Microbial degradation of bitumen

Summary A blown bitumen Mexphalte R 90/40 with a high content of saturated hydrocarbons was degraded by several microorganisms to the same extent. In batch cultures ofSaccharomycopsis lipolytica, maximal biodegradation was estimated to be about 9% w/w, 3.2·10^–3 g/cm² and 3.1·10^–3 cm of degraded bitumen. The Mexphalte R 90/40 degradation rate was closely coupled to biofilm formation. The microbial activity concerned predominantly the oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons. A direct distillation bitumen 80/100 with a low content of saturated hydrocarbons and a high content of aromatic hydrocarbons and resins was more resistant to biodegradation.     

An Ig-A-like substance in the chicken's pineal

Summary Immunohistochemistry revealed an Ig-A-like substance on the luminal surface of the pineal follicles and in the parafollicular layer. This substance was observed around 1 week of age and disappeared by 8 weeks at the time when the transformation of the follicular pattern leads to an adult-type pineal tissue.     

Statecharts for Distributed Product Data Management System Modelling

Product data management (PDM) has been accepted as an important tool for the manufacturing industries. In recent years, more and mor e researches have been conducted in the development of PDM. Their research area s include system design, integration of object-oriented technology, data distri bution, collaborative and distributed manufacturing working environment, secur ity, and web-based integration. However, there are limitations on their rese arches. In particular, they cannot cater for PDM in dis...     

Leaning Towards Agile in 21~(st) Century

Background: During the last fifteen years there ha s been an increased drive for organisations to reduce costs. From a production po int, this has often centred on lean manufacturing and JIT waste elimination proc esses. However, in 1991, the Iaccocca Institute Bethlehem P.A commissioned a re port specifically to analyse the changing nature of the marketplace. As a result , in the following year, the Agile Manufacturing Forum was initiated and the ter m ‘agile or responsive manufacturing‘ was first intr...     

新世纪图书馆员社会角色转换研究综述

就近几年图书馆界关于新世纪馆员意识转换及社会角色转换等方面的研究进行了综述，指出新时期的馆员要实现自我社会角色的转换，首先是要明确转换的必要性，然后采取有效的策略逐步地、系统地推进转换，才能取得较好的效果。     

Aspirin-like drugs may block pain independently of prostaglandin synthesis inhibition

Summary Using flurbiprofen, a chiral anti-inflammatory and analgesic 2-arylpropionic acid derivative, the enantiomers of which are not converted to each other (less than 5%) in rats or man, we obtained evidence that prostaglandin synthesis inhibition is primarily mediating the anti-inflammatory activity but prostaglandin synthesis independent mechanisms contribute to the analgesic effects. Thus, the S-form inhibited prostaglandin synthesis, inflammation and nociception in rats. The R-form had much less effect on prostaglandin synthesis and did not affect inflammation. It did, however, block nociception in rats almost as potently as the S-form. S-flurbiprofen, in contrast to the R-form, was clearly ulcerogenic in the gastrointestinal mucosa. These results indicate additional molecular mechanisms of analgesia and suggest the use of R-arylpropionic acids as analgesics.     

FROM MANUFACTURING SCHEDULING TO SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATION：THE CONTROL OF COMPLEXITY AND UNCERTAINTY

With time-based competition and rapid technology advancements, effective manufacturingscheduling and supply chain coordination are critical to quickly respond to changing marketconditions. These problems, however, are difficult in view of inherent complexity and variousuncertainties involved. Based on a series of results by the authors, decomposition and coordination byusing Lagrangian relaxation is identified in this paper as an effective way to control complexity anduncertainty.A manufacturing scheduling problem is first formulated within the job shop context withuncertain order arrivals, processing times, due dates, and part priorities as a separable optimizationproblem. A solution methodology that combines Lagrangian relaxation, stochastic dynamicprogramming, and heuristics is developed. Method improvements to effectively solve large problemsare also highlighted. To extend manufacturing scheduling within a factory to coordinate autonomicmembers across chains of suppliers, a decentralized supply chai