Sonic hedgehog-Dependent Induction of MicroRNA 31 and MicroRNA 150 Regulates Mycobacterium bovis BCG-Driven Toll-Like Receptor 2 Signaling

Hedgehog (HH) signaling is a significant regulator of cell fate decisions during embryogenesis, development, and perpetuation of various disease conditions. Testing whether pathogen-specific HH signaling promotes unique innate recognition of intracellular bacteria, we demonstrate that among diverse Gram-positive or Gram-negative microbes, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, a vaccine strain, elicits a robust activation of Sonic HH (SHH) signaling in macrophages. Interestingly, sustained tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion by macrophages was essential for robust SHH activation, as TNF-alpha(-/-) macrophages exhibited compromised ability to activate SHH signaling. Neutralization of TNF-alpha or blockade of TNF-alpha receptor signaling significantly reduced the infection-induced SHH signaling activation both in vitro and in vivo. Intriguingly, activated SHH signaling downregulated M. bovis BCG-mediated Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling events to regulate a battery of genes associated with divergent functions of M1/M2 macrophages. Genome-wide expression profiling as well as conventional gain-of-function or loss-of-function analysis showed that SHH signaling-responsive microRNA 31 (miR-31) and miR-150 target MyD88, an adaptor protein of TLR2 signaling, thus leading to suppression of TLR2 responses. SHH signaling signatures could be detected in vivo in tuberculosis patients and M. bovis BCG-challenged mice. Collectively, these investigations identify SHH signaling to be what we believe is one of the significant regulators of host-pathogen interactions.

Multilevel octadecagonal space vector generation for induction motor drives by cascading asymmetric three level inverters

Multilevel inverters with hexagonal and dodecagonal voltage space vector structures have improved harmonic profile compared to two level inverters. Further improvement in the quality of the waveform is possible using multilevel octadecagonal (18 sided polygon) voltage space vectors. This paper proposes an inverter circuit topology capable of generating multilevel octadecagonal voltage space vectors, by cascading two asymmetric three level inverters. By proper selection of DC link voltages and the resultant switching states for the inverters, voltage space vectors, whose tips lie on three concentric octadecagons, are obtained. The advantages of octadecagonal voltage space vector based PWM techniques are the complete elimination of fifth, seventh, eleventh and thirteenth harmonics in phase voltages and the extension of linear modulation range. In this paper, a simple PWM timing calculation method is also proposed. Matlab simulation results and experimental results have been presented in this paper to validate the proposed concept.

A nine-level inverter topology for medium-voltage induction motor drive with open-end stator winding

A new scheme for nine-level voltage space-vector generation for medium-voltage induction motor (IM) drives with open-end stator winding is presented in this paper. The proposed nine-level power converter topology consists of two conventional three-phase two-level voltage source inverters powered by isolated dc sources and six floating-capacitor-connected H-bridges. The H-bridge capacitor voltages are effectively maintained at the required asymmetrical levels by employing a space vector modulation (SVPWM) based control strategy. An interesting feature of this topology is its ability to function in five-or three-level mode, in the entire modulation range, at full-power rating, in the event of any failure in the H-bridges. This feature significantly improves the reliability of the proposed drive system. Each leg of the three-phase two-level inverters used in this topology switches only for a half cycle of the reference voltage waveform. Hence, the effective switching frequency is reduced by half, resulting in switching loss reduction in high-voltage devices. The transient as well as the steady-state performance of the proposed nine-level inverter-fed IM drive system is experimentally verified in the entire modulation range including the overmodulation region.

Antibody-mediated catalysis: Induction and therapeutic relevance

Abzymes are immunoglobulins endowed with enzymatic activities. The catalytic activity of an abzyme resides in the variable domain of the antibody, which is constituted by the close spatial arrangement of amino acid residues involved in catalysis. The origin of abzymes is conferred by the innate diversity of the immunoglobulin gene repertoire. Under deregulated immune conditions, as in autoimmune diseases, the generation of abzymes to self-antigens could be deleterious. Technical advancement in the ability to generate monoclonal antibodies has been exploited in the generation of abzymes with defined specificities and activities. Therapeutic applications of abzymes are being investigated with the generation of monoclonal abzymes against several pathogenesis-associated antigens. Here, we review the different contexts in which abzymes are generated, and we discuss the relevance of monoclonal abzymes for the treatment of human diseases.

Characteristics of Photo Electrodes Based on TiO2 Nanoparticles, Nanotubes and Microspheres for Dye Solar Cell

We have analyzed the characteristics of electrodes made of TiO2 nanotubes, microspheres and commercially available nanoparticles for dye sensitized solar cell. The morphology of the electrodes and the formation of aggregates have been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and surface profiling technique. The concentration of Ti3+ type impurity state on the surface of these electrodes is quantified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Micro structural properties have been characterized by Brunauer, Emmett and Teller method The optical properties of the electrodes such as band gap energy, the type of band formation and the diffuse reflectance are evaluated by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The photovoltaic characteristics of dye solar cell made of these electrodes have been evaluated and it is found that the characteristics of the TiO2 film alone can alter the overall conversion efficiency to a great extent. Additional analysis using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has been carried out to probe the electron transport properties and charge collection efficiency of these electrodes.

Intravenous immunoglobulin expands regulatory T cells via induction of cyclooxygenase-2-dependent prostaglandin E2 in human dendritic cells

CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the maintenance of immune tolerance. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a therapeutic preparation of normal pooled human IgG, expands Tregs in various experimental models and in patients. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which IVIg expands Tregs are relatively unknown. As Treg expansion in the periphery requires signaling by antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DCs) and IVIg has been demonstrated to modulate DC functions, we hypothesized that IVIg induces distinct signaling events in DCs that subsequently mediate Treg expansion. We demonstrate that IVIg expands Tregs via induction of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-dependent prostaglandin E2 (PGE(2)) in human DCs. However, costimulatory molecules of DCs such as programmed death ligands, OX40 ligand, and inducible T-cell costimulator ligands were not implicated. Inhibition of PGE(2) synthesis by COX-2 inhibitors prevented IVIg-mediated Treg expansion in vitro and significantly diminished IVIg-mediated Treg expansion in vivo and protection from disease in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model. IVIg-mediated COX-2 expression, PGE(2) production, and Treg expansion were mediated in part via interaction of IVIg and F(ab('))(2) fragments of IVIg with DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin. Our results thus uncover novel cellular and molecular mechanism by which IVIg expands Tregs.

Induction of Supramolecular Chirality in the Self-Assemblies of Lipophilic Pyrimidine Derivatives by Choice of the Amino Acid-Based Chiral Spacer

A new family of supramolecular organogelators, based on chiral amino acid derivatives of 2,4,6-trichloro-pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde, has been synthesized. L-alanine was incorporated as a spacer between the pyrimidine core and long hydrocarbon tails to compare the effect of chirality and hydrogen bonding to that of the achiral analogue. The role of aromatic moiety on the chiral spacer was also investigated by introducing L-phenyl alanine moieties. The presence of intermolecular hydrogen-bonding leading to the chiral self-assembly was probed by concentration-dependent FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopies, in addition to circular dichroism (CD) studies. Temperature and concentration-dependent CD spectroscopy ascribed to the formation of -sheet-type H-bonded networks. The morphology and the arrangements of the molecules in the freeze-dried gels were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Calculation of the length of each molecular system by energy minimization in its extended conformation and comparison with the small-angle XRD pattern reveals that this class of gelator molecules adopts a lamellar organization. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicate that the solid state phase behavior of these molecules is totally dependent on the choice of their amino acid spacers. Structure-induced aggregation properties based on the H-bonding motifs and the packing of the molecule in three dimensions leading to gelation was elucidated by rheological studies. However, viscoelasticity was shown to depend only marginally on the H-bonding interactions; rather it depends on the packing of the gelators to a greater extent.

Effect of Stress and Interface defects on Photo Luminescence of Si nano-crystals embedded in SiO2

Effect of stress and interface defects on photo luminescence property of a silicon nano-crystal (Si-nc) embedded in amorphous silicon dioxide (a-SiO2) are studied in this paper using a self-consistent quantum-continuum based modeling framework. Si-ncs or quantum dots show photoluminescence at room temperature. Whether its origin is due to Si-nc/a-SiO2 interface defects or quantum confinement of carriers in Si-nc is still an outstanding question. Earlier reports have shown that stresses greater than 12 GPa change the indirect energy band gap structure of bulk Si to a direct energy band gap structure. Such stresses are observed very often in nanostructures and these stresses influence the carrier confinement energy significantly. Hence, it is important to determine the effect of stress in addition to the structure of interface defects on photoluminescence property of Si-nc. In the present work, first a Si-nc embedded in a-SiO2 is constructed using molecular dynamics simulation framework considering the actual conditions they are grown so that the interface and residual stress in the structure evolves naturally during formation. We observe that the structure thus created has an interface of about 1 nm thick consisting of 41.95% of defective states mostly Sin+ (n = 0 to 3) coordination states. Further, both the Si-nc core and the embedding matrix are observed to be under a compressive strain. This residual strain field is applied in an effective mass k.p Hamiltonian formulation to determine the energy states of the carriers. The photo luminescence property computed based on the carrier confinement energy and interface energy states associated with defects will be analysed in details in the paper.

Photo-thermal modifications in ultrafast laser inscribed chalcogenide glass waveguides

We report here, a finite difference thermal diffusion (FDTD) model for controlling the cross-section and the guiding nature of the buried channel waveguides fabricated on GeGaS bulk glasses using the direct laser writing technique. Optimization of the laser parameters for guiding at wavelength 1550 nm is done experimentally and compared with the theoretical values estimated by FDTD model. The mode field diameter (MFD) between 5.294 mu m and 24.706 mu m were attained by suitable selection of writing speed (1mm/s to 4 mm/s) and pulse energy (623 nJ to 806 nJ) of the laser at a fixed repletion rate of 100 kHz. Transition from single-mode to multi-mode waveguide is observed at pulse energy 806nJ as a consequence of heat accumulation. The thermal diffusion model fits well for single-mode waveguides with the exception of multi-mode waveguides.

Auto-ignition based synthesis of Y2O3 for photo- and thermo-luminescent applications

We present a simple route for synthesis of Y2O3 for both photoluminescent (PL) and thermoluminescent (TL) applications. We show that by simply switching the fuel from ethylene di-amine tetracetic acid (EDTA) to its disodium derivative (Na-2-EDTA), we obtain a better photoluminescent material. On the other hand, use of EDTA aids in formation of Y2O3 which is a better thermoluminescent material. In both cases pure cubic nano-Y2O3 is obtained. For both the material systems, structural characterization, photoluminescence, thermoluminescence, and absorbance spectra are reported and analyzed. Use of EDTA results in nano Y2O3 with crystallite size similar to 10 nm. Crystallinity improves, and crystallite size is larger (similar to 30 nm) when Na-2-EDTA is used. TL response of Y2O3 nanophosphors prepared by both fuels is examined using UV radiation. Samples prepared with EDTA show well resolved glow curve at 140 degrees C, while samples prepared with Na-2-EDTA shows a glow curve at 155 degrees C. Effect of UV exposure time on TL characteristics is investigated. The TL kinetic parameters are also calculated using glow curve shape method. Results indicate that the TL behavior of both the samples follow a second order kinetic model. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental Study on Dead-Time Induced Oscillations in a 100-kW Open-Loop Induction Motor Drive

This paper reports instability and oscillations in the stator current under light-load conditions in a practical 100-kW induction motor drive. Dead-time is shown to be a cause for such oscillations. This paper shows experimentally that these oscillations could be mitigated significantly with the help of a simple dead-time compensation scheme.

A Quick-Simulation Tool for Induction Motor Drives Controlled Using Advanced Space-Vector-Based PWM Techniques

Space-vector-based pulse width modulation (PWM) for a voltage source inverter (VSI) offers flexibility in terms of different switching sequences. Numerical simulation is helpful to assess the performance of a PWM method before actual implementation. A quick-simulation tool to simulate a variety of space-vector-based PWM strategies for a two-level VSI-fed squirrel cage induction motor drive is presented. The simulator is developed using C and Python programming languages, and has a graphical user interface (GUI) also. The prime focus being PWM strategies, the simulator developed is 40 times faster than MATLAB in terms of the actual time taken for a simulation. Simulation and experimental results are presented on a 5-hp ac motor drive.

Study on Rotor Current Waveforms in an Inverter-fed Induction Motor Drive During Overmodulation

Overmodulation introduces low-order harmonics in the output voltage of a voltage source inverter. This paper presents the effects of low-order harmonics in the stator voltage on the rotor currents of an induction motor. Rotor current waveforms are presented for various operating zones in overmodulation, including six-step mode. Harmonic spectra of stator and rotor currents are compared in six-step mode of operation. Pulsating torque is evaluated at various depths of modulation during overmodulation.

Nearly Constant Switching Frequency Hysteresis Current Controller with Fast Online Computation of Boundary for a 2-Level Induction Motor Drive

A nearly constant switching frequency current hysteresis controller for a 2-level inverter fed induction motor drive is proposed in this paper: The salient features of this controller are fast dynamics for the current, inherent protection against overloads and less switching frequency variation. The large variation of switching frequency as in the conventional hysteresis controller is avoided by defining a current-error boundary which is obtained from the current-error trajectory of the standard space vector PWM. The current-error boundary is computed at every sampling interval based on the induction machine parameters and from the estimated fundamental stator voltage. The stator currents are always monitored and when the current-error exceeds the boundary, voltage space vector is switched to reduce the current-error. The proposed boundary computation algorithm is applicable in linear and over-modulation region and it is simple to implement in any standard digital signal processor: Detailed experimental verification is done using a 7.5 kW induction motor and the results are given to show the performance of the drive at various operating conditions and validate the proposed advantages.