Solar material protection factor (SMPF) and solar skin protection factor (SSPF) for window panes and other glass structures in buildings

The two quantities solar material protection factor (SMPF) and solar skin protection factor (SSPF) are introduced in order to measure and calculate the capability of glass to protect indoor materials and human skin from degradation caused by the solar radiation. Comparison of the SMPF and SSPF values for different glass fabrications enables one to select the most appropriate glass material for the specific buildings. Numerical examples are shown with measurements and calculations carried out on various glass materials, including two electrochromic window (ECW) devices, and several two- and three-layer window pane combinations. Visibility levels at various protection degrees are also given.     

Release and characterization of single side chains of white cabbage pectin and their complement‐fixing activity

A mixture of single side chains from white cabbage pectin were obtained by anion exchange chromatography after applying mild chemical conditions promoting β‐elimination. These pectin fragments were characterized by their molecular weight distribution, sugar composition, ¹³C‐NMR, and MALDI‐TOF‐MS analysis. These analyses revealed that the large oligosaccharides released by β‐eliminative treatment were composed of α‐1,5 linked arabinosyl residues with 2‐ and 3‐linked α‐arabinosyl side chains, and, or β‐1,4 linked galactosyl side chains. Fractions were tested for complement‐fixing activity in order to determine their interaction with the complement system. These results strongly indicated that there was a minimal unit size responsible for the complement‐fixing activity. Neutral pectin fragments (?8 kDa) obtained from β‐elimination were inactive in the complement system, although they contained a sugar composition previously shown to be highly active. Larger pectin fragments (?17 kDa) retained some activity, but much lower than polymers containing rhamnogalacturonan type 1 (RGI) structures isolated from the same source. This implied that structural elements containing multiple side chains is necessary for efficient complement‐fixing activity.     

Implementation of a GIS-based management tool for conservation of biodiversity within the municipality of Oslo, Norway

Tools to effectively apply biological information in daily physical planning cases are viewed as essential in order to preserve and manage natural habitats in highly pressured urban areas. This paper describes a GIS-based management tool for conservation and management of biodiversity and the process of implementation in the capital of Oslo, Norway. The main objective of this multi-agency effort is to ensure a sustainable and responsible management of the biodiversity within the municipality. A political decision on the state level encourages all municipalities to survey and classify their biological diversity according to a scale of importance within 2003. Furthermore the results from the survey were encouraged to be implemented in the daily physical planning at a local level. The assignment called for structured, classified and accessible information about the biological resources of the municipality. The electronic tool presented makes it possible to combine biological information with any other information that is relevant for a planning issue. We believe the GIS-based management tool has a strong potential to be transferred to other municipalities in Norway as well as to other countries with organised environmental management systems at both local, regional and national levels.     

Identification of safety and security critical systems and activities

There are many initiatives taken to identify safety and security critical systems and activities, at different levels and in different contexts, ranging from infrastructures at the societal level to equipment on the production plant level. Different approaches are implemented to define the critical systems and activities. Some of these relate to vulnerabilities, others incorporate the probability dimension and are risk based. We also see approaches taking into account values of the decision-maker and relevant stakeholders. In this paper, we discuss the rationale for these approaches. Is vulnerability an adequate measure to be used as a basis for determining criticality? Is it meaningful to specify safety and security critical systems and activities without addressing risk? How should we take into account the limitations of the risk assessments? Should we extend the concept of criticality to also cover utility aspects? We bring new insights into the discussion by being precise on the key risk concepts—including uncertainty, probability and expected value—and considering alternative risk perspectives. A novel approach is suggested based on expected values and uncertainties in underlying phenomena and processes. Our main concern is activities with potential severe consequences and large uncertainties.     

A unified framework for risk and vulnerability analysis covering both safety and security

Recently, we have seen several attempts to establish adequate risk and vulnerability analyses tools and related management frameworks dealing not only with accidental events but also security problems. These attempts have been based on different analysis approaches and using alternative building blocks. In this paper, we discuss some of these and show how a unified framework for such analyses and management tasks can be developed. The framework is based on the use of probability as a measure of uncertainty, as seen through the eyes of the assessor, and define risk as the combination of possible consequences and related uncertainties. Risk and vulnerability characterizations are introduced incorporating ideas both from vulnerability analyses literature as well as from the risk classification scheme introduced by Renn and Klinke.     

Butylated hydroxyanisole inhibits tumor necrosis factor-induced cytotoxicity and arachidonic acid release

The mechanisms by which the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) inhibits recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha (rTNF-α)-induced cytotoxicity have been studied in WEHI 164 clone 13 (WEHI) and L929 fibrosarcoma cells. When BHA was added simultaneously with rTNF-α, it completely inhibited rTNF-α cytotoxicity in the WEHI and L929 cells. BHA also inhibited the toxicity when added 2 h after rTNF-α in WEHI cells, suggesting that BHA inhibits some late intracellular event(s) in rTNF-α cytotoxicity. Pretreating WEHI cells with BHA for 4 h did not decrease the binding of rTNF-α to its receptors as measured using flow cytometry. BHA inhibited rTNF-α toxicity in the presence of actinomycin D and cycloheximide, indicating that neither mRNA nor protein synthesis is necessary for the BHA effect. The antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and indomethacin did not inhibit the rTNF-α-induced cytotoxicity nor the rTNF-α-induced release of [³H]arachidonic acid. By comparison, BHA completely inhibited the rTNF-α-induced release of arachidonic acid, suggesting that BHA somehow inhibits rTNF-α-induced activation of phospholipase(s). In WEHI cells, rTNF-α increased the level of protein-associated thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) dose-dependently. BHA, but not BHT, blocked rTNF-α-induced cytotoxicity and rTNF-α-induced accumulation of protein-associated TBARS, suggesting that rTNF-α cytotoxicity is correlated with protein-associated TBARS. In conclusion, the results suggest that BHA blocks some post receptor event in rTNF-α-induced cytotoxicity, and that activation of phospholipase(s) coupled with the enzymatic formation of specific oxidized lipids could be a pivotal event in rTNF-α-induced cytotoxicity.     

Whose uncertainty assessments (probability distributions) does a risk assessment report: the analysts' or the experts'?

It is often said that the aim of risk assessment is to faithfully represent and report the knowledge of some defined experts in the field studied. The analysts' job is to elicit this knowledge, synthesise it and report the results as integrated uncertainty assessments, for example, expressed through a set of probability distributions. Analysts' judgements beyond these tasks should not be incorporated in the uncertainty assessments (distributions). The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the rationale of this perspective. To conduct a risk assessment in practice the analysts need to make a number of judgements related to, for example, the choice of methods and models that to a large extent influence the results. And often the analysts are the real experts on many of the issues addressed in the assessments, in particular, when it comes to understanding how various phenomena and processes interact. Would it then not be more appropriate to fully acknowledge the role of the analysts as uncertainty assessors and probability assigners, and see the results of the risk assessments as their judgements based on input from the experts? The discussion is illustrated by two examples.     

Influence of controlled lactic fermentation on growth and sporulation of Bacillus cereus in milk

The growth and sporulation of Bacillus cereus NVH 45 in a fermentor with controlled pH or simulated pH conditions were investigated. The study was carried out in a fermentor to measure the influence of a rapid and a slow lactic acid production on the inhibition of B. cereus in a controlled environment during the initial part of fermentation and to observe if other factors than lactic acid influenced the inhibition. In the controlled pH experiments the pH was allowed to decrease to an end pH 5.0, 5.5 or 6.0 either by Lactobacillus casei 2756 (a fast acid producer) or Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFB 1748 (a slow acid producer). In co-cultures of Lb. casei 2756 and B. cereus NVH 45, low numbers (10-70 cfu/ml) of B. cereus NVH 45 were observed at end pH 5.5 (72 h) while at pH 5.0 no viable cells (<10 cfu/ml) were detected (48-72 h). B. cereus NVH 45 did not sporulate in co-culture with Lb. casei 2756. In co-culture with Lb. acidophilus NCFB 1748, B. cereus NVH 45 sporulated and survived as spores. In these co-cultures B. cereus NVH 45 grew to higher maximum counts (>10(7) cfu/ml) than with Lb. casei 2756 (<10(7) cfu/ml). Significantly different amounts of lactic acid were observed between the two co-cultures after 7 and 12 h. A rapid decrease of pH appears to prevent B. cereus from sporulating and it seems that it is enough to just reach pH 5.0 rapidly and keep that pH to achieve the desirable inhibition of B. cereus. In the simulated pH experiments B. cereus NVH 45 was inoculated in the fermentor and the different pH developments from different LAB strains were monitored by addition of lactic acid. These experiments showed the same tendency: a fast pH reduction during the initial hours of fermentation, simulating lactococci, resulted in complete inhibition of B. cereus NVH 45 (<10 cfu/ml). However, when simulating the pH development of the two different Lactobacillus strains, complete inhibition of B. cereus NVH 45 was not seen. In co-cultures competition for nutrients with consequences for cell density appears to be important. Based on these results it seems that B. cereus must reach a certain density to induce sporulation.     

奥斯陆莫藤斯鲁德教堂

该教堂坐落在一个小山脊的顶部,周围是高大的松树林和一些裸露的岩石。从几何学角度来说,这座教堂是现有基地的附加体,除了小心地移除薄薄的土壤层之外,基地不需要进行爆破和挖掘。这种处理方法更易于保持现有的植被和地形,从而增加了人们对建筑另一层面上的体验。     

Grasping devices and methods in automated production processes

In automated production processes grasping devices and methods play a crucial role in the handling of many parts, components and products. This keynote paper starts with a classification of grasping phases, describes how different principles are adopted at different scales in different applications and continues explaining different releasing strategies and principles. Then the paper classifies the numerous sensors used to monitor the effectiveness of grasping (part presence, exchanged force, stick-slip transitions, etc.). Later the grasping and releasing problems in different fields (from mechanical assembly to disassembly, from aerospace to food industry, from textile to logistics) are discussed. Finally, the most recent research is reviewed in order to introduce the new trends in grasping. They provide an outlook on the future of both grippers and robotic hands in automated production processes.