Production of [sigma]0 in [square root of s] = 91.2 GeV qq̄ events at LEP

This thesis presents a measurement of one of the three isospin states of the JP = 1[over] 2+ octet [sigma] baryons, the [sigma]0. In addition, the analysis yields the first differential cross-section measurement of the [sigma]0 hyperon in e+e-→ q[bar]q events. The unique particle identification capabilities of the DELPHI detector at LEP are used to obtain an increased efficiency by extending the standard [lambda]-finding algorithm.;The average number of [sigma]0\u27s produced per Z0 decay is calculated to beN([sigma]0)/Zsphad0=0.101 ± 0.008( stat) ± 0.014(syst) ± 0.007(extrap)\eqno(0.1) The measurement is about 30% above the prediction of the scJETSET model, but nevertheless is compatible with scJETSET within 2 [sigma]. Comparison with ARGUS results at √s = 10 GeV reveals similar levels of spin and strangeness suppression in hyperon production, within errors

The medical response to the Black Death

This paper discusses the medical response to the Black Death in both Europe and the Middle East. The Black Death was caused by a series of bacterial strands collectively known as Yersinia pestis. The Plague originated in the Mongolian Steppes. It was spread westward by the east-west trading system. Once it arrived in the Crimea in 1346, Italian merchants helped spread it throughout the Mediterranean. Medicine in Europe and the Middle East were centered on Galen’s theory of humors. There were many religious explanations for the Plague, but the main medical explanation was the spread of bad air, or miasma. Many preventative measures dealt with eliminating the miasma. The three main diagnostic methods used by physicians were astrology, uroscopy, and pulse-taking. Europeans realized the contagious nature of the disease, but many Muslims refuted the notion of contagion. Most cures for the Plague dealt with balancing body humors, such as bloodletting. Other cures included gold, rose water, and theriac. Even though the Plague killed many, it had beneficial effects on medicine, especially in Europe. Doctors began to question Galenic medicine, they relied more on observation, and they paid more attention to anatomy. There were also improvements in medical ethics, public health, and hospitals

Fortress defense in social aphids

Dissertação de mestrado em Evolução e Biologia Humanas, apresentada ao Departamento de Ciências da Vida da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra.A idade à morte é um dos parâmetros a ser estimado pelo antropólogo forense, aquando da construção do perfil de um determinado indivíduo. O objectivo de tal análise é tentar estabelecer uma relação entre a idade cronológica e a idade biológica dos resquícios ósseos. São várias as metodologias utilizadas, sendo que a abordagem morfológica, se apresenta como mais recorrente, pois é, de certa forma, mais intuitiva. Contudo, os métodos microscópicos podem, em determinadas situações, revelar-se de extrema utilidade. A estimativa da idade em adultos baseia-se na observação da senescência intrínseca ao indivíduo. Este processo fisiológico tem bases celulares, logo não é de estranhar que a histologia tenha vindo a ser usada como ferramenta para aceder às microestruturas, que permitem estabelecer uma relação com a idade. O ponto fulcral deste projecto é testar a aplicabilidade da histomorfometria óssea na estimativa da idade, através do uso de metodologias práticas e de fácil execução. Esta investigação pretende, com base numa amostra forense de clavículas provenientes de 18 indivíduos, 10 do sexo feminino e 8 do sexo masculino, estabelecer uma relação entre a idade à morte e dois componentes histológicos, a percentagem de osso não remodelado e aérea cortical relativa. Os resultados obtidos foram altamente condicionados pelo número da amostra tendo um carácter preliminar. Não foi possível estabelecer uma relação entre a percentagem de osso não remodelado e a idade, devido a um conjunto de situações condicionantes. Em relação à área cortical relativa, foi possível observar que esta exibe uma tendência para diminuir em indivíduos mais velhos, já que segundo os resultados obtidos, as principais diferenças encontram-se nos dois extremos etários. Os indivíduos mais jovens apresentam uma área cortical relativa superior (63,66%) quando comparados aos indivíduos mais velhos (57,96%). Esta variável parece ser ainda influenciada pelo sexo, chegando mesmo a existir, no grupo etário dos 40 aos 49 anos, uma diferença de aproximadamente 16%. Sempre que possível, os resultados obtidos, ou a falta destes, foram analisados criticamente, sendo que o condicionamento da amostra revelou-se um grande impedimento ao presente estudo. Um balanço geral da metodologia usada, quer ao nível da preparação para a histologia, quer na análise microscópica e com recurso ao scâner. Esta última revelou-se de mais fácil aplicação, embora careça de resultados mais fidedignos. O desenvolvimento de investigações, que visem a aplicação da histologia na estimativa da idade, é um processo premente e basilar, dado existirem empiricamente menos estudos na área, comparativamente aos métodos morfológicos. Deste modo, pensa-se que apesar dos resultados obtidos, novos projectos poderão ser alcançados, com base na temática em estudo.Age at death is one of the key objectives that need to be estimated by the forensic anthropologist, when building the profile of an individual. The aim of this analysis is to establish a relationship between chronological age and the age observed in human skeletal remains. Several methods are used for this purpose, and the morphological approach seems to be the most recurrent, because somehow it is more intuitive. However, the microscopic methods can, under certain circumstances, be extremely useful. The age estimation in adults is based on the observation of the natural senescence, inherent to the individual. This physiological process has a cellular basis, so it is not unpredictable that histology has been used as a tool to access these microstructures, which ultimately may de related with age. The main goal of this project is to test the applicability of bone histomorphometry in the estimation of age at death, through the use of methods that are, at its core, practical and easy to perform. The current investigation is based on forensic samples of clavicles from 18 individuals (10 females and 8 males). It was intended to establish a relationship between age at death and two histological components, the percentage of unremodeled bone and the relative cortical area. The results were highly conditioned by the sample. Therefore emphasis is placed in the preliminary character of those. It was not possible to establish an association between the percentage of unremodeled bone and age at death, due to a set of circumstances that restricted all the analysis. Regarding the analysis of the cortical relative area, it was possible to verify that this component presents a downward trend in older individuals, since the main differences were found in extreme ages. Thereby younger individuals present a higher value of cortical area (63,66%) when compared with older individuals (57,96%). This variable seems to be sexrelated, since in the age group of 40 to 49 years, it was possible to verify about 16% of difference between sexes. Whenever possible, all the results, or the lack of them, were critically analyzed. It is important to state that the sample size was a major drawback to this study. Nevertheless it was still possible to come up with some hypotheses that may in theory explain the results. A general deliberation of the methodology used was performed both in terms of the preparation for histology as well as towards the analysis of the microstructures per se. The examination that used the scanner proved to be easier to implement, although it lacks of reliable results. The development of investigations concerning the application of histology in age at death estimation is an urgent and fundamental process, since there are empirically fewer studies in the area when compared to macroscopic approach. Thus, in spite of the results we think that a path was opened to the enlargement of future studies that use histology as a tool for age estimation in a Portuguese sample

The supporting-cell antigen: a receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase expressed in the sensory epithelia of the inner ear

After noise- or drug-induced hair-cell loss, the sensory epithelia of the avian inner ear can regenerate new hair cells. Few molecular markers are available for the supporting-cell precursors of the hair cells that regenerate, and little is known about the signaling mechanisms underlying this regenerative response. Hybridoma methodology was used to obtain a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that stains the apical surface of supporting cells in the sensory epithelia of the inner ear. The mAb recognizes the supporting-cell antigen (SCA), a protein that is also found on the apical surfaces of retinal Müller cells, renal tubule cells, and intestinal brush border cells. Expression screening and molecular cloning reveal that the SCA is a novel receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP), sharing similarity with human density-enhanced phosphatase, an RPTP thought to have a role in the density-dependent arrest of cell growth. In response to hair-cell damage induced by noise in vivo or hair-cell loss caused by ototoxic drug treatment in vitro, some supporting cells show a dramatic decrease in SCA expression levels on their apical surface. This decrease occurs before supporting cells are known to first enter S-phase after trauma, indicating that it may be a primary rather than a secondary response to injury. These results indicate that the SCA is a signaling molecule that may influence the potential of nonsensory supporting cells to either proliferate or differentiate into hair cell

α5β1 integrin mediates pulmonary epithelial cyst formation

BACKGROUND: Formation of the epithelial cyst involves the establishment of apical-basolateral polarity through a series of cellular interactions that are in part mediated by the extracellular matrix (ECM). We report that in a three-dimensional multi-cellular self-assembly model of lung development, α5 integrin regulates epithelial cyst formation through organization of soluble fibronectin matrix into insoluble fibrils through a process called fibrillogenesis. RESULTS: Dissociated murine embryonic lung cells self-assemble into three-dimensional pulmonary bodies that are dependent on α5β1 integrin mediated fibrillogenesis for cell-cell mediated self-assembly: compaction and epithelial cyst formation. Knockdown of α5 integrin resulted in a significant increase in another mediator of fibrillogenesis, αV integrin. Compensatory increased expression of another mediator of fibrillogenesis, αV integrin, was not sufficient to normalize epithelial cyst formation. Loss of α5 integrin-mediated fibrillogenesis perturbed the ability of clustered epithelial cells to establish clear polarity, loss of epithelial cell pyramidal shape, and disrupted apical F-actin-rich deposition. Lack of rich central epithelial localization of F-actin cytoskeleton and Podocalyxin suggests that loss of α5 integrin-mediated fibrillogenesis interferes with the normal cytoskeleton organization that facilitates epithelial cysts polarization. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that lung epithelial cyst formation in development is mediated in part by α5β1 integrin dependent fibrillogenesi

A system for capturing and analyzing RDS messages

Glavni cilj diplomske naloge je izdelava sistema za zajem RDS sporočil, ki jih oddajajo radijske postaje na UKW področju. Praktična izvedba sistema temelji na univerzalnem programirljivem sprejemniku SDR. SDR ali software-defined radio je lahko radijski sprejemnik in/ali oddajnik. V primerjavi s strojnimi radio sprejemniki, katere uporabljamo v domačem okolju, se signali obdelujejo v procesorju, njegove komponente pa so izdelane programsko. Od tod tudi ime programirljivi radio. SDR se uporablja predvsem za eksperimentalne namene, pa tudi v mobilnih omrežjih in vojaških komunikacijah. Cenovna dostopnost SDR radio sprejemnika se izkazuje po vse večji razširjenosti uporabe za različna področja kognitivnega radia. Zmogljivost sprejemanje signalov se giblje približno v območju frekvenčnega pasa od 20 MHz pa vse do 2200 MHz. Vsebuje osnovne gradnike za pretvorbo zajetega radio signala v primerno obliko za nadaljnjo obdelavo. Sprejemnik sestavljata dve glavni integrirani vezji. Prvo vezje vsebuje elemente, ki spremeni neposredni analogni signal. Spreminjanje poteka tako, da premakne frekvenčni pas z namenom, da je ta primeren za nadaljnji prenos sporočila in bolj prilagodljiv za moteče pojave na prenosni poti. Drugo vezje poskrbi, da se prenesen fizikalni signal ali sporočilo pretvori v različne oblike. Sporočilo je lahko zapisano s simboli (črke, številke ali binarni simboli v računalniškem zapisu). V prenosnem kanalu, kjer se prenašajo taki simboli (niz števil ali »digiti«), se zato tak prenos imenuje digitalni prenos. To je glavna komponenta drugega vezja, saj vsebuje napravo, ki pretvori analogni v digitalni signal. Njegovo delovanje je bilo raziskano s pomočjo eksperimentov. Raziskal sem tri primere eksperimentov za različna področja uporabe. Delo je bilo v celoti opravljeno samo pri dveh, kajti zaradi omejene dostopnosti in lokacije mi pri zadnjem ni uspelo. Uspešno sem sprejel in prebral radio RDS sporočila s strani radio oddajnih postaj. Zajel sem pa tudi komunikacijo letalskega prometa z različnimi programskimi orodji. S pomočjo SDR spremenljivega radia sem raziskal še delovanje tako imenovane aplikacije POCSAG, s katero sem poizkušal sprejeti radio signal. Gre za informativne bazne postaje, ki vsebujejo pozivnike. Njihov namen je obveščanje o nevarnostih v neposrednem času. Zajem RDS sporočil sem preveril z več različnimi programskimi orodji. Eden izmed najpreprostejših za uporabo je SDR#, ki deluje zgolj v Windows okolju. Potrebno je nastaviti želeno frekvenčno območje postaje ter način sprejemanja radio signala. V našem primeru sem uporabil širokopasovni FM na UKW področju radijskih frekvenc. Raziskal sem še programsko orodje GNU Radio, operativno v Linux okolju. Linux okolje sem uporabil preko USB pomnilnika, na katerem sem namestil navidezno sliko Linux okolja. To mi je omogočilo, da sem se izognil dolgotrajnemu namestitvenemu procesu. V primerjavi s SDR# orodjem se je pokazal za učinkovitejšega, vendar zahtevnejšega za uporabo. Programsko okolje GNU radio omogoča mnogo več kot SDR#, hkrati pa zahteva tudi več znanja in daljše učenje za uspešno uporabo SDR sprejemnika. Vsi bolj izobraženi uporabniki si lahko sami ustvarijo simulacijsko okolje in pogoje, kjer preizkušajo delovanje različnih radio sistemov. Kot zadnjo orodje, ki sem ga kasneje uporabil za naš eksperimentalni sistem za zajem RDS sporočil, sem uporabil programsko orodje REDSEA. Tudi ta deluje v Linux okolju. Za zajem in analizo RDS sporočil sem moral poleg programskega orodja REDSEA uporabiti še tri dodatna. Prvi, ki sem ga uporabil, je programski jezik PYTHON. Z njim sem ustvaril programsko kodo, ki mi je omogočala povezavo in prenos RDS sporočil v primerno podatkovno obliko. Zajeta sporočila, ki jih zajamemo s programskim orodjem READSEA, ni mogoče neposredno uporabiti za analizo, ker vsebujejo dodatne znake. S programskim orodjem PHYTON zato upravljamo aplikacijo READSEA in ustrezno filtriramo sporočila za prenos v podatkovno bazo. Podatkovna baza SQLite3 mi je omogočila pretvorbo prenesenih RDS sporočil v ustrezen format podatkov. Te pa sem lahko prenesel na zadnje programsko orodje, s katerim sem napravil analizo podatkov. To je programsko orodje Microsoft Excel. Kot nalogo za analizo RDS sporočil sem izbral merjenje ponovljivosti skladb in informativnih sporočil. S pomočjo ročnih poizvedb v programu Excel sem pridobil statistične podatke o ponovljivosti skladb. Analiza zajetih podatkov je pokazala, kako pogosto se ponavljajo skladbe določenih radio postaj in koliko časa je za to namenjenega, in sicer v primerjavi z celotnim radijskim programom.The main goal of the diploma thesis is to create a system able to capture RDS messages, which are broadcast by radio stations on the UKW field. The practical implementation of the system is based on a universal software SDR receiver. An SDR or a software-defined radio can be a radio receiver and/or a transmitter. If compared to hardware radio receivers, which we use in a domestic environment, the signals are processed in a processor and its components are made by a software. That is the reason why it is called a software defined radio. An SDR is mainly used for experimental purposes as well as in mobile networks and military communications. The price accessibility of an SDR radio receiver is the reason why its usage is rapidly increasing in different fields of a cognitive radio. Its capacity of receiving signals is ranging from 20 MHz to 2200 MHz of the frequency zone. It contains basic elements for conversing the captured radio signal into a suitable form for further processing work. A receiver is composed by two integrated circuits. The first circuit contains elements which modify a direct analogue signal. The modification is performed in the following way: the frequency zone is moved in order to be suitable for a further transmission of the message and also more adaptable to disturbing factors which may occur on the transportable way. The second circuit takes care that a transferable physical signal or the message is converted into different forms. The message can be written with symbols (letters, numbers or binary symbols in the machinery notation). In a transmissible channel, where such symbols are transmitted (a set of numbers or »digits«), the transmission is called a digital transfer. That is the main component of the second circuit since it contains a device which converts an analogue to a digital signal. Its operation was researched by means of experiments. I studied three cases of experiments for different fields of use. The work was completed in only two cases, in the last one I was not successful because of a limited accessibility and location. I successfully received and read the radio RDS messages sent by radio stations. I also captured the communication of an aircraft traffic with different types of software tools. By means of an SDR defined radio I also researched the operation of a so-called POCSAG application with which I was trying to receive a radio signal. These are informative base stations which contain pagers. Their purpose is to inform about the dangers in the real time. I checked captured RDS messages with many different types of software tools. The one with the easiest usage is the SDR# which only works in the Windows system. It is necessary to set the desired frequency band of a radio station and a method of the receiving a signal. In our case I used the FM wideband zone on the UKW field of radio frequencies. I also researched the GNU Radio programme which operates in the Linux system. The Linux system was used through the USB drive on which I installed a virtual image of the Linux system. It enabled me to avoid a long lasting installing process. Comparing to the SDR# tool it proves to be more effective but also more difficult to be used. The programme environment of the GNU radio enables much more than SDR#, but at the same time it also requires more knowledge and a longer study for a successful usage of an SDR receiver. More educated users can create a simulating environment and conditions by themselves in which they test the operation of different radio systems. The last tool which I used later on for our experimental system to capture RDS messages was the software tool REDSEA. It also operates in the Linux system. Besides the REDSEA software for capturing and analysing the RDS messages I also had to use three additional software tools. The first one which I used is the PYTHON programme language. With this tool I created the programme code which enabled me to connection and transfer the RDS messages into a suitable data form. Messages which are captured with the REDSEA tool cannot be directly used for the analysis because they contain certain additional symbols. With the PYTHON tool accordingly we manage the application REDSEA in order to appropriately filter the messages for their transmission into a database. SQLite3 database enabled me to convert the received RDS messages into a suitable data format. These messages could be consequently transferred into the last software tool from which I made the analysis of the data. This is the Microsoft Excel tool. As a task for the analysis of the RDS messages, I chose monitoring the repetition of the songs and other informative messages. By means of manual inquiries in the Excel program, I acquired statistical data about the repetition of the songs. The analysis of the captured data revealed how often the songs are repeated by the selected radio stations and how much time is meant for that purpose comparing it to the entire radio programme

Biološki procesi samopopravljivosti betona

V biološkem procesu samopopravljivosti betona, bakterije proizvajajo kristale kalcijevega karbonata in z njimi napolnijo razpoke, ki se pojavljajo na površini betona. Po navadi se te bakterije hranijo s kalcijevim laktatom in med presnovo proizvajajo kalcijev karbonat, ki tesni razpoke. Neaktivne bakterije se aktivirajo, ko pridejo v stik z vodo in kisikom. Poraba kisika med delovanjem bakterij pa ne pomaga le pri bakterijski pretvorbi kalcijevega laktata v kalcijev karbonat, temveč se tako tudi zmanjša količina kisika v betonu, saj ta ustvarja pogoje za korozijo. Zaradi bakterijske pretvorbe se kisik porabi in s tem podaljša obstojnost betonske infrastrukture. Namen diplomskega dela je bil pregled dostopne literature s področja bioloških procesov samopopravljivosti betona in primerjava teh procesov z naravnimi procesi samopopravljivosti betona. Ugotovitve avtorjev, ki opisujejo procese samopopravljivosti betona, se v mnogih pogledih še vedno razlikujejo. Največ razlik pri avtorjih opazimo predvsem v smislu kako izbrati najbolj učinkovito vrsto bakterije ter organskega hranila oziroma nutrienta za te bakterije, ter na kakšen način vnesti te bakterije v sam beton.In the biological process of self-healing concrete bacteria produce crystals of calcium carbonate, which fills the cracks on the surface of the concrete. Usually this type of bacteria feed theirselves with calcium lactate and during metabolism process calcium carbonate is formed, which ends in the cracks. Inactive bacteria become active when they get in contact with water and oxygen. During metabolism bacteria consume oxygen, and as a result that contributes to a lower amount of oxygen in the concrete and better corrosion resistance of reinforced concrete. Because of this kind of biological conversion of chemical substances and consequently lack of oxygen in the concrete, durability and resistance of concrete structures is improved. The purpose of graduation thesis was examination of accessible literature from the field of biological processes of self-healing concretes and comparison of those with natural processes of self-healing concretes. Knowledge and research conclusions of different authors, which describes processes and effects of self-healing concrete, are still different from many aspects. Authors still aren\u27t unified, which type of bacteria is the most appropriate for usage in self-healing concrete, which organic nourishment or nutrient is most effective and what technology of making self-healing concrete is most adequate from different perspectives in civil engineering

Parental Characteristics and Satisfaction with their Child\u27s School: A Comparison of Public, Voucher, and Charter School Families

Research suggests that families who make active choices regarding their child’s education differ from families who do not. Differences between families of private (voucher), charter, and public school students were examined using data collected as part of the evaluation of the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program. While both voucher and charter school families were more satisfied than public school families with their child’s school, charter school families were found to differ from both voucher and public school students in that they were more White, were of higher income, were more likely to be married, and were more highly educated