Cognitive Bias in Ambiguity Judgements:Using Computational Models to Dissect the Effects of Mild Mood Manipulation in Humans

Positive and negative moods can be treated as prior expectations over future delivery of rewards and punishments. This provides an inferential foundation for the cognitive (judgement) bias task, now widely-used for assessing affective states in non-human animals. In the task, information about affect is extracted from the optimistic or pessimistic manner in which participants resolve ambiguities in sensory input. Here, we report a novel variant of the task aimed at dissecting the effects of affect manipulations on perceptual and value computations for decision-making under ambiguity in humans. Participants were instructed to judge which way a Gabor patch (250ms presentation) was leaning. If the stimulus leant one way (e.g. left), pressing the REWard key yielded a monetary WIN whilst pressing the SAFE key failed to acquire the WIN. If it leant the other way (e.g. right), pressing the SAFE key avoided a LOSS whilst pressing the REWard key incurred the LOSS. The size (0-100 UK pence) of the offered WIN and threatened LOSS, and the ambiguity of the stimulus (vertical being completely ambiguous) were varied on a trial-by-trial basis, allowing us to investigate how decisions were affected by differing combinations of these factors. Half the subjects performed the task in a 'Pleasantly' decorated room and were given a gift (bag of sweets) prior to starting, whilst the other half were in a bare 'Unpleasant' room and were not given anything. Although these treatments had little effect on self-reported mood, they did lead to differences in decision-making. All subjects were risk averse under ambiguity, consistent with the notion of loss aversion. Analysis using a Bayesian decision model indicated that Unpleasant Room subjects were ('pessimistically') biased towards choosing the SAFE key under ambiguity, but also weighed WINS more heavily than LOSSes compared to Pleasant Room subjects. These apparently contradictory findings may be explained by the influence of affect on different processes underlying decision-making, and the task presented here offers opportunities for further dissecting such processes

Dietary suppression of MHC-II expression in intestinal stem cells enhances intestinal tumorigenesis

Little is known about how interactions between diet, immune recognition, and intestinal stem cells (ISCs) impact the early steps of intestinal tumorigenesis. Here, we show that a high fat diet (HFD) reduces the expression of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) genes in ISCs. This decline in ISC MHC-II expression in a HFD correlates with an altered intestinal microbiome composition and is recapitulated in antibiotic treated and germ-free mice on a control diet. Mechanistically, pattern recognition receptor and IFNg signaling regulate MHC-II expression in ISCs. Although MHC-II expression on ISCs is dispensable for stem cell function in organoid cultures in vitro, upon loss of the tumor suppressor gene Apc in a HFD, MHC-II- ISCs harbor greater in vivo tumor-initiating capacity than their MHC-II+ counterparts, thus implicating a role for epithelial MHC-II in suppressing tumorigenesis. Finally, ISC-specific genetic ablation of MHC-II in engineered Apc-mediated intestinal tumor models increases tumor burden in a cell autonomous manner. These findings highlight how a HFD alters the immune recognition properties of ISCs through the regulation of MHC-II expression in a manner that could contribute to intestinal tumorigenesis

The influence of water treatment technology on the process of biofilm formation on the selected installation materials

W artykule oceniono wpływ technologii oczyszczania wody na proces formowania obrostów biologicznych na wybranych materiałach instalacyjnych (miedzi, stali ocynkowanej oraz polipropylenie). W pracy określona została podatność badanych powierzchni na powstawanie biofilmów. Wykorzystując techniki skaningowej mikroskopii elektronowej obserwowano zmiany zachodzące na powierzchniach materiałów instalacyjnych. Jakość wód pozostających w kontakcie z próbkami poddana została dodatkowo analizie mikrobiologicznej w celu oszacowania zmian liczebności drobnoustrojów w trakcie trwania eksperymentu. Wykonane zdjęcia SEM wykazały znaczne różnice w strukturze przestrzennej powstałych biofilmów w zależności od jakości wody oraz rodzaju badanego materiału instalacyjnego. Technologia oczyszczania wody miała wpływ na powstawanie i strukturę obrostu biologicznego. Stwierdzono, że materiałem szczególnie podatnym na adhezję mikroorganizmów jest stal ocynkowana. Powierzchnia tego materiału została całkowicie zdominowana przez komórki bakterii, a utworzony biofilm charakteryzował się złożoną strukturą przestrzenną. Miedź okazała się najbardziej odporna na kolonizację przez mikroorganizmy.The influence of water treatment technology on the process of biofilm formation on the selected plumbing materials (copper, galvanized steel and polypropylene) was assessed in this paper. The sensitivity of the investigated surfaces to biofilm formation was determined in the paper. Using the scanning electron microscope technique, changes occurring on the surfaces of the installation materials have been observed. The quality of the water in contact with the samples was subjected to microbiological analysis in order to estimate changes in the abundance of microorganisms during the experiment. The SEM photos showed significant differences in the spatial structure of the biofilms depending on the quality of the water and the type of test material. Water treatment technology has influenced the formation and structure of biological growth. It has been found that the material particularly susceptible to the adhesion of microorganisms is galvanized steel. The surface of this material was completely dominated by bacterial cells, and the biofilm formed was characterized by a complex spatial structure. Copper has proven to be the most resistant to colonization by microorganisms

Effect of organic compounds on the efficiency of water treatment processes – theoretical basics

Naturalną materię organiczną (NOM) można określić jako mieszaninę złożonych związków organicznych, które powszechnie występują w wodach powierzchniowych i podziemnych. Wysoka zawartość NOM w ujmowanych wodach przyczynia się m.in. do pogorszenia właściwości organoleptycznych wody, zmniejsza efektywność jednostkowych procesów uzdatniania, a także jest przyczyną powstawania ubocznych produktów utleniania i dezynfekcji (UPU/D), wykazujących właściwości kancerogenne i mutagenne. Skuteczna eliminacja NOM stanowi obecnie jeden z głównych problemów występujących na stacjach uzdatniania wody. W niniejszym artykule dokonano szczegółowej charakterystyki substancji organicznych, z uwzględnieniem rozdziału składników NOM na frakcje hydrofobowe (głównie wysokocząsteczkowe substancje humusowe) oraz frakcje hydrofilowe (związki niehumusowe). Rozdział substancji organicznych jest istotnym zagadnieniem, któremu obecnie poświęca się coraz więcej uwagi. Jedną z powszechnie stosowanych metod pozwalającą określić zawartość frakcji hydrofobowych i hydrofilowych jest metoda frakcjonowania z zastosowaniem żywic jonowymiennych. Rozdzielanie składników NOM stosuje się głównie w badaniach dotyczących określenia możliwości powstawania UPU/D, gdyż każda z wymienianych frakcji wykazuje odmienny stopień reaktywności ze środkami chemicznymi. W artykule oceniono wpływ właściwości związków organicznych na efektywność procesów technologicznych stosowanych w uzdatnianiu wody przeznaczonej do spożycia przez ludzi. Stosowane technologie wykazują zróżnicowaną skuteczność w usuwaniu NOM, dlatego też przy wyborze odpowiedniej metody coraz większą uwagę powinno zwracać się m.in. na właściwości substancji organicznych zawartych w ujmowanych wodach.Natural organic matter (NOM) can be defined as a mixture of complex organic compounds that are commonly found in surface water and groundwater. The high content of NOM in captured water contributes to reduce the organoleptic properties of water, reduce the efficiency of individual treatment processes, and to cause the formation of oxidation and disinfection byproducts (O/DBPs) with carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Efficient NOM elimination is one of the major problems of water treatment plants. In this article, a detailed description of organic substances has been made, taking into account the separation of NOM components into hydrophobic fractions (mainly high molecular weight humic substances) and hydrophilic fractions (non-humic compounds). The separation of organic substances is an important issue that is becoming more and more attention nowadays. One of the commonly used methods to determine the hydrophobic and hydrophilic fraction is the fractionation method using ion exchange resins. Separation of NOM components is mainly used in the determination of the potential O/DBPs formation, since each of the fractions listed exhibits a different degree of reactivity with chemical agents. In this article the influence of the properties of organic compounds on the efficiency of technological processes used in the treatment of water intended for human consumption has been evaluated. Applied technologies have differentiated efficacy in removal NOM. Therefore, when choosing the right method, attention should be paid to inter alia, on the properties of organic substances contained in the captured water

The model calculations of the electric motor of toyota prius 2nd generation

The paper presents the results of FEM calculations of the electric motor of Toyota Prius 2nd generation. The study was conducted to establish, to what extent this motor differs from the model of a synchronous machine with internal permanent magnets, ie. the machine describable by mono-harmonic, linear model in Park coordinates (0dq). Suspicion, that the test motor is not a typical IPMSM motor is based on both the original form of magnetic excitation poles (on the rotor) and with almost completely open slots of the armature (on the stator) and the stator yoke relatively thin. Significant in this respect was to analyze the influence of local saturations of the magnetic circuit on the operation of the machine and the possibility of its modeling in coordinates 0dq. The results are important for the synthesis of controlling IPMSM motors. The test machine, despite the fact that formally it is synchronous machine with internal magnets (due to the overall construction and method of supply), do not satisfy the requirements of model 0dq and breaks the canon of the design of IPMSM machinesW artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań obliczeniowych MES silnika elektrycznego Toyoty Prius II generacji. Badania zostały przeprowadzone w celu ustalenia, w jakim stopniu silnik ten różni się od modelowej maszyny synchronicznej z magnesami trwałymi zagłębionymi, tj. maszyny opisywalnej monoharmonicznym, beznasyceniowym modelem we współrzędnych Parka (0dq). Podejrzenie, że badany silnik nie jest typowym silnikiem IPMSM wynikło zarówno z oryginalnego uformowania magnesowych biegunów wzbudzenia (wirnika), jak i z użycia w konstrukcji praktycznie całkowicie otwartych żłobków twornika (stojana), a także relatywnie cienkiego jarzma stojana. Istotne w tym aspekcie było przeanalizowanie wpływu lokalnych nasyceń obwodu magnetycznego maszyny na jej pracę i możliwość modelowania we współrzędnych 0dq. Uzyskane wyniki mają istotne znaczenie dla syntezy sterowania silników IPMSM. Badana maszyna pomimo tego, że jest formalnie maszyną synchroniczną IPMSM (z uwagi na ogólną budowę i sposób zasilania) wyłamuje się z modelu 0dq i kanonu konstrukcyjnego takich maszyn

The effect of the type of roofing and the seasons on the microbiological quality of rainwater

This paper presents the results of research on the bacteriological quality of rainwater collected directly from precipitation and various roof surfaces – concrete and ceramic roof tiles, galvanised sheet and a terrace covered with epoxy resin. Samples for the research were collected in a suburban area in 2015-2016. The quality of rainwater was assessed based on the results of bacteriological analyses (the presence of indicator bacteria and the total mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria count). The effect of the seasons and the type of roofing on the microorganism count was discussed. Significant differences in the quality of rainwater collected from various roof surfaces, related to the roughness and chemical composition of the materials covering the roofs were indicated. In the rainwater examined, significant numbers of potentially pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, coliforms and faecal streptococci were detected. The results obtained were the basis for indicating the possibility of using rainwater for various household purposes. Rainwater is not suitable for uses requiring the quality of water intended for consumption due to a great number of psychrophilic, mesophilic and faecal bacteria

Activated carbon usage for purification of water solutions with oil contaminants

Zaprezentowano rezultaty badań nad wykorzystaniem adsorpcyjnych właściwości wybranych pylistych węgli aktywnych do usuwania z wody zemulgowanego oleju maszynowego Mixol S metodą koagulacji. W badaniach zastosowano następujące reagenty: pylisty węgiel aktywny Organosorb 200-1 Wi (PWA 1). Organosorb 100-1 (PWA 2) oraz koagulanty podstawowe, tj.: chlorek żelaza(III) FeCl3 6H2O i siarczan(VI) glinu Al2(SO4)3 18H2O. Badania wykonywane były seriami w zależności od dawki pylistego węgla aktywnego (PWA) i rodzaju koagulantów podstawowych. Większą efektywnością w usuwaniu oleju Mixol z wody, przy użyciu obu koagulantów, wykazał się pylisty węgiel aktywny Organosorb 100-1 (PWA 2). Największe, 97% usunięcie oleju (Ck = 12 mg/dm3), przy stężeniu początkowym C0 = 360 mg/dm3, otrzymano dla 150 mg/dm3 Al2(SO4)3 i pylistego węgla aktywnego PWA 2 w dawce 0,2 g/dm3. W świetle przeprowadzonych badań koagulacja wspomagana procesem adsorpcji okazała się skuteczną metodą oczyszczania emulsji olejowych, a sole glinu lepszym koagulantem. Dużą korzyścią z zastosowania węgla aktywnego (czyli połączenia procesów koagulacji i adsorpcji) była lepsza jakość osadów pokoagulacyjnych. Osady uzyskiwane w wyniku prowadzonych testów z koagulantem podstawowym i węglami, w przeciwieństwie do osadów pochodzących tylko z samodzielnie stosowanych koagulantów, były o dużo większej gęstości i mniej uwodnione. Tworzyły szlam, łatwy do usunięcia i możliwy do regeneracji poprzez odwodnienie, wysuszenie i wyprażenie.The paper presents the results of research related to removal of oil emulsion (on base of 'Mixol S') from water solution in coagulation process. The selected powdery activated carbons were used as aid reagents by reason of adsorptive properties refer to organic compounds. The research was realized on model emulsion. Carried microscopic observation has showed that oil drops were smaller than 3.0 μm. It testified that objective emulsion could be described as fine-dispersion emulsion. The solutions have pH values in the range 6.5÷7.0. The following reagents were applied in the research tests: powdery activated carbon Organosorb 200-1 Wi (PWA 1), Organosorb 100-1 (PWA 2), as well as basic coagulants - i.e. iron(III) chloride FeCl3 · 6H2O and aluminum sulfate, Al2(SO4)3 · 18H2O. The tests were conducted in series, depending on the dose of powdery activated carbon and the type of basic coagulants. In case of PWA 1 (powder wood carbon) employment, removal of oil from water solution was considerable but not completely satisfactory. Final concentration of oil Mixol in water has amounted to C = 26 mg/dm3. It gets it at dose aluminum D = 90 mg/dm3 and 0.5 g/dm3 active carbon. When both coagulants were used the 'Organosorb 100-1' (PWA 2) powdery activated carbon exhibited higher effectiveness in removal of Mixol oil from water. The highest oil reduction, i.e. 97% (Ck = 12 mg/dm3), from its initial concentration of C0 = 360 mg/dm3, was obtained for 150 mg/dm3 of Al2(SO4)3 and for PWA 2 powdery activated carbon dosed at 0.2 g/dm3. Coagulation assisted by the adsorption process appeared to be a more effective method of water purification from oil emulsions, while aluminum salts were better coagulants. The big advantage of using powdery activated carbon (i.e. the combination of coagulation and adsorption processes), was a better quality of post-coagulation sediments. Unlike the sediments formed from coagulant used alone, the sediments obtained as a result of tests with basic coagulant and carbons had much higher density and contained less water. The sludge formed by the latter was easy to remove and could be regenerated by dewatering, drying and roasting

Assessment of Usability of Bentonite Clays for Removing Phenol from Water Solutions

The paper presents the results of laboratory testing of the potential use of bentonite clay from Dynowskie Foothills for removing phenol from model water solutions. Both natural clays and those treated with sodium carbonate, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids were used. The paper shows the characteristics of phenols occurring in natural water. The sources of phenols, i.e. household and industrial wastewater as well as municipal landfills and damps are given. The aim of the experiments was to determine a quantitative formulation of the adsorption process, as well as to describe the effect of various factors on the process itself. An attempt was made to solve the tasks using model experimental setups. Model phenol solution, concentration of 20,00 mg/L, prepared using distilled water was applied as an adsorptive. The phenol concentration in model solutions was determined using the linear relationship between the concentration of this compound and the absorbency value at the wavelength of 254 nm. The absorbency value was read with a SHIMADZU UV – 1601 spectophotometer using quartz cuvets with an absorbing layer 10 mm thick. The results obtained in a successive series of experiments performed under static conditions were described using basic izoterm equations i.e. those of Freundlich, Langmuir and BET. Freundlich’s equations best described the process. The adsorption capacity of the active clays tested was calculated on the basis of the isotherms. Natural clay had an adsorptive capacity of 0,74 mg/g, clay modified with hydrochloric acid 2,41 mg/g, clay modified with sulfuric acid 1,83 mg/g and clay modified with sodium carbonate 0,50 mg/g. Dynamic conditions were realised by the column filtration method. The adsorption columns were made of organic glass 32 mm in diameter, the filling height was 750 mm, filtration rate – 12 m/h. Filtration was performed from the top downwards. Filtration lasted each time until the moment of bed exhaustion, i.e. such a point where the concentration in the discharge becomes equal to that of the initial solution. The sorption effectiveness under flow conditions for bentonite clays was 100%. On the basis of the results obtained, the breakthrough curves, the so-called iso-planes, were prepared and served in turn to determine the adsorption capacities under flow conditions. The adsorptive capacities were higher than those determined through static conditions and these were 15,9 mg/g, 19,9 mg/g, 18,8 mg/g and 15,2 mg/g for natural clay, clay modified with hydrochloric acid, clay modified with sulfuric acid and clay modified with sodium carbonate, respectively. The clay modified with sodium hydrochloric acid exhibited the highest values of adsorption capacities, as determined under both static and flow conditions. Modification of samples with hydrochloric and sulfuric acids appeared advantageous for both technological and economic reasons. The exit curves (iso-planes) were used to determine the mass penetration zone (the adsorption front height), as well as to calculate the rate at which the mass-exchange zone advanced. The adsorption front height for the carbons tested was 3–5 times lower than the adsorption bed height, thus confirming the high effectiveness of clays in phenol removal. Despite this considerable superiority of active carbon as sorbent, bentonite clays may be taken into account in designing process systems, especially as insulating materials in relation to active carbon. The array of water conditioning processes to be employed for phenol polluted water should in each case be preceded by detailed and thorough technological studies

Using Ion Exchange Process in Removal of Selected Organic Pollution from Aqueous Solutions

Surfactant and phenol were removed using AMBERLITE IRA 900 Cl ion-exchange resin, which is a strong alkali. In the process, the tests were carried out under non-flow conditions, the effect of contact time and ionite dose on the surfactant and phenol exchange was determined. The tests under the through-flow conditions were realized in three consecutive cycles, preceded by regeneration and rinsing. The obtained results served for determination of ion-exchange capabilities of the studied ionite. The usable ion-exchange capabilities of the resin obtained after the second and third ionite operation cycle were lower by about 10% (surfactant) and 14.29-17.86% (phenol) than those after the first cycle. It shows that the process of sorption occurred simultaneously with the ion-exchange process

Application of Powdery Activated Carbons for Removal Ibuprofen from Water

The paper presents the results of studies on the use of adsorptive properties of selected powdered activated carbons (Norit SA Super and Carbopol MB5) for removal of ibuprofen from water. The tests were performed on non-flow conditions, series depending on the type and dose of powdered adsorbents. The research was carried out on a model solution of ibuprofen at initial concentration C0 = 20 mg/dm3, at 20 °C. Froundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms were used. Lagergrene kinetic models (PFO) and Ho (PSO) were used to describe adsorption kinetics. Both carbons exhibited a higher affinity for the adsorbent at pH above 7. Norit SA Super was a better adsorbent, for which, the highest adsorption capacity q = 0.448 g/g was achieved with dose D = 35 mg/dm3. The effectiveness of adsorption (decrease of ibuprofen in water) was 78%. The total removal of ibuprofen was obtained for a dose of carbon D = 200 mg/ dm3. With respect to Carbopol, the highest adsorption capacity (q = 0.353 g/g) was achieved at a dose of 30 mg/dm3, resulting in a 53% efficiency. Studies have shown that both tested powdered activated carbons have contributed to effective cleaning of aqueous solutions containing ibuprofen