2,068 research outputs found
Real scenario and simulations on GLOSA traffic light system for reduced CO2 emissions, waiting time and travel time
Cooperative ITS is enabling vehicles to communicate with the infrastructure
to provide improvements in traffic control. A promising approach consists in
anticipating the road profile and the upcoming dynamic events like traffic
lights. This topic has been addressed in the French public project Co-Drive
through functions developed by Valeo named Green Light Optimal Speed Advisor
(GLOSA). The system advises the optimal speed to pass the next traffic light
without stopping. This paper presents results of its performance in different
scenarios through simulations and real driving measurements. A scaling is done
in an urban area, with different penetration rates in vehicle and
infrastructure equipment for vehicular communication. Our simulation results
indicate that GLOSA can reduce CO2 emissions, waiting time and travel time,
both in experimental conditions and in real traffic conditions.Comment: in 22nd ITS World Congress, Oct 2015, Bordeaux, France. 201
Reinforced sol–gel thermal barrier coatings and their cyclic oxidation life
Cyclic oxidation life enhancement of sol–gel thermal barrier coatings is obtained via the reinforcement of the controlled micro-crack network that forms during the initial sintering of the deposit. Two different sol–gel methods are used to fill in the process-induced cracks, namely dipcoating and spray-coating. Filling parameters, for instance the number of passes or the viscosity of the sol are adjusted, using various techniques such as profilometry and microstructural analysis, to optimise crack filling. Cyclic oxidation tests are implemented at both 1100C and 1150C to investigate the efficiency of the various reinforcement procedures developed and address the influence of the specific microstructure on the oxidation behaviour
Associations With the Number of Well-Known Grocery Stores, Gyms, and Parks to Median Household Income
Segregated neighborhoods are linked to the environmental exposures, education and behavior of their residents. Access to exercise and nutrition resources are dependent on whether or not residents are able to afford it or not. PURPOSE: To identify the associations between the location of nutrition and exercise resources to household income. METHODS: Selective Zip codes in the Austin Area were used to identify the median household income through an online search where data is collected from the U.S. Census. Selective grocery store companies and gyms were found through an online search of their website “store locator.” Neighborhood parks were identified by the Austin Park Directory, provided by austintexas.gov website. Total number of resources were collected in correspondence to their zip code. RESULTS: There is no significant difference between the total number of grocery stores, gyms, and neighborhood parks and the median household income, r (40) = -.20, p \u3e 0.05. CONCLUSION: Though the study has shown that there is no correlation between median household income and resources, other factors may contribute. This may be further studied by adjusting to include all types of nutrition and exercise. The study has shown that areas considered middle-class seem to have more resources than areas considered as low-class
Lipid raft-dependent adhesion of Giardia intestinalis trophozoites to a cultured human enterocyte-like Caco-2/TC7 cell monolayer leads to cytoskeleton-dependent functional injuries
Gardia intestinalis, the aetiological agent of giardiasis, one of the most common intestinal diseases in both developing and developed countries, induces a loss of epithelial barrier function and functional injuries of the enterocyte by mechanisms that remain unknown. Three possible mechanisms have been proposed: (i) Giardia may directly alter the epithelial barrier after a close interaction between the trophozoite and polarized intestinal cells, (ii) intestinal functions may be altered by factors secreted by Giardia including an ‘enterotoxin’, proteinases and lectins, and (iii) based on mouse studies, a mechanism involving the intervention of activated T lymphocytes. We used fully differentiated cultured human intestinal Caco‐2/TC7 cells forming a monolayer and expressing several polarized functions of enterocytes of small intestine to investigate the mechanisms by which G. intestinalis induces structural and functional alterations in the host intestinal epithelium. We first report that adhesion of G. intestinalis at the brush border of enterocyte‐like cells involves the lipid raft membrane microdomains of the trophozoite. We report an adhesion‐dependent disorganization of the apical F‐actin cytoskeleton that, in turn, results in a dramatic loss of distribution of functional brush border‐associated proteins, including sucrase‐isomaltase (SI), dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP IV) and fructose transporter, GLUT5, and a decrease in sucrose enzyme activity in G. intestinalis ‐infected enterocyte‐like cells. We observed that the G. intestinalis trophozoite promotes an adhesion‐dependent decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) accompanied by a rearrangement of functional tight junction (TJ)‐associated occludin, and delocalization of claudin‐1. Finally, we found that whereas the occludin rearrangement induced by G. intestinalis was related to apical F‐actin disorganization, the delocalization of claudin‐1 was not.Fil: Humen, Martin Andres. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Pablo Fernando. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Liévin Le Moal, Vanessa. Université Paris Sud; Francia. Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale; Franci
OPA1 mutation and late-onset cardiomyopathy: mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA instability.
BackgroundMitochondrial fusion protein mutations are a cause of inherited neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and dominant optic atrophy. Previously we reported that the fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) is decreased in heart failure.Methods and resultsWe investigated cardiac function, mitochondrial function, and mtDNA stability in a mouse model of the disease with OPA1 mutation. The homozygous mutation is embryonic lethal. Heterozygous OPA(+/-) mice exhibit reduced mtDNA copy number and decreased expression of nuclear antioxidant genes at 3 to 4 months. Although initial cardiac function was normal, at 12 months the OPA1(+/-) mouse hearts had decreased fractional shortening, cardiac output, and myocyte contraction. This coincided with the onset of blindness. In addition to small fragmented mitochondria, aged OPA1(+/-) mice had impaired cardiac mitochondrial function compared with wild-type littermates.ConclusionsOPA1 mutation leads to deficiency in antioxidant transcripts, increased reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, and late-onset cardiomyopathy
PHASE CHANGE UNDER STATIC ELECTRICAL FIELD; IN THE CASE OF LIPIDS
International audiencePhase change in biological tissues may be affected by electrical and magnetic disturbances. Freezing under static electric field of water, aqueous solution and pork meat has been investigated by the authors, showing the ability of this process to refine ice crystals in frozen matrices. SEF affects the supercooling, which is usually reduced with SEF. SEF also triggers the nucleation. The use of radiofrequencies and microwaves has also been used recently by researchers to promote refined ice crystallization in food systems. A focus is proposed on recent experiments done on solidification of a vegetable fat mix (Vegetaline ® – France) under static electric field (SEF). Results showed that SEF affects the supercooling and the phase change temperature of the fat mix indicating a possible impact on the crystalline structure of the solidified fat
Seeking Symbiosis: Designing LibGuides that Bring User-Centered Design and Learner-Centered Practice into Harmony
Libraries around the world use LibGuides to create research guides for students. But is the user-centered approach often employed by libraries when creating these guides enough to meet the needs of today’s learners? A small task force of librarians at Oxford College of Emory University set out to answer this question. After studying the literature, it was found that very few studies focus on instructional design principles in the creation of LibGuides. Furthermore, an examination of their own library’s LibGuides revealed that while the guides addressed many issues of usability, learner-centered design was often absent.
(25 minutes) The first portion of the workshop will outline the efforts of the task force to create a LibGuide template for Oxford College’s new first-year seminar courses. The iterative design of the course guide template seeks to bring into symbiosis user-centered design and learner-centered practice. The goal of the template is to point students toward recommended resources and teach them valuable information literacy skills along the way. Results from the initial rollout and subsequent evaluation of the template will be presented.
(40 minutes) Attendees will then be divided into groups led by each of the presenters to share their libraries’ experiences in creating course guides. The groups will brainstorm ideas for how these teaching tools can better meet the learning needs of students. A laptop will be provided for each group so that attendees can evaluate their institution’s LibGuides. At the end of the workshop, each group will designate a speaker to present some of their group’s ideas (10 minutes)
Ohmic heating applied to the baking process: experimental and numerical approaches
International audienceThis work aims at studying the feasibility of ohmic heating (OH) technology applied to the baking process. The method includes proofing (fermentation) and baking and leads to the production of crustless sandwich bread without the need of cutting the crust away, in a shorter time and with theoretically lower energy costs than conventional baking. An ohmic cell was made to study the electrical conductivity (EC) of bread dough under different experimental conditions. The results showed that the EC increased linearly with the temperature, except during the starch gelatinization stage (60 – 76 °C) because of the bounding of water. The EC decreased with the porosity of the dough when fermented by yeasts, and drastically decreased with the reduction of salt content in the dough, showing the need to control the product formulation. An ohmic baking oven monitored by a PLC was developed to perform both proofing and baking in the same apparatus. The results showed that using OH to quickly reach the optimal temperature of yeast activity (35 °C) significantly reduced the lag phase and shortened the total proofing time. A numerical model was developed and validated by experimental results, taking into account heat and water (vapour and liquid water) transfers. The results confirmed the importance of temperature gradients between the surface of the electrodes and the core of the product, first observed by the underbaked aspect of the bread loaf on its sides. Different baking scenarios and their impacts on temperature and water content gradients were modelled
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