Widespread expression of erythropoietin receptor in brain and its induction by injury

Erythropoietin (EPO) exerts potent neuroprotective, neuroregenerative and procognitive functions. However, unequivocal demonstration of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) expression in brain cells has remained difficult since previously available anti-EPOR antibodies (EPOR-AB) were unspecific. We report here a new, highly specific, polyclonal rabbit EPOR-AB directed against different epitopes in the cytoplasmic tail of human and murine EPOR and its characterization by mass spectrometric analysis of immuno-precipitated endogenous EPOR, Western blotting, immunostaining and flow cytometry. Among others, we applied genetic strategies including overexpression, Lentivirus-mediated conditional knockout of EpoR and tagged proteins, both on cultured cells and tissue sections, as well as intracortical implantation of EPOR-transduced cells to verify specificity. We show examples of EPOR expression in neurons, oligodendroglia, astrocytes and microglia. Employing this new EPOR-AB with double-labeling strategies, we demonstrate membrane expression of EPOR as well as its localization in intracellular compartments such as the Golgi apparatus. Moreover, we show injury-induced expression of EPOR. In mice, a stereotactically applied stab wound to the motor cortex leads to distinct EpoR expression by reactive GFAP-expressing cells in the lesion vicinity. In a patient suffering from epilepsy, neurons and oligodendrocytes of the hippocampus strongly express EPOR. To conclude, this new analytical tool will allow neuroscientists to pinpoint EPOR expression in cells of the nervous system and to better understand its role in healthy conditions, including brain development, as well as under pathological circumstances, such as upregulation upon distress and injury

Physiological and pathophysiological homeostasis of astroglial channel proteins by Nedd4-2

Nedd4-2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase, missense mutation of which is related to familial epilepsy, indicating its critical role in regulating neuronal network activity. However, Nedd4-2 substrates involved in neuronal network function have yet to be identified. Using mouse lines lacking Nedd4-1 and Nedd4-2, we identified astrocytic channel proteins inwardly rectifying K+ channel 4.1 (Kir4.1) and Connexin43 as Nedd4-2 substrates. We found that the expression of Kir4.1 and Connexin43 is increased upon conditional deletion of Nedd4-2 in astrocytes, leading to an elevation of astrocytic membrane ion permeability and gap junction activity, with a consequent reduction of γ-oscillatory neuronal network activity. Interestingly, our biochemical data demonstrate that missense mutations found in familial epileptic patients produce gain-of-function of Nedd4-2 gene product. Our data reveal a process of coordinated astrocytic ion channel proteostasis that controls astrocyte function and astrocyte-dependent neuronal network activity, and elucidate a potential mechanism by which aberrant Nedd4-2 function leads to epilepsy

FPA Tuned Fuzzy Logic Controlled Synchronous Buck Converter for a Wave/SC Energy System

This paper presents a flower pollination algorithm (FPA) tuned fuzzy logic controlled (FLC) synchronous buck converter (SBC) for an integrated wave/ supercapacitor (SC) hybrid energy system. In order to compensate the irregular wave effects on electrical side of the wave energy converter (WEC), a SC unit charged by solar panels is connected in parallel to the WEC system and a SBC is controlled to provide more reliable and stable voltage to the DC load. In order to test the performance of the designed FLC, a classical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is also employed. Both of the controllers are optimized by FPA which is a pretty new optimization algorithm and a well-known optimization algorithm of which particle swarm optimization (PSO) to minimize the integral of time weighted absolute error (ITAE) performance index. Also, the other error-based objective functions are considered. The entire energy system and controllers are developed in Matlab/Simulink and realized experimentally. Real time applications are done through DS1104 Controller Board. The simulation and experimental results show that FPA tuned fuzzy logic controller provides lower value performance indices than conventional PID controller by reducing output voltage sags and swells of the wave/SC energy system

A novel model predictive-fuzzy logic hybrid controller design for D-STATCOM in wind energy distribution systems

WOS: 000428114800024Wind energy is a resource that does not require any fuel or feedstock to be treated, refined or transported. It does not produce air pollution and hazardous waste. Because of these, wind energy, one of the major renewable energy sources, has been widely used in recent years. In this work, a three-phase distribution static synchronous compensator (D-STATCOM) is demonstrated for power quality enhancement in wind energy distribution systems. A five-level cascaded inverter is used to implement the D-STATCOM. D-STATCOM is controlled to compensate the reactive power, balances the load and eliminate harmonics. A novel control algorithm is based on the indirect current control system with synchronous reference frame theory for generating the gating pulses of Voltage Source Inverter (VSI). This proposed control system has one model predictive controller and two modified fuzzy logic controllers. The performance of the three-phase D-STATCOM is validated for power quality enhancement with different loads through software implementation using Matlab/Simulink environment. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified through simulation studies.Turkey Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [114E474]This work is supported by Turkey Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with 114E474 numbered project, titled "Design and Implementation of a Smart STATCOM in Small Scale Wind Turbines"

Assessment of antibiotic susceptibility of Ureaplasma urealyticum from prostitutes and outpatient clinic patients using the E-test and agar dilution method

In this study, a total of 647 vaginal discharge samples were examined. Ureaplasma urealyticum growth was seen in 68 samples (10.5%). The antibiotic sensitivity of 30 types of U. urealyticum was determined with the E-test and agar dilution method. With the agar dilution method, all types were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin (MIC 0.94 mug/ml), tetracycline (MIC 0.125 mug/ml) and doxycycline (MIC 0.125 and 0.190 mug/ml). Furthermore, with the agar dilution method, 18 types (60%) were resistant to roxithromycin and 12 (40%) were sensitive (MIC 12 mug/ml); 3 types (10%) were resistant to erythromycin and 27 (90%) were sensitive (MIC 12 mug/ml); 9 types (30%) were resistant to clarithromycin and 21 (70%) were sensitive (MIC 12 mug/ml), and all types were sensitive to azithromycin (MIC 14 mug/ml). Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

Five Level Cascaded H-Bridge D-STATCOM using a new Fuzzy and PI Controllers model for Wind Energy Systems

WOS: 000417674300007Power quality is one of the important issues in wind energy systems as in all renewable energy systems. Reactive component of current in distribution systems causes negative effects on the network, including power loses, voltage drop, and reduced line capacity. Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) has been used increasingly instead of conventional devices such as switched capacitor groups and Static Var Compensator (SVC) to improve the power quality. Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) devices such as STATCOM are also used in power distribution systems and called Distribution STATCOM (D-STATCOM). D-STATCOM is used to improve the power quality in distribution systems as an inverter based device. Fixed parameter conventional PI controllers are usually used to control D-STATCOM devices. D-STATCOM device used in a wind power distribution system has a voltage-controlled inverter structure based on a five-level H-bridge topology. A new indirect current control scheme based on synchronous reference frame theory is proposed to produce gate pulses that are needed for the inverter. A fuzzy adaptive PI controller (FLCM-PI) is designed and used in the control scheme such that the parameters of the PI controller are modified by a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) to adapt the operation for changing conditions. The D-STATCOM topology with the proposed controller is simulated and experimentally tested.Turkey Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [114E474]This work was supported by the Turkey Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) under Grant 114E474