Neuronal and non-neuronal signals regulate <i>Caernorhabditis elegans</i> avoidance of contaminated food

One way in which animals minimise the risk of infection is to reduce their contact with contaminated food. Here we establish a model of pathogen-contaminated food avoidance using the nematode worm Caernorhabditis elegans. We find that avoidance of pathogen-contaminated food protects C. elegans from the deleterious effects of infection and, using genetic approaches, demonstrate that multiple sensory neurons are required for this avoidance behaviour. In addition, our results reveal that avoidance of contaminated food requires bacterial adherence to non-neuronal cells in the tail of C. elegans that are also required for the cellular immune response. Previous studies in C. elegans have contributed significantly to our understanding of molecular and cellular basis of host-pathogen interactions and our model provides a unique opportunity to gain basic insights into how animals avoid contaminated food

Maintaining the quality of Western Australia\u27s oat harvest

WESTERN AUSTRALIA deservedly enjoys the reputation of being a producer of oats of high milling quality. Because of this, we have been able to develop valuable export markets which pay a premium for our oats. For some time Ballidu has been rated as the best milling oat in W.A. The work reported in this article indicates that other recommended varieties are equal to or better than Ballidu for milling

An Integer Linear Programming approach to minimize the cost of the refurbishment of a façade to improve the energy efficiency of a building

[EN] Buildings account 40% of the EU's total energy consumption. Therefore, they represent a key potential source of energy savings to fight, among others, against climate change. Furthermore, around 54% of the buildings in Spain date back before 1980, when no thermal regulation was available. The refurbishment of a façade of an old building is usually the most effective way to improve its energy efficiency, by adding layers to the external envelope in order to reduce its thermal transmittance. This paper deals with the problem of minimizing costs for the thermal refurbishment of a façade with thickness and thermal ransmittance bounds and with an intervention both on the opaque part (wall) and the transparent part (windows). Among thousands, even millions of combinations of materials and thicknesses for the different layers to be added to the opaque part, types of frame, and combinations of glasses and air chambers for the transparent part, the aim is to choose the one that minimizes the cost without violating any restriction imposed to the thermal refurbishment, in particular the current energy efficiency regulations in the zone. To optimally solve this problem, it will be modelled as an Integer Linear Programming problem with binary variables. The case study will be Building 1B of the School for Building Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. It was built in the late 1960s and has had a very inefficient energy consumption record. The optimal solution will be found among more than 6 million feasible solutions.Salandin, A.; Soler Fernández, D.; Bevivino, M. (2020). An Integer Linear Programming approach to minimize the cost of the refurbishment of a façade to improve the energy efficiency of a building. Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences. 43(14):8067-8088. https://doi.org/10.1002/mma.6029S806780884314Nearly zero‐energy buildingshttps://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy‐efficiency/buildings/nearly‐zero‐energy‐buildings(accessed 27.12.2018).Building stock characteristicshttps://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/eu‐buildings‐factsheets‐topics‐tree/building‐stock‐characteristics(accessed 27.12.2018).Boletín Especial Censo2011Parque edificatorio Publicaciones del Ministerio de Fomento http://www.fomento.gob.es/MFOM.CP.Web/handlers/pdfhandler.ashx?idpub=BAW021(accessed 27.12.2018).Boosting Building Renovation.What Potential and Value for Europe? Study for the ITRE Committee 2016http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/587326/IPOL_STU(2016)587326_EN.pdf(accessed 27.12.2018).Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency (Text with EEA relevance).https://eur‐lex.europa.eu/legal‐content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32018L0844(accessed 27.12.2018).How to Refurbish All Buildings by 2050 Final ReportJune 2012https://www.eui.eu/projects/think/documents/thinktopic/thinktopic72012.pdf(accessed 27.12.2018).2020 climate & energy package.https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/2020_en(accessed 27.12.2018).2030 climate & energy framework.https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/2030_en(accessed 27.12.2018).2050 low‐carbon economyhttps://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/2050_en(accessed 27.12.2018).Lidberg, T., Gustafsson, M., Myhren, J. A., Olofsson, T., & Ödlund (former Trygg), L. (2018). Environmental impact of energy refurbishment of buildings within different district heating systems. Applied Energy, 227, 231-238. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.07.022Mickaitytė, A., Zavadskas, E. K., Kaklauskas, A., & Tupėnaitė, L. (2008). THE CONCEPT MODEL OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS REFURBISHMENT. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 12(1), 53-68. doi:10.3846/1648-715x.2008.12.53-68Passer, A., Ouellet-Plamondon, C., Kenneally, P., John, V., & Habert, G. (2016). The impact of future scenarios on building refurbishment strategies towards plus energy buildings. Energy and Buildings, 124, 153-163. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.04.008Energy efficiency in buildings.https://www.buildingtechnologies.siemens.com/bt/global/en/building‐knowledge/pages/energy‐efficiency.aspx(accessed 27.12.2018).Baglivo, C., & Congedo, P. M. (2015). Design method of high performance precast external walls for warm climate by multi-objective optimization analysis. Energy, 90, 1645-1661. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2015.06.132Baglivo, C., Congedo, P. M., D’Agostino, D., & Zacà, I. (2015). Cost-optimal analysis and technical comparison between standard and high efficient mono-residential buildings in a warm climate. Energy, 83, 560-575. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2015.02.062Corgnati, S. P., Fabrizio, E., Filippi, M., & Monetti, V. (2013). Reference buildings for cost optimal analysis: Method of definition and application. Applied Energy, 102, 983-993. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.06.001U‐values in Europe.https://www.eurima.org/u‐values‐in‐europe(accessed 27.12.2018).CTE.Código Técnico de la Edificación (Spanish Technical Building Act). Documento Básico de Ahorro de Energía (Basic Document for Energy Saving). Version of 2013 with comments of 2016.http://www.codigotecnico.org/images/stories/pdf/ahorroEnergia/DccHE.pdf(accessed 27.12.2018).Sherali, H. D., & Driscoll, P. J. (2000). Evolution and state-of-the-art in integer programming. Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, 124(1-2), 319-340. doi:10.1016/s0377-0427(00)00431-3Kurnitski, J., Saari, A., Kalamees, T., Vuolle, M., Niemelä, J., & Tark, T. (2013). Cost optimal and nearly zero energy performance requirements for buildings in Estonia. Estonian Journal of Engineering, 19(3), 183. doi:10.3176/eng.2013.3.02Congedo, P. M., Baglivo, C., D’Agostino, D., & Zacà, I. (2015). Cost-optimal design for nearly zero energy office buildings located in warm climates. Energy, 91, 967-982. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2015.08.078Sambou, V., Lartigue, B., Monchoux, F., & Adj, M. (2009). Thermal optimization of multilayered walls using genetic algorithms. Energy and Buildings, 41(10), 1031-1036. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2009.05.007Di Perna, C., Stazi, F., Casalena, A. U., & D’Orazio, M. (2011). Influence of the internal inertia of the building envelope on summertime comfort in buildings with high internal heat loads. Energy and Buildings, 43(1), 200-206. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2010.09.007Privitera, G., Day, A. R., Dhesi, G., & Long, D. (2011). Optimising the installation costs of renewable energy technologies in buildings: A Linear Programming approach. Energy and Buildings, 43(4), 838-843. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2010.12.003Ashouri, A., Fux, S. S., Benz, M. J., & Guzzella, L. (2013). Optimal design and operation of building services using mixed-integer linear programming techniques. Energy, 59, 365-376. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2013.06.053Lindberg, K. B., Doorman, G., Fischer, D., Korpås, M., Ånestad, A., & Sartori, I. (2016). Methodology for optimal energy system design of Zero Energy Buildings using mixed-integer linear programming. Energy and Buildings, 127, 194-205. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.05.039Ogunjuyigbe, A. S. O., Ayodele, T. R., & Oladimeji, O. E. (2016). Management of loads in residential buildings installed with PV system under intermittent solar irradiation using mixed integer linear programming. Energy and Buildings, 130, 253-271. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.08.042Soler, D., Salandin, A., & Micó, J. C. (2018). Lowest thermal transmittance of an external wall under budget, material and thickness restrictions: An integer linear programming approach. Energy and Buildings, 158, 222-233. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.09.078Salandin, A., & Soler, D. (2018). Computing the minimum construction cost of a building’s external wall taking into account its energy efficiency. Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, 338, 199-211. doi:10.1016/j.cam.2018.02.003Generador de Precios de Elementos de la Construcción CYPE Ingenieros S.A. España 2017http://www.generadordeprecios.info(accessed 27.12.2018).Wolfram Mathematica http://www.wolfram.com/mathematica(accessed 27.12.2018)

Quantum Mechanics Model on K\"ahler conifold

We propose an exactly-solvable model of the quantum oscillator on the class of K\"ahler spaces (with conic singularities), connected with two-dimensional complex projective spaces. Its energy spectrum is nondegenerate in the orbital quantum number, when the space has non-constant curvature. We reduce the model to a three-dimensional system interacting with the Dirac monopole. Owing to noncommutativity of the reduction and quantization procedures, the Hamiltonian of the reduced system gets non-trivial quantum corrections. We transform the reduced system into a MIC-Kepler-like one and find that quantum corrections arise only in its energy and coupling constant. We present the exact spectrum of the generalized MIC-Kepler system. The one-(complex) dimensional analog of the suggested model is formulated on the Riemann surface over the complex projective plane and could be interpreted as a system with fractional spin.Comment: 5 pages, RevTeX format, some misprints heve been correcte

The fit of tapered posts in root canals luted with zinc phosphate cement:A histological study

Objectives. Stress transmission to the root through passive fitting dental posts is partly influenced by the thickness of the cement layer between the post and the prepared root canal surface as well as the fit of the post in the root canal. The objective of this study was to compare the cement gap between the post surfaces and the root canals using five prefabricated, tapered, unthreaded titanium posts of different manufacturers, without and with cement. Methods. Following the endodontic treatment with hand instruments of 100 intact anterior teeth, post spaces were prepared using opening drills of the corresponding size of post. Fifty posts were cemented with zinc phosphate cement into the roots for each system while another 50 posts were inserted into the canal without using the cement. After histological sectioning, the cement gap was measured at six sites for three times at the coronal, middle and apical regions between the root canal wall and the post surface under a light microscope before and after cementation. Results. Before cementation, the highest overall cement gap was observed with the Dr Mooser post system (R) (46 mu m) and the lowest with the Velva post system (R) and Cylindro-Conical system (R) (30 mu m). Significantly less (P <0.05) mean cement gap was observed with respect to the Erlangen post system (R) (41 mu m), the Dr Mooser post system (R) (48 mu m), the MP Pirec post system (R) (34 mu m) and Velva post system (R) (33 pm) when compared with the Cylindro-Conical system (R) (62 tm). The Cylindro-Conical system (R) (79, 61 gm) and MP Pirec post system (R) (25, 24 tm) demonstrated no significant difference (P > 0.001) compared with Velva-Post (R) (38, 20 mu m) at the coronal and middle part, respectively (Mann-Whitney U-test, Boneferroni correction). Significant differences (P <0.001) were observed between the cement gap at the coronal and apical part for the Cylindro-Conical system (R) (79, 46 mu m), Dr Mooser post system (R) (45, 56 mu m) and MP Pirec post system (R) (25, 52 mu m). After cementation, the highest cement gap at the coronal part was obtained with the Cylindro-Conical system (R) (79 +/- 21 mu m) and the lowest with the MP Pirec post system (R) (25 +/- 9 mu m). However, at the apical end, the MP Pirec post system (R) (52 +/- 89 gm) and Dr Mooser post system (R) (56 +/- 16 gm) revealed the highest gap. Significance. Form-congruence between the preparation drill and the post systems exhibited differences. The most consistent cement gap either at the coronal, middle or apical parts of the root canals was obtained with the Erlangen post system (R). (c) 2005 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All. rights reserve