577 research outputs found

    Modeling of biomass accumulation and filter bed st6ructure change in biofilters for gaseous toluene removal

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    [Abstract] In this study, a proper microbial growth model was established and analyzed to investigate the biomass accumulation process in biofilters. Four biofilters treating gaseous toluene were set up in parallel and were operated under different inlet toluene loadings for 100 days. Based on the experimental data of microbial biomass and toluene removal rate, the kinetic parameters were decided by either estimation from literature or parameter regression. The calculation results based on the model showed a good agreement with the experimental data of biomass change. By applying the model, it is found that lower than 50% of biomass in the filter bed was active during the last 50 days for the four biofilters. In addition, the void fraction of the filter bed with highest loading was only 55% of the initial level at the end of the operation. All the experimental and calculation results indicated that the microbial growth model could successfully describe the biomass accumulation process and have the potential to predict the long-term performance of biofilters

    Alpha Lipoic Acid Modulated High Glucose-Induced Rat Mesangial Cell Dysfunction via mTOR/p70S6K/4E-BP1 Pathway

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    The aim of this study was to investigate whether alpha lipoic acid (LA) regulates high glucose-induced mesangial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix production via mTOR/p70S6K/4E-BP1 signaling. The effect of LA on high glucose-induced cell proliferation, fibronectin (FN), and collagen type I (collagen-I) expression and its mechanisms were examined in cultured rat mesangial cells by methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, ELISA assay, and western blot, respectively. LA at a relatively low concentration (0.25 mmol/L) acted as a growth factor in rat mesangial cells, promoted entry of cell cycle into S phase, extracellular matrix formation, and phosphorylated AKT, mTOR, p70S6K, and 4E-BP1. These effects disappeared when AKT expression was downregulated with PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002. Conversely, LA at a higher concentration (1.0 mmol/L) inhibited high glucose-induced rat mesangial cell proliferation, entry of cell cycle into S phase, and extracellular matrix exertion, as well as phosphorylation of mTOR, p70S6K, and 4E-BP1 but enhanced the activity of AMPK. However, these effects disappeared when AMPK activity was inhibited with CaMKK inhibitor STO-609. These results suggest that LA dose-dependently regulates mesangial cell proliferation and matrix protein secretion by mTOR/p70S6K/4E-BP1 signaling pathway under high glucose conditions

    Privacy-aware secure anonymous communication protocol in CPSS cloud computing

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    Cloud computing has emerged as a promising paradigm for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical-Social Systems (CPSS). However, the problem of how to ensure the security of data transmission and data storage in CPSS is a key issue to address. We need to protect the confidentiality and privacy of users’ data and users’ identity during the transmission and storage process in CPSS. In order to avoid users’ personal information leakage from IoT devices during the process of data processing and transmitting, we propose a certificateless encryption scheme, and conduct a security analysis under the assumption of Computational Diffie-Hellman(CDH) Problem. Furthermore, based on the proposed cryptography mechanism, we achieve a novel anonymous communication protocol to protect the identity privacy of communicating units in CPSS. In the new protocol, an anonymous communication link establishment method and an anonymous communication packet encapsulation format are proposed. The Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm is used to construct the anonymous keys distribution method in the new link establishment method. And in the new onion routing packet encapsulation format, the session data are firstly separated from the authentication data to decrease the number of cryptography operations. That is, by using the new onion routing packet we greatly reduces the encryption operations and promotes the forwarding efficiency of anonymous messages, implementing the privacy, security and efficiency in anonymous communication in cyber-physical-social systems

    Correlation between the cystathionine-r-lyase (CES) and the severity of peptic ulcer disease

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    Background: The infection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most important causes of gastric ulcer disease. The role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production in H. pylori-induced gastric ulcer disease. Aim: The expression of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) was determined, and correlated with the severity of gastric ulcer disease. Methods: 108 patients were selected based on the determination of gastric ulcer and the infection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), including 36 normal control, 36 patients with H. Pylori-negative gastric ulcer, and 36 patients with H. Pylori-positive gastric ulcer. RT-PCR determination was performed to determine the expression of CSE, NF-κB and IL-8. Results: The expression of CSE, NF-κB and IL-8 was higher in gastric ulcer group than control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the H.pylori-negative gastric ulcer, the expression of CSE, NF-κB and IL-8 was higher than H.pylori-positive gastric ulcer group (p < 0.05). For H.pylori-negative gastric ulcer group, the expression of CSE positively correlated with the expression of NF-κB (r=0.98, p < 0.05) and IL-8 (r=0.95, p 0.05). For H.pylori-positive gastric ulcer group, the expression of CSE also positively correlated with the expression of NF-κB (r=0.99, p < 0.05) and IL-8 (r=0.85, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The expression of CSE was positively correlated with the severity of gastric ulcer.Keywords: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), gastric ulcer, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE)African Health sciences Vol 14 No. 1 March 201

    A scalable tripartite Wigner's friend scenario

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    Wigner's friend thought experiment is intended to reveal the inherent tension between unitary evolution and measurement collapse. On the basis of Wigner's friend experiment, Brukner derives a no-go theorem for observer-independent facts. We construct an extended Wigner's friend scenario including three laboratories, namely, Alice's laboratory, Bob's laboratory and Charlie's laboratory, where Alice, Bob and Charlie are standing outside the laboratories while their friends are placed inside their own laboratories. We consider quantum simulation via Q\# quantum programming and also realize the primary quantum circuits using IBM quantum computers. Then, we calculate the probabilities and corresponding statistical uncertainties. It has been shown that the results of quantum simulation are clearly consistent with theoretical values, while it has a slightly higher error rates for the experimental results of quantum computers mainly because of a series of quantum gates, especially CNOT gates.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
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