Energy Recovery in Pressurized Hydraulic Networks

Water Resources Management - This paper aims to evaluate the possibility of using non-utilized hydraulic energy in urban water distribution systems. For this purpose, the viability and possible...     

Synergistic antimicrobial effect of lactocin AL705 and nisin combined with organic acid salts against Listeria innocua 7 in broth and a hard cheese

The effectiveness of antimicrobial mixtures against Listeria innocua 7, used as a L. monocytogenes surrogate, was investigated in broth and a food system. Synergistic effects were found for nisin (Nis), potassium sorbate (PS), calcium propionate (CP) and sodium lactate (SL), Nis + PS being the most effective binary mixture that exhibited listericidal activity in broth. To assess the effect of adding lactocin AL705 (AL705) to Nis + organic acid salt combinations, tridimensional isobolograms were generated. Sub-MIC combinations of the antimicrobials exerted bactericidal activity against L. innocua 7 after AL705 addition to the binary mixtures. However, when applied on Sardo cheese contaminated with L. innocua 7 (initial inoculum 4.45 ± 0.06 CFU g⁻¹), only Nis + PS + AL705 produced count reductions respect to the control, reaching 3.04 ± 0.35 CFU g⁻¹ counts after 15 days at 15 °C. Ternary combinations containing AL705 showed potential to reduce antimicrobial usages for L. innocua 7 inhibition.     

Comparison between the LLC-MK2 and MDCK cell lines in the isolation of parainfluenza virus from nasopharyngeal aspirates

BACKGROUND: We report a prospective comparative study of the efficacy of three commercial cell lines in the isolation of the parainfluenza (PI) virus from nasopharyngeal samples. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a 16 months period we studied all nasopharyngeal samples from patients with the suspension of a viral respiratory infection. The compared cell lines were LLC-MK2 and MDCK. All samples were processed by the shell-vial assay, incubated 3 days at 36 degrees C. The monolayers were stained by an indirect immunofluorescence assay with a monoclonal antibody against the nucleoprotein of the PI virus. RESULTS: In the study period 746 samples were analyzed, 46 PI virus were isolated, all belonged to the serotype 3. The LLC-MK2 cell line isolated 44 viruses (95.6%) and the MDCK cell line 41 (89.1%), no statistically significant differences were detected (p = 0.14) (qualitative sensitivity). In 84.8% of positive samples, the PI virus was isolated simultaneously in the two cell lines. Neither cell line isolated all PI virus. No statistical differences were detected in the quantitative sensitivity, although the LLC-MK2 cell line detected a slightly more samples with a low viral load (70.4 vs 68.2%). CONCLUSIONS: In view of the results obtained in this study, we believe that anyone of the two cell lines would be used in the isolation of the PI virus from respiratory samples.     

Interaction of protein percent with caloric density and protein source for lactating cows

Experiment 1 was to test effect of three ratios of energy to protein in complete mixed diets for 36 lactating cows in three, 28-d periods. Energy was varied with cottonseed hulls, pelleted ground corrugated boxes, and a mixture of the two. Crude protein was varied with soybean meal to give energy:crude protein of 5.7, 5.0, and 4.6 for each energy amount. Cottonseed meal was compared with soybean meal in corrugated box diets. Feed intake was much higher with cottonseed hulls, and appreciable feedlot bloat resulted from pelleted ground corrugated box diets. Data adjusted to equal feed intake showed significant effect of energy to crude protein ratio on milk yield and improved digestion of organic matter with soybean meal vs. cottonseed meal. Experiment 2 tested the hypothesis that lactating cows consuming high-protein alfalfa may benefit from supplemental protein. Diets were 50% forage. Six diets were 14 or 18% crude protein in three ratios of alfalfa hay to corn silage (0:100, 50:50, 100:0). Additional corn silage diets were to compare: 14 versus 18% protein from distiller's dried grains with solubles only and with .5 or .9% urea (four diets); two 14% protein diets compared .6% added potassium chloride with or without .5% urea. Thirty-six Holstein cows in early lactation received one of the 12 diets in each of three 28-d periods. Distiller's grains with solubles markedly depressed milk yield (2.2 kg/d) and milk protein (.22%); heat damage of distiller's grains was evident. Protein interacted with alfalfa so gain in milk from 18 versus 14% increased from .55 to 1.36 to 2.66 kg/d as alfalfa changed from 0 to 50 to 100%. Thus, crude protein of alfalfa was not as effective as that from soybean meal in supporting milk yield.     

The molecular biology of bladder carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: The clinical course of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder can be difficult to predict due to its potential to invade the muscle layer and/or develop to a high grade lesion. Bladder carcinoma can arise from genetic changes that may activate the oncogenes (-c-erbB2, c-erbB1, c-myc, ras, etc.) and/or inactivate the suppressor genes (p53, Rb). The aim of the present study is to continue a study protocol on the molecular biology of bladder tumors. METHODS/RESULTS: From January, 1993 to January, 1995, 85 patients were studied. These patients were divided into two groups: the first group comprised 14 controls of urothelial tissue and the second comprised 65 cases of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. p53 expression was determined by an immunohistochemical method (NCL-p53-DO7 monoclonal antibody). Quantification of the p8 oncoprotein in cytosol and EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) in membrane was performed by ELISA (Oncogene Science) and RIA (Vienna Lab), respectively. A statistically significant relationship between the expression of p53 and EGFR with tumor stage and grade was found. Quantification of p185 and EGFR showed higher values in the tumor tissue than in the control samples, but a worse survival could not be determined. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that p53 expression can be considered to be a prognostic factor. It provides useful information on the aggressive behaviour of the tumor and has a direct relation with the survival rates.     

Designing collaborative,constructionist and contextual applications for handheld devices

This paper explores current applications for handheld devices and questions which of these make full use of the unique attributes of handheld devices in order to facilitate learning in a pedagogically sensible manner. In order to do so, the paper presents a functional framework which analyses handheld application in relation to their use as well as the pedagogical underpinning, if any, that informs their development. Our framework currently consists of seven distinct categories of application, which we term: administrative, referential, interactive, microworld, data collection, location aware and collaborative. We argue that three categories, namely data collection, location aware and collaborative, are particularly suited to learning with handheld devices when they are informed by collaborative, contextual and constructionist learning theories. Furthermore, we contend that applications of the type just outlined deserve further research since they are not attempting to replicate, or even augment, existing learning scenarios but rather they try to create new learning opportunities which would not be possible without (mobile) technology. Finally, the authors introduce a number of applications and learning scenarios that they have developed for handheld devices and explain their position within the framework.     

GPU accelerated waterpixel algorithm for superpixel segmentation of hyperspectral images

The Journal of Supercomputing - The high computational cost of the superpixel segmentation algorithms for hyperspectral remote sensing images makes them ideal candidates for parallel computation....     

P16 and HPV Genotype Significance in HPV-Associated Cervical Cancer—A Large Cohort of Two Tertiary Referral Centers

The expression of p16 is a good surrogate of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in HPV-associated cancers. The significance of p16 expression, HPV genotype and genera in the outcome of patients with HPV-associated cervical cancer (CC) is unclear. Our aim is to ascertain the prognostic significance of these factors. Data from 348 patients (median age: 47.5 years old) with CC, diagnosed in two referral centers, were retrospectively collected. Advanced disease (FIGO2018 IB2-IV) was present in 68% of patients. A single HPV genotype was identified in 82.8% of patients. The most common HPVs were HPV16 (69%) and HPV18 (14%). HPV genera reflected this distribution. HPV16 tumors presented at an earlier stage. P16 was negative in 18 cases (5.2%), 83.3% of which were squamous cell carcinomas. These cases occurred in older patients who tended to have advanced disease. In the univariate analysis, HPV16 (HR: 0.58; p = 0.0198), α-9 genera (HR: 0.37; p = 0.0106) and p16 overexpression (HR: 0.54; p = 0.032) were associated with better survival. HPV16 (HR: 0.63; p = 0.0174) and α-9 genera (HR: 0.57; p = 0.0286) were associated with less relapse. In the multivariate analysis, only the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage retained an independent prognostic value. HPV16, α-9 genera and p16 overexpression were associated with better survival, although not as independent prognostic factors. Patients with p16-negative HPV-associated CC were older, presented with advanced disease and had worse prognosis.     

Genetic Susceptibility to Periodontal Disease in Down Syndrome: A Case-Control Study

Severe periodontitis is prevalent in Down syndrome (DS). This study aimed to identify genetic variations associated with periodontitis in individuals with DS. The study group was distributed into DS patients with periodontitis (n = 50) and DS patients with healthy periodontium (n = 36). All samples were genotyped with the “Axiom Spanish Biobank” array, which contains 757,836 markers. An association analysis at the individual marker level using logistic regression, as well as at the gene level applying the sequence kernel association test (SKAT) was performed. The most significant genes were included in a pathway analysis using the free DAVID software. C12orf74 (rs4315121, p = 9.85 × 10⁻⁵, OR = 8.84), LOC101930064 (rs4814890, p = 9.61 × 10⁻⁵, OR = 0.13), KBTBD12 (rs1549874, p = 8.27 × 10⁻⁵, OR = 0.08), PIWIL1 (rs11060842, p = 7.82 × 10⁻⁵, OR = 9.05) and C16orf82 (rs62030877, p = 8.92 × 10⁻⁵, OR = 0.14) showed a higher probability in the individual analysis. The analysis at the gene level highlighted PIWIL, MIR9-2, LHCGR, TPR and BCR. At the signaling pathway level, PI3K-Akt, long-term depression and FoxO achieved nominal significance (p = 1.3 × 10⁻², p = 5.1 × 10⁻³, p = 1.2 × 10⁻², respectively). In summary, various metabolic pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis in DS, including PI3K-Akt, which regulates cell proliferation and inflammatory response.