Oxidation-abrasion of TiC-based cermets in SiC medium

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of oxidation on abrasive wear behaviour of TiC based cermets at temperatures ranging from 20 to 900 °C. Three types of material performance maps were constructed: oxidation rate maps, wear rate maps and maps showing the effect of oxidation on abrasion. Discussion on the performance of different cermet grades is supported by the SEM images combined with EDS and XRD analysis. The results should facilitate the selection of TiC-based cermets providing optimum composition of cermets for high temperature applications.     

Differential interference contrast x-ray microscopy with twin zone plates

X-ray imaging in differential interference contrast (DIC) with submicrometer optical resolution was performed by using a twin zone plate (TZP) setup generating focal spots closely spaced within the TZP spatial resolution of 160 nm. Optical path differences introduced by the sample are recorded by a CCD camera in a standard full-field imaging and by an aperture photodiode in a standard scanning transmission x-ray microscope. Applying this x-ray DIC technique, we demonstrate for both the full-field imaging and scanning x-ray microscope methods a drastic increase in image contrast (approximately 20x) for a low-absorbing specimen, similar to the Nomarski DIC method for visible-light microscopy.     

Compositional specification of commercial contracts

We present a declarative language for compositional specification of contracts governing the exchange of resources. It extends Eber and Peyton Jones’s declarative language for specifying financial contracts (Jones et al. in The Fun of Programming. 2003) to the exchange of money, goods and services amongst multiple parties and complements McCarthy’s Resources, Events and Agents (REA) accounting model (McCarthy in Account Rev. LVII(3), 554–578, 1982) with a view- independent formal contract model that supports definition of user-defined contracts, automatic monitoring under execution and user-definable analysis of their state before, during and after execution. We provide several realistic examples of commercial contracts and their analyses. A variety of (real) contracts can be expressed in such a fashion as to support their integration, management and analysis in an operational environment that registers events. The language design is driven by both domain considerations and semantic language design methods: a contract denotes a set of traces of events, each of which is an alternative way of concluding the contract successfully, which gives rise to a CSP-style (Brooker et al. in J.ACM 31(3), 560–599, 1984; Hoare in Communicating Sequential Processes, 1985) denotational semantics. The denotational semantics drives the development of a sound and complete small-step operational semantics, where a partially executed contract is represented as a (full) contract that represents the remaining contractual commitments. This operational semantics is then systematically refined in two stages to an instrumented operational semantics that reflects the bookkeeping practice of identifying the specific contractual commitment a particular event matches at the time the event occurs, as opposed to delaying this matching until the contract is concluded.     

The road to RoboCup 2050

The ultimate goal of the RoboCup initiative is stated as follows: by mid-21st century, a team of fully autonomous humanoid robot soccer players shall win the soccer game, comply with the official rule of the FIFA, against the winner of the most recent World Cup. The authors consider this goal from the perspective of how close we are to it and what has to be done to reach it     

Quantification of haemodynamic response to auditory stimulus in intensive care

Measuring effects of sensory stimuli on haemodynamics could provide information about the interplay between central and autonomous nervous system (ANS). However, ANS response to sensory stimulus has received little attention. In this paper we present a signal processing scheme to extract the responses of heart rate and systemic arterial pressure on auditory stimulus in intensive care patients (N=5). In short, the effect of mechanical ventilation is rejected by optimal linear modelling. Other disturbances are attenuated by filtering and efficient rejection of outlying sweeps of data. The results show identifiable responses on three out of five cases. The response characteristics may be explained by synchronisation of spontaneous variability in systemic arterial pressure to auditory stimulus.     

Anagrelide in control of myeloproliferative thrombocythemia: long-term experiences in 6 patients

Symptomatic or asymptomatic chronic elevation of platelet count can be observed in all forms of myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). Benefits and limitations of the traditional platelet-reducing agents, such as radioactive phosphorus, alkylating agents, hydroxyurea and interferon alpha, are well known and have been largely described. Anagrelide (Agrelin) is an additional newer drug with a selective platelet-lowering effect. We describe our own long-term experience in 6 patients with MPD who were treated with anagrelide as part of a compassionate-use protocol between April 1991 and August 1997. The median duration of therapy was 54 months (range 17 to 75 months), with an overall response rate of 100% (complete and partial response for at least 4 weeks). The initial median platelet count of 1211 x 10(9)/l (range 847 to 2050 x 10(9)/l) was reduced rapidly and lastingly to 570 x 10(9)/l (range 216 to 667 x 10(9)/l) at the time of the last control. Under treatment with anagrelide 4 of the 6 patients showed a reduction of disease-associated symptoms or complications. Adverse reactions were generally mild and transitory, and no interruption or cessation of therapy was required. Development of drug resistance or late adverse events were not observed. Treatment with anagrelide is effective, safe and in our opinion easy to administer. It also appears to be suitable for long-term administration.