Joint industry planning platforms for coal export supply chains

Improving the performance and reducing the costs associated with export logistics chains is critical to the competitiveness of export coal mines. The fundamental practices associated with the use of export logistics chains made up of mine, trucking, rail and port operations are being challenged by the advent of third party operators on rail systems and the use of the Internet. Whilst individual mines can improve their processes to drive down their mining costs, they face major challenges in their endeavour to improve the performance of export logistics chains and reduce the significant logistics costs of moving coal from the mine to export ships, via the shared infrastructure of rail systems and ports. There is an increasing realisation that global competition is not only between mines but between coal export regions that are defined by their rail system and ports infrastructure. The development and use of a joint industry planning platform for the export logistics chains of the Western Australian Grain Industry has demonstrated that an industry facing significant restructuring and increased competitiveness can achieve major throughput and cost reduction gains when stakeholders in export logistics chains share key planning information using the Internet and state of the art planning tools. Joint industry planning platforms for export logistics chains are being considered or are at initial stages of development for a number of Australasian coal export logistics chains. This paper reviews the development of a joint industry platform for the W A Grain industry and reports on the state of development of similar planning platforms for the export logistics chains of the Illawarra, Hunter Valley, SE Queensland, Blackwater / Moura. Goonyella and Mt Isa / Townsville export coal regions. This paper addresses the key components of joint industry planning platforms, the key information that should be shared, the use of the internet and information servers, and the contractual Structures required to enable stakeholders of an export logistics chain,w ho are competitors or potential competitors, to work together to improve the competitiveness of a coal export region

Animal movement modelling: Independent or dependent models?

Hidden Markov models have become a popular time series method for the analysis of GPS tracked animals. Their advantage for identifying latent behavioural states compared with Independent Mixture models is that they take into account the time series dependency of successive displacement distances by the tracked animals. However, little is known about how the analysis results may differ depending on which of these approaches is used. We compared the results and interpretations obtained from fitting Hidden Markov and Independent Mixture models to simulated movement data as well as to field data recording the hourly movements of sable antelope and buffalo within the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Hidden Markov models consistently yielded narrower confidence intervals around parameters and smaller standard errors than simpler time independent mixture models, but for some data the improvement was marginal and the Independent Mixture model provided an adequate alternative for identifying the latent behavioural states of the animal. In general, it is expected Hidden Markov models will provide the better balance between model complexity and extensibility for animal movement modelling from a statistical perspective. However, in some cases, Independent Mixture models could provide an adequate alternative method and might be more faithful biologically

Preferences for support services among adolescents and young adults with cancer or a blood disorder: A discrete choice experiment

Background: Life-threatening illnesses in young people are traumatic for patients and their families. Support services can help patients and families deal with various non-medical impacts of diagnosis, disease and treatment. The aim of this study was to determine which types of support are most valued by adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer or blood disorders and their families. Method: A discrete choice experiment (DCE). Separate experiments were conducted with AYA and their carers. Results: Completed surveys were returned by 83 patients and 78 carers. AYA preferred emotional support for themselves (either by counsellors and/or peers), emotional support for their family, financial support and assistance returning to school/work over services relating to cultural and spiritual needs. Covariate analysis indicated female AYA were more likely than males to prefer emotional support, while males were more likely to prefer assistance returning to work/school. Carers preferred emotional support for their AYA and assistance returning to school/work. Like AYA, they were indifferent about services relating to cultural and spiritual needs. Conclusion: Providing the types of support services that people prefer should maximise effectiveness. This study suggests that AYA patients require support services that included financial aid, assistance returning to work/study, emotional support for themselves and for their family. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Cut-free Calculi and Relational Semantics for Temporal STIT Logics

We present cut-free labelled sequent calculi for a central formalism in logics of agency: STIT logics with temporal operators. These include sequent systems for Ldm , Tstit and Xstit. All calculi presented possess essential structural properties such as contraction- and cut-admissibility. The labelled calculi G3Ldm and G3Tstit are shown sound and complete relative to irreflexive temporal frames. Additionally, we extend current results by showing that also Xstit can be characterized through relational frames, omitting the use of BT+AC frames

Design, construction and operation of a REPOINT laboratory demonstrator

The REPOINT project, led by Loughborough University, has been active since March 2011. It seeks to improve the reliability, safety and maintainability of track switching technology, with the aim of increasing network capacity and lowering operating costs. To do this, the project is exploring combining mature concepts from other industries such as fault tolerance, line-replaceable units and passively safe design, with novel mechanical arrangements, in order to bring about a step change in performance. One design, based around a stub-switch arrangement, has showed particular promise and is the currently the subject of three patent applications covering the novel mode of operation. A laboratory-scale demonstrator of all key subsystems is currently under construction, under funding from the FutureRailway.org team. This is integrated with test and monitoring equipment, alongside a rapid-prototyping control system. This first-generation design will be used to prove the concept of operation and to develop the associated control and monitoring technology. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the REPOINT project to date, and the design and operation of the proposed novel REPOINT design. This paper firstly introduces the REPOINT project and highlights of the proposed novel design. It then discusses the simulation, modelling and design of the demonstrator rig, and the associated test and development equipment. The conclusions highlight the progress so far – on the REPOINT project and the Demonstrator rig - and comment upon potential next steps towards network deployment

PTPN14 (protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 14)

Review on PTPN14 (protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 14), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Modelled optimisation approaches for laser cutting sheets simultaneously applied to EV component production

This paper proposes that laser cutting has potential as a viable alternative to stamping for mass manufacture of thin steel components such as stator and rotor components in the electric automotive sector. Current laser cutting processes are much less efficient than stamping. However, laser cutting is much more flexible and is used for small batches and one-off production. This paper assesses the potential of performing laser cutting operations of multiple sheets or layers simultaneously. This method is referred to herein as polystromata cutting. A numerical model is used to assess the manufacturing performance of stamping, traditional laser cutting and polystromata laser cutting. Polystromata laser cutting is shown to be capable of producing parts at 37% less cost than stamping. However, polystromata remains slower than stamping, taking 79% more time to produce each stator stack. Through this research it has been identified that optimisation of polystromata processes is more complex and performance efficiency varies wildly dependent on manufacturing set-up. This work aims to provide a best practice optimisation methodology for polystromata laser cutting by assessing results using different manufacturing objectives

Multi-layer laser cutting of electrical steel sheets applied to electric machine laminations

With the move away from fossil fuels, the importance of electric machines is increasing. This is particularly the case within major engineering sectors such as the automotive industry. There is therefore a need to further develop processes which will allow for the diverse range of machining operations and large volume manufacture which will be required to overcome the inherent challenges in making this transition. Several critical components of an electric machine, such as the rotor and the stator, are made from electrical grade steel. This is a steel where the composition and processing acts to optimise the magnetic and other properties for the application. The steel is processed as thin sheet laminations and then stacked, to reduce the losses which occur within it due to the generation of eddy currents. The laminations need to be cut to shape, in an operation currently carried out most frequently by stamping from a sheet, but which could be done with greater flexibility by laser cutting (due, for example, to the absence of tooling). In laser cutting the possibility exists to perform cutting operations using what we call here a polystromata method, where several sheets are stacked and then cut simultaneously, increasing the efficiency of the operation. To date there have been few reports on this type of laser cutting process, and none that provide detail on the effect that the number of layers in a cutting stack has on critical parameters, such as the edge quality post cutting and the magnetic performance of the sheets. In this work we perform an experimental study of the process and report data in these measures, quantifying the decrease in performance as the stack increases in number of sheets

Effects of vildagliptin on wound healing and markers of inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetic foot ulcer: a prospective, randomized, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled, single‑center study

Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the leading long-term complications experienced by patients with diabetes. Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4is) are a class of antihyperglycemic medications prescribed to patients with diabetes to manage glycaemic control. DPP4is may also have a beneficial effect on DFU healing. This study aimed to determine vildagliptin’s effect on inflammatory markers and wound healing. Trial design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center study. Methods: Equal number of participants were randomized into the treatment and placebo groups. The treatment was for 12 weeks, during which the participants had regular visits to the podiatrist, who monitored their DFU sizes using 3D camera, and blood samples were taken at baseline, six weeks, and 12 weeks during the study for measurement of inflammatory markers. In addition, demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, DFU risk factors, and DFU wound parameters were recorded. Results: 50 participants were recruited for the study, with 25 assigned to placebo and 25 to treatment group. Vildagliptin treatment resulted in a statistically significant reduction of HBA1c (p < 0.02) and hematocrit (p < 0.04), total cholesterol (p < 0.02), LDL cholesterol (p < 0.04), and total/HDL cholesterol ratio (P < 0.03) compared to the placebo group. Also, vildagliptin had a protective effect on DFU wound healing, evidenced by the odds ratio (OR) favoring the intervention of 11.2 (95% CI 1.1–113.5; p < 0.04) and the average treatment effect on the treated (ATET) for vildagliptin treatment group showed increased healing by 35% (95%CI; 10–60, p = 0.01) compared to placebo with the model adjusted for microvascular complications, smoking, amputation, dyslipidemia, peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and duration of diabetes