Calibration and validation of simulated vehicle safety performance at signalized intersections

A systematic procedure is presented for calibrating and validating a microscopic model of safety performance. The context in the model application is the potential for rear-end crashes at signalized intersections. VISSIM^® v.4.3 provides the simulation platform for estimating the safety performance for individual vehicles and has been calibrated and validated using separate samples of observed vehicle tracking data extracted from the FHWA/NGSIM program. The calibration exercise involves four sequential steps: (1) heuristic selection of initial model inputs, (2) statistical screening using a Plackett–Burnman design, (3) fractional factorial analysis relating inputs to safety performance, and (4) genetic algorithm procedure for obtaining best estimate input values. Three measures of safety performance were considered: crash potential index, number of vehicles in conflict and total conflict duration per vehicle. Model consistency was assessed by comparing simulated and observed safety performance based on a separate validation sample of vehicle tracking data. The suggested procedure was found to effectively estimate model input parameters that closely matched safety performance measures in the observed validation data. This procedure yields an objective and efficient means for simulation model calibration applied for estimating safety performance at signalized intersections.     

Nanomagnetic actuation of receptor-mediated signal transduction

Complex cell behaviours are triggered by chemical ligands that bind to membrane receptors and alter intracellular signal transduction. However, future biosensors, medical devices and other microtechnologies that incorporate living cells as system components will require actuation mechanisms that are much more rapid, robust, non-invasive and easily integrated with solid-state interfaces. Here we describe a magnetic nanotechnology that activates a biochemical signalling mechanism normally switched on by binding of multivalent chemical ligands. Superparamagnetic 30-nm beads, coated with monovalent ligands and bound to transmembrane receptors, magnetize when exposed to magnetic fields, and aggregate owing to bead-bead attraction in the plane of the membrane. Associated clustering of the bound receptors acts as a nanomagnetic cellular switch that directly transduces magnetic inputs into physiological cellular outputs, with rapid system responsiveness and non-invasive dynamic control. This technique may represent a new actuator mechanism for cell-based microtechnologies and man-machine interfaces.     

Dietary fat and gut microbiota: mechanisms involved in obesity control

ABSTRACT

Obesity is a serious global health problem that is directly related to various morbidities manifestation. Intestinal dysbiosis has been implicated on obesity pathogenesis. Diet composition can alter gut microbiota, regardless of energy intake. Dietary fatty acids quality may affect gut microbiota composition, which in turn may affect host metabolic health. The mechanisms by which the different type of FFA modulate gut microbiota is yet poor elucidate and there is a lack of studies regard to this. Fatty acids may act in cell membrane, interfere with energy production, inhibit enzymatic activities, impair nutrient absorption and generate toxic compounds to cells, leading to growth inhibition or even bacterial death. The beneficial effect of the consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on microbiota, unlike n-6 PUFA and saturated fatty acids has been suggested. n-3 PUFA consumption promotes desirable changes on obese intestinal microbiota making it similar to that of normal weight individuals. More studies are needed to better understand the effect of CLA on microbiota and host health. Long term human controlled clinical trials must be conducted to allow us to understand the complex interaction between dietary fat, intestinal microbiota and obesity.     

Comparative study by computed radiography,histology, and scanning electron microscopy of the articular cartilage of normal goats and in chronic infection with caprine arthritis‐encephalitis virus

In the northeast of Brazil, caprine arthritis‐encephalitis (CAE) is one of the key reasons for herd productivity decreasing that result in considerable economic losses. A comparative study was carried out using computed radiography (CR), histological analysis (HA), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) of the joints of CAE infected and normal goats. Humerus head surface of positive animals presented reduced joint space, increased bone density, and signs of degenerative joint disease (DJD). The carpal joint presented no morphological alterations in CR in any of the animals studied. Tarsus joint was the most affected, characterized by severe DJD, absence of joint space, increased periarticular soft tissue density, edema, and bone sclerosis. Histological analysis showed chronic tissue lesions, complete loss of the surface zone, absence of proteoglycans in the transition and radial zones and destruction of the cartilage surface in the CAE positive animals. Analysis by SEM showed ulcerated lesions with irregular and folded patterns on the joint surface that distinguished the limits between areas of normal and affected cartilage. The morphological study of the joints of normal and CAE positive goats deepened understanding of the alteration in the tissue bioarchitecture of the most affected joints. The SEM finding sustained previous histological reports, similar to those found for rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting that the goat infected with CAE can be considered as a potential model for research in this area. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:11–16, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

P, As, Sb, Mo, and other elements in sedimentary Fe/Mn layers of Lake Baikal

Distinct layers with accumulated iron and manganese oxyhydroxides are found in the recent sediments of Lake Baikal (Siberia). In the South and Central Basins, these concretions accumulate close to the sediment-water interface. In northern Lake Baikal and the area of Academician Ridge, however, massive Fe/Mn crusts are formed within several thousand years at redox fronts 10 to 15 cm below the sediment surface. In some places, precipitated iron and manganese oxyhydroxides are spatially separated. The patterns are a result of secondary iron and manganese oxide precipitation. This natural long-term experiment allows the analysis of competitive adsorption and coprecipitation of trace elements with iron and manganese oxides in sediments. Background concentrations in the sediment of oxoanions (P, As, Sb, Mo); of trace metals (Cr, V, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb); and of Mg, Ca, Sr, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Sm were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Despite the differences in catchment geology of the many tributaries, they are remarkably uniform in sediment cores from different basins of Lake Baikal. Enrichment factors of P and As within Fe crusts revealed concentrations up to 14 and 58 times higher than the background, respectively. No enrichment of P and As was found in the Mn layers. By contrast, Mo accumulated exclusively in the Mn layer with up to 35-fold enrichment. Sb was only slightly enriched in both the Fe and the Mn layers. Among the trace metals studied, only Cd was found at elevated concentrations with a preference for the Mn layer. Ca and Sr were correlated with both Fe and Mn accumulations. The study quantifies the well-known specific adsorption and coprecipitation of P and As at authigenic iron oxides and of Mo on manganese oxides. In addition, the enrichment of Cd at manganese oxides in contrast to the conservative behavior of Zn and Pb reveals highly selective accumulation processes.     

A Fluorescence‐Based Method for Cyanate Analysis in Ethanol/Water Media: Correlation between Cyanate Presence and Ethyl Carbamate Formation in Sugar Cane Spirit

Based on the fluorescence properties of 2,4‐(1H,3H)‐quinazolinedione, a product of the reaction between cyanate and 2‐aminobenzoic acid, a simple, sensitive, selective, and reproducible method for the cyanate analysis in aqueous ethanolic media is proposed. In this method, λ_exc and λ_em are 310 and 410 nm, respectively, and the limits of detection and quantification are 2.2 × 10^?7 and 6.7 × 10^?7 mol/L, respectively. Under optimal conditions (pH = 4.5, 40% ethanol), a concentration of 5.0 × 10^?6 mol/L cyanate can be determined in a single measurement, at a 95% level of confidence, with an uncertainty of ± 0.13 × 10^?6 mol/L. Cyanide, thiocyanate, chloride, nitrate, and sulfate ions, as well as urea and urethane in concentrations 1 × 10³ higher than that of cyanate do not interfere with the measurement. The methodology was applied to cyanate analyses in the different fractions of the sugarcane distillate and the data strongly suggest a correlation between the presence of urea in wine, and the cyanate and ethyl carbamate concentrations in the spirit.     

Organic micropollutants in rivers downstream of the megacity beijing: sources and mass fluxes in a large-scale wastewater irrigation system

The Haihe River System (HRS) drains the Chinese megacities Beijing and Tianjin, forming a large-scale irrigation system severely impacted by wastewater-borne pollution. The origin, temporal magnitudes, and annual mass fluxes of a wide range of pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, and pesticides were investigated in the HRS, which drains 70% of the wastewater discharged by 20 million people living in Beijing. Based on Chinese consumption statistics and our initial screening for 268 micropollutants using high-resolution mass spectrometry, 62 compounds were examined in space and time (2009-2010). The median concentrations ranged from 3 ng/L for metolachlor to 1100 ng/L for benzotriazole and sucralose. Concentrations of carbendazim, clarithromycin, diclofenac, and diuron exceed levels of ecotoxicological concern. Mass-flux analyses revealed that pharmaceuticals (5930 kg/year) and most household chemicals (5660 kg/year) originated from urban wastewaters, while the corrosion inhibitor benzotriazole entered the rivers through other pathways. Total pesticide residues amounted to 1550 kg/year. Per capita loads of pharmaceuticals in wastewater were lower than those in Europe, but are expected to increase in the near future. As 95% of the river water is diverted to irrigate agricultural soil, the loads of polar organic micropollutants transported with the water might pose a serious threat to food safety and groundwater quality.     

关于中国城市化健康发展的几点设想

目前，城市化正在全世界范围内高速发展，尤其以亚洲各发展中国家更为突出。从近来新闻报道反映前景暗淡的大城市的图片中，可以看到由于政府行政管理的不善，过度的土地投机和粗糙的规划设计，已造成人类日常生活中自然和社会环境的不断恶化。对亚洲各国来说当前的经济繁...     

Stress-Related Dysfunction of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis—An Attempt for Understanding Resilience?

Newborn neurons in the adult hippocampus are regulated by many intrinsic and extrinsic cues. It is well accepted that elevated glucocorticoid levels lead to downregulation of adult neurogenesis, which this review discusses as one reason why psychiatric diseases, such as major depression, develop after long-term stress exposure. In reverse, adult neurogenesis has been suggested to protect against stress-induced major depression, and hence, could serve as a resilience mechanism. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge about the functional relation of adult neurogenesis and stress in health and disease. A special focus will lie on the mechanisms underlying the cascades of events from prolonged high glucocorticoid concentrations to reduced numbers of newborn neurons. In addition to neurotransmitter and neurotrophic factor dysregulation, these mechanisms include immunomodulatory pathways, as well as microbiota changes influencing the gut-brain axis. Finally, we discuss recent findings delineating the role of adult neurogenesis in stress resilience.     

In vivo evaluation of FimH antagonists - a novel class of antimicrobials for the treatment of urinary tract infection

The discovery of antimicrobials as β-lactam antibiotics or aminoglycosides revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases. However, the extensive use rapidly created the problem of resistant pathogens, which are increasingly difficult to treat. FimH antagonists are a new class of antimicrobials, which target the bacterial adhesion to urothelial cells, a crucial first step in the establishment of urinary tract infections. Because of their different mode of action, FimH antagonists neither kill nor inhibit the growth of bacteria, they should have a reduced potential to generate resistant strains. This mini-review outlines the main problems associated with increasing development of antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, it summarizes the currently available in vivo studies in mice for the treatment of urinary tract infections conducted with FimH antagonists.