Computational Effective Fault Detection by Means of Signature Functions

The paper presents a computationally effective method for fault detection. A system’s responses are measured under healthy and ill conditions. These signals are used to calculate so-called signature functions that create a signal space. The current system’s response is projected into this space. The signal location in this space easily allows to determine the fault. No classifier such as a neural network, hidden Markov models, etc. is required. The advantage of this proposed method is its efficiency, as computing projections amount to calculating dot products. Therefore, this method is suitable for real-time embedded systems due to its simplicity and undemanding processing capabilities which permit the use of low-cost hardware and allow rapid implementation. The approach performs well for systems that can be considered linear and stationary. The communication presents an application, whereby an industrial process of moulding is supervised. The machine is composed of forms (dies) whose alignment must be precisely set and maintained during the work. Typically, the process is stopped periodically to manually control the alignment. The applied algorithm allows on-line monitoring of the device by analysing the acceleration signal from a sensor mounted on a die. This enables to detect failures at an early stage thus prolonging the machine’s life.     

The influence of hypomagnesemia on erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme defence system in mice

The effect of magnesium deficiency on antioxidant defence system was studied in RBC of mice suffering from hypomagnesemia. The animals were kept for 8, 15 and 22 days on magnesium-deficient diet with consequent reduction of magnesium level in plasma by 38% at the first 8 days and by 64% after 22 days of experiment. The activities of the most important antioxidant enzymes, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutahione S-transferase were assayed in hemolysates. The level of reduced glutathione in erythrocytes was measured as well. Apart from catalase, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were decreasing. The activity of superoxide dismutase decreased gradually during the experiment and on the 15th and 22nd day of experiment was significantly (P<0,05) lowered by 30 and 32% respectively. The catalase activity was increased on each point of the experiment with the peak value up to 149% on 15th day, and by 32% on 22nd day. Glutathione peroxidase activity was insignificantly reduced. The reduction of Glutatione reductase and Glutathione S-transferase activities by 24 and 21%, respectively, were observed after 8 days of the experiment with a further downward tendency. The reduced glutathione was significantly depleted after 8 days by 33% and was kept on that level in the course of the study. These findings support previous reports on the hypomagnesemia – induced alteration in endogenous enzyme antioxidant defences and glutathione redox cycle of mice.     

The Relationship between the Distribution of Common Carp and Their Environmental DNA in a Small Lake

Although environmental DNA (eDNA) has been used to infer the presence of rare aquatic species, many facets of this technique remain unresolved. In particular, the relationship between eDNA and fish distribution is not known. We examined the relationship between the distribution of fish and their eDNA (detection rate and concentration) in a lake. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for a region within the cytochrome b gene of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio or ‘carp’), an ubiquitous invasive fish, was developed and used to measure eDNA in Lake Staring (MN, USA), in which both the density of carp and their distribution have been closely monitored for several years. Surface water, sub-surface water, and sediment were sampled from 22 locations in the lake, including areas frequently used by carp. In water, areas of high carp use had a higher rate of detection and concentration of eDNA, but there was no effect of fish use on sediment eDNA. The detection rate and concentration of eDNA in surface and sub-surface water were not significantly different (p≥0.5), indicating that eDNA did not accumulate in surface water. The detection rate followed the trend: high-use water > low-use water > sediment. The concentration of eDNA in sediment samples that were above the limit of detection were several orders of magnitude greater than water on a per mass basis, but a poor limit of detection led to low detection rates. The patchy distribution of eDNA in the water of our study lake suggests that the mechanisms that remove eDNA from the water column, such as decay and sedimentation, are rapid. Taken together, these results indicate that effective eDNA sampling methods should be informed by fish distribution, as eDNA concentration was shown to vary dramatically between samples taken less than 100 m apart.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis ClpX Interacts with FtsZ and Interferes with FtsZ Assembly

FtsZ assembly at the midcell division site in the form of a Z-ring is crucial for initiation of the cell division process in eubacteria. It is largely unknown how this process is regulated in the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Here we show that the expression of clpX was upregulated upon macrophage infection and exposure to cephalexin antibiotic, the conditions where FtsZ-ring assembly is delayed. Independently, we show using pull-down, solid-phase binding, bacterial two-hybrid and mycobacterial protein fragment complementation assays, that M. tuberculosis FtsZ interacts with ClpX, the substrate recognition domain of the ClpXP protease. Incubation of FtsZ with ClpX increased the critical concentration of GTP-dependent polymerization of FtsZ. Immunoblotting revealed that the intracellular ratio of ClpX to FtsZ in wild type M. tuberculosis is approximately 1∶2. Overproduction of ClpX increased cell length and modulated the localization of FtsZ at midcell sites; however, intracellular FtsZ levels were unaffected. A ClpX-CFP fusion protein localized to the cell poles and midcell sites and colocalized with the FtsZ-YFP protein. ClpX also interacted with FtsZ mutant proteins defective for binding to and hydrolyzing GTP and possibly for interactions with other proteins. Taken together, our results suggest that M. tuberculosis ClpX interacts stoichiometrically with FtsZ protomers, independent of its nucleotide-bound state and negatively regulates FtsZ activities, hence cell division.     

Stimulatory Effect of Xenobiotics on Oxidative Electron Transport of Chemolithotrophic Nitrifying Bacteria Used as Biosensing Element

Electron transport chain (ETCh) of ammonium (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) participates in oxidation of ammonium to nitrate (nitrification). Operation of ETCh may be perturbed by a range of water-soluble xenobiotics. Therefore, consortia of nitrifying bacteria may be used as a biosensor to detect water contamination. A surprising feature of this system is an increase of oxygen consumption, detected in the presence of certain inhibitors of ETCh. Thus, to shed light on the mechanism of this effect (and other differences between inhibitors) we monitored separately respiration of the bacteria of the first (AOB - Nitrosomonas) and second (NOB -Nitrobacter) stages of nitrification. Furthermore, we measured plasma membrane potential and the level of reduction of NAD(P)H. We propose a novel model of ETCh in NOB to explain the role of reverse electron transport in the stimulation of oxygen consumption (previously attributed to hormesis).     

LCA as an element in environmental management systems—comparison of conditions in selected organisations in Poland, Sweden and Germany

Purpose

In this two-part paper (Background and Initial Assumptions (part 1) and Results of Survey Research (part 2)), we present surveys whose main objective is to determine whether, and to what extent, the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique is used for the identification and assessment of environmental aspects in environmental management systems (EMS) and whether there are any differences in this respect between the companies and countries analysed.

Methods

The survey research was carried out using the computer assisted self-administered interviewing method among selected Polish, German and Swedish organisations which implement EMS in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14001 and/or the EMAS regulation.

Results

The organisations investigated, regardless of their country, are dominated by qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques of assessment and identification of environmental aspects. LCA was used sporadically, although some differences can be observed between the countries analysed.

Conclusions

The environmental managers accustomed to traditional qualitative and semi-quantitative solutions have not been given preparation to enable them to understand and adopt different approaches such as LCA. On the other hand, representatives of the organisations investigated declared that they were ready to accept an even longer timescale for the identification and assessment processes relating to environmental aspects, which represents a potential opportunity for LCA. The more precise understanding and definition of environmental problems that are precisely defined in LCA would represent a novelty for environmental managers. In practice, environmental problems are defined in a general sense and rather ambiguously, as this level of detail is sufficient in the context of qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques commonly used for the identification and assessment of environmental aspects.     

Activation of Notch Signaling Is Required for Cholangiocarcinoma Progression and Is Enhanced by Inactivation of p53 In Vivo

Cholangiocacinoma (CC) is a cancer disease with rising incidence. Notch signaling has been shown to be deregulated in many cancers. However, the role of this signaling pathway in the carcinogenesis of CC is still not fully explored. In this study, we investigated the effects of Notch inhibition by γ-secretase inhibitor IX (GSI IX) in cultured human CC cell lines and we established a transgenic mouse model with liver specific expression of the intracellular domain of Notch (Notch-ICD) and inactivation of tumor suppressor p53. GSI IX treatment effectively impaired cell proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and growth of softagar colonies. In vivo overexpression of Notch-ICD together with an inactivation of p53 significantly increased tumor burden and showed CC characteristics. Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of Notch signaling in the tumorigenesis of CC and demonstrates that additional inactivation of p53 in vivo.     

Neuronal ER Stress Impedes Myeloid-Cell-Induced Vascular Regeneration through IRE1α Degradation of Netrin-1

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Highlights? Canonical ER stress pathways are activated in central neurons during hypoxia/ischemia ? The ER stress endoribonuclease IRE1α degrades the neurovascular guidance cue netrin-1 ? Neuronal-derived netrin-1 activates a reparative proangiogenic program in microglial cells ? Neuronal ER stress prevents reparative angiogenesis in the ischemic neural retina