Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-19T18:20:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Richardson Gomes Lima da Silva.pdf: 690722 bytes, checksum: b0750021c9acc18f05844256e1a0df38 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-11-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In Maranhao, studies on the atmospheric chemistry are scarce, with only one record for the region of Lagoa do Caco, in First Cross. Although still a developing city, with moderate urban growth and incipient industrialization rate, the implantation of the steel complex in St. Louis - as the Aluminum Industry of Maranhão (ALUMAR) and the pellet plant and production of steel plates (in installation phase) of Companhia Vale do Rio Doce - in the region increases the potential for emission of particles and gases into the atmosphere, which may contribute to altering the characteristics of rain and the ecological balance of sensitive areas like the low lands due geographical location and weather conditions this state. These circumstances underscore the need to verify the potential emissions released by the urban-industrial activity on the island have on the ecosystems of the lowlands. Most of the regions studied in this work (Panaquatira, Cashew and Pine) has the major influence on rainwater ions of marine origin, a situation already expected due to location near the coast. The sampling points located in St. Louis (Panaquatira, Cashew and Coconut) had acid deposition events in 46.57% of samples. However, when considering the value 5.0 as the lower limit of pH for rainwater acidified by natural processes, only 16.44% of the samples showed high acidity, Cashew and Coconut, indicating that the processes of urban-industrial St. Louis would negatively affect the pH of rainfall in these regions. Among the ions, fluoride had its highest concentrations in Cashew and Coconut, possibly due to their location close to Vale do Rio Doce and ALUMAR respectively emitting industries by nature potential of this element to the atmosphere. Although they presented isolated events of acid deposition, and Viana Pinheiro received predominantly deposition events with pH higher than expected (5.6) for natural environments. This may have its origin in the high levels of ammonia found in samples of rain in these regions, probably due to extensive breeding of animals, which release large quantities of this compound into the atmosphere through their droppings. The soils in the low lands showed a great susceptibility to acidity from the calculation of critical load part (CCP). Although not occurring phenomena of acid deposition in these locations, the high levels of ammonia can be harmful to the soil, as ammonium salts, formed from the reaction of NH4 + with acidic compounds in the atmosphere, may release more H + than acid deposition itself. / No Maranhão, estudos sobre a química atmosférica ainda são escassos, com apenas um registro para a região da Lagoa do Caçó, em Primeira Cruz. Apesar de ainda ser uma cidade em desenvolvimento, com moderado crescimento urbano e insipiente taxa de industrialização, a implantação de complexos siderúrgicos em São Luís - como o da Indústria de Alumínio do Maranhão (ALUMAR) e da usina de pelotização e produção de placas de aço (em fase de instalação) da Companhia Vale do Rio Doce - aumenta na região o potencial de emissão de partículas e gases para a atmosfera, que podem contribuir para a alteração das características da chuva e o equilíbrio ecológico de áreas sensíveis como a Baixada Maranhense, devido à localização geográfica desta e às condições meteorológicas do Estado. Estas circunstâncias ressaltam a necessidade de se verificar o potencial que as emissões liberadas pela atividade urbano-industrial da ilha exercem sobre os ecossistemas da Baixada. A maioria das regiões estudadas neste trabalho (Panaquatira, Cajueiro e Pinheiro) teve como influência principal na água da chuva os íons de origem marinha, situação já esperada devido à localização próxima ao litoral. Os pontos de amostragem situados em São Luís (Panaquatira, Cajueiro e Coqueiro) apresentaram eventos de deposição ácida em 46,57% das amostras. Entretanto, ao se considerar o valor 5,0 como limite inferior de pH para águas de chuva acidificadas por processos naturais, apenas 16,44% das amostras apresentaram elevada acidez, em Cajueiro e Coqueiro, indicando que os processos urbano-industriais de São Luís estariam afetando negativamente o pH das chuvas dessas regiões. Dentre os íons, fluoreto teve suas maiores concentrações em Cajueiro e Coqueiro, possivelmente devido às suas localizações próximas da Companhia Vale do Rio Doce e da ALUMAR, respectivamente, indústrias por natureza potenciais emissoras deste elemento para a atmosfera. Embora tenham apresentado eventos isolados de deposição ácida, Pinheiro e Viana receberam, predominantemente, eventos de deposição com pH acima do esperado (5,6) para ambientes naturais. Tal fato pode ter sua origem nos altos teores de amônio encontrados nas amostras de chuva dessas regiões, provavelmente em decorrência da criação extensiva de animais, que liberam grandes quantidades desse composto para a atmosfera através dos seus dejetos. Os solos estudados na Baixada Maranhense mostraram uma grande suscetibilidade à acidez a partir do cálculo da carga crítica parcial (CCP). Ainda que não estejam ocorrendo fenômenos de deposição ácida nesses locais, os altos teores de amônio podem ser prejudiciais ao solo, uma vez que sais de amônio, formados a partir da reação de NH4+ com compostos ácidos na atmosfera, podem liberar mais H+ do que a deposição ácida propriamente dita.

<p>Modern agriculture equipment are more computer based today, and many equipments use a terminal in the tractor where the driver have the opportunity to make adjustments to the equipment. This is the reason why ISO developed a new standard called ISOBUS. It is a communication standard based on CAN specially adapted for griculture equipments. The purpose of the standard is that it should be ossible to equip a tractor with a standard terminal called Virtual Terminal that can be used to control the equipment. The use of the terminal should be independent of the manufacturer of the tractor as well as of the equipment.</p><p>The purpose of this report is to find a solution of how to use CC Systems on-board computer, CCP XS, as a Virtual Terminal. In the report both Hardware and Software requirements have been examined, but mainly the software requirements. Only one suitable software vendor, Vector Informatik, was found after contacts with different software suppliers. It have not been possible to test this package because of the high price for the evaluation license.</p><p>A demonstration solution has also been developed in the project. It consists of a simulator program, that runs on a PC, connected to a CPP XS that executes a Virtual Terminal program. An ISOBUS compatible J1939 protocol stack from Ixxat Automation has been integrated in the Virtual Terminal program. It gives the opportunity to test the protocol stack on a CPP XS. In order to limit the size of the project, not all functions in the ISOBUS standard is implemented in the demonstration solution.</p> / <p>Moderna jordbruksredskap har blivit allt mer datoriserade och många använder sig av en terminal i traktorn där föraren har möjlighet att göra inställningar på redskapet. Därför har en standard för detta tagits fram av ISO kallad ISOBUS. Det är en kommunikationsstandard baserad på CAN speciellt framtagen för jordbruksmaskiner. Syftet med standarden är att en traktor skall kunna vara utrustad med en standardterminal kallad Virtual Terminal som används för att styra redskapen. Denna terminal skall kunna användas till samtliga redskap som kopplas till traktorn oberoende av vem som tillverkar redskapen eller traktorn.</p><p>Syftet med rapporten är att hitta en lösning för hur CC Systems fordonsdator CCP XS kan användas som en Virtual Terminal. I rapporten har dels kraven på hårdvaran undersökts men det största arbetet har lagts på att hitta en lämplig mjukvarulösning. Efter att ha kontaktat olika leverantörer av mjukvara har endast ett lämpligt mjukvarupaket hittats och det levereras av Vector Informatik. Dock har inte detta paket kunnat testas på grund av det höga priset</p><p>på en utvärderingslicens.</p><p>Det har också i projektet tagits fram en demonstrator som består av en simulator för PC som kopplas till en CCP XS som kör en Virtual Terminal mjukvara. I programvaran för Terminalen valdes en ISOBUS kompatibel J1939 protokollstack från Ixxat Automation att användas, för att få möjlighet att provköra den protokollstacken på CCP XS. För att arbetet inte skulle bli för stort har dessa programvaror begränsats till att endast stödja vissa funktioner i ISOBUSstandarden.</p>

Modern agriculture equipment are more computer based today, and many equipments use a terminal in the tractor where the driver have the opportunity to make adjustments to the equipment. This is the reason why ISO developed a new standard called ISOBUS. It is a communication standard based on CAN specially adapted for griculture equipments. The purpose of the standard is that it should be ossible to equip a tractor with a standard terminal called Virtual Terminal that can be used to control the equipment. The use of the terminal should be independent of the manufacturer of the tractor as well as of the equipment. The purpose of this report is to find a solution of how to use CC Systems on-board computer, CCP XS, as a Virtual Terminal. In the report both Hardware and Software requirements have been examined, but mainly the software requirements. Only one suitable software vendor, Vector Informatik, was found after contacts with different software suppliers. It have not been possible to test this package because of the high price for the evaluation license. A demonstration solution has also been developed in the project. It consists of a simulator program, that runs on a PC, connected to a CPP XS that executes a Virtual Terminal program. An ISOBUS compatible J1939 protocol stack from Ixxat Automation has been integrated in the Virtual Terminal program. It gives the opportunity to test the protocol stack on a CPP XS. In order to limit the size of the project, not all functions in the ISOBUS standard is implemented in the demonstration solution. / Moderna jordbruksredskap har blivit allt mer datoriserade och många använder sig av en terminal i traktorn där föraren har möjlighet att göra inställningar på redskapet. Därför har en standard för detta tagits fram av ISO kallad ISOBUS. Det är en kommunikationsstandard baserad på CAN speciellt framtagen för jordbruksmaskiner. Syftet med standarden är att en traktor skall kunna vara utrustad med en standardterminal kallad Virtual Terminal som används för att styra redskapen. Denna terminal skall kunna användas till samtliga redskap som kopplas till traktorn oberoende av vem som tillverkar redskapen eller traktorn. Syftet med rapporten är att hitta en lösning för hur CC Systems fordonsdator CCP XS kan användas som en Virtual Terminal. I rapporten har dels kraven på hårdvaran undersökts men det största arbetet har lagts på att hitta en lämplig mjukvarulösning. Efter att ha kontaktat olika leverantörer av mjukvara har endast ett lämpligt mjukvarupaket hittats och det levereras av Vector Informatik. Dock har inte detta paket kunnat testas på grund av det höga priset på en utvärderingslicens. Det har också i projektet tagits fram en demonstrator som består av en simulator för PC som kopplas till en CCP XS som kör en Virtual Terminal mjukvara. I programvaran för Terminalen valdes en ISOBUS kompatibel J1939 protokollstack från Ixxat Automation att användas, för att få möjlighet att provköra den protokollstacken på CCP XS. För att arbetet inte skulle bli för stort har dessa programvaror begränsats till att endast stödja vissa funktioner i ISOBUSstandarden.

We are getting older and the health care needs to be developed to keep up with the demographical alterations. The proportion of elderly in Sweden above 80 years of age is expected to increase with 50 percent by 2028 and similar developments are also seen in Europe. Healthcare has many challenges and obstacles to expect, thus wants to use e-health as a tool to make healthcare more efficient. In accordance with sustainable development (Global goals 2030) the goal is to free up healthcare resources and enable and empower the caretakers. The purpose of this study has been to contribute with an increased comprehension of the change processes that can be identified in the implementations of the e-health in elderly care, how these processes are executed and the contextual circumstances that apply in the elderly care. To further understand these processes of change, the study uses a theoretical frame of reference comprised of Andrew Pettigrew's theory of process change and Roger Everett's Diffusion Theory. The study results in the following conclusions: 1) The introduction of e-health is crucial for future healthcare and elderly care.  2) E-health means better patient safety.  3) the demographic development with an older population structure is an important motivating factor for the development of e-health.  4) The public sector currently lacks the competence and expertise to successfully develop e-health.  5) Covid-19 is an important catalyst for accelerating the development of e-health.  6) Normal characteristics of digital tools are a decentralized process due to autonomy in the municipalities.  7) Due to misallocation, the municipalities are dependent on regions for the development of e-health.  E-health and digitalization are, in addition to efficiency aspects, important for delivering a good and preventive care that provides the opportunity for increased transparency and ownership of one’s own care situation. This study applies a qualitative methodology whereas semi-structured interviews have been conducted with four informants. By analyzing collected empirical data from eHälsomyndigheten, Teknikmarknad and ImagineCare AB. The study conclude that e-health is a complex phenomenon, with subprocesses and contextual circumstances, within the elderly care whereas various stakeholder´s interests meet and impacts the possibilities for development. / Vi blir äldre så sjukvård och äldreomsorg behöver utvecklas för att möta demografiska förändringar. Andelen äldre över 80 år i Sverige beräknas öka med 50 procent till år 2028. En liknande utveckling ses i Europa där äldreomsorgen står inför många utmaningar och hinder. E-hälsa är ett av flera tänkbara verktyg för att göra omsorgen effektivare. Enligt hållbarhetens dimensioner (globala mål 2030) är målet att frigöra resurser, skapa jämlikhet och delaktighet, där omsorgstagaren får större insyn och ägandeskap i sin omsorgsprocess. E-hälsa är ett nytt fenomen och studien identifierar implementeringsprocessens problem och de möjligheter som digitaliseringen skapar. Förändringsfaktorerna för utveckling av e-hälsa visas och analyseras. Studiens syfte är att öka förståelsen kring de förändringsprocesser som införandet av e-hälsa inom äldreomsorgen innebär, hur processerna går till och rådande kontextuella förhållanden.   För att förstå dessa förändringsprocesser tillämpas Pettigrews teori om förändringsprocesser samt Rogers diffusionsteori i den teoretiska referensramen. Studien ger följande slutsatser:   1) Införandet av e-hälsa är avgörande för den framtida sjukvården och äldreomsorgen. 2) E-hälsa innebär förbättrad patientsäkerhet. 3) Den demografiska utvecklingen med en äldre befolkningsstruktur är en viktig motivationsfaktor till e-hälsans utveckling. 4) Den offentliga sektorn saknar kompetens och expertis för att på egen hand utveckla e-hälsan framgångsrikt. 5) Covid-19 är en viktig katalysator för att påskynda e-hälsans utveckling. 6) Normala kännetecken för e-hälsans digitala verktyg är decentraliserade processer på grund av självstyre i kommunerna. 7) På grund av suboptimal resursallokering är kommunerna beroende av regioner för utveckling av e-hälsa. E-hälsa och digitalisering är viktiga för effektiviteten samt för att kunna leverera en god och förebyggande vård som möjliggör ökad insyn och ägandeskap för den egna vårdsituationen. I studien används en kvalitativ metod där semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med fyra informanter. Insamlad empiri från eHälsomyndigheten, Teknikmarknad och ImagineCare AB analyseras utifrån den teoretiska referensramen varvid en bättre förståelse fås för hur komplex e-hälsa som fenomen är, dess delprocesser och kontextuella förhållanden inom äldreomsorgen där olika intressegruppers mål ställs mot varandra och påverkar utvecklingsmöjligheterna.

Nowadays almost all motorized vehicles use electronic control units (ECUs) to control parts of a vehicle’s function. A good way to understand a vehicle’s behaviour is to analyse logging data containing ECU internal variables. Data must then be transferred from the ECU to a computer in order to study such data. Today, Keyword Protocol (KWP) requests are used to read data from the ECUs at Scania. The method is not suitable if many signals should be logged with a higher transfer rate than the one used today. In this thesis, communication protocols, that allow an ECU to communicate with a computer, are studied. The purpose of this master’s thesis is to examine how the transfer rate of variables from Scania’s ECUs to a computer can become faster compared to the method used today in order to get a more frequent logging of the variables. The method that was chosen was implemented, evaluated and also compared to the method used today. The busload, total CPU load and CPU load for the frequency used during the experiments, 100 Hz, was also examined and evaluated. The experiments performed show that the method chosen, data acquisition (DAQ) with CAN Calibration Protocol (CCP), increased the transfer rate of the internal ECU variables significantly compared to the method using KWP requests. The results also show that the number of signals have a major impact on the busload for DAQ. The busload is the parameter that limits the number of signals that can be logged. The total CPU load and the CPU load for 100 Hz are not affected significantly compared to when no transmissions are performed. Even though the busload can become high if many variables are used in DAQ, DAQ with CCP is preferable over KWP requests. This is due to the great increase in transfer rate of the ECU internal variables and thus a great increase in the logging frequency. / Nuförtiden används styrenheter (ECUer) för att styra delar av ett fordons funktion i så gott som alla motoriserade fordon. Ett bra sätt att förstå ett fordons beteende är att analysera loggningsdata som innehåller interna styrenhetsvariabler. Data måste då överföras från styrenheten till en dator för att data ska kunna studeras. Idag används Keyword Protocol-förfrågningar (KWP-förfrågningar) för att läsa data från Scanias styrenheter. Metoden är inte lämplig om man vill logga många variabler med en högre överföringshastighet än den som används idag. I detta examensarbete studeras kommunikationsprotokoll som tillåter en styrenhet att kommunicera med en dator. Examensarbetets syfte är undersöka hur överföringshastigheten av variablerna, från Scanias styrenheter till en dator, kan ökas jämfört med den metod som används idag för att få en mer frekvent loggning av variablerna. Metoden som valdes implementerades, utvärderades och jämfördes med metoden som används idag. Busslasten, totala CPU-lasten och CPU-lasten för den frekvens som användes under experimenten 100 Hz har också undersökts och evaluerats. De utförda experimenten visar att den valda metoden, data acquisition (DAQ) med CAN Calibration Protocol (CCP), ökade överföringshastigheten av de interna styrenhetsvariablerna betydligt jämfört med metoden KWP-förfrågningar. Experimenten visar också att antalet signaler har stor inverkan på busslasten för DAQ. Busslasten är den parameter som begränsar antalet signaler som kan loggas. Den totala CPU-lasten och CPU-lasten för 100 Hz påverkas inte betydligt jämfört med när inga överföringar görs. DAQ med CCP är att föredra framför KWP-förfrågningar även om busslasten blir hög för DAQ då den stora ökningen i överföringshastighet av de interna styrenhetsvariablerna medför en mer frekvent loggning av variablerna.

Financial markets have a major role in economic development. An area of the financial industry is securities trading consisting of several stages such as pre-trade, trade execution and post-trade processing. This study has focused on the post-trade stage of securities trading with a particular focus on central securities depositories (CSD). Blockchain technology has been a hot topic amongst experts of the financial industry with discussions on a potential to disrupt parts of the industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate if blockchain technology is a relevant choice of technology, to cope with problems in the post-trade industry that need to be addressed. The study has investigated whether challenges in the post-trade can be addressed with the help of blockchain technology by identifying the existing challenges, the capabilities and drawbacks of blockchain technology and finally detecting any obstacles for the potential development of this technology in the post-trade industry. The conducted research was performed through a qualitative research study, a literature review and data collection through primary and secondary sources using an inductive and abductive combination of approaches. The main findings in this report suggest that blockchain can potentially be applied in many different areas of the post-trade industry but is particularly suited to some areas in CSDs and potentially provides new opportunities such as better technology to cope with reconciliation challenges and provide an alternative to archive data, increasing audit possibilities and transparency. Nevertheless, the report also suggests that those problems could be solved with other technologies as well. Blockchain technology also has the potential of removing some intermediaries in the post-trade industry like clearing houses, however several barriers to such a development have been identified related to legal and political aspects. The study identified that blockchain technology in its basic form is not a relevant technology to use in stock exchanges due to its inability to meet the specific requirements of an exchange. The application of smart contracts in blockchain technology opens up possibilities to handle the problem of human errors and presents a solution automating certain financial processes. The theoretical contributions of the study are suggestions on improvements to frameworks used in the report. / Finansiella marknader spelar en betydande roll i ekonomisk utveckling. En del av finansbranschen är värdepappershandel, som består av flera faser såsom pre-trade, trade execution och post-trade-processer. Denna studie har fokuserat på post-tradesteget inom värdepappershandel med särskilt fokus på centrala värdepappersdepåer (CSD). Blockchain-teknologi har varit ett hett ämne bland experter inom finansbranschen med diskussioner om dess potential att vara disruptiv för delar av branschen. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om blockchain-teknologi är ett relevant val för att hantera problem inom post-trade-industrin. Studien har undersökt om utmaningarna inom post-trade kan hanteras med hjälp av blockchain-teknologi genom att identifiera befintliga utmaningar, förmågorna och begränsningarna hos blockchain-teknologi samt slutligen upptäcka eventuella hinder för den potentiella utvecklingen av denna teknologi inom post-trade industrin. Den genomförda forskningen utfördes genom en kvalitativ forskningsstudie, en litteraturstudie och datainsamling genom primära och sekundära källor med genom en kombination av induktivt och abduktivt tillvägagångssätt. De främsta resultaten i denna rapport antyder att blockchain potentiellt kan tillämpas inom många olika områden inom post-trade-industrin, men är särskilt lämpad för vissa områden inom CSD och kan möjligtvis erbjuda nya möjligheter såsom en teknologi för att hantera utmaningar med reconciliation och erbjuda ett alternativ för arkivering av data, vilket ökar granskningmöjligheter och transparens. Rapporten antyder dock även att dessa problem också kan lösas med andra teknologier. Blockchain-teknologi har även potential att ta bort vissa mellanhänder inom post-trade, såsom clearinghus, men flera hinder för en sådan utveckling har identifierats i relation till legala och politiska aspekter. Studien identifierade att blockchain-teknologi i sin grundläggande form inte är en relevant teknologi att använda på börsen på grund av dess oförmåga att uppfylla de specifika kraven för en börs. Användningen av smarta kontrakt inom blockchain-teknologi öppnar upp möjligheter att hantera problemet med mänskliga fel och presenterar en lösning genom att automatisera vissa finansiella processer. De teoretiska bidragen från studien är förslag på förbättringar av de ramverk som används i rapporten.

Over the past three decades, economic reforms have brought about dramatic changes in China. The wave of structural and economic reforms regarding the State-owned Sector (SOS), and the surge of the Non-State-owned Sector (NSOS), have influenced returns in the labor market, such as the returns concerning human capital and political capital in urban China. Presumably, the NSOS would be more marketed-oriented compared to the SOS, and it would have different returns concerning political capital, as represented by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) membership. This is likely because the NSOS would not value Party membership as much as the SOS does. The question of how Party membership is rewarded in the two sectors might also change with the development of the two ownership sectors, as more time passes since the establishment of the economic reforms. I examine whether CCP members display any earnings advantage in these two sectors, and I also explore how such an advantage might have changed over time. Unlike most of the previous studies that have focused on earnings in urban China, I treat Party membership affiliation and ownership sector selection as being endogeneous. I apply the Mlogit -OLS two-stage selection correction estimation proposed by Lee (1983) and discover evidence which suggests that Party membership serves as a proxy for both political and productive skills. A flat Party premium in the SOS and a decreasing Party premium in the NSOS suggest that the Party card served a similar function in the payment scheme present in the SOS during this three year span, whereas the NSOS valued political capital by a decreasing amount over time. The evidence presented in my dissertation indicates that economic reforms tend to mitigate the earning advantage of Party members that occurs as a result of unequal treatment based on Party membership. This evidence suggests that CCP membership is losing its earning power, at least in the NSOS. In addition, the CCP members sacrifice the benefits previously possessed in the adaptation to the transformed economic environment in urban China. However, the rewards to other forms of human capital have increased over time.

The research applies the contextual context, content, and process (CCP) framework to explore the contextual and processual factors that are associated with implementing interorganisational collaborative arrangements in the public sector. Collaborative arrangements in the public sector are found to be complex, difficult to implement, and liable to failure when not fully explored and recognised. Background theory reveals the absence of a multilevel lens that can embrace the multifaceted nature of interorganisational collaborations, the multiple contextual levels, the process stages and micro-actions, and the interplay between the process and the context. By identifying the need to explore contextual and processual factors, the background theory informs the focal theory which proposes an extended CCP framework as a useful multilevel lens to elucidate the research problem. The framework is developed and validated through multidisciplinary literature synthesisation, the pilot stage, and the main fieldwork which applies qualitative methods based on multiple case studies from the public sector in Oman as data sources’ techniques. The originality of this study stemming from developing and validating a novel multilevel contextual framework. The emerged multifaceted CCP framework, used to explore contextual and processual factors when implementing collaborative arrangements in the public sector, is found to be an applicable, feasible, and useful analysis tool. It can help public policy-makers, public management, academics, change agents, and collaborating organisations in identifying the inhibitive, supportive prerequisites, and in general influencing contextual factors. It helps also in elucidating and minimising uncertainty about the nature and micro-actions of the processual stages.

The complement system is a major component of innate immunity and an effector of antibody-mediated immune responses. Unlike the other two activation pathways of the complement system, the alternative pathway is permanently switched on. Discrimination by complement between self and foreign is therefore achieved by selective protection of healthy host tissue and cells. This study investigated the alternative pathway regulator factor H (FH), which is crucial for protection of self surfaces from complement. FH engages via its N- and C- terminal ends with activation-specific fragments of C3, C3b and C3d. The middle region of FH has no binding sites for complement components. It presumably ensures that the binding sites at either end of the extended and flexible FH molecule cooperate in recognizing C3b in fluid phase or on self surfaces, but not on foreign targets. This study was aimed at achieving an atomic level understanding of the structure of the middle portion of FH, thereby testing hypotheses as to how it promotes the overall biological efficacy of the intact protein. High-resolution NMR-derived structures of two module pairs FH-10-11 and FH-11-12 were solved and combined with SAXS data to produce a model of FH-10-12. This was combined, in silico, with the previously solved FH-12-13 structure, then the model of FH-10-13 was used to revisit SAXS data for FH-10-15 and FH-8-15. A unique structure emerged, unlike any other encountered previously in the family of complement regulators, in which CCPs 13, 14 and 15 have a highly compacted organization that has repercussions for function. While devoid of binding affinity for host ligands, this central region is a binding site for PspC, a virulence factor of S. pneumoniae. It has been speculated that the bacteria use this interaction to sequester FH in a conformation that resembles the one adopted by FH on self cells and makes it particularly good at regulating complement. Structural and functional investigations of this interaction were performed to establish the molecular basis of the use of FH by this pathogen in order to avoid complement-mediated elimination. It was found that PspC and FH form a near-irreversible complex, while FH-8-15 binds PspC almost as tightly as intact protein. When bound to PspC, FH has a higher affinity for some of its targets, supporting the theory that this bacterial protein stabiles a particularly active conformation of the regulator.

The passage of AB 32 in 2006 initiated the need for city planners in California to consider the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions at the community level in order to develop policies and programs to reduce emissions in the future. Although local jurisdictions are not required to quantify and report emissions at this time, the AB 32 Climate Change Scoping Plan recommended a reduction goal for local governments of 15 percent below today’s levels by 2020 to ensure consistent reduction goals at the state and local levels. ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability initiated the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) campaign in 1993, which provides a framework for local governments to develop a baseline emissions inventory and identify reduction measures as part of a climate action plan. This inventory is developed under the framework of the CCP campaign. A review of the current practice of local greenhouse gas emissions inventories in California identified significant consistencies across jurisdictions in the overall framework of community and municipal emissions inventories– due largely to the framework provided by the CCP campaign. However, data sources used and methods of measurement vary greatly among local inventories, which limit the ability to compare results. This highlights the need for a standard reporting protocol for community inventories. This baseline emissions inventory document provides the technical information necessary for the city to set reduction goals and facilitates the development of the climate action plan outlining policies and programs that when implemented would reach those goals.