Front-End electronics configuration system for CMS

The four LHC experiments at CERN have decided to use a commercial SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) product for the supervision of their DCS (Detector Control System). The selected SCADA, which is therefore used for the CMS DCS, is PVSS II from the company ETM. This SCADA has its own database, which is suitable for storing conventional controls data such as voltages, temperatures and pressures. In addition, calibration data and FE (Front-End) electronics configuration need to be stored. The amount of these data is too large to be stored in the SCADA database [1]. Therefore an external database will be used for managing such data. However, this database should be completely integrated into the SCADA framework, it should be accessible from the SCADA and the SCADA features, e.g. alarming, logging should be benefited from. For prototyping, Oracle 8i was selected as the external database manager. The development of the control system for calibration constants and FE electronics configuration has been done in close collaboration with the CMS tracker group and JCOP (Joint COntrols Project)(1). (1)The four LHC experiments and the CERN IT/CO group has merged their efforts to build the experiments controls systems and set up the JCOP at the end of December, 1997 for this purpose.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Icaleps'01 conference PSN WEDT00

Experimentació amb tecnologia ExAC des d'una orientació de l'ensenyament com a investigació

Es proposa la integració d'experiments quantitatius en les classes de física o de química mitjançant l'experimentació assistida per calculadora gràfica (ExAC). Aquesta integració reforça el procés d'ensenyament-aprenentatge i encaixa amb l'orientació de l'ensenyament com a investigació dirigida. S'insisteix en la conveniència de no separar allò que tradicionalment s'ha anomenat treball pràctic de la teoria i problemes, és a dir, d'harmonitzar en comptes d'atomitzar. Aquesta harmonització s'afavoreix orientant l'experimentació cap a dissenys senzills que permeten centrar l'atenció en l'ús d'idees més que no pas en el muntatge d'aparells complexos. S'hi donen alguns exemples concrets d'actuació en l'aula.We propose to integrate the performance of quantitative experiments in the physics or chemistry lectures by means of ExAC (Experimenting with the Aid of a graphics Calculator). This integration reinforces the teaching-learning process and fits perfectly well into the framework of science teaching by guided research. We insist on the convenience of not separating what has traditionally been called «practical work» from the «recitation and problem-solving sessions», i.e., in harmonizing instead of atomizing. This harmonization is favoured if one orients the experiments towards simple designs that allow to concentrate one's attention in the manipulation of ideas and not in complex set ups. Some specific examples of in-class practice are also given

Duration of the IgM response in women acquiring Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy: implications for clinical practice and cross-sectional incidence studies

We followed up a cohort of 446 toxoplasma-infected pregnant women to determine the median and variability of the duration of positive toxoplasma-IgM (immunoglobulin M) results measured by an immunofluorescence test (IFT) and an immunosorbent agglutination assay (ISAGA). IgM antibodies were detected for longer using the ISAGA test [median 12(.)8 months, interquartile range (IQR) 6(.)9-24(.)9] than the IFT (median 10(.)4, IQR 7(.)1-14(.)4), but the variability between individuals in the duration of IgM positivity was greatest for the ISAGA test. IgM-positive results persisted beyond 2 years in a substantial minority of women (27(.)1% ISAGA, 9(.)1% IFT). Variation in the duration of the IgM response measured by ISAGA and IFT limit their usefulness for predicting the timing of infection in pregnant women. However, measurement of IgM and IgG antibodies in a cross-sectional serosurvey offers an efficient method for estimating the incidence of toxoplasma infection

Application of Micro Z-arm dough mixer in wheat research - Effect of protein addition on mixing properties of wheat dough

A Micro Z-arm mixer has been developed which needs only four grams of flour per test. The new instrument is suitable for screening new wheat cultivars in the early phase of selection on the basis of dough mixing properties. The micro-scale instrument can also be viewed as a valuable research tool for investigation of the structure/function relationships in flour and the effects of different ingredients and additives on rheological parameters. The effects of protein addition on mixing properties of wheat dough were studied. Alkali-soluble isolates and Osborne protein fractions extracted from wheat, corn-, rice germs and amaranth seeds were used as protein additives. Dough development time, maximum resistance of dough and resistance breakdown was calculated from recorded mixing curves. Results showed that the micro-scale equipment is sensitive enough for detection of the effect of less than 40 mg of protein addition on mixing parameters. The effects of additions depend on the type of proteins added to the wheat flour and the parameters calculated from the mixing curves

Effect of temperature on the microstructure of fat globules and the immunoglobulin-mediated interactions between fat and bacteria in natural raw milk creaming

Natural creaming of raw milk is the first step in production of Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano Protected Denomination of Origin cheeses. This process decreases the fat content and plays an important role in the removal of clostridia species that may cause late-blowing defects in ripened cheeses. Partial coalescence of fat globules-that may influence fat behavior in cheese making and affect the microstructure of fat in the final cheese product-was observed at creaming temperatures higher than 22\uc2\ub0C by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The widespread practice of heating of milk at 37\uc2\ub0C before creaming at 8\uc2\ub0C resulted in important changes in the size distribution of fat globules in raw milk, potentially altering the ability of fat to entrap clostridia spores. We investigated the role of immunoglobulin classes in both the clustering of fat globules and the agglutination of Clostridium tyrobutyricum to fat globules during creaming. Immunogold labeling and transmission electron microscopy showed that IgA and IgM but not IgG were involved in both clustering and agglutination. Both vegetative cells and spores were clearly shown to agglutinate to fat droplets, a process that was suppressed by thermal denaturation of the immunoglobulins. The debacterization of raw milk through natural creaming was improved by the addition of purified immunoglobulins. Overall, these findings provide not only a better understanding of the phenomena occurring during the natural creaming but also practical insights into how the process of creaming may be optimized in cheese production plants