Determining the influence and effects of manufacturing variables on sulfur dioxide cells

A survey of the Li/SO2 manufacturing community was conducted to determine where variability exists in processing. The upper and lower limits of these processing variables might, by themselves or by interacting with other variables, influence safety, performance, and reliability. A number of important variables were identified and a comprehensive design experiment is being proposed to make the proper determinations

Computer simulation of pulsed field gel runs allows the quantitation of radiation-induced double-strand breaks in yeast

A procedure for the quantification of double-strand breaks in yeast is presented that utilizes pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and a comparison of the observed DNA mass distribution in the gel lanes with calculated distributions. Calculation of profiles is performed as follows. If double-strand breaks are produced by sparsely ionizing radiation, one can assume that they are distributed randomly in the genome, and the resulting DNA mass distribution in molecular length can be predicted by means of a random breakage model. The input data for the computation of molecular length profiles are the breakage frequency per unit length, , as adjustable parameter, and the molecular lengths of the intact chromosomes. The obtained DNA mass distributions in molecular length must then be transformed into distributions of DNA mass in migration distance. This requires a calibration of molecular length vs. migration distance that is specific for the gel lane in question. The computed profiles are then folded with a Lorentz distribution with adjusted spread parameter to account for and broadening. The DNA profiles are calculated for different breakage frequencies and for different values of , and the parameters resulting in the best fit of the calculated to the observed profile are determined

The TRC8 E3 ligase ubiquitinates MHC class I molecules before dislocation from the ER

Human cytomegalovirus uses an E3 ubiquitin ligase to divert MHC I molecules into the ER-associated degradation pathway for destruction

The tumor suppressor gene TRC8/RNF139 is disrupted by a constitutional balanced translocation t(8;22)(q24.13;q11.21) in a young girl with dysgerminoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>RNF139/TRC8 </it>is a potential tumor suppressor gene with similarity to PTCH, a tumor suppressor implicated in basal cell carcinomas and glioblastomas. <it>TRC8 </it>has the potential to act in a novel regulatory relationship linking the cholesterol/lipid biosynthetic pathway with cellular growth control and has been identified in families with hereditary renal (RCC) and thyroid cancers. Haploinsufficiency of <it>TRC8 </it>may facilitate development of clear cell-RCC in association with <it>VHL </it>mutations, and may increase risk for other tumor types. We report a paternally inherited balanced translocation t(8;22) in a proposita with dysgerminoma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The translocation was characterized by FISH and the breakpoints cloned, sequenced, and compared. DNA isolated from normal and tumor cells was checked for abnormalities by array-CGH. Expression of genes <it>TRC8 </it>and <it>TSN </it>was tested both on dysgerminoma and in the proposita and her father.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The breakpoints of the translocation are located within the LCR-B low copy repeat on chromosome 22q11.21, containing the palindromic AT-rich repeat (PATRR) involved in recurrent and non-recurrent translocations, and in an AT-rich sequence inside intron 1 of the TRC8 tumor-suppressor gene at 8q24.13. <it>TRC8 </it>was strongly underexpressed in the dysgerminoma. Translin is underexpressed in the dysgerminoma compared to normal ovary.</p> <p><it>TRC8 </it>is a target of Translin (TSN), a posttranscriptional regulator of genes transcribed by the transcription factor CREM-tau in postmeiotic male germ cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A role for <it>TRC8 </it>in dysgerminoma may relate to its interaction with Translin. We propose a model in which one copy of <it>TRC8 </it>is disrupted by a palindrome-mediated translocation followed by complete loss of expression through suppression, possibly mediated by miRNA.</p

A Component-Based Approach for Scientific Services for Education and Research (Scientific SEARCH)

Today’s challenge for retrieving digital information by users such as “students,” educators,” or “researchers” is coping, more than ever before, with the excessive data and information available. The problem is further compounded because of the way scientific knowledge is structured, in terms of expert interviews, articles, conference coverage, journal scans etc. Great progress has been made in digital library research. The NSF/NSDL through their initiatives has assembled a great set of tools and techniques that hold significant potential. Many projects are now underway applying these tools and techniques to meet the information needs of different user communities. The primary focus of Scientific SEARCH project is enhancing access to high quality learning materials and resources, modules, and other digital objects targeted towards scientific consumer and scientific producer. The project will use a multi-phased approach to achieve the objective. The paper describes the first-phase work submitted to NSF 04-542 solicitation

Diet selectivity in a terrestrial forest invertebrate, the Auckland tree wētā, across three habitat zones.

Insects are important but overlooked components of forest ecosystems of New Zealand. For many invertebrate species, information on foraging patterns and trophic relationships is lacking. We examined diet composition and selectivity in a large bodied invertebrate, the Auckland tree wētā, in three habitat zones in a lowland New Zealand forest. We asked if Hemideina thoracica selectively forage from available plant food sources, and if these choices were lipid-rich compared to non-preferred available plants. We also identified the proportion of invertebrates in their frass as a proxy for omnivory. From reconnaissance plot sampling, together with faecal fragment analysis, we report that more than 93% of individual wētā had eaten other invertebrates before capture. Wētā in the highest elevation hillslope habitat consumed significantly fewer plants on average than wētā on either the low elevation terrace or mid-slope habitat. Hillslope wētā also had the highest average number of invertebrate fragments in their frass, significantly more than wētā in the low elevation terrace habitat. Wētā showed high variability in the consumption of fruit and seeds across all habitats. Generally, we did not observe diet differences between the sexes (although it appears that male wētā in the mid hillslope habitat ate fruits and seeds more voraciously than females), suggesting that the sexes have similar niche breadths and display similar degrees of omnivorous behaviour. Extraction of leaf lipids demonstrated a range of lipid content values in available plants, and Ivlev’s electivity index indicated that plant species which demonstrated high electivity, tended to have higher concentrations of lipids in their leaves. Our findings indicate that H. thoracica forage omnivorously and selectively, and hence play multiple roles in native ecosystems and food webs

Numerical simulation of explosive volcanic eruptions from the conduit flow to global atmospheric scales

Volcanic eruptions are unsteady multiphase phenomena, which encompass many inter-related processes across the whole range of scales from molecular and microscopic to macroscopic, synoptic and global. We provide an overview of recent advances in numerical modelling of volcanic effects, from conduit and eruption column processes to those on the Earth s climate. Conduit flow models examine ascent dynamics and multiphase processes like fragmentation, chemical reactions and mass transfer below the Earth surface. Other models simulate atmospheric dispersal of the erupted gas-particle mixture, focusing on rapid processes occurring in the jet, the lower convective regions, and pyroclastic density currents. The ascending eruption column and intrusive gravity current generated by it, as well as sedimentation and ash dispersal from those flows in the immediate environment of the volcano are examined with modular and generic models. These apply simplifications to the equations describing the system depending on the specific focus of scrutiny. The atmospheric dispersion of volcanic clouds is simulated by ash tracking models. These are inadequate for the first hours of spreading in many cases but focus on long-range prediction of ash location to prevent hazardous aircraft - ash encounters. The climate impact is investigated with global models. All processes and effects of explosive eruptions cannot be simulated by a single model, due to the complexity and hugely contrasting spatial and temporal scales involved. There is now the opportunity to establish a closer integration between different models and to develop the first comprehensive description of explosive eruptions and of their effects on the ground, in the atmosphere, and on the global climate

Aspects determining the risk of pesticides to wild bees: risk profiles for focal crops on three continents

In order to conduct a proper risk assessment of pesticides to bees, information is needed in three areas: the toxicity of the pesticide;the probability of bee exposure to that pesticide; andthe population dynamics of the bee species in question.Information was collected on such factors affecting pesticide risk to (primarily wild) bees in several crops in Brazil, Kenya and The Netherlands. These data were used to construct ‘risk profiles’ of pesticide use for bees in the studied cropping systems. Data gaps were identified and potential risks of pesticides to bees were compared between the crops. Initially, risk profiling aims to better identify gaps in our present knowledge. In the longer term, the established risk profiles may provide structured inputs into risk assessment models for wild and managed bees, and lead to recommendations for specific risk mitigation measures. Keywords: pesticide, exposure, risk, wild bees, risk profil

Mutations of the β- and γ-catenin genes are uncommon in human lung, breast, kidney, cervical and ovarian carcinomas

β-catenin forms complexes with Tcf and Lef-1 and functions as a transcriptional activator in the Wnt signalling pathway. Although recent investigations have been focused on the role of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)/ β-catenin/Tcf pathway in human tumorigenesis, there have been very few reports on mutations of the β-catenin gene in a variety of tumour types. Using PCR and single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis, we examined 93 lung, 9 breast, 6 kidney, 19 cervical and 7 ovarian carcinoma cell lines for mutations in exon 3 of the β-catenin gene. In addition, we tested these same samples for mutations in the NH2-terminal regulatory region of the γ-catenin gene. Mutational analysis for the entire coding region of β-catenin cDNA was also undertaken in 20 lung, 9 breast, 5 kidney and 6 cervical carcinoma cell lines. Deletion of most β-catenin coding exons was confirmed in line NCI-H28 (lung mesothelioma) and a silent mutation at codon 214 in exon 5 was found in HeLa (cervical adenocarcinoma). A missense mutation at codon 19 and a silent mutation at codon 28 in the NH2-terminal regulatory region of the γ-catenin gene were found in H1726 (squamous cell lung carcinoma) and H1048 (small cell lung carcinoma), respectively. Neither deletions nor mutations of these genes were detected in the other cell lines examined. These results suggest that β- and γ-catenins are infrequent mutational targets during development of human lung, breast, kidney, cervical and ovarian carcinomas. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co