Fault self-defection of automatic testing systems by means of aspect-oriented programming

An Aspect Oriented approach to implement fault detection in automatic measurement systems is proposed. Faults are handled by means of "aspects", a specific software unit to better modularize issues transversal to many modules ("crosscutting concerns"). In this way, maintainability and reusability of a measurement software are improved: indeed, once a modification of the fault detection policy occurs, only the related aspects have to be modified. As an experimental case study, this technique has been applied to the fault self-detection of a flexible framework for magnetic measurements, developed at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Assessment of AC Corrosion Probability in Buried Pipelines with a FEM-Assisted Stochastic Approach

In this paper, a stochastic approach is combined with field theory and circuit methods to study how the geometrical and electrical properties of holidays (defects or pores in the insulating coating) in a metallic pipeline influence the probability of exceeding the current density limit for corrosion. Three-dimensional FEM simulations are conducted to assess the influence of the shape and electrical resistivity of the pore on the computed spread resistance value. The obtained results are then used to evaluate the probability of exceeding a given current density value for different sizes of pore and soil resistivities. Finally, a case of 50 Hz interference along a pipeline-transmission line routing is examined. The probabilistic approach presented in this paper allows the pipeline sections more subjected to the induced AC corrosion risk to be identified to be used as an auxiliary tool for adopting preventive protection countermeasures. Lastly, unlike most papers devoted to assessing electromagnetic interference on pipelines, the present work uses a probabilistic rather than a deterministic approach, representing its main novelty aspect

Model Checking to Improve Precision of Design Pattern Instances Identification in OO Systems

In the last two decades some methods and tools have been proposed to identify the Design Pattern (DP) instances implemented in an existing Object Oriented (OO) software system. This allows to know which OO components are involved in each DP instance. Such a knowledge is useful to better understand the system thus reducing the effort to modify and evolve it. The results obtained by the existing methods and tools can suffer a lack of completeness or precision due to the presence of false positive/negative. Model Checking (MC) algorithms can be used to improve the precision of DP's instances detected by a tool by automatically refining the results it produces. In this paper a MC based technique is defined and applied to the results of an existing DPs mining tool, called Design Pattern Finder (DPF), to improve the precision by verifying automatically the DPs instances it detects. To verify and assess the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed technique, we carried out a case study where it was applied on some open source OO systems. The results showed that the proposed technique allowed to improve the precision of the DPs instances detected by the DPF tool

Coagulant and antibacterial activities of the water-soluble seed lectin from Moringa oleifera

Aims: The aim of this work was to analyse the coagulant and antibacterial activities of lectin isolated from Moringa oleifera seeds that are used for water treatment. Methods and Results:  The water-soluble M. oleifera lectin (WSMoL) was separated from nonhemagglutinating components (NHC) by chitin chromatography. WSMoL fluorescence spectrum was not altered in the presence of ions that are often present in high concentrations in polluted waters. Seed extract, NHC and WSMoL showed coagulant activity on a turbid water model. Both NHC and WSMoL reduced the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, but only WSMoL caused a reduction in Escherichia coli. WSMoL was also more effective in reducing the growth of ambient lake water bacteria. Conclusions:  Data obtained from this study indicate that WSMoL is a potential natural biocoagulant for water, reducing turbidity, suspended solids and bacteria. Significance and Impact of the Study: Moringa oleifera seeds are a material effective in the treatment of water.The authors express their gratitude to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) for research grants and fellowship (LCBBC, MLVO and PMGP), the Fundacao de Amparo a Ciencia e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE) and the Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) for financial support. Authors are grateful to Maria Barbosa Reis da Silva for the technical assistance and to David Pillard and Felix Nonnenmacher for English editing

Molecular fragmentation of wheat-germ agglutinin induced by food irradiation reduces its allergenicity in sensitised mice

WGA, an agglutinin from wheat germ which is largely responsible for many of wheat's allergies, was used as a model to investigate the action of ionising radiation on WGA's anti-nutritive effects in sensitised mice. Based on the molecular structure, the present study also examined the structural modification of WGA in relation to the range of dose. Structural integrity was monitored using HPLC, fluorescence spectrometry and circular dichroism. Results showed a loss of intrinsic activity and the formation of insoluble amorphous aggregates with a lack of native conformational structures after irradiation. Current findings suggest that the allergenic epitopes of WGA became less active and antigenic after high-dose radiation. the reduction of cytokines typical of allergic reactions, with decreased lymphocytic infiltrate, was observed in the gut of mice given irradiated versus native WGA. Food irradiation proved effective and safe in combating immunological and allergic effects of WGA. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Ministerio da Ciencia e Tecnologia (Brazilian)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao de Amparo a Ciencia e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE)Univ Fed Pernambuco, Dept Bioquim, Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Fed Pernambuco, Dept Histol & Embriol, Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Fed Pernambuco, Dept Biofis & Radiobiol, Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Fed Pernambuco, Dept Antibiot, Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Estadual Oeste Parana, Ctr Engn & Ciencias Exatas, Toledo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Bioquim, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Bioquim, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Comparison of health conditions treated with traditional and biomedical health care in a Quechua community in rural Bolivia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of the present study was to reveal patterns in the treatment of health conditions in a Quechua-speaking community in the Bolivian Andes based on plant use data from traditional healers and patient data from a primary health care (PHC) service, and to demonstrate similarities and differences between the type of illnesses treated with traditional and biomedical health care, respectively.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A secondary analysis of plant use data from semi-structured interviews with eight healers was conducted and diagnostic data was collected from 324 patients in the community PHC service. Health conditions were ranked according to: (A) the percentage of patients in the PHC service diagnosed with these conditions; and (B) the citation frequency of plant use reports to treat these conditions by healers. Healers were also queried about the payment modalities they offer to their patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Plant use reports from healers yielded 1166 responses about 181 medicinal plant species, which are used to treat 67 different health conditions, ranging from general symptoms (e.g. fever and body pain), to more specific ailments, such as arthritis, biliary colic and pneumonia. The results show that treatment offered by traditional medicine overlaps with biomedical health care in the case of respiratory infections, wounds and bruises, fever and biliary colic/cholecystitis. Furthermore, traditional health care appears to be complementary to biomedical health care for chronic illnesses, especially arthritis, and for folk illnesses that are particularly relevant within the local cultural context. Payment from patients to healers included flexible, outcome contingent and non-monetary options.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Traditional medicine in the study area is adaptive because it corresponds well with local patterns of morbidity, health care needs in relation to chronic illnesses, cultural perceptions of health conditions and socio-economic aspects of health care. The quantitative analysis of plant use reports and patient data represents a novel approach to compare the contribution of traditional and biomedical health care to treatment of particular health conditions.</p

Intensive care in patients with lung cancer : a multinational study

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Annals of Oncology following peer review. The version of record M. Soares, et al, 'Intensive care in patients with lung cancer: a multinational study', Annals of Oncology, Vol. 25 (9): 1829-1835, September 2014, is available online at https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdu234.BACKGROUND: Detailed information about lung cancer patients requiring admission to intensive care units (ICUs) is mostly restricted to single-center studies. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of lung cancer patients admitted to ICUs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective multicenter study in 449 patients with lung cancer (small cell, n = 55; non-small cell, n = 394) admitted to 22 ICUs in six countries in Europe and South America during 2011. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards frailty models were built to identify characteristics associated with 30-day and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: Most of the patients (71%) had newly diagnosed cancer. Cancer-related complications occurred in 56% of patients; the most common was tumoral airway involvement (26%). Ventilatory support was required in 53% of patients. Overall hospital, 30-day, and 6-month mortality rates were 39%, 41%, and 55%, respectively. After adjustment for type of admission and early treatment-limitation decisions, determinants of mortality were organ dysfunction severity, poor performance status (PS), recurrent/progressive cancer, and cancer-related complications. Mortality rates were far lower in the patient subset with nonrecurrent/progressive cancer and a good PS, even those with sepsis, multiple organ dysfunctions, and need for ventilatory support. Mortality was also lower in high-volume centers. Poor PS predicted failure to receive the initially planned cancer treatment after hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: ICU admission was associated with meaningful survival in lung cancer patients with good PS and non-recurrent/progressive disease. Conversely, mortality rates were very high in patients not fit for anticancer treatment and poor PS. In this subgroup, palliative care may be the best option.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio