Human malarial disease: a consequence of inflammatory cytokine release

Malaria causes an acute systemic human disease that bears many similarities, both clinically and mechanistically, to those caused by bacteria, rickettsia, and viruses. Over the past few decades, a literature has emerged that argues for most of the pathology seen in all of these infectious diseases being explained by activation of the inflammatory system, with the balance between the pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines being tipped towards the onset of systemic inflammation. Although not often expressed in energy terms, there is, when reduced to biochemical essentials, wide agreement that infection with falciparum malaria is often fatal because mitochondria are unable to generate enough ATP to maintain normal cellular function. Most, however, would contend that this largely occurs because sequestered parasitized red cells prevent sufficient oxygen getting to where it is needed. This review considers the evidence that an equally or more important way ATP deficency arises in malaria, as well as these other infectious diseases, is an inability of mitochondria, through the effects of inflammatory cytokines on their function, to utilise available oxygen. This activity of these cytokines, plus their capacity to control the pathways through which oxygen supply to mitochondria are restricted (particularly through directing sequestration and driving anaemia), combine to make falciparum malaria primarily an inflammatory cytokine-driven disease

Surface analysis of all elements with isotopic resolution at high ambient pressures using ion spectroscopic techniques

The authors have developed a mass spectrometer capable of surface analysis using the techniques of secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and mass spectroscopy of recoiled ions (MSRI). For SIMS, an energetic ion beam creates a collision cascade which results in the ejection of low kinetic energy secondary ions from the surface being analyzed. The low kinetic energy SIMS ions are very susceptible to charge neutralization with the surface, and as a result, the SIMS ion yield varies by orders of magnitude depending on the chemical state of the surface. SIM spectra contain elemental ions, and molecular ions. For MSRI, a pulsed ion beam induces a binary collision with the surface being analyzed and the surface species are recoiled into the forward scattering direction with a large kinetic energy. The violence of the binary collision results in complete molecular decomposition, and only elemental ions are detected. The high kinetic energy MSRI ions are much less susceptible to charge neutralization with the surface than the low kinetic energy SIMS ions. In MSRI, the ion yield typically varies by less than a factor of ten as the chemical state of the surface changes--simplifying quantitative analysis vs. SIMS. In this paper, they authors will demonstrate that the high kinetic energy MSRI ions are able to transverse high pressure paths with only a reduction in peak intensity--making MSRI an ideal tool for real-time, in-situ film growth studies. The use of a single analyzer for both MSRI and SIMS is unique and provides complimentary information

The use of reactive ion sputtering to produce clean germanium surfaces in a carbon rich environment -- An ion scattering study

The authors have used the ion spectroscopic techniques of direct recoil spectroscopy (DRS) and mass spectroscopy of recoiled ions (MSRI) to demonstrate that low energy reactive ion sputtering of Ge is capable of removing surface impurities such as carbon. The experiments were performed in a vacuum chamber maintained at 3.5 {times} 10{sup {minus}7} Torr. At these pressures, physical sputtering using noble gas is not effective for cleaning Ge surfaces as carbon re-deposits onto the surface. In this paper, the authors demonstrate that reactive sputtering of Ge using 4.0 keV nitrogen at a Ge surface temperature of {approximately} 740 K and above removes surface carbon and deposits nitrogen on the Ge surface. Heating the nitrogen exposed Ge surface to above {approximately} 880 K results in the desorption of nitrogen and generates an atomically clean Ge surface, under poor vacuum conditions

Geological subsurface data collection as a part of the European ESTMAP Project (Energy STorage Mapping and Planning)

International audienceThere is a strong link between energy security and the "2030 climate and energy framework" of European Commission (the EC is the executive body of the European Union). Reaching the goals of the "2030 framework" both efficiently and at the lowest possible costs for all is seen as a key step to address the energy security challenge in the long run. This requires elaboration of the framework for investments in renewables and energy efficiency. This planning has to be based on a robust and integrated set of data. As most data relevant to energy storage exists in a fragmented form, the major work in the ESTMAP project consists of compiling existing data in a unified database and exploiting it to optimize energy systems planning. Geologists, engineers and system modellers joined forces to define the format and the content of a database of both subsurface and above surface storage sites (existing, planned and potential). The idea is to ensure that the newly compiled dataset will fit the needs for robust modelling, planning and designing on a coherent basis and comparable among Member States and other European neighbouring countries. One of the project output consists of a geographical database providing information on distribution and expected capacity of existing and future energy storage sites in Europe, including costs and accessibility. Both subsurface storage options (hydrogen, compressed air, natural gas, underground pumped hydro, etc.) and above ground storages (pumped hydro, LNG, liquid air, etc.) are taken into account. In this project, BRGM, assisted by TNO, CGS, Ecofys and VITO, is in charge of data collection of geological subsurface energy storage. The objective of this task is to gather readily available and public data on existing and future potential storage sites. These data incorporate (1) the geographic location, description, characterization, subsurface properties and feasibility and capacity assessments of the subsurface reservoirs, as well as (2) the identification of known subsurface storage facilities attached to these reservoirs. A cooperation with European national geological institutions has been established. Cooperation agreements were concluded with members of EuroGeoSurveys and ENeRG groups. In countries not represented in these networks, national partners were contacted individually. The ESTMAP geological subsurface database populates data from EU member countries, the countries of the European Free Trade Association-EFTA (4 countries) and the Member of the Energy Community (8 countries). More than 920 subsurface sites spread around Europe have been identified during the subsurface data collection. Some of these have assessment information in term of proven, possible, probable, or assumed energy storages. All these data are forwarded for integration in the database to propose further modelling during the year 2016. ESTMAP project provides the opportunity to review the available public geological subsurface data in the European countries. The first encouraging results let open the possibility for further European cooperation in the future