107,234 research outputs found
Participation of c-FLIP in NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation
No full textCellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) is an inhibitor of caspase-8 and is required for macrophage survival. Recent studies have revealed a selective role of caspase-8 in noncanonical IL-1 beta production that is independent of caspase-1 or inflammasome. Here we demonstrated that c-FLIPL is an unexpected contributor to canonical inflammasome activation for the generation of caspase-1 and active IL-1 beta. Hemizygotic deletion of c-FLIP impaired ATP-and monosodium uric acid (MSU)-induced IL-1 beta production in macrophages primed through Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Decreased IL-1 beta expression was attributed to a reduced activation of caspase-1 in c-FLIP hemizygotic cells. In contrast, the production of TNF-alpha was not affected by downregulation in c-FLIP. c-FLIPL interacted with NLRP3 or procaspase-1. c-FLIP is required for the full NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and NLRP3 mitochondrial localization, and c-FLIP is associated with NLRP3 inflammasome. c-FLIP downregulation also reduced AIM2 inflammasome activation. In contrast, c-FLIP inhibited SMAC mimetic-, FasL-, or Dectin-1-induced IL-1 beta generation that is caspase-8-mediated. Our results demonstrate a prominent role of c-FLIPL in the optimal activation of the NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes, and suggest that c-FLIP could be a valid target for treatment of inflammatory diseases caused by over-activation of inflammasomes
Interview with Theodore Y. Wu
Full text linkAn interview in three sessions, February-March 2002, with Theodore Y. Wu, professor of engineering science, emeritus, in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science. Dr. Wu was born in China and received his BSc from Chiao-Tung University (1946), his MS from Iowa State University (1948), and his PhD from Caltech (1952).
In this interview, he recalls his boyhood and tribulations during Japan's invasion of China in World War II, his emigration and matriculation at Iowa State in 1948, and his arrival at Caltech a year later. Recollections of H. S. Tsien, R. A. Millikan, Theodore von Kármán, Julian Cole. Works with Paco Lagerstrom's aeronautics group developing asymptotic perturbation method pioneered by Ludwig Prandtl. Joins faculty as a research fellow in 1952. Interest in hydrodynamics. Origins of the department of engineering science in the mid-1950s by Tsien, Milton Plesset, and Charles De Prima.
Interest in bioengineering, beginning in 1960; studies bird flight and fish locomotion. Discusses influence of G. I. Taylor and James Lighthill, and recalls his own work on flagellar and ciliary motion of microorganisms. Caltech's 1974 pioneering symposium on Swimming and Flying in Nature; new field of biofluiddynamics. Recollections of Y. C. (Burt) Fung.
Recalls his sabbatical, 1964-65, at University of Hamburg with Georg Weinblum. Joins Advisory Committee for Reactor Safeguards. Recollections of Caltech presidents Lee DuBridge and Marvin L. Goldberger. Visit to China in 1979.
Discusses his work, since 1996 retirement, on modeling of water waves; solitons and tsunamis. Concludes with comments on good relations between Chinese and Chinese American scientists and the flood of Chinese students to US for graduate work in late 1970s, after reestablishment of diplomatic relations
Pseudo-static analysis of cracked c-φslope subjected to earthquakes by variational method
No full textControl and Filtering for Discrete Linear Repetitive Processes with H infty and ell 2--ell infty Performance
No full textRepetitive processes are characterized by a series of sweeps, termed passes, through a set of dynamics defined over a finite duration known as the pass length. On each pass an output, termed the pass profile, is produced which acts as a forcing function on, and hence contributes to, the dynamics of the next pass profile. This can lead to oscillations which increase in amplitude in the pass to pass direction and cannot be controlled by standard control laws. Here we give new results on the design of physically based control laws for the sub-class of so-called discrete linear repetitive processes which arise in applications areas such as iterative learning control. The main contribution is to show how control law design can be undertaken within the framework of a general robust filtering problem with guaranteed levels of performance. In particular, we develop algorithms for the design of an H? and dynamic output feedback controller and filter which guarantees that the resulting controlled (filtering error) process, respectively, is stable along the pass and has prescribed disturbance attenuation performance as measured by and – norms
Cidariplura shanmeii Wu & Owada 2013
No full textCidariplura shanmeii Wu & Owada, 2013 (Figs 17, 18, 28, 43, 53) Cidariplura gladiata ab. ochreimacula Strand, 1919: 149, aberration, unavailable infrasubspecific name. Cidariplura gladiata: Wang, 1994: 397; Wang, 2001: 12, nec Butler, 1879. Cidariplura shanmeii Wu & Owada, in Wu et al., 2013: 148, figs 3, 4, 7, 8, part. Type material. Holotype, ♂, Taiwan, Chiayi Co., Shanmei, 800 m, 8. VII. 2011, TFRI128721, S. Wu & W. C. Chang leg. (TFRI) (Fig. 17). Paratypes (8♂ 5♀): Taiwan, the same collecting locality as that of the holotype, 1♂, 5. VIII. 2011, W. C. Chang & S. Wu leg.; the same locality, 1♂, 2. XI. 2011, W. C. Chang & S. Wu leg.; Nantou, Lianhuachi, 600 m, 1♂, 21. V. 2009, C. C. Kuo leg.; the same locality, 1♂, 10. V. 2010, TFRI151527, C. C. Kuo leg.; the same locality, 3♂, 23. VII. 2009, C. C. Kuo leg.; the same locality, 1♂, 12. VII. 2010, C. C. Kuo leg.; 1♂, 10. VIII. 2010, C. C. Kuo leg.; Pingtung, Shouka, 1♀, 450 m, 27. X. 2011, Y. C. Lin leg.; the same locality, 2♀, 22. III. 2012, Y. C. Lin leg.; the same locality, 1♂, 19. VII. 2012, Y. C. Lin leg.; the same locality, 2♀, 15. VIII. 2012, Y. C. Lin leg.; Hualien, Guanfu, 1 ♂, 180 m, 9. VIII. 2010, leg. Y. C. Lin leg.; the same locality, 1♂, 13. IX. 2010, Y. C. Lin leg. (TFRI). Additional material examined. Taiwan. Ilan, Fushan Botanical Garden, 700 m, 1♂, 12, 15–16. VI. 2015, NSMT3305 ♂, M. Owada & S. Wu leg.; the same locality, 2♂ 1♀, 12. V. 2019, NSMT3474 ♂, NSMT3475 ♀, M. Owada & S. Wu leg. (NSMT); Nantou, Lienhuachih [=Lianhuachi], 700 m, 2♂, 17–18. VII. 2012, NSMT3297 ♂ (NSMT), NSMT3300 ♂ (ESRI), M. Owada & L. Shih leg., Huisun Linchang, 770 m, 2♂, 21–22. VI. 2017, NSMT3306 ♂ (NSMT), NSMT3307 ♂ (ESRI), M. Owada & L. Shih leg., Aowanda, 1,000 m, 1♂, 9. V. 2013, NSMT3281 ♂ (NSMT), M. Owada, L. Shih & Y. Chen leg. Notes. Wu et al. (2013) described C. shanmeii with the illustration of the holotype of C. shanmeii, however the illustrated structures in Wu et al. (2013: figs 37, 38, male; 64, female; 69, labial palpus; 80, male foreleg), actually belong to the new species, C. hbun sp. nov., described below. Diagnosis. Externally C. shanmeii and C. hbun are difficult to be separated, but the former species can be distinguished from the latter by the narrowed white forewing discocellular spot, rather than a wider and more yellowish-white spot; the costal process of the valva is digitiform rather than stouter and curved downwards; the distinctively shorter distal portion of valva rather than nearly equal in length as costal process; the digitiform, straight costal process rather than curved ventrally and tapering; the saccular process is extremely small and curved rather than robust and rod-like pointing parallelly with distal portion of valva; the ductus bursae is extremely narrowed compared to the moderate width of other species in the complex. Re-description. Due to the existence of specimens belonging to both C. shanmeii and C. hbun sp. nov. in the paratype series of C. shanmeii (sensu Wu & Owada, in Wu et al., 2013), we re-describe C. shanmeii herein to clarify the identity of that species. Measurements. Forewing length 12–14 mm in males (n= 17); 12–14 mm in females (n= 5). Eye round; antenna ciliate, male with a pair of long bristles on each segment, length of bristle 2 X diameter of shaft in median region. Head, all segments of thorax as well as femur, tibia and 1st tarsal segment chocolate brown. Male labial palpus (Fig. 28) modified as follows: 1st segment very long, upcurved along frons, surpassing vertex, smoothly covered with ordinary scales; 2nd segment bent at a right angle from the 1st, slender, slightly curved, 0. 5 X shorter than 1st, reaching the anterior part of thorax, internally with specialized ochreous scales which are elongated and enlarged at their apices; 3rd segment long, 3 X longer than 2nd, basal part of labial palpus as wide as medial part, internally with long ochreous scales slender and almost twice as long as those in the 2 nd segment. Labial palpus in female: 3 rd shorter than 2 nd, slender, tapering towards apex. Legs: male foretibia with apical spine. Forewing broad, slightly excurved, apex nearly forming right angle; ground coloration chocolate brown; antemedial and postmedial line slender, light ochreous, the former oblique, wave-like, the latter smoothly excurved outward at discal cell part; discocellular spot white, slender and lunate-shaped; submarginal line slender, ochreous, wave-like; outer margin ochreous; marginal scales chocolate brown. Hindwing chocolate brown; medial line ochreous with one ochreous spot situating at outside of tornal area; outer margin ochreous; marginal scales chocolate brown. Abdomen brown, 8th segment unmodified. Male genitalia (Fig. 43)—Uncus broad, stout, apex hook-like. Tegumen and vinculum long, equal in length; saccus V-shaped, medial part elongated anteriorly. Valva trifurcate, costal process, straight and digitiform, distal portion of valva broad, saccular process short, curved and digitiform. Juxta plate-like, transtilla indistinct. Aedeagus stout, straight, 1. 25 X longer than valva; vesica densly scobinate without cornutus. Female genitalia (Fig. 53)—Papillae anales membranous with short hair-like setae; both pairs of apophyses slender, moderate length; ductus bursae as long as corpus bursae, with a pair of slender lateral sclerites. Corpus bursae elliptical, basal half part surrounded by dense internal spinose patch; ductus seminalis arising from lateral base of corpus bursae, broadened and coiled basally. Distribution and phenology. Endemic to Taiwan. The adults occasionally occur from March to November.Published as part of Wu, Shipher, Owada, Mamoru & Wang, Min, 2019, Review of Cidariplura Butler, 1879 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Herminiinae). Part 1: the Cidariplura gladiata species complex, pp. 489-502 in Zootaxa 4668 (4) on pages 497-498, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4668.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/344986
Molecular Biological and Epidemiological Studies of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection in Taiwan
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