On Jacobi-type methods for blind equalization of paraunitary channels

In this paper a study of the cumulant-based blind equalization algorithms PAJOD and PAFA is conducted. Both algorithms assume that the data have been pre-whitened and hence the problem reduces to the estimation of paraunitary channels. The main contribution of this paper is an efficient implementation of the PAJOD algorithm called PAJOD2. Second, a performance comparison between the PAJOD, PAJOD2 and PAFA algorithms is reported.     

Molecular characterization of Arcobacter isolates collected in a poultry slaughterhouse

In a poultry slaughterhouse, Arcobacter contamination was examined over a period of 1 week to establish possible routes of contamination. Samples were collected from the slaughter equipment and from processing water before the onset of slaughter and from the first broiler flock slaughtered on each sampling day. Characterization of 1,079 isolates by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction and a random amplified polymorphic DNA assay resulted in the delineation of 159 Arcobacter butzleri and 139 Arcobacter cryaerophilus types. From almost all 140 neck skin samples collected before and after evisceration, A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus were isolated simultaneously at contamination levels ranging from 10(1) to 10(4) CFU/g. Only six A. butzleri types present in the slaughterhouse environment were also present on the broiler carcasses. None of the A. cryaerophilus genotypes were detected in both the neck skin and the environmental samples. All A. butzleri types isolated from the feather samples were also isolated from broiler neck skin samples. The slaughter equipment was contaminated with arcobacters before the onset of slaughter, but it appeared unlikely that contamination through the slaughter equipment alone explained the high contamination levels on poultry products. Arcobacters were also present in processing water, but types present in water and poultry products were different. Characterization of the Arcobacter isolates did not clarify the routes of transmission, probably because of the extreme heterogeneity among Arcobacter isolates. However, the results obtained in this study brought to light insufficient decontamination at the processing plant involved in the study and confirmed the survival capacity of certain A. butzleri strains.     

贝卡尔特公司的专利产品SiroLock~——一种能有效握持纤维的工作辊及道夫用新型针布

贝卡尔特公司推出一种在非织造和传统纺纱长纤罗拉梳理机上道夫和工作辊用的新型针布SiroLock。这种高效针布的独特设计使纤维的握持和转移控制达到了一个全新的水平,从而大大提高了纤网的质量及梳理机的产能。     

Characterization of Escherichia coli from raw poultry in Belgium and impact on the detection of Campylobacter jejuni using Bolton broth

A comparative study examining Bolton broth and Preston broth for enrichment and reliable detection of Campylobacter jejuni (both healthy and freeze stressed cells) was performed. Tested as pure cultures, Bolton broth enabled faster resuscitation and growth of C. jejuni compared to Preston broth. When C. jejuni was co-incubated with extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli isolated from Belgian poultry meat preparations, the latter dominated in the Bolton enrichment broth and crowded the mCCDA plates. This resulted in the inability to recover C. jejuni by ISO 10272-1:2006 standard method. Preston broth did not support the growth of the ESBL E. coli isolates, but showed longer detection time of C. jejuni compared to Bolton broth. The use of the same antibiotic (sodium cefoperazone) in Bolton broth and in mCCDA plates may explain the problems encountered for detection of C. jejuni, as high numbers of ESBL E. coli present after enrichment in Bolton broth, also caused overgrowth and masked the few C. jejuni colonies present on the mCCDA plates. The use of Campylobacter spp. specific real-time PCR circumvented these problems and enabled rapid detection of the pathogen after 24 h enrichment in both Bolton and Preston broth, for both healthy and freeze stressed cells.     

Content and context for mobile television: Integrating trial,expert and user findings

Mobile television brings together two contemporary social developments: enhanced end-user mobility and new forms of access to media content. DVB-H trial activities worldwide reveal the industry’s belief in broadcast mobile television as ‘the next big thing’. To date however, these trials are mostly technology-driven and tend to overlook the user. As the past has innumerably proven, end-user acceptance and success of new media innovations are highly dependent on content, as the end-user can be considered as rather technology-agnostic. Evidently, content – suited to the consumer’s demands – is assumed to be a main key factor for the success of mobile television.     

Middleware benchmarking: approaches,results, experiences

The report summarizes the results of the Workshop on Middleware Benchmarking held during OOPSLA 2003. The goal of the workshop was to help advance the current practice of gathering performance characteristics of middleware implementations through benchmarking. The participants of the workshop have focused on identifying requirements of and obstacles to middleware benchmarking and forming a position on the related issues. Selected requirements and obstacles are presented, together with guidelines to adhere to when benchmarking, open issues of current practice, and perspectives on further research. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.