5,290 research outputs found
Interpolation Properties and SAT-based Model Checking
Craig interpolation is a widespread method in verification, with important
applications such as Predicate Abstraction, CounterExample Guided Abstraction
Refinement and Lazy Abstraction With Interpolants. Most state-of-the-art model
checking techniques based on interpolation require collections of interpolants
to satisfy particular properties, to which we refer as "collectives"; they do
not hold in general for all interpolation systems and have to be established
for each particular system and verification environment. Nevertheless, no
systematic approach exists that correlates the individual interpolation systems
and compares the necessary collectives. This paper proposes a uniform
framework, which encompasses (and generalizes) the most common collectives
exploited in verification. We use it for a systematic study of the collectives
and of the constraints they pose on propositional interpolation systems used in
SAT-based model checking
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DEveloping a Complex Intervention for DEteriorating Patients using Theoretical Modelling (DECIDE study): study protocol
AIM: To develop a theory-based complex intervention (targeting nursing staff), to enhance enablers and overcome barriers to enacting expected behaviour when monitoring patients and responding to abnormal vital signs that signal deterioration.
DESIGN: A mixed method design including structured observations on hospital wards, field notes, brief, un-recorded interviews and semi-structured interviews to inform the development of an intervention to enhance practice.
METHODS: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with nursing staff using a topic guide informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. Semi-structured interviews will be transcribed verbatim and coded deductively into the 14 Theoretical Domains Framework domains and then inductively into 'belief statements'. Priority domains will be identified and mapped to appropriate behaviour change techniques. Intervention content and mode of delivery (how behaviour change techniques are operationalised) will be developed using nominal groups, during which participants (clinicians) will rank behaviour change techniques /mode of delivery combinations according to acceptability and feasibility. Findings will be synthesised to develop an intervention manual.
DISCUSSION: Despite being a priority for clinicians, researchers and policymakers for two decades, 'sub-optimal care' of the deteriorating ward patient persists. Existing interventions have been largely educational (i.e., targeting assumed knowledge deficits) with limited evidence that they change staff behaviour. Staff behaviour when monitoring and responding to abnormal vital signs is likely influenced by a range of mediators that includes barriers and enablers.
IMPACT: Systematically applying theory and evidence-based methods, will result in the specification of an intervention which is more likely to result in behaviour change and can be tested empirically in future research. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
The role of dietary polyphenols in the moderation of the inflammatory response in early stage colorectal cancer
Current focus in colorectal cancer management is on reducing overall mortality by increasing the number of early stage cancers diagnosed and treated with curative intent. Despite the success of screening programmes in down-staging colorectal cancer, interval cancer rates are substantial and other strategies are desirable. Sporadic colorectal cancer is largely associated with lifestyle factors including diet. Polyphenols are phytochemicals ingested as part of a normal diet which are abundant in plant foods including fruits/berries and vegetables. These may exert their anti-carcinogenic effects via the modulation of inflammatory pathways. Key signal transduction pathways are fundamental to the association of inflammation and disease progression including those mediated by NF-ÎşB and STAT, PI3K and COX. Our aim was to examine the evidence for the effect of dietary polyphenols intake on tumour and host inflammatory responses to determine if polyphenols may be effective as part of a dietary intervention. There is good epidemiological evidence of a reduction in colorectal cancer risk from case-control and cohort studies assessing polyphenol intake. It would be premature to suggest a major public health intervention to promote their consumption however, dietary change is safe and feasible, emphasising the need for further investigation of polyphenols and colorectal cancer risk
Comparison of the prognostic value of measures of the tumor inflammatory cell infiltrate and tumor-associated stroma in patients with primary operable colorectal cancer
The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical utility of two measures of the
inflammatory cell infiltrate - a H&E-based assessment of the generalised inflammatory cell
infiltrate (the Klintrup-Mäkinen (KM) grade), and an immunohistochemistry-based
assessment of combined CD3+ and CD8+ T-cell density (the âImmunoscoreâ), in conjunction
with assessment of the tumor stroma percentage (TSP) in patients undergoing resection of
stage I-III colorectal cancer (CRC). 246 patients were identified from a prospectively
maintained database of CRC resections in a single surgical unit. Assessment of KM grade
and TSP was performed using full H&E sections. CD3+ and CD8+ T-cell density was
assessed on full sections and the Immunoscore calculated. KM grade and Immunoscore were
strongly associated (P<0.001). KM grade stratified cancer-specific survival (CSS) from 88%
to 66% (P=0.002) and Immunoscore from 93% to 61% (P<0.001). Immunoscore further
stratified survival of patients independent of KM grade from 94% (high KM, Im4) to 60%
(low KM, Im0/1). Furthermore, TSP stratified survival of patients with a weak inflammatory
cell infiltrate (low KM: from 75% to 47%; Im0/1: from 71% to 38%, both P<0.001) but not
those with a strong inflammatory infiltrate. On multivariate analysis, only Immunoscore (HR
0.44, P<0.001) and TSP (HR 2.04, P<0.001) were independently associated with CSS. These
results suggest that the prognostic value of an immunohistochemistry-based assessment of the
inflammatory cell infiltrate is superior to H&E-based assessment in patients undergoing
resection of stage I-III CRC. Furthermore, assessment of the tumor-associated stroma, using
TSP, further improves prediction of outcome
Preoperative systemic inflammation predicts postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing curative resection for colorectal cancer
The presence of systemic inflammation before surgery, as evidenced by the glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), predicts poor long-term survival in colorectal cancer. The aim was to examine the relationship between the preoperative mGPS and the development of postoperative complications in patients undergoing potentially curative resection for colorectal cancer. Patients (n=455) who underwent potentially curative resections between 2003 and 2007 were assessed consecutively, and details were recorded in a database. The majority of patients presented for elective surgery (85%) were over the age of 65 years (70%), were male (58%), were deprived (53%), and had TNM stage I/II disease (61%), had preoperative haemoglobin (56%), white cell count (87%) and mGPS 0 (58%) in the normal range. After surgery, 86 (19%) patients developed a postoperative complication; 70 (81%) of which were infectious complications. On multivariate analysis, peritoneal soiling (P<0.01), elevated preoperative white cell count (P<0.05) and mGPS (P<0.01) were independently associated with increased risk of developing a postoperative infection. In elective patients, only the mGPS (OR=1.75, 95% CI=1.17-2.63, P=0.007) was significantly associated with increased risk of developing a postoperative infection. Preoperative elevated mGPS predicts increased postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing potentially curative resection for colorectal cancer
Numerical study of surface-induced reorientation and smectic layering in a nematic liquid crystal
Surface-induced profiles of both nematic and smectic order parameters in a
nematic liquid crystal, ranging from an orienting substrate to "infinity", were
evaluated numerically on base of an extended Landau theory. In order to obtain
a smooth behavior of the solutions at "infinity" a boundary energy functional
was derived by linearizing the Landau energy around its equilibrium solutions.
We find that the intrinsic wave number of the smectic structure, which plays
the role of a coupling between nematic and smectic order, strongly influences
the director reorientation. Whereas the smectic order is rapidly decaying when
moving away from the surface, the uniaxial nematic order parameter shows an
oscillatory behavior close to the substrate, accompanied by a non-zero local
biaxiality.Comment: LaTeX, 17 pages, with 4 postscript figure
Tunneling spectra of strongly coupled superconductors: Role of dimensionality
We investigate numerically the signatures of collective modes in the
tunneling spectra of superconductors. The larger strength of the signatures
observed in the high-Tc superconductors, as compared to classical low-Tc
materials, is explained by the low dimensionality of these layered compounds.
We also show that the strong-coupling structures are dips (zeros in the d2I/dV2
spectrum) in d-wave superconductors, rather than the steps (peaks in d2I/dV2)
observed in classical s-wave superconductors. Finally we question the
usefulness of effective density of states models for the analysis of tunneling
data in d-wave superconductors.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Random Fixed Point of Three-Dimensional Random-Bond Ising Models
The fixed-point structure of three-dimensional bond-disordered Ising models
is investigated using the numerical domain-wall renormalization-group method.
It is found that, in the +/-J Ising model, there exists a non-trivial fixed
point along the phase boundary between the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic
phases. The fixed-point Hamiltonian of the +/-J model numerically coincides
with that of the unfrustrated random Ising models, strongly suggesting that
both belong to the same universality class. Another fixed point corresponding
to the multicritical point is also found in the +/-J model. Critical properties
associated with the fixed point are qualitatively consistent with theoretical
predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Journal of the Physical
Society of Japa
Enhanced hydrogen storage in Ni/Ce composite oxides
The properties of dried (but not calcined) coprecipitated nickel ceria systems have been investigated in terms of their hydrogen emission characteristics following activation in hydrogen. XRD and BET data obtained on the powders show similarities to calcined ceria but it is likely that the majority of the material produced by the coprecipitation process is largely of an amorphous nature. XPS data indicate very little nickel is present on the outermost surface of the particles. Nevertheless, the thermal analytical techniques (TGA, DSC and TPD-MS) indicate that the hydrogen has access to the catalyst present and the nickel is able to generate hydrogen species capable of interacting with the support. Both unactivated and activated materials show two hydrogen emission features, viz. low temperature and high temperature emissions (LTE and HTE, respectively) over the temperature range 50 and 500 °C. A clear effect of hydrogen interaction with the material is that the activated sample not only emits much more hydrogen than the corresponding unactivated one but also at lower temperatures. H2 dissociation occurs on the reduced catalyst surface and the spillover mechanism transfers this active hydrogen into the ceria, possibly via the formation and migration of OHâ species. The amount of hydrogen obtained (0.24 wt%) is 10Ă higher than those observed for calcined materials and would suggest that the amorphous phase plays a critical role in this process. The affiliated emissions of CO and CO2 with that of the HTE hydrogen (and consumption of water) strongly suggests a proportion of the hydrogen emission at this point arises from the water gas shift type reaction. It has not been possible from the present data to delineate between the various hydrogen storage mechanisms reported for ceria
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