795 research outputs found
Internet based information sharing in Higher Educational Institutional Libraries in India
No full textThe paper presents the development of computer neteworking and Internet bases services in higher educational institutional libraries in Indian in 21st century, Development of consortial agencies, like Indest is the dominant one in Engineering, Science and Technology while UGC InfoNet for social Science
Digitization of indigenous materials : problems and solutions in the Context of Kerala University
No full textThe paper evaluates the ICT infrastructure available at Kerala University (KU) in India. KU has automated its library system and has powerful ICT infrastructures for more than a decade. But they are found to be lacking information relevant to KU, which exist only in traditional media at various sources under it. Information generated by the research in KU is also not digitized and added to the system. The study reveals that archives, libraries and other document collections as they exist now in KU limit mainly to collection, preservation and services using original exhibits, printed documents, manuscripts and non?print materials like microforms. Even a decade after having required ICT infrastructures KU has not cared to digitise its content and make it accessible online. Identifies the institutions under KU where unique content not otherwise available exists and the different media in which they are recorded. Various projects that have transformed content like that existing in KU are examined. The solutions used in such projects are discussed. The problem of local scripts to be dealt by KU and the projects, which handled scripts relevant to KU, are examined. Make suggestions in selecting relevant DL solutions and for ensuring the conservation of the unique knowledge content available at KU
E-journals in a networked environment : its impact on academic libraries in the digital millennium
No full textThis paper tries to describe the Advantages of E-journals in terms of Accessibility, Speed distribution and production, Subscription Cost, Multimedia Capabilities, Internal and External Links etc and also tries to find out the Technological, Socio-cultural and Economic Barriers. The issues like Refereeing, Copyright and Licensing, Longevity and Storage and recent trends in E-journal publication and its implication on Academic Libraries in selection and acquisition, Cataloguing, archiving, user's access, training and support to staff and users are discussed in this paper
ESS: A Settlement Site Selection Tool for a Human Mars Base
No full textIn recent years, private entities have joined the race to send humans to the Red Planet. While Mars is well defined as the next frontier for human space flight, little work has been done towards identifying possible settlement sites on its surface. The current site proposals use a bottom-up approach, that is focusing on one settlement site and then investigating if and why this site fulfils all requirements considered relevant to a human outpost. Here, the Expert System: Settlement (ESS) is presented, a tool that follows the inverse, top-down approach in which initially the entire Martian surface is considered. From there, the set of possible settlement sites is reduced stepwise for various criteria, discharging those sites not fulfilling the specified criteria. Examples of these site requirement are the max. MOLA elevation, the solar power available on the surface, and the water concentration in the subsurface. To cover the different criteria included in this work, the ESS was assembled of the three sub-expert systems Expert System: Engineering Constraints (ESE), Expert System: Climate (ESC), and Expert System: Resources (ESR). The ESS was successfully verified using the engineering constraints defined for the landing site selection of the NASA InSight mission, returning, inter alia, the mission's selected landing site. With view on manned missions, settlement selection constraints were derived from literature to provide input to the ESS. The ESS identified possible settlement sites fulfilling the requirements in Xante Terra/Lunae Planum and West of Elysium Planitia. Other qualifying sites were located in the Northernmost part of Noachis Terra, in Vastitas Borealis between 40°N and 50°N latitude and in Arcadia Planitia, Northwest of Olympus Mons. The ESS is built completely generic, allowing to run the expert system for a variety of possible and diverse mission architectures. Moreover, the code architecture allows to simply add further selection constraints and corresponding planetary data sets required for future selection processes. The ESS is capable of investigating both landing ellipses (as has been done for the NASA InSight mission) and circular exploration zones around a nominal site. Next to settlement site selection, the code developed is therefore also suitable for landing site selection. With suitable data available, the code can be adapted to any celestial body. The current application of the tool regarding site analysis is directly dependent on the available data sets' coverage and maximum resolution; where the latter controls the computation time of the ESS.Aerospace Engineerin
Added value of Energy Storage Systems: A valuation model of ESS for industrial clusters
No full textEnergy storage systems (ESS) are expected to be one of the main pillars for a future renewable based power system. Since all sectors are electrifying and variable renewable energy (VRE) is being deployed more quickly than transmission and distribution operators are able to connect them to the electricity grid. Flexible capacity on multiple positions along the electricity value chain is needed to maintain stability of the network. However, the original design of the grid was not based on decentralized and variable generation. Together with uncertain regulations that are not up-to-date with innovations in the grid. Results in multiple barriers that the ESS needs to overcome and therefore have not been widely integrated yet. Since investment decisions by decision-makers are not only based on technical and economic features but also on social and environmental features better insight in the impact of different power system design is needed. Several studies have been performed on the tech-economic modelling of singular ESS services, often using perfect foresight for prices and market behavior for different parts of the electricity value chain. This work presents foundation for valuation of ESS for industrial sites in the Netherlands in a future scenario with large increase of VRE in the energy mix.Since energy systems are highly complex systems. Modelling and simulation is performed to get a better understanding of the system by simplifying interactions and functional relations within the industrial power system. Hence, the model provides insights that help to reevaluate the power operation of an industrial cluster. As a result it helps to reshape the power system investment strategy for the future. Considering that ESS are multi-applications this study analyses how different operations strategies including multiple services influence the performance of the industrial power system. The operation strategies of enhancing self-consumption (greedy) and peak shaving are compared on the following performance indicators: self-consumption, self-sufficiency, utilized and unutilized VRE, size of network connection, capacity for flexibility and influence of transit power generation. The greedy and peak shaving operations are simulated in combination with the services of providing transit power for back-up generation and ability to provide flexibility service for the imbalance market.The model is run for three different industrial loads (scenarios) for five different configurations of either a Photo-Voltaic (PV) system or a PV system in combination with an ESS. In all scenarios, the power systems performance is better when ESS is integrated in comparison to the PV-system. In the scenarios the scoring varies considerably between the configurations, primarily due to the heterogeneity of the used load profiles. Hence, allowing to identify the characteristics of industrial load profiles more suitable for a combined PV and ESS system. The results of this study are relevant for decision-makers considering to adapt their power system design strategy by providing a better understanding of their system. It shows how different services run in parallel allow the ESS to be operated less idle. Nevertheless, should decision-makers establish operational priorities since some services can be competitive andresult in a sub-additive value. Furthermore, can the findings help policy makers and utilities to see what the influence is of increased VRE generation at the industrial load side of the network on the larger system.Complex Systems Engineering and Management (CoSEM
Long-Term Follow-Up After Maxillary Sinus Balloon Sinuplasty and ESS
No full textObjectives: The aim of this controlled follow-up study was to compare the need for revision surgery, long-term efficacy, and satisfaction in chronic rhinosinusitis patients who had undergone maxillary sinus operation with either balloon sinuplasty or traditional endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) technique. Methods: Thirty-nine ESS patients and 36 balloon patients of our previously described cohort, who had been primarily operated in 2008 to 2010, were contacted by phone. Symptoms, satisfaction, and need for revision surgery were asked. In addition, we collected data of patients who had undergone primary maxillary sinus balloon sinuplasty in the Helsinki University Hospital during the years 2005 to 2019. As a control group, we collected data of patients who had undergone primary maxillary sinus ESS at 3 Finnish University Hospitals, and 1 Central Hospital in years 2005, 2008, and 2011. Results: Altogether, 77 balloon patients and 82 ESS patients were included. The mean follow-up time was 5.3 years in balloon group and 9.8 years in ESS group. Revision surgery was performed on 17 balloon patients and 6 ESS patients. In the survival analysis, the balloon sinuplasty associated significantly with a higher risk of revision surgery compared to ESS. According to the phone interviews, 82% of ESS patients and 75% of balloon patients were very satisfied with the primary operation. Conclusion: Although the patient groups expressed equal satisfaction and change in symptoms after the operations, the need for revision surgery was higher after balloon sinuplasty than after ESS. This should be emphasized when counselling patients regarding surgical options.Peer reviewe
Hepatic Δ9, Δ6, and Δ5 desaturations in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus eSS rats
No full textBoth diabetes mellitus type 1 and diabetes mellitus type 2 are widespread diseases that alter carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. e Stilmann-Salgado (eSS) rats are experimental animals that spontaneously evolve to a state similar to that of young people affected by non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM; type 2). Using 6-mon-old eSS rats that, according to the literature [Martinez, S.M., Tarres, M.C., Montenegro, S., Milo, R., Picena, J.C., Figueroa, N., and Rabasa, S.R. (1988) Spontaneous Diabetes in eSS Rats, Acta Diabetol. Lat. 25, 303-313], had already developed insulin resistance, we investigated the changes evoked on delta9, delta6, and delta5 liver desaturases. The abundance of mRNA and enzymatic activities were measured, as well as the FA composition of liver microsomal lipids. Compared to control rats, the mRNA content and activity of SCD-1 (stearoyl CoA-desaturase, isoform of the delta9 desaturase) were significantly higher, whereas the mRNA and activities of delta6 and delta5 desaturases were not significantly modified. Correspondingly, the proportion of 18:1n-9 and the ratios of 18:1n-9/18:0 and 16:1/16:0 in lipids were significantly increased, whereas the proportion of 20:4n-6 was unaltered. These effects were found while glycemia was constant or increased. The results are completely opposite those described in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1), in which a depression of all the desaturases is found. They suggest that in eSS rats, the activities of the desaturases were not modified by an insulin-resistance effect. Moreover, we suggest that the enhancement of SCD-1 activity might be considered as another typical sign of the NIDDM syndrome, because it has also been found in other animal models of NIDDM, for example, the ones evoked by the sucrose-rich diet and in the Zucker rat.Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plat
Hepatic Δ9, Δ6, and Δ5 desaturations in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus eSS rats
No full textBoth diabetes mellitus type 1 and diabetes mellitus type 2 are widespread diseases that alter carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. e Stilmann-Salgado (eSS) rats are experimental animals that spontaneously evolve to a state similar to that of young people affected by non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM; type 2). Using 6-mon-old eSS rats that, according to the literature [Martinez, S.M., Tarres, M.C., Montenegro, S., Milo, R., Picena, J.C., Figueroa, N., and Rabasa, S.R. (1988) Spontaneous Diabetes in eSS Rats, Acta Diabetol. Lat. 25, 303-313], had already developed insulin resistance, we investigated the changes evoked on delta9, delta6, and delta5 liver desaturases. The abundance of mRNA and enzymatic activities were measured, as well as the FA composition of liver microsomal lipids. Compared to control rats, the mRNA content and activity of SCD-1 (stearoyl CoA-desaturase, isoform of the delta9 desaturase) were significantly higher, whereas the mRNA and activities of delta6 and delta5 desaturases were not significantly modified. Correspondingly, the proportion of 18:1n-9 and the ratios of 18:1n-9/18:0 and 16:1/16:0 in lipids were significantly increased, whereas the proportion of 20:4n-6 was unaltered. These effects were found while glycemia was constant or increased. The results are completely opposite those described in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1), in which a depression of all the desaturases is found. They suggest that in eSS rats, the activities of the desaturases were not modified by an insulin-resistance effect. Moreover, we suggest that the enhancement of SCD-1 activity might be considered as another typical sign of the NIDDM syndrome, because it has also been found in other animal models of NIDDM, for example, the ones evoked by the sucrose-rich diet and in the Zucker rat.Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plat
Semi-analytical calculations of intrinsic field magnetic field inhomogeneities for a Neutron Spin Echo spectrometer at the ESS
No full textNeutron Spin Echo methods (NSE) use Larmor labelling to measure the precession phase of the neutron beam polarization around well-defined magnetic fields. Scattering by a sample can affect the resulting precession phase providing information on the sample's structure and dynamics with high accuracy and resolution. A major limitation for the performance of Neutron Spin Echo instruments is the homogeneity of the precession magnetic fields. Here we investigate the influence of the new 'pancake' moderator, which is being built at the European Spallation Source, on the design of a Neutron Spin Echo spectrometer. The calculations show clear gains when the height to width ratios of the rectangular beam cross-sections mimic those of the ESS 'pancake' moderator beams. In such a case the homogeneity of the magnetic field integrals could improve by at least 30%. However, the calculations show that will not be possible to preserve a high resolution and at the same time reduce the length of the instrument. Consequently, NSE spectrometers will perform better at the ESS but they will not be substantially compacter than at other neutron sources e.g. ILL or FRM2.RST/Neutron and Positron Methods in Material
Heterogeneity in ess transcriptional organization and variable contribution of the Ess/Type VII protein secretion system to virulence across closely related <em>Staphylocccus aureus </em>strains
No full textThe Type VII protein secretion system, found in Gram-positive bacteria, secretes small proteins, containing a conserved W-x-G amino acid sequence motif, to the growth medium. Staphylococcus aureus has a conserved Type VII secretion system, termed Ess, which is dispensable for laboratory growth but required for virulence. In this study we show that there are unexpected differences in the organization of the ess gene cluster between closely related strains of S. aureus. We further show that in laboratory growth medium different strains of S. aureus secrete the EsxA and EsxC substrate proteins at different growth points, and that the Ess system in strain Newman is inactive under these conditions. Systematic deletion analysis in S. aureus RN6390 is consistent with the EsaA, EsaB, EssA, EssB, EssC and EsxA proteins comprising core components of the secretion machinery in this strain. Finally we demonstrate that the Ess secretion machinery of two S. aureus strains, RN6390 and COL, is important for nasal colonization and virulence in the murine lung pneumonia model. Surprisingly, however, the secretion system plays no role in the virulence of strain SA113 under the same conditions
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