Analysis of microsatellite instability in colorectal carcinoma by microfluidic-based chip electrophoresis

Microsatellite analysis is an important tool in clinical research and molecular diagnostics because microsatellite instability (MSI) occurs frequently in various types of cancer. Approximately 10–15% of colorectal, gastric and endometrial carcinomas are associated with MSI, and this has an impact on clinical prognosis. The microsatellite loci Bat25, Bat26, D2S123, D5S346 and D17S250, recommended by the Bethesda guidelines, were analysed by microfluidic-based on-chip electrophoresis in 40 cases of colon carcinoma with known MSI status. In all cases, microfluidic separation of the PCR amplicons resulted in highly resolved, distinct patterns of each of the five microsatellite loci. Detection of MSI could be demonstrated by microsatellite-loci-associated, well-defined deviations in the electropherogram profiles of tumour and non-tumour material, and confirmed the classification of MSI cases performed by conventional technology. In conclusion, microfluidic chip technology is a simple and reliable approach for MSI detection that allows label-free and very fast analysis of microsatellite amplicons

Thermal Oxidation of Tail Gases from the Production of Oil-furnace Carbon Black

U radu je prikazana tehnologija proizvodnje uljno-pećne čađe i odabrano tehnološko rješenje u funkciji zaštite zraka. Prilikom industrijskog procesa proizvodnje uljno-pećne čađe osim glavnog proizvoda, kao sporedni proizvodi nastaju i otpadni procesni plinovi. Otpadni procesni plinovi nastali prilikom industrijskog procesa proizvodnje uljno-pećne čađe po kvalitativnom sastavu sastoje se od: ugljikovog (IV) oksida, ugljikovog(II) oksida, vodika, metana, sumporovodika, dušika, kisika i vodene pare. Ovisno o vrsti uljne sirovine za proizvodnju te samom proizvodnom tipu uljno pećne-čađe mijenja se kvantitativan sastav i donja kalorična vrijednost otpadnih procesnih plinova. Donja kalorična vrijednost otpadnih procesnih plinova relativno je mala i nalazi se u području od 1500 do 2300 kJ m–3. U konvencionalnom procesu proizvodnje uljno-pećne čađe pročišćeni otpadni procesni plinovi od čestica čađe ispuštaju se u atmosferu bez ikakve dodatne obrade. Na taj način otpadni procesni plinovi zagađuju atmosferu, jer njihove kvantitativne vrijednosti višestruko premašuju dopuštene granice emisije za sumporovodik i ugljikov(II) oksid, čime se znatno narušava kvaliteta lokalnog zraka grada Kutine. Logično tehnološko rješenje sprječavanja zagađivanja zraka je spaljivanje otpadnih procesnih plinova, odnosno njihova termalna oksidacija. Kao sredstvo za termalnu oksidaciju otpadnih procesnih plinova odabrana je posebno dizajnirana izvedba baklje. Sustav baklje dizajniran je tako da omogućuje termalnu oksidaciju otpadnih procesnih plinova male kalorične vrijednosti s 99%-tnom djelotvornošću uz minimalnu potrošnju prirodnog plina potrebnog za oksidaciju. Na taj način se štetne i zapaljive komponente (sumporovodik, vodik, ugljikov (II) oksid te metan i ostali ugljikovodici u tragovima) prevode u kvalitativno-kvantitativan ekološki prihvatljivij sastav otpadnih procesnih plinova (sumporov(IV) oksid, vodena para, ugljikov (IV) oksid, dušikov(IV) oksid), koji udovoljavaju propisanim graničnim vrijednostima emisije i kakvoće zraka (Uredbe NN 133/2005. i NN 21/2007.) Ispravnim tehnološkim radom sustava baklji u industrijskom postrojenju proizvodnje uljno-pećne čađe ostvareno je rješavanje problema onečišćavanja zraka grada Kutine, posebno prizemnih masenih koncentracija sumporovodika. Usporedo s razvojem sustava baklji uspostavlja se i sustav kontinuiranog praćenja onečišćujućih tvari u zrak (sumporovodik i ugljikov(II) oksid) te njegovo povezivanje s Agencijom za zaštitu okoliša.This paper describes the production technology of oil-furnace carbon black, as well as the selected solution for preventing the emissions of this process from contaminating the environment. The products of industrial oil-furnace carbon black production are different grades of carbon black and process tail gases. The qualitative composition of these tail gases during the production of oil-furnace carbon black are: carbon(IV) oxide, carbon(II) oxide, hydrogen, methane, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor. The quantitative composition and lower caloric value of process tail gases change depending on the type of feedstock used in the production, as well as the type of process. The lower caloric value of process tail gases is relatively small with values ranging between 1500 and 2300 kJ m–3. In the conventional production of oil-furnace carbon black, process tail gases purified from carbon black dust are freely released into the atmosphere untreated. In this manner, the process tail gases pollute the air in the town of Kutina, because their quantitative values are much higher than the prescribed emissions limits for hydrogen sulfide and carbon(II) oxide. A logical solution for the prevention of such air pollution is combustion of the process tail gases, i. e. their thermal oxidation. For this purpose, a specially designed flare system has been developed. Consuming minimum amounts of natural gas needed for oxidation, the flare system is designed to combust low caloric process tail gases with 99 % efficiency. Thus, the toxic and flammable components of the tail gases (hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, carbon(II) oxide, methane and other trace hydrocarbons) would be transformed into environmentally acceptable components (sulfur(IV) oxide, water, carbon(IV) oxide and nitrogen(IV) oxide), which are in compliance with the emissions limit values prescribed by law. Proper operation of this flare system in the production of oil-furnace carbon black would solve the air pollution problem in the town of Kutina, especially the concentrations of hydrogen sulfide in the troposphere. Together with the development of this flare system, a continuous air-pollutant (hydrogen sulfide and carbon(II) oxide) monitoring system shall be established and linked with the Environmental Protection Agency

Observing the Sun with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA): High Resolution Interferometric Imaging

Observations of the Sun at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths offer a unique probe into the structure, dynamics, and heating of the chromosphere; the structure of sunspots; the formation and eruption of prominences and filaments; and energetic phenomena such as jets and flares. High-resolution observations of the Sun at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths are challenging due to the intense, extended, low- contrast, and dynamic nature of emission from the quiet Sun, and the extremely intense and variable nature of emissions associated with energetic phenomena. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) was designed with solar observations in mind. The requirements for solar observations are significantly different from observations of sidereal sources and special measures are necessary to successfully carry out this type of observations. We describe the commissioning efforts that enable the use of two frequency bands, the 3 mm band (Band 3) and the 1.25 mm band (Band 6), for continuum interferometric-imaging observations of the Sun with ALMA. Examples of high-resolution synthesized images obtained using the newly commissioned modes during the solar commissioning campaign held in December 2015 are presented. Although only 30 of the eventual 66 ALMA antennas were used for the campaign, the solar images synthesized from the ALMA commissioning data reveal new features of the solar atmosphere that demonstrate the potential power of ALMA solar observations. The ongoing expansion of ALMA and solar-commissioning efforts will continue to enable new and unique solar observing capabilities.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Solar Physic

Observing the Sun with the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA): Fast-Scan Single-Dish Mapping

The Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope has commenced science observations of the Sun starting in late 2016. Since the Sun is much larger than the field of view of individual ALMA dishes, the ALMA interferometer is unable to measure the background level of solar emission when observing the solar disk. The absolute temperature scale is a critical measurement for much of ALMA solar science, including the understanding of energy transfer through the solar atmosphere, the properties of prominences, and the study of shock heating in the chromosphere. In order to provide an absolute temperature scale, ALMA solar observing will take advantage of the remarkable fast-scanning capabilities of the ALMA 12m dishes to make single-dish maps of the full Sun. This article reports on the results of an extensive commissioning effort to optimize the mapping procedure, and it describes the nature of the resulting data. Amplitude calibration is discussed in detail: a path that utilizes the two loads in the ALMA calibration system as well as sky measurements is described and applied to commissioning data. Inspection of a large number of single-dish datasets shows significant variation in the resulting temperatures, and based on the temperature distributions we derive quiet-Sun values at disk center of 7300 K at lambda=3 mm and 5900 K at lambda=1.3 mm. These values have statistical uncertainties of order 100 K, but systematic uncertainties in the temperature scale that may be significantly larger. Example images are presented from two periods with very different levels of solar activity. At a resolution of order 25 arcsec, the 1.3 mm wavelength images show temperatures on the disk that vary over about a 2000 K range.Comment: Solar Physics, accepted: 24 pages, 13 figure

Solar science with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array - A new view of our Sun

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a new powerful tool for observing the Sun at high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution. These capabilities can address a broad range of fundamental scientific questions in solar physics. The radiation observed by ALMA originates mostly from the chromosphere - a complex and dynamic region between the photosphere and corona, which plays a crucial role in the transport of energy and matter and, ultimately, the heating of the outer layers of the solar atmosphere. Based on first solar test observations, strategies for regular solar campaigns are currently being developed. State-of-the-art numerical simulations of the solar atmosphere and modeling of instrumental effects can help constrain and optimize future observing modes for ALMA. Here we present a short technical description of ALMA and an overview of past efforts and future possibilities for solar observations at submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths. In addition, selected numerical simulations and observations at other wavelengths demonstrate ALMA's scientific potential for studying the Sun for a large range of science cases.Comment: 73 pages, 21 figures ; Space Science Reviews (accepted December 10th, 2015); accepted versio

Evolution of cooperation driven by zealots

Recent experimental results with humans involved in social dilemma games suggest that cooperation may be a contagious phenomenon and that the selection pressure operating on evolutionary dynamics (i.e., mimicry) is relatively weak. I propose an evolutionary dynamics model that links these experimental findings and evolution of cooperation. By assuming a small fraction of (imperfect) zealous cooperators, I show that a large fraction of cooperation emerges in evolutionary dynamics of social dilemma games. Even if defection is more lucrative than cooperation for most individuals, they often mimic cooperation of fellows unless the selection pressure is very strong. Then, zealous cooperators can transform the population to be even fully cooperative under standard evolutionary dynamics.Comment: 5 figure

All-sky search for short gravitational-wave bursts in the second Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo run

We present the results of a search for short-duration gravitational-wave transients in the data from the second observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We search for gravitational-wave transients with a duration of milliseconds to approximately one second in the 32-4096 Hz frequency band with minimal assumptions about the signal properties, thus targeting a wide variety of sources. We also perform a matched-filter search for gravitational-wave transients from cosmic string cusps for which the waveform is well modeled. The unmodeled search detected gravitational waves from several binary black hole mergers which have been identified by previous analyses. No other significant events have been found by either the unmodeled search or the cosmic string search. We thus present the search sensitivities for a variety of signal waveforms and report upper limits on the source rate density as a function of the characteristic frequency of the signal. These upper limits are a factor of 3 lower than the first observing run, with a 50% detection probability for gravitational-wave emissions with energies of ∼10-9 Mc2 at 153 Hz. For the search dedicated to cosmic string cusps we consider several loop distribution models, and present updated constraints from the same search done in the first observing run

Search for Eccentric Binary Black Hole Mergers with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo during Their First and Second Observing Runs

When formed through dynamical interactions, stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) may retain eccentric orbits (e > 0.1 at 10 Hz) detectable by ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Eccentricity can therefore be used to differentiate dynamically formed binaries from isolated BBH mergers. Current template-based gravitational-wave searches do not use waveform models associated with eccentric orbits, rendering the search less efficient for eccentric binary systems. Here we present the results of a search for BBH mergers that inspiral in eccentric orbits using data from the first and second observing runs (O1 and O2) of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We carried out the search with the coherent WaveBurst algorithm, which uses minimal assumptions on the signal morphology and does not rely on binary waveform templates. We show that it is sensitive to binary mergers with a detection range that is weakly dependent on eccentricity for all bound systems. Our search did not identify any new binary merger candidates. We interpret these results in light of eccentric binary formation models. We rule out formation channels with rates ⪆100 Gpc-3 yr-1 for e > 0.1, assuming a black hole mass spectrum with a power-law index ≲2