Measurement of temperature profiles in hot gases and flames

Computer program was written for calculation of molecular radiative transfer from hot gases. Shape of temperature profile was approximated in terms of simple geometric forms so profile could be characterized in terms of few parameters. Parameters were adjusted in calculations using appropriate radiative-transfer expression until best fit was obtained with observed spectra

Spatially Varying Steady State Longitudinal Magnetization in Distant Dipolar Field-based Sequences

Sequences based on the Distant Dipolar Field (DDF) have shown great promise for novel spectroscopy and imaging. Unless spatial variation in the longitudinal magnetization, M_{z}(s), is eliminated by relaxation, diffusion, or spoiling techniques by the end of a single repetition, unexpected results can be obtained due to spatial harmonics in the steady state M_{z}^{SS}(s) profile. This is true even in a homogeneous single-component sample. We have developed an analytical expression for the M_{z}^{SS}(s) profile that occurs in DDF sequences when smearing by diffusion is negligible in the TR period. The expression has been verified by directly imaging the M_{z}^{SS}(s) profile after establishing the steady state. more keywords: magnetic resonance, intermolecular multiple quantum coherence, mesoscale structure, iMQC, DDFComment: 7 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Journal of Magnetic Resonanc

A single meal has the potential to alter brain oxylipin content.

Our objective was to determine whether consumption of a single meal has the potential to alter brain oxylipin content. We examined the cerebrum of mice fed a single high-fat/high-sucrose Western meal or a low-fat/low-sucrose control meal, as well as fasted mice. We found no changes in fatty acid composition of cerebrum across the groups. The cerebral oxylipin profile of mice fed a Western meal is distinct from the profile of mice fed a low-fat/low-sucrose meal. Cerebral gene expression of cyclooxygenase 1, cyclooxygenase 2, and epoxide hydrolase 1 were elevated in Western meal-fed mice compared to low-fat/low-sucrose meal-fed mice. Mice that consumed either meal had lower gene expression of cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily j, polypeptide 12 than fasted mice. Our data in this hypothesis-generating study indicates that the composition of a single meal has the potential to alter brain oxylipins and the gene expression of the enzymes responsible for their production

The Nuker model for galactic nuclei

The Nuker profile, characterised by an inner and outer power-law profile smoothly merged around a break radius, is a very popular model to describe the surface brightness profile of galactic nuclei. A disadvantage of this model for dynamical studies is that the spatial density distribution that corresponds to this surface brightness profile cannot be written in terms of elementary or regular special functions. We derive a compact and elegant analytical expression for the density of the Nuker model, based the Mellin integral transform method. We use this expression to discuss the general behaviour and asymptotic expansion of the density. We also discuss the special subclass of Nuker models with an infinitely sharp break and demonstrate that these models are always characterised by non-monotonous and hence unphysical density profile. We extend our study to the dynamical structure of spherical isotropic galactic nuclei with a Nuker surface brightness profile. Based on this analysis, we extend and refine the classification of spherical isotropic galactic nuclei introduced by Tremaine et al. (1994, AJ, 107, 634). We demonstrate that both the inner density slope and the sharpness of the break between the inner and outer profiles critically determine the consistency and stability of the Nuker models

Glycolytic enzymes - novel carbohydrate binding proteins for glycoprotein analysis

•The cloning, expression, purification and characterisation of recombinant prokaryotic glycolytic enzymes •The mutagenesis of prokaryotic glycolytic enzymes to generate novel recombinant carbohydrate binding proteins •The characterisation of the binding profile of the novel recombinant carbohydrate binding protein

On the front shape of an inertial granular flow down a rough incline

Granular material flowing on complex topographies are ubiquitous in industrial and geophysical situations. In this paper, we study the small-scale model of a granular layer flowing on a rough incline. The shape of a granular front is solved analytically by using a 1D Savage-Hutter's model based on depth-averaged mass and momentum equations with the fractional expression for the frictional rheology $\mu(I)$. Unlike previous studies where a "plug flow" is assumed, a free shape factor $\alpha$ describing the vertical velocity profile, is taken into account to determine the solution. Such a way, we put in evidence an effect of inertia through the Froude number Fr and the shape factor $\alpha$ on the front profile. The analytical predictions are compared with experimental results published by [O. Pouliquen, Phys. Fluids 11, 1956 (1999)] and with our new experimental data obtained at higher Froude numbers. A good agreement between theory and experiments is found when $\alpha$ = 5/4 is used in our model, corresponding to a Bagnold-like velocity profile. However, open questions are raised about the vertical velocity profile in granular flows and about the expression of the rheological function $\mu(I)$ and its calibration from experimental data

Chronic ethanol feeding alters miRNA expression dynamics during liver regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Adaptation to chronic ethanol (EtOH) treatment of rats results in a changed functional state of the liver and greatly inhibits its regenerative ability, which may contribute to the progression of alcoholic liver disease. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the effect of chronic EtOH intake on hepatic microRNA (miRNA) expression in male Sprague-Dawley rats during the initial 24 hours of liver regeneration following 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) using miRNA microarrays. miRNA expression during adaptation to EtOH was investigated using RT-qPCR. Nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) binding at target miRNA promoters was investigated with chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: Unsupervised clustering of miRNA expression profiles suggested that miRNA expression was more affected by chronic EtOH feeding than by the acute challenge of liver regeneration after PHx. Several miRNAs that were significantly altered by chronic EtOH feeding, including miR-34a, miR-103, miR-107, and miR-122 have been reported to play a role in regulating hepatic metabolism and the onset of these miRNA changes occurred gradually during the time course of EtOH feeding. Chronic EtOH feeding also altered the dynamic miRNA profile during liver regeneration. Promoter analysis predicted a role for NFκB in the immediate-early miRNA response to PHx. NFκB binding at target miRNA promoters in the chronic EtOH-fed group was significantly altered and these changes directly correlated with the observed expression dynamics of the target miRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic EtOH consumption alters the hepatic miRNA expression profile such that the response of the metabolism-associated miRNAs occurs during long-term adaptation to EtOH rather than as an acute transient response to EtOH metabolism. Additionally, the dynamic miRNA program during liver regeneration in response to PHx is altered in the chronically EtOH-fed liver and these differences reflect, in part, differences in miRNA expression between the EtOH-adapted and control livers at the baseline state prior to PHx