High Dietary Fat Exacerbates Weight Gain and Obesity in Female Liver Fatty Acid Binding Protein Gene-Ablated Mice

Since liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) facilitates uptake/oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in cultured transfected cells and primary hepatocytes, loss of L-FABP was expected to exacerbate weight gain and/or obesity in response to high dietary fat. Male and female wild-type (WT) and L-FABP gene-ablated mice, pair-fed a defined isocaloric control or high fat diet for 12 weeks, consumed equal amounts of food by weight and kcal. Male WT mice gained weight faster than their female WT counterparts regardless of diet. L-FABP gene ablation enhanced weight gain more in female than male mice—an effect exacerbated by high fat diet. Dual emission X-ray absorptiometry revealed high-fat fed male and female WT mice gained mostly fat tissue mass (FTM). L-FABP gene ablation increased FTM in female, but not male, mice—an effect also exacerbated by high fat diet. Concomitantly, L-FABP gene ablation decreased serum β-hydroxybutyrate in male and female mice fed the control diet and, even more so, on the high-fat diet. Thus, L-FABP gene ablation decreased fat oxidation and sensitized all mice to weight gain as whole body FTM and LTM—with the most gain observed in FTM of control vs high-fat fed female L-FABP null mice. Taken together, these results indicate loss of L-FABP exacerbates weight gain and/or obesity in response to high dietary fat.     

Vibrated bed contact electrification and charge dissipation

Some characteristics of contact electrification and charge dissipation in a vibrated bed have been studied. The experimental variables of interest were the bulk particle resistivity, the amplitude of vibration and the system electrode geometry. Theoretical models have been proposed relating the measured variables of conduction current, and induced potential in the base plate, to the charging and dissipation processes. Air breakdown has been found to limit insulating particle charge levels, following a linear increase in bed charge with time after vibration. This behaviour has been predicted theoretically. The functional dependence of the induced potential and the conduction current on the vibrational amplitude predicted theoretically for conducting particles, is in agreement with observation.Charge production and dissipation in the vibrated bed simulate the electrification characteristics of many practical bulk particle handling situations. This allows conclusions of general relevance to be deduced from the present study.     

A multi‐scale segmentation approach to filling gaps in Landsat ETM+ SLC‐off images

On 31 May 2003, the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Plus (ETM+) Scan Line Corrector (SLC) failed, causing the scanning pattern to exhibit wedge‐shaped scan‐to‐scan gaps. We developed a method that uses coincident spectral data to fill the image gaps. This method uses a multi‐scale segment model, derived from a previous Landsat SLC‐on image (image acquired prior to the SLC failure), to guide the spectral interpolation across the gaps in SLC‐off images (images acquired after the SLC failure). This paper describes the process used to generate the segment model, provides details of the gap‐fill algorithm used in deriving the segment‐based gap‐fill product, and presents the results of the gap‐fill process applied to grassland, cropland, and forest landscapes. Our results indicate this product will be useful for a wide variety of applications, including regional‐scale studies, general land cover mapping (e.g. forest, urban, and grass), crop‐specific mapping and monitoring, and visual assessments. Applications that need to be cautious when using pixels in the gap areas include any applications that require per‐pixel accuracy, such as urban characterization or impervious surface mapping, applications that use texture to characterize landscape features, and applications that require accurate measurements of small or narrow landscape features such as roads, farmsteads, and riparian areas.     

Fractionation of non-Brownian rod-like particle suspensions in a viscoplastic fluid

In this work we explore a fractionation technique for non-Brownian rod-like particle suspensions based upon the control of the threshold for motion in a yield stress fluid. The principle is demonstrated by observing the motion of particles under the influence of a centrifugal force in a weak gel. Here we develop calibration curves of the force required to initiate motion in a gel under numerous configurations of the particles. Demonstration separations of bidisperse suspensions are reported. Here we achieve complete separation of dilute suspensions based upon length, diameter, or density. The method is then applied to an industrially important suspension, that is a polydispersed papermaking fibre suspension, in which a length-based fractionation is reported.     

A Test Methodology for High Performance MCMs

Satellite and avionics applications represent an ideal application for the tremendous performance, cost, space, andreliability benefits of MCMs. These advantages are only realized,however, if accompanied by an efficient test strategy whichverifies defect-free fabrication. This paper describes a methodology developed to test high performance VLSI CMOS ICs thathave been mounted onto a multi-chip silicon substrate. A teststrategy, which addresses testing from the wafer level through tothe populated substrate, is detailed. This strategy uses acombination of LSSD, AC LSSD-On-Chip Self Test, Deterministic Delay Fault Testing, and Design for Partitionability to ensure high testquality at a reasonable cost. The methodology is then contrastedto alternative approaches.     

Efficiency of plasticization of PVC by higher-order di-alkyl phthalates and survey of mathematical models for prediction of polymer/diluent blend Tg's

Presently, a suitable theory to predict the T_g vs. composition relationship for a given polymer-plasticizer blend, based on detailed molecular structure and molecular energitics considerations, is not available. In particular, the plasticizer efficiency parameter, k, which is uniquely defined at low-to-moderate diluent concentrations, and is an essential variable in the Mauritz-Storey theory of the diffusion of large molecules in amorphous polymers in the rubbery state, must always be determined by experiment. In this work, k was determined by DSC for PVC that was plasticized over a range of concentrations with a number of higher branched and linear di-alkyl phthalates. The results will be used in our plasticizer diffusion theory as well as provide guidance in the future development of a general mathematical model for predicting k. It was seen that k decreased with increasing molecular weight for both the linear and branched phthalates. For a given molecular weight, the branched phthalates have higher k values than the linear structures. These results have been rationalized in terms of the additional free volume created by the inefficiency of packing polymer chains about these large penetrant molecules. The DSC scans also implied an increasing degree of microstructural heterogeneity with increasing plasticizer concentration. Finally, relationships between plasticizer diffusion coefficient in the rubbery state and the plasticized T_g were established for low-to-moderate diluent concentration for three of the plasticizers studied by utilizing experimental diffusion data from our earlier work on these systems.     

Broadband patch antenna with ring slot coupling

A novel broadband linearly polarised patch antenna design is achieved using an H-shaped patch coupled to a microstrip feed line via a ring slot in the ground plane. The results indicate that a wide impedance bandwidth of 54% (2.3-3.845 GHz) can be achieved, together with a broadband gain of 6.6 dB and low levels of cross-polarisation.     

Evolutionary relationships among members of the genus Chlamydia based on 16S ribosomal DNA analysis

Nucleotide sequences from strains of the four species currently in the genus Chlamydia, C. pecorum, C. pneumoniae, C. psittaci, and C. trachomatis were investigated. In vitro-amplified RNA genes of the ribosomal small subunit from 30 strains of C. pneumoniae and C. pecorum were subjected to solid-phase DNA sequencing of both strands. The human isolates of C. pneumoniae differed in only one position in the 16S rRNA gene, indicating genetic homogeneity among these strains. Interestingly, horse isolate N16 of C. pneumoniae was found to be closely related to the human isolates of this species, with a 98.9% nucleotide similarity between their 16S rRNA sequences. The type strain and koala isolates of C. pecorum were also found to be very similar to each other, possessing two different 16S rRNA sequences with only one-nucleotide difference. Furthermore, the C. pecorum strains truncated the 16S rRNA molecule by one nucleotide compared to the molecules of the other chlamydial species. This truncation was found to result in loss of a unilaterally bulged nucleotide, an attribute present in all other eubacteria. The phylogenetic structure of the genus Chlamydia was determined by analysis of 16S rRNA sequences. All phylogenetic trees revealed a distinct line of descent of the family Chlamydiaceae built of two main clusters which we denote the C. pneumoniae cluster and the C. psittaci cluster. The clusters were verified by bootstrap analysis of the trees and signature nucleotide analysis. The former cluster contained the human isolates of C. pneumoniae and equine strain N16. The latter cluster consisted of C. psittaci, C. pecorum, and C. trachomatis. The members of the C. pneumoniae cluster showed tight clustering and strain N16 is likely to be a subspecies of C. pneumoniae since these strains also share some antigenic cross-reactivity and clustering of major outer membrane protein gene sequences. C. psittaci and strain N16 branched early out of the respective cluster, and interestingly, their inclusion bodies do not stain with iodine. Furthermore, they also share less reliable features like normal elementary body morphology and plasmid content. Therefore, the branching order presented here is very likely a true reflection of evolution, with strain N16 of the species C. pneumoniae and C. psittaci forming early branches of their respective cluster and with C. trachomatis being the more recently evolved species within the genus Chlamydia.