of an OSA model that accounts for observed increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and motor vehicle accidents, there is evidence to support that surgery is beneficial and cost-effective for patients with severe OSA who are intolerant of CPAP. There are many surgical options available for OSA.

A review of the immunomodulatory role of dietary tryptophan in livestock and poultry.

PubMed

Bai, Miaomiao; Liu, Hongnan; Xu, Kang; Oso, Abimbola Oladele; Wu, Xin; Liu, Gang; Tossou, Myrlene Carine B; Al-Dhabi, Naif Abdullah; Duraipandiyan, Veeramuthu; Xi, Qianyun; Yin, Yinlong

2017-01-01

Tryptophan, a nutritionally essential amino acid, is active in the regulation of immune responses in animals. The products of tryptophan metabolism, such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, kynurenine, quinolinic acid, and melatonin, may improve immunity in an organism and induce anti-inflammatory responses. The immune tolerance processes mediated by tryptophan metabolites are not well understood. Recent studies have reported that the enzymes that break down tryptophan through the kynurenine metabolic pathway are found in numerous cell types, including immunocytes. Moreover, some tryptophan metabolites have been shown to play a role in the inhibition of T lymphocyte proliferation, elevation of immunoglobulin levels in the blood, and promotion of antigen-presenting organization in tissues. This review summarizes the effects and mechanisms of tryptophan and metabolites in immune functions in livestock and poultry. It also highlights the areas in which our understanding of the role(s) of tryptophan is incomplete and suggests possible future research that might prove of benefit to livestock and poultry producers.

Interaction of flooding and salinity stress on baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, J.A.; Pezeshki, S.R.; Chambers, J.L.

1996-01-01

Coastal wetlands of the southeastern United States are threatened by increases in flooding and salinity as a result of both natural processes and man-induced hydrologic alterations. Furthermore, global climate change scenarios suggest that, as a consequence of rising sea levels, much larger areas of coastal wetlands may be affected by flooding and salinity in the next 50 to 100 years. In this paper, we review studies designed to improve our ability to predict and ameliorate the impacts of increased flooding and salinity stress on baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.), which is a dominant species of many coastal forested wetlands. Specifically, we review studies on species-level responses to flooding and salinity stress, alone and in combination, we summarize two studies on intraspecific variation in response to flooding and salinity stress, we analyze the physiological mechanisms thought to be responsible for the interaction between flooding and salinity stress, and we discuss the implications for coastal wetland loss and the prospects for developing salt-tolerant lines of baldcypress.

Efavirenz-associated gynecomastia: report of five cases and review of the literature.

PubMed

Jover, Francisco; Cuadrado, José M; Roig, Pablo; Rodríguez, Marta; Andreu, Lucio; Merino, Jaime

2004-01-01

The prognosis of HIV infection has improved dramatically since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). However, numerous adverse effects and limitations regarding tolerability remain a concern. Lipomastia (pseudogynecomastia), a breast enlargement due to central adiposity, may occur as part of a fat redistribution syndrome which has been associated with HAART regimens and several pathogenic mechanisms have been advocated in its development. Here we report an observational longitudinal study of five patients diagnosed of gynecomastia associated with efavirenz-based HAART regimens. All cases reached successful immunologic and virologic responses to HAART. The delay of appearance of gynecomastia from the beginning of HAART ranged between 4 to 15 months. In all five cases, gynecomastia regressed after efavirenz withdrawal (mean period of 5 months). In summary, we think that HAART induced gynecomastia should be suspected in HIV patients receiving efavirenz-containing regimens. Although pathogenesis is unclear, this study and a review of the English literature implicates two possible mechanisms: (a) immune restoration processes and (b) efavirenz mediated estradiol-like effects.

Targeting the immunoregulatory indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase pathway in immunotherapy

PubMed Central

Johnson, Burles A; Baban, Babak; Mellor, Andrew L

2009-01-01

Natural immune tolerance is a formidable barrier to successful immunotherapy to treat established cancers and chronic infections. Conversely, creating robust immune tolerance via immunotherapy is the major goal in treating autoimmune and allergic diseases, and enhancing survival of transplanted organs and tissues. In this review, we focus on a natural mechanism that creates local T-cell tolerance in many clinically relevant settings of chronic inflammation involving expression of the cytosolic enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) by specialized subsets of dendritic cells. IDO-expressing dendritic cells suppress antigen-specific T-cell responses directly, and induce bystander suppression by activating regulatory T cells. Thus, manipulating IDO is a promising strategy to treat a range of chronic inflammatory diseases. PMID:20161103

Fluvoxamine versus other anti-depressive agents for depression

PubMed Central

Omori, Ichiro M; Watanabe, Norio; Nakagawa, Atsuo; Cipriani, Andrea; Barbui, Corrado; McGuire, Hugh; Churchill, Rachel; Furukawa, Toshi A

2014-01-01

Background Fluvoxamine, one of the oldest selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), is prescribed to patients with major depression in many countries. Several studies have previously reviewed the efficacy and tolerability of fluvoxamine for the treatment of major depression. However, these reviews are now outdated. Objectives Our objective is to evaluate the effectiveness, tolerability and side effect profile of fluvoxamine for major depression in comparison with other anti-depressive agents, including tricyclics (TCAs), heterocyclics, other SSRIs, SNRIs, other newer agents and other conventional psychotropic drugs. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Collaboration Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Controlled Trials Register. Trial databases and ongoing trial registers in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia, were handsearched for randomised controlled trials. We checked reference lists of the articles included in the review, previous systematic reviews and major textbooks of affective disorder for published reports and citations of unpublished research. The date of last search was 31 August 2008. Selection criteria We included all randomised controlled trials, published in any language, that compared fluvoxamine with any other active antidepressants in the acute phase treatment of major depression. Data collection and analysis Two independent review authors inspected citations and abstracts, obtained papers, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. We analysed dichotomous data using odds ratios (ORs) and continuous data using the standardised mean difference (SMD). A random effects model was used to combine studies. Main results A total of 54 randomised controlled trials (n = 5122) were included. No strong evidence was found to indicate that fluvoxamine was either superior or inferior to other antidepressants regarding response, remission and tolerability. However, differing side effect profiles were evident, especially with regard to gastrointestinal side effects of fluvoxamine when compared to other antidepressants. For example, fluvoxamine was generally associated with a higher incidence of vomiting/nausea (versus imipramine, OR 2.23, CI 1.59 to 3.14; versus clomipramine, OR 2.13, CI 1.06 to 4.27; versus amitriptyline, OR 2.86, CI 1.31 to 2.63). Authors’ conclusions We found no strong evidence that fluvoxamine was either superior or inferior to any other antidepressants in terms of efficacy and tolerability in the acute phase treatment of depression. However, differing side effect profiles were evident. Based on these findings, we conclude that clinicians should focus on practical or clinically relevant considerations, including these differences in side effect profiles. PMID:20238342

Patient quality of life following induction of oral immunotherapy for food allergy.

PubMed

Epstein Rigbi, Na'ama; Katz, Yitzhak; Goldberg, Michael R; Levy, Michael B; Nachshon, Liat; Elizur, Arnon

2016-05-01

Patient quality of life improves following successful completion of oral immunotherapy (OIT), but the process itself might have undesirable effects. We aimed to evaluate patient quality of life following OIT initial induction. The Hebrew version of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parental Form (FAQLQ-PF) was validated and administered to the parents of children following the first week of OIT for food allergy (n = 119). Patient demographics and clinical history as well as the course of initial induction week were reviewed. Pre-OIT severity of food allergy, defined as severity of reactions due to accidental exposure to the allergenic food (anaphylactic reactions, p = 0.017; epinephrine use, p = 0.049; emergency room referrals p = 0.003; and hospital admissions, p = 0.015) and a lower number of tolerated doses during initial induction, reflective of a lower maximal tolerated dose for the different allergens (p = 0.011) were associated with worse total FAQLQ-PF scores. The number of tolerated doses during induction and pre-OIT emergency room referrals remained significantly associated with worse total score of the FAQLQ-PF on multivariate analysis (p = 0.016 and p = 0.005, respectively). The correlation between the number of tolerated doses and quality of life scores was moderate-strong primarily in children aged 6-12 years (Total score, r = -0.41, p = 0.001; Emotional Impact r = -0.42, p = 0.001; Food Anxiety, r = -0.38, p = 0.002; Social and Dietary Limitations, r = -0.33, p = 0.009). Pre-OIT reaction severity affects quality of life in both preschool and school-aged food-allergic children. In contrast, a lower maximal tolerated dose during OIT induction is associated with worse indices of quality of life primarily in children aged 6-12 years. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fatigue Crack Growth Database for Damage Tolerance Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forman, R. G.; Shivakumar, V.; Cardinal, J. W.; Williams, L. C.; McKeighan, P. C.

2005-01-01

The objective of this project was to begin the process of developing a fatigue crack growth database (FCGD) of metallic materials for use in damage tolerance analysis of aircraft structure. For this initial effort, crack growth rate data in the NASGRO (Registered trademark) database, the United States Air Force Damage Tolerant Design Handbook, and other publicly available sources were examined and used to develop a database that characterizes crack growth behavior for specific applications (materials). The focus of this effort was on materials for general commercial aircraft applications, including large transport airplanes, small transport commuter airplanes, general aviation airplanes, and rotorcraft. The end products of this project are the FCGD software and this report. The specific goal of this effort was to present fatigue crack growth data in three usable formats: (1) NASGRO equation parameters, (2) Walker equation parameters, and (3) tabular data points. The development of this FCGD will begin the process of developing a consistent set of standard fatigue crack growth material properties. It is envisioned that the end product of the process will be a general repository for credible and well-documented fracture properties that may be used as a default standard in damage tolerance analyses.

Variation in waterlogging-triggered stomatal behavior contributes to changes in the cold acclimation process in prehardened Lolium perenne and Festuca pratensis.

PubMed

Jurczyk, Barbara; Pociecha, Ewa; Janowiak, Franciszek; Kabała, Dawid; Rapacz, Marcin

2016-12-01

According to predicted changes in climate, waterlogging events may occur more frequently in the future during autumn and winter at high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. If excess soil water coincides with the process of cold acclimation for plants, winter survival may potentially be affected. The effects of waterlogging during cold acclimation on stomatal aperture, relative water content, photochemical activity of photosystem II, freezing tolerance and plant regrowth after freezing were compared for two prehardened overwintering forage grasses, Lolium perenne and Festuca pratensis. The experiment was performed to test the hypothesis that changes in photochemical activity initiated by waterlogging-triggered modifications in the stomatal aperture contribute to changes in freezing tolerance. Principal component analysis showed that waterlogging activated different adaptive strategies in the two species studied. The increased freezing tolerance of F. pratensis was associated with increased photochemical activity connected with stomatal opening, whereas freezing tolerance of L. perenne was associated with a decrease in stomatal aperture. In conclusion, waterlogging-triggered stomatal behavior contributed to the efficiency of the cold acclimation process in L. perenne and F. pratensis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Yeasts in sustainable bioethanol production: A review.

PubMed

Mohd Azhar, Siti Hajar; Abdulla, Rahmath; Jambo, Siti Azmah; Marbawi, Hartinie; Gansau, Jualang Azlan; Mohd Faik, Ainol Azifa; Rodrigues, Kenneth Francis

2017-07-01

Bioethanol has been identified as the mostly used biofuel worldwide since it significantly contributes to the reduction of crude oil consumption and environmental pollution. It can be produced from various types of feedstocks such as sucrose, starch, lignocellulosic and algal biomass through fermentation process by microorganisms. Compared to other types of microoganisms, yeasts especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the common microbes employed in ethanol production due to its high ethanol productivity, high ethanol tolerance and ability of fermenting wide range of sugars. However, there are some challenges in yeast fermentation which inhibit ethanol production such as high temperature, high ethanol concentration and the ability to ferment pentose sugars. Various types of yeast strains have been used in fermentation for ethanol production including hybrid, recombinant and wild-type yeasts. Yeasts can directly ferment simple sugars into ethanol while other type of feedstocks must be converted to fermentable sugars before it can be fermented to ethanol. The common processes involves in ethanol production are pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation. Production of bioethanol during fermentation depends on several factors such as temperature, sugar concentration, pH, fermentation time, agitation rate, and inoculum size. The efficiency and productivity of ethanol can be enhanced by immobilizing the yeast cells. This review highlights the different types of yeast strains, fermentation process, factors affecting bioethanol production and immobilization of yeasts for better bioethanol production.

Generation of a platform strain for ionic liquid tolerance using adaptive laboratory evolution

DOE PAGES

Mohamed, Elsayed T.; Wang, Shizeng; Lennen, Rebecca M.; ...

2017-11-16

There is a need to replace petroleum-derived with sustainable feedstocks for chemical production. Certain biomass feedstocks can meet this need as abundant, diverse, and renewable resources. Specific ionic liquids (ILs) can play a role in this process as promising candidates for chemical pretreatment and deconstruction of plant-based biomass feedstocks as they efficiently release carbohydrates which can be fermented. However, the most efficient pretreatment ILs are highly toxic to biological systems, such as microbial fermentations, and hinder subsequent bioprocessing of fermentative sugars obtained from IL-treated biomass. To generate strains capable of tolerating residual ILs present in treated feedstocks, a tolerance adaptivemore » laboratory evolution (TALE) approach was developed and utilized to improve growth of two different Escherichia coli strains, DH1 and K-12 MG1655, in the presence of two different ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C 2C 1Im][OAc] ) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C 4C 1Im]Cl). For multiple parallel replicate populations of E. coli, cells were repeatedly passed to select for improved fitness over the course of approximately 40 days. Clonal isolates were screened and the best performing isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing. The most prevalent mutations in tolerant clones occurred in transport processes related to the functions of mdtJI, a multidrug efflux pump, and yhdP, an uncharacterized transporter. Additional mutations were enriched in processes such as transcriptional regulation and nucleotide biosynthesis. Finally, the best-performing strains were compared to previously characterized tolerant strains and showed superior performance in tolerance of different IL and media combinations (i.e., cross tolerance) with robust growth at 8.5% (w/v) and detectable growth up to 11.9% (w/v) [C 2C 1Im][OAc]. The generated strains thus represent the best performing platform strains available for bioproduction utilizing IL-treated renewable substrates, and the TALE method was highly successful in overcoming the general issue of substrate toxicity and has great promise for use in tolerance engineering.« less

Generation of a platform strain for ionic liquid tolerance using adaptive laboratory evolution

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

Mohamed, Elsayed T.; Wang, Shizeng; Lennen, Rebecca M.

There is a need to replace petroleum-derived with sustainable feedstocks for chemical production. Certain biomass feedstocks can meet this need as abundant, diverse, and renewable resources. Specific ionic liquids (ILs) can play a role in this process as promising candidates for chemical pretreatment and deconstruction of plant-based biomass feedstocks as they efficiently release carbohydrates which can be fermented. However, the most efficient pretreatment ILs are highly toxic to biological systems, such as microbial fermentations, and hinder subsequent bioprocessing of fermentative sugars obtained from IL-treated biomass. To generate strains capable of tolerating residual ILs present in treated feedstocks, a tolerance adaptivemore » laboratory evolution (TALE) approach was developed and utilized to improve growth of two different Escherichia coli strains, DH1 and K-12 MG1655, in the presence of two different ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C 2C 1Im][OAc] ) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C 4C 1Im]Cl). For multiple parallel replicate populations of E. coli, cells were repeatedly passed to select for improved fitness over the course of approximately 40 days. Clonal isolates were screened and the best performing isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing. The most prevalent mutations in tolerant clones occurred in transport processes related to the functions of mdtJI, a multidrug efflux pump, and yhdP, an uncharacterized transporter. Additional mutations were enriched in processes such as transcriptional regulation and nucleotide biosynthesis. Finally, the best-performing strains were compared to previously characterized tolerant strains and showed superior performance in tolerance of different IL and media combinations (i.e., cross tolerance) with robust growth at 8.5% (w/v) and detectable growth up to 11.9% (w/v) [C 2C 1Im][OAc]. The generated strains thus represent the best performing platform strains available for bioproduction utilizing IL-treated renewable substrates, and the TALE method was highly successful in overcoming the general issue of substrate toxicity and has great promise for use in tolerance engineering.« less

Regulation of water balance in mangroves.

PubMed

Reef, Ruth; Lovelock, Catherine E

2015-02-01

Mangroves are a group of highly salt-tolerant woody plants. The high water use efficiency of mangroves under saline conditions suggests that regulation of water transport is a crucial component of their salinity tolerance. This review focuses on the processes that contribute to the ability of mangroves to maintain water uptake and limit water loss to the soil and the atmosphere under saline conditions, from micro to macro scales. These processes include: (1) efficient filtering of the incoming water to exclude salt; (2) maintenance of internal osmotic potentials lower than that of the rhizosphere; (3) water-saving properties; and (4) efficient exploitation of less-saline water sources when these become available. Mangroves are inherently plastic and can change their structure at the root, leaf and stand levels in response to salinity in order to exclude salt from the xylem stream, maintain leaf hydraulic conductance, avoid cavitation and regulate water loss (e.g. suberization of roots and alterations of leaf size, succulence and angle, hydraulic anatomy and biomass partitioning). However, much is still unknown about the regulation of water uptake in mangroves, such as how they sense and respond to heterogeneity in root zone salinity, the extent to which they utilize non-stomatally derived CO2 as a water-saving measure and whether they can exploit atmospheric water sources. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Overexpression of Grain Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) AhERF or AhDOF Transcription Factors in Arabidopsis thaliana Increases Water Deficit- and Salt-Stress Tolerance, Respectively, via Contrasting Stress-Amelioration Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Massange-Sánchez, Julio A.; Palmeros-Suárez, Paola A.; Espitia-Rangel, Eduardo; Rodríguez-Arévalo, Isaac; Sánchez-Segura, Lino; Martínez-Gallardo, Norma A.; Alatorre-Cobos, Fulgencio; Tiessen, Axel; Délano-Frier, John P.

2016-01-01

Two grain amaranth transcription factor (TF) genes were overexpressed in Arabidopsis plants. The first, coding for a group VII ethylene response factor TF (i.e., AhERF-VII) conferred tolerance to water-deficit stress (WS) in transgenic Arabidopsis without affecting vegetative or reproductive growth. A significantly lower water-loss rate in detached leaves coupled to a reduced stomatal opening in leaves of plants subjected to WS was associated with this trait. WS tolerance was also associated with an increased antioxidant enzyme activity and the accumulation of putative stress-related secondary metabolites. However, microarray and GO data did not indicate an obvious correlation between WS tolerance, stomatal closure, and abscisic acid (ABA)-related signaling. This scenario suggested that stomatal closure during WS in these plants involved ABA-independent mechanisms, possibly involving reactive oxygen species (ROS). WS tolerance may have also involved other protective processes, such as those employed for methyl glyoxal detoxification. The second, coding for a class A and cluster I DNA binding with one finger TF (i.e., AhDof-AI) provided salt-stress (SS) tolerance with no evident fitness penalties. The lack of an obvious development-related phenotype contrasted with microarray and GO data showing an enrichment of categories and genes related to developmental processes, particularly flowering. SS tolerance also correlated with increased superoxide dismutase activity but not with augmented stomatal closure. Additionally, microarray and GO data indicated that, contrary to AhERF-VII, SS tolerance conferred by AhDof-AI in Arabidopsis involved ABA-dependent and ABA-independent stress amelioration mechanisms. PMID:27749893

A new measurement method of profile tolerance for the LAMOST focal plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zengxiang; Jin, Yi; Zhai, Chao; Xing, Xiaozheng

2008-07-01

There were a few methods taken in the profile tolerance measurement of the LAMOST Focal Plane Plate. One of the methods was to use CMM (Coordinate Measurement Machine) to measure the points on the small Focal Plane Plate and calculate the points whether or not in the tolerance zone. In this process there are some small shortcomings. The measuring point positions on the Focal Plane Plate are not the actual installation location of the optical fiber positioning system. In order to eliminate these principle errors, a measuring mandrel is inserted into the unit-holes, and the precision for the mandrel with the hole is controlled in the high level. Then measure the center of the precise target ball which is placed on the measuring mandrel by CMM. At last, fit a sphere surface with the measuring center points of the target ball and analyze the profile tolerance of the Focal Plane Plate. This process will be more in line with the actual installation location of the optical fiber positioning system. When use this method to judge the profile tolerance can provide the reference date for maintaining the ultra error unit-holes on the Focal Plane Plate. But when insert the measuring mandrel into the unit hole, there are manufacturing errors in the measuring mandrel, target ball and assembly errors. All these errors will bring the influence in the measurement. In the paper, an impact evaluation assesses the intermediate process with all these errors through experiments. And the experiment results show that there are little influence when use the target ball and the measuring mandrel in the measurement of the profile tolerance. Instead, there are more advantages than many past use of measuring methods.

Evaluation of reliability modeling tools for advanced fault tolerant systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Robert; Scheper, Charlotte

1986-01-01

The Computer Aided Reliability Estimation (CARE III) and Automated Reliability Interactice Estimation System (ARIES 82) reliability tools for application to advanced fault tolerance aerospace systems were evaluated. To determine reliability modeling requirements, the evaluation focused on the Draper Laboratories' Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) architecture as an example architecture for fault tolerance aerospace systems. Advantages and limitations were identified for each reliability evaluation tool. The CARE III program was designed primarily for analyzing ultrareliable flight control systems. The ARIES 82 program's primary use was to support university research and teaching. Both CARE III and ARIES 82 were not suited for determining the reliability of complex nodal networks of the type used to interconnect processing sites in the AIPS architecture. It was concluded that ARIES was not suitable for modeling advanced fault tolerant systems. It was further concluded that subject to some limitations (the difficulty in modeling systems with unpowered spare modules, systems where equipment maintenance must be considered, systems where failure depends on the sequence in which faults occurred, and systems where multiple faults greater than a double near coincident faults must be considered), CARE III is best suited for evaluating the reliability of advanced tolerant systems for air transport.

Food Safety Legislation Regarding Of Aflatoxins Contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ketney, Otto

2015-09-01

The main objective of the European Union (EU) is to reduce certain contaminants in foodstuffs to acceptable levels. The occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in food was considered to be one of the most important issues of global food security to protect the health of humans and animals, over 100 nations have established maximum tolerable levels for aflatoxin in food. Although EU legislation covers many aspects of food safety was not legally establish an integrated framework that could effectively combat and cover all sectors of the food chain. Monitoring and reporting levels of aflatoxins after controls are essential actions that assist to identify potential risks to human health. The review process for aflatoxin regulations is a complex activity involving many factors and stakeholders.

Autophagy and self-defense.

PubMed

Martínez-Borra, Jesús; López-Larrea, Carlos

2012-01-01

Autophagy is a highly conserved mechanism which is essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in response to cellular stress. Autophagy has been conserved from yeast to humans as a quality control process that is involved in the recognition and turnover of damaged proteins and organelles. It is also a response mechanism to nutrient starvation. In mammals, autophagy is involved in antigen presentation, tolerance, inflammation and protection against neurodegenerative diseases. The decrease of autophagy during aging reduces the removal of damaged organelles and increases the accumulation of waste products in the cells. In this chapter, we review these aspects of autophagy along with their role in self-nonself distinction, their implication in innate and adaptive immune response, and its dysregulation in the pathology of certain inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Integrated human-machine intelligence in space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boy, Guy A.

1992-01-01

The integration of human and machine intelligence in space systems is outlined with respect to the contributions of artificial intelligence. The current state-of-the-art in intelligent assistant systems (IASs) is reviewed, and the requirements of some real-world applications of the technologies are discussed. A concept of integrated human-machine intelligence is examined in the contexts of: (1) interactive systems that tolerate human errors; (2) systems for the relief of workloads; and (3) interactive systems for solving problems in abnormal situations. Key issues in the development of IASs include the compatibility of the systems with astronauts in terms of inputs/outputs, processing, real-time AI, and knowledge-based system validation. Real-world applications are suggested such as the diagnosis, planning, and control of enginnered systems.

Overcoming Molehills and Mountains Implementing a New Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salute, Joan; McDougal, John; Stephens, Karen

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews some of the challenges and accomplishments of implementing a new program. The purpose of the presentation is to: (1) Share the challenges that were encountered formulating a new program concurrent with formulating & implementing new spacecraft development projects: (a) Immature mission concepts put on the fast track (b) Need to reconcile ambitious objectives with cost and budget reality (c) Changes of major stakeholders (d) Timing, timing, timing (e) Changing ground rules, assumptions, and risk tolerance (f) The role of centers, (2) Share the successes to date despite the challenges (3) Demonstrate how interdependencies between the program, projects, NASA HQ environment, and external political forces affect the process, and how expectations must be managed while dealing with external factors and great change.

The ALMT Family of Organic Acid Transporters in Plants and Their Involvement in Detoxification and Nutrient Security.

PubMed

Sharma, Tripti; Dreyer, Ingo; Kochian, Leon; Piñeros, Miguel A

2016-01-01

About a decade ago, members of a new protein family of anion channels were discovered on the basis of their ability to confer on plants the tolerance toward toxic aluminum ions in the soil. The efflux of Al 3+ -chelating malate anions through these channels is stimulated by external Al 3+ ions. This feature of a few proteins determined the name of the entire protein family as Aluminum-activated Malate Transporters (ALMT). Meanwhile, after several years of research, it is known that the physiological roles of ALMTs go far beyond Al-detoxification. In this review article we summarize the current knowledge on this transporter family and assess their involvement in diverse physiological processes.

The ALMT Family of Organic Acid Transporters in Plants and Their Involvement in Detoxification and Nutrient Security

PubMed Central

Sharma, Tripti; Dreyer, Ingo; Kochian, Leon; Piñeros, Miguel A.

2016-01-01

About a decade ago, members of a new protein family of anion channels were discovered on the basis of their ability to confer on plants the tolerance toward toxic aluminum ions in the soil. The efflux of Al3+-chelating malate anions through these channels is stimulated by external Al3+ ions. This feature of a few proteins determined the name of the entire protein family as Aluminum-activated Malate Transporters (ALMT). Meanwhile, after several years of research, it is known that the physiological roles of ALMTs go far beyond Al-detoxification. In this review article we summarize the current knowledge on this transporter family and assess their involvement in diverse physiological processes. PMID:27757118

Engineering cyanobacteria to generate high-value products.

PubMed

Ducat, Daniel C; Way, Jeffrey C; Silver, Pamela A

2011-02-01

Although many microorganisms have been used for the bioindustrial generation of valuable metabolites, the productive potential of cyanobacterial species has remained largely unexplored. Cyanobacteria possess several advantages as organisms for bioindustrial processes, including simple input requirements, tolerance of marginal agricultural environments, rapid genetics, and carbon-neutral applications that could be leveraged to address global climate change concerns. Here, we review recent research involving the engineering of cyanobacterial species for the production of valuable bioindustrial compounds, including natural cyanobacterial products (e.g. sugars and isoprene), biofuels (e.g. alcohols, alkanes and hydrogen), and other commodity chemicals. Biological and economic obstacles to scaled cyanobacterial production are highlighted, and methods for increasing cyanobacterial production efficiencies are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara-based malaria vaccines.

PubMed

Sebastian, Sarah; Gilbert, Sarah C

2016-01-01

A safe and effective malaria vaccine is a crucial part of the roadmap to malaria elimination/eradication by the year 2050. Viral-vectored vaccines based on adenoviruses and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing malaria immunogens are currently being used in heterologous prime-boost regimes in clinical trials for induction of strong antigen-specific T-cell responses and high-titer antibodies. Recombinant MVA is a safe and well-tolerated attenuated vector that has consistently shown significant boosting potential. Advances have been made in large-scale MVA manufacture as high-yield producer cell lines and high-throughput purification processes have recently been developed. This review describes the use of MVA as malaria vaccine vector in both preclinical and clinical studies in the past 5 years.

The response of foodborne pathogens to osmotic and desiccation stresses in the food chain.

PubMed

Burgess, Catherine M; Gianotti, Andrea; Gruzdev, Nadia; Holah, John; Knøchel, Susanne; Lehner, Angelika; Margas, Edyta; Esser, Stephan Schmitz; Sela Saldinger, Shlomo; Tresse, Odile

2016-03-16

In combination with other strategies, hyperosmolarity and desiccation are frequently used by the food processing industry as a means to prevent bacterial proliferation, and particularly that of foodborne pathogens, in food products. However, it is increasingly observed that bacteria, including human pathogens, encode mechanisms to survive and withstand these stresses. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms employed by Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin producing E. coli, Cronobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter spp. to tolerate osmotic and desiccation stresses and identifies gaps in knowledge which need to be addressed to ensure the safety of low water activity and desiccated food products. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TH-A-BRC-00: New Task Groups for External Beam QA: An Overview

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

NONE

2016-06-15

AAPM TG-135U1 QA for Robotic Radiosurgery - Sonja Dieterich Since the publication of AAPM TG-135 in 2011, the technology of robotic radiosurgery has rapidly developed. AAPM TG-135U1 will provide recommendations on the clinical practice for using the IRIS collimator, fiducial-less real-time motion tracking, and Monte Carlo based treatment planning. In addition, it will summarize currently available literature about uncertainties. Learning Objectives: Understand the progression of technology since the first TG publication Learn which new QA procedures should be implemented for new technologies Be familiar with updates to clinical practice guidelines AAPM TG-178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance -more » Steven Goetsch Purpose: AAPM Task Group 178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance was formed in August, 2008. The Task Group has 12 medical physicists, two physicians and two consultants. Methods: A round robin dosimetry intercomparison of proposed ionization chambers, electrometer and dosimetry phantoms was conducted over a 15 month period in 2011 and 2012 (Med Phys 42, 11, Nov, 2015). The data obtained at 9 institutions (with ten different Elekta Gamma Knife units) was analyzed by the lead author using several protocols. Results: The most consistent results were obtained using the Elekta ABS 16cm diameter phantom, with the TG-51 protocol modified as recommended by Alfonso et al (Med Phys 35, 11, Nov 2008). A key white paper (Med Phys, in press) sponsored by Elekta Corporation, was used to obtain correction factors for the ionization chambers and phantoms used in this intercomparison. Consistent results were obtained for both Elekta Gamma Knife Model 4C and Gamma Knife Perfexion units as measured with each of two miniature ionization chambers. Conclusion: The full report gives clinical history and background of gamma stereotactic radiosurgery, clinical examples and history, quality assurance recommendations and outline of possible dosimetry protocols. The report will be reviewed by the AAPM Working Group on Recommendations for Radiotherapy External Beam Quality Assurance and then by the AAPM Science Council before publication in Medical Physics Survey of possible calibration protocols for calibration of Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GSR) devices Overview of modern Quality Assurance techniques for GSR AAPM TG-218 Tolerance Levels and Methodologies for IMRT Verification QA - Moyed Miften Patient-specific IMRT QA measurement is a process designed to identify discrepancies between calculated and delivered doses. Error tolerance limits are not well-defined or consistently applied across centers. The AAPM TG-218 report has been prepared to improve the understanding and consistency of this process by providing recommendations for methodologies and tolerance limits in patient-specific IMRT QA. Learning Objectives: Review measurement methods and methodologies for absolute dose verification Provide recommendations on delivery methods, data interpretation, the use of analysis routines and choice of tolerance limits for IMRT QA Sonja Dieterich has a research agreement with Sun Nuclear Inc. Steven Goetsch is a part-time consultant for Elekta.« less

TH-A-BRC-02: AAPM TG-178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance

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

Goetsch, S.

AAPM TG-135U1 QA for Robotic Radiosurgery - Sonja Dieterich Since the publication of AAPM TG-135 in 2011, the technology of robotic radiosurgery has rapidly developed. AAPM TG-135U1 will provide recommendations on the clinical practice for using the IRIS collimator, fiducial-less real-time motion tracking, and Monte Carlo based treatment planning. In addition, it will summarize currently available literature about uncertainties. Learning Objectives: Understand the progression of technology since the first TG publication Learn which new QA procedures should be implemented for new technologies Be familiar with updates to clinical practice guidelines AAPM TG-178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance -more » Steven Goetsch Purpose: AAPM Task Group 178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance was formed in August, 2008. The Task Group has 12 medical physicists, two physicians and two consultants. Methods: A round robin dosimetry intercomparison of proposed ionization chambers, electrometer and dosimetry phantoms was conducted over a 15 month period in 2011 and 2012 (Med Phys 42, 11, Nov, 2015). The data obtained at 9 institutions (with ten different Elekta Gamma Knife units) was analyzed by the lead author using several protocols. Results: The most consistent results were obtained using the Elekta ABS 16cm diameter phantom, with the TG-51 protocol modified as recommended by Alfonso et al (Med Phys 35, 11, Nov 2008). A key white paper (Med Phys, in press) sponsored by Elekta Corporation, was used to obtain correction factors for the ionization chambers and phantoms used in this intercomparison. Consistent results were obtained for both Elekta Gamma Knife Model 4C and Gamma Knife Perfexion units as measured with each of two miniature ionization chambers. Conclusion: The full report gives clinical history and background of gamma stereotactic radiosurgery, clinical examples and history, quality assurance recommendations and outline of possible dosimetry protocols. The report will be reviewed by the AAPM Working Group on Recommendations for Radiotherapy External Beam Quality Assurance and then by the AAPM Science Council before publication in Medical Physics Survey of possible calibration protocols for calibration of Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GSR) devices Overview of modern Quality Assurance techniques for GSR AAPM TG-218 Tolerance Levels and Methodologies for IMRT Verification QA - Moyed Miften Patient-specific IMRT QA measurement is a process designed to identify discrepancies between calculated and delivered doses. Error tolerance limits are not well-defined or consistently applied across centers. The AAPM TG-218 report has been prepared to improve the understanding and consistency of this process by providing recommendations for methodologies and tolerance limits in patient-specific IMRT QA. Learning Objectives: Review measurement methods and methodologies for absolute dose verification Provide recommendations on delivery methods, data interpretation, the use of analysis routines and choice of tolerance limits for IMRT QA Sonja Dieterich has a research agreement with Sun Nuclear Inc. Steven Goetsch is a part-time consultant for Elekta.« less

TH-A-BRC-01: AAPM TG-135U1 QA for Robotic Radiosurgery

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

Dieterich, S.

AAPM TG-135U1 QA for Robotic Radiosurgery - Sonja Dieterich Since the publication of AAPM TG-135 in 2011, the technology of robotic radiosurgery has rapidly developed. AAPM TG-135U1 will provide recommendations on the clinical practice for using the IRIS collimator, fiducial-less real-time motion tracking, and Monte Carlo based treatment planning. In addition, it will summarize currently available literature about uncertainties. Learning Objectives: Understand the progression of technology since the first TG publication Learn which new QA procedures should be implemented for new technologies Be familiar with updates to clinical practice guidelines AAPM TG-178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance -more » Steven Goetsch Purpose: AAPM Task Group 178 Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry and Quality Assurance was formed in August, 2008. The Task Group has 12 medical physicists, two physicians and two consultants. Methods: A round robin dosimetry intercomparison of proposed ionization chambers, electrometer and dosimetry phantoms was conducted over a 15 month period in 2011 and 2012 (Med Phys 42, 11, Nov, 2015). The data obtained at 9 institutions (with ten different Elekta Gamma Knife units) was analyzed by the lead author using several protocols. Results: The most consistent results were obtained using the Elekta ABS 16cm diameter phantom, with the TG-51 protocol modified as recommended by Alfonso et al (Med Phys 35, 11, Nov 2008). A key white paper (Med Phys, in press) sponsored by Elekta Corporation, was used to obtain correction factors for the ionization chambers and phantoms used in this intercomparison. Consistent results were obtained for both Elekta Gamma Knife Model 4C and Gamma Knife Perfexion units as measured with each of two miniature ionization chambers. Conclusion: The full report gives clinical history and background of gamma stereotactic radiosurgery, clinical examples and history, quality assurance recommendations and outline of possible dosimetry protocols. The report will be reviewed by the AAPM Working Group on Recommendations for Radiotherapy External Beam Quality Assurance and then by the AAPM Science Council before publication in Medical Physics Survey of possible calibration protocols for calibration of Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GSR) devices Overview of modern Quality Assurance techniques for GSR AAPM TG-218 Tolerance Levels and Methodologies for IMRT Verification QA - Moyed Miften Patient-specific IMRT QA measurement is a process designed to identify discrepancies between calculated and delivered doses. Error tolerance limits are not well-defined or consistently applied across centers. The AAPM TG-218 report has been prepared to improve the understanding and consistency of this process by providing recommendations for methodologies and tolerance limits in patient-specific IMRT QA. Learning Objectives: Review measurement methods and methodologies for absolute dose verification Provide recommendations on delivery methods, data interpretation, the use of analysis routines and choice of tolerance limits for IMRT QA Sonja Dieterich has a research agreement with Sun Nuclear Inc. Steven Goetsch is a part-time consultant for Elekta.« less

Forskolin promotes the development of ethanol tolerance in 6-hydroxydopamine-treated mice

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

Szabo, G.; Hoffman, P.L.; Tabakoff, B.

1988-01-01

Partial depletion of brain norepinephrine by 6-hydroxydopamine prevents the development of functional tolerance to ethanol in mice. This blockade of tolerance development was overcome by daily intracerebroventricular injections of forskolin. These results suggest that interaction of norepinephrine with post-synaptic ..beta..-adrenergic receptors, and activation of adenylate cyclase, is important for the development of ethanol tolerance. Interaction of norepinephrine with ..cap alpha../sub 1/-adrenergic receptors may be less crucial, since treatment with a phorbol ester activator of protein kinase C did not restore the development of tolerance in mice treated with 6-hydroxydopamine. The importance of the ..beta..-adrenergic receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase system for developmentmore » of ethanol tolerance, in addition to its previously-reported role in long-term potentiation, suggests that this system may influence neuroadaptive processes in general. 26 references, 2 figures.« less

Increases in Tolerance within Naturalistic, Self-Help Recovery Homes

PubMed Central

Olson, Brad D.; Jason, Leonard A.; Davidson, Michelle; Ferrari, Joseph R.

2011-01-01

Changes in tolerance toward others (i.e., universality/diversity measure) among 150 participants (93 women, 57 men) discharged from inpatient treatment centers randomly assigned to either a self-help, communal living setting or usual after-care and interviewed every 6 months for a 24 month period was explored. Hierarchical Linear Modeling examined the effect of condition (Therapeutic Communal Living versus Usual Care) and other moderator variables on wave trajectories of tolerance attitudes (i.e., universality/diversity scores). Over time, residents of the communal living recovery model showed significantly greater tolerance trajectories than usual care participants. Results supported the claim that residents of communal living settings unit around super-ordinate goals of overcoming substance abuse problems. Also older compared to younger residents living in a house for 6 or more months experienced the greatest increases in tolerance. Theories regarding these differential increases in tolerance, such as social contact theory and transtheoretical processes of change, are discussed. PMID:19838787

Forever young: Mechanisms of natural anoxia tolerance and potential links to longevity

PubMed Central

Krivoruchko, Anastasia

2010-01-01

While mammals cannot survive oxygen deprivation for more than a few minutes without sustaining severe organ damage, some animals have mastered anaerobic life. Freshwater turtles belonging to the Trachemys and Chrysemys genera are the champion facultative anaerobes of the vertebrate world, often surviving without oxygen for many weeks at a time. The physiological and biochemical mechanisms that underlie anoxia tolerance in turtles include profound metabolic rate depression, post-translational modification of proteins, strong antioxidant defenses, activation of specific stress-responsive transcription factors, and enhanced expression of cyto-protective proteins. Turtles are also known for their incredible longevity and display characteristics of “negligible senescence.” We propose that the robust stress-tolerance mechanisms that permit long term anaerobiosis by turtles may also support the longevity of these animals. Many of the mechanisms involved in natural anoxia tolerance, such as hypometabolism or the induction of various protective proteins/pathways, have been shown to play important roles in mammalian oxygen-related diseases and improved understanding of how cells survive without oxygen could aid in the understanding and treatment of various pathological conditions that involve hypoxia or oxidative stress. In the present review we discuss the recent advances made in understanding the molecular nature of anoxia tolerance in turtles and the potential links between this tolerance and longevity. PMID:20716943

Tardigrades as a Potential Model Organism in Space Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jönsson, K. Ingemar

2007-10-01

Exposure of living organisms to open space requires a high level of tolerance to desiccation, cold, and radiation. Among animals, only anhydrobiotic species can fulfill these requirements. The invertebrate phylum Tardigrada includes many anhydrobiotic species, which are adapted to survive in very dry or cold environmental conditions. As a likely by-product of the adaptations for desiccation and freezing, tardigrades also show a very high tolerance to a number of other, unnatural conditions, including exposure to ionizing radiation. This makes tardigrades an interesting candidate for experimental exposure to open space. This paper reviews the tolerances that make tardigrades suitable for astrobiological studies and the reported radiation tolerance in other anhydrobiotic animals. Several studies have shown that tardigrades can survive γ-irradiation well above 1 kilogray, and desiccated and hydrated (active) tardigrades respond similarly to irradiation. Thus, tolerance is not restricted to the dry anhydrobiotic state, and I discuss the possible involvement of an efficient, but yet undocumented, mechanism for DNA repair. Other anhydrobiotic animals (Artemia, Polypedium), when dessicated, show a higher tolerance to γ-irradiation than hydrated animals, possibly due to the presence of high levels of the protective disaccharide trehalose in the dry state. Tardigrades and other anhydrobiotic animals provide a unique opportunity to study the effects of space exposure on metabolically inactive but vital metazoans.

Tardigrades as a potential model organism in space research.

PubMed

Jönsson, K Ingemar

2007-10-01

Exposure of living organisms to open space requires a high level of tolerance to desiccation, cold, and radiation. Among animals, only anhydrobiotic species can fulfill these requirements. The invertebrate phylum Tardigrada includes many anhydrobiotic species, which are adapted to survive in very dry or cold environmental conditions. As a likely by-product of the adaptations for desiccation and freezing, tardigrades also show a very high tolerance to a number of other, unnatural conditions, including exposure to ionizing radiation. This makes tardigrades an interesting candidate for experimental exposure to open space. This paper reviews the tolerances that make tardigrades suitable for astrobiological studies and the reported radiation tolerance in other anhydrobiotic animals. Several studies have shown that tardigrades can survive gamma-irradiation well above 1 kilogray, and desiccated and hydrated (active) tardigrades respond similarly to irradiation. Thus, tolerance is not restricted to the dry anhydrobiotic state, and I discuss the possible involvement of an efficient, but yet undocumented, mechanism for DNA repair. Other anhydrobiotic animals (Artemia, Polypedium), when dessicated, show a higher tolerance to gamma-irradiation than hydrated animals, possibly due to the presence of high levels of the protective disaccharide trehalose in the dry state. Tardigrades and other anhydrobiotic animals provide a unique opportunity to study the effects of space exposure on metabolically inactive but vital metazoans.

Marker-assisted selection in plant breeding for salinity tolerance.

PubMed

Ashraf, M; Akram, N A; Mehboob-Ur-Rahman; Foolad, M R

2012-01-01

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is the process of using morphological, biochemical, or DNA markers as indirect selection criteria for selecting agriculturally important traits in crop breeding. This process is used to improve the effectiveness or efficiency of selection for the traits of interest in breeding programs. The significance of MAS as a tool for crop improvement has been extensively investigated in different crop -species and for different traits. The use of MAS for manipulating simple/qualitative traits is straightforward and has been well reported. However, MAS for the improvement of complex/polygenic traits, including plant tolerance/resistance to abiotic stresses, is more complicated, although its usefulness has been recognized. With the recent advances in marker technology, including high-throughput genotyping of plants, together with the development of nested association mapping populations, it is expected that the utility of MAS for breeding for stress tolerance traits will increase. In this chapter, we describe the basic procedure for using MAS in crop breeding for salt tolerance.

T-cell receptor revision: friend or foe?

PubMed Central

Hale, J Scott; Fink, Pamela J

2010-01-01

T-cell receptor (TCR) revision is a process of tolerance induction by which peripheral T cells lose surface expression of an autoreactive TCR, reinduce expression of the recombinase machinery, rearrange genes encoding extrathymically generated TCRs for antigen, and express these new receptors on the cell surface. We discuss the evidence for this controversial tolerance mechanism below. Despite the apparent heresy of post-thymic gene rearrangement, we argue here that TCR revision follows the rules obeyed by maturing thymocytes undergoing gene recombination. Expression of the recombinase is carefully controlled both spatially and temporally, and may be initiated by loss of signals through surface TCRs. The resulting TCR repertoire is characterized by its diversity, self major histocompatibility complex restriction, self tolerance, and ability to mount productive immune responses specific for foreign antigens. Hence, TCR revision is a carefully regulated process of tolerance induction that can contribute to the protection of the individual against invading pathogens while preserving the integrity of self tissue. PMID:20201984

Transcriptome responses in alfalfa associated with tolerance to intensive animal grazing

PubMed Central

Wang, Junjie; Zhao, Yan; Ray, Ian; Song, Mingzhou

2016-01-01

Tolerance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to animal grazing varies widely within the species. However, the molecular mechanisms influencing the grazing tolerant phenotype remain uncharacterized. The objective of this study was to identify genes and pathways that control grazing response in alfalfa. We analyzed whole-plant de novo transcriptomes from grazing tolerant and intolerant populations of M. sativa ssp. falcata subjected to grazing by sheep. Among the Gene Ontology terms which were identified as grazing responsive in the tolerant plants and differentially enriched between the tolerant and intolerant populations (both grazed), most were associated with the ribosome and translation-related activities, cell wall processes, and response to oxygen levels. Twenty-one grazing responsive pathways were identified that also exhibited differential expression between the tolerant and intolerant populations. These pathways were associated with secondary metabolite production, primary carbohydrate metabolic pathways, shikimate derivative dependent pathways, ribosomal subunit composition, hormone signaling, wound response, cell wall formation, and anti-oxidant defense. Sequence polymorphisms were detected among several differentially expressed homologous transcripts between the tolerant and intolerant populations. These differentially responsive genes and pathways constitute potential response mechanisms for grazing tolerance in alfalfa. They also provide potential targets for molecular breeding efforts to develop grazing-tolerant cultivars of alfalfa. PMID:26763747

Salt-stress-responsive chloroplast proteins in Brassica juncea genotypes with contrasting salt tolerance and their quantitative PCR analysis.

PubMed

Yousuf, Peerzada Yasir; Ahmad, Altaf; Aref, Ibrahim M; Ozturk, Munir; Hemant; Ganie, Arshid Hussain; Iqbal, Muhammad

2016-11-01

Brassica juncea is mainly cultivated in the arid and semi-arid regions of India where its production is significantly affected by soil salinity. Adequate knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the salt tolerance at sub-cellular levels must aid in developing the salt-tolerant plants. A proper functioning of chloroplasts under salinity conditions is highly desirable to maintain crop productivity. The adaptive molecular mechanisms offered by plants at the chloroplast level to cope with salinity stress must be a prime target in developing the salt-tolerant plants. In the present study, we have analyzed differential expression of chloroplast proteins in two Brassica juncea genotypes, Pusa Agrani (salt-sensitive) and CS-54 (salt-tolerant), under the effect of sodium chloride. The chloroplast proteins were isolated and resolved using 2DE, which facilitated identification and quantification of 12 proteins that differed in expression in the salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive genotypes. The identified proteins were related to a variety of chloroplast-associated molecular processes, including oxygen-evolving process, PS I and PS II functioning, Calvin cycle and redox homeostasis. Expression analysis of genes encoding differentially expressed proteins through real time PCR supported our findings with proteomic analysis. The study indicates that modulating the expression of chloroplast proteins associated with stabilization of photosystems and oxidative defence plays imperative roles in adaptation to salt stress.

Mini-Ckpts: Surviving OS Failures in Persistent Memory

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

Fiala, David; Mueller, Frank; Ferreira, Kurt Brian

Concern is growing in the high-performance computing (HPC) community on the reliability of future extreme-scale systems. Current efforts have focused on application fault-tolerance rather than the operating system (OS), despite the fact that recent studies have suggested that failures in OS memory are more likely. The OS is critical to a system's correct and efficient operation of the node and processes it governs -- and in HPC also for any other nodes a parallelized application runs on and communicates with: Any single node failure generally forces all processes of this application to terminate due to tight communication in HPC. Therefore,more » the OS itself must be capable of tolerating failures. In this work, we introduce mini-ckpts, a framework which enables application survival despite the occurrence of a fatal OS failure or crash. Mini-ckpts achieves this tolerance by ensuring that the critical data describing a process is preserved in persistent memory prior to the failure. Following the failure, the OS is rejuvenated via a warm reboot and the application continues execution effectively making the failure and restart transparent. The mini-ckpts rejuvenation and recovery process is measured to take between three to six seconds and has a failure-free overhead of between 3-5% for a number of key HPC workloads. In contrast to current fault-tolerance methods, this work ensures that the operating and runtime system can continue in the presence of faults. This is a much finer-grained and dynamic method of fault-tolerance than the current, coarse-grained, application-centric methods. Handling faults at this level has the potential to greatly reduce overheads and enables mitigation of additional fault scenarios.« less

Cadmium phytoremediation potential of Brassica crop species: A review.

PubMed

Rizwan, Muhammad; Ali, Shafaqat; Zia Ur Rehman, Muhammad; Rinklebe, Jörg; Tsang, Daniel C W; Bashir, Arooj; Maqbool, Arosha; Tack, F M G; Ok, Yong Sik

2018-08-01

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic metal released into the environment through anthropogenic activities. Phytoremediation is a green technology used for the stabilization or remediation of Cd-contaminated soils. Brassica crop species can produce high biomass under a range of climatic and growing conditions, allowing for considerable uptake and accumulation of Cd, depending on species. These crop species can tolerate Cd stress via different mechanisms, including the stimulation of the antioxidant defense system, chelation, compartmentation of Cd into metabolically inactive parts, and accumulation of total amino-acids and osmoprotectants. A higher Cd-stress level, however, overcomes the defense system and may cause oxidative stress in Brassica species due to overproduction of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation. Therefore, numerous approaches have been followed to decrease Cd toxicity in Brassica species, including selection of Cd-tolerant cultivars, the use of inorganic and organic amendments, exogenous application of soil organisms, and employment of plant-growth regulators. Furthermore, the coupling of genetic engineering with cropping may also help to alleviate Cd toxicity in Brassica species. However, several field studies demonstrated contrasting results. This review suggests that the combination of Cd-tolerant Brassica cultivars and the application of soil amendments, along with proper agricultural practices, may be the most efficient means of the soil Cd phytoattenuation. Breeding and selection of Cd-tolerant species, as well as species with higher biomass production, might be needed in the future when aiming to use Brassica species for phytoremediation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-ingredient, caffeine-containing dietary supplements: history, safety, and efficacy.

PubMed

Gurley, Bill J; Steelman, Susan C; Thomas, Sheila L

2015-02-01

Our objective was to review the history, safety, and efficacy of caffeine-containing dietary supplements in the United States and Canada. PubMed and Web of Science databases (1980-2014) were searched for articles related to the pharmacology, toxicology, and efficacy of caffeine-containing dietary supplements with an emphasis on Ephedra-containing supplements, Ephedra-free supplements, and energy drinks or shots. Among the first and most successful dietary supplements to be marketed in the United States were those containing Ephedra—combinations of ephedrine alkaloids, caffeine, and other phytochemicals. A decade after their inception, serious tolerability concerns prompted removal of Ephedra supplements from the US and Canadian markets. Ephedra-free products, however, quickly filled this void. Ephedra-free supplements typically contain multiple caffeine sources in conjunction with other botanical extracts whose purposes can often be puzzling and their pharmacologic properties difficult to predict. Ingestion of these products in the form of tablets, capsules, or other solid dosage forms as weight loss aids, exercise performance enhancers, or energy boosters have once again brought their tolerability and efficacy into question. In addition to Ephedra-free solid dosage forms, caffeine-containing energy drinks have gained a foothold in the world market along with concerns about their tolerability. This review addresses some of the pharmacologic and pharmaceutical issues that distinguish caffeine-containing dietary supplement formulations from traditional caffeine-containing beverages. Such distinctions may account for the increasing tolerability concerns affiliated with these products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Systematic review: effective management strategies for lactose intolerance.

PubMed

Shaukat, Aasma; Levitt, Michael D; Taylor, Brent C; MacDonald, Roderick; Shamliyan, Tatyana A; Kane, Robert L; Wilt, Timothy J

2010-06-15

Lactose intolerance resulting in gastrointestinal symptoms is a common health concern. Diagnosis and management of this condition remain unclear. To assess the maximum tolerable dose of lactose and interventions for reducing symptoms of lactose intolerance among persons with lactose intolerance and malabsorption. Multiple electronic databases, including MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library, for trials published in English from 1967 through November 2009. Randomized, controlled trials of individuals with lactose intolerance or malabsorption. Three investigators independently reviewed articles, extracted data, and assessed study quality. 36 unique randomized studies (26 on lactase- or lactose-hydrolyzed milk supplements, lactose-reduced milk, or tolerable doses of lactose; 7 on probiotics; 2 on incremental lactose administration for colonic adaptation; and 1 on another agent) met inclusion criteria. Moderate-quality evidence indicated that 12 to 15 g of lactose (approximately 1 cup of milk) is well tolerated by most adults. Evidence was insufficient that lactose-reduced solution or milk with a lactose content of 0 to 2 g, compared with greater than 12 g, is effective in reducing symptoms of lactose intolerance. Evidence for probiotics, colonic adaptation, and other agents was also insufficient. Most studies evaluated persons with lactose malabsorption rather than lactose intolerance. Variation in enrollment criteria, outcome reporting, and the composition and dosing of studied agents precluded pooling of results and limited interpretation. Most individuals with presumed lactose intolerance or malabsorption can tolerate 12 to 15 g of lactose. Additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of lactose intolerance treatment.

Sensitivity and specificity of modified 100-g oral glucose tolerance tests for diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Hansarikit, Jarunee; Manotaya, Saknan

2011-05-01

To study the sensitivity and specificity of the modified 100-g oral glucose tolerance test for diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Medical records of pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand, who underwent a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during March 2004 to September 2009, were retrospectively reviewed. Three modified criteria were proposed for diagnosis of GDM. The screening efficacy of the modified criteria were assessed, using the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) criterion as gold standard. A total of 729 records were reviewed, 511 were included for analysis. Using the NDDG criterion as the gold standard, the modified II criterion has the highest sensitivity of 96.8%, and the highest accuracy of 90.8%. The modified II criterion can detect the same proportion of maternal and neonatal complications, compared to the NDDG criterion. The modified II criterion, using the fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour plasma glucose measurements, showed high sensitivity and accuracy, with moderate specificity for diagnosis of GDM. Its potential use as an alternative to standard 100-g OGTT should be evaluated in the prospective study.

Effects of prehabilitation and rehabilitation including a home-based component on physical fitness, adherence, treatment tolerance, and recovery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review.

PubMed

Driessen, Elisabeth J; Peeters, Marieke E; Bongers, Bart C; Maas, Huub A; Bootsma, Gerbern P; van Meeteren, Nico L; Janssen-Heijnen, Maryska L

2017-06-01

This systematic review aimed to examine physical fitness, adherence, treatment tolerance, and recovery for (p)rehabilitation including a home-based component for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines were followed. Studies describing (home-based) prehabilitation or rehabilitation in patients with NSCLC were included from four databases (January 2000-April 2016, N=11). Nine of ten rehabilitation studies and one prehabilitation study (437 NSCLC patients, mean age 59-72 years) showed significantly or clinically relevant improved physical fitness. Three (27%) assessed home-based training and eight (73%) combined training at home, inhospital (intramural) and/or at the physiotherapy practice/department (extramural). Six (55%) applied supervision of home-based components, and four (36%) a personalized training program. Adherence varied strongly (9-125% for exercises, 50-100% for patients). Treatment tolerance and recovery were heterogeneously reported. Although promising results of (p)rehabilitation for improving physical fitness were found (especially in case of supervision and personalization), adequately powered studies for home-based (p)rehabilitation are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Remifentanil-acute opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia: a systematic review.

PubMed

Kim, Sang Hun; Stoicea, Nicoleta; Soghomonyan, Suren; Bergese, Sergio D

2015-01-01

The use of opioids may seem to be a double-edged sword; they provide straight analgesic and antihyperalgesic effects initially, but subsequently are associated with the expression of acute opioid tolerance (AOT) and opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) that have been reported in experimental studies and clinical observations. It has been suggested that opioids can induce an acute tolerance and hyperalgesia in dose- and/or time-dependent manners even when used within the clinically accepted doses. Recently, remifentanil has been used for pain management in clinical anesthesia and in the intensive care units because of its rapid onset and offset. We reviewed articles analyzing AOT and/or OIH by remifentanil and focused on the following issues: (1) evidence of remifentanil inducing AOT and/or OIH and (2) importance of AOT and/or OIH in considering the reduction of remifentanil dosage or adopting preventive modulations. Twenty-four experimental and clinical studies were identified using electronic searches of MEDLINE (PubMed, Ovid, Springer, and Elsevier). However, the development of AOT and OIH by remifentanil administration remains controversial. There is no sufficient evidence to support or refute the existence of OIH in humans.

WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION EXERCISE IS WELL TOLERATED IN PATIENTS WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

PubMed Central

Moreira-Marconi, Eloá; Sá-Caputo, Danubia C; Dionello, Carla F; Guedes-Aguiar, Eliane O; Sousa-Gonçalves, Cintia R; Morel, Danielle S; Paineiras-Domingos, Laisa L; Souza, Patricia L; Kütter, Cristiane R; Costa-Cavalcanti, Rebeca G; Costa, Glenda; Paiva, Patricia C; Figueiredo, Claudia; Brandão-Sobrinho-Neto, Samuel; Stark, Christina; Unger, Marianne; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

2017-01-01

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by a defective gene located on the X-chromosome, responsible for the production of the dystrophin protein. Complications in the musculoskeletal system have been previously described in DMD patients. Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) is a treatment that improves musculoskeletal function in movement disorders. The aim of this study was to review the effects of WBVE on functional mobility, bone and muscle in DMD patients. Materials and Methods: Four databases were searched. Three eligible studies were found; all three conclude the management of DMD patients with WBV was clinically well tolerated. The studies used a side-alternating WBV system, frequencies 7 - 24 Hz; and amplitudes 2 - 4 mm. Results: A work indicates that a temporary increase in creatine kinase in DMD during the first days of WBV was observed, but other authors did not find changes. No significant changes in bone mass, muscle strength or bone markers. Some patients reported subjective functional improvement during training. Interpretation: Conclusion: It is concluded that WBV seems to be a feasible and well tolerated exercise modality in DMD patients. PMID:28740938

Anamorelin hydrochloride for the treatment of cancer-anorexia-cachexia in NSCLC.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongjie; Garcia, Jose M

2015-06-01

Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Anamorelin is a novel, orally active ghrelin receptor agonist in clinical development for the treatment of CACS in NSCLC. The aim of this review is to summarize preclinical and clinical studies evaluating anamorelin as a potential promising treatment for CACS in NSCLC. Pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and metabolism, clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of anamorelin for the treatment of CACS in NSCLC were reviewed. Anamorelin administration may lead to increases in food intake, body weight and lean body mass, and a stimulatory effect on growth hormone secretion in NSCLC patients. Anamorelin is well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities identified to date. Targeting ghrelin receptors presents the advantage of potentially addressing multiple mechanisms of CACS simultaneously including appetite, muscle protein balance, adipose tissue metabolism, energy expenditure and inflammation. Clinical data suggest that anamorelin is well tolerated and it effectively increases appetite, body weight and lean mass in patients with advanced NSCLC. Long-term safety remains unknown at this time. The potential synergistic effects of anamorelin with nutritional support or exercise as well as its efficacy/safety in other tumor types are also unknown.

Recent advances in the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia.

PubMed

Forlenza, Orestes V; Loureiro, Júlia Cunha; Pais, Marcos Vasconcelos; Stella, Florindo

2017-03-01

The present article addresses intriguing questions related to the clinical intervention in distinct neuropsychiatric syndromes of patients with dementia. We reviewed 154 articles published between 2015 and 2016 targeting psychopharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions, and safety-tolerability concerns. We selected 115 articles addressing the purpose of this study. Of these, 33 were chosen because they were dedicated to subtopics: agitation (42), depression (33), apathy (18), sleep disorders/anxiety (8), and psychosis (4). Clinical studies using both pharmacological (70) and nonpharmacological (37) interventions were considered; others were included for theoretical support. Regarding the methodological design, we found double-blind RCTs (17), single-blinded RCTs (4), open-label studies (18), case reports (5), cross-sectional or cohort studies (25), epidemiological papers (2), and expert reviews (44). This observation raises concerns about the overall methodological adequacy of a substantial proportion of studies in this field, which limits the potential of generalization of the findings. Finally, 18 studies were designed to determine safety-tolerability issues of psychotropic medications (6 were discussed). Effective and well tolerated treatment of neuropsychiatric syndromes in dementia remains a critically unsolved challenge. We understand that this is an extremely important area of research, and critically required to guide clinical decisions in geriatric neuropsychiatry.

Climate change and temperature-dependent biogeography: oxygen limitation of thermal tolerance in animals.

PubMed

Pörtner, H O

2001-04-01

Recent years have shown a rise in mean global temperatures and a shift in the geographical distribution of ectothermic animals. For a cause and effect analysis the present paper discusses those physiological processes limiting thermal tolerance. The lower heat tolerance in metazoa compared with unicellular eukaryotes and bacteria suggests that a complex systemic rather than molecular process is limiting in metazoa. Whole-animal aerobic scope appears as the first process limited at low and high temperatures, linked to the progressively insufficient capacity of circulation and ventilation. Oxygen levels in body fluids may decrease, reflecting excessive oxygen demand at high temperatures or insufficient aerobic capacity of mitochondria at low temperatures. Aerobic scope falls at temperatures beyond the thermal optimum and vanishes at low or high critical temperatures when transition to an anaerobic mitochondrial metabolism occurs. The adjustment of mitochondrial densities on top of parallel molecular or membrane adjustments appears crucial for maintaining aerobic scope and for shifting thermal tolerance. In conclusion, the capacity of oxygen delivery matches full aerobic scope only within the thermal optimum. At temperatures outside this range, only time-limited survival is supported by residual aerobic scope, then anaerobic metabolism and finally molecular protection by heat shock proteins and antioxidative defence. In a cause and effect hierarchy, the progressive increase in oxygen limitation at extreme temperatures may even enhance oxidative and denaturation stress. As a corollary, capacity limitations at a complex level of organisation, the oxygen delivery system, define thermal tolerance limits before molecular functions become disturbed.

Software engineering processes for Class D missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Killough, Ronnie; Rose, Debi

2013-09-01

Software engineering processes are often seen as anathemas; thoughts of CMMI key process areas and NPR 7150.2A compliance matrices can motivate a software developer to consider other career fields. However, with adequate definition, common-sense application, and an appropriate level of built-in flexibility, software engineering processes provide a critical framework in which to conduct a successful software development project. One problem is that current models seem to be built around an underlying assumption of "bigness," and assume that all elements of the process are applicable to all software projects regardless of size and tolerance for risk. This is best illustrated in NASA's NPR 7150.2A in which, aside from some special provisions for manned missions, the software processes are to be applied based solely on the criticality of the software to the mission, completely agnostic of the mission class itself. That is, the processes applicable to a Class A mission (high priority, very low risk tolerance, very high national significance) are precisely the same as those applicable to a Class D mission (low priority, high risk tolerance, low national significance). This paper will propose changes to NPR 7150.2A, taking mission class into consideration, and discuss how some of these changes are being piloted for a current Class D mission—the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS).

Molecular breeding in Brassica for salt tolerance: importance of microsatellite (SSR) markers for molecular breeding in Brassica.

PubMed

Kumar, Manu; Choi, Ju-Young; Kumari, Nisha; Pareek, Ashwani; Kim, Seong-Ryong

2015-01-01

Salinity is one of the important abiotic factors for any crop management in irrigated as well as rainfed areas, which leads to poor harvests. This yield reduction in salt affected soils can be overcome by improving salt tolerance in crops or by soil reclamation. Salty soils can be reclaimed by leaching the salt or by cultivation of salt tolerance crops. Salt tolerance is a quantitative trait controlled by several genes. Poor knowledge about mechanism of its inheritance makes slow progress in its introgression into target crops. Brassica is known to be a good reclamation crop. Inter and intra specific variation within Brassica species shows potential of molecular breeding to raise salinity tolerant genotypes. Among the various molecular markers, SSR markers are getting high attention, since they are randomly sparsed, highly variable and show co-dominant inheritance. Furthermore, as sequencing techniques are improving and softwares to find SSR markers are being developed, SSR markers technology is also evolving rapidly. Comparative SSR marker studies targeting Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica species which lie in the same family will further aid in studying the salt tolerance related QTLs and subsequent identification of the "candidate genes" and finding out the origin of important QTLs. Although, there are a few reports on molecular breeding for improving salt tolerance using molecular markers in Brassica species, usage of SSR markers has a big potential to improve salt tolerance in Brassica crops. In order to obtain best harvests, role of SSR marker driven breeding approaches play important role and it has been discussed in this review especially for the introgression of salt tolerance traits in crops.

Molecular breeding in Brassica for salt tolerance: importance of microsatellite (SSR) markers for molecular breeding in Brassica

PubMed Central

Kumar, Manu; Choi, Ju-Young; Kumari, Nisha; Pareek, Ashwani; Kim, Seong-Ryong

2015-01-01

Salinity is one of the important abiotic factors for any crop management in irrigated as well as rainfed areas, which leads to poor harvests. This yield reduction in salt affected soils can be overcome by improving salt tolerance in crops or by soil reclamation. Salty soils can be reclaimed by leaching the salt or by cultivation of salt tolerance crops. Salt tolerance is a quantitative trait controlled by several genes. Poor knowledge about mechanism of its inheritance makes slow progress in its introgression into target crops. Brassica is known to be a good reclamation crop. Inter and intra specific variation within Brassica species shows potential of molecular breeding to raise salinity tolerant genotypes. Among the various molecular markers, SSR markers are getting high attention, since they are randomly sparsed, highly variable and show co-dominant inheritance. Furthermore, as sequencing techniques are improving and softwares to find SSR markers are being developed, SSR markers technology is also evolving rapidly. Comparative SSR marker studies targeting Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica species which lie in the same family will further aid in studying the salt tolerance related QTLs and subsequent identification of the “candidate genes” and finding out the origin of important QTLs. Although, there are a few reports on molecular breeding for improving salt tolerance using molecular markers in Brassica species, usage of SSR markers has a big potential to improve salt tolerance in Brassica crops. In order to obtain best harvests, role of SSR marker driven breeding approaches play important role and it has been discussed in this review especially for the introgression of salt tolerance traits in crops. PMID:26388887

How a microbial drug transporter became essential for crop cultivation on acid soils: aluminium tolerance conferred by the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family

PubMed Central

Magalhaes, Jurandir V.

2010-01-01

Background Aluminium (Al) toxicity is a major agricultural constraint for crop cultivation on acid soils, which comprise a large portion of the world's arable land. One of the most widely accepted mechanisms of Al tolerance in plants is based on Al-activated organic acid release into the rhizosphere, with organic acids forming stable, non-toxic complexes with Al. This mechanism has recently been validated by the isolation of bona-fide Al-tolerance genes in crop species, which encode membrane transporters that mediate Al-activated organic acid release leading to Al exclusion from root apices. In crop species such as sorghum and barley, members in the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family underlie Al tolerance by a mechanism based on Al-activated citrate release. Scope and Conclusions The study of Al tolerance in plants as conferred by MATE family members is in its infancy. Therefore, much is yet to be discovered about the functional diversity and evolutionary dynamics that led MATE proteins to acquire transport properties conducive to Al tolerance in plants. In this paper we review the major characteristics of transporters in the MATE family and will relate this knowledge to Al tolerance in plants. The MATE family is clearly extremely flexible with respect to substrate specificity, which raises the possibility that Al tolerance as encoded by MATE proteins may not be restricted to Al-activated citrate release in plant species. There are also indications that regulatory loci may be of pivotal importance to fully explore the potential for Al-tolerance improvement based on MATE genes. PMID:20511585

Differential Modulation of Photosynthesis, Signaling, and Transcriptional Regulation between Tolerant and Sensitive Tomato Genotypes under Cold Stress

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junhong; Wang, Taotao; Li, Hanxia; Zhang, Yuyang; Yu, Chuying; Ye, Zhibiao

2012-01-01

The wild species Solanum habrochaites is more cold tolerant than the cultivated tomato (S. lycopersicum). To explore the mechanisms underlying cold tolerance of S. habrochaites, seedlings of S. habrochaites LA1777 introgression lines (ILs), as well as the two parents, were evaluated under low temperature (4°C). The IL LA3969 and its donor parent LA1777 were found to be more cold tolerant than the recurrent parent S. lycopersicum LA4024. The differences in physiology and global gene expression between cold-tolerant (LA1777 and LA3969) and -sensitive (LA4024) genotypes under cold stress were further investigated. Comparative transcriptome analysis identified 1613, 1456, and 1523 cold-responsive genes in LA1777, LA3969, and LA4024, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis revealed that more GO biological process terms were significantly enriched among the up-regulated genes in the two tolerant genotypes, whereas more biological processes were significantly repressed by cold stress in the sensitive one. A total of 92 genes with significant differential expression between tolerant and sensitive genotypes under cold stress were identified. Among these, many stress-related GO terms were significantly enriched, such as ‘response to stimulus’ and ‘response to stress’. Moreover, GO terms ‘response to hormone stimulus’, ‘response to reactive oxygen species (ROS)’, and ‘calcium-mediated signaling’ were also overrepresented. Several transcripts involved in hormone or ROS homeostasis were also differentially expressed. ROS, hormones, and calcium as signaling molecules may play important roles in regulating gene expression in response to cold stress. Moreover, the expression of various transcription factors, post-translational proteins, metabolic enzymes, and photosynthesis-related genes was also specifically modulated. These specific modifications may play pivotal roles in conferring cold tolerance in tomato. These results not only provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in tomato, but also provide potential candidate genes for genetic improvement. PMID:23226384

Model prototype utilization in the analysis of fault tolerant control and data processing systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalev, I. V.; Tsarev, R. Yu; Gruzenkin, D. V.; Prokopenko, A. V.; Knyazkov, A. N.; Laptenok, V. D.

2016-04-01

The procedure assessing the profit of control and data processing system implementation is presented in the paper. The reasonability of model prototype creation and analysis results from the implementing of the approach of fault tolerance provision through the inclusion of structural and software assessment redundancy. The developed procedure allows finding the best ratio between the development cost and the analysis of model prototype and earnings from the results of this utilization and information produced. The suggested approach has been illustrated by the model example of profit assessment and analysis of control and data processing system.

Boron deficiency in woody plants: various responses and tolerance mechanisms

PubMed Central

Wang, Nannan; Yang, Chengquan; Pan, Zhiyong; Liu, Yongzhong; Peng, Shu’ang

2015-01-01

Boron (B) is an essential microelement for higher plants, and its deficiency is widespread around the world and constrains the productivity of both agriculture and forestry. In the last two decades, numerous studies on model or herbaceous plants have contributed greatly to our understanding of the complex network of B-deficiency responses and mechanisms for tolerance. In woody plants, however, fewer studies have been conducted and they have not well been recently synthesized or related to the findings on model species on B transporters. Trees have a larger body size, longer lifespan and more B reserves than do herbaceous plants, indicating that woody species might undergo long-term or mild B deficiency more commonly and that regulation of B reserves helps trees cope with B deficiency. In addition, the highly heterozygous genetic background of tree species suggests that they may have more complex mechanisms of response and tolerance to B deficiency than do model plants. Boron-deficient trees usually exhibit two key visible symptoms: depression of growing points (root tip, bud, flower, and young leaf) and deformity of organs (root, shoot, leaf, and fruit). These symptoms may be ascribed to B functioning in the cell wall and membrane, and particularly to damage to vascular tissues and the suppression of both B and water transport. Boron deficiency also affects metabolic processes such as decreased leaf photosynthesis, and increased lignin and phenol content in trees. These negative effects will influence the quality and quantity of wood, fruit and other agricultural products. Boron efficiency probably originates from a combined effect of three processes: B uptake, B translocation and retranslocation, and B utilization. Root morphology and mycorrhiza can affect the B uptake efficiency of trees. During B translocation from the root to shoot, differences in B concentration between root cell sap and xylem exudate, as well as water use efficiency, may play key roles in tolerance to B deficiency. In addition, B retranslocation efficiency primarily depends on the extent of xylem-to-phloem transfer and the variety and amount of cis-diol moieties in the phloem. The B requirement for cell wall construction also contribute to the B use efficiency in trees. The present review will provide an update on the physiological and molecular responses and tolerance mechanisms to B deficiency in woody plants. Emphasis is placed on the roles of B reserves that are more important for tolerance to B deficiency in trees than in herbaceous plants and the possible physiological and molecular mechanisms of differential B efficiency in trees. We propose that B may be used to study the relationship between the cell wall and the membrane via the B-bridge. Transgenic B-efficient tree cultivars have considerable potential for forestry or fruit rootstock production on low B soils in the future. PMID:26579163

Contacts in the Office of Pesticide Programs, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Contact the Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (PRD) about registration review and reregistration follow up (including post-RED activities, product reregistration, and implementing certain tolerance reassessment decisions) for conventional pesticides.

Linking transcriptional responses to organismal tolerance reveals mechanisms of thermal sensitivity in a mesothermal endangered fish.

PubMed

Komoroske, Lisa M; Connon, Richard E; Jeffries, Ken M; Fangue, Nann A

2015-10-01

Forecasting species' responses to climate change requires understanding the underlying mechanisms governing environmental stress tolerance, including acclimation capacity and acute stress responses. Current knowledge of these physiological processes in aquatic ectotherms is largely drawn from eurythermal or extreme stenothermal species. Yet many species of conservation concern exhibit tolerance windows and acclimation capacities in between these extremes. We linked transcriptome profiles to organismal tolerance in a mesothermal endangered fish, the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), to quantify the cellular processes, sublethal thresholds and effects of thermal acclimation on acute stress responses. Delta smelt initiated rapid molecular changes in line with expectations of theoretical thermal limitation models, but also exhibited diminished capacity to modify the expression of some genes and cellular mechanisms key to coping with acute thermal stress found in eurytherms. Sublethal critical thresholds occurred 4-6 °C below their upper tolerance limits, and thermal acclimation shifted the onset of acute thermal stress and tolerance as predicted. However, we found evidence that delta smelt's limited thermal plasticity may be partially due to an inability of individuals to effectively make physiological adjustments to truly achieve new homoeostasis under heightened temperatures, resulting in chronic thermal stress. These findings provide insight into the physiological basis of the diverse patterns of thermal tolerances observed in nature. Moreover, understanding how underlying molecular mechanisms shape thermal acclimation capacity, acute stress responses and ultimately differential phenotypes contributes to a predictive framework to deduce species' responses in situ to changes in selective pressures due to climate change. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Histone Acetylation at the Ifng Promoter in Tolerized CD4 Cells Is Associated with Increased IFN-γ Expression during Subsequent Immunization to the Same Antigen1

PubMed Central

Long, Meixiao; Slaiby, Aaron M.; Wu, Shuang; Hagymasi, Adam T.; Mihalyo, Marianne A.; Bandyopadhyay, Suman; Vella, Anthony T.; Adler, Adam J.

2010-01-01

When naive CD4+ Th cells encounter cognate pathogen-derived Ags they expand and develop the capacity to express the appropriate effector cytokines for neutralizing the pathogen. Central to this differentiation process are epigenetic modifications within the effector cytokine genes that allow accessibility to the transcriptional machinery. In contrast, when mature self-reactive CD4 cells encounter their cognate epitopes in the periphery they generally undergo a process of tolerization in which they become hyporesponsive/anergic to antigenic stimulation. In the current study, we used a TCR transgenic adoptive transfer system to demonstrate that in a dose-dependent manner parenchymal self-Ag programs cognate naive CD4 cells to acetylate histones bound to the promoter region of the Ifng gene (which encodes the signature Th1 effector cytokine) during peripheral tolerization. Although the Ifng gene gains transcriptional competence, these tolerized CD4 cells fail to express substantial amounts of IFN-γ in response to antigenic stimulation apparently because a blockage in TCR-mediated signaling also develops. Nevertheless, responsiveness to antigenic stimulation is partially restored when self-Ag-tolerized CD4 cells are retransferred into mice infected with a virus expressing the same Ag. Additionally, there is preferential boosting in the ability of these CD4 cells to express IFN-γ relative to other cytokines with expression that also becomes impaired. Taken together, these results suggest that epigenetic modification of the Ifng locus during peripheral CD4 cell tolerization might allow for preferential expression of IFN-γ during recovery from tolerance. PMID:17947638

Droxidopa: a review of its use in symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension.

PubMed

Keating, Gillian M

2015-02-01

The norepinephrine prodrug droxidopa (NORTHERA™) is approved in the US for the treatment of orthostatic dizziness, lightheadedness, or the 'feeling that you are about to black out' in adults with symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension associated with primary autonomic failure (e.g. Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy or pure autonomic failure), dopamine β-hydroxylase deficiency or nondiabetic autonomic neuropathy. This article reviews the clinical efficacy and tolerability of droxidopa in symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, as well as summarizing its pharmacological properties. Oral droxidopa was effective in the shorter-term treatment of patients with symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, with improvements seen in symptoms, the impact of symptoms on daily activities and standing systolic blood pressure. More data are needed to confirm the longer-term efficacy of droxidopa. Droxidopa was generally well tolerated, although patients should be monitored for supine hypertension.

A systematic review on the role of anticonvulsants in the treatment of acute bipolar depression.

PubMed

Reinares, María; Rosa, Adriane R; Franco, Carolina; Goikolea, José Manuel; Fountoulakis, Kostas; Siamouli, Melina; Gonda, Xenia; Frangou, Sophia; Vieta, Eduard

2013-03-01

Despite the high morbidity and mortality associated with bipolar depression, the optimal treatment for this phase is still a matter of debate. The aim of the current review was to provide updated evidence about the efficacy and tolerability of anticonvulsants in the treatment of acute bipolar depression. A comprehensive review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the use of anticonvulsants for the treatment of acute bipolar depression up to June 2011 was conducted by means of the PubMed-Medline database. Eligibility criteria included active comparator-controlled or placebo-controlled randomized studies involving monotherapy or combination therapy. A total of 18 RCTs fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Studies supported the efficacy of divalproex as monotherapy in acute bipolar depression but small sample size was a common methodological limitation. Findings were inconclusive for lamotrigine and carbamazepine although overall lamotrigine may have a beneficial but modest effect. Negative results were found for levetiracetam and gabapentin but the evidence base on these agents is scant. All anticonvulsants were generally well tolerated. No double-blind RCTs were found for the use of other anticonvulsants such as oxcarbazepine, licarbazepine, zonisamide, retigabine, pregabalin, tiagabine, felbamate and vigabatrine in the acute treatment of bipolar depression. To sum up, taking into consideration the efficacy and tolerability profiles of anticonvulsants, current evidence supports the use of divalproex and lamotrigine in the treatment of acute bipolar depression. However, available data for most other anticonvulsants are inconclusive and further RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed before drawing firm conclusions.

Heavy metal tolerance in plants: A model evolutionary system.

PubMed

Macnair, M R

1987-12-01

Evolved tolerance to toxic concentrations of heavy metals in plants inhabiting spoil heaps of mines is a well known phenomenon that has been the subject of much research in the last two decades. These plants are useful models for studying processes involved in the early stages of the speciation of edaphic endemics. Recent work has revealed the importance of several phenomena in the differentiation of tolerant populations, including natural selection, founder effects and 'hitch-hiking', and has demonstrated the early evolution of morphological differentiation and reproductive isolating mechanisms. Further studies of the biochemistry and molecular biology of heavy metal tolerance will help to show why some plant groups, such as Agrostis, are far more prone to evolve tolerance than others. Copyright © 1987. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Natural killer cells and regulatory T cells in early pregnancy loss

PubMed Central

SHARMA, SURENDRA

2015-01-01

Survival of the allogeneic embryo in the uterus depends on the maintenance of immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface. The pregnant uterus is replete with activated maternal immune cells. How this immune tolerance is acquired and maintained has been a topic of intense investigation. The key immune cells that predominantly populate the pregnant uterus are natural killer (NK) cells. In normal pregnancy, these cells are not killers, but rather provide a microenvironment that is pregnancy compatible and supports healthy placentation. In placental mammals, an array of highly orchestrated immune elements to support successful pregnancy outcome has been incorporated. This includes active cooperation between maternal immune cells, particularly NK cells, and trophoblast cells. This intricate process is required for placentation, immune regulation and to remodel the blood supply to the fetus. During the past decade, various types of maternal immune cells have been thought to be involved in cross-talk with trophoblasts and in programming immune tolerance. RegulatoryT cells (Tregs) have attracted a great deal of attention in promoting implantation and immune tolerance beyond implantation. However, what has not been fully addressed is how this immune-trophoblast axis breaks down during adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly early pregnancy loss, and in response to unscheduled inflammation. Intense research efforts have begun to shed light on the roles of NK cells and Tregs in early pregnancy loss, although much remains to be unraveled in order to fully characterize the mechanisms underlying their detrimental activity. An increased understanding of host-environment interactions that lead to the cytotoxic phenotype of these otherwise pregnancy compatible maternal immune cells is important for prediction, prevention and treatment of pregnancy maladies, particularly recurrent pregnancy loss. In this review, we discuss relevant information from experimental and human models that may explain the pregnancy disrupting roles of these pivotal sentinel cells at the maternal-fetal interface. PMID:25023688

Alcohol consumption and tolerance of Neurospora crassa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The alcohol consumption and tolerance of the ascomycete Neurospora crassa was investigated in this study. This fungus is able to utilize both native alcohol and non-native alcohols as carbon sources, yet little is known about the enzymes involved in these processes. The deletion of alcohol dehydroge...

77 FR 73940 - Flubendiamide; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-12

... in c/o Nichino America, Inc. (U.S. subsidiary of Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd.), P.O. Box 12014, Research... increases in the tolerances for pome fruit and wet apple pomace as follows: i. Acute exposure. Quantitative... level residues, assuming 100% of crops were treated. In addition, experimental processing (where...

Bowel preparation for elective procedures in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Karlsen, Fiona; Isaji, Sahira; Teck, Guan-Ong

2017-01-01

Objective Reviews have investigated preparation for colonoscopy, but not for surgery, They are also often limited to patients up to 16 years, despite many paediatric gastroenterologists caring for older patients. We carried out a systematic review investigating the optimum bowel preparation agents for all indications in children and young people. Design A Cochrane format systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Data extraction and assessment of methodological quality were performed independently by two reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Patients Young people requiring bowel preparation for any elective procedure, as defined by the primary studies. Interventions RCTs comparing bowel preparation with placebo or other interventions. Main outcome measures Adequacy of bowel preparation, tolerability and adverse events. Results The search yielded 2124 results and 15 randomised controlled studies (n=1435)but heterogeneity limited synthesis. Meta-analysis of two studies comparing polyethylene glycol (PEG) with sodium phosphate showed no difference in the quality of bowel preparation (risk ratio (RR) 1.27(95% CI 0.66 to 2.44)). Two studies comparing sodium picosulfate/magnesium citrate with PEG found no difference in bowel preparation but significantly higher number of patients needing nasogastric tube insertion in the polyethylene glycol-electrolyte lavage solution (RR 0.04(95% CI 0.01 to 0.18), 45 of 117 in PEG group vs 2 of 121 in sodium picosulfate group). Meta-analysis of three studies (n=241) found no difference between PEG and sennasoids (RR 0.73(95% CI 0.31 to 1.71)). Conclusions The evidence base is clinically heterogeneous and methodologically at risk of bias. There is evidence that all regimens are equally effective. However, sodium picosulfate was better tolerated than PEG. Future research is needed with all agents and should seek to consider safety and tolerability as well as efficacy. PMID:29637141

Analysis of opioid efficacy, tolerance, addiction and dependence from cell culture to human

PubMed Central

Morgan, Michael M; Christie, MacDonald J

2011-01-01

Opioid agonists are the most effective treatment for pain, but their use is limited by side effects, tolerance and fears of addiction and dependence. A major goal of opioid research is to develop agonists that have high analgesic efficacy and a low profile for side effects, tolerance, addiction and dependence. Unfortunately, there is a serious lack of experimental data comparing the degree to which different opioids produce these effects in humans. In contrast, a wide range of experimental techniques from heterologous expression systems to behaviour assessment in whole animals have been developed to study these problems. The objective of this review is to describe and evaluate these techniques as they are used to study opioid efficacy, tolerance, addiction and dependence. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Translational Neuropharmacology. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.164.issue-4 PMID:21434879

Lower lethal temperatures for nonnative freshwater fishes in Everglades National Park, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schofield, Pam; Kline, Jeffrey L.

2018-01-01

Temperature is an important factor that shapes biogeography and species composition. In southern Florida, the tolerance of nonnative freshwater fishes to low temperatures is a critical factor in delineating their geographic spread. In this study, we provide empirical information on experimentally derived low-temperature tolerance limits of Banded Cichlid Heros severus and Spotfin Spiny Eel Macrognathus siamensis, two nonnative Everglades fishes that were lacking data, and African Jewelfish Hemichromis letourneuxi and Mayan Cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus, species for which previous results were derived from studies with small sample sizes. We also provide a literature review summarizing the current state of knowledge of low-temperature tolerances for all 17 nonnative freshwater fishes that have been found in Everglades National Park. Mean lower lethal temperature tolerances ranged from 4°C (Orinoco Sailfin Catfish Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus) to 16.1°C (Butterfly Peacock Bass Cichla ocellaris). These low-temperature limits may inform the understanding of the ecological role or influence of nonnative fishes and may lead to potential management opportunities and applications.

Immune Tolerant Chronic Hepatitis B: The Unrecognized Risks

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Patrick T. F.; Litwin, Samuel; Dolman, Grace E.; Bertoletti, Antonio; Mason, William S.

2017-01-01

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) progresses through multiple phases, including immune tolerant, immune active, immune control, and, in a subset of patients who achieve immune control, reactivation. The first, the immune tolerant phase, is considered to be prolonged in duration but essentially benign in nature, lacking long-term consequences, and thus not recommended for antiviral therapy. This review challenges the notion that the immune tolerant phase is truly benign and considers the possibility that events during this phase may contribute significantly to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the premature death of 25% of HBV carriers worldwide. Thus, earlier treatment than recommended by current guidelines should be considered. Low therapeutic coverage exacerbated by restrictive treatment guidelines may facilitate disease progression in many patients but also increase the risk of neonatal and horizontal transmission from untreated mothers to their children. While a prophylactic vaccine exists, there are many areas worldwide where the treatment of adults and the delivery of an effective vaccination course to newborns present difficult challenges. PMID:28468285

Methods and pitfalls of measuring thermal preference and tolerance in lizards.

PubMed

Camacho, Agustín; Rusch, Travis W

2017-08-01

Understanding methodological and biological sources of bias during the measurement of thermal parameters is essential for the advancement of thermal biology. For more than a century, studies on lizards have deepened our understanding of thermal ecophysiology, employing multiple methods to measure thermal preferences and tolerances. We reviewed 129 articles concerned with measuring preferred body temperature (PBT), voluntary thermal tolerance, and critical temperatures of lizards to offer: a) an overview of the methods used to measure and report these parameters, b) a summary of the methodological and biological factors affecting thermal preference and tolerance, c) recommendations to avoid identified pitfalls, and d) directions for continued progress in our application and understanding of these thermal parameters. We emphasize the need for more methodological and comparative studies. Lastly, we urge researchers to provide more detailed methodological descriptions and suggest ways to make their raw data more informative to increase the utility of thermal biology studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Progress on salt resistance in autopolyploid plants].

PubMed

Zhu, Hong Ju; Liu, Wen Ge

2018-04-20

Polyploidization is a key driving force that plays a vital role in the evolution of higher plants. Autopolyploid plants often demonstrate altered physiology phenomena due to the different genome composition and gene expression patterns. For example, autopolyploid plants are more resistant to stresses than their homologous diploid ancestors. Soil salinity and secondary salinization are two vital factors affecting crop production which severely limit the sustainable development of agriculture in China. Polyploid plants are important germplasm resources in crop genetic improvement due to their higher salt tolerance. Revealing the mechanism of salt tolerance in homologous plants will provide a foundation for breeding new plants with improved salt resistance. In this review, we describe the existing and ongoing characterization of the mechanism of salt tolerance in autopolyploid plants, including the salt tolerance evolution, physiology, biochemistry, cell structure and molecular level researches. Finally, we also discuss the prospects in this field by using polyploid watermelon as an example, which will be helpful in polyploid research and plant breeding.

Fault tolerant programmable digital attitude control electronics study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sorensen, A. A.

1974-01-01

The attitude control electronics mechanization study to develop a fault tolerant autonomous concept for a three axis system is reported. Programmable digital electronics are compared to general purpose digital computers. The requirements, constraints, and tradeoffs are discussed. It is concluded that: (1) general fault tolerance can be achieved relatively economically, (2) recovery times of less than one second can be obtained, (3) the number of faulty behavior patterns must be limited, and (4) adjoined processes are the best indicators of faulty operation.

Genome Sequence of Bacillus cereus Strain TG1-6, a Plant-Beneficial Rhizobacterium That Is Highly Salt Tolerant

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT The complete genome sequence of Bacillus cereus strain TG1-6, which is a highly salt-tolerant rhizobacterium that enhances plant tolerance to drought stress, is reported here. The sequencing process was performed based on a combination of pyrosequencing and single-molecule sequencing. The complete genome is estimated to be approximately 5.42 Mb, containing a total of 5,610 predicted protein-coding DNA sequences (CDSs). PMID:29748401