Advancements and Breakthroughs in Ultrasound Imaging

Ultrasonic imaging is a powerful diagnostic tool available to medical practitioners, engineers and researchers today. Due to the relative safety, and the non-invasive nature, ultrasonic imaging has become one of the most rapidly advancing technologies. These rapid advances are directly related to the parallel advancements in electronics, computing, and transducer technology together with sophisticated signal processing techniques. This book focuses on state of the art developments in ultrasonic imaging applications and underlying technologies presented by leading practitioners and researchers from many parts of the world

Program and Proceedings: The Nebraska Academy of Sciences 1880-2009

PROGRAM FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2009 REGISTRATION FOR ACADEMY, Lobby of Lecture wing, Olin Hall Aeronautics and Space Science, Olin 249 Collegiate Academy, Biology Session A, Olin B Earth Science, Olin 224 Collegiate Academy, Chemistry and Physics, Session A, Olin 324 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session A, Olin 112 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session B, Smith Callen Conference Center Junior Academy, Senior High REGISTRATION, Olin Hall Lobby NWU Health and Sciences Graduate School Fair, Olin and Smith Curtiss Halls Junior Academy, Senior High Competition, Olin 124, Olin 131 Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session, Olin 249 History and Philosophy of Science, Olin 325, combined section Teaching of Science and Math, Olin 325, combined section MAIBEN MEMORIAL LECTURE, OLIN B Dr. Donald Frey, Chair, Department of Family Practice, Creighton University Medical Center LUNCH, PATIO ROOM, STORY STUDENT CENTER (pay and carry tray through cafeteria line, or pay at NAS registration desk) Policy and Program Committee Luncheon, Roundup Room Emeriti Luncheon, Presidents Room Aeronautics Group, Conestoga Room Anthropology, Olin 111 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session C, Olin 112 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session D, Smith Callen Conference Center Chemistry and Physics, Section A, Chemistry, Olin A Chemistry and Physics, Section B, Physics, Planetarium Collegiate Academy, Biology Session A, Olin B Collegiate Academy, Biology Session B, Olin 249 Collegiate Academy, Chemistry and Physics, Session A, Olin 324 Junior Academy, Junior High REGISTRATION, Olin Hall Lobby Junior Academy, Senior High Competition, (Final), Olin 110 Junior Academy, Junior High Competition, Olin 124, Olin 131 NJAS Board/Teacher Meeting, Olin 219 Junior Academy, General Awards Presentations, Smith Callen Conference Center BUSINESS MEETING, OLIN B SOCIAL HOUR for Members, Spouses, and Guests First United Methodist Church, 2723 N 50th Street, Lincoln, NE ANNUAL BANQUET and Presentation of Awards and Scholarships First United Methodist Church, 2723 N 50th Street, Lincoln, N

BioServe space technologies: A NASA Center for the Commercial Development of Space

BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Center for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), was established in 1987. As is characteristic of each CCDS designated by NASA, the goals of this commercial center are aimed at stimulating high technology research that takes advantage of the space environment and at leading in the development of new products and services which have commercial potential or that contribute to possible new commercial ventures. BioServe's efforts in these areas focus upon space life science studies and the development of enabling devices that will facilitate ground-based experiments as well as the conversion of such to the microgravity environment. A direct result of BioServe's hardware development and life sciences studies is the training of the next generation of bioengineers who will be knowledgeable and comfortable working with the challenges of the space frontier

NASA Space Engineering Research Center Symposium on VLSI Design

The NASA Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) is proud to offer, at its second symposium on VLSI design, presentations by an outstanding set of individuals from national laboratories and the electronics industry. These featured speakers share insights into next generation advances that will serve as a basis for future VLSI design. Questions of reliability in the space environment along with new directions in CAD and design are addressed by the featured speakers

Contribution to the development of methods and systems for the automatization during the early stages of bioprocess development

This thesis is framed within the field of red biotechnology and more specifically in the development of bioprocesses for cell species that feature some therapeutical interest, either for the production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies or stem cell experimental research. The main objective was the development and application of different instrumental techniques for the control and online monitorization of cell cultures. Oxygen consumption OUR (Oxygen Uptake Rate) was chosen as the central theme since this parameter has often been referenced as the most straighforward indicator of metabolic activity in animal cell culture. This thesis was carried out in the context of a Spin-Off project (Hexascreen Culture Technologies) whose objective was the development of disposable Minibioreactors intended for biopharmaceutical research. Obviously, this has led to a number of important trade-offs, as well as the proposal of several imaginative solutions to solve various technological challenges. For this reason and in order to offer a better idea of the work's scope, it was decided to include in the thesis not only the description of the method and results related to the OUR estimation but a detailed description of the systems developed. Results demonstrate the feasibility of a simplified procedure for estimating the oxygen consumption. This is a review of the Stationary liquid phase mass balance method which allows reducing the implementation cost and unlike the Dynamic method (The most usual thechnique) prevents changes on the oxygen tension that could affect the cell's normal arctivity. The proposed method is based on the accurate control of the oxygen concentration by means of PWM driven electrovalves and using the control loop internal signals to estimate the OUR.Aquesta Tesi doctoral està enquadrada en l'àmbit de la Biotecnologia vermella i més concretament en el desenvolupament de Bioprocessos relacionats amb espècies cel·lulars d’interès terapèutic, bé sigui per a la producció de vacunes, anticossos monoclonals o bé per a la recerca experimental amb cèl·lules mare. L'objectiu general ha estat el desenvolupament i aplicació de diferents tècniques instrumentals per al control i monitorització en línia de cultius cel·lulars, tant mateix d'entre les diferents tècniques emprades es va escollir la monitorització de la demanda d'oxigen O.U.R. (Oxygen Uptake Rate) com a tema central de la tesi degut a que aquest paràmetre ha estat referenciat sovint com un dels millors indicadors de l'activitat metabòlica en cultius de cèl·lules animals. Cal mencionar que la Tesi ha estat duta a terme en el context d'un projecte empresarial (HexaScreen Culture Technologies) l'objectiu del qual ha estat el desenvolupament de Minibioreactors d'un sol ús orientats al mon de la recerca Biofarmacèutica. Òbviament això ha comportant un número important de compromisos a l'hora d'abordar les diferents tasques, així com el plantejament de solucions imaginatives per a la resolució dels diferents reptes tecnològic. Per aquest motiu i per tal de transmetre una millor idea de l'abast del treball realitzat, es va decidir incloure en la tesi no només la descripció del mètode i resultats relacionats amb l'estimació de la O.U.R. sinó amés una descripció prou detallada dels sistemes desenvolupats. Pel que fa al tema central de la tesi, es demostra la viabilitat d'un procediment simplificat per a l'estimació de la demanda d’oxigen. Es tracta d'una revisió del procediment d'estimació de la OUR en condicions de concentració estacionària en la fase líquida que permet reduir-ne el cost de implementació tot prescindint de l'ús de cabalímetres màssics, així com a diferència del mètode dinàmic (Tècnica més habitual) evitar cap mena de canvi en la tensió d’oxigen que pogués afectar l’activitat normal de les cèl·lules. El mètode proposat, es basa en el control de la concentració d’oxigen mitjançant actuació PWM de les vàlvules d'aereació i l’ús dels propis senyals del llaç de control per tal d'estimar la O.U.R.Postprint (published version

Ubiquitin-dependent regulation of the WNT cargo protein EVI/WLS

Cellular communication by WNT signalling is crucial for growth, patterning, and tissue homeo-stasis of metazoan animals and has been associated with various human diseases, such as cancer. The different branches of this signalling cascade are induced after the secretion of WNT ligands by the WNT cargo protein evenness interrupted/Wntless (EVI/WLS). The availa-bility and stability of many proteins involved in the WNT signalling pathways is regulated by post-translational mechanisms. In the absence of WNTs, EVI/WLS is modified with ubiquitin and subjected to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) by the pro-teasome. ERAD is well known to remove misfolded proteins from the ER but can also affect cellular signalling by degrading mature proteins associated with secretory routes. However, the latter type of regulation is not well studied in mammals. In addition, the mechanisms leading to the recognition, ubiquitination, and proteasomal targeting of EVI/WLS remain largely elusive. To gain insights into how ERAD and ubiquitination components regulate EVI/WLS, I performed a RNAi-based screen on EVI/WLS protein stability and used biochemical and cell biological methods in human cells with diverse genetic backgrounds. I discovered that the ER-membrane associated proteins ERLIN2, FAF2, and UBXN4 are novel components of the EVI/WLS ‘destruction complex’. Mechanistically, ERLIN2 links EVI/WLS to the ubiquitination machinery, while FAF2 and UBXN4 interact with EVI/WLS and VCP, potentially to mediate its extraction from the ER membrane. Surprisingly, I also found that EVI/WLS is ubiquitinated and degraded in cells irrespective of their WNT activity. This K11-, K48-, and K63-linked ubiquitina-tion is mediated by the E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzymes UBE2J2, UBE2K, and UBE2N and leads not only to the regulation of EVI/WLS protein levels, but also influences WNT secre-tion. Analysing the functional impact of EVI/WLS abundance revealed that EVI/WLS protein levels and the secretion of WNT11 influence the invasive capacity of malignant melanoma cells. This suggests that the adaptive regulation of EVI/WLS can be important for the phenotypic manifestation and presumably progression of human malignancies. In summary, my data shows an unanticipated complex ubiquitination pattern of EVI/WLS and three novel interaction partners, thus providing important details on the post-translational modification and fate of an endogenous ERAD substrate in mammalian cells. The abundance of EVI/WLS is essential for context-dependent WNT ligand secretion and thus gov-erns the malignancy of several tumours, among them melanoma. Targeting EVI/WLS protein levels via its post-translational regulations could be used to treat WNT-dependent diseases

Effect of curing conditions and harvesting stage of maturity on Ethiopian onion bulb drying properties

The study was conducted to investigate the impact of curing conditions and harvesting stageson the drying quality of onion bulbs. The onion bulbs (Bombay Red cultivar) were harvested at three harvesting stages (early, optimum, and late maturity) and cured at three different temperatures (30, 40 and 50 oC) and relative humidity (30, 50 and 70%). The results revealed that curing temperature, RH, and maturity stage had significant effects on all measuredattributesexcept total soluble solids