Gluing together proof environments: Canonical extensions of LF type theories featuring locks

© F. Honsell, L. Liquori, P. Maksimovic, I. Scagnetto This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.We present two extensions of the LF Constructive Type Theory featuring monadic locks. A lock is a monadic type construct that captures the effect of an external call to an oracle. Such calls are the basic tool for gluing together diverse Type Theories and proof development environments. The oracle can be invoked either to check that a constraint holds or to provide a suitable witness. The systems are presented in the canonical style developed by the CMU School. The first system, CLLF/p,is the canonical version of the system LLF p, presented earlier by the authors. The second system, CLLF p?, features the possibility of invoking the oracle to obtain a witness satisfying a given constraint. We discuss encodings of Fitch-Prawitz Set theory, call-by-value λ-calculi, and systems of Light Linear Logic. Finally, we show how to use Fitch-Prawitz Set Theory to define a type system that types precisely the strongly normalizing terms

On the possibility of calibrating urban storm-water drainage models using gauge-based adjusted radar rainfall estimates

Traditionally, urban storm water drainage models have been calibrated using only raingauge data, which may result in overly conservative models due to the lack of spatial description of rainfall. With the advent of weather radars, radar rainfall estimates with higher temporal and spatial resolution have become increasingly available and have started to be used operationally for urban storm water model calibration and real time operation. Nonetheless, the insufficient accuracy of radar rainfall estimates has proven problematic and has hindered its widespread practical use. This work explores the possibility of improving the applicability of radar rainfall estimates to the calibration of urban storm-water drainage models by employing gauge-based radar rainfall adjustment techniques. Four different types of rainfall estimates were used as input to the recently verified urban storm water drainage models of the Beddington catchment in South London; these included: raingauge, block-kriged raingauge, radar (UK Met Office Nimrod) and the adjusted (or merged) radar rainfall estimates. The performance of the simulated flow and water depths was assessed using measurements from 78 gauges. Results suggest that a better calibration could be achieved by using the block-kriged raingauge and the adjusted radar estimates as input, as compared to using only radar or raingauge estimates

Improving rainfall nowcasting and urban runoff forecasting through dynamic radar-raingauge rainfall adjustment

The insufficient accuracy of radar rainfall estimates is a major source of uncertainty in short-term quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) and associated urban flood forecasts. This study looks at the possibility of improving QPFs and urban runoff forecasts through the dynamic adjustment of radar rainfall estimates based on raingauge measurements. Two commonly used techniques (Kriging with External Drift (KED) and mean field bias correction) were used to adjust radar rainfall estimates for a large area of the UK (250,000 km2) based on raingauge data. QPFs were produced using original radar and adjusted rainfall estimates as input to a nowcasting algorithm. Runoff forecasts were generated by feeding the different QPFs into the storm water drainage model of an urban catchment in London. The performance of the adjusted precipitation estimates and the associated forecasts was tested using local rainfall and flow records. The results show that adjustments done at too large scales cannot provide tangible improvements in rainfall estimates and associated QPFs and runoff forecasts at small scales, such as those of urban catchments. Moreover, the results suggest that the KED adjusted rainfall estimates may be unsuitable for generating QPFs, as this method damages the continuity of spatial structures between consecutive rainfall fields

Enhancement of urban pluvial flood risk management and resilience through collaborative modelling: a UK case study

This paper presents the main findings and lessons learned from the development and implementation of a new methodology for collaborative modelling, social learning and social acceptance of flood risk management technologies. The proposed methodology entails three main phases: (1) stakeholder analysis and engagement; (2) improvement of urban pluvial flood modelling and forecasting tools; and (3) development and implementation of web-based tools for collaborative modelling in flood risk management and knowledge sharing. The developed methodology and tools were tested in the Cranbrook catchment (London Borough of Redbridge, UK), an area that has experienced severe pluvial (surface) flooding in the past. The developed methodologies proved to be useful for promoting interaction between stakeholders, developing collaborative modelling and achieving social acceptance of new technologies for flood risk management. Some limitations for stakeholder engagement were identified and are discussed in the present paper

Effect of water stress on yield and evapotranspiration of sunflower

An experiment was conducted at Rimski Šančevi Experiment Field of Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad during 2000 - 2005. The soil in the experimental plot was calcareous chernozem on loess terrace. Using the yield response factor (ky), the study investigated how sunflower yield and evapotranspiration were affected by deficit of available soil water during the growing season. The experiment consisted of an irrigated treatment (T1), in which irrigation was used when soil moisture levels dropped to 60-65% of FC (field capacity), and a nonirrigated control treatment (T0). The sunflower hybrid used in the study was NS-H-111. On average, no significant differences in yield level were observed between T1 (3.79 t ha-1) and T0 (3.75 t ha-1) treatments. Seasonal evapotranspiration (ETm) obtained in T1 treatment was in the 402-479 mm range. The yield response factor (ky) was obtained as 0.20 for total growing season and 0.27, 0.31 and 0.48 for vegetative, flowering and yield formation period, respectively. Period from flowering to maturity was the most sensitive towards water deficiency

Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among health-care workers in Serbia

© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology of occupational accidents and self-reported attitude of health-care workers (HCWs) in Serbia. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs in selected departments of five tertiary care hospitals and in one secondary care hospital in February 2012. A previously developed self-administered questionnaire was provided to HCWs who had direct daily contact with patients. χ2 test and Student's t test were used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: Of the 1,441 potential participants, 983 (68.2%) completed the questionnaire: 655 (66.7%) were nurses/medical technicians, 243 (24.7%) were physicians and 85 (8.6%) were other personnel. Of the 983 participants, 291 (29.6%) HCWs had had at least one accident during the previous year and 106 (40.2%) of them reported it to the responsible person. The highest prevalence (68.6%) of accidents was among nurses/technicians (p = 0.001). Accidents occurred more often in large clinical centers (81.1%; p < 0.001) and in the clinical ward, intensive care unit and operating theater (p = 0.003) than in other departments. Seventy-six (13.1%) nurses/medical technicians had an accident during needle recapping (p < 0.001). Of all the HCWs, 550 (55.9%) were fully vaccinated, including significantly more doctors (154, 63.4%) than participants from other job categories (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There was a relatively high rate of accidents among HCWs in our hospitals, most commonly amongst nurses and staff working in clinical wards, intensive care units and operating theaters. The most common types of accidents were needlestick injuries and accidents due to improper handling of contaminated sharp devices or occuring while cleaning instruments or by coming into contact with blood through damaged skin or through the conjunctiva/mucous membranes

Pentoxifylline Prevents Autoimmune Mediated Inflammation in Low Dose Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes

Xanthine derivative, pentoxifylline (PTX), has been recently shown to exert a protective effects in certain animal models of autoimmunity, including diabetes in NOD mice. In the present study, the immunomodulatory potential of PTX was investigated in autoimmune diabetes induced by multiple low doses of streptozotocin (MLD-SZ) in genetically susceptible CBA/H mice (tested with 40 mg SZ/kg b.w. for 5 days) and DA rats (tested with 20 mg/kg b.w. for 5 days). In both species, 2 – 3 weeks following the MLD-SZ treatment, sustained hyperglycemia developed, as an outcome of inflammatory reaction with endothelial cell activation and accumulation of mononuclear cells. Although there was no evidence of typical insulitis in early disease development (day 10), in both rats and mice, macrophages, CD4+ and CD8+ cells were present in the islets of Langerhans as diffuse mononuclear infiltrates with the expression of IFN-γ and inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Administration of PTX (200 mg/kg/day for 10 days) in combination with MLD-SZ reduced insulitis and the production of mediators tested, and prevented the development of hyperglycemia. These results suggest that beneficial effects of PTX involve down-regulation of local proinflammatory cytokine-mediated NO synthase pathway. They also demonstrate that in addition to ameliorating spontaneous autoimmunity in NOD mice, PTX may be effective in downregulating an inflammatory autoimmune process triggered in susceptible host by an external agents, such as streptozotocin