Alluvial Stratigraphy and Geoarchaeology in the Big Fork River Valley, Minnesota: Human Response to Late Holocene Environmental Change

The Late Quaternary geomorphology and stratigraphy of the Big Fork River valley, within the Rainy River basin of northern Minnesota, reveals evidence of prehistoric human interaction with late Holocene riverine environments. By 11000 14C B.P., deglaciation made the region inhabitable by human groups using Clovis artifacts. Human habitation would also have been possible during the Moorhead low water stage of glacial Lake Agassiz, starting at 10500 14C B.P. Near its confluence with the Rainy River, the valley floor of the Big Fork valley consists of a floodplain complex and two terraces. The multi-component stratified Hannaford site is situated within the active floodplain. Overbank deposits contain artifacts in primary context, while artifacts within the point bar deposits are in secondary archaeological context; these deposits are associated with changing alluvial settings as the river moved eastward. Aggradation of the valley fill beneath the lowest surface (T0, floodplain complex) began by 3000 years ago and is associated with human activities focused on seasonal fishing and the use of riparian resources from 1300 to 650 14C B.P

Anti-diabetic effect of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (tranylcypromine) in rats with poorly-controlled blood glucose levels: A potential and novel therapeutic option for diabetes

Purpose: To determine the anti-diabetic effect of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (tranylcypromine) in sulphonyl urea-refractory rats with poorly-controlled blood glucose levels.Methods: Alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats were assigned to two groups (30 rats/group). One group received glibenclamide at a dose of 0.6 mg/kg, while the other group was given monoamine oxidase inhibitor (tranylcypromine) at a dose of 5 mg/day. The two groups were treated for 2 weeks. Blood samples were collected at baseline (before treatment) and at the end of treatment for determination of plasma glucose (fasting and fed), hemoglobin A1c, lipid profiles (serum total cholesterol, very-lowdensity lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides); oxidative stress parameters (anti-oxidant enzymes), insulin levels, and some hepatic enzymes of glucose metabolism.Results: Monoamine oxidase inhibitor treatment resulted in significant decrease in the levels of blood glucose, HbA1c, and lipid levels from baseline, relative to glibenclamide (p < 0.05). Greater improvements in oxidative stress biomarkers (glutathione and superoxide dismutase), insulin levels and hepatic enzymes of glucose metabolism were observed in monoamine oxidase inhibitor group than in glibenclamide group (p < 0.05). Oxidative stress was significantly inhibited by monoamine oxidase inhibitor via increases in glutathione (GSH) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, when compared to glibenclamide (p < 0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest that monoamine oxidase inhibitor may be a better treatment option for diabetes than glibenclamide. Keywords: Diabetes, Monoamine oxidase inhibitor, Glibenclamide, Sulphonyl urea, Poorly-controlledblood glucos

Osteoarthritis, Labour Division, and Occupational Specialization of the Late Shang China - Insights from Yinxu (ca. 1250 - 1046 B.C.)

This research investigates the prevalence of human osteoarthritis at Yinxu, the last capital of the Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1250–1046 B.C.), to gain insights about lifeways of early urban populations in ancient China. A total of 167 skeletal remains from two sites (Xiaomintun and Xin’anzhuang) were analyzed to examine osteoarthritis at eight appendicular joints and through three spinal osseous indicators. High osteoarthritis frequencies were found in the remains with males showing significantly higher osteoarthritis on the upper body (compared to that of the females). This distinctive pattern becomes more obvious for males from Xiaomintun. Furthermore, Xiaomintun people showed significantly higher osteoarthritis in both sexes than those from Xin’anzhuang. Higher upper body osteoarthritis is speculated to be caused by repetitive lifting and carrying heavy-weight objects, disproportionately adding more stress and thus more osseous changes to the upper than the lower body. Such lifting-carrying could be derived from intensified physical activities in general and specialized occupations in particular. Higher osteoarthritis in males may reveal a gendered division of labour, with higher osteoarthritis in Xiaomintun strongly indicating an occupational difference between the two sites. The latter speculation can be supported by the recovery of substantially more bronze-casting artifacts in Xiaomintun. It is also intriguing that relatively higher osteoarthritis was noticed in Xiaomintun females, which seems to suggest that those women might have also participated in bronze-casting activities as a “family business.” Such a family-involved occupation, if it existed, may have contributed to establishment of occupation-oriented neighborhoods as proposed by many Shang archaeologists

Increase Productivity of Machinig Center at Machine-shop by Using Multiple Machine at Small Seriality

Import 23/07/2015Diplomová práce se zaměřuje na problém, kterým je zvýšení produktivity na středisku obrobna s využitím více strojových obsluh při malé sériovosti. Hlavní cíl zvyšování produktivity spočívá v tom, zda je možné zavést dvou strojovou obsluhu na CNC strojích typu SP 30 CNC č. 1, č. 2. V rámci druhotného cíle zvyšování produktivity na středisku obrobna a zájmu firmy byly z projektového hlediska navrhnuty a umístěny nové CNC stroje, sklad přípravků a materiálu, skříňky a kovové bedny k jednotlivým strojům, skříňky na osobní věci a navrhnout jídelní kout.This master thesis focuses on the problem of increasing machine shop productivity by using multimachine operation in small series production. More specifically, the primary thesis aim is to analyze options and feasibility of implementing multimachine operation of two CNC lathes SP 30 CNC to increase productivity. The secondary aim of machine shop productivity increasing in the interest of the company includes design of new CNC machines and their layout, a material and jigs warehouse, cabinets and metal crates for each of workplaces, personal lockers and a dining area.345 - Katedra mechanické technologievelmi dobř

Ceramic Production in Shang Societies of Anyang

This article describes the results of petrographic analyses of ceramic thin sections from the Shang sites of Huanbei and Yinxu in Anyang, Henan, China. The initial goal was to determine the physical composition of locally produced ceramic artifacts. This was accomplished by focusing upon gray wares, the most common ceramic class in Shang contexts at Anyang, and comparing the findings to local, clay-rich sediments in both qualitative and quantitative terms. The resulting data provide objective bases for distinguishing imported ceramic items, notably those with exotic rock tempers and/or distinctive, low-silt pastes, and for making further inquiries into the role of ceramic production and exchange in the development and functioning of Shang society. The study revealed an unexpected amount of compositional diversity within Shang gray wares and indicates that at least three local sediments and three di¤erent technologies were utilized in the manufacture of ceramic objects. For most ceramic objects utilized in daily activities, such as storage and serving vessels and drainpipes, untempered loessic sediments were employed. By contrast, for cooking vessels, alluvial sediments tempered either with sand or grit (crushed rock, some of which was exotic) were normally employed. A third technology, for bronze piece molds, utilized loess, which was untempered, but apparently processed so as to concentrate the silt content thus increasing porosity and minimizing shrinkage, properties that would reduce flaws in cast bronzes

Intra-amniotic administration of exogenous pulmonary surfactant for improving in lung maturity of fetal rabbits with intrauterine infection caused by premature rupture of membranes

This study was to investigate the effect of intra-amniotic administration of pulmonary surfactant (PS) on lung maturation in conditions of experimentally induced premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and intrauterine infection of rabbits. To establish animal (rabbit) models of intrauterine infection caused by PROM, E. coli was intrauterinely injected in 24-and 26-day pregnant animals. Twenty healthy pregnancy adult Japanese white rabbits were divided into three groups: the infection group (8 rabbits), infection group with intra-amniotic PS administration (8 rabbits) and healthy controls (4 rabbits). Ultrastructure changes in the lung were observed under an electron microscope 19.5 hours after intervention. The results showed that the lung infection levels of fetal rabbits in the infection group and the infection group with PS had no significant difference. Bacillus bodies and infiltrated inflammatory cells can be occasionally seen in the alveoli, bronchial lumen, and cytoplasm. The type II alveolar epithelial cells (AT-II) were decreased in the infection group than that in control group. Lamellar bodies showed vacuolation changes and different levels of apoptosis. In the infection group with PS, the count of AT-II did not show an obvious decrease. Lamellar bodies increased, and different secretion forms appeared. Also, there was little apoptosis and no obvious collagen fiber hyperplasia in antenatal administration of PS group. We believe that once PROM has happened, intrauterine infection and inflammation stimulated a cascade reaction on the fetal lung, leading to abnormal changes in the alveolar ultrastructure. Intra-amniotic administration of PS can improve the fetal lung ultrastructure and its maturity

MiR-122 Participates in Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in STZ-Induced Pancreatic β Cells by Regulating PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

At present, there are few reports concerning the relationship between miR-122 and diabetes. In addition, the effect of miR-122 on streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced oxidative damage in INS-1 cells remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role and modulatory mechanisms involving miR-122 in diabetes. STZ was used to induce INS-1 cell damage. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to investigate the expression of miR-122. A TUNEL cell apoptosis detection kit was used to detect apoptosis. Intracellular ROS levels were determined using dichlorofluorescein-diacetate. The activities of insulin secretion, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) were measured using ELISA kits. Western blotting was used to measure the expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, PI3K, p-PI3K, caspase-3 and caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-9, AKT, and p-AKT. Then, LY294002 (LY, PI3K inhibitor) was used to treat INS-1 cells, and oxidative stress and apoptosis were measured. The results showed that STZ-induced inhibitory effects on insulin secretion were mitigated by miR-122 inhibitor, and the activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH-px were also increased. Furthermore, miR-122 inhibitor inhibited apoptosis and oxidative stress in STZ-induced INS-1 cells. Finally, the addition of LY increased insulin levels; reduced the activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH-px; and promoted apoptosis in STZ-induced INS-1 cells. In conclusion, interference with miR-122 can inhibit oxidative stress and apoptosis in STZ-induced INS-1 cells, involving a mechanism of action related to the PI3K/AKT pathway

A stone kneeling figure in the Art Institute of Chicago: new evidence from scientific investigations and archaeological finds in China

An ancient stone sculpture of a figure kneeling with hands bound behind him was bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1950 and for many years had no known counterpart. Comparable finds are now confirmed by a group of similar figures discovered since 1984 at several archaeological sites in the Chengdu plain of China's southwestern Sichuan province, which are datable to the late second millennium B.C. E. Unlike those recently unearthed figures, carved of more roughly textured, yellowish gray or dark green stones, some of which preserve traces of pigment that partially highlight their facial features, the Art lnstitute's example bears a smooth and shiny blackish green surface. Questions about the nature of this surface--whether coated with a paintlike film and/or darkened by heating- prompted a thorough investigation of the figure. Nondestructive techniques such as in situ Raman microscopy, x-ray diffraction, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy were used to fully characterize the sculpture. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to shed light on the nature of applied materials such as fills, surface accretions, and possible coatings. Results of these extensive scientific examinations, evaluated together with experimental tests of heating and polishing as well as with relevant archaeological evidence recently brought to light, have enhanced our understanding of the surface treatment of this fascinating and hitherto enigmatic sculpture

dbCerEx: a web-based database for the analysis of cervical cancer transcriptomes.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancers are ranked the second-most hazardous ailments among women worldwide. In the past two decades, microarray technologies have been applied to study genes involved in malignancy progress. However, in most of the published microarray studies, only a few genes were reported leaving rather a large amount of data unused. Also, RNA-Seq data has become more standard for transcriptome analysis and is widely applied in cancer studies. There is a growing demand for a tool to help the experimental researchers who are keen to explore cervical cancer gene therapy, but lack computer expertise to access and analyze the high throughput gene expression data. DESCRIPTION: The dbCerEx database is designed to retrieve and process gene expression data from cervical cancer samples. It includes the genome wide expression profiles of cervical cancer samples, as well as a web utility to cluster genes with similar expression patterns. This feature will help researchers conduct further research to uncover novel gene functions. CONCLUSION: The dbCerEx database is freely available for non-commercial use at http://128.135.207.10/dbCerEx/, and will be updated and integrated with more features as needed