Reverse osmosis water purification system

A reverse osmosis water purification system, which uses a programmable controller (PC) as the control system, was designed and built to maintain the cleanliness and level of water for various systems of a 64-m antenna. The installation operates with other equipment of the antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communication Complex. The reverse osmosis system was designed to be fully automatic; with the PC, many complex sequential and timed logic networks were easily implemented and are modified. The PC monitors water levels, pressures, flows, control panel requests, and set points on analog meters; with this information various processes are initiated, monitored, modified, halted, or eliminated as required by the equipment being supplied pure water

Radioglaciological studies on Hurd Peninsula glaciers, Livingston Island, Antarctica

We present the results of several radio-echo sounding surveys carried out on Johnsons and Hurd Glaciers, Livingston Island, Antarctica, between the 1999/2000 and 2004/05 austral summer campaigns, which included both radar profiling and common-midpoint measurements with low (20- 25 MHz)- and high (200MHz)-frequency radars. The latter have allowed us to estimate the radio-wave velocity in ice and firn and the corresponding water contents in temperate ice, which vary between 0 and 1.6% depending on the zone. Maximum ice thickness is ~200 m, with a mean value of 93.6 ± 2.5 m. Total ice volume is 0.968 ± 0.026 km3, for an area of 10.34 ± 0.03 km2. The subglacial relief of Johnsons Glacier is quite smooth, while that of Hurd Glacier shows numerous overdeepenings and peaks. The radar records suggest that Hurd Glacier has a polythermal structure, contrary to the usual assumption that glaciers in Livingston Island are temperate. This is also supported by other dynamical and geomorphological evidence

Limitations of variable number of tandem repeat typing identified through whole genome sequencing of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis on a national and herd level

Background: Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), the causative bacterium of Johne’s disease in dairy cattle, is widespread in the Canadian dairy industry and has significant economic and animal welfare implications. An understanding of the population dynamics of MAP can be used to identify introduction events, improve control efforts and target transmission pathways, although this requires an adequate understanding of MAP diversity and distribution between herds and across the country. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) offers a detailed assessment of the SNP-level diversity and genetic relationship of isolates, whereas several molecular typing techniques used to investigate the molecular epidemiology of MAP, such as variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) typing, target relatively unstable repetitive elements in the genome that may be too unpredictable to draw accurate conclusions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of bovine MAP isolates in Canadian dairy herds using WGS and then determine if VNTR typing can distinguish truly related and unrelated isolates.<p></p> Results: Phylogenetic analysis based on 3,039 SNPs identified through WGS of 124 MAP isolates identified eight genetically distinct subtypes in dairy herds from seven Canadian provinces, with the dominant type including over 80% of MAP isolates. VNTR typing of 527 MAP isolates identified 12 types, including “bison type” isolates, from seven different herds. At a national level, MAP isolates differed from each other by 1–2 to 239–240 SNPs, regardless of whether they belonged to the same or different VNTR types. A herd-level analysis of MAP isolates demonstrated that VNTR typing may both over-estimate and under-estimate the relatedness of MAP isolates found within a single herd.<p></p> Conclusions: The presence of multiple MAP subtypes in Canada suggests multiple introductions into the country including what has now become one dominant type, an important finding for Johne’s disease control. VNTR typing often failed to identify closely and distantly related isolates, limiting the applicability of using this typing scheme to study the molecular epidemiology of MAP at a national and herd-level.<p></p&gt

Inferring source attribution from a multi-year multi-source dataset of Salmonella in Minnesota

Salmonella enterica is a global health concern because of its widespread association with foodborne illness. Bayesian models have been developed to attribute the burden of human salmonellosis to specific sources with the ultimate objective of prioritizing intervention strategies. Important considerations of source attribution models include the evaluation of the quality of input data, assessment of whether attribution results logically reflect the data trends and identification of patterns within the data that might explain the detailed contribution of different sources to the disease burden. Here, more than 12,000 non-typhoidal Salmonella isolates from human, bovine, porcine, chicken and turkey sources that originated in Minnesota were analysed. A modified Bayesian source attribution model (available in a dedicated R package), accounting for non-sampled sources of infection, attributed 4,672 human cases to sources assessed here. Most (60%) cases were attributed to chicken, although there was a spike in cases attributed to a non-sampled source in the second half of the study period. Molecular epidemiological analysis methods were used to supplement risk modelling, and a visual attribution application was developed to facilitate data exploration and comprehension of the large multiyear data set assessed here. A large amount of within-source diversity and low similarity between sources was observed, and visual exploration of data provided clues into variations driving the attribution modelling results. Results from this pillared approach provided first attribution estimates for Salmonella in Minnesota and offer an understanding of current data gaps as well as key pathogen population features, such as serotype frequency, similarity and diversity across the sources. Results here will be used to inform policy and management strategies ultimately intended to prevent and control Salmonella infection in the state

Results from the Global Allergy and Asthma Network of Excellence (GA2LEN) Survey

Background Fruits and vegetables are rich in compounds with proposed antioxidant, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties, which could contribute to reduce the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases. Objective We investigated the association between asthma, and chronic rhino-sinusitis (CRS) with intake of fruits and vegetables in European adults. Methods A stratified random sample was drawn from the Global Allergy and Asthma Network of Excellence (GA2LEN) screening survey, in which 55,000 adults aged 15–75 answered a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms. Asthma score (derived from self-reported asthma symptoms) and CRS were the outcomes of interest. Dietary intake of 22 subgroups of fruits and vegetables was ascertained using the internationally validated GA2LEN Food Frequency Questionnaire. Adjusted associations were examined with negative binomial and multiple regressions. Simes procedure was used to control for multiple testing. Results A total of 3206 individuals had valid data on asthma and dietary exposures of interest. 22.8% reported having at least 1 asthma symptom (asthma score ≥1), whilst 19.5% had CRS. After adjustment for potential confounders, asthma score was negatively associated with intake of dried fruits (β-coefficient −2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] −4.09, −0.59), whilst CRS was statistically negatively associated with total intake of fruits (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.55, 0.97). Conversely, a positive association was observed between asthma score and alliums vegetables (adjusted β-coefficient 0.23; 95% CI 0.06, 0.40). None of these associations remained statistically significant after controlling for multiple testing. Conclusion and clinical relevance There was no consistent evidence for an association of asthma or CRS with fruit and vegetable intake in this representative sample of European adults

Dynamic model of wind energy conversion systems with variable speed synchronous generator and full-size power converter for large-scale power system stability studies

Se inscribe dentro de la línea de investigación de Integración en red de sistemas eólicos. Se presenta un modelo informático en plataforma PSS/E para sistemas de generación eólica de velocidad variable del tipo Síncrono con Convertidor de plena potencia, capaz de simular el comportamuiento dinámico de estos sistemas en estudios de estabilidad del sistema eléctric

Developing research priorities for palliative care of people with intellectual disabilities in Europe: a consultation process using nominal group technique

BACKGROUND: Empirical knowledge around palliative care provision and needs of people with intellectual disabilities is extremely limited, as is the availability of research resources, including expertise and funding. This paper describes a consultation process that sought to develop an agenda for research priorities for palliative care of people with intellectual disabilities in Europe. METHODS: A two-day workshop was convened, attended by 16 academics and clinicians in the field of palliative care and intellectual disability from six European countries. The first day consisted of round-table presentations and discussions about the current state of the art, research challenges and knowledge gaps. The second day was focused on developing consensus research priorities with 12 of the workshop participants using nominal group technique, a structured method which involved generating a list of research priorities and ranking them in order of importance. RESULTS: A total of 40 research priorities were proposed and collapsed into eleven research themes. The four most important research themes were: investigating issues around end of life decision making; mapping the scale and scope of the issue; investigating the quality of palliative care for people with intellectual disabilities, including the challenges in achieving best practice; and developing outcome measures and instruments for palliative care of people with intellectual disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The proposal of four major priority areas and a range of minor themes for future research in intellectual disability, death, dying and palliative care will help researchers to focus limited resources and research expertise on areas where it is most needed and support the building of collaborations. The next steps are to cross-validate these research priorities with people with intellectual disabilities, carers, clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders across Europe; to validate them with local and national policy makers to determine how they could best be incorporated in policy and programmes; and to translate them into actual research studies by setting up European collaborations for specific studies that require such collaboration, develop research proposals and attract research funding

Angel investor's selection criteria: a comparative institutional perspective

Despite the important role of angel investors as critical financial providers for new ventures, little is known regarding how institutions make their investment decisions. While angels make decisions based on selection criteria during the first stage, they are also embedded within and affected by different institutional settings and as a result weight these criteria differently than other investors. We compare angel investors' selection criteria in China and Denmark using the comparative institutional perspective. We use a policy capturing approach and hierarchy linear modeling, revealing that since Chinese angels are embedded within relationship-based institutional settings they tend to reply more on strong ties such as family and friends in management team, as well as weighting risks less compared to Danish angels operating within more rule-based institutional contexts

A study of surface currents in the spawning area of Brazilian sardine

To obtain the movement of surface currents in the spawning area of Brazilian sardine, drift card release experiments were conducted in south Brazilian waters during the spawning seasons of 1969-1971. The results of these experiments and some considerations about the drift of sardine eggs and larvae are described. On the cruises of late spring, summer and early autumn all cards from stations west of Long. 44º45' W drifted southwest and were recovered near São Sebastião and those from stations east of Long. 44º45' W drifted northeast and were recovered on the coast line between Ilha Grande and Cabo Frio. The drift pattern of the cruise of September 1969 was somewhat different from the others. Most cards recovered were released from stations near shore (up to 30 nm).O recrutamento do estoque de peixes marinhos é dependente da mortalidade, durante o estágio de ovos e larvas. A corrente de superfície, na área de desova, é um dos fatores importantes que afetam a mortalidade de larvas. O presente trabalho é o resultado de estudos feitos na corrente de superfície por meio de cartões-de-deriva, na região sul do Brasil (entre 22º S e 30º S). Oito viagens oceanográficas foram realizadas com os N/Oc. "Prof. W. Besnard" e "Emília" nos anos de 1969 a 1971. Na região de Ilha Grande, considerada uma das principais áreas de desova, o resultado na época do fim da primavera ao inicio do outono, mostra que os cartões lançados na área este de Long. 44º45' W, derivaram a nordeste e foram encontrados na costa, entre Ilha Grande e Cabo Frio e os cartões lançados na área oeste de Long. 44º45' W, derivaram a sudoeste e chegaram à costa de São Sebastião e Santos. O resultado do cruzeiro de setembro de 1969 (início da primavera) é diferente dos outros. Da região sul de Santos e da região do Cabo de São Tomé, temos poucos dados, portanto, não chegamos a uma conclusão definitiva. Será necessário o estudo contínuo desta área. A maioria dos cartões encontrados foram lançados de estações situadas perto da costa (no máximo, 30 mn). A maioria dos cartões, lançados a uma distância superior, nao foi recuperada

X-ray microscopy of laser fusion targets in four energy bands from 0.7 to 4.0 keV

A grazing x-ray microscope was shown to be able to photograph the x-ray emission from laser-produced plasmas between 0.8 and 4.0 keV with a spatial resolution of approximately 3 microns. The calibration of the x-ray mirror energy response functions and the x-ray film allow absolute measurements of the spatial and spectral distribution of the x-ray emission from laser fusion targets. (MOW