Powder metallurgy Rene 95 rotating turbine engine parts, volume 2

A Rene 95 alloy as-HIP high pressure turbine aft shaft in the CF6-50 engine and a HIP plus forged Rene 95 compressor disk in the CFM56 engine were tested. The CF6-50 engine test was conducted for 1000 C cycles and the CFM56 test for 2000 C cycles. Post test evaluation and analysis of the CF6-50 shaft and the CFM56 compressor disk included visual, fluorescent penetrant, and dimensional inspections. No defects or otherwise discrepant conditions were found. These parts were judged to have performed satisfactorily

Beta-hexosaminidases along the secretory pathway of nicotiana benthamiana have distinct specificities toward engineered helminth N-glycans on recombinant glycoproteins

Secretions of parasitic worms (helminths) contain a wide collection of immunomodulatory glycoproteins with the potential to treat inflammatory disorders, like autoimmune diseases. Yet, the identification of single molecules that can be developed into novel biopharmaceuticals is hampered by the limited availability of native parasite-derived proteins. Recently, pioneering work has shown that helminth glycoproteins can be produced transiently in Nicotiana benthamiana plants while simultaneously mimicking their native helminth N-glycan composition by co-expression of desired glycosyltransferases. However, efficient "helminthization" of N-glycans in plants by glyco-engineering seems to be hampered by the undesired truncation of complex N-glycans by beta-N-acetyl-hexosaminidases, in particular when aiming for the synthesis of N-glycans with antennary GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc (LacdiNAc or LDN). In this study, we cloned novel beta-hexosaminidase open reading frames from N. benthamiana and characterized the biochemical activity of these enzymes. We identified HEXO2 and HEXO3 as enzymes responsible for the cleavage of antennary GalNAc residues of N-glycans on the model helminth glycoprotein kappa-5. Furthermore, we reveal that each member of the HEXO family has a distinct specificity for N-glycan substrates, where HEXO2 has strict beta-galactosaminidase activity, whereas HEXO3 cleaves both GlcNAc and GalNAc. The identification of HEXO2 and HEXO3 as major targets for LDN cleavage will enable a targeted genome editing approach to reduce undesired processing of these N-glycans. Effective knockout of these enzymes could allow the production of therapeutically relevant glycoproteins with tailor-made helminth N-glycans in plants.Host-parasite interactio

Towards Open Access Publishing in High Energy Physics : Report of the SCOAP3 Working Party

This Report concerns the implementation of a process today supported by leading actors from the particle physics community, and worked through in detail by members of an international Working Party. The initiative offers an opportunity for the cost-effective dissemination of high-quality research articles in particle physics, enabling use of the new technologies of e-Science across the literature of High Energy physics

Production and glyco-engineering of immunomodulatory helminth glycoproteins in plants

Host-parasite interactio

Electrocautery causes more ischemic peritoneal tissue damage than ultrasonic dissection

Contains fulltext : 96869.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Minimizing peritoneal tissue injury during abdominal surgery has the benefit of reducing postoperative inflammatory response, pain, and adhesion formation. Ultrasonic dissection seems to reduce tissue damage. This study aimed to compare electrocautery and ultrasonic dissection in terms of peritoneal tissue ischemia measured by microdialysis. METHODS: In this study, 18 Wistar rats underwent a median laparotomy and had a peritoneal microdialysis catheter implanted in the left lateral sidewall. The animals were randomly assigned to receive two standard peritoneal incisions parallel to the catheter by either ultrasonic dissection or electrocautery. After the operation, samples of microdialysis dialysate were taken every 2 h until 72 h postoperatively for measurements of pyruvate, lactate, glucose, and glycerol, and ratios were calculated. RESULTS: The mean lactate-pyruvate ratio (LPR), lactate-glucose ratio (LGR), and glycerol concentration were significantly higher in the electrocautery group than in the ultrasonic dissection group until respectively 34, 48, and 48 h after surgery. The mean areas under the curve (AUC) of LPR, LGR, and glycerol concentration also were higher in the electrocautery group than in the ultrasonic dissection group (4,387 vs. 1,639, P=0.011; 59 vs. 21, P=0.008; 7,438 vs. 4,169, P=0.008, respectively). CONCLUSION: Electrosurgery causes more ischemic peritoneal tissue damage than ultrasonic dissection.01 juni 201

Intramanual and intermanual transfer of the curvature aftereffect

The existence and transfer of a haptic curvature aftereffect was investigated to obtain a greater insight into neural representation of shape. The haptic curvature aftereffect is the phenomenon whereby a flat surface is judged concave if the preceding touched stimulus was convex and vice versa. Single fingers were used to touch the subsequently presented stimuli. A substantial aftereffect was found when the adaptation surface and the test surface were touched by the same finger. Furthermore, a partial, but significant transfer of the aftereffect was demonstrated between fingers of the same hand and between fingers of both the hands. These results provide evidence that curvature information is not only represented at a level that is directly connected to the mechanoreceptors of individual fingers but is also represented at a stage in the somatosensory cortex shared by the fingers of both the hands

The helminth glycoprotein omega-1 improves metabolic homeostasis in obese mice through type 2 immunity-independent inhibition of food intake

Type 2 immunity plays an essential role in the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis and its disruption during obesity promotes meta-inflammation and insulin resistance. Infection with the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni and treatment with its soluble egg antigens (SEA) induce a type 2 immune response in metabolic organs and improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in obese mice, yet, a causal relationship remains unproven. Here, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of the T2 ribonuclease omega-1 (omega 1), one of the major S mansoni immunomodulatory glycoproteins, on metabolic homeostasis. We show that treatment of obese mice with plant-produced recombinant omega 1, harboring similar glycan motifs as present on the native molecule, decreased body fat mass, and improved systemic insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This effect was associated with an increase in white adipose tissue (WAT) type 2 T helper cells, eosinophils, and alternatively activated macrophages, without affecting type 2 innate lymphoid cells. In contrast to SEA, the metabolic effects of omega 1 were still observed in obese STAT6-deficient mice with impaired type 2 immunity, indicating that its metabolic effects are independent of the type 2 immune response. Instead, we found that omega 1 inhibited food intake, without affecting locomotor activity, WAT thermogenic capacity or whole-body energy expenditure, an effect also occurring in leptin receptor-deficient obese and hyperphagic db/db mice. Altogether, we demonstrate that while the helminth glycoprotein omega 1 can induce type 2 immunity, it improves whole-body metabolic homeostasis in obese mice by inhibiting food intake via a STAT6-independent mechanism.Radiolog