Estimation of Basins of Attraction for Uncertain Systems with Affine and Lipschitz Dynamics

This paper is devoted to estimation and numerical approximation of basins of attraction for a class of uncertain systems. We consider systems described by a differential equation depending of a disturbance known by its bounds. By using viability theory tools, we derive basins of attraction lower and upper estimates. We present numerical simulation results of the viability kernel algorithm to basin of attraction approximation problems.     

Conjoint analysis to measure the perceived quality in volume rendering

Visualization algorithms can have a large number of parameters, making the space of possible rendering results rather high-dimensional. Only a systematic analysis of the perceived quality can truly reveal the optimal setting for each such parameter. However, an exhaustive search in which all possible parameter permutations are presented to each user within a study group would be infeasible to conduct. Additional complications may result from possible parameter co-dependencies. Here, we will introduce an efficient user study design and analysis strategy that is geared to cope with this problem. The user feedback is fast and easy to obtain and does not require exhaustive parameter testing. To enable such a framework we have modified a preference measuring methodology, conjoint analysis, that originated in psychology and is now also widely used in market research. We demonstrate our framework by a study that measures the perceived quality in volume rendering within the context of large parameter spaces.     

Bicycle messengers: energy expenditure and exposure to air pollution

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of energy expenditure and exposure to air pollution for bicycle messengers. Relationships between heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake, and between HR and pulmonary ventilation (VE) for each participant were established in laboratory tests. Air pollution and HR were measured during one working day. The total oxygen uptake was then described as the total energy expenditure in Joule (J) and in multiples of the energy expenditure at rest (MET). The mean energy expenditure during a working day (8 h) was 12 MJ, (4.8 MET). The level of air pollution exposure when cycling seemed to be comparable with the levels of exposure when sitting inside a vehicle. The VE during cycling was four times higher than resting value. Increased VE led to increased exposure to air pollution.     

Project proposal for the investigation of particle-stabilised emulsions and foams by microgravity experiments

The utilisation of particle-surfactants nanostructures as stabilising agents represents today the technologic and scientific frontier in the stabilisation of liquid films in emulsion and foams. This topic will be addressed by the proposal STEFAN (STabilisation of Emulsions and FoAms by Nanoparticles), proposed by European groups in the framework of the ESA AO-2004 for Life and Physical Sciences and Applied Research projects Similarly to what can be observed for surfactant-stabilised emulsions and foams, microgravity provides ideal conditions for the investigation of the hierarchy of involved objects: interfacial layer, liquid film, dispersed systems foam or emulsion. Microgravity experiments are planned by refurbishing the Experimental Container FASES for the ISS Fluid Science Laboratory and the facility FASTER for the European Drawer Rack, already under development in existing research programmes. Here the scientific guidelines of the project are presented together with examples and preliminary results on the effect of nano-particle-surfactant structures adsorbed at liquid interfaces. First experimental results have been achieved for particle monolayers at the water/air interface and a thermodynamic model was derived to describe the obtained surface pressure-area isotherms.     

Mothers' Affect in the Homework Context: The Importance of Staying Positive.

This research investigated mothers' affect in the context of children's homework. Mothers (N=109) of children 8 to 12 years old were interviewed daily about their affect while interacting with children, their assistance with children's homework, and children's behavior while completing homework. At this time and 6 months later, children's motivational and emotional functioning was assessed. Although mothers' negative affect was lower than their positive affect, it was elevated on days their assistance with homework was high. This was accounted for by mothers' perceptions of children as helpless on days they provided heightened assistance. Mothers' positive affect in the homework context buffered children's motivational and emotional functioning against mothers' negative affect as well as children's helplessness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developing an Automated Enzyme Immunoassay for High-Throughput Screening of Bovine Serum Antibodies to Neospora Caninum

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Neospora caninum antibodies was automated with a robotic workstation, the Beckman Coulter Biomek 2000, to screen 200 bovine sera. Comparing these results with manually run ELISA data, a 95.92% agreement (K = 0.9592) between the two assays was obtained. The automated assay was specific and sensitive with excellent positive and negative predictive values. The results were repeatable and reproducible. The automation flexibility was high and the operation complexity was minimal. High-throughput screening (HTS) for bovine antibodies to Neospora caninum was achieved. The assay was developed according to the internationally recognized ISO17025 standard requirements.     

Feedback passivity of nonlinear discrete-time systems with direct input-output link

This paper is devoted to the study of the feedback passivity property in nonlinear discrete-time systems. The relative degree and zero dynamics of the non-passive system are related to the feedback passivity of the system. Two main results are presented. First, some relative degree-related properties of passive systems in general form are stated. Second, sufficient conditions in order to render a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system passive by means of a static state feedback control law are obtained.     

Immunohistochemistry of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and protein nitration in the striatum of the aged rat

To ascertain the possible implications of the nitric oxide (NO*) producing system in striatal senescence, and by using immunohistochemistry and image-processing approaches, we describe the presence of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemical marker, and nitrotyrosine-derived complexes (N-Tyr) in the striatum of adult and aged rats. The results showed neuronal NOS immunoreactive (nNOS-IR) aspiny medium-sized neurons and nervous fibres in both age groups, with no variation in the percentage of immunoreactive area but a significant decrease in the intensity and in the number of somata with age, which were not related to the observed increase with age of the striatal bundles of the white matter. In addition, NADPH-d activity was detected in neurons with morphology similar to that of the nNOS-IR cells; a decrease in the percentage of area per field and in the number of cells, but an increase in the intensity of staining for the NADPH-d histochemical marker, were detected with age. The number of neuronal NADPH-d somata was higher than for the nNOS-IR ones in both age groups. Moreover, N-Tyr-IR complexes were observed in cells (neurons and glia) and fibres, with a significant increase in the percentage of the area of immunoreaction, related to the increase of white matter, but a decrease in intensity for the aged group. On the other hand, we did not detect the inducible isoform (iNOS) either in adult or in aged rats. Taken together, these results support the contention that NADPH-d staining is not such an unambiguous marker for nNOS, and that increased protein nitration may participate in striatal aging.     

Pharmacogenetics Biomarkers and Their Specific Role in Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Treatments: An Exploratory Study on Rectal Cancer Patients

Background: Pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is still ascribed to a minority of patients. A pathway based-approach could highlight the predictive role of germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The primary aim of this study was to define new predictive biomarkers considering treatment specificities. Secondary aim was to determine new potential predictive biomarkers independent from radiotherapy (RT) dosage and cotreatment with oxaliplatin. Methods: Thirty germ-line SNPs in twenty-one genes were selected according to a pathway-based approach. Genetic analyses were performed on 280 LARC patients who underwent fluoropyrimidine-based CRT. The potential predictive role of these SNPs in determining pathological tumor response was tested in Group 1 (94 patients undergoing also oxaliplatin), Group 2 (73 patients treated with high RT dosage), Group 3 (113 patients treated with standard RT dosage), and in the pooled population (280 patients). Results: Nine new predictive biomarkers were identified in the three groups. The most promising one was rs3136228-MSH6 (p = 0.004) arising from Group 3. In the pooled population, rs1801133-MTHFR showed only a trend (p = 0.073). Conclusion: This exploratory study highlighted new potential predictive biomarkers of neoadjuvant CRT and underlined the importance to strictly define treatment peculiarities in pharmacogenetic analyses.