Automated Protein Quantification with the Biomek-FX Liquid Handler System v2

This protocol details steps to perform the protein quantification (Lowry-based) assay by using a Biomek FX liquid handler system. It is optimized to assay a full 96-well plate of protein samples in duplicate with a separate (control) plate for BSA standards. You will need a plate reader to measure the samples and standards. This protocol works best as part of a full proteomic sample preparation workflow with: Automated Chloroform-Methanol Protein Extraction on the Biomek-FX Liquid Handler System and Automated Protein Normalization and Tryptic Digestion on a Biomek-FX Liquid Handler System

The Source–Filter Theory of Speech

In the source-filter theory, the mechanism of speech production is described as a two-stage process: (a) The air flow coming from the lungs induces tissue vibrations of the vocal folds (i.e., two small muscular folds located in the larynx) and generates the “source” sound. Turbulent airflows are also created at the glottis or at the vocal tract to generate noisy sound sources. (b) Spectral structures of these source sounds are shaped by the vocal tract “filter.” Through the filtering process, frequency components corresponding to the vocal tract resonances are amplified, while the other frequency components are diminished. The source sound mainly characterizes the vocal pitch (i.e., fundamental frequency), while the filter forms the timbre. The source-filter theory provides a very accurate description of normal speech production and has been applied successfully to speech analysis, synthesis, and processing. Separate control of the source (phonation) and the filter (articulation) is advantageous for acoustic communications, especially for human language, which requires expression of various phonemes realized by a flexible maneuver of the vocal tract configuration. Based on this idea, the articulatory phonetics focuses on the positions of the vocal organs to describe the produced speech sounds. The source-filter theory elucidates the mechanism of “resonance tuning,” that is, a specialized way of singing. To increase efficiency of the vocalization, soprano singers adjust the vocal tract filter to tune one of the resonances to the vocal pitch. Consequently, the main source sound is strongly amplified to produce a loud voice, which is well perceived in a large concert hall over the orchestra. It should be noted that the source–filter theory is based upon the assumption that the source and the filter are independent from each other. Under certain conditions, the source and the filter interact with each other. The source sound is influenced by the vocal tract geometry and by the acoustic feedback from the vocal tract. Such source–filter interaction induces various voice instabilities, for example, sudden pitch jump, subharmonics, resonance, quenching, and chaos.

Nadzór nad lecznictwem uzdrowiskowym ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem czynności kontrolno-nadzorczych nad zakładami lecznictwa uzdrowiskowego

Spa treatment, which constitutes an integral part of health care, is an organized activity consisting in providing health care services in the field of spa treatment or spa rehabilitation carried out in a spa by spa treatment facilities. In order to ensure the proper and efficient operation of this form of treatment in specially adapted facilities that are medical entities, this treatment is subject to professional supervision. Supervision over health resort treatment entails the control and evaluation of health resort treatment carried out in health resort treatment establishments. This issue is regulated primarily in the Act of 28 July 2005 on spa treatment, health resorts and health resort protection areas and in health resort communes, as well as in the Act of 15 April 2011 on medical activity. The study contains an analysis and evaluation of the legal regulations concerning the supervision of spa treatment. It discusses the basic terms related to spa issues and presents some concepts of control and supervision in terms of the doctrine. Spa supervision is characterized by specific regulations and the degree of complexity. This applies to individual issues that allow the reconstruction of the essence of supervision. These are the supervisory authorities, subject of supervision, the supervised entities, criteria and scope of supervision exercised and legal means of supervision. The authorities supervising the health resort treatment include the Minister of Health, the Voivode, the Minister of National Defense and the Minister of the Interior. In this article, in the analysis of the scope of his competences and control and supervisory powers great attention is paid to the Minister of Health as the central body of government administration in the field of matters belonging to the department of health administration managed by him. Due to the specific nature of supervision of this treatment carried out in the voivodeship, the legal position of the chief physician of the health resort, with whose help the voivode exercises this supervision, was analyzed. Since spa treatment is carried out in spa facilities in a health resort, the study contains the problem of separate control procedurescarried out in this area, within which special attention is paid to internal, management and ad hoc control.

Advances in friction stir welding by separate control of shoulder and probe

Friction stir welding (FSW) has developed into a reliable and increasing used industrial joining technology. Various tool configurations can be used for FSW, each of which has advantages and challenges. State-of-the-art FSW employs various tool configurations, including the conventional, the stationary shoulder, and the dual-rotational configuration which is characterized by separate control of shoulder and probe. In this study, an innovative method to combine various tool configurations was developed by a novel FSW spindle stack construction. With an additional servomotor, existing FSW systems can be extended by separate control of shoulder and probe so that varying rotational speeds and rotational directions can be set. This allows enhanced possibilities (a) to adjust frictional heat generation and (b) to apply several tool configurations. The main advantages of this enhanced type of FSW are demonstrated in three ways: increased weld penetration depth, reduction of undesirable machine vibrations, and the combination of varying tool configurations such as stationary shoulder and conventional FSW. The investigations were carried out with 2-mm EN AA 5754 H22 sheets and performed on a robotized FSW setup.

Separation of presynaptic Cav2 and Cav1 channel function in synaptic vesicle exo- and endocytosis by the membrane anchored Ca2+ pump PMCA

Synaptic vesicle (SV) release, recycling, and plastic changes of release probability co-occur side by side within nerve terminals and rely on local Ca2+ signals with different temporal and spatial profiles. The mechanisms that guarantee separate regulation of these vital presynaptic functions during action potential (AP)–triggered presynaptic Ca2+ entry remain unclear. Combining Drosophila genetics with electrophysiology and imaging reveals the localization of two different voltage-gated calcium channels at the presynaptic terminals of glutamatergic neuromuscular synapses (the Drosophila Cav2 homolog, Dmca1A or cacophony, and the Cav1 homolog, Dmca1D) but with spatial and functional separation. Cav2 within active zones is required for AP-triggered neurotransmitter release. By contrast, Cav1 localizes predominantly around active zones and contributes substantially to AP-evoked Ca2+ influx but has a small impact on release. Instead, L-type calcium currents through Cav1 fine-tune short-term plasticity and facilitate SV recycling. Separate control of SV exo- and endocytosis by AP-triggered presynaptic Ca2+ influx through different channels demands efficient measures to protect the neurotransmitter release machinery against Cav1-mediated Ca2+ influx. We show that the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA) resides in between active zones and isolates Cav2-triggered release from Cav1-mediated dynamic regulation of recycling and short-term plasticity, two processes which Cav2 may also contribute to. As L-type Cav1 channels also localize next to PQ-type Cav2 channels within axon terminals of some central mammalian synapses, we propose that Cav2, Cav1, and PMCA act as a conserved functional triad that enables separate control of SV release and recycling rates in presynaptic terminals.

Compact Wavelength Selective Crossbar Switch with Cascaded First Order Micro-Ring Resonators

We demonstrate a compact 4x4 wavelength selective switch with 50 % fewer electrical pads as compared with our previous generation. We report loss and crosstalk for different paths of the switch. We measure median loss of 5.32 dB and worst case crosstalk of -35 dB. The microring resonators tune by more than one free spectral range, which is an improvement over our previous generation of switches. This switch can support 8 channels at 400 GHz spacing. We conclude that it is not possible to drive both microring resonators with the same voltage and separate control is required because of fabrication variation of the current technology.

A Novel Control Method and Mathematical Model for Intelligent Robot

Hamiltonian method based on action micro-control is widely used in the control of mechanical arm synchronous motor. In order to realize the combination of robot dynamics and drive motor control, Hamiltonian control method is used in this paper to exploit a novel controller for robot, which can be used for better steady-state characteristics in the system. However, dynamic response of port-controlled Hamiltonian (PCH) of control system is slower, so the related control method is exploited and coordinated with the proportional-derivative (PD) plus gravity compensation. At this time, the system has both the fast dynamic response of the PD and the steady state of the PCH. The reverse motor method is used and the two controllers are combined by current conversion to realize the overall control of the robot and the drive motor. The robot drive motor is controlled, and the robot joint position control is combined with the drive motor current control by current conversion. It can be seen from the simulation results that the coordinately controlling the end position of robot can reach the desired position quickly and accurately. Moreover, compared with the separate control of PD plus gravity compensation and PCH control method, it is proved that this scheme has both a fast dynamic process and better performance and ability to resist load torque disturbance. So control method proposed in this paper has a good application prospect

Reducing Implicit Cognitive Biases Through the Performing Arts

The aim of the present research was to test whether involvement in a 14-days training program in the performing arts could reduce implicit biases. We asked healthy participants to complete an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess biased attitudes to physical illness in two separate sessions, before and after the training program. Two separate control groups matched by age, gender and educational level completed the two IAT sessions, separated by same number of days, without being involved in the training program. Results showed that participants who were involved in the training program reduced their implicit bias toward illness measured through IAT in the second session. This reduction in IAT measures was not observed in the control samples, despite the two IAT measures being matched in temporal delay with the experimental group. These findings suggest that an interventional program based on the performing arts could be effective in reducing levels of implicit biases among the general population.

Automated Protein Quantification with the Biomek-FX Liquid Handler System v1

This protocol details steps to perform the protein quantification (Lowry-based) assay by using a Biomek FX liquid handler system. It is optimized to assay a full 96-well plate of protein samples in duplicate with a separate (control) plate for BSA standards. You will need a plate reader to measure the samples and standards. This protocol works best as part of a full proteomic sample preparation workflow with: Automated Chloroform-Methanol Protein Extraction on the Biomek-FX Liquid Handler System and Automated Protein Normalization and Tryptic Digestion on a Biomek-FX Liquid Handler System