PLCTOOLS: Graph Transformation Meets PLC Design

Abstract This paper presents PLCTOOLS, a formal environment for designing and simulating programmable controllers. Control models are specified with IEC FED (Function Block Diagram), and translated into functionally equivalent HLTPNs (High-Level Timed Petri Nets), through MetaEnv, for analysis and simulation and obtained results are presented in terms of suitable animations of FED blocks. The peculiarity with FBD is that it does not come with a fixed set of syntactic elements; it allows users to add as many new blocks as they want. Consequently, each time users want to add a new FBD block with PLCTOOLS, they must provide the concrete syntax, to add it to the library of available blocks, but also the associated HLTPN, to allow MetaEnv to build the formal representation

The Longest Filled Common Subsequence Problem

Inspired by a recent approach for genome reconstruction from incomplete data, we consider a variant of the longest common subsequence problem for the comparison of two sequences, one of which is incomplete, i.e. it has some missing elements. The new combinatorial problem, called Longest Filled Common Subsequence, given two sequences A and B, and a multiset M of symbols missing in B, asks for a sequence B* obtained by inserting the symbols of M into B so that B* induces a common subsequence with A of maximum length. First, we investigate the computational and approximation complexity of the problem and we show that it is NP-hard and APX-hard when A contains at most two occurrences of each symbol. Then, we give a 3/5 approximation algorithm for the problem. Finally, we present a fixed-parameter algorithm, when the problem is parameterized by the number of symbols inserted in B that "match" symbols of A

“Eutopia” e “distopia” no Brave New World, de Aldous Huxley

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, is considered one of the most important 20th century “dystopias”. In this article, we discuss the justifications of its argument, showing some of its internal inconsistencies and revealing conservative and moralistic ideology of its author. Among other things, we discuss the problem of happiness, drugs and sexual freedom

O “fanque carioca” e a nova moral feminista

Analisam-se duas letras do “fanque carioca”, a fim de verificar como se manifestam os valores morais em ascendência entre as mulheres das periferias brasileiras. O estudo de letras de movimentos musicais de caráter popular se justifica por ser a fonte mais apropriada para avaliar o conjunto de ideias e valores das classes proletárias, no seio das quais espera-se, naturalmente, que se estabeleça qualquer espécie de crítica aos valores tradicionais burgueses. De fato, verifica-se que ambas as letras analisadas deixam transparecer aspectos de uma nova moral sexual, embora apenas em uma delas se manifeste uma verdadeira inversão dos valores tradicionais em prol da nova mulher anunciada pela ideóloga feminista e líder revolucionária russa Alexandra Kolontai (2000)

Mood Spectrum Model: Evidence reconsidered in the light of DSM-5

AIM: to investigate studies conducted with the Mood Spectrum Structured Interviews and Self-Report versions (SCI-MOODS and MOODS-SR). METHODS: We conducted a review of studies published between 1997 and August 2014. The search was performed using Pubmed and PsycINFO databases. Analysis of the papers followed the inclusion and exclusion criteria recommended by the PRISMA Guidelines, namely: (1) articles that presented a combination of at least two terms, "SCI-MOODS" [all fields] or "MOODS-SR" [all fields] or "mood spectrum" [all fields]; (2) manuscript in English; (3) original articles; and (4) prospective or retrospective original studies (analytical or descriptive), experimental or quasi-experimental studies. Exclusion criteria were: (1) other study designs (case reports, case series, and reviews); (2) non-original studies including editorials, book reviews and letters to the editor; and (3) studies not specifically designed and focused on SCI-MOODS or MOODS-SR. RESULTS: The search retrieved 43 papers, including 5 reviews of literature or methodological papers, and 1 case report. After analyzing their titles and abstracts, according to the eligibility criteria, 6 were excluded and 37 were chosen and included. The SCI-MOODS and the MOODS-SR have been tested in published studies involving 52 different samples across 4 countries (Italy, United States, Spain and Japan). The proposed mood spectrum approach has demonstrated its usefulness mainly in 3 different areas: (1) Patients with the so-called "pure" unipolar depression that might manifest hypomanic atypical and/or sub-threshold aspects systematically detectable with the mood questionnaire; (2) Spectrum features not detected by other instruments are clinically relevant, because they might manifest in waves during the lifespan, sometimes together, sometimes alone, sometimes reaching the severity for a full-blown disorder, sometimes interfering with other mental disorders or complicating the course of somatic diseases; and (3) Higher scores on the MOODS-SR factors assessing "psychomotor disturbances", "mixed instability" and "suicidality" delineate subtypes of patients characterized by the more severe forms of mood disorders, the higher risk for psychotic symptoms, and the lower quality of life after the remission of the full-blown-episode. CONCLUSION: The mood spectrum model help researchers and clinicians in the systematic assessment of those areas of psychopathology that are still neglected by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 classification

Macrophages may promote cancer growth via a GM-CSF/HB-EGF paracrine loop that is enhanced by CXCL12

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increased numbers of tumour-associated macrophages correlate with shortened survival in some cancers. The molecular bases of this correlation are not thoroughly understood. Events triggered by CXCL12 may play a part, as CXCL12 drives the migration of both CXCR4-positive cancer cells and macrophages and may promote a molecular crosstalk between them.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Samples of HER1-positive colon cancer metastases in liver, a tissue with high expression of CXCL12, were analysed by immunohistochemistry. In all of the patient biopsies, CD68-positive tumour-associated macrophages presented a mixed CXCL10 (M1)/CD163 (M2) pattern, expressed CXCR4, GM-CSF and HB-EGF, and some stained positive for CXCL12. Cancer cells stained positive for CXCR4, CXCL12, HER1, HER4 and GM-CSF. Regulatory interactions among these proteins were validated <it>via </it>experiments <it>in vitro </it>involving crosstalk between human mononuclear phagocytes and the cell lines DLD-1 (human colon adenocarcinoma) and HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), which express the above-mentioned ligand/receptor repertoire. CXCL12 induced mononuclear phagocytes to release HB-EGF, which activated HER1 and triggered anti-apoptotic and proliferative signals in cancer cells. The cancer cells then proliferated and released GM-CSF, which in turn activated mononuclear phagocytes and induced them to release more HB-EGF. Blockade of GM-CSF with neutralising antibodies or siRNA suppressed this loop.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>CXCL12-driven stimulation of cancer cells and macrophages may elicit and reinforce a GM-CSF/HB-EGF paracrine loop, whereby macrophages contribute to cancer survival and expansion. The involvement of mixed M1/M2 GM-CSF-stimulated macrophages in a tumour-promoting loop may challenge the paradigm of tumour-favouring macrophages as polarized M2 mononuclear phagocytes.</p

Ziprasidone as Adjunctive Therapy in Severe Bipolar Patients Treated with Clozapine

Aim. To confirm the efficacy and tolerability of ziprasidone as adjunctive therapy in bipolar patients partially responding to clozapine or with persisting negative symptoms, overweight, or with metabolic syndrome. Methods. Eight patients with psychotic bipolar disorder were tested with the BPRS, the HAM-D, and the CGI at T0 and retested after 2 weeks (T1). Plasma clozapine and norclozapine levels and BMI were tested at T0 and T1. Results. Ziprasidone was well tolerated by all the patients. BPRS and HAM-D scores were reduced in all patients. BMI was reduced in patients with a BMI at T0 higher than 25. Plasma levels of clozapine and norclozapine showed an irregular course

Internal consistency and discriminant validity of the Structured Clinical Interview for Panic Agoraphobic Spectrum (SCI-PAS)

This paper reports on the feasibility, acceptability and psychometric properties of the Structured Clinical Interview for Panic-Agoraphobic Spectrum (SCI-PAS). This interview was designed to assess the lifetime presence of symptoms and other clinical features considered to comprise the panic-agoraphobic spectrum. The interview has 114 items grouped into nine domains. A total of 422 subjects, from 11 centres located throughout Italy, participated in this study. Data were collected from three groups of subjects: psychiatric patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder (n = 141), cardiovascular patients (n = 140), including 29 with post-myocardial infarction, and university students (n = 141). The inter-rater reliability and the internal consistency of the SCI-PAS measures were assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient and the Kuder-Richardson coefficient, respectively. Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing results in patients with panic disorder to those in the other groups. The interview required an average of 25 (±5) minutes to administer. Patients and clinicians found the scale to be highly useful, providing information not previously obtained. Internal consistency was good (>0.70) for six out of nine SCI-PAS domains. The inter-rater reliability was excellent (>0.70) for all the domains except for 'other phobias' (0.467). Patients with panic disorder scored significantly higher on each domain, and on the overall panic spectrum, than did the control subjects. In conclusion, the SCI-PAS is a useful clinical interview, which can be administered in a reasonable period of time. This assessment further demonstrates good internal consistency, discriminant validity, and inter-rater reliability. Copyright © 1999 Whurr Publishers Ltd

REGIONAL MAPPING OF MYOCARDIAL HIBERNATION PHENOTYPE IN IDIOPATHIC END-STAGE DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY

Myocardial hibernation (MH) is a well-known feature of human ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), whereas its presence in human idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is still controversial. We investigated the histological and molecular features of MH in left ventricle (LV) regions of failing DCM or ICM hearts. We examined failing hearts from DCM (n = 11; 41.9 ± 5.45 years; left ventricle-ejection fraction (LV-EF), 18 ± 3.16%) and ICM patients (n = 12; 58.08 ± 1.7 years; LVEF, 21.5 ± 6.08%) undergoing cardiac transplantation, and normal donor hearts (N, n = 8). LV inter-ventricular septum (IVS) and antero-lateral free wall (FW) were transmurally (i.e. sub-epicardial, mesocardial and sub-endocardial layers) analysed. LV glycogen content was shown to be increased in both DCM and ICM as compared with N hearts (P < 0.001), with a U-shaped transmural distribution (lower values in mesocardium). Capillary density was homogenously reduced in both DCM and ICM as compared with N (P < 0.05 versus N), with a lower decrease independent of the extent of fibrosis in sub-endocardial and sub-epicardial layers of DCM as compared with ICM. HIF1-α and nestin, recognized ischaemic molecular hallmarks, were similarly expressed in DCM-LV and ICM-LV myocardium. The proteomic profile was overlapping by ~50% in DCM and ICM groups. Morphological and molecular features of MH were detected in end-stage ICM as well as in end-stage DCM LV, despite epicardial coronary artery patency and lower fibrosis in DCM hearts. Unravelling the presence of MH in the absence of coronary stenosis may be helpful to design a novel approach in the clinical management of DCM