2,186 research outputs found

    Hydraulic Model Database for Applicated Distribution Systems Research

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    Hypothetical and simplified models have been essential to the momentous work of the last 50 years in water distribution systems analysis. However, as researchers continue to improve the way water distribution systems are modeled and analyzed with advancements in technology, it is imperative that the research community has access to a variety of hydraulic datasets that are more representative of real systems and offer a wide range of operating conditions for algorithm development and evaluation. At the 2013 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in Cincinnati, Ohio, the ASCE Task Committee on Research Databases for Water Distribution Systems was formed with the purpose of developing an online, open access repository of water distribution system hydraulic model files for use in applied scientific research. The current database has been updated and migrated to the University of Kentucky’s UKnowledge web portal which serves as an online repository of research which is freely accessible to the public and maintained by University of Kentucky library. Over the last few years, KWRRI staff have developed narratives for each system that include a primary contributor, a schematic of the system, a model description, a brief history of each system, and a link to a list of publications that have referenced or used the model. Additionally, each narrative contains a table that lists basic system properties such as the maximum daily demand and the number of pipes, junctions, tanks, reservoirs, pumps, valves, hydrants, customers, and water meters. Additional classification metrics (e.g., grid, loop, or branch system) have also been provided. The current database is divided into eight basic datasets and includes: • Historic literature datasets (both hypothetical and skeletonized real-world systems). • Historic software user manual examples from KYPIPE and EPANET. • Models used in “Battle of Networks” competitions. • The Kentucky dataset. • The Kentucky valve dataset. • Models of components of several US Cities. • Models of components of several International Cities. • Synthetic Systems. Detailed statistics about each system are provided in the Table of Database Systems

    Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Infects Mature Porcine Dendritic Cells and Up-Regulates Interleukin-10 Production

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    Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infects mature dendritic cells (mDCs) derived from porcine monocytes and matured with lipopolysaccharide. The infection of mDCs induced apoptosis, reduced the expression of CD80/86 and major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, and increased the expression of interleukin-10, thus suggesting that such mDC modulation results in the impairment of T-cell activation

    Multichannel Detrended Fluctuation Analysis Reveals Synchronized Patterns of Spontaneous Spinal Activity in Anesthetized Cats

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    The analysis of the interaction and synchronization of relatively large ensembles of neurons is fundamental for the understanding of complex functions of the nervous system. It is known that the temporal synchronization of neural ensembles is involved in the generation of specific motor, sensory or cognitive processes. Also, the intersegmental coherence of spinal spontaneous activity may indicate the existence of synaptic neural pathways between different pairs of lumbar segments. In this study we present a multichannel version of the detrended fluctuation analysis method (mDFA) to analyze the correlation dynamics of spontaneous spinal activity (SSA) from time series analysis. This method together with the classical detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) were used to find out whether the SSA recorded in one or several segments in the spinal cord of the anesthetized cat occurs either in a random or in an organized manner. Our results are consistent with a non-random organization of the sets of neurons involved in the generation of spontaneous cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) recorded either from one lumbar segment (DFA- mean = 1.040.09) or simultaneously from several lumbar segments (mDFA- mean = 1.010.06), where  = 0.5 indicates randomness while 0.5 indicates long-term correlations. To test the sensitivity of the mDFA method we also examined the effects of small spinal lesions aimed to partially interrupt connectivity between neighboring lumbosacral segments. We found that the synchronization and correlation between the CDPs recorded from the L5 and L6 segments in both sides of the spinal cord were reduced when a lesion comprising the left dorsal quadrant was performed between the segments L5 and L6 (mDFA- = 0.992 as compared to initial conditions mDFA- = 1.186). The synchronization and correlation were reduced even further after a similar additional right spinal lesion (mDFA- = 0.924). In contrast to the classical methods, such as correlation and coherence quantification that define a relation between two sets of data, the mDFA method properly reveals the synchronization of multiple groups of neurons in several segments of the spinal cord. This method is envisaged as a useful tool to characterize the structure of higher order ensembles of cord dorsum spontaneous potentials after spinal cord or peripheral nerve lesions

    Clinical and social profile of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Reynosa, Tamaulipas

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    Background: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It generally causes pulmonary tuberculosis, with symptoms such as fever and expectoration. In 2020, the total number of tuberculosis cases worldwide was about 9.8 million, with a mortality of 1.5 million. In Mexico, pulmonary tuberculosis represents 79% of the total cases of tuberculosis, with an incidence of 24 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Tamaulipas ranks fifth nationally. This study seeks to determine the frequency in which social and risk factors associated with predisposition to tuberculosis occur in the population of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Methods: Through an observational and descriptive study, data were collected from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis belonging to the Regional Center Against Tuberculosis in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Data collection was carried out from February to May 2022 through the clinical history of the unit. Those patients in fully cured condition and those who presented negative smear microscopy during this period were excluded. Results: In the February-May period, 50 records of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were included, where 58% were men, with a mean age of 38.4 years Âą 16.6 DE, 56% of the participants were from the state of Tamaulipas, followed by Veracruz and San Luis PotosĂ­ with 22% and 4% respectively. The predominant level of education was middle school (23.5%), followed by complete elementary school, while the occupation that prevailed was unemployed (41.2%) followed by housewife (21.6%). Among the frequent symptoms were productive cough (89.8%) and fever (65.3%). Of the comorbidities present, diabetes mellitus stood out with 26%, while in the addictions we found alcoholism (25.7%) in the first place. Conclusions: The importance of describing the social and clinical situation of patients with tuberculosis lies in the identification of risk factors that can be considered in the development of strategies focused on the clinical manifestations of our region

    Respuesta fotosintĂŠtica del pasto kikuyo (pennisetum clandestinum) en pisos tĂŠrmicos contrastantes

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    El cambio climĂĄtico es un proceso de alteraciĂłn a largo plazo de las condiciones promedio asociadas con las variables que determinan el clima de la tierra, incluidas las variaciones en la composiciĂłn quĂ­mica de la atmĂłsfera terrestre y todas las caracterĂ­sticas del ambiente que constituyen el clima (temperatura, humedad, nubosidad, precipitaciĂłn) (MartĂ­nez et al., 2009). La adaptaciĂłn de las plantas forrajeras a este cambio es un tema importante y complejo que presenta desafĂ­os, principalmente para los sistemas agropecuarios en productividad y oferta de alimento para los animales. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la respuesta fotosintĂŠtica del pasto kikuyo (Pennisetum clandestinum) en tres zonas contrastantes del Valle del Cauca, Colombia

    Ceramide launches an acute anti-adhesion pro-migration cell signaling program in response to chemotherapy

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    Chemotherapy has been reported to upregulate sphingomylinases and increase cellular ceramide, often linked to the induction to cell death. In this work, we show that sublethal doses of doxorubicin and vorinostat still increased cellular ceramide, which was located predominantly at the plasma membrane. To interrogate possible functions of this specific pool of ceramide, we used recombinant enzymes to mimic physiological levels of ceramide at the plasma membrane upon chemotherapy treatment. Using mass spectrometry and network analysis, followed by experimental confirmation, the results revealed that this pool of ceramide acutely regulates cell adhesion and cell migration pathways with weak connections to commonly established ceramide functions (eg, cell death). Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) was identified as responsible for the generation of plasma membrane ceramide upon chemotherapy treatment, and both ceramide at the plasma membrane and nSMase2 were necessary and sufficient to mediate these “side” effects of chemotherapy on cell adhesion and migration. This is the first time a specific pool of ceramide is interrogated for acute signaling functions, and the results define plasma membrane ceramide as an acute signaling effector necessary and sufficient for regulation of cell adhesion and cell migration under chemotherapeutical stress.Fil: Canals, Daniel. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Salamone, Silvia. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Santacreu, Bruno Jaime. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Nemeth, Erika. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Aguilar, Daniel. Biomedical Research Networking Center in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases; EspañaFil: Hernandez Corbacho, María José. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Adada, Mohamad. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Staquicini, Daniela I.. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Arap, Wadih. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Pasqualini, Renata. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Haley, John. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Obeid, Lina M.. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Hannun, Yusuf A.. Stony Brook University; State University of New York

    Ceramide launches an acute anti-adhesion pro-migration cell signaling program in response to chemotherapy

    Get PDF
    Chemotherapy has been reported to upregulate sphingomylinases and increase cellular ceramide, often linked to the induction to cell death. In this work, we show that sublethal doses of doxorubicin and vorinostat still increased cellular ceramide, which was located predominantly at the plasma membrane. To interrogate possible functions of this specific pool of ceramide, we used recombinant enzymes to mimic physiological levels of ceramide at the plasma membrane upon chemotherapy treatment. Using mass spectrometry and network analysis, followed by experimental confirmation, the results revealed that this pool of ceramide acutely regulates cell adhesion and cell migration pathways with weak connections to commonly established ceramide functions (eg, cell death). Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) was identified as responsible for the generation of plasma membrane ceramide upon chemotherapy treatment, and both ceramide at the plasma membrane and nSMase2 were necessary and sufficient to mediate these “side” effects of chemotherapy on cell adhesion and migration. This is the first time a specific pool of ceramide is interrogated for acute signaling functions, and the results define plasma membrane ceramide as an acute signaling effector necessary and sufficient for regulation of cell adhesion and cell migration under chemotherapeutical stress.Fil: Canals, Daniel. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Salamone, Silvia. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Santacreu, Bruno Jaime. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Nemeth, Erika. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Aguilar, Daniel. Biomedical Research Networking Center in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases; EspañaFil: Hernandez Corbacho, María José. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Adada, Mohamad. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Staquicini, Daniela I.. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Arap, Wadih. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Pasqualini, Renata. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Haley, John. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Obeid, Lina M.. Stony Brook University; State University of New York;Fil: Hannun, Yusuf A.. Stony Brook University; State University of New York

    Dissolution Amplification by Resonance and Cavitational Stimulation at Ultrasonic and Megasonic Frequencies

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    Acoustic stimulation offers a green pathway for the extraction of valuable elements such as Si, Ca, and Mg via solubilization of minerals and industrial waste materials. Prior studies have focused on the use of ultrasonic frequencies (20-40 kHz) to stimulate dissolution, but mega sonic frequencies (≥1 MHz) offer benefits such as matching of the resonance frequencies of solute particles and an increased frequency of cavitation events. Here, based on dissolution tests of a series of minerals, it is found that dissolution under resonance conditions produced dissolution enhancements between 4x-to-6x in Si-rich materials (obsidian, albite, and quartz). Cavitational collapse induced by ultrasonic stimulation was more effective for Ca- and Mg-rich carbonate precursors (calcite and dolomite), exhibiting a significant increase in the dissolution rate as the particle size was reduced (i.e. available surface area was increased), resulting in up to a 70x increase in the dissolution rate of calcite when compared to unstimulated dissolution for particles with d50\u3c 100 μm. Cavitational collapse induced by mega sonic stimulation caused a greater dissolution enhancement than ultrasonic stimulation (1.5x vs 1.3x) for amorphous class F fly ash, despite its higher Si content because the hollow particle structure was susceptible to breakage by the rapid and high number of lower-energy mega sonic cavitation events. These results are consistent with the cavitational collapse energy following a normal distribution of energy release, with more cavitation events possessing sufficient energy to break Ca-O and Mg-O bonds than Si-O bonds, the latter of which has a bond energy approximately double the others. The effectiveness of ultrasonic dissolution enhancement increased exponentially with decreasing stacking fault energy (i.e., resistance to the creation of surface faults such as pits and dislocations), while, in turn, the effectiveness of mega sonic dissolution increased linearly with the stacking fault energy. These results give new insights into the use of acoustic frequency selections for accelerating elemental release from solutes by the use of acoustic perturbation

    Enantiomeric profiling of chiral illicit drugs in a pan-European study

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    The aim of this paper is to present the first study on spatial and temporal variation in the enantiomeric profile of chiral drugs in eight European cities. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) and enantioselective analysis were combined to evaluate trends in illicit drug use in the context of their consumption vs direct disposal as well as their synthetic production routes. Spatial variations in amphetamine loads were observed with higher use in Northern European cities. Enantioselective analysis showed a general enrichment of amphetamine with the R-(−)-enantiomer in wastewater indicating its abuse. High loads of racemic methamphetamine were detected in Oslo (EF = 0.49 ± 0.02). This is in contrast to other European cities where S-(+)-methamphetamine was the predominant enantiomer. This indicates different methods of methamphetamine synthesis and/or trafficking routes in Oslo, compared with the other cities tested. An enrichment of MDMA with the R-(−)-enantiomer was observed in European wastewaters indicating MDMA consumption rather than disposal of unused drug. MDA's chiral signature indicated its enrichment with the S-(+)-enantiomer, which confirms its origin from MDMA metabolism in humans. HMMA was also detected at quantifiable concentrations in wastewater and was found to be a suitable biomarker for MDMA consumption. Mephedrone was only detected in wastewater from the United Kingdom with population-normalised loads up to 47.7 mg 1000 people−1 day−1. The enrichment of mephedrone in the R-(+)-enantiomer in wastewater suggests stereoselective metabolism in humans, hence consumption, rather than direct disposal of the drug. The investigation of drug precursors, such as ephedrine, showed that their presence was reasonably ascribed to their medical use
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