Pseudo-T2 mapping for normalization of T2-weighted prostate MRI

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine - Signal intensity normalization is necessary to reduce heterogeneity in T2-weighted (T2W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for...     

Gene structure of human indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase

Two genomic DNA clones that encode human indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) were isolated from the human genomic DNA library using the IDO cDNA as a probe, and their restriction maps and partial nucleotide sequences were determined. The human IDO gene spanned 15 kilobase pairs with ten exons. The 5' terminus of the IDO mRNA was 33 nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation codon ATG. The 5' flanking region contained ISRE, X-box, and Y-box like sequences. Southern blot analysis of the human genomic DNA indicated that the human IDO gene was present in a single copy in the genome.     

Different patterns of biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus under food-related stress conditions

Staphylococcus aureus and its biofilm formation are recognized as a serious clinical problem. S. aureus is also a food borne pathogen, and little is known regarding biofilm formation of food-related strains. We have studied biofilm formation of both food-related and clinical S. aureus strains grown under different stress conditions (temperature, sodium chloride, glucose and ethanol) relevant for food processing. Strong biofilm formers were identified among food-related S. aureus strains, and biofilm formation was affected by environmental conditions relevant for the food industry. The results showed that temperatures suboptimal for growth increased the production of biofilm. The combined presence of sodium chloride and glucose enhanced the biofilm formation. Both temperature and osmolarity affected the expression of several biofilm associated genes (e.g. icaA and rbf). Variations in gene expression (e.g. icaA, agrA and sigB) between strains were also observed. Our results support the existence of both ica-dependent and ica-independent mechanisms of biofilm production in S. aureus. The phenotypic and genotypic results showed highly diverse and complex patterns of biofilm formation in S. aureus. This clearly demonstrates that caution must be exercised before drawing general conclusions about gene expression in S. aureus in relation to regulation of biofilm formation. The results are relevant for food safety as they indicate that food processing conditions could promote biofilm formation by S. aureus.     

Characterization of Pseudomonas paucimobilis FP2001 which forms flagella depending upon the presence of rhamnose in liquid medium

A bacterial strain FP2001 isolated from the exudate of land reclaimed for municipal waste was identified as Pseudomonas paucimobilis. Cells of strain FP2001 were mobile by means of polar monotrichous flagellum, only when rhamnose was added as a carbon source in the liquid medium. The replacement of rhamnose by arabinose, galactose, glucose or xylose did not lead to the formation of flagella.     

Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli show strain dependent reductions under dry-fermented sausage production and post-processing conditions

Dry-fermented sausages (DFS) are considered possible risk products regarding Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC). We have compared the reduction of 11 E. coli isolates of various serogroups in salami during the sausage production process and during post-process measures including storage, heating and freezing. The 11 E. coli isolates, mainly STEC, included enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) outbreak strains linked to DFS along with apathogenic E. coli. During sausage production, there was a statistically significant difference in reduction between the E. coli strains ranging from 1.3 to 2.4 log?? (p<0.001). When sausages were subjected to post-process heat treatment of 43 °C for 24 h, a total reduction of more than 5 log?? was obtained for all E. coli isolates. Freezing and thawing of DFS with subsequent storage for 1 month at 16 or 20 °C generally contributed to large E. coli reductions with the latter conditions giving an average additional 3.9 log?? reduction, with a range from 3.4 to 4.4 log??. The combination of freezing and 1 month of storage gave higher reductions compared with storage for 2 months for all examined temperatures. No systematic differences in survival of E. coli of different serogroups were detected for the different post-process measures. The reductions were also similar to those of apathogenic control isolates. Isolates showing higher survival during the ripening process did not have a lower reduction when exposed to post-process stress like storage, heating and freezing. The ability of the isolates to survive in salami was also compared with their survival at equivalent conditions in a tryptic soy broth (TSB) model. There was a low and not significant correlation (p>0.1) between the reductions of E. coli in salami and in the TSB broth model. Results based on broth models and/or single or surrogate strains must therefore be interpreted with caution. The EHEC reducing post-processing measures tested can easily be implemented in DFS production with marginal influence on the quality of the sausages.     

Sex differences in neuropsychological performance and social functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Objective: To investigate sex differences in neurocognition and social functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and the possible role of sex as a moderator of this relationship. Method: Participants with schizophrenia (60 women/94 men), bipolar I disorder (55 women/51 men), and healthy controls (158 women/182 men) were assessed with an extensive neuropsychological test battery and a social functioning questionnaire. Results: We found significant main effects of sex for neuropsychological tests (p     

Harnessing irreversible thermal strain for shape memory in polymer additive manufacturing

Shape transformation upon annealing of fused filament fabrication additively manufacturing structures is investigated as a one-way shape memory strategy using commodity thermoplastics. Irreversible thermal strain, which is a measurement of shape transformation upon annealing, is shown to depend on both raster angle and layer thickness, both of which are parameters than can be easily adjusted on most FFF printers. We present an algorithm based on our understanding of the underlying micromechanics of the system that allows for input of desired final dimensions and output the necessary print parameters. We also demonstrate that this approach is extensible to other materials and report more complex shape memory geometries. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48239.     

Thermohydraulic and mechanical design assessment of tube-panel first wall for Tokamak Fusion Power Reactor

A first wall structural concept cooled by high temperature and pressurized water has been proposed for the Tokamak Fusion Power Reactor (SPTR-P). Among a number of candidate design concepts, a tube-panel structure was selected for the first wall design. Stainless steel serves as the first wall structural material. The first wall is separated from the blanket wall and has a circular cross-section coolant channel since this shape is the most desirable for resisting the mechanical load due to the pressurized cooling water. Feasibility of the thermohydraulic and mechanical design has been established by analyses under steady-state operating conditions. The effect of the heat load during plasma disruptions on the thermomechanical characteristics of the first wall has been clarified. The mechanical strength of the first wall of power reactor is inadequate to withstand the thermal load expected during plasma disruption in an experimental reactor.On leave from Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.