[en] In this report, the field of variable-star research is reviewed. The sections include the most important work and identify the most significant trends. This report comprises ten sections on as many different research topics, each written by a different member of Commission 27, namely T Tauri stars; early-type variable stars; Cepheids; Delta Scuti stars; RR Lyrae; variable stars in globular clusters; Mira variables; flare stars; pulsating degenerate stars; theory of stellar pulsation. (Auth.)

No abstract available

[en] A two-compartment model was developed to analyze the temporal changes in plasma triacylglycerol (TG)-specific radioactivity after injection of [2-³H]glycerol into rats. The analysis, which yielded fractional rate constants of TG secretion, was tested in rats fed diets either adequate or deficient in essential fatty acids (EFA) and containing either glucose, fructose or sucrose as the dietary carbohydrate. The method of analysis appeared valid, first, because of a close agreement between experimental and computer-fitted TG-specific radioactivity curves, and second, because the fractional rate constants obtained were quite similar to fractional rate constants determined previously by the Triton WR-1339 technique in rats maintained on identical diets. The results show that EFA deficiency increased the fractional rate constant of TG secretion 1.7-, 1.8- and 3.3-fold and the rate of TG secretion 1.8-, 1.6- and 1.4-fold when the dietary carbohydrate was glucose, sucrose and fructose, respectively, in comparison with control rats fed diets supplying these same carbohydrates but adequate in EFA. In the latter groups, the rates of plasma TG secretion were in the range of 0.14-0.17 mg/min per 100 g body weight, and the rate of secretion in the fructose-fed rats was only 20% higher than in the glucose-fed rats

[en] The authors have reexamined the concept of the irreversible disposal rate (IDR) or fractional catabolic rate (FCR) in relation to the oxidation of a major metabolic fuel, plasma free fatty acids (FFA), in mice. The authors measured the disappearance of intravenously injected [1-¹⁴C]palmitate complexed to mouse serum albumin from the circulation of normal mice fed ad libitum and fasted ∼4 h before tracer injection. They also measured the appearance of expired ¹⁴CO₂ in the breath. Using multicompartmental analyses (SAAM) they found that, in contrast to earlier studies in this and other mammals were the estimated IDR has always been two to three times greater than the oxidative rate, the IDR (FCR) corresponded closely to the fractional rate of plasma FFA oxidation to CO₂. This rate could be estimated accurately in a study of 10- to 15-min duration. In an extended study (5-h duration) they obtained kinetic evidence of a major transport pathway that involves delayed recycling of FFA through at least several unidentified relatively slowly turning compartments

[en] Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an improtant opportunistic pathogen that can cause infection in immunocompromised patient. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major surface antigen of P. aeruginosa, is immunogenic and elieits protective antibodies in animals. The O-polysaccharids (O-PS) from international Antigenic typing Scheme (IATS) 10, the antigenic determinant of LPS, was coupled to recombinant exoprotein A (rPA) through adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH) mediated by carbodiimide condensation reaction. Mice were immunized with the conjugate emulsifield with monophosphoryl lipid A-trehalose dicorynomycolate (MPL-T) and freund's adjuvants. The conjiugate emulsified with MPL-T adjuvant elicited the highest level of IgG and IgM followed by freuns's adjuvant. IgG titers using both MPL-T and freund's adjuvants were recorded to be higher than IgM titers after the second post of the immunization. Immunization of mice with the prepared conjugates emulsified with MPL-T and freund's adjvaided provide high level of protection (100%) against ten times the LD50 of homologous strain of P. aeruginsoa. the elicited high IgG level and the in vivo protection test results provided good evidences for the possible protection of the conjugate aginst subsequent infection with the pathogen. These findings will enable us to use it as protective vaccine candidate (authors).

[en] Full text: The mandible is one of the most important and frequently used bones in the human body. It is responsible for basic actions such as mastication, communication and swallowing. It houses and provides protection for the tongue, teeth and salivary glands. The mandible is unique in that it has two anatomically identical articulations, each providing the same function. Both articulations, however, rarely have synchronous force and motion characteristics. The mandible is the only moveable bone in the skull and is capable of the following motions: depression - lowering the mandible, as in yawning, elevation - raising the mandible, protraction - thrusting the jaw forward, retraction - withdrawing the jaw posteriorly, and lateral deviation - sideways displacement in the transverse plane. The mandible is an irregular bone comprising a broad U shaped body with two ascending rami. The rami are quadrilateral plate like structures with lateral sides which are nearly flat. The mandible is subjected to repetitive loading and is susceptible to wear at its articulations, cyclic fatigue and dislocation. Despite the importance of the mandible little is understood about its mechanical properties and loading parameters. The purpose of this study was to create a three dimensional geometric model of a human mandible based on anatomical data. A 21 year old male with no history of mandible fracture or temporomandibular joint dysfunction was selected. The mandible was non-invasively imaged by Computed Tomography (CT). The subject was imaged lying on his back with the head supported and immobilised by a U shaped head rest. Seventeen parallel cross-sectional images oblique to the transverse plane were constructed. Cortical and cancellous bone boundaries were manually digitised for every image using a Science Accessories Corporation GP-9 digitiser linked to an IBM 286 SX personal computer. The data was transferred to a global coordinate system and entered into MSC/PATRAN finite element package. The geometry of the mandible was constructed by using the digitised data to define two dimensional surfaces representing each imaged cross-section. The three dimensional mandible geometry was formed by connecting adjacent surfaces. An anatomically accurate three dimensional model of the mandible was produced. Comparison with previous studies showed improvement in the anatomical accuracy of certain features. The mandibular condyles, coronoid and alveolar processes and mental protuberance being particularly well defined

[en] Optimising use of the Web (WWW) for LHC data analysis is a complex problem and illustrates the challenges arising from the integration of and computation across massive amounts of information distributed worldwide. Finding the right piece of information can, at times, be extremely time-consuming, if not impossible. So-called Grids have been proposed to facilitate LHC computing and many groups have embarked on studies of data replication, data migration and networking philosophies. Other aspects such as the role of 'middleware' for Grids are emerging as requiring research. The authors position the need for appropriate middleware that enables users to resolve physics queries across massive data sets. It identifies the role of meta-data for query resolution and the importance of Information Grids for high-energy physics analysis rather than just Computational or Data Grids. The authors identify software that is being implemented at CERN to enable the querying of very large collaborating HEP data-sets, initially being employed for the construction of CMS detectors

[en] A critical review of variable stars is presented. A fairly complete summary of major developments and discoveries during the period 1973-1975 is given. The broad developments and new trends are outlined. Essential problems for future research are identified. (B.R.H. )

[en] CRISTAL is a distributed scientific workflow system used in the manufacturing and production phases of HEP experiment construction at CERN. The CRISTAL project has studied the use of a description driven approach, using meta-modelling techniques, to manage the evolving needs of a large physics community. Interest from such diverse communities as bio-informatics and manufacturing has motivated the CRISTAL team to re-engineer the system to customize functionality according to end user requirements but maximize software reuse in the process. The next generation CRISTAL vision is to build a generic component architecture from which a complete software product line can be generated according to the particular needs of the target enterprise. This paper discusses the issues of adopting a component product line based approach and our experiences of software reuse

[en] Component software and distributed object architectures are receiving considerable attention at the moment. With HEP experiments increasing in size and complexity shouldn't the physics community look to adopt this technology? But what is component software, what are the potential benefits and disadvantages? Can quality components be bought off the shelf? Which components models are best? Is the technology mature enough? Perhaps physicists should be actively involved in the standards making process to produce common facility components for HEP experiments and accelerators? This panel session aims to answer some of these questions and provide feedback of experiences gained in using this technology. (orig.)