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The widespread legalization of recreational marijuana raises growing concerns about exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke. An important location for marijuana smoking is the home, but few measurements of air pollutant concentrations in the home are available for a marijuana joint fully smoked in one of its rooms. We used research grade calibrated real-time continuous PM

We conducted 35 experiments for spatial measurement of marijuana aerosols in a current smoker's residential spaces. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations were measured every second at 1, 2, and 3m horizontal distances from the smoker who performed prescribed 5-min smoking and vaping activities. In each experiment, five SidePak monitors measured PM2.5 concentrations at five different angles facing the front of the smoker, representing the worst-case exposures. We studied the effect of distance from the smoker for two marijuana sources - smoking a marijuana cigarette, or joint, and vaping a liquid-cartridge vaping pen. Experiments were conducted in the family room indoors and in the backyard outdoors where the smoker normally consumes marijuana. Indoor marijuana vaping had higher average exposures (5-min PM2.5) at 1m distance than indoor marijuana smoking, but the levels from indoor vaping decreased more rapidly with distance (e.g., 77% reduction for vaping versus 33% for smoking from 1 to 2m). Smoking and vaping in the outdoor environment reduce the average exposures down to 20% indoors at 1m). Plotting the frequency of exceedance versus distance could offer additional guidance for a recommended minimum distance from a marijuana source.

We conducted 35 experiments for spatial measurement of marijuana aerosols in a current smoker's residential spaces. Fine particulate matter (PM

We present a new method to estimate the fraction of an aerosol mixture that is volatile, as well as the time required for evaporation from a collecting surface. The method depends on an instrument (the Piezobalance) designed to measure the accumulated mass on a quartz crystal that can also measure the subsequent loss of mass due to evaporation. Commercially available e-liquids or marijuana liquids were heated using an e-cigarette device or a vapor pen, inhaled, and exhaled into a closed unventilated room (volume = 43 and 33 m3) in each of two residences. From a set of 88 measurements on an e-liquid containing 99.7% “vegetable glycerin” (VG), we estimate the fraction of the e-cigarette aerosol that is volatile to be 88% (95% confidence interval (CI) 77-99%). We also estimate the time to reach 95% of the total loss of the volatile material from the crystal to be 47 minutes (CI 33-60 minutes). For pure propylene glycol (PG) liquid, we measured extremely high rates of evaporation, finding that 8-16 rapid-fire puffs were required to reach a high concentration at just 0.65 m distance. From 124 experiments on three types of marijuana cartridges, the corresponding estimates of the volatile fraction of exhaled marijuana aerosol were normally 5-7% for liquids heated to moderate temperatures (N = 106), but 25-34% for liquids heated to high temperatures (N = 18). In the latter case, the time to reach 95% of the total loss of volatile material was on the order of 5-10 hours. This indicates the importance of volatility considerations in affecting exposure to indoor aerosols from these two common sources. Secondhand exposures to PM2.5 from e-cigarette aerosols are likely to be short-lived for most scenarios, whereas we show that secondhand PM2.5 exposures from marijuana vaping aerosols can be substantial and long-lived after a single puff. Practical implications The method presented here is general and can be used on almost any aerosol mixtures. It has the advantage of requiring a single instrument that can measure both the source strength and decay rates of the aerosol created by the source and also the fraction of collected material that is volatile. The method identified a major difference in the expected exposure to e-cigarette aerosols vs. marijuana aerosols from vaping. The method should be of interest to investigators who study particulate air pollution and to companies that manufacture air monitoring systems. A number of important sources of indoor aerosol mixtures (e.g., cooking, candle use, incense, etc.) remain to be investigated for volatility effects using this method.

Fifteen states have legalized the sales of recreational marijuana, and California has the largest sales of any state. Cannabis is most often smoked indoors, but few measurements have been made of fine particle mass concentrations produced by secondhand cannabis smoke in indoor settings. We conducted 60 controlled experiments in a 43 m3 room of a residence, measuring PM2.5 concentrations, emission rates, and decay rates using real-time monitors designed to measure PM2.5 mass concentrations. We also measured the room's air exchange rate. During each experiment, an experienced smoker followed an identical puffing protocol on one of four different methods of consuming marijuana: the pre-rolled marijuana joint (24 experiments), the bong with its bowl containing marijuana buds (9 experiments), the glass pipe containing marijuana buds (9 experiments), and the commercially available electronic vaping pen with a cartridge attached containing cannabis vape liquid (9 experiments). For comparison, we used the same puffing protocol to measure the PM2.5 emissions from Marlboro cigarettes (9 experiments). The results indicated that cannabis joints produced the highest indoor PM2.5 concentrations and had the largest emission rates, compared with the other cannabis sources. The average PM2.5 emission rate of the 24 cannabis joints (7.8 mg/min) was 3.5 times the average emission rate of the Marlboro cigarettes (2.2 mg/min). The average emission rate of the cannabis bong was 67% that of the joint; the glass pipe's emission rate was 54% that of the joint, and the vaping pen's emission rate was 44% that of the joint. The differences compared to the joint were statistically significant.

A popular method of inhaling marijuana is by heating marijuana liquid (vaping). We study exhaled aerosol within experimental rooms in two inhabited homes and determine peak concentrations, decay and removal rates, and source emissions. These parameters allow a simple exposure model to be developed. The experimental approach was to measure particle concentrations from one or multiple puffs of marijuana liquid within the experimental rooms. Commercial cartridges containing marijuana liquid of varying CBD:THC ratios (2:1, 7:1, 8:1, and 18:1) were compared. PM2.5 concentrations were measured continuously by optical monitors (SidePak and PurpleAir monitors) and by mass measurements (Piezobalances). The mass measurements in a subsample were verified using gravimetric (pump-filter) methods. Air exchange rates were measured using tracer gases. Calibration factors (CFs) were developed for the SidePak and Piezobalance using gravimetric analysis of their response to the aerosol produced by vaping. These CFs were 0.97 (SE 0.04) for the Piezobalances and 0.44 (SE 0.04) for the SidePaks. Comparisons with these instruments suggested a median CF for PurpleAir monitors of 3. This CF is based upon an alternative methodology for calculating PM2.5 based on the particle numbers in three size categories from 0.3 to 2.5 μm. Two preheating periods of about 3 and 12 s were adopted before a 3-s inhalation. The longer heating period produced an increase in the source strength from 3.0 (SE 0.3) to 8.8 (SE 0.3) mg/puff. PM2.5 removal rates were 0.38 (SE 0.04) h-1 for the SidePaks and 0.30 (SE 0.03) h-1 for the PurpleAir monitors. An 8-day experiment with a single puff each day from a marijuana liquid cartridge showed elevated concentrations in the small experimental room for the next 9 h. Mean concentrations during these hours were 63 μg/m3, compared to 4.5 μg/m3 at other times. A simple exposure model was developed and applied to several scenarios of low and high expected exposures.

The widespread legalization of recreational cannabis use raises growing concerns about exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke (SCS). However, few studies are characterizing fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure from SCS. Here, we determined PM2.5 calibration factors (CFs) for SCS from four common cannabis consuming methods—glass pipe smoking, joint smoking, bong smoking, and cannabis pen vaping—for widely used optical monitors (SidePak™ AM510, TSI Inc., Shoreview, MN) by comparing the monitors with gravimetric mass measurements. We furthermore investigated the emission rate, particle size distribution, and particle removal rate of SCS. The CFs of SidePak PM2.5 monitors measuring the four types of SCS were 0.31 (SE = 0.02), 0.39 (SE = 0.02), 0.40 (SE = 0.01), and 0.44 (SE = 0.03), respectively. The arithmetic mean emission rates of the four SCS sources were ~2–6 times that of secondhand tobacco smoke (STS) on a per-puff basis. The fresh SCS (1-min after smoking) showed a bimodal size distribution—one mode located at ~380–420 nm and another at ~800–840 nm. Under low-ventilation conditions, the indoor removal rates of SCS from cannabis vaping were slightly higher (i.e., 0.61–0.77/h) than those for the other three sources (i.e., 0.35–0.53/h).

New indoor positioning technology makes it possible to use air measuring devices carried by occupants to characterize spatiotemporal patterns of exposure and air quality inside buildings. This pilot study investigated the potential of a mobile monitoring method to map highly variable PM2.5 distributions inside an occupied one-bedroom apartment, coupling a new ultrasound localization method with a pair of collocated research-grade and low-cost sensors (SidePak and PTQS). Measuring the position of the mobile sensing node every 1 s, down to the centimeter scale, this method generated detailed occupant moving trajectories and location histories on a floor plan map, allowing identification of microenvironments causing transient peak exposures. Utilizing a random walking approach throughout the apartment, it identified smoke intrusion sources and captured the spatial distributions of PM2.5 using interpolated two-dimensional concentration fields. The correlations between SidePak and PTQS were evaluated when they...

This study introduces a cyclical annealing technique that enhances the reliability of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) via-type structure thin film transistors (TFTs). By utilizing this treatment, negative gate-bias illumination stress (NBIS)-induced instabilities can be effectively alleviated. The cyclical annealing provides several cooling steps, which are exothermic processes that can form stronger ionic bonds. An additional advantage is that the total annealing time is much shorter than when using conventional long-term annealing. With the use of cyclical annealing, the reliability of the a-IGZO can be effectively optimized, and the shorter process time can increase fabrication efficiency.

This letter investigates effects of different channel dimensions in top-gate a-InGaZnO4 thin-film transistors with SiNx interlayer dielectric. In narrow channel devices, hydrogen atoms in the SiNx layer diffuse into the entire active layer, inducing a single channel. However, in wider channel devices, the diffusion distance for hydrogen atoms is insufficient to affect the whole channel, instead inducing a double channel. In addition, under hot carrier stress, narrow and wide channels exhibit different degradation behaviors, with simulations showing a strong electrical field at IGZO near the drain terminal of the main channel, which is unaffected by hydrogen.

Shih-Hsiang Lo,1,2 Kai-Chung Cheng,3 Ying-Xiao Li,3,4 Chin-Hong Chang,4,5 Juei-Tang Cheng,4,6 Kung-Shing Lee7,8 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Zhongxing Branch of Taipei City Hospital, 2Department of History and Geography, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Psychosomatic Internal Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan; 4Department of Medical Research, 5Department of Neurosurgery, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Yong Kang, 6Institute of Medical Science, College of Health Science, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, 7Department of Surgery, Pingtung Hospital, 8Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Background: G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1, also known as TGR5 is known to be involved in glucose homeostasis. In animal models, treatment with a TGR5 agonist induces incretin secretion to reduce hyperglycemia. Betulinic acid, a triterpenoid present in the leaves of white birch, has been introduced as a selective TGR5 agonist. However, direct activation of TGR5 by betulinic acid has not yet been reported. Methods: Transfection of TGR5 into cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells was performed to establish the presence of TGR5. Additionally, TGR5-specific small interfering RNA was employed to silence TGR5 in cells (NCI-H716 cells) that secreted incretins. Uptake of glucose by CHO-K1 cells was evaluated using a fluorescent indicator. Amounts of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and glucagon-like peptide were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Betulinic acid dose-dependently increases glucose uptake by CHO-K1 cells transfected with TGR5 only, which can be considered an alternative method instead of radioligand binding assay. Additionally, signals coupled to TGR5 activation are also increased by betulinic acid in cells transfected with TGR5. In NCI-H716 cells, which endogenously express TGR5, betulinic acid induces glucagon-like peptide secretion via increasing calcium levels. However, the actions of betulinic acid were markedly reduced in NCI-H716 cells that received TGR5-silencing treatment. Therefore, the present study demonstrates the activation of TGR5 by betulinic acid for the first time. Conclusion: Similar to the positive control lithocholic acid, which is the established agonist of TGR5, betulinic acid has been characterized as a useful agonist of TGR5 and can be used to activate TGR5 in the future. Keywords: CHO-K1 cell, lithocholic acid, NCI-H716 cell, transfection, siRNA

Exposure to airborne particles during and after cleaning dryer lint was examined via 30 experiments involving 4 dryers in a laundry room of a Northern California home. Gravimetric and real-time air samplers measured mass and size-resolved number concentrations in close proximity to the cleaning activity. The size distributions varied greatly between loads of clothing, with particle diameters > 10 μm contributing the bulk of the airborne lint dust volume. Average 5-min exposures to PM10 varied from 300 μg/m3. Cumulative frequency distributions of 1-min-averaged PM10 measurements were used to characterize the probabilities of different short-term exposure levels during and at different elapsed times after lint cleaning.

Exposures close to indoor sources are substantially higher than further away. To predict this “proximity effect”, we must determine the human exposure modeling parameter - turbulent diffusion coefficient, and how important room-specific factors such as fan power influence it. We conducted 11 experiments in a residential garage and an office, varying the operating speeds of two household fans at a room corner to create a range of air mixing conditions. In each, SidePak monitors sampled PM2.5 every 10 s over ~2 h at 15–16 points at different horizontal distances and angles from an emitting tracer particle source near the room center. Using an analytical exposure model involving eddy diffusion, the turbulent diffusion coefficient was deduced from the spatial PM2.5 measurements. Values ranged from 0.001 to 0.012 m2/s for power inputs of 0–4 W. By factoring in the room dimensions and air exchange, we found a significant relationship between the turbulent diffusion coefficient and fan power input across the two rooms. The deduced relationship allows assessments of (i) the magnitude of the proximity effect and (ii) the energy budget for reducing exposure via air mixing for a given indoor setting; it can be applied for different air contaminants (e.g., gaseous pollutants) in indoor environments where turbulent mixing dominates over brownian diffusion. For rooms with low air exchange rates, a modest power input from a fan can greatly increase pollutant mixing, reducing proximity exposure with minimal energy consumption.

YKL-40, a secreted glycoprotein, may serve as an autoantigen, which mediates multiple inflammatory diseases and cancers. A high YKL-40 serum level is correlated with metastasis and poor survival in a variety of human cancers. However, the role of YKL-40 in dogs is still under evaluation. Herein, we examined the associations between plasma YKL-40 level and YKL-40 autoantibody (YAA) titers with malignancy and prognosis in canine cancer. Plasma levels of YKL-40 in healthy dogs (n = 20) and in dogs (n = 82) with cancer were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results indicated that plasma YKL-40 levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in dogs with cancer than in healthy dogs. A significant decrease in the YAA titers was detected in the dogs with cancer when compared with those of the healthy dogs (p < 0.05), although the change was not correlated with the YKL-40 levels. Among the dogs with cancer, plasma YKL-40 levels in the dogs that later relapsed or had metastasis were significantly higher than in the dogs with no signs of relapse (p < 0.01) or metastasis (p 180 pg/mL) than in the low YKL-40 group (< 180 pg/mL). The results imply that plasma YKL-40 levels might have the potential to be developed as a marker of malignancy progression and prognosis in canine cancers.

For an actively emitting source such as cooking or smoking, indoor measurements have shown a strong "proximity effect" within 1 m. The significant increase in both the magnitude and variation of concentration near a source is attributable to transient high peaks that occur sporadically-and these "microplumes" cause great uncertainty in estimating personal exposure. Recent field studies in naturally ventilated rooms show that close-proximity concentrations are approximately lognormally distributed. We use the autocorrelated random walk method to represent the time-varying directionality of indoor emissions, thereby predicting the time series and frequency distributions of concentrations close to an actively emitting point source. The predicted 5-min concentrations show good agreement with measurements from a point source of CO in a naturally ventilated house-the measured and predicted frequency distributions at 0.5- and 1-m distances are similar and approximately lognormal over a concentration range spanning three orders of magnitude. By including the transient peak concentrations, this random airflow modeling method offers a way to more accurately assess acute exposure levels for cases where well-defined airflow patterns in an indoor space are not available.

Few measurements of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in close proximity to a smoker are available. Recent health studies have demonstrated an association between acute (2 h) exposures to high concentrations of SHS and increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. We performed 15 experiments inside naturally ventilated homes and 16 in outdoor locations, each with 2-4 non-smokers sitting near a cigarette smoker. The smoker's and non-smokers' real-time exposures to PM2.5 from SHS were measured by using TSI SidePak monitors to sample their breathing zones. In 87% of the residential indoor experiments, the smoker received the highest average exposure to SHS, with PM2.5 concentrations ranging from 50-630 μg/m(3) . During the active smoking period, individual non-smokers sitting within approximately 1 m of a smoker had average SHS exposures ranging from negligible up to160 μg/m(3) of PM2.5 . The average incremental exposure of the non-smokers was higher indoors (42 μg/m(3) , n = 35) than outdoors (29 μg/m(3) , n = 47), but the overall indoor and outdoor frequency distributions were similar. The 10-s PM2.5 averages during the smoking periods showed great variability, with multiple high concentrations of short duration (microplumes) both indoors and outdoors.

Accurate identification and quantification of the secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) that drifts between multiunit homes (MUHs) is essential for assessing resident exposure and health risk. We collected 24 gaseous and particle measurements over 6–9 day monitoring periods in five nonsmoking MUHs with reported SHS intrusion problems. Nicotine tracer sampling showed evidence of SHS intrusion in all five homes during the monitoring period; logistic regression and chemical mass balance (CMB) analysis enabled identification and quantification of some of the precise periods of SHS entry. Logistic regression models identified SHS in eight periods when residents complained of SHS odor, and CMB provided estimates of SHS magnitude in six of these eight periods. Both approaches properly identified or apportioned all six cooking periods used as no-SHS controls. Finally, both approaches enabled identification and/or apportionment of suspected SHS in five additional periods when residents did not report smelling smoke. The time resolution of this methodology goes beyond sampling methods involving single tracers (such as nicotine), enabling the precise identification of the magnitude and duration of SHS intrusion, which is essential for accurate assessment of human exposure.

Identifying and quantifying secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) that drifts between multiunit homes is critical to assessing exposure. Twenty-three different gaseous and particulate measurements were taken during controlled emissions from smoked cigarettes and six other common indoor source types in 60 single-room and 13 two-room experiments. We used measurements from the 60 single-room experiments for (i) the fitting of logistic regression models to predict the likelihood of SHS and (ii) the creation of source profiles for chemical mass balance (CMB) analysis to estimate source apportionment. We then applied these regression models and source profiles to the independent data set of 13 two-room experiments. Several logistic regression models correctly predicted the presence of cigarette smoke more than 80% of the time in both source and receptor rooms, with one model correct in 100% of applicable cases. CMB analysis of the source room provided significant PM2.5 concentration estimates of all true sources in 9 of 13 experiments and was half-correct (i.e., included an erroneous source or missed a true source) in the remaining four. In the receptor room, CMB provided significant estimates of all true sources in 9 of 13 experiments and was half-correct in another two.

Epidemiologic studies indicate that indoor air pollution is correlated with morbidity caused by allergic diseases. We evaluated the effectiveness of reducing the levels of indoor fine particulate matter2.5 micrometer diameter (PMThe active group (with air purifiers) and the control group consisted of eight houses each. Air purifiers were installed in the living rooms and bedrooms of the subjects in the active group during the entire 12-week study duration. Childhood asthma control test, peak flow rate monitoring, and nasal symptom scores were evaluated at weeks 0, 6, and 12.At 12 weeks, the active group showed a trend toward an improvement of childhood asthma control test scores and mean evening peak flow rates, whereas the control group showed deterioration in the same measures. Total and daytime nasal symptoms scores significantly reduced in the active group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). The average indoor PMIntervention with air purifiers reduces indoor PM

We have successfully fabricated large sized amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide based active-matrix liquid-crystal displays, which uses Molybdenum/Aluminum/Titanium as source/drain electrode. In this study, an oxygen-rich etch stop layer acts as the oxygen atom supplier and converts the titanium layer into titanium oxide layer, which is found to induce instability of the device. Sample without titanium oxide has an initial threshold voltage shift is less than ±0.1 V after the repeatedly measuring over a period of two weeks. In addition, the IGZO based device demonstrated superior transfer characteristic. This paper established that the stability of the amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide based active-matrix liquid-crystal display can be predicted by Stretched-Exponential model.

Smoking bans often exempt casinos, exposing occupants to fine particles (PM(2.5)) from secondhand smoke. We quantified the relative contributions to PM(2.5) from both secondhand smoke and infiltrating outdoor sources in US casinos. We measured real-time PM(2.5), particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH), and carbon dioxide (CO(2)) (as an index of ventilation rate) inside and outside 8 casinos in Reno, Nevada. We combined these data with data from previous studies, yielding a total of 66 US casinos with smoking in California, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, developing PM(2.5) frequency distributions, with 3 nonsmoking casinos for comparison. Geometric means for PM(2.5) were 53.8 μg/m(3) (range 18.5-205 μg/m(3)) inside smoking casinos, 4.3 μg/m(3) (range 0.26-29.7 μg/m(3)) outside those casinos, and 3.1 μg/m(3) (range 0.6-9 μg/m(3)) inside 3 nonsmoking casinos. In a subset of 21 Reno and Las Vegas smoking casinos, PM(2.5) in gaming areas averaged 45.2 μg/m(3) (95% CI, 37.7-52.7 μg/m(3)); adjacent nonsmoking casino restaurants averaged 27.2 μg/m(3) (95% CI, 17.5-36.9 μg/m(3)), while PM(2.5) outside the casinos averaged 3.9 μg/m(3) (95% CI, 2.5-5.3 μg/m(3)). For a subset of 10 Nevada and Pennsylvania smoking casinos, incremental (indoor-outdoor) PM(2.5) was correlated with incremental PPAH (R(2)=0.79), with ventilation rate-adjusted smoker density (R(2)=0.73), and with smoker density (R(2)=0.60), but not with ventilation rates (R(2)=0.15). PPAH levels in 8 smoking casinos in 3 states averaged 4 times outdoors. The nonsmoking casinos' PM(2.5) (n=3) did not differ from outdoor levels, nor did their PPAH (n=2). Incremental PM(2.5) from secondhand smoke in approximately half the smoking casinos exceeded a level known to produce cardiovascular morbidity in nonsmokers after less than 2h of exposure, posing acute health risks to patrons and workers. Casino ventilation and air cleaning practices failed to control secondhand smoke PM(2.5). Drifting PM(2.5) from secondhand smoke contaminated unseparated nonsmoking areas. Smoke-free casinos reduced PM(2.5) to the same low levels found outdoors.

This study considers a laboratory examination of the antioxidant performance of methanolic extracts from the leaves and stems of 3 common wild grapes (Vitis thunbergii, V. flexuosa, and V. kelungeusis) by various in vitro methods. It also seeks to identify the specific antioxidant constituent. Results revealed that, of these specimens, stem extracts of V. thunbergii exhibited good 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging and superoxide radical-scavenging performance and ferrous ion-chelating ability, as well as the highest total phenolic content (179.5 mg of GAE/g). The principal antioxidant, (+)-lyoniresinol-2a-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, was isolated from the stem extracts of V. thunbergii and identified. Removal of this compound from the extracts caused an approximate 2- to 5-fold decrease in antioxidant performance. This showed that (+)-lyoniresinol-2a-O-β-D-glucopyranoside is the primary antioxidant in wild grapes. Results also indicated that the antioxidant performance of (+)-lyoniresinol-2a-O-β-D-glucopyranoside was stronger than its lignan aglycone, (+)-lyoniresinol.Of the 3 common wild grapes-Vitis thunbergii, V. flexuosa, and V. kelungeusis, the extracts or phytochemicals, derived from the V. thunbergii stems have excellent antioxidant properties, so they have great potential as a basis for natural health products that seek to prevent diseases caused by the overproduction of radicals.

Vitis thunbergii, Vitis flexuosa, and Vitis kelungensis are three common wild grapes in Taiwan and have been used as a traditional medicine for inflammatory disorders. However, the potential bioactivities of these wild grapes have not been studied to date. In this study, anti-inflammatory activities and hepatoprotective properties of these three wild grapes were assessed by in vitro and in vivo assays, respectively. Results revealed that the methanolic extract of V. kelungensis stem (VKS) strongly suppressed NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages. And among all fractions derived from VKS, the EtOAc fraction exhibited the best inhibitory activity. In addition, VKS and its major resveratrol derivatives, (� )-e-viniferin and 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]furan-3,4,6-triol, can prevent CCl4-induced liver injury and aminotransferase activities in mice, which were comparable to that of silymarin or resveratrol, the natural remedies for liver diseases.

In this study, antioxidant phytochemicals of Balanophora laxiflora flowers were detected by online HPLC– DPPH method. Accordingly, five phytochemicals including 1-O-(E)-caffeoyl-b-D-glucopyranose (1), 1-O(E)-p-coumaroyl-b-D-glucopyranose (2), caffeic acid (3), 1,3-di-O-galloyl-4,6-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-b-D-glucopyranose (4), and 1-O-(E)-caffeoyl-4,6-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-b-D-glucopyranose (5) were isolated using the developed screening method. Of these, compounds 1 and 5 were found to be major bioactive phytochemicals, and their contents were determined to be 10.8 mg and 9.5 mg per gramme of crude extract, respectively. In addition, compared with (+)-catechin, a well-known antioxidant, compounds 4 and 5 exhibited stronger DPPH radical and superoxide radical scavenging activities than (+)-catechin. These results demonstrated that the flower extracts of B. laxiflora have excellent antioxidant activities and thus have great potential as a source for natural health products.

The effect of foot traffic on indoor particle resuspension was evaluated by associating non-prescribed foot traffic with simultaneous size-resolved airborne particulate matter (PM) concentrations in a northern California hospital. Foot traffic and PM were measured every 15 min in a carpeted hallway over two 27-h periods. The PM concentration in the hallway was modeled based on the foot traffic intensity, including the previous PM concentration via an autocorrelation regression method based on the well-mixed box model. All 5 size ranges of PM, ranging from 0.75–1 μm to 5–7.5 μm, were highly correlated with foot traffic measurements for both monitoring periods (p

Various factors involved in the development of liver fibrosis, including hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), cholinergic nervous activity and fibrogenetic cytokines. The present study aims to investigate the role of cholinergic regulation in the promoting of liver fibrogenesis relating to bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6) and/or transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1). We treated carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) into rats for eight weeks to induce liver fibrosis and arranged these rats for cholinergic denervation, hepatic branch vagotomy or atropine administration. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining showed the distribution of cholinergic nerve around fibrosis scaring septa. The immunohistochemical staining for alpha smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA) indicated the less HSCs in CCl(4) treated rat liver with cholinergic denervation as compared to the sham-operated CCl(4) treated rats. It seems that cholinergic nerve not only innervates around the fibrosis area but also promotes HSCs. We also detected TGFbeta1 and BMP-6 expressions using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The obtained results show that cholinergic denerveration decreases BMP-6 and TGF-beta1 expressions in CCl(4) induced liver fibrosis of rats. In conclusion, cholinergic nerve may influence HSCs in addition to the lowering of BMP-6 and TGF-beta1 gene expressions to modify liver fibrosis.

This paper demonstrates the usefulness of near-infrared optical fiber analysis for sensing moisture and liquid hydrocarbons in soil. Through experiments we have carried out sensing probes which have been developed, comprising optical fibers that use the evanescent field of the guided energy. The movement of water through dry sand was simulated in the laboratory and the sensors were used in situ to measure the variation of soil moisture in real time. A similar experiment simulated the movement of an organic liquid (mineral oil) through water-saturated sand, and the sensors were used in situ to monitor the hydrocarbon movement. We found that a hydrophobic polymer-coated waveguide can amplify the hydrocarbon signal while minimizing that of water, making it possible to detect a dissolved hydrocarbon. Tests show that the second derivative transform of the absorption spectra could be used to distinguish classes of hydrocarbons.

Most casinos owned by sovereign American Indian nations allow smoking, even in U.S. states such as California where state laws restrict workplace smoking. Collaborations between casinos and public health workers are needed to promote smoke-free policies that protect workers and patrons from secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure and risks. Over seven years, a coalition of public health professionals provided technical assistance to the Redding Rancheria tribe in Redding, California in establishing a smoke-free policy at the Win-River Resort and Casino. The coalition provided information to the casino general manager that included site-specific measurement of employee and visitor PM2.5 personal exposure, area concentrations of airborne nicotine and PM2.5, visitor urinary cotinine, and patron and staff opinions (surveys, focus groups, and a Town Hall meeting). The manager communicated results to tribal membership, including evidence of high SHS exposures and support for a smoke-free policy. Subsequently, in concert with hotel expansion, the Redding Rancheria Tribal Council voted to accept a 100% restriction of smoking inside the casino, whereupon PM2.5 exposure in main smoking areas dropped by 98%. A 70% partial-smoke-free policy was instituted ~1 year later in the face of revenue loss. The success of the collaboration in promoting a smoke-free policy, and the key element of air quality feedback, which appeared to be a central driver, may provide a model for similar efforts.

We measured real-time and integrated PM2.5 inside eight occupied single-family homes in Fresno, California to evaluate how turbulent air mixing and pollutant removal caused by a filter-based air purifier influences the levels of fine particles in everyday indoor environments. In each home, we used a real-time monitor to log PM2.5 levels every 5 min over 12 weeks during which air purifiers were operating, except for a designed 3-day shutdown period for baseline measurements. We assessed how the operation of air purifiers changed the patterns of the frequency distributions for short-term (5 min) concentrations, which included spikes produced by sporadic indoor activities or emissions. This allowed us to examine the reduction effectiveness of air purifiers on concentrations of both recently emitted and well-mixed background aerosols. We observed a systematic change in the 5-min PM2.5 distributions in different homes—while air purifiers reduced 96% of the 5-min concentrations, they increased the magnitudes of the top 4%, representing transient concentration peaks. This phenomenon is consistent with what would be theoretically expected based on passive scalar turbulence in fluid physics. We also collected gravimetric filter samples for PM2.5 composition, finding mean reductions of the long-term (2–5 days) concentrations of 29%–37% for indoor PM2.5 and endotoxin. A less significant reduction (19%–26%) was seen for Pb (Lead). © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research

Real-time particle monitors are essential for accurately estimating exposure to fine particles indoors. However, many such monitors tend to be prohibitively expensive for some applications, such as a tenant or homeowner curious about the quality of the air in their home. A lower cost version (the Dylos Air Quality Monitor) has recently been introduced, but it requires appropriate calibration to reflect the mass concentration units required for exposure assessment. We conducted a total of 64 experiments with a suite of instruments including a Dylos DC1100, another real-time laser photometer (TSI SidePak™ Model AM-510 Personal Aerosol Monitor), and a gravimetric sampling apparatus to estimate Dylos calibration factors for emissions from 17 different common indoor sources including cigarettes, incense, fried bacon, chicken, and hamburger. Comparison of minute-by-minute data from the Dylos with the gravimetrically calibrated SidePak yielded relationships that enable the conversion of the raw Dylos particle counts less than 2.5 μm (in #/0.01 ft(3)) to estimated PM2.5 mass concentration (e.g. μg m(-3)). The relationship between the exponentially-decaying Dylos particle counts and PM2.5 mass concentration can be described by a theoretically-derived power law with source-specific empirical parameters. A linear relationship (calibration factor) is applicable to fresh or quickly decaying emissions (i.e., before the aerosol has aged and differential decay rates introduce curvature into the relationship). The empirical parameters for the power-law relationships vary greatly both between and within source types, although linear factors appear to have lower uncertainty. The Dylos Air Quality Monitor is likely most useful for providing instantaneous feedback and context on mass particle levels in home and work situations for field-survey or personal awareness applications.

Neural network applications to aircraft automatic landing control are presented. Conventional automatic landing systems (ALSs) can provide a smooth landing, which is essential to the comfort of passengers. However, these systems work only within a specified operational safety envelope. When the conditions are beyond the envelope, such as turbulence or wind shear, they often cannot be used. The objective of this paper is to investigate the use of neural networks in ALSs and to make these systems more intelligent. Current flight control law is adopted in the intelligent controller design. Tracking performance and robustness are demonstrated through software simulations. This paper presents five different neural network controllers to improve the performance of conventional ALSs based on a modified learning-through-time process. Simulation results show that the neural network controllers can successfully expand the safety envelope to include more hostile environments such as severe turbulence

Aim Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end stage renal disease in developed countries throughout the world. The imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidant defense system is the main problem that is responsible for the progression of diabetic kidney disease. In this study, we investigated whether human extracellular superoxide dismutase (hEC-SOD) can prevent diabetic nephropathy in the rat model. Main methods Diabetic nephropathy symptoms were induced by intraperitoneal injection with 60 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) in male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. After daily supplement of rhEC-SOD (3200 U/kg/day) for 4 weeks, the serum or urine biochemical markers (glucose, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, triglyceride, hemoglobin A1c, and microalbuminuria), histological changes, gene expressions (phox47, opn, and gapdh), and protein levels (TGF-β, AT1-R, phospho-p42/p44 MAPK, and p42/p44 MAPK) were determined. Key findings Results showed that rhEC-SOD administration could reverse SOD activity measured in kidney and diabetic-associated changes, including the fibrosis change, expression of collagen I, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1-R), as well as the activation of the intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, associating with its inhibition of p42MAPK/p44MAPK (ERK1/2) phosphorylation. Additionally, diabetic nephropathy up-regulated the expression of the phox47 and opn genes, and these changes could also be suppressed. Though the proteinuria did not significantly reduce. Treatment with rhEC-SOD ameliorates STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy, leading to reduced death rates, kidney weight/body weight ratio, fibrosis change, and TGF-β1 expression through the down-regulation of ROS/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Significance We conclude that rhEC-SOD can act as a therapeutic agent to protect the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

As indoor smoking bans have become widely adopted, some U.S. communities are considering restricting smoking outdoors, creating a need for measurements of air pollution near smokers outdoors. Personal exposure experiments were conducted with four to five participants at six sidewalk bus stops located 1.5-3.3 m from the curb of two heavily traveled California arterial highways with 3300-5100 vehicles per hour. At each bus stop, a smoker in the group smoked a cigarette. Gravimetrically calibrated continuous monitors were used to measure fine particle concentrations (aerodynamic diameteror = 2.5 microm; PM2.5) in the breathing zones (within 0.2 m from the nose and mouth) of each participant. At each bus stop, ultrafine particles (UFP), wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, and traffic counts were also measured. For 13 cigarette experiments, the mean PM2.5 personal exposure of the nonsmoker seated 0.5 m from the smoker during a 5-min cigarette ranged from 15 to 153 microg/m3. Of four persons seated on the bench, the smoker received the highest PM2.5 breathing-zone exposure of 192 microg/m3. There was a strong proximity effect: nonsmokers at distances 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m from the smoker received mean PM2.5 personal exposures of 59, 40, and 28 microg/m3, respectively, compared with a background level of 1.7 microg/m3. Like the PM2.5 concentrations, UFP concentrations measured 0.5 m from the smoker increased abruptly when a cigarette started and decreased when the cigarette ended, averaging 44,500 particles/cm3 compared with the background level of 7200 particles/cm3. During nonsmoking periods, the UFP background concentrations showed occasional peaks due to traffic, whereas PM2.5 background concentrations were extremely low. The results indicate that a single cigarette smoked outdoors at a bus stop can cause PM2.5 and UFP concentrations near the smoker that are 16-35 and 6.2 times, respectively, higher than the background concentrations due to cars and trucks on an adjacent arterial highway.Rules banning smoking indoors have been widely adopted in the United States and in many countries. Some communities are considering smoking bans that would apply to outdoor locations. Although many measurements are available of pollutant concentrations from secondhand smoke at indoor locations, few measurements are available of exposure to secondhand smoke outdoors. This study provides new data on exposure to fine and ultrafine particles from secondhand smoke near a smoker outdoors. The levels are compared with the exposure measured next to a highway. The findings are important for policies that might be developed for reducing exposure to secondhand smoke outdoors.

This paper proposes a two-stage speech recognition system based on hidden Markov model (HMM) and back-propagation neural network (BPNN) for home service robot. Since a home service robot would interact with different users, a speaker independent and robust system should be developed. The recognition system we proposed contains two learning stages to build the models of words. In the first stage, the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) likelihood probabilities are calculated by HMM. And then, the probabilities are treated as the input units of neural network in the second stage. The home service robot, May-1 is designed and implemented for realizing the speech recognition system. The experimental results show that the robot can successfully complete follow-me, recognition of names, and recognition of rooms tasks in the RoboCup@ Home league competition.

Personal exposure to air pollutants can be substantially higher in close proximity to an active source due to non-instantaneous mixing of emissions. The research presented in this paper quantifies this proximity effect for a non-buoyant source in 2 naturally ventilated homes in Northern California (CA), assessing its spatial and temporal variation and the influence of factors such as ventilation rate on its magnitude. To quantify how proximity to residential sources of indoor air pollutants affects human exposure, we performed 16 separate monitoring experiments in the living rooms of two detached single-family homes. CO (as a tracer gas) was released from a point source in the center of the room at a controlled emission rate for 5–12 h per experiment, while an array of 30–37 real-time monitors simultaneously measured CO concentrations with 15 s time resolution at radial distances ranging from 0.25–5 m under a range of ventilation conditions. Concentrations measured in close proximity (within 1 m) to the source were highly variable, with 5 min averages that typically varied by >100-fold. This variability was due to short-duration (

For modeling exposure close to an indoor air pollution source, an isotropic turbulent diffusion coefficient is used to represent the average spread of emissions. However, its magnitude indoors has been difficult to assess experimentally due to limitations in the number of monitors available. We used 30-37 real-time monitors to simultaneously measure CO at different angles and distances from a continuous indoor point source. For 11 experiments involving two houses, with natural ventilation conditions ranging from0.2 to5 air changes per h, an eddy diffusion model was used to estimate the turbulent diffusion coefficients, which ranged from 0.001 to 0.013 m² s⁻¹. The model reproduced observed concentrations with reasonable accuracy over radial distances of 0.25-5.0 m. The air change rate, as measured using a SF₆ tracer gas release, showed a significant positive linear correlation with the air mixing rate, defined as the turbulent diffusion coefficient divided by a squared length scale representing the room size. The ability to estimate the indoor turbulent diffusion coefficient using two readily measurable parameters (air change rate and room dimensions) is useful for accurately modeling exposures in close proximity to an indoor pollution source.

Electrochemical sensors are commonly used to measure concentrations of gaseous air pollutants in real time, especially for personal exposure investigations. The monitors are small, portable, and have suitable response times for estimating time-averaged concentrations. However, for transient exposures to air pollutants lasting only seconds to minutes, a non-instantaneous time response can cause measured values to diverge from actual input concentrations, especially when the pollutant fluctuations are pronounced and rapid. Using 38 Langan carbon monoxide (CO) monitors, which can be set to log data every 2 s, we found electrochemical sensor response times of 30–50 s. We derived a simple model based on Fick's Law to reconstruct a close to accurate time series from logged data. Starting with experimentally measured data for repetitive step input signals of alternating high and low CO concentrations, we were able to reconstruct a much improved 2-s concentration time series using the model. We also utilized the model to examine errors in monitor measurements for different averaging times. By selecting the averaging time based on the response time of the monitor, the error between actual and measured pollutant levels can be minimized. The methodology presented in this study is useful when aiming to accurately determine a time series of rapidly time-varying concentrations, such as for locations close to an active point source or near moving traffic.

A new triple filter system sampler/model is proposed for the precise and accurate simultaneous sampling and determination of gas- and aerosol-phase 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI). The system consists of two front Teflon filters for sampling aerosol-phase TDI and a final coated glass fiber filter to collect gas-phase TDI. The aerosol-phase TDI is collected on the first Teflon filter, while the second Teflon filter is used to estimate gaseous TDI adsorbed by the first. According to the gas adsorption test of two Teflon filters in series, the TDI gas adsorption fraction of the two filters is almost the same. Results of the evaporation test using pure TDI aerosols collected on the Teflon filter show that significant evaporation of the compound does not occur during sampling. These two findings allow the use of a model to estimate accurate gas- and aerosol-phase TDI concentrations. The comparison test with an annular denuder shows that the triple filter system can minimize the TDI sampling bias between the dual filter and the annular denuder systems.