Immuno-Metabolic Modulation of Liver Oncogenesis by the Tryptophan Metabolism

Metabolic rewiring in tumor cells is a major hallmark of oncogenesis. Some of the oncometabolites drive suppressive and tolerogenic signals from the immune system, which becomes complicit to the advent and the survival of neoplasia. Tryptophan (TRP) catabolism through the kynurenine (KYN) pathway was reported to play immunosuppressive actions across many types of cancer. Extensive debate of whether the culprit of immunosuppression was the depletion of TRP or rather KYN accumulation in the tumor microenvironment has been ongoing for years. Results from clinical trials assessing the benefit of inhibiting key limiting enzymes of this pathway such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) or tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) failed to meet the expectations. Bearing in mind the complexity of the tumoral terrain and the existence of different cancers with IDO1/TDO2 expressing and non-expressing tumoral cells, here we present a comprehensive analysis of the TRP global metabolic hub and the driving potential of the process of oncogenesis with the main focus on liver cancers.

Throwing Power of Embedded Anodes for the Galvanic Cathodic Protection of Steel in Concrete

The chloride-induced corrosion of steel reinforcement is one of the main causes of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. Cathodic protection (CP) of steel in concrete is a widely accepted repair technique to reduce, or completely stop, reinforcement corrosion. One possible method of cathodic protection is through the use of embedded galvanic (sacrificial) anodes, consisting of a zinc metal core surrounded by a precast alkali-activated cementitious mortar. The design of a CP system based on embedded galvanic anodes is based on the required amount of zinc material and the throwing power of the anode (i.e., radius around the anode in which the steel achieves sufficient protection). In this research, the protection of steel reinforcement in concrete surrounding an embedded galvanic anode was evaluated through depolarisation measurements with internal and external reference electrodes. Based on these measurements, the throwing power of the galvanic anode was determined, taking into account the 100 mV depolarisation criterium (cf. EN ISO 12696:2016). Additionally, the influence of the degree of chloride contamination of the concrete and relative humidity and temperature of the environment on the throwing power was evaluated. The results show a strong influence of chloride contamination on the throwing power of the galvanic anodes, in the sense that a higher chloride concentration in the concrete matrix leads to a reduction in the throwing power. This reduction can be related to the more negative potential of corroding steel reinforcement compared to passive steel, thus leading to a lower driving potential for the galvanic reaction. Especially when the chloride concentration is higher than 1 m% vs. cement mass, the throwing power is greatly reduced. Additionally, it was found that a higher relative humidity (RH) of the environment (and consequently, a higher RH of the concrete) resulted in a higher throwing power.

Artificial Intelligence in Hypertension

Hypertension remains the largest modifiable cause of mortality worldwide despite the availability of effective medications and sustained research efforts over the past 100 years. Hypertension requires transformative solutions that can help reduce the global burden of the disease. Artificial intelligence and machine learning, which have made a substantial impact on our everyday lives over the last decade may be the route to this transformation. However, artificial intelligence in health care is still in its nascent stages and realizing its potential requires numerous challenges to be overcome. In this review, we provide a clinician-centric perspective on artificial intelligence and machine learning as applied to medicine and hypertension. We focus on the main roadblocks impeding implementation of this technology in clinical care and describe efforts driving potential solutions. At the juncture, there is a critical requirement for clinical and scientific expertise to work in tandem with algorithmic innovation followed by rigorous validation and scrutiny to realize the promise of artificial intelligence-enabled health care for hypertension and other chronic diseases.

High-Frequency Instability Driving Potential of Premixed Jet Flames in a Tubular Combustor due to Dynamic Compression and Deflection

Constructive interference of acoustic oscillations and combustion heat release can result in high-frequency thermoacoustic instabilities in gas turbine combustion chambers with strong pressure pulsations. They may cause component wear and limit the safe operating range of the engine. During the development of stable combustors the influence of design variables on the driving mechanisms of these instabilities is of particular interest. This paper studies the influence of design parameters on the linear growth rates of high-frequency thermoacoustic transverse modes in a tubular combustor of hexagonal cross-section equipped with 12 turbulent premixed jet burners. Two flame dynamics models are used, i. e. the dynamic compression and the deflection mechanisms, which have in the past been validated for turbulent swirl burners. To demonstrate the applicability as well as the shortfalls of these flame dynamics models the impact of different geometrical and flow parameters on the driving potential of high-frequency thermoacoustic modes are considered. A parameter variation study of thermal power, air excess ratio, diameter of the combustor and the radial position of jet burners was performed. The first transversal eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies were computed by solving the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation with the flame driving source terms in the frequency domain using the finite element method. The required mean fields of temperature and heat release rate were obtained using a generic flame distribution scaled with respect to the experimental OH* chemiluminescence measurements. The resulting growth rates give a measure for the thermoacoustic driving potential.

A topographic index explaining hydrological similarity by accounting for the joint controls of runoff formation

Surface topography is an important source of information about the functioning and form of a hydrological landscape. Because of its key role in explaining hydrological processes and structures, and also because of its wide availability at good resolution in the form of digital elevation models (DEMs), it is frequently used to inform hydrological analyses. Not surprisingly, several hydrological indices and models have been proposed for linking geomorphic properties of a landscape with its hydrological functioning; a widely used example is the “height above the nearest drainage” (HAND) index. From an energy-centered perspective HAND reflects the gravitational potential energy of a given unit mass of water located on a hillslope, with the reference level set to the elevation of the nearest corresponding river. Given that potential energy differences are the main drivers for runoff generation, HAND distributions provide important proxies to explain runoff generation in catchments. However, as expressed by the second law of thermodynamics, the driver of a flux explains only one aspect of the runoff generation mechanism, with the driving potential of every flux being depleted via entropy production and dissipative energy loss. In fact, such losses dominate when rainfall becomes runoff, and only a tiny portion of the driving potential energy is actually transformed into the kinetic energy of streamflow. In recognition of this, we derive a topographic index called reduced dissipation per unit length index (rDUNE) by reinterpreting and enhancing HAND following a straightforward thermodynamic argumentation. We compare rDUNE with HAND, and with the frequently used topographic wetness index (TWI), and show that rDUNE provides stronger discrimination of catchments into groups that are similar with respect to their dominant runoff processes. Our analysis indicates that accounting for both the driver and resistance aspects of flux generation provides a promising approach for linking the architecture of a system with its functioning and is hence an appropriate basis for developing similarity indices in hydrology.

Drowsy Driving Among Shift Work Nurses: A Qualitative Data Analysis

Drowsy driving claims many lives every year. While all drivers are susceptible to the problem of drowsy driving, the nurse population is of particular concern. Studies have shown the severity of drowsiness for night shift nurses both at work and on the drive home. Many work and non-work factors contribute to the drowsiness that nurses experience. This study used a semi-structured interview approach to gain the perception and experiences of nurses concerning drowsy driving and possible interventions. Interviews were conducted at a large hospital in south central Texas with 30 night shift nurses. Visualizations depicting nurses’ responses are presented to aid in the understanding of the themes derived from the interviews. The nurses experience drowsy driving on a regular basis, use ineffective mitigation techniques and have differing preferences for an educational and technological intervention for drowsy driving. An emergent theme was how work and non-work factors work in conjunction to impact the nurses’ experiences of drowsy driving. Potential, implementable solutions regarding some of these factors are presented.

RESOURCE AMASSEMENT AS A TOOL OF MAXIMIZING SEA POWER IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

The paper discusses the fundamentals behind the Indian Ocean as the new pivotal of the twenty-first century cauldron, bearing high-yielding economic driving potential analyzed from the sparsely deliberated Classical Realist vistas of Morgenthau that form an intertwine between accumulation of resources and maximization of power. The aim of paper is to provide new dimensions to the IOR rivalry between the power-players whose preponderance remains vital to the control of the sea resources. The present geopolitical settings embedded in the virtues of multifaceted interdependence would not allow for war to be denominated as an appropriate strategy to win the concentrated control of sea wealth. Indian Ocean residues abundant possessions vibrant for the sustenance of human society, economic upheavals and for the purpose of modernizing military capabilities. The Blue Economy approach is subject of discussion in the study offers a way-out, stipulating joint development of resources as the rational approach which would foster cooperation, stability of the Sea-Lines of Communications and smooth running of the economic engines. The proposed approach would provide benefits extending to major littoral and regional states including India, China and Pakistan but also to the foreign stakeholders in the form of United States and Europe. Key words: Sea Power, Power Maximization, Resource Politics, Blue Economy

A topographic index explaining hydrological similarity by accounting for the joint controls of runoff formation

Surface topography is an important source of information about the functioning and form of a hydrological landscape. Because of its key role in explaining hydrological processes and structures, and also because of its wide availability at good resolution in the form of digital elevation models (DEM), it is frequently used to inform hydrological analyses. Not surprisingly, several hydrological indices and models have been proposed to link geomorphic properties of a landscape with its hydrological functioning; a widely used example is the Height Above the Nearest Drainage (HAND) index. From an energy-centered perspective HAND reflects the gravitational potential energy of a given unit mass of water located on a hillslope, with the reference level set to the elevation of the nearest corresponding river. Given that potential energy differences are the main drivers for runoff generation, HAND distributions provide important proxies to explain runoff generation in catchments. However, as expressed by the second law of thermodynamics, the driver of a flux explains only one aspect of the runoff generation mechanism, with the driving potential of every flux being depleted via entropy production and dissipative energy loss. In fact, such losses dominate runoff generation in a catchment, and only a tiny portion of the driving potential energy is actually transformed into the kinetic energy of streamflow. In recognition of this, we derive a new topographic index named dissipation per unit length (DUNE) by re-interpreting and enhancing the HAND index. We compare DUNE with HAND, and with the topographic wetness index (TWI), and show that DUNE provides stronger discrimination of catchments into groups that are similar with respect to runoff generation. Our analysis indicates that accounting for both the driver and resistance aspects of flux generation provides a promising approach to linking the architecture of a system with its functioning.