Human plectin: organization of the gene, sequence analysis, and chromosome localization (8q24).

Plectin, a 500-kDa intermediate filament binding protein, has been proposed to provide mechanical strength to cells and tissues by acting as a cross-linking element of the cytoskeleton. To set the basis for future studies on gene regulation, tissue-specific expression, and pathological conditions involving this protein, we have cloned the human plectin gene, determined its coding sequence, and established its genomic organization. The coding sequence contains 32 exons that extend over 32 kb of the human genome. Most of the introns reside within a region encoding the globular N-terminal domain of the molecule, whereas the entire central rod domain and the entire C-terminal globular domain were found to be encoded by single exons of remarkable length, >3 kb and >6 kb, respectively. Overall, the organization of the human plectin gene was strikingly similar to that of human bullous pemphigoid antigen 1 (BPAG1), confirming that both proteins belong to the same gene family. Comparison of the deduced protein sequences for human and rat plectin revealed that they were 93% identical. By using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we have mapped the plectin gene to the long arm of chromosome 8 within the telomeric region. This gene locus (8q24) has previously been implicated in the human blistering skin disease epidermolysis bullosa simplex Ogna. Detailed knowledge of the structure of the plectin gene and its chromosome localization will aid in the elucidation of whether this or any other pathological conditions are linked to alterations in the plectin gene.

Particle Swarm Optimization Based Reactive Power Dispatch for Power Networks with Distributed Generation

Reactive power is critical to the operation of the power networks on both safety aspects and economic aspects. Unreasonable distribution of the reactive power would severely affect the power quality of the power networks and increases the transmission loss. Currently, the most economical and practical approach to minimizing the real power loss remains using reactive power dispatch method. Reactive power dispatch problem is nonlinear and has both equality constraints and inequality constraints. In this thesis, PSO algorithm and MATPOWER 5.1 toolbox are applied to solve the reactive power dispatch problem. PSO is a global optimization technique that is equipped with excellent searching capability. The biggest advantage of PSO is that the efficiency of PSO is less sensitive to the complexity of the objective function. MATPOWER 5.1 is an open source MATLAB toolbox focusing on solving the power flow problems. The benefit of MATPOWER is that its code can be easily used and modified. The proposed method in this thesis minimizes the real power loss in a practical power system and determines the optimal placement of a new installed DG. IEEE 14 bus system is used to evaluate the performance. Test results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Privileged Regions in Critical Strips of Non-lattice Dirichlet Polynomials

This paper shows, by means of Kronecker’s theorem, the existence of infinitely many privileged regions called r -rectangles (rectangles with two semicircles of small radius r ) in the critical strip of each function Ln(z):= 1−∑nk=2kz , n≥2 , containing exactly [Tlogn2π]+1 zeros of Ln(z) , where T is the height of the r -rectangle and [⋅] represents the integer part.

Age models and sedimentation rates of sites in the tropical Atlantic

Late Pleistocene signals of calcium carbonate, organic carbon, and opaline silica concentration and accumulation are documented in a series of cores from a zonal/meridional/depth transect in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean to reconstruct the regional sedimentary history. Spectral analysis reveals that maxima and minima in biogenous sedimentation occur with glacial-interglacial cyclicity as a function of both (1) primary production at the sea surface modulated by orbitally forced variation in trade wind zonality and (2) destruction at the seafloor by variation in the chemical character of advected intermediate and deep water from high latitudes modulated by high-latitude ice volume. From these results a pattern emerges in which the relative proportion of signal variance from the productivity signal centered on the precessional (23 kyr) band decreases while that of the destruction signal centered on the obliquity (41 kyr) and eccentricity (100 kyr) periods increases below ~3600-m ocean depth.

Virtual car accidents of epilepsy patients, interictal epileptic activity, and medication.

OBJECTIVE To investigate effects of interictal epileptic activity (IEA) and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on reactivity and aspects of the fitness to drive for epilepsy patients. METHODS Forty-six adult patients with demonstration of focal or generalized bursts of IEA in electroencephalography (EEG) readings within 1 year prior to inclusion irrespective of medication performed a car driving computer test or a single light flash test (39 patients performed both). Reaction times (RTs), virtual crashes, or lapses (RT ≥ 1 s in the car or flash test) were measured in an IEA burst-triggered fashion during IEA and compared with RT-measurements during unremarkable EEG findings in the same session. RESULTS IEA prolonged RTs both in the flash and car test (p < 0.001) in individual patients up to 200 ms. Generalized IEA with spike/waves (s/w) had the largest effect on RT prolongation (p < 0.001, both tests), whereas mean RT during normal EEG, age, gender, and number of AEDs had no effect. The car test was better than the flash test in detecting RT prolongations (p = 0.030). IEA increased crashes/lapses >26% in sessions with generalized IEA with s/w. The frequency of IEA-associated RT >1 s exceeded predictions (p < 0.001) based on simple RT shift, suggesting functional impairment beyond progressive RT prolongation by IEA. The number of AEDs correlated with prolonged RTs during normal EEG (p < 0.021) but not with IEA-associated RT prolongation or crashes/lapses. SIGNIFICANCE IEA prolonged RTs to varying extents, dependent on IEA type. IEA-associated RTs >1 s were more frequent than predicted, suggesting beginning cerebral decompensation of visual stimulus processing. AEDs somewhat reduced psychomotor speed, but it was mainly the IEA that contributed to an excess of virtual accidents.

Hypertension and diabetes treatments and risk of adverse outcomes among breast cancer patients

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Direct fermentation of potato starch in wastewater to lactic acid by Rhizopus oryzae

The fungal species of Rhizopus oryzae 2062 has the capacity to carry out a single stage fermentation process for lactic acid production from potato starch wastewater. Starch hydrolysis, reducing sugar accumulation, biomass formation, and lactic acid production were affected with variations in pH, temperature, and starch source and concentration. A growth condition with starch concentration approximately 20 g/L at pH 6.0 and 30degreesC was favourable for starch fermentation, resulting in a lactic acid yield of 78.3%similar to85.5% associated with 1.5similar to2.0 g/L fungal biomass produced in 36 h of fermentation.

Direct fermentation of potato starch wastewater to lactic acid by Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus arrhizus

The biochemical kinetic of direct fermentation for lactic acid production by fungal species of Rhizopus arrhizus 3,6017 and Rhizopus oryzae 2,062 was studied with respect to growth pH, temperature and substrate. The direct fermentation was characterized by starch hydrolysis, accumulation of reducing sugar, and production of lactic acid and fungal biomass. Starch hydrolysis, reducing sugar accumulation, biomass formation and lactic acid production were affected with the variations in pH, temperature, and starch source and concentration. A growth condition with starch concentration approximately 20 g/l at pH 6.0 and 30 degrees C was favourable for both starch saccharification and lactic acid fermentation, resulting in lactic acid yield of 0.87-0.97 g/g starch associated with 1.5-2.0 g/l fungal biomass produced in 36 h fermentation. R. arrhizus 3,6017 had a higher capacity to produce lactic acid, while R. oryzae 2,062 produced more fungal biomass under similar conditions.

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of potato starch wastewater to lactic acid by Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus arrhizus

The biochemical kinetic of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for lactic acid production by fungal species of Rhizopus arrhizus 36017 and Rhizopus oryzae 2062 was studied with respect to growth pH, temperature and substrate. Both R. arrhizus 36017 and R. oryzae 2062 had a capacity to carry out a single stage SSF process for lactic acid production from potato starch wastewater. The kinetic characteristics, termed as starch hydrolysis, accumulation of reducing sugars, lactic acid production and fungal biomass formation, were affected with variations in pH, temperature, and starch source and concentration. A growth condition with starch concentration approximately 20 g/l at pH 6.0 and 30 degrees C was favourable for both starch saccharification and lactic acid fermentation, resulting in lactic acid yield of 0.85-0.92 g/g associated with 1.5-3.5 g/l fungal biomass produced in 36-48 h fermentation. R. arrhizus 36017 had a higher capacity to produce lactic acid, while R. oryzae 2062 produced more fungal biomass under similar conditions. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neural progenitor number is regulated by nuclear factor-kappa B p65 and p50 subunit-dependent proliferation rather than cell survival

The number of cells generated by a proliferating stem or precursor cell can be influenced both by proliferation and by the degree of cell death/survival of the progeny generated. In this study, the extent to which cell survival controls progenitor number was examined by comparing the growth characteristics of neurosphere cultures derived from mice lacking genes for the death inducing Bcl-2 homologue Hara Kiri (Hrk), apoptosis-associated protein 1 (Apaf1), or the prosurvival nuclear factor-kappa B (NF kappa B) subunits p65, p50, or c-rel. We found no evidence that Hrk or Apaf1, and by inference the mitochondrial cell death pathway, are involved in regulating the number of neurosphere-derived progeny. However, we identified the p65p50 NF kappa B dimer as being required for the normal growth and expansion of neurosphere cultures. Genetic loss of both p65 and p50 NF kappa B subunits resulted in a reduced number of progeny but an increased proportion of neurons. No effect on cell survival was observed. This suggests that the number and fate of neural progenitor cells are more strongly regulated by cell cycle control than survival. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Transglutaminase 2 is involved in autophagosome maturation

Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process responsible for the degradation of long-lived proteins and organelles. Autophagy occurs at low levels under normal conditions, but it is enhanced in response to stress, e.g. nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, mitochondrial dysfunction and infection. "Tissue" transglutaminase (TG2) accumulates, both in vivo and in vitro, to high levels in cells under stressful conditions. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether TG2 could also play a role in the autophagic process. To this end, we used TG2 knockout mice and cell lines in which the enzyme was either absent or overexpressed. The ablation of TG2 protein both in vivo and in vitro, resulted in an evident accumulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 cleaved isoform II (LC3 II) on pre-autophagic vesicles, suggesting a marked induction of autophagy. By contrast, the formation of the acidic vesicular organelles in the same cells was very limited, indicating an impairment of the final maturation of autophagolysosomes. In fact, the treatment of TG2 proficient cells with NH4Cl, to inhibit lysosomal activity, led to a marked accumulation of LC3 II and damaged mitochondria similar to what we observed in TG2-deficient cells. These data indicate a role for TG2-mediated post-translational modifications of proteins in the maturation of autophagosomes accompanied by the accumulation of many damaged mitochondria.

An operational research-based integrated approach for mass evacuation planning of a city

Large-scale disasters are constantly occurring around the world, and in many cases evacuation of regions of city is needed. ‘Operational Research/Management Science’ (OR/MS) has been widely used in emergency planning for over five decades. Warning dissemination, evacuee transportation and shelter management are three ‘Evacuation Support Functions’ (ESF) generic to many hazards. This thesis has adopted a case study approach to illustrate the importance of integrated approach of evacuation planning and particularly the role of OR/MS models. In the warning dissemination phase, uncertainty in the household’s behaviour as ‘warning informants’ has been investigated along with uncertainties in the warning system. An agentbased model (ABM) was developed for ESF-1 with households as agents and ‘warning informants’ behaviour as the agent behaviour. The model was used to study warning dissemination effectiveness under various conditions of the official channel. In the transportation phase, uncertainties in the household’s behaviour such as departure time (a function of ESF-1), means of transport and destination have been. Households could evacuate as pedestrians, using car or evacuation buses. An ABM was developed to study the evacuation performance (measured in evacuation travel time). In this thesis, a holistic approach for planning the public evacuation shelters called ‘Shelter Information Management System’ (SIMS) has been developed. A generic allocation framework of was developed to available shelter capacity to the shelter demand by considering the evacuation travel time. This was formulated using integer programming. In the sheltering phase, the uncertainty in household shelter choices (either nearest/allocated/convenient) has been studied for its impact on allocation policies using sensitivity analyses. Using analyses from the models and detailed examination of household states from ‘warning to safety’, it was found that the three ESFs though sequential in time, however have lot of interdependencies from the perspective of evacuation planning. This thesis has illustrated an OR/MS based integrated approach including and beyond single ESF preparedness. The developed approach will help in understanding the inter-linkages of the three evacuation phases and preparing a multi-agency-based evacuation planning evacuation

An overview of eye-related photophobias

This chapter provides an overview of the various eye-related causes of photophobia and the likely mechanisms responsible. Photophobia is the experience of discomfort affecting the eyes as a result of exposure to light. It has a variety of causes, including the result of eye or brain disease, or it can be a side effect of various drugs or laser surgery. Photophobia can also be a symptom of a more serious disorder such as meningitis and therefore, requires appropriate investigation, diagnosis, and treatment. Trauma or disease affecting several structures of the eye are a common cause of photophobia and can be associated with: (1) the ocular adnexia, such as blepharitis and blepharospasm, (2) the cornea, including abrasion, ulcerative keratitis, and corneal dystrophy, (3) problems in eye development, such as aniridia, buphthalmos, coloboma, and aphakia, (4) various eye inflammations, including uveitis, and (5) retinal disorders, such as achromatopsia, retinal detachment, and retinal dystrophy. There may be two main explanations for photophobia associated with these conditions: (1) direct stimulation of the trigeminal nerve due to damage, disease, or excessive light entering the eye and (2) overstimulation of the retina including a specific population of light-sensitive ganglion cells.

On a Convexity Preserving Integral Operator

MSC 2010: 30C45, 30A20, 34C40

A comparison of spatial patterns of TDP-43 cellular inclusions in familial and sporadic frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 proteinopathy

Abnormal protein aggregates of transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) in the form of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCI), oligodendroglial inclusions (GI), neuronal internuclear inclusions (NII), and dystrophic neurites (DN) are the pathological hallmark of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 proteinopathy (FTLD-TDP). To investigate the role of phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43) in neurodegeneration in FTLD-TDP, the spatial patterns of the pTDP-43-immunoreactive NCI, GI, NII, and DN were studied in frontal and temporal cortex in three groups of cases: (1) familial FTLD-TDP caused by progranulin (GRN) mutation, (2) a miscellaneous group of familial cases containing cases caused by valosin-containing protein (VCP) mutation, ubiquitin associated protein 1 (UBAP1) mutation, and cases not associated with currently known genes, and (3) sporadic FTLD-TDP. In a significant number of brain regions, the pTDP-43-immunoreactive inclusions developed in clusters and the clusters were distributed regularly parallel to the tissue boundary. The spatial patterns of the inclusions were similar to those revealed by a phosphorylation-independent anti-TDP-43 antibody. The spatial patterns and cluster sizes of the pTDP-43-immunoreactive inclusions were similar in GRN mutation cases, remaining familial cases, and in sporadic FTLD-TDP. Hence, pathological changes initiated by different genetic factors in familial cases and by unknown causes in sporadic FTLD-TDP appear to follow a parallel course resulting in very similar patterns of degeneration of frontal and temporal lobes.