Kalman filter design for atmospheric tip/tilt, tip/tilt anisoplanatism and focus filtering on extremely large telescopes

This paper discusses Kalman filter design to correct for atmospheric tip/tilt, tip/tilt anisoplanatism and focus disturbances in laser guide star multi-conjugate adaptive optics. Model identification, controller design and computation, command oversampling and disturbance rejection are discussed via time domain analysis and control performance evaluation. End-to-end high-fidelity sky-coverage simulations are presented by Wang and co-authors in a companion paper

Pathogenicity of a bovine viral diarrhoea virus strain in pregnant sows: Short communication

The biological properties of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) strain Oregon C24V were studied after intranasal and subcutaneous infection of pregnant sows. This virus strain is widely used in Hungary for immunising cattle against bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD). Based upon the results of the clinical, gross pathological, histopathological and virological examinations it can be established that the given strain caused asymptomatic infection and serological conversion in sows that were in the second third of gestation. The virus caused clinically apparent disease in some of the piglets born at term, which indicates that it had crossed the placenta. More than half (57%) of the live-born piglets died within 60 days of birth. The sows and their progeny did not shed the virus. BVDV infection has great differential diagnostic importance in pigs, as classical swine fever (CSF) virus strains of reduced virulence cause similar clinical symptoms and gross and histopathological changes

Laser-plasma harmonics with high-contrast pulses and designed prepulses

One aspect of the complexity of mid- and high-harmonic generation in high-intensity laser-plasma interactions is that nonlinear hydrodynamics is virtually always folded together with the nonlinear optical conversion process. We have partly dissected this issue in picosecond and subpicosecond interactions with preformed plasma gradients, imaging and spectrally resolving low- and mid-order harmonics. We describe spatial breakup of the picosecond beam in preformed plasmas, concomitant broadening and breakup of the harmonic spectrum, presumably through self-phase modulation, together with data on the sensitivity of harmonics production efficiency to the gradient or extent of preformed plasma. Lastly, we show preliminary data of regular Stokes-like and anti-Stokes-like satellites to the harmonics, accompanied by modification of the forward-scattered beam. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87448/2/342_1.pd

A new, modern, cost-saving micro/macro method for the determination of serum fructosamine

Serum/plasma fructosamine (SeFa) concentration is a reliable indicator used in human diabetic control. Tests for monitoring the carbohydrate/energy metabolism of (farm) animals are less commonly performed in veterinary laboratories, since most of the reliable determinations, both automated and manual, are relatively expensive. The aim of this study was to develop a precise, money- (and time-) saving automated micro method for measuring SeFa. ELISA microplates (20 µL samples and 200 µL reagents) and an automatic microplate autoreader were used. The classical nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) stain reagent solution of Johnson et al. (1982) was modified using a SIGMA reagent to render it stable for up to one year. SeFa concentrations measured by the new method in 30 human blood plasma samples were compared with values obtained by the standard (generally used) LaRoche kit procedure. Fifteen cow, 13 dog and 18 chicken plasma samples were assayed by the new automated ‘micro’ method as well as by the manual test tube ‘macro’ method commonly used earlier. The modified reagent was applied for both methods. The coefficient of correlation (r) between the results obtained by the two methods was consistently between 0.94 and 0.98 (p < 0.001)

A hisztériával kapcsolatos diskurzusok tanulságai a szomatizációs jelenségek és a betegségmagatartás megértéséhez = The relevance of discourses about hysteria in the understanding of somatization phenomena and illness behaviour

Napjainkban a magatartástudományok képviselőinek egyszerre kell számolniuk a betegségekkel kapcsolatos bizonyosság és tudás konfliktusait előhívó medikalizációs-technicizációs orvostudományi tendenciákkal és a társadalomtudományok ezekre reflektáló, kritikai és „posztmodern” megközelítéseivel. Ebből adódóan igen fontos kihívásként jelentkezik az interdiszciplináris megközelítés szükségessége. Különösen így van ez a nehezen definiálható betegségek - a szomatizációs és pszichoszomatikus zavarok - esetében, ahol a betegségmagatartás gyakorlati problémái, továbbá a tünetek, a diagnózisok és a szenvedés „valódiságának” episztemológiai kérdései egyszerre vannak jelen. Az utóbbi másfél évtized kritikai társadalomtudományi kutatásaiban rendkívüli figyelmet kapott a szomatizációs zavarok és a klasszikus pszichoszomatikus kórképek elődjének számító hisztéria kérdésköre. A tanulmány a szakmai és laikus szóhasználatban nem hivatalosan máig tovább élő betegséggel kapcsolatos társadalomtudományi és orvosi megközelítések közül azokat mutatja be, amelyek szempontokkal szolgálhatnak a szomatizációs és pszichoszomatikus kórképek, valamint a velük kapcsolatos érzelmi és viselkedéses reakciók elemzéséhez és megértéséhez

Influence of feeding intensity on corporeal development, body composition and sexual maturity in female rabbits

Twenty-six 6-week old female New Zealand White rabbits were divided into two groups: ad libitum (AL) and 70% restricted (RS) feeding. At the beginning of the experiment the liveweights were practically the same: 0.99 ± 0.08 vs. 1.01 ± 0.08 kg in group AL and RS, respectively. At 18 weeks of age the body weight of Group RS rabbits was 84.7% (3.14 ± 0.24 kg) of the group AL (3.71 ± 0.31 kg). The apparent digestibility of crude protein was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in Group RS than in Group AL (76.5 ± 1.4 vs. 73.0 ± 2.7%). The daily water consumption was significantly (p < 0.05) higher (3.5 ml/g DM intake) in Group RS as compared to Group AL (1.9 ml/g DM). Since the average body weight in Group RS at 18 weeks was the same as that of Group AL at 14 weeks of age (3.14 kg), the comparison of the live body measures and indices was based on these ages. Animals fed ad libitum or restricted show no differences at the defined age in most live body measurements except in heart girth and rump width, which were significantly (p < 0.05) shorter in Group AL than in Group RS (29.3 ± 0.8, 5.7 ± 0.5 and 30.7 ± 1.0, 6.2 ± 0.3 cm, respectively). Body capacity was significantly (p < 0.05) smaller in Group AL, as the head capacity-body capacity proportion was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Group AL than in Group RS (1653.1 ± 134.5, 22.0 ± 2.5 and 1913.7 ± 168.7, 17.7 ± 1.9, respectively). Due to restricted feeding the growth of the head proved to be less intensive than that of the body at the same body weight. The body in these does tended to be wider. Since the head in comparison to length or capacity of the body was smaller in does fed 70% of ad libitum, it could be concluded that the development of body parts of restricted-fed does was unequal (allometric growth). The effect of feed restriction reflected in lower dry matter and fat, and a higher ash and protein content both in total body and in dry matter composition of rabbits at 18 weeks of age. Restricted feeding delayed sexual maturity (69 vs. 92% of rabbits) with later starting ovarian activity, weaker ovarian responsiveness, and a smaller number of tertiary follicles on the ovarian surface

Study of the soil—plant (carrot)—animal cycle of nutritive and hazardous minerals in a rabbit model

Carrots were grown on soils polluted by heavy metal salts. Each particular microelement reached a high concentration [molybdenum (Mo) 39.00, cadmium (Cd) 2.30, lead (Pb) 4.01, mercury (Hg) 30.00, and selenium (Se) 36.20 mg/kg dry matter] in the carrot. In a metabolic balance trial conducted with 15 male and 15 female New Zealand White rabbits, the control animals (n = 5) were fed ad libitum with concentrate as basal diet, while the other rabbits received the basal diet and carrots containing the particular microelement. Blood samples were taken to determine the activity of serum enzymes. To investigate the metabolism of Mo, Cd, Pb, Hg and Se, samples were taken from the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, spleen, ovaries/testicles, entire digestive tract, adipose tissue, femur, hair, faeces and urine. Carrot had significantly higher digestibility for all nutrients than the rabbit concentrate. Carrot samples of high Pb content had the lowest digestibility of crude protein. The microelements differed in their rate of accumulation in the organs examined: Mo and Cd accumulated in the kidneys, Pb in the kidneys, liver, bones and lungs, Hg in the kidneys and liver, while Se in the liver, kidneys and heart. The proportions of microelements eliminated from the body either via the faeces and urine (Mo 80.18% and Se 47.41%) or via the faeces (Cd 37.86%, Pb 66.39%, Hg 64.65%) were determined. Pathohistological examination revealed that the rate of spermatogenesis was reduced in the Mo, Cd, Pb and Hg groups compared to the control. Lead, Cd and Hg intake resulted in a considerable decrease in gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and in an increase of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity because of damages to the kidneys and bones. All experimental treatments decreased the activity of cholinesterase (CHE) because of lesions in the liver