Simultaneous Measurement of Temperature and Pressure with Cascaded Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer and Intrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer Sensors

This paper presents an approach for simultaneous measurement of temperature and pressure using miniaturized fiber inline sensors. The approach utilizes the cascaded optical fiber inline intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer and extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer as temperature and pressure sensing elements, respectively. A CO2 laser was used to create a loss between them to balance their reflection power levels. The multiplexed signals were demodulated using a Fast Fourier transform-based wavelength tracking method. Experimental results showed that the sensing system could measure temperature and pressure unambiguously in a pressure range of 0 to 6.895 x 105 Pa and a temperature range from 20°C to 700°C

Macrophages as a Target for Treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers

In all stages of wound healing, macrophages play a pivotal role by coordinating the repair steps in a timely and accurate fashion. The successful completion of wound healing requires proper spatiotemporal presence and function of macrophages. Diabetes significantly alters the proliferation, polarization and functionality of macrophages, leading to a suboptimal but prolonged pro-inflammatory M1-like phenotype in wound macrophages and a failure of their late transition to a reparative M2-like phenotype. This defect in macrophage phenotype and the proper transition results in delayed or even failure of wound healing. Specifically in the diabetic foot ulcer (DFUs), this macrophage dysfunction results in chronic infection and potentially amputation. The abnormal macrophage phenotype in diabetes is not fully understood but is believed to mainly result from epigenetic changes in macrophages and altered interactions between macrophages and other cell types, such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, neutrophils and T-cells. Recent research on DFUs has focused on developing strategies to improve diabetic wound repair through modulation of macrophage polarization. Treatment of DFUs will greatly benefit from a multi-modal therapy that includes controlling high blood glucose, topical support, prevention of secondary infection, resolution of sustained inflammation and application of cellular therapies targeting macrophages

A Systematic Literature Review of Researches on Urban Traffic Strategy Development

Abstract—With the advancement of computer science and the development of urban economy, the interest of human research on urban traffic strategy has been promoted. Number of vehicles in urban traffic network in a sharp increase, in order to solve the current status of China's traffic congestion, we hope to reduce urban vehicles greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce waiting time is a serious problem currently facing the city traffic. In order to solve this problem, it can be from two aspects. On the one hand, traffic signal control of traffic network, the other is to optimize the route of the vehicle. This paper respectively from tells the development of the traffic signal control strategy and vehicle routing process, and compares their advantages and disadvantages. The paper summarizes the urban traffic strategy and traffic optimization strategy in recent years, and systematically summarizes the present situation and existing problems of urban traffic optimization strategies at home and abroad, summarizes the development prospects of urban traffic optimization strategies, and provides the strategies for traffic optimization. In order to provide the strategy of scholars engaged in the transportation of new research perspectives and research data

Inhalable particulate matter and mitochondrial DNA copy number in highly exposed individuals in Beijing, China: a repeated-measure study

Background: Mitochondria are both a sensitive target and a primary source of oxidative stress, a key pathway of air particulate matter (PM)-associated diseases. Mitochondrial DNA copy number (MtDNAcn) is a marker of mitochondrial damage and malfunctioning. We evaluated whether ambient PM exposure affects MtDNAcn in a highly-exposed population in Beijing, China. Methods: The Beijing Truck Driver Air Pollution Study was conducted shortly before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (June 15-July 27, 2008) and included 60 truck drivers and 60 office workers. Personal PM2.5 and elemental carbon (EC, a tracer of traffic particles) were measured during work hours using portable monitors. Post-work blood samples were obtained on two different days. Ambient PM10 was averaged from 27 monitoring stations in Beijing. Blood MtDNAcn was determined by real-time PCR and examined in association with particle levels using mixed-effect models. Results: In all participants combined, MtDNAcn was negatively associated with personal EC level measured during work hours (β=−0.059, 95% CI: -0.011; -0.0006, p=0.03); and 5-day (β=−0.017, 95% CI: -0.029;-0.005, p=0.01) and 8-day average ambient PM10 (β=−0.008, 95% CI: -0.043; -0.008, p=0.004) after adjusting for possible confounding factors, including study groups. MtDNAcn was also negatively associated among office workers with EC (β=−0.012, 95% CI: -0.022;-0.002, p=0.02) and 8-day average ambient PM10 (β=−0.030, 95% CI: -0.051;-0.008, p=0.007). Conclusions: We observed decreased blood MtDNAcn in association with increased exposure to EC during work hours and recent ambient PM10 exposure. Our results suggest that MtDNAcn may be influenced by particle exposures. Further studies are required to determine the roles of MtDNAcn in the etiology of particle-related diseases

Air pollution exposure and lung function in highly exposed subjects in Beijing, China: a repeated-measure study

Background: Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) has been associated with reduced lung function. Elemental components of PM have been suggested to have critical roles in PM toxicity, but their contribution to respiratory effects remains under-investigated. We evaluated the effects of traffic-related PM2.5 and its elemental components on lung function in two highly exposed groups of healthy adults in Beijing, China. Methods: The Beijing Truck Driver Air Pollution Study (BTDAS) included 60 truck drivers and 60 office workers evaluated in 2008. On two days separated by 1-2 weeks, we measured lung function at the end of the work day, personal PM2.5, and nine elemental components of PM2.5 during eight hours of work, i.e., elemental carbon (EC), potassium (K), sulfur (S), iron (Fe), silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), and titanium (Ti). We used covariate-adjusted mixed-effects models including PM2.5 as a covariate to estimate the percentage change in lung function associated with an inter-quartile range (IQR) exposure increase. Results: The two groups had high and overlapping exposure distributions with mean personal PM2.5 of 94.6 μg/m3 (IQR: 48.5-126.6) in office workers and 126.8 μg/m3 (IQR: 73.9-160.5) in truck drivers. The distributions of the nine elements showed group-specific profiles and generally higher levels in truck drivers. In all subjects combined, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) did not significantly correlate with PM2.5. However, FEV1 showed negative associations with concentrations of four elements: Si (-3.07%, 95% CI: -5.00; -1.11, IQR: 1.54), Al (-2.88%, 95% CI: -4.91; -0.81, IQR: 0.86), Ca (-1.86%, 95% CI: -2.95; -0.76, IQR: 1.33), and Ti (-2.58%, 95% CI: -4.44; -0.68, IQR: 0.03), and FVC showed negative associations with concentrations of three elements: Si (-3.23%, 95% CI: -5.61; -0.79), Al (-3.26%, 95% CI: -5.73; -0.72), and Ca (-1.86%, 95% CI: -3.23; -0.47). In stratified analysis, Si, Al, Ca, and Ti showed associations with lung function only among truck drivers, and no significant association among office workers. Conclusion: Selected elemental components of PM2.5 showed effects on lung function that were not found in analyses of particle levels alone. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12989-014-0051-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

A imputação do facto comparticipado nos crimes de responsabilidade penal política

A Lei n.º 34/87, de 16 de julho veio consagrar a criminalização da responsabilidade dos titulares de cargos políticos e de altos cargos públicos no exercício das suas funções. Ao restringir o círculo de potenciais autores através da exigência da qualidade específica da titularidade de cargo político ou de alto cargo público introduziu uma responsabilidade penal qualificada, cujo estudo é particularmente relevante no âmbito dogmático da comparticipação. Perpassando pela intersecção dos fundamentos da responsabilidade política e a responsabilidade penal, o foco desta dissertação é a determinação do facto criminoso nos crimes de responsabilidade e dos critérios de imputação desse facto numa situação de comparticipação atenta a classificação dos tipos de ilícito como crimes específicos e crimes de violação de dever. Admitindo a possibilidade de intervenção no acontecimento criminoso de agente não qualificado (extraneus), o artigo 28.º do Código Penal, ao permitir a comunicabilidade das circunstâncias fundamentadoras da ilicitude, afigura-se de particular relevância no sistema comparticipativo português.Law no. 34/87 of 16th July established the criminalization of political office holders and senior public officials responsibility in the performance of their duties. By restricting the circle of potential authors through the requirement of the specific quality of political office or high public office, a qualified criminal responsibility was introduced. Its study is particularly relevant in the dogmatic scope of participation in crime. Through the intersection of the grounds of political and criminal responsibility, this dissertation aims to determine the relevant criminal fact in «crimes of responsibility» and the participation criteria especially considering their classification as specific crimes and crimes of violation of duty. In this scenario, Penal Code Article 28 is of great relevance in the Portuguese participation system, given that it allows, although not automatically, the communicability of special circumstances that underline the unlawfulness to the unqualified agent intervening in the criminal event in participation with a political office holder or senior public official