Parameterized models for on-line and off-line use

The Monadic Constraint Programming framework leverages Haskell’s rich static type system and powerful abstraction mechanisms to implement an embedded domain specific language (EDSL) for constraint programming. In this paper we show how the same constraint model expressed in the EDSL can be processed in various modes by external constraint solvers. We distinguish between on-line and off-line use of solvers. In off-line mode, the model is not solved; instead it is compiled to lower-level code that will search for solutions when compiled and run. For on-line use, the search can be handled by either the framework or in the external solver. Off-line mode requires recompilation after each change to the model. To avoid repeated recompilation, we separate model from data by means of parameters that need not be known at compile time. Parametrization poses several challenges, which we resolve by embedding the EDSL more deeply.status: publishe

Stochastic Solution of a KPP-Type Nonlinear Fractional Differential Equation

Mathematics Subject Classification: 26A33, 76M35, 82B31A stochastic solution is constructed for a fractional generalization of the KPP (Kolmogorov, Petrovskii, Piskunov) equation. The solution uses a fractional generalization of the branching exponential process and propagation processes which are spectral integrals of Levy processes

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System physical function correlates with Toronto Extremity Salvage Score in an orthopaedic oncology population

Background: The National Institute of Health\u27s Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) uses computerised-adaptive testing to reduce survey burden and improve sensitivity. PROMIS is being used across medical and surgical disciplines but has not been studied in orthopaedic oncology. Questions/purposes: The aim of the study was to compare PROMIS measures with upper extremity (UE) and lower extremity (LE) Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) by assessing the following: (1) responder burden, (2) correlation between scores and (3) floor/ceiling effects. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional trial analysed all 97 adult patients treated surgically for a bone or soft tissue tumour at a tertiary institution between November 2015 and March 2016. TESS (UE or LE) and PROMIS (Physical Function, Pain Interference and Depression) surveys were administered preoperatively. Pearson correlations between each PROMIS domain and TESS were calculated, as were floor/ceiling effects of each outcome measure. Results: (1) Completion of three PROMIS questionnaires required a mean total of 16.8 (+/- 5.8 standard deviation) questions, compared with 31 and 32 questions for the LE and UE TESS questionnaires, respectively. (2) The PROMIS Physical Function scores demonstrated a strong positive correlation with the LE TESS (r = 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.91; p \u3c 0.001) and moderate positive correlation with the UE TESS (r = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.34-0.83; p = 0.055). The PROMIS Depression scores demonstrated a weak negative correlation with both the LE TESS (r = -0.38; 95% CI, -0.61 to -0.10; p = 0.010) and with UE TESS (r = -0.38; 95% CI, -0.67 to -0.01; p = 0.055). The PROMIS Pain Interference scores demonstrated a strong negative correlation with the LE TESS (r = -0.71; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.52; p \u3c 0.001) and a moderate negative correlation with the UE TESS (r = -0.62; 95% CI, -0.81 to -0.30; p = 0.001). (3) The UE TESS had a range of scores from 16 to 100 with a 27% ceiling effect and no floor effect, and the LE TESS had a range from 10 to 98 with no floor or ceiling effect. There was no floor or ceiling effect for any PROMIS measures. Conclusions: In an orthopaedic oncology population, the PROMIS Physical Function and Pain Interference scores correlate with the TESS and have the benefit of reduced survey burden and ceiling effect. The PROMIS Depression scores may provide additional information regarding patient outcomes not captured by the TESS. Level of Evidence: Level III. The translational potential of this article: Patient reported outcome measures asses patients\u27 symptoms, function and health-related quality of life and are designed to capture more clinical information than can be gathered by objective medial testing alone. As reimbursements and the understanding of patient outcomes are becoming tied to performance on PROMIS measures, it is an important step to establish how PROMIS measures correlate and compare to traditional legacy measures

Carbon and oxygen in HII regions of the Magellanic Clouds: abundance discrepancy and chemical evolution

We present C and O abundances in the Magellanic Clouds derived from deep spectra of HII regions. The data have been taken with the Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spectrograph at the 8.2-m VLT. The sample comprises 5 HII regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and 4 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We measure pure recombination lines (RLs) of CII and OII in all the objects, permitting to derive the abundance discrepancy factors (ADFs) for O^2+, as well as their O/H, C/H and C/O ratios. We compare the ADFs with those of other HII regions in different galaxies. The results suggest a possible metallicity dependence of the ADF for the low-metallicity objects, but more uncertain for high-metallicity objects. We compare nebular and B-type stellar abundances and we find that the stellar abundances agree better with the nebular ones derived from collisionally excited lines (CELs). Comparing these results with other galaxies we observe that stellar abundances seem to agree better with the nebular ones derived from CELs in low-metallicity environments and from RLs in high-metallicity environments. The C/H, O/H and C/O ratios show almost flat radial gradients, in contrast with the spiral galaxies where such gradients are negative. We explore the chemical evolution analysing C/O vs. O/H and comparing with the results of HII regions in other galaxies. The LMC seems to show a similar chemical evolution to the external zones of small spiral galaxies and the SMC behaves as a typical star-forming dwarf galaxy.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 17 pages, 11 figures, 8 table

Autonomía y orientación en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior mediante el portafolio y la tutoría

En el nuevo rol del profesor y del estudiante universitario, según el cual el primero asume funciones de guía, orientador, asesor y facilitador de recursos para el aprendizaje activo del segundo, se le da más importancia al aprendizaje que a la enseñanza. En este trabajo mostramos la percepción que tienen 290 estudiantes de distintas especialidades de Magisterio y Fisioterapia sobre el uso del portafolios y de la tutoría como elementos de interés para los procesos de innovación docente (Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior). Para tal fin se ha pasado un cuestionario, efectuándose un análisis descriptivo y comparativo, obteniendo evidencias de interés

Use of room temperature ionic liquids for the selective fractionation of bioactive ketoses from aldoses

This work deals with the effective fractionation of bioactive ketoses, i.e. lactulose and tagatose, from their corresponding aldoses, lactose and galactose, in equimolar binary mixtures driven by room temperature ionic liquids, i.e. 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([EMIM][DCA]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl sulfate ([BMIM][MeSO4]), respectively. Under assayed conditions, tagatose was found to be 6-fold more soluble on [BMIM][MeSO4] than galactose; meanwhile lactulose was 3 times more soluble than lactose on [EMIM][DCA]. As an application example in a more complex sample, a lactose isomerization mixture containing in addition lactulose and monosaccharides was enriched in this ketose by using [EMIM][DCA]. Carbohydrates were then successfully recovered from the ionic liquid following an activated charcoal-based treatment. Overall, lactulose content was enriched from a 24% in the initial isomerization reaction mixture to a 62% in the purified sample. These experimental results demonstrated the potential of ionic liquids as green alternative solvents for the selective fractionation of bioactive ketoses from their corresponding aldoses in food and beverage production.Authors thank Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (projects AGL2009-11909 and AGL2011-27884), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (project CTQ2012-32957) and the European founding from FEDER program for financial support. L. Ruiz-Aceituno is supported by CSIC by a JAE-Pre grant, co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). C. Carrero-Carralero thanks Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) for a predoctoral contract.Peer Reviewe