A new, automatic, non-radiometric system for culturing MB/BACT bacilli and its value in the microbiologic diagnosis of tuberculosis

A man had a quarrel with his wife. Suddenly he collapsed and became cyanotic. The woman supposed him to be dead. Because she was afraid of familiar requital, she opened the gas-cock of the cooking-range to pretend a suicide; methane emitted. The autopsy revealed a fresh cardiac infarction. Postmortem chemical analysis established methane in the blood. The question was, whether the methane had any importance for the death. By experimental inhalation of a methane-air-mixture (3%) we could expose, that the methane concentration in postmortem blood didn't have any relevance for the death.     

An Inexpensive Digital Integrator for Gas Chromatography

SUMMARY

An inexpensive gas chromatographic integrator with digital readout is described. The device is precise to ±1 count and shows linear response to within ±2%. It is directly compatible with flame ionization detectors and is easily adapted to thermal conductivity detectors.     

Model-based control of a simulated moving bed chromatographic process for the separation of fructose and glucose

Chromatographic separations are an expanding technology for the separation of high value products, particularly in the area of pharmaceutics, food, and fine chemicals. The simulated moving bed (SMB) process as a continuous chromatographic separation process is an interesting alternative to conventional batch chromatography, and gained more and more impact recently. The SMB process is realized by connecting several single chromatographic columns in series. A countercurrent movement of the bed is approximated by a cyclic switching of the inlet and outlet ports in the direction of the fluid stream. Because of its complex dynamics, the optimal operation and automatic control of SMB processes is a challenging task. This paper presents the design of a model-based optimization and control scheme for SMB chromatographic separation processes and its application to the separation of fructose and glucose. We propose a two-layer control architecture where the optimal operating trajectory is calculated off-line by dynamic optimization based on a rigorous process model. The parameters of the model are adapted based on online measurements. The low-level control task is to keep the process on the optimal trajectory despite disturbances and plant/model mismatch. Here identification models based on simulation data of the rigorous process model along the optimal trajectory are combined with a suitable local controller. The efficiency of the trajectory control algorithm is shown in a simulation study for the separation of fructose and glucose on an 8-column SMB plant.     

Japans Forst- und Holzwirtschaft

Zusammenfassung In der japanischen Einfuhr spielen pflanzliche Fasern und Holz eine wichtige Rolle. Da die Erzeugung an Zellstoff, Papier und künstlichen Fasern st?ndig steigt, erh?ht sich der Holzbedarf weiter. Die Fragen einer verbesserten, nachhaltigen Forstwirtschaft und einer wirtschaftlichen Holzhaushaltung stehen deshalb im Vordergrunde der Anteilnahme.     

Minkowski tensor shape analysis of cellular, granular and porous structures

Predicting physical properties of materials with spatially complex structures is one of the most challenging problems in material science. One key to a better understanding of such materials is the geometric characterization of their spatial structure. Minkowski tensors are tensorial shape indices that allow quantitative characterization of the anisotropy of complex materials and are particularly well suited for developing structure-property relationships for tensor-valued or orientation-dependent physical properties. They are fundamental shape indices, in some sense being the simplest generalization of the concepts of volume, surface and integral curvatures to tensor-valued quantities. Minkowski tensors are based on a solid mathematical foundation provided by integral and stochastic geometry, and are endowed with strong robustness and completeness theorems. The versatile definition of Minkowski tensors applies widely to different types of morphologies, including ordered and disordered structures. Fast linear-time algorithms are available for their computation. This article provides a practical overview of the different uses of Minkowski tensors to extract quantitative physically-relevant spatial structure information from experimental and simulated data, both in 2D and 3D. Applications are presented that quantify (a) alignment of co-polymer films by an electric field imaged by surface force microscopy; (b) local cell anisotropy of spherical bead pack models for granular matter and of closed-cell liquid foam models; (c) surface orientation in open-cell solid foams studied by X-ray tomography; and (d) defect densities and locations in molecular dynamics simulations of crystalline copper.     

Using the Shlaer-Mellor object-oriented analysis method

The adaptation of the Shlaer-Mellor object-oriented analysis method for engineering the requirements of a mission-planning system by a missile-guidance software group is discussed. The Shlaer-Mellor object-oriented analysis method provides a structured means of identifying objects within a system by analyzing abstract data types and uses these objects as a basis for building three formal models: information, state, and process. Several issues concerning the application of this method are discussed, including object selection and constraints, modeling and rotation, training, and CASE tool support     

Adenovirus-mediated delivery of rhodopsin-promoted bcl-2 results in a delay in photoreceptor cell death in the rd/rd mouse

Gene transfer to retinal cells may provide a means to retard photoreceptor cell death and thus prevent blindness in diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. We tested the possibility of interfering with apoptotic photoreceptor cell death in the rd mouse through subretinal delivery of a recombinant replication-defective adenovirus containing the human cDNA for bcl-2, Ad.2.5HRPbcl-2. Photoreceptor-specific transgene expression was accomplished through incorporation of the 2.5 kb human rhodopsin upstream fragment (HRP). Ad.2.5HRPbcl-2 was injected alone or in combination with Ad.CMVPDE beta. Ad.CMVPDE beta contains a cDNA encoding the beta subunit of cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE beta). Recombinant viruses containing lacZ (driven either by the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter/enhancer or HRP) and of Ad.CMVPDE beta and vehicle alone were injected in contralateral eyes as control. Injection of Ad.2.5HRPbcl-2 in the rd mouse resulted in histologically detectable rescue lasting 6 weeks after birth. Extent of rescue was not as large as after delivery of wildtype PDE beta, the gene defective in the rd mouse. However, delivery of genes which prevent apoptotic cell death may have broad application to gene therapy of retinal degenerative diseases.