Genetic and temporal aspects of protection by kanamycin against cochlear noise injury

Experiments explored the minimal kanamycin dosing regimen that renders protection against noise induced hearing loss in young CBA/J mice. We also tested the age-dependence of protection in CBA/J as well as the dependence of protection on a particular genetic background in experiments using young C57BL/6J and CBA/CaJ mice.

Antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo and mechanisms of protection against melanoma B16F10-Nex2 cells by fastuosain, a cysteine proteinase from Bromelia fastuosa

In the present work, the antitumor effect of fastuosain, a cysteine proteinase from Bromelia fastuosa, was investigated. In the intravenous model of lung colonization in C57Bl/6 mice, fastuosain and bromelain injected intraperitoneally were protective, and very few nodules of B16F10-Nex2 melanoma cells were detected. Tumor cells treated with fastuosain showed reduced expression of CD44 and decreased invasion through Matrigel, lost their cytoplasmic extensions and substrate adherence, and became round and detached, forming strongly bound cell clusters in suspension. Peritoneal cells recruited and activated by fastuosain treatment ( mainly monocytic cells and lymphocytes) migrated to the lung, where pulmonary melanoma metastases grew. Adoptive transference of peritoneal cells recruited by fastuosain had no protective effect against lung metastases in recipient mice. Treatment of green fluorescent protein - chimeric animals with fastuosain did not change the number of cells that migrated to the lung, compared to PBS-injected control mice, but the number of positive major histocompatibility complex class II cells increased with fastuosain treatment. Murine antibodies against fastuosain, bromelain, and cathepsins B and L cross-reacted in ELISA and recognized surface and cytoplasmic components expressed on B16F10-Nex2 cells. Anti-fastuosain antibodies were cytotoxic/lytic to B16F10-Nex2 cells. Antitumor effects of fastuosain involve mainly the direct effect of the enzyme and elicitation of protective antibodies.

Notes on technical change induced under conditions of protection, distortions and rationing

Includes bibliography

The political economy of protection after the Uruguay Round

Includes bibliography

On the effects of each term of the geopotential perturbation along the time I: Quasi-circular orbits

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Current perspectives in avian salmonellosis: Vaccines and immune mechanisms of protection

Salmonellosis is one of the most prevalent foodborne diseases worldwide. Food animals have been identified as reservoirs for nontyphoid Salmonella infections. in poultry, host-specific Salmonella infections cause fowl typhoid and pullorum diseases that produce economic losses in different parts of the world. Several measures have been used to prevent and control Salmonella infections in poultry, and vaccination is the most practical measure because it avoids contamination of poultry products and by-products and prevents disease in humans. Salmonella vaccines can decrease public health risk by reducing colonization and organ invasion, including invasion of reproductive tissues, and by diminishing fecal shedding and environmental contamination. We review available information on the host-specific and non-host-specific Salmonella serotypes found in poultry and the improved understanding of the pathogenesis of and immune responses to infection. We also include some approaches based on updated publications regarding killed and live attenuated vaccines and their immune mechanisms of protection.

Comparison of different delivery systems of DNA vaccination for the induction of protection against tuberculosis in mice and guinea pigs

The great challenges for researchers working in the field of vaccinology are optimizing DNA vaccines for use in humans or large animals and creating effective single-dose vaccines using appropriated controlled delivery systems. Plasmid DNA encoding the heat-shock protein 65 (hsp65) (DNAhsp65) has been shown to induce protective and therapeutic immune responses in a murine model of tuberculosis (TB). Despite the success of naked DNAhsp65-based vaccine to protect mice against TB, it requires multiple doses of high amounts of DNA for effective immunization. In order to optimize this DNA vaccine and simplify the vaccination schedule, we coencapsulated DNAhsp65 and the adjuvant trehalose dimycolate (TDM) into biodegradable poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres for a single dose administration. Moreover, a single-shot prime-boost vaccine formulation based on a mixture of two different PLGA microspheres, presenting faster and slower release of, respectively, DNAhsp65 and the recombinant hsp65 protein was also developed. These formulations were tested in mice as well as in guinea pigs by comparison with the efficacy and toxicity induced by the naked DNA preparation or BCG. The single-shot prime-boost formulation clearly presented good efficacy and diminished lung pathology in both mice and guinea pigs.

Patentability and Scope of Protection for DNA Sequence

Since the mapping of the human genome and the technical innovations in the field of biotechnology, patent law has gone through great controversies. Protection is required for an investor to make an investment but how broad should the given protection be? Whether the invention is a mi- cro-organism capable of dissolving crude oil, or the gene of a soya plant, the genetic engineering required for their production entails vast amounts of capi- tal. The policy in that respect is tailored by legislative acts and judicial decisions, ensuring a fair balance be- tween the interests of patent right holders and third parties. However, the policy differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, thus creating inconsistencies with re- gards to the given protection to the same invention, and as a result this could deter innovation and pro- mote stagnation. The most active actors shaping the patent policy on an international level are the patent offices of the United States of America, Japan and the European Patent Organization. These three patent offices have set up a cooperation programme in order to promote and improve efficiency with regards to their patent policies on a global scale. However, recent judicial de- velopments have shown that the policy in respect to the field of biotechnology differs between the patent regimes of the United States of America and the two- layer system of the European Patent Organisation/ the European Union.

Editorial: The Demands of Protection, Preservation,and Permanency: Where Has Family Preservation Gone?

This Journal issue provides three important articles that will aid us in explaining what we do in service to families. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to print a major address delivered by William Meezan on "Translating Rhetoric to Reality: The Future of Family and Children's Services." The challenges of serving families under an evolution of models in Kansas is presented in "Family Preservation Services Under Managed Care: Current Practices and Future Directions" by Melanie Pheatt, Becky Douglas, Lori Wilson, Jody Brook, and Marianne Berry. What people doing the work think is addressed by the piece titled, "Perceptions of Family Preservation Practitioners: A Preliminary Study" by Judith Hilbert, Alvin L. Sallee, and James K. Ott. Finally, this issue presents a number of very interesting reviews of new resources.

Application of protection means against explosions in underground mines

Underground coal mines explosions generally arise from the inflammation of a methane/air mixture. This explosion can also generate a subsequent coal dust explosion. Traditionally such explosions have being fought eliminating one or several of the factors needed by the explosion to take place. Although several preventive measures are taken to prevent explosions, other measures should be considered to reduce the effects or even to extinguish the flame front. Unlike other protection methods that remove one or two of the explosion triangle elements, namely; the ignition source, the oxidizing agent and the fuel, explosion barriers removes all of them: reduces the quantity of coal in suspension, cools the flame front and the steam generated by vaporization removes the oxygen present in the flame. The present paper is essentially based on the comprehensive state-of–the-art of Protective Systems in underground coal mines, and particularly on the application of Explosion Barriers to improve safety level in Spanish coal mining industry. After an exhaustive study of series EN 14591 standards covering explosion prevention and protection in underground mines, authors have proven explosion barriers effectiveness in underground galleries by Full Scale Tests performed in Polish Barbara experimental mine, showing that the barriers can reduce the effects of methane and/or flammable coal dust explosions to a satisfactory safety level.

Development and improvement of protection-system algorithms for ground-fault detection and location in synchronous machines

Uno de los defectos más frecuentes en los generadores síncronos son los defectos a tierra tanto en el devanado estatórico, como de excitación. Se produce un defecto cuando el aislamiento eléctrico entre las partes activas de cualquiera de estos devanados y tierra se reduce considerablemente o desaparece. La detección de los defectos a tierra en ambos devanados es un tema ampliamente estudiado a nivel industrial. Tras la detección y confirmación de la existencia del defecto, dicha falta debe ser localizada a lo largo del devanado para su reparación, para lo que habitualmente el rotor debe ser extraído del estator. Esta operación resulta especialmente compleja y cara. Además, el hecho de limitar la corriente de defecto en ambos devanados provoca que el defecto no sea localizable visualmente, pues apenas existe daño en el generador. Por ello, se deben aplicar técnicas muy laboriosas para localizar exactamente el defecto y poder así reparar el devanado. De cara a reducir el tiempo de reparación, y con ello el tiempo en que el generador esta fuera de servicio, cualquier información por parte del relé de protección acerca de la localización del defecto resultaría de gran utilidad. El principal objetivo de esta tesis doctoral ha sido el desarrollo de nuevos algoritmos que permitan la estimación de la localización de los defectos a tierra tanto en el devanado rotórico como estatórico de máquinas síncronas. Respecto al devanado de excitación, se ha presentado un nuevo método de localización de defectos a tierra para generadores con excitación estática. Este método permite incluso distinguir si el defecto se ha producido en el devanado de excitación, o en cualquiera de los componentes del sistema de excitación, esto es, transformador de excitación, conductores de alimentación del rectificador controlado, etc. En caso de defecto a tierra en del devanado rotórico, este método proporciona una estimación de su localización. Sin embargo, para poder obtener la localización del defecto, se precisa conocer el valor de resistencia de defecto. Por ello, en este trabajo se presenta además un nuevo método para la estimación de este parámetro de forma precisa. Finalmente, se presenta un nuevo método de detección de defectos a tierra, basado en el criterio direccional, que complementa el método de localización, permitiendo tener en cuenta la influencia de las capacidades a tierra del sistema. Estas capacidades resultan determinantes a la hora de localizar el defecto de forma adecuada. En relación con el devanado estatórico, en esta tesis doctoral se presenta un nuevo algoritmo de localización de defectos a tierra para generadores que dispongan de la protección de faltas a tierra basada en la inyección de baja frecuencia. Se ha propuesto un método general, que tiene en cuenta todos los parámetros del sistema, así como una versión simplificada del método para generadores con capacidades a tierra muy reducida, que podría resultar de fácil implementación en relés de protección comercial. Los algoritmos y métodos presentados se han validado mediante ensayos experimentales en un generador de laboratorio de 5 kVA, así como en un generador comercial de 106 MVA con resultados satisfactorios y prometedores. ABSTRACT One of the most common faults in synchronous generators is the ground fault in both the stator winding and the excitation winding. In case of fault, the insulation level between the active part of any of these windings and ground lowers considerably, or even disappears. The detection of ground faults in both windings is a very researched topic. The fault current is typically limited intentionally to a reduced level. This allows to detect easily the ground faults, and therefore to avoid damage in the generator. After the detection and confirmation of the existence of a ground fault, it should be located along the winding in order to repair of the machine. Then, the rotor has to be extracted, which is a very complex and expensive operation. Moreover, the fact of limiting the fault current makes that the insulation failure is not visually detectable, because there is no visible damage in the generator. Therefore, some laborious techniques have to apply to locate accurately the fault. In order to reduce the repair time, and therefore the time that the generator is out of service, any information about the approximate location of the fault would be very useful. The main objective of this doctoral thesis has been the development of new algorithms and methods to estimate the location of ground faults in the stator and in the rotor winding of synchronous generators. Regarding the excitation winding, a new location method of ground faults in excitation winding of synchronous machines with static excitation has been presented. This method allows even to detect if the fault is at the excitation winding, or in any other component of the excitation system: controlled rectifier, excitation transformer, etc. In case of ground fault in the rotor winding, this method provides an estimation of the fault location. However, in order to calculate the location, the value of fault resistance is necessary. Therefore, a new fault-resistance estimation algorithm is presented in this text. Finally, a new fault detection algorithm based on directional criterion is described to complement the fault location method. This algorithm takes into account the influence of the capacitance-to-ground of the system, which has a remarkable impact in the accuracy of the fault location. Regarding the stator winding, a new fault-location algorithm has been presented for stator winding of synchronous generators. This algorithm is applicable to generators with ground-fault protection based in low-frequency injection. A general algorithm, which takes every parameter of the system into account, has been presented. Moreover, a simplified version of the algorithm has been proposed for generators with especially low value of capacitance to ground. This simplified algorithm might be easily implementable in protective relays. The proposed methods and algorithms have been tested in a 5 kVA laboratory generator, as well as in a 106 MVA synchronous generator with satisfactory and promising results.