Borrellyscher Komet 1918 c = 1905 II

n/

The StarScan plate measuring machine: overview and calibrations

The StarScan machine at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) completed measuring photographic astrograph plates to allow determination of proper motions for the USNO CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC) program. All applicable 1940 AGK2 plates, about 2200 Hamburg Zone Astrograph plates, 900 Black Birch (USNO Twin Astrograph) plates, and 300 Lick Astrograph plates have been measured. StarScan comprises of a CCD camera, telecentric lens, air-bearing granite table, stepper motor screws, and Heidenhain scales to operate in a step-stare mode. The repeatability of StarScan measures is about 0.2 micrometer. The CCD mapping as well as the global table coordinate system has been calibrated using a special dot calibration plate and the overall accuracy of StarScan x,y data is derived to be 0.5 micrometer. Application to real photographic plate data shows that position information of at least 0.65 micrometer accuracy can be extracted from course grain 103a-type emulsion astrometric plates. Transformations between "direct" and "reverse" measures of fine grain emulsion plate measures are obtained on the 0.3 micrometer level per well exposed stellar image and coordinate, which is at the limit of the StarScan machine.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, accepted for PAS

The incidence of metabolic syndrome and its reversal in a cohort of schizophrenic patients followed for one year

Cross-sectional studies showed a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to identify the incidence of metabolic syndrome and its reversal in a non-preselected cohort of chronic psychotic patients in routine practice in one year follow-up and to find variables to describe development and reversal of metabolic syndrome. This cohort study was conducted as part of a disease management program and patients were included if they had two complete assessments in a one year follow-up. We conducted two logistic regressions to find variables to describe the development of metabolic syndrome and the reversal of metabolic syndrome. At the time of the first assessment 35% (n = 92) of the 260 included patients had metabolic syndrome. Within one year 21 patients developed metabolic syndrome and 30 patients had it reversed. This was an incidence of 13% (21/168) and a reversal of 33% (30/92). Smoking, family history of cardiovascular diseases, and duration of disease >6 years was associated with a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome as well as abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia. Patients with abdominal obesity had a smaller chance of reversing metabolic syndrome. Other variables included in the logistic regression such as receiving cardiovascular/antidiabetic drug treatment or duration of disease >6 years did not alter the risk of reversing the metabolic syndrome. Our study showed that the natural course of metabolic syndrome is dynamic. A considerable number of patients developed or reversed the metabolic syndrome in one year follow-up. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

AOC reduction by biologically active filtration

L'objectif de ce projet était de fournir un guide pratique de l'application des techniques de traitement biologique aux opérations de traitement actuel des eaux. Les études furent centrées sur la production d'une eau biologiquement équilibrée, sur la stabilité (l'équilibre) des désinfectants, et sur la formation moins importante de sous-produits désinfectants. Notamment, l'étude a montré que les procéssus biologiques peuvent satisfaire les besoins de la pratique aussi bien que les exigences régulatrices de l'industrie de l'eau.Le système de surveillance et de contrôle des niveaux du carbone organique assimilable (COA) des éffluents de la "Swimming River Treatment Plant" a montré que des données >100 µq/L pourraient expliquer d'une part, l'apparition des bactéries conformes dans le système de distribution et d'autre part la transgression potentielle des règlements récemment révisés de la "Limite Maximum de Contaminants de Coliformes" des Etats-Unis. L'optimum du traitement a été établi à 100 µg/L could be related to the occurrence of coliform bacteria in the distribution system. A treatment goal of <100 µg/L was established for biologically active treatment processes. Granular activated carbon (GAC) filters were found to support a larger bacterial population, and thus, provide better biological removal of AOC and total organic carton (TOC). All biologically active filters showed good performance relative to effluent turbidity levels, and headloss development. Preozonation of raw water increased AOC levels an average of 2.3 fold, and always increased filter effluent AOC levels relative to nonozonated water. Application of free chlorine to GAC filters did not inhibit biological activity. Application of chloramines to GAC filters showed a slight inhibitory affect relative to free chlorine. Effluent AOC levels averaged 82 µg/L at an EBCT of 5 min, and decreased to an average of 57 µg/L at 20 min EBCT. EBCT did affect TOC removals, with efficiencies averaging 29, 33, 42, and 51 % removal at EBCTs of 5, 10, 15 and 20 min, respectively. Trihalomethane formation potentials (THMFP) were related to TOC levels. Processes Chat decreased TOC levels also decreased THMFP. A preozonated GAC/sand filter (EBCT 10 min) achieved an annual average 54 % removal of THMFP precursors. Post disinfection of biologically treated effluents reduced HPC bacterial counts by 2-2.5log10. Post chlorination or chloramination of prechlorinated GAC/sand effluents resulted in a 20 %, or a 44 % (respectively) increase in AOC levels. Post disinfection of preozonated water resulted in small (<8%) AOC increases. Despite increases in AOC levels, prechlorinated water had lower AOC levels than preozonated water, even after post disinfection

DIstributed VIRtual System (DIVIRS) Project

The development of Prospero moved from the University of Washington to ISI and several new versions of the software were released from ISI during the contract period. Changes in the first release from ISI included bug fixes and extensions to support the needs of specific users. Among these changes was a new option to directory queries that allows attributes to be returned for all files in a directory together with the directory listing. This change greatly improves the performance of their server and reduces the number of packets sent across their trans-pacific connection to the rest of the internet. Several new access method were added to the Prospero file method. The Prospero Data Access Protocol was designed, to support secure retrieval of data from systems running Prospero