Design and Development of the Space Shuttle Tail Service Masts

The successful launch of a space shuttle vehicle depends on the proper operation of two tail service masts (TSMs). Reliable TSM operation is assured through a comprehensive design, development, and testing program. The results of the concept verification test (CVT) and the resulting impact on prototype TSM design are presented. The design criteria are outlined, and the proposed prototype TSM tests are described

EBF1-deficient bone marrow stroma elicits persistent changes in HSC potential

Crosstalk between mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is essential for hematopoietic homeostasis and lineage output. Here, we investigate how transcriptional changes in bone marrow (BM) MSCs result in long-lasting effects on HSCs. Single-cell analysis of Cxcl12-abundant reticular (CAR) cells and PDGFRα+Sca1+ (PαS) cells revealed an extensive cellular heterogeneity but uniform expression of the transcription factor gene Ebf1. Conditional deletion of Ebf1 in these MSCs altered their cellular composition, chromatin structure and gene expression profiles, including the reduced expression of adhesion-related genes. Functionally, the stromal-specific Ebf1 inactivation results in impaired adhesion of HSCs, leading to reduced quiescence and diminished myeloid output. Most notably, HSCs residing in the Ebf1-deficient niche underwent changes in their cellular composition and chromatin structure that persist in serial transplantations. Thus, genetic alterations in the BM niche lead to long-term functional changes of HSCs

Effect of a pre-milking teat foam and a liner disinfectant on the presence of mesophilic and (proteolytic) psychrotrophic bacteria prior to milking

Contamination of raw milk by psychrotrophs can lead to the production of heat-resistant proteases and subsequent spoilage of UHT milk. Therefore, this research communication evaluated the effect of a pre-milking teat disinfectant (active components: L-(+)-lactic acid and salicylic acid) and a liner disinfectant (active components: peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide) on the number of mesophilic and (proteolytic) psychrotrophic bacteria prior to milking. The teat orifices of 10 cows were sampled using a swabbing procedure before and after treatment with a pre-milking teat disinfectant on six subsequent days. On the teat orifices, there was a small but statistically significant decrease in the psychrotrophic bacterial counts between pre and post dipping. No differences were observed for the mesophilic bacterial counts and proteolytic active counts. Liners were also sampled using swabs pre and post disinfection. No statistically significant decrease in the bacterial counts was observed post liner disinfection, although there was a numerical decrease. Sixty-two percent of the proteolytic psychrotrophs were pseudomonads: 16.5% of which were P. fragi, 14.3% P. lundensis, 10.0% P. fluorescens and 2.9% P. putida. Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) analysis revealed a wide variety in proteolytic activity (from 0 to 55 mu mol glycine/ml milk) and the presence of high producers. It can be concluded that there was only a minor effect of teat and liner disinfection on the psychrotrophic bacterial counts indicating that the measures presented did not result in a reduction of the targeted bacteria on teat orifices and liners

Ytterbium-doped tantalum pentoxide waveguide lasers

We have demonstrated a Yb:Ta2O5 waveguide laser fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering on oxidised silicon. The waveguide laser was end-pumped with a laser diode at 977 nm and lasing was observed between 1015 and 1020 nm. The launched pump power threshold and slope efficiency were measured to be ~25 mW and 1.78 %, respectively

Deteksi P.vivax Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (Snp) Y976f dari Sampel Monitoring Pengobatan Dihidroartemisinin-piperakuin di Kalimantan dan Sulawesi

This study was a part of the activity of monitoring Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DHP) treatment in subjects infected with P.falciparum and P.vivax in Kalimantan and Sulawesi. SNP Y976F had been proved as the mutation in pvmdr1 gene which was related to P. vivax resistance chloroquine in Papua. Data of spreading pvmdr1 SNP Y976F outside Papua is needed for using Dihidroartemisinin-Piperakuin policy in the treatment of vivax malaria in Indonesia. Detection of SNP Y976F was done against 95 day0-samples of subjects confirmed infected with P.vivax or mixed infection of P.vivax and P.falciparum by PCR. The results showed that 88 (93%) of a total 95 samples were positive detected 976F mutant which were distributed in all sentinel sites of West Kalimantan (2of 3), Central Kalimantan (6 of 8), North Sulawesi (63 of 65), and Central Sulawesi (17 of 19). In conclusion, pvmdr1 SNP Y976F has been spreaded in all sentinel sites. Key words: P.vivax, pvmdr1, Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Abstrak Penelitian ini merupakan bagian kegiatan dari monitoring pengobatan Dihidroartemisinin-Piperakuin (DHP) pada subyek yang terinfeksi dengan P.vivax atau infeksi campuran P.falciparum dan P. vivax di Kalimantan dan Sulawesi. SNP Y976F merupakan mutasi pada gen pvmdr1 yang terbukti berhubungan dengan P. vivax resisten klorokuin di Papua. Dalam rangka kebijakan penggunaan Dihidroartemisinin-Piperakuin untuk pengobatan malaria vivaks di seluruh Indonesia, perlu data penyebaran parasit SNP Y976F pada gen pvmdr1 di luar Papua. Deteksi SNP Y976F dilakukan terhadap 95 sampel H0 subyek terinfeksi P. vivax atau infeksi campuran P.vivax dan P.falciparum yang telah dikonfirmasi dengan PCR. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa 88 dari 95 sampel (93%) terdeteksi positif galur mutan 976F yang tersebar di Kalimantan Barat (2 dari 3), Kalimantan Tengah (6 dari 8), Sulawesi Utara (63 dari 65) dan Sulawesi Tengah (17 dari 19). Kesimpulannya bahwa P.vivax galur Y976F sudah tersebar di setiap sentinel penelitian. Kata kunci: P.vivax, pvmdr1, Single Nucleotide Polymorphis

Identifikasi Faktor Kunci Krisis Pada Tataniaga Garam Konsumsi Di Indonesia Menggunakan Proses Jejaring Analitik (Analytic Network Process

Garam konsumsi adalah komoditi yang secara terus menerus dibutuhkan oleh seluruh masyarakat. untuk memberi cita rasa asin pada makanan. Karena fungsinya tidak bisa digantikan, maka garam konsumsi masuk kedalam kelompok komoditi strategis yang diatur tata niaganya untuk menjaga kestabilan pasokan di masyarakat. Dalam mengatur tata niaga garam konsumsi ini diperlukan informasi potensi krisis yang secara signifikan dapat mempengaruhi setiap kelembagaan sepanjang rantai pasokan dalam menjalankan fungsinya. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menetapkan faktor kunci penyebab krisis pada tataniaga garam nasional menggunakan metode Proses Jejaring Analitik (Analytic Network Process / ANP). ANP adalah metode pengambilan keputusan dengan banyak kriteria yang saling terkait. Permasalahan direpresentasikan dalam sebuah sistem dengan ketergantungan (dependence) dan umpan Balik (feedback). Keterkaitan yang terdapat pada metode ANP adalah keterkaitan dalam satu set elemen (node comparison) dan keterkaitan terhadap elemen yang berbeda (cluster comparison). Penggunaan metode ANP akan menghasilkan bobot nilai prioritas pada seluruh elemen yang terdapat dalam sistem pengambilan keputusan. Melalui penelitian ini teridentifikasi 5 klaster utama yaitu pelaku pada tataniaga garam, ekonomi, teknologi dan inovasi, social - politik dan lingkungan. Dalam seluruh klaster tersebut terdapat 24 faktor yang memiliki kecenderungan menjadi pemicu krisis. Dengan menggunakan ANP teridentifikasi 6 faktor dengan bobot paling dominan yaitu: harga garam (0,3159), cuaca (0,4221), Perusahaan garam (0,2303), regulasi tata niaga (0,3781) dan inovasi baru (0,5382)

Larval food quantity affects development time, survival and adult biological traits that influence the vectorial capacity of Anopheles darlingi under laboratory conditions

BACKGROUND: The incidence of malaria in the Amazon is seasonal and mosquito vectorial capacity parameters, including abundance and longevity, depend on quantitative and qualitative aspects of the larval diet. Anopheles darlingi is a major malaria vector in the Amazon, representing >95% of total Anopheles population present in the Porto Velho region. Despite its importance in the transmission of the Plasmodium parasite, knowledge of the larval biology and ecology is limited. Studies regarding aspects of adult population ecology are more common than studies on larval ecology. However, in order develop effective control strategies and laboratory breeding conditions for this species, more data on the factors affecting vector biology is needed. The aim of the present study is to assess the effects of larval food quantity on the vectorial capacity of An. darling under laboratory conditions. METHODS: Anopheles darlingi was maintained at 28°C, 80% humidity and exposed to a daily photoperiod of 12 h. Larvae were divided into three experimental groups that were fed either a low, medium, or high food supply (based on the food amounts consumed by other species of culicids). Each experiment was replicated for six times. A cohort of adults were also exposed to each type of diet and assessed for several biological characteristics (e.g. longevity, bite frequency and survivorship), which were used to estimate the vectorial capacity of each experimental group. RESULTS: The group supplied with higher food amounts observed a reduction in development time while larval survival increased. In addition to enhanced longevity, increasing larval food quantity was positively correlated with increasing frequency of bites, longer blood meal duration and wing length, resulting in greater vectorial capacity. However, females had greater longevity than males despite having smaller wings. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, several larval and adult biological traits were significantly affected by larval food availability. Greater larval food supply led to enhance larval and production and larger mosquitoes with longer longevity and higher biting frequency. Thus, larval food availability can alter important biological traits that influence the vectorial capacity of An. darlingi

Statistical mechanics of non-hamiltonian systems: Traffic flow

Statistical mechanics of a small system of cars on a single-lane road is developed. The system is not characterized by a Hamiltonian but by a conditional probability of a velocity of a car for the given velocity and distance of the car ahead. Distribution of car velocities for various densities of a group of cars are derived as well as probabilities of density fluctuations of the group for different velocities. For high braking abilities of cars free-flow and congested phases are found. Platoons of cars are formed for system of cars with inefficient brakes. A first order phase transition between free-flow and congested phase is suggested.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, presented at TGF, Paris, 200

Analisis Pengaruh Kredit Cepat Aman (Kca), Kredit Angsuran Sistem Fidusia (Kreasi), Kredit Angsuran Sistem Gadai (Krasida), dan Kredit Serba Guna (Kresna) terhadap Pendapatan Sewa Modal pada PT. Pegadaian (Persero) Kanwil VI Manado

The services product of PT. Pegadaian ( Persero) , are Credit Fast Secure, Installment Loans Fiduciary System, Installment Loans Pawn System, and Multipurpose Loan. Customer will repay the loan with interest in this case is a capital lease is revenue that received of PT. Pegadaian ( Persero) by loans extended. In line with the growth of the existing business can be seen the increase of lease income on lending capital that during 2006 to 2011. This research is analyze the causal\u27s relationship to examine the effect of the fact and phenomena and seek factual information to research that explained on the effect of Credit Fast Secure, Installment Loans Fiduciary System, Installment Loans Pawn System, Multipurpose Loan on Capital Lease Revenue at PT. Pegadaian ( Persero) Regional Office VI Manado which is a services products on offer to the public. From these research it can be concluded that Credit Fast Secure, Installment Loans Fiduciary System, Installment Loans Pawn System, Multipurpose Loan, have influence on Capital Lease Revenue at PT. Pegadaian ( Persero) Regional Office VI Manado have increase from year to year

Penyisipan Gen Inhibitor α-Amilase Pada Plasmid Biner PCambia 1301

The experiment was conducted at the Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research and Development, Bogor. The objective was to construct -ai gene on a binary plasmid pCambia 1301. This experiment was carried out using construction method by ligation process between fragments of α-ai gene from pTA3 plasmid and pCambia 1301 on HindIII site. The result of ligant transformation into E. coli DH5α was 182 surviving colonies on YEP medium containing kanamycin. DNA samples were obtained from 60 randomly selected colonies. The restriction pattern was tested by digesting each DNA sample using HindIII showed colonies containing two fragments expected of sizes wich are 11.837 and 4.887 kb. Two colonies are predicted containing of α-ai gene on its the binary plasmid. Advanced tests using restriction enzymes BamHI and XbaI showed two directions (right and left) of α-ai gene. The right direction was shown by pCambia-α-ai1 from colony number 43. This plasmid showed expected fragments of sizes 13.485 and 3.219 kb when digested with BamHI and two fragments of sizes 15.421 and 1.303 kb when digested with XbaI. The left direction was shown pCambia-α-ai2 from colony number 58. This plasmid also demon-strated expected fragments of sizes 15.026 and 1.698 kb when digested with BamHI and two fragments of sizes 13.082 and 3.642 kb when digested with XbaI. Both pCambia-α-ai1 and pCambia-α-ai2 were transformed into A. tumefaciens LBA4404