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Research on how intermittent water releases from hydropower plants affect the early life stages of fish has advanced in the last years, focusing not only on the direct impacts of rapid flow changes (hydropeaking), but also on the short-term fluctuations in water temperature (thermopeaking). Flow and thermal fluctuations caused by hydropeaking may affect fish movement patterns and migration at critical stages of a species’ life cycle, e.g., by inducing passive downstream drift. Using two experimental outdoor channels, we investigated how nase (Chondrostoma nasus, Cypriniformes) larvae respond to a rapid drop in water temperature during hydropeaking (simulating a cold thermopeaking event), reaching on average 5.5 °C under peak flow (maximum discharge) conditions, in comparison with a hydropeaking treatment with a constant water temperature regime. Responses of fish larvae were analyzed during acclimation, up-ramping (increase in discharge), peak flow and down-ramping (decrease in discharge) phases. Fish drift increased during peak flow in the cold thermopeaking treatment compared to hydropeaking. Higher drift rates were also negatively associated with pronounced water temperature drops during peak flow conditions. In addition, the starting temperature of the experiment influenced drift during up-ramping. Overall, the results suggest that cold thermopeaking may increase drift in the early life stages of cypriniform fish compared with hydropeaking with stable water temperature. Hence, monitoring and active water temperature adjustments following hydropower releases should be adopted as strategies to mitigate power plant-related impacts on aquatic organisms.

Nucleation of particles into crystalline structures can be observed in a wide range of systems from metallic and metal–organic compounds to colloidal and polymeric patch particles. Here, we perform kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to study the nucleation kinetics of particles with different ligancies z at constant supersaturation s. This approach allows one to determine several physico-chemical quantities as a function of s, including the growth probability P( n), the critical nucleus size n*, and the stationary nucleation rate J s. Our numerical results are rationalized in terms of a self-consistent nucleation theory where both n* and J s present a non-trivial dependence on s, but which can be determined from the values of effective z-dependent parameters.

The number of spinal fusion surgeries is steadily increasing and biomechanical consequences are still in debate. The aim of this study is to provide biomechanical insights into the sagittal balance of the spine and to compare spinal load before and after spinal fusion. The joint reaction forces of 52 patients were analyzed in proximo-distal and antero-posterior direction from the levels T12–L1 to L5–S1 using musculoskeletal simulations. In 104 simulations, pre-surgical forces were equal to post-surgical. The levels L4–L5 and T12–L1, however, showed increased spinal forces compression forces with higher sagittal displacement. Improved restauration of sagittal balance was accompanied by lower spinal load. AP shear stress, interestingly decreased with sagittal imbalance. Imbalanced spines have a risk of increased compression forces at Th12–L1. L4–L5 always has increased spinal loads. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

In this chapter, we focus on label-free techniques suitable for the detection of analytes in food samples. We demonstrate the capabilities of such techniques on optics-based (surface plasmon resonance, SPR) and acoustic-based (quartz crystal microbalance, QCM) devices using immunoassays. Label-free techniques can be miniaturised and thus can be brought closer to the point of use, such as a farm, a field, a storage space, a shipyard, a factory gate or even a restaurant. First, the working principles of traditional SPR and of a QCM are introduced. The basic terminology is briefly covered and common technical considerations, including the required surface chemistry, limit of detection, ability to multiplex, ability to work with crude samples and complexity of liquid handling, are discussed. Secondly, commercial instruments are described including Biacore, ForteBio and Q-Sense. In addition, newer technical variations such as fibre-optic SPR (FOX diagnostics), imaging SPR (Horiba), multiparametric SPR (BioNavis), and a solidly mounted resonator (BioMensio) are discussed. An overview of different commercialised optic and acoustic label-free techniques and their suitability for food analysis is included. Since most of the instruments on the market focus on more generic assays, the third part of this chapter reviews assays for food analysis that are currently being developed. The fourth and final section provides an outlook on the future of instrumentation in this field.

Background: To measure the attitudes towards older people and perceptions of working with older people of undergraduate health and social care students in 5 European countries. Questionnaires are one of the most widely used data collection methods. The use of questionnaires constructed and validated in a setting to other setting is an essential aspect in international studies, which have as main objective to compare and deduce similarities and differences within different contexts. There are three main aspects in validation, the linguistic, the cultural and statistic validation,all these three aspects are essential during theprocess. Materials: Two questionnaires were used: Attitudes towards Older People Scale (Kogan1966) and Students’ Perception of Working with Older People Scale (Nolan et al, 2006). Methods: Five Countries were involved in the study namely Ireland, Finland, Germany, Latvia, and Italy. Back translation methodology was used in order to translate questionnaire (Linguistic and cultural validation) while a Cronbach was calculate to assess internal validity (statistic validation). Results: Students (n = 955) completed the two questionnaires. Students’ Perception of Working with Older People Scale, shows a 0.81 a Cronbach for all sample, for Ireland 0.84, Germany, 0.79, Italy 0.79, Finland 0.84 and Latvia 0.59, Attitudes towards Older People Scale shows a 0.83 a Cronbach for all sample,for Ireland 0.85, Germany, 0.83, Italy 0.62, Finland 0.86 and Latvia 0.74. Respondents were generally positive towards older people with few differences between countries. Those with least experience with older people displayed more negative attitudes. Significant relationships were found between positive 50 © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd PARALLEL SESSION D experiences and disposition to working with older people. However, there is evidence of indecision about a future career in working with older people. Conclusion: Validation of questionnaires is an essential aspect of research and particularly in comparison studies. Certainly it is an issue which involve no English speaker countries, however Anglo-Saxon countries (e.g. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, US and Ireland) should also be concerned about the more cultural aspect of validation which is also a key aspect mainly in detecting attitudes and beliefs on cultural aspects. Results suggest a need for a renewed focus on the encouragement of intergenerational contact between younger and older people and the promotion of gerontology as a clear and appealing career option in health and social care.

The interplanetary space probe Cassini/Huygens reached Saturn in July 2004 after seven years of cruise phase. The Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) measures the interplanetary, interstellar and planetary dust in our solar system since 1999 and provided unique discoveries. In 1999, CDA detected interstellar dust in the inner solar system followed by the detection of electrical charges of interplanetary dust grains during the cruise phase between Earth and Jupiter. The instrument determined the composition of interplanetary dust and the nanometre sized dust streams originating from Jupiter's moon Io. During the approach to Saturn in 2004, similar streams of submicron grains with speeds in the order of 100 km/s were detected from Saturn's inner and outer ring system and are released to the interplanetary magnetic field. Since 2004 CDA measured more than one million dust impacts characterizing the dust environment of Saturn. The instrument is one of three experiments which discovered the active ice geysers located at the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus in 2005. Later, a detailed compositional analysis of the water ice grains in Saturn's E ring system lead to the discovery of large reservoirs of liquid water (oceans) below the icy crust of Enceladus. Finally, the determination of the dust- magnetosphere interaction and the discovery of the extended E ring (at least twice as large as predicted) allowed the definition of a dynamical dust model of Saturn's E ring describing the observed properties. This paper summarizes the discoveries of a ten year story of success based on reliable measurements with the most advanced dust detector flown in space until today. This paper focuses on cruise results and findings achieved at Saturn with a focus on flux and density measurements., 18 pages, 12 Figures, DLRK 2011

Notch signalling activity governs cellular differentiation in higher metazoa, where Notch signals are transduced by the transcription factor CSL, called Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)] in Drosophila. Su(H) operates as molecular switch on Notch target genes: within activator complexes, including intracellular Notch, or within repressor complexes, including the antagonist Hairless. Mass spectrometry identified phosphorylation on Serine 269 in Su(H), potentially serving as a point of cross-regulation by other signalling pathways. To address the biological significance, we generated phospho-deficient [Su(H)S269A] and phospho-mimetic [Su(H)S269D] variants: the latter displayed reduced transcriptional activity despite unaltered protein interactions with co-activators and -repressors. Based on the Su(H) structure, Ser269 phosphorylation may interfere with DNA-binding, which we confirmed by electro-mobility shift assay and isothermal titration calorimetry. Overexpression of Su(H)S269D during fly development demonstrated reduced transcriptional regulatory activity, similar to the previously reported DNA-binding defective mutant Su(H)R266H. As both are able to bind Hairless and Notch proteins, Su(H)S269D and Su(H)R266H provoked dominant negative effects upon overexpression. Our data imply that Ser269 phosphorylation impacts Notch signalling activity by inhibiting DNA-binding of Su(H), potentially affecting both activation and repression. Ser269 is highly conserved in vertebrate CSL homologues, opening the possibility of a general and novel mechanism of modulating Notch signalling activity.

The number of spinal fusion surgeries is steadily increasing and biomechanical consequences are still in debate. The aim of this study is to provide biomechanical insights into the sagittal balance of the spine and to compare spinal load before and after spinal fusion.The joint reaction forces of 52 patients were analyzed in proximo-distal and antero-posterior direction from the levels T12-L1 to L5-S1 using musculoskeletal simulations.In 104 simulations, pre-surgical forces were equal to post-surgical. The levels L4-L5 and T12-L1, however, showed increased spinal forces compression forces with higher sagittal displacement. Improved restauration of sagittal balance was accompanied by lower spinal load. AP shear stress, interestingly decreased with sagittal imbalance.Imbalanced spines have a risk of increased compression forces at Th12-L1. L4-L5 always has increased spinal loads. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

We report the advance development of the Electrostatic Lunar Dust Analyzer (ELDA) instrument for the detection of individual low-velocity micron-size dust particles mobilized near the lunar surface, and the measurement of the dust charge, velocity vector, and mass. The first article ( N. Duncan et al., Planet. Space Sci., 2011 ) described the measurement principle, optimized instrument geometry, and the initial testing performed on air. The full laboratory prototype of ELDA has now been completed and tested under vacuum. The numerical data analysis is improved to include gravitation and the calculation of the particle's mass. The ELDA operation principle is based on sensing a charged dust particle by an array of wire electrodes as it is passing though the instrument. Each wire electrode is connected to a charge sensitive amplifier and the velocity vector is reconstructed from the signal shapes and amplitudes. Within the instrument, a strong electrostatic field is used to deflect the trajectories of the particles. The dust mass is determined from the change in velocity measured before and after deflection. The instrument is tested using particles with 54 μm mean radius and a narrow size distribution. The experimental results and the error analyses show that ELDA can measure the mass of individual particle with a factor of two even for very low signal to noise ratio.

We report on the implementation of an FPGA signal processing system for a dust accelerator at the Colorado Center for Lunar Dust and Atmospheric Studies (CCLDAS). The accelerator is used for hypervelocity impact studies, including cratering and ejecta studies (ionized and neutral gases created by impact, light flashes, etc.). In addition to these research goals, the accelerator is used for the calibration of in situ dust measurement instruments. For the accelerator to be useful as a scientific tool, it must be able to detect and select accelerated dust particles before they enter the experimental apparatus. An analog detection system is capable of detecting and selecting micron-sized dust grains in-flight through a simple analog trigger. Depending on how many false triggers are allowable for the specific application, users can set the trigger level to be arbitrarily close to the noise band. To observe and select nanometer-sized grains in-flight with higher detection accuracy, a digital filtration system using cross-correlation filters has been developed to extract small signals embedded in noise. Results show the FPGA system outperforms an analog method in the total number of particle detections, the highest velocity detected, and the lowest charge detected. They also show the possibility of detecting and selecting, in real-time, nano-sized grains in laboratory dust accelerator experiments. Methods described herein can also be adapted to any real-time signal processing problem where the signals belong to a known family of shapes.

The European vehicle industry employs a cascading planning process, for medium-term sales and operations and medium- to short-term production planning. Due to a lack of coordination and feedback between the different planning phases, costly problems in production arise. This paper describes an integrated planning solution for the harmonisation of sales, purchasing, supply chain and production planning along the planning cascade. By harmonizing long-, medium- and short-term planning, cost savings and additional value potential can be realized. The basic approach for harmonized planning is illustrated with a case study from special purpose vehicle production.

The Stardust mission returned two types of unprecedented extraterrestrial samples: the first samples of material from a known solar system body beyond the moon, the comet 81P/Wild2, and the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust. Both sets of samples were captured in aerogel and aluminum foil collectors and returned to Earth in January 2006. While the analysis of particles from comet Wild 2 yielded exciting new results, the search for and analysis of collected interstellar particles is more demanding and is ongoing. Novel dust instrumentation will tremendously improve future dust collection in interplanetary space: an Active Cosmic Dust Collector is a combination of an in-situ dust trajectory sensor (DTS) together with a dust collector consisting of aerogel and/or other collector materials, e.g. such as those used by the Stardust mission. Dust particles’ trajectories are determined by the measurement of induced electrical signals when charged particles fly through a position sensitive electrode system. The recorded waveforms enable the reconstruction of the velocity vector with high precision. The DTS described here was subject to performance tests at the Heidelberg dust accelerator at the same time as the recording of impact signals from potential collector materials. The tests with dust particles in the speed range from 3 to 40 km/s demonstrate that trajectories can be measured with accuracies of ∼1° in direction and ∼1% in speed. The sensitivity of the DTS electronics is of the order of 10−16 C and thus the trajectory of cosmic dust particles as small as 0.4 μm size can be measured. The impact position on the collector can be determined with better than 1 mm precision, which will ease immensely the task of locating sub-micron-sized particles on the collector. Statistically significant numbers of trajectories of interplanetary and interstellar dust particles can thus be collected in interplanetary space and their compositions correlated with their trajectories.

Micron and submicron-sized dust particles can be lifted from the lunar surface due to continual micrometeoroid bombardment and electrostatic charging. The characteristics of these dust populations are of scientific interest and engineering importance for the design of future equipment to operate on the lunar surface. The mobilized grains are expected to have a low velocity, which makes their detection difficult by traditional methods that are based on momentum transfer or impact energy. We describe a newly developed instrument concept, the Electrostatic Lunar Dust Analyzer (ELDA), which utilizes the charge on the dust for detection and analysis. ELDA consists of an array of wire electrodes combined with an electrostatic deflection field region, and measures the mass, charge, and velocity vector of individual dust grains. The first basic prototype of the ELDA instrument has been constructed, tested and characterized in the laboratory. The instrument is set up to measure over a velocity range 1–100 m/s and is sensitive to particles from an approximate mass range from 2×10−16 to 10−11 kg, depending on the charge state and velocity.

Active chromatin remodelling is integral to the DNA damage response in eukaryotes, as damage sensors, signalling molecules and repair enzymes gain access to lesions. A variety of nucleosome remodelling complexes is known to promote different stages of DNA repair. The nucleosome sliding factors CHRAC/ACF of Drosophila are involved in chromatin organization during development. Involvement of corresponding hACF1-containing mammalian nucleosome sliding factors in replication, transcription and very recently also non-homologous end-joining of DNA breaks have been suggested. We now found that hACF1-containing factors are more generally involved in the DNA damage response. hACF1 depletion increases apoptosis, sensitivity to radiation and compromises the G2/M arrest that is activated in response to UV- and X-rays. In the absence of hACF1, γH2AX and CHK2ph signals are diminished. hACF1 and its ATPase partner SNF2H rapidly accumulate at sites of laser-induced DNA damage. hACF1 is also required for a tight checkpoint that is induced upon replication fork collapse. ACF1-depleted cells that are challenged with aphidicolin enter mitosis despite persistence of lesions and accumulate breaks in metaphase chromosomes. hACF1-containing remodellers emerge as global facilitators of the cellular response to a variety of different types of DNA damage.

Laser accelerated radiotherapy is a potential cancer treatment with proton and carbon-ion beams that is currently under development. Ultra-fast high-energy laser pulses will accelerate ion beams that deliver their dose to a patient in a "pulsed mode" that is expected to differ from conventional irradiation by increasing the dose delivery rate to a tissue voxel by approximately 8 orders of magnitude. In two independently performed experiments at the ion microprobe SNAKE of the 14 MV Munich tandem accelerator, A(L) cells were exposed either to protons with 1-ns pulse durations or to protons applied over 150 ms in continuous irradiation mode. A slightly but consistently lower aberration yield was observed for the pulsed compared to the continuous mode of proton irradiation. This difference was not statistically significant when each aberration type was analyzed separately (P values between 0.61 and 0.85 in experiment I and P values between 0.32 and 0.64 in experiment II). However, excluding the total aberrations, which were not analyzed as independent radiation-induced effects, the mean ratio of the yields of dicentrics, centric rings and excess acentrics scored together showed (with 95% CI) a significant difference of 0.90 (0.81; 0.98) between the pulsed and the continuous irradiation modes. A similar tendency was also determined for the corresponding RBE values relative to 70 kV X rays. Since the different findings for the comparisons of individual chromosome aberration types and combined comparisons could be explained by different sample sizes with the consequence that the individual comparisons had less statistical power to identify a difference, it can be concluded that 20 MeV protons may be slightly less effective in the pulsed mode.

The mammalian protein kinase D family is involved in manifold cellular processes including cell migration and motility. Recently it was shown that human PKD1 and PKD2 phosphorylate and thereby inhibit Slingshot 1 Like (SSH1L), a phosphatase which is central to the regulation of actin cytoskeletal dynamics. We noted before that the overexpression of a constitutively active form of Drosophila PKD (PKD-SE) affects the fly retina and the resultant phenotypes suggest underlying defects in the actin cytoskeleton. Drosophila Slingshot, however, does not possess the phosphorylation site known to be targeted in SSH1L by human PKD1. Here we show that Drosophila PKD, despite this lack of conservation, nevertheless negatively regulates Slingshot. Overexpression of the active PKD-SE protein causes cellular defects that are similar to those of slingshot mutants. These include aberrant bristle morphology and positioning of photoreceptor nuclei. Interestingly, the observed nuclear mispositioning is due to a disturbance of the cytoskeleton rather than the epithelial organization. In accordance, overexpression of PKD-SE results in an accumulation of filamentous actin. This enrichment is modified by changes in slingshot gene doses, in line with an antagonistic relationship between PKD and slingshot. We conclude that similar to mammals, Drosophila PKD is a negative regulator of Ssh, with the premise of a different target phosphorylation site in Ssh.

A self-triggered dust trajectory sensor not only determines the trajectories of charged dust particles but also acts as a highly sensitive dust detector. The objective of a dust trajectory sensor (DTS) is to measure charges Q ≥100 aC and trajectories of submicron-sized grains with accuracies of ∼1° in direction and ∼1% in speed in the range v =1–100 km/s. It determines the trajectories from the signals induced in an array of wire electrodes. Most signals are weak and distorted by amplifier noise. Transient recorders continuously store them until a trigger signal indicates the presence of a dust particle. A trigger signal was previously available only after the particle had passed through the DTS and was detected externally by impact ionization. In certain important applications, however, an external trigger is not available or too late. In this paper we discuss a method of generating a trigger from noisy DTS signals before the dust grain exits the sensor. Specifically, we use seven parallel, double-triangle-shaped velocity filters on each sensor electrode to cover the velocity range v =1–128 km/s. Each velocity filter feeds into four parallel amplitude filters, two for single large signals and two for pairs of smaller but coincident signals from adjacent wires. We demonstrate by computer simulation that the probability of generating at least one trigger is high, typically p t ≥0.99 at v =20 km/s, charge-to-noise ratio QNR ≥6.25, and angle of incidence from 0° to 27°. The minimum QNR required to derive a trigger varies with dust velocity as ∼v 1/2 . The false event rate, caused by amplifier noise, is estimated to be on the order of one per year.

Drummond and Holte introduced the theory of cost curves, a graphical technique for visualizing the performance of binary classifiers over the full range of possible class distributions and misclassification costs. In this paper, we use this concept to develop the Improvement Curve, a new performance metric for predictive models. Improvement curves are more user-friendly than cost curves and enable direct inter-classifier comparisons. We apply improvement curves to measure risk-assessment processes at Canada’s marine ports. We illustrate how implementing even a basic predictive model would lead to improved efficiency for the Canada Border Services Agency, regardless of class distributions or misclassification costs.

The present study investigates whether immediate repetition improves consecutive interpreting performance during training. In addition, the study tries to shed light on whether the effects of immediate repetition differ between BA and MA interpreting trainees. In the experiment, ten raters judged six major quality measures of the accuracy and fluency of the interpreting output recorded from seven BA trainees and five MA trainees. The seventh quality measure expressed linguistic complexity as the number of clauses per AS-unit. The results show that the main effects of repetition and proficiency are both significant on accuracy and fluency, but the main effects are absent on linguistic complexity. Moreover, in terms of fluency BA trainees benefit significantly more from repetition than MA trainees. Accuracy improvement through repetition does not differ significantly between the two groups. The results have implications for consecutive interpreting training at different stages.

Im Jahr 2014 lieferten Erneuerbare Energien bereits mehr als ein Viertel der Bruttostromerzeugung, wovon wiederum rund 22 % auf Photovoltaik-Anlagen entfielen. Diese Technologie ist von einer hohen Dezentralitat gepragt. Von den ca. 1,4 Millionen Anlagen in Deutschland sind ca. 97 % in der Niederspannung angeschlossen – das entspricht ca. 80 % der installierten Leistung. Mit den sinkenden Einspeisevergutungen fur Photovoltaik-Strom ruckt der elektrische Eigenverbrauch in den Fokus der Anwendung. Jedoch sind die Leistungsprofile der Erzeugung und vor allem des Verbrauchs hoch volatil. Dies erfordert kurze Zeitintervalle bei der Messung bzw. bei der Simulation der elektrischen Leistungen, wenn diese realitatsnah abgebildet werden sollen. Smart-Meter sind prinzipiell zu solchen Messungen fahig, jedoch ist die Datenerfassung und Ubertragung nicht trivial. Zu berucksichtigen sind die regulatorischen Vorgaben, die vorhandene Infrastruktur fur Datenkommunikation, ihre Sicherheit und Zuverlassigkeit, die Akzeptanz der beteiligten Haushalte oder sonstigen Endkunden sowie die Kosten. Im Projekt Smart Grid Solar werden seit November 2014 in einem landlich gepragten Ortsteil der Stadt Hof mit hoher PV-Durchdringung uber 30 Smart-Meter in sehr kurzen Messintervallen von 15 Sekunden ausgelesen. Die 12 erfassten PV-Anlagen weisen eine hohe Vielfalt an Ausrichtungen auf, welche es ermoglicht, deren Auswirkung auf den Eigenverbrauch zu untersuchen. Gleichzeitig werden Erkenntnisse daruber gewonnen, wie stark die Werte fur Eigenverbrauch abweichen, wenn langere Zeitintervalle als 15 Sekunden als Grundlage der Berechnung dienen. Die bisherigen Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich der Fehler bei der Betrachtung von 15 min- Intervallen bereits auf 5 – 10 % belauft. Zusatzlich wurde in einer detaillierten techno-okonomischen Betrachtung die Wirtschaftlichkeit verschiedener elektrischen Solarspeicher-Systeme untersucht. Alle notwendigen technischen Parameter und die aktuellen regulatorischen Rahmenbedingungen sowie die Preisgestaltung der Komponenten wurden berucksichtigt, inklusive einer Abschatzung der Genauigkeit anhand einer Monte-Carlo-Simulation. Das Model zeigt, dass unter aktuellen Bedingungen PV-Anlagen wirtschaftlich sind und die optimale Anlagengrose sich zu kleinen Leistungen hin verschiebt. Selbst die gunstigsten Speicher reduzieren hingegen im Moment noch die Rendite.

In Drosophila, Notch and EGFR signalling pathways are closely intertwined. Their relationship is mostly antagonistic, and may in part be based on the phosphorylation of the Notch signal transducer Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)] by MAPK. Su(H) is a transcription factor that together with several cofactors regulates the expression of Notch target genes. Here we address the consequences of a local induction of three Su(H) variants on Notch target gene expression. To this end, wild-type Su(H), a phospho-deficient Su(H) (MAPK-) (ko) and a phospho-mimetic Su(H) (MAPK-ac) isoform were overexpressed in the central domain of the wing anlagen. The expression of the Notch target genes cut, wingless, E(spl)m8-HLH and vestigial, was monitored. For the latter two, reporter genes were used (E(spl)m8-lacZ, vg (BE) -lacZ). In general, Su(H) (MAPK-) (ko) induced a stronger response than wild-type Su(H), whereas the response to Su(H) (MAPK-ac) was very weak. Notch target genes cut, wingless and vg (BE) -lacZ were ectopically activated, whereas E(spl)m8-lacZ was repressed by overexpression of Su(H) proteins. In addition, in epistasis experiments an activated form of the EGF-receptor (DER (act) ) or the MAPK (rl (SEM) ) and individual Su(H) variants were co-overexpressed locally, to compare the resultant phenotypes in adult flies (thorax, wings and eyes) as well as to assay the response of the Notch target gene cut in cell clones.

Saturn's E ring is remarkable not only for its huge size. Based on optical measurements the ring was surprisingly found to mainly consist of ice particles of uniform size (radii between 0.3 and 2 microns) [Nicholson et al., 1996. Observations of Saturn's ring-plane crossing in August and November. Science 272, 509–516], though the source of the ring, the icy moon Enceladus, feeds the ring with grains having a much broader mass distribution [Spahn et al., 1999. Dynamics of dust ejected from enceladus: application to the cassini dust detector. J. Geophys. Res. 104, 24111–24120]. Because of this contradiction, the mass distribution of the ring must be closely connected to the dynamics of the ring particles which is governed by the competition of various disturbing forces acting on the grains. It was realised early that the dynamics of the charged ring particles is strongly affected by electromagnetic forces as well as by plasma drag. Understanding the implications on the ring dynamics thus requires knowledge of the electrostatic equilibrium potential of the dust grains. The charge-sensitive grid system of the cosmic dust analyser (CDA) on the Cassini spacecraft allows an in situ determination of the charge of grains bigger than 2–3 microns. Since the CDA detector determines the grain mass simultaneously with the dust charge the electrostatic potential φ d can be estimated as well. Here we report the first measurement of the electrostatic potential of E ring particles. Particles detected inside the orbit of Saturn's moon Rhea were always found to be negatively charged, whereas grains outside Rhea's orbit were on a positive potential of about 3 V. Our results are in good agreement with measurements of the spacecraft potential by Cassini's radio and plasma wave science (RPWS) investigation [Wahlund et al., 2005. The inner magnetosphere of Saturn: Cassini RPWS cold plasma results from the first encounter. Geophys. Res. Lett. 32]. Our analysis implies that the CDA dust analyser (DA) mass calibration by Goller and Grun [1998. Calibration of the Galileo/Ulysses dust detectors with different projectile materials and at varying impact angles. Planet. Space Sci. 37, 1197–1206] is applicable for ice particles. We achieved a good match between our findings and the model calculations of the grain potential when using new Cassini measurements of plasma properties within Saturn's inner plasma sphere. Based on this we provide a realistic description for the grain potential needed for modelling the dynamics of Saturn's E ring.

There are different types of dust particles in interplanetary space, such as dust from comets and asteroids, and interstellar grains traversing the solar system. Based on experience with current space dust instruments, a novel dust telescope is being developed. A dust telescope is a combination of a dust trajectory sensor for the identification and an analyzer for the elemental composition of the dust. Dust particles’ trajectories are determined by the measurement of the electric signals that are induced when a charged grain flies through a position-sensitive electrode system. The objective of the trajectory sensor is to measure dust charges in the range 10−16–10−13 C and dust speeds in the range 6–100 km/s. First tests with a laboratory setup have been performed. The chemical analyzer will have an impact area of 0.1 m2. It consists of a target with an acceleration grid and a single-stage reflectron for energy focusing, and a central ion detector. Results from SIMION simulations show that a mass resolution of M/ΔM>150 can be obtained.

Dust particles in interplanetary space are expected to charge up to an electrostatic potential of about +5 V mostly by the solar UV (Horanyi, 1996, Annu. Rev. Astrophys. 34, 383). Since the dynamics of charged grains may be quite different from neutral particles, the knowledge of the grain charge Qd is highly desirable. In the last two decades, several detectors on spacecraft were flown to measure the dust charge in-situ, but the instrumentation was not capable of determining the dust charge unambiguously. The Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) on the Cassini spacecraft includes a charge sensitive entrance grid system (QP detector). While entering the instrument, sufficiently charged particles induce a characteristic charge feature onto the grid system, which allows a reliable determination of Qd as well as of the impact speed vd. Here we report the first successful in-situ measurement of charged interplanetary dust grains by CDA. Amongst 37 impacts by interplanetary grains registered between November 1999 and January 2000, we identified 6 impacts whose QP signals show a clear feature caused by charged grains, corresponding to Qd between 1.3 and 5.4 fC. Knowledge of Qd also allows us to estimate the grain mass md. Assuming a potential of φd≈+5 V and spheroidal grain morphologies with ratios of the maximum size to the minimum size of less than 2 the masses derived from Qd were found to be in excess of 10−13 kg. The dynamics of such particles are dominated by the Sun's gravity. In the framework of the micro-meteoroid models of the Solar System these grains belong to the core population of interplanetary grains (Divine, 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 17029). Furthermore, a rate of 6 impacts of grains with md⩾10−13 kg during 107 days is in good agreement with the predictions of the interplanetary dust environment model by Staubach et al. (1997, Adv. Space Res. 19, 301). This result demonstrates that charge detectors as the CDA QP system offer a reliable in-situ technique for determining simultaneously both the mass and velocity of big interplanetary grains. The primary CDA subsystem to determine md and vd, however, is an impact ionisation detector. The majority of the 37 recorded dust impacts produced impact charges are well outside the calibrated range. Moreover, these impacts were usually characterised by impact ionisation signals which differ significantly from signals taken in calibration experiments. In this paper we took advantage of the fact that the measurement of Qd is not affected by the subsequent impact of the grain with the detector. By relating md and vd derived from Qd of the 6 QP impactors to their corresponding ionisation signals we show that in many cases even for energetic impacts outside the calibrated range meaningful values for the dust mass can be obtained. The observed deviations of the ionisation signals from the calibration measurements are likely due to the large amount of plasma generated by such impacts. We discuss the implications of these findings on a meaningful reduction of impact ionisation signals caused by big particle impacts. A new scheme to identify and to evaluate such signals is presented. These finding are of great importance for future Cassini measurements in the saturnian system.

The Cassini-Huygens Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) is intended to provide direct observations of dust grains with masses between 10-19 and 10-9 kg in interplanetary space and in the jovian and satumian systems, to investigate their physical, chemical and dynamical properties as functions of the distances to the Sun, to Jupiter and to Saturn and its satellites and rings, to study their interaction with the saturnian rings, satellites and magnetosphere. Chemical composition of interplanetary meteoroids will be compared with asteroidal and cometary dust, as well as with Saturn dust, ejecta from rings and satellites. Ring and satellites phenomena which might be effects of meteoroid impacts will be compared with the interplanetary dust environment. Electrical charges of particulate matter in the magnetosphere and its consequences will be studied, e.g. the effects of the ambient plasma and the magnetic field on the trajectories of dust particles as well as fragmentation of particles due to electrostatic disruption.

The cosmic dust analyzer aboard the Cassini spacecraft includes a charge and velocity detector which senses electric charges >10 −15 C of individual cosmic dust grains as they enter the instrument. Charge is an important property of each grain, because it affects its orbital dynamics and is a measure of its size. The duration and shape of the charge signal are also important, because they reveal the grain's location and velocity relative to the spacecraft. The velocity, in turn, can be expressed in a heliocentric coordinate system and orbital parameters can be derived and aid in the identification of the grain's origin. We describe the operation of the charge and velocity detector, present results of laboratory calibrations using charged hypervelocity dust particles, show the first dust charge signal obtained from interplanetary space, and discuss potential applications of an advanced charge detector for future space missions.

Up to now, in most surgical departments there has been no central patient management coordinating the admission, the diagnostic work-up, and the surgical procedures of patients with the resources available in the hospital. In future, however, it will be essential for surgical departments to establish such a central patient management, not only in view of the importance of patient-oriented medicine but also considering the planned introduction of diagnosis related groups. A central patient management will reduce preoperative and overall length of stay through adequate organisation and communication structures. In addition, a central patient management will make optimal use of the available resources in terms of operation rooms and hospital beds. In this article, we will present our basic concept of a central patient management in a surgical university department.

A linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer is developed for the detection and chemical analysis of nanometer-sized particles originating near the Sun. Nano-dust particles are thought to be produced by mutual collisions between interplanetary dust particles slowly spiraling toward the Sun and are accelerated outward to high velocities by interaction with the solar wind plasma. The WAVES instruments on the two STEREO spacecraft reported the detection, strong temporal variation, and potentially high flux of these particles. Here we report on the optimization and the results from the detailed characterization of the instrument's performance using submicrometer sized dust particles accelerated to 8–60 km/s. The Nano Dust Analyzer (NDA) concept is derived from previously developed detectors. It has a 200 cm2 effective target area and a mass resolution of approximately m/Δm = 50. The NDA instrument is designed to reliably detect and analyze nanometer-sized dust particles while being pointed close to the Sun's direction, from where they are expected to arrive. Measurements by such an instrument will determine the size-dependent flux of the nano-dust particles and its variations, it will characterize the composition of the nano-dust and, ultimately, it may determine their source. The flight version of the NDA instrument is estimated to be

A newly developed position sensitive detector was implemented in the beam line of the Heidelberg dust accelerator. By charge induction, the detector enables the position of a dust particle to be determined without affecting its motion. The detector consists of four pairs of parallel plates, connected to a single common charge amplifier. The charge induced on the plates varies as a function of the dust particle trajectory, producing simple, easily interpreted signals. Using a segmented target installed in the beam line for a second independent measure of the trajectory, the position detector has been calibrated, allowing the detector signal to be mapped to a dust particle position. The resulting calibration curve indicates that the detector's position accuracy is approximately 0.14 mm, based on an average SNR of 700 for dust particles passing through the centre of the detector. The minimum dust charge for reliable detection was found to be about 1.1 fC. A detector simulation was used to produce a calibration curve that confirms the experimental results.

One of the cues that children might use in learning words is the level of certainty that speakers demonstrate in their naming of a novel object. This study presented 52 4–5 year old Dutch children with a word-learning task in which two puppets each used the same label for a different novel object. In three conditions, puppets expressed their level of speaker certainty lexically (e.g. ‘I know this is a mit’ vs. ‘I think this is a mit’), they used discourse means to convey certainty (e.g. ‘I play with this a lot. Yes, a mit’, vs. ‘I’ve never played with this. Well, a mit’) or they combined the two. In all conditions, children were more likely to pick the object referred to by the more certain puppet as the referent of the new word, demonstrating that speaker certainty is a relevant cue in the word learning process.

The Galileo and Ulysses dust detectors can detect electric charges of dust particles. Dust particles entering the sensor (see, e.g., Grün et al. 1992) may be detected by the charge Qp that they induce to the charge grid. All suitably massive dust particles - charged or uncharged - are then detected by the cloud of ions and electrons they produce during the impact on the hemispherical target after the time of flight between the charge grid and the target. After separation in the electric field, ions and electrons are collected by separate electrodes and produce two pulses of opposite polarity. From the two pulse heights and the rise times, the mass and impact speed of the dust particle are derived.

In this study hydration reactions of MSW fly ash with an experimental C 12 A 7 / C 3 A -cement are investigated. The fly ash has high contents of soluble calcium sulphates, alkali chlorides and heavy metals. During the first hours the calcium aluminates react with the calcium sulphate to form ettringite. On condition that the amount of added cement is sufficient, after complete consumption of calcium sulphates further hydration leads to additional crystallization of Friedel's salt. The same course of hydration is found for synthetic model mixtures of calcium aluminate + gypsum + alkali chlorides. TEM/EDX-analysis indicates that ettringite is able to incorporate the heavy metals Pb and Zn by substitution, but no contents of Cl − are detected. Treatment by reactive calcium aluminates could be a suitable method for the immobilization process of a wide range of toxic wastes.

Specific curricula for professionals working in various settings with persons with dementia have been developed and implemented into practice. In this study, the practical relevance of a teaching program for the M.A.S (Morbus Alzheimer syndrome) dementia trainer was evaluated. The curriculum was developed in 2002 within a scientific project. The goal was that care professionals and noncare professionals learn how to support and train persons with dementia and their caregivers. The task of the trainer is to support the functional and emotional resources of the person with dementia employing stage-specific training according to principles of the theory of retrogenesis. Trainers are also able to support family caregivers in their difficult day-to-day care for the person with dementia. With this training and support program, persons with dementia can train their residual capacities and develop a life perspective which enables them to cope with the long duration of Alzheimer's disease.The curriculum for the training methodology is based in the theory of retrogenesis. The 1-year training course is held in the form of modules and includes the following topics: (1) stages of dementia and medical aspects, (2) communication with persons with dementia, (3) stage-specific retrogenic training, (4) physical training for the elderly and persons with dementia, (5) coaching family caregivers through the long disease duration, and (6) care issues for persons without education in care. M.A.S trainers were questioned after they had concluded the teaching program successfully and had the chance to apply the content of the teaching program in their practical work. A short questionnaire was sent via e-mail or a telephone interview was performed.A total of 279 trainers graduated and were certified. Of these, 140 persons (53.6% of the population) could be questioned after an average of 2.69 years after completion of the course: 93.6% of trainees were still using the principles of the teaching course successfully; of these, 56% were working in the function of a trainer full time and 44% used the principles within their work environment (mainly in the nursing home environment).The study found that the majority of questioned trainers are still using the principles taught in the course successfully with persons with dementia living at home and the content was found to be relevant for practice. The content of the teaching course, applying principles of retrogenesis, which was originally designed for persons with dementia living at home, can also be successfully applied in the nursing home environment. Increasing interest has been shown by institutions employing professionals whose task it is to keep persons with dementia active and interested as well as physically functioning at their best possible level. As a consequence, persons with dementia perceive higher quality of life and exhibit fewer behavior problems which complicate care. More research is needed to accumulate evidence and to support these findings.

The Stardust mission returned cometary, interplanetary and (probably) interstellar dust in 2006 to Earth that have been analysed in Earth laboratories worldwide. Results of this mission have changed our view and knowledge on the early solar nebula. The Rosetta mission is on its way to land on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and will investigate for the first time in great detail the comet nucleus and its environment starting in 2014. Additional astronomy and planetary space missions will further contribute to our understanding of dust generation, evolution and destruction in interstellar and interplanetary space and provide constraints on solar system formation and processes that led to the origin of life on Earth. One of these missions, SARIM-PLUS, will provide a unique perspective by measuring interplanetary and interstellar dust with high accuracy and sensitivity in our inner solar system between 1 and 2 AU. SARIM-PLUS employs latest in-situ techniques for a full characterisation of individual micrometeoroids (flux, mass, charge, trajectory, composition()) and collects and returns these samples to Earth for a detailed analysis. The opportunity to visit again the target comet of the Rosetta mission 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimeenternko, and to investigate its dusty environment six years after Rosetta with complementary methods is unique and strongly enhances and supports the scientific exploration of this target and the entire Rosetta mission. Launch opportunities are in 2020 with a backup window starting early 2026. The comet encounter occurs in September 2021 and the reentry takes place in early 2024. An encounter speed of 6 km/s ensures comparable results to the Stardust mission.