Standard automata and semidirect products of transformation semigroups

AbstractWe propose a decomposition of transformation semigroups (X, S) on a finite set X that provides 1.a composition of its elements out of idempotents/generators,2.a way by which S is obtained from semilattices/cyclic groups acting on X, namely by means of bilateral semidirect products and quotients. The point is to provide both (a) and (b) simultaneously while still being accountable for the resources used in terms of cardinalities. This approach is applied to the semigroup End(X, ⩽) of isotonic mappings of a linearly ordered set as well as the transition semigroups of automata that arise from certain varieties of formal languages. We discuss the semigroup varieties D, R, J, LJ1, and give a bilateral semidirect decomposition of the full transformation semigroup T(X) into End (X, ⩽) and the symmetric group on X

The Slowdown in Productivity Growth: Analysis of Some Contributing factors

macroeconomics,product growth

Envisioning the qualitative effects of robot manipulation actions using simulation-based projections

Autonomous robots that are to perform complex everyday tasks such as making pancakes have to understand how the effects of an action depend on the way the action is executed. Within Artificial Intelligence, classical planning reasons about whether actions are executable, but makes the assumption that the actions will succeed (with some probability). In this work, we have designed, implemented, and analyzed a framework that allows us to envision the physical effects of robot manipulation actions. We consider envisioning to be a qualitative reasoning method that reasons about actions and their effects based on simulation-based projections. Thereby it allows a robot to infer what could happen when it performs a task in a certain way. This is achieved by translating a qualitative physics problem into a parameterized simulation problem; performing a detailed physics-based simulation of a robot plan; logging the state evolution into appropriate data structures; and then translating these sub-symbolic data structures into interval-based first-order symbolic, qualitative representations, called timelines. The result of the envisioning is a set of detailed narratives represented by timelines which are then used to infer answers to qualitative reasoning problems. By envisioning the outcome of actions before committing to them, a robot is able to reason about physical phenomena and can therefore prevent itself from ending up in unwanted situations. Using this approach, robots can perform manipulation tasks more efficiently, robustly, and flexibly, and they can even successfully accomplish previously unknown variations of tasks

Acid phospholipase A activities in rat hepatocytes

AbstractCultured rat hepatocytes exhibit acid phospholipase A activity. On the basis of product formation from stereospecifically radiolabeled phosphatidylethanolamine substrates, phospholipases A1 and A2 have been identified with optimal activities at pH 4.5. According to subcellular fractionation studies, the acid phospholipases in hepatocytes appear to be located in the lysosomal compartment. Application of specific inhibitors of the biosynthesis, glycosylation, and translocation of lysosomal enzymes in hepatocyte cultures suggests a half-life of approx. 1 day for the acid lysosomal phospholipase A1. About the same value for the half-life was obtained for the lysosomal marker enzymes, acid phosphatase and β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase

Arabidopsis senescence-associated protein DMP1 is involved in membrane remodeling of the ER and tonoplast

Background: Arabidopsis DMP1 was discovered in a genome-wide screen for senescence-associated membrane proteins. DMP1 is a member of a novel plant- specific membrane protein family of unknown function. In rosette leaves DMP1 expression increases from very low background level several 100fold during senescence progression. Results: Expression of AtDMP1 fused to eGFP in Nicotiana benthamiana triggers a complex process of succeeding membrane remodeling events affecting the structure of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the vacuole. Induction of spherical structures (“bulbs”), changes in the architecture of the ER from tubular to cisternal elements, expansion of smooth ER, formation of crystalloid ER, and emergence of vacuolar membrane sheets and foamy membrane structures inside the vacuole are proceeding in this order. In some cells it can be observed that the process culminates in cell death after breakdown of the entire ER network and the vacuole. The integrity of the plasma membrane, nucleus and Golgi vesicles are retained until this stage. In Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing AtDMP1-eGFP by the 35S promoter massive ER and vacuole vesiculation is observed during the latest steps of leaf senescence, whereas earlier in development ER and vacuole morphology are not perturbed. Expression by the native DMP1 promoter visualizes formation of aggregates termed “boluses” in the ER membranes and vesiculation of the entire ER network, which precedes disintegration of the central vacuole during the latest stage of senescence in siliques, rosette and cauline leaves and in darkened rosette leaves. In roots tips, DMP1 is strongly expressed in the cortex undergoing vacuole biogenesis. Conclusions: Our data suggest that DMP1 is directly or indirectly involved in membrane fission during breakdown of the ER and the tonoplast during leaf senescence and in membrane fusion during vacuole biogenesis in roots. We propose that these properties of DMP1, exacerbated by transient overexpression, may cause or contribute to the dramatic membrane remodeling events which lead to cell death in infiltrated tobacco leaves

Ein Beitrag zur Systematisierung und Weiterentwicklung der Stellwerks-Energieversorgung

Wegen ihrer großen Bedeutung für die Verfügbarkeit der Stellwerke thematisiert die vorliegende Arbeit den Teilbereich der Energieversorgungsanlagen von Stellwerken. Ausgehend von aktuellen Fragestellungen werden neun Forschungsfragen definiert. Zunächst werden die Grundlagen sowie der Forschungsstand im Bereich der Energieversorgung untersucht. Anschließend erfolgt eine Analyse der historischen Entwicklung der Energieversorgung in der Stellwerkstechnik auf Grundlage einer umfangreichen Literaturrecherche. Darauf folgend werden aktuelle und zukünftige Entwicklungen auf diesem Gebiet untersucht. Im Hauptteil der Arbeit erfolgt eine Fokussierung auf die Energieversorgung von Relaisstellwerken. Die derzeit eingesetzten Anlagen werden hinsichtlich Technik, Altersstruktur und Zustand nebst Störungen analysiert. Dazu werden umfangreiche statistische Auswertungen vorgenommen. Im Anschluss wird ein universelles Erneuerungskonzept zur Ausrüstung der vorhandenen Stellwerke mit modernen Energieversorgungen vorgestellt. Durch die Untersuchung von Entscheidungskriterien wird ermittelt, wann unterschiedliche Erneuerungsvarianten eingesetzt werden sollten. In einer Lebenszykluskostenrechnung (LCC) mit anschließender Wirtschaftlichkeitsrechnung (WKR) werden diese Umbauvarianten monetär bewertet und miteinander verglichen.Due to its importance for the availability of interlockings, this PhD thesis focuses on the part of the interlockings power supply systems. Based on current issues, nine research questions are defined. First, the basics as well as the present state of the art in research and technology in the field of power supply are examined. This is followed by an analysis of the historical development of interlocking power supply systems based on a substantial literature research. Subsequently, the current and future key developments in this field are investigated. The main part of the work focuses on power supply systems of relay interlockings. The systems currently used are analysed regarding technology, aging and present condition as well as incidents. For that purpose comprehensive statistical evaluations are conducted. After that, a universal concept for replacement of old power supplies by state-of-the-art technology in existing interlocking systems is presented. By studying decision-making-criteria, the appropriate application of different renewal variants is determined. In a life-cycle-costing (LCC) and follow-up cost effective analysis (WKR) the different variants are evaluated and compared with each other

Diacylglycerol hydrolysis in rat liver lysosomes

AbstractThe matrix of rat liver lysosomes exhibits high hydrolytic activity towards 1,2-diacylglycerol with an optimum at pH 4.0. The lipolytic reaction follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics (apparent Vmax 470 nmol hydrolysedmin per mg protein; apparent Km71 μM 1,2-dioleoylglycerol). Formation of 1- and 2-monooleoylglycerols indicates an initial attack at both the primary and secondary ester bonds. The lysosomal matrix also catalyses (re)acylation reactions, i.e. the formation of 1,2-diacylglycerol from 2-monoacylglycerol and free fatty acid. However, (re)acylation proceeds at a far lower rate than deacylation of diacylglycerol. Lysosomal diacylglycerol hydrolysis is sensitive towards non-ionic detergents, cationic amphiphilic drugs and the lipase inhibitor RHC 80267

Finite element modeling of an alternating current electromagnetic weld pool support in full penetration laser beam welding of thick duplex stainless steel plates

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in M. Bachmann et al., J. Laser Appl. 28, 022404 (2016) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.2351/1.4943906.An electromagnetic weld pool support system for 20 mm thick duplex stainless steel AISI 2205 was investigated numerically and compared to experiments. In our former publications, it was shown how an alternating current (AC) magnetic field below the process zone directed perpendicular to the welding direction can induce vertically directed Lorentz forces. These can counteract the gravitational forces and allow for a suppression of material drop-out for austenitic stainless steels and aluminum alloys. In this investigation, we additionally adopted a steady-state complex magnetic permeability model for the consideration of the magnetic hysteresis behavior due to the ferritic characteristics of the material. The model was calibrated against the Jiles–Atherton model. The material model was also successfully tested against an experimental configuration before welding with a 30 mm diameter cylinder of austenitic stainless steel surrounded by duplex stainless steel. Thereby, the effects of the Curie temperature on the magnetic characteristics in the vicinity of the later welding zone were simulated. The welding process was modeled with a three-dimensional turbulent steady-state model including heat transfer and fluid dynamics as well as the electromagnetic field equations. Main physical effects, the thermo-capillary (Marangoni) convection at the weld pool boundaries, the natural convection due to gravity as well as latent heat of solid–liquid phase transitions at the phase boundaries were accounted for in the model. The feedback of the electromagnetic forces on the weld pool was described in terms of the electromagnetic-induced pressure. The finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2 was used in this investigation. It is shown that the gravity drop-out associated with the welding of 20 mm thick duplex stainless steel plates due to the hydrostatic pressure can be prevented by the application of AC magnetic fields between around 70 and 90 mT. The corresponding oscillation frequencies were between 1 and 10 kHz and the electromagnetic AC powers were between 1 and 2.3 kW. In the experiments, values of the electromagnetic AC power between 1.6 and 2.4 kW at oscillation frequencies between 1.2 and 2.5 kHz were found to be optimal to avoid melt sagging or drop-out of melt in single pass full-penetration laser beam welding of 15 and 20 mm thick AISI 2205

Effect of encainide and flecainide on chronic ectopic atrial tachycardia

In the treatment of chronic ectopic atrial tachycardia, standard antiarrhythmic therapy has been shown to be ineffective in the majority of patients. The intravenous and oral effects of two class IC antiarrhythmic drugs, encainide and flecainide, in five patients with chronic ectopic atrial tachycardia were studied using exercise testing, 24 hour long-term electrocardiography and programmed electrical stimulation. All patients had been treated unsuccessfully with at least four antiarrhythmic drugs. In two patients tachycardia was persistent, and in three patients tachycardia occurred intermittently for more than 12 hours/day.Intravenous encainide and flecainide at doses ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 mg/kg and from 0.5 to 1.5 mg/kg body weight, respectively, terminated atrial ectopic tachycardia in all patients. Oral encainide, 150 to 225 mg/day, completely suppressed ectopic atrial activity in four patients during a mean follow-up period of 8 ± 3 months. In the remaining patient encainide markedly reduced the number of episodes of tachycardia. In three patients encainide had to be withdrawn because of intolerable side effects. These patients were well controlled with oral flecainide, 200 to 300 mg/day, without side effects.On the basis of these results, the efficacy of encainide and flecainide in the treatment of chronic ectopic atrial tachycardia appears to be not drug-specific but rather a general class IC property