A Virtual Reality Experiment on Flashing Lights at Emergency Exit Portals for Road Tunnel Evacuation

A virtual reality (VR) experiment with 96 participants was carried out to provide recommendations on the design of flashing lights at emergency exit portals for road tunnel emergency evacuation. The experiment was carried out in a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment laboratory. A set of variables was investigated, namely (1) colour of flashing lights, (2) flashing rate, (3) type of light source, (4) number and layout of the lights on the portal. Participants were immersed in a VR road tunnel emergency evacuation scenario and they were then asked to rank different portal designs using a questionnaire based on the Theory of Affordances. Results show that green or white flashing lights perform better than blue lights. A flashing rate of 1 and 4 Hz performed better than a flashing rate of 0.25 Hz. A light emitting diode light source performed better than single and double strobe lights. The three layouts of the lights under consideration performed similarly.     

Adipose Tissue—Breast Cancer Crosstalk Leads to Increased Tumor Lipogenesis Associated with Enhanced Tumor Growth

We sought to identify therapeutic targets for breast cancer by investigating the metabolic symbiosis between breast cancer and adipose tissue. To this end, we compared orthotopic E0771 breast cancer tumors that were in direct contact with adipose tissue with ectopic E0771 tumors in mice. Orthotopic tumors grew faster and displayed increased de novo lipogenesis compared to ectopic tumors. Adipocytes release large amounts of lactate, and we found that both lactate pretreatment and adipose tissue co-culture augmented de novo lipogenesis in E0771 cells. Continuous treatment with the selective FASN inhibitor Fasnall dose-dependently decreased the E0771 viability in vitro. However, daily Fasnall injections were effective only in 50% of the tumors, while the other 50% displayed accelerated growth. These opposing effects of Fasnall in vivo was recapitulated in vitro; intermittent Fasnall treatment increased the E0771 viability at lower concentrations and suppressed the viability at higher concentrations. In conclusion, our data suggest that adipose tissue enhances tumor growth by stimulating lipogenesis. However, targeting lipogenesis alone can be deleterious. To circumvent the tumor’s ability to adapt to treatment, we therefore believe that it is necessary to apply an aggressive treatment, preferably targeting several metabolic pathways simultaneously, together with conventional therapy.     

A Potential Soot Mass Determination Method from Resistivity Measurement of Thermophoretically Deposited Soot

Miniaturized detection systems for nanometer-sized airborne particles are in demand, for example in applications for onboard diagnostics downstream particulate filters in modern diesel engines. A soot sensor based on resistivity measurements was developed and characterized. This involved generation of soot particles using a quenched co-flow diffusion flame; depositing the particles onto a sensor substrate using thermophoresis and particle detection using a finger electrode structure, patterned on thermally oxidized silicon substrate. The generated soot particles were characterized using techniques including Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer for mobility size distributions, Differential Mobility Analyzer—Aerosol Particle Mass analyzer for the mass–mobility relationship, and Transmission Electron Microscopy for morphology. The generated particles were similar to particles from diesel engines in concentration, mobility size distribution, and mass fractal dimension. The primary particle size, effective density and organic mass fraction were slightly lower than values reported for diesel engines. The response measured with the sensors was largely dependent on particle mass concentration, but increased with increasing soot aggregate mobility size. Detection down to cumulative mass as small as 20–30 μg has been demonstrated. The detection limit can be improved by using a more sensitive resistance meter, modified deposition cell, larger flow rates of soot aerosol and modifying the sensor surface.     

On Estimation and Inference in Heterogeneous Panel Regressions with Interactive Effects

Among the existing estimators of interactive effects (IEs) regressions, the common correlated effects (CCE) approach is probably the most popular. A major reason for this popularity is the generality of the approach. In fact, CCE is remarkably general in that it allows ample parameter heterogeneity without placing any restrictions on the true number of common factors. In the present paper, we show that this generality is not unique to CCE but that it is shared by a whole class of estimators. We characterize this class and show that it does not rely on the correct specification of the IEs. In spite of this, the estimators within the class are consistent and asymptotically normal under general conditions. This means that there is not just CCE but, in fact, many estimators to choose from, such as the fixed effects estimator.     

Correction to: Quantitative Nanostructure and Hardness Evolution in Duplex Stainless Steels: Under Real Low-Temperature Service Conditions

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A -     

Emissions of ultrafine particles from five types of candles during steady burn conditions

Emissions from candles are of concern for indoor air quality. In this work, five different types of pillar candles were burned under steady burn conditions in a new laboratory scale system for repeatable and controlled comparison of candle emissions (temperature ~25°C, relative humidity ~13%, O₂ >18%, air exchange rate 1.9 h⁻¹). Burn rate, particle number concentrations, mass concentrations, and mode diameters varied between candle types. Based on the results, the burning period was divided in two phases: initial (0–1 h) and stable (1–6 h). Burn rates were in the range 4.4–7.3 and 4.7–7.1 g/h during initial and stable phase, respectively. Relative particle number emissions, mode diameters, and mass concentrations were higher during the initial phase compared to the stable phase for a majority of the candles. We hypothesize that this is due to elevated emissions of wick additives upon ignition of the candle together with a slightly higher burn rate in the initial phase. Experiments at higher relative humidity (~40%) gave similar results with a tendency toward larger particle sizes at the higher relative humidity. Chemical composition with respect to inorganic salts was similar in the emitted particles (dry conditions) compared to the candlewicks, but with variations between different candles.     

Constructing load profiles for household electricity and hot water from time-use data—Modelling approach and validation

Time-use data, describing in detail the everyday life of household members as high-resolved activity sequences, have a largely unrealized potential of contributing to domestic energy demand modelling. A model for computation of daily electricity and hot-water demand profiles from time-use data was developed, using simple conversion schemes, mean appliance and water-tap data and general daylight availability distributions. Validation against detailed, end-use specific electricity measurements in a small sample of households reveals that the model for household electricity reproduces hourly load patterns with preservation of important qualitative features. The output from the model, when applied to a large data set of time use in Sweden, also shows correspondence to aggregate profiles for both household electricity and hot water from recent Swedish measurement surveys. Deviations on individual household level are predominantly due to occasionally ill-reported time-use data and on aggregate population level due to slightly non-representative samples. Future uses and developments are identified and it is suggested that modelling energy use from time-use data could be an alternative, or a complement, to energy demand measurements in households.     

Natural and engineered plasmin inhibitors: applications and design strategies

The serine protease plasmin is ubiquitously expressed throughout the human body in the form of the zymogen plasminogen. Conversion to active plasmin occurs through enzymatic cleavage by plasminogen activators. The plasminogen activator/plasmin system has a well-established function in the removal of intravascular fibrin deposition through fibrinolysis and the inhibition of plasmin activity; this has found widespread clinical use in reducing perioperative bleeding. Increasing evidence also suggests diverse, although currently less defined, roles for plasmin in a number of physiological and pathological processes relating to extracellular matrix degradation, cell migration and tissue remodelling. In particular, dysregulation of plasmin has been linked to cancer invasion/metastasis and various chronic inflammatory conditions; this has prompted efforts to develop inhibitors of this protease. Although a number of plasmin inhibitors exist, they commonly suffer from poor potency and/or specificity of inhibition that either results in reduced efficacy or prevents clinical use. Consequently, there is a need for further development of high-affinity plasmin inhibitors that maintain selectivity over other serine proteases. This review summarises clearly defined and potential applications for plasmin inhibition. The properties of naturally occurring and engineered plasmin inhibitors are discussed in the context of current knowledge regarding plasmin structure, specificity and function. This includes design strategies to obtain the potency and specificity of inhibition in addition to controlled temporal and spatial distribution tailored for the intended use.     

Poly(styrene) Resin‐Supported Cobalt(III) Salen Cyclic Oligomers as Active Heterogeneous HKR Catalysts

A cross‐linked poly(styrene) support functionalized with cobalt(III) salen cyclic oligomers that can be used as a catalyst for the hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of terminal epoxides is reported. This catalyst is the most active heterogeneous catalyst to date for the HKR of terminal epoxides and can be recycled more than six times with excellent enantioselectivities for the HKR of epichlorohydrin. A 3‐fold rate enhancement was observed when conducting the HKR reaction with 6 equivalents of water compared to 0.6 equivalents. We hypothesize that this rate enhancement is due to water sequestration of the diol product from the organic phase, thereby maintaining a high local concentration of epoxides and catalyst in the organic phase.