Low cost time division multiplexing of identical optical fibre ring intensity sensors

A time division multiplexing (TDM) array for passive multiplexing of identical fibre, optic intensity sensors has been demonstrated. Microbending loss sensors are introduced in fibre optic rings and pressure information is directly detected, demultiplexed and demodulated from the relative amplitude of the first two pulses produced on each ring. Several dynamic ranges from 6 dB to 14 dB are shown. A comparison between both fibre optic ring and Mach-Zehnder structure impulse responses is carried out and the consequences derived from second- and higher-order recirculating ring pulses are also evaluated. This technique can be applied to those TDM intensity sensing schemes which require low cost, high number of identical sensors, and suffer high element loss and undersirable intensity fluctuations at low frequencies

Three-dimensional shear in granular flow

The evolution of granular shear flow is investigated as a function of height in a split-bottom Couette cell. Using particle tracking, magnetic-resonance imaging, and large-scale simulations we find a transition in the nature of the shear as a characteristic height $H^*$ is exceeded. Below $H^*$ there is a central stationary core; above $H^*$ we observe the onset of additional axial shear associated with torsional failure. Radial and axial shear profiles are qualitatively different: the radial extent is wide and increases with height while the axial width remains narrow and fixed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Prostate cancer cells undergoing ER stress in vitro and in vivo activate transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines

Navin R Mahadevan, Antonio Fernandez, Jeffrey J Rodvold, Gonzalo Almanza, Maurizio ZanettiThe Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, USABackground: Several micro-environmental and cell-intrinsic stimuli cause tumor cells to undergo endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in vivo. The occurrence of an ER stress response has been associated with tumor progression and angiogenesis. Recently, we found that pharmacological induction of ER stress in B lymphoma cells upregulates the transcription of several pro-inflammatory cytokines.Results: Here, we show that transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) C1 murine prostate cancer cells induced to undergo ER stress in vitro activate the transcription of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 23p19 (IL-23p19), and tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a). Furthermore we show that TRAMP C1 tumors growing in vivo spontaneously experience ER stress and that transcription of IL-6, IL-23p19, and TNF-a correlates with the in vivo ER stress response.Conclusions: These results suggest that an ER stress response in prostate cancer cells activates a program of pro-inflammatory cytokine transcription. A possible implication of this finding is that cancer cells may use the ER stress response to modify their microenvironment.Keywords: unfolded protein response, tumorigenesis, inflammatio

Gamma rays from microquasars Cygnus X-1 and Cygnus X-3

Gamma-ray observations of microquasars at high and very-high energies can provide valuable information of the acceleration processes inside the jets, the jet-environment interaction and the disk-jet coupling. Two high-mass microquasars have been deeply studied to shed light on these aspects: Cygnus X-1 and Cygnus X-3. Both systems display the canonical hard and soft X-ray spectral states of black hole transients, where the radiation is dominated by non-thermal emission from the corona and jets and by thermal emission from the disk, respectively. Here, we report on the detection of Cygnus X-1 above 60 MeV using 7.5 yr of Pass8 Fermi-LAT data, correlated with the hard X-ray state. A hint of orbital flux modulation was also found, as the source is only detected in phases around the compact object superior conjunction. We conclude that the high-energy gamma-ray emission from Cygnus X-1 is most likely associated with jets and its detection allow us to constrain the production site. Moreover, we include in the discussion the final results of a MAGIC long-term campaign on Cygnus X-1 that reaches almost 100 hr of observations at different X-ray states. On the other hand, during summer 2016, Cygnus X-3 underwent a flaring activity period in radio and high-energy gamma rays, similar to the one that led to its detection in the high-energy regime in 2009. MAGIC performed comprehensive follow-up observations for a total of about 70 hr. We discuss our results in a multi-wavelength context.Comment: Proceedings of the 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2017), Bexco, Busan, Korea (arXiv:1708.05153

Microgrids Views From a Geographic Information System

Currently, Ecuador advocates a change in the energy matrix, academic centers should develop a strategy that allows them to short and medium-term training specialists give technical responses to this proposal it must create the conditions in college so that future generations be able to link the processes of investment in energy with the territorial space. The Technical University of Manabí (UTM) has proposed a research project funded by the National Secretary of Planning and Development of Ecuador (Senplades), aimed at boosting sustainable energy solutions that are based on the technical philosophy of microgrids with the use of renewable energy sources (RES). In this paper the spatial information related to solar energy potential of the province of Manabí, Ecuador\u27s, managed by a geographic information system (GIS) as an integration tool that provides information on objectives that interact with microgrids shown, also the importance of its use as a management tool projects related to the use of RES and instrumentation aimed at ensuring innovative solutions to support the change of energy matrix from a territorial perspective is exposed

Fibrinogen Sevilla, a congenital dysfibrinogenemia characterized by an abnormal monomer aggregation and a defective plasmin lysis

A dysfibrinogenemia (fibrinogen Sevilla) was detected in a 64-yr-old woman with no previous history of hemorrhagic diathesis or thrombosis. Thrombin and reptilase times were prolonged. The aggregation of fibrin monomers showed a prolonged latency time with a defective slope although fibrinopeptide release and clot stabilization were found to be normal. Plasmin proteolysis was abnormal with a much slower plasmic degradation in patient's purified fibrinogen. By chromatofocussing the patient's fibrinogen showed an abnormality in pattern elution with a second peak eluting at a pH slightly more basic than the normal one (pH 5.5). Likewise, the isoelectrofocussing of purified non-reduced patient's fibrinogen in agarose gel showed an abnormal distribution in its focussed bands, especially in a group which focussed in a pI-interval between 5.20-5.85. By two-dimensional electrophoresis we did not find any abnormality in the fibrinogen-reduced chains. These results could indicate that the abnormal monomer aggregation, as well as the defective plasmin lysis, could be due to conformational aspects of fibrinogen rather than to structural defects

Características clínicas y mortalidad intrahospitalaria en pacientes con insuficiencia renal aguda en hemodiálisis, en el Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen, EsSalud, 2014-2015

There are no official data on patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in Peru. Most of the information comes from isolated centers in other countries. Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics and inhospital mortality in patients with acute kidney injury undergoing hemodialysis at a third level hospital in Peru. Methods: A cross-sectional study. Demographic, clinical, and mortality data were collected from patients diagnosed with AKI undergoing hemodialysis at the Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen EsSalud during 2014-2015. Results: 183 patients were included. The average age was 58 years and 57% were male. Ninety percent of patients were admitted through emergency services (EMG). Patients were hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU), EMG rooms and other hospitalization areas in 40%, 27% and 33% of cases, respectively. The most frequent causes of AKI were sepsis (58%), heart failure (8%) and obstructive uropathy. In-hospital mortality rate was 55% (n = 100). The deceased patients showed a higher frequency of sepsis (71 vs. 38; p = 0,001) and multiorgan failure (90 vs. 56; p <0,001) compared to alive patients. Conclusions: Patients with AKI had a mean age of 59 years and most were hospitalized in the ICU. The most frequent cause of AKI was sepsis. In-hospital mortality was 55% and was significantly associated with the presence of sepsis and multiorgan failure.Introducción: No existen datos oficiales sobre los pacientes con insuficiencia renal aguda (IRA) en el Perú. La mayor parte de la información proviene de centros aislados en otros países. Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas y la mortalidad intrahospitalaria en pacientes con insuficiencia renal aguda, en hemodiálisis, atendidos en un hospital de tercer nivel del Perú. Método: Estudio transversal, realizado en pacientes con diagnóstico de IRA en hemodiálisis, atendidos en el Hospital Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen, EsSalud, durante 2014-2015. Se evaluaron las características clínicas generales y se estimó la tasa de mortalidad intrahospitalaria. Resultados: Se evaluaron 183 pacientes. La edad media fue de 58 años y el 57% fueron varones. El 90% ingresaron al hospital a través de emergencia (EMG). Los pacientes fueron admitidos en la unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI), EMG y otras áreas de hospitalización en el 40%, 27% y 33% de los casos, respectivamente. Las causas más frecuentes de IRA fueron: sepsis (59%), insuficiencia cardíaca (8%) y uropatía obstructiva (7%). La mortalidad intrahospitalaria fue de 55% (n=100). Los pacientes fallecidos mostraron una mayor frecuencia de sepsis (71 vs. 38; p = 0,001) y de compromiso multiorgánico (90 vs. 56; p < 0,001) en comparación con los vivos. Conclusiones: Los pacientes con IRA tuvieron una edad media de 59 años y la mayoría estuvieron hospitalizados en UCI. La causa más frecuente de IRA fue la sepsis. La mortalidad intrahospitalaria fue 55% y estuvo significativamente asociada a la presencia de sepsis y compromiso multiorgánico

Control and soft sensing strategies for a wastewater treatment plant using a neuro-genetic approach

During the last years, machine learning-based control and optimization systems are playing an important role in the operation of wastewater treatment plants in terms of reduced operational costs and improved effluent quality. In this paper, a machine learning-based control strategy is proposed for optimizing both the consumption and the number of regulation violations of a biological wastewater treatment plant. The methodology proposed in this study uses neural networks as a soft-sensor for on-line prediction of the effluent quality and as an identification model of the plant dynamics, all under a neuro-genetic optimum model-based control approach. The complete scheme was tested on a simulation model of the activated sludge process of a large-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant running under the GPS-X simulation frame and validated with operational gathered data, showing optimal control performance by minimizing operational costs while satisfying the effluent requirements, thus reducing the investment in expensive sensor devices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio