Primitive abundant and weird numbers with many prime factors

We give an algorithm to enumerate all primitive abundant numbers (briefly, PANs) with a fixed $\Omega$ (the number of prime factors counted with their multiplicity), and explicitly find all PANs up to $\Omega=6$, count all PANs and square-free PANs up to $\Omega=7$ and count all odd PANs and odd square-free PANs up to $\Omega=8$. We find primitive weird numbers (briefly, PWNs) with up to 16 prime factors, improving the previous results of [Amato-Hasler-Melfi-Parton] where PWNs with up to 6 prime factors have been given. The largest PWN we find has 14712 digits: as far as we know, this is the largest example existing, the previous one being 5328 digits long [Melfi]. We find hundreds of PWNs with exactly one square odd prime factor: as far as we know, only five were known before. We find all PWNs with at least one odd prime factor with multiplicity greater than one and $\Omega = 7$ and prove that there are none with $\Omega < 7$. Regarding PWNs with a cubic (or higher) odd prime factor, we prove that there are none with $\Omega\le 7$, and we did not find any with larger $\Omega$. Finally, we find several PWNs with 2 square odd prime factors, and one with 3 square odd prime factors. These are the first such examples.Comment: New section on open problems. A mistake in table 2 corrected (# odd PAN with Omega=8). New PWN in table 5, last line, 2 squared prime factors, Omega=15. Updated bibliograph

Supply chain analysis in the Australian lamb processing industry

During the last decade, supply chain management has played an important role in enabling many agribusinesses to succeed in their business goals, gain competitive advantage, and improve their business performance. As the result, there has been extensive research into strategic supply chain management with the aim of improving agribusiness performance at each stage of the supply chain. This is because in the current agribusiness world, supply chain activities are crucial in influencing many companies to continuously adapt proper supply chain management practices. The objective of this research was to analyse supply chain performance indicators among Australian lamb processors by using survey data and empirical models. Based on the results of these analyses, alternative configurations for these supply chains were suggested to help enhance the performance of the businesses concerned. The results indicate that food quality and efficiency are significant indicators of competitive advantage for lamb processors

An endosomal beta COP is involved in the pH-dependent formation of transport vesicles destined for late endosomes

In this paper, we show that beta COP is present on endosomes and is required for the formation of vesicles which mediate transport from early to late endosomes. Both the association of beta COP to endosomal membranes as well as transport vesicle formation depend on the lumenal pH. We find that epsilon COP, but not gamma COP, is also associated to endosomes, and that this association is also lumenal pH dependent. Our data, thus, indicate that a subset of COPs is part of the mechanism regulating endosomal membrane transport, and that membrane association of these COPs is controlled by the acidic properties of early endosomes, presumably via a trans-membrane pH sensor

Supply Chain Performance Indicators for Australian Beef Industry: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract: This research presents and analyses supply chain performance indicators for Australian beef producers, processors and retailers/wholesalers based on an empirical approach. The survey results showed that: 1. for producers, competitive advantage was significantly influenced by the supply chain performance components food quality, flexibility and responsiveness 2. for processors, competitive advantage was significantly influenced by the supply chain performance components food quality and responsiveness 3. at the retail/wholesale level, competitive advantage was significantly influenced by food quality, flexibility, responsiveness and efficiency 4. a significant problem affecting the overall performance of the Australian beef supply chain was unskilled and inexperienced staff. Various statistical tests confirmed the validity and reliability of the results. Keywords: supply chain performance indicators, food quality, flexibility, responsiveness, efficiency

Annexin XIIIb: a novel epithelial specific annexin is implicated in vesicular traffic to the apical plasma membrane

The sorting of apical and basolateral proteins into vesicular carriers takes place in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) in MDCK cells. We have previously analyzed the protein composition of immunoisolated apical and basolateral transport vesicles and have now identified a component that is highly enriched in apical vesicles. Isolation of the encoding cDNA revealed that this protein, annexin XIIIb, is a new isoform of the epithelial specific annexin XIII sub-family which includes the previously described intestine-specific annexin (annexin XIIIa; Wice, B. M., and J. I, Gordon. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 116:405-422). Annexin XIIIb differs from annexin XIIIa in that it contains a unique insert of 41 amino acids in the NH2 terminus and is exclusively expressed in dog intestine and kidney, Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that annexin XIIIb was localized to the apical plasma membrane and underlying punctate structures. Since annexins have been suggested to play a role in membrane-membrane interactions in exocytosis and endocytosis, we investigated whether annexin XIIIb, is involved in delivery to the apical cell surface. To this aim we used permeabilized MDCK cells and a cytosol-dependent in vitro transport assay. Antibodies specific for annexin XIIIb significantly inhibited the transport of influenza virus hemagglutinin from the TGN to the apical plasma membrane while the transport of vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein to the basolateral cell surface was unaffected. We propose that annexin XIIIb, plays a role in vesicular transport to the apical plasma membrane in MDCK cells

Developing a Suitable Methodology for Integrated Supply Chain Analysis in the Australian Beef Industries: a Research Proposal

The Australian Beef Supply Chain is the chain or sequence of all activities from the breeding property to the domestic or overseas consumers. The objective of this research is to describe beef supply chains in Australia and to explore and measure the performance of such chains (i.e. efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity). In addition to this it is to suggest alternative configurations for these supply chains that enhance performance of the businesses concerned and to develop a new design methodology for integrated supply chains based on process modeling, performance analysis and optimization of production and inventory distribution networks

Applied Remote Sensing Program (ARSP)

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The effects of an intronic polymorphism in TOMM40 and APOE genotypes in sporadic inclusion body myositis.

A previous study showed that, in carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype ε3/ε3 or ε3/ε4, the presence of a very long (VL) polyT repeat allele in "translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40" (TOMM40) was less frequent in patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) compared with controls and associated with a later age of sIBM symptom onset, suggesting a protective effect of this haplotype. To further investigate the influence of these genetic factors in sIBM, we analyzed a large sIBM cohort of 158 cases as part of an International sIBM Genetics Study. No significant association was found between APOE or TOMM40 genotypes and the risk of developing sIBM. We found that the presence of at least 1 VL polyT repeat allele in TOMM40 was significantly associated with about 4 years later onset of sIBM symptoms. The age of onset was delayed by 5 years when the patients were also carriers of the APOE genotype ε3/ε3. In addition, males were likely to have a later age of onset than females. Therefore, the TOMM40 VL polyT repeat, although not influencing disease susceptibility, has a disease-modifying effect on sIBM, which can be enhanced by the APOE genotype ε3/ε3

Safeguarding children in dentistry: 1. Child protection training, experience and practice of dental professionals with an interest in paediatric dentistry

* Few dental professionals with child protection training have experience of making referrals. * There is a wide gap in practice between recognising signs of child abuse and neglect and responding effectively. * This may indicate missed opportunities to save children from continuing abuse. * There is a need for improved child protection information, support and training for dental professionals. Abstract Following several highly publicised inquiries into the deaths of children from abuse and neglect, there has been much recent interest in the role and responsibility of all health professionals to protect children at risk of maltreatment. The findings of a postal questionnaire, sent in March 2005 to 789 dentists and dental care professionals with an interest in paediatric dentistry working in varied settings in the UK, are presented in a two-part report and discussed in the context of current multi-agency good practice in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This first part explores reported child protection training, experience and practice. There was a significant gap between recognising signs of abuse and responding effectively: 67% of respondents had suspected abuse or neglect of a child patient at some time in their career but only 29% had ever made a child protection referral. The dental profession is alerted to the need to ensure necessary appropriate action to safeguard children is always taken when child abuse or neglect are suspected