Chemokine receptors in HIV-1 and SIV infection

Glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity and the rate of glucose cycling are increased in islets from animal models of Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Glucocorticoid treatment further stimulates these processes and inhibits glucose-induced insulin release. To determine whether these effects result from a direct action of glucocorticoids on the beta-cells, we used isolated islets. The islets were from transgenic mice overexpressing the glucocorticoid receptor in their beta-cells to increase the cells' sensitivity to glucocorticoid. Islets from transgenic and non-transgenic control mice utilized and oxidized the same amount of glucose. In contrast, islet G6Pase activity was 70 % higher, glucose cycling was increased threefold and insulin release was 30 % lower in islets from transgenic mice. Hepatic G6Pase activity was the same in transgenic and control mice. Dexamethasone administration increased G6Pase activity and glucose cycling and decreased insulin release in both transgenic and control mouse islets. We conclude that glucocorticoids stimulate islet G6Pase activity and glucose cycling by acting directly on the beta-cell. That activity may be linked to the inhibition of insulin release.     

The effect of phosphate treatment on nickel dispersion on MCM-41 mesoporous material

The incorporation of nickel into mesoporous molecular sieves MCM-41 was carried out. Ni-PO/MCM41 and Ni-C1/MCM41 were prepared by using Ni(II) acetate solution adjusted to pH=2.5 with phosphoric acid and hydrochloric acid, respectively, by the incipient wetness method. Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) was used to study the local environments of Ni(II) incorporated into mesopores. The PAS of as-prepared Ni/MCM41, Ni-Cl/MCM41, and Ni-PO/MCM41 with Ni(II) acetate solution exhibits two bands of λ_max around 400 nm and 750 nm, which could be assigned to the³A_2g→³T_lg(F) and the³A_2g→³T_lg(P) transition of octahedral Ni(II) species. After calcination, Ni ion within Ni-PO/MCM41 dispersed atomically onto the surface of MCM-41 channel as an octahedral species without the transformation to nickel oxide phase, while Ni ion within Ni-Cl/MCM41 and Ni/MCM41 transformed to nickel oxide phase. It may be attributed to the fact that each Ni ion is separated by the phosphate grafted to surface silanol group. The effects of phosphoric acid on the dispersity of Ni ion within MCM-41 have been investigated using³¹P and²⁹Si MAS NMR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

Novel Bacterial Production of Two Different Bioactive Forms of Human Stem-Cell Factor

Human stem-cell factor (hSCF) stimulates the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic cells by binding to the c-Kit receptor. Various applications of hSCF require the efficient and reliable production of hSCF. hSCF exists in three forms: as two membrane-spanning proteins hSCF248 and hSCF229 and truncated soluble N-terminal protein hSCF164. hSCF164 is known to be insoluble when expressed in Escherichia coli cytoplasm, requiring a complex refolding procedure. The activity of hSCF248 has never been studied. Here, we investigated novel production methods for recombinant hSCF164 and hSCF248 without the refolding process. To increase the solubility of hSCF164, maltose-binding protein (MBP) and protein disulfide isomerase b’a’ domain (PDIb’a’) tags were attached to the N-terminus of hSCF164. These fusion proteins were overexpressed in soluble form in the Origami 2(DE3) E. coli strain. These solubilization effects were enhanced at a low temperature. His-hSCF248, the poly-His tagged form of hSCF248, was expressed in a highly soluble form without a solubilization tag protein, which was unexpected because His-hSCF248 contains a transmembrane domain. hSCF164 was purified using affinity and ion-exchange chromatography, and His-hSCF248 was purified by ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The purified proteins stimulated the proliferation of TF-1 cells. Interestingly, the EC₅₀ value of His-hSCF248 was 1 pg/mL, 100-fold lower than 9 ng/mL hSCF164. Additionally, His-hSCF248 decreased the doubling time, increased the proportion of S and G2/M stages in the cell cycle, and increased the c-Myc expression at a 1000-fold lower concentration than hSCF164. In conclusion, His-hSCF248 was expressed in a soluble form in E. coli and had stronger activity than hSCF164. The molecular chaperone, MBP, enabled the soluble overexpression of hSCF164.     

Failure analysis of a boiler tube in USC coal power plant

This paper presents failure analysis of final superheater tube in ultra-supercritical (USC) coal power plant. Visual inspection was performed to find out the characteristics of fracture of the as-received material. And the micro-structural changes such as grain growth and carbide coarsening was examined by scanning electron microscope. Detailed microscopic studies were made to find out the behavior of the scale exfoliation on the waterside of tubes. From those investigations, the creep rupture may be caused by the softened structure induced by carbide coarsening and accelerated by the metal temperature increase by the impediment of heat transfer due to voids.     

Mapping of heavy metal pollution in stream sediments using combined geochemistry, field spectroscopy, and hyperspectral remote sensing: A case study of the Rodalquilar mining area, SE Spain

The aim of this study is to derive parameters from spectral variations associated with heavy metals in soil and to explore the possibility of extending the use of these parameters to hyperspectral images and to map the distribution of areas affected by heavy metals on HyMAP data. Variations in the spectral absorption features of lattice OH and oxygen on the mineral surface due to the combination of different heavy metals were linked to actual concentrations of heavy metals. The ratio of 610 to 500 nm (R_610,500 nm) in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) range, absorption area at 2200 nm (Area_2200 nm), and asymmetry of the absorption feature at 2200 nm (Asym_2200 nm) showed significant correlations with concentrations of Pb, Zn, and As, respectively. The resulting spectral gradient maps showed similar spatial patterns to geochemical gradient maps. The ground-derived spectral parameters showed a reliable quantitative relationship with heavy metal levels based on multiple linear regression. To examine the feasibility to applying these parameters to a HyMAP image, image-derived spectral parameters were compared with ground-derived parameters in terms of R², one-way ANOVA, and spatial patterns in the gradient map. The R_1344,778 nm and Area_2200 nm parameters showed a weak relationship between the two datasets (R² > 0.5), and populations of spectral parameter values, Depth_500 nm, R_1344,778 nm, and Area_2200 nm derived from the image pixels were comparable with those of ground-derived spectral parameters along a section of the stream channel. The pixels classified in the rule image of Depth_500 nm, R_1344,778 nm, and Area_2200 nm derived from a HyMAP image showed similar spatial patterns to the gradient maps of ground-derived spectral parameters. The results indicate the potential applicability of the parameters derived from spectral absorption features in screening and mapping the distribution of heavy metals. Correcting for differences in spectral and spatial resolution between ground and image spectra should be considered for quantitative mapping and the retrieval of heavy metal concentrations from HyMAP images.     

Parameters affecting the efficiency of affinity-based reversed micellar extraction and separation (ARMES) in glycoprotein purification

The Bladder Neck Support Prosthesis (BNSP) was used in 21 women with combined genuine stress incontinence (GSI) and detrusor instability (DI). Outcomes included frequency volume charts, pad tests, voiding cystometry and quality of life scores, up to the sixth month. Of the 21 recruits, 5 never wore the BNSP home, leaving 16 participants. A further 2 did not reach week 4 because of poor efficacy or inability to fit the device. In the 14 who reached week 4, the median number of leaks/day declined from 4.3 to 1.0 (p = 0.002). Median pad test loss fell from 53 to 7 mL (p = 0.012). Cystometry showed an increase in maximum bladder capacity (p < 0.05) and a modest reduction in severity of detrusor instability, with no evidence of outflow obstruction. Three further women discontinued because of poor efficacy (2) or a poorly fitting device (1), leaving 11 of 16 participants (69%) at week 8, when median pad test loss fell to 2 mL. The BNSP is a useful option in patients with the unfortunate combination of an unstable bladder and an incompetent urethra, but requires careful fitting and attention to detail.     

A higher order FDTD method in Integral formulation

We present a fourth-order (4, 4) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD)-like algorithm based on the integral form of Maxwell's equations. The algorithm, which is called the integro-difference time-domain (IDTD) method, achieves its fourth-order accuracy in space and time by taking into account the spatial and temporal variations of electromagnetic fields within each computational cell. In the algorithm, the electromagnetic fields within each cell are represented by space and time integrals (or integral averages) of the fields, i.e., the electric and magnetic fluxes (D,B) are represented by the surface-integral average, and the electric and magnetic fields (E,H) by the line and time integral average. In order to relate the integral average fields in the staggered update equations, we have obtained constitutive relations for these fields. It is shown that the IDTD update equations combined with the constitutive relations are fourth-order accurate both in space and time. The fourth-order correction terms are represented by the modified coefficients in the update equations; the numerical structure remains the same as the conventional second-order update equations and more importantly does not require the storage of field variables at the previous time steps to obtain the fourth-order accuracy in time. Furthermore, the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) stability criteria of this fourth-order algorithm turns out to be identical to the stability limits of conventional second-order FDTD scheme based on differential formulation.     

Pile Driving Analysis for Top Hammering and Bottom Hammering

Piles are used for platform foundations and other offshore structures. Pile driving performance is predicted and analyzed using the wave equation analysis method. In general, the hammering point can be any part of the pile and the same analyses used for hammering at the top of the pile (top hammering) can be used for pile driving by hammering at the bottom of the pile (bottom hammering). Based on the numerical analyses in this research including residual stresses in the pile, there is little difference between the predictions of pile penetration per hammer blow by single- or multiple-blow analyses when soil resistance is low, such as 10 blows/m. The same is true for top hammering and bottom hammering when soil resistance is low. However, when soil resistance is high compared to that of the pile-hammer system, single-blow analysis predicts early refusal for top hammering and unrealistically high pile penetration for bottom hammering. Therefore, multiple-blow analysis, which considers residual stresses, should be used for better understanding of realistic pile driving performance and predictions. Additionally, this study shows that gravity is another controlling factor for pile driving in low-resistance soil.     

Chemical absorption of carbon dioxide into phenyl glycidyl ether solution containing THA-CP-MS41 catalyst

Carbon dioxide was absorbed into the phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) solution within a range of 0–2.0 kmol/m³ in a stirred batch tank with a planar gas-liquid interface at 333–363 K and 101.3 kPa. Trihexylamine-immobilized on chloropropyl-functionalized MCM-41 (THA-CP-MS41) was used as a mesoporous catalyst, dispersed in organic liquid for the reaction between carbon dioxide and PGE. The measured absorption rates were analyzed to obtain the reaction kinetics of the consecutive chemical reactions which consisted of two steps using the mass transfer mechanism based on film theory. The overall reaction kinetics, analyzed with the pseudo-first-order reaction constant in the consecutive reaction model, was equivalent to the consecutive reaction kinetics. Effects of polar solvent, such as N, N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, and dimethyl sulfoxide, on the reaction rate constants were observed using the solubility parameter of the solvent.