Stability of interleukin 8 and neutrophil elastase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid following long-term storage

AbstractBackgroundInterleukin-8 (IL-8) and neutrophil elastase (NE) are commonly measured markers of inflammation in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from patients with cystic fibrosis. Longitudinal analysis assumes uniform stability during storage, however the effect of extended low-temperature storage on these markers remains unclear.MethodsBAL fluid from 104 children with cystic fibrosis was assayed for IL-8 and NE after storage at 4°C for 7days and −80°C for up to 6years and compared with the initial assays performed soon after collection.ResultsIL-8 levels were stable after any measured length of time at −80°C or 4°C. NE levels were stable for 6months at −80°C but decreased beyond that or after 7days at 4°C.ConclusionsOur data support the stability of IL-8 in BAL stored at −80°C for prolonged periods. NE in BAL decreases with storage and should be assayed as soon as practical after collection

Forward Modeling of Double Neutron Stars: Insights from Highly-Offset Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

We present a detailed analysis of two well-localized, highly offset short gamma-ray bursts---GRB~070809 and GRB~090515---investigating the kinematic evolution of their progenitors from compact object formation until merger. Calibrating to observations of their most probable host galaxies, we construct semi-analytic galactic models that account for star formation history and galaxy growth over time. We pair detailed kinematic evolution with compact binary population modeling to infer viable post-supernova velocities and inspiral times. By populating binary tracers according to the star formation history of the host and kinematically evolving their post-supernova trajectories through the time-dependent galactic potential, we find that systems matching the observed offsets of the bursts require post-supernova systemic velocities of hundreds of kilometers per second. Marginalizing over uncertainties in the stellar mass--halo mass relation, we find that the second-born neutron star in the GRB~070809 and GRB~090515 progenitor systems received a natal kick of $\gtrsim 200~\mathrm{km\,s}^{-1}$ at the 78\% and 91\% credible levels, respectively. Applying our analysis to the full catalog of localized short gamma-ray bursts will provide unique constraints on their progenitors and help unravel the selection effects inherent to observing transients that are highly offset with respect to their hosts.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. ApJ, in pres

Deep Creek Bridge

Deep Creek Bridge is located in Latah County, Idaho along US Highway 95. The bridge was built in 1938. An inspection completed in 2016 determined the damage on the bridge was too great for repair and marked it necessary for replacement. Currently, the foundations are exposed and the hydraulic performance needs improvement. The joints are severely damaged, reinforcing bars are exposed and rusting, and large deep cracks are seen throughout the bridge. The bridge will not last another 10 years with the increase in traffic flows. To maintain traffic flow during construction, a 4.6-mile detour takes traffic north through a rural road and down to Highway 6 which will connect people to US 95. The span of the bridge will be increased. An integral abutment with discrete piles will be used in conjunction with rip rap to prevent further scour from happening and the bridge secured. The girders and handrails of the bridge are made from steel while the decking will be concrete. High-water level and the 100-year floodplain were used to determine the height of the bridge. Deep creek does fall under categorical exclusion, therefore, neither an environmental impact statement nor an environmental assessment is required

Convergence Acceleration via Combined Nonlinear-Condensation Transformations

A method of numerically evaluating slowly convergent monotone series is described. First, we apply a condensation transformation due to Van Wijngaarden to the original series. This transforms the original monotone series into an alternating series. In the second step, the convergence of the transformed series is accelerated with the help of suitable nonlinear sequence transformations that are known to be particularly powerful for alternating series. Some theoretical aspects of our approach are discussed. The efficiency, numerical stability, and wide applicability of the combined nonlinear-condensation transformation is illustrated by a number of examples. We discuss the evaluation of special functions close to or on the boundary of the circle of convergence, even in the vicinity of singularities. We also consider a series of products of spherical Bessel functions, which serves as a model for partial wave expansions occurring in quantum electrodynamic bound state calculations.Comment: 24 pages, LaTeX, 12 tables (accepted for publication in Comput. Phys. Comm.

The Role of Mass Spectrometry in Structural Studies of Flavin-Based Electron Bifurcating Enzymes

For decades, biologists and biochemists have taken advantage of atomic resolution structural models of proteins from X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and more recently cryo-electron microscopy. However, not all proteins relent to structural analyses using these approaches, and as the depth of knowledge increases, additional data elucidating a mechanistic understanding of protein function is desired. Flavin-based electron bifurcating enzymes, which are responsible for producing high energy compounds through the simultaneous endergonic and exergonic reduction of two intercellular electron carriers (i.e., NAD+ and ferredoxin) are one class of proteins that have challenged structural biologists and in which there is great interest to understand the mechanism behind electron gating. A limited number of X-ray crystallography projects have been successful; however, it is clear that to understand how these enzymes function, techniques that can reveal detailed in solution information about protein structure, dynamics, and interactions involved in the bifurcating reaction are needed. In this review, we cover a general set of mass spectrometry-based techniques that, combined with protein modeling, are capable of providing information on both protein structure and dynamics. Techniques discussed include surface labeling, covalent cross-linking, native mass spectrometry, and hydrogen/deuterium exchange. We cover how biophysical data can be used to validate computationally generated protein models and develop mechanistic explanations for regulation and performance of enzymes and protein complexes. Our focus will be on flavin-based electron bifurcating enzymes, but the broad applicability of the techniques will be showcased

Land use not litter quality is a stronger driver of decomposition in hyperdiverse tropical forest

Funded by Natural Environment Research Council. Grant Number: NE/K016253/1Peer reviewedPublisher PD