Distribution of sulfur in power supply lignite from North Hungary

Abstract The present article discusses the results of measurements carried out to assess the distribution of different sulfur types in lignite samples deriving from two opencast lignite mines near the villages of Bükkábrány and Visonta. These mines ensure the continuous supply of fuel for one of Hungary's largest thermal power plant. According to our findings no significant differences could be identified between the samples of the two mines based on their total sulfur (St) content. Both lignite types were classified as coals with medium-sulfur content according to the system of Chou (1990). A majority of total sulfur is accumulated in lignite, while in the intercalated carbonaceous shale total sulfur is present in minor amounts. Usually the sequence of the distribution of sulfur among the different bond forms in lignite collected from opencast mine of Visonta is as follows: pyritic sulfur (Sp) > organic sulfur (Sorg) > sulfate sulfur (SSOorg4). In the samples collected from Visonta and Bükkábrány quantities of total sulfur were similar. However, some difference in their distribution among various sulfur types were noted. Although half of the samples were weathered and the amount of pyrite sulfur must have been higher in the weathered lignite of Bükkábrány preceding the oxidation process, the sequence of the distribution of sulfur was likely as follows Sorg ≥ Sp ≥ SSO4

GABA Maintains the Proliferation of Progenitors in the Developing Chick Ciliary Marginal Zone and Non-Pigmented Ciliary Epithelium

GABA is more than the main inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the adult CNS. Several studies have shown that GABA regulates the proliferation of progenitor and stem cells. This work examined the effects of the GABAA receptor system on the proliferation of retinal progenitors and non-pigmented ciliary epithelial (NPE) cells. qRT-PCR and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology were used to characterize the GABAA receptor system. To quantify the effects on proliferation by GABAA receptor agonists and antagonists, incorporation of thymidine analogues was used. The results showed that the NPE cells express functional extrasynaptic GABAA receptors with tonic properties and that low concentration of GABA is required for a baseline level of proliferation. Antagonists of the GABAA receptors decreased the proliferation of dissociated E12 NPE cells. Bicuculline also had effects on progenitor cell proliferation in intact E8 and E12 developing retina. The NPE cells had low levels of the Cl–transporter KCC2 compared to the mature retina, suggesting a depolarising role for the GABAA receptors. Treatment with KCl, which is known to depolarise membranes, prevented some of the decreased proliferation caused by inhibition of the GABAA receptors. This supported the depolarising role for the GABAA receptors. Inhibition of L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) reduced the proliferation in the same way as inhibition of the GABAA receptors. Inhibition of the channels increased the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27KIP1, along with the reduced proliferation. These results are consistent with that when the membrane potential indirectly regulates cell proliferation with hyperpolarisation of the membrane potential resulting in decreased cell division. The increased expression of p27KIP1 after inhibition of either the GABAA receptors or the L-type VGCCs suggests a link between the GABAA receptors, membrane potential, and intracellular Ca2+ in regulating the cell cycle

CASTLEGUARD : anonymised data streams with guaranteed differential privacy

Data streams are commonly used by data controllers to outsource the processing of real-time data to third-party data processors. Data protection legislation and best practice in data management support the view that data controllers are responsible for providing a guarantee of privacy for user data contained within published data streams. Continuously Anonymising STreaming data via adaptive cLustEring (CASTLE) is an established method for anonymising data streams with a guarantee of k-anonymity. However, k-anonymity has been shown to be a weak privacy guarantee that has vulnerabilities in practical applications. In this paper we propose Continuously Anonymising STreaming data via adaptive cLustEring with GUAR-anteed Differential privacy (CASTLEGUARD), a data stream anonymisation algorithm that provides a reliable guarantee of k-anonymity, l-diversity and differential privacy to data subjects. We analyse CASTLEGUARD to show that, through safe k-anonymisation and β-sampling, the proposed approach satisfies differentially private k-anonymity. Further, we demonstrate the efficacy of the approach in the context of machine learning, presenting experimental analysis to demonstrate that it can be used to protect the individual privacy of users whilst maintaining the utility of a data stream

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Multistrange baryon production in Au-Au collisions at root s(NN)=130 GeV

The transverse mass spectra and midrapidity yields for Xis and Omegas are presented. For the 10% most central collisions, the (Xi) over bar (+)/h(-) ratio increases from the Super Proton Synchrotron to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider energies while the Xi(-)/h(-) stays approximately constant. A hydrodynamically inspired model fit to the Xi spectra, which assumes a thermalized source, seems to indicate that these multistrange particles experience a significant transverse flow effect, but are emitted when the system is hotter and the flow is smaller than values obtained from a combined fit to pi, K, p, and Lambdas

Secondary nonresponsiveness to botulinum toxin A in cervical dystonia: the role of electromyogram-guided injections, botulinum toxin A antibody assay, and the extensor digitorum brevis test.

We studied 20 patients with cervical dystonia who had started to respond poorly to botulinum toxin A (BTXA) injections after an initial good response. All patients had extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) tests performed in addition to BTXA immunoprecipition assay (IPA) and mouse bioassay (MBA) antibody testing. The patients were reexamined and then treated with carefully placed electromyogram (EMG)-guided BTXA. Nine patients had a good clinical response to EMG-guided injections and all of these patients showed an obvious decrement on the EDB test. All were BTXA blocking antibodies (Abs)-negative via IPA and MBA (apart from one patient who had low BTXA antibodies titers using IPA but no antibodies by MBA). In the other 11 patients, there was a poor clinical response to EMG-guided BTXA injections. Seven of these 11 had small EDB decrement and BTXA antibodies using IPA, suggesting resistance to BTXA. Of the remaining four patients, two had obvious EDB decrement and low antibody titers via IPA (one of them had no antibodies via MBA), while the other two patients showed obvious decrement on the EDB test and no antibodies via IPA. This study shows that the EDB test correlates better with the clinical response than the antibody assays and that EDB decrement does not always correlate quantitatively with the BTXA antibody titers. In patients with secondary nonresponsiveness, it is recommended that an EDB test is the initial investigation of choice. In those patients where the EDB test does not demonstrate resistance to BTXA, a reexamination of the patients and carefully placed injections under EMG guidance may improve results