NASTRAN general purpose interface requirements document

This NASTRAN (NASA STRuctural ANalysis) General Purpose Interface Requirements Document (IRD) defines standards for deliverables required of New Capability Contractors (NCCs) and relates these deliverables to the software development cycle. It also defines standards to be followed by NCCs for adding to and modifying the code in the NASTRAN software system and for adding to and modifying the four official NASTRAN manuals: The NASTRAN Theoretical Manual, the NASTRAN User's Manual, The NASTRAN Programmer's Manual, and The NASTRAN Demonstration Problem Manual. It is intended that this General Purpose IRD shall be incorporated by reference in all contracts for a new NASTRAN capability

Thin-Film CIGS Photovoltaic Technology; Annual Technical Report, Phase I; 16 April 1998 - 15 April 1999

This report describes work performed by Energy Photovoltaics, Inc. (EPV) under Phase I of this subcontract. EPV's new FORNAX process for CIGS formation is capable of producing devices with high V{sub oc} (>600 mV) and no dark aging effects. Parameters of the best device so far are V{sub oc} = 611 mV, J{sub sc} = 27.5 mA/cm{sup 2}, FF = 74.5%, and efficiency = 12.5%. A 34-cm{sup 2} 16-cell minimodule was produced using FORNAX CIGS with V{sub oc} = 9.58 V, I{sub sc} = 52.0 mA, FF = 69.8%, and efficiency = 10.2%. A new version of EPV's linear evaporation source was developed with improved rate and uniformity for Cu deposition over a width of 45 cm. Using the new linear source, the FORNAX process was implemented on 0.43-m{sub 2} substrates in EPV's CIGS pilot line, with V{sub oc} = 537 mV and FF = 70.3% being achieved on a device. The EPV Subteam of the National CIS R&D Team has produced Cd-free ZnO/CIGS devices on NREL CIGS using the ROMEAO process (reaction of metal and atomic oxygen) for ZnO deposition. After soaking, the best device exhibited a V{sub oc} of 565 mV and an efficiency of 12.3%. Novel bias drive methods were devised for field soaking/anti-soaking experiments as a function of time and temperature. Scaling laws and an activation energy of 0.51 eV were found. Thermally stimulated capacitance reveals the existence of three distinct contributions to ZnO/CIGS device capacitance, two appearing to be gap-state effects and one related to net doping concentration. The coating time of the sputtered pilot-line ZnO:Al has been reduced by a factor of 3 while maintaining film quality. The deposition rate is 48 A s{sup -1}. Plans are under way to increase the substrate size from 0.43 m{sup 2} to 0.79 m{sup 2}

Scn8a Antisense Oligonucleotide Is Protective in Mouse Models of SCN8A Encephalopathy and Dravet Syndrome

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154348/1/ana25676.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154348/2/ana25676_am.pd

Engineered liposomes sequester bacterial exotoxins and protect from severe invasive infections in mice

Gram-positive bacterial pathogens that secrete cytotoxic pore-forming toxins, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, cause a substantial burden of disease. Inspired by the principles that govern natural toxin-host interactions, we have engineered artificial liposomes that are tailored to effectively compete with host cells for toxin binding. Liposome-bound toxins are unable to lyse mammalian cells in vitro. We use these artificial liposomes as decoy targets to sequester bacterial toxins that are produced during active infection in vivo. Administration of artificial liposomes within 10 h after infection rescues mice from septicemia caused by S. aureus and S. pneumoniae, whereas untreated mice die within 24-33 h. Furthermore, liposomes protect mice against invasive pneumococcal pneumonia. Composed exclusively of naturally occurring lipids, tailored liposomes are not bactericidal and could be used therapeutically either alone or in conjunction with antibiotics to combat bacterial infections and to minimize toxin-induced tissue damage that occurs during bacterial clearance

Total antioxidant activity and trace elements in human milk: the first 4 months of breast-feeding

The content of many nutrients in breast milk are dependent on the nutritional status of the lactating woman. This is particularly true for fat and water-soluble vitamins, some of which have antioxidant properties. The aim of the study entertained herein was to evaluate the changes in total antioxidant status of human milk during the first 4 months of lactation, and to correlate such changes with the contents in specific antioxidant oligoelements (Cu, Zn, Mn and Se). Milk samples were collected from (31) lactating women recruited at the Service of Obstetrics of the Hospital de São João in Porto, after 1, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after birth. The total antioxidant status (TAS) of human milk was measured by the Randox® commercial kit and trace metals by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry). The results found for TAS and oligoelements under study show a decrease in the concentration of these parameters from 7 days to 4 months of breast-feeding and significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between TAS and Cu, Zn and Se (not Mn). The decreases of Cu, Zn and Se were also correlated, but not proportional between them, suggesting diverse excretion mechanisms for all. Between primipara and multipara women, a significant difference was found only for Cu and Zn concentrations at 7 days of lactation, but not for the other metals or TAS. With respect to the mother’s age, no correlation was found, either for trace metal concentrations or TAS

Site-Specific and Time-Dependent Activation of the Endocannabinoid System after Transection of Long-Range Projections

Background: After focal neuronal injury the endocannabinioid system becomes activated and protects or harms neurons depending on cannabinoid derivates and receptor subtypes. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) play a central role in controlling local responses and influencing neural plasticity and survival. However, little is known about the functional relevance of eCBs in long-range projection damage as observed in stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: In rat organotypic entorhino-hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC) as a relevant and suitable model for investigating projection fibers in the CNS we performed perforant pathway transection (PPT) and subsequently analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics of eCB levels. This approach allows proper distinction of responses in originating neurons (entorhinal cortex), areas of deafferentiation/anterograde axonal degeneration (dentate gyrus) and putative changes in more distant but synaptically connected subfields (cornu ammonis (CA) 1 region). Results: Using LC-MS/MS, we measured a strong increase in arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) levels in the denervation zone (dentate gyrus) 24 hours post lesion (hpl), whereas entorhinal cortex and CA1 region exhibited little if any changes. NAPE-PLD, responsible for biosynthesis of eCBs, was increased early, whereas FAAH, a catabolizing enzyme, was up-regulated 48hpl. Conclusion: Neuronal damage as assessed by transection of long-range projections apparently provides a strong time-dependent and area-confined signal for de novo synthesis of eCB, presumably to restrict neuronal damage. The present data underlines the importance of activation of the eCB system in CNS pathologies and identifies a novel site-specific intrinsic regulation of eCBs after long-range projection damage

Analysis of the impact of sex and age on the variation in the prevalence of antinuclear autoantibodies in Polish population: a nationwide observational, cross-sectional study

The detection of antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) is dependent on many factors and varies between the populations. The aim of the study was first to assess the prevalence of ANA in the Polish adult population depending on age, sex and the cutoff threshold used for the results obtained. Second, we estimated the occurrence of individual types of ANA-staining patterns. We tested 1731 patient samples using commercially available IIFA using two cutoff thresholds of 1:100 and 1:160. We found ANA in 260 participants (15.0%), but the percentage of positive results strongly depended on the cutoff level. For a cutoff threshold 1:100, the positive population was 19.5% and for the 1:160 cutoff threshold, it was 11.7%. The most prevalent ANA-staining pattern was AC-2 Dense Fine speckled (50%), followed by AC-21 Reticular/AMA (14.38%) ANA more common in women (72%); 64% of ANA-positive patients were over 50 years of age. ANA prevalence in the Polish population is at a level observed in other highly developed countries and is more prevalent in women and elderly individuals. To reduce the number of positive results released, we suggest that Polish laboratories should set 1:160 as the cutoff threshold

Genetic Testing to Inform Epilepsy Treatment Management From an International Study of Clinical Practice

IMPORTANCE: It is currently unknown how often and in which ways a genetic diagnosis given to a patient with epilepsy is associated with clinical management and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how genetic diagnoses in patients with epilepsy are associated with clinical management and outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients referred for multigene panel testing between March 18, 2016, and August 3, 2020, with outcomes reported between May and November 2020. The study setting included a commercial genetic testing laboratory and multicenter clinical practices. Patients with epilepsy, regardless of sociodemographic features, who received a pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variant were included in the study. Case report forms were completed by all health care professionals. EXPOSURES: Genetic test results. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Clinical management changes after a genetic diagnosis (ie, 1 P/LP variant in autosomal dominant and X-linked diseases; 2 P/LP variants in autosomal recessive diseases) and subsequent patient outcomes as reported by health care professionals on case report forms. RESULTS: Among 418 patients, median (IQR) age at the time of testing was 4 (1-10) years, with an age range of 0 to 52 years, and 53.8% (n = 225) were female individuals. The mean (SD) time from a genetic test order to case report form completion was 595 (368) days (range, 27-1673 days). A genetic diagnosis was associated with changes in clinical management for 208 patients (49.8%) and usually (81.7% of the time) within 3 months of receiving the result. The most common clinical management changes were the addition of a new medication (78 [21.7%]), the initiation of medication (51 [14.2%]), the referral of a patient to a specialist (48 [13.4%]), vigilance for subclinical or extraneurological disease features (46 [12.8%]), and the cessation of a medication (42 [11.7%]). Among 167 patients with follow-up clinical information available (mean [SD] time, 584 [365] days), 125 (74.9%) reported positive outcomes, 108 (64.7%) reported reduction or elimination of seizures, 37 (22.2%) had decreases in the severity of other clinical signs, and 11 (6.6%) had reduced medication adverse effects. A few patients reported worsening of outcomes, including a decline in their condition (20 [12.0%]), increased seizure frequency (6 [3.6%]), and adverse medication effects (3 [1.8%]). No clinical management changes were reported for 178 patients (42.6%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Results of this cross-sectional study suggest that genetic testing of individuals with epilepsy may be materially associated with clinical decision-making and improved patient outcomes