Nearest neighbour models for local and regional avalanche forecasting

International audienceThis paper presents two avalanche forecasting applications NXD2000 and NXD-REG which were developed at the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Re-search (SLF). Even both are based on the nearest neighbour method they are targeted to different scales. NXD2000 is used to forecast avalanches on a local scale. It is operated by avalanche forecasters responsible for snow safety at snow sport areas, villages or cross country roads. The area covered ranges from 10 km2 up to 100 km2 depending on the climatological homogeneity. It provides the forecaster with ten most similar days to a given situation. The observed avalanches of these days are an indication of the actual avalanche danger. NXD-REG is used operationally by the Swiss avalanche warning service for regional avalanche forecasting. The Nearest Neighbour approach is applied to the data sets of 60 observer stations. The results of each station are then compiled into a map of current and future avalanche hazard. Evaluation of the model by cross-validation has shown that the model can reproduce the official SLF avalanche forecasts in about 52% of the days

Crystal Structure of an Anti-Ang2 CrossFab Demonstrates Complete Structural and Functional Integrity of the Variable Domain.

Bispecific antibodies are considered as a promising class of future biotherapeutic molecules. They comprise binding specificities for two different antigens, which may provide additive or synergistic modes of action. There is a wide variety of design alternatives for such bispecific antibodies, including the "CrossMab" format. CrossMabs contain a domain crossover in one of the antigen-binding (Fab) parts, together with the "knobs-and-holes" approach, to enforce the correct assembly of four different polypeptide chains into an IgG-like bispecific antibody. We determined the crystal structure of a hAng-2-binding Fab in its crossed and uncrossed form and show that CH1-CL-domain crossover does not induce significant perturbations of the structure and has no detectable influence on target binding

Decision making and risk management in adventure sports coaching

Adventure sport coaches practice in environments that are dynamic and high in risk, both perceived and actual. The inherent risks associated with these activities, individuals’ responses and the optimal exploitation of both combine to make the processes of risk management more complex and hazardous than the traditional sports where risk management is focused almost exclusively on minimization. Pivotal to this process is the adventure sports coaches’ ability to make effective judgments regarding levels of risk, potential benefits and possible consequences. The exact nature of this decision making process should form the basis of coaching practice and coach education in this complex and dynamic field. This positional paper examines decision making by the adventure sports coach in these complex, challenging environments and seeks to stimulate debate whilst offering a basis for future research into this topic

Engineering an endocrine Neo-Pancreas by repopulation of a decellularized rat pancreas with islets of Langerhans

Decellularization of pancreata and repopulation of these non-immunogenic matrices with islets and endothelial cells could provide transplantable, endocrine Neo- Pancreata. In this study, rat pancreata were perfusion decellularized and repopulated with intact islets, comparing three perfusion routes (Artery, Portal Vein, Pancreatic Duct). Decellularization effectively removed all cellular components but conserved the pancreas specific extracellular matrix. Digital subtraction angiography of the matrices showed a conserved integrity of the decellularized vascular system but a contrast emersion into the parenchyma via the decellularized pancreatic duct. Islets infused via the pancreatic duct leaked from the ductular system into the peri- ductular decellularized space despite their magnitude. TUNEL staining and Glucose stimulated insulin secretion revealed that islets were viable and functional after the process. We present the first available protocol for perfusion decellularization of rat pancreata via three different perfusion routes. Furthermore, we provide first proof-of-concept for the repopulation of the decellularized rat pancreata with functional islets of Langerhans. The presented technique can serve as a bioengineering platform to generate implantable and functional endocrine Neo-Pancreata

Forward pi^0 Production and Associated Transverse Energy Flow in Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA

Deep-inelastic positron-proton interactions at low values of Bjorken-x down to x \approx 4.10^-5 which give rise to high transverse momentum pi^0 mesons are studied with the H1 experiment at HERA. The inclusive cross section for pi^0 mesons produced at small angles with respect to the proton remnant (the forward region) is presented as a function of the transverse momentum and energy of the pi^0 and of the four-momentum transfer Q^2 and Bjorken-x. Measurements are also presented of the transverse energy flow in events containing a forward pi^0 meson. Hadronic final state calculations based on QCD models implementing different parton evolution schemes are confronted with the data.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures and 3 table

Measurement of Leading Proton and Neutron Production in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

Deep--inelastic scattering events with a leading baryon have been detected by the H1 experiment at HERA using a forward proton spectrometer and a forward neutron calorimeter. Semi--inclusive cross sections have been measured in the kinematic region 2 <= Q^2 <= 50 GeV^2, 6.10^-5 <= x <= 6.10^-3 and baryon p_T <= MeV, for events with a final state proton with energy 580 <= E' <= 740 GeV, or a neutron with energy E' >= 160 GeV. The measurements are used to test production models and factorization hypotheses. A Regge model of leading baryon production which consists of pion, pomeron and secondary reggeon exchanges gives an acceptable description of both semi-inclusive cross sections in the region 0.7 <= E'/E_p <= 0.9, where E_p is the proton beam energy. The leading neutron data are used to estimate for the first time the structure function of the pion at small Bjorken--x.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Eur. Phys.

Performance of Long Ladders for the LHCb Silicon Tracker

The LHCb Silicon Tracker uses detector ladders with readout strips with an effective length of up to 36,cm. Kapton interconnect cables of up to 54,cm in length are employed in between silicon sensors and front-end readout hybrids. Fast front-end readout electronics with a shaping time of around 25,ns are employed to avoid pile-up of events from consecutive LHC bunch crossings. An extensive measurement program as well as simulations have been carried out to study the expected noise performance of these detectors. Presented at the 14th International Workshop on Vertex Detectors, Chuzenji Lake, Nikko, Japan, November 7-11, 2005 Proceedings submitted for publication in Nucl. Instr. and Meth.

Motivation von Menschen mit Behinderung für die Teilnahme an einem Chorprojekt. Eine Analyse auf Grundlage der Selbstbestimmungstheorie

Die Soziale Arbeit kann sich verschiedener Medien für die Umsetzung ihrer Ziele bedienen, so kunst- und musikpädagogischer Gestaltungsformen. Diese können auch in der Arbeit mit Menschen mit Behinderung genutzt werden. Dabei ist es notwendig zu verstehen, welche Funktionen Musik in der Sozialen Arbeit hat, wie sie integriert werden kann und welche Motivationsfaktoren für Menschen mit Behinderung dabei eine Rolle spielen. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, die Motivation von Menschen mit Behinderung für die Teilnahme an einem Chorprojekt herauszufinden und die Funktionen dessen aus der Sicht einer Sozialarbeiterin zu beleuchten. Dazu wurden die folgenden Forschungsfragen formuliert: Wozu dienen musikpädagogische Projekte in der Arbeit mit Menschen mit Behinderung? Von welcher Motivation für ihre Teilnahme am Projekt berichten beeinträchtigte Menschen? Welche Funktion hat das Projekt aus der Sicht einer Betreuerin? Um die Forschungsfragen zu beantworten, wurde eine qualitative Interviewstudie zu einem durchgeführten Chorprojekt in einer Werkstätte der Lebenshilfe Salzburg durchgeführt. In einem halbstrukturierten Leitfadeninterview wurden die Teilnehmenden und eine Betreuerin zu dem Projekt befragt und die Motivation auf Grundlage der Selbstbestimmungstheorie von Deci und Ryan erforscht. Die Antworten der Interviews zeigen, dass die Teilnehmenden Freude an dem Chorprojekt hatten und die meisten bei einem weiteren Angebot erneut teilnehmen würden. Auch die Sozialarbeiterin war positiv gestimmt und berichtete von den verschiedenen Ebenen, auf welchen das Projekt Veränderungen bewirkt hat. Das Autonomie- und Kompetenzerleben wurde durch das Chorprojekt gestärkt. Die soziale Eingebundenheit war sowohl in dem Gruppenerlebnis des Chores gegeben, wie auch durch die Teilhabe in der Gesellschaft. Es konnten neue Kontakte zu ehrenamtlichen Helfern geknüpft werden und der Auftritt bewirkte eine soziale Eingebundenheit.Social work can make use of various media to realise its objectives such as forms of art and music education. These can also be used be used in work with people with disabilities. Here it is necessary to understand what functions music has in social work, how it can be integrated and which motivational factors play a role for people with disabilities. The aim of this study is to analyse the motivation of people with disabilities for participating in a choir project and to analyse its functions from the from the perspective of a social worker. To this end, the following research questions were formulated: What is the purpose of music education projects in working with people with disabilities? What motivation for their participation in the people with disabilities report for their participation in the project? What is the function of the project from the from a carer's perspective? In order to answer the research questions, a qualitative interview study was conducted a choir project carried out in a Lebenshilfe Salzburg workshop. In a semi-structured guided interview, the participants and a participants and a counsellor were asked about the project and their motivation based on on the basis of Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory. The responses from the interviews show that the participants enjoyed the choir project the choir project and that most of them would take part again if another would participate again. The social worker was also in a positive mood and reported on the various the various levels on which the project has brought about change. The experience of autonomy and competence was strengthened by the choir project. The social was given both in the group experience of the choir, as well as through participation in society. New contacts were made with volunteer helpers new contacts with volunteers and the performance created a sense of social inclusion

Component Interactions and Electron Transfer in Toluene/o-Xylene Monooxygenase

The multicomponent protein toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) activates molecular oxygen to oxidize aromatic hydrocarbons. Prior to dioxygen activation, two electrons are injected into each of two diiron(III) units of the hydroxylase, a process that involves three redox active proteins: the ToMO hydroxylase (ToMOH), Rieske protein (ToMOC), and an NADH oxidoreductase (ToMOF). In addition to these three proteins, a small regulatory protein is essential for catalysis (ToMOD). Through steady state and pre-steady state kinetics studies, we show that ToMOD attenuates electron transfer from ToMOC to ToMOH in a concentration-dependent manner. At substoichiometric concentrations, ToMOD increases the rate of turnover, which we interpret to be a consequence of opening a pathway for oxygen transport to the catalytic diiron center in ToMOH. Excess ToMOD inhibits steady state catalysis in a manner that depends on ToMOC concentration. Through rapid kinetic assays, we demonstrate that ToMOD attenuates formation of the ToMOC–ToMOH complex. These data, coupled with protein docking studies, support a competitive model in which ToMOD and ToMOC compete for the same binding site on the hydroxylase. These results are discussed in the context of other studies of additional proteins in the superfamily of bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases.National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (5-R01-GM032134)United States. National Institutes of Health (T32GM008334