Analysis of Aluminum Resource Supply Structure and Guarantee Degree in China Based on Sustainable Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaoli Liu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Aluminum is a strategic mineral resource, and China’s aluminum production and consumption is fairly large. However, its supply guarantee is uncertain because of a high dependency on external raw materials. This uncertainty may expand, so finding a way to reduce the uncertainty of aluminum resource supply is especially important. This paper applies the SFA method to analyze the aluminum flows in mainland China from 1996 to 2014, and establishes a supply structure model to measure its supply guarantee degree. The results claim that: (1 China’s aluminum production can satisfy demand and even create a surplus; (2 Domestic self-productive primary and secondary aluminum increased at an annual rate of 12% and 24%; (3 The proportion of self-productive secondary aluminum in the supply structure increased from 7.7% in 1996 to 12.8% in 2014, while that of primary aluminum decreased from 79.6% to 42.8%; (4 The total supply guarantee degree decreased from 87.3% to 55.6% in this period. These results provide a feasible way to solve this plight: the proportion of secondary aluminum in the supply structure should be enhanced, and an efficient aluminum resource recycling system needs to be established as soon as possible to ensure its sustainable supply.

[Isolation and identification of rumen bacteria for cellulolytic enzyme production].

Science.gov (United States)

Aihemaiti, Maierhaba; Zhen, Fan; Li, Yuezhong; Aibaidoula, Gulisimayi; Yimit, Wusiman

2013-05-04

We screened aerobic bacteria with cellulolytic activity from ruminal fluid of sheep, cattle and camel in Xinjiang. Fresh ruminal fluid was inoculated on sterilized sodium carboxymethylcellulose agar plates. Highly cellulolytic aerobic bacteria were screened out by using Congo red staining and liquid secondary screening culture media. The combination of morphological and biochemical test with 16SrDNA sequence analysis were used to classify the strains. Enzymatic activities of four strains with strong cellulose-decomposing abilities were studied under different culture conditions. Out 84 isolated cellulolytic strains, 40 exhibited strong abilities in decomposing cellulose. They are including 37 Gram-negative isolates and 3 Gram-positive strains. Identification of these 40 strains shows that they belong to 11 species of 6 genera, 16 strains in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, 10 Ochrobactrum, 5 Sphingobacterium, 3 Microbacterium, 3 Paracoccus and 2 Pseudomonas. The results of the enzymatic studies of four strains with strong cellulolytic abilities indicates that the strains have the best enzyme producing property when straw powder was chosen as the carbon source; the pH at 5.5 -6.0 and temperature at 37 degrees C. The strains with highly cellulolytic abilities isolated from ruminal fluid show strong abilities in cellulose decomposition.

PESTEL Model Analysis and Legal Guarantee of Tourism Environmental Protection in China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhiyong, Xian

2017-08-01

On the basis of summarizing the general situation of tourism environmental protection in China, this paper analyses the macro factors of tourism environmental protection by using PESTEL model. On this basis, this paper explores the improvement paths of tourism environmental protection based on PESTEL model. Finally, it puts forward the legal guarantee suggestion of tourism environment protection.

[Living wills in a nursing home, guaranteeing freedom of expression].

Science.gov (United States)

Marigard Guyader, Céline; Richard, Christian

The drawing up of a living will in a nursing home for elderly people is a complex process. Not only must the resident think about the end of life, which is not easy, but the institution must be fully aware of the law. Guaranteeing the resident's expression is essential. A study enabled this subject to be reviewed in a nursing home where different players are present around the resident. It enabled professionals to reflect on their practices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Design of stability-guaranteed fuzzy logic controller for nuclear steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, B.H.; No, H.C.

1996-01-01

A fuzzy logic controller (FLC) and a fuzzy logic filter (FLF), which have a special type of fuzzifier, inference engine, and defuzzifier, are applied to the water level control of a nuclear steam generator (S/G). It is shown that arbitrary two-input, single-output linear controllers can be adequately expressed by this FLC. A procedure to construct stability-guaranteed FLC rules is proposed. It contains the following steps: (1) the stable sector of linear feedback gains is obtained from the suboptimal concept based on LQR theory and the Lyapunov's stability criteria; (2) the stable sector of linear gains is mapped into two linear rule tables that are used as limits for the FLC rules; and (3) the construction of an FLC rule table is done by choosing certain rules that lie between these limits. This type of FLC guarantees asymptotic stability of the control system. The FLF generates a feedforward signal of S/G feedwater from the steam flow measurement using a fuzzy concept. Through computer simulation, it is found that the FLC with the FLF works better than a well-tuned PID controller with variable gains to reduce swell/shrink phenomena, especially for the water level deviation and abrupt steam flow disturbances that are typical in the existing power plants

ROMANIAN DEPOSIT GUARANTEE SCHEME AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian Bichi

2002-12-01

Full Text Available This paper compares the Romanian and EU deposit insurance legislation in order to identify the changes, which are needed in order to obtain a full compatibility of the national regulations in the field of deposit protection with the corresponding European rules. The first part outlines the main features of the EU Directive 94/19/EEC on deposit guarantee schemes in order to find out to what extent Romania is bound to incorporate the relevant acquis communautaire into its national legislation. It results that the directive contains explicit harmonization provisions as regards the minimum level of protection (EUR 20,000, depositor co-insurance, types of depositors, instruments and currencies to be covered, nature of coverage, status of branches from EU and non-EU countries, the compensation period and information to depositors. The directive does not provide for the harmonization of the financial and administrative structure of the deposit guarantee schemes, Romania being free to choose from a wider range of options. The second part examines the legal environment of deposit protection in Romania. The third part identifies the measures to be taken by the Romanian authorities in order to fill in the remaining regulatory gaps in the area of deposit insurance. Finally, the fourth part contains the conclusions.

Responses of an isolation system with distinct multiple frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Ting-shu; Seidensticker, R.W.

1991-01-01

Base isolation systems are generally designed with a single natural frequency. A major concern for these isolation systems is that, if the dominant frequency of a future earthquake is equal or close to the system's natural frequency, the ground motion will be greatly amplified because of resonance,and the superstructure would suffer severe damages. This paper present an isolation system designed with two distinct frequencies. Its responses to different ground motions, including a harmonic motion, show that no excessive amplification will occur. Adoption of this isolation system would greatly enhance the safety of an isolated superstructure against future strong earthquakes. 3 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Dynamical thermalization in isolated quantum dots and black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Kolovsky, Andrey R.; Shepelyansky, Dima L.

2017-01-01

We study numerically a model of quantum dot with interacting fermions. At strong interactions with small conductance the model is reduced to the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev black-hole model while at weak interactions and large conductance it describes a Landau-Fermi liquid in a regime of quantum chaos. We show that above the Åberg threshold for interactions there is an onset of dynamical themalization with the Fermi-Dirac distribution describing the eigenstates of an isolated dot. At strong interactions in the isolated black-hole regime there is also the onset of dynamical thermalization with the entropy described by the quantum Gibbs distribution. This dynamical thermalization takes place in an isolated system without any contact with a thermostat. We discuss the possible realization of these regimes with quantum dots of 2D electrons and cold ions in optical lattices.

LAS ESTRUCTURAS BASADAS EN LA INSTITUCIÓN COMO DETERMINANTES DE LA CONFIANZA HACIA LA BANCA ELECTRÓNICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Muñoz Leiva

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Information asymmetry is a problem that affects to the trust in the electronic markets, especially in the case of the electronic banking. A possible solution is to generate trust by means of structures and norms generating “institution-based” trust. In this context, this paper analyzes some of these tools as security in the transaction, guarantees of money refunds, customers’ opinions and reputation of the establishment. Their influence in an isolated way and also jointly is measured by an on line experimental design. The form that theses mechanisms of trust are presented (isolated or combined in a different way causes different effects on the level of trustworthiness toward and dependability of the bank. A situation with seals of security in the transaction, guarantees of money refunds and a recognized brand provides strong trust. This suggests interesting implications for the web management and design.

Strong compound-risk factors: efficient discovery through emerging patterns and contrast sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinyan; Yang, Qiang

2007-09-01

Odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR) (risk ratio), and absolute risk reduction (ARR) (risk difference) are biostatistics measurements that are widely used for identifying significant risk factors in dichotomous groups of subjects. In the past, they have often been used to assess simple risk factors. In this paper, we introduce the concept of compound-risk factors to broaden the applicability of these statistical tests for assessing factor interplays. We observe that compound-risk factors with a high risk ratio or a big risk difference have an one-to-one correspondence to strong emerging patterns or strong contrast sets-two types of patterns that have been extensively studied in the data mining field. Such a relationship has been unknown to researchers in the past, and efficient algorithms for discovering strong compound-risk factors have been lacking. In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework and a new algorithm that unify the discovery of compound-risk factors that have a strong OR, risk ratio, or a risk difference. Our method guarantees that all patterns meeting a certain test threshold can be efficiently discovered. Our contribution thus represents the first of its kind in linking the risk ratios and ORs to pattern mining algorithms, making it possible to find compound-risk factors in large-scale data sets. In addition, we show that using compound-risk factors can improve classification accuracy in probabilistic learning algorithms on several disease data sets, because these compound-risk factors capture the interdependency between important data attributes.

Studies on the performance guarantee for the engineered barrier system on geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. V. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugita, Yutaka; Kurihara, Yuji; Kawakami, Susumu; Jintoku, Takashi; Yui, Mikazu

2003-05-01

In order to contribute to the safety standards and guidelines upon which a governmental administration decide, examination for clarifying how to reflect the result obtained by future R and D was performed. From a view point of long-term safety on geological disposal, the items which should guarantee the performance of each element which constitutes disposal institutions (by this report, they are the backfill, the plug, the tunnel, and the pit) were extracted, and it was shown what a performance guarantee is concretely offered about these items. Furthermore, based on H12 report as a situation of present R and D for a method of a performance guarantee, the subjects considered that a future R and D is required were extracted. (author)

Guarantee of Criminal Policy as Limited to Criminal Decisionism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Belén Bonilla Albán

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The essay explains how the inclusion of the security of public policy in the 2008 Constitution of Ecuador as part of the constitutional state of law and justice or “guarantor state” can become a substantial limit for criminal decisionism, which is usually behind the penal policy in Latin America. Thus, the function of this collateral is to eliminate the huge space of discretion in the management of the most sensitive policy of modern state penal policy. However, the guarantee of public policy is not clear in determining the limits of punitive power; therefore, this paper seeks to explore some of the international human rights.

Adaptation of failure scenario based resilience schemes toward availability guarantees

Science.gov (United States)

Scheffel, Matthias

2006-07-01

Various resilience schemes have been proposed to allow for fault-tolerant transport networks. Their common aim is to survive certain failure patterns such as node or span failures by providing alternative transmission paths. However, network operators guarantee the resulting network reliability in terms of service availability to their business customers. A maximum duration of service disruption per year must not be exceeded. We investigate an optimal design of resilient network configurations that adapts to end-to-end availability requirements. We formulate an integer linear program that minimizes the resource utilization and investigate a case study.

The Minimum Price Guarantee Policy before and after Real Plan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jackelline Favro

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims to analyze the performance of the Minimum Price Guarantee Policy - MPGPin Brazil for the main agricultural products, during the 1980s and 1990s, and especially the post-Real Plan period. The research has a bibliographic and descriptive nature. The main results showed that the MPGP remains an important tool for ensuring income to farmers and the supply of selected crops in the analyzed period, but there was a reduction of public action for the new MPGP and new private instruments has revealed efficiency

The strong coupling from a nonperturbative determination of the Λ parameter in three-flavor QCD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruno, Mattia [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States). Physics Dept.; Dalla Brida, Mattia [Univ. di Milano-Bicocca (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica; INFN, Sezione di Milano-Bicocca (Italy); Fritzsch, Patrick; Ramos, Alberto [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland). Theoretical Physics Dept.; Korzec, Tomasz [Wuppertal Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Physics; Schaefer, Stefan; Simma, Hubert [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany). John von Neumann-Inst. fuer Computing NIC; Sint, Stefan [Trinity College Dublin (Ireland). School of Mathematics and Hamilton Mathematics Inst.; Sommer, Rainer [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany). John von Neumann-Inst. fuer Computing NIC; Humboldt-Universitaet, Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik; Collaboration: ALPHA Collaboration

2017-07-15

We present a lattice determination of the Λ parameter in three-flavor QCD and the strong coupling at the Z pole mass. Computing the nonperturbative running of the coupling in the range from 0.2 GeV to 70 GeV, and using experimental input values for the masses and decay constants of the pion and the kaon, we obtain Λ{sup (3)}{sub MS}=341(12) MeV. The nonperturbative running up to very high energies guarantees that systematic effects associated with perturbation theory are well under control. Using the four-loop prediction for Λ{sup (5)}{sub MS}/Λ{sup (3)}{sub MS} yields α{sup (5)}{sub MS}(m{sub Z})=0.11852(84).

ADMIT: a toolbox for guaranteed model invalidation, estimation and qualitative–quantitative modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Streif, Stefan; Savchenko, Anton; Rumschinski, Philipp; Borchers, Steffen; Findeisen, Rolf

2012-01-01

Summary: Often competing hypotheses for biochemical networks exist in the form of different mathematical models with unknown parameters. Considering available experimental data, it is then desired to reject model hypotheses that are inconsistent with the data, or to estimate the unknown parameters. However, these tasks are complicated because experimental data are typically sparse, uncertain, and are frequently only available in form of qualitative if–then observations. ADMIT (Analysis, Design and Model Invalidation Toolbox) is a MatLabTM-based tool for guaranteed model invalidation, state and parameter estimation. The toolbox allows the integration of quantitative measurement data, a priori knowledge of parameters and states, and qualitative information on the dynamic or steady-state behavior. A constraint satisfaction problem is automatically generated and algorithms are implemented for solving the desired estimation, invalidation or analysis tasks. The implemented methods built on convex relaxation and optimization and therefore provide guaranteed estimation results and certificates for invalidity. Availability: ADMIT, tutorials and illustrative examples are available free of charge for non-commercial use at http://ifatwww.et.uni-magdeburg.de/syst/ADMIT/ Contact: stefan.streif@ovgu.de PMID:22451270

7 CFR 1786.35 - Loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or defacement of RUS guarantee.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or defacement... Loans Pursuant to Section 306(A) of the RE Act § 1786.35 Loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or... circumstances of the loss, theft, or destruction of the guarantee; and (vi) The lender or holder, shall present...

Performance Guaranteed Inertia Emulation forDiesel-Wind System Feed Microgrid via ModelReference Control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melin, Alexander M. [ORNL; Zhang, Yichen [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Djouadi, Seddik [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Olama, Mohammed M. [ORNL

2017-04-01

In this paper, a model reference control based inertia emulation strategy is proposed. Desired inertia can be precisely emulated through this control strategy so that guaranteed performance is ensured. A typical frequency response model with parametrical inertia is set to be the reference model. A measurement at a specific location delivers the information of disturbance acting on the diesel-wind system to the referencemodel. The objective is for the speed of the diesel-wind system to track the reference model. Since active power variation is dominantly governed by mechanical dynamics and modes, only mechanical dynamics and states, i.e., a swing-engine-governor system plus a reduced-order wind turbine generator, are involved in the feedback control design. The controller is implemented in a three-phase diesel-wind system feed microgrid. The results show exact synthetic inertia is emulated, leading to guaranteed performance and safety bounds.

Blanket guarantee, deposit insurance, and risk-shifting incentive: evidence from Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Kariastanto, Bayu

2011-01-01

Indonesia established a deposit insurance system to maintain stability in its banking sector after the abolishment of blanket guarantees in 2005. Since the insurance premiums are fixed and flat, deposit insurance may create an incentive for banks to take more risks and transfer the risks to the deposit insurer. Using an option pricing based model of deposit insurance, we compute the fair deposit insurance premiums for all banks listed on the Indonesian stock exchange. We find evidence that ba...

Optimal Guaranteed Service Time and Service Level Decision with Time and Service Level Sensitive Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangjun Park

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We consider a two-stage supply chain with one supplier and one retailer. The retailer sells a product to customer and the supplier provides a product in a make-to-order mode. In this case, the supplier’s decisions on service time and service level and the retailer’s decision on retail price have effects on customer demand. We develop optimization models to determine the optimal retail price, the optimal guaranteed service time, the optimal service level, and the optimal capacity to maximize the expected profit of the whole supply chain. The results of numerical experiments show that it is more profitable to determine the optimal price, the optimal guaranteed service time, and the optimal service level simultaneously and the proposed model is more profitable in service level sensitive market.

GRS - Guarantee of results for grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems; GRS - Garantierte Resultate von Solarstromanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meier, Ch.; Frei, R.

2001-07-01

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy describes the development of a performance guarantee for the power delivered by grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power plant. This is important for investors, who need to be able to calculate the price of the energy produced by the PV plant. The report examines the results of various case studies and experience gained with GRS contracts developed in different countries including Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Germany. The problems encountered, which provided feedback for the further development of the contract presented in the report, are discussed. The model contract, which proposes a framework which provides many possible variations and adaptations, is presented in detail. Various problem areas such as guaranteed energy yield, meteorological references, correction methods, failure detection, dispute settlement and many other points are covered.

Real promise or false hope: DOE's title XVII loan Guarantee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massouh, Jennifer F.; Cannon, George D. Jr.; Logan, Suzanne M.; Schwartz, David L.

2009-05-15

While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 expanded the DOE loan guarantee program to include certain ''shovel-ready'' projects, and appropriated $6 billion to cover the credit subsidy cost associated with these projects, it failed to resolve some of the most pressing problems facing the program. Here are some recommendations that may finally get some shovels in the ground. (author)

7 CFR 1955.12 - Acquisition of property which served as security for a loan guarantee by FmHA or its successor...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Chattel Property § 1955.12 Acquisition of property which served as security for a loan guarantee by FmHA... 7 Agriculture 14 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Acquisition of property which served as security for a loan guarantee by FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 or at sale by another...

Isolation of lactic acid bacteria with potential protective culture characteristics from fruits

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Nurul Huda; Sani, Norrakiah Abdullah

2015-09-01

Lactic acid bacteria are also known as beneficial microorganisms abundantly found in fermented food products. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from fresh cut fruits obtained from local markets. Throughout the isolation process from 11 samples of fruits, 225 presumptive lactic acid bacteria were isolated on MRS agar medium. After catalase and oxidase tests, 149 resulted to fit the characteristics of lactic acid bacteria. Further identification using Gram staining was conducted to identify the Gram positive bacteria. After this confirmation, the fermentation characteristics of these isolates were identified. It was found that 87 (58.4%) isolates were heterofermentative, while the rest of 62 (41.6%) are homofermentative lactic acid bacteria. Later, all these isolates were investigated for the ability to inhibit growth of Staphylococcus aureus using agar spot assay method. Seven (4.7%) isolates showed strong antagonistic capacity, while 127 (85.2%) and 8 (5.4%) isolates have medium and weak antagonistic capacity, respectively. The other 7 (4.7%) isolates indicated to have no antagonistic effect on S. aureus. Results support the potential of LAB isolated in this study which showed strong antagonistic activity against S. aureus may be manipulated to become protective cultures in food products. While the homofermentative or heterofermentative LAB can be utilized in fermentation of food and non-food products depending on the by-products required during the fermentation.

Supply guarantee initiatives for nuclear fuel materials and services and their compatibility with the market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagano, Koji

2009-01-01

This paper first discusses where and why those ideas for nuclear fuel supply assurance and guarantee mechanisms came out, and attempts to draw a comparison among the proposed schemes and thereby examine possible steps forward. (author)

Isolation and characterization of actinomycete antagonists of a fungal root pathogen.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, D L; Lynch, J M; Whipps, J M; Ousley, M A

1993-11-01

By use of selective media, 267 actinomycete strains were isolated from four rhizosphere-associated and four non-rhizosphere-associated British soils. Organic media with low nutrient concentrations were found to be best for isolating diverse actinomycetes while avoiding contamination and overgrowth of isolation media by eubacteria and fungi. While all isolates grew well at pHs 6.5 to 8.0, a few were unable to grow at pH 6.0 and a significant number failed to grow at pH 5.5. Eighty-two selected isolates were screened for in vitro antagonism towards Pythium ultimum by use of a Difco cornmeal agar assay procedure. Five isolates were very strong antagonists of the fungus, four were strong antagonists, and ten others were weakly antagonistic. The remaining isolates showed no antagonism by this assay. Additional studies showed that several of the P. ultimum antagonists also strongly inhibited growth of other root-pathogenic fungi. Twelve isolates showing antifungal activity in the in vitro assay were also tested for their effects on the germination and short-term growth of lettuce plants in glasshouse pot studies in the absence of pathogens. None of the actinomycetes prevented seed germination, although half of the isolates retarded seed germination and outgrowth of the plants by 1 to 3 days. During 18-day growth experiments, biomass yields of some actinomycete-inoculated plants were reduced in comparison with untreated control plants, although all plants appeared healthy and well rooted. None of the actinomycetes significantly enhanced plant growth over these short-term experiments. For some, but not all, actinomycetes, some correlations between delayed seed germination and reduced 18-day plant biomass yields were seen. For others, plant biomass yields were not reduced despite an actinomycete-associated delay in seed germination and plant outgrowth. Preliminary glasshouse experiments indicated that some of the actinomycetes protect germinating lettuce seeds against

Isolation barriers between petunia axillaris and Petunia integrifolia (Solanaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Dell'olivo, Alexandre; Hoballah, Maria Elena; Gübitz, Thomas; Kuhlemeier, Cris

2011-07-01

The isolation barriers restricting gene flow between populations or species are of crucial interest for understanding how biological species arise and how they are maintained. Few studies have examined the entire range of possible isolation barriers from geographic isolation to next generation hybrid viability. Here, we present a detailed analysis of isolation barriers between two flowering plant species of the genus Petunia (Solanaceae). Petunia integrifolia and P. axillaris feature divergent pollination syndromes but can produce fertile hybrids when crossed in the laboratory. Both Petunia species are primarily isolated in space but appear not to hybridize in sympatry. Our experiments demonstrate that pollinator isolation is very high but not strong enough to explain the absence of hybrids in nature. However, pollinator isolation in conjunction with male gametic isolation (i.e., pollen-pistil interaction) can explain the lack of natural hybridization, while postzygotic isolation barriers are low or nonexistent. Our study supports the notion that reproductive isolation in flowering plants is mainly caused by pre- rather than postzygotic isolation mechanisms. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution© 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Honeywell starts energy-management service: savings guaranteed; BOSS replaced

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwartz, R.

1983-01-24

Honeywell Inc. guarantees that its new Honeywell Service Link Operation (HSLO), a time-sharing service, will produce greater energy savings than its monthly fees. There are no front-end costs because the central computer is located at the supplier's Atlanta site, making energy management cost-affordable for facilities as small as 25,000 square feet. HSLO replaces Honeywell's Building Operations Service System (BOSS) that has a minimum-size requirement of 100,000 square feet. BOSS customers will be automatically changed to HSLO at no charge. All 21 regional computer centers will be available to users. Johnson Controls, Inc. also operates a time-sharing operation called Total Automated Building Services (TABS). (DCK)

SafePub: A Truthful Data Anonymization Algorithm With Strong Privacy Guarantees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bild Raffael

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Methods for privacy-preserving data publishing and analysis trade off privacy risks for individuals against the quality of output data. In this article, we present a data publishing algorithm that satisfies the differential privacy model. The transformations performed are truthful, which means that the algorithm does not perturb input data or generate synthetic output data. Instead, records are randomly drawn from the input dataset and the uniqueness of their features is reduced. This also offers an intuitive notion of privacy protection. Moreover, the approach is generic, as it can be parameterized with different objective functions to optimize its output towards different applications. We show this by integrating six well-known data quality models. We present an extensive analytical and experimental evaluation and a comparison with prior work. The results show that our algorithm is the first practical implementation of the described approach and that it can be used with reasonable privacy parameters resulting in high degrees of protection. Moreover, when parameterizing the generic method with an objective function quantifying the suitability of data for building statistical classifiers, we measured prediction accuracies that compare very well with results obtained using state-of-the-art differentially private classification algorithms.

The Removal of the Judge as a Guarantee of Fair Criminal Justice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yury V. Derishev

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the institution of the removal of a judge in criminal trial proceedings, which is regarded as the most important guarantees of fair criminal justice. Based on the definition of the nature and content of the mechanism for the removal of a judge, the Authors offer an analysis of the problems of the application of law that accompany its implementation in modern criminal proceedings

Fatty acid synthase inhibitors isolated from Punica granatum L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, He-Zhong; Ma, Qing-Yun; Liang, Wen-Juan; Huang, Sheng-Zhuo; Dai, Hao-Fu; Wang, Peng-Cheng; Zhao, You-Xing; Fan, Hui-Jin; Ma, Xiao-Feng

2012-01-01

The aim of this work is the isolation of fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitors from the ethyl acetate extracts of fruit peels of Punica granatum L. Bioassay-guided chemical investigation of the fruit peels resulted in the isolation of seventeen compounds mainly including triterpenoids and phenolic compounds, from which one new oleanane-type triterpene (punicaone) along with fourteen known compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant. Seven isolates were evaluated for inhibitory activities of FAS and two compounds showed to be active. Particularly, flavogallonic acid exhibited strong FAS inhibitory activity with IC 50 value of 10.3 μmol L -1 . (author)

Fatty acid synthase inhibitors isolated from Punica granatum L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, He-Zhong [School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, (China); Ma, Qing-Yun; Liang, Wen-Juan; Huang, Sheng-Zhuo; Dai, Hao-Fu; Wang, Peng-Cheng; Zhao, You-Xing, E-mail: zhaoyx1011@163.com [Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou (China); Fan, Hui-Jin; Ma, Xiao-Feng, E-mail: maxiaofeng@gucas.ac.cn [College of Life Sciences, Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)

2012-05-15

The aim of this work is the isolation of fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitors from the ethyl acetate extracts of fruit peels of Punica granatum L. Bioassay-guided chemical investigation of the fruit peels resulted in the isolation of seventeen compounds mainly including triterpenoids and phenolic compounds, from which one new oleanane-type triterpene (punicaone) along with fourteen known compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant. Seven isolates were evaluated for inhibitory activities of FAS and two compounds showed to be active. Particularly, flavogallonic acid exhibited strong FAS inhibitory activity with IC{sub 50} value of 10.3 {mu}mol L{sup -1}. (author)

A Criteria Standard for Conflict Resolution: A Vision for Guaranteeing the Safety of Self-Separation in NextGen

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz, Cesar; Butler, Ricky; Narkawicz, Anthony; Maddalon, Jeffrey; Hagen, George

2010-01-01

Distributed approaches for conflict resolution rely on analyzing the behavior of each aircraft to ensure that system-wide safety properties are maintained. This paper presents the criteria method, which increases the quality and efficiency of a safety assurance analysis for distributed air traffic concepts. The criteria standard is shown to provide two key safety properties: safe separation when only one aircraft maneuvers and safe separation when both aircraft maneuver at the same time. This approach is complemented with strong guarantees of correct operation through formal verification. To show that an algorithm is correct, i.e., that it always meets its specified safety property, one must only show that the algorithm satisfies the criteria. Once this is done, then the algorithm inherits the safety properties of the criteria. An important consequence of this approach is that there is no requirement that both aircraft execute the same conflict resolution algorithm. Therefore, the criteria approach allows different avionics manufacturers or even different airlines to use different algorithms, each optimized according to their own proprietary concerns.

Constitutional judges (guarantee of the Constitution and responsibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Javier Ansuátegui Roig

2012-06-01

Full Text Available My aim in this paper is to propose a reflection on the position and the importance that the constitutional judge has in the legal systems of contemporary constitutionalism. The figure of the judge responsible of protecting the Constitution is a key institution, without which we cannot understand the laws of constitutional democracies, their current lines of development, and the guarantee of rights and freedoms that constitute the normative core of these systems. Moreover, the reflection on the exercise of the powers of the judge, its scope and its justification is an important part of contemporary legal discussion, still relevant, albeit not exclusively - in the field of legal philosophy. The object of attention of my reflection is the judge who has the power of judicial review, in a scheme of defense of the Constitution, regardless the specific ways of this defense.

Statistical methods for elimination of guarantee-time bias in cohort studies: a simulation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

In Sung Cho

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Aspirin has been considered to be beneficial in preventing cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Several pharmaco-epidemiology cohort studies have shown protective effects of aspirin on diseases using various statistical methods, with the Cox regression model being the most commonly used approach. However, there are some inherent limitations to the conventional Cox regression approach such as guarantee-time bias, resulting in an overestimation of the drug effect. To overcome such limitations, alternative approaches, such as the time-dependent Cox model and landmark methods have been proposed. This study aimed to compare the performance of three methods: Cox regression, time-dependent Cox model and landmark method with different landmark times in order to address the problem of guarantee-time bias. Methods Through statistical modeling and simulation studies, the performance of the above three methods were assessed in terms of type I error, bias, power, and mean squared error (MSE. In addition, the three statistical approaches were applied to a real data example from the Korean National Health Insurance Database. Effect of cumulative rosiglitazone dose on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma was used as an example for illustration. Results In the simulated data, time-dependent Cox regression outperformed the landmark method in terms of bias and mean squared error but the type I error rates were similar. The results from real-data example showed the same patterns as the simulation findings. Conclusions While both time-dependent Cox regression model and landmark analysis are useful in resolving the problem of guarantee-time bias, time-dependent Cox regression is the most appropriate method for analyzing cumulative dose effects in pharmaco-epidemiological studies.

ALIENAÇÃO FIDUCIÁRIA DE IMÓVEL: APORIAS NA CONTRATAÇÃO / FIDUCIARY ASSIGNMENT FOR THE GUARANTEE OF REAL ESTATES: CONTRACTING APORIA

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Erik Frederico Gramstrup

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article refers to practical problems involving the compliance of the fiduciary assignment for the guarantee of real estate, according to the principles of the social function, good faith and the contractual balance, using the inductive methodology. In addition to the presentation and analysis of recent problems faced by the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice, in particular we have been identified and analyzed problems involving the contracting of the fiduciary assignment for the guarantee of real estate that are still pending Praetorian analysis, aiming for a solution in the Brazilian Law. The study demonstrates that the contract in reference is under constant unbalances, distorting its use and away from the purpose intended by the legislature. To make the technical analysis of this complex contract possible, it was necessary to retake definitions; concept; historical interpretation; legal nature and effects; and the guarantee foreclosure, not only of the fiduciary assignment for the guarantee of real estate, but also about the legal transaction and the trust property.

Oral and public confrontation as guarantee of a democratic constitutional criminal procedure

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Thiago Miranda Minagé

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Understanding the criminal process under the aegis of a Democratic State of Law requires, in addition to a critical re-reading of institutes already consolidated in a specific system model, it is still necessary to abandon them when they have legitimacy. It should be understood that the role to be played by the parties through the contradictory is fundamental and will never be possible without the support of orality and publicity of the acts. In order to control the observance of procedural safeguards, it is necessary to establish the contradictory as true guarantor of procedural guarantees. In order to do so, only the respective guarantees will be effective, when, all and any probative production is developed publicly and orally, through a procedural rite previously established in the law. To this end, the present work begins with an analysis of the inquisitive system and its permanent interference in our current criminal process, proposing an overcoming of the current system, which is the accusatory, in view of its inability to contain inquisitive interference, proposing a new Vision of system as a way of perfecting what was then valid, based on the premise of a change of the unifying principle in order to enhance the oral and publicity of the acts.

Microbiological and molecular characterization of Staphylococcus hominis isolates from blood.

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Soraya Mendoza-Olazarán

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Among Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CoNS, Staphylococcus hominis represents the third most common organism recoverable from the blood of immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to characterize biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, define the SCCmec (Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette mec type, and genetic relatedness of clinical S. hominis isolates. METHODOLOGY: S. hominis blood isolates (n = 21 were screened for biofilm formation using crystal violet staining. Methicillin resistance was evaluated using the cefoxitin disk test and the mecA gene was detected by PCR. Antibiotic resistance was determined by the broth microdilution method. Genetic relatedness was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE and SCCmec typed by multiplex PCR using two different methodologies described for Staphylococcus aureus. RESULTS: Of the S. hominis isolates screened, 47.6% (10/21 were categorized as strong biofilm producers and 23.8% (5/21 as weak producers. Furthermore, 81% (17/21 of the isolates were methicillin resistant and mecA gene carriers. Resistance to ampicillin, erythromycin, and trimethoprim was observed in >70% of isolates screened. Each isolate showed a different PFGE macrorestriction pattern with similarity ranging between 0-95%. Among mecA-positive isolates, 14 (82% harbored a non-typeable SCCmec type: eight isolates were not positive for any ccr complex; four contained the mec complex A ccrAB1 and ccrC, one isolate contained mec complex A, ccrAB4 and ccrC, and one isolate contained the mec complex A, ccrAB1, ccrAB4, and ccrC. Two isolates harbored the association: mec complex A and ccrAB1. Only one strain was typeable as SCCmec III. CONCLUSIONS: The S. hominis isolates analyzed were variable biofilm producers had a high prevalence of methicillin resistance and resistance to other antibiotics, and high genetic diversity. The results of this study strongly suggested that S. hominis isolates harbor

Postzygotic isolation involves strong mitochondrial and sex-specific effects in Tigriopus californicus, a species lacking heteromorphic sex chromosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, B R; Rose, C G; Rundle, D E; Leong, W; Edmands, S

2013-11-01

Detailed studies of the genetics of speciation have focused on a few model systems, particularly Drosophila. The copepod Tigriopus californicus offers an alternative that differs from standard animal models in that it lacks heteromorphic chromosomes (instead, sex determination is polygenic) and has reduced opportunities for sexual conflict, because females mate only once. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was conducted on reciprocal F2 hybrids between two strongly differentiated populations, using a saturated linkage map spanning all 12 autosomes and the mitochondrion. By comparing sexes, a possible sex ratio distorter was found but no sex chromosomes. Although studies of standard models often find an excess of hybrid male sterility factors, we found no QTL for sterility and multiple QTL for hybrid viability (indicated by non-Mendelian adult ratios) and other characters. Viability problems were found to be stronger in males, but the usual explanations for weaker hybrid males (sex chromosomes, sensitivity of spermatogenesis, sexual selection) cannot fully account for these male viability problems. Instead, higher metabolic rates may amplify deleterious effects in males. Although many studies of standard speciation models find the strongest genetic incompatibilities to be nuclear-nuclear (specifically X chromosome-autosome), we found the strongest deleterious interaction in this system was mito-nuclear. Consistent with the snowball theory of incompatibility accumulation, we found that trigenic interactions in this highly divergent cross were substantially more frequent (>6×) than digenic interactions. This alternative system thus allows important comparisons to studies of the genetics of reproductive isolation in more standard model systems.

An Initial Econometric Consideration of Supply and Demand in the Guaranteed Student Loan Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayus, Barry; Kendis, Kurt

1982-01-01

In this econometric model of the Guaranteed Student Loan Program (GSLP), supply is related to banks' liquidity and yield curves, all lenders' economic costs and returns, and Student Loan Marketing Association activity. GSLP demand is based on loan costs, family debt position, and net student need for financial aid. (RW)

Experimental chaos in nonlinear vibration isolation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lou Jingjun; Zhu Shijian; He Lin; He Qiwei

2009-01-01

The chaotic vibration isolation method was studied thoroughly from an experimental perspective. The nonlinear load-deflection characteristic of the conical coil spring used in the experiment was surveyed. Chaos and subharmonic responses including period-2 and period-6 motions were observed. The line spectrum reduction and the drop of the acceleration vibration level in chaotic state and that in non-chaotic state were compared, respectively. It was concluded from the experiment that the nonlinear vibration isolation system in chaotic state has strong ability in line spectrum reduction.

Child physical abuse and self-perceived social isolation among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, Gregory C; Cunningham, Susan M; Linder, Meadow; Colangelo, Melissa; Gross, Michelle

2005-12-01

This research examines the connection between physical abuse and social isolation. Using data from the National Youth Survey, a measure of self-perceived social isolation was constructed indicating the extent to which respondents feel detached from their friends and from school. Those who had experienced violence were predicted to be more isolated than those who had not. Results strongly supported the hypothesis, controlling for theoretically relevant variables. Explanation is provided in terms of damage to attachment skills, social competence, and self-esteem concomitant to being a victim of abuse. Males were more socially isolated than females, and Hispanics more than Whites. Children with involved parents were less socially isolated; those whose parents experienced normlessness were more isolated. Children who recently experienced a stressful event or were from riskier neighborhoods were more isolated. The number of children in the family was positively related to isolation. Social isolation decreases between seventh and eighth grades.

Isolation and Characterization of Actinomycete Antagonists of a Fungal Root Pathogen †

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Don L.; Lynch, James M.; Whipps, John M.; Ousley, Margaret A.

1993-01-01

By use of selective media, 267 actinomycete strains were isolated from four rhizosphere-associated and four non-rhizosphere-associated British soils. Organic media with low nutrient concentrations were found to be best for isolating diverse actinomycetes while avoiding contamination and overgrowth of isolation media by eubacteria and fungi. While all isolates grew well at pHs 6.5 to 8.0, a few were unable to grow at pH 6.0 and a significant number failed to grow at pH 5.5. Eighty-two selected isolates were screened for in vitro antagonism towards Pythium ultimum by use of a Difco cornmeal agar assay procedure. Five isolates were very strong antagonists of the fungus, four were strong antagonists, and ten others were weakly antagonistic. The remaining isolates showed no antagonism by this assay. Additional studies showed that several of the P. ultimum antagonists also strongly inhibited growth of other root-pathogenic fungi. Twelve isolates showing antifungal activity in the in vitro assay were also tested for their effects on the germination and short-term growth of lettuce plants in glasshouse pot studies in the absence of pathogens. None of the actinomycetes prevented seed germination, although half of the isolates retarded seed germination and outgrowth of the plants by 1 to 3 days. During 18-day growth experiments, biomass yields of some actinomycete-inoculated plants were reduced in comparison with untreated control plants, although all plants appeared healthy and well rooted. None of the actinomycetes significantly enhanced plant growth over these short-term experiments. For some, but not all, actinomycetes, some correlations between delayed seed germination and reduced 18-day plant biomass yields were seen. For others, plant biomass yields were not reduced despite an actinomycete-associated delay in seed germination and plant outgrowth. Preliminary glasshouse experiments indicated that some of the actinomycetes protect germinating lettuce seeds against

Multiple factors contribute to reproductive isolation between two co-existing Habenaria species (Orchidaceae.

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Wenliu Zhang

Full Text Available Reproductive isolation is a key feature that forms barriers to gene flow between distinct plants. In orchids, prezygotic reproductive isolation has been considered to be strong, because their associations with highly specific pollinators. In this study, the reproductive ecology and reproductive isolation of two sympatric Habenaria species, H. davidii and H. fordii, was investigated by floral phenology and morphology, hand-pollination experiments and visitor observation in southwest China. The two species were dependent on insects for pollination and completely self-compatible. A number of factors have been identified to limit gene flow between the two species and achieved full reproductive isolation. Ecogeographic isolation was a weak barrier. H. fordii and H. davidii had completely overlapped flowering periods, and floral morphology plays an important role in floral isolation. The two species shared the same hawkmoth pollinator, Cechenena lineosa, but the pollinaria of the two orchids were attached on different body parts of pollinators. Prezygotic isolation was not complete, but the interspecific pollination treatments of each species resulted in no seed sets, indicating that unlike many other orchid species, in which the postzygotic reproductive isolation is very weak or complete absence, the post-zygotic isolation strongly acted in the stage of seed production between two species. The results illustrate the reproductive isolation between two species involves multiple plant life-history stages and a variety of reproductive barriers can contribute to overall isolation.

An Optimal Turkish Private Pension Plan with a Guarantee Feature

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Ayşegül İşcanog̃lu-Çekiç

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The Turkish Private Pension System is an investment system which aims to generate income for future consumption. This is a volunteer system, and the contributions are held in individual portfolios. Therefore, management of the funds is an important issue for both the participants and the insurance company. In this study, we propose an optimal private pension plan with a guarantee feature that is based on Constant Proportion Portfolio Insurance (CPPI. We derive a closed form formula for the optimal strategy with the help of dynamic programming. Moreover, our model is evaluated with numerical examples, and we compare its performance by implementing a sensitivity analysis.

Communication Framework for Tele-rehabilitation Systems with QoS Guarantee

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Dandanov Nikolay

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, there is great interest in developing telemedicine technologies. These technologies will provide health care from distance swiftly and lightly, as well as reduce the expenses for activities, such as rehabilitation. Telemedicine applications are possible due to the advances in information technologies and the ever-expanding communication network infrastructure. The network characteristics bandwidth, packet loss, latency, jitter and policies are crucial for the performance of tele-rehabilitation systems. Because in tele-rehabilitation human lives are at stake, guaranteeing the Quality of Service (QoS is important. In this paper, an approach for assuring the QoS for information transmission in tele-rehabilitation systems is proposed.

Several Virulence Factors of Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates From Hospitalized Patients in Tehran

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Abdolmajid Ghasemian

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Biofilm formation plays an important role in resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolates; especially multidrug-resistant isolates are a threat to healthcare settings. Objectives: The aims of this study were to detect biofilm formation and presence of several related genes among multidrug-resistant (MDR isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Patients and Methods: A total Of 209 S. aureus strains were isolated from patients and identified by conventional diagnostic tests. The multidrug-resistant MRSA isolates were detected by antibiotic susceptibility test. The phenotypic biofilm formation was detected by micro-titre tissue plate assay. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR was performed to detect the mecA, Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec types, accessory gene regulatory (agr genes, the icaADBC and several genes encoding staphylococcal surface proteins including clfAB, fnbAB, fib, eno, can, ebps and bbp genes with specific primers. Results: Sixty-four (30.6% isolates were methicillin-resistant, among which thirty-six (56.2% were MDR. These isolates were resistant to amoxicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, erythromycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (except to 6 isolates. All the isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid. All the MDR-MRSA harbored SCCmec type III. All the MDR- MRSA isolates were strong biofilm producers in the phenotypic test. The majority of MDR- MRSA was belonged to agrI (67%, n = 24, followed by agr II (17%, n = 6, agrIV (11%, n = 4 and agrIII (5.5%, n = 2. The frequency of icaADBC genes were 75% (n = 27, 61% (n = 22, 72% (n = 26 and 72% (n = 26, respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence of clfA, clfB, fnbA, fnbB, fib, can, eno, ebps and bbp genes was 100%, 100%, 67%, 56%, 80%, 63%, 78%, 7% and 0%, respectively. Furthermore, approximately all the MRSA was strong biofilm producers. Conclusions: Multidrug-resistant isolates produced biofilm strongly and the majority harbored most

Isolation and Identification of Active Compounds from Papaya Plants and Activities as Antimicrobial

Science.gov (United States)

Prasetya, A. T.; Mursiti, S.; Maryan, S.; Jati, N. K.

2018-04-01

Extraction and isolation of papaya seeds and leaves (Carica papaya L) has been performed using n-hexane and ethanol solvents. Further isolation of the extract obtained using ethyl acetate and diethyl ether solvents. The result of the phytochemical test of papaya extract obtained by mixture of an active compound of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, steroids, and saponins. Ethyl acetate isolates containing only flavonoids and diethyl ether isolates contain only alkaloids. Extracts and isolates from papaya plants had gram-positive antibacterial activity greater than the gram-negative bacteria, but both did not have antifungal activity. Papaya extracts have greater antibacterial activity than flavonoid isolates and alkaloid isolates. Strong antibacterial inhibitory sequences are extracts of papaya plants, flavonoid isolates, and alkaloid isolates.

Event-Triggered Asynchronous Guaranteed Cost Control for Markov Jump Discrete-Time Neural Networks With Distributed Delay and Channel Fading.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Huaicheng; Zhang, Hao; Yang, Fuwen; Zhan, Xisheng; Peng, Chen

2017-08-18

This paper is concerned with the guaranteed cost control problem for a class of Markov jump discrete-time neural networks (NNs) with event-triggered mechanism, asynchronous jumping, and fading channels. The Markov jump NNs are introduced to be close to reality, where the modes of the NNs and guaranteed cost controller are determined by two mutually independent Markov chains. The asynchronous phenomenon is considered, which increases the difficulty of designing required mode-dependent controller. The event-triggered mechanism is designed by comparing the relative measurement error with the last triggered state at the process of data transmission, which is used to eliminate dispensable transmission and reduce the networked energy consumption. In addition, the signal fading is considered for the effect of signal reflection and shadow in wireless networks, which is modeled by the novel Rice fading models. Some novel sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee that the closed-loop system reaches a specified cost value under the designed jumping state feedback control law in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, some simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Delay-Dependent Guaranteed Cost Control of an Interval System with Interval Time-Varying Delay

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Xiao Min

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper concerns the problem of the delay-dependent robust stability and guaranteed cost control for an interval system with time-varying delay. The interval system with matrix factorization is provided and leads to less conservative conclusions than solving a square root. The time-varying delay is assumed to belong to an interval and the derivative of the interval time-varying delay is not a restriction, which allows a fast time-varying delay; also its applicability is broad. Based on the Lyapunov-Ktasovskii approach, a delay-dependent criterion for the existence of a state feedback controller, which guarantees the closed-loop system stability, the upper bound of cost function, and disturbance attenuation lever for all admissible uncertainties as well as out perturbation, is proposed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs. The criterion is derived by free weighting matrices that can reduce the conservatism. The effectiveness has been verified in a number example and the compute results are presented to validate the proposed design method.

Isolation and characterization of CXC receptor genes in a range of elasmobranchs.

Science.gov (United States)

Goostrey, Anna; Jones, Gareth; Secombes, Christopher J

2005-01-01

The CXC group of chemokines exert their cellular effects via the CXCR group of G-protein coupled receptors. Six CXCR genes have been identified in humans (CXCR1-6), and homologues to some of these have been isolated from a range of vertebrate species. Here we isolate and characterize CXCR genes from a range of elasmobranch species. One CXCR1/2 gene fragment isolated from Scyliorhinus caniculus (lesser spotted catshark), and two CXCR1/2 copies from each of the elasmobranchs, Cetorhinus maximus (basking shark), Carcharodon carcharias (great white shark), and Raja naevus (cuckoo ray), exhibit high similarity to both CXCR1 and CXCR2. The two copies evident in the cuckoo ray and lamniform sharks provide strong evidence of CXCR1/2 lineage specific duplication in rays and sharks. A CXCR fragment isolated from Lamna ditropis (salmon shark) shows high similarity to a range of CXCR4 genes and strong clustering with CXCR4 gene homologues was apparent during phylogenetic reconstruction.

75 FR 17303 - Section 108 Community Development Loan Guarantee Program: Participation of States as Borrowers...

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2010-04-06

... with access to long-term (up to 20-year) fixed-rate loans at relatively low interest rates to finance certain categories of eligible CDBG projects. Historically, section 108 guarantee authority has been... local governments in nonentitlement areas. The July 22, 2009, interim rule implemented the expansion of...

75 FR 5902 - Guarantees for Bonds and Notes Issued for Electrification or Telephone Purposes

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2010-02-05

... Submission Form,'' must be completed. (If you click on the hyperlink of the docket when the search returns it.... 3. Amend Sec. 1720.3 by adding the definition of ``Eligible Loan'' to read as follows: Sec. 1720.3 Definitions. * * * * * Eligible Loan means a loan that a guaranteed lender extends to a borrower for up to 100...

Nuclear-waste isolation in the unsaturated zone of arid regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wollenberg, H.A.; Wang, J.S.Y.; Korbin, G.

1982-05-01

The vadose zone in arid regions is considered as a possible environment for geologic isolation of nuclear waste. There are several topographic and lithologic combinations in the vadose zone of arid regions that may lend themselves to waste isolation considerations. In some cases, topographic highs such as mesas and interbasin ranges - comprised of several rock types, may contain essentially dry or partially saturated conditions favorable for isolation. The adjacent basins, especially in the far western and southwestern US, may have no surface or subsurface hydrologic connections with systems ultimately leading to the ocean. Some rock types may have the favorable characteristics of very low permeability and contain appropriate minerals for the strong chemical retardation of radionuclides. Environments exhibiting these hydrologic and geochemical attributes are the areas underlain by tuffaceous rocks, relatively common in the Basin and Range geomorphic province. Adjacent valley areas, where tuffaceous debris makes up a significant component of valley fill alluvium, may also contain thick zones of unsaturated material, and as such also lend themselves to strong consideration as respository environments. This paper summarizes the aspects of nuclear waste isolation in unsaturated regimes in alluvial-filled valleys and tuffaceous rocks of the Basin and Range province

7 CFR 1810.1 - Information concerning interest rates, amortization, guarantee fee, annual charge, and fixed period.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Information concerning interest rates, amortization... UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL REGULATIONS INTEREST RATES, TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND APPROVAL AUTHORITY Interest Rates, Amortization, Guarantee Fee, Annual Charge...

ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE AND PUTATIVE VIRULENCE FACTORS OF AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA ISOLATED FROM ESTUARY

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Olumide Adedokun Odeyemi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This study aim to investigate antibiotics resistance profile and putative virulence factors of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from estuary. Bacteria used for this study were isolated from water and sediment samples obtained from Sungai Melayu, Johor, Malaysia. Serially diluted 100 µL water and 1g sediment were inoculated on modified Rimler - Shott (mRS agar. Colonies with distinct cultural characteristics were picked for further studies. Isolates were tested for biofilm productions, protease enzyme and antibiotics resistance profile using agar well diffusion method against 10 commercial antibiotics. Congo Red Agar (CRA, Microplate and Standard Tube (ST methods were used for assessment of biofilm formation among the isolates while Skim Milk Agar was used for protease production. Sw.KMJ 3 and Sw.KMJ 9 produced black crystalline colonies on CRA. Six of the isolates were biofilm producers in ST method. Result of Microplate method, helped in grouping the isolates into weak (n = 8, moderate (n = 3 and strong producers (n = 4 at 540 nm wavelength. All the isolates were classified as weak ODc  ODi 0.1, moderate ODi = 0.1  0.12 and strong producers ODi  0.12 respectively at 540 nm wavelength. Antibiotics susceptibility test also revealed that all the isolates were resistant to between 6 and 10 antibiotics. Two isolates each were resistant to 6 (60 %, 7 (70 % and 9 (90 % antibiotics respectively. Eight of the isolates showed resistance to 8 (80 % antibiotics while only isolate Sw.KMJ-7 showed resistance to all the tested antibiotics. Sw.KMJ-3, Sw.KMJ-8 and Sw.KMJ-9 produced protease enzyme on SMA. The isolates were also found to be resistant to both antibiotics and heavy metals.

Biofilm characteristics of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates associated with device-related meningitis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Stevens, Niall T

2009-07-01

Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm causes device-related meningitis in neurosurgical patients. This study assessed the contribution of polysaccharide and protein to the development of a strong biofilm-positive phenotype in four S. epidermidis isolates associated with probable device-related meningitis, under varying environmental conditions. RT-PCR analysis of the intercellular adhesion operon (icaADBC) and assessment of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) production indicated a correlation between increased icaA transcription and PIA production in ica(+) isolates grown in medium with 4 % ethanol and 4 % NaCl. Treatment of biofilm with sodium metaperiodate caused dispersion of adhered cells (P <0.0001), indicating involvement of PIA. Transcriptional levels of protein factors revealed that atlE transcription levels were similar in all isolates, whilst aap levels were variable, with induction being seen in two isolates following growth in the presence of alcohol or salt. Transcription of agr did not influence protein expression and RNAIII transcription varied among the strains. Although aap transcription was induced, the treatment of biofilm with proteinase K did not always disperse the biofilm. Our data suggest that, among the three ica(+) S. epidermidis isolates clinically associated with meningitis that were studied, PIA contributed to the strong biofilm-positive phenotype, whereas protein factors appeared to have a secondary role.

Accurate Modeling and Analysis of Isolation Performance in Multiport Amplifiers

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Marinella Aloisio

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A Multiport Amplifier (MPA is an implementation of the satellite power amplification section that allows sharing the payload RF power among several beams/ports and guarantees a highly efficient exploitation of the available DC satellite power. This feature is of paramount importance in multiple beam satellite systems where the use of MPAs allows reconfiguring the RF output power among the different service beams in order to handle unexpected traffic unbalances and traffic variations over time. This paper presents Monte Carlo simulations carried out by means of an ESA in-house simulator developed in Matlab environment. The objective of the simulations is to analyse how the MPA performance, in particular in terms of isolation at the MPA output ports, is affected by the amplitude and phase tracking errors of the high power amplifiers within the MPA.

Vertical Handover Algorithm for WBANs in Ubiquitous Healthcare with Quality of Service Guarantees

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Dong Doan Van

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Recently, Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs have become an emerging technology in healthcare, where patients are equipped withwearable and implantable body sensor nodes to gather sensory information for remote monitoring. The increasing development of coordinator devices on patients enables the internetworking of WBANs in heterogeneous wireless networks to deliver physiological information that is collected at remote terminals in a timely fashion. However, in this type of network, providing a seamless handover with a guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS, especially emergency services, is a challenging task. In this paper, we proposed an effective Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM handover algorithm that guarantees seamless connectivity. A patient’s mobile devices automatically connect to the best network that fulfills the QoS requirements of different types of applications. Additionally, we integrated a Content-Centric Networking (CCN processing module into different wireless networks to reduce packet loss, enhance QoS and avoid unnecessary handovers by leveraging in-network caching to achieve efficient content dissemination for ubiquitous healthcare. Simulation results proved that our proposed approach forthe model with CCN outperforms the model without CCN and Received Signal Strength Vertical Handoff (RSS-VHD in terms of the number of handovers, enhancing QoS, packet loss, and energy efficiency.

Habitat amount modulates the effect of patch isolation on host-parasitoid interactions

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Valérie eCoudrain

2014-06-01

Full Text Available 1.Habitat amount and patch isolation are important determinants of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We studied the separate and interactive effects of these two components of habitat fragmentation on host-parasitoid interactions in a replicated landscape-scale study. 2.We used trap-nesting solitary bees, wasps and their natural enemies as study system. We exposed trap nests in 30 tree patches in agricultural landscapes in northern Switzerland. Study sites were either (i adjacent to forest (adjacent, (ii distant from forest but connected through woody elements (connected or (iii distant from forest with no connecting woody elements (isolated. Independent of the three levels of isolation, the amount of woody habitat in the landscapes covered a gradient from 4 to 74%. 3.Host and parasitoid species richness increased with the amount of habitat in the landscape and was strongly reduced at isolated compared to adjacent and connected sites. Loss of host species richness was 21% at isolated compared to non-isolated sites, whereas parasitoid species richness decreased by 68%, indicating that the higher trophic level was more adversely affected by isolation. Most importantly, habitat amount and isolation had a pronounced interactive effect on parasitism: while isolation resulted in a strong decrease in parasitism in landscapes with low habitat amount, this effect was mitigated by high habitat amount. These interactive effects were consistent across the three years of the study. 4.The observed interplay between habitat amount and patch isolation may explain the often conflicting results in the habitat fragmentation literature and should be considered in future research on multitrophic communities and ecosystem functioning in fragmented landscapes.

Association Between Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli Isolates from Food Animals and Blood Stream Isolates from Humans in Europe: An Ecological Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vieira, Antonio; Collignon, Peter; Aarestrup, Frank Møller

2011-01-01

Background: In addition to medical antimicrobial usage, the use of antimicrobials in food animals contributes to the occurrence of resistance among some bacterial species isolated from infections in humans. Recently, several studies have indicated that a large proportion of Escherichia coli causing...... infections in humans, especially those resistant to antimicrobials, have an animal origin.Methods: We analyzed the correlation between the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli isolates from blood stream infections in humans and in E. coli isolates from poultry, pigs, and cattle between 2005...... and 2008 for 11 countries, using available surveillance data. We also assessed the correlation between human antimicrobial usage and the occurrence of resistance in E. coli isolates from blood stream infections.Results: Strong and significant correlations between prevalences of resistance to ampicillin (r...

75 FR 65615 - Conditional Commitment for a Federal Loan Guarantee for Project Financing for Southwest Intertie...

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2010-10-26

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Conditional Commitment for a Federal Loan Guarantee for Project Financing for... based on the analysis in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Project Financing for Southwest... support of debt financing for transmission infrastructure investment projects located in the United States...

Patterns of reproductive isolation in the Drosophila subquinaria complex: can reinforced premating isolation cascade to other species?

Science.gov (United States)

Humphreys, Devon P.; Rundle, Howard D.; Dyer, Kelly A.

2016-01-01

Abstract The reinforcement of premating barriers due to reduced hybrid fitness in sympatry may cause secondary sexual isolation within a species as a by-product. Consistent with this, in the fly Drosophila subquinaria, females that are sympatric with D. recens mate at very low rates not only with D. recens, but also with conspecific D. subquinaria males from allopatry. Here, we ask if these effects of reinforcement cascade more broadly to affect sexual isolation with other closely related species. We assay reproductive isolation of these species with D. transversa and find that choosy D. subquinaria females from the region sympatric with D. recens discriminate strongly against male D. transversa, whereas D. subquinaria from the allopatric region do not. This increased sexual isolation cannot be explained by natural selection to avoid mating with this species, as they are allopatric in geographic range and we do not identify any intrinsic postzygotic isolation between D. subquinaria and D. transversa. Variation in epicuticular hydrocarbons, which are used as mating signals in D. subquinaria, follow patterns of premating isolation: D. transversa and allopatric D. subquinaria are most similar to each other and differ from sympatric D. subquinaria, and those of D. recens are distinct from the other two species. We suggest that the secondary effects of reinforcement may cascade to strengthen reproductive isolation with other species that were not a target of selection. These effects may enhance the divergence that occurs in allopatry to help explain why some species are already sexually isolated upon secondary contact. PMID:29491905

Nonlinear damping based semi-active building isolation system

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Carmen; Zhu, Yunpeng; Lang, Zi-Qiang; Billings, Stephen A.; Kohiyama, Masayuki; Wakayama, Shizuka

2018-06-01

Many buildings in Japan currently have a base-isolation system with a low stiffness that is designed to shift the natural frequency of the building below the frequencies of the ground motion due to earthquakes. However, the ground motion observed during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake contained strong long-period waves that lasted for a record length of 3 min. To provide a novel and better solution against the long-period waves while maintaining the performance of the standard isolation range, the exploitation of the characteristics of nonlinear damping is proposed in this paper. This is motivated by previous studies of the authors, which have demonstrated that nonlinear damping can achieve desired performance over both low and high frequency regions and the optimal nonlinear damping force can be realized by closed loop controlled semi-active dampers. Simulation results have shown strong vibration isolation performance on a building model with identified parameters and have indicated that nonlinear damping can achieve low acceleration transmissibilities round the structural natural frequency as well as the higher ground motion frequencies that have been frequently observed during most earthquakes in Japan. In addition, physical building model based laboratory experiments are also conducted, The results demonstrate the advantages of the proposed nonlinear damping technologies over both traditional linear damping and more advanced Linear-Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) feedback control which have been used in practice to address building isolation system design and implementation problems. In comparison with the tuned-mass damper and other active control methods, the proposed solution offers a more pragmatic, low-cost, robust and effective alternative that can be readily installed into the base-isolation system of most buildings.

48 CFR 1812.7000 - Prohibition on guaranteed customer bases for new commercial space hardware or services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... customer bases for new commercial space hardware or services. 1812.7000 Section 1812.7000 Federal... PLANNING ACQUISITION OF COMMERCIAL ITEMS Commercial Space Hardware or Services 1812.7000 Prohibition on guaranteed customer bases for new commercial space hardware or services. Public Law 102-139, title III...

CSR, environment-friendly investments and innovations - the three elements necessary to build a modern and strong coal mining company?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hałasik Katarzyna

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, strongly increasing globalization forces companies around the world to search new ways to build competitive advantage and achieving goals. Society having wider access to information and products, began to pay attention not only to the attractiveness of the goods, but also to the credibility of the environmental and social of functioning companies. This makes, that the concept of corporate social responsibility and the green revolution, which are strongly associated with innovations, in last years become widely discussed in the literature, as well as popular in the activities of enterprises. This article is an attempt to answer the question, whether the combination of these three elements is a guarantee for the creations of a positive image, and thus the value of a modern and strong company. The research literature aims to identify the current approach to these three factors and their characteristics. In contrast, the analysis of Polish hard coal mining sector indicates the role of innovation, environmental protection and CSR in the industry - whether the actions in this area are present and to what extent. In addition, it will be presented to outline the current state of Polish hard coal mining sector

A Prospective Study of Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mortality in Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanskanen, Jussi; Anttila, Timo

2016-11-01

To estimate the simultaneous effects of social isolation and loneliness on mortality. We analyzed a representative Finnish sample (n = 8650) from the cross-sectional Living Conditions Survey of 1994, with a 17-year follow-up period (1995-2011), by using Cox regression models adjusted for several possible confounding variables. We examined the possible nonlinear threshold effect of social isolation on mortality. The analyses revealed that social isolation predicted mortality even after we controlled for loneliness and control variables. The connection between social isolation and mortality was linear in nature and there was no synergistic effect between social isolation and loneliness. The effect of loneliness became nonsignificant when studied simultaneously with social isolation. This study reveals strong evidence for an adverse effect of social isolation on mortality. Social isolation and loneliness seem to have distinct pathways to mortality and health. The results imply that the risk of mortality exists along a continuum, affecting not only those who experience extreme social isolation, but also those who suffer from mild to progressively increasing intensity of isolation.

Designing area optimized application-specific network-on-chip architectures while providing hard QoS guarantees.

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Sajid Gul Khawaja

Full Text Available With the increase of transistors' density, popularity of System on Chip (SoC has increased exponentially. As a communication module for SoC, Network on Chip (NoC framework has been adapted as its backbone. In this paper, we propose a methodology for designing area-optimized application specific NoC while providing hard Quality of Service (QoS guarantees for real time flows. The novelty of the proposed system lies in derivation of a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model which is then used to generate a resource optimal Network on Chip (NoC topology and architecture while considering traffic and QoS requirements. We also present the micro-architectural design features used for enabling traffic and latency guarantees and discuss how the solution adapts for dynamic variations in the application traffic. The paper highlights the effectiveness of proposed method by generating resource efficient NoC solutions for both industrial and benchmark applications. The area-optimized results are generated in few seconds by proposed technique, without resorting to heuristics, even for an application with 48 traffic flows.

Delay-Dependent Guaranteed Cost H∞ Control of an Interval System with Interval Time-Varying Delay

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Zhongke Shi

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper concerns the problem of the delay-dependent robust stability and guaranteed cost H∞ control for an interval system with time-varying delay. The interval system with matrix factorization is provided and leads to less conservative conclusions than solving a square root. The time-varying delay is assumed to belong to an interval and the derivative of the interval time-varying delay is not a restriction, which allows a fast time-varying delay; also its applicability is broad. Based on the Lyapunov-Ktasovskii approach, a delay-dependent criterion for the existence of a state feedback controller, which guarantees the closed-loop system stability, the upper bound of cost function, and disturbance attenuation lever for all admissible uncertainties as well as out perturbation, is proposed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs. The criterion is derived by free weighting matrices that can reduce the conservatism. The effectiveness has been verified in a number example and the compute results are presented to validate the proposed design method.

Global Environmental Governance as a Regulatory and Guarantee Criterion for Environmental Justice

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Denise Schmitt Siqueira Garcia

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the theme of Global Environmental Governance to the achievement of Environmental Justice, presenting as general objective to analyze the importance of the first in its public, business and civil society spheres for the regulation and guarantee of the second. Noting up at the end that the Environmental Justice, as a common humanitarian problem, presents itself as the main objective of Global Environmental Governance. In the methodology was adopted the inductive method, having been applied the techniques of the referent, category, operational concepts, bibliographical research and file.

77 FR 21793 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; Loan Guarantee for Indian Housing

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-11

... Number: 2577-0200. Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The information is... service areas. Mortgage lenders approved by HUD provide borrower and lender information to HUD for... Information Collection for Public Comment; Loan Guarantee for Indian Housing AGENCY: Office of the Assistant...

Isolation of antifungal bacteria from Japanese fermented soybeans, natto.

Science.gov (United States)

Murata, Daichi; Sawano, Sayaka; Ohike, Tatsuya; Okanami, Masahiro; Ano, Takashi

2013-12-01

An inhibitory effect of a traditional Japanese fermented food, natto, was found against plant pathogens such as Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum, and the bacteria which showed inhibition were isolated from the natto. Among isolated bacteria, BC-1 and GAc exhibited a strong antagonistic effect in vitro against plant pathogens on an agar medium. The supernatant of bacterial culture also showed strong activity against R. solani, which meant the antimicrobial substances were produced and secreted into the medium. Both of the bacteria were estimated as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens from a partial sequence of the 16s rRNA gene. High performance liquid chromatography analysis clearly showed the production of the lipopeptide antibiotic iturin A by BC-1 and GAc. Copyright © 2013 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Convergence Guaranteed Nonlinear Constraint Model Predictive Control via I/O Linearization

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Xiaobing Kong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Constituting reliable optimal solution is a key issue for the nonlinear constrained model predictive control. Input-output feedback linearization is a popular method in nonlinear control. By using an input-output feedback linearizing controller, the original linear input constraints will change to nonlinear constraints and sometimes the constraints are state dependent. This paper presents an iterative quadratic program (IQP routine on the continuous-time system. To guarantee its convergence, another iterative approach is incorporated. The proposed algorithm can reach a feasible solution over the entire prediction horizon. Simulation results on both a numerical example and the continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, poverty and prices in rural India.

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Gaiha, Raghav; Kulkarni, Vani S; Pandey, Manoj K; Imai, Katsushi S

2010-01-01

The objective of this analysis is mainly to construct an intuitive measure of the performance of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in India. The focus is on divergence between demand and supply at the district level. Some related issues addressed are: (i) whether the gap between demand and supply responds to poverty; and (ii) whether recent hikes in NREGS wages are inflationary. Our analysis confirms responsiveness of the positive gap between demand and supply to poverty. Also, apprehensions expressed about the inflationary potential of recent hikes in NREGS wages have been confirmed. More importantly, higher NREGS wages are likely to undermine self-selection of the poor in it.

Quality Guarantee in the services that the LSCD of Guatemala lends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dieguez Davila, L.

1998-01-01

It is of supreme importance that the instruments used in the radiological protection, as well as those used in clinical dosimetry, maintain trazability to primary patterns; this way it is guaranteed that the used magnitudes are reproducible in the secondary laboratories. This premise is important, however, it is indispensable that the laboratories can establish the necessary procedures in writing to make the mensurations that are involved in the calibrations and the other services characteristic of a secondary laboratory. The present work demonstrates as all the lent services in the secondary laboratory of dosimetric calibration of Guatemala are carried out by means of the procedures of quality demanded at international level

Fungi isolated from Stewartia pseudocamellia Max. seeds and their pathogenesis

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Halina Kurzawińska

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of studies was to determine typical composition of fungi occurring on seeds of Stewartia pseudocamellia.The studies conducted on 100 disinfected and 100 nondisinfected seeds of these plants.Isolates of Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, Cylindrocarpon radicicola and Rhizoctonia solani were characterized by pathogenicity towards the investigated Stewartia pseudocamellia. In the laboratory experiment, 204 isolations of microorganisms were obtained that belonged to 20 species and form of fungi and bacteria. Among fungi there were both of parasite (Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia solani and typical saprophytic (Cladosporium spp., Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., Epicoccum spp., Mucor spp.. The dominant fungus on seeds was Alternaria alternata. Among the investigated isolates only one isolate (R4 Rhizoctonia solani, was strongly pathogenic, isolates (A1 Alternaria alternata were weakly pathogenic to seedlings of Stewartia pseudocamellia.

Guaranteed Student Loan Amendments of 1976. Ninety-fourth Congress, Second Session. Report No. 94-1232.

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House.

A report on the Guaranteed Student Loan Amendments (H.R. 14070) to Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 considers the problems behind and implications of the loan program. Chief among the problems are the default rate, access to loans, the schools as lenders, and the role of the states in administering the program. Changes recommended…

Virulence and molecular polymorphism of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, R W; Crosslin, J M

1998-07-01

Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) occurs as numerous strains or isolates that vary widely in their pathogenic, biophysical and serological properties. Prior attempts to distinguish pathotypes based upon physical properties have not been successful; our approach was to examine the molecular properties that may distinguish these isolates. The nucleic acid sequence was determined from 1.65 kbp RT-PCR products derived from RNA 3 of seven distinct isolates of PNRSV that differ serologically and in pathology on sweet cherry. Sequence comparisons of ORF 3a (putative movement protein) and ORF 3b (coat protein) revealed single nucleotide and amino acid differences with strong correlations to serology and symptom types (pathotypes). Sequence differences between serotypes and pathotypes were also reflected in the overall phylogenetic relationships between the isolates.

Strategy for introduction of quality guarantee in the supporting infrastructure to nucleoenergetics for a mixed association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez, P.; Fernandez, R.

1993-01-01

The work consists in raising and proposing and integral strategy for the assimilation of the quality guarantee by all national enterprises, companies and institutions that participate in the nucleoenergetics program and specially for a mixed association to conclude the construction, starting-up and operation of Juragua nuclear power plants

Discontinuation of approval of modifications in notes, guaranteed under Title VI or VII of the Public Health Service Act, proposed to permit use of the notes as collateral for tax-exempt financings--PHS. Final rule.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-09-21

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adds a new section to regulations for making and guaranteeing loans for construction and modernization of hospitals and medical facilities and to regulations for guaranteeing loans for the construction of teaching facilities for health professions personnel. Under these regulations HHS will not approve the modification of the terms of an existing loan guaranteed under Title VI or Title VII of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act if the modification would permit use of the guarantee (or guaranteed loan) as collateral for tax-exempt financing.

Self-biased broadband magnet-free linear isolator based on one-way space-time coherency

Science.gov (United States)

Taravati, Sajjad

2017-12-01

This paper introduces a self-biased broadband magnet-free and linear isolator based on one-way space-time coherency. The incident wave and the space-time-modulated medium share the same temporal frequency and are hence temporally coherent. However, thanks to the unidirectionally of the space-time modulation, the space-time-modulated medium and the incident wave are spatially coherent only in the forward direction and not in the opposite direction. As a consequence, the energy of the medium strongly couples to the propagating wave in the forward direction, while it conflicts with the propagating wave in the opposite direction, yielding strong isolation. We first derive a closed-form solution for the wave scattering from a spatiotemporally coherent medium and then show that a perfectly coherent space-time-modulated medium provides a moderate isolation level which is also subject to one-way transmission gain. To overcome this issue, we next investigate the effect of space-coherency imperfection between the medium and the wave, while they are still perfectly temporally coherent. Leveraging the spatial-coherency imperfection, the medium exhibits a quasiarbitrary and strong nonreciprocal transmission. Finally, we present the experimental demonstration of the self-biased version of the proposed broadband isolator, exhibiting more than 122 % fractional operation bandwidth.

Achieving Crossed Strong Barrier Coverage in Wireless Sensor Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ruisong; Yang, Wei; Zhang, Li

2018-02-10

Barrier coverage has been widely used to detect intrusions in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). It can fulfill the monitoring task while extending the lifetime of the network. Though barrier coverage in WSNs has been intensively studied in recent years, previous research failed to consider the problem of intrusion in transversal directions. If an intruder knows the deployment configuration of sensor nodes, then there is a high probability that it may traverse the whole target region from particular directions, without being detected. In this paper, we introduce the concept of crossed barrier coverage that can overcome this defect. We prove that the problem of finding the maximum number of crossed barriers is NP-hard and integer linear programming (ILP) is used to formulate the optimization problem. The branch-and-bound algorithm is adopted to determine the maximum number of crossed barriers. In addition, we also propose a multi-round shortest path algorithm (MSPA) to solve the optimization problem, which works heuristically to guarantee efficiency while maintaining near-optimal solutions. Several conventional algorithms for finding the maximum number of disjoint strong barriers are also modified to solve the crossed barrier problem and for the purpose of comparison. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of MSPA.

76 FR 54454 - Issuance of Loan Guarantee to Genesis Solar, LLC, for the Genesis Solar Energy Project

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-01

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Issuance of Loan Guarantee to Genesis Solar, LLC, for the Genesis Solar... Energy Project (GSEP), a 250-megawatt (MW) nominal capacity solar power generating facility on.../Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Genesis Solar Energy Project, Riverside County, California...

Basic income guarantee: a review of implications for oral health.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yi-An; Quiñonez, Carlos

2018-12-01

To: a) Familiarize readers with the concept of a basic income guarantee (BIG) and its different forms; b) Consider how BIG could improve oral health and decrease oral health disparities; c) Motivate readers to advocate for the evaluation of oral health outcomes in BIG experiments. Published articles and book chapters that have analyzed and reviewed data from past BIG pilot projects were examined for their findings on health and socioeconomic outcomes. Our findings suggest various areas and mechanisms whereby BIG can influence oral health-related outcomes, whether through impacts on work, illness and injury, education, a social multiplier effect, expenditure behavior, and/or mental illness and other health outcomes. Our findings illustrate the importance of assessing oral health-related outcomes in future BIG pilot projects. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Isolation and biological activity of frankiamide.

Science.gov (United States)

Haansuu, J P; Klika, K D; Söderholm, P P; Ovcharenko, V V; Pihlaja, K; Haahtela, K K; Vuorela, P M

2001-07-01

An antibiotic produced by the symbiotic actinomycete Frankia strain AiPs1 was isolated from culture broth using optimized thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. The novel compound that was isolated, dubbed frankiamide, displayed antimicrobial activity against all 14 Gram-positive bacterial strains and six pathogenic fungal strains tested. The pathogenic actinomycete Clavibacter michiganensis and the oomycete Phytophthora were especially susceptible. In addition to displaying antimicrobial activity, frankiamide also strongly inhibited 45Ca(2+) fluxes in clonal rat pituitary GH4C1 tumor cells and was comparable to a frequently used calcium antagonist, verapamil hydrochloride. The results of HPLC analysis, supported by both nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy studies, showed that frankiamide has a high affinity for Na(+) ions.

The Guarantee Contract as a Typical Warranty Business in Brazilian Civil Law

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Fábio Siebeneichler de Andrade

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the guarantee contract, which is one of the most important forms of legal assurance business. It is one of the most widely used businesses in Brazilian negotiating practice. In this sense, considering the fact that Brazilian Private Law has gone through a renovation, by virtue of legislation such as the Civil Code of 2002 and the Consumer Protection Code, which welcomed the principle of good faith and social function of the contract, it is necessary to examine this important contract and check if it’s discipline is appropriate to the new contractual principles.

75 FR 25829 - Notice of Acceptance of Proposals for the Section 538 Multi-Family Housing Guaranteed Rural...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-10

... through the construction and permanent loan financing phases of a project. Those applications that meet... and will be in effect throughout both of the project's construction and permanent financing phases... loans. The Agency can guarantee the ``construction and permanent'' financing phases of a project. The...

Major risks and financial guarantees provided by the State in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brassard, Guy

2012-01-01

France's system for indemnifying damage from natural catastrophe is exemplary, whether for floods, storms, or subsidence. However, France is not equipped with the financial capacity to deal with the damage resulting from an exceptional disaster, such as an earthquake on the Mediterranean coast, or a nuclear meltdown. Major catastrophes could be a significant risk to the financial stability of the State today, because the State is in fact the ultimate insurer of its citizens and its institutions. It would be wise to built up reserves in order to enhance the financial resources of the State and to provide a uniform guarantee covering major risks, whatever the cause of the damage may be. (author)

Isolation and characterization of two new methanesulfonic acid-degrading bacterial isolates from a Portuguese soil sample.

Science.gov (United States)

De Marco, P; Murrell, J C; Bordalo, A A; Moradas-Ferreira, P

2000-02-01

Two novel bacterial strains that can utilize methanesulfonic acid as a source of carbon and energy were isolated from a soil sample collected in northern Portugal. Morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular biological characterization of the two isolates indicate that strain P1 is a pink-pigmented facultative methylotroph belonging to the genus Methylobacterium, while strain P2 is a restricted methylotroph belonging to the genus Hyphomicrobium. Both strains are strictly aerobic, degrade methanesulfonate, and release small quantities of sulfite into the medium. Growth on methanesulfonate induces a specific polypeptide profile in each strain. This, together with the positive hybridization to a DNA probe that carries the msm genes of Methylosulfonomonas methylovora strain M2, strongly endorses the contention that a methanesulfonic acid monooxygenase related to that found in the previously known methanesulfonate-utilizing bacteria is present in strains P1 and P2. The isolation of bacteria containing conserved msm genes from diverse environments and geographical locations supports the hypothesis that a common enzyme may be globally responsible for the oxidation of methanesulfonate by natural methylotrophic communities.

Diagnosing a Strong-Fault Model by Conflict and Consistency

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Wenfeng Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The diagnosis method for a weak-fault model with only normal behaviors of each component has evolved over decades. However, many systems now demand a strong-fault models, the fault modes of which have specific behaviors as well. It is difficult to diagnose a strong-fault model due to its non-monotonicity. Currently, diagnosis methods usually employ conflicts to isolate possible fault and the process can be expedited when some observed output is consistent with the model’s prediction where the consistency indicates probably normal components. This paper solves the problem of efficiently diagnosing a strong-fault model by proposing a novel Logic-based Truth Maintenance System (LTMS with two search approaches based on conflict and consistency. At the beginning, the original a strong-fault model is encoded by Boolean variables and converted into Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF. Then the proposed LTMS is employed to reason over CNF and find multiple minimal conflicts and maximal consistencies when there exists fault. The search approaches offer the best candidate efficiency based on the reasoning result until the diagnosis results are obtained. The completeness, coverage, correctness and complexity of the proposals are analyzed theoretically to show their strength and weakness. Finally, the proposed approaches are demonstrated by applying them to a real-world domain—the heat control unit of a spacecraft—where the proposed methods are significantly better than best first and conflict directly with A* search methods.

Diagnosing a Strong-Fault Model by Conflict and Consistency.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenfeng; Zhao, Qi; Zhao, Hongbo; Zhou, Gan; Feng, Wenquan

2018-03-29

The diagnosis method for a weak-fault model with only normal behaviors of each component has evolved over decades. However, many systems now demand a strong-fault models, the fault modes of which have specific behaviors as well. It is difficult to diagnose a strong-fault model due to its non-monotonicity. Currently, diagnosis methods usually employ conflicts to isolate possible fault and the process can be expedited when some observed output is consistent with the model's prediction where the consistency indicates probably normal components. This paper solves the problem of efficiently diagnosing a strong-fault model by proposing a novel Logic-based Truth Maintenance System (LTMS) with two search approaches based on conflict and consistency. At the beginning, the original a strong-fault model is encoded by Boolean variables and converted into Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF). Then the proposed LTMS is employed to reason over CNF and find multiple minimal conflicts and maximal consistencies when there exists fault. The search approaches offer the best candidate efficiency based on the reasoning result until the diagnosis results are obtained. The completeness, coverage, correctness and complexity of the proposals are analyzed theoretically to show their strength and weakness. Finally, the proposed approaches are demonstrated by applying them to a real-world domain-the heat control unit of a spacecraft-where the proposed methods are significantly better than best first and conflict directly with A* search methods.

Guaranteed epsilon-optimal treatment plans with the minimum number of beams for stereotactic body radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarmand, Hamed; Winey, Brian; Craft, David

2013-01-01

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is characterized by delivering a high amount of dose in a short period of time. In SBRT the dose is delivered using open fields (e.g., beam’s-eye-view) known as ‘apertures’. Mathematical methods can be used for optimizing treatment planning for delivery of sufficient dose to the cancerous cells while keeping the dose to surrounding organs at risk (OARs) minimal. Two important elements of a treatment plan are quality and delivery time. Quality of a plan is measured based on the target coverage and dose to OARs. Delivery time heavily depends on the number of beams used in the plan as the setup times for different beam directions constitute a large portion of the delivery time. Therefore the ideal plan, in which all potential beams can be used, will be associated with a long impractical delivery time. We use the dose to OARs in the ideal plan to find the plan with the minimum number of beams which is guaranteed to be epsilon-optimal (i.e., a predetermined maximum deviation from the ideal plan is guaranteed). Since the treatment plan optimization is inherently a multi-criteria-optimization problem, the planner can navigate the ideal dose distribution Pareto surface and select a plan of desired target coverage versus OARs sparing, and then use the proposed technique to reduce the number of beams while guaranteeing epsilon-optimality. We use mixed integer programming (MIP) for optimization. To reduce the computation time for the resultant MIP, we use two heuristics: a beam elimination scheme and a family of heuristic cuts, known as ‘neighbor cuts’, based on the concept of ‘adjacent beams’. We show the effectiveness of the proposed technique on two clinical cases, a liver and a lung case. Based on our technique we propose an algorithm for fast generation of epsilon-optimal plans. (paper)

Association between antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from food animals and blood stream isolates from humans in Europe: an ecological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Antonio R; Collignon, Peter; Aarestrup, Frank M; McEwen, Scott A; Hendriksen, Rene S; Hald, Tine; Wegener, Henrik C

2011-12-01

In addition to medical antimicrobial usage, the use of antimicrobials in food animals contributes to the occurrence of resistance among some bacterial species isolated from infections in humans. Recently, several studies have indicated that a large proportion of Escherichia coli causing infections in humans, especially those resistant to antimicrobials, have an animal origin. We analyzed the correlation between the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli isolates from blood stream infections in humans and in E. coli isolates from poultry, pigs, and cattle between 2005 and 2008 for 11 countries, using available surveillance data. We also assessed the correlation between human antimicrobial usage and the occurrence of resistance in E. coli isolates from blood stream infections. Strong and significant correlations between prevalences of resistance to ampicillin (r=0.94), aminoglycosides (r=0.72), third-generation cephalosporins (r=0.76), and fluoroquinolones (r=0.68) were observed for human and poultry E. coli isolates. Similar significant correlations were observed for ampicillin (r=0.91), aminoglycosides (r=0.73), and fluoroquinolone resistance (r=0.74) in pig and human isolates. In cattle isolates, only ampicillin resistance (r=0.72) was significantly correlated to human isolates. When usage of antimicrobials in humans was analyzed with antimicrobial resistance among human isolates, only correlations between fluoroquinolones (r=0.90) and third-generation cephalosporins (r=0.75) were significant. Resistance in E. coli isolates from food animals (especially poultry and pigs) was highly correlated with resistance in isolates from humans. This supports the hypothesis that a large proportion of resistant E. coli isolates causing blood stream infections in people may be derived from food sources.

A large-scale deforestation experiment: Effects of patch area and isolation on Amazon birds

Science.gov (United States)

Ferraz, G.; Nichols, J.D.; Hines, J.E.; Stouffer, P.C.; Bierregaard, R.O.; Lovejoy, T.E.

2007-01-01

As compared with extensive contiguous areas, small isolated habitat patches lack many species. Some species disappear after isolation; others are rarely found in any small patch, regardless of isolation. We used a 13-year data set of bird captures from a large landscape-manipulation experiment in a Brazilian Amazon forest to model the extinction-colonization dynamics of 55 species and tested basic predictions of island biogeography and metapopulation theory. From our models, we derived two metrics of species vulnerability to changes in isolation and patch area. We found a strong effect of area and a variable effect of isolation on the predicted patch occupancy by birds.

Isolation and characterization of lipopeptide antibiotics produced by Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H; Wang, L; Su, C X; Gong, G H; Wang, P; Yu, Z L

2008-09-01

Antibiotics from Bacillus subtilis JA show strong pathogen inhibition ability, which has potential market application; yet, the composition of these antibiotics has not been elucidated. The aim of this paper is to isolate and identify these antibiotics. The antagonistic activity of JA was tested in vitro; it exhibited strong inhibition against some important phytopathogens and postharvest pathogens. Crude antibiotic production was extracted with methanol from the precipitate by adding 6 mol l(-1) HCl to the bacillus-free culture broth. The crude extract was run on Diamonsil C18 column (5 microm, 250 x 4.6 mm) in HPLC system to separate the antibiotics. Major antibiotics were classified into three lipopeptide families according to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis. Subsequently, the classification of antibiotics was confirmed with typical collision-induced dissociation fragments. Three kinds of antibiotics were isolated from B. subtilis JA and were identified to the lipopeptide families, surfactin, iturin and fengycin. These compounds could function as biocontrol agents against a large spectrum of pathogens. This study provided a reliable and rapid method for isolation and structural characterization of lipopeptide antibiotics from B. subtilis.

75 FR 3197 - Notice of a Public Meeting on Administration of the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-20

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Business-Cooperative Service Notice of a Public Meeting on Administration of the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an...

Comparison of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Isolates Recovered from Pigs in Apparently Healthy Multiplier Herds with Isolates from Herds with Swine Dysentery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tom La

made pigs in the two multiplier herds colonised by "typical" strongly haemolytic isolates less susceptible to disease expression.

Rapid turns in European renewable energy policy: advocacy and framing of the proposed trading of guarantees of origin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsson, Maans; Nilsson, Lars J.; Ericsson, Karin

2008-10-15

The EU has assumed ambitious targets and strategies for the promotion of renewable sources of energy (RES) binding to all its member states. This report sets out to examine the proposed EU-wide policy instrument designed to help achieve the targets on renewable electricity and heat - the trading of Guarantees of Origin (GO). It analyses the fate of the GO trading proposal in the European policy-making machinery during 2007 and 2008. It first discusses its origins, key components and points of contention, and then examines key factors behind the policy development leading first to its development and subsequently to its abandonment in 2008. Addressing these factors, the report explores first the near-term policy-making process before and after the proposal on GO trading was tabled in January 2008, focusing on processes in the European bureaucracy and how they were influenced by different interest groups and member state governments. It then takes a step back and looks at how competing policy frames over time have shaped the GO instrument debate. Results show how a strong internal market frame acted as a primary driving force in the Commission throughout the 2000s to promote the GO trading instrument. The subsequent collapse of the GO trading proposal can be largely attributed to a) the lack of a strong lobby in favour of GO, b) the accumulated experience with and institutionalisation of national RES support policy, and c) growing general political concerns for supply security, innovation and competitiveness. In the end, the fall of the GO trading instrument is indicative of how the underlying political battle line between advocates of the European internal market and guardians of national interests has moved in favour of the latter in recent years. (author). refs

Patterns of reproductive isolation in a haplodiploid - strong post-mating, prezygotic barriers among three forms of a social spider mite.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Yukie; Sakamoto, Hironori; Gotoh, Tetsuo; Saito, Yutaka; Chao, Jung-Tai; Egas, Martijn; Mochizuki, Atsushi

2018-03-22

In speciation research, much attention is paid to the evolution of reproductive barriers, preventing diverging groups from hybridizing back into one gene pool. The prevalent view is that reproductive barriers evolve gradually as a by-product of genetic changes accumulated by natural selection and genetic drift in groups that are segregated spatially and/or temporally. Reproductive barriers, however, can also be reinforced by natural selection against maladaptive hybridization. These mutually compatible theories are both empirically supported by studies, analysing relationships between intensity of reproductive isolation and genetic distance in sympatric taxa and allopatric taxa. Here, we present the - to our knowledge - first comparative study in a haplodiploid organism, the social spider mite Stigmaeopsis miscanthi, by measuring premating and post-mating, pre- and post-zygotic components of reproductive isolation, using three recently diverged forms of the mite that partly overlap in home range. We carried out cross-experiments and measured genetic distances (mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA) among parapatric and allopatric populations of the three forms. Our results show that the three forms are reproductively isolated, despite the absence of premating barriers, and that the post-mating, prezygotic component contributes most to reproductive isolation. As expected, the strength of post-mating reproductive barriers positively correlated with genetic distance. We did not find a clear pattern of prezygotic barriers evolving faster in parapatry than in allopatry, although one form did show a trend in line with the ecological and behavioural relationships between the forms. Our study advocates the versatility of haplodiploid animals for investigating the evolution of reproductive barriers. © 2018 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2018 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Suppression of cooling by strong magnetic fields in white dwarf stars.

Science.gov (United States)

Valyavin, G; Shulyak, D; Wade, G A; Antonyuk, K; Zharikov, S V; Galazutdinov, G A; Plachinda, S; Bagnulo, S; Machado, L Fox; Alvarez, M; Clark, D M; Lopez, J M; Hiriart, D; Han, Inwoo; Jeon, Young-Beom; Zurita, C; Mujica, R; Burlakova, T; Szeifert, T; Burenkov, A

2014-11-06

Isolated cool white dwarf stars more often have strong magnetic fields than young, hotter white dwarfs, which has been a puzzle because magnetic fields are expected to decay with time but a cool surface suggests that the star is old. In addition, some white dwarfs with strong fields vary in brightness as they rotate, which has been variously attributed to surface brightness inhomogeneities similar to sunspots, chemical inhomogeneities and other magneto-optical effects. Here we describe optical observations of the brightness and magnetic field of the cool white dwarf WD 1953-011 taken over about eight years, and the results of an analysis of its surface temperature and magnetic field distribution. We find that the magnetic field suppresses atmospheric convection, leading to dark spots in the most magnetized areas. We also find that strong fields are sufficient to suppress convection over the entire surface in cool magnetic white dwarfs, which inhibits their cooling evolution relative to weakly magnetic and non-magnetic white dwarfs, making them appear younger than they truly are. This explains the long-standing mystery of why magnetic fields are more common amongst cool white dwarfs, and implies that the currently accepted ages of strongly magnetic white dwarfs are systematically too young.

Differentiated protection services with failure probability guarantee for workflow-based applications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Yaoquan; Guo, Wei; Jin, Yaohui; Sun, Weiqiang; Hu, Weisheng

2010-12-01

A cost-effective and service-differentiated provisioning strategy is very desirable to service providers so that they can offer users satisfactory services, while optimizing network resource allocation. Providing differentiated protection services to connections for surviving link failure has been extensively studied in recent years. However, the differentiated protection services for workflow-based applications, which consist of many interdependent tasks, have scarcely been studied. This paper investigates the problem of providing differentiated services for workflow-based applications in optical grid. In this paper, we develop three differentiated protection services provisioning strategies which can provide security level guarantee and network-resource optimization for workflow-based applications. The simulation demonstrates that these heuristic algorithms provide protection cost-effectively while satisfying the applications' failure probability requirements.

Design of stability-guaranteed fuzzy logic controller for nuclear steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Byung Hak

1996-02-01

A fuzzy logic controller(FLC) and a fuzzy logic filter(FLF), which have a special type of fuzzifier, inference engine, and defuzzifier, are applied to the water level control of a nuclear steam generator (S/G). It is shown that arbitrary two-input, single-output linear state feedback controllers can be adequately expressed by this FLC. A procedure to construct stability-guaranteed FLC rules is proposed. It contains the following steps: (1) The stable sector of linear feedback gains is obtained from the suboptimal concept based on LQR theory and the Lyapunov's stability criteria: (2) The stable sector of linear gains is mapped into two linear rule tables that are used as limits for the FLC rules: (3) The construction of an FLC rule table is done by choosing certain rules that lie between these limits. This type of FLC guarantees asymptotic stability of the control system. The FLF generates a feedforward signal of S/G feedwater from the steam flow measurement using a fuzzy concept. Through computer simulation, it is found that the FLC with the FLF works better than well-tuned PID controller with variable gains to reduce swell/shrink phenomena especially for the water level deviation and abrupt steam flow disturbances that are typical in the existing power plants. A neurofuzzy logic controller (NFLC), that is implemented by using multi-layered neural network to have the same function as the FLC discussed above, is designed. The automatic generation of NFLC rule table is accomplished by using back-error-propagation (BEP) algorithm. There are two separated paths at the error back-propagation in the S/G. One is to consider the level dynamics depending on the tank capacity, and the other is to take into account the reverse dynamics of S/G. The amounts of error back-propagated through these paths show opposite effects to the BEP algorithm each other at the swell/shrink phenomena. Through the computer simulation, it is found that the BEP algorithm adequately generates NFLC

Study of the Insurance Premium Charged to Borrowers under the Guaranteed Student Loan Program. Report No. 3.

Science.gov (United States)

Touche Ross and Co., Washington, DC.

Insurance premiums being charged to borrowers under the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program were studied to determine if the rate exceeded the rate necessary to protect the reserves of the insurer. Attention was directed to whether historical changes in the GSL program have affected insurance premiums. Guaranty agency's sources and uses of funds…

Modeling Message Queueing Services with Reliability Guarantee in Cloud Computing Environment Using Colored Petri Nets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Motivated by the need for loosely coupled and asynchronous dissemination of information, message queues are widely used in large-scale application areas. With the advent of virtualization technology, cloud-based message queueing services (CMQSs with distributed computing and storage are widely adopted to improve availability, scalability, and reliability; however, a critical issue is its performance and the quality of service (QoS. While numerous approaches evaluating system performance are available, there is no modeling approach for estimating and analyzing the performance of CMQSs. In this paper, we employ both the analytical and simulation modeling to address the performance of CMQSs with reliability guarantee. We present a visibility-based modeling approach (VMA for simulation model using colored Petri nets (CPN. Our model incorporates the important features of message queueing services in the cloud such as replication, message consistency, resource virtualization, and especially the mechanism named visibility timeout which is adopted in the services to guarantee system reliability. Finally, we evaluate our model through different experiments under varied scenarios to obtain important performance metrics such as total message delivery time, waiting number, and components utilization. Our results reveal considerable insights into resource scheduling and system configuration for service providers to estimate and gain performance optimization.

Testimony of Dr. Raul A. Deju, Basalt Waste Isolation Project, before the Subcommittee on Energy Research and Production, Committee on Sceince and Technology, United States House of Representatives, March 2, 1983

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-01-01

Status of the Basalt Waste Isolation Project is given. Three key concerns have been identified that need to be resolved to either confirm or eliminate the basalts as a potential nuclear waste repository host medium. They are: A thorough understanding of the groundwater hydrology beneath the Hanford Site is needed to assure that a repository in basalt will not contribute unacceptable amounts of contaminants to the accessible environment. Our ability to construct a repository shaft and a network of underground tunnels needs to be fully demonstrated through an exploratory shaft program. Our ability to ultimately seal a repository, such that its integrity and the isolation of the waste are guaranteed, needs to be demonstrated.

Experimental infection of cattle with ovine Dichelobacter nodosus isolates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knappe-Poindecker, Maren; Jørgensen, Hannah Joan; Jensen, Tim Kåre

2015-01-01

Dichelobacter nodosus is the main causative agent of ovine footrot, and there are strong indications that the bacterium can be transferred to cattle grazing on the same pasture as sheep. The aim of this study was to investigate if benign and virulent D. nodosus strains isolated from sheep can be ...

'Killer' character of yeasts isolated from ethanolic fermentations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ceccato-Antonini Sandra Regina

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The number of killer, neutral and sensitive yeasts was determined from strains isolated from substrates related to alcoholic fermentations. From 113 isolates, 24 showed killer activity against NCYC 1006 (standard sensitive strain, while 30 were sensitive to NCYC 738 (standard killer strain, and 59 had no reaction in assays at 25-27°C. Two wild yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and one of Candida colliculosa were tested against 10 standard killer strains and one standard sensitive strain in a cell x cell and well-test assays at four different pHs. None of the isolates displayed strong killer activity or were sensitive to the standard strains. All belonged to the neutral type. It was concluded that although the number of killer strains was high, this character cannot be used to protect ethanol fermentation processes against yeast contaminants like those which form cell clusters.

<strong>Mini-project>

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katajainen, Jyrki

2008-01-01

In this project the goal is to develop the safe * family of containers for the CPH STL. The containers to be developed should be safer and more reliable than any of the existing implementations. A special focus should be put on strong exception safety since none of the existing prototypes available...

Guidelines for the design of the working rules of the guarantee and quality control in radiotherapy commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pardo, J.; Galmes, M.A.; Font, J.; Caro, J.; Serra, J.; Mata, F.; Bertan, S.; Biete, A.; Carceller, J.A.; Esco, R.; Palacios, A.; Veiras, C.; Vazquez, M.G.

2001-01-01

The 1566/1988 Royal Decree stated on July 17 th , focused on Quality Criteria in Radiation Therapy, was published in the Official Spanish Gazette on August 28 th . Its publication began a self-analysis process in all the Spanish Radiation Oncology Departments due to the fact that it implies the guidelines elaboration of each step of the radiation therapy process, including the patient post-treatment follow up and the equipment quality control. The Royal Decree orders the managers of the hospitals and facilities that have a radiation oncology department to create the Guarantee and Quality Control in Radiotherapy Commission. According to the Spanish law regulations, every single commission must have its own working rules based on the Chapter II, focused in 'Organos Colegiados', of the 30/1992 Law stated on November 27 th about Public Administration Legal Rules. The Guidelines for the design of the Guarantee and Quality Control in Radiotherapy Commission Working Rules here presented, have been done by consensus in Son Dureta University Hospital and afterwards sent to all Radiation Oncology Departments by the Spanish Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology. (author)

Development and characterization of a multi-layer magnetorheological elastomer isolator based on a Halbach array

Science.gov (United States)

Przybylski, Michal; Sun, Shuaishuai; Li, Weihua

2016-10-01

Most existing vibration isolators and dampers based on magnetorheological (MR) materials need electrical power to feed magnetic coils to stimulate the MR material, so if there is a loss of power, such as during a strong earthquake or system failure, they are unable to protect the structure. This paper outlines the design and test of a controllable multilayered magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) isolator based on a circular dipolar Halbach array; which is a set of magnets that generates a strong and uniform magnetic field. Combining an MRE layered isolator system with the Halbach array allows for constant vibration isolation with very low power consumption, where the power generated is only used to adjust the Halbach position. When this system was tested it successfully altered the lateral stiffness and damping force by 81.13% and 148.72%, respectively. This paper also includes an extended analysis of the magnetic field generated by the circular dipolar Halbach array and a discussion of the improvements that may potentially improve the range of magnetic fields generated.

Studies of the strong and electroweak interactions at the Z0 pole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hildreth, M.D.

1995-03-01

This thesis presents studies of the strong and electroweak forces, two of the fundamental interactions that govern the behavior of matter at high energies. The authors have used the hadronic decays of Z 0 bosons produced with the unique experimental apparatus of the e + e - Linear Collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and the SLAC Large Detector (SLD) for these measurements. Employing the precision tracking capabilities of the SLD, they isolated samples of Z 0 events containing primarily the decays of the Z 0 to a chosen quark type. With an inclusive selection technique, they have tested the flavor independence of the strong coupling, α s by measuring the rates of multi-jet production in isolated samples of light (uds), c, and b quark events. They find: α s uds /α s all 0.987 ± 0.027(stat) ± 0.022(syst) ± 0.022(theory), α s c /α s all = 1.012 ± 0.104(stat) ± 0.102(syst) ± 0.096(theory), α s b /α s all = 1.026 ± 0.041(stat) ± 0.030(theory), which implies that the strong interaction is independent of quark flavor within the present experimental sensitivity. They have also measured the extent of parity-violation in the Z 0 c bar c coupling, given by the parameter A c 0 , using a sample of fully and partially reconstructed D* and D + meson decays and the longitudinal polarization of the SLC electron beam. This sample of charm quark events was derived with selection techniques based on their kinematic properties and decay topologies. They find A c 0 = 0.73 ± 0.22(stat) ± 0.10(syst). This value is consistent with that expected in the electroweak standard model of particle interactions

Biotechnological potential of endophytic actinomycetes associated with Asteraceae plants: isolation, biodiversity and bioactivities.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanvir, Rabia; Sajid, Imran; Hasnain, Shahida

2014-04-01

Endophytic actinomycetes from five Asteraceae plants were isolated and evaluated for their bioactivities. From Parthenium hysterophorus, Ageratum conyzoides, Sonchus oleraceus, Sonchus asper and Hieracium canadense, 42, 45, 90, 3, and 2 isolates, respectively, were obtained. Of the isolates, 86 (47.2 %) showed antimicrobial activity. Majority of the isolates were recovered from the roots (n = 127, 69.7 %). The dominant genus was Streptomyces (n = 96, 52.7 %), while Amycolatopsis, Pseudonocardia, Nocardia and Micromonospora were also recovered. Overall, 36 of the 86 isolates were significantly bioactivity while 18 (20.9 %) showed strong bioactivity. In total, 52.1 and 66.6 % showed potent cytotoxicity and antioxidant activities. The LC50 for 15 strains was <20 μg/ml. Compared to the ascorbate standard (EC50 0.34 μg/ml), all isolates gave impressive results with notable EC50 values of 0.65, 0.67, 0.74 and 0.79 μg/ml.

Social isolation induces autophagy in the mouse mammary gland: link to increased mammary cancer risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumis, Allison; Cook, Katherine L; Andrade, Fabia O; Hu, Rong; Kidney, Emma; Zhang, Xiyuan; Kim, Dominic; Carney, Elissa; Nguyen, Nguyen; Yu, Wei; Bouker, Kerrie B; Cruz, Idalia; Clarke, Robert; Hilakivi-Clarke, Leena

2016-10-01

Social isolation is a strong predictor of early all-cause mortality and consistently increases breast cancer risk in both women and animal models. Because social isolation increases body weight, we compared its effects to those caused by a consumption of obesity-inducing diet (OID) in C57BL/6 mice. Social isolation and OID impaired insulin and glucose sensitivity. In socially isolated, OID-fed mice (I-OID), insulin resistance was linked to reduced Pparg expression and increased neuropeptide Y levels, but in group-housed OID fed mice (G-OID), it was linked to increased leptin and reduced adiponectin levels, indicating that the pathways leading to insulin resistance are different. Carcinogen-induced mammary tumorigenesis was significantly higher in I-OID mice than in the other groups, but cancer risk was also increased in socially isolated, control diet-fed mice (I-C) and G-OID mice compared with that in controls. Unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling (GRP78; IRE1) was upregulated in the mammary glands of OID-fed mice, but not in control diet-fed, socially isolated I-C mice. In contrast, expression of BECLIN1, ATG7 and LC3II were increased, and p62 was downregulated by social isolation, indicating increased autophagy. In the mammary glands of socially isolated mice, but not in G-OID mice, mRNA expressions of p53 and the p53-regulated autophagy inducer Dram1 were upregulated, and nuclear p53 staining was strong. Our findings further indicated that autophagy and tumorigenesis were not increased in Atg7(+/-) mice kept in social isolation and fed OID. Thus, social isolation may increase breast cancer risk by inducing autophagy, independent of changes in body weight. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.

A low loss Faraday isolator for squeezed vacuum injection in Advanced LIGO

Science.gov (United States)

Goetz, Ryan; Tanner, David; Mueller, Guido

2016-03-01

Using conventional interferometry, the strain sensitivity of Advanced LIGO is limited by a quantum noise floor known as the standard quantum limit (SQL). Injecting squeezed vacuum states into the output port of the interferometer allows for detector sensitivities below the SQL at frequencies within a band of observational interest. The effectiveness of squeezing in reducing quantum noise is strongly dependent upon the optical loss in the squeezed path. Thus, to combine the squeezed vacuum state with the interferometer output we require a Faraday isolator with both high power-throughput efficiency and high isolation ratio. A prototype isolator is currently being developed, and we will discuss the design goals and current status.

Characterization of veterinary hospital-associated isolates of Enterococcus species in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Yeon Soo; Kwon, Ka Hee; Shin, Sook; Kim, Jae Hong; Park, Yong Ho; Yoon, Jang Won

2014-03-28

Possible cross-transmission of hospital-associated enterococci between human patients, medical staff, and hospital environments has been extensively studied. However, limited information is available for veterinary hospital-associated Enterococcus isolates. This study investigated the possibility of cross-transmission of antibiotic-resistant enterococci between dog patients, their owners, veterinary staff, and hospital environments. Swab samples (n =46 5) were obtained from five veterinary hospitals in Seoul, Korea, during 2011. Forty-three Enterococcus strains were isolated, representing seven enterococcal species. E. faecalis and E. faecium were the most dominant species (16 isolates each, 37.2%). Although slight differences in the antibiotic resistance profiles were observed between the phenotypic and the genotypic data, our antibiogram analysis demonstrated high prevalence of the multiple drug-resistant (MDR) isolates of E. faecalis (10/16 isolates, 62.5%) and E. faecium (12/16 isolates, 75.0%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoretic comparison of the MDR isolates revealed three different clonal sets of E. faecalis and a single set of E. faecium, which were isolated from different sample groups or dog patients at the same or two separate veterinary hospitals. These results imply a strong possibility of cross-transmission of the antibiotic-resistant enterococcal species between animal patients, owners, veterinary staff, and hospital environments.

Guaranteed Unresolved Point Source Emission and the Gamma-ray Background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlidou, Vasiliki; Siegal-Gaskins, Jennifer M.; Brown, Carolyn; Fields, Brian D.; Olinto, Angela V.

2007-01-01

The large majority of EGRET point sources remain without an identified low-energy counterpart, and a large fraction of these sources are most likely extragalactic. Whatever the nature of the extragalactic EGRET unidentified sources, faint unresolved objects of the same class must have a contribution to the diffuse extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGRB). Understanding this component of the EGRB, along with other guaranteed contributions from known sources (blazars and normal galaxies), is essential if we are to use this emission to constrain exotic high-energy physics. Here, we follow an empirical approach to estimate whether the contribution of unresolved unidentified sources to the EGRB is likely to be important. Additionally, we discuss how upcoming GLAST observations of EGRET unidentified sources, their fainter counterparts, and the Galactic and extragalactic diffuse backgrounds, will shed light on the nature of the EGRET unidentified sources even without any positional association of such sources with low-energy counterparts

Automated Assume-Guarantee Reasoning for Omega-Regular Systems and Specifications

Science.gov (United States)

Chaki, Sagar; Gurfinkel, Arie

2010-01-01

We develop a learning-based automated Assume-Guarantee (AG) reasoning framework for verifying omega-regular properties of concurrent systems. We study the applicability of non-circular (AGNC) and circular (AG-C) AG proof rules in the context of systems with infinite behaviors. In particular, we show that AG-NC is incomplete when assumptions are restricted to strictly infinite behaviors, while AG-C remains complete. We present a general formalization, called LAG, of the learning based automated AG paradigm. We show how existing approaches for automated AG reasoning are special instances of LAG.We develop two learning algorithms for a class of systems, called infinite regular systems, that combine finite and infinite behaviors. We show that for infinity-regular systems, both AG-NC and AG-C are sound and complete. Finally, we show how to instantiate LAG to do automated AG reasoning for infinite regular, and omega-regular, systems using both AG-NC and AG-C as proof rules

Preliminary screening of bacterial isolates from mining wastes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodino S.,

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Developing innovative biotechnology for obtaining new resources of high tech critical metals is strongly influenced by the need to reduce the potential risk of shortages, to support the development of industry at European level. To set up these new technologies is essential to isolate strains with high potential in bioleaching of ore, tailings and mine wastes and bioaccumulation of high tech critical metals. Microorganisms are capable of mediating metal and mineral bioprecipitation. In this paper are presented preliminary studies performed for the isolation of strains existing in mining residues containing high tech critical metals. Were used samples collected from various depths in an area of mining wastes containing high tech critical metals. The samples were fine grounded and the powder was washed with sterile saline water. Exact quantities of samples were dispersed in sterile saline water, shaken for a period of 60 minutes, diluted and plated in triplicate on selective agar. After several steps were isolated 3 strains of gram negative bacteria.

The genetic basis of behavioral isolation between Drosophila mauritiana and D. sechellia.

Science.gov (United States)

McNabney, Daniel R

2012-07-01

Understanding how species form is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Identifying the genetic bases of barriers that prevent gene flow between species provides insight into how speciation occurs. Here, I analyze a poorly understood reproductive isolating barrier, prezygotic reproductive isolation. I perform a genetic analysis of prezygotic isolation between two closely related species of Drosophila, D. mauritiana and D. sechellia. I first confirm the existence of strong behavioral isolation between D. mauritiana females and D. sechellia males. Next, I examine the genetic basis of behavioral isolation by (1) scanning an existing set of introgression lines for chromosomal regions that have a large effect on isolation; and (2) mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie behavioral isolation via backcross analysis. In particular, I map QTL that determine whether a hybrid backcross female and a D. sechellia male will mate. I identify a single significant QTL, on the X chromosome, suggesting that few major-effect loci contribute to behavioral isolation between these species. In further work, I refine the map position of the QTL to a small region of the X chromosome. © 2012 The Author(s).

Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.

Science.gov (United States)

El Nagar, Aliya; MacColl, Andrew D C

2016-08-17

Spatial variation in parasitic infections is common, and has the potential to drive population divergence and the reproductive isolation of hosts. However, despite support from theory and model laboratory systems, little strong evidence has been forthcoming from the wild. Here, we show that parasites are likely to cause reproductive isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. Adjacent wild populations on the Scottish island of North Uist differ greatly and consistently in the occurrence of different parasites that have substantial effects on fitness. Laboratory-reared fish are more resistant to experimental infection by parasite species from their own population. Furthermore, hybrid backcrosses between the host populations are more resistant to parasites from the parental population to which they are more closely related. These patterns provide strong evidence that parasites can cause ecological speciation, by contributing to selection against migrants and ecologically dependent postmating isolation. © 2016 The Author(s).

Helium atoms and molecules in strong magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, K.

Recent theoretical studies have shown that the neutron star surface may be composed of helium or heavier elements as hydrogen may be quickly depleted by diffuse nuclear burning Chang Bildsten However while Hydrogen atmospheres have been studied in great details atomic data for helium is available only for He ion Pavlov Bezchastnov 2005 We performed Hartree-Fock type calculation for Helium atom and molecules and computed their binding ionization and dissociation energies in strong magnetic fields B sim10 12 -- 10 15 G We will present ionization balance of Helium atmospheres at typical magnetic field strengths and temperatures to radio-quiet neutron stars and AXPs We will also discuss several implications of helium atmosphere to X-ray data of isolated neutron stars focusing on the detected spectral features

Local particle flux reversal under strongly sheared flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terry, P.W.; Newman, D.E.; Ware, A.S.

2003-01-01

The advection of electron density by turbulent ExB flow with linearly varying mean yields a particle flux that can reverse sign at certain locations along the direction of magnetic shear. The effect, calculated for strong flow shear, resides in the density-potential cross phase. It is produced by the interplay between the inhomogeneities of magnetic shear and flow shear, but subject to a variety of conditions and constraints. The regions of reversed flux tend to wash out if the turbulence consists of closely spaced modes of different helicities, but survive if modes of a single helicity are relatively isolated. The reversed flux becomes negligible if the electron density response is governed by electron scales while the eigenmode is governed by ion scales. The relationship of these results to experimentally observe flux reversals is discussed

76 FR 21716 - Record of Decision for Issuance of Loan Guarantees to Solar Partners I, LLC; Solar Partners II...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-18

....37 billion in loan guarantees to support the financing of the ISEGS project. The conditional... operation of this project were analyzed in the Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment... comments, which BLM incorporated. DOE determined that the project analyzed in the Final EIS was...

Presence of pathogenicity island genes in Enterococcus faecalis isolates from pigs in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shankar, Nathan; Baghdayan, Arto S.; Willems, Rob

2006-01-01

Enterococcus faecalis isolates of porcine origin were screened for the presence of a previously identified pathogenicity island (PAI). By using the esp gene as a genetic marker for the presence of this PAI, 9 esp-positive and 10 esp-negative isolates of porcine origin were investigated by use...... of a designed oligonucleotide array. The results indicated the clustering of esp-positive strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), but surprisingly, all strains investigated contained parts of the PAL None of the strains of animal origin investigated belonged to previously identified MLST complex 2, where...... most isolates from patients cluster. Five of the nine esp-positive E. faecalis isolates of animal origin belonged to the same PAI complex as human isolate MMH594 but differed in their sequence types, which strongly indicates the horizontal transfer of the PAI between enterococci of porcine and human...

Using Kalman Filter to Guarantee QoS Robustness of Web Server

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2006-01-01

The exponential growth of the Internet coupled with the increasing popularity of dynamically generated content on the World Wide Web, has created the need for more and faster Web servers capable of serving the over 100 million Internet users. To converge the control method has emerged as a promising technique to solve the Web QoS problem. In this paper, a model of adaptive session is presented and a session flow self-regulating algorism based on Kalman Filter are proposed towards Web Server. And a Web QoS self-regulating scheme is advanced. To attain the goal of on-line system identification, the optimized estimation of QoS parameters is fulfilled by utilizing Kalman Filter in full domain. The simulation results shows that the proposed scheme can guarantee the QoS with both robustness and stability .

[Thermolabile drugs: pharmacist intervention as a guarantee of cold chain maintenance].

Science.gov (United States)

Ricote-Lobera, I; Santos-Mena, B; Fraile-Gil, S; Ortiz-Martín, B; Hidalgo-Correas, F J; García-Díaz, B

2014-05-01

To determine whether pharmacist is able to guarantee cold chain maintenance of thermolabile drugs during transport using the available information in the reception process and to compare these results with those obtained in a subsequent intervention phase, in which the manufacturing laboratories were contacted. Intervention study, prospective and comparative"before-after". It was analyzed the storage conditions during transport of all thermolabile drugs received in a 400-bed hospital for 3 months, excluding those from clinical trials. The intervention allowed to ensure cold chain maintenance in 76,5% (n = 488) of received drugs, representing an increase of 41,8% (IC 95% 36,7-46,6%; p cold chain maintenance of received thermolabile drugs without temperature monitoring device (64,6%). Reports requested from laboratories allowed to increase significantly that percentage. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

76 FR 62052 - Issuance of a Loan Guarantee to First Solar, Inc., for the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Issuance of a Loan Guarantee to First Solar, Inc., for the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy. ACTION: Record of decision. SUMMARY: The U.S... The proposed DSSFP is a photovoltaic solar electrical generating facility using commercial, thin-film...

Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of a New Highly Pathogenic Field Isolate of Mycobacterium avium spp. avium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liangquan Zhu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Avian tuberculosis is a chronic, contagious zoonotic disease affecting birds, mammals, and humans. The disease is most often caused by Mycobacterium avium spp. avium (MAA. Strain resources are important for research on avian tuberculosis and vaccine development. However, there has been little reported about the newly identified MAA strain in recent years in China. In this study, a new strain was isolated from a fowl with symptoms of avian tuberculosis by bacterial culture. The isolated strain was identified to be MAA by culture, staining, and biochemical and genetic analysis, except for different colony morphology. The isolated strain was Ziehl-Zeelsen staining positive, resistant to p-nitrobenzoic acid, and negative for niacin production, Tween-80 hydrolysis, heat stable catalase and nitrate production. The strain had the DnaJ gene, IS1245, and IS901, as well. Serum agglutination indicated that the MAA strain was of serotype 1. The MAA strain showed strong virulence via mortality in rabbits and chickens. The prepared tuberculin of the MAA strain had similar potency compared to the MAA reference strain and standard tuberculin via a tuberculin skin test. Our studies suggested that this MAA strain tends to be a novel subtype, which might enrich the strain resource of avian tuberculosis.

Isolation, enumeration, molecular identification and probiotic potential evaluation of lactic acid bacteria isolated from sheep milk

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L.B. Acurcio

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Lactic acid bacteria species were molecularly identified in milk from Lacaune, Santa Inês and crossbred sheep breeds and their in vitro probiotic potential was evaluated. The species identified were Enterococcus faecium (56.25%, E. durans (31.25% and E. casseliflavus (12.5%. No other lactic acid bacteria species, such as lactobacilli, was identified. Most of the isolated enterococci were resistant to gastric pH (2.0 and to 0.3% oxgall. All tested enterococci were resistant to ceftazidime, oxacillin and streptomycin and sensible to clindamycin, erythromycin and penicillin. The resistance to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, tetracycline and vancomycin varied among tested species. All tested enterococci strongly inhibited (P<0.05 Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes, moderately inhibited E. faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus and did not inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica var. Typhimurium and also one E. durans sample isolated from sheep milk. Four samples of E. faecium, one of E. durans and one of E. casseliflavus presented the best probiotic potential.

Use of an identification system based on biometric data for patients requiring transfusions guarantees transfusion safety and traceability.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennardello, Francesco; Fidone, Carmelo; Cabibbo, Sergio; Calabrese, Salvatore; Garozzo, Giovanni; Cassarino, Grazia; Antolino, Agostino; Tavolino, Giuseppe; Zisa, Nuccio; Falla, Cadigia; Drago, Giuseppe; Di Stefano, Giovanna; Bonomo, Pietro

2009-07-01

One of the most serious risks of blood transfusions is an error in ABO blood group compatibility, which can cause a haemolytic transfusion reaction and, in the most severe cases, the death of the patient. The frequency and type of errors observed suggest that these are inevitable, in that mistakes are inherent to human nature, unless significant changes, including the use of computerised instruments, are made to procedures. In order to identify patients who are candidates for the transfusion of blood components and to guarantee the traceability of the transfusion, the Securblood system (BBS srl) was introduced. This system records the various stages of the transfusion process, the health care workers involved and any immediate transfusion reactions. The patients and staff are identified by fingerprinting or a bar code. The system was implemented within Ragusa hospital in 16 operative units (ordinary wards, day hospital, operating theatres). In the period from August 2007 to July 2008, 7282 blood components were transfused within the hospital, of which 5606 (77%) using the Securblood system. Overall, 1777 patients were transfused. In this year of experience, no transfusion errors were recorded and each blood component was transfused to the right patient. We recorded 33 blocks of the terminals (involving 0.6% of the transfused blood components) which required the intervention of staff from the Service of Immunohaematology and Transfusion Medicine (SIMT). Most of the blocks were due to procedural errors. The Securblood system guarantees complete traceability of the transfusion process outside the SIMT and eliminates the possibility of mistaken identification of patients or blood components. The use of fingerprinting to identify health care staff (nurses and doctors) and patients obliges the staff to carry out the identification procedures directly in the presence of the patient and guarantees the presence of the doctor at the start of the transfusion.

Application of Shape Memory Alloys in Seismic Isolation: A Review

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Shaghayegh Alvandi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest in structural engineering control methods. Shape memory alloys and seismic isolation systems are examples of passive control systems that use of any one alone, effectively improve the seismic performance of the structure. Characteristics such as large strain range without any residual deformation, high damping capacity, excellent re-centering, high resistance to fatigue and corrosion and durability have made shape memory alloy an effective damping device or part of base isolators. A unique characteristic of shape memory alloys is in recovering residual deformations even after strong ground excitations. Seismic isolation is a device to lessen earthquake damage prospects. In the latest research studies, shape memory alloy is utilized in combination with seismic isolation system and their results indicate the effectiveness of the application of them to control the response of the structures. This paper reviews the findings of research studies on base isolation system implemented in the building and/or bridge structures by including the unique behavior of shape memory alloys. This study includes the primary information about the characteristic of the isolation system as well as the shape memory material. The efficiency and feasibility of the two mechanisms are also presented by few cases in point.

A Conflict-Free Low-Jitter Guaranteed-Rate MAC Protocol for Base-Station Communications in Wireless Mesh Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Szymanski, T. H.

A scheduling algorithm and MAC protocol which provides low-jitter guaranteed-rate (GR) communications between base-stations (BS) in a Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) is proposed. The protocol can provision long-term multimedia services such as VOIP, IPTV, or Video-on-Demand. The time-axis is partitioned into scheduling frames with F time-slots each. A directional antennae scheme is used to provide each directed link with a fixed transmission rate. A protocol such as IntServ is used to provision resources along an end-to-end path of BSs for GR sessions. The Guaranteed Rates between the BSs are then specified in a doubly stochastic traffic rate matrix, which is recursively decomposed to yield a low-jitter GR frame transmission schedule. In the resulting schedule, the end-to-end delay and jitter are small and bounded, and the cell loss rate due to primary scheduling conflicts is zero. For dual-channel WMNs, the MAC protocol can achieve 100% utilization, as well as near-minimal queueing delays and near minimal delay jitter. The scheduling time complexity is O(NFlogNF), where N is the number of BSs. Extensive simulation results are presented.

Isolation of chicken taste buds for real-time Ca2+ imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudo, Ken-ichi; Kawabata, Fuminori; Nomura, Toumi; Aridome, Ayumi; Nishimura, Shotaro; Tabata, Shoji

2014-10-01

We isolated chicken taste buds and used a real-time Ca2+ imaging technique to investigate the functions of the taste cells. With RT-PCR, we found that isolated chicken taste bud-like cell subsets express chicken gustducin messenger RNA. Immunocytochemical techniques revealed that the cell subsets were also immunopositive for chicken gustducin. These results provided strong evidence that the isolated cell subsets contain chicken taste buds. The isolated cell subsets were spindle-shaped and approximately 61-75 μm wide and 88-98 μm long, and these characteristics are similar to those of sectional chicken taste buds. Using Ca2+ imaging, we observed the buds' response to 2 mmol/L quinine hydrochloride (a bitter substance) and their response to a mixture of 25 mmol/L L-glutamic acid monopotassium salt monohydrate and 1 mmol/L inosine 5'-monophosphate disodium salt, umami substances. The present study is the first morphological demonstration of isolated chicken taste buds, and our results indicate that the isolated taste buds were intact and functional approaches for examining the taste senses of the chicken using Ca2+ imaging can be informative. © 2014 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Isolation of a variant Porphyromonas sp. from polymicrobial infections in central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).

Science.gov (United States)

Bemis, David A; Greenacre, Cheryl B; Bryant, Mary Jean; Jones, Rebekah D; Kania, Stephen A

2011-01-01

Isolates of gram-negative anaerobic bacteria from reptiles have only occasionally been identified to the genus and species level in the veterinary medical literature. In particular, reports identifying Porphyromonas spp. from infections in reptiles are scarce. The present report describes unique Porphyromonas isolates obtained from necrosuppurative infections in central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). The isolates grew in the presence of oxygen, were strongly hemolytic, and did not produce detectable black, iron porphyrin pigment. Biochemical identification kit numeric biocodes gave high but unreliable probabilities (>99.9%) for identification as Porphyromonas gingivalis. Partial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences of the isolates were identical to each other and shared 91% identity with those of Porphyromonas gulae. The isolates may represent a new reptile-associated Porphyromonas species.

Nuclear power: status, outlook, guarantees of sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherkasov, A.S.

2004-01-01

Full text: The principal advantages of nuclear power - almost unlimited fuel resources, its high energy capacity, ecological compatibility with a possibility of high wastes concentration - determine the large-scale nuclear power development. The signs of large-scale power - a large rate (dozens of percent) in electricity production, diverse areas (electricity, heat supply, technologies, transport) and media of application (land, ocean, space), extension of number of user countries, diversified power systems (centralized, autonomous), obligatory reproduction and reuse of produced fuel - create various requirements to nuclear power installations of the future. Economic efficiency and competitiveness, safety (of reactors and fuel cycle with waste), proper characteristics of nuclear fuel reproduction, guarantees of nuclear arm's non-proliferation and, particularly, public acceptance are the conditions of such nuclear power development. The up-to-date situation is the following: the 441 nuclear power-generation units with total installed power of 377.36 GW el. (in 31 countries) supply by 1/6 part of the world electric-power consumptions. The 32 units are in stage of the construction. To the present mid-century the level of the nuclear power production, as supposed, must be increased 4-5 times at the following scenario of a regional distribution of nuclear electric powers, GW: USA, Europe and developed countries of Eastern Asia - 1000, FSU-countries - 100 and developing countries - 400

The implementation of base isolation in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, J.M.

1993-01-01

The concept of base isolation as an innovative means of providing earthquake resistance to structural systems was met initially with a great deal of skepticism by the engineering community. Today, however, it is on the cutting edge of seismic-resistance engineering, as evidenced by the rapidly increasing number of buildings, both new construction and retrofit, using this earthquake-resistant technique. It is now generally accepted that a base-isolated building will perform better than a conventional fixed-base building in moderate or strong earthquakes. In the structures in which it has been used so far, the major benefit has been to reduce the effects of seismic forces on contents and internal equipment, more than justifying the increased cost of isolated construction. This review will mainly cover the development and application of base isolation to buildings in the US. The acceptance of this approach has been slow, but as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake there is an increasing interest in its use for repair of buildings damaged in that earthquake and for the retrofit of historic buildings that are considered vulnerable to earthquake loading. Base isolation may play a major role in the future in projects as diverse as advanced nuclear reactors and public housing in developing countries

76 FR 60475 - Issuance of a Loan Guarantee to Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, for the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy...

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2011-09-29

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Issuance of a Loan Guarantee to Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, for the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy. ACTION: Record of decision. SUMMARY: The U... and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), to Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC (TSE), for construction and...

Strong conservation of rhoptry-associated-protein-1 (RAP-1) locus organization and sequence among Babesia isolates infecting sheep from China (Babesia motasi-like phylogenetic group).

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Qingli; Valentin, Charlotte; Bonsergent, Claire; Malandrin, Laurence

2014-12-01

Rhoptry-associated-protein 1 (RAP-1) is considered as a potential vaccine candidate due to its involvement in red blood cell invasion by parasites in the genus Babesia. We examined its value as a vaccine candidate by studying RAP-1 conservation in isolates of Babesia sp. BQ1 Ningxian, Babesia sp. Tianzhu and Babesia sp. Hebei, responsible for ovine babesiosis in different regions of China. The rap-1 locus in these isolates has very similar features to those described for Babesia sp. BQ1 Lintan, another Chinese isolate also in the B. motasi-like phylogenetic group, namely the presence of three types of rap-1 genes (rap-1a, rap-1b and rap-1c), multiple conserved rap-1b copies (5) interspaced with more or less variable rap-1a copies (6), and the 3' localization of one rap-1c. The isolates Babesia sp. Tianzhu, Babesia sp. BQ1 Lintan and Ningxian were almost identical (average nucleotide identity of 99.9%) over a putative locus of about 31 Kb, including the intergenic regions. Babesia sp. Hebei showed a similar locus organization but differed in the rap-1 locus sequence, for each gene and intergenic region, with an average nucleotide identity of 78%. Our results are in agreement with 18S rDNA phylogenetic studies performed on these isolates. However, in extremely closely related isolates the rap-1 locus seems more conserved (99.9%) than the 18S rDNA (98.7%), whereas in still closely related isolates the identities are much lower (78%) compared with the 18S rDNA (97.7%). The particularities of the rap-1 locus in terms of evolution, phylogeny, diagnosis and vaccine development are discussed. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro antimicrobial activities of cinnamon bark oil, anethole, carvacrol, eugenol and guaiazulene against Mycoplasma hominis clinical isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Sleha, Radek; Mosio, Petra; Vydrzalova, Marketa; Jantovska, Alexandra; Bostikova, Vanda; Mazurova, Jaroslava

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of five natural substances against 50 clinical isolates of Mycoplasma hominis. The in vitro activity of selected natural compounds, cinnamon bark oil, anethole, carvacrol, eugenol and guaiazulene, was investigated against 50 M. hominis isolates cultivated from cervical swabs by the broth dilution method. All showed valuable antimicrobial activity against the tested isolates. Oil from the bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (MBC90 = 500 µg/mL) however was found to be the most effective. Carvacrol (MBC90 = 600 µg/mL) and eugenol (MBC90 = 1000 µg/mL) also possessed strong antimycoplasmal activity. The results indicate that cinnamon bark oil, carvacrol and eugenol have strong antimycoplasmal activity and the potential for use as antimicrobial agents in the treatment of mycoplasmal infections.

Seismic isolation structure for pool-type LMFBR - isolation building with vertically isolated floor for NSSS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, A.; Shiojiri, H.; Aoyagi, S.; Matsuda, T.; Fujimoto, S.; Sasaki, Y.; Hirayama, H.

1987-01-01

The NSSS isolation floor vibration characteristics were made clear. Especially, the side support bearing (rubber bearing) is effective for horizontal floor motion restraint and rocking motion control. Seismic isolation effects for responses of the reactor components can be sufficiently expected, using the vertical seismic isolation floor. From the analytical and experimental studies, the following has been concluded: (1) Seismic isolation structure, which is suitable for large pool-type LMFBR, were proposed. (2) Seismic response characteristics of the seismic isolation structure were investigated. It was made clear that the proposed seismic isolation (Combination of the isolated building and the isolated NSSS floor) was effective. (orig./HP)

Design of DC-DC Converter and its Control for a Wind Generation System Connected to an Isolated Load

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos A. Ramírez Gómez

2013-11-01

Full Text Available A method to design a Buck converter and its control, which are associated to a wind generation system that is feeding an isolated load, is presented in this paper. To design the converter a Thevenin equivalent is deduced, which represents the behavior of the wind turbine, the permanent magnet synchronous generator, and the rectifier. The design of the converter elements guarantees input/output voltages and inductor current ripples of 5 % or less. The output voltage control is developed with a proportional-integral-derivative controller and as design criteria a damping of 0,707 and cutoff frequency of 1/5 converter commutation frequency are selected. The designed controller regulates the output voltage faced load perturbations and wind speed variations. 

Interior point algorithms: guaranteed optimality for fluence map optimization in IMRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aleman, Dionne M [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King' s College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8 (Canada); Glaser, Daniel [Division of Optimization and Systems Theory, Department of Mathematics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden); Romeijn, H Edwin [Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2117 (United States); Dempsey, James F, E-mail: aleman@mie.utoronto.c, E-mail: romeijn@umich.ed, E-mail: jfdempsey@viewray.co [ViewRay, Inc. 2 Thermo Fisher Way, Village of Oakwood, OH 44146 (United States)

2010-09-21

One of the most widely studied problems of the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning problem is the fluence map optimization (FMO) problem, the problem of determining the amount of radiation intensity, or fluence, of each beamlet in each beam. For a given set of beams, the fluences of the beamlets can drastically affect the quality of the treatment plan, and thus it is critical to obtain good fluence maps for radiation delivery. Although several approaches have been shown to yield good solutions to the FMO problem, these solutions are not guaranteed to be optimal. This shortcoming can be attributed to either optimization model complexity or properties of the algorithms used to solve the optimization model. We present a convex FMO formulation and an interior point algorithm that yields an optimal treatment plan in seconds, making it a viable option for clinical applications.

Interior point algorithms: guaranteed optimality for fluence map optimization in IMRT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aleman, Dionne M; Glaser, Daniel; Romeijn, H Edwin; Dempsey, James F

2010-01-01

One of the most widely studied problems of the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning problem is the fluence map optimization (FMO) problem, the problem of determining the amount of radiation intensity, or fluence, of each beamlet in each beam. For a given set of beams, the fluences of the beamlets can drastically affect the quality of the treatment plan, and thus it is critical to obtain good fluence maps for radiation delivery. Although several approaches have been shown to yield good solutions to the FMO problem, these solutions are not guaranteed to be optimal. This shortcoming can be attributed to either optimization model complexity or properties of the algorithms used to solve the optimization model. We present a convex FMO formulation and an interior point algorithm that yields an optimal treatment plan in seconds, making it a viable option for clinical applications.

Isolation of full-length putative rat lysophospholipase cDNA using improved methods for mRNA isolation and cDNA cloning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, J.H.; Stratowa, C.; Rutter, W.J.

1987-01-01

The authors have cloned a full-length putative rat pancreatic lysophospholipase cDNA by an improved mRNA isolation method and cDNA cloning strategy using [ 32 P]-labelled nucleotides. These new methods allow the construction of a cDNA library from the adult rat pancreas in which the majority of recombinant clones contained complete sequences for the corresponding mRNAs. A previously recognized but unidentified long and relatively rare cDNA clone containing the entire sequence from the cap site at the 5' end to the poly(A) tail at the 3' end of the mRNA was isolated by single-step screening of the library. The size, amino acid composition, and the activity of the protein expressed in heterologous cells strongly suggest this mRNA codes for lysophospholipase

Biofilm formation, antimicrobial susceptibility, serogroups and virulence genes of uropathogenic E. coli isolated from clinical samples in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elahe Tajbakhsh

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Uropathogenic Escherichia coli O- Serogroups with their virulence factors are the most prevalent causes of UTIs. The present research performed to track common uropathogenic E.coli serogroups, antibiotic resistance pattern of strains and prevalence of virulence genes in isolations having the ability to constitute biofilm. Methods In this research 130 E.coli isolation from patients having UTI symptoms were collected and antimicrobial resistance pattern was performed by Kirby-Bauer method. Polymerase chain reaction was done using primer pairs to identify common serogroups of uropathogenic E.coli and studying virulence genes in isolations creating biofilm. Results Among 130 E.coli isolates, 80 (61.53 % were able to make biofilm that 15 isolates (18.75 % indicated strong reaction, 20 (25 % of medium and 45 (56.25 % of weak biofilm reaction. Among isolations creating biofilm, the highest resistance reported to Ampicillin (87.5 % and the lowest to Nitrofurantoin (3.75 %. The frequency of fimH, pap, sfa and afa genes in isolations having the ability to create strong biofilm reported 93.33 %, 86.66 %, 86.66 % and 66.66 %, respectively. Conclusions The findings indicated the importance of virulence genes in serogroups producing uropathogenic E.coli biofilm. It is recommended that strains producing biofilm before antibiotic use should be studied.

No evidence for extrinsic post-zygotic isolation in a wild Saccharomyces yeast system.

Science.gov (United States)

Charron, Guillaume; Landry, Christian R

2017-06-01

Although microorganisms account for the largest fraction of Earth's biodiversity, we know little about how their reproductive barriers evolve. Sexual microorganisms such as Saccharomyces yeasts rapidly develop strong intrinsic post-zygotic isolation, but the role of extrinsic isolation in the early speciation process remains to be investigated. We measured the growth of F 1 hybrids between two incipient species of Saccharomyces paradoxus to assess the presence of extrinsic post-zygotic isolation across 32 environments. More than 80% of hybrids showed either partial dominance of the best parent or over-dominance for growth, revealing no fitness defects in F 1 hybrids. Extrinsic reproductive isolation therefore likely plays little role in limiting gene flow between incipient yeast species and is not a requirement for speciation. © 2017 The Author(s).

78 FR 20317 - Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100...

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2013-04-04

... supplying information that competitors could use to compete with companies in the United States. DATES... or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100 Million: AP087223XX and AP087223XA AGENCY: Export-Import...''), that Ex-Im Bank has received an application for final commitment for a long-term loan or financial...

78 FR 20913 - Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100...

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2013-04-08

... the transaction: To support the export of U.S. manufactured commercial aircraft to China. Brief non... EXPORT-IMPORT BANK [Public Notice 2013-0024] Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100 million: AP087801XX AGENCY: Export-Import Bank of the United...

78 FR 33090 - Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100...

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2013-06-03

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A novel Arometic compound acts synergistically with a naturally occurring monoterpene to elicit strong behavioral responses in Asian citrus psyllid

Science.gov (United States)

Inscent, Inc. has developed methodologies for rapidly screening potential ligands of chemosensory proteins (CSPs) isolated from the antennae of target insects. These novel ligands, referred to as Arometics, mimic naturally-occurring odorants and may function as super-stimuli because of their strong ...

Trichomonas vaginalis clinical isolates: cytoadherence and adherence to polystyrene, intrauterine device, and vaginal ring.

Science.gov (United States)

Dos Santos, Odelta; Rigo, Graziela Vargas; Macedo, Alexandre José; Tasca, Tiana

2017-12-01

The parasitism by Trichomonas vaginalis is complex and in part is mediated by cytoadherence accomplished via five surface proteins named adhesins and a glycoconjugate called lipophosphoglycan (TvLPG). In this study, we evaluated the ability of T. vaginalis isolates to adhere to cells, plastic (polystyrene microplates), intrauterine device (IUD), and vaginal ring. Of 32 T. vaginalis isolates, 4 (12.5%) were strong adherent. The T. vaginalis isolates TV-LACM6 and TV-LACM14 (strong polystyrene-adherent) were also able to adhere to IUD and vaginal ring. Following chemical treatments, results demonstrated that the T. vaginalis components, lipophosphoglycan, cytoskeletal proteins, and surface molecules, were involved in both adherence to polystyrene and cytoadherence. The gene expression level from four adhesion proteins was highest in trophozoites adhered to cells than trophozoites adhered to the abiotic surface (polystyrene microplate). Our data indicate the major involvement of TvLPG in adherence to polystyrene, and that adhesins are important for cytoadherence. Furthermore, to our knowledge, this is the first report showing the T. vaginalis adherence to contraceptive devices, reaffirming its importance as pathogen among women in reproductive age.

The Effects of Geographic Isolation and Social Support on the Health of Wisconsin Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Tittman, Sarah M; Harteau, Christy; Beyer, Kirsten M M

2016-04-01

Rural residents are less likely to receive preventive health screening, more likely to be uninsured, and more likely to report fair to poor health than urban residents. Social disconnectedness and perceived isolation are known to be negative predictors of self-rated physical health; however, the direct effects of geographic isolation and social support on overall health have not been well elucidated. A cross-sectional survey of women (n = 113) participating in Wisconsin Rural Women's initiative programming was conducted, which included measures of geographic isolation, an assessment of overall health, and social support using the validated Interpersonal Support Evaluation List with 3 subscales, including belonging support, tangible support, and appraisal support. Geographic isolation was shown to be a negative predictor of belonging support (P = .0064) and tangible support (P = .0349); however, geographic isolation was not a statistically significant predictor of appraisal support. A strong and direct relationship was observed between social support and self-perceived health status among this population of Wisconsin women, and hospital access based on geographic proximity was positively correlated (P = .028) with overall health status. The direct relationship between social support and overall health demonstrated here stresses the importance of developing and maintaining strong social support networks, which can be improved through rural support groups that have the unique ability to assist rural residents in fostering social support systems, advocating stress management techniques, and achieving a greater sense of well-being.

THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE BANK DEPOSITS GUARANTEE PROBLEM SOLVING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.I. Pechonik

2006-12-01

Full Text Available In world banking practice it is considered that it is better to solve the problem of one bank, rather than arouse the mass impressment of deposits, generating the effect of spreading the disease onto the other credit institutions. In our conditions the process of spreading was specifically reflected in flowing the financial resources of people out of the commercial banks into Sberbank, that shortened drawn resources of other banks, lowed their financial steadiness. The decision of this problem demands conducting aim-oriented policy on the safe-keeping of funds of individuals and organizations in all commercial banks. In other words, the system of deposits insurance is needed, which is based on the necessary participation of all banks and credit organizations, drawing money resources into deposits. But the legislation we have nowadays does not allow to provide in full measure the demanded guarantees to depositors, to form real mechanism of bank liquidity crisis and mass impressments of financial resources by the depositors prevention in case of negative economic market or bankruptcy.

Isolated systems with wind power. An implementation guideline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clausen, N.E.; Bindner, H.; Frandsen, S.; Hansen, J.C.; Hansen, L.H.; Lundsager, P.

2001-06-01

The overall objective of this research project is to study the development of methods and guidelines rather than 'universal solutions' for the use of wind energy in isolated communities. So far most studies of isolated systems with wind power have been case-oriented and it has proven difficult to extend results from one project to another, not least due to the strong individuality that has characterised such systems in design and implementation. In the present report a unified and generally applicable approach is attempted in order to support a fair assessment of the technical and economical feasibility of isolated power supply systems with wind energy. General guidelines and checklists on which facts and data are needed to carry out a project feasibility analysis are presented as well as guidelines how to carry out the project feasibility study and the environmental analysis. The report outlines the results of the project as a set of proposed guidelines to be applied when developing a project containing an application of wind in an isolated power system. It is the author's hope that this will facilitate the development of projects and enhance electrification of small rural communities in developing countries. (au)

THE LEGAL PROBLEMS OF ESTABLISHING THE ADDITIONAL GUARANTEES OF REALIZATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS BY THE CONSTITUENT ENTITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

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Alexander Chuklin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The subject. The article focuses on the need to improve legislative and law enforcement activities related to the consolidation of constituent entities of the Russian Federation additional guarantees of realization of constitutional human and civil rights and freedoms.The purpose of the article is to identify main ways of improvement the legal regulation additional guarantees of realization of constitutional human and civil rights and freedoms by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.The methodology. The author uses a dialectical method, a method of analysis and synthesis, a formal legal method.The results and scope of application. The lack of unity in understanding the essence of additional guarantees of realization of rights and freedoms requires not only theoretical analysis of this legal category, but a consistent system of the legislation, and corresponding to the system of law enforcement practice. The legal establishment of the additional guarantees of realization of constitutional human and civil rights and freedoms, due solely to the will of the legislator of a constituent entitiy of the Russian Federation aimed at the concretization of constitutional rights and freedoms as well as of the security mechanisms (legal conditions, means of the implementation of these rights. Features of development of the corresponding constituent entitiy of the Russian Federation should be taken into account.One of the main directions of improvement of legal regulation in this field is legislative recognition of additional guarantees of realization of constitutional human and civil rights and freedoms established by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. This concept should be reflected in the Federal law of October 6, 1999 No. 184-FZ "On General principles of organization of legislative (representative and executive bodies of state power of constituent entities of the Russian Federation", as well as in the constitutions (charters

A Router Architecture for Connection-Oriented Service Guarantees in the MANGO Clockless Network-on-Chip

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Tobias; Sparsø, Jens

2005-01-01

On-chip networks for future system-on-chip designs need simple, high performance implementations. In order to promote system-level integrity, guaranteed services (GS) need to be provided. We propose a network-on-chip (NoC) router architecture to support this, and demonstrate with a CMOS standard...... cell design. Our implementation is based on clockless circuit techniques, and thus inherently supports a modular, GALS-oriented design flow. Our router exploits virtual channels to provide connection-oriented GS, as well as connection-less best-effort (BE) routing. The architecture is highly flexible...

Case study: A severe hailstorm and strong downbursts over northeastern Slovenia on June 16th 2009

Science.gov (United States)

Korosec, M.

2009-09-01

Introduction A strong isolated storm complex with bow echo feature crossed northeastern Slovenia in the late afternoon hours and caused extensive damage due to severe wind gusts near 30m/s, excessive rainfalls and large hail. Synoptic situation On June 16th 2009, an upper-level ridge persists over southern Europe while a positively tilted short-wave trough, connected to a complex deep trough over northern Europe, crosses central Europe. Accompanied by this trough, a cold front is extending southwestwards towards the Alps. A relatively strong jet steak wraps around the trough axis and creates strong shear environment which overlaps with a narrow band of unstable airmass present ahead of the coming frontal boundary. Behind this trough/front over central Europe, a high pressure area is developing with stable conditions. Over Slovenia, strong surface heating was on going through the day but lack of near-surface convergence zones, limited moisture and strong capping inversion surpressed any storm initiation in the afternoon. Presentation of research This case study will go through a research of damaging bow echo which caused extensive damage due to severe winds, excessive rainfalls and large hail over much of northeastern Slovenia. Numerous trees were down or uprooted and numerous roofs were blown off or were seriously damaged due to severe wind gusts near or exceeding 30m/s. At first stages, when an isolated severe storm entered Slovenia, it had classic high precipitation supercell features while it transformed into a powerful bow echo later on. Very large hail up to 6cm in diameter was first observed in southeast Austria and near the border with Slovenia, while later on the main threat was very strong wind gusts and intense rainfalls. This research paper will show a detailed analysis of the synoptic situation including analysis of satellite, radar and surface observations. Radar imagery clearly showed isolated storm trailing along the near-surface frontal boundary as

Physiological, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics of Ralstonia solanacearum Strains Isolated from Pepper Plants in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Kee Lee

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Totally sixty three bacteria were isolated from lower stems showing symptoms of bacterial wilt on pepper plants in 14 counties of 7 provinces, Korea. The isolates showed strong pathogenicity on red pepper (cv. Daewang and tomato (cv. Seogwang seedlings. All virulent bacteria were identified as Ralstonia solanacearum based on colony types, physiological and biochemical tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR. All R. solanacearum isolates from peppers were race 1. The bacterial isolates consisted of biovar 3 (27% and biovar 4 (73%. Based on polymorphic PCR bands generated by repetitive sequence (rep-PCR, the 63 R. solanacearum isolates were divided into 12 groups at 70% similarity level. These results will be used as basic materials for resistant breeding program and efficient control against bacterial wilt disease of pepper.

Notochord isolation using laser capture microdissection.

Science.gov (United States)

Santegoeds, R G C; Yakkioui, Y; Jahanshahi, A; Raven, G; Van Overbeeke, J J; Herrler, A; Temel, Y

2017-03-01

Chordoma are malignant tumors of the axial skeleton, which arise from remnants of the notochord. The Notochord (chorda dorsalis) is an essential embryonic structure involved in the development of the nervous system and axial skeleton. Therefore, the notochord seems to be the most biologically relevant control tissue to study chordoma in molecular biology research. Nevertheless, up to now mainly different tissues but not the notochord have been used as control for chordoma, due to difficulty of isolating notochordal tissue. Here, we describe a fast and precise method of isolating notochordal cells. Examination of human fetuses, with a gestation of 9, 11 and 13 weeks, using (immuno)histochemical methods was performed. To isolate pure notochord cells for further molecular biology investigation five flash frozen fetuses between 9 and 10 weeks of gestation were dissected by microtome slicing. Thereafter pure notochord cells for further molecular biology investigation where harvested by using laser capture microdissection (LCM). RNA was extracted from these samples and used in quantitative PCR. This study illustrates notochord of embryonic spines in three different stages of gestation (9-11-13 weeks). Immunohistochemical staining with brachyury showed strong staining of the notochord, but also weak staining of the intervertebral disc and vertebral body. LCM of notochord slices and subsequent total RNA extraction resulted in a good yield of total RNA. qPCR analysis of two housekeeping genes confirmed the quality of the RNA. LCM is a fast and precise method to isolate notochord and the quality and yield RNA extracted from this tissue is sufficient for qPCR analysis. Therefore early embryo notochord isolated by LCM is suggested to be the gold standard for future research in chordoma development, classification and diagnosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isolation of high quality graphene from Ru by solution phase intercalation

Science.gov (United States)

Koren, E.; Sutter, E.; Bliznakov, S.; Ivars-Barcelo, F.; Sutter, P.

2013-09-01

We introduce a method for isolating graphene grown on epitaxial Ru(0001)/α-Al2O3. The strong graphene/Ru(0001) coupling is weakened by electrochemically driven intercalation of hydrogen underpotentially deposited in aqueous KOH solution, which allows the penetration of water molecules at the graphene/Ru(0001) interface. Following these electrochemically driven processes, the graphene can be isolated by electrochemical hydrogen evolution and transferred to arbitrary supports. Raman and transport measurements demonstrate the high quality of the transferred graphene. Our results show that intercalation, typically carried out in vacuum, can be extended to solution environments for graphene processing under ambient conditions.

78 FR 69850 - Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-21

..., rail and port facilities in Australia. To the extent that Ex-Im Bank is reasonably aware, the item(s... EXPORT-IMPORT BANK [Public Notice: 2013-0054] Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100 Million: AP086750XX AGENCY: Export-Import Bank of the...

Preservation methods for isolates of ascochyta blight fungi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Marcinkowska

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Isolates of ascochyta blight fungi, two of Ascochyta pisi, four of Mycosphaerella pinodes and four of Phoma pinodella were stored: A - on slants under mineral oil, B - on CN's medium agar disks, and as conidial suspension: C - in glycerine, D · in water. Viability and pathogenicity of recovered cultures after each consecutive year were assesed from 1991 to 1999. The compared parameters were first of all strongly influenced by the preservation method, but fungus species and number of years had a minor importance. The best for longer storage was method "A" because after 9 years the isolates were viable, highly pathogenic, and cultures recovered from them were clean. Thc method "C'' is good for short keeping (2-3 years, as conidia in vials need only small space and gave clean cultures.

Analysis of potential self-guarantee tests for demonstrating financial assurance by non-profit colleges, universities, and hospitals and by business firms that do not issue bonds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bailey, P.; Dean, C.; Collier, J.; Dasappa, V.; Goldberg, W. [ICF, Inc., Fairfax, VA (United States)

1997-06-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on December 29, 1993, promulgated self-guarantee requirements that materials licensees may use to demonstrate financial assurance for decommissioning costs. However, nonprofit colleges and universities, nonprofit hospitals, and for-profit firms that do not issue bonds are currently precluded, by their unique accounting and financial reporting systems, or by other features of their business practices, from using the financial tests for self-guarantors adopted by the NRC. This Report evaluates several alternative financial tests that might serve as the basis for self-guarantee by these three categories of licensees.

Analysis of potential self-guarantee tests for demonstrating financial assurance by non-profit colleges, universities, and hospitals and by business firms that do not issue bonds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, P.; Dean, C.; Collier, J.; Dasappa, V.; Goldberg, W.

1997-06-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on December 29, 1993, promulgated self-guarantee requirements that materials licensees may use to demonstrate financial assurance for decommissioning costs. However, nonprofit colleges and universities, nonprofit hospitals, and for-profit firms that do not issue bonds are currently precluded, by their unique accounting and financial reporting systems, or by other features of their business practices, from using the financial tests for self-guarantors adopted by the NRC. This Report evaluates several alternative financial tests that might serve as the basis for self-guarantee by these three categories of licensees

Social Guarantee Programme: Principles for Classroom Procedure with Students Who Have Suffered Failure at School--The Spanish Educational System Case

Science.gov (United States)

Recio, R. Vazquez; Diaz, J. Ojeda

2010-01-01

The article explores the Social Guarantee Programmes, one measure at attending to diversity within the Spanish educational system. It is an alternative measure that aims to break away from the organisational structure of Obligatory Secondary Education, seeking an organisational model and educational strategies that pursue satisfactory results…

Final disposal of radioactive wastes in Switzerland: concept and overview of Project Guarantee 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1985-01-01

The validity of the operational licences of the existing Swiss nuclear power plants (NPP) Beznau I and II, Muehleberg, Goesgen and Leibstadt after 31st. December 1985 is, because of official requirements, dependent on the demonstration of permanent, safe management and final disposal of radioactive waste. For this purpose, the NPP companies have to prepare a so-called guarantee project and present this to the Bundesrat for review. The appropriate investigations and research have been carried out by Nagra (National Cooperative for the Storage of Radioactive Waste). The 1985 Project Gewaehr (Guarantee) is described in an eight volume report NGB 85-01 to 85-08 and individual research projects are reported on in separate NTB-series reference reports. The present volume NGB 85-01 takes the form of a self-contained project overview in which the concepts for nuclear waste management are described, the contents of the remaining volumes NGB 85-02 to 85-08 are summarized and Project conclusions are drawn from Project Gewaehr 1985. Project Gewaehr 1985 covers two repository types: Type C repository for high-level and certain alpha-containing intermediate-level waste, and Type B repository for all remaining intermediate- and low-level waste. The Project shows in detail that technical feasibility of final disposal can be assumed given presently available methods, that the technical safety barriers show a high level of efficiency and that suitable geological options are available to ensure long-term safety in Switzerland as the concept is defined by official requirements. The Project safety analyses show that the chosen disposal concepts assure the protection of mankind and the environment under all realistically anticipated conditions

Use of work-life balance benefits guaranteed by law in Poland - Do size of the enterprise and gender matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Merecz-Kot, Dorota; Drabek, Marcin; Stańczak, Aleksander; Andysz, Aleksandra; Jacukowicz, Aleksandra

2017-07-26

The paper is aimed at indicating the similarities and differences in use of benefits supporting work-life balance (WLB) between women and men working in Polish small/medium and large enterprises. The sample included 556 workers (311 women, 245 men), aged 20-68 years old employed on the basis of employment contracts for at least a year in Polish enterprises. The respondents completed a questionnaire on the use of benefits guaranteed by the Polish Labour Code, referring to their current workplaces. Women took maternity leaves and returned to the same work position after using childcare leaves more often than men. Men took leaves on demand more often than women. Our results also showed that in comparison to women working in smaller enterprises, those working in large enterprises were more likely to use almost all the analyzed WLB benefits - paid days off to take care of others, educational leaves, leaves on demand, maternity leaves and return to the same work position after childcare leave, reduction of business trips when pregnant or having young children and breastfeeding breaks. The size of enterprise, however, did not differentiate the take-up of benefits among the studied men. Our analysis brought unexpected results on the lack of common availability of the WLB benefits guaranteed by the law in the case of employees who worked on the basis of employment contracts. We also found that women used most of child rearing benefits guaranteed by the law more often than men, which might reflect still a traditional division of child care responsibilities in Poland. Med Pr 2017;68(5):575-581. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Guaranteed cost control of mobile sensor networks with Markov switching topologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yuan; Guo, Ge; Ding, Lei

2015-09-01

This paper investigates the consensus seeking problem of mobile sensor networks (MSNs) with random switching topologies. The network communication topologies are composed of a set of directed graphs (or digraph) with a spanning tree. The switching of topologies is governed by a Markov chain. The consensus seeking problem is addressed by introducing a global topology-aware linear quadratic (LQ) cost as the performance measure. By state transformation, the consensus problem is transformed to the stabilization of a Markovian jump system with guaranteed cost. A sufficient condition for global mean-square consensus is derived in the context of stochastic stability analysis of Markovian jump systems. A computational algorithm is given to synchronously calculate both the sub-optimal consensus controller gains and the sub-minimum upper bound of the cost. The effectiveness of the proposed design method is illustrated by three numerical examples. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

变额年金保险中最低提取利益保证的定价模型研究%Pricing Model Study on the Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit in Variable Annuities

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

邓庆彪; 李方方

2012-01-01

Insurance Regulatory Commission hasn＇t allowed the domestic insurance companies issue this type of Variable Annuities. As isthe most popular guarantee on foreign markets, GMWB does well in meeting the needs of retirement income. It is necessary for our market. country to make up how to apply this type of guarantee in our Besides these, GMWB has three important features, which are step-up features, roll-up features and the bonus features. Step-up ： If the portfolio does well and the contract value exceeds the guaranteed withdrawal balance, then it is reset higher, equal to the contract value. These resets are allowed at certain intervals. Roll-up ： If the insured doesn＇t withdrawal after the commencement of the extraction crease. Penalty： If the withdrawal amount is greater than the will be deducted the amount of the penalty payment. Now China＇ Variable Annuities market has just started, period, the guaranteed withdrawal balance will inpercentage agreed in the contract, the excess amount and the insurance companies who got the authorizations are positively preparing for this new product. But there are very few literatures about Variable Annuities, especially the price models of different guarantees, so this paper＇ studies have a strong practical significance. The article＇s target is to provide references for the domestic insurance companies on theory and practice. During the first part of this paper, the definition of Variable Annuities and different guarantees are given. The second part reviews literatures on GMWB recent years home and abroad. The third part firstly introduces three common additional terms of GMWB, and then provides a numerical example of the payoff from a GMWB rider on two different sceneries （on good or bad market）. Then in the context of good market, we add the step-up features, rollup features and the bonus features into a GMWB rider respectively, and give numerical examples of these. The fourth part gives a pricing model on GMWB

Isolation and characterization of pigmented bacteria showing antimicrobial activity from Malaysian marine environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad, A.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: Natural products play a prominent role in the discovery of leads for the development of drugs in the treatment ofhuman diseases. Much of nature remains to be explored, especially marine and microbial environments.Methodology and results: Fifty-five pigmented marine bacteria were isolated from sponges, seawater, mangrovesediment, sea cucumber and mussel from different coastal area of Malaysia. The antimicrobial activities of thesebacteria were investigated by disk diffusion method against pathogenic bacteria. Out of 55 isolates, 18 isolates exhibitedantimicrobial activity, which based on morphological characterization, 53% of them were Gram positive and 47% wereGram negative. All active isolates were able to tolerate more than 4% NaCl in the nutrient agar medium that indicatedthey were autochthonous to marine environment and moderate salt tolerant in nature. Molecular identification of isolatesby the strong antimicrobial activities indicates that isolates WPRA3 (JX020764 and SM11-3j belong to genus Serratiaand isolate SDPM1 (JQ083392 belongs to genus Zooshikella.Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The results of present study revealed that the active isolates arepotential producer of antimicrobial secondary metabolites and might be utilized as drug candidate.

78 FR 67144 - Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-08

... EXPORT-IMPORT BANK [Public Notice 2013-0050] Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100 Million: AP086418XX AGENCY: Export-Import Bank of the United...) of the Charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (``Ex-Im Bank''), that Ex-Im Bank has...

A set-theoretic model reference adaptive control architecture for disturbance rejection and uncertainty suppression with strict performance guarantees

Science.gov (United States)

Arabi, Ehsan; Gruenwald, Benjamin C.; Yucelen, Tansel; Nguyen, Nhan T.

2018-05-01

Research in adaptive control algorithms for safety-critical applications is primarily motivated by the fact that these algorithms have the capability to suppress the effects of adverse conditions resulting from exogenous disturbances, imperfect dynamical system modelling, degraded modes of operation, and changes in system dynamics. Although government and industry agree on the potential of these algorithms in providing safety and reducing vehicle development costs, a major issue is the inability to achieve a-priori, user-defined performance guarantees with adaptive control algorithms. In this paper, a new model reference adaptive control architecture for uncertain dynamical systems is presented to address disturbance rejection and uncertainty suppression. The proposed framework is predicated on a set-theoretic adaptive controller construction using generalised restricted potential functions.The key feature of this framework allows the system error bound between the state of an uncertain dynamical system and the state of a reference model, which captures a desired closed-loop system performance, to be less than a-priori, user-defined worst-case performance bound, and hence, it has the capability to enforce strict performance guarantees. Examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed set-theoretic model reference adaptive control architecture.

Velocity effect on aptamer-based circulating tumor cell isolation in microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Yuan; Tan, Jifu; Asghar, Waseem; Kim, Young-tae; Liu, Yaling; Iqbal, Samir M

2011-12-01

The isolation and detection of rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been one of the focuses of intense research recently. In a microfluidic device, a number of factors can influence the enrichment capability of surface-bound probe molecules. This article analyzes the important factor of flow velocity in a microfluidic channel. The competition of surface-grafted anti-EGFR aptamers to bind the overexpressed EGFR on cell membranes against the drag force from the fluid flow is an important efficiency determining factor. The flow rate variations are applied both in experiments and in simulation models to study their effects on CTC capture efficiency. A mixture of mononuclear cells and human Glioblastoma cells is used to isolate cancer cells from the cellular flow. The results show interdependence between the adhesion probability, isolation efficiency, and flow rate. This work can help in designing flow-through lab-on-chip devices that use surface-bound probe affinities against overexpressed biomarkers for cell isolation. This work demonstrates that microfluidic based approaches have strong potential applications in CTC detection and isolation. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Weakly Isolated horizons: first order actions and gauge symmetries

Science.gov (United States)

Corichi, Alejandro; Reyes, Juan D.; Vukašinac, Tatjana

2017-04-01

The notion of Isolated Horizons has played an important role in gravitational physics, being useful from the characterization of the endpoint of black hole mergers to (quantum) black hole entropy. With an eye towards a canonical formulation we consider general relativity in terms of connection and vierbein variables and their corresponding first order actions. We focus on two main issues: (i) The role of the internal gauge freedom that exists, in the consistent formulations of the action principle, and (ii) the role that a 3  +  1 canonical decomposition has in the allowed internal gauge freedom. More concretely, we clarify in detail how the requirement of having well posed variational principles compatible with general weakly isolated horizons (WIHs) as internal boundaries does lead to a partial gauge fixing in the first order descriptions used previously in the literature. We consider the standard Hilbert-Palatini action together with the Holst extension (needed for a consistent 3  +  1 decomposition), with and without boundary terms at the horizon. We show in detail that, for the complete configuration space—with no gauge fixing—, while the Palatini action is differentiable without additional surface terms at the inner WIH boundary, the more general Holst action is not. The introduction of a surface term at the horizon—that renders the action for asymptotically flat configurations differentiable—does make the Holst action differentiable, but only if one restricts the configuration space and partially reduces the internal Lorentz gauge. For the second issue at hand, we show that upon performing a 3  +  1 decomposition and imposing the time gauge, there is a further gauge reduction of the Hamiltonian theory in terms of Ashtekar-Barbero variables to a U(1)-gauge theory on the horizon. We also extend our analysis to the more restricted boundary conditions of (strongly) isolated horizons as inner boundary. We show that even when the

Weakly Isolated horizons: first order actions and gauge symmetries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corichi, Alejandro; Reyes, Juan D; Vukašinac, Tatjana

2017-01-01

The notion of Isolated Horizons has played an important role in gravitational physics, being useful from the characterization of the endpoint of black hole mergers to (quantum) black hole entropy. With an eye towards a canonical formulation we consider general relativity in terms of connection and vierbein variables and their corresponding first order actions. We focus on two main issues: (i) The role of the internal gauge freedom that exists, in the consistent formulations of the action principle, and (ii) the role that a 3  +  1 canonical decomposition has in the allowed internal gauge freedom. More concretely, we clarify in detail how the requirement of having well posed variational principles compatible with general weakly isolated horizons (WIHs) as internal boundaries does lead to a partial gauge fixing in the first order descriptions used previously in the literature. We consider the standard Hilbert–Palatini action together with the Holst extension (needed for a consistent 3  +  1 decomposition), with and without boundary terms at the horizon. We show in detail that, for the complete configuration space—with no gauge fixing—, while the Palatini action is differentiable without additional surface terms at the inner WIH boundary, the more general Holst action is not. The introduction of a surface term at the horizon—that renders the action for asymptotically flat configurations differentiable—does make the Holst action differentiable, but only if one restricts the configuration space and partially reduces the internal Lorentz gauge. For the second issue at hand, we show that upon performing a 3  +  1 decomposition and imposing the time gauge, there is a further gauge reduction of the Hamiltonian theory in terms of Ashtekar–Barbero variables to a U (1)-gauge theory on the horizon. We also extend our analysis to the more restricted boundary conditions of (strongly) isolated horizons as inner boundary. We show that even when

Methodology for Monitoring Sustainable Development of Isolated Microgrids in Rural Communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Rahmann

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Microgrids are a rapidly evolving and increasingly common form of local power generation used to serve the needs of both rural and urban communities. In this paper, we present a methodology to evaluate the evolution of the sustainability of stand-alone microgrids projects. The proposed methodology considers a composite sustainability index (CSI that includes both positive and negative impacts of the operation of the microgrid in a given community. The CSI is constructed along environmental, social, economic and technical dimensions of the microgrid. The sub-indexes of each dimension are aggregated into the CSI via a set of adaptive weighting factors, which indicate the relative importance of the corresponding dimension in the sustainability goals. The proposed methodology aims to be a support instrument for policy makers especially when defining sound corrective measures to guarantee the sustainability of small, isolated microgrid projects. To validate the performance of the proposed methodology, a microgrid installed in the northern part of Chile (Huatacondo has been used as a benchmarking project.

Chlorophyll biosynthesis and assembly into chlorophyll-protein complexes in isolated developing chloroplasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhaya, D.; Castelfranco, P.A.

1985-01-01

Isolated developing plastids from greening cucumber cotyledons or from photoperiodically grown pea seedlings incorporated 14 C-labeled 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) into chlorophyll (Chl). Incorporation was light dependent, enhanced by S-adenosylmethionine, and linear for 1 hr. The in vitro rate of Chl synthesis from ALA was comparable to the in vivo rate of Chl accumulation. Levulinic acid and dioxoheptanoic acid strongly inhibited Chl synthesis but not plastid protein synthesis. Neither chloramphenicol nor spectinomycin affected Chl synthesis, although protein synthesis was strongly inhibited. Components of thylakoid membranes from plastids incubated with [ 14 C]ALA were resolved by electrophoresis and then subjected to autoradiography. This work showed that (i) newly synthesized Chl was assembled into Chl-protein complexes and (ii) the inhibition of protein synthesis during the incubation did not alter the labeling pattern. Thus, there was no observable short-term coregulation between Chl synthesis (from ALA) and the synthesis of membrane proteins in isolated plastids

Effects of gamma-rays on an indigenous Bacillus isolate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong Bor Chyan; Liew Pauline Woan Ying; Ahmad Zainuri Mohd Dzomir; Siti Khadijah Abu Hadin; Nabilahuda Mohd Tumirin

2010-01-01

A preliminary study was carried out with the aim to obtain strong cellulolytic bacteria by ionizing radiation using a 60 Co source. An indigenous cellulolytic Bacillus sp. NMBCC 10023 originally isolated from soil origin was used in the study. The harvested bacterial pellets from overnight growth cultures were exposed to gamma-irradiation with doses ranging from 1 kGy to 40 kGy. The numbers of surviving bacteria on agar plate decreased as the gamma irradiation dose increased. No isolates were recovered after exposure to doses greater than 10 kGy. Based on the cell count using plate count method, the 90 % lethal dose (LD90) of gamma radiation of Bacillus sp. NMBCC 10023 was between 2-4 kGy. (author)

Perceived social isolation moderates the relationship between early childhood trauma and pulse pressure in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Norman, Greg J; Hawkley, Louise; Ball, Aaron; Berntson, Gary G; Cacioppo, John T

2013-06-01

Over a million children are subjected to some form of trauma in the United States every year. Early trauma has been shown to have deleterious effects on cardiovascular health in adulthood. However, the presence of strong social relationships as an adult can buffer an individual against many of the harmful effects of early trauma. Furthermore, the perception of social isolation has been shown to be a significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and is a strong predictor of all cause mortality. One likely mechanism thought to underlie the influence of perceived isolation on health is changes in arterial stiffness. One of the more widely used measures of arterial stiffness in older individuals is pulse pressure. The goal of the present study was to determine whether early childhood trauma is associated with elevations on pulse pressure. Furthermore, this study sought to determine whether perceived social isolation moderates the relationship between early trauma and pulse pressure. Results revealed that individuals with low perceived social isolation displayed no significant relationship between early trauma and pulse pressure. However, individuals who reported higher levels of perceived isolation showed a significant positive association between early trauma and pulse pressure. Therefore, the detrimental effects of early trauma may be partially dependent upon the quality of social relationships as an adult. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal isolates on growth and arsenic accumulation in Plantago lanceolata L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orłowska, Elżbieta; Godzik, Barbara; Turnau, Katarzyna

2012-01-01

The role of indigenous and non-indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on As uptake by Plantago lanceolata L. growing on substrate originating from mine waste rich in As was assessed in a pot experiment. P. lanceolata inoculated with AMF had higher shoot and root biomass and lower concentrations of As in roots than the non-inoculated plants. There were significant differences in As concentration and uptake between different AMF isolates. Inoculation with the indigenous isolate resulted in increased transfer of As from roots to shoots; AMF from non-polluted area apparently restricted plants from absorbing As to the tissue; and plants inoculated with an AMF isolate from Zn–Pb waste showed strong As retainment within the roots. Staining with dithizone indicated that AMF might be actively involved in As accumulation. The mycorrhizal colonization affected also the concentration of Cd and Zn in roots and Pb concentration, both in shoots and roots. - Highlights: ► The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in As uptake was studied. ► Growth of Plantago lanceolata was significantly enhanced by mycorrhizal inoculation. ► Arsenic concentration and uptake significantly depended on the AMF isolate. ► Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may be useful for bioremediation of As contaminated wastes. - Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on As uptake by Plantago lanceolata strongly depends on the origin of fungal isolates.

Measurement and optimization of the light collection uniformity in strongly tapered PWO crystals of the PANDA detector

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Stefan; Bremer, Daniel; Brinkmann, Kai-Thomas; Dormenev, Valery; Eissner, Tobias; Novotny, Rainer W.; Rosenbaum, Christoph; Zaunick, Hans-Georg; PANDA Collaboration

2017-06-01

The uniformity of the light collection is a crucial parameter for detectors based on inorganic scintillation crystals to guarantee a response proportional to the deposited energy. Especially in case of tapered crystals, like they are widely used to realize a 4π geometry of electromagnetic calorimeters (EMC) in high energy physics experiments, a strong non-uniformity is introduced by an additional focusing of the scintillation light due to the tapered geometry. The paper will discuss the determination and the reduction of the non-uniformity in strongly tapered lead tungstate crystals as used for the construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the PANDA detector at the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR). Among different concepts for an uniformization a single de-polished lateral side face provided the optimum result with a remaining non-uniformity below 5% in good agreement with similar studies for the CMS ECAL at LHC. The impact on the achievable energy resolution in the energy regime of photons below 800 MeV is discussed in detail in comparison to GEANT4 simulations. The comparison of the response of two arrays with polished and de-polished crystals, respectively, shows in the latter case a significant improvement of the constant term of the parametrization of the energy resolution down to 0.5% accompanied by only very slight increase of the statistical term.

Measurement and optimization of the light collection uniformity in strongly tapered PWO crystals of the PANDA detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diehl, Stefan; Bremer, Daniel; Brinkmann, Kai-Thomas; Dormenev, Valery; Eissner, Tobias; Novotny, Rainer W.; Rosenbaum, Christoph; Zaunick, Hans-Georg

2017-06-11

The uniformity of the light collection is a crucial parameter for detectors based on inorganic scintillation crystals to guarantee a response proportional to the deposited energy. Especially in case of tapered crystals, like they are widely used to realize a 4π geometry of electromagnetic calorimeters (EMC) in high energy physics experiments, a strong non-uniformity is introduced by an additional focusing of the scintillation light due to the tapered geometry. The paper will discuss the determination and the reduction of the non-uniformity in strongly tapered lead tungstate crystals as used for the construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the PANDA detector at the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR). Among different concepts for an uniformization a single de-polished lateral side face provided the optimum result with a remaining non-uniformity below 5% in good agreement with similar studies for the CMS ECAL at LHC. The impact on the achievable energy resolution in the energy regime of photons below 800 MeV is discussed in detail in comparison to GEANT4 simulations. The comparison of the response of two arrays with polished and de-polished crystals, respectively, shows in the latter case a significant improvement of the constant term of the parametrization of the energy resolution down to 0.5% accompanied by only very slight increase of the statistical term.

Use of work–life balance benefits guaranteed by law in Poland – Do size of the enterprise and gender matter?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Merecz-Kot

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The paper is aimed at indicating the similarities and differences in use of benefits supporting work–life balance (WLB between women and men working in Polish small/medium and large enterprises. Material and Methods: The sample included 556 workers (311 women, 245 men, aged 20–68 years old employed on the basis of employment contracts for at least a year in Polish enterprises. The respondents completed a questionnaire on the use of benefits guaranteed by the Polish Labour Code, referring to their current workplaces. Results: Women took maternity leaves and returned to the same work position after using childcare leaves more often than men. Men took leaves on demand more often than women. Our results also showed that in comparison to women working in smaller enterprises, those working in large enterprises were more likely to use almost all the analyzed WLB benefits – paid days off to take care of others, educational leaves, leaves on demand, maternity leaves and return to the same work position after childcare leave, reduction of business trips when pregnant or having young children and breastfeeding breaks. The size of enterprise, however, did not differentiate the take-up of benefits among the studied men. Conclusions: Our analysis brought unexpected results on the lack of common availability of the WLB benefits guaranteed by the law in the case of employees who worked on the basis of employment contracts. We also found that women used most of child rearing benefits guaranteed by the law more often than men, which might reflect still a traditional division of child care responsibilities in Poland. Med Pr 2017;68(5:575–581

Characterization of airag collected in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with emphasis on isolated lactic acid bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Suk-Ho

2016-01-01

Airag, alcoholic sour-tasting beverage, has been traditionally prepared by Mongolian nomads who naturally ferment fresh mares' milk. Biochemical and microbiological compositions of airag samples collected in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and physiological characteristics of isolated lactic acid bacteria were investigated. Protein composition and biochemical composition were determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria were identified based on nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA gene. Carbohydrate fermentation, acid survival, bile resistance and acid production in skim milk culture were determined. Equine whey proteins were present in airag samples more than caseins. The airag samples contained 0.10-3.36 % lactose, 1.44-2.33 % ethyl alcohol, 1.08-1.62 % lactic acid and 0.12-0.22 % acetic acid. Lactobacillus (L.) helveticus were major lactic acid bacteria consisting of 9 isolates among total 18 isolates of lactic acid bacteria. L. helveticus survived strongly in PBS, pH 3.0 but did not grow in MRS broth containing 0.1 % oxgall. A couple of L. helveticus isolates lowered pH of skim milk culture to less than 4.0 and produced acid up to more than 1.0 %. Highly variable biochemical compositions of the airag samples indicated inconsistent quality due to natural fermentation. Airag with low lactose content should be favorable for nutrition, considering that mares' milk with high lactose content has strong laxative effect. The isolates of L. helveticus which produced acid actively in skim milk culture might have a major role in production of airag.

Pasting and extrusion properties of mixed carbohydrates and whey protein isolate matrices

Science.gov (United States)

Mixed systems of whey protein isolate (WPI) or texturized WPI (tWPI) and different starches may form weak or strong gel pastes or rigid matrices depending on interactions. The paste viscoelasticity of starches from amioca, barley, corn starch, Hylon VII, plantain, and pea starch, mixed with whey pro...

Science Education Is No Guarantee of Skepticism.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, W. Richard; Hoekstra, Steven J.; Vogl, Rodney J.

2002-01-01

Examines the relationship between science knowledge and pseudoscientific beliefs. Uses a survey method in the study and investigates paranormal beliefs as a whole. Concludes that strong scientific knowledge does not prevent a person from having pseudoscientific beliefs. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

Characterizing full matrix constants of piezoelectric single crystals with strong anisotropy using two samples

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Liguo; Zhang, Yang; Cao, Wenwu

2016-10-01

Although the self-consistency of the full matrix material constants of a piezoelectric sample obtained by the resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy technique can be guaranteed because all constants come from the same sample, it is a great challenge to determine the constants of a piezoelectric sample with strong anisotropy because it might not be possible to identify enough resonance modes from the resonance spectrum. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a strategy to use two samples of similar geometries to increase the number of easy identifiable modes. Unlike the IEEE resonance methods, sample-to-sample variation here is negligible because the two samples have almost the same dimensions, cut from the same specimen and poled under the same conditions. Using this method, we have measured the full matrix constants of a [011]c poled 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 single crystal, which has 17 independent constants. The self-consistency of the obtained results is checked by comparing the calculated elastic stiffness constants c33 D , c44 D , and c55 D with those directly measured ones using the ultrasonic pulse-echo method.

Isolation of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis from Milk by Immunomagnetic Separation

OpenAIRE

Grant, Irene R.; Ball, Hywel J.; Rowe, Michael T.

1998-01-01

An immunomagnetic separation (IMS) technique was developed to facilitate selective isolation of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis cells from milk. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies against radiation-killed intact M. paratuberculosis cells were produced and used to coat sheep anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) type M-280 Dynabeads. The rabbit anti-M. paratuberculosis IgG-coated beads (IMB) reacted strongly with laboratory strains of M. paratuberculosis as determined by slide agglutination, and microsc...

Molecular epidemiology of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolated from horses in California.

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, Dionei J; Dorneles, Elaine M S; Spier, Sharon J; Carroll, Scott P; Edman, Judy; Azevedo, Vasco A; Heinemann, Marcos B; Lage, Andrey P

2017-04-01

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar Equi is an important pathogen of horses. It is increasing in frequency in the United States, and is responsible for various clinical forms of infection, including external abscesses, internal abscesses of the abdominal or thoracic cavities, and ulcerative lymphangitis. The host/pathogen factors dictating the form or severity of infection are currently unknown. Our recent investigations have shown that genotyping C. pseudotuberculosis isolates using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR is useful for understanding the evolutionary genetics of the species as well for molecular epidemiology studies. The aims of the present study were to assess (i) the genetic diversity of C. pseudotuberculosis strains isolated from horses in California, United States and (ii) the epidemiologic relationships among isolates. One hundred and seven C. pseudotuberculosis biovar Equi isolates from ninety-five horses, and two C. pseudotuberculosis biovar Ovis strains, C. pseudotuberculosis ATCC 19410 T type strain and C. pseudotuberculosis 1002 vaccine strain, were fingerprinted using the ERIC 1+2-PCR. C. pseudotuberculosis isolated from horses showed a high genetic diversity, clustering in twenty-seven genotypes with a diversity index of 0.91. Minimal spanning tree showed four major clonal complexes with a pattern of temporal clustering. Strains isolated from the same horse showed identical ERIC 1+2-PCR genotype, with the exception of two strains isolated from the same animal that showed distinct genotypes, suggesting a co-infection. We found no strong genetic signals related to clinical form (including internal versus external infections). However, temporal clustering of genotypes was observed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Genetic and serological typing of European infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) isolates

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, T.; Einer-Jensen, K.; Batts, W.; Ahrens, P.; Bjorkblom, C.; Kurath, G.; Bjorklund, H.; Lorenzen, N.

2009-01-01

Infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) causes the lethal disease infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) in juvenile salmon and trout. The nucleocapsid (N) protein gene and partial glycoprotein (G) gene (nucleotides 457 to 1061) of the European isolates IT-217A, FR-32/87, DE-DF 13/98 11621, DE-DF 4/99-8/99, AU-9695338 and RU-FR1 were sequenced and compared with IHNV isolates from the North American genogroups U, M and L. In phylogenetic studies the N gene of the Italian, French, German and Austrian isolates clustered in the M genogroup, though in a different subgroup than the isolates from the USA. Analyses of the partial G gene of these European isolates clustered them in the M genogroup close to the root while the Russian isolate clustered in the U genogroup. The European isolates together with US-WRAC and US-Col-80 were also tested in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the N protein. MAbs 136-1 and 136-3 reacted equally at all concentrations with the isolates tested, indicating that these antibodies identify a common epitope. MAb 34D3 separated the M and L genogroup isolates from the U genogroup isolate. MAb 1DW14D divided the European isolates into 2 groups. MAb 1DW14D reacted more strongly with DE-DF 13/98 11621 and RU-FR1 than with IT-217A, FR- 32/87, DE-DF 4/99-8/99 and AU-9695338. In the phylogenetic studies, the Italian, French, German and Austrian isolates clustered in the M genogroup, whereas in the serological studies using MAbs, the European M genogroup isolates could not be placed in the same specific group. These results indicate that genotypic and serotypic classification do not correlate. ?? 2009 Inter-Research.

Enzyme activity screening of thermophilic bacteria isolated from Dusun Tua Hot Spring, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Msarah, Marwan; Ibrahim, Izyanti; Aqma, Wan Syaidatul

2018-04-01

Thermophilic bacteria have biotechnological importance due to the availability of unique enzymes which are stable in extreme circumstances. The aim of this study includes to isolate thermophilic bacteria from hot spring and screen for important enzyme activities. Water samples from the Dusun Tua Hot Spring were collected and the physiochemical characterisation of water was measured. Eight thermophilic bacteria were isolated and determined to have at least three strong enzyme activity including protease, lipase, amylase, cellulase, pectinase and xylanase. The results showed that HuluC2 displayed all the enzyme activities and can be further studied.

Studies on fibrolytic bacterium Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens isolated from sheep rumen

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Sawanon, S.

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Fibrolytic Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens was an attractive target for genetic engineering in rumen bacteria. The experiment was initiated in making culture collection of this species, some of which may be useful ascandidate strain in the future. Hay suspended in sheep rumen was used as the source of isolates. The source was enriched with filter paper degradation, diluted with an anaerobic solution and used for pure culturing bya roll tube technique. After colony forming, Gram-negative curved rods bacteria were selected and screened for further identification with volatile fatty acid (VFA profiling and 16S rDNA sequencing. Fibrolyticstrains were selected to find fibrolytic enzymes and attachment to and digestion of various fibers. Fortyseven strains of Gram-negative curved rods were isolated. After determining cellulase, xylanase activities and VFA profile, 2 strains were chosen and employed for 16S rDNA sequencing. Both strains producingbutyrate were B. fibrisolvens. Of these 2 strains, most fibrolytic S-28 was selected. The strain S-28 could degrade natural fibers but not cellulose and showed strong attachment to them. A strong xylanase activitywas detected and presence of cellulase, β-glucosidase, β-xylosidase, α-L-arabinofuranosidase and β- cellobiosidase were also demonstrated.

Reproductive isolation among allopatric Drosophila montana populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Jackson H; Snook, Rhonda R; Hoikkala, Anneli

2014-11-01

An outstanding goal in speciation research is to trace the mode and tempo of the evolution of barriers to gene flow. Such research benefits from studying incipient speciation, in which speciation between populations has not yet occurred, but where multiple potential mechanisms of reproductive isolation (RI: i.e., premating, postmating-prezygotic (PMPZ), and postzygotic barriers) may act. We used such a system to investigate these barriers among allopatric populations of Drosophila montana. In all heteropopulation crosses we found premating (sexual) isolation, which was either symmetric or asymmetric depending on the population pair compared. Postmating isolation was particularly strong in crosses involving males from one of the study populations, and while sperm were successfully transferred, stored, and motile, we experimentally demonstrated that the majority of eggs produced were unfertilized. Thus, we identified the nature of a PMPZ incompatibility. There was no evidence of intrinsic postzygotic effects. Measures of absolute and relative strengths of pre- and postmating barriers showed that populations differed in the mode and magnitude of RI barriers. Our results indicate that incipient RI among populations can be driven by different contributions of both premating and PMPZ barriers occurring between different population pairs and without the evolution of postzygotic barriers. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

The documental management of the Educational Secretary as guarantee of legality in the control of the university processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neyda Armenteros Arencibia

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The pedagogic professional formation aspires to obtain superior results in the documental management in order to guarantee the required confidence in the norms and p rocedures. The present article deal the theoretical bases that should be took into account for such aspiration, making emphasis in the characteristics of this process in the faculty of Infantile Education of the U CP the Pinar del Río.

Strongly correlated impurity band superconductivity in diamond: X-ray spectroscopic evidence

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G. Baskaran

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In a recent X-ray absorption study in boron doped diamond, Nakamura et al. have seen a well isolated narrow boron impurity band in non-superconducting samples and an additional narrow band at the chemical potential in a superconducting sample. We interpret the beautiful spectra as evidence for upper Hubbard band of a Mott insulating impurity band and an additional metallic 'mid-gap band' of a conducting 'self-doped' Mott insulator. This supports the basic framework of a recent theory of the present author of strongly correlated impurity band superconductivity (impurity band resonating valence bond, IBRVB theory in a template of a wide-gap insulator, with no direct involvement of valence band states.

Resources transfer and centralization in Brazilian electrical sector: the reversion global reserve (RGR) and the guarantee global reserve (GGR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza Amaral Filho, J.B. de.

1991-01-01

This dissertation makes the analysis of resources transfer and centralization in Brazilian electrical sector, through reversion global reserve (RGR) and guarantee global reserve (GGR). RGR and GGR are funds. RGR finances sectorial investments in electric power and GGR aims the supply of deficient concessionaires. Governmental investments and the results of this application are showing. (M.V.M.). 55 refs, 2 figs, 61 tabs

Strong alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti): involvement of luminal Na+/K+-ATPase.

Science.gov (United States)

Onken, Horst; Patel, Malay; Javoroncov, Margarita; Izeirovski, Sejmir; Moffett, Stacia B; Moffett, David F

2009-03-01

Recently, Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase has been detected in the luminal membrane of the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) with immunohistochemical techniques. In this study, the possible involvement of this ATPase in strong alkalinization was investigated on the level of whole larvae, isolated and perfused midgut preparations and on the molecular level of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase protein. Ouabain (5 mM) did not inhibit the capability of intact larval mosquitoes to alkalinize their anterior midgut. Also in isolated and perfused midgut preparations the perfusion of the lumen with ouabain (5 mM) did not result in a significant change of the transepithelial voltage or the capacity of luminal alkalinization. Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity was completely abolished when KCl was substituted with choline chloride, suggesting that the enzyme cannot act as an ATP-driven Na(+)/H(+)-exchanger. Altogether the results of the present investigation indicate that apical Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase is not of direct importance for strong luminal alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes.

Antifungal Screening of Bioprotective Isolates against Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium pallidoroseum and Fusarium moniliforme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoinette de Senna

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The fungi Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium pallidoroseum, and Fusarium moniliforme are the causative agents of several plant diseases and can cause significant crop loss both before and after harvest. Fungicides are employed to control these phytopathogens, but fungicide use has led to an increase in resistance and may negatively affect the environment and human health. Hence, more environmentally sustainable solutions such as biological control methods are needed. The purpose of this study was to screen 22 bacterial isolates for inhibitory activity against fungal phytopathogens. To evaluate antifungal activity, the bacterial isolates were individually spot-inoculated onto Tryptic Soy Agar or de Man, Rogosa, Sharpe agar, and then a plug of fungal-colonized agar was placed onto the center of the isolate-inoculated plate. Plates were incubated at 24 °C for 10 days and fungal growth was evaluated. Nine of the 22 isolates screened inhibited all three fungi; inhibition by these isolates ranged from 51–62%, 60–68%, and 40–61% for B. cinerea, F. pallidoroseum, and F. moniliforme, respectively. Isolates were also screened for biosurfactant activity using the drop-collapse test. Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus thuringiensis and three Bacillus amyloliquefaciens isolates demonstrated strong biosurfactant activity and suppression of all three fungi, and therefore are recommended for further study.

MOTIVATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTS – GUARANTEE OF GOOD ADMINISTRATION

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Adelin Mihai ZĂGĂRIN

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The present article deals with the aspects of motivating administrative acts, both doctrinaire and practical, of jurisprudence. The duty of the administration to motivate its decisions is submitted in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, art. 41. In the current European legal order, the rationale for administrative acts is considered and refers to one of the most important conditions of validity of the administrative act. The Romanian Constitution ensures and emphasizes the motivation, as it is imposed by the Charter. The realization of this fundamental right to motivate administrative acts is possible by calling upon a set of values from the administration, such as transparency, professionalism and the imposition of high quality standards. Motivation is achieved where we have a good administration, and whether citizens are, among other things, respected fundamental rights and freedoms, access to information is guaranteed and motivated their decisions. Although administrative normative acts are motivated by the administration, examples that show that individual ones are unmotivated or incompletely motivated are enough, which made the various employers legally answer for the non-motivation of their decisions to terminate work relationships with several of the employees. The motivation of administrative acts is necessary, mandatory and must be done with rigor. It is highlighted that inadequate, incomplete or vicious reasoning may result in suspension or even annulment of the administrative act by the court.

The guarantee of the consistency of patient information through modality worklist among PACS, RIS and imaging equipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Min; Peng Chenglin; Wang Xiaolin; Luo Song; Lei Wenyong; Wang Kang; Wang Xuejian; Wen Hongyu; Wu Hongxing

2003-01-01

Objective: To realize the consistency of patient information through modality worklist among picture archiving and communication system (PACS), radiology information systems (RIS), and imaging equipments. Methods: Many digital modalities including GE Signa 1.5 T MR system, digital mammography, Agfa digital radiography, computed radiography, GE CT, and etc were installed in our hospital. Since the GE PACS system was in English version, the images were saved and the information was managed to PACS without a truly worklist. Two months later, while still using the previous PACS, the consistency of patient information was resolved through modality worklist by adopting the international advanced approach to realize thread worklist of digital imaging and communication in medicine. The information in Chinese will be transformed into information in English in RIS system and saved as the English information to worklist. Results: After the implementation and integration of PACS and RIS was achieved in my hospital, the consistency of patient information was guaranteed through modality worklist between RIS and imaging equipments and the first-rate effect was acquired. The patient information could be checked, edited, and created by using the Chinese RIS system on all diagnostic workstations. Conclusion: The consistency of patient information through modality worklist was realized among PACS, RIS, and imaging equipments, yet at present, the question of guarantee the consistency of patient information must be thought over in PACS building

Integrated optical isolators using magnetic surface plasmon (Presentation Recording)

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Hiromasa; Kaihara, Terunori; Umetsu, Saori; Hosoda, Masashi

2015-09-01

Optical isolators are one of the essential components to protect semiconductor laser diodes (LDs) from backward reflected light in integrated optics. In order to realize optical isolators, nonreciprocal propagation of light is necessary, which can be realized by magnetic materials. Semiconductor optical isolators have been strongly desired on Si and III/V waveguides. We have developed semiconductor optical isolators based on nonreciprocal loss owing to transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect, where the ferromagnetic metals are deposited on semiconductor optical waveguides1). Use of surface plasmon polariton at the interface of ferromagnetic metal and insulator leads to stronger optical confinement and magneto-optic effect. It is possible to modulate the optical confinement by changing the magnetic field direction, thus optical isolator operation is proposed2, 3). We have investigated surface plasmons at the interfaces between ferrimagnetic garnet/gold film, and applications to waveguide optical isolators. We assumed waveguides composed of Au/Si(38.63nm)/Ce:YIG(1700nm)/Si(220nm)/Si , and calculated the coupling lengths between Au/Si(38.63nm)/Ce:YIG plasmonic waveguide and Ce:YIG/Si(220nm)/Si waveguide for transversely magnetized Ce:YIG with forward and backward directions. The coupling length was calculated to 232.1um for backward propagating light. On the other hand, the coupling was not complete, and the length was calculated to 175.5um. The optical isolation by using the nonreciprocal coupling and propagation loss was calculated to be 43.7dB when the length of plasmonic waveguide is 700um. 1) H. Shimizu et al., J. Lightwave Technol. 24, 38 (2006). 2) V. Zayets et al., Materials, 5, 857-871 (2012). 3) J. Montoya, et al, J. Appl. Phys. 106, 023108, (2009).

Guarantee-bond: main concepts and overview of its application within the bidding process involving inactive areas with marginal accumulations of petroleum and natural gas; Seguro-garantia: conceituacao e panorama de sua aplicacao no processo licitatorio envolvendo areas inativas com acumulacoes marginais

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eduardo, Antonio Sergio; Herrmann, Hildebrando [Universidade ERstadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil); Ferreira, Doneivan Fernandes [Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The Brazilian Petroleum Agency has been working on the adoption of an efficient financial guarantee system in order to ensure the fulfillment of contractual obligations in upstream-related activities. This process is aimed at: creating incentives for responsible behavior in the industry; attending current demands from society for efficiency and transparency; attending to industries demands for the maintenance of investment flows within the sector; safeguarding the government against financial liabilities caused by irresponsible or insolvent concessionaires; and keeping the sector attractive and competitive for small and medium companies. Within the bidding process for the concession of inactive areas with marginal accumulations, ANP requires two kinds of guarantees: a bidding guarantee, and a PTI guarantee (for obligations under the Initial Work Program-PTI). In both cases, the ANP allows two kinds of financial instruments: 'Seguros-Garantia' and 'Letters of Credit'. According to bidding rules, guarantees must be presented before the bidding process. This instrument ensures that the winner will sign the concession contract. The PTI guarantee ensures performance in a timely fashion. This paper describes and analyzes the instrument 'Seguro-Garantia', its evolution, existing categories, and applicability. (author)

Strong-back safety latch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeSantis, G.N.

1995-01-01

The calculation decides the integrity of the safety latch that will hold the strong-back to the pump during lifting. The safety latch will be welded to the strong-back and will latch to a 1.5-in. dia cantilever rod welded to the pump baseplate. The static and dynamic analysis shows that the safety latch will hold the strong-back to the pump if the friction clamps fail and the pump become free from the strong-back. Thus, the safety latch will meet the requirements of the Lifting and Rigging Manual for under the hook lifting for static loading; it can withstand shock loads from the strong-back falling 0.25 inch

Biofilm-Forming Abilities of Listeria monocytogenes Serotypes Isolated from Different Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Doijad, Swapnil P.; Barbuddhe, Sukhadeo B.; Garg, Sandeep; Poharkar, Krupali V.; Kalorey, Dewanand R.; Kurkure, Nitin V.; Rawool, Deepak B.; Chakraborty, Trinad

2015-01-01

A total of 98 previously characterized and serotyped L. monocytogenes strains, comprising 32 of 1/2a; 20 of 1/2b and 46 of 4b serotype, from clinical and food sources were studied for their capability to form a biofilm. The microtiter plate assay revealed 62 (63.26%) strains as weak, 27 (27.55%) strains as moderate, and 9 (9.18%) strains as strong biofilm formers. Among the strong biofilm formers, 6 strains were of serotype 1/2a and 3 strains were of serotype 1/2b. None of the strain from 4b serotype exhibited strong biofilm formation. No firm correlation (p = 0.015) was noticed between any serotype and respective biofilm formation ability. Electron microscopic studies showed that strong biofilm forming isolates could synthesize a biofilm within 24 h on surfaces important in food industries such as stainless steel, ceramic tiles, high-density polyethylene plastics, polyvinyl chloride pipes, and glass. Cell enumeration of strong, moderate, and weak biofilm was performed to determine if the number of cells correlated with the biofilm-forming capabilities of the isolates. Strong, moderate, and weak biofilm showed 570±127× 103 cells/cm2, 33±26× 103 cells/cm2, 5±3× 103 cells/cm2, respectively, indicating that the number of cells was directly proportional to the strength of the biofilm. The hydrophobicity index (HI) analysis revealed higher hydrophobicity with an increased biofilm formation. Fatty acid methyl esterase analysis revealed the amount of certain fatty acids such as iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, and anteiso-C17:0 fatty acids correlated with the biofilm-forming capability of L. monocytogenes. This study showed that different strains of L. monocytogenes form biofilm of different intensities which did not completely correlate with their serotype; however, it correlated with the number of cells, hydrophobicity, and amount of certain fatty acids. PMID:26360831

Biofilm-Forming Abilities of Listeria monocytogenes Serotypes Isolated from Different Sources.

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Swapnil P Doijad

Full Text Available A total of 98 previously characterized and serotyped L. monocytogenes strains, comprising 32 of 1/2a; 20 of 1/2b and 46 of 4b serotype, from clinical and food sources were studied for their capability to form a biofilm. The microtiter plate assay revealed 62 (63.26% strains as weak, 27 (27.55% strains as moderate, and 9 (9.18% strains as strong biofilm formers. Among the strong biofilm formers, 6 strains were of serotype 1/2a and 3 strains were of serotype 1/2b. None of the strain from 4b serotype exhibited strong biofilm formation. No firm correlation (p = 0.015 was noticed between any serotype and respective biofilm formation ability. Electron microscopic studies showed that strong biofilm forming isolates could synthesize a biofilm within 24 h on surfaces important in food industries such as stainless steel, ceramic tiles, high-density polyethylene plastics, polyvinyl chloride pipes, and glass. Cell enumeration of strong, moderate, and weak biofilm was performed to determine if the number of cells correlated with the biofilm-forming capabilities of the isolates. Strong, moderate, and weak biofilm showed 570±127× 103 cells/cm2, 33±26× 103 cells/cm2, 5±3× 103 cells/cm2, respectively, indicating that the number of cells was directly proportional to the strength of the biofilm. The hydrophobicity index (HI analysis revealed higher hydrophobicity with an increased biofilm formation. Fatty acid methyl esterase analysis revealed the amount of certain fatty acids such as iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, and anteiso-C17:0 fatty acids correlated with the biofilm-forming capability of L. monocytogenes. This study showed that different strains of L. monocytogenes form biofilm of different intensities which did not completely correlate with their serotype; however, it correlated with the number of cells, hydrophobicity, and amount of certain fatty acids.

Methylobacterium sp. isolated from a Finnish paper machine produces highly pyruvated galactan exopolysaccharide.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoef, R.P.; Waard, de P.; Schols, H.A.; Siika-aho, M.; Voragen, A.G.J.

2003-01-01

The slime-forming bacterium Methylobacterium sp. was isolated from a Finnish paper machine and its exopolysaccharide (EPS) was produced on laboratory scale. Sugar compositional analysis revealed a 100% galactan (EPS). However, FT-IR showed a very strong peak at 1611 cm-1 showing the presence of

Incisional left atrial isolation for ablation of atrial fibrillation in mitral valve surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Graffigna, Angelo; Branzoli, Stefano; Sinelli, Stefano; Vigano, Mario

2009-01-01

The renewed interest in surgical techniques for atrial fibrillation (AF) limited to the left atrium has risen the importance of the original technique of left atrial isolation by means of surgical incision. Transmurality of lesions and cost containment are strong elements to be appreciated in this technique.

Low genetic diversity and strong population structure shaped by anthropogenic habitat fragmentation in a critically endangered primate, Trachypithecus leucocephalus.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, W; Qiao, Y; Li, S; Pan, W; Yao, M

2017-06-01

Habitat fragmentation may strongly impact population genetic structure and reduce the genetic diversity and viability of small and isolated populations. The white-headed langur (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) is a critically endangered primate species living in a highly fragmented and human-modified habitat in southern China. We examined the population genetic structure and genetic diversity of the species and investigated the environmental and anthropogenic factors that may have shaped its population structure. We used 214 unique multi-locus genotypes from 41 social groups across the main distribution area of T. leucocephalus, and found strong genetic structure and significant genetic differentiation among local populations. Our landscape genetic analyses using a causal modelling framework suggest that a large habitat gap and geographical distance represent the primary landscape elements shaping genetic structure, yet high levels of genetic differentiation also exist between patches separated by a small habitat gap or road. This is the first comprehensive study that has evaluated the population genetic structure and diversity of T. leucocephalus using nuclear markers. Our results indicate strong negative impacts of anthropogenic land modifications and habitat fragmentation on primate genetic connectivity between forest patches. Our analyses suggest that two management units of the species could be defined, and indicate that habitat continuity should be enforced and restored to reduce genetic isolation and enhance population viability.

Characterization of parasporin gene harboring Indian isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis

OpenAIRE

Lenina, N. K.; Naveenkumar, A.; Sozhavendan, A. E.; Balakrishnan, N.; Balasubramani, V.; Udayasuriyan, V.

2013-01-01

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is popularly known as insecticidal bacterium. However, non-insecticidal Bt strains are more extensively available in natural environment than the insecticidal ones. Parasporin (PS) is a collection of genealogically heterogeneous Cry proteins synthesized in non-insecticidal isolates of Bt. An important character generally related with PS proteins is their strong cytocidal activity preferentially on human cancer cells of various origins. Identification and characteri...

Constitutional principles of the state policy in the area of guaranteeing the ownership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ю. С. Гаєвська

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Problem’s setting. The economic rights and freedoms, namely the ownership have an important place in the economic system. Improvement of legal regulation concerning the state policy in the area of the ownership requires detailed regulation at the constitutional level, because of the high level of corruption and crime rate in economic relations. These negative consequences are primarily provoked by low level of democratic procedures’ efficiency and the mechanism of realizing economic rights. Analysis of recent research and publications. Some aspects of this issue have been the matter of studies of a number of Ukrainian and foreign scholars. The notion of the state policy was studied in the works of: V. Tertychka, O. Kucherenko, P. Fris, etc. Issues concerning the state policy in the economic sphere were the interest of: V. Ustimenko, V. Mamutov, V. Selivanov, O. Skupinskyi, D. Zadykhailo, Yu. Bysiah, I. Kresin and others. The objective of this paper is to determine the general principles of the state policy in the area of guaranteeing the ownership, to establish their content, place and significance for the economic system and to formulate the definition of the concept of the state policy in the area of the ownership. The main part: Development and realization of the constructive state policy in the economic sphere will lead to the stabilization of economic relations; reduce violations of the economic rights granted by the Constitution; increase the trust of public to the state apparatus; increasing the public sense of security by the state. Constitutional acts become the major legal factor in social, state and legal development. The Constitution is a source of the state economic policy; it has the policy character and performs the predictive function. The scholars repeatedly note that there is the necessity to amend the constitutional provisions of the Main Law relating to the economic system, including the allocation of a separate section

Isolation of a nitrate-reducing bacteria strain from oil field brine and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB) strain with vigorous growth, strong nitrate reduction ability, strain B9 2-1, was isolated from Suizhong36-1 oilfield, its routine identification and analysis of 16S rRNA and also the competitive inhibition experiments with the enrichment of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were carried out.

The Amoebicidal Effect of Ergosterol Peroxide Isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Meza-Menchaca, Thuluz; Suárez-Medellín, Jorge; Del Ángel-Piña, Christian; Trigos, Ángel

2015-12-01

Dysentery is an inflammation of the intestine caused by the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica and is a recurrent health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Because of the magnitude of this disease, finding novel strategies for treatment that does not affect human cells is necessary. Ergosterol peroxide is a sterol particularly known as a major cytotoxic agent with a wide spectrum of biological activities produced by edible and medicinal mushrooms. The aim of this report is to evaluate the amoebicidal activity of ergosterol peroxide (5α, 8α-epidioxy-22E-ergosta-6,22-dien-3β-ol isolated from 5α, 8α-epidioxy-22E-ergosta-6,22-dien-3β-ol) (Jacq.) P. Kumm. f. sp. Florida. Our results show that ergosterol peroxide produced a strong cytotoxic effect against amoebic growth. The inhibitory concentration IC50 of ergosterol peroxide was evaluated. The interaction between E. histolytica and ergosterol peroxide in vitro resulted in strong amoebicidal activity (IC50  = 4.23 nM) that may be due to the oxidatory effect on the parasitic membrane. We also tested selective toxicity of ergosterol peroxide using a cell line CCL-241, a human epithelial cell line isolated from normal human fetal intestinal tissue. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the cytotoxicity of ergosterol peroxide against E. histolytica, which uncovers a new biological property of the lipidic compound isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. f. sp. Florida. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The relationship between intraspecific assortative mating and reproductive isolation between divergent populations

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Daniel I. BOLNICK, Mark KIRKPATRICK

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The term 'assortative mating' has been applied to describe two very different phenomena: (1 the tendency for individuals to choose phenotypically similar mates from among conspecifics; or (2 the tendency to prefer conspecific over hete- rospecific mates (behavioral reproductive isolation. Both forms of assortative mating are widespread in nature, but the relationship between these behaviors remains unclear. Namely, it is plausible that a preference for phenotypically similar conspecifics incidentally reduces the probability of mating with phenotypically divergent heterospecifics. We present a model to calculate how the level of reproductive isolation depends on intraspecific assortative mating and the phenotypic divergence between species. For empirically reasonable levels of intraspecific assortment on a single trait axis, we show that strong reproductive isolation requires very substantial phenotypic divergence. We illustrate this point by applying our model to empirical data from threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus and Darwin’s Finches (Geospiza spp. We conclude that typical levels of intraspecific assortment cannot generally be extrapolated to explain levels of interspecific reproductive isolation. Instead, reproductive isolation between species likely arises from different mate choice behaviors, or multivariate assortative mating [Current Zoology 58 (3: 481–489, 2012].

Plasmodium falciparum parasites expressing pregnancy-specific variant surface antigens adhere strongly to the choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haase, Rikke N; Megnekou, Rosette; Lundquist, Maja

2006-01-01

Placenta-sequestering Plasmodium falciparum parasites causing pregnancy-associated malaria express pregnancy-specific variant surface antigens (VSA(PAM)). We report here that VSA(PAM)-expressing patient isolates adhere strongly to the choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo and that the BeWo line can...... be used to efficiently select for VSA(PAM) expression in vitro....

Study on biofilm-forming properties of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Taj, Yasmeen; Essa, Farhan; Aziz, Faisal; Kazmi, Shahana Urooj

2012-05-14

The purpose of this study was to observe the formation of biofilm, an important virulence factor, by isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in Pakistan by different conventional methods and through electron microscopy. We screened 115 strains of S. aureus isolated from different clinical specimens by tube method (TM), air-liquid interface coverslip assay method, Congo red agar (CRA) method, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Out of 115 S. aureus isolates, 63 (54.78%) showed biofilm formation by tube method. Biofilm forming bacteria were further categorized as high producers (n = 23, 20%) and moderate producers (n = 40, 34.78%). TM coordinated well with the coverslip assay for strong biofilm-producing strains in 19 (16.5%) isolates. By coverslip method, weak producers were difficult to differentiate from biofilm negative isolates. Screening on CRA showed biofilm formation only in four (3.47%) strains. Scanning electron micrographs showed the biofilm-forming strains of S. aureus arranged in a matrix on the propylene surface and correlated well with the TM. Biofilm production is a marker of virulence for clinically relevant staphylococcal infections. It can be studied by various methods but screening on CRA is not recommended for investigation of biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus. Electron micrograph images correlate well with the biofilm production as observed by TM.

Characterization of airag collected in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with emphasis on isolated lactic acid bacteria

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Suk-Ho Choi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Airag, alcoholic sour-tasting beverage, has been traditionally prepared by Mongolian nomads who naturally ferment fresh mares’ milk. Biochemical and microbiological compositions of airag samples collected in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and physiological characteristics of isolated lactic acid bacteria were investigated. Methods Protein composition and biochemical composition were determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria were identified based on nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA gene. Carbohydrate fermentation, acid survival, bile resistance and acid production in skim milk culture were determined. Results Equine whey proteins were present in airag samples more than caseins. The airag samples contained 0.10–3.36 % lactose, 1.44–2.33 % ethyl alcohol, 1.08–1.62 % lactic acid and 0.12–0.22 % acetic acid. Lactobacillus (L. helveticus were major lactic acid bacteria consisting of 9 isolates among total 18 isolates of lactic acid bacteria. L. helveticus survived strongly in PBS, pH 3.0 but did not grow in MRS broth containing 0.1 % oxgall. A couple of L. helveticus isolates lowered pH of skim milk culture to less than 4.0 and produced acid up to more than 1.0 %. Conclusion Highly variable biochemical compositions of the airag samples indicated inconsistent quality due to natural fermentation. Airag with low lactose content should be favorable for nutrition, considering that mares’ milk with high lactose content has strong laxative effect. The isolates of L. helveticus which produced acid actively in skim milk culture might have a major role in production of airag.

A training rule which guarantees finite-region stability for a class of closed-loop neural-network control systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuntanapreeda, S; Fullmer, R R

1996-01-01

A training method for a class of neural network controllers is presented which guarantees closed-loop system stability. The controllers are assumed to be nonlinear, feedforward, sampled-data, full-state regulators implemented as single hidden-layer neural networks. The controlled systems must be locally hermitian and observable. Stability of the closed-loop system is demonstrated by determining a Lyapunov function, which can be used to identify a finite stability region about the regulator point.

Backflush HPLC for the isolation of polycyclic aromatic compounds - a comparative study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oestman, C.E.; Colmsjoe, A.L.

1987-12-01

Semipreparative HPLC utilizing a polar bonded phase was applied to the isolation of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) from complex samples using a backflush technique. Aminopropyl- and cyanopropyl-modified silica was tested. Aminopropyl-modified silica was found to be superior in achieving rapid, selective and non discriminating isolation of PAC. This was compared with the most commonly used isolation methods, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide (DMF) and nitromethane liquid-liquid extractions, and silica and SephadexLH-20 open column chromatography. Strong discrimination of alkylated PAC and polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocyclics (PANH) was found for the liquid-liquid extractions and the LH-20 column chromatography. These comparisons were made using both standard compounds and a sample of used crank-case oil, indicating the necessity of using a real sample for evaluation of extraction methods. Recoveries of 42 PACs are reported.

Molecular characterization of salmonella isolated from patients at a local hospital in Islamabad

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iftikhar, F.; Sultana, K.

2011-01-01

The present study is based on molecular characterization of 17 clinical isolates of Salmonella obtained from Children's Hospital, PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan. Whole cell protein profile analysis of all the isolates was similar and did not reveal any difference within the population. However, analysis of outer membrane protein profiles showed that the isolates fell into two groups on the basis of level of expression and presence or absences of two peptide, i.e. 48 Kd and 43 Kd. A 27 Kd outer membrane protein was expressed strongly only in one isolate. Analysis of purified lipopolysaccharide fractions obtained from Salmonella paratyphi showed a lower optical density/absorption, i.e. 1.003 as compared to the fractions obtained from Salmonella typhoid i.e. 2.001-2.224. Western blot analysis of cell lysate fraction against sera from a typhoid patient indicated that four major outer membrane protein bands were immunogenic. The data revealed a 46 Kd outer membrane protein to be highly immunogenic which was not reported earlier. (author)

Isolation and screening of antibiotic producing actinomycetes from soils in Gondar town, North West Ethiopia

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Abebe Bizuye

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: To isolate and screen antibiotic producing actinomycetes from potential soil samples of Gondar town, Ethiopia. Methods: Fifteen soil samples were collected, serially diluted and spread on starch casein and oat meal agar supplemented with amoxicillin and cyclohexamide for inhibition of bacteria and fungi, respectively. Cross streak method was used to check antagonistic activity of isolated actinomycetes against test organisms. Solid state fermentation and crude extraction were used for the production of antibiotics from isolates. Agar well diffusion was used for antimicrobial activity of crude extracts against test organisms. Results: Three isolates (Ab18, Ab28 and Ab43 have been shown high antagonistic activity during primary screening. Inhibition zones obtained from crude extracts showed significance differences when compared with standard antibiotics tested against test organisms (P<0.05. Inhibition zone of crude extracts from isolate Ab18 against Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC7000603 and Escherichia coli ATCC25922 were (14依1 mm and (35依1 mm, respectively which were strong active when compared to amoxicillin (0 mm and tetracycline [(13依1 mm for Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC7000603 and (33依 1 mm for Escherichia coli ATCC25922]. Crude extracts from isolate Ab18 showed (20依1 mm and (15 依1 mm inhibition zones against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains 2 (MRSA2 and MRSA4, respectively. Crude extract from isolate Ab43 has shown inhibition zones of (16依1 mm and (17依1 mm against MRSA2 and MRSA4, respectively. Combination of Ab18 and Ab43 has shown high antimicrobial activity (18依1 mm against MRSA2 and MRSA4. Conclusions: There was not any scientific report on soil actinomycetes producing antibiotic in the study areas. Therefore, isolation and screening of actinomycetes from such areas in optimum condition may contribute the discovery of new antibiotics. Potent antibiotics from these actinomycetes could contribute a

Radiative heat transfer in strongly forward scattering media using the discrete ordinates method

Science.gov (United States)

Granate, Pedro; Coelho, Pedro J.; Roger, Maxime

2016-03-01

The discrete ordinates method (DOM) is widely used to solve the radiative transfer equation, often yielding satisfactory results. However, in the presence of strongly forward scattering media, this method does not generally conserve the scattering energy and the phase function asymmetry factor. Because of this, the normalization of the phase function has been proposed to guarantee that the scattering energy and the asymmetry factor are conserved. Various authors have used different normalization techniques. Three of these are compared in the present work, along with two other methods, one based on the finite volume method (FVM) and another one based on the spherical harmonics discrete ordinates method (SHDOM). In addition, the approximation of the Henyey-Greenstein phase function by a different one is investigated as an alternative to the phase function normalization. The approximate phase function is given by the sum of a Dirac delta function, which accounts for the forward scattering peak, and a smoother scaled phase function. In this study, these techniques are applied to three scalar radiative transfer test cases, namely a three-dimensional cubic domain with a purely scattering medium, an axisymmetric cylindrical enclosure containing an emitting-absorbing-scattering medium, and a three-dimensional transient problem with collimated irradiation. The present results show that accurate predictions are achieved for strongly forward scattering media when the phase function is normalized in such a way that both the scattered energy and the phase function asymmetry factor are conserved. The normalization of the phase function may be avoided using the FVM or the SHDOM to evaluate the in-scattering term of the radiative transfer equation. Both methods yield results whose accuracy is similar to that obtained using the DOM along with normalization of the phase function. Very satisfactory predictions were also achieved using the delta-M phase function, while the delta

Simulation of Quantum Many-Body Dynamics for Generic Strongly-Interacting Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Gregory; Machado, Francisco; Yao, Norman

2017-04-01

Recent experimental advances have enabled the bottom-up assembly of complex, strongly interacting quantum many-body systems from individual atoms, ions, molecules and photons. These advances open the door to studying dynamics in isolated quantum systems as well as the possibility of realizing novel out-of-equilibrium phases of matter. Numerical studies provide insight into these systems; however, computational time and memory usage limit common numerical methods such as exact diagonalization to relatively small Hilbert spaces of dimension 215 . Here we present progress toward a new software package for dynamical time evolution of large generic quantum systems on massively parallel computing architectures. By projecting large sparse Hamiltonians into a much smaller Krylov subspace, we are able to compute the evolution of strongly interacting systems with Hilbert space dimension nearing 230. We discuss and benchmark different design implementations, such as matrix-free methods and GPU based calculations, using both pre-thermal time crystals and the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model as examples. We also include a simple symbolic language to describe generic Hamiltonians, allowing simulation of diverse quantum systems without any modification of the underlying C and Fortran code.

Yersinia enterocolitica Isolates from Wild Boars Hunted in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

von Altrock, Alexandra; Seinige, Diana; Kehrenberg, Corinna

2015-07-01

Yersiniosis is strongly associated with the consumption of pork contaminated with enteropathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, which is harbored by domestic pigs without showing clinical signs of disease. In contrast to data on Y. enterocolitica isolated from conventionally reared swine, investigations into the occurrence of Y. enterocolitica in wild boars in Germany are rare. The objectives of the study were to get knowledge about these bacteria and their occurrence in wild boars hunted in northern Germany by isolation of the bacteria from the tonsils, identification of the bioserotypes, determination of selected virulence factors, macrorestriction analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and testing of antimicrobial susceptibility. Altogether, tonsils from 17.1% of 111 tested wild boars were positive for Y. enterocolitica by culture methods. All but two isolates belonged to biotype (BT) 1A, with the majority of isolates bearing a ystB nucleotide sequence which was revealed to have 85% identity to internal regions of Y. enterocolitica heat-stable enterotoxin type B genes. The remaining Y. enterocolitica isolates were identified to be BT 1B and did not carry the virulence plasmid. However, two BT 1A isolates carried the ail gene. Macrorestriction analysis and results from MLST showed a high degree of genetic diversity of the isolates, although the region where the samples were taken was restricted to Lower Saxony, Germany, and wild boars were shot during one hunting season. In conclusion, most Y. enterocolitica isolates from wild boars investigated in this study belonged to biotype 1A. Enteropathogenic Y. enterocolitica bioserotypes 4/O:3 and 2/O:9, usually harbored by commercially raised pigs in Europe, could not be identified. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

SYSTEM OF GUARANTEED RESOLUTION OF DYNAMIC CONFLICTS OF AIRCRAFTS IN REAL TIME

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Svitlana Pavlova

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The present work is devoted to improving of flight safety in civil aviation by creating and implementing a new system of resolution of dynamic conflict of aircrafts. The developed system is aimed at ensuring a guaranteed level of safety when resolution of rarefied conflict situations of aircraft in real-time. Methods: The proposed system is based on a new method of conflict resolution of aircraft on the basis of the theory of invariance. Results: The development of the system of conflict resolution of aircraft in real time and the implementation of the respective algorithms such control will ensure effective prevention of dangerous approaches. Discussion: The system is implemented as single unified equipment using satellite and radar navigation systems that will ensure the positioning of aircraft in real time. Provided that the system should be installed on all aircraft and integrated on board to properly ensure its functionality and interact with navigation systems.

The role of plants on isolation barrier systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Link, S.O.; Downs, J.L.; Waugh, W.J.

1994-11-01

Surface barriers are used to isolate buried wastes from the environment. Most have been built for short-term isolation. The need to isolate radioactive wastes from the environment requires that the functional integrity of a barrier be maintained for thousands of years. Barrier function strongly depends on vegetation. Plants reduce wind and water erosion and minimize drainage, but may transport contaminants if roots extend into buried wastes. Our review of the function of plants on surface barriers focuses on the role of plants across mesic to arid environments and gives special consideration to studies done at Hanford. The Hanford Barrier Development Program was created to design and test an earthen cover system to inhibit water infiltration, plant and animal intrusion, and wind and water erosion, while isolating buried wastes for at least 1000 years. Studies at the Hanford have shown that plants will significantly interact with the barrier. Plants transpire soil water back into the atmosphere. Deep-rooted perennials best recycle water; soil water may drain through the root zone of shallow-rooted annuals. Lysimeter studies indicate that a surface layer of fine soil with deep-rooted plants precludes drainage even with three times normal precipitation. The presence of vegetation greatly reduces water and wind erosion, but deep-rooted plants pose a threat of biointrusion and contaminant transport. The Hanford barrier includes a buried rock layer and asphalt layer to prevent biointrusion

The limitations of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilpin, B J; Robson, B; Lin, S; Hudson, J A; Weaver, L; Dufour, M; Strydom, H

2014-09-01

This study describes the analysis of 432 isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE had a high level of discrimination with biotype 1A isolates (Simpson's Diversity Index 0.997), but with the clinically important biotypes 2, 3 and 4, the discriminatory ability of PFGE was so low as to severely limit its usefulness (DI enterocolitica biotypes 2, 3 and 4, and inferences based on finding indistinguishable PFGE profiles among cases or between cases and sources need to be substantiated using alternative typing tools, or strong epidemiological evidence. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Genetic Linkage Map Construction and QTL Analysis of Two Interspecific Reproductive Isolation Traits in Sponge Gourd

OpenAIRE

Wu, Haibin; He, Xiaoli; Gong, Hao; Luo, Shaobo; Li, Mingzhu; Chen, Junqiu; Zhang, Changyuan; Yu, Ting; Huang, Wangping; Luo, Jianning

2016-01-01

The hybrids between Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. and L.cylindrica (L.) Roem. have strong heterosis effects. However, some reproductive isolation traits hindered their normal hybridization and fructification, which was mainly caused by the flowering time and hybrid pollen sterility. In order to study the genetic basis of two interspecific reproductive isolation traits, we constructed a genetic linkage map using an F2 population derived from a cross between S1174 [L. acutangula (L.) Roxb.] and 9...

A Distributed Architecture for Sharing Ecological Data Sets with Access and Usage Control Guarantees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonnet, Philippe; Gonzalez, Javier; Granados, Joel Andres

2014-01-01

new insights, there are signicant barriers to the realization of this vision. One of the key challenge is to allow scientists to share their data widely while retaining some form of control over who accesses this data (access control) and more importantly how it is used (usage control). Access...... and usage control is necessary to enforce existing open data policies. We have proposed the vision of trusted cells: A decentralized infrastructure, based on secure hardware running on devices equipped with trusted execution environments at the edges of the Internet. We originally described the utilization...... data sets with access and usage control guarantees. We rely on examples from terrestrial research and monitoring in the arctic in the context of the INTERACT project....

Gene expression analysis of two extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis isolates show that two-component response systems enhance drug resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Guohua; Cui, Zhenling; Sun, Xian; Peng, Jinfu; Jiang, Jun; Wu, Wei; Huang, Wenhua; Chu, Kaili; Zhang, Lu; Ge, Baoxue; Li, Yao

2015-05-01

Global analysis of expression profiles using DNA microarrays was performed between a reference strain H37Rv and two clinical extensively drug-resistant isolates in response to three anti-tuberculosis drug exposures (isoniazid, capreomycin, and rifampicin). A deep analysis was then conducted using a combination of genome sequences of the resistant isolates, resistance information, and related public microarray data. Certain known resistance-associated gene sets were significantly overrepresented in upregulated genes in the resistant isolates relative to that observed in H37Rv, which suggested a link between resistance and expression levels of particular genes. In addition, isoniazid and capreomycin response genes, but not rifampicin, either obtained from published works or our data, were highly consistent with the differentially expressed genes of resistant isolates compared to those of H37Rv, indicating a strong association between drug resistance of the isolates and genes differentially regulated by isoniazid and capreomycin exposures. Based on these results, 92 genes of the studied isolates were identified as candidate resistance genes, 10 of which are known resistance-related genes. Regulatory network analysis of candidate resistance genes using published networks and literature mining showed that three two-component regulatory systems and regulator CRP play significant roles in the resistance of the isolates by mediating the production of essential envelope components. Finally, drug sensitivity testing indicated strong correlations between expression levels of these regulatory genes and sensitivity to multiple anti-tuberculosis drugs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These findings may provide novel insights into the mechanism underlying the emergence and development of drug resistance in resistant tuberculosis isolates and useful clues for further studies on this issue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproductive isolation between sympatric and allopatric Brazilian populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. (Diptera: Psychodidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Nataly A; Andrade-Coelho, Claudia A; Vigoder, Felipe M; Ward, Richard D; Peixoto, Alexandre A

2008-03-01

Lutzomyia longipalpis s.l., the main vector of Leishmania chagasi in Latin America, is a species complex although the exact number of siblings is yet unknown. In Brazil, the siblings differ in male copulatory courtship songs and pheromones that most certainly act as pre-zygotic reproductive barriers. Here we analysed the reproductive isolation between three allopatric and two sympatric populations of Lu. longipalpis s.l. from Brazil. The results indicate a strong copulatory and pre-mating isolation between the three allopatric populations. In addition, the results also indicate a stronger pre-mating isolation between the two sympatric siblings than between the three allopatric ones, suggesting a role for reinforcement in the speciation of the Lu. longipalpis s.l. complex.

Advertising Via Mobile Terminals - Delivering Context Sensitive and Personalized Advertising While Guaranteeing Privacy

Science.gov (United States)

Bulander, Rebecca; Decker, Michael; Schiefer, Gunther; Kölmel, Bernhard

Mobile terminals like cellular phones and PDAs are a promising target platform for mobile advertising: The devices are widely spread, are able to present interactive multimedia content and offer as almost permanently carried along personal communication devices a high degree of reachability. But particular because of the latter feature it is important to pay great attention to privacy aspects and avoidance of spam-messages when designing an application for mobile advertising. Furthermore the limited user interface of mobile devices is a special challenge. The following article describes the solution approach for mobile advertising developed within the project MoMa, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour of Germany (BMWA). MoMa enables highly personalized and context sensitive mobile advertising while guaranteeing data protection. To achieve this we have to distinguish public and private context information.

Tracking performance and global stability guaranteed neural control of uncertain hypersonic flight vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Teng

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In this article, a global adaptive neural dynamic surface control with predefined tracking performance is developed for a class of hypersonic flight vehicles, whose accurate dynamics is hard to obtain. The control scheme developed in this paper overcomes the limitations of neural approximation region by employing a switching mechanism which incorporates an additional robust controller outside the neural approximation region to pull the transient state variables back when they overstep the neural approximation region, such that globally uniformly ultimately bounded stability can be guaranteed. Especially, the developed global adaptive neural control also improves the tracking performance by introducing an error transformation mechanism, such that both transient and steady-state performance can be shaped according to the predefined bounds. Simulation studies on the hypersonic flight vehicle validate that the designed controller has good velocity modulation and velocity stability performance.

Measurement of isolated photon production in deep-inelastic scattering at HERA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aaron, F.D.; Alexa, C.

2007-10-01

The production of isolated photons in deep-inelastic scattering ep → eγX is measured with the H1 detector at HERA. The measurement is performed in the kinematic range of negative four-momentum transfer squared 4 2 2 and a mass of the hadronic system W X >50 GeV. The analysis is based on a total integrated luminosity of 227 pb -1 . The production cross section of isolated photons with a transverse energy in the range 3 γ T γ γ T , η γ and Q 2 . Isolated photon cross sections are also measured for events with no jets or at least one hadronic jet. The measurements are compared with predictions from Monte Carlo generators modelling the photon radiation from the quark and the electron lines, as well as with calculations at leading and next to leading order in the strong coupling. The predictions significantly underestimate the measured cross sections. (orig.)

Measurement of isolated photon production in deep-inelastic scattering at HERA

Science.gov (United States)

Aaron, F. D.; Aktas, A.; Alexa, C.; Andreev, V.; Antunovic, B.; Aplin, S.; Asmone, A.; Astvatsatourov, A.; Backovic, S.; Baghdasaryan, A.; Baranov, P.; Barrelet, E.; Bartel, W.; Baudrand, S.; Beckingham, M.; Begzsuren, K.; Behnke, O.; Behrendt, O.; Belousov, A.; Berger, N.; Bizot, J. C.; Boenig, M.-O.; Boudry, V.; Bozovic-Jelisavcic, I.; Bracinik, J.; Brandt, G.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Bruncko, D.; Büsser, F. W.; Bunyatyan, A.; Buschhorn, G.; Bystritskaya, L.; Campbell, A. J.; Cantun Avila, K. B.; Cassol-Brunner, F.; Cerny, K.; Cerny, V.; Chekelian, V.; Cholewa, A.; Contreras, J. G.; Coughlan, J. A.; Cozzika, G.; Cvach, J.; Dainton, J. B.; Daum, K.; Deak, M.; de Boer, Y.; Delcourt, B.; Del Degan, M.; Delvax, J.; de Roeck, A.; de Wolf, E. A.; Diaconu, C.; Dodonov, V.; Dubak, A.; Eckerlin, G.; Efremenko, V.; Egli, S.; Eichler, R.; Eisele, F.; Eliseev, A.; Elsen, E.; Essenov, S.; Falkiewicz, A.; Faulkner, P. J. W.; Favart, L.; Fedotov, A.; Felst, R.; Feltesse, J.; Ferencei, J.; Finke, L.; Fleischer, M.; Fomenko, A.; Franke, G.; Frisson, T.; Gabathuler, E.; Gayler, J.; Ghazaryan, S.; Ginzburgskaya, S.; Glazov, A.; Glushkov, I.; Goerlich, L.; Goettlich, M.; Gogitidze, N.; Gorbounov, S.; Gouzevitch, M.; Grab, C.; Greenshaw, T.; Grell, B. R.; Grindhammer, G.; Habib, S.; Haidt, D.; Hansson, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Helebrant, C.; Henderson, R. C. W.; Henschel, H.; Herrera, G.; Hildebrandt, M.; Hiller, K. H.; Hoffmann, D.; Horisberger, R.; Hovhannisyan, A.; Hreus, T.; Jacquet, M.; Janssen, M. E.; Janssen, X.; Jemanov, V.; Jönsson, L.; Johnson, D. P.; Jung, A. W.; Jung, H.; Kapichine, M.; Katzy, J.; Kenyon, I. R.; Kiesling, C.; Klein, M.; Kleinwort, C.; Klimkovich, T.; Kluge, T.; Knutsson, A.; Korbel, V.; Kostka, P.; Kraemer, M.; Krastev, K.; Kretzschmar, J.; Kropivnitskaya, A.; Krüger, K.; Landon, M. P. J.; Lange, W.; Laštovička-Medin, G.; Laycock, P.; Lebedev, A.; Leibenguth, G.; Lendermann, V.; Levonian, S.; Li, G.; Lindfeld, L.; Lipka, K.; Liptaj, A.; List, B.; List, J.; Loktionova, N.; Lopez-Fernandez, R.; Lubimov, V.; Lucaci-Timoce, A.-I.; Lytkin, L.; Makankine, A.; Malinovski, E.; Marage, P.; Marti, L.; Martisikova, M.; Martyn, H.-U.; Maxfield, S. J.; Mehta, A.; Meier, K.; Meyer, A. B.; Meyer, H.; Meyer, H.; Meyer, J.; Michels, V.; Mikocki, S.; Milcewicz-Mika, I.; Mohamed, A.; Moreau, F.; Morozov, A.; Morris, J. V.; Mozer, M. U.; Müller, K.; Murín, P.; Nankov, K.; Naroska, B.; Naumann, T.; Newman, P. R.; Niebuhr, C.; Nikiforov, A.; Nowak, G.; Nowak, K.; Nozicka, M.; Oganezov, R.; Olivier, B.; Olsson, J. E.; Osman, S.; Ozerov, D.; Palichik, V.; Panagoulias, I.; Pandurovic, M.; Papadopoulou, T.; Pascaud, C.; Patel, G. D.; Peng, H.; Perez, E.; Perez-Astudillo, D.; Perieanu, A.; Petrukhin, A.; Picuric, I.; Piec, S.; Pitzl, D.; Plačakytė, R.; Polifka, R.; Povh, B.; Preda, T.; Prideaux, P.; Radescu, V.; Rahmat, A. J.; Raicevic, N.; Ravdandorj, T.; Reimer, P.; Risler, C.; Rizvi, E.; Robmann, P.; Roland, B.; Roosen, R.; Rostovtsev, A.; Rurikova, Z.; Rusakov, S.; Salek, D.; Salvaire, F.; Sankey, D. P. C.; Sauter, M.; Sauvan, E.; Schmidt, S.; Schmitt, S.; Schmitz, C.; Schoeffel, L.; Schöning, A.; Schultz-Coulon, H.-C.; Sefkow, F.; Shaw-West, R. N.; Sheviakov, I.; Shtarkov, L. N.; Sloan, T.; Smiljanic, I.; Smirnov, P.; Soloviev, Y.; South, D.; Spaskov, V.; Specka, A.; Staykova, Z.; Steder, M.; Stella, B.; Stiewe, J.; Straumann, U.; Sunar, D.; Sykora, T.; Tchoulakov, V.; Thompson, G.; Thompson, P. D.; Toll, T.; Tomasz, F.; Tran, T. H.; Traynor, D.; Trinh, T. N.; Truöl, P.; Tsakov, I.; Tseepeldorj, B.; Tsipolitis, G.; Tsurin, I.; Turnau, J.; Tzamariudaki, E.; Urban, K.; Utkin, D.; Valkárová, A.; Vallée, C.; van Mechelen, P.; Vargas Trevino, A.; Vazdik, Y.; Vinokurova, S.; Volchinski, V.; Weber, G.; Weber, R.; Wegener, D.; Werner, C.; Wessels, M.; Wissing, C.; Wolf, R.; Wünsch, E.; Xella, S.; Yeganov, V.; Žáček, J.; Zálešák, J.; Zhang, Z.; Zhelezov, A.; Zhokin, A.; Zhu, Y. C.; Zimmermann, T.; Zohrabyan, H.; Zomer, F.

2008-04-01

The production of isolated photons in deep-inelastic scattering ep→eγX is measured with the H1 detector at HERA. The measurement is performed in the kinematic range of negative four-momentum transfer squared 450 GeV. The analysis is based on a total integrated luminosity of 227 pb-1. The production cross section of isolated photons with a transverse energy in the range 3Isolated photon cross sections are also measured for events with no jets or at least one hadronic jet. The measurements are compared with predictions from Monte Carlo generators modelling the photon radiation from the quark and the electron lines, as well as with calculations at leading and next to leading order in the strong coupling. The predictions significantly underestimate the measured cross sections.

Isolated galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einasto, Maret

1990-01-01

To test for the possible presence of really isolated galaxies, which form a randomly distributed population in voids, we compare the distribution of most isolated galaxies in an observed sample with distributions of the same number of random points using the nearest neighbour test. The results show that the random population of really isolated galaxies does not exist - even the most isolated galaxies are connected with systems of galaxies, forming their outlying parts. (author)

Strong Langmuir turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldman, M.V.

1984-01-01

After a brief discussion of beam-excited Langmuir turbulence in the solar wind, we explain the criteria for wave-particle, three-wave and strong turbulence interactions. We then present the results of a numerical integration of the Zakharov equations, which describe the strong turbulence saturation of a weak (low-density) high energy, bump-on-tail beam instability. (author)

Strong Motion Earthquake Data Values of Digitized Strong-Motion Accelerograms, 1933-1994

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Strong Motion Earthquake Data Values of Digitized Strong-Motion Accelerograms is a database of over 15,000 digitized and processed accelerograph records from...

Seismic analysis of a LNG storage tank isolated by a multiple friction pendulum system

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruifu; Weng, Dagen; Ren, Xiaosong

2011-06-01

The seismic response of an isolated vertical, cylindrical, extra-large liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank by a multiple friction pendulum system (MFPS) is analyzed. Most of the extra-large LNG tanks have a fundamental frequency which involves a range of resonance of most earthquake ground motions. It is an effective way to decrease the response of an isolation system used for extra-large LNG storage tanks under a strong earthquake. However, it is difficult to implement in practice with common isolation bearings due to issues such as low temperature, soft site and other severe environment factors. The extra-large LNG tank isolated by a MFPS is presented in this study to address these problems. A MFPS is appropriate for large displacements induced by earthquakes with long predominant periods. A simplified finite element model by Malhotra and Dunkerley is used to determine the usefulness of the isolation system. Data reported and statistically sorted include pile shear, wave height, impulsive acceleration, convective acceleration and outer tank acceleration. The results show that the isolation system has excellent adaptability for different liquid levels and is very effective in controlling the seismic response of extra-large LNG tanks.

Serological cross-reaction between O-antigens of Shigella dysenteriae type 4 and an environmental Escherichia albertii isolate.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Mohammed Ziaur; Akter, Selina; Azmuda, Nafisa; Sultana, Munawar; Weill, François-Xavier; Khan, Sirajul Islam; Grimont, Patrick A D; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre

2013-11-01

An environmental freshwater bacterial isolate, DM104, appearing as Shigella-like colonies on selective agar plates was found to show strong and specific serological cross-reactivity with Shigella dysenteriae type 4. Biochemical identification according to the analytical profile index, molecular serotyping by restriction of the amplified O-antigen gene cluster (rfb-RFLP), together with phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and multi-locus sequence analysis, identified the isolate as Escherichia albertii. rfb-RFLP of DM104, revealed a profile different from that of S. dysenteriae type 4. However, western blot analysis of extracted lipopolysaccharides demonstrated strong cross-reactivity with S. dysenteriae type 4 using specific monovalent antisera and a lipopolysaccharide gel banding profile similar to that of S. dysenteriae type 4. The observed O-antigen cross-reaction between an E. albertii isolate and S. dysenteriae extends our knowledge of the extent of O-antigen cross-reaction within the Escherichia/Shigella group of organisms, and offers the possibility of using DM104 and similar cross-reacting strains as shigellosis vaccine candidates.

Reproductive isolation and local adaptation quantified for a chromosome inversion in a malaria mosquito.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayala, Diego; Guerrero, Rafael F; Kirkpatrick, Mark

2013-04-01

Chromosome inversions have long been thought to be involved in speciation and local adaptation. We have little quantitative information, however, about the effects that inversion polymorphisms have on reproductive isolation and viability. Here we provide the first estimates from any organism for the total amount of reproductive isolation associated with an inversion segregating in natural populations. We sampled chromosomes from 751 mosquitoes of the malaria vector Anopheles funestus along a 1421 km transect in Cameroon that traverses savannah, highland, and rainforest ecological zones. We then developed a series of population genetic models that account for selection, migration, and assortative mating, and fit the models to the data using likelihood. Results from the best-fit models suggest there is strong local adaptation, with relative viabilities of homozygotes ranging from 25% to 130% compared to heterozygotes. Viabilities vary qualitatively between regions: the inversion is underdominant in the savannah, whereas in the highlands it is overdominant. The inversion is also implicated in strong assortative mating. In the savannah, the two homozygote forms show 92% reproductive isolation, suggesting that this one inversion can generate most of the genetic barriers needed for speciation. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.