Targeting PPARy signaling cascade for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) is a member of the hormone-activated nuclear receptor superfamily. PPARγ can be activated by a diverse group of agents, such as endogenous polyunsaturated fatty acids, 15-deoxy- Δ 12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), and thiazolidinedione (TZD) drugs. PPARγ induces antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, and prodifferentiation pathways in several tissue types, thus making it a highly useful target for downregulation of carcinogenesis. These TZD-derived novel therapeutic agents, alone or in combination with other anticancer drugs, have translational relevance in fostering effective strategies for cancer treatment. TZDs have been proven for antitumor activity in a wide variety of experimental cancer models, both in vitro and in vivo, by affecting the cell cycle, inducing cell differentiation and apoptosis, as well as by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Angiogenesis inhibition mechanisms of TZDs include direct inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and migration, as well as reduction in tumor cell vascular endothelial growth factor production. In prostate cancer, PPARγ ligands such as troglitazone and 15d-PGJ2 have also shown to inhibit tumor growth. This paper will focus on current discoveries in PPARγ activation, targeting prostate carcinogenesis as well as the role of PPARγ as a possible anticancer therapeutic option. Here, we review PPARγ as an antitumor agent and summarize the antineoplastic effects of PPARγ agonists in prostate cancer

Development of Stronger and More Reliable Cast Austenitic Stainless Steels (H-Series) Based on Scientific Design Methodology

The goal of this program was to increase the high-temperature strength of the H-Series of cast austenitic stainless steels by 50% and upper use temperature by 86 to 140 F (30 to 60 C). Meeting this goal is expected to result in energy savings of 38 trillion Btu/year by 2020 and energy cost savings of $185 million/year. The higher strength H-Series of cast stainless steels (HK and HP type) have applications for the production of ethylene in the chemical industry, for radiant burner tubes and transfer rolls for secondary processing of steel in the steel industry, and for many applications in the heat-treating industry. The project was led by Duraloy Technologies, Inc. with research participation by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and industrial participation by a diverse group of companies. Energy Industries of Ohio (EIO) was also a partner in this project. Each team partner had well-defined roles. Duraloy Technologies led the team by identifying the base alloys that were to be improved from this research. Duraloy Technologies also provided an extensive creep data base on current alloys, provided creep-tested specimens of certain commercial alloys, and carried out centrifugal casting and component fabrication of newly designed alloys. Nucor Steel was the first partner company that installed the radiant burner tube assembly in their heat-treating furnace. Other steel companies participated in project review meetings and are currently working with Duraloy Technologies to obtain components of the new alloys. EIO is promoting the enhanced performance of the newly designed alloys to Ohio-based companies. The Timken Company is one of the Ohio companies being promoted by EIO. The project management and coordination plan is shown in Fig. 1.1. A related project at University of Texas-Arlington (UT-A) is described in Development of Semi-Stochastic Algorithm for Optimizing Alloy Composition of High-Temperature Austenitic Stainless Steels (H-Series) for Desired Mechanical and Corrosion Properties (ORNL/TM-2005/81/R1). The final report on another related project at the University of Tennessee by George Pharr, Easo George, and Michael Santella has been published as Development of Combinatorial Methods for Alloy Design and Optimization (ORNL/TM-2005-133). The goal of the project was to increase the high-temperature strength by 50$185 million/year. The goal of the project was achieved by using the alloy design methods developed at ORNL, based on precise microcharacterization and identification of critical microstructure/properties relationships and combining them with the modern computational science-based tools that calculate phases, phase fractions, and phase compositions based on alloy compositions. The combined approach of microcharacterization of phases and computational phase prediction would permit rapid improvement of the current alloy composition of an alloy and provide the long-term benefit of customizing alloys within grades for specific applications. The project was appropriate for the domestic industry because the current H-Series alloys have reached their limits both in high-temperature-strength properties and in upper use temperature. The desire of Duraloy's industrial customers to improve process efficiency, while reducing cost, requires that the current alloys be taken to the next level of strength and that the upper use temperature limit be increased. This project addressed a specific topic from the subject call: to develop materials for manufacturing processes that will increase high-temperature strength, fatigue resistance, corrosion, and wear resistance. The outcome of the project would benefit manufacturing processes in the chemical, steel, and heat-treating industries

Development of Stronger and More Reliable Cast Austenitic Stainless Steels (H-Series) Based on Scientific and Design Methodology

The goal of this project was to increase the high-temperature strength of the H-Series of cast austenitic stainless steels by 50% and the upper use temperature by 86 to 140 degrees fahrenheit (30 to 60 degrees celsius). Meeting this goal is expected to result in energy savings of 35 trillion Btu/year by 2020 and energy cost savings of approximately $230 million/year. The higher-strength H-Series cast stainless steels (HK and HP type) have applications for the production of ethylene in the chemical industry, for radiant burner tubes and transfer rolls for secondary processing of steel in the steel industry, and for many applications in the heat treating industry, including radiant burner tubes. The project was led by Duraloy Technologies, Inc., with research participation by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and industrial participation by a diverse group of companies

Global WEIRDing: Transitions in Wild Plant Knowledge and Treatment Preferences in Congo Hunter-Gatherers

Cultures around the world are converging as populations become more connected. On the one hand this increased connectedness can promote the recombination of existing cultural practices to generate new ones, but on the other it may lead to the replacement of traditional practices and global WEIRDing. Here we examine the process and causes of changes in cultural traits concerning wild plant knowledge in Mbendjele BaYaka hunter–gatherers from Congo. Our results show that the BaYaka who were born in town reported knowing and using fewer plants than the BaYaka who were born in forest camps. Plant uses lost in the town-born BaYaka related to medicine. Unlike the forest-born participants, the town-born BaYaka preferred Western medicine over traditional practices, suggesting that the observed decline of plant knowledge and use is the result of replacement of cultural practices with the new products of cumulative culture

Reversible Pressure-Induced Amorphization in Solid C70 : Raman and Photoluminescence Study

We have studied single crystals of $C_{70}$ by Raman scattering and photoluminescence in the pressure range from 0 to 31.1 GPa. The Raman spectrum at 31.1 GPa shows only a broad band similar to that of the amorphous carbon without any trace of the Raman lines of $C_{70}$. After releasing the pressure from 31.1 GPa, the Raman and the photoluminescence spectra of the recovered sample are that of the starting $C_{70}$ crystal. These results indicate that the $C_{70}$ molecules are stable upto 31.1 GPa and the amorphous carbon high pressure phase is reversible, in sharp contrast to the results on solid $C_{60}$. A qualitative explaination is suggested in terms of inter- versus intra-molecular interactions.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Lett., 12 pages, RevTeX (preprint format), 3 figures available upon reques

First-principles study of the structural energetics of PdTi and PtTi

The structural energetics of PdTi and PtTi have been studied using first-principles density-functional theory with pseudopotentials and a plane-wave basis. We predict that in both materials, the experimentally reported orthorhombic $B19$ phase will undergo a low-temperature phase transition to a monoclinic $B19'$ ground state. Within a soft-mode framework, we relate the $B19$ structure to the cubic $B2$ structure, observed at high temperature, and the $B19'$ structure to $B19$ via phonon modes strongly coupled to strain. In contrast to NiTi, the $B19$ structure is extremely close to hcp. We draw on the analogy to the bcc-hcp transition to suggest likely transition mechanisms in the present case.Comment: 8 pages 5 figure

Seamless Control Method for Wind-PV-Battery Operated Water Pumping Model

Water pumping model (WPM) is essential part in modern days for human’s daily activities. The WPM powered by renewable energy power sources (REPS) can reduce the pollution as well as a best solution for many other problems. Implementation of a backup power source through REPS for WPM can also help in decreasing the peak load on the utility grid. Proper sizing of a hybrid power supply system (HPSS) can ensure a consistent water supply to consumers. The wind and photovoltaic modules (PVMs) based HPSSs are two major REPS which commonly used in worldwide. Nevertheless, an energy storage mechanism is required to uphold energy equilibrium within the system due to the unpredictable fluctuations in both irradiance and wind speed. Hence, required number of batteries needs to be integrated to the system with the help of proper converter to make continuous water supply without any interrupt. Adequate space is available for the installation of PVMs and wind systems on both apartments and overhead water tanks in various rural and urban locations. Therefore hybrid PVMs-Wind-Battery based WPM is useful on such places. However, to achieve the best effective and efficient operation of the system, proper coordinated energy management coordination should be developed among wind, PVMs, motor, pump and battery bank unit (BBU). Therefore, a centralized novel energy management approach is designed in this paper. A PMDC generator is included in wind system and PMDC motor is coupled with water pump to reduce losses. Maximum power point tracker circuits (MPPTC) are utilized for optimizing the performance of both wind turbines and PVMs. The two MPPTCs have been combined into a shared dc-link. The BBU is connected to the dc-link via a bidirectional circuit. The bidirectional circuit will maintain voltage at dc-link to drive the PMDC motor corresponding to higher efficiency point. OPAL-RT devices have been designed to showcase outcomes across different operational modes through Hardware-in-Loop technology

The extreme positive Indian Ocean Dipole of 2019 and associated Indian summer monsoon rainfall response

The positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event in 2019 was among the strongest on record, while the Indian Summer monsoon (ISM) was anomalously dry in June then very wet by September. We investigated the relationships between the IOD, Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) and ISM rainfall during 2019 with an atmospheric general circulation model forced by observed SST anomalies. The results show that the extremely positive IOD was conducive to a wetter-than-normal ISM, especially late in the season when the IOD strengthened and was associated with anomalous low-level divergence over the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean and convergence over India. However, a warm SST anomaly in the central equatorial Pacific contributed to low level divergence and decreased rainfall over India in June. These results help to better understand the influence of the tropical SST anomalies on the seasonal evolution of ISM rainfall during extreme IOD events

Thermal Stabilization of the HCP Phase in Titanium

We have used a tight-binding model that is fit to first-principles electronic-structure calculations for titanium to calculate quasi-harmonic phonons and the Gibbs free energy of the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) and omega crystal structures. We show that the true zero-temperature ground-state is the omega structure, although this has never been observed experimentally at normal pressure, and that it is the entropy from the thermal population of phonon states which stabilizes the hcp structure at room temperature. We present the first completely theoretical prediction of the temperature- and pressure-dependence of the hcp-omega phase transformation and show that it is in good agreement with experiment. The quasi-harmonic approximation fails to adequately treat the bcc phase because the zero-temperature phonons of this structure are not all stable

Important synoptic features during INDOEX IFP-99

INDOEX IFP-99 was undertaken as part of the international experiment in the Indian Ocean to take observations pertaining to aerosols, radiation, cloud physics and other related meteorological parameters. The important-aim of the INDOEX was to quantify radiative forcing due to natural and anthropogenic aerosols and their feedback on regional and global climate systems. Since prevailing circulation features transports aerosols, it is essential that important synoptic patterns during the expedition phase, i.e. 20 January to 10 March 1999 be examined. Based on the synoptic features it was noticed that crossequatorial flow in lower levels from western Arabian Sea to southern Indian Ocean was significantly higher than the eastern Arabian Sea. Two cyclonic storms, one in the south Bay of Bengal during 1-3 February and another in the south Indian Ocean during 4-13 March were observed. Significant changes in the cross-equatorial flow in the lower/upper tropospheric levels and ITCZ locations were noticed