LOCATION OF A MIXALCO PRODUCTION FACILITY WITH RESPECT TO ECONOMIC VIABILITY

Monte-Carlo simulation modeling is used to perform a feasibility study of alternative locations for a MixAlco production facility. Net present value distributions will be ranked within feasible risk aversion boundaries. If MixAlco is a profitable investment, it would have a major impact on the fuel oxygenate and gasoline markets.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

TennisSense: a multi-sensory approach to performance analysis in tennis

The TennisSense Project, that is run in collaboration with Tennis Ireland, aims to create the infrastructure required to digitally capture physical, tactical and physiological data from tennis players in order to assist in their coaching and improved performance. This study examined the potential for using Wireless Inertial Monitoring Units (WIMU) to model the biomechanical aspects of the tennis stroke and for developing coaching tools that utilise this information. There is significant evidence in the current literature that the ability to accurately capture and model the accelerations, angular velocities and orientations involved in the tennis stroke could facilitate a major step forward in the application of biomechanics to tennis coachin

Quality assessment of work recovery activities: Guidance for recovering from work-related demands

The proposed study is designed to test a revised work recovery process model and gather data to provide guidance for work recovery activities based on their recovery quality value. Using an integrated and modified model of the stress-recovery process, recovery quality will be measured in terms of potential for psychological detachment, mastery, and control, with relaxation serving as an outcome state associated with the proposed three core recovery mechanisms. Underlying theoretical frameworks such as the Conservation of Resources Theory, the Effort-Recovery Model, and the Job-Demands Resource model served as the foundation to describe the importance of recovering depleted resources. Past research suggests active forms of recovery in natural environments hold the greatest potential for work recovery, but research has been limited to broad activity category classifications. In this study we take a more holistic approach to identifying specific recovery activities and their associated recovery experience quality by asking participants to list, rank order, and provide quality-related details regarding their three most common recovery activities. A variety of analyses will be used to compare average ratings of recovery quality elements and identify common recovery themes

ABCC1 modulates negative feedback control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in vivo in humans

BACKGROUND: Cortisol and corticosterone both circulate in human plasma and, due to differing export by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, may exert differential cellular effects. ABCB1 (expressed in brain) exports cortisol not corticosterone while ABCC1 (expressed in adipose and skeletal muscle) exports corticosterone not cortisol. We hypothesised that ABCC1 inhibition increases corticosteroid receptor occupancy by corticosterone but not cortisol in humans. METHODS: A randomised double-blind crossover study was conducted in 14 healthy men comparing placebo and ABCC1 inhibitor probenecid. Blood sampling, including from veins draining adipose and muscle, was undertaken before and after administration of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist potassium canrenoate and glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone (RU486). RESULTS: During placebo, systemic plasma cortisol and corticosterone concentrations increased promptly after canrenoate. Cortisol uptake was detected from adipose but not muscle following canrenoate + RU486. Probenecid significantly increased systemic cortisol concentrations, and tended to increase corticosterone and ACTH concentrations, after combined receptor antagonism but had no effects on net glucocorticoid balance in either adipose or muscle. Using quantitative PCR in brain bank tissue, ABCC1 expression was 5-fold higher in human pituitary than hypothalamus and hippocampus. ABCB1 was more highly expressed in hypothalamus compared to pituitary. CONCLUSIONS: Although displacement of corticosterone and/or cortisol from receptors in adipose and skeletal muscle could not be measured with sufficient precision to detect effects of probenecid, ABCC1 inhibition induced a greater incremental activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis after combined receptor blockade, consistent with ABCC1 exporting corticosterone from the pituitary and adding to the evidence that ABC transporters modulate tissue glucocorticoid sensitivity

Brief Report: HIV-1 gp120 T-Cell Responses Correspond to Infection Outcomes in the Global iPrEx Chemoprophylaxis Trial.

Association of HIV-1-specific T-cell responses to infection risk in seronegative individuals is controversial. We quantified and phenotypically characterized gp120-specific T-cell responses in HIV-1 exposed, but uninfected subjects enrolled in the global Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Initiative (iPrEx) chemoprophylaxis trial. IFNγ ELISpot responses were detected in 24% of subjects irrespective of infection outcome. HIV-1 gp120 envelope-specific T-cell responses were more uniformly IFN-γ+TNF-α+Mip-1β+ in persistently seronegative subjects relative to subjects who later seroconverted (median frequency of 76.5% and 66.5%, respectively). IFNγ responses targeted the V2 loop for subjects who remained seronegative. HIV-1 gp120 envelope V2 loop-specific CD8 T-cell responses may help to protect against HIV-1 acquisition

HIV-1/HSV-2 Co-Infected Adults in Early HIV-1 Infection Have Elevated CD4+ T Cell Counts

Introduction. HIV-1 is often acquired in the presence of pre-existing co-infections, such as Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2). We examined the impact of HSV-2 status at the time of HIV-1 acquisition for its impact on subsequent clinical course, and total CD4+ T cell phenotypes. Methods. We assessed the relationship of HSV-1/HSV-2 co-infection status on CD4+ T cell counts and HIV-1 RNA levels over time prior in a cohort of 186 treatment naive adults identified during early HIV-1 infection. We assessed the activation and differentiation state of total CD4+ T cells at study entry by HSV-2 status. Results. of 186 recently HIV-1 infected persons, 101 (54%) were sero-positive for HSV-2. There was no difference in initial CD8+ T cell count, or differences between the groups for age, gender, or race based on HSV-2 status. Persons with HIV-1/HSV-2 co-infection sustained higher CD4+ T cell counts over time (+69 cells/ul greater (SD = 33.7, p = 0.04) than those with HIV-1 infection alone (Figure 1), after adjustment for HIV-1 RNA levels (-57 cells per 1 log(10) higher HIV-1 RNA, p<0.0001). We did not observe a relationship between HSV-2 infection status with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels over time. HSV-2 acquistion after HIV-1 acquisition had no impact on CD4+ count or viral load. We did not detect differences in CD4+ T cell activation or differentiation state by HSV-2+ status. Discussion. We observed no effect of HSV-2 status on viral load. However, we did observe that treatment naive, recently HIV-1 infected adults co-infected with HSV-2+ at the time of HIV-1 acquisition had higher CD4+ T cell counts over time. If verified in other cohorts, this result poses a striking paradox, and its public health implications are not immediately clear.Brazilian Program for STD and AIDS, Ministry of HealthSão Paulo City Health DepartmentFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)NIAID/NIHJohn E. Fogarty International CenterAIDS Research Institute of the AIDS Biology Program at UCSFCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Brazilian Ministry of EducationUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Calif San Francisco, San Francisco Gen Hosp, Div HIV AIDS, San Francisco, CA USAUniv Calif San Francisco, Dept Expt Med, San Francisco, CA USASao Paula City Hlth Syst, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilBrazilian Program for STD and AIDS, Ministry of Health: 914/BRA/3014 UNESCO/KallasSão Paulo City Health Department: 2004-0.168.922-7/KallasFAPESP: 04/15856-9/KallasNIAID/NIH: AI066917/BarbourNIAID/NIH: AI064520/NixonJohn E. Fogarty International Center: D43 TW00003Web of Scienc