Observations and modeling of the surface seiches of Lake Tahoe, USA

A rich array of spatially complex surface seiche modes exists in lakes. While the amplitude of these oscillations is often small, knowledge of their spatio-temporal characteristics is valuable for understanding when they might be of localized hydrodynamic importance. The expression and impact of these basin-scale barotropic oscillations in Lake Tahoe are evaluated using a finite-element numerical model and a distributed network of ten high-frequency nearshore monitoring stations. Model-predicted nodal distributions and periodicities are confirmed using the presence/absence of spectral power in measured pressure signals, and using coherence/phasing analysis of pressure signals from stations on common and opposing antinodes. Surface seiches in Lake Tahoe have complex nodal distributions despite the relative simplicity of the basin morphometry. Seiche amplitudes are magnified on shallow shelves, where they occasionally exceed 5 cm; elsewhere, amplitudes rarely exceed 1 cm. There is generally little coherence between surface seiching and littoral water quality. However, pressure–temperature coherence at shelf sites suggests potential seiche-driven pumping. Main-basin seiche signals are present in attached marinas, wetlands, and bays, implying reversing flows between the lake and these water bodies. On the shallow sill connecting Emerald Bay to Lake Tahoe, the fundamental main-basin seiche combines with a zeroth-mode harbor seiche to dominate the cross-sill flow signal, and to drive associated temperature fluctuations. Results highlight the importance of a thorough descriptive understanding of the resonant barotropic oscillations in any lake basin in a variety of research and management contexts, even when the magnitude of these oscillations tends to be small

Systemic inflammation, nutritional status and survival in patients with cancer

Systemic inflammation, nutritional status and survival in patients with cance

The relationship between the systemic inflammatory response, tumour proliferative activity, T-lymphocytic and macrophage infiltration, microvessel density and survival in patients with primary operable breast cancer

The significance of the inter-relationship between tumour and host local/systemic inflammatory responses in primary operable invasive breast cancer is limited. The inter-relationship between the systemic inflammatory response (pre-operative white cell count, C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations), standard clinicopathological factors, tumour T-lymphocytic (CD4+ and CD8+) and macrophage (CD68+) infiltration, proliferative (Ki-67) index and microvessel density (CD34+) was examined using immunohistochemistry and slide-counting techniques, and their prognostic values were examined in 168 patients with potentially curative resection of early-stage invasive breast cancer. Increased tumour grade and proliferative activity were associated with greater tumour T-lymphocyte (P<0.05) and macrophage (P<0.05) infiltration and microvessel density (P<0.01). The median follow-up of survivors was 72 months. During this period, 31 patients died; 18 died of their cancer. On univariate analysis, increased lymph-node involvement (P<0.01), negative hormonal receptor (P<0.10), lower albumin concentrations (P<0.01), increased tumour proliferation (P<0.05), increased tumour microvessel density (P<0.05), the extent of locoregional control (P<0.0001) and limited systemic treatment (Pless than or equal to0.01) were associated with cancer-specific survival. On multivariate analysis of these significant covariates, albumin (HR 4.77, 95% CI 1.35–16.85, P=0.015), locoregional treatment (HR 3.64, 95% CI 1.04–12.72, P=0.043) and systemic treatment (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.23–4.27, P=0.009) were significant independent predictors of cancer-specific survival. Among tumour-based inflammatory factors, only tumour microvessel density (P<0.05) was independently associated with poorer cancer-specific survival. The host inflammatory responses are closely associated with poor tumour differentiation, proliferation and malignant disease progression in breast cancer

Production of volatile fatty acids from slaughterhouse blood by mixed-culture fermentation

The volatile fatty acids (VFA) production potential from animal blood and the factors affecting this process were investigated in this study. In order to simulate an industrial process different operation modes, batch, fed batch and semi-continuous, were also evaluated. Due to high ammonia concentration in fermentation broth, VFA concentration up to 100 g L-1 was achieved without addition of buffer and methanogen inhibitor. In general, acetic, n-butyric and iso-valeric acids were the most predominant species, although different operational conditions affected the VFA concentration, profile, production rate and yield. The microbial community analysis was conducted on the reactors with the best performance, revealing that 70-90% of the microbial population was from the Clostridiales order with a strong presence from the Sporanaerobacter genus. These results demonstrated the feasibility of a VFA-platform bio-refinery using high-protein wastes as substrate via mixed-culture fermentation under non-sterilised conditions

Solução glicosada hipertônica no mesentério e no peritônio de ratos: estudo macroscópico e microscópico

PURPOSE: The objective of the experimental study is to detect the macroscopic and microscopic alterations of the mesenterium and parietal peritoneum when hypertonic glucose aqueous solution 10%-25% is administrated into the peritoneal cavity of the rat. METHODS: 90 Wistar females young rats adults were used weighin between 180-250 g, numbered 1 to 90, establishing unique group and divided in three groups (A, B, C) of 30 animals chosen aleatory manner. 0,9% saline solution was used called control group, or group A, 10% glucose solution named group B, and in the others 30 was used 25% glucose solution named group C, differing in the observation period, (06h, 24h and 48h), but with the same procedure. A midline abdominal wall laparotomy was made and in the animals of the control group was injected 2 ml of a 0,9% saline solution into the peritoneal cavity. After, we made a suture in mass without to include the peritoneum. For the others groups (B, C) the rats received 10% glucose solution and 25% glucose solution injected into the peritoneal cavity respectively. All groups were kept under observation and the results were submitted to statistical analysis by a longitudinal and transversal comparative study. RESULTS: A new surgery was done in 6h, 24h and 48h, and we observed in macroscopic evaluation, the presence of fluid, serous uniforme and rosy all over the cavity. Vascular congestion was present. We dried out 90 fragments of mesenterium and 90 fragments of parietal peritonium bilateral. In the microscopic study, necrosis was not present. For the mesenterium histological study we observed 16 cases (17,8%) unspecific chronic inflammation, 30 cases (33,4%) hiperplasic linfonod, 10 cases (11,1%) high vascular congestion, 6 cases (6,6%) reaction fibrosis and 28 cases (31,1%) no alteration. For the parietal peritonium histological study we observed 6 cases (3,3%) reaction fibrosis and 174 cases (96,7%) no alteration. Giant cell was not present. In the statistical analisys statistic there is no significance between the groups (p>0,05). CONCLUSION: Hypertonic glucose solution and NaCl 0,9% on the mesenterium and parietal peritonium do not produce tissue necrosis in a rat and the inflammation process has the same intensity.OBJETIVO: Investigar as alterações macroscópicas e microscópicas do mesentério e do peritônio parietal quando se administra a solução aquosa de glicose hipertônica a 10% e a 25% na cavidade peritoneal de rato. MÉTODOS: 90 ratos fêmeas (n=90), adultos, Wistar, jovens, com peso variando de 180 a 250 gramas foram divididos em 3 sub-grupos (A, B e C) contendo cada um 30 animais com procedimentos idênticos, diferindo apenas no período de observação. Os números de 1 a 30 constituem o grupo A ou grupo-controle (NaCl 0,9%), os números de 31 a 60 constituem o grupo B ou grupo-glicose a 10% e os números de 61 a 90 constituem o grupo C ou grupo- glicose a 25%. Realizando-se posteriormente laparotomia com incisão mediana longitudinal de pele a 2 cm abaixo do processo Xiphoideus sterni, estendendo-se por 3 cm caudalmente na linha média ventral. A escolha do procedimento a ser realizado para introdução na cavidade peritoneal de 2 ml de uma solução de cloreto de sódio 0,9% (controle), de glicose hipertônica a 10% e de glicose hipertônica a 25%. Em períodos correspondentes às 6h, 24h e 48h de pós-operatório, os animais de cada grupo foram reoperados, sendo realizada avaliação macroscópica e microscópica além dos registros das alterações histológicas do mesentério e peritônio parietal. RESULTADOS: Na microscopia do mesentério observou-se que 30 animais (33,4%) apresentaram linfonodos hiperplásicos; 6 animais (6,6%) com fibrose reacional; 10 animais (11,1%) com intensa congestão vascular; 16 animais (17,8%) com inflamação crônica inespecífica; 28 casos (31,1%) sem alteração. A microscopia do peritônio revelou 6 casos com fibrose reacional (3,3%) 174 casos (96,7%) sem alteração histológica. CONCLUSÃO: As soluções de glicose a 10% e a 25% não causam necrose tecidual quando introduzidas na cavidade peritoneal. O processo reacional inflamatório é de igual intensidade tecidual comparando-se ao uso da solução de NaCl a 0,9%.UNCISAL DepartmentUFAL Morphology Department and Human AnatomyUNIFESP-EPM Surgery DepartmentUNIFESP, EPM, Surgery DepartmentSciEL

#32 - Incorporating 3D Printing into Introductory Engineering Courses

Integration of hands-on activities, and design projects into course curriculum have been shown to significantly enhance and deepen understanding of concepts in the course. Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been a subject of many academic and industrial research projects. This abstract presents our efforts to integrate 3D printing technology into our pre-engineering and physics courses at University of North Georgia (UNG) Gainesville campus. The Physics Department in collaboration with the Art Department in the UNG Gainesville Campus opened a Digital Fabrication Lab (DFL) located in Dunlap Mathis Building. The goals of the lab are to assist faculty to develop the curriculum and to help students develop a deeper understanding of science and engineering techniques when creating a digital 3D object. A formal introduction to the DFL’s 3D printers is presented as a part of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) topics in the pre-engineering courses. As part of a semester group project, student project teams created CAD models of their design using Autodesk’s CAD software and 3D printed them with the assistance of the TAs. Most of the students who took part in this design projects had no or limited experience with both CAD modeling as well as 3D printing technology. But despite having limited prior experience, all student indicated a relatively high interest in learning more about 3D printing technology. Currently Physics, Pre-engineering, and Art students have been direct beneficiaries of the Digital Fabrication Lab. 3D printing technology helped students to successfully correlate and implement various science and engineering concepts that they learnt in class through hands-on activities. In the future, research will go into finding out ways 3D printing can be introduced to higher level science and engineering classes, by showcasing 3D printed objects and different filaments’ properties, such as tolerances, tensile strength, elastic strength etc

Manuka-type honeys can eradicate biofilms produced by Staphylococcus aureus strains with different biofilm-forming abilities

Chronic wounds are a major global health problem. Their management is difficult and costly, and the development of antibiotic resistance by both planktonic and biofilm-associated bacteria necessitates the use of alternative wound treatments. Honey is now being revisited as an alternative treatment due to its broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and the inability of bacteria to develop resistance to it. Many previous antibacterial studies have used honeys that are not well characterized, even in terms of quantifying the levels of the major antibacterial components present, making it difficult to build an evidence base for the efficacy of honey as an antibiofilm agent in chronic wound treatment. Here we show that a range of well-characterized New Zealand manuka-type honeys, in which two principle antibacterial components, methylglyoxal and hydrogen peroxide, were quantified, can eradicate biofilms of a range of Staphylococcus aureus strains that differ widely in their biofilm-forming abilities. Using crystal violet and viability assays, along with confocal laser scanning imaging, we demonstrate that in all S. aureus strains, including methicillin-resistant strains, the manuka-type honeys showed significantly higher anti-biofilm activity than clover honey and an isotonic sugar solution.We observed higher anti-biofilm activity as the proportion of manuka-derived honey, and thus methylglyoxal, in a honey blend increased. However, methylglyoxal on its own, or with sugar, was not able to effectively eradicate S. aureus biofilms.We also demonstrate that honey was able to penetrate through the biofilm matrix and kill the embedded cells in some cases. As has been reported for antibiotics, sub-inhibitory concentrations of honey improved biofilm formation by some S. aureus strains, however, biofilm cell suspensions recovered after honey treatment did not develop resistance towards manukatype honeys. New Zealand manuka-type honeys, at the concentrations they can be applied in wound dressings are highly active in both preventing S. aureus biofilm formation and in their eradication, and do not result in bacteria becoming resistant. Methylglyoxal requires other components in manuka-type honeys for this antibiofilm activity. Our findings support the use of well-defined manuka-type honeys as a topical anti-biofilm treatment for the effective management of wound healing. © 2014 Lu et al

Artificial immune systems

The biological immune system is a robust, complex, adaptive system that defends the body from foreign pathogens. It is able to categorize all cells (or molecules) within the body as self or nonself substances. It does this with the help of a distributed task force that has the intelligence to take action from a local and also a global perspective using its network of chemical messengers for communication. There are two major branches of the immune system. The innate immune system is an unchanging mechanism that detects and destroys certain invading organisms, whilst the adaptive immune system responds to previously unknown foreign cells and builds a response to them that can remain in the body over a long period of time. This remarkable information processing biological system has caught the attention of computer science in recent years