Rheology of concentrated suspensions containing mixtures of spheres and fibres

Optimising flow properties of concentrated suspensions is an important issue common for many industries. The rheology of concentrated suspensions has therefore been studied intensively both experimentally and theoretically. Most studies have focused on monodisperse and polydisperse suspensions of either spheres or fibres. In practice, most suspensions contain particles that are polydisperse both in size and shape. A mixing rule for such systems is expected to be a powerful tool for engineers and product designers. Therefore in this work, suspensions of spheres, fibres and mixtures thereof were characterised using rotational shear rheometry and in-line image analyses. Thereby, total solids volume concentration and fibre fraction was varied. Results from transient and steady-state shear rheometry are discussed with respect to concentration, fibre fraction, and shear induced microstructure. Experimentally obtained viscosity data were accurately fitted using the model proposed by Farris (T Soc Rheol 12:281, 1968) for mixtures of monodisperse non-interacting spheres of different size

Tools for loading MEDLINE into a local relational database

BACKGROUND: Researchers who use MEDLINE for text mining, information extraction, or natural language processing may benefit from having a copy of MEDLINE that they can manage locally. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) distributes MEDLINE in eXtensible Markup Language (XML)-formatted text files, but it is difficult to query MEDLINE in that format. We have developed software tools to parse the MEDLINE data files and load their contents into a relational database. Although the task is conceptually straightforward, the size and scope of MEDLINE make the task nontrivial. Given the increasing importance of text analysis in biology and medicine, we believe a local installation of MEDLINE will provide helpful computing infrastructure for researchers. RESULTS: We developed three software packages that parse and load MEDLINE, and ran each package to install separate instances of the MEDLINE database. For each installation, we collected data on loading time and disk-space utilization to provide examples of the process in different settings. Settings differed in terms of commercial database-management system (IBM DB2 or Oracle 9i), processor (Intel or Sun), programming language of installation software (Java or Perl), and methods employed in different versions of the software. The loading times for the three installations were 76 hours, 196 hours, and 132 hours, and disk-space utilization was 46.3 GB, 37.7 GB, and 31.6 GB, respectively. Loading times varied due to a variety of differences among the systems. Loading time also depended on whether data were written to intermediate files or not, and on whether input files were processed in sequence or in parallel. Disk-space utilization depended on the number of MEDLINE files processed, amount of indexing, and whether abstracts were stored as character large objects or truncated. CONCLUSIONS: Relational database (RDBMS) technology supports indexing and querying of very large datasets, and can accommodate a locally stored version of MEDLINE. RDBMS systems support a wide range of queries and facilitate certain tasks that are not directly supported by the application programming interface to PubMed. Because there is variation in hardware, software, and network infrastructures across sites, we cannot predict the exact time required for a user to load MEDLINE, but our results suggest that performance of the software is reasonable. Our database schemas and conversion software are publicly available at

The T-cell-specific adapter protein family: TSAd, ALX, and SH2D4A/SH2D4B

Adapter proteins play key roles in intracellular signal transduction through complex formation with catalytically active signaling molecules. In T lymphocytes, the role of several different types of adapter proteins in T-cell antigen receptor signal transduction is well established. An exception to this is the family of T-cell-specific adapter (TSAd) proteins comprising of TSAd, adapter protein of unknown function (ALX), SH2D4A, and SH2D4B. Only recently has the function of these adapters in T-cell signal transduction been explored. Here, we discuss advances in our understanding of the role of this family of adapter proteins in T cells. Their function as regulators of signal transduction in other cell types is also discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78649/1/j.1600-065X.2009.00829.x.pd

A review on automatic mammographic density and parenchymal segmentation

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. However, the exact cause(s) of breast cancer still remains unknown. Early detection, precise identification of women at risk, and application of appropriate disease prevention measures are by far the most effective way to tackle breast cancer. There are more than 70 common genetic susceptibility factors included in the current non-image-based risk prediction models (e.g., the Gail and the Tyrer-Cuzick models). Image-based risk factors, such as mammographic densities and parenchymal patterns, have been established as biomarkers but have not been fully incorporated in the risk prediction models used for risk stratification in screening and/or measuring responsiveness to preventive approaches. Within computer aided mammography, automatic mammographic tissue segmentation methods have been developed for estimation of breast tissue composition to facilitate mammographic risk assessment. This paper presents a comprehensive review of automatic mammographic tissue segmentation methodologies developed over the past two decades and the evidence for risk assessment/density classification using segmentation. The aim of this review is to analyse how engineering advances have progressed and the impact automatic mammographic tissue segmentation has in a clinical environment, as well as to understand the current research gaps with respect to the incorporation of image-based risk factors in non-image-based risk prediction models

An electronic system (PDA) to record dietary and physical activity in obese adolescents; data about efficiency and feasibility

Introduction: Recently, the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing significantly. Dietary and physical activity registers are frequently referred to as the “cornerstone" of behavioral weight control programs. Mobile devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are showing their usefulness to facilitate these self-registers. Objective: This study is aimed to analyze and compare the efficiency and feasibility of a PDA and Paper and Pencil (P&P) registers to record dietary and physical activity in a sample of Spanish adolescents with overweight. Methods: Sample was composed by 30 overweight participants aged 9-15 years seeking for obesity treatment. This is a counterbalance study, all participants completing both experimental conditions: PDA and P&P registers. Results: For dietary records, participants filled out more records using P&P than PDA when “total" number of self-registers was considered, but when “complete" records were taken into account, these differences disappeared, and when percentages of “complete" records were analyzed, PDA produced more accurate registers than P&P. For physical activity, PDA produced more records than P&P. PDA was the preferred system. According to participants, the PDA s strengths are the comfort, easiness to use and to transport. Conclusions: Results showed that P&P produced more incomplete dietary records than PDA. PDA is a reliable system that allows the clinician to be confident in the data recorded. Recently, several applications for mobile devices have been developed, but there are few studies supporting evidence of their efficacy and feasibility in assessment and treatment of childhood obesity. This study tries to provide some evidence in this field.INTRODUCCIÓN: En los últimos años, la prevalencia de la obesidad infantil se ha incrementado de forma significativa. Los registros de ingesta y actividad física son considerados la “piedra angular” de los programas comportamentales de control del peso. Los dispositivos móviles, como las Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs), están mostrando su utilidad en la realización de estos registros. OBJETIVO: El presente estudio tiene como objetivo analizar y comparar la eficiencia y viabilidad de un sistema PDA y un sistema de Lápiz y Papel (P&P) para el registro de ingesta y movimiento físico en una muestra de adolescentes españoles con sobrepeso. MÉTODO: La muestra estuvo compuesta por 30 niños de entre 9 y 15 años con sobrepeso que asisten a un tratamiento para obesidad infantil. Se trata de un estudio contrabalanceado, por lo que los participantes completaron ambas condiciones experimentales: PDA y P&P. RESULTADOS: Considerando los registros de ingesta, cuando se consideran los registros “totales” los participantes realizaron más registros utilizando el sistema P&P que el sistema PDA, pero cuando se consideran los registros “completos”, estas diferencias desaparecieron y al considerar el porcentaje de registros “completos”, el sistema en PDA produjo más registros que el sistema P&P. Respecto a los registros de actividad física, el sistema PDA produjo más registros que el sistema P&P. La PDA fue considerada el sistema preferido por los participantes. De acuerdo con las opiniones de éstos, las potencialidades de la PDA es su comodidad, su facilidad de uso y de transporte. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados obtenidos indican que el sistema P&P produce mayor cantidad de registros de ingesta incompletos que el sistema en PDA. La PDA es un sistema fiable que permite al clínico confiar en los datos registrados por los niños respecto a la ingesta y a la actividad física. Recientemente, se han desarrollado diversas aplicaciones para llevar a cabo registros en dispositivos móviles, pero aún son escasos los estudios disponibles que avalan la eficacia y viabilidad de estos sistemas para la evaluación y el tratamiento de la obesidad infantil. Este estudio pretende proporcionar evidencia al respeto

Improving childhood obesity treatment using new technologies: the ETIOBE System

Childhood obesity is an increasing public health problem in western culture. Sedentary lifestyles and an “obesogenic environment” are the main influences on children leading to an increase in obesity. The objective of this paper is to describe an e-health platform for the treatment and prevention of childhood obesity called ETIOBE. This e-health platform is an e-therapy system for the treatment of obesity, aimed at improving treatment adherence and promoting the mechanisms of self-control in patients, to obtain weight loss maintenance and to prevent relapse by establishing healthy lifestyle habits. ETIOBE is composed of three different applications, the Clinician Support System (CSS), the Home Support System (HSS) and the Mobile Support System (MSS). The use of new Information and Communication (ICT) technologies can help clinicians to improve the effectiveness of weight loss treatments, especially in the case of children, and to achieve designated treatment goal

Radiative Electroweak Symmetry Breaking from a Quasi-Localized Top Quark

We consider 5D supersymmetric SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1) theories compactified at the TeV scale on S^1/Z_2 with supersymmetry broken by boundary conditions. Localizing the top quark at a boundary of a fifth dimension by a bulk mass term M_t, reduces the strength of radiative electroweak symmetry breaking. For M_t R approximately 1--2, the natural value for the top and bottom squark masses are raised to 500--1200 GeV, and all other superpartners may have masses of the compactification scale, which has a natural range of 1/R ~= 1.5--3.5 TeV. The superpartner masses depend only on 1/R, and are precisely correlated amongst themselves and with the mass of the Higgs boson, which is lighter than 130 GeV.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, Latex; typos correcte

ZVAX : a microservice reference architecture for nation-scale pandemic management

Domain-specific Microservice Reference Architectures (MSRA) have become relevant study objects in software technology. They facilitate the technical evaluation of service designs, compositions patterns and deployment configurations in realistic operational practice. Current knowledge about MSRA is predominantly confined to business domains with modest numbers of users per application. Due to the ongoing massive digital transformation of society, people-related online services in e-government, e-health and similar domains must be designed to be highly scalable at entire nation level at affordable infrastructure cost. With ZVAX, we present such a service in the e-health domain. Specifically, the ZVAX implementation adheres to an MSRA for pandemic-related processes such as vaccination registration and passenger locator form submission, with emphasis on selectable levels of privacy. We argue that ZVAX is valuable as study object for the training of software engineers and for the debate on arbitrary government-to-people services at scale