Real-world comparison of probe vehicle emissions and fuel consumption using diesel and 5 % biodiesel (B5) blend.

An instrumented EURO I Ford Mondeo was used to perform a real-world comparison of vehicle exhaust (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen) emissions and fuel consumption for diesel and 5% biodiesel in diesel blend (B5) fuels. Data were collected on multiple replicates of three standardised on-road journeys: (1) A simple urban route; (2) A combined urban/inter-urban route; and, (3) An urban route subject to significant traffic management. At the total journey measurement level, data collected here indicate that replacing diesel with a B5 substitute could result in significant increases in both NOx emissions (8-13%) and fuel consumption (7-8%). However, statistical analysis of probe vehicle data demonstrated the limitations of comparisons based on such total journey measurements, i.e., methods analogous to those used in conventional dynamometer/drive cycle fuel comparison studies. Here, methods based on the comparison of speed/acceleration emissions and fuel consumption maps are presented. Significant variations across the speed/acceleration surface indicated that direct emission and fuel consumption impacts were highly dependent on the journey/drive cycle employed. The emission and fuel consumption maps were used both as descriptive tools to characterise impacts and predictive tools to estimate journey-specific emission and fuel consumption effects

Ultranarrow conducting channels defined in GaAs-AlGaAs by low-energy ion damage

We have laterally patterned the narrowest conducting wires of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) material reported to date. The depletion induced by low-energy ion etching of GaAs-AlGaAs 2DEG structures was used to define narrow conducting channels. We employed high voltage electron beam lithography to create a range of channel geometries with widths as small as 75 nm. Using ion beam assisted etching by Cl2 gas and Ar ions with energies as low as 150 eV, conducting channels were defined by etching only through the thin GaAs cap layer. This slight etching is sufficient to entirely deplete the underlying material without necessitating exposure of the sidewalls that results in long lateral depletion lengths. At 4.2 K, without illumination, our narrowest wires retain a carrier density and mobility at least as high as that of the bulk 2DEG and exhibit quantized Hall effects. Aharonov–Bohm oscillations are seen in rings defined by this controlled etch-damage patterning. This patterning technique holds promise for creating one-dimensional conducting wires of even smaller sizes

Induction of Cell Death Mechanisms and Apoptosis by Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields (nsPEFs)

Pulse power technology using nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) offers a new stimulus to modulate cell functions or induce cell death for cancer cell ablation. New data and a literature review demonstrate fundamental and basic cellular mechanisms when nsPEFs interact with cellular targets. NsPEFs supra-electroporate cells creating large numbers of nanopores in all cell membranes. While nsPEFs have multiple cellular targets, these studies show that nsPEF-induced dissipation of DeltaPsim closely parallels deterioration in cell viability. Increases in intracellular Ca2+ alone were not sufficient for cell death; however, cell death depended of the presence of Ca2+. When both events occur, cell death ensues. Further, direct evidence supports the hypothesis that pulse rise-fall times or high frequency components of nsPEFs are important for decreasing DeltaPsim and cell viability. Evidence indicates in Jurkat cells that cytochrome c release from mitochondria is caspase-independent indicating an absence of extrinsic apoptosis and that cell death can be caspase-dependent and -independent. The Ca2+ dependence of nsPEF-induced dissipation of DeltaPsim suggests that nanoporation of inner mitochondria membranes is less likely and effects on a Ca2+-dependent protein(s) or the membrane in which it is embedded are more likely a target for nsPEF-induced cell death. The mitochondria permeability transition pore (mPTP) complex is a likely candidate. Data demonstrate that nsPEFs can bypass cancer mutations that evade apoptosis through mechanisms at either the DISC or the apoptosome

Purification and Characterization of a cAMP- and Ca2+-Calmodulin-Independent Glycogen Synthase Kinase from Porcine Renal Cortex

We recently reported the partial purification of a cAMP-independent and Ca2+-calmodulin-independent glycogen synthase kinase from porcine renal cortex (Schlender, K. K., Beebe, S. J., and Reimann, E. M. (1981) Cold Spring Harbor Conf. Cell Proliferation, 389-400). Subsequent purification indicated that the enzyme preparation consisted of at least three forms of glycogen synthase kinase which could be resolved by ATP gradient elution from aminoethylphosphate-agarose (AEP-agarose). The predominant form of glycogen synthase kinase, which eluted from AEP-agarose between 2 and 6 mM ATP, was purified approximately 800-fold and is designated GSK-A1. It had a molecular weight of 45,000-50,000 as determined by gel filtration and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. It catalyzed the transfer of 1 mol of 32P/mol of synthase subunit into a low molecular weight (10,000) CNBr peptide which was tentatively identified as Ser-7 (site 2) by high performance liquid chromatography. This phosphorylation decreased the activity ratio (activity in the absence of glucose-6-P divided by activity in the presence of 7.2 mM glucose-6-P) from 0.95 to about 0.55. GSK-A1 appeared to be specific for and had low s0.5 values for both substrates, ATP (13 µM) and glycogen synthase (0.3-0.4 µM). The enzyme could not use GTP as the phosphate donor. GSK-A1 was not affected by the protein kinase inhibitor, cAMP, cGMP, Ca2+-calmodulin, EGTA, or trifluoperazine and had a broad pH optimum (pH 7.0-8.5). A second form, GSK-A2, was eluted from AEP-agarose between 7 and 9 mM ATP. GSK-A2 could transfer a 2nd mol of 32P/mol of synthase subunit and decreased the activity ratio to 0.30. The interrelation among these multiple forms is not clear, but the data suggest that multiple kinases are required to form the highly inactivated glycogen synthase in renal tissues

Electron Beam Ion Source Pre-Injector Diagnostics

ABSTRACT NOT PROVIDE

Beans ( Phaseolus spp.) - model food legumes

Globally, 800 million people are malnourished. Heavily subsidised farmers in rich countries produce sufficient surplus food to feed the hungry, but not at a price the poor can afford. Even donating the rich world's surplus to the poor would not solve the problem. Most poor people earn their living from agriculture, so a deluge of free food would destroy their livelihoods. Thus, the only answer to world hunger is to safeguard and improve the productivity of farmers in poor countries. Diets of subsistence level farmers in Africa and Latin America often contain sufficient carbohydrates (through cassava, corn/maize, rice, wheat, etc.), but are poor in proteins. Dietary proteins can take the form of scarce animal products (eggs, milk, meat, etc.), but are usually derived from legumes (plants of the bean and pea family). Legumes are vital in agriculture as they form associations with bacteria that 'sfix-nitrogen' from the air. Effectively this amounts to internal fertilisation and is the main reason that legumes are richer in proteins than all other plants. Thousands of legume species exist but more common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are eaten than any other. In some countries such as Mexico and Brazil, beans are the primary source of protein in human diets. As half the grain legumes consumed worldwide are common beans, they represent the species of choice for the study of grain legume nutrition. Unfortunately, the yields of common beans are low even by the standards of legumes, and the quality of their seed proteins is sub-optimal. Most probably this results from millennia of selection for stable rather than high yield, and as such, is a problem that can be redressed by modern genetic techniques. We have formed an international consortium called Phaseomics' to establish the necessary framework of knowledge and materials that will result in disease-resistant, stress-tolerant, high-quality protein and high-yielding beans. Phaseomics will be instrumental in improving living conditions in deprived regions of Africa and the Americas. It will contribute to social equity and sustainable development and enhance inter- and intra-cultural understanding, knowledge and relationships. A major goal of Phaseomics is to generate new common bean varieties that are not only suitable for but also desired by the local farmer and consumer communities. Therefore, the socio-economic dimension of improved bean production and the analysis of factors influencing the acceptance of novel varieties will be an integral part of the proposed research (see Figure 1). Here, we give an overview of the economic and nutritional importance of common beans as a food crop. Priorities and targets of current breeding programmes are outlined, along with ongoing efforts in genomics. Recommendations for an international coordinated effort to join knowledge, facilities and expertise in a variety of scientific undertakings that will contribute to the overall goal of better beans are given. To be rapid and effective, plant breeding programmes (i.e., those that involve crossing two different 'sparents') rely heavily on molecular 'smarkers'. These genetic landmarks are used to positio

Ion Beam Machining Of Optoelectronic Components

We produce very smooth vertical sidewalls with high anisotropy in III-V semiconductors by ion beam etching. These qualities are used to fabricate mirrors and deflect light in InGaAs and GaAs waveguide structures. Either a maskless technique, using a focussed ion beam (FIB), or a lithographically deposited mask followed by broad-beam etching (CAIBE) are employed to produce such facets. Here, we describe the two examples of application of high-resolution ion beam etching techniques towards miniaturizing optoelectronic devices. We show the conversion of an edge-emitting laser structure into a surface-emitting structure, by cutting 45° reflection mirrors, and the fabrication of a monolithic InP-based wavelength demultiplexer by etching a diffraction grating

Microheterogeneity of Type II cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase in Various Mammalian Species and Tissues

Excluding autophosphorylated species, at least six forms of the regulatory subunit of type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase (R(II)) from various mammalian tissues were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis of purified samples and of crude preparations photoaffinity labeled with 8-azido[32P] cAMP and by gel filtration. After autophosphorylation some heart R(II) forms termed type IIA (bovine, porcine, equine, and dog) shifted to a more slowly migrating band on SDS gels while others termed type IIB (rat, guinea pig, rabbit, and monkey) did not detectably shift. Both subclasses of R(II) exhibited variation in apparent M(r) on SDS gels. Bovine and porcine heart nonautophosphorylated R(II) had M(r) 56,000 and the autophosphorylated R(II) had M(r) 58,000, while dog and equine heart R(II) had M(r) 54,000 and 56,000 for these bands, respectively. Rat heart R(II) had M(r) 56,000 while rabbit and guinea pig heart R(II) had M(r) 52,000. More than one R(II) was found in different tissues of the same species. Rabbit skeletal muscle contained a M(r) 56,000 IIB form. Bovine lung contained almost equal amounts of a IIA form apparently identical to that of bovine heart and a M(r) 52,000 IIB form similar to that which predominated in bovine brain. Rat adipose tissue, brain, and monkey heart contained predominantly a M(r) 51,000 IIB form. The rat liver M(r) 56,000 IIB form chromatographed differently from all other R(II) tested by gel filtration. Several lines of evidence indicated that the various forms of R(II) were not derived from one another through proteolysis or other processes. Each of the type II forms rapidly incorporated 0.3-1.0 mol of 32P per mol of subunit when incubated with [γ-32P]ATP and C subunit. Four of the forms tested were similar in the cAMP concentration dependence for activation of their corresponding holoenzymes and inhibited C subunit about equally. Each exhibited two components of [3H]cAMP dissociation, indicating two intrachain cAMP-binding sites, and the dissociation rates for the respective sites, and the dissociation rates for the respective sites were similar

Assessing binary mixture effects from genotoxic and endocrine disrupting environmental contaminants using infrared spectroscopy

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent contaminants and concern has arisen over co-exposure of organisms when the chemicals exist in mixtures. Herein, attenuated total reflection Fouriertransform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to identify biochemical alterations induced in cells by single and binary mixtures of these environmental chemicals. It was also investigated as a method to identify if interactions are occurring in mixtures and as a possible tool to predict mixture effects. Mallard fibroblasts were treated with single and binary mixtures of B[a]P, PCB126, PCB153, BDE47 and BDE209. Comparison of observed spectra from cells treated with binary mixtures with expected additive spectra, which were created from individual exposure spectra, indicated that in many areas of the spectrum, less-than-additive binary mixture effects may occur. However, possible greater-than-additive alterations were identified in the 1650-1750 cm-1 lipid region and may demonstrate a common mechanism of B[a]P and PCBs or PBDEs, which can enhance toxicity in mixtures