BioScript: programming safe chemistry on laboratories-on-a-chip

This paper introduces BioScript, a domain-specific language (DSL) for programmable biochemistry which executes on emerging microfluidic platforms. The goal of this research is to provide a simple, intuitive, and type-safe DSL that is accessible to life science practitioners. The novel feature of the language is its syntax, which aims to optimize human readability; the technical contributions of the paper include the BioScript type system and relevant portions of its compiler. The type system ensures that certain types of errors, specific to biochemistry, do not occur, including the interaction of chemicals that may be unsafe. The compiler includes novel optimizations that place biochemical operations to execute concurrently on a spatial 2D array platform on the granularity of a control flow graph, as opposed to individual basic blocks. Results are obtained using both a cycle-accurate microfluidic simulator and a software interface to a real-world platform

XVIII International Coal Preparation Congress

Changes in economic and market conditions of mineral raw materials in recent years have greatly increased demands on the ef fi ciency of mining production. This is certainly true of the coal industry. World coal consumption is growing faster than other types of fuel and in the past year it exceeded 7.6 billion tons. Coal extraction and processing technology are continuously evolving, becoming more economical and environmentally friendly. “ Clean coal ” technology is becoming increasingly popular. Coal chemistry, production of new materials and pharmacology are now added to the traditional use areas — power industry and metallurgy. The leading role in the development of new areas of coal use belongs to preparation technology and advanced coal processing. Hi-tech modern technology and the increasing interna- tional demand for its effectiveness and ef fi ciency put completely new goals for the University. Our main task is to develop a new generation of workforce capacity and research in line with global trends in the development of science and technology to address critical industry issues. Today Russia, like the rest of the world faces rapid and profound changes affecting all spheres of life. The de fi ning feature of modern era has been a rapid development of high technology, intellectual capital being its main asset and resource. The dynamics of scienti fi c and technological development requires acti- vation of University research activities. The University must be a generator of ideas to meet the needs of the economy and national development. Due to the high intellectual potential, University expert mission becomes more and more called for and is capable of providing professional assessment and building science-based predictions in various fi elds. Coal industry, as well as the whole fuel and energy sector of the global economy is growing fast. Global multinational energy companies are less likely to be under state in fl uence and will soon become the main mechanism for the rapid spread of technologies based on new knowledge. Mineral resources will have an even greater impact on the stability of the economies of many countries. Current progress in the technology of coal-based gas synthesis is not just a change in the traditional energy markets, but the emergence of new products of direct consumption, obtained from coal, such as synthetic fuels, chemicals and agrochemical products. All this requires a revision of the value of coal in the modern world economy

The fate of colors in the 20th - 21st centuries: preserving the organic colorants in plastic artifacts

Objectos modernos e contemporâneos feitos de plástico são amplamente encontrados no património cultural. Presentemente, a sua preservação levanta questões críticas aos conservadores e cientistas uma vez que estes objectos podem facilmente sofrer degradação num curto espaço de tempo. Um dos fenómenos que pode alterar significativamente a aparência de objectos em plástico é a alteração de cor (descoloração). De um modo geral, a descoloração é habitualmente associada à degradação dos polímeros, contudo, os pigmentos, que são parte integrante das formulações do plástico, também podem desvanecer devido à exposição à luz. A identificação de objetos de plástico com pigmentos sensíveis à luz é um exercício bastante exigente devido à sensibilidade dos mesmos a alterações na cor. A caracterização dos corantes nos plásticos é normalmente realizada através de amostragem, métodos de extração e testagem destrutiva. Como alternativa, esta tese apresenta uma abordagem inovadora e multi- analítica baseada em espectroscopias que foi desenvolvida para a identificação in situ dos pigmentos em plásticos históricos. Esta metodologia compreendeu a utilização de microscopia ótica (MO), microespectrometria por fluorescência de raios X dispersiva de energias (μ-EDXRF), espectroscopia UV-Vis-NIR de reflectância, fotoluminescência (PL) e micro-espectroscopia de Raman (μ-Raman) na análise de obras de arte, objetos industriais e de uso diário, datados de 1950-2000s e pertencentes a coleções Portuguesas. Deste estudo resultou a identificação dos pigmentos comumente presentes na paleta de cor dos coloristas da indústria dos plásticos portuguesa: óxido de ferro (PR 101, α-Fe2O3), molibdato de cromato de chumbo (PR 104, Pb(Cr,Mo,S)O4), vermelho de cádmio (PR 108, Cd(S,Se); PR 113, (Cd,Hg)S), amarelo de cádmio (PY 37, CdS; PY 35; (Cd,Zn)S), branco de titânio (PW 6, TiO2 ambos rutilo e anátase), oxicloreto de bismuto (PW 14, BiOCl) e lacas do pigmento orgânico β-naftol (PR 48, PR 49, PR 53). Adicionalmente, foi também identificado um pigmento fora do comum, o pigmento perlascente plumbonacrite Pb5(CO3)3O(OH)2. Para todos os casos de estudo, μ-Raman foi a ferramenta chave para a caracterização dos pigmentos nos objetos de plástico, aportando dados conclusivos para a identificação dos mesmos. A impressão digital vibracional dos pigmentos orgânicos e inorgânicos foi adquirida com sucesso recorrendo à focagem do laser na superfície das partículas. A aquisição de dados espectrais de pigmentos com concentrações muito baixas (0.1 % a 5%, aproximadamente) à escala micro foi possível através de microscopia confocal, que faz parte do sistema do equipamento de μ-Raman. Adicionalmente, foi também possível obter informação sobre o polímero base (principalmente termoplásticos) e cargas. Os métodos analíticos desenvolvidos neste estudo deverão, em trabalhos futuros, facilitar a obtenção de informação complementar sobre estes objetos de plástico e permitir uma melhor identificação e avaliação do seu estado de conservação. Esta tese foca particularmente objectos de plástico vermelhos visto que estes foram identificados como os mais severamente afetados por alterações de cor. O estado avançado de desvanecimento identificado no pigmento β-naftol PR 53 mostrou a sua fraca estabilidade à luz em formulações de plástico. Esta situação, junto com as alterações de cor descritas em literatura para o pigmento PR 48 em objetos de plástico, sugere uma sensibilidade dos pigmentos vermelhos da família dos β-naftol ao desvanecimento. O PR 53 e os pigmentos vermelhos da família dos β-naftóis são pigmentos históricos facilmente encontrados em objetos do património cultural. No entanto, o conhecimento acerca da sua estabilidade a longo prazo e resistência à foto-degradação é limitado, especialmente para os casos onde os mesmos se encontram em polímeros, sendo que este conhecimento é essencial para a sua preservação. Neste estudo, a quantificação da foto-estabilidade para uma série de pigmentos vermelhos da família dos β-naftol foi realizada pela primeira vez, através do cálculo do rendimento quântico de fotodegradação (ΦR). Os valores obtidos variaram entre 3x10-6 e 4x10-5, indicativo de uma estabilidade relativamente boa à luz por parte das moléculas. Tendo em consideração que a estabilidade dos pigmentos não se limita exclusivamente ao pigmento em si, mas também à sua interação com o meio envolvente, foram realizados ensaios de envelhecimento por exposição à luz (λ>300 nm) do pigmento em solução, em pó e incorporado em polímeros de modo a avaliar o papel do meio na estabilidade à luz dos pigmentos e as vias pelas quais estes se degradam. Verificou-se que o ligante tem um impacto significativo na estabilidade do pigmento uma vez que se foi detetada uma maior sensibilidade à luz dos pigmentos PR 48 e PR 53 quando incorporados nos plásticos, comparativamente ao ensaio do pigmento em pó. Este novo conhecimento irá contribuir para o desenvolvimento de novas estratégias na conservação dos plásticos com estes pigmentos vermelhos fotossensíveis através da previsão do desvanecimento. Espectrometrias de massa (MS) por cromatografia em fase líquida e gasosa foram utilizadas na caracterização dos principais subprodutos da degradação. Observou-se uma fotodegradação significativa e a formação de compostos ftálicos e ftalatos nos pigmentos em solução e em pó.Modern and contemporary objects made of plastics are widely found in cultural heritage. Today, their preser- vation poses critical issues to conservators and scientists, as they can suffer from extensive degradation in a short time period. Color change (discoloration) is one of the alteration phenomena that can significantly affect their appearance. Discoloration is commonly associated with the degradation of polymers. However, pigments within plastics can also fade due to exposure to light. The identification of objects that contain light-sensitive pigments is demanding because of the sensitivity of plastics to color change. Normally sampling, extraction methods and destructive testing are required for the characterization of colorants in plastics. In this work, an innovative multi-analytical spectroscopic approach for the in situ identification of pigments in historical plastics was developed. Optical microscopy (MO), micro-energy dispersive X-ray fluo- rescence (μ-EDXRF), UV-Vis-NIR reflectance, photoluminescence (PL) and Raman microscopy (μ-Raman), were used for the analysis of artworks, industrial and daily objects dated from 1950s-2000s from Portuguese collections. A common colorists’ palette within the Portuguese plastics industry was identified: iron oxide (PR 101, α-Fe2O3), lead chromate molybdate (PR 104, Pb(Cr,Mo,S)O4), cadmium red (PR 108, Cd(S,Se); PR 113, (Cd,Hg)S) and cadmium yellow (PY 37, CdS; PY 35; (Cd,Zn)S) pigments, titanium whites (PW 6, TiO2 both rutile and anatase), bismuth oxychloride (PW 14, BiOCl) and organic β-naphthol lakes (PR 48, PR 49, PR 53). An exceptional pigment found was the pearlescent plumbonacrite pigment Pb5(CO3)3O(OH)2. In all the case studies, μ-Raman was the key analytical tool for pigment characterization in the plastic objects, providing conclusive data for their identification. The vibrational fingerprint of both inorganic and organic pigments was successfully recorded by focusing the laser beam on particle surfaces. The confocal microscopy system used in μ-Raman enabled the collection of spectral data from low concentrations of pigments (ap- proximately 0.1%-5%) on the micro-scale. In addition to pigments, information on the base polymer (mainly thermoplastics) and fillers was obtained. The analytical methods developed will facilitate the acquisition of complementary data from plastics allowing material identification and condition assessment in the future. This thesis focused on red pigmented plastic artifacts, as they were found to be severely faded among the studied objects. The identification of β-naphthol pigment lake PR 53 as a faded pigment highlighted its poor fastness in plastics, that together with the color change of PR 48 in plastic objects, reported in literature, suggests the particular susceptibility of β-naphthol red lakes to fading. PR 53, and the other β-naphthol reds, are historical pigments widely found in cultural heritage. However, little is known about their photodegradation and stability, especially when they are found in polymer media, and this knowledge is essential for their long- term preservation. For the first time, photodegradation quantum yields (ΦR) were calculated for a series of red pigments based on β-naphthol in order to quantify their photo-stability. ΦR values ranging from 3x10-6 to 4x10-5 were obtained, indicating relatively light-stable molecules. Bearing in mind that pigment fastness is not only related to the pigment itself, but also to its interaction with the confined environment, light-aging experiments (λ>300 nm) were conducted in solution, on powders, and in polymers to assess the role of the medium on the lightfastness of the pigments and their degradation pathways. A significant impact of the binder on their stability was found. Indeed, a higher sensitivity to light of PR 48 and PR 53 pigments, when incorporated in plastics than in powder, was observed. This new knowledge will contribute to the prediction of plastic fading and inform effective preventive conservation strategies for objects containing light- sensitive β-naphthol red pigments. Liquid- and gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (MS) were used for the characterization of the main degradation products. Extensive photodegradation was observed with the formation of phthalic compounds and phthalates in both solution and powder phases

Sibling partnerships in South African small and medium-sized family businesses

Given the predicted increase in the number of family businesses owned and/or managed by siblings (Sibling Partnerships), as well as the lack of understanding and research attention given to such sibling teams, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the more effective functioning of such family businesses in South Africa by identifying the factors that impact on their success. With this purpose in mind, the primary objective was to identify, investigate and empirically test the possible influences of, and relationships between, various factors and the Perceived success of Sibling Partnerships. This study sets out to integrate prior findings and theories on team effectiveness and family relationships, to find support for these theories in the family business literature, and to incorporate these findings into a comprehensive model. The literature study revealed 5 main categories (context, composition, structure, processes, and people) of constructs influencing the Perceived success of sibling teams. Within these 5 main constructs, 13 underlying independent variables were identified and hypothesised to influence measures of effectiveness of sibling teams, namely the dependent variable Perceived success, and the 2 intermediate variables Financial performance and Family harmony. Of the 13 underlying independent variables, 6 were categorised as task-based and 7 as relational-based factors. In addition, hypotheses were formulated for possible relationships between the various task-based constructs (context, composition and structure) and the processes and people constructs. Each construct was clearly defined and then operationalised. Operationalisation was done by using reliable and valid items sourced from tested measuring instruments used in previous studies, as well as several self-generated items based on secondary sources. A structured questionnaire was made available to respondents identified by means of the convenience snowball sampling technique, and the data collected from 371 usable questionnaires was subjected to various statistical analyses. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and Cronbach-alpha coefficients were calculated to confirm the validity and reliability of the measuring instrument. The 6 task-based latent variables were confirmed by the exploratory factor analysis. However, all the other latent variables, as originally intended in the theoretical model, could not be confirmed. Instead, 3 dependent variables were identified, namely Financial performance, Growth performance and Satisfaction with work and family relationships, and 6 relational-based constructs, with some changes, did emerge. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was the main statistical procedure used to test the significance of the relationships hypothesised between the various independent and dependent variables. Because of sample size restrictions the conceptual model could not be subjected to SEM as a whole; consequently 10 submodels were identified and subjected to further analysis. The following independent variables were identified as influencing the dependent variables in this study: • Internal context • Complementary skills • Leadership • Shared dream • Fairness • Sibling relationship • Non-family members • No other family members (spouses and non-active siblings) In addition, the factors Complementary skills, Leadership, Past parent involvement, No present parent involvement, and No other family members, were identified as significantly influencing the relationship between the siblings involved in the Sibling Partnership. Furthermore, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Multiple Linear Regression analysis and t-tests were undertaken to determine the influence of demographic variables on the dependent variables. How ownership is shared in a family business involving siblings, the shareholding between the siblings themselves, and the nature of leadership between the siblings, has been found to influence the iv dependent variables in the present study. In addition, a Sibling Partnership is likely to perform most effectively when it is composed of a relatively young sibling team that has a small age gap between the members, and business performance will improve as the siblings gain work experience together, and as the number of employees increase. This study has added to the empirical body of family business research by investigating a particularly limited segment of the literature, namely Sibling Partnerships in family businesses. By identifying and developing various models that outline the most significant factors that influence the success of such family business partnerships, this study offers recommendations and suggestions for managing family businesses involving siblings, in such a way as to enrich their family relationships and to improve the financial performance of their businesses

Third International Symposium on Space Mission Operations and Ground Data Systems, part 2

Under the theme of 'Opportunities in Ground Data Systems for High Efficiency Operations of Space Missions,' the SpaceOps '94 symposium included presentations of more than 150 technical papers spanning five topic areas: Mission Management, Operations, Data Management, System Development, and Systems Engineering. The symposium papers focus on improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of data acquisition, ground systems, and mission operations. New technology, methods, and human systems are discussed. Accomplishments are also reported in the application of information systems to improve data retrieval, reporting, and archiving; the management of human factors; the use of telescience and teleoperations; and the design and implementation of logistics support for mission operations. This volume covers expert systems, systems development tools and approaches, and systems engineering issues

Child Health Supervision: Analytical Studies in the Financing, Delivery, and Cost-Effectiveness of Preventive and Health Promotion Services for Infants, Children, and Adolescents

Contents: Financing and Delivery of Child Health Supervision Services (An Overview of Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Child Health Supervision Services, Private Health Insurance Coverage of Preventive Benefits for Children, A 20-Year Retrospective of Child Health Supervision in Ambulatory Pediatric Settings, Ensuring Adequate Health Care Benefits for Children and Adolescents); Child Health Supervision Services and Medicaid (Informing State Medicaid Providers about EPSDT, Barriers to Full Participation in EPSDT and Possible Strategies for the Maternal and Child Bureau, Medicaid Managed Care: A Briefing Book on Issues for Children and Adolescents; State Implementation of OBRA \u2789 EPSDT Amendments within Medicaid Managed Care Arrangements)