Assess Applicability of the Functional Programming Paradigms in Embedded Hardware

Programming in embedded lighting domain is commonly done using the C language with the Object Oriented programming paradigm at Philips Lighting. However applying that paradigm in combination with the low-level language like C creates a conceptual gap between the requirements and design and actual implementation. This results in reduced source code readability and maintainability. Functional programming paradigm was expected to alleviate this problem by reducing the gap and enhancing readability. A proof of concept was built on an advanced, IP-connected, digital LED driver (Power over Ethernet) device. The actual code was inspired by the rule-based decision engine concept developed by EnLight.Based on the hardware specifications of the device, the existing code to communicate with, and adherence to the functional paradigm, Lua was chosen to build the proof with. The implementation of the decision engine was altered to exploit characteristics of functional programming, such as representing actions as functions rather than as an enumeration value, using the common filter function to replace loops, and many more.The proof of concept was able to run in the device. It was also relatively more readable and maintainable. However, it was slightly slower, less memory efficient, and less capable in dealing with low-level problems such as garbage compared to the engine in C language

A Long-Term Vision for an Ecologically Sound Platte River

The Platte River extends about 310 mi (499 km) from North Platte, Nebraska, to its terminus at the Missouri River confluence near Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The Platte River Valley is a continentally significant ecosystem that serves as a major stopover for migratory waterbirds in the Central Flyway including the endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana) and \u3e1 million Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) at the peak of spring migration. However, the Platte River Valley also supports a great diversity of avifauna including grassland breeding birds, native stream fish, vascular plants, herpetofauna, mammals, pollinators, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Despite ongoing conservation efforts since the mid-1970s the ecosystem remains largely conservation dependent and an increasing number of species across taxa are being considered at risk of regional extirpation or outright extinction. However, given the attention provided to conservation in the Platte River Valley and the need to maintain ecologically functional stopover sites in the Central Flyway, there is a great opportunity to create a resilient refugium for biodiversity conservation in the central Great Plains. To that end we convened a working group of \u3e18 individuals representing \u3e9 organizations including representatives from non-profit conservation organizations, universities, and state and federal natural resource agencies to develop a long-term vision for an ecologically sound Platte River Valley (PRV). We met in groups of varying size for \u3e170 hours throughout a more than 3-year period and developed conservation priorities and objectives using a landscape design process. Landscape design is an interdisciplinary conservation planning process that incorporates components of landscape ecology and social dimensions of natural resources with the explicit intention of improving conservation implementation.https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zeabook/1128/thumbnail.jp

The role of mutational analysis of KIT and PDGFRA in gastrointestinal stromal tumors in a clinical setting

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Most GIST harbor a mutation affecting either the KIT or PDGFRA genes, whereas a small subgroup of tumors is wild type for mutations

An Individual-based model of self-reproduction system

The paper presents results of a few preliminary simulation experiments of a self-reproduction system realized in a programming environment for individual-based modelling of physical systems and discusses the advantages and difficulties of such modelling. The programming environment named an abstract universe, is aimed at modelling of complex systems which manifest the self-organization, self-modification, growing and emergent behavior. The central idea of the universe are specific interactions of its entities in a two dimensional space. The entities move and collide according to rules like those of classical mechanics, and interact between themselves according to function encoded in them modifying their structures and functions

Effect of antioxidant additives on nutritive value of dried meat

Celem przeprowadzonych badań było określenie wpływu dodatku ekstraktów etanolowych tymianku, zielonej herbaty, handlowego ekstraktu rozmarynu i butylohydroksytoluenu (BHT) na stabilność oksydacyjną oraz zmniejszanie strat wartości odżywczej mięsa liofilizowanego przechowywanego w temp. 18 - 20 ºC. Ekstrakty etanolowe tymianku i herbaty naniesiono na powierzchnię mięsa w ilości 0,05 %, natomiast ekstrakt rozmarynu oraz BHT w ilości 0,02 %, w stosunku do masy tłuszczu. Próbę odniesienia stanowiła próba bez dodatków. Stopień utlenienia tłuszczu przechowywanego mięsa określono na podstawie zmian zawartości nadtlenków oraz substancji reagujących z kwasem 2-tiobarbiturowym (TBARS), natomiast wartość odżywczą oceniono na podstawie zawartości tiaminy oraz aminokwasów egzogennych – lizyny i metioniny. Zastosowane dodatki nie hamowały powstawania pierwotnych produktów utleniania tłuszczu (nadtlenków i wodoronadtlenków), a ekstrakt tymianku wykazywał silne właściwości prooksydacyjne. Przeciwutleniające działanie wszystkich dodatków obserwowano w stosunku do wtórnych produktów oksydacji lipidowej, oznaczonych jako TBARS. Żaden z dodatków nie wykazywał działania ochronnego w stosunku do aminokwasów egzogennych. W próbach z dodatkiem ekstraktu rozmarynu stwierdzono największe straty dostępnej lizyny, które wyniosły ok. 51 %. Największy spadek zawartości dostępnej metioniny, w ilości około 41 %, stwierdzono w próbach z dodatkiem ekstraktu tymianku. Działanie ochronne przeciwutleniaczy obserwowano w stosunku do tiaminy. W próbach z dodatkiem BHT i ekstraktu rozmarynu stwierdzono istotnie mniejsze straty witaminy w porównaniu z próbą kontrolną.The objective of the research performed was to determine the effect of added ethanolic extracts of thyme, green tea, and commercial extract of rosemary and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on the oxidation stability and the reduction of nutritional losses of lyophilized meat stored at 18 - 20 oC. Ethanolic extracts of thyme and tea, and a rosemary extract and BHT were applied onto the meat surface. In relation to the lipid weight, the amounts of applied extracts were, respectively: 0.05 %, and 0.02 %. A reference sample was the one with no additives. The degree of lipid oxidation level in the meat stored was determined based on changes in the contents of peroxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), whereas the nutritive value thereof on the basis of the contents of thiamine and essential amino-acids: lysine and methionine. The additives applied did not inhibit the production of primary lipid oxidation products (peroxides and hydroperoxides), and the thyme extract demonstrated a strong oxidation–supporting activity. An antioxidant activity of all the additives was observed with regard to the secondary lipid oxidation products denoted as TBARS. None of the additives showed any protective activity are regards the egzogenitc amino acids. The highest loss of the available lysine was found in a sample with rosemary extract added; it amounted to nearly 51 %. The highest decrease in the content of available methionine, amounting to about 41 %, was reported in the samples with the thyme extract applied. The protective activity of anti-oxidants was found as regards the thiamine. In the samples with BHT and rosemary additives, significantly lower losses of this vitamin were found compared to the control sample