Complete genome sequence of the type strain of Bacillus toyonensis BCT-7112T, the active ingredient of the feed additive preparation Toyocerin

Strain BCT-7112, previously identified as Bacillus cereus var. toyoi, is the type strain of the species Bacillus toyonensis, a novel species of the B. cereus group. The complete genome of this strain, which is the active ingredient of the feed additive preparation Toyocerin, has been sequenced and annotated to reveal the genetic properties of this probiotic organism with a long history of safe use in animal nutrition.

Socially anxious and confident men interact with a forward virtual woman: an experiment study

Male volunteers entered an immersive virtual reality that depicted a party, where they were approached by a lone virtual woman who initiated a conversation. The goal was to study how socially anxious and socially confident men would react to this event. Interest focused on whether the socially anxious participants would exhibit sustained anxiety during the conversation or whether this would diminish over time, and differ from the responses of the more socially confident men.

“Of Spitzenkandidaten and European Leaders”: Is the new 2014 "politicized” Presidency of the Commission going to be a real step forward in the EU legitimization process?

Thanks to ART.17.7 of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Council now has to “take into account” the results of EP Elections when selecting a candidate for the role of Commission President. The European Parliament has grabbed the opportunity to launch the first electoral race for spitzenkandidaten to the Presidency. Is this the start of a new democratizing (and thus, politicizing) process for the European Union? This dissertation will try to give a possible answer to the dilemma by constructing a comprehensive framework around EP Elections 2014 that will involve both the Commission and the Parliament and an analysis of the debate beyond legal provisions and the possibility of a politicized presidency of the Commission.

Forward Looking Banking Stress in EMU Countries

Based on contingent claims analysis, CCA, this paper tries to estimate the systemic risk build-up in the European Economic and Monetary Union, EMU countries using a market based measure distance-to-default, DtD. It analyzes the individual and aggregated series for a comprehensive set of banks in each eurozone country over the period 2004-Q4 to 2013-Q2. Given the structural differences in financial sector and banking regulations at national level, the indices provide a useful indicator for monitoring country specific banking vulnerability and stress. We find that average DtD indicators are intuitive, forward-looking and timely risk indicators. The underlying trend, fluctuations and correlations among indices help us analyze the interdependence while cross-sectional differences in DtD prior to crisis suggest banking sector fragility in peripheral EMU countries.

¿Pueden contribuir los métodos visuales a avanzar hacia una investigación inclusiva? Un estudio sobre inclusión sociolaboral con personas con Trastorno Mental Grave (TMG) = Can visual methods help to go forward inclusive research? A study about social and labor inclusion with people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI)

En este artículo se pretende mostrar cómo la utilización de métodos visuales en la investigación contribuye a potenciar la participación activa de las personas con TMG. Se utiliza como ejemplo un estudio de caso de corte cualitativo que incorpora tres actividades de componente visual (el dibujo “el río de la vida”, las fotografías y el dibujo de proyección de futuro) para favorecer la reflexión narrada que, sobre sus experiencias y vivencias, desarrollan cinco personas con TMG. El uso de las fotografías y dibujos en este estudio permite afirmar que estas estrategias se han mostrado válidas para acceder, en la medida que los participantes han querido, a esferas de vida personales en trayectorias vitales determinadas por la enfermedad mental

Deposition and characterization of lines printed through laser-induced forward transfer

The possibility of printing two-dimensional micropatterns of biomolecule solutions is of great interest in many fields of research in biomedicine, from cell-growth and development studies to the investigation of the mechanisms of communication between cells. Although laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) has been extensively used to print micrometric droplets of biological solutions, the fabrication of complex patterns depends on the feasibility of the technique to print micron-sized lines of aqueous solutions. In this study we investigate such a possibility through the analysis of the influence of droplet spacing of a water and glycerol solution on the morphology of the features printed by LIFT. We prove that it is indeed possible to print long and uniform continuous lines by controlling the overlap between adjacent droplets. We show how, depending on droplet spacing, several printed morphologies are generated, and we offer, in addition, a simple explanation of the observed behavior based on the jetting dynamics characteristic of the LIFT of liquids.

Effect of magnesium sulphate and L-tryptophan and genotype on the feed intake, behaviour and meat quality of pigs

Sixty-nine entire male pigs with different halothane genotype (homozygous halothanepositive – nn-, n=36; and homozygous halothane negative – NN-, n=33) were fed with a supplementation of magnesium sulphate (Mg) and/or L-tryptophan (Trp) in the diet for 5days before slaughter. Animals were housed individually and were submitted to stressful ante mortem conditions (mixed in the lorry according to treatments and transported 1h on rough roads). Individual feed intake was recorded during the 5-day treatment. At the abattoir, pig behaviour was assessed in the raceway to the stunning system and during the stunning period by exposure to CO2. Muscle pH, colour, water holding capacity, texture and cathepsin activities were determined to assess meat quality. The number of pigs with an individual feed intake lower than 2kg/day was significantly different among diets (P<0.05; Control: 8.7%; Mg&Trp: 43.5%; Trp:17.4%) and they were considered to have inadequate supplement intake. During the antemortem period, 15.2% of pigs included in the experiment died, and this percentagedecreased to 8.7% in those pigs with a feed intake > 2kg/day, all of them from thestress-sensitive pigs (nn). In general, no differences were observed in the behaviour ofpigs along the corridor leading to the stunning system and inside the CO2 stunningsystem. During the stunning procedure, Trp diet showed shorter periods of muscularexcitation than control and Mg&Trp diets. The combination of a stressful ante mortemtreatment and Mg&Trp supplementation led to carcasses with high incidence of severeskin lesions. Different meat quality results were found when considering all pigs orconsidering only those with adequate supplement intake. In this later case, Trp increased pH45 (6.15) vs Control diet (5.96) in the Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle (P<0.05) and pH at 24h (Trp: 5.59 vs C: 5.47) led to a higher incidence of dark, firm and dry (DFD) traits in SM muscle (P<0.05). Genotype affected negatively all the meat quality traits. Seventy-five percent of LT and 60.0% of the SM muscles from nn pigs wereclassified as pale, soft and exudative (PSE), while none of the NN pigs showed these traits (P<0.0001). No significant differences were found between genotypes on the incidence of DFD meat. Due to the negative effects observed in the Mg&Trp group in feed intake and carcass quality, the utilization of a mixture of magnesium sulphate and tryptophan is not recommended

Messiah : He shall feed his flock

r1941.

Fourier-based registration for robust forward-looking sonar mosaicing in low-visibility underwater environments

Vehicle operations in underwater environments are often compromised by poor visibility conditions. For instance, the perception range of optical devices is heavily constrained in turbid waters, thus complicating navigation and mapping tasks in environments such as harbors, bays, or rivers. A new generation of high-definition forward-looking sonars providing acoustic imagery at high frame rates has recently emerged as a promising alternative for working under these challenging conditions. However, the characteristics of the sonar data introduce difficulties in image registration, a key step in mosaicing and motion estimation applications. In this work, we propose the use of a Fourier-based registration technique capable of handling the low resolution, noise, and artifacts associated with sonar image formation. When compared to a state-of-the art region-based technique, our approach shows superior performance in the alignment of both consecutive and nonconsecutive views as well as higher robustness in featureless environments. The method is used to compute pose constraints between sonar frames that, integrated inside a global alignment framework, enable the rendering of consistent acoustic mosaics with high detail and increased resolution. An extensive experimental section is reported showing results in relevant field applications, such as ship hull inspection and harbor mapping

Design and Analysis of Forward Error Control Coding and Signaling for Guaranteeing QoS in Wireless Broadcast Systems

Broadcasting systems are networks where the transmission is received by several terminals. Generally broadcast receivers are passive devices in the network, meaning that they do not interact with the transmitter. Providing a certain Quality of Service (QoS) for the receivers in heterogeneous reception environment with no feedback is not an easy task. Forward error control coding can be used for protection against transmission errors to enhance the QoS for broadcast services. For good performance in terrestrial wireless networks, diversity should be utilized. The diversity is utilized by application of interleaving together with the forward error correction codes. In this dissertation the design and analysis of forward error control and control signalling for providing QoS in wireless broadcasting systems are studied. Control signaling is used in broadcasting networks to give the receiver necessary information on how to connect to the network itself and how to receive the services that are being transmitted. Usually control signalling is considered to be transmitted through a dedicated path in the systems. Therefore, the relationship of the signaling and service data paths should be considered early in the design phase. Modeling and simulations are used in the case studies of this dissertation to study this relationship. This dissertation begins with a survey on the broadcasting environment and mechanisms for providing QoS therein. Then case studies present analysis and design of such mechanisms in real systems. The mechanisms for providing QoS considering signaling and service data paths and their relationship at the DVB-H link layer are analyzed as the first case study. In particular the performance of different service data decoding mechanisms and optimal signaling transmission parameter selection are presented. The second case study investigates the design of signaling and service data paths for the more modern DVB-T2 physical layer. Furthermore, by comparing the performances of the signaling and service data paths by simulations, configuration guidelines for the DVB-T2 physical layer signaling are given. The presented guidelines can prove useful when configuring DVB-T2 transmission networks. Finally, recommendations for the design of data and signalling paths are given based on findings from the case studies. The requirements for the signaling design should be derived from the requirements for the main services. Generally, these requirements for signaling should be more demanding as the signaling is the enabler for service reception.

Terapia nutricional precoce no trauma: após o A, B, C, D, E, a importância do F (FEED)

Um número significativo de mortes no trauma ocorre dias a semanas após a injúria inicial, sendo causado por infecções e insuficiência orgânica, relacionadas a hipercatabolismo e consequente desnutrição proteica aguda. A terapia nutricional deve ser planejada e incluída com as demais condutas de reanimação para pacientes politraumatizados e grandes queimados. A rápida aquisição de uma via para suporte nutricional é importante para inicio da terapia nutricional precoce em até 48 horas do atendimento. A via enteral é a opção preferencial no pós-operatório de pacientes traumatizado mas a via parenteral deve ser prescrita quando a enteral está contraindicada ou insuficiente. Após as medidas iniciais ditadas pelo ATLS, sintetizadas em A (air), B (breath), C (circulation), D (disability) e E (exposure), nós incluímos a letra F (feed) para enfatizar a importância do atendimento nutricional precoce no trauma.

Häiriöanalyysejä tehonkorotetun kiehutusvesivoimalaitoksen käytettävyyden varmistamiseksi

TVO suunnittelee reaktoritehon 10 %:n korotusta Olkiluoto 1 ja 2 -voimalaitoksille. Reaktoriteho nostetaan 2500 MW:sta 2750 MW:iin polttoaineen rikastusastetta nostamalla ja pääkiertovirtausta kasvattamalla. Samalla syöttövesivirtaus reaktoriin ja tuorehöyryvirtaus turpiineille kasvaa. Lauhteenpuhdistusjärjestelmän kapasiteettia ei voida kuitenkaan kasvattaa, joten massavirran lisäys toteutetaan ottamalla käyttöön korkeapainesivulauhteen eteenpäinpumppaus. Lauhteen esilämmityslinjojen, lauhteenpuhdistuksen ja syöttövesipumppujen massavirta säilyy siten nykyisellään. Muita merkittäviä tehonkorotukseen liittyviä laitosmuutoksia ovat pääkiertopumppujen uusinta ja korkeapaineturpiinin muutokset. Tehonkorotetun prosessin käytettävyyden varmistamiseksi tehdään häiriöanalyysejä Apros-prosessisimulointiohjelmistoa käyttäen. OL1 ja OL2 -laitoksista on olemassa validoitu 2500 MW:n laitosmalli, josta muokatulla 2750 MW:n laitosmallilla simuloinnit tehdään. Häiriöanalyysien avulla selvitetään säätöjärjestelmien kyky pitää prosessin tila hallinnassa ilman suojausautomaation laukeamista. Simuloituihin tapauksiin kuuluu pumppujen ja venttiilien vikaantumistapauksia sekä turpiini- ja reaktoripuolen pikasulku- ja osittaispikasulkutapauksia. Myös meriveden lämpötilan vaikutusta häiriötilanteisiin tarkastellaan. Analyysien perusteella voimalaitosten ohjaus- ja suojausautomaatio toimivat hyvin myös korotetulla teholla. Tehonkorotuksen jälkeiset suuremmat massavirrat aiheuttavat kuitenkin voimakkaampia reaktoripaineen ja -tehon vaihteluita varsinkin venttiilien sulkeutumistapauksissa. Simuloinnit osoittivat, että tehonkorotus 2500 MW:sta 2750 MW:iin on mahdollinen, mutta aiheuttaa pieniä muutoksia laitoksen suojausjärjestelmien laukaisurajoihin.