Efficient compensation handling via subjective updates

Programming abstractions for compensation handling and dynamic update are crucial in specifying reliable interacting systems, such as Collective Adaptive Systems (CAS). Compensations and updates both specify how a system reacts in response to exceptional events. Prior work showed that different semantics for compensation handling can be encoded into a calculus of adaptable processes with objective updates, in which a process is reconfigured by its context. This paper goes further by considering subjective updates, in which, intuitively, a process reconfigures itself. A calculus of adaptable processes with subjective update its introduced, and its expressivity is assessed by encoding two semantics for compensation handling. The resulting encodings are more efficient than those using objective updates: they require less computational steps

Life-Cycle Management of Ammunition: Safety, Security, and Sustainability

Ammunition is an essential resource for the implementation of a national defense and security policy. National ammunition stockpiles—regardless of their functional classification—can pose risks to national security and public safety. Poor accounting and inadequate physical security of storage facilities can lead to the diversion of ammunition from the national stockpile to terrorists, criminals, and other armed groups, increasing insecurity and instability. Furthermore, the deterioration of munition components can contribute to unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS), which can have significant negative socioeconomic and political consequences for the public and national governments. Comprehensive ammunition management ensures that the right types and quantities of ammunition are available, at the right time, to support national strategic and operational needs. It is also seen as the only long-term strategy for preventing the excessive accumulation of surplus and for mitigating the safety and security risks inherent to all ammunition stockpiles. Such an approach takes into account the technical aspects of ammunition management that are often covered by stockpile management efforts, as well as the related structural and political dynamics. This results in planning challenges and has significant budgetary implications for governments. A systems-based approach to the life-cycle management of ammunition (LCMA), and a long-term strategy to execute it, can help a state to address these challenges by minimizing the probability of excessive surplus accumulation and mitigating diversion and UEMS risks while meeting national strategic and operational needs

Looking Forward with Minimally Invasive Ultrasound

Minimally invasive procedures are increasingly replacing traditional open surgeries due to their shorter recovery time, reduced patient pain, reduced risk of infection and less trauma. However, since the physician has no direct view of the working field, visualization of these complex interventions is critical for success. Forward-looking (FL) ultrasound image guidance can aid minimally invasive procedures providing visual feedback of the working field, instrument location and treatment progress. Currently there are no clinically available devices that can provide minimally invasive 3D FL imaging. In this thesis we explored several innovative solutions towards miniaturized 3D FL imaging. We looked into methods to solve both hardware and image-related challenges resulting in mainly two approaches. The first approach consists in the realization of a complex multi-element transducer with an optimized design and an efficient interconnection and integration scheme. The second approach consists in the use of s

A pump-probe study of the formation of rubidium molecules by ultrafast photoassociation of ultracold atoms

An experimental pump-probe study of the photoassociative creation of translationally ultracold rubidium molecules is presented together with numerical simulations of the process. The formation of loosely bound excited-state dimers is observed as a first step towards a fully coherent pump-dump approach to the stabilization of Rb$_2$ into its lowest ground vibrational states. The population that contributes to the pump-probe process is characterized and found to be distinct from a background population of pre-associated molecules.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. A (10 pages, 9 figures

The influence of professional stress in permanent working capability of workers with arterial hypertension and its complications

Arterial hypertension is widespread in the population of workers. Stress at work has a significant impact on the emergence of many psychosomatic diseases including arterial hypertension. The aim of this research is to show the influence of professional stress on the occurrence of arterial hypertension, its complications and the permanent working ability of exposed workers in construction. The survey covered 1900 construction workers. The standardized questionnaire has assessed the level of stress and professional stressors in their workplaces. The survey group consisted of 1350 workers whose level of total professional stress index (OSI) was over 60, and a control group of 550 workers with an OSI level below 60. The prevalence of arterial hypertension and its complications is statistically significantly more frequent in the examined than in the control group. In the investigated group, a statistically significant number of workers were registered, who, due to their complete loss of working ability, were sent to the disability commission. With an increase in OSI values above 71, the number of workers with complete loss of working capacity is significantly increased in relation to the number of workers who are capable of working. Professional stress is a significant factor that affects the occurrence of arterial hypertension, its complications on vital organs, which lead to a complete permanent loss of working ability of exposed workers in construction

Electrical characteristics of female and male human skin

Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a popular method for characterizing the electrical properties of biological tissues. In this study, BIS measurement data of female and male human skin were analyzed and compared. The electrical characteristics of tissue were followed according to four-parameters of the Cole-Cole model: low frequency resistance R0; high frequency resistance R∞; relaxation time t and parameter a. Individual electrical characteristics of human skin were determined for 30 women and 30 men. The distribution and one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) of the Cole-Cole parameters R0, R∞, t, a within the human population indicated their different dependence on gender. Parameter a, which is higher in the female subjects (a =0.83±0.03) than in the male subjects (a=0.7±0.05), is strongly dependent on gender (p=0). Parameter R∞ also significantly depends on gender (p=0.002), while t and R0 seem to be slightly related to gender (p>0.05)

Uticaj opterećenja različitim nivoima profesionalnog stresa na koncentraciju serumskih lipida službenika obezbeđenja

The aim of this work is to analyze the relationship between the level of professional stress and the concentration of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the serum of security employees. . The study included 415 security officers (exposed group) divided into four sub-groups and 150 administrative workers (control group). By applying a standardized questionnaire, the level of professional stress in their workplaces was calculated. To determine the serum lipid concentration in the all subjects, venous blood samples were taken in the morning after a twelve-hour food abstinence Security officers are exposed to a high level of professional stress, where the level of stress index depends on the type of the job they are engaged in. The highest values of the total index of professional stress, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were registered with the employees who transport money and those carrying firearms. The lowest total index of professional stress, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were registered with property security officers and persons who do not carry firearms. The correlation between the level of stress index at work, an increase in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels is statistically significant. We believe that there is a significant correlation between the level of the overall stress index at work and the risk of atherosclerosis in security officers.Cilj rada je analiza povezanosti nivoa profesionalnog stresa i koncentracija ukupnog holesterola, HDL holesterola, LDL holesterola i triglicerida u serumu službenika angažovanih na različitim vrstama obezbeđenja. Ispitivanjem je obuhvaćeno 415 službenika obezbeđenja (ispitivana grupa) podeljenih u četiri podgrupe i 150 administrativnih radnika (kontrolna grupa). Primenom standardizovanog upitnika, je izračunavan nivo profesionalnog stresa na njihovim radnim mestima. Radi određivanja koncentracije lipida u serumu od svih ispitanika je uziman uzorak venske krvi ujutru posle dvanaestočasovne apstinencije od hrane. Službenici obezbeđenja su izloženi visokom nivou profesionalnog stresa, pri čemu nivo indeksa stresa zavisi od vrste poslova na kojima su angažovani. Najviše vrednosti ukupnog indeksa profesionalnog stresa, ukupnog holesterola, LDL holesterola i triglicerida su registrovane kod službenika na obezbedjenju transporta novca sa nošenjem vatrenog oružja. Najniže vrednosti ukupnog indeksa profesionalnog stresa, ukupnog holesterola, LDL holesterola i triglicerida su registrovane kod službenika na obezbedjenju imovine i lica bez nošenja vatrenog oružja. Utvrđena je statistički značajna korelacija između nivoa indeksa stresa na poslu, povećanja vrednosti ukupnog holesterola, LDL holesterola, triglicerida i smanjenja nivoa HDL holesterola. Smatramo da postoji značajna povezanost između nivoa ukupnog indeksa stresa na poslu i rizika od ateroskleroze kod službenika obezbeđenja

Work stress related lipid disorders and arterial hypertension in professional drivers: A cross-sectional study

Background/Aim. Occupational stress is a term used to define ongoing stress that is related to the workplace. The study was conducted to determine association of occupational stress index (OSI) and its aspects with arterial hypertension and lipid disorders using data from a cross-sectional survey of male professional drivers. Methods. The cross-sectional study was performed in 439 professional drivers divided into groups (city- and intercity bus drivers, truck and taxi drivers). The OSI and OSI aspects (high demands, strictness, underload, extrinsic time pressure, noxious exposure, avoidance and conflict) were calculated using the standardized questionnaire. Determination of serum lipids, blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular risk factors were done. Results. A significant difference in prevalence of diagnosed hypertension and dyslipidemia was found along with a difference in total OSI and OSI aspects among examined subgroups of drivers. A total OSI was highest in city, high in intercity bus drivers, and the lowest one in truck and taxi drivers (82.79 ± 3.5, 81.28 ± 3.7, 73.75 ± 3.5, 71.61 ± 4.4, respectively; p < 0.01). Similar pattern showed triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol and BP, while HDL-cholesterol showed reverse order (p < 0.01). Logistic regression analyses with multiple OSI aspects adjusted for age and years of exposure showed associations of total OSI with arterial hypertension [OR 5.5; 95% CI (2.24-7.95)] and dyslipidemia [OR 1.43 95% CI (1.09-2.80)]. Underload was the most important OSI aspect associated with the arterial hypertension [OR 1.18; 95% CI (1.04-2.58)] and elevated LDL cholesterol [1.26; 95 CI (1.19-2.1)]. A total OSI had a significant association with elevated LDL cholesterol [2.64; 95% CI (1.19- 7.7)], triglycerides [OR 3.27; 95% CI (1.20-5.1)] and low HDL cholesterol [OR 3.29; 95% CI (1.8-5.8)] (p < 0.01). Conclusion. The study provides the evidence for the significant association of total OSI and underload with lipid disorders and elevated blood pressure in professional drivers, which could be a possible link between job stress and coronary heart disease. Regular periodical examinations and workplace interventions aimed to decrease total OSI and underload are important aspects in primary prevention and additional reduction of cardiovascular risk. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 43012 i br. 41018