4,251 research outputs found

    Vessel collision threat detection for offshore oil and gas installations

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    There is a potential for major structural damage to offshore installations leading to fatalities and serious injuries in the event of collision by either a passing or an in-field seagoing vessel. Both categories of collision have occurred on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) although to date only significant, rather than catastrophic, consequences have occurred. Internationally, collisions have occurred that have caused both loss of life and environmental damage. This report considers collision threat detection and updates Research Report RR514 (2006). RR1154 considers the Ship/Platform Collision Incident Database which was previously described in Research Report RR053 (2001). Collision threat detection via radar and visual watch keeping is one of the major duties that the Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel (ERRV) crew needs to conduct for monitoring and appraisal of risks to UKCS installations. Detection tools are subject to a number of limitations and this report investigates technological advancements including: (1) deployment of automated radar detection and tracking devices to supplement the work of ERRV crews and assist in the overall collision risk management strategy; and (2) the implementation of Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment in the global marine regulatory system which has also had an impact on vessel identification and the processes through which an errant vessel can be warned off. Results are discussed in terms of both how they may affect current operations and how they may be adopted in future to enhance offshore safety

    Hierarchy and Feedback in the Evolution of the E. coli Transcription Network

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    The E.coli transcription network has an essentially feedforward structure, with, however, abundant feedback at the level of self-regulations. Here, we investigate how these properties emerged during evolution. An assessment of the role of gene duplication based on protein domain architecture shows that (i) transcriptional autoregulators have mostly arisen through duplication, while (ii) the expected feedback loops stemming from their initial cross-regulation are strongly selected against. This requires a divergent coevolution of the transcription factor DNA-binding sites and their respective DNA cis-regulatory regions. Moreover, we find that the network tends to grow by expansion of the existing hierarchical layers of computation, rather than by addition of new layers. We also argue that rewiring of regulatory links due to mutation/selection of novel transcription factor/DNA binding interactions appears not to significantly affect the network global hierarchy, and that horizontally transferred genes are mainly added at the bottom, as new target nodes. These findings highlight the important evolutionary roles of both duplication and selective deletion of crosstalks between autoregulators in the emergence of the hierarchical transcription network of E.coli.Comment: to appear in PNA

    Franck-Condon Factors and Radiative Lifetime of the A^{2}\Pi_{1/2} - X^{2}\Sigma^{+} Transition of Ytterbium Monoflouride, YbF

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    The fluorescence spectrum resulting from laser excitation of the A^{2}\Pi_{1/2} - X^{2}\Sigma^{+} (0,0) band of ytterbium monofluoride, YbF, has been recorded and analyzed to determine the Franck-Condon factors. The measured values are compared with those predicted from Rydberg-Klein-Rees (RKR) potential energy curves. From the fluorescence decay curve the radiative lifetime of the A^{2}\Pi_{1/2} state is measured to be 28\pm2 ns, and the corresponding transition dipole moment is 4.39\pm0.16 D. The implications for laser cooling YbF are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

    Contractile force is enhanced in Aortas from pendrin null mice due to stimulation of angiotensin II-dependent signaling.

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    Pendrin is a Cl-/HCO3- exchanger expressed in the apical regions of renal intercalated cells. Following pendrin gene ablation, blood pressure falls, in part, from reduced renal NaCl absorption. We asked if pendrin is expressed in vascular tissue and if the lower blood pressure observed in pendrin null mice is accompanied by reduced vascular reactivity. Thus, the contractile responses to KCl and phenylephrine (PE) were examined in isometrically mounted thoracic aortas from wild-type and pendrin null mice. Although pendrin expression was not detected in the aorta, pendrin gene ablation changed contractile protein abundance and increased the maximal contractile response to PE when normalized to cross sectional area (CSA). However, the contractile sensitivity to this agent was unchanged. The increase in contractile force/cross sectional area observed in pendrin null mice was due to reduced cross sectional area of the aorta and not from increased contractile force per vessel. The pendrin-dependent increase in maximal contractile response was endothelium- and nitric oxide-independent and did not occur from changes in Ca2+ sensitivity or chronic changes in catecholamine production. However, application of 100 nM angiotensin II increased force/CSA more in aortas from pendrin null than from wild type mice. Moreover, angiotensin type 1 receptor inhibitor (candesartan) treatment in vivo eliminated the pendrin-dependent changes contractile protein abundance and changes in the contractile force/cross sectional area in response to PE. In conclusion, pendrin gene ablation increases aorta contractile force per cross sectional area in response to angiotensin II and PE due to stimulation of angiotensin type 1 receptor-dependent signaling. The angiotensin type 1 receptor-dependent increase in vascular reactivity may mitigate the fall in blood pressure observed with pendrin gene ablation

    One-pot thiol–amine bioconjugation to maleimides: simultaneous stabilisation and dual functionalisation

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    Maleimide chemistry is widely used in the site-selective modification of proteins. However, hydrolysis of the resultant thiosuccinimides is required to provide robust stability to the bioconjugates. Herein, we present an alternative approach that affords simultaneous stabilisation and dual functionalisation in a one pot fashion. By consecutive conjugation of a thiol and an amine to dibromomaleimides, we show that aminothiomaleimides can be generated extremely efficiently. Furthermore, the amine serves to deactivate the electrophilicity of the maleimide, precluding further reactivity and hence generating stable conjugates. We have applied this conjugation strategy to peptides and proteins to generate stabilised trifunctional conjugates. We propose that this stabilisation-dual modification strategy could have widespread use in the generation of diverse conjugates
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