OH Production from the Photolysis of Isoprene-derived Peroxy Radicals: Cross-sections, quantum yields and atmospheric implications

In environments with high concentrations of biogenic volatile organic compounds and low concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2), significant discrepancies have been found between measured and modeled concentrations of hydroxyl radical (OH). The photolysis of peroxy radicals from isoprene (HO-Iso-O2) in the near ultraviolet represents a potential source of OH in these environments, yet has not been considered in atmospheric models. This paper presents measurements of the absorption cross-sections for OH formation (σRO2,OH) from the photolysis of HO-Iso-O2 at wavelengths from 310–362.5 nm via direct observation by laser-induced fluorescence of the additional OH produced following laser photolysis of HO-Iso-O2. Values of σRO2,OH for HO-Iso-O2 ranged from (6.0 ± 1.6) × 10-20 cm2 molecule-1 at 310 nm to (0.5 ± 0.15) × 10-20 cm2 molecule-1 at 362.5 nm. OH photodissociation yields from HO-Iso-O2 photolysis, ϕOH,RO2, were determined via comparison of the measured values of σRO2,OH to the total absorption cross-sections for HO-Iso-O2 (σRO2), which were obtained using a newly-constructed spectrometer. ϕOH,RO2 was determined to be 0.13 ± 0.037 at wavelengths from 310–362.5 nm. To determine the impact of HO-Iso-O2 photolysis on atmospheric OH concentrations, a modeling case-study for a high-isoprene, low-NOx environment (namely, the 2008 Oxidant and Particle Photochemical Processes above a South-East Asian Tropical Rainforest (OP-3) field campaign, conducted in Borneo) was undertaken using the detailed Master Chemical Mechanism. The model calculated that the inclusion of HO-Iso-O2 photolysis in the model had increased the OH concentration by only 1% on average from 10:00–16:00 local time. Thus, HO-Iso-O2 photolysis alone is insufficient to resolve the discrepancy seen between measured OH concentrations and those predicted by atmospheric chemistry models in such environments

Smart meter security: Vulnerabilities, threat impacts, and countermeasures

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is the aggregation of smart meters, communications networks, and data management systems that are tailored to meet the efficient integration of renewable energy resources. The more complex features and soundless functionalities the AMI is enhanced with, the more cyber security concerns are raised and must be taken into consideration. It is imperative to assure consumer’s privacy and security to guarantee the proliferation of rolling out smart metering infrastructure. This research paper analyzes AMI from security perspectives; it discusses the possible vulnerabilities associated with different attack surfaces in the smart meter, their security and threat implications, and finally it recommends proper security controls and countermeasures. The research findings draw the foundation upon which robust security by design approach is geared for the deployment of the AMI in the future

Deep subcutaneous application of poly-L-lactic acid as a filler for facial lipoatrophy in HIV-infected patients

Introduction: Facial lipoatrophy is a crucial problem of HIV-infected patients undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Poly-L-lactic acid (PLA), provided as New-Fill(R)/Sculptra(TM), is known as one possible treatment option. In 2004 PLA was approved by the FDA as Sculptra(TM) for the treatment of lipoatrophy of the face in HIV-infected patients. While the first trials demonstrated relevant efficacy, this was to some extent linked to unwanted effects. As the depth of injection was considered relevant in this context, the application modalities of the preparation were changed. The preparation was to be injected more deeply into subcutaneous tissue, after increased dilution. Material and Methods: To test this approach we performed a pilot study following the new recommendations in 14 patients. Results: While the efficacy turned out to be about the same, tolerability was markedly improved. The increase in facial dermal thickness was particularly obvious in those patients who had suffered from lipoatrophy for a comparatively small period of time. Conclusion: With the new recommendations to dilute PLA powder and to inject it into the deeper subcutaneous tissue nodule formation is a minor problem. However, good treatment results can only be achieved if lipoatrophy is not too intense; treatment intervals should be about 2 - 3 weeks. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Oceanography : plankton in a warmer world

Author Posting. © Nature Publishing Group, 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Nature Publishing Group for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Nature 444 (2006): 695-696, doi:10.1038/444695a.Satellite data show that phytoplankton biomass and growth generally decline as the oceans’ surface waters warm up. Is this trend, seen over the past decade, a harbinger of the future for marine ecosystems

Soft Tissue Attenuation Patterns Associated with Upright Acquisition SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging: A Descriptive Study

Abstract: Purpose: Soft-tissue attenuation patterns in SPECT-myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) of supine acquisition systems are well recognized. Their prevalence and interaction with body-habitus and gender are ill-defined, which we sought to describe in this study. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we described the prevalence of soft-tissue attenuation patterns in normal SPECT-MPI studies acquired with a supine patient-position SPECT system. Results: In 263 normal, clinically-indicated, supine-acquisition SPECT-MPIs the attenuation patterns observed were: anterior (35.4%), inferior (41.8%) and lateral (13.3%). Anterior attenuation was more prevalent among women (50.7 % vs. 15.7%, P<0.001) and was associated with chest circumference among men. Conversely, inferior attenuation was more prevalent among men (78.3 % vs. 13.5%, P<0.001) and was not affected by body-habitus. Lateral attenuation was more common among women (19.6 % vs. 5.2%, p=0.001) and was associated with obesity (p=0.015). Conclusions: Soft-tissue attenuation artifacts are common in supine-acquisition SPECT-MPI. The recognition of their prevalence and association with body-habitus and gender is critical for the accurate interpretation of SPECT-MPI

Winter wheat roots grow twice as deep as spring wheat roots, is this important for N uptake and N leaching losses?

Cropping systems comprising winter catch crops followed by spring wheat could reduce N leaching risks compared to traditional winter wheat systems in humid climates. We studied the soil mineral N (Ninorg) and root growth of winter- and spring wheat to 2.5 m depth during three years. Root depth of winter wheat (2.2 m) was twice that of spring wheat, and this was related to much lower amounts of Ninorg in the 1 to 2.5 m layer after winter wheat (81 kg Ninorg ha-1 less). When growing winter catch crops before spring wheat, N content in the 1 to 2.5 m layer after spring wheat was not different from that after winter wheat. The results suggest that by virtue of its deep rooting, winter wheat may not lead to high levels of leaching as it is often assumed in humid climates. Deep soil and root measurements (below 1 m) in this experiment were essential to answer the questions we posed

Distribution, size, shape, growth potential and extent of abdominal aortic calcified deposits predict mortality in postmenopausal women

Background: Aortic calcification is a major risk factor for death from cardiovascular disease. We investigated the relationship between mortality and the composite markers of number, size, morphology and distribution of calcified plaques in the lumbar aorta.Methods: 308 postmenopausal women aged 48-76 were followed for 8.3 ± 0.3 years, with deaths related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other causes being recorded. From lumbar X-rays at baseline the number (NCD), size, morphology and distribution of aortic calcification lesions were scored and combined into one Morphological Atherosclerotic Calcification Distribution (MACD) index. The hazard ratio for mortality was calculated for the MACD and for three other commonly used predictors: the EU SCORE card, the Framingham Coronary Heart Disease Risk Score (Framingham score), and the gold standard Aortic Calcification Severity score (AC24) developed from the Framingham Heart Study cohorts.Results: All four scoring systems showed increasing age, smoking, and raised triglyceride levels were the main predictors of mortality after adjustment for all other metabolic and physical parameters. The SCORE card and the Framingham score resulted in a mortality hazard ratio increase per standard deviation (HR/SD) of 1.8 (1.51-2.13) and 2.6 (1.87-3.71), respectively. Of the morphological x-ray based measures, NCD revealed a HR/SD >2 adjusted for SCORE/Framingham. The MACD index scoring the distribution, size, morphology and number of lesions revealed the best predictive power for identification of patients at risk of mortality, with a hazard ratio of 15.6 (p < 0.001) for the 10% at greatest risk of death.Conclusions: This study shows that it is not just the extent of aortic calcification that predicts risk of mortality, but also the distribution, shape and size of calcified lesions. The MACD index may provide a more sensitive predictor of mortality from aortic calcification than the commonly used AC24 and SCORE/Framingham point card systems

A Versatile System for USER Cloning-Based Assembly of Expression Vectors for Mammalian Cell Engineering

A new versatile mammalian vector system for protein production, cell biology analyses, and cell factory engineering was developed. The vector system applies the ligation-free uracil-excision based technique--USER cloning--to rapidly construct mammalian expression vectors of multiple DNA fragments and with maximum flexibility, both for choice of vector backbone and cargo. The vector system includes a set of basic vectors and a toolbox containing a multitude of DNA building blocks including promoters, terminators, selectable marker- and reporter genes, and sequences encoding an internal ribosome entry site, cellular localization signals and epitope- and purification tags. Building blocks in the toolbox can be easily combined as they contain defined and tested Flexible Assembly Sequence Tags, FASTs. USER cloning with FASTs allows rapid swaps of gene, promoter or selection marker in existing plasmids and simple construction of vectors encoding proteins, which are fused to fluorescence-, purification-, localization-, or epitope tags. The mammalian expression vector assembly platform currently allows for the assembly of up to seven fragments in a single cloning step with correct directionality and with a cloning efficiency above 90%. The functionality of basic vectors for FAST assembly was tested and validated by transient expression of fluorescent model proteins in CHO, U-2-OS and HEK293 cell lines. In this test, we included many of the most common vector elements for heterologous gene expression in mammalian cells, in addition the system is fully extendable by other users. The vector system is designed to facilitate high-throughput genome-scale studies of mammalian cells, such as the newly sequenced CHO cell lines, through the ability to rapidly generate high-fidelity assembly of customizable gene expression vectors

Smoking and health-related quality of life in English general population: Implications for economic evaluations

Copyright @ 2012 Vogl et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Background: Little is known as to how health-related quality of life (HRQoL) when measured by generic instruments such as EQ-5D differ across smokers, ex-smokers and never-smokers in the general population; whether the overall pattern of this difference remain consistent in each domain of HRQoL; and what implications this variation, if any, would have for economic evaluations of tobacco control interventions. Methods: Using the 2006 round of Health Survey for England data (n = 13,241), this paper aims to examine the impact of smoking status on health-related quality of life in English population. Depending upon the nature of the EQ-5D data (i.e. tariff or domains), linear or logistic regression models were fitted to control for biology, clinical conditions, socio-economic background and lifestyle factors that an individual may have regardless of their smoking status. Age- and gender-specific predicted values according to smoking status are offered as the potential 'utility' values to be used in future economic evaluation models. Results: The observed difference of 0.1100 in EQ-5D scores between never-smokers (0.8839) and heavy-smokers (0.7739) reduced to 0.0516 after adjusting for biological, clinical, lifestyle and socioeconomic conditions. Heavy-smokers, when compared with never-smokers, were significantly more likely to report some/severe problems in all five domains - mobility (67%), self-care (70%), usual activity (42%), pain/discomfort (46%) and anxiety/depression (86%) -. 'Utility' values by age and gender for each category of smoking are provided to be used in the future economic evaluations. Conclusion: Smoking is significantly and negatively associated with health-related quality of life in English general population and the magnitude of this association is determined by the number of cigarettes smoked. The varying degree of this association, captured through instruments such as EQ-5D, may need to be fed into the design of future economic evaluations where the intervention being evaluated affects (e.g. tobacco control) or is affected (e.g. treatment for lung cancer) by individual's (or patients') smoking status

Surfactant protein D modulates HIV infection of both T-cells and dendritic cells

Surfactant Protein D (SP-D) is an oligomerized C-type lectin molecule with immunomodulatory properties and involvement in lung surfactant homeostasis in the respiratory tract. SP-D binds to the enveloped viruses, influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus and inhibits their replication in vitro and in vivo. SP-D has been shown to bind to HIV via the HIV envelope protein gp120 and inhibit infectivity in vitro. Here we show that SP-D binds to different strains of HIV (BaL and IIIB) and the binding occurs at both pH 7.4 and 5.0 resembling physiological relevant pH values found in the body and the female urogenital tract, respectively. The binding of SP-D to HIV particles and gp120 was inhibited by the presence of several hexoses with mannose found to be the strongest inhibitor. Competition studies showed that soluble CD4 and CVN did not interfere with the interaction between SP-D and gp120. However, soluble recombinant DC-SIGN was shown to inhibit the binding between SP-D and gp120. SP-D agglutinated HIV and gp120 in a calcium dependent manner. SP-D inhibited the infectivity of HIV strains at both pH values of 7.4 and 5.0 in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibition of the infectivity was abolished by the presence of mannose. SP-D enhanced the binding of HIV to immature monocyte derived dendritic cells (iMDDCs) and was also found to enhance HIV capture and transfer to the T-cell like line PM1. These results suggest that SP-D can bind to and inhibit direct infection of T-cells by HIV but also enhance the transfer of infectious HIV particles from DCs to T-cells in vivo