Plasma torch for ignition, flameholding and enhancement of combustion in high speed flows

Preheating of fuel and injection into a plasma torch plume fro adjacent the plasma torch plume provides for only ignition with reduced delay but improved fuel-air mixing and fuel atomization as well as combustion reaction enhancement. Heat exchange also reduced erosion of the anode of the plasma torch. Fuel mixing atomization, fuel mixture distribution enhancement and combustion reaction enhancement are improved by unsteady plasma torch energization, integral formation of the heat exchanger, fuel injection nozzle and plasma torch anode in a more compact, low-profile arrangement which is not intrusive on a highspeed air flow with which the invention is particularly effective and further enhanced by use of nitrogen as a feedstock material and inclusion of high pressure gases in the fuel to cause effervescence during injection

X-ray Observations of the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C 390.3

We present the data and preliminary analysis for a series of 90 ROSAT HRI and two ASCA observations of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3. These data were obtained during the period 1995 January 2 to 1995 October 6 as part of an intensive multiwavelength monitoring campaign. The soft X-ray flux in the ROSAT band varied by nearly a factor of four during the campaign, and the well-resolved light-curve shows several distinct features. Several large amplitude flares were observed, including one in which the flux increased by a factor of about 3 in 12 days. Periods of reduced variability were also seen, including one nearly 30 days long. While the HRI hardness ratio decreased significantly, it is apparently consistent with that expected due to the detector during the monitoring period. The two ASCA observations were made on 1995 January 15 and 1995 May 5. The 0.5-10.0 keV spectra can be adequately described by an absorbed power-law. There is no evidence for a soft excess in the ASCA spectra, indicating that the ROSAT HRI is sampling variability of the X-ray power-law. A broad iron line was observed in a longer 1993 ASCA observation, and while there is statistical evidence that the line is present in the 1995 spectra, it could not be resolved clearly. There is evidence, significant at >90% confidence, that the photon index changed from 1.7 to 1.82 while the flux increased by 63%. The spectral change can be detected in the spectra below 5 keV, indicating that the origin cannot be a change in ratio of reflected to power-law flux. A compilation of results from ASCA and Ginga observations show that on long time scales the intrinsic photon index is correlated with the flux.Comment: 17 pages using (AASTeX) aaspp4.sty and 4 Postscript figures. Astrophysical Journal, in pres

QuantFusion: Novel Unified Methodology for Enhanced Coverage and Precision in Quantifying Global Proteomic Changes in Whole Tissues

Single quantitative platforms such as label-based or label-free quantitation (LFQ) present compromises in accuracy, precision, protein sequence coverage, and speed of quantifiable proteomic measurements. To maximize the quantitative precision and the number of quantifiable proteins or the quantifiable coverage of tissue proteomes, we have developed a unified approach, termed QuantFusion, that combines the quantitative ratios of all peptides measured by both LFQ and label-based methodologies. Here, we demonstrate the use of QuantFusion in determining the proteins differentially expressed in a pair of patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs) representing two major breast cancer (BC) subtypes, basal and luminal. Label-based in-spectra quantitative peptides derived from amino acid-coded tagging (AACT, also known as SILAC) of a non-malignant mammary cell line were uniformly added to each xenograft with a constant predefined ratio, from which Ratio-of-Ratio estimates were obtained for the label-free peptides paired with AACT peptides in each PDX tumor. A mixed model statistical analysis was used to determine global differential protein expression by combining complementary quantifiable peptide ratios measured by LFQ and Ratio-of-Ratios, respectively. With minimum number of replicates required for obtaining the statistically significant ratios, QuantFusion uses the distinct mechanisms to “rescue” the missing data inherent to both LFQ and label-based quantitation. Combined quantifiable peptide data from both quantitative schemes increased the overall number of peptide level measurements and protein level estimates. In our analysis of the PDX tumor proteomes, QuantFusion increased the number of distinct peptide ratios by 65%, representing differentially expressed proteins between the BC subtypes. This quantifiable coverage improvement, in turn, not only increased the number of measurable protein fold-changes by 8% but also increased the average precision of quantitative estimates by 181% so that some BC subtypically expressed proteins were rescued by QuantFusion. Thus, incorporating data from multiple quantitative approaches while accounting for measurement variability at both the peptide and global protein levels make QuantFusion unique for obtaining increased coverage and quantitative precision for tissue proteomes

Steel Deck Diaphragm Test Database V1.0

Front material and Excel database of test results.From the 1950’s to the present, a substantial number of large-scale tests have been conducted on steel deck diaphragms or concrete on metal deck diaphragms. The data, papers and reports for these tests are located in scattered references and many are not publically available. As part of the Steel Diaphragm Innovation Initiative (SDII), a database of over 750 past experiments on metal deck diaphragms was created. The information contained in this database can be useful for several applications including evaluating strength and stiffness prediction equations, assessing resistance and safety factors, and investigating ductility of diaphragms. The database contains fields related to 1) specimen identification and reference, 2) the test setup including information about the geometry, loading type, deck orientation, beam sizes, steel deck geometry, and concrete slab information if applicable, 3) fastener information including sidelap fasteners, structural fasteners, and shear studs, 4) information about materials including deck material and concrete fill material, and 5) test results for selected specimens including stiffness, strength, and ductility.American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Steel Deck Institute (SDI), Steel Joist Institute (SJI), Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA), National Science Foundation (NSF

β-Dystrobrevin, a New Member of the Dystrophin Family: IDENTIFICATION, CLONING, AND PROTEIN ASSOCIATIONS

Dystrophin, the protein disrupted in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is one of several related proteins that are key components of the submembrane cytoskeleton. Three dystrophin-related proteins (utrophin, dystrophin-related protein-2 (DRP2), and dystrobrevin) have been described. Here, we identify a human gene on chromosome 2p22-23 that encodes a novel protein, beta-dystrobrevin, with significant homology to the other known dystrobrevin (now termed alpha-dystrobrevin). Sequence alignments including this second dystrobrevin strongly support the concept that two distinct subfamilies exist within the dystrophin family, one composed of dystrophin, utrophin, and DRP2 and the other composed of alpha- and beta-dystrobrevin. The possibility that members of each subfamily form distinct protein complexes was examined by immunopurifying dystrobrevins and dystrophin. A beta-dystrobrevin antibody recognized a protein of the predicted size (71 kDa) that copurified with the dystrophin short form, Dp71. Thus, like alpha-dystrobrevin, beta-dystrobrevin is likely to associate directly with dystrophin. alpha- and beta-dystrobrevins failed to copurify with each other, however. These results suggest that members of the dystrobrevin subfamily form heterotypic associations with dystrophin and raise the possibility that pairing of a particular dystrobrevin with dystrophin may be regulated, thereby providing a mechanism for assembly of distinct submembrane protein complexes

Temporal evolution of the microbiome, immune system and epigenome with disease progression in ALS mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neurodegenerative disease. Genetic predisposition, epigenetic changes, aging and accumulated life-long environmental exposures are known ALS risk factors. The complex and dynamic interplay between these pathological influences plays a role in disease onset and progression. Recently, the gut microbiome has also been implicated in ALS development. In addition, immune cell populations are differentially expanded and activated in ALS compared to healthy individuals. However, the temporal evolution of both the intestinal flora and the immune system relative to symptom onset in ALS is presently not fully understood. To better elucidate the timeline of the various potential pathological factors, we performed a longitudinal study to simultaneously assess the gut microbiome, immunophenotype and changes in ileum and brain epigenetic marks relative to motor behavior and muscle atrophy in the mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1G93A) familial ALS mouse model. We identified alterations in the gut microbial environment early in the life of SOD1G93A animals followed by motor dysfunction and muscle atrophy, and immune cell expansion and activation, particularly in the spinal cord. Global brain cytosine hydroxymethylation was also altered in SOD1G93A animals at disease end-stage compared to control mice. Correlation analysis confirmed interrelationships with the microbiome and immune system. This study serves as a starting point to more deeply comprehend the influence of gut microorganisms and the immune system on ALS onset and progression. Greater insight may help pinpoint novel biomarkers and therapeutic interventions to improve diagnosis and treatment for ALS patients. This article has an associated First Person interview with the joint first authors of the paper

Molecular characterisation of protist parasites in human-habituated mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), humans and livestock, from Bwindi impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Over 60 % of human emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, and there is growing evidence of the zooanthroponotic transmission of diseases from humans to livestock and wildlife species, with major implications for public health, economics, and conservation. Zooanthroponoses are of relevance to critically endangered species; amongst these is the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) of Uganda. Here, we assess the occurrence of Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Giardia, and Entamoeba infecting mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), Uganda, using molecular methods. We also assess the occurrence of these parasites in humans and livestock species living in overlapping/adjacent geographical regions

A multi-decade record of high quality fCO2 data in version 3 of the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT)

The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) is a synthesis of quality-controlled fCO2 (fugacity of carbon dioxide) values for the global surface oceans and coastal seas with regular updates. Version 3 of SOCAT has 14.7 million fCO2 values from 3646 data sets covering the years 1957 to 2014. This latest version has an additional 4.6 million fCO2 values relative to version 2 and extends the record from 2011 to 2014. Version 3 also significantly increases the data availability for 2005 to 2013. SOCAT has an average of approximately 1.2 million surface water fCO2 values per year for the years 2006 to 2012. Quality and documentation of the data has improved. A new feature is the data set quality control (QC) flag of E for data from alternative sensors and platforms. The accuracy of surface water fCO2 has been defined for all data set QC flags. Automated range checking has been carried out for all data sets during their upload into SOCAT. The upgrade of the interactive Data Set Viewer (previously known as the Cruise Data Viewer) allows better interrogation of the SOCAT data collection and rapid creation of high-quality figures for scientific presentations. Automated data upload has been launched for version 4 and will enable more frequent SOCAT releases in the future. High-profile scientific applications of SOCAT include quantification of the ocean sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and its long-term variation, detection of ocean acidification, as well as evaluation of coupled-climate and ocean-only biogeochemical models. Users of SOCAT data products are urged to acknowledge the contribution of data providers, as stated in the SOCAT Fair Data Use Statement. This ESSD (Earth System Science Data) “living data” publication documents the methods and data sets used for the assembly of this new version of the SOCAT data collection and compares these with those used for earlier versions of the data collection (Pfeil et al., 2013; Sabine et al., 2013; Bakker et al., 2014). Individual data set files, included in the synthesis product, can be downloaded here: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.849770. The gridded products are available here: doi:10.3334/CDIAC/OTG.SOCAT_V3_GRID

Identification of Three Molecular and Functional Subtypes in Canine Hemangiosarcoma through Gene Expression Profiling and Progenitor Cell Characterization

Canine hemangiosarcomas have been ascribed to an endothelial origin based on histologic appearance; however, recent findings suggest that these tumors may arise instead from hematopoietic progenitor cells. To clarify this ontogenetic dilemma, we used genome-wide expression profiling of primary hemangiosarcomas and identified three distinct tumor subtypes associated with angiogenesis (group 1), inflammation (group 2), and adipogenesis (group 3). Based on these findings, we hypothesized that a common progenitor may differentiate into the three tumor subtypes observed in our gene profiling experiment. To investigate this possibility, we cultured hemangiosarcoma cell lines under normal and sphere-forming culture conditions to enrich for tumor cell progenitors. Cells from sphere-forming cultures displayed a robust self-renewal capacity and exhibited genotypic, phenotypic, and functional properties consistent with each of the three molecular subtypes seen in primary tumors, including expression of endothelial progenitor cell (CD133 and CD34) and endothelial cell (CD105, CD146, and αvβ3 integrin) markers, expression of early hematopoietic (CD133, CD117, and CD34) and myeloid (CD115 and CD14) differentiation markers in parallel with increased phagocytic capacity, and acquisition of adipogenic potential. Collectively, these results suggest that canine hemangiosarcomas arise from multipotent progenitors that differentiate into distinct subtypes. Improved understanding of the mechanisms that determine the molecular and phenotypic differentiation of tumor cells in vivo could change paradigms regarding the origin and progression of endothelial sarcomas

Preclinical evaluation of (S)-[18F]GE387, a novel 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) PET radioligand with low binding sensitivity to human polymorphism rs6971.

Funder: Herchel Smith Fellowship programmePURPOSE: Positron emission tomography (PET) studies with radioligands for 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) have been instrumental in increasing our understanding of the complex role neuroinflammation plays in disorders affecting the brain. However, (R)-[11C]PK11195, the first and most widely used TSPO radioligand has limitations, while the next-generation TSPO radioligands have suffered from high interindividual variability in binding due to a genetic polymorphism in the TSPO gene (rs6971). Herein, we present the biological evaluation of the two enantiomers of [18F]GE387, which we have previously shown to have low sensitivity to this polymorphism. METHODS: Dynamic PET scans were conducted in male Wistar rats and female rhesus macaques to investigate the in vivo behaviour of (S)-[18F]GE387 and (R)-[18F]GE387. The specific binding of (S)-[18F]GE387 to TSPO was investigated by pre-treatment with (R)-PK11195. (S)-[18F]GE387 was further evaluated in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation. Sensitivity to polymorphism of (S)-GE387 was evaluated in genotyped human brain tissue. RESULTS: (S)-[18F]GE387 and (R)-[18F]GE387 entered the brain in both rats and rhesus macaques. (R)-PK11195 blocked the uptake of (S)-[18F]GE387 in healthy olfactory bulb and peripheral tissues constitutively expressing TSPO. A 2.7-fold higher uptake of (S)-[18F]GE387 was found in the inflamed striatum of LPS-treated rodents. In genotyped human brain tissue, (S)-GE387 was shown to bind similarly in low affinity binders (LABs) and high affinity binders (HABs) with a LAB to HAB ratio of 1.8. CONCLUSION: We established that (S)-[18F]GE387 has favourable kinetics in healthy rats and non-human primates and that it can distinguish inflamed from normal brain regions in the LPS model of neuroinflammation. Crucially, we have reconfirmed its low sensitivity to the TSPO polymorphism on genotyped human brain tissue. Based on these factors, we conclude that (S)-[18F]GE387 warrants further evaluation with studies on human subjects to assess its suitability as a TSPO PET radioligand for assessing neuroinflammation