Evaluation Gauge for Heat Sink Interface Material

Manufacturing facilities often need a way of evaluating the suitability of Thermal Interface Material (TIM) used with a heat sink. A technique is disclosed that evaluates heat sink Thermal Interface Material (TIM) for usability by using a gauge constructed to emulate a heat sink

Saltmarsh plants, but not fertilizer, facilitate invertebrate recolonization after an oil spill

Foundation species contribute to the recovery of animal communities from disturbance by engineering, by improving habitat quality, and by regulating food availability. In a salt marsh impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we tested the hypothesis that nutrient subsidies would enhance the positive effects of the foundation species Spartina alterniflora on the initial recolonization of benthic invertebrate communities (e.g., copepods, annelids, nematodes) by augmenting food (i.e., microalgae) availability. After two months, plantings of S.alterniflora significantly elevated the densities of the polychaete Capitella capitata, meiofauna-sized annelids, and total macroinfauna over unplanted plots. After 7months, the significant effect of plantings persisted for meiofauna-sized annelids, but not for C.capitata and total macroinfauna. Plantings had no effect on copepods (including Nannopus palustris, the dominant species), nematodes, or microalgal biomass for either month. Nutrient additions did not influence any taxon, despite initial increases in benthic microalgal biomass after 2months. We hypothesize that the structural effects of plants were important to early colonization, possibly by facilitating larval settlement or ameliorating temperature and desiccation stress. Our results emphasize the importance of re-establishing foundation species in oil-impacted sites to enhance recolonization of saltmarsh annelids, but suggest that recolonization is not promoted by the addition of nutrients

Chemical Study of the Interstitial Water Dissolved Organic Matter and Gases in Lake Erie, Cleveland Harbor, and Hamilton Harbour Bottom Sediments - Composition and Fluxes to Overlying Waters

The research on which this report is based was financed in part by the U.S. Department of the Interior, as authorized by the Water Research and Development Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-467).(print) iv, 167, [45] p. : ill., maps ; 29 cm.FINAL REPORT FOR OWRT GRANT A-O59-OHIOItem lacks publication date. Issue date supplied from hand-written year on coverIntroduction -- The Study Area -- Methods and Materials -- Results -- Discussion -- Conclusions -- Selected Bibliographic References -- Tables 1-32 -- Figures 1-36 -- Appendi

Recovery of the salt marsh periwinkle (Littoraria irrorata) 9 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Size matters

Prior studies indicated salt marsh periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata) were strongly impacted in heavily oiled marshes for at least 5 years following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Here, we detail longer-term effects and recovery over nine years. Our analysis found that neither density nor population size structure recovered at heavily oiled sites where snails were smaller and variability in size structure and density was increased. Total aboveground live plant biomass and stem density remained lower over time in heavily oiled marshes, and we speculate that the resulting more open canopy stimulated benthic microalgal production contributing to high spring periwinkle densities or that the lower stem density reduced the ability of subadults and small adults to escape predation. Our data indicate that periwinkle population recovery may take one to two decades after the oil spill at moderately oiled and heavily oiled sites, respectively

Regulation of Lcn2 mRNA expression and secretion by cytokines in adipocytes.

<p>(A) the mRNA expression of Lcn2 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with TNFα, IL-1β, or IL-6 at the concentration of 1 nM for 16 h. The mRNA expression levels in cytokine-treated adipocytes were normalized to the levels in control adipocytes and shown as fold changes. The results are presented as mean ± SE and represent two independent experiments. ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001; * Comparison between control and treated cells. (B) Lcn2 secretion in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with TNFα, IL-1β, or IL-6 at the concentration of 1 nM for 24 h. Conditioned media were collected and subjected to immune-blotting with the antibody against Lcn2. The results represent two independent experiments. (C) Western-blotting of Lcn2 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with cytokines under the non-reducing condition.</p

The Lcn2 expression in adipose tissue depots and liver during metabolic stress.

<p>(A) the mRNA expression of Lcn2 in brown adipose tissue (BAT), epididymal adipose tissue (Epi), inguinal adipose tissue (Ing), and liver in C57/BL6 mice at 12 weeks of age during 48 h fasting. (B) Lcn2 protein expression in BAT, Epi and Ing adipose tissue in C57/BL6 mice at 12 weeks of age during 24 h fasting. (C) the mRNA expression of Lcn2 in BAT, Epi and Ing adipose tissue, and liver in C57/BL6 mice at 12 weeks of age after exposed to 22°C or 4°C for 4 h. (D) Norepinephrine induces Lcn2 expression and secretion in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 cells on day 7 of differentiation were treated with or without 1 µM norepinephrine (NE) for 24 h. Conditioned media and cells were collected and subjected to immune-blotting with the antibody against Lcn2. The mRNA expression levels in fasted and cold-adapted mice were normalized to the levels in control mice and shown as fold changes. The results are presented as mean ± SE and represent two independent experiments (n = 4–6 in each experiment). * p<0.05, ** p<0.01; * Comparison between control and fasted or cold-exposed mice.</p