Role of helical structure and dynamics in oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) mismatch tolerance and activation by short dsRNAs

The 2’-5’-oligoadenylate synthetases (OAS) are innate immune sensors of cytosolic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that play a critical role in limiting viral infection. How these proteins are able to avoid aberrant activation by cellular RNAs is not fully understood, but adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing has been proposed to limit accumulation of endogenous RNAs that might otherwise cause stimulation of the OAS/RNase L pathway. Here, we aim to uncover whether and how such sequence modifications can restrict the ability of short, defined dsRNAs to activate the single-domain form of OAS, OAS1. Unexpectedly, we find that all tested inosine-containing dsRNAs have an increased capacity to activate OAS1, whether in a destabilizing (I•U) or standard Watson–Crick-like base pairing (I–C) context. Additional variants with strongly destabilizing A•C mismatches or stabilizing G–C pairs also exhibit increased capacity to activate OAS1, eliminating helical stability as a factor in the relative ability of the dsRNAs to activate OAS1. Using thermal difference spectra and molecular dynamics simulations, we identify both increased helical dynamics and specific local changes in helical structure as important factors in the capacity of short dsRNAs to activate OAS1. These helical features may facilitate more ready adoption of the distorted OAS1-bound conformation or stabilize important structures to predispose the dsRNA for optimal binding and activation of OAS1. These studies thus reveal the molecular basis for the greater capacity of some short dsRNAs to activate OAS1 in a sequence-independent manner.

The Thermal Stability of Amur Cork Tree-Dyed Paper

Amur cork trees are one of the most important traditional natural dyes used, especially for functional production in ancient Chinese papers, due to religious reasons, their aesthetic aspects and antibacterial properties. The properties of Amur cork tree-dyed papers under dry-heat accelerating aging conditions were investigated via optical observation, pH, scanning electron microscopy, thermal difference, tensile strength and folding endurance examinations. The results showed that the concentration of Amur cork trees greatly affected the properties of paper. The changes in surface color, pH, morphology and mechanical properties after the artificial dry-heat aging tests revealed that the paper thermal stability was affected by the Amur cork tree content. A suitable concentration of Amur cork tree colorant is good for maintaining paper’s thermal stability due to chemical bonding. Agglomerated colorant dyes might decompose weak acidic materials, which accelerates paper degradation.

The Thermal Influence of Oral Rehabilitation on the Cranio-Cervico-Mandibular Complex: A Thermographic Analysis

Purpose: Assess the thermal effect of prosthodontic treatment on the cranio-cervico-mandibular complex using infrared thermography. Methods: The treatment group was composed of adults of both sexes who underwent a prosthodontic treatment in which at least posterior occlusal contacts were added and/or the vertical dimension of occlusion was reestablished. The control group (CG) was constituted of adult subjects of both sexes, with no more than a single missing posterior tooth, excluding third molars. Thermograms were taken of the treatment group with a Flir i7 IR camera both before oral rehabilitation (TGB; n = 33) and two months after treatment was concluded (TGA; n = 19). CG (n = 33) had only one occasion for data acquisition. Results: Statistically significant differences were found when the thermal difference (ΔT) and the health status of the orbicularis oris muscle were compared between the TGB and the TGA groups (p = 0.020 and p = 0.003, respectively). By comparing the health status of the masseter muscle between the CG and TGB, statistically significant differences were also observed (p = 0.030). Conclusion: A prosthodontic treatment appears to have a minimum or null effect on the ΔT and/or on the health status of the TMJ and the temporal muscle. In contrast, orbicularis oris muscles exhibited significant thermal variations.

Thermal behavior characterization for MOSFETs and BJTs in hazardous locations

This paper shows a numerical polynomial approach to the topic of how bipolar junction transistors (BJT) and field effect transistors (FET) can be safe or unsafe when operating in explosive atmospheres. The most used transistors have been analyzed thermographically, working in a controlled environment, to characterize their thermal behavior. The target is to prevent the transistor from creating conditions that achieve the minimum activation energy for combustible vapors, dusts, or fibers/flyings. We have brought the transistors to their nominal values, specified by working currents and voltages, and confirmed that the effect of heat dissipation in a BJT is non-linear and much greater than in a MOSFET. We have experimentally found a thermal difference of more than 200ºC of overheating of a common BJT compared to a MOSFET with similar load in fixed polarization. We found temperatures above 300ºC in BJTs operating within their nominal ranges and conditions, when the accepted “safe” temperature is not supposed to exceed 200ºC in any case. Through a performance-based analysis focused on temperature, our research suggests that equipment with BJT technologies should not be implemented in certain areas of classified locations or explosive zones; so MOSFET technologies are preferable

Changes in the urban climate parameters due to the anthropic factors. Case study: Suceava metropolitan area from Romania

<p>City of Suceava, located in the NE Region of Romania, is an attraction pole for the regional inhabitants through its commercial, academic and tourist functions. The city population increased from 114462 in 1992 to 122654 in 2018. The urban area suffered major modifications between 1990 and 2018 which transposed themselves in the values of the climatic elements.</p><p>The general objective of the study consists in the evaluation of the climatogen impact of the mutations occurred in the city’s demography, in the features of the active surface between 1990 (the period which followed immediately to the communist system) and 2018.</p><p>The working algorithm adopted consisted of: i) identification of modifications in the active surface structure, ii) identification of the land cover flows which determine the evolution of the artificial surfaces, iii) intersection of CORINE Land Cover sets, for the years 1990 and 2018, in ArcGis through the overlay technique, iv) obtaining a matrix of land cover categories, v) identification of the land cover flows according to the working technology implemented by the European Environment Agency, vi) highlighting the correlations between the modification of the artificial areas surfaces and the evolution of the climatic elements of Suceava’s atmosphere.</p><p>Results. There were identified three types of land cover flows specific to the artificial surfaces, caused by six types of processes. The biggest share is held by LCF2 (urban residential sprawl) represented by a single type of land cover flows, urban diffuse residential sprawl (lcf22) which cumulated an area of 861.74ha (2.12% of study area total). The second category shows the intraurban space conversion, defined LCF1 (urban land management) with the presence of two types of specific processes: urban development/infilling (lcf11) with a surface of 75.82ha (0.19% of the study area) and recycling of developed urban land (lcf12) with an area of 376.88ha (0.93% of study area). In the end, there was identified a small share of conversions which show the third category LCF3 (sprawl of economic sites and infrastructures) with a total of 284.66ha (0.70% of study area) and which contains three types of processes: sprawl of industrial and commercial sites (lcf31) with 129.09ha (0.32%), sprawl of airports (lcf34) with 10.27ha (0.03%) and construction (lcf37) with 145.3ha (0.36%). In total, the anthropic space from the study area was affected by conversions on a surface of 1599.1ha (3.93% of the total study area of 40685.73ha) for period 1990-2018. Meteorological data obtained from Suceava Weather Station (1961-2018) and from the urban meteorological stations SV1 and SV2 for the interval 2009-2019 were correlated by the statistics of conversions.</p><p>Conclusions. At Suceava suburban weather station temperature increased with 0,4°C in the decade 1991-2000, with 0,5°C in decade 2001-2010 and with 0,9°C more in decade 2011-2019. Only in the interval 2009-2019 with hourly data from all 3 stations, the urban-suburban thermal difference was of +1,7°C in the city's favour. If the increase of temperature from suburban is allocated to the regional heating, the urban-suburban thermal difference was attributed to the amplification of the city’s topoclimatic role per se.</p>

Zonas Climáticas Urbanas em Cidade de Pequeno Porte

Esta pesquisa está baseada na análise de dados primários coletados no município de Espírito Santo do Pinhal - SP, com a finalidade de identificar diferentes Urban Climate Zones (UCZ) e suas relações com o vapor d’água atmosférico. Para isso, utilizou-se seis mini estações meteorológicas instaladas a um metro do solo que coletaram a temperatura e umidade relativa do ar em diferentes setores da cidade e em um setor rural durante três dias antes e três dias depois de cada efeméride do ano de 2012. Por meio de equações obteve-se a umidade absoluta desses setores. Foi possível identificar que os contrastes térmicos e higrométricos estão diretamente relacionados aos atributos climáticos, a morfologia das construções, e os fatores naturais, como a vegetação, e não necessariamente tem maior intensidade no setor mais urbanizado. A maior diferença térmica encontrada foi de 6,8° C numa madrugada de inverno entre a zona rural e um bairro nobre. Todavia, identificou-se fortes evidências de que os micro climas estão subordinados aos sistemas atmosféricos de escala regional, e podem se tornar de difícil identificação em condições atmosféricas muito instáveis. Urban Climate Zones and Small City A B S T R A C TThis research is based on the analysis of primary data collected in the city of Espírito Santo do Pinhal - SP to identify different Urban Climate Zones (UCZ) and their relationships with atmospheric water vapor. For this purpose, six mini meteorological stations were installed, one meter from the ground that collected the temperature and relative humidity of the air in different sectors of the city and in a rural sector for three days before and three days after each ephemeris of the year 2012. The absolute humidity of these sectors was obtained by means of equations. It was possible to identify that thermal and hygrometric contrasts are directly related to climatic attributes, the morphology of buildings, and natural factors, such as vegetation, and not necessarily more intense in the more urbanized sector. The greatest thermal difference was found to be 6.8°C in the winter dawn between the countryside and a noble neighborhood. However, strong evidence has been found that micro climates are subordinate to regional-scale atmospheric systems, and may become difficult to identify under very unstable atmospheric conditions.Keywords: Urban heat island, Espírito Santo do Pinhal, Absolute humidity, Urban Climate, Thermal Field.

Refrigeration Capacity and Effect of Ageing on the Operation of Cellulose Evaporative Cooling Pads, by Wind Tunnel Analysis

This study investigates the temperature reduction capacity and water consumption of a fan-pad system installed in a greenhouse located in the coastal regions of Almería. The suitability of this system for coastal zones with high environmental humidity during the summer is analyzed. Historical temperature and relative humidity series are studied, obtaining the thermal difference and maximum, medium, and minimum monthly water consumption of the pads based on the operation data of the pads. Despite the high relative humidity of the air in the hottest hours of the day, a decrease of 5.92 °C in the mean temperature and a water consumption of 13.55 l/h per square meter of an evaporative cooling pad are obtained in the month of August. Additionally, the operation of a cellulose evaporative cooling pad installed for 3 years in a greenhouse is analyzed in a wind tunnel and compared with that of a new pad of the same model. Over time and with low maintenance, the porosity of the pad decreases due to salt incrustation. The salt incrustation makes airflow more difficult in the pad, increasing the pressure drop by 170.04%; however, the air saturation efficiency of the pad increases by 6.6% due to the greater contact time between the air and the water.

Is it possible myogenic temporomandibular dysfunctions change the facial thermal imaging?

Infrared thermography is a functional examination that can document physiological changes such as abnormal cutaneous vasomotor activity in inflammatory and neurogenic pictures related to nociceptive and neuropathic pain by mapping the thermal distribution on the surface of the skin. Objective: The aim of this study was to verify if there is a facial thermal difference between the symptomatic and asymptomatic group for myogenic TMD according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder (RDC/TMD) in a European population sample. Material and methods: Sixty-one subjects between 20 and 40 years (26.2 ± 7.6 years) of both sexes were divided into two groups. The 28 facial thermo-anatomic points were selected and the values of minimum (Tmin), mean (Tmed) and maximum (Tmax) temperatures, average of hemiface temperatures of whole sample, temperature difference (ΔT(°C)) between groups and from these data an algorithm was formulated to separate the groups with greater accuracy. Results: There was an average difference of 0.3 °C of all points when comparing the two groups. The symptomatic group had lower maximum temperature for frontal and lateral views when compared to the asymptomatic group (p<0.05), and presented lower average temperature in frontal view (p<0.05). Symptomatic individuals for myogenic TMD presented a reduction of facial cutaneous blood flow corresponding to lower maximum temperature by the proposed method of analysis of thermal anatomical points. Conclusions: Infrared thermography showed potential to be a screening and complementary diagnostic examination method for patients with myogenic temporomandibular disorders in the daily clinic just by frontal face image.