No abstract is provided for this article.
Stainless steel is gaining increasing use in construction because of its durability, favorable mechanical properties, and aesthetic appearance, with the austenitic grades being the most commonly used. Austenitic stainless steels have a high nickel content (8–11%), resulting in high initial material cost and significant price fluctuations; this, despite its desirable properties, represents a considerable disadvantage in terms of material selection. Ferritic stainless steels, having no or very low nickel content, may offer a more viable alternative for structural applications, reducing both the level and variability of the initial material cost while maintaining adequate corrosion resistance. There is currently limited information available on the structural performance of this type of stainless steel. Therefore, to overcome this limitation, a series of material, cross section, and member tests have been performed, covering both the standard EN 1.4003 grade (similar to the chromium weldable structural steel 3Cr12) and the EN 1.4509 grade (441), which has improved weldability and corrosion resistance. In total, 20 tensile coupon tests, 16 compressive coupon tests, eight stub column tests, 15 flexural buckling tests, and eight in-plane bending tests were carried out. Precise measurements of the geometric properties of the test specimens, including the local and global geometric imperfections, were also made. The experimental results are used to assess the applicability of the current European (EN 1993-1-4) and North American (SEI/ASCE-8) provisions to ferritic stainless steel structural components. In addition, the relative structural performance of ferritic stainless steel to that of more commonly used stainless steel grades is also presented, showing ferritic stainless steel to be an attractive choice for structural applications.
<b>Background:</b> Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), a NAD<sup>+</sup>-dependent Class III protein deacetylases, known as a putative anti-ageing enzyme, has been shown to be down-regulated in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is characterized by the accelerated ageing of the lung, associated with increased oxidative stress. Both SIRT1 protein and mRNA are reduced in COPD but the mechanisms for this reduction are unknown. <b>Aims:</b> To identify the role of miR-34a, a microRNA previously linked to reduced SIRT1 function, in the regulation of SIRT1 expression in response to oxidative stress. <b>Methods:</b> Protein levels were determined by western blotting and mi/mRNA expression by real-time PCR. Luciferase assays assessed miRNA binding. <b>Results:</b> miR-34a was elevated in peripheral lung samples from patients with COPD (P<0.05, n=23) compared to non-disease controls (n=12) and correlated with decreased SIRT1 mRNA expression (P<0.05). Oxidative stress with H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (100µM) reduced both SIRT1 mRNA and protein (n=5, P<0.05), with this correlating with increased expression of miR-34a (n=6, P<0.001) in bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS2B). Over-expression of miR-34a mimics, in combination with SIRT1 39-UTR luciferase reporter constructs, suggests miRNA-34a directly binds (n=4, P<0.01). Over-expression of miR-34a mimics also caused significant reduction in both SIRT1 mRNA and protein (n=5, P<0.05), with increased levels of SIRT1 being observed when miR-34a was inhibited (n=5, P<0.01). <b>Conclusions:</b> Our results indicate that miR-34a is induced by oxidative stress, suggesting a potential new mechanism by which increased oxidative stress in lungs of COPD patients may reduce SIRT1 expression. Funding: Wellcome trust Programme Grant.
The mission of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) is to promote respiratory health and alleviate suffering from respiratory disease and it fulfils this goal by promoting science/research, education and advocacy. Among the Society's activities are a successful annual Congress (attended by approximately 20,000 delegates), research fellowships, grants and seminars and a comprehensive educational programme through the ERS School [1–5]. The educational programme encompasses postgraduate courses during the Congress, courses and seminars on various topics throughout the year across Europe, a website with a wealth of educational modules and interactive materials. Importantly, the ERS School has initiated a training programme called Harmonisation in Education in Respiratory Medicine for European Specialists (HERMES), which sets training standards across Europe, runs examination and certification processes for the European Diplomas in Respiratory Medicine and Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, and allows mobility of European specialists. Furthermore, the ERS has a strong advocacy role through its Advocacy Committee and Brussels office, and through the European Lung Foundation (ELF) – the public voice of the ERS, which links with patients and patient organisations, provides information and listens to and empowers the patients' voices. In a dynamic European and global setting, where health priorities in general (and respiratory medicine in particular) are changing rapidly, the ERS is planning to do even more in order to attract the attention of the media and policymakers and to bring more research funding into respiratory medicine. The ERS is proud to be the first major respiratory medicine society to have agreed and launched a public health Presidential plan, which is now being implemented. A series of ERS Summits has been organised since 2011, when the European Respiratory Roadmap , which set out directions for respiratory medicine and research over the next decade, was approved in Leuven (Belgium) and was then …
Since the 1940s when cars and tractors began to replace horses in transport and agriculture, the acreage of oats grown in the UK has decreased dramatically. But recently oats have been receiving renewed attention from food scientists and nutritionists
Tiotropium bromide is a new long-lasting anticholinergic drug which, like ipratropium bromide, is a quaternary ammonium derivative. It binds with high affinity to muscarinic receptors but dissociates very slowly from M(1)- and M(3)-muscarinic receptors. Pharmacology studies have demonstrated a prolonged protective effect against cholinergic agonists and cholinergic nerve stimulation in animal and human airways. In Phase II studies single inhaled doses of tiotropium bromide have a bronchodilator and bronchoprotective effect in asthmatic and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients of over 24 h. In Phase III studies, once daily inhaled tiotropium is an effective bronchodilator in COPD patients, giving great improvement in lung function and reduction in symptoms than ipratropium bromide given four times daily. The drug is well-tolerated and the only side effect of note is dryness of the mouth which occurs in approximately 10% of patients. Since, anticholinergics are the bronchodilators of choice in COPD it is likely that tiotropium bromide will become the most widely used bronchodilator for COPD patients in the future.
