SI Engine Control in the Cold-Fast-Idle Period for Low HC Emissions and Fast Catalyst Light Off

The engine and its exhaust flow behaviors are investigated in a turbo-charged gasoline direct injection engine under simulated cold-fast-idle condition. The metrics of interest are the exhaust sensible and chemical enthalpy flows, and the exhaust temperature, all of which affect catalyst light off time. The exhaust sensible enthalpy flow is mainly a function of combustion phasing; the exhaust chemical enthalpy flow is mainly a function of equivalence ratio. High sensible and chemical enthalpy flow with acceptable engine stability could be obtained with retarded combustion and enrichment. When split injection is employed with one early and one later and smaller fuel pulse, combustion retards with early secondary injection in the compression stroke but advances with late secondary injection. Comparing gasoline to E85, the latter produces a lower exhaust temperature because of charge cooling effect and because of a faster combustion.Borg-Warner CorporationChrysler CorporationFord Motor CompanyGeneral Motors Corporatio

Simplified three-dimensional tissue clearing and incorporation of colorimetric phenotyping.

Tissue clearing methods promise to provide exquisite three-dimensional imaging information; however, there is a need for simplified methods for lower resource settings and for non-fluorescence based phenotyping to enable light microscopic imaging modalities. Here we describe the simplified CLARITY method (SCM) for tissue clearing that preserves epitopes of interest. We imaged the resulting tissues using light sheet microscopy to generate rapid 3D reconstructions of entire tissues and organs. In addition, to enable clearing and 3D tissue imaging with light microscopy methods, we developed a colorimetric, non-fluorescent method for specifically labeling cleared tissues based on horseradish peroxidase conversion of diaminobenzidine to a colored insoluble product. The methods we describe here are portable and can be accomplished at low cost, and can allow light microscopic imaging of cleared tissues, thus enabling tissue clearing and imaging in a wide variety of settings

Ambient ionization mass spectrometric analysis of human surgical specimens to distinguish renal cell carcinoma from healthy renal tissue

Touch spray - mass spectrometry (TS-MS) is an ambient ionization technique (ionization of unprocessed samples in the open air) that may find intraoperative applications in quickly identifying the disease state of cancerous tissues and in defining surgical margins. In this study, TS-MS was performed on fresh kidney tissue (~1–5 cm3), within one hour of resection, from 21 human subjects afflicted by renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The preliminary diagnostic value of TS-MS data taken from freshly resected tissue was evaluated. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the negative ion mode (m/z 700–1000) data provided separation between RCC (16 samples) and healthy renal tissue (13 samples). Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) on the PCA compressed data estimated sensitivity (true positive rate) and specificity (true negative rate) of 98% and 95%, respectively, based on histopathological evaluation. The results indicate that TS-MS might provide rapid diagnostic information in spite of the complexity of unprocessed kidney tissue and the presence of interferences such as urine and blood. Desorption electrospray ionization imaging (DESI-MSI) in the negative ionization mode was performed on the tissue specimens after TS-MS analysis as a reference method. The DESI imaging experiments provided phospholipid profiles (m/z 700–1000) that also separated RCC and healthy tissue in the PCA space, with PCA-LDA sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 89%, respectively. The TS and DESI loading plots indicated that different ions contributed most to the separation of RCC from healthy renal tissue (m/z 794 [PC 34:1+Cl]− and 844 [PC 38:4+Cl]− for TS vs. m/z 788 [PS 36:1-H]− and 810 [PS 38:4-H]− for DESI), while m/z 885 ([PI 38:4-H]−) was important in both TS and DESI. The prospect, remaining hurdles, and future work required for translating TS-MS into a method of intraoperative tissue diagnosis is discussed.

Mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake by the voltage-dependent anion channel 2 regulates cardiac rhythmicity.

Tightly regulated Ca(2+) homeostasis is a prerequisite for proper cardiac function. To dissect the regulatory network of cardiac Ca(2+) handling, we performed a chemical suppressor screen on zebrafish tremblor embryos, which suffer from Ca(2+) extrusion defects. Efsevin was identified based on its potent activity to restore coordinated contractions in tremblor. We show that efsevin binds to VDAC2, potentiates mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake and accelerates the transfer of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores into mitochondria. In cardiomyocytes, efsevin restricts the temporal and spatial boundaries of Ca(2+) sparks and thereby inhibits Ca(2+) overload-induced erratic Ca(2+) waves and irregular contractions. We further show that overexpression of VDAC2 recapitulates the suppressive effect of efsevin on tremblor embryos whereas VDAC2 deficiency attenuates efsevin\u27s rescue effect and that VDAC2 functions synergistically with MCU to suppress cardiac fibrillation in tremblor. Together, these findings demonstrate a critical modulatory role for VDAC2-dependent mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake in the regulation of cardiac rhythmicity

Sex Differences in Neighborhood Perceptions and Physical Activity among Older Adults Living in Car-dependent Neighborhoods

INTRODUCTION: Older adults may have more physical limitations and no longer routinely travel outside their neighborhoods to work. Their daily living, health, and well-being may depend on neighborhood resources close to their homes. Therefore, access to resources critical for healthy aging may influence health in various aspects. In this study we investigated differences in neighborhood perceptions (NP) and their influences on physical activity (PA). METHODS: Between 2012 and 2015, 111 men and 103 women aged 65 years and older living in car-dependent neighborhoods were queried on NP, use of neighborhood resources, and frequency and location of PA. Participants wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. RESULTS: Compared to women, men had a higher daily step count (mean (SD) 4385 (2122) men vs. 3671(1723) women, p=0.008). Men reported higher frequencies of any PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA, and a lower frequency of PA inside the home. Mean daily step counts and frequency of PA outside the home decreased progressively with age for both genders. Women had a sharper decline in frequencies of self-reported PA. Men had a significant decrease in utilitarian walking, which women did not (p=0.07). Among participants who reported any PA (n=190), more women indicated exercising indoors more often than outdoors (59% vs. 44%, p=0.04). Men perceived their neighborhoods more favorably than women. However, women perceived better accessibility to neighborhood resources. Higher NPs were associated with more frequent total PA and exercise outside the home. Association of NP with recreational walking was limited to men whereas association of NP with utilitarian walking was limited to women. CONCLUSION: Older men and women differed in levels, types and location preferences of PA, NPs and their influences on PA. Consideration of these sex differences is necessary to improve the effectiveness of active living promotion programs among older adults, especially those targeting NPs

Modifications of the BTZ black hole by a dilaton/scalar

We investigate some modifications of the static BTZ black hole solution due to a chosen asymptotically constant dilaton/scalar. New classes of static black hole solutions are obtained. One of the solutions contains the Martinez-Zanelli conformal black hole solution as a special case. Using quasilocal formalism, we calculate their mass for a finite spatial region that contains the black hole. Their temperatures are also computed. Finally, using some of the curvature singularities as examples, we investigate whether a quantum particle behaves singularly or not.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, in press in Phys. Rev.

Type I Interferon Production Enhances Susceptibility to Listeria monocytogenes Infection

Numerous bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharide potently induce type I interferons (IFNs); however, the contribution of this innate response to host defense against bacterial infection remains unclear. Although mice deficient in either IFN regulatory factor (IRF)3 or the type I IFN receptor (IFNAR)1 are highly susceptible to viral infection, we show that these mice exhibit a profound resistance to infection caused by the Gram-positive intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes compared with wild-type controls. Furthermore, this enhanced bacterial clearance is accompanied by a block in L. monocytogenes–induced splenic apoptosis in IRF3- and IFNAR1-deficient mice. Thus, our results highlight the disparate roles of type I IFNs during bacterial versus viral infections and stress the importance of proper IFN modulation in host defense

The engine reformer: Syngas production in an engine for compact gas-to-liquids synthesis

Methane (CH[subscript 4]) reforming was carried out in an internal combustion engine (an “engine reformer”). We successfully produced syngas from the partial oxidation of natural gas in the cylinder of a diesel engine that was reconfigured to perform spark ignition. Performing the reaction in an engine cylinder allows some of the exothermicity to be captured as useful work. Intake conditions of 110 kPa and up to 480 °C allowed low cycle-to-cycle variability (COV[subscript nimep]  2.4, but < 1 mg/L below these equivalence ratios. These results demonstrate that the engine reformer could be a key component of a compact gas-to-liquids synthesis plant by highlighting the operating conditions under which high gas conversion, high H[subscript 2]-to-CO ratios close to 2.0, and low soot production are possible.United States. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (Award DE-AR0000506)Research Triangle InitiativeMIT Energy InitiativeMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Tata Center for Technology and Desig