Design and Experimental Validation of a Control System for Dynamic Positioning of a Shuttle Tanker

In this paper, a dynamic positioning performance evaluation procedure for a shuttle tanker is discussed through experimental and numerical analyses. A dynamically positioned shuttle tanker with six thrusters (three tunnel thrusters, two azimuth thrusters, and one main propeller with a rudder), operated in deep water condition was considered. A conventional proportional-derivative control algorithm was adopted for the main feedback control algorithm to reduce the position error, and an anti-windup integral control algorithm was introduced to suppress the steady-state error in the dynamic positioning operation. A minimum power consumption algorithm, based on the Lagrange multiplier method, was utilised in the thrust allocation for the thruster systems. An extended Kalman filter was used in the experiment to separate the low-frequency motion from the measured vessel motion. A set of experiments and numerical analyses were conducted in this study under the same environmental conditions and with the same control methodology. The dynamic positioning operation results obtained by the experiments and numerical simulations were compared to evaluate the station-keeping performance of the dynamically positioned shuttle tanker

Avoid Contamination in Soybean (Glycine Max, L. [Merrill]) Microspores Culture

Microspore culture is done to obtain pure strains. The purpose of soybean microspore culture to obtainquality seeds. Two important step that must be done is isolation of microspores in starvation medium andsubculture into embryogenesis medium. Many factors contributing to the contamination of soybeanmicrospore culture. Contamination in the B medium temperature 34 0C is more common than 4 0C. Vulnerableto contamination because of embryogenesis medium rich in nutrients. Bacterial contaminationcan be caused by internal contaminants such as shape of the anther. Other internal contaminants thatcause diseases such as fungi Colletotrichum truncatum and Phakopsora pachyrhizi. Antagonistic fungiwhich contaminate cultures that Trichoderma spp., Alternaria spp., Fusarium spp. Handling of contaminationis done by selecting the appropriate methods in order to remain viable microspores. Sterilization soybeanflower buds with 20% Tween for 10 minutes and then rinsed with distilled water. Moreover sterilizationwith 4% Hg Cl2 and 10% NaOCl for 10 minutes, rinsed with distilled water times, followed by 96%alcohol for 1 minute, can press up to 70% contamination

Diversity of Bacteria and Archaea in hypersaline sediment from Death Valley National Park, California

The objective of this study was to phylogenetically analyze microorganisms from the domains Bacteria and Archaea in hypersaline sediment from Death Valley National Park. Using domain-specific primers, a region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using PCR, and the product was subsequently used to create a clone library. A total of 243 bacterial clones, 99 archaeal clones, and 209 bacterial isolates were examined. The 243 clones from Bacteria were affiliated with the following groups: the Bacilli (59 clones) and Clostridia (1) of the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes (90), Proteobacteria (27), Cyanobacteria (18), Gemmatimonadetes (41), candidate division OP1 (5), Actinobacteria (1), and the Deinococcus-Thermus division (1). Within the class Bacilli, 46 of 59 clones were tentatively identified as 10 unclassified species. The majority of bacterial isolates (130 of 209) were more closely related to the Bacillus subtilis-B. licheniformis clade than to any other recognized taxon, and an Ecotype Simulation analysis of B. subtilis relatives identified four previously unknown ecotypes. Several new genera were discovered within the Bacteroidetes (4) and the Gemmatimonadetes (2). Of the 99 Archaeal clones, 93 were tentatively identified as belonging to three new genera within the Halobacteriaceae; other clones represented novel species within each of four established genera

Fasting Plasma Glucose Cutoff Value for the Prediction of Future Diabetes Development: A Study of Middle-Aged Koreans in a Health Promotion Center

We determined optimal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) cutoff values predictive of future diabetes development in a group of middle-aged Koreans who visited a health promotion center. The medical records of 2,964 subjects, who attended the Health Promotion Center in 1998 and 2003, were examined. Subjects were classified into four groups according to their baseline FPG values (Group 1:FPG <5.0 mM/L; Group 2: 5.0≤FPG <5.6 mM/L; Group 3: 5.6≤FPG <6.1 mM/L; Group 4: 6.1≤FPG <7.0 mM/L). No significant difference was observed between Group 1 and Group 2 in terms of diabetes incidence. However, incidence in Group 3 was significantly higher than that in Group 1 [hazards ratio 4.88 (1.65-14.41), p=0.004] and the hazards ratio in Group 4 for diabetes was 36.91 (13.11-103.61), p<0.001, versus Group 1. Receiver operator characteristics curve analysis showed that an FPG of 5.97 mM/L represents the lower limit and gives the best combination of sensitivity and specificity. Our data shows that the risk of future diabetes development started to increase below an FPG of 6.1 mM/L and suggests the importance of efforts to modify diabetes development risk factors at lower impaired fasting glucose levels

Relationships among Disability, Quality of Life, and Physical Fitness in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: An Investigation of Elderly Korean Women

Study DesignA cross-sectional, case-control study.PurposeTo investigate associations between physical fitness measures and disabilities related to back pain and quality of life (QOL) by the presence of symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) in elderly Korean women.Overview of LiteratureLSS leads to decreased functioning and reduced QOL. However, correlations among physical fitness, disability, and QOL have not been investigated in elderly women with LSS.MethodsParticipants included women aged 65 years and older (n=192), divided into a study group (n=38) and a control group (n=154) based on the presence/absence of LSS. All participants underwent physical function and fitness tests. Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores and EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) scores were used to assess disability and health-related QOL.ResultsThe results for the handgrip strength, sit-and-reach, functional reach, and timed up and go (TUG) tests were significantly higher in the control group than the LSS group. ODI scores were significantly higher and EQ-5D-5L scores significantly lower in the LSS group. TUG and functional reach test scores were significantly correlated with ODI scores, and handgrip strength was strongly interrelated with ODI and EQ-5D-5L scores in the LSS group. No other physical fitness measures showed statistically significant relationships with ODI or EQ-5D-5L scores.ConclusionsIn elderly Korean women with LSS, back pain-related disability and QOL are significantly associated with some physical fitness parameters such as handgrip strength. Handgrip strength reflects general muscle strength, which is significantly interrelated with the level of disability and QOL. Our results suggest that enhancing generalized muscle strength helps to reduce disability due to back pain and improve QOL in patients with LSS

DIRECT CAROTID WALL SHEAR STRESS IN ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME PATIENTS DECREASED AFTER ONE MONTH MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

Fuente Fuente, Carlos;Montes Gil, Antonio;Periel Piquer, Montserra

Empagliflozin Contributes to Polyuria via Regulation of Sodium Transporters and Water Channels in Diabetic Rat Kidneys

Besides lowering glucose, empagliflozin, a selective sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, have been known to provide cardiovascular and renal protection due to effects on diuresis and natriuresis. However, the natriuretic effect of SGLT2 inhibitors has been reported to be transient, and long-term data related to diuretic change are sparse. This study was performed to assess the renal effects of a 12-week treatment with empagliflozin (3 mg/kg) in diabetic OLETF rats by comparing it with other antihyperglycemic agents including lixisenatide (10 μg/kg), a glucagon-like peptide receptor-1 agonist, and voglibose (0.6 mg/kg), an α-glucosidase inhibitor. At 12 weeks of treatment, empagliflozin-treated diabetic rats produced still high urine volume and glycosuria, and showed significantly higher electrolyte-free water clearance than lixisenatide or voglibose-treated diabetic rats without significant change of serum sodium level and fractional excretion of sodium. In empagliflozin-treated rats, renal expression of Na+-Cl- cotransporter was unaltered, and expressions of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3, Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter, and epithelial Na+ channel were decreased compared with control diabetic rats. Empagliflozin increased an expression of aquaporin (AQP)7 but did not affect AQP3 and AQP1 protein expressions in diabetic kidneys. Despite the increased expression in vasopressin V2 receptor, protein and mRNA levels of AQP2 in empagliflozin-treated diabetic kidneys were significantly decreased compared to control diabetic kidneys. In addition, empagliflozin resulted in the increased phosphorylation of AQP2 at S261 through the increased cyclin-dependent kinases 1 and 5 and protein phosphatase 2B. These results suggest that empagliflozin may contribute in part to polyuria via its regulation of sodium channels and AQP2 in diabetic kidneys

The Orphan Nuclear Receptor ERRγ Regulates Hepatic CB1 Receptor-Mediated Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Gene Expression

BACKGROUND: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a stress inducible hepatokine, is synthesized in the liver and plays important roles in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the mechanism of hepatic cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor-mediated induction of FGF21 gene expression is largely unknown. RESULTS: Activation of the hepatic CB1 receptor by arachidonyl-2'-chloroethylamide (ACEA), a CB1 receptor selective agonist, significantly increased FGF21 gene expression. Overexpression of estrogen-related receptor (ERR) γ increased FGF21 gene expression and secretion both in hepatocytes and mice, whereas knockdown of ERRγ decreased ACEA-mediated FGF21 gene expression and secretion. Moreover, ERRγ, but not ERRα and ERRβ, induced FGF21 gene promoter activity. In addition, deletion and mutation analysis of the FGF21 promoter identified a putative ERRγ-binding motif (AGGTGC, a near-consensus response element). A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed direct binding of ERRγ to the FGF21 gene promoter. Finally, GSK5182, an ERRγ inverse agonist, significantly inhibited hepatic CB1 receptor-mediated FGF21 gene expression and secretion. CONCLUSION: Based on our data, we conclude that ERRγ plays a key role in hepatic CB1 receptor-mediated induction of FGF21 gene expression and secretion