On the Derived Categories and Quasitilted Algebras

In this paper, we present some results on the bounded derived category of Artin algebras, and in particular on the indecomposable objects in these categories, using homological properties. Given a complex X*, we consider the set J(X*) = {i is an element of Z vertical bar H(i)(X*) not equal 0} and we define the application l(X*) = maxJ(X*) - minJ(X*) + 1. We give relationships between some homological properties of an algebra and the respective application l. On the other hand, using homological properties again, we determine two subcategories of the bounded derived category of an algebra, which turn out to be the bounded derived categories of quasi-tilted algebras. As a consequence of these results we obtain new characterizations of quasi-tilted and quasi-tilted gentle algebras.

Bayesian Analysis for the Generalized Lognormal Distribution Applied to Failure Time Analysis

There are several versions of the lognormal distribution in the statistical literature, one is based in the exponential transformation of generalized normal distribution (GN). This paper presents the Bayesian analysis for the generalized lognormal distribution (logGN) considering independent non-informative Jeffreys distributions for the parameters as well as the procedure for implementing the Gibbs sampler to obtain the posterior distributions of parameters. The results are used to analyze failure time models with right-censored and uncensored data. The proposed method is illustrated using actual failure time data of computers.

Role of sigma(54) in the regulation of genes involved in type I and type IV pili biogenesis in Xylella fastidiosa

The phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa produces long type IV pili and short type I pili involved in motility and adhesion. In this work, we have investigated the role of sigma factor sigma(54) (RpoN) in the regulation of fimbrial biogenesis in X. fastidiosa. An rpoN null mutant was constructed from the non-pathogenic citrus strain J1a12, and microarray analyses of global gene expression comparing the wild type and rpoN mutant strains showed few genes exhibiting differential expression. In particular, gene pilA1 (XF2542), which encodes the structural pilin protein of type IV pili, showed decreased expression in the rpoN mutant, whereas two-fold higher expression of an operon encoding proteins of type I pili was detected, as confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. The transcriptional start site of pilA1 was determined by primer extension, downstream of a sigma(54)-dependent promoter. Microarray and qRT-PCR data demonstrated that expression of only one of the five pilA paralogues, pilA1, was significantly reduced in the rpoN mutant. The rpoN mutant made more biofilm than the wild type strain and presented a cell-cell aggregative phenotype. These results indicate that sigma(54) differentially regulates genes involved in type IV and type I fimbrial biogenesis, and is involved in biofilm formation in X. fastidiosa.

Characterization of DODAB/DPPC vesicles

Dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODA B)/dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) large and cationic vesicles obtained by vortexing a lipid film in aqueous solution and above the mean phase transition temperature (T-m) are characterized by means of determination of phase behaviour, size distribution, zeta-potential analysis and colloid stability. The effect of increasing % DODAB over the 0-100% range was a nonmonotonic phase behaviour. At 50% DODAB, the mean phase transition temperature and the colloid stability were at maximum. There is an intimate relationship between stability of the bilayer structure and colloid stability. In 1, 50 and 150 mM NaCl, the colloid stability for pure DPPC or pure DODAB vesicles was very low as observed by sedimentation or flocculation, respectively. In contrast, at 50% DODAB, remarkable colloid stability was achieved in 1, 50 or 150 mM NaCl for the DODAB/DPPC composite vesicles. Vesicle size decreased but the zeta-potential remained constant with % DODAB, due to a decrease of counterion binding with vesicle size. This might be important for several biotechnological applications currently being attempted with cationic bilayer systems. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 cupD transcription is activated by the RcsB response regulator, but repressed by its putative cognate sensor RcsC

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 possesses four fimbrial cup clusters, which may confer the ability to adapt to different environments. cupD lies in the pathogenicity island PAPI-1 next to genes coding for a putative phosphorelay system composed of the hybrid histidine kinase RcsC and the response regulator RcsB. The main focus of this work was the regulation of cupD at the mRNA level. It was found that the HN-S-like protein MvaT does not exert a strong influence on cupD transcript levels, as it does for cupA. cupD transcription is higher in cultures grown at 28 degrees C, which agrees with a cupD mutant presenting attenuated virulence only in a plant model, but not in a mouse model of infection. Whereas an rcsC in-frame deletion mutant presented higher levels of cupD mRNA, rcsB deletion had the opposite effect. Accordingly, overexpression of RcsB increased the levels of cupD transcription, and promoted biofilm formation and the appearance of fimbriae. A single transcription start site was determined for cupD and transcription from this site was induced by RcsB. A motif similar to the enterobacterial RcsB/RcsA-binding site was detected adjacent to the -35 region, suggesting that this could be the RcsB-binding site. Comparison of P. aeruginosa and Escherichia coli Rcs may provide insights into how similar systems can be used by different bacteria to control gene expression and to adapt to various environmental conditions.

Inactivation kinetics of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in green coconut water by microwave processing

The inactivation kinetics of enzymes polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) was studied for the batch (discontinuous) microwave treatment of green coconut water. Inactivation of commercial PPO and POD added to sterile coconut water was also investigated. The complete time-temperature profiles of the experimental runs were used for determination of the kinetic parameters D-value and z-value: PPO (D(92.20 degrees C) = 52 s and z = 17.6 degrees C); POD (D(92.92 degrees C) = 16 s and z = 11.5 degrees C); PPO/sterile coconut water: (D(84.45 degrees C) = 43 s and z = 39.5 degrees C) and POD/sterile coconut water: (D(86.54 degrees C) = 20 s and z = 19.3 degrees C). All data were well fitted by a first order kinetic model. The enzymes naturally present in coconut water showed a higher resistance when compared to those added to the sterilized medium or other simulated solutions reported in the literature. The thermal inactivation of PPO and POD during microwave processing of green coconut water was significantly faster in comparison with conventional processes reported in the literature. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and radiosensitizing properties of acetato-bridged copper(II) complexes with 5-nitroimidazole drugs

Three novel acetato-bridged dinuclear copper(II) complexes with 5-nitroimidazoles (CuAcNtrim) and the known copper-acetato-metronidazole have been prepared by an environment-friendly route and spectroscopically characterized. The CuAcNtrim compounds of formula [Cu(2)(mu-O(2)CCH(3))(4)Ntrim(2)], where Ntrim = metronidazole (1), secnidazole (2), tinidazole (3) or nimorazole (4), exhibit dimeric copper-acetato paddle-wheel structures with Ntrim axial ligands coordinated to copper(II) ions through the N(3) atoms of the imidazole rings. EPR data indicate antiferromagnetic behavior for this novel series of copper complexes. The constant coupling has been found to decrease along with the increasing of basicity of the Ntrim axial ligand. The CuAcNtrim complexes and the correspondent Ntrim parent drugs have shown radiosensitizer properties for Hep2 (human larynx cancer) cell line in vitro. The best enhancement of radiosensitizer activity upon coordination of the Ntrim drug to copper(II) has been found for the nimorazole compound which has the strongest Cu-Ntrim bond and exhibits the highest lipophilicity within the series of CuAcNtrim complexes. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical variability within the marine sponge Aplysina fulva

Dibromotyrosine-derived metabolites are of common occurrence within marine sponges belonging to the order Verongida. However, previous chemical analysis of crude extracts obtained from samples of the verongid sponge Aplysina fulva collected in Brazil did not provide any dibromotyrosine-derived compounds. In this investigation, five samples of A. fulva from five different locations along the Brazilian coastline and one sample from a temperate reef in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) (Georgia, USA) were investigated for the presence of bromotyrosine-derived compounds. All six samples collected yielded dibromotyrosine-derived compounds, including a new derivative, named aplysinafulvin, which has been identified by. analysis of spectroscopic data. These results confirm previous assumptions that dibromotyrosine-derived metabolites can be considered as chemotaxonomic markers of verongid sponges. The isolation of aplysinafulvin provides additional support for a biogenetic pathway involving an arene oxide intermediate in the biosynthesis of Verongida metabolites. It cannot yet be established if the chemical variability observed among the six samples of A.fulva collected in Brazil and the SAB is the result of different environmental factors, distinct chemical extraction and isolation protocols, or a consequence of hidden genetic diversity within the postulated morphological plasticity of this species. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Catalytic ethanolysis of soybean oil with immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica and (1)H NMR and GC quantification of the ethyl esters (biodiesel) produced

The catalytic ethanolysis of soybean oil with commercial immobilized lipase type B from Candida antarctica to yield ethyl esters (biodiesel) has been investigated. Transesterification was monitored with respect to the following parameters: quantity of biocatalyst, reaction time, amount of water added and turnover of lipase. The highest yields of biodiesel (87% by (1)H NMR; 82.9% by GC) were obtained after a reaction time of 24 h at 32 degrees C in the presence of lipase equivalent to 5.0% (w/w) of the amount of soybean oil present. The production of ethyl esters by enzymatic ethanolysis was not influenced by the addition of water up to 4.0% (v/v) of the alcohol indicating that it is possible to use hydrated ethanol in the production of biodiesel catalyzed by lipase. The immobilized enzyme showed high stability under moderate reaction conditions and retained its activity after five production cycles. The (1)H NMR methodology elaborated for the quantification of biodiesel in unpurified reaction mixtures showed good correlations between the signal areas of peaks associated with the alpha-methylene groups of the ethyl esters and those of the triacyl-glycerides in residual soybean oil. Monoacylglycerides, diacylglycerides and triglycerides could also be detected and quantified in the crude biodiesel using (1)H NMR spectroscopic and GC-FID chromatographic methods. The biodiesel production by enzymatic catalysis was promising. In this case, was produced a low concentration of glycerol (0.74%) and easily removed by water extraction. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Plattform för intern marknadsinformation, Banverkets Marknadsavdelning

Detta examensarbete är genomfört på uppdrag av kundansvariga på Banverkets Marknadsavdelning. Avdelningen ansvarar bland annat för samordning av marknadskontakter och avtalssystem rörande bannätets trafikering. Arbetet syftar till att utreda och beskriva det optimala sättet för kundansvariga för kundsegmentet Järnvägsföretag, att nå ut med intern kundrelaterad information. Förutom en grundlig förstudie av den nuvarande arbetsrutinen genomfördes även jämförelser med liknande rutiner hos fem andra stora organisationer. Idéer från dessa organisationer har anpassats till Banverkets egna förutsättningar och de identifierade behoven.Utredningens resultat är tio förbättringsförslag som syftar till att stärka serviceinriktningen, stärka kundansvarigas roll internt samt att skapa en helhetssyn på kunden. En viktig uppgift är att visa kundnyttan av Banverkets handlande och hur kundansvariga samarbetar med kunderna för att öka järnvägstrafiken. I förlängningen förväntas åtgärderna effektivisera organisationen och motivera medarbetare att göra ett bra jobb. För att åstadkomma resultat och hålla informationsarbetet levande är det viktigt att vara tydlig i sitt budskap, sprida rätt och tillräcklig intern marknadsinformation samt att skapa fasta rutiner.

Fakalakalaka : The impact of a Tongan notion of development in a contemporary transnational world

This paper aims to explore a Tongan notion of development –'fakalakalaka' – in light of Western notions of development. Two case studies of international development aid schemes illustrate the impact of Tongan development ideas in practice. Drawing on a number of ethnographers' work on Tonga, 'fakalakalaka' appears broader than the Western notion of development. The latter is characterised by influential ideals of controllability and industrialisation. The notion of development among Tongans, on the other hand, tends to be directed by an underlying persistence that, for instance, reflects Tongan core values regarding social organisation. The production of textile 'koloa', controlled by women, emerges as central to the accomplishment of this three-dimensional development notion of intertwined physical, mental and spiritual aspects. The importance attributed to this specific kind of textile has increased in recent years and found two additional roles, or development strategies, in Tongans' contemporary transnational world.

-Borgardöttrar eller bonntöser? : En social rekryteringsstudie av eleverna vid Falu folkskollärarinneseminarium under perioden 1876-1948

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka det sociala rekryteringsmönstret bland kvinnliga elever vid Falu folkskollärarinneseminarium under perioden 1876-1948. Källmaterialet utgörs av uppgifter om faderns yrke hämtade ur seminariets matriklar. Uppsatsen syftar också till att jämföra resultatet med en liknande kartläggning av de manliga seminaristerna vid Karlstads folkskollärarseminarium, detta för att söka utröna huruvida den vedertagna uppfattningen om skillnaderna i socialt rekryteringsmönster mellan könen stämmer. Resultatet visar att de kvinnliga seminaristerna kom från skilda sociala förhållanden. Även om flertalet rekryterades ur samhällets mellanskikt, så hade anmärkningsvärt många jordbruks- eller arbetarbakgrund, framför allt under undersökningsperiodens tidigare skede. Vidare framkom att folkskollärarna, såväl kvinnliga som manliga, i första hand rekryterades ur vad som i undersökningen benämns som Socialgrupp 2. Vissa olikheter mellan de två seminarierna kunde dock påvisas, vilket kan förklara tidigare forsknings ställningstaganden. De mest påtagliga var, att kvinnorna oftare hade fäder som var egna företagare eller tjänstemän, medan de manliga seminaristerna i större utsträckning kom från lantbrukar- eller arbetarhem.

Socialt arbeteEn diskursanalys av ett begreppmellan kall och profession

Vårt syfte är att se hur begreppet socialt arbete konstrueras genom tal och text, av studenterna på socialarbetarprogrammet Högskolan Dalarna. Detta har vi gjort genom att titta på hur diskursen socialt arbete ser ut hos studenterna på termin ett respektive termin fem. Vi kommer att titta på frågeställningarna ur ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv för att se hur studenterna med hjälp av språket konstruerar innebörden av begreppet socialt arbete. Vi gjorde sex stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer som vi sedan har analyserat genom ett diskursanalytiskt perspektiv. Vi har använt oss av Norman Fairclough kritiska diskursanalys men har anpassat hans modell till vår undersöknings syfte och frågeställning. Vårt intresse för denna undersökning bottnar i definitionsproblematiken kring socialt arbete. Vi har funnit, i likhet med tidigare forskning att det är svårt att säga vad socialt arbete är och att det är problematiskt att avgränsa området. Det vi kan utläsa är att skillnaden mellan studenterna på de olika terminerna i talet kring socialt arbete inte var lika stor som vi förväntade oss utan att man snarare kan identifiera vissa likheter mellan deras språkliga diskurser av vad socialt arbete är och vilka som utför detta.

Jag kände mig speciell : En systematisk litteraturstudie om patienters upplevelser av möten med sjuksköterskor

Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa faktorer av betydelse hos sjuksköterskan för patienten i mötet mellan sjuksköterska och patient. Resultatet grundades på 15 stycken vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Efter analys av insamlad data kunde två huvudteman urskiljas: Sjuksköterskan som bekräftande och lyssnande samt Sjuksköterskan som etiskt kompetent. Att sjuksköterskor mötte patienten utifrån dessa teman visade sig utgöra en förutsättning för att mötet skulle bli vårdande för patienten. Det framkom att det var viktigt för patienten att bli bekräftad av sjuksköterskan på olika sätt och sedd som en unik individ. Bekräftad blev patienten bland annat genom att sjuksköterskan verkligen var närvarande i mötet samt lyhörd för patientens behov. Sjuksköterskan förväntades kunna ge adekvat och tydlig information för att patienten skulle få förståelse för och känna sig trygg med vården. Hon förväntades också stå för patientens känslomässiga stöd samt visa empati för att skapa förtroende hos patienten. Engagemang från sjuksköterskans sida var en positiv faktor i mötet, medan brist på engagemang skapade en känsla hos patienterna av att vara till besvär. Att sjuksköterskan var personlig i mötet uppskattades samt bidrog till att skapa en god relation. För att det skulle kunna bli ett vårdande möte så krävdes att sjuksköterskan tog sig tid. Det visade sig att i många fall upplevde patienterna att sjuksköterskan inte hade tillräckligt med tid för dem. Därtill var sjuksköterskan i mötet ofta mer uppgiftsorienterad än patientcentrerad.