Recycling of Mechanically Ground Wind Turbine Blades as Filler in Geopolymer Composite.

This paper concerns the recycling of waste material from wind turbine blades. The aim of the research was to determine the possibility of using ground waste material derived from the exploited structures of wind turbines as a filler in geopolymer composites. In order to determine the potential of such a solution, tests were carried out on three different fractions originating from the ground blades of wind turbines, including an analysis of the morphology and chemical composition of particles using SEM and an EDS detector, the analysis of organic and inorganic matter content and tests for multivariate geopolymer composites with the addition of waste material.

Chemical interactions and mixtures in public health risk assessment: An analysis of ATSDR's interaction profile database.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) develops interaction profiles using binary weight of evidence (BINWOE) methodology to determine interaction directions of common environmental mixtures. We collected direction of interactions, BINWOE score determination, and BINWOE score confidence rating from 13 interaction profiles along with toxicodynamic and toxicokinetic influences on interaction direction. By doing so, we quantified the 1) direction of interaction and indeterminate evaluations; 2) characterized confidence in the BINWOE determinations; and 3) quantified toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic, and other influences on projected BINWOE interaction directions.

DNAzymes for amine and peptide lysine acylation.

DNAzymes were previously identified by in vitro selection for a variety of chemical reactions, including several biologically relevant peptide modifications. However, finding DNAzymes for peptide lysine acylation is a substantial challenge. By using suitably reactive aryl ester acyl donors as the electrophiles, here we used in vitro selection to identify DNAzymes that acylate amines, including lysine side chains of DNA-anchored peptides.

Evaluation of ATSDR's MRL and EPA's RfCs/RfDs: Similarities, Differences, and Rationales.

Objectives: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) derive minimal risk levels (MRLs) and reference concentrations and doses (RfCs and RfDs), respectively, for environmental contaminants to help identify potential health risks to exposed populations. MRLs, RfDs, and RfCs involve similar derivation methods, but the values sometimes differ for the same chemical. The objectives of this manuscript are to quantitatively assess similarities and differences between MRLs, RfCs, and RfDs, qualitatively describe how a number of factors can influence the development of the health guidance values (HGVs) and identify ongoing collaborations and opportunities for increased coordination of efforts.

Age and sex differences in hearing loss association with depressive symptoms: analyses of NHANES 2011-2012.

Background: Depression is a common and significant health problem. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition in the USA and might be a factor in depression. To determine whether hearing loss is associated with depressive symptoms in US adults ages 20-69 years.

A cross sectional study of urinary phthalates, phenols and perchlorate on thyroid hormones in US adults using structural equation models (NHANES 2007-2008).

Background: Biomonitoring data shows that people are exposed to phthalates, phenols and perchlorates. Many of these compounds are endocrine disrupting compounds that affect thyroid hormone levels. Yet the effect of these compounds on thyroid hormone levels are often evaluated individually rather than as a mixture.

Description of exposure profiles for seven environmental chemicals in a US population using recursive partition mixture modeling (RPMM).

Biomonitoring studies have shown that humans are exposed to numerous environmental chemicals. Previous work provides limited insights into the dynamic relationship between different chemicals within a population. The objective of this study is to develop an analytical method identifying exposure profiles of seven common environmental chemicals and determine how exposure profiles differ by sociodemographic groups and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2012 cycle year.

A path analysis of multiple neurotoxic chemicals and cognitive functioning in older US adults (NHANES 1999-2002).

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and metals (lead and cadmium) are neurotoxic and affect neurobehavioral performance. Yet little is known about the association between exposure to multiple neurotoxic compounds and cognitive functioning in older adults.

Methods: Using data from two consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey (1999-2002), path analysis was used to simultaneously evaluate the association between whole blood concentrations of 14 neurotoxic compounds and cognitive functioning measured by the Digit Symbol Coding Test of the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3 Edition in participants 60-84 years of age (N = 498).

Cross-Sectional Study of Polybrominated Flame Retardants and Self-Reported Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in US Youth Aged 12-15 (NHANES 2003-2004).

Background. Animal toxicity tests and epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to PBDEs can alter attention behavior, yet few studies have examined their association with diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents. Methods.

The variant allele of the rs188140481 polymorphism confers a moderate increase in the risk of prostate cancer in Polish men.

A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome have been associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. Recently, a single SNP in the region of chromosome 8q24 (rs188140481) has been associated with a three-fold increased risk of prostate cancer in Europe and North America. To establish whether rs188140481 is associated with the risk of prostate cancer in Poland, we genotyped 3467 men with prostate cancer and 1958 controls.

The presence of prostate cancer at biopsy is predicted by a number of genetic variants.

Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with an elevated risk of prostate cancer risk. It is not established if they are useful in predicting the presence of prostate cancer at biopsy or if they can be used to define a low-risk group of men. In this study, 4,548 men underwent a prostate biopsy because of an elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA; ≥4 ng/mL) or an abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE).

A personalised approach to prostate cancer screening based on genotyping of risk founder alleles.

Background: To evaluate whether genotyping for 18 prostate cancer founder variants is helpful in identifying high-risk individuals and for determining optimal screening regimens.

Methods: A serum PSA level was measured and a digital rectal examination (DRE) was performed on 2907 unaffected men aged 40-90. Three hundred and twenty-three men with an elevated PSA (≥4 ng ml⁻¹) or an abnormal DRE underwent a prostate biopsy.

The G84E mutation in the HOXB13 gene is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in Poland.

Background: The G84E mutation in the HOXB13 gene has been associated with a high lifetime risk of prostate cancer in North America (about 20-fold). The geographical and ethnic extent of this recurrent allele has not yet been determined.

Methods: We assayed for the presence of the G84E mutation in 3,515 prostate cancer patients and 2,604 controls from Poland and estimated the odds ratio for prostate cancer associated with the allele.

An inherited NBN mutation is associated with poor prognosis prostate cancer.

Background: To establish the contribution of eight founder alleles in three DNA damage repair genes (BRCA1, CHEK2 and NBS1) to prostate cancer in Poland, and to measure the impact of these variants on survival among patients.

Methods: Three thousand seven hundred fifty men with prostate cancer and 3956 cancer-free controls were genotyped for three founder alleles in BRCA1 (5382insC, 4153delA, C61G), four alleles in CHEK2 (1100delC, IVS2+1G>A, del5395, I157T), and one allele in NBS1 (657del5).

Results: The NBS1 mutation was detected in 53 of 3750 unselected cases compared with 23 of 3956 (0.

Neurodevelopmental low-dose bisphenol A exposure leads to early life-stage hyperactivity and learning deficits in adult zebrafish.

Developmental bisphenol A (BPA) exposure has been implicated in adverse behavior and learning deficits. The mode of action underlying these effects is unclear. The objectives of this study were to identify whether low-dose, developmental BPA exposure affects larval zebrafish locomotor behavior and whether learning deficits occur in adults exposed during development.

Fluorescent protein complementation assays: new tools to study G protein-coupled receptor oligomerization and GPCR-mediated signaling.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is mediated by protein-protein interactions at multiple levels. The characterization of the corresponding protein complexes is therefore paramount to the basic understanding of GPCR-mediated signal transduction. The number of documented interactions involving GPCRs is rapidly growing, and appreciating the functional significance of these complexes is clearly the next challenge.

Visualization of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) interactions in living cells using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC).

Members of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily have been shown to homo- and hetero-oligomerize both in vitro and in vivo. Although the functional and pharmacological significance of GPCR oligomerization is far from being completely understood, evidence suggests that, depending on the receptor, oligomerization may influence ligand binding, G protein coupling, and receptor targeting. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) is a technique based on the complementation of fragments from fluorescent proteins that allows the measurement and visualization of protein interactions in living cells.

Locating sensors for detecting source-to-target patterns of special nuclear material smuggling: a spatial information theoretic approach.

In this paper, a spatial information-theoretic model is proposed to locate sensors for detecting source-to-target patterns of special nuclear material (SNM) smuggling. In order to ship the nuclear materials from a source location with SNM production to a target city, the smugglers must employ global and domestic logistics systems. This paper focuses on locating a limited set of fixed and mobile radiation sensors in a transportation network, with the intent to maximize the expected information gain and minimize the estimation error for the subsequent nuclear material detection stage.

Ligand-induced regulation and localization of cannabinoid CB1 and dopamine D2L receptor heterodimers.

The cannabinoid CB(1) (CB(1)) and dopamine D(2) (D(2)) receptors are coexpressed in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain involved in such processes as cognition, motor function, and emotional control. Several lines of evidence suggest that CB(1) and D(2) receptors may oligomerize, providing a unique pharmacology in vitro and in vivo. However, limited information exists on the regulation of CB(1) and D(2) receptor dimers.

The intracellular II-III loops of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 uncouple L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels from glucagon-like peptide-1 potentiation of insulin secretion in INS-1 cells via displacement from lipid rafts.

L-type Ca(2+) channels play a key role in the integration of physiological signals regulating insulin secretion that probably requires their localization to specific subdomains of the plasma membrane. We investigated the role of the intracellular II-III loop domains of the L-type channels Ca(v)1.2 and 1.

Comparison of the enantiomers of (+/-)-doxanthrine, a high efficacy full dopamine D(1) receptor agonist, and a reversal of enantioselectivity at D(1) versus alpha(2C) adrenergic receptors.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition involving the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Dopamine D(1) receptor agonists are potential alternative treatments to current therapies that employ L-DOPA, a dopamine precursor. We evaluated the pharmacological profiles of the enantiomers of a novel dopamine D(1) receptor full agonist, doxanthrine (DOX) at D(1) and alpha(2C) adrenergic receptors.

Management of distal femoral and popliteal arterial injuries: an update.

Background: The management of combined arterial and musculoskeletal injuries to the lower extremity remains controversial, particularly with regard to the initial order of intervention and the use of intravascular shunting. In this study, we review the contemporary management and outcome of patients treated for acute traumatic distal femoropopliteal arterial injuries.

Methods: From January 2001 to January 2006, we repaired 57 acute traumatic lower-extremity arterial injuries in a level 1 trauma center.

Analysis of fiber blends using horizontal attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared and discriminant analysis.

We have investigated the utility of a horizontal attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (HATR/FT-IR) for the analysis of fiber and textile blends. The identification of a blended textile can be accomplished by subtracting a reference spectrum of the textile's most abundant component, leading to a difference spectrum that infers the identity of the second constituent of the blended textile. Mathematical post-processing of the spectra employing discriminant analysis provided a useful statistical tool to confirm the fiber blend components.