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Vehicle pose detection plays a vital role in modern automotive technology, which can improve driving safety, enhance vehicle stability and provide important support for the development of autonomous driving technology. The current pose estimation methods have the problems of accumulation errors, large algorithm computing power, and expensive cost, so they cannot be widely used in intelligent connected vehicles. This paper proposes a vehicle pose detection method based on an RSU (Roadside Unit). First, the on-board GPS performs the positioning of the target vehicle and transmits the positioning information to the RSU through the UDP (User Data Protocol). Next, the RSU transmits a forward command to the OBU (On-board Unit) through the UDP. The OBU sends the command to the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to control the vehicle forward. Then, the RSU detects and tracks the vehicle. The RSU takes pictures of two images before and after the movement and obtains the coordinates of the four angle points and the center point by image processing. The vehicle heading direction is determined by the moving direction of the center point of the front and rear two images. Finally, the RSU captures the vehicle images in real time, performs the process of tracking, rectangular fitting and pose calculation to obtain the pose information and transmits the information to the OBU to complete the whole process of vehicle pose detection and information transmission. Experiments show that the method can realize accurate and efficient detection of vehicle pose, meet the real-time requirements of vehicle pose detection, and can be widely used in intelligent vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important developments in the energy industry is the evolution of smart grids, which record minute details of voltage levels, energy usage, and other critical electrical variables through General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)-enabled meters. This phenomenon creates an extensive dataset for the optimization of the grid system. However, the minute-by-minute energy details recorded by GPRS meters are challenging to store and manage in physical storage resources (old techniques lead to a memory shortage). This study investigates using the distributed file system, replicated Gluster, as a reliable storage option for handling and protecting the enormous volumes of data produced by smart grid components. This study performs two essential tasks. (1) The storage of virtual data received from GPRS meters and load flow analysis of SynerGee Electric 4.0 software from the smart grid (we have extracted electrical data from 16 outgoing feeders, distributed lines, in this manuscript). (2) Tele-trafficking is performed to check the performance of replicated Gluster (RG) for virtual data (electrical data received from the smart grid) storage in terms of User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), data flow, and jitter delays. This storage technique provides more opportuni11ty to analyze and perform smart techniques efficiently for future requirement, analysis, and load estimation in smart grids compared to traditional storage methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this scientific article a comprehensive investigation of the network traffic using the command-line packets sniffer Tcpdump in kali Linux is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this scientific article a basic network penetration testing with the network tool Netcat in Linux-based operating systems is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Ubiquitin‐like domain‐containing proteins (UDPs) are involved in the ubiquitin‐proteasome system because of their ability to interact with the 26S proteasome. Here, we identified potato StUDP as a target of the Phytophthora infestans RXLR effector Pi06432 (PITG_06432), which supresses the salicylic acid (SA)‐related immune pathway.By overexpressing and silencing of StUDP in potato, we show that StUDP negatively regulates plant immunity against P. infestans. StUDP interacts with, and destabilizes, the 26S proteasome subunit that is referred to as REGULATORY PARTICLE TRIPLE‐A ATP‐ASE (RPT) subunit StRPT3b. This destabilization represses the proteasome activity. Proteomic analysis and Western blotting show that StUDP decreases the stability of the master transcription factor SYSTEMIC ACQUIRED RESISTANCE DEFICIENT 1 (SARD1) in SA biosynthesis.StUDP negatively regulates the SA signalling pathway by repressing the proteasome activity and destabilizing StSARD1, leading to a decreased expression of the SARD1‐targeted gene ISOCHORISMATE SYNTHASE 1 and thereby a decrease in SA content. Pi06432 stabilizes StUDP, and it depends on StUDP to destabilize StRPT3b and thereby supress the proteasome activity.Our study reveals that the P. infestans effector Pi06432 targets StUDP to hamper the homeostasis of the proteasome by the degradation of the proteasome subunit StRPT3b and thereby suppresses SA‐related immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perception and vehicle control remain major challenges in the autonomous driving domain. To find a proper system configuration, thorough testing is needed. Recent advances in graphics and physics simulation allow researchers to build highly realistic simulations that can be used for testing in safety-critical domains and inaccessible environments. Despite the high complexity of urban environments, it is the non-urban areas that are more challenging. Nevertheless, the existing simulators focus mainly on urban driving. Therefore, in this work, we describe our approach to building a flexible real-time testing platform for unmanned ground vehicles for indoor and off-road environments. Our platform consists of our original simulator, robotic operating system (ROS), and a bridge between them. To enable compatibility and real-time communication with ROS, we generate data interchangeable with real-life readings and propose our original communication solution, UDP Bridge, that enables up to 9.5 times faster communication than the existing solution, ROS#. As a result, all of the autonomy algorithms can be run in real-time directly in ROS, which is how we obtained our experimental results. We provide detailed descriptions of the components used to build our integrated platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White matter (WM) is a highly prominent feature in the human cerebrum and is comprised of bundles of myelinated axons that form the connectome of the brain. Myelin is formed by oligodendrocytes and is essential for rapid neuronal electrical communication that underlies the massive computing power of the human brain. Oligodendrocytes are generated throughout life by oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), which are identified by expression of the chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan NG2 (Cspg4), and are often termed NG2-glia. Adult NG2+ OPCs are slowly proliferating cells that have the stem cell–like property of self-renewal and differentiation into a pool of 'late OPCs' or 'differentiation committed' OPCs(COPs) identified by specific expression of the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR17, which are capable of differentiation into myelinating oligodendrocytes. In the adult brain, these reservoirs of OPCs and COPs ensure rapid myelination of new neuronal connections formed in response to neuronal signalling, which underpins learning and cognitive function. However, there is an age-related decline in myelination that is associated with a loss of neuronal function and cognitive decline. The underlying causes of myelin loss in ageing are manifold, but a key factor is the decay in OPC 'stemness' and a decline in their replenishment of COPs, which results in the ultimate failure of myelin regeneration. These changes in ageing OPCs are underpinned by dysregulation of neuronal signalling and OPC metabolic function. Here, we highlight the role of purine signalling in regulating OPC self-renewal and the potential importance of GPR17 and the P2X7 receptor subtype in age-related changes in OPC metabolism. Moreover, age is the main factor in the failure of myelination in chronic multiple sclerosis and myelin loss in Alzheimer's disease, hence understanding the importance of purine signalling in OPC regeneration and myelination is critical for developing new strategies for promoting repair in age-dependent neuropathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, many applications, e.g., network routers, distributed data process engines, firewall, need to transfer packets at linear rate. With the increasing data volume, the performance of cluster in data center is suffering increasingly severe congestion problem of massive message packets. Constructing a high-performance stream methodology of massive small message packets is fundamentally challenging. Although many works have been proposed to address the shortcomings, inefficiency of sending massive small packets via UDP protocol in traditional Linux kernel implementation is persisting, which includes high overhead from socket operations, suboptimal scalability in multi-core systems, nonsupport of multiple network interface card (NIC) ports. In this paper, we present FastUDP, a highly efficient and scalable user-level UDP-based network stack optimization in multi-core systems. FastUDP addresses the inefficiencies from the following three novel designs: (1) enabling the exclusive thread model for improving scalability; (2) adopting a poll mode and batched operation for increasing computing resource utilization; (3) constructing a shared hugepage memory pool to eliminate the context switch overhead. Moreover, to support high throughput, FastUDP also proposes a novel work-queue-based approach to allow concurrent packet to transfer over multiple NIC ports. Based on a 40-core machine, the evaluation shows that FastUDP represents a significant improvement in the packet transfer throughput by up to 13× and reduces the packet transfer latency by up to 4.14× compared to the latest Linux (4.4.0) UDP stack. Besides, it ameliorates the performance of realistic application (memcached) by 36 to 67% compared to those on the Linux stack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud communication is an intrinsic aspect of cloud architecture. It is an internet-based communication that enables access to millions of cloud services. These services are provided using TCP/UDP-based communications and protected by traditional security protocols (e.g., SSL/ TLS/DTLS). However, security threats in cloud communications become the most serious issue nowadays. To address some of the shortcomings of traditional security protocols, we propose a secure cloud communication architecture (Graphene) for both TCP- and UDP-based communications. Graphene can provide security for data-in-transit and authenticity of cloud users and cloud service providers. It protects the communication channel against most common attacks such as man-in-the-middle (including eavesdropping, sniffing, identity spoofing, and data tampering), sensitive information disclosure, replay, compromised-key, repudiation, and session hijacking attacks. This work also involves the designing of a novel high-performance cloud-focused security protocol that works for both TCP and UDP communications. Especially for UDP, it uses an asynchronous re-transmission mechanism to ensure datagram delivery. This protocol efficiently utilizes the strength and speed of symmetric block encryption with Galois/Counter mode, cryptographic hash, public key cryptography, and ephemeral key-exchange. It provides faster reconnection facility for supporting frequent connectivity and dealing with connection trade-offs. The security analysis of Graphene shows promising protection against the above discussed attacks. Graphene also outperforms TLSv1.3 (the latest stable version among the SSL successors) and DTLSv1.2 (the latest stable version of datagram TLS) in performance and bandwidth consumption significantly and shows reasonable memory usage at the server side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current User Datagram Protocol (UDP) causes unfairness and bufferbloats to delay sensitive applications due to the uncontrolled congestion and monopolization of available bandwidth.This causes call drops and frequent communication/connection loss in delay sensitive applications such as VoIP. We present a Responsive Control Protocol using Bottleneck Bandwidth and Round trip propagation time (RCP-BBR) as an alternate solution to UDP. RCP-BBR achieves low latency, high throughput, and low call drops ratio by efficiently customizing Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Bottleneck Bandwidth and Round-trip propagation time (TCP-BBR) congestion control. We conducted comprehensive experiments, and the results show that proposed protocol achieves better throughput over UDP in stable networks. Moreover, in unstable and long-distanced networks, RCP-BBR achieved smaller queues in deep buffers and lower delays as compared to UDP, which performed poorly by keeping delays above the call drop threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VoIP data is transmitted through a transport protocol called user datagram protocol (UDP) which is intrinsically unreliable. The quality of the voice or multimedia trasmitted during a VoIP session is not much affected after a few packet loss. However, if a secret message is embedded inside VoIP packets using any steganographic method, the integrity of the secret message can be undermined due to the packets being lost during transmission. In this paper, we propose a scheme which is capable of enhancing the reliability of any VoIP steganographic method. We first distribute k message bits into k successive RTP packets. Then, parity bits are used for reconstruction of lost bits caused by packet loss. The implementation of our scheme on matrix embedding using binary Hamming codes steganography results in a reasonable reliability, a good speech quality and a very high steganographic bandwidth of 3050 bps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Durum wheat is mainly used in pasta production, but may also be used as animal feed, for example as concentrate for dairy cows. Data on the ruminal degradation of Durum grains are scarce. Hence, the objective of the present study was to describe ruminal in situ crude protein (CP) and starch (ST) degradation, to investigate in vitro gas production kinetics, and to estimate utilisable CP at the duodenum (uCP) in vitro of five Durum varieties from three growing locations. Metabolisable energy (ME) and digestibility of organic matter (dOM) were also estimated using in vitro data. In situ incubations were conducted in three lactating jersey cows over defined timespans from 1 to 72 hr. Ruminal degradation parameters were estimated using exponential regression, and effective ruminal degradation was predicted for a ruminal passage rate of 8%/hr (ED8). In situ CP (a = 11%–19%; b = 80%–88%; c = 23%–33%/hr) and ST (a = 22%–39%; b = 60%–78%; c = 61%–123%/hr) degradation kinetics varied among samples and were influenced by location. Some samples showed a remarkably high ST degradation rate of up to 123%/h, which can significantly influence rumen pH and health when high amounts are incorporated into dairy rations. However, the ED of CP (77%–82%) and ST (91%–95%), and the in vitro estimates of ME (13.6–14.1 MJ/kg DM), dOM (92%–96%), and uCP (183–195 k/g DM) varied within a relatively small range. Hence, it may be adequate to use the mean values of these Durum grain characteristics when rations for ruminants are calculated and a differentiation depending on variety and location may not be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglial calcium signaling is rare in a baseline state but strongly engaged during early epilepsy development. The mechanism(s) governing microglial calcium signaling are not known. By developing an in vivo uridine diphosphate (UDP) fluorescent sensor, GRAB UDP1.0 , we discovered that UDP release is a conserved response to seizures and excitotoxicity across brain regions. UDP can signal through the microglial-enriched P2Y 6 receptor to increase calcium activity during epileptogenesis. P2Y 6 calcium activity is associated with lysosome biogenesis and enhanced production of NF-κB-related cytokines. In the hippocampus, knockout of the P2Y 6 receptor prevents microglia from fully engulfing neurons. Attenuating microglial calcium signaling through calcium extruder ("CalEx") expression recapitulates multiple features of P2Y 6 knockout, including reduced lysosome biogenesis and phagocytic interactions. Ultimately, P2Y 6 knockout mice retain more CA3 neurons and better cognitive task performance during epileptogenesis. Our results demonstrate that P2Y 6 signaling impacts multiple aspects of myeloid cell immune function during epileptogenesis. [Display omitted] • A UDP1.0 sensor reports enhanced UDP release following hyperexcitability • UDP-P2Y 6 signaling transduces microglial calcium activity in epileptogenesis • P2Y 6 signaling enhances lysosome biogenesis and inflammatory cytokine production • Preventing P2Y 6 signaling preserves neurons and cognition Umpierre, Li, et al. demonstrate that post-seizure UDP release can activate microglial calcium activity through the P2Y 6 receptor. UDP-P2Y 6 signaling engages multiple aspects of immune function during early epilepsy development, including engulfment of neuronal somata and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. P2Y 6 deficiency attenuates pyramidal cell loss and cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genome plasticity of Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for the reduced efficacy of various antibiotics and capsular polysaccharide-based vaccines. Therefore, targets independent of capsular types are sought to control the pneumococcal pathogenicity. UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) is one such desired candidate being responsible for the synthesis of UDP-glucose, a sugar precursor in capsular biosynthesis and metabolic Leloir pathway. Being crucial to pneumococcal pathobiology, the effect of UGPase inhibition on virulence was evaluated in vitro. Methods: A putative inhibitor, uridine diphosphate (UDP), was evaluated for effective inhibitory concentration in S. pneumoniae and A549 cells, its efficacy and toxicity. The effect of UDP on adherence and phagocytosis was measured in human respiratory epithelial (A549 and HEp-2) and macrophage (THP1 and J774.A.1) cell lines respectively. Results: A differential effective inhibitory concentration of UDP for UGPase inhibition was observed in S. pneumoniae and A549 cells, that is, 5 and 100 µM respectively. UDP treatments lowered percent cytotoxicity in pneumococcal-infected monolayers and didn't exert adverse effects on viabilities. S. pneumoniae adherence to host cells decreased significantly with UDP treatments. UDP induced the secretion of interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, IL-6, and IL-8 and increased pneumococcal phagocytosis. Conclusion: Our study shows UDP-mediated decrease in the virulence of S. pneumoniae and demonstrates UDP as an effective inhibitor of pneumococcal UGPase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract O-linked N -acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) is an essential enzyme that catalyzes the covalent bonding of N -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to the hydroxyl group of a serine or threonine in the target protein. It plays an important role in many important cellular physiological catalytic reactions. Here, we determine the binding mode and the binding free energy of the OGT product (uridine diphosphate, UDP) as well as the hydrogen-bond-dependent release mechanism using extensive molecular dynamic simulations. The Lys634, Asn838, Gln839, Lys842, His901, and Asp925 residues were identified to play a major role in the UDP stabilization in the active site of OGT, where hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions mainly occur. The calculations on the mutant forms support our results. Sixteen possible release channels were identified while the two most favorable channels were determined using random acceleration molecular dynamics (RAMD) simulations combined with the constant velocity pulling (PCV) method. The thermodynamic and dynamic properties as along with the corresponding mechanism were determined and discussed according to the umbrella sampling technique. For the most optimal channel, the main free energy barrier is 13 kcal/mol, which probably originates from the hydrogen bonds between UDP and the Ala896 and Asp925 residues. Moreover, the unstable hydrogen bonds and the rollback of the ligand likely cause the other two small obstacles. This work clarifies the ligand transport mechanism in the OGT enzymatic process and is a great resource for designing inhibitors based on UDP or UDP-GlcNAc. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Sixteen plausible channels for UDP transportation in OGT are detected. • The key residues that influence the UDP binding and release are identified. • The thermodynamic and dynamic properties for the most two favorable channels of UDP release are obtained. • Hydrogen-bond-dependent product release mechanism in OGT is first revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the immunocompetent cells of the central nervous system, microglia accumulate at amyloid beta plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and acquire a morphological phenotype of activated microglia. Recent functional studies, however, indicate that in mouse models of amyloidosis and AD, these cells are rather dysfunctional indicated by a reduced phagocytic activity. Here, we report that this reduction in phagocytic activity is associated with perturbed purinergic receptor signaling, since phagocytosis could be stimulated by P2Y 6 receptor activation in control, but not in 5xFAD transgenic animals, an animal model of amyloid deposition. Impaired phagocytosis is not innate, and develops only at later stages of amyloidosis. Furthermore, we show that membrane currents induced by uridine diphosphate, a ligand activating P2Y 6 receptors, are altered in response rate and amplitude in microglia in close vicinity to plaques, but not in plaque-free areas of 5xFAD animals. These changes were accompanied by changes in membrane properties and potassium channel activity of plaque-associated microglia in early and late stages of amyloidosis. As a conclusion, the physiological properties of plaque-associated microglia are altered with a strong impact on purinergic signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background P2Y purinergic receptors (P2YR) are G protein-coupled receptors that are stimulated by extracellular nucleotides. They mediate cellular effects by regulating cAMP production, protein kinase C activation, inositol trisphosphate generation, and Ca 2+ release from intracellular stores. The P2Y6 receptor of this family is selectively stimulated by UDP, and selectively inhibited by MRS2578. In the present study, we examined the effect of UDP/P2Y6 receptor signaling on IgE-dependent degranulation in human basophils. Methods Basophils were purified from human peripheral blood. The mRNA expression of genes encoding P2YR and ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (ENTPDase) was measured by RT-PCR. Intracellular Ca 2+ influx via UDP/P2Y6 receptor signaling in basophils was detected using a calcium probe. The effect of UDP/P2Y6 receptor signaling on IgE-dependent degranulation in basophils was confirmed by measuring CD63 expression by flow cytometry. Autocrine secretion of nucleotides was detected by HPLC analysis. Results We showed that purified basophils express P2Y6 mRNA and that UDP increased intracellular Ca 2+ , which was reduced by MRS2578 treatment. UDP promoted IgE-dependent degranulation. Furthermore, MRS2578 inhibited IgE-dependent degranulation in basophils. HPLC analysis indicated that basophils spontaneously secrete UTP. In addition, basophils expressed the extracellular nucleotide hydrolases ENTPDase2, ENTPDase3, and ENTPDase8. Conclusions This study showed that UDP/P2Y6 receptor signaling is involved in the regulation of IgE-dependent degranulation in basophils, which might stimulate the P2Y6 receptor via the autocrine secretion of UTP. Thus, this receptor represents a potential target to regulate IgE-dependent degranulation in basophils during allergic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1, 8-naphtylimide-based probe 1 was developed for fluorescence sensing of uridine diphosphate (UDP). Probe 1 selectively recognized UDP in solvant system (DMSO-H 2 O) over other structurally similar nucleotides. Among all the tested targets, only the addition of UDP resulted in fluorescence enhancement of about 13-fold. Probe 1 , the first receptor moiety without metal center, could recognize UDP only by multi H-bonds formed between the organic ligand and the base group in nucleotide. Moreover, probe 1 exhibited excellent cell permeability. The fluorescence imaging of UDP by probe 1 in Hela cells and Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) demonstrated its potential as a fluorescent sensor for in vivo imaging of UDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is usual that the applications executed in data centers require the distribution of the same data from one node to others at various execution points and that some of them require to cope with multiple of these diffusions in parallel. Multicast-based communications are an alternative solution to sending data efficiently to multiple nodes. This paper proposes a novel technique which offers reliability and congestion control in the multi-multicast transfers in data center networks. The proposal is based on: (1) a new congestion control mechanism, which monitors the control information of the receivers, reducing the server injection rate, (2) taking advantage of the switch diffusion hardware, and (3) using IGMP snooping, which allows a network switch to multicast a packet just to the output links with host receivers joined to a multicast group. The implementation is made at user level and uses the UDP interface. Evaluation tests are performed in a CentOS-based cluster composed of 12 servers in the presence of multiple diffusions at the same time. Test results show improvements in the global bandwidth, avoid network saturation, and reduce overhead included by unicast communications in data transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster platforms have an important role in high performance computing (HPC). They execute cloud computing, data-intensive computing and data center applications, which are supported on distributed file systems. The implementation of data redundancy in these file systems provides a support for high availability and error tolerance. This work proposes an implementation of redundant data storage based on the storage included in the cluster nodes, instead of more expensive approaches with a dedicated storage and network, and on multi-multicast transfers, instead on unicast transfers, to perform the multiple simultaneous data diffusion required for implementing redundant data storage. The proposal applies a recently proposed congestion control scheme that adjusts the sender injection rate, taking into account control information from the receiver nodes and the storage technology available on the cluster nodes. The implementation takes full advantage of the switch diffusion hardware and of the IGMP snooping capability of current switches, which allows to multicast a packet just to the output links with receivers joined to a multicast group. It is made at the user level directly on the UDP interface. Evaluation tests with multiple simultaneous storage accesses were performed in a CentOS cluster. Test results show a more efficient use of the cluster storage. The global bandwidth improves by using hardware related to the storage (network and storage devices) more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-forming cells in the CNS. They enwrap axons, thus permitting fast impulse transmission and exerting trophic actions on neurons. Demyelination accompanied by neurological deficit is a rather frequent condition that is not only associated with multiple sclerosis but has been also recognized in several other neurodegenerative diseases, including brain trauma and stroke, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Recently, alterations of myelin function have been also reported in neuropsychiatric diseases, like depression and autism. Highly relevant for therapeutic purposes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) still persist in the adult brain and spinal cord. These cells are normally rather quiescent, but under specific circumstances, they can be stimulated to undergo differentiation and generate mature myelinating oligodendrocytes. Thus, approaches aimed at restoring myelin integrity and at fostering a correct oligodendrocyte function are now viewed as novel therapeutic opportunities for both neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Both OPCs and mature oligodendrocytes express purinergic receptors. For some of these receptors, expression is restricted at specific differentiation stages, suggesting key roles in OPCs maturation and myelination. Some of these receptors are altered under demyelinating conditions, suggesting that their dysregulation may contribute to disease development and could represent adequate new targets for remyelinating therapies. Here, we shall describe the current literature available on all these receptors, with special emphasis on the P2Y-like GPR17 receptor, that represents one of the most studied receptor subtypes in these cells. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled ‘Purines in Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Müller cells, the primary macroglia of the retina, support various functions of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Here, we demonstrate a nucleotide-mediated communication between these two types of cells, by which Müller cells control neurite outgrowth of RGCs by activation of P2 receptors such as P2Y6. Cultured mouse RGCs had significantly enhanced neurite outgrowth when cultured with either cultured mouse Müller cells or conditioned medium derived from Müller cells, and this was completely inhibited by the nucleotide-degrading enzyme, apyrase. This increase in outgrowth was mimicked by exogenously applied nucleotides such as ATP, uridine triphosphate, and uridine diphosphate. Pharmacological and genetic analysis revealed that P2Y6 receptor in RGCs was responsible for the increased neurite outgrowth. P2Y6 receptor was expressed in the ganglion cell layer of the retina and in RGC primary cultures. High performance liquid chromatography has revealed that Müller cells constitutively release uridine triphosphate, which is immediately metabolized into uridine diphosphate, an endogenous agonist for P2Y6 receptor. In the in vitro ocular hypertension model (i.e., glaucoma model), neurite outgrowth in RGCs was significantly reduced, which was associated with a decrease in P2Y6 receptors. Taken together, Müller cells control neurite outgrowth of RGCs by activating P2 receptors such as P2Y6 receptor, and the receptor expression level might be down-regulated in glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P2Y 6 receptor (P2Y 6 -R) is involved in various physiological and pathophysiological events. With a view to set rules for the design of UDP-based reversible P2Y 6 -R antagonists as potential drugs, we established structure–activity relationship of UDP analogues, bearing modifications at the uracil ring, ribose moiety, and the phosphate chain. For instance, C5-phenyl- or 3-NMe-uridine-5′-α,β-methylene-diphosphonate, 16 and 23 , or lack of 2′-OH, in 12 – 15 , resulted in loss of both agonist and antagonist activity toward hP2Y 6 -R. However, uridylyl phosphosulfate, 19 , selectively inhibited hP2Y 6 -R (IC 50 112 μM) versus P2Y 2 / 4 -Rs. In summary, we have established a comprehensive SAR for hP2Y 6 -R ligands towards the development of hP2Y 6 -R antagonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pattern recognition, feature extraction techniques have been widely employed to reduce the high dimensionality of data. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm called fuzzy local discriminant embedding (FLDE) based on the unsupervised discriminant projection criterion and fuzzy set theory for image feature extraction and recognition. In the proposed method, a membership degree matrix is firstly calculated using the fuzzy k -nearest neighbor (FKNN) algorithm, and then the membership degree and the label information are incorporated into the definition of the weighted matrices to get the fuzzy local scatter and fuzzy nonlocal scatter. After characterizing the fuzzy nonlocal scatter and the fuzzy local scatter, a concise feature extraction criterion is derived via maximizing the ratio between them. Experimental results on the ORL, FERET, and CMU PIE face databases show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates, analyzes and compares the performance of WiMAX technology implemented in the frequency of 3.5 GHz link, performing quality tests and VoIP performance metrics such as throughput, RSSI and SNR using TCP and UDP traffic. In order to reach this goal, a point to point topology was developed between a base station located in the San José de Bavaria in the city of Bogota and a user terminal located at different distances from it, and under different scenarios. Additionally a validation of a theoretical model of deterministic prediction regarding the measurements was proposed. The results obtained are shown in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most of the data traffic in Internet is HTTP-based, multimedia applications will soon dominate a large percentage of the traffic. These applications require satisfactory level of bandwidth as they normally have large datasets. Under the limitation of network bandwidth, multimedia traffic may become a source for congestion; particularly when UDP is used due to the absence of flow control or congestion control mechanisms in this protocol. Avoiding congestion can be done if arrival rate to gateways is maintained close to outgoing link capacity while maintain small queue lengths at the routers. This guarantees the availability of buffer capacity for successful buffering and consequent forwarding in case of temporary traffic upsurges which could otherwise cause buffer overflows and packet loss. This research work introduces a congestion-aware and friendly UDP-based multimedia system which can help to lessening congestion occurrence and improve network performance, principally in real-time environments. The evaluation results show that the proposed system helps in controlling congestion, reducing packet loss, increasing throughput, and providing improved network utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uridine nucleotides uridine-5′-triphosphate (UTP) and uridine-5′-diphosphate (UDP) have previously been identified in media from cultured cells. However, no study to date has demonstrated their presence in brain extracellular fluid (ECF) obtained in vivo. Using a novel method, we now show that UTP and UDP, as well as uridine, are detectable in dialysates of striatal ECF obtained from freely-moving rats. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of uridine or exposure of striatum to depolarizing concentrations of potassium chloride increases extracellular uridine, UTP and UDP, while tetrodotoxin (TTX) decreases their ECF levels. Uridine administration also enhances cholinergic neurotransmission which is accompanied by enhanced brain levels of diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol trisphosphate (IP 3 ) and blocked by suramin, but not by PPADS (pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonic acid) or MRS2578 suggesting a possible mediation of P2Y2 receptors activated by UTP. These observations suggest that uridine, UTP and UDP may function as pyrimidinergic neurotransmitters, and that enhancement of such neurotransmission underlies pharmacologic effects of exogenous uridine on the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular nucleotides act as inflammatory mediators through activation of multiple purinoceptors. Under inflammatory conditions, the purinergic signalling is affected by various inflammatory mediators. We previously showed that prostaglandin (PG) E 2 suppressed the elevation of intracellular Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+ ]i) stimulated by P2X 4 , P2Y 2 , and P2Y 6 receptors in J774 murine macrophages. In this study, we examined the mechanism of PGE 2 inhibitory effects on P2Y 6 receptor-mediated function in J774 cells. The P2Y 6 receptor agonist UDP induced a sustained elevation of [Ca 2+ ]i by stimulating the phospholipase C (PLC) signalling pathway. PGE 2 inhibited [Ca 2+ ]i elevation and phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis in a concentration-dependent manner. J774 cells highly expressed the E-type prostanoid 2 (EP2) receptor subtype, a Gs-coupled receptor. PGE 2 and a selective EP2 receptor agonist caused cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation in J774 cells. The inhibitory effects of PGE 2 on P2Y 6 receptor-mediated responses were mimicked by the selective EP2 receptor agonist. Although EP2 receptor is linked to adenylyl cyclase activation, PGE 2 -induced inhibition of Ca 2+ response and PI hydrolysis could not be mimicked by a lipophilic cAMP derivative, dibutyryl cAMP, or an adenylyl cyclase activator, forskolin. The inhibition of UDP-induced PLC activation by PGE 2 was not affected by down-regulation of protein kinase C by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate treatment. PGE 2 inhibited PLC activation induced by aluminium fluoride, but not by the Ca 2+ -ionophore, ionomycin. Finally, the inhibition of UDP-induced PLC activation by PGE 2 was impaired by Gs knockdown using siRNA. These results suggest that EP2 receptor activation in macrophages negatively controls the G q/11 -PLC signalling through a Gs-mediated, but cAMP-independent signalling mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A perylene-based probe was developed for uridine diphosphate (UDP) sensing and cell imaging. The probe presented about 4-fold fluorescence enhancement in the presence or absence of 100 equiv UDP. The selectivity toward UDP over other phosphor-containing anions was observed. The selective UDP sensing was speculated to be related to the binding affinities of Zn 2+ ions in sensor with the uridine and phosphate moieties of UDP. Furthermore, this probe was also applied to image of UDP in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Despite the abundant expression of the UDP-sensitive P2Y6 receptor in urothelial cells and sub-urothelial myofibroblasts its role in the control of bladder function is not well understood.Experimental Approach: We compared the effects of UDP and of the selective P2Y6 receptor agonist, PSB0474, on bladder urodynamics in anaesthetized rats; the voided fluid was tested for ATP bioluminescence. The isolated urinary bladder was used for in vitro myographic recordings and [(3) H]-ACh overflow experiments.Key Results: Instillation of UDP or PSB0474 into the bladder increased the voiding frequency (VF) without affecting the amplitude (A) and the duration (Δt) of bladder contractions; an effect blocked by the P2Y6 receptor antagonist, MRS2578. Effects mediated by urothelial P2Y6 receptors required extrinsic neuronal circuitry as they were not detected in the isolated bladder. UDP-induced bladder hyperactvity was also prevented by blocking P2X3 and P2Y1 receptors, respectively, with A317491 and MRS2179 applied i.v.. UDP decreased [(3) H]-ACh release from stimulated bladder strips with urothelium, but not in its absence. Inhibitory effects of UDP were converted into facilitation by the P2Y1 receptor antagonist, MRS2179. The P2Y6 receptor agonist increased threefold ATP levels in the voided fluid.Conclusions and Implications: Activation of P2Y6 receptors increased the voiding frequency indirectly by releasing ATP from the urothelium and activation of P2X3 receptors on sub-urothelial nerve afferents. Bladder hyperactivity may be partly reversed following ATP hydrolysis to ADP by E-NTPDases, thereby decreasing ACh release from cholinergic nerves expressing P2Y1 receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose Despite the abundant expression of the UDP-sensitive P2Y6 receptor in urothelial cells and sub-urothelial myofibroblasts its role in the control of bladder function is not well understood. Experimental approach We compared the effects of UDP and of the selective P2Y6 receptor agonist, PSB0474, on bladder urodynamics in anaesthetized rats; the voided fluid was tested for ATP bioluminescence. The isolated urinary bladder was used for in vitro myographic recordings and [ 3H]-ACh overflow experiments. Key results Instillation of UDP or PSB0474 into the bladder increased the voiding frequency ( VF) without affecting the amplitude (A) and the duration (Δt) of bladder contractions; an effect blocked by the P2Y6 receptor antagonist, MRS2578. Effects mediated by urothelial P2Y6 receptors required extrinsic neuronal circuitry as they were not detected in the isolated bladder. UDP-induced bladder hyperactvity was also prevented by blocking P2X3 and P2Y1 receptors, respectively, with A317491 and MRS2179 applied i.v.. UDP decreased [ 3H]-ACh release from stimulated bladder strips with urothelium, but not in its absence. Inhibitory effects of UDP were converted into facilitation by the P2Y1 receptor antagonist, MRS2179. The P2Y6 receptor agonist increased threefold ATP levels in the voided fluid. Conclusions and Implications Activation of P2Y6 receptors increased the voiding frequency indirectly by releasing ATP from the urothelium and activation of P2X3 receptors on sub-urothelial nerve afferents. Bladder hyperactivity may be partly reversed following ATP hydrolysis to ADP by E-NTPDases, thereby decreasing ACh release from cholinergic nerves expressing P2Y1 receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the use of fluid flow approximation to model interactions between a set of TCP, UDP and XCP flows in the environment of IP routers using AQM (Active Queue Management) algorithms to control traffic congestion. In contrast to other works, independent UDP and TCP streams are considered and the model allows to start and end data transmissions in TCP, UDP and XCP streams at any time moment. It incorporates several Active Queue Management mechanisms: RED, NLRED, CHOKe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• UDP acts as a danger signal in alcoholic steatohepatitis by activating the P2Y 6 receptor. • The expression of P2Y 6 receptor was significantly increased in EtOH-fed mice and EtOH-induced RAW264.7 cells. • P2Y 6 receptor may promote inflammatory response by mediating Ca2+ influx and then activating p38 MAPK signaling pathway. • Inhibition of P2Y 6 receptor alleviates EtOH-induced inflammatory response and reduces AML-12 cell apoptosis in vitro. Inflammation plays an important role in the progression of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). UDP-P2Y 6 signaling is involved in many human diseases. The purinergic P2Y 6 receptor, an important regulator of inflammation and phagocytosis, has attracted attention, but its role in alcoholic steatohepatitis remains unclear. Here, we found that P2Y 6 levels were significantly elevated in Kupffer cells in the livers of mice with alcoholic steatohepatitis and ethanol (EtOH)-induced RAW264.7 cells. In this study, mice with alcoholic steatohepatitis were intraperitoneally injected with MRS2578, a specific inhibitor of the P2Y 6 receptor, and P2Y 6 was silenced in EtOH-induced RAW264.7 cells. We found a marked improvement in steatosis and inflammation in the livers of mice with alcoholic steatohepatitis and EtOH-induced RAW264.7 cells. However, P2Y 6 activation in vivo and overexpression in vitro showed contrasting results. In addition, the expression of phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK), a phosphorylated protein in the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, was significantly altered after P2Y 6 silencing or overexpression in vitro. P2Y 6 can induce the activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway by mediating the calcium influx, whereas inhibition of the expression of P2Y 6 can block the inflammatory process to some extent and thus improve the inflammatory response. The results of this study suggested that targeting P2Y 6 signaling may be a potentially effective strategy for the treatment of alcoholic steatohepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The P2Y₁₄ receptor is the newest member of the P2Y receptor family; it is G(i/o) protein-coupled and is activated by UDP and selectively by UDP-glucose and MRS2690 (2-thiouridine-5'-diphosphoglucose) (7-10-fold more potent than UDP-glucose). This study investigated whether P2Y₁₄ receptors were functionally expressed in porcine isolated pancreatic arteries.Experimental Approach: Pancreatic arteries were prepared for isometric tension recording and UDP-glucose, UDP and MRS2690 were applied cumulatively after preconstriction with U46619, a TxA₂ mimetic. Levels of phosphorylated myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) were assessed with Western blotting. cAMP concentrations were assessed using a competitive enzyme immunoassay kit.Key Results: Concentration-dependent contractions with a rank order of potency of MRS2690 (10-fold) > UDP-glucose ≥ UDP were recorded. These contractions were reduced by PPTN {4-[4-(piperidin-4-yl)phenyl]-7-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-naphthoic acid}, a selective antagonist of P2Y₁₄ receptors, which did not affect responses to UTP. Contraction to UDP-glucose was not affected by MRS2578, a P2Y₆ receptor selective antagonist. Raising cAMP levels and forskolin, in the presence of U46619, enhanced contractions to UDP-glucose. In addition, UDP-glucose and MRS2690 inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels. Removal of the endothelium and inhibition of endothelium-derived contractile agents (TxA₂, PGF(2α) and endothelin-1) inhibited contractions to UDP glucose. Y-27632, nifedipine and thapsigargin also reduced contractions to the agonists. UDP-glucose and MRS2690 increased MLC2 phosphorylation, which was blocked by PPTN.Conclusions and Implications: P2Y₁₄ receptors play a novel vasocontractile role in porcine pancreatic arteries, mediating contraction via cAMP-dependent mechanisms, elevation of intracellular Ca²⁺ levels, activation of RhoA/ROCK signalling and MLC2, along with release of TxA₂, PGF(2α) and endothelin-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The P2Y14 receptor is the newest member of the P2Y receptor family; it is Gi/o protein-coupled and is activated by UDP and selectively by UDP-glucose and MRS2690 (2-thiouridine-5'-diphosphoglucose) (7-10-fold more potent than UDP-glucose). This study investigated whether P2Y14 receptors were functionally expressed in porcine isolated pancreatic arteries. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Pancreatic arteries were prepared for isometric tension recording and UDP-glucose, UDP and MRS2690 were applied cumulatively after preconstriction with U46619, a TxA2 mimetic. Levels of phosphorylated myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) were assessed with Western blotting. cAMP concentrations were assessed using a competitive enzyme immunoassay kit. KEY RESULTS Concentration-dependent contractions with a rank order of potency of MRS2690 (10-fold) ≥ UDP-glucose = UDP were recorded. These contractions were reduced by PPTN {4-[4-(piperidin-4-yl)phenyl]-7-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-naphthoic acid}, a selective antagonist of P2Y14 receptors, which did not affect responses to UTP. Contraction to UDP-glucose was not affected by MRS2578, a P2Y6 receptor selective antagonist. Raising cAMP levels and forskolin, in the presence of U46619, enhanced contractions to UDP-glucose. In addition, UDP-glucose and MRS2690 inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels. Removal of the endothelium and inhibition of endothelium-derived contractile agents (TxA2, PGF2α and endothelin-1) inhibited contractions to UDP glucose. Y-27632, nifedipine and thapsigargin also reduced contractions to the agonists. UDP-glucose and MRS2690 increased MLC2 phosphorylation, which was blocked by PPTN. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS P2Y14 receptors play a novel vasocontractile role in porcine pancreatic arteries, mediating contraction via cAMP-dependent mechanisms, elevation of intracellular Ca2+ levels, activation of RhoA/ROCK signalling and MLC2, along with release of TxA2, PGF2α and endothelin-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The P2Y14 receptor is the newest member of the P2Y receptor family; it is Gi/o protein-coupled and is activated by UDP and selectively by UDP-glucose and MRS2690 (2-thiouridine-5'-diphosphoglucose) (7-10-fold more potent than UDP-glucose). This study investigated whether P2Y14 receptors were functionally expressed in porcine isolated pancreatic arteries. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Pancreatic arteries were prepared for isometric tension recording and UDP-glucose, UDP and MRS2690 were applied cumulatively after preconstriction with U46619, a TxA2 mimetic. Levels of phosphorylated myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) were assessed with Western blotting. cAMP concentrations were assessed using a competitive enzyme immunoassay kit. KEY RESULTS Concentration-dependent contractions with a rank order of potency of MRS2690 (10-fold) > UDP-glucose = UDP were recorded. These contractions were reduced by PPTN {4-[4-(piperidin-4-yl)phenyl]-7-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-naphthoic acid}, a selective antagonist of P2Y14 receptors, which did not affect responses to UTP. Contraction to UDP-glucose was not affected by MRS2578, a P2Y6 receptor selective antagonist. Raising cAMP levels and forskolin, in the presence of U46619, enhanced contractions to UDP-glucose. In addition, UDP-glucose and MRS2690 inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels. Removal of the endothelium and inhibition of endothelium-derived contractile agents (TxA2, PGF2a and endothelin-1) inhibited contractions to UDP glucose. Y-27632, nifedipine and thapsigargin also reduced contractions to the agonists. UDP-glucose and MRS2690 increased MLC2 phosphorylation, which was blocked by PPTN. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS P2Y14 receptors play a novel vasocontractile role in porcine pancreatic arteries, mediating contraction via cAMP-dependent mechanisms, elevation of intracellular Ca2+ levels, activation of RhoA/ROCK signalling and MLC2, along with release of TxA2, PGF2a and endothelin-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Extracellular nucleotides are released at high concentrations from damaged cells and function through P2 receptor activation. Intestinal epithelial restitution, which is defined as cell migration independent of cell proliferation, is an important initial step in the process of wound healing. In this study, we investigated the role of extracellular nucleotides in intestinal epithelial migratory responses.Experimental Approach: Wound-healing and trans-well migration assays were performed with a rat intestinal epithelial cell line (IEC-6). The concentrations of extracellular nucleotides released from injured IEC-6 cells were measured by HPLC. TGF-β expression was assessed by RT-PCR and elisa.Key Results: Scratching the monolayer of IEC-6 cells induced cell migration. Pretreatment with apyrase or MRS2578, a selective P2Y6 antagonist, inhibited the wound-induced cell migration. Among the cellular nucleotides, only ATP and uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP) were detected in the culture medium after cell wounding. Exogenously applied UDP dose-dependently enhanced the migration more effectively than ATP but did not induce proliferation. In addition, cell wounding and UDP increased the expression of TGF-β, and both the wound-induced and UDP-enhanced migration were inhibited by MRS2578 or ALK5Inhibitor (ALK5i), a TGF-β receptor blocker. Furthermore, cell wounding and UDP stimulation up-regulated the expression of P2Y6 receptor mRNA, and this effect was suppressed by MRS2578 or ALK5i.Conclusion and Implications: Wound-induced UDP evokes intestinal epithelial restitution by activation of P2Y6 receptors, which mediates de novo synthesis of TGF-β. In addition, the expression of P2Y6 receptors is increased by cell wounding and UDP, which constitutes a positive-feedback loop for mucosal repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose Extracellular nucleotides are released at high concentrations from damaged cells and function through P2 receptor activation. Intestinal epithelial restitution, which is defined as cell migration independent of cell proliferation, is an important initial step in the process of wound healing. In this study, we investigated the role of extracellular nucleotides in intestinal epithelial migratory responses. Experimental Approach Wound-healing and trans-well migration assays were performed with a rat intestinal epithelial cell line ( IEC-6). The concentrations of extracellular nucleotides released from injured IEC-6 cells were measured by HPLC. TGF-β expression was assessed by RT-PCR and elisa. Key Results Scratching the monolayer of IEC-6 cells induced cell migration. Pretreatment with apyrase or MRS2578, a selective P2Y6 antagonist, inhibited the wound-induced cell migration. Among the cellular nucleotides, only ATP and uridine 5'-diphosphate ( UDP) were detected in the culture medium after cell wounding. Exogenously applied UDP dose-dependently enhanced the migration more effectively than ATP but did not induce proliferation. In addition, cell wounding and UDP increased the expression of TGF-β, and both the wound-induced and UDP-enhanced migration were inhibited by MRS2578 or ALK5Inhibitor ( ALK5i), a TGF-β receptor blocker. Furthermore, cell wounding and UDP stimulation up-regulated the expression of P2Y6 receptor mRNA, and this effect was suppressed by MRS2578 or ALK5i. Conclusion and Implications Wound-induced UDP evokes intestinal epithelial restitution by activation of P2Y6 receptors, which mediates de novo synthesis of TGF-β. In addition, the expression of P2Y6 receptors is increased by cell wounding and UDP, which constitutes a positive-feedback loop for mucosal repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of programmable logic controllers (PLC) for automation of electromechanical processes is an industrial control system technology. It is more and more in use within the fusion community. Traditionally PLC based systems are operated and maintained using proprietary SCADA systems (supervisory control and data acquisition). They are hardly ever integrated with the fusion control and data acquisition systems. An overview of the state of the art in fusion is given in the article. At JET an inhouse “black box protocol” approach has been developed to communicate with any external system via a dedicated http based protocol. However, a PLC usually cannot be modified to implement this special protocol. Hence, a software layer has been developed that interfaces a PLC by implementing the PLC specific communication part on one side and the black box protocol part on the other side. The software is completely data driven i.e. editing the data structure changes the logic accordingly. It can be tested using the web capability of the black box protocol. Multiple PLC types from different vendors are supported, thus multiple protocols to interface the PLC are in use. Depending on the PLC type and available tools it can be necessary to program the PLC accordingly. Wendelstein 7-X uses another approach. For every single PLC a dedicated communication from and to CoDaC is implemented. This communication is projected (programmed) in the PLC and configurable (data driven) on the CoDaC side. The protocol is UDP based and observed via timeout mechanisms. The use of PLCs for Wendelstein 7-X is standardized. Therefore a single implementation on the CoDaC side allows communication with any PLC. Measured data from the PLC is archived in the mass data store. Set points from CoDaC can be visualized from within the PLC visualization environment. A detailed description, discussion and comparison of the JET and W7-X approaches is given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this study was to characterise variations in the composition and nutritive value of dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) for ruminants, and to estimate the undegradable crude protein (UDP) in DDGS. Thirteen samples originating from wheat, corn, barley and blends of different substrates were studied. The rumen degradation of crude protein (CP) was determined using the nylon bag technique. Samples were incubated for 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 72 h, and in situ degradation kinetics were determined. The UDP was estimated using a passage rate of 8%/h. In vitro gas production was measured to estimate the metabolisable energy (ME), net energy for lactation (NEL) and in vitro digestibility of organic matter (IVDOM). Chemical profiles varied among samples [in g/kg dry matter (DM) ± standard deviation]; the values were 310 ± 33 CP, 86 ± 37 ether extract, 89 ± 18 crude fibre, 408 ± 39 neutral detergent fibre, 151 ± 39 acid detergent fibre and 62 ± 31 acid detergent lignin, as well as in protein fractions according to the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System [in g/kg CP]; the values were for fractions A, 161 ± 82; B1, 24 ± 11; B2, 404 ± 105; B3, 242 ± 61; and C, 170 ± 87. The ME, NEL [MJ/kg DM] and IVDOM [%] also varied among samples: 12.1 ± 0.59, 7.3 ± 0.39 and 72.5 ± 4.30, respectively. The in situ rapidly degradable CP fraction (a) varied from 10.2% to 30.6%, and the potentially degradable fraction (b) averaged to 66.8%. The UDP varied from 8.6% to 62.6% of CP. The present study suggests significant variations in composition and nutritive value among different sources of DDGS. The UDP could be predicted on the basis of analysed CP fractions, but the accuracy of UDP prediction improved upon the inclusion of neutral-detergent insoluble nitrogen, explaining 94% of the variation in the UDP values. We conclude that chemical protein fractions may be used to predict the UDP values of DDGS and that the variability in the protein fractions of DDGS should be considered when formulating diets for dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: P2Y6 nucleotide receptor (P2Y6-R) plays important physiological roles, such as insulin secretion and reduction of intraocular pressure. However, this receptor is still lacking potent and selective agonists to be used as potential drugs. Here, we synthesized uracil nucleotides and dinucleotides, substituted at the C5 and/or Pα position with methoxy and/or borano groups, 18–22. Compound 18A, Rp isomer of 5-OMe-UDP(α-B), is the most potent and P2Y6-R selective agonist currently known (EC50 0.008μM) being 19-fold more potent than UDP and showing no activity at uridine nucleotide receptors, P2Y2- and P2Y4-R. Analogue 18A was highly chemically stable under conditions mimicking gastric juice acidity (t 1/2 =16.9h). It was more stable to hydrolysis by nucleotide pyrophosphatases (NPP1,3) than UDP (15% and 28% hydrolysis by NPP1 and NPP3, respectively, vs 50% and 51% hydrolysis of UDP) and metabolically stable in blood serum (t 1/2 =17 vs 2.4, 11.9, and 21h for UDP, 5-OMe-UDP, and UDP(α-B), respectively). This newly discovered highly potent and physiologically stable P2Y6-R agonist may be of future therapeutic potential. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Uridine monophosphate kinase (UMPK) an enzyme of de novo biosynthesis catalyses the formation of UDP and it is involved in cell wall and RNA biosynthesis. In the present study UMPK of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC12600 was characterized. Analysis of purified UMPK by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-200 indicated a molecular weight of 150 kDa and exhibited monomeric form with molecular weight of 25 kDa in SDS-PAGE confirming homohexamer nature of UMPK in solution. The enzyme kinetics of UMPK showed K of 2.80 ± 0.1 μM and Vmax 51.38 ± 1.39 μM of NADH/min/mg. The enzyme exhibited cooperative kinetics with ATP as substrate, as GTP decreased this cooperativity and increased affinity for ATP. The UMPK gene was amplified, sequenced (Accession number: FJ415072), cloned in pQE30 vector and overexpressed in Escherichia coli DH5α. The purified recombinant UMPK showed similar properties of native UMPK. The UMPK gene sequence showed complete homology with pyrH gene sequence of all S. aureus strains reported in the database, the 3D structure of S. aureus UMPK built from the deduced amino acid sequence was super imposed with human UMPK (PDB ID: 1TEV) to find out the structural identity using the MATRAS programme gave an RMSD value 4.24 Å indicating very low homology and extensive structural variations with human UMPK structure. Thus, UMPK may be a potential drug target in the development of antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless networks play a very important role in today's modern world, convincingly surpassing the wired infrastructure in terms of popularity. Hence, it is important to ensure that services which access wired networks should also be accessible using a wireless network without any performance degradation. One of the most common variants in wireless communications is the Wireless Mesh Network (WMNs). WMNs exploit multi-hop wireless communications between wireless access points. Hence, the effective bandwidth decreases as the number of hops increases in a WMN, thus increasing latency and resulting in reduced performance. This may be due to spatial contention, multipath fading, interference or inefficient queuing mechanisms etc. Here we take queuing mechanisms into consideration and study the QMMN algorithm (Queue Management for Multi-hop Networks) which tends to improve throughput, fairness and reduce global synchronization problems. Based on our study, we implement a modified version of the QMMN algorithm, otherwise called the Enhanced QMMN (EQMMN) algorithm. EQMMN can be considered an effective algorithm which solves the problem of fairness between flows (either responsive or unresponsive) and eventually improves TCP throughput at wireless access points. Our experimental results prove that EQMMN algorithms have better performance characteristics such as throughput (TCP) and fairness index compared to QMMN algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scanning of ports on a computer occurs frequently on the Internet. An attacker performs port scans of Internet protocol addresses to find vulnerable hosts to compromise. However, it is also useful for system administrators and other network defenders to detect port scans as possible preliminaries to more serious attacks. It is a very difficult task to recognize instances of malicious port scanning. In general, a port scan may be an instance of a scan by attackers or an instance of a scan by network defenders. In this survey, we present research and development trends in this area. Our presentation includes a discussion of common port scan attacks. We provide a comparison of port scan methods based on type, mode of detection, mechanism used for detection and other characteristics. This survey also reports on the available data sets and evaluation criteria for port scan detection approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new, homogeneous, high-throughput-compatible assay method is described for the fluorescence-based quantitation of nanomolar concentrations of ribonucleoside diphosphates (rNDPs). The principle of the method is the conversion of the rNDPs to RNA by the enzyme polynucleotide phosphorylase (EC 2.7.7.8) and detection of the RNA by the increased fluorescence of a commercial nucleic acid detection dye. A commercial RNA homopolymer complementary to the RNA product is included to increase the sensitivity for ADP and UDP. Standard curves for nanomolar concentrations of ADP, UDP, GDP, and CDP are shown. The assay detected 75nM ADP produced by the pyruvate kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of pyruvate with a signal-to-baseline ratio of 2.8. The assay may be used in either a continuous or a discontinuous mode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The IEEE 802.11 standard is a successful wireless local area networks (WLAN) technology, because of its easy deployment. With deployment of WLAN, the ability of the IEEE802.11 standard to support multimedia applications with high quality of service (QoS) requirements has increased. This paper evaluates the capacity of QoS support in Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) mechanism of the IEEE 802.11e standard. The EDCA is an enhancement for QoS support in 802.11. EDCA mechanisms allow prioritized medium access for applications with high QoS requirements by assigning different priorities to the access categories. This study discusses the performance evaluation of 802.11 and 802.11e by simulations using the network simulator OmNET++. The parameters jitter, delay and throughput are calculated. A comparative Discussion between DCF und EDCA is constituted for different services, such as voice, video, best-effort and background traffic. The scenarios results show the QoS support of EDCA for different types of data traffic due to its service differentiation technique and its four access categories. With EDCA mechanism, network capacity is effectively increased and the support for multimedia applications transmissions is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ASDEX Upgrade tokamak experiment is equipped with a versatile discharge monitoring and control system. It allows to develop and use advanced control algorithms to investigate plasma physics under well-defined conditions with the objective of optimising plasma performance. The achievable quality depends on the accuracy with which the plasma state can be reconstructed from measurements under real-time conditions. Today''s advanced algorithms need physics quantities – scalar entities as well as profiles. These are obtained processing huge numbers of raw measurements with complex diagnostic algorithms. Adequate network communication for the resulting signals is crucial to satisfy real-time requirements, especially when several diagnostic systems cooperate in a feedback control loop. Support for the technology of choice, however, is not easily available for all of the diverse, highly specialised diagnostic systems. We give an overview about the methods that have been explored at ASDEX Upgrade for real-time signal transfer. In particular, we investigated reflective shared memory and Ethernet technologies. Our solution strives to combine their strengths. For fast communication on dedicated computing nodes, reflective shared memory is used. For the majority of diagnostic systems producing large data blocks at moderate rates, Ethernet connections with UDP protocol are employed. Following ASDEX Upgrade''s framework concept, a software layer hides the networks used from both diagnostic and control applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The P2Y14 receptor is a relatively broadly expressed G protein-coupled receptor that is prominently associated with immune and inflammatory cells as well as with many epithelia. This receptor historically was thought to be activated selectively by UDP-glucose and other UDP-sugars. However, UDP is also a very potent agonist of this receptor, and may prove to be one of its most important cognate activators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Extracellular nucleotides are vasoactive molecules. The concentrations of these molecules are regulated by ectonucleotidases. In this study, we investigated the role of the blood vessel ectonucleotidase NTPDase1, in the vasoconstrictor effect of nucleotides using Entpd1−/− mice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper we present our solution for improving the quality of communication in our particular desktop grid system, QADPZ, which consists of a dual communication mechanism. Thus, in order to improve the efficiency of communication, QADPZ support two different protocols (UDP and TCP/IP). To deal with the unreliability of UDP, an additional, more reliable level of communication has been added to the system, which works similarly with the real life postal service, delivering and receiving high-level message and implements a reliable, confirmation-based message exchange protocol. We point out that an unreliable transport mechanism that deals with packet loss gracefully and does not exhibit extreme losses can compete well with other more reliable transport protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]