Windows .NET Network Distributed Basic Local Alignment Search Toolkit (W.ND-BLAST)

BACKGROUND: BLAST is one of the most common and useful tools for Genetic Research. This paper describes a software application we have termed Windows .NET Distributed Basic Local Alignment Search Toolkit (W.ND-BLAST), which enhances the BLAST utility by improving usability, fault recovery, and scalability in a Windows desktop environment. Our goal was to develop an easy to use, fault tolerant, high-throughput BLAST solution that incorporates a comprehensive BLAST result viewer with curation and annotation functionality. RESULTS: W.ND-BLAST is a comprehensive Windows-based software toolkit that targets researchers, including those with minimal computer skills, and provides the ability increase the performance of BLAST by distributing BLAST queries to any number of Windows based machines across local area networks (LAN). W.ND-BLAST provides intuitive Graphic User Interfaces (GUI) for BLAST database creation, BLAST execution, BLAST output evaluation and BLAST result exportation. This software also provides several layers of fault tolerance and fault recovery to prevent loss of data if nodes or master machines fail. This paper lays out the functionality of W.ND-BLAST. W.ND-BLAST displays close to 100% performance efficiency when distributing tasks to 12 remote computers of the same performance class. A high throughput BLAST job which took 662.68 minutes (11 hours) on one average machine was completed in 44.97 minutes when distributed to 17 nodes, which included lower performance class machines. Finally, there is a comprehensive high-throughput BLAST Output Viewer (BOV) and Annotation Engine components, which provides comprehensive exportation of BLAST hits to text files, annotated fasta files, tables, or association files. CONCLUSION: W.ND-BLAST provides an interactive tool that allows scientists to easily utilizing their available computing resources for high throughput and comprehensive sequence analyses. The install package for W.ND-BLAST is freely downloadable from . With registration the software is free, installation, networking, and usage instructions are provided as well as a support forum

Innovative concepts of Integrated Solar Combined Cycles (ISCC) using a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is one of the most promising ways for electricity production of the upcoming years with high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar-photovoltaics. This is due to the fact that CSP when coupled to Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system enables large, inexpensive and flexible energy dispatch, which contributes to energy grid stabilization. At the same time, TES allows for steady operation of the power block by reducing undesirable fluctuations due to weather transient conditions and increasing the number of hours that the power block operates at design conditions 1. Despite the abovementioned advantages of CSP systems, a step further is needed for increase overall system efficiency and decrease CO2 emissions. Several studies have been performed considering high efficiency plant layouts such as combined cycle. For the latter, several works have been investigated about solar integration of combined cycle using parabolic trough and solar tower technologies. In both cases, solar energy was used for water/steam preheating and evaporation steps of the Rankine cycle in combination with the exhaust gases of fossil-fuel gas turbine engine. However, no research has been performed considering ISCC coupled with a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). In this research, two innovative layouts of ISCC power plants will be analyzed. First considers a ISCC based on solar tower and second a ISCC with a parabolic trough collector field coupled to the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). The objective of this research is analyze the energy behavior of both layouts, selecting the best ISCC scheme to be coupled with a SOFC. The simulations will be performed using Thermoflex software. In both layouts, a SOFC is introduced before the combustion chamber at the topping cycle, and a Rankine cycle (bottoming cycle) with 2 pressures is considered.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Integral Bridge for High-Speed Railway

The structural continuity of fully integral bridges entails many advantages and some drawbacks. Among the latter, the cyclic expansions and contractions of the deck caused by seasonal thermal variations impose alternating displacements at the piers and abutments, with effects that may be difficult to establish reliably. The advantages include easier construction and cheaper maintenance but, especially, horizontal loads can be transmitted to the ground in a much better way than in conventional bridges. This paper first presents a methodology for dealing with the problems that the cyclic displacements imposed raise at the abutments and at the bridge piers. At the former, large pressures may develop, possibly accompanied by undesirable surface settlements. At the latter, the degree of cracking and the ability to carry the specified loads may be in question. Having quantified the drawbacks, simplified but realistic analyses are conducted of the response of an integral bridge to braking and seismic loads. It is shown that integral bridges constitute an excellent alternative in the context of the requirements posed by new high-speed railway lines

Post-cracking Behabiour of a Wind Turbine Concrete Tower

The paper deals with the dynamic performance of a simply reinforced concrete tower built using prefabricated elements. The main uncertainty of this strategy stems from the possible cracking of the concrete and its implications on the stiffness, natural frequency and dynamic amplification of the tower. In 2006 an 80 m high prototype was built, supporting a 1.5 MW wind generator, carefully instrumented and test loaded to 80% of its design capacity. The prototype and installed instrumentation remained in operation for 3 years. Detailed calculations were carried out of the cracking induced in the concrete and its effects on the natural frequency of the tower, as a function of wind speed and orientation; the results were compared with the monitoring data. It is concluded that numerical modelling with Abaqus allowed good predictions and interpretations of the observed response of the tower. Also, simply reinforced concrete is shown to be a good option for high towers; if the structure is well designed, the natural frequency will not migrate to a point where its proximity to the forcing frequency will lead to unacceptable levels of the dynamic amplification

Leptin Inhibits Angiotensin II-Induced Intracellular Calcium Increase and Vasoconstriction in the Rat Aorta

Besides its role in body weight control leptin may also act as a vasoactive hormone. This study was designed to investigate whether leptin modifies angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced vascular responses. The expression of functional leptin receptors (OB-Rb) was detected in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from adult Wistar rats by RT-PCR. Immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis further showed the expression of OB-R protein in VSMCs. The ANG II (10(-7) mol/liter)-induced increase in intracellular Ca(2+) was blocked (P < 0.01) by leptin (10(-8) mol/liter). Moreover, in calcium-free buffer leptin was able to inhibit 65% of the ANG II-induced calcium release from intracellular stores. In endothelium-denuded aortic rings from adult Wistar rats no effect of leptin on basal tension was observed. However, the ANG II-induced isometric contraction was reduced (P < 0.05) by leptin (10(-8) mol/liter). The experiments were also performed in age- and sex-matched Zucker rats, in which no effect of leptin on ANG II-induced calcium increase and vasoconstriction was observed. It is concluded that leptin blocks the vasoconstrictor action of ANG II and inhibits the ANG II-induced increase in intracellular Ca(2+) in VSMCs through OB-Rb. These findings provide new insight into the physiological effects of leptin on blood pressure regulation

Introducing Fiji and ICY image processing techniques in ichnological research as a tool for sedimentary basin analysis

Some features of trace fossils are not easy to determine due to limited vissibility of trace fossils. Here, we applied two image processing techniques (Fiji and ICY) to ichnological studies and we compare them with the previously used high-resolution image treatment method. , discussing their usefulness for ichnological studies. Then, these are compared with a high resolution image treatment. These techniques are revealed as rapid alternatives for estimation of some ichnological features, being so useful for the first stages of research, when a detailed analysis is not needed

Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ: role of leptin and adiponectin in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases

Obesity, the most common nutritional disorder in industrial countries, is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Nevertheless, the molecular basis linking obesity with cardiovascular disturbances have not yet been fully clarified. Recent advances in the biology of adipose tissue indicate that it is not simply an energy storage organ, but also a secretory organ, producing a variety of bioactive substances, including leptin and adiponectin, that may influence the function as well as the structural integrity of the cardiovascular system. Leptin, besides being a satiety signal for the central nervous system and to be related to insulin and glucose metabolism, may also play an important role in regulating vascular tone because of the widespread distribution of functional receptors in the vascular cells. On the other hand, the more recently discovered protein, adiponectin, seems to play a protective role in experimental models of vascular injury, in probable relation to its ability to suppress the attachment of monocytes to endothelial cells, which is an early event in the atherosclerotic process. There is already considerable evidence linking altered production of some adipocyte hormones with the cardiovascular complications of obesity. Therefore, the knowledge of alterations in the endocrine function of adipose tissue may help to further understand the high cardiovascular risk associated with obesity