Disrupting Complex Systems with Emerging Technologies: A Study on United States Airport Operations

The number of United States domestic commercial flight passengers are growing every year, which means the number of people checking-in, dropping off their bags, and going through TSA within airports is equally growing. With the increasing number of passengers and aging airports, there are several areas of pain points within airports where passengers hit a bottleneck due to the current systems that airports have in place. There are three main areas that we are going to reference. First the check-in process, where customers have to get their tickets, input identification information, and check-in for their flight. Second, baggage-drop off, where customers get their baggage weighed and tagged. Lastly, is Transport Security Administration (TSA). This is where consumers get their carry-on bags scanned as well as their person. In each of these areas, there are some levels of inconvenience imposed on the customer by the current system. With technological advancements being used in other industries, the goal of this thesis is to look at what existing technologies can be modified and used within airport operations to reduce the long lines that customers face every time they travel

Chemokine-induced secretion of gelatinase B in primary human monocytes

Chemokines help control normal leukocyte trafficking as well as their infiltration into tissues during acute and chronic inflammation. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) help support the extravasation and infiltration of leukocytes through limited proteolysis of basement membranes and matrix material. The effect of the chemokines RANTES/CCL5, MCP-1/CCL and SDF-1 /CXCL12 on secretion of the matrix metalloproteinase B and its endogenous inhibitor TIMP-1 was studied. RANTES/CCL5 and SDF-1/CXCL12 were found to induce MMP-9 secretion in primary human monocytes while TIMP-1 secretion was not affected. RANTES/CCL5 effects were mediated through CCR1 because the CCR1 antagonist BX471 was found to effectively block RANTES/CCL5-induced MMP-9 secretion

P-341: Selective COX-2 inhibitors and renal injury in salt-sensitive hypertension

Renal safety of selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) is a matter of ongoing discussion. Therefore, in the present study we examined the effects of two different coxibs, celecoxib and rofecoxib, compared to a traditional NSAID, diclofenac, and placebo in salt-sensitive hypertension. Salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) Dahl rats were fed with NaCl enriched diet (4% NaCl) for 8 weeks. Diclofenac (DS-diclofenac), rofecoxib (DS-rofecoxib), celecoxib (DS-celecoxib) or placebo were added to chow from week 6 to 8. Immunostaining for monocytes/macrophages (ED1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CD8) was performed. In addition, renal morphology and proteinuria were assessed. COX-2 protein and mRNA were isolated from renal cortex. Untreated hypertensive animals showed preglomerular and glomerular injury including endothelial activation/proliferation, broadened adventitia, collapsing glomerulopathy, mesangial sclerosis, mesangiolysis, extracapillary proliferation, protein drops and especially high grade of glomerulosclerosis (p<0.05 vs DR-placebo) and CD8 and ED1 positive cells (p<0.01 vs DR-placebo) which was improved by celecoxib but not by diclofenac and rofecoxib. Proteinuria was observed in hypertensive animals (p<0.0001 vs DR-placebo), normalised by celecoxib (p=0.0015 vs DS-placebo) and increased by rofecoxib (p<0.05 vs DS-placebo). COX-2 protein and mRNA levels were comparable in all groups. Renal function and morphology improves after celecoxib but not after rofecoxib or diclofenac. This head-to-head comparison demonstrates differential effects of coxibs on renal morphology and function in salt-dependent hypertensio

Social status regulates kisspeptin receptor mRNA in the brain of Astatotilapia burtoni

The brain controls reproduction in response to relevant external and internal cues. Central to this process in vertebrates is gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH1) produced in neurons of the hypothalamic-preoptic area (POA). GnRH1 released from the POA stimulates pituitary release of gonadotropins, which in males causes sperm production and concomitant steroid hormone release from the testes. Kisspeptin, a neuropeptide acting via the kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r), increases GnRH1 release and is linked to development of the reproductive system in mammals and other vertebrates. In both fish and mammals, kiss1r mRNA levels increase in the brain around the time of puberty but the environmental and other stimuli regulating kisspeptin signaling to GnRH1 neurons remain unknown. To understand where kiss1r is expressed and how it is regulated in the brain of a cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, we measured expression of a kiss1r homolog mRNA by in situ hybridization and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). We found kiss1r mRNA localized in the olfactory bulb, specific nuclei in the telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, and rhombencephalon, as well as in GnRH1 and GnRH3 neurons. Since males\u27 sexual physiology and behavior depend on social status in A. burtoni, we also tested how status influenced kiss1r mRNA levels. We found higher kiss1r mRNA levels in whole brains of high status territorial males and lower levels in low status non-territorial males. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that Kiss1r regulates many functions in the brain, making it a strong candidate for mediating differences in reproductive physiology between territorial and non-territorial phenotypes. © 2010 Elsevier Inc

Обеспечение точности обобщенной интервальной оценки качества изделий

Разработан метод интервальной оценки качества изделий, отличительной особенностью которого является получение весовых коэффициентов обобщенного показателя с использованием нечетких функций принадлежности гауссового типа. Их использование позволяет повысить точность и достоверность принятия решения при определении категории качества изделий различного целевого назначения в соответствии с вербально-числовой шкалой функции желательности Харрингтона.Розроблено метод інтервальної оцінки якості виробів, відмітною особливістю якого є отримання вагових коефіцієнтів узагальненого показника з використанням нечітких функцій приналежності гауссового типу. Їх використання дозволяє підвищити точність та вірогідність прийняття рішення під час визначення категорії якості виробів різного цільового призначення відповідно до вербально-числової шкали функції бажаності Харрінгтона.The method of interval estimation of the products’ quality, the distinctive feature of which is a receipt of gravimetric coefficients of the generalized index with the use of unclear membership functions of gauss type, is developed. Their usage allows to promote exactness and authenticity of decision-making at determination category of products’ quality of the different target destination in accordance with the verbally-numerical scale of desirability function of Harrington

Unambiguous comparison of the states of multiple quantum systems

We consider N quantum systems initially prepared in pure states and address the problem of unambiguously comparing them. One may ask whether or not all $N$ systems are in the same state. Alternatively, one may ask whether or not the states of all N systems are different. We investigate the possibility of unambiguously obtaining this kind of information. It is found that some unambiguous comparison tasks are possible only when certain linear independence conditions are satisfied. We also obtain measurement strategies for certain comparison tasks which are optimal under a broad range of circumstances, in particular when the states are completely unknown. Such strategies, which we call universal comparison strategies, are found to have intriguing connections with the problem of quantifying the distinguishability of a set of quantum states and also with unresolved conjectures in linear algebra. We finally investigate a potential generalisation of unambiguous state comparison, which we term unambiguous overlap filtering.Comment: 20 pages, no figure

Hypertension in mice lacking 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2

Deficiency of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2) in humans leads to the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (SAME), in which cortisol illicitly occupies mineralocorticoid receptors, causing sodium retention, hypokalemia, and hypertension. However, the disorder is usually incompletely corrected by suppression of cortisol, suggesting additional and irreversible changes, perhaps in the kidney. To examine this further, we produced mice with targeted disruption of the 11β-HSD2 gene. Homozygous mutant mice (11β-HSD2(–/–)) appear normal at birth, but ∼50% show motor weakness and die within 48 hours. Both male and female survivors are fertile but exhibit hypokalemia, hypotonic polyuria, and apparent mineralocorticoid activity of corticosterone. Young adult 11β-HSD2(–/–) mice are markedly hypertensive, with a mean arterial blood pressure of 146 ± 2 mmHg, compared with 121 ± 2 mmHg in wild-type controls and 114 ± 4 mmHg in heterozygotes. The epithelium of the distal tubule of the nephron shows striking hypertrophy and hyperplasia. These histological changes do not readily reverse with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism in adulthood. Thus, 11β-HSD2(–/–) mice demonstrate the major features of SAME, providing a unique rodent model to study the molecular mechanisms of kidney resetting leading to hypertension. J. Clin. Invest. 103:683–689 (1999

Het Dutch Wildlife Health Centre – kennis over wildziekten in Nederland

Veel dierziekten inclusief zoönosen hebben wilde dieren als reservoir. Kennis over ziekten onder wilde dieren is van belang voor zowel de dier- en volksgezondheid, en vormt een essentieel onderdeel van het One health-concept. Een expertisecentrum wildziekten, waar dergelijke kennis vermeerderd en gebundeld wordt, ontbrak in Nederland. Mede daarom is het Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DWHC) opgericht

Spatiotemporal mortality and demographic trends in a small cetacean: Strandings to inform conservation management

With global increases in anthropogenic pressures on wildlife populations comes a responsibility to manage them effectively. The assessment of marine ecosystem health is challenging and often relies on monitoring indicator species, such as cetaceans. Most cetaceans are however highly mobile and spend the majority of their time hidden from direct view, resulting in uncertainty on even the most basic population metrics. Here, we discuss the value of long-term and internationally combined stranding records as a valuable source of information on the demographic and mortality trends of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the North Sea. We analysed stranding records (n = 16,181) from 1990 to 2017 and demonstrate a strong heterogeneous seasonal pattern of strandings throughout the North Sea, indicative of season-specific distribution or habitat use, and season-specific mortality. The annual incidence of strandings has increased since 1990, with a notable steeper rise particularly in the southern North Sea since 2005. A high density of neonatal strandings occurred specifically in the eastern North Sea, indicative of areas important for calving, and large numbers of juvenile males stranded in the southern parts, indicative of a population sink or reflecting higher male dispersion. These findings highlight the power of stranding records to detect potentially vulnerable population groups in time and space. This knowledge is vital for managers and can guide, for example, conservation measures such as the establishment of time-area-specific limits to potentially harmful human activities, aiming to reduce the number and intensity of human-wildlife conflicts