A Method For Sorting Bottom Fauna Samples By Elutriation

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109814/1/lno1961640462.pd

Crystallization and preliminary x-ray diffraction analysis of the unliganded human growth hormone receptor

The crystal structure of the extracellular domain of growth hormone receptor complexed to its ligand, growth hormone, has been known since 1992. However, no information exists for the unliganded form of the receptor. The human growth hormone receptor's extracellular ligand-binding domain, encompassing amino-acid residues 1 - 238, has been expressed in Escherichia coli, purified by anion ion-exchange chromatography and crystallized in its unliganded state by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method in 100 mM HEPES pH 7.0 containing 27.5%(w/v) PEG 5000 monomethyl ether and 200 mM ammonium sulfate as the co-precipitants. The crystals belong to the othorhombic space group C222(1), have unit-cell parameters a = 99.7, b = 112.2, c = 93.2 Angstrom and diffract to 2.5 Angstrom resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystal structure will shed light on the nature of any conformation changes that occur upon ligand binding and will provide information to develop potential low-molecular-weight agonists/antagonists to treat clinical diseases in which the growth hormone receptor is implicated

Physical capacity of rescue personnel in the mining industry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mining industry has one of the highest occupational rates of serious injury and fatality. Mine staff involved with rescue operations are often required to respond to physically challenging situations. This paper describes the physical attributes of mining rescue personnel.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>91 rescue personnel (34 ± 8.6 yrs, 1.79 ± 0.07 m, 90 ± 15.0 kg) participating in the Queensland Mines Rescue Challenge completed a series of health-related and rescue-related fitness tasks. Health-related tasks comprised measurements of aerobic capacity (VO₂max), abdominal endurance, abdominal strength, flexibility, lower back strength, leg strength, elbow flexion strength, shoulder strength, lower back endurance, and leg endurance. Rescue-related tasks comprised an incremental carry (IC), coal shovel (CS), and a hose drag (HD), completed in this order.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cardiovascular (VO₂max) and muscular endurance was average or below average compared with the general population. Isometric strength did not decline with age. The rescue-related tasks were all extremely demanding with heart rate responses averaging greater than 88% of age predicted maximal heart rates. Heart rate recovery responses were more discriminating than heart rates recorded during the tasks, indicating the hose drag as the most physically demanding of the tasks.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Relying on actual rescues or mining related work to provide adequate training is generally insufficient to maintain, let alone increase, physical fitness. It is therefore recommended that standards of required physical fitness be developed and mines rescue personnel undergo regularly training (and assessment) in order to maintain these standards.</p

Exploring the Limits of High Altitude GPS for Future Lunar Missions

An increasing number of spacecraft are relying on the Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation at altitudes near or above the GPS constellation itself - the region known as the Space Service Volume (SSV). While the formal definition of the SSV ends at geostationary altitude, the practical limit of high-altitude space usage is not known, and recent missions have demonstrated that signal availability is sufficient for operational navigation at altitudes halfway to the moon. This paper presents simulation results based on a high-fidelity model of the GPS constellation, calibrated and validated through comparisons of simulated GPS signal availability and strength with flight data from recent high-altitude missions including the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 16 (GOES-16) and the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. This improved model is applied to the transfer to a lunar near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) of the class being considered for the international Deep Space Gateway concept. The number of GPS signals visible and their received signal strengths are presented as a function of receiver altitude in order to explore the practical upper limit of high-altitude space usage of GPS

A Photometrically and Morphologically Variable Infrared Nebula in L483

We present narrow and broad K-band observations of the Class 0/I source IRAS 18148-0440 that span 17 years. The infrared nebula associated with this protostar in the L483 dark cloud is both morphologically and photometrically variable on a time scale of only a few months. This nebula appears to be an infrared analogue to other well-known optically visible variable nebulae associated with young stars, such as Hubble's Variable Nebula. Along with Cepheus A, this is one of the first large variable nebulae to be found that is only visible in the infrared. The variability of this nebula is most likely due to changing illumination of the cloud rather than any motion of the structure in the nebula. Both morphological and photometric changes are observed on a time scale only a few times longer than the light crossing time of the nebula, suggesting very rapid intrinsic changes in the illumination of the nebula. Our narrow-band observations also found that H_2 knots are found nearly twice as far to the east of the source as to its west, and that H_2 emission extends farther east of the source than the previously known CO outflow.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

The genetics, structure and function of the M1 aminopeptidase oxytocinase subfamily and their therapeutic potential in immune-mediated disease

The oxytocinase subfamily of M1 aminopeptidases plays an important role in processing and trimming of peptides for presentation on major histocompatibility (MHC) Class I molecules. Several large-scale genomic studies have identified association of members of this family of enzymes, most notably ERAP1 and ERAP2, with immune-mediated diseases including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis and birdshot chorioretinopathy. Much is now known about the genetics of these enzymes and how genetic variants alter their function, but how these variants contribute to disease remains largely unresolved. Here we discuss what is known about their structure and function and highlight some of the knowledge gaps that affect development of drugs targeting these enzymes

From Damage to Discovery Via Virtual Unwrapping: Reading the Scroll from En-Gedi

Computer imaging techniques are commonly used to preserve and share readable manuscripts, but capturing writing locked away in ancient, deteriorated documents poses an entirely different challenge. This software pipeline—referred to as “virtual unwrapping”—allows textual artifacts to be read completely and noninvasively. The systematic digital analysis of the extremely fragile En-Gedi scroll (the oldest Pentateuchal scroll in Hebrew outside of the Dead Sea Scrolls) reveals the writing hidden on its untouchable, disintegrating sheets. Our approach for recovering substantial ink-based text from a damaged object results in readable columns at such high quality that serious critical textual analysis can occur. Hence, this work creates a new pathway for subsequent textual discoveries buried within the confines of damaged materials