Protective effect of small molecule analogues of the Acanthocheilonema viteae secreted product ES-62 on oxazolone-induced ear inflammation

ES-62 is the major secreted protein of the rodent filarial nematode Acanthocheilonema viteae. The molecule contains covalently attached phosphorylcholine (PC) residues, which confer anti-inflammatory properties on ES-62, underpinning the idea that drugs based on this active moiety may have therapeutic potential in human diseases associated with aberrant inflammation. Here we demonstrate that two synthetic small molecule analogues (SMAs) of ES-62 termed SMA 11a and SMA 12b are protective in the oxazolone-induced acute allergic contact dermatitis mouse model of skin inflammation, as measured by a significant reduction in ear inflammation following their administration before oxazolone sensitisation and before oxazolone challenge. Furthermore, it was found that when tested, 12b was effective at reducing ear swelling even when first administered before challenge. Histological analysis of the ears showed elevated cellular infiltration and collagen deposition in oxazolone-treated mice both of which were reduced by treatment with the two SMAs. Likewise, the oxazolone-induced increase in IFNγ mRNA in the ears was reduced but no effect on other cytokines investigated was observed. Finally, no influence on the mast cell populations in the ear was observed

A Numerical Study on the Effect of Facesheet-Core Disbonds on the Buckling Load of Curved Honeycomb Sandwich Panels

A numerical study on the effect of facesheet-core disbonds on the post-buckling response of curved honeycomb sandwich panels is presented herein. This work was conducted as part of the development of a damage tolerance approach for the next-generation Space Launch System heavy lift vehicle payload fairing. As such, the study utilized full-scale fairing barrel segments as the structure of interest. The panels were composed of carbon fiber reinforced polymer facesheets and aluminum honeycomb core. The panels were analyzed numerically using the finite element method. Facesheet and core nodes in a predetermined circular region were detached to simulate a disbond induced via low-speed impact between the outer mold line facesheet and honeycomb core. Surface-to-surface contact in the disbonded region was invoked to prevent interpenetration of the facesheet and core elements. The diameter of this disbonded region was varied and the effect of the size of the disbond on the post-buckling response was observed. A significant change in the slope of the edge load-deflection response was used to determine the onset of global buckling and corresponding buckling load

Distribution of Water Vapor in Molecular Clouds

We report the results of a large-area study of water vapor along the Orion Molecular Cloud ridge, the purpose of which was to determine the depth-dependent distribution of gas-phase water in dense molecular clouds. We find that the water vapor measured toward 77 spatial positions along the face-on Orion ridge, excluding positions surrounding the outflow associated with BN/KL and IRc2, display integrated intensities that correlate strongly with known cloud surface tracers such as CN, C2H, 13CO J =5-4, and HCN, and less well with the volume tracer N2H+. Moreover, at total column densities corresponding to Av < 15 mag., the ratio of H2O to C18O integrated intensities shows a clear rise approaching the cloud surface. We show that this behavior cannot be accounted for by either optical depth or excitation effects, but suggests that gas-phase water abundances fall at large Av. These results are important as they affect measures of the true water-vapor abundance in molecular clouds by highlighting the limitations of comparing measured water vapor column densities with such traditional cloud tracers as 13CO or C18O. These results also support cloud models that incorporate freeze-out of molecules as a critical component in determining the depth-dependent abundance of water vapor

The COMPLETE Survey of Star-Forming Regions: Phase I Data

We present an overview of data available for the Ophiuchus and Perseus molecular clouds from ``Phase I'' of the COMPLETE Survey of Star-Forming Regions. This survey provides a range of data complementary to the Spitzer Legacy Program ``From Molecular Cores to Planet Forming Disks.'' Phase I includes: Extinction maps derived from 2MASS near-infrared data using the NICER algorithm; extinction and temperature maps derived from IRAS 60 and 100um emission; HI maps of atomic gas; 12CO and 13CO maps of molecular gas; and submillimetre continuum images of emission from dust in dense cores. Not unexpectedly, the morphology of the regions appears quite different depending on the column-density tracer which is used, with IRAS tracing mainly warmer dust and CO being biased by chemical, excitation and optical depth effects. Histograms of column-density distribution are presented, showing that extinction as derived from 2MASS/NICER gives the closest match to a log-normal distribution as is predicted by numerical simulations. All the data presented in this paper, and links to more detailed publications on their implications are publically available at the COMPLETE website.Comment: Accepted by AJ. Full resolution version available from: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/COMPLETE/papers/complete_phase1.pd

Geology of the Cerro Quema Au-Cu deposit (Azuero Peninsula, Panama)

The Cerro Quema district, located on the Azuero Peninsula, Panama, is part of a large regional hydrothermal system controlled by regional faults striking broadly E-W, developed within the Río Quema Formation. This formation is composed of volcanic, sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary rocks indicating a submarine depositional environment, corresponding to the fore-arc basin of a Cretaceous–Paleogene volcanic arc. The structures observed in the area and their tectono-stratigraphic relationship with the surrounding formations suggest a compressive and/or transpressive tectonic regime, at least during Late Cretaceous–Oligocene times. The igneous rocks of the Río Quema Formation plot within the calc-alkaline field with trace and rare earth element (REE) patterns of volcanic arc affinity. This volcanic arc developed on the Caribbean large igneous province during subduction of the Farallon Plate. Mineralization consists of disseminations of pyrite and enargite as well as a stockwork of pyrite and barite with minor sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite, hosted by a subaqueous dacitic lava dome of the Río Quema Formation. Gold is present as submicroscopic grains and associated with pyrite as invisible gold. A hydrothermal alteration pattern with a core of advanced argillic alteration (vuggy silica with alunite, dickite, pyrite and enargite) and an outer zone of argillic alteration (kaolinite, smectite and illite) has been observed. Supergene oxidation overprinted the hydrothermal alteration resulting in a thick cap of residual silica and iron oxides. The ore minerals, the alteration pattern and the tectono-volcanic environment of Cerro Quema are consistent with a high sulfidation epithermal system developed in the Azuero peninsula during pre-Oligocene time

Utilidad del listado de síntomas para el diagnóstico de trastorno de la atención/ hiperactividad en población general y familias antioqueñas

Utility of a checklist of 18 attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms was analyzed in 342 children and adolescents of both gender from general population of Manizales, and in 214 children and adolescents from 151 families belonging to the Antioquian genetic isolate. The checklist showed that the adhd groups of both samples had significant higher scores on the dimensions of inattention, hyperactivity and total score than the control groups. The post-hoc Tukey’ s analysis of the general population sample found three significantly different groups (control, combined and inattentive). The questionnaire had a sensitivity and specificity of 81.1%, corresponding to a checklist 18.5 total score. In the sample from the families, sensitivity and specificity was over 84% for inattention and the total score. That means that the adhd checklist can be used as screening instrument for prevalence and incidence studies. Also it would be used for adhd genetic studies as a quantitative trait.Se analizó la utilidad de una lista de 18 síntomas del trastorno por déficit de atención/ hiperactividad (TDA/H) en 342 niños y adolescentes de ambos sexos de la población general de la ciudad de Manizales, y en 214 en niños y adolescentes de ambos sexos de 151 familias del aislado genético de Antioquia. Tanto en la muestra de la población general como en la de las familias la lista de síntomas mostró que el grupo de TDA/H tuvo un número significativamente mayor de síntomas en las dimensiones de inatención, hiperactividad-impulsividad y en la escala total. En la muestra de la población general el análisis encontró que la escala puede diferenciar tres grupos (control, combinado e inatento). El cuestionario tiene una sensibilidad y una especificidad de 81,1% para una puntuación total de 18,5. En las familias antioqueñas la sensibilidad y especificidad estuvo por encima del 84% en la escala de inatención y en la puntuación total. Esto indica que la lista de síntomas de TDA/H es útil para estudios de prevalencia y de incidencia. También podría ser usada como rasgo cuantitativo para estudios de ligamiento en la genética del TDA/H

Protective effect of small molecule analogues of the Acanthocheilonema viteae secreted product ES-62 on oxazolone-induced ear inflammation

ES-62 is the major secreted protein of the rodent filarial nematode Acanthocheilonema viteae. The molecule contains covalently attached phosphorylcholine (PC) residues, which confer anti-inflammatory properties on ES-62, underpinning the idea that drugs based on this active moiety may have therapeutic potential in human diseases associated with aberrant inflammation. Here we demonstrate that two synthetic small molecule analogues (SMAs) of ES-62 termed SMA 11a and SMA 12b are protective in the oxazolone-induced acute allergic contact dermatitis mouse model of skin inflammation, as measured by a significant reduction in ear inflammation following their administration before oxazolone sensitisation and before oxazolone challenge. Furthermore, it was found that when tested, 12b was effective at reducing ear swelling even when first administered before challenge. Histological analysis of the ears showed elevated cellular infiltration and collagen deposition in oxazolone-treated mice both of which were reduced by treatment with the two SMAs. Likewise, the oxazolone-induced increase in IFNγ mRNA in the ears was reduced but no effect on other cytokines investigated was observed. Finally, no influence on the mast cell populations in the ear was observed

Whales and waves : humpback whale foraging response and the shoaling of internal waves at Stellwagen Bank

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2015. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 120 (2015): 2555–2570, doi:10.1002/2014JC010564.We tested the hypothesis that humpback whales aggregate at the southern flank of Stellwagen Bank (SB) in response to internal waves (IWs) generated semidiurnally at Race Point (RP) channel because of the presence of their preferred prey, planktivorous fish, which in turn respond to zooplankton concentrated by the predictable IWs. Analysis of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images indicates that RP IWs approach the southern flank of SB frequently (∼62% of the images). Published reports of whale sighting data and archived SAR images point to a coarse spatial coincidence between whales and Race Point IWs at SB's southern flank. The responses of whales to IWs were evaluated via sightings and behavior of humpback whales, and IWs were observed in situ by acoustic backscatter and temperature measurements. Modeling of IWs complemented the observations, and results indicate a change of ∼0.4 m/s in current velocity, and ∼1.5 Pa in dynamic pressure near the bottom, which may be sufficient for bottom fish to detect the IWs. However, fish were rare in our acoustic observations, and fish response to the IWs could not be evaluated. RP IWs do not represent the leading edge of the internal tide, and they may have less mass-transport potential than typical coastal IWs. There was large interannual variability in whale sightings at SB's southern flank, with decreases in both numbers of sightings and proportion of sightings where feeding was observed from 2008 to 2013. Coincidence of whales and IWs was inconsistent, and results do not support the hypothesis.We would also like to acknowledge funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant (Woods Hole), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the ESA, and the German Aerospace Center.2015-10-0