Some aspects regarding matrimonial relations in the city of Arad in the XVIIIth century

This study proposed, first, to carry out, based on archive documents, an incursion as regards matrimonial relationships of XVIIIth century with all legal, economic and social connotations involved. The marriage contracts studied fall into a typology more closely of what was happening in the same period in Western Europe than in South Eastern Europe. This is because such acts have emerged within the former county of Arad in the first half of the century after the establishment of Habsburg domination and after the German colonists were brought into the area. Besides the juridical problems regarding the contractual liabilities of the spouses, the status of the children, some problems related to wealth and dowry, I tried to mark out some aspects regarding the everyday life of Arad’s inhabitants in the XVIIIth century

Varying the performance of helical auxetic yarns by altering component properties and geometry

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.This paper presents a systematic study of the helical auxetic yarn (HAY) via careful in-house fabrication and characterisation of a wide range of polymeric fibres and yarns. It provides a better understanding of the auxetic behaviour of the HAY in order to tailor their properties for specific applications. The study focused on three parameters: component moduli, the core/wrap diameter ratio and the initial wrap angle. The results show that a larger difference in component moduli, a higher core/wrap diameter ratio and a lower initial wrap angle can produce a larger maximum negative Poisson's ratio value and thereby a better auxetic performance for HAYs. All three parameters could be carefully utilised when in combination to achieve the required auxetic behaviour of HAYs. Moreover, the instantaneous true Poisson's ratio analysis accurately presents the instantaneous behaviour of highly strain dependent HAYs.This work is supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC Grant No. EP/J004553/1). The authors would like also to acknowledge their colleagues Dave Baker and Yat-Tarng Shyng for technical support

Aspect-Oriented Framework for Web Services (AoF4WS)

This chapter presents our research initiative known as aspect-oriented framework for Web services (AoF4WS). This initiative looks into the role of aspect-oriented programming in enhancing Web services with nonfunctional properties that are orthogonal to the primary functional properties of Web services, without the need for extensive reprogramming. This enhancement achieves a separation between the functional and nonfunctional aspects of Web services, thereby resulting in easier adaptability and maintainability. We have initially chosen to focus on security and self-healing nonfunctional requirements. The AoF4WS initiative is therefore demonstrated using two projects, SC-WS and SHWS, which respectively stand for security concerns of Web services and self-healing Web services. Our contributions are relevant to the design phase in an aspect-oriented software development lifecycle

Aspect-oriented framework for web services (AoF4WS): Introduction and two example case studies

This chapter presents our research initiative known as aspect-oriented framework for Web services (AoF4WS). This initiative looks into the role of aspect-oriented programming in enhancing Web services with nonfunctional properties that are orthogonal to the primary functional properties of Web services, without the need for extensive reprogramming. This enhancement achieves a separation between the functional and nonfunctional aspects of Web services, thereby resulting in easier adaptability and maintainability. We have initially chosen to focus on security and self-healing nonfunctional requirements. The AoF4WS initiative is therefore demonstrated using two projects, SC-WS and SH-WS, which respectively stand for security concerns of Web services and self-healing Web services. Our contributions are relevant to the design phase in an aspect-oriented software development lifecycle. © 2009, IGI Global

Monitoring the mineralisation of bone nodules in vitro by space- and time-resolved Raman micro-spectroscopy.

Raman microscopy was used as a label-free method to study the mineralisation of bone nodules formed by mesenchymal stem cells cultured in osteogenic medium in vitro. Monitoring individual bone nodules over 28 days revealed temporal and spatial changes in the crystalline phase of the hydroxyapatite components of the nodules

Transcriptional regulation of mammalian autophagy at a glance.

Macroautophagy, hereafter referred to as autophagy, is a catabolic process that results in the lysosomal degradation of cytoplasmic contents ranging from abnormal proteins to damaged cell organelles. It is activated  under diverse conditions, including nutrient deprivation and hypoxia. During autophagy, members of the core autophagy-related (ATG) family of proteins mediate membrane rearrangements, which lead to the engulfment and degradation of cytoplasmic cargo. Recently, the nuclear regulation of autophagy, especially by transcription factors and histone modifiers, has gained increased attention. These factors are not only involved in rapid responses to autophagic stimuli, but also regulate the long-term outcome of autophagy. Now there are more than 20 transcription factors that have been shown to be linked to the autophagic process. However, their interplay and timing appear enigmatic as several have been individually shown to act as major regulators of autophagy. This Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster highlights the main cellular regulators of transcription involved in mammalian autophagy and their target genes

Applications of Raman micro-spectroscopy to stem cell technology: label-free molecular discrimination and monitoring cell differentiation.

Stem cell therapy is widely acknowledged as a key medical technology of the 21st century which may provide treatments for many currently incurable diseases. These cells have an enormous potential for cell replacement therapies to cure diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, as well as in tissue engineering as a reliable cell source for providing grafts to replace and repair diseased tissues. Nevertheless, the progress in this field has been difficult in part because of lack of techniques that can measure non-invasively the molecular properties of cells. Such repeated measurements can be used to evaluate the culture conditions during differentiation, cell quality and phenotype heterogeneity of stem cell progeny. Raman spectroscopy is an optical technique based on inelastic scattering of laser photons by molecular vibrations of cellular molecules and can be used to provide chemical fingerprints of cells or organelles without fixation, lysis or use of labels and other contrast enhancing chemicals. Because differentiated cells are specialized to perform specific functions, these cells produce specific biochemicals that can be detected by Raman micro-spectroscopy. This mini-review paper describes applications of Raman micro-scpectroscopy to measure moleculare properties of stem cells during differentiation in-vitro. The paper focuses on time- and spatially-resolved Raman spectral measurements that allow repeated investigation of live stem cells in-vitro

Cytoplasmic RNA in undifferentiated neural stem cells: a potential label-free Raman spectral marker for assessing the undifferentiated status

Raman microspectroscopy (rms) was used to identify, image, and quantify potential molecular markers for label-free monitoring the differentiation status of live neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro. Label-free noninvasive techniques for characterization of NCSs in vitro are needed as they can be developed for real-time monitoring of live cells. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) models based on Raman spectra of undifferentiated NSCs and NSC-derived glial cells enabled discrimination of NSCs with 89.4% sensitivity and 96.4% specificity. The differences between Raman spectra of NSCs and glial cells indicated that the discrimination of the NSCs was based on higher concentration of nucleic acids in NSCs. Spectral images corresponding to Raman bands assigned to nucleic acids for individual NSCs and glial cells were compared with fluorescence staining of cell nuclei and cytoplasm to show that the origin of the spectral differences were related to cytoplasmic RNA. On the basis of calibration models, the concentration of the RNA was quantified and mapped in individual cells at a resolution of ~700 nm. The spectral maps revealed cytoplasmic regions with concentrations of RNA as high as 4 mg/mL for NSCs while the RNA concentration in the cytoplasm of the glial cells was below the detection limit of our instrument (~1 mg/mL). In the light of recent reports describing the importance of the RNAs in stem cell populations, we propose that the observed high concentration of cytoplasmic RNAs in NSCs compared to glial cells is related to the repressed translation of mRNAs, higher concentrations of large noncoding RNAs in the cytoplasm as well as their lower cytoplasm volume. While this study demonstrates the potential of using rms for label-free assessment of live NSCs in vitro, further studies are required to establish the exact origin of the increased contribution of the cytoplasmic RNA

Size, shape and flow of powders for use in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

6th International Conference on Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping, Leiria, Portugal, 1-5 October 2013This paper investigates the effects of particles size and morphology on flowability of a range of polymeric powders (SLS and non-SLS grades). The effect of additives incorporation, as well as drying or sieving, on the flowability characteristics of the powders is also analyzed. The results show that the particle morphology has a stronger influence on the flowability than the particle size distribution. Moreover, the incorporation of additives has to be carefully considered in order to have positive effects on the powder flowability

Cytoplasmic RNA in undifferentiated neural stem cells: A potential label-free raman spectral marker for assessing the undifferentiated status

Raman microspectroscopy (rms) was used to identify, image, and quantify potential molecular markers for label-free monitoring the differentiation status of live neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro. Label-free noninvasive techniques for characterization of NCSs in vitro are needed as they can be developed for real-time monitoring of live cells. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) models based on Raman spectra of undifferentiated NSCs and NSC-derived glial cells enabled discrimination of NSCs with 89.4% sensitivity and 96.4% specificity. The differences between Raman spectra of NSCs and glial cells indicated that the discrimination of the NSCs was based on higher concentration of nucleic acids in NSCs. Spectral images corresponding to Raman bands assigned to nucleic acids for individual NSCs and glial cells were compared with fluorescence staining of cell nuclei and cytoplasm to show that the origin of the spectral differences were related to cytoplasmic RNA. On the basis of calibration models, the concentration of the RNA was quantified and mapped in individual cells at a resolution of ∼700 nm. The spectral maps revealed cytoplasmic regions with concentrations of RNA as high as 4 mg/mL for NSCs while the RNA concentration in the cytoplasm of the glial cells was below the detection limit of our instrument (∼1 mg/mL). In the light of recent reports describing the importance of the RNAs in stem cell populations, we propose that the observed high concentration of cytoplasmic RNAs in NSCs compared to glial cells is related to the repressed translation of mRNAs, higher concentrations of large noncoding RNAs in the cytoplasm as well as their lower cytoplasm volume. While this study demonstrates the potential of using rms for label-free assessment of live NSCs in vitro, further studies are required to establish the exact origin of the increased contribution of the cytoplasmic RNA. © 2012 American Chemical Society