RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: In an advanced nuclear power plant (NPP), the operators are responsible for monitoring a massive number of alarm parameters. OBJECTIVE: To assist the operators, a monitoring-aid system (MAS), that applies four quality control chart methods, was proposed and evaluated. METHODS: Two types of MAS, namely, text and graph marks, were proposed and compared with the original display. To validate the proposed MAS, 17 professional engineers and operators were invited to join an experiment. Two different system states, normal and abnormal, were simulated. The operators were asked to manipulate the system, monitor the critical parameters, search for operational procedures, and deal with other secondary tasks. The primary and secondary task performance and heart rate were measured. After each task was conducted, three subjective rating questionnaires, namely, mental workload, situation awareness, and preference ratings, were implemented for the proposed MAS and the original system. RESULTS: With the assistance of the MAS, the alarm detection rate, secondary task performance, and subjective mental workload demonstrate significant improvements. The proposed MAS helps the operators monitor critical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the MAS should be considered for implementation with the control panel to increase the safety of NPPs. Furthermore, the MAS could reduce the mental workload might decrease the health hazard of the operators.
Asunto(s)
Presentación de Datos , Plantas de Energía Nuclear , Carga de Trabajo/psicología , Adulto , Concienciación , Computadores , Ergonomía , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Humanos , Control de Calidad , Taiwán , Análisis y Desempeño de TareasRESUMEN
Pressure ulcer is a serious problem during patient care processes. The high risk factors in the development of pressure ulcer remain unclear during long surgery. Moreover, past preventive policies are hard to implement in a busy operation room. The objective of this study is to use data mining techniques to construct the prediction model for pressure ulcers. Four data mining techniques, namely, Mahalanobis Taguchi System (MTS), Support Vector Machines (SVMs), decision tree (DT), and logistic regression (LR), are used to select the important attributes from the data to predict the incidence of pressure ulcers. Measurements of sensitivity, specificity, F(1), and g-means were used to compare the performance of four classifiers on the pressure ulcer data set. The results show that data mining techniques obtain good results in predicting the incidence of pressure ulcer. We can conclude that data mining techniques can help identify the important factors and provide a feasible model to predict pressure ulcer development.
Asunto(s)
Minería de Datos , Diagnóstico por Computador , Cuidados Posoperatorios , Úlcera por Presión/diagnóstico , Anciano , Árboles de Decisión , Femenino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Modelos Teóricos , Máquina de Vectores de SoporteRESUMEN
The effect of adding the cells of four lactobacilli to a squid pen powder (SPP)-containing medium on prodigiosin (PG) production by Serratia marcescens TKU011 is examined. The best increase in PG productivity was shown by strain TKU012. Among the samples of strain TKU012 and the chitinous materials of cicada casting powder (CCP), shrimp shell powder (SSP), squid pen powder (SPP), α-chitin, and ß-chitin, TKU012 cells displayed the best adsorption rate (84%) for PG, followed by CCP, SSP, SPP, α-chitin, and ß-chitin. As for the water-soluble food colourants, Allura Red AC (R40) and Tartrazne (Y4), SPP and SSP had better adsorptive powers than pure chitin preparations, strain TKU012, and CCP. Treatment with organic solvents, hot alkali, or proteases (papain, bromelain) diminished the adsorption rates of the biosorbents.
Asunto(s)
Quitina/química , Prodigiosina/química , Serratia marcescens/metabolismo , Adsorción , Animales , Biodegradación Ambiental , Colorantes/química , Colorantes/metabolismo , Crustáceos , Medios de Cultivo/química , Medios de Cultivo/metabolismo , Decapodiformes , Fermentación , Lactobacillus/química , Lactobacillus/metabolismo , Prodigiosina/biosíntesis , Prodigiosina/aislamiento & purificación , Serratia marcescens/químicaRESUMEN
TKU010 was isolated from infant vomited milk and identified as Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei. TKU010 had desirable properties concerning its ability to withstand adverse conditions in the gastrointestinal tract. The hydrolysate of casein enhanced the growth of TKU010 most obviously (17.20-18.25 OD(660)), followed by the hydrolysate of SPP (16.00-15.06 OD(660)). Incubating with SPP, both the culture supernatant of TKU010 on the first day and the fourth day showed inhibitory activities on E. coli BCRC13086, F. oxysporum BCRC32121 and A. fumigatus BCRC30099. TKU010 culture supernatant (1% SPP) incubated for 3 days has high antioxidant activity; the DPPH scavenging ability was 75% per ml. Thus, TKU010 could be preferably used as a starter to produce fermented milk with possibly interesting organoleptic properties. Besides, we have shown that squid pen wastes can be utilized to generate a high value-added product, and have revealed its hidden potential in the production of biocontrol agents and functional foods.
Asunto(s)
Antiinfecciosos/metabolismo , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Decapodiformes , Lactobacillus/metabolismo , Animales , Antiinfecciosos/farmacología , Antifúngicos , Quitina/metabolismo , Medios de Cultivo , Fermentación , Microbiología de Alimentos , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Lactobacillus/clasificación , Lactobacillus/crecimiento & desarrollo , Lactobacillus/aislamiento & purificación , ProbióticosRESUMEN
Sigma54-RNA polymerase (Esigma54) predominantly contacts one face of the DNA helix in the closed promoter complex, and interacts with the upstream enhancer-bound activator via DNA looping. Up to date, the precise face of Esigma54 that contacts the activator to convert the closed complex to an open one remains unclear. By introducing protein-induced DNA bends at precise locations between upstream enhancer sequences and the core promoter of the sigma54-dependent glnAp2 promoter without changing the distance in-between, we observed a strong enhanced or decreased promoter activity, especially on linear DNA templates in vitro. The relative positioning and orientations of Esigma54, DNA bending protein and enhancer-bound activator on linear DNA were determined by in vitro footprinting analysis. Intriguingly, the locations from which the DNA bending protein exerted its optimal stimulatory effects were all found on the opposite face of the DNA helix compared with the DNA bound Esigma54 in the closed complex. Therefore, these results provide evidence that the activator must approach the Esigma54 closed complexes from the unbound face of the promoter DNA helix to catalyse open complex formation. This proposal is further supported by the modelling of activator-promoter DNA-Esigma54 complex.
Asunto(s)
ADN Bacteriano/química , Proteínas de Escherichia coli , Glutamato-Amoníaco Ligasa , Conformación de Ácido Nucleico , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , ARN Polimerasa Sigma 54/metabolismo , Secuencia de Bases , Proteína Receptora de AMP Cíclico , Huella de ADN , Desoxirribonucleasa I/metabolismo , Proteínas de Escherichia coli/genética , Proteínas de Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Regulación Bacteriana de la Expresión Génica , Glutamato-Amoníaco Ligasa/genética , Glutamato-Amoníaco Ligasa/metabolismo , Modelos Moleculares , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Proteínas PII Reguladoras del Nitrógeno/genética , Proteínas PII Reguladoras del Nitrógeno/metabolismo , Conformación Proteica , Receptores de Superficie Celular/genética , Receptores de Superficie Celular/metabolismo , Factores de Transcripción/genética , Factores de Transcripción/metabolismoRESUMEN
Glyphosate has been used globally as a safe herbicide for weed control. It inhibits 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase (AroA), which is a key enzyme in the aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathway in microorganisms and plants. A Pseudomonas putida strain, 4G-1, was isolated from a soil heavily contaminated by glyphosate in China. Its AroA-encoding gene (aroA) has been cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this AroA belongs neither to class I nor to class II AroA enzymes. When compared with E. coli AroA, 4G-1 AroA shows similar values for K(m)[PEP], K(m)[S3P], and specific enzyme activity. Moreover, 4G-1 AroA exhibits high tolerance to glyphosate, which indicates a protein with a high potential for structural and functional studies of AroA in general and its potential usage for the generation of transgenic crops resistant to the herbicide.