The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer Book 2018

(Abridged) This is the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer 2018 book. It is intended as a concise reference guide to all aspects of the scientific and technical design of MSE, for the international astronomy and engineering communities, and related agencies. The current version is a status report of MSE's science goals and their practical implementation, following the System Conceptual Design Review, held in January 2018. MSE is a planned 10-m class, wide-field, optical and near-infrared facility, designed to enable transformative science, while filling a critical missing gap in the emerging international network of large-scale astronomical facilities. MSE is completely dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy of samples of between thousands and millions of astrophysical objects. It will lead the world in this arena, due to its unique design capabilities: it will boast a large (11.25 m) aperture and wide (1.52 sq. degree) field of view; it will have the capabilities to observe at a wide range of spectral resolutions, from R2500 to R40,000, with massive multiplexing (4332 spectra per exposure, with all spectral resolutions available at all times), and an on-target observing efficiency of more than 80%. MSE will unveil the composition and dynamics of the faint Universe and is designed to excel at precision studies of faint astrophysical phenomena. It will also provide critical follow-up for multi-wavelength imaging surveys, such as those of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Gaia, Euclid, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, the Square Kilometre Array, and the Next Generation Very Large Array.Comment: 5 chapters, 160 pages, 107 figure

Antigen-presenting cells transfected with Hsp65 messenger RNA fail to treat experimental tuberculosis

In the last several years, the use of dendritic cells has been studied as a therapeutic strategy against tumors. Dendritic cells can be pulsed with peptides or full-length protein, or they can be transfected with DNA or RNA. However, comparative studies suggest that transfecting dendritic cells with messenger RNA (mRNA) is superior to other antigen-loading techniques in generating immunocompetent dendritic cells. In the present study, we evaluated a new therapeutic strategy to fight tuberculosis using dendritic cells and macrophages transfected with Hsp65 mRNA. First, we demonstrated that antigen-presenting cells transfected with Hsp65 mRNA exhibit a higher level of expression of co-stimulatory molecules, suggesting that Hsp65 mRNA has immunostimulatory properties. We also demonstrated that spleen cells obtained from animals immunized with mock and Hsp65 mRNA-transfected dendritic cells were able to generate a mixed Th1/Th2 response with production not only of IFN-γ but also of IL-5 and IL-10. In contrast, cells recovered from mice immunized with Hsp65 mRNA-transfected macrophages were able to produce only IL-5. When mice were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and treated with antigen-presenting cells transfected with Hsp65 mRNA (therapeutic immunization), we did not detect any decrease in the lung bacterial load or any preservation of the lung parenchyma, indicating the inability of transfected cells to confer curative effects against tuberculosis. In spite of the lack of therapeutic efficacy, this study reports for the first time the use of antigen-presenting cells transfected with mRNA in experimental tuberculosis

The theory of the firm and its critics: a stocktaking and assessment

Includes bibliographical references."Prepared for Jean-Michel Glachant and Eric Brousseau, eds. New Institutional Economics: A Textbook, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.""This version: August 22, 2005."Since its emergence in the 1970s the modern economic or Coasian theory of the firm has been discussed and challenged by sociologists, heterodox economists, management scholars, and other critics. This chapter reviews and assesses these critiques, focusing on behavioral issues (bounded rationality and motivation), process (including path dependence and the selection argument), entrepreneurship, and the challenge from knowledge-based theories of the firm

Modélisation et analyse du comportement thermique d'un élément multicouche de stockage d'énergie par chaleur latente

Dans le contexte énergétique actuel, il est primordial de mettre en place des mécanismes de gestion énergétique efficaces afin de réduire la demande en énergie électrique durant les périodes de pointe. Ces mécanismes visent deux buts: retarder la construction de nouvelles centrales électriques pour satisfaire la demande et, en uniformisant la demande quotidienne en énergie électrique, accroître le rendement des centrales existantes. En hiver, les systèmes de chauffage électriques représentent un pourcentage élevé de la consommation totale d'énergie électrique. Parmi toutes les solutions applicables, il est possible de réduire la consommation électrique durant les périodes de pointe en déplaçant la demande reliée aux systèmes de chauffage pendant ces heures vers les périodes creuses de la journée. Ce déplacement est effectué en utilisant un système de stockage d'énergie par chaleur latente. Dans ce système, l'énergie est emmagasinée par la fusion d'un matériau à changement de phase (MCP) pendant les heures creuses puis récupérée, aux heures de pointe, en resolidifiant le MCP. Ce projet porte sur la modélisation et l'analyse du comportement thermique d'un élément multicouche de stockage d'énergie par chaleur latente. L'analyse montre que les matériaux, la géométrie et les paramètres d'exploitation de l'élément doivent être choisis avec attention afin d'accroître le rendement de l'élément. En se basant sur ces constatations, un prototype d'élément de stockage est développé. Une analyse des performances cycliques de ce prototype est aussi effectuée

Numerical study of extrudate swell in circular and annular dies

Extrudate swell is an important phenomenon in polymer extrusion, affecting many polymer processes. The ability of predicting swell, using rheological properties of the resin, would help the design and operation of plastics processing equipment. Different techniques for predicting swell are reviewed.A computer program has been written to predict steady-state, isothermal extrudate swell in annular and circular dies. The equations of motion and continuity have been solved along with selected constitutive relations. Newtonian, power-law and the viscoelastic Maxwell and Giesekus rheological models were chosen. The Galerkin formulation of the Finite Element Method has been used to solve the system of differential equations.The predictions for Newtonian, power-law and Maxwell models have been verified with existing experimental or numerical results when available. The results for the swell of Maxwell and Giesekus fluids have been compared at the same levels of elasticity. The effects of inertia and gravity on extrudate position and swell have been studied. Different geometries of an annular die (converging, diverging) were also examined