PEP

Oscillatory positive expiratory pressure (PEP) with the Flutter device facilitates secretion removal. In the Flutter a steel ball vibrates inside a cone, causing air flow vibration. A new device, the Acapella, uses a counterweighted plug and magnet to create air flow oscillation. The Acapella comes in 2 models: one for patients with expiratory flow > or = 15 L/min and one for < or = 15 L/min. We hypothesized that the Acapella and Flutter would produce similar mean PEP, oscillatory pressure amplitude, and frequency over a clinically relevant range of flows. We measured oscillatory amplitude, PEP, and frequency. Values for frequency, peak, trough, and mean pressure were recorded automatically every 3 seconds at flows of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 L/min. The pressure waveform for 1 second was also graphically displayed and recorded. The devices were adjusted to give low, medium, and high mean expiratory pressure (Flutter angle at 0, 20, and 40 degrees; Acapella by dial setting). D...

A new anthrax vaccine that could accelerate the immune response and possibly reduce the number of injections needed for protection would be desirable in a post-exposure setting. This Phase 1 study compared the safety and immunogenicity of 2 IM doses (Days 0 and 14) of 4 formulations of AV7909 (AVA plus CPG 7909) with 2 IM doses of BioThrax(®) (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) and 2 IM doses of saline placebo administered on Days 0 and 14. A total of 105 healthy adults 18-50 years of age were randomized to 1 of 6 study groups: BioThrax (0.5 mL), AV7909 Formulation 1 (0.5 mL AVA+0.5mg CPG 7909), AV7909 Formulation 2 (0.5 mL AVA+0.25mg CPG 7909), AV7909 Formulation 3 (0.25 mL AVA+0.5mg CPG 7909), AV7909 Formulation 4 (0.25 mL AVA+0.25mg CPG 7909), or saline placebo (0.5 mL). All randomized subjects received at least 1 vaccination, and 100 subjects completed the trial. After 2 doses, mean peak normalized toxin neutralizing antibody responses (TNA NF50) in the AV7909 groups were higher than in ...

Satellite communication is one of the most popular next generation communication technologies for global communication networks in parallel to terrestrial communication networks. In modern age military intelligence, navigation & positioning, weather forecasting, digital video Broadcasting (DVB), and broadband internet services, are the few demanding applications of Satellite communication. Although Satellite communication is cost effective solution for such long distance communication application, However security over the link is still a major concern in satellite communication. Due to limitations such as high bit error rate, power control, large distance between end nodes, high link delays because of large round trip times, and link availability, common security techniques incorporate a lot of issues in implementation of proper secure communication over the satellite links. In this survey paper, we explore the importance of security, trivial and currently deployed security tools, ...

ABSTRACT The recently engineered Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius strain is an industrially potent thermophilic ethanologen. We employ a systematic approach to improve our understanding of the fermentation process using cellobiose as the substrate. Dynamic metabolic flux analysis clearly shows that the fluxes from pyruvate to lactate and formate are both strictly constrained throughout the process and that both the maximum ethanol yield (0.46C/C) and the maximum specific productivity (19.8 mmol C (g DCW)−1 h−1) occur at late-exponential growth phase. Accordingly, extreme pathway analysis reduces the metabolic network into a macro reaction scheme, on which a dynamic metabolic model is built. The model is validated with experimental data, parameters are identified with confidence intervals, and global sensitivity analysis (Sobol׳ method) is performed. Model-based optimization predicts that ethanol productivity could increase from 34.2 in a typical batch process to 55.3 mmol L−1 h−1 in an optimum fed-batch process with higher ethanol yield. Furthermore, the optimal operating regime was identified to be continuous fermentation process with gas stripping, in which a high ethanol productivity of 113 mmol L−1 h−1, i.e., 26.8 mmol C (g DCW)−1 h−1, corresponding to 90.2% of the maximum theoretical ethanol yield could be achieved.

The bacterial PEP:sugar PTS consists of a cascade of several proteins involved in the uptake and phosphorylation of carbohydrates, and in signal transduction pathways. Its uniqueness in bacteria makes the PTS a target for new antibacterial drugs. These drugs can be obtained from peptides or protein fragments able to interfere with the first reaction of the protein cascade: the phosphorylation of the HPr by the first enzyme, the so-called enzyme EI. To that end, we designed a peptide, HPr9–30, spanning residues 9 to 30 of the intact HPr protein, containing the active site histidine (His-15) and the first α-helix of HPr of Streptomyces coelicolor, HPrsc. By using fluorescence and circular dichroism, we first determined qualitatively that HPrsc and HPr9–30 did bind to EIsc, the enzyme EI from S. coelicolor. Then, we determined quantitatively the binding affinities of HPr9–30 and HPrsc for EIsc by using ITC and STD-NMR. The STD-NMR experiments indicate that the epitope region of HPr9–30 was formed by residues Leu-14, His-15, Ile-21, and Val-23. The binding reaction between EIsc and HPrsc is enthalpy driven and in other species is entropy driven; further, the affinity of HPrsc for EIsc was smaller than in other species. However, the affinity of HPr9–30 for EIsc was only moderately lower than that of EIsc for HPrsc, suggesting that this peptide could be considered a promising hit compound for designing new inhibitors against the PTS.