Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic data for the augmenter of liver regeneration

A new cellular growth factor termed augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) has been crystallized. ALR has been shown to have a proliferative effect on liver cells while at the same time producing an immunosuppressive effect on liver-resident natural killer cells and liver-resident mononuclear leukocytes. In addition, ALR appears to play an important role in the synthesis and stabilization of mitochondrial gene transcripts inactively regenerating cells. ALR crystals diffract to beyond 2 Å resolution and belong to space group P21212, with a = 125.1, b = 108.1 and c = 38.5 Å. Based on four molecules per asymmetric unit, the Matthews coefficient is calculated to be 2.16 Å3 Da-1 which corresponds to a solvent content of 43%

Formal Availability Analysis using Theorem Proving

Availability analysis is used to assess the possible failures and their restoration process for a given system. This analysis involves the calculation of instantaneous and steady-state availabilities of the individual system components and the usage of this information along with the commonly used availability modeling techniques, such as Availability Block Diagrams (ABD) and Fault Trees (FTs) to determine the system-level availability. Traditionally, availability analyses are conducted using paper-and-pencil methods and simulation tools but they cannot ascertain absolute correctness due to their inaccuracy limitations. As a complementary approach, we propose to use the higher-order-logic theorem prover HOL4 to conduct the availability analysis of safety-critical systems. For this purpose, we present a higher-order-logic formalization of instantaneous and steady-state availability, ABD configurations and generic unavailability FT gates. For illustration purposes, these formalizations are utilized to conduct formal availability analysis of a satellite solar array, which is used as the main source of power for the Dong Fang Hong-3 (DFH-3) satellite.Comment: 16 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1505.0264

Elasticity of hydrous ringwoodite at mantle conditions: Implication for water distribution in the lowermost mantle transition zone

The mantle transition zone (MTZ) is potentially a geochemical water reservoir because of the high H2O solubility in its dominant minerals, wadsleyite and ringwoodite. Whether the MTZ is wet or dry fundamentally impacts our understanding of the deep-water distribution, geochemical recycling, and the pattern of mantle convection. However, the water content in the MTZ inferred from previous studies remains disputed. Seismic observations such as velocity anomalies were used to evaluate the water content in the MTZ, but the hydration effect on the velocities of MTZ minerals under appropriate pressure (P) and temperature (T) conditions is poorly constrained. Here we investigated the elastic properties and velocities of hydrous ringwoodite at high P-T conditions using first-principles calculations. Our results show that the hydration effects on elastic moduli and velocities of ringwoodite are significantly reduced by pressure but strongly enhanced by temperature. The incorporation of 1.0 wt% water into ringwoodite decreases the compressional and shear velocities of the pyrolitic mantle by −1.0% and −1.4% at the conditions of MTZ, respectively. Using results from seismic tomography and together with the topography of the 660-km discontinuity, we evaluate the global distribution of water in the lower MTZ. We find that about 80% of the MTZ can be explained by varying water content and temperature, however, the remaining 20% requires the presence of high-velocity heterogeneities such as harzburgite. Our models suggest an average water concentration of ∼0.2 wt% in the lower MTZ, with an interregional variation from 0 to 0.9 wt%. Together with our previous work, we conclude that the water concentration in the MTZ likely decreases with depth globally and the whole MTZ contains the equivalent of about one ocean mass of water

Strategic alliance in energy sector & implications for economic growth and technical efficiency: The case of petrobras and galp

This study stemmed from the lack of evidence and uncertainties regarding the economic and political effects of a strategic alliance between leading oil companies like Petrobras and Galp on their host economies. This paper investigates whether public and private corporations in the energy sector can influence the economic growth of their respective countries. A Panel data analysis was performed by employing quarterly data from (2006-2013). We also used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to measure the technical efficiency (TE) effect of the alliance on the performance of both companies from 1999 to 2012. It was found the exploration and export of oil and gas do not play a significant role in output growth of the home economy and that exploration activities were inflationary, destabilising and inimical to growth, at least in the short-run. On another positive side, both companies showed increased technical efficiencies in the chosen time period. Petrobras enjoyed TE on average of 90% in the variables studied whereas Galp showed an average TE of 70%. These results reflect the corporate strategies of both firms, which focussed on achieving profitable and sustained growth and enhancing their efficiencies in their collective and individual activities

MRI-SegFlow: a novel unsupervised deep learning pipeline enabling accurate vertebral segmentation of MRI images.

Most deep learning based vertebral segmentation methods require laborious manual labelling tasks. We aim to establish an unsupervised deep learning pipeline for vertebral segmentation of MR images. We integrate the sub-optimal segmentation results produced by a rule-based method with a unique voting mechanism to provide supervision in the training process for the deep learning model. Preliminary validation shows a high segmentation accuracy achieved by our method without relying on any manual labelling.The clinical relevance of this study is that it provides an efficient vertebral segmentation method with high accuracy. Potential applications are in automated pathology detection and vertebral 3D reconstructions for biomechanical simulations and 3D printing, facilitating clinical decision making, surgical planning and tissue engineering

Treatment of stiff thoracic scoliosis by thoracoscopic anterior release combined with posterior instrumentation and fusion

Background. Thoracoscopic anterior release has been shown that it can effectively improve spinal flexibility in animal and human cadaveric studies, and has been advocated for use in patients with scoliosis. This prospective case series aims to investigate the improvement of the spinal flexibility and the effectiveness in deformity correction by anterior thoracoscopic release and posterior spinal fusion. Methods. Eleven patients with stiff idiopathic thoracic scoliosis underwent anterior thoracoscopic release followed by posterior instrumentation. The average number of discs excised was five. Spinal flexibility was assessed by the fulcrum bending technique. Cobb angle before and after the anterior release was compared. Results. The patients were followed for an average of 5.6 years (range 2.2 to 8.1 years). Fulcrum bending flexibility was increased from 39% before the thoracoscopic anterior spinal release to 54% after the release. The average Cobb angle before anterior release was 74° on the standing radiograph and 45° with the fulcrum-bending radiograph. This reduced to 34° on the fulcrum-bending radiograph after the release, and highly corresponded to the 31° measured at the post-operative standing radiograph. Conclusion. It was demonstrated in patients with stiff idiopathic thoracic scoliosis that thoracoscopic anterior spinal release can effectively improve the spinal flexibility and increase the correction of the spinal deformity.published_or_final_versio

Elevated Paracellular Glucose Flux across Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Monolayers Is an Important Factor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Growth.

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) who develop related diabetes (CFRD) have accelerated pulmonary decline, increased infection with antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and increased pulmonary exacerbations. We have previously shown that glucose concentrations are elevated in airway surface liquid (ASL) of people with CF, particularly in those with CFRD. We therefore explored the hypotheses that glucose homeostasis is altered in CF airway epithelia and that elevation of glucose flux into ASL drives increased bacterial growth, with an effect over and above other cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-related ASL abnormalities. The aim of this study was to compare the mechanisms governing airway glucose homeostasis in CF and non-CF primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) monolayers, under normal conditions and in the presence of Ps. aeruginosa filtrate. HBE-bacterial co-cultures were performed in the presence of 5 mM or 15 mM basolateral glucose to investigate how changes in blood glucose, such as those seen in CFRD, affects luminal Ps. aeruginosa growth. Calu-3 cell monolayers were used to evaluate the potential importance of glucose on Ps. aeruginosa growth, in comparison to other hallmarks of the CF ASL, namely mucus hyperviscosity and impaired CFTR-dependent fluid secretions. We show that elevation of basolateral glucose promotes the apical growth of Ps. aeruginosa on CF airway epithelial monolayers more than non-CF monolayers. Ps. aeruginosa secretions elicited more glucose flux across CF airway epithelial monolayers compared to non-CF monolayers which we propose increases glucose availability in ASL for bacterial growth. In addition, elevating basolateral glucose increased Ps. aeruginosa growth over and above any CFTR-dependent effects and the presence or absence of mucus in Calu-3 airway epithelia-bacteria co-cultures. Together these studies highlight the importance of glucose as an additional factor in promoting Ps. aeruginosa growth and respiratory infection in CF disease