424 research outputs found
The 1982 ASEE-NASA Faculty Fellowship program (Aeronautics and Research)
The NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (Aeronautics and Research) conducted at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center during the summer of 1982 is described. Abstracts of the Final Reports submitted by the Fellows detailing the results of their research are also presented
Formation of Nanocrystalline Solid Solution in Al-Fe-V-Si Alloys by Mechanical Alloying
In this study, the microstructural evolution of Al-Fe-V-Si alloy prepared by mechanical alloying
starting from elemental powders was studied. X-ray diffraction results showed that by increasing the
milling time, peak shifting and peak broadening of Al reflections occur due to dissolution of alloying
elements and grain refinement, respectively. Reduction of Al lattice parameter by increasing the milling
time indicates that an Al based solid solutions formed during mechanical alloying and solute concentration
increased by increasing the milling time. After 60 h of milling, the microstructure consisted of a
nanocrystalline Al solid solutions with a grain size of 19 nm and an internal strain of 0.55 in which Si
phase was dispersed. In contrast to previous studies on rapidly solidified Al-Fe-V-Si alloys, there is no
formation of trace of Al12(Fe,V)3Si or other intermetallic compounds in the as-milled condition.
When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3509
PREPARATION OF BIOACTIVE NANOSTRUCTURE SCAFFOLD WITH IMPROVED COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
Highly porous scaffolds with open structure are today the best candidates for bone substitution to ensure bone oxygenation and angiogenesis. In this study, we developed a new route to enhance the compressive strength of porous hydroxyapatite scaffold made of natural bone. Briefly, the spongy bone of an adult bovine was extracted, annealed, and coated by a nanostructure bioactive glass layer to be subsequently sintered at different temperatures. The apatite formation ability on the surfaces of the coated scaffolds was investigated by standard procedures. Our results showed that the scaffold and coating microstructure consisted of the grains smaller than 100 nm. These nanostructures improved the compressive strength and bioactivity of highly porous scaffold. The results showed that with increasing the sintering temperature, the compressive strength of scaffolds increased while their in vitro bioactivity decreased
Curcumin reduces α-synuclein induced cytotoxicity in Parkinson's disease cell model
abstract: Background
Overexpression and abnormal accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein (αS) have been linked to Parkinson's disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies. αS can misfold and adopt a variety of morphologies but recent studies implicate oligomeric forms as the most cytotoxic species. Both genetic mutations and chronic exposure to neurotoxins increase αS aggregation and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage in PD cell models.
Results
Here we show that curcumin can alleviate αS-induced toxicity, reduce ROS levels and protect cells against apoptosis. We also show that both intracellular overexpression of αS and extracellular addition of oligomeric αS increase ROS which induces apoptosis, suggesting that aggregated αS may induce similar toxic effects whether it is generated intra- or extracellulary.
Conclusions
Since curcumin is a natural food pigment that can cross the blood brain barrier and has widespread medicinal uses, it has potential therapeutic value for treating PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://bmcneurosci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2202-11-5
Comparative study of the effects of HUFA in dry diets and natural foods on fecundity and egg diameter of female broodstock of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
During 2 months (from April to June, 2008) we studied the suitable quantity of Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (HUFA) for desirable fecundity and egg diameter of female broodstock of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Similar dry food containing Isonitrogeneous material (31.5% protein) and Isolipid (6.9% lipid) was used but with different levels of HUFA (1, 2 and 3%). Also, the HUFA of natural foods (Perinereis worm, melalis bivalvia and cuttlefish) was analyzed. We compared the effects of four levels of dietary HUFA (1, 2 & 3 % HUFA of dry diets and the average HUFA of natural diets) on fecundity and egg diameter of female broodstock of white leg shrimp. The fecundity and egg diameter of natural diet and HUFA 3% were not significantly different (P>0.05). The fecundity of natural diet and HUFA 3% was significantly higher than the other two treatments (P<0.05) and also the egg diameter of HUFA 3% and natural diet was significantly higher than the other two treatments (P<0.05). According to the results of fecundity and egg diameter measurements, both natural and HUFA 3% diets are suggested as suitable for white leg shrimp breeding
Human α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor As A Novel Target Of Oligomeric α-Synuclein
Cigarette smoking is associated with a decreased incidence of Parkinson disease (PD) through unknown mechanisms. Interestingly, a decrease in the numbers of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4β2-nAChRs) in PD patients suggests an α4β2-nAChR-mediated cholinergic deficit in PD. Although oligomeric forms of α-synuclein have been recognized to be toxic and involved in the pathogenesis of PD, their direct effects on nAChR-mediated cholinergic signaling remains undefined. Here, we report for the first time that oligomeric α-synuclein selectively inhibits human α4β2-nAChR-mediated currents in a dose-dependent, non-competitive and use-independent manner. We show that pre-loading cells with guanyl-5′-yl thiophosphate fails to prevent this inhibition, suggesting that the α-synuclein-induced inhibition of α4β2-nAChR function is not mediated by nAChR internalization. By using a pharmacological approach and cultures expressing transfected human nAChRs, we have shown a clear effect of oligomeric α-synuclein on α4β2-nAChRs, but not on α4β4- or α7-nAChRs, suggesting nAChR subunit selectivity of oligomeric α-synuclein-induced inhibition. In addition, by combining the size exclusion chromatography and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses, we find that only large (\u3e4 nm) oligomeric α-synuclein aggregates (but not monomeric, small oligomeric or fibrillar α-synuclein aggregates) exhibit the inhibitory effect on human α4β2-nAChRs. Collectively, we have provided direct evidence that α4β2-nAChR is a sensitive target to mediate oligomeric α-synuclein-induced modulation of cholinergic signaling, and our data imply that therapeutic strategies targeted toward α4β2-nAChRs may have potential for developing new treatments for PD. © 2013 Liu et al
Design, fabrication and measurements with a UV Linear-Variable Optical Filter microspectrometer
An IC-Compatible Linear-Variable Optical Filter (LVOF) for application in the UV spectral range between 310 nm and 400 nm has been fabricated using resist reflow and an optimized dry-etching. The LVOF is mounted on the top of a commercially available CMOS camera to result in a UV microspectrometer. A special calibration technique has been employed that is based on an initial spectral measurement on a Xenon lamp. The image recorded on the camera during calibration is used in a signal processing algorithm to reconstruct the spectrum of the Mercury lamp and the calibration data is subsequently used in UV spectral measurements. Experiments on fabricated LVOF-based microspectrometer with this calibration approach implemented reveal a spectral resolution of 0.5 nm
EFFECT OF FLUORINE AND CHLORINE IONS ON THE REACTION SINTERING OF MECHANICALLY ACTIVATED ZIRCON-ALUMINA MIXTURE
The aim of this work was to study the effect of fluorine and chlorine ions on the formation of mullite during the reaction sintering of mechanically activated zircon-alumina powder mixture. The results showed that mechanical activation of zirconalumina powder mixture for 20 h led to grain refinement and partial amorphization. In the presence of fluorine and chlorine ions, complete formation of mullite in the mechanically activated sample occurred after 2 h of reaction sintering at 1300oC and 1400oC, respectively. In the sample lacking fluorine and chlorine ions, mullitization was not completed even after 2 h of reaction sintering at 1400oC. It was concluded that presence of fluorine and chlorine ions enhance the dissociation of zircon and formation of mullite during the reaction sintering of mechanically activated zircon-alumina mixture
Dual targeting of glutamine and serine metabolism in acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy characterized by disrupted blood cell production and function. Recent investigations have highlighted the potential of targeting glutamine metabolism as a promising therapeutic approach for AML. Asparaginases, enzymes that deplete circulating glutamine and asparagine, are approved for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but are also under investigation in AML, with promising results. We previously reported an elevation in plasma serine levels following treatment with Erwinia-derived asparaginase (also called crisantaspase). This led us to hypothesize that AML cells initiate the de novo serine biosynthesis pathway in response to crisantaspase treatment and that inhibiting this pathway in combination with crisantaspase would enhance AML cell death. Here we report that in AML cell lines, treatment with the clinically available crisantaspase, Rylaze, upregulates the serine biosynthesis enzymes phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) and phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT1) through activation of the Amino Acid Response (AAR) pathway, a cellular stress response mechanism that regulates amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis under conditions of nutrient limitation. Inhibition of serine biosynthesis through CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout of PHGDH resulted in a ~250-fold reduction in the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for Rylaze, indicating heightened sensitivity to crisantaspase therapy. Treatment of AML cells with a combination of Rylaze and a small molecule inhibitor of PHGDH (BI4916) revealed synergistic anti-proliferative effects in both cell lines and primary AML patient samples. Rylaze-BI4916 treatment in AML cell lines led to the inhibition of cap-dependent mRNA translation and protein synthesis, as well as a marked decrease in intracellular glutathione levels, a critical cellular antioxidant. Collectively, our results highlight the clinical potential of targeting serine biosynthesis in combination with crisantaspase as a novel therapeutic strategy for AML
Portable system for monitoring and controlling driver behavior and the use of a mobile phone while driving
There is an utmost requirement for technology to control a driver's phone while driving, which will prevent the driver from being distracted and thus saving the driver's and passenger;s lives. Information from recent studies has shown that 70% of the young and aware drivers are used to texting while driving. There are many different technologies used to control mobile phones while driving, including electronic device control, global positioning system (GPS), onboard diagnostics (OBD)-II-based devices, mobile phone applications or apps, etc. These devices acquire the vehicle information such as the car speed and use the information to control the driver's phone such as preventing them from making or receiving calls at specific speed limits. The information from the devices is interfaced via Bluetooth and can later be used to control mobile phone applications. The main aim of this paper is to propose the design of a portable system for monitoring the use of a mobile phone while driving and for controlling a driver's mobile phone, if necessary, when the vehicle reaches a specific speed limit (>10 km/h). A paperbased self-reported questionnaire survey was carried out among 600 teenage drivers from different nationalities to see the driving behavior of young drivers in Qatar. Finally, a mobile application was developed to monitor the mobile usage of a driver and an OBD-II module-based portable system was designed to acquire data from the vehicle to identify drivers' behavior with respect to phone usage, sudden lane changes, and abrupt breaking/sharp speeding. This information was used in a mobile application to control the driver's mobile usage as well as to report the driving behavior while driving. The application of such a system can significantly improve drivers' behavior all over the world.Author Contributions: Experiments were designed by A.K., M.C.; Experiments were performed by A.D.,M.M.; Results were analyzed by A.K.,M.C.,R.D.,N.E. and D.M.; All authors were involved in interpretation of data and paper writing. Funding: The publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the resultsScopu
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