Light-sensitive biosensors based on photoactive marine cultivated strains

Sensor Review ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Habibi ◽  
Maryam Fanaei ◽  
Giti Emtiazi
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
High Speed ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Visible Absorption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electronic Imaging ◽  
Active Layers ◽  
Living Organisms

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to construct imaging pixels using novel bioactive films. Despite the notable progress in electronic imaging devices, these sensors still cannot compete with biological vision counterparts such as the human eye. Light sensitive biolayers and pigments in living organisms show superior performance in terms of low noise operation and speed. Although photoactive biolayers have been used to construct electronic imaging devices, they are usually hard to develop, and the organisms that produce these active layers have low growth rates. Design/methodology/approach – Among 40 pigment producing prokaryotic marine bacteria, four strains which show faster growth rates in the presence of light are screened and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and visible absorption. Subsequently, they are used as active layers in light sensitive sensors. The performance of the obtained cells is eventually evaluated by time domain photoresponse measurements. Findings – It is shown that while the obtained strains have high growth rates and their mass volume reproduction is relatively simple, they provide many interesting characteristics such as high speed and low noise operation when incorporated as photosensitive layers. Originality/value – Because the mass reproduction of the obtained cultures is simple, they are an appropriate choice for use in planner and flexible document imaging devices and DNA microarray sensors.

How to balance interfirm relationships? A case from high-speed railway industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 1785-1799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Zhang ◽  
Xiaopeng Deng ◽  
Bon-Gang Hwang ◽  
Yanliang Niu
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Interfirm Relationships ◽  
High Speed Railway ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Railway Industry ◽  
Interfirm Cooperation ◽  
Relationship Structures ◽  
Interfirm Competition

Purpose Balancing interfirm relationships is important for firms’ long-term superior performance. However, prior studies mainly focus on interfirm competition or interfirm cooperation separately, ignoring the balance of interfirm relationships. To bridge this gap in knowledge, this study aims to develop a framework to evaluate the balance of interfirm competition and interfirm cooperation and propose strategies to optimize a firm’s interfirm relationships. Design/methodology/approach After an in-depth literature review, a framework was developed for evaluating and optimizing the interfirm relationships. Taking the high-speed railway industry as an example, the proposed framework was implemented. Findings The results of the case confirm that the balancing of interfirm relationships can lead to more superior firm performance. Also, rather than mutual suppression, the interfirm competition and interfirm cooperation present a roughly positive relationship. Originality/value This study would contribute to the existing knowledge body by developing a framework for balancing interfirm relationships. Also, this study can aid practitioners in evaluating and optimizing their interfirm relationship structures.

scholarly journals Dynamic Metabolic Rewiring Enables Efficient Acetyl Coenzyme A Assimilation in Paracoccus denitrificans

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Kremer ◽  
Muriel C. F. van Teeseling ◽  
Lennart Schada von Borzyskowski ◽  
Iria Bernhardsgrütter ◽  
Rob J. M. van Spanning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Carbon Metabolism ◽  
Paracoccus Denitrificans ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Central Carbon Metabolism ◽  
High Biomass ◽  
Acetyl Coa ◽  
Acetyl Coenzyme A ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Central Carbon

ABSTRACT During growth, microorganisms have to balance metabolic flux between energy and biosynthesis. One of the key intermediates in central carbon metabolism is acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA), which can be either oxidized in the citric acid cycle or assimilated into biomass through dedicated pathways. Two acetyl-CoA assimilation strategies in bacteria have been described so far, the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway (EMCP) and the glyoxylate cycle (GC). Here, we show that Paracoccus denitrificans uses both strategies for acetyl-CoA assimilation during different growth stages, revealing an unexpected metabolic complexity in the organism’s central carbon metabolism. The EMCP is constitutively expressed on various substrates and leads to high biomass yields on substrates requiring acetyl-CoA assimilation, such as acetate, while the GC is specifically induced on these substrates, enabling high growth rates. Even though each acetyl-CoA assimilation strategy alone confers a distinct growth advantage, P. denitrificans recruits both to adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as a switch from succinate to acetate. Time-resolved single-cell experiments show that during this switch, expression of the EMCP and GC is highly coordinated, indicating fine-tuned genetic programming. The dynamic metabolic rewiring of acetyl-CoA assimilation is an evolutionary innovation by P. denitrificans that allows this organism to respond in a highly flexible manner to changes in the nature and availability of the carbon source to meet the physiological needs of the cell, representing a new phenomenon in central carbon metabolism. IMPORTANCE Central carbon metabolism provides organisms with energy and cellular building blocks during growth and is considered the invariable “operating system” of the cell. Here, we describe a new phenomenon in bacterial central carbon metabolism. In contrast to many other bacteria that employ only one pathway for the conversion of the central metabolite acetyl-CoA, Paracoccus denitrificans possesses two different acetyl-CoA assimilation pathways. These two pathways are dynamically recruited during different stages of growth, which allows P. denitrificans to achieve both high biomass yield and high growth rates under changing environmental conditions. Overall, this dynamic rewiring of central carbon metabolism in P. denitrificans represents a new strategy compared to those of other organisms employing only one acetyl-CoA assimilation pathway.

scholarly journals African pathway to achieve inclusive growth: COMESA case study

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samar H. Albagoury
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Inclusive Growth ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The relationship between economic growth performance and achieving inclusive growth, especially concerning poverty rate, is a subject of continuous argument in economic literature. Although some argue that this relationship is deterministic, i.e. achieving economic growth will definitely reduce poverty and enhance inclusive growth, others believe that the relationship between growth and poverty is conditional, depends mainly on the status of income distribution in this country, i.e. if the growth is combined with a significant improve in distribution then it will reduce poverty. Design/methodology/approach Africa is a clear example of the nexus between economic growth and poverty reduction. Although many African countries manage to achieve relatively high growth rates, hit two digits in some cases, during the last decades, poverty still widely spread in those countries. Of the 30 poorest countries in the world, 24 are African countries. And about 50% of African people still live under the poverty line. Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which could be considered as one of the fastest growing regions in Africa, is not an exception; although the region achieves relatively high growth rates, poverty and inequality are still among the region’s main development challenges. Findings This paper found that the economic growth rate achieved in COMESA countries could not be considered as inclusive growth as it does not combine with adequate enhancement in inclusiveness indicators. And that the structural characteristics of those countries economy and its inelasticity are the main reasons behind this inefficiency. Originality/value In this context, this paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of economic growth achieved in COMESA countries in achieving inclusive growth and to identify the main factors affecting this relationship by using two steps data envelopment analysis. Although this method is originally developed to evaluate the relative economic efficiencies, the main contribution of this paper is the adaptation of data envelopment analysis to evaluate the efficiency of economic growth achieved in COMESA countries in enhancing inclusive growth dimensions such as poverty rate, inequality, unemployment, education, health, and then to identify in its second step the main indicators that could be used to explain the variation in efficiency scores.

Does the sector matter? An analysis of high-growth firms and industry growth rates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannick Dillen ◽  
Pieter Vandekerkhof
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Value Added ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Financial Health ◽  
Industry Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth Firms ◽  
Growth Industry

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the effect of industry growth rates on the characteristics of high-growth firms (HGFs) that are active in a particular industry. By making a distinction between HGFs active in stable and declining industries and HGFs active in growing and high-growing industries, it is analyzed if the main dimensions of firm performance are significantly different for HGFs active in one of these different industry types. Gaining more insight into this industry aspect of high firm growth is important as governmental measures towards HGFs may be more effective if they have a specific sectoral focus.Design/methodology/approachA subset of 740 Belgian HGFs was analyzed. Data were gathered from the Belfirst database. HGFs were classified within their corresponding industry type: a declining industry (negative growth), a stable industry (0 −5% growth), a growing industry (5 −10% growth) and a high-growth industry (>10% growth). Four dimensions of structural firm performance that are expected to correlate with high growth were taken into consideration: productivity (value added per FTE), profitability (ROA), innovativeness (intangible assets) and financial health (solvency and liquidity).Tukey's range tests in conjunction with post-hoc analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were carried out to test for significant differences in all the mentioned variables for the HGFs in the four different industry types.FindingsResults show that HGFs active in a stable industry are not significantly more profitable or innovative than HGFs active in a growth industry. However, significant differences could be encountered when it comes to the other two dimensions of structural firm performance: productivity and financial health. It is shown that HGFs active in declining and stable industries are significantly more productive than HGFs active in growth industries and high-growth industries. Also, HGFs active in declining and stable industries have significantly higher liquidity ratios than firms active in growth industries, pointing towards a better financial health for HGFs in nongrowing industries.Research limitations/implicationsThe results confirm the conceptual logic that the differences between resource-based view (RBV) and industrial organization (IO) propositions will have an impact on the drivers of firm performance and high business growth. Every future study that focuses on the growth determinants of HGFs should be aware that considering the subset of HGFs as one homogenous group may be suboptimal. It is likely that the growth determinants of both HGF types will indeed be fundamentally different.Originality/valueUntil now, all studies on HGFs have considered the subset of HGFs as a whole. This paper tried to disentangle the subset based on the growth rate of the industry in which HGFs are mainly active. In this proposition, a reason for the lack of knowledge about characteristics of HGFs may – at least partially – be found in the fact that industry membership plays an important role in determining the characteristics of a high-growth firm. Future studies focusing on high-growth determinants may benefit from systematically taking the industry growth rates into account, with the knowledge that the propositions of two different theories – IO and RBV – may be the fundamental drivers of a firm's high-growth rates.

Hybrid parallel adder for 3X multiple generation in radix-8 booth encoding using fast carry tree structure

Circuit World ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirmaladevi Ramu ◽  
Seshasayanan Ramachandran
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Parallel Implementation ◽  
Critical Path ◽  
Parallel Architecture ◽  
Tree Structure ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Generation

Purpose In most commercial processors, enhancing the speed of multiplication using radix-8 booth encoding is the preferred option. In radix-8 architecture, the 3X(= 2X + X) multiple generation is a major bottleneck. This paper aims to propose a parallel implementation scheme recognizing the symmetry in the carry recurrence equations of 3X multiples. The proposed architecture evaluates the odd (H) and even (K) carry signals separately. As prefix tree structure offers fast carry propagation, the parallel implementation is based on a hybrid style of two popular prefix architectures. Design/methodology/approach The performance of the proposed architecture is evaluated using Cadence TSMC 180 nm library. A comparison of performance parameters with other architectures has been carried out to highlight the architectural advantages of the proposed architecture. Findings A comparison of performance parameters with others shows that the proposed architecture has a reduced critical path and a commensurate improvement in delay for a bit width of 64. It is shown that up to 32 bits, this parallel architecture has a superior performance and would be the appropriate choice for Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) implementation. It has also been suggested that higher-order bit widths could be implemented using a modular arrangement. Originality/value This paper proposes a new parallel architecture for hard multiple (3X) generation in Radix-8 Booth encoding. As the multiplication is the key operation in digital signal processors, this type of high-speed architectures gains importance in the future processor design. Defence applications such as target finding and multiple target recognitions and image processing applications necessitate this type of high-speed multipliers. Also, it is appropriate for the ASIC implementation. The authors would like to mention that this paper is not yet published anywhere, and it is the research paper of Dr R. Nirmaladevi.

scholarly journals Growth Rate-Dependent Control in Enterococcus faecalis: Effects on the Transcriptome and Proteome, and Strong Regulation of Lactate Dehydrogenase

2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Mehmeti ◽  
Ellen M. Faergestad ◽  
Martijn Bekker ◽  
Lars Snipen ◽  
Ingolf F. Nes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Lactate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Posttranscriptional Regulation ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Regulation Of Expression ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rate Dependent

ABSTRACTEnterococcus faecalisV583 was grown in a glucose-limited chemostat at three different growth rates (0.05, 0.15, and 0.4 h−1). The fermentation pattern changed with growth rate, from a mostly homolactic profile at a high growth rate to a fermentation dominated by formate, acetate, and ethanol production at a low growth rate. A number of amino acids were consumed at the lower growth rates but not by fast-growing cells. The change in metabolic profile was caused mainly by decreased flux through lactate dehydrogenase. The transcription ofldh-1, encoding the principal lactate dehydrogenase, showed very strong growth rate dependence and differed by three orders of magnitude between the highest and the lowest growth rates. Despite the increase inldh-1 transcript, the content of the Ldh-1 protein was the same under all conditions. Using microarrays and quantitative PCR, the levels of 227 gene transcripts were found to be affected by the growth rate, and 56 differentially expressed proteins were found by proteomic analyses. Few genes or proteins showed a growth rate-dependent increase or decrease in expression across the whole range of conditions, and many showed a maximum or minimum at the middle growth rate (i.e., 0.15 h−1). For many gene products, a discrepancy between transcriptomic and proteomic data were seen, indicating posttranscriptional regulation of expression.

Fast 4H-SiC Epitaxial Growth on 150 mm Diameter Area with High-Speed Wafer Rotation

2014 ◽  
Vol 778-780 ◽  
pp. 117-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Fujibayashi ◽  
Masahiko Ito ◽  
Hideki Ito ◽  
Isaho Kamata ◽  
Masami Naitou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Epitaxial Growth ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Smooth Surface ◽  
Doping Concentration ◽  
Defect Density ◽  
High Growth ◽  
High Growth Rate ◽  
Step Bunching

A single wafer type 150 mm vertical 4H-SiC epitaxial reactor with high-speed wafer rotation was developed. The rotation of the wafer at high speed significantly enhances the growth rate, and high growth rates of 40–50 μm/h are possible on 4°off-cut 4H-SiC substrates. In addition, a low defect density and smooth surface without macro step bunching can be achieved. Excellent uniformity of thickness and doping concentration was obtained for a 150 mm wafer at a high growth rate of 50 μm/h.

Peru's economic growth will be sub-par in 2015

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Presidential Elections ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Good News ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reserve Requirements ◽  
Mining Projects ◽  
The Government ◽  
External Sector

Subject Obstacles to a rapid return to high growth rates. Significance Peru's central bank took steps in the first quarter to boost the economy by relaxing reserve requirements -- growth having fallen below 2.4% in 2014, from 5.8% the previous year. Slowing domestic demand paralleled the declining dynamism of the external sector. The government predicts a recovery in 2015, but much will depend on whether proposed mining projects come on stream. Impacts Depressed growth rates will provide a negative backdrop to next year's presidential elections. Foreign exchange reserves are still plentiful, and Peru can afford to see these fall in the short-to-medium term. Investors may become increasingly wary of the 'good news' pitch projected by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Multi-physics analysis of a novel circular pantograph catenary system for high-speed trains

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Xiao ◽  
Yuanpei Luo ◽  
Jingchi Wu ◽  
Can Zhang ◽  
Yang Rao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Electrochemical Corrosion ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Continuous Contact ◽  
High Speed Trains ◽  
Catenary System ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Physics Model

Purpose In high-speed trains, the energy is supplied from a high voltage catenary to the vehicle via a pantograph catenary system (PCS). Carbon pantograph strips must maintain continuous contact with the wire to ensure safety and reliability. The contact is often confined to a particular spot, resulting in excessive wear due to mechanical and thermal damage, exacerbated by the presence of an electric arc and associated electrochemical corrosion. The effectiveness and reliability of the PCS impacts on the performance and safety of HSTs, especially under high-speed conditions. To alleviate some of these adverse effects, this paper aims to propose a configuration where a circular PCS replaces the currently used pantograph strips. Design/methodology/approach Two dynamic multi-physics models of a traditional PCS with a carbon strip and a novel PCS with a circular pantograph strip catenary system are established, and the electrical and mechanical characteristics of these two systems are compared. Moreover, a PCS experimental platform is designed to verify the validity and accuracy of the multi-physics model. Findings A novel circular pantograph system is proposed in this paper to alleviate some of the shortcomings of the traditional PCS. Comparing with a traditional PCS, the circular PCS exhibits superior performance in both electromagnetic and thermal aspects. Originality/value The paper offers a new technical solution to the PCS and develops a dedicated multi-physics model for analysis and performance prediction with the aim to improve the performance of the PCS. The new system offers numerous benefits, such as less friction heat, better heat dispersion and improved catenary-tracking performance.

scholarly journals Computational optical sectioning with an incoherent multiscale scattering model for light-field microscopy

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Zhi Lu ◽  
Jiamin Wu ◽  
Xing Lin ◽  
Dong Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Light Field ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Optical Sectioning ◽  
Complete Space ◽  
Entire Volume ◽  
Scattering Model ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Living Organisms

AbstractQuantitative volumetric fluorescence imaging at high speed across a long term is vital to understand various cellular and subcellular behaviors in living organisms. Light-field microscopy provides a compact computational solution by imaging the entire volume in a tomographic way, while facing severe degradation in scattering tissue or densely-labelled samples. To address this problem, we propose an incoherent multiscale scattering model in a complete space for quantitative 3D reconstruction in complicated environments, which is called computational optical sectioning. Without the requirement of any hardware modifications, our method can be generally applied to different light-field schemes with reduction in background fluorescence, reconstruction artifacts, and computational costs, facilitating more practical applications of LFM in a broad community. We validate the superior performance by imaging various biological dynamics in Drosophila embryos, zebrafish larvae, and mice.

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