Project Pradio

This paper examines the design and manufacturing of a device that allows two or more users to share a wireless audio stream. Effectively, this allows a group of people to listen to the same audio in a synchronized manner. The product was unable to be completed in the allotted time. Regardless, significant progress was made and valuable insight into the circuit board design process was gained

Study of two-dimensional calculation of cratering

Time dependent, two-dimensional, coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian code designed for solution of cratering problem

Physical representation of hillslope leaky barriers in 2D hydraulic models: A case study from the Calder Valley

The resources of small-scale community-based flood risk action groups are often limited, hence studies to model and predict the effects of Natural Flood Management are often restrained by time and lack of empirical data to validate results. As a result, representations of hillslope leaky barriers are largely modelled as several equifinal approaches, often without survey data. The geometrical characteristics of hillslope leaky barriers were surveyed for the first time at Hardcastle Crags, Calder Valley. This data informed six 2D hydraulic model representation scenarios with varying combinations of topography modification and roughness increase, allowing the sensitivity of their results to be tested. Results from Scenario 3 (topography modification and roughness increase) estimated total hillslope runoff peak flow to reduce by 16.6% in a 1:1-year design return period; however, this reduction diminished as rainfall intensity increased. Return periods of over 1:30 year estimated peak flow reductions of <5%. Only 14.3%–21.7% (98–148 m3) of the total additional storage provided by the barriers is mobilised during simulated events. A multi-peaked rainfall event from December 2015 was also simulated. Although the initial peak flow was reduced by 22.7%, as storage became mobilised, effectiveness reduced significantly for subsequent peaks within the same event

The Drosophila basic helix-loop-helix protein DIMMED directly activates PHM, a gene encoding a neuropeptide-amidating enzyme

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein DIMMED (DIMM) supports the differentiation of secretory properties in numerous peptidergic cells of Drosophila melanogaster. DIMM is coexpressed with diverse amidated neuropeptides and with the amidating enzyme peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) in approximately 300 cells of the late embryo. Here we confirm that DIMM has transcription factor activity in transfected HEK 293 cells and that the PHM gene is a direct target. The mammalian DIMM orthologue MIST1 also transactivated the PHM gene. DIMM activity was dependent on the basic region of the protein and on the sequences of three E-box sites within PHM's first intron; the sites make different contributions to the total activity. These data suggest a model whereby the three E boxes interact cooperatively and independently to produce high PHM transcriptional activation. This DIMM-controlled PHM regulatory region displayed similar properties in vivo. Spatially, its expression mirrored that of the DIMM protein, and its activity was largely dependent on dimm. Further, in vivo expression was highly dependent on the sequences of the same three E boxes. This study supports the hypothesis that DIMM is a master regulator of a peptidergic cell fate in Drosophila and provides a detailed transcriptional mechanism of DIMM action on a defined target gene

Comparative evaluation of three TSPO PET radiotracers in a LPS-induced model of mild neuroinflammation in rats.

PURPOSE: Over the past 20 years, neuroinflammation (NI) has increasingly been recognised as having an important role in  many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. As such, being able to image NI non-invasively in patients is critical to monitor pathological processes and potential therapies targeting neuroinflammation. The translocator protein (TSPO) has proven a reliable NI biomarker for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. However, if TSPO imaging in acute conditions such as stroke provides strong and reliable signals, TSPO imaging in neurodegenerative diseases has proven more challenging. Here, we report results comparing the recently developed TSPO tracers [(18)F]GE-180 and [(18)F]DPA-714 with (R)-[(11)C]PK11195 in a rodent model of subtle focal inflammation. PROCEDURES: Adult male Wistar rats were stereotactically injected with 1 μg lipopolysaccharide in the right striatum. Three days later, animals underwent a 60-min PET scan with (R)-[(11)C]PK11195 and [(18)F]GE-180 (n = 6) or [(18)F]DPA-714 (n = 6). Ten animals were scanned with either [(18)F]GE-180 (n = 5) or [(18)F]DPA-714 (n = 5) only. Kinetic analysis of PET data was performed using the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) with a contralateral reference region or a novel data-driven input to estimate binding potential BPND. Autoradiography and immunohistochemistry were performed to confirm in vivo results. RESULTS: At 40-60 min post-injection, [(18)F]GE-180 dual-scanned animals showed a significantly increased core/contralateral uptake ratio vs. the same animals scanned with (R)-[(11)C]PK11195 (3.41 ± 1.09 vs. 2.43 ± 0.39, p = 0.03); [(18)]DPA-714 did not (2.80 ± 0.69 vs. 2.26 ± 0.41). Kinetic modelling with a contralateral reference region identified significantly higher binding potential (BPND) in the core of the LPS injection site with [(18)F]GE-180 but not with [(18)F]DPA-714 vs. (R)-[(11)C]PK11195. A cerebellar reference region and novel data-driven input to the SRTM were unable to distinguish differences in tracer BPND. CONCLUSIONS: Second-generation TSPO-PET tracers are able to accurately detect mild-level NI. In this model, [(18)F]GE-180 shows a higher core/contralateral ratio and BPND when compared to (R)-[(11)C]PK11195, while [(18)F]DPA-714 did not

GnRH-agonist implantation of prepubertal male cats affects their reproductive performance and testicular LH receptor and FSH receptor expression

Show less https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.10.031Get rights and content Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the effect of GnRH-agonist implantation in prepubertal tomcats on sexual behavior, reproductive performance, and expression of testicular LH receptor (LHR) and FSH receptor (FSHR) and also to compare the testicular characteristics, LHR and FSHR expression between prepubertal and adult tomcats. In experiment 1, 3-month-old tomcats (n = 6/group) were either treated with or left without 4.7 mg deslorelin implants. Semen collection and evaluation were performed just before castration at 48 weeks after treatment; removed testes were analyzed for mRNA and protein expression of LHR and FSHR. We were able to collect semen from six non-treated cats, whereas in treated cats, semen was uncollectable. The results revealed that sexual behavior was absent in the implanted cats throughout the study period. Testicular volume was found to decrease from 30 weeks after treatment onward in the implanted cats compared to the controls (P < 0.05). Semen production was found only in non-implanted cats. Testicular tissue score, seminiferous tubule diameter, and LHR protein expression were found lower in the implanted cats (P < 0.05), but no differences were observed in mRNA expression of LHR and protein expression of FSHR between groups. The mRNA expression of FSHR was higher in the implanted (P < 0.05) compared to control cats. In experiment 2, testes from prepubertal (n = 6) and adult (n = 6) male cats were collected after castration and analyzed for mRNA and protein expression of LHR and FSHR. No differences were observed in the protein expression of LHR and FSHR between the two groups, whereas mRNA expression of FSHR was higher in prepubertal cats (P < 0.05). Testicular and epididymal weight, diameter of seminiferous tubules, and the testicular grade were higher in the adult compared to prepubertal cats (P < 0.05). In conclusion, deslorelin implants suppressed protein expression of LHR and enhanced mRNA expression of FSHR along with suppression of reproductive function without any adverse effects for at least 48 weeks in male cats

Remote sensing of vegetation fires and its contribution to a fire management information system

In the last decade, research has proven that remote sensing can provide very useful support to fire managers. This chapter provides an overview of the type of information remote sensing can provide to the fire community. It considers first fire management information needs in the context of fire management information system. An introduction to remote sensing then precedes the description of fire information obtainable from remote sensing data (such as vegetation status, active fire detection and burned areas assessment). Finally, operational examples in five African countries illustrate how the information can be used in practice

Incorporating hydrology into climate suitability models changes projections of malaria transmission in Africa

Continental-scale models of malaria climate suitability typically couple well-established temperature-response models with basic estimates of vector habitat availability using rainfall as a proxy. Here we show that across continental Africa, the estimated geographic range of climatic suitability for malaria transmission is more sensitive to the precipitation threshold than the thermal response curve applied. To address this problem we use downscaled daily climate predictions from seven GCMs to run a continental-scale hydrological model for a process-based representation of mosquito breeding habitat availability. A more complex pattern of malaria suitability emerges as water is routed through drainage networks and river corridors serve as year-round transmission foci. The estimated hydro-climatically suitable area for stable malaria transmission is smaller than previous models suggest and shows only a very small increase in state-of-the-art future climate scenarios. However, bigger geographical shifts are observed than with most rainfall threshold models and the pattern of that shift is very different when using a hydrological model to estimate surface water availability for vector breeding